Wednesday, November 20, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Vincent’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Hidden Powers”—Jim’s review

Theme answers are familiar phrases that hide the names of gods. Parenthetical hints in the clues identify the pertinent belief system. The revealer is FIND GOD (39a, [Have a religious conversion, and what you can do in this puzzle’s longest answers]).

• 17a. [LeBron or Kareem, e.g. (Canaanite)] NBA ALL-STAR. Baal. Now there’s a god you don’t see every day.
• 61a. [Gets unexpectedly weird, say (Roman)] TAKES A TURN. Saturn.
• 11d. [Website building company with a geometric name (Greek)] SQUARESPACE. Ares.
• 25d. [Clydesdales, e.g. (Norse)] DRAFT HORSES. Thor.

Really nice theme. I like the inclusion of four different mythologies. That said, there are a lot of gods out there, especially when you consider Far East, Native American, and Oceania cultures. I wonder if this could’ve been a 21x-sized puzzle.

When theme answers are in a pinwheel pattern as they are here, there’s usually not a lot of room for other long fill. But today we still get some great entries like SNAIL MAIL, STUD FEE, PAD THAI, HIPSTER, EARGASM, and DRAG KINGS. Wow. Beautiful job filling the grid!

Throughout the solve I felt I was not on the right cluing wavelength, but looking back, the clues seem mostly fair, and there are some good ones in there.

Clues of note:

• 19a. [Presses for payment]. DUNS. Never have I ever heard of this usage, but there are a few examples in the Cruciverb database, and plenty of dictionary definitions.
• 21a. [Auto-fill target?]. GAS TANK. This tough clue and DUNS above made the NE corner rough going for me. Good clue but as I said, tough.
• 31a. [Neighbors of fibulae]. TIBIAE. I appreciate the tip-off in the clue that this wasn’t going to be the usual add-an-S plural.
• 33a. [Company co-founded by the founder of Chuck E. Cheese]. ATARI. Wow. Interesting tidbit there. Haven’t been to one of those “restaurants” in decades. Do they still have plenty of video game machines?
• 8d. [For whom clothes make the man?]. DRAG KINGS. Good clue.

Four stars.

Rafael Musa’s AV Club Classic crossword, “Themeless #79″—Jenni’s recap

A quick post before I collapse after a long day. This is a lovely themeless! Some highlights:

• 1a [Like a published crossword that includes the word “fuck” in a clue, most likely] is a very meta clue for INDIE.
• 8d [Email button you might regret clicking] is REPLY ALL. We all have a story…
• Does anyone still have a COIN SORTER?
• 46a [Number of countries that start with the letter O] is ONE. And that would be Oman.
• 52d [Before, to Jane ___ {the blank only works if you’re reading the clue aloud}] is ERE. Hah.

What I didn’t know before I did this puzzle: that the IOC is headquartered in LAUSANNE. And I still don’t understand “RTS are not endorsements.”

Rafael Musa’s AVCX Classic crossword — Eric’s bonus review

We’re not the most organized bunch here at Team Fiend, so you get a second take on this puzzle. (9:28, if you’re interested in that stuff.)

AVCX crosswords appeal to me because they include clues and answers that a mainstream publisher would reject for fear of offending strait-laced solvers (and even some straight-laced solvers).

Rafael Musa’s brought us a nice, fairly dense grid, centered around 34A [Movement that helped normalize masturbation and contraception] SEXUAL REVOLUTION. He’s taken that to heart with a few answers:

• 1A [Like a published crossword that includes the word “fuck” in a clue, most likely] INDIE
• 14A [Raw footage?] PORNO
• 4D [“What are you ___?” (common Grindr question)] INTO
• 28D [“So baby pull me closer / In the backseat of your ___” (lyric from the Chainsmokers’ “Closer”)] ROVER I didn’t know this song, and it’s a little heavily auto-tuned for my tastes.

But there’s more to life than just sex (at least that’s what my mother said when we watched The Last Picture Show on TV, circa 1976). Other highlights include:

• 15A [Act of reveling in one’s own domination] POWER TRIP
• 17A [Supporting columns?] PUFF PIECES
• 19A [London cathedral where Winston Churchill’s funeral was held] ST. PAUL’S 20 years ago, my husband and I took a tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral. We were the only people in our tour group, and I think we got an extended tour because of that.
• 38A [“___ are not endorsements”] RTS We’re talking X here, RTs being retweets. As near as I can tell, the idea is that you can disown whatever bullshit you’re passing on by claiming that you’re not “endorsing” it.
• 46A [Number of countries that start with the letter O] ONE Oman, which is one of 10 countries with a four-letter name
• 1D [Some schmancy tablets] IPAD PROS
• 3D [Messages that arrive with the help of a bottle?] DRUNK TEXTS
• 7D [Amazing, oxymoronically] AWFUL GOOD
• 33D [“The sheer audacity!”] SOME NERVE
• 37D [“The last person to touch their face will have to deal with this task”] NOSE GOES That one’s new to me.
• 42D [Metal whose compounds are often blue] COBALT Don’t ask me why I had COPPER first; I know copper turns green.

I’d already eaten dinner when I solved this, so Mr. Musa’s eclectic menu didn’t tempt me too much:

• 21A [Pad ___ (vegetable-based Thai dish)] PAK
• 44A [Crepe sometimes served with sambar] DOSA
• 15D [___ cup (rhyming Starbucks treat)] PUP I’m not sure I want to know what this is.
• 31D [Like Ceylon tea] SRI LANKAN

Robert S. Gard’s New York Times crossword—Jim’s review

Jim here filling in for Amy. Theme answers are familiar words and phrases with rebussed RAYs. The revealer is SHRINK RAY (64a, [Downsizer? … or a hint to six squares in this puzzle]).

• C(RAY)OLA C(RAY)ON crossing MO(RAY) EEL and SP(RAY) TAN.
• PORT(RAY)ALS crossing LUNCH T(RAY).
• C(RAY) C(RAY) crossing ST(RAY) and G(RAY) AREAS.
• (RAY)-BAN crossing B(RAY)S.

A classic rebus grid with a good revealer. I caught on early with that clue for MORAY EEL [Reef predator with extendable pharyngeal jaws], but I still had trouble finding the rest of them. What slowed me down is the lack of symmetry, and the fact that the first entry had me thinking there would be two RAYs in each Across entry.

I am a bit disappointed in the unevenness in the Across theme entries. The first one is wonderful and I wish the others were on a par with it in terms of length and interest, (though some of the Downs are quite nice). Having what are essentially four-letter theme answers like RAY-BAN doesn’t quite feel up to snuff. (Although CRAY CRAY is a really fun entry.) I would’ve liked some lengthier stuff like LIVIN’ ON A P(RAY)ER or F. MUR(RAY) ABRAHAM.

Aside from the theme, the fill is pleasantly smooth. Highlights include STAGE MOM, ALLEYWAY, BACTERIA, PULSATE, “POOR ME“, and TEMPURA.

Clues of note:

• 25a [Comic strip with a collection titled “Shoes: Chocolate for the Feet”]. CATHY. Haha! Great clue, although I was thrown off by the fact that there is an actual comic strip titled “Shoe”.
• 61a [Christmas tree decoration]. CANE. Doesn’t seem sufficient. This made me think there was a “candy” rebus going on here somewhere.
• 63a [Worked on a trireme, e.g.]. OARED. I think we all had ROWED here first, eh? Unless you filled in 62a first where we actually find ROW.
• 39d [Culture group]. BACTERIA. Seems like the clue wanted to be [Culture club] but couldn’t since it’s a bit iffy.

Nice rebus puzzle. The lack of symmetry makes it a bit trickier, but I still wanted some meatier entries. 3.75 stars.

Robyn Weintraub’s New Yorker crossword – Kyle’s write-up

It’s Weintraub Wednesday at the New Yorker. Thanks Robyn for this lovely puzzle.

Highlights:

• Robert Frost’s “THE ROAD NOT TAKEN” feels very appropriate for this time of year, as I look outside at the yellow leaves carpeting the ground.
• DROP IN THE BUCKET is a great find, as are PASS THE HAT, MIDAS TOUCH, LEAVES TOWN and “YOU CAN DO IT!”
• [Equinox and Planet Fitness, for two] are GYMS. Not sure if we have either of these in Chicago.
• [Cynthia who plays Elphaba in the film adaptation of “Wicked”] ERIVO. This entry and a similar clue both appeared in yesterday’s New York Times puzzle by Erik Agard. The film opens for wide release this Friday. My wife and I saw “Wicked” on stage in London several years ago and it was amazing.

Aidan Deshong’s Universal crossword, “Hint, Hint” — pannonica’s write-up

As of this moment I don’t know what the theme is because it was reliant on cross-references. In fact, the first across clue is a cross-reference, which I find to be a real turn-off.

• 17a. Button usually hit with the right pinkie … or a hint to solving 1-Across?] ENTER KEY. 1a [See 17-Across] ISLE. An ISLE is also called  a KEY, so we are to make good on the imperative and enter it into the grid.
• 23a. [“We want to know more” … or a hint to solving 37-Across?] FILL US IN. 37a [See 23-Across] AMERICA. You see how it works.
• 55a. [Save for later … or a hint to solving 40-Across?] PUT ASIDE. 40a [See 55-Across] TANGENT.
• 60a. [Tax deduction … or a hint to solving 70-Across?] WRITE OFF. 70a [See 60-Across] AWRY.

On the one hand I like all the clever pairings, but on the other I didn’t engage with theme at all during the solve. One of those crossword experiences where it feels as if it’s for the constructor’s benefit rather than the solvers’. However, a more leisurely approach would probably be a more appealing experience.

• 1d [TurboTax company] INTUIT. 13d [IRS IDs] SSNS. Unrelated to them entry 60a.
• 6d [Spanish for “moon”] LUNA.
  
• 21d [It’s sent up] AIR MAIL. Cute-ish clue. 5a [Went by helicopter, say] FLEW.
• 38d [Cookie with green filling] MINT OREO. I’m all for mint but very much against fake green coloring. 28a [2024 Green Party candidate Jill] STEIN.
• 50d [Fireplace remnant] CINDER. Not your typical crossword ASH or EMBER.
• 58d [(Yeah, right!) PFFT. Contributing member to a 4×4 all-F square.
• 32a [“Never trust an __. They make up everything!” (classic pun)] ATOM. Crossed by 24d [Tall-tale teller] LIAR.
• 44a [Small piece of paper] SLIP. 67a [Pieces of paper] SHEETS.
• 57a [Foul smell] ODOR. You know what I think.

Objectively I appreciate this one, but I don’t feel as charitable subjectively.

David Poole’s LA Times crossword – Gareth’s summary

I like the concept behind David Poole’s puzzle today: “things that fold”. The execution was a little uneven though; IFOLD is the type of entry that outside of a theme, I’d find mildly contrived. Nevertheless, it does explain what the puzzle is doing theme-wise. There are five long across answers, but several of them feel very similar: two are furniture for example. So:

• [Tailgating seat], LAWNCHAIR
• [Brunch choice], FRENCHOMELET
• [Part of a formal place setting], CLOTHNAPKIN
• [Medium for an artist whose work is in-creasing?], ORIGAMIPAPER
• [Easy-to-store piece of furniture], CARDTABLE

Gareth

Jess Rucks’s USA Today Crossword, “Geez Louise!” — Emily’s write-up

Take it easy there!

Theme: each themer is a empathetic phrase used when shocked or caught off guard

Themers:

• 16a. [“Oh my!”], WOWIEZOWIE
• 34a. [“Oh my!”], JEEPERSCREEPERS
• 60a. [“Oh my!”], HOLYMOLY

A fun themer set today with WOWIEZOWIE, JEEPERSCREEPERS, and HOLYMOLY. Honestly, I needed crossings for these since I wasn’t sure with the cluing so I worked around them until enough portions were in place to complete them then catch onto the theme for the others as well. What did you all think of this theme and its cluing?

Favorite fill: INAFIX, BLEU, SAPPY, and HOMEY

Stumpers: HOORAH (first had “hooray”), HUMP (cluing stumped me for no reason), and NIA (new to me)

Check out the lengthy bonus fill too: SNAPOUTOFIT, GOBIDESERT, and DANCEPARTY in particular. Lots of other wonderful fill as well. Very nice!

4.0 stars

~Emily