Constructor: Simeon Seigel
Relative issue: Straightforward
THEME: “Mark My Phrases” — Clues have to be understood spatially, with numerous punctuation “marks” standing in for “phrases”:
Theme solutions:
- THAT’S BESIDE THE POINT (27A: . [Not this])
- PREHISTORIC PERIODS (35A: … Historical)
- BUYS BY THE POUND (52A: # Believes)
- WRITTEN IN THE STARS (62A: * Composed *) (extra like “written within the asterisks,” however OK)
- DINES AND DASHES (70A: Feasts – – -)
- POST-GRADUATE DEGREE (87A: Alumnus º)
- READ BETWEEN THE LINES (99A: — Peruse —)
Phrase of the Day: Pamana Island (105A: Its southernmost level, Pamana Island, in additional than 750 miles under the Equator => ASIA) —
Pamana Island (Dana, Dona, Ndana) is a small island off Rote Island in Indonesia‘s East Nusa Tenggara province of Lesser Sunda Islands, and the southernmost level of Indonesia and of Asia. It lies precisely on latitude 11°S. Administratively this island is a part of Rote Ndao Regency. It borders the Ashmore and Cartier Islands to the south.
The island is inhabited by some deer, numerous chicken species and is visited yearly by turtles who come to put their eggs. (wikipedia)
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Form of remedial, type of boring, with a number of little clunks alongside the best way. “Interval” and “level” are basically the identical “mark,” so the primary two themers felt like they have been doing mainly the identical “trick.” There is no clear cause for the brackets round [Not this] in . Just like the phrases within the different clues, “Not this” are merely functioning as definitions, so the bracketing is simply bizarre. And, if the puzzle weren’t really easy total, doubtlessly deceptive. DINES AND DASHES sounds awfully awkward within the third individual. If the wordplay / markplay right here have been one way or the other really stellar or mindblowing, these little glitches would not register. However all the pieces is so simple that there is no actual wow issue, and due to this fact nothing to distract from all of the little infelicities. The fill is barely subpar as effectively. THE NSA? I believed THE MONA LISA was kinda clunky yesterday, however THE NSA is approach worse. NSA has appeared 241 occasions (with an enormous soar below Shortz and an particularly large soar within the 2020s, for some cause), and there is no distinction between all these clues and right this moment’s clue (they virtually all simply use “Org.” to sign the abbr.), which makes the THE right here completely arbitrary, which … boo (88D: Org whose funds is classed). And proper subsequent to A GRADES, additionally boo. After which REDATE? C SIDE?? US TIME??? “AH ME“!? (once more with the bygone sighing expressions!). Hypothetically accountable proteins (!?!?!?!) (55D: Proteins hypothetically accountable for mad cow illness = PRIONS). What the hell? Are they accountable or aren’t they? Now I am booing science, sorry. If the scientists do not know, they do not know. I simply discovered it laborious to love this grid. A lot of it’s strong, simply superb, however a lot of it’s tin-eared, and there are not any actual excessive factors.
As regular, the NW was the place I used to be slowest—each as a result of it is the place I began, and if you’ve obtained nothing within the grid but … that is if you’re prone to be slowest; and since the clues on these brief solutions have been simply laborious for me. PASS ought to’ve been straightforward, however nope, I could not consider something there (1A: Select not to participate). I knew the Medicare part was a PART, however which PART, ??? (1D: Medicare part (PART B)). I had ALTA as a substitute of ALTO (18A: Excessive within the Andes), which wasn’t that dangerous, however I crossed that “T” with OTTER as a substitute of STOAT (3D: Weasel member of the family), which was (that dangerous, that’s). Additionally, the one factor my mind wished for 23A: Hit the ___ (ROOF) was ROAD. I used to be so rotated at first that I truly wrote in BATCAPES (!?!?) as a substitute of BATSUITS for 31A: Movie apparel for George Clooney and Christian Bale. Subsequent door wasn’t too a lot better. I feel the very first thing I put within the grid with any actual certainty was AGASSI (7D: Eight-time Grand Slam match winner from 1992 to 2003), and but, in that very same part … I assumed the stiletto in query was a shoe, so BLADE wasn’t coming anytime quickly (24A: Stiletto characteristic). Nonetheless can not seem to differentiate AUGUR (portend) from AUGER (the hole-boring device), so I left that vowel clean. Garfield is plump and orange (to not point out fictional) whereas my very own tabby cat is lean and grey (principally) and really a lot actual (esp. at 3:45am when he is hungry), so it was laborious to consider them in the identical class of cat, although technically, sure, each TABBIES (5D: Garfield and others). I obtained RULETH however there is no approach you could be That assured in RULETH as a result of … effectively, take a look at it. Additionally, REDATE, shme-date. In order you’ll be able to see, simply getting preliminary traction was an journey. And But—as soon as I obtained out of the N/NW, all the pieces appeared to go Monday-easy, and the theme itself was perhaps like a 3 out of 10 on the issue scale, and there is nowhere that appears prone to make anyone actually Caught-stuck, so … yeah, Straightforward.
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| [TABBIES! Turns out you can’t spell “Garfield” without ALFIE (+ “G” “R” and “D”)] |
- 21A: Function of a protected touchdown (RAIL) — the reply that baffled me probably the most. I knew it was proper, and I wished to depart it behind, but it surely was bugging me that I could not work out how the hell it was appropriate. Ultimately it dawned on me that we have been speaking a couple of staircase (particularly the extent half, or “touchdown”). I consider the touchdown because the one a part of a staircase that *does not* have a (hand) RAIL, however I assume for additional security, they could.
- 25A: Fraudster Sorokin profiled in Netflix’s “Inventing ___” (“ANNA“) — a random and near-meaningless string of phrases to me … and but “ANNA” floated proper to the highest of my mind. Should’ve simply seen the title a bunch, maybe whereas scrolling by way of the mind-numbing content material farm that’s Netflix. I am about to pare down all my media subscriptions, and Netflix is on the high of the “to go” record. Just a few good issues and a Whoooooooooole lotta nothin. An entire lot of “simply OK” stuff, truly, which is one way or the other worse, or a minimum of the identical.
- 45A: Sch. whose pupil newspaper in The Reveille (LSU) — my spouse used to show there, within the Historical past Division, however that was earlier than I knew her. I went to LSU as soon as myself, for a convention, after I was in graduate faculty. None of those biographical tidbits made any distinction right here—no concept what “Sch.” this was purported to be. “Reveille” had me considering navy, so I wrote in VMI at first.
- 106A: Group in “a pension fund” (AEIOU) — the vowels AEIOU seem in that phrase (“a pension fund”) in that order.
- 78A: Fashionable love? (BAE) — the time period “BAE” has been round lengthy sufficient that it does not really feel notably “trendy” to me anymore. Huh, seems prefer it solely actually took off in 2013-14, someplace round there, so yeah, fairly trendy. Anyway, you (not me, however you) would possibly name somebody you like “BAE” (the best way you would possibly use “babe” or “child”). A romantic associate, more than likely.
- 83A: One thing looked for in vein? (ORE) — a good pun, and a straightforward reply to get, however thumbs-down on the clue for duping “vein” (see 97D: Like a bodybuilder’s arms = VEINY).
- 107A: Mark one’s phrases? (EDIT) — this was type of cute—the best way the clue echoed the title of the puzzle, I imply (“Mark My Phrases”).
- 22A: Architectural projection (ORIEL) — is that this the bay window-type dealie? Sure: “A bay window projecting from an higher flooring, supported from under with corbels or brackets.“ (wordnik)
- 10D: Baguette in Vietnamese delicacies (BANH MI) — After all it is BANH, however my mind wished BAHN, like “autobahn” or Kathryn Hahn or Steve Zahn.
- 85D: Writer who initially meant his pen identify to rhyme with “voice,” although People pronounced it in a different way (SEUSS) — wait, do non-People say “zoice!?” LOL that is some actual “Frankenstein” / “Frankenstein” stuff. I like the concept that there is a Dr. Seuss (“Soyce!”) on the market, a type of doppelgänger or evil twin of Dr. Seuss (“Sooce!”), writing books that make children hate studying. Unhealthy poetry that does not rhyme or scan, with horrific illustrations that provide you with nightmares. “One Fish, Two Fish, Lifeless Fish As Far As The Eye Can See As a result of Of An Oil Spill!” Sleep tight, children
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| [80A: Translation of “fin” (END)] |
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
