Constructor: Brandon Koppy
Relative problem: Medium
THEME: GALAXY-BRAIN (61A: Having concepts far too profound for anybody else to grasp … and what may aid you clear up this puzzle?) — first phrases of themers are elements of a “galaxy” (all star-related):
- NEBULA AWARD (18A: Honor for “Dune” and “American Gods”)
- STARSTRUCK (25A: Like Swifties vis-à-vis Taylor Swift)
- “BLACK HOLE SUN” (37A: Grammy-winning Soundgarden hit of 1994)
- NOVA SCOTIA (52A: Canadian province on the Gulf of Maine)
Phrase of the Day: GALAXY-BRAIN (61A) —
- (Web slang, typically sarcastic) Enigmatic, perplexing, unfathomable; troublesome to perceive or comprehend.
From a preferred meme during which an more and more absurd or surreal sequence of ideas with a standard theme is paired with a sequence of photos exhibiting a human mind increasing and emitting progressively brighter beams of sunshine, thus mockingly presenting the concepts as too profound for a mean thoughts to grasp quite than nonsensical. (wordsense)
Galaxy Mind, often known as Increasing Mind, is a multi-panel exploitable picture sequence evaluating the mind measurement of an individual relative to different variables. Although the increasing mind is often implied to showcase mental superiority over varied objects, it’s extra typically utilized in an ironic sense to suggest the other, the place objects of derision are implied to be of upper normal than objects which are often extremely regarded. For instance, when used with Whomst, an individual who makes use of “who” shall be proven with the smallest mind, whereas an individual who makes use of essentially the most ridiculous variation, i.e. “whomst’d’ve”, shall be proven with the most important mind. // This meme originated as a part of the “Whomst” meme the place the left column was derivations of the phrase “Who” had been paired with more and more elaborate photos of brains relying on how intense the “who” variation was. One of the vital widespread early examples was posted to /r/dankmemes on Reddit on January thirty first, 2017 by janskishimanski in a submit that gained almost 1,200 upvotes. (Know Your Meme)
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Undecided I’ve seen a clue change part-of-speech on me mid-clue like that earlier than (from adj. to n.), however there is a first time for all the things, I assume. Going out on a limb right here and guessing that “GALAXY-BRAIN” (adj.) goes to be unfamiliar to many not-extremely-online folks, significantly older folks. It has its origins in a meme, and (traditionally talking) a reasonably latest one. I used to be semi-stunned to seek out that the time period (as up to date slang, anyway) dates again solely to 2017. I do know that is 8 years in the past now, however for me, that is like yesterday. Simply occurred. Sigh. I am typically actually belated on choosing up new slang, however I am on-line sufficient to know what “GALAXY-BRAIN” means … not that you simply actually wanted to have heard the time period earlier than to resolve the puzzle, which is likely one of the issues I do not actually like in regards to the revealer: the clue jokes that having a GALAXY BRAIN (n.) may “assist” you clear up the puzzle, however figuring out one thing about precise galaxies or stars is ineffective—the “star” angle is one thing you uncover solely by chance. So whereas the GALAXY a part of the revealer is smart, the BRAIN half I did not purchase. If I might truly *wanted* to suppose “stars!” in an effort to clear up the puzzle, I would really feel otherwise. I do just like the revealer as a standalone phrase, and I give the puzzle credit score for Actually Making an attempt to be present in its fill and cluing (though I am not the most effective decide of “present”; my middle-aged mind nonetheless thinks “BLACK HOLE SUN” is present).
“NOVA” is the one theme phrase that is doing what theme phrases oughta do, i.e. conceal (the “NOVA” in NOVA SCOTIA just isn’t the star-related model, whereas all the opposite theme phrases, as they seem within the grid, are, or are based mostly on, their star-related that means). Cannot actually fault the puzzle an excessive amount of for the inconsistency, as NEBULA would not actually give you non-star-related cluing routes. I favored the fill no less than as a lot as I did not just like the fill, and nonetheless I felt in regards to the fill, it by no means felt sloppy or unpolished, so I recognize that. Undecided I cherished it, however I positively discovered it attention-grabbing and was by no means bored.
The puzzle retains issues attention-grabbing by various the fill, so much, and never over-relying on drained brief stuff. You are not gonna get by a grid with out an IMAC right here and and APED there, however a lot of the brief stuff is inconspicuous, and the center to longer stuff is fairly bouncy. I struggled most, as typically occurs, to start with, within the NW, the place I needed DIMWIT as a substitute of DINGUS and issues form of fell other than there (1D: Nincompoop). I additionally needed OWNS (or PWNS?) for LAPS (19D: Trounces in Mario Kart, say). Between these two errors, and never having any thought what “Boystown” was (21A: Institution in Chicago’s Boystown = GAY BAR), yeah, a lot of slipping and sliding round up entrance. Not loving the extremely redundant BABY CRIB—makes about as a lot sense as “Child bassinet”; [Bassinet alternative] needs to be CRIB. However in any other case, that nook got here out fairly good. As I mentioned, good fill on the center and longer ranges: ASPARAGUS, “I MEAN IT!,” PLAN AHEAD, “NOT AGAIN!,” SASHIMI, DOLL UP, all welcome. As soon as I obtained out of the NW, the problem stage appeared to even out. No additional issues … past having NEW TO as a substitute of NEW AT (7D: Unfamiliar with), and having completely no thought who the RAP ACE was … oh, sorry, that is not a RAP ACE, that is one title, RAPACE (13D: Actress Noomi of “Prometheus”). She has been in a ton of stuff, however damned if I’ve seen most of it, or managed to retain her title. I do not even keep in mind the film Prometheus. I sincerely thought Prometheus was that latest TV present the place Jeff Goldblum performed Zeus??? However that was known as Kaos (RIP Kaos).
Notes:
- 18A: Honor for “Dune” and “American Gods” (NEBULA AWARD) — undecided I might’ve steered into Neil Gaiman, at this level, if I had been a clue author. Lotsa works have gained NEBULA AWARDs, looks as if, as a substitute of American Gods, you could possibly’ve gone with a piece by somebody who’s not dealing with a host of sexual assault allegations.
- 1D: Nincompoop (DINGUS) — The one individual I’ve heard say “DINGUS” as an insult is Nelson on The Simpsons. I do know this phrase primarily as a substitute for “thingie.” A minimum of I believe that is the way it’s getting used right here (from early in Chandler’s The Lengthy Goodbye, when Terry comes over to Marlowe’s early within the morning asking for a journey to Tijuana):
I left him with that shiny chatter and went out to the kitchen on the again. I turned the recent water on and obtained the espresso maker down off the shelf. I moist the rod and measured the stuff into the highest and by that point the water was steaming. I stuffed the decrease half of the dingus and set it on the flame. I set the higher half on prime and gave it a twist so it will bind.
- 14D: Emitted squiggly strains, in a cartoon (STANK) — these strains are technically (very, very technically) referred to as “waftaroms.” A minimum of in accordance with cartoonist Mort Walker, they’re.
- 12D: In fantasy, one who flew too near the solar (ICARUS) — would’ve favored this as a form of wink on the puzzle’s theme, besides the clue dupes “solar” (from “BLACK HOLE SUN“) so I do not prefer it a lot.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
