The ackee (Blighia sapida), also called acki, akee, or ackee apple, is a fruit of the Sapindaceae (soapberry) household, as are the lychee and the longan. It’s native to tropical West Africa. The scientific title honours Captain William Bligh who took the fruit from Jamaica to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England, in 1793. The English widespread title is derived from the West African Akan-language title akye fufo.
Though having a long-held repute as being toxic with potential fatalities, the fruit arils are famend as scrumptious when ripe, ready correctly, and cooked and are a function of varied Caribbean cuisines. Ackee is the nationwide fruit of Jamaica and is taken into account a delicacy.
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A phrase (or … extra) about ADU (9D: Secondary residence on a property, for brief). You have taken what was already fairly obscure crosswordese ([Soccer player Freddy], perhaps? … sure (3 appearances)) and made it fully inscrutable. I can reside with acronyms and initialisms, however after I’ve received letters within the grid, they usually’re appropriate, and I can not even infer what they could stand for with any form of confidence … ick. ADU? Alternate Dwelling Unit? Is that it? … gah, so shut! Accent Dwelling Unit. If there was ever a three-letter abbr. that might go to hell and/or outer house, it is ADU. You bought a complete grid right here stuffed with pretty attention-grabbing solutions, and but all I can take into consideration is ADU. Big wart on an in any other case OK puzzle. Do not get cute along with your quick fill like this, it would not pay. Bid adieu to ADU! Evaluate my response to ADU with my response to AKEE (which I additionally did not know)—within the latter’s case, I am simply studying a brand new phrase. Really, it is form of familiar-looking to me … a bit … a bit of bit … however anyway, at the least with AKEE I am not left going “what the hell do these letters stand for?” and “even when I knew what these letters stood for, that is unhealthy fill,” which was my ADU response. That entire NW was oddly brutal for me, and ADU was solely a part of it. I really considered FAST CASUAL for 1A: Eating at Chipotle or Panera, e.g., however one thing in regards to the phrasing (unclear what a part of speech “Eating” was speculated to be) stored me from writing it in. After which I had a load of errors. FIRM / MAUL (!?) as an alternative of FAIR / ROUT (1D: Upright / 18A: Crush). UCLA earlier than SDSU (that was only a four-letter Calif. U. reflex; I am from CA and I’ve vacationed in Laguna, so I ought to’ve identified higher) (3D: Calif. college that runs the Mount Laguna Observatory). The steering committee clue did not not assist with CEO, by some means (5D: Steering committee V.I.P.). Solely factor I used to be actually certain of (“certain”) up there at first was ALUMS (6D: Quinquennial campus guests, perhaps). Even the Malibu clue (2D: Malibu, e.g.) … very first thing I considered was the automotive, however you will discover I stated “automotive,” not AUTO, which I am realizing individuals do not really name automobiles (a lot), and so after CAR and CHEVY (and BEACH) would not match … bah. “TRY SOME” earlier than “TRY THIS” (4D: “Have a style”). And do you know LEROI JONES (aka Amiri Baraka) and AUDRE LORDE have the identical enumeration!? (14A: “The Black Unicorn” poet, 1978). It is (sadly for me) true. Actual, actual mess up there. However the one reply I am actually mad at up there’s ADU. Boo to ADU.
However as soon as I received out of the NW—fairly easy crusing. The one locations I’ve marked as hassle spots on my grid are AKEE (which we have been over), ALIAS (which I had as ALIBI, semi-understandably) (44D: Fugitive’s cowl), and MONTERO, which I do know was the title of a Lil Nas X album from a couple of years again (42D: ___ Lamar Hill a.ok.a. Lil Nas X). I simply forgot that I knew it, and forgot that the album was really his given first title. I ponder if anybody goes to finish up with MANTERO / MANET immediately. Looks like for those who knew nothing about French portray, you’d default to MONET (extra well-known, I believe). I left the primary vowel house clean at first, then remembered “Giverny … that is gotta be MONET, proper? That is MONET.” So I dedicated to the “O” and woo hoo, appropriate. However I can see being uncertain, and I can positively see not realizing MONTERO in any respect, so … not loving that cross. Talking of forgetting issues I as soon as knew (which I used to be doing, with MONTERO), I appear to have already forgotten what PSP stands for (11A: Hand-held 2000s Sony console, for brief). Ps … Plus? Is {that a} factor? [looks it up] Ah, Ps Transportable, sure, that makes extra sense. Bygone consoles … among the many lowest of clue classes, down there with “Playground retorts” and “Chortle syllables” (of which now we have not one however two immediately … really, technically, three! Two syllables in “HAHA,” in any case) (15A: “Oh, that is a great one”) (see additionally HAR at 54A: “Very. Humorous.”).
The longer fill was principally pleasing immediately. The highest and backside spanners particularly have been good. For all my complaining about how unhealthy I floundered within the NW, that stack of lengthy solutions is definitely fairly candy. And who would not like PADDINGTON? I’ll say that “KISSED BUTT” was off-putting. Weirdly, I’d’ve been much less delay by KISSED ASS, which (like “automotive” vis-à-vis “AUTO,” is what individuals principally say). BUTT is terrible as a result of it sounds prefer it’s attempting to be much less profane than ASS however by some means finally ends up sounding extra so. BUTT makes it sound like a child is saying it. Grown-ups say ASS, is what I am saying. Not my favourite reply, that one. However “TELL ME MORE …”—that is aces. So it is a blended bag, however the combine skews favorable.
- 19A: Punt e ___ (vermouth model) (MES) — look, take my crossword critic license from me if I begin extolling the virtues of MES as a solution, however as a lover of cocktails, I can’t lie—this clue made me smile. Smile with recognition at an previous good friend. An previous good friend who lives within the door of my fridge. So I do know some individuals are gonna be aggravated that they took a superbly good Spanish phrase for “month” and steered it into a lot niche-ier territory, and they’re in all probability proper to be aggravated, however Punt e MES, yum, I can’t communicate in opposition to it.
- 63A: What may get you out of a jam? (SIDE STREETS) — a visitors jam. That is a fairly cute clue. And a tricky one.
- 65A: What some loggers log (KEYSTROKES) — I do not actually get the context right here. So I appeared up “keystroke logging” and … right here you go:
Keystroke logging, sometimes called keylogging or keyboard capturing, is the motion of recording (logging) the keys struck on a keyboard, usually covertly, in order that an individual utilizing the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored. Information can then be retrieved by the particular person working the logging program. A keystroke recorder or keylogger may be both software program or {hardware}. (wikipedia)
- 52D: Watch this house! (WRIST) — er … I imply, I need to love this. However grammatically it would not work. Your watch goes in that house, certain. Watch … on this house, I suppose. However utilizing “Watch” as a verb right here … I dunno. I believe you want a “?” at the least. You are simply taking part in too quick/unfastened with grammar. After I put my watch on, I do not “watch” my WRIST, any greater than I “shirt” my torso (my poor, severely bruised torso—a type of surgical incisions left manner manner worse harm than the others (don’t fret, I am superb, simply mildly hematoma’d) (I will spare you the visible proof, if that is OK)).
See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
