Kurt
Ottawa, ON
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Ottawa, ON
Cute, clever little puzzle. Fun and quick enough that I didn't even notice the break from the format - - had to go back to look at the not-quite-square puzzle after reading the constructor's note. A poem comes to mind. I'll share this excerpt, from an Emily Dickinson piece whose title is the first line: “Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all[.] I would like to think that in a broader sense, hope has us covered, too.
Rarely comment on these, but this was an exceptional puzzle. Very clever clues, high-quality fill, and two impressive and fun spanners. Kudos to the constructor.
Congratulations to our constructor on getting published! And with a fine Tuesday at that. I think it's a testament to the puzzle's success that even for a cord-cutter like myself, the double-headed theme shone through.
It must be a curious mix of achievement and slight to learn one has written a "ditty." On one hand, the term implies something lesser. On the other hand, they do make quite a nest for themselves in the brain, don't they? So then, I wanna know. What's your favourite ditty?
I have a renewed respect for how hard it is to create good, solid grids like this after making a puzzle of my own last month. I quite liked the misdirect on 56 across: something raised in Octoberfest could have you thinking IPA STEIN... which I'm sure we're all glad it wasn't.
Fun, charming little puzzle. I'm so often on the wrong side of the generational gap on certain clues*, so I'll take the GO HAM gimme as a rare piece of luck. That said, I might have to disagree with our dear columnist about the term's origin! While the GO HAM acronym was popularized in the 2011 song, the term predates it, and was not associated with "hard as a ************" prior to the song's release. That places this bit of slang firmly in the backronym category. Anyway! Thanks to our constructor for the puzzle, and I'll see you folks on Wednesday. *"Who is that 1970s actress? Who is that 1980s American politician?" Tragically, I never know.
It's unusual to see a clue appear in an answer, isn't it? I was hesitant to write OPERABOX with "opera" as part of the LA TOSCA clue.
@Andrew A lot of folks enjoy the lateral thinking involved with more opaque clues. There's a genre of crossword popular in England called "cryptic" that heavily leans into more abstract paths to the answer. That said, some clues really are just dubious. For something like OREO, I think both editors and solvers have seen so many variations that there's a (misplaced?) effort to be inventive. Unfortunately, there are only so many ways to hint at a brand of cookie.
Thanks for sharing, folks; glad I asked. The "ditties" most often stuck in my brain are probably short loops from video game soundtracks! In particular, the recent faux-retro compilation UFO 50 has hundreds of tiny tunes that are very top-of-mind for me lately.
@Kv I searched for this comment! Sometimes I'm on the wrong side of the jock / nerd divide for these puzzles, haha. I wonder if the clue was always tied to Mr. Ewing, or if that was an editorial shift from the NYT team.
@Francis I had a lot of trouble with the bottom-left corner, but CHARLIXCX was mercifully close at hand! Last year's "Brat" was so widely talked-about that I knew it instantly in spite of never having actually listened. As for MIIS, this was another gimme for folks born in the last 40 years or so. The Wii was the best-selling console of all time.
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