Alfredo

Fully pulled “BREWCREW” out of my backwards behind. I do not follow baseball at all but “Milwaukee Brewers” sounded correct. I originally had “BREWBOYS,” then “BREWGANG” crossed with “TOPGEAR,” but having both lead nowhere I recalled sports fans’ penchant for rhyming, so I let it rip. This, along with crossing my fingers that the roughly familiar “To COW someone” meant what it meant and that “COPSE” was somehow coming in handy as a word that I knew existed but whose definition I had absolutely no cognizance of, gave me my solves for a challenging bottom right. Finally, banking on “IRA” as opposed to “IDA” gave me the full solve with no corrections necessary! Very satisfying.

Our old friend EPEE makes yet another appearance, this time with a purpose! Directive? Calling? As for Tracy’s clue suggestion for RUT, might I float an edit, into “Not/A groove”? I’m not sure “Take the L” was the best option for EAT IT, which has previously connoted x-sports wipeouts. “Receive an L against one’s will,” maybe? Same with “Sinks in” for GETS REAL, which to me speaks more towards exhibiting frankness, as opposed to “getting” something in realization. Thank you and Happy Birthday, Ms. Cohen!

With both a Mario Kart reference, NOOB, and ONE UP in today’s puzzle, I wonder what our more senior co-enthusiasts, whom I figure are in the majority, think of these mechanics and terms. I imagine many of them solved NENA and GYSPY fairly easily. Actually, I imagine they have an easier time with the crossword in general, not because of answers from further back in history, but because of the wisdom that comes with having walked more miles. I hope those of them who haven’t tried out video games have sought to, if only out of intrigue over what it’s like to get pwned! (As a ‘90s chap I got all five without stress… are we millennials blessed or cursed to have developed at the cusp of the digital age?)