Robert Nailling
South Sound
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South Sound
This was an entertaining puzzle that I found to be somewhat more difficult than the average Sunday. For a time, I was distracted by the seemingly random doubling of letters in the key entries, only to discover the error of my ways.
Congratulations, Mr. Schreiber, on your delightful Sunday debut. The theme was very clever and skillfully executed. I hope your upcoming studies at Old Nassau won't keep you from sending us an occasional puzzle.
@RP: You've been solving for less than three months, and you're making very good progress. Don't get discouraged! Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll continue to see gradual process. (You might try some Friday puzzles from the archive if you haven'y already.) Finally, try to keep your mind more "flexible." Be open to different takes on a given word. Good luck!
I loved today's puzzle, even though it solved for me like a hard Saturday (50% over my Friday average). (Cracking the NW corner required everything but the "jaws of life.") And David Williams's drawing continued inspiration from "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" is aces with me.
I KID YOU NOT (30D) immediately evokes memories of Jack Paar, Johnny Carson's predecessor on The Tonight Show.
This puzzle was an absolute delight to solve. Bravo, Mr. Schlossberg for executing such an imaginative theme. It was "picture perfect."
@Allen: I'm a retired attorney, and I thought the clue for PEREMPTORY (70D) was a bit off. Saying "not open to challenge" (rather than "to appeal") would have been better. Think PEREMPTORY challenges to members of a jury pool. However, this did not detract from the overall excellence of the puzzle, IMO.
30% over my Thursday average, and I loved every minute of this brilliantly conceived puzzle. I'm glad I solve on a laptop, however. I feel the pain of those who encountered technical problems. Thank you, SS.
@LJADZ: In a morning of mostly positive Wordplay comments (deserved, IMO), your cynicism is jarring.
@Mar in PA: I have no insight into how the NYT crossword editing team functions. (If others do, I'd welcome their views.) However, the recent complaints about things running amok in Will's absence are pure speculation. For one thing, isn't there a huge backlog of puzzles slated for publication? Also, I assume a more collegial approach where multiple editors review each puzzle. FWIW, I haven't noticed any difference in the recent puzzles.
@Rachel: I was not familiar with the mnemonic. Seems strange to me to use a mnemonic that's harder to remember than the underlying phrase.
@ad absurdum: Al OERTER was the Secretariat of discus throwers.
Thank you, Mr. Westwig, for an enjoyable, punny Sunday crossword. Two of the clues were a bit iffy. In light of the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and closure of many hundreds of stores by RITEAID (8D), calling it a competitor of CVS may be a stretch. And the correct title of the 1956 Elvis hit (60D) is LOVE ME Tender.
@Mean Old Lady: But a flute concerto is not a FLUTE SOLO.
@Louise: Couldn't "20s" refer to twenty dollar bills, which are dispensed by ATMs?
@Amy: SLOP can mean to spill or flow over the edge of a container (as in a liquid slopping out of a glass).
While reviewing comments on a 2010 NYT puzzle in the archives (xwordinfo.com), I came across references to "the famous [infamous?] Croce puzzle". Can anyone provide a lead on this? I know there is a constructor named Tim Croce.
I found this puzzle more difficult than Friday's. It didn't help that I took forever to find the one incorrect letter. Don't laugh, but in a weird way, GEe does work for 15D (G comes before X, Y, and Z). I'm generally familiar with the digital collectibles (22A), but eFT seemed right for a while. (EFT is another financial acronym.)
@Mean Old Lady: Flocks of ibises are fairly common in Gulf Coast states.
@MOL: I understand and agree with you. But there are lots of folks who solve iPhones, call home al.
@Lynn: Per Wikipedia, Edsel Ford was Henry Ford's only son. Edsel Ford died in 1943; his father died in 1947. The first Edsel car wasn't produced until 1958. Henry Ford II, Edsel Ford's eldest son, may have objected to the name, although he was the President of Ford Motor Company at the time.
@Rich in Atlanta: Thank you!
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