Without further ado let's do our SPOILER WARNING: Don't read any further until you've done today's New York Sun Crossword Puzzle. New York Sun puzzles are every bit as fun and challenging as the more well-known New York Times and they're indisputably better in one way -- they're free. If you'd like to read about an unbiased head-to-head competition between the Sun and the Times puzzles check this out. Or if you're ready to decide for yourself you can download this puzzle and join in on the fun here.
On a time budget -- as I believe I mentioned I am today -- I don't have time to look for any mini-themes, but I can tell you that none popped out at me -- unless it's long entries starting with the letter J, since there are two of them.
7D: "Oh, my!" (JEEPERS CREEPERS) I never have figured the expression "Oh, my!" out. Oh, my what? (But then I haven't figured out "Jeepers, creepers" either.)
31A: Author of "The Silent World" (JACQUES COUSTEAU)
Oh, and hey! I just noticed that this puzzle is a pangram -- it uses every letter of the alphabet at least once. Cool.
Some entries of interest:
1A: Army training ctr. since 1939 (FT. DIX NY) Ah, the rare doubler abbreviation allows Constructor Seth A. Abel to get a four-word phrase into 7-letters. It took me a while to get this one even though I had a feeling it was probably a FT., because I had 5D wrong. The clue is Summer of Love love child, e.g. and I had LEO and grew attached to it (even though I know better) before it became apparent that XER was the only answer that would work there.
Actually I had trouble with 4- and 6- down too. 6D: is FIT's setting (NYC) and I still have no idea what FIT is, 4D: is Anniversary gift between wood and wool (IRON) I'm getting ready to celebrate my 14th anniversary at the end of the month. I never knew there was an iron anniversary. What do you give your spouse on such an occasion? a golf club or something to press clothes with? Either way, not something my wife would appreciate.
23A: Popular workout routine (TAE BO) Is this still popular? Cuz I haven't seen or heard anything about it for months.
Maybe I'm still thinking about yesterday's food-y puzzle, but I liked 30A Butters up? (BASTES)
39A: Spitball target? (SUB) Took me a while to figure this one out even after I had _UB. In crosswords, a sub is either a ship or (more often) a sandwich, rarely a substitute teacher.
43A: Smooth, in a way (PRESS) Speaking of the iron anniversary.
47A: Organization that only one person in 50 qualifies for (MENSA) You have to be in the top 2 per cent of IQ to join. The only Mensa member that I work with is a hyperactive nutjob.
55A: Sent to the canvas (KAYOED) More commonly "K.O.ed" or "knocked out."
8D: Don Vito's creator (MARIO) Puzo, the author of "The Godfather."
20D: Fin (ABE) The five-dollar bill.
30D: Starts a squeeze (BUNTS) In baseball, a suicide squeeze is where the runner on third breaks for home as soon as the pitcher releases the ball while the batter prepares to bunt. Called "suicide" because if the batter gets down a perfect bunt there's a chance the runner will score. If not the runner is pretty much a dead duck.
Okay, my wife is starting to throw things more hurtful than baleful glares. I gotta go. Just time for one more.
52D: Eye's counterpart in a rebus puzzle (EWE) as in EYEBALL HEART SHEEP = EYE LOVE EWE = I Love You. And it's now official, the word "ewe" has now been clued every way humanly possible.
Enjoy your weekend.
43A: Smooth, in a way (PRESS) Speaking of the iron anniversary.
47A: Organization that only one person in 50 qualifies for (MENSA) You have to be in the top 2 per cent of IQ to join. The only Mensa member that I work with is a hyperactive nutjob.
55A: Sent to the canvas (KAYOED) More commonly "K.O.ed" or "knocked out."
8D: Don Vito's creator (MARIO) Puzo, the author of "The Godfather."
20D: Fin (ABE) The five-dollar bill.
30D: Starts a squeeze (BUNTS) In baseball, a suicide squeeze is where the runner on third breaks for home as soon as the pitcher releases the ball while the batter prepares to bunt. Called "suicide" because if the batter gets down a perfect bunt there's a chance the runner will score. If not the runner is pretty much a dead duck.
Okay, my wife is starting to throw things more hurtful than baleful glares. I gotta go. Just time for one more.
52D: Eye's counterpart in a rebus puzzle (EWE) as in EYEBALL HEART SHEEP = EYE LOVE EWE = I Love You. And it's now official, the word "ewe" has now been clued every way humanly possible.
Enjoy your weekend.
2 comments:
Great writeup - I missed the pangram. Pretty nasty puzzle there.
(top-right answer going down is TIRAMISU, by the way - a dessert worth its tricky spelling. The 'pick-me-up' comes from the espresso-soaked ladyfingers which usually surround it, or are imbedded somewhere inside it).
Thanks for the save on Tiramisu. I have seen that word before -- but not the dessert, which sounds delicious. I got hung up on "taxi" being somehow connected to "pick up" and didn't realize I had it wrong.
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