Constructor: Patrick Merrell
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
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THEME:"Political Promises"— Clues are common promises that politicians make on the campaign trail. Answers are funny / ironic / undercutting:
Theme answers:
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Hello, solvers. Somehow, it is January again, which means it's time for my once-a-year pitch for financial contributions to the blog. The idea is very simple: if you read the blog regularly (or even semi-regularly), please consider what it's worth to you on an annual basis and give accordingly. In making this pitch, I'm pledging that the blog will continue to be here for you to read / enjoy / grimace at for at least another calendar year, with a new post up by 9:00am (usually by 12:01am) every day, as usual. This year is special, as it will mark the 10th anniversary of Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle, and despite my not-infrequent grumblings about less-than-stellar puzzles, I've actually never been so excited to be thinking and writing about crosswords. I have no way of knowing what's coming from the NYT, but the broader world of crosswords looks very bright, and that is sustaining. Whatever happens, this blog will remain an outpost of the Old Internet: no ads, no corporate sponsorship, no whistles and bells. Just the singular, personal voice of someone talking passionately about a topic he loves. As I have said in years past, I know that some people are opposed to paying for what they can get for free, and still others really don't have money to spare. Both kinds of people are welcome to continue reading my blog, with my compliments. It will always be free. I have no interest in cordoning it off, nor do I have any interest in taking advertising. I value my independence too much. Anyway, if you are so moved, there is a Paypal button in the sidebar, and a mailing address here:
Rex Parker
℅ Michael Sharp
54 Matthews St
Binghamton NY 13905
And here: I'll stick a PayPal button in here for the mobile users.
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For people who send me actual, honest-to-god (i.e. "snail") mail (I love snail mail!), this year my thank-you cards are "Sibley Backyard Birding Postcards"—each card a different watercolor illustration by ornithologist David Sibley. You could get a Black PHOEBE. A California TOWHEE. Or maybe even a picture of some fabled SCARLET TANAGERS (15). Or give via PayPal and get a thank-you email. That's cool too. Please note: I don't keep a "mailing list" and don't share my contributor info with anyone. And if you give by snail mail and (for some reason) don't want a thank-you card, just say NO CARD. As I say in every thank-you card (and email), I'm so grateful for your readership and support. So thanks, not A TAD, but A TON (partial fill! coming in useful!). Now on to the puzzle …
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A cute puzzle for the upcoming (and current, and eternal) political season—one we can all get behind. Throw the bums out, am I right? Let's just not say who, exactly, we think the "bums" are, and we'll all get along swimmingly. I enjoyed the lighthearted cynicism of this theme, and because I had to really work for the front end of the first themer, the "FOR ME" part of "FOR ME, IF I AM ELECTED" came as a sudden, genuine surprise and made me legit-LOL. All the themers are at least marginally funny, and I really like the self-aware closer: "I'VE GOT A LOT TO LEARN." Apt in an age when ignorance seems to be a virtue. Although maybe not apt, as an actual politician would likely not be inclined to acknowledge, let alone confront, their own ignorance. (I used singular "their" there in honor of the 2015 Word of the Year (as determined by the American Dialect Society): the singular "they").
Back to the puzzle—the theme has just six answers, but they're all monsters (i.e. 20+ letters in length), so I don't mind that there aren't more of them. I do wish there were more flashy, interesting, somewhat longer non-theme fill. Lots and lots and lots of the short stuff. It's actually surprising the fill isn't worse, given how much 3-4-letter stuff there is. I only really choked on two answers: SAE (56D: Coll. fraternity) and IHS(113D: Monogram on Christian crosses). In both cases, I had no idea what the letters stood for. With SAE, I can at least guess (Sigma Alpha Epsilon? ... yes, that is correct). With IHS, wow, no. No no. I thought the only cross inscription I had to know was INRI. I've been doing these things How long and never seen IHS??? I should admit that I finished with an error there, one that I tracked down only after minutes of searching. In my defense, MEAT SENSOR is not completely inaccurate. Plus, it has the added virtue of being semi-hilarious.
Are you wondering who John ST. AMOS is? I hope so, because that amuses me. It's just John STAMOS, of "Full House" fame. I've never heard of Fox's "Grandfathered," so I guess I'm not as pop culturally hip as I'd imagined (if a show called "Grandfathered" can be said to be "hip," which seems unlikely). Most of the rest of the grid was pretty familiar. I hesitated over the spelling of Billy ELLIOT (one L two Ts? ... two Ls one T ... ?). I had ENBALM until the impossible SNU forced the change at 44A: Dallas sch. (SMU). Had UNTAME for 96D: Wild (INSANE). Then I had UNSAFE (?). Right next door, I had SPURNS for 95D: Treats vengefully (SPITES). So I guess that whole MEAT SENSOR area was rough for me. This puzzle deserves some kind of "Bad Fill Redemption" medal for cluing "I'M IT" in plausible, believable, snappy way (33A: "You're looking at the whole department"), thus rescuing it from the "Improbable things one might say while playing tag" and "Abbr." categories.
One last thing: just five more days left to enter the Indie 500 Constructor Contest for 2016 (details here). If you are a novice constructor (10 or fewer published puzzles), you are eligible. Winner's puzzle will be used in this year's Indie 500 crossword tournament (Sat. Jun. 4, in Washington, D.C.). Prize also includes cash and, you know, glory, so ... get on it, you up-and-comers.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
THEME:"Political Promises"— Clues are common promises that politicians make on the campaign trail. Answers are funny / ironic / undercutting:
Theme answers:
- 23A: "Unemployment will be a thing of the past! ("... FOR ME IF I'M ELECTED!")
- 35A: "No new taxes!" ("JUST MORE OF THE OLD ONES")
- 54A: "I will maintain a strong defense!" ("WHEN OPPONENTS ATTACK ME")
- 77A: "Deficit spending must stop!" ("DONATE TO MY CAMPAIGN NOW")
- 93A: "I'll slow this country's spread of drugs!" ("EXPECT CUTS IN MEDICARE")
- 113A: "Education will be my top priority!" ("I'VE GOT A LOT TO LEARN")
- NEOPHYTES (79D: Novices)
- "WHO, YOU?" (63D: Question of surprise to a volunteer)
- "I'M IT!" (33A: "You're looking at the whole department")
- IHS (113D: Monogram on Christian crosses)
- SAE (56D: Coll. fraternity)
A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of JesusChrist, traditionally used as a Christian symbol. As in the case of Chrismon, the term Christogram comes from the Latin phrase "Christi Monogramma", meaning "monogram of Christ". // Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity, e.g. the IHS monogram referring to the Holy Name of Jesus or ΙϹΧϹ referring to Christ. [...] In the Latin-speaking Christianity of medieval Western Europe (and so among Catholics and many Protestants today), the most common Christogram became "IHS" or "IHC", denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, IHΣΟΥΣ, iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ. (wikipedia)
• • •
℅ Michael Sharp
54 Matthews St
Binghamton NY 13905
And here: I'll stick a PayPal button in here for the mobile users.
• • •
Back to the puzzle—the theme has just six answers, but they're all monsters (i.e. 20+ letters in length), so I don't mind that there aren't more of them. I do wish there were more flashy, interesting, somewhat longer non-theme fill. Lots and lots and lots of the short stuff. It's actually surprising the fill isn't worse, given how much 3-4-letter stuff there is. I only really choked on two answers: SAE (56D: Coll. fraternity) and IHS(113D: Monogram on Christian crosses). In both cases, I had no idea what the letters stood for. With SAE, I can at least guess (Sigma Alpha Epsilon? ... yes, that is correct). With IHS, wow, no. No no. I thought the only cross inscription I had to know was INRI. I've been doing these things How long and never seen IHS??? I should admit that I finished with an error there, one that I tracked down only after minutes of searching. In my defense, MEAT SENSOR is not completely inaccurate. Plus, it has the added virtue of being semi-hilarious.
Are you wondering who John ST. AMOS is? I hope so, because that amuses me. It's just John STAMOS, of "Full House" fame. I've never heard of Fox's "Grandfathered," so I guess I'm not as pop culturally hip as I'd imagined (if a show called "Grandfathered" can be said to be "hip," which seems unlikely). Most of the rest of the grid was pretty familiar. I hesitated over the spelling of Billy ELLIOT (one L two Ts? ... two Ls one T ... ?). I had ENBALM until the impossible SNU forced the change at 44A: Dallas sch. (SMU). Had UNTAME for 96D: Wild (INSANE). Then I had UNSAFE (?). Right next door, I had SPURNS for 95D: Treats vengefully (SPITES). So I guess that whole MEAT SENSOR area was rough for me. This puzzle deserves some kind of "Bad Fill Redemption" medal for cluing "I'M IT" in plausible, believable, snappy way (33A: "You're looking at the whole department"), thus rescuing it from the "Improbable things one might say while playing tag" and "Abbr." categories.
One last thing: just five more days left to enter the Indie 500 Constructor Contest for 2016 (details here). If you are a novice constructor (10 or fewer published puzzles), you are eligible. Winner's puzzle will be used in this year's Indie 500 crossword tournament (Sat. Jun. 4, in Washington, D.C.). Prize also includes cash and, you know, glory, so ... get on it, you up-and-comers.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]