Constructor: Julian Lim
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium (more Medium)
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THEME: EAST TO WEST (60A: How 17-, 23-, 37- and 51-Across run (in two ways))— theme answers run backward (i.e. literally east to west), and also run from "E" to "W" (i.e. figuratively east to west).
Word of the Day: LIANE Balaban (22D: Actress Balaban of "Last Chance Harvey") —
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As far as I was concerned, while I was solving the puzzle, it was just a "these answers go backward" puzzle. I'd seen answers do that before, so I couldn't figure out what the big deal was. Only after I was done did I see the E-to-W angle, which does make the whole endeavor somewhat interesting. The grid is pretty clean and has solid if not sparkly answers. I was lucky enough to have three of the long answers—OMAR EPPS, LOS LOBOS, and JEANNIE—be utter gimmes, which is what pulled this puzzle toward the Easy side. The backward thing took a little time to pick up on. I had 23-Across ending -TIXE, and I knew no words had that ending. Figured I had an error, but all the crosses held tight. Eventually my eye caught the revealer clue, and even before I knew the revealer answer, I knew my themers were going backward. Once you pick up the conceit, it's not that hard a puzzle. Elinor WYLIE eluded me, and LIANE Balaban, as well as the movie she's clued by, are completely new to me. That's an insane LIANE clue, though I'm guessing that, with the NYT-solving crowd, LIANE Hansen in gonna be just too easy, no matter how you clue her (for years she hosted NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday," a show on which Will Shortz makes a weekly appearance).
Theme answers:
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Love love love the JACK / KIRBY answer, with its "K" crossing. Nice to see a comics legend get some grid face time. I like NAGGY slightly less than I like the EGGY that it crosses, which is to say, I don't like it. Seemed like there were a bunch of oddish plurals, but I really see only three that fit that description. Perhaps I thought there were more because the worst of them is at 1-Across (1A: "Humbug" preceders = BAHS; truly terrible). Because the center theme answer was bookended by two obscurish proper nouns, I found the middle the hardest section to get into. Even with VI- and RE-, I couldn't get either 24D: Trattoria menu offering or 25D: It's sat upon. Had to come in to that section from the bottom. My home town makes a rare appearance today—I was never that excited to live there, but now whenever FRESNO comes up I feel a strange tinge of nostalgia (9D: San Joaquin Valley city).
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium (more Medium)
THEME: EAST TO WEST (60A: How 17-, 23-, 37- and 51-Across run (in two ways))— theme answers run backward (i.e. literally east to west), and also run from "E" to "W" (i.e. figuratively east to west).
Word of the Day: LIANE Balaban (22D: Actress Balaban of "Last Chance Harvey") —
Liane Balaban (born June 24, 1980)[1] is a Canadian actress. Her film debut was in New Waterford Girl (1999), playing Agnes-Marie "Moonie" Pottie, and has since appeared in the films Definitely, Maybe (2008), Last Chance Harvey (2009), and the independent drama One Week (2008). She has guest-starred on the television series NCIS: Los Angeles, Covert Affairs and Alphas, and joined the cast of Supernatural for its eighth season. (wikipedia)
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Theme answers:
- WOFDNABBE (17A: Tidal movement)
- WEIVRETNITIXE (23A: Firm last words?)
- WORCTAE (37A: Take one's licks, in a way)
- WONTISEODYSAE (51A: "Be careful!")
