Constructor:Lynn Lempel
Relative difficulty:On the Challenging side *For A Monday* (solving time: 3:38)
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THEME:Exhortations to famous people— ordinary compound words are reimagined as imperative clauses shouted at famous people:
Theme answers:
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This is some pretty decent wordplay right here. Difficulty level was up for a Monday because (at least for me) the theme itself was subtler, and the clues more ambiguous, than I'm used to seeing in early-week puzzles. You have to first grasp the concept, then, even after you've got it, you've got to figure out which famous person the clue name is pointing to, and how. Often on early-week puzzles, I'll sail through very quickly and have no idea what the theme was. It's virtually impossible that any solver could've done that today. The puzzle is still easy, but it forces you to stop and think about the exact nature of the wordplay involved before you can proceed. This is not a bad thing. I like a theme that grabs me by the lapels and shakes. Most Monday puzzles just wave politely.
Getting from the first names in the clues to the intended famous person was always easy, especially considering that the clue phrases oddly (counter-intuitively) put the name before the command. Seems more natural to me to say "Keep up the fight, Sally!", and that phrasing also parallels the phrasing of the answer: "BATTLE, FIELD!" ... Command, name! But the clues put the name first, perhaps just for the sake of variety. The bigger comprehension issue was figuring out who the first name in the clue was supposed to refer to. You say Wilbur, I think pig. Actually, I think:
I was lucky enough to have most of HOLDER in place before I saw that clue, because otherwise it would've taken some time to figure out which of the scores of famous "Eric"s were in play. But I liked the added challenge and the cleverness today. Other minor issues:
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Relative difficulty:On the Challenging side *For A Monday* (solving time: 3:38)
THEME:Exhortations to famous people— ordinary compound words are reimagined as imperative clauses shouted at famous people:
Theme answers:
- PLAY, WRIGHT! (18A: "Wilbur, get in the game!")
- IRON, WOOD! (20A: "Elijah, press your clothes!")
- SHARE, HOLDER! (33A: "Eric, give some to us!")
- BATTLE, FIELD! (42A: "Sally, keep up the fight!")
- FIRE, BIRD! (56A: "Larry, shoot!")
- GRIND, STONE! (60A: "Emma, do that sexy dance!")
• • •
Getting from the first names in the clues to the intended famous person was always easy, especially considering that the clue phrases oddly (counter-intuitively) put the name before the command. Seems more natural to me to say "Keep up the fight, Sally!", and that phrasing also parallels the phrasing of the answer: "BATTLE, FIELD!" ... Command, name! But the clues put the name first, perhaps just for the sake of variety. The bigger comprehension issue was figuring out who the first name in the clue was supposed to refer to. You say Wilbur, I think pig. Actually, I think:
I was lucky enough to have most of HOLDER in place before I saw that clue, because otherwise it would've taken some time to figure out which of the scores of famous "Eric"s were in play. But I liked the added challenge and the cleverness today. Other minor issues:
- IRONWOOD— I don't know what this is. I honestly got it confused with the William Kennedy novel "Ironweed."
- RUMP (58D: Posterior)— I went with "REAR"
- SISSY (27A: Wuss)— I had ... several things here, not all of them plausible answers. I'd much rather see this clued as Spacek than as a term of derision.
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