Constructor:Jacob Stulberg
Relative difficulty:Medium-Challenging (*for a Tuesday*) (3:51)
![]()
THEME:"THE JOY OF COOKING" (40A: Classic kitchen volume ... or a hint to 18-, 24-/53- and 62-Across)— themers are two-word food items where the second word is a rough synonym for "JOY"
Theme answers:
![]()
Harder and weirder than most Tuesdays. Can't say clunkier, 'cause Tuesday's gonna clunk, historically speaking, that's for sure, and this one clunked about the normal amount ... but definitely harder and weirder. I like the germ of an idea that is underneath / behind this puzzle. When I finished, I honestly had no idea what was going on for ... about 5-10 seconds. That's actually an eternity when compared against the time it takes me to understand most Tuesday themes, which is no time. First thought was "those are foods ... you don't really 'cook' them ... I mean, you do ... but they're cold, so ... but ... where's the joy?" Then I realized why we were presented with this insane menu from the Association for Strange Food Cravings picnic: DELIGHT, JOY, RELISH. That's the "joy." It's a long, convoluted way to go for a joke. I admire the ambition, and I realize that there can't have been a lot of potential themers to work with. Pretty narrow straits. Still, between oddness of (cold) food types and that oddly split themer, I thought the execution here only so-so.
Played significant harder than most Tuesdays. Cluing often veered toward Friday. 30A: It might end with an early touchdown (RED EYE). That is a great clue, but one that probably should've been saved for when that serious ambiguity of wording (football "touchdown"?) could've helped toughen up a puzzle that requires toughening up. This one did not require it. Took me (comparatively) forever just to get out of the NW. I mean 1A: Croquet needs (PEGS)??? I see balls ... mallets ... those little arced goal thingies you hit the ball through ... and I'm out. I mean, when you show me PEGS, I can kind of see them, but a. no one really plays croquet and b. that is the damnedest clue for word like PEGS, which has So Many potential clues. I also had HOLD for BIND up there (17A: Secure). Only because I knew ELIHU did I get that all sorted out without serious solving time damage. But the difficulty / strangeness / wavelength issues just kept coming. From the feeling of "which touchdown?" to the feeling of "which Homer?" at 48A: Image of Homer, perhaps (CEL). And the SE corner: [Words to live by] in five letters? I got at least two other ideas before the (singular!) TENET occurs to me. No idea Beethoven was born in BONN. [Mother ___]!? Yes, LODE, that works, but that is down the list of Mother ___ things that might occur to me. None of this is really the puzzle's fault. Shoulda been a Wednesday, probably. Grid is decent, without too much junk, and with some interesting longer Downs.
Gotta run.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty:Medium-Challenging (*for a Tuesday*) (3:51)
Theme answers:
- ORANGE ZEST (18A: Marmalade ingredient)
- TURKISH / DELIGHT (24A: With 53-Across, a sugary treat)
- CORN RELISH (62A: Sweet and tangy picnic side dish)
Haman (Also known as Haman the Agagiteהמן האגגי, or Haman the evilהמן הרשע) is the main antagonist in the Book of Esther, who, according to the Hebrew Bible, was a vizier in the Persian empire under King Ahasuerus, traditionally identified as Xerxes I. As his name indicates, Haman was a descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites, a people who were wiped out in certain areas by King Saul and David. (wikipedia)
• • •
Played significant harder than most Tuesdays. Cluing often veered toward Friday. 30A: It might end with an early touchdown (RED EYE). That is a great clue, but one that probably should've been saved for when that serious ambiguity of wording (football "touchdown"?) could've helped toughen up a puzzle that requires toughening up. This one did not require it. Took me (comparatively) forever just to get out of the NW. I mean 1A: Croquet needs (PEGS)??? I see balls ... mallets ... those little arced goal thingies you hit the ball through ... and I'm out. I mean, when you show me PEGS, I can kind of see them, but a. no one really plays croquet and b. that is the damnedest clue for word like PEGS, which has So Many potential clues. I also had HOLD for BIND up there (17A: Secure). Only because I knew ELIHU did I get that all sorted out without serious solving time damage. But the difficulty / strangeness / wavelength issues just kept coming. From the feeling of "which touchdown?" to the feeling of "which Homer?" at 48A: Image of Homer, perhaps (CEL). And the SE corner: [Words to live by] in five letters? I got at least two other ideas before the (singular!) TENET occurs to me. No idea Beethoven was born in BONN. [Mother ___]!? Yes, LODE, that works, but that is down the list of Mother ___ things that might occur to me. None of this is really the puzzle's fault. Shoulda been a Wednesday, probably. Grid is decent, without too much junk, and with some interesting longer Downs.
Gotta run.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]