Home star of Cthulhu in fantasy tales / SUN 12-18-16 / Old German ruler nicknamed Short / Slithy ones / Part of plant embryo / Liliom playwright Ferenc / Florida State athlete for short

Constructor:Derrick Niederman

Relative difficulty:Medium

THEME:"Mirror Reflection"— Across clues have rotational symmetry, i.e. each Across clue has same clue as its symmetrical partner

Word of the Day:XOTH(4D: Home star of Cthulhu, in fantasy tales) —

The following fictional celestial bodies figure prominently in the Cthulhu Mythos stories of H. P. Lovecraft and other writers. Many of these astronomical bodies have parallels in the real universe, but are often renamed in the mythos and given fictitious characteristics. In addition to the celestial places created by Lovecraft, the mythos draws from a number of other sources, including the works of August Derleth, Ramsey Campbell, Lin Carter, Brian Lumley, and Clark Ashton Smith. [...] Xoth (or Zoth) is the green binary star where Cthulhu and his ilk once lived before coming to earth. According to the Xothic legend cycle, it is where Cthulhu mated with Idh-yaa to beget Ghatanothoa, Ythogtha, and Zoth-Ommog. // Xoth is also the native home of Ycnágnnisssz and Zstylzhemghi, and was the temporary home of the latter's "husband,"Ghisguth, and their progeny, the infant Tsathoggua. Tsathoggua later went to live on Yuggoth. Afterward, he fled to Cykranosh to escape Cxaxukluth's cannibalistic eating habits. // Xoth may be the star Sirius, since "Xoth" is similar to "Sothis", the Egyptian name for the star. However, it is more likely that Xoth coincides with the star "Zoth" in Smith's writings. (wikipedia)

This is remarkable, as a construction feat. As a solving experience, it was less than pleasant—the theme does nothing but make the cluing forced and the fill (esp. the Down fill) awkward. But I did have a "whoa" moment when I realized what was going on, and that the gimmick was so thorough. Actually, at first, I thought it was happening w/ the Downs as well, but at some point I noticed clues not recurring, and then realized that having the conceit work with the Downs too would be impossible / ridiculous. Hard enough to do it w/ the Acrosses alone. The problem here is it's All gimmick. Nothin else to talk about. Nada. Words in a grid, all there to serve the "Mirror Reflection" theme. No sparkle, no fun. Impressive, but not enjoyable.


ET UN(87A: Vingt-___ (multiple de trois)) may be the single worst answer I've ever seen in crosswords, ever (and I've seen plural suffixes like -ENCES, so ... that's saying something). But since it's an Across, and the gimmick is so demanding, I'm not that mad. The Downs are what have me more aggrieved. OFFUN? Right near TRYA? Right near OTTOVI (?) (12D: Old German ruler nicknamed "the Short"), three doors down from OLA, three doors down from REDAN? And, o man, ONYM!? Yipes. Then there are the obscure proper nouns, which I actually didn't mind too much: XOTH and MOLNAR (101D: "Liliom" playwright Ferenc ___). They gave the grid some character. Whereas REHOIST, ugh, no. Ever time I look at that word, my brain wants to pronounce it a different way. See also DETAG. In the end, there's nothing to say. Here it is. It does this thing with the symmetry ... [points at puzzle]. Commentary shmommentary.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]