Constructor: Martin Ashwood-Smith
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
THEME: none
Word of the Day: CARACOLE (25D: Dressage half-turn) —
Saw Martin's name and thought "So this'll be a quad stack." And it was. Gah! Not typically a puzzle structure that leads to pleasing fill. But today—I really like this one. I have no doubt that some of my contentment is due to my relatively quick time for a Saturday (7-ish). I've notice in myself, and I've *definitely* noticed in comments, that Easiness (esp. in a later-week puzzle) will make people forgive a Ton of stuff (the obverse is also true). So, correcting for the feeling of elation that always follows a deft slaying of a Saturday, I still think this works. For one, none of the quad members stinks or feels made-up or forced. But let's be honest, this puzzle had me at "I WANNA BE SEDATED" (38A: 1978 punk classic). I guessed it early, it was right, it's a great answer. From there on out, the puzzle would've had to completely Tank for me to think ill of it. Also love ATOM EGOYAN (35D: "Chloe" director, 2009), though I suspect this is the name that is going to *kill* some people today. ATOM is not a common name in the States. In fact, this ATOM is the only ATOM I know. And it's not as if he's Spielberg-famous. But he's very accomplished and eminently puzzle-worthy, IMHO.
I love TINA TURNER (57A: Acid Queen player in "Tommy") on top of EDDIE MONEY. The clues on both of them are *way* too easy, but still, that is one awesome '70s / '80s sandwich (I'm putting Tina in that time period because that's when I first came to know her—during her whole "What's Love Got To Do With It?" comeback). There really wasn't much to hold me up today. Had most trouble in the north, where CUBA (5A: Home to Morro Castle) and ANTON (8D: Composer Arensky) were unknown to me, and where BENJI was ambiguously clued (7D: Dog star). But JOLT / COLA (43A: With 5-Down, bygone beverage) helped me change FREE MARKET to OPEN MARKET, and then that whole section just went down. Never heard of CARACOLE but got it all from (very fair) crosses. The toughest single answer for me was IN AN ASYLUM (27D: Put away, maybe), which is a roll-your-own kind of answer, but holds together well enough, I think. I had INANASY- before I could parse it correctly. What else? Not much. Good fun. I have a bet with myself about how long it will take before something happens in the comments section—let's see if I'm right (I really hope I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I won't be).
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
THEME: none
Word of the Day: CARACOLE (25D: Dressage half-turn) —
n.A half turn to right or left performed by a horse and rider.intr.v. car·a·coled, car·a·col·ing, car·a·coles also car·a·colsTo perform a caracole.[French, from Spanish caracol, snail.] (thefreedictionary.com)
• • •
Saw Martin's name and thought "So this'll be a quad stack." And it was. Gah! Not typically a puzzle structure that leads to pleasing fill. But today—I really like this one. I have no doubt that some of my contentment is due to my relatively quick time for a Saturday (7-ish). I've notice in myself, and I've *definitely* noticed in comments, that Easiness (esp. in a later-week puzzle) will make people forgive a Ton of stuff (the obverse is also true). So, correcting for the feeling of elation that always follows a deft slaying of a Saturday, I still think this works. For one, none of the quad members stinks or feels made-up or forced. But let's be honest, this puzzle had me at "I WANNA BE SEDATED" (38A: 1978 punk classic). I guessed it early, it was right, it's a great answer. From there on out, the puzzle would've had to completely Tank for me to think ill of it. Also love ATOM EGOYAN (35D: "Chloe" director, 2009), though I suspect this is the name that is going to *kill* some people today. ATOM is not a common name in the States. In fact, this ATOM is the only ATOM I know. And it's not as if he's Spielberg-famous. But he's very accomplished and eminently puzzle-worthy, IMHO.
I love TINA TURNER (57A: Acid Queen player in "Tommy") on top of EDDIE MONEY. The clues on both of them are *way* too easy, but still, that is one awesome '70s / '80s sandwich (I'm putting Tina in that time period because that's when I first came to know her—during her whole "What's Love Got To Do With It?" comeback). There really wasn't much to hold me up today. Had most trouble in the north, where CUBA (5A: Home to Morro Castle) and ANTON (8D: Composer Arensky) were unknown to me, and where BENJI was ambiguously clued (7D: Dog star). But JOLT / COLA (43A: With 5-Down, bygone beverage) helped me change FREE MARKET to OPEN MARKET, and then that whole section just went down. Never heard of CARACOLE but got it all from (very fair) crosses. The toughest single answer for me was IN AN ASYLUM (27D: Put away, maybe), which is a roll-your-own kind of answer, but holds together well enough, I think. I had INANASY- before I could parse it correctly. What else? Not much. Good fun. I have a bet with myself about how long it will take before something happens in the comments section—let's see if I'm right (I really hope I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I won't be).
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld