Constructor: John Guzzetta and Michael Hawkins
Relative difficulty: Medium (11:44)
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THEME: THEMEless
Word of the Day: ROLFE (41A: Son-in-law of Chief Powhatan) —
One would have to have a TIN EAR (20A: Difficulty picking up subtleties) not to notice both GOT TURNED ON (17A: Became excited) and FLACCID (42D: Like a wet noodle) in the same grid; while I'm all for what the movie ratings people call "adult themes" and "raunchy comedy," perhaps a touch of ARTINESS (30A: Pretension) would've kept that juxtaposition from seeming like the work of a couple of ADOLESCENTS (24D: Minority group) wanting to HORSE AROUND (23D: Goof off). OHO! ODE to ANI and TONI. EEE! RUN! ORCA! ADD TAR, TEE TNT.
Bullets:
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Relative difficulty: Medium (11:44)
THEME: THEMEless
Word of the Day: ROLFE (41A: Son-in-law of Chief Powhatan) —
John Rolfe (1585–1622) was one of the early English settlers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia and is known as the husband of Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan. (Wikipedia)
• • •
Rex has a night off to GET REST (14D: Recharge, so to speak) and recover from a cold, so you get me (Laura) to woMAN (60D: Staff) the blog. A DEAL'S A DEAL (13D: "We agreed to it, so you'd better deliver"), said Rex, trusting that I would not RUN RIOT (57A: With 10-Down, go wild; 10D: See 57-Across), and create a PR NIGHTMARE (64A: Big headache for a company rep). I found this appropriately challenging, with a few misdirections, and decent stacks in each corner. Took a ZONE DEFENSE (12D: 2-3 or 1-2-2, in basketball) approach, working through the NE and then reverse-diagonally across to the SW, then SE (favorite of the four corner stacks) back up to the NW, where things got MARSHY (47D: Boggy). I had ITUNES RADIO fooling me for a while -- I've used APPS like (53D: Pandora and Spotify) (as well as the revived Napster), and had only vaguely heard of I HEART RADIO (15A: Alternative to Pandora or Spotify). Also had BOA instead of WIG for 1D: Drag accessory.If you 17A, Robert Palmer apologizes (h/t @BenMSmith).
One would have to have a TIN EAR (20A: Difficulty picking up subtleties) not to notice both GOT TURNED ON (17A: Became excited) and FLACCID (42D: Like a wet noodle) in the same grid; while I'm all for what the movie ratings people call "adult themes" and "raunchy comedy," perhaps a touch of ARTINESS (30A: Pretension) would've kept that juxtaposition from seeming like the work of a couple of ADOLESCENTS (24D: Minority group) wanting to HORSE AROUND (23D: Goof off). OHO! ODE to ANI and TONI. EEE! RUN! ORCA! ADD TAR, TEE TNT.
Bullets:
- Dude, you're getting a DELL (51A: Inspiron maker)
- 6D: Fireon from above (STRAFE) and 50D: Counterpart of a blitz (SIEGE): I'll take "War Tactics" for $500, Alex.
- 40A: Oxford designation (EEE)— Oxford as in the shoe type, which is sometimes manufactured in the extra-wide EEE size.
- 33A: Loyalty, old-style (TROTH)— Always makes me think of a cartoon by the genius Sandra Boynton.
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