Constructor:Jules P. Markey
Relative difficulty:Easy
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THEME:BREAK UP THE BANKS(62A: Wall Street reformer's urging ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled squares)—Two geological banks, RIVER and SNOW, and two storage banks, SPERM and DATA are "broken" across phrases.
Theme answers:
Signed, Lena Webb, Court Jester of CrossWorld
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Relative difficulty:Easy
THEME:BREAK UP THE BANKS(62A: Wall Street reformer's urging ... or a hint to this puzzle's circled squares)—Two geological banks, RIVER and SNOW, and two storage banks, SPERM and DATA are "broken" across phrases.
Theme answers:
- D(RIVE R)ECKLESSLY (17A: Weave or tailgate, say)
- "IT'(S NO W)ONDER" (25A "I'm not at all surprised")
- GIVE(S PERM)ISSION (41A: Allows)
- SOL(D AT A) LOSS (52A: Bailed out on some stock, say)
1 a:a mixture (as for plastering) composed chiefly of moistened clay
b:a coarse molding sand used in founding (see 5found)
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Hi, it's Lena. I think I would like this puzzle even if I wasn't eating honey-peanut butter-banana crackers and drinking neat gin like I am now. For a Wednesday, this is fine by me. The theme is solid-- there is a diverse sampling of bank types and they're broken in a pleasingly symmetrical way: once in RIVE R and S PERM and thrice in S NO W and D AT A. Also I like the finger wag at those who DRIVE RECKLESSLY but it would be much more au courant if the clue mentioned behind-the-wheel smart phone usage. Please don't use your phone while driving <-- PSA
The fill is not bad but I was definitely aware of OAS TSA NEA SST and KAN. The longer fill was lively, active, rhythmic with CRIME WAVE(3D: Reason to summon Batman) and FIRE DANCE (38D: Burning Man performance). I don't want to do any research regarding the actuality of a "fire dance" at Burning Man so I'm just going to trust Jules and Will.
The clues were straight-forward. In fact, I don't think I can find a single question mark clue.
The clues were straight-forward. In fact, I don't think I can find a single question mark clue.
Those teeth! God I love this song. Alright time for bed-- the song is done, the puzzle is done, the gin is done, and the honey-peanut butter-banana crackers are done and one of them had a bird face:
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