It's the first Annabel Monday that I'm writing as a SENIOR in college! What is even up with that.
Constructor: Trent H. Evans
Relative difficulty: Hard
![]()
THEME: Couch to 5K — Theme answers are two word phrases that start with an activity, arranged from most to least active. Or, like, sitting but then getting up and running. I dunno.
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: OSS (63A: Pre-CIA spy org) —
This is the first first-Monday one in a while that I'd call a certified toughie! I seriously got stuck in the dumbest places--the top right corner, the bottom left corner--for so long. It felt like there was NO END in sight. ...But then, I used to feel that way about college and I'm starting my senior year now. YIPES. At least this year I get to live in a single room! Don't worry, I won't be using it to host wild parties, mostly just to take long naps by myself without worrying that my roommate will feel like she needs to be extra quiet, or to have some nice private crying sessions. You know, the fun parts of college, right?
Wait, yeah, the puzzle. Other than being hard it was okay! I dunno what was up with the theme; if your theme doesn't have a catchy title or really make sense is it even worth it? Also, why RUNNING JOKE and not RUNNING GAG? Space, I guess. I have to admit I got pretty excited when I saw 16A because I thought the answer would be WW2, I just think it's the coolest when puzzles use numbers. Oh well. On the bright side, you've noticed I've been complaining forever (à la Rex) about boring fill, and the fill in this puzzle was way more fun! I actually had trouble deciding between different candidates for the Word of the Day instead of trying to figure out which word some people might not know, lol.
Bullets:
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
[Follow Annabel Thompson on Twitter]
Constructor: Trent H. Evans
Relative difficulty: Hard
THEME: Couch to 5K — Theme answers are two word phrases that start with an activity, arranged from most to least active. Or, like, sitting but then getting up and running. I dunno.
Theme answers:
- SITTING DUCK (17A: Defenseless target)
- STANDING ORDER (26A: Directive that's in force until canceled)
- WALKING PAPERS (44A: Notice when getting fired)
- RUNNING JOKE (57A: Repeated comical reference)
Word of the Day: OSS (63A: Pre-CIA spy org) —
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a wartime intelligence agency of the United States during World War II, and a predecessor of the modern Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)[3]to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branches of the United States Armed Forces. Other OSS functions included the use of propaganda, subversion, and post-war planning. On December 14, 2016, the organization was collectively honored with a Congressional Gold Medal.[4]
(Wikipedia)
• • •Wait, yeah, the puzzle. Other than being hard it was okay! I dunno what was up with the theme; if your theme doesn't have a catchy title or really make sense is it even worth it? Also, why RUNNING JOKE and not RUNNING GAG? Space, I guess. I have to admit I got pretty excited when I saw 16A because I thought the answer would be WW2, I just think it's the coolest when puzzles use numbers. Oh well. On the bright side, you've noticed I've been complaining forever (à la Rex) about boring fill, and the fill in this puzzle was way more fun! I actually had trouble deciding between different candidates for the Word of the Day instead of trying to figure out which word some people might not know, lol.
Bullets:
- GEESE (50A: Birds that honk) — There are about a billion geese at Wellesley! Last spring a bunch of them raised their goslings on campus, and it was the sweetest thing ever. There's really nothing like walking across the quad half-dead running on two hours of sleep and seeing little bitty baby goslings swimming with their parents. Swans, on the other hand? Absolutely terrifying.
- AWKWARD AGE (11D: Middle school years, notably) — I think we should all share an awkward middle school story! I'll go first. One time when I was in middle school I was on a school canoeing trip and a spider the size of my hand fell into the canoe and I freaked out so much that I jumped out and maybe in the process the canoe flipped over. That wasn't the first time I jumped out of the canoe on that trip, nor would it be the last. The moral of the story is don't take a bunch of thirteen-year-olds canoeing, at least not with giant spiders.
- GROAN (29D: A pun can induce one) — Hey, when does a joke become a "dad joke"? When it's "apparent!" Get it? Here's another one: Why do sharks eat clowns? Because they taste funny! Yeah, yeah, I'll be here all day.
- POLE (53A: Tree : Christmas :: Pole : Festivus— Ah yes, a Festivus for the rest of us.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
[Follow Annabel Thompson on Twitter]