Constructor: Bruce Haight
Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (for a Tuesday) (3:57)
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THEME: "O TANNENBAUM" (57A: Seasonal song with a hint to the last words in 178-, 25-, 37- and 45-Across) — all the last words are things you would use to decorate a Christmas tree ... because "tannenbaum" means "Christmas tree" ... ?
Theme answers:
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Here's all you need to know about why this theme is a total failure: there is literally nothing in "O TANNENBAUM" about trimming the tree. It's all about the tree. But there are no garlands (????? I have never seen that word used in conjunction with tree decoration), no canes (just ... canes???), no angels or stars. There seems to be something in there about candles, but ... I just don't understand. I don't understand how anyone makes this, and I definitely don't understand how anyone decides to publish it. It's genuinely miserable, at the theme level, and at the fill level. Who is getting joy from AGAR PLATE? (34D: Lab culture site) Could there be a clumsier, awkwarder, whiter, more "hello, fellow youths!" clue than [Here, as derived from hip-hop slang] for IN DA HOUSE? I choke-laughed on that one. I think you have to read that clue with your nerdiest voice while also pushing your glasses back up your nose. All I wanted (for XMAS) was a nice little puzzle. Didn't need to be stellar. Didn't need to burn da (!) house down. Just something sweet and tidy, with lights and maybe some presents underneath. But AH, OK, I get ROUES and ATTA and HEHS (plural!? On XMAS? I know I haven't been perfect but HEHS is worse than coal) and so much other abuse. Also, "film buffs" watch TCM, not not not not not not not not TMC. Stop cluing TMC this way. No one watches TMC.
ERMA ERTE ALA ARLO, EDNA? ISPOSE!!!! This puzzle is a crime. This puzzle called a 7-year-old kid on the phone and told her Santa doesn't exist. The "best puzzle in the world" has no business being this bad on any day, let alone XMAS day. BAH, for sure. Took me way longer than it should have because of the truly terrible clue on LOANS (42A: Prerequisites for some college students). No one but no one has ever referred to a loan as a prerequisite. Just junk. Also, I dumbly wrote in ALTO off the AL- at 50A: Range for yodelers (ALPS). And I wrote in VERVE instead of VIGOR (47D: Pep). Also didn't really get what the clue was going for at ARMS (26D: Navy and Air Force vis-à-vis the military). An unnecessarily awkward clue. And somehow, almost 30 years into my solving career, I balked at the correct spelling of ERMA (43A: Funny Bombeck). Did an IRMA / ICH thing there for a second before correcting to ERMA / EIN.
May your day be merrier and brighter than this puzzle. I'm gonna go watch "Meet John Doe"—the original (1941), w/ Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. On TCM!
P.S. we've now seen OYS (57D: Yiddish laments) three times in eight days!!! I ... that's ... why? It appeared just once in all of 2017.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (for a Tuesday) (3:57)
Theme answers:
- JUDY GARLAND (17A: First female recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award in film)
- SUGAR CANE (25A: Major crop of Brazil)
- LOS ANGELES ANGEL (just one?) (37A: California baseball pro)
- MOVIE STAR (45A: Washington, Jackson or Ford)
Sammy Cahn (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993) was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He and his collaborators had a series of hit recordings with Frank Sinatraduring the singer's tenure at Capitol Records, but also enjoyed hits with Dean Martin, Doris Day and many others. He played the piano and violin. He won the Academy Award four times for his songs, including the popular song "Three Coins in the Fountain".Among his most enduring songs is "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", cowritten with Jule Styne in 1945. (wikipedia)
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ERMA ERTE ALA ARLO, EDNA? ISPOSE!!!! This puzzle is a crime. This puzzle called a 7-year-old kid on the phone and told her Santa doesn't exist. The "best puzzle in the world" has no business being this bad on any day, let alone XMAS day. BAH, for sure. Took me way longer than it should have because of the truly terrible clue on LOANS (42A: Prerequisites for some college students). No one but no one has ever referred to a loan as a prerequisite. Just junk. Also, I dumbly wrote in ALTO off the AL- at 50A: Range for yodelers (ALPS). And I wrote in VERVE instead of VIGOR (47D: Pep). Also didn't really get what the clue was going for at ARMS (26D: Navy and Air Force vis-à-vis the military). An unnecessarily awkward clue. And somehow, almost 30 years into my solving career, I balked at the correct spelling of ERMA (43A: Funny Bombeck). Did an IRMA / ICH thing there for a second before correcting to ERMA / EIN.
May your day be merrier and brighter than this puzzle. I'm gonna go watch "Meet John Doe"—the original (1941), w/ Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. On TCM!
P.S. we've now seen OYS (57D: Yiddish laments) three times in eight days!!! I ... that's ... why? It appeared just once in all of 2017.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]