Constructor: Damon Gulczynski
Relative difficulty: Medium (3:50 on oversized 16x15)
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THEME: THEME (42A: < — What this is for this puzzle) — the theme is "42" (the clue number for that clue):
Theme answers:
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I should've had more fun solving this than I did. In retrospect, it's a pretty solidly built Tuesday. The theme is simple but well executed—just three themers, but those were all iconic, no stretches, and the reduced THEME pressure gave the grid room to breathe, which meant (for the most part) the fill was clean, and occasionally even interesting. I think my brain just wasn't fully awake and working at capacity when I solved this, so I didn't really get the theme until very late, even thought the *first* thing I thought of when I got THE MEANING OF LIFE was, of course, "42." Somehow, in continuing to solve, that little moment of thought drifted out of my head. I got JACKIE ROBINSON instantly, off the first word in the clue ("Hall-of-Famer..."), and got PRESIDENT CLINTON off of just the [He served...] part (thank you, crosses!), and so I never had occasion to think specifically about "42" again. This made the clue for THEME read like something ridiculous. That little left-pointing arrow ... I thought was somehow referring to the concept of a "clue" ... I don't know. I got it eventually, but it just didn't snap in. I was annoyed while solving at the grid shape, which seemed excessively fussy (with lots of crannies, ergo lots of short stuff) for a puzzle with just the three themers. And some of the fill I encountered early on was off-putting in a way that stayed with me. And then I got to NOE very late and honestly couldn't remember what the last letter was: NOA, NOH ... NOE is super duper crosswordese. Half mad at the answer itself (for adding to my crosswordese gripes), half mad at myself for not getting it instantly. I knew it. I just forgot it. So it's a good puzzle. But I found it frustrating more than I found it enjoyable.
Here are some bad answers I never want to see again. First, ECOCIDE. I have seen this often in crosswords, and literally no place else. Why in the world does it appear in crosswords with such frequency? Well, it's the alternating vowel-consonant pattern, and the beginning and ending in vowels, that makes it so grid-friendly. But like most ECO-things (see ECOCAR), I don't believe it really truly exists. "Environmental destruction" certainly exists, 24/7/365, all over the world, but ECOCIDE is just a no from me, dawg. Another no: TEHEE. "Laugh syllables" in general are The Worst (you know, your HEEs HAHs HARs etc.), but this lopsided weirdo answer has no place in the puzzle or on this earthly plane of existence. And yet people Love to put it in their grids. Whyheee? It's obviously "TEE HEE" when you say it, so why are you writing it like the first syllable is some short-voweled unstressed accidental sound. It's like you meant to say "TEE" but maybe coughed or choked on something? Anyway, here's the kind of confusion that can result when you use this stupid non-laugh:
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I don't think HONED is nearly as good as TONED for 35A: In good shape), but I gotta say you are forgiven for believing HEHEE over TEHEE (despite the former's being also absurd). Then there's OBLADI. It's half a Beatles song. It's always terrible. Not as bad as OBLA (which I've seen a whole bunch!), but still, this is some rough fill. Easy to get, but ugly. Again, the alternating vowel-consonant patter proves too seductive for constructors to resist. But resist you should! JOHN was gross (please don't toilet an answer that does not need toileting) (and the clue should say [Place to solve a crossword, *slangily*]—you can't treat JOHN like it's just a normal word, boo!) (and you see how the visual is terrible, right? Keep your toilet-solving habits to yourself). And ONRUSHES just flummoxed me. Another word I never hear / say. But that's honestly not the puzzle's fault.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
P.S. I'm gonna get very pedantic here and question THE MEANING OF LIFE. What Deep Thought is "programmed" to figure out?? If I search [Deep Thought programmed] the first hits I get are ... crossword answer sites, i.e. references to the clue for this puzzle. If you actually look at the book, "42" is not offered as THE MEANING OF LIFE. Rather, it's the Answer to the Great Question ... well, here. Just read it. Here's the quote from "Hitchhiker's...":
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Relative difficulty: Medium (3:50 on oversized 16x15)
Theme answers:
- THE MEANING OF LIFE (18A: What the computer Deep Thought was programmed to figure out in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy")
- JACKIE ROBINSON (37A: Hall-of-Fame player whose number has been retired by every team in Major League Baseball)
- PRESIDENT CLINTON (56A: He served between Bush 41 and Bush 43)
noun
• • •
Here are some bad answers I never want to see again. First, ECOCIDE. I have seen this often in crosswords, and literally no place else. Why in the world does it appear in crosswords with such frequency? Well, it's the alternating vowel-consonant pattern, and the beginning and ending in vowels, that makes it so grid-friendly. But like most ECO-things (see ECOCAR), I don't believe it really truly exists. "Environmental destruction" certainly exists, 24/7/365, all over the world, but ECOCIDE is just a no from me, dawg. Another no: TEHEE. "Laugh syllables" in general are The Worst (you know, your HEEs HAHs HARs etc.), but this lopsided weirdo answer has no place in the puzzle or on this earthly plane of existence. And yet people Love to put it in their grids. Whyheee? It's obviously "TEE HEE" when you say it, so why are you writing it like the first syllable is some short-voweled unstressed accidental sound. It's like you meant to say "TEE" but maybe coughed or choked on something? Anyway, here's the kind of confusion that can result when you use this stupid non-laugh:
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
P.S. I'm gonna get very pedantic here and question THE MEANING OF LIFE. What Deep Thought is "programmed" to figure out?? If I search [Deep Thought programmed] the first hits I get are ... crossword answer sites, i.e. references to the clue for this puzzle. If you actually look at the book, "42" is not offered as THE MEANING OF LIFE. Rather, it's the Answer to the Great Question ... well, here. Just read it. Here's the quote from "Hitchhiker's...":
"All right," said the computer, and settled into silence again. The two men fidgeted. The tension was unbearable."You're really not going to like it," observed Deep Thought."Tell us!""All right," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question...""Yes..!""Of Life, the Universe and Everything..." said Deep Thought."Yes...!""Is..." said Deep Thought, and paused."Yes...!""Is...""Yes...!!!...?""Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.”So ... "The Answer to the Great Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything. Not THE MEANING OF LIFE. OK bye.
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