Constructor: Bruce Haight
Relative difficulty: Easy (2:42) (undersized grid, tho) (14x15)
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THEME: MULTIPLE CHOICE (58A: Kind of test ... and a hint to a word hidden three times each in 16-, 22-, 38- and 48-Across) — the word is "OR"
Theme answers:
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This isn't a good representation of what a MULTIPLE CHOICE exam is (there are no "OR"s involved) and hiding "OR" doesn't seem like that great a feat (even if you are hiding it 3x) and there are far too many stray "OR"s around the grid. If you wanna put all your eggs or OVULEs or whatever in the "OR" basket then no WORN, no SNORE, no ODOR. If you're gonna do a theme, and especially if you're gonna do it with a meager, emaciated grid, at least do it cleanly. The long Downs are pretty good, but the rest of the fill is quite stale. I was tired of this thing already by the time I hit the north (BEAUT, OER (!), BAA, OUT OF, STENO, ONO, SAO ... it's a lot to take in one gulp). OD ON and ON CD are not good and especially not good in the same grid. NEYO LETO PSST TSAR, ECO x/w ECON ... there's just an accretion of crosswordesey stuff. You're allowed a little, but come on. The only real positive thing I have to say about this thing is that it's oddly, coincidentally timely, in that the central answer, the TORONTO RAPTORS, literally just this past weekend (Saturday, to be exact) advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time ever. So if you wanna read this is a little shout-out, a little low-key tribute to KAWHI-have-I-never-been-in-a-crossword-grid Leonard et al, then cool. I can live with that.
Didn't know ADLER (though I guess I've heard of the planetarium, in retrospect) and really didn't know PROST. Oh good, looks like it's very uncommon—only third time I've seen it in my blogging lifetime, and I've never seen it on a Monday before today (other times: Sat., Wed.). We went 17 years between PROST appearances (2000-17). Let's revisit those halcyon days. Well, maybe not the Bush years, but def. the Obama era—blissfully PROST-free. OD ON crossing LETS DIE is pretty morbid. I tried to make TURBOCHARGE happen before realizing it had too many letters. Slightly wrong kind of OOMPH, I guess. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this more than I did. Better luck (for me) tomorrow!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Easy (2:42) (undersized grid, tho) (14x15)
Theme answers:
- CORPORATE WORLD (16A: What M.B.A.s enter upon graduation)
- WORD FOR WORD (22A: Verbatim)
- TORONTO RAPTORS (38A: Canadian team in the N.B.A.)
- HORROR STORY (48A: Tale that might feature a haunted house)
One of the most important Oktoberfest words, prost is German for ‘cheers’ (and is useful outside Oktoberfest contexts, as well!). You will notice that Oktoberfest visitors like having a toast before drinking, a so-called Prosit. Alternatively, you could also say ‘Zum Wohl’ (‘To your health’). ("18 Essential Words for Oktoberfest" at Oxford Dictionaries)
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Didn't know ADLER (though I guess I've heard of the planetarium, in retrospect) and really didn't know PROST. Oh good, looks like it's very uncommon—only third time I've seen it in my blogging lifetime, and I've never seen it on a Monday before today (other times: Sat., Wed.). We went 17 years between PROST appearances (2000-17). Let's revisit those halcyon days. Well, maybe not the Bush years, but def. the Obama era—blissfully PROST-free. OD ON crossing LETS DIE is pretty morbid. I tried to make TURBOCHARGE happen before realizing it had too many letters. Slightly wrong kind of OOMPH, I guess. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this more than I did. Better luck (for me) tomorrow!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]