Constructor:Lynn Lempel
Relative difficulty: Easy
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THEME: GOOD DOG— Theme answers were compound words or two-word answers ending in a common obedience command for dogs.
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: CLOVIS (58A: First king of the Franks [A.D. 481]) —
Anyway the puzzle! Honestly a little easy for me, but that's how Mondays should be: they're not for me or Rex or whoever, they're for newcomers. Hard clues were made up for by kind crosses for the most part, not too many celebs, and you have to love any puzzle that uses HOOEY, and clues it with "poppycock" for good measure. Those are just some good solid words. Rex might have a gripe with NEE and IDEE missing l'accent aigu but honestly I think it's fine. A little bit of the usual Monday overused three/four letter words with ERAS and IDO but it could be (and usually is) way worse. Also, it feels like it's been too long since I've reviewed a puzzle that hasn't been dripping baseball!
The theme hit me riiiiight in my soft spot for dogs. I actually had GOOD BOY for 37A, because I feel like I've heard "who's a good boy?!?!?!" way more often than I've heard GOOD DOG. But GOOD DOG is nice too; more gender neutral. Again, this was a perfect Monday theme for me: it was simple and the puzzle could be solved without it, but it was also easy to figure out, and it helped me figure out other clues! It's the perfect way to ease new solvers into crosswords. Like steps up to a bed for old dogs that have hip problems so they can ease themselves into bed and totally take up all the space and maybe also put their heads on your pillow, and like, you could try to take your pillow back but they look at you with those big ole eyes and okay fine Juliet I'll sleep on the corner of the bed with no pillow.
Bullets:
Signed, Annabel Thompson, Wellesley College Alumna(!!!!!!!!) (Now accepting job offers.)
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
[Follow Annabel Thompson on Twitter]
Relative difficulty: Easy
THEME: GOOD DOG— Theme answers were compound words or two-word answers ending in a common obedience command for dogs.
Theme answers:
- MAINSTAY (16A: * Chief source of support)
- TAR HEEL (22A: * Chapel Hill athlete)
- GOOD DOG (37A: Praise after the proper response to the end of the answer to each starred clue)
- HOW COME (50A: * "Why?")
- HOUSESIT (59A: * Tend an absent individual's property)
- FAIR SHAKE (10D: * Equitable treatment)
- GOOSE DOWN (32D: * Soft bedding material)
| (Wikipedia) |
| (Wikipedia) |
Word of the Day: CLOVIS (58A: First king of the Franks [A.D. 481]) —
Clovis (Latin: Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: *Hlōdowig;[1]c. 466 – 27 November 511)[2] was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of royal chieftains to rule by a single king and ensuring that the kingship was passed down to his heirs.[3] He is considered to have been the founder of the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled the Frankish kingdom for the next two centuries.
• • •
Wow, it's my first post-grad Annabel Monday. The first of many, I hope, but like....weird. I'm so used to writing these frantically in between midterm papers. Graduation was great, though! Anita Hill was our guest speaker, and she did an amazing job. And then we all had to go pack up our dorm rooms so they could kick us out by noon the next day, so it kind of hasn't really hit me yet. Anyway, I'm living in Connecticut, with the same summer job as I had last summer. I'm really excited to be back, but after the summer ends, I dunno what my plans are. I guess that's how it is sometimes.Anyway the puzzle! Honestly a little easy for me, but that's how Mondays should be: they're not for me or Rex or whoever, they're for newcomers. Hard clues were made up for by kind crosses for the most part, not too many celebs, and you have to love any puzzle that uses HOOEY, and clues it with "poppycock" for good measure. Those are just some good solid words. Rex might have a gripe with NEE and IDEE missing l'accent aigu but honestly I think it's fine. A little bit of the usual Monday overused three/four letter words with ERAS and IDO but it could be (and usually is) way worse. Also, it feels like it's been too long since I've reviewed a puzzle that hasn't been dripping baseball!
The theme hit me riiiiight in my soft spot for dogs. I actually had GOOD BOY for 37A, because I feel like I've heard "who's a good boy?!?!?!" way more often than I've heard GOOD DOG. But GOOD DOG is nice too; more gender neutral. Again, this was a perfect Monday theme for me: it was simple and the puzzle could be solved without it, but it was also easy to figure out, and it helped me figure out other clues! It's the perfect way to ease new solvers into crosswords. Like steps up to a bed for old dogs that have hip problems so they can ease themselves into bed and totally take up all the space and maybe also put their heads on your pillow, and like, you could try to take your pillow back but they look at you with those big ole eyes and okay fine Juliet I'll sleep on the corner of the bed with no pillow.
 |
| Try to say no to that face, I dare you |
Bullets:
- ROGER (8D: Radio's "got it")— I was a driver for the campus escort van (mostly driving people who couldn't walk across campus for medical reasons, as well as making sure people got home safely at night) and the only bad part of the job was that we didn't say "Roger" over the radio. We said "received," which is way more boring.
- SYNC (65A: Harmonious, after "in")— More like after 'N, am I right?
- POL (56A: One running for office, informally)— This is a new one to me. Do people really use "pol" as shorthand for "politician"?
- ELLE (55D: Her: Fr.)— Speaking of postgrad plans...
Signed, Annabel Thompson, Wellesley College Alumna(!!!!!!!!) (Now accepting job offers.)
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
[Follow Annabel Thompson on Twitter]