Constructor: Ned White
Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (5:00)
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THEME: Pain in the ass? — how even to describe it ... theme clues are idioms following pattern "___ in the ___" where the second blank clues the whole answer, and the first blank clues an answer that can be found *inside* the answer, in circled squares:
Theme answers:
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This is one of the worst puzzles I've ever done. Just let that previous sentence sink in. Conceptually, it actually has promise. [___ in the ___] where the first blank is literally in the second blank. OK. Do not like the non-consecutive circled squares, seems a bit loose, but fine. But if you're going to do that, you're actual answer, the one in the grid, Has To Be A Thing. So let's see. HIRED PERSON? Well, right away, not a thing. Not off to a good start. CATTLE FODDER? Uh, closer, but the only fodder phrase I recognize, really, is "cannon fodder." This one is at best wobbly. OK, next— ... ... this is where the wheels came well and completely off for me: MARS, FOR INSTANCE??? FOR INSTANCE? Where I do even begin with this mess? First, the idea that "Mars" is an OK answer for "the world"??!?!?!!???!?!?!?! But then, FOR INSTANCE? What is FOR INSTANCE even doing in the answer?? How is anythingFORINSTANCE a legit answer in any puzzle anywhere at any time. I put in that first "S" (from GSTAAD, LOL, whaaaat?), as my very last letter in the answer, and I just stared at MARS FOR INSTANCE like "I don't know what I'm looking at." Most of "arise" is not even "in" MARS, it's "in" FOR INSTANCE. This answer, on its own, is an atrocity. Just ... I resent even having to explain any of this. I resent that no one inside the NYTXW is telling the person in power "you Must be joking with this." We haven't even gotten to SPAACCESSORY, woof. Another non-thing. Then there's PERFORATION, which is, to its credit, in fact, a word. Finally. Hard to imagine executing a theme worse than this. Stunning.
And we haven't even gotten to the fill yet—it stinks. STS RANDR ATNOON HAR ODDMAN (!?!?!), SDS XIS SNERD STET INIGO ANAT etc. But the thing that moves this puzzle from bad to outright offensive is the gratuitous celebration of the slavery-supporting traitor at 64A: One of three figures carved on Georgia's Stone Mountain (LEE). So... of all the famous LEEs in the world, in the history of the world, you not only went with the only one to lead an armed rebellion against this country in support of slavery, but you did so in a clue that is literally about honoring / commemorating that racist *&$%. So while people out in the real world are busy tearing down statues commemorating these m&$##$#f*$&ers, the editor of this here crossword puzzle is busy making sure we remember Dixie. Stop honoring racists. Stop even referring to them in your puzzles if you don't have to. If you do have to (which you clearly didn't here), then give them the clues they deserve—don't Go Out Of Your Way to flaunt the fact that they are memorialized by people mad 'cause the South lost and desperate to convince themselves and the world that the "War of Northern Aggression" had anything to do with honor.
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Harper LEE. Bruce LEE. LEE Majors. Rickie LEE Jones. Jamie LEE Curtis. So many. So many. And hardly any of them led a war to preserve slavery. So, to sum up—the theme is botched to the point of malpractice, the fill is well on the stale side, and the puzzle essentially appears to be shouting "MY IDOL!" at the leader of a racist rebellion. Cool cool. Bye.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging (5:00)
Theme answers:
- HIRED PERSON (17A: Bird in the hand?)
- CATTLE FODDER (24A: Snake in the grass?)
- MARS, FOR INSTANCE (38A: Come up in the world?)
- SPA ACCESSORY (50A: Throw in the towel?)
- PERFORATION (61A: Ace in the hole?)
Gstaad (/kstɑːd,ɡz-/; German pronunciation: [kʃtaːt]) is a town in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland. It is part of the municipality of Saanen and is known as a major ski resort and a popular destination amongst high society and the international jet set. The winter campus of the Institute Le Rosey is located in Gstaad. Gstaad has a population of about 9,200 and is located 1,050 metres (3,445 feet) above sea level. (wikipedia)
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And we haven't even gotten to the fill yet—it stinks. STS RANDR ATNOON HAR ODDMAN (!?!?!), SDS XIS SNERD STET INIGO ANAT etc. But the thing that moves this puzzle from bad to outright offensive is the gratuitous celebration of the slavery-supporting traitor at 64A: One of three figures carved on Georgia's Stone Mountain (LEE). So... of all the famous LEEs in the world, in the history of the world, you not only went with the only one to lead an armed rebellion against this country in support of slavery, but you did so in a clue that is literally about honoring / commemorating that racist *&$%. So while people out in the real world are busy tearing down statues commemorating these m&$##$#f*$&ers, the editor of this here crossword puzzle is busy making sure we remember Dixie. Stop honoring racists. Stop even referring to them in your puzzles if you don't have to. If you do have to (which you clearly didn't here), then give them the clues they deserve—don't Go Out Of Your Way to flaunt the fact that they are memorialized by people mad 'cause the South lost and desperate to convince themselves and the world that the "War of Northern Aggression" had anything to do with honor.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]