Constructor: Ricky Cruz
Relative difficulty: Easy (4:41, felt faster)
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THEME: MIRROR— theme answers are all "___ MIRROR" but instead of the word MIRROR's appearing in the grid, the first word is instead (literally) mirrored, i.e. spelled backward:
Theme answers:
Slow start, but then whooooosh. Normally, I love that click of getting the theme and the acceleration that follows, but on this once the acceleration was neck-snapping, as I went from having only the front ends of themers to being able to fill all of them in completely, which I did in one giant rush. This means that the aha moment is pretty distinct, which is nice, but after that moment, there's nothing left. There's one joke, not four, and the whole thing goes up in smoke far too quickly. The grid overall is pretty average, without much to recommend it in terms of sparkle, so the overall experience is not that satisfying—like getting a piece of candy instead of a meal. I like candy, but I want more, and also dinner.
There is no such thing as NOCARBS, and I am going to die on that hill over and over like some kind of hill-dying Russian Doll. No diets are NOCARBS. None. Zero. Stop using this stupid-ass incorrect phrase. I don't object to Spanish in the puzzle, but 7-letter Spanish words (or any foreign word that isn't grade-A familiar to English speakers) is pushing it (7D: Open: Sp. => ABIERTO). Last time you saw OUVERT in the NYTXW was in 1993 — for a reason. Unshockingly, ABIERTO is a debut. Do people really say YIPE without the terminal "S"? (64A: "Holy cow!") I guess I can kinda hear it, maybe, but my initial reaction to seeing it in a grid is always "really?" Like seeing YIKE. Seems incomplete. The answer that took me longest to get was, weirdly, the first one I tried to get: 1A: Queen or king, e.g. (PIECE). They are definitely chess PIECEs, so OK, but I wanted only bed-related answers. Also, staying in that corner, [Bankrupted] is a very specific way of cluing ENDED, so that took a second. Once I got out of there, though, I basically sailed down the west coast, getting the fronts of themers. Wanted DAILY MAIL for the first themer, but that didn't fit; then wanted ONEWAY MIRROR for the third themer, but the crosses on MIRROR didn't work. I *knew* "BLACK MIRROR" was right, and that's when the theme dawned on me—all the way down there. Then, as I say, it was all over but the shouting (can't shout in my neighborhood after 10pm or there would Definitely be cops coming to your door).
OK, gotta go watch the end of this Rays/A's game. I hope it's still competitive [checks score] OK, 5-1, that's *kinda* competitive. Going in. See you.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Easy (4:41, felt faster)
Theme answers:
- Daily Mirror => DAILY YLIAD (be sure to read a little of the Yliad every day!)
- Vanity mirror => VANITY YTINAV (Sultry Russian spy!)
- One-way mirror => ONE-WAY YAW ENO (Musician Brian keeps pulling to the right!)
- "Black Mirror" => BLACK KCALB (No idea!)
• • •
Slow start, but then whooooosh. Normally, I love that click of getting the theme and the acceleration that follows, but on this once the acceleration was neck-snapping, as I went from having only the front ends of themers to being able to fill all of them in completely, which I did in one giant rush. This means that the aha moment is pretty distinct, which is nice, but after that moment, there's nothing left. There's one joke, not four, and the whole thing goes up in smoke far too quickly. The grid overall is pretty average, without much to recommend it in terms of sparkle, so the overall experience is not that satisfying—like getting a piece of candy instead of a meal. I like candy, but I want more, and also dinner.
There is no such thing as NOCARBS, and I am going to die on that hill over and over like some kind of hill-dying Russian Doll. No diets are NOCARBS. None. Zero. Stop using this stupid-ass incorrect phrase. I don't object to Spanish in the puzzle, but 7-letter Spanish words (or any foreign word that isn't grade-A familiar to English speakers) is pushing it (7D: Open: Sp. => ABIERTO). Last time you saw OUVERT in the NYTXW was in 1993 — for a reason. Unshockingly, ABIERTO is a debut. Do people really say YIPE without the terminal "S"? (64A: "Holy cow!") I guess I can kinda hear it, maybe, but my initial reaction to seeing it in a grid is always "really?" Like seeing YIKE. Seems incomplete. The answer that took me longest to get was, weirdly, the first one I tried to get: 1A: Queen or king, e.g. (PIECE). They are definitely chess PIECEs, so OK, but I wanted only bed-related answers. Also, staying in that corner, [Bankrupted] is a very specific way of cluing ENDED, so that took a second. Once I got out of there, though, I basically sailed down the west coast, getting the fronts of themers. Wanted DAILY MAIL for the first themer, but that didn't fit; then wanted ONEWAY MIRROR for the third themer, but the crosses on MIRROR didn't work. I *knew* "BLACK MIRROR" was right, and that's when the theme dawned on me—all the way down there. Then, as I say, it was all over but the shouting (can't shout in my neighborhood after 10pm or there would Definitely be cops coming to your door).
OK, gotta go watch the end of this Rays/A's game. I hope it's still competitive [checks score] OK, 5-1, that's *kinda* competitive. Going in. See you.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]