Constructor: Keiran King
Relative difficulty: Easy
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Theme: SQUARE ROOTS — Some Down answers are the square roots of their clue numbers.
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: RAE (62D: Issa of HBO's "Insecure") —
This has been my favorite Monday in awhile. While I didn't love the theme, which seemed a little corny, I felt like it helped serve as a jumping-off point for some interesting fill. I hope there's no ARSONIST on the FOREST FLOOR but those were two of my favorites--love a little bit of wordplay for ARSONIST, and I just love the imagery of FOREST FLOOR. Maybe I'm just crunchy, but that phrase is up there with "cellar door" for me in terms of pleasing phrases in the English language. And there were lots of other nice, solid words, like THORAX and EXACTO. Loved the nod to ROMANTIC ERA poetry; it made me feel like my English degree was worth something!
Bullets:
Signed, Annabel Thompson, tired.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
[Follow Annabel Thompson on Twitter]
Relative difficulty: Easy
Theme: SQUARE ROOTS — Some Down answers are the square roots of their clue numbers.
Theme answers:
- ONE (1D: √This clue's number)
- TWO (4D: √This clue's number)
- THREE (9D: √This clue's number)
- FOUR (16D: √This clue's number)
- FIVE (25D: √This clue's number)
- SIX (36D: √This clue's number)
- SEVEN (49D: √This clue's number)
- SQUARE ROOTS (60A: Some Down answers in this puzzle)
Word of the Day: RAE (62D: Issa of HBO's "Insecure") —
Jo-Issa Rae Diop (born January 12, 1985),[1][2] known as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, director, producer, and web series creator. She first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl.[3] She subsequently gained further recognition for creating, co-writing, and starring in the HBO television series Insecure.[4][5] For her acting work on Insecure, she has received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy[6] and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.Since 2011, Rae has continued to develop her YouTube channel, which features various short films, web series, and other content created by people of color.[7][8]
• • •
Hi, it's Annabel! I'm late this week but that's because last Monday was Rosh Hashanah! This year is 5780, and now that we're in the 80s again I assume shoulder pads and teased hair are going to come back in style. I, for one, am psyched. L'shanah tovah to anyone else who celebrates!This has been my favorite Monday in awhile. While I didn't love the theme, which seemed a little corny, I felt like it helped serve as a jumping-off point for some interesting fill. I hope there's no ARSONIST on the FOREST FLOOR but those were two of my favorites--love a little bit of wordplay for ARSONIST, and I just love the imagery of FOREST FLOOR. Maybe I'm just crunchy, but that phrase is up there with "cellar door" for me in terms of pleasing phrases in the English language. And there were lots of other nice, solid words, like THORAX and EXACTO. Loved the nod to ROMANTIC ERA poetry; it made me feel like my English degree was worth something!
Bullets:
- ORE (63D: Valuable rock) — Alternate clue: the second least valuable resource in Settlers of Catan, after sheep. Seriously, it feels like everyone ends up with piles and piles of ore and sheep, until the late game when you can't get ore for anything.
- ARR (17A: Opposite of departure: Abbr.) — The restraint it took to not make this a pirate-related clue is quite frankly astounding.
- SIRI (40A: iPhone voice) — I have an Android, which is usually amazing, but it does mean I don't get to experience things like this:
Signed, Annabel Thompson, tired.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
[Follow Annabel Thompson on Twitter]