Constructor: Ed Sessa
Relative difficulty: Medium (3:43)
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THEME: VOICE / ACTOR (62A: With 64-Across, performer who is like the words sounded out at the starts of the answers to the four starred clues)— "heard but not seen":
Theme answers:
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This is some cornball stuff. The theme answers themselves are mostly fine on their own, but this kind of awful pun just does nothing for me. It's not even truly, godawfully awful. It's just a bunch of homophones. The most annoying thing is probably the clue on the revealer, which a. tells you nothing about the answer itself, and b. is worded terribly. The performer is not "like the words," they're like the *phrase* made by the words. Plus, stylistically, the revealer is just a pedantic garble of phrases: "... like the ... at the ... of the ... to the ..." Stick the landing on the revealer (and revealer clue) or absolutely do not attempt a "sound out the pun"-type theme. ARF! To make matters slightly worse, there's some truly bad fill in here. Like, retro bad. Mothball bad. ASOU!? (37A: Not worth ___ (valueless) Wow. We're really still doing that one? I feel like it's only there to make you forget about the ordinary tired crosswordese like ONEL, ALB, SRO, and ABES, which is still not a thing, no matter how much the NYTXW tries to push it. "Hey, you got any ABES on you?" asks no one. Fives are "fins" or "fivers." When it comes to bills with political nicknames, it's Benjamins and ... that's it. Collectively, you can call money "Dead Presidents" (even if that does feel a little '90s rappish, i.e. dated). But ABES, no. And crossing ABS!? No no.
The puzzle was reasonably easy but dang if I didn't get wickedly slowed down by SLASHMARK (6D: Punctuation that may mean "or"). Just no idea. I think the main reason is I would just call it a SLASH ... so weirdly even with SLASHM-R-, my brain wouldn't process it. SLASHMORE!? Also, I'm pretty sure I put in HERD INSTINCT immediately after getting the HERD part from crosses, but for Some reason I second-guessed it and removed it. Not sure what precipitated that, but stupid move, for sure. Otherwise, there were only a few other bumps along the way. Didn't know HOSEA. Thought 47A: Soak one's bib (DROOL) was some kind of idiom for drinking. Never considered that "one's" would be from the ... baby's perspective!? Very cool clue on BRIDE (61A: One of two on some wedding cakes)—so cool that I didn't read it as referring to same-sex marriage. I had trouble processing the clue, and then figured that "One of two" meant "one of the two figures, which are, of course, the bride and groom." But I'm pretty sure this one's gay, which is cool. Hooray for KNOT-TYING with whoever you love!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
"EAT ME, LESTER" is a great row. "AWAKE, KEN GOOSE!" is a close second.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Medium (3:43)
Theme answers:
- HERD INSTINCT (20A: *Inclination to follow the majority)
- BUTT-DIALS (32A: *Phones inadvertently)
- KNOT-TYING (43A: *Boy Scout handbook topic)
- SCENE STEALER (55A: *One upstaging a star, say)
Hosea Lorenzo Williams (January 5, 1926 – November 16, 2000), was an American civil rightsleader, activist, ordained minister, businessman, philanthropist, scientist, and politician. He may be best known as a trusted member of fellow famed civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr.'s inner circle. Under the banner of their flagship organization, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King depended on Williams to organize and stir masses of people into nonviolent direct action in myriad protest campaigns they waged against racial, political, economic, and social injustice. King alternately referred to Williams, his chief field lieutenant, as his "bull in a china closet" and his "Castro". Vowing to continue King's work for the poor, Williams is well known in his own right as the founding president of one of the largest social services organizations in North America, Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. His famous motto was "Unbought and Unbossed." (wikipedia)
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The puzzle was reasonably easy but dang if I didn't get wickedly slowed down by SLASHMARK (6D: Punctuation that may mean "or"). Just no idea. I think the main reason is I would just call it a SLASH ... so weirdly even with SLASHM-R-, my brain wouldn't process it. SLASHMORE!? Also, I'm pretty sure I put in HERD INSTINCT immediately after getting the HERD part from crosses, but for Some reason I second-guessed it and removed it. Not sure what precipitated that, but stupid move, for sure. Otherwise, there were only a few other bumps along the way. Didn't know HOSEA. Thought 47A: Soak one's bib (DROOL) was some kind of idiom for drinking. Never considered that "one's" would be from the ... baby's perspective!? Very cool clue on BRIDE (61A: One of two on some wedding cakes)—so cool that I didn't read it as referring to same-sex marriage. I had trouble processing the clue, and then figured that "One of two" meant "one of the two figures, which are, of course, the bride and groom." But I'm pretty sure this one's gay, which is cool. Hooray for KNOT-TYING with whoever you love!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
"EAT ME, LESTER" is a great row. "AWAKE, KEN GOOSE!" is a close second.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]