Constructor: Alan Arbesfeld
Relative difficulty: Medium-Hard
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THEME: Middle Seat — Theme answers included some kind of seat.
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: ADEN (70A: Yemeni port) —
This definitely felt more like a Tuesday to me. It wasn't that the fill was too obscure, mostly (although I've never flown KLM Royal DUTCH AIRLINES, nor had I ever heard of it), but the clues were a little too clever, you know? Which is sort of the opposite of a problem. And this was light on usual Monday bland fair like AGO (ADO gets a pass because I have a soft spot for the Shakespeare-adjacent). I do love the word EELER even if it doesn't seem to exist outside of crosswords. That's a moray.
The theme was fine, definitely standard Monday. And who doesn't hate middle seats? I like the window seat so I can take a nap on the window. Yeah, that is about all I have to say about the theme.
Signed, Annabel Thompson
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Medium-Hard
THEME: Middle Seat — Theme answers included some kind of seat.
Theme answers:
- PIPEWRENCH (17A: Plumber's tool)
- COMESOFAGE (26A: Reaches adulthood)
- DUTCHAIRLINE (34A: KLM is a "Royal" one)
- ALOTTOMANAGE (42A: Too much on one's plate)
- ITSTOOLATE (51A: "Oops, missed the deadline")
- MIDDLE SEAT (62A: Cramped spot for a plane passenger... or a hint to something hidden in 17-, 26-, 34-, 42- and 51-Across)
Word of the Day: ADEN (70A: Yemeni port) —
Aden (UK: /ˈeɪdən/ AY-dən, US: /ˈɑːdɛn/ AH-den; Arabic: عدن ʿAdin/ʿAdan Yemeni: [ˈʕæden, ˈʕædæn]) is a port city and the temporary capital of Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some 170 km (110 mi) east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. Aden's natural harbour lies in the crater of a dormant volcano, which now forms a peninsula joined to the mainland by a low isthmus. This harbour, Front Bay, was first used by the ancient Kingdom of Awsan between the 5th and 7th centuries BC. The modern harbour is on the other side of the peninsula. Aden gives its name to the Gulf of Aden.(Wikipedia)
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Hi guys it's Annabel! I've been working at an advocacy nonprofit for about a week and I really love it! It feels so weird to be, like, a whole adult with a job and everything. I mean, one that isn't temporary. Have I talked about that on here before? Probably. Anyways.This definitely felt more like a Tuesday to me. It wasn't that the fill was too obscure, mostly (although I've never flown KLM Royal DUTCH AIRLINES, nor had I ever heard of it), but the clues were a little too clever, you know? Which is sort of the opposite of a problem. And this was light on usual Monday bland fair like AGO (ADO gets a pass because I have a soft spot for the Shakespeare-adjacent). I do love the word EELER even if it doesn't seem to exist outside of crosswords. That's a moray.
The theme was fine, definitely standard Monday. And who doesn't hate middle seats? I like the window seat so I can take a nap on the window. Yeah, that is about all I have to say about the theme.
Signed, Annabel Thompson
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]