Constructor: Kevin Patterson
Relative difficulty: Easy (2:48! Zing!)
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THEME: WRAPPING PAPER (38A: Holiday purchase ... or a hint to the circled letters)— circled letters spell out different kinds of paper if you imagine the letters wrapping around from the east, off the grid, continuing again in the west:
Papers:
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Hard to be too mad at a Tuesday puzzle that you destroy the way I destroyed this one. I can't remember the last time I was in the 2:40s on a *Tuesday*. Sometimes, on Monday, if I'm pretty fast, but Tuesday? For me, that is very rare. Again, as with my record-setting Monday last week, I was able to run the top three Acrosses 1-2-3, and then drill virtually all the crossing Downs from there, including long stuff like RICHARD GERE (8D: "Pretty Woman" co-star) and HALFTIME (11D: Occasion for a locker room pep talk)—it really does make a profound difference not just how many letters you have in a word before you look at the clue, but *which* letters you have. First is best. Odds are always that it's going to be the most valuable letter in any answer, in terms of its ability to help you guess the answer. Yes, sometimes you luck into a Q or a J in in some non-initial position and that will help you get an answer quickly, but in terms of which *position* is likely to help you: first first first. So run the top Acrosses and then work the Downs. That is how to do the easy puzzles, I've determined (if some actual speed-solving pro tells you different, though, you should listen to them, as the real speedsters will have me beat by a full minute today). Another thing about finishing swiftly—it makes you feel as if the grid was clean *and* generally warmly disposes you to the puzzle as a whole. So, yeah, I don't hate this one. The theme seems fine. I didn't get an aha from it; more of an "oh, sure, yeah, I see." It's entirely adequate, and because the theme is not (at all) demanding in terms of the pressure it puts on the grid, we are able to enjoy a reasonably smooth overall experience. I mean, yeah, lots of uninspired short stuff, but nothing inordinately bad, and the worst (À TOI) had thematic purpose. Oh, sorry, UIE is the worst, but that is in theme territory too. . . so I'm not too mad. That SW corner is (inexplicably) the very weakest, but still, overall, this holds up just fine for a Tuesday.
ONE PUR ROO IMP to rule them all! ... seems like a good tagline for a very bizarre fantasy movie. Ooh, I don't like ANOWL much at all, so maybe the fill is wobblier here than I first suspected. The things you miss when you're flying! Someone on Twitter suggested just now that the "PLEASE" clue (20A: Word repeated before "Me" in a Beatles hit) was problematic because it specifically refers to "Me" when "Me" is clearly in the grid at "BEER ME!" (42A: Slangy frat house request). I guess, technically that's a dupe, but two-letter words ... don't really rate as violations (for the most part) in my book. I thought REI sold camping gear, whereas LL Bean ... that's mostly just casual clothes for lightly outdoorsy types, right? Oh, I see they also sell camping gear, technically ... still, something seems slightly off about the comparison. I've never seen an REI catalogue, is my main point. It's fine. I don't particularly like REI as fill, though, regardless of the clue. But Tuesdays can be and certainly have been much worse than this. I will take this.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Relative difficulty: Easy (2:48! Zing!)
Papers:
- STOCK SPLIT / MUST
- A TOI / LET GO
- OSCAR / BOND
- OTIS / SUEZ CRISIS
Marist College is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1905, Marist was formed by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic religious institute of Brothers, to prepare brothers for their vocations as educators. In 1929, Marist became accredited by the state to offer a wider range of degrees in the arts and sciences. Today, Marist offers a comprehensive liberal arts education, offering 56 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and 21 certificate programs. (wikipedia)
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ONE PUR ROO IMP to rule them all! ... seems like a good tagline for a very bizarre fantasy movie. Ooh, I don't like ANOWL much at all, so maybe the fill is wobblier here than I first suspected. The things you miss when you're flying! Someone on Twitter suggested just now that the "PLEASE" clue (20A: Word repeated before "Me" in a Beatles hit) was problematic because it specifically refers to "Me" when "Me" is clearly in the grid at "BEER ME!" (42A: Slangy frat house request). I guess, technically that's a dupe, but two-letter words ... don't really rate as violations (for the most part) in my book. I thought REI sold camping gear, whereas LL Bean ... that's mostly just casual clothes for lightly outdoorsy types, right? Oh, I see they also sell camping gear, technically ... still, something seems slightly off about the comparison. I've never seen an REI catalogue, is my main point. It's fine. I don't particularly like REI as fill, though, regardless of the clue. But Tuesdays can be and certainly have been much worse than this. I will take this.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]