Constructor: Amanda Chung and Karl Ni
Relative difficulty: Challenging (high 3s ... it is oversized, but still)
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THEME: HANDY-DANDY (64A: *Very convenient ... or, when read in six parts, a hit to the answers to the starred clues) — all themers are two-part answers, where first part starts H, ends Y, and thens second part starts D, ends Y, so ... H *and* Y, D *and* Y ...
Theme answers:
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Well I guess I should just be happy the puzzle did not try to get cute with some election-themed nonsense. But this felt off to me, in a bunch of ways. First, "read in six parts" ... first, that's a big ask, and second, it doesn't really explain what's happening here. The main problem is that "AND" does not work. AND doesn't tell indicate H (or D) at the *front* and Y at the *back*... it's just AND. The word "hyena" has an H AND a Y, but it wouldn't work as a word in a theme phrase because what is going on (the relationships between the letters) Is Much More Specific Than Mere "And" Indicates. There's also (ironically?) an "and" (or some kind of connecting thought) missing between H AND Y and (!) D AND Y. In short, I can piece it all together, I see what you are trying to do, but that revealer phrase simply fails to express the exact nature of the theme. It's off. It misses. Clank. And a 16-wide clank at that. The other main issue I had was that it didn't feel like a Tuesday, fill-wise, in the sense that it's exceedingly rare that I won't have heard of three (3) answers in a Tuesday puzzle, but PORKIE MONOGYNY and PEDWAY, all new to me. All inferrable, ultimately, but they all slowed me down like crazy. Is PEDWAY a Canadian term? I know skyways (from Minneapolis, and (related) the Replacements song), and I've been in underground pedestrian tunnels in NYC, and I guess those are technically PEDWAYs, but seriously this is not a word I can remember ever seeing or hearing. MONOGYNY seems like a fine word, I just couldn't piece together root words fast enough to get it without crosses. Lastly, "Designer dog" is a grotesque concept. Please never use that phrase again. It's a dog. Also, why name the Pomeranian in the clue but *not* the Yorkie????????? (45A: Designer dog that crosses a Pomeranian and terrier). That clue is just f'd up in too many ways.
Relative difficulty: Challenging (high 3s ... it is oversized, but still)
Theme answers:
- HOWDY DOODY (18A: *Classic TV show starring a cowboy puppet)
- HUMPTY DUMPTY (40A: *Nursery rhyme character seen in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass")
- HEAVY DUTY (11D: *Industrial-strength)
- HUNKY DORY (35D: *Peachy-keen)
Pedways are elevated or underground walkways, often connecting urban high-rises to each other, other buildings, or the street. They provide quick and comfortable movement from building to building, away from traffic and inclement weather. Two of the largest networks of underground walkways are located in Canada. RÉSO in Montreal and PATH in Toronto each consist of approximately 30 km of underground walkways in the heart of their respective city centres. (wikipedia)
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Had LOO instead of LAV, which crossed PEDWAY, so that was awful (28D: Washroom, in Worcester). Nothing much else to say, except I've never, literally never, never ever, seen a TEAR in an emoticon (71A: The apostrophe in :'-() Not once. Not a solitary time. Legit thought it was a nose. Like ... Nose 2, I guess. No idea. Awful clue.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld