Constructor: Eric Bornstein
Relative difficulty: Well, probably easy in the app, but for me, using my software, where the clues were laid out normally, and the Down themers just had [See puzzle notes], and I refused to do that, it was slower. Here's the "note" I was supposed to read:
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THEME: ___ AND ___ — apparently the clues were presented as one set, with no separate Acrosses or Downs, and then for the numbers that were shared by an Across and a Down, that Across and Down formed a ___ AND ___ phrase; thus:
Theme answers:
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***HELLO, READERS AND FELLOW SOLVERS!**. The calendar has turned on another year (thank God), and while that might mean a lot of things to a lot of people, for me it means it's time for my annual week-long pitch for financial contributions to the blog. Every year I ask regular readers to consider what the blog is worth to them on an annual basis and give accordingly. Last year at this time, I wrote about what a melancholy year 2019 was; my oldest dog had died and the world was kind of a wreck. And then 2020 happened, and I learned what a real wreck looks like. In February, my other dog died (R.I.P. Gabby). And then, well, COVID. And let's be honest, even with a new president, 2021 is going to be, uh, challenging as well. But I hope that the regular ritual of solving crosswords brought some solace and stability to your lives this past year, and I hope that my blog added to your enjoyment of the solving experience in some way. This year my blog will celebrate its 15th anniversary! I feel so proud! And old! A lot of labor goes into producing this blog every day (Every. Day.) and the hours are, let's say, less than ideal (I'm either solving and writing at night, after 10pm, or in the morning, before 6am). Most days, I really do love the writing, but it is work, and once a year (right now!) I acknowledge that fact. As I've said before, I have no interest in "monetizing" the blog beyond a simple, direct contribution request once a year. No ads, no gimmicks. Just here for you, every day, rain or shine, whether you like it or, perhaps, on occasion, not :) It's just me and my laptop and some free blogging software and, you know, a lot of rage, but hopefully some insight and levity along the way. I do genuinely love this gig, and whether you're an everyday reader or a Sunday-only reader or a flat-out hatereader, I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.
How much should you give? Whatever you think the blog is worth to you on a yearly basis. Whatever that amount is is fantastic. Some people refuse to pay for what they can get for free. Others just don't have money to spare. All are welcome to read the blog—the site will always be open and free. But if you are able to express your appreciation monetarily, here are two options. First, a Paypal button (which you can also find in the blog sidebar):
Rex Parker c/o Michael Sharp
54 Matthews St
Binghamton, NY 13905
All Paypal contributions will be gratefully acknowledged by email. All snail mail contributions will be gratefully acknowledged with hand-written postcards. I. Love. Snail Mail. I love seeing your gorgeous handwriting and then sending you my awful handwriting. It's all so wonderful. And my thank-you postcards this year are really special. They are portraits of my new cat Alfie (a bright spot of 2020), designed by artist Ella Egan, a.k.a. my daughter. And they look like this:
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My solving experience was very different from most of yours, and not in a good way. The thing is, I can tell that if my experience *had* been the same as yours, my feelings about this puzzle wouldn't be much improved. I would've solved it more quickly, and sure, that always makes a puzzle easier to bear, but the whole concept ... just kind of bleh. I've seen this before, first of all, so there's nothing new here. And what's here, pairing-wise, is really ragged. I mean, there's a lot of it, but I'd say too much of it, as the pairs run the gamut from very tight (STARS/STRIPES, SWEET/SOUR), to tight enough (TRIED/TRUE, BORN/BRED) through the very grim (DRINK/DRIVE) down to things that don't have a tight association at all (if I said SOCKS & ___ you'd say SHOES). Also PRIM works on its own for (5. Stiffly formal), as does PROPER, but the others require the full phrase. So the themer set is ragged. This is a sight gag, really, the whole "uniclue" thing, and I can't understand caring. Also, having [Each] clue EVERY was a major distraction, as all I could think was "why isn't EACH & EVERY an answer in this puzzle??" My themers were hard to figure out initially, as my solving software presented the clues in regular format, and then the Down half of the themer just said [See notepad]. Of course I never ever [See notepad] when I'm told to [See notepad], so I made it hard on myself. I wonder if my way wasn't actually *more* fun, since I at least had to struggle to put the gimmick together. But in any format, I'm gonna pass on this whole "uniclue" thing that the NYTXW is trying to make happen.
Relative difficulty: Well, probably easy in the app, but for me, using my software, where the clues were laid out normally, and the Down themers just had [See puzzle notes], and I refused to do that, it was slower. Here's the "note" I was supposed to read:
Theme answers:
- STOP & STARE (1. Rubberneck)
- PRIM & PROPER (5. Stiffly formal)
- STARS & STRIPES (9. Old Glory)
- SWEET & SOUR (33. Kind of sauce in Chinese cuisine)
- BORN & BRED (41. Fully from, as a place)
- SOCKS & SANDALS (43. Footwear fashion faux pas)
- DRINK & DRIVE (45. Risk losing one's license, say)
- TRIED & TRUE (56. Proven to be reliable)
informal: fear of missing out : fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing (merriam-webster.com)
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How much should you give? Whatever you think the blog is worth to you on a yearly basis. Whatever that amount is is fantastic. Some people refuse to pay for what they can get for free. Others just don't have money to spare. All are welcome to read the blog—the site will always be open and free. But if you are able to express your appreciation monetarily, here are two options. First, a Paypal button (which you can also find in the blog sidebar):
Rex Parker c/o Michael Sharp
54 Matthews St
Binghamton, NY 13905
And heck, why don't I throw my Venmo handle in here too, just in case that's your preferred way of moving money around; it's @MichaelDavidSharp (the last four digits of my phone are 4878, in case Venmo asks you, which they did that one time someone contributed that way—but it worked!)
He's eating kale in that middle one, in case you're wondering. Anyway, these cards are personally meaningful to me, and also, I believe, objectively lovely. I can't wait to share them with the snail-mailers. Please note: I don't keep a "mailing list" and don't share my contributor info with anyone. And if you give by snail mail and (for some reason) don't want a thank-you card, just indicate "NO CARD." Again, as ever, I'm so grateful for your readership and support. Now on to today's puzzle...
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Fillwise this was average. Some good stuff (KNOCK IT OFF!, he said, to the puzzle) some less good (UOMO ESSENE FROS TRUTV RIATA WASA IATE). I'm definitely not pro-TIER TWO, as it doesn't feel like enough of a thing, but at least it's weird instead of boring (29. Second-level). I remain legit stunned that anyone thought DRINK & DRIVE was an appropriately whimsical phrase for a crossword theme, just as I'm stunned that "losing one's license" is the "risk" they've decided to worry about. [Risk killing pedestrians, say]—how do you like that clue? Sound good? No? OK, then maybe rethink what you're doing here.
OK, I gotta get back to watching GA election results (which is to say, watching people celebrate said results on Twitter). I feel like the write-up is a little light tonight, but maybe that's appropriate for a puzzle that's a little light on clues. To make up for the short write-up, here's some pictures I took today while *trying* to work at my desk. Take care!
