Constructor: Katherine Baicker and Scott Earl
Relative difficulty: Normal? Easy side? I don't know ...
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THEME:"THERE ARE NO WORDS" (57A: "I can't even!" ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues) — things that lack words:
Theme answers:
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See, now, this, I like. I watched those themers come into view as I descended the grid (solving Downs-only, as Monday-usual), and I wondered what the hell they could have to do with each other. Cool answers in their own right, but what's the connection? And then the revealer started to fill itself in via the Down crosses and all of a sudden I could parse it: "THERE ARE NO WORDS"! The answer was correct, and it was a perfect revealer, a perfect expression of the theme. You get a familiar colloquial expression that is also an original puzzle answer *and* an apt description of the theme answers. Cleverly literalizing a familiar phrase for puzzle purposes—this is a basic theme concept that can yield fantastic results. Today's grid kept it simple and tight—just three themers, but each one colorful and unforced, and each one lacking words in a different way. Turns out you don't really need the pesky Across clues to have a very satisfying "aha" moment with the revealer. And unlike last week's insanely easy puzzle, this one had enough bite in it that I had to work for it a little, had to use inference and pattern-recognition skills and all the tools in my Downs-only bag of tricks to make it to the bottom. Never got very hung up, but I had to work my way through and around a number of those longer Downs, which didn't come right away, so the overall experience still provided the kind of satisfying (if still brief) workout I look for in a Monday Downs-only solve. I have no real complaints. I see a number of short answers that are well-worn and not particularly thrilling, but who cares when most of the grid is strong and clean and the theme is snappy? Hurray for a solid and non-boring Monday.
Relative difficulty: Normal? Easy side? I don't know ...
Theme answers:
- SILENT TREATMENT (17A: *Cold shoulder)
- EMOJI KEYBOARD (27A: *Texter's option for sending faces and symbols)
- ELEVATOR MUSIC (44A: *Easy-listening background tunes)
Chip Potts is the son of Mrs. Potts and a supporting character in Disney's 1991 animated feature film, Beauty and the Beast. (disney.fandom.com)
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| [Annie POTTS in Crimes of Passion (d. Ken Russell, 1984), which I finished right before solving; the Criterion Channel's "Erotic Thrillers" collection this month is a real gift!] |
Absolutely blanked on 4D: Final movement of Beethoven's Ninth ("ODE TO JOY"). I knew it was gonna start with an "O," but all I could think of, musically, was OPERETTA ... which fit! But was obviously wrong. After I inferred ADIDAS and SILENT TREATMENT, I emitted a large "D'oh!" as I sheepishly typed in "ODE TO JOY." Felt less bad about struggling (a bit) with SPEED DATES, since it was actively trying to misdirect me with its "?" clue (10D: Participates in some singles matches?). Totally blanked on Chip POTTS. Could picture his "mom" but still couldn't remember the family name. Once I got SEE IT, I was able to, well, see it. (note: SEE IT was one of those answers that had me wondering "how did they clue that??" I guess ["Understand now?"] is OK. Since I couldn't look at the clue, I didn't know it was supposed to be a question; thought the clue might be a partial, à la ["Now you ___, now you don't"]. The actual clue is better). I hesitated writing in CASITAS, since it seemed unlikely you'd see such a long foreign word on a Monday, but I couldn't make anything else out of CA-I-AS, so CASITAS it was. Wanted ON THE SCENT at 29D: Following a trail, as a bloodhound, but also had this eerie (though not EELY) feeling of "... is that the expression? ON THE SCENT? ON THE TRAIL, sure, but TRAIL is in the clue so ... SCENT?" Yes, SCENT. Alright then. IRON(ON)-ically, I finished up with GO ASTRAY—the answer that means "err" was my final and unerrant answer—that's what makes it IRON(ON)-ic!
My only other thoughts about this one are: it's weird to call it an EMOJI KEYBOARD since it's more of a giant menu and doesn't really mimic a "keyboard" much at all; I mean, that *is* what it's called, but it's just weirdly inapt, I think. And then I was thinking "Glad I had the 'T' in place and so didn't fall into the FIRMA trap at 47D: Terra ___ (COTTA). See you next time. LET'S SAY, tomorrow, OK? OK. Bye now.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]