Constructor: Tarun Krishnamurthy
Relative difficulty: Easy (2:52)
Relative difficulty: Easy (2:52)
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| For some reason, the NYT app is highlighting 1-Across even though it's not part of the theme |
Hey folks, Malaika here! Rex was running into some issues with the Internet on his vacation, so you'll be treated to a series of subs the next couple days. I think this is better, tbh, because then he can properly enjoy his trip!
THEME: SEA ANEMONE — The revealer sounds like a series of letters, when you say it aloud (C N M N E) and these letters appear in the theme answers
THEME: SEA ANEMONE — The revealer sounds like a series of letters, when you say it aloud (C N M N E) and these letters appear in the theme answers
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: ANTOINETTE (Marie of Versailles) —
I liked how all of the theme answers were fun! As I've said previously, a theme answer gets a plus if it's something I'd consider an asset in a themeless puzzle. (The only "ding" ((remember when I tried to rate puzzles using "dings" and "zings".... should I bring that back...)) is CANDY MACHINE which is not a thing, in my opinion. I understand that not all "gumball machines" dispense gumballs, but I'd still call them that!!)
Bullets:
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- ["Don't you worry about me!"] for I CAN MANAGE
- [Fixture that may hold gumballs] for CANDY MACHINE
- [Supposed sighting in the Scottish Highlands] for LOCH NESS MONSTER
- [Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor with bananas and walnuts] for CHUNKY MONKEY
Word of the Day: ANTOINETTE (Marie of Versailles) —
As queen, Marie Antoinette became increasingly unpopular among the people; the French libelles accused her of being profligate, promiscuous, having illegitimate children, and harboring sympathies for France's perceived enemies, including her native Austria. She was falsely accused in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace, but the accusations damaged her reputation further. During the French Revolution, she became known as Madame Déficit because the country's financial crisis was blamed on her lavish spending and her opposition to social and financial reforms proposed by Anne Robert Jacques Turgot and Jacques Necker. [wiki]
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I've seen this type of theme several times ("panda" being parsed as "P" and "A," for example) but never with this precise revealer. It's cool how long it is! This makes me wonder what other terms can be phonetically parsed as just letters. (As I wonder this, I am realizing there is probably a crossword that relies on this mechanism for all the theme answers... Maybe something like SEA ANEMONE would get the clue [CNMNE], for example.)
Anyway....
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| "amnemonemomne" (real "Finding Nemo" stans remember) |
I liked how all of the theme answers were fun! As I've said previously, a theme answer gets a plus if it's something I'd consider an asset in a themeless puzzle. (The only "ding" ((remember when I tried to rate puzzles using "dings" and "zings".... should I bring that back...)) is CANDY MACHINE which is not a thing, in my opinion. I understand that not all "gumball machines" dispense gumballs, but I'd still call them that!!)
We also got some nice non-theme longer answers-- BOBA TEA crossing BOCA BURGER made me think of my younger sister, who loves both of these things. She is currently residing in CANADA, enjoying their free health care. God I wish that were me.
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| This is a different sister from the one who is in Canada, but I still think it's a fun picture |
I like to look at Monday puzzles through eyes of someone who has never solved a puzzle before-- I think if I were a newbie, I'd get tripped up on RADII, SCION, ALGA, GSN, and STE. The first two are certainly words, though the vocabulary is a little difficult. I don't really know the grammar of ALGA; I always see "algae," so maybe it's a singular vs. plural situation. The last two are abbreviations I've only ever seen in puzzles. That's not to say any of these entries are "bad," they're just the ones I can imagine people getting stuck on. Sorry for ending a sentence with a preposition.
Bullets:
- [Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor with bananas and walnuts] for CHUNKY MONKEY — I am a huge connoisseur of B&J. My favorite flavors are probably Phish Food, Karamel Sutra, and Mint Chocolate Cookie. What about y'all?
- [Crossword diagram] for GRID — The word "diagram" feels a little off to me, but I don't know what else I'd put here!
- Looking over the clues, it seems there were zero Question Mark Clues today!
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