Constructor: Barry C. Silk
Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging
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THEME: none
Word of the Day: "Bob" IGER (56A: Eisner's successor at Disney) —
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Trying to figure out why this one seemed so joyless compared to most Barry Silks. I think it's largely the swing-and-miss cluing. Or, rather, all the "?" cluing that was more forced than clever. [Binder?] for PACT… I get it, but yuck. Is the "joke" that we're supposed to think of a three-ring binder? Not sure what the joke is on 41D: Goes with the flow? (STREAMS), as that clue is either too literal to need a "?" or relates to streaming video, in which case … the clue doesn't make any kind of joke at all. How in the world is QUARK [A tiny bit strange?]. What is "strange" about it? Oh, I see that "strange" is a "flavor" of QUARK (… [crickets] …). OK then. But [Up-coming world phenomenon?] annoyed me the most, though there I was more annoyed by the answer. Call me terra-centric, but I don't think a phenomenon that no human being experiences should have a name. You experience this on the moon, right? When I finally got EARTH RISE (I needed every cross) I honestly didn't know what it was. That whole NW corner was just a [shrug] to me. Don't play golf, don't know what EARTH RISE is, never heard of Spender, etc.
Mainly I am surprised that a 72-worder is this lifeless. High word count themelesses should Pop. This one is clean, but EARTH RISE and GREEN TAPE just don't seem like strong marquee answers to me. Those are this grid's seed entries, right? I mean, they must be, as they are the main original-seeming answers in the grid. But neither of them is flashy or even very interesting, so while they're fine entries, they don't have top-billing-type oomph. Of course I enjoy BATSIGNAL, but there should be so many more such delightful answers, and the cluing overall needs to be more playful, less dull. What the hell is "Eco-chic"? (5D: Eco-chic clothing option). That's a thing? Ugh (seriously, I thought the answer here was UGGS). Anyway, HEMP is a clothing material option, not a "clothing option."
Did not care for SOLS / EL AL. I'm more a SOTS / ET AL man myself.
See you Sunday.
Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging
Word of the Day: "Bob" IGER (56A: Eisner's successor at Disney) —
Robert Allen "Bob" Iger (born February 10, 1951) is an American businessman and the current chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company. He was named president of Disney in 2000, and later succeeded Michael Eisner as chief executive in 2005, after a successful effort by Roy E. Disney to shake-up the management of the company. Iger oversaw the acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios in 2006, following a period of strained relations with the animation studio. He also led the company to acquire Marvel Entertainment in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012, further broadening Disney's intellectual property franchises. (wikipedia)
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Mainly I am surprised that a 72-worder is this lifeless. High word count themelesses should Pop. This one is clean, but EARTH RISE and GREEN TAPE just don't seem like strong marquee answers to me. Those are this grid's seed entries, right? I mean, they must be, as they are the main original-seeming answers in the grid. But neither of them is flashy or even very interesting, so while they're fine entries, they don't have top-billing-type oomph. Of course I enjoy BATSIGNAL, but there should be so many more such delightful answers, and the cluing overall needs to be more playful, less dull. What the hell is "Eco-chic"? (5D: Eco-chic clothing option). That's a thing? Ugh (seriously, I thought the answer here was UGGS). Anyway, HEMP is a clothing material option, not a "clothing option."
Did not care for SOLS / EL AL. I'm more a SOTS / ET AL man myself.
See you Sunday.