When is a door not a door? When it's AJAR! When is Rex Parker not Rex Parker? When he's GUEST BLOGGER ANNABEL THOMPSON!
Constructor: David Woolf
Relative difficulty: Easy
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THEME:"Chicken Soup for the Crossword Lover's SOUL/SOL/SOLE/SEOUL"— Theme answers feature homophones of "soul."
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: LOVE-IN (6D: Groovy 1960s event) —
This puzzle was a SNAP for me, actually; I got at least half the across clues on my first round, and I don't expect down-only people had much trouble today either. The fill was just OK, honestly, didn't learn a lot of new words and there weren't any neat arrangements. I did like all the Spanish words peppered throughout! ESOS...PESO...SOL CERVEZA...even DOS although it's supposed to be talking about hair arrangements. But I never took Spanish. Ay caramba!
The theme was...a Monday theme. Not much to say here. Except that I had GIRLFRIENDS in 63A for the longest time and was driving myself nuts wondering why nothing would work with it. (I briefly considered "gal pals," but it obviously wouldn't fit.) Until I realized "duh, that's a theme answer."
Wow, that really wasn't a very glowing review of this puzzle at all. Am I turning into Rex??? I͓͚̞̳͝ͅs̕ ͕̰ṭ̦h̨e̟̥̖̮͔̬̲ ̷͚̣̖t͖̱͖͔r̷͎͇͓a͍̲̙̥͕͈͕n̗͇͍̠ş͎̼̠̠f͉̕o͕̰͝ṟ̣͟ͅm̻ͅa̦t͕͍̗͎i͙̻͎̫̫͉͡ọ̸n ̴̼̞̰̫͇s̭͈̙̣͉ṯ̼̰͓͞a̴r̦̙͚̪͙͍͓͝t҉̼̮i̴͖̘̭̣̼̩n҉̯̗̝̹̙̭g̵͓?͉̤̟̘͕͢?͎̭̖͇ͅ?̭̺͙̪̮ͅ?̫̤
Bullets:
Signed, Annabel Thompson, tired high school student - and that's the last time I'll be writing that. Get ready for Annabel Thompson, tired RISING COLLEGE STUDENT, to start blogging!!!
Constructor: David Woolf
Relative difficulty: Easy
THEME:"Chicken Soup for the Crossword Lover's SOUL/SOL/SOLE/SEOUL"— Theme answers feature homophones of "soul."
Theme answers:
- SOL CERVEZA (17A: Popular Mexican brew)
- SOLE BENEFICIARY (27A: The only trustworthy one?)
- SEOUL SOUTH KOREA (48A: Where Kia and Hyundai are headquartered)
- SOUL SISTER (63A: Woman's closest female friend)
Word of the Day: LOVE-IN (6D: Groovy 1960s event) —
A love-in is a peaceful public gathering focused on meditation, love, music, and/or use of psychedelic drugs. The term was coined by Los Angeles radio comedian Peter Bergman, who also hosted the first one in March or April 1967 (sources disagree) in Elysian Park.[1][2] It has been interpreted in different ways by different organizations, but is often connected to protesting local, social or environmental issues.[3][4] Such protests were held in opposition to the Vietnam War.[5]
• • •
This puzzle was a SNAP for me, actually; I got at least half the across clues on my first round, and I don't expect down-only people had much trouble today either. The fill was just OK, honestly, didn't learn a lot of new words and there weren't any neat arrangements. I did like all the Spanish words peppered throughout! ESOS...PESO...SOL CERVEZA...even DOS although it's supposed to be talking about hair arrangements. But I never took Spanish. Ay caramba!
The theme was...a Monday theme. Not much to say here. Except that I had GIRLFRIENDS in 63A for the longest time and was driving myself nuts wondering why nothing would work with it. (I briefly considered "gal pals," but it obviously wouldn't fit.) Until I realized "duh, that's a theme answer."
Wow, that really wasn't a very glowing review of this puzzle at all. Am I turning into Rex??? I͓͚̞̳͝ͅs̕ ͕̰ṭ̦h̨e̟̥̖̮͔̬̲ ̷͚̣̖t͖̱͖͔r̷͎͇͓a͍̲̙̥͕͈͕n̗͇͍̠ş͎̼̠̠f͉̕o͕̰͝ṟ̣͟ͅm̻ͅa̦t͕͍̗͎i͙̻͎̫̫͉͡ọ̸n ̴̼̞̰̫͇s̭͈̙̣͉ṯ̼̰͓͞a̴r̦̙͚̪͙͍͓͝t҉̼̮i̴͖̘̭̣̼̩n҉̯̗̝̹̙̭g̵͓?͉̤̟̘͕͢?͎̭̖͇ͅ?̭̺͙̪̮ͅ?̫̤
Bullets:
- LIQUORED UP (29D: Three sheets to the wind) — I have never once heard this expression used in my life. Maybe that's just how the kids don't talk these days?
- OPAL (15A: Milky gem)— I'm at the point where I can't see the name of a gemstone without thinking of Steven Universe. So, here you go!
- IN HEELS (22A: Wearing party shoes)— Please give credit to anyone who wears heels, ever. Prom happened the other weekend, and let's just say that I got way more blisters from my stilettos than I did from six days hiking the Appalachian Trail, even when I fell over a rock and, later, almost got bitten by a snake. And we're expected to dance in heels? Next time there's a formal dance, I swear I'm going in combat boots.
Signed, Annabel Thompson, tired high school student - and that's the last time I'll be writing that. Get ready for Annabel Thompson, tired RISING COLLEGE STUDENT, to start blogging!!!