Constructor: Patrick Berry
Relative difficulty: 9 minutes 20 seconds, average for Friday
THEME: none
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Word of the Day:DARYL HALL(36A: Member of a pop duo whose debut album was titled "Whole Oats")
Daryl Franklin Hohl, professionally known as Daryl Hall (born October 11, 1946) is an Americanrock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates (with guitarist and songwriter John Oates).
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Hall scored several Billboard chart hits and is regarded as one of the best soul singers of his generation.Guitarist Robert Fripp, who collaborated with him in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has written, "Daryl's pipes were a wonder. I have never worked with a more able singer." Since late 2007, he has hosted the web television series, Live from Daryl's House. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. -- Wikipedia
Someone in comments complained I had no bullet points. So today, 20 bullet points:
1) Patrick Berry, a byline you very much like to see.
2) Don't expect a vowel in the 1-box in a themeless/a.k.a. freestyle grid, do you? I didn't. Threw me off. INSIDE MAN (1a: Helper in a heist)
3) MAMET (22A: "The Cryptogram" playwright David). Amusing clue for a crossword puzzle answer, referencing a different puzzle type.
4) Misdirecting clue at (5D: Bankruptcy declarer of 2013). Not a company but the financially distressed municipality of DETROIT.
5) Power 9s: GHOST TOWN, SWEET N LOW, NEW MEXICO, HIT OR MISS, aforementioned DARYL HALL and INSIDE MAN.
6) DARYLHALL as one word looks like a Norwegian surname.
7) MINIS (7D: Some M&M's) was misdirecting. I was thinking it would be a plural color.
8) You're a geography nerd if you had MA??ARA at 10-D and thought the answer would be MARMARA.
9) If you like variety cryptics, check out this Patrick Berry v.c., which I have not yet solved but which is getting extremely positive reviews in the Crucisphere.
10) Grid is a little compartmentalized. NW and SE corners only a little outflow. Very minor blot.
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11) Never heard of COMPUWARE but I bet they're one of those companies things would be different without.
12) Don't understand how the clue for ONE AND ONLY(24D: Perfect match) makes sense. One and only is a unique individual, like "The one and only Lionel Richie," while a "perfect match" is two compatible people.
13) Third best clue: GHOST TOWN(32D: Nobody's home)
14) Second best clue: CHASTENED (17A: Newly humble). Precisely and elegantly put.
15) Best clue: SWAT (3D: Try to beat the buzzer?)
16) ESPYS (29D: Awards show since 1993). What, no Caitlyn??
17) Raise your hand in shame if you had O?AL and put OPAL instead of OVAL at first for (Like some lockets). But I feel that there are enough opal lockets around to make this plausible.
18) Five worst entries test: SOPS, ANG, GILDA, SACS, ET AL. Squeaky clean.
19) Unfairly left off the Best Three Clues list: (Wood choppers of old) for FALSE TEETH.
20) Runner-up for newly revised Best Four Clues list: (Classic pop) for NEHI.
Letter grade of A.
Signed, Matt Gaffney, Regent of CrossWorld for one more day
Relative difficulty: 9 minutes 20 seconds, average for Friday
THEME: none
Word of the Day:DARYL HALL(36A: Member of a pop duo whose debut album was titled "Whole Oats")
Daryl Franklin Hohl, professionally known as Daryl Hall (born October 11, 1946) is an Americanrock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates (with guitarist and songwriter John Oates).
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Hall scored several Billboard chart hits and is regarded as one of the best soul singers of his generation.Guitarist Robert Fripp, who collaborated with him in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has written, "Daryl's pipes were a wonder. I have never worked with a more able singer." Since late 2007, he has hosted the web television series, Live from Daryl's House. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. -- Wikipedia
Someone in comments complained I had no bullet points. So today, 20 bullet points:
1) Patrick Berry, a byline you very much like to see.
2) Don't expect a vowel in the 1-box in a themeless/a.k.a. freestyle grid, do you? I didn't. Threw me off. INSIDE MAN (1a: Helper in a heist)
3) MAMET (22A: "The Cryptogram" playwright David). Amusing clue for a crossword puzzle answer, referencing a different puzzle type.
4) Misdirecting clue at (5D: Bankruptcy declarer of 2013). Not a company but the financially distressed municipality of DETROIT.
5) Power 9s: GHOST TOWN, SWEET N LOW, NEW MEXICO, HIT OR MISS, aforementioned DARYL HALL and INSIDE MAN.
6) DARYLHALL as one word looks like a Norwegian surname.
7) MINIS (7D: Some M&M's) was misdirecting. I was thinking it would be a plural color.
8) You're a geography nerd if you had MA??ARA at 10-D and thought the answer would be MARMARA.
9) If you like variety cryptics, check out this Patrick Berry v.c., which I have not yet solved but which is getting extremely positive reviews in the Crucisphere.
10) Grid is a little compartmentalized. NW and SE corners only a little outflow. Very minor blot.
11) Never heard of COMPUWARE but I bet they're one of those companies things would be different without.
12) Don't understand how the clue for ONE AND ONLY(24D: Perfect match) makes sense. One and only is a unique individual, like "The one and only Lionel Richie," while a "perfect match" is two compatible people.
13) Third best clue: GHOST TOWN(32D: Nobody's home)
14) Second best clue: CHASTENED (17A: Newly humble). Precisely and elegantly put.
15) Best clue: SWAT (3D: Try to beat the buzzer?)
16) ESPYS (29D: Awards show since 1993). What, no Caitlyn??
17) Raise your hand in shame if you had O?AL and put OPAL instead of OVAL at first for (Like some lockets). But I feel that there are enough opal lockets around to make this plausible.
18) Five worst entries test: SOPS, ANG, GILDA, SACS, ET AL. Squeaky clean.
19) Unfairly left off the Best Three Clues list: (Wood choppers of old) for FALSE TEETH.
20) Runner-up for newly revised Best Four Clues list: (Classic pop) for NEHI.
Letter grade of A.
Signed, Matt Gaffney, Regent of CrossWorld for one more day