Pictured: ACPT; 53A INFERNO; 64A Rembrandt - "Slaughtered Ox", Rolling Stones "Beast of Burden"; 57A and 61A, Theda Bara as "Carmen"; 17A Loch Ness monster; 60D Velazquez "Mercury and Argus"
03.26.07 -- Creatures, Beasts and Animals
It’s good that the HOSTLER (last appeared as OSTLER) is included here, what with CREATURECOMFORT, BEASTOFBURDEN, ANIMALMAGNETISM, OXEN, a CAIMAN and an OPERA DIVA on the loose! Quick puzzle, but I’m not one of those who claim to solve it faster than a human can write or type, nor like one remark heard recently, “solved completely without a need to fill in the squares” -- oh, hubris! Now that the ACPT has adjourned its annual festival, perhaps we can dispense with the mistaken idea that speed equals intelligence and just enjoy doing a puzzle -- what pleasure can be derived from a break-neck pace leaving behind errors, omissions and angst? After all, isn't the intent to AMUSE!
03.25.07 -- Sticky Sunday
Last word homonym puns rhyming with ooh --
EMBRACEABLEEWE,
RIGHTONQUEUE,
TENNISSHOO,
MOUNTAINDO,
IDONTHAVETWO,
RUNAROUNDSIOUX,
RINGINGTRUE, NOTHINGGNU
A sticky (see 67D) puzzle with lots of traps and multiple possible answers for clues. A Sunday struggle with only the meager homonyms as a reward for one’s effort, however clever.
Pictured -- Above: Puzzle Constructor Fred Piscop at the ACPT. Below: Ewe, Queue, Fly on Tennis Shoe, Mountain Dew, Sundew, Van Gogh, Sitting Bull, Truman Capote, Gnu
, Puzzle (left click to enlarge)
, Puzzle (left click to enlarge)
03.24.07 -- Sadistic Saturday
Totally themeless puzzle by Rich Norris with some nasty clues and obscure answers, a hodge podge of unrelated items defying unity. ALLFORIT, puzzles should puzzle; however, a few familiar answers do appear, e.g., ISMELLARAT, NOOSE and LARIAT -- though STICKITOUT and ASKMELATER seem new even if old expressions. SNAPBRIM, MISSME, MASHNOTE, BREADBIN cluing cruelly clever. Clues for NENE, OTIS, INDO, PILE, MAT, ELM, STAMP fresh. Puzzles like this one are akin to shoveling the driveway to find The New York Times (for the puzzle) after a heavy snow wishing to “Escape” to the warmer climate with a PINACOLADA, a couple of MARTINIS, OPIUM, and an ALKA-mint (insert appropriate EMOTICON here, I’ll do LIKEWISE).
(Above: Rich Norris at the ACPT. Below: 15A, 49D, 11A (3), 32A, 20A, 54A, 55A, 56D (3)and 25A)
03.23.07 -- Manny Being Manny
Many Nosowsky (puzzle constructor) hits a home run! Liked WHATSTHEPROBLEM, CANTHECOMEDY, HAVETHESAYSO, LOSEPATIENCE and STRETCHESACROSS (always get the long ones having gotten just a few letters) -- As Boston Red Sox fans say it's Manny being Manny!
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Recommended blog posts this past week:
POORLAW
http://shakespeareandstuff.blogspot.com/2007/03/poor-law.html
PFUI
http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2007/01/tuesday-jan-30-2007-nancy-salomon.html
POT
http://crosswordfiend.blogspot.com/2007/03/monday-319.html
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Recommended magazine article on line (New York Magazine, 3.22.06):
The Puzzlemaster’s Dilemma
by Clive Thompson Will Shortz’s crosswords are about to make him a word-nerd movie star. But Sudoku is making him rich.
http://nymag.com/arts/all/features/17244/
03.22.07 -- Case Closed!
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