Brian: Tuesday, April 29
Noses totally stuffed. Head throbbing. Can’t think. Tried to do puzzles anyway.
New York Times – 9:12
Los Angeles Times – 3:19 (I’m beginning to like this better than the New York puzzles…)
New York Sun – 5:16
New York Times
constructed by Will Nediger; edited by Will Shortz
I thought I was going to have it easy in this puzzle, because I worked out the theme (”From A to Z”) very quickly, I knew all the theme answers very quickly, and… well, it still took me a Tuesday eon/era/age to complete the fill. Brains still not smarterer enough.
Earlier today, my wife and Ryan and I were all talking about the film ALL THAT JAZZ, so it was a delight to find it as the first theme entry (located at 17-Across, naturally: Semiautobiographical Bob Fosse film). I will be watching ALEX RODRIGUEZ (38A. A.L. M.V.P. in 2003, 2005 and 2007 — all the abbreviations in the clue, none in the answer, hmm?) tomorrow night, as I attend a Yankee game (weather permitting) with my Yankee-loving mother. As my t-shirt says, I root for two teams: the Red Sox and whoever’s playing the Yankees. I also knew 60A. 1970s joint U.S./Soviet space project (APOLLO-SOYUZ) from a science project I did in the fifth grade. The two downward contributions were 12D. Namesake of a branch of Judaism (ASHKENAZ), which took some time to spell properly (you never know how to transliterate Hebrew) and 38D. The Rock (ALCATRAZ).
The fill was enjoyable enough as well, but a few too many variant forms of words… OSAKAN, JACOBITE, SERUMS (too many SERA in past puzzled had me doubting this answer)… But these were offset by the assortment of fun answers like ALEXEI, SYZYGY (a Will Shortz era first, I believe), WALRUS, KAL KAN, SKI BUM, RETINA and EWOK. My only real struggle came at the crossing of 46A. Certain NCO (I never know these acronyms/abbreviations) and 47D. Punishing rod. With SFC and FERULE nowhere to be found in my own mental index, I needed help on that one square. Damn you, square!
For the first time, I’m trying to do an Amazon Store link. Did it work?
Los Angeles Times
constructed by Andrea Carla Michaels & Michael Blake; edited by Rich Norris
For the second day in a row, I did relatively well on the Los Angeles offering. Are these easier than the New York counterparts? Or am I just living on the wrong coast?
Here we have three titles revised to change gender from male to female: 20A. 1970 Dustina Hoffman saga? is LITTLE BIG WOMAN, 40A. 1939 Roberta Donat film? is GOODBYE, MRS. CHIPS and 57A. 1957 Cindy Poitier film? is TO MA’AM WITH LOVE. The rest of the fill went very quickly, but included a favorite answer: 16A. Munch is (hello, TheDentist) CHOMP!
New York Sun: To The Nth Degree
constructed by Kevin George and Bonnie L. Gentry; edited by Peter Gordon
A cute puzzle with a simple theme — take some basic things, add an N to the end, and poof! you have a new turn of phrase. 17A. Aw-inspiring source of dietary fiber? turns a Wonderbra into WONDER BRAN; 27A. Part of a prison yard? makes criminal law into CRIMINAL LAWN; 49A. Item raised on a Yukon farm? is a KLONDIKE BARN; and 64A. Tailored for prom night wear? is something that FIT TO A TEEN.
And yes, a short blog entry for a night of little respiratory success. Lungs, be less cloggier!
