Ryan solves the NYT, Mon 7-28-8
I’m not sure I 100% understand the theme in this Roger Baiocchi puzzle.
72A. ___-specific (like the answers at 1-, 41- and 73-Across) (SITE). There are 5 other theme clues. How come this refers to only 3 of them? START is in the top left corner, PLACE is in the bottom right and TAKECENTERSTAGE is in the middle. I guess START is in the SITE where you start the puzzle. But what is the significance of the SITE of PLACE. This may be painfully obvious to everyone but I’m afraid I just don’t get it.
1A. With 21-Across, begin from scratch (START)
21A. See 1-Across (ATSQUAREONE)
41A. Move into the limelight (TAKECENTERSTAGE)
59A. With 73-Across, be beaten by the rest of the field (ENDUPINLAST)
73A. See 59-Across (PLACE)
To be honest, I struggled with a lot of this puzzle. That’s not to say I didn’t like it, I just don’t think I was on the same wavelength as the constructor.
1D. Have the wheel of a car (STEER). Initially all I could visualize was a guy holding a tire. Once I got that out of my head I put DRIVE here.
24D. Hot dog topping (RELISH). I do love relish and hot dogs. I don’t love relish in those little packets. It doesn’t squeeze out easily like ketchup and mustard and it’s such a struggle to get all the tasty little bits out. In related news, I’m going to Fenway Park for the first time in my life on Saturday. If anybody has any suggestions about the best food stands there or any other tips please let me know.
33A. Christmas ___ (holiday stamp) (SEAL). I’m not sure I know what this is. Is this a postage stamp?
65A. It’s “catchy” (SNAG). Pretty tricky for a Monday. Anybody else put SONG here and wonder why the N and A didn’t work?
4D. 66 on a map, e.g.: Abbr. (RTE). My friend Max and I traveled along a lot of the western portion of old Route 66, stopping at lots of kitschy places along the way. Highly recommended if you want to see areas of the country frozen in time.
31D. High-priced seating area (LOGE). Hmmm. Isn’t this the middle-priced seating area? In my experience, the Orchestra is the high-priced area in a theater while Field (or some variation of that) is the expensive area at a ball game. Loge is always one or two levels up.
60D. City south of the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (NOME). I had no idea about this one. I suppose if I really stopped to think about it, Alaska would eventually have come to mind.
Brian is back in town for a bit today. We’ll be recording Episode #20 of Fill Me In: A Crossword Podcast tonight and that should be up sometime on Tuesday. We’ll have a lot more information on Lollapuzzoola 2008. (August 23, registration still open)
Next stop, Tuesday.
