Brian solves the New York Times puzzle, Monday 11-24-08
Dame Billie Truitt has designed a lovely Monday puzzle for us, and one which takes a slight step away from the standard Monday theme structures. Sure, it’s five entries. Sure they all go together. But they don’t obviously go together, and there’s no reference in any of the clues anywhere what the gimmick is. The theme entries:
- 17A. Gardener’s gift : GREEN THUMB
- 24A. Measure of national economic health : MISERY INDEX
- 39A. Come to a compromise : MEET IN THE MIDDLE – Not to be confused with “Malcolm in the Middle,” which is only a compromise if the two initial offers are “torture me with terrible television” and “make me never want to have children.”
- 51A. “Call sometime” : GIVE ME A RING – After this answer made its way into the grid, I was sure I was on the wrong track because all I had in my head was my wife singing that Beyonce song over and over, the one with “if you like it, you better put a ring on it…” (forgive any inaccuracies in my lyrical recollection).
- 64A. Rhyming word game : HINKY PINKY – As if. There is no such rhyming word game.
The theme, now, is of course Five Things That Seem To Mean Nothing. But secretly, it’s the five fingers. Ha! Very clever! Wonderful work, Ms. Truitt!
Delightful and clever for a Monday, a little trickier (to this pathetic solver) than usual. Thanks for a great puzzle.
See you Tuesday!
