Ryan solves the NYT, Mon 11-16-9
So yesterday’s (Sunday’s) puzzle was all about a certain verse engineer and in my post I neglected to mention our favorite verse engineer, Amanda Yesnowitz, the Unparalleled Parallel Verse Engineer, A Shining Light to us All. I feel terrible especially since Amanda went to the trouble of (sort of) telling me what Sun-In is. To make up for this here is Amanda’s performance of the KenKen song with lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz.
(This will also be an interesting test to see if Amanda reads my non-weekend posts.)
Today’s puzzle has a byline that almost fits the puzzle’s theme, James Mulhern and Ashton Anderson. The theme was “A word that rhymes with Doc Ock [and] a word that is made up of letters.]
17A. Like a story that can’t be believed (COCK AND BULL).
The cock’s on the housetop, blowing his horn:
The bull’s in the barn a-threshing of corn:
The maids in the meadows are making of hay:
The ducks in the river are swimming away.
27A. Military strategy during the 2003 invasion of Iraq (SHOCK AND AWE).
45A. Subject of a 1950s “revolution” (ROCK AND ROLL).
61A. Prepare to use a rifle (LOCK AND LOAD).
Fine Monday theme although one that probably won’t show up in The New York Times Big Book of Pacifist-Friendly Puzzles.
Other highlights:
16A. Lyricist Gershwin (IRA). Amanda.
32A. ___ the Hutt (“Star Wars” villain) (JABBA). An alternative, and much easier, clue would have been “Spice smuggling native of Nal Hutta and fierce rival of Gardulla the Elder”. I mean, this is a Monday puzzle. Let’s give everybody a chance to solve it.
39A. Veep’s superior (PREXY). Wha?
11D. Candy with a hole in the middle (LIFE SAVER). Candy? I don’t know. These are mints, right? I don’t consider mints to be candy. I’ve never had a craving for big roll of life savers.
32D. Give a Bronx cheer (JEER). Isn’t it odd that JEER is one letter away from JETER?
52D. “Too rich for my blood” (I FOLD). Kept reading this as IF OLD.
56D. Trebek who says “And the answer is…” (ALEX). Couldn’t this clue just have been “Trebek”?
Nice puzzle today.
Next stop, Tuesday.
