Constructor: Emily Carroll

Relative problem: Easy

THEME: BUNNY / SLOPE (17A: With 69-Across, newbie’s downhill problem … or a touch to this puzzle’s circled letters) — 4 completely different “slopes” (downward diagonal solutions shaped by circled squares) comprise kinds of “bunnies”:

The Bunnies:

Word of the Day: STEROL (9D: Waxy biochemical compound) —

Sterol is an natural compound with system C
17H
28O, whose molecule is derived from that of gonane by alternative of a hydrogen atom in place 3 by a hydroxyl group. It is due to this fact an alcohol of gonane. More usually, any compounds that comprise the gonane construction, extra practical teams, and/or modified ring techniques derived from gonane are known as steroids. Therefore, sterols are a subgroup of the steroids. They happen naturally in most eukaryotes, together with crops, animals, and fungi, and may also be produced by some micro organism (nonetheless seemingly with completely different features). The most acquainted kind of animal sterol is ldl cholesterol, which is significant to cell membrane construction, and features as a precursor to fat-soluble nutritional vitamins and steroid hormones. 

While technically alcohols, sterols are categorized by biochemists as lipids (fat within the broader sense of the time period). (wikipedia)

• • •

No PLAYBOY Bunny right now, however that is in all probability for one of the best. As Tuesday theme concepts go, I feel this one’s fairly cute. Hard to be mad at bunnies—cuteness is their biggest protection. I would’ve loved the puzzle extra if I hadn’t been a quick solver—I by no means noticed the bunnies. At all. The puzzle is really easy that I simply zipped by way of it after which regarded again to see what the SLOPEs stated. So on the stage of precise fixing, for me, it was virtually as if there have been no theme; the revealer is the one correct theme reply. No Bunny Content! But the idea works properly. There’s one thing aesthetically pleasing in regards to the association of the SLOPEs within the grid. They’re not symmetrical, precisely, and but there’s  a symmetry of kinds, with the NE and SW SLOPEs each extending from edge to edge, and the center two SLOPEs each touching the sting on one facet after which extending into the center of the grid. I do not thoughts asymmetry in zany theme options like this (see additionally: rebus squares). I thoughts it extra, nonetheless, in conventional theme reply alignment. That is, if you would like / want to interrupt symmetry, OK, however there had higher be good purpose. Which brings me to the one odd and considerably ungainly characteristic of this theme: the position of BUNNY. Or the position of SLOPE, I assume. One of them actually ought to transfer, in order that they are often in sync with each other. Looks like there was no option to transfer SLOPE on this explicit circled-square association, so all I can guess is that the constructor simply could not make BUNNY work within the 1-Across place, or else may make it work, however bought a a lot cleaner end result dropping BUNNY to the third row. There are not any circled squares to make grid-filling tough in that NW nook, so I do not know why BUNNY ought to’ve been so exhausting to place at 1-Across, however I’m additionally not going to tear down the NW nook and discover out proper now. Anyway, bizarre BUNNY placement, nevertheless it solely detracted barely from my total enjoyment.

The fill was a bit tough at instances, and this stood out greater than it’d’ve on different early-week themed puzzles as a result of there have been no correct theme solutions or any notable longer solutions to talk of in any respect. Nothing within the grid is longer than 8 letters, and there are solely two of these, and so they’re strong, however neither one is extremely scintillating (ISRAELIS, BOASTFUL).  I feel SLY NOD is my favourite factor within the grid (5D: Subtle sign that may accompany a wink). That and SPLURGE, which is remarkably ugly-sounding phrase that I by some means really feel affection for (39A: Spend indulgently). There’s one thing virtually grotesque about it. It’s nice. The hardest bits for me had been STEROL (simply did not comprehend it–wished STERNO) (9D: Waxy biochemical compound); OWNED IT (I wished OWNED UP …) (4D: Took duty for one thing); and RUST (with the “T” in place, the one “pink” shade I may consider was BEET) (31A: Reddish hue). GELID is acquainted to me however completely solely from crosswords (it is crosswordese for “chilly”) (40D: Freezing). The semi-staleness of among the fill prolonged to the clues every so often as properly. Two of the “?” clues are ultra-recycled (6A: Puts away, because the groceries? = EATS and 36D: A few bucks? = DEER). The different two are fairly good, although (53D: Ones not inclined to make sweeping gestures? = SLOBS and 43D: Major let-downs for Rapunzel? = TRESSES). I can forgive staler-than common fill in a puzzle like this–it is extremely exhausting to fill a grid with diagonal solutions cleanly. I’ve tried. Those diagonals actually actually prohibit you and gum issues up. But that is no purpose in your clues, esp. your “?” clues, to be out of a field. Still, total, I used to be fairly pleased with this (fittingly) straightforward early-week puzzle.