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Constructor: Ruth Bloomfield Margolin
Relative problem: Easy to Easy-Medium
THEME: elevate and decrease — theme solutions are phrases that match the phrase “elevate (a/the) ___” (prime half of the grid) or “decrease the ___” (backside half of the grid); in every case, the reply extends one letter past the boundaries of the grid, signifying that it has been “actually” “raised” or “lowered”:
Theme solutions:
- (O)BJECTIONS (3D: Make one’s opposition recognized, actually)
- (S)TINK (5D: Protest, actually)
- (M)INIMUM WAGE (99D: Alleviate earnings insufficiency, actually)
- (F)AMILY (11D: See youngsters by means of to maturity, actually)
- VOLUM(E) (52D: Show respect to 1’s neighbors late at evening, actually)
- TEMPERATUR(E) (29D: De-escalate rigidity, actually)
- PRICE(E) (60D: Put on sale, actually)
- TOILETSEA(T) (36D: Demonstrate a bit of loo etiquette, actually)
Word of the Day: ATTA (28A: Flour in Indian delicacies) —
India
: unsorted wheat flour or meal (merriam-webster)
• • •
This would not work the way in which it must. Which is to say the execution is inconsistent and there are structural issues and there is not any ultimate payoff. I’ll reduce to the chase—there are 4 issues:
- With the exception of (O)BJECTIONS, the solver has to mentally provide a particular or indefinite article to make the phrase work, i.e you “elevate (O)BJECTIONS,” however you “elevate *a* (S)TINK” and also you “elevate *the* (M)INIMUM WAGE.” I do not a lot thoughts supplying the article, however whether or not it is no article, “a,” or “the,” it ought to be constant throughout the solutions, or at the least … I do not know … have some sense of construction or sample or one thing. What we now have right here is simply haphazard.
- We do not really “elevate” or “decrease” the solutions; they lengthen past the grid edges, however nothing strikes. That is, (O)BJECTIONS is sitting flush with EGGO and POOH. The reply itself has not been “raised”; I believed that first themer was “BJECTIONO” at first, as a result of then the entire “elevating” factor would at the least make a bit of sense (reply “raised,” letter “O” falls to the underside). But that was to not be.
- The lacking letters are, so far as I can see, utterly unchecked. This is uncrosswords and semi-unsporting, although not one of the letters is especially laborious to suss out (I had probably the most bother with –TINK as a result of I could not keep in mind the ultra-crosswordesey TERRI’s first letter (“KERRI?”). All letters are imagined to have two methods which you can come at them. Not true right here, which leads me to my ultimate bjection and biggest disappointment…
- The “raised” / “lowered” letters, within the combination, do not do something. I believed, “effectively, certainly they’ll spell out some message, some phrase, one thing purposeful and significant … one thing!” But no. OSMFEEET would make a great identify for an area alien, however I do not suppose it quantities to a lot right here. Huge, enormous letdown.
Add to all that the weakish-creakish fill, which you’ll see for your self, in all places. I used to be tolerating it OK till I hit –EAL, which was an actual final straw (64D: Ending with arbor). ATTA has a humorous historical past within the NYTXW (28A: Flour in Indian delicacies). Hard for me to not see it as crosswordese, however I’m pleased the puzzle appears to have found its Indian-cuisine which means prior to now couple years (a lot better than [“___ boy!”] or [Kofi Annan’s middle name] or (within the olden olden days) [Leaf-cutting ant]). What’s curious is that it might be extra correct to say that the NYTXW has re-discovered the Indian delicacies which means. That clue obtained used a bunch by Farrar and Weng and even a couple of instances by Maleska, however when Shortz arrived it disappeared utterly. It was final seen in 1989 (!!!) earlier than reappearing in March of 2021 after which once more in July 2022. And now right here it’s once more. All hail the daybreak of a brand new age of ATTA!
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