Constructor: Sarah Sinclair

Relative problem: Definitely skewed “Challenging” (***FOR A MONDAY!***)

THEME: DATING APP (59A: Modern medium for assembly somebody … or what every of the begins of 17-, 25-, 37- and 50-Across is) — first phrases of themers are names of DATING APPs:

Theme solutions:

• HINGE UPON (17A: Be decided by)
• MATCH POINT (25A: Critical second in tennis)
• TINDER DRY (37A: Extremely flammable, as vegetation)
• BUMBLEBEES (50A: Fuzzy buzzers)

Word of the Day: SLAYER (46A: Vampire vanquisher, e.g.) —

Slayer was an American thrash steel band from Huntington Park, California. The band was shaped in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer’s quick and aggressive musical model made them one of many “huge 4” bands of thrash steel, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer’s remaining lineup comprised Araya, King, drummer Paul Bostaph (who changed Lombardo in 1992 and once more in 2013) and guitarist Gary Holt (who changed Hanneman in 2011). Drummer Jon Dette was additionally a member of the band. […] Slayer launched twelve studio albums, three reside albums, a field set, six music movies, two prolonged performs and a canopy album. Four of the band’s studio albums have obtained gold certification within the United States. Slayer offered 5 million copies within the United States from 1991 to 2013, based on Nielsen SoundScan, and over 20 million worldwide. The band has obtained 5 Grammy Award nominations, successful one in 2007 for the music “Eyes of the Insane” and one in 2008 for the music “Final Six”, each of which had been from the album Christ Illusion (2006). After greater than three a long time of recording and performing, Slayer introduced in January 2018 that it could embark on a farewell tour, which passed off from May 2018 to November 2019, after which the band disbanded. (wikipedia)

• • •

Wow, means too outdated / married for this one. Actually, I do know all these apps besides HINGE, which I’m simply listening to of for the primary time proper right here and now. I’m much less mad about not figuring out HINGE (would not have an effect on the remedy in any respect) than I’m concerning the super-awkward / what-the-hell reply TINDER DRY (!?). I needed to get nearly each cross to provide you with that one. At one level I wished KINDLE DRY (I believe my mind was considering KINDLING DRY, however who is aware of). Why that reply is not TINDER BOX (an actual, acquainted factor), I can not fathom. Crossing PEDROS (!?!?) (27D: Five Portuguese kings), that reply slowed me means, means down. When you issue within the huge (for a Monday) corners on this one, it simply did not play like a Monday in any respect. If the theme had been actually juicy, and it had performed like a great Tuesday and even Wednesday, I would not actually have minded. But I’ve seen this actual theme earlier than (unsure the place) and this incarnation would not do something fascinating with it. There’s simply the easy reveal, DATING APP. Slightly uninteresting. If the big corners had yielded a bunch of fascinating longer solutions, that may’ve helped proper the ship considerably, however there’s not a lot there. The solutions are strong, however there’s probably not any life to any of them besides possibly CAT’S PAW (44D: Person being utilized by one other) and TOYBOATS (37D: Playthings in bathtubs). The BEHEADS clue appeared oddly callous (1D: Gives the Anne Boleyn therapy). I simply wasn’t feeling this one at the moment.

Aha, right here it’s: C.C. Burnikel did this theme, with very comparable theme solutions, three years in the past within the LATXW:

[screengrab from crosswordfiend.com]

There’s nothing mistaken with duplicating a theme—individuals provide you with the identical concepts, independently of each other, on a regular basis. My level is that it’s kind of ho-hum at this level, and at the moment’s NYTXW model would not do something significantly authentic with it. It’s a high quality thought, however fairly run-of-the-mill by way of each idea and execution. The actual revelation right here is that, if I did this C.C. Burnikel puzzle three years in the past, as I think did, then I’ve, actually, heard of HINGE … I simply instantly forgot it and have actually by no means heard anybody confer with it ever irl, and so three years later, I’m again to by no means having heard of it once more. Oh, wait, that is that “designed to be deleted” courting app I’ve seen horrible adverts for on Hulu???? I nonetheless don’t get the idea. At all. Like, delete your courting app, do not delete your courting app, what the hell is that this self-destruct function? Is courting actually this difficult now? [Rhetorical question]

Notes:

• EXALT (52D: Laud) — realizing that this can be a unhealthy kealoa* for me, in that EXALT, EXULT, and EXTOL are all wadded up in a gooey ball someplace in my mind and I’ve terrible bother prying them aside.
• IRENE (35D: Adler within the Sherlock Holmes canon) — the adversary so good her title is crosswordese twice (IRENE & ADLER). I remembered her first title was crosswordese however I forgot which one (I attempted ILENE) (“Come on! ILENE!?”).
• BIEN (4D: Good, in Guatemala) — to me, BIEN is “good” (really “nicely”) in Grenoble, not Guatemala, so I had BUEN right here … I do know BUENO is a factor. I’m guessing BUEN … is not.

Have a pleasant Monday. See you tomorrow.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld 

*kealoa = brief, widespread reply you can’t simply fill in rapidly as a result of two or extra solutions are viable, Even With One or More Letters In Place. From the traditional [Mauna ___] KEA/LOA conundrum. See additionally, e.g. [Heaps] ATON/ALOT, [“Git!”] “SHOO”/”SCAT,” and so forth.

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