Constructor: Simeon Seigel
Relative problem: Medium-Challenging (a bit poky … is likely to be the oversizedness …)
THEME: ALL FOURS (38A: What you are on whenever you’re crawling … or a touch to parsing 18-, 27, 46- and 61-Across) — 16-letter solutions are made up of 4 part phrases, every 4 letters lengthy (4×4 = 16):
Theme solutions:
- MARK / ET RE / SEAR / CHER (18A: Patsy + French “to be” + Singe + Pop queen = Sales wonk)
- MAST / ER ST / RATE / GIST (27A: Boat pole + Old “as soon as” + Pace + Essence = Chief planner)
- BRAN / FORD / MARS / ALIS (46A: Fiber supply + Auto make + Red planet + Boxing household = Noted jazz saxophonist)
- READ / ILY A / VAIL / ABLE (61A: Interpret + Hockey’s Kovalchuk + Colorado ski city + Fit = On hand)
Word of the Day: MOS EISLEY (68A: “Wretched hive of scum and villainy” per Obi-Wan Kenobi) —
Mos Eisley is a spaceport city within the fictional Star Wars universe. Located on the planet Tatooine, it first appeared within the 1977 movie Star Wars, described by the character Obi-Wan Kenobi (performed by Alec Guinness) as a “wretched hive of scum and villainy”.
A notable scene set in a seedy Mos Eisley cantina crowded with quite a few alien races made a specific impression on audiences. Location filming for the spaceport befell from 1975–76 in Tunisia, with interiors filmed at Elstree Studios close to London. (wikipedia)
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I actually want I had something constructive to say about this puzzle. About fixing this puzzle, I imply. I feel the theme is … fascinating. Like, these phrases do the truth is do this (break into 4 fours). But outdoors of BRANFORD MARSALIS, these phrases are by no means fascinating in their very own proper, and fewer fascinating, by far, are the part elements. I imply, what was the concept: “We know you’re keen on brief fill (!?), so we’ll break Even Our Longer Answers into … brief fill. Like ERST! You guys like ERST, proper!” I felt all my hopes for an entertaining remedy utterly bleed out of me the second I took a have a look at that first theme clue. I do not suppose I even tried to make sense of it. My perspective was extra like “oh effectively, simply run some crosses by way of it, I suppose.” And that is what I did. I shortly observed [French “to be”] (ETRE) inside the primary themer and identical to that knew what the essential premise was. As I used to be filling within the absolute mountain of abnormal brief fill on this puzzle, I used to be pondering, “man, this revealer higher provide a hell of a payoff.” Then, unexpectedly early, I hit the revealer: “ALL FOURS.” OK, so this made the theme just a little tighter than I’d imagined (as much as then, I assumed it was only a string of random phrases—wasn’t actually being attentive to their size). But once more, that is the factor that you just have a look at from the surface, or whenever you’re performed, and say “huh, curious.” But whenever you’re on the within … woof. (facet notice: kinda looks like dishonest to rely ABLE as one of many “fours” ([Fit]) when that is principally what the suffix -ABLE in READILY AVAILABLE means … a minimum of the opposite part elements are effectively hidden and utterly etymologically separate from the longer theme solutions they’re discovered inside; whereas ABLE is simply … -ABLE).
MCJOB AROAR SOAMI TODOS … do you not have a look at these banks on both finish and suppose “I gotta do higher”? I do know from expertise that attempting to place 5s in these positions (connecting one grid-spanning themer to a different grid-spanning themer) could be very, very tough. Your preliminary and terminal letters for these 5s are all fastened in place. So perhaps simply getting out alive is one of the best you are able to do. But it is tough by way of there. And as I say, it isn’t like there is a ton of nice stuff ready on your elsewhere. I assumed this performed just a little robust in locations. Three kealoas* slowed me proper down (SOAMI (not SODOI) and NOODLE (not NOGGIN) and RHONE (not RHINE)—I notice that I ought to most likely know my RHONE from my RHINE however … oh effectively). I do not know who this “so-called” LORI is. Feels like a “Shark Tank” factor which implies I’ll stay eternally ignorant. Memo to all cluers of LEO(S): the Obama angle has been performed To Death. He’s the one president whose signal I can inform you off the highest of my head. I’m really surprised to see all these different presidents within the clue, as a result of Obama is the one pres. I’ve seen clued this fashion (OK, not the one—appears to be like such as you’ve acquired about three Clintons within the database … in opposition to eight or so Obamas). Took me each cross to get / perceive MAR (45D: Tag, key or chip, say). Great clue … for a Friday or Saturday. 🙂 I go away you at this time with this (nice) track about James MCAVOY, whom I do know solely from this track. Enjoy!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorldÂ
*kealoa = brief, widespread reply that you may’t simply fill in shortly as a result of two or extra solutions are viable, Even With One or More Letters In Place. From the basic [Mauna ___] KEA/LOA conundrum. See additionally, e.g. [Heaps] ATON/ALOT, [“Git!”] “SHOO”/”SCAT,” and so on.
