Grid: 25 minutes; meta: solved it whereas finishing the grid
Matt Gaffney’s Wall Street Journal contest crossword, “Make a Run for it” — Conrad’s writeup.
This week we’re in search of a kind of footrace. There have been 4 lengthy theme entries:
- [17a: Airport gift shop buy?]: TACKYKNICKKNACK
- [26a: Small stand outside an experimental lab?]: SKUNKWORKSKIOSK
- [44a: Paddling person in an Illinois city?]: KANKAKEEKAYAKER
- [59a: Illegal payments in a Japanese playhouse?]: KABUKIKICKBACKS
Each theme entry had 5 Ok’s, resulting in our contest answer Five Ok. Well, that’s what I submitted. I hesitated a bit because of the additional Ok in LACK/NECK. There have been 21 Ok’s within the grid, and a half marathon is also called a 21K race. I feel 5 Ok races are extra generally identified, and including an additional Ok from a non-themer appears off. But: you can make an argument for 21 Ok, and I wouldn’t be shocked in the event that they settle for both reply. Solvers: please let me know what you suppose. Were you on group 5K or 21K?
I’m doubling down on group 5K, and thought I’d share a track by Pizzicato Five. If you have been a fan of 90s different rock again within the day you could keep in mind Twiggy Twiggy. I deliberate to share that track, however heard イッツ・ア・ビューティフル・デイfor the primary time at the moment and I liked it. Another “aha” second for me.