Constructor: Matthew Stock

Relative problem: Easy

THEME: FOUR CORNERS (34A: U.S. vacationer locale that impressed this puzzle) — rebus puzzle with the “4” concerned state abbrs. showing of their respective “corners” of the grid:

Theme solutions:

• SHUT DOWN / CUTICLE (14A: Computer menu command / 3D: Manicure goal)
• ON RECORD / TACO BOWLS (17A: Officially famous / 11D: Typically tortilla-less meals)
• LAZIEST / MALE GAZE (58A: Least prone to stand up from the sofa, say / 37D: Key idea in feminist idea) 
• “LEAN ON ME” / IRON MAN (55A: What to do “whenever you’re not robust,” in a 1972 hit / 43D: Extreme racing occasion)

Word of the Day: FOUR CORNERS (34A) —

The Four Corners is a area of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern nook of Colorado, southeastern nook of Utah, northeastern nook of Arizona, and northwestern nook of New Mexico. The Four Corners space is called after the quadripoint on the intersection of roughly 37° north latitude with 109° 03′ west longitude, the place the boundaries of the 4 states meet, and are marked by the Four Corners Monument. It is the one location within the United States the place 4 states meet. Most of the Four Corners area belongs to semi-autonomous Native American nations, the most important of which is the Navajo Nation, adopted by Hopi, Ute, and Zuni tribal reserves and nations. The Four Corners area is a component of a bigger area referred to as the Colorado Plateau and is usually rural, rugged, and arid. In addition to the monument, generally visited areas inside Four Corners embody Monument Valley, Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Canyon, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The most populous metropolis within the Four Corners area is Farmington, New Mexico, adopted by Durango, Colorado.

• • •

One of the better rebuses I’ve ever achieved. In fairly quick order, you realize it is a rebus, you know the way many rebus containers there are going to be (“FOUR”), you realize what is going on to go in them (state abbrs.), and you realize (roughly) the place they’re gonna be situated within the grid (“CORNERS”). It’s a really easy, workmanlike theme. Seems very a lot designed to heat rebus-haters and/or newish solvers as much as the very thought of rebuses—to attempt to get them on board and make the entire idea appear, you realize, doable. Even enjoyable.  Can’t say it was that a lot enjoyable for me, regardless of the strong idea and general sturdy development. Just an excessive amount of like a connect-the-dots puzzle, much less like a correct (weird-ass) Thursday. But I do suppose as newbie’s rebuses go, this one is nice. I received that first sq. fairly simply and thought “a Utah rebus … nah, that is unattainable, who would try this? What, are you going to have the rebus squares … kind the form … of Utah … OK perhaps that might be cool …” That *would* have been an virtually literal connect-the-dots puzzle, however alas, to not be. Instead I hit the revealer very shortly thereafter, and I knew each thematic factor that was to comply with. I did not know the *exact* location of the rebus squares, it is true, however understanding that there was going to be one in every nook, and understanding what every sq. would comprise, undoubtedly helped skew this puzzle towards the Easy facet. It’s how I knew ON RECORD and MALE GAZE had been proper regardless of not seeming to suit. And there was by no means going to be any lacking that “NM” sq., because the solutions in each instructions are absolute gimmes that can not be the rest. So, one two three 4, there you go. If you’ve got by no means heard of FOUR CORNERS, I think about this might be a lot more durable than I’m making it out to be. But my sister and mom each reside in Colorado, and (because of this) I’ve been throughout these states. Took a street journey via all 4 just a few summers in the past—Santa Fe and Flagstaff, each extremely really helpful.