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Constructor: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano
Relative problem: Easy
THEME: EYE-OPENERS (67A: Enlightening experiences … or what 18-, 26-, 41- and 54-Across have, phonetically talking) — 4 theme solutions all “open” with a homophone of “eye”:
Theme solutions:
- “AYE, CAPTAIN!” (18A: Affirmative at sea)
- “I, CLAUDIUS” (26A: Hit BBC sequence of 1976)
- AI WEIWEI (41A: Award-winning Chinese artist/activist)
- “AY, CARAMBA!” (54A: Bart catchphrase on “The Simpsons”)
Word of the Day: AI WEIWEI (41A) —
Ai Weiwei (Chinese: 艾未未; pinyin: Ài Wèiwèi, English pronunciation: (assist·information); born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese up to date artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up within the far northwest of China, the place he lived beneath harsh circumstances attributable to his father’s exile. As an activist, he has been brazenly essential of the Chinese Government‘s stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated authorities corruption and cover-ups, particularly the Sichuan faculties corruption scandal following the collapse of “tofu-dreg faculties” within the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for “financial crimes”. He was detained for 81 days with out cost. Ai Weiwei emerged as an important instigator in Chinese cultural growth, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of many nation’s most vocal political commentators.
Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his private poetry in his many sculptures, images, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese artwork varieties to show Chinese political and social points.
After being allowed to go away China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, together with his household, and, since 2021 in Portugal. (wikipedia)
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Well, that is a greater revealer than what I used to be anticipating, which was “FOUR EYES!” With “EYE OPENERS” you get each a revealer *and* a fifth themer (i.e. it describes the circumstances of the theme *and* satisfies these circumstances, “opening,” because it does, with “EYE”). Whereas with “FOUR EYES!” you’d get a impolite expression in addition to a fifth … eye, rendering the revealer itself nonsensical. Annnnyway, hello. How are you? This puzzle began tough for me, because the fill appeared (because it has typically appeared these days) considerably clunky. ILIAC, which for me accomplished the INTL ISIT NOLA SOAMI ILIAC cranny up high, was the reply that truly made me cease and take an image.
There simply wasn’t a factor within the NW to be desirous about (AREPAs and DOLMA are tasty, however not fascinating sufficient on their very own to carry up an entire nook). Doesn’t assist that the primary themer can also be essentially the most boring / crosswordesey of the bunch (ay ay ay, it is AYE once more!). Even after I dropped down and bought all the NW nook (together with ACADEMIA and the first rate ENERGY USE), there simply did not appear a lot to be desirous about. And the primary themer wasn’t too promising. And I do not know that the fill actually ever bought off the bottom. EREADER ESME ADIEU GOTTI DEE IOTAS ALTOS CARTA OSTER YEESH OARED … I’m on the lookout for any half that appeared significantly clear or any (non-theme) reply that appeared significantly entertaining, and ORNERY is the one factor that truly made me smile—I like the countrified quaintness of that time period. AREPA ARENA AMANA, NONA NOLA—the fill is not horrific, by any means, but it surely simply … will get by.
The theme, nonetheless, ended up being strong, and the themers that adopted “AYE, CAPTAIN!” have been all much more full of life and welcome. I used to be so blissful to see AI WEIWEI, a crossworthy determine whose crossworthiness I used to be pushing for ten years in the past. I truly misremembered debuting his title within the NYTXW—he will need to have simply been in an early draft of one in all my puzzles. I searched and located the file of me asking my extra skilled crossword mates (in 2012) if AI WEIWEI was OK as a puzzle reply:
Despite AI WEIWEI’s worldwide fame at that time, it was not a provided that the NYTXW would deem him well-known sufficient to look in a puzzle. In the identical Facebook dialog pictured above, a veteran constructor revealed that Shortz “as soon as singled out HU JINTAO as an obscure entry in one in all my puzzles. You know, the president of China.” Anyway, AI WEIWEI ended up debuting within the NYTXW in 2014. I am unable to bear in mind if I used him in a puzzle for an additional outlet or not. The level is, he appears like a pal to me, and I used to be blissful to see him (he is additionally the explanation this puzzle is 16 (as a substitute of the standard 15) huge—to ensure that a solution with an even-numbered letter rely to sit down useless heart, the grid must be an excellent variety of columns huge). He was the very best reply in a great set of themers, and, as I mentioned up entrance, the revealer actually was a winner. Nice to finish on a excessive word (though I apparently technically *actually* ended on TERROR!)
- 10D: Fine writing paper (VELLUM) — that is information to me. I wrote in VELOUR (!), which was semi-obviously unsuitable, but it surely match. I train pre-modern literature and in that context VELLUM is certainly one thing you write on, but it surely’s the specifically handled animal pores and skin that varieties the pages of manuscripts (pre-printing press). “Fine writing paper,” it is not.
- 24A: 12 elements of a dodecagon (ANGLES) / 33A: 12 elements of a dodecagon (EDGES) — my mind did not totally course of these clues: I bought the solutions simply sufficient, however as I used to be writing them in, I used to be imagining *dodecahedrons*, particularly a 12-sided die resembling one would possibly use in “D&D.” This jogged my memory of some graffiti I noticed not too long ago which perhaps was presupposed to be commemorating some couple’s love for each other, but it surely actually seems like a gaming slogan:
- 14D: Dispatches (SENDS) — had the “S”s, wished SLAYS!
Enjoy the remainder of your Tuesday. See you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
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