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Constructor: Tracy Gray
Relative problem: Easy
THEME: Chutes and Ladders, kinda (precise title: “Ups and Downs”) — circled squares on a slant spell out numerous slanted technique of getting from one place to another larger or decrease place. These circled squares are inside longer theme solutions, which observe the slanted squares “up” or “down” to a different row, the place all of them finish with a letter string that can be a stand-alone reply (clued individually):
Theme solutions:
- 39A: *Went uncontrolled (RAN RAMPANT) / 24A: Big huff? (PANT)
- 35A: *Mount Everest scaler (EDMUND HILLARY) / 22A: N.F.L. Hall-of-Famer Yale ___ (LARY)
- 60A: *”Cinderella” meanie (EVIL STEPSISTER) / 79A: One of seven represented within the Pleiades (SISTER)
- 73A: *Lateral-breaking pitches (BACKDOOR SLIDERS) / 95A: Sounds of hesitation (ERS)
- 80A: *Glide down from above (PARACHUTE IN) / 109A: Article in Aachen (EIN)
- 114A: *Portrayer of Scrooge in 1951’s “A Christmas Carol” (ALISTAIR SIM) / 84A: ___ card (SIM)
Word of the Day: ALASTAIR SIM (114A) —
Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish character actor who started his theatrical profession on the age of thirty and rapidly grew to become established as a well-liked West End performer, remaining so till his loss of life in 1976. Starting in 1935, he additionally appeared in additional than fifty British movies, together with an iconic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol, launched in 1951 as Scrooge in Great Britain and as A Christmas Carol within the United States. Though an achieved dramatic actor, he’s usually remembered for his comically sinister performances. (wikipedia)
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There’s nothing improper with this theme conceptually, but it surely seems like one I’ve accomplished many instances earlier than. Plus it was very straightforward to determine, and when you’d figured it out, all these up / down components obtained a lot, a lot simpler. The theme truly offers you particular perception into each single theme reply thereafter, which is not essentially how themes all the time work. There wasn’t a single themer that gave me hassle; quite the opposite, the up / down components sped issues alongside properly. I want the assorted up / down slopes had been higher hidden inside their respective solutions. Half of these up / down phrases are part components of the phrases they seem in (STEPS, SLIDE, CHUTE), so they are not buried *in any respect*, and solely the STAIRS really feel correctly buried (hidden inside the reply, cut up throughout each components of the reply). Further, there’s an odd messiness about the way in which the non-slanted components of the theme solutions are dealt with. The entrance components (e.g. RANR-, PARAC-) can’t stand alone (largely) however the final components … can? I do not actually perceive this resolution. I get that it seems so as to add a layer of complexity to the development, however are all of us higher off for having needed to fill in solutions like EIN and ERS and LARY (Whoever That Is!?!?)? The finish of STEPSISTER simply finally ends up being … SISTER once more? And SIM is simply … SIM? I dunno. It’s form of enjoyable to go chutes and laddering across the grid, for certain, however the idea felt a bit drained and the execution felt a bit wobbly. It ought to be extra thrilling to climb hills and go down slides, is what I’m saying.
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