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Constructor: Anne Marie Crinnion and Eric Bornstein
Relative problem: Very Easy
THEME: DROP DOWN MENU (46A: Options on the high of a pc window … as seen 3 times on this puzzle?) — three acquainted solutions “drop down” for his or her final 4 letters, and people letters spell out various kinds of “menu” (FILE, EDIT, VIEW) that stay on the high of your laptop display screen, in your working system or net browser or no matter, see:
- HIGH PROFILE (20A: Attracting a lot publicity)
- SCHOLARLY REVIEW (27A: Commentary on a scientific article)
- STORE CREDIT (56A: Alternative to a refund, typically)
Word of the Day: OCELOTS (37A: Cats with the distinctive potential to show their ankle joints round) —
The ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is a medium-sized noticed wild cat that reaches 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) on the shoulders and weighs between 8 and 15.5 kg (17.6 and 34.2 lb). It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are acknowledged. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and to the Caribbeanislands of Trinidad and Margarita. It prefers areas near water sources with dense vegetation cowl and excessive prey availability.
Typically lively throughout twilight and at evening, the ocelot tends to be solitary and territorial. It is environment friendly at climbing, leaping and swimming. It preys on small terrestrial mammals, similar to armadillos, opossums, and lagomorphs. Both sexes change into sexually mature at round two years of age and might breed all year long; peak mating season varies geographically. After a gestation interval of two to 3 months the feminine offers start to a litter of 1 to 3 kittens. They stick with their mom for as much as two years, after which they go away to determine their very own house ranges.
The ocelot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, and is threatened by habitat destruction, searching, and visitors accidents. Populations are reducing in lots of components of its vary. The affiliation of the ocelot with people dates again to the Aztec and Incancivilizations; it has often been stored as a pet. (wikipedia)
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It’s received the structural weirdness of a Thursday, however the problem degree of a Tuesday. That is the principle factor I’ve to say about this puzzle. It felt like “Thursday for rookies.” The fill is fundamental, easy, virtually completely devoid of well-liked tradition or correct nouns of any type—seems like there’s extra animals than individuals on this grid (not essentially a foul factor). There is totally nothing to journey you up, and there is actually nothing in the best way of your discovering the gimmick, both. I imply, your reply runs out of room, and there is actually just one approach for it to go. The unclued Down segments are mainly neon arrows confirming that “The Rest Of Your Across Answers Go Here.” The placement of the revealer is super-weird (place 3 out of 4?). It’s neither on the high, the place an precise DROP DOWN MENU lives, nor on the backside, the place a typical revealer lives. But for the needs of the actual approach this theme was executed, it simply *suits* finest the place it’s. That’s superb. This is a superbly first rate theme concept, however I’d’ve favored it a lot better on a Wednesday. I would like one thing a lot thornier and extra shocking, extra *concerned*, on a Thursday. The hardest a part of the puzzle for me was the SW, the place VETOPOWER dropped in simply, however neither PARK IT nor DRYING wished to drop, and in order that nook took some fussing round with earlier than I might get it going. I feel DART GUN got here to the rescue (67A: Nerf product that is perhaps used to hassle a sibling). So it was the hardest nook, however might solely be credibly known as “robust” if it had been, say, Tuesday. Just no chunk to this one immediately.
My foremost revelations in fixing this had been bizarre and personally idiosyncratic. Like, apparently I am unable to spell CHISEL (18D: Icebreaker?). I wished the phrase, I had the primary few letters, however someway … CHISLE? CHISTLE? Honestly, once I received the -EL I assumed “effectively that is apparent,” however, effectively, nothing else that sounds that approach ends that approach in English, actually, so … it is bizarre. BRISTLE … that is received extra “S” sound in it. Usually that “Z” sound means “Z”s, as in FIZZLE. So CHISEL simply seems to be bizarre to me, man. Also I assumed ERE was a preposition. And it’s. But it is also a conjunction. Schoolhouse Rock didn’t inform me about ERE. The lyrics to “Conjunction Junction” aren’t “And, But, and ERE / Get you fairly far.” I really feel betrayed. Apparently ERE (like “Before”) could be each preposition and conjunction. “Before” is a preposition when it is used to imply “prematurely of a selected time” (e.g. “earlier than breakfast”) or “in entrance of one thing / somebody,” and a conjunction if it means “prematurely of the time when” (e.g. “earlier than they received married) or “rather than.” Prepositions take objects, conjunctions join clauses or phrases. And OCELOTS have freaky toes, apparently.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
P.S. it is a good query (I blew by way of the clue with out correctly studying it)
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