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Constructor: Meghan Morris
Relative issue: Medium-Challenging
THEME: “Take Two” — you must “take two” letters out of the theme clues to make theme make sense: particularly, the letters “ET,” as articulated within the puzzle’s revealer: WORKS WITHOUT A NET (121A: Has no plan B … or, when parsed in another way, what every of the starred clues does vis-à-vis its reply?) (i.e. “works with out an ‘et'”):
Theme solutions:
- ELECTRICAL OUTLET (23A: *What’s in your pockets) (i.e. [What’s in your wall])
- FAKE NEWS (32A: *Press junket) (i.e. [Press junk], and so on.)
- SHAVING CREAM (43A: *Barbershop quartet)
- GEOLOGIST (49A: *Rocket scientist)
- USERNAME AND PASSWORD (68A: *Security blankets)
- INFLATION (92A: *A drop within the bucket)
- EXTERMINATOR (95A: *Ticketmaster)
- DRIBBLES (106A: *Ballet actions)
Word of the Day: TSWANA (105D: One of South Africa’s official languages) —
Tswana, additionally identified by its native identify Setswana, and beforehand spelled Sechuana in English, is a Bantu language spoken in Southern Africa by about 8.2 million individuals. It belongs to the Bantu language household inside the Sotho-Tswanadepartment of Zone S (S.30), and is intently associated to the Northern Sotho and Southern Sotho languages, in addition to the Kgalagadi language and the Lozi language.
Setswana is an official language of Botswana and South Africa. It is a lingua franca in Botswana and elements of South Africa, notably North West Province. Tswana tribes are discovered in additional than two provinces of South Africa, primarily within the North West, the place about 4 million individuals converse the language. An urbanised selection, which is a component slang and never the formal Setswana, is named Pretoria Sotho, and is the principal distinctive language of the town of Pretoria. (wikipedia)
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This performed very arduous for me. I had nothing within the NW at first previous, as there was “?” clue after “?” clue after which WALE clued because the rapper … I imply, I’m fairly certain that album is in my precise iTunes library and I *nonetheless* could not retrieve the dude’s identify (2D: Rapper with the 2011 hit album “Ambition”). 2011 is a very long time in the past now, and it is not like we’re speaking about NAS- or ICET-level fame right here. Just brutal first cross at that nook. Honestly could not get a lot of Anything till someplace within the NE … “CATS,” I believe (14A: Musical whose identify is an anagram of the members of a musical). Lots and Lots of musicals / operas as we speak. “CATS,” “TOSCA,” “AIDA,” possibly others, I do not actually wanna go searching proper now. Anyway, as soon as I did get some traction, I by no means actually may get going as a result of the theme remained inscrutable for a protracted Long time. I ultimately simply went down and regarded on the revealer clue, however since I had nothing down there, merely wanting on the clue did not assist. I believe I labored my method down the entire east aspect of the grid, getting solutions like SHAVING CREAM and INFLATION and having no thought why they had been “proper,” till lastly WORKS WITHOUT A NET went in, and I may (largely) see what was happening. At first I used to be like “I do not see any ‘web’ to take out” … then I remembered I used to be alleged to parse the reply in another way, i.e not “A NET,” however “AN ‘ET’.”
The gimmick works brilliantly in locations. [Security blanks] simply cruuuuuushed me. Didn’t assist that I used to be coming at almost each themer from the again finish (as a result of I did the east first—not the wisest transfer). My fundamental drawback with the execution is that the “ET”-less clues actually actually Really want “?”s on them … more often than not. Clue on GEOLOGIST finally ends up working completely—sure, a GEOLOGIST is in reality a “Rock scientist.” But the remainder of the “ET”-less clues find yourself being punny and/or actually … pressured, in a method that will usually earn the clue a terminal “?” … however no such luck. I suppose we had been simply alleged to take the entire gimmick as one large “?” Anyway, the “ET”-less clues vary from weak (e.g. [Barbershop quart]) to excellent (e.g. the aforementioned USERNAME AND PASSWORD clue). Didn’t love that there was a conspicuous “-ET” in one of many themers (ELECTRICAL OUTLET). I do know the theme is clue-related, so there’s technically no foul there, however I’d get all “ET”s the hell out of the best way if I actually needed my theme to pop. Also, NET will get duped (see 65A: NET GAIN), which appears actually dangerous, since NET is the important thing phrase in your revealer. And the title is not nice. Doesn’t appear to actually seize what is going on on besides within the vaguest of the way (i.e. you do in reality take two … letters out of the clue). So all in all that is actually bold and imaginative. I simply discovered the execution somewhat wobbly.
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| Cute ATARI clue you bought there… (70D: Maker of the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial online game) |
So a lot hardness for me as we speak. Even after the disastrous opening (NW) nook, with its “?” TWERK clue (1A: Do some backup dancing?) and its “?” EVES clue (3D: The before-times?) (YORE!?) and so on., I saved falling into ditches. So arduous to appear STOMACHS coming from the underside up, with such a imprecise clue (9D: Stands). So so arduous to even grasp the that means of READER (7D: Circulation unit). Both clues are wonderful, simply very powerful. Wanted EONS for ERAS in that very same space (31A: Stretches of time). Wanted HEAPS ON for DUMPS ON in that very same space (28A: Burdens with). No thought about John Legend music titles, so “ALL OF” was powerful, esp. alongside BUENA, which I wish to come earlier than “Vista,” not “Park” (12D: ___ Park, metropolis west of Anaheim). Couldn’t grasp that means of “chain” in 50D: Tool chain (LOWES). Thought OZARK was OSAGE (51D: Missouri county on the Arkansas border). No thought who this non-Tharp TWYLA is (66D: “Schitt’s Creek” position for Sarah Levy). Continue to be repulsed by NON-PC, as I’m by UN-PC, each of which have been deleted from my wordlists. The very thought of “PC” is a right-wing shibboleth, so I will not go close to it. What is an ETON shirt? I collar, mess, rifles, I’ve seen all these preceded by ETON, however “Global (?) model of males’s gown shirts,” that is a brand new one on me, a largely non-wearer of “gown shirts.” That stated, I typically discovered the underside of this puzzle simpler than the highest, however that will simply be as a result of the extra grid you might have crammed in, the better issues get, as a rule, and likewise I understood the theme by the point I used to be ending up, which helped enormously.
Struggled to give you that “Ok” in “OPTICKS” (81D: Sir Isaac Newton work on the basics of sunshine). Thought possibly OPTICES was a phrase. We already bought a “tick”-based theme clue (EXTERMINATOR), so extra “ticks” felt unwelcome. I stay in “tick” nation, which can also be Lyme nation, so “ticks” are all the time unwelcome. Luckily the grid felt in any other case largely clear and largely pest-free. Loved GOT WISE and “OFF WE GO!” Very zippy. That’s all I’ve bought for as we speak. Gonna take the time off and go see “Don’t Worry, Darling.” Looks like it may be both legit good or campy good, and I’m down for both. See you later.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
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