Caryn L. Robbins’s New York Times puzzle – Sophia’s write-up

Theme: Each theme reply is a personality with distinctive ears.

New York Times, 10 17 2022, by Caryn L. Robbins

• 17a [One who asks “Ehh … What’s up, doc?”] – BUGS BUNNY
• 24a [Cartoon character who once had a “Club” named after him] – MICKEY MOUSE
• 38a [Iconic magazine cover figure who asks “What, me worry?”] – AlFRED E. NEUMAN
• 51a [Second-in-command on the U.S.S. Enterprise] – MISTER SPOCK
• 61a [“You have my full attention” … or something 17-, 24-, 38- and 51-Across might say?] – I’M ALL EARS

First and foremost, congrats to Caryn on her New York Times debut!

While fixing this puzzle, I wasn’t certain what the connecting thread was going to be. BUGS BUNNY and MICKEY MOUSE… perhaps one thing cartoon associated? But then I bought ALFRED E NEUMAN and was completely misplaced. (Side observe, it was fortunate for me that we had a NYT puzzle final month that featured ALFRED E NEUMAN, as a result of his identify would have been way more difficult for me to provide you with with out it). I finally bought to the revealer and, yep, these guys all do have huge ears – I feel? Are MISTER SPOCK’s ears significantly huge or simply pointy? I haven’t seen Star Trek. Anyway, it was a satisfying reveal, if a bit of one-note and pop-culture heavy. Could there have been extra wordplay with the theme, I’m wondering? I went to a corn maze this weekend – that’s technically “all ears” as nicely, proper?

The fill is mostly easy. I didn’t really feel like I used to be shifting by way of the puzzle significantly shortly, however I ended with a under common time, so what do I do know? Highlights have been WELCOME MAT, IT ME and BOUGIE (even with its oddly worded clue), lowlights have been LAMS, COATI, and KAL Kan (my crossword pet food mind can solely accommodate Iams and Alpo, sorry). This puzzle can be fairly male-dominant: moreover that each one 4 theme solutions are male, there’s additionally DANA Carvey, SEAN Connery, MARC Anthony, ERIC Holder, TRU Capote, Joseph EDY, John DONNE, and Willy MAYS. For girls, we now have the biblical EVE and MOM clued through tattoo.

Favorite clues at this time: 65a [Mocking retort to Captain Obvious] for NO DUH, [Jarring noise at 6 a.m.] for ALARM, and 69a [Village People classic with a pantomimed chorus] for YMCA!

Happy Monday all!