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Constructor: Jesse Goldberg
Relative issue: Medium
THEME: “Why? Nicely, Why Not?” — the precise theme is expressed by the reply WISE UP TO (115A: Develop into conscious of … or a hompohonic description of 4 letter shifts on this grid). The thought is that “Y”s transfer “up” “two” rows, 4 completely different instances. So, a solution that ought to have a “Y” loses a “Y” as a result of that “Y” (in principle) has jumped up two rows to a solution that *is not* presupposed to have a “Y,” however now does. So that you get phrases made wacky by both by the addition or subtraction of a “Y,” relying:
Theme solutions:
- BELLY BOTTOMS (24A: Locations the place some belts are tightened?)
- COMBAT READ (29A: Stephen Crane’s “The Purple Badge of Braveness,” e.g.?)
- CAMPY COUNSELOR (51A: Lawyer with absurdly exaggerated humor?)
- SLUMBER PART (58A: Sleep part?)
- GRIMY REAPER (71A: Harvesting machine that wants cleansing?)
- THREE TIMES A LAD (80A: Physician’s description of the start of triplet sons?)
- FAIRY FIGHT (96A: Battle between Tinker Bell and Princess Ozma?)
- MADISON COUNT (108A: Census-taking of a Midwest capital?)
Phrase of the Day: CHARO (74D: One-named entertainer from Spain) —
María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, professionally identified by her stage title Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, singer, comic, and flamenco guitarist.
Charo started taking part in guitar on the age of 9 and skilled below the famed Andrés Segovia.[6][7] In 1966, she married 65-year-old bandleader Xavier Cugat and moved to the US with him. Within the late Nineteen Sixties and Seventies, she grew to become a ubiquitous presence on American tv, continuously showing as a visitor star on collection comparable to Chuckle-In, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and The Tonight Present Starring Johnny Carson. She is understood for her uninhibited and exuberant method, imprecise age, heavy Spanish accent and the catchphrase “cuchi-cuchi.”
As a musician, Charo has carried out and recorded in numerous kinds for 5 a long time. She launched a collection of disco recordings within the Seventies with Salsoul Data, most notably Dance a Little Bit Nearer (1977). In 1995, her flamenco album Guitar Ardour(1994) gained the Feminine Pop Album of the Yr award on the Billboard Worldwide Latin Music Convention and was named finest feminine Latin pop album by Billboard. In an interview, she stated, “World wide I’m generally known as an amazing musician. However in America I’m generally known as the cuchi-cuchi woman. That’s okay, as a result of cuchi-cuchi has taken me all the best way to the financial institution.” (wikipedia)
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Hiya. I’m on trip with mates. It is rather low-key. Doing nearly nothing for every week. So I’ve a while to jot down. Subsequent week, my trip shifts to Los Angeles, the place I might be with my prolonged household. Then, I’ll haven’t any time, so you may be visited by many fantastic substitutes. However for now, please take pleasure in my lakeside write-ups. These might be considerably shorter than standard, as a result of, properly, there’s … a lake … and my mates … however I promise they are going to be no much less heartfelt …
I don’t like being away from my regular running a blog set-up, which is to say, away from my printer. I wish to print the puzzle out after I’m achieved and write feedback on it. It is a fairly necessary a part of the ritual. No printer right here on the lake home, so I can not … actually *really feel* or *see* the puzzle correctly, or that is the way it feels anyway. Bah. However the fixing expertise itself is essentially the identical, and as we speak … yeah, largely the identical Sunday expertise (wading through wackiness), although of perhaps a barely larger conceptual caliber than standard. I used to be very weirded out by the revealer—that’s, by its very existence, since, so far as I might inform, the title was the revealer. There was a “Why?” (added “Y”) and a “Why not?” (subtracted “Y”), in alternating sequence, so … you understand, I had it. I used to be good. After which the revealer comes alongside and is like “Here is the punch line! Wait … did you already inform them the joke?! Rattling it, title! We talked about this!” The revealer is extra elaborate and exact, altering the “Y” pun (from “why”s to “clever”) after which including the “two” pun. So the themers aren’t simply various between Y and Y-not; reasonably, the “Y”s are doing this very particular two-line leap “up.” Cute. However once more, the revealer felt redundant and belated, due to the title’s having given every little thing away already. And the wackiness was your garden-variety add/subtract-a-letter wackiness. So, yeah, a reasonably Sunday Sunday.
Velocity spherical:
- 1D: Proceeded down a lane, perhaps (SWAM) — talking of “velocity,” I wrote SPED right here at first. No concept about any of the lengthy Acrosses on this NW part at first, so I simply threw in the very first thing I might consider for all of the quick Downs, and regardless of a pair errors, the gambit paid off
- 41A: Medical gloves and N95 masks, for brief (PPE) — by no means can fairly keep in mind this initialism or what it stands for. Private safety … tools? Shut. “Protecting.” I do not adore it, not simply because it jogs my memory of COVID. I by no means heard the time period earlier than COVID, and I can not see it remaining in public consciousness after COVID (except lethal pandemics are simply the brand new regular, which, perhaps, however even then we principally solely speak about masks). Anyway, simply because an abbr. is new doesn’t suggest that it is good. (Be aware: PPE has solely appeared twice—each appearances have been this month; I concern a PPE onslaught … I hope not)
- 79A: Legendary weaver (ARACHNE) — ugh, wrote in ARIADNE—similar variety of letters, similar first and final two letters, each of them concerned with threads, of a kind (ARIADNE gave Theseus a thread so he might discover his manner again out of the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur with a sword, which ARIADNE additionally supplied him. He rewarded her by abandoning her on an island. What a man.
- 75D: Hand-held machine utilized by Mr. Spock (TRICORDER) — I requested everybody in the home what a TRICORDER was and with out hesitation they began shouting “Star Trek” data at me. Who’re these folks? (Trace: one in all them is my spouse). I’ve heard of TRICORDER however could not let you know what it does, or what’s “TRI-” about it.
- 46D: Dancer Charisse of “Singin’ within the Rain” (CYD) — SYD, SID, CID … I believe I attempted all of them, regardless of figuring out precisely who CYD Charisse is. I forgot she was even in “Singin’ within the Rain!”
- 36D: God related to the moon (APOLLO) — mythologically unfaithful, however through the area program of that title … sure, OK.
Be aware: my good friend placed on Brian ENO whereas I used to be ending my write-up … with none crossword intent! He simply likes “Music for Airports” (as do I). Anyway, gotta go ENO. Bye bye.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
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