Theme solutions:

• COLLUDES (11D: With 12-Down, secretly plots (with)) (CLUE subsequent to OLDS)
• ALTERNATIONS (25D: With 26-Down, repeated occurrences of issues in flip) (A-TRAIN subsequent to LENTOS)
• SCHOOLED (28D: With 29-Down, taught a lesson) (SHOE subsequent to COLD)
• HAIRNETS (34D: With 35-Down, some frequent apparel for cooks) (HINT subsequent to ARES)
• COUNTESS (56D: With 57-Down, noble title) (CUTS subsequent to ONES)

Word of the Day: CIVET (1A: Musky “cat”) —

A civet () is a small, lean, principally nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, particularly the tropical forests. The time period civet applies to over a dozen totally different species, principally from the household Viverridae. Most of the species variety is present in southeast Asia. The best-known species is the African civet, Civettictis civetta, which traditionally has been the primary species from which a musky scent utilized in perfumery, additionally known as “civet“, was obtained.

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I want there have been some—any—a part of this that I loved, however it was a chore from entrance to again. Felt extra like a prank somebody was pulling than an expertise somebody was inviting you to take pleasure in. The puzzle is all theme, and that theme is all structure; that’s, the puzzle does this bizarre MERGE LEFT / “PARES” DOWN factor for no specific purpose, with no actual thematic coherence in any respect. I’m presupposed to ooh and aah on the bodily manipulation of letters in house, however these letters do not spell phrases which have something to do with something. MERGE LEFT and PARES DOWN … not from the identical conceptual universe. They clarify find out how to learn solutions, however aren’t not significant in any other case. They do not relate to at least one one other. And they do not relate to the theme solutions. And the theme solutions themselves—all of them, the person unclued ones and the “merged” clued ones—additionally don’t have anything to do with one another, or with something. And the themers themselves are kinda tedious. ALTERNATIONS? Snooze. Is it presupposed to be meta-thematic? Because you must “alternate” between solutions in adjoining Downs to make sense of the theme clues? Yeah, that is not making me prefer it extra. And do you really need me to simply accept LENTOS (??) as one aspect of your Down “pares”? What is that, a plural musical tempo? Me: “Hey, Google: outline lentos.” Google: “Did you imply “outline lentils?” I want I meant lentils. Those are tasty.

This is a stunt puzzle. A “watch-me-do-this-thing” puzzle that by no means solutions the query “however why although?” And the non-theme fill provides nothing in the way in which of diversion. I would’ve favored HAWTHORNE (34A: Dedicatee of “Moby-Dick”) however I could not even see HAWTHORNE, so shrouded was he in theme gunk. And THE NOW?!?! (55A: “I by no means look again, dahling. It distracts from ___”: Pixar’s Edna Mode). I’m so torn—it is terrible, however it’s additionally essentially the most fascinating reply within the grid, so … shrug. On high of all this, the cluing was all “?”-ridden and difficult, so the entire resolve felt like wading by way of muck. A whole slog. It’s sufficient to make a STENO say “NERTS!,” really.

Grid is a bizarre form (14×16), which a minimum of provides some visible curiosity to the expertise at the moment. There is a tidiness (and symmetry) to the circled-square preparations that some may additionally discover pleasing. I felt like I could not get my head round any of the solutions early on, however a few of that will simply have been early-morning cobwebs. Like [Shiner?]—wanted “R” and “Y” to have any concept there (RAY). [Shifts from neutral, in a way]? No hope there for a very long time (ACIDIFIES). Wanted EASE IN for EDGE IN (4D: Enter cautiously) and DORK for DEFT (7D: Expert). Would not write in “MA’AM” for the longest time as a result of it appeared bizarre that you simply’d name girls officers one thing totally different from males (20D: Officer’s title). Somehow I believed girls simply received the “SIR” remedy too. “MA’AM” is what a cowboy says whereas tipping his hat as he passes a woman on the road. Seems bizarre as a navy factor. But … not my purview! SWANN’S is bizarre as a standalone reply (“SWANN’S Way” is the primary quantity of “Remembrance of Things Past”) (newly retranslated as “In Search of Lost Time,” initially “À la récherche du temps perdu”), however I appreciated it as a result of it was one of many few gimmes I received at the moment. Does sexting occur as a lot in the true world because it does in crosswords, as a result of it occurs A Lot in crosswords. I did just like the clue on SEXTS at the moment, so there’s that a minimum of (54D: Blue notes?). Oh, and as all the time I favored seeing RIAN Johnson (58D: Johnson who directed “The Last Jedi”). He appears good. Really wanting ahead to the expanded “Knives Out” universe. Let’s finish there, with me pondering glad ideas. See you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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