Constructor: Chase Dittrich and Jeff Chen
Relative problem: Easy
THEME: ___ IN THE ___ — theme solutions are acquainted phrases that comply with that sample (besides one among them simply has “IN,” no “THE”). The first clean is stuffed by letters which can be *lacking from the clue*; the second clean is stuffed by a phrase that’s *synonymous with the clue* … so the reply finally ends up describing the clue, thus:
- KICK IN THE PANTS (20A: _N___ERS) —”Ok-I-C-Ok” really seems IN THE PANTS (i.e. within the phrase for “PANTS”: OkNICKERS)
- ACE IN THE HOLE (25A: CRAWL SP___) (CRAWL SPACEÂ = “HOLE”)
- PAIN IN THE ASS (42A: _EABR___) (PEABRAINÂ = “ASS”)
- HOLD IN CONTEMPT (49A: COLD S__U__ER) (COLD SHOULDER = “CONTEMPT”)
Word of the Day: Leopold AUER (22D: Violinist Leopold) —
Leopold von Auer (Hungarian: Auer Lipót; June 7, 1845 – July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, tutorial, conductor, composer, and teacher. Many of his college students went on to turn out to be distinguished live performance performers and lecturers. […] Auer is remembered as one of the crucial vital pedagogues of the violin, and was one of the crucial sought-after lecturers for presented college students. “Auer’s place within the historical past of violin enjoying relies on his instructing.” Many notable virtuoso violinists had been amongst his college students, together with Mischa Elman, Konstanty Gorski, Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein, Toscha Seidel, Efrem Zimbalist, Georges Boulanger,  Lyubov Streicher, Benno Rabinof, Kathleen Parlow, Julia Klumpke, Thelma Given, Sylvia Lent, Kemp Stillings, Oscar Shumsky, and Margarita Mandelstamm. Among these had been “a few of the best violinists” of the 20 th century. (wikipedia)
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This began out badly (for me, for the puzzle), however ultimately acquired quite a bit higher. I could not do something with the NW nook at first move—besides INRE, so I simply had this cruddy little little bit of crosswordese sitting there. I made some headway within the north (EATIN‘ was the very first thing I wrote within the grid with confidence (15A: Garden of ___ (punnily named snack model)), however then bumped into Old Crosswordese violinist Leopold AUER and Absolute Non-Phrase NO EAR after which paused and sighed somewhat. Felt prefer it was going to be one among Those Days (those the place I proceed to not perceive why puzzles with non-demanding themes proceed to have such subpar fill).Â
Forward momentum kind of died there, however I picked up the gimme Téa LEONI and adopted crosses simply all the way down to the underside of the grid by way of ANTIDOTES. At this level, I nonetheless hadn’t a lot as checked out a theme clue. I wish to dig into the quick stuff earlier than I am going after the massive recreation, and this puzzle had A Lot of quick stuff. Went again to the NW and acquired my first nice shock—I’d needed KOANS earlier at 4D: Riddles in Buddhism nevertheless it would not match, nevertheless it seems I used to be principally proper; I simply wanted the extra elaborate ZEN KOANS! Now we’re speaking. I really feel like at this level, the puzzle acquired up off the ground and began really displaying some life. And then I sorted the NW and at last appeared on the first theme clue. The “aha” at that second was potent as a result of I acquired it immediately—the reply, and the entire theme idea, in a single bolt! I had a lot of KICK IN THE PANTS in place that I really largely “knew” the reply earlier than trying on the clue. I had that one second of [squint] “huh?” after which bam, I plugged “Ok-I-C-Ok” into the pants (i.e. KNICKERS) and all was revealed.Â
The execution of the theme works out very nicely throughout, with rock strong theme solutions and remarkably believable clue creations. I’ve simply two points, one massive one small. The “massive” is the concept that “ASS” = PEABRAIN. I might see it was going to be PAIN IN THE [something], however would not write in ASS as a result of, nicely, that is not what PEABRAIN means. “ASS” has to do with conduct and PEABRAIN has to do with intelligence, and whereas I can see somebody yelling each insults on the similar particular person, they do not really feel very equal to me. My “small” problem is that there is no such thing as a “THE” within the last themer. You get three blank-IN THE-blanks solely to finish with a themer that is simply blank-IN-blank. Sometimes final themers are anomalous in a method that makes them spectacular, outstanding in some shocking method. This one simply felt like a weak off-brand model of the others. Puzzle ended extra whimper than bang. But nonetheless, total, massive thumbs-up to the theme right this moment.
I watch “Stranger Things” usually and nonetheless struggled to get ERICA (58A: Role on “Stranger Things”). She is a secondary character, however a memorable one. That is, the character is memorable. Her character identify, apparently, not a lot.
I initially had “Se7en” as being a film in regards to the Seven SEAS, which … would (most likely) have been a decidedly much less gory film (36A: The “seven” reference by the movie title “Seven” = SINS). Are children nonetheless saying TURNT? I attempted to make LIT stretch to 5 letters, no cube. Had no concept Khan Academy did LSAT prep. They apparently do actually each tutorial topic and standardized check, so it is not essentially the most useful or fascinating clue. Completely forgot that BEANIE Babies ever existed. What a time-specific fad that was, yeesh. But that fad was instrumental within the launch of EBAY, so … it was a bizarrely vital time-specific fad, I assume. You should not have “Acts” in your (cutesy) PLAY clue (10A: Acts as one?) whenever you’ve acquired ACT within the grid (even if in case you have tried to clue it as one more standardized check) (39A: Exam taken by many jrs.). I do just like the cutesy PLAY clue, although. “Acts” taken collectively as “one” type a PLAY, good. I completed up with BETS, which I wanted each cross to get (54A: Goes over or below, in a method). The “Goes” threw me. Gambling stuff usually throws me, as I simply do not care. My favourite error right this moment was once I thought Persian for “nation” may be IRAN. Pretty badass to simply identify your nation “Country,” I assumed. But alas, it was simply the “nation” suffix –STAN.
See you tomorrow.
