Matt Jones’s Jonesin’ Crossword, “Packet and Go” – Erin’s write-up
Jonesin’ answer 10/18/22
Hello everybody! This week’s puzzle brings the spice with a Taco Bell sauce packet theme! Each theme entry incorporates a sauce, in growing warmth stage.
- 19a. [Historic Joan Crawford title role] MILDRED PIERCE, a 1945 movie noir. Sauce is MILD.
- 32a. [Actor’s hard-copy headshot, typically] EIGHT BY TEN PHOTO. HOT sauce this time.
- 38a. [Risk taker’s worry about a big decision, maybe] WHAT IF I REGRET IT? We’re as much as FIRE now.
- 49a. [They may write independently about the press] MEDIA BLOGGERS. Taco Bell’s hottest sauce is DIABLO.
Other issues:
- 29a. [Gets on one’s hind legs, with “up”] RARES. This puzzle took me longer than common as a result of I confidently places in REARS after which couldn’t determine the place I went mistaken. From what I’ve learn, they imply related issues. I exploit “rears up” however “raring to go” which have the identical origin.
- 56a. [Everywhere (or what Grover tried to teach by running a lot] NEAR AND FAR. I LOVED this as a child. Let’s reminisce a bit, we could?
- 54d. [Bacteriologist Jonas] SALK. He was a professor of bacteriology on the University of Pittsburgh, however the overwhelming majority of his work concerned viruses corresponding to influenza, HIV, and most famously polio.
- 40d. [___ Raymi (Inca-inspired festival in South America] INTI. The competition celebrates the Incan solar god Inti on the Winter Solstice yearly.
Until subsequent week!
Mike Shenk’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Turning the Tables”—Jim P’s evaluation
Common utensils are discovered backwards inside acquainted(ish) phrases. The revealer is SETTING BACK (62a, [Delaying, and a hint to the circled letters]).
Wall St Journal crossword answer · “Turning the Tables” · Mike Shenk · Tue., 10.18.22
- 17a. [Frontman of English folk-rock band Noah and the Whale] CHARLIE FINK. Knife. Didn’t know the band nor the frontman. But they did obtain some success, even within the U.S. so I’d say the title is crossword-worthy, although perhaps extra applicable for later within the week.
- 30a. [Brazenly investigates] SNOOPS INTO. Spoon. Meh. “Snoops” works simply as nicely to fulfill the clue. And I’ve heard “snoops around” way over SNOOPS INTO.
- 47a. [Longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent] STEVE KROFT. Fork.
I just like the title right here. Presumably, should you’re turning the tables, you’re turning the desk settings as nicely. But SETTING BACK makes for a moderately bland revealer, and I wasn’t so eager on these first two entries.
I moderately favored the fill higher with COTTONWOOD, LIP READERS, NOBELISTS, ARKANSANS, OILSKIN, and LOSE BIG.
Clues of notice:
- 1a. [Drug cooked up in a lab]. METH. I began taking METH final Friday (methocarbamol—for decrease again ache), nevertheless it didn’t do me any good, so I ended.
- 4d. [Toast start]. HERE’S TO. Couldn’t fill on this entry with out earworming the tune by The Call (see under).
- 10d. [Bill Clinton and Billy Bob Thornton, for two]. ARKANSANS. Here’s to my spouse, additionally an Arkansan.
The theme didn’t do a lot for me, however I loved the fill. 3.25 stars.
