Constructor: Addison Snell

Relative issue: If there have been a day *earlier than* Monday, that’s how simple this was … weird

THEME: 4K? K4? — 4 examples of what “Okay” can stand for:

Theme solutions:

• STRIKEOUT (20A: Okay, in baseball)
• THOUSAND (27A: Okay, in a wage itemizing)
• BLACK INK (!?) (42A: Okay, on a printer cartridge)
• POTASSIUM (53A: Okay, on the periodic desk)

Word of the Day: STANDPIPE (34D: Vertical water conduit) —

In North America, a standpipe is a sort of inflexible water piping which is constructed into multi-story buildings in a vertical place, or into bridges in a horizontal place, to which fireplace hoses may be related, permitting handbook software of water to the hearth. Within the context of a constructing or bridge, a standpipe serves the identical goal as a fireplace hydrant.

In many different international locations, hydrants in streets are beneath floor degree. Fire vans carry standpipes and key, and there are bars on the truck. The bar is used to elevate a canopy within the highway, exposing the hydrant. The standpipe is then “sunk” into the hydrant, and the hose is related to the uncovered ends of the standpipe. The bar is then mixed with the important thing, and is used to show the hydrant on and off. (wikipedia)

• • •

This could also be a kind of days the place another person has to point out me some cool thematic aspect that I missed, as a result of sitting right here now, at 4:30am, simply after ending the puzzle, all I see are “4 issues ‘Okay’ can stand for,” and that simply does not appear to be a lot. Worse, the theme is not only skinny, it is received one theme reply that feels very, very compelled—very “Which of those Four is Not Like The Other”—i.e. BLACK INK. The different three “Okay”s are iconic … whereas I’ve exchange BLACK INK in my (two!) printers for *many years* and by no means seen that “Okay” stood for something. I’m completely guessing right here, however I guess that in the event you ask any bizarre individual to call 4 issues that “Okay” can stand for, they will in all probability title … three. The three non-BLACK INK solutions which are on this puzzle. But BLACK INK, yeesh. OK, in the event you say so. That is, I’m certain you are proper, however … no. But even that bizarre model of “Okay”—hell, even STANDPIPE (no concept)—could not get this puzzle as much as a good degree of issue. I used to be surprised at how simply I moved by way of the grid at first. I received each clue I checked out, with out hesitation, from 1A: Target of recent splicing (GENE) all the best way to right here:

That is, I wrote in SEEKS at 22A: Looks (SEEMS) and shortly came upon I used to be flawed—however even *that* wasn’t “hesitation” a lot as a short erasure and correction. I did not truly fully balk at a solution till I used to be observing -STY (48D: Maybe too amorous). My mind went “TASTY?” And then I shrugged and stored going. STANDPIPE was by far the oddest factor within the grid (I wished each STEAM PIPE and STOVE PIPE earlier than I received it), and even it did little or no to cease my hurtling ahead momentum. As normal, the “phrase with / earlier than / after / earlier than and after”-type clue baffled me (43D: Word with spare or sea = CHANGE) so I could not circulate simply into the SW, however I simply jumped in, received OMAN no drawback, and was completed just a few seconds later. I do not know what was speculated to make this a Wednesday versus a Monday. Maybe BLACK INK? STANDPIPE? BERM!? (I do not understand how I even know that time period) (38A: Road shoulder). This was a ho-hum, Twentieth-century grid, at each the thematic and total fill ranges, and it was simpler than any NYTXW Wednesday ought to ever be. I do know they’re intentionally making the puzzle simpler over time (that has develop into self-evident), in all probability in order that extra of their many many subscribers can really feel “profitable” frequently, and OK, capitalism, no matter … but it surely’s beginning to really feel just a little shameful.