Constructor: Fritz Juhnke
Relative issue: Medium
THEME: probably not — there is a “revealer” of types, nevertheless it does not reveal something besides that the black sq. configurations within the grid are formed like “T”s (59A: Abstain … as steered by the black squares on this puzzle — TEETOTAL)
Phrase of the Day: Rod CAREW (44D: Eponym of the A.L. batting title award) —
Rodney Cline Carew (born October 1, 1945) is a Panamanian-American former skilled baseball participant and coach. He performed in Main League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman, first baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels. Probably the most completed contact hitter in Twins historical past, he received the 1977 AL Most Precious Participant Award, setting a Twins file with a .388 batting common. Carew appeared in 18 consecutive All-Star Video games and led the AL in hits thrice, together with his 239 hits in 1977 rating because the twelfth most in a season on the time and the sixteenth most as of 2024, tied with Willie Keeler’s 239 hits from 1897. He received seven AL batting titles, the second most AL batting titles in historical past behind Ty Cobb, and on July 12, 2016, the AL batting title was renamed to the Rod Carew American League batting title.
In 1977, Carew was named the recipient of the celebrated Roberto Clemente Award for his involvement in area people affairs. On August 4, 1985, he grew to become the sixteenth member of the 3,000 hit membership with a single to left area off Frank Viola. His 3,053 hits are twenty seventh all time, and his profession batting common of .328 is thirty fourth all time. He was elected to the Nationwide Baseball Corridor of Fame in 1991 in his first yr of eligibility; he appeared on upwards of 90 % of the ballots. He was additionally elected to the Caribbean Baseball Corridor of Fame, Minnesota Twins Corridor of Fame, and Angels Corridor of Fame. After retiring as a participant, Carew served as a coach for the Angels and the Milwaukee Brewers. (wikipedia)
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The showiest a part of the grid is the least fascinating factor about it. I may really feel that the grid was oddly … formed? … that there was one thing about it that felt extremely segmented and fewer flowing, however I did not assume a lot about it. Some grids move some do not. However then to get to the top of the puzzle and have the puzzle go “TADA! There are ‘T’s all over the place!”—that was an actual disappointment. That is why the grid felt bizarre to navigate and appeared kinda uneven? All for a nasty pun? Revealers ought to reveal one thing cool, not level out a very incidental function that has nothing to do with the fixing expertise and is not actually thematic in any respect. Plus, TEETOTAL is a horrible approach to reveal the black-square “T”s. You’ve got obtained the “TEE” in there, however …. TOTAL? What’s that? Sure, there’s a “TOTAL,” that “TOTAL” is eight, so what? Is the revealer attempting to say that the “T” configurations are “TOTAL,” in that there aren’t any different black-square configurations? That is an ungainly manner of phrasing it. Anyway, I Do Not Care about your little non-themes in themeless puzzles until they’re super-clever, and I simply do not care in regards to the “T”s or see why they’re fascinating. I assumed the puzzle was simply nice with out all of the “T” enterprise. If you wish to do one thing show-offy, make certain it lands. Completely. In any other case, simply let the themeless be a themeless, and let solvers admire the form of the grid on their very own phrases.
The cluing felt elevated in the present day, prefer it was truly attempting to be somewhat powerful, somewhat thinky, and I respect that. I used to be like “oh, we’re pushing again somewhat in the present day, are we? Good.” I by no means obtained caught, however I did really feel like I used to be slower hacking by the grid than I typically am on Fridays, and positively slower than I have been at any time previously week or so. A few of that resistance got here from phrases I do not know or do not actually know and positively do not use, like DOPE SLAP (proper up entrance!) (1A: Whack to the top, in slang) and SLY BOOTS (additionally up entrance) (5D: Shifty sort). I consider it extra as a “D’oh!” slap, and if I would use any SLY phrase, it might most likely be SLY DOG. The BOOTS model feels very vintage, which makes an fascinating distinction with a lot of the remainder of the grid, which might lean juvenile. Toilet stuff (LOO, DOO-DOO) and colloquial expressions (EPICNESS) (43A: Sheer amount of superior), though tbh I do not actually know what era “EPICNESS” belongs to. In all probability not the at present younger one. Feels Millennial. I kinda like its slanginess. Offers the grid character. I may’ve performed with out SKIN TAG in my grid (32A: Innocent progress). They’re unpleasant sufficient on my rattling physique, I do not have to be reminded of them in my puzzle. (I simply have the one, and the physician as soon as advised me how I may take away it myself, and I used to be like “nope, not a house surgeon in any manner form or type, thx.” TMI, I do know, but when the puzzle desires to carry it up, then the puzzle needs to be ready to have a dialog about it. These are the principles.
Bullets:
- 9A: Famous doomsday prepper (NOAH) — I do know you are being cute right here, however the entire “prepper” phenomenon is one thing I do not even need to hear about, esp. after a kind of “preppers” assassinated MN state rep Melissa Hortman in her residence. Am I being unfair to the “prepper neighborhood”? Oh properly. I will be sure you attempt actual laborious to work on my “closely armed weirdo extremist” tolerance.
- 18A: Consideration magnet, say (CELEB) — this isn’t actually a “say”-appropriate clue. “Maybe,” maybe. Anybody may be an “consideration magnet.” CELEB isn’t one other phrase for “consideration magnet.” It is a very particular sort of “consideration magnet.” I feel the clue would truly work significantly better in reverse. [Celeb, say] for ATTENTION MAGNET. Additionally, whilst I sort that, I notice that there isn’t any abbr. indicator within the clue for CELEB, and it actually appears like there needs to be.
- 37A: Lowered demand for refrigerated trucking, in a manner (ATE LOCAL) — liked this. Wordy, sure, however pointedly environmentalist, in an authentic manner. Additionally, barely powerful. Accredited.
- 49A: Shrub with a “staghorn” selection (SUMAC) — how would I do know the “varieties” of SUMAC, I barely know what SUMAC is to start with. Until it is YMA SUMAC:
- 8D: Middle of a drupe (PIT) — “drupe” is a superb phrase that does not get practically sufficient crossword love. Talking of crosswordy phrases, do you know that SLOE is a drupe? It is true! I realized this whereas making an episode of my extraordinarily short-lived podcast referred to as “On the Grid” (manner again in ’17) with my good pal Lena. We did an entire section on SLOE, which included making a SLOE gin fizz reside (“reside”) on air. Extraordinarily good instances (episode 2, right here). Anyway, a drupe is only a stonefruit.
- 10D: D8 items in Dungeons & Dragons, e.g. (OCTAHEDRA) — eight-sided three-dimensional shapes. “D8” = eight-sided die. Actual “8” theme going right here in the present day, with the D&D cube and the OCTET of scorpion legs and what not.
- 12D: When squirrels could thermoregulate by splooting (HEAT WAVE) — talking of HEAT WAVE, we’re having one, ugh. Talking of splooting … within the grid when???
 |
| [no SPLOOTING or SPLOOTED either] |
- 31D: “Typically” has two of them (SILENT “E”s) — not the puzzle’s most interesting hour. The SILENT [letter] is tough sufficient to take by itself, with out its turning into a plural.
- 21A: Cope with The Satan? (TAROT) — as a result of “The Satan” is a card within the TAROT deck (which you “deal” when doing readings)
- 47D: World capital subsequent to the Sarawat Mountains (SANA’A) — that is simply crossword muscle. Do sufficient crosswords, and you will construct up a great retailer of quick world capital names. I would enterprise to guess that SANA’A is the preferred (generally occurring) of all 5-letter world capital names. Though ACCRA, HANOI, SEOUL and CAIRO may also be vying for that title. Let’s examine! Ooh, it seems to be like HANOI is manner out in entrance (115 appearances in Trendy Period). 38 for SEOUL, 56 for ACCRA, 61 for CAIRO, and simply 29 for SANA’A, however SANA’A is a bizarre one, because it typically seems in four-letter type as properly. Do not ask me how that is authorized, however it’s. Anyway, if you happen to add SANA’s 47 appearances to SANA’A’s 29 … properly, it is nonetheless properly behind HANOI. All hail HANOI, king of the world capital 5s.
That is all. See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on BlueSky and Facebook]
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