Constructor: Evan Park and Jeffrey Martinovic
Relative issue: Simple-Medium (the “Medium” is due to the probably sudden rebus sq.)
THEME: STARBURST (10D: Chewy fruit-flavored sweet … or an outline of what is depicted visually on this puzzle) — circled squares depict a “STAR” “bursting,” in the event you learn the circled-square configurations from higher left to decrease proper; that’s, the letters “STAR” are depicted in varied phases of coming aside, from a decent ball (multi function sq. within the NW) to huge aside (all of the letters in “STAR” at the least two squares aside from each other within the SE). There’s one different specific revealer: SUPERNOVA (59A: Astronomical occasion depicted visually on this puzzle), after which two different longer solutions that appear at the least theme-adjacent:
- MAKE IT POP (34D: Give one thing that additional oomph)
- HAD A BLAST (17A: Completely loved oneself)
Phrase of the Day: FRESNO (47A: Most populous inland metropolis of California) —
Fresno ([…] Spanish for ‘Ash tree‘) is a metropolis within the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It’s the county seat of Fresno County and the most important metropolis within the better Central Valley area. It covers about 115 sq. miles (300 km2) and had a inhabitants of 542,107 as of the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most populous metropolis in California, essentially the most populous inland metropolis in California, and the Thirty fourth-most populous metropolis within the nation.
Named for the considerable ash timber lining the San Joaquin River, Fresno was based in 1872 as a railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad earlier than it was included in 1885. It has since develop into an financial hub of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, with a lot of the encircling areas within the Metropolitan Fresno area predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural manufacturing. Fresno is close to the geographic middle of California, roughly 220 miles (350 km) north of Los Angeles, 170 miles (270 km) south of the state capital, Sacramento, and 185 miles (300 km) southeast of San Francisco. Yosemite Nationwide Park is about 60 miles (100 km) to the north, Kings Canyon Nationwide Park 60 miles (100 km) to the east, and Sequoia Nationwide Park 75 miles (120 km) to the southeast.
Fresno can also be the third-largest majority-Hispanic metropolis in the US with 50.5% of its inhabitants being Hispanic in 2020. (wikipedia)
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I would like to speak about how dangerous “OH, ME” is. “OH, ME” is dangerous. There, I stated it. No, wait, there’s extra. “OH, ME” is so dangerous that it ruined the fixing expertise immediately, making me largely overlook what an enthralling (and, in the event you depend the bonus themers, dense) theme this was. It was the final reply I acquired, which implies my clear up ended on a “oh god no why?!” notice—the worst possible notice to finish on. I’ve the phrases “TEAR DOWN!” written in all caps subsequent to “OH, ME” in my grid print-out. Who says “OH, ME“? OK, now, who *dwelling* says “OH, ME“? “OH, ME” makes me yearn for “AH, ME,” a solution I hate nearly as a lot. However at the least “AH” kinda expresses weariness, whereas “OH” … oh no. You gotta redo that part. Don’t discuss your self into believing, simply since you discovered it in a wordlist or in beforehand revealed puzzles, that “OH, ME” is suitable. It is not. You possibly can remove “OH, ME” with some minor adjustments, although if you wish to make something greater than a lateral transfer, you both have to alter MAKE IT POP to MADE IT POP, or do a extra sizable teardown (one which eliminates FRESNO, at a minimal).
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| [a lazy “fix”] |
There’s some fill that ought to make you completely recoil, and “OH, ME” is amongst that group. I used to be feeling fairly good about this puzzle, after which, on the very finish, I very a lot wasn’t. As a result of it is absurd, “OH, ME” was additionally the toughest reply for me to get in the entire puzzle (32A: “What a pity!”)—an actual excellent storm of buzzkill.
But when we simply fake we by no means noticed “OH, ME,” this puzzle improves significantly. The theme is neat, and neatly executed, with diagonal grid symmetry actually serving to to get a chic visible expression of the theme. The double revealer is good. Undecided why the puzzle determined to get cute with the 2 different longer solutions. Appears apparent they’re thematic, however they are not clued as such. They’re simply kinda winking at you there, like “MAKE IT POP, wink wink, get it!? As a result of the ‘star’ is ‘popping,’ eh, eh!? And HAD A BLAST, too, get it!?” I get it. Perhaps it is best to only let these solutions lie again and act informal, so the solver can have the … pleasure? … of discovering their thematic relevance. Anyway, they’re good solutions in their very own proper, thematic or no, so the puzzle advantages from their presence both means.
The fill is tough within the NW, throughout the rebused “STAR” sq., however it evens out considerably within the different elements of the grid (“OH, ME” very a lot however). My foremost criticism is that you’ve not one not two however three “IT”s on this grid (MAKE IT POP, IS IT?, ENDS IT)— 4 in the event you throw in Cousin ITT (19A: Bushy cousin of TV and movie). Mainly I feel the theme comes off properly, however much more spit and polish may’ve gone into crafting the non-thematic components of this grid.
Bullets:
- 47A: Most populous inland metropolis of California (FRESNO) — to begin with, I grew up in FRESNO (from age 5 to 17), and but, regardless of having a wikipedia web page (in some way!?), I’m not listed within the “Folks from FRESNO” part of the “Checklist of Folks from FRESNO” web page. How dare they. Second, I used to be attempting to inform somebody just lately that there was a miniseries referred to as “FRESNO” that got here out after I was a child, a sort of parody of late-night soaps set not within the glamorous worlds of oil, excessive finance, wine, and so forth. however within the considerably much less glamorous world of … raisins (a chief product of the Central Valley). However as I used to be describing it, it felt like I would imagined it. It appeared unimaginable that such a factor ever existed on tv. So it was good to verify, simply now, that sure, the sequence not solely existed, however it had some of the unimaginable casts possible, together with my all-time superstar crush and crossword famous person TERI GARR. Additionally, it is on YouTube in its entirety, so despite the fact that I think about it is extremely dangerous, I’m undoubtedly going to look at it.
[Carol Burnett! Dabney Coleman! … Charles Grodin!!!!]
- 3D: Abilities of the previous (LO[ST AR]TS) / 16A: Place to take a break (RE[ST AR]EA)— the one actual powerful factor about this puzzle would’ve been discovering this sq.. It did not take me lengthy. Received this reply all the way down to LO-TS and the cross one so far as RE- and I simply noticed it. Most individuals aren’t in search of rebus squares on any day however Thursday. Good to maintain your thoughts open to the likelihood on Wed. and Solar. as properly.
- 6D: Org. involved with crops (OSHA) — does it nonetheless exist? I’ve a tough time maintaining with what regulatory company is being destroyed from day after day. The “crops” right here confused me. I believed the puzzle was referring to “spies” … solely to have that very that means of “plant” present up in a later clue (59D: Invasive plant? = SPY)
- 8D: Article of headgear, informally (LID) — “Hat.” Simply say “hat.” “Article of headgear” is ridiculous. Unnecessarily wordy and complicated.
- 46D: 2019 sci-fi movie whose identify means “to the celebrities” (AD ASTRA) — by no means noticed this, however I am aware of the Latin phrase. Good bonus themer right here (as is SULU, in the event you actually need him to be) (57D: “Star Trek” character who was named for a sea within the Philippines)
See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
