Constructor: John Kugelman
Relative problem: Medium
THEME: “Assembly Their Match” — a puzzle depicting ANIMAL MAGNETISM (108A: Highly effective drive of attraction on show on this puzzle?). The thought is that two vaguely associated Down solutions are paired collectively, and their tail ends are drawn towards one another at ninety-degree angles by horseshoe magnets (depicted within the grid)—these tail ends comprise the names of animals … so the magnets draw the animals towards each other … thus, ANIMAL MAGNETISM:
- ABS OF STEEL / ACTION STAR (EEL & RAT are magnetized) (1D: What Jason Momoa has, notably / 9D: Jason Statham or Sylvester Stallone)
- CONGREGANT / HOUSE OF GOD (ANT & DOG are magnetized) (10D: Churchgoer / 18D: Church)
- GREEN GRASS / PERIWINKLE (ASS & ELK are magnetized) (54D: Colourful function of a garden / 58D: Floor cowl plant with trailing vines and five-petaled flowers)
- NOODLE BOWL / EGG FOO YUNG (OWL & GNU are magnetized) (60D: Japanese restaurant order / 64D: Chinese language restaurant order)
Phrase of the Day: BORK (19A: Break, slangily) —
- verb US, politics, typically pejorative To defeat a judicial nomination by means of a concerted assault on the nominee’s character, background and philosophy.
- verb To
misconfigure , particularly a pc or different complicated gadget.- verb To
break or harm.From the 1987 United States Supreme Court docket nomination of Robert Bork.
(wordnik)
• • •
Gonna make this quick as a result of I’ve nothing good to say. I not often say that I outright “hated” a puzzle, however this one … let’s simply say I used to be having actual hassle discovering pleasure. I am nonetheless caught on BORK. What? Additionally, why? I’ve by no means heard this time period exterior of the rejected Reagan Supreme Court docket nominee. And neither had the puzzle, earlier than right now. You’ve got bought two [Jurist Robert] clues again within the ’90s, then a really bizarre (if creative) Muppets clue from 2021: [When tripled, catchphrase of the Muppets’ Swedish Chef]. And now … this. I left the BORK / SORBATE cross clean for the entire puzzle as a result of I simply … could not imagine BORK may very well be a solution. I knew that BORK was changed into a verb that means (roughly) “to assault a nominee” or “to thwart a nomination”—when nominations get tanked by organized campaigns and assaults, you typically hear {that a} nominee “bought borked” (named after the aforementioned “jurist”). However this “break” that means? No concept. And the clue offers no context. Apparently there is a secondary that means of “bork” that means “to trigger to cease working; break,” that appears to come back particularly, or no less than primarily, from the world of computer systems. If the clue had mentioned so, no less than I would’ve identified it was some specialised time period I would by no means heard of, and I may’ve acceded to BORK (ugh) extra simply and moved on. However no. Seems prefer it did not exist earlier than 2003, so I may be too previous for it (my spouse additionally had by no means heard of it). You would lose BORK in that nook so simply. Change it to BORN, and cross it with [Carry-ONS], a lot easier and extra accessible, and above all, much less distracting. Or go together with ASTA / ANS. (quick for “reply”) if that is extra to your liking. Only for god’s sake eliminate BORK. If the theme is placing big stress in your grid already (and it’s), you actually ought to make issues clean and clear wherever you’ll be able to. If the remainder of the puzzle had labored, I doubt I would be so irritated at BORK, however it’s emblematic of the remainder of the puzzle, which is loaded with … puzzling choices. Why would you select BORK? In an already weak nook (SRAS, OBI, ASTO, SORBATE)? A lot unappealing fill right now, together with (obvious) Throughout solutions which are whole nonsense (TEEL, DOGF, ELKN, and so forth.). After which DO A JIG? GLAMAZON??? It is ick in every single place I look. OLESTRA is at all times an “ew.” ZIP TIES simply make me consider all of the I.C.E. raids occurring across the nation proper now. Grim and off-putting stuff in every single place.
And the theme is so unusual. Like, I get the “animal” half, however why are the magnetized solutions paired? And in extraordinarily weak methods??? Why is a Japanese meal paired with a Chinese language meal??? These are … completely different cuisines. GREEN GRASS and PERIWINKLE are each floor cowl, I suppose, however … why? Critically, the rationale is misplaced on me (additionally, what different colour would grass be??). The themer pairs are vaguely from the identical universe, however they aren’t that tight in any respect. And so they don’t have anything in any respect to do with the animals concerned within the “magnetism,” so … conceptually, this looks like a wreck. Additional, how (how!) on the earth do you’ve gotten a magnet that’s actually hooked up to “STEEL” however then have or not it’s Fully Irrelevant To The Theme?! Weird.
Bullet factors:
- 1D: What Jason Momoa has, notably (ABS OF STEEL) — no, he would not have them, notably. He has chiseled abs, certain, however ABS OF STEEL, as a phrase, is a trademark train program from the ’90s starring Tamilee Webb. Seems prefer it’s now additionally some form of fat-burning cream on your abs (!?!?). Simply bizarre to take one thing brand-specific and use it prefer it’s a generic time period for “good abs.”
 |
| [if apostrophes could kill…] |
- 26A: It is a cinch! (OBI) — I wished TIE. Had hassle committing to TRAINEE for a bit due to that terminal “I.” However an OBI is certainly a “cinch,” in that it is a sash that you simply “cinch” round your kimono.
- 32A: Some narrative homages, informally (FANFIC) — powerful, insofar because the plural-seeming clue doesn’t offer you a countable plural reply ending in “S.”
- 57A: Hardy mountain vegetation (ALPINES) — had no concept “alpine” was something however an adjective referring to “mountains.”
- 83A: Beefy, as gymnasium bros (SWOLE) — ah, see, now this is some recentish “slang” that I truly know. SWOLE bros have ABS OF STEEL! Actual SWOLE bros do not BORK the gymnasium tools. Up with SWOLE, down with BORK!
- 99A: One-named pop star with releases on the Monkey Puzzle document label (SIA) — is that document label bit presupposed to imply something to anybody? You would’ve stopped this clue after [One-named pop star]. She’s not ENYA-level widespread, as one-named crossword pop stars go, however she’s up there.
- 84D: Topic of the Liberi portray “The Beginning of Love” (EROS) — do not know this portray, by no means heard of this artist (who has by no means been within the crossword, regardless of having a reputation that appears very grid-friendly). However I bought EROS simply sufficient—inferred from “Love.”
- 121A: Smallest discrete items of power (QUANTA) — been fourteen years since we have seen this unhealthy boy. I idiotically (unexpectedly, rashly, not-very-thinkingly) wrote in QUARKS right here at first.
- 14D: Actually, “panting,” in Greek (ASTHMA) — didn’t know that. Additionally, misinterpret this as [Literally “painting,” in Greek].
- 27D: “My man” (“SIR“) — wished “BRO,” however no. Then wished “‘SUP!,” however no. The seemingly formal “SIR” has, the truth is, made its approach spherical to a form of facetiously formal informal acknowledgment akin to “my man,” however you actually need to listen to it in context for the equivalency to be clear. On the web page, not so clear.
OK, that is all. See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
P.S. should you’re searching for some enjoyable, unique, modern puzzles *and* you need to assist US-based transgender charities (who want the assist greater than ever), then Good Information! A brand new puzzle pack simply dropped referred to as “A Trans Individual Made Your Puzzle“—ten puzzles of various difficulties and sizes, all made by trans and nonbinary folks, together with among the most proficient, prolific, and skilled constructors I do know (Francis Heaney! Ada Nicolle!). I’ve already began in on the pack and the puzzles are pleasant. They’re additionally, frankly, chock full o’ stuff—LGBTQ-specific stuff, pop cultural stuff—that’s new to me. However because the puzzles are rather well made and edited, I can nonetheless clear up them! Recent, non-exclusionary puzzles! That is what I like. To get the puzzles, all you gotta do is donate no less than $10 to a US-based trans charity listed on the puzzle pack’s web site, ship your receipt to the puzzlemakers, after which they ship you the puzzles. I bought mine shortly—the identical day. They’ve already plowed proper by means of their preliminary fundraising objectives (>$12,000 as of 6/4) and at the moment are setting stretch objectives. To learn extra in regards to the venture, and to get the puzzles for your self, go right here: “A Trans Individual Made Your Puzzle.”
_-_The_birth_of_love.jpeg){kind=link}