Constructor: Simeon Seigel
Relative problem: Arduous (17:03)
THEME: [Statements that can be seen as positive … or a hint to interpreting the theme entries] for DOUBLE NEGATIVE — In 4 lengthy throughout entries, the letter string NO NO turns into YES, with every of the “NO”s squished into one field
- [Some colorful apparel] for TIE DYE SHIRTS which was written as TIE D NO NO HIRTS
- The down solutions crossing have been NOD TO and DINO
- [Certain grain source] for RYE SEED which was written as R NO NO EED
- The down solutions crossing have been NOT IT and SNOOTILY
- [Old-fashioned homemade cleaner] for LYE SOAP which was written as L NO NO OAP
- The down solutions crossing have been NODULE and NOODLE
- [Des Moines’s domain] for HAWKEYE STATE which was written as HAWKE NO NO TATE
- The down solutions crossing have been NOSE and RHINO
Phrase of the Day: HART (Eponym of the N.H.L.’s M.V.P. award) —
The Hart Memorial Trophy is called in honour of Canadian Dr. David Hart. Dr. Hart, who donated the unique trophy to the NHL, was the daddy of Cecil Hart, a former coach and common supervisor of the Montreal Canadiens.
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Hello mates! Welcome to an off-schedule Malaika MWednesday aka Malaika MThursday. I simply watched a film with a good friend after which tried to catch a bus residence. I missed the bus by actually 30 seconds (I ran after it and waved on the bus driver, the entire deal), and so I hopped on a motorbike, and whereas I used to be biking residence I noticed the precise bus I had missed in an enormous accident!!!!! Nobody was damage (as a result of the busses right here drive like 4mph lol) however the automotive was absolutely totaled and I’m nonetheless reeling from this expertise and really feel like I’m a personality in Last Vacation spot.
Okay, sorry for rambling, onto the puzzle! I like love liked this theme, however I didn’t actually like the extent of problem. I’m an enormous fan of rebus puzzles! I believe there needs to be extra of them on different days of the week, with circles and in-app tips on the best way to enter the reply. I am additionally fairly good at clocking a rebus puzzle early. Often what occurs is I run into an entry I’ve seen a zillion occasions, but it surely would not match. On this case, it was with the clue [Acknowledge nonverbally]. I knew this had to be both “nod at” or “nod to,” however there weren’t sufficient empty containers. 🚨Rebus alert!!!🚨 At that time I searched across the grid for the revealer and confirmed NO felt related.
I believe new solvers wrestle with rebuses as a result of they do not belief their gut– like, let’s check out the clue [Beast with a horn]. Just about anybody would say that this can be a RHINO. However a brand new solver would have a look at the 4 accessible containers and suppose “Oh man there should be some esoteric animal I’ve by no means heard of….” (within the vein of okapi or oryx or, um, IMPALA) and go away it clean, the place a extra skilled solver would suppose “Aha! 🚨Rebus time!!🚨”
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| Talking of rhinos, the Solio Rhino Sanctuary has a brand new child named….. MALAIKA!!! |
It took me about seven minutes to resolve the thematic component of the puzzle (aka all of the lengthy throughout solutions + the down solutions that crossed by means of the rebus) after which ten minutes to resolve the remainder. For me, that is a very long time to spend on a 3rd of a themed puzzle, and I did not adore it. As soon as I used to be achieved with the theme, I stored considering “Nicely what is the level of all this?” In a tough themeless puzzle, your reward is the lengthy, colourful entries. However right here, I used to be battling tremendous opaque clues on quick fill (LOOT for [Spoils] was one instance right here), and the cleverness didn’t really feel enjoyable, it felt like a chore. I completed with an error– I had RUSH (for [Call for delivery?]) and ROKES (for [Slow sorts, in slang], thought it was some old-timey slang I did not know). That central backside part was sooo onerous for me.
However I might prefer to know what your fixing progress was like! I am going to admit that I completely bodied the theme– as I stated, I obtained the rebus virtually instantly, and was in a position to instantly plunk within the revealer throughout the middle; the remainder of the theme content material was easy-peasy from there. But when the rebus was extra of a gradual burn for you, and also you did not get the theme till your grid was already 3/4 full, I can see your expertise with the problem being totally different from mine.
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| This isn’t actually associated to the puzzle however “gradual burn” made me take into consideration the announcement that Season 4 of Bridgerton is popping out quickly |
I virtually want I might obtained to expertise the theme as a Sluggish Burn as a result of it was so deliciously good. I really feel prefer it could possibly be in a Crossword Textbook for the best way to completely nail a theme. There is a couple fairly difficult issues occurring (a rebus, letters getting swapped in, and letters studying in a different way throughout vs down), however the revealer so completely describes the conduct that it virtually feels easy when you get it. Like “Oh, duh! The double unfavourable turns into a optimistic! After all!!” So elegant. On high of that, the 2 longer theme solutions have been enjoyable and attention-grabbing. (And, outdoors of the thematic entries, we obtained HAIR SALON and MEAT EATER.)
- [Small, clingy bristles on a gecko’s foot] for SETAE crossing [Longtime deodorant brand] for ARRID — I needed to completely guess on the A right here. The gecko vocab was final used within the Instances puzzle in 2013.
- [Letter before cue] for PEE — The clue is referencing the letter Q, which is preceded by the letter P. I believe it is so dumb once they do that, btw. All of us pee! Let the clue reference pee!!
- [Cool cat’s “Roger that”] for IM HIP — I am sorry however this felt prefer it was written twenty years in the past…
- [Close one, for short] for BFF — Incredible clue, and I might have liked to see this in a tough themeless puzzle with no abbreviation indicator. I believe when abbreviations are used aloud simply as generally as the complete time period (like MIT or ATM) then onerous puzzles do not want the indicator.
xoxo Malaika
