Constructor: John Kugelman
Relative issue: Simple (but once more)
THEME: Organized Marriages — themers are all two-part, 22-letter solutions the place the primary and final elements are anagrams of each other:
- EXONERATING GENERATION X (24A: Forgiving middle-aged dads for his or her dad jokes, say?)
- TECHNOCRATS’ TRENCHCOATS (47A: Apparel for Larry Web page and Sergey Brin when visiting Google incognito?)
- “STREET LEGAL? LET’S GET REAL!” (71A: “You suppose that hunk of junk’ll move inspection? Please!”?)
- CHECKMATING CHICK MAGNET (99A: Actual chess playa?)
- “MARISA TOMEI, IT’S-A ME, MARIO!” (126A: Greeting from a well-known Italian character to a well-known Italian American actress?)
Phrase of the Day: SIGIL (132A: Magical image) —
2
: an indication, phrase, or system held to have occult energy in astrology or magic (merriam-webster.com)
• • •
Some issues I exclaimed whereas fixing this puzzle:
- On getting my first themer (TECHNOCRATS’ TRENCH COATS): “Oh, it is simply anagrams? That is it? Goddammit!”
- On studying the clue for ALT (15D: ___ proper (political class)): “Why would you try this?! F***!”
- On getting CLOUT-CHASING (67D: Determined pursuit of fame, in fashionable lingo): “Ooh, good”
- On realizing the final themer was going to be “MARISA TOMEI, IT’S-A ME, MARIO!”: “Noooooo … that has positively been used earlier than!”
As you may see by my parenthetical commentary, I used to be very impressed by that anagram, as was everyone else on the time. That’s not an anagram you neglect. I imply [Germany] for MEG RYAN, that is one you may neglect. Good discover, however forgettable. You do not have to attempt so exhausting to give you that one. However the Tomei one, that is an all-timer. Nobody can ever use it once more (in a crossword puzzle, anyway). It is retired. Or must be. So … yeah, big letdown once I bumped into that reply. You’ll be able to’t copyright anagrams, and coincidences occur, I suppose, however … having seen that individual anagram deployed so efficiently within the not-too-distant previous, it felt gross to see it getting used as a type of showy exclamation level in the present day. This puzzle wants a footnote or a quotation or an Acknowledgments web page. Pay Erik for that themer, is what I am saying. It is his. I do not know that he found the anagram per se, however he positively put it to thematic use first. (I am virtually 100% certain Erik will not be bothered in any respect, however I am bothered, which is actually all that issues) (I get mad about these items so others do not should!) (For those who actually beloved that anagram and it was new to you in the present day, nice, simply … ignore all the things I simply stated, you need to be completely satisfied)
Now a number of optimistic issues. I do know, I stated (above) that I used to be like “Anagrams? That is it!” And that is mainly how I really feel. And but, a few of these anagrams had been completely bananas, in a great way (the one good wacky solutions are actually bananas wacky solutions). The ditch coat one left me chilly (tepid, and I mainly do not need to hear about “technocrats,” like, ever), however the others had been all good to nice. CHECKMATING CHICK MAGNET virtually acquired a official chuckle out of me. I saved attempting to anagram “CHECKMATING,” like “what the hell might this presumably be!?” In order that one, once I lastly acquired it, actually landed. Real “good one” from me. I do not know that the theme solutions wanted these little darkish traces dividing them in half, however I suppose they do assist visually reinforce the gimmick. The puzzle additionally has some legit nice longer non-theme solutions. Love the Downs pair of BIGGIE SMALLS (9D: Famous rapper with an oxymoronic title) and CLOUT-CHASING, and the also-solid if considerably soberer symmetrical Throughout pair of INVISIBLE MAN and THOMAS EDISON.
For those who had been going to wipe out in the present day, the place would that happen? The hairiest part for me was the very finish, the SW, largely as a result of I do not know the phrase SIGIL very effectively, and so actually wanted each cross to place it collectively. If any of them had been in any respect unclear, I would’ve been in bother. Issues acquired a little bit tense once I had AM/FM as an alternative of AM/PM at 113A: Clock toggle (do you actually “toggle” AM/PM??), and I used to be staring down the potential for FROG Rock (115D: ___ rock (style for Pink Floyd and Dream Theater, familiarly)), which … I suppose the “G” would’ve been proper in any case, however fortunately I caught that “F: for “P” flub. And so the one cross that truly made me cross my fingers was SAL (127D: Seasoning for una margarita), which I used to be really fairly certain of—salt is SEL in Fr., so SAL in Sp. appeared proper). However SAL SIGIL was threatening. Felt ominous. Doubtlessly fallacious. SAL SIGIL … appears like a bookie or a expertise agent. Or a film producer, although I could also be underneath the affect of The Studio (which includes a film producer character named Sal Saperstein, performed by Ike Barinholtz) (they are saying his title in Episode 8 quite a bit). Anyway, ultimately SAL SIGIL got here by means of—thanks, SAL SIGIL:
[“You can’t handle the Sap!”]
- 29A: Cross-country conveyances (SKIS) — I used to be pondering one thing extra like SEMIS (or possibly TRAINS?). As a result of they actually cross the nation. Forgot about cross-country snowboarding.
- 62A: A lot-maligned 2019 film about which one overview stated “It is ‘Battlefield Earth’ with whiskers” (CATS) — talking of forgetting … wow did I memory-hole this film! I imply, I by no means noticed it, however till this puzzle, it was prefer it by no means existed. Sincerely, I feel COVID did a quantity on my reminiscence of the years instantly pre-COVID. What was 2019? Did it occur? I feel I went to Montreal. In any other case … ??? I assume the Battlefield Earth comparability was primarily based on high quality (dangerous) and never plot. I used to be attempting to consider a scifi film title and was like “… RATS? Was there a RATS film in 2019? Did they even have motion pictures in 2019?”
- 98A: Primary BASIC statements (IFS) — I took a Laptop Science class at (THOMAS) EDISON Excessive College in 1983-84 (we simply referred to as it “Edison”). It was the one Laptop Science course I ever took. I beloved it. Received an “A.” I keep in mind nothing. Besides that BASIC was the language we realized. Talking of (THOMAS) EDISON, good clue on that one in the present day (130A: DC energy participant within the late 1800s?).
- 1D: One at all times cooking up new concepts? (CHEF) — are there no cooks on the market who’re caught in a rut, simply churning out the identical factor on daily basis, 12 months after 12 months? As somebody who churns out the identical factor on daily basis, 12 months after 12 months, I’ve to marvel. Solidarity, unchanging CHEFs! You keep on with your weapons! Do not let anybody bully you into “new” issues!
- 39A: Is aware of simply when to carry ’em and when to fold ’em, possibly (CHEATS) — hey, the gambler knew what individuals’s playing cards had been by the best way they held their eyes. Not by dishonest! You apologize to Kenny Rogers proper this minute!
- 19D: Eighties band amongst Australia’s all-time best-selling teams (INXS) — INXS’s music was completely the perfect factor about The Misplaced Boys (1987), a movie whose spectacular badness I’m not but over.
- 93D: Brian who co-founded the Lengthy Now Basis (ENO) — should you’re like me, you are questioning “who the hell is Brian ENO?” … jk, he is in each crossword, by regulation. However you are in all probability questioning “what the hell is the Lengthy Now Basis?” Properly, I will inform you [consults the Engine of Searching]:
The Lengthy Now Basis, established in 1996, is an American non-profit group primarily based in San Francisco that seeks to start out and promote a long-term cultural establishment. It goals to offer a counterpoint to what it views as in the present day’s “quicker/cheaper” mindset and to advertise “slower/higher” pondering. The Lengthy Now Basis hopes to “creatively foster accountability” within the framework of the following 10,000 years. In a way considerably just like the Holocene calendar, the muse makes use of 5-digit dates to deal with the Yr 10,000 downside (e.g., by writing the present 12 months “02025” slightly than “2025”). The group’s brand is X, a capital X with an overline, a illustration of 10,000 in Roman numerals.
Good luck, Yr 10,000! I want you effectively. That’s, I hope you exist. And should you do exist, I hope that you just confer with this notably insane interval of human historical past we’re all residing in now as “The Quick Then.”
See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on BlueSky and Facebook]
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