Hello, everybody! It’s Clare for the final Tuesday of the most effective month of the 12 months (the one I used to be born in, after all!). Hope everyone seems to be staying cool because the ridiculous warmth and humidity get much more ridiculous (at the least right here in D.C.). My sister, dad, and I went to observe some tennis on the D.C. Open, which drew some fairly massive names, and we thought we would soften, as we had been sitting on the market within the solar for a number of hours. My pet, Pink, went on her first hike, at Harper’s Ferry — as all of us celebrated my dad’s birthday in the most effective month of the 12 months — and he or she was a rock star. My Reds, Liverpool, return to motion in simply two weeks, so we will see in the event that they defend their Premier League title. Life is nice. Perhaps even nice.
Anywho, on to the puzzle…
Constructor: Peter Gorman
Relative problem: Simple
THEME: BEND OREGON (55A: Western metropolis hinted at seven instances on this puzzle’s circled letters) — The circled letters every type the phrase “Oregon,” bent in several methods
- OREGON (beginning with the O in SALON (14A) and ending with the N in SNORT (17A))
- OREGON (beginning with the O in AGO (18A) and ending with the N in ION (15A))
- OREGON (beginning with the O in PORED (16A) and ending with the N in I’M ON (23A))
- OREGON (beginning with the O in DORSALS (46A) and ending with the N in I CAN SO (35A))
- OREGON (beginning with the O in RUSHMORE (37A) and ending with the N in PANINI (44A))
- OREGON (beginning with the O in BRODY (64A) and ending with the N in AARON (60A))
- OREGON (beginning with the O in ORE (65A) and ending with the N in NOG (68A))
Phrase of the Day: AEGIS (34D: Safety)
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The aegis, as said within the Iliad, is a tool carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal pores and skin or a defend and typically that includes the top of a Gorgon. The trendy idea of doing one thing “beneath somebody’s aegis” means doing one thing beneath the safety of a strong, educated, or benevolent supply. The phrase aegis is recognized with safety by a robust power with its roots in Greek mythology and adopted by the Romans; there are parallels in Norse mythology and in Egyptian mythology as effectively, the place the Greek phrase aegis is utilized by extension. (Wiki)
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That was a enjoyable, intelligent theme. I received BEND OREGON (55A) simply, and that helped me fill in the remainder of the puzzle, so this was a quick Tuesday for me. It’s spectacular development to get seven bent OREGONs within the puzzle shaped in all types of various methods. The puzzle itself seemed just a little ugly as I used to be fixing, however I believe the payoff was value having so, so many circles. I had the darnedest time attempting to explain the theme solutions above, as a result of bits of a number of totally different phrases type every OREGON, so I form of punted.
I loved how there have been related phrases shut to at least one one other within the puzzle a number of instances. APPLE (9A: Golden fruit that began the Trojan Conflict, in fable) crossing EDEN (13D: Unspoiled paradise) is sensible. NORSE GODS (36D: Thor and Odin) ran parallel to EROS (54D: Cupid’s Greek counterpart). LOGIC (32D: “___ will get you from A to B. Creativeness can take you in all places” (assertion attributed to Einstein)) and IRONY (33D: Humor with a twist) had been side-by-side. It is a attain, however DIABLO (6D: El infierno determine) and ELMO (21D: Muppet who’s made visitor appearances on “Scrubs” and “The West Wing”) had been additionally subsequent to one another, and so they’re each… purple. Not that I like purple, or something.
The development smack dab within the middle of the puzzle let me down, although. RAS (37D: Dorm aides, for brief) crossing PAS (39A: Dads) simply appears mistaken. The phrases are virtually equivalent. Then, additionally in that center part, there’s GAS as a part of INERT GAS (41A: Argon or neon) and PAS once more as a part of PASSED ON (39D: Forwent). And “forwent” is about as ugly a phrase as exists.
I’d even be a happier individual if puzzles stopped incorporating phrases equivalent to I CAN SO (35A: Rejoinder to a doubter) or the same old “Are too” or “Am so” or the opposite seemingly million methods these dumb phrases are clued.
I didn’t love GO GO (38A: Consistently pushing ahead). DORSALS (46A: Some fins), as a plural, additionally doesn’t work for me. Dorsal fins, certain, however DORSALS by itself? The clue for GLOB (43D: Hunk of melted mozzarella, e.g.) appears randomly particular. Why name out mozzarella as an alternative of referring to cheese typically? The clue for RUSHMORE (37A: Mount with 4 faces that each one face southeast) additionally randomly specifies that the sculptures all face southeast. Who knew?
I received slowed down barely with BAD LEG (47D: Motive to put on a knee brace, maybe) as a result of I believed it could possibly be “bum leg.” And I attempted each “stiff” and “stable” earlier than realizing the reply was RIGID (27D: Rigid). However I didn’t get tripped up with most correct names within the puzzle: Sophia LOREN (4D), ROGER EBERT (20A), Mary J. BLIGE (19A), AARON Burr (60A), Adrien BRODY (64A), or NEIL Patrick Harris (59D). Your mileage could differ.
Misc.:
- For those who’re on the lookout for a BOP (48A: Catchy track, in fashionable lingo), look no additional than any of the various songs from the film “KPop Demon Hunters,” which got here out final month. It’s a couple of Ok-pop lady group who’re demon hunters (stunning, I do know!) and need to face off towards a boy group made up of, you guessed it, demons. It’s genuinely superb. For BOPs, I like to recommend beginning with both “Your Idol” or “Golden” (which is No. 2 on Billboard proper now).
- I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me earlier that, after all, Leonardo da VINCI (66A) was actually from VINCI. Leonardo of VINCI. Duh!
- With 57D: Choices for martinis, for me, the reply is olives, olives, olive juice, olives, or extra olives. I keep in mind the time I had a sip of a martini for the primary time. after I was in faculty. I attempted my mother’s and practically spit it out as a result of it was simply straight vodka. GINS is an unsightly plural, however at the least the reply wasn’t vodkas.
- The most effective sandwich I’ve ever had wasn’t grilled like a PANINI (44A: Grilled Italian sandwich) however was on a visit to Florence. It was made on the freshest bread, with kilos of scrumptious salami and soppressata, and miles of stringy, salty cheese (not GLOBs). Even higher, I ate it sitting on the sidewalk with a glass of €2 wine.
- My sister and I had been simply singing alongside to “Hamilton” and particularly AARON Burr’s (60A) elements. We had been both annoying or indoctrinating our dad, who simply completed a Rick Atkinson guide on the Revolutionary Conflict.
- Perhaps I received BEND OREGON (55A) shortly as a result of I’ve truly been there — as soon as for a soccer match and one other time to observe my sister at a horse present. It’s fairly stunning.
Now I shall log off as a result of I once more have a shopper interview in Baltimore vivid and early tomorrow. (What’s it with USCIS scheduling my interviews for Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.?!)
See you subsequent time (which is able to truly be in only a week)!
