Constructor: Sam Brody
Relative problem: Simple-Medium
THEME: “Making Preparations” — clues and solutions are technically reversed—that’s, the clues are literally reply to cryptic-style anagram clues, that are what you enter within the grid:
Theme solutions:
- GENETICALLY ENGINEERED (23A: LEGAL NICETY — an anagram of “genetically,” i.e., the letters of “genetically” … “engineered” (to be in a unique order))
- CHANGE OF HEART (39A: EARTH — an anagram of “coronary heart,” i.e., a “change of” the letters in “coronary heart”)
- MIXED BLESSING (55A: GLIBNESS — an anagram of “blessing,” i.e., the letters in “blessing,” … combined (up))
- TWISTED SISTER (83A: RESIST — an anagram of “sister,” i.e. the letters in “sister” … twisted)
- SWITCHED GEARS (99A: RAGES — an anagram of “gears,” i.e., the letters of “gears” … switched (round))
- TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER (117A: ROYAL PERMIT — an anagram of “quickly,” i.e., “quickly” … out of order)
Phrase of the Day: ADENINE (95D: Elementary constructing block of DNA) —
Adenine (, ) (image A or Ade) is a purine nucleotide base that’s present in DNA, RNA, and ATP. Normally a white crystalline substance. The form of adenine is complementary and pairs to both thymine in DNA or uracil in RNA. In cells adenine, as an impartial molecule, is uncommon. It’s virtually all the time covalently certain to change into part of a bigger biomolecule.Adenine has a central position in mobile respiration. It’s a part of adenosine triphosphate which offers the power that drives and helps most actions in dwelling cells, similar to protein synthesis, chemical synthesis, muscle contraction, and nerve impulse propagation. In respiration it additionally participates as a part of the cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, flavin adenine dinucleotide, and Coenzyme A. (wikipedia)
• • •
Remedial cryptic stuff. I do cryptic crosswords day-after-day. Currently, I a lot desire them to plain US-style crossword puzzles, probably as a result of I’ve to unravel commonplace US-style crossword puzzles each dang day and my puzzling mind simply must function on a unique stage typically. Anyway, anagrams are the most cost effective / best type of cryptic clue sort, a lot in order that some shops really set limits on what number of clues in any given puzzle can have anagrams as their cryptic aspect. Each time I learn a cryptic clue, I am searching for anagram indicators, and let me let you know, if I’ve realized something from fixing cryptics, it is that something could be an anagram indicator. OK perhaps not something, however … for instance, “Barbecue” was an anagram indicator in a cryptic puzzle I solved earlier this night (shout out to Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto over there at Out of Left Subject cryptics, love your work!). The clue began [Barbecue pit …] and a part of fixing it concerned anagramming “pit”—me: “‘Barbecue’ is an anagram indicator!?!?!” Sure. As a result of the primary rule of cryptics is: (virtually) Something could be an anagram indicator. My level is, I am anagramming all day day-after-day, so this puzzle was like a tragic half-baked straightforward cryptic-adjacent train for me. The theme was really easy that I really no-looked not one however two of the themers. As soon as I had a bunch of crosses, it was only a matter of wanting on the letter sample and looking for a well-recognized phrase the place one of many phrases appeared to have an anagram indicator in it (i.e. “combined,” “twisted,” and so on.). Simple to get the whole phrase from there. So I by no means noticed [GLIBNESS] and I by no means noticed [RESIST]—did not have to. The themer set is sweet, in that the solutions within the grid are all stable standalone phrases. TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER is the SPLASHYest of all of them, and correctly located within the “massive finale” place. However most of this was only a ho-hum shrug to me. You may write these sorts of clues all day lengthy, truthfully. [SABER] = DANCING BEARS. [SHORES] = DANCING HORSES. [VILER] = CHOPPED LIVER. [LICENSE] = AWKWARD SILENCE. [FOREST] = BANANAS FOSTER. Like that. On and on.
As for the non-thematic parts of this puzzle … nice. No actual complaints. I had an error, although, and I need everybody on the market who made the identical mistake to fess up, please, so I do not really feel like such an fool. I had no thought what ADENINE was, so I actually Actually wanted these crosses to come back via for me, and … principally, they did. Besides … I hesitated at TSA v. NSA (109A: Surveillance org.). Ultimately, NSA simply appeared like the higher guess, if solely as a result of the “N” appeared to work higher in ADENINE. Solely … I did not have it as ADENINE. I had it as ADININE. Why? As a result of I heard the Hawaiian tune in my head, and that final phrase feels like “OI,” so that is what I wrote: “ALOHA OI” (104A: Hawaiian tune of farewell). Aaaargh, I ought to’ve identified higher. I’ve seen “ALOHA OE” in puzzles earlier than. However no. I went with the sound in my head. Oy! So, yeah, complete fail there. Bummer. I really assume it is an objectively unhealthy cross, one which any sane constructor would attempt like hell to keep away from, however I am nonetheless mad at myself for botching “ALOHA OE.”
The one different a part of this puzzle that gave me any form of pushback was the NNE, primarily due to TENT PEG (11D: Help-de-camp?) and ASIDE FROM (13D: Excluding), each of which I had hassle parsing. Oh, and I wrote in IVAN as a substitute of SVEN, that wasn’t good (10D: Nonspeaking character in “Frozen”). Nonetheless have not seen Frozen and am not more likely to. I do know there’s an ELSA and an OLAF. I forgot about SVEN. The cluing in that part additionally will get fairly obscure. [Place] is a really onerous clue for STEAD if you haven’t any letters in place. See additionally [Bakery treat] for DANISH. There are such a lot of bakery treats! Even in case you restrict your self to six-letter bakery treats. CRONUT! MUFFIN! COOKIE! So I used to be sluggish via there. Powerful stuff. Nothing deadly, simply mildly thorny. Remainder of the puzzle: a cinch.
Bullet factors:
- 1A: Heat shade of brown (PECAN) — Look, I do know that something generally is a coloration (go have a look at paint swatches a while), however PECAN? I’ve by no means seen PECAN used that means. Once more, I don’t doubt that that phrase has been attributed to some shade of brown at a while. I am simply saying it is a mildly ridiculous technique to clue PECAN, foisted on us by any person’s thought of intelligent clue juxtaposition—the clue for IVORY (proper beneath PECAN) has the identical clue phrasing (19A: Heat shade of white). Works waaaaaay higher for IVORY than for PECAN. Unsure why we want identiclues right here. There is not any actual wit or cleverness, and one of many clues feels compelled.
- 29A: Instance of business in Proverbs 6:6-9 (ANT) — I acquired this simply sufficient, however actually thought the story of the ant as a tough employee got here from Aesop (“The Ant and the Grasshopper“). Ah, seems like Proverbs would possibly’ve influenced the moralizing that often attended retellings of the Aesop story.
The story has been used to show the virtues of onerous work and the perils of improvidence. Some variations state an ethical on the finish alongside the strains of “An idle soul shall endure starvation”, “Work at the moment to eat tomorrow”, and “July is observe’d by December”. In La Fontaine’s Fables no remaining judgment is made, though it has been argued that the creator is there making sly enjoyable of his personal notoriously improvident methods. However the perspective in most retellings of the fable is supportive of the ant, a perspective influenced by the commendation within the biblical E book of Proverbs, which mentions the ant twice. The primary proverb admonishes, “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Contemplate her methods and be clever, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, offers her provides in the summertime, and gathers her meals within the harvest” (6.6–8). Later, in a parallel saying of Agur, the bugs determine among the many ‘4 issues which are little upon the earth however they’re exceeding clever. The ants are a folks not sturdy, but they supply their meals in the summertime.’ (30.24–25)
- 31A: Polish language (EDIT) — So not “from Poland”; put “Polish” initially of a clue, the place the primary phrase is all the time capitalized, and bam: ambiguity!
- 88A: European capital via which the Akerselva flows (OSLO) — massive weekend for Norway within the crossword. Yesterday we realized about how a lot shoreline Norway has (relying on the way you measure, a doubtlessly ridiculous quantity) and at the moment … nicely, I realized a river. How have I by no means heard of a river that flows via a significant European metropolis!? Realizing now that my information of geography is exceedingly warped by crosswords. On my psychological map of Europe, the EBRO and the ODER and the NEVA are huge (although I can not exactly place Any of them), whereas much less grid-friendly rivers could as nicely not exist. And I doubt there are various rivers much less grid-friendly than AKERSELVA.
- 1D: Unlikely fliers, in a saying (PIGS) — wanted many crosses to get this one. The “saying” is “When pigs fly!” An expression that means “that’ll by no means occur.” Do folks nonetheless say this? I really feel like “lipstick on a pig” has overtaken “When pigs fly!” on the High Ten checklist of pig sayings. Unsure what the opposite sayings are. “Pig in a poke”? “In a pig’s eye!” (what the hell did that ever imply?) (the identical factor as “when pigs fly!,” I do know, however why its eye!?).
- 32D: Fantasy role-playing sport, for brief (D AND D) — so, D&D (i.e. Dungeons & Dragons), with the “&” written out. It is an ampersandwich! (different examples embody BANDB, RANDR, and so on.)
- 48D: Regional divisions in Russia (OBLASTS) — fairly certain I realized this phrase from crosswords, again within the day. I simply realized that I affiliate / conflate this phrase with “exclave,” for causes I don’t perceive in any respect. They don’t seem to be the identical.
- 53D: Members of a priestly caste of historic Persia (MAGI) — I didn’t know the that means of MAGI was as formal as all that. I simply thought they have been … three clever guys. Smart males, I imply. (“Smart guys” makes them sound like mobsters.)
- 63D: Two-version advertising experiments (AB TESTS) — ugh. Grim. I don’t communicate marketing-speak. This reply can go stroll into the ocean. Please.
- 118D: Fascinating formation for geese (ROW) — “in a metaphor,” certain. In actual life … how have you learnt? Did you ask the geese? Did a duck write this clue? (did it!?). Looks like geese won’t all the time wish to be in a row. Perhaps there are extra optimum formations, relying on context.
Completely happy June, everybody. See you subsequent time.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
