Theme: Typography.
Stella Zawistowski is a super crossword constructor who is consistently ranked in the top ten solvers at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. She loves a hard puzzle and used to run a website called Tough as Nails. Stella has resolved to take it a little easier on solvers these days, and for me, this one went well until I hit a couple of crossing unknowns in the far southeast. Let's dig into it and see how everyone else did.
The theme clues and answers, in symmetrically placed rows, are:
17-Across. Raised type?: STILT WALKER. You may have imagined embossed letters on a page, but this is the TYPE of person who is raised up by stilts.
24-Across. Against type?: DEBBIE DOWNER. You may have imagined someone opposed to the printing process, but this is the TYPE of person who is pessimistic and dampens the mood of others.
38-Across. Movable type?: NOMAD. You may have imagined the individual metal letters used to print books, but this is the TYPE of person who moves from one place to another without a permanent home.
47-Across. Blood type?: COUNT DRACULA. You may have imagined one of the classes of human blood distinguished by the presence of antigens on red blood cells, but this is the TYPE of person -- or really just one person -- who thrives on the consumption of human blood.
57-Across. File type?: OFFICE CLERK. You may have imagined a filing cabinet, or a tool with ridges to smooth rough surfaces, but this is the TYPE of person who files documents in an office.
So far, you're thinking, my TYPE of puzzle, right? Here come the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:1. Sega hedgehog: SONIC. Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series developed by Sega to compete with Nintendo's Mario. The first Sonic game was released in 1991 and the franchise continues to be a flagship for Sega.
 |
| Sonic the Hedgehog |
6. Mark of approval: STAMP.
11. Posed (for): SAT.
14. Cause of some food recalls: E. COLI. Escherichia coli are bacteria: some good for us, some bad.
15. Wispy streaks in the sky: CIRRI. Plural of cirrus, a wispy cloud formation at high altitude.
16. Blubber: CRY.
17. [Theme clue]
19. Regatta blade: OAR. A regatta is a series of boat races, and depending on the type of boat, an oar might be required.
20. "That ship __ sailed": HAS. Speaking of boats, "that ship has sailed" means the time for a particular opportunity has passed.
21. Connecticut university founded in 1701: YALE.
22. One of the four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: ARUBA. The Kingdom of the Netherlands comprises the Netherlands, Aruba, CuraƧao, and Sint Maarten. The last three of these are Caribbean islands.
24. [Theme clue]
28. Gentleman's opposite: LOUT.
29. Snide snickers: HEHS.
30. Corset components: STAYS. The stays of a garment are stiff pieces meant for shaping. DH wears collar stays with his dress shirts.
 |
| Vertical stays are sewn into the fabric of this corset. |
32. Catching in an ambush: WAYLAYING.
37. "Yuck!": EWW.
38. [Theme clue]
39. Short time out: NAP.
40. Opening-night event, often: CAST PARTY.
43. Realty ad count: BATHS. ROOMS and ACRES would also have fit. Or BDRMS if we're abbreviating.
45. Sad sigh: ALAS.
46. Mood: VIBE.
47. [Theme clue]
51. Abruptly cut contact with: GHOST. This sort of thing didn't happen so much when human relationships were mostly in person.
53. "Chill, will ya?": EASY.
54. Some TVs and fridges: LGS. LG is a brand of electronic appliances.
56. Slam (into): RAM.
57. [Theme clue]
61. Intention: AIM.
62. "Go, me!": I ROCK. I am filling in this puzzle! I am such a smarty pants!
63. Chabert of "Party of Five": LACEY. OK, whoops! Who, now? Party of Five aired on Fox from 1994 to 2000, with a total of six seasons. Lacey Chabert played one of five siblings whose parents died in a car accident. I have never heard of this show.
 |
| That's Lacey perched on her brother's lap at right. |
64. Garment that rarely works with a backless gown: BRA. Not a good look, unless you get creative like the lady in the picture below.
65. Doesn't shy from: DARES. Who dares to do the Down clues?
66. "Come on in!": ENTER. Let's enter the final phase of this puzzle.
Down:
1. Short meeting?: SESH. "Sesh" is modern shorthand for "session," which could be a meeting.
2. Legs on a spider, e.g.: OCTAD.
3. Legal deterrents to loud parties: NOISE LAWS.
4. Feeling feverish or not so hot: ILL. The wrong kind of E. coli can do this to you.
5. Commuting option: CITY BUS.
6. Get to the top of: SCALE. Think of scaling Mount Everest ...
7. Like many New York City subway stations: TILED. In recent years, white subway tile -- horizontal rectangles -- has been a big trend in home kitchens and bathrooms. Don't ask me why! I have never ridden the NYC subway system and am not acquainted with its charms.
8. Vessel in Genesis 7: ARK.
9. Emergency food ration, for short: MRE. Meal Ready to Eat. Used by the US Armed Forces where other food is not available.
10. Orinoco biter: PIRANHA. The Orinoco river flows through Venezuela and Colombia, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to over 1,000 fish species, one of which is the black spot piranha. Not to worry: more people eat piranhas than piranhas eat people.
9. Emergency food ration, for short: MRE. Meal Ready to Eat. Used by the US Armed Forces where other food is not available.
10. Orinoco biter: PIRANHA. The Orinoco river flows through Venezuela and Colombia, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to over 1,000 fish species, one of which is the black spot piranha. Not to worry: more people eat piranhas than piranhas eat people.
 |
| Pygocentrus cariba, or black spot piranha |
11. Clean with elbow grease: SCOUR.
12. Many a Moroccan: ARAB.
13. Banks with style: TYRA. Tyra Banks is a supermodel, actress, producer, and writer. She broke color barriers on the covers of Sports Illustrated and GQ, appeared in a host of TV shows and movies, and won an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show for The Tyra Banks Show.
 |
| Tyra Banks |
18. Hostess's estimate: WAIT. Oh, a restaurant hostess!
23. OpenTable alternative: RESY. OpenTable and Resy are software companies that sell reservation and table management systems to restaurants. If you've made a restaurant reservation online recently, you've probably used one or the other.
25. Son: BOY.
26. "Wunderbar!": OH YAY.
27. Join together: WELD.
30. Crimson Tide org.: SEC. The University of Alabama (Crimson Tide) is in the Southeastern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
31. Pan Am rival: TWA. Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and Trans World Airlines (TWA) were American airlines that once dominated global air travel.
32. "Do your __!": WORST. Go on! Let's see if you DARE.
33. Invoice fig.: AMT. A figure on an invoice is probably an amount.
34. Brainy one: INTELLECT.
35. "Not my thing": NAH.
36. Waymo tech: GPS. Waymo, the self-driving rideshare vehicle, uses a Global Positioning System. We have lots of them in West Los Angeles, and they are great drivers.
38. Bread served with raita: NAAN. Yummy Indian food.
41. Volkswagen that shares a name with a New Mexico town: TAOS.
42. Faraway dwarf planet: PLUTOID. A plutoid is a dwarf planet that orbits the sun farther than Neptune. Eight objects are classified as plutoids: Pluto, Orcus, Haumea, Makemake, Quaoar, Sedna, Gonggong, and Eris.
43. Commuting option: BICYCLE.
44. __ Simbel, Egypt: ABU. Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two enormous rock-cut temples in Upper Egypt. Carved out of a mountainside in the 13th century BC, they feature rock relief figures of Ramesses II.
 |
| Abu Simbel |
46. Ming collectible: VASE.
47. One in 1,000?: COMMA. Yes, there is one comma in 1,000.
48. Clear, as a windshield in winter: DE-ICE.
49. Holders of barbells: RACKS. A handy way to keep your barbells off the floor.
 |
| barbell rack |
50. Feel similarly: AGREE.
51. Screen __: GRAB. A screen grab is a still image of a frame from a video, whereas a screenshot is an image of a computer or mobile device's screen at a particular moment.
52. Subject of the r/Tressless subreddit: HAIR. This online discussion group is actually devoted to issues of hair loss.
55. Icelandic dairy product similar to yogurt: SKYR. I have purchased skyr and should have known it, but I could not recall the vowel. I tried A, E, I, O, and U, forgetting that Y sometimes acts as a vowel.
58. __ diavolo sauce: FRA. This spicy tomato sauce takes its name from an 18th century Italian guerrilla leader nicknamed Fra Diavolo or Brother Devil.
59. In favor of: FOR.
60. "The Wheel of Time" role: LAN. The Wheel of Time is a 14-volume series of fantasy novels by Robert Jordan. It was adapted into an Amazon Prime Video series which aired for three seasons from 2021 to 2025. Lan is a warrior and last survivor of a fallen kingdom. All of which is even further from my knowledge base than LACEY in "Party of Five."
Here's the grid. The red triangles mark the ones I flubbed.
Dear Reader, did you have the INTELLECT to solve this puzzle correctly? Did you find it EASY?
Or did you think it was the WORST puzzle ever?
In either case, you'll find someone to AGREE with you in the comments.
-- NaomiZ
Notes from C.C.:
Happy birthday to Big Easy (George), husband of Louisiana Tennis Hall of Famer Diane! George has been such a caring friend, always checking in on my RA and housing worries. Hope it's a beautiful day where you are, George!
Big Easy and his wife Diane
48 comments:
Well, this was a tough
one. I finished the puzzle, but didn’t get the “success flip” so I tweaked a few things and finally got it (among other things, I had spelled “piranha” wrong). Anyway, finally, FIR, so I’m happy.
And Happy Birthday, Big Easy! Glad you’re with us!
Good morning!
Isn't Stella a weight lifter? That RACK makes sense. Missed this one by three letters: The S in HEHS and the A and Y in LACEY. Too many possibilities. Bzzzzt. Thanx, Stella and NaomiZ. (I'm only familiar with Tyra Banks as the inventor of "smize." -- I think that was on WWDTM.)
Any puzzle from Stella is always tough to FIR and this was no exception, but I did it. Notice her weight lifting clue for RACK. It became harder when I got to the south. LAN, FRA, PLUTOID, and SKYR were complete unknowns, but luckily DW watches Hallmark movies and the Chabert name rang a bell. She's in most of those shows. PLUTOID was the last fill. What went on the end of PLUTO? I didn't know and got it from the self bragging I ROCK. I can't imagine anybody saying that but then again, everybody gets a trophy and is on the dean's list.
CIRRI- glad I took meteorology classes in college.
RESY-all perps
HAIR was a WAG from the unknown subreddit clue containing 'tressless'.
We haven’t seen Stella’s byline in the LAT for a while, and I knew a Thursday puzzle by her would be a challenge. It was pretty smooth sailing for a while, till I hit the SE and was left with L __ AC __, tried every combo of vowels (including Y)) to no avail and ultimately FIW, only to find out my mistake was the E which should have been an S in the unknown RESY, giving me hehe instead of HEHS. Perps decided OCTAD over octet and STAYS was all perps as were FRA and ABU. Oh well, I had fun trying, thanks Stella. And thanks to NaomiZ for your informative write-up!
FIW, hand up for missing LoCEo x LoN and SKoR, as well as CIRRa x PaRANHA. As Stanley would say, "HEY STELLA! "
Character LAN? An easier clue would have been "ethernet ______"
MREs aren't intended to be emergency food. A better clue would be "GI field chow" or "modern-day K-ration."
Echo of yesterday's fill TAOS was an unknown-to-me VW model. The only VW I've owned was a 1967 microbus. Loved that vehicle, but the 1700 CC air-cooled engine and matching transmission weren't up to the task.
Thanks to Stella Kowalski, er Zawistowski, for the fun challenge. I didn't like the cross of the showbiz and Iceland yogurt names in the lower right, but the rest was nice. And thanks to NaomiZ for another fun review. Ny first thought for file type was .EXE, .DOCX, .XLSX, .PDF, etc.
Took 12:39 today to type cast.
I knew the Actress of the Day (Lacey), thankfully because I had no idea about the Icelandic dairy product, which is a strong nominee for worst clue of the month. I didn't know the "Lan" character either.
I struggled mightily with the "resy", "hehs", "ohyay," and "waylaying" clunky area.
I have not been a fan of this constructor's puzzles, and this one didn't change my mind.
FIR. Today was a workout for me. It didn't help that the newspaper failed to fully print the clues for 5, 41, 49, and 60 down, so I was flying blind on those answers. And I went off in the NE when i threw down scrub before scour. Add to that that this was a Thursday hard puzzle and it explains my struggle. Somehow I managed to finish.
I understood the idea of the theme, but it wasn't enough to help.
But the clues were tough. And the few proper names I did not know.
Overall a so-so puzzle.
I have never been a fan of Stella's puzzles, and today's was no exception. A mish-mash of overly cute clues, obscurities, and "look how clever I am" entries.
And what's with constructors' recent "obseshon" with SESH?
Musings
-The LACEY, LAN and SKYR intersection was impossible for me. Puzzle was fun, completing it, not so much.
-Duh! The Kingdom Of The Netherlands is 5,000 miles SW of northern Europe!
-I remember some old westerns where ambushing was dry gulching
-GHOST: Are you picking up on a VIBE? They haven’t answered your last ten texts or emails, so…
-I would have better known Caddyshack’s LACEY Underalls?
-SESH, YEET, TOTES ADORBS, ad nauseum ain’t goin’ away.
-RESY: I found that Omaha only has two restaurants that use this. Seeing people being seated while were there first is upsetting.
-PLUTOIC/CARE seemed fine to me
--Our Stella is very familiar with weightlifting RACKS
-If Tress is in the clue…
-BTW, Stella runs a much easier 15 x 15 Daily Commuter Puzzle every day
-Happy Birthday, Big Easy.
Good Morning:
I finished by sheer luck in guessing the A for Lacey and Lan and the Y for Skyr, all three entries not only unknown but, IMO, unfair crossings. I believe this is the first time I’ve ever used the word “unfair” in critiquing a crossword puzzle but if ever it was called for, today’s the day. My initial opinion of Stella’s work was negative, as many regular solvers may recall that infamous Saturday of long ago, featuring Shakshuka, among other head-scratching entries. Since then, I’ve enjoyed some more solver-friendly offerings from Stella, but not today. In addition to the aforementioned unfair crossings, there were too many fill-in-the-blank clues and too many conversational tidbits. I don’t mind a challenge to my knowledge or deductive skills, but I don’t enjoy playing mind reader to the author’s whims.
Thanks, Naomi, for your usual clear and concise explanation of the theme and your interesting and informative review and commentary.
Happy Birthday, George, hope it’s a special day. ššššš
Have a great day.
FIR but it took a while and some effort. Once I figured out the theme, it was fun to come up with the answers. I liked the clue for NOMAD especially.
LAN crossing LACEY was the last to fall once I guessed the A. Other unknowns were RESY, that strange clue for HAIR, and FRA as clued. I was puzzled by WAIT for hostess until NaomiZ explained it.
So, thank you NaomiZ for that great recap.
Happy birthday BIG EASY. ššš
Great theme once I caught on. But hadda WAG a lot: LACEY, RESY. ABU (no idea)
Inkovers: octet/OCTAD, fat/CRY, nod/NAP, gems/GRAB, ma’am/lady/lord/LOUT. Whew!š
Does anyone know how to spell PIRANHA without help? Ha?
Wanted to fill PLUTOID but never heard the term so perp waited. SKYR. Was thinking of the candy bar Skor
The CAST PARTY is usually a closing night event
Last day in SW Florida then back to the frozen north.
DNF. Done in by the SE corner. Had to go to red letters, and alphabet runs as I hadn't a clue. There were some enjoyable entries, but on the whole, I have to Echo Irish Miss. She summed up my thoughts perfectly on this one!
I timed out in this “sesh” . After giving it 15 minutes I threw in the towel. The S.E. Corner was too obscure and difficult for my liking.
But… I always enjoy your entertaining and educational recap Naomi. Thanks for the time and effort you put in.š
I can't imagine attempting this one without all of the clues. Local papers have also printed the wrong day's puzzle. Can't go wrong by sticking with the LA Times web site. And it's free.
How did I forget to wish you happy birthday? Happy birthday!!!
This had a few challenges as expected from Stella - but doable
I know LACEY Chabert more from Hallmark movies than from her sit-com - she has done more than 40 of their movies
Speaking of Hallmark movies - thanks for all the condolences on my mom's death. That is something my mom and I would watch together especially at the holidays
THanks Naomi and Stella
Tricky Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Stella and NaomiZ.
I don’t ROCK today as Stella won. I DNF with far too many white areas and unknowns, and no more time. So I GHOSTed. But I won’t be a DEBBIE DOWNER - with more persistence I might have done better.
I hung on to Lady for too long, went meh! at LOrd, finally LOUT perped.
OCTet changed to OCTAD.
SCrUb needed more muscle- SCOUR.
PIRANHA had HN at first.
LACEY was unknown, but apparently she was in an English dub of SONIC the Hedgehog.
TLDR re your comments. I’ll be back later.
Happy Birthday Big Easy.
Wishing you all a great day.
Thoughts and prayers with you and your family on the death of your Mom. Even if not unexpected, it is hard. May you be comforted by the hope of eternity.
Outstanding puzzle, every bit as tough as expected with Stella at the helm. I completed the grid correctly but didn’t discern a theme.
DEBBIE DOWNER was the key to the whole thing, and my original guess of PLUTO II got me close enough to PLUTOID, my final fill. COUNT DRACULA was an educated guess that paid off, and I went with CAST PARTY, although I remember a lot more closing-night bashes than opening-night gatherings. CIRRI and “do your WORST” were educated guesses, and WAYLAYING made me feel uneasy when I filled it in.
My only complaints were that three paraphrases sucked, as usual, and that RESY, ABU, and SKYR were rather obscure unknowns. But I did know how to spell PIRANHA. And I did know LACEY Chabert. She is so fetch.
Hola! Stella beat me today. I got as far as the bottom then ran out of steam. However, teaching fourth grade weather included cirrus clouds, so CIRRI made it. And I'm good at spelling so PIRANHA also filled. Not so with OFFICE CLERK. It just did not make sense to me. And SKYR? Luckily ALEXA knew LACEY as I Never watched Party of Five. Maybe my INTELLECT is deteriorating as I used to finish puzzles by sheer determination.
Happy birthday, Big Easy!
Thanks to Stella for today's puzzle! I had the same 2 red triangles as NaomiZ. I guessed LuCEo. Perhaps a hint in the clue that it was a female name would have helped this tricky crossing. Nevertheless, this puzzle felt worth the effort to me.
FAVs were the COMMA clue and the way "Commuting option" were symmetrical partners in the grid.
Why would someone say, "Do your WORST"?
Happy birthday to Big Easy!
Thanks to NaomiZ! That was interesting about how more people eat PIRANAs than the other way around.
I thought this puzzle might make me mind my p's & q's, but in reality, I have saved so many notes to talk about, my task bar is completely filled so much the tabs are too small to press on...
Like that ship has sailed.... (Probably in Fiji by now...)
Netherlands has taken in a new meaning for me... (home of Amsterdam! So that's where it is...) I thought nether meant far away, but it actually means lower, or beneath! Hmm, maybe this explains why the North Pole is not part of the Netherlands?
Opposite of gentleman is not a lady, hmm, have you ever tried to look up the opposite of "lady?" Apparently the dictionary has taken the high road, and does not want to disparage the opposite sex...
Abu Simple was taken apart, and moved block by block, and reassembled on higher ground to save it from the Aswan Dam waters. A remarkable feat...
happy birthday Big Easy!
Sorry for all the late night deleted posts yesterday. I was testing to see if it was possible to post a YouTube video with a specific start and stop time. Normally it should be possible, but the blog only seems to accept start times, and ignores stop time requests even though it works in other apps. I have not given up, there are other ways. But what I didn't realize, um, what I thought, was that the Blog auto deletes "deleted" posts. Turns out it does not. Sorry for the mess...
Learning moment: I don't know how to spell "piranha" either...
But this really bothered me, because "I know" it was different way back when. But how? Was it spelled differently in different countries, like color/colour? Did it change over time? So I did some research: oh phooey! What the heck does A.I. know anyway...
Pogo would say, "Looks like Friday the thirteenth come on a Thursday this month." I really struggled. Then I figured out my printed copy of the CW did not print the last half-inch or so, leaving some clues as half-clues. 5D "Commuting" had me stumped, as did 41D, 49D & 60D. Once I figured out I didn't have the whole clue, I went online, turned on red-letter help and started over. "Commuting OPTION" made more sense. Even then the SE was tough. Eventually, got 'er done in 20. But I looked back at the mess I had on paper: OHBOY/OHYAY, SCRUB/SCOUR among a few other W/Os. I filled PLUTO but had two cells left. Hmmm. Never heard of PLUTOID. Or RESY. Needed perps. I, too, took a while to think of a RESTAURANT hostess. I've been to ARUBA but forgot it was a country, not a territory of the Netherlands. Sailed around Aruba, and out of Simpson Bay on St. Maarten. Hmmm. The MRE clue reminded me of the TV ads I see for "Patriot" foods, which they advertise as shelf stable for 25 years "for when things go sideways", whatever that means. Their TV ads feature pictures of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and other fresh fruit and veggies. I contacted them and was told, "No, those are not included in our package, you would get those from the market to supplement our food." My comment? "If things "go sideways" but I can still buy fresh fruit and veggies from the market, couldn't I also buy canned and packaged goods from the market?" They hung up. Anyway, very challenging Saturday-on-a-Thursday CW. Thanx for the workout, SZ. Great write-up, NaomiZ, thanx for all your time and effort. HBD B.E.!!
Folks, especially those who dominate Next Door and even Facebook, tend to use the word "lady" in a disparaging generic manner, as in "Suddenly, this lady comes out of nowhere and broadsides my SUV." And when I was younger, it was common to hear about "picking up" a "lady" at a bar.
I'm still surprised that Lacey Chabert confounded so many people and that none of those people knew her from the original "Mean Girls," which came several years after "Dawson's Creek."
There is a compact between crossword constructor and solver: the latter expects an enjoyable and satisfying experience in response to the constructor's challenge.
Stella of late seems to have been improving in her recent puzzles in having the best interests of the solvers in mind. But not today. This was a puzzle that was replete with obscurities, conversational clearings-of-the-throat, and KIOYDs (you Know It Or You Don't).
Clearly most of us did not appreciate her challenge, and would answer NO to the question, Has this been worth my time?
Forgive my curiosity, but I just have to try this. It is a clip of a video showing how to create a link with start stop times THAT DOES NOT WORK!
The above link was edited with YouTube studio. I want to see if it works in Blogger.
As a peace offering for cluttering up your blog, here is some more clutter for those who have way to much time on their hands.
click on "about" to learn what this is and how to use it to go down infinite rabbit holes...
Challenging but fun Thursday puzzle, many thanks Ben and Stephanie. And your comments and pictures were a pleasure as always, NaomiZ, thanks for those too.
Well, the puzzle makes us wonder if the STILT WALKER might once have been an OFFICE CLERK who rode a BICYCLE to work every day. She had graduated from YALE and said 'I ROCK' when she got her degree. But now she has problems and has to take a CITY BUS to go to the bank to get her payments. Feels like the WORST time of her life to her. Thankfully she has a girl friend who plays games with her, including one about COUNT DRACULA, and is hoping to get her ready for Halloween when she'll be dressed as a GHOST. So all is again pretty good for her, and she still says 'I ROCK' even on days when she also internally says 'ALAS' with that sad sigh.
Have a cheerful day, everyone.
AGAINST TYPE is when an actor plays a role that goes AGAINST their usual TYPE CAST. Did anyone else catch this meaning?
Yes, the cross of LAN, LACEY, SKYR was truly pure EVIL. If LAN or LACEY were clued for actual humans it would have been solvable by actual humans. Too bad to ruin an otherwise enjoyable puzzle.
Even though I never heard of it before Just looked to make a reservation for dinner tonight and was direct to RESY.com.
Isn't it STELLLLLLAAAAAAA!~?
I was several closing-night parties, never an opening one.
Yeah, but with that many letters I'd have no chance of speling it rite.
Freddy Krueger eating sushi. LOL!
I agree about the CASTE PARTY
Is "wrap PARTY" just a movie/TV term? I was thinking that maybe CAST PARTY was up front; wrap PARTY at the end. But what do I know - I can't even act normal.
Similar to Pat Benatar singing Hit ME With Your Best Shot. Kind of a dare.
CE, I can speak for myself only, but I have never seen Mean Girls, Dawson’s Creek, or Party of Five, nor have I ever heard of Lacey Chabert.
I echo IM☘️
No one has called it out….NATICK at 60D / 63A.
If there was a “constructor rating system” a NATICK would be a big negative mark.
Also…that picture of the weight lifter…what’s with the hand position, one underhand and one overhand?
Clearly, for most of you poor solvers with bigger egos than solving skills.
There is no compact. There is a solving challenge. If you don't have the chops, suck it up and admit that you weren't skilled enough.
In short, Stella is a constructor that creates crosswords that are far above your marginal solving ability.
Agreed!
To the two Anonomi (!) replying to TehachapiKen. Um, no. He is correct. It is not a challenge when three "words" are crossed that you either know or you don't know. A good constructor/editor would never do that. It is not about skills when no amount of skill would solve it.
So, this is rather a curious situation: everyone is ragging about this Stella Whoever-ski as the one who built this CW…but my LA Times paper today is listing Ben & Stephanie Wildman as the alleged perpetrators of this thing. Only Misty above called out these two. At least my paper printed all the clues though…
Anyway, whomever did do this abomination, I’m with Irish Miss, et al, in giving it a negative review; besides the ludicrous mess down there in the SE, some of the clueing is flat wrong. To wit: a “Brainy one” is an INTELLECTual because they have INTELLECT, as a noun. And yes, every CASTPARTY I’ve ever been to (a.k.a “wrap party” in the movie biz) is to celebrate finishing the run; if it takes place on the night the show opens, it’s because the show was a massive flop — and that ain’t gonna be no party, folks…
Best part of the day is the tour from NaomiZ; at least there was some joy there!
Jinx, you had a VW bus?? Brave man…or maybe just young & dumb like I was back then š. I mean, almost nothing between your knees and anything you might run into, and it did 0-60 in about five weeks. The bad ol’ daze, huh!
Speaking of the old days, the concept of GHOSTing is nothing new — I got that from a girl I was dating back in those VW days. She just didn’t respond to any of the messages I left on her answering machine…
====> Darren / L.A.
Agnes & Monkey. Make that three who haven't seen the shows but I knew Lacey because I think DW (not me) has seen every Hallmark movie and every Hallmark Christmas movie. Same plot for every Christmas movie. And Lacey Chabert or Candace Cameron Bure must be in 100 of them.
Darren, the wrap party bombs you mentioned reminds me of a party for the losing candidate on election night or coach of the loser of the Super Bow. More like a wake or funeral. Those reporters should tell them "you lost; go home" but insist on peppering the loser with questions about the causes for their defeat.
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