Theme: None
Total blocks: 27
I had an epiphany earlier. I suddenly realized what was really missing in Higgins' puzzle: vitality. I just could not find much spontaneity or creativity in them. It felt like he made up this grid just by looking at the dictionary and reference books.
If you look at his clues carefully, nearly every one of them is theoretically & factually correct, but most of them just feel so stiff and wooden. I guess I am too instinctive and intuitive a person for his rigidness.
For example:
57A: Stringed instruments: CELLOS. No flaw in the clue. But "Yo-Yo Ma's instruments" will evoke some vivid memories/images for the solvers, at least, for me.
34D: Hone: SHARPEN. Again, the clue is fine, but boring. "Make a point, perhaps" will force the solvers to think a bit, and add some flavor to the grid.
50D: Figure of worship: IDOL. Once again, the clue is correct. But why not "David Cook, e.g." to perk up the puzzle?
Also, I would prefer the clue for PAGAN (23A: Idolator) to be "Heathen", it's just visually jarring to see IDOL as the answer and part of the clue.
REPEAL (15A: Withdraw formally) & RECLAIMS (37A: Gains restoration) are perfectly fine words. And I suppose RETOOLS (2D: Changes the machinery) is OK too. But REDARES (37D: Challenges anew)? And is PERVADER (51A: Something that permeates) really a word?
Across:
1A: Visual aids: GRAPHS
7A: Bucolic: PASTORAL. Here is Beethoven No. 6 (PASTORAL).
16A: Not counting: LET ALONE. What kind of clue is this? I don't understand it.
18A: Tiresome long: UNENDING
19A: Yankees in Dixie: NORTHERNERS. I learned a new phrase this morning: "Whistle Dixie". Dictionary explains it as "to indulge in unrealistically optimistic fantasies". Kind of like "have a pollyanna notion about certain things", isn't it? Have you used "whistle Dixie" before?
21A: ___ generis (of its own kind): SUI. New to me.
22A: Neil Simon's nickname: DOC. Did not know this. This is a list of baseball players' nicknames. Maybe Mr. Higgins should try to create such a sportspeople nicknames themed puzzle rather than indulging himself in his affixes infatuation.
25A: Spunk: PLUCKINESS. And 56A: Proximity: NEARNESS. Yawner, yawner!
29A: Beset: ASSAILED
30A: Intrinsically: PER SE
41A: Target on the green: HOLE. Just how deep is a HOLE? Do you know? Do you want to know? I know the diameter is about 4 1/4 inches. I would clue KITE (27D: Fork-tailed bird) as "Tom of the Champions?" (Champions Tour) to pair up with HOLE. Tom KITE won U.S. Open in 1992 and certainly has the name recognition.
42A: Prodigious: PHENOMENAL. JVJ24601 mentioned on Wednesday that "Michael Phelps is to be the host for the new season premier of SNL on 9/13."
45A: Waterproof wool cloth: LODEN. I forgot. LODEN appeared as "Waterproof cloth" on a Sunday puzzle before. It's made of sheep wool. Here is happy family all in LODEN coat.
46A: Reggae relative: SKA. Are you very familiar with the "calypso music"?
48A: Products of the body's fuel-burning system: METABOLITES. Another new word to me. I only knew METABOLISM.
54A: Twist together: ENTANGLE
55A: Tristan's beloved: ISOLDE. No idea. It's a Wagner opera. Have you seen this movie before?
Down:
3D: Revealing glimpses: APERÇUS. It's always "short summary" to me.
5D: Muddle: HASH. Are you really synonymous? In what sense?
6D: In a languid manner: SLEEPILY
7D: Dashed with headlong haste: PLUNGED
8D: Virgil's Trojan hero: AENEAS. Vaguely remember this name due to an earlier DIDO (Queen of Carthage) puzzle. DIDO killed herself when abandoned by AENEAS. How sad! Men can be so cruel! It's from Vigil's epic poem, "The Aeneid".
12D: Revel boisterously: ROISTER. This is another new word for me. I like the adjective "roisterously", very noisy-looking.
14D: Easily deciphered: LEGIBLE
24D: Cornerstone tablets: STELAE. Singular form is STELE, or STELA.
30D: Cardsharp's maneuver: PALM. "Carsharp" is new word to me.
32D: Supergiant star in Cygnus: DENEB. I forgot again. Here is the map. Wikipedia says that DENEB, together with Altair and Vega, forms the Summer Triangle.
33D: Financially rewarding: ECONOMIC
35D: Part of TNT: TOLUENE. The second T in TNT. I had no idea. I was thinking of the "We Know Drama" TNT network.
36D: Calgary's province: ALBERTA. Ha, Stephen Harper comes from ALBERTA.
38D: Implant: INSTILL
39D: Gets by with less: MAKES DO
40D: Cuts slits: SLASHES
48D: Horace or Aimee: MANN. Have heard of Horace MANN, not Aimee. I always associated Aimee with actress Anouk.
49D: Mislay: LOSE. I've never used this word "mislay" before. Can you say "The key was mislaid"?
C.C.
Total blocks: 27
I had an epiphany earlier. I suddenly realized what was really missing in Higgins' puzzle: vitality. I just could not find much spontaneity or creativity in them. It felt like he made up this grid just by looking at the dictionary and reference books.
If you look at his clues carefully, nearly every one of them is theoretically & factually correct, but most of them just feel so stiff and wooden. I guess I am too instinctive and intuitive a person for his rigidness.
For example:
57A: Stringed instruments: CELLOS. No flaw in the clue. But "Yo-Yo Ma's instruments" will evoke some vivid memories/images for the solvers, at least, for me.
34D: Hone: SHARPEN. Again, the clue is fine, but boring. "Make a point, perhaps" will force the solvers to think a bit, and add some flavor to the grid.
50D: Figure of worship: IDOL. Once again, the clue is correct. But why not "David Cook, e.g." to perk up the puzzle?
Also, I would prefer the clue for PAGAN (23A: Idolator) to be "Heathen", it's just visually jarring to see IDOL as the answer and part of the clue.
REPEAL (15A: Withdraw formally) & RECLAIMS (37A: Gains restoration) are perfectly fine words. And I suppose RETOOLS (2D: Changes the machinery) is OK too. But REDARES (37D: Challenges anew)? And is PERVADER (51A: Something that permeates) really a word?
Across:
1A: Visual aids: GRAPHS
7A: Bucolic: PASTORAL. Here is Beethoven No. 6 (PASTORAL).
16A: Not counting: LET ALONE. What kind of clue is this? I don't understand it.
18A: Tiresome long: UNENDING
19A: Yankees in Dixie: NORTHERNERS. I learned a new phrase this morning: "Whistle Dixie". Dictionary explains it as "to indulge in unrealistically optimistic fantasies". Kind of like "have a pollyanna notion about certain things", isn't it? Have you used "whistle Dixie" before?
21A: ___ generis (of its own kind): SUI. New to me.
22A: Neil Simon's nickname: DOC. Did not know this. This is a list of baseball players' nicknames. Maybe Mr. Higgins should try to create such a sportspeople nicknames themed puzzle rather than indulging himself in his affixes infatuation.
25A: Spunk: PLUCKINESS. And 56A: Proximity: NEARNESS. Yawner, yawner!
29A: Beset: ASSAILED
30A: Intrinsically: PER SE
41A: Target on the green: HOLE. Just how deep is a HOLE? Do you know? Do you want to know? I know the diameter is about 4 1/4 inches. I would clue KITE (27D: Fork-tailed bird) as "Tom of the Champions?" (Champions Tour) to pair up with HOLE. Tom KITE won U.S. Open in 1992 and certainly has the name recognition.
42A: Prodigious: PHENOMENAL. JVJ24601 mentioned on Wednesday that "Michael Phelps is to be the host for the new season premier of SNL on 9/13."
45A: Waterproof wool cloth: LODEN. I forgot. LODEN appeared as "Waterproof cloth" on a Sunday puzzle before. It's made of sheep wool. Here is happy family all in LODEN coat.
46A: Reggae relative: SKA. Are you very familiar with the "calypso music"?
48A: Products of the body's fuel-burning system: METABOLITES. Another new word to me. I only knew METABOLISM.
54A: Twist together: ENTANGLE
55A: Tristan's beloved: ISOLDE. No idea. It's a Wagner opera. Have you seen this movie before?
Down:
3D: Revealing glimpses: APERÇUS. It's always "short summary" to me.
5D: Muddle: HASH. Are you really synonymous? In what sense?
6D: In a languid manner: SLEEPILY
7D: Dashed with headlong haste: PLUNGED
8D: Virgil's Trojan hero: AENEAS. Vaguely remember this name due to an earlier DIDO (Queen of Carthage) puzzle. DIDO killed herself when abandoned by AENEAS. How sad! Men can be so cruel! It's from Vigil's epic poem, "The Aeneid".
12D: Revel boisterously: ROISTER. This is another new word for me. I like the adjective "roisterously", very noisy-looking.
14D: Easily deciphered: LEGIBLE
24D: Cornerstone tablets: STELAE. Singular form is STELE, or STELA.
30D: Cardsharp's maneuver: PALM. "Carsharp" is new word to me.
32D: Supergiant star in Cygnus: DENEB. I forgot again. Here is the map. Wikipedia says that DENEB, together with Altair and Vega, forms the Summer Triangle.
33D: Financially rewarding: ECONOMIC
35D: Part of TNT: TOLUENE. The second T in TNT. I had no idea. I was thinking of the "We Know Drama" TNT network.
36D: Calgary's province: ALBERTA. Ha, Stephen Harper comes from ALBERTA.
38D: Implant: INSTILL
39D: Gets by with less: MAKES DO
40D: Cuts slits: SLASHES
48D: Horace or Aimee: MANN. Have heard of Horace MANN, not Aimee. I always associated Aimee with actress Anouk.
49D: Mislay: LOSE. I've never used this word "mislay" before. Can you say "The key was mislaid"?
C.C.
