Get Out of Here (12/06/2020)

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Possibly the best thing about Saturdays (other than college football, when it's in season) is that the crossword becomes available at 6pm rather than 10pm like it is the rest of the week. I never actually do the crossword at 6 o'clock, especially not yesterday when IU was in the midst of trouncing Wisconsin in a game that was technically not over until the final possession but was actually firmly won by the middle of the third quarter. But there is something comforting in that little push notification that a new puzzle is waiting for you, just waiting to be conquered. Today's puzzle was constructed by Tony Orbach and features a fun theme that while easy to grasp did not give away the answers to the clues.

On the subject of fill, it was solid through and through. Some of the smaller answers, notably STD, STE, RUR and AIT were not readily solvable, but the answers that crossed them were enjoyable enough that I paid them no mind. Other small answers such as ACL, DUI, OUI, and BCE are common enough in crosswords to actually help solve the puzzle rather than ask the puzzle to solve them.

Some notable answers include 8A's ABACI, making it's second occurrence in just a weeks time, clued as "Counting tools" and UMBRA at 62A which asked for "Shadow during an eclipse." The former was an addition to my vocabulary the last time, and the latter the same this time. 79A wanted to know the "Nick name for baseball great Ernie Banks" which was MRCUB, while a difficult southwestern corner asked for both HAUER and ISTRIA clued as "Actor Rutger of 'Blind Fury'" and "Peninsula shared by Italy, Slovenia and Croatia," respectively. 

On the vertical side, an early clue at 3D called to mind the commercials from JET.com when purple dust explodes from people's skulls as they have their MINDBLOWN. A bit of British slang crops up in 45D's "Well, I'll be to a Brit" looking for BLIMEY. A clue that tripped me up due to a combination of Biblical reference and geography (two subjects I'm woefully ignorant in) was looking for a "Biblical mount" which I solved as ARAFAT rather than ARARAT. Finally, a fitting clue for this time of year asked for the "Start of a seasonal request." I was positive it would have something to due with the dreaded pumpkin spice latte but was pleased with the answer DEARSANTA.

Today's theme took a look at popular phrases with the word 'of' and what would happen if you took it away. An interesting experiment that paid off handsomely with clues like "Knowing everything that's available to view on Netflix?" (STREAMCONSCIOUSNESS) and "Hire Phil Collins' longtime band for a gig?" which solved to BOOKGENESIS. With a total of 9 themed answers, this puzzle was lacking in neither intriguing wordplay nor humorous payoff. One clue which may leave you wondering is 51A's "Serengeti, e.g.?" While the answer PRIDEPLACE is easy enough, the themed phrase it is derived from 'pride of place' is one not commonly heard in American English. Per a suggestion, the television series The Repair Shop is a good place to hear this one in action.

The rest of the themed answers are:

23A "Archaeologist's assertion about a finding?" BONECONTENTION

33A "Swim team guru?" STROKEGENIUS 

77A "Amenity offered at an internet cafe?" FREECHARGE

84A "Bit of reading at a bar mitzvah?" RITEPASSAGE

90A "Stand-up's bombs?" COMEDYERRORS

106A "Art shop worker's manual?" FRAMEREFERENCE

As a novice puzzle constructor myself, I know just how hard it is to make a good puzzle that relies on solid answers and interesting clues, especially when it's easy to pump the fill with common crossword-ese and focus only on the themes. This puzzle was mercifully light on the groan-inducing muck and instead loaded to the teeth with varied and challenging answers. For every dud like ISSHE or ONEK, Mr. Orbach crossed them with solvable answers (and usually themed answers at that) making the entire grid a thinker's puzzle... rather than just a headache.

Speaking of being a novice constructor, I've recently posted a handful of mini crosswords. If you're still up for a little puzzle, you can follow that link. 

When do you do the Sunday puzzle? Right when it goes live, the next morning, or as late as you reasonably can and still keep your streak alive? Let me know in the comments. For those of you in the last category, here are the answers to help you out!

       

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