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Solving => Today's Puzzles => Topic started by: magus on September 23, 2014, 08:41:01 AM

Title: Tue., 9/23 Jeffrey Wechsler
Post by: magus on September 23, 2014, 08:41:01 AM

THEME:   two-word phrases with first word starting with Q and second with T
   
GOOD ONES:    
Surreptitiously {& theme} ON THE QT   
Start to practice?   MAL   
   

   
RATING:    ;D
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun   

Title: Re: Tue., 9/23 Jeffrey Wechsler
Post by: Thomps2525 on September 23, 2014, 06:21:13 PM

It's too bad they couldn't have included the Quin-Tones, a Pennyslvania doo-wop group who had the 1958 hit Down The Aisle Of Love. Oh well...

I concur with the "one grin" rating. The puzzle contains too many overly-common Crosswordese words: ABLE, ALOT, ANEW, ARC, ASP, MER, OGRE, OLE, SET and SRI (as in Sri Lanka). Also there are 41 black squares. Most puzzle editors agree that a 15x15 grid should have no more than 36 black squares. I've seen 40 or more in quite a few puzzles recently.

Today's New York Times crossword includes one of those notorious "words-that-aren't really-words." Sam Buckbinder wound up with DATS for 37 down. He clued it with "___ what I'm talkin' 'bout!" Dat...er, I mean that is really reaching for it, Sam!