Tag Archives: Enrique Henestroza Anguiano

NYT Crossword Puzzle 11-29-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

Leave a reply

I pulled out 4D Mouth-puckering green drink: LIMEADE because I haven’t had limeade in a long time, but I used to have it in summertime, and I like it way more than I like lemonade. I don’t know what it is about the drink, but I find it to be way more refreshing. Why is it not as popular as its yellow brother?

Theme!

20A Hoped-for experience at a casino: STREAKOFLUCK.
28A Sprinkle often paired with salt: DASHOFPEPPER. I made latkes last night and tonight. I made the recipe last night, though. Cooked more today. Anyway, I added salt and pepper, but I feel like I could have done more pepper. It would have benefitted from more pepper.
45A Fashion designer’s purchase: BOLTOFFABRIC. Just like how fabric is sold in bolts and there are bolt ends that are sold for less as scrap, that’s how I get my pieces of wood for my woodworking projects! But scrap from the hardwood store. Not from the fabric store.

54A Early advantage … or what 20-, 28- and 45-Across each have?: RUNNINGSTART. Streak, dash, bolt.

Finished this one in 4:55.

NYT Crossword 12-8-20 Complete

Leave a reply

Not bad for a Tuesday puzzle, but I did get stuck in a check spiral. I don’t remember this message. Has it always had “Horsefeathers.” in it?

I realized that 21D Method of successive improvement is not ITEMATION but ITERATION. Then the piano played.

I pulled out 45D Seasickness, e.g.: NAUSEA because I don’t like the clue. Seasickness for example? It’s seasickness. Check the etymology. We know other words that start the same way. Such as nautical. NAU- means boat.

I took a brief break to check the Online Etymology Dictionary (how do you like that for a reimagining of the OED initialism?), a source I hold in high regard. In the entry for nausea, it does state: “Despite its etymology, the word in English seems never to have been restricted to seasickness.”

I still don’t like the clue. I think they could have done better. I blame Will Shortz for bad editing.

Today’s theme

I figured out today’s theme pretty early on and solved the central clue before reading it.

37A One totally unlike another … or what each answer on the edge of this puzzle has?: POLAROPPOSITE.

1A 9-to-5 activity: WORK. I have never had such a job. In my life, an eight-hour work day is from 8 to 5 with an hour for lunch or 9 to 6 with an hour for lunch. Though when I worked at EY, such hours only existed during the REM stage of my few hours of slumber each night.
69A Off-hours activity: PLAY.

5A In heaven, say: ABOVE.
68A In hell, say: BELOW.

10A Like a Saturday crossword: HARD. I’ll say!
67A Like a Monday crossword: EASY. I’ll say!

1D Rainy: WET.
63D Not rainy: DRY.
Brilliant clues. Seems effortless.

23D Like the year you ring out on December 31: OLD.
43D Like the year you ring in on January 1: NEW.

44D Land, as a plane: ARRIVE.
13D Take off, as a plane: DEPART.

Finished this puzzle in 11 minutes flat.