I pulled out 30A Modern source of juice: WIRELESSCHARGER because my Google Pixel 3 has been on the fritz, and I wanted to get the 5A when it was on sale, but I rely on wireless charging. So now I still have a janky phone with no reasonable replacement.
No theme for this Friday puzzle.
Finished this one in 23:10.
I pulled out 3D Toy for a budding engineer: ERECTORSET because I had an erector set when I was a child. So much fun building things like planes and stuff. Maybe that’s why I fixed my PS4 (again) recently instead of taking it in/throwing it away or why I do so much woodworking stuff. And even though both of my parents are engineers, I went into accounting. And magic.
Theme!
2D Cackling Australian bird: KOOKABURRA -> KOOKABU(R)(R)A.
26D Dove’s cry: COO -> C(O)(O).
5D Nickname for the Mandalorian’s charge: BABYYODA -> BAB(Y)(Y)ODA. Now, I started this puzzle while I was falling asleep last night, and I had put in BABYYOSH, which I then changed to BABYYOSHI by putting the H and the I in the same box. That messed me up later because I thought that it was a many-letters-per-square puzzle in addition to the circles, but maybe it was just BABYYOSH. Foolishness.
7D Spur (on): EGG -> E(G)(G). Her?
9D Hoity-toity: SNOBBISH -> SNO(B)(B)ISH.
28D Platform for Super Mario Galaxy: WII -> W(I)(I).
12D Like a public relations pro: MEDIASAVVY -> MEDIASA(V)(V)Y.
52A Rare sighting after a storm … or a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters: DOUBLERAINBOW.
Finished this one in 13:13.
| Day | This Wk | Best | Average | 4-Wk Avg | Streak |
| Monday | 5:25 | 3:49 | 9:21 | 5:34 | 81 |
| Tuesday | 13:13 | 5:22 | 13:11 | 10:31 | 5 |
| Wednesday | 7:38 | 16:58 | 15:55 | 21 | |
| Thursday | 12:12 | 28:06 | 19:58 | 7 | |
| Friday | 10:29 | 30:08 | 14:49 | 21 | |
| Saturday | 20:11 | 31:55 | 23:17 | 21 | |
| Sunday | 15:11 | 51:57 | 36:41 | 8 |
I pulled out 82A “What in the …!”: SONOFA because I figured this answer out with only the first letter filled out. I thought it an absurd answer, but based on how the NYTXW goes, it was worth keeping in.
The title of this puzzle is Study Breaks.
21A Function whose output is 45° when applied to 1: ARCTANGENT. Shown as AR(C)TANGENT.
26A Premium membership designation: ELITESTATUS. Shown as ELITESTAT(U)S.
42A It lets you see the sites: INTERNETCONNECTION. Shown as INTERNE(T)CONNECTION.
60A Holders of multiple passports: DUALCITIZENS. Shown as DUAL(C)ITIZENS.
74A First openly lesbian anchor to host a major prime-time news program: RACHELMADDOW. Shown as RACHE(L)MADDOW.
92A Ones fighting for change: POLITICALACTIVISTS. Shown as POLITICAL(A)CTIVISTS.
108A Hempseed product: CANNABISOIL. Shown as CANNABI(S)OIL.
119A Bringing up the rear: LASTINLINE. Shown as LA(S)TINLINE.
Metasolution 1: Classes
21A AR(C)TANGENT -> ART.
26A ELITESTAT(U)S -> STATS.
42A INTERNE(T)CONNECTION -> ECON.
60A DUAL(C)ITIZENS -> LIT.
74A RACHE(L)MADDOW -> CHEM.
92A POLITICAL(A)CTIVISTS -> CALC.
108A CANNABI(S)OIL -> BIO.
119A LA(S)TINLINE -> LATIN.
Metasolution 2: Circled letters!
CUTCLASS. Because these letters cut the classes.
Finished this one in 44:08.
| Day | This Wk | Best | Average | 4-Wk Avg | Streak |
| Monday | 6:04 | 3:49 | 9:25 | 6:35 | 75 |
| Tuesday | 5:22 | 13:17 | 9:09 | 0 | |
| Wednesday | 8:51 | 7:38 | 17:04 | 11:32 | 16 |
| Thursday | 42:46 | 12:12 | 28:43 | 29:35 | 2 |
| Friday | 18:30 | 16:23 | 32:15 | 21:01 | 16 |
| Saturday | 54:37 | 20:12 | 33:02 | 34:25 | 16 |
| Sunday | 44:08 | 15:11 | 53:56 | 46:41 | 3 |
I pulled out 55A Cheese whose name is a semordnilap: EDAM because I had no idea what a semordnilap is. I really, really didn’t want to solve around it and for sure not look it up because it seemed to be something I could try to figure out. So I stared at it and realized that it’s palindromes backwards. So then I tried to think of a cheese that’s a palindrome. Nonresultant. But EDAM is a crossword cheese. And EDAM backwards is MADE. So I figured a semordnilap must be a word that isn’t the same word backwards but a different, real word. Which, I guess, semordnilap now is, despite the red squiggly?
No theme, but some other tough clues from today’s puzzle:
18A Social protest lecture series: TEACHINS. Makes sense.
51A Monkey head mushroom, by another name: LIONSMANE. Now, I’ve never heard of either name.
Finished this one in 26:55.
| Day | This Wk | Best | Average | 4-Wk Avg | Streak |
| Monday | 4:31 | 3:49 | 9:26 | 6:56 | 74 |
| Tuesday | 12:22 | 5:22 | 13:20 | 9:09 | 1 |
| Wednesday | 11:20 | 7:38 | 17:09 | 11:51 | 15 |
| Thursday | 13:45 | 12:12 | 28:26 | 25:50 | 1 |
| Friday | 26:55 | 16:23 | 32:42 | 21:02 | 15 |
| Saturday | 27:43 | 33:49 | 30:25 | 14 | |
| Sunday | 15:11 | 54:12 | 47:05 | 1 |
I pulled out 47A Does a summer job?: ADDS because it’s my favorite pun at least this half of this year. Summer as in someone who makes sums. Someone who adds.
The title of this puzzle is Off Br&. Off brand?
21A Five guys?: OFFENSIVELINE.
26A Green giant?: WINDTURBINE.
65A General mills?: MILITARYACADEMIES.
84A Texas instruments?: STEELGUITARS.
103A Band aid?: SOUNDSYSTEM.
114A Old navy?: SPANISHARMADA.
I understand the concept of a brand name given and the answer as something that isn’t what that brand does, but I don’t know how the ampersand plays a role.
Finished this one in 33:31.
| Day | This Wk | Best | Average | 4-Wk Avg | Streak |
| Monday | 7:01 | 3:49 | 9:28 | 8:20 | 67 |
| Tuesday | 7:51 | 5:22 | 13:40 | 12:38 | 10 |
| Wednesday | 29:35 | 7:38 | 17:36 | 17:19 | 8 |
| Thursday | 31:10 | 12:12 | 29:19 | 27:30 | 8 |
| Friday | 30:42 | 16:23 | 34:46 | 30:46 | 8 |
| Saturday | 34:23 | 27:43 | 34:08 | 33:23 | 8 |
| Sunday | 33:31 | 15:11 | 55:51 | 37:56 | 8 |
Five days in a row? Can you even imagine? Well, you do not have to! Also NBD, but this post makes the overall posting streak run to 248 days.
I pulled out 35D Studio with “Chicago” and “Chocolat”: MIRAMAX only because I remember a while ago when people were angry at the LA Times for putting Woody Allen into their crossword puzzle. Then again, I think it may have been a puzzle about or praising Woody Allen. Still, Harvey Weinstein isn’t necessarily the darling of Hollywood. I don’t put it past Will Shortz to encourage putting unfavorables into the NYTXW because he’s a real meanie.
The theme of this puzzle is I don’t really know. Maybe there is no theme.
But there were some long answers.
14A Nirvana, e.g.: INNERPEACE.
17A Computer file arrangement: DATAFORMAT.
30A “Rabbits” in a race: PACESETTERS.
34A Sobriquet for international hip-hop star Pitbull: MRWORLDWIDE.
35A Scorsese film added to the National Film Registry in 1997: MEANSTREETS.
52A They may have lots of steps: STAIRWELLS.
55A News headlines: TOPSTORIES.
Finished this one in 24:17.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I’m behind on this morning’s rules hearings in the House of Representatives now by about 45 minutes. I’m watching it on 1.25x right now so I can get as much in before starting work this morning. The resolve against Trump is way more bipartisan than it has been. Of course that’s not hard because it’s been along party lines, but this really should be unanimous. The concept that this is just a hoax and a conspiracy is madness. Jim Jordan got the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and he’s not making Trump question his decision. I just got to the point where they’re voting on the rules. I guess I’m caught up? OK cool.
I pulled out 18D Make an effort to get swole: HITTHEWEIGHTS because I used to go to the gym with Calah weekly before COVID hit. I mainly rode a stationary bike and listened to books on Audible while Calah went to a workout class. Finally I agreed to go to one of those crazy classes with her, but I was prevented from following through because COVID hit, and even my dad advised that the gym seems like a bad place to spend any time. The gyms closed a couple weeks later.
The theme of this puzzle is basketball movies? The commissioner of baseball told all teams to show up for spring training next month and to expect a 162-game season. That seems laughable in the COVID era.
20A Address by a Sacramento N.B.A. player?: THEKINGSSPEECH. Like the 2010 film and the team.
35A Game notes for a New Orleans N.B.A. player?: THEPELICANBRIEF. Like the 1993 film and the team. So there were the Charlotte Hornets that moved to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Hornets. Then Charlotte got another team, the Bobcats, reportedly named by and after founder Robert Johnson. The New Orleans Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City as New Orleans was recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Then in 2013, the New Orleans Hornets renamed itself the New Orleans Pelicans, as Louisiana is the Pelican State. The following year, the Charlotte Bobcats were renamed the Charlotte Hornets.
46A Charlotte N.B.A. player in charge of recycling?: THEGREENHORNET. Like the 2011 film and the team.
I finished this on in 15:39.
OK so I’m still reeling from yesterday’s storming of the US Capitol, and I hope today starts our recovery as a country. There still were contests to counting the electoral votes last night AFTER all this went down. Absolutely absurd.
I pulled out 9A Outfit rarely worn out, for short: PJS for two reasons. The first reason is that it makes me miss college. I know I wasn’t the only one in the world to wake up right in time to bike to 8am Accounting Information Systems as long as I didn’t have to shower or change clothes. The challenge was, of course, staying awake for that hour and wondering why they decided every quarter to schedule the class about databases and flowcharts for that early in the morning. Ultimately it proved useful, and I’m happy I took it, but come on. The second reason is that in the COVID world, we’re not going out, so who even knew there were clothes other than pajamas?
The theme of this puzzle is crossing stuff out. It feels so topical.
16A Cocktail specification: WIXXXXWIST.
20A “Get your negative energy outta here”: DONXXXXE.
36A 2007 black comedy directed by Frank Oz: DEAXXXXAFUNERAL.
54A Fedoras, e.g.: FELXXXXS.
59A Words of correction … or a hint to 16-, 20-, 36- and 54-Across: STRIKETHAT.
16A WI[THAT]WIST. Some people find drinks to be more apeeling that way.
20A DON[THAT]E. Appreciate. Congratulate.
36A DEA[THAT]AFUNERAL. Never saw it. Probably should?
54A FEL[THAT]S: Hats are good for when you’re losing your hair. I’ve gotten really good at that in the last few years. Thanks, Obama!
Finished this one in 21:50 because it took me long to find that 28A Rare blood type, for short: BNEG was not ONEG, as a 23D Animal also called a steinbock: IBEX is not called an IOEX. Good to know.