![]() ![]() The Scowl-o-Meter didn’t make noise through too much of the puzzle, actually, but when the 1-Across corner has three unpleasant bits in it, the rest of the solve is colored by the opening negativity. No quotation marks, no mention of Caesar or Rome or Latin? In the same corner with the Flynnless ERROL and the Spanish ARCO, ugh. Not digging these “first names only for names from before I was born” category. Which Elmer? Which Burt? Shades of the Olivia/ERROL clue here. ![]() Huh? Which Abe is this? Honest Abe Lincoln? Bart and Lisa’s grandpa on The Simpsons? Again with the first-name-only business. Crossword constructors need a household-name celebrity named ALMA. Olivia de Havilland? Not my generation’s go-to Olivia (that would be Olivia Newton-John.) Had no idea Flynn and de Havilland were paired together a lot. There were also these grumble-worthy bits: Partials A LEAP and A SIGH crossing? Sigh. The Scowl-o-Meter rattled into action today. Hard to parse this one, no? The other theme answers don’t split a word in two, so we’re not expecting that to happen here. , “LONG JOHNS, SILVER.” Ha! I like this one. Plus, if you’re friends with vampires, are you “of the vampires”? “Boy” is awfully vague as a signal for MARK, and I wouldn’t say that “mark of the vampire” is familiar enough to be riffed on in a theme answer. ![]() If you use the real word for “weenie,” it’s merely a frank discussion. One of the words in each theme answer picks up an extra S, changing the phrase’s meaning: Merl Reagle crossword solution, 9 15 13 “S-capade” Merl Reagle’s syndicated Sunday crossword, “S-capade” Lots of nice longish fill: PRO SHOP, I’M THERE, BIRDING, AL GREEN, “TOLD YOU!,” THE SMITHS (here’s my favorite Smiths song), SLUSH PILE, and ARM’S REACH. Granted, I don’t use a lot of makeup, but this GLIDE-ON business sounds not remotely plausible. The last square I filled in was the D in 26a. What do you make of the theme? Charming wordplay with humor, or a little icky with what the phrases evoke? (Counterparts.) Are you thinking of The Silence of the Lambs and serial killers here, or just a leering male gaze? (See also: SEIZE HER, RUB HER, LICK HER.) (Jumper cables.) “Jump her”? Perhaps this puzzle should come with a trigger warning for survivors of sexual assault. Not all baby’s milk comes from a bottle, and “lick her” is just kind of gross for a crossword puzzle. (Rubber chicken.) I was apprehensive about where this one was going. You know the “Bangor? I ‘ardly know ‘er” jokes? Which webcomic xkcd played up with “Supercollider? I ‘ardly know ‘er.” Joe DiPietro riffs on that, sort of, for this theme: NY Times crossword solution, 9 15 13 “That Girl” ![]()
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