Clue ranking time!

Okay, this was hard for me today. But Saturday’s usually are. Many long answers, lots of cross-solving which is enjoyable, a good challenge for a Saturday morning. A few too many proper nouns for my taste but overall solvable.

There was some curious cluing going on here – ritzy feels like it should be swanky instead of SWANK, OHME I simply cannot imagine anyone ever saying (what happened to alas?!), AHEM feels more like a way to get attention than to be a smartass? Also three Western European language clues (NADA, ALTA, ELLE) felt like a lot. On the plus side no super “contemporary” clues in this one which I have come to loathe for some reason.

Is MASS EMAIL something people say? English is far from my first language but I have for years in UK and US organizations and I swear to god never heard this one before. Also never regret a Reply All, we all love a good email tsunami <3

Stats: 63% top-tier – great Saturday!

Delighted by:

• ”___ ME” (humorous “sign”) (27-Across): If you accused me of having a childish sense of humor, you would not be the first one to do so. I love silliness, I love puns (see: my delight at MATT)
• Reduced price? (31-Across): I only noticed this one when I went through the puzzle again. Top-notch.
• Sarcastic response to boasting (63-Across): One of the clues you can just hear in your head.
• Diminishing return? (62-Down): These are the clues that bring me back to the crossword, no matter how simple they are. It is, you know, a diminished return. Also I’m an economist so any subversion is welcome in my field!

Well at least I learnt something:

• ”Infection” common among schoolkids (38-Across): I’ve never heard of COOTIES and I would have put it automatically in US-isms, but turns out this one was brought back to the US by soldiers and got popularized in the 1950s. Way to turn something referencing lice into something vaguely cute.

US-isms:

• Cracker alternative to Ritz (7-Down): Is ZESTA popular in the US? I have a weird diet so I’ve missed this one in the grocery stores, I guess.
• Game on a car trip (48-Down): Once again I would like to thank pop culture for getting this one.

Please retire:

• Valley with gentle slopes (18-Down): I had seen enough GLEN, dell, lea clues for a lifetime. Make it related to the wonderful Glenn Close next!
• ”We’re alike in that way” (56-Down): Maybe in a Saturday one with a little modification you can clue Finland in Finnish (Suomi)? Or is that too much?

And the tiers…

The top 4 makes up 64% – above the magical 50% territory!

Delightful (9/70): MAGMA, WASH, AMT, ARENTYOUSPECIAL, CONGA, MATT, GENERALELECTION, LONGE, ECHO

You made me learn something (2/70): COOTIES, OTHERS

You made me think a bit (14/70): SCHMOOZED, WHOATHERE, ALLTHOSEAGAINST, ETNA, LION, PLOT, CHLOE, EREADER, DONOTIRON, OSLO, UNCOUTH, ALLELE, TAR, PAK

Okay, you can stay (20/70): BLEAT, TALL, KEY, IDOL, DALAI, LULU, ELLE, POM, LAME, CALL, LIMO, LETON, SHAKEONIT, DEAL, ALIST, MASSEMAIL, NADA, ALTA, ICEPALACE, ATSEA

I’m afraid this will age (0/70)

Absolute meh (15/70): NOLTE,ROAD, ENTREE, MORE, ENDAT, ATOLLS, ENTER, SWANK, OHO, MBA, ATTHETIME, TEAL, AHEM, ITLL, INLET

US-isms (5/70): ANAHEIM, STEALHOME, ZESTA, NULL, ISPY

Please retire (5/70): SESH, CSI, GLEN, OHME, SOAMI

Sort of a boring one today to be frank, it felt like a slog to get through at times. Also feeling baffled by 1-Across – building up a JENGA TOWER is literally the least tense part of the whole game, took me ages to realize what the clue was hinting at. Maybe start of a tense takedown would have fit better? Also, inaugurate is way too formal for ‘kick off’, amirite? LOSES for drops didn’t make all that much sense either in my eyes, you either drop in a ranking or you lose.

Friday’s can be tricky because the clues have to be harder but there’s usually no whimsy. But still, so many baffling clues.

Delighted by:

• Hit a point of no return? (11-Across): As a moderate-level tennis fan and absolutely useless player I appreciated the shoutout.
• Grammatical case in 48-Across (44-Across): ALL THOSE YEARS LEARNING GERMAN WERE NOT IN VAIN.
• Longtime Pixar character who says “I might be old , but I still got a spring in my step!” (46-Across): Man, I love SLINKY DOG. As a kid I saw Toy Story in my native language, so took a while to come up with the English name but seeing this reference made me smile.
• Use a fork for, in a way (6-Down): Made me hear that little ding in my ears.
• Precise and calculated (21-Down): Strategic, tactical, so many good candidates, loved stumbling upon SURGICAL.

Well at least I learnt something:

• Mars rover named in honor of a 19th-century activist (24-Across): Funky rabbit-hole. The rover was named after Sojourner Truth (dope name, she gave it to herself, made me think of Beloved and I love thinking of Beloved), an abolitionist and civil rights activist. The rover was named in an essay competition – a teenage girl won after filling out a contest form based on a topic she was researching for a contest. This NYT interview with her is quite simply hilarious, especially the little sister’s reaction .’‘It was so annoying,” Valerie’s 13-year-old sister, Josie, complained proudly. ”In school, every time somebody mentioned Sojourner, everybody would look at me and sing, ‘Josie, Josie.’ ” Link
• First country to to elect a female prime minister (1960) (23-Down): Another good rabbit hole.
• Births (41-Down): I love a good proper plural.

I’m afraid this will age:

• Buff (21-Across): The kids will have a new word for this tomorrow (or maybe they already do). What’s next, looksmaxxing?
• Be exceptionally good, in modern slang (33-Across): See Buff. Meh.

US-isms:

• ABC’s realm (17-Across): National as in coverage? National TV makes me think of state-funded (or at least supported) media, and I was fairly certain ABC was private but I might be wrong.
• __ Mai, Grammy-winning R&B singer (20-Across): Maybe I should know, but I most definitely never heard of them
• Agcy. tracking popular baby names (29-Across): I don’t know man, do Americans know this?
• Test not offered in high school, for short (55-Down): Thank you to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for teaching me this one.

Please retire:

• Vaper’s purchase (34-Across): Not the first time seeing this – I’m fairly certain a vaper’s purchase is you know, a vape.
• Super, slangily (49-Across): No.

And the tiers!

The top 3 makes up 36%, not too bad, but always hoping for a 50%. (:

Delightful (7/66): ACED, DATIVE, SLINKYDOG, LATIN, TUNE, SURGICAL, GENESIS

You made me learn something (6/66): SOJOURNER, ERHARD, SLUR, WALLOP, CORONAE, SRILANKA

You made me think a bit (11/66): JENGATOWER, INAUGURATE, PANROAST, SECURELINE, NATASHA, GUINEA, REV, AMIWRONG, EVILEST, DESERTS, PUSHTOY

Okay, I guess (16/66): IRIS, MAGNETS, POTTAGE, MADE, TAKE, ATARIGAMES, OVER, JINGLES, ENAMORS, ONACID, SPEEDSTER, ONLEAVE, THICKEN, VITAMIN, EVIDENT, SOLACE

I’m afraid this will age (2/66): SWOLE, SLAP

Absolute meh (11/66): MOVE, GMAN, LOSES, SIC, VEG, UNHINGES, PRESIDENTS, ORALS, DRAGGY, STINKERS, GURUS

US-isms (5/66): NATIONALTV, ELLA, SSA, TAMALE, GED

Please retire (8/66): IRS, ECIG, HECKA, YENS, AGO, ETTAJAMES, RIRI, ASP

Inaugural edition of the NYT crossword clue rankings! Simply because I’m bored and spend a little too much time on solving this puzzle.

Overall theme was pretty fun, a non-rebus rebus is quite cool, and gave me that little tinge of joy when discovering the whole hole-shtick (pun very much intended). Especially loved piehole and manhole, even though manhole made ZERO sense on my first go-around even after I realized the theme…

Felt like a lot of clues were vocabulary-based, but there was some silliness I expect from a Thursday as well. Overall an easy(ish) solve, but required a bit of guessing in the end.

Delighted by:

• Noodle (20-Across): I mean noggin is just cute, period.
• Character with a famous opening line? (37-Across): hard to narrate this category. I was delighted.
• Slangy mouth found in 20-Across (2-Down): I love a good rebus, especially when it’s not a rebus!
• Cat that can purr but can’t roar (43-Down): Didn’t know that about PUMAs and I’m delighted that I do know it now!
• Polyhymnia or Clio (53-Down): Feels more Friday/Saturday, my delight comes from actually knowing the answer

Well at least I learnt something:

• Big laugh (27-Across): I’ve never heard YUK before. TLI, I guess
• Hastens (52-Across): I should HIE and learn more old-timey words
• Its motto is “Industry” (56-Across): Interesting for a state mostly famous for LDS.
• Hearty (29-Down): So many new words for me today. Usually a Friday phenomenon

I’m afraid this will age:

• Apple purchase (53-Across): Already aged, I think, especially annoying with the APPS in 1-Across.
• Complete fiasco, slangily (66-Across): As a millennial I’m all too conscious that the slang of our youth is cringe (or whatever word the youths use for the feeling or cringe nowadays). Is this gonna age badly or does it signal that we have arrived to crosswording as a generation?
• Many a “Bridgeton” lady (8-Down): Is Bridgeton good enough to stay with us long-term? There’s only so many children in that family to keep up the hype.

US-isms:

• Show with the classic episodes “The Puffy Shirt” and “The Little Kicks” (17-Across): Seinfeld is sort of a cultural mainstay, but at least in our corner of Europe it never really gained traction. If my partner didn’t go on and on about it because his obsession with George Costanza I’m not sure I would clock this. And maybe too easy for a Thursday for the US crowd?
• March Madness org. (45-Across): I don’t care for sports. This crossword is trying to enlarge my sports vocabulary. Please stop.

Please retire:

• Successes for sluggers, for short (23-Across): the most crosswordy clue of them all. I’ve typed RBI enough times already, thank you.
• “Please give this a high priority!” (36-Across): I need ASAP and STAT to retire ASAP (or STAT, I guess)