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Constructor: Jill Singer
Relative problem: Medium-Difficult (***for a Monday***) (only a tad on the sluggish facet is all)
THEME: “WHAT’S BUGGING YOU?” (36A: “Why the troubled look?” … or a touch to 17-, 24-, 48- and 58-Throughout) — metaphorical insect phrases signifying disturbance:
Theme solutions:
- BUTTERFLIES / IN MY STOMACH (17A: “With 58-Throughout, “I am so nervous! There are …”)
- BEE IN MY BONNET (24A: “I am unable to cease eager about it! There is a …”)
- ANTS IN MY PANTS (48A: “I am unable to sit nonetheless! There are …”)
Phrase of the Day: SOBA (1D: Japanese buckwheat noodle) —
Soba (そば or 蕎麦, “buckwheat”) is a skinny Japanese noodle comprised of buckwheat. The noodles are served both chilled with a dipping sauce, or scorching in a noodle soup. The variability Nagano soba consists of wheat flour.
In Japan, soba noodles might be present in quite a lot of settings, from “quick meals” locations to costly specialty eating places. Markets promote dried noodles and men-tsuyu, or prompt noodle broth, to make residence preparation simple. All kinds of dishes, each scorching for winter and chilly for summer season, makes use of these noodles. (wikipedia)
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Gonna should be a fast one at this time as a result of regardless of the “additional” hour I’m one way or the other strapped for time this night. Conceptually this theme is excellent. As for the execution, I wasn’t so into it. Actually did not look after the cut up first themer, largely as a result of it slowed me down significantly, but in addition as a result of splitting a themer that badly (placing half 2 wayyyy on the opposite facet of the grid) type of deadens its impact. I do not *need* to go all the way in which over the opposite facet of the grid in the course of fixing my Monday puzzle. So I do not. I simply wait. Which suggests I simply get BUTTERFLIES. Which is not terribly fascinating. Additionally, I do not know the way nice the entire cluing conceit is. The usage of imagined quotations, the place we’re supposed to finish the elliptical phrases … I assume all these theme clues are imagined to be *responses* to the central query “WHAT’S BUGGING YOU?,” however once more, every part is so out of order that the theme simply would not have the impression that it ought to have. It actually wasn’t till I used to be all the way in which finished with the puzzle that I used to be in a position to return and see how every part was imagined to work. It felt a bit labored and awkward in execution. However I do suppose the core idea may be very intelligent.
The fill, nevertheless, yikes, I stay baffled that constructors aren’t held to larger requirements, aren’t ordered again to the drafting board to make the fill smoother, cleaner, extra polished. That BUTI ENTO IONO ECRU UNUM ESE heart is just about inedible, and far of the shorter stuff all around the grid is not a lot better (MTS ICET PHYS YAYAS APRS (!!?!!?!) and many others.). I favored MASTODON, particularly as a result of it is having a (social media) second proper now as untold numbers of individuals flee The Hen Website. Bye bye, TWEETs! (I am on MASTODON now @rexparker@mastodon.on-line, by the way in which, not that you must care within the slightest) (10D: Extinct megafauna species whose title derives from the Greek for “breast tooth”). I favored BY MISTAKE as effectively—that is a prepositional phrase I can get behind. I used to be sluggish at this time due to UDON earlier than SOBA and ISH earlier than EST (4D: Approx.). Additionally ENDO- earlier than ENTO– and ATMO- earlier than IONO– and completely no thought about BORN till I get Each Single Cross, what a bizarre clue (38D: Created). That is it.
Oh, and one very last thing: please go see DECISION TO LEAVE (2022), each as a result of it is nice and since I’ve questions.
Oh, and one *final* very last thing: Completely satisfied thirtieth birthday, Andrew. Hold fixing crosswords along with your superior girlfriend, Sophie—she feels like a keeper!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
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