One-named satirist of historical Greece / TUE 11-22-22 / Moth’s cocoon part / Chinese language dialect spoken primarily in Hunan province

Constructor: Wendy L. Brandes

Relative problem: Medium

THEME: CUTTING THE CARDS (7D: A part of a blackjack seller’s ritual … or what this reply is doing vis-à-vis the solutions to the starred clues) — 7-Down actually “cuts” (by means of) 5 varieties of “playing cards” (that’s, phrases that may precede the phrase “card”)

Theme solutions:

17A: *1971 movie about coming of age in a small, one-cinema Texas city, with “The” (“LAST PICTURE SHOW”)
22A: *Eloquence stated to be acquired by kissing the Blarney Stone (GIFT OF GAB)
33A: *Exams that worth evaluation and understanding greater than rote memorization (OPEN-NOTE TESTS)
43A: *Van Morrison track aptly featured in “An American Werewolf in London” (“MOONDANCE“)
50A: *Proudly owning, as an achievement (TAKING CREDIT FOR)

Phrase of the Day: LUCIAN (19A: One-named satirist of historical Greece) —

Lucian of Samosata (c. 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who’s finest recognized for his attribute tongue-in-cheek type, with which he regularly ridiculed superstition, non secular practices, and perception within the paranormal. Though his native language was most likely Syriac, all of his extant works are written completely in historical Greek (principally within the Attic Greek dialect well-liked in the course of the Second Sophistic interval). (wikipedia)

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Hey all. I am on (Thanksgiving / birthday week) trip, so with a purpose to spend most time with my household (whom I truly like), I am gonna be microblogging for the subsequent few days. Is {that a} time period, “microblogging?” I really feel like I’ve heard it. And now I am doing it. Talking of “Is {that a} time period?”: POLLER. Is POLLER a time period? Effectively, comic story: I took a ballot. As a result of I am fixing out of my aspect (i.e. at my mother’s home, i.e. not in my workplace), I simply determined to resolve wherever I may get house, which meant the eating room desk, which is lower than shouting distance from the lounge, which was the place all my household was sitting. So I hit POLLER early (third reply I obtained), and I inaudibly groaned and sank in my chair, after which I requested my household, “Hey, what do you name [One sampling public opinion]!?” And my sister goes “… POLLSTER?” on the similar time that my spouse additionally goes “POLLSTER” after which I say “thanks!” after which my spouse appears to be like at me in horror and asks “omg did they attempt to foist POLLER on you!?” Sure. Sure they did. Due to this fact, due to this dramatic polling incident, I can say, with confidence, with the unbiased backing of not less than two different fairly clever individuals, that POLLER is a rubbish non-word.

I additionally requested the room, “Hey, for [Part of a blackjack dealer’s ritual], how would you fill within the clean on the next phrase: ‘CUTTING THE ___'”? I obtained three “DECKs.” So once more I say, with confidence, that at the moment’s puzzle just isn’t [dramatically removes sunglasses] dealing pretty! These mots aren’t the mots justes. And the fill typically was a bit of subpar, a bit of xwordesey, a bit of arduous to take (EIRE ETNA ÊTES and so forth and so forth). That is all too dangerous, because the theme is kinda cute. And naturally it must be “CARDS,” not “DECK,” or your complete premise does not work. In order that’s effective, truly. Simply not a phrase I might use for blackjack. Possibly clue it as a part of a card trick? I dunno. Anyway, the theme works nice. I do not actually know what a PICTURE CARD is … however I assume it is one thing, so … thumbs as much as the theme.

[You can see that the wikipedia entry is for “Cut (cards)” but when I add
“blackjack” to the search terms, predictive texts wants “deck”]

OK, this running a blog just isn’t micro- sufficient for my (and presumably your) tastes, so let’s transfer rapidly to …

5 Bullet Factors:

19A: One-named satirist of historical Greece (LUCIAN) — this appears an especially non-Tuesday title. I barely know this man, and I’ve spent a great deal of time round classical literature. This reply and XIANG (30A: Chinese language dialect spoken primarily in Hunan province) actually upped the extent of problem at the moment, although each solutions have been simple sufficient to get from crosses, and the remainder of the puzzle was no more durable than a traditional Tuesday.
29A: Lustful, informally (RANDY) — I am unable to cease laughing at “informally.” Is “Lustful” formal? Once you’re black-tie sexy: Lustful. Once you’re casual-Friday sexy: RANDY.
14A: Phrases of sudden recognition (“OH, IT’S YOU“) — we interrupt this broadcast for a really vital and related taking part in of “Escape (The Piña Colada Track)”:

49A: Careless or carefree (BLITHE) — a superbly affordable phrase, however I struggled to provide you with it. Because the two clue phrases appear miles other than one another, I could not seize maintain of a phrase that appeared to suit.
11D: Gritty residue in a chimenea (ASH) — whoa, I am solely noticing simply now that the clue doesn’t say “chimney”! I’ve by no means, ever heard of this time period! “A chimenea , additionally spelled chiminea (from Spanish: chimenea which derive from French cheminée, “chimney”), is a freestanding front-loading fire or oven with a bulbous physique and normally a vertical smoke vent or chimney.” (wikipedia). I did not know these had a reputation! I am simply glad I noticed it in a clue earlier than I obtained run over by it as a solution!