[.puz][PDF][Solution] Difficulty: 3/5
This’ll be a quick post today, as I’m writing this from my hotel room at the 44th American Crossword Puzzle Tournament when I’d really prefer to be in the lobby at the ACPT soaking up the vibes. Spending time with agreeable nerds: highly recommend, 10/10 will repeat in 2023.
Brief thoughts and spoilers for “Party at the ACPT” below.
Parker and I spent much of yesterday sprinting into and out of the ballroom to variously solve puzzles and hawk wares. But thereafter? The party was thrown, and it was good.
Honestly, I’m a little surprised I can’t really think of another word that’s used to the describe the state of being affected by a particular recreational drug. Maybe K Hole? Anything else? Speaking of JUNIOR HIGH, Paolo Pasco is a junior and super high in the standings! What a guy! Kudos to him. Search #ACPT on Twitter to get regularly updates on the finals this afternoon.
Happy solving, friends!
-Ross
Ouch calling 34D ‘classic’. When I was attending our alma mater, that car was new, and one of my classes had the then-CEO of Chrysler’s daughter attending. So the professor (I think it must’ve been Dean Hazeltine) had the CEO of Chrysler speak. As I got to class, they had a new 34D sitting on the lawn in front of Pembroke Hall so people could see the car he was lecturing about.
Sorry I’m missing the Stamford fun; maybe I’ll make it someday. I usually stick to the Indie 500 down here.
You’re right, Andy. Tagging 34D with the “classic” label was a weighty act. On the other hand, I could have gone with “old” … never that!
I do recommend the ACPT, ditto the Lollapuzzoola in August in NYC. I haven’t made it to Indie 500 yet, but perhaps this year’s the year…
Hi Ross. Nice puzzle, I was cruising along and doing great but then stalled out in the NE corner for no good reason. Wonder if there’s a singular/plural issue with the 60A clue. Also, the actual meaning of “Peruse” (root of 35D) is exactly the opposite of the one people apply to it these days – it means “to read intently and with focus”, whereas the incorrect common usage is “to skim”. Maybe that’s a word like “Literally” where the common usage overtakes the technical one and becomes correct. 21A clue was very clever, kudos there. Lastly you inadvertently omitted the “Rebus” button so I was unable to insert TRUDEAU in the five-letter spot for 43D. Enjoy your event, soberly.
You know, Rich, I’ve also been on team “that’s not what peruse means” since I was teaching high school English in the late aughts! I suppose it was recently that I relented and just sort of accepted that informal usage had perhaps overtaken formal usage… but, point well taken!
Boy howdy, the event was enjoyed by all. Solemnly, if not soberly.
fun puzzle! i particulaly enjoyed the clues for 21A and 48A.
Thanks, slug! See you on the stream tonight???
Nice meeting you at the ACPT, neighbor! Fun puzzle, as always.
The pleasure was mine, Steve! What a weekend. Glad you liked the puzzle; I gather it was perhaps a bit on the nose for some 😀
Loved the NYTXW today. The KEY for me was that I’ve read this blog long enough to know of the constructor’s preference for symmetry, and that meant that my initial entry of JOSTLE FOR had to be a mistake.
Ha! Glad you liked it. You’re now engaged in my favorite and most backwards method of solving. I call it “solutions via building a detailed mental model of all my favorite constructors’ personalities” 😀