Netflix feature that encourages binge-watching / MON 11-9-26 / Phrase requiting good wishes / Something that "perks up" when you're attentive / Kibble nibbler / Genre associated with black nail polish and facial piercings

Constructor: Leslie Benson

Relative difficulty: Medium (solved Downs-only)

THEME: FAIR AND SQUARE (35A: Honestly ... or a description of the shaded letters?) — shaded letters are in form of a "square" and spell out word that is synonymous with "fair":

The "fair" squares:

• EXPO
• SO-SO
• PALE
• JUST

Word of the Day: ARS Poetica (43D: "___ Poetica" (work of Horace)) —

"Ars Poetica", or "The Art of Poetry", sometimes referred to as the "Epistula ad Pisones", or "Epistle to the Pisos", is a Latin poem written by Horace c. 19 BC, in which he advises poets on the art of writing poetry and drama. The Ars Poetica has "exercised a great influence in later ages on European literature, notably on French drama", and has inspired poets and authors since it was written. Although it has been well-known since the Middle Ages, it has been used in literary criticism since the Renaissance. // The poem was written in hexameter verse as an Epistle (or Letter) to Lucius Calpurnius Piso (the Roman senator and consul) and his two sons, and is sometimes referred to as the Epistula ad Pisones, or "Epistle to the Pisos". The first mention of its name as the "Ars Poetica" was c. 95 by the classical literary critic Quintilian in his Institutio Oratoria, and since then it has been known by that name. The translations of the original epistle are typically in the form of prose. // "Written, like Horace's other epistles of this period, in a loose conversational frame, Ars Poetica consists of 476 lines containing nearly 30 maxims for young poets." But Ars Poetica is not a systematic treatise of theory, and it wasn't intended to be. It is an inviting and lively poetic letter, composed for friends who appreciate poetic literature. // Horace approaches poetry from a practical standpoint—as a craft, or ars—rather than the theoretical approach of his predecessors, philosophers Aristotle and Plato. He also holds the poet in high regard, as opposed, for instance, to Plato, who distrusts mimesis and who has philosopher Socrates say in Book 10 of the Republic that he would banish poets from the ideal state. (wikipedia)

• • •

[Un-fair to hitters]

OK, yeah, pretty good theme, I think. Feels like an idea that some constructor would've hit on a long time ago, as constructors are constantly looking at familiar phrases and considering their potential thematic implications, but if I've seen this particular theme before, I don't remember it. I like that all four square "fair"s play on a different meaning of "fair," and I like that revealer really sticks the landing—you cannot argue that the words in those shaded squares aren't arranged in a square shape or that they don't each mean "fair." They are and they do. One downside of this theme is that there isn't really any thematic material at the level of clues and answers, beyond the revealer. You just get to see those squares come into view by solving the crossword, and then the revealer tells you what the hell is going on with them. Without the longer answers that you typically see in a themed puzzle, the actual solving experience is maybe less exciting than it might be otherwise, but since I solve every Monday Downs-only, the solve is (almost) always "exciting," in the sense that it's an adventure, no matter what the quality of the fill is. I will say that the fill overall is a bit disappointing today. It runs toward the stale, and not just in the short stuff. MELEES / ARARAT / EEYORE, for instance, is a stack pulled straight out of the 6-letter crosswordese grab bag. And honestly no one ever wants to see TSETSE again. But SKYDIVE and SNOW CONE have some good energy. I hate AUTOPLAY as a thing (36D: Netflix feature that encourages binge-watching), but as an answer, it's alright. And I think DJ SET / "YOU TOO" is a really nice way to handle that very awkward last "fair" square (the JUST) one. But today's theme is winning enough that I don't mind the mediocre fill so much. I actually said "oh, cute" when I discovered the theme concept, and that goes a long way. Mondays and Tuesdays don't get the respect they deserve. Themes for easy, early-week puzzles are really hard to do well.

Solving Downs-only on Monday turns a ~3-minute experience into ... well, something longer:

I love these post-solve GIFs because you (I) can really see precisely where I went awry (incorrect squares turn a blazing yellow at first). On my puzzle print-out, most of the red ink (I'm using red now for puzzle mark-up) is in the NE, where I had a 1-2 whiff whiff with SPIKED instead of SOARED (8D: Rose quickly, as prices) followed immediately by UNCUT instead of UNSET (9D: Like loose gemstones). I also didn't get SMOOTHER at first pass (though I almost certainly should have) (11D: Like creamy vis-à-vis crunchy peanut butter) and I had no idea what "perks up" when I'm attentive (??!) (12D: Something that "perks up" when you're attentive). I've heard the expression "prick up your ears," but I think that's only because it's a movie title.

I might "perk up," as a whole person, if I somehow gain more energy, but I had no idea my EARs did anything. I've heard of your EARs burning, if people are talking about you, but yeah, this clue for EAR outside my experience. Kinda like SAL being a nickname for Sarah—never heard of that (see yesterday's puzz). This is all to say that the NE was by far the roughest part of the Downs-only solve for me. Elsewhere, I had the CAV--T at 42A and decided to guess that it was CAVEAT (bzzt, wrong!) (42A: Prance about = CAVORT). I also had YTD before QTR (38D: Period for a corp. earnings report), and, most fatally, CAT before PET (57D: Kibble nibbler). PET!?!? Too non-specific! My CATs nibble kibble every day, so I blame them for my ERRANT answer. I actually think the PET section is the most inexplicably bad section of the puzzle, fill-wise. Not PET, which is a fine answer. But ENE!?!?! Why? Why would you put a garbage compass dir. there? It's a tiny section you can easily fill with all real words, things that are much more fun (or at least have much better cluing potential) than ENE. Here, this took me five seconds:

You might be thinking, "hey, couldn't they have just changed PET to POT, and then you'd have ONE instead of ENE in the cross—that seems much better." Yes, true. Unfortunately, ONE is already in the grid (see 16A: Kind of band = ONE-MAN). So it can't be ONE. But ... OK. So tear that (again, tiny) section out and start over. Don't just go to ENE and say "eh, good enough." Lazy. Bad. Editors' fault. Do better! I know, it's "just" a tiny section, but boo to that kind of defeatism. There are no "tiny" sections (I mean, physically, there are, I just ... you know what I mean). 

Bullets:

• 15A: Big bird Down Under (EMU) — did you know that on Australian Sesame Street, Big Bird is actually an EMU!? (He's not, I don't think, but he definitely should be)
• 48A: "The Taming of the ___" (SHREW) — obviously this is SHREW, but it is followed so closely by another fill-in-the-blank Across clue with a five-letter answer (51A: The Mamas and the ___) that I've been amusing myself by imagining that there's a play called The Taming of the PAPAS and a band called The Mamas and the SHREW. "I saw The Mamas and the SHREW open for Donovan in '68, man, it was wild. They had a real SHREW, on stage! Wasn't expecting that. His bass playing was for shit, but his energy ... amazing."

• 13D: What might make molehills out of a mountain? (TNT) — briefly thought ANT (!?!) but then realized ants aren't moles, and so pulled that answer and bam (bam!), TNT came to me. I wasn't sure of it, but it ended up being right. Felt like my biggest Downs-only coup of the day (and in that NE corner, I really needed it).
• 37D: Colorful carnival treat (SNOW CONE) — I wanted one of those giant lollipops that come in rainbow colors, LOLLIPOP fit, but felt wrong. Then I wanted cotton candy, only I couldn't think of the term "cotton candy," I could only see it in my mind's eye. "What's that stuff ... sugar ... spun ... on a stick?" Luckily, I didn't have to know.  

That's all for today. See you next time.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

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