Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Extra life in video game

Constructor: Neville Fogarty

Relative difficulty: Easy

THEME: MISPELLED (60A: Like the six longest answers in this puzzle) — commonly misspelled words are, in fact, misspelled in this grid.

Word of the Day: Dana ELCAR (19A: Dana of "MacGyver") —

Dana Elcar (October 10, 1927 – June 6, 2005) was an American television and movie character actor. Although he appeared in about 40 films, his most memorable role was on the 1980s and 1990s television series MacGyver as Peter Thornton, an administrator working for the Phoenix Foundation. Elcar had appeared in the pilot episode of MacGyver as Andy Colson (a completely different character), but was later cast as Peter Thornton, making his first regular appearance in the 11th episode of the first season. (wikipedia)

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Why ERICSON is not part of the theme, I don't know (23D: Explorer born around A.D. 970)—it's the only word in this grid I routinely misspell (or misremember how to spell; I don't have occasion (one "s") to use it in my everyday writing very often). I want there to be two Ss, or maybe an E as the last vowel. ERICSEN ... no, I can't see myself making that error. ERICSSON? Is that something?

Neville tells me he wrote this puzzle three years ago. Such is the fate of many an NYT submission: an acceptance (ideally), followed by an indeterminate time in puzzle purgatory (I've got one at something like two years and counting). Neville is a much savvier constructor now. He seems a bit anxious about how the puzzle will be received. I think it's a cute idea. I don't misspell these words (except perhaps GENEOLOGY), but with the exception of OCCASSION (really?! rhymes with "passion"?), I can imagine that these words are, in fact, frequently misspelled. I remember forcing myself to remember how MILLENNIUM is spelled (sometime around Y2K). The spellings of the others either seem intuitive or have somehow just stuck.

The grid seems reasonably well filled, though ELCAR (19A: Dana of "MacGyver") over LELAND (21A: Henry who founded Cadillac) (? and ?, respectively) was a bit harrowing, and I came to a complete halt at the very end, in the tiny western section. Two wrong answers (DDE and STE instead of IKE and MME) (25D: Five-star W.W. II hero, informally + 27D: Fr. title) really screwed me, as did absurd cluing on SIX and KIMONO. SIX is a [Big roll] only if you are a rolling a single, six-sided die, and why would you do that? SIX is just not "big." TWELVE, I'd buy as "big." Not SIX. And leaving off "of clothing" in 30A: Article with an ushiromigoro is just perverse. "Article takes me to a written work or to grammar. Or to the Articles of Confederation, I guess. Anyway, with IKE, SIX, and MME misbehaving, and the "Article" shenanigans, I lost a good 30 seconds. Puzzle still came in a solid Easy.

Theme answers:

17A: Study of trees? (GENEOLOGY)
22A: Tenacity (PERSEVERENCE)
50A: Survey staple (QUESTIONAIRE)
10D: Long time (MILLENIUM)
31D: Event (OCCASSION)

Got started quickly with 1A: 2007 Ellen Page film ("JUNO"). Somehow first-guessed UTEP (2D: Sch. with the mascot Paydirt Pete). Got a bit hung up in the PALERMO / PCBS region (5D: City gained by Rome during the First Punic War + 5A: Some coolant fluids, for short). Had SALERNO at one point. Nice modern clue on ONE UP (4D: Extra life, in a video game). I like the clue on SAM I AM (43A: Persistent Seuss character), though at fist I could think only of the book's title ("Green Eggs and Ham") and the damned fox ... you know, the one in a box. I have never seen a single episode of "REBA" (I don't think it's really for ... me), but I knew it instantly, thanks to much crossword training (57D: Single-mom sitcom of the 2000s).

Good day.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld