Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Father of dialectical idealism

Constructor: Josh Knapp

Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium

THEME: PLO(pening) — familiar phrases have PL- added to their beginnings, creating wacky phrases, clued "?"-style

Word of the Day: OTHO (28D: Emperor of A.D. 69) —

Otho (Latin: Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus;^[1]^[2] 28 April 32^[3] – 16 April 69), was Roman Emperor for three months, from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. (wikipedia)

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Apologies for a very short write-up today, but I wasted a good chunk of my allotted write-up time writing up the WRONG puzzle because of an error at the NYT website. It was a puzzle from two years ago. You'd think I'd notice, until you think of how many damned puzzles I've written about since them. Also, the puzzle was totally forgettable, so it's no wonder I forgot and began to blog it Again. Anyway, my eye caught the Aug. 3, 2010 date, and then I started breaking things and yelling, then I publicly berated the NYT crossword website folks for their *repeated* incompetence, then I did the Real puzzle, which is also kind of forgettable but at least solid. Very solid. Answers need to be funnier than these for a simple add-a-letter (or two) theme to work for me, and the only one that really made me laugh today was PLEAT MY SHORTS.

Theme answers:

18A: Magazine for arithmetic lovers? (PLUS WEEKLY)
24A: Bizarre demand to a dry cleaner? (PLEAT MY SHORTS)
39A: Zales or Tiffany's (PLACE OF DIAMONDS)
51A: Overfish? (PLUNDER THE SEA)
60A: Light shower? (PLACID RAIN)

OK, quickly now:

Bullets:

9A: Old Indian ruler (RAJAH) — I'm used to think of RAJA(H)s and RANEEs as timeless entities, because they are and will forever be part of the crossword landscape. So "Old" actually took me aback a little.
33A: Took part in a bee, British-style (SPELT) — Awk. phrasing. I don't think one can take part in something "British-style." You spell or you don't spell. I get that it's the spelling of SPELT that's British, but ... still. Also, do they even have spelling bees in Britain? SPELT is a grain. I'd go that way.
44A: Early Westinghouse collaborator (TESLA) — was expecting a name associated with dishwashers, not physics.
57A: Philosopher who was the father of dialectical idealism (HEGEL) — I don't think I've ever seen the phrase "dialectical idealism" before. The "dialectic" part tipped me to HEGEL.
66A: Chair designer Charles (EAMES) — recently saw a great documentary on him and his (largely unHERALDed) designer wife Ray.
9D: Bounce around a canyon, say (REECHO) — ouch.
10D: Lincoln moniker (ABE) — "Moniker" made me think answer would be something more nicknamey.
28D: Emperor of A.D. 69 (OTHO) — my only real misstep of the puzzle. I had the final "O" and wrote in NERO. I was off by ... one year.
34D: N.Y.U.'s ___ School of the Arts (TISCH) — learned it from xwords, and it seems to have stuck.
53D: Taste that's not sweet, sour, bitter or salty (UMAMI) —I see this word a lot in the world of vegan cooking—can be challenging to get UMAMI flavor into dishes w/o meat.
59D: Pope who excommunicated Martin Luther (LEO X) — had the "X," so LEO went right in—only three-letter Pope I know.