Constructor: Joe Krozel
Relative difficulty: Medium
THEME: none
Word of the Day: GERENTS (
16D: Rulers or managers) —
GERENT n.
One that rules or manages.
[From Latin
ger
ns, gerent-, present participle of
gerere,
to manage.] (freedictionary.com)
• • •
Don't want to write much about this one, because I've said it all before. It's clear that Will has an affection for high-difficulty grids that I just don't share. The interlocking pairs of 15s that run around the grid's perimeter are a construction feat, and the fill is ... defensible, at worst, adequate at best, so ... run it. That seems to be the deal. I wish it were not the deal. But it's not my call. For me, the fill is so off-putting here that I don't even notice the 15s—none of them bounces or pops or makes me say 'wow,' so why bother? When you finish a grid and your only thoughts are "that's a word?" (
GERENTS, SOLATES, CENCI) (
16D: Rulers or managers; 30A: Undergoes liquefaction, as a gel; 39D: "The ___: A Tragedy in Five Acts" (Shelley work)) and "you can
do that?" (
LED INTO *and*
LEAD-IN?) (Not to mention
EASE INTO for another INTO ... not to mention
MAP ONTO), I don't think you can call the grid "successful." As I was writing in "
-ICIAN" I said, out loud, "man, I really hope that's not right" (
26A: Suffix with diet) When
ARIANE (
19A: French-built rocket) went into the grid (grade A crosswordese, first thing I wrote in), I thought, "man, that doesn't bode well." More than one
ILENE? OK (
32A: Actresses Graff and Kristen). Will and I sometimes just have very different tastes. He seems to love this stuff. I'd sooner do a zippy Monday or even a run-of-the-mill Wednesday than sit through this again. If I have to chew on a puzzle for a (comparatively) long time, I'd like it to at least taste good.
That said, the top 2 15s are nice (
15A: 1984 film based on the 1924 novel=A PASSAGE TO INDIA; 17A: Causes for some wars=DISPUTED BORDERS),
DATAMINES feels fresh (
6D: Finds customers from social media, perhaps), and
CHOSEN FEW has a certain elegance (
29D: Elite).
EPISTEMOLOGICAL ain't bad either (
2D: Like questions of what is knowable). It does repeat the five-letter EPIST- sequence in
PASTORAL EPISTLE (3D: 1 or 2 Timothy), but the words are different enough that it hardly matters. I want to hate
PHONE NO. but can't (
31A: It may have an ext.). It's kind of inventive, fill-wise. LORES is
LO-RES, btw (
40D: Unlike HDTV screens). Someone asked me, so I assume there are others who aren't quite sure.
You've got a couple potential Naticks here, as far as I can see. I didn't know
NER (!?) (
24A: ___ Tamid (synagogue lamp)), so I had real I/E issues with EPISTE (I?) MOLOGICAL. Honestly, "I" looks more correct to me. If I didn't know the word "episteme," I would've screwed that up. As it was, I guessed. And I knew
ARIANE from considering and rejecting it in puzzles I've made, so the cross with
GERENTS wasn't an issue, but I'm guessing not everyone has heard of
ARIANE, and I *know* not everyone has heard of
GERENTS, so ... trouble.
I think that'll do.
See you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
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