NYT 4:01 ... LAT 3:28 ... ND 3:18 ... CS 1:40
My fastest Saturday Stumper by far, due to a large number of fact- and pop-culture-based clues. Without crossings I knew 14-, 15-, 16-, 18-, 51- and 60- Across, and the Q was enough for me to slap down LIQUOR CABINET. Wonder if others will find this the easiest themeless of the day...
The NYT was similarly quick because of some good guesses, and because, well, Karen M. Tracey's Scrabbliness is predictable even though it's awesome. For instance, I guessed TELEXES with no crossings and happily confirmed it with YAKETY SAX. I could go on but my gf is ready for brunch. I'll just say: CRES is not a musical score abbr. unless you're willing to go var....
7 comments:
if you did it on paper, you could just add the C outside the grid to make it CRESC.
it was almost my fastest stumper, but getting the Q did not give me LIQUOR CABINET. i thought it might be LIQUID something. i also got a lot of fact-based clues immediately: 14-, 15-, 16-, 18- (okay, i used the Z from 3d), and 40-across, plus useful shorter answers like 22a, 46a, and 25d. there was a lot of literature, which put the puzzle up my alley, although i would definitely have preferred a literary clue for 51a.
still, your times are weird. the LAT was easy, easy, easy (you only beat me by about 20 seconds). the stumper was easy for a stumper, but still took me almost 9 minutes.
Interesting - I was definitely not in a groove on the LAT puzzle (often the case with SD/BV constructions), while I was flying on the others.
C.C. tells me (reminds me?) that the "ramping up" period for the LAT is still in effect. I'd thought maybe it was over because yesterday's and today's were both "medium-challenging" to me.
the ramp-up is definitely still in effect; my three fastest-ever LAT saturdays are last week, today, and two weeks ago. yesterday appears to be an aberration rather than the end of the ramp-up.
Thanks for the Stumper comments! Can either or you (or anyone) explain the clue for ACE: "Fighter's director"? Someone emailed me about it, and I don't really get it. Kinda embarrassing, since it's in my puzzle.
Great NYT puzzle today. I miss solving all those wonderful Karen Tracey themeless puzzles that used to appear in the Sun every other week or so. *sniff*
When I did Saturday's (on paper) in 5:09, I thought you'd be breaking 3, so I'm relieved your time is somewhat normal. :0
Joon: the last two LAT Saturdays were records for me too, but not today's.
Doug: Wow, no idea about ACE. Let us know if you find out what the hell it means...
Ellen: I aim to please!
i assumed it meant the person in charge of a fighter plane, i.e. a flying ACE.
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