Constructor: Paula Gamache
Relative difficulty: Medium+
THEME: WISE CRACK (
60A: Witticism … or, literally, a description of the answer to each of the four starred clues?) — theme answers have WI- on one end and -SE on the other, so WISE has been CRACK(ed), I suppose.
Theme answers:- 17A: *Migratory flock (WILD GEESE)
- 30A: *Singer Amy with six Grammys (WINEHOUSE) — really wanted this to be GRANT at first, sadly.
- 36A: *Pegasus, notably (WINGED HORSE)
- 42A: *"Regardless of the outcome…" ("WIN OR LOSE…")
Word of the Day: HENRI Bendel (
16A: Bendel of fashion) —
Henri Bendel is an American upscale women's specialty store based in New York City that sells fashion accessories, cosmetics and fragrances, gifts and gourmet foods. The company currently operates twenty-nine stores: its flagship New York store, established in 1895 and currently located at 712 Fifth Avenue, and stores in Columbus (Ohio), Boca Raton, San Diego, Aventura (Florida), Troy (Michigan), Los Angeles, Dallas, Short Hills (New Jersey), Santa Clara (California), King of Prussia (Pennsylvania), Costa Mesa (California), Atlanta, Arlington (Virginia), Miami, Palm Beach Gardens, Tampa, Orlando, Chicago, Las Vegas (Fashion Show), Skokie (Illinois), Houston, Oak Brook (Illinois), Las Vegas (Forum Shops), Huntington Station (New York), Mall of America, Canoga Park (California), McLean (Virginia) and Cherry Hill (New Jersey). (wikipedia)
• • •
Not good. I see that there is, in a way, a "crack" in WISE … that has been filled with some letters. But it's less a crack than a full-scale break into two equal halves. I've seen this thing before a million times—FAST BREAK, maybe, or SPLIT ENDS or god knows what—and this one isn't done particularly well. Not particularly poorly, but not particularly well. Perhaps because I am a rube, I have never heard of
SHUMAI or
HENRI Bendel. Not being an "upscale" fashion consumer who
TWEEZES and eats dim sum [wink], I was a bit lost at times in this definitely Not self-indulgent grid. Also had trouble with a bunch of stupid little abbreviations I can never remember, like
GSA (Government … something something?) and
OCS (Officer … something School?). Still can't figure out what
11D: Like a "Better active today than radioactive tomorrow" sentiment (ANTI-NUKE). The whole quote is being used adjectivally, which is awkward enough; then there's the fact that whatever slogan that is comes from before I was born. Also, I don't know what "active" means there. "Active" in the
ANTI-NUKE protest scene? With that answer crossing unknown
HENRI and abutting forgotten
OCS, I had the most trouble by far in that corner. Rest of puzzle was pretty normal. No better or worse filled than most Tuesday grids, so far as I can tell.
Next!
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
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