Constructor: Erika Ettin
Relative issue: Straightforward
THEME: “LET’S CALL IT A DAY” — themers all start with letters that spell out the phrase for “day” in different languages:
Theme solutions:
- DIAMOND WEDDING (19A: Couple’s sixtieth anniversary [Spanish])
- “DAGNABBIT!” (26A: “Aw, rats!” [Dutch, Swedish])
- DENTIST (35A: Whom one may go see at “tooth hurty,” per a basic joke [Czech])
- TAGS ALONG (42A: Goes with another person [German])
Phrase of the Day: Billy BRAGG (25D: Singer/activist Billy) —
Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends parts of people music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that principally span political or romantic themes. His music is closely centred on bringing about change and involving the youthful era in activist causes. […[ Hearing DJ John Peel mention on-air that he was hungry, Bragg rushed to the BBC with a mushroom biryani, so Peel played a song from Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy albeit at the wrong speed (since the 12″ LP was, unconventionally, cut to play at 45rpm). Peel insisted he would have played the song even without the biryani and later played it at the correct speed. […] Although by no means launched as a Bragg single, album monitor and stay favorite “A New England“, with an extra verse, turned a Prime 10 hit within the UK for Kirsty MacColl in January 1985. Since MacColl’s early dying, Bragg all the time sings the additional verse stay in her honour. (wikipedia)
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Spring (?) semester begins immediately, so my Tuesday and Thursday mornings impulsively get a lot tighter, time-wise (gotta catch that bus at 7:15am). So if the T/Th write-ups appear considerably terser than others, now why. You most likely would not even discover if I did not let you know, however I am telling you anyway, and in doing so spending up treasured morning writing time *not* speaking concerning the puzzle. So … the puzzle. Does not appear a lot to it. That’s, the idea appears actually skinny, and the revealer appears oddly … not APT. All of the “days” seem on the beginnings of their solutions, however nothing within the revealer offers with begins or beginnings … I believed the revealer was going to be one thing like OPENING DAY, however no, we’re “calling” it a day, for some cause. Possibly the “calling” is ultimately, very obliquely, referring to the thought of translation? I just like the revealer phrase quite a bit, as a standalone reply, however I simply do not suppose it really works nice right here. I additionally thought the Diamond Anniversary was referred to as the Diamond Anniversary. As a result of … it is an anniversary. Anniversaries commemorate weddings (my twentieth is later this 12 months!). However DIAMOND WEDDING = “Diamond Anniversary”? That is a brand new one on me. Is the phrase getting used adjectivally? “It is our DIAMOND WEDDING Anniversary!”? Google’s not a ton of assist, since, as you may count on, nevertheless you google “diamond” and “marriage ceremony” and “anniversary,” you simply get loads of jewellery websites, as a result of diamonds … just about *the* stone of all issues marriage ceremony. In order that first themer made me go “huh?” I do love a very good DAGNABBIT!, although. That reply received me again on the puzzle’s aspect. However nonetheless, there was one thing slightly limp about each idea and execution right here. Why these languages? Why all the time on the begins of solutions? Simply did not appear sufficiently cohesive. Additionally, the entire thing the place there are lengthy Throughout solutions (right here, NOTONEIOTA and OCEANSTATE—longer than half the themers) which can be *not* themers? Probably not a fan of that, both. At all times appears inelegant—although if the theme actually crackled, I most likely would not discover (a lot). I did study the Czech phrase for “day,” although, that is one thing.
Actually gotta run now. Feed Alfie make espresso (sit for a couple of minutes listening to “Wake” with Clay Pigeon on WFMU and doing Wordle/Quordle) pack lunch bathe costume pack backpack out the door bus cease. Beginning … now. See you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
