I usually cringe when I see a Hinman puzzle. Even with outside help, I don't think I've ever finished one. Until this one...albeit with a little bit of help from Google.
I was totally unsure of one crossing...the final letter of 31A: Planet system in several "Star Trek" episodes (Rigel) and its cross at 33D: Iberia : Spain :: __ : Chile (Lan). I checked my grid against Harris's for confirmation, although I don't get the down cross. Maybe someone will explain it.
I've actually come to enjoy puzzles that at first seem impossible...you know, two or three answers after you've read through all of the clues. I was so thankful for 14A: "__ having fun yet?" (Are we), 26A: John Lelnnon's adopted middle name (Ono), 58A: "Bill & __ Bogus Journey," 1991 comedy (Ted's), and 28D: Delta Tau __ ("Animal House" house) (Chi)...sadly, the only gimmes I had.
I am in absolute and total awe of the four answers spanning the grid...two horizontally and two vertically. 22A: One may have many runners (primary election) and 44A: Something given at a meeting (first impression), 3D: Fourth-quarter strategies (two-minute drills) and 9D: Front-of-magazine pieces (leading articles).
Other favorites...18A: Six-Day War battleground (Gaza), 19A: "The nerve!" (Some people), 28A: Filler for a gun (caulk)
, 36A: Girl who's the "you" in the lyric "I'll see you in my dreams" (Irene), 42A: Cartoon character who fathered octuplets (Apu)...should have guessed it referred to The Simpsons, 51A: Not make it (miss the cut), 52A: Pioneering agriculturist Jethro (Tull)...I hope someone else out there didn't know the origin of the rock band's name, 55A: __ Oder (German river) (Alte), 57A: Psychologist Havelock (Ellis), 4D: Washes (arroyos), 7D: Actress O'Connor of TV's "Xena" (Renee), 10D: Buzz producer (kazoo), 13D: Moles go behind them (enemy lines), 37D: Title role for Greta Garbo (Camille), 38D: Swedish home of Scandinavia's oldest university (Uppsala) and 44D: Crash pad? (futon).My favorite clue...24D: Can opener? (toilet seat). I was on his wavelength for that one, but I needed a few letters before it all came together.
Good one, Tyler. I am way impressed!
Here's the grid...
...and I'll see you tomorrow.
Linda G
4 comments:
SATURDAYS ARE TOO TOUGH FOR ME, BUT I GOT 3/4 OF IT BEFORE I LOOKED AT YOU!!!
This one was pretty impressive with those long crossings. I share your feeling about the ones that at first seem impossible (though I had it to a much greater extent on yesterday's Nothnagel)...so satisfying when some portion finally opens up.
There is a theory making its way around the blogosphere this morning (though at an extremely slow pace) that Tyler Allen Hinman, after admiring his finished grid and seeing its revealed pattern, thought, "Hey, nobody knows my middle name -- I'm gonna go with Lewis and make this thing sing!"
LAN really hung me up too. (Had a lot of help from Google)
After Googling Chile LAN I see it refers to an airline.
Iberia Airline of Spain & LAN Airline of Chile.
For 22A I originally had NEWYORKMARATHON (hey it fit-lol) so that didn't help ;-) And as a retired football coach, I'm embarrassed to say how long it took me to get TWOMINUTEDRILL!
Good job, anonymous...3/4 of a tough Saturday puzzle is pretty damn good!
KarmaSartre, you're (always) too funny!
Coach, thanks for clarifying LAN...nice to hear from you again ; )
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