Jean & Mike Do The New York Times Crossword

We weren't quite PASTED by Nam Jin Yoon's Saturday spectacular, but it definitely took a while for us to GETGOING on this one, as there were a lot of tricky (and fascinating) clues. The winner in that category was surely 32D, Amphibian that Ogden Nash once rhymed with "bottle", AXOLOTL, with honorable mention going to 19D, Holding up the line for?, CUING. There were quite a few new-to-us names -- 46D, Actress Rowlands, GENA, 19A, "Between the World and Me" author, 2015, COATES, and 34D, Milan _______, author of 1984's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", KUNDERA. So it definitely took a bit of ROCKETSCIENCE to get through today's puzzle, and if you did, well -- MOREPOWERTOYOU!

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The phrase, "a Robyn Weintraub crossword is a thing of beauty" has not made it into common speech yet, but it should, because her crosswords really are extraordinary. Consider just a few splendid examples -- 14A, Choice for those eager to retire and travel?, SLEEPERCAR, or 12A, Union deserters, EXES, or 51A, State in which you might get a tax deduction, PARENTHOOD. Brilliant, the lot of them! We give this an enthusiastic 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

Remember that you can see the solved crosswords -- and this masterpiece really does deserve a second (or third, or tenth) look -- at xwordinfo.com

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You might have to TOIL to figure out today's theme, and we ENVY those who could readily SEE it -- the combination of a precisely placed comma and the addition of an ILY suffix. Apart from the decidedly quirky clues dictated by that theme, there were a few memorable ones -- 57A, Follower of pigs or cows, EIEIO, and 26A, 90s, say, AAVERAGE., ETC ANDSUCH. We give it a 4 on the JAMCR scale.

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If yesterday's crossword left you in a FUNK, then you can RELAX,  because today's puzzle AMPS up the AHAS, and drops the number of Z's to practically zero. Jean's favorite clue was 61A, "I only got a seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in ________", James Brown, FUNK; Mike also loved that clue, but if forced to pick a different favorite, he'd go for 69A, Part of w.p.m., Abbr., WDS -- simply because of the meta-ness of an abbreviation of an acronym.
We give today's puzzle a resounding 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

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YAWN, there are certainly a lot of ZEES in this puzzle, it's making us SLEEPY ... Nope, jk, we're fully awake, in fact startled, perhaps, by the crunchiness of today's puzzle. Exhibit A is 17A, Having panache, PIZZAZZY, and 35A, State that many people want to get to on vacation?, STRESSLESSNESS, It was a very ZESTY puzzle indeed!

For Tip Tuesday, Jean suggests committing to memory the names Ernie Els, Mel Ott, and Arthur Ashe, while Mike suggests app settings to expedite the puzzle solving process.

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EGAD there's a lot of firing going on in today's crossword -- the theme was YOUREFIRED, and 4 answers were two word phrases with the last word being a synonym for being fired -- CAN, AXE, SACK and BOOT. MERCY! 

In other news, EPEE got a rest today, in lieu of which we had 23A, Old weapon in hand-to-hand combat, BATTLEAXE. In lieu of UGG, we had a much rarer if not debut clue, 53A, Bit of fashionable footwear, ANKLEBOOT. 

Jean was temporarily misled at 52A, English Channel, informally, with "the", BEEB, while Mike saw right through 38D, Hole-some breakfast food?, BAGEL.

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Warning: if you are addicted to chocolate, you might want to avoid today's puzzle, because it's awash in cocoa-based-deliciousness. There are a number of punny clues, each of which is a combination of two candies, many of which involve chocolate. Jean did her usual tear through the crossword, Mike got naticked at the juncture of 48D, Got hip, with "up", WISED, and 60A, Links grp., USGA. It turns out that the UPGA, Upper Peninsula Golf Association, is a thing, and WIPED up, well, it made sense at the time.
This was the debut crossword for constructor Lucy Howard, although most definitely not for her partner in crime, Ross Trudeau.

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This was a glorious Saturday crossword, with Doug Peterson & Brad Wilbert pulling out all the stops! From 1A, Bands popular in the '70s, MOODRINGS, and 1D, Sight in a produce aisle, MIST,  to 56A, Franchise with the "Dominating the Deep" DVD set, SHARKWEEK, and 30D, Things that generate a lot of cookie dough?, BAKESALES, they did not give an inch. Jean had trouble on the APORT side of the crossword, while Mike was done in by 43A, Nut chewed as a stimulant, KOLA, which he, as probably one of the top consumers of Diet Coke in Northeast WI, assumed had to be spelled COLA :-(

A fabulous way to end the puzzle-solving week, we give this a 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

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A nice Friday puzzle by Daniel Larsen, with some deliciously deceptive cluing -- e.g.,  37D, When a poser might be presented?, PHOTOOP, 38D, Place for a stud, EARLOBE, 12D, Pot supporters, TRIVETS, and Mike's favorite, 33A, Two swings and a slide, maybe, PLAYSET. Jean finished the puzzle in 18 minutes. Mike also took 18 minutes, alas, 2.5 of them.

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It's a twisty, turny crossword, a technical tour de force by Daniel Mauer. Jean solved it, Mike tried to solve it STAT, but did not find it a SNAP, so his streak, once again, DIED, as did, apparently, MRPEANUT (according to 37D, Classic figure, killed off in a 2019 Super Bowl ad campaign). 

Our latest contest is now ongoing -- if you are the first person to send an email to [email protected] with the subject "Yes, please!" then you will win a one-year subscription to the New York Times crossword. Good luck!

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