Portree is the capital of this isle / SUN 10-5-25 / Rapper with a feline-sounding name / Ad Council spots, for short / Swiss locale of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum / Proofreader’s Mark
Constructor: John Kugelman
Relative difficulty: Easy/Medium
THEME: ALL TOO WISE — Common two-word phrases have a Y added to the end of both words to make wacky new phrases.
Word of the Day: STAR APPLE (96A: Purple fruit with a distinctive inner shape) —
(Redirected from Star apple) Chrysophyllum cainito is a tropical tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is native to the Isthmus of Panama, where it was domesticated.[3] It has spread to the Greater Antilles and the West Indies and is now grown throughout the tropics, including Southeast Asia.[4] It grows rapidly and reaches 20 meters in height. The fruit is globose and typically measures from 2 to 3 inches in diameter.[7] When ripe, it usually has purple skin with a faint green area appearing around the calyx. A radiating star pattern is visible in the pulp.
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Hello everyone, it’s Eli filling in for Rex on this fine Sunday. We’re getting actual autumnal temperatures in LA so far, and I’ve been enjoying Oktoberfest celebrations at my local brewery, so I’m in a fine mood today. Let’s jump right in!
- CLASSY MATEY (22A: Sailor who drinks only the finest grog?)
- GOODY COPY (24A: Knockoff version of a sweet treat?)
- CRANKY CASEY (34D: Actor Affleck when he needs a nap?)
- MOUTHY HARPY (39D: Half-woman, half-bird, all attitude?)
- HANDY BELLY (43A: Convenient spot for a cat nap?)
- FORTY WORTHY (62A: Suitable for the middle-aged?)
- FISHY HOOKY (80A: Suspicious absence from school?)
- COCKY PITY (102A: “How sad. You actually think you can win,” e.g.?)
- STEAMY IRONY (104A: A locksmith getting stuck in bedroom handcuffs, say?)
Wow. I don’t think I realized how much theme content there was until I had to type it all out. The puzzle is titled “All Too Wise,” but all I can think is “Why? WHHHYYYYYY?” Ok, I’m being a bit harsh to try to make a joke. The theme works fine, though some of the answers are notably stronger than the others. I most enjoyed CLASSY MATEY (can’t turn down a good grog), MOUTHY HARPY (A+ clue on that one), and FORTY WORTHY (for the pure silliness). I also appreciated that CRANKY CASEY brought attention to Casey Affleck. I feel like Ben is seen far more frequently in puzzles, but Casey is also a pretty prominent actor. The rest of the themers didn’t do much for me, though something about the phrase “bedroom handcuffs” in 104A does make me snicker a bit.
41D: Benny Hill theme song
The fill doesn’t suffer too badly for all of that theme density. BOWER (53D: Garden shelter) is not a word I really care to remember; for some reason it just bores me. I’m also keeping a close eye on CHINESE TEA (42D: Oolong or lapsang souchong). I mean, yes, it’s factual; something about that exact phrasing just seems oddly specific to me. I enjoy drinking tea, and I don’t know that I’ve ever gone to a tea house and asked for “Chinese Tea,” specifically. I’m going to allow it, but watch yourself, counselor. I’m also a little confused about IT’S A HIT (59A: Agent’s good news). Agent? I work in entertainment, and I can’t imagine anyone waiting for their agent to tell them their project is doing well. I like it as a grid entry, but that clue has me scratching my head.
The only two things I have marked with a full frowny face are ICKY POO (81D: Disgusting, in totspeak) and OVERHOT (57A: Scorching). For icky poo, I just don’t like cutesy-speak, even when it’s designated as for toddlers. I feel like a toddler would say “Icky,” and an adult who was trying to hard to meet them at their level would say “Icky poo.” I just had a reversion to the phrase when I read it. And overhot (over hot?) just feels like “not a thing.” I live in the San Fernando Valley. We spend a good portion of every Summer (and Fall, usually) in triple digits. I’ve never heard someone refer to it as “over hot” before. Overheat? Sure! Over hot? No.
Those two aside, solid puzzle! It took me a little longer than my average Sunday, but it’s possible that’s just because I was trying to remember things to blog (also, see above about celebrating Oktoberfest). A perfectly cromulent way to spend a Sunday solving.
- 43D Actor Bill of “Barry” (HADER)— I loved Barry, but to me, Hader’s masterpiece is Mickey on Bob’s Burgers.
- 1A: Classic target of a troll (BILLY GOAT)— Really fun clue, but as a Cubs fan, this always makes me think of the Curse of the Billy Goat. I never believed in it, but that didn’t stop me from naming the beer I brewed during the 2016 World Series run Goatbuster IPA.
- 21A: Kindle competitor (NOOK) — Is it, though?
- 84A: Taps on the snoot (BOOPS) – If you need a snoot to boop (for some reason, cutesy talk doesn’t bother me with dogs), here’s Huckleberry for all your booping needs:
- 35A: Projectionist’s item (FILM REEL) – I’m lucky to have a wife who works in film restoration, so in recent weeks I’ve been able to see screenings of either restorations or film prints of The Sound of Music, Ed Wood, Tron, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Film is awesome. Support it.
- 88A: Stooge who said “Soitenly!” (CURLY) – Speaking of my wife and classic film, in what most people would assume to be a gender role reversal, my wife LOVES the Three Stooges. I’ve grown to appreciate them (especially Moe, who worked like crazy to keep that act alive and his family employed over the decades), but I’ve always preferred the Marx Brothers.
- 72D: “___, Silver!” (HIYO) — I’m the very specific kind of nerd who loves singing barbershop music. So, Lone Ranger references always make me think of the Gas House Gang:
Ok, thanks for spending some of your Sunday with me! Rex should be back tomorrow (I think). Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Signed, Eli Selzer, False Dauphin of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on BlueSky and Facebook and Letterboxd]
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