1/8/2023 0 Comments Tu verdi opera crosswordThe theme answer that cemented things was CHICHICHIHUAHUA and surely someone will pipe up if any more of these delightful triple doubles come to mind, (I’m drawing blanks).įavorite fill bits had to be EXECUTRIX and SUCCUMBSTO with THINMINTS and ITISSO nipping at their heels.ĮRNANI pops up now and then, each time giving me a respectful chuckle when remembering ERNANI Bernardi (no relation to the Verdi opera dude) but rather a 32 year Los Angeles City Councilor, a slightly cantankerous but thoroughly charming champion of the little guy and one time Big Band alto sax player and arranger with the likes of the Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey orchestras. It didn’t seem to want to begin that way as 1down looked too un-Waldenish to be the expected ATOZ but a bit of head banging couldn’t conjure up a “J” down entry to accommodate JUNGLE so APEDOM it was and the puzzle began to fill in with precious little pushback. In my wildest dreams, the thought that a Byron Walden puzzle could be too easy was one of those unthinkable, unspeakable, unimaginable ideas that defied reality but, though it pains me mightily to write it, I think this one easily qualifies. 27A: Massenet opera based on a work of Goethe ( WERTHER) - clue actually helped, as I was able to infer the answer from the Goethe title "The Sorrows of Young WERTHER." WERTHER is also a candy eponym.25A: Winston's biggest fear in "1984" ( RATS) - I don't remember much about the book, but I remember RATS.Certainly no worse than an average puzzle, but lacking any magic to speak of. Cluing is first-rate, and the grid has many points of interest (most notably EXECUTRIX and BLOW POP and THIN MINTS), but in terms of overall quality it feel somewhat below expectations. The theme feels both slight and tired, which is really, really unusual for a Walden puzzle. But even though I made the obvious JUNGLE misstep at 1A: Tarzan's realm ( APEDOM), and even though I temporarily invented the word TRAMSIDE at 33A: Pickup point at an amusement park ( TRAM STOP), I put this thing away like it was Wednesday. Since it's Thursday, and since the potentially devilish Byron Walden is the constructor, I was expecting trouble.
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