Mike Dockins author page

The last example of a "similar colloquial expressions" crossword was seven years ago? Say it ain't so! That can't be right! Fugeddabout ... no, fuhggedda … oh, forget about it.

Like its predecessor, today's puzzle featured four great phrases that I'd use in a themeless. I'm with Mike; my favorite is NO FRIGGIN' WAY, maybe because it reminds me of one of the best grid entries of all time.

This played much harder than a usual Tuesday because there are so many possible answers to each clue — in some ways, it's like doing a quote puzzle, since you're solving the theme answers mostly using the Down crossing answers. Hard isn't bad but having to push through an early-week puzzle tends to make me feel like a moron. (Never mind that it's true.)

I often carp about long Across bonuses muddying themes (Rich Norris at the LAT is staunchly in this camp, too). Will Shortz doesn't often care about this issue, choosing to give his solvers more credit for being able to discern theme/non-theme. It is true that EVEN BETTER and CHILI SAUCE are clearly not phrases that express disbelief.

I liken them to banner ads, though — they draw your attention away from what's important with their "hey, look at me, or EVEN BETTER, click on me!" Who wants ads in their daily experience, anyway?

Huh? You point out that XWord Info runs ads? [Angels don't see them! — JH]

Fuggeddabout it!

I'd have asked for a revision on the west section, with CRAG and APSE crossing RPI. We hardcore crossworlders know that Tyler Hinman — your 2021 ACPT champ! — went to RPI. We also know terms like CRAG and APSE because they're so useful to constructors that we're forced to learn them. I don't think it's fair to expect Joe Tyro to get those crossings correct, though.

I'm curious to see what the generation 3 puzzle will look like, seven more years down the road.

I've had the fortune to spend some time with Kristian at the ACPT several times, so it gave me a laugh to see some of his humor come out today. There's something so hilarious about a Saturday NYT crossword kicking off with DIM BULB and WISEACRE. Beautiful clue for AWAY TEAM, too — I could not imagine what kind of Rocky Mountains wouldn't be in Colorado. That's baseball's Colorado Rockies, on the road!

I flew through this puzzle, finishing in well under record time. Given my theory that difficulty and enjoyment are often inversely proportional, I should have given this one the POW!, right? I did enjoy it, especially with the fantastic wordplay in KRIS KRINGLE as a literal "stocking stuffer," and LADY FRIENDS cleverly using the modern word "boo," as in one's romantic partner.

So why did I enjoy yesterday's more? I couldn't place my finger on it, but it helped to list out some of today's entries:

HARRY STYLES

ANISTON

ELOISE

MASERATI

BEAVIS

MRS POTTS

These are all people that others will likely resonate strongly with — maybe someone who loved Eloise as a kid, someone who watched a lot of Beavis and Butthead, someone who's soothed by Angela Lansbury's singing voice. Me, not so much — but that's okay. It's not simply that these folks are all Caucasian. It's that I don't have a personal connection to any of them. People-heavy puzzles can be divisive, but as Erik Agard said recently, if this one isn't aimed at you, that's okay; hopefully, an upcoming one will be.

Fantastic clue to end this post: [Hardly a man without morals] as AESOP. No morals to this post, simply one dimbulb's opinions.