Greetings all. This will be quick and dirty because I’m already a day late and have to run to a holiday event this evening. So let’s jump right in
- Name: One for Two
- Size: 15×15
- Entries: 74
- Difficulty: Very Easy (my solve time: 5:04 – 5th fastest solve ever)
The title rang a bell, and well it should have because Barb used it before for a similarly themed puzzle earlier this year. Knowing that didn’t really help me with the solve because I didn’t recall the gimmick, also I was solving so fast I didn’t really have time to think about the theme. In any event, the themers are two-word phrases, clued straight and noted with an asterisk, where both words can be paired with HOT (at 64A) to form two other common phrases:
- 17A: [*Armwear in a kiddie pool]: WATER WINGS – Water wings are floatation devices to help kids “swim.” You probably don’t want to be in hot water, but if you’re hungry hot wings might be just what you’re looking for.
- 24A: [*Coco pops container]: CEREAL BOX – Who remembers cutting the tops off of cereal boxes and sending them in for prizes? Hot cereal may hit the spot for breakfast on a cool morning; hot box has many different meanings, some of which I was unaware…
- 35A: [*Dark brown birthday favourite]: CHOCOLATE CAKE – Yum – my mouth is watering at the thought of chocolate cake. Hot chocolate sounds good as well, and might be a good accompaniment for a breakfast of hot cakes.
- 48A: [*Public sauna setting]: BATH HOUSE – Can’t say I’ve seen too many bath houses around these days. But a hot bath sounds like just the thing to help relieve stress. And a hot house would be good for a gardner who wants to get a jump on their plantings in the spring.
- 56A: [*With “Mr.”, toy with detachable features]: POTATO HEAD – Mr. Potato Head is a classic toy, and a funny character in “Toy Story.” You don’t want to be handed a hot potato, especially if it’s from a hot head.
I just flew through this one luckily avoiding some of the harder fill and not really worrying about the theme, though I became aware of it when I got 64A about two-thirds of the way through the solve. No real problems, though 20A had the potential to be a real pothole if I had dwelt on it or if I had entered it incorrectly rather than just waiting for the crosses.
Canadian content:
- 22D: [Its members get free towing]: CAA – I wonder if different membership tiers of the Canadian Automobile Association get different amounts (e.g., number of tows per year, distance, etc.) of towing.
- 39D: [Bell Centre NHLer, to fans]: HAB – I’m not familiar enough with hockey to be able to match teams to their arenas, but I know who the Habs are.
Other stuff:
- 4A: [“The flavor says butter” brand]: PARKAY – These commercials are burnt into my brain, and I cannot see the word “Parkay” without hearing “butter!”
- 11D: [Raked it in bigtime]: MADE BANK – I got MADE quickly but wanted to put “A TON” or “A LOT” at the end, so left it and waited for the crosses.
- 20A: [Limburger alternative]: TILSIT – Don’t think I’ve ever heard of it, and I loooove cheese. Almost put in “TILSON” which is almost a cheese, and that would have really messed me up.
- 32A: [Nonpro, as sports leagues]: MINORS – At least in baseball, the minors aren’t technically nonpro, as the players are definitely paid.
Quote of the week:
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set I go into the other room and read a book”
– GrouchoMarx