Friday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: December 7, 2018

My time: 11:15, pretty good for a Friday.

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Sam Trabucco brings us this themeless.  It's got some modern fill to it, like MUNCHIES, DECEPTICON, EBOLA SCARE, SHEEPLE, and IKEA CATALOG.  I enjoy the grid arrangement that shows off a quartet of three long answers in a row.

I've vaguely heard of ELI Roth, producer and director of horror movies.  I detest horror movies.

I'm not familiar with the portmanteau WIIMOTES, knowing it only as the Wii Remote.  I'm not a video game guy.

"They, in Portugal" is ELAS.  That's the feminine they, by the way.  I'm not sure it's reasonable to expect solvers to know basic Portuguese.

Did you know U. CONN is an NCAA hoops powerhouse?  Their mascot is the Huskies.  The Huskies have won 4 NCAA Tournament Championships, the sixth-most all-time wins.  The Huskies have also won many other championships.  The team has been a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament five times.  Go Husks!

"Base of some aquaculture farms" is SEED OYSTERS.  I vaguely remembered that on September 14, 2017, seed pearls was an answer and wondered if there was a connection.  There isn't.  Oyster "seed" is just an oyster that is transplanted to another location for the purposes of commercial grow-out or restoration.

Here's a crossword puzzle name for you: UZO ADUBA, a Nigerian-American actress who plays "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Orange is the New Black.

I'm not sure I agree that ALAS means "Ah, well, we tried."

ASHCAKE, a Southern cornbread baked in ashes, last popped up on July 15.

The PEE DEE River, which runs through the Carolinas, was first explored on September 22.

Clever clues: "Total taken in?" is CEREAL.  "Major suit" is CEO.  "Running numbers?" is RACING BIBS.  "Partner for life" is LIMB.  "Solo flying?" is HAN.  "Higher education?" is SKI LESSONS.

This went by fast-ish, but it wasn't a superior finish.  I will one day beat my Friday record set in July of this year.  DO YOU HEAR ME? Or maybe NOT A CHANCE?  I dunno.