My time: 15:02, only one minute faster than average.
This was a challenging, fun puzzle. The fill contains some interesting and fresh entries, like SUCKED FACE, FASHIONABLY LATE, BLACK MAGIC, MANGO LASSI, and OH, FORGET IT.
For "Auntie, on the telly" I put *BEE, from the Andy Griffith Show, but it's BBC. The use of the Britishism "telly" should have given it away. "Auntie" was a familiar nickname for the channel, evoking an image of a kindly, reliable, but stern authority figure. It's still used today.
I recalled the name CICELY Tyson and put it down fairly quickly, but I didn't know anything about her. She was in The Help, Fried Green Tomatoes, and "House of Cards." She was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2020 at the age of 95.
I hate these "seventh of 24" clues for Greek letters. The seventh letter is ETA. That's just a boring clue.
Rock or Bust is the 2014 album, and so far last album, by AC/DC. It's not clear if there will be another, with so many band members dead or sidelined.
FRESCA is a pretty crappy substitute for 7Up.
"Something that might be sacrificed at the altar?" is MAIDEN NAME. With several letters already filled in, I was horrified/excited to see the possibility that it might be *MAIDENHEAD. I was thinking, that's rather risqué for the Old Gray Lady.
It's an easy guess that espresso machines were invented in ITALY (by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, in 1884). Eyeglasses are a bit more of a surprise, but of course, the history of Italy is one of learning and erudition. There were "reading stones" that acted as magnifying glasses for many years, but two were joined and worn across the nose in the late 1200s in Italy.
The TARSAL or ankle bone has come up a few times before.
Clever clues: "Fans of the Bible?" is PALM FRONDS. "One who's about ready to go out?" is SLEEPYHEAD. "Bobs and weaves" is (hair) DOS. "Right columns?" is EDIT. "Liquid paper?" is CASH ON HAND.
I really enjoy it when a puzzle doesn't have a lot of new or obscure information. I knew most of these; it's the cleverly worded clues that made it a challenge. Caitlin Reid and Erik Agard have some clue writing CHOPS!
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