Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Tuesday's New York Time crossword solved: December 22, 2020















My time: 5:47, about two minutes faster than average.

Theme: on CLOUD nine, as the center black squares indicate.  That is, being in one's HAPPY PLACE, or SHEER BLISS.  Or possibly in SHANGRI-LA or a WONDERLAND.

Is this the mood for the end of 2020, though?

"Italian name of six Popes" is PAOLO, Italian for Paul.  Paul VI was the final PAOLO; he died in 1978 and was succeeded by the shortest-reigning pope, John Paul, who was God's henchman on earth for just 33 days.

I learned two things about CONEY Island from its clue today: it's part of Brooklyn, and not in fact an island.  Development began in the 1840s, when Coney Island wasn’t even connected to the mainland. That’s why it’s called Coney Island, despite not being an actual island. 

John van Neumann came up as an answer on September 15, 2017, but even with all the accomplishments I listed for him, I failed to note that he pioneered GAME THEORY.

PAPA HAYDN came up as "Father of the Symphony" on June 13, 2018

HORACE, famous for his Odes, appeared on November 16 as author of the phrase "carpe diem."

Clever clue: "Something a wedge often leaves exposed" is TOE.

This was a well-done Tuesday.  Original grid, decent fill variety, not very many vague clues.  Maybe we all need a little CLOUD 9 type of thinking these days. 

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