My time: 16:17, one minute slower than the average. I'm on a slow streak lately.
Theme: 20 / 21, of course! A very apt NYE ("12/31") theme. 2020 was SO LAST YEAR.
I had the most trouble today in the north side. "Pirates" was not sufficient for me to get HIJACKS without a lot of trial and error. Same for "in" for HIP and "principal" for ARCH. "Start of a haughty declaration" (I, FOR ONE) went over my head as well.
I did not find this puzzle QUE rico (Spanish for "so delicious!").
I like the inclusion of PSYCHOACTIVE as fill, but "like some mushrooms" had me staring at blank squares for a while.
Did you know your FEET are slightly larger in the evening than the morning? High temperatures and humidity raise your body temperature. In turn, your blood vessels dilate to improve circulation, which causes slight swelling in your arms, hands, legs, and feet. Blood flow also increases to these areas any time you stand, walk, or run thanks to gravity and a heightened core temp.
"Did a hook spin or knee swing" had me so very, very confused. First, I've never heard of those terms. Second, once I had POLEDA--- I kept parsing as poled a _____. Not my finest hour.
I'm ashamed to say that I have large lacunae in my American history. Still, I had the correct sense that the Compromise of 1850 had to do with slavery. In 1849, California requested permission to enter the Union as a free state, potentially upsetting the balance between the free and slave states in the U.S. Senate. Senator Henry Clay introduced a series of resolutions on January 29, 1850, in an attempt to seek a compromise and avert a crisis between North and South. As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished. Furthermore, California entered the Union as a free state and a territorial government was created in Utah. In addition, an act was passed settling a boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico that also established a territorial government in New Mexico. So how is the GOLD RUSH the backdrop? Well, With the GOLD RUSH came a huge increase in population and a pressing need for civil government, so that's why they petitioned for statehood.
"EVELINE" is a James Joyce story in the wonderful Dubliners, about a hard-working young women torn between her sailor lover and her demanding father who needs her.
"Appropriately named ghost in Nintendo games" is BOO. Not a single character but a type, also known as Boo Buddies or Boo Diddlys. The most distinctive characteristic of the Boos is their shy personality, where they cover their faces when someone looks directly at them. Shy evil ghosts!
I dislike the crossword habit of pluralizing things that aren't normally pluralized, like SRIS. However, I didn't know sri can be repeated to indicate higher status.
Clever clues: "You might get a kick out of this at a restaurant" is HOT SAUCE. "Complete a lap?" is SIT. "TV sets?" is SEASONS, as in sets of shows. "Crowning event?" is PAGEANT. "So one's part?" is ACT.
I liked the clever numerical theme today, and the nice fill (CATCH-22, DR. EVIL, QUEER EYE, A-PLUS AVERAGE, etc) but I sure had a hard time with some of the clues. Here's to better thinky parts in 2021.
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