My time: 7:44, two minutes faster than average.
Theme: Where the Across and Down answers share a starting square, they are two related answers joined with an unwritten and, clued with one definition. So, for example, 5 Across is "stiffly formal," and 5 Down has no clue, and they are PRIM [and] / PROPER. Similarly, DRINK [and] / DRIVE, SOCKS [and] / SANDALS ("footwear fashion faux pas"), and so on.
Now that that's done and dusted — ha! — on to the fill.
"City near Leeds with historic walls" is YORK. I had no idea that they're famous for their walls, mostly built in the medieval times. They're also called Bar Walls, after an old word for the gates.
Ah, TRU TV. You are a boon to crossword constructors. They have a show called "Impractical Jokers" which I don't know anything about but presumably reeks of testosterone and unfunniness.
I'm getting sick of hearing about FROS in the NYT puzzle. "The Jackspon 5 had some big ones." It seems innocuous enough, but then there's a faint whiff of other-ing about it.
Alarmist writer RONA Jaffe last appeared in the blog on January 24, 2018. I feel like there was a missed opportunity today, what with the pandemic and all.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo ABE last popped up on September 12, 2018.
Clever clue: "Remark from one who's obviously not going to call" had me thinking about people promising to phone and then ghosting, but it's I FOLD. I'm not sure "frayed so?" works perfectly for WORN. I was slowed down a bit by putting *GAVE A TOAST instead of MADE A TOAST for "raised one's spirits?"
There was hardly anything new or hard to figure out today. I don't know why it wasn't a particularly quick day, but the puzzle was very clever and fun to solve.
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