Relative difficulty: Easy
Theme: No theme
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Word of the day: Goode (4D: Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. ____"):
"Johnny B. Goode" is a 1958 rock-and-roll song written and first recorded by Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences, peaking at number two on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Sides chart and number eight on its Hot 100 chart.
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My personal record for mini puzzles is 0:07 - but at 0:09, this one was in the running for the quickest ever. This was one of these puzzles where I didn't have to look at a single down clue - I just rattled off the crosses 5 in a row. In short, it was easy, even for a Monday.
Those who know me, though, know I'm a sucker for disc sports of all kind, so any puzzle with a clue like "Frisbee golf obstacle" (8A: TREE) will rate as one I enjoy. The fill is otherwise fairly mundane - GATOR (5A: University of Florida mascot) is typical but okay, and ACHOO (6A: Sneeze sound) is pretty good, though the hint is one of those 100% obvious ones that almost makes this puzzle feel like busywork more than a wordgame. It's also how I was able to solve this puzzle while only looking at half the clues.
I know it's a Monday, but I still appreciate when a puzzle goes at least a little out of the way to come up with something clever for a hint. For instance, the clue for YACHT (1D: Blue blood vessel?) remains one of the best in recent memory - and GAS (5D: "Now we're cookin' with ____") is kind of fun too.
The grid is symmetrical horizontally, which isn't typical, but leads to the interesting effect of having two four-letter words at the top and bottom and a sandwich of five-letter words in the middle.
Don't have too much more to offer about this puzzle. Curious to know if any of my readers beat my time! I'll leave you with my personal favorite disc golf video - while he doesn't hit a tree, this OTHER mistake (and according reaction) is still one of the best caught on film.
Signed,
Sam Austin, King of Mini CrossWorld
[Follow Sam Austin on Bandcamp]
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