New York Times, Monday, December 31, 2018

Funny story; when I was constructing this puzzle, I was somehow under the wrong impression regarding black square counts - I thought there was a hard limit of 38! So I agonized over the block placement in the upper right/lower left. No matter what I tried, there was always an entry or two that stunk. Final choice came down to SISI or OTHO, and I figured SISI is somewhat inferable for a newer solver (even though it kinda stinks). Happy that the fill mostly worked out, though nowadays I'd probably just drop another block in and save myself the trouble.

This theme and the timing right before people make New Year's resolutions, fit nicely so I can do some imploring of my own. Reversal of the OZONE hole depletion is a great example of international cooperation working, but there's still much more to be done about climate change. The people who will be hit hardest by it are the poor, the needy, the ones least able to do anything about it. But we can make small changes that do add up. Maybe you can eat local, eat less beef (I suggest some tasty free-RANGE chicken) and more veggies. Maybe you can walk/bike/bus to work instead of driving. Maybe you can vote for someone who doesn't think climate change is a Chinese hoax.

Brian hits us with some winning TIC-TAC-TOERAGs today!

OZONE indicating an OOO pattern within themers. A friend of mine did this theme a few years ago for a different venue with 2.5 of the same themers — I remember admiring IT'S A ZOO OUT THERE and I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS. Thankfully, it's been a while now, so I appreciated seeing these jazzy themers again.

I also remember giving HAS NO OOMPH AT ALL the side-eye. I had less of a head-cocking moment today, but there's something odd about the present-tense HAVE NO OOMPH. It is a legit phrase … just not one I'd choose to use in one of my crosswords.

Similar case with BOO OFFSTAGE. Why do the past tense forms sound better to my ear? HAD NO OOMPH leading to getting BOOED OFFSTAGE? Not sure. But sometimes you have to make sacrifices in service of a theme, so these all work.

Brian is a fairly new constructor, and I admire how solid his gridwork is already. It was such smooth sailing through the puzzle, just a very minor TAE to slow me down, along with nice bonuses of CARPOOL, DROUGHT, HORIZON. And STEGOSAUR!

But GEE WHIZ about SINN. It is only a single entry, but I think we need to hold Monday puzzles up to the highest cleanliness standard. Something tough like SINN might take away from that glowing feeling of HAVING FINALLY FINISHED A NYT CROSSWORD! because you wonder … wait. Was I actually successful? What's that weird looking SINN doing in there?

Same goes for TOERAG.

As much as I like STEGOSAUR, I'd rather have broken it at the G with a black square, which would have smoothed that corner out.

Alternately, a black square at the S of SINN could have helped. Brian is right about black squares. Will tends to be more liberal about them than other editors, and I'm a big supporter of that philosophy.

Overall, a generally solid Monday offering, with an apt revealer in OZONE.