Manaal Mohammed author page
1 puzzle by Manaal Mohammed
with Jeff Chen comments
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| D | E | N | O | T | E | S | S | E | L | F | C | O | N | G | A | S |
Given that my picky eaters spurn all pasta except spaghetti — and it has to be the correct brand of spaghetti, mind you — I was amazed to relearn how many pasta shapes there are. Impressive that so many of them can be punned upon. ELBOW GREASE was my highlight, such an apt description of the olive oil I use in cooking elbow macaroni (that the kids push away).
BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH, yeah right! More like butterflies in dad's usual mixed-bowlful-of-motley-things-the-kids-refused-to-even-try lunch medley.
SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL also entertained me, given our kids' propensity for leaving a disaster area underneath their chairs.
This is my life.
I often only scan through Will Shortz's note, as it usually contains only basic biographical information, but I read today's with great interest. It's neat to see the personal touches; an insider's look at the constructor. Entries like SUZE ORMAN, NEOPET, and ATTA are neat hints toward Manaal's life. I'd love to see more of this, both from constructors and from Will.
Speaking of accessibility, I would have loved a more explanatory clue for SHOEGAZE. Referencing performers' tendency to stare down at their effects pedals would not have only generated a better click, but what a neat origin story for that term.
Thankfully, the clues for HULAS and SOUPBONE more than made up for that. "Hip things to do" is groan-worthily hilarious, and repurposing "stock option" is star wordplay.
Impressive work from a tyro constructor, finishing with a less-than-average quantity of ASST ERNO ETD TYRO glue.