The Province newspaper in Vancouver has replaced the LA Times puzzle with one that they claim is "a brilliant crossword that is at once Canadian and modestly difficult". I can't find it online or print a solution, but let's take a look at the Friday puzzle.
The Province DAILY CROSSWORD
Friday, April 24, 2009 – by unknown.
Number of words – 86
Number of black squares – 38.
Number of 3-letter words - 20
Theme - Laundry detergent
Theme answers – Wave rider (SURFBOARDER)
Academic settings – (IVORY TOWERS)
CFL entertainer – (CHEERLEADER)
Cause a reversal – (TURN THE TIDE). We use Tide.
Ho-hum theme, inconsistent use in the last answer with TIDE at the end instead of the beginning. Unless TURN is a laundry detergent. I don't think so.
Canadian content:
CFL entertainer (CHEERLEADER). CFL is Canadian Football League. NFL would have been too hard I guess, even though the Buffalo Bills now play some home games in Toronto.
Henley participant(ROWER). Reference is to the Royal Canadian Henley regatta. Never heard of it. This August will be the 127th version, so I guess it may be famous to Canadian rowers. Why not reference one of our gold-medal Olympic rowers, who are quite famous.
Canadian skating champ Jelinek (OTTO). 1962 gold-medalist in pairs. Became a politician and was Minister of National Revenue when I worked at Revenue Canada, so he was technically my boss for a couple of years in the early 1990s. Not sure how many people remember him now.
Bit of curling (END). As in bit of baseball (INNING). Canadian gimme.
I'm still bored.
Other answers over 5 letters:
Gambolled and frolicked (PLAYED)
Clunky shoes (SABOTS)
Send flying (SCATTER)
Good luck charm (AMULET)
Go over again (REHASH)
Earthy tones (OCHRES)
A couple of fins (TENNER)
City north of Lisbon (OPORTO). Perhaps I'll visit on my way to ESPOO,
Highland boy (LADDIE)
Dumbfounded (AT A LOSS). My reaction to this puzzle.
Pop Culture:
“The _____ Ranger” (LONE)
Lennon’s Plastic _____ Band (ONO)
Gable or Garbo (STAR)
Charlie Parker’s sax (ALTO)
References to anything current: none
This puzzle is so boring I'm embarrassed to be Canadian. Where's my link to the LA TIMES?
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3 comments:
That's a sad puzzle, Crosscan....
Ephraim will get you back to the LALA Times.
Interesting... Found this via the Crossword Confidential. At least there are American-style puzzles in Canada (and a few Canadian constructors, though they ain't always easy to spot - Will Nediger, for one.)
How do you get 86 words from 38 blocks anyway?
Think the theme would be red-flagged by any of the American editors since it uses brands. Not sure though.
Very interested (in the long term) in making American-style puzzles popular in South Africa. Got a long way to go in terms of crossword constructing skill. Have done a few local ones, it's definitely not that hard to get a lot more local words in than that puzzle displays...
Gareth
Interesting observations, CrossCan. What you paint is not a pretty picture. Only having spent a couple months in Canada, I think I could have thought of some better Canadian references. I have lots of Canadian blood in me and Canadian friends here in Chicago--they love to point out Americanisms--but I confess I don't know much, for example, vocabulary from curling, though. I'm still waiting for POUTINE to appear in a US puzzle. Could be a long wait, huh?
As I'm sure you (and Gareth) have noticed, there are regional differences sometimes between LAT and NYT. Hollywood versus Broadway might be one thing to think about it. Those of us trapped between the coasts don't know much about NYC boroughs or California geography. More literary references in NYT. More Spanosh words in LAT, more French in NYT. Wide generalizations, but.... Of course, you constructors write for many different editors, and come from all over, but I can usually tell a LAT from NYT without a byline. Editing may be the difference. A Chicago-based puzzle would be focused on our political scandals and our obsession with sports! Pizza toppings would be clued weekly, as well.
CrossCan: nice to see you on the Fiend page. Gareth, best of luck spreading American-styple puzzle joy in South Africa.
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