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Command to a Base Runner

“Evan Kalish opens the gates to another solving week.”
Review and constructor notes.

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Evan Kalish’s New York Times crossword—Jenni’s review is here

The theme entries have progressively larger flows of water.

• 21a [Kind of economics, disparagingly] is TRICKLE–DOWN.
• 26a [Make more aerodynamic] is STREAMLINE.
• 44a [Theatrical show featuring traditional Irish music] is RIVERDANCE.
• 50a [Ballpark illuminators] are FLOODLIGHTS.

It’s a smooth, consistent theme, and the increase in size as we go down the grid is a lovely touch. I liked it! And then I saw 62a [Sizable bodies of water], SEAS, and 66a [Massive body of water], OCEAN, and I looked back at 1a, [Minute bits of water] – DROPS. Those three answers also progress down the grid from tiny to enormous, and the four longer answers fit in between DROPS and SEAS, but the cluing is so different that they seem to have come from different puzzles. Two clues that directly reference bodies of water and another that has the word “water” take away the enjoyment of discovery I had from the longer entries. If we’d started with DROPPER and ended with OCEANIC, that would have been great. This is – not.

A few other things:

• No one appreciates being told to RELAX. The clue is [“Don’t worry, everything will be fine!”] and that never works.
• I enjoyed the long downs, HEDONISTIC and TERRA COTTA.
• More water with BATH!
• We use a LADLE for the matzah ball soup. Mmm. Matzah balls.

What I didn’t know before I did this puzzle: it’s Monday. I got nothing.

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