Jake’s Mini Cryptic #32

Comments

• nate 🤓2:44 · 2024-02-18T23:09:48.918Z

  Nice!

  Report

  • Jake A constructor · 2024-02-19T00:16:07.249Z

    Thanks, nate!

    Report
• Aaron Riccio 🤓3:44 · 2024-02-19T02:03:42.905Z

  Thanks for the puzzle; some well-intentioned critical thoughts! (Feel free to ignore/stop reading here.)

  I love the idea of 1A, but I think there may be a smoother surface than "fiscal year crime," which doesn't sound like a thing. Perhaps [Fraud perhaps caused by Musk throughout fiscal year (6)] or even more directly (and misdirecting): [Fraud, perhaps: Musk, throughout the fiscal year (6)].

  4A: I love this slangy surface, even if I don't think I understand what a "G" is. (I'm just a doddering old man.)

  5A: A constructor I admire recently described their approach to indirect anagrams as such: if there is no ambiguity, it's OK. Here, smile = grin is gettable, but it's not the only possibility, so it remains up to you how far you want to stretch this, especially under American cryptic rules.

  6A: MISUSE and ABUSE have a similar ending, which makes me want to avoid using it as a synonym, even though it's admittedly perfect for the surface. Maybe [Cockney Ms. Hughes said to bully (6)]?

  1D: It's a fine acrostic for what is admittedly a bummer subject. I'm always on the fence about what topics to include in a surface or the grid.

  2D/3D: I don't know what's happening in these two, but I'm curious. Is the first somehow LOU(NGE)S[-y]? If the second is NO+G+GINS, I'm not familiar with "gins" for "inspecting."

  Report