Chris Words #69: Study Break

it’s a good time for a study break!

refreshingly tricky offering from CK1 this week. four theme entries in the puzzle have a GAP YEAR, and i guess it’s a gap year in guatemala or something, since it’s ANO that goes missing from each of the answers:

[Whom the Bible says to love] – ONE ANOTHER

[“Moonlight” or “Hammerklavier”] – PIANO SONATA

[Best television series of all time, as per TV Guide] – THE SOPRANOS

[Like the activity in a 2007 horror film] – PARANORMAL

the crossing answers are clued as if ANO isn’t there, leaving a gap in each theme answer. for example, the answer that appears as REACTOR in the grid (4-down) is clued as [Parish leader], which is really a RECTOR. cleverly, all of the crossing answers form legit words with or without the gap letters.

i feel obligated to note that this theme really only works if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief, as it were, and accept ANO as spanish for “year.” it’s really AÑO, but since ADORÑED and ÑARC aren’t really things, that doesn’t fit as well in this grid. and, as many have pointed out in the past (ANO being a ubiquitous staple of crosswordese), without the tilde it has an entirely different meaning in spanish. so, that’s kind of a massive knock on the puzzle, imo. (a hole in the logic, if you will.)

otherwise, though, a fun solve. pretty solid fill despite the theme constraints – enjoyed seeing TREE FARM with its cute clue, [Place with lots of green hoping to make lots of green]. also, a couple of cool clues for a couple of crossword-friendly stores: [___ Museum (attraction opening this summer in Almhult, Sweden)] clues IKEA, while [Supermarket where my grandfather worked for decades] is IGA. awesome! love hearing about people’s personal connections to common crossword answers.

thanks as always to mr. king for the puzzle. enjoy your week!

-e.a.

• Chris King