Aries Crossword: “No Rhyme – No Reason” (9/3/16)

The new school year is here, and so is an Aries puzzle, NO RHYME – NO REASON. Hm, that hyphen is really bugging me the more I look at it. Anyway, subscribe here, spoilers below.

No Rhyme – No Reason

Constructor: Andrew J. Ries

Difficulty: Easy

Theme: Pairs of words that look like they should rhyme, but don’t.

• DEMON LEMON – Crappy car that’s been possessed?
• HEARTH DEARTH – Shortage of fireplaces?
• FLOWER GROWER – Worker in a nursery?
• QUICK BUICK – Skylark that can scoot?

I really liked this theme. The last one comes a little close to rhyming, at least with my western Canadian accent, but I think it still works. It turns out that words like this are called eye rhymes, which is a lovely contradictory phrase.

Good use of the lonset slots in the grid, with entries like I’M LOVIN’ IT (the McDonald’s slogan), ATM CARD (26D: It’s swiped for fast cash) and that lovely themer-required Q in BRUSQUE. MOCK DRAFT is also good, especially with the NFL season about to begin. I’ve decided I’ll try following the Seattle Seahawks this year, on the basis that I get all the local Seattle channels anyway.

MAN CODE is an entry I’ve seen in other puzzles, though I always thought it was “bro code”. Maybe that’s just “How I Met Your Mother”. Didn’t like NCR, WANGLE, REMEET or LARAM, but the grid is otherwise very clean.

Some very good clues this week. 22A: Stopped breathing at dinner, perhaps (CORKED) and 40A: Buy one, get one, for one (OFFER) both stymied me at first. My favourite was 2D: Unlikely venue for an indie rock show for ARENA.

Good puzzle with a little bite in the clues. I’ll leave you with a clip, in honour of “This was a VALUED rug” at 50A (language NSFW):

Have a nice week!

• Andrew Ries