Tuesday September 4th 2018, NY Times

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Time: 6:14
Average Tuesday: 13:54
Best  Tuesday: 6:10

Strangely enough, I completed today's puzzle while stuck in traffic in Delhi, which made up approximately 5 hours of my day. UGH. 

I need to remember OLLA as an earthen or ceramic pot, because on other days, I won't get it entirely on crosses and barely notice it. 

"One involved with a grand opening?" is a clever clue for PIANO TUNER. 

I was also completely unfamiliar with the term ANCHOR TENANT, referring to a large brand name store in a mall meant to draw broad crowds. However, it sounds plausible. That answer, along with ALL TOGETHER, ATOMIC THEORY, and AIRPORT TERMINAL (whence I'm bound in 30 minutes), make up the theme of THE EIGHTIES. What do those things have to do with the 80s, you ask? Absolutely nothing. It's a phonetic clue, so AT's, sounded out, and look it's a phrase where one word starts with A and the next starts with T. This can be filed away with themes that have no effect on the solve whatsoever. It elicited a "Huh" from me. 

I enjoyed the "Word spoken before and after 'James'" for BOND. Embarrassingly enough, that was the last clue to fall for me as I got hung up on "word" instead of name. And  met a school director today who gave me the classic "James Bond?" when I introduced myself as James. I actually haven't heard that in a while. 

I don't know KNUTE "Rockne of Notre Dame fame," but I fondly remember indie comic Replacement God, which features a protagonist named Knute (because he can't just be named Knight).

And I'M OFF to the airport! If all goes well, Wednesday will be blogged from home. 

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