Saturday October 13th 2018, NY Times Crossword

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Time: 42:50
Saturday Average: 39:46
Best Saturday: 20:09

Sometimes a Saturday looks like it's going to be a breeze when you immediately write in SHONDA Rhimes and then CHEAT DAY for "Dieter's day of indulgence" and you think, YES AND (also automatic) I'm on the same wavelength as the constructor. Then suddenly it's cars and composers (have I mentioned that those are GAPS in my knowledge?) and you have an absolute slog on your hands and maybe you SEETHE a bit.

I definitely had a few of those crossword moments that I love when I think, oh yes, KESTRELS must be small falcons and, of course, I've heard APERÇU ("Illuminating comment") before. I've even seen KNESSET, which is Israel's Parliament, clued as "Diet in the Mideast" before, so I'm all over that.

But then there's the Nissan MURANO (crossing PIMAS, an Arizona tribe I'm not familiar with) and Arcangelo CORELLI (crossing TORT, which one day I'll remember means a "wrongful act"). Those plus repeatedly writing and erasing PIPETS for "Means of drawing up solutions" because that's correct, but also that's not really how you spell it, right?

I'll accept this one as a Saturday that involved some heavy learning on my part and perhaps some frustrating answers, but it's hard to be mad in Muscat when you see the sunset.

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