Tuesday February 5th 2019, NY Times Crossword

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Time: 5:09
Tuesday Average: 13:12
Best Tuesday: 5:05

I'm back at the home of the blog, Indianapolis International Airport (because it flies to Canada and, now, Paris!) waiting for a flight to Newark on my way to Delhi. Here's hoping it goes better than that very itinerary did last time.

This Tuesday crossword passed by in a blink, nearly a record time for me, but I think I would have been moderately happier if I still lived in the world where I occasionally ignored themes. The theme answers were READY WHEN YOU ARE, DANNY AINGE, and BREATH MINT, with the revealer of SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN. What on Earth do those have to do with each other, you ask? Well, the clue tells us for the revealer that it's a "comment on the last words of 16-, 26-, and 47- Across, when said together out loud." I said, "are, Ainge, mint" two or three times,at first hearing Orange Mint, which is a nightmare flavor combination as Calvin & Hobbes and anyone who has had orange juice after brushing their teeth will tell you. But, I eventually heard "arrangement" and I'm still having a hard time feeling happy about it.

In terms of what I learned, I didn't know JONI Ernst, current Republican junior senator from Iowa. Reading a little farther down in her Wikipedia article, I came across her campaign ad in which  she drew a parallel "between her experience castrating pigs and her ability to cut "pork" in Congress." That sounds more familiar now and also, I'll admit, awesome. I guess it worked out for her.

Do I like it when the clue "Per item" appears twice in a puzzle so that you can get both EACH and A POP? Meh.

Time to SOAR through the skies to Delhi. Hope to see you there!

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