Friday March 22nd 2019, NY Times Crossword

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Time: 34:13
Friday Average: 27:34
Best Friday: 10:21

I guess you could call this a bad start among BAD STARTS for me. Fortunately, I'm all over the MULTIVERSE theory since, you know, I read comics and all. Of course, when I saw the clue "Rogue and Armada," all I could think was, "Is there an X-Man called Armada?" Typically enough, it's cars again, so NISSANS. Boring.

I was thinking Magnum P.I. or some such for "Detective in an aloha shirt," but giggled to myself when it turned out to be ACE VENTURA. I never actually watched any of those films, even though they're firmly of my generation, because I was too busy being contrarian in the face of my Jim Carrey loving friends. So, that's the same reason I did basically anything in middle school.

WIIITIS for "Joint pain from playing too many video games?" You can't be serious. Urban Dictionary confirms that at least someone thinks it's a thing, but I'm highly skeptical. But I suppose it's a relief that that triple "I" turned out to be correct.

Finally, I have no idea if I should know who CARLO PONTI is. Apparently he was married to Sophia Loren and produced over 140 films, including "Doctor Zhivago." And as long as we're talking about things I don't know, there's the Italian soccer club JUVENTUS, which I now also know means "youth." Also, MUESLI is hard to spell.

But I'm not someone who STAYS MAD at a crossword. I still got that satisfying feeling of watching a corner crumble after someone helped me out with BALINESE (since I don't know cats either!). I'm forever thankful. 

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