Samstag

I found the Saturday NYT puzzle by Jim Hyres harder than Friday's. What the hell is CLOOTIE? I just noticed that in looking back at the puzzle. Oh, Scottish Satan. Okay. Got that one through the crossings, obviously. I was also unfamiliar with SARRE and H HOUR, although I think *HOUR was my first entry. Clues I liked include "Pluto and others" for TOONS, "Change places?" for MINTS, "Bullyragged" (a new word for me) for MISUSED, and "Driving aid, of sorts" for LARIAT, and the last thing I filled in after working backwards, "Some pizza slices, e.g." for OCTANTS.

I just might go to Sundance for the Wordplay premiere. How else can I recoup the $5 I spent to preregister to be assigned a 30-minute time slot in which to attempt to buy tickets?

NYT 5:21
LAT 4:49
Saturday Stumper 3:42
CS 3:13