Thursday, 2/22

NYS 5:05
NYT 4:33
LAT 3:39
CS 2:54

The Sun continues its week of Oscar-themed puzzles with Alan Arbesfeld's "Oscar-Winning Costars." As far as I know, the theme entries are pairs of actors who've won Oscars, but who are costars only insofar as (how the hell did the three words in insofar ever get mashed together like that?) they are paired in these punny theme entries. I like that OAK is clued in relation to the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, as I'll be there this weekend (and hence will be inattentive to crosswords and blogging on Saturday and early Sunday). Interesting fill (CHICHI, PIQUED, IN HEAT, WHOMP). Not sure how I managed to guess the controversial book was BALL FOUR with just a few crossings, because I'm quite sure I don't know the book or author at all. Nor do I know ALDO Nova, and the KNAPP commission is just vaguely familiar.

Mike Nothnagel goes themed with the Thursday NYT, and he ZAPS the ADs from the theme entries. All sorts of tricky clues throughout—[Stories often have them] clues TWO SIDES, [A tiny bit] is the phrase ONE IOTA, [Prefix with -cide] is ECO, [Knitted] is WOVE (though from a textile standpoint, aren't those completely different? Metaphorically, I suppose they're interchangeable), and [Having a bottom] is SOLED. Great intersection between LOST FACE and WHAT THE...