Puzzle by Courtenay Crocker and Nancy Salomon, Edited by Will Shortz
BENDINGTHERULES (38A Title of this puzzle), coupled with letters from other uninvolved answers that methodically wind up in the circles of L-shaped areas traveling both across and down (unnumbered and unclued) to give six bent rules, e.g.: GROUND rule, HOME rule, GOLDEN rule, HOUSE rule, GENERAL rule, and SLIDE rule. Read Linda G (Madness...Crossword and Otherwise) for another description of the "theme". In any event, about half-way through, I caught on and was able to utilize the clue inferred by 38A BENDINGTHERULES to complete the grid, so the “bit” was a solver-friendly one.
Lots of other stuff though -- I wanted ZESTS (1A Drink garnishes) to be limes; I had to ask myself, is GROUCHOMARX (17 Antic brother) less or more antic than his brothers (see "Grouchoisms") with his BENT-kneed catch-me-if-you-can walk; I kept thinking Zeus instead of LEDA (28A Swan’s mate in myth), but of course it was Zeus disguised as a swan; always like seeing OOP (44A Alley___) in any puzzle; LARUE (15A Lash of bygone westerns) is an anagram of A RULE; GHOULISH (52A Like many Chas Addams characters) is a nice touch for a number of reasons; REVERSESIDE (63A Back) must be stretching it as to how-short-a-clue for how-long-an-answer one can write; have never seen OTC (66A Non-Rx) in use anywhere; thought (11A Place to pick up valuable nuggets) GOLDFIELD would be almost any other answer in the world. Yesterday's puzzle featured a "bend" -- SOUTHBEND (25A Home of Notre Dame); do we have the "bends" this week?
A lot of standards today: ARA, ARF, ANA (oh, forget the alphabet) AMIES, GEE, OLD, LIE, ORE, SSE, ETS, RAH, YRS, HAN, USE, SAC, ELIE, LEE, EDEN, ESSO, STET, REFS, HADAT, TAB, EATS, REAL and EDO. The clue for 29A (Order in the court) could have been a lot of different things, but it turns out to be ALLRISE. Liked the inclusion of the likes of SWAB and WUSS. Nice contrast with MEDDLING (24A Sticking one’s nose in) and BUTTSIN (46A Speaks when one should stay out) -- almost interchangeable clues, not quite.
Great puzzle!
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