PUZZLING|PATTERNS

by bbctol

• Play it ↗
• Difficulty: easy

After I completed this puzzle, I looked over at SYMMETRY and thought, "so what?" Turns out I was missing the point because I have word separators turned off. Symmetrical black squares, no big deal. Symmetrical word separators? That's on a whole 'nother level.^[1]

Although I respect the flex I've got to say the theme makes zero difference for the solve (especially when word separators are turned off). The reality of this grid is a below-average themeless with some awkward corners.

My two problem corners were BESO and SNOG, where awkward fill meets clever clues. I really like "French, to the English?", but only because I have constructed crossword puzzles before and I know how much of a bummer it is to have SNOG in your grid. What an awful word! BESO is a bit of language trivia unknown to me crossed with another wordplay-ism, "Inner ears?" (COBS). I found both of these corners much harder than their surroundings.

"Half of half-and-half" is absolute gold and left me chuckling. I've got to give the constructor props for some really good clues, a much appreciated attempt to compensate for the fill.

EMS vs. EMT is another dilemma I had to address in this grid. EMS is the category, EMT is the practitioner? I think I have that right. Then "Ambulance operators' abbreviation" is a tad misleading since the operator is an EMT, even though the category of medicine is EMS. Man, who cares. Just fill the S because the crossing clue sounds plural and send it.

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