Inventor of logarithms / FRI 12-10-10 / Alternative title of Mack Knife / Dualistic Egyptian deity / Dweller near Central Parks Strawberry Fields

Constructor: Elizabeth C. Gorski

Relative difficulty: Medium-Challenging

THEME: Uh ... the black squares form a musical note, I think — I have no idea why this puzzle exists. Is it really a puzzle about a song from "Babes in Arms" (JOHNNY ONE NOTE—33A: With 36-Across, "Babes in Arms" tune that's apt for this puzzle)? I mean, is that it? Does the theme go anywhere else? Further, BEMIRED MORITAT!!!!!? ... what in the Sam Hill...?


Hey, Judy Garland in blackface ... that's ... something... (thanks for the heads-up, Amy)



Word of the Day: MORITAT (31A: Alternative title of "Mack the Knife") —

"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. The song has become a popular standard. // A moritat (from mori meaning "deadly" and tat meaning "deed") is a medieval version of the murder ballad performed by strolling minstrels. In The Threepenny Opera, the moritat singer with his street organ introduces and closes the drama with the tale of the deadly Mackie Messer, or Mack the Knife, a character based on the dashing highwayman Macheath in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. The Brecht-Weill version of the character was far more cruel and sinister, and has been transformed into a modern anti-hero. (wikipedia)

• • •

Disaster. Not 'cause it was hard (which it was, for me) but because it's just ungainly. I'm sitting here trying to understand why I'm supposed to care that the black squares make a musical note, and that the central answer is some song I've never heard of from some musical I've heard of but know nothing about. If there were good reason — if this were a tribute to a composer, say, or the anniversary of some Broadway something or other — then I'd just grumble about my ignorance and be on my way. But this thing ... why? There is so much ugly fill that I'm astonished. A stunt puzzle gone horribly awry. Weird names crossing each other (NAPIER (1D: Inventor of algorithms) / INKSTER (19A: Two-time U.S. Women's Open winner), IRENE / RENES), partials dressed up like identical twins as if that's supposed to be endearing (SET A, IT'S A) [___ date], the apparently massive -ATE family (Uncle GLUTAMATE, the whole clan of BORATES). Wow. There are bits and pieces that I like (JOE TORRE (33D: Author of "Chasing the Dream: My Lifelong Journey to the World Series"), ALL SEWN UP), but the general barfiness of everything east of the note really puts this puzzle in the Fail category for me. Perhaps there is some key that will unlock its mysteries, some key that I do not possess. If so, please share it with me.



No idea who NAPIER is, so I went NARCS/ NEWTON / AMON-RA (should've been AMEN-RA, 2D: Dualistic Egyptian deity) ... not much else for me there, so I went to NE and got all of it except went with GLUTAMINE (is that a thing? I think I was thinking of GLUCOSAMINE. If I'd been thinking clearly, I would've said "monosodiumGLUTAMATE" to my stupid self), which destroyed my ability even to see ONE NOTE ("JOHNNY ONE NONE? Is that a soccer score?"). Put the from-outer-space MORITAT in there and I was well and truly screwed. IN MOTHBALLS (23D: Being reserved) took Forever to get, as it's not an expression I use or hear, but I accept its validity. But that whole section is just BEMIRED (42A: Stuck, in a way) in unpleasantness.



I think the most irksome thing is the pride of place given to "JOHNNY / ONE NOTE," when a. it's not really a theme (no other answers relate), and b. today is not important in the history of "JOHNNY ONE NOTE"; in fact, it's just a song that happens to have "NOTE" in its title. That Is Not Enough Of A Basis For A Puzzle. Man, if I hadn't been able to throw down ERIE CANAL (55A: Early 19th-century engineering marvel) with No crosses, I might still be working on this thing. I guess that means I might have been an ABNEGATOR? (12D: One who surrenders) Am I using that right? Who knows? "MORITAT!" [Alternative word for "Uncle!" "No mas!" etc.].



Bullets:

• 15A: Plant whose roots are used as detergent (AMOLE) — another unpretty word. Really wish A-HOLE was an answer that could fly...
  
• 26A: Air-gulping swimmer (GAR) — why is a fish gulping air???
  
• 29A: Grp. knocked in "Sicko" (AMA) — hovered between this and HMO.
  
• 39A: It might accompany a bar line (LEER) — this clue is great. I had no idea what to make of "bar line." Thought it might be musical ... you can imagine why.
  
• 54A: Stethoscope inventor Laënnec and others (RENÉS) — Pfft. Whatever you say. Same thing for the other name cross, IRENE (43D: Rich of old films). Thankfully, that "E" was utterly inferrable.
  
• 6D: Dupes in some mailboxes (SPARE KEYS) — a truly unexpected answer. Nice.
  
• 52D: Dweller near Central Park's Strawberry Fields (ONO) — baffled me, which it shouldn't have. I don't know if I've ever seen "Dweller" used to refer to a single, specific person. It's usually "SLAV" or "OMANI" or some such general term.
  

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]