A Rant*, in re: Saturday's LA Times X-Word**

DEAR SIRS:

I am writing to RED YE the riot act for the puzzle of 5/30/09. "WAIT A SEC -- WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?" you ask? Okay, SES I - A hard puzzle is fine. And if I can't complete it: that's Okay, too. Sometimes the constructor wins. But win by playing fair.

As soon as one WADES IN, there is boom = THRIVE, an EXTRA LARGE stretch. When the ANS is a foreign word, you PESO me off. And when the clue and ANS don't correspond - "That is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put"*** I WON'T STAND FOR IT. Don't you 'SPOSE that pajamas are specifically bed-time attire, and a cat wears its FUR 24/365? Or that SEE FIT means decide is tolerable, rather than best?

IDIO of me, perhaps, but I'm really SCRAPED OFF by your use of obscure technical jargon, SUCH AS "NISI," and "REDOX," and silly word fragments. PSHAW, I INTONE: leave your ETTES at 'OME. This toxic MEME is worse than EBOLI. Keep giving me Roman Numerals, and I will keep giving you FLAX. Nor does the use of overly-clever clues justify these flaws. Major follower? No - just F'n STOP it!.

Crosswords should not inspire cross words. They should be games, not CHORES that make me tear even more FUR from my already receding HAIRLINE.

Credit where it's due, though, I will CEDE you DIAPER RASH, PED, STRAY, ARB, and ATOLL. THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. But, alas, too little, TOO LATE. NEH -I cannot EVER NOMINATE as SOIGNE a puzzle with so much STRAY SASS.

Yours in tough love,
JzB
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* Clues and more rational commentary can be found here.
** ANS grid can be found here
*** Sorry. Wrong quote.