Saturday, December 10, 2022 - More than a heptad of great clues

An exceptional Saturday crossword by Sid Sivakumar, who seems to be incapable of writing any other kind. The clues were fabulous (as we explore in depth in today's episode), and even the crossings were praiseworthy - most notably 38A, Rock forming mineral that makes up over half the earth's crust, FELDSPAR intersecting 17A, Meets expectations, in a way, MAKESPAR, while even 19A, Pumped, STOKED versus 4D, Preakness or Belmont, STAKES, had a nice alliterative feel. Today being Saturday, ...