Sat., 11/8 Venzke & Fleming

[magus]

THEME:   none, but four 10-letter triples
   
GOOD ONES:     
Group with many hits   COSA NOSTRA   
Locks that are picked   AFROS   
   
BTW:   
Star followers   MAGI [this magus follows LAT Xwords --- a bit less exciting than for my progenitors]   
   
   
RATING:   
Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun   

[Thomps2525]

I'm used to puns in crosswords. I knew immediately that "Locks that are picked" would refer to AFROS. But who has an Afro anymore? Afros are becoming as obsolete as Roman numerals! "BILLANDCOO,"another phrase in today's puzzle, is also pretty much obsolete---unless you're talking about two pigeons. In the 1930s and '40s, the ornithological expression was used in reference to a man and woman nuzzling and cuddling and whispering words of love.

Today's crossword had only 28 black squares. I, for one, am impressed!