So I'm in this strange position of having enjoyed the challenge while having winced or squinted at much of the fill. Perhaps … A v. smooth solve by MRian standards…way ahead of instead of way behind my online NYT pace car. … From reading German literature, I knew that Fiaker are horse-drawn cabs or buggies but had no idea of the derivation: “named after the Hotel de St Fiacre, Paris, where these vehicles were first hired out,” according to thefreedictionary.com. …

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Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Italian actress …