Friday 12:22 (crusht)

Easy puzzle for a Friday, and no Valentine-related clues. I believe 12:22 is a Friday personal best (yet oddly, slower than my Saturday best). I really ought to keep track of this in some sort of spreadsheet, but I never get so obsessive to do that. It would have gone even faster if I knew 1-Across, which was likely a gimme for many (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band led by Iggy Pop THE STOOGES). Ten letters right off the bat, and the Downs are pretty easy. Instead, I finished up filling out that area last (I got The Stooges once I found both O's). "Much-admired" person turned out to be ICON instead of the usual IDOL, so that cost me some time to unravel (tricky, since two of the letters are right, and those are with somewhat easier crosses).

Here's what I believe are my best times, since I took note of dominating. Middle days are more whatever. Tuesday and Wednesday feel mostly the same, and time is more about clues than solving a gimmick.

Monday 4:44
Thursday 8:59
Friday 12:22
Saturday 12:03 (on a 15 x 16 grid, 12:30 otherwise)