tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351150612024-03-28T10:29:52.506-04:00Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword PuzzleA Crossword BlogRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger6478125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68350254412416094902024-03-28T05:20:00.004-04:002024-03-28T06:05:09.451-04:00Nirvana achiever / THU 3-28-24 / Shade-tolerant perennial / Dustin's sweetheart on "Stranger Things" / Songwriter Barry who once had six consecutive #1 hits / Iberian greeting<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Dominic Grillo</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium-Challenging</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsFpnL2RvhvoZN0hVeMbhcd3UfwvF92hfYWaK7RdUtUx9gyj3wMNYxmde4Xi7WUqqPMxUMeOcLUDlt5I3_UtbfKp4wvAlaY4tM-GtVN9LdFFpVleE_JPV5TNYLl80lGjWAZy9cNXr_Js45cDEFudJZ8bA7mc7GSUimbmaAsFolldIlKMoT6WtkA/s1016/Screenshot%202024-03-28%20at%203.48.52%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsFpnL2RvhvoZN0hVeMbhcd3UfwvF92hfYWaK7RdUtUx9gyj3wMNYxmde4Xi7WUqqPMxUMeOcLUDlt5I3_UtbfKp4wvAlaY4tM-GtVN9LdFFpVleE_JPV5TNYLl80lGjWAZy9cNXr_Js45cDEFudJZ8bA7mc7GSUimbmaAsFolldIlKMoT6WtkA/w358-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-28%20at%203.48.52%20AM.png" width="358" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> POTATO / HEAD (1D: With 58-Down, classic toy that dropped gendered titles in 2021)</span> — circled squares contain the various "body" parts of (formerly Mr. or Mrs.) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POTATO HEAD</span></b>, all positioned in the wrong places because, as the puzzle says, on the toy, those parts are <b><span style="color: #351c75;">INTERCHANGEABLE</span> (59A: Like the parts of this puzzle's toy, as depicted throughout the grid)<br /></b><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Parts:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">SMILE (up top where the HAT should be)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">NOSE and HAT (are these supposed to be EARs or HANDs, I cannot tell)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">EAR (I think this is the NOSE's place? Maybe EYES?)</span></li><li><b>EYES (How did they get both EYES to go in the single NOSE hole? Or are the EYES one piece with this toy?)</b></li><li><b>HAND (down below where the SMILE should be ... I think)</b></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> "The Story of ADÈLE H" </span>(<b>57A: "The Story of ___" (1975 film by François Truffaut)</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAVljpEkFgsjdGsNsu2Wp1pwcDsKIE__ou6HZ9L3FUZPvP9qWfwDMTbUZxOEt5p1VATStd2wUfbTyf-iORvXBrXQ_qt2rT2FQykKvWfkZ6X5dw5Z5MzttKtAPzoAh1JKJ3aW0J5hGTbtrwKuNx0mVATUjlKNRy6tY08cPy3jtYeJv9s1-Ec-uyg/s362/L'histoire_d'Ade%CC%80le_H..jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="274" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlAVljpEkFgsjdGsNsu2Wp1pwcDsKIE__ou6HZ9L3FUZPvP9qWfwDMTbUZxOEt5p1VATStd2wUfbTyf-iORvXBrXQ_qt2rT2FQykKvWfkZ6X5dw5Z5MzttKtAPzoAh1JKJ3aW0J5hGTbtrwKuNx0mVATUjlKNRy6tY08cPy3jtYeJv9s1-Ec-uyg/w161-h213/L'histoire_d'Ade%CC%80le_H..jpg" width="161" /></a></b></i></div><i><b>The Story of Adèle H.</b></i> (French: <i lang="fr">L'Histoire d'Adèle H.</i>) is a 1975 French <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Historical fiction">historical drama</a> film directed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Truffaut" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="François Truffaut">François Truffaut</a>, and starring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_Adjani" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Isabelle Adjani">Isabelle Adjani</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Robinson" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Bruce Robinson">Bruce Robinson</a>, and Sylvia Marriott. Written by Truffaut, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Gruault" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Jean Gruault">Jean Gruault</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Schiffman" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Suzanne Schiffman">Suzanne Schiffman</a>, the film is about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad%C3%A8le_Hugo" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Adèle Hugo">Adèle Hugo</a>, the daughter of writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Victor Hugo">Victor Hugo</a>, whose obsessive unrequited love for a military officer leads to her downfall. The story is based on Adèle Hugo's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diary" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Diary">diaries</a>. Filming took place on location in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernsey" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Guernsey">Guernsey</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Senegal">Senegal</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">20-year-old <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_Adjani" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Isabelle Adjani">Isabelle Adjani</a> received much critical acclaim for her performance as Hugo, garnering an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Academy Awards">Oscar</a> nomination for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actress" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Academy Award for Best Actress">Best Actress in a Leading Role</a>, making her the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_and_youngest_Academy_Award_winners_and_nominees#Youngest_nominees_3" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees">youngest Best Actress</a> nominee ever at the time. <i>The Story of Adèle H.</i> also won the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Board_of_Review_Award_for_Best_Foreign_Language_Film" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film">National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film</a>, the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Syndicate_of_Cinema_Critics_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Awards">French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Award for Best Film</a>, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartagena_Film_Festival" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Cartagena Film Festival">Cartagena Film Festival</a> Special Critics Award. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGpy4ARJDYGbpsNbmcWRt5kTnCjnW46A6efzYLH52SjsnEZUU7GIQHsDBEvwp9GI1Ro8uDc7iHFALHPo5wE1RnTHeA4Ys6bCnLEhTgea7Bk-6QyH1wnvK88fXhl1ogjlFQ6huhr8SuFPnb9FazC8pTWN9nzDjtlEaQkhs-tJHKSb9AbQpz4fxfA/s1000/61Z7TeugyJL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGpy4ARJDYGbpsNbmcWRt5kTnCjnW46A6efzYLH52SjsnEZUU7GIQHsDBEvwp9GI1Ro8uDc7iHFALHPo5wE1RnTHeA4Ys6bCnLEhTgea7Bk-6QyH1wnvK88fXhl1ogjlFQ6huhr8SuFPnb9FazC8pTWN9nzDjtlEaQkhs-tJHKSb9AbQpz4fxfA/w227-h227/61Z7TeugyJL.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>I guess it's a joke. The body parts are in the wrong place. Or am I just not looking at it from the right perspective? I don't know. I haven't seen a (Mr.) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POTATO HEAD</span></b> in four decades. I didn't know they still existed (beyond the <i>Toy Story</i> movies). The black squares toward the center form a kind of potato silhouette, and then the circled squares are placed in relation to that. As a piece of grid art, it's inventive. As a puzzle to actually solve, it wasn't really my thing. I've never had much patience for puzzles that are architectural stunts, largely because the solving experience so often seems not to be a consideration, and the fill often seems to suffer (as it does, in many places, today). But my main problem here is I don't think the architectural element is that good. It's sloppy-seeming. I tried (half-heartedly, I'll admit) to figure out what body parts were supposed to go where, and I couldn't figure it out. No idea where the HAND slot is *supposed* to be. Where's the other EAR? The other HAND? Why are there apparently two EYES in (apparently) the NOSE place, a place that wouldn't (would it?) have two holes? (looks like the toy's EYES might actually come in one piece, but in the grid, that is not how they appear). There's an admirable stab at whimsy here, but visually it all seems a bit of a mess. I mean, beyond the intentional mess of mixed-up body parts. The mess is a mess, is what I'm saying.<div><br />
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</div><div>Segmentation of the grid, particularly the extreme isolation of the center part (with only the narrowest of pathways in), made the puzzle somewhat difficult to travel through, and made that center section way harder than it would've been otherwise. You can only get in there via two answers: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SEDIMENTS</span></b> (which has a "?" clue, which meant that it was initially no help to me) (<b>31A: Bank deposits?</b>) and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CHINESE YUAN</span></b> (<b>48A: Currency once pegged to the U.S. dollar</b>). Luckily I knew the latter. I knew <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SEDIMENTS</span></b> was probably something to do with river "banks," but SILT was the only word I had in my head, so I had to work from inside the potato before I got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SEDIMENTS</span></b>. And what do we have inside the potato? The plural of "poetry," LOL, I teach poetry (literally; later today, in fact) and I have never used the plural <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POETRIES</span></b> in my life (I'm probably exaggerating, but not by much). If you were going to use it, you certainly wouldn't use it the way the clue has clued it, by reference to what are basically <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GENRES</span></b>. [<i>It</i> can be epic or lyric] = POETRY. That would work. [<b>They can be epic or lyric</b>]? Hell no. Maybe (maybe) you might talk about the various <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POETRIES</span></b> of the world—using it as a word for various poetic traditions. But mainly it's just poetry, man. No plural needed (or wanted). As for knowing names of poker guys, ugh, I remembered <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHIL IVEY</span></b> with a few crosses, but I can't say I enjoyed it (<b>24D: Winner of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets</b>). There's a dumb spelling game in here (<b>37A: Synonym found after deleting half the letters of EXHILARATE</b>) and a Britishly-spelled <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MITRE</span></b> and the wholly underwhelming bonus (?) theme answer <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OVOID</span> (46A: Shaped like this puzzle's subject)</b>. Also, I know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PCP</span></b> only as a drug and have never used that term to refer to my doctor, though I recognize that it's a valid abbr. (for "primary care physician"). So the middle part was the hardest part was the most unpleasant part.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>But <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHIL IVEY</span></b> was not the fill that made me wince the most. That honor goes to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELE H</span></b>, truly the worst crossword name partial of them all. Let me tell you all the ways it is bad. First, it's a partial. It's not the movie's title—it's a <i>part</i> of the movie's title. It is hyperspecific—there is no other way to clue <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELE H</span></b>, and no other <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELE H</span></b> in the universe to help you as an analogy. Like, I might not know a particular TIM or BOB or <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SUZIE</span> (13A: Dustin's sweetheart on "Stranger Things")</b>, but I can at least recognize those names as names that humans have. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELE H</span></b>, not so much. Further—that movie is exceedingly Not famous. It's nearly 50 years old and somehow, though I watch hundreds of movies a year, most of them on the Criterion Channel, and I read lots of writing about film, this film never comes up. It's a 50-year-old minor film by a major director, but (I'm pretty sure) most solvers will not have heard of it (let alone seen it) unless (like me) they learned about it from crosswords. Further, and worst of all, if you're a solver who doesn't know the film, then you don't have any idea that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELE H </span></b>is actually two words, or two parts: an ADELE part followed by the initial "H." <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELEH</span></b> looks like one name in the grid. "Who the hell is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELEH</span></b>?" I can almost literally hear thousands of solvers asking in unison today. This is only the fifth time <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELEH</span></b> has appeared in the NYTXW, and only the third during my blogging tenure (since '06). And all because of a terminal "H" occasioned by the placement of the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HEAD</span></b> in "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">POTATO HEAD</span></b>." Stunningly, all appearances of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELEH</span></b> come from the Shortz (now Shortz/Fagliano) Era. The 1970s, when this movie at least had some currency, didn't want anything to do with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ADELEH</span></b> a crossword answer, and neither should you. Delete it.<br /><br />
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<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Other stuff:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">57D: Pulitzer-winning author whose name is found in nonconsecutive letters of "page turner" (<span style="color: #351c75;">AGEE</span>)</span> — this may be the stupidest clue I've ever seen in my life. "Nonconsecutive?" I hope you wrote in PETE and just left it there in defiance of this stupid clue. </li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">25D: Deeply asleep, hyperbolically (<span style="color: #351c75;">COMATOSE</span>)</span> — one way to rescue your puzzle from excessive grimness (see also the clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">UZI</span></b>).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">38A: Taiwanese president ___ Ing-wen (<span style="color: #351c75;">TSAI</span>)</span> — really should commit this to memory, but so far no luck. Had THAI here (?!?!) until <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SIGNAL BOX</span></b> helped me out.</li><li><b>15A: O-O-O part (<span style="color: #351c75;">TAC</span>)</b> — as in the game Tic-<b><span style="color: #351c75;">TAC</span></b>-Toe</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">45A: "Be mindful when clicking," in brief (<span style="color: #351c75;">NSFW</span>)</span> — Not Suitable For Work. Clue isn't really specific enough, since you should be mindful when clicking in many, many situations, not just when your buddy sends you porn.</li></ul><div>Off to teach the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POETRIES</span></b>. See you next time.</div><div><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86813825417352539692024-03-27T05:33:00.003-04:002024-03-27T07:10:35.188-04:00Naval threats, according to an old saying / WED 3-27-24 / Release following the GameCube / T that comes before Y / Characteristic sound of Yoko Ono? / Chum, in Champagne<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Rich Katz</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy-Medium</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak8EOxyHTrmddLMYUaQLgOiGTOq9pG18vHAYFaEeup-XK6vDfn7Xkhe2uMVwM0izXGcohyK-AJKFIiD_AF94-mje_tc-808AcnmctfIxYSpLyal9qQHjLQ3v2R3udWavi_bnlAqN3InTD67TeSwZG-RYRYvYP6DAsBJezXtU0YUpOCy6GtuzTQQ/s962/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%204.11.45%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak8EOxyHTrmddLMYUaQLgOiGTOq9pG18vHAYFaEeup-XK6vDfn7Xkhe2uMVwM0izXGcohyK-AJKFIiD_AF94-mje_tc-808AcnmctfIxYSpLyal9qQHjLQ3v2R3udWavi_bnlAqN3InTD67TeSwZG-RYRYvYP6DAsBJezXtU0YUpOCy6GtuzTQQ/w376-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%204.11.45%20AM.png" width="376" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Instructions for turning SCREWDRIVERS (54A: Toolbox tools): RIGHTY TIGHTY / LEFTY LOOSEY (19A: With 36-Across, mnemonic device for turning 54-Across ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues) </span> — you must mentally supply "tight" on the <i>right</i> side of the grid three times (following, or to the "right" of, three answers), and "loose" on the left side of the grid three times (before, or to the "left" of, three answers)<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">SKIN tight (9A: *Closefitting)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"HANG tight!" (35A: *"Don't go anywhere!")</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"SLEEP tight" (64A: *Rhyming partner of "Good night")</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Loose TOOTH (13A: *Wiggler in a child's mouth)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Loose LEAF (39A: *Like some paper and tea)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Loose LIPS (65A: *Naval threats, according to an old saying) </span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> "Loose LIPS Sink Ships" </span>(<b>65A</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgel3wBtfzGNHWMUyWzVFsU4kjPCLL7Ll9WEb5B6UiWUeKuZHMMbgCMs_pzpyqX-TBghmZodLKwcnDOvm4W8099ZDU6w4Sybgqrp9fLrGCQEtcYHgj7CONwTRwG8I26auY6l3h28q24sCFGUTT6qcDUkGAVrRJMTk2YrHyTBBh9IWju3lkhQGvi4A/s573/%22Loose_lips_might_sink_ships%22_-_NARA_-_513543.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="440" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgel3wBtfzGNHWMUyWzVFsU4kjPCLL7Ll9WEb5B6UiWUeKuZHMMbgCMs_pzpyqX-TBghmZodLKwcnDOvm4W8099ZDU6w4Sybgqrp9fLrGCQEtcYHgj7CONwTRwG8I26auY6l3h28q24sCFGUTT6qcDUkGAVrRJMTk2YrHyTBBh9IWju3lkhQGvi4A/w189-h246/%22Loose_lips_might_sink_ships%22_-_NARA_-_513543.jpg" width="189" /></a></b></div><b>Loose lips sink ships</b> is an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="American English">American English</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Idiom">idiom</a> meaning "beware of unguarded talk". The phrase originated on propaganda posters during <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="World War II">World War II</a>, with the earliest version using the wording <b>loose lips might sink ships. </b>The phrase was created by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Advertising_Council" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="War Advertising Council">War Advertising Council</a> and used on posters by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Office_of_War_Information" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="United States Office of War Information">United States Office of War Information</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="font-size: 14.000001px;">This type of poster was part of a general campaign to advise servicemen and other citizens to avoid careless talk that might undermine the war effort. There were many similar such slogans, but "Loose lips sink ships" remained in the American idiom for the remainder of the century and into the next, usually as an admonition to avoid careless talk in general.</span><span style="font-size: 11.2px; white-space: nowrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.000001px;">(The British equivalent used "</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careless_Talk_Costs_Lives_(propaganda)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Careless Talk Costs Lives (propaganda)">Careless Talk Costs Lives</a><span style="font-size: 14.000001px;">", and variations on the phrase "Keep </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mum%27s_the_word" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Mum's the word">mum</a><span style="font-size: 14.000001px;">", while in neutral Sweden the State Information Board promoted the wordplay "</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_svensk_tiger" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="En svensk tiger">En svensk tiger</a><span style="font-size: 14.000001px;">" ("A Swedish tiger" or "A Swede keeps silent": the Swedish word "tiger" means both "tiger" and "keeps silent"), and Germany used "Schäm Dich, Schwätzer!" (English: </span><span lang="en" style="font-size: 14.000001px;">"Shame on you, blabbermouth!"</span><span style="font-size: 14.000001px;">).</span></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">However, propaganda experts at the time and historians since have argued the main goal of these and similar posters was to actually frighten people into not spreading rumors, even true ones, containing bad news that might hurt morale or create tension between groups of Americans, since the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Bureau of Investigation">Federal Bureau of Investigation</a> (in charge of dealing with enemy spies) had rounded up the key agents in June 1941, so that the nation "entered the war with confidence that there was no major German espionage network hidden in U.S. society." [...] </p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Historian D'Ann Campbell argues that the purpose of the wartime posters, propaganda, and censorship of soldiers' letters was not to foil spies but "to clamp as tight a lid as possible on rumors that might lead to discouragement, frustration, strikes, or anything that would cut back military production." (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div>This theme grew on me as I circled the grid and realized how many layers it had, but I cannot tell you what a corrosive effect bad fill has on my initial mood and impression when solving a puzzle. I went "uh oh" at the very first answer I entered (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IROC</span></b>) and then "you must be joking" when the very next answer I got was <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OTOH</span></b>. Junk, junk, right out of the box. I took a screenshot right there, but had no idea that things would actually get <i>worse</i> before I'd ever even left the NW corner (I threw that first screenshot away and took this one instead):<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuGrWnmDb68bBq6Kw95yStmnk3GvpjcupuJGNVVrC7pnxFcUMwIvbIjVC_Op-ivSh77475VIK9lX-9MeyRy7-2BcsKVF4aa25SYRCBWE1D6tXhj7wIA1hJ8Qgyl3H-mNYJHu3fXC-fwNJvOpOEiOkMIwfEH7YtXUvEl_0S5U_o8JaScrpQ-e8Lg/s696/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%204.06.06%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="696" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuGrWnmDb68bBq6Kw95yStmnk3GvpjcupuJGNVVrC7pnxFcUMwIvbIjVC_Op-ivSh77475VIK9lX-9MeyRy7-2BcsKVF4aa25SYRCBWE1D6tXhj7wIA1hJ8Qgyl3H-mNYJHu3fXC-fwNJvOpOEiOkMIwfEH7YtXUvEl_0S5U_o8JaScrpQ-e8Lg/w320-h220/Screenshot%202024-03-27%20at%204.06.06%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[note: doubling <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OTOH</span></b> with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">IMHO</span></b> later on did not, I repeat not, make things better]</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Only-for-the-vowels<b style="color: #351c75;"> IONIAN</b>, the dreaded <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ON TOE</span></b> ... this is the kind of tiresome short stuff that longtime solvers will have become inured to over the years, but I think a lot about people who aren't longtime solvers and how crummy this fill must seem. Plus, there's no reason to accept bad fill as a standard in the most high-profile crossword in the country. Again, it's a matter of density here—no one answer in particular, but a concatenation, a barrage. True, the NW is the worst of it, but the olden/boring fill is everywhere, as if the puzzle is barely holding itself together to accommodate the theme ... only the theme isn't really that demanding. Yes, you have not just three longer answers, but the six short ones that are more or less fixed in place. That does put stress on the grid. But it's your job to make the effects of that stress near invisible, particularly in a grid that doesn't actually hold any good fill <i>at all</i> beyond the instructions / revealer. It is fun (in a way) to discover the right/left gimmick, so you don't necessarily need sparkly fill today. But you do need it all to groan a little less.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Another issue with the puzzle—an inevitable one—is that the entirety of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RIGHTY TIGHTY / LEFTY LOOSEY</span></b> goes in in one whoosh. True, you don't know the gimmick that's awaiting you, so the solve is nowhere close to over, but it's odd to give away that much real estate at once, especially since (as I say) there is not another really interesting answer in the entire grid. The rest of the solve is just gunk and gimmick. Luckily, the gimmick is a good one. Didn't feel that way at first, but the theme ended up developing in an interesting way, with multiple ahas to be had. Firstly, I had <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOOTH</span></b> and had no idea anything was "missing" from the answer. Seemed right—a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOOTH</span></b> can often be found wriggling in a child's mouth. Correct on its face. Mentally-supplied "Loose" not required. I could see that that clue was starred (*) but the answer seemed literal so I didn't think much about why and moved on. I got the long instructions right after that and didn't really read the clue all that closely (I tend not to with paragraph-long clues), so I thought the only thing left to discover was the last long answer, which turned out to be <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SCREWDRIVERS</span></b>, which was ... disappointing. I mean, on-the-nose, obvious. Of course that's what <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RIGHTY TIGHTY / LEFTY LOOSEY</span></b> refers to (that, or screw-top caps, jar lids, etc.). Nothing new there. Thud. Then I got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LEAF</span></b> and thought "that sounds wrong ... <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LEAF</span></b> tea? <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LEAF</span></b> paper? ... are those the terms?" But ... close enough, I thought, and kept going. I think it was only when I finally hit bottom, where <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LIPS</span></b> made no sense without "loose," that I saw the gimmick. Or part of it—it was fun to realize a little later that missing "loose" was accompanied by missing "tight," and that each missing-word answer was appropriately oriented in the grid ("tight" answers on the <i>right</i>, "loose" answers on the <i>left</i> — <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RIGHTY TIGHTY / LEFTY LOOSEY</span></b>, ta da!</div><div><br />
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</div><div>I liked also that the missing-word answers varied in terms of how hard they were to pick up, and that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SLEEP</span></b>, for instance, really played on the missing word (forcing some solvers, undoubtedly, to wonder how in the hell <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SLEEP</span></b> rhymes with "Good night"). Then there was the ambiguity trap at <b>35A: *"Don't go anywhere!," </b>which, if you didn't fall into it, you probably didn't know existed. But I fell in. I came up from below, had the "H," and wrote in not "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">HANG</span></b>" but "HOLD." The whole puzzle promptly seized up as every short cross over there failed, though even with "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">HANG</span></b>" in place, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ZIG</span></b> was hard (why not ZAG?) (<b>26D: Veer quickly</b>) and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TIN</span></b> was hard (why not CAN?) (<b>25D: Recyclable material</b>). So that tiny area was a thorny mess for me. Otherwise, largely because the long theme stuff was so easy, this one played on the easy side, for sure. </div><div><br />
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<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Explainers:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">21A: T that comes before a Y (<span style="color: #351c75;">TAU</span>)</span> — not sure what the "Y" is, so I'm gonna look it up now ... OK, it's upsilon (or ypsilon), the twentieth letter of the Greek alphabet, and yup, it follows <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TAU</span></b> directly. "Y" is what upsilon looks like in capital form (in lowercase, it's just a regular old "u").</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">61A: Characteristic sound of Yoko Ono? (<span style="color: #351c75;">LONG "O"</span>)</span> — a "letteral" clue, asking you to consider "Yoko Ono" not as a musician but solely as a name—a name containing four <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LONG "O"</span></b>s. Yesterday, SILENT "B," today <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LONG "O," </span></b>tomorrow who knows?</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">34D: Name found when reading between the lines? (<span style="color: #351c75;">ELI</span>)</span> — this is some cryptic crossword-type cluing: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ELI</span></b> is a buried word that you can find if you <i>literally</i> read between "th<b><span style="color: #351c75;">E LI</span></b>nes." Cute.</li></ul><div>That's it. Enjoy your day. See you tomorrow (Opening Day!). Take care.</div><div><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75281428485301627842024-03-26T01:01:00.001-04:002024-03-26T01:11:20.282-04:00Fairy tale monster / TUES 3-26-24 / Simplifies, as a fraction / "Harrumph!," to Scrooge / Mama's hermana<div><span>Hi, everyone! It’s Clare, back for the last Tuesday in March. I’m coming off of a third-place finish in trivia, which I’ll accept given that it was our first time back in a while. This month, I’ve been watching a lot of March Madness (particularly the women) and getting way too invested in my teams winning (and in Caitlin Clark). It’s also a rather busy time at work — USCIS has decided to increase filing fees on April 1, which means my firm is trying to get a whole lot of filings out before then. And all this has been happening while I’ve been dying a bit from this second winter that made me nearly freeze to death (before getting some hot cocoa) at a Washington Spirit NWSL game. (We won in dramatic fashion with an extra-time goal.)</span></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;"><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>Constructors:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-weight: bold;">Laura Dershewitz and Katherine Baicker</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-weight: bold;">Challenging (for a Tuesday)</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWIJQcZ1yoxwXg3sR61GTKmsqsOYU6KoWcBPMMzfmkcbZ2qzuQ7CBcNOpMCVb_TSHs-zumcuxeqJ0XtbUvEPwR1LiQfQev7Y3gQvD_-6d_b00VDjh0VQUUBHA9jjL8T8vj9XuCAQhi06-nbenlg9NyIttTeIrr9JatHh6AFHCh999TkKWgd-_/s1296/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-25%20at%2010.52.10%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWIJQcZ1yoxwXg3sR61GTKmsqsOYU6KoWcBPMMzfmkcbZ2qzuQ7CBcNOpMCVb_TSHs-zumcuxeqJ0XtbUvEPwR1LiQfQev7Y3gQvD_-6d_b00VDjh0VQUUBHA9jjL8T8vj9XuCAQhi06-nbenlg9NyIttTeIrr9JatHh6AFHCh999TkKWgd-_/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-25%20at%2010.52.10%20PM.png" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-weight: bold;">AD HOMINEM </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">(34A: Kind of fallacious argument … or, phonetically, a hint to the answers to the starred clues) </span><span>— Add a homonym at the end of the word/phrase that sounds like the prior word or syllable</span><div><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><b><span style="color: #351c75;">HOTEL SUITE SWEET </span>(17A: Mint on a pillow, maybe?) </b></li><li><b><span style="color: #351c75;">PIGTAIL TALE</span> (27A: "Pippi Longstocking," for one?) </b></li><li><b><span style="color: #351c75;">MR RIGHT RITE</span> (46A: Marriage ceremony for the perfect guy?) </b></li><li><b><span style="color: #351c75;">SECOND TO NONE NUN</span> (57A: Mother superior?)
</b></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75; font-weight: bold;">LARS </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">(20A: "___ and the Real Girl" (Ryan Gosling film))</span> —
<blockquote><i>Lars and the Real Girl is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Craig Gillespie. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, and Patricia Clarkson. Its plot follows Lars, a kind-hearted but socially awkward young man who develops a romantic yet nonsexual relationship with an anatomically correct sex doll, a RealDoll named Bianca. Though a commercial failure, the film was positively received by critics, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. (Wiki)</i></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
I thought the theme was quite fun and inventive. As a result, I enjoyed the solve more than I often do. Who doesn’t like a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SUITE SWEET</span></b> or a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TAIL TALE</span></b> or a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RIGHT RITE</span></b> or especially a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SECOND TO NONE NUN</span></b> — though I had to puzzle out that final one for a while. I realize three of the four final words are homonyms of the previous word, while the fourth (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">PIGTAIL TALE</span></b>) uses a homonym of the previous syllable, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this was one of the more clever themes I’ve seen on a Tuesday. And I rather enjoyed it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the fill surrounding the theme was on the tougher side, which contributed to my slower-than-usual time. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SUI</span></b> (<b>57D: ___ generis (unique)</b>) and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MIEN</span></b> (<b>46D: Appearance</b>) felt like words for puzzles later in the week. I wanted <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AEON</span></b> (<b>31A: Many millennia</b>) to be eons, even though I knew the answer had to be singular. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some of the downs were nice — I Iiked having <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CROATIA</span></b> (<b>2D: Country that adopted the euro in 2023</b>), <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OUTRAGE</span></b> (<b>3D: Indignation</b>), <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STATURE</span></b> (<b>44D: Reputation</b>), and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">REDUCES</span></b> (<b>40D: Simplifies, as a fraction</b>) in the puzzle, although I thought <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TIE IT UP</span></b> (<b>12D: Force a game into extra innings, say</b>) was pretty meh. And <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE SUNS</span></b> (<b>11D: Phoenix basketball team, familiarly</b>) isn’t really a nickname for the team. The name of the city’s men's basketball team is just “the Phoenix Suns.” I suppose you could make the argument that by adding “the” you’ve turned it into a nickname, but then you could claim almost any sports team is a familiar name if you just add “the” (such as “the Steelers,” “the Warriors,” “the Giants,” “the Penguins,” etc.) The team nickname is part of the name — there’s nothing familiar about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>There were a couple of mini themes in the puzzle — with <b>1A: Get moving</b> (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SCOOT</span></b>) and <b>6A: Get moving?</b> (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">PROD</span></b>), along with <b>36D: Fairy tale monster</b> (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">OGRE</span></b>) and <b>47D: Fairy tale monsters</b> (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">GIANTS</span></b>) — which I thought added to the puzzle and the theme especially.
<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Misc.:</span>
<ul><li>I knew the answer to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OHIO</span></b> (<b>16A: Dayton’s state</b>) because my cousin is an assistant coach at Dayton for the men’s soccer team! </li><li>I absolutely love The Sports <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BRA</span></b> (<b>24A: (Portland bar dedicated to women's athletics</b>) and have been following along ever since it opened. It’s unique and lovely and amazing, and I love that it was in the puzzle. I’m jealous of everyone who can go. </li><li>I distinctly remember wanting to be like Pippi Longstocking (<b>27A</b>) when I was younger; one time I slept upside down on my bed with my head where my feet were supposed to be. I was also Pippi Longstocking for Halloween one year with a wig and everything — including pipe cleaners to make my pigtails stick out. I now have red hair… maybe she was the basis for my dying it that color. </li><li><b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEDSIDE</span></b> manner (<b>50A: (doctor's demeanor</b>)) makes me think of Cristina Yang from “Grey’s Anatomy,” especially because I’ve seen a million and one promotions for the show’s 21st season. (Cristina’s <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEDSIDE</span></b> manner was notoriously awful.) The fact that the show has been around for that long is simply wild. </li><li>Fun fact: Something I learned tonight at trivia about “Shrek” (which features a famous <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OGRE</span></b>) is that it doesn’t pass the Bechdel Test (i.e., do two women talk in a film about anything other than a man?). </li><li>I’ve seen “My Cousin Vinny” with Marisa <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOMEI</span></b> (<b>29D: Marisa who played herself in a "Seinfeld" cameo</b>) more times than I should probably admit. I remember having a sleepover with my friend when I was younger, and we watched the movie three times over two days because it was just that good. If I ever have the chance to give my Letterboxd four favorites, that movie is definitely in there.
</li></ul>
Signed, Clare Carroll, a not so bare bear<br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Clare Carrollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228063923024385630noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50119686615348425512024-03-25T00:00:00.002-04:002024-03-25T09:21:42.202-04:00Clichéd dismissal of Arizona's summer climate/ MON 3-25-24 / Woven creation of the Ojibwe people / Emma Stone's co-star on Showtime's "The Curse" / 2, 4, 6, 8, how do these numbers relate?<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Shannon Rapp and Will Eisenberg</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy (solved Downs-only)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6g8ahO5Tc-xs1yj_wkIHE5qBakVa6kbmkv79J1NxW4dOl6DXg2nujTzKUWEym7BhhWFzXhcCdFNDpcdPFje4borQzGQm2YXHn0LqXnJhKJmDqYH9RXt4iswevF5jktZAC9AarbI59oEy4Qs25Pxdb-VGHQnA5nogcJwpuaN_ewOOIc3WxPD6G_g/s972/Screenshot%202024-03-24%20at%206.55.19%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="902" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6g8ahO5Tc-xs1yj_wkIHE5qBakVa6kbmkv79J1NxW4dOl6DXg2nujTzKUWEym7BhhWFzXhcCdFNDpcdPFje4borQzGQm2YXHn0LqXnJhKJmDqYH9RXt4iswevF5jktZAC9AarbI59oEy4Qs25Pxdb-VGHQnA5nogcJwpuaN_ewOOIc3WxPD6G_g/w373-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-24%20at%206.55.19%20PM.png" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Opening Day (which is actually Mar. 28, but ... close enough!)</span> — baseball theme: second words of two-word phrases are all words for players on a baseball diamond:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">DREAM <u>CATCHER</u> (20A: Woven creation of the Ojibwe people)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PANCAKE <u>BATTER</u> (29A: Thick liquid poured on a hot griddle)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">NATHAN <u>FIELDER</u> (47A: Emma Stone's co-star on Showtime's "The Curse")</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">WATER <u>PITCHER</u> (56A: Pour thing?) </span><span>[this puzzle is oddly horny for Emma Stone ... and pouring]</span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4X2fzhOv0seNZKs0sw61Ff2dol1AuFx0xz7V6pCXl-sAg9gzGOSRprFE01yNfjVMFjhDRDQLyL9-8a-sjhJGTVvjEN72582tU-NY4cjM0jBRHEutYe7aIWglILi8E8mhf33xdfntyiFbMYCXVejTQKtnbSpu9YmECKAsYsR68Qj25-LDv-OhaDw/s1000/71j0SXKUc-L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4X2fzhOv0seNZKs0sw61Ff2dol1AuFx0xz7V6pCXl-sAg9gzGOSRprFE01yNfjVMFjhDRDQLyL9-8a-sjhJGTVvjEN72582tU-NY4cjM0jBRHEutYe7aIWglILi8E8mhf33xdfntyiFbMYCXVejTQKtnbSpu9YmECKAsYsR68Qj25-LDv-OhaDw/s320/71j0SXKUc-L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> NATHAN FIELDER </span>(<b>47A</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4FLFPdNmmnjGdYAFEtVuWDfAvTBs8jl-C0snkzFB4ylIf-WFuIhS5uCSV0_JUFo3RNHHIKpHhwu2zIfnv-vHAWE39kYo1QwQ6phs2AMHAsTaCPGTf1gmKet98KY9VRFSL3vFrgyn7AFB7nUzhMW209-83mN3bTOY2ssju5MNPBRiKmSdSdhrUQ/s1920/MV5BYTU1MjhkNDgtMDVhOC00MjhkLTg2NTQtZjU4NTc2M2U4Y2UxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1296" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4FLFPdNmmnjGdYAFEtVuWDfAvTBs8jl-C0snkzFB4ylIf-WFuIhS5uCSV0_JUFo3RNHHIKpHhwu2zIfnv-vHAWE39kYo1QwQ6phs2AMHAsTaCPGTf1gmKet98KY9VRFSL3vFrgyn7AFB7nUzhMW209-83mN3bTOY2ssju5MNPBRiKmSdSdhrUQ/w168-h249/MV5BYTU1MjhkNDgtMDVhOC00MjhkLTg2NTQtZjU4NTc2M2U4Y2UxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_.jpg" width="168" /></a></b></div><b>Nathan Joseph Fielder</b> (born May 12, 1983) is a Canadian comedian, actor, writer, director, and producer. He is known for his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cringe_comedy" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Cringe comedy">awkward persona</a> and involvement in works that blur reality and fiction. His accolades include an <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Spirit_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Independent Spirit Award">Independent Spirit Award</a> and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writers_Guild_of_America_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Writers Guild of America Awards">WGA Award</a>, as well as a nomination for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Awards">Primetime Emmy Award</a>. In 2023, he was featured on <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_(magazine)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Time (magazine)">Time</a></i>'s list of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_100" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Time 100">100 most influential people in the world</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">Fielder was interested in comedy from a young age, and as a teenager was involved in his school's improv group, which also featured fellow comedian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Rogen" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Seth Rogen">Seth Rogen</a>. He majored in Business at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Victoria" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="University of Victoria">University of Victoria</a>, which would later influence his work. After attending a comedy course at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_College" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Humber College">Humber College</a>, Fielder started his career as a correspondent for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBC_Television" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="CBC Television">CBC</a>'s <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Hour_Has_22_Minutes" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="This Hour Has 22 Minutes">This Hour Has 22 Minutes</a></i> for the segment series <i>Nathan on Your Side</i> from 2008 to 2009. Fielder would later write and appear on the American <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sketch_show" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Sketch show">sketch show</a> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Important_Things_with_Demetri_Martin" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Important Things with Demetri Martin">Important Things with Demetri Martin</a></i> (2011).</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">In 2013, he co-created and directed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedy_Central" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Comedy Central">Comedy Central</a> parody reality show <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_for_You" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Nathan for You">Nathan for You</a></i>, in which Fielder stars as a slightly more awkward version of himself, who offers advice to struggling businesses. The show ended in 2017 and was followed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="HBO">HBO</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mockumentary" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Mockumentary">docu-comedy</a> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rehearsal_(TV_series)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Rehearsal (TV series)">The Rehearsal</a></i> (2022–present). Fielder also executive produced the HBO docu-series <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_To_with_John_Wilson" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="How To with John Wilson">How To with John Wilson</a></i> (2020–2023). In 2023, he and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Safdie" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Benny Safdie">Benny Safdie</a> created his first scripted show, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showtime_(TV_network)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Showtime (TV network)">Showtime</a>'s <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curse_(American_TV_series)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Curse (American TV series)">The Curse</a></i>, in which he stars, alongside Safdie and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Stone" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Emma Stone">Emma Stone</a>. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BFGzLTfbvc7o2FXgG7KBLuacM-APre17mn6_PhrUTph0IhAx5Msfv1uCTt9Rzap-msda9s0LCxuYf0FWU0jrHQdi0FflTf6Ck9eaq5GKQ2bjJ3Vk2bicyEhyphenhyphenBvXf3TOseCPCHtr89iBeb7zajDuJqEQGSAVGnhHErvNLw3wyAOP35Bza9LwZCg/s1500/MV5BYTc1NDlmZDQtMjkzZS00MGI5LTkxMDUtNzViNWM3ODYwOWM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDA4NzMyOA@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BFGzLTfbvc7o2FXgG7KBLuacM-APre17mn6_PhrUTph0IhAx5Msfv1uCTt9Rzap-msda9s0LCxuYf0FWU0jrHQdi0FflTf6Ck9eaq5GKQ2bjJ3Vk2bicyEhyphenhyphenBvXf3TOseCPCHtr89iBeb7zajDuJqEQGSAVGnhHErvNLw3wyAOP35Bza9LwZCg/w165-h248/MV5BYTc1NDlmZDQtMjkzZS00MGI5LTkxMDUtNzViNWM3ODYwOWM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDA4NzMyOA@@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>Among the easiest Downs-only solves I've ever done, although I will admit that I accidentally saw <b>1A: Rum-soaked cake (<span style="color: #351c75;">BABA</span>)</b> before I managed to toggle to Downs, so I probably got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">B AND B</span></b> (ampersandwich!) faster than I would've otherwise. Still, I would've gotten <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BAKED POTATO</span></b> even without that initial "B" from BABA, so I think it's safe to say that this will play on the easy side for Downs-only solvers. For regular solvers, I don't know. That <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NATHAN FIELDER</span></b> cross would've stumped me. I had no idea he had a Showtime show with Emma Stone. I know him from <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rehearsal_(TV_series)">The Rehearsal</a></i>, which is ... I don't even know how to describe it. It seems like a documentary/reality series where he helps people prepare for some big event coming up in their lives, something they're worried about or dreading. That's the "rehearsal," and in those first couple episodes [actually, just the first episode!], the "rehearsal" is elaborate—building exact replicas of the locations where events are to take place and hiring actors to play patrons, that sort of thing. It's awkward and hilarious and surreal. But then the show takes a hard left turn when [starting in episode 2] Nathan himself gets pulled into one of the guest's stories [as the non-romantic partner of a woman ostensibly "rehearsing" to be a parent], and then the rest of the first-season episodes are all about that plotline. No new guests, just this bizarre trip into half-fake pseudo-reality TV land. I don't remember details well, but I remember my wife and I were constantly looking at each other like "What Is Happening?" Completely original and unpredictable in a way that TV almost never is. I guess I'll have to check out <i>The Curse</i>, but if it's conventional scripted fare, even good conventional scripted fare, I'm afraid I'm going to be disappointed. <i>The Rehearsal</i> set the Weird Bar too high, and now that's all I want from him. Anyway, between that clue and the [<b>Pour thing?</b>] clue, I can see how actually having to <i>deal</i> with the Acrosses might've slowed you down. In the Downs, though—no resistance to be found at all.<div><br />
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</div><div>The theme is very basic, of a type that would've been very at home in the 20th century, even the pre-Shortz era, but the actual theme answers themselves, and the overall cluing, felt reasonably fresh. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IT'S A DRY HEAT</span></b>" really gives you something extra to admire today (<b>26D: Clichéd dismissal of Arizona's summer climate</b>). That's one of the few Downs I wrestled with for more than a second or two, mainly because the "cliché" I was thinking of was "IT'S NOT THE HEAT / IT'S THE HUMIDITY," and I kept trying to make either half of that expression work. Ah well. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IT'S A DRY HEAT</span></b>" works too, and it actually fits the clue (fancy that) (<b>26D: Clichéd dismissal of Arizona's summer climate</b>). The hardest answer for me to get was the last one: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PROXY</span> (55D: Designated representative)</b>. I had the "R" but the other letters were all bland and not easily inferrable. YA- could've been YAP YAK YAM etc. DUET- looked like it could only be DUETS. SPAN- looked like SPANS, or maybe SPANO (there's an actor Vincent SPANO, isn't there?) (A: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Spano">Yes</a>). And STA- could've been many other things besides <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STAY</span></b>. So I had to push letters around and think on it, but I got there eventually. Even with that late struggle, this played very easy.</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tXVK7fh-kI?si=rhkt3saKyqNTgjer" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>The only part that made me go "boo!" ("boo! this is bad!" as opposed to "boo! scared ya!") was the clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EVENS</span> (34D: 2, 4, 6, 8, how do these numbers relate?)</b>. The "how" is what is bad. Clues are supposed to agree with answers grammatically, and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EVENS</span></b> is not a "how." I was looking for an adverbial phrase, maybe a prepositional phrase (How? Uh ... BY TWO?), but no, instead we get a mere synonym for 2, 4, 6, and 8: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EVENS</span></b>, i.e. even numbers. Sucks when the puzzle sacrifices clarity for cuteness. I love the idea (make it sound like a cheer!), but it doesn't work on the most basic wording level, so it doesn't work.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Looking forward to actual Opening Day (Thursday!). Baseball is currently mired in a <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/the-gambling-scandals-are-only-beginning/">massive betting scandal involving its reigning AL MVP and highest-paid player, Shohei Ohtani</a>, but ... as with most of the unpalatable aspects of pro sports that I enjoy, I'm just gonna pretend none of it matters. Play ball! And, as always, Go Tigers!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYuIkx4iZGUiXXTCPCLtjB9B1GPnequ80mPsXlCqmkzQY6sJIF2HIpeLaO2MlZiIGFoiRrUNhAhc18untBJ_yI9MyGfc3qyvN3XRmBzeoB1T5ZaEzLVxbYxm3xwNIhKKs6Cn2K_NbN9V6ZUdAtxy5aKECMPa6gsCaQqvcexwaWzEwq2I2TKhZ4A/s960/Me%20Tigers%20Gear%202015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYuIkx4iZGUiXXTCPCLtjB9B1GPnequ80mPsXlCqmkzQY6sJIF2HIpeLaO2MlZiIGFoiRrUNhAhc18untBJ_yI9MyGfc3qyvN3XRmBzeoB1T5ZaEzLVxbYxm3xwNIhKKs6Cn2K_NbN9V6ZUdAtxy5aKECMPa6gsCaQqvcexwaWzEwq2I2TKhZ4A/s320/Me%20Tigers%20Gear%202015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. surprised that this is (apparently) Will Eisenberg's NYTXW debut. He's been constructing for what seems like years, but apparently only for other outlets (<a href="https://avxwords.com">AVCX</a>, New Yorker, etc.). Until now.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.P.S. today's constructors (frequent collaborators) also co-constructed a fun puzzle in <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a>. Am I still plugging that collection? Apparently I am. It just crossed the $40K mark! Go get the puzzles for yourself if you haven't already.</div><div> </div><div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19441251208573057882024-03-24T00:00:00.306-04:002024-03-24T00:00:00.138-04:00Personal theory that isn't in the source material / SUN 3-24-24 / Chess move with a French name / Midas' downfall / Veg-O-Matic maker / Europeans who speak a non-Indo-European language / Render more youthful, as with CGI / He literally jumped the shark on "Happy Days"<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> John Kugelman</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy-Medium</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_ppEMIBg2z6oA00CMBJ77a2OUs_TEtI9TCpEX88lQx4GqhIgJxbRpmA0gnm5mtLLTBX9BOJn-sU95sG-JM2eWpg2luIemnNe5CCNai2bxCRkzbeb6tNMd5xdzOqkZQgyg_T0qRC3IGAAFmB3X-y8QM6oR5E8xysqRRMgUUU72CQ7klNb_E3g2Q/s1326/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20at%207.18.41%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="1260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_ppEMIBg2z6oA00CMBJ77a2OUs_TEtI9TCpEX88lQx4GqhIgJxbRpmA0gnm5mtLLTBX9BOJn-sU95sG-JM2eWpg2luIemnNe5CCNai2bxCRkzbeb6tNMd5xdzOqkZQgyg_T0qRC3IGAAFmB3X-y8QM6oR5E8xysqRRMgUUU72CQ7klNb_E3g2Q/w381-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20at%207.18.41%20PM.png" width="381" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> "Feeling Possessive"</span> — third-person indicative verb phrases are clued as if they are possessive phrases<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">FUEL'S SPECULATION (<i>23A: Oil futures?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">HOLD'S WATER (<i>35A: Castle moat?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">FUDGE'S FACTS (<i>55A: Sugar and cocoa content?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">TAKE'S ORDERS (<i>79A: "Lights! Camera! Action!"?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">SET'S AT EASE (<i>95A: "And ... cut!"?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">EXCHANGE'S NUMBERS (<i>110A: Stock prices?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">POOL'S RESOURCES (<i>15D: Noodles and floaties?</i>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PLANT'S EVIDENCE (<i>49D: Leaf fossils?</i>)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> HEADCANON </span>(<b>98A: Personal theory that isn't in the source material</b>) —
<blockquote><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(48, 51, 54); color: #303336; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Headcanon</em><span face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #e7f0f4; caret-color: rgb(48, 51, 54); color: #303336; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px;"> is a word used in film/television/comics/etc. fandom that refers to something a fan imagines about the characters (such as a scenario or relationship) but that doesn’t appear on screen/on the page. An example might be: “In my headcanon, Jar Jar Binks is the ultimate villain who orchestrated the downfall of the Jedi.” (merriam-webster.com)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfOWQACghOYJSoVeutFsBiBlX0ypEQC83wp8hVGk9UxDb4dTrKhr8YyDVPzaVXip3Yml3IAUPwYkyG07dmfn5EgEsL7a8qTze9G4ROg5xk7u84wqOUXpvW46-h_pbAHsZ8WzlN4PIKnWP3KyLV1HI3miemEAQNwl2RTGLXgghtD-xOZyp4TfdGA/s1000/81RlJ33UEBL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="653" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfOWQACghOYJSoVeutFsBiBlX0ypEQC83wp8hVGk9UxDb4dTrKhr8YyDVPzaVXip3Yml3IAUPwYkyG07dmfn5EgEsL7a8qTze9G4ROg5xk7u84wqOUXpvW46-h_pbAHsZ8WzlN4PIKnWP3KyLV1HI3miemEAQNwl2RTGLXgghtD-xOZyp4TfdGA/s320/81RlJ33UEBL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Today's write-up is going to be short—not because I don't have time. I have plenty of time. I've just reached a kind of ... well, a state of total exasperation and fatigue with Sunday puzzles. I don't even know where to begin with how inadequate this theme is. How limp and last-century it is. It's giving nothing. It doesn't even have corniness going for it. Our job is to imagine ... apostrophes? Look, if you've got a simple (very simple) gimmick that yields great results, hey, go for it. Go. For. It. But this ain't it. This. Ain't. It. I cannot conceive why this was made, let alone why it was accepted. The clues aren't even trying to be amusing / entertaining / zany. Yes, a castle's moat is, phrased differently, a hold's water. The sugar and cocoa content are indeed facts about any given fudge. Where is the ... joke? The fun? The ... anything? This is the Jeremy's Iron of puzzles. If you know, you know. (And if you don't know, here you go):<div><br />
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The very title of this puzzle tells you that everyone involved in the production of this thing has just given up and phoned it in. "What's the idea?" "You imagine verb phrases as possessive phrases." "Huh ... OK, what's the revealer phrase? Something snappy? Something playful?" "No revealer." "Huh ... OK, whaddya got for a title? Something snappy? Something playful?" "Well, it's about possessives, so I was thinking: 'Feeling Possessive.' See, 'possessive' can mean 'overly attached' or 'clinging,' but here we're talking about 'possessive' in a grammatical sense.' Solvers won't know what hit 'em!" "[30-second 1,000-yard stare] ... I ... but ... you ... [sigh] OK, sure, why not? Good enough. If I leave now I can still make happy hour. 'Feeling Possessive' it is. Good night!" [end of phone call].</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The bulk of the puzzle was fine. It was an ordinary grid filled ordinarily, except for the SW, which was on a completely different plane. Which is to say that the SW is the corner that contained <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HEADCANON</span></b>, a "fandom" word I've never seen in my life. Needed every cross. I also had MESS room (is that a thing?) (<b>76A: ___ room</b>), so <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NEURAL NET </span></b>took longer than it should have (<b>78D: Machine learning model that mimics the human brain</b>). I had SEU- as the first letters there and thought "What the hell machine did Dr. Seuss inspire!?" No other part of the grid offered much resistance. Wanted "No SIREE, Bob" but it wouldn't fit. Not familiar with the phrase "No <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PROB</span></b>, Bob," but I managed to put it down anyway (!?). We've got the return of the AGA- fake word. AGAZE!? AGAPE!? No, today, it's <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AGASP</span> (10A: Thunderstruck).</b> I had the [<b>Slangy greeting</b>] as "YELLO!" and "HULLO!" before "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">HOLLA</span></b>!," which I don't really think of as a greeting, but I don't really think about it at all, to be honest, and didn't know people still said this. Thought it died some time during the second Bush administration. Shows what I know. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>No idea if it was gonna be <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MADD</span></b> or SADD for <b>71D: Org. with the tagline "No More Victims,"</b> so I left that first letter blank, and then the cross was kinda tricky (<b>70A: International date line?</b>). I guess that in Spanish-speaking countries ("International"?), people might say <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TE AMO</span></b> ("I love you") on a "date" (hopefully not the first one). I had GOLF SHOES before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GOLF SHIRT</span></b>. Exciting error, that (<b>39D: Swinger's attire</b>). I had PENCILS before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PEN CAPS</span></b> and was ... well, puzzled, to say the least (<b>74A: They prevent accidental scribbles</b>). I wanted WISEACRES but got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">WISEASSES</span> (33A: People who might answer "What's up?" with "The sky").</b> That imagined scenario really sounds more -acre than -ass to me, but whatever you say. No idea re: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EN PASSANT </span>(16D: Chess move with a French name)</b>, but I know enough French that I could fudge that one (please accept this fudge's fact as my gift to you). <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ELO</span></b> gives us yet another chess answer, grrreat, who doesn't love ... that? (<b>41A: Kind of rating system in chess</b>). And then there's <b><span style="color: #351c75;">IQ RANGE</span></b>, which ... I'm just ... I'm begging you all to curate / cull your giant bought wordlists. Just. Begging. And the clue doesn't even know what it's doing. [<b>85-115, typically</b>]? Typically? Obviously the "range" goes lower/higher. What does "typical" mean? What percentage fall in that range? I mean, I don't care about this stupid, flawed, racially biased test, but I do care about clues meaning something, and "typically" is meaningless here. When I search [<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IQ RANGE</span></b>] this "range" doesn't appear anywhere, on any page, in any hits. I'm seeing 70-130, 90-109 ... OK, I am really stopping now, because if I go on, I'm going to drive me and you nuts. See you next time.</div><div><br /></div><div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div><div>P.S. This will be my last day plugging <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> in the write-up, though the collection will be available for many weeks to come. Thanks to so many of you, the collection shattered its initial fundraising goal ($30,000) and is on the verge of reaching its <i>next</i> goal ($40,000)! If this is the first you are hearing about all this, here is my description of the puzzles and how to get them (from last Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote></div><div>P.P.S. [<b>Necessities for retiring?</b>] are <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SPARES</span></b> because that's what you need for re-tire-ing cars after they get flats.</div><div>P.P.P.S. <b>18D: Sweden has more than 200,000 of them ...</b> I wrote in IKEAS so fast I didn't even bother to read the rest of the clue (<b>...</b> <b>(of which only 1,000 are inhabited)</b>). Love the idea that there are 199,000 abandoned IKEAS in Sweden (most of them on uninhabited <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ISLES</span></b>) (good luck understanding <i>that</i>, future alien explorers!)</div><div><br /></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47214553803515636052024-03-23T05:33:00.004-04:002024-03-23T12:27:44.020-04:00Egg-shaped brain structures / SAT 3-23-24 / 2022 rom-com with a predominantly L.G.B.T.Q. cast / cat holiday creature in Icelandic folklore / Activist born at 375 p.p.m. per her social media bio / Hill-adjacent field in brief / Fabric named for a Mideast capital / City of 1+ million near the Russia/Kazakhstan border / Fathers, in Hebrew<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Sam Ezersky</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium to Medium-Challenging </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXiXJRGSvvNQxMYBs0PeWW5CfHiziSInFpc4qDBZ9wG_CAREJOdl3-k1VV0Unzoy0Tj49s-9CVo2Hy-hft760hkxhNluBgGxdNWaOSSQn9jNmELu5sNd2CYYW0Jpm3SuvBWuAg3jxiMcdLY2_24fyhS-D43PW5BY7oedmC3Q3Cv7ziwdc3dtpKw/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20at%204.13.08%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXiXJRGSvvNQxMYBs0PeWW5CfHiziSInFpc4qDBZ9wG_CAREJOdl3-k1VV0Unzoy0Tj49s-9CVo2Hy-hft760hkxhNluBgGxdNWaOSSQn9jNmELu5sNd2CYYW0Jpm3SuvBWuAg3jxiMcdLY2_24fyhS-D43PW5BY7oedmC3Q3Cv7ziwdc3dtpKw/w373-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-23%20at%204.13.08%20AM.png" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> none</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> THALAMI </span>(<b>20D: Egg-shaped brain structures</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsabDyMD5CRs4PLm1tTC_ejd-khoZB495Nn0BwoaaTtG93Mm6VlXvzMIWO6rnbHndcaGhorRfAHbXf8iqb6hmfmwOxPpZ2yqk_Ge3vMh5nUMTt3wdvAo2RRp9h6P9FjVm-xa_44s2ujT36Ppzncv3rOef1N5HNTirZCONe3RswameXREsMOqlWw/s750/thalamus-damage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsabDyMD5CRs4PLm1tTC_ejd-khoZB495Nn0BwoaaTtG93Mm6VlXvzMIWO6rnbHndcaGhorRfAHbXf8iqb6hmfmwOxPpZ2yqk_Ge3vMh5nUMTt3wdvAo2RRp9h6P9FjVm-xa_44s2ujT36Ppzncv3rOef1N5HNTirZCONe3RswameXREsMOqlWw/s320/thalamus-damage.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />The <b>thalamus</b> (<abbr style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help;" title="plural form">pl.</abbr>: <b>thalami</b>; from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Greek language">Greek</a> <a class="extiw" href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%B8%CE%AC%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%82" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="wikt:θάλαμος">θάλαμος</a>, "chamber") is a large mass of <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_matter" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Gray matter">gray matter</a> on the lateral walls of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_ventricle" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Third ventricle">third ventricle</a> forming the <a class="extiw" href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dorsal" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="wikt:dorsal">dorsal</a> part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diencephalon" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Diencephalon">diencephalon</a> (a division of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forebrain" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Forebrain">forebrain</a>). <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve_fibers" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Nerve fibers">Nerve fibers</a> project out of the thalamus to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_cortex" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Cerebral cortex">cerebral cortex</a> in all directions, known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalamocortical_radiations" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Thalamocortical radiations">thalamocortical radiations</a>, allowing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hub_(network_science)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Hub (network science)">hub-like</a> exchanges of information. It has several functions, such as the relaying of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_neuron" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Sensory neuron">sensory</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_neuron" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Motor neuron">motor</a> signals to the cerebral cortex and the regulation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Consciousness">consciousness</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Sleep">sleep</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alertness" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Alertness">alertness</a>. // <span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Anatomically, it is a paramedian symmetrical structure of two halves (left and right), within the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebrate" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Vertebrate">vertebrate</a> <span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">brain, situated between the cerebral cortex and the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midbrain" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Midbrain">midbrain</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. It forms during </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryonic_development" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Embryonic development">embryonic development</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> as the main product of the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diencephalon" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Diencephalon">diencephalon</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, as first recognized by the Swiss </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryologist" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Embryologist">embryologist</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> and anatomist </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_His_Sr." style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Wilhelm His Sr.">Wilhelm His Sr.</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> in 1893. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwj-s4i2NyckJRqB3KsmryFUMQWBPUjp8HEqsQh5DX7UVjn0BGnRskNJWYU_8CeCtbcMzwq4gIz2RvRqQqcAo62CbxUIX-ekzamg-tE2djYFvhjGugKejwje8h5H-IxTmmWKKL8rBoZq5Ud0IGBE9Qr9FaYAtReIAReemakJq4Cgt2tBbf8e4aiw/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1010" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwj-s4i2NyckJRqB3KsmryFUMQWBPUjp8HEqsQh5DX7UVjn0BGnRskNJWYU_8CeCtbcMzwq4gIz2RvRqQqcAo62CbxUIX-ekzamg-tE2djYFvhjGugKejwje8h5H-IxTmmWKKL8rBoZq5Ud0IGBE9Qr9FaYAtReIAReemakJq4Cgt2tBbf8e4aiw/w164-h260/s-l1600.jpg" width="164" /></a></div>This grid has some definite highs—I quite enjoyed that NE corner, particularly "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">WHY SHOULD I?</span></b>" and that clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AUDIOBOOKS</span> (18A: Speaking volumes?)</b>—but generally there weren't enough Great Answer to carry this one today. Meanwhile, this one felt like a trivia fest. Yesterday's puzzle had a few names that were tough to navigate, but this one's just loaded with "who was this person?" or "what is this place?"-type answers, over and over and over. A quarterback a memoirist a Venezuelan landmark a role (!?!) in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" a 2022 rom-com an activist a Russian/Kazakhstan border city, etc. Plus, the cluing was trying Very Hard to be Hard, but it didn't have as much playfulness and humor as yesterday's—at least not the kind that landed with me. Admittedly, you're gonna have a hard time getting me to warm up to a grid with BITCOIN-anything, or <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DOGNAP</span></b>ping, for god's sake (I was a big fan of that clue when I thought the answer was DOGSIT—not a fan of bad things happening to animals, in movies, TV shows, real life, and apparently, crossword puzzles) (<b>42D: Take, as a pointer</b>). I have "Awful" written next to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NYSTATE</span></b> (I live in that state, but man that answer looks/feels bad to me) (and the "Troy" misdirect is olde as the hills). "Awful" written next to [<b>Lastin' line?</b>] (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SCAR</span></b>) (I assure you that pun was not worth the fauxksiness in the clue). "Awful" written next to [<b>Blue belt?</b>] (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOB</span></b>) (are "belt" and "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOB</span></b>" nouns here? I can kinda see sobbing as "belting" out your "blueness" (i.e. sadness), but the clue frames "belt" as a noun, and I am not familiar with this meaning of "belt"). I have "Not A Thing" written next to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STOLE A PEEK</span></b>. You steal a look, maybe a glance; you (famously) <i>sneak</i> a peek. Is it supposed to be funny that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STOLE A PEEK</span></b> crosses <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DOGNAP</span></b>? OK, that is kinda funny. Grim, but funny.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9RklKDS-sgHXcsMKI2-m2S7i6covKvjwSQd-p9b_XbL4xHZpJUb7oIokqy1pVQY1Ug-N62qT4836GSa0ExLKxx86pBs5DK3mS_jEKvj-hbk3kwg5X1zBgunfk_ahbxmSFwfp6DkXOvpumLip05TnwtqlXorrB_0RMq-Yr0UuJVpGV3q5UC1vQA/s1024/GettyImages-592689430-e1701106534817.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1024" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9RklKDS-sgHXcsMKI2-m2S7i6covKvjwSQd-p9b_XbL4xHZpJUb7oIokqy1pVQY1Ug-N62qT4836GSa0ExLKxx86pBs5DK3mS_jEKvj-hbk3kwg5X1zBgunfk_ahbxmSFwfp6DkXOvpumLip05TnwtqlXorrB_0RMq-Yr0UuJVpGV3q5UC1vQA/s320/GettyImages-592689430-e1701106534817.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>["Please don't steal me!"]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>When you have to provide an anagram for your "Veteran N.F.L. quarterback," then your "Veteran N.F.L. quarterback" is not famous enough to be in the puzzle (<b>50A: Veteran N.F.L. quarterback whose name anagrams to SOMETHING</b>). Commit to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GENO SMITH</span></b>! That clue is insulting. The rest of the puzzle is trying so hard to be hard, and then along comes this condescending "here, just rearrange the letters" clue? On a Saturday? smh. But I can't say that I didn't find a lot of the (occasionally weird-ass) clues fun to work through. Lots and lots and lots of misdirection today. I got <b>1A: They're seen around diners (<span style="color: #351c75;">BIBS</span>) </b>right away—so proud!—but I struggled (appropriately for a Saturday) with a lot of the other ambiguous stuff.<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Ambiguous stuff:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">15A: Worrisome word from a barber ("UH OH")</span> — thank god for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BIBS</span></b>, because I'd've written "OOPS" in here without hesitation otherwise (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">BIBS</span></b> made OOPS untenable). "OOPS" has the advantage of actually being one "word" (although I guess you hyphenate "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">UH-OH</span></b>," so ... OK). </li><li><b>30A: [Smacks forehead] ("<span style="color: #351c75;">GAH</span>!")</b> — thank god for "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I HEAR YA</span></b>," because I'd've written "D'OH!" in here without hesitation otherwise ("<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I HEAR YA</span></b>" made "D'OH!" untenable).</li></ul><div>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h7uDxuE18_s?si=VB-3C0vdVRvv7WwV" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center>
</div><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">43A: Way up in the mountains (<span style="color: #351c75;">GONDOLA</span>)</span> — I was thinking CHAIRLIFT, T-BAR, etc. but my "etc." didn't extend to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GONDOLA</span></b> as quickly as it should have. I started thinking maybe "Way up" was "Very far up." I had the -ON- and sincerely considered some form of YONDER ... YON HILL (!?).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">5D: Bring around (<span style="color: #351c75;">SWAY</span>)</span> — I was thinking the smelling salts kind of "bring around"</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">4D: Like Beth among the March sisters (<span style="color: #351c75;">SHYEST</span>)</span> — when YOUNGEST (wrong, that's Amy) and SICKEST (grim!) didn't fit, I was out of answers. But I got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SEXY</span></b> fast (<b>17A: Sizzling</b>), and that "Y" gave me <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SHYEST</span></b>.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">39D: Legit (<span style="color: #351c75;">ALL THAT</span>)</span> — these are both slang for "great" "the real deal" "a wonderful example of its kind" etc. </li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdntxhQpdGCVQDX9bl0w9ONYtCFqk44zOGfqqcsFyr97DrbrIs8aNgaNQlpjM_p94e7rMisazyoSXMFh6RCfKHIu0X9HkaZcHqvb7jzXYEB71QgN7eXERwshyHc_bi2eQrWvBBOHFB6TCfrjMZi_EAJ3XYv1exRcvV4UxNXoCm-GqG6tLTjsjQg/s752/MV5BY2Y0N2YyOTQtMGNiYy00ZDViLTgxYmItODkxNzlkMWVjNTFkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdntxhQpdGCVQDX9bl0w9ONYtCFqk44zOGfqqcsFyr97DrbrIs8aNgaNQlpjM_p94e7rMisazyoSXMFh6RCfKHIu0X9HkaZcHqvb7jzXYEB71QgN7eXERwshyHc_bi2eQrWvBBOHFB6TCfrjMZi_EAJ3XYv1exRcvV4UxNXoCm-GqG6tLTjsjQg/s320/MV5BY2Y0N2YyOTQtMGNiYy00ZDViLTgxYmItODkxNzlkMWVjNTFkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">13D: Trace of music (ADKINS)</span> — this wasn't actually that ambiguous to me. I don't know anything about this guy, but I know his name. Sadly, I spelled his name like the diet guy's name (ATKINS). But that wasn't too hard to fix.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">32D: Cleveland, e.g.: Abbr. (<span style="color: #351c75;">DEM</span>)</span> — LOL at the idea I know the party affiliation of pre-20th-century presidents (except Lincoln). But I had the "D" and after running through all the Clevelands I know (the city ... that character from <i>Family Guy </i>...), I figured I was dealing with Grover and tried <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DEM</span></b>. Success! </li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">34D: Turkey bacon? (<span style="color: #351c75;">LIRA</span>)</span> — took one look at this clue, knew it was trying to misdirect me with both words, and just walked away. Not today, goofy clue. I'm gonna let crosses take care of you. And they did (Turkey is the country, "bacon" (slang for "money") is the currency: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LIRA</span></b>).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">38D: Hill-adjacent field, in brief (POLI-SCI)</span> — As in "Capitol Hill." I went all over hill and gone to find the right hill (actual hill? Anita Hill?), but the terminal "I" (from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">KITS</span></b>) settled things pretty conclusively. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">POLI-SCI</span></b>! Oh ... <i>that</i> Hill."</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">40D: Plates for nuts (<span style="color: #351c75;">WASHERS</span>)</span> — at this point there'd been so much misdirection that I really didn't want to venture a guess as to what "nuts" might mean here. Both "plates" and "nuts" are ambiguous here, but you end up with ... hardware.</li></ul><div>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o-ZuLO8x220?si=NRyH9dl0AY77i601" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />While I didn't love this one so much, it did give me a proper Saturday workout. It tried me and tested me, and not always in annoying ways. So despite my earlier griping, I'm reasonably satisfied with the effort. See you next time.</div><div><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>
<div>P.S. I'll be reminding you all week that <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> is now available. Here is my description of the details (from this past Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com132tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42874091082610089252024-03-22T05:53:00.002-04:002024-03-22T08:57:31.944-04:00One-named actress on "Parks and Recreation" / FRI 3-22-24 / Indie pop duo Sylvan / Modeling software, familiarly / Southwest sch. known for its numerous online offerings / Dutta, winner of the Miss Universe 2000 pageant / Shortest of a group of 12 / Tommy in the Hockey Hall of Fame<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Mansi Kothari and Erik Agard</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy (assuming you can navigate those short names; otherwise, ????)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1haKR731egcEfiyfszPBLMfco0y5obBtvqOaSy8dQL_1qMXk-9HIz6g77-VSRBVrwGyKNJZFi1f84G5ppUH9OOm6PUWbjKe3TqmOoMaJ6N_Mj41wRScCCDO3Avfml6jmWqdVzsBOnhyphenhyphenL5e_g8U_TxRW4ZGnWqmjgHqRkkPwP153L1wZ7ZBQpdA/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-22%20at%204.11.39%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1haKR731egcEfiyfszPBLMfco0y5obBtvqOaSy8dQL_1qMXk-9HIz6g77-VSRBVrwGyKNJZFi1f84G5ppUH9OOm6PUWbjKe3TqmOoMaJ6N_Mj41wRScCCDO3Avfml6jmWqdVzsBOnhyphenhyphenL5e_g8U_TxRW4ZGnWqmjgHqRkkPwP153L1wZ7ZBQpdA/w373-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-22%20at%204.11.39%20AM.png" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> none</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Tamil NADU </span>(<b>39A: Tamil ___, India</b>) —
<blockquote><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">Tamil Nadu</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (</span><span class="rt-commentedText nowrap" face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;"><span title="/ˌ/: secondary stress follows">ˌ</span><span title="'t' in 'tie'">t</span><span title="/æ/: 'a' in 'bad'">æ</span><span title="'m' in 'my'">m</span><span title="/ɪ/: 'i' in 'kit'">ɪ</span><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span></span><span class="wrap" style="white-space: normal;"> </span><span style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'n' in 'nigh'">n</span><span title="/ɑː/: 'a' in 'father'">ɑː</span><span title="'d' in 'dye'">d</span><span title="/uː/: 'oo' in 'goose'">uː</span></span>/</a></span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">; </span><span class="IPA-label IPA-label-small" face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 11.9px;">Tamil:</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span class="IPA nowrap" face="sans-serif" lang="ta-Latn-fonipa" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Tamil" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:IPA/Tamil">[ˈtamiɻ<span class="wrap" style="white-space: normal;"> </span>ˈnaːɽɯ]</a> [...]</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 11.9px;">abbr.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">TN</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">) is the southernmost </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_and_union_territories_of_India" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="States and union territories of India">state</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="India">India</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. The </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_union_territories_of_India_by_area" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of states and union territories of India by area">tenth largest Indian state by area</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> and the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_union_territories_of_India_by_population" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of states and union territories of India by population">sixth largest by population</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, Tamil Nadu is the home of the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_people" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Tamil people">Tamil people</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, who speak the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_language" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Tamil language">Tamil language</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, one of the longest surviving </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_languages_of_India" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Classical languages of India">classical languages</a> <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and serves as its official language. The capital and largest city is </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Chennai">Chennai</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1IXe-UFH2MeVtDIDsw0xZsCriC6gxoDX4xY7Mb1EqUEaE0hq4G8F4mYZyaSf-n3mG9JM3Uv-ttkq9AbV-7Wp2yOLL2n6aQUcN-EMms0F8pSKR7VStBQk1lMHbIA68qhaIVI6ONErieddGp4FD157jb8Zeq_x5Y6k_BFVLzeHwlgvdi-cTVOgVQ/s3000/ems.cHJkLWVtcy1hc3NldHMvdHZzZWFzb24vNzYyOTFjYjgtNjEwNy00NTljLWIxOWYtNDU4ZDI4ZDk1NDA4LmpwZw==.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2025" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1IXe-UFH2MeVtDIDsw0xZsCriC6gxoDX4xY7Mb1EqUEaE0hq4G8F4mYZyaSf-n3mG9JM3Uv-ttkq9AbV-7Wp2yOLL2n6aQUcN-EMms0F8pSKR7VStBQk1lMHbIA68qhaIVI6ONErieddGp4FD157jb8Zeq_x5Y6k_BFVLzeHwlgvdi-cTVOgVQ/w176-h261/ems.cHJkLWVtcy1hc3NldHMvdHZzZWFzb24vNzYyOTFjYjgtNjEwNy00NTljLWIxOWYtNDU4ZDI4ZDk1NDA4LmpwZw==.jpeg" width="176" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>[28A: Aunt ___ ("Bel-Air" role) (<span style="color: #351c75;">VIV</span>)]</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Hello, all. Short write-up today, as I have to leave early this morning (i.e. in a couple hours) (it's 4:28am right now!) for a day trip down to New Jersey. My wife has something she has to do there, and I'm coming along for the ride. Get to see my good friend Lee and [drum roll] my daughter, who's gonna pop over from the City and have lunch with us. Anyway, let's get to it. This looks like a debut from Mansi Kothari. Erik Agard's name, on the other hand, you will recognize if you've been doing puzzles for any length of time. Longtime constructor, American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (and Jeopardy!) champion, former editor of the USA Today crossword, he's one of the most prominent names in contemporary crosswords, and this puzzle has many elements of what I consider a typical Agard puzzle. First, and most important, I really enjoyed it. His grids are always so carefully, and thoughtfully, constructed, wide-ranging, and with a good sense of humor. I think of Erik as a kind of Reverse Maleska. Maleska was the editor that preceded Shortz, and he was (in)famous for putting things in the grid that he thought you *should* know. This included what struck many solvers as rank obscurity. Lots of three-letter rivers and animal genuses and what not. His was a very teacherly approach. Erik also has a teacherly approach, in that his grids include names he thinks you should know, or that he thinks are worth knowing, names that might strike some (traditional, longtime) solvers as obscure, but there are several big differences (imho) between these approaches, the most important of which is that Erik is trying to broaden our sense of what the crossword can be and (particularly) who it's for. He's taking U.S. puzzles beyond their historically Anglo-American frame of reference. His puzzles are Blacker and more international, more inclusive of women and younger people. But (and here's another difference from Maleska), the grids are crafted in such a way that people can *get* the names even if they don't *know* them (i.e. the crosses are fair), and they really do range widely, so it would be hard for any solver, from any solving demographic, to say "I'm not represented here at all." Lastly, there's a playfulness and sense of humor that makes it seem like the puzzle is supposed to delight instead of punish (I frequently felt like Maleska was punishing me—it's possible I kinda liked it, at times, but ... I wouldn't say that attitude was healthy). Anyway, this is a co-construction, and I don't want to diminish Mansi Kothari's contributions, but this had a definite Agard vibe, and I'm definitely here for it (even when I'm stumbling over my ignorance).<div><br />
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</div><div>Wow, that paragraph was longer than I expected. Down to business. Mötley Crüe's <b><span style="color: #351c75;">METAL UMLAUTs</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EXTRA CHEESE</span></b> pizza gave me big late-80s Pomona dorm room flashbacks, so I was pretty much sold on this one from the jump, but the moment where the puzzle seemed to go from "Good For Me" to "Good For Everyone" was right ... here:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivn11kEHr-0rDuFv4WMkrQc6xiPZuqPMgOT3XbVQXvqt5jkMYGQsqlTqLhkMmcDmhlEULdzdbbkJnTHxt-SHXVJB660Womejn8kdvLxNCQ6b7Ud1Y5in04nq_vS71I28e8FcRE6g3VoG4asRIX0Q__ZaCuuT_-2X2Wrk2SMqEm4TAe5RBXUpcyNA/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-22%20at%204.06.27%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivn11kEHr-0rDuFv4WMkrQc6xiPZuqPMgOT3XbVQXvqt5jkMYGQsqlTqLhkMmcDmhlEULdzdbbkJnTHxt-SHXVJB660Womejn8kdvLxNCQ6b7Ud1Y5in04nq_vS71I28e8FcRE6g3VoG4asRIX0Q__ZaCuuT_-2X2Wrk2SMqEm4TAe5RBXUpcyNA/w373-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-22%20at%204.06.27%20AM.png" width="373" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Great answer, great wordplay in the clue (<b>31D: Intricately plotted fiction</b>). Zoom zoom, whoosh whoosh, Happy Friday to me. There were two other stellar clues on stellar answers. <b>11D: Inapt response when somebody says "Happy birthday!," presumably ("<span style="color: #351c75;">SAME TO YOU</span>!")</b> made me laugh out loud, and <b>55A: Petty person?</b> for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ANIMAL LOVER</span></b> was adorable. I was really thinking of Tom Petty there, but HEARTBREAKER didn't fit. There were the usual assortment of proper names I didn't know. Tommy <b><span style="color: #351c75;">IVAN</span></b> seems like a very, very deep cut, as far as ice hockey lore is concerned. He coached the Red Wings to several Stanley Cups ... in the '50s. Looks like he went on to coach the Chicago Blackhawks for over two decades and won a Stanley Cup there as well. Admittedly, I know hockey the least well of the Big Four U.S. sports. But he was new to me. I'm happy to learn him. I'm never that happy being asked to know a beauty pageant winner, of any kind, from any year, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EVER</span></b>, so as for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LARA</span></b>, good for her, but shrug (<b>48A: ___ Dutta, winner of the Miss Universe 2000 pageant</b>) (she's a very successful Hindi-language film actress—that seems a more worthy accomplishment to highlight—not that I would've known her, but that cluing would've made her seem more worth knowing. Pageant shmageant). As for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NADU</span></b> (also new to me), it's a geographical name <i>part</i>, and it's the <i>part</i> that bugs me a little (<b>39A: Tamil ___, India</b>). Tamil <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NADU</span></b> is an Indian state (worth knowing), but <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NADU</span></b> on its own is like AVIV on its own. Not good fill. Just because something's never been in the NYTXW before (and it hasn't) doesn't make it good. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NADU</span></b> means "land" in Tamil ... and now you know! Please don't turn <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NADU</span></b> into neo-crosswordese, thank you. (Although, in its defense, it is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadu">very common place name part in South Asia</a>, primarily India)</div><div><br />
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</div><div>I solved this puzzle fairly easily, despite a ton of missteps. GETS before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GEMS (</span><span>1D: Keepers</span><span style="color: #351c75;">)</span></b>, OCHO (my bad) before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OTTO</span><span> (3D: Quattro + quattro)</span></b>, SITE *and* SLOT before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SPOT </span><span>(29A: Place)</span></b>. Wasn't sure if it was VALE or <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DALE</span></b> (<b>43A: Low-lying area</b>). I know about <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CAD</span></b> from my daughter ... but only remembered this after I got it from crosses (<b>54A: Modeling software, familiarly</b>). Before that, no idea. Lots of schools have online offerings, I didn't know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ASU</span></b> was particularly "known" for that (<b>8D: Southwest sch. known for its numerous online offerings</b>). Seems slightly brutal to have only a vague geographical indicator in that clue, but luckily I knew <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RETTA</span></b> (<b>9D: One-named actress on "Parks and Recreation"</b>) which helped me get <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CHAR</span></b>, which then seemed like the only reasonable answer for <b>6A: Toast, say</b> (that gave me the "A" in <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ASU</span></b>). Most solvers (I'd wager) are never going to have heard of Sylvan <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESSO</span></b>, so that made me laugh (<b>61A: Indie pop duo Sylvan ___</b>). I like them a lot! I mean, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESSO</span></b> is still crosswordese, but why not give it a new spin (again, assuming the crosses are fair).</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/effZUjig794?si=Z-eogNJ_ko5bnbg-" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>That's it. Once again, this write-up has not been as short as I promised. My apologies. Good day. </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div><div>P.S. I'll be reminding you all week that <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> is now available. Here is my description of the details (from this past Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com111tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31626181277911211362024-03-21T05:29:00.009-04:002024-03-21T10:22:45.203-04:00TV surname at 742 Evergreen Terrace / THU 3-21-24 / Apt key for a musical prodigy? / Radius of a unit circle / Repeated sound that can be "cured" / Opera that premiered in Cairo / Longtime Los Angeles sports venue / Iconic painting housed at Oslo's Nasjonalmuseet<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Joe Marquez</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuXIcifrQ34vz6VDoMPCYSV26OodGpatv_ujpMOvDTAtuIRA-5wwkKketBqu9UEMMkYAxQGhJq4Rf8rChvvmx4zwXh2L8lAgNWfg0LAQOm1fzFHBY8Tn3SrlCzoGFoHVdcDiU0lrbQc46HBYTpR9z3jccwcjIy6gXNowohSjWHKTcZVr0XdmIIw/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-21%20at%204.11.19%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuXIcifrQ34vz6VDoMPCYSV26OodGpatv_ujpMOvDTAtuIRA-5wwkKketBqu9UEMMkYAxQGhJq4Rf8rChvvmx4zwXh2L8lAgNWfg0LAQOm1fzFHBY8Tn3SrlCzoGFoHVdcDiU0lrbQc46HBYTpR9z3jccwcjIy6gXNowohSjWHKTcZVr0XdmIIw/w373-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-21%20at%204.11.19%20AM.png" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> ESCAPE ROOM (54A: Puzzling activity, as seen four times in this puzzle?)</span> — a rebus puzzle with "ESC" (from the "escape" key) found inside four different boxes ("rooms") in the grid:<div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">MIDDL<span style="color: red;">E SC</span>HOOL (17A: Awkward period, for many) </span></li><ul><li><b>"TR<span style="color: red;">ÈS C</span>HIC!" (6D: "Ooh-la-la!")</b></li></ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">CHAS<span style="color: red;">E SC</span>ENE (28A: Action movie highlight)</span></li><ul><li><b>STAPL<span style="color: red;">ES C</span>ENTER (10D: Longtime Los Angeles sports venue)</b></li></ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"WE'R<span style="color: red;">E SC</span>REWED!" (38A: "It's so over for us!")</span></li><ul><li><b>"THRE<span style="color: red;">E'S C</span>OMPANY" (25D: 1970s-'80s sitcom about a trio of zany roommates)</b></li></ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PR<span style="color: red;">ESC</span>RIBE (44A: Allow to take, perhaps)</span></li><ul><li><b>TH<span style="color: red;">E SC</span>REAM (40D: Iconic painting housed at Oslo's Nasjonalmuseet)</b></li></ul></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> STAPLES CENTER </span>(<b>10D</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTLVdq7INmsXpWHFvLYuFgHA8gL20YtCIJCwk5liLcGqAUePi7GcOGPAxy86_yya2NHD0y3dqNtB-QRF6FCHVAC4d3lxUnVwR904N8wXF9BNRgNESSCeun0jAngFyiH2uPhey5BB9jkGolaSmPDeYq2o9xZWjGO5CVx6gVZu5f97pMmJ5RzVX2g/s640/Crypto.com_Arena_exterior_2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="640" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTLVdq7INmsXpWHFvLYuFgHA8gL20YtCIJCwk5liLcGqAUePi7GcOGPAxy86_yya2NHD0y3dqNtB-QRF6FCHVAC4d3lxUnVwR904N8wXF9BNRgNESSCeun0jAngFyiH2uPhey5BB9jkGolaSmPDeYq2o9xZWjGO5CVx6gVZu5f97pMmJ5RzVX2g/w243-h143/Crypto.com_Arena_exterior_2023.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><b>Crypto.com Arena</b> (formerly <b>Staples Center</b>) is a multi-purpose <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indoor_arenas" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of indoor arenas">indoor arena</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Los_Angeles" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Downtown Los Angeles">Downtown Los Angeles</a>. Opened on October 17, 1999, it is located next to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Convention_Center" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Los Angeles Convention Center">Los Angeles Convention Center</a> complex along <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figueroa_Street" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Figueroa Street">Figueroa Street</a>, and has since been considered a part of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.A._Live" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="L.A. Live">L.A. Live</a>. Owned and operated by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschutz_Entertainment_Group" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Anschutz Entertainment Group">Anschutz Entertainment Group</a> (AEG), it is currently the home venue of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Lakers" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Los Angeles Lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_Association" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="National Basketball Association">National Basketball Association</a> (NBA) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Kings" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Los Angeles Kings">Los Angeles Kings</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hockey_League" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="National Hockey League">National Hockey League</a> (NHL)—which are both owned in part by AEG's founder <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Anschutz" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Philip Anschutz">Philip Anschutz</a>, as well as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Clippers" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Los Angeles Clippers">Los Angeles Clippers</a> of the NBA and the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNBA" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="WNBA">WNBA</a>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Sparks" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Los Angeles Sparks">Los Angeles Sparks</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">It is the only arena in the NBA shared by two teams, as well as one of only three North American professional sports venues (alongside <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoFi_Stadium" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="SoFi Stadium">SoFi Stadium</a> in nearby <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglewood,_California" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Inglewood, California">Inglewood</a>, and New Jersey's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetLife_Stadium" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="MetLife Stadium">MetLife Stadium</a>) to currently host two teams from the same league. The venue is also frequently used for major concerts, and has been the most frequent host of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Grammy Awards">Grammy Awards</a> ceremony since its opening.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">Crypto.com Arena will host the basketball competition during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2028_Summer_Olympics" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="2028 Summer Olympics">2028 Summer Olympics</a>. In 2024, the Clippers are scheduled to leave Crypto.com Arena for their own arena, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuit_Dome" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Intuit Dome">Intuit Dome</a>. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BJrS2rE1AmPfBedD_2Zrghw18ZDw8DvQ5d5eGmtLIYoQLd3f8B79G1pB1Q9ODoa4z-qtsdJVnS-your8w1TrEjbNDhheaKTRRIYGdkn1sfMNCkkY5t72sWGY5dIeHa8w3K_xbPbTbX36ebzyFo0HO64ZD8CKUspaLbS6xBdFNN9K0p0EKporTA/s613/+-+74496506_400.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BJrS2rE1AmPfBedD_2Zrghw18ZDw8DvQ5d5eGmtLIYoQLd3f8B79G1pB1Q9ODoa4z-qtsdJVnS-your8w1TrEjbNDhheaKTRRIYGdkn1sfMNCkkY5t72sWGY5dIeHa8w3K_xbPbTbX36ebzyFo0HO64ZD8CKUspaLbS6xBdFNN9K0p0EKporTA/w157-h240/+-+74496506_400.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>I knew the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STAPLES CENTER</span></b> was called something stupid now, but I had no idea how stupid. Crypto.com Arena!? LOL. Congrats, you win Most Embarrassing Arena or Stadium Rebrand. Yikes. If nothing else, this puzzle made me laugh by teaching me about the existence of Crypto Dot Com Arena. Actually, this puzzle had other pleasures, though in general it was way too straightforward. It's about as basic as rebuses get and the revealer isn't exactly a revelation. I mean, you've got all those ESCs staring at you, so ESCAPE's being in the revealer is kind of a given. And then ROOM ... OK, you wanna call the boxes "rooms," that's fine, that works. But the concept is a bit ho-hum. You've got a four-square rebus, where all rebus squares are the same (and very easy to pick up). The puzzle's not doing anything particularly interesting with the rebus form, but it does what it does in a solid, workmanlike way. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">WE'RE SCREWED</span></b>!" at least gives us some attitude and energy—always nice when, in addition to fulfilling the requirements of the theme, the theme answers have personality. That "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">WE'RE SCREWED</span></b>!" / "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE'S COMPANY</span></b>" crossing was the thematic highlight, for me. The other "ESC" answers were somewhat more ordinary, but they're solid. Two anomalies in the theme today. First, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PRESCRIBE</span></b>, which is the only answer that fails to break "ESC" across two words, which is the optimal way to "hide" an embedded word (you can tell it's optimal because this puzzle does it with the other 7 answers). That <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PRESCRIBE</span></b> rebus square is anomalous in another way as well, which is that it has no symmetrical equivalent. It's just shoehorned in here to give us a fourth (bonus?) rebus. The other "ESC" square all appear in the longest answers, which are symmetrical—well, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STAPLES CENTER</span></b> and "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE'S COMPANY</span></b>" are symmetrical, and then <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MIDDLE SCHOOL</span></b> is symmetrical with the revealer, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESCAPE ROOM</span></b>, leaving no room for the fourth "ESC" within the established symmetrical pattern. So it's in a kind of no man's land. I wouldn't mind if the four "ESC" squares were randomly strewn about, but to <i>establish</i> symmetry and then shove another square in just ... because? ... that seems inelegant. <i>[Update: I think this puzzle would've been Next Level if the rebus squares had been ESC in the Acrosses and APE in the Downs]</i></div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YGAeI5KODLA?si=C-Bx6XpWk5PLQ-tn" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>The fill today is notably bad, especially toward the bottom, so once again I'm asking everyone involved in the making of these puzzles to Try Harder. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EENY EIRE GRAN SSN TSKS</span></b> (plural?) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TYR TTOP EWS</span></b> (plural?) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EMMAS</span></b> (plural?), <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NEAP</span></b> ... it's a lot to take. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ARTE</span></b> Johnson! Wow, haven't seen him in a while. No, I take that back. I did see him recently, but not in the puzzle. I've been watching old <i>Love Boat</i> episodes, and he shows up on that show a lot. The segment I saw him in was from Season 1, Episode 12. It was called "The Painters" ("<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">Inept painters (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arte_Johnson" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Arte Johnson">Arte Johnson</a><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Morita" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Pat Morita">Pat Morita</a><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">) make a shambles of the Captain's cabin</span>"</span>). But back to the puzzle. Crossing <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AMINO</span></b> with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AMINOR</span></b> would generally be a no-no. Letter strings that long usually don't repeat *anywhere* in the grid, let alone *cross* one another. I enjoyed the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PELICANS</span></b> and the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AIR JORDANs</span></b>, but the short stuff was way worse than it ought to be in a modern puzzle. </div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9WbQ5GCo6m0?si=vKhSycibQX2eH4-B" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>As for difficulty: bizarrely, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HUED</span></b> was probably the hardest thing in the grid for me to get. Had the "HU-" and still no idea. It fits the clue [<b>Tinged</b>], but only as the back end of a hyphenated term with a color at the front end. "Purple-<b><span style="color: #351c75;">HUED</span></b>," say. You'd never just say <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HUED</span></b> (unless you were writing bad poetry). Whereas you would just say [<b>Tinged</b>]. Hence my confusion. I also spelled <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CHE</span></b> wrong, opting for the more familiar (to me) Spanish spelling, QUE. But obviously we're not dealing with Spanish. The clues says that explicitly. Anyway, it wasn't too hard to fix. I also had NOSE-something before figuring out <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NOSTRIL</span> (24A: Part of your body that smells the most?)</b>. I know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TYR</span></b> from crosswords Of Extreme Yore (<i>and</i> from an embedded-word puzzle <i>I</i> once made using Norse gods—I hid <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TYR</span></b> inside BETTYRUBBLE). If you didn't know TYR, don't feel bad. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Æsir">Aesir</a> aficionados and old-timers like me have the advantage there. Maybe you didn't know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOOLE</span></b>, but you could probably infer <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOOLE</span></b> from "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_data_type">Boolean</a>" (as I did), and anyway his crosses are all fair.</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6IGlp7qMx5M?si=XZpJX5sObr3DDCVT" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>I know there are some people who hate rebuses. I'm not sure why, but they do. As rebuses go, this one should have been pretty easy to pick up and work through, so I hope that even if you'd rather not see this puzzle <i>type</i>, you were at least able to work through it successfully today. See you later.</div><div><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div><div>P.S. I'll be reminding you all week that <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> is now available. Here is my description of the details (from this past Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28033776068937172922024-03-20T00:45:00.002-04:002024-03-20T07:57:46.882-04:00Site of a Herculean feat / WED 3-20-24 / Marx brother with a curly wig / Subjects of a "Twist on it" ad campaign / Norwegian name that gained global prominence in 2010 <span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> E. M. Capassakis</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy-Medium</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZdBDzuztKuKx1brXVSNTavAUHjGCm5EcmhyLucZ8a7tzTORZdgzkjA6vjMwKotPEp94rl6I0Zh7-_Aart5RLELLWNy0pb9gsNvm6lS2DFd_HGCJc2_JxxKrTtwSvzSUEoVySGAJeYzqUrwP4dTvY-OxH_mEsi_jMiBBXoFS8APIYJAL-OLmLxg/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-19%20at%2011.25.56%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZdBDzuztKuKx1brXVSNTavAUHjGCm5EcmhyLucZ8a7tzTORZdgzkjA6vjMwKotPEp94rl6I0Zh7-_Aart5RLELLWNy0pb9gsNvm6lS2DFd_HGCJc2_JxxKrTtwSvzSUEoVySGAJeYzqUrwP4dTvY-OxH_mEsi_jMiBBXoFS8APIYJAL-OLmLxg/w373-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-19%20at%2011.25.56%20PM.png" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> 3-digit numbers (?)</span> — theme clues are all 3-digit numbers that stand for or are associated with their answers:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">INTRO CLASS (17A: 101)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">BOND (19A: 007)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">CANNABIS (31A: 420) (explained <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)">here</a>)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE BEAST (47A: 666)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">INFO (62A: 411)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">FULL CIRCLE (64A: 360)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> mullion </span>(<b>2D: One in a mullion? = PANE</b>) —
<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i5twck5nNlh49aw1fdgF9etrXST6-9D9k5osMFZhtDxy74IWBGobIgFL_b_CD7h_UfKm4Sx7IOAQeUgSG7GpafqvdGCdC9WevVNcD_hLXYdiegiA58PMeRAEP3PXTa4SiMXRAgN8iEs6Va378J7-96lHGXNUdAiDv_JcsASMH7mTmfnww07vow/s1280/Open-sky-bifora-SanFrancesco-Lodi.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1280" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i5twck5nNlh49aw1fdgF9etrXST6-9D9k5osMFZhtDxy74IWBGobIgFL_b_CD7h_UfKm4Sx7IOAQeUgSG7GpafqvdGCdC9WevVNcD_hLXYdiegiA58PMeRAEP3PXTa4SiMXRAgN8iEs6Va378J7-96lHGXNUdAiDv_JcsASMH7mTmfnww07vow/w248-h239/Open-sky-bifora-SanFrancesco-Lodi.JPG" width="248" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">A </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">mullion</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> is a vertical </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_element" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Structural element">element</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Window">window</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> units its primary purpose is a rigid support to the glazing of the window. Its secondary purpose is to provide structural support to an arch or </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lintel" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Lintel">lintel</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> above the window opening. Horizontal elements separating the head of a door from a window above are called </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transom_(architectural)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Transom (architectural)">transoms</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZKrbJN2owX6DPCtJI2T18iUo3LQgXWgOju5CL8liZ5yVS2HJDigueA_Z2cYhOJzE_FPFgAl7l29LHjeMf5YxGJc2g5CIpygN4VEJ8TQIDPuB60RbMC7xkkyhLUk0KZQQRFTAHSFREmYJxCDAW31nJK83Ny6wXjpOK-n54J9A1q624StCpsia6g/s600/MV5BMTkwNzE0NDk2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTIwMDg3._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZKrbJN2owX6DPCtJI2T18iUo3LQgXWgOju5CL8liZ5yVS2HJDigueA_Z2cYhOJzE_FPFgAl7l29LHjeMf5YxGJc2g5CIpygN4VEJ8TQIDPuB60RbMC7xkkyhLUk0KZQQRFTAHSFREmYJxCDAW31nJK83Ny6wXjpOK-n54J9A1q624StCpsia6g/w175-h234/MV5BMTkwNzE0NDk2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTIwMDg3._V1_.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>This is the third day in a row where I have not been entirely confident that I understood the theme completely, even after successfully filling in the grid. I keep thinking there has to be more ... these theme clues are all 3-digit numbers that stand for things. There are at least a couple such numbers left on the table (e.g. 747, 911), but that's not the problem. The problem is the concept itself seems too loose, not to mention too dull. As I was solving I kept looking for the hook, but the hook was just 3-digit numbers. That's it. That's ... it? If there's something more, <b>"<span style="color: #351c75;">I DON'T SEE IT</span>" (11D: "Where?")</b>. And the theme answers are things like ... <b><span style="color: #351c75;">INFO</span></b>? If I'm not missing something, then I have to say that this theme does not feel like it's up to NYTXW standards. And the answers themselves don't even have anything to recommend them, really? They're all so short: 10, 10, 8, 8, and then two "bonus" 4s. That is not a lot of real estate, and none of those answers are what you'd call "sparklers." I guess <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FULL CIRCLE</span></b> is not bad as a standalone answer, but the theme answers are all so straightforward that I am left wondering what, exactly, is puzzle-y about this, beyond the superficial similarities of all the theme clues. In addition to the theme answers being generally lackluster, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE BEAST</span></b> is borderline unforgivable in its incompleteness. "666" is <i>the mark of</i> <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE BEAST</span></b>, or <i>the number of</i> <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE BEAST</span></b>. That is always how that number would be described. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE BEAST</span></b> on its own is laughable. I mean, I'm not literally laughing, so maybe "laughable" is too generous. Also, technically, if I asked you what 411 stood for, you'd say "Information," not <b><span style="color: #351c75;">INFO</span></b>. So that one missed too. 101 is an <b><span style="color: #351c75;">INTRO CLASS</span></b>, 360 is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FULL CIRCLE</span></b>, 007 is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOND</span></b>, 420 is marijuana (or <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CANNABIS</span></b>, if you need you answer to fit in eight squares)—no problems there. But <b><span style="color: #351c75;">INFO</span></b> and especially <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE BEAST</span></b>—they miss the mark.<div><br />
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</div><div>As usual, I had the greatest amount of trouble right out of the gate. No idea how to make sense of <b>1D: Arizona in Hawaii, e.g. (<span style="color: #351c75;">SHIP</span>)</b>, completely forgot what a "mullion" was (<b>2D: One in a mullion?</b> => <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PANE</span></b>), and thought <b>1A: Twitch, e.g. (<span style="color: #351c75;">SPASM</span>)</b> was for sure going to have something to do with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitch_(service)">live-streaming service</a>. Further, I thought <b>5D: Be a sponge (<span style="color: #351c75;">MOOCH</span>)</b> was gonna be SOP UP. So I was striking out like crazy up there. I don't know where I went from there. I feel like I started getting traction somewhere in the west, with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BANJO</span></b> or <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALAS</span></b>, somewhere in there. I know the first themer I encountered was [<b>666</b>], but I didn't know it was a themer. Also, when I got THE, I wanted BEAST but didn't write it in because it seemed incomplete (see above). Then I thought "Oh, maybe all the theme answers are going to be missing their initial 'MARK OF' or 'NUMBER OF' ... I wonder how they're going to tie that together?" But still, I abandoned that answer and moved on. The first themer I completely *got* was <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FULL CIRCLE </span>(64A: 360)</b>, and I thought that since it was last, maybe there were a bunch of early clues that went through the other segments of a circle: you know, 180, 90 ... 45? I don't know. I must've forgotten I'd already seen [<b>666</b>]. I was just desperate to make any of it cohere. Eventually I worked up to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CANNABIS</span></b> and realized none of it was going to cohere, the theme was just 3-digit numbers, that's that. Again, I'm genuinely surprised that this was deemed sufficient, and I'm genuinely sorry if I'm missing what makes the whole thing special.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Had to think for a bit about the [<b>Eponym of a neighborhood in Queens</b>] but then remembered My Daughter Lives There (<b>ASTORia</b>). Still not totally used to the fact that she lives in NYC now. Outside of the NW, I don't see any real troublemaker clues today. Is "a noodle" a brainstorming session or something like that? I inferred <b><span style="color: #351c75;">IDEA</span></b> from the expression "using one's noodle (i.e. brain)," but something about the phrasing on <b>16A: End of a noodle?</b> struck my ears as awkward. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CTRL-C</span></b> is certainly the ugliest thing in the grid, but it's accurate enough, I suppose (<b>45D: Copy command on a PC</b>). Funniest thing that happened to me was confusing the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges (<b>14A: Marx brother with a curly wig => <span style="color: #351c75;">HARPO</span></b>). I had the "R" from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ARTS</span></b> and wrote in LARRY. Wish I had more zaniness like that to relate, but this was a pretty plodding experience overall. Hope you found it more delightful than I did. See you next time.<br /><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div><div>P.S. I'll be reminding you all week that <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> is now available. Here is my description of the details (from this past Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52381521998090458212024-03-19T05:34:00.004-04:002024-03-19T23:34:12.864-04:00Milk curdler in cheesemaking / TUE 3-19-24 / Parent dressed up at a pride parade, perhaps? / Oklahoma city named for a Tennyson character / Musical based on a comic strip / Starchy tropical root / Lentils, on an Indian menu / Capital wheeler-dealer, informally <span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Lynn Lempel</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy-Medium (Easyish but extra-wide (16x))</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzVFM6yCFr6mU6NvUoW-2tW_63aTcm7DxUq5NHEwXqSQ-cYH54UxneJAn0EqV6dbFcjP_R756Peg8CsMnwV5G06cF_B6MuzlAk_AZOmcRbb0VKUt_ne8gZDzxzPXzC6-pQ3cUPXAKyrchODoctJnZYCRifHCoP0jowgKWsuqrsKGDF0hQ0UKLrA/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-19%20at%204.10.26%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="974" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzVFM6yCFr6mU6NvUoW-2tW_63aTcm7DxUq5NHEwXqSQ-cYH54UxneJAn0EqV6dbFcjP_R756Peg8CsMnwV5G06cF_B6MuzlAk_AZOmcRbb0VKUt_ne8gZDzxzPXzC6-pQ3cUPXAKyrchODoctJnZYCRifHCoP0jowgKWsuqrsKGDF0hQ0UKLrA/w400-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-19%20at%204.10.26%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> HALFTIME (63A: Game break ... or a hint to interpreting the first parts of 17-, 26-, 36-, and 52-Across)</span> — four-letter words at beginning of theme answers must be cut in "half" in order for the answers to makes sense for their wacky clues:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">MAIN DRAG => Ma in drag (17A: Parent dressed up at a pride parade, perhaps?)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">DOOR NAILS => Do or nails (26A: Choice between a haircut and manicure?)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">BEAT THE CLOCK => "Be at the clock" (36A: "Meet me under Big Ben"?)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">GOON SQUAD! => "Go on, squad!" (52A: "Continue with your routine, cheerleaders"?)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> ENID </span>(<b>32A: Oklahoma city named for a Tennyson character</b>) —<div>
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<blockquote><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">Enid</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (</span><span class="rt-commentedText nowrap" face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="/iː/: 'ee' in 'fleece'">iː</span><span title="'n' in 'nigh'">n</span><span title="/ɪ/: 'i' in 'kit'">ɪ</span><span title="'d' in 'dye'">d</span></span>/</a></span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:Pronunciation respelling key"><i title="English pronunciation respelling">EE-nid</i></a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Oklahoma">Oklahoma</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. It is the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_seat" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="County seat">county seat</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> of </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_County,_Oklahoma" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Garfield County, Oklahoma">Garfield County</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. As of the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_census" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="2020 United States census">2020 census</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Outlet" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Cherokee Outlet">Cherokee Outlet</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> in the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Run_of_1893" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Land Run of 1893">Land Run of 1893</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, and is named after Enid, a character in </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred,_Lord_Tennyson" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Alfred, Lord Tennyson">Alfred, Lord Tennyson</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">'s </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idylls_of_the_King" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Idylls of the King">Idylls of the King</a></i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. In 1991, the Oklahoma state legislature designated Enid the "</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_martin" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Purple martin">purple martin</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> capital of Oklahoma."</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> Enid holds the nickname of "Queen Wheat City" and "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma and the United States for its immense grain storage capacity, and has the third-largest grain storage capacity in the world. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote>
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<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq9TIZTM9cfqGOB3iBBZrSwdc0Lx_M82WnAjsiJ2j2wBSCBQue0Q01Ufyx9x2WQMsjrUqnXGHTPWZuRQYCY6Y5urI7dqDk1NIsu1EiAxuv6woT7y3S4a7uHWTY1VX8jMaFcmoie5EyS0tugmva-kRIhGvlcwG6e-hvLEyPQlS5gxJyljz3Os66w/s170/Beat_the_Clock_logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="170" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq9TIZTM9cfqGOB3iBBZrSwdc0Lx_M82WnAjsiJ2j2wBSCBQue0Q01Ufyx9x2WQMsjrUqnXGHTPWZuRQYCY6Y5urI7dqDk1NIsu1EiAxuv6woT7y3S4a7uHWTY1VX8jMaFcmoie5EyS0tugmva-kRIhGvlcwG6e-hvLEyPQlS5gxJyljz3Os66w/s1600/Beat_the_Clock_logo.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>Nice to see Lynn Lempel's name back on the byline. Decades of experience making clever, solid, primarily early-week puzzles. When I wrote "decades" just now I thought "I'm pretty sure I've been seeing her name for two decades, at least, but I better confirm that." <i>Two</i> decades? Ha. I was off by over two decades! This is her 100th NYTXW puzzle in the Shortz Era* and her 102nd overall—her debut was a Sunday puzzle in 1979! I had no idea she'd been constructing so long, probably because even though she has aged (as we're all wont to do), her puzzles never seemed to get old. Anyway, congrats to her on yet another worthy effort. My only disappointment today was that the revealer wasn't snappier, or more apt, somehow. Specifically, the "time" part of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HALFTIME</span></b> doesn't appear to be doing anything. I guess that when it comes "time" for you to make sense of the answer, you have to break that first answer in "half," but that seems pretty tenuous. I was looking for something ... timier to be going on. For instance, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEAT THE CLOCK</span></b>, which sits dead center, seems to be begging you to think about time. In music, you keep time by following the BEAT. And, well, CLOCK's connection to time is obvious on its ... face. So I thought maybe there was going to be some "time" concept built in, but I can't see it. If the TIME in <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HALFTIME</span></b> is doing something I can't see, I apologize. The fact that those four-letter words break perfectly in half to create wackiness, that's plenty of pizzazz for a Tuesday theme. I'm just not sure that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HALFTIME</span></b>, as a revealer, sticks the landing.<div><br />
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</div><div>Took me a half-beat to figure out the concept today. I was like "oh, she's punning on DRAG, OK, cool ... how is a parent 'MAIN'? One of the 'MAIN' ... people ... in your house?? That seems wr- ... ohhhhh, it's MA! <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MA IN DRAG</span></b>! Ah, cool. Good for Ma." I don't think of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DOORNAILS</span></b> as real things—I think of them existing solely as a metaphorical point of comparison, something for people to be as dead as. But I suppose doors must once have had nails, and anyway, "dead as a doornail" makes it a familiar enough term. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEAT THE CLOCK</span></b> is a general expression for making a deadline, but it's also the name of a long-running game show that has had many incarnations since the early days of television (1949!), the most recent being a kids show in 2018-19, but it's heyday was the '50s.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The fill ran a little on the stale side, but nothing made me cringe except <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SPOOR </span>(8D: Wild animal's trail)</b>, and that's just because I'd rather not have animal droppings in my puzzle. You know, if it can be avoided. Huh, looks like <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SPOOR</span></b> is <i>any</i> evidence left behind, anything that leaves a track, trail, or scent. Not just droppings. It's just that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SPOOR</span></b> ... I mean, it's got "poo" built in, so it <i>feels</i> like dropping. The word just has a mild ick factor for me. What "moist" is to some, "spoor" is to me. Then there's <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AGLARE</span></b>, which is one of those "a-" words I never quite believe exist anywhere outside of antiquated poetry (<b>46D: Shining brightly</b>). I had AGLEAM in there at first—that's one hell of a kealoa**. If AGLOW had fit, I might've considered that as well. Or AGLIMMER. Is AGLAZE a word? My software is not red-underlining it, which troubles me. Phew, looks like it's a proprietary wax of some sort, and not an actual word, so do <i>not</i> add that to your list of potential six-letter AGL- adjectives. That list holds steady at 2. ABLAZE and AFLAME remain words. Lots and lots of luminescence in the "a"-prefixed adjective category, who knew?</div><div><br />See you tomorrow.<div><br /></div><div>Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. I'll be reminding you all week that <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> is now available. Here is my description of the details (from this past Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote></div><div>P.P.S. here’s one commenter's explanation of the "Time" element of this theme—if it makes sense to you, fantastic!</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTpPbZXBWDTxqEs8puoO7jaF3ed0KBysl9QiHRuoaBna5m7nJgixgHpCphYYjfHJhD-8Dc_fdQJqHg97qAqslq2M4PxcypaeLmgLr4VlYnRgo-gqqv_-2nz8W2QGvURk2Asttkoa_n7SKp3gGSFAjI17pgCWeElRSugYqVljSpL0HdQfAu2RrsQ/s1340/IMG_9533.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1340" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTpPbZXBWDTxqEs8puoO7jaF3ed0KBysl9QiHRuoaBna5m7nJgixgHpCphYYjfHJhD-8Dc_fdQJqHg97qAqslq2M4PxcypaeLmgLr4VlYnRgo-gqqv_-2nz8W2QGvURk2Asttkoa_n7SKp3gGSFAjI17pgCWeElRSugYqVljSpL0HdQfAu2RrsQ/s320/IMG_9533.jpeg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[I see the 2/2, but not the 4/4 — there’s only one 4 🤷🏻]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>*Joel Fagliano is the interim editor, but it's still Shortz's Era until I hear differently</div><div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">**kealoa = a pair of words (normally short, common answers) that can be clued identically and that share at least one letter in common (in the same position). These are answers you can't just fill in quickly because two or more answers are viable, Even With One or More Letters In Place. From the classic [Mauna ___] KEA/LOA conundrum. See also, e.g. [Heaps] ATON/ALOT, ["Git!"] "SHOO"/"SCAT," etc. </span></p>
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[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div></div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com67tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6836840756885326232024-03-18T00:00:00.045-04:002024-03-18T00:00:00.287-04:00Clothing ensembles, slangily / MON 3-18-24 / "Star Wars" droid, familiarly / Hotly contested area in a U.S. election / Unruly '60s hairdo / In Europe, it's known as a "twin town" <span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Trent H. Evans</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium (normal Monday)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2W0UOoayBBUXdIn0Fmmytrj9vZMdIM_GlxPaexSxCouM930T2GHZRFNhz7ZGNnlSB1UixzsdzUDzsgEaG9MCAwie7ykwoN4WYQ5boUGzKoIdpTmTn0_fNekwYvMvForjX8gkaKNFYNsRUBeDNJO5f2xlaxX-fjpdSwQvTp4H7gwn0r4-ZjEPfQ/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20at%207.13.38%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="916" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2W0UOoayBBUXdIn0Fmmytrj9vZMdIM_GlxPaexSxCouM930T2GHZRFNhz7ZGNnlSB1UixzsdzUDzsgEaG9MCAwie7ykwoN4WYQ5boUGzKoIdpTmTn0_fNekwYvMvForjX8gkaKNFYNsRUBeDNJO5f2xlaxX-fjpdSwQvTp4H7gwn0r4-ZjEPfQ/w375-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-17%20at%207.13.38%20PM.png" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> moving to a bigger place ...</span> — theme answers end with geographical areas of increasing size:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><b>SISTER <u>CITY</u> (17A: In Europe, it's known as a "twin town")</b></li><li><b>PURPLE <u>STATE</u> (29A: Hotly contested area in a U.S. election)</b></li><li><b>HOST <u>COUNTRY</u> (45A: France, for the 2024 Olympics)</b></li><li><b>ALIEN <u>WORLD</u> (60A: Extraterrestrial's home, to us)</b></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> ABBIE Hoffman </span>(<b>1A: 1960s activist Hoffman</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF7ExMYNO2X4BQW31s-ioAdd6QdOtqFKUS0wUleOTxBSq9d5oqwH8NWuF9EKFDuvZb5TSu7K2yuG0xbGePCIEOcPQsCCD-8pPMkiA1WuF81qENzxt0a0zu6ed1UbQ9SsLAbET0auYVw99Vo-4O45NLDFNuXaXP7S4__-Ecch_d5Mncj2dorunzQ/s1000/51POQAOc4EL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="612" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF7ExMYNO2X4BQW31s-ioAdd6QdOtqFKUS0wUleOTxBSq9d5oqwH8NWuF9EKFDuvZb5TSu7K2yuG0xbGePCIEOcPQsCCD-8pPMkiA1WuF81qENzxt0a0zu6ed1UbQ9SsLAbET0auYVw99Vo-4O45NLDFNuXaXP7S4__-Ecch_d5Mncj2dorunzQ/w156-h255/51POQAOc4EL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="156" /></a></b></div><b>Abbot Howard Hoffman</b> (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was an American political and social activist who co-founded the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_International_Party" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Youth International Party">Youth International Party</a> ("Yippies") and was a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Seven" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Chicago Seven">Chicago Seven</a>. He was also a leading proponent of the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_Power" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Flower Power">Flower Power</a> movement.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">As a member of the Chicago Seven, Hoffman was charged with and tried―for activities during the 1968 Democratic National Convention―for conspiring to use interstate commerce with intent to incite a riot and crossing state lines with the intent to incite a riot under the anti-riot provisions of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1968#Title_X:_Anti-Riot_Act" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Civil Rights Act of 1968">Title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1968</a>.<sup class="reference nowrap" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><span title="Page / location: 4"> </span></sup> Five of the Chicago Seven defendants, including Hoffman, were convicted of crossing state lines with intent to incite a riot;<sup class="reference nowrap" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><span title="Page / location: 8"> </span></sup>all of the convictions were vacated after an appeal and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to pursue another trial.<sup class="reference nowrap" style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><span title="Page / location: 9"> </span></sup> Hoffman, along with all of the defendants and their attorneys were also convicted and sentenced for contempt of court by the judge; these convictions were also vacated after an appeal.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">Hoffman continued his activism into the 1970s and remains an icon of the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Vietnam_war" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Anti-Vietnam war">anti-Vietnam war</a> movement and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterculture_of_the_1960s" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Counterculture of the 1960s">counterculture era</a>. He died by suicide with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenobarbital" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Phenobarbital">phenobarbital</a> overdose in 1989 at age 52. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhYiUobpCbkx0pyb51bkSYk3HZTN2r2VNDgk5xOXU9mqiWnrXl4uwRYU3R4nUqnzYyigZ64DwyYmY4YBxz4b9y4AH5QbCUVBANlpeY80JgSSN6xzPCZUFTADOb8kQ-_QM8eA7p6g2UX5nFH_3MAQ7u4x3nw53OgVxDjHQpYjUOy1YbuBZVlNqzg/s540/e610f25607999cbb623f6dd24c48ec35.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="540" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhYiUobpCbkx0pyb51bkSYk3HZTN2r2VNDgk5xOXU9mqiWnrXl4uwRYU3R4nUqnzYyigZ64DwyYmY4YBxz4b9y4AH5QbCUVBANlpeY80JgSSN6xzPCZUFTADOb8kQ-_QM8eA7p6g2UX5nFH_3MAQ7u4x3nw53OgVxDjHQpYjUOy1YbuBZVlNqzg/w247-h182/e610f25607999cbb623f6dd24c48ec35.png" width="247" /></a></div>Well this is about as plain as it gets. Even says so, right in the middle of the grid: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PLAIN</span></b>. Totally rudimentary progression here. Might've been more interesting if the geographical areas had been more metaphorical, less on-the-nose. "FIST CITY," ALTERED STATE, COW COUNTRY, WALLEY WORLD, that sort of thing. But these are just literal cities, states, etc. Ho + hum. It'll do, but it doesn't do much. Not bad, just straightforward to the point of dullness. Basic. Could be better, but also could be worse. The thing that's actively annoying about today's puzzle is the fill, which is lazy and stale, especially in the east and southeast. Just cruddy from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">KRONA</span></b> through <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ATT ASAP BAA</span></b> down to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ARTOO</span></b>. Overfamiliar <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STYES</span></b>, overfamiliar <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALOE</span></b>. It's a glut. Just no attempt at all to clean or spice things up. It's all gettable, no one's really gonna balk at anything down there, but the overall quality of the fill could and should be better. Constructors just don't put in the time to get it from "acceptable" to "good," and if the theme "works," the editors clearly only care that the fill reach "acceptable." So people come to accept mediocrity. If you cared about making the grid actively good, you'd tear out <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALOHA PARTY</span></b> (the weakest of the long answers, and the long answer to which the most weak short stuff is attached or adjacent) and rebuild. The "H" and "P" from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALOHA PARTY</span></b> are kinda forcing you into <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ETHEL</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ASAP</span></b>, respectively, and the rest of the gunk pretty much falls into place from there. Therefore, aloha, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALOHA PARTY</span></b> (which seems to be more of a <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/aloha_party#English">welcome party</a> than a farewell party, but ... I guess, like "aloha" itself, it can go both ways?) (<b>32D: Farewell celebration for those leaving the Hawaiian Islands</b>). <div><br />
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</div><div>This was on the easy side where Downs-only solving was concerned, but I got pretty significantly held up by a colorful long answer that, sadly, turned out to be a long wrong answer. I say "sadly" because I really liked my long answer, which was BUTTINSKIS (for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUSYBODIES</span></b>) (<b>3D: Meddling sorts</b>). It's perfect for the clue, and like <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUSYBODIES</span></b> (as you can see) starts with a "BU-"! So once I inferred <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ABBIE</span></b> from AB-IE and then ran the vowels at DRINK / DRANK / <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DRUNK</span></b>, I caught sight of that "BU-" combo and though "aha, BUTTINSKIS! Good one!" But no. They were phantom BUTTINSKIS, alas. Those BUTTINSKIS kept me from seeing <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SISTER CITY</span></b> for far too long. I was staring down SITTER-something, which seemed impossible. I thought maybe these were gonna be wacky wordplay theme answers, but once I got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PURPLE STATE</span></b>, I knew the theme answers were gonna be regular answers, which means I had an error. Really resisted pulling BUTTINSKIS because ... I mean, BUTTINSKIS, you can see how I'd be attached! But finally I pulled it, and that made all the difference. Rest of the puzzle was a comparative breeze.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>I also had trouble with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STYMIES </span>(9D: Hinders)</b>, in part because I'd gone with POPTOP over <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MOPTOP</span></b>. I knew that it *could* have been <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MOPTOP</span></b>, but I figured it's Monday, the can opener answer is probably more likely than the vintage Beatles-esque answer. But no (<b>22A: Unruly '60s hairdo</b>). Also, in a Downs-only situation, ABE- could be either <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ABE<u>T</u></span></b> or ABE<u>L</u> (theoretically it could also be ABE<u>D</u>, or even ABE<u>S</u>, but not when the last letter is preceded in the Down by an "S"). And <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FITS</span></b> could've been FATS, so I ended up having to juggle what seemed like a lot of possibilities. But once "Y" was solidly set, and I reconsidered <b><span style="color: #351c75;"><u>M</u>OPTOP</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STYMIES</span></b> leapt into view. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>That clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FITS</span></b> is likely to be slightly baffling for some older solvers (<b>26A: Clothing ensembles, slangily</b>). I feel like "fit"'s currency (short for "outfit") is relatively recent. But maybe I'm wrong about that. Nobody said "fit" when I was young, is what I'm saying. "Fit check" is used on social media when someone wants to show off their outfit (or call attention to someone else's). Anyway, solving Downs-only, I never had to deal with that clue. Not much else to say about this one except ... I have questions about the "In Europe" part of <b>17A: In Europe, it's known as a "twin town"</b> (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SISTER CITY</span></b>). First of all, "In Europe," they don't speak English, so on its face "twin town" seems dubious. Also, "In Europe" they speak A Lot Of Languages—does every country "In Europe" really call it a "twin town"? Google is telling me that Spain uses "ciudad hermanada," which is essentially "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SISTER CITY</span></b>," and since Spain is "In Europe," again, I dispute this clue. It seems generally true that "twin(ned) town" is the most common translation of the equivalent phrase in France and Germany, and possibly elsewhere, so there's no big foul here. I just like clue phrasing to be precise and accurate. Also, this puzzle is so <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PLAIN</span></b> that there's not much to focus on, so I'm focusing on this. In the interest of not going further into the weeds, I bid you good day.</div><div><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. I'll be reminding you all week that <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> is now available. Here is my description of the details (from this past Sunday's write-up):</div><div><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><blockquote><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/s400/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPELgDnLcem6844W4gT4JZDvI-opFf0EYox3lGbl0X-bULNVoc2vWiV11UhI_IPZMrVWVHJ88Gvue_QCY1qn34jnOj9Xfe4t3xJZzAuoXTO8H96aN4HeEwYOmENzlIOssOYJpmmCe301rhytBVbE1qF02ejnKQWo13aXwB3nlJJ_hW2VSch-7q1g/w204-h204/i4f6YAw-_400x400.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 (four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty!</blockquote>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53745980243214517042024-03-17T00:00:00.093-04:002024-03-17T07:21:37.372-04:00Voicer of Olaf in "Frozen" / SUN 3-17-24 / Colonized, as bees might / Music genre that emphasizes the offbeat / Comedian Jimmy with a self-described "schnozzola" / Literary friend of Sam, Merry and Pippin / Insurance company whose name contains a diphthong / Seller of over a billion Huggable Hangers on TV / Fictional archaeologist with a whip, familiarly<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Simeon Seigel</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium (never saw the gimmick, so I don't know what was supposed to happen)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZ4Nhhz9IHAyNjhDriodc9_JLeaVzp46Fl8PYTGatyNxJRM5A6q4dQsOalD72SzoJDUPk7A6DunLezHs_PI2guA8_-Fn-5hnI7OFNK0seVbIdw4rEZP-CArxmQsbFJ-T5xEPzHDY0RB4bbk8peQfD-g5ibaxRGTx7tEZhbcMMmfR48FmirN38jg/s1334/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%207.23.25%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1334" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZ4Nhhz9IHAyNjhDriodc9_JLeaVzp46Fl8PYTGatyNxJRM5A6q4dQsOalD72SzoJDUPk7A6DunLezHs_PI2guA8_-Fn-5hnI7OFNK0seVbIdw4rEZP-CArxmQsbFJ-T5xEPzHDY0RB4bbk8peQfD-g5ibaxRGTx7tEZhbcMMmfR48FmirN38jg/w400-h384/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%207.23.25%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> "All Over the Map"</span> — different U.S. attractions that you can find in ... all parts of the U.S. The revealer is THE -O-TH --ST (<b>69A: Locale of this puzzle's attractions (really, all eight of them!)</b>), where the blanks can be filled to make NORTHEAST <i>or</i> NORTHWEST <i>or</i> SOUTHEAST <i>or</i> SOUTHWEST (I ended up with SOUTHEAST—what did you end up with?):<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">OLD FAITHFUL (2D: </span><b>Attraction in 69-Across that's part of America's first national park)</b></li><li><b>NIAGARA FALLS (28A: </b><b>Attraction in 69-Across that once froze over for 30 hours in 1848)</b></li><li><b>LADY LIBERTY (37A: </b><b>Attraction in 69-Across that withstands dozens of lightning strikes a year, familiarly)</b></li><li><b>CRATER LAKE (4D: </b><b>Attraction in 69-Across that's almost 2,000 feet deep)</b></li><li><b>FOUR CORNERS (104A: </b><b>Attraction in 69-Across overseen by the Navajo Nation)</b></li><li><b>EVERGLADES (80D: </b><b>Attraction in 69-Across where crocodiles and alligators uniquely coexist)</b></li><li><b>EPCOT CENTER (73D: </b><b>Attraction in 69-Across designed to be a "city of the future")</b></li><li><b>AREA FIFTY-ONE (116A: Attraction in 69-Across on the Extraterrestrial Highway)</b></li></ul><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(80, 11, 0); color: #500b00; font-weight: 700;">Theme answers:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>70D: Division for a tennis match (<span style="color: red;">N</span>ET or <span style="color: red;">S</span>ET)</b></li><li><b>56D: Word before fly (HO<span style="color: red;">R</span>SE or HO<span style="color: red;">U</span>SE)</b></li><li><b>59D: "No," in a certain dialect (NA<span style="color: red;">E</span> or NA<span style="color: red;">W</span>)</b></li><li><b>66D: Touch gently (P<span style="color: red;">A</span>T or P<span style="color: red;">E</span>T)</b></li></ul></div>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> OFFERTORY </span>(<b>20D: Collection during a church service</b>) —
<blockquote><span class="OoNk445te7MEusWxZIjw" face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(37, 37, 40); color: #252528; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic;">noun,</span><span face=""LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(37, 37, 40); color: #252528; font-size: 18px;"><span class="luna-label italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;">plural</span> <span class="luna-inflected-form bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">of·fer·to·ries.</span></span><div class="_bzA3f8_vqmJSIKsgOar" style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(37, 37, 40); color: #252528; font-family: "LFT Etica", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5;"><ol start="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 38px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 0px 8px 8px;"><div class="ESah86zaufmd2_YPdZtq" data-type="word-definition-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">(<span class="luna-label italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;">sometimes initial capital letter</span>) the offering of the unconsecrated elements that is made to God by the celebrant in a Eucharistic service.</p></div></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 0px 8px 8px;"><div class="ESah86zaufmd2_YPdZtq" data-type="word-definition-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span class="luna-label italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;">Ecclesiastical</span>. </p></div><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: lower-alpha; padding-left: 20px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 0px 8px 8px;"><div class="ESah86zaufmd2_YPdZtq" data-type="word-definition-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">the verses, anthem, or music said, sung, or played while the <a class="luna-xref" data-linkid="nn1ov4" href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/offering" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--dictionaryblue); text-decoration: none;">offerings</a> of the people are received at a religious service.</p></div></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 0px 8px 8px;"><div class="ESah86zaufmd2_YPdZtq" data-type="word-definition-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">that part of a service at which <a class="luna-xref" data-linkid="nn1ov4" href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/offering" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--dictionaryblue); text-decoration: none;">offerings</a> are made.</p></div></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px 0px 8px 8px;"><div class="ESah86zaufmd2_YPdZtq" data-type="word-definition-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">the <a class="luna-xref" data-linkid="nn1ov4" href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/offering" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--dictionaryblue); text-decoration: none;">offerings</a> themselves. (dictionary.com)</p></div></li></ul></li></ol></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvImPeSqgD3oLIko7yV6nbnGHw5BJR6Va1MTSvOulWp7LyiwGWKjdzYRKluCzCaMgbndgDpaZhYp-MwE1M7S9gXNn2IrTwpd3CWmyvPYtBNsal5u6dRZkFkUIv7Ao12IqreexZZgynzuY1tRxXsqsbwqsOJKp1B2japjCQKFCxr3Clz5olL-u_Q/s275/Unknown.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvImPeSqgD3oLIko7yV6nbnGHw5BJR6Va1MTSvOulWp7LyiwGWKjdzYRKluCzCaMgbndgDpaZhYp-MwE1M7S9gXNn2IrTwpd3CWmyvPYtBNsal5u6dRZkFkUIv7Ao12IqreexZZgynzuY1tRxXsqsbwqsOJKp1B2japjCQKFCxr3Clz5olL-u_Q/w210-h139/Unknown.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div>I don't know what this puzzle was trying to do, exactly. That is, I don't know what it thought the solver (i.e. me) was gonna do. I have no idea what you were supposed to do in order to get the puzzle accepted as "correct." I guess I was supposed to somehow see all the variable squares and know they were variable ... yeah, no hope of that. I had the center answer filled in as <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOUTHEAST</span></b>. All the crosses worked. I looked in the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOUTHEAST</span></b> corner of the grid for some help, but nope, nothing there. Well ... <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EPCOT CENTER</span></b> <i>was</i> in the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOUTHEAST</span></b> corner of the grid. "That's got the whole world in it, right? So maybe all these 'attractions' are also there ... somehow?" I've never been to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EPCOT CENTER</span></b>, so my understanding of what it entails is shaky, obviously. Anyway, had no idea how <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOUTHEAST</span></b> was supposed to work (because it wasn't, it seems). I finished the puzzle and didn't get a "Congratulations" message, so I checked Every Single Cross. But nothing. No errors. And yet, no "Congratulations" message. So I hit "reveal -> all" and saw the "trick." There is no shrug I could possibly shrug that could embody how much shrugginess I felt about this revelation. All my answers were correct. I know, I know, the title is "All Over the Map" and the "Attractions" in question obviously aren't (all) in the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOUTHEAST</span></b>, but there was nothing to indicate where I was supposed to look for the answer. I have no idea how this "played" for all of you, or where you ended up, or whatever. But for me it felt like a waste of time, esp. the time I spent trying to find my mistakes (when there weren't any). There has *got* to be a better way to do this theme, if you really feel you need to do it—some way that lets the solver (i.e. me) in on the gimmick in a friendlier way. But I gotta say, even knowing the gimmick, seeing it now: I just don't care. It's a stunt puzzle with no solver payoff. Totally self-indulgent. There's one neat trick, which is that the "attractions" all appear in the parts of the grid that correspond to their position on a U.S. map (roughly). That is, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NIAGARA FALLS</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LADY LIBERTY</span></b> are in the NE, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FOUR CORNERS</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AREA FIFTY-ONE</span></b> are in the SW, etc. But none of this had anything to do with solving. It's a flourish for you to ooh and aah over, post-solve (assuming you notice it). But as for the 4x dual-letter "gimmick"—no hope. Admittedly, I didn't think about it for very long because I didn't care. Also, I had slightly more than one drink tonight (very atypical), which may be affecting my processing power. But if I hadn't hit "reveal all," I don't know how long it would have taken me to see the "gimmick." In the end, aside from as an architectural feat, I just don't see how the theme is all that impressive, even if you *did* "get" it. Eight random U.S. "attractions" with trivia clues. I dunno. Seems underwhelming.<div><div><br />
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The fill was awkward and gangly, starting with that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MADEA / BAATH</span></b> cross and extending out from there. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TEENER</span></b>!? (<b>85A: Typical sock hopper</b>). Come on. Please, please, come on. How in the world do you use this? Also, how in the world do you use "sock hopper"? What even are you doing? Further: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HIVED</span></b>?! (<b>126A: Colonized, as bees might</b>). LOL, what? Esoteric apicultural terminology? Wow. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">IRAIL</span></b> (!?!?!). Is that Apple's railway system? Did you know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">IRAIL</span></b> didn't appear for fourteen years between 1997 and 2011? We call those "The Good Years." But back to the puzzle. We've got the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">O'LEARYS </span></b>as ... a couple?? It's <i>Mrs</i>. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">O'LEARY'S</span></b> cow. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">O’LEARY’S</span></b>, singular possessive. Since when did we start giving Mr. O'Leary a credit? Is "short hedge" a business term? I've heard of "hedge funds" and "hedging bets" and "short-selling," but not "short hedge," so I didn't get the wordplay, and it took some time to figure out that (answerwise) the "short" meant "abbr." and the "hedge" meant "qualification" (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">OTOH</span></b>, "on the other hand"). There's something superawkward about the parenthetical "on" in <b>91A: Deliberated (on) (<span style="color: #351c75;">TOOK TIME</span>)</b>. I don't know that I'd use "on" with either phrase. Anyway, they don't seem exactly equivalent, or rather <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOOK TIME</span></b> seems very general, whereas [Deliberated] feels specific (i.e. "Deliberated" = <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOOK TIME</span></b> ... doing a very specific thing). <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OXO</span></b> is a kitchenware brand (or a short-lived pop act from the '80s who I saw open for Hall & Oates in '83). [<b>Tic-tac-toe loser</b>] is never, I repeat never, ever a welcome clue, but it's <i>especially</i> unwelcome when the answer could've been clued as something real. The idea that you would steer *into* the [<b>Tic-tac-toe loser</b>] clue ... baffling.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Notes:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">114D: Insurance company whose name contains a diphthong (<span style="color: #351c75;">AETNA</span>)</span> — wow, this is *not* the meaning of diphthong that I know. Primary definition of diphthong is “<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">a sound formed by the combination of two </span><span class="AraNOb" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="rMNQNe" data-ved="2ahUKEwj44tbE__mEAxVXAHkGHZ2mD5QQyecJegQILhAO" href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=90831218f7071c15&rls=en&q=vowels&si=AKbGX_qTCvK6ifvkUBYDz4foaFZiXofmOGqCKEtAMFp-FKTb1CeU0QeEMVykU1uMKzTTVyy_oA6yDX2p_ub1FG6bYrAe1ihlwQ%3D%3D&expnd=1" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0">vowels</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;"> in a single </span><span class="AraNOb" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="rMNQNe" data-ved="2ahUKEwj44tbE__mEAxVXAHkGHZ2mD5QQyecJegQILhAP" href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=90831218f7071c15&rls=en&q=syllable&si=AKbGX_qNq0Y8zql7SxzZAf2-HTTO2_HejjKES37taH3YZAoY_d0IdLse1wtvoH5LE_d7ls2wQNPXIR06K30cE5S9zW3qdctiSAjjc8LpqKNZW_gun2fJKkg%3D&expnd=1" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0">syllable</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">, in which<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the sound begins as one </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="AraNOb" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="rMNQNe" data-ved="2ahUKEwj44tbE__mEAxVXAHkGHZ2mD5QQyecJegQILhAQ" href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=90831218f7071c15&rls=en&q=vowel&si=AKbGX_qy882wphGEk_Dxwohm5Oan3R1_r81TAB0Pm9ucCBrarNX9rkBNtJffk9ZfIWAl5Ce4UNbzpY6sko9JCPoZvvsH5jNuoA%3D%3D&expnd=1" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0">vowel</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;"> and moves toward another (as in <i>coin</i>, <i>loud</i>, and <i>side</i> )</span>"</span> (google / Oxford Languages). Obviously <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AETNA</span></b> does not fit that definition. But definition 3. is "<span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">a compound vowel character; a </span><span class="AraNOb" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration: underline;"><a class="rMNQNe" data-ved="2ahUKEwj44tbE__mEAxVXAHkGHZ2mD5QQyecJegQILhAU" href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=90831218f7071c15&rls=en&q=ligature&si=AKbGX_qNq0Y8zql7SxzZAf2-HTTOAnS6CNRTQwo6a5PqluFnKtd_-VvtUar9k__QLnhK8Y3pvAXEspXSFU-HIyeXh3l7UVzYYgYnq9VxaFk5W9tj2iepRVo%3D&expnd=1" style="outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0">ligature</a></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;"> (such as <i>æ</i> ).</span>" So there you go. And yet ... since you don't / can't enter Æ in the grid as a "compound vowel character," I dunno, man ... Hmmm, looks like definition 2. is "<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">a digraph representing the sound of a diphthong or single vowel (as in <i>feat</i>)," and since a "digraph" is a "combination of two letters representing one sound, as in </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">ph</i><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;"> and </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">ey<span style="background-color: white;">,</span></i>" maybe *that* is how this clue "works." Seems like the clue could've gone a clearer / more interesting route.</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">102D: Seller of over a billion Huggable Hangers on TV (<span style="color: #351c75;">HSN</span>)</span> — Home Shopping Network. I categorically refuse to look up what "Huggable Hangers" are.</li></ul><div>
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</div><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">46A: Either end of America? (<span style="color: #351c75;">SCHWA</span>)</span> — a "letteral" clue, where the answer is a letter in the clue itself, in this case, the "a" on either end of "America." Was surprised, the last time <b><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schwa">SCHWA</a></span></b> appeared in the grid, how many people seemed never to have heard of it. I learned it in elementary school. It's basically an unstressed "uh" sound, represented by an upside-down "e" (that is, "<span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(42, 60, 66); color: #2a3c42; font-size: 14px;">ə</span>").</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">11D: Person living in London (<span style="color: #351c75;">ONTARIAN</span>)</span> — I once drove from Ann Arbor to Hamilton, Ontario to speak at a conference at McMaster University. I remember driving past London, Ontario on the way. That is my London, Ontario story.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">111A: Noted name in 2005 news (<span style="color: #351c75;">KATRINA</span>)</span> — yeah, maybe don't get cutesy with a disaster of this magnitude. Everyone goes looking for the name of a person, but ha ha, joke's on you, it's a lethal hurricane, sucker! There are other <b><span style="color: #351c75;">KATRINAs</span></b>, is what I'm saying.</li><li><b>105D: Profitability metric, for short (<span style="color: #351c75;">ROI</span>)</b>— "Return on investment." Give me the French king any day. Vive le <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ROI</span></b>!</li><li><b>60A: General meeting place (<span style="color: #351c75;">WAR ROOM</span>)</b> — i.e. a meeting place for (military) generals</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">98A: Caribbean music genre (<span style="color: #351c75;">SOCA</span>)</span> — neither my wife nor I had heard of this. Her: "They already have <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SKA</span></b>? (<b>50A: Music genre that emphasizes the offbeat</b>). Did they really need another Caribbean music genre in this puzzle?" Me: "Oh my god ... are <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOCA</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SKA</span></b> related? They sound the same. I mean, take out the 'O' and you've basically got <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SKA</span></b> and ... SCA..." Relatedly, we've both been drinking (<a href="https://punchdrink.com/recipes/mezcaletti/">Mezcalettis</a>! So good!). Turns out <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOCA</span></b> has nothing to do with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SKA</span></b>. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOCA</span></b> seems to be a kind of portmanteau, from "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soca_music">the Soul of Calypso</a>," and it originated in Trinidad and Tobago.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">53D: Small role for Paul Rudd (<span style="color: #351c75;">ANT MAN</span>)</span> — Rudd has the <i>starring</i> role, but "Small" here refers to the fact that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ANT MAN</span></b> is ant-sized, i.e. literally tiny.</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8GAiBjFN5c7PtPtiYPDDen9ssqFgCq17Oi92-9u3LF9qzl1ltcQDsK1axyQsOpMmNW0CUzHzCofu7Ei7uLZ_mAI2f94Idst4G4TbmUrjnXIwNOaJaiMJl-7jT93KVzZXAp6zwpRHWGfyf6U7upX6iwVhDwSEOKpLtYlw-CctmvO1tMhQqoIVyA/s2560/c54291b8-c84a-11ee-9ba8-0e2b4447ec07.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8GAiBjFN5c7PtPtiYPDDen9ssqFgCq17Oi92-9u3LF9qzl1ltcQDsK1axyQsOpMmNW0CUzHzCofu7Ei7uLZ_mAI2f94Idst4G4TbmUrjnXIwNOaJaiMJl-7jT93KVzZXAp6zwpRHWGfyf6U7upX6iwVhDwSEOKpLtYlw-CctmvO1tMhQqoIVyA/w400-h225/c54291b8-c84a-11ee-9ba8-0e2b4447ec07.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Hey, you wanna do some good puzzles? A lot of good puzzles? One of which I guest-edited? And support abortion rights in the bargain? Yes, yes you do. Or you should. The point is: <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4 </a>(four!) just dropped this past week—over 20 original puzzles from top constructors and editors—and you can get the collection now (right now) for a <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/give/561096/#!/donation/checkout">minimum donation of $20</a> (donations split evenly among five different abortion funds—<a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">details here</a>). You can check out a detailed description of the collection and a list of all the talent involved <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-4">here</a>. I not only guest-edited a puzzle, I also test-solved puzzles. I have now seen the finished collection, and it's really lovely, across the board. General editors Rachel Fabi and Brooke Husic and C.L. Rimkus put in a tremendous amount of work ensuring that it would be. The attention to detail—test-solving, fact-checking, etc.—was really impressive. Anyway, donate generously (assuming you are able) and enjoy the puzzle bounty! I think I'll do a separate short post about my guest-editing experience later this week, and link to it next week, so look for that as well. That's all. Take care, everyone. See you next time.</div><div><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. Just found an envelope that's been sitting on my desk for a while. It was empty so I couldn't figure out why I had it or what had been in it. It's from a reader, postmarked Reno, and it probably contained a postcard and a nice note, but the return address is partially effaced ... <u style="background-color: #ead1dc;">so if your last name is ... looks like "Brenner" maybe, and you live on "-enton Trail" in Reno, now you know why I never wrote you back</u>. Sorry. The USPS has certain mauling tendencies that make snail mail ... an adventure (it's part of the charm!)</div><div><br /></div><div>P.P.S. it's early Sunday morning now and someone has already sent me a picture of their <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOCA</span></b> cassette! As someone newly into cassettes, I am fascinated / jealous!</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyLSYalZLEiYIXww_r-2gy0DKVr6f0dRwm3NOwlMNIZlZAFl6o5TL8U-Qfh2xG0slO5rLI1AOPIcRPPKvfr68dq_Rr5G_eiTQRDM-r75ZDKti8g7-Ox_bw9tBJVq5WCetwDKr3FYBbUOFr-wziXCVbjwfqkbolyTAq9xANAX3-po935oz7vIQhQ/s320/IMG_0791.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyLSYalZLEiYIXww_r-2gy0DKVr6f0dRwm3NOwlMNIZlZAFl6o5TL8U-Qfh2xG0slO5rLI1AOPIcRPPKvfr68dq_Rr5G_eiTQRDM-r75ZDKti8g7-Ox_bw9tBJVq5WCetwDKr3FYBbUOFr-wziXCVbjwfqkbolyTAq9xANAX3-po935oz7vIQhQ/s1600/IMG_0791.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="text-align: center;">Bro Resistance! I need to hear Bro Resistance! OMG I just found him on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jthbcG6ME_w&list=OLAK5uy_nSw5pVHJPO4ZWq6bD_X0SPwRxVf_7aSZA&index=12">compilation of kaiso music</a>. There's your next [<b>Caribbean music genre</b>], constructors: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiso">KAISO</a>! Don't say I never gave you anything. Anyway, here is the lead track on this <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOCA</span></b> cassette: "Afrika Is Burning" by Safi Abdullah: </span></div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tb_Ibhkf8hs?si=SAtJcOD4vm5Ktv_F" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>Aha, and here's that Bro Resistance track: "Ring De Bell." [The Internet, really coming through for me today!]</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIr2MNBNo5o?si=ixm02UbKn9yDyBFI" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center></div><div><br /></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9537452298919260872024-03-16T05:28:00.013-04:002024-03-16T06:52:12.012-04:00First part of an ancient Greek ode / SAT 3-16-24 / Fluffy toy, familiarly / Flag carrier of Panama / Go for it, slangily / Ren Faire rides / Small bit of mint? / Accessories that sound like a snack brand <span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Carly Schuna</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy-Medium</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEPSc1TUwyQ0YmX-kNJujfX-thRFI-AP_kP3viTjkvV5BZZUzanjq0ze7TITcAuUDW_kneP8vgUpuHDA3yfFLJuGzrbtSc5a303G5jK1hpTev6Ek68AI1c0woy46Ria_jS7k11_-FEtBlF79g06Vy3NpdAXNLFJNhQ8AkTnLXiN04iHwWuoNSRw/s962/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%204.06.33%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEPSc1TUwyQ0YmX-kNJujfX-thRFI-AP_kP3viTjkvV5BZZUzanjq0ze7TITcAuUDW_kneP8vgUpuHDA3yfFLJuGzrbtSc5a303G5jK1hpTev6Ek68AI1c0woy46Ria_jS7k11_-FEtBlF79g06Vy3NpdAXNLFJNhQ8AkTnLXiN04iHwWuoNSRw/w376-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20at%204.06.33%20AM.png" width="376" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> none</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> flag carrier </span>(<b>49A: Flag carrier of Panama = <span style="color: #351c75;">COPA</span></b>) —
<blockquote><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl9jCL9SKYbCyReLSHnkkHQoaTz6_bBfBcG-EwVN_UF8q6uNefVflCAJ4KNaLIfn_9GDq7x5e5W_OknP7FLvGkyCTPf4cvsQ3IzZ1opSBnjakhkCmYYlN5CvdVhgKUy-PkHHmPAMENTXVyeHEtfAL96-lAvvvpivgTa90iuuiShzvm3vIPLnQEA/s1024/FreeVector-Copa-Airlines.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1024" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbl9jCL9SKYbCyReLSHnkkHQoaTz6_bBfBcG-EwVN_UF8q6uNefVflCAJ4KNaLIfn_9GDq7x5e5W_OknP7FLvGkyCTPf4cvsQ3IzZ1opSBnjakhkCmYYlN5CvdVhgKUy-PkHHmPAMENTXVyeHEtfAL96-lAvvvpivgTa90iuuiShzvm3vIPLnQEA/w200-h141/FreeVector-Copa-Airlines.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">flag carrier</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> is a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Transport">transport</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> company, such as an </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Airline">airline</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> or </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Shipping">shipping</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> company, that, being locally registered in a given </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_state" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Sovereign state">sovereign state</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. (wikipedia) </span> </blockquote><blockquote><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A.</b><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, (commonly referred to as</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">Copa</b><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and branded simply as "</span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">Copa Airlines</b><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">")</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">is the</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_carrier" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Flag carrier">flag carrier</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">of</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Panama">Panama</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. It is headquartered in</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_City" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Panama City">Panama City</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, Panama,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">with its main hub at</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocumen_International_Airport" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Tocumen International Airport">Tocumen International Airport</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. Copa is a subsidiary of</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Holdings" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Copa Holdings">Copa Holdings</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and a member of the</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Alliance" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Star Alliance">Star Alliance</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">The airline is also the main operator and owner of Colombian airline AeroRepública, currently known as</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingo_(airline)" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Wingo (airline)">Wingo</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, previously known as</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Airlines_Colombia" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Copa Airlines Colombia">Copa Airlines Colombia</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. // </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Copa was founded in 1947 and it began domestic operations to three cities in Panama shortly afterwards. The airline then abandoned its</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_flight" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Domestic flight">domestic flight</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">in 1980, in favor of international flights. In 1998, Copa formed a partnership with</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Airlines" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Continental Airlines">Continental Airlines</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, adopting a similar brand image and using the airline's</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Airlines#OnePass" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Continental Airlines">OnePass</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequent_flyer_program" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Frequent flyer program">frequent flyer program</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByiftkhfz2I556kB4Oy4ORD22N46LOxkVgjO8W8v4U0BSvjgv2u-iXsXlJcV9TTeHiNx0uDwHj6Q8SyvcrBl3D1iS0UPhHzzYDqvZJVzXKONfqYRaDmxL5LHRN5nD9XxGbvKgkqV98pbt0Muo4r-_WsgRNl663Kv-4UB2oD67z_YYlV-99oHeiQ/s1305/199611Reader.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="1007" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByiftkhfz2I556kB4Oy4ORD22N46LOxkVgjO8W8v4U0BSvjgv2u-iXsXlJcV9TTeHiNx0uDwHj6Q8SyvcrBl3D1iS0UPhHzzYDqvZJVzXKONfqYRaDmxL5LHRN5nD9XxGbvKgkqV98pbt0Muo4r-_WsgRNl663Kv-4UB2oD67z_YYlV-99oHeiQ/w189-h245/199611Reader.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Buddy!]</i></td></tr></tbody></table>A much smoother experience today, with far fewer grimaces. This one has the kind of sparkle and whooshiness that I associate with the better Friday puzzles. The longer answers really shine, all over the grid, and the grid itself is built for zooming around—lots of access points for every section. The whole experience started out pretty crummy, with a twin-cluing scheme that I didn't particularly care for: <b>1A: Word of elaboration (<span style="color: #351c75;">ALSO</span>)</b> x/w <b>1D: Elaborate (<span style="color: #351c75;">ADD</span>)</b>. I guess the clues there work OK, but when my first dip into an empty Saturday grid feels like a cutesy ambiguity trap, I get put off. You ever get stuck on an inscrutable "?" clue, check that answer's first cross, only to find yourself staring at <i>yet another "?" clue</i>, and you're like "Why lord why!? Make it stop!?" That's how I felt. "[<b>Word of <i>elaboration</i></b>]? That's kind of vague, let me check the cross ... aw, [<i><b>Elaborate</b></i>]!? Really? Come on ..." And then my first answer in the grid was the always-unloved <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SESH</span></b>, so as I say, takeoff was pretty bumpy, but I managed to go from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SESH</span></b> to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SHOOT</span></b> (no idea what followed) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PASTE POM MELODIC CAGE EGAD</span></b> ... and then I wanted <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DEBUNK</span></b> (<b>42A: Prove false</b>) but wasn't too sure about that "K" and so held off and went down the grid with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EYE TESTS</span></b> instead. That's top of the grid to bottom of the grid, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SESH</span></b> to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EYE TESTS</span></b>, with hardly a pause. From there I had traction. I worked from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EGAD</span></b> back to the top of the grid, and from there, the long answers started to pop, colorfully, into view: <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SHOOT YOUR SHOT! DEEP FAKE! BRIOCHE BUN</span></b>, mmmm. Good stuff.<div><br />
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</div><div>After that initial struggle in the NW, the NE ended up being Monday-easy. OK, maybe Tuesday-easy, but easy. Set a match to it and whoosh, up in flames and then to ashes, as fast as I could blink (give or take). So like yesterday's puzzle, this one had some difficulty unevenness, but overall, since there weren't any real "WTF?" sticking points for me, I made consistent progress and so didn't <i>feel</i> the unevenness so much. Couple of names I didn't know (the writer, the airline), but the surrounding fill took care of those answers, no problem. The cluing felt pretty properly Saturday today, if a little on the easy side. Vagueness and ambiguity made for a few puzzling moments. I had O--YED in place and *still* had to think about what the answer was supposed to be at <b>6D: Let through (<span style="color: #351c75;">OKAYED</span>)</b>. I asked my brain for help but it was like "Look, we've got OBEYED, and that's all we got." "But that doesn't make sense." "Man, we've got what we got, don't blame me. You want OBEYED or not? Oh hey wait ... [pushes some boxes out of the way in the warehouse of my mind] ... looks like there's this <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OKAYED</span></b> sitting here. It's dusty and the box is kinda dented, but ... you want it?" "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, brain." Also wanted BAE before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOO</span> (38A: Sweetie)</b>, ATLAS before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">US MAP</span> (19D: Geography classroom staple)</b>, DEAD before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">REAL</span> (30D: Very, informally)</b>, and ACUTE before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ASKEW</span> (22D: Word that, when searched, causes Google to display all results at an angle)</b>. Initially thought the [<b>Metalworker's union</b>] had something to do with WE<u>LD</u>ING, but neither WELDER or WELDED made sense. Then I remembered (vaguely) that a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOLDER</span></b> was a thing. My daughter occasionally builds stage sets and knows how to weld. I don't know if she knows how to ... sold? Is that a thing? A verb? No. A <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOLDER</span></b> is an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solder">alloy used to join metal</a>, or (as a verb) the act of doing said joining.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Loved the clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FOOTREST</span> (14D: Dog park?)</b>. You park (rest) your dogs (feet) on a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FOOTREST</span></b>. Nice. Didn't love the clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">COPA</span></b>, partly because it felt like niche trivia, but mostly because ... I just think you shouldn't pass up any chance to Manilow your grid. Missed Manilopportunities make me sad. This puzzle <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RAN LOW</span></b> on Manilow. You don't have to go straight at the song, if that seems to obvious for a Saturday. Why not, [Cabana entrance?], something like that. Speaking of "entrance" clues, <b>59D: Entrance or exit of Target?</b> is a "letteral" clue—the clue points not to something else but to itself, specifically a letter in one of the words in the clue. In this case, the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TEE</span></b> at both the beginning ("entrance") and ending ("exit") of the word "Target." Just want to reiterate one last time how good this grid looks. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEDHEAD PLATELET HOTSAUCE</span></b>! The friendliness of "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">GLAD TO DO IT</span></b>!" alongside the surliness of "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">NO ONE CARES</span></b>." That's some peanut butter and chocolate magic right there. All that and Nic <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CAGE</span></b> to boot!? Yes. I'll take it. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>See you next time.</div><div><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. the [<b>First name in children’s literature</b>] is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SHEL</span></b> Silverstein. He was a writer and illustrator and songwriter, a very familiar name from my childhood. Just learned that he wrote the 1969 Johnny Cash hit “A Boy Named Sue” (!)</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrA19Uzw3SUjW2lHdqjYvU52Mr5WSraMf8ETn_dtZpligJ7SG8sxWV-QHj2uWJowKDubSHK0PwWChrWwdAAVpLPuUHLeENlUq8L3y24t0TD49qvVYNuZ1KpY3OgKfTGPoyp0YrdgtKgGD9j0Y-Eez4R2Xmp-z8uCvk7Fv2RX6Ez0wKJr_HHkKTA/s1000/IMG_9524.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="787" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrA19Uzw3SUjW2lHdqjYvU52Mr5WSraMf8ETn_dtZpligJ7SG8sxWV-QHj2uWJowKDubSHK0PwWChrWwdAAVpLPuUHLeENlUq8L3y24t0TD49qvVYNuZ1KpY3OgKfTGPoyp0YrdgtKgGD9j0Y-Eez4R2Xmp-z8uCvk7Fv2RX6Ez0wKJr_HHkKTA/w252-h320/IMG_9524.jpeg" width="252" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47500608475926815802024-03-15T05:54:00.005-04:002024-03-15T09:21:41.623-04:00Swing-era bandleader ___ Cates / FRI 3-15-24 / Dom maker / Region of Italy that lends its name to a pepper / Words from a paper pusher? / Bill originating in Texas / Vegetable whose name comes from Igbo / Bacteriologist Walter who conducted Yellow Fever research / Fish named for a weapon / Opposite of rubicund<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Daniel Grinberg</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium if you knew PHILLIS WHEATLEY, Challenging if (like me) you didn't</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PtX-YCO9f7nfMQ5JquRTYkIecUOttreg8DLHDvYFwEINPHvZwHUR2gfp2kjI2WXix6pZ0Bj1vAIrybWLNXQVV7cgSQfANsrYM6Fr8s-Z9LNQf3zq0f4Cxp6WSJAIOD45OdQX6jPLUqGSrJDcuOiDeoa4cf4RhVWE9KYSSyo85OuuayheRYYH9Q/s962/Screenshot%202024-03-15%20at%204.16.14%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PtX-YCO9f7nfMQ5JquRTYkIecUOttreg8DLHDvYFwEINPHvZwHUR2gfp2kjI2WXix6pZ0Bj1vAIrybWLNXQVV7cgSQfANsrYM6Fr8s-Z9LNQf3zq0f4Cxp6WSJAIOD45OdQX6jPLUqGSrJDcuOiDeoa4cf4RhVWE9KYSSyo85OuuayheRYYH9Q/w376-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-15%20at%204.16.14%20AM.png" width="376" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> none</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> PHILLIS WHEATLEY </span>(<b>17A: "On Being Brought From Africa to America" writer, 1768</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUhk5xX6w8MqkqR64ZJ-NN29dwUFiWsk3FgrqKlSVBNMzPIOsdADgaMax254Msfbgo0s9MJR5Eat1-iWxZd-eT2mpBpGNuTog2Z9ahh_ONCdPwEl98XEU0_AZ8Di6B7pVvpqtUlPfhtqJ5dI-BYZhpEgdziIDF-xSuRNX1cFfxur1rJYJiazNnw/s450/9780140424300.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="294" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUhk5xX6w8MqkqR64ZJ-NN29dwUFiWsk3FgrqKlSVBNMzPIOsdADgaMax254Msfbgo0s9MJR5Eat1-iWxZd-eT2mpBpGNuTog2Z9ahh_ONCdPwEl98XEU0_AZ8Di6B7pVvpqtUlPfhtqJ5dI-BYZhpEgdziIDF-xSuRNX1cFfxur1rJYJiazNnw/w146-h224/9780140424300.jpeg" width="146" /></a></b></div><b>Phillis Wheatley Peters,</b> also spelled <b>Phyllis</b> and <b>Wheatly</b> (<abbr style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help;" title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space: nowrap;"> 1753</span> – December 5, 1784) was an American author who is considered the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_firsts" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of African-American firsts">first African-American author of a published book of poetry</a>. Born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="West Africa">West Africa</a>, she was kidnapped and subsequently sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America, where she was bought by the Wheatley family of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Boston">Boston</a>. After she learned to read and write, they encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">On a 1773 trip to London with the Wheatleys' son, seeking publication of her work, Wheatley met prominent people who became her patrons. The publication in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="London">London</a> of her <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poems_on_Various_Subjects,_Religious_and_Moral" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral">Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral</a></i> on September 1, 1773, brought her fame both in England and the American colonies. Prominent figures, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="George Washington">George Washington</a>, praised her work. A few years later, African-American poet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Hammon" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Jupiter Hammon">Jupiter Hammon</a> praised her work in a poem of his own. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZV1yyTjT5QXyoA31pRc3uqA2FDDSg4_Ej3qUyLNTuIachoahd0ZJS3KuS8ajX_uYFm7xBfPkmaTfrGhoA0HVZ3Cxy7pmKz2T_bsWLfzkdw8AgEyxAE_IldeZVrOwFSjLOY-EE-igOHvohoe86JBqznZU8fa007Ck6PcyM75ODApuUW5Amz61mg/s1600/ZGHNHmAeEKny73AkgfjtzVBra8ZZDH_large.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1288" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZV1yyTjT5QXyoA31pRc3uqA2FDDSg4_Ej3qUyLNTuIachoahd0ZJS3KuS8ajX_uYFm7xBfPkmaTfrGhoA0HVZ3Cxy7pmKz2T_bsWLfzkdw8AgEyxAE_IldeZVrOwFSjLOY-EE-igOHvohoe86JBqznZU8fa007Ck6PcyM75ODApuUW5Amz61mg/w186-h231/ZGHNHmAeEKny73AkgfjtzVBra8ZZDH_large.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Where my brain went when asked<br />for an Italian pepper]</i></td></tr></tbody></table>This is a solid grid, but the editing felt off. The biggest issue for me (in fact the only answer I really remember now) was the way the puzzle handled <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHILLIS WHEATLEY</span></b>. She's a worthy answer, but when you have a name that a lot of people are simply not going to know, you have to be careful how you cross it. My main gripe with crossword editors, across the board, is that they aren't careful enough with their proper nouns. No matter what sphere or time period they come from, names that are not universally famous can be dangerous—they're gimmes for some and total blanks for others, and so already have the potential to create a very divided solving experience. So it's crucial that the less famous, and the more unconventionally spelled, the name is, the more you have to ensure that every cross is fair. <u>To be clear, I think it's great to put names in puzzles that have never been there before, names that maybe aren't household, but that are of clear historical and artistic significance, which definitely applies to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHILLIS WHEATLEY</span></b>.</u> And I have no way of knowing exactly how many people know her name, but if I, who have spent my whole life around teachers of poetry, have only a dim recollection of her name, then it seems reasonable to think that some significant number of solvers won't know her at all, and so ... crossing her with a "Swing-era bandleader" who's even *more* obscure than she is? I do not understand that decision (<b>5D: Swing-era bandleader ___ Cates</b>). I also don't understand putting <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHILLIS WHEATLEY</span></b> <i>right next</i> to the answer describing what she is, but giving us nothing but a crossreference clue for help (<b>15A: 17-Across, for one</b>). If I don't know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHILLIS WHEATLEY</span></b>, then I sure as hell don't know she's a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POET</span></b> (I can tell she's a writer from her clue, but <b><span style="color: #351c75;">POET</span></b>, no). Her name also crosses a region of Italy / pepper I've barely heard of (<b>11D: Region of Italy that lends its name to a pepper</b>), an absolutely brutal clue for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AT HOME</span> (8D: Familiar (with))</b>, and a flat-out incorrect clue for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESP</span> (19D: Unlikely gift)</b>—that "gift" is not "unlikely," it's nonexistent, please stop cluing <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESP</span></b> like it's real. There's also the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OLE</span></b> / RAH dilemma up there (<b>12D: Scream for a team</b>), and then a clue on <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>ROSTRA</b></span> (ugly word) that had me writing in RISERS (<b>21A: Campaign platforms, perhaps</b>). That whole area from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OPIE</span></b> to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CALABRIA</span></b> was a Saturday+-level hornet's nest. The rest of the puzzle was pretty standard, difficulty-wise. So you can add "unevenness" to the problems created by not handling <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PHILLIS WHEATLEY</span></b> crosses skillfully. <div><br />
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</div><div>The worst editorial decision was the absolute lie of a clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CARELESS MISTAKE</span> (32A: Forgetting to finish this clue, for examp)</b>. The attempted cuteness is absolutely murdered by the dishonesty. Nobody "Forgot" To Finish This Clue, It Is Unfinished By Design, There Is No Mistake At All, Let Alone A Careless One. Honestly, if you'd just changed "this" to "a," or went with something like [Forgetting to proofread a crossword clue, for exmpale?], you'd have something. But because you said "this" clue, boo, no. There are no <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CARELESS MISTAKEs</span></b> in "this" clue. "This" clue knows exactly what it's doing, which makes the clue disingenuous, which makes it <i>cutesy</i>, as opposed to cute.</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/izGwDsrQ1eQ?si=HiT6Z1pyEWOzcOCg&start=12" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>The grid itself has a lot of sparkle. Not big on three EXTRAs in a row (two is the gold standard, three seems excessive) (<b>10D: Words from a paper pusher?</b>), and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESPRESSO MARTINIs</span></b> are an abomination, but <b><span style="color: #351c75;">REWRITES HISTORY, HALFTIME REPORTS</span></b>, those have some pop. As usual, bizspeak and commercial stuff don't do for me what they apparently do for other people, so <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HITRATE</span></b> (<b>27A: Proportion of customers that make a purchase, in business-speak</b>) and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">UBERED</span></b> (<b>36A: Got taken for a ride, in a way</b>) were more <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EWW</span></b>! than <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OLE</span></b>! for me. The clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TAX TIP</span></b> has kind of grown on me, though, in the past half hour or however long it's been since I finished solving (<b>47A: Bit of deductive reasoning?</b>). And I'd totally forgotten about <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LIV TYLER's</span></b> existence, so even though I think the "LOTR" franchise is a bloated self-important mess, I enjoyed seeing her name pop up (<b>18D: "The Lord of the Rings" actress</b>). </div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AmIlUKo4dQc?si=QXZ2Hv7o1Lzz5O0s&start=12" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br /><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><span style="color: #660000;">Non-PHILLIS WHEATLEY-related trouble spots</span></b></span><b style="color: #500b00;">:</b></span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">47D: Common additive to white rice (<span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span>)</span> — wow, you got me there. I had SALT. Why is there <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span></b> in the rice? To make it whiter? Hang on ... huh. I guess it was (and in some places still is) used in processing the rice, as a preservative, though a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/08/us/talc-coating-on-rice-called-peril.html#:~:text=%27%27%20Talc%20was%20used%20as%20a,rice%20after%20the%20sea%20journey.">1981 NYT article on the subject</a> says that "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(54, 54, 54); color: #363636;">While processors say that talc helps preserve rice, consumer groups argue that the coating is merely cosmetic</span>" (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span></b> + glucose somehow makes the rice look shiny). </span>Looks like <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span></b> is no longer a "common" additive in US rice, but some imported rices still contain it. There were health concerns about <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span></b> as a possible risk factor for stomach cancer, but studies don't seem to have borne that out.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">56A: iPhone command (SYNC)</span> — totally legit, but because of the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span></b> fiasco ... I wanted SEND, but then I had SALT instead of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TALC</span></b>, so I went with SENT (!?!), which is not a "command," so I just had holes down there for a while: S-N- for SYNC and -AL- for <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>TALC</b></span>.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">49D: *grimaces, sticks out tongue* ("<span style="color: #351c75;">EWW</span>!")</span> — tried recreating this face as I was solving, in hopes that it would lead me to some kind of feeling, but it didn't help. Also, I had <u>M</u>ELTS instead of <b><span style="color: #351c75;"><u>W</u>ILTS</span> (52A: Can't stand the heat, say)</b>, so my first thought for this "grimace" was O<u>M</u>G, which seemed (and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">WAS</span></b>) wrong.</li><li><b>22A: Ground rule? (<span style="color: #351c75;">NO TV</span>)</b>—<b><span style="color: #351c75;">JEEZ</span></b>, that is a stttrreettcchh, and absurdly hard to boot (I guess the idea is that when you are "ground<i>ed</i>" you might be subject to the "rule" "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">NO TV</span></b>!"). If you want to put a "?" clue on otherwise bad short fill, it's really gotta land.</li><li><b>29A: More trifling (<span style="color: #351c75;">MERER</span>)</b> — how would you even use this "word"? A comparative adjective? No. I got a bunch of crosses and then considered this "word" but then laughed at the idea because of how much of a non-word <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MERER</span></b> is. Then it ended up being correct. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MERER MERER</span></b> on the wall, what's the dumbest answer of all? <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MERER ERSE</span></b> is not a place I'd willingly revisit.</li></ul>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. from the OED’s June 2021 update:</div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"></span><blockquote><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;">Our earliest example of </span><em style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/53367" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #215fa6; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">to do a person dirty</a></em><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;">, meaning to treat someone unfairly or badly, comes from evidence given in a court case heard in Texas in 1879, while </span><em style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/19936" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #215fa6; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">t</a><a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/19936" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #215fa6; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">o</a><a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/19936" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #215fa6; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank"> put the blast on someone</a></em><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;"> (referring to criticism or reprimand) is first recorded in a story by Damon Runyon published in 1929, with the now more familiar </span><em style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/19936" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #215fa6; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">to put someone on blast </a></em><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;">popularized by Eminem in his 2000 song </span><em style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The Real Slim Shady</em><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbfbfb; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px;">.</span></blockquote></div><div>P.P.S. another editing issue</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNhzJ8E96iyTTnPFy7GviRfV3x9KuArT3fKF7y8js3u4is35eFqPkLYXOfnMeNpz3YCeToVzROYhGBhdyhCFYNQ1ERggHj15tVNw-t1tCFMmmWgpdwwVjFRFUwIk2eJL54I3awM2GYnV1wtLHIaowZel0B3D8nIA14v86252Fo4zeLGs_Ps76ug/s1830/IMG_9504.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1830" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNhzJ8E96iyTTnPFy7GviRfV3x9KuArT3fKF7y8js3u4is35eFqPkLYXOfnMeNpz3YCeToVzROYhGBhdyhCFYNQ1ERggHj15tVNw-t1tCFMmmWgpdwwVjFRFUwIk2eJL54I3awM2GYnV1wtLHIaowZel0B3D8nIA14v86252Fo4zeLGs_Ps76ug/w256-h400/IMG_9504.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div>
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[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18103283171339959632024-03-14T05:36:00.003-04:002024-03-14T06:07:06.536-04:00Origin story in Genesis 11:1-9 / THU 3-14-24 / An irrational reason to celebrate? / Geocaching necessity, in brief / Something read by a chiromancer / Carolina NHL'ers, informally / System that ended in 1917 / It may be thrown by a vaquero<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Jeffrey Martinovic</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsMaeN5EW4JNh1cnpxoglY0pixLQoPaZeAQ5SlgmZsDHk4T2-cRt9JOYIMD6vu9-UJq31OOLFBrOLqwXBZejPLDOmjnkxMgQfnyHbyNfOWsq0Uh055UNFsEl7i88ztA-d9bPIvCiQ_LnzpLZJNqWnr9fCSGUNsQ5eVn5p4tzeH-KkSo1P07k5sQ/s910/Screenshot%202024-03-14%20at%204.07.30%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="906" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsMaeN5EW4JNh1cnpxoglY0pixLQoPaZeAQ5SlgmZsDHk4T2-cRt9JOYIMD6vu9-UJq31OOLFBrOLqwXBZejPLDOmjnkxMgQfnyHbyNfOWsq0Uh055UNFsEl7i88ztA-d9bPIvCiQ_LnzpLZJNqWnr9fCSGUNsQ5eVn5p4tzeH-KkSo1P07k5sQ/w400-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-14%20at%204.07.30%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> PI DAY (33D: An irrational reason to celebrate?)</span> — I guess it's <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PI DAY</span></b>? Black squares at center of grid form (roughly) the "π" symbol. There are a couple of mathematicians in here (born and died on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PI DAY</span></b>, respectively) and then it's all tied together by ... the dimensions of the crossword grid (?!?) (<b>7D: First digit of this puzzle's subject whose next four digits are the number of rows and then columns of the grid</b>) (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE</span></b> [point] "14" "15") <br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Some scientists [🤷🏼♀️]:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">ALBERT EINSTEIN (11D: Scientist who was notably born on 33-Down (1879)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">STEPHEN HAWKING (3D: Scientist who notably passed away on 33-Down (2018)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">EULER (is he part of this???) (29D: Mathematician known for the constant "e" (2.71828))</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> WPA </span>(<b>18D: New Deal org.</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTYZinRg-dYD98tr2tjPI7BYtF85lINEgz3yR1HHak0VMeuJ_UULS71FLonIIXlp5E2RJgspIRP4Z-26zSfWx63e17SaWw0dD-2FTFVRfd4YNw7U2lapffoKWVRzMZB1HbA1HRxIBVi0C6BfYNIZZQE2FOV2a3hTSwSCCPcucn2glMVqoOQOl6Q/s1800/WPA-Poster-Women-Work-1940.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1230" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTYZinRg-dYD98tr2tjPI7BYtF85lINEgz3yR1HHak0VMeuJ_UULS71FLonIIXlp5E2RJgspIRP4Z-26zSfWx63e17SaWw0dD-2FTFVRfd4YNw7U2lapffoKWVRzMZB1HbA1HRxIBVi0C6BfYNIZZQE2FOV2a3hTSwSCCPcucn2glMVqoOQOl6Q/w166-h242/WPA-Poster-Women-Work-1940.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>The <b>Works Progress Administration</b> (<b>WPA</b>; renamed in 1939 as the <b>Work Projects Administration</b>) was an American <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal_agency" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="New Deal agency">New Deal agency</a> that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educated" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Educated">educated</a>) to carry out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_works" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Public works">public works</a> projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It was set up on May 6, 1935, by presidential order, as a key part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_New_Deal" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Second New Deal">Second New Deal</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">The WPA's first appropriation in 1935 was $4.9 billion (about $15 per person in the U.S., around 6.7 percent of the 1935 GDP). Headed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Hopkins" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Harry Hopkins">Harry Hopkins</a>, the WPA supplied paid jobs to the unemployed during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression_in_the_United_States" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Great Depression in the United States">Great Depression in the United States</a>, while building up the public infrastructure of the US, such as parks, schools, and roads. Most of the jobs were in construction, building more than 620,000 miles (1,000,000 km) of streets and over 10,000 bridges, in addition to many airports and much housing. In 1942, the WPA played a key role in both building and staffing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Internment of Japanese Americans">internment camps to incarcerate Japanese Americans</a>. [...] </p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">In one of its most famous projects, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Project_Number_One" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Project Number One">Federal Project Number One</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in arts, drama, media, and literacy projects.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> The five projects dedicated to these were the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Writers%27_Project" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Writers' Project">Federal Writers' Project</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (FWP), the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Records_Survey" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Historical Records Survey">Historical Records Survey</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (HRS), the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Theatre_Project" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Theatre Project">Federal Theatre Project</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (FTP), the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Music_Project" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Music Project">Federal Music Project</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (FMP), and the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Art_Project" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Art Project">Federal Art Project</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> (FAP). In the Historical Records Survey, for instance, many former slaves in the South were interviewed; these documents are of immense importance to American history. Theater and music groups toured throughout the United States and gave more than 225,000 performances. Archaeological investigations under the WPA were influential in the rediscovery of pre-Columbian Native American cultures, and the development of professional archaeology in the US. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQtXNLic7_Pbl5peKdagBErB-eVfcQiy7AbRFJZ9AMilwwNkj5b8NtjzRAEPJFtayd5v0ZUlsx9fkQ1j2YIzEIaupsrxu_1sxauBYmPJSDzMePaUFAzxBcbV_F4txktQemQlNowUGdsPFWpty2_U6zy0W8egd7V4ALJm-jNRfN3dnBxWlOzBTSw/s318/Drift_2023.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="220" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQtXNLic7_Pbl5peKdagBErB-eVfcQiy7AbRFJZ9AMilwwNkj5b8NtjzRAEPJFtayd5v0ZUlsx9fkQ1j2YIzEIaupsrxu_1sxauBYmPJSDzMePaUFAzxBcbV_F4txktQemQlNowUGdsPFWpty2_U6zy0W8egd7V4ALJm-jNRfN3dnBxWlOzBTSw/w154-h223/Drift_2023.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[2023, co-starring <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>ALIA</b></span> Shawkat]</i> </td></tr></tbody></table>"... oh, we're doing <i>this</i> again?" That was my first and only reaction to this puzzle. Not sure how many <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PI DAY</span></b> puzzles I've seen in my life. I've definitely seen two in the NYTXW alone (<a href="https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2007/03/wednesday-mar-14-2007-peter-collins.html">here</a>, <a href="https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2012/03/1863-speech-opener-wed-3-14-12.html">here</a>). It's weird how many puzzlemakers like this day and think it's funny to make crossword themes about it, when it's not a day at all, nothing happens, no one cares, it's Thursday. But have fun enduring the "pie" puns! This puzzle has nothing to show us at all. A black-square picture? So what? Two scientists whose names happen to be the same length, and who (coincidentally) were born or died on this day? That's trivia. So what? What do they have to do with pi, exactly? Make "π" do something, anything! Justify this concept, please. There's no *puzzle* reason to do this, except to show us a rudimentary picture of "π." The revealer is ... <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE</span></b> (!?!?!). And then you want me to be impressed by the fact that the grid is 14x15!? It's 15x15 <i>most days</i>. You just took a row away and you want me to, what, clap? No dice. On top of this anemic "theme," you want to give me jocular American fake-Spanish ("No <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUENO</span></b>") <i>and</i> the *&%^ing <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NRA</span></b>? Absolutely not. What a waste of a Thursday puzzle.<div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LVfe6rdHRKI?si=ozqYMa8SZiZlrSDq&start=12" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>The one day the puzzle decides *not* to do the double-clue thing and it's the one day they really could've used it—you know that, in addition to the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">WPA</span></b>, the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NRA</span></b> is *also* a [<b>New Deal org.</b>] (National Recovery Administration). No idea why constructors (editors) are still going with this garbage gun org. It's an unforced error, tonally. There's no reason to use the gun org. That corner that it's in isn't even strong. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OPEN ERA? TSARISM? APSE? URSA? </span></b>Try harder! Why am I having to tell the NYTXW two days in a row now to just do its job and fill grids professionally, in a reasonably pleasing way. I like <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THE TOWER OF BABEL</span></b> (<b>17A: Origin story in Genesis 11:1-9</b>) and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PURPLE PROSE</span></b> (<b>20A: Colorful language?</b>) fine. If this were a themeless, and the rest of the grid were similarly bright, I would be happy. But instead I get random famous scientists and a picture of one of those plastic doohickies that keeps the pizza box from collapsing onto your pizza and then I get to count rows and columns, which are almost the same in number as they are any other day of the week. And what is with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EULER</span></b>? Is he thematic? The clue says he's known for a "constant" (<b>29D: Mathematician known for the constant "e" (2.71828)</b>) and "π" is a "constant," so I thought maybe <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EULER</span></b> was being roped into this clown show. But then he has no symmetrical counterpart (except the great Dr. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOAMI</span></b>) (<b>28D: "Same here"</b>). Dr. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SOAMI</span></b> keeps insisting that he, too, is a mathematician, but I'm not inclined to believe him.</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Yy7A74o8gQ?si=UgByr58ckZm6goTq&start=12" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>No trouble with this one at all except the trouble I made for myself, most notably botching the [<b>New Deal org.</b>]. My brain got stuck somewhere between <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NRA</span></b> and TVA and I ended up writing in NEA, which is a teachers union, not part of the New Deal alphabet soup of orgs. That NEA kept the two long answers up top from coming into view as quickly as they should've. Stupid of me to write the org. in at all, as there are roughly 4,033 three-letter New Deal orgs. (give/take). I didn't know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SWAY BAR</span></b> right away (<b>47A: Component in a car's suspension system</b>), but that's about the only other answer I had any trouble with. Oh, except "No <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUENO</span></b>," which ... again, why would you do that to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUENO</span>? (35A: "No ___" ("Unacceptable")).</b> Unacceptable, indeed.</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F6ZQgxhl5sc?si=tuw6ZItI1SQSQKee&start=12" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Additional notes:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">9D: Apply, as sunscreen (<span style="color: #351c75;">RUB ON</span>)</span> — had PUT ON. Then DAB ON.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">25D: Carolina N.H.L.'ers, informally ('<span style="color: #351c75;">CANES</span>)</span> — as in HURRI-...</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">32D: Starting point for a slippery slope argument (<span style="color: #351c75;">GRAY AREA</span>)</span> — I don't think of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GRAY AREA</span></b> as having any necessary, or even tight, connection with "slippery slope arguments." People just extrapolate in implausible or logically untenable or extreme ways. Don't need an area to be particularly gray in order to do this. </li></ul><div>I liked how the clues leaned into cinema today (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">ETHAN</span></b> Hawke and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALIA</span></b> Shawkat and "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALIEN</span></b>" and the horror film character who is home <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALONE</span></b> (or is she!?)). But that's small consolation today. Can we have a moratorium on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PI DAY</span></b> puzzles now. This one's clever revealer clue (<b>33D: An irrational reason to celebrate?</b>) wasn't even original (it was first used in a <a href="https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2021/07/tv-journalist-baldwin-fri-7-9-21.html">2021 Robyn Weintraub puzzle</a>). I can handle all the corny mathiness you've got if I just get something properly *puzzle*-y to work through on Thursdays. This one had zero puzzle juice. Very disappointing.</div><div><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div>
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65678705003845094802024-03-13T05:36:00.004-04:002024-03-13T06:05:03.796-04:00Famed art patron Henry / WED 3-13-24 / Listing near a museum door, perhaps / N.B.A. great nicknamed "Diesel" / "O" in W.W. II radio lingo / Jeff Bridges's "Big Lebowski" stoner role, familiarly / Overhead features on sports cars / Literary character who cries "You're glumping the pond where the Humming-Fish hummed!" / Manhattan hoops venue, in brief<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Drew Schmenner</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy-Medium</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpyHOMREFjWgDkTOV_185Ckifoeb45H2ssctL7jeN4IKS2l3vnLf8ukYmc59AmgePThaprvV5WLhhQgL9k2-p1CzIQMrUmIbLf-WTd8l7xofFDgrqSMDnXn7KbF8xVA4QrkKWyFOB6jDgD81yPWgWlfMC9TvSvVIyuYsBg34uuY8xWvig1WGS8w/s976/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.08.47%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpyHOMREFjWgDkTOV_185Ckifoeb45H2ssctL7jeN4IKS2l3vnLf8ukYmc59AmgePThaprvV5WLhhQgL9k2-p1CzIQMrUmIbLf-WTd8l7xofFDgrqSMDnXn7KbF8xVA4QrkKWyFOB6jDgD81yPWgWlfMC9TvSvVIyuYsBg34uuY8xWvig1WGS8w/w374-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.08.47%20AM.png" width="374" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> FINAL FOUR (61A: March Madness component that's a phonetic hint to 18-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across)</span> — four answers end with the sound of "-FOR" (spelled <u>four</u> different ways):<div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><b>SEMAPHORE (18A: Flag-waver's specialty)</b></li><li><b>MIXED METAPHOR (2</b><b>3A: "When the going gets tough, the early bird gets the worm?," e.g.)</b></li><li><b>CHIWETEL EJIOFOR (38A: Best Actor nominee for "12 Years a Slave")</b></li><li><b>AS NEVER BEFORE (50A: In an unprecedented manner)</b></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> CHIWETEL EJIOFOR </span>(<b>38A: Best Actor nominee for "12 Years a Slave"</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor </b>[...] (born 10 July 1977) is a British actor. He is the recipient of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Chiwetel_Ejiofor" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of awards and nominations received by Chiwetel Ejiofor">various accolades</a>, including a <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Academy_Film_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="British Academy Film Award">British Academy Film Award</a>, and a <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Olivier_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Laurence Olivier Award">Laurence Olivier Award</a>, with nominations for an <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Academy Award">Academy Award</a>, two <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Awards">Primetime Emmy Awards</a> and five <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Globe_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Golden Globe Awards">Golden Globe Awards</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLd7YXUekcmqBaCH3x3aQNHYxs8h5vYyf9NI-g7UrMayK0Hn_gk-RPwvjYmcbbcyZOnFu5_0Tvdvom3gt93Jnfns05QlATIE0dwhyphenhyphenn2SGWpHLLKF7mWPzQyQag3sUtujXiTxCivWxHCb_VfRh_BxfsrGkXxFeJHHHZ6VfsSF90zq2KAsWlUQGxw/s1080/20200709-hype-cover-08.jpg.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLd7YXUekcmqBaCH3x3aQNHYxs8h5vYyf9NI-g7UrMayK0Hn_gk-RPwvjYmcbbcyZOnFu5_0Tvdvom3gt93Jnfns05QlATIE0dwhyphenhyphenn2SGWpHLLKF7mWPzQyQag3sUtujXiTxCivWxHCb_VfRh_BxfsrGkXxFeJHHHZ6VfsSF90zq2KAsWlUQGxw/w167-h167/20200709-hype-cover-08.jpg.webp" width="167" /></a></b>After enrolling at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Youth_Theatre" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="National Youth Theatre">National Youth Theatre</a> in 1995 and attending the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Academy_of_Music_and_Dramatic_Art" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art">London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art</a>, at age 19 and three months into his course, Ejiofor was cast by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Steven Spielberg">Steven Spielberg</a> to play a supporting role in the film <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amistad_(film)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Amistad (film)">Amistad</a></i> (1997) as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Covey" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="James Covey">James Covey</a>. [...] </p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">For </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">12 Years a Slave</i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">, Ejiofor received </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Academy Awards">Academy Award</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> and </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Globe_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Golden Globe Award">Golden Globe Award</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> nominations, along with the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAFTA_Award_for_Best_Actor_in_a_Leading_Role" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role">BAFTA Award for Best Actor</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. He was nominated for a 2014 </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Lead_Actor_in_a_Limited_Series_or_Movie" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie">Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> for his performance on </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_on_the_Edge_(TV_series)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Dancing on the Edge (TV series)">Dancing on the Edge</a></i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> In 2022, he played the lead role in the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showtime_(TV_network)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Showtime (TV network)">Showtime</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> science fiction television series </span><i style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Fell_to_Earth_(TV_series)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Man Who Fell to Earth (TV series)">The Man Who Fell to Earth</a></i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. (wikipedia)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div>Checked out of this one early. Very early. Right about here.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcgc3HbRb9LdfYev9Bg5spkS93u2TBysCzsMbzBSK6-IgEHWith-bsP72Qefovey-CWG-V7nr2jip88sC9sJzAGeSVALGiCKNlPogkoTQ9zhc9OQVqGTNUjLAyT1O-JlCu3kfH-y1SCdVhYGVmcxW3iE7YM6mlyDBbMRWWeMIU16iGTcPsVewQg/s508/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.02.38%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="508" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcgc3HbRb9LdfYev9Bg5spkS93u2TBysCzsMbzBSK6-IgEHWith-bsP72Qefovey-CWG-V7nr2jip88sC9sJzAGeSVALGiCKNlPogkoTQ9zhc9OQVqGTNUjLAyT1O-JlCu3kfH-y1SCdVhYGVmcxW3iE7YM6mlyDBbMRWWeMIU16iGTcPsVewQg/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.02.38%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And then <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AGAPE</span></b> in that same small corner? Nah. I don't have patience for a simple grid that is not filled more cleanly than that. Archaic song title partial + oldschool crosswordese + archaic quaint adjective ... you gotta try harder. A lot harder. This feels almost autofilled. The theme concept is fine, but it's Monday-level and ultimately kind of dull. I guess it's timely, in that March Madness starts later this month, but March Madness is frequently exciting and this ... was never that. The most "exciting" part was probably the (for me) never-not-an-adventure experience of trying to spell <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CHIWETEL EJIOFOR</span></b> correctly. In fact, that's probably the one answer that definitively turns this would-be Monday puzzle into a Wednesday. I still think the cluing should've been eased up a little and this should've run on a Tuesday, at the latest, but shrug, it is what it is, and what it is is mainly a shrug. Disappointingly flat, for sure.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The puzzle appears to be "toughened" up, made Wednesday-worthy, but some truly awkward and occasionally inscrutable cluing. The <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DUO</span></b> clue was bizarre (<b>26A: What's needed for a "Who's on First?" routine</b>), in that I just assume that the people doing the routine need something, not that ... the people themselves are needed. Also, I think one person could probably do both sides of that routine if they really wanted to, in which case you wouldn't really need a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DUO</span></b> at all. I also did not get the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DONOR</span></b> clue at all (<b>33A: Listing near a museum door, perhaps</b>), since "listing" made me think of a list (of <i>multiple</i> names?), and "museum door" evoked absolutely nothing for me. Like ... the front door? The door to a specific exhibit? The bathroom door? "Near a museum door" couldn't be more No Place if it tried. The whole museum feels like it's theoretically "near a museum door." The clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SEA</span></b> also doesn't work (<b>44A: Whatever floats your boat!</b>). It's trying for cute wordplay, but the clue says "Whatever" floats my boat, and the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SEA</span></b> is not "Whatever." It's a specific thing. Other bodies of water float boats, so the clue is invalid on its face. "Whatever," my eye. I didn't love [<b>Web attachments?</b>] for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">INSECTS</span></b>, either—seemed a grim way to be wacky—but at least that one works on its surface (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">INSECTS</span></b> do become "attached" to spiders' "webs"). [<b>"Why are you in such a rush?"</b>] completely fails to capture the tone and tenor of "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SO SOON</span></b>?" first by being a complete sentence (when "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SO SOON</span></b>?" is not), and then by being so painfully literal-minded and prying. There's no demand for an explanation in "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SO SOON</span></b>?" Also, "What are you in such a rush?" has no conversational bounce to it. Sounds like the interrogator is annoyed. Also, just because someone has to leave doesn't mean they're in a "rush." There's a reason "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">SO SOON</span></b>?" (19 Shortz-Era appearances!) is overwhelmingly clued as ["Already?"] or ["Leaving already?"]. Those are spot-on. This clue, in trying to be "original" (I guess), just gums things up.</div><div><br />
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</div><div><b><span style="color: #351c75;">RARED</span></b>? (<b>53D: Stood on hind legs, with "up"</b>) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RARED</span></b>!? I refer you back to the first sentences of this write-up. I just can't believe the fill is so weak throughout. And isn't "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">RARED</span></b>" just a folksy term for "reared"? Here's me searching [define rared]</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCY3azzT6DXV0lylU8CVwttrhppkthmS0CDgaE6rD9Ruhm6a6-tN1xsbYyUJTmrzwZzxH61pP3rsifHQ_fG-oyBgyj35yZWC-aX41IAYZgdAD0dGEPGxiYocS3uiZ7PLYOUWKRzq0P_NYM4L9z-ehUo1-LbtuelMP2m5dXLEhgKzJv0ZvFniYFg/s612/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.48.07%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="612" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCY3azzT6DXV0lylU8CVwttrhppkthmS0CDgaE6rD9Ruhm6a6-tN1xsbYyUJTmrzwZzxH61pP3rsifHQ_fG-oyBgyj35yZWC-aX41IAYZgdAD0dGEPGxiYocS3uiZ7PLYOUWKRzq0P_NYM4L9z-ehUo1-LbtuelMP2m5dXLEhgKzJv0ZvFniYFg/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-13%20at%204.48.07%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I don't know what I mean, Google. I'm sorry. As clued, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RARED</span></b> is definitely a form of "reared," which gives you a pretty significant dupe down there at the bottom of the grid, with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">REARS</span></b> just a few columns over (<b>55D: Derrières</b>). <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ACH ADE ODE ETH ESTEE ENSLER ONEAL OLE INRE ETUDE SERTA</span></b> ... this one was really struggling to keep its head above the crosswordese water, all grid long. For a theme this simple, you need a much more polished and lively grid than what you've got here. <div><br />
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</div><div>Despite some sloggy cluing, there weren't any significant trouble spots today. Wrote in MIXED MESSAGES for that first themer (<b>23A: "When the going gets tough, the early bird gets the worm?," e.g.</b>) (a terrible example of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MIXED METAPHOR</span></b>, btw—the metaphor is supposed to be merely "mixed," not "intentionally and implausibly butchered for extremely low-level comedic effect"). I had some trouble getting <b><span style="color: #351c75;">G-FORCE </span>(49D: Sensation on a roller coaster)</b>. Had the "G" and wanted a word that started with "G," as one might. Never considered the "G" might be a standalone letter. But none of these struggles were true struggles. Merely snags that I hit (<b>32D</b>), and then got past relatively quickly. Really hoping for a saucy Thursday puzzle tomorrow. Something with a little life in it, even if it ends up driving me nuts. Fingers crossed. See you then.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>Additional notes:<br />
<br /><li><b><span style="color: #351c75;">MSG</span></b> = Madison Square Garden</li><li>Henry <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TATE</span></b> = sugar magnate and eponym of a network of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate">four London museums</a> (including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate_Modern"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">TATE</span></b> Modern</a>) </li><div><br /></div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73932659635384938222024-03-12T05:22:00.008-04:002024-03-12T08:22:39.865-04:00Pancakes sometimes served with caviar / TUE 3-12-24 / Anonymous creator of a painting sold at auction that subsequently shredded itself / Fictional land ruled by Aslan / Not playing any songs, as a radio station<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Andrew Kingsley and Garrett Chalfin</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium (i.e. normal Tuesday)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieGCP9pZvKh8XGFKaJEaZfza4uV5ls3XNugSYpYjL2SSvw93OJeRyoWi_nzMKnmQs5voZfw4LgtR8EhksL6rLFrGP3r82WenelLeivOMumvYMwaxQdNz-Zkt9QQxkj93-_-VsdV9RhQC7W_JPEa_WH6lr6HnJXqyCqCgcyNRv9fDtVGVkfUSIYg/s944/Screenshot%202024-03-12%20at%204.07.00%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieGCP9pZvKh8XGFKaJEaZfza4uV5ls3XNugSYpYjL2SSvw93OJeRyoWi_nzMKnmQs5voZfw4LgtR8EhksL6rLFrGP3r82WenelLeivOMumvYMwaxQdNz-Zkt9QQxkj93-_-VsdV9RhQC7W_JPEa_WH6lr6HnJXqyCqCgcyNRv9fDtVGVkfUSIYg/w385-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-12%20at%204.07.00%20AM.png" width="385" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> READ MUSIC (33D: Follow a composer's notation ... or a hint to interpreting four clues in this puzzle)</span> — clues contain musical notation, specifically what appear to be notes (i.e. single letters) followed by ♭or ♯ symbols, that must be read as the [letter + "flat" (or "sharp")] in order to be understood:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">APARTMENT (17A: A♭) (i.e. a flat)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">LIE DOWN (38A: B♭) (i.e. be flat)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">LOOK ALIVE (63A: B</span><span style="font-weight: 700;">♯) (i.e. be sharp)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">TECH SAVVY (11D: E♯) (i.e. E- (electronic???) sharp)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> AVRIL Lavigne </span>(<b>31A: Rocker Lavigne</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedIQd7KOxaEphuwlv4YYBO7M746HjC4X7MeTC6aVFYKSYW8xuDH-go7Q7F-BUWO1Zpj0_K9VQGelCNBse9vaTpBmf3AvX3R8wPIXJnGHFu92O5YJroIMxHUapD08dEmyNIML23LAjRu300xkggI32z2gYRRLMjzEweoK9-z6cenHWjFjjkzb3sw/s318/Sk8er_boi_cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="318" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedIQd7KOxaEphuwlv4YYBO7M746HjC4X7MeTC6aVFYKSYW8xuDH-go7Q7F-BUWO1Zpj0_K9VQGelCNBse9vaTpBmf3AvX3R8wPIXJnGHFu92O5YJroIMxHUapD08dEmyNIML23LAjRu300xkggI32z2gYRRLMjzEweoK9-z6cenHWjFjjkzb3sw/w175-h172/Sk8er_boi_cover.jpg" width="175" /></a></b></div><b>Avril Ramona Lavigne</b> (<span class="rt-commentedText nowrap" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:IPA/English">/<span style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="/æ/: 'a' in 'bad'">æ</span><span title="'v' in 'vie'">v</span><span title="'r' in 'rye'">r</span><span title="/ɪ/: 'i' in 'kit'">ɪ</span><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span></span><span class="wrap" style="white-space: normal;"> </span><span style="border-bottom-color: currentcolor; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px;"><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span><span title="/ə/: 'a' in 'about'">ə</span><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'v' in 'vie'">v</span><span title="/iː/: 'ee' in 'fleece'">iː</span><span title="'n' in 'nigh'">n</span></span>/</a></span></span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:Pronunciation respelling key"><i title="English pronunciation respelling"><span style="font-size: 12.6px;">AV</span>-ril lə-<span style="font-size: 12.6px;">VEEN</span></i></a>, <span class="IPA-label IPA-label-small" style="font-size: 11.9px;">French:</span> <span class="IPA nowrap" lang="fr-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/French" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Help:IPA/French">[avʁil<span class="wrap" style="white-space: normal;"> </span>ʁamɔna<span class="wrap" style="white-space: normal;"> </span>laviɲ]</a></span>; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She is considered a key musician in the development of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop-punk" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Pop-punk">pop-punk</a> music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Avril_Lavigne" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of awards and nominations received by Avril Lavigne">Her accolades</a> include eight <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Grammy Award">Grammy Award</a> nominations, among others.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">At age 16, Lavigne signed a two-album recording contract with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arista_Records" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Arista Records">Arista Records</a>. Her debut studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_Go_(Avril_Lavigne_album)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Let Go (Avril Lavigne album)">Let Go</a></i> (2002), is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums_of_the_21st_century" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of best-selling albums of the 21st century">best-selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist</a>. It yielded the successful singles "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complicated_(Avril_Lavigne_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Complicated (Avril Lavigne song)">Complicated</a>" and "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sk8er_Boi" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Sk8er Boi">Sk8er Boi</a>", which emphasized a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skate_punk" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Skate punk">skate punk</a> persona and earned her the title "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorific_nicknames_in_popular_music" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Honorific nicknames in popular music">Pop-Punk Queen</a>" from music publications. Her second studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_My_Skin_(Avril_Lavigne_album)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Under My Skin (Avril Lavigne album)">Under My Skin</a></i> (2004), became Lavigne's first album to reach the top of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_200" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Billboard 200"><i>Billboard</i> 200</a> chart in the United States, going on to sell 10 million copies worldwide.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">Lavigne's third studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Damn_Thing" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Best Damn Thing">The Best Damn Thing</a></i> (2007), reached number one in seven countries worldwide and saw the international success of its lead single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girlfriend_(Avril_Lavigne_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne song)">Girlfriend</a>", which became her first single to reach the top of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Billboard Hot 100"><i>Billboard</i> Hot 100</a> in the United States. Her next two studio albums, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_Lullaby" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Goodbye Lullaby">Goodbye Lullaby</a></i>(2011) and <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Lavigne_(album)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Avril Lavigne (album)">Avril Lavigne</a></i> (2013), saw continued commercial success and were both certified gold in Canada, the United States, and other territories. After releasing her sixth studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_Above_Water_(album)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Head Above Water (album)">Head Above Water</a></i> (2019), she returned to her punk roots with her seventh studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Sux" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Love Sux">Love Sux</a></i> (2022). (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK23FGl-IEtpcTEfy10irvjaojBQ7iWAYIg_eEtvhtKTc01Jh7zDu2Nc4kqoYMdNeUy37aHCL1GiTjCw5aozrybbbH_IkJJOSCnMS87wwUo9ixIn1v-LXeysf7lZyP4zbkoFwNVrRyt07nWKhxbcJgAJt-NXC5avGO96pi62I_FWW2tMjDHozAOA/s1000/51I7sJyzwxL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK23FGl-IEtpcTEfy10irvjaojBQ7iWAYIg_eEtvhtKTc01Jh7zDu2Nc4kqoYMdNeUy37aHCL1GiTjCw5aozrybbbH_IkJJOSCnMS87wwUo9ixIn1v-LXeysf7lZyP4zbkoFwNVrRyt07nWKhxbcJgAJt-NXC5avGO96pi62I_FWW2tMjDHozAOA/w227-h227/51I7sJyzwxL._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>I can see why this idea would be tempting, but in practice, the results are rough. Uneven. Which I guess is what "rough" means, now that I think about it. The smallest issue I have is that <span>B</span><span style="font-weight: 700;">♯</span>and E<span style="font-weight: 700;">♯</span> aren't commonly known that way. That is, a B♯ is just a C and an E♯ an F. Yes, yes, it's "<a href="Yes, E sharp and F natural are actually different notes. In music theory, E sharp is the enharmonic equivalent of F natural, which means they are played or sung at the same pitch but have different names. This distinction becomes important in certain musical contexts, such as when following key signatures or when discussing harmonic relationships.">more complicated than that</a>," but tonally, they're the same. In isolation like this, they seem strange. If you wanted a specific note, you'd ask someone to play an F, not an E♯. But this isn't a problem with the theme <i>per se</i>, just an odd (and, to my ear, slightly annoying) little feature. The problem is ... well, there are several. First, [<b>A♭</b>] wants me to read the "A" as ... what, an indefinite article? But you never use indefinite articles in crossword clues. [Flat] = <b><span style="color: #351c75;">APARTMENT</span></b> all on its own. That "A" is completely redundant. Unless ... we are supposed to (somehow?) understand the "A" as the first letter of the word, and are supposed to interpret the clue as [Word meaning "flat" that starts with "A"], which seems implausible, to say the least. If the other clues had worked that way (not a bad idea, frankly), then OK. But that is not how the other clues work. Having <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LOOK ALIVE</span></b> as the answer for [<b>B♯</b>] was odd because the most common phrase anyone can make out of any of those words is LOOK SHARP. I actually wrote in LOOK SHARP, but then remembered that "flat" wasn't in any of the earlier theme answers, so "sharp" probably wasn't in this one. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LOOK ALIVE</span></b>! is a fine phrase, but ["Be sharp!"] doesn't sound right as an equivalent. The worst thing about the theme, though, was [<b>E♯</b>] = <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TECH SAVVY</span></b>. I don't get it. That is, I guess if you really lean upon the "?" nature of the clue, you can say "E-" is like the "E-" prefix in "EMAIL" or "EBOOK," that it just refers to All Things Electronic, and so a person might who is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TECH SAVVY</span></b> might be said (by some overambitious quipster) to be E-SHARP. But none of the other clues have that bent quality to them—once you change the musical notation to the word "sharp" or "flat," the other theme clues are quite literal and ordinary. Whereas "E-sharp" is (<a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095428154#:~:text=Abbreviation%20for%20As%20Far%20As,A%20Dictionary%20of%20the%20Internet%20»">afaict</a>) a totally made-up thing. As I say, rough.<div><br />
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</div><div>The fill is less than sterling today as well. Lots of repeaters. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AÇAI AGHA ATEAT IWIN</span></b> etc., the (very) worst of which is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ABRA </span><span>(49A: Start of a spell)</span></b>, a ... partial incantation (?) that absolutely positively does not want to stand on its own and always give me a nails/chalkboard feeling when I see it (which, thankfully, is rarely) (oof, not rarely enough—56 times in the Shortz Era???). Looks like <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ABRA</span></b> is sometimes an ["East of Eden" girl] or a <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokedex/abra">Pokémon</a>. Can't say that helps. Maybe the grid really needed <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ABRA</span></b> in order to pull off <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BANKSY</span></b>, which is easily the most interesting thing in the grid today (<b>50D: Anonymous creator of a painting sold at auction that subsequently shredded itself</b>). That whole SE corner is nice actually, from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BANKSY</span></b> into the old-fashioned but somehow endearing "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">AND HOW</span></b>!" into the equally exclamatory "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">OY, VEY</span></b>!," which slots in alongside the cleverly clued <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HAIKU</span></b> (<b>53D: A kind of poem / Found within this crossword clue / Serendipity</b>) (the only problem with this clue is ... that not exactly what "Serendipity" means—there's an element of chance to "Serendipity," whereas this clue is a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HAIKU</span></b> by <i>design</i>). </div><div><br />
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<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Notes:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">22A: "Hello," in Mandarin (<span style="color: #351c75;">NIHAO</span>)</span> — I was driving past a <a href="https://www.nihaoteahouse.com">bubble tea cafe</a> this weekend called <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NIHAO</span></b> and actually thought to myself (possibly even said out loud to myself), "it's weird that you don't see <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NIHAO</span></b> in the puzzle more often ..." and then <u>Bam</u>, here it is. <i>That's</i> serendipity (I think).</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnx4h23iXwF0X8Aoe1qwq-iMY2VACy1tHp_1udWqNO-o1nZmlwGNzg0JFvGX4GMeByjyMmCtdZjd1ycSKSFUlWMXxiG4mwkQs-TaVDisZE7UdxUdkuOOCkpN6LI5TAPQzMVLH6dnwf6WW0wVpK0RzfuGFpSN0ihhjnnFwakJD8L4mqhcZQ7L_Hg/s348/348s.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnx4h23iXwF0X8Aoe1qwq-iMY2VACy1tHp_1udWqNO-o1nZmlwGNzg0JFvGX4GMeByjyMmCtdZjd1ycSKSFUlWMXxiG4mwkQs-TaVDisZE7UdxUdkuOOCkpN6LI5TAPQzMVLH6dnwf6WW0wVpK0RzfuGFpSN0ihhjnnFwakJD8L4mqhcZQ7L_Hg/s320/348s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">51A: Liquid-ate? (<span style="color: #351c75;">MELT</span>)</span> — hmmm. I see what this clue is trying to do (emphasize the "liquid" part by breaking off the "-ate"), but the clue, as written, looks like you want an answer meaning [Ate liquid] ... so, DRANK? Something like that ...</li><li><b>28A: Not playing any songs, as a radio station (<span style="color: #351c75;">ALL TALK</span>) </b>– what a dull way to clue this otherwise colorful colloquial phrase. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALL TALK</span></b> is the counterpart of "no action," if it's anything. [Like someone who brags about what they're <i>gonna</i> do but never does it]. But <i>this</i> clue ... I wanted DEAD AIR.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1A: Discontinue (<span style="color: #351c75;">DROP</span>)</span> — welcome to 1-Across, the hardest part of the puzzle for me. Why? Because I went with STOP ... And then crossed it with STAGE (<b>1D: Field of play?</b>). Man, did that feel right on both counts. STOP / STAGE before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DROP / DRAMA</span></b> absolutely gummed up the works (for fifteen seconds or so, probably, but on Tuesday, that's an eternity).</li></ul><div>That's it. See you tomorrow.</div><div><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83988913398903101592024-03-11T00:00:00.001-04:002024-03-11T00:00:00.130-04:00Washington's official state sport since 2022 / MON 3-11-24 / Sturdy shoe, or an Irish accent / Spiral-shelled mollusk / Guide to navigating an internet resource / Beanbag-tossing sport / App craze of the early 2010s, familiarly / Mattel offering with cards for making "hilarious comparisons" <span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Rebecca Goldstein and Rachel Fabi</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy (Easy-Medium to Medium if you were solving Downs-only, as I was)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVtDQNCNnVzF8kbe8tKkxyl6WKRm24_6G2s5dkIscfZ2weB-kdkc-ZFGJ768t9mPv7hBI22QxVZ6OvSKIGqapwbkQ5GNbYIG3ZgS5gRVszGVrt8oVn_CYJRzs7bwQZPWS4qd3rAUc82Mi5lgEoOZ_1Vgwo5dqMU6eDY5UcUbhVhNNSK8RCk2VLg/s944/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20at%207.30.55%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVtDQNCNnVzF8kbe8tKkxyl6WKRm24_6G2s5dkIscfZ2weB-kdkc-ZFGJ768t9mPv7hBI22QxVZ6OvSKIGqapwbkQ5GNbYIG3ZgS5gRVszGVrt8oVn_CYJRzs7bwQZPWS4qd3rAUc82Mi5lgEoOZ_1Vgwo5dqMU6eDY5UcUbhVhNNSK8RCk2VLg/w359-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20at%207.30.55%20PM.png" width="359" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> THE HUNGER GAMES (55A: Dystopian novel/film series ... or what the answers to the starred clues are?)</span> — games with foods in their titles:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">APPLES TO APPLES (16A: *Mattel offering with cards for making "hilarious comparisons")</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PICKLEBALL (23A: *Washington's official state sport since 2022)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">CORNHOLE (35A: *Beanbag-tossing sport)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">CANDY CRUSH (46A: *App craze of the early 2010s, familiarly)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> APPLES TO APPLES </span>(<b>16A</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqudhkGC5g429uXALtlu1bxQD3uz1mQwkOOaDi1nlM2ADTDO1xHKGuHGAtJD4Jv1uT-XB29T3E3KK9lodw124OafB2YiD0o09PYnGXVUBMK36omAz5nB3PfS7LOISlnI6mCpJBUGWL1grf4JDCTtBp-TpZvcosZI2i9GfEBnreBP9yHnzMkCmMTw/s203/Apples_to_Apples_cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqudhkGC5g429uXALtlu1bxQD3uz1mQwkOOaDi1nlM2ADTDO1xHKGuHGAtJD4Jv1uT-XB29T3E3KK9lodw124OafB2YiD0o09PYnGXVUBMK36omAz5nB3PfS7LOISlnI6mCpJBUGWL1grf4JDCTtBp-TpZvcosZI2i9GfEBnreBP9yHnzMkCmMTw/w148-h150/Apples_to_Apples_cover.jpg" width="148" /></a></b></i></div><i><b>Apples to Apples</b></i> is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_game" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Party game">party game</a> originally published by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Box_Publishing" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Out of the Box Publishing">Out of the Box Publishing</a> Inc., and now by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Mattel">Mattel</a>. Players start with a hand of seven "red apple" cards, which feature nouns. A player is selected to be the first judge, and that judge plays a "green apple" card, which features an adjective. The round is won by playing the "red apple" card that the judge determines to be the best match for the "green apple" card. The role of the judge rotates, and the number of rounds is determined by the number of players. The game is designed for four to ten players and played for 30–75 minutes.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><i>Apples to Apples</i> was chosen by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensa_International" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Mensa International">Mensa International</a> in 1999 as a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mensa_Select_recipients" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="List of Mensa Select recipients">Mensa Select</a>" prizewinner, an award given to five games each year. It was also named "Party Game of the Year" in the December 1999 issue of <i><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_(magazine)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Games (magazine)">Games</a></i> magazine and received the National Parenting Center's seal of approval in May 1999. The popularity of the game led to an increased interest in similar card-matching/answer-judging party games. On September 8, 2007, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Box_Publishing" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Out of the Box Publishing">Out of the Box Publishing</a> sold the rights for <i>Apples to Apples</i> to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattel" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Mattel">Mattel</a>. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TggKqoYIyXQMDWBHEQxQ3Az8dMSh3nvKlKM2slvxRCkdYK5vASkCWp8-pzCxvRUlmcNkcaKyEx6iYabRvaK8jk1gE_GEw1ezQ8wy_YMHfdHoizgPfNsF_BDElDMwmWQJ7MqoV08jVDWKhxX5dy9NAjCuFepp6r_hIgHKBc1ipAYhGrSVfNyKMw/s1200/s-l1200.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TggKqoYIyXQMDWBHEQxQ3Az8dMSh3nvKlKM2slvxRCkdYK5vASkCWp8-pzCxvRUlmcNkcaKyEx6iYabRvaK8jk1gE_GEw1ezQ8wy_YMHfdHoizgPfNsF_BDElDMwmWQJ7MqoV08jVDWKhxX5dy9NAjCuFepp6r_hIgHKBc1ipAYhGrSVfNyKMw/w184-h245/s-l1200.webp" width="184" /></a></div>Hey, I know these two people. Rachel is my good friend and neighbor to the north (Syracuse!), and Rebecca is a prolific constructor Whose Puzzle (co-constructed with Adam Wagner) I Just Finished Guest-Editing for the the soon-to-be-released <a href="https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-4/c561096">These Puzzles Fund Abortion 4</a> collection! (More on that collection in this coming Sunday's blog). Nobody I know ever tells me when they have puzzles coming out, so it's always a delightful surprise. Is this the debut of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PICKLEBALL</span></b>!? No. That credit goes to David Steinberg, who debuted the word almost a year ago now. My primary care physician (whom I adore) is ... I wanna say state <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PICKLEBALL</span></b> champion in her age group? I may have that wrong, but I do know that she competes For Real, and it always cheers up hypochondriacal me to hear her talk about her <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PICKLEBALL</span></b> adventures. She's such a calm, reassuring, optimistic person, but you can tell she would kill you on the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PICKLEBALL</span></b> court. I just know she has a ruthless streak in her somewhere, underneath that kindly exterior. Anyway, whenever I see <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PICKLEBALL</span></b>, I think of Dr. Yu, my doctor for 20+ years, just The Best. I've never played <b><span style="color: #351c75;">APPLES TO APPLES</span></b> or <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CANDY CRUSH</span></b>, but I'm aware that they exist. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CORNHOLE</span></b> is kind of a standard family get-together game around these parts. I haven't played in like a decade, since my kid was much much younger, and before our friends and neighbors Dave & Diane moved away (I'm sure I played it elsewhere, but my only specific memories of playing it involved playing it at their house, just around the block from us). It's fun. You throw beanbags. At a hole. Not sure where corn comes into it, but ... good times. I like that all these games are so different from one another. Digital, tabletop, court-based, backyard-based. It's kind of a leap from food to HUNGER (I kept thinking "huh, food games, wonder how they're gonna tie this all together..."), but not <i>too</i> big a leap. Cute theme. Thumbs up.<div><br />
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</div><div>Downs-only would've been easier if I could've just remembered Megan <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RAPINOE's</span></b> name. I could see her face, but then ... blank. Should've been a gimme. Wasn't. When I (finally) got it, I had a big "D'oh!" / headslap moment. But for a while there, the NW looked dicey; I had <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GLADES</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MALT</span></b>, but neither of the 7s in between. Had to wait for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">APPLES TO APPLES</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EPIPEN</span></b> to (eventually) give me the letters I needed to make sense of those longer Downs. I also struggled a bit to get the 7s in the NE. And the 6! <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LASTLY</span></b> was oddly hard (<b>12D: "In conclusion..."</b>). I had ELL- in the cross at 30A and was considering only "E" or "A" as a last letter there, not "Y." Not sure I would've ever gotten <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ALL TALK</span></b> if I hadn't had DOR-Y at <b>33A</b> and reasoned (reasonably) that it had to be <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DORKY</span></b>. That "K" made all the difference in that NE corner. Elsewhere, the only other issue I had was with <b>37D: Apt rhyme of "caches" (<span style="color: #351c75;">STASHES</span>)</b>. I was hearing it as "cachets" ("cachés"?) and so wrote in SACHETS!!! But the themers eventually came along and helped me correct that error. </div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mBidZgnWw-w?si=59-2Wp9vgc19y9o_" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>OK, I gotta run along now. This Daylight Saving baloney (abolish it! Standard Time Forever!) has me behind schedule. I've got a (virtual) meeting in 25 minutes, so ... bye!</div><div><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3644971220771610442024-03-10T00:00:00.006-05:002024-03-10T07:46:52.033-04:00Cyrillic letter pronounced like the "zz" of "pizza" / SUN 3-10-24 / TikTok star Gray / Syrupy covering for ham / Negative Boolean operator / Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war, takes the form of one / Letter that rhymes with the letters before and after it / Birds with deep booming calls / ___ Olution 2002 rap album<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Enrique Henestroza Anguiano and Matthew Stock</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrO_4KrlKTvb2a6GOTd4wpGP5ts3p_N8-KlTxuDddaQpgwuBEfZYWWISpnbfZ0whroZ4BF3t-O8LQIZTWnfUhsyNQwZrmIVUvPniMv3GfiZzCNmQ5Gzn_02Odo7J5SYE26vmsWuRGQvnp-u8jKklhjjIZEOPKgzhS88RFQ2GC9EcavioDCAbSvQ/s1104/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20at%207.07.10%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1104" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrO_4KrlKTvb2a6GOTd4wpGP5ts3p_N8-KlTxuDddaQpgwuBEfZYWWISpnbfZ0whroZ4BF3t-O8LQIZTWnfUhsyNQwZrmIVUvPniMv3GfiZzCNmQ5Gzn_02Odo7J5SYE26vmsWuRGQvnp-u8jKklhjjIZEOPKgzhS88RFQ2GC9EcavioDCAbSvQ/w400-h399/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20at%207.07.10%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> "Rack 'Em Up"</span> — Scrabble-themed puzzle where blue squares represent <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TRIPLE LETTER SCOREs</span></b> (<b>65A: Scrabble bonus seen six times in this puzzle</b>), i.e. in the Across answers, you have to count that letter three times). The blue squares spell out POINTS, which is ... a Scrabble-related term (of no particular relevance to how the theme actually works): <br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">IN-A<span style="color: red;">PP P</span>URCHASE (22A: Extra lives or additional gems, for a freemium game)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I'M T<span style="color: red;">OO O</span>LD FOR THIS NOW" (31A: "The kids these days have gotten way better than me")</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">HAWA<span style="color: red;">II I</span>SLANDERS (48A: Former minor-league team that played at Aloha Stadium)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">C<span style="color: red;">NN N</span>EWS HEADLINE (84A: Something delivered by Jake Tapper or Anderson Cooper)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">KRISTIN SCO<span style="color: red;">TT T</span>HOMAS (98A: "The English Patient" actress)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">BUSINE<span style="color: red;">SS S</span>ENSE (115A: Executive's acumen)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> EVE </span>(<b>29A: "___-Olution" (2002 rap album)</b>) —
<blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKssO_sENZCdW3wbS24pTp_yo0RH3PYmfa4Nm9VTt8zk46KG3AhGhc6NNZvZLXMKD9ZzGSHcUNp5dvCfcZiX0Dy1rZqYcGVcDfyBDNGVUaEdw5ZCK4MtNoIL6WHWr-29A1fQzzr67mgPT3VjAfTz3lHMSvsGXzjGpasNrheFomBuk5rtEGLCUnOQ/s316/EveOlution.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKssO_sENZCdW3wbS24pTp_yo0RH3PYmfa4Nm9VTt8zk46KG3AhGhc6NNZvZLXMKD9ZzGSHcUNp5dvCfcZiX0Dy1rZqYcGVcDfyBDNGVUaEdw5ZCK4MtNoIL6WHWr-29A1fQzzr67mgPT3VjAfTz3lHMSvsGXzjGpasNrheFomBuk5rtEGLCUnOQ/w208-h208/EveOlution.jpg" width="208" /></a></b></div><b>Eve Jihan Cooper</b> (<span title="Name at birth"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Birth name">née</a></span> <b>Jeffers</b>; born November 10, 1978) is an American rapper, singer, and actress. Her debut studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_There_Be_Eve...Ruff_Ryders%27_First_Lady" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady">Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady</a></i> (1999) reached number one on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_200" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Billboard 200"><i>Billboard</i> 200</a>—making her the third female rapper to accomplish this feat—and received <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_certifications" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="RIAA certifications">double platinum</a> certification by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Recording Industry Association of America">Recording Industry Association of America</a> (RIAA). The album spawned the hit singles "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Ya_Want" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="What Ya Want">What Ya Want</a>" (featuring <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokio" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Nokio">Nokio</a>), "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Is_Blind_(Eve_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Love Is Blind (Eve song)">Love Is Blind</a>," and "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotta_Man" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Gotta Man">Gotta Man</a>." That same year, she guest featured on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roots" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Roots">The Roots</a>' <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Grammy Award">Grammy Award</a>-winning single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Got_Me_(The_Roots_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="You Got Me (The Roots song)">You Got Me</a>" as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missy_Elliott" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Missy Elliott">Missy Elliott</a>'s single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Boyz_(song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Hot Boyz (song)">Hot Boyz</a>," which peaked within the top ten of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Billboard Hot 100"><i>Billboard</i> Hot 100</a>.<p></p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">Eve's second studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_(Eve_album)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Scorpion (Eve album)">Scorpion</a></i> (2001) was released to similar success. Its lead single, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_Me_Blow_Ya_Mind" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Let Me Blow Ya Mind">Let Me Blow Ya Mind</a>" (featuring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Stefani" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Gwen Stefani">Gwen Stefani</a>) won her and Stefani the inaugural <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Melodic_Rap_Performance" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance">Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration</a> and an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV_Video_Music_Awards" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="MTV Video Music Awards">MTV Video Music Award</a>, while peaking at number two on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100. Her third album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve-Olution" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Eve-Olution">Eve-Olution</a></i> (2002) found continued success and yielded the single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangsta_Lovin%27" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Gangsta Lovin'">Gangsta Lovin'</a>" (featuring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Keys" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Alicia Keys">Alicia Keys</a>), which likewise peaked at number two on the chart. The album also spawned the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dre" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Dr. Dre">Dr. Dre</a>-produced single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satisfaction_(Eve_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Satisfaction (Eve song)">Satisfaction</a>," which, along with her 2007 single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambourine_(song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Tambourine (song)">Tambourine</a>" and guest performance on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_High" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="City High">City High</a>'s 2001 single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_(City_High_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Caramel (City High song)">Caramel</a>," peaked within the top 40 of the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100. She also guest featured on Gwen Stefani's Grammy Award-nominated 2004 single "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Girl_(Gwen_Stefani_song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Rich Girl (Gwen Stefani song)">Rich Girl</a>," which received double platinum certification by the RIAA. After parting ways with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interscope_Records" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Interscope Records">Interscope Records</a>, Eve released her fourth studio album, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_Lock" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Lip Lock">Lip Lock</a></i> (2013) as her first independent project.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">As an actress, she starred as Terri Jones in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedy_drama" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Comedy drama">comedy drama</a> films <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbershop_(film)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Barbershop (film)"><i>Barbershop</i></a>, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbershop_2:_Back_in_Business" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Barbershop 2: Back in Business">Barbershop 2: Back in Business</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbershop:_The_Next_Cut" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Barbershop: The Next Cut">Barbershop: The Next Cut</a></i>, and played the lead role of Shelley Williams on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPN" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="UPN">UPN</a>television sitcom <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_(American_TV_series)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Eve (American TV series)">Eve</a></i>. Eve also had supporting roles in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_(film_and_television)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Drama (film and television)">drama</a> film <i><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woodsman_(2004_film)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Woodsman (2004 film)">The Woodsman</a></i> (2004), the comedy film <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cookout" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Cookout">The Cookout</a></i> (2004) and the horror film <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_(2014_film)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Animal (2014 film)">Animal</a></i> (2014). From 2017 to 2020, she co-hosted the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS_Daytime" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="CBS Daytime">CBS Daytime</a> talk show <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Talk_(talk_show)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="The Talk (talk show)">The Talk</a></i>, where she was nominated for two <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_Emmy_Award" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Daytime Emmy Award">Daytime Emmy Award</a>. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmB_xjZdWsE2VLikG_lp9j1LJc7ZHsJkdiLC-H5dR3gn1cuHLlpBAm4R-5dzfVs6FlpkFH93NqicZxcdTKvuCvDrOq_vxARZMJgKBZn2rjgSuhWT4Hw0zQu6ARqVCuVAS_bywob2jCbW-o8lUhos7xksbDQ2C5ckW4L8J-7NwLlYJF-XQtdcDkA/s1147/90.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="800" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmB_xjZdWsE2VLikG_lp9j1LJc7ZHsJkdiLC-H5dR3gn1cuHLlpBAm4R-5dzfVs6FlpkFH93NqicZxcdTKvuCvDrOq_vxARZMJgKBZn2rjgSuhWT4Hw0zQu6ARqVCuVAS_bywob2jCbW-o8lUhos7xksbDQ2C5ckW4L8J-7NwLlYJF-XQtdcDkA/w170-h244/90.jpeg" width="170" /></a></div>Scrabble themes. They ... won't go away, apparently. I don't enjoy Scrabble, but still I'm vaguely aware of how it works, and I don't quite get what "SCORE" (or "POINTS") has to do with the theme. You have to triple the blue letters in order to make sense of the Across answers in which they appear, but there's no "SCORE" involved. No scoring. Are the values of the letters involved relevant? If you triple the point values of the actual Scrabble tiles involved, do you ... get something? Do you unlock the secret of the universe? Is the total 42? The revealer clue says that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TRIPLE LETTER SCORE</span></b> is a "bonus seen six times in this puzzle" but I don't see the SCORE part. Seems like the clue should have a "?" on it. You mean (I think) that there's a "triple letter" involved. Maybe "SCORE" is being used very very loosely here. Like, you have to "score" the letter (i.e. "interpret" it?) as three letters. I dunno. The whole thing felt very basic, and the blue-letter revealer (POINTS) felt extremely anticlimactic [<i>note: obviously you “score” POINTS in Scrabble, but I just can’t see how POINTS is sufficiently tight as a revealer—way too general a word</i>]<i> </i>Maybe the idea is that any letter on a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TRIPLE LETTER SCORE</span></b> triples your POINTS for that square, and technically “POINTS” (in blue squares) is <i>tripled</i> in the Across answers. OK. That does work. Still, something “thud” about mere “POINTS.” Again, maybe there is some numerological stuff going on and I'm just not seeing it because I don't play Scrabble and don't care. If that's so, I'll add something to the write-up later about how there's math I didn't get. Wouldn't be the first time I'd missed some aspect of the theme. <div><br />
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</div><div>I started the puzzle in Black Ink (my solving software of choice) but the notes said something about "blue squares" and I could see no blue squares in my grid, so I dutifully switched over to the NYTXW website in order to solve the puzzle. I didn't really need those blue squares—that is, the puzzle seems like it would've been easily solvable without them, but with them, it was a cinch, especially once you picked up on the gimmick. My main issue with the theme execution is how made-up some of the themers seem. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HAWAII ISLANDERS</span></b>? Does anyone know what that is? Who the hell knows former minor league teams that well. It was easy enough to piece together, but generally I think that if the answer wouldn't fly in a non-thematic context (and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HAWAII ISLANDERS</span></b> definitely wouldn't), it doesn't have much business in the puzzle as a themer either. I gave serious sideeye to "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS NOW</span></b>" as well. The "NOW" part is ... struggling. Very forced. "I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS" works great on its own. Add the "NOW" and you've got an obvious case of "I had to make this answer match the length of corresponding theme answer, for symmetry's sake." What I really wanted to write in was "I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS S***!" (mostly because that was how I was feeling as I solved yet another Scrabble-themed puzzle—live long enough, and they just keep coming at you). <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CNN NEWS HEADLINE</span></b> also feels entirely made-up. Like, yes, that is a thing, but it's not nearly enough of a thing to be a standalone answer. I mean, by definition, the thing they say is a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CNN NEWS HEADLINE</span></b> because they are CNN NEWS anchors (???). Bizarre. </div><div><br />
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</div><div>Had BUSINESSSAVVY before <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUSINESSSENSE</span></b> and was much happier that way. SENSE was yet another anticlimactic moment. Why couldn't you make SAVVY work there. It's a much snappier word than mere SENSE. Sigh. There were some answers I did enjoy. I think <b><span style="color: #351c75;">KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS</span></b> is the best of the themers. I enjoy her in anything I see her in, the latest thing being the Apple TV series "Slow Horses." I also like <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SWEET CORN</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BRUSCHETTA</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MAPLE GLAZE</span></b>, yum. And overall, I thought the quality of the fill was pretty strong, or at least solid. I don't recall wincing very much, if at all. Oh, that clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TSE</span></b>, yipes (<b>97A: Cyrillic letter pronounced like the "zz" of "pizza"</b>). I might've winced at that. The most obscure clue, and you put it on the absolute worst bit of fill you've got? Why? Why would you do that? Don't put a flashing neon sign on the bad stuff. Just let people get it with the most ordinary of clues and Move Along. Cyrillic letter!? LOL, no. You've already got another foreign (Greek) letter in the grid (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">ETA</span></b>), you don't need more.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Not many trouble spots today. Struggled with both <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DNA</span></b> (<b>35A: Two-million-year-old discovery in 2022 in the frozen soil of Greenland</b>) and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MOP</span> (41A: Shaggy hairstyle)</b>, but thankfully <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DMITIRI</span></b> Mendeleev came to the rescue. Had LEASH at <b>1A: New dog owner's purchase (<span style="color: #351c75;">CRATE</span>)</b>, but discarded it as soon as I realized I couldn't get any of the crosses to work. After that, no wrong guesses that I can recall. Oh, nope, spoke too soon. I definitely had "NOT SO!" before "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">BUT NO</span></b>!" at <b>11D: "Au contraire!"</b> but <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BTS</span></b> came to the rescue (weird how I can know virtually nothing about a band and it will still come to my rescue—solve crosswords long enough and you get very friendly with answers you actually know nothing about!) (<b>11A: Pop group with an "army"</b>). This puzzle added to my store of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EMU</span></b> lore, which is nice. They're tall, they run fast, they're from Australia, they lay big green eggs ... and they have "deep booming calls." I'm curious, now, about what that means. Let's see if we can find out ... ah, cool, here we go. And this video contains even more lore—two sets of eyelids, what!?</div><div><br />
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/27Ih4V27RLM?si=g97zUj_rRyGSRBIo" title="YouTube video player" width="320"></iframe></center><br />
</div><div>Speaking of birds ... check out this Sri Lankan money someone sent me earlier this year, during my annual $$$-raising week! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mEXeyfu_5XFlXQD5vPBEg-xeNZH0TbeQARZDxRQThEVCgU1Fd63H72I6KgXJuKLm5vzEGPeHf3Pr61gXBRwUerkuOLm-skdRNJLDsP1BNX8IGkLLGY_WCqDNGPwcstbDHxGY402wEQCexb3ADh4fMQvmZ59kdW46hj72HroIyFipP391fx-wrw/s4032/IMG_9442.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mEXeyfu_5XFlXQD5vPBEg-xeNZH0TbeQARZDxRQThEVCgU1Fd63H72I6KgXJuKLm5vzEGPeHf3Pr61gXBRwUerkuOLm-skdRNJLDsP1BNX8IGkLLGY_WCqDNGPwcstbDHxGY402wEQCexb3ADh4fMQvmZ59kdW46hj72HroIyFipP391fx-wrw/w300-h400/IMG_9442.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I can't really spend it, but I can admire it. I wish we had birds on our money. Besides the eagle, I mean. Wait, is the eagle even on our money, or is that just the quarter? Oh yeah, there it is, right across from the loopy one-eyed pyramid on the $1 bill. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPMUbpnGT6UJDN4RtMerhVmnjbzPtHPtG1Lk6NkFc_e6NaQbrD0sljHPrDzPkXT1CeQ9Mg4nvyxEjxFOhWt5s4W3zgDEepDVQJ3EQgpHMTowLJRzScaaH6aEOaa5BD2FOeLoWkL5LCWQibxTKKp6q8pr1nJjvYLuioFV9Mq24_s3P1Llg8xYgyg/s1200/United_States_one_dollar_bill,_reverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="1200" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPMUbpnGT6UJDN4RtMerhVmnjbzPtHPtG1Lk6NkFc_e6NaQbrD0sljHPrDzPkXT1CeQ9Mg4nvyxEjxFOhWt5s4W3zgDEepDVQJ3EQgpHMTowLJRzScaaH6aEOaa5BD2FOeLoWkL5LCWQibxTKKp6q8pr1nJjvYLuioFV9Mq24_s3P1Llg8xYgyg/w400-h178/United_States_one_dollar_bill,_reverse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Still, though, we can do better than an oddly splayed eagle. Realistic portraits of different birds are so much nicer than portraits of dour old white guys. And why do we still have monochrome money!? So boring. Now that no one uses cash anymore, I say it's time to mix it up. I want orange crows, blue owls, purple condors! We've had this off-green crap long enough. </div><div><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com98tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51043200332972653512024-03-09T05:36:00.011-05:002024-03-09T06:36:15.857-05:00Widespread rumors, in a portmanteau / SAT 3-9-24 / MacGyvering / "Thanks a lot!," in intentionally butchered French / Remington of 1980s TV / Ananda Mahidol became its king at the age of 9, while living in Switzerland / Branch of causality that comes from the Greek for "study of the end" / Gem used in intaglio / They are felt every April<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> John Guzzetta</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium (potentially skewing harder)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVN2j05eJIWzuj6E4Cn2glgc2f9Rq8DYD2abgWpoavQ2QqoI-P7AA23dI6tO3JLpmhednG0VY42E1hAHYFbMBP-FxCrsseYZ0VnDK6NwQodcHb4Tlfb5-IHb9VV5jOsmF0pQoM3PDy7jOhTo1W9IKyPgTUS3HI1VrpSjK8uj2qd-SDJKQhTed4qw/s964/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20at%204.08.18%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVN2j05eJIWzuj6E4Cn2glgc2f9Rq8DYD2abgWpoavQ2QqoI-P7AA23dI6tO3JLpmhednG0VY42E1hAHYFbMBP-FxCrsseYZ0VnDK6NwQodcHb4Tlfb5-IHb9VV5jOsmF0pQoM3PDy7jOhTo1W9IKyPgTUS3HI1VrpSjK8uj2qd-SDJKQhTed4qw/w375-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20at%204.08.18%20AM.png" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> none</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> intaglio </span>(<b>64A: Gem used in intaglio = <span style="color: #351c75;">ONYX</span></b>) —
<blockquote><div class="vg-sseq-entry-item" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; display: flex; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="vg-sseq-entry-item-label" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303336; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; min-width: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">1</div><div class="sb has-num has-let ms-lg-4 ms-3 w-100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 743px;"><div class="sb-0 sb-entry" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="sense has-sn has-num" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="sn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="letter" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303336; display: inline-block; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a</span></span><div class="sense-content w-100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 723.515625px;"><span class="dt" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </span>an engraving or incised figure in stone or other hard material depressed below the surface so that an impression from the design yields an image in relief</span></div></div></div><div class="sb-1 sb-entry" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="sense has-sn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="sn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="letter" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303336; display: inline-block; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">b</span></span><div class="sense-content w-100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 722.96875px;"><span class="dt" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="dtText" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </span>the art or process of executing <a class="mw_t_a_link" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intaglios" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0074cc; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">intaglios</a></span></span></div></div></div><div class="sb-2 sb-entry" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="sense has-sn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="sn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="letter" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303336; display: inline-block; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">c</span></span><div class="sense-content w-100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 725.21875px;"><span class="dt" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </span>printing (as in die stamping and gravure) done from a plate in which the image is sunk below the surface</span></div></div></div></div><div class="vg-sseq-entry-item-thread-anchor" style="background: linear-gradient(rgb(187, 213, 224), rgb(222, 234, 239) 17.8%, rgb(222, 234, 239) 81.87%, rgb(187, 213, 224)) repeat; border-radius: 4px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; height: calc(100% - 37px); left: 9px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 33px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 3px;"></div></div><div class="vg-sseq-entry-item" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; display: flex; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="vg-sseq-entry-item-label" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #303336; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; min-width: 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">2</div><div class="sb has-num ms-lg-4 ms-3 w-100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 743px;"><div class="sb-0 sb-entry" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="sense has-sn has-num-only" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="sn" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><div class="sense-content w-100" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 733px;"><span class="dt" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="mw_t_bc" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </span>something (such as a gem) carved in intaglio (merriam-webster.com)</span></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1_e92YqdBdw6tyDW1fcCP1cAYcyzZkFMcDfYlLkpDPPfRNXeoQ6M8snyNGUMwaWg_6kL5njkq2_QiQFd0e-GItqDxT9gkmjzegjON_G5MbbhtGfF-6TsTWoTjclmprjQc1bsJzhw9GuTRQOkrbpEsXb8ZyCkPTyAVcBO13iCVFKHUxf5X4tz8A/s2000/431114.jpg.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1225" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1_e92YqdBdw6tyDW1fcCP1cAYcyzZkFMcDfYlLkpDPPfRNXeoQ6M8snyNGUMwaWg_6kL5njkq2_QiQFd0e-GItqDxT9gkmjzegjON_G5MbbhtGfF-6TsTWoTjclmprjQc1bsJzhw9GuTRQOkrbpEsXb8ZyCkPTyAVcBO13iCVFKHUxf5X4tz8A/w150-h245/431114.jpg.webp" width="150" /></a></div>This one has a lot of ... trying to think of a neutral term here ... energy? It's very lively. It's trying very hard to be lively. I think I half-enjoyed the liveliness. In fact, I might've more-than-half-enjoyed it, but some of the non-liveliness really brought me down. The proper nouns in this thing were obscure (to me), so that over and over (that is, three times, for sure) I got clues that were essentially "man's name" or "woman's name." Some TV actor, OK, once per puzzle, maybe, but today, twice!? (<b>45A: Actor Fitch of "This Is Us" / 56D: Actress Kirke of "Mozart in the Jungle"</b>), and then a Mr. Olympia to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOOT</span></b> (!?!?). Do people really keep track of the Mr. Olympias? I mean, besides participants in the contest itself, and (presumably) avid bodybuilders? <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RONNIE</span>? (4D: ___ Coleman, eight-time Mr. Olympia)</b>. Really could've used a "presidential nickname" there or something. Anyway, name, name, name, from TV show I don't watch, TV show I don't watch, competition I know nothing about. Again, I expect to get hit with one or two of these in a puzzle, but by the third I was weary. Thank god I knew <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AUGIE</span></b> March cold, and my condolences to those who didn't. If that name seemed obscure to you, I get it, and I sympathize, but at least Saul Bellow won the dang Nobel Prize—that alone makes him far more crossworthy than non-Arnold Mr. Olympias and TV actors of probably considerable talent, but no great fame (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">TO DATE</span></b>). OK I just discovered that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NILES</span></b> Fitch is a. adorable b. younger than my daughter, so I'm pro-<b><span style="color: #351c75;">NILES</span></b> Fitch now. But while I was solving—not so much.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKZz06J2Myw8WgPHdAcbvteYdMbx22v0YC4Ko4L59cd_4nqX2_JjIauwj0g4pFrmf1ltuzA3NCd6RBsu4HJ5KDAH7-PPCD33Z6dBGxuVzFkq3SoV4kYKxhpwGk3BWgqmYOxFQZm3WFOreXnYgCvlgvC00edhp19N6b6LMat7IKyyaIAyC8QJx-w/s498/Niles_fitch_2019.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKZz06J2Myw8WgPHdAcbvteYdMbx22v0YC4Ko4L59cd_4nqX2_JjIauwj0g4pFrmf1ltuzA3NCd6RBsu4HJ5KDAH7-PPCD33Z6dBGxuVzFkq3SoV4kYKxhpwGk3BWgqmYOxFQZm3WFOreXnYgCvlgvC00edhp19N6b6LMat7IKyyaIAyC8QJx-w/s320/Niles_fitch_2019.png" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[<b><span style="color: #351c75;">NILES</span></b> Fitch]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>But back to the puzzle's weird high energy. Really felt like the puzzle was out here just shouting random made-up terms, or slang terms, or whatever popped into its head. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">INFODEMIC</span></b>!" (<b>13A: Widespread rumors, in a portmanteau</b>) Uh, that's ... not a thing. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">NEW NORMAL</span></b>!" (<b>16A: Post-crisis baseline</b>) Ooh, yeah, I like that, but maybe go back to normal words now? "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">STRIPY</span></b>!" What!? I said "normal." Do you even spell <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STRIPY</span></b> like th-? "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">MERCY BUCKETS</span></b>!" (<b>6D: "Thanks a lot!," in intentionally butchered French</b>) OMG slow down ... Not sure how I feel about dopey fake Fr- "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">LIGHTEN UP</span></b>!" <i>You</i> lighten up. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">DIGITAL DETOX</span></b>!" Yeah OK, good, now you're back on the right tr- "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">TAX BITES</span></b>!" Huh. So <i>not</i> SEX BITES, then? Good to know, I thought April Fools' was getting a little kinky there. Don't love this in the plural, but- "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">TELEOLOGY</span></b>!" (<b>33D: Branch of causality that comes from the Greek for "study of the end"</b>) Alright, now you're speaking my language, but I don't know if it's gonna be <i>everyone's</i> lang- "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">AUGIE</span></b>!" Well, yes, see my <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TELEOLOGY</span></b> comment, above. {End scene}.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>I think [<b>MacGyvering</b>] was my favorite part of the puzzle. I use that term all the time. Sometimes when I'm teaching. Then I have to explain the '80s to kids who have no memories of anything before the Obama Era. It's awkward. But actually "MacGyvering" seems to be a concept that has transcended <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGyver">its TV origins</a>. And since I already had the "JU-" in place when I looked at the clue, whoooosh, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">JURY-RIGGING</span></b>! The puzzle had its other colorful, whooshy moments. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">MERCY BUCKETS</span></b>" is godawful as a phrase, please don't say it, ever ... but as a <i>crossword answer</i>, I have to give it points for originality. And <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DIGITAL DETOX</span></b> is very good, very current, even if I could not for the life of me remember the word that was supposed to follow DIGITAL ("Diet? ... Fasting? ... Time out? ...") I kinda sorta knew it alliterated, and that still didn't help. But when I got DETOX, I recognized its validity right away. Speaking of validity—you may be wondering how <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FIT</span></b> is a valid answer for <b>33A: Meet</b>. Yeah, I thought they were verbs too. But they're not.* They're adjectives, and both mean (roughly) "proper" or "appropriate." Merriam-webster.com defines "meet" (in this sense) as "<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529;">precisely adapted to a particular situation, need, or circumstance </span><span class="mw_t_bc" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529;">very proper." </span>So the answer is <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FIT</span></b> as in "fitting." That meaning of "Meet" is borderline archaic. In fact, Merriam-Webster has it as "archaic & dialectical British," so if you didn't know it, don't feel too bad<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Really hate the pithy-saying-type clue, since they never compute for me until I've got nearly every cross, and today... we get two! Descartes on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DOUBT</span> (50D: "The origin of wisdom," per René Descartes)</b> and Denis Leary on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">COMEDY</span> (19A: "The ultimate form of free speech," to Denis Leary).</b> I don't know why it's "per" René Descartes but "to" Denis Leary. Is Leary not fancy enough for a "per?" Also, why are we being told it's <i>René</i> Descartes, specifically? Is there some other Descartes? Jimmy Descartes? Typically, Descartes is a one-name dude. If you don't know him as Descartes, then "René" is not gonna help you.</span></div><div><br />
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<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Bullet points:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">52D: Asparagus, essentially (<span style="color: #351c75;">STEMS</span>)</span> — went with SPEAR here at first, which I'm just gonna assume was a common error</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">27D: Concupiscent one (<span style="color: #351c75;">EROS</span>)</span> — I didn't know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EROS</span></b> himself was "concupiscent" (he's often depicted as a mischievous child or adolescent boy). I thought he just made ... you ... that way (i.e. horny) ("concupiscence" is <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concupiscent">strong desire, esp. sexual desire</a>)</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">2D: Reluctant to join? (<span style="color: #351c75;">INERT</span>)</span> — ah, chemistry jokes, who doesn't love those!? (besides me). Per wikipedia: "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">The noble gases (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Helium">helium</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Neon">neon</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argon" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Argon">argon</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krypton" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Krypton">krypton</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Xenon">xenon</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;"> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Radon">radon</a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122;">) were previously known as 'inert gases' because of their perceived lack of participation in any chemical reactions. </span></span>"</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">10D: Pay for a crime, say (<span style="color: #351c75;">SERVE TIME</span>)</span> — an ordinary phrase, but for some reason I could not come up with the first word. Had TIME and after "DO TIME" I was out of ideas. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SERVE TIME</span></b> is rather formal. But it's not wrong.</li></ul><div>OK, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">I GOTTA RUN</span></b>. Coffee and cats are calling. This one was more good than bad. Irksome in parts, but enjoyable overall. See you next time.</div><div><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>*a commenter suggested that “Meet” and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">FIT</span></b> could in fact be seen as verbs, in the sense of “meeting/fitting the criteria.” This is probably how most people will interpret the clue. Seems valid. <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com117tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76858375303428490502024-03-08T05:47:00.001-05:002024-03-08T06:13:52.229-05:00Hunger hyperbole / FRI 3-8-24 / World leader associated with the justicialism movement / Manette woman in A Tale of Two Cities / Needle on a thread? / Balanced, as some molecules / Flotsam once in Boston Harbor / Bread with charred brown spots / Hot rods popular in the '60s / "Herb" ... or a lead-in to herb<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Jackson Matz</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy Medium (started Medium, then really sped up)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAZlmrY2yo48Cue7L8Xnu4EC43YW_z8V-9M3dGJemhrs8HpGlbk-bOT7WNklyO9zdaLkIkOlGpEP_e0qpzFr-iY62woROVWbSRIIgDrvrYpRD5hsLmI4j8X0gjIa6sQSGrGqJBaOt0sB-WYHylyxfNY8zvhVHLYD1uHO1RpdnLM8MGQjIDyYrUw/s964/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20at%204.08.55%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAZlmrY2yo48Cue7L8Xnu4EC43YW_z8V-9M3dGJemhrs8HpGlbk-bOT7WNklyO9zdaLkIkOlGpEP_e0qpzFr-iY62woROVWbSRIIgDrvrYpRD5hsLmI4j8X0gjIa6sQSGrGqJBaOt0sB-WYHylyxfNY8zvhVHLYD1uHO1RpdnLM8MGQjIDyYrUw/w375-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-08%20at%204.08.55%20AM.png" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> none</span> <br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> justicialism </span>(<b>42D: World leader associated with the justicialism movement = <span style="color: #351c75;">PERÓN</span></b>) —<br /><blockquote><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eCdyagdifaZzlr79VASEK9NirkOEgnB_Irrf-Mmuh-eeAw47C6WVxAAnIVILK_VMKFsnu2bC6VXVSRW_4-KBMaT_ezjQFu2z7p4wknl-5yvIWTdhqDXfgOZwSYLlxqu7wuPC7OE90utmcQdfOxB_LcjWdxjAY06TARXANu864bMceb7BX6347Q/s597/440px-Evita_y_Pero%CC%81n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="440" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eCdyagdifaZzlr79VASEK9NirkOEgnB_Irrf-Mmuh-eeAw47C6WVxAAnIVILK_VMKFsnu2bC6VXVSRW_4-KBMaT_ezjQFu2z7p4wknl-5yvIWTdhqDXfgOZwSYLlxqu7wuPC7OE90utmcQdfOxB_LcjWdxjAY06TARXANu864bMceb7BX6347Q/w135-h184/440px-Evita_y_Pero%CC%81n.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>Peronism</b><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">also known as</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><b style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px;">justicialism</b><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">is a labour</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and left-leaning</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Argentine political movement based on the ideas and legacy of Argentine ruler</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Per%C3%B3n" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Juan Perón">Juan Perón</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">(1895–1974).</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">It has been an influential movement in 20th- and 21st-century Argentine politics.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Since 1946, Peronists have won 10 out of the 14 presidential elections in which they have been allowed to run. </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">// Ideologically</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populist" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Populist">populist</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Peronism is widely considered to be a variant of</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_populism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Left-wing populism">left-wing populism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">although some have described it as a Latin American form of</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Fascism">fascism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">instead.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">Others have criticized these descriptions as too one-dimensional, as Peronism also includes many variants, including</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirchnerism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Kirchnerism">Kirchnerism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Peronism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Revolutionary Peronism">revolutionary Peronism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">on the left, and</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Peronism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Peronism">Federal Peronism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Peronism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Orthodox Peronism">Orthodox Peronism</a> <span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">on the right. Peronism is described as socialist by some political scientists,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">while other scholars evaluate Peronism as a</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternalistic_conservative" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Paternalistic conservative">paternalistic conservative</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">ideology,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">with a mixture of militant</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laborism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Laborism">labourism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_conservatism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Traditional conservatism">traditional conservatism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">However, proponents of Peronism see it as socially</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Progressivism">progressive</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">The main Peronist party is the</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justicialist_Party" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Justicialist Party">Justicialist Party</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">whose policies have significantly varied over time and across government administrations,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">but have generally been described as "a vague blend of</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Nationalism">nationalism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">and</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labourism" style="background: repeat; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Labourism">labourism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">",</span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><span face="sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">or populism. [...] </span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">The pillars of the Peronist ideal, known as the "three flags", are social justice, economic independence, and political sovereignty. Peronism can be described as a </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_position" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Third position">third position</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideology" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Ideology">ideology</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> as it rejects both </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Capitalism">capitalism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Communism">communism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">. Peronism espouses </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Corporatism">corporatism</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"> and thus aims to mediate tensions between the classes of society, with the state responsible for negotiating compromise in conflicts between managers and workers.</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZmXFe5s8txhUVAkqucghF8XmVR-prAn5_wohvox2_zpkm9inzeJk0PlJWRwpaiJmfOpczGfhPmRrUK02HRXnQivFRN19_K8utXWlVxX1AH3mudOyOob6yTKsvclRqs6U_N9xqkl-6NNNl-_0dh1Ua5f0QSG2x9HFdTfYwBps7i1oB7UcVflckA/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZmXFe5s8txhUVAkqucghF8XmVR-prAn5_wohvox2_zpkm9inzeJk0PlJWRwpaiJmfOpczGfhPmRrUK02HRXnQivFRN19_K8utXWlVxX1AH3mudOyOob6yTKsvclRqs6U_N9xqkl-6NNNl-_0dh1Ua5f0QSG2x9HFdTfYwBps7i1oB7UcVflckA/s320/s-l1600.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
Loved this one, except for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SELF-DRIVING CARS </span><span>(31A: Things going beyond your control?)</span></b>, which are a menace and yet another step toward humankind's complete acquiescence to, let's see, the automotive industry, big tech, A.I.—all the things entities that have made life on this planet such a glorious, non-soul-crushing experience. The Great Utopian Vision of "Convenience!" (dubious) and "Safety!" (elusive) all so we can't have basic, nice things like functional public transit (because that would be Communist and anyway I hear the subways are full of crime and we need to send in the military—all my white neighbors who don't actually live in the city are saying so!). OK, anyway, loved this puzzle, and actually, as an answer, as a term that exists and is fairly modern, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SELF-DRIVING CARS</span></b> is not bad. Just ... when I see the term, my brain makes a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">WHOOPEE CUSHION</span></b> noise (<b>13D: Butt of a joke?</b>).<div><br />
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</div><div>Lots of whoosh-whoosh today ... or ... more like two big Whooshes, first down the west coast, and later down the east coast, with a connecting whoosh in those damned <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SELF-DRIVING CARS</span></b>. Love the feeling of getting a grid-spanning entry off the first few letters, and that happened ... well, every time I encountered such an entry today. "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">CARE TO ELABORATE</span></b>?" off the CAR-, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">WHOOPEE CUSHION</span></b> off the WHOO- (though I spelled it WHOOPIE CUSHION at first, which still looks more right to me, even though my blogging software is underlining it in "red" like "nope, buddy, it's wrong"). With the long answers in the east, I actually worked out their middles first using the crosses, everything from <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DEB</span></b> down to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HEP</span></b>, but didn't even bother looking at the clues on the long answers at that point (I don't like to look until I think I've got enough crosses to give me a good chance of getting it). Oh, actually, I must've looked at <b>11D: Jewelry gift for a 25th anniversary</b> because I remember writing BRACELET in and then figuring I'd just head north and fill in the NE corner to figure out what metal was involved. Anyway, I held back on the whoosh feeling until I went up and worked out that NE corner, and then wheeeeee ... down I went via "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I COULD EAT A HORSE</span></b>" (fun ... grim, if you think about the answer too much, but fun if you don't!). The momentum from that blasted me right through the SE corner, and that was that. Done at <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NAAN</span></b>, wishing I could get on the ride and do it again.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The difficulty today was all in the short stuff. That <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LESS LAND LIFT</span></b> trio made for a thorny little passage from North to West (<b>21A: What some consume on a diet / 21D: Secure / 24D: Steal</b>). Speaking of "trios" ... that is the word you want when speaking of the Jonas Brothers: trio. They're a trio. They're a trio far more than they are a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREESOME</span><span> (15A: The Jonas Brothers, e.g.)</span></b>. I know, technically, trio means <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREESOME</span></b>, but I was disappointed that the puzzle passed up the spicier clue there, both because ... spice, who doesn't like spice!? ... and because the clue they went with is dull and inapt. I was happy today to remember things I didn't think I was going to remember. Like that a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">STEM</span></b> is a small part of a watch (the part on the side that you pull out and twist when you want to change the time or date or whatever), and that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MONACO </span></b>was a very small place, and that <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BARN</span></b> could go before "door" or "dance" (I'm usually so bad at the "word that can go before/after"-type clues, so it's stunning to me that I got one this easily, especially one so <b><span style="color: #351c75;">RURAL</span></b>). I had a nice experience with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BALLER</span></b>, in that I thought "huh, B-BALLER doesn't fit ... oh wait, I think it's just ... is it? ... yes, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BALLER</span></b>!" Stumbling into correct answers! What a feeling!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0fugqbSejtAGqdSl5-gcTma4J2kkGCBzh0aHLc8zO5epcLgroG7SKuQH48GKa6QWjNud3Ra7ysVi8Gz-MQgaC0Byz0NlPkCnEm2a1Mk8MHPnfS5o58R74o0WxuB6QbovPNq0V-b-toMRf2uKYPpWbjMhO5vnVQz89ELb-hl6w-dSMGAGnyzjMw/s1000/51mDlN+A+6L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="664" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0fugqbSejtAGqdSl5-gcTma4J2kkGCBzh0aHLc8zO5epcLgroG7SKuQH48GKa6QWjNud3Ra7ysVi8Gz-MQgaC0Byz0NlPkCnEm2a1Mk8MHPnfS5o58R74o0WxuB6QbovPNq0V-b-toMRf2uKYPpWbjMhO5vnVQz89ELb-hl6w-dSMGAGnyzjMw/w266-h400/51mDlN+A+6L._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[they're laughing at the Jonas Brothers clue]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Bullets:</span>
<ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">16A: Needle on a thread? (TROLL)</span> — a very hard "?" clue. A <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>TROLL</b></span> is a person who tries to "needle" people in an internet thread (or, say, a comments section). Nothing makes me happier than deleting <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TROLLs</span></b>. Every day. Pew pew! Buh-bye! Trying to stir up shit? Don't know the difference between disagreement and being a dick? See ya. Go cry "freedom of speech" to your mama, sad boy.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">26A: Practice squad? Abbr. (<span style="color: #351c75;">DRS</span>.)</span> — another hard "?" clue. Doctors often work together in orgs. called "practices," so there you go. At least I hope that's the logic. </li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">36A: Student enrolled in courses like Contracts and Civil Procedures (<span style="color: #351c75;">ONE L</span>)</span> — slang for a first-year law student. Ancient Crosswordese. Stunned to see that from 1997 to 1999 (when crosswordese would've been much more rampant), <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>ONE L </b></span>made just one appearance a year. It's made two already this year (though <a href="https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2024/01/things-that-scratch-scratching-post-tue.html">in the last case, it was the actual theme of the puzzle</a>, so no penalties for crosswordese were incurred). </li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">28D: "That's what I just said!" ("<span style="color: #351c75;">JINX</span>!")</span> — these do not feel equivalent. You don't say "<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>JINX</b></span>!" when someone repeats what you said (which is what "just said" implies). You shout it when you say something <i>at the same time</i> that someone else says it. I feel like this exclamation, in some regional variants, also involves various rituals, like punching the other person in the arm, or possibly adding "you owe me a Coke!" Where am I getting that last bit from? Did we just make that up as kids? OMG <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/o1x8ys/whats_the_origin_of_jinx_you_owe_me_a_coke_was/">there's a whole reddit thread about this</a>, of course there's a whole reddit thread about this... The following is from user "Kelpie-Cat"</li></ul><div><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-size: 14px;"></span><blockquote><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-size: 14px;">According to the OED, the first documented use of jinxing as a children's game is in 1973. An article called "The Jinx Game: A Ritualized Expression of Separation-Individuation" by Jerome D. Oremland was published that year in </span><em style="caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px;">The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child</em><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-size: 14px;">. Oremland describes the jinx game as "a sophisticated, stereotyped ritual". The version of the game he analyzes uses only the cry of "Jinx!" without any reference to soda or another reward. That the game may be much older is suggested by its equivalents in other linguistic environments: "Though the Game is played in a remarkably identical manner in various geographical areas, the word used to induce the spell varies widely, e.g., Israeli children shout, </span><em style="caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ain</em><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-size: 14px;">, the Arabic word for ghost or evil eye". There is also a French variant called </span><a class="relative pointer-events-auto" href="https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chips_(jeu)" rel="noopener nofollow ugc" style="color: var(--color-a-default); font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; pointer-events: auto; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Chips</a><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-size: 14px;">, although it's unclear whether this is derivative of the English "jinx".</span></blockquote><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(19, 19, 19); color: #131313; font-size: 14px;"></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">29D: Good name for a last-minute planner? (<span style="color: #351c75;">EVE</span>)</span> — yet another "?" clue that I had no clue about. I'm not sure this is a good name for a last-minute planner. RUSH might be a better name for such a person (though why anyone would name a human being RUSH, for reasons other than spite or malice, is beyond me).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">34D: Pre-algebra class calculations (<span style="color: #351c75;">SLOPES</span>)</span> — I got this easy enough but didn't really get the "class" part. Why isn't this just [<b>Pre-algebra calculations</b>]? "Pre-algebra" <i>is</i> the class that you would be in when making such calculations, so "class" seems redundant.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">25A: A mover ... but not a shaker, one hopes (<span style="color: #351c75;">VAN</span>)</span> — does one hope that, though? Seems like some people enjoy a shaking van. Or so I read.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQ3algj-OPSCnHbhJQsVXruwh6quL1mg3H2d9JC8ePCCDwykAmAWvlrrOB9sbnZj3vl-ApOWtDHbESLUAoS65-BQ852urZ3hIDhxu_tJsPMeNIO1jgcIBME80ITMIM6DWhAzpa0ZBjWT7DxJCD3ycD2lP8rHR5zICbGNSgb7WPaHx8D0n5yZiUw/s400/s-l400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQ3algj-OPSCnHbhJQsVXruwh6quL1mg3H2d9JC8ePCCDwykAmAWvlrrOB9sbnZj3vl-ApOWtDHbESLUAoS65-BQ852urZ3hIDhxu_tJsPMeNIO1jgcIBME80ITMIM6DWhAzpa0ZBjWT7DxJCD3ycD2lP8rHR5zICbGNSgb7WPaHx8D0n5yZiUw/s320/s-l400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37006159405424859142024-03-07T05:51:00.006-05:002024-03-07T07:41:51.777-05:00Modern reimagining of a Robert Frost classic / THU 3-7-24 / Culture setters? / Rapper ___ Gravy / Actor J.B. of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" / Word shortened to its last letter by texters <span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Joe O'Neill</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> well this is going to vary</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCKJX94fLvCGlK1bNUMgbZkVFyAucpCRfokeMcJXCXWpzxXmoNtr45Z3nVoY8A7ZJ27TP1Mna7-idzChCgCJ5Ony1KCYILKt0w3dqED5bvkU7cYb_v2qATu2d6A7ORlQm5cEsAC3hItqlCv9KTcqsFN7RYign6FcWIK7POfbpEziMXgF-ex_dog/s964/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%204.16.02%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCKJX94fLvCGlK1bNUMgbZkVFyAucpCRfokeMcJXCXWpzxXmoNtr45Z3nVoY8A7ZJ27TP1Mna7-idzChCgCJ5Ony1KCYILKt0w3dqED5bvkU7cYb_v2qATu2d6A7ORlQm5cEsAC3hItqlCv9KTcqsFN7RYign6FcWIK7POfbpEziMXgF-ex_dog/w375-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-07%20at%204.16.02%20AM.png" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> a "modern reimagining" of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"</span> (<b>17A: Modern reimagining of a Robert Frost classic, part 1 </b>[followed by parts 2 through 4])—<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">I KNOW WHOSE WOODS</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">THESE ARE. MY HORSE</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">IS RESTLESS. I HAVE</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">A LOT TO DO. GIDDYUP!</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;"><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-weight: 400;">Here's the original poem:</span><div style="border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><blockquote style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-weight: 400;"><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Whose woods these are I think I know. <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">His house is in the village though; <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">He will not see me stopping here <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">To watch his woods fill up with snow. <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">My little horse must think it queer <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">To stop without a farmhouse near <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Between the woods and frozen lake <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">The darkest evening of the year. <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">He gives his harness bells a shake <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">To ask if there is some mistake. <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">The only other sound’s the sweep <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Of easy wind and downy flake. <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">The woods are lovely, dark and deep, <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">But I have promises to keep, <br /></div><div style="border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">And miles to go before I sleep, <br /></div><div><span face="adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif" style="font-size: 20px; text-indent: -1em;">And miles to go before I sleep. (<a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42891/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening">poetryfoundation.org</a>)</span> </div></blockquote></span></div>Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> YUNG Gravy </span>(<b>66A: Rapper ___ Gravy</b>) —<div><div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C5sXLc5Csd6KE8bMMDMT1kQtdcX5d8ZLijJeDSoredrcs17f7iww3_6O_z6Zso3s4LhjlhDRsxQpY70Q8DzqHBQ0kTzp6w0EON_BD6DGukC4wTBsKWUtSJ7JEuEdUV5KljYgcmS3YznmYRQYg0TcN-ZgDi0DDGoQCiCR-IwFuH7arAAmcsr0xg/s660/Yung_Gravy_2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C5sXLc5Csd6KE8bMMDMT1kQtdcX5d8ZLijJeDSoredrcs17f7iww3_6O_z6Zso3s4LhjlhDRsxQpY70Q8DzqHBQ0kTzp6w0EON_BD6DGukC4wTBsKWUtSJ7JEuEdUV5KljYgcmS3YznmYRQYg0TcN-ZgDi0DDGoQCiCR-IwFuH7arAAmcsr0xg/s320/Yung_Gravy_2023.jpg" width="213" /></a></div></div><blockquote><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;"><b>Matthew Raymond Hauri</b> (born March 19, 1996), known professionally as <b>Yung Gravy</b>, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester,_Minnesota" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Rochester, Minnesota">Rochester, Minnesota</a>. He first gained recognition for his 2017 songs "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Clean_(song)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Mr. Clean (song)">Mr. Clean</a>" and "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Thot_2_Thot_Red_Thot_Blue_Thot" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot">1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot</a>", both of which gained traction on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoundCloud" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="SoundCloud">SoundCloud</a>and received <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_certification" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="RIAA certification">platinum</a> certifications by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Recording Industry Association of America">Recording Industry Association of America</a> (RIAA). His 2022 single, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_(Get_Money)" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Betty (Get Money)">Betty (Get Money)</a>" marked his first entry on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Billboard Hot 100"><i>Billboard</i> Hot 100</a> at number 30 and likewise received platinum certification.</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em;">His discography consists of one mixtape, four albums, and seven extended plays. Yung Gravy is often associated with the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoundCloud_rap" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="SoundCloud rap">SoundCloud rap</a> era as well as Canadian rapper <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bbno$" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Bbno$">bbno$</a>, with whom he has released two collaborative albums. He has collaborated with artists including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Baby" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Lil Baby">Lil Baby</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juicy_J" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Juicy J">Juicy J</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Pain" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="T-Pain">T-Pain</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Wayne" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Lil Wayne">Lil Wayne</a>, as well as television personality <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Stewart" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Martha Stewart">Martha Stewart</a>. (wikipedia)</p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLbMiGr3HxpucGKAXWYtA4nO5sSwENCGXYPMnj63UXf6mYUAkcuE6HbQBJT0plbAD2DgWpLYLC499jFDaXqWSB4qzbxr40_cLE_XUgx0_fPx-h3AZLkhyphenhyphens8WjQOfuW02LVQDlSwAIe5Fu5Y1WbHMWnNNyGFOxUrCulESHC5Lq0oTEdYCrP6bGVQ/s480/hqdefault.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLbMiGr3HxpucGKAXWYtA4nO5sSwENCGXYPMnj63UXf6mYUAkcuE6HbQBJT0plbAD2DgWpLYLC499jFDaXqWSB4qzbxr40_cLE_XUgx0_fPx-h3AZLkhyphenhyphens8WjQOfuW02LVQDlSwAIe5Fu5Y1WbHMWnNNyGFOxUrCulESHC5Lq0oTEdYCrP6bGVQ/w213-h159/hqdefault.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Well, this puzzle *is* exceptional, in that it's easily the worst puzzle I've done this year. Imagine writing a puzzle that a. assumes the vast majority of solvers will know this damn poem well enough to paraphrase the whole thing, b. has such a terrible, off-the-mark sense of what "modern" means (or what paraphrase entails), and c. makes zero reference to "sleep" in a poem where the speaker, famously, <i>repeats</i> the need for sleep at the poem's conclusion. There are four stanzas to the poem, but we get three ... sentences? Or four lines, I guess, if this is supposed to be "modern" poetry, with each line a "line," and rhyme and meter not a factor. Anyway, two whole stanzas about the horse condensed to "MY HORSE / IS RESTLESS." Brilliant. If this is "modern," why are you even on a horse in the first place?! Use the GPS on your ATV, you idiot. This puzzle manages to be an insult both to poetry and to puzzles. Guessing at the phrasing of the "modern" version was torture, in the sense of (occasionally) "hard," but primarily in the sense of "actually physically painful to accomplish because the 'poem' was so completely tin-eared." </div><div><br />
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</div><div>I liked one thing about this ... or at least respected one thing, and that's the final GIDDYUP! It's so stupid, so <i>Not</i> a part of the original poem, so unexpected and goofy, that I have to give it at least a golf clap. The rest of the poem was so punishing that the GIDDYUP! at the end actually managed to alleviate a bit of the pain. But then that GIDDYUP! corner was filled with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">YUNG</span></b> (oof, kinda sorta heard the name, but still, yikes) and the dumbest clue ever on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PEG</span></b>, brought to you by (drumroll) the ultrastupid twin-cluing convention that I'm always saying results in at least one of the clues being bad. This is the bad clue. The clue on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">PEG</span></b>. [<b>Throw</b>]? Just ... [<b>Throw</b>]? You can peg someone with a ball—throw it at them and hit them with it. (You can peg someone in other ways, but we'll save that discussion for ... maybe never). But just ... [<b>Throw</b>]? I'm sure there's a 4b. or lower dictionary definition that will support this, but when your theme already consists of you just making *&$% up, why not keep your cluing in the realm of normal human discourse? Also, is it POSH or BOSH, who can say!? (<b>64A: "Codswallop!"</b>). Oh, it's <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOSH</span></b>!? Oh ... fan *tas* tic. Total winner. Well, at least that other [<b>Throw</b>] clue actually <i>worked</i> for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CAST</span></b> (which provides the "T" cross on "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOSH</span></b>!").</div> <div><br />
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</div><div>Last line of the "modern" poem was definitely the hardest to parse. A LOT TO DOGID- was making me think I had an error. "A lot to dog? A lot to do gid- ... but nothing starts with 'gid'!" Turns out I was wrong there. One thing starts with 'gid." The other trouble spot, for me, was the northern section. Just brutal clues on <b><span style="color: #351c75;">OCEAN </span><span>(15A: "___ of wisdom" ("Dalai Lama," in translation)),</span><span style="color: #351c75;"> CEOS </span><span>(7D: Org. chart figures)</span><span style="color: #351c75;">, RAS</span></b> (!?!?!?) (<b>8D: ___ Tafari</b>), and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MOWS </span><span>(5D: Makes shorter, in a way)</span></b>. I wanted <b><span style="color: #351c75;">MACRO</span></b> (<b>5A: 14-Across subfield</b>) but it kept "not working" (i.e. I couldn't get the crosses to work). I also had the stupid poem as reading, "I KNOW THOSE WOODS!" That didn't help. And please don't tell me "I KNOW THOSE WOODS!" is any worse than anything else in this godawful non-poem. Now I'm mad because in the original poem he only <i>thinks</i> he knows them. If the goal here was to get me to appreciate Robert Frost, mission f***ing accomplished. I'm now desperate for poetry. Real poetry. Anything with more grace and musicality than the "poem" in this puzzle. I'll take whatever you got. A 1984 Right Guard commercial? Sure, why not?</div><div><br />
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</div><div>That's better. Faith in verse, restored! See you next time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld </div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. In addition to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">YUNG</span></b>, I'm guessing <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SMOOVE</span></b> is going to throw a lot of people today (<b>30D: Actor J.B. of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"</b>). I know the guy's name and it still took me many crosses to remember it. If you've never heard of him ... that would make the puzzle considerably harder.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.P.S. [<b>Culture setters?</b>] is so bad as a clue for <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LABS</span></b>. It's not even a pun. [<b>Culture setters?</b>]? Is that supposed to sound like "trendsetters"? It doesn't. And as far as the connection to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LABS</span></b>—"setters" is not a plausible stand-in for "sett<i>ings"</i> (which I think is what you mean? <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LABS</span></b> are where you might find "cultures," in the bacterial sense?). Or do <b><span style="color: #351c75;">LABS</span></b> "set" cultures? Is that the verb you use when cultivating cells? It's like this puzzle has a vendetta against language.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.P.P.S. <b><span style="color: #351c75;"><u>ONE</u> DAY / TRY <u>ONE</u></span></b> 😭</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91185805784759768642024-03-06T00:01:00.005-05:002024-03-06T00:01:00.321-05:00 Berth place / WED 3-6-2024 / Snack whose name comes from the Quechua for "dried meat" / Rathskeller offerings, informally<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Brad Wiegmann</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Hard :( 11:46</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhH7-6-cMCVrgXZv1wyWLcE_7Of63msFuE4-L7-rgU8v-HbHwNsyL6G_Qs_DLXu5yoXo_yNOVNZu5DKzG3qQ0N1lSDCy8WanJZrXiZTedH0cw1TPY4WwSBuFCZ4bYi7roFvBlLZfVngw7wvGUNzjGx3kPicDukk8nFvSKldS-yQh5ydZHLR_dZf1g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1092" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhH7-6-cMCVrgXZv1wyWLcE_7Of63msFuE4-L7-rgU8v-HbHwNsyL6G_Qs_DLXu5yoXo_yNOVNZu5DKzG3qQ0N1lSDCy8WanJZrXiZTedH0cw1TPY4WwSBuFCZ4bYi7roFvBlLZfVngw7wvGUNzjGx3kPicDukk8nFvSKldS-yQh5ydZHLR_dZf1g=w355-h355" width="355" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Famous men / numbers / letters...</span> — The entries describe the men literally, including their letters, and the descriptions go from 1-4<div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li>[Nicholson and Nicklaus, e.g.?] for <b>ONE-EYED JACKS</b> (They're both <i>Jacks</i> that only have one "i" in their names.)</li><li>[Soren Kierkegaard and Chris Isaak, e.g.?] for <b>DOUBLE AGENTS</b> (They're both <i>gents </i>that have double "a"s in their names.)</li><li>[Percy Bysshe Shelley and Billy Ray Cyrus, e.g.?] for <b>THREE WISE MEN</b> (They're both <i>men</i> that have three "y"s in their names.)</li><li>[Henry the Eighth and Hubert H. Humphrey, e.g.?] for <b>FOUR-H LEADERS</b> (They're both <i>leaders </i>that have four "h"s in their names.)</li></ul><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> ADONIS </span>(Persephone's lover) —</div><div><blockquote>The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip and died in Aphrodite's arms as she wept. His blood mingled with her tears and became the anemone flower. Aphrodite declared the Adonia festival to commemorate his tragic death, which was celebrated by women every year in midsummer. During this festival, Greek women would plant "gardens of Adonis", small pots containing fast-growing plants, which they would set on top of their houses in the hot sun. The plants would sprout, but soon wither and die. Then the women would mourn the death of Adonis, tearing their clothes and beating their breasts in a public display of grief. [Wiki]</blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hey there, faithful solvers! Today's a Malaika MWednesday, and as always I am excited to share my thoughts and see what y'all have to say. If you'd like to get in the mood (the Malaika Mood, if you will), you can put on the same music I was listening to while I solved, which was "Bridge Over Troubled Water." More on that in the P.S. Onwards!</div><div><br /></div><div>I really struggled with this puzzle. In retrospect, I have heard of both of the men in the first clue, but when presented with just their last names, I didn't get what I was looking for. At the next clue, I didn't know either of the men and literally sighed in a "Oh no, it's one of these puzzles," fashion. With the men in the third clue, there seemed to be more hope, but the men in the fourth clue threw me again-- I briefly got Hubert H. Humphrey confused with Hugh Hefner (yikes) and then Humbert Humbert (double yikes).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpW1FBI31M6zbmC-waFU8URSePSJvBeEzPcjDZv0zDy9Y7cynx8O_Q8D2q-XqnWhbjVC7F689dagHtQ1McRmwbzoKTF8E6qF1qtkmXwyZv-qfZywWmRiJxFrVE1ODcqKKw6L7m3jGyn72qN32sRQLrjYqesKy1NgVVeAB2ONuXQBQ9xxAAJTO4PA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpW1FBI31M6zbmC-waFU8URSePSJvBeEzPcjDZv0zDy9Y7cynx8O_Q8D2q-XqnWhbjVC7F689dagHtQ1McRmwbzoKTF8E6qF1qtkmXwyZv-qfZywWmRiJxFrVE1ODcqKKw6L7m3jGyn72qN32sRQLrjYqesKy1NgVVeAB2ONuXQBQ9xxAAJTO4PA=w361-h203" width="361" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>On top of that, I didn't know two of the theme entries themselves-- <b>ONE-EYED JACKS</b> and <b>FOUR-H LEADERS</b> were both new to me. The latter was incredibly hard to parse. The bottom left, where there was a pile-up of short multi-word entries (<b>I FOLD</b>, <b>NO LIE</b>, <b>SUE ME</b>) also caused me some problems. (I liked the food-filled corner opposite, though-- with <b>PAPAWS</b>, <b>JERKY</b>, and <b>SALSA</b>.)</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi10Q1adhnGgxUrPB4AyjdNPI71XuOw3kVzMjrbQl0xVTSPO_MXiV39TN2dt0bRAE4RbsED5ZffX_pkF8Bm0B8Qu-M8UHSTrx47AdPP6q_JkTeK7WTAiBXeS8KAYatgGe_9mL2OswbdkQOoCkPJfvBfBdLKmRhEHMPWPSnowHz2lnVdgPghxXWK1g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi10Q1adhnGgxUrPB4AyjdNPI71XuOw3kVzMjrbQl0xVTSPO_MXiV39TN2dt0bRAE4RbsED5ZffX_pkF8Bm0B8Qu-M8UHSTrx47AdPP6q_JkTeK7WTAiBXeS8KAYatgGe_9mL2OswbdkQOoCkPJfvBfBdLKmRhEHMPWPSnowHz2lnVdgPghxXWK1g" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In college sometimes I would eat jerky for dinner :)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't consider myself a huge stickler for parallelism in themes but here it leapt out at me-- you simply do not count by going One, Double, Three, Four! If it were entries that started with various mismatched numerical terms, like one, double, trio, quarter, I'd have less of a problem with it, although that would obviously be harder to work into the clues. The more I reflect on the cleverness of the parsing, the more this grows on me, but while solving I found it a bit of a slog, and even afterwards I wouldn't say I'm dazzled. Curious to see how you all feel!</div><div><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Bullets:</span>
<ul><li><span>[Rathskeller offerings, informally] for </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">BREWSKIS</span> — I've heard of "brewski" for beer, but always figured the plural would be "brewskies." I think this entry is supposed to be the actual German word though, not the American slang, which is hinted at by using (apparently) the German word for "bar" in the clue.</li><li><span>[Frog transformer] for </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">KISS</span> — I thought this was very cute :)</li><li><span>[Convex navel] for </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">OUTIE</span> — I cracked up laughing at using the mathematical term "convex" to describe a belly button. But, they're not wrong!!</li><li><span>[Gooey sandwiches, informally] for </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">PBJS</span> — Idk why but this grossed me out!! A sandwich should not be "gooey!!" Do not describe a sandwich to me as gooey!!!! </li><li>[Lighthearted refrain] for <b>TRALA </b>— This is one of those entries that I would like to see totally phased out, along with <a href="https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2023/12/heat-center-of-2000s-wed-12-6-23.html" target="_blank">"tec."</a> I'd be more sympathetic if it were Captain Underpants' "tra la la" but with just two syllables it sounds so lacking.</li></ul>
xoxo Malaika</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. On Twitter, people have been discussing the prompt "thirteen albums to know me." The idea is that it's un-ordered, and off the top of your head-- don't agonize over the decision!! Here were mine, if you're interested in knowing me: </div><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pure Heroine (Lorde)</li><li>Jagged Little Pill (Alanis Morissette)</li><li>Let Go (Avril Lavigne)</li><li>Come Away With Me (Norah Jones)</li><li>Lemonade (Beyonce)</li><li>Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)</li><li>ANTI (Rihanna)</li><li>SOUR (Olivia Rodrigo)</li><li>Speak Now (Taylor Swift)</li><li>Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)</li><li>Tapestry (Carol King)</li><li>Wildheart (Miguel)</li><li>19 (Adele)</li></ul></div>
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[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>malaikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381324600874755097noreply@blogger.com85tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21164512681639338862024-03-05T05:40:00.001-05:002024-03-05T10:26:02.051-05:00Cattle-catching weapon / TUE 3-5-24 / Spring-loaded office device / Weightlifting item for a biceps routine / Flo Rida hit with the lyric "Champagne buckets still got two tears in it" / Fellow bringing a dozen roses, maybe<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Christina Iverson</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Easy (an undersized 14x15, so times should be fast)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0yKMRH7cH4OQYzeInVivcaqbSkCr1a4KT6Qc9AOetQ8wd7cm5fJ8wre3Mb5uhwKS07xHxyOCEEYDl6D3B5kKRuuKj9D4HWTknTuNm1PeI4t8etdjVVB3Vyld1NaI3D4-zfVGs80de3FxOceT6Oq8Iv9cnPqu-AMVbEJGSMJkgWenoW7ccO-tKQ/s964/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20at%204.07.59%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="852" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0yKMRH7cH4OQYzeInVivcaqbSkCr1a4KT6Qc9AOetQ8wd7cm5fJ8wre3Mb5uhwKS07xHxyOCEEYDl6D3B5kKRuuKj9D4HWTknTuNm1PeI4t8etdjVVB3Vyld1NaI3D4-zfVGs80de3FxOceT6Oq8Iv9cnPqu-AMVbEJGSMJkgWenoW7ccO-tKQ/w354-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-05%20at%204.07.59%20AM.png" width="354" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> THREE-HOLE PUNCH (54A: Spring-loaded office device ... or a collective hint to 16-, 26-, 34- and 41-Across)</span> — the four theme answers could be described (respectively) as "Hole," "Hole," "Hole," and "Punch":<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">LOGICAL FALLACY (16A: Flaw in an argument) ("Hole" 1)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">EMPTY SPACE (26A: Void) ("Hole" 2)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">PIG STY (34A: Messy living area) ("Hole" 3)</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">FRUIT DRINK (41A: Many a beverage ending in "-ade") (... and the Punch)</span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> "my b" </span>(<b>5D: Like "b-boy" and "my b"</b>) —
<blockquote><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "helvetica neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(10, 10, 10); color: #0a0a0a; font-size: 20px;">A phrase used as an abbreviation for "my bad"; utilized by a person claiming that the fault is his own, that he screwed up; commonly used in a casual environment such as when playing games with family and friends. (<a href="https://slang.net/meaning/my_b">slang.net</a>)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbW8q-XCTIr6UsuUS0ou_OO_9rEJX5xHCkT0XKWrBriusXWXNoPab_GkSxR5ykLPMDlsK0CPDQYl4daEeYZFlt00ukf8VLgdGmgqPdOAG1o4PApTze6JoIwPao7rlHQVYAO429jOIWnAytHNGqxWqfKUJf56SOniidY3OssHPCAsTcz5AvrHkog/s1186/One-Punch_Man_TV_Anime_Key_Visual.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="848" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbW8q-XCTIr6UsuUS0ou_OO_9rEJX5xHCkT0XKWrBriusXWXNoPab_GkSxR5ykLPMDlsK0CPDQYl4daEeYZFlt00ukf8VLgdGmgqPdOAG1o4PApTze6JoIwPao7rlHQVYAO429jOIWnAytHNGqxWqfKUJf56SOniidY3OssHPCAsTcz5AvrHkog/w166-h232/One-Punch_Man_TV_Anime_Key_Visual.webp" width="166" /></a></div>Saved by the revealer, for sure. This one was lackluster as hell until I got south of the equator and finally <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BARN DANCE</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GO LIMP</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">DWEEBY</span></b> gave me something to live for, and then <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE-HOLE PUNCH</span></b> swooped in like "ta da!" and honestly I just like the way that answer looked, right off the bat. Had no idea what it had to do with the theme at first—ran right through it and finished up the puzzle—but I did think "now that's a proper long answer! Can't wait to see how the hell it relates to the boring answers above!" And then, once I'd finished, I went back to read the revealer clue all the way through and yes, yes, this is the stuff. This goes past corny into straight-up loopy. Most early-week themes are content to stop at corny—insipid puns and what not. But this one is like "I Have Given You Three Holes And I Have Given You A Punch! Are You Not Pleased!? I Do Not Care, For I Am <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE-HOLE PUNCH</span></b>, King Of Themes! Look On My Holes, Ye Mighty, And Despair!" Just some borderline dadaesque ridiculousness, and I am here for it. Really wish the grid had more life to it, especially up top, but themewise, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">THREE-HOLE PUNCH</span></b> is what you call "sticking the landing." Great phrase on its own, even better revealer. Missed opportunity, though, with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">EMPTY SPACE</span></b>: could've gone with BLANK SPACE and then tied it to TayTay / TSwizzle / Her Swiftness there at <b>42D: Swift to fill a concert hall? (<span style="color: #351c75;">TAYLOR</span>)</b>:<div><br />
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</div><div>Puzzle started inauspiciously with a small corner choked with overfamiliar short stuff, with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOLA</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ANI</span></b> being decidedly subpar. I should not be feeling "oof" *twice* in so small a space. Also, I just resent <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BOLA</span></b> (<b>1D: Cattle-catching weapon</b>) because I always confuse it with BOLO, a mistake I made again today, which left me wondering if Inventor David Aguilar had maybe built a fully prosthetic and functional ORE out of Legos. That would've been ... something. The middle of the grid gets particularly cruddy, with three (3!) "I"s to go with the "I" we'd already seen in the aforementioned bad answer "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">AN I</span></b>" (<b>4D: What "their" is spelled with, but not "there" or "they're"</b>) So ... four "I"s! "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I CRY</span></b>," "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I'M UP</span></b>," and "There but for the grace of God <b><span style="color: #351c75;">GO I</span></b>," which sounds like a particularly depressing morning litany. I'm just gonna leave to the side the fact that the puzzle also contains the Spanish word for "I" ("<b><span style="color: #351c75;"><i>YO</i> TE AMO</span></b>") and the objective form of "I" ("<b><span style="color: #351c75;">ON <i>ME</i></span></b>") and would've had a fifth "I" if an alert editor hadn't finally said "enough is enough" at <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AMI</span> (37A: French friend)</b>.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>There weren't too many potential pitfalls today. I use a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">CURL BAR</span></b> at the gym all the time, but have never heard anyone refer to it by name and so it took me a weird lot of crosses to finally pick up (<b>29A: Weightlifting item for a biceps routine</b>). I kept reading [<b>Void</b>] as a verb, which meant that even after I got EMPTY, the SPACE part was not obvious and took some (small amount of) time to fill in. No idea about the Flo Rida song. He is ... never going away, because of his name parts (FLO and RIDA will haunt crossword grids for some time to come), and now I see that he has at least one "hit" that is probably never going to go away either. At least I got to "hear" the colorful lyric, "Champagne buckets still got two tears in it." It's a cute way to signal that "CRY" is in the title, in case you had any trouble with the crosses, which you shouldn't have. If nothing else, the Flo Rida song led me to this line, from Melissa Maerz's review of the Flo Rida album <i>Wild Ones</i>, on which the song "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">I CRY</span></b>" appears:</div><div><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;"></span><blockquote><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">"Most bizarre is "I Cry", which speeds up </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Russell" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Brenda Russell">Brenda Russell</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">'s 1988 smooth-jazz cheesefest "</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_in_the_Dark" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="Piano in the Dark">Piano in the Dark</a><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">" until it has all the emotional heft of an </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMFAO" style="background: repeat; color: #795cb2; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.000001px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none;" title="LMFAO">LMFAO</a> <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; font-size: 14.000001px;">track. You couldn't program a robot to cry to it." (EW, June 29, 2012)</span></blockquote><div>"All the emotional heft of an LMFAO track," LMFAO. Nice.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>Guessed the <b><span style="color: #351c75;">KABOB</span></b> spelling correctly at first pass, which is always a nice feeling (<b>59A: Meat skewer</b>). Spelling on that one is always slippery: aside from the relative common "KEBAB" spelling, there was also a KEBOB back in 2020, and even a KABAB back in 1988, so, you know, probably <i>not</i> gonna be KEBOB or KABAB, but once you know those precedents are out there, they can haunt you. Feels like a dangerous spelling trap, every time.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>My daughter (Ella) was assistant production manager on <i>Oh, Mary!</i>, <a href="https://www.ohmaryplay.com">Cole Escola's dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln</a>—which I'm told is fantastic (playing through May 5 at the Lortel Theater in NYC!)—and she texted us after opening night to tell us that "<a href="https://playbill.com/article/photos-comedy-theatre-stars-come-out-to-celebrate-opening-night-for-cole-escolas-oh-mary">famous people</a>" had been at the premiere, as well as at the opening night party. We wondered who? "Do you know <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AMY</span></b> Sedaris?" LOL, yes, yes I do, kid (<b>28D: Comedian Sedaris</b>). </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVIC-bYkOHGcpZTjWc4BiWhOqyZ-O9dw84ouMVQwhr286Ybzw348BcsNcVKr7-zqSvlDtW8tCARRqYMPlKR7q3wn8fsqvjaJFfe1DJM82YFj0JWbX1UWt5X3z6opwh_mB7RkqSzjC18Ds-dVwgjB2i3azhVtiagYAlLLZd_ModCSflEnsYLensA/s1670/IMG_9211.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1670" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVIC-bYkOHGcpZTjWc4BiWhOqyZ-O9dw84ouMVQwhr286Ybzw348BcsNcVKr7-zqSvlDtW8tCARRqYMPlKR7q3wn8fsqvjaJFfe1DJM82YFj0JWbX1UWt5X3z6opwh_mB7RkqSzjC18Ds-dVwgjB2i3azhVtiagYAlLLZd_ModCSflEnsYLensA/w281-h400/IMG_9211.jpeg" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[photo credit: Rebecca J. Michelson, from playbill.com]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>See you next time.<br /><br />
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div></div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38884906083402525162024-03-04T00:00:00.214-05:002024-03-04T05:48:18.815-05:00Small vehicle on a railroad track / MON 3-4-24 / "You both swiped right!," on Tinder / Streaming service that dropped th first three letters of its name when it rebranded in 2023 / Film franchise that includes "The Avengers," "Thor" and "Iron Man," in brief<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Constructor:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Samantha Podos Nowak</span><br /><br />
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Relative difficulty:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> Medium (solved Downs-only)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEDr5edTfk39FNk3_3srGAfpYWKA-yQ5QVX09iUlxpg5fzwirIuny4W3hyphenhyphenjkteEEuFgzWhQQ6EhJwoZPzWrNzPNeDEH8ns45VJd5OtgoKr9dAoVSnxq69_iDy4FOyx6QCvLMoMs0IAILixDum8bHHg09Gw0glRNLT1CPPxHzegTmebgWsKdPgdg/s964/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%207.16.25%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="910" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEDr5edTfk39FNk3_3srGAfpYWKA-yQ5QVX09iUlxpg5fzwirIuny4W3hyphenhyphenjkteEEuFgzWhQQ6EhJwoZPzWrNzPNeDEH8ns45VJd5OtgoKr9dAoVSnxq69_iDy4FOyx6QCvLMoMs0IAILixDum8bHHg09Gw0glRNLT1CPPxHzegTmebgWsKdPgdg/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-03%20at%207.16.25%20PM.png" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">THEME:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> BANANA SPLITS (35A: With 37-Across, some ice cream confections ... or a hint ot the second, fifth, eleventh and fourteenth rows of this puzzle)</span> — the word "BANANA" is "split" across black squares four times:<br /><br /><span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Theme answers:</span><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">SCU<span style="color: red;">BA / NANA</span>S</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">CA<span style="color: red;">BANA / NA</span>YSAYER</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">SUBUR<span style="color: red;">BAN / ANA</span>LOG</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">CU<span style="color: red;">BAN / ANA</span>IS </span></li></ul>
<span style="color: #500b00; font-weight: bold;">Word of the Day:</span><span style="color: #333399; font-weight: bold;"> gimlet </span>(<b>38D: Gimlet or screwdriver = <span style="color: #351c75;">TOOL</span></b>) —
<blockquote><span class="mw_t_bc" face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 19px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: </span><span face=""Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; font-size: 19px;">a small tool with a screw point, grooved shank, and cross handle for boring holes (merriam-webster.com)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">• • •</div>
<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxDQzLbTeyGQAO8XtzhfMlcTv8rMUJIKYttGJLLdkXOx6aZGS8L1HhlZOneU1I8UHAjTqe9lGIEGd0algk__jxPrUf-kKLexKAKvqKNHTXnPzeOlIct1Kg0PGxY0sjGlFoVt4ONrRm9GUY6khOSX3WDGCrnDQ85RucVbtjzS1GIGB_7S_NR9JIA/s1476/couv-3876_v2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="1143" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxDQzLbTeyGQAO8XtzhfMlcTv8rMUJIKYttGJLLdkXOx6aZGS8L1HhlZOneU1I8UHAjTqe9lGIEGd0algk__jxPrUf-kKLexKAKvqKNHTXnPzeOlIct1Kg0PGxY0sjGlFoVt4ONrRm9GUY6khOSX3WDGCrnDQ85RucVbtjzS1GIGB_7S_NR9JIA/w184-h238/couv-3876_v2.jpg" width="184" /></a></div>Now that I see the BANANA gag, I like the theme OK. It's a cute idea. The problem is that there's no real theme material—no theme answer, nothing holding the puzzle together but letters shared between two answers. The only wordplay is in the revealer. It's a virtually non-existent theme until you get the revealer. And the long answers somehow *aren't* involved as theme answers, which makes it awkward. As I was solving, I assumed that the last Across was going to finally tell me what the theme was all about, but when I got "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IT'S A MATCH</span></b>," I still had no idea. Turns out, "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IT'S A MATCH</span></b>" isn't even theme material. It's just ... a long Across. Same with <b><span style="color: #351c75;">AISLE SEAT</span></b>. So the puzzle is structurally interesting, but it feels oddly put together, and kind of themeless, without any of the upsides of a themeless (namely, lots of longer, sparkly fill). I concede that the concept is clever, but solving it wasn't terribly fun or satisfying. The grid is laden with overfamiliar stuff (<b><span style="color: #351c75;">ESL CCS AHAB YER ABA GAEL ALA NAGANO UTERO UHNO</span></b>), and some of the longer fill just left me cold. Bygone names of streaming services should be scrubbed from your wordlists; I've lost count of how many HBO streaming incarnations there have been: HBOGO, HBONOW, <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HBOMAX</span> (4D: Streaming service that dropped the first three letters of its name when it rebranded in 2023)</b>, and now it's just MAX. Why not throw all of them in the garbage? The first three, anyway. And never having used Tinder, "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">IT'S A MATCH</span></b>" felt like a dead-weight phrase to me (<b>56A: "You both swiped right!," on Tinder</b>). I inferred it from crosses, but couldn't think of a context that would make it a worthy standalone answer. I guess that context is Tinder. OK. As I say, the puzzle just didn't resonate <i>with me</i>. If it meant something to you, fantastic.<div><br />
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</div><div>The Downs-only solve was very easy up top and very hard down below. Whole banks of Downs in the bottom half of the grid were blank after my first pass. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">ASSIST / QUOTED / ABUSES</span></b>? Nothing. <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HANDCAR (?) / "CAN'T BE" / BEAUT</span></b>? Nothing. I stumbled my way to <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEAUT</span></b> in a most improbable way—by guessing "<b><span style="color: #351c75;">UH</span></b> (or UM) <b><span style="color: #351c75;">NO</span></b>" at <b>55D: "Well ... I'll pass"</b> and then guessing that a five-letter word beginning "U" and ending "O" must be <b><span style="color: #351c75;">UTERO</span></b>, which put a "T" at the end of <b>50D: Real gem</b>, and *somehow* <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BEAUT</span></b> leapt to mind. From there I could suss out <b><span style="color: #351c75;">SUBURBAN</span></b>, and then the CAR part of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">HAND CAR</span></b>, and then those pesky parts finally fell, but for a bit there it looked my Downs-only efforts were gonna be a bust.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>The big surprise of the day, for me, was realizing that I had no idea that "gimlet" was a <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOOL</span></b>. I assumed, as the clue probably assumed I'd assume, that the "gimlet" and "screwdriver" in <b>38D: Gimlet or screwdriver</b> were cocktails. Bizarrely, I'd just looked up "gimlet" (the cocktail) earlier in the day, during cocktail hour with my wife (every day, five o'clock, like civilized people). I was remembering that Marlowe drank them with Terry at Victor's in Chandler's <i>The Long Goodbye</i>, and Marlowe insisted they had to be half Rose's and half gin (“beats martinis hollow”), but if you've ever tried that (specifically on Marlowe's recommendation, in my case), you know it's way, way too cloying. Those proportions are horrendous. So anyway that’s how I came to look up the "classic" recipe for a gimlet earlier in the evening. I was even reading about the history of the drink and its name, and I think the damn explanation even *mentioned* that the drink might've gotten its name from some tool! Hang on, I'm going to find it. Ah, here it is—this passage from <a href="https://www.liquor.com/recipes/gimlet/">Liquor.com</a>:</div><div><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.1px;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">As for who first combined Rose's cordial with navy rations of gin, the story gets murkier. Many like to credit Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette, a British naval doctor, for popularizing the cocktail. <u>Others say it was named after a tool used to bore holes on ships</u>. Like most pre-20th-century cocktails, particularly one that comes from such a simple template—spirit, sugar, and citrus—it's hard to pin down a single point of origin. (<u>my emph</u>.)</span></blockquote></span></div><div>Which is more improbable? That I was reading this just hours before solving today's gimlet-containing puzzle, or that my reading it helped me Absolutely Not At All? I sat there with --OL at <b>38D: Gimlet or screwdriver</b> and had no idea what to do. Began suspecting I had something wrong, until the SPLITS part of <b><span style="color: #351c75;">BANANA SPLITS</span></b> became obvious, and <b><span style="color: #351c75;">TOOL</span></b> became inevitable. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYoekebT3DJA_iTDQkNtYx1Fg6ncGDN-kdHhmwz97ebkv1n25gdyuneHh7Nigg7wtGaZtt21g60UdE2gYiBBHMN5P9CETxNXT9ij3Vkk0qwehFAp3MU4wtNrveck245sqSeyb2wb6wGyFG9KZ1ppttrT4nHfd1RN6Zm9a2n8KfF7NDszVgvUThw/s1116/b9f88b9a7dac9a32e472399ecbf53b2e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYoekebT3DJA_iTDQkNtYx1Fg6ncGDN-kdHhmwz97ebkv1n25gdyuneHh7Nigg7wtGaZtt21g60UdE2gYiBBHMN5P9CETxNXT9ij3Vkk0qwehFAp3MU4wtNrveck245sqSeyb2wb6wGyFG9KZ1ppttrT4nHfd1RN6Zm9a2n8KfF7NDszVgvUThw/s320/b9f88b9a7dac9a32e472399ecbf53b2e.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Big shout-out to Will Shortz, who announced yesterday (on the NPR Weekend Edition puzzler segment) that he is recovering from a stroke he suffered last month. Hopefully he's back in action soon, and next month's American Crossword Puzzle Tournament continues as scheduled, with him running the show, as usual. He's gonna get such an ovation ... :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Take care, everyone.</div><div><br /></div><div>
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld <br />
<br />
[Follow Rex Parker on <a href="http://twitter.com/rexparker">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rex-Parker-Does-the-NYT-Crossword-Puzzle/163446923723197">Facebook</a>] </div>Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.com44