Home is Where the Heart Is, Redux. This is the second Tuesday in a row where home was the theme. Last week, we were in actual living spaces. This week the word House is combined with another word to give us a new concept, most of which are not actual human living spaces.
17-Across. "Go," to a driver: GREEN LIGHT. Green House / Light House
26-Across. Insurance company whose slogan begins "Like a good neighbor": STATE FARM. State House / Farm House
37-Across. Trip of a lifetime: DREAM VACATION. Dream House / Vacation House
49-Across. Boost for a hockey team after a penalty: POWER PLAY. Power House / Play House
And the Unifier:
60-Across. People who share a living space, and what both parts of 17-, 26-, 37-, and 49-Across can be?: HOUSE MATES. Because Room Mates was too few letters.
Across:
1. Speck released by fluffing cushions: MOTE.
5. Outfit: GETUP.
10. Phishing, e.g.: SCAM.
14. Talk Like a Pirate Day greeting: AHOY. September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
15. Friend in Oaxaca: AMIGO. Today's Spanish lesson.
16. Silicon Valley's __ Alto: PALO.
19. NBA and WNBA: ORGs. Both the National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association are sports Organizations. // And 42-Across. Basketball venues: ARENAS. Teams in both the above organizations will play in an Arena.
20. Tile floor covering: MAT.
21. Sworn statement: OATH.
22. Go nuts for: ADORE.
24. Classic video game maker: ATARI.
29. Garden shovel: SPADE.
31. Easily reached, in a way: LOW. I recently had to move some of my dishes to a LOWer shelf to make it easier for me to reach.
32. Scattergories game piece with 20 sides: DIE.
33. Frozen treats in Roma: GELATI. Today's Italian lesson. What's the difference between Gelato and Ice Cream?
36. Serum container: VIAL.
41. Hosted, for short: MC'ED. As in acting as the Master of Ceremonies. Not to be confused with Einstein's theory of special relativity.
43. Med. condition featured in the novel "Turtles All the Way Down": OCD. Were you aware that the expression Turtles All the Way Down refers to the concept of infinite regress, or the idea that any explanation always requires a further explanation? It is also the title of a young-adult novel by John Green about a teenager with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
44. "Bien sûr": OUI. Today's French lesson.
46. Garden statue with a pointy hat: GNOME. This clue made me think of this scene from The Full Monty.
53. Disappear, as a puddle: DRY UP. Because Evaporate was too many letters.
55. Time-saving options for bakers: MIXES. Because Betty Crocker wouldn't fit into the spaces provided.
56. Post re-re-reshared on social media: MEME.
58. Sign of B'way success: SRO. Standing Room Only.
59. __ golf: MINI.
63. Blackjack cards: ACES.
64. Fertile spots in a desert: OASES.
66. Furtive "Hey!": PSST.
67. Length of hair: TRESS.
68. Leave a mark: SCAR.
Down:
1. Lava, while underground: MAGMA. Everything you wanted to know about Magma but never thought to ask.
2. "Darn it!": OH, RATS!
3. Keep a beat, digitally?: TOE TAP.
4. Organ on a dollar bill: EYE. Does the Eye really have a secret meaning?
5. Charity ball, say: GALA.
6. Sends out: EMITS.
7. Like an inflated blood pressure cuff: TIGHT.
8. "Yuck!": UGH.
9. Shepherd's pie topper: POTATO. Yummers! Here's a recipe.
10. Parody: SPOOF.
11. Dashboard feature: CAR RADIO.
12. Native of Africa's largest country: ALGERIAN. Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in North Africa. Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia; to the east by Libya; to the southeast by Niger; to the southwest by Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara; to the west by Morocco; and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. Speaking of Africa, do you know which US State is closest to Africa? *
13. Calendar divs.: MOs. As in Months.
18. "I'm stumped": NO IDEA. I wasn't stumped by today's puzzle.
23. __ point: condensation temperature: DEW.
25. Ranted and raved: RAGED.
27. Wonderland visitor: ALICE. The original name of the book, which was published in 1864 was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. [Name # 1, fictional.]
28. Filmmaker Brooks: MEL. Mel Brooks (né Melvin James Kaminsky; b. June 28, 1926) was the creative genius behind the television series Get Smart. He is best known, however, for some really funny movies, including Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Space Balls, and High Anxiety. [Name # 2]
30. Street in a horror franchise: ELM. What a nightmare!
34. To no __: unsuccessfully: AVAIL.
35. Sticky stuff: TAR.
36. Ski helmet part: VISOR.
37. Batman publisher: DC COMICS. Did you know that the DC is short for Detective Comics?
38. Merlot, Malbec, Montepulciano, etc.: RED WINES. I am familiar with Merlot, but Not Malbec or Montepulciano.
39. "The Ice Storm" director Lee: ANG. Ang Lee (b. Oct. 23, 1954) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles. [Name # 3.]
40. With 65-Across, two-person vehicle: TANDEM. // And 65-Across: See 40-Down: BIKE.
41. Bucket partner: MOP.
44. Smelter input: ORE. A crossword staple.
45. Conclusion: UP-SHOT.
47. Occult practitioner: MYSTIC.
48. "Aha!": EUREKA.
50. Live: EXIST.
51. Bring on a smile: AMUSE.
52. Some RSVPs: YESES.
54. Tough question: POSER.
57. Clutter: MESS.
59. Geography class display: MAP.
61. Canoeist's need: OAR.
62. Crunched muscles: ABs.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
* The closest US State to Africa is Maine. The closest point in Africa to the United States is El Beddouza, Morocco.
38 comments:
When a puzzle is this easy, I like to see how many answers I can get without looking at the clues. So that’s why I originally had “state fair” instead of “State Farm.” Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Thought that the chef's time-saver was a MIXEr. Quickly fixed. Kyle usually stumps me, but not today. Of course, d-o failed to find the theme or notice the reveal. [Sigh] Thanx, Kyle and Hahtoolah.
Take your child to work day: I learned on WWDTM that years ago Steve took his son to work at PBS. The young Mr. Inskeep somehow pushed a button that knocked Morning Edition off the air for a full minute.
FIR. Such an easy puzzle. No problems at all. Clever theme and hardly a proper name to be found. This was an enjoyable Tuesday romp.
FIW. Like D/O I had MIXEr, but unlike him I failed to see that UPtHOT didn't make sense. But I did fix mite->MOTE and oasis->OASES.
Today is:
NATIONAL PREPAREATHON! DAY (good suggestions can be found at community.fema.gov)
NATIONAL HONESTY DAY (no, that dress doesn’t make you look fat, sitting on the couch eating bonbons and watching The View makes you look fat. Fits right in With Ha2la's truth serum cartoon)
NATIONAL HAIRSTYLIST APPRECIATION DAY (kinda redundant for me. I use dog grooming clippers on what’s left of my hair)
NATIONAL MILITARY BRATS DAY (seems like they tend to turn out well)
NATIONAL SARCOIDOSIS DAY (can affect muscles, bones, kidneys, eyes, liver, the heart or any other part of the body. The cause is unknown, and there is no cure. The good news is that it mainly attacks people aged 20-40.
NATIONAL RAISIN DAY (there may have been other performers who sang it, but the California Raisins’ version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine is among the best.
NATIONAL OATMEAL COOKIE DAY (nah. Got any made with white chocolate and macadamia nuts?)
NATIONAL ADOPT A SHELTER PET DAY (if I get another pet after Zoё is gone, it will be another rescue)
NATIONAL BUGS BUNNY DAY (oh c’mon Doc. Do we really need this one?)
NATIONAL BUBBLE TEA DAY (or this one, for that matter)
Forgot to add that I don't get why a canoe needs an OAR. I've done a lot of canoeing, and I've always used a paddle. One former girlfriend liked to paddle.
I had a work pal named Jim Oaxaca. Pronounced whoaHOCKah, or something close to that. Too bad Lucina won't be here today, she could set me straight.
An inordinate number of my erasures and FIWs are caused by not catching the tense or number of the clue. I know it's a problem, but I can't seem to fix it. Maybe switch to halfcaf or caf.
Thanks to Kyle for the fun puzzle. And thanks to Ha2la for another chuckle-filled Tuesday.
Took 5:50 today for me to attend the open house.
I had no idea what "bien sur" is or was, which means I failed today's foreign language lesson.
OCD was filled-in via the perps, but I would've been lost with that clue.
If there was an actress today, I missed her.
Good morning. Thank you, Kyle Dolan, and thank you, Hahtoolah.
I liked the theme. Needed the reveal to understand how those answers were connected.
This puzzle had plenty of LOW hanging fruit.
Hatoolah. I'd never encountered the expression 'Turtles All the Way Down' before today. Yesterday morning however, there was a professor / author on a TV news segment discussing his book "The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions".
Looks like a pretty interesting book, based on the interview and the Google Books preview. Coincidentally, among other ritual behaviors revealed in the preview, he writes that Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones has to have a piece of shepherd's pie - always the first slice - right before he steps on stage.
Later, he discusses "Becoming Invested in the Cake You Bake" and describes that in the late 50s, General Mills subsidiary Betty Crocker hired a psychologist to find insight into why convenient shortcuts to baking perfection were falling short with younger women. The Austrian psychologist used a new approach to market analysis - that he called "focus groups."
Enough of that.
I did guess Maine.
Jinx, Oaxaca is pronounced waˈhaka. I know it from the cheese. Oaxaca cheese is often used when making chille rellenos, enchiladas, quesadillas - anywhere you need a good melting cheese.
Hi All!
Thanks for a not-so-hard puzzle, Kyle. Thanks for the COMICS laden expo, Hahtoolah. (I also like the EYE article).
WOs: GELATo, MIXEs, ROOMMMATE [sic]
ESPs: N/A
Fav: MEL Brooks - a national treasure.
IIRC, Turtles all the way down has to do with the Earth is on the back of a turtle. What's under the turtle? Well, another turtle... It's turtles all the way down.
//I LIU - "expression that refers to the concept of infinite regress" and " "Turtles all the way down" is an expression of the problem of infinite regress. The saying alludes to the mythological idea of a World Turtle that supports a flat Earth on its back." So, a recursive function with no "escape clause" at the top.
Y'all have a great day!
Cheers, -T
Good Morning:
Well, I think perhaps Kyle pleased just about everyone today: No circles, no bombardment of proper names or TLWs, no cutesy slang, no text shorthand, no obscurities, no junk; just a nice, clean grid, with a clever and well-executed theme and fun reveal. The theme was well hidden and the themers were solid, in the language phrases and the difficulty level was a perfect Tuesday. What more could we ask for?
Thanks, Kyle, for an enjoyable solve and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the usual fun, facts, and frolicking! I never saw the movie, The Full Monty, but I remember been so riveted by Tom Wilkinson's performance in "In The Bedroom." Rapunzel brings back long ago memories of a record of the tale that I played until it was worn out. That comic and Tar and Feathered and the Skeleton requesting a Mop were today's favorites. Thanks for searching out these gems!
Have a great day.
Once more Irish Miss ☘️ @8:23 said it just right. I totally agree with her first paragraph.
I like the concept of infinite regress but I wasn’t familiar with turtles all the way down. It is akin to the little girl with the umbrella on the Morton salt box holding a Morton salt box.
One gold star for me today, I guessed the state of Maine correctly.
We had STATE FARM insurance for a very long time then three years ago switched to USAA.
Thank you Hahtoolah for the fun review. Unlike that bank teller, I care. LOL.
In many ways, today's puzzle seemed a bit easier than yesterday's. It was straightforward, and with clearcut theme and reveals.
I was not particularly fond of some of the definitions. For instance:
1) the answer to "easily reached, in a way," was LOW, implying, I guess, that it is easier to reach things that are low, by stooping over. Nope; not for a lot of us whose bad backs make that quite painful. I find that things that are chest-high and above are more easily reached.
2) I would think that a typical greeting at a pirate get-together would not be the polite "ahoy" that would be used by, say, navy guys, but something like "argh."
3) I have never read--or heard of--"Turtles All the Way Down."
4) When discussing the size of countries (or U.S. states, for that matter), to avoid ambiguity, one should clarify whether we are talking population or geographical size. I'm sure I am not the only one whose answer was NIGERIAN for 12D. Aargh!!
Those are my nits to pick; overall though, Kyle, I enjoyed your Tuesday-appropriate crossword.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Kyla (my Blogger title shows Kyla not Kyle that everyone is thanking?) and Hahtoolah.
I FIRed in good time and saw the HOUSE MATES theme.
Straight forward solve today with only one inkblot when ALICE forced a change from Gelato to the plural GELATI.
I did think of Dust before MOTE, but i looked at 1D and saw MAGMA. Whew, a bad start was avoided.
A refreshing lack of unknown names or “cutesy” clues (what IM said!).
This Canadian entered EYE, but was glad of the photo reminder given by Hahtoolah. We have a Loon EYE.
My DREAM VACATION was Switzerland/Austria, but then an undreamed-of opportunity arose to go on safari in Kenya.
Does Picard have a TANDEM BIKE photo for us instead of a Uni-cycle?
Wishing you all a great day.
Thank you Kyle for a providing us with some shelter in the face of the ever advancing weekend.
And thank you Hahtoolah for an informative and funny review.
Some favs:
1A MOTE. I didn't care a MOTE for this one.
19A ORGS. Nice how the NBA and WNBA seem to have coordinated LOGOS. Looks like the guy is left-handed and the gal is right-handed. We southpaws notice things like that.
21A OATH. Sounds like it's been all downhill since.
41A MC'ED. Favorite cartoon (so far).
67A TRESS. A continuation of yesterday's "Hare today, goon tomorrow"?
1D MAGMA. If the MAGMA doesn't reach the surface and cools underground it forms intrusive igneous rocks, e.g. Granite. If it reaches the surface and cools above ground, it is an extrusive igneous rock and is called LAVA, e.g. BASALT.
4D EYE. Very interesting article.
9D POTATO. Shepherd's Pie is one of my favorites. My English Mum raised us on the dish. Thanks for the recipe Susan!
37D DC COMICS. And here I thought they originated in the our nation's capital.
38D RED WINES. A CSO to MOE.
Cheers,
Bill
Irish Miss @8:23 AM Oh, I'm sure he will displease somebody! 😀
Good Morning! Thanks, Kyle, for a fun start to the day!
I had a few bumps in the road, but overall, it flowed pretty smoothly.
SpAM -> SCAM and Medium -> MYSTIC.
One nit – when I was in camp, we used a paddle for the canoe and an OAR for the rowboat. Same purpose, different shape. An OAR would be very clutsy with a canoe.
Can anyone explain why MEME is spelled ME-ME and pronounced meem, or is it just one of those kid things…?
Shepherd’s pie is one of my favorite comfort foods.
Thanks, Hah2lah! As always, your recap what a winner! LOL for your closing bank teller!!
Started disastrously: 1A: LINT; 5A: SETUP; 14A: ARGH. Took a bit to straighten out that mess, but still managed to FIR in decent time all things considered. Never saw the theme, but didn't go back and look for it. I loved the low number of names. When Hahtoolah 'splained the theme, I found it quite clever. Thanx KD for the fun! And thanx to Hahtoolah, too, for the terrific write-up. You outdid yourself with the funny 'toons today. I especially liked the blackjack 'toon: Ace of hearts and queen of clubs!! Funny!!
CanadianEh!, Hahtoolah typoed Kyle's name. His puzzles have appeared in the LAT numerous times. It was spelled correctly in The Barnacle.
RosE, you can blame Richard Dawkinsl -- "We need a name for the new replicator, a noun that conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation. 'Mimeme' comes from a suitable Greek root, but I want a monosyllable that sounds a bit like 'gene'. I hope my classicist friends will forgive me if I abbreviate mimeme to meme. If it is any consolation, it could alternatively be thought of as being related to 'memory,' or to the French word même. It should be pronounced to rhyme with 'cream'."
Yes, easy, fun puzzle, few unknowns. Turtles all the way down was a wag from a few perps. TA DA! (Yes, TA DA is in my usual vocabulary.)
I forgot to look for the theme which would have been easy to spot with the reveal.
We like our modified shepherds pie made with ground beef. We don't care for adding corn, peas or carrots. Our vegetables are sauteed onions and red and green bell peppers. Most essential are the slices of sharp cheddar melted on top.
I took LOW to be like low expectations, easily reached.
Picard, lovely photos, especially Mt. Fuji. On one of my trips to Japan we had an unusually clear day and could see the top of Mt. Fiji from top floor of our hotel.
From last night: We have a very fashion conscious 30 something employee in marketing who wore a front tuck one day. I wanted to ask her if she knew her short was tucked in front. Then I reasoned that she does nothing that is unfashionable. Embarrassment for both of us averted.
Don't know how that l got tacked onto Dawkins.
HOUSE MATES? Kyle left out " fluid used to correct a type"- WHITEOUT, (I know it's WITE-Out). They both go with HOUSE.
"Scattergories" and :Turtlas All The Way Down" were unknown but OCD and DIE joined the rest of the fills.
The last time I was in S.F. I rented a TANDEM so DW and I could ride it across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito.
Anon@7:50- I didn't even see the clue "bien sur" because ORE, UPSHOT, and AVEIL were already filled.
TTP- The Stones will be playing here Thursday at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Maybe Keith uses the Shepherd's pie to counteract the drug effects of whatever he uses. I won't be paying $105 to sit in a bring-your-own-chair in the race track infield. "I can't get no satisfaction" from getting a sunburn.
Another pleasant puzzle day, with the unknowns nicely perped. For some unknown reason, the theme completely eluded me this morning. Thanks, Ha2la! D'oh! Wrinkled my nose at the mental picture of someone trying to propel a canoe with an oar instead of a paddle...just so wrong. Insn't this what editors are for? (Wait, no I don't mean paddling with an editor! I'll show myself out.)
Thanks, desper-otto. I looked up Richard Dawkins.I had never heard of him, but am happy to know the reason for the pronunciation & that it wasn't just a random sound.
Darn. Now I have a craving for Shepherds Pie. With copious amounts of HP Sauce. And a Bass Ale.
I am always in awe of themes like this where both parts of the theme answer have to fit.
Tehachapi Ken Hand up for NIGERIAN, thinking population. Nigeria may soon surpass the US in population. Learning moment about ALGERIA land area.
Never heard POSER used that way. FIR.
CanadianEh:
Here are photos of me on a memorable TANDEM VEHICLE adventure.
I once had a date with a woman who took me on a TANDEM BIKE ride, but I don't seem to have photos.
From Yesterday and Today:
sumdaze, Jayce, Charlie Echo, AnonT, Yellowrocks
Thank you for the very kind words about my ROSE GARDEN and Mt Fuji photos! Way cool that some of you have also enjoyed the spectacular view of Mt Fuji. A good friend of mine is planning to go to Japan later this year and try to climb it to the top. Beyond my comfort limit!
Thanks d’o, and my apologies to Kyle. My newspaper does not credit the constructor, and I always just use the name at the top of the blog post in my thanks. (I really should be thanking Patti every day too!). I do remember seeing Kyle’s name here previously.
FLN- I was AWOL yesterday and just went back to look, on seeing the comments on Picard’s photos. I’ll echo re those beautiful roses and the great clear shot of Mt Fuji (and Merlie!). We have some of those gorgeous Japaneses cherry trees blooming here in High Park, Toronto, and at Brock University in St Catharines. The Toronto trees were donated by Tokyo in 1959 and draw huge crowds, while the ones at Brock are more recent (2003).
Picard- you posted as I was creating my post. Thanks for that different TANDEM vehicle photo. That is beyond my comfort level.
Bill, Jerry West, aka "The Logo," is right-handed. 'Course the NBA doesn't admit it's him (probably because they're too cheap to pay,) but insiders confirm it's him.
Oh great,
Now Anons are going to complain the puzzles are too easy...
housemates?
But the write up was extra entertaining. I have multiple links to go down the rabbit hole with, except I have this strange craving for Shepherds pie...
CanadianEh Thank you for taking the time to look at my photos from yesterday as well as today.
Good that you also get to enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms in your place. I grew up with them in DC and took it for granted. I now see how lucky we were.
The blossoms only last a week or so. It works OK if you live there, but it is a challenge if you are a visitor. We were very, very lucky to catch them at their peak in Japan. They were late this year, which worked to our advantage.
Here is a close shot of us with cherry blossoms in a park at the start of our travels in Tokyo.
We were grateful to get that one scene, but the blossoms followed us for the next two weeks!
Much easier’n yesterday. But in my haste forgot to check out the obvious theme.
Inkover: medium/MYSTIC,
POSER, tough question? (Attention seeker?). A “Canoe” requires a paddle not an OAR (Jinx). an oar is attached to a boat by an oar lock and can only be swiveled. A paddle is free to move around the boat, change hands etc.
High volcanic accolade:____ cum laude…MAGMA
Soviet commune: STATE FARM
Bemoaning the Soviet days: REDWINES
Most people are right handed. In those countries with the car steering wheel on the right (Britain etc) it seems clumsy to have to maneuver the gear shift and dash instruments and knobs (like the CAR RADIO) with the left hand 🫲
“Turtles all the way down” sound like “going to hell in a hand basket”
Meant to add enjoyed all H2LH’s toons but the “who cares” for the no- interest loan was the best
😄
Musings
-Played 18 today and just missed the oncoming rain.
-After blogging 16 of Kyle’s Saturday puzzles, it was fun to solve a Tuesday edition
-STATE FARM, et al. will be very busy in west Omaha for a long time after the tornados
-STATE FARM spokespeople include Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Chris Paul and now Caitlan Clark. Caitlin’s endorsement money dwarfs her WNBA pay.
-A biblical MOTE
-The History Channel’s Food That Built America series recently showed the battle between Betty Crocker (a fictional person) and Duncan Hines (a real person)
-Lawrence Welk’s show featured tunes that were real TOE TAPPERS!
A CAR RADIO, complete with Conelrad stations, of my teen years
-Who knew all my DC COMICS would be worth a fortune in my old age?
-Yeah, what Irish said too! :-)
-Your cartoons did AMUSE today, Hahtoolah!
Good Afternoon, crossword friends. My sincerely apologies to today's constructor. My typo changed his name from Kyle to Kyla. I have made the appropriate correction.
QOD: If all I’m remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I’ve done a bad job with the rest of my life. ~ Isiah Thomas (né Isiah Lord Thomas, III; b. April 30, 1961), American professional basketball player
I learned how to pronounce both Oaxaca and Michoacan while in my early twenties. Neither source was cheese.
Well, my thanks goes to all you knuckleheads who, by mentioning shepherd's pie so much, pretty much mandated what I'm making for dinner! Nummer nummer.
So..."DC Comics" stands for "Detective Comics Comics". Hmmm.
I ADOREd your puzzle, Kyle!
FAVs: GETUP and Keep a beat, digitally?
I used to have the game Scatergories.
"Turtles all the way down" is new to me. I like the imagery.
So today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day and National Raisin Day...hmmm...how about some Oatmeal Raisin cookies? My favorite!
I so enjoyed your write-up, Hahtoolah! FAV comics: MINI golf, TIGHT, and Interest-free
I agree with what Irish Miss said and with what was noted about OAR vs paddle.
Picard @1:07 PM Great shot of Merlie -- it looks as if she has one of the blossoms in her hair!
Post a Comment