Theme: NONE
Wow, this is the worst Ed Voile puzzle I've ever solved. What a monstrous NESS grid! Grotesque!
Look:
52D: Lock for monsters: NESS
13D: Shiny quality: GLOSSINESS
14D: Tranquility: SERENENESS
35D: Slice-and-dice quality: GORINESS
58A: Hefty state: STOUTNESS
Wait, there are more SS.
24A: Part of USTA: ASSN
40A: First of September?: ESS
43A: Leaky balloon sound: SSS
And more lazy S cluing in HEDGEHOGS, PAVANES, PIS, SAGOS, RAMS, SATIRES, ETUIS, ENTHRONES.
What's the obsession with S today? What's on your mind exactly? If you can not build a good themeless Saturday grid without abusing prefixes and suffixes, just stick to your themed puzzle then!
Ugly. I hate it. I was actually very intrigued by the unusual grid structure when I had my first glance at the puzzle. And I expected some sparkling fills for 12D, 13D and 14D. However, after I filled in SSS and ESS for 40A and 43A, I realized that 13D and 15D would both end in NESS. Then I was very annoyed. I could not believe my eyes when I came to 52D: NESS, and got completely irked when GORINESS and STOUTNESS emerged.
All in all, a bad construction work from the author and a bad editing work from Mr. Williams.
ACROSS:
1A: Sean of "The Lord of Rings": ASTIN. Have never watched the "The Lord of Rings" series. But what a stellar cast! I adore Viggo Mortensen.
5A: Porcupines' kin: HEDGEHOGS. OK, so a group of porcupines is called a "Prickle". Interesting, isn't it? The name "porcupine" comes from French "porc d'épine" which means thorny, prickled or quilled pig/pork, hence the nickname "quill pig".
15A: Sufficient room: SPACE
16A: Fair: EQUITABLE. Good one.
17A: "The Alienist" author Carr: CALEB. Unknown to me. Here is more information about him. Now, how can I remember his name CALEB? OK, CALEB is a Hebrew word meaning "Dog". His initials is C. C. too.
18A: Supported, in a way: PULLED FOR
19A: Bring upon oneself: INCUR
22A: 16th-century dances: PAVANES. I faintly remember seeing this clue before. It's a "slow, stately court dance of the 16th and 17th centuries, usually in duple meter."
24A: Part of USTA: ASSN (Association). USTA is United States Tennis Association.
25A: Greek letters: PIS
28A: Palm starches: SAGOS. Kind of like tapioca. Very popular starch thickener in Southeast Asia.
29A: Daughter of Desi Arnaz: LUCIE
30A: Genetic carrier: RNA. Never know when to put DNA, when to put RNA.
31A: Kentucky fort: KNOX. Why not try "Gelatin brand" for a change?
32A: "Valley of the Dolls" writer: SUSANN (Jacqueline). Not familiar with either the book or the author.
33A: Pharmacy abbr.: OTC (Over-the-Counter)
34A: Actress Jillian: ANN. Saw this clue before. Not familiar with her works.
35A: Plant secretion: GUM
36A: Little links item: TEE. Links Golf Course. Tough to play. You'd better be good with your iron shots.
37A: Sister of Venus: SERENA. The Williams sisters.
39A: Memento __: MORI. "A reminder of life's mortality" (Latin). Remember you are mortal, so carpe diem!
40A: First of September?: ESS (First letter of September is ESS)
41A: Across: pref.: TRANS. Transaction. Transfer, etc.
42A: Theologian Kierkegarrd: SOREN. Father of Existentialism. He wrote "Fear and Trembling". His philosophy (or later Jean-Paul Sartre) is too complicated for me. I have a simple brain. I do love his quote "Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." So true.
44A: Butts: RAMS
45A: Swiftian works: SATIRES. Jonathan Swift.
48A: Michael of Monty Python: PALIN. Saw his name before. Then I promptly forgot.
49A: Femme fatale: SIREN. Or one of the part-woman, part-bird sea nymphs who lured seamen with their enchanting music (Greek Mythology). I love this picture The Siren. So suggestive yet sensual. She is holding a harp, isn't she?
53A: Not fully worked out: TENTATIVE. Please explain this to me. I don't get it.
55A: Glasgow's river: CLYDE. Vaguely remember "Firth of Clyde". I suppose "Bonnie & ___" would be too easy for a Saturday puzzle. Learned this morning that "CLYDE" can also mean "a stupid, inept, or boorish person".
56A: Makes a king: ENTHRONES
57A: Needle cases: ETUIS. Look, she is back! Oh my goodness, this word can also be spelled as ETWEE. Just for your information, ETUI came from old French ESTUIER meaning "to keep".
59A: Force units: DYNES. DYNE came from Greek word "dýnamis "(force, power).
DOWN:
1D: Spore sacs: ASCI. Like the alliteration of the clue. Singular is "ASCUS". It's "the sac in ascomycetes in which the sexual spores are formed."
2D: Reach across: SPAN. Need to reword the clue, "across" has already appeared in 41A.
3D: Soft mineral: TALC
4D: Freeze: ICE UP
5D: Omaha populace: NEBRASKANS. I like how it's structured against SACRAMENTO.
6D: Figure with seven sides: HEPTAGON
7D: 3/20 and 9/23 approx.: EQUINOX. My favorite clue today, though I am not fond of NOX & NOX intersection at 7D & 31A. NOX is Roman goddess of night. Its Greek counterpart is NYX. Add one letter O, you've got ONYX which has nothing to do with night.
8D: D. C. airport: DULLES
9D: Rupert of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": GILES. Thought it was a actor name. Wrong. It's the character's name in the TV series. Complete stranger to me.
12D: Makes confusing intentionally: OBFUSCATES. Again, I like the structural balance of this word with LUMINESCED.
23D: Letter-turner White: VANNA. I forgot. "Wheel of Fortune" co-host.
24D: Eur. nation: AUS (Austria)
25D: Shows subservience: PROSTRATES
26D: Go-between: INTERAGENT
27D: California capital: SACRAMENTO
29D: Shone, as from a chemical reaction: LUMINESCED. I am not familiar with this word, but it's inferable.
32D: More reliable: SURER
38D: Letters in tennis?: ENS. TENNIS. Very nice clue.
39D: Causes: MOTIVES
42D: Sterile solution: SALINE
45D: Squelched: SAT ON
46D: Like choked deltas: SILTY. This whole puzzle feels choked to me.
48D: Piece of the whole: PART
50D: Distance runner Jim: RYUN. No idea. RYUN, interesting name, no wonder he ran. He served in the Congress from 1996-2007. Looks like he was very conservative.
51D: Falco or McClurg: EDIE. How rare! I know them both. Everything I learn, I learned from doing crossword.
54D: Wk. part: THU
C.C.
Wow, this is the worst Ed Voile puzzle I've ever solved. What a monstrous NESS grid! Grotesque!
Look:
52D: Lock for monsters: NESS
13D: Shiny quality: GLOSSINESS
14D: Tranquility: SERENENESS
35D: Slice-and-dice quality: GORINESS
58A: Hefty state: STOUTNESS
Wait, there are more SS.
24A: Part of USTA: ASSN
40A: First of September?: ESS
43A: Leaky balloon sound: SSS
And more lazy S cluing in HEDGEHOGS, PAVANES, PIS, SAGOS, RAMS, SATIRES, ETUIS, ENTHRONES.
What's the obsession with S today? What's on your mind exactly? If you can not build a good themeless Saturday grid without abusing prefixes and suffixes, just stick to your themed puzzle then!
Ugly. I hate it. I was actually very intrigued by the unusual grid structure when I had my first glance at the puzzle. And I expected some sparkling fills for 12D, 13D and 14D. However, after I filled in SSS and ESS for 40A and 43A, I realized that 13D and 15D would both end in NESS. Then I was very annoyed. I could not believe my eyes when I came to 52D: NESS, and got completely irked when GORINESS and STOUTNESS emerged.
All in all, a bad construction work from the author and a bad editing work from Mr. Williams.
ACROSS:
1A: Sean of "The Lord of Rings": ASTIN. Have never watched the "The Lord of Rings" series. But what a stellar cast! I adore Viggo Mortensen.
5A: Porcupines' kin: HEDGEHOGS. OK, so a group of porcupines is called a "Prickle". Interesting, isn't it? The name "porcupine" comes from French "porc d'épine" which means thorny, prickled or quilled pig/pork, hence the nickname "quill pig".
15A: Sufficient room: SPACE
16A: Fair: EQUITABLE. Good one.
17A: "The Alienist" author Carr: CALEB. Unknown to me. Here is more information about him. Now, how can I remember his name CALEB? OK, CALEB is a Hebrew word meaning "Dog". His initials is C. C. too.
18A: Supported, in a way: PULLED FOR
19A: Bring upon oneself: INCUR
22A: 16th-century dances: PAVANES. I faintly remember seeing this clue before. It's a "slow, stately court dance of the 16th and 17th centuries, usually in duple meter."
24A: Part of USTA: ASSN (Association). USTA is United States Tennis Association.
25A: Greek letters: PIS
28A: Palm starches: SAGOS. Kind of like tapioca. Very popular starch thickener in Southeast Asia.
29A: Daughter of Desi Arnaz: LUCIE
30A: Genetic carrier: RNA. Never know when to put DNA, when to put RNA.
31A: Kentucky fort: KNOX. Why not try "Gelatin brand" for a change?
32A: "Valley of the Dolls" writer: SUSANN (Jacqueline). Not familiar with either the book or the author.
33A: Pharmacy abbr.: OTC (Over-the-Counter)
34A: Actress Jillian: ANN. Saw this clue before. Not familiar with her works.
35A: Plant secretion: GUM
36A: Little links item: TEE. Links Golf Course. Tough to play. You'd better be good with your iron shots.
37A: Sister of Venus: SERENA. The Williams sisters.
39A: Memento __: MORI. "A reminder of life's mortality" (Latin). Remember you are mortal, so carpe diem!
40A: First of September?: ESS (First letter of September is ESS)
41A: Across: pref.: TRANS. Transaction. Transfer, etc.
42A: Theologian Kierkegarrd: SOREN. Father of Existentialism. He wrote "Fear and Trembling". His philosophy (or later Jean-Paul Sartre) is too complicated for me. I have a simple brain. I do love his quote "Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it." So true.
44A: Butts: RAMS
45A: Swiftian works: SATIRES. Jonathan Swift.
48A: Michael of Monty Python: PALIN. Saw his name before. Then I promptly forgot.
49A: Femme fatale: SIREN. Or one of the part-woman, part-bird sea nymphs who lured seamen with their enchanting music (Greek Mythology). I love this picture The Siren. So suggestive yet sensual. She is holding a harp, isn't she?
53A: Not fully worked out: TENTATIVE. Please explain this to me. I don't get it.
55A: Glasgow's river: CLYDE. Vaguely remember "Firth of Clyde". I suppose "Bonnie & ___" would be too easy for a Saturday puzzle. Learned this morning that "CLYDE" can also mean "a stupid, inept, or boorish person".
56A: Makes a king: ENTHRONES
57A: Needle cases: ETUIS. Look, she is back! Oh my goodness, this word can also be spelled as ETWEE. Just for your information, ETUI came from old French ESTUIER meaning "to keep".
59A: Force units: DYNES. DYNE came from Greek word "dýnamis "(force, power).
DOWN:
1D: Spore sacs: ASCI. Like the alliteration of the clue. Singular is "ASCUS". It's "the sac in ascomycetes in which the sexual spores are formed."
2D: Reach across: SPAN. Need to reword the clue, "across" has already appeared in 41A.
3D: Soft mineral: TALC
4D: Freeze: ICE UP
5D: Omaha populace: NEBRASKANS. I like how it's structured against SACRAMENTO.
6D: Figure with seven sides: HEPTAGON
7D: 3/20 and 9/23 approx.: EQUINOX. My favorite clue today, though I am not fond of NOX & NOX intersection at 7D & 31A. NOX is Roman goddess of night. Its Greek counterpart is NYX. Add one letter O, you've got ONYX which has nothing to do with night.
8D: D. C. airport: DULLES
9D: Rupert of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": GILES. Thought it was a actor name. Wrong. It's the character's name in the TV series. Complete stranger to me.
12D: Makes confusing intentionally: OBFUSCATES. Again, I like the structural balance of this word with LUMINESCED.
23D: Letter-turner White: VANNA. I forgot. "Wheel of Fortune" co-host.
24D: Eur. nation: AUS (Austria)
25D: Shows subservience: PROSTRATES
26D: Go-between: INTERAGENT
27D: California capital: SACRAMENTO
29D: Shone, as from a chemical reaction: LUMINESCED. I am not familiar with this word, but it's inferable.
32D: More reliable: SURER
38D: Letters in tennis?: ENS. TENNIS. Very nice clue.
39D: Causes: MOTIVES
42D: Sterile solution: SALINE
45D: Squelched: SAT ON
46D: Like choked deltas: SILTY. This whole puzzle feels choked to me.
48D: Piece of the whole: PART
50D: Distance runner Jim: RYUN. No idea. RYUN, interesting name, no wonder he ran. He served in the Congress from 1996-2007. Looks like he was very conservative.
51D: Falco or McClurg: EDIE. How rare! I know them both. Everything I learn, I learned from doing crossword.
54D: Wk. part: THU
C.C.
31 comments:
Good morning CC... I have been waiting for you. I woke up at 4:00. UGH. I hate that. Now I will be tired all day. I had a very hard time with this puzzle. I had trouble with the south west part. I Googled some of
them, but still couldn't get the left bottom corner. Have a great weekend...I have to get ready for work now........
Katherine,
The left bottom corner did not pose too much of a challenge to me due to the clunky NESS. I figured that out quickly. It completely spoiled my fun.
Maybe I just got up too early. LOL
Katherine,
Thomas said that the author was Josiah Breward in his paper. He might be right. There might be mix-up here. Ed Voile's puzzles always have a theme.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - weird puzzle today, huh? Some fairly recent returnees with Michael Palin and "Pavanes".
C.C., if you say, for instance, that you have tentative plans to do something, it means they're not fully worked out, right? I have tentative plans to retire to South Beach, but they're not fully worked out due to a slight problem with NOT ENOUGH MONEY.
Hope it's a great weekend for everyone - do something fun. Always remember -- the clock's running.
Dennis,
Thanks for the TENTATIVE explanation.
Who is the puzzle author in your paper?
C.C., Ed Voile. I saw that too, from yesterday's comments.
Not too bad today. Rather large words for my small mind but with my wife's help we got through it. Sat is one of the few days that we get to do the crossword together.
Too many esses for me. Sounded like the whole thing leaked! Well, off to opening day for grandkids Little League season and maybe a jam session this PM. CYA Mon.
Guten Morgen! Loved 5D because I'm originally from there. Then the goriness of this puzzle kicked in. Lord of the Rings! Great book and film trilogy. I thought of U.S. Tennis Association also. And there is a U.S. Trotting Association. DNA is the genetic code inside the cell. When it is "carried" to create another cell or protein, the "carrier" is RNA which transcribes the information from the double helix to the protein that is being created. What about "trans"-Siberian pipeline. I like that better than "trans"fer. Since 7D is clued 3/20 and 9/23 why is the answer not plural??? Luminescence in chemistry involves chemicals that can create light. An example in biochemistry is the firefly/lightning bug. Jim Ryun was one of the greatest milers of all time. Kept losing the races to Kip Keino of Kenya, though.
Not a bad puzzle except for all the esses, nesses, etc.
Happy Pretzel Day!
My paper has Ed Voile but I'm starting to get the hang of these authors and C.C might be right that the author name is messed up.
Dennis,
I just went to Chicago Tribune's website and found out that the author name is Josiah Breward too. That makes sense, doesn't it?
Bill,
Yes indeed, this whole puzzle leaks, it's full of S holes. This is the worst puzzle I've ever done. I feel cheated! Again!
Drdad,
OK, RNA for "Generic carrier" from now on. Thank you.
I thought of you immediately when I saw 1A clue. That's your territory!
Trans-Siberian sounds better. I also like "Transatlantic Love Affair".
Good point on 7D. It should be EQUINOXES.
Way too many "ESSES" for me... I did okay on the front nine... but the back nine got me in two areas. 25D Prostates (I had DNA instead of RNA) which complicated that one... and 35D Goriness which I thought was an obscure clue.... one for sure that a chef would not appreciate.
Drdad,
Thursday was "Happy Pigs in a Blanket Day"; Friday was "Happy Zucchini Bread Day"; And Saturday is "Happy Pretzel Day".
I wonder what comes up tomorrow?
Yep. You're going to love what we celebrate on Sunday. I couldn't believe it when I found it.
C.C. Should have jumped on the Ortiz jersey.
175K Pretty cheap, ya think???
UGH! This one was "gum"med up! Did get "dynes" thanks to you all some time ago. Also think some of the clues were just not good, like 25 D. I get the connection, just don't like it.
Had to laugh and think of Dennis playing checkers on 56A. Maybe if he had asked his wife to "enthrone" him instead of saying "king me", things would've worked out more royally.
It's a definate topless day here, except for all the pollen that gets on the seats and dash. Small price to pay, though. Enjoy!
c.c., yes, that makes perfect sense.
drdad, i suspect you'll have a meaty tale for us tomorrow.
lois, enthroning's only for special occasions, such as Arbor Day. And yes, the damn pollen gets in every little corner and groove in a convertible. If I'd dropped that much 'pollen', well, never mind...
Big struggle for me. Especially so since my newspaper still has not arrived and it's almost 8AM! Had to do it online and somehow it's not the same. I picked up on the ness theme right away and fill in all the ness endings ahead of time. Still needed some help to complete.
We have an 80+ degree day forecast for the San Jose area today - finally. It's been unseasonally cold and I've been envying the folks in the south and east.
So check out the pic in my profile It's a 1930 Ford roadster (not a convertible). It doesn't have a top, fenders, windshield wipers, cupholders, air conditioning, electric windows, windows of any kind, navigation system, etc. But it's sure fun on a warm day.
mh, fantastic car! You don't see many 30's around. What're you running in it?
re: siren--we have a similar image in swedish folklore--only male and sitting on a rock with a fiddle, playing his winsome tunes. In the painting she has a lyre in her hand. The swimmer seems a bit tentative in his approach but it looks as if she's determined to keep him on tenterhooks!
Hi Dennis,
Yup most roadsters are '32s (deuces). I'm running a 350 Chevy that puts out about 380 HP (special heads, cam, headers, carb, etc.), a 5 speed stick, and a 4.11:1 positraction rear end. It's fast enough to be dangerous so it's a good thing that I'm, ahem, mature.
Good morning everyone! This was a nasty one. I did not care for it at all. All those blooming ESSES. I first got the southeast corner and then had to rely heavily on perpendicular cousins. C.C., USTA is United States Tennis Association. Almost a sub theme with 24A, 37A, 39D? Too many names of people I didn't know, but I was able to complete without assistance. The Siren's instrument is probably a Greek harp. This is Greek Easter weekend, and there are a few Greek references here. Enjoy your weekend, all. Looks like we might finally break into the 60s for two consecutive days here. Drdad, are you going to take a pretzel to lunch to celebrate? C.C., "S holes?" What a riot!!!
Crockett, thank you for pointing out CC's "S" holes. I read it and didn't pick up on that. Thank you CC. That is just too funny! Well done!
mh, love that car!!!!
Bill,
That car guy jumped at the last moment, I did not expect that. If I knew he was prepared to pay more for the Ortiz jersey, I would've be a NODDER and shilled up the price!
Thomas,
Are you getting the TMS crossword from Chicago Tribune's website or your own paper?
The swimmer (sailor I suppose) looks not only TENTATIVE, but also frightened, because he knows that is tempting disaster and he instinctively feels the "Memento Mori".
Crocket1947,
I've changed my mistake, thank you. Agree with your on the subtle tennis theme.
Thank you for noticing the S Holes.
Doesn't everybody notice s holes??
I liked the challenge of 'obfuscates" and 'Luminesced', but is 'sereneness' a word? I would say 'serenity' for the clue 'tranquility'.
It was nice to have the entire puzzle to myself since my husband is camping with the scouts.The weather is finally, though likely briefly, nice in the Pacific Northwest!
dennis, all I can say is that if you had dropped that much pollen, this world would be a lot better off. And as far as noticing "S" holes? I only notice them when they are "S"anctimonious or pointed out to me like cc and crockett did. drdad has a special occassion for every day. Carpe diem!!!
tme, I agree with you. Sereneness doesn't match the clue really... except only in the sense that both are nouns and it does match the theme. Obfuscates was a fun word.
additional note on jim ryun - if memory serves me correct, he was the first U.S. high school student to break 4 minutes in the mile.
Lois,
You are incredible! I've never read your comments without laughing!
Shouldn't 7D be EQUIN or some such, since the clue is full of numbers and abbreviations? And as drdad noted, the clue implies a plural answer. Really a horribly written clue.
Linley,
Ditto your point.
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