Theme: QUOTE
20A: Start of Christopher Fry quote: WHAT AFTER ALL
23A: Part 2 of quote: IS A HALO
37A: Part 3 of quote: IT'S ONLY
49A: Part 4 of quote: ONE MORE
50A: End of quote: THING TO CLEAN
This is a quote from British playwright Christopher Fry's 1949 comical drama The Lady's Not for Burning (Act I). In the same play, act III, he wrote:
"The moon is nothing
But a circumambulating aphrodisiac
Divinely subsidized to provoke the world
Into a rising birth-rate."
I've never heard of him. Wikipedia says "he was also one of the writers of the classic 1959 film, Ben-Hur".
This is my 19th post on Olschwang's puzzle, 17 of them are either QUIP or QUOTE. He should really give up on this exhausting odyssey and expand his repertoire. I enjoyed his other 2 non-Q offerings very much, esp the PLAY BALL puzzle on March 23.
The theme is very uninspiring, and most of the clues are bland, or rather, stale. Lots of repeat offenders, characteristic of Olschang's work. I do like the upper left ZIP corner and hate the last AIL/ILL grid.
It seems like ELI has appeared on our puzzle every day lately. But to our editor's credit, the clue has never been the same. Good!
ACROSS:
1A: Hera's husband: ZEUS. Or Hera's brother. Wasn't her mother RHEA in yesterday's puzzle? Guess we will see her son ARES (God of War) tomorrow. The Roman equivalent of Hera is Juno, ZEUS is Jupiter of course.
15A: Name-tag word. HELLO. HELLO, David Cook, wow, you won, BRAVO (33D: Cry of appreciation)!
17A: Related to yew?: PINY. Hmm, very interesting clue.
18A: Wickerwork material: OSIER. You can not make wicker out of this Red Osier Dogwood, can you?
26A: City on the Rhone delta: ARLES. This is where Van Gogh painted his Starry Night Over the Rhone. My favorite is La Chambre de Van Gogh a ARLES. His use of yellow color always overwhelms me.
31A: Valhalla bigwig: ODIN. He is the ZEUS of Norse mythology. I only learned this morning that ODIN gave up one of his eyes to gain wisdom. Didn't Van Gogh cut one of his ears for his lover? I don't mind striking a "Faustian Deal" with Devil either, but for one day only, just to be wise.
43A: Gassers: RIOTS
44A: Even___: STEVEN. Unknown to me. Inferable though.
55A: Minute plant structure: OVULE. Seed to be.
60A: Opposite of aweather: ALEE. I've never heard of "aweather".
62A: Spike or brad: NAIL. Clever little clue. I like it.
64A: Comic Foxx: REDD. What a strange name! DD & XX.
DOWN:
4D: Server's request: SAY WHEN. Here is Sadao Watanabe's "SAY WHEN". I love his "I thought about you."
5D: Sandbar: SHOALS. Schools of fish? Can you say that?
8D: Treble, for one: CLEF. Do you like Sophie Marceau? You want find la CLEF to her heart? You'd better finish your crossword under 3 minutes.
11D: Highlanders: GAELS. "My heart's in the highlands, my heart is not here..."
22D: Kind of bird?: EARLY. Good clue.
24D: Passover feast: SEDER. In the month of Nisan.
42D: Leftover piece: REMNANT
45D: Pekoe or Assam: TEA. Another Indian reference is RAVI (42A: Sitarist Shankar) Norah's father.
46D: __ of roses: ATTAR. Rose oil. I've never used any pure rose oil or rose water. Want to try some of these fruit shaped marzipans? Most of them are flavored with rose water.
47D: Sedimentary rock: SHALE. I did not know that you get get oil out of this SHALE.
49D: Stew pots: OLLAS.
57D: Tony Randall movie, "7 faces of Doctor ___": LAO. I've never seen this movie. Not familiar with Tony Randall at all. LAO means "old" in Chinese. LAO Tzu (Taoism) literally means "Old Master."
C.C.
20A: Start of Christopher Fry quote: WHAT AFTER ALL
23A: Part 2 of quote: IS A HALO
37A: Part 3 of quote: IT'S ONLY
49A: Part 4 of quote: ONE MORE
50A: End of quote: THING TO CLEAN
This is a quote from British playwright Christopher Fry's 1949 comical drama The Lady's Not for Burning (Act I). In the same play, act III, he wrote:
"The moon is nothing
But a circumambulating aphrodisiac
Divinely subsidized to provoke the world
Into a rising birth-rate."
I've never heard of him. Wikipedia says "he was also one of the writers of the classic 1959 film, Ben-Hur".
This is my 19th post on Olschwang's puzzle, 17 of them are either QUIP or QUOTE. He should really give up on this exhausting odyssey and expand his repertoire. I enjoyed his other 2 non-Q offerings very much, esp the PLAY BALL puzzle on March 23.
The theme is very uninspiring, and most of the clues are bland, or rather, stale. Lots of repeat offenders, characteristic of Olschang's work. I do like the upper left ZIP corner and hate the last AIL/ILL grid.
It seems like ELI has appeared on our puzzle every day lately. But to our editor's credit, the clue has never been the same. Good!
ACROSS:
1A: Hera's husband: ZEUS. Or Hera's brother. Wasn't her mother RHEA in yesterday's puzzle? Guess we will see her son ARES (God of War) tomorrow. The Roman equivalent of Hera is Juno, ZEUS is Jupiter of course.
15A: Name-tag word. HELLO. HELLO, David Cook, wow, you won, BRAVO (33D: Cry of appreciation)!
17A: Related to yew?: PINY. Hmm, very interesting clue.
18A: Wickerwork material: OSIER. You can not make wicker out of this Red Osier Dogwood, can you?
26A: City on the Rhone delta: ARLES. This is where Van Gogh painted his Starry Night Over the Rhone. My favorite is La Chambre de Van Gogh a ARLES. His use of yellow color always overwhelms me.
31A: Valhalla bigwig: ODIN. He is the ZEUS of Norse mythology. I only learned this morning that ODIN gave up one of his eyes to gain wisdom. Didn't Van Gogh cut one of his ears for his lover? I don't mind striking a "Faustian Deal" with Devil either, but for one day only, just to be wise.
43A: Gassers: RIOTS
44A: Even___: STEVEN. Unknown to me. Inferable though.
55A: Minute plant structure: OVULE. Seed to be.
60A: Opposite of aweather: ALEE. I've never heard of "aweather".
62A: Spike or brad: NAIL. Clever little clue. I like it.
64A: Comic Foxx: REDD. What a strange name! DD & XX.
DOWN:
4D: Server's request: SAY WHEN. Here is Sadao Watanabe's "SAY WHEN". I love his "I thought about you."
5D: Sandbar: SHOALS. Schools of fish? Can you say that?
8D: Treble, for one: CLEF. Do you like Sophie Marceau? You want find la CLEF to her heart? You'd better finish your crossword under 3 minutes.
11D: Highlanders: GAELS. "My heart's in the highlands, my heart is not here..."
22D: Kind of bird?: EARLY. Good clue.
24D: Passover feast: SEDER. In the month of Nisan.
42D: Leftover piece: REMNANT
45D: Pekoe or Assam: TEA. Another Indian reference is RAVI (42A: Sitarist Shankar) Norah's father.
46D: __ of roses: ATTAR. Rose oil. I've never used any pure rose oil or rose water. Want to try some of these fruit shaped marzipans? Most of them are flavored with rose water.
47D: Sedimentary rock: SHALE. I did not know that you get get oil out of this SHALE.
49D: Stew pots: OLLAS.
57D: Tony Randall movie, "7 faces of Doctor ___": LAO. I've never seen this movie. Not familiar with Tony Randall at all. LAO means "old" in Chinese. LAO Tzu (Taoism) literally means "Old Master."
C.C.
65 comments:
Good morning, gang - another very quick one this morning; still waiting for the poser. We're definitely overdue. Thought 58D/59D together really sucked. Actually, I agree with you, C.C. - very weak uninspired puzzle.
Lois, you asked where Santa Claus was last night; check the post following yours -- he's lurking!
Dennis,
Is Christopher Fry a familiar name to you?
Good morning everyone. The only problem I had today was the upper left corner. I couldn't get "piny" but it was a good clue, and didn't know 2 or 3 down.
I loved all the videos. Way to go David Cook!
Loved the Van Gogh pictures, and Sophie Marceau sure is beautiful. I never heard of Sadao Watanabe, thanks for those video's too. Great!
Have a good day.........
C.C., yes, somewhat - he had a quote that always stuck in my mind - "the dark is light enough". Don't know why that one stayed with me.
Morning, good people!
Well, I thought today's puzzle was a total gimme. I breezed right through it with no snags or surprises. Or so I thought. I came here to ask how on earth "Server's Request" could end up being "SEE WHEN" (4D), and then of course realized I had mucked up both 14A (ILSE instead of ILSA) and 17 Across (PINE instead of PINE). Oops.
I like a good quote, but I would like them even more if the clue gave a hint as to the subject matter instead of just naming the source. Like, "Start of an angelic Christopher Fry quote," for example. But maybe that's just me.
Also, did anybody else object to having AIL and ILL right next to each other, with nearly identical clues? Why not clue 59D as "___ be back" or something?
Good morning CC & Dennis, DF's:
Blew the NE corner, so 10A ?? Workin' on it! But what a way to
start a day! My sentiments exactly on halos, plus mine's always tilted. Must be the connection or lack thereof. Even tho' the perps were weak, we got 'nailed' again, so it's not all bad. Busted out laughing w/4D. Dick, you ok? 4D! Dennis is UP...I feel a score coming.
Dennis: thank you for directing me back to yesterday. What a 'riot'
Argyl- you are hilarious! What's in YOUR bag?
Good morning all. The paper carrier opted to not deliver my paper this morning therefor I had to do it on line. I don't like doing it on line as it is too difficult to compare my solutions with the blogs solutions.
I really am disappointed that I did not get the paper because then I could have finished in under three minutes and gotten Sophie Marceau's heart. Wow she looks sexy.
The puzzle was somewhat of a bore and I like the others did not like the lower right corner.
Lois I am OK and thanks for asking. I have tried to get 18 holes of golf in between the rain storms and that ends up taking all day. In addition I am trying to get over a case of the shingles and they hurt like hell.
CC: Meant to thank you for the links. Great job, as always. Sophie was blocked, but if we don't see the guys for a while, I'll know why. Dick might consider filling his same position on her team.
Dennis: check May 14, 31D 'lips' clue= 'cup brims'; great perps: levi, spigot...all came easily.. very fertile puzzle...
Good Morning, No I didn't like the 58 & 59d either. AND I also don't like the word DEBAR ! Sorry Mr. Webster but if you have a burr on something and you DEBURR it, the burr goes away. If you have a bar (To ban) on something and you DEBAR it don't you take the bar away??
If you have contamination and you DE contaminate....Well, I guess you get my drift.
Fairly easy. I've heard of the BIG PINY WOODS but never THE BIG YEW WOODS, but it works.
All in all, a good day. 45 and rain today! Guess the grass will grow well if the sun ever gets out.
CYA
Lois I guess I could play on more than one team as long as both games are not played on the same night.
How 'bout a doubleheader?
Dennis maybe even a trifecta
Dennis,
I found out that The Dark is Light Enough is also one of Fry's play name.
Katherine,
My compact mirror is Van Gogh's bedroom. I just love the unbridled passion in his painting. His strokes are so bold and daring.
Barry,
I think the editor put two bugs there trying to be cute! "Under the weather" should work as well for 59D. Regarding the QUOTE, can you just randomly pick up some sentences from someone's work and call it a QUOTE?
Lois,
Off-Day today for baseball. Time for 56A.
Dick,
The girl in Les Champs ÉLYSÉES commercial I linked last Sunday is also Sophie Marceau.
Bill,
DEBAR just appeared in this TMS puzzle a few weeks ago.
Regarding the QUOTE, can you just randomly pick up some sentences from someone's work and call it a QUOTE?
I wouldn't think so. Why, is that what was done here?
Good Morning! Late start today -had to get some lab work going. Still, another easy puzzle but kind of ho-hum today.
Tony Randall was Felix Unger to Jack Klugman's Oscar Madison (The Odd Couple).
Doesn't make sense but debar does mean to forbid, exclude, bar, shut out.
Most comments have been made on the uninspiring nature of this puzzle.
Today is "No Gas Day." I can't afford it anyway unless it's the type Dennis produces when, as Lois implied the other day, he breaks wind.
It's also the anniversary of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Musical Instrument Day.
Who's going to go and see Indy?
Ok, a minor point of correction - the 'wind' lois was referring to was the wind created by the swinging of a 'bat'. At least it better have been, lol.
Barry,
The QUOTE today is just from Fry's drama "The Lady's Not for Burning". I did not see anything special with it, did you?
The QUOTE today is just from Fry's drama "The Lady's Not for Burning". I did not see anything special with it, did you?
Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, I'd say you can definitely pick a random selection from somebody's work and call it a QUOTE as long as the sentences selected are contiguous. I thought you meant selecting different sentences at random from a work and stringing them together to cobble together a quote.
Dennis & Dick: I love it when you talk like that! What an absolutely outstanding,"stroke" of genius.. a doubleheader/trifecta (tripleheader...menage a trois). I think you guys just hit a home-run with your idea! You 'scored'!!
2zip (or not 2zip? your call). I love this game!
CC:I love your description of your compact van gogh pic...I want one! "Oh, Santa?"
It was sort of boring but I still couldn't complete without help. The quote was unknown to me and not inferable. Similar feelings regarding SE corner.
Great American Idol show last night. Loved David Cook singing with ZZ Top, especially the song they picked, "Sharp Dressed Man". Carrie Underwood looked and sounded great. The Gladys Knight and the Pips spoof was also a highlight. Cook was the definitely the best choice - I'm glad the public wasn't taken in by the judges obvious bias. Simon even apologized to DC last night before they announced the winner.
Hello all, I agree that this was a bland puzzle..17A really got me, I have never heard of a "piny" tree. I thought they were pines!
Bill, I have heard the expression "piny woods" but only in a folk song.
Didn't know they were related to yews. Learn something everyday:)
superfrye lets have a knee report.
mh living in CA do you get to dive your nice looking machine frequently? Living here in the Berg there are not many nice days to just go out and cruise.
drdad: No Gas Day? That's perfect! I'd love to stick it to the oil companies who are having record breaking profits...so, tonight I'll ride my horse. On second thought, I'll ride a cowboy and save the horse!!!
Lois, being as it's National Buy a Musical Instrument Day, are you doing anything special?
Oh, and did I mention my nickname is "Tex"?
Dennis (Tex): You are hilarious! National Buy a Musical instrument Day? I can ALWAYS use another, bigger (Texas Sized) instrument. I'm in the market for an organ! Also open for suggestions. Always UP for trying something new.
What about you?
Mh & Barry,
I don't know much about crossword construction, but I start to think a QUIP/QUOTE theme is a very lazy way to create a grid. The author does not need to give much thought and creativity for his theme entries.
Mh, every girl's crazy 'bout "Sharped Dress Man."
Lois,
Here is my Van Gogh compact. The strokes have become softer over the years, but the passion is still there. I truly love the pale violet walls and the yellow chairs.
Sorry Lois,
Here is my Van Gogh Compact
Say all you want about DEBAR but I still don't like it.
The construction of the word and the meanings listed for other "DE" words contradict themselves. Before anybody jumps and says "Look it up" I did but that doesn't make it any more palatable.
Thank you, CC. It is beautiful!
Bland puzzle... another Ace though... 4 in a row.... must have been too easy for me to be able to do that...
Dick... knee is better.... still swells up though... I am going to play golf on Monday... so that will be the real test.
The prefix de- can be traced back through Middle English and Old French to Latin de, meaning “from, off, apart, away, down, out.” In English, de- usually indicates reversal, removal, or reduction. Thus deactivate means “to make inactive,” decontaminate means “to remove the contamination in,” and decompress means “to remove or reduce pressure.” De- is a prefix that occurs very frequently in English.
from:
The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
I rest my case....
It explains why lot of the things are not familiar to you. You were here only 6 yrs when 63A, Redd Foxx, in an interview, said that he picked that stage name from the famous baseball player of the 1930's Jimmy Foxx. And Tony Randall was a perennial on American TV until about 15-20 yrs ago. The most famous of his TV role was that of the clean guy in the show-the odd couple, with Jack Klugman. The show ran for about 9 yrs.
LC
Dennis,
Further to Lois' comment @ 7:18am, please also check your own comment on May 13 @3:41pm. Who started this fire?
Mea culpa.
By the way, that translates to "Lois did it, I'm as innocent as a newborn babe".
Dennis,
The root of the problem might lie in Jim (Jimllrn). He asked you to venture a guess on his age (4C), remember?
Works for me. We'll blame Jim.
Dennis and CC: You make me laugh soooo hard. Innocent as a babe? And who's quoting 'the dark is light enough?' Uh huh. Paybacks are hell, cowboy! Besides, Mrs. Berkowitz taught me Latin better than to know that Mea Culpa means "Lois did it"! Culpa obviously starts with a 'C'...so, Carol did it! Jim may have been involved, but Carol started it. And knowing how 'bad to the bone' drdad, dick, and even Bill are, I'm sure they have to share in the guilt...by association at least. Besides, arson has never been found on my rap sheet. I'm as innocent as a 'newer' born babe.
Works for me. We'll blame Carol.
Well, I certainly didn't do it,..... did I???
If so it was an accident and that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!!
No one in THIS GROUP is innocent!!!
It's a "wonder" the comment page didn't catch fire!
Lois, as to your comment at 7:18 today, "the May 14 Lips clue 31D = cup brims", if I had a 31D my "cup(s)sure would brim!!). I accept blame for carrying on from there but the guys kept it going too. :)
Works for me. We'll blame Bill.
Might be Melissa Bee...
Anna
K, we'll blame everyone not named Dennis.
well, maybe I helped a little but youse guys gotta step up to the plate too. After all the foul balls it's time to get to first base.
Anna,
You are probably right. Have to blame Melissa for the S Bomb skating link.
Melissa,
Are you enjoying today's PESTO/ICING/TEA/SEDER in OLLAS?
Someone needs to use a big hose on this one!!!! Anybody????
Oh, geeze! Now the boys are REALLY going to get into a contest!
Hey Lois, we can only hope!! We can choose the "winner" and put this situation to bed !!!!! LOL
All riiigggghhhhtttt! I'll volunteer as ref. I've got my ruler...yardstick...oh, wait. Maybe we should wait for Dick. and drdad. Wha' d'ya think?
Where do I send the picture?
Ok, got the solution:
Carol: How about if we just flip for the 'winner'? Heads or tails? Wait...that won't work either. That's just another contest. Well, we know that Dennis is a very 'morel' man. Besides, I think he started it. He deserves to be put...or taken...to bed.
Dennis: As for the pic? My 'male'box is still available.
Hey Lois, how 'bout we flip our tails and come up with heads????!!!! :)
Carol: Sounds like a win/win deal to me! That way, we should all be satisfied. The fire is finally
'put out'...contest over. I'll sleep better tonight.
oh sure i see how it is ... miss one day and if your name's not dennis ..
anyway c.c. you're right .. i take full responsibility for posting that skater link. and i'm not a bit sorry.
can't comment on the puzzle though (but c.c. that sounds like something i would notice). never got to it as i had SEVEN(!) massage clients today and am just now sitting down. sounds like i didn't miss much puzzle-wise. but lois and carol .. who won???
C.C., Terrific links today. I really loved the Van Gogh links. Beautiful.
You're right; we do miss stuff if we clock-watch. I'm trying to get away from that.
I thought piny was piney, as in piney woods? Didn't like this or debar. Never heard debar mean forbid.
Tony Randall was very funny. Good comic actor. Died a few years ago. He was a fixture on David Letterman; Letterman did a great tribute to Tony when he died.
Great to see the video on Cook, as well. He is soooo good. Cute, too. He was on The Tonight Show tonight. Very articulate young man. Interesting to listen to. Smart as well as talented.
Happy Friday, all. Beautiful weather here in Ohio.
Kit
Lois and Carol I can wave my hose or bat and the breeze will fan the fires of this site to a crushing crescendo. Then we can blame Bill and Dennis. As to the measurement it is not the size of the armament but the ferocity of the attack.
melissa: Wondered where you were. I thought Dennis won but it looks like it ended up being more of a draw with four of a kind, dealer(s) take all. Texas Hold 'em pales in comparison to this Blog Poker..."We All Hold 'em"
Dick: You're UP awfully early! Missed your 'input'. You're right though, it's not the size of the ship, but the motion in the ocean that matters 'in the end'.
Melissa,
At least you have the bravery to take responsibilities for what you did.
Kit,
After reading your comment, I think PINY clue needs a VAR mark.
Lois,
What did you major in college? Where did that "A good man is hard to find, and vice versa" quote come from?
CC: Psychology, BA & MA
Mae West said that "A good man..."
It is sooooo true!
Thank you for all you do here. You are utterly amazing.
merci merci pour sophie! quelle beaute! and je suis d'accord the puzzle doth sucketh so hoping for something slightly more scintillating tomorrow.
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