Theme: R/L FLIP
17A: Expert in pendants?: LOCKET SCIENTIST (ROCKET SCIENTIST)
35A: Connecticut town's hairless populace?: THE BALD OF AVON (THE BARD OF AVON)
52A: Cohorts on the run?: FLEE ASSOCIATION (FREE ASSOCIATION)
Looks like our old Wednesday constructor Philip J. Anderson was sent into exile. Have not seen him for a month. I like this new IT girl constructor Norma Steinberg though. I sense that she loves baseball as she tends to sprinkle a few baseball words/phrases in her puzzles.
Not much to say about today's grid. I aced it in 20 minutes, so I expect to see quite a few 5-minute records today.
ACROSS:
4A: Rendezvous: TRYST
15A: Gary Burghoff role: RADAR
16A: Clown's shtick: ANTIC
21A: Schmeer platform: BAGEL. Hmm, shtick, schmeer, why not clue SAP (1A: Easy mark) as Schnook then?
23A: Skinflints: MISERS
32A: One of HOMES: HURON
38A: Singer Richie: LIONEL. Hello, is it me you are looking for?
40A: Samovars: URNS. Didn't we see SAMOVAR clued as "Russian urn" before?
42A: __ de deux: PAS. Literally "step for two". PAS Seul (solo), PAS de trois, etc.
45A: Logical start: GEO. (Update later: Sorry about the NEO mistake earlier.)
51A: String quartet member: CELLO. A bit of Yo-Yo Ma for you.
61A: Remote control aircraft: DRONE
DOWN:
2D: Dreamboat: ADONIS. Here is J. W. Waterhouse's The Awakening of ADONIS. I adore his The Lady of Shalott.
3D: Keep for oneself: POCKET
9D: Hanger calls: PANGS. Have some SALADS then (1D: Caesar and Waldorf)
11D: Short dagger: STILETTO. This is a picture from the STILETTO Run in Amsterdam in early March. Winner got $15K.
12D: McCourt title: 'TIS. Frank McCourt's memoir. What does 'TIS stand for? THIS?
18D: Dutch carrier's letters: KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij). Royal Dutch Airlines. It's merged with Air France in 2004. I've only used SAS.
23D: Fable's lesson: MORAL. Hmm, Freud is right, men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine.
24D: Worshiped one: IDOL. Here is David Cook's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
25D: Mails, as a tax return: SENDS IN. And 28D: Tax agcy: IRS
36D: Those receiving awards: HONOREES. OK if not for 48D: Nov. honoree: VET. "Animal doc" would be better.
38D: Loutish fellow: LUG. And 46D: Brutal person: BEAST. Luckily we have ADONIS, otherwise, this would be a very cynical puzzle.
C.C.
17A: Expert in pendants?: LOCKET SCIENTIST (ROCKET SCIENTIST)
35A: Connecticut town's hairless populace?: THE BALD OF AVON (THE BARD OF AVON)
52A: Cohorts on the run?: FLEE ASSOCIATION (FREE ASSOCIATION)
Looks like our old Wednesday constructor Philip J. Anderson was sent into exile. Have not seen him for a month. I like this new IT girl constructor Norma Steinberg though. I sense that she loves baseball as she tends to sprinkle a few baseball words/phrases in her puzzles.
Not much to say about today's grid. I aced it in 20 minutes, so I expect to see quite a few 5-minute records today.
ACROSS:
4A: Rendezvous: TRYST
15A: Gary Burghoff role: RADAR
16A: Clown's shtick: ANTIC
21A: Schmeer platform: BAGEL. Hmm, shtick, schmeer, why not clue SAP (1A: Easy mark) as Schnook then?
23A: Skinflints: MISERS
32A: One of HOMES: HURON
38A: Singer Richie: LIONEL. Hello, is it me you are looking for?
40A: Samovars: URNS. Didn't we see SAMOVAR clued as "Russian urn" before?
42A: __ de deux: PAS. Literally "step for two". PAS Seul (solo), PAS de trois, etc.
45A: Logical start: GEO. (Update later: Sorry about the NEO mistake earlier.)
51A: String quartet member: CELLO. A bit of Yo-Yo Ma for you.
61A: Remote control aircraft: DRONE
DOWN:
2D: Dreamboat: ADONIS. Here is J. W. Waterhouse's The Awakening of ADONIS. I adore his The Lady of Shalott.
3D: Keep for oneself: POCKET
9D: Hanger calls: PANGS. Have some SALADS then (1D: Caesar and Waldorf)
11D: Short dagger: STILETTO. This is a picture from the STILETTO Run in Amsterdam in early March. Winner got $15K.
12D: McCourt title: 'TIS. Frank McCourt's memoir. What does 'TIS stand for? THIS?
18D: Dutch carrier's letters: KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij). Royal Dutch Airlines. It's merged with Air France in 2004. I've only used SAS.
23D: Fable's lesson: MORAL. Hmm, Freud is right, men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine.
24D: Worshiped one: IDOL. Here is David Cook's "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
25D: Mails, as a tax return: SENDS IN. And 28D: Tax agcy: IRS
36D: Those receiving awards: HONOREES. OK if not for 48D: Nov. honoree: VET. "Animal doc" would be better.
38D: Loutish fellow: LUG. And 46D: Brutal person: BEAST. Luckily we have ADONIS, otherwise, this would be a very cynical puzzle.
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. & fellow DFs - an absolute breeze this morning; sub-five minutes again. Two of the theme answers I thought were ok, but "The Bald of Avon" was very weak. What's going on with these puzzles lately? I can't remember the last time we had a real hammer. Of course, I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday either...
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone. Did this one in "Dennis" time plus a few minutes. I did not like tis puzzle at all even though it was easy and did flow ok. Something just did not seem right in todays puzzle. Dennis I believe you had eggs and Lois for breakfast yesterday.
ReplyDeleteYou can't have lug for 38d if you put neo for 45a how about geo?
ReplyDelete45-A (Logical Start?) is Geo (as in geological), not neo
ReplyDeleteFixed.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 5:54,
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I've corrected my mistake. No wonder I was at sea earlier.
Dennis,
Any answer to my 12D question?
Not Dennis, but 'Tis is an archaeic abbreviation for "it is" (and is also a pretty decent book).
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 6:09am,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the 'TIS. Regarding 45A, isn't NEOLOGICAL also word?
Good morning CC and all...........I THINK "Tis" has the meaning "it is". Not sure. I read the book and it was good, but I liked his first one, Angela's Ashes better. It was a great book.
ReplyDeleteI got this one today pretty fast. It went easy for me today. I never heard of a schmeer platform, and don't know why it is a bagel????
Thanks for the video's they were great. Love Yo Yo Ma.
The pictures by JW Waterhouse were beautiful.
How funny they have a "stiletto" run. Never saw that before either. I think I'll pass on that one.
Drdad, thanks for the info from yesterday. And CC, I was spelling Winona's name like Wynona Judds name. At least I think that is how she spells it. Thanks for the correction on that one.
Have a good day everyone.
C.C., yes, neological is a word, but very seldom used; neologism is the creation of new words.
ReplyDeletekatherine, i've heard people referring to putting a schmeer of cream cheese on a bagel; fairly common here in the northeast, anyway.
ReplyDeleteGood morning CC et al, These easy ones are confidence builders any way. Dennis-time for me too. Laughed with 'moral', thinking of all of you, and then 'stones' made me smile at the cute joke yesterday re grass houses & thrones
ReplyDeleteLove the links,CC, esp the Adonis one.It's a Dennis double! Don't those legs look familiar? The same ones are peaking out from under Dennis' paper! great gams!
Dick: I personally enjoyed breakfast yesterday. Today drinks are..coffee, tea, or me? Have you said 'when' yet?
Good morning CC and company,
ReplyDeleteYay! My newspaper was delivered on time! So finally a "normal" start to my day and it went smoothly. Went back to grade school days (and teaching) with "here". And while I love a good Caesar salad, not a big fan of Waldorf salads. Blech.
Interesting choice in letters to switch as there are some who flip their "l"s and "r"s. *shrug*
Have a fabulous Wednesday!
Good morning all! I agree Lois, another ego booster here! I can't believe I've had this many breeze through days!
ReplyDeleteCC, love the video of David Cook! Saw that one live! Little upset with the judges last night, I think its fixed for David A so they can make more money off of him.
Got half my fence painted yesterday before the rain came. It hasn't rained here for a long time and the one damn day I paint my fence, thunderstorms....threat today, so I'm gonna paint again in a day or two!
Have a great one!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteDecent puzzle, relatively easy. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that 21A threw me for a bit of a loop until I got the perps. I'm from the northeast, have eaten bagels all my life, and even had a nice Yiddish-speaking grandmother when I was growing up, and yet I don't recall ever hearing (let alone using) the word "schmeer". In fact, when I first saw the clue I was thinking it had something to do with meerschaum pipes. Don't ask me why.
I did like the theme answers, though! I really enjoy puns, even ones that aren't quite as creative as they could be.
As for the other clues, is "Boulder" really a good clue for STONES? I tend to think of boulders as being huge, whereas stones are much smaller. "A stone's throw away" wouldn't make much sense if we're talking about something the size of a car, after all. But maybe that's just me.
Also, did anybody else think the clue for 25D was awfully fussy? Why add "as a tax return" when "mails" is perfectly adequate for SENDS?
Barry I agree with your 6:38 comments about stones and sends. These two contribute to my overall dislike of todays puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAnother Ace.... too easy... tomorrow is Evan Esar ...Quote or Quip day... so maybe it will be more of a challenge.
ReplyDeleteWell - it almost takes a R(L)ocket scientist to figure out the darn theme in this one. That answer was the only one that I thought was okay, the other two were horrible.
ReplyDeleteNeo (new) logic. The introduction of new views, doctrines, etc. in theology.
The thing I can come up with for that bagel is that Schmeer is derived from Yiddish "to smear, smudge, grease." And you "schmeer/smear" cream cheese, lox, etc. on a bagel. Lois may have had a schmeered bagel this morning. She would be glad to know that a female lobster is a hen and a male lobster is a cock. One with no claws is a pistol.
Who won the ball game yesterday?
Happy "I Need A Patch For That" Day, National Waitstaff Day, and "Turn Beauty Inside Out Day."
Ace today. No Mr. Google calls. About 20 mins. I'm telling you that we are all getting smarter !!!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who got 25d had the obvious answer to 28d. And boulders was quite a LARGE clue just to point to stones. Got 32a but still don't understand it. There are so many things in this life that I get but don't really understand. Ah, it will get better. I figure as I get older I won't know what I don't know and neither will I care!!!
Lois, one word: Lasik.
ReplyDeletedrdad, also National Waiters & Waitresses Day. Tip 'em generously!
Yep, Lois. I indicated that it was "Waitstaff Day." Which do you prefer - male or female lobsters?
ReplyDeletedrdad, that was me. Maybe I'm the one that needs lasik.
ReplyDeleteBill @ 7:14 - HOMES is the way to remember the Great Lakes.
ReplyDeleteHuron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior (also known as Gitcheegoomee (Gordon Lightfoot).
Dennis - I missed that it was you. Now I owe an apology to Lois.
ReplyDeleteDrDad @7:28.
ReplyDeleteNow I remember. I think I learned that 50 years ago but had forgotten it. My wife just learned something new. She had never heard HOMES used.
Praise The Lord, I See The Light!!!!
Thanks
NEO... could also be Neonatal that would be a new begining but not always logical...LOL
ReplyDeleteAnyway My name is Nancy - my Husbad Bill convinced me to log in and make some posts.
When we talk Dennis time, if we compare how long it usually takes me to complete a puzzle then I can say I finished in Dennis time too. Yeah right, about 30 minutes which is fast for me.
Anyway you will be hearing from me once in a while. Have a Great Day
Nancy
Welcome, Nancy, to our dysfunctional little group. I think you'll find that C.C. has done an absolutely remarkable job of putting this blog together; her links alone are worth the visit.
ReplyDeleteHi, Nancy!
ReplyDeleteWell, yes, this one was pretty easy! Only a SAP or a LUG eating PASTA while having a TRYST couldn't POLISH this BEAST off in Dennis time. BTW, "Dennis time" is relative isn't it? If it normally takes me 30 minutes and I finish it in 15 minutes, that's Dennis time for me.
ReplyDeleteCC, I think that Archuleta was the better singer last night. Cook seems to have peaked about 2-3 weeks ago. I like Cook better and think he would make the better IDOL. Hopefully people voted for the overall best one, not just who did best last night.
Kim,
ReplyDeleteDo you recall Tom Sawyer's solution to painting a fence? Maybe you should try it.
Dr.G
Drdad: schmeered = creamed? Yeah, that happens. I get bageled too. But as far as preference for lobster? cocks are ALWAYS preferred over hens...there's just no substitute. So, is that a 'pistol' in your 'pocket', or are you just glad to see me? I learn so much from you guys.
ReplyDeleteKim: I feel your pain!
Superfrey: I have a feeling you are prophetic. Tomorrow we'll get hammered! I better warm up tonight in preparation.
Dennis: lasik? My eyes are fine. However, the only drink I have right now is coffee....with cream! So this is schmeered coffee? It's all good! Who did win the ballgame yesterday? Who's on 2nd?
Katherine--
ReplyDeleteWe have Einstein Bagels to thank for the schmeer clue.
Schmeer is Yiddish and Einstein Bagels uses the question "Do you want a schmeer?" when they ask you if you want some cream cheese on your bagel. It is part of their sthick.
I just decided that it's no fun doing a puzzle just for speed (4 minutes 10 seconds). I miss out on all the clues that way.
ReplyDeletemorning c.c. and all ..
ReplyDeletefortunately i finished this one quickly so i can STIR the PASTA to go with a TOSSED SALAD and a BAGEL on the side .. hunger PANGS!
didn't love this one .. it was over so fast and that's never good. i did like how moral crossed codes and pocket crossed locket. i had to stare at the finished puzzle for a few minutes before i figured out the L/R thing.
we got hammered yesterday, nailed before that .. i figured we'd get screwed (or at least lei-ed) today but instead we got a tryst with a blonde adonis beast. all in all not so bad.
i am beginning to TIRE of LEERS and ASSETS.
but i will never tire of RADAR o'reilly.
Hawkeye: "Radar, ya know I have the impression that we woke you about three thirty this morning."
Radar: "No, it was ten of four."
Trapper: "Did we say why?"
Radar: "Uh...You said you wanted to sacrifice a virgin."
Hawkeye: "Did we?"
Radar: "I was too sleepy."
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of "neologism" before. This word sounds very dysfunctional.
Barry,
STONES:I agree, esp given today's music tinted grid (LIONEL, CELLO, LES Paul). Mick Jagger's Rolling STONES would be a much better clue.
Drdad,
Ha ha I figured out the theme pretty earlier and I know nothing about science. I don't have any problem with the theme entries, in fact I really like the "THE" in 35A.
Nancy,
Welcome to THE blog!
Mh,
I think Cook will have more votes. But he might have a better future without 19 Entertainment.
Rae,
I am so happy to see you here!
So Melissa Bee you liked pocket crossing locket? Then you should love this:
ReplyDeleteIf a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
And the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
And the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
Then the socket packet pocket has an error to report!
If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
And the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
And your data is corrupted 'cause the index doesn't hash,
Then your situation's hopeless and your system's gonna crash!
Good morning C.C. and all you D.F.'s
ReplyDeleteI finished this 23 minutes, which is fast for me. I had no idea what 21A was, even after I had the answer! Must indeed be an "East Coast" saying.
I am getting sick of "sac" (7D)
As to 12D: I really loved this book and tis means "it is" and is used here as an answer to the last question in McCourt's first book, "Angela's Ashes", which was: "Isn't this a great country altogether?"
As to 32A HOMES, could someone explain what this is??
Nancy, welcome!! this is a fun group as I recently found out. You'll love the ribald comments!!
Lois, what did you do to Dick yesterday at breakfast?? You made him loose his memory! Wow!!
Carol - read my comment at 7:28.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Carol - it wasn't what Lois did to Dick at breakfast. We started playing baseball. Lois was catcher and was keeping Dick in the hole as he didn't want to bat.
ReplyDeletedrdad, thanks! I missed that, was reading too fast...
ReplyDeleteI was referring to the 6:22 comment by Lois regarding breakfast..anyway, I realize name should have been Dennis.
My memory needs a boost this morning, or maybe it is because I am a 46A!!
Hi, I'm a reference librarian, and came across your blog when helping a patron who calls regularly. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You make me look brilliant - and I don't even do the crosswords (my husband has them finished before I'm even awake)
ReplyDeleteMB
Just so there is no confusion, I was referring to the puzzle when I mentioned I was a 46A, not my bra size :) :). Whew, that would not be attractive!!!
ReplyDeleteCarol, That would be like a body builder....Right?
ReplyDeleteBill, yes, I think that would fit..I could lift lots of 44D.
ReplyDeleteMartha, welcome to our "little" group!
Welcome to Martha and Rae you will love this site.
ReplyDeleteY'all must have years of experience. These puzzles drive me nuts. I complete one about every month. The rest I give up and do the Soduko. I guess at the buffet lunch in school, I took numbers instead of letters. I haven't seen HOMES used in a clue for awhile, but drdad, I remember Lightfoot's song about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, but i don't remember him referring to Superior as Gitchegoomee. I thought that was in the "Hiawatha" poem and referred to the Mississippi. Whatever, - it is remarkable to see that river in Grand Rapids, MN, where you can toss a George Washington golden dollar across it, and compare it to St. Louis, where it takes about two minutes just to cross the bridge. And that's when traffic is moving well. The Mississippi flows about a mile from my home. It's amazing, it's been there for years and never seems to run out of water.
ReplyDeleteMelissa bee; your comparative analysis is hilarious! I agree with you and johnboy about slower is better, besides this is just 'for play', not for serious.
ReplyDeleteder katze: cute, cute, cute
Nancy: welcome!
Carol: 31D the other day was actually referring to a 'cup'. Nobody picked up on it either.
Dennis: neologisms can also be a symptom of schizophrenia. Hmmmmm.
Lois, 31D....that does conjure up a picture, huh?? Wow, must be difficult on the posture!! Bet the guys would love a "tryst" with her and morals be dam-d.
ReplyDeleteLois, schizophrenia? I don't think so. Well, maybe I do. No I don't.
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, I've become a 3rd grader again! Just ignore the last post.
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteSo I was not entirely wrong in saying "neological/neologism" looks dysfunctional. I think I got it mixed up with "neurological" though.
Ok ladies, just WHERE is this 31D and why CAN'T I FIND IT??
ReplyDeleteDennis: You are so funny! Arguing with yourself is another symptom. As for finding the 31D... did you look by the bust builder equipment at the gym? or at the plastic surgeon's office. If not there then try the make up counter at Walmart buying cover up for the two black eyes she gets from running!
ReplyDeleteI've gone back a week, and I can't find any references to 31Down.
ReplyDeleteDennis: I'll try to help, I started part of this by referring to myself as a 46A (which is a Blonde), but then I realized it might be taken wrong and be mistaken for a bra size
ReplyDelete(cup)...Lois made ref to 31D in another puzzle... it just seemed to go from there. You know how we can get.:)
Dennis: the only reference I can find is on May 13...31D in something I wrote, but like I said, nobody really picked up on it. I thought I remembered Bill saying something, then CC questioning the connection later, but I didn't find those entries. It had something to do w/cup. I dunno. I'm delusional these days. Maybe I need a tryst. 4 day wkend coming up. Where's Santa?
ReplyDeleteAhem...
ReplyDeleteC.C., I see you timed yourself today. I said I wasn't going to anymore, but now find it to be a habit. Today was very fast for me, Dennis-time plus four. I'm going to try really hard not to time myself tomorrow, well, actually today, since it's 1:15 a.m. here.
ReplyDeleteBoomer, a line in the Gordon Lightfoot song says, "and the legend lives on from the Chippewa on down to the big lake they call Gitchegoomee..." Such a sad song. I learned HOMES in third grade.
C.C., did you hear me yell all the way to Minnesota tonight? You were right; Cook won, and he won big! I'm thrilled. If you saw the finale, the number he did with ZZ Top was spectacular! I worked two phones at once voting and got in 781; my son got in 201, so we tried to do our part. His closing number was great, too. This was the first season I'd watched the show and I really enjoyed it.
Have a happy Thursday, everyone.
Kit
Kit,
ReplyDeleteI missed quite a few nuanced clues yesterday when I rushed to finish the puzzle.