Theme: CLASS (36A: Word after 20A, 25A, 42A and 48A in flight)
20A: Largest sector of the gross domestic product: SERVICE ECONOMY
25A: Trickery: MONKEY BUSINESS
42A: Constitution Day in Slovakia: SEPTEMBER FIRST
48A: Fred Shero or Scotty Bowman, e.g.: ICE HOCKEY COACH
Not a good puzzle from Barry Silk today. Lots to dislike:
1) The largest sector of the GDP is SERVICE INDUSTRY, not SERVICE ECONOMY, which is a different economic term.
2) The word "briefly" should have been added to the clue for SLOT (63A: One-armed bandit). It's SLOT machine.
3) I hate the clue for 44D: Kind of monkey (RHESUS) because of the 25A: MONKEY BUSINESS. I found out this morning that there is a King RHESUS of Thrase during the Trojan War, and some complicated RHESUS factors. Both of them might be labeled as too obscure I suppose.
4) The clue for 36A CLASS is a total spoiler. Why not clue it simply as "Elegance"? It completely strips away the fun of ferreting out the theme title by myself. A precious "Wow" moment is regrettably lost. I do like how CLASS anchors the grid though.
5) The clue for 48A is perfectly fine, but I would prefer to have 3 instead of 4 theme answer entries. Airlines normally only have 3 travel classes: ECONOMY (COACH), BUSINESS & FIRST. Oh by the way, I've never heard of Fred Shero or Scotty Bowman before, not a hockey fan. Is Scotty Bowman somehow related to the Bowman card?
Are you ready? Allons-y!
ACROSS:
1A: British puzzle centre?: ZEDS. Great clue. I like how "centre" is spelled. (Update: ZED is the British pronunciation of ZEE, and there are 2 Z's in the word "puzzle", hence ZEDS).
9A: Georgia city: MACON. The "Heart of Georgia". Unknown to me. What? "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World"? That's a bold statement, isn't it? Love this SAKURA sidewalk.
16A: Kukla's pal: OLLIE. Kukla, Fran and OLLIE. Only learned this last Tuesday.
19A: Florida city: OCALA. Yawner. Same old, same old.
32A: Zestful: TANGY. Do you know that OCA can taste TANGY and sweet?
34A: Year Caligula died: XLI: Not familiar with this Roman ruthless emperor. Only knew Colts won Super Bowl XLI. Tony Dungy is very respected and loved here in MN. He played for the Gophers in the '70s.
38A: Pugilist Max: BAER. Quite a few AE/EA combination in today's grid. See 17A: PLEA, 13D: NEA, 27D: BEALE, and 49D: Normandy city: CAEN.
56A: Seine feeder: OISE. This is Daubigny's "Boats on the OISE".
57A: 20th cen. conflict: WWII
58A: Stop counting sheep?: SLEEP. And 30D: Snoozed: SLEPT. Lots of Z's to catch!
61A: Chrissie of the Pretenders: HYNDE. Completely foreign to me. Got it from down clues.
DOWN:
4D: Forage for scraps: SCAVENGE
5D: Mrs. George Burns: GRACIE. Can you believe this is a gimme for me? "Say goodnight, GRACIE".
7D: Der ___(Adenauer): ALTE. Der ALTE is German for "the old man". Wikipedia says Konrad Adenauer was "the oldest chancellor ever to serve German, leaving at the age of eighty-seven." Wait, let me see how old Mubarak is...80. I am sure there will be some grumbling for a new investigation on who on earth killed Sadat after Mubarak dies.
8D: Type of pear: BOSC. Have you tried NASHI pear? It's the sweetest.
9D: marshmallow-filled snack: MOON PIE. New to me. I don't think I will like it, not fond of marshmallow at all. I love MOON cake.
10D: Mississippi's ___ State University: ALCORN. Is it famous? I've never heard of it. Wikipedia says Alex Haley graduated from this university.
11D: Chowder chunk: CLAM. Have some, New England style.
12D: Unctuous: OILY And 48D: In a bad way: ILLY. Well, were 48D LEAN, I might have appreciated the symmetry here. But ILLY, ugh, I dislike it.
21D: Pitch black: INKY
22D: Desert springs: OASES. Just for you, Melissa Bee. These sweet dates are perfect for a single girl like you, aren't they?
25D: Pine Tree State: MAINE
26D: Beer list category: ON TAP
27D: Street in a W.C. Handy title: BEALE. "BEALE Street Blues". Unknown to me. Easily gettable though.
28D: Boom times: UPS
38D: Hooters: BARN OWLS. Look at three BARN OWLS.
40D: Pennsylvania town on the Delaware: NEW HOPE
41D: Conic sect: CIRC (Circle)
45D: Vestibules: FOYERS. Here is Degas' "Le FOYER de la Danse" at Musée d'Orsay.
50D: Amount paid: COST. "All that matters is that you treat me right, give me all the things I need...", from J. Lo's My Love Don't COST a Thing. Enjoy!
C.C.
20A: Largest sector of the gross domestic product: SERVICE ECONOMY
25A: Trickery: MONKEY BUSINESS
42A: Constitution Day in Slovakia: SEPTEMBER FIRST
48A: Fred Shero or Scotty Bowman, e.g.: ICE HOCKEY COACH
Not a good puzzle from Barry Silk today. Lots to dislike:
1) The largest sector of the GDP is SERVICE INDUSTRY, not SERVICE ECONOMY, which is a different economic term.
2) The word "briefly" should have been added to the clue for SLOT (63A: One-armed bandit). It's SLOT machine.
3) I hate the clue for 44D: Kind of monkey (RHESUS) because of the 25A: MONKEY BUSINESS. I found out this morning that there is a King RHESUS of Thrase during the Trojan War, and some complicated RHESUS factors. Both of them might be labeled as too obscure I suppose.
4) The clue for 36A CLASS is a total spoiler. Why not clue it simply as "Elegance"? It completely strips away the fun of ferreting out the theme title by myself. A precious "Wow" moment is regrettably lost. I do like how CLASS anchors the grid though.
5) The clue for 48A is perfectly fine, but I would prefer to have 3 instead of 4 theme answer entries. Airlines normally only have 3 travel classes: ECONOMY (COACH), BUSINESS & FIRST. Oh by the way, I've never heard of Fred Shero or Scotty Bowman before, not a hockey fan. Is Scotty Bowman somehow related to the Bowman card?
Are you ready? Allons-y!
ACROSS:
1A: British puzzle centre?: ZEDS. Great clue. I like how "centre" is spelled. (Update: ZED is the British pronunciation of ZEE, and there are 2 Z's in the word "puzzle", hence ZEDS).
9A: Georgia city: MACON. The "Heart of Georgia". Unknown to me. What? "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World"? That's a bold statement, isn't it? Love this SAKURA sidewalk.
16A: Kukla's pal: OLLIE. Kukla, Fran and OLLIE. Only learned this last Tuesday.
19A: Florida city: OCALA. Yawner. Same old, same old.
32A: Zestful: TANGY. Do you know that OCA can taste TANGY and sweet?
34A: Year Caligula died: XLI: Not familiar with this Roman ruthless emperor. Only knew Colts won Super Bowl XLI. Tony Dungy is very respected and loved here in MN. He played for the Gophers in the '70s.
38A: Pugilist Max: BAER. Quite a few AE/EA combination in today's grid. See 17A: PLEA, 13D: NEA, 27D: BEALE, and 49D: Normandy city: CAEN.
56A: Seine feeder: OISE. This is Daubigny's "Boats on the OISE".
57A: 20th cen. conflict: WWII
58A: Stop counting sheep?: SLEEP. And 30D: Snoozed: SLEPT. Lots of Z's to catch!
61A: Chrissie of the Pretenders: HYNDE. Completely foreign to me. Got it from down clues.
DOWN:
4D: Forage for scraps: SCAVENGE
5D: Mrs. George Burns: GRACIE. Can you believe this is a gimme for me? "Say goodnight, GRACIE".
7D: Der ___(Adenauer): ALTE. Der ALTE is German for "the old man". Wikipedia says Konrad Adenauer was "the oldest chancellor ever to serve German, leaving at the age of eighty-seven." Wait, let me see how old Mubarak is...80. I am sure there will be some grumbling for a new investigation on who on earth killed Sadat after Mubarak dies.
8D: Type of pear: BOSC. Have you tried NASHI pear? It's the sweetest.
9D: marshmallow-filled snack: MOON PIE. New to me. I don't think I will like it, not fond of marshmallow at all. I love MOON cake.
10D: Mississippi's ___ State University: ALCORN. Is it famous? I've never heard of it. Wikipedia says Alex Haley graduated from this university.
11D: Chowder chunk: CLAM. Have some, New England style.
12D: Unctuous: OILY And 48D: In a bad way: ILLY. Well, were 48D LEAN, I might have appreciated the symmetry here. But ILLY, ugh, I dislike it.
21D: Pitch black: INKY
22D: Desert springs: OASES. Just for you, Melissa Bee. These sweet dates are perfect for a single girl like you, aren't they?
25D: Pine Tree State: MAINE
26D: Beer list category: ON TAP
27D: Street in a W.C. Handy title: BEALE. "BEALE Street Blues". Unknown to me. Easily gettable though.
28D: Boom times: UPS
38D: Hooters: BARN OWLS. Look at three BARN OWLS.
40D: Pennsylvania town on the Delaware: NEW HOPE
41D: Conic sect: CIRC (Circle)
45D: Vestibules: FOYERS. Here is Degas' "Le FOYER de la Danse" at Musée d'Orsay.
50D: Amount paid: COST. "All that matters is that you treat me right, give me all the things I need...", from J. Lo's My Love Don't COST a Thing. Enjoy!
C.C.
Good morning, gang - Well, not only does age help with these, but sometimes where you grew up can give an edge. Since I grew up in Atlanta, both Macon and Moon Pies (with an RC Cola, of course) were gimmies. Got this one in just under 4 minutes.
ReplyDeleteC.C., both Shero & Bowman are legendary hockey coaches, but no, no connection to Bowman cards.
Hope it's a great day for everyone, and that there's still men left standing in OK.
Dennis,
ReplyDelete20A clue is inaccurate, isn't it?
Yes, should have been 'service industry', as you pointed out.
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteThis just does not feel like a Barry Silk puzzle to me.
C.C., outside of that one thing, why?
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone. I'm baaaaaaaack! I liked this puzzle today, but I did miss a few letters, ones that I should have got. I didn't get 15A or 7D, even though it was easy. Scotty Bowman used to play for the Red Wings, which is "my" team, so I knew him, but not Fred Shero. I used to watch Kukla Fran and Ollie as a child, so I knew them.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day everyone!
Good morning all. Kukla, Fran & Ollie brought back great childhood memories. I don't know "zeds" (?) and took a SWAG (scitentific wild a** guess for those of you who've never created a budget for a retail establishement) on the "z" for "zaps" as nukes - don't like it, though.
ReplyDeleteNot a hockey fan, so didn't know Shero or Bowman, but got it on the perps.
I'm OK with service economy, even though it's technically innaccurate, but almost the entire economy here in New Orleans is based on service, so it worked for me this morning.
Sorry Rocco lost, but it was a very exciting day. Hope y'all have a great day today!
Sorry for typo on "scientific" above. Can anyone explain "zeds" for me? The only Zed I know is the character in "Pulp Fiction"
ReplyDeletechrisinla - 'zed' is what the british call our letter 'z', and z's are the center of 'puzzle'.
ReplyDeleteGot all today. I really don't know what 48d is supposed to be. Never heard of ILLY. Dumb usage I think.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, I too tried "industry" till I ran out of blanks before I ran out of letters!!!
Dennis - thanks, didn't know that. Learn something new every day!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Thanks, Dennis. I got it but didn't understand till I read your post. Seems as though we had a center clue involving "esses" a while ago, so I really should have picked up on that.
ReplyDeleteGood morning all. Got this one in about 8 to 9 minutes but needed help form the perps.
ReplyDeleteScotty Bowman coached the Penguins so I knew him.
Chrisinla Pittsburgh is like NO in that we no longer have a manufacturing economy but have move to primarily a service economy. I guess I am OK with 20A as that term is constantly used in this area.
Dennis I guess Lois must be sleeping as I watched the weather report for that area and there are no new storms reported.
Dick, That's cause Lois is staying UNDER the radar. She's probably in STEALTH mode.
ReplyDeleteHi gang,
ReplyDeleteNot 4-6 minutes like so many of you, but I did finish it! What I couldn't get on my own I could get from the perps. I'm off to Baltimore tomorrow, so hopefully doing online will be ok.
Katherine, welcome back!
Morning, folks!
ReplyDelete1A threw me for a loop initially, but once I got it I really loved the clue. The rest of the puzzle was fairly straightforward, although I agree that 20A was clued poorly.
Seriously, though... illy? ILLY? Even if it is a real word (and I'm not saying it is), it shouldn't be.
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteGood to see you back!
Dennis et al,
Aside from the iffy SERVICE ECONOMY & ILLY, I just do not think Barry Silk would clue CLASS the way it is presented to us today. I guess I was also expecting some Q's and lots of strike outs (K's).
Real word with a redundant definition-ILLY. Wonder how much the puzzle was edited today. I did not know Chrissie HYNDE either. Nor did I know Scotty Bowman and Fred Shero were HOCKEYCOACHES. These video clips reinforce why I didn't want my son to continue in the sport. First game I brought him to watch we saw an ambulance loading a kid with a broken arm as we were entering the building. Able to get the unknowns without help from google. Enjoyed the puzzle though there was a fair amount of crosswordese.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Everyone,
ReplyDeleteI did mine at work today - had to look up a bunch of things but I'm in a brain freeze today. My head wants to go back to sleep but the clock say's it is work time. I guess not sleeping very well last has something to do with that. I could not for the longest time think of Moon Pies - I had the pie and the oo's and I used to love Moon pies! Can't eat them now. I knew Ocala as I used to live in Silver Springs and work in Ocala! And for some DUMB reason, I tried to spell BOSC pears as Bosch - I think that is a spark plug or something like that isn't it?
It is raining down here in New Hartford (NY) today but gotta get back to work! Have a great day
Nancy
Good morning fellow DF's.
ReplyDeleteAnother easy puzzle. Can't match Dennis, though (6 as opposed to his 4 - he must write awfully fast).
C.C.-keep in mind that the Rhesus factors are based on test with Rhesus Macaque (Monkey) blood cells.
Kukla this time instead of Stan.
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the third emperor of Rome whose reign was noted for his cruelty and sexual perversity.
Chrissie Hynde's last name reminded me of comedian Paul Lynde of Hollywood Squares fame.
I think Smores are a better marshmallow snack.
Can't help but think of other Hooters than barn owls. Calm down, Dennis and Dick.
C.C.-a conic section is not a circular but rather a circle. The other conic sections are an ellipse, a parabola, and a hyperbola.
This Illy Definition contains what would be a better clue - brand of Italian coffee.
It's Bunker Hill Day in Massachusetts. Also, Violin Day in honor of Igor Stravinsky's birthday.
1885 - Statue of Liberty arrived in New York.
1972 - 5 White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the Democratic National Headquarters, the start of Watergate.
1994 - O.J. Simpson was arrested for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Have a great day.
Hey cc-just finished the NYT puzzle and noticed that your blog is posted with other crossword blogs at a new site JimH has created. You can see it here.
ReplyDeleteA quick solve for me.... half a cup of coffee... whatever than means in time :-)
ReplyDeleteDick- Sorry that Rocco did not win. He lives here in Naples now and is a member at Calusa Pines, a course near mine. He is a super nice guy... but Tiger in the end had the day... limping off with the trophy under arm. I can relate to the limp... but not the trophy :):):):)
Superfrye nice to hear from you. How is the knee coming along? I think I saw that you said you were playing golf again and if so that is a good thing. Roc is such a likable guy I had to pull for him plus he is /was a native guy here. Guess I really did not care too much who won as I am also a very avid fan of Tiger,
ReplyDeleteAccording to my Webster's dictionary Illy is an adverb meaning badly or ill. Off to "Back to the 50's" in St Paul on Weds for the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty fast on this one except I didn't know 48A and had to google it. ILLY is a word? I imagine it must be but even with ILL* I didn't guess it even after running through the other 25 letters in the alphabet. I agree that the clue for 36A could have been a lot better and actually would have helped solve the puzzle for me.
ReplyDeleteDick,
ReplyDeleteI am playing golf.... not like Tiger of course... the knee swells afterwards.... His must have swelled up a lot afterwards... I will have to find out what anti-inflammatory he is using... for him to play 91 holes in 5 days and walk the course...climb in and out of traps is tough this soon after his operation. He may be young and in shape, but what he did can not be good for that knee. What a great tournament !!!
Good morning CC & DF's: Did the puzzle online...easy puzzle but the process was harder...no wait, that's something else. Thought for sure Mr. Silk was aiming at me w/this puzzle what w/my proclivity for 'monkey business','relo' under the radar (cute, Bill)... and other things. LOL and thought of all you w/38D...size & all. Dick came immediately to mind w/40A. And we're in deep sheep again as ewe guys always get us there. I'm off to 'grab' a 'horn'...bull doggin' today or similar activity! Always 'new hope' for more 'monkey business'.
ReplyDeleteDennis: Well, there are some men left standing...my spares. Afterall it's Goodyear territory out here. I tire them out quickly.
Melissa, Carol, Dick: I answered you on yesterday's blog.
Welcome back, Katherine.
Enjoy this gorgeous day!
Dr.Dad,
ReplyDeleteI've corrected my CIRcle mistake. Thank you. Paul Lynde is a new name to me. I've never heard of ILLY coffee either. Happy Violin Day!
NYTanonimo,
I hope Barry Silk will swing by sometime today. I am also curious to know how much of his work is edited.
Dennis, Dick, Bill - Lois is calling us HOOTERS!
ReplyDeleteLois - remember Firestone's saying "Where the RUBBER meets the road!"
One more thing, Lois. Doesn't the Michelan Man look "inflated?"
ReplyDeleteOk, Let's try again.....
ReplyDeleteDrDad, That's because she considers us to be WISE!!!
Either that or she thinks we're a bunch of "boobs".
Oh, wait. Bananas are in bunches, boobs are in pairs! I guess that maens we're one boob short of a full house.....
Hi everyone!! Not too bad today, although there were sections that caused some bad words from me.
ReplyDelete48D ? drdad: thanks for the link, and since it quoted Thomas Jefferson this clue should have had "archaic" beside it.
Lois: Yes, 38D would be a pair of hooters wouldn't it??
drdad: what happens when the Michelan Man hits a "nail"? Does he go flat?? Would he be "illy" then?
Maybe Lois could give him a "moon-pie" to make him feel better!
Kim,
ReplyDeleteForgot to wish you a good trip tomorrow.
Carol,
The dictionary does not say that "ILLY" is an archaic word. It's just not commonly used. So, technically the clue is OK.
Dennis et al,
Regarding 34A: Year Caligula died (XLI). Is Caligula a well-known emperor?
C.C.- as I indicated in my 7:52 a.m. post, Caligula was fairly famous albeit not a great Roman emperor. His cruelty and sexual perversity forever etched his place as a "Caesar" in the Roman Empire.
ReplyDeletegood morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeletezzzipped through this one. i learned x-y-zed when i went to first grade in alberta so got that right away. c.c., a 'date oasis,' is exactly what i need, yes! illy .. groan.
if beale street could talk, married men would have to take their beds and walk.
@lois: i lol'd when i saw MOONPIE, MONKEY BUSINESS, NAIL, and HOOTERS .. definitely a nod to you.
c.c. i also noticed your blog listed on JimH's site .. you're in the big time!
@drdad: watergate geek that i am, love the mention of break in anniversary, thx.
@nytanonimo: i think this explains the saying, 'i went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.'
@chris in la: SWAG .. haha!
@katherine: welcome back.
@kim: travel safely.
mark Buenos Aires
ReplyDeleteAn ok puzzle. The Baldwin brother is repeated over and over, I wonder who the other brother is?
Zeds is fine but I know nothing of Moonpie, Macon, Alcorn and nea.
Who is Kukla?
and yes industry didnt fit and left me stumped.
I hope all is well with you and yours.
mark Buenow Aires - Daniel, William, and Stephen Baldwin are the others and all are actors.
ReplyDeleteCarol do you think Lois's sisters can rope and ride as well as she can?
ReplyDeleteDick, don't get Lois going. She's already called us "boobs" (see Bill's comment) and we don't want her to start thinking about ropes. Next it'll be leather, chains, and cat 'o' nine tails.
ReplyDeleteDick, I'll bet Lois taught her sisters everything she knows! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteThose poor OK cowboys, roped in by a pair of "barn owls"
drdad, Now you've done it "cat'o'nine tails"! No one will have nine lives after Lois is through. :)
Watch the weather forcast.
what is 6D or 18A...i just have one letter thats confusing me....
ReplyDeleteand also im a HUGE hockey fan so I got the Bowman clue immediately
ReplyDelete6D - remedy
ReplyDelete18A - amts
thanks drdad....i got it right then it just didnt look right for some reason
ReplyDeleteDrdad, sorry as soon as she mentioned boobs I lost my head. "Its OK I am straight now boss." Seems like a line out of a Steve McQueen movie.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the video links melissa bee. Enjoyed listening to Ella. The hockey link was a painful 4 minutes to watch and does exemplify that saying!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 2:10PM you can get the answers by going here, clicking on the date and consructor name box, clicking the Regular Skill Level, clicking on Solve down to Solve Puzzle, then Look Over This Puzzle .
hello hello, depressing for all of us on the west coast---still we send our hearty congrats to the Celts and I'm going back to Euro 2008! Ocala again! put it in your etui and burn it! Zed of course is French but don't know why the Brits became enamored of it...and wow that hooters clewing threw me off for a few moments...
ReplyDeleteHi C.C. and gang, Breezed through the last two days for some strange reason. Have absolutely nothing to add to all these very funny comments, but sure enjoyed reading them. Instantly thought of Lois when I saw the "hooters" clue.
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing the art works. Yahoo, Celtics won big-time. First time since Bird-man days? It's been so long I can't remember!
Happy Hump Day,all.
Kit
Thomas & Kit,
ReplyDeleteJune 17th for a 17th title, how perfect can it be for Celtics?