Theme: Revealed in 36 Across: One of six in this puzzle: ANAGRAM CROSSING.
1A. SPOUTS crosses 5D. TOSSUP
18A. MANATEES crosses 10D. EMANATES
28A. PASTA crosses 24D. TAPAS
48A. TOTEM crosses 35D. MOTET
61A. PEAR TREE crosses 37D. REPARTEE
68A. MENTAL crosses 49D. MANTLE
Al here. I eliminated the clues in the above, hopefully to make the theme answers and their relationships clearer, but included them down in the rest of the write-up. One of those puzzles where the theme really didn't come into play for me. Just as with Dan's puzzle yesterday, this "solved" like a themeless puzzle. Even once I knew they were supposed to be there, I had to look for places where the across and down were the same length, and of course the symmetric positions, after I was done solving. Very heavy theme count, 13 answers, 79 squares. Lots of tricky cluing as well, so a fun solve, but not a walk in the park by any means. I made a colored picture showing the theme layout, but there are so many crossings with other answers, I'm not sure it helps all that much. At the bottom there are notes from Don about constructing something like this.
ACROSS:
1. Orates: SPOUTS. As in a fountain spouting, comes from a root word meaning to spit. It was also the slang term for the lift in a pawnbroker's shop, up which articles were taken for storage, hence fig. phrase up the spout "lost, hopeless, gone beyond recall"
7. Hourly wage, e.g.: BASE RATE.
15. Refuses to: CANNOT. This one took me a long time to agree with, so I held off filling it in at first, but when someone says "I cannot help you", it does usually mean they won't, not that they are unable to.
16. Astronomy measurements: AZIMUTHS. The definition is just confusing: Distance of a star from the north or south point of the meridian. A picture works better.
17. Engrave: INCISE. Cutting into.
18. Sea cows: MANATEES. Dugongs are in the same family.
19. Brief needlework?: TATS. Tatting is making knotted lace. (Correction, as several regulars pointed out, and I originally missed, this is short for tattoos)
20. Megan's "Will & Grace" role: KAREN. Megan Mullaly, Karen Walker. Grace's secretary, who doesn't really need to work because she married into money several times.
21. Label for some Glenn Frey hits: MCA. Music Corporation of America.
22. Physicist with a law: OHM. I was taught this as V=IR (voltage = amperage times resistance)
23. Acting teacher Hagen: UTA.
25. "It __ far, far better thing...": Dickens: IS A. From Tale of Two Cities, It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.
26. Wages: PAY. Can't argue with that...or else you'll get canned.
27. Get: SEE. I get it, see?
28. Noodles, say: PASTA.
30. The Simpsons, e.g.: TOONS.
32. Wedding dance: HORA. The chair dance, right?
34. Fabled mattress lump: PEA.
35. Mal de __: MER. Sea sickness. Also once meant scurvy.
42. Some tech sch. grads: EES. Electrical Engineers.
43. Top ten item: HIT.
44. Sign: OMEN.
45. Pricey: STEEP.
48. Pole symbol: TOTEM.
50. Wall St. exec's degree: MBA. Master of Business Administration.
51. Collar: NAB. Variant of nap "to grab or seize" as in kidnap.
52. "Aladdin" monkey: ABU. The Disney version.
54. Frat letter: ETA. College Greeks.
55. Food scrap: ORT.
56. Geneva-based workers' gp.: ILO. International Labour Organization.
57. Babe and Baby: RUTHS. A candy bar and a baseball great shaped like one.
59. Gijon goose egg: NADA. Spanish for nothing. A numeric zero on a scoreboard looks like a big fat goose egg.
61. Orchard grower: PEAR TREE.
63. An iamb's second half gets it: STRESS.
65. Noteworthy: ESTEEMED. As in estimated, from ais-temos "one who cuts copper," i.e. mints money.
66. Mount McKinley's home: ALASKA. Did Mrs. McKinley ever visit? I dunno, I'll ask her.
67. Relax: REST EASY.
68. Word with health or illness: MENTAL. I was disappointed when this show was canceled. I should go work for the networks, I think. If I like a show, they'll know not to even bother making it and save a lot of money. Firefly, New Amsterdam, John Doe, all too short-lived. The networks are all Mental.
DOWN:
1. __-fi: SCI. An "old" abbrev for Science Fiction. SF writers prefer it to be called SF these days, but that's too short for a crossword answer.
2. Temple of the gods: PANTHEON.
3. Being filmed: ON CAMERA.
4. Platoon, for one: UNIT.
5. Anybody's guess: TOSSUP.
6. Chateau __ Michelle winery: STE. A new and different way to clue a French abbrev for a female saint.
7. The Tide: BAMA. They call Alabama the crimson tide. Deacon Blues.
8. Hank who voices many 30-Across: AZARIA. Also played three roles in the "Night at the Smithsonian" movies: Kahmunrah/The Thinker/Abe Lincoln.
9. Cosecant reciprocals: SINES. A graph showing the relationship.
10. Arises: EMANATES. Directly from Latin emanare "flow out, arise, proceed,"
11. Groove: RUT. Sure, they mean the same thing, except when they don't idiomatically. If I'm "in the groove", I'm certainly not "in a rut".
12. At the original speed, in music: A TEMPO.
13. Jail, in slang: THE CAN. If you played kick the can, someone had to go to jail. I wonder if one is related to the other.
14. Tests that are hard to guess on: ESSAYS.
20. Deejay Casey: KASEM.
22. Dept. of Labor agency: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
24. Spanish appetizers: TAPAS. Lots of different kinds.
29. Speed: Pref.: TACHO. Straight from the Greek.
31. Meeting time qualifier: OR SO.
33. One-time Time critic James: AGEE.
35. Sacred choral piece: MOTET.
37. Comeback: REPARTEE.
38. Solemn acts: RITES.
39. Bold: IMMODEST.
40. Big 12 school soon to be in the Big Ten: NEBRASKA.
41. No-see-um, say: GNAT.
45. Hard-to-see shooter: SNIPER.
46. "Thy Neighbor's Wife" author: TALESE. About "free love", i.e. a marriage-less society.
47. WWII torpedo launchers: E-BOATS. The "E" is thought to mean Enemy, but could be from Eilboot (hurry boat). They were called Schnellboots by the German navy.
48. Some learners: TUTEES.
49. It's beneath the crust: MANTLE. Layers of the earth, crust, mantle, core. (OK, two mantles and two cores if you're picky).
53. Siam neighbor: BURMA. Today's geography lesson.
58. Actress Lamarr: HEDY. Along with being quite the looker, she co-invented an early technique for spread spectrum communications, a key to many forms of wireless communication from the pre-computer age to the present day.
60. Sweater style named for Irish islands: ARAN.
62. Like some mil. officers: RET. Military, retired.
63. Yosemite __: SAM. The rootinest tootinest shootinest bob tailed wild cat in the west.
64. ESPN reporter Paolantonio: SAL. Not in my sphere of awareness.
Answer Grid.
Al
Here are some thoughts from Don about today's puzzle:
"Anagram Crossing:
Sometimes a theme shows up while one is constructing another puzzle. In this case, I noticed two words in a grid crossing each other that were anagrams of each other. I thought that was interesting, and started to play with the possibilities. One needs a unifier in this case, and ANAGRAM CROSSING was a lucky choice, being exactly 15-letters long. That meant that it had to be in the center, because anywhere else would require another 15-letter word to reflect it, and that would disrupt the theme pattern. I thought that I could get six anagram crossings, and it ended up that I could barely do that. The central 15-letter answer makes it a great challenge. On the plus side, there are many anagrams to choose from. On the down side, they have to cross in my scheme, and possibly cross the central answer, and I wanted to enter them symmetrically in the grid and cross at the same places. I don’t know why. It just looks prettier that way. So I just kept hunting, and eventually worked it out. On my first submission, Rich thought that I shouldn’t have a brand name entry, so I had to change things. I think I ended up with five different grids, if that is an indication of how difficult it is to change something like this. I don’t think I’ll try that again!"
1A. SPOUTS crosses 5D. TOSSUP
18A. MANATEES crosses 10D. EMANATES
28A. PASTA crosses 24D. TAPAS
48A. TOTEM crosses 35D. MOTET
61A. PEAR TREE crosses 37D. REPARTEE
68A. MENTAL crosses 49D. MANTLE
Al here. I eliminated the clues in the above, hopefully to make the theme answers and their relationships clearer, but included them down in the rest of the write-up. One of those puzzles where the theme really didn't come into play for me. Just as with Dan's puzzle yesterday, this "solved" like a themeless puzzle. Even once I knew they were supposed to be there, I had to look for places where the across and down were the same length, and of course the symmetric positions, after I was done solving. Very heavy theme count, 13 answers, 79 squares. Lots of tricky cluing as well, so a fun solve, but not a walk in the park by any means. I made a colored picture showing the theme layout, but there are so many crossings with other answers, I'm not sure it helps all that much. At the bottom there are notes from Don about constructing something like this.
ACROSS:
1. Orates: SPOUTS. As in a fountain spouting, comes from a root word meaning to spit. It was also the slang term for the lift in a pawnbroker's shop, up which articles were taken for storage, hence fig. phrase up the spout "lost, hopeless, gone beyond recall"
7. Hourly wage, e.g.: BASE RATE.
15. Refuses to: CANNOT. This one took me a long time to agree with, so I held off filling it in at first, but when someone says "I cannot help you", it does usually mean they won't, not that they are unable to.
16. Astronomy measurements: AZIMUTHS. The definition is just confusing: Distance of a star from the north or south point of the meridian. A picture works better.
17. Engrave: INCISE. Cutting into.
18. Sea cows: MANATEES. Dugongs are in the same family.
19. Brief needlework?: TATS. Tatting is making knotted lace. (Correction, as several regulars pointed out, and I originally missed, this is short for tattoos)
20. Megan's "Will & Grace" role: KAREN. Megan Mullaly, Karen Walker. Grace's secretary, who doesn't really need to work because she married into money several times.
21. Label for some Glenn Frey hits: MCA. Music Corporation of America.
22. Physicist with a law: OHM. I was taught this as V=IR (voltage = amperage times resistance)
23. Acting teacher Hagen: UTA.
25. "It __ far, far better thing...": Dickens: IS A. From Tale of Two Cities, It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.
26. Wages: PAY. Can't argue with that...or else you'll get canned.
27. Get: SEE. I get it, see?
28. Noodles, say: PASTA.
30. The Simpsons, e.g.: TOONS.
32. Wedding dance: HORA. The chair dance, right?
34. Fabled mattress lump: PEA.
35. Mal de __: MER. Sea sickness. Also once meant scurvy.
42. Some tech sch. grads: EES. Electrical Engineers.
43. Top ten item: HIT.
44. Sign: OMEN.
45. Pricey: STEEP.
48. Pole symbol: TOTEM.
50. Wall St. exec's degree: MBA. Master of Business Administration.
51. Collar: NAB. Variant of nap "to grab or seize" as in kidnap.
52. "Aladdin" monkey: ABU. The Disney version.
54. Frat letter: ETA. College Greeks.
55. Food scrap: ORT.
56. Geneva-based workers' gp.: ILO. International Labour Organization.
57. Babe and Baby: RUTHS. A candy bar and a baseball great shaped like one.
59. Gijon goose egg: NADA. Spanish for nothing. A numeric zero on a scoreboard looks like a big fat goose egg.
61. Orchard grower: PEAR TREE.
63. An iamb's second half gets it: STRESS.
65. Noteworthy: ESTEEMED. As in estimated, from ais-temos "one who cuts copper," i.e. mints money.
66. Mount McKinley's home: ALASKA. Did Mrs. McKinley ever visit? I dunno, I'll ask her.
67. Relax: REST EASY.
68. Word with health or illness: MENTAL. I was disappointed when this show was canceled. I should go work for the networks, I think. If I like a show, they'll know not to even bother making it and save a lot of money. Firefly, New Amsterdam, John Doe, all too short-lived. The networks are all Mental.
DOWN:
1. __-fi: SCI. An "old" abbrev for Science Fiction. SF writers prefer it to be called SF these days, but that's too short for a crossword answer.
2. Temple of the gods: PANTHEON.
3. Being filmed: ON CAMERA.
4. Platoon, for one: UNIT.
5. Anybody's guess: TOSSUP.
6. Chateau __ Michelle winery: STE. A new and different way to clue a French abbrev for a female saint.
7. The Tide: BAMA. They call Alabama the crimson tide. Deacon Blues.
8. Hank who voices many 30-Across: AZARIA. Also played three roles in the "Night at the Smithsonian" movies: Kahmunrah/The Thinker/Abe Lincoln.
9. Cosecant reciprocals: SINES. A graph showing the relationship.
10. Arises: EMANATES. Directly from Latin emanare "flow out, arise, proceed,"
11. Groove: RUT. Sure, they mean the same thing, except when they don't idiomatically. If I'm "in the groove", I'm certainly not "in a rut".
12. At the original speed, in music: A TEMPO.
13. Jail, in slang: THE CAN. If you played kick the can, someone had to go to jail. I wonder if one is related to the other.
14. Tests that are hard to guess on: ESSAYS.
20. Deejay Casey: KASEM.
22. Dept. of Labor agency: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
24. Spanish appetizers: TAPAS. Lots of different kinds.
29. Speed: Pref.: TACHO. Straight from the Greek.
31. Meeting time qualifier: OR SO.
33. One-time Time critic James: AGEE.
35. Sacred choral piece: MOTET.
37. Comeback: REPARTEE.
38. Solemn acts: RITES.
39. Bold: IMMODEST.
40. Big 12 school soon to be in the Big Ten: NEBRASKA.
41. No-see-um, say: GNAT.
45. Hard-to-see shooter: SNIPER.
46. "Thy Neighbor's Wife" author: TALESE. About "free love", i.e. a marriage-less society.
47. WWII torpedo launchers: E-BOATS. The "E" is thought to mean Enemy, but could be from Eilboot (hurry boat). They were called Schnellboots by the German navy.
48. Some learners: TUTEES.
49. It's beneath the crust: MANTLE. Layers of the earth, crust, mantle, core. (OK, two mantles and two cores if you're picky).
53. Siam neighbor: BURMA. Today's geography lesson.
58. Actress Lamarr: HEDY. Along with being quite the looker, she co-invented an early technique for spread spectrum communications, a key to many forms of wireless communication from the pre-computer age to the present day.
60. Sweater style named for Irish islands: ARAN.
62. Like some mil. officers: RET. Military, retired.
63. Yosemite __: SAM. The rootinest tootinest shootinest bob tailed wild cat in the west.
64. ESPN reporter Paolantonio: SAL. Not in my sphere of awareness.
Answer Grid.
Al
Here are some thoughts from Don about today's puzzle:
"Anagram Crossing:
Sometimes a theme shows up while one is constructing another puzzle. In this case, I noticed two words in a grid crossing each other that were anagrams of each other. I thought that was interesting, and started to play with the possibilities. One needs a unifier in this case, and ANAGRAM CROSSING was a lucky choice, being exactly 15-letters long. That meant that it had to be in the center, because anywhere else would require another 15-letter word to reflect it, and that would disrupt the theme pattern. I thought that I could get six anagram crossings, and it ended up that I could barely do that. The central 15-letter answer makes it a great challenge. On the plus side, there are many anagrams to choose from. On the down side, they have to cross in my scheme, and possibly cross the central answer, and I wanted to enter them symmetrically in the grid and cross at the same places. I don’t know why. It just looks prettier that way. So I just kept hunting, and eventually worked it out. On my first submission, Rich thought that I shouldn’t have a brand name entry, so I had to change things. I think I ended up with five different grids, if that is an indication of how difficult it is to change something like this. I don’t think I’ll try that again!"
69 comments:
Good morning, Al, C.C. and gang - a 'triple-D' treat this week, with Donna, Dan and now DonG, and all three puzzles were excellent. The theme and the application of it on this one is just brilliant; you get a small idea from Don's note just how difficult it must've been.
I never did get a consistent foothold today, and ended up jumping all over the puzzle to get it done. No outside help, but I needed perps in several places. The final answer, 'mental' was a gimme, as that is the name of my skateboard shop. In skateboarding terms, 'going mental' means doing a trick that's extraordinarily hard or crazy. 'Ste. Michelle winery' was also a gimme; they make one of my favorite cabernets. Favorite clue was 'Brief needlework'. An extremely enjoyable puzzle; just right for a Thursday.
Al, wonderfully educational blog today. I had the same initial problem with 'Refuses to'/'cannot', but came to the same conclusion. And I had no idea Hedy Lamarr had brains as well as looks; pretty cool.
Today is Peach Blossom Day, National Anthem Day, If Pets Had Thumbs Day (??) and I Want You to be Happy Day. You just can't make this stuff up.
Did You Know?:
- In 1946, the first TV toy commercial aired. It was for Mr. Potato Head. And...in the 1985 Boise, Idaho, mayoral election, there were four write-in votes for Mr. Potato Head.
Morning, all!
Definitely a challenger today, although I managed to muddle through somehow. The theme was ambitious, although it didn't help me in the least even after getting the unifier.
The biggest WTF moment today was EBOAT, which I was sure had to be UBOAT but couldn't be due to the perps. I wonder whether Don really wanted that or was forced into it. I suspect the latter -- he's too good of a constructor to inflict something like that on us willingly...
Good Morning Al, C.C. et al.
Very informative write-up, Al! I hesitated at 19A TATS, because "to tat" means to make lace, and is the full-length form for that word. So the "brief" word in the clue made me wonder. Then AHA! He was hinting at the shortened version of the word "Tatoos".
This was by no means an easy one, but doable without any assists. My only mess-up was writing AZIMUTHS with an "s" instead of the "z". I finally saw the error of my ways. I also agree with Barry about EBOATS. But this was the term given to the German boats by the allies, and presumably means "enemy" boats.
Dennis, if my pets had thumbs, the just wouldn't need me at all. Sometimes I think the only role I play in their lives is running the can-opener for them.
Have a great day, everyone!
Good morning. I completed the puzzle with no problems, but never saw the anagrams.
Zero visibility in Houston today. Fog, Fog, Fog.
Hello fellow solvers!
Fine write-up, Al. Thanks to Don and, of course, C. C.
The theme did not help with the puzzle. I was so tired I only saw 4 of the theme answers.
Times sudoku fun today, though difficult.
Am enjoying new mattress very much. Some pains beginning to abate.
Favorite answers: RUTHS, PANTHEON.
Not sure that BOLD means IMMODEST!
My favorite show, hanging on by a thread,I guess: Fringe. However, the writers went amok recently. They called young Olivia as such. But it was pretty clear in the past that her name was really OLIVE. Tsk.
Rained again here. Japanese magnolia has both leaves and flowers. Boy is it confused. (Like me.)
Cheers!
This was a fun, but difficult puzzle. Even after getting "annagramcrossing" my husband & I could not find the theme words. Your write-up helped.
Great writing!!
Al, I would still be in the weeds without your excellent write-up.
Don G., I never got on your wave-length ... but it was a FUN Thursday.
NEBRASKA, a shout-out to Husker Gary!
E-BOATS ... well I put in U-Boats and never got that fixed.
Therefore, 'pricey' started with STU-- and just became an 'Ink-Blot'.
I think it is time for the gym ... then a REST-EASY afternoon.
Cheers at Sunset.
Sorry about that, I had a client here for whom I sent some emails, and his Gmail account keeps taking over. This not seeing well crap sucks.
Thanks Al. Don You have done it again. I am so impressed by the intricacies and creativity in the grids we see from so many of our regular constructors. Bravo.
On to the fill; INCISE is the same root as your cutting tooth the INCISOR. If you have never done it while in Florida, go and a place where you see the MANATEE floating, awesome. I agree with Heart, because it has brief in the clue, TATS means tattoos. While the HORA
Has become the wedding dance for Jewish couples, and is (without the chair part) the national dance of Israel, it is Romanian in origin, where the word means circle.
I am the only one who thought Don’s juxtaposition of TAPAS and TACHO was an intricate sound alike pun?
GUY TALESE was a sports writer for the New York Times who branched out into writing articles about famous people, and then books which were modern historical novels, The Kingdom and the Power about the inner workings of the NY Times, and then Honor Thy Father about the Bonanno crime family which came out shortly after Mario Puzo’s Godfather . His going back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, and specific elements of his own life in his books, such as his open affair with his neighbor’s wife, for the book Thy Neighbor's Wife led to his focusing on his own roots and his own family. Interesting books.
My learning moment was ARAN, a sweater I recognize, but have never known by name.
I am amazed by how foolish the people in Boise were to vote for mr. potato head; he was only 19and could not take office until he was 21.
Thanks again Al and Don
Had some problems with the grid. Got the anagram part but not the crossing. New word for me : Azimuths. Thanks for geography picture on Burma. Came up with tats but didn't get the brief part so again tanks for tatoo. Fun puzzle! eboat?
Al, great summary and “take” on the puzzle! I too looked for the anagrams post completion. Impressive construction! How in the world did REPARTEE/PEARTREE come to you, Don? Trial and error?
Musings
-Thought Semper FI for Dennis, E not U Boat?
-Nebr. Is 41N, so Polaris has an azimuth of 41 degrees
-Joining Big 10 is a big academic upgrade for Huskers!
-A Small Business in Nebraska increases business with a “funky” endorsement. We’re all so proud?
-Who has the more grating TV voice, Megan Mullaly or Fran Drescher?
-Sufferin’ Succotash, it was great to see Sam!
-Fear of Mal de Mer is keeping my lovely Joann from a cruise
-Burma (Myanmar) reminds me of The Bridge on the River Kwai and a large snake that bit me!
-What movie had a Baby Ruth as a hysterical prop?
Good day folks,
Well for me, this puzzle was a kick in the rear, a struggle from start to finish, and I ended up with one wrong letter. Azimuths and Azaria were both unknowns to me. Instead of a Z, I wagged an L.
I did, however, enjoy the challenge. Progress was slow, but steady. A nice Thursday offering.
EBoats bothered me too, as did tutee. Not an everyday expression for either.
I hope Husker Gary doesn't miss 40D!
Al, thanks for an excellent write up. The colored grid helped a lot.
Lots to do today, big "honey do" list. Always seems to be the case when my better half is preparing to hang a show.
Good morning, all. Great write up, Al and thanks for the nice colorful grid. I spent several minutes after the puzzle was solved finding the ANAGRAM CROSSINGS. I then spen a few more minutes staring in wonder at the symmetry and intricacy of the puzzle. Great job, Don.
I started with speaks instead of SPOUTS and I got torpedoed by the Uboat too. I saw EBOAT in another puzzle recently so It wasn't too hard to give up the 'U'. For some reason, I thought the E (for Electric) were ours. General Dynamics still has an Electric Boat division in Groton, Ct.
Don didn't mislead me on TATS. 'Briefly' pointed to an abbreviation, and Tattoos are certainly a type of needlework.
Chateau Ste Michelle also makes a very nice Pinot Grigio that is served in many restaurants.
Thanks Al and Hard G.
It was a fine theme, but as noted by others it did not really help with solving. Had one (or both) of the anagrammatic crosses been unclued that would have made it much more fun....."a far, far better thing...". But perhaps that would have made it too NYTese.
The only sticking point for me was the cluster-crossing of 5 proper names - KASEM. UTA, BAMA, AZARIA,KAREN - none of which I knew.
And the EBOATS corner would have benefited from some repairs - next to 2 more proper names - Talese and Agee - as well as EES.
Otherwise, Great Job.
NC
Al,
thanks for the very informative write-up. It helped improve my mood after this puzzle.
I had to jump all over the place too, and really don't enjoy it when I can't feel in control at any point. Most of what wasn't gg'ed were WAGs. Among the former were AZIMUTHS (which ended up coming from perps and a wag, because gg didn't help), AZARA, BAMA (also no help), AGEE, ABU, TALESE, HEDY (I thought she was Edie). Interesting cluing, but when feeling lost it doesn't help me REST EASY. Never tried to find the anagrams--I usually can't do them. I imagine an E-Boot would be like a PT boat.
I bought Aran wool in 1970 and made a sweater while working in France from October through June 70-71. It was very heavy, and not as soft as the merino I was used to from home.
Fermatprime, glad to hear you are enjoying the new mattress and that it is helping to alleviate the aches and pains.
AZIMUTHS wasn't a gimme, but as soon as I had a few perps it was obvious. I've installed many satellite dishes and needed to know the Azimuth and elevation of the "bird" to align the dish. Also, directional antennae are oriented to a particular azimuth with reference to True North.
Good Morning C.C.,Al and all,
Thanks, Al- real challenge to keep it clear- good solution- Nice job.
This is a great puzzle in every way ,except one {IMHO}: Why couldn't 15A clue read "Isn't able"? It is incorrect as it is. I blame this on Rich. OK, that's said.
I was shocked with the originality of the theme and its execution. This is my most favorite of DonG's works. Reading the problem involved, nearly put me to bed.
Thanks, so much, Don. You are a big favorite of mine.
Dennis,'If Pets Had Thumbs Day' is a tribute, IMO, to Enzo of the "The Art of Racing in the Rain". Anyone else?
Have a nice day everyone.
HuskerGary: very funny scene in Caddyshack. The movie came out late in my high school career, and I was present in some public pools when someone would try to imitate the stunt with the Baby Ruth. Never worked quite as well as in the movie. Thx
Husker Gary, it's the the Altitude or Elevation of Polaris that matches your north latitude location. The Azimuth of Polaris is very close to zero degrees at any observation point and that's why it is used to determine True North.
Musings redux
-I saw iamb as lamb at first and thought of WH’s husbandry. Very funny sheep joke has as its punch line, “5,000 sheep and you picked the ugliest one!”
-While Mr. Potato Head might be a questionable candidate, how about this name for a politician!!
-Huskers couldn’t beat BAMA and its coach Bear Bryant back in the 60’s. The paragraph from the ESPN website below reminds us that things have come a long way!
For years, Bryant defended charges of racism by saying the social climate didn't allow him to go after black players. In 1970, Bryant recruited Wilbur Jackson as Alabama's first African-American scholarship player. The following season, junior-college transfer John Mitchell became the first black to play for Alabama. By 1973, one-third of the team's starters were African-American.
-Cowboy Stadium in Dallas and the Pantheon in Rome both have impressive buildings open to the sky and dedicated to gods.
Grumpy, thanks for the correction. I temporarily couldn't tell my altitude from my azimuth!
NOW this is my idea of needlework, briefly. Image.
Here's a link for If pets had thumbs Day.
Apparently 1985 was the last time "Mr. Potato Head" lost any election anywhere in the US...
Hi There ~!
Al and Argyle, thanks for those links, very funny, very sexy - and Mrs. McKinley, "I'll Ask 'er"?
...cringe...(LOL)
Oh, yeah, and the crossword....
I liked the complexity of the construction, but ultimately, I missed the two short anagrams, TOTEM and PASTA for lack of looking.
I got TATs, but "The Simpsons" is the name of the singular show, so I wanted TOON, not TOONs, and it wouldn't fit - even when I got AZARIA, who voiced "many", I didn't get it.
I had SPEAKS, too, and EBOAT had to be right, STUEP 'CANNOT' be (and I refuse to let it, too~!)
Azimuth is part of the Night Sky app on my iPhone, and if I am not mistaken, when I took surveying about 10 years ago, they taught us the archaic way first, with a steel tape and rod - and we had to calculate property lines with bearings and azimuths - one mis-step, and you would be in a different county.
Splynter
Agree with Creature: "Refuses to" isn't the same as CANNOT. That plus filling in SPEAKS instead of SPOUTS (which again, to me, doesn't quite the clue "Orates," which I think suggests speaking with some class, not "spouting") meant I had my first DNF in a few weeks today, with the NW being the problem.
Otherwise, a fun and ingenious puzzle, though the theme did not come into play in my solving at all.
Manatees was a gimme for me; I live in South Florida overlooking a river and see the lovely beasties floating by occasionally.
So, what if your pet could talk? For a hint at the complications thatight lead to, Google Lewis Grizzard + Old Blue, enjoy, and just be grateful.......,
Hello, Puzzlers!
Great and informative blogging, Al, thank you.
Don G., thank you for today's entertainment. This was a fun Thursday, very doable puzzle.
SINES and cosines are the only thing I remember from Algebra I & II and they are handy for xwds! AZIMUTH just popped out from somewhere!
I'm old enough to remember HEDY but also know TALESE and AZARIA (sad breakup with Helen Hunt) and never watch the Simpsons yet know they are TOONS.
I didn't look for the anagrams but came to the blog knowing Al would have them. Fun stuff.
Lemonade, good catch on TAPAS and TACHO!
Have a lovely Thursday, everyone!
Good Morning All, I don't seem to have an ANAGRAM untangling brain. I didn't "refuse to", I CAN NOT seem to rearrange a bunch of mixed up letters to make another word or phrase...even when the words are right in front of me.
I admire Don Gagliardo for being able to construct this complicated puzzle. It wasn't easy, even without the theme to befuddle me.
I really wanted TOM---/HANKs for 8D because of his voice work in the "Toy Story" movies. Of course it didn't work and I finally came up with Hank AZARIA, who is a excellent character actor, as well as voice actor.
AZIMUTHS came with the perps. Thanks for the picture, Al.
After 66A/ALASKA and 68A/MENTAL, their perp 40D/NEBRASKA helped me out with 59A. I wasn't sure where Gijon is and since it fit, I had entered OEUF (French for egg). Duh!
We interrupt this program for a special announcement:
I HAVE A NEW MANAGER!! I'LL ONCE AGAIN BE ABLE TO HAVE DAYS OFF!
Thank you for your indulgence. We now return you to your regular program.
Hands up for UBOAT, my only snag in today's puzzle.
Dennis: "You just can't make this stuff up." Well, somebody does.
Al: Cats with thumbs, scarier than cows with guns.
Thanks Al, for that color-coded grid. That is one case for sure where a pic is worth a thousand words of explanation. Those of you reading this who haven't checked it out should do so. Just click on the the "This" which is the last word in Al's opening paragraph.
Well, Don has done it again. This is what he does best, IMO--taking a quirky linguistic idea and turning it into cleverly fun art. Anagram crossings. Really? Whoda thunk?! Bravo, Don!
Wow. The bar keeps higher, doesn't it?
Dennis:
Congratulations on finding a new manager! I hope he works out well for you so you can RESTEASY.
John Lampkin, you're right about that "higher bar". Even when I have problems, I can't remember a puzzle in which I haven't enjoyed the struggle...well...mostly.
Husker Gary, I had to draw the line somewhere. I've never watched any of the "Jersey" TV shows. (How about you, Dennis?) The slippers are kind of cute though.
creature, yes to "The Art of Racing in the Rain".
Not really good pets, but Capuchin monkeys (and other primates...don't even think of a chimpanzee!) have opposable thumbs. Capuchins have been trained to be assistance animals for mobility impaired humans.
WH, here y'all go Old Blue Story.
Hi gang -
I have to rate this masterful puzzle right up there with Dan's yesterday. A slow, arduous solve for me, but ultimately doable. The anagrams did help me get REPARTEE and EMANATES.
Besides the ANAGRAMS, we have a State crossing.
I have a family crossing, too (kinda, sorta.) My daughter is KAREN. Her kids are EM 'N' NATE!
I don't know my AZIMUTH from a hole in the sky.
Is there reciprocity between people holding SINES and people playing hide and COSECANT?
Dennis - congrats. Do you think you'll be bored?
Do you know why the clock was bored? It had all that time on its hands.
Full disclosure: I had IWO for international Workers Organization, and just figured TAWESE was somebody I nevew hewd of.
Cheews!
JzB
Hi Everyone ~~
I really enjoyed this puzzle and was able to complete it with no look-ups. I spent some time looking for all six crossing anagrams and managed to find only four. Thanks, Al, for the other two (SPOUTS-TOSSUP and PASTA-TAPAS) and a very informative write-up. I learn a lot from your explanations!
All other thoughts I had have already been mentioned ... 'will not' instead of CANNOT? and I've never heard TUTEES ... a funny word!
One of my three cats has thumbs ... I loved the link! I'll be going back to look at others on that site.
Great puzzles this week ~~~
Enjoy the day ~~
I always enjoy Don G's puzzles and this was no exception. I love themes too. I admired this puzzle but the theme sure didn't help me any as it usually does.
@Seen, our six-year-old grandson and I sure enjoyed your 'interrupting cow' knock-knock joke. He practiced the timing several times and tried it on his mother when she dropped by to pick him up. It's probably all over his school by now.
What a clever idea for a theme…I bet Jerome is loving this one! I can’t say that I completed this unaided though. I never would have gotten the crossing of Azaria and azimuth without visiting the g-spot for Azaria. I also needed a little help withTalese. Others I got via the perps such as ohm, uta, ees. I had also never heard of iamb, and I assume tacho is short for tachometer? My favorite anagram crossing was pasta and tapas…two of my favorites!
Al, thanks for the great blog today and especially for linking Deacon Blues. It’s one of my favorite songs off my favorite album Aja.
Huskergary, LMAO at poor Mr. Baals. Weren’t his parents thinking when they named him Harold? My mother had a teacher in school who’s name was Ima Pigg. It was her married name and I don’t think it was acceptable way back when to keep your maiden name once married. I sure would have!! Speaking of mergers….remember this Jay Leno show?
Hello everybody. Wonderful puzzle today; I liked it a lot. Been another good week of puzzles, so far. Al, thanks for your informative writeup; loved your Mrs. McKinley joke.
My favorite Reisling is by Chateau Ste. Michelle. Dennis, now I shall also try their cabernet.
Husker Gary, not sure, but maybe Polaris has an "elevation" of 41 degrees from where you are?
I also like Hank Azaria, and for a long time have esteemed him as an actor.
I "refuses" to see a grammatical equality between 'refuses' and CANNOT. Got it anyway, though.
More later.
Ooops, I should have read ALL of your comments before posting mine. Sorry to have repeated what several of you already said.
I also love Chateau STE Michele Riesling! It's also great for a kir royale. Riesling with a splash of cassis. I know the real kir uses champagne, but it's an excellent substitute.
Yea! My computer cured itself. It no longer logs off after clicking on a link!
Hola Everyone, Anagrams are not my stong point. I finished the puzzle with some Google lookups for Ohm, Uta, Karen,and MCA. There were a few other unknows such as Azaria, Talese and Sal, but those filled in with the perps.
This CW took me a long time to finish, but I did eventually have success. I marvel at those who can see the anagrams seemingly with ease!!
Great writeup Al and Don with a hard G, a challenging puzzle.
Dennis, a Did you Know? that got a real chuckle out me today.
I, too, had a question about E-Boat VS U-Boat. I grew up during WWII and U-Boats were the dreaded stealth boats in the Atlantic when our boys were being shipped overseas. this was my learning moment for today.
Great news Dennis.
Speaking of punch lines, one of my favorites is, “Ours is prettier.”
Not only a fine voice actor, but Hank Azaria is the possessor of a ripped BODY .
In the legal field, we are besieged with “OR” “EE” endings
LESSOR< LESSEE
ASSIGNOR <ASSIGNEE
TUTOR < TUTEE is not a stretch
C.A., Neither Jersey Girls or the Real Housewife franchise have crossed my TV screens and I suspect will not ever do so. I just know that this buxom airhead is in the middle of her 15 minutes and thought it was cool that a small Nebraska manufacturer was able to catch some of that temporary lightning in his bottle.
Another 62F day (48F was predicted here in eastern Nebraska) and so I just played 18 holes where I shot 87. We are now off to Lincoln to take short people out to supper at Boston Market and then off to the Devaney Coliseum to watch my former students play in the first round of the Nebraska Girls State Tournament.
Best National Anthem? Tossup between Canada and France (especially in bar scene in Casablanca!
ps Does anyone have a script for superscript on here? What I usually use is not supported.
Jeannie, your link for Jay Leno got me searching around and I came across various episodes of JayWalking. I guess they edit out all the smart folks. Those left behind are both funny and a little sad. They sure don't know much and would be terrible at crosswords. They get to vote though.
HG, that scene from Casablanca is certainly memorable. My eyes tear up whenever I watch it.
Dennis, I'm so glad you've found a new Manager for the store. Seven days a week is the pits, and now you can have at least a few days off to travel.
Fermatprime, I'm glad that your bed is giving you some relief.
Dugongs are an Australian Waters animal. While Manatees are off the coast of Florida. Both look much alike. I learned about them when I taught my First Graders about animals of Australia. They say that the teacher learns as much as the students when it comes to researching a subject. How true.
ANAGRAM CROSSING is a great puzzle.
So, no GROANING, SARCASM allowed.
Good afternoon all,
Thanks to DonG for a brilliantly constructed puzzle and to Al for a great write-up. Just tough enough to challenge me but not so much that I had to consult outside aid. Kind of "ment al dente" for me, so to speak. ;-)
I made it through with a lot of WAG's and perp help and the anagrams crossing each other were unfortunately no help to me today. I was tempted on a couple of occasions to red-letter it and consult Almighty Google but I resisted.
Favorite answer today was "azimuth". Not being mathematically gifted I'm only familiar with the term primarily because of having to use it when aligning my satellite dish. And it ws interesting to find that Hedy Lamarr was highly intelligent as well as beautiful.
Best to all,
Burrito34
Dennis:
Glad to hear you got some 'time-off' coming soon.
I remember, earlier in my career, the joys of "Tax Season" when I toiled 80 hours each week until Mid-May.
Nope, not going back to that "Rat-Race."
Dang, it almost makes me feel bad that I have been walking on the Beach 20 times already this year.
I love my Florida beaches and this "terrible" 78 degree weather on March 3rd.
Throw in some MANATEES and you have a perfect day.
SKOAL at Sunset to y'all.
Good one, Jerome!
I also learned a lot today just by reading everyone's comments. Now AZIMUTH and EBOATS are firmly lodged in their respective recesses of the brain. I just hope I don't need a pick and shovel to dig them out again next time I need them...
I had a real chuckle over the cat video, Al. I had to lock the door to my office before watching it. (The cat's couldn't find the key, so I was safe.)
Great news that you finally found a new manager Dennis. Is it a he or she?
Good news, Dennis. I'm glad you found a manager and will no longer have to work so much.
Hedy Lamarr was quite a woman!
Sorry I spelled Riesling wrong.
Friends have inivited us over for fish tacos. My wife and I are already drooling.
Glad your new mattress is enabling you to sleep better, fermatprime.
I am always re-amazed at how influential and important the Romanian culture has been. I suspect their language is closer to the original Roman Latin than any other existing romance language.
Best wishes to you all.
Not sure I ever stopped to think about it but E-Boat and U=Boat are two entirely different ships.
E-Boat much like our PT boats.
U-Boat submarine.
Both fire torpedos.
Congratulations on being able to get back to fun and games, Dennis.
Both O Canada and La Marseillaise are very stirring and very singable anthems. Our anthem is beautiful too, but isn't easy to sing. GAH and I heard the New Zealand Anthem a couple of times when we were there. I've never heard of the singer on this video. Benjamin McHugh does a terrific job of both Maori and English lyrics.
Lemonade, I couldn't get the Lamarr link, but I'm pretty sure it was something to do with Harvey Korman's portrayal of "Blazing Saddles", Hedley Lamarr. Difficult to pick a scene, Hedley was fabulous!
LAMARR .
Sorry, but I will keep trying; what do you think of my choice CA?
Hey, thanks for the congrats - should be able to get a day off in a week or so, assuming the training goes well. Business has been up almost 25% in this two-month stretch, so it seems I need to be at the store more.
Annette, it's a guy. It's difficult to find a female who has expertise in both sports and hobbies, unfortunately. It's a shame, because a woman who can sell and 'talk the game' would be great in what is really a male-oriented shop.
I was surprised that E-boats were so little known until I read the day's posts. We sell models of them and matter of fact, I built one for a customer a few months back.
Dennis, No, No, "Annette". It's "Marti". But have you seen my resume? Skiing, golf, kayaking, hiking, camping, and I sell about $1.5 million/year. Maybe I should have applied for the job?
Marti, apologies - total brain fart.
And unfortunately, it's sports cards and memorabilia, not sporting goods; besides, the commute would be a real ball-breaker.
Hi Al and all,
Al, I commend you for decoding the anagrams and loved the colorful grid.
Amazing construction Mr.G! Did the theme actually help anyone except Jerome?And Jerome, how do you do that? It's a "Super Power" that does not exist for me. Anyway, loved this puzzle.Started out really well, but as I descended, words didn't jump out at me. Needed perps for so many little ones: MCA,UTA,OHM,EES,ABU,ILO,SAL.
Hora, aran and azimuths were all foreign.
Loved spouts, Ruths and Pantheon.
HeartRx--a-ha...tatoos! thx
Siam/Burma reminded me of that lovely novel Anna and the King of Siam. I have a VERY old copy.
Lemonade, funny Hedly Lamar clip!
Dennis,I want you to be happy day seemed to work for you.Nice haps.
I had coffee with Chickie this a.m., and had a nice chat with Carol in the p.m...both added joy to my day.
Uh Dennis.....
I get it about the commute, but I really don't think the projected effect would have much impact on
Marti.
Just saying....
Husker Gary, I agree that ours and Canada are tops, but I will be hearing this one again very soon, and it is also a beauty: So Africa
Jeannie, enjoyed J.Leno link
windhover, good point.
Probably won't be posting in the morning - I had my days screwed up and just realized that the funeral for a friend's mother is tomorrow morning, about a two-hour drive from here. At least I'll finally get to stretch the new guy out a little; I've hardly driven it at all.
Have a great night.
Hello Everyone. Enjoyed our month in the warm vastness of Florida. But now we're back, and my snowblower did yeoman duty today, to clear our driveway of the accumulated snow.
Re: AZIMUTH. To clarify the meaning of Al's diagram, azimuth is the angular distance in the horizontal (not the vertical) plane, rightward (usually) from North. Therefore, since Polaris' declination is 89º 19.1', its azimuth would always be within 1º of true North. or a value of ~0º True. Conversely, the sun, at Local Apparent Noon, would have an azimuth of 180º anywhere north of the Tropic of Cancer at any time of the year.
Hope this helps.
Al, nice visual representation of the theme! It helped to better appreciate the wonderful theme.
Don: I really enjoyed doing the puzzle, but to have the added fun of sussing out the perped anagrams was an incredible bonus! It took me almost as long to find the anagrams as do the puzzle.
Also never heard of the latest dreaded e- fill, E-BOATS. Once I got the D in I'M MODEST for Bold, the other 8-10 blanks I had all fell in succession. Filled in TATS, but thought lace - thanks, HeartRx.
Dennis: I'm sure your "slip of the tongue" was due to the distraction of already calculating how soon you could get back down here. In your last post, you said wanted to "stretch the new guy out a little" and you've "hardly driven" him at all. Your new mgr won't stay long if you treat him that way! :)
BURMA reminds me of a favorite play/movie of mine, "The Hasty Heart".
I think that the preferred name for Mt. McKinley (66-
Across) is Denali.
Glad to see my laptop still works after the child on the plane spilled his Sprite on it. The mother just looked at me and said, "Oh, sorry."
And then there were Q-Boats which looked like tramp steamers but carried 5" deck guns.
Sharks leading Det 2-1 in the second. Going for #7.
Good Evening, folks. Very difficult puzzle, Don. However, very clever, with the anagrams. Thanks, Al, for your hard work. Thanks for posting, C.C.
I am reporting in late because I had a tough time with this puzzle. SE corner was a bugger. IAMBS/STRESS eluded me. Never again, though. I have it now.
Took forever to convert UBOAT to EBOAT.
Lots of eight letter answers. Great stuff.
I hope I can complete Friday's puzzle a little earlier. I had Lodge tonight so I was tied up all evening. See you all tomorrow, hopefully in the morning.
Abejo
Fermatprime:
How wonderful that your bed is comfortable! I wish many restful night for you.
Hahtool:
That's frustrating to have it happen to your laptop. She should have offered compensation in case it had been seriously damaged. People don't take things like that seriously.
Sptizboov:
Thank you for the further explanation of AZIMUTH. I'm sorry to say it's a foreign language to me but I'm sure it clicked with others.
Argyle:
I appreciate the links to E-BOAT and u-boat. They are definitely different.
HeartRX:
Thanks for tattoo; I also though TATS but was confused with "briefly."
Good night, everyone!
Checking the evening posts before bedtime. I spent the evening at chorus practice. It looks like "All Cole Porter...All the time". That's not quite true, but Porter is taking up about half of our songs. That's OK with me. Nobody wrote better songs than he did. I'm part of a quartet who is singing a less energetic version of Let's Do It.
Lemonade, sorry to be so late in replying. Loved the Hedley Lamarr clip. Anything Harvey Korman did was funny.
BTW, I think it was Marti who asked if I was a knitter. I have done some knitting, and a (very) little crocheting. I used to do a lot of counted cross stitch, but I need a magnifying glass to do that now.
Sleep well all.
Thanks to Argyle for the two E-Boat and U-Boat links. I think I have them firmly entrenched in my head now.
My coffee with JD this morning was also with Cameron, her adorable 8 month old grandson. He smiled the entire time. What a happy baby. We had a lovely morning.
Thank you CA and JD for the National Anthems. All were really quite beautiful. When teaching in Colombia, the first week we were there the faculty had to sing the Colombian National Anthem at the opening of the new school building dedication. We were rusty in Spanish and if you think that the Star Spangled Banner is difficult to sing--Well....
Post a Comment