Theme: "Interview Day"- as I was very excited to wear my new DRESS SHIRT and tie two weeks ago; I have been told round two of the interviews just started this week. Thanks to those who said good luck to me~!
Each of the four theme answers are parts of a DRESS SHIRT, the unifier at 58A, Item featuring the ends of 17-, 24-, 36- and 48-Across:
17A. One of a pool table pair : SIDE POCKET - and, uh, some other thoughts occurred to me, too....
24A. Illegal football tackle involving grabbing the inside of the shoulder pads from behind or the side : HORSE COLLAR (never heard this in any game I have ever watched, tho)
36A. Album holders : RECORD SLEEVES
48A. Seafood entrée : LOBSTER TAIL
Simple theme, and some corners a little tougher than I expected for a Wednesday, but a good challenge.
And away we GO ~!
ACROSS:
1. Stinging : ACRID
6. Texas Rangers CEO Nolan : RYAN - baseball, I knew him as the pitcher a long time ago....
10. Go, as through mud : SLOG - and Crossword Corner Blog jargon for wading through a tough puzzle
15. Billion add-on : BillionAIRE
16. Hobbler's support : CANE
19. Take the stage first : OPEN
20. Franken and Gore : ALs
21. Old-fashioned wedding vow pronoun : THEE
22. Inhabited, with "in" : DWELT
23. Final: Abbr. : ULT - ultimate
27. Prevaricators : LIARS
29. Trick : CON
30. Bond, for one : SPY - Bond, James Bond
31. Head, to Cécile : TETE - French
32. M16 attachment : BAYONET - M16 machine gun
40. Practiced with the platoon : DRILLED - the analyzer says this word has never been in a NYT puzzle - I find that shocking....
43. That, to Tomás : ESO - Spanish
46. Citrus drink : ADE - like our LemonADE ~!
47. Big name in stationery : EATON - new to me; here's a bit from Wiki
53. Shipping lane milieu : SEA - must be too early; this one got me, and I know what milieu means - despite being French
54. Foaming at the mouth, so to speak : IRATE
55. Prefix with sphere : HEMIsphere
56. Sot's syndrome, briefly : DTs - oh yeah, been there, done that - not pretty, but six years ago, now - Delirium Tremens
57. Moore of "Ghost" : DEMI
61. Airline to Eilat : ELAL - a WAG, but not a hard one - map
62. Major-__ : DOMO - n. pl. ma·jor-do·mos. The head steward or butler in the household of a sovereign or great noble.
63. "__ Go Again": Whitesnake #1 song : "HERE I" - OK, I'll link it - but not the "Tawny" video
64. Part of SSS: Abbr. : SYST - Selective Service System - military
65. Part of a process : STEP
66. Star-like flower : ASTER
DOWN:
1. Battery partner : ASSAULT & Battery, the crime(s)
2. More in need of a sweater, say : CHILLIER
3. Voting map designation : RED STATE - map #2
4. Infuriation : IRE
5. Ocean-bottom areas : DEPTHS
6. Indy entrant : RACER - Indianapolis 500
7. "Uh-oh!" : YIKES
8. "__ you for real?" : ARE
9. Court divider : NET - tennis was not my first thought - I watch a lot of "Law & Order"
10. Displeased look : SCOWL
11. Jacket features : LAPELS
12. Quarter-mile, maybe : ONE LAP
13. Aristocracy : GENTRY - from the French, meaning "high-born"
18. "Gotcha!" : O-HO
22. Charity, e.g. : DONEE - as opposed to the DonOR
25. Where to study mathématiques : ECOLE - ah, French....and the C was the last letter I had to fix - thought it was ETOLE at first, but "Ton" made no sense for "Trick".
26. Funnel-shaped : CONED - tried CONIC at first, didn't sound right
28. Stamp for an incoming pkg. : REC'D - received - all this information is encoded at my part-time job, UPS
32. One walking in front of a train : BRIDE - interesting visual if you don't think bride first....just rented "Unstoppable", thought it was pretty good.
33. Freud contemporary : Alfred ADLER
34. Fashion monogram : YSL - Yves Saint Laurent - here - a crossword standard
35. Like "Nip/Tuck," rating-wise : TVMA - short for TV Mature Audiences; some others are L - language, S - sex, V - violence, and D for "suggestive dialogue"; our little corner has a LOT of this ~!
37. Get on the soapbox : ORATE
38. Humbly takes the blame : EATS DIRT
39. Shape-maintaining insert : SHOE TREE
42. Agitated : IN A STIR had in a SNIT first
43. Skips over in pronunciation : ELIDES - as in "gonna" for "going to"
44. Extremely : SORELY - as in "I sorely missed her"
45. First family : OBAMAs
47. Inventor Otis : ELISHA - did not know his first name; usually clued with elevator
49. Clown heightener : STILT
50. Most crosswords have one : THEME - yes they do ~!
51. Fabulous fellow? : AESOP - not my first thought; see 60D
52. AOL communications : IMs - Instant Messages
58. Bridge installer's deg. : DDS - got me, I was thinking civil engineer; this is the dentist's degree "Doctor of Dental Surgery"
59. Rubbish : ROT
60. "For __ a jolly ..." : HE'S - yes, the "fellow" of 51D made this song pop into my head
Splynter
Good morning, Splynter, C.C. and gang - short on time this morning so this'll be quick, but I enjoyed this puzzle, especially two clues I felt were outstanding, 'One walking in front of a train' and 'Bridge installer's deg.'. The theme was pretty easy; the only question was what kind of shirt/jacket it was going to be.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure about 'Stinging', so Nolan 'Ryan' provided my foothold and from there everything flowed smoothly. 'Horse collar' tackle flashed me back to the only time I got hurt playing football in school, on a horse collar tackle that sprained my neck. A wise move outlawing it a few years ago. And the answer to 'One of a pool table pair' would change if Lois was playing...
Splynter, fine job with the blog; one small correction -- the M16 is a semi-automatic weapon, not a machine gun. And continued good luck with round two of the interviews.
Today is Babe Ruth Day, National Prime Rib Day and Tell a Story Day.
Did You Know?:
- Tinkertoy was invented by a tombstone designer and salesman who decided to try his hand at toy making when he noticed how much fun his own children had sticking pencils into empty spools of thread, then haphazardly assembling them into all sorts of abstract forms.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteEasy, easy, easy -- a total speed run. Until, that is, I hit the intersection of EATON and ELISHA. Who? And Who? Fortunately, there wasn't much the intersecting letter could have been other than E, but it was still odd to see the two most obscure answers crossing like that.
The clues for DDS and BRIDE did cause me to pause momentarily, but but even then I was right on Mr. Fleming's wavelength and I figured them out soon enough. But EATON and ELISHA? Hmmmm....
Horse collar tackle video.(0:52)
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Splynter and friends. Great job, Splynter! I thought this was a good Wednesday challenge. I had the SLEEVE and POCKET quickly, so initially thought the theme would be Jacket related.
ReplyDeleteSome good misleading clues. I especially liked, Bond for One = SPY.
One Walking Before a Train = BRIDE was a great clue and apropos considering Friday's big wedding.
I initially tried CRANE for the Big Name in Stationery, since that is the company I use when I need high quality paper. I thought it was a bit obscure, but then so was EATON.
QOD: Everyone is a millionaire where promises are concerned. ~ Ovid
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteNot too bad this morning. Needed some of the perps to finish.
Wanted "eats crow" instead of "dirt" for awhile. Didn't really like "fabulous fellow" for Aesop.
I remember shoe trees but never used one.
Today is Administrative Professionals Day (formerly Secretary Day). Couple that with what Dennis found and you can take your administrative assistant out for prime rib and then go and enjoy a Yankee game.
Have a great Wednesday.
Good morning,
ReplyDeleteYou all have recognized the best parts of this puzzle, which did have some really fun clues. I found it overall much easier than most Wednesday offerings, perhaps because I love dress shirts having worn them since I was 6. I also went to school with a descendant of Mr. Otis so the ELISHA EATON cross was a gimme. And of course, as SPLYNTER was kind enough to acknowledge, my small appearance as a citrus drink. Thanks S.
Finally, SHERE HITE, a fellow University of Florida graduate was very controversial as the first researcher to view sex from a primarily female perspective, but like politics, this is a subject to discuss carefully.
Top of the morning. Thanks for your entertaining write up Splynter.
ReplyDeleteWell, I messed this one up thoroughly when I put in the obvious answer for 'one of a pair on a pool table... LOIS'S TATAS... but then I realized it had to be singular.
I thought it was a stretch to associate 'fabulous' with 'fable' to arrive at AESOP, but perps took care of it.
I still have a pair of SHOE TREEs in the closet. The keep my pair of 30 year old Florsheim Wingtips in perfect shape for the few times that I wear them.
Wanted EATS crow, but DIRT emerged without too much difficulty and like most of you, wagged the 'E' at the EATON/ELISHA crossing.
Good Morning, folks. I like this puzzle. Thank you Victor. Thank you, too, Splynter for the great write-up.
ReplyDeleteI passed on the NW and started in the upper middle and NE. My first theme answer was SIDEPOCKET. Very clever. I used to shoot some pool so that brought back memories.
Initially had AHA instead of OHO. Also RCVD instead of RECD. ASTOR instead of ASTER. Fixed all those as the puzzle progressed.
I also thought that "Walking in front of a Train/BRIDE" was very clever. ELISHA came easily. I have had that before in crosswords. EATON was a Wag. I had four of the letters and plugged in the "A." Wanted EATSCROW but held off until I had some crosswords. DIRT appeared.
Great Wednesday puzzle. Thank you. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Rats! Guess the paper carrier couldn't slog thru all the rain or flooding. Forced to use the online form today and did it in 14 min. Not bad, I think, for an 82-yr. old. I think I like doing it online. Any comments re pencil/pen vs. online?
ReplyDeleteSplynter, your dress shirt looked fabulous and my money is on you as I am sure your professional skills match your blogging acumen. This nice puzzle was not a 10A and had a nice 50D.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Dress shirts were common when I started teaching but now apparel from a garage sale seems to be commonplace. Big deal? Probably not.
-Splynter, is Jeanette Lee who you had in mind for pair on pool table?
-Robin Ventura learned that you had better bring your “A” game if you face Nolan Ryan as a batter or fighter!
-A dentist’s drill has to be one of the 10 worst sounds you ever hear in your life!
-The movie Ghost was a rare movie out of Hollywood that hinted at spirituality in the world.
-I saw my dad go through the DT’S but he came out the other side a much better man!
-One lap now of course is the slightly shorter 400 meters!
-If a secretary misses a day at school, catastrophe! If a principal misses a day, no sub and no problem
Good morning all. Good write-up, Splynter.
ReplyDeleteNot much to add to the earlier comments. I felt it was easy for a Wednesday. ADLER was a WAG with perp help. The clueing for DDS was quite clever. Fun theme with HORSE COLLAR et al. My only complaint with clue/fill was DEPTH. I would have said 'floor'. Depths seems more awkward in this usage. No searches were needed.
Enjoy Wednesday. Interesting how English uses a word based on the German (pagan) sky god while the German word is Mittwoch,Low German Middeweek, (literally midweek). Go figure.
Splynter, Good-job on the write-up.
ReplyDeleteGood-luck in Round #2.
Easy THEME, first to fall was that HORSE COLLAR.
Hmmmm, DT'S ... nope, never suffered this malady.
Then again, I've never stopped enjoying Avatar.
Victor, thanks for a FUN Wednesday.
Cheers to all at Sunset.
Good morning Splyner and all, a virtual speed run this morning which is very surprising for a Wednesday puzzle. I had some pause at the crossing of Eaton and Elisha and made a SWAG of the E.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite clue/answers were walking before a train/bride and bridge installers deg./DDS. Both clues were creative and somewhat misleading.
Nice job with the blog today Splynter.
Have a great day.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteSplynter: good luck and best wishes for your second round. And thanks for the great write up.
I never did grok DDS or AESOP; therefore didn't get the theme or most of the SE corner. My DH, who played football in h.s., didn't get and never heard of HORSE COLLAR. But the perps got it for me. And having spent some years in ME, after I got LOBSTER I couldn't figure out the last four letters. I won't eat lobster tail; only the whole Maine lobsters.
Cheers
Hello all
ReplyDeleteNice and easy offering today with a little twist
I liked how LIARs CON SPy are next to each other
I thought the Groom would be walking in front of the train after " what the heck did I just do" realization
Didn't agree with the clue for 5 down,, DEPTH is a measurement not an area.
On the naughty side... I like how Drilled and Bride crossed.
Hi all - much the same sentiments as all of you. I agree with Barry G - the crossing of EATON/ELISHA was less than nice :)
ReplyDeleteI did have trouble in both the SW and SE corners, just couldn't seem to dredge up enough to complete them without help and when I saw the answers, I felt less than smart :) Sometimes I just over think something, making it more difficult than it is.
Had to shudder at 46A (citrus drink) as today is my prep day for the fun colonoscopy I have tomorrow morning. Blahh! But better to know and treat any problems before they become untreatable.
Hello Puzzlers - Not at all a SLOG today, even though I never heard of a horse collar tackle. It sounds like trouble. Liked the "bridge" and "train" clues too.
ReplyDeleteBack when I used stationery, I generally bought Crane brand because of local loyalty. Crane is in nearby Dalton, MA. Their most famous product is the paper for U.S. currency. I had a box or two of Eaton, though...then computers got invented.
Good day, Splynter and everyone!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Splynter.
Nice job, Victor Fleming. Thanks.
I have to agree, this was almost a speed run, very quick and I even recall Nolan RYAN.
Ditto, though, for EATCROW first, then EATDIRT.
EATON papers were once the stationery of choice back in the days when real letters were written.
Loved one walking in front of a train, BRIDE. As Hahtool noted, it called to mind Friday's wedding.
I also liked the play on words for fabulous fellow, AESOP, who was actually a fabulist and the root of fabulous means "like a fable."
I love the movie, Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. Whoopie Goldberg is excellent, too.
Our newspaper always prints two crossword puzzles, one themeless and the LAT themed. I like both.
Have a fantastic Wednesday, all!
Scotty, the purists prefer pen/pencil and paper. I enjoy doing the puzzles online so I can use red letters instead of getting a DNF. I think mostly it depends on what you get used to.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was kind of chicken for an American League pitcher to throw at a batter since that pitcher doesn't have to come up to bat later.
Dangerous face mask tackles have been outlawed for years. Dangerous horse collar tackles were outlawed in 2005/2006.
Since Donald Trump is a real estate financier and TV mogul, I don't think it would be political to say that he seems like a egotistical, arrogant jerk to me.
Good Morning All, Tralaa...singing off the same page as Victor Fleming today.
ReplyDeleteAll the theme phrases came pretty easily.
I did (like most everyone else) have some problems with the SE area. Fortunately I remembered ELISHA, and then I jumped around with the Acrosses and the Downs to get EATON and EATS DIRT.
Scotty, our newspaper delivery is always later than 9 AM, so I started crosswording online a few years ago. I really like cruciverb.com because the puzzle is available at 7PM on the previous evening. AND..easy correction, no eraser marks and holes in the newspaper.
Ladies lunch today at our local "diner, drive-in and dives". We only have one and it is pretty much of a dive. But they do have good prime rib sandwiches. I know what I'm ordering!
I really liked the puzzle today and grasped the theme pretty early on. I did need some red letter help with Shere Hite and Elisha Otis. Eaton paper I was familiar with for some reason. I finally knew a sports person that didn’t play football as I confidently typed in Nolan “Ryan”. I think “donee” looks funny and I still don’t know what the French word “ecole” means. I am assuming a school?
ReplyDeleteI am not much of a follower of politics, so when “red state” showed up for voting map designation I kind of just shook my head and figured it had to be right.
My favorite clues were like everyone else’s today with “bride” and “DDS”. Clever misdirection, Victor!
Carol, well that’s one way to get “drilled”:)
Jeannie, LOL - I think it's more like REEMED. Puts new meaning on 'rip 'em a new one'. Wonder if you walk funny after it's over?
ReplyDeleteScotty, I know most of the solvers here like to do the puzzles on the computer but I prefer to print it out and use my pen (with a good supply of Dryline on hand). I do appreciate the fact that the on line puzzle has the answers available if all else fails....sometimes just clicking on 'solve' for the letter is all it takes to open up a whole section.
CA, enjoy your sandwich, wish I were there :)
Ocean-bottom areas: DEPTHS
ReplyDeleteMerriam-Webster's Eleventh Edition-
Depth- (1): A deep place in a body of water. (2): A part that is far from the outside or surface.
Carol, you'll be fine. I was the driver for a friend of mine and when we were walking out he said, "I don't know what in the hell just went on in there!" He seemed to walk just fine...
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon C.C., Splynter and all,
ReplyDeleteSplynter, a very nice write-up. Good info and links {the first time I’ve known what a MAHI MAHI looked like}. Hope all goes well on interview. Keep us up.
Victor, you created a strong Wednesday puzzle. The theme was freshly done and the fill as well. I felt a little squeeze that was missing on Monday and Tuesday, which seemed appropriate. Thanks, so much ,for your consistently enjoyable crosswords.
My big surprise was that DDS, which was filled by perps, meant dentistry. I wondered what it stood for…. duh!
Our rains, floods and tornado threats will continue until Friday….they say. Just finished a 2 -day read of “The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain. It is about Hemingway’s first wife and their Paris life in the Twenties. Quite a colorful backdrop of friends, also. Well written.
Have a nice day everyone.
Jerome, that's the point. The 'bottom' is what the body of water rests on. Merriam uses the phrase: b : a ground surface -the ocean floor-
ReplyDeleteas part of its 'floor' definition. To me it's a usage thing. A shark may be swimming around in the ocean depths but there may be a cluster of manganese nodules on the ocean floor. The clue included the word 'bottom'.
Good morning Splynter, CC, et al., Fun puzzle! 38D reminded me that there was a restaurant here named Fullers where you could Eat Dirt Cheap. Great hot dog place. 26D Coned – funnel shape made me ‘chillier’ after all the tornado devastation around here. I’ll be collecting donations for the donees for quite a while, even prom dresses for the Prom in a couple of wks. Sooo sad!
ReplyDeleteArgyle: thank you for that horse collar link. Glad that’s illegal.
Dennis you’re lucky all you got was a sprained neck w/that tackle.
Dennis & Grumpy: LMAO at your comment about my pair of pool playing distractions. Defense mechanisms take on a new dimension w/those. Nothin’ works better than well placed cleavage in the line of sight of a shot/side pocket.
Carol: YIKES!! As-ter the Depths of your test tomorrow, I’m glad you’re getting it done. Early detection is critical. 63A ‘Here I go again’ will take on a whole new meaning for you. I'm sure you'll be glad to get it all behind you. Good luck.
Good luck, splinter in the next round. You’re the man!
Enjoy your day
While waiting for piano lessons to start, I noticed another level to this puzzle and how appropriate it was to have Adler beside Bride crossing Drilled, and both hitting 'er tail' in the entry below them. Adler gave us inferiority-superiority complexes and he's here in the same puzzle w/ Shere Hite who gave us studies on sexology (espfemale)-classic inferiority-superiority material
ReplyDeleteIs 'eso'a coincidence? I think Victor is Sorely In A Stir, deviously so, as he says to those who Eat(s) Dirt (or carpet) - 'Eat on!'. He's a Step ahead of most. Well done, Mr. Fleming! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it today...Tell a Story Day.
Woohoo! I finished this one in record time for me. Thanks for the splendid write-up Splynter!
ReplyDeleteConed bothered me. Like others I had "conic" first. Coned, according to the dictionary , is a verb; a single past tense and past participle of cone. Example;" He coned the top of his pottery to resemble a Dunce cap."
My husband, who will occasionally provide sports insight, gave me "horsecollar", proving yet again the value of being a jock!
Good Luck with the dreaded procedure!
We are under a tornado watch again. Our daughter in Memphis has slogged through the last few days with no power and huge amounts of rain.
Enjoy your evening!
Afternoon, folks,
ReplyDeleteI've seen 'fabulous fellow' referring to Aesop in many xword puzzles.
Spitzboov, I'm with you on the 'ocean bottom' thing. I did put in 'depths' but am not comfortable with it.
Creature, I think DDS stands for 'Doctor of Dental Science'. I could be wrong about the 'science' part, but I don't know what else it could be.
Hand upfor 'eatcrow'first, 'frown' before 'scowl' I never heard of 'horse collar' but I'm football lore deficient having been in college when all the men were overseaa, so no real sports!
Just one more line to say,' Enjoy!'
Dodo, I,like Splynter, was thinking 58D Bridge installer's deg. referred to a civil engineer instead of to dentistry; DDS, according to Splynter, stands for "Doctor of Dental Surgery".
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Carol, the sandwich was yummy. No food for you today though and no getting too far away from the (umm...err) "facilities". I know you'd rather not be doing what you have to do tomorrow, but you're right. It's much better to get the c-scopy over with.
ReplyDeleteThe only good part of the procedure is that you should be comfortably zonked out. I'll be sitting in the DDS chair tomorrow while he is DRILLing away to fix the broken tooth. (I wouldn't want to trade places though :o)
creature, I have "The Paris Wife" on my Kindle list. Thanks for the recommendation. I've just finished "Red" by hometown boy, Sammy Hagar. I don't recommend to anyone unless they are a hardcore fan. I'm going to try Isabel Allende's "Island Beneath the Sea" next.
Creature and Clear Ayes: I, too, just added The Paris Wife to the eHold list at my library. I just finished a book entitled The Piano Teacher, by Janice Lee. It is about Hong Kong in the years surrounding WWII. I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, I thought about 'surgery', too, but there are oral surgeons and periodontists. Do they have a different degree? DDS has been around long before we heard of those specialists, though, so maybe it was 'surgery'. Must look that up.
ReplyDeleteCarol, tonight is the worst part of your procedure, IMHO. I even watched my last one on the screen, but I was so stoned it didn't mean very much. Good luck, anyway!
And Splynter, Good Luck to you, too. I admire what you've accomplished in the past 6 years. I know someone strugglin with that ordeal! I hope the results will be as good as yours!
Hola Everyone, Even this late in the day there weren't very many comments today. Even so, I have't much to add to what has already been said.
ReplyDeleteI thought that with the emergence of pocket and lapels that something to do with jackets would be the theme today. But only a very dressy jacket would have tails!
Bride and DDS were my favorites, too, today. Both very misleading and clever.
Carol, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.
Also, CA, I think a prime rib sandwich would be just delicious. I had a 12:30 meeting at the University today, so leaving before the lunch hour and getting home after 3 P.M. I'm starving. We did have a snack at the meeting, but it wasn't anything compared to that sandwich you described!
Also, Husker your comment about teachers and what they wear these days really hit home. On walking to our room in the Ed building today, we passed three classrooms and ALL of the teachers were in blue jeans and sneakers!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid even 15 years ago when I was still teaching, blue jeans were a no-no. I'm a little old fashioned, I guess.
Splynter, a great writeup today.
If one received a box of Eaton's stationary for a birthday or Christmas we had received a lovely gift. I tried to buy a stationary pad of airmail paper and went to the local drug stores, and also to the local Hallmark store--nothing. I ended up with a spiral notebook to write to my grandson in Africa. the internet isn't an option as he doesn't always have a connection.
good evening Splynter, C.C. et al,
ReplyDeleteLittle time today to write after finishing xwd,but for me, it is hard not to like a Wed puzzle.I saw some of the answers without their clues: bayonet and shoe tree.Elides is not in my vocabulary...sounds poetic.
Got the theme again!!!
Carol, I bet you can't wait for the lovely complimentary photo, "hemi"s and all for your refrigerator.Will be thinking of you and your "dress shirt".
My grandfather, Northwestern University '07, received his DDS from their school of dentistry. Yup--Doctor of Dental Surgery. I still have his diploma (AND his old belt-driven drill... great for when the Dremel tool breaks down!).
ReplyDeleteSaw the clue for "one walking in front of a train" and knew without looking that it would be DEAD MAN but then it didn't fit.
And... I always do the puzzles online. Bad arthritis and the lingering results of a stroke make it much more practical than manipulating a pen/cil for that long.
Nearly May!