theme: zip it.
17A. 1981 Richard Pryor film : BUSTIN' LOOSE. during the shooting of this film richard pryor caught himself on fire while freebasing cocaine. article.
24A. Band whose frontman passes through the audience in a plastic bubble, with "The" : FLAMING LIPS. wayne coyne, in his famous bubble.
46A. "Everything but" item : KITCHEN SINK. 'everything but the kitchen sink.'
58A. Jolly Roger fliers : PIRATE SHIPS. skull and crossbones flag.
60A. The word, as suggested by the saying formed by the ends of this puzzle's four longest answers : MUM. according to wikipedia, loose lips shink ships is an american english idiom meaning 'beware of unguarded talk,' which originated on propaganda posters during WWII.
seemed a bit easier than a wednesday level to me, but still provided some learning moments. haven't seen this constructor's name before, might be his debut.
Across:
Across:
1. Taj Mahal city : AGRA. always nice to start with a gimme.
5. Merry : JOVIAL. like santa.
11. One doing serious crunching in 29-Down : CPA (certified public accountant), and 29d. Busy mo. for 11-Acrosses : APR. timely.
14. Perturb : ROIL
15. Hang on a clothesline : AIR DRY
16. One of a swiveled pair : HIP. technically, the hip is a ball-and-socket joint.
19. Sit-__: protests : INS
21. Merry old king : COLE. nursery rhyme, 'old king cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he.'
22. In a funk : BLUE
23. Managed : RAN. can anyone identify this quote without googling? 'he ran spain.' 'spain?' 'the country, he ran it, it was his job.'
27. Typical "Twilight" fan : TEEN. i haven't seen any of them, have you?
29. Daisylike blooms : ASTERS
32. Pipe dream : DELUSION. haha.
36. Bartlett, e.g. : PEAR. a different kind of yummy.
37. Distress signal : SOS
38. Pop : SODA
39. Chew out : REPROACH. to express dissolution.
42. Chic : TRENDY
44. "How steak is done" sauce : A-ONE. good steaks are like good men ... better undressed.
45. Like a battery needing a charge : DEAD
50. "Don't __": 2005 R&B hit : CHA. pussycat dolls.
53. Dull discomfort : ACHE
54. Chess ending : MATE
55. Cultural values : ETHOS
57. King of Spain : REY. spanish.
61. Cab rider-to-be : HAILER. went to new york for the first time last month, got to be a pretty good hailer.
62. Sheltered, at sea : ALEE
63. Mimic : APE
64. Lover of Tristan : ISOLDE. vagner opera.
65. Student's stressor : TEST
Down:
1. Shady alcove : ARBOR
3. Gotten up : RISEN
4. Choir member : ALTO
5. "The Brady Bunch" girl : JAN
6. Tin Woodman's saving grace : OIL CAN
7. Auto race noise : VROOM
8. Puts on a pedestal : IDOLIZES
9. Arms supply : ARSENAL
10. Caustic substance : LYE
12. Man cave hanging : PINUP
13. Church areas : APSES
18. Suss out : INFER
22. Leading a charmed life : BLESSED
25. Guitar great Paul : LES. died in 2009.
26. Novel-sounding beast : GNU. also called a wildebeest.
27. Outdoor dining spot : TERRACE. just did so yesterday, gotta love california.
30. Notice : SEE.
31. Percussive dance : TAP.
32. Homer call? : D'OH. Homer Simpson.
33. Charged particle : ION
34. Like 2011, e.g. : ODD
35. Anti's cry : NAY
37. Plot outline : SCENARIO
40. "Delightful!" : OOH
41. Causes of pallors : ANEMIAS
43. Fall implements : RAKES
45. Tried to lose, in a way : DIETED
46. Fate : KARMA
47. Freeze, as a road : ICE UP
48. Herb in a bouquet garni : THYME
49. Slot in a stable : STALL
50. Country that's nearly 25 times as long as its average width : CHILE
51. Crosses one's fingers : HOPES
52. Liability's opposite : ASSET
56. The other one : THAT
58. Key letter : PHI
59. Before, to a bard : ERE
Answer grid.
melissa
Answer grid.
melissa
67 comments:
Morning, all!
Another pretty straightforward effort today. The theme was cute, but I didn't need to know it to solve the theme answers and didn't even figure it out until after the puzzle was done.
Was not crazy about HAILERS, but at least there wasn't much else in the way of junk fill today. I'm only vaguely aware of the FLAMING LIPS, but it was accessible and it was certainly fresh fill.
I thought that "2011" was a very, well, ODD clue for ODD. I can't decide whether to be impressed by the trickiness or just annoyed.
It was interesting to see both CHILI and CHILE in the grid. Kind of like seeing OLIO and OLEO.
Never heard of "Don't CHA."
Struggled a bit with SODA, only because "Pops" is what I call my father...
Not entirely sure that "Suss out" and INFER are the same. They probably are, but the former always seemed more sure than the latter to me. You can INFER something incorrectly, but when you suss it out you've discovered the truth.
Oh, and to answer your question, Melissa...
Yes, I have seen plenty of TEENS. ^_^
Wrote "Isolda" and didn't look at the clue that gave me "era", DOH!
Good day folks,
Got through today's puzzle smoothly without incurring any major issues. 32D Homer Call had me thinking baseball and for the life of me DOH made no sense whatsoever. Finally guessed that it was a phrase from the Simpsons, a show totally unfamiliar to me.
But 42D TEN, kept yesterday's baseball them alive for another day.
Novel sounding beast/GNU was cute. Like Barry, I wondered about the Suss Out/INFER connection.
Nice to hear from you Melissa Bee and thanks for a nice write up.
Going to finish the leaf raking early today, before the winds come "avisiting."
Happy Hump Day all.
Nice and challenging humpday puzzle. Great write up as usual. Sort of liked the theme. though I figured it out at the unifier clue. Theme answer clues were very straight forward.
Good Morning!
Enjoyed your write-up, Melissa. Thought this one was the easiest (and fastest) so far this week. GLUM turning BLUE was my only misstep.
Some claim (tongue in cheek) that Shakespeare plagiarized Wagner in his play version of Tristan and Isolde.
Missed the theme today, probably because I missed the unifier. By the time I got to 60A it was already filled in -- all the words in the SW looked OK, so I moved on.
Off to the dentist...
I don't comment that often, but I just couldn't let ANEMIAS go unchallenged. Even the spell-check gave it the squiggly underline when I typed it in the comment box
.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Erik, for a very good puzzle. Thank you, Melissa Bee, for the review. Nice to see you here again. I still have a couple of those "Midas Touch" beers. I am aging them to see if they get any better.
Got started easily at 1A and 4D, but I had to stop. was not sure of the rest in the NW corner. Headed South.
Filled in the South and worked my way North. Only write-oiver was 55A. I put MORES first, then ETHOS became obvious.
Got 36A, Bartlett/PEAR. Bartlett is the town I live in.
Theme came together easily. Never heard of BUSTIN LOOSE or FLAMING LIPS, but they fell once a few crosswords were done.
I am not sure I "Get" 26D Novel-sounding beast/GNU. I got the answer. I know what a GNU is, but not sure what the clue meant.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
This is the fastest Wed. I've ever done, though I never heard of The FLAMING LIPS or dontCHA.
LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS is more my era.
@Brian: I agree that ANEMIA is not a word you regularly see pluralized, but if you were to pluralize it I guess that would be the correct form.
@Abejo: I also had MORES to start with. As to GNU, just remember that it is pronounced "new," which is a synonym for "novel."
Several surprises along the way, and I didn't really connect the theme references as a sentence, trying to find a common denominator between the separate words. But that's normal for me. Otherwise no real hold ups. Quite a few interesting and unusual CW words.
Have a great hump day!
Good morning, mb, and happy humpers all. I didn't know FLAMING LIPS and didn't remember BUSTIN' LOOSE but guessing right on BLUE gave me enough of a toehold to INFER (suss out) the other fill in that corner and back into the unknowns.
INFER or suss out both mean to arrive at a conclusion based on available data. I don't think either implies absolute certainty.
TEENs? They don't exist anymore. Kids now go from pre-pubescent to twenty-something with no intervening years.
Barry, if a clue annoys me, it was a really good Wednesday clue.
Theme unifier wasn't needed but the theme was cute.
Loose Lips Sink Ships. A lot of great words today: JOVIAL, DELUSION, REPROACH, ARSENAL, TERRACE, SCENARIO.
A mini theme shout out to our accountant friends with CPA, APR and ASSET.
A mini theme shout out to our friends suffering depression with: BLUE, DEAD, ACHE.....And let's throw in the most depressing of all: DIETED.
Thanks Melissa and Erik for an especially easy Wednesday.
I am okay with using SUSS (figure out) and INFER (conclude something from reasonning) as close synonyms.
The synonyms in x-words frequently do not have precisely the same nuances, even though the thesaurus lists them as syns. I was okay with MERRY/JOVIAL, but JOVIAL has a bit of bonhomie in it and MERRY does not necessarily include this.
Melissa, that is a new use of DISSOLUTION for me. Did you mean REPROACH=express disapproval?
I cannot access spell checker on this blog, as you probably have guessed. Any suggestions?
Thanks Barry G for clearing up the Novel/GNU clue.
Today I am BLESSED that I am not BLUE.
I really enjoyed today's work-out. Puzzle came together quickly and thought theme was clever and that it was beyond "reproach". Good day to all!
Mata Hari, et al used every feminine wile to try to defeat this maxim. Theme came early. Nice job, Erik!
Musings
-Paying taxes should not require hiring professionals and make H & R Block a huge corporation. I do my own taxes but would like a flat tax.
-Joann misses the smell of sheets that AIR DRY since, as I mentioned last week, clotheslines are not allowed here
-Yes, MB, I like my steaks topless (not me, the filet!)
-My iPhone seems to be near DEAD every afternoon
-The brainless scarecrow had all the good ideas, the heartless tin man was always emotional and the cowardly lion overcame his fears. It’s all in there if we just look!
-Homer call? Home team gets benefit of the doubt.
Good morning everyone. Thanks for the comments, Melissa.
KITCHEN SINK fell right out. After the unifier, MUM, I went back and filled in ..LOOSE and ...LIPS and easily finished up. Liked the GNU clue. Nice to see CHILI and CHILE in the same puzzle. I had "schematic" before SCENARIO. No lookups were needed. Overall it hit me as a bright and lively puzzle. Thanks, Erik, for the start to the day.
Enjoy your day.
melissa bee: Wonderful write-up & links.
ERIK, Thank you for a FUN Wednesday.
Needed "every-single-perp" to get FLAMING LIPS and CHA.
Learning moments I hope to forget by noon.
Grumpy 1: The Constructor, and our Editor, Rich Norris, can clue an answer any way they want and I will not say it annoyed ( displeases, troubles, or slightly irritates) me.
I thought "Like 2011" for ODD was clever.
I just enjoy our morning pastime.
Ron: WE need a goalie! Hope the fit is perfect tomorrow.
Cheers to all at Sunset!
Greetings, Melissa Bee and all. Nice blogging, MB, with dishy links.
WEES! A quick solve with many unknowns or forgotten trivia such as BUSTIN LOOSE that required all perps as has been noted and some lovely fill which Mari listed.
Old king COLE was MERRY but he could have been JOVIAL and spoiled the poetic meter.
I thought GNU, novel was clever.
Nice to see an old friend, ODEON.
Have a BLESSED Wednesday, everyone!
Good morning everyone:
This was a very easy, fun puzzle. Thanks, Erik, and kudos to Melissa for a fine expo. It was kind of a Monday-level outing but enjoyable all the same.
Temp today to be 54 and tomorrow 61. I think Mother Nature and Old Man Winter are on a long vacation together.
Happy Wednesday to all.
Fun and pretty easy puzzle--many thanks, Erik. And you too, Melissa Bee, for the write-up.
Had no problems or issues or even annoyances with this puzzle, with its delightful theme and cool words. Thanks, @Barry G. 5:30, for explaining what "suss" means. I hear the word all the time but always have to infer what it implies. I'll go with your definition from now on.
@Lucinda 9:42, I like your Blessed Wednesday better than hump day, which always sounds a little gross to me. So, what Lucinda said, everybody!
Good morning to all and happy humpday. Thanks for the links and write-op MelissaBee Nice wed. puzzle no smudges and some clever cluing,thanks Erik A. Tinman the paper said we could have a chance at Marty Turco that would be awesome. Have a great day to all. RJw.
Lots of fun today, with a great puzzle and witty writeup.
My favorite clue was 46A; I new that one right away, since that is what I keep in my purse (which is not always TRENDY, but mostly functional).
To Mari @ 8:16, hahaha! and have you seen the Christmas tree made from stacks of books with lights in between the stacks? Judging by your new avatar, you could make several of those trees, as could I!
I never before heard or read the word "suss". I kind of like it but would never use it because hardly anyone would (or should) know what it means.
Chili heat is properly measured using the Scoville Scale, not alarms. By the way, pepper spray is quite high on the scale.
re: 46D:
I "knew that one", darn it. Wish I could blame my computer, but it was just my brain (sigh).
Fun puzzle, and if a debut, a worthy effort. I don't know that the unifier was needed, but it tied in nicely. Thanks Erik and Melissa.
I came across this interesting performance. Low brow meets high brow. It's a performance of Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring and The William Tell Overture at Carnegie Hall......on a harmonica. :-)
Good morning melissa, C.C. et al.
WEES, as I am really late to the party today. Thanks for the "yummy" link to Billy ZANE, melissa!
One other word that I chuckled at was VROOM -- It was a lively addition to this fun puzzle. I hope to see more from this constructor!
I see there is no love for my Flaming Lips. I've linked them here before so I'll spare you today. They are a kinda trippy, Pinkish Floydish band.
mb: Your trivia question got my curiosity up. Not knowing the answer, I googled it. No wonder I didn't know it. My "man card" remains valid. I did, however, like the ensuing line; "People do really stupid things in foreign countries...they buy leather jackets for much more than they're worth ". Ummm...guilty!
29 D should have had an indication that it was an abbreviation. I initially had May.
Avg Joe @ 10:29, wonderful clip of Buddy Greene and his harmonica. I listened to the entire video - his rendition of "The William Tell Overture" at the end was outstanding!!
I enjoyed the puzzle and the writeup. Thanks. I had PSI for PHI and that messed me up for a few moments.
Anon. @10:35, it did. Mo. for month.
Abejo, I don't know if you are serious or not but beer is best consumed fresh. It degrades with age, unlike wine.
Mari said, "Today I am BLESSED that I am not BLUE."..and also glad that I'm not a GNU.
Ogden Gnash
But you GNU that!
To Barry G.:
Thank you for enlightening me on the "Novel" "New" "GNU" similarities. If I would have thought harder I would have probably come up with that. Thanks again.
Abejo
BillG: It didn't occur to me this morning but anon is correct. My paper printed the clue as "Busy month for 11-Acrosses".
Since 11a/CPA is shortened, I guess that is a hint that April should be shortened also. Notice I didn't say abbreviation, acronym or initialsim!
To Bill G.:
The "Midas Touch" beer story is a long one, and kind of a private joke. A long time ago Melissa Bee recommended "Midas Touch" beer as a good beer to enjoy. So I, being a beer lover, went out and purchased two four packs. As it turned out I did not like it at all. So, I still have most of it, because I don't like it, not because I expect it will improve. Thanks for your interest.
Abejo
Never heard of "Don't CHA" so looked it up. Apparently the 2005 release was sung by The Pussycat Girls and the actual lyrics are punctuated "Dont cha" meaning, as I suspected, "don't you". As I also suspected, the song is filled with INFERences that don't require any sussing out.
Only writeover was AIRDRY/AIRout as the clue didn't mention anything about washing.
Thx @sjok for pointing out the Scoville Scale. This sort of thing is what makes these blogs so interesting.
My paper, the Arizona Republic, also had "month" spelled out in full. Still, it felt more like a Monday,as all the answers came right up. Well, most all. I also had PSI, but figured out that one HAILs a taxi. Never heard of FLAMING LIPS either, but perps solved it easily. POP seems to be a midwestern term for soft drinks. Being from Chicago originally, that was a gimme.
Hi Y'all,
Enjoyed the puzzle and writeup. 5A I put JOyfuL so was held up there. Didn't get 17A LOOSE or 24A FLAMING until the SINK SHIPS showed up.
As for 50A CHA, I had it but thought it was wrong until I remembered that obnoxious song that seemed to be on the TV everywhere: "Don'tcha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don'tcha? Don'tcha?" Don'tcha dare link that one, please!
Loved the harmonica virtuoso. Who knew that instrument could make all those notes!
Hi gang -
Fun puzzle. Found the unifier before sussing the theme, which is obvious in retrospect - but, then, most things are.
Never heard of the band, but it's interesting to see that high Scoville CHILI cross FLAMING LIPS.
MB - not quite DF, but you are a bit frisky today, you naughty girl.
Here is some BUSTIN' LOOSE. Like Barry, I don't know whether to be impressed or annoyed.
For Lucina, with a nod to the Tin Man (who needs no OIL CAN.)
Old King Cole was a jovial soul
And a frivolous bowler, too.
He called for his pins and fav'rite ball
And not one Pinch, but two!
If your man cave is an igloo, your PINUP might ICE UP.
My MUM has had both of her HIPs replaced.
Cheers!
JzB Bumpa to 3 TEENS
JazzB:
Bravo! You are a man of many talents. I like your rendition.
vairnut:
Where in Arizona do you live?
AvgJoe:
Loved the harmonica!
Mari:
Thanks for the extra "d;" that would give me an extra 50 points in Scrabble. LOL
OOps. I'm sorry, Mari, that should have been addressed to Misty.
Here are a couple more photos of the hummingbird babies. In one of the pictures, one of them has flown the coop. My guess is that he/she is close by and the parents are feeding it. Babies
Tinbeni@9:14, the only clues that annoy me are the ones where I look at it and draw a complete blank. Then when it suddenly becomes so obvious that I don't know how I couldn't have recognized it, I have to REPROACH myself for being so dense. Having to do that to myself really annoys me. lol (Especially when I have to do it three or more times in the same puzzle.)
Hi all,
Loved this puzzle-I actually had fun with a Wed. puzzle.
I remember the posters during WWII that said 'Loose lips sink ships.'
Avg Joe-that harmonica music was really great.
Brian- anemia can be pluralized in some ways. Vitamin Deficiency
or Hemolytic aneminias for examples.
As I said, I really did like this puzzle. Thanks MB,Erik and also C.C.
Marge
Qli @ 10:19 AM, I have not seen one of those Christmas trees, but I bet I'd like it. Actually my picture was taken at the Ripley's museum in Orlando, FL. The stack of books goes from the floor to the ceiling!
A CPA that is busy doing tax returns in May will probably not be busy in Apr the following year.
Sorry, please do not REPROACH me, I couldn't resist being JOVIAL or was I MERRY.
De'Otto : Loved the Gnash poem. I wonder if the GNU had Fleas:
Adam
Had'em
TTFN
Lucina @ 1:05 pm: Glad your comment was for Misty. I was a little confused, as I'm certainly not a "Double D"! ;)
Official war cartoon from the U.S. War Dept.
loose lips sink ships
abejo, haha ... perhaps you should use it to marinate a tri-tip or make a 2-alarm chili. dogfish head brews are pretty intense - their palo santo marron is my favorite.
yellowrocks, good catch - that d-word was supposed to be disapproval or disappointment. not sure how i managed to enter 'dissolution.'
husker, topless - yes.
sjok, i believe the scoville scale is used for the actual chili peppers - chili, the stew, is often referred to as #-alarm chili.
seen - ha.
PK@11:33 "Don't cha dare link that one, please!" Amen. Right on!
PAPACASS @ 2:07, A CPA being so busy in May? HA HA. Amen to you, too. My son, a CPA is working his a-- off right now.
D Otto, thanks for the Ogden Nash ditty. I am a big fan of Ogden Nash.
I was in the primary grades during WW II and yet I remember so much of it. As a child I woke up from a nightmare thinking that the enemy was in the hills across the creek from my home. "Loose lips sink ships" resonates with me.
My next door neighbor was an air raid warden. No lights were allowed to show at night. I remember rationing stamps, especially for sugsr, gas, and shoes.
I have read and watched so much WW II info since that I can't separate what I know now from what I knew then. As a tiny tyke it was scary.
poster#1
poster#2
and with apologies to Spitzboov,,,
poster#3
Very inspiring erudite discussion between Grumpy and Argyle last night on Huppmobile brake adjustments.
CED - I don't think that's one of ours. Looks like a Bofors gun on the fo'c'sle. I see the hull number is painted out. Probably photoshopped.
Here is a clip on Sheepdog sheepherding methodology supported by Guinness.
Thank you Melissa Bee.
Hola Everyone, I finished the puzzle early on this morning,but am just getting to the computer now. Our power has been off all day due to P.G.&E. putting in a new telephone pole in our next door neighbor's yard. Since the guy wires extend into our yard, we have had workmen in and out all day.
I found the puzzle to be fairly straighforward today and I got the theme for once. I saw and heard these words often while growing up during WWII.
I have never heard of Flaming Lips and didn't know Bustin Loose, but both were easily gotten with the perps.
It was fun to see Air Dry which brought back many memories hanging the clothes on the line every week. After I married, I would go down two flights of stairs to the basement of our apartment to put the clothes in the washer, then up again and down again for the wet clothes to be hung on the line. It took most of the day to do the wash. I LOVED having a dryer when we moved into our first home. It saved so much time.
Have a great day everyone.
I forgot to thank Melissa B. for a great writeup. I enjoyed the links and picures today.
I have a new appreciation for heavy equipment operators. There was a 5 story crane right outside my front room window. The operator picked up the new telephone pole (It looked like a stick that far up in the air), swung it over our house, and dropped it gently into the hole right next to the existing pole. He threaded that pole between the P.G.&E wires and the telephone wires. I couldn't believe that he could do that from his remote cab with visibility restricted by the houses in his way.
I'm finally warming up as there was no heat today, either. The inside of our house was 58 before the power was turned back on.
We sure are creatures of comfort, aren't we?
Spitzboov: I agree. I enjoyed the back and forth.
mb: Were you aware of this monogram?
seen, nope - thanks, i like it. :)
thank you all for the kind words & MB for the awesome write up! cannot adequately express my gratitude, except maybe through song
EA: Good stuff!
Well, my friends, I have been immersed in British drama and I can hear myself thinking in a Brit accent! I do love it.
Just finished watching part three of the second series and it was completely new for me so I don't know if I missed it although the DVR is set to record all episodes.
To recap, the house has become a convalescent home and the general arrived to inspect it. Branson, who has an axe to grind, was poised to pour slop over him when Anna intercepted his note. Ms. Swire has been complicit with Mr. Carlisle in a political scandal. Bates returns to work in a pub and Lang suffers a breakdown.
If this is familiar to anyone, please let me know and I'll understand it was something I missed.
Lucina: I live in Glendale. I have been in Az for 30 years, but I grew up in Chicago. There is a possibility of moving to Sun City in the next few months. How about you?
Lucina: That was not to imply that I am asking you if youre moving to Sun City!!
Thank you, vairnut. I was just curious about where in AZ you live. I'm sure you shall like Sun City though I have no plans to move there.
I knew what you meant!
Hi all. Thanks Marti!
My computer is not downloading images, so I can't look at the links or see anyone's avatar. Off for a BIG DAY with a "genius" at the Apple Store.
What everyone else said. Tough puzzle, but able to finish with many smudges. Liked the HOT start with WASABI. Preview is still messed up.
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