(If your paper does not carry the puzzle we're blogging on Sundays, click here to solve on line or print out a copy.)
Theme: "Merge Ahead" - Each theme entry is a merge of two road signs.
Theme: "Merge Ahead" - Each theme entry is a merge of two road signs.
27A. "Just ignore landslide warnings" : OVERLOOK + FALLING ROCKS
42A. "Approaching Alaskan landmark" : DEAD END + BRIDGE AHEAD. This refers to the Bridge to Nowhere, right?
60A. "Sorry, you can't avoid strip mall traffic" : NO OUTLET + DETOUR
73A. "Road under construction ... still" : SLOW + MEN WORKING
88. "Napping mandatory for sleepy drivers" : REST AREA + NO STANDING
107. "Animals jaywalking, use caution" : DEER CROSSING + WRONG WAY
Only
6 theme entries, but 4 are very long. Total 104 theme squares. I find
that gridding and filling get tricky once the number exceeds 100.
But Ed is one of the best. Very smooth grid and the four corners are great. Loved the overall clues today, esp these few:
31A. Forty-niners' score : ORE.
103A. Joe for DiMaggio? : CAFFE. Look, the Rebates sign is autographed.
89D. Stock owner : RANCHER
And a few more.
Across:
1. Kerfuffles : FLAPS
6. Quaint shoppe word : OLDE
10. Former Facebook marketing director Zuckerberg : RANDI. No idea. Sister of Mark Zuckerberg.
15. Basic lessons : ABCs
19. Forum attire : TOGAE
20. Cork objections : NAEs
21. Add baubles and bangles to : ADORN. Have you heard of CC Skye? Their bracelets are all the rage nowadays.
22. West Point mascot : MULE
23. Beyond the burbs : RURAL
24. Bric-a-__ : BRAC
25. "That's it for me" : I'M OUT
26. Object of devotion : ICON
32. "__ Boot": 1981 film : DAS
33. Covenants : PACTS
34. Together : UNITED
36. Triathlete, at times : PEDALER
39. Lisbon's Vasco da __ Bridge : GAMA
40. Ga. summer hours : EDT
41. Big time : ERA
47. French actor Delon : ALAIN. He's huge in China in the late '80s.
50. Have regrets about : RUE. Poor Petraeus! Who would you like to write your biography?
51. Drop-line link : ME A. This is for regular posters: Email me your recent photo (crosswordc@gmail.com) if you want to be included in our Blog Photo archive. I'd love to "see" you.
52. Store that welcomes dogs : PETCO
53. Posies : NOSEGAYS
56. Horrifies : APPALS. Mine is always "Appall".
59. "__ Always a Woman": Billy Joel song : SHE'S
63. Work in a play : ACT
65. Fed. arson-investigating org. : ATF
66. Homer, for one : HIT. Was thinking of the "The Simpsons" DAD.
67. Change : ALTER
68. GP's gp. : AMA. Hope Bob is doing better, JD.
69. Bhutto's overthrower : ZIA. No memory of him.
72. PC port : USB (Universal Serial Bus)
76. Sugar unit : LUMP
79. Ab __: from the beginning : INITIO. Learned from doing Xwords.
81. Carousing : ON A BINGE. 105. One 81-Across, perhaps : SOT
82. Former Piston Thomas : ISIAH. He's in the Hall of Fame.
84. Green prefix : ECO
85. Mr. Nahasapeemapetilon of "The Simpsons" : APU. Indians have very long names. Same with Thais.
87. Machu Picchu dwellers : INCAS
94. Co. once led by Baryshnikov : ABT (American Ballet Theatre)
95. Gallivant : GAD
96. Play around (with) : FUTZ. Yiddish.
97. Important person to believe in : ONESELF. Quite true.
101. Wooded : SYLVAN
106. Real estate giant Webb : DEL. Another stranger to me.
112. Swinging entrance : GATE
113. Poker Flat creator : HARTE (Bret)
114. Carpe __ : DIEM
115. "Family Ties" mother : ELYSE
116. Lying over : ATOP
117. Turn inside out : EVERT
118. Old Icelandic literary work : EDDA
119. Pitch fork? : TUNER. Awesome clue. I know "Awesome" is overused.
120. Buzzers : BEES
121. Second tries : REDOS. "Try, try again" does not work in many occasions.
122. Insect repellent compound : DEET
123. Excites : SENDS
Down:
1. '60s sitcom set at Fort Courage : F TROOP. Stumped me last time.
2. Right Bank attraction : LOUVRE
3. "It's a deal" : AGREED
4. Carson followed him : PAAR (Jack)
5. Follow the bears : SELL. Stock market bears.
6. Ready to ship out : ON BOARD. Spitzboov sent me a very interesting article about a few US Navy midshipmen on board a Chinese Navy ship this summer. Unimaginable in the old days.
7. Spirited adventures : LARKS. And 9. Spirited adventure : ESCAPADE. Sexual escapade, that's a phrase I'm familiar with.
8. Unwilling to listen : DEAF
10. Transport on tracks : RAIL CAR
11. Fess up : ADMIT. Wish Petraeus's escapades were handled privately.
12. High times? : NOONS
13. It may be generic : DRUG
14. Trespass : INTRUDE
15. Parma pals : AMICI. Plural of "Amico".
16. SpongeBob SquarePants feature : BUCK TEETH
17. It might be decided by a nose : CLOSE RACE. Man oh Man (a la Jayce), that Nate Silver is truly a genius.
18. Kerry or Snowe: Abbr. : SEN. Alas, Olympia Snowe is not returning.
28. Old music halls : ODEA
29. Follower of Mary : LAMB
30. Ready for use : ON TAP
35. Carpentry grooves : DADOS. We have three carpenters on the blog: Jerome, Splynter and Marti. Avg Joe must know carpentry work also. Same as Windhover.
37. "Ta ta," to Tati : ADIEU. I know only one Tati: Jacques Tati.
38. Derby margins : LENGTHS
39. Bearded beast : GNU
40. Étienne's equal : EGAL. Étienne is English Stephen.
43. Formerly, in former times : ERST
44. Contaminated : IMPURE
45. Letter opener? : DEAR
46. Command, to the bard : HEST. Also new to me.
47. Oscar winner Paquin : ANNA. She won for "The Piano". Very passionate movie.
48. Plunder : LOOT
49. Starting from : AS OF
54. Cover of a kind : ALIBI
55. Thus far : YET
56. When an afternoon meeting might start : AT TWO
57. Hardy work : POEM. Oh, Thomas Hardy.
58. Margaret Mead's milieu : SAMOA. Alliteration all the way.
61. Old West gang family name : DALTON. The Dalton Gang. No Bond reference. OK with me, Daniel Craig is the best anyway.
62. Weena's people, in a Wells novel : ELOI. Weena is the girl in "The Time Machine".
64. Cavalry rifle : CARBINE
68. Grain bristle : AWN
69. .975 cents? : ZINC. Great clue. The remaining is copper.
70. Teri's "Young Frankenstein" role : INGA
71. Mellows, maybe : AGES. D-Otto, were you hot-tempered when you were young?
72. "Remember to look __ the stars and not down at your feet": Hawking : UP AT
73. Director Vittorio De __ : SICA. Wiki shows he directed "Two Women", which I mistakenly thought was directed by Carlo Ponti.
74. Grammar class subject : NOUN
75. Scepter wielders : KINGS
76. Turkish coins : LIRAs
77. Food label recommendation : USE-BY DATE. I tend to have problem finishing my salsas in time.
78. Bussing overseer? : MISTLETOE. Kissing bussing. Sweet clue.
80. Requirement : NEED
83. "Horrible" Viking of comics : HAGAR
85. Ministered to : ATTENDED
86. Guerra's opposite : PAZ. Paz = "Peace". Guerra = "War". Spanish. Got me.
90. Counterbalances : OFFSETS
91. Muslim mystic : SUFI
92. Humble pie eater : DOORMAT
93. Really digging : INTO
98. He played Uncle Albert in "Mary Poppins" : ED WYNN. Saw the movie long time ago. Don't remember this guy at all.
99. Like many company cars : LEASED
100. Two-time '70s Stanley Cup champs : FLYERS. Philadelphia Flyers. Dennis knows. The Saturday Stud might too.
102. Mondale and Quayle, once : VEEPS. Walter Mondale is still very active here in MN.
103. Hollowed out : CORED
104. Logical prefix : ASTRO. Astrological. Is there a prefix simply meaning "Logical"?
105. Garbo, for one : SWEDE
108. Kind of review : RAVE
109. "L'immoraliste" author : GIDE (André). No idea. He won Nobel Literature in 1947. Rather abstract cover.
110. Brings home : NETS
111. Collage application : GLUE. I read it as "College application".
112. Yakety-yak : GAB. Don't you want to gab with PK in person? Fascinating person.
Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans on the blog! "We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude...". Thank you for the sacrifice.
C.C.
Good Morning, C.C., and friends. I loved today's fare. Very clever. Deer Crossing Wrong Way was my favorite theme answer. It reminded me of the woman who recently called into a talk radio show complaining that the Deer Crossing signs only encouraged the deer to cross the road in heavy traffic areas. She wanted the signs moved to more Rural areas. She later called the station back, saying she didn't realize the signs were for the drivers and not the deer.
ReplyDeleteDo remember the veterans. Is your city doing any special celebration?
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteNice Sunday workout from Mr. Sessa. Terrific theme that was very enjoyable once I figured it out.
I struggled with a lot of the proper nouns, though. RANDI, DEL, SICA and GIDE were complete unknowns, but at least I could get them via the perps. Not so ZIA, unfortunately. The only thing I could guess with _IA in place was CIA (as in Central Intelligence Agency), which gave me a mystifying CINC for 69D and kept me from getting the *TADA* at the end. I did finally guess that ".975 cents" might refer to the composition of modern pennies, but even then I couldn't believe that ZIA was a valid answer.
Elsewhere, I had MESS at 96A and finally changed it to FUTS. It took me awhile to change the S to a Z.
And I'm assuming CAFFE is Italian for coffee?
Good morning C.C. et al.
ReplyDeleteHaHa, I read your comment at 35-Across, and wondered why you would think I knew anything about woodworking. D’oh!!!
WBS about the crossing of 69A Bhutto’s overthrower and 69D 0.975 cents. Garrr…
I laughed when I saw SLOW MEN WORKING. Whenever I see a “Slow Children Crossing,” I always think, “Well geez – that’s not very nice to announce to the world that the kids are stupid on this street!”
Very enjoyable puzzle, even though I DNF.
Have a great day everyone, and go out and hug a Vet. They deserve our eternal gratitude!
Greetings, C.C.!
ReplyDeleteThis was really fun and took under an hour, too. Thanks, Ed Sessa.
WBS about ZIA and I had MEDALER instead of PEDALER.
Otherwise a smooth sashay in this very dense puzzle. It was quite a pleasant ESCAPADE.
FUTZ was a complete unknown but I trusted the perps. DEL Webb has a large presence here with three Sun City developments.
I remember ED WYNN because of the scene where he was on the ceiling. That was hilarious.
Have a superb Sunday, everyone! I'm going back to bed.
Greetings and gratitude to all Vets!
ReplyDeleteA few speed bumps (to extend the traffic analogy) -- I had STOPMENWORKING which stymied me in the center for awhile -- but not too hard for a Sunday puzzle (which I'm assuming is not part of the Monday to Saturday "gets harder each day" sequence). [22:21]
ReplyDeleteGreetings!
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle, Ed! Great expo, CC!
No problems. Favorite answer, FUTZ. Haven't used that word in a while.
Dentist cost me $2,150.00! One tooth out of two has to go. (My holistic dentist is evidently famous and well-published. She is very young also.)
Wow! Time for bed!
Cheers!
Good morning C.C. and Sunday solvers.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I always have problems with Ed Sessa's creations. Today my problem was in the south with hollowed out = EATEN and logical prefix = SERIO -- both wrong and side by side. Took some time to straighten out that area.
I'd never heard of ABT or DEL (Webb) only Jack.
C.C., thanks for the shoutout. Yes, I was hot tempered when I was young. That's why I'm not a hunter. Older brother was always yanking my chain, and Mom knew better than to let us both go into the woods with firearms. So older brother is the hunter.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks C.C. for expanding on the theme. I got the theme fill ok but was hazy on the full expression of 'Merge'. No real issues with the solve; plenty of helpful perps. On 96a, I had 'putz' before FUTZ.
If the clue for 10d, RAILCAR, had said 'truck' instead of 'track' it still would have been ok because a truck is the swiveling wheel assemblage upon which a RAILCAR rolls.
Best wishes to all the veterans out there.
Too funny. Yesterday I thought the answer was agreed, and it was SAID OK. So today I think the answer is "said ok", and the answer is AGREED.
ReplyDeleteI called him Square Bob Sponge Pants; my neighbor's 3 yeard old was quick to correct.
Second tries here are called "Do Overs."
3 lousy letters prevented the TA DA ! At 96A for Play around with, have F_T_, so 86D Guerra's opposite is PA_, and 91D Muslim mystic is S_FI. Have no clue at the crossing of 109D GI_E and 118A E_DA. Time to read CC's write up and get educated on those fills.
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Ed Sessa, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for the good write-up.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is my first puzzle in four days. I was so busy Thu, Fri, and Sat, that I could not get into it. I may do them later, however.
Enjoyed this. I got off to a slow start, however, because the theme was tough to figure out. Once I got it, I sped up.
Of course, I had TOGAS for 19A for a while. Fixed that to TOGAE after a bit.
Wrote in ABCS for 15A, then wrote in HORSERACE for 17D. Then changed HORSERACE to CLOSE RACE. Lots of ink wasted on this paper.
My buddy APU again. I will have to watch that show sometime.
Had DOOR for 112A. Swinging Door. That's common. Eventually GATE had to be it.
Entered SEDANS for company cars for 99D. That corner was a hold up for me. With a couple perps I changed that to LEASED. Again, more ink.
Enjoyed the theme. Very clever, and humorous.
Well, off to church. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteHad a little more trouble than usual with this Sunday offering; don't know why. The theme was clear early on but I still needed the perps to finish. Didn't get my TA DA, though, because I had mail car instead of rail car.
Nice job, Ed Sessa, and great commentary, CC.
Thank you to all veterans; God bless you.
Have a great Sunday.
Thank you Ed Sessa. I enjoyed this puzzle. Got a lot of answers soley to perps, but couldn't quite complete it as noted above.
ReplyDeleteThank you CC. Very nice write up. Petraeus decided to fess up on his escapades. Apparently more than just Broadwell, if I understand correctly. She emailed the yet another "other" woman. She must have been infatuated with him. At "play around" = FUTZ, just couldn't resolve it. I was thinking more in line of mess around with, or fool around with, which is what got Petraeus, Tiger, Kobe, Bill and other notables in trouble. Three carpenters made me laugh. I too read college application, but when I was stuck there, and had the clue highlighted, DW looked over and immediately said "glue." DOH !
So-so Sunday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteSigns, sings, everywhere a sign. Wha t a fun puzzle that always seemed doable despite obscure, unknowable “had to perp” proper names. No complaints as compromises have to be made. And the less said about FUTZ/PAZ/SOFI the better.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-I will be at church at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month thinking of family and others that served our military.
-Nebraska’s newest U.S. senator is a woman RANCHER from Valentine, NE.
-Anyone else Kramer slapping down his money and proclaiming, “I’M OUT!”?
-There’s an old joke about a honeymoon couple that wanted to fly united.
- UNBELIEVABLE, in retrospect, interview with Petraeus’s paramour in January of this year
-AS OF now, it looks like Congress wants to know if Petraeus’s ESCAPADES might have affected national security
-I’ve seen a lotta plays where the work could not be called ACTing.
-Homer? Poet, Greek, bad referee, Simpson, small town in NE? Nope, this baseball fan missed the obvious.
-My USB ports are all driving external devices as I type this
-Ah yes, how to pronounce LOUVRE and FAVRE
-CLOSE RACE, thy name is Florida! What’s up down there Tin and Lemon?
-Joann reveres USE BY DATE as throw out date. We had some dip that was one day over two nights ago!! She was very uneasy. It was fine.
-Read y’all later.
Sorry i missed yesterdays Silkie, i spent the entire day hiking the woods with a friend from Staten Island, followed by a lovely dinner at D'oro Ristorante in Chatham. ( I'm sure Yellowrocks is familiar with it.)
ReplyDeleteDNF for me today, i got crossed up on some missing perps. But i am mad at myself for giving up before getting the "M" in "sugar lump."
Funny story told in road signs
Maybe the moral should be Hump Slow.
Enjoyed this puzzle, even though it was a DNF. I did have the theme figured out for the most part, but 88A got me. I wasn't too fond of EDDA, HARTE, or DEL. On the other hand, APU was pretty cute. I was thinking Simpsons at first for 66A also, but perps helped me wise up.
ReplyDeleteLots of DEER being sought this weekend, even in the six inches of snow we had.
HAGAR the Horrible is one of the few comics I read every day.
PS: My Dad and the other surviving WWII veteran at their nursing home got their pictures in the paper when the American Legion guys came to give them flags and ice cream! Love the way that small town shows appreciation!
ReplyDeleteDNF today for a lot of the reasons cited above, mostly in South Central.
ReplyDeleteThey just don't make shows like F Troop anymore.
Stumped for a while at 36A, as I used to frequent a bicycle shop called The Village Peddler. Also had Tess for Poem, Cube for Lump, Idol for Icon, and others EES.
Was also thinking of Homer Simpson, as in D'OH! Is baseball season really over?
Husker Gary at 10:43 - the Master of your Own Domain episode was positively hilarious!
Think I'll go call my dad now. He was a C-47 pilot from the old Army Air Corps in WWII.
Hello everybody. This terrific puzzle stumped me at the crossing of ZIA and ZINC. It wasn't CIA and CINC, although those answers looked fine to me. After I turned on red letters I still had to go through the *whole* alphabet! Then I laughed out loud, because the .975 cents clue finally made sense.
ReplyDeleteHand up for entering TESS instead of POEM, STOP instead of SLOW, and TOGAS instead of TOGAE. I also put in PAX instead of PAZ although I should have known better, and tried ONEPM and TWOPM before being wrenched around to ATTWO. At least I finally sorted those out and filled the center area correctly.
I am still appalled at APPALS. Not happy with that one.
Hahtoolah, so funny about that woman's misinterpretation of the Deer Crossing signs!
HeartRx, I also keep having that same thought when I see SLOW CHILDREN CROSSING
C.C. Excellent write-up, as always.
ReplyDeleteEd Sessa: Thank you for the funny themes, each one brought on a grin.
But your FULT ONESELF next to each other in the grid got the biggest laugh.
Husker Gary: Belated Happy Birthday to your wife Joann (and her sister).
Enjoyed the wacky "Signs" song link.
Just curious, is it really the "game-plan" for your Husker's to fall behind by double digits before starting to make plays?
Enjoyed watching that game yesterday. (Kudos to you to Avg.Joe).
No "Ta-Da" when I finish (I always solve on paper, in pen).
My only write-over was from togaS to TOGAE.
A 'toast' to all our Veterans at Sunset !!!
Dang, I must have hit the wrong keyboard key right after typing CROSSING because my post immediately published. Glad I didn't make a bunch of typos 'n' stuff.
ReplyDeleteSo, they say NAE in Cork, too? I thought it was only Scottish. Eeenteresting.
I just asked my wife and she says she has not heard of CC Skye.
As for writing my biography, I don't think anybody really knows me well enough to write it. I guess that's why biographers conduct thorough interviews of their subject and people who knew/know the subject. I'm not a good enough writer to write my own autobiography, and besides, I'm not sure I even know myself well enough to do it.
There are many Del Webb developments in the Palm Springs area of California.
I just learned the Etienne is Stephen in English. Thanks for that fact, C.C.
Tough sledding here. That PAZ started out as por, then progressed as it did for several others as pax,then pas before getting it right. Still, FiW since I had coffee I lieu of caffe and didn't catch the error.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the write up C.C. Especially the Carpenter misdirection. And yes, I was a carpenter in a previous life.
Tin, Bo Pelini was actually quoted after the game saying: "Maybe we oughtta just spot our opponents 14 points...". Still, All's well that ends well, and I'm glad it was yesterday not today since it's currently 31F outdoors.
oops, that was a "typo" in my 12:53 comment.
ReplyDeleteI meant to type:
"But your FUTZ ONESELF next to each other in the grid got the biggest laugh."
Guess it's time for nip ... Cheers!
Hi Y'all, Engrossing puzzle, Ed. Also frustrating! Great commentary, C.C! Thanks for the shout out, C.C. I'll GAB with anyone, about anything, anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe question of the week: But did Petraeus betray us? Or just his wife? How many seats in Congress and other high offices would be empty if every adulterer were forced to resign? Boggles the mind.
HG: Great signs!
I got the first three theme answers, but only the first half of the last two. Lots of naticks here for me. Most frustrating was the 76 cross. Looked up Turkish money in my 1960's vintage dictionary. It said "pounds". Wanted "cube" for sugar, "kiss" on 78d, "N" for National on 94a. I was all FUTZ up.
I looked up Guerra in my Spanish dictionary, but misread it with only one "R" which means blonde. No definition for brunette would fit. FUTZ again! Never heard of FUTZ! But hey, I did get ZIA!
For some reason, I thought the mascot was a bulldog. But I too had a horSE RACE.
Didn't mean to post twice. After I hit post the first time, I got a sign that said my post didn't go through to try again....
ReplyDeleteI'll Email my AirForce pilot son to thank him for serving in the military. He started ROTC in 1994 and went active duty in 1999 so he's been in quite awhile. I'm very proud of him.
If you went "Blue" PK you could delete one of your double posting (without losing the other).
ReplyDeleteNut why "Go Blue" you've only been here a couple of years.
Musings2
ReplyDelete-Tin and all the other well-wishers, Joann says thanks. We are going to meet her twin and husband for supper (that’s the evening meal here on the banks of the Platte) and I’ll let you know if they wear the same outfit again.
-I remember the song Signs very well as it was a hit in the thick of the hippie movement. Even today there are some employers that follow the credo (implicitly only), “long-haired freaky people need not apply” and you do so at your own peril.
-I could list all the horrible breaks the Cornhuskers have gotten in the 60 years I have followed them but we seem to be getting them ALL back this year. That tree will fall eventually. We are a missed field goal and some dropped interceptions from being 4 - 4 and not 8 – 2. I almost turned the TV off in the second half 3 times.
-Has anyone else ever heard of the word PUTZ for playing around? Joann always says she is going out into the garden and putz around. I know you can call a fool a putz.
-Marti, I need my deck redone. Ya got your hammer and level at the ready? Maybe you could put in some DADOs.
-I had heard of ZIA in the movie Charlie Wilson’s War where the Julia Roberts character idolized him and arranged for the Tom Hanks’ character to meet with this communist-hating president of Pakistan.
I think Homer was the name of the replay official yesterday in Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteAll right I put "4 - 4 instead of 8 - 2" and that math doesn't add up does it. I should have said 5 - 5 instead of 8 - 2. What a PUTZ!
ReplyDelete-Anon, I have linked the clip where Mike McCloskey of PSU caught a pass against the Huskers in 1982 and came down at least 3 feet out of bounds and it was ruled a catch (pre replay days). McCloskey spoke at a Boys Town event in Omaha a few years ago and said, “Yeah, we got away with one there.”
ReplyDelete-There used to be a T Shirt here in Nebraska with a 3 foot square extended into the out of bounds area near the goal line that was very popular around here. Karma? Yesterday’s play was disputed over inches in super slo-mo and not feet like the 1982 screw-up in Happy Valley that cost the Huskers a shot at a national championship. What goes around...
-My friend Tinman posted a similar jab about Husker luck but didn't do it anonymously. He knows the vagaries of sports too.
Anon@2:36p I didn't think of the replay official as being pro-Nebraska as much as anti-Penn State. They are still being punished. The players that remain have had to adopt an us vs. the world mentality and its beginning to wear on them. The quartback's comments after the game says it all.
ReplyDeleteI just worked, or rather, tried to work, the NYT puzzle in our newspaper, which is last Sunday's puzzle, entitled Frankly Speaking. What a pile of you-know-what! Even with a dictionary, Thesaurus, and the internet I don't think anybody could solve it. SAPOR??? SIGEP???
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I mention it only to confirm, support, strengthen, and champion the high quality of the LAT puzzles and this blog.
(I keep telling myself to stay away from those NYT offerings; I don't need the aggravation. But, like a moth to a flame ...)
Husker Gary,
ReplyDeleteSome plays (or more) get etched in memory. Some are due to bad calls and some are due to bad plays. Neil O'Donnell throwing two picks to Larry Brown that cost the Steelers 14 points in Super Bowl XXX are embedded in mine.
BTW, happy belated birthday to your wife and her sister. My wife is also a twin. And I "get" the unexpected occurrences, even though he is male. Is that fraternal ? Whatever it may be, they are often on the same wavelength (don't tell her I said this) even if it is in some alternate universe that only they understand.
HG, also, for us, it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, and then supper. Not sure if that's the same for you, but dinner is mid-day, not the evening meal.
ReplyDeleteStill concerned about a bad call from thirty years ago? Jeeesh!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Mike. As if that matters.
5th post of the day as we head out for supper - The last resort of losing fans is to blame the zebras. PSU’s coach, who has done a fabulous job getting this team to 6 – 4 in a situation neither he nor his players created, dismissed this nonsense of being cheated by officials and the only place I heard “getting homered” was from an emotional, disappointed young QB Matt McCloin and, oh yeah, you.
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to come out of the anonymous world, we could discuss this offline because “frankly, anon, most peeps here don’t give a damn.”
I must be dense today. Or maybe that is denser than normal? Anyway, 35D, what is the misdirection about Carpentry grooves and DADOS? I actually got the right answer, but don't understand how it is misdirection, or how it applies to the people CC mentioned?
ReplyDeleteFunny Jayce. I was nearly done with that puzzle when I checked in a few minutes ago. Had SIGma, so I was stuck. Your assist unlocked it and I got it done. I'm largely in agreement though. I always try it, but if I can't find a toehold in the first 5 minutes, I toss it aside. More often than not it's too clever by half and I'm too old for that stuff.
ReplyDeleteBob, Marti's last name is Carpenter. The clue was straightforward, the aside was tongue in cheek.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 3:45
ReplyDelete"Mike. As if that matters."
(OK, that's an interesting Last Name ...)
You can post as "Mike, As if that matters" by simply clicking on the Name/URL button and typing it in.
As opposed to being an Anon ... the "Pinto of opinions."
Hmmm, the final score WAS 32 to 23.
I'm not aware of a 9 point touchdown scoring play.
Finally it's Sunset ... Cheers !!!
A question directed to our resident constructors: Is it acceptable to use the exact same clue (different answers) twice in a puzzle?
ReplyDeleteAnd I heartily agree with Jace at 3:23 and Avg Joe at 4:05.
@ Avg Joe 4:07 PM: Oh. D'oh! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJayce, Avg Joe & Irish miss - This weeks NYT puzzle is much more user friendly than last weeks. Constructed by Elizabeth C Gorski, the queen of crosswords. I think you would like it.
ReplyDeleteThis one took me a while. Is it possible to respect the craftsmanship it took to construct a puzzle but not have much fun solving it? That's what happened to me while working on this one. The theme was a little too clever for me. Otherwise, WEES.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the NYT puzzles, do you have to pay to subscribe to get access to them?
Bill G @ 5:41 - Yes, Bill, you do have to pay. My local paper prints it on Sundays only. Monday through Friday, it prints the LA Times.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I meant Monday through Saturday.
ReplyDeleteThis was more challenging than usual Sunday puzzles. I was appalled at the APPAL spelling, too. But I was more distressed by DEAF for the clue "unwilling to listen". Not fair to those who CAN'T listen. Also, DOORMAT for the clue "humble pie eater" is harsh. Most of us need to eat humble pie once in awhile, and that doesn't make us doormats. Before today, I had never seen personal biases inserted into a crossword puzzle.
ReplyDeleteChefwen, I appreciate the heads up. As noted I always try them, but more often than not,give up. To borrow from part of today's theme, it seems too much a fraternity that goes out of its way to exclude the less than erudite. Yet...hope springs eternal with each Sunday:-).
ReplyDeleteBillG, I don't pay, but only get the week old NYT puzzle on Sunday. As is probably apparent, that's enough. And to respond to your rhetorical question, Yes. Sometimes the solve doesn't seem worth the effort. Today, that wasn't the case for me with either puzzle. Both required a great deal of effort,but seemed satisfying enough once completed, BWTHDIK? I don't solve online, which precludes red letter help.
Modgma - I felt the clues for DEAF and DOORMAT seemed a bit harsh, too. Didn't know if it was just me that felt that way.
ReplyDeleteBill G - I pay $39 a year for a subscription which comes out to approx. 11 cents a day. I print them out and solve on paper. Worth it to me. I have a difficult time getting through the Friday and Saturday ones, but I keep plugging away.
ReplyDeleteI will try an Elizabeth Gorski puzzle.
ReplyDeleteSpitz and Modgma, I agree about the DOORMAT clue but I'm OK with the 'Unwilling to listen' = DEAF when I remembered the old adage, "There is none so deaf as those who will not hear." So I didn't take it literally but I remembered the quote.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this fine puzzle, CC's blog, and the interesting comments from you posters.
ReplyDeleteGood to see FUTZ. In this area we have so many Jewish friends and neighbors that many of these Yiddish phrases and Anglicized Yiddish phrases have entered the common vocabulary and seem everyday common.
"Are you deaf?" "He seemed deaf to all my appeals." I can see how this can seem unPC, but the dictionary carries this meaning.
Definition #2.unresponsive or indifferent: unwilling to respond to something as if unable to hear.
, I hear D'oro Ristorante is a fine place to eat, but we seldom go to Chatham. I'm glad you enjoyed your meal.
I copy the Sunday NYT puzzles at the library. Often I find Rex's blog abrasive and arrogant. It makes me appreciate CC and y'all.
TTP. @3:32, My parents named the meals the way you do. but, under the influence of my husband, I call dinner the main meal whenever it occurs. A light noon meal is called lunch. A light evening meal is called supper now.
CED, Somehow I dropped your name in my D'Oro Ristorante comment. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about DOORMAT as the answer to "Eater of humble pie." We all sometimes need to eat humble pie. Then I thought of someone who is always too humble. That's a DOORMAT.
I enjoyed the old F Troop serial.
I misread F TROOP as FT ROOP, and thought it was not a good clue since Fort was part of the clue. That show clearly wasn't on my radar.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to get interested in a new network show on ABC, "Nashville," because I like the star, Connie Britton, recently from "Friday Night Lights," a show that I enjoyed. Obviously, a network show like "Nashville" must have a few writers, editors, a director, lots of actors, etc., most of whom supposedly have a good education. I just noticed a line from the show delivered by one of the costars that went like, "I just wanted to make sure there was nothing going on between you and I." Geez... I wonder if they would consider hiring our services as sometime freelance editors?
ReplyDeleteNot all t.v. characters should speak like grammar teachers. Imagine Granny Clampet uttering the word 'whom'.
ReplyDeleteCC, as a baseball fan you might be interested to know that the realtor clue answer, Del Webb, at one time co-owned the New York Yankees.
ReplyDeleteBilllG:
ReplyDeleteLAMENTABLY I must note that "between you and I" or with any other preposition will soon be accepted as standard usage. Every instance of it that I've heard on TV points that way. Sadly, the constant repetition soon influences the use of it in normal conversation.
As per usual I am the last to the blog again tonight. I didn't begin the puzzle until after the evening news...Did anyone watch the NASCAR race today? A shame to see racers fighting each other.
ReplyDeleteThank you C.C. for the great, educational writeup. Also, thanks to Ed for constructing an interesting puzzle. WEES about the south central part of the puzzle. I made a simple mistake by writing in PARR instead of PAAR which threw me off for a while.
Lucina, yes, maybe you are correct in your lamentable conclusion. My theory is this: All of us when we were young said things such as "Can me and Lucina go out and play?" We would be corrected my our mother saying, "Can Lucina and ???" and we were supposed to substitute I for me. So we got the impression that "Me" was bad grammar and "I" was correct. Then, if nobody teaches you formal grammar in school, that's what sticks in your brain regarding I vs. Me. So people are trying to be grammatically correct. It's similar to the well-intentioned folks who say "I feel badly for her."
ReplyDeleteMichele, I turned on the race towards the end of the red flag so only saw the kerfuffle on the replays. Then I got a phone call and missed the end of the race. I do wonder where Kyle Busch would be in the chase if he had had that one more point.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing..
ReplyDelete?
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss,
ReplyDeleteYes, it's acceptable. This device is prominently featured in John Lampkin's puzzles. I always highlight them in green in my write-up. See here. Sometimes the clues are partially the same. Dennis call them clecho (clue echo).
The clue for 72 down uses the word "at" in the quote and also the answer. Is that within the rules of crosswords? Loved this puzzle!
ReplyDeleteYeah, C.C., what about that?
ReplyDelete