17. Nobody special : ORDINARY JOE.
24. Nobody special : MAN IN THE STREET.
52. Nobody special : AVERAGE CITIZEN.
61. Nobody special : JOHN Q. PUBLIC.
This is a pangram, a puzzle that uses every letter of the alphabet at least once. I have had the pleasure of blogging several of Jeffrey's puzzles, and this is the second one this month.
I liked the conversational feeling with phrases like WE HAD TO and OH, THAT ONE. Then we are AT THE GAME with an OPEN NET. Other nice sparkly fill like VROOM, YAMMER and ZELIG rounded out my enjoyment at solving this one.
Now lets fill in the rest of the blanks.
Across:
1. __ comedy : BLACK.
Dark humor...
6. First vice president : ADAMS.
11. Tar's direction : AFT.
14. Hike : RAISE.
15. Not adept in : BAD AT.
16. Prefix with state : TRI.
19. No. that may have an ext. : TEL.ephone.
20. Lab subjects : OVA.
21. Arrest : NAB.
22. Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy : ETHEL.
29. "They made us!" : WE HAD TO.
30. "Bring on the weekend!" : TGIF. Thank goodness, it's Friday.
32. Edna Ferber novel : SO BIG. Her 1924 Pulitzer Prize winner.
35. 24-hr. news source : MSNBC.
37. Cartoon monkey : ABU. The kleptomaniac scamp in "Aladdin."
38. Museum supporter, familiarly : THE NEA. National Endowment for the Arts.
40. Complain : YAMMER. Not me!
42. Heathrow approx. : ETD. Estimated Time of Departure.
43. Speeding sound : VROOM.
47. Waist-reduction plans : DIETS.
48. Sharpen : WHET.
50. Stuck on a stick : IMPALED. Vlad, where are you when we need kabobs?
57. City northeast of Colgate University : UTICA.
58. '60s hot spot : NAM.
59. Yalie : ELI.
60. Superdome city's Amtrak code : NOL. New Orleans.
66. Suffix with alp : INE.
67. Parting word : ADIEU.
68. Commandeer : SEIZE.
69. Selected on a questionnaire, with "in" : X'ed.
70. Cinque plus due : SETTE. Five plus two = seven (Italian).
71. "Enigma Variations" composer : ELGAR. For our musical interlude this morning, we have the complete version. 10:13.
Down:
1. Halloween carrier? : BROOM. Haha, had me fooled for a while!
2. Grub or chigger : LARVA.
3. Quinn of "Elementary" : AIDAN.
4. Emmy-winning forensic series : CSI.
5. "Women in Love" director Russell : KEN.
6. Father of Isaac : ABRAHAM.
7. They're handy for overnight stays : DAY BEDS.
8. Small, medium or lge. : ADJ.ective.
9. "A revolution is not a dinner party" statesman : MAO.
10. Guide : STEER.
11. Enjoying a Jazz performance? : AT THE GAME. In Utah. Basketball.
12. Organization that supports the Dalai Lama : FREE TIBET. Very interesting to see this entry so close to MAO.
13. Money drawer : TILL.
18. Lit. compilation : ANTH.ology.
23. Asian holiday : TET.
25. Victory cry : I WIN!
26. Much of Israel : NEGEV. While looking for an image of the NEGEV desert, I stumbled on this interesting one.
27. Place to get off: Abbr. : STN. RR station.
28. Jones who plays the announcer in "The Hunger Games" : TOBY. I still have not seen the movie or read the trilogy.
31. Apparel sometimes protested : FURS.
32. Chicken paprikash, e.g. : STEW. Hungarian paprikás csirke, or paprika chicken.
33. "Hmm ... I was thinking of something else" : OH THAT ONE.
34. Tormented, as with doubt : BEDEVILED.
36. West Pointer : CADET.
39. Spotlit number, perhaps : ARIA.
41. Dress length : MIDI. Maxi, mini or midi - I always need perps to decide.
44. Texting exclamation : OMG. Oh…my…god.
45. Good scoring opportunity, in hockey : OPEN NET.
46. Rhesus monkey, e.g. : MACAQUE. Did you spell it right the first time?
49. Gumshoe : TEC.
51. Sagging : LIMP.
53. South Asian rulers : RAJAS.
54. Woody Allen mockumentary : ZELIG. I just don't get his humor.
55. "My Fair Lady" lady : ELIZA.
56. Sweeter, in a way : NICER.
57. Windows alternative : UNIX. Because "Mavericks" wouldn't fit.
62. Pindar product : ODE.
63. Parade member? : HIT. Fun misdirection!
64. Put into operation : USE.
65. __ canto : BEL. Italian for "beautiful singing."
That's all for now!
Marti
- - - TGIF Meets OMG - - -
ReplyDeleteThank Goodness It's Friday, you often hear
At the end of a week that's especially drear.
But did you ever consider
If week-end was a critter,
It would be moaning, "Oh, My Goodness, he's here!"
- - - This One Is Uni-Corny - - -
There once was a cute little program named UNIX.
It was before cyber-sex, so it resembled eunuchs.
But free propagation
Spawned variation,
They weren't quite the same, so each and all were uniques.
- - - UNIX's Mascot Is Linus The Penguin - - -
Gwendolyn Quinn would write to a penguin
And by return mail, the penguin would pen Quinn;
But the South Pole post
Was slower than most,
And to wait with no word from her penguin would pain Gwen!
Morning, all!
ReplyDeletePretty smooth solve today with an interesting and fun theme. I didn't realize that FREE TIBET was an actual organization and not just a slogan, so that was a good learning moment. I also thought that rhesus monkeys and MACAQUES were two completely different species, so that was another learning moment.
On the other hand, while I'm a big fan of MSNBC because of their predominantly left-leaning show hosts, they are NOT a 24-hour news source (especially late at night).
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteGood Thursday offering, Jeffrey! Nice expo, Marti!
Thanks for Elgar!
Nice theme! Pretty easy to suss.
No problems after some retypes.
Cheers!
Good Morning, Marti and friends. Good puzzle for the Hoi Polloi.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a good sign when I can immediately get 1-Across and 1-Down. The Halloween Carrier = BROOM made me laugh.
ETHEL Kennedy just turned 88 on April 11.
I wanted Hone instead of WHET.
The ArkLaTex is an example of a TRI-State area.
QOD: There is no happiness in love, except as the end of an English novel. ~ Anthony Trollope (Apr. 24, 1815 ~ Dec. 6, 1882)
Marti and Jeffrey Wechsler are a real Thursday item. Thanks, who wouldn't love a puzzle with both broom and broom.
ReplyDeleteNo clue a out TOBY JONES or how to spell MACAQUE.
For a midweek pangram the fill was not forced.
Lovely tight theme by Jeffrey Wechsler, and entertaining explanation by Marti. It reminded me of one of the aliases adopted by the hapless Woody Allen character in Take the Money and Run (start watching at around 7 min mark of the clip).
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who like sports themes. let's play two! Yesterday was a momentous anniversary, as revealed in The Play's the Thing. Furthermore, a bunch of ordinary Jills and Joes did something truly extraordinary a few weeks ago, as memorialized by Tim Croce's Ladies and Gentlemen ... Hope you like them both, and tell your friends about them!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteManaged to solve this one without my morning coffee -- no food or drink till after my noontime glamour shot.
So is that tree tied into a square knot or a granny?
NOL seems an appropriate abbr., since the locals pronounce it Nawlins.
Later...
Forgot to ask....
ReplyDeleteHave any of you been subjected to a "surgery room" fee at the periodontist? $500 just for the privilege of sitting in the chair sounds a bit steep to me. Reminds me of Master of the House from Les Miz -- "Here a little slice, there a little cut....Jesus, won't I bleed 'em in the end!"
Good day to all,
ReplyDeleteUnlike others, this was a bear for me today. Managed to finish it, but with TWO errors, so the dreaded DNF for Hondo.
First miscue was
"Trenea"for 38A and "or that one" for 33D. Second one was "Hiu" for 63D and "Seute" for 70A. Never even looked at mistake # 1 or else I MIGHT have gone with an H, but Mistake # 2 was a wag and I had no idea what seven was in what I thought was French.
Everything else came together fine, but it was more of a struggle for me then other posters.
My grandson spent his fall semester in China last year. After classes ended, they had a couple of weeks to kill so they joined a school tour group for a visit Tibet. He absolutely loved it all...the sights, people, food, etc. Plans to go back sometime in the future.
Without even looking at the puzzle, I immediately knew Ladies & Gentlemen mentioned by Mr Barany had to be UConns Mens & Lady's basketball teams. I am going to solve. this one.
Good morning everybody!
ReplyDeleteThis was no ORDINARY puzzle! I scored myself a DNF. I solved all of the theme clues, but had trouble with some of the fill.
There were some good clues here:
- 11A: Tar's direction: AFT
- 11D: Enjoying a Jazz performance? AT THE GAME
We're back to cloudy, windy and chilly in Chicago. I can't wait for a nice sunny 80 degree day!
Have a nice day.
Thank you for the puzzle, Jeffrey. Thank you for the informative review, Marti.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun puzzle for me. I was able to solve it in about Wednesday – Thursday time, without red letter help. Yay! I noticed the 4 long answers had the same clue. After I solved one of them, I was able to work through the others, with some perp help, with a few missteps along the way.
I had GIANT before SO BIG, ETA before ETD, STA before STN, but perps corrected them.
I knew cinque plus due was seven, but didn’t know the spelling, so I put in SE and waited for the perps to give me SETTE.
I had LOUSE before LARVA and that tied up the NW corner for a while, until I got BROOM.
I didn’t understand 8D. Small, medium or lge. : ADJ, until I came here. Thanks, Marti!
A few errors for me today: MAN ON THE STREET, NO THAT ONE. All these meant a few weird looking perps including ENdeviled, and a mess instead of I WIN. definitely no win for me today!
ReplyDeleteMarti,
I agree about Woody Allen. Is it just men that he appeals to? I can never decide if he's self deprecating or assuming too much likability for himself. I just find him too repulsive all round.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGot most of it ok. Became bolluxed up in the west when I had 'donnee' and 'hone' before THE NE_ and WHEY. Didn't suss ARIA either. Sigh. Lots of good stuff, tho. The theme fill came easily enough with some perp help. UTICA and ADAMS were gimme's. I guess my favorite fill was VROOM.
Jeff provided lots of misdirection but also enough perp guidance to keep me from being BEDEVILED.
Someone needs to be trained by Tinman.
Off to play some bridge.
4.2 mph. That’s the setting on the treadmill where I’m comfortable but still have to work. Kinda like Jeffrey’s wonderful AVERAGE JOE Thursday offering. Marti’s summative paragraph, as always, works for me.
ReplyDeleteMusings
-John ADAMS’ (2:50) obstinacy and Congress’s musical reaction to him
-Jazz showed us a lovely AFT beam yesterday. Still looking for that car.
-Even mediocre teachers can pretty much count on a pay HIKE every year
-One bad piece of art with some NEA funding - A man with a brass instrument attached to huge amplifiers plays discordant melodies described in the program as "trombone-propelled electronics imposing on structural adaptations and cultural misunderstandings." Intermission.
-Three memories of Heathrow – soldiers with automatic weapons, walkways resembling windowless cattle chutes and gate announcements at the last minute
-An unpleasant but necessary USE of the Superdome in NOL
-John Adams alternative to MAO’s quote in musical 1776 (after witnessing congressional dithering), “This is a revolution, damn it, we’re going to have to offend someone!”
-NOL, Superdome and Utah JAZZ (originally New Orleans Jazz) make for mini theme
-One FUR protestor’s interesting take on an alternative”
-A MIDI is like a tarp over the Mona Lisa. OMG, c’mon man!
-If you can name these these four stars of Your HIT PARADE, you’re at least my age!
-What pathetic character of song was “In the quiet of the railway STatioN running scared”
Now I've taken time to read comments, I have to agree with Barry G. on MSNBC, I love the thorough and delving commentary, but it's frustrating to find the jail segments after 9pm (central) on Fridays and during the weekend.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, while TGIF is common here, we encountered a different take on that in Oz last month: Friday is "POETS'" day, i.e. "PISS OFF EARLY--TOMORROW IS SATURDAY!" Definitely more fun to explain in my opinion.
I had a lot of trouble with this one, but found it enjoyable. Of course I tried to make Average Joe work with the first theme answer after I had only the last two letters, but it weren't to be and wanted Man on the Street. The 3rd and 4th themes were less difficult and John gave me the spelling of macaque.
ReplyDeleteLiked the misdirection of at the game and Oh! That one. Still, managed to fumble at the goal line by trying to spell Aidan 3 different ways. Started with an e in second to last place. Changed it to an A. Then changed it to I since I thought the plural of ova would be ovi. BZZZT! Forgot that ova is already plural. But I'll take the FIW and move on since it was so much fun overall.
Husker, that'd be Snooky Lanson, Russell Arms, Dorothy Collins, Gisele McKenzie and the Boxer.
ReplyDeleteLiked the theme, was tricky in spots, and DNF because of BEL canto and ELGAR.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeffrey.
Marti - loved your "Vroom" pic, and the Pretzel tree. Don't know where you find these pics, but they're great!
Hi Y'all! This took me five minutes less time than yesterday. Enjoyed this extra-ordinary puzzle, Jeffrey! Thanks, Marti! I'll go back now and enjoy ELGAR (I didn't know him by that piece).
ReplyDeleteTHENEA? Not the name of a billionaire benefactor but THE NEA. Oh!
Didn't know ABU, but realized Curious George didn't fit.
SETTE? Oh no, what language is this? Marti told us.
Didn't know ZELIG. I avoid Woody like the plague.
Well, we're back at that STN again. I did spell MACAQUE right the first time. I am so proud. No monkeying around on this for me today.
West Pointer? CADET, not the guy who said, "Go West, Young Man!" Horace or Greeley didn't fit.
My niece and her husband were involved with an economic mission in Tibet for several years before relocating to India.
HG: Didn't know those YHP stars and I'm older than you. No TV at our house when I was young.
Click on VROOM! pic for full screen and full effect.
ReplyDeleteThis should have been a sweet Wednesday puzzle instead of yesterday's bear--I loved it, Jeffrey! Not a speed run, but a total delight! And a pangram yet--thanks for pointing that out, Marti. And thanks too for that amazing pic of the pretzel tree. Also I will now probably always think of Vlad Kabobs at a barbecue.
ReplyDeleteWild poems this morning, Owen--thanks.
Didn't get the HIT PARADE until Mari's write-up.
Have a great Thursday everybody. I'm hoping to get my first I-Phone or I-Pad today! Yay!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteHad a few bumps along the way, but finished w/o help. Write-overs galore: DNA/ova, hone/whet, Giant/SoBig, septe/sette, riper/nicer, Ranis/Rajas, and solo/arias. But perps saved the day.
Nice Thursday offering, Jeffrey, and great expo, Marti.
Bright sunshine, but chilly temps and very windy.
Have a great day.
Musings 2
ReplyDelete-Got ‘er done, Otto. I toyed with another Paul Simon lyric with a station lyric - I'm sitting in the railway STationN. Got a ticket to my destination. but went with The Boxer instead.
-Looks like a granny knot to me.
-PK, we watched YHP at relative’s houses because we also were sans TV at home.
-Woody Allen is like some other comedians to me in that they can be funny in a 10 minute stand up but wear thin over a full-length film. You’re Jewish, from New York and you’re depressed, I get it.
-My NEA was the National Education Association WE HAD TO join. We could not join just the local and state where the allegiance of most of my colleagues rested.
-I rest my case!. At least some interest has been added north of the equator on the starboard (that’s for Spitz) side.
-Half day subbing 7th/8th grade today for a crummy $65. Hmmm… young adolescents in late April? I’m not taking a whip but am at least considering a riding crop. ;-)
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteD'oh! I could not parse The NEA. I just took the perps' word for it. Morning, Marti, glad you were there to wield the V8 can.
Misty - not sure how you'll choose between an iPhone and a iPad, but they're both useful devices. I've never tried solving a crossword on the phone, the screen is just too small for me.
D Otto 7:34 - I noticed that too - that's a granny knot for sure.
Hi Gang -
ReplyDeleteDNF for me. Got all the theme entries, but missed OH THAT ONE and BEDEVILED, along with SETTE of their perps. I was BAD AT it.
I've played ELGAR's enigma. Quite a wonderful piece of music.
For those still searching, here is the Nissan Skyline.
Cool Regards!
JzB
Never heard of anyone being anti-FREE TIBET until C.C. voiced her opinion here on the blog a while back. Her comments piqued my curiosity and I researched the history. Didn't changed my stance.
ReplyDeleteOne of my trombone buddies shared this [8:54] on FB this morning, and since trombones got rather obliquely maligned in Gary's comment, I offer it as an antidote.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
JzB the seriously humbled trombonist
Thanks for the advice, Dudley. I still do the crossword puzzle on paper in the LA Times, but maybe I should think about the online possibilities. One way or another, I'm determined to move into the twenty-first century!
ReplyDeleteRecognized Dorothy and Gisele, but the gentlemen were a mystery.
ReplyDeleteHello, Marti and puzzlers all.
ReplyDeleteA very out of the ORDINARY puzzle from Jeffrey Wechsler which was for the most part fun to grok, especially the northern region.
Sadly, I got stuck on NORMAL at 61A and wouldn't let go, so had to stop because it's late and I have much to do. I should have just left it and come back later.
So, thanks, Marti, for finishing for me. ACK! as Cathy would say.
Nice shoutout to AVERAGE JOE who, I believe, is anything but ORDINARY!
Have a beautiful Thursday, everyone, ADIEU!
I did complete the puzzle on paper but failed to notice that I had entered the Spanish word for seven instead of the Italian one and didn't cath that HIe and ODi were wrong. I guess that makes it a DNF.
ReplyDeleteAfter this puzzle gave me my mental workout for the day(thank you Mr. Wechsler), I looked over the grid and felt nothing special. Ordinary puzzle. Not complaining, just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteHG: We were so deprived, we didn't even have relatives in the county, let alone any that owned a TV. The only people with a TV in our neighborhood owned the appliance store and didn't want kids watching theirs. They wanted kids to beg their parents to buy one.
ReplyDeleteHi everybody! I enjoyed this puzzle but if truth be told, it was a little hard for me. The California coastal area WAS all difficult with SO BIG, THE NEA, I WIN and NEGEV were all hard. Also, I had hone instead of WHET so that added to the confusion along with ELGAR and SETTE down below.
ReplyDeleteMusic? I like older music. I was listening to a CD of the Mills Brother in the car. They have such a distinctive sound. Does that special sound result from the quality of their voices or is it the particular harmony they choose to sing?
Morning all! Thanks for the expo, Marti and thanks Jeffrey for the cranium workout. There was a lot to like. Like Hahtoolah I wanted HONE first.
ReplyDeleteMy local news station in Los Angeles (KTLA) carried the NYT "FOSHIZZLE" story this morning - nice to see us weird cruciverbalists getting some mainstream attention sometimes!
This took longer than usual for a Thursday pzl--mainly because of the re-writes and often just to change one letter. (O to I, D to L, A to D)
ReplyDeleteMost perplexing was having to decide whether WHIT was a word rather than WHET because the choice between BE DIVIDED and BEDEVILED was hardly obvious.
Marti, that VROOM pic was sweet. Now for a little international onomatopoeia (ὀνοματοποιία), try Vroom Vroom.
HG@10:48am Yest. I am still trying to follow your instructions but still have not seen the 3D picture. (I wonder what I am doing wrong?)
ReplyDeleteMarti, great pics today! (but I'm jealous you found them 1st..)
BIG DNF today, partly because enjoying a Jazz performance=at the game was incomprehensible, & situated next to Free Tibet. (Not to mention the whole SW corner was bedeviling.)
Gumshoe = Tec is confusing, I thought it would be Dec(t) as in Detective. Can some one pls explain how this variation came to be?
Also 37A Cartoon Monkey=Abu was tough because whenever I think of a cartoon monkey, it is Mojo Jojo that takes over my mind. (Also, the reason he has not taken over this Blog...) (keep up the typos guys...)
Ordinary Joe...
The man in the street is a jaywalker...
What the Average Citizen thinks.
John Q. Public? (and what he knows...)
& a public service announcement from nobody special...
CEDave,
ReplyDeleteI find TEC almost exclusively in Xwds these days. Obviously, it is a slang shortening derived from the second syllable in DeTECtive. It seems to have been popular in the early part of the 20th century -- not used so much once "Dick" became the insulting standard.
Musings 3
ReplyDelete-What a tough afternoon – I sat and watched 20 kids take State Math Tests on computers.
-CED here is what is recommended for seeing those 3D images. I started with the picture near my nose and slowly drew it away and after 7 minutes, I had my AHA moment. Now I only need to gently cross and uncross my eyes and the image pops up in about 10 seconds. It is easier with a printed puzzle than one on the screen. It’s is so worth it.
-CED 2, I totally agree with the diaper/politician sign. Give me term limits.
Back home after the "ordeal." Final doctor's instructions: No spicy food and no alcohol for 24 hours. Stopped at a Mexican cantina on the way home for fajitas, chips and salsa plus a couple of beers. Just right! Aaaah!
ReplyDeleteThis was fairly difficult but fun. Like others, I first wanted hone before whet, Giant before So Big, and eta before etd. Abu was all perps. As someone else mentioned the other day, I, too, do the puzzle in a zigzag pattern checking for perps before filling in the letters, which means I have very few write-overs, if any.
ReplyDeleteHola Everyone, A DNF for me today. Not enough background for some of the clues. I guess my brain is really fuzzy after a couple of nights of little sleep.
ReplyDeleteI had all of the theme answers but I still had some blank squares in the end.
Today is my only "free day" this week and I've had to scramble to find time to do the puzzles.
Have a great day everyone.
HG, I think it is the instructions I am having trouble with,, I.E.: Uncross your Eyes?...
ReplyDeleteOl' Man Keith, the very next video in line after your Vroom Vroom link was a bunch of banned commercials. I would not normally link such trash... (who am I kidding, of course I would...) but the commercial between 2:00 & 3:00 is priceless...
Kazie, I'm using Poets day from now on!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marti for all the answers to the puzzle that I couldn't "get".
Desper-otto, Your Mexican lunch with a beer to wash it down is just what the Dr. ordered.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon everyone. Finished early early early this AM, but had to get to work right after the puzzle. Enjoyed both the puzzle and the write up. Thank you Jeffrey and thank you Marti !
Desper-Otto, No. Change your perio. I've been through just about every procedure they do, and have never been charged a surgery room fee. Reminds me of the time I had an outpatient procedure for a spinal nerve block and steroid injections. I was billed for a "recovery" room. They rolled me out into the hallway after the procedures. I laid there for about 15 minutes, and then they rolled me into the changing room where I put my clothes on, and left. Yes, I called BCBS and suggested they contest it, and they did.
Marti and Kazie, hand up here. I've sat through a couple of his movies that he acted in, and maybe got a laugh here and there, but they seemed repetitive and not all that funny to me. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed Midnight in Paris, which he directed. I've watched that one a few times.
Time to get back to my drywall project this evening. Final coat of mud needs to be sanded, and then prime and paint and trim work this weekend. It's going to be so pretty. I'm going to hate to use it as a closet after I hang the pair of bi-folds. I wonder how long I can declare it off limits to DW... She's getting anxious for me to get it done. Besides laying claim to it, I think she may have other projects lined up. Oh well. Happy wife, happy life.
CED, I see Keith has already contributed re. TEC. I don't like it much and have never seen it outside CW puzzledom; much like ELHI.
ReplyDeleteThose 3D pictures are hard to see until you've had some experience. I'm not sure they are worth the effort but here's what I do. Get your head close to the picture or computer monitor, about eight inches maybe; about as close as the limit of being able to still see clearly. Let your eyes relax, just the opposite of trying to cross them. Let them focus in the distance beyond where the picture is. After noodling around for a while, sometimes the 3D image will just appear, sometimes it won't.
(Great banned commercials!!)
I seem to be in the minority here but I like Woody Allen. His early movies were clever and funny (Take the Money and Run) and his later movies were more romantic and thoughtful (I agree about Midnight in Paris). His middle movies like Hanna and her Sisters, etc. left me cold.
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your comments all day, laughing, nodding in agreement, and saying to myself "I never knew that!" But, I realized that I haven't commented once…D'OH!!
Owen, only you could come up with a rhyme involving UNIX, eunuchs and uniques…
Square knot or granny? Definitely GRANNY!
d-otto, you could rent a "no-tell" motel room for much less than $500 !!!
Kazie, POETS Day is now my fav'rite mantra!! LOL…
I'm glad you liked the VROOM pic. I almost spit out my coffee (er, wine - it was late last night when I did the blog…) when I saw it.
Avg Joe, I think you were slighted in this Wechsler offering. But you did get two shout-outs with "ordinary JOE" and AVERAGE citizen."
And would you believe, I now know how to spell WECHSLER without looking at the crossword info???
BillB:
ReplyDeleteI also like Woody Allen's movies and I agree with your assessment I loved Midnight in Paris (he wrote and directed, but didn't act in) as well as Blue Jasmine.
Doing the puzzle I fell into much the same traps as most of you, hone before whet, GIANT/SO BIG, but ELGAR, BEL and ZELIG dropped easily.
I believe it was Hatoolah who mentioned the thrill of having 1A BLACK and 1D BROOM as an immediate fill. It sets the pace for the solve.
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Jeff, for one tough puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteWent to a Cubs game today (they lost). Tried to get this puzzle while taking the train to the city. Could not finish. Worked on it from time to time throughout the day. No cigar. Finally finished tonight. And, I missed several. So, DNF for me.
Could not think of BROOM forever. Finally figured it out.
AVERAGE CITIZEN was my first theme answer. The rest came slowly.
Had AH THAT ONE for 33D. Missed one letter. The "O"
Had SEPTE for 70A. Missed that one.
Got ZELIG. The ultimate wag.
I do not watch MSNBC. Too slanted the wrong way for me.
MACAQUE? I got it, with 7 perps. Piece of cake.
I hope tomorrow's puzzle is more solvable.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
(32 6398645)