Words: 70 (missing F,W)
Blocks: 32
We have had both constructors on Saturdays in the past, but I do
believe this is their first duo, at least for the LA Times. Mr.
Vratsanos started our summer off with a Memorial Day weekend puzzle, and
so it seems fitting that he close out the season on Labor Day weekend
(as far as I am concerned; the Hamptons will be clearing out as of
Tuesday, and UPS will be cooling off as well). Alas, this puzzle was
almost as brutal as that one in May; I did get three corners and the
center solved, but the SW was never going to budge - so I Googled one
answer, and the rest fell into place. Oh well. Triple 10-letter
corners in a neat pinwheel grid. Some of the longer answers;
17a. Elementary sextet : NOBLE GASES - Nailed it.
14d. Its capital was Xianyang : QIN DYNASTY - hmmm, I know someone who knows a little history about Zhou, and Qin
65. High wind : SOPRANO SAX
28. Baroque wind : OBOE D'AMORE - according to Wiki, it's a third lower than a standard oboe
nadowr~?
65. High wind : SOPRANO SAX
- an a semi-clecho with;
ACROSS:
1. Eggy dessert : ZABAGLIONE - never heard of this, but working in an Italian-style restaurant, I ran with the perps and filled in what sounded good
11. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ
15. Occurring at a constant temperature : ISOTHERMAL
16. Computer start-up? : MINI - early meh. Mini-computer. I get it, but....
11. La Salle of "ER" : ERIQ
15. Occurring at a constant temperature : ISOTHERMAL
16. Computer start-up? : MINI - early meh. Mini-computer. I get it, but....
18. Browning product : OVEN - I did not know the gun manufacturer made ovens as well
19. Older Pevensie sister in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series : SUSAN - again, perps
20. Turned brown, maybe : SAUTÉED - could you use a "browning" oven for this~?
22. Curling piece : STONE - I can actually watch this Olympic event; I like it - but I'm a big fan of shuffleboard like the one you'd find in bars
26. Square : NERDY
27. "Do wrong to __": Shak. : NONE - nixed my NONE at 57a.
30. Attended to bald spots on : SODDED - because ROGAINED didn't fit
33. Stop : BAN - not END
34. University of Miami mascot Sebastian the __ : IBIS - half perps/half wag
35. Climate Reality Project founder : AL GORE
36. __ moment : A-HA
37. Flimflam : CON
38. Slap target, informally : SKEETER - that is, mosquito, and it's better to flick than to slap, especially if it's a little more dangerous, like a stinging insect
39. Airline with the EuroBonus frequent flier program : SAS
40. Alpine parrot : KEA - oh, alpine meaning mountains - I was thinking "Alps", and didn't think you'd find any parrots there
41. Misses : LASSES - oops, not LADIES
42. Salon service : TINT
43. Names : IDs
44. Slap cause, maybe : INSULT - hysterics are about the only time I'd slap anyone
45. Dr. Jones, to Dr. Marcus Brody : INDY - characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark ( and the Last Crusade )
46. Mesoamerican crop : MAIZE
48. Column that won't support anything : PLUME - a column from a newspaper would have been a good answer, too
50. Involve deeply : IMMERSE
53. DeMille specialties : EPICS
57. It precedes one : NOON - ah, the clock. ZERO was not working
58. Dept. of State employee : US DIPLOMAT
62. Secretary of Education Duncan : ARNE - ALAN~? nope. ANNE~? nope.
63. Like pen pals' relationships : EPISTOLARY
64. Hoot : JEER
DOWN:
1. Some reds, for short : ZINfandelS
2. Not worth __ : A SOU
3. Roaring Twenties hairdos : BOBS
4. Ones for the road? : ATLASES
5. 1814 treaty site : GHENT
6. It may be shaken or pulled : LEG - or admired
7. He outlived George by 46 years : IRA - the Gershwins
8. Sacred syllables : OMs - meditations, too
9. Dumbarton denials : NAES
10. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA - did not see it; I do long to have kids some day
11. Wax theatrical : EMOTE
12. Drainage area : RIVER BASIN
13. "Help" : "I NEED A HAND"
21. Bad way to go : UNDER
23. Certain Honshu native : OSAKAN - from the Japanese city of Osaka
24. Words of emphasis : NO LESS
25. Moves stealthily : EDGES UP
27. "Pink Friday" rapper : NICKI MINAJ - I have heard OF her, but nothing from her; my Googled answer
29. Singer who had a 1959 hit with "I Loves You, Porgy" : NINA SIMONE
- the double 10-letter proper names sandwiching a vague musical
instrument in this corner killed me; I'm sure there are plenty of people
at the corner who are familiar with Nina's work
31. "Dish it up!" : "DO TELL~!"
32. 1974 hit sung entirely in Spanish : ERES TU - popular enough in crosswords that I threw this in having just the first "E" and last "U"
38. Foxier : SLIER
42. "The Banquet of Cleopatra" painter : TIEPOLO
47. __ cards, used in ESP experiments : ZENER - I did not know these had a name; derived from the psychologist's name - anyone else think of the opening of Ghostbusters~?
49. Dieter's breakfast : MELON - ah, not TOAST
51. Petitions : SUES
52. Beantown NHL nickname : ESPO - Phil Esposito - now here's a proper name I am familiar with
54. "Look at me, __ helpless ...": "Misty" lyric : I'M AS
55. Word spoken con affetto : CARA - not AMOR
56. Final crossing? : STYX - Two weeks in a row~? I'm getting nervous
59. Party bowlful : DIP
60. Nation since 1948: Abbr. : ISRael
61. Ed. group : PTA
19. Older Pevensie sister in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series : SUSAN - again, perps
20. Turned brown, maybe : SAUTÉED - could you use a "browning" oven for this~?
22. Curling piece : STONE - I can actually watch this Olympic event; I like it - but I'm a big fan of shuffleboard like the one you'd find in bars
27. "Do wrong to __": Shak. : NONE - nixed my NONE at 57a.
30. Attended to bald spots on : SODDED - because ROGAINED didn't fit
33. Stop : BAN - not END
34. University of Miami mascot Sebastian the __ : IBIS - half perps/half wag
35. Climate Reality Project founder : AL GORE
36. __ moment : A-HA
37. Flimflam : CON
38. Slap target, informally : SKEETER - that is, mosquito, and it's better to flick than to slap, especially if it's a little more dangerous, like a stinging insect
39. Airline with the EuroBonus frequent flier program : SAS
40. Alpine parrot : KEA - oh, alpine meaning mountains - I was thinking "Alps", and didn't think you'd find any parrots there
41. Misses : LASSES - oops, not LADIES
42. Salon service : TINT
43. Names : IDs
44. Slap cause, maybe : INSULT - hysterics are about the only time I'd slap anyone
45. Dr. Jones, to Dr. Marcus Brody : INDY - characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark ( and the Last Crusade )
"an army that carries the Ark before it is invincible"
48. Column that won't support anything : PLUME - a column from a newspaper would have been a good answer, too
50. Involve deeply : IMMERSE
53. DeMille specialties : EPICS
57. It precedes one : NOON - ah, the clock. ZERO was not working
58. Dept. of State employee : US DIPLOMAT
62. Secretary of Education Duncan : ARNE - ALAN~? nope. ANNE~? nope.
63. Like pen pals' relationships : EPISTOLARY
64. Hoot : JEER
DOWN:
1. Some reds, for short : ZINfandelS
2. Not worth __ : A SOU
3. Roaring Twenties hairdos : BOBS
4. Ones for the road? : ATLASES
5. 1814 treaty site : GHENT
6. It may be shaken or pulled : LEG - or admired
8. Sacred syllables : OMs - meditations, too
9. Dumbarton denials : NAES
10. Snow Queen in "Frozen" : ELSA - did not see it; I do long to have kids some day
11. Wax theatrical : EMOTE
12. Drainage area : RIVER BASIN
13. "Help" : "I NEED A HAND"
21. Bad way to go : UNDER
23. Certain Honshu native : OSAKAN - from the Japanese city of Osaka
24. Words of emphasis : NO LESS
25. Moves stealthily : EDGES UP
27. "Pink Friday" rapper : NICKI MINAJ - I have heard OF her, but nothing from her; my Googled answer
31. "Dish it up!" : "DO TELL~!"
32. 1974 hit sung entirely in Spanish : ERES TU - popular enough in crosswords that I threw this in having just the first "E" and last "U"
38. Foxier : SLIER
42. "The Banquet of Cleopatra" painter : TIEPOLO
the artist
51. Petitions : SUES
52. Beantown NHL nickname : ESPO - Phil Esposito - now here's a proper name I am familiar with
54. "Look at me, __ helpless ...": "Misty" lyric : I'M AS
55. Word spoken con affetto : CARA - not AMOR
56. Final crossing? : STYX - Two weeks in a row~? I'm getting nervous
59. Party bowlful : DIP
60. Nation since 1948: Abbr. : ISRael
61. Ed. group : PTA
Splynter
39 comments:
Today's puzzle didn't just beat me up and steal my lunch money, it emasculated, humiliated, pauperized and pulverized me! I don't think I've ever done this poorly on a LAT puzzle. No need to go into specifics, I'm sure you have your own horror stories about this one. Maybe a limerick will restore a smidgen of my self-respect after this debacle.
The Lost Angels Times is reputed to be
Easier than the one from N.Y.C.
But the crossword today
Went out of its way
To embarrass the likes of a puzzler like me!
The question was asked, what's nine plus six.
If your answer's not three, then you're in a fix!
Your additive task
Was not some NEW MATH,
Your appointment was past NOON, the way a clock ticks!
The OBOE D'AMORE loved the SOPRANO SAX,
Lust made him a hot boy, he couldn't relax!
Alas, neither one
Had the genitals for fun
So he had to be content with just oral sax!
I agree with you Splynter that the SW was tough. I guessed NINA SIMONE with only a few letters, but NICKI MINAJ and OBOE D'AMORE needed most of the perps. EPISTOLARY allowed me to replace NEA with PTA and was the key to the south. Had POEM originally for "Browning product"...I interpreted the answer (OVEN) not a product of the Browning Co. but as something which browns [meat, for example].
Challenging puzzle, thanks AV & JC. Very musical, with a couple of instruments, two singers, an allusion to the Gershwins, a song lyric (Misty) and (stretching a point) two pop groups (STYX and A-HA). Very nice writeup, Splynter, thanks!
Morning, all!
Well, let's just say that Mr. Google and I had a chance to become reacquainted this morning. Without his help I never would have accepted that ZABAGLIONE and TIEPOLO and OBOEDAMOR and ARNE and ZENER were real things (or people, as the case may be). Which is to say I spent a lot of this puzzle looking at the perps going, "That can't possibly be right" followed by "OK, if you say so."
Good morning!
The fly backed into the fan this morning. Disaster! I got the Sierras with NINA SIMONE, but the rest of Clifornia was a mess. Even with IDS, MAIZE, IMMERSE and NOON in place, I couldn't see OBOE D'AMORE or NICKI MINAJ. Had I been able to see them, I wouldn't have believed them anyway.
To further the insult, I nad BABA GLIONE and NIN DYNASTY, making a shambles of the NW and NE. Only the midwest and SE were error-free. Sad showing.
Oh, well. As Scarlett said,f "Tomorrow is another day...."
That "f" wasn't supposed to be there. But it fits.
Yep. Worst effort ever. Not just a bloody nose, but multiple compound fractures. Not sure if a patient can survive this much trauma.
But there is a football game to attend. So there's that.
I got through it, but only because I turned on red-letter help early on. Even at that, I had to do several alphabet runs. Tough, tough puzzle. Thanks anyway, Jeffrey and Alex, but if I had my way you would never be allowed to collaborate again, EVER! As always, and entertaining expo, Splynter. Thank you.
Great poems, Owen.
Cya.
Tough puzzle! I NEEDed A HAND from red lettering.
I was very happy to solve the SE and the NW quickly. I even new ZABAGLIONE and EPISTOLARY with only few perps. However, the center and NE took lots of time and wags. I red lettered the Q in ERIQ and QIN.
The SW did me in. I had NICKI, OBOE, NINA (wagged SIMONE) and MAIZE. I needed help with ZENER (new to me), DAMORE, and MINAJ. I knew she was a singer, but didn't know she was a rapper. If I had thought of her, I would not have needed the red letters.
For column I thought of newspaper column, but the OP ED Columns do support the author's point of view.
Cabin reservation for the 2016 week I wanted in PA opened at 7:00 AM this morning.I arose early and had my computer all set so I could click on GO the second it was 7:00 AM. The one I wanted was available! My password wasn't accepted and after fooling around with it I lost the chance. GRR! I reserved another one, not as satisfactory. A few minutes later all the cabins were reserved for that week. At least I got one.
I turned on red letters at once. I have never had more answers where all but ONE letter was known and I still didn't have a clue!
Hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend.
VS
I sometimes use ZENER cards in my Statistics class to show that the number correct people get is a normal distribution (meaning by random luck a few people will always "seem" to have ESP).
I thought this was a bit of a rough puzzle. The SW has two proper names, although they are both reasonably well known. 1-Across I've not heard of, nor have I heard of 63-Across. That's on me, of course, but they are at least somewhat obscure terms.
The puzzle did have a pleasing kind of symmetry though. Two singers, two terms from physics stacked in the NW, two full-named musical instruments, two terms from the Far East, and a NOLESS/DOTELL pairing that seem symmetrical in a way I can't quite put my finger on.
Since it's Labor Day weekend, might solving this puzzle seem like giving birth? Can't remember the last time I had so few answers and even with some help, couldn't get it all done. Hopefully, it'll be some time before we see this devious two-some again?
Thanks, Alex and Jeff, for a humbling experience!
Way to go, Splynter, on your write-up. Guess you had better luck than most of us. Thanks for your insight, as always!
Owen, loved your limerick, especially the first verse!
Good Morning,
I have been away almost two weeks. Not only missing the Cornerites, but the puzzles themselves. Whew! What a reentry!! Well, a DNF here, but once I read Splynter's review, I thought there was some pretty interesting fill. Glad to be back, so I'll look to tomorrow and Monday for a more successful warm-up.
Have a great day. I was in Texas, and I missed YA'LL!!
Good Morning:
This was a real bear with the NE corner my Waterloo. I used help on one answer and that got the ball rolling to finish that area. So, a FWH. (Finished With Help). Fav c/a's were bad way to go=under and final crossing=Styx. I thought there was an inordinate amount of tough fill: oboe d'amore, epistolary, Tiepolo, Qin Dynasty, etc.
That said, thanks Alex and Jeff, for showing us just how devilishly devious puzzles can be and thanks, Splynter, for being the our Guardian Angel.
YR, that's a shame about the cabin but, on the bright side, at least you got one; just think, if you hadn't been an early bird, you would have lost out.
Welcome back, Madame Defarge.
SJSJ - Nice to have you stop by now and then. We haven't had a puzzle from you in a long time.
Have a great day.
A long but worthy trek. Debated between ERIC and ERIK but not ERIQ and had no clue on QIN gave me my lone bad cell (amended below). I needed Argyle’s perps as well and thought of Ghostbusters too.
Musings
-Starting with an obscure eggy dessert did not help
-I agree on MINI, meh
-Shakespeare’s quote was not heeded by some of his troubled characters
-You can watch George C. Scott as The Flim Flam Man for free on YouTube. (1:39:33)
INSULT me, no SLAP. INSULT my family…
-Annoying 40 yr old MAIZE commerical (:36) most of us remember
-How DeMille parted the Red Sea (1:36) in his 1956 EPIC The Ten Commandments
-AMBASSADOR fit State Dept. employee too
-Oops, I had GUST for High Wind and bought those final letters for the down fill too – 5 bad cells
-Grandkids sing Frozen songs by heart
-Johnny Mathis’ sung phrase “on my own” @2:36 after the musical bridge (oboe) on Misty still curls up my toes
-Great limerickery today Owen!
I don't like puzzles where the clueing is so arcane that the puzzle really cannot be solved. I feel that this particular is more of an exercise that the constructors took to show everyone how hard a puzzle they could create. So they can twist their arms patting each other on the back.
I look forward to difficult Saturday puzzles but this one was off the charts. Completely unenjoyable, no way to get a foothold and thus unfinished and unloved. I'd list examples but the whole puzzle is the example. Completely frustrating and not a bit of fun in any sense of the word.
Toughness level 1 to 10..... I give it a twenty...
ZABAGLIONE was a no brainer for me, so I was off to a good start. Then, the SE went in fast. Then..CRASH and BOOM! I don't use the computer, so I had no red letter help.
I could have used Google help, but I probably would have "burned up" my computer. Too many unknowns. EPISTOLARY? Having to do with letters, just looked it up, my new word for today.
Owen..You have a warped mind...But I love it.
Someone explain why "Frozen" was such a big deal. I found it boring, but I guess I'm in the minority. Made soooo much money.
ERIQ La Salle is a fine actor. He plays a small but significant role on the current TV show, "Extant". Another of my "can't miss" programs.
Well, as most, today is a big DNF. But I'm in good company, so I don't feel bad.
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, folks.
"Puzzling thoughts":
Puzzling, indeed ... WOKLS - I would rather be forced to work on three Silkie's, with no access to Google, than this sadistic piece of "symmetry" by Messers Vratsanos and Chen!
I can't imagine a single human being who would be so learned to know about TIEPOLO, NICKI MINAJ, NINA SIMONE, ZABAGLIONE, QIN DYNASTY ... and NOT have to cheat! Look, I know that Friday and Saturday puzzles are meant to be tough. But when you have to look up 1/2 of the clues it ceases being enjoyable.
Only positives from today were that I knew ERIQ with a Q, and got 90% of the SE without any help. I think my only other "low hanging fruit" that was correct were ESPO, STONE, BOBS and GHENT
I think I need to go watch some college football ... !!
desper-otto: Loved your comment this morning! "The fly backed into the fan this morning. Dis-ass-ed her!" Great! I wonder how many didn't get it until now, though?
Hello all ! How hot is your Saturday ?
Finally gave up and turned on red letters about an hour ago. It didn't change a single letter to red. And, in the last hour, I got absolutely no closer than I was at 9:30 this morning. So I threw in the proverbial towel. Uncle ! Uncle !"No mas, no mas !"
Howard W, I'm with you on Browning product. First thought was "guns" and second thought was "Product that browns." My rule of this is that it's always best to look for possible misdirections late-week.
Speaking of MAIZE, this morning's America's Test Kitchen showed how to smoke pork ribs using corn cobs and cornmeal. I think I shall try it. I gathered from the program that it's a South Dakota meat smoking process, known to have been used by Native Americans long, long ago.
Enjoyed all of the comments.
Welcome back Madame Defarge. Probably a little cooler for you here than in Dallas area.
Agree with Anon-PVX@12:45. I admire crosswords with clever clues, not obscure fill; resorting to the latter suggests weakness in the former.
At least while spinning through the alphabet with red letters, I was able to watch England beat San Marino 6-0 to qualify for the European Nations Cup with 3 games to spare.
Happy Labor Day weekend - Workers of the World Unite! (Oh that was May 1; get in sync, U.S.!)
NC
Today's crossword brought a limerick to mind:
With these puzzles I seem to IMMERSE
Myself. And then, I wonder what's worse:
Is that I'm feeling numb,
Or admitting I'm dumb?
Either way, it's for me, too perverse!
Whoo! I saw the name Jeff Chen and figured this was going to be a hard one. It was. I do recognize the expertise of its construction, and I am awed at how constructors come up with stuff like that. I needed to look up quite a few answers, but in retrospect, after having "solved" it, I realize that I knew a lot of that stuff. TIEPOLO (is his name Tie Polo?) and ZABAGLIONE were totally unknown by me (but not any more). I know ZENER diodes, but learned there was also another guy named Zener. Whoo, whoo, and triple whoo.
Thank you OKL! #1 was perfect for today, #2 tied up yesterday with a bow, and #3 was saucy. Your muse provided the spa-aha I needed after trying to suss this pzl.
I only played today because of 28d's clue. I had to learn how they described passing gas in the 18th century; ornately I'm sure.
I got exactly 11 answers today and two are wrong. Crème brûlée had to be 1a, so cabs for 1d, 10d fits. Problem was a) I can't spell Crème brûlée on my own (crap, 2 Es don't fit) and 10d agreed it ended w/ an E.
So thanks anyway to the diabolical-duo, I did have fun for a bit. Thanks Splynter for your (as always) great writeup, images, and links.
Welcome back M. Defarge. I hope TX wasn't too wet for you this last week.
Hand up for Ghostbusters... Why is my 1/2 my education from funny movies? Yes, ZENER was one of my 9 correct answers.
Cheers, -T
Hi everybody. I enjoy CW puzzles because they are challenging and fun. This one filled half of that requirement. I had no fun at all. I partly blame myself but Rich, Alex and Jeff get part of the blame too. Also, thanks Splynter.
Labor Day weekend brings a big fair locally to neighboring Hermosa Beach. I used to enjoy it but it's a lot of people looking at mostly the same stuff I've looked at the previous years. So my job now is to pick up Barbara when she runs out of energy and/or money.
Trying to get into a new TV show can be frustrating for me. Several of you guys seemed to enjoy Public Morals so I gave it a try. I was impressed with the cast of many well-known actors and the excellent production values. But I couldn't like it no matter how much I tried. There were too many characters to keep track of and I couldn't find any of them to root for or care about. Oh well...
Bill G - I felt the same way about House of Cards. It was intriguing at 1st, but then 1/2-way through the 2nd season, DW & I couldn't care less about the sociopathic main characters.
If you have HBO, check out The Brink (MA-L). DW & I watched the 1st season in 4 days. We couldn't stop turning the page - intriguing and subtlety funny.
BTW, who's cut the cord? I just ordered an HD antenna. We have cable, NetFlix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO (I'm going to get HBO to Go if this works out (gotta watch John Oliver on Sundays)). The math goes like this... Cable $230/mo; the above (sans cable) w/ DSL is $110/mo + free shipping from Amazon on things like an HD antenna.
Anyone cut the cord and regret it?
Cheers, -T
No fun. I needed more than usual lookups to get a toehold. I don't mind that some of the answers were outside my experience (it's always fun to learn), but too many clues were simply misleading, not misdirecting.
MINI-computer? The prefix has no necessary connection. And PLUME for a "column that won't support anything"? C'mon.
Today on the Internet I read a fascinating article about the Great Wall of China. I believe it was begun during the QIN DYNASTY (today’s puzzle) and was greatly added to and improved during the Ming dynasty. Rather than a continuous wall it is a network of walls. I was amazed to read that sticky rice, a component of sushi, was used in of the mortar. Contrary to popular thinking, the Great Wall was breached several times. Sadly, as I said yesterday, this landmark is rapidly deteriorating. I would love to visit it before it dissolves. Who on the Corner has been there? Here are some little known facts about the wall.
Link Interesting
If I am mistaken, please correct my facts, but don't hate me. I don't hate others for their mistakes.
There were frustrating unknowns for me in today;s puzzle, but I thought it was fair and fun, nevertheless.
Hello, friends!
Welcome back, Mme Defarge. I hope you had a good time.
Besides being very busy this morning, I also could get only a partial toehold on this puzzle. The SW finished quickly and deceptively led me down the primrose path. I have only heard of NICKI MINAJ but not her work and like others, didn't know she rapped. Next came the NE. ERIQ (be still my heart) is familiar to me as I watched ER to see him.
Then like Barry, I reacquainted myself with Mr. G. Most of the endings filled nicely but ZINS refused to make an appearance to say nothing of ZABAGLIONE! Never heard of it but Google knew it.
The middle was a muddle and it shocked me that I didn't know AL GORE as the founder of Climate Reality Project.
Anyway, beaten and bruised I finally finished but it was a fair challenge. As in all puzzling, some solvers' knowledge is so different from others and what is difficult for some is easy for others and vice versa.
Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, everyone!
Piece of cake!! Not!!! Oboe of love?? Batteries not included?
Anonymous-T, we have been receiving television over the air with our rooftop antenna for years and do not regret it at all. In fact, we have never had a cord. Rarely is there anything offered on cable that isn't offered over the air that we wish we could receive. We both love John Oliver, and we regularly watch him on YouTube. Yes, getting YouTube does require having internet access, for which we have DSL. Our DSL is rather slow, but is entirely adequate to watch YouTube. So, no, no regrets at all. Also, if there is a particular movie we want to watch, a DVD or Blu-ray disc of it is usually available from Redbox. Cut the cord, man!
I'm not trying to rip the scab off an old wound.......well, I guess I really am....but anyone that claims that they solved this puzzle while admitting that they used red letters is lying. Mostly to themselves.
This puzzle ate my lunch and took my money too. Let me first list the words that I never heard of:
ZABAGLIONE, OBOE D'AMORE, ZENER, QIN DYNASTY, EPISTOLARY, CARA, TIEPOLO, ZINS, OMS- nada-never
Then the unknowns: SUSAN, NINA SIMONE, NICKI MINAJ, ELSA
Next words I got wrong:
BEGS and ASKS for SUES, BROOM for STONE, ODES for OVEN,ERIC for ERIQ, SEEDED for SODDED, MANI or PEDI for TINT, IM SO for I'M AS, NEA for PTA. I only guessed EKSA, NINA SIMONE and NICKI MINAJ, although I wasn't sure of how Nicky,i,kki,cci or Manaj was spelled.
I agree with Barry, even though I refuse to Google anything. I just admit defeat and read the blog to find the correct answer if I can't figure it out. And yes, Coneyro, there are no red letters in the newspaper.
So my question is: DID ANYBODY COMPLETE THE PUZZLE WITHOUT GOOGLE OR ANY X-WORD REFERENCE BOOK? With nine words or abbrs.( ZINS & OMS) that I never heard of and a multitude of wrong guesses, I didn't have a chance.
Error:ERIQ is on "Under the Dome".
Libro Benson here...first time commenter--feel very intimidated by all you clever people who seem very interesting and funny. This puzzle! What is this red business?
Libro B. Assuming you're not G. Google, don't be intimidated. We each add our little bit of knowledge/expertise to the greater blog. Some folks amaze me with how much they know; I just hope I add a little something back. The one thing we all share is a passion for the puzzle.
Red letters are an option you get if you play on a computer; wrong letters will show red. I've tried to play on a screen, but prefer pen & paper.
If my assumption is wrong, there's your $0.005 :-)
Cheers, -T
Libro Benson:
Red refers to red wine of which ZINfandel is one. It is commonly abbreviated as ZIN.
Welcome to the Blog!
Oops. My mistake. I thought you were referring to the clue in the puzzle, 1D, some reds.
Libro: Welcome! If you solve the puzzle online, several formats will give you hints if ask for them. A common type of hint is to display your entry letter in red if it is incorrect. So if you get stumped on a difficult part of a difficult puzzle, you can turn on red letters. You will see where you have gone wrong and be able to correct your mistakes rather than just give up and not finish. This is the online site I use most often.
http://www.us.mensa.org/AML/?LinkServID=9C6D60CE-E081-4C23-C43F546F9F20DE10
If you select "Master skill level," you get no hints. If you select "Regular skill lever," you will see incorrect letters in red as you enter them. I always select Master unless I get hopelessly stuck and am ready to throw in the towel. Then I switch to Regular and I can see my mistakes. I call it "turning on red letters." Except for Saturday that is, where my experience tells me I may as well start with red letters turned on.
Enjoy. Let me know if you have any more questions.
~ Bill G.
Managed to get through with just a few wrong vowels. Favorite piece of symmetry -- the corner letters were all the rarely/difficult to use consonents - z, q, j and x.
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