Theme: Bad Boys, Bad Boys - What'cha gonna do when they come for you?
17. Obeyed the corner traffic sign : CAME TO A FULL STOP
23. Place to buy a Nikon : CAMERA SHOP
39. Conceal, as misdeeds : COVER UP
50. "For Better or for Worse," e.g. : COMIC STRIP
60. Warning about sealed-off escape routes from the police, four of whom are aptly positioned in this puzzle's circles : "YOU'RE SURROUNDED!"
Argyle here. Definitely a sense of déjà vu today. Even split COP; two C+OP, two CO+P. Grid spanners. Two strong climbers. Another fine puzzle by our fearless leader.
Across:
1. Weight-watcher's bane : FLAB
5. Pea jackets? : PODS
9. Little marketgoer of rhyme : PIGGY
14. Winans of gospel : CECE
15. Long-necked pampas bird : RHEA
16. Cheri of "SNL" : OTERI
20. Coach Steve of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors : KERR. Coach Kerr took a leave of absence as he recovered from back surgery and was replaced on an interim basis by Luke Walton.
21. Philosopher Descartes : RENÉ
22. North Carolina university : DUKE
26. Hors d'oeuvres bit : CANAPÉ
29. Capital of Yemen : SANA'A
31. Cosmetics giant : AVON
32. Turkey club spread : MAYO
36. Uses Redbox, say : RENTS. Rent movies at over 35,000 automated retail kiosks.
38. Soft pitch : LOB
41. Bank acct. entry : DEPosit
42. Track team member : MILER
44. Stuns : AWEs
45. "I'm ready for the weekend!" : "TGIF!"
46. Ballerina artist Edgar : DEGAS
48. Gets weak in the knees : SWOONS
54. Nanny's nightmare : BRAT
56. Message from the teacher : NOTE
57. Swedish furniture retailer : IKEA
64. Cow on a dairy container : ELSIE
65. Over and done with : PAST
66. Prayer start : "O GOD"
67. Oozes : SEEPS
68. Meadow moms : EWEs
69. State fair structure : TENT
Down:
1. TV/radio-regulating agcy. : FCC. (Federal Communications Commission)
2. Job for a plumber : LEAK
3. Top spot : ACME
4. Part of many a six-pack : BEER CAN
5. Country club instructor : PRO
6. Windy City hub : O'HARE. Chicago Airport.
7. Put off : DEFER
8. Steamy room : SAUNA
9. D.C. big shot : POL. (a politician)
10. "Dinner's ready" : "IT'S DONE". You know I wanted, "It's soup".
11. Energetic enthusiasm : GET UP AND GO
12. Grasp intuitively, in slang : GROK. This came from the novel, “Stranger in a Strange Land”.
13. "Eek!" : "YIPE!"
18. Ensnare : TRAP
19. Not as costly : LESS
24. Message to employees : MEMO
25. Plucked instrument : HARP
26. Far from rattled : CALM
27. Dodge : AVOID
28. Raising money for a children's hospital, say : NOBLE CAUSE
30. Had food delivered : ATE IN
33. Actress Gardner : AVA
34. Fine-grained wood : YEW
35. Ironworks input : ORE
37. Sunscreen nos. : SPFs. (Sun Protection Factor)
39. Prepare frantically for finals : CRAM
40. Amer. ally in WWII : USSR. (Russia)
43. Self-gratifying pursuit : EGO TRIP
45. Man bun : TOP KNOT
47. Greed and pride, for two : SINS
49. Xbox One rival : WII U. Official site.
51. Sporty wheels : COUPE
52. Smoothie insert : STRAW
53. Curt : TERSE
54. What top seeds may get in tournaments : BYEs. The Big Dance Begins March 15-16!
55. Film part : ROLE
58. Perimeter : EDGE
59. Very long time : AEON
61. Some Caltech grads : EEs. (electrical engineer)
62. NHL tiebreakers : OTs. (overtime)
63. Banned pesticide : DDT. (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)
Argyle
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, CC and Santa!
Chewier than usual!
U in WII U was perped.
Am in process of repairing Harv's Mac. Tired and stressed out. Must go to sleep somehow!
Cheers!
Thought for sure that I posted yesterday! Huh?
ReplyDeleteMorning, all!
ReplyDeleteNo circles for me, so I totally and completely missed the theme, even after reading the reveal. So sad, but it didn't really affect the solve in any way.
Kerr and WIIU were unknowns. KERR was inferrable, but WIIU just looked like a mistake, so I was pleasantly surprised to get the *TADA* at the end.
Overall, a quick, fun solve (despite not GROKking the theme).
Easiest puzzle I've ever done! I spotted the first theme entry without a single perp in place, saw the COP, and immediately went on to the next theme entry and filled every one of them without a single perp! I think the first entry being something associated with traffic COPs helped get the mind in the right grooves. The only stumble past that was (like Argyle) IT'S SOUP.
ReplyDeleteA freewheeling fellow came to a STOP
When he saw in his mirror the lights of a COP.
No gradual slow,
He went 60 to Oh,
And the COP on the bike went over the top!
The romance patrol is a rumor unfounded,
That lovers by Cupid or Eros are hounded,
Then a shot from his bow
Sends them out of control,
Hugging, in each others arms they're SURROUNDED!
I love the self SO of CECE , the use of one of her favorite words GROK, all hat was missing was I NAILED IT and OLIO. I am too removed from video games to know the U in WIIU but it was filled by the reveal.
ReplyDeleteThe TOP KNOT is a common hairstyle in the NBA and Steve Kerr who played with Michael Jordan was the coach of last season's NBA champion Golden State Warrior who are doing even better this year at 44 wins against only 4 losses.
Am I the only one who plunked down ELON as the four letter NC university?
Happy grounding day
Terrific, fun CW, thanx, C.C.!! Great write-up, thanx, Argyle!! Only write-over was EROTICA for 43d had to become EGOTRIP. Great to see Owen's limericks!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm just tired, or maybe because it's tax season, but I found this one to be a Tuesday challenge. I CAME TO A COMPLETE (oops!). Hand up for ITS SOUP. Things worked out in the end, but it sure wasn't a speed run today. WIIU...wazzat? Lemon, I thought of ELON, but ..KE was already there. Thanx, C.C. and Argyle.
My "six pack" was not made of BEER CANs, but they were certainly involved.
Our town specializes in DEFERred maintenance. Seventeen miles of streets, and the maintenance budget for 2016 is only $1500...reduced from last year.
Gotta run...
Only one write over today. I keep thinking SAANA instead of SANAA.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever theme! And WEES- certainly heard of WII with 3 kids the age that used them, but never heard of WII U (A WII that prepares you for college?) - I smiled with CECE and GROK.
ReplyDeleteWe were supposed to have the big storm start at 4 am today - now it's supposed to start at around 10 - so the drive to work should be fine, but who knows about the ride home.
Thanks CC and Argyle!
It's not soup?
ReplyDeleteDelay before defer.
Fun puzzle, very enjoyable!
Learning moments: WIIU & Cross Strung harp.
Hmm, not sure how to title this pic...
What to say if you find yourself surrounded...
D-O be careful running on those streets; with a tiny budget and a winter they cannot be in great shape.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention the STRAW in the smoothie was also fun
Loved this one!! I was just on the right wavelength. Thanks CC, I got the theme right away....I seldom do....and it was easy sailing from there.
ReplyDeleteI went to DUKE so Elon always catches me off guard. Glad we got the "right" answer today. And I loved the clue for PEA JACKET. Didnt fall for it, so I felt quite superior! That also seldom happens.
WIIU fell with perps so I didn't have to struggle there. But STRAW also filled in with perps so I didn't get to enjoy it till I read Argyle's expo. Thanks for leading us through.
Owen, thanks for the chuckle.
Mardi Gras madness has taken over the city so that seems to be ruling my life right now. It's hectic, but fun.
Argyle: Nice write-up. Enjoyed the tunes.
ReplyDeleteC.C. Thank You for a FUN Tuesday puzzle that I solved in "Wednesday time."
Needed ESP to get CECE Winans ... not up on Gospel singers.
Lemon, My first thought was ELON but I already had the "E" for DUKE.
Fave today, of course, was BEER-CAN ... though I like their contents even more.
Cheers!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAnother enjoyable challenge from our own dear CC. Saw the cop theme but the reveal was a fun surprise. I thought grok was a made-up word in puzzle-land. (I used it recently in WWF and it was accepted, but that game accepts some questionable words, IMO.). For some reason, the men who put their hair in top knots or so-called man buns, invariably look unkempt. Jared Leto comes to mind. I also don't like that 5-day unshaven, scruffy look. Where is Cary Grant when you need him? [sigh!]
Well done, as usual, CC, and ditto to Argyle for the grand tour.
Lots of sunshine and clear, blue skies with mild temps. Very un-February weather. One of these days, Mother Nature is going to do battle with Old Man Winter and this weather joy ride is coming to a complete halt. We' ve had only 5 1/2" of snow so far, which is unheard of.
Have a great day.
Greed, pride, and man bun for three.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteFirst attempt at a Xword in some time. Lucy, myself, & Casey have all been sick. Lucy & I have been dealing with the Flu, Casey, who knows, likely something he ate outside. Lucy & Casey are back to normal, I'm about 60% there. I will NEVER have another flu shot. The good news is the FLAB I gained over the holidays has gone, Now I have to keep it off..
Never worried about today's theme because I really breezed through the puzzle. I to nearly fell into the Elon trap, but the "DUKE is puke" had begun to appear. And no, I am not a fan of DUKE. Excellent school, but their basketball teams have left too many disappointments for Husky fans over the years.
SPFS & SANAA worried me. Was not sure they were correct. Talk about "those days are gone forever", CAMERA SHOPS sure qualifies. Is a COUPE really sporty wheels? Not in my thinking..
Hope to soon be back.
What great fun while I am watching the blizzard rage out here on the prairie! I saw C OP and CO P but needed the reveal for the clever gimmick by our own ”CECE”
ReplyDeleteMusings
-Only Eddie Murphy could make being SURROUNDED by COPS funny. The movie?
-Big Box Stores have sounded the death knell for CAMERA SHOPS
-Why all math teachers know RENE’
-Me too, Lemon, Hondo and Tin – “ELON you’re off the schedule, DUKE you’re in”
-I love any club sandwich because it has that ingredient derived from piggies going to market
-Do some networks put plants in audiences to LOB soft questions to favored POLS?
-The fastest MILER today is Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj – 3:43.13 which is averaging over 16 mph
-An embarrassing SWOON
-Most teams DEFER until the second half after winning this event
-CALM – If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you
-Our USSR allies took 44 years to leave after WWII
-I loved your Inertia Of Motion limerick today, Owen!
Husker
ReplyDeleteTrading Places
Hi Y'all! Yay, got the theme for once without the circles. Good one, C.C. Thanks, Argyle, appreciated your great music clips today.
ReplyDeleteKERR was a gimmee. His first year of coaching last year and the GS Warriors became NBA champs so he got credit although he had some high-powered experienced coaches backing him up. They've started out even better this year under Luke Walton while Kerr recuperates. Fantastic talent there with the reigning MVP and three all-stars. I am not a KERR fan because of some of the bone-head moves he made as general manager or whatever his head-office job was for the Phoenix Suns when they were my favorite team. He also was a broadcaster awhile.
Didn't know RENE.
DEGAS is one of my favorite artists.
Got WII and waited for perps to fill in the last. What?
Gary, what is a blizzard for you was a night of rain down here. Once when I looked out there were some small drifts of white stuff but it was gone the next time I looked. No one minds not shoveling anything. Beautiful sunshine right now on a washed clean world.
Checking in from the S edge of the blizzard. A fun little romp this morning. Saw the first Cop and waited to see what the next set would bring. No major problems in any area, but Kerr was all perps. Did remember Cece and had the K from Grok, so Elon didn't work it's way in. Thanks C.C. and thank you Argyle.
ReplyDeleteAs noted at the top, we're on the S edge of the storm. Winds were awful around 4 AM, but have calmed down to 20 now. The lights flickered 3 times, but never went out, so we're glad of that. I'd guess we have 5-6" total snowfall, but it's tough to tell with the drifting. With high winds and 32f temp, the back wall of our garage had 3/4" coating the entire surface. It fell off in two big "Whomps". That much weight makes quite a noise. Points not that far N or W have reports of up to a foot, so we've gotten off easy. Hope it's done, but there could be more to come. Any idea what you've gotten so far Gary?
CALM. That was me when I broke the bones in my foot and waited ten hours to call my daughter the next morning. She took me to the emergency room, but kept coming unglued until her husband showed up with a wheelchair for me later in the day. She didn't know what on earth we were going to do. I've endured worse. I kept having to direct her to the next process to move me from one place to the next. She's never had kids. That's good training for a crisis. Thank goodness it wasn't really serious.
ReplyDeleteFun speed run today. Thanks C.C. and Argyle. Loved the music of Cece and the harpist.
ReplyDeleteI finished without the tada and could not find my error. Turning on the red letters showed that I had entered ATERI and my D.C. big shot was a PAL. (Every Canadian needs one of those in D.C.!)
WEES. Apparently Wii u is a successor to the Wii. Like Barry, I had no circles at the Mensa site and although it was not necessary to the solve, I could not see the theme until coming here. Hand up for wanting Elon but already having the KE prevented that. Loved C.C.'s SO to herself with Cece.
I had to wait for perps for RENTS. Redbox closed up in Canada in 2015 and I never used them anyway.
We've had SANAA before but I had to waits for perps there also.
Favourite clue today: Pea Jackets? = PODS
Stay safe if you are in the path of the storm. We have sun today and groundhog will see his shadow. 6 more weeks of this mild winter will not be too hard to handle!
Hello, friends!
ReplyDeleteThank you, C.C., for a beautifully crafted puzzle. Like others I saw the theme and instantly filled the other circles with C-O-P which gave me an EDGE and a quick solve. I loved the clue for PODS! ELON flitted through my mind but the perps were strong and DUKE emerged. WIIU took all four perps to finish. I also knew CECE Winans not only because she is popular but I heard her years ago when she was unknown. Steve Allen was in town and introduced her.
Thank you, C.C., for the fun you provide and Argyle for helping us find our way. I also though GROK was a made up word.
Have yourselves a wondrous day, everyone!
Musings 2
ReplyDelete-Joe, we have about 5 – 6” on this side of the Platte but it is heavy, crunchy snow and not drifting so bad. I just got back in from blowing it and it was a CHORE. There’s plenty more coming but at least I have a leg up.
-Yesterday several tried the Africa geography quiz and loved/hated it. Here is one for naming countries in the Americas. Notice the other Tabs and Options.
-I hope that Groundhog is happy! ☺
Thanks, C.C. for another great puzzle. You're amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Argyle, for the great write-up. Nice clips!
Funny that you all have said you were surprised because you thought GROK was a made up word. First, that is a real compliment to C.C. that you think she makes up words in English.
ReplyDeleteSecond, aren't all words made up? People speak them and eventually they get in a dictionary.
You can even track them ONLINE as they become accepted. It used to take longer
Good afternoon everyone.
ReplyDeleteGROKked the solve in due course. Felt right for a Tuesday. Liked the lively theme.
ELSIE - We had names for every cow, heifer and female calf. A particular good milker would tend to have her name passed on to one of her calves. In the summer it was my job to spray Flit which contained
DDT onto the cows' bellies to allay their kicking at the bothersome flies. Little did we know at the time.
P Phil saw no shadow so Spring is starting early. 50º tomorrow.
GROK is a Martian word.
ReplyDeleteI did not mean to imply that C.C. had invented the word GROK. We have seen it multiple times in puzzles and not knowing its origin, I assumed it was created, which apparently it was though how was a mystery to me.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify my comment about grok, I wasn't implying that CC made it up, just that it's a word I had never heard of before until I started reading this and other crossword blogs. Therefore, I thought it was coined (like Natick) to be "crosswordese" jargon.
ReplyDeleteYou would swear today was an early Spring day rather than Feb. 2nd.
Lucina, we're on the same wave length, I see. 🤗
ReplyDeleteYesterday SEDAN and RANCHERO, today COUPE. I think Rich is editing on auto.
ReplyDeleteHG: your pic inspired this --
The Cartesian plane has the x going right,
And y going up on out of sight.
Alas, old ways die,
On tech screens, x, y
Go right but go down to the Stygian night!
That swoon happened to me in AFROTC. Listening to long speeches in the hot sun in formation. Woke up at the nursing station, didn't even realize my nose had hit the pavement. Good thing I hadn't been looking forward to flight training, since never having been involuntarily unconscious was one of the requirements.
At first hearing I thought the Crescendo harpist was talking about a "Taco Bell cannon." My ears are getting old.
ReplyDeleteThank you, C. C.! I learned SANA'A and Steve KERR today, more gleanings than I usually pick up from a Tuesday pzl.
I like GROK, although when I use it in classes, I still get some blank stares. Yes, it is a Martian word (thanks, Argyle!), introduced in 1961 by Robert Heinlein in Stranger in a Strange Land., I believe.
OwenKL @ 1:26,
ReplyDeleteI feel for you in your AFROTC experience. I never blacked out in those formations, but when I came up for my medical exam to qualify for flight school I made the mistake of checking "Yes" to the quiz question, "Have you ever had nightmares?" The doc asked me about that and when I described a dream state of being unable to move, he put me down for a "suspicion of epilepsy."
It took me three tests with different docs to prove him wrong.
By then I was informed that my other test scores qualified me to become a navigator--not a pilot. I hated the idea of having to learn all that math and still not being able to steer the damn plane. I quit.
A fun puzzle as expected considering the editor and constructor. Thanks CC, Rich and Argyle.
ReplyDeleteOl' Man Keith, don't you hate when things like that happen?
I have taken over the regular grocery shopping. I don't mind the errand so much. Today I decided to take a spin through the upscale grocery store nearby called Bristol Farms. Do you have it in your area? The produce is beautiful. They have a satisfactory selection of normal grocery-store stuff but I had a hard time getting through their tempting deli department. Everything looked so good! Great desserts too. Things are more expensive there but that's somewhat offset by their offering a 10-percent senior discount on Tuesdays. I am looking forward to lunch.
Fun puzzle. No circles so the reveal didn't reveal. Hand up for entering DUKE because I already had the KE. Also thought of IT'S SOUP but held back, thinking that was too coincidental. Knew WII but not WII U. As for KERR, four perps and it was mine, as somebody used to say. Pea jackets is an awesome clue, especially in light of our recent discussions about pea coats and pea jackets.
ReplyDeleteThe only top knots on men that I think look okay are on sumo wrestlers.
Best wishes to you all.
Bill G, you're question raised one of my own. First, to answer yours, I'm not aware of any Bristol Farms in our area. My question is, do any of you have experience with Fresh Thyme. They are opening a store in Lincoln in the next few weeks, and it sounds like a pretty nice store. Supposedly a hybrid of Trader Joes and Whole Foods. Good food at reasonable prices with an emphasis on produce and organics.
ReplyDeleteI spoke too soon about having no power outages earlier. I'd barely made my post when the lights went out. But it was only for 45 minutes, and life has been returned to normal.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
ReplyDeleteIf you are smart enough to be using the puzzles on the Mensa site, you should be smart enough to solve the themes without the circles.
If not, there's always the Densa puzzles (found on the USA Today site).
Holy cow, I just learned that Hillary Clinton "won" in Iowa from the flipping of coins!
ReplyDeleteJayce, I'm reminded of the posters circulating in 2000 with the title "Electile Dysfunction".
ReplyDeleteNew Hampshire should be, at the very least, interesting.
I think this was a Tuesday speed run! I got the theme at the second answer. Only w/o's were DElay/DEFER and elon/DUKE.
ReplyDeleteFavorite answer today is CECE. That's the name of my current favorite dog at the shelter!
Thanks for the fun, C.C. Great review, Argyle.
Hondo: regarding Casey's illness, my vet refers to that as a dietary indiscretion.
Rain and thunderstorms are moving in tonight. At least we don't have to shovel rain.
A pleasant evening to all.
Pat
Delightful puzzle, C.C. with still a tiny bit of crunch--many thanks! You are amazing. And fun pics, Argyle.
ReplyDeleteBristol Farms--in Newport Beach?
Today is James Joyce's birthday, so lots of Joyce photos and cheers on Facebook. May be why I'm so late checking in.
Have a great day, everybody!
Been traveling all day, finally got home & read the posts.
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss @ 9:05 This is for you...
For everyone else, I am not sure what the blooper was with this scene...
Having had a beard ever since I could grow one,
I cannot understand the Female fascination with shaving...
I once shaved it off while DW was doing the Sunday shopping,
& sat on the stoop awaiting her return.
She was horrified, & said "grow it back!"
Also, Daughter #1(the only one at the time)
took one look at me & started crying...
Note: I only shaved it off because Mother In law said
"how can you marry him?"
"You don't know what he looks like!"
(Never again...)
Learning moment Stygian
I did the whole puzzle before looking at the byline. I finished and looked down; no wonder I loved it. The cat's pajamas is the crime and its COVER-UP is in the center of the puzzle. Thanks C.C.! Thanks Argyle for kickin' off the Tues after-party.
ReplyDeleteWOs: DElay b/f DEFER; Fruit was inserted into my smoothie but it didn't fit through the STRAW.
ESPs: 14, 20, & 29a.
Fav: The theme & execution. I GROK'd it early (after 17 & 23a).
On GROK - I thought it was a real word. You'll hear it from the IT crowd a lot. Heard it since college.
We have 2 replica DEGAS statutes for our (not-so) little ballerinas. I wonder if they liked dancing 'cuz I'd sing Tiny Dancerwhile dancing them to sleep as babies. Eldest quit to focus on music; Youngest dances ballet & Jazz 3 days a week.
HG - You know, somehow I never put 2 & 2 together. Thanks for Cartesian origin. I only know RENE for sayin' "I drink there for I am" (3:57)
Unclefred - LOL re: 43d. You too NWRunner w/ the 3rd SIN.
CED - LOL - Remember Bob & Doug asking if COP want donut??
Cheers, -T
CED:
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but I do not like facial hair. First, it tickles when kissing and second I find it unattractive especially the stubble that is so popular these days. Thanks for Cary Grant.
Lucina, interesting. I don't like the popular stubble-look either. I can't imagine why it got popular unless most women like it. Do they?
ReplyDeleteMisty: Bristol Farms is alive and well about a mile north of here; Manhattan Beach. I don't know about Newport Beach.
:-( nobody likes my stubble-look...
ReplyDeleteIt's more of a matter of time (and a dull electric). I close shave on Sunday and somewhat maintain throughout the week w/ the electric. Mornings are hectic w/ carting the kid's to school at 6:45a when I went to bed at 2a.
Back to the puzzle - C.C. Was it international to put COVER-UP in the center to show that the COVER-UP is usually worse than the crime [see: Nixon] YOU'RE SURROUNDED for?
Argyle - After yesterday, I wanted Soup too. What really confused me though is I read 24d as "Massages to employees" and, thinking of the boom days, wanted "perk" at 1st. A glob of MAYO stopped that IDEA.
C, -T
<< I don't like the popular stubble-look either. I can't imagine why it got popular unless most women like it. Do they? >>
ReplyDeleteDear Bill:
I suspect that the stubble, up-scale hobo look, is just another "Fad-Of-The-Month Club" offering.
When I bother to shave (which isn't often since I've become homebound) I go for a fringe beard. Compared myself to Brigham Young when I was a Mormon, now-a-days to a bushy Abe Lincoln. Keeps the lips uncovered for the ladies (pre-marriage) to kiss, while still hiding the weak chin. My profile on my avatar coin was at my hairiest, but the LW cares so little about my looks that I've shaved off the beard or shaved my head (not both at the same time), and she didn't even notice till 2-3 days later!
ReplyDelete