TITLE: HAND JIVE
Bruce has supplied us with a clever puzzle with two switcheroos. First he supplied the names of all the fingers on a hand with cluing/fill that had nothing to do with actual fingers. Secondly he gave the reveal with a two-word phrase DIG IT that could be consolidated to make DIGIT which of course is an alternate name for fingers.
THEME REVEAL
55. "Pay attention, man!" ... and, in a different way, what the end of each answer to a starred clue refers to : DIG IT/DIGIT - Fun! Here are some DIGITS being used to DIG IT.
Here's the "handy" grid with the theme and reveal fill that as you can see is further enhanced by the appearance of the fingers being in order from LITTLE TO THUMB.
Now let's look at Bruce's well-executed theme fill:
18. *"C'mon, loosen up!" : LIVE A LITTLE - A PINKY swear gives us an alternate name for our tiniest DIGIT
23. *Place for lefts and rights : BOXING RING - Waddaya think? A little gaudy?
40. *Compromise : MEET IN THE MIDDLE - George was sure she was giving him the infamous MIDDLE finger.
52. *Market measure : STOCK INDEX - Several Husker VB girls had their INDEX fingers raised after winning the 2015 National Championship.
62. *General principle : RULE OF THUMB - A good use of that DIGIT that separates us from most of the animal world and my assessment of C.C. and the rest of you word warriors here at our little conclave!
Now let's explore some more of the fine fill Bruce has, uh, fingered for us today:
ACROSS
1. Put a spell on : HEX
4. Organizes from best to worst, say : SORTS - One of my favorite Excel features
9. Arizona landforms : MESAS
14. Wrath : IRE
15. Longtime "At the Movies" co-host : EBERT - He listed Casablanca and Citizen Kane among his ten best
16. One bit : AT ALL
17. Shake up : JAR - Definitely a little JAR! Cell phone user?
20. Do penance : ATONE
22. Certain string musician's need : VIOLA BOW - Re-hairing a bow
26. "Star Wars" extras : ET'S
27. Word of passione : CARA - Ya gotta love Jay and the American's singing CARA Mia - My Beloved in Italian
28. Cheek : SASS
31. "Alas!" : AH ME
34. Elementary bit : ATOM
37. Water nymph : NAIAD
43. Orchard trees : PEARS
44. "Ready are you? What know you of ready?" speaker : YODA
45. Low in fat : LEAN
46. Supermodel Banks : TYRA
48. Gross : ICKY
50. PD alert : APB - Calling all cars!
58. French president Hollande : FRANCOIS - His progression of domestic partners in chronological order. He didn't always tell them that someone else was coming in from the bullpen.
61. Sees red : BOILS
65. Bygone muscle car : GTO
66. Holiday visitor : IN-LAW
67. "Science of Logic" author Georg : HEGEL
68. Shy person's note? : IOU - A day late and a few dollars shy
69. Branch quarters : NESTS - Nests are fine, but...
70. Philadelphia pro : EAGLE
71. "Major Crimes" network : TNT
DOWN
1. Muslim veil : HIJAB
2. Sister of Calliope : ERATO
3. Maker of ColorQube printers : XEROX
4. One-named singer portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in a 1997 film : SELENA - SELENA on the left and JLO on the right playing Selena in Jennifer's breakout role.
5. Japanese sash : OBI
6. Gun, as a V8 : REV
7. Roman fountain : TREVI
8. Spot : STAIN
9. Pony Express concern : MAIL - Orphans preferred? Yikes!
10. Vocalist James : ETTA
11. Plopped down next to : SAT BESIDE
12. Apportion : ALLOT
13. Boatloads : SLEWS
19. Stack under a tarp : LOGS
21. "Close, but no cigar" : NICE TRY
24. Family nickname : GRAN(ny)
25. Threadbare : RATTY
29. Boy in "Star Wars" prequel films : ANI
30. "I wish I could" : SADLY NO
31. Bit of band gear : AMP
32. Small snicker : HEE
33. Sub filler : MEATBALLS
35. "So THAT's what's going on here!" : OHO - I'm shocked there is gambling going on in here!
36. First responder : MEDIC - At Omaha Beach
38. It borders the Fla. panhandle : ALA
39. Hideout : DEN
41. Medit. country : ISR
42. Big name in big rigs : MACK - Inside the most expensive MACK truck
47. Dating from : AS OF
49. Cat dish tidbit : KIBBLE
50. Nasal spray brand : AFRIN
51. Danish fruit : PRUNE
53. Parishioner's pledge : TITHE
54. Milo of "Barbarella" : O'SHEA - Sorry, Milo, yours is not the first name that leaps to mind when I think of Barbarella
56. John of The Red Piano Tour : ELTON
57. Strikes through : X'S OUT
59. "Far out!" : NEAT
60. Stockholder's assets? : COWS
63. Trendy boot brand : UGG
64. Blanc heard but not seen : MEL - Not necessarily as in this classic routine (Si, Sy, Sue, Sew) with Jack Benny.
Now let's get your DIGITAL comments:
The tiny pink princess is newly born,
ReplyDeleteAs rosy as the sky the dawn clouds adorn!
While still wet and ICKY
The King names her Pinky
And proclaims LITTLE Day a holiday morn!
The princess was growing, a lovely lass
Considerate and kind, yet full of SASS!
For friends, as a service,
She summoned a circus,
The King proclaimed Three-RING Day to pass!
A princess must still go to elementary school.
It's important a Queen should not be a fool!
The day she was promoted
A celebration was floated.
It was MIDDLE-school Day, throughout the King's RULE!
The princess took a job at a library desk,
A NAIAD grew jealous, and cast a rude HEX!
The card catalog she shuffled,
Pinky fixed it, unruffled!
The King called a commemoration: Day of Card-INDEX!
The princess was single a bit longer than some.
The King was afraid that an old maid she'd become!
Pinky said, "I'm not worried,
Romance can't be hurried,
I'm certain that THUMB Day my Prince will come!"
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Bruce and Husker!
Nice puzzle. No problems.
Fell trying to get out of pool (steps and rails). My muscles all seemed to give way at once. Bonked my head, neck and back on the steps. Fortunately have backup swing chair. (Am not allowed pain pills due to Pradaxa, so have been gritting my teeth.)
It was nice to read the good ORBACH comments yesterday. I will never forget him.
No rain today. Unbelievable.
Have a great day!
PS. Anyone notice "hid from the cops" and "lay low" combination in NYT. Shortz is slipping?
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteNo, I didn't get the theme, but no matter. Also didn't know HIJAB -- learning moment. Fess up! You put in SANTA as the "Holiday visitor," didn't you? I did.
So, do you wear a HIJAB to a JIHAD? Only in RIYADH?
Husker, is it really called "re-hairing" a bow? Seems awkward.
Played a bit hard for me, but got through it.
ReplyDeleteSmooth solve - but didn't get the theme until near the end. I didn't solve this straight from top to bottom, so at first I thought the theme was MEET IN THE MIDDLE -being a homophone for the theme since LIVE A LITTLE had VEAL in the MIDDLE. BZZT!
ReplyDeleteThanks HG and Bruce!
Husker: Wonderful, informative write-up. Good Job !!!
ReplyDeleteBruce: Thank You for a FUN Wednesday puzzle. Though I thought it was Friday level.
d-o, Hand-up for putting in Santa ... that stayed in until the COWS came home.
Fave today, 59-d answer NEAT ... but if you're going to clue "Far out!" it should have been "Neato!"
Needed ESP (Every-Single-Perp) to get HIJAB, NAIAD & HEGEL, learning moments I'll forget by noon.
Cheers!
I never did see the fingered aspect today. Also tried ITA before ISR, and SANTA before INLAW, but in the end all I missed were the L and W of SLEWS, which simply didn't compute for me.
ReplyDeleteMissed the point, but FIR. Last fill was DIG I N, but I didn't like NNT, so I changed it to DIG IT. After that I didn't try to parse it as DIGIT. Liked the misdirection at INLAW/SANTA and COWS. Very clever puzzle with a should be obvious theme.
ReplyDeleteHG, I like your style!
Good morning all!
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever puzzle by Bruce today ! I didn't see the theme until I got to THUMB and didn't realize the DIGITs were in order until Gary's excellent expo. The theme of Hand Jive makes me think of this My daughters would watch Grease over and over and loved singing and dancing to it.
Loved the Star Wars references ANI, YODA and ETS
Favorite clues were for IOU, NESTS and COWS
Perps ( and learning moments) were NAIAD, HEGEL and OSHEA
@fermatprime- Ouch! That fall sounds awful. Hope you are feeling better :)
Thanks Bruce and Gary for a fun, easy yet thought provoking Wednesday .
Hope everyone has a great day!
🐇
Belated Corner Birthday Greetings,all. Thanks C.C. for creating a hangout for us. 1/21 is also my birthday, I am, however, several years older than the corner. Tee Hee. The celebration continued into the week: I finally got to finish all three puzzles this morning. Thanks to all of you constructors and tour guides for a Corner Binge this morning.
ReplyDeleteNicely done yesterday, Irish Miss. Gary, if it's possible, you may have outdone yourself today.
Have a fine day, everyone.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI like seeing BH as the constructor because I know I'm in for some fun and today's was fun right out of the gate: clever theme and cluing, fresh fill, and solid execution, all adding up to a pleasant, enjoyable solve! That's what it's all about, mon amies. 😉. I didn't get the theme until filling in thumb and when I filled in Dig It, well, that was an aha moment for sure. No bumps but it had the right amount of crunch for a Wednesday. (Bruce also had a NYT puzzle on Monday, I think.)
Bravo, Bruce, for starting my day so pleasantly and thanks, HG, for adding more brightness and humor!
Ferm, ouch! Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks again for the kind words on yesterday's puzzle. And, Chairman Moe, IIRC, you were no slouch at WWF, either. (I have two opponents whom I've been playing daily for 5 years. One is in St. Louis and the other is in Australia. Ain't the Internet grand?
Owen, your last entry is an A+, IMO.
I share others admiration for Jerry Orbach and was saddened when he died. I, too, saw him in "42nd Street" many years ago.
Have a great day.
Good day to all!
ReplyDeleteFun, fun puzzle, but I'll have to admit to needing the unifier to see the theme. Favorite clue/answer was "Shy person's note?" for IOU. Georg HEGEL was 100% perps. Hand up for "santa" before INLAW. Thanks Bruce and Husker for the puzzle and expo.
fermatprime--So sorry to hear of your fall. I hope you heal quickly.
Enjoy the day!
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteMostly agree with IM's take on the puzzle. Started off unable to get a real footing in the middle, but then, with a couple letters saw that MEET IN THE MIDDLE would likely fit. Perps worked as needed and it was done. Liked the segue form DIG IT - digit - and then the tie-in to the starred clues. Masterful!
TREVI - We have been to the Trevi fountain - overrated.
DIGITS - In Dutch they are:
Duim (thumb)
Wijsvinger (pointing finger)
Middelvinger (middle finger)
Ringvinger (ring finger)
Pink (pinky finger)
Vinger is pronounced almost like English - with the 'f' sound, and an easy hard 'g' like in sing and wing. Not so hard as the 'g' in Long Island. Wijs comes from the verb 'to show' or 'indicate'.
Happy belated birthday Madame Defarge. Ferm, I am sorry to hear of your painful fall.
ReplyDeleteSpitz, To pronounce the hard G or the soft g in Long Island seems debatable or up for grabs.I know the hard g is used by some, but many (really all) of my friends and acquaintances in NJ who have family on Long Island use the soft G, as in song. This area is such a melting pot influenced by the influx of people from all parts of the USA, and even the world, that there are varying schools of thought on this.
I really liked today's puzzle, except the natick of ANI x NAIAD which produced my only bad cell. Favorite was "shy person's note" for IOU, but there was plenty of "pun-ishment" for me to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHand up for Santa. Also erased HaJAB and ERATe. Didn't know CARA, NIA, HEGEL or AFRIN.
DW's uncle played pro football during WWII for the Steagles. Not enough men to field two teams, so the Steelers and Eagles combined forces for a year.
Thanks to Bruce for a fun challenge, and to HG for your usual great guide.
NPR had a interview on electronic brain stimulation. Said you could run down to RadioShack and have it assembled in a half hour. I could have used it today.
ReplyDeleteYes. I had to ink out SANTA. Can we 'all
Blame it on Argyle?
From yesterday. I was so late. I believe it was Groucho who wouldn't join a club so desperate that they'd allow him in.
I needed the diodes to remind me that a LIMB is not a digit and the EAGLES are still in Philly.
I have a Pavlovian middle DIGIT response to TOOTS etc. Bycyclist shouted something and the finger was up before I realized he was telling me that the rear door on van was AJAR.
WC in prime time
Ps. Kudos perfectly usuato Gary, Owen and last but certainly not least, Bruce for a great Wednesday xword.
I got a second wind and avoided the ignominy of a Wed DNF. Stimulus was a coffee and PRUNE Danish at Bob Evans
I meant per usual. And..
ReplyDeleteI thought the Team LOGo was under the TARP. Blame it on the SPECs
WC
MESAS! Yes we have them throughout the landscape. If you have been to Sedona you have seen some especially grand ones.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bruce, for a fine mid week puzzle. I liked the theme, DIGIT, which made me laugh when pronounced alternatively.
At holiday visitor I thought of Santa, but realized it would not work with AFR-. UGG is exactly what I think when I see those ugly boots (IMHO) which have, I believe, been thrust upon naïve women as stylish and fashionable. Again, I say, ugh!
CSO to my late DH at BOXINGRING. He loved boxing.
BunnyM:
My girls also love Grease and have watched it incessantly. Anything with singing and dancing.
Ferm:
I'm sorry about your fall and hope you feel better soon.
Thank you, Gary, for a fine review.
Enjoy your day, everyone!
Wow, what a Wednesday workout. Thanks for the fun, Bruce and Husker Gary.
ReplyDeleteI saw the theme when I got to THUMB and then reviewed and marvelled that the DIGITs were all in order.
Also thanks to OwenKL for the princess smile.
FP- sorry to hear of your fall. Are you sure that you cannot take plain Tylenol? NSAIDS are not a good combo with Pradaxa but generally Tylenol (acetaminophen) is not as great a bleeding risk.
(HG I believe that 26A answer should be ETS with no apostrophe as it is just plural NOT possessive and no I was not an English teacher!)
Hand up for Santa before INLAW. Calliope was not the circus instrument today.
I learned the nymphs from CWs but wanted Dryad before NAIAD.
Danish PRUNE does not sound like a common expression to this Canadian but a Google search shows me PRUNE Danish (not a fruit we use here in Danish - we have lemon, cherry, blueberry). I also see from the photos that our round Danish are not as common. Another cultural learning moment.
Interesting to see NESTS and EAGLE beside each other.
We are familiar with HIJABs here in Canada.
Thanks for the Wayne's World photo, HG. Here are Mike Meyers and Jimmy Fallon with Canada-US Dice DanceOff from last night. (Go to 4:40 for hilarious Canada-US comments)
TodayShow
Have a great day.
YR - You are right, of course. I was funnying the Long Islanders, and our Saturday blog chief. Hope they take it in a fun spirit.
ReplyDeleteSpitz, I think only residents of Lawn Guy Land actually pronounce it that way. Good to know that you were only kidding.
ReplyDeleteWees,
ReplyDeleteSome excellent slight of hand with this devious puzzle...
You didn't get me with Erato (neener neener...)
Learning moment: Naiad (Thank you perps)
Every vowel in that little box crossing Oshea/Hegel (but my WAG had to be an E)
However Santa was a trap that I fell into hook line and sinker!
Even knowing it was wrong, and starting with an unknown vowel,
I could not climb out of that hole made slick with ink...
(but I am not going to have a cow about it, I thought it was excellent!)
Hmm, next puzzle. Why does this image come up when I Google Happy Birthday Madam Defarge cake?
Musings
ReplyDelete-Otto, it may sound funny but rehairing is a thing
-Canadian, I know that I didn’t want ET is for ET’S but I thought I was correctly using the top rule below but should have used the one that follows.
When forming the plural of words and hyphenated phrases that aren’t nouns but are used as nouns sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t:
I want no ifs or buts.
Here are the dos and don’ts of blogging.
I’ve written 25 thank-yous.
BUT
I’m tired of all his maybe’s.
DO NOT use an apostrophe to form the plural of capital letters used as words, abbreviations that contain no interior periods, and numerals used as nouns:
the three Rs.
the 1990s
lengthy URLs
Thanks for the gentle correction and a chance to learn.
Fun, well-constructed puzzle. Enjoyed the fingers and the DIGIT reveal. Sure enough, put in SANTA and had to take it out. Favorite clue was for IOU. I agree with Tibeni about NEATO. Didn't know HEGEL or AFRIN.
ReplyDeleteThe Sedona area is indeed gorgeous.
I hope you heal quickly, fermatprime. Best wishes to you all.
A crunchy but fun Wednesday puzzle--many thanks, Bruce! I had an easy time in the north, but as I went further and further south, the puzzle got harder and harder for me. Never heard of SELENA or UGG, and couldn't remember the first name of the French President. But thank goodness I did know Milo O'SHEA because he played the role of Leopold Bloom in the Joseph Strick film of James Joyce's "Ulysses." And yes, I too thought of SANTA right away for the holiday visitor although I held off for a bit, which helped. I also figured that the "Science of Logic" author might be a philosopher and got HEGEL after KIBBLE and MEL filled in--at least I know my cats and my cartoons.
ReplyDeleteFun pictures, Husker Gary, many thanks.
Happy Birthday, Madame Defarge. And sorry to hear about the fall, Fermatprime.
Finally, enjoyed your Princess limericks, Owen.
Have a great day, everybody!
Spitzer, hard G also has very many supporters. They are not kidding. Those people not from the NE probably do not know them. However, hard g is usually considered non standard in more formal situations. Personally I do not like it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is that bright glowing ball in the sky that lights up the landscape? I have not seen it in so long I forget.
Thanks Bruce, Thanks Gary.
ReplyDeleteSW and SE corner put up the resistance.
No idea on FRANCOIS, but wagged it with the --A-COIS in place. That solidified NEAT and gave me enough to guess PRUNE. Never would have got AFRIN. Have never used nasal sprays.
INDEX wasn't coming to mind. Knew I was looking for the forefinger though. Just couldn't make anything work with IN-E-. Put the puzzle down for awhile. Came back and immediately knew it was INDEX.
JINX, have they found that Panda yet ?
Please excuse the language in this link,
ReplyDeleteI could not find a copy without it,
& yet, the question remains:
WTF?
Curiously, it worked as indicated with my right hand,
but not the left.
(& pls, no comments about how I may have been using them too much...)
ReplyDeleteSpitz & DO: Having lived on Lawn Guy Land, but not growing up there, I was probably one of the few who didn't pronounce it that way. Native LIers do though.
Thumbs up! Brilliant! What a cool (and handy) creation from Bruce Haight! Thank you! And thanks, HuskerG for the fine response.
ReplyDeleteThis is one where the theme helped greatly. I got much of it through perps - and with one lookup (at 56-D) to help break into the SE sector.
Spitzb! - I enjoyed your lesson in Dutch. Thanks for sharing. Can't say I agree with you about the glorious TREVI fountain. I used to hang out nearby and often wondered what it was like to work in one of the offices with windows backing the fountain. When the water blast is on "Full," you'd be constantly under assault.
Somebody tipped me off that those rooms aren't occupied, and that the building facade is fake - like a stage setting. (But I didn't check it out.)
RIP Mary Tyler Moore
ReplyDeleteMadame Defarge, belated Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteFor fans of "Madam Secretary," poor Tim Daly broke both legs in a skiing accident. Yikes!
My right INDEX finger is about 3/4 of an inch shorter than normal, thanks to a brother's mischievousness, a meat grinder, and a toddler's curiosity.
Super easy one today with only one unknown-CARA. I didn't really look for the theme and my only complaint was XS OUT- would that be an 'extra small' out?. XES OUT.
ReplyDeleteFRANCOIS Hollande doesn't have them lined in the BULLpen; that would be where the boys are. Maybe in the farthest pasture from the current madame.
HIJAB- I see them every day and I really laugh when they wear them in combination with yoga pants. You can't see their hair but nothing else is left to the imagination.I guess they want to LIVE A LITTLE but in Saudi Arabia nobody will MEET IN THE MIDDLE with them. My Palestinian neighbors never fool with those silly things.
Great puzzle and nice write up HG.
Solved, but I didn't care for it much.
ReplyDeleteOwenKL:
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention I really enjoyed the Princess theme. My girls all believe they are "princesses" and of course I encourage the illusion. In my heart they are.
"puzzling thoughts":
ReplyDeletelate to the party today
IIRC, I had to look up HIJAB in order to complete the puzzle. The entire NW (WA, OR and the southern part of ID) were all hinging on the completion of that word. Even an alphabet run didn't help. Couldn't get BOXING RING (initially); but once I solved and then saw the DIGITs it became much clearer. Great recap from HG - I obviously didn't DIG IT at first, but it came to grow on me
Other write-overs included: ARIAL before NAIAD; DELES before Xs OUT; UNCLE before INLAW in 66a (didn't even consider SANTA); and of course, AHA before OHO. I always fall for that one, as a RULE OF THUMB . . .
Probably too late for "grades" (pass/fail, please) but here's an oldie but goodie that has two of today's crossword solves in it:
Little Jack Horner (whose now famous THUMB)
Appears at book signings; for money he'll come
To show off his DIGIT,
And try not to fidget,
So all can now see that he does have aplomb.
Husker Gary, it was a very small nit. That rule is confusing!
ReplyDeleteBig Easy, I was not a fan of XS OUT either. Rich does not seem to be consistent about XES or XS.
Belated Happy Birthday, Madame Defarge!
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteFelt just good enough to go into the office for a long day of makeup work so I'm late to the party.
Thanks Bruce for a Finger-Lickin' good puzzle. I solved while waiting on my BOX to patch. I thought it fairly easy for a Wed. HG - WEES, great expo. And I thank you for "hand"ing me the theme. 'Twas whoosh! to me...
WO: GRAm.
ESPs: CARA, NAIAD, O'SHEA. PRUNE was one too 'cuz I was looking for a "foreign" fruit. V8!
Fav: Sure, the wrong HEGEL but why not :-)
{A; last verse the best} {Cute, er, Pass}
WC - Yep, Marx. I looked it up long after I posted. Oh well.
Ouch! Fermatprime. I hope you're feeling a bit better this eve.
Happy Belated Birthday Madame Defarge!
Cheers, -T
Amongst the Star wars gang we missed JAR(Jar). Not to speak of the adjacent Rs at RING and CaRa.
ReplyDeleteAs I remarked once before, ANI was the first and only one of the crew to do any actual acting.
Second the RIP for MTM. THUMBS up Moe as Roger EBERT would say.
No. I didn't actually have a PRUNE Danish. Never actually heard or seen one.
Even in Sun city FL
WC
So sad to lose Mary Tyler Moore at only 80. The last time I saw her on "Golden Girls" (was it?) she didn't look great and I worried a little. But what a lovely figure she was on television for so many years of my life. I will miss her.
ReplyDeleteA note on my poem today -- It was all one poem with 5 stanzas, but the first four were just window dressing leading up to groaner pun in the last stanza.
ReplyDeleteIt was a shaggy dog story I wrote and told about 20 years ago when I was a Storyteller. The challenge today was recasting it in poetic form. The original story had Pinky and Pointer instead of LITTLE and INDEX.
I just reread it, Owen. I'm so slow at "getting" things. Like xword themes.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I did reread it.
WC
Fun ride! I was sure NAIAD was wrong, but I was wrong. FIR.
ReplyDeleteRegarding UGG footwear, according to some histories, the term indeed came from a shoe maker's wife declaring that style was UGly.
UGG headquarters are just down the street from me at Deckers here in Southern California. Even though it is called UGG Australia. They are rather generous at sponsoring local events here.