Theme: Yadda Yadda Yadda. You add a "YA" to a name or a phrase. Hilarity ensues.
17A. Headline during an African wildfire season? : KENYA BURNS. Ken Burns. Documentary film maker.
61A. Collector of some Spanish art? : GOYA GETTER. Go-getter. To the delight of teenage boys in art class everywhere, Goya painted two versions of his Maja. One clothed, the other markedly less so. Here's one version:
10D. Artist Jasper during his tropical period? : PAPAYA JOHNS. Papa John's. Pizza purveyor. The artist Jasper Johns is fond of this somewhat gloomy pose:
25D. Farmer's possible reply to "What beans are you planting this year?"? : I RECKON SOYA. I reckon so. Food! I'm very partial to steamed edamame, sprinkled with sea salt.
The reveal across the middle of the puzzle tells us:
39A. Casual parting ... and a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers : SEE YA
Straightforward enough theme. You always know the kind of thing you're looking for when you see clues in the interrogative. Two 10-letter themers across, two 11-letter downs and one reveal across the middle. There's some nice longer fill too, let's see what we've got.
Across:
1. Brewski : SUDS. Cheers!
5. Scrubland succulent : AGAVE. Tequila!
10. Skate park protection : PADS
14. "__ something I said?" : IS IT
15. Bounded : LOPED
16. Settled on the tarmac : ALIT
19. "¿Qué __?" : PASA
20. Peach or orange : HUE
21. Snitch : RAT
22. Rental duration : TENANCY. This was a poser before the crosses helped out. I was thinking rental cars, not apartments. Two Days? Maybe. Fortunately I wasn't convinced.
24. Former NASCAR Cup sponsor : SPRINT
26. Pass along : RELAY
27. Go over again : RE-READ
29. Kind of key : MAJOR. As opposed to minor.
33. Bro : MATE. Hmmm. Transatlantic synonymia. I think I just invented a great new word.
36. Tolkien villain : ORC. Generic one of about three trillion, if the computer graphics were to be believed. There were two in the book who actually had names, but I think they were cut from the movie script.
37. "This feels familiar" feeling : DEJA VU. Very apt - today is Groundhog Day. That was a fun movie, starring Bill Murray and Andi McDowell.
38. Corner office fig. : EXEC. utive. I had a corner office on the Warner Bros. lot overlooking the Western backlot which did not befit my station. I kept very quiet about that mistake by corporate real estate.
41. Had too much : OD'ED. This is on my personal "banned" list.
42. Satisfies, as thirst : SLAKES. You can also match-make calcium oxide and water to produce calcium hydroxide with judicious use of this verb.
44. Reduction : CUT
45. Attending : HERE. Little odd. "I'm here" and "I'm attending". One is not quite like the other.
46. Fable teller : AESOP
47. "Challenge accepted!" : GAME ON!
49. West Coast pro : NINER. Ah, the might Santa Clara 49ers. Funny how they didn't change their name when they moved.
51. Possible reason for an empty seat : NO-SHOW
55. Picture of health? : CAT SCAN
58. Profession, casually : BIZ
59. Hosp. area : I.C.U.
60. __ clarinet : ALTO
64. Tactic : PLOY
65. Barn-raising sect : AMISH
66. Latin I word : AMAS. What? Latin "CI" word I could understand. Latin "I" possessive is wrong, so that can't be it. Amo, amas, amat - I love, you love, he/she/it loves, Help me out here. Typo?
67. County bordering Sonoma : NAPA. A favorite destination. I tasted a fabulous gin which was distilled in Napa the other day. I didn't know there are a few distilleries in the region.
68. Core belief : TENET
69. Out of shape : BENT. Like me, about "OD'ED"
Down
1. Punjabi monotheists : SIKHS
2. Burn through : USE UP
3. Eatery often named for its owner : DINER. We've got Mel's and Paty's in my neighborhood. Here's Paty's - get the corned beef hash and fresh orange juice. Oh, and a pint of coffee.
4. Foul spot : STY
5. Seemingly eternal burden : ALBATROSS. From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner":
6. Joint ailment : GOUT
7. Abbr. in car ads : A.P.R. Usually more than you expected.
8. Unloaded a burden : VENTED
9. Old lemon : EDSEL
11. Cumming of "The Good Wife" : ALAN. Thanks, crosses. This chap, born in Scotland:
12. CD part : DISC. Not deposit.
13. Sit tight : STAY. In 1977 I was living in a one room rental (called a bed-sit) in London. In winter, I heated the room by turning on the oven and leaving the oven door open. I had a record player and this classic from "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne.
18. "Rule, Britannia" composer : ARNE. Thomas. I've used up my music link quota. Google "Last Night of the Proms Rule Britannia 2009" if you want to see some seriously-British flag-waving.
23. License info : NAME
26. Pit visitor : RACE CAR
28. Before, poetically : ERE
30. Green gem : JADE
31. Wrapped up : OVER. It's over.
32. Deserving a slap, maybe : RUDE
33. Badlands landform : MESA
34. Shaft with bushings : AXLE. Thought "American Spelling", went with AXEL. Obviously wrong. Fixed it.
37. Couple's break from the kids : DATE NIGHT
40. "Delish!" : YUM
43. Amazing, in dudespeak : EPIC
47. Biological map subject : GENOME
48. Slime : OOZE
50. Pester : NAG AT
52. Card table request : HIT ME
53. Where some large schools may be found : OCEAN
54. Rathskeller fare : WURST. A bar in the basement of a German city hall (Rathaus). We Americans added the "h" so as not to deter the diners or drinkers.
55. Aye-catcher? : CAP'N. Best clue of the day. Very nice.
56. Trattoria's "in the style of" : ALLA. More Food! What better excuse than to link to the quite splendid Lego animation of Eddie Izzard and the "Death Star Canteen". (R18 for language, REveryone for humor).
57. Firebird roof option : T-TOP. Subtle, understated vehicle from Pontiac.
58. Military center : BASE
62. Half a cosmic whole : YIN. Meet Yang.
63. Check : TAB. That's my cue - Check Please!
Aaaaaaand - the grid.
Steve
17A. Headline during an African wildfire season? : KENYA BURNS. Ken Burns. Documentary film maker.
61A. Collector of some Spanish art? : GOYA GETTER. Go-getter. To the delight of teenage boys in art class everywhere, Goya painted two versions of his Maja. One clothed, the other markedly less so. Here's one version:
10D. Artist Jasper during his tropical period? : PAPAYA JOHNS. Papa John's. Pizza purveyor. The artist Jasper Johns is fond of this somewhat gloomy pose:
25D. Farmer's possible reply to "What beans are you planting this year?"? : I RECKON SOYA. I reckon so. Food! I'm very partial to steamed edamame, sprinkled with sea salt.
The reveal across the middle of the puzzle tells us:
39A. Casual parting ... and a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers : SEE YA
Straightforward enough theme. You always know the kind of thing you're looking for when you see clues in the interrogative. Two 10-letter themers across, two 11-letter downs and one reveal across the middle. There's some nice longer fill too, let's see what we've got.
Across:
1. Brewski : SUDS. Cheers!
5. Scrubland succulent : AGAVE. Tequila!
10. Skate park protection : PADS
14. "__ something I said?" : IS IT
15. Bounded : LOPED
16. Settled on the tarmac : ALIT
19. "¿Qué __?" : PASA
20. Peach or orange : HUE
21. Snitch : RAT
22. Rental duration : TENANCY. This was a poser before the crosses helped out. I was thinking rental cars, not apartments. Two Days? Maybe. Fortunately I wasn't convinced.
24. Former NASCAR Cup sponsor : SPRINT
26. Pass along : RELAY
27. Go over again : RE-READ
29. Kind of key : MAJOR. As opposed to minor.
33. Bro : MATE. Hmmm. Transatlantic synonymia. I think I just invented a great new word.
36. Tolkien villain : ORC. Generic one of about three trillion, if the computer graphics were to be believed. There were two in the book who actually had names, but I think they were cut from the movie script.
37. "This feels familiar" feeling : DEJA VU. Very apt - today is Groundhog Day. That was a fun movie, starring Bill Murray and Andi McDowell.
38. Corner office fig. : EXEC. utive. I had a corner office on the Warner Bros. lot overlooking the Western backlot which did not befit my station. I kept very quiet about that mistake by corporate real estate.
41. Had too much : OD'ED. This is on my personal "banned" list.
42. Satisfies, as thirst : SLAKES. You can also match-make calcium oxide and water to produce calcium hydroxide with judicious use of this verb.
44. Reduction : CUT
45. Attending : HERE. Little odd. "I'm here" and "I'm attending". One is not quite like the other.
46. Fable teller : AESOP
47. "Challenge accepted!" : GAME ON!
49. West Coast pro : NINER. Ah, the might Santa Clara 49ers. Funny how they didn't change their name when they moved.
51. Possible reason for an empty seat : NO-SHOW
55. Picture of health? : CAT SCAN
58. Profession, casually : BIZ
59. Hosp. area : I.C.U.
60. __ clarinet : ALTO
64. Tactic : PLOY
65. Barn-raising sect : AMISH
66. Latin I word : AMAS. What? Latin "CI" word I could understand. Latin "I" possessive is wrong, so that can't be it. Amo, amas, amat - I love, you love, he/she/it loves, Help me out here. Typo?
67. County bordering Sonoma : NAPA. A favorite destination. I tasted a fabulous gin which was distilled in Napa the other day. I didn't know there are a few distilleries in the region.
68. Core belief : TENET
69. Out of shape : BENT. Like me, about "OD'ED"
Down
1. Punjabi monotheists : SIKHS
2. Burn through : USE UP
3. Eatery often named for its owner : DINER. We've got Mel's and Paty's in my neighborhood. Here's Paty's - get the corned beef hash and fresh orange juice. Oh, and a pint of coffee.
4. Foul spot : STY
5. Seemingly eternal burden : ALBATROSS. From "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner":
Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
6. Joint ailment : GOUT
7. Abbr. in car ads : A.P.R. Usually more than you expected.
8. Unloaded a burden : VENTED
9. Old lemon : EDSEL
11. Cumming of "The Good Wife" : ALAN. Thanks, crosses. This chap, born in Scotland:
12. CD part : DISC. Not deposit.
13. Sit tight : STAY. In 1977 I was living in a one room rental (called a bed-sit) in London. In winter, I heated the room by turning on the oven and leaving the oven door open. I had a record player and this classic from "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne.
18. "Rule, Britannia" composer : ARNE. Thomas. I've used up my music link quota. Google "Last Night of the Proms Rule Britannia 2009" if you want to see some seriously-British flag-waving.
23. License info : NAME
26. Pit visitor : RACE CAR
28. Before, poetically : ERE
30. Green gem : JADE
31. Wrapped up : OVER. It's over.
32. Deserving a slap, maybe : RUDE
33. Badlands landform : MESA
34. Shaft with bushings : AXLE. Thought "American Spelling", went with AXEL. Obviously wrong. Fixed it.
37. Couple's break from the kids : DATE NIGHT
40. "Delish!" : YUM
43. Amazing, in dudespeak : EPIC
47. Biological map subject : GENOME
48. Slime : OOZE
50. Pester : NAG AT
52. Card table request : HIT ME
53. Where some large schools may be found : OCEAN
54. Rathskeller fare : WURST. A bar in the basement of a German city hall (Rathaus). We Americans added the "h" so as not to deter the diners or drinkers.
55. Aye-catcher? : CAP'N. Best clue of the day. Very nice.
56. Trattoria's "in the style of" : ALLA. More Food! What better excuse than to link to the quite splendid Lego animation of Eddie Izzard and the "Death Star Canteen". (R18 for language, REveryone for humor).
57. Firebird roof option : T-TOP. Subtle, understated vehicle from Pontiac.
58. Military center : BASE
62. Half a cosmic whole : YIN. Meet Yang.
63. Check : TAB. That's my cue - Check Please!
Aaaaaaand - the grid.
Steve
57 comments:
66. Latin I word : AMAS. First year Latin, Latin 101, etc. (My take on it.)
{A-, A, A, B-.}
There once was a Taoist whose rule of thumb
Was that every bad deed required a good 'un!
So next to his switch
He kept a candy dish --
Students called his philosophy YIN and YUM!
The alien BASE was home to an OOZE
Who read and REREAD all movie reviews!
Sometimes with his MATE
They'd OOZE out for a DATE,
But never to Sci-Fi -- they'd get DEJA-VUS!
AESOP, you know, was utterly AMISH.
The fables he told were meant to admonish!
He could help raise a barn,
Or he could spin a good yarn;
And the morals were always PAPA- and Mom-ish!
When racing a SPRINT, JOHN never lost,
And longer distances he LOPED across!
But once he was beat,
Betrayed by his feet --
Over an OCEAN 'gainst an ALBATROSS!
Greetings!
Thanks to Chuck and Steve!
Cute theme. Caught on right away.
Have a great day!
Fun creative theme words. Favorite "I RECKON' SOYA"
I'm with Argyle on the explanation for Latin I word - as in Roman numeral I.
Late getting ready for work!
Thanks Steve and Chuck!
The correct spelling of CAT SCAN is CT SCAN (it's only pronounced CAT SCAN).
OD'D is misspelled again today.
MATE = "Bro'"? Maybe in Australia. . . .
A better clue for 10 down would have been "Pizza in the tropics."
A "lemon" is a car that doesn't work. The EDSEL was merely unpopular.
Argyle: Steve got it. He said "Latin CI."
Good morning!
Great theme (got it early on with SEEYA), lots of clever clues and liked the long fills- thanks Chuck!
Thanks, Steve - I always enjoy your write ups. Got a great laugh at the" Death Star Canteen" video ;)
This started out feeling like a Friday puzzle, even a Sat at times. But I got off on the wrong foot- had Beer for SUDS and Cacti for AGAVE. I should have noticed the clue wasn't plural. Kept plugging away, though and it started falling together pretty quickly.
Learning moment with WURST as I've never heard of a Rathskeller.
Favorites were the clues for OCEAN and CAPN :)
Even though we've been empty nesters for several years, DH and I still refer to Saturday as DATENIGHT as we always go to dinner and take in a movie then. It is something we still look forward to and enjoy very much; just easier now with no kids to worry about.
Have a great day everyone!
🐇
Seeing the addition of YA almost immediately made this one easy.
AXEL is a kind of jump performed by an ice skater.
AMAZING and EPIC are so overused, especially for things less than epic in nature, that these terms are almost meaningless.
I have seen CAT SCAN many times in print. For example: "When April arrived at the hospital, Rick was getting a CAT scan." Washington Times Dec 24, 2016
The slogan "Our wurst is the best" is seen in supermarkets.
RATHAUS The H is integral to the meaning. It comes from the German RAT=council and HAUS=house.
DE JA VU example: Nit about Oded. All right already!
BRO is very common here in the NE, far from Australia.
YA mon, I got the added YA at KEN-YA BURNS. It was a speed run with only ALAN,WURST, and ALTO Clarinet as unknowns. That's a new instrument for me, as I know B-flat & bass clarinets. I had no idea what a 'Rathskeller' was.
GOUT- I had it once; no fun.
DEJA VU- there is a movie by that name that was filmed here in New Orleans about 10 years ago.
Yellowrocks- you can add GENIUS and DIVA to the overused words. Used to describe mediocre musicians and singers all the time.
Good day to all!
It was perps and wags to the rescue today. I am not familiar with KEN BURNS and Jasper JOHNS, but catching on to the theme early helped with both. Clever puzzle. Thanks for guiding us through today, Steve.
I took advantage of Senior Day at the local theater yesterday, and saw "Hidden Figures", which I thoroughly enjoyed. The theater was packed, and the audience erupted in applause at the end of the film. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this film?
Enjoy the day!
This one did me in on several levels. I never do well with added letters.
YR is right about the roots of RATSKELLER, often a fairly reasonably priced restaurant in Rathaus basements and somewhat more elegant than beerhalls. One notable one is in Munich, where tourists stop each day to watch the Glockenspiel in its tower. However, the "h" is simply a holdover from older German, which used "th" in many words where it is now dropped. It was always pronounced as a normal "t" anyway, so the change made good sense.
Good morning everyone.
I thought this was going to be a stinker, but with the reveal at SEE YA, the long fills quickly filled in. Finished it without erasures or searches. Favorite fill was WURST; we pronounced it 'wuss' (vuss). CAP'N clue was cool, too.
Assuming Chuck threw Steve a bone with ARNE. Always admired it as a patriotic Brit tune.
Anon @ 0803 is right about EDSEL. Unpopular but no significant mechanical issues. Odd grille design for the times. I had a friend that called it a Mercury sucking a lemon.
AMISH - We had a one buggy collision in our area the other day. The tongue became disconnected from the horses (harnesses) and the horses spooked and ran away. The buggy ended up smashing into a tree. Don't know if there was collision insurance.
Musings
-BEER (SUDS) and YUCCA (AGAVE) for first two fills slowed the process
-Nicely done, Steve.
-Farmers like having a cab when combining dusty SOYA beans (:38)
-IS IT something I said? Many people seem very ready to take offense these days
-Isn’t BRO/MATE is an Aussie coupling?
-In the 1974 M*A*S*H episode Springtime Radar gets SLAKED
-Bad teams like the NINERS have NO SHOW problems at “sold-out” games
-A funny ICU story
-I wonder what the drought did to the NAPA vintage
-APR – when my friend sold cars, he was instructed to only mention the monthly payments not the price or APR
-A really bad PIT STOP (:09)
-HIT ME?
Good Morning,
Thanks, Chuck. Very clever theme--once I visted the Corner to see it. I'm with Kazie on added letters. . . . Still a fine puzzle. I liked CAP'N, SLAKES, ALBATROSS, and OCEAN for large schools.
Thanks Steve for another informative tour.
Have a good day, all.
Fast and fun today. Thank you, Chuck and Steve!
SEE YA made the theme evident though I had sashayed all the way down the west side before seeing it. IRECKONSOYA revealed it for me. I like the PLOY.
ALBATROSS arrived slowly because REPEAT stood in the way but it flew in once that was changed and KENYABURNS emerged.
Like Steve I thought TENANCY would be a period of time. My take on attendance: is HERE, is attending.
As for OD'ED, I take the good with the bad.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Sorry, It was RATHSKELLER, Not RAT HAUS, but the H was part of it originally.
Rathskeller is a product of Germany, deriving from two German nouns: Rat (also spelled Rath in early Modern German), which means "council," and Keller, which means cellar.I see the Germans do not use the H these day.
To answer any confusion about BRO/MATE, MATE is a traditional male equivalent for BRO in aussieland, but these days, with the continuing americanisation of their culture through exposure to American movies and TV shows, BRO is now used as well, though only among the gen-xers and younger, I think.
YR, I see we crossed paths on RAT(H). To enlarge on your explanation, there is a verb, raten, meaning to advise, so the noun equivalent originally meant to counsel, rather than council. Confusing distinction in English as well. Do councils actually counsel any more?
Good morning all. Thank you Chuck and Steve. Fun all around.
GAME ON ! Challenge accepted, and met. Starting a new streak today. One for one.
I don't hear amazing very often, but I do hear an epic amount of awesome from the younger ones.
For me, many mouthwatering photos from Ratskeller Munich.
SEE YA !
Good Morning:
This was a chuckle-inducing solve, especially Papaya Johns and I Reckon Soya. I had beer before suds and rattler before race car, thinking snake pit not pit stop. Clever theme + good cluing = Happy Camper.
Thanks, Chuck, for a Thursday treat and thanks, Steve, for guiding us along.
Anonymous @ 8:03 - If I ever have lice, I'll be sure to take advantage of your expertise at nit-picking! 😇
Have a great day.
Yes it was GAME ON today. Thanks for the challenge and fun Chuck and Steve.
I was not familiar with Ken Burns and Jasper Johns but they filled in nicely. Smiled at RECKON SOYA!. Also smiled at the schools in the OCEAN.
I had Ache before GOUT and was not familiar with APR (wondered what the month had to do with car sales!) but perps to the rescue.
I noted mini-themes with the burdens and also MESA and AGAVE. Maybe even LOPED and SPRINT - LOL!
Speaking of sponsors, Super Bowl ads are said to be $5 million for 30 seconds. (What's the APR for that?). This is the first year that Canadians can see them (if we watch the game on an American channel). Canadian broadcasters are upset about loss of revenue if Canadian ad substitution is not allowed. Apparently Budweiser is staying with an ad which has turned out to be more timely (and provocative) than originally planned.
MJ- thanks for the review of Hidden Figures. I was thinking about seeing it.
Groundhog says we will have an early spring here. We have not had much winter.
WiartonWillie
SEE YA.
Thanks Steve and Chuck.Could not complete aPr/loPed even using the run thru the alphabet. Loped just didn't click. Favorite clue was "where some large schools may be found"
Gary, I guess grapes are are somewhat drought tolerant. Only the low priced market (mainly San Joaquin Valley) is facing problems unless we get great amounts of rain in the next few years. The fine wines of Napa, etc are thriving; something about them being more flavorful.
I was surprised to see Alan Cummings announce programs on PBS with his Scottish accent. He has perfected American speech on The Good Wife.
Well, in addition to Grishnakh and Ugluk we have snaga and in the tower we had Shagrat and Gorbag.
I couldn't get started and searched for a few sure things like ORC and AESOP. That led to SEE YA. And it was GAME ON.
I ran into a guy who remembered Mondo's DINER near the Pier in Boston. Circa 1971, it had to make way for the Faneuil Hall marketplace.
Had EXEC and NINER recently.
YR you were red hot this AM.
Btw, I'm glad I was alerted to that Falcon game plan "Theft". Classic microcosm of the Genesis of fake news. If one cares to Google.
Lastly, Louie Oosterhuizen does seem snakebit since his Albatross in the 2012 Masters.
WC in the daylight
Oh yeah. High marks for all of your'licks today, Owen. Maybe C-Moe can come up with something.
Steve you do a great, witty write-up. I'm starting to recognize the daily "wit-ups.
YA - YA. I usually have trouble with added letter puzzles. Today was no exception for a while. But once KENYA filled in I got the theme. Perps allowed me to figure it out. Nice one Chuck and Steve provided an enjoyable tour of the grid.
A few hitches along the way, but nothing insurmountable. LARAM vs NINER, AMAT vs AMAS, (it had to be one of them, but I picked the wrong one,) DONE vs OVER, and ALOE vs AGAVE.
I filled in BRATS which was sorta right for Rathskeller fare. The only problem with our local All-American Rathskeller is they no longer have BRATS on their menu. They have gone Cajun and the closest you can get is Andouille sausage along with jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, etc. The only thing that resembles a rathskeller is the fact that it is a bar in a basement. To get Wurst/Brats you need to go to the local Austrian Bistro or New York German Deli.
CanadianEH: Here in PA the one and only, genuine Punxsutawney Phil predicted another 6 weeks of winter. I hope he's wrong. It hasn't been a really bad winter so far, but I've had enough, especially the freezing rain. Snow can be shoveled, but freezing rain is downright dangerous.
Oh well, I hope everyone has a great day.
"Puzzling Thoughts":
First, to Owen, #3 gets 👍👍
Anonymous @ 8:03 --> gotta agree with IM about the nit-picking, but you are spot on. I didn't like the lemon=Edsel either
HG --> I remember that line about Picabo Street but hadn't heard it in awhile - also, I think most books say to HIT ME when the dealer shows a 3 and you're on a 12. If the dealer had a 4,5,6 instead, I'd STAY (stand)
Ok, Wilbur, since you threw down the gauntlet, so to speak, I will provide this "lick" for you! Not my best, but certainly not my ...
Rookie sausage maker through the door burst
With burned brats on his tray. All of us cursed.
We put him to the test;
Result was not his best.
That's what you get, when expecting the WURST ...
Got the theme early; WEES, kudos to Chuck D and Steve for both puzzle and recap. My Natick today was the cross of MATE and TEAS. Had male and leas, but couldn't come up with the T ... my only other write over was in 37d when I tried GAME before DATE
this got me as no Thursday should. I ruined my grid forever by using KENYARAGES which fit nicely with MPG in 7d and then ROPED for 15 across. I had no idea who wrote Rule Britannia nor anything to do with NASCAR so "SPRITE" seemed good for a sponsor but when GOUT occurred to me in second pass....I was dead. Why ALBITROSS didn't occur I'll never know...possibly because I was sure of REPEAT instead of reread for 27a ! I often wonder if the author doesn't try to develop clues that could find possibilities in multiple crosses thus leading the solver down a primrose path. I smelled the roses today ! I am a toddler when it comes to crosswords, but I thought I was better than this ! Oh well...
My uncle had an EDSEL and it worked as well as any car of that vintage that I remember. But as a Detroiter I also remember it getting a bad reputation. Of course that was before recalls. Eveerything was Caveat emptor (LATIN II). I stopped after II. Some went all the way to LATIN IV in my Detroit public school. I Wonder if any public school in the country teaches Ovid in its original language ? Ah...the days when Detroit believe or not was the richest municipality in the country if not the world....
Ha! Ha! Irish Miss, loved your comment about "nit-picking"
I actually enjoy 'Anonymous' he is nearly always correct.
This was kind of a two-way puzzle for me this morning--the middle and bottom felt like a Monday or Tuesday, the top felt like a Friday or Saturday. But I did get the theme early and that made things easier and a lot of fun. So, thanks, Chuck and Steve.
Bunny M, I too first wanted BEER and CACTI at the top.
Spitzboov, sorry to hear about the AMISH road accident. Coming from Lancaster, PA, I care about those AMISH horse carriages.
Right on, Irish Miss. No problem with pointing out small errors and the like, but it would be nice if they could be mixed in with compliments for the puzzle's merits too.
Have a great day, everybody!
This puzzle gave me a run for my money,
but I got it all eventually.
Getting my ya ya's out really helped...
I remember Radar getting "slaked" on M*A*S*H,
but I could not find the clip.
I thought it would be part of the Klinger collection.
There was this though...
See Ya!
Rathskeller was a gimme. Back in the day they served beer on tap, and you could sit out on the terrace and watch the sailboats on Lake Mendota.
Solved with no love.
Let's see, a Gimmick puzzle (ugh) complete with fanciful clueing (ugh again). Was happy to finish.
Excellent!
Bravo, Mr. Deodene.
But why is it - I gotta ask! - Why is it that the hardest sector is always the last one?!
In all the years I've been solving Xwds, I've never rec'd a good answer to this nagging question. Others tell me they have had the same experience, over and over again.
The toughest part of the pzl always lies in wait, to show its dark & nasty colors only at the very end. Today for me it was the north central (or upper middle) area. The trouble was set up when I mistakenly entered SPRITE in place of SPRINT at 24-A. This meant I had an "E" in place of the "T" I would need for ALBATROSS, and without ALBATROSS the north central was free to wreak havoc throughout my grey matter.
Arrgh.
Oh, well, I got it eventually (Ta-dippity-DA!), but only at the cost of enduring another insult at the hands of the Last=Toughest Phenomenon. Grrr.
Ya!
I didn't fall into the BEER trap at 1A because I saw that SIKH was 1D. For anyone just starting crossword solving, I highly recommend checking the downs to see how they agree with the crosses. It could save you a major pitfall.
IrishMiss:
You go, girl! And I agree with Misty that criticism is fine but should be accompanied by praise, as well. Why be completely negative? I applaud constructors for all their efforts and am always impressed with the final product even with a few clunkers in them.
Those who tear down should try constructing. I would like to see a "perfect" puzzle from one of the anons.
Why is the toughest part of a crossword at the end?
Wow,this could get deep...
Personally, I just find it's the unknown part you have been avoiding all along.
When stuck for philosophical answers, I refer to the internet.
So I typed in Google "Why is the toughest part of a crossword at the end?"
& you know, that stupid thing had diddlysquat on the subject...
The closest I got was this...
Speaking of MASH, one of my favorite episodes is where Major Winchester teaches a rag-tag group of Korean musicians to play Mozart's Clarinet Quintet. I liked the show and that became one of my favorite pieces of classical music. Does anybody else remember it? Can you find it? I'd love to watch it again.
CE Dave, yes, I believe it is the unknown part you have been avoiding all along.In a puzzle that has been easy I am chagrined to meet an impasse at the very end.
I loved Mash and watch the reruns over and over. Thanks for the memories.
Fun puzzle and expo.
I thought this one was fairly tame for a Thursday. I also had trouble in the far north. I got Edsel, which made me erase KENYABlaze for BURNS, which gave me GOUT, then AGAVE, then ALBATROSS. Those made APR and VENTED easy.
I also immediately thought of Radar getting SLAKEd in Korea.
Thanks Steve and Chuck for your fine efforts today.
"33. Bro : MATE. Hmmm. Transatlantic synonymia. I think I just invented a great new word." I LIKE it! I had the same sentiment about the clue but didn't know how to describe it. Great word!
Lots of writeovers and it took me forever to get ALBATROSS, but I finally got it all. I figured out the theme quickly and it helped a tad.
Nice puzzle. I enjoyed the YA addition, especially I RECKON SOYA, at which I laughed. Like Lucina, seeing that 1 down was SIKHS averted the entering of BEER at 1 across. And GOUT at 6 down saved me from putting in YUCCA at 5 across.
I think the reason the hard parts of the puzzle come last is related to the fact that a lost item is always found at the last place you look.
I believe CAT SCAN meant "Computerized Axial Tomography." Now it is CT (Computed Tomography) scan. It seems medical terms can change over time. My doctor once asked me what my father died of. When I replied, "Emphysema," she responded, "Oh! COPD!" I don't like that they combined emphysema with asthma under the rubric of COPD. What killed my father had nothing whatsoever to do with asthma or bronchial obstruction; it was emphysema, which affects the elasticity of the alveoli (air sacs), not asthma, which affects the bronchii (air pipes). That's like lumping, say, glaucoma, myopia (nearsightedness), and maybe even macular degeneration as "Eye Problems Syndrome." The causes of and treatments for those different conditions are not the same.
Best wishes to you all.
Some tuneagement meant to rejuvenate this crowd:
hey YA!
O.K., I know very few around around here will appreciate that Grammy winning performance so...
Get your YAs YAs out
Still too dark fer y'all?
YAa YAa?
Ok...Ok...here's one more at your speed...
YA YA
CeDave and Yellowrocks,
You both recognize the problem and the depth of pondering it demands. (Others are probably hunkering in profound denial.) One (of the many) mystery/ies to be weighed is whether the problem is inherent in the pzls themselves, and therefore to be found consistently in the same sector for each grid, or something triggered inside our brains. It might be a combination, with a changeable ratio, and might also vary from solver to solver.
Ah, but we mustn't let ourselves be mired in a single branch of the tree of possibilities. I am not abandoning the problem, but I shall give it another ten minutes this afternoon and then resume the rest of my life.
Keith, just solve the last part first and you won't have that problem ;>)
Old Man, I am not hunkering down in profound denial. I just tend to skim over your posts due to past turgid ego I sense in your writings. But perhaps I can help you here with this impotent quandary.
Think Occam's Razor.
Hi all!
Back in Houston [C,Eh! - link the ad! & watch SB-LI if you can; the aerial photos during the SHOW will have EPIC H-Town pix.]
Thank you Chuck for the distraction while I drove 3h back from San Antonio. I did a bit in ink b/f I left and then noodled each corner (in my head folks!) whilst passing semis. Knowing SEEYA, "Seeing" KENya and parsing it for a few miles I thought BURNS! Aha! GAME afoot(di'n't fit)!
[for MJ - Ken is a documentary film maker on matters of Base Ball and the Civil War if you have 2h+.
Fun expo Steve - Loved the music; quota/limit? We don't have to click... Keep it coming. Thanks Wolfman! ('Cept for that vanilla stuff :-))
WOs: Mostly in my head; I was thinking SLAtEd for a spell. GO(ya)GETTE'm too. Had REPEAT in my head until I finally put ink to paper.
ESP: SLAKES; new to me.
While OCEAN, CAP'N, and WURST (knew 'tain't 'Merican w/ a WU combo (wouldn't that be a Triple-U?), were pretty good c/as, my Fav is DATE NITE xing GAME ON for Whoopee!
{A,B+,A+,B-} {Nice!}
Kazie - Never been OVER to AU, but I interchange Bro and MATE depending on situation & needed tone. E.g. "'Sup Bro"; "Look MATE, I love YA, but you're wrong on [insert political opinion here]"
IM - LOL@10:07 your PEDANTIC response :-)
Spitz - you beat me to "it's a lemon" 'cuz "It sucks! [one]."
If you're in the BIZ, you sell ALBATROSS. It's what you do*
Cheers, -T
*Apologies to GEICO commercials
D-N-F ... put it down ... picked it up ... 4 times ...
I was never on the Constructor's wave-length.
Thank You, Irish Miss, Misty and Lucina ... as I remember my Mom once told me:
"If you haven't got something nice to say ... maybe you should just NOT say it!"
I have always been impressed with the Constructor's ability and often, humor, in creating these "Joys for our mornings!" puzzles.
Anon @8:03 Why don't you google OD'ED and learn that it is an acceptable spelling before you say it isn't ...
I totally agree it is (occasionally) OK to "nit-pick" about a clue or answer.
But to do it (always) as an "anonymous" is gutless!
Oh, BTW ... I enjoyed my "Toast-to-All" at Sunset ...
(Of course the idiot Anon's are never included ...) LOL
Cheers!
Relax Andy! Have another and carry on.
I am soooo tired of all the complaining, whining and name-calling that seems to be the soup du jour lately. Whatever happened to the stiff upper lip of prior generations? It has infested our society at breakneck speed. It appears on the nightly news, Hollywood award shows and inevitably will rear its ugly head this Sunday during an entertainment performance. Several bring it to a supposedly immune venue like our little corner.
Stop. Please stop.*
*OKL, OMK, C,eh!, HG and others who try to be subtle.
Stiff upper lip:definition...
Yes CED! exactly.
Because AnonT asked for it and because Gutful thinks that I am subtle . . .
BudweiserAd
Yup C'Eh! Thanks for being you.
That is a awesome commercial with a poignant comment on what The United States is all about. It's as true today as it was back in the day. I'll enjoy it in the spirit it was conceived back in the summer of 2016.
Sorry, I will not let your subtle opinion ruin my blog experience. Thanks to C.C. for her blog and her rules.
Reading through the comments late- Jayce is totally spot on- in medicine we use both CAT scan and CT scan for the same thing. Both are acronyms for the technology that was developed - CAT is just the longer one of the two.
Hello Puzzlers -
Late again, long day. Smooth sailing today, helped along by the theme which became apparent with the first such answer.
Bill G, I recall that M*A*S*H episode, but not the piece Maj. Winchester was trying to get the musicians to play - it's been too long.
Glad to see that others have commented on CT and CAT scans. I take them to be the same.
CanadianEh, the way gutful worded it, I believe what she meant to say was, you named are obvious but the nameless try to be a tad more subtle yet they are known. Long story short, you are not subtle. No biggie.
MASH- FINAL episode ( Charles scene- Mozart - Clarinet Quintet in A, K. 581). Clip. Real deal.
A synopsis of his encounter with the N. Korean musicians HERE.
Wolfman's third "Ya-Ya" should be called "Dances with Pumpkins"!
We saw "Hidden Figures" and highly recommend it for many reasons. As a math person I enjoyed that math people were heroes for doing math. As someone concerned about history and social justice it was an amazingly important piece of history that was never told.
The history of the space program. The history of black women excelling at math to make the space program happen. And the history of states flat out breaking the law with regard to discrimination. And, from what I can find, the story is generally quite faithful to the facts.
I always loved John Glenn as a child during the space program. It made me love him even more to know that he trusted the black woman's computations more than he trusted IBM.
Hand up that the clue for Edsel was an attempt at clever misdirection, but it fell flat for being just wrong. Otherwise I very much enjoyed the puzzle!
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