Theme: Where AM I? - I didn't notice the constructors til now.
57A. Coffee break time ... and a hint to an abbreviation aptly placed in each answer to a starred clue: MIDMORNING
17A. *Niña and Pinta's sister ship: SANTA MARIA
28A. *Leader of the pack: ALPHA MALE
44A. *Yale, for five U.S. presidents: ALMA MATER
11D. *Renamed lemon-lime soft drink: SIERRA MIST. (Mist Twst now)(sic)
27D. *Spot for bargain hunters: FLEA MARKET
Argyle here? this AM. I should have known so much themage on a Monday would have come from our dynamic duo.
Across:
1. "__ Noon": Gary Cooper classic: HIGH. Tex Ritter - The Ballad of High Noon 1952(2:31). Quite different from the Frankie Laine version(2:44).
5. Tippy watercraft: CANOE
10. "Make it snappy," in memos: ASAP. (as soon as possible)
14. Length-times-width calculation: AREA
15. Take place: OCCUR
16. Pleasant: NICE
19. Camper's quarters: TENT
20. Like some rye bread: SEEDED
21. Number of little pigs, in a fable: THREE
22. Decorative theme: MOTIF
24. Crystal ball reader: SEER
25. Up to now: SO FAR
32. Surfing at one's desk, say: ONLINE
34. Places for studs: EARs
35. Fellow: MAN
36. Rod's fishing partner: REEL
37. "__ you go again!": THERE. A Reaganism.
39. Like Solomon: WISE
40. Aunt, in Argentina: TIA. My favorite aunt.
41. Fashionably smart: CHIC
42. Crusty roll: KAISER
47. "SNL" host's monologue, e.g.: INTRO
48. Door-to-door cosmetics seller: AVON
49. Cavalry sword, in Sussex: SABRE. British spelling.
51. Kitchen cover-up?: APRON. Cute alliteration.
53. Granola alternative: MUESLI
56. Luau torch type: TIKI
61. Opinion column, for short: OP-ED
62. Unfamiliar (to): ALIEN
63. Director Preminger: OTTO
64. Baseball's "Amazins": METS. World Series titles 1969 & 1986. Maybe this year?
65. Bamboo lover: PANDA
66. Karate award: BELT
Down:
1. "__ it been that long?": HAS
2. Tax-sheltered plans: Abbr.: IRAs. (individual retirement account)
3. Heredity unit: GENE
4. Venomous letters: HATE MAIL
5. Cleaner sold in green canisters: COMET
6. National park in Maine: ACADIA. On the coast of Maine.
7. ATM maker: NCR. (National Cash Register known as NCR Corporation now)
8. Avignon assent: "OUI". In the south of France.
9. Division of history: ERA
10. "O Canada," e.g.: ANTHEM. A big CSO, eh!
12. Clearasil target: ACNE
13. Rose of baseball: PETE
18. Festoon: ADORN
21. Lipton products: TEAs
23. Takes for a sucker: FLEECES
24. Princess Fiona's beloved ogre: SHREK
25. Somewhat, informally: SORTA
26. NBC newsman Roger: O'NEIL
29. Golfer's goal: PAR. What a finish at The Masters.
30. Surgical beam: LASER
31. January, in Mexico: ENERO
33. Hawke of "Boyhood": ETHAN. Keeping busy. IMDb
38. Triple or homer: HIT, or third baseball clue.
39. One who scoffs at boxed Merlot, say: WINE SNOB
41. "Hurry up, will ya?": "C'MON!"
43. TV network, e.g.: AIRER
45. Sidesteps: AVOIDS
46. Smashed into: RAMMED. An inconsequential AM.
50. "__ sera": Italian "Good evening": BUONA. The Bella Sera wine threw me off at first.
51. Proton's place: ATOM
52. Plumbing unit: PIPE
54. Calorie-friendly: LITE. Ad-speak.
55. Not domestic, flight-wise: Abbr.: INTL. (international)
57. Travel guide: MAP
58. Dockworker's gp.: ILA. (International Longshoremen's Association)
59. Clamorous noise: DIN
60. Understood: GOT
Argyle
{B+, B+, B, A-, C+.}
ReplyDeleteIt may seem CHIC to ride a CANOE
From Kathmandu to Timbuktu!
But trying to paddle
Will be a dry battle,
Since it's the Sahara you'll be traveling thru!
It may seem CHIC to ride a CANOE
From Timbuktu to Kathmandu!
But trying to paddle
Is an uphill battle,
Since the HEIGHT in feet is five-thousand and two!
(Actually, it's 4593', but I rounded it up -- every city has their hills.)
MID-MORNING, THERE's nothing like a bowl of MUESLI
To fuel the body, and fill the belly!
ALPHA MALE guys
To MEN who are WISE,
All agree they'll eat it -- when Hell gets chilly!
The kaiju monsters came upon the scene
When SEEDED with a COMET-borne GENE!
Was the occasion
An ALIEN invasion?
No, Tokyo wanted a REEL to screen!
There was a PANDA who wrote an OP-ED.
I can be NICE only SO FAR, he said!
HATE MAIL of sorts
About Chinese imports
Changes my FLEECE from two-tone to red!
Pretty easy even for a Monday. Most of the puzzle was done when I finished the across. Never bothered to looked at the theme.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteTwo Mondays in a row, if I'm not mistaken (I probably am). Congrats I.M. and C.C. Never noticed the stars. But I did notice lots of As in what should have been the theme answers, so figured that was the theme. D'oh!
"BUONA sera" evokes images of Stella Bonasera on CSI New York. Hard to forget Melina Kanakaredes. Yeah, I had to Google the spelling.
Argyle, I think High Noon follows the rule of most popular music -- the version you heard first is the one you like best.
Good Morning,
ReplyDeleteNicely done Irish Miss and C. C. I enjoyed the theme; Shocker--I found it!
I liked ALPHA MALE. Leader of the Pack was in major earworm mode as it was the last song on the oldies station when we got out of the car yesterday!
Thanks for the tour Argyle. Love the Maine shot.
Have a lovely day. It's cloudy here and threatening rain, but the cloud formations a beautiful.
D-O, you're wrong but right. The duo had Monday NYT and Tuesday LAT last week. Neato.
ReplyDeleteGreetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Irish Miss, C. C. and Santa!
Really zipped through it. Spelled BUONA sera incorrectly.
Doctor sent another Z-PAK to the pharmacy. Strange. On Sunday? Can't seem to shake infection permanently.
Have a great day!
Wow!Agnes and CC, you two make a wonderful team. Enjoyable puzzle. I needed the reveal to see the theme. Argyle, fine expo.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it odd that when a recipe calls for seeded tomatoes or cucumbers we remove the seeds. For seeded rye the bakery adds the seeds, often caraway, which is my fave. We called it Kümmel when I was growing up.
I have seen Gary Cooper in High Noon many times. Great movie.
I can't understand why differences of opinion result in HATE MAIL. An objectionable opinion or even an objectionable person does not deserve death threats, or even invective. So many people do not argue on the merits any longer. I discount all such hateful responses as unworthy and without merit. They fail to make their point with me.
Good morning all!
ReplyDeleteNICE Monday offering from IM and CC- thanks to our dynamic duo for a LITE yet cleverly clued puzzle and theme and plenty of long fills and to Argyle for guiding us along!
My one and only unknown was ILA.
Nice CSO to CanadianEh! :) I had my own personal little CSO with the AM theme, as those are my initials :)
"Tippy watercraft" > CANOE makes me think of Tippecanoe
31 days until our INTL flight. I'm getting antsy...
This is the first AM of the year that I'm able to sit outside and work on the CW while drinking my coffee. We got the patio furniture out Saturday and the weather is beautiful ( but a bit breezy) So happy to be out here listening to the birds singing and enjoying the Spring weather. The cat is making it difficult to do anything, as she is going back and forth between sitting on my lap and the table with my iPad and puzzle ( on a clipboard- she loves that thing) But she's so sweet, I can't be upset with her.
Hope everyone has a wonderful day!
Here is TIPPY, which some doubted was a word last time.
ReplyDeleteTippy reminds me of William Henry Harrison's and John Tyler's campaign song, "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too." As governor of Indiana, Harrison won a battle named Tippecanoe against local Indians. He fought them because he wanted to open the land to white settlers. Tippecanoe is the anglicization of "Kethtippecanoogi", a Miami people. Since grade school Tippecanoe sticks in my mind because it conjures up a funny image.
What a wonderful way to start the week! Thanks, I.M. And C.C. Argyle, it's always a pleasure to read your words.
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough, I stumbled over Karate award. Duh!! When it filled itself in the V-8 can came out.
Owen, I think they were all A's today!
Good day to all!
ReplyDeleteAn easy, breezy Monday puzzle. Definitely needed the reveal to see the theme. Favorite clue/answer was "Kitchen cover-up?" for APRON. Learning moment was that SIERRA MIST soda has changed its name. I quit buying/consuming soft drinks a few years ago. Thanks, C.C. and Irish Miss. And thanks for the expo, Argyle. Beautiful photos from Maine and France.
Enjoy the day!
Irish Miss & C.C. Thank you for a FUN Monday puzzle. Enjoyed the AM theme.
ReplyDeleteArgyle: Good Job on the write-up ... as always!
NICE CSO to desper-OTTO.
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!
Help me, please, if you can. I accidentally muted the speakers on my computer. Is there any way to unmute them without going into the settings? I am not good at that.Thanks.
ReplyDelete"Puzzling Thoughts":
ReplyDeleteGreat job from IM, CC, and of course SANTA (who got a CSO in 17a). No trouble today except for my TYPO with spelling BUONA BUENA. My MID MORNING "AIRER" (pun intended).
Like Bob Niles, I was able to solve by mostly filling in one direction. Didn't see many intersecting clues until I read Argyle recap. Totally missed METS in the SW, as I was busy doing the down words
Owen, #1 was quite amusing!
My limerick entry has been "in the queue" for a few weeks, awaiting a crossword to pun:
Going fishing all day sounds appealing,
At least that's what I thought; my gut feeling.
Until seas got so rough
I said, "That's quite enough.
I can't handle the rod when I'm REELing."
And another, just for grins and giggles:
At most carnivals, the place abounds
With some hucksters. This group always hounds
You with offers galore.
They are hard to ignore.
But do they always deal on fair grounds?
Eureka! I found the unmute by myself. So as not to waste this post, here are comments I was planning to post last night.
ReplyDeleteLucina, if I may ask, how is your name the opposite of a natural elevation?
I am a very reluctant shopper at brick and mortar stores. I was not in the malls enough to become sated with Christmas music in December. I dislike driving from store to store only to discover they do not have what I want. The internet has much greater variety.
During recovery from several operations I came to rely on and enjoy online shopping, particularly Amazon. I liked online shopping so much I continue to use it. Subscribing to Amazon Prime gives me free returns with no hassle at all if I don't like the quality of my purchase. But after research, I am almost always well satisfied. Online shopping is much faster than running to the stores.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to IM and C.C. for another fine puzzle. It was fun to solve.
Got the theme after filling in the unifier. No solving issues.
17a - …sister ship. A sister ship is a ship of the same class or virtually identical design. While today's clue's intended fill was obvious, SANTA MARIA could not be considered a sister ship to the other two. The SM was 62' long, displaced over 100 tons and was called a Nau or Carrack. The other two were 50-60 feet long, displaced ~60 tons, and were called caravels.
SHREK - German Schreck meaning 'scare'.
AM - MIDMORNING - My Dad was a full-time dairy farmer, Every morning about 10 AM, he would stop what he was doing and come into our kitchen for "Tweede Fröhstück" or 'second breakfast' in our L. German patois. But besides coffee, he would have some SEEDED rye or pumpernickel with cold cuts or smeared with lard. As kids we always looked forward to these 'breaks' from our chores.
YR - The F10 key on my IMac mutes/unmutes. Sometimes you can go to, say, YouTube, and click on the mute/unmute button there.
Musings
ReplyDelete-A lovely trifecta of C.C., Irish and Santa today! Theme was a NICE surprise.
-A Mayfly only lives 24 hrs, so when he says life is good SO FAR…
-These spectacular features in East Sussex play a big role in Agatha Christie’s Elephants Can Remember
-MUSELI and brick hard rolls were part of all our breakfasts in Germany
-The ’69 Mets, Jets and Knicks were all amazin’ as chronicled here.
-That was 48 years ago? HAS it been that long?
-PETE’s hubris made his chickens came home to roost even with 4,256 HITS
-You’re right, Argyle. The Master’s was won with a PAR after 73 holes
-A LASER scene with a famous line (1:14)
-Arby’s “senior discout” is a free soda, but we still just take water
-My memory of OTTO is of him in front of the camera in this classic movie called…?
HG @ 9:45 --> Sergio actually won with a birdie on the 73rd hole. He made the putt. A PAR would've won, too, as Rose bogied the hole . . .
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI just finished e-filing my taxes; what a tedious task that has become, what with the enhanced security measures (welcome) and the endless, non-applicable health care/investments questions, (unwelcome). In any case, they're done and Uncle Sam owes me which I tried to avoid by increasing my withholding, but I guess I didn't increase it enough. Oh well, I'll just have to think of something to splurge on with the refund! 💰💵
Your kind words about the puzzle are much appreciated as is your complimentary write-up, Argyle. Glad everyone enjoyed solving it because I certainly enjoyed creating it with CC. Thanks, CC, for another fun collaboration.
We finally have some sunshine and warmer temps but I think the weather roller coaster continues, with rain and cooler gems coming later in the week. Oh well, we are on the upside, heading toward summer.
HG, I think that clip is of "Sunset Boulevard" with the unforgettable Norma Desmond.
Ferm, I hope you get some relief from that cough; you must be worn out from it.
Have a great day.
Sorry, we are not expecting cooler gems later in the week but, rather, cooler temps! (I usually proofread better than that!)
ReplyDeleteIM, sounds to me that you need to DEcrease your withholding to avoid a refund next year.
ReplyDeleteERRATA
ReplyDelete-Thanks for the gentle correction “Jim”. I remember he only needed to two-putt to win and that his birdie effort did almost rim out but went in the back of the cup. Oh well, they all count the same. His eagle on 15 was still my “hole of the day” under all that pressure and in front of the enormous crowds. Rose played very well but all it took was one bad swing on the extra hole and it was essentially over. I also really enjoyed the camaraderie and sportsmanship those two displayed even in that situation.
Now, back to our regular programming.
Congratulations, once again, IM and C.C.! You two are dynamite.
ReplyDeleteWhile the puzzle was amusing, it was also easy and a quick romp. Like others I filled across almost all the way so missed some of the downs. At the bottom, though, I relied on MAP, ILA and DIN since I momentarily debated between THE and MID. MID, of course, won.
Thank you all, C.C., Agnes and SANTA who got a CSO at 17A.
YR:
I was referring to the clue in yesterday's puzzle and it's about my surname.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Tippecanoe -- and Tyler, too!
ReplyDeleteHi everybody. That was fun and just about right for a Monday. I'm not sure that I got the significance of the word "aptly" in the reveal. What did I miss?
ReplyDeleteThanks Agnes, CC and Argyle.
I really enjoyed 60 Minutes last night. One of the segments was about how coders intentionally make the apps and programs on smart phones as addicting as drugs. That explains a lot of the cell phone behavior I notice.
Also, a Turkish immigrant who founded Chobani. He is giving his employees shares in the company and making them millionaires. Also, a Japanese baseball player who is an overpowering pitcher (over 100 mph) and a homerun-hitting batter; the only player in modern times who pitches in a regular rotation and is in the lineup as a hitter when he's not pitching. Wow! I hope he ends up with the Dodgers... If you are interested, you can find all three segments at CBSNews.com. If not, let me know and I'll link them.
Poor little Jordan, my thirteen-year-old grandson. He is getting two wisdom teeth extracted right about now. He doesn't know what he's in for. That was one of the worst experiences of my life. I'm thinking about the little guy.
That last post was from me who usually shows up as BillG. Dunno why it changed. How can I get my previous identity back? I'm beginning to dislike Google...
ReplyDeleteFun Monday romp.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit confused at 1st because "AM" is not mid morning,
but a reread of the reveal made me smell the coffee...
I don't know why it made me think of Tinbeni...
OwenKL, All A's today!
Is it too early for a joke?
hmm, all this mid morning stuff is making me peckish...
Cont...
Hmm, if only CC and Agnes did not make such philosophical puzzles...
ReplyDeleteWell, if you can't figure it out, it must be a riddle...
Scientists are also trying to figure out the riddle of the Panda diet.
Good morning all,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fun C.C., Irish Miss and Argyle. It was fun but was over too quickly, which is not a bad thing when I have time to read the blog too.Bill, 60 minutes always sounds like a program I should watch when you tell about it... keep forgetting (what's new?) to tape it. Fortunately I am not yet addicted to any app on my phone or iPad yet, but I do continue to check on April, the giraffe.That even sounds silly as I write it.
loved the photo of Acadia Park, a little slice of heaven.
Have a wonderful week.
Woohoo! Woohoo! A Monday morning offering from our Dynamic Duo! And this week, thank goodness, your names were listed in the byline! Yay! And I loved the puzzle, which was a delightful romp. Only KAISER and SABRE stumped me for just a minute, but everything else fell into place quickly and I got the theme even before the reveal. So, many thanks, Irish Miss and C.C.,and you too, Santa, for the always cool write-up.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the shout-out to CanadianEh--hope she checks in today.
Have a great week, everybody!
Thanks, Spitz. I tried using YouTube to mute and unmute. It works sometimes but not this time. Finally at the extreme bottom right of my screen I clicked on the sound volume button. It didn't work at first, but then I clicked on the icon to the extreme left of the volume bar and got it.
ReplyDeleteLucina,I got your drift right away yesterday , but discounted it. Now I see it stands to reason that your married name does not have to be a Spanish influenced surname. I know a Brit named Chin, because she married a Taiwanese.
Bill, I enjoyed 60 minutes last night,too. It is amazing how the apps are made to be addictive. I liked the Chobani story,too. I feel for Jordan.
ReplyDeleteThank you IM, C.C. and Argyle! Fast and fun!
24D: the Fiona a lot of people are interested in is the baby hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo who was born 6 weeks premature. Fiona
She's a happy and healthy baby.
Lovely day today. About 80*, breezy, no humidity to complain about.
Pat
DO @ 10:53 ~ You are absolutely correct and I chalk this error up to getting up at 5:30 AM which, for me, is still the middle of the night! 😡
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! Very fun puzzle, C.C. & I.M.! Fun expo, Argyle! WEES. Lots to like in the puzzle, but a speed run for sure.
ReplyDeleteFermant: glad you are back on antibiotics but you might need something stronger than zpak. Wonder if you have a mucous plug somewhere in the bronchial tubes.
Thanks for the comebacks yesterday on Loyola University. My granddaughter plays alto sax in jazz bands and wants to play professionally or get in the music business end. I can't imagine a very pale white girl would succeed at jazz, but she may change her mind half a dozen times before college graduation. What do I know? Her mother is 52 and we still don't know what she'll be when she grows up. When her baby goes to college, daughter is contemplating starting a new career.
BillG: Good luck to Jordan, may he have no dry sockets. My face was so swollen & discolored after he dug out my last wisdom tooth, the dentist's wife asked me not to tell anyone who did the dentistry. Thought this was the only amusing thing about the experience.
YR:
ReplyDeleteNo, my surname is definitely not Spanish although when it's pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, it does become a Spanish word meaning, give it to him/her. My students would chuckle over that.
BillG:
I also watch 60 minutes and was impressed by the items you mentioned. They do often have some fascinating stories to tell. Please give my best wishes to Jordan for a quick recovery. I had all four removed at once and it was an excruciating experience. That was in the 60s and surely techniques have improved since then.
PK:
If your granddaughter is exceedingly good, she will succeed even in that rarified career.
fermat:
I do hope your cough stops soon.
Still reeling from yesterday's slog, I was pleasantly surprised at the uncrunchiness of today's offering. I solved it on my iPhone while waiting for a big band concert to start in a local park. I usually do the puzzle in the morning paper, but didn't get to it until this evening.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun again to have IM & CC put out a NICE puzzle on a gray day. I liked the MOTIF and, other than BUONA [hand up Bella crossed my mind] 'twas cake. Thanks to the both of you and of course our Monday host SANTA.
WOs: N/A
ESP: BUONA
Sparkle: FLEECES and FLEA MARKET were cute
Fav: c/a for APRON. WISE under MAN is a close runner up.
{A, B+,A,A-,B+} {:-) x2}. C. Moe - nothing about the CSO to you @ WINE SNOB :-) [I KID!]
Funny CED.
Bill G. Make sure Jordan has Calvin & Hobbes!
I know it's bad form to pimp another puzzle [which, BTW, have same c/a for 12d (LAT)/6d], but I, feeling slow this MORNING, left the office after only 3 hours of not doin' much. On the way home, I decided, if I'm going to spend the day in bed, to get the NYT. It was an OK puzzle. That's not my point... I went to Rex'a site to make sure I spelt 26d right; He'd linked this re: today's NYT constructor. Y'all might find it interesting and inspirational too.
Cheers, -T
AnonT:
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful and really evoked strong emotion from me, even some tears. Thank you for posting.
Very late to the party after babysitting all day but I did want to check in to thank C.C. and Agnes for the CW (and Argyle for explaining).
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable Monday level puzzle with al those AMs right smack in the middle.
Thanks also for the CSO (🇨🇦 And Argyle, Bunny M and Misty for noticing).
I also appreciated seeing SABRE spelled the "proper" way.
Enjoy what is left of the day!
I only got to this XW at 4am. Blog reading took another hour. Since I'm in Unreadsville I'm going to attempt to add-on to C-Moe's 'lick
ReplyDeleteAt the FLEA MARKET the action never ceases
There are cats and there are meeces
Keep about you your wit
Or else you'll be HIT
By the sharper who FLEECES
And speaking of Tippecanoe: Can you names Presidents who held the rank of Brigadier or above? There are twelve btw. And btw: no Google search.
I did that list a long time ago and while checking found #12
WC about to knock off Tuesday
I might as well add that I briefly thought surfing might be AOLING - Groan.
ReplyDeleteAnd YR: it's just the nature of the troll. Mainly attention getting
WC
Good Tuesday morning, folks. Thank you, Irish Miss (my Birthday partner) and C.C., for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Argyle, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteWell I finished this last night and was too tired to log in here. So, Here I am.
Puzzle started off with a bang. HIGH NOON was one of my favorite old time movies.
I think I have been near ACADIA National Park. I hiked the AT in Maine about 13 years ago. Maine was beautiful.
FLEA MARKETS are fun to browse. I do not go often. Good thing because I tend to buy lots of junk. I got this great pipe wrench in Pennsylvania at a Flea Market. Easily 30 inches long and for about $6.00.
WINE SNOB reminds me that my wife refers to me as a TEA SNOB, because I only drink Earl Grey. Oh well.
Anyhow, off to me day. See you Wednesday.
Abejo
( )