Theme: April Showers - from mist to inundation.
16A. Awkward situation: FINE HOW-DO-YOU-DO
24A. Weekly paycheck, e.g.: STEADY INCOME
46A. Golf practice facility: DRIVING RANGE
60A. Start of a hopeful rhyme about bad weather, and a hint to what the first word of 16-, 24- and 46-Across may describe: RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
Argyle here. Brock continues to produce Monday puzzles with the same solve, three different words brought together by the unifier. Nothing wrong with that, plus, he provides me with swell set-ups for the theme titles.
Across:
1. Spiders' fly catchers: WEBS
5. It forms over a healing abrasion: SCAB
9. Casual talk: CHAT
13. Mine, to Marcel: À MOI
14. Batted ball into the dugout, say: FOUL
15. Lane at the Daily Planet: LOIS
19. Mournful poem: ELEGY
20. IDs shown at airports: LICENSES. Passports for international flights though.
21. Close tightly again: RESEAL
23. Business suit go-with: TIE
31. Pose a question: ASK
34. Actress Shire: TALIA. Yo! Adrian!
35. Courtroom hammer: GAVEL
36. Sheet music symbol: CLEF
38. Henry or Jane of "On Golden Pond": FONDA
40. Walrus feature: TUSK
41. Vague emanations: AURAs
43. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA. She received a perfect score of 10.0 at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
45. Live __: Taco Bell slogan: MAS. "Live More!"
49. Bullring shout: ¡OLÉ!
50. Anatomical sculpture subjects: TORSOS, or TORSI but not TORSIS.
54. Signed, as a deal: AGREED TO
59. Skin transplant, e.g.: GRAFT
62. Catcher's glove: MITT
63. Swedish furniture giant: IKEA
64. Scrabble square: TILE
65. Hearty meal: STEW
66. Where Anna danced with the king: SIAM. "The King and I"
67. Doesn't feel well: AILS
Down:
1. Nilla product: WAFER
2. Novelist Zola: ÉMILE. I think it's time for Émile Zola to go back on the crossword shelf.
3. What fillets lack: BONES
4. All-out attacks: SIEGES
5. Northern Cal. airport: SFO. (San Francisco International Airport)
6. Monastic hood: COWL
7. Quattro automaker: AUDI
8. Political alliance: BLOC
9. Genetic duplication: CLONING
10. Shelter adoptee: HOUSECAT
11. Helper: AIDE
12. General __ chicken: TSO'S
17. High-end hotel chain: HYATT
18. Bigfoot cousin: YETI
22. Metaphorical new thing to "turn over": LEAF
25. As a companion: ALONG
26. Iraqi money: DINAR
27. When tripled, "and so on": YADDA, YADDA, YADDA.
28. Egg cell: OVUM
29. Flat-topped elevation: MESA
30. Lodge fellows: ELKS
31. Many a prep sch.: ACAD
32. Speak indistinctly: SLUR
33. Emmy nominee Russell of "The Americans": KERI. She's come a long way from the Mickey Mouse Club. Also she has nice 61D. Pinup's leg: GAM
37. Underdog's opposite: FAVORITE
39. "__ Misbehavin'": AINT
42. Feature of words beginning with "wr": SILENT W
44. Disco era term: À GO-GO
47. At no time, to bards: NE'ER
48. List of mistakes: ERRATA
51. 2005 slasher film sequel: SAW II
52. Considering everyone: OF ALL
53. Eyelid maladies: STYES
54. Weapons: ARMS
55. Trot or gallop: GAIT
56. Orator's platform: DAIS
57. Polynesian carving: TIKI
58. Most eligible for service: ONE A
Argyle
Note from C.C.:
Dear Agnes (Irish Miss) made her New York Times crossword debut today. Congrats, Agnes!
Eileen (sister of Agnes) & Agnes, Nov 22, 2013 |
43 comments:
Where is everybody? Good morning!
Solved this one and also the Agnes/C.C. collaboration in the NYT. (Congrats, Agnes.) No over-writes in either of 'em. And, naturally, didn't get the theme in either of 'em. No matter, I liked 'em both.
Just realized, it's now been over 20 years since I last put a noose around my neck. I'm not sure there's still one in the house. It'd look silly with jeans, anyway.
Greetings!
Thanks Brock and Santa!
Cute theme.
Congrats, Agnes!
Still have cough, now joined by cold. Drat. But swam today.
Have a great day!
Fine Monday puzzle today, Brock. And thanks to Santa for a stimulating reveal. I may not remember KERI Russell's name, but I'll never forget her, err, face. Also didn't know TALIA Shire or A MOI. It may not yet be time to put EMILE back on the shelf - I struggled to come up with his name today. I still blame decaf (and by extension, my cardiologist). At least I didn't need my eraser today.
Congrats to IM for the NYT appearance. I'll have to see if I can find it on line. Our little paper carries the NYT XW on Sunday only.
Good Morning!
Glad to be back after a trip to Dallas--judging the Middle School Debate Tournament was fun. Because the kids are still learning the ropes, they do a lot of reading from docs. The best of them are more comfortable with the material and did less verbatim reading. It was nice. Because of a forfeit, I had a chance to watch my grandson at work. Very impressive. Then I was back home covering for Spring Break grandkid/parent schedule conflicts. Fun also. One day, the Blonde Tornado provided me with a nine hour workout!
Thanks, Brock for allowing me to get back to puzzles with some ease. Now, I didn't see the April showers, but I totally enjoyed the construction. Nicely done.
Thanks Argyle for the tour. I enjoyed seeing the Fondas and Hepburn in On Golden Pond. It was quite nice for all of them to work together--especially for Henry and Jane.
Nicely done, Irish Miss. Congratulations!
Until tomorrow. . . . Have a fine day, everyone.
A siege is by definition a "prolonged" assault or campaign, the word comes from Latin for "to sit." Almost the opposite of an "all-out" assault.
Nice Monday puzzle but initially spelled license with a "c". Oops. Also a "siege" is the opposite of an "all-out attack." When an invading group simply blockades a foe and passively starves them out it lays "siege".
Looks the the rain rain has gone away at least today. Finally some sun as the snow slowly melts with the accent on "slowly"
Hey you kids, get off my crossword...While 1960s discotheques gave us go go boots and all things a go go, by the time the disco era showed up in the mid 1970s, I don't recall anybody using this expression to describe contemporary pop culture.
Musings
-When you farm for a living, any RAIN is usually FINE
-Don’t we all know about the “Burp” test for a RESEAL?
-At press conferences, reporters look for at least four different ways to ASK the same question
-My first principal and I fought constantly because he wanted me to wear a TIE and I didn’t want to. It cost me later in my career. BTW, I wore one to his funeral last month.
-An awkward osculation (from Sunday’s puzzle) with a gavel in hand
-Judge Judy has to sort out what was AGREED TO
-When I sing right after communion, I put the WAFER in my pocket until after I am done
-Ray and billochoes, me too - SIEGES conjure up waiting games like Grant at Vicksburg rather than attacks like Pickett at Gettsyburg
-BLOC – Not one Republican voted for Obamacare and not one democrat will vote for Neil Gorsuch. Really?
-I binge-watched The Americans this winter on Amazon Prime.
-A GO GO predates disco for me as well
-Congrats Agnes!
Good day to all!
An easy Monday romp today. Thank you, Brock. Unknowns were the Taco Bell slogan and KERI Russell, but both were easily perpped. Thanks for the tour, Argyle.
Congrats, Irish Miss, on your NYT debut. It was fun to read the favorable write-up by Deb Amlen.
Enjoy the day!
"puzzling thoughts":
A pretty clean grid today; made my way from top to bottom, left to right, with the only miss coming at 27d - I thought YADDA was spelled with one D, so I pluralized it. Of course when NADIA appeared in 43a, my mistake was quickly corrected
Enjoyed both the puzzle and the recap. No RAIN here in S FL, though it's really feeling like summer, so late afternoon showers are going to be here soon
Our newspaper had Saturday's puzzle results, and I noticed in THEIR reveal, it showed circles for where the STAIRS were "at a slant". In the actual "blank grid" on Saturday, no circles were used. Weird.
I haven't been to a DRIVING RANGE in a month of Sundays; I watched the Drive, Chip, and Putt contest yesterday. It's held at Augusta National just prior to the Masters. A 15 yr old boy bombed his drive 305 yds while his 15 yr old female counterpart hit one almost 260! Oh to be young again ... but how cool to be able to compete at that venue. This is always one of my favorite weeks!
Only "creative" juices today are haikus:
The spider plays ball.
Catches some flies in his WEB
That's some kind of MITT
Henry's daughter, Jane,
Made a father really proud.
He was FONDA her
Enjoy your week!
Sorry for all of the deletes; I need to preview first ...
Good morning all. Thank you Brock and thank you Argyle.
80 % chance of rain here today.
I never liked the rain until I walked through it with you
I saw On Golden Pond at a theater in Houston when the movie first came out in 1981. The next (and last) movie I saw in a theater was The Expendables 3 in San Jose in 2014.
Never heard of KERI Russell. With 4 letters and the K in place...
I recall the GO GO dancers from the 60s music and variety shows. I've seen many references to 60's and early 70's incidents and events at the Whisky A GO GO club in Hollywood.
Congrats on your NYT debut Irish Miss !
"He was Fonda her." LOL.
Fun solve with some interesting fill. I do the LA Times puzzle on paper and don't time myself, but this one seemed quick. I liked COWL and TALIA best.
Fun Monday, easy but I needed some crosses to verify a few entries.
I agree with the comments about SIEGE and A GO GO. I am surprised they survived the editing process.
Argyle, I liked your caption. It seems we have had all these types of rain during most of March. We are expecting an inundation late tonight and tomorrow. Rain, rain, go away. OTOH maybe it will wash away the last of the snow piles.
I thought of you Floridians when I saw many people wearing flip-flops yesterday in our 62 degree weather. Some were even wearing shorts. I enjoy these warm, clear blue-sky days.
Congrats to Agnes. I will have to go to the library to a access your NYT puzzle.
I loved On Golden Pond, great acting and story.
I have frequently heard, "That's a fine howdy do," but never "That's a fine how do you do."
My chores await. I'm behind today because I took Alan to speech class. He is doing so well there.
Yes, I enjoyed this Monday level puzzle. Thanks Brock and Argyle.
Things filled in steadily (no SIEGE required) and I got the theme.
Like Madame D, I have been babysitting grandchildren and appreciated the
We are expecting a good quantity of RAIN tomorrow. The robins are collecting grass, string etc. for nests. Spring is in the air.
I had the same reaction as Argyle that LICENSES are for domestic flights only. And like Ray o sunshine, I spelled it with a C until HOUSECAT "corrected" it. Do I have a fellow Canadian here, Ray (or British background)?? I did not have enough room to spell FAVORITE with the U (LOL).
I don't think Taco Bell uses the Live MAS slogan here in Canada very prominently. Probably because we do not have a very large Spanish presence.
Congrats on your NYT debut, Irish Miss.
Wishing you all a great day.
Because I learned this so long ago I have been trying to remember why snow melts faster in rain than in air at the same temperature.
“Ice cubes in liquid melt faster than ice cubes in air because liquid has a greater concentration of molecules than air does. This means that when ice cubes are surrounded by liquid, more molecular activity is interacting with the frozen water molecules, causing a faster chain reaction of molecular vibration.” From Sciencing.com
I like the symbolism of “Turn over a new leaf.” The leaf is another name for page and so we turn to a new clean page to start afresh. (See! A words are useful.)
Some of my type A personality students as young as 5 or 6 ripped up the old page in frustration, instead. Some wanted new paper for an arts and craft project when they made a teeny mistake. I refused to provide it and encouraged them to find a way to work around their mistakes.
Still delaying getting to my chores.
Hand up for a double take at SIEGE. As soon as I completed that one I said to myself, "Self," I said (that's what I call myself when I talk to myself) "Self, that's not what a siege is!"
And the rain, rain is NOT going away here in northeast IL. Dull, glumpy day. Just right for curling up with a good puzzle...
One of my FAVORITE things is, of course, a good Monday puzzle and this fit all requirements. Thank you, Brock Wilson. Here we would never say RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY. It's too infrequent and greatly needed.
Since this was mostly a horizontal solve, I had to go back and read the verticals which emerged in the process.
I can't recall ever hearing the Taco Bell slogan, live MAS. Is it regional? And I do recall the GO Go era with plenty of disco venues. KERI Russell? No idea.
Thank you, Argyle. You also enliven Mondays.
I see my 3rd line is not finished. I meant to echo Madame D's thanks for allowing us to "get back to puzzles with some ease". I must still have "grandma brain!"
You might remember Keri Russell from the big brouhaha that erupted when, as Felicity Porter, she changed her beautiful curly hair she sported on the TV show, "Felicity".
Good Morning:
This was a nice, easy-peasy start to the week with a theme that is so apropos to our weather, past, present, and future. April showers are living up to their reputation. ☔️☔️☔️ No bumps or hiccups and no complaints. Funny, YR, I've always heard (and said) "Well, that's a fine how do you do!" But, I get more of a kick out of "Well, that's a fine kettle of fish!" Ala Oliver Hardy.
Thanks, Brock, for a fun solve and thanks, Argyle, for 'splainin' it all.
Many thanks to all for the kind words on The Times debut. It goes without saying that this achievement was made possible by the encouragement, guidance, and support of CC. Thank you, CC, for everything, not the least of which is your infinite patience! ��
Have a great day.
Yellowrocks @ 10:43 ---> your description of the symbolism made me think of a terrible pun. 😜 Thanks to google I found out that there is such a statue in the capital of MN:
In St Paul many people felt grief
When a statue was stolen. The thief
Took Erikson away.
A reward they will pay
If someone turns over a new Leif.
Sorry!
YR, I've always said, "Well, that's a fine howdy do!" I figured it was supposed to be "how do you do" and it was just my non-standard pronunciation. You can get away with a multitude of pronunciation sins in Texas.
I had a fun romp in todays puddle jumper...
(with a slight slowdown around the names.)
My only hiccup was I thought Yada had one D,
making it Yadas,
making it driving -snge
(making me hesitate to put in Dinar.)
Stop making me do stuff!
Speaking of which,
I do not get the times,
the link did not offer Agnes' puzzle,
Hmm, my neighbors get the Times,
and there it is lying in their driveway,
should I retrieve it before it rains?
(they never do the puzzle anyway...)
Oh Agnes, look what you have done to me!
I am about to steal the paper!
Cont...
Argyle, you'll like Hagar this morning vis a vis NOOSE.
And Bizarro had a new take on that Oxford comma thing.
The Roman siege of Jerusalem was prolonged for four years. Climaxed by an all-out assault.
Then again there was the siege of Vienna by the Mongols, interrupted by Genghis Kahn's death.
Talk about alternative history
I'm another DECAF guy. Gogo vs disco is way to far back in the Misty's of history for me to know the difference
Speaking of... Who's your next 20th century author, Misty? Joyce? Maybe Fitzgerald, but not Gatsby. Too many GG movies.
How about "This Side of Paradise". I'd like to read that one, myself.
Brock, perfect Monday DECAF after the heavy lifting of the weekend. Thanks to Argyle for the write-up.
WC
I also went looking for a Laurel And hardy link,
but so far they are all just "another fine mess."
An alternative view...
Did you remember to let in the housecat?
Cont...
Do you remember that Marilyn Monroe statue they built?
Hmm, thinking about stealing my neighbors paper
is giving me wet feet...
A nice Monday puzzle where the theme did not interfere with the solve at all.
Agree with the above comments about SIEGE and AGOGO, both incorrectly referenced IMHO.
And I was NOT ready for the Keri Russell photo at all. Wow. Not a complaint.
Lots of sports this weekend and through next Sunday when Masters concludes. Not to speak of NCAA final tonight.
So, I wanted to mention the infamous mismark of the ball by Lexi Thompson in the LPGA Major. Four strokes, lost championship.
I mention it because I posted something awhile back about the Watson-Player brouhaha some years back about mismarking.
In relation to some clue or xword answer.
It's a little EERIE how the chickens will come home to roost
WC
Cool and fun puzzle; nice theme. Is that a FOUL COWL I see? Nice clue for BONES. K--- Russell made me fill KURT; KERI is prettier. KURT did a nice job in Deepwater Horizon, though.
Nice job, Agnes. I agree C.C. is good to work with.
I, too, haven't worn a TIE for 20 years or more.
All the best to you.
What a great way to start the week! I got the whole crossword puzzle without a single look-up, cheat, or erasure, and I also got the Sudoku, the Kenken, and the Jumble! Yay! Hurray! And there's more to come with a fabulous Irish Miss and C.C. puzzle in the afternoon. Woohoo! Mondays don't get any better than this!
Just one weird note: for the first time my LA Times puzzle listed no constructor, only the word ATTENTION! in capitals and with exclamation point under the "Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis" line. Did anyone else have a weird problem like this?
So I had to come to the blog to be able to say, thank you, Brock--and of course you too, Santa, as always.
Two of my favorite movies were mentioned in this puzzle: I loved "On Golden Pond," and just adored "The King and I" when I was a kid. I've seen it so many times, on television in the later years, that I could probably sing every one of the songs, if I tried.
You made me laugh this morning, Cross-Eyed Dave.
Wilbur thank you for asking about my next writer, the one I'll be teaching in my last spring class in a couple weeks. Her name is Nella Larsen, a bi-racial author (Swedish mother, West Indian father) who was part of the Harlem Renaissance and wrote about being bi-racial in her novel "Quicksand."
Fermatprime, so sorry about your cough and cold, and hope keeping on swimming will help and not hurt your condition. What a brave soul you are.
Have a great day, everybody!
Hi everybody. I enjoyed the puzzle and write up. Thanks Brock and Argyle. I also am enjoying Agnes's and CC's puzzle in the NYT.
I was miserable trying to overcome my own mistakes in getting my new Nook to work. It has many newer features than my old one (which disappeared with my wallet) but I couldn't get it set up properly. I went to our local Barnes and Noble and spoke to their Nook guy named Robert. He was very patient but couldn't get past all of the Google security features that I had screwed up. After over an hour, he disappeared for a bit and came back with a new one he swapped for my old one. He helped me set it up. It connected with my account and imported all of the books I had purchased previously. I brought it home and managed to read a bit before going to bed last night. I am going to call Barnes and Noble right now, speak to a supervisor and compliment Robert for his helpfulness. Thanks Robert!
Bill G, glad that you got a new Nook up and running. Kudos to Robert for doing his job well and to you for passing on a good report to his employer. Not everyone remembers to do that.
Misty, I wondered the same thing - why the LA Times didn't credit Brock Wilson for his fine Monday pzl. When I saw the credit line had just the word "ATTENTION!", I thought it might be a delayed April Fool stunt. But with no follow-through, I'll chalk it up to a typo unless someone offers the inside story.
Thanks, Argyle and thanks, Brock. Your gifts are appreciated.
Monday again. Aargh. Double Aaarrgghh!
Funny: even though I retired over a year ago, I still feel the gloom that Mondays always bring. It may even be darker now that I have no fixed deadlines. I have to remind myself to resume my writing on weekdays, and I am a nastier taskmaster than my teaching schedule ever was.
Hi Y'all! Enjoyable puzzle and expo, Brock and Argyle!
The RAIN theme was very APT. Gray and dripping for over a week here. Two days with short dry spells, I dashed out to do errands. However, I haven't seen TV weather radar with any rain over my farms except one brief spell. So I'll say "Rain Rain Go Thataway!"
I was shocked, shocked I tell you, by the KERI picture -- not because she was nude, but because she'd deign to plant her unclad backside on that fancy upholstered chair. Sexy isn't good for upholstery. Never heard of her, by the way.
Agnes & C.C. congratulations on a successful collaboration.
Hand up for spelling LICENSES with two "C's" instead of two esses at first. Caught it.
Bill: I can commiserate with your Nook experience. I tried to start a new Kindle and am stuck partway. I bought a Roomba in November and still haven't figured out how to make the thing go. Just can't think sequentially for very long.
This was a very nice Monday puzzle. Thank you, Brock Wilson for the pleasure. Your write-up was very enjoyable, Argyle. Thank you.
I also didn't know there were 2 "d"s in YADDA until NADIA politely corrected me. That was my only ink blot. I also got the theme on my own! That rarely happens.
Ferm, I'm sorry you're having such a rough time with your health lately. I hope things improve soon.
My daughter is back in town after her globe-trotting trip and she should be picking up her dog any time. Life will get back to normal. Even though the dogs get along, it will be nice to have just one to care for.
Bill G: I'm sorry you lost your billfold and Nook. It's nice Robert was so helpful. Kudos to him.
Opening Day, go Tigers and Reds!
WC, I was aghast at both the timing of the Lexi Thompson penalty (should've been handled on Sat, not 2/3 of the way thru Sun round), and the fact that she got an EXTRA two stoke penalty for signing an incorrect scorecard. It wasn't incorrect when she signed it!
Regardless, she handled it with aplomb; hope she can be even better going forward. US Women's golf needs some heroines/role models
PK, I received a new model Kindle for Christmas. The Kindle help line was very patient and worked with me to set it and navigate it. Good luck.
Had to get to the puzzle this afternoon since we have a new paper delivery person and s/he is bringing it REALLY late - so not before I go to work :( - miss my morning routine.
Nice Monday speed puzzle - even with a bit of crunch!
Thanks Argyle and Brock!
Congrats to Agnes - We don't have NYT here- but it does come in the KC and STL papers - so will see if I can track it down from a neighbor who subscribes- but he may only get it on Sundays.
Bill G:
What a wonderful experience after the disappointment of losing your wallet and Nook. Kudos to Robert and I, too, am pleased to know that you'll notify his employer. It's such a nice thing to do and not often remembered when we receive good service.
Our newspaper published the constructor's name so can't imagine why others didn't.
Good Evening, Argyle and friends. The Rain, Rain, Go Away was an appropriate theme for today. We had some very violent storms and tornados late last night/early this morning. The thunder and heavy rain kept me awake. When I finally got to sleep, I slept through my alarm and was almost late for work.
Fun puzzle, though.
YADDA, Yadda, Yadda, of course brought to mind the Seinfeld episode. I guess Yadda has spelling variations.
Scar also worked for the clue for SCAB, too. (Yes, I know the subtle difference.)
TALIA Shire is Francis Ford Coppola's sister.
My Dad recently adopted a HOUSE CAT. The cat is very friendly and follows him around the house.
In Louisiana, there are two kinds of LICENSES ~ a Real Identification card and a NOT REAL Identification. The latter cannot be used on airplanes or in federal buildings.
QOD: A tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. ~ Washington Irving (Apr. 3, 1783 ~ Nov. 28, 1859)
Hi All!
Well, between Brock and Agnes (Congrats!) we got a RAIN-out on opening-day :-)
Thanks Brock for a fun splash-in-the-puddles Monday. I found a little mud in the NW w/ AMOI xing SIEGES [WEES] and EMILE xing ELEGY [? - new to me].
Thanks Argyle for the musical inter-lude (and KERI almost nude!)*
WO: Hand up Ray O' Sun - 2cs in LICENSES.
ESPs: KERI, TALIA
Fav: FINE HOW DO YOU DO. Just a fun thing to say.
{} {nice, LOL FONDA her!; groan :-)}
Welcome back M.Defarge - sounds like you had a ton of fun.
Brock's by-line was printed under the grid in the Houston Chron. They seldom (ever?) mention Rich. The corner store carries the NYT so, given the heads up by C.C., I picked one up on the way home and solved in <10m. I liked it IM!
LOL links CED - wet feet gave me pause :-)
AINT nobody gonna link TUSK?
Cheers, -T
*I'm sure she had something on below PK. She's positioned so intimates don't show. The chair will recover regardless :-)
CanadianEh @ 11:38,
LOL at "grandma brain"!!!
Tony, re: Keri. Bet she didn't! Having personally done hands-on upholstering of five large pieces of furniture, I am extra sensitive to wanton staining. It ain't as easy as you might think. LOL!
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