Theme: None
Words: 70 (missing J,Q,X,Z)
Blocks: 30
Mr.
Agard is on a roll with another Saturday puzzle, three months running
now. I was able to move through this one pretty smoothly, with just a couple of
hang-ups, and yes, I decided to cheat and red-letter once to see if I
was off-base - and I was. Oh well. A friendly-looking grid, though I did
not see the two 15-letter climbers in the DOWN, and yet they filled in
via perpendiculars, despite the fact that I had never heard of either
answer. We also had a stagger-step of triple 13-letter answers in the
center:
3d. Nonprofit that won a 2007 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy : REACH OUT AND READ - their website awards page
3d. Nonprofit that won a 2007 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy : REACH OUT AND READ - their website awards page
31a. False pretenses : MOUNTEBANKERY - from the Italian, meaning "mounted on a bench", where charlatans would hock phony medicines - according to the M-W site
35a. They win audiences over bit by bit : STAND-UP COMICS - bits, that's punny....
37a. Denzel Washington's directorial debut : ANTWONE FISHER - The Wiki
11d. First black U.S. Congresswoman : SHIRLEY CHISHOLM - her Wiki - and a Congresswoman from New York, no less
35a. They win audiences over bit by bit : STAND-UP COMICS - bits, that's punny....
37a. Denzel Washington's directorial debut : ANTWONE FISHER - The Wiki
11d. First black U.S. Congresswoman : SHIRLEY CHISHOLM - her Wiki - and a Congresswoman from New York, no less
9-irON WARD~!
ACROSS:
1. Veal __ : PARM - argh~! I was not thinking of an abbr. Got us a rhyming start;
5. Seal : SHUT
9. Actress Thompson of "Creed" : TESSA - I only know of actresses Leah and Emma
14. "Gotcha" : "I SEE." - At first I thought we had a "!" in the clue, so I was looking for something like "A-ha" at first
15. Posh "Peace!" : "TA-TA~!" - My buddy Mike always signs off with "Peace"
16. One remaining : OTHER
17. Israeli foreign minister during the Six-Day War : EBAN
18. It began in 2010 with the Tunisian Revolution : ARAB SPRING - good WAG with half the letters filled in via perps
20. Legendary Shawnee leader : TECUMSEH - also filled in after half perps
22. __ Rico : PUERTO - my first Across fill
23. Suffix suggesting wiggle room : -ISH - I am good for saying things like "I made a birdie(ish)" - because I might have taken two extra swings from the tee....yesterday I hit three pins - twice with my pitching wedge, once with the putter from the fringe. No -ish.
24. Uncertain utterances : UHS....
25. School squad goal? : PEP
26. English __ : LIT - another acceptable abbr.
27. Greek walkways : STOAS - remembered it once I had the two "S"s
29. Spy-fi employer : CIA
30. Boggy biomes : FENS
39. Gigging group : BAND
41. Shakespearean interjections : AYS - there's the rub~!
42. Company with "It's what you do" ads : GEICO
43. Briefs brand : BVD
44. Woolf's "__ Dalloway" : MRS. and a semi-clecho with; 47a. 44-Across, in Andalusia : SRA
45. Pit stuff : TAR
48. __ beef : CORNED
50. Separated seed from : THRESHED
52. Epic salvo of social media missives : TWEET STORM - I do not Facebook, Tweet, or Instagram - but I am addicted to Pinterest
54. What you might pass, but can't fail, in school : NOTE - cute
55. Hair extension : WEAVE
56. Instrument often made of African blackwood : OBOE - really good WAG, and a great change of cluing for a crossword staple
57. Spread on the table : OLEO
58. More bizarre : ODDER
59. Watched carefully : EYED
60. Iraq War concerns, for short : WMDS - dah~!! Weapons of Mass Destruction~? I tried I.E.D.s
DOWN:
1. Old doctrinal Lutheran movement : PIETISM
2. Mineral involved in much litigation : ASBESTOS - always a concern as a home inspector - and any time you see 9"x9" floor tiles, assume they have asbestos in them
4. List with sides : MENU
5. Illicit collection, perhaps : STASH
6. Some bounders : HARES - because ROOS would not fit
7. Where I-15 and I-80 meet : UTAH - great guess on my part - but then again, a western four-letter state~? (figuring it was not a city)
8. Where charges are entered at the bar : TAB
9. Refill : TOP UP
10. Tours to be? : ÊTRE - Tours, the Frawnche city
12. Submitted : SENT IN
13. Specialized idioms : ARGOTS
19. Discuss : SPEAK OF
21. Forbidding contraction : MUSTN'T
25. __-nez glasses : PINCE
28. Vishy __, World Chess Champion before Carlsen : ANAND - only had to guess the "N"
29. Crunch and others? : CAP'Ns
30. Bichon __ : FRISE - cute dog breed; knew it, but not sure how to spell it
32. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" director : EDWARDS - again, perps
33. Lifts up : BUOYS
34. Expatriate : ÉMIGRÉ
36. Hidden away : SECRETED - I have 35 boards on Pinterest, and some of them are "secret"
38. Bus meets, e.g. : ROADEOS - new word for me, but it makes sense
39. "The Great British Bake Off" airer, initially : BBC TWO - the B, B, and C filled in early, and then it was a matter one "ONE" or "TWO"
40. Declared : AVOWED
44. One fed on the street : METER - clever
45. Sharp pang : THROE
46. Fortified : ARMED - I'm trying to come up with a clever name for my board game, and Fortified was one of the words I was pondering - any suggestions....?
49. Campbell of the "Scream" franchise : NEVE
50. Belch in "Twelfth Night" : TOBY - perps
51. Word with bank or board : SNOW - until I changed my IEDs, this was not coming to me
53. It may be jammed : TOE -there's two ways to interpret this....
5. Seal : SHUT
9. Actress Thompson of "Creed" : TESSA - I only know of actresses Leah and Emma
14. "Gotcha" : "I SEE." - At first I thought we had a "!" in the clue, so I was looking for something like "A-ha" at first
15. Posh "Peace!" : "TA-TA~!" - My buddy Mike always signs off with "Peace"
16. One remaining : OTHER
17. Israeli foreign minister during the Six-Day War : EBAN
18. It began in 2010 with the Tunisian Revolution : ARAB SPRING - good WAG with half the letters filled in via perps
20. Legendary Shawnee leader : TECUMSEH - also filled in after half perps
22. __ Rico : PUERTO - my first Across fill
23. Suffix suggesting wiggle room : -ISH - I am good for saying things like "I made a birdie(ish)" - because I might have taken two extra swings from the tee....yesterday I hit three pins - twice with my pitching wedge, once with the putter from the fringe. No -ish.
25. School squad goal? : PEP
26. English __ : LIT - another acceptable abbr.
27. Greek walkways : STOAS - remembered it once I had the two "S"s
29. Spy-fi employer : CIA
30. Boggy biomes : FENS
39. Gigging group : BAND
41. Shakespearean interjections : AYS - there's the rub~!
42. Company with "It's what you do" ads : GEICO
The camels, Europe and medieval bosses are my favorites
44. Woolf's "__ Dalloway" : MRS. and a semi-clecho with; 47a. 44-Across, in Andalusia : SRA
45. Pit stuff : TAR
48. __ beef : CORNED
50. Separated seed from : THRESHED
52. Epic salvo of social media missives : TWEET STORM - I do not Facebook, Tweet, or Instagram - but I am addicted to Pinterest
54. What you might pass, but can't fail, in school : NOTE - cute
55. Hair extension : WEAVE
56. Instrument often made of African blackwood : OBOE - really good WAG, and a great change of cluing for a crossword staple
57. Spread on the table : OLEO
58. More bizarre : ODDER
60. Iraq War concerns, for short : WMDS - dah~!! Weapons of Mass Destruction~? I tried I.E.D.s
DOWN:
1. Old doctrinal Lutheran movement : PIETISM
2. Mineral involved in much litigation : ASBESTOS - always a concern as a home inspector - and any time you see 9"x9" floor tiles, assume they have asbestos in them
4. List with sides : MENU
5. Illicit collection, perhaps : STASH
6. Some bounders : HARES - because ROOS would not fit
7. Where I-15 and I-80 meet : UTAH - great guess on my part - but then again, a western four-letter state~? (figuring it was not a city)
9. Refill : TOP UP
10. Tours to be? : ÊTRE - Tours, the Frawnche city
12. Submitted : SENT IN
13. Specialized idioms : ARGOTS
19. Discuss : SPEAK OF
21. Forbidding contraction : MUSTN'T
25. __-nez glasses : PINCE
28. Vishy __, World Chess Champion before Carlsen : ANAND - only had to guess the "N"
29. Crunch and others? : CAP'Ns
32. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" director : EDWARDS - again, perps
33. Lifts up : BUOYS
34. Expatriate : ÉMIGRÉ
36. Hidden away : SECRETED - I have 35 boards on Pinterest, and some of them are "secret"
38. Bus meets, e.g. : ROADEOS - new word for me, but it makes sense
39. "The Great British Bake Off" airer, initially : BBC TWO - the B, B, and C filled in early, and then it was a matter one "ONE" or "TWO"
40. Declared : AVOWED
44. One fed on the street : METER - clever
45. Sharp pang : THROE
46. Fortified : ARMED - I'm trying to come up with a clever name for my board game, and Fortified was one of the words I was pondering - any suggestions....?
49. Campbell of the "Scream" franchise : NEVE
50. Belch in "Twelfth Night" : TOBY - perps
51. Word with bank or board : SNOW - until I changed my IEDs, this was not coming to me
53. It may be jammed : TOE -there's two ways to interpret this....
Splynter
DNF¡ Even if I had, I had 3 misspellings scattered around. A.TW.NEFIzHER I could not parse¡ Even when red letters and a vowel run filled it in to ANTWONEFISHER it made no sense¡ BUoyS just wouldn't come to mind, and Shakespearean interjections could have been almost anything¡
ReplyDelete{C+, C, A-.}
He got himself a smart-phone, in place of his TV.
He got it with a gizmo that holds it up so he can see.
He reads super-hero capers,
Manga, and the funny papers, --
His cell-ophonic prop lets STAND-UP COMICS be hands-free!
It's nice when I SEE young folks full of vim and PEP,
Facing towards the future with each advancing step!
But it seems the new norm
Is of texting in a TWEET STORM,
Is a MENU to be EYED, as Real Life they don't accept!
TOBY won at poker, but the MRS. MUSTN'T know!
He had to STASH his winnings where he knew she wouldn't go!
He SECRETED it, to beat her,
Just behind the water METER.
But the meter reader came that day, and walked off with his dough!
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteReally struggled at Mountebankery, flat out never heard of that before, but perps insisted. It didn't help having the odd spelling of Antwone right next door (and unknown).
Morning, Splynter, I see you know about BBC One and Two, from a simpler time. I kind of miss the days of just three broadcast television networks here at home, except for that matter of poor reception...
WikWak from yesterday: I'm with you. I hope Cruciverb finds its footing soon, that LA Times puzzle portal really stinks.
Good morning, Y'all! Wow! what a lot of specific knowledge expected in this puzzle! Thanks, Erik, for thinking we were all smart enough to getcha. Thanks, Splynter, for another valiant effort.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'd read across the top three lines, doing both crosses and downs, I had only TAB, so I googled SHIRLEY. I could see her face in my mind, but no name.
TECUMSEH was a gimmee (since there is a town named for him in Shawnee County) and I kept filling from there with little skips and hops and WAGs.
NC bloc last to fill. I knew where I-80 was but was trying to think of a city where I-15 crossed. Been there. Provo didn't fit. When I finished the rest and looked back up at the H, UTAH jumped right in. Seal = SHUT? Posh peace = TATA? Okay, if you say so...
Read gigging with an "L" in there. Giggling? Girls doesn't fit.
Knew ANTWONE FISHER but tried "oine" first.
Heard of MOUNTEBANK but never with ERY. PIETISM? must have been loooong ago too.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteDNF! Was left with ANA_D and BU___S and couldn't come up with anything that made sense. I had to come here to find out. "Antwone" was an unknown for me. Ya got me, Erik.
Toe jam at breakfast time?
TWEETSTORM reminded me of the Chief Twit. At breakfast time?
Splynter, there was also a SADA Thompson. That's the one who came to mind.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Some easy long fill and then MOUNTEBANKERY took a lot of aid
-George Carlin is the only STAND UP COMIC who has made me laugh until it hurt
-How the Shawnee leader is remembered in Nebraska
-Let’s see, there’s Pavarotti, Domingo and the OTHER guy
-I always say I’ll be home by “10ISH” for my literal wife
-FENS and spinnies (1:27)
-I never embarrassed any student who was reading or writing a NOTE. I just quietly told them to put it away
-I-80 goes near ERIE, PA. Hey, four letters and a northern highway in a cwd…
-If I just SENT IN 15¢ and a the word Kix, I could see real atoms split
-Breakfast At Tiffany’s is among the worst movies I have ever seen
-Parallel parking at a Bus ROADEO. Wanna try?
Shakespeare mentions MOUNTEBANKs in Hamlet and Othello, but not the ERY
ReplyDeleteGood morning all!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great workout from Erik! I started out slow but bit by bit, it came together. Loved all the long spanners, fresh clues and fills.
Thanks, Splynter for a fun Saturday expo. Those Geico commercials are some of the best ever made, IMO. The Tarzan one and the Mom calling her son ("The squirrels are back...") are my favorites. Thanks for the link- there were a couple I hadn't seen.
Like Splynter, I had IEDS/WMDS which really threw me off for awhile. Not knowing ROADEOS (learning moment) made the SW my last fill. I remembered SHILREYCHISHOLM once a few of the letters were filled, so that helped me to finally figure it all out.
Perps: ARABSPRING, MOUNTEBANKERY, PIETISM, REACHOUTANDREAD, TESSA and TOBY
Favorite clever clues were for METER, PEP and NOTE. My one and only detention in HS was for writing a note in class. The teacher gave me the choice of reading it out loud in front of everyone or going to detention. Since it was a note to my now DH (my high school sweetheart) I took the punishment. So kudos to you Husker Gary for not embarrassing your students :)
BICHONFRISE- as kids, my brother and I were sure it was pronounced "Bye-Con Fries".
TOPUP- seems odd to me , as we alwa say "top off" around here for a refill.
TWEETSTORM- yep, desper-otto: the "tweeter in chief" has been at it again this a.m. Ten tweets so far, which may be a new record.
Splynter- I do FB and twitter but not instagram. Some Pinterest. I do like to play with Snapchat- it's fun to be goofy with my nephew and daughters. Today there is an adorable bunny "filter" so I've been sending them goofy snaps from "Bunny with bunny ears" Silly stuff but we get a kick out of it.
Busy weekend ahead! I usually don't get a chance to post on Sunday and I know tomorrow will be no different. Going to a painting class with my Mom, sister and daughters tomorrow and lunch after- can't wait to spend the day with all of my "girls"!
Have a great weekend everyone :)
That should have said "the SE corner was my last fill" not SW. Apparently I'm directionally challenged this morning ;)
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGot much of the NW early on, and then filled in much of the S. Rest of it involved many but well chosen WAGS. Tried to think of all the 'bankery' phrases I knew (0), and then settled for red letter help with MOUNTE-. Not having heard of PIETISM didn't help either.
Splynter, you did a good job as always, and I have high regard for your continual Sat. morning solving mastery.
Great puzzle in many ways - lots of fresh fill here. Liked seeing TECUMSEH, THRESHED, ARGOTS, THROE, and ROADEO. Clues arranged so as to draw more out of you (via WAGS) than you think you have. ANTWONE FISHER, NEVE, and TESSA came totally from perps.
Have a great day.
This went along very well for a Saturday until I was stuck in the middle. ANTWONE? Never heard of it. I actually I had it, but erased it as improbable. I filled in a wobbly N, knowing that ANAND is a name, but I missed the OY in BUOYS. Two bad cells. I was looking for a consonant instead of the O in BUOYS and didn't think of the Y in AYS.
ReplyDeleteShirley Chisholm is a heroine of mine.
I thought of SADA before TESSA, too.
Thanks for the origin of MOUNTEBANKERY, Splynter. Only needed -NKERY to get it.
Decades ago studying to be a DRE I learned PIETISM . It took a while to recall. So did the spelling of TECUMSEH.
As a waitress I was asked to TOP UP and TOP OFF customers' drinks. Personally I would top off my coffee and top up my gas.
Great blog, Splynter.
The NW was way above my pay scale and the puzzle was DOA, as I have NEVER heard of the following: REACH OUT AND READ, MOUNTEBANKERY, PIETISM, Vishy ANAND, PINCE-nez glasses, or ANTWONE FISHER. I luckily wagged and perped TESSA,NEVE, TOBY, FRISE, and TWEETSTORM (I knew the dog but not the spelling but the other four were unknowns).
ReplyDeleteI had FISHER filled by perps, figured MUSTN'T ( which I did not fill) would end in NT, had CAPNS and filled ANTOINE FISHER- guessed the correct name but I do know how to spell and ANTWONE "ain't gittin' it"
SEQUOIAH or SEQUOYAH would fit 20A but I knew he was a Cherokee and TECUMSAH was a name I was familiar with but only through their small 'Injuns', I mean engines. ( I couldn't resist that one). JEEP has the 'Cherokee' and Toyota has the 'Sequoia'.
PEACE- TA TA- I remember Dan Rather signing off with PEACE.
My GAS UP eventually became TOP UP ( always heard Top OFF). RENO (wrong) changed to UTAH.
hey y'all, tough one this week - thanks to everyone who attempted it, and apologies to anyone who had a bad time with it!
ReplyDeleteHi everybody. I did better than usual on this Saturday challenge. I had trouble right at the start in the upper-left. VEAL ???? Isn't PARM short for Parmesan? Why isn't there a hint that the answer is shortened or an abbreviation?
ReplyDeleteI've heard of MOUNTEBANK but not MOUNTEBANKERY.
Husker Gary, Fens & Spinnies was hilarious!
ReplyDeleteKix atomic ring! Fascinating! Had to look further
and was surprised to find out how dangerous it was. (see beginning at 3:40)
I know it's a Saturday but veal parm? No abbreviation. Ditto English __ lit. LEES, mountbankery did me in.
ReplyDeleteGood day to all!
ReplyDeleteLots of clever cluing today. Favorites were "List with sides" for MENU and "What you might pass, but can't fail, in school" for NOTE. However, I needed a lot of Google help to finish. Eight complete unknowns and four I'd heard of but didn't remember at the moment. Thanks for today's entertainment, Erik, and thank you Splynter for the thorough expo and links. Funny Geico ads!
Enjoy the day!
Thanks, Eric, for a tough one this morning. Took way too long, but FIR with a WAG at MOUNTEBANKERY. But I love a challenge!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Splynter for the write-up. Loved the golf comic! Mulligans, yeah!
Anon @ 11:00 and Bill,
ReplyDeleteI see that PARM and LIT as used in this xword are entries in the dictionary these days, listed as informal, not shortened. I believe this is because they are so commonly used. We say, “We had veal parm for dinner tonight,” more frequently than saying, “veal Parmesan.”
Kiddie Lit is a category on Jeopardy.
I thought about this when I filled them in, but decided it is Jake, even though Spellcheck comes up red.
From the dictionary:
Parm- a dish cooked or served with Parmesan cheese
Lit- Informal, Literature, especially as an academic subject
Thank you, Erik for an interesting puzzle.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteI got off to an OK start and became delusional [0:04] that I'd get far. Big Fat DNF even after 3 lookups. Thanks Erik for another "learning day." I like the grid, but couldn't get enough of a foot-hold in any area (and I thought "ARAB SPRING" was going to BUOY me) to even WAG. Thanks too for stopping in; no need for apologies, 'Tis a Saturday.
I filled PARM, ISEE, and MENU w/o much thought. I was SHUT out of the center-north; got PEURTO and then had to lookup TESSA (not TISHA) to confirm TOP UP [Yes, Bunny M, TOP OFF is more familiar - xwords learned me UP]. English LIT was 1st thought as DW professes it.
However, the SW is my only blemish-free complete area b/f Googles. Nailed TWEET STORM [thought Twitter Storm 1st]. BAND and BBC were gimmies. And I love CORNED beef on toast. Or, as any vet will tell you "s*** on a shingle."
I did know PIETISM; wanted PIETIST at 1st but clue said "movement." After finishing the SW, I went with REACH???AND READ [I wanted up, not OUT].
NSA went in b/f CIA never did. - 33% right! Fogs was my WAG @ 30a; 50% bad.
Pass but not fail? Fill is not lunch (who fails lunch?). In HS I'd pass on lunch and do my homework, soon due in afternoon classes, in the library. NOTE - no one noticed.
Hand up - IEDS and I stuck with it even after Googling for Sheila Jackson LEE's* spelling and then found SHIRLEY. By then [2+ hours!] I was done with Erik's exercise. Splynter, Help!
Thanks for the expo Splynter. I liked the GEICO [nailed it!] commercials and the balloon girl looks photo-shopped but cool.
{B-, B-, A- [lose the second use of METER IMHO]}
HG - I love Carlin's humour and delivery. Of course, many bits are too much to post here. How about Robin Williams for the STAND UP COMIC link.
Tawnya - did you read/want Bi*chin' Camaro @30d? Just me? :-)
Cheers, -T
*Eldest sang (and was recorded) for some event she hosted and DW has worked with her on International Honors. UH, I'll not SPEAK OF my impression of SJL per blog rules.
Learned something today, instead of saying "Peace" to someone, I can just say "Tata" as they both mean the same thing.
ReplyDeleteSure they do.
People like this puzzle, fine, but I object to clues that aren't clues.
Terrific puzzle; I loved it. Somehow I managed to solve the whole thing without using red letters or looking anything up, which enhanced my pleasure. I love clever clues such as the ones for MENU, NOTE, PEP, and METER. The clue for ETRE had me misled for a long time. I enjoyed learning new things, such as TESSA Thompson, PIETISM, and the beginning of the ARAB SPRING. I was able to get some footholds because I knew Bichon FRISE, PINCE-nez, NEVE Campbell, PUERTO Rico, and some others. Knowing SHIRLEY CHISHOLM really helped a lot. Many times I can see a person's face in my mind's eye but not easily remember his or her name, but for some reason Ms. Chisholm's name came to me quickly.
ReplyDeleteRIP, John Heard.
Best wishes to you all.
Mountebunkery....cmon ! and shut for seal and tata for peace are stretches beyond the ken. Northeast and northcentral were doomed. plus I had DYAN as my first fill. Not only wrong but misspelled. Still it was a better than average Saturday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteFavorite fill was Tecumseh who captured my home town and was a major villain in sixth grade Michigan history. How dare he try to create a nation in the Northwest Territory ?? The reality was and still is "oppose superior technology at your peril". Although technology without logistics loses as well. Native Americans had no chance inferior technology and poor logistics!
second fav was Shirley Chisolm. I'm with Yellowrock. She is a hero of the late 20th century that doesn't get enough credit. Plus the long fill gave me the entire east coast.
Ta- DAH!
ReplyDeleteEasy-Peasy for a Sat'y pzl! I credit Mr. Agard with clever cluing, from "Tours to be" at 10D (ETRE) to "What you might pass..." at 54A (NOTE) - and many others in between.
I hadn't heard of the movie ANTWONE FISHER, so its unusual spelling of the first name had me stumped for a while.
The full length fill at 3D eluded me too while I was imagining it as SEE SHOOT AND READ - until (thank the dark recesses of my ol' walnut!) I saw it made no sense at all! The perp that set me straight was the "Legendary Shawnee leader" at 20A. I don't know much about native American history, but I do know the actor who used to star as TECUMSEH in the outdoor pageant drama in Ohio.
Splynter, thanks for posting all those GEICO commercials! They really hit my funny bone. I would never have caught them on TV, what with all the taping & whizzing through ads we do these days, but here I didn't mind streaming them all. What a hoot. I loved the in-yer-face screech of the "scapegoat."
Following up on the moaning & groaning I did here last week when I wasn't able to solve the Friday or Saturday pzls, I note for the record that my victories this week (today's and yesterday's) were entirely free of any look-ups, Googles, or any sort of cheating.
ReplyDeleteI state this not to resume my old manner of braggadocio, but to acknowledge that the cruciverbalist gods may be fickle but they are fair.
It is not so much that we are brilliant, or that our steady play earns us a degree of skill that deserves continual triumphs, but the chance of victory lies in how well the maker's knowledge matches our own. There are bound to be mismatches down the road. Best to retain a degree of humility in today's win.
Just as with Solitaire, you cannot know at the start if you're doomed to a DNF.
Officially a DNF but it is Saturday. Thanks for the fun Erik and Splynter.
ReplyDeleteThe central area remained unfinished because I did not know MOUNTBANKERY, ANAND or ANTWONE , and could not see the Y in BOUYS. But it sounds like others had the same problems.
I was surprised that my Canadian brain dredged up Ms. CHISHOLM. Perps filled in most of REACH OUT and READ and I wagged the rest correctly. Perps gave me ROADEO but I am only familiar with the rodeo with cows and horses.
Favourite (spelled with a U for AnonT!) clue was for MENU. Second favourite was clue for METER (even if it is not spelled the Canadian/ British way). This Canadian says TOP UP (never OFF).
I noted a slight dupe with Top UP and StandUP Comic as well as clue of "lifts UP" for BOUYS. I suspect that UP is too small to count as a dupe. (Or impossible to avoid.)
Have a great day.
Ol'Man Keith @3:06 - I agree that in solving CWs the "chance of victory lies in how well the maker's knowledge matches our own". Perps can be helpful but if there are too many unknowns then it becomes a learning experience involving Google or this blog. Some days, this Canadian does not know some American brands or politicians which can slow down the solve also. It is all part of the challenge and enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteCanadianEh, don't feel bad about not knowing US stuff. Today I can't tell you who your prime minister is for sure. I have finally got so I know your provinces and where they are located. I've been in the western three. You've been instrumental in educating me in some Canadian things. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteI could think of a better clue for TATA but women aren't at peace with guys who mention that.
Gary, what I can't figure is why Nebraska would name a prison for TECUMSEH. I thought he was a later western plains Indian until today when I realized I didn't know much more than his name as a revered chief. His biography says he died in 1813 but became a literary figure after that. Didn't come any further west than what became Michigan. Busy man.
I emailed my son today, thinking I might get together with them this weekend. Nope. They'd just checked into the Ritz Carlton on St. Thomas, Virgin Island. I knew they were going but thought it was in Aug.
Hello all!
ReplyDeleteSo this was a toughie for me, but I embraced the challenge. The last three Saturday's were easy (like way below average time, no alphabet runs, no google needed) so I started today in Master mode. After one pass through across and downs, turned on the red letters. Then I started googling. And did a few mental alphabet runs. Finally got my "tada" - and learned a whole lot. Pretty sure I made every mistake as everyone else, and a few more. However! This is what I would expect for a Saturday and I appreciate the challenge to up my game. So thank you, Erik - and keep the toughies coming.
I used to work with a veterinarian that laughingly pronounced it "B*tchin' Frizzy" LOL. They are very cute little white dogs and I think one of IM's favorites...
@Anon-T - classic DM song!! A few years ago, DH was t-boned (he was fine) and we were given the option of a rental Hyundai or a convertible Camero - naturally I told the Enterprise agent, "Of course we want the B*tchin' Camero!" Pretty sure it went over her head, but we giggled about it for a long time...
Tecumseh reminded me of Steak and Shake's Takhomasak motto. Greasy burgers and frozen fries, but their shakes are amazing.
I hadn't seen at least half of those Geico commercials - the goat one had me LMAO. Hysterical!!
Happy Saturday all <3
t.
For What it's Worth:
ReplyDeleteI never heard of MOUNTEBANKERY either, but it makes sense and it's really fun to say and hear. Even Webster's acknowledges it, but I'd go with it even if that were not the case.
A word like this is when a crossword excels, right? Good for Mr. Agard for digging it up!
PK - Of all folk at the Corner, I'd expect you know know a hottie like Justin Trudeau (no Cajun x). METRE for METRE, he's head & shoulders above....
ReplyDeleteTawnya - I thought you'd like the classic. I'm sure 1/2 the Cornerites never heard of DM. Funny story re: the rental.
PVX - It's a Sat. Look, constructors [I've done a couple and had a pro guiding me] need be double-devious with clueing (and it could be Rich's fault too!) to mess with our heads on Sat. I'm totally not Sat-worthy but I play and enjoy. I can see (with two-steps removed) TATA == Cheers == Peace, Mate. No, I didn't get the fill - maybe if Roo(o?)s/Toads/Frogs wasn't my idea of 'hoppers,' I'd have.
Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteAfter roughly ten minutes, I said the heck with this, went outside and started mowing the lawn. Got half of it done, came back inside and watched the British Open. Lawn will be finished tomorrow AM. See you all on Monday.
PK - yes we all learn so much from each other here. That is part of the fun of the blog.
ReplyDeleteI have been waiting for more Canadians to join me as I am sure there must be some lurking.
AnonT - yes Justin has been a pleasant surprise as we thought his lack of political experience might be a problem. He is not perfect but I think most Canadians resonate with his inclusiveness. Certainly there have been comparisons with your counterpart!
We shall see what happens with the NAFTA negotiations. Is that even getting any press in the US?
I got MOUNTEBANKERY while driving and that gave me BUOYS. Splynter gave me ReachoutandREAD. I had FIND.
ReplyDeleteSo simple. bbcTWO. And I didn't know ANTWONE just FISHER. I could have cheated and drank some real coffee. Or slept on it. But I wanted to read Splynter's write-up.
I never could have sussed NEVE. I also had CORDED beef.
Anon-T, I've been enjoying your "Anatomy of a Solve" postings. Also, you had a line *If you like me" then I saw the ,
Let's see if Sunday can go a little smoother.
Erik, thanks for dropping in. A very typical Saturday.
WC
WC - OK, are you Uber, Lift, or Certified medallion... Inquiring minds. For the record, I enjoy reading you even if I don't know who pitched in '67's greatest game ever {I just made that up, 'cuz I donno either}
ReplyDeleteC, Eh! - I've been pondering on how to respond to your NAFTA question without getting too political [per blog rules].
Yes, the renegotiation has received some press for those not glued to the TV "news" channels SNARFing ad revenue on the Russia story. The latter is so sensationalized that CNN has taken over The Batchelor, or whatever, on home's TV. Sure, there's something there but, com'on, give time a chance to tell you 24/7 media (I.e. Don't just spin your wheels for ratings! --- Oh, right, "It's what you do")
As far as NAFTA goes, from what I've gleaned, TX beef herders are against re-negotiating as are most auto-makers and anyone with a business bigger than $1/3MM USD. Can we do something about the sore-point with British Columbian Pinewood dumping*(?), maybe, but why? Boy Scout LADS need that pine for the derby :-)
I see the NAFTA renegotiations traveling the same road that the ACA "reform" just careened down. For the most part, NAFTA works OK and brings all our interests closer economically. Hell, Mexico just opened up for the US to help get oil out of their bit of the Gulf.
As for the politics - I have optimism that we in the US, will get our s*** together. I think it was Churchill that said something about Americans trying every wrong option before doing the right thing.
Cheers, -T
*That's the only "sore point" with Canada I've read/heard anyone mention in print / NPR. "Sore" points with Mexico just seems to be cheap labor for which we just opened extra 15K H-2B visas for. Wrap your head around that.
PK, It is called Tecumseh Prison because it was located in Tecumseh, Nebraska. Fremont had the option of having that prison but the city declined.
ReplyDeleteA rare case where I FIR after a lot of work and felt no sense of completion or satisfaction. WEES about MOUNTEBANKERY and ANTWONE FISHER. Those giant blobs of unfamiliarity in the middle just felt wrong and inconclusive.
ReplyDeleteNot knowing EDWARDS or ANAND meant the perps were not solid.
Likewise TATA for peace made no sense to me. Except maybe in Hawaiian or Hebrew where the word for peace and a greeting are the same. Never saw this in English.
Learning moment about TECUMSEH. Only knew this as Sherman's middle name.
Never heard of "gigging" but I can see it makes sense.
I once got to meet black congress member Barbara Jordan and thought she was the first. But then I remembered as a child that SHIRLEY CHISHOLM ran for president. Does anyone else remember that?
Hand up for IEDS before WMDS. And DYAN before EBAN. Hand up for trying to think of a city before UTAH.
Other unknowns: AYS, TOBY, ROADEOS, NEVE, REACH OUT AND READ
I will admit that the clues for MENU and ETRE were clever and caused me long pause. But I have to say this puzzle left a bad taste overall.