Theme: Nationality Pun Fun - Five examples of mirth and merriment:
20A. Volleyball players in Dublin? : IRISH SETTERS. The setter in volleyball is the player who decides who gets the ball for the next shot
28A. Euros in Rome? : ITALIAN BREAD. Used to be Lira back in the good old days when you had to exchange currency about every five minutes when you were travelling in Europe. Imagine the chaos in the north-east if you had to go the currency exchange every time you crossed a state line.
37A. Airport inspectors in Beijing? : CHINESE CHECKERS. Do airport inspectors inspect the airport, or the passengers? I've been to Beijing airport, it is beautiful. (Well it was in 2008 ready for the Olympic Games!)
45A. Dance lessons in Madrid? : SPANISH STEPS. Piazza di Spagna at the bottom, Piazza Trinità dei Monti at the top.
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56A. Number cruncher in New Delhi? : INDIAN SUMMER. I laughed at the "SUMMER" part of the clue. We're having an LA summer right now, we're into triple digits.
Neat theme from David, I'm actually surprised it's not been done before. I had a fun five minutes trying to think of others, SWISS WATCH, RUSSIAN DOLL, AUSTRALIAN BIGHT, SWISS CHEESE seemed to have some mileage.
Typical Thursday cluing with misdirection and some of the less-obvious clues. 63 theme squares sometimes doesn't leave a lot of room for much fill, but the sixes and fives had some nice entries including HAIRDO and REBEC. Good job all round by Mr. Poole.
What else have we got? Let's see:
Across:
1. Draft day announcements : PICKS. "With the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select Tom Brady, Quarterback, Michigan." Who would have thought how that 's turned out?
6. In-tents experience? : CAMP. Nice wordplay in the clue.
10. Like some dental floss : WAXY. I use those little Christmas Tree brushes for the most part. Floss is fussy stuff to deal with.
14. End of __ : AN ERA
15. Jai __ : ALAI. Helluva dangerous game. The ball is hard as a rock and goes a bizillion miles an hour.
16. Wrapped up : OVER
17. Artifact : RELIC
18. Board member? : KING. Chessboard.
19. Unites : WEDS
23. New York's __ Island : STATEN. My first thought was Riker's Island for no good reason. Well two good reasons I suppose - it's an island, and it's in New York.
24. Sturgeon delicacy : ROE
25. Engineering sch. on the Hudson River : R.P.I. I know I'll never remember this. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Also known for schools of design and business management.
32. Deadly snake : ASP
35. White House signing ceremony memento : PEN
36. __ Trinket, "The Hunger Games" chaperone played by Elizabeth Banks : EFFIE. Thank you, crosses. Never seen the movies.
42. Cosmonaut Vladimir : TITOV. Four missions, and one where the Soyuz capsule was pulled clear of the rocket a few seconds before it exploded on the launch pad. They landed a couple of miles away. That's not messing around with the "pulling clear".
43. Partner of abet : AID
44. Most of Ariz. doesn't observe it : D.S.T. Hawaii doesn't either. Very sensible.
50. CIA predecessor : OSS
51. Drivers' org. : AAA
52. Phillies' div. : NL EAST
59. SALT subject : ICBM
62. Crab Key villain : DR NO. Bond, James Bond.
63. Mazda MX-5, familiarly : MIATA. Little sporty number.
64. Witty tweet, e.g. : QUIP
65. Novelist O'Brien : EDNA
66. Bunsen burner kin : ETNAS. Kin can be singular or plural. Can cause uncertainties.
67. Small ticks? : SECS
68. Travel aimlessly : ROAM
69. One of Franklin's two certainties : DEATH. I'm not sure which causes the most dread. Taxes, probably, they come around every year. At least you've only got to meet the Grim Reaper once.
Down:
1. Musée d'Orsay city : PARIS. I love this museum. A converted railway terminus, the glass roof is perfect for lighting the galleries.
2. Still : INERT
3. Salsa singer Cruz : CELIA. Thank you, crosses.
4. Spring 2008 "Dancing with the Stars" champion Yamaguchi : KRISTI. I've had a crush on her for years.
5. Potpourri pouch : SACHET
6. Wedding reception sight : CAKE
7. Hit the ground : ALIT. Hopefully gently. Alit - present or past tense. Can be tricky.
8. Hindu incantation : MANTRA
9. Word with carrier or passenger : PIGEON. The former is alive and kicking, the latter is now sadly extinct. I'm not pointing fingers or anything, but a species tends not to go from three billion or so to zero without humans having something to do with it (asteroid impacts excepted).
10. Floors : WOWS
11. Abbr. in many addresses : AVE.
12. Crossed (out) : X'ED
13. Jr. and sr. : YRS. High school and college.
21. Loses it : SNAPS
22. Lute-like instrument : REBEC. Here's one in action. I knew the sound, I certainly didn't know what made it.
25. Served seconds, say : RE-FED
26. Figure skating event : PAIRS
27. In other words, in other words : ID EST. Hello, Latin, my old friend. Great clue.
29. Novelist Harper : LEE. There was a BritPop band in the 90's called The Boo Radleys. I didn't know about the fictional character, I'd not read To Kill a Mockingbird at that point.
30. Quechua speakers : INCAS
31. He served as A.G. under his brother : R.F.K. I looked down the list of prior Attorneys General and couldn't see another brother A.G./POTUS combo. There were some candidates, from just looking at their names - Levi Lincoln, Augustus Hill Garland and Alonso Taft among them. There are a couple or more who belong in the "Great Names Hall of Fame", including Caesar Augustus Rodney and Philander Chase Knox.
32. "Don't __ innocent" : ACT SO
33. Port arrivals : SHIPS
34. Pockets for falafel : PITAS
38. Start to skid? : NON-
39. French spa : EVIAN
40. Strike : HIT
41. Utopias : EDENS
46. More melancholy : SADDER
47. Bob, for one : HAIRDO. Not "Builder" then?
48. Like peacocks : PLUMED. Because "Noisier than a jet fighter on a carrier deck" doesn't fit.
49. Many a Mideast native : SEMITE
53. Appliance maker since 1934 : AMANA. Began life as The Electrical Equipment Co. Amana is the Iowa town where they were founded.
54. Attack : SET AT
55. Vandalize : TRASH
56. Rascals : IMPS
57. Kendrick of "Pitch Perfect" : ANNA
58. "Syntactic Structures" author Chomsky : NOAM. He announced on Tuesday he's leaving MIT after 62 years for ASU; this should prompt Travelocity to feature him in their new ad campaign: "The Roaming Noam".
59. Nos. averaging 100 : IQ'S
60. What a shark strikes with : CUE. Nice clue. Shark in the pool hall hustler sense.
61. Wite-Out maker : BIC. I'd like to see today's production quantities vs. 20 years ago. I'm guessing around 10%.
That should do it for the day. Here's the grid:
Steve
Note from C.C.:
Garlic Gal, JD and Chickie had a get-together yesterday. Here is a selfie JD took. Or is it USIE? They used to meet every month.
20A. Volleyball players in Dublin? : IRISH SETTERS. The setter in volleyball is the player who decides who gets the ball for the next shot
28A. Euros in Rome? : ITALIAN BREAD. Used to be Lira back in the good old days when you had to exchange currency about every five minutes when you were travelling in Europe. Imagine the chaos in the north-east if you had to go the currency exchange every time you crossed a state line.
37A. Airport inspectors in Beijing? : CHINESE CHECKERS. Do airport inspectors inspect the airport, or the passengers? I've been to Beijing airport, it is beautiful. (Well it was in 2008 ready for the Olympic Games!)
45A. Dance lessons in Madrid? : SPANISH STEPS. Piazza di Spagna at the bottom, Piazza Trinità dei Monti at the top.
56A. Number cruncher in New Delhi? : INDIAN SUMMER. I laughed at the "SUMMER" part of the clue. We're having an LA summer right now, we're into triple digits.
Neat theme from David, I'm actually surprised it's not been done before. I had a fun five minutes trying to think of others, SWISS WATCH, RUSSIAN DOLL, AUSTRALIAN BIGHT, SWISS CHEESE seemed to have some mileage.
Typical Thursday cluing with misdirection and some of the less-obvious clues. 63 theme squares sometimes doesn't leave a lot of room for much fill, but the sixes and fives had some nice entries including HAIRDO and REBEC. Good job all round by Mr. Poole.
What else have we got? Let's see:
Across:
1. Draft day announcements : PICKS. "With the 199th pick of the 2000 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select Tom Brady, Quarterback, Michigan." Who would have thought how that 's turned out?
6. In-tents experience? : CAMP. Nice wordplay in the clue.
10. Like some dental floss : WAXY. I use those little Christmas Tree brushes for the most part. Floss is fussy stuff to deal with.
14. End of __ : AN ERA
15. Jai __ : ALAI. Helluva dangerous game. The ball is hard as a rock and goes a bizillion miles an hour.
16. Wrapped up : OVER
17. Artifact : RELIC
18. Board member? : KING. Chessboard.
19. Unites : WEDS
23. New York's __ Island : STATEN. My first thought was Riker's Island for no good reason. Well two good reasons I suppose - it's an island, and it's in New York.
24. Sturgeon delicacy : ROE
25. Engineering sch. on the Hudson River : R.P.I. I know I'll never remember this. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Also known for schools of design and business management.
32. Deadly snake : ASP
35. White House signing ceremony memento : PEN
36. __ Trinket, "The Hunger Games" chaperone played by Elizabeth Banks : EFFIE. Thank you, crosses. Never seen the movies.
42. Cosmonaut Vladimir : TITOV. Four missions, and one where the Soyuz capsule was pulled clear of the rocket a few seconds before it exploded on the launch pad. They landed a couple of miles away. That's not messing around with the "pulling clear".
43. Partner of abet : AID
44. Most of Ariz. doesn't observe it : D.S.T. Hawaii doesn't either. Very sensible.
50. CIA predecessor : OSS
51. Drivers' org. : AAA
52. Phillies' div. : NL EAST
59. SALT subject : ICBM
62. Crab Key villain : DR NO. Bond, James Bond.
63. Mazda MX-5, familiarly : MIATA. Little sporty number.
64. Witty tweet, e.g. : QUIP
65. Novelist O'Brien : EDNA
66. Bunsen burner kin : ETNAS. Kin can be singular or plural. Can cause uncertainties.
67. Small ticks? : SECS
68. Travel aimlessly : ROAM
69. One of Franklin's two certainties : DEATH. I'm not sure which causes the most dread. Taxes, probably, they come around every year. At least you've only got to meet the Grim Reaper once.
Down:
1. Musée d'Orsay city : PARIS. I love this museum. A converted railway terminus, the glass roof is perfect for lighting the galleries.
2. Still : INERT
3. Salsa singer Cruz : CELIA. Thank you, crosses.
4. Spring 2008 "Dancing with the Stars" champion Yamaguchi : KRISTI. I've had a crush on her for years.
5. Potpourri pouch : SACHET
6. Wedding reception sight : CAKE
7. Hit the ground : ALIT. Hopefully gently. Alit - present or past tense. Can be tricky.
8. Hindu incantation : MANTRA
9. Word with carrier or passenger : PIGEON. The former is alive and kicking, the latter is now sadly extinct. I'm not pointing fingers or anything, but a species tends not to go from three billion or so to zero without humans having something to do with it (asteroid impacts excepted).
10. Floors : WOWS
11. Abbr. in many addresses : AVE.
12. Crossed (out) : X'ED
13. Jr. and sr. : YRS. High school and college.
21. Loses it : SNAPS
22. Lute-like instrument : REBEC. Here's one in action. I knew the sound, I certainly didn't know what made it.
25. Served seconds, say : RE-FED
26. Figure skating event : PAIRS
27. In other words, in other words : ID EST. Hello, Latin, my old friend. Great clue.
29. Novelist Harper : LEE. There was a BritPop band in the 90's called The Boo Radleys. I didn't know about the fictional character, I'd not read To Kill a Mockingbird at that point.
30. Quechua speakers : INCAS
31. He served as A.G. under his brother : R.F.K. I looked down the list of prior Attorneys General and couldn't see another brother A.G./POTUS combo. There were some candidates, from just looking at their names - Levi Lincoln, Augustus Hill Garland and Alonso Taft among them. There are a couple or more who belong in the "Great Names Hall of Fame", including Caesar Augustus Rodney and Philander Chase Knox.
32. "Don't __ innocent" : ACT SO
33. Port arrivals : SHIPS
34. Pockets for falafel : PITAS
38. Start to skid? : NON-
39. French spa : EVIAN
40. Strike : HIT
41. Utopias : EDENS
46. More melancholy : SADDER
47. Bob, for one : HAIRDO. Not "Builder" then?
48. Like peacocks : PLUMED. Because "Noisier than a jet fighter on a carrier deck" doesn't fit.
49. Many a Mideast native : SEMITE
53. Appliance maker since 1934 : AMANA. Began life as The Electrical Equipment Co. Amana is the Iowa town where they were founded.
54. Attack : SET AT
55. Vandalize : TRASH
56. Rascals : IMPS
57. Kendrick of "Pitch Perfect" : ANNA
58. "Syntactic Structures" author Chomsky : NOAM. He announced on Tuesday he's leaving MIT after 62 years for ASU; this should prompt Travelocity to feature him in their new ad campaign: "The Roaming Noam".
59. Nos. averaging 100 : IQ'S
60. What a shark strikes with : CUE. Nice clue. Shark in the pool hall hustler sense.
61. Wite-Out maker : BIC. I'd like to see today's production quantities vs. 20 years ago. I'm guessing around 10%.
That should do it for the day. Here's the grid:
Steve
Garlic Gal, JD and Chickie had a get-together yesterday. Here is a selfie JD took. Or is it USIE? They used to meet every month.
Garlic Gal, JD and Chickie (Leah)
44 comments:
Greetings!
Thanks to David and Steve!
Great, fast puzzle and cool them!
No problems!
Dentist at 3 today.
Hope to see you all tomorrow!
DNF¡ Center-E was my bete noire¡ REBEC and EFFIE were total unknowns, I couldn't remember if it was REI or RTI (it was RPI), and missing two crosses, ❐A❐RS was insufficient for a word I didn't know in that context¡
An old lute-like instrument known as a REBEC
Was prized by Richard as an IRISH RELIC!
And to strum it a lot,
Like a blue-painted Scot,
Dick invariably picks Pict's PICKS!
Stan LEE was KING of Marvel Comic's men.
Claimed he kept a PLUMED PEACOCK in a PEN.
If at a con he was asked
Where he kept the bird stashed,
He'd draw a PIGEON (on paper) from his BIC pen!
Romance hangs OVER the city of PARIS!
The City of Lights, none other to compare is!
Love must take a lead in
That newly-WED'S EDEN!
No singles allowed -- only a PAIR is!
{B+, B-, B.}
Hi All!
Thanks David for a Punny-Phun puzzle to while away the night river-watchman's time. Cute Countrymen (and women) theme clueing. I struggled a bit but, hey, 'tis Thursday (it is Thursday, right? This week's been a blur).
I started writing this b/f Steve posted and corrected my REBoC @22d. Crap, I FIW. No clue re: Hunger Games either.
Thanks Steve for the witty exposé. LOL'd with your QUIPs multiple times. 15a was just the 1st and, Travelocity NOAM, creme de la creme.
WO: PGA b/f AAA - I thought David was being double-cute w/ "Drivers'"
ESPs: ALAI (again), KIRSTI, ID EST (2 days in a row!), O, er E, -FFIE, and ANNA.
Fav: NOAM Chomsky. His work on language is the basis for computer code expression. Fun fact - I studied NOAM in Computer Science and DW studied his work in English. We were both surprised upon learning we were learning from the same dude.
JD - I meant to say the other day... When you see Garlic Gal, say hi from us!
Thought of D-O at Wite-Out.
{A-, A,A}
More Lego EDDIE Izzard. Cake or DEATH (and taxes).
Or, would you prefer learning of the beautifully PLUMED Norwegian Blue [Python]
Cheers, -T
A very easy puzzle for a Thursday with an obvious National theme. The theme answers were guessable which made the few unknowns easy to fill. But my carelessness with the pen blew it on a WAG, misspelling REBEC as REBAC, guessing AFFIE Trinket ( never seen the show). I vaguely remember the instrument.
TITOV (unknown) and all the early cosmo & astronauts were brave and crazy, sitting on their large ICBMs. I liked the CUE clue.
Wite-Out (by BIC), I never bought it but I do remember Liquid Paper ( bought by Gillette), which was invented my Michael Nesmith's mother. Remember him? Hey, hey, he's a MONKEE!
WAXED (never heard it called WAXY) floss is the only kind I used because the non-WAXY floss always breaks in the same spot between the same two teeth.
Good morning everyone.
Two CSO's today; RPI and IMP.
Enjoyed David's puzzle. The theme fill made most of the rest easy. Had to pause in the SW until I got QUIP, and the rest sorted itself out.
SPANISH STEPS - We have trod them.
STATEN Island - Holdover from the Dutch colony days. Named after the Dutch Parliament - the Staten-Generaal.
Good Morning,
I have been unable to spend time here as my 12 year-old grandson was here from Dallas for a week, which was grand fun. His first solo trip. Then I moved directly into Gramma fills in for school/work conflict dates. Busy. Busy. And I ain't gettin' any younger.
I have had all of you in Harvey's unending path on my mind. My visits to the Corner have been lurking trips to check up on everyone. I am feeling pretty helpless. Soooo. . . . Yesterday my cousin and I went to an over-the-road CDL guy she knew who sent a semi of bottled water to Flint, MI. They were sending water and other essentials, like TP, bleach and such non-food items. So we headed to Costco and bought a boatload of stuff. She has some GIANT Ford vehicle she calls a car. I'd say truck! She and I loaded this stuff into the "vehicle" looking like the couple of old ladies we are. Some younger folks came by and helped us when we told them what we were doing. It's contagious, really. When we arrived at the trucking site, we were very grateful there were young volunteers to offload our stuff. It's not much really, but I hope it helps. I'll be checking for other places here trying to help from afar. Being unable to do much feels so frustrating.
I'm glad to know most of you seem to be safe. D-O? Good thoughts an lots of prayers are headed your way. I know that once the media fanfare dies down, the real work begins.
xo, Janice
P.S. Anon -T, I did wonder why you were only picking up a few bottles of wine at Spec's. I figured that made you the world's greatest optimist. ;-)
Good morning all!
Fun theme and smooth sailing for a Thursday. Thanks, David!
Thanks, Steve for your wonderful, witty review. I laughed at the "Christmas Tree brushes" i.e. floss. I can't use them as my teeth are too tight. I prefer the silky floss picks- they don't break as easily and I don't have to touch the used floss (yuck)
Your "ROAMing NOAM" comment was a hoot!
Unknowns/perps: RPI, TITOV, EDNA, ETNAS, REBEC and CECELIA ( i have a great niece named CeCELIA. We call her C.C. 😊)
The last passenger PIGEON (named Martha) in captivity died at the Cincinnati Zoo. There's is a Memorial there for her.
Favorite was CHINESECHECKERS- my Mom is the champ in our family. I've never been able to beat her :)
PITAS- reminds me of Albus. He has three beds (that dog is not spoiled) - one in our bedroom, a super cushy one in the living room bought when he had his back problems and a tiny one that gets moved around. That one belonged to our little 7 pound dog we had before Albus. I never could bring myself to throw it away and Albus loves it. He's too big for it and will squeeze himself inside of it looking like a taco or as we like to call it "the puppy pita pocket" ;)
LEE- YR, I've been meaning to tell you that I'm reading her book "Go Set A Watchman" after you recommended I give it a try. I was averse to it after reading some reviews that said it painted Atticus in a bad light. I'm almost finished with it and am thoroughly enjoying it. I did re-read "To Kill a Mockingbird" before "Watchman" because I hadn't read it in about 30 years and I was reminded of why it has always been a favorite. It's a shame she never wrote any other novels.
Continued well wishes for those affected by Harvey. Has anyone heard from DO?
Lucina- glad you are feeling better!
Have a wonderful day everyone :)
Madame Defarge- I just read your post and it brought a smile to my face and made my heart happy. What a wonderful, generous act of kindness from you and your friend!
Musings
-A thorough speed run with four names as speed bumps in bottom center
-There were two IRISH SETTERS in this historic game when Northern Ireland played this team from the Republic of Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day 2014
-John Elway famously refused to play for Baltimore after he was the number one PICK
-Riker’s Island TV destination
-D.S.T. delays July 4th shows until after 10 pm
-This wedding CAKE tradition seems stupid beyond belief
-Columbus, NE’s ST’s run E/W and AVE’s run N/S. It is possible to live on the corner of 17th St. and 17th AVE. Huh?
-“Don’t ACT SO innocent” One Jr. boy was harassing another boy near the computer cart Tuesday. When I called him on it, I got the biggest “I wasn’t doing anything” look you can imagine.
-SHIPS having trouble getting into port
-The inventor of Wite-Out and her Monkee son
-Love the picture ladies. Didn’t we have “wefie” here recently?
Good day to all!
I caught on to the punny international theme right away, so the theme answers practically filled themselves in. It was all the unknown names that slowed me down. The most challenging was the south-central area. EDNA O'Brien , ANNA Kendrick, and DR. NO (as clued) were complete unknowns, but luckily I remembered NOAM Chomsky so I was able to fill in the area with WAGs. Other unknowns were CELIA Cruz and EFFIE Trinket. Favorite clue/answer was "What a shark strikes with" for CUE. Thanks for the fun-filled expo, Steve.
Lucina--Glad to hear you are doing better. Take care
Keeping those affected by Harvey in my thoughts. Please continue to check in.
Enjoy the day!
Hi Y'all! I liked the theme answers, thanks, David. I found them easy to get with a few perps filled, except for B & D in BREAD. ID EST two days in a row ? And I couldn't remember it already? Hand up for not knowing REBEC or EFFIE and REFED was too unusual. Oh well, red-letters filled B&D.
Steve, great expo. The Roaming NOAM made me laugh out loud.
I wondered the other day whatever happened to Garlic Gal. She hasn't posted for quite a while.
Gary: I happened to be sitting in the balcony at the Kansas House of Representatives the day or so after John Elway was drafted for the NFL. (My kid was a page there.) Some Rep. from Elway's home district stood up and gave a speech celebrating this but not giving much info. The whole House stood up and cheered and gave him an honor. I'm sitting there like a dummy, asking the stranger next to me, "Who is John Elway?" He just looked at me in non-belief and didn't tell me. I finally had to ask my Rep. when I met him for lunch. Got the same look from him, but good friend that he was, he explained.
How's the weather in NOLA today? I'm assuming the weather isn't too bad or Big Easy would mention it.
Some Kansans set out dragging their boats yesterday bound for flooded Texas. I hope they get there in time to do some good.
Made it through with some wags. Too many proper names for my taste. I prefer wordplay to trivia. REBEC was new to me.
Good Morning:
I just loved, loved this theme! And I claim two CSO's: Irish and RPI. Spitz gets the real RPI CSO, though, and Imp, as well! I thought the cluing was especially creative and my only nit is Refed; that just made my nose twitch. Rebec and Titov were unknowns but perps were solid. The SE corner was the last to fall but once I got Quips, everything fell into place nicely.
Thank you, David, for a very enjoyable Thursday exercise and thank you, Steve, for the snazzy summary. However, I am shocked, shocked I say, that you didn't come up with French Toast as one of your examples! 🍾
Madame Defarge, nice to see you back. That was a very caring effort that you and your friend made. Every contribution is welcome and appreciated, I'm sure.
BunnyM, just love the "puppy pita pocket."
Nice picture of the "California Coven." Visit more often, Garlic Gal and Chickie.
Hope everyone is safe, sound and dry. Hope we hear from DO soon!
Have a great day.
Thanks, David, for a fun Thursday. FIW due to EFFIE, but loved the theme. Thanks, Steve, for a great write-up as well!
Still doing fine, and trying to help out neighbors by making dinner for them. Most of those west of us 2-3 doors down have flooded out. It's heartbreaking! At least 24 houses in this section of our subdivision. Many other friends also flooded. Will continue to help where we can.
PK, the storm has passed us by! We have some rain in the forecast, but we have rain almost every afternoon in late summer. It should be no problem. Just scattered showers. And all the schools and businesses are open.
The puzzle was a delight for me. I loved the theme answers. Alas, a DNF because of the proper names I never heard of. Steve, your wit increases! Thanks, all.
Owen, both A's. !!
Owen....ALL A's......don't know why I said both. Don't worry about which two I liked. LOL
The Providence Journal acquired the L.A. Times Crosswords about a month ago. We were going through some "bad times" with puzzles. Wayne Robert Williams’ sickness prevented the constructor to construct his puzzles. He passed on April 25th of this year. The puzzles were, for the most part, easy. The themes – simple. Sometimes there were too many obscure entries and occasionally an error. He was prodigious, though! (just in case you want to see his obit: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170425/wayne-robert-williams-former-providence-journal-crossword-puzzle-author-has-diedesterday's paper?,)
Then the paper went through the "bad times." Most were terribly easy constructions; either without themes or, they were puzzles one could finish in, "the time it took to drink your coffee." And, it seemed, from the letters to the editor, that was what most Rhode Islanders wanted! I had two of my puzzles published by the TIMES some years back, and I begged the entertainment editor to carry the LA TIMES. And they put the puzzle in. The backlash was instantaneous: the editor told me he got angry letters, close to death threats to put an easier puzzle in its place. Finally, they settled the dilemma by putting in both the easy five-minute puzzle and the LA TIMES.
What a relief! Wonderfully inventive puzzles and each one fresh.
Today's puzzle? Yes, a relatively easy one. Wasn’t a CAKE walk because, EFFIE, ID EST, and RPI almost caused a DNF for me. Then, I remembered ID EST; it was in an earlier puzzle. Yesterday’s? It pulled me out of the trap.
I liked the theme and CHINESE CHECKERS and INDIAN SUMMER, even if they weren’t perfectly politically correct. In fact, SEMITE is probably mildly offensive, in some trivial way, if one confused it with “anti-Semite.” But we shouldn’t ACT SO OVER sensitive. Then again, maybe we should – I know I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a Trump rant.
This week seemed to follow last week's progression of easier-than-usual puzzles. Even Saturday's was not hard. That's all right. I drank my coffee and now I can write in the blog.
Rick Papazian
A Fleming deciding on whether to propose - - Belgian Waffle.
A Helsinki home builder - Finnish Carpenter
A military slacker from Stockholm - Swedish Meatball
This was a giggle-fest from start to finish AIDed and abetted by Steve's further QUIPS! Thank you, David Poole and Steve!
I loved the national puns! May I add "one seeking favors" Indian Curry.
As for others, EFFIE was unknown. The SW gave me fits until QUIP came to mind then CUE. Oh, pool shark. I have also trod upon the SPANISH STEPS and I love the music of CELIA Cruz.
d-o, wherever you are, I hope you're safe.
JD, thank you for the photo. Greetings to you, Garlic Gal and Chickie.
Madame Defarge, what a wonderfully generous thing to do!
Have a lovely day, everyone!
Well, I found this puzzle a little tough, but it is a Thursday already, and I did get most of it. But, like others, didn't know REBEC or EFFIE, so goofed on that, and I also ran into a problem in the tiny southwest corner because I didn't get ICBM. But, not bad, all around, and the theme was a total delight--many thanks for that, David. Also fun write-up as always, Steve--thanks to you too.
What good help you and your friend provided, Madame Degargue. People are going to need help for a long time, aren't they? And glad you're still okay, Peg.
Am off to see a play called "A Night with Janis Joplin" at the Laguna Playhouse this afternoon. Hope I survive the intense heat from car to playhouse without getting scorched.
And nice to hear your crossword story, David.
Have a good day, everyone.
Ta- DA!
Thanks to Mr. Poole for a pleasant morning and a pzl theme that actually helped in the solving!
Hm. Thursdays seem to be getting as easy as Mondays used to be. Anyway, I had a speed run to start, sliding through my preferred NW to SE diagonal w/o a hiccup or hitch. The rest seemed distinguished by a few odd clues but nothing that WAGs and perps couldn't handle.
The only one I got but didn't "get" was 13D - "Jr. and sr." - which I thought referred to the male filial relationship. YRS didn't make sense until I entered Steve's domain and got set straight. I am also appreciative of the REBEC demo. To learn the word and then see/hear it in action made for a fine learning moment.
Just re-read Misty's posting @12:30 and saw the contrast between our rating of today's pzl, me finding it easy and she less so.
Well, I'm sure this has happened in reverse any number of times, but let me comment on the SW corner that held her up. Many's the time I've had the same experience. Aren't we all familiar with it? I mean, where we need one short answer to crack a nest of other short answers?
That little corner serves as an emblem of sectors that could be filled by six or eight arbitrary answers - all depending on one solid fill to get us started. In today's example, I was lucky that I remembered ICBM. Without that, I doubt any number of WAGS or perps could complete that corner. This underscores for me that of our three solving tools, memory will always be the prime mover.
(Misty, I hope you enjoy the LP show. Please let us know how it is. I was always a great fan of JJ - Me and Bobby McGee.)
A fun puzzle. I laughed out loud at how INDIAN SUMMER was clued. The E crossing REBEC and EFFIE was a guess, but EFFIE seemed more like a real name than AFFIE, IFFIE, OFFIE, or UFFIE. A long-time very good friend of mine was nicknamed Trinket, even though her actual name is Barbara. My niece lives with a man whom everyone calls EFFIE, which he prefers since his initials are F.E. I learned REBEC but I'm not sure how long I'll remember it. I also learned, thanks to Spitzboov, where STATEN Island got its name. ANERA sounds like a disease.
Steve, I agree with Swamp Cat that your wit increases! Thanks for a terrific write-up.
Madame Defarge, thanks for your generosity.
Good wishes to you all.
The very definition of "crunchy" at least for me. 18A could refer to the checkerboard as well (king me).
No issues, well clued and constructed, amusing punnage.
Many thanks for the supportive analysis, Ol'Man Keith. And I'll be sure to let you know how the Janis Joplin play turns out.
Fun puzzle, and fun expos, Steve. I, too, chuckled of your use of "Christmas Tree brushes." KING was perped - couldn't get my brain of a corporate board - duh!
SwampCat (FLN), thank you for your kind words - they make me feel better, after posting that tirade which I've since regretted. There were interviews with two Houstonians rescued and now in shelters. They are former Katrina evacuees. Teared up when they described the horrible flashbacks from their experiences then - the fear, chaos, confusion, not knowing how they were going to get to safety, the re-routed, hours-long bus trips, finally ending up at the Houston Dome, separated from family and friends, and no way of reaching them. I still remember those chaotic scenes from 12 years ago and what they must have gone through, arriving at 2AM at the Dome, and are now going through again with Harvey, almost 12 years to the day. Almost 1600 lives lost in LA alone, so no comparison to Harvey. Also, Houston shelters are a "mere" helicopter rescue or Cajun Navy rescue away rather than hours-long bus rides.
Helicopters: Last four days, windows have rattled with the intense noise of big-a-- copters - larger than HPD's ?? - since my neighborhood thankfully wasn't flooded. My neighbor (whose co-worker's husband is in the Coast Guard) explained that the middle school campus across the street from my house is the staging ground for the transfer of volunteer copter pilots into the still-flooded metro Houston areas.
Hope D-O will report in soon.
TxMs I think we have all been guilty of a tirade or two! No worries! It has been hard on everyone.
If anyone hears from D-O please let us know.
I just went back to listen to the REBEC. Thank you, Steve, for posting it. REBEC isn't exactly a memorable or catchy name, but the sound is pleasant and might help me recall it next time.
The V-8 can smack when CUE became apparent that a "Pool Shark" strikes with almost knocked me out.
Did enjoy the country themes.
Cheers!
This seemed Tuesday or Wednesday easy, but a big DNF for me. I always read the newspaper over breakfast at the coffee shop and then solve the puzzle. If I read too many interesting articles, I do not have time to finish the puzzle. Today I left a small section blank to finish at home. Immediately upon returning home today I read the blog because I can hardly wait to see what interesting thoughts the main blogger of the day and you Cornerites have to contribute. Drat! I forgot to finish.
The strangest, most unfamiliar word was EFFIE, but perpable. Rebec and Staten Island were gimmes.
Jayce, my favorite fill was Indian Summer.
BTW we have had a rainy and comparatively cool summer. I love it. But in the past few years we have had hotter than normal summers. This year in late August our lawns are still green, while in places farther west there has been drought and record heat. And now there are record hurricanes in TX and LA. So many people equate local current conditions with climate change, but that is actually the definition of weather. They should be thinking globally of longer term averages, which is what climate means.
My nephew in Houston is safe for now. His work place is not open,the store shelves are bare and not replenished, but his family and home is safe. They have been so fortunate. He is out here helping his neighbors.
We are having the siding and insulation ripped off our condo's exterior and replaced. We are having the windows removed and reinstalled with better insulation and waterproofing. We home owners needed to move everything 4 feet from the windows. In our small rooms that is cramped. My household is "at sixes and sevens" as my mom would say, "Humpty Dumpty" as my DIL would say, discombobulated, a big disorganized mess. For a person like me who can uncap a bottle of vinegar, measure some out and not be able to find the cap 10 seconds later, I am at sea. We should be back to normal on the inside by tomorrow, when I will be washing clothing and packing for our next vacation. The older I get the more the mess bothers me. The outside renovation will take two more weeks. I have not met one home owner who approves of the siding color choice, a blah dark beige, imposed by our elected board. In my church we took a consensus when we painted. This top down decree is really my only major complaint with our our condo ass(n) in my 26 yeats here. The renovations are needed and going well.
What Lucina said, Steve, thank you. Loved the link and hear that renaissance music in commercials starting in October and running through November for the Texas Renaissance Festival held on 55 acres north of Houston. Don't know how much damage/flooding that area received though.
Interesting opinion article I read this a.m. about UH geology professor, Shuhab Khan, who has been studying the subsidence in Houston. It only mentioned three communities, all within Houston city limits: "Spring Branch has sunk 4 feet since 1975, Jersey Village 2 feet since 1995, and Greenspoint almost 2 feet in the last 10 years. ... due to the increased development in those areas, with the continued reliance on using groundwater, the removal of which causes land to sink." That coupled with four feet of rain in some areas, no wonder "Houston, we have a problem."
YR:
My sympathies to you on your travails with the condo renovations. We recently had the outside walls repainted and replaced the old, red tiles with newer flat ones. It gives the whole complex a fresher look. However, unlike your association, we asked for votes on the colors. A large cardboard was striped with the HOA's four choices and then the community voted. Also, several types and colors of tiles were laid out and a vote was held for those, too. It seems autocratic to not have the community participate in choosing. I hope you will be happy with the final result.
TXMs:
That sounds like serious sinking!
TXMS: Very interesting about the sinking problem. When I lived near Houston, we went to visit a sulphur mine. The most memorable thing to me 50 yrs. later was the sunken areas where the sulphur had been removed. I wonder if removing oil does the same thing or is oil deep enough it doesn't?
SwampCat: thanks for the weather report. My granddaughter's birthday is today. Even if classes aren't being held, she must be getting a good education on some things.
PK. Happy granddaughter' s. Birthday! Surely there is such a celebration, don't you agree? Hehehehe. 🎉🎶🎂
Figuring NOAM Chomsky's spelling was the key to the South Central. Bob fooled me for awhile. The REBEC,EFFIE,REFED trifecta was a beaut.
But, five long crosses which were easy to figure out made it un-crunchy.
Thx Steve. Owen, how many picks can a pied pict pick?
As I once commented, Betsy casually mentioned that she knew Bobby McGee way back when, in Michigan. Didn't consider it a big deal.
It'll be interesting if the singer can recapture the Joplin rasp.
Are the puzzles getting easier? Just when I thought I was getting better at solving.
WC
PK, another problem that developers have caused is building large exurb (beyond suburban) communities (that are now under water even tonight, Cinco Ranch for one, to the west of HOU), taking up large acreages that were once rice fields and wildlife-friendly marshes. The rain has nowhere to go now except into gullies which feed into creeks which feed into bayous. That is why Houston area housing is cheaper than other high-density cities which have none of Houston's Wild West mentality ...the farther out you go, you can find an affordable newly constructed home.
As far as the oil drilling thing, I'll leave that up to the Cornerite experts, but all the articles I've read lately have been questioning fracking - sorry Tony. Ouch! in anticipation .... :-)
SwampCat, oops, sounds like I'm on my soapbox again! After three consecutive years of devastating flooding here (which so far I've escaped), it's been a pet peeve of mine for some time. So no regrets on posting this time.
Anon-T, I've forwarded Chron's email to your google account if you're still not getting the paper.
Still not heard from D-O in response to my two previous emails. I do hope they are ok, and just experiencing power or internet problems. If that is the case, I look forward to D-O's "interesting commentary!"
Good Evening, Steve and friends. This was a fun and seemingly easy Thursday puzzle. Late to the puzzle as we have been without power and internet for the past 36 hours. Apparently, a tree fell and knocked out three electric poles. Still getting lots of rain, but it stopped for much of the day and began again an hour ago. No flooding, though. We've been worried about our Houston and Texas friends. Glad so see some have reported here.
CHINESE CHECKERS was my Rosetta stone for the rest of the theme answers. We are headed to Beijing later this fall, so I'll let you know about the "check".
I misread the clue for Ariz. doesn't observe it, as Ariz. doesn't deserve it. I wondered what Arizona to receive such a harsh statement!
Fun seeing EDNA next to ETNA and the same letters used for PARIS and PAIRS.
Last time we were in London, we went to WAXY's Little Sister.
QOD: It’s good medicine to go to a concert hall and forget the harshness of what’s going on. It can be a very positive thing. ~ Itzhak Perlman (b. Aug. 31, 1945)
Rant on, Tx Ms! I know something of Houston's exerbs. And we have the same dynamic here where more and more swamp land is drained for "development".
Years ago when our lakefront area was drained for million dollar mansions my daddy said, "it's a swamp. It will always be a swamp." Everyone laughed at him.
Then Katrina hit. That lakefront area was hardest hit.
Im not against progress and development . People are always more important to me than theories. All big cities need housing. But Mother Nature has a way of reclaiming her own. We just cope!!
Hahtoolah, I also read the clue as "Ariz doesn't deserve it". That seemed really nasty!! Perps filled it in and I was humbled.
Sonia - I got a paper today! (Thanks TxMs for the email). And the mail was delivered and Mr. Torres showed to do the lawn (that was unexpected; his house is OK too!). The feeling of Normalcy starts to return.
BunnyM. OMG! That is so kind. Many here will appreciate your gesture over the next few weeks. May I speak for fall in the greater Houston Area, Thank You.
Now we have to turn attention to Beaumont. Beaumont's water is OFF (pumps are off-line and chemical plants are at risk of fire). What's sad is they have fewer resources than Houston to deal with this kind of disaster. They need help too and, if you need enlightened self-interest, the longer they're down the higher goes your gas prices. [~15% of US gas is refined between Beaumont & Port Arthur.]
PK - Ironically, there's not a lot of oil production in Houston proper. West Texas is where the oil is; Houston's where the money is. Mostly, it's what TxMs said - wild-west development and slurping from the aquifers to support it.
TxMs - No admonishment here. Fracking carries risk and if those risks are not managed correctly and work not done well, yeah, it can really mess up the environment (even to the point of earthquakes?). I like to think the guys signing my check are doing right [if I thought otherwise, I'd leave].
SwampCat - Your story of the lake houses; This is your fault... Swamp Castle [first 48s] :-)
Cheers, -T
Hahtoolah, how ironic to have your electricity off just when the storm seems to be over. Thanks for the weather report. When the cajun navy rushed to Texas, I was hoping they wouldn't have to rush home.
TXMS: rant on. I'm sure you need to get that out of your system. Hope some of the powers-hat-be feel the urgency to make some major things better after the disaster.
SwampCat & Tony: My son's family lives in a suburb Oklahoma City which does have oil wells pumping. Fracking earthquakes are a common occurrence. But the state-owned wells mean they have no income taxes and college is paid for if you are smart.
My sister used to live in Sausalito in a house hung on the side of a hill with 42 outdoor steps from the garage down to the house. Many years ago they had a lot of rain and mudslides which brought down a house above and slightly to the side of my sis's place. Missed sis's house but killed the lady who lived in that house and rode it down. Later an old timer said the slide site was once a stream bed. It's not nice to fool with mother nature.
Fun and creative theme!
REBEC/EFFIE Natick seemed quite unfair. Same for ANNA/EDNA. But I did WAG all correctly to FIR.
NOAM Chomsky was one of my professors. Very wise and surprisingly accessible for someone so famous. Quite a surprise to learn he is taking a position at the University of Arizona! I get there every two years for a conference, so maybe I can see him there again!
I loved visiting the SPANISH STEPS in Rome. Europe is full of such public gathering places where people just hang out. The closest thing we have are malls. Just not the same.
Interesting learning moment from Big Easy that Liquid Paper was invented by Michael Nesmith's mother. Big Easy: I recommend Glide floss. Much more pleasant than WAXY to avoid stuck and/or broken floss.
Learning moment about TITOV who I had not heard of.
Hand up for having a crush on KRISTI Yamaguchi.
CELIA another unknown. First thought of ELLIS Island before STATEN Island, but wrong number of letters.
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