google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday August 3rd 2017 Samuel A. Donaldson

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Aug 3, 2017

Thursday August 3rd 2017 Samuel A. Donaldson

Theme: Read all about it! Four famous newspaper end names can be found in the circles:

The theme entries "break" a name into two pieces. Let's go around the globe with examples:

20A. Forest canines : TIMBERWOLVES - That's a gimme example for me, but certainly not a gimme entry.

The Times, London's original broadsheet,which has been published under that name since January 1, 1788. It was deemed the UK's "Paper of Record". I had a letter published in The Times in around 1981 when you still had to pen, ink, stamp and post.  I wish I still had the evidence. The Letters Editor reserved a spot at the end of the page for "quirky" letters that didn't address the major issues of the day but were deemed worthy of mild interest. Hand Up for "mild interest".

29A. "Yankee" entrée : POT ROAST

Can we get apple pie to go with that? Then we've got a Yankee Doodle Dandy. Stick around for Paul Robeson. Not a bad soundtrack for this crossword. The Washington Post is the first name to mind for me.

37A. "Good heavens!" : GLORY BE! I wasn't sure. It worked out fine eventually/

Boston. If you write anything bad about (in order) the Celtics, the Bruins or the (I think third) New England Patriots you might be in trouble. Great sports writing.

46A. Diver's weapon : SPEAR GUN. HAND HELD TORPEDO didn't fit. LIMPET MINE also. Eventually, sanity prevailed. Baltimore. Chicago also had a shout at this, but the Sun-Times rather messed it up in the naming stakes. A great paper!

53A. Developing story, and what this puzzle's circles illustrate : BREAKING NEWS

Great newspapers all. 

Thanks to all the journalist who every day help us understand the day. And thanks to all who syndicate the LA Times Crossword!

What a fun ride here. I started out with swathes of white squares and slowly things started to make sense. I got the SW corner first, I filled in the reveal and suddenly I saw SUN at 46A. Five minutes later with a Sahara of while squares in the NW the TIMES hint got me there.

Great job, Samuel, Print journalism is the primary source of my, and others, worldview. I'll leave it at that.

Across:

1. Promising location? : ALTAR

6. Omegas, to an electrician : OHMS

10. Best Actor winner for "Ray" : FOXX. I thought we were on to a pangram right here. Didn't help that I thought WILL Smith played the part.

14. "The Big Bang Theory" co-creator Chuck : LORRE. Crosses, I owe you dinner or a drink. The "L" was, in all honesty, a (considered WAG). See 1D for details.

15. Gusto : ZEAL

16. Tool for a landscaper : RAKE. 

17. Posh water : EVIAN. I think a lot of water brands have added to the posh pantheon.

18. Diva's number : ARIA

19. __ out a win : EKES

23. Island near Barbuda : ANTIGUA. Contributed to my ills in the NW. Perfectly fair.

24. Serve in the capacity of : ACT AS

28. Secretary of state before Shultz : HAIG. Head scratch and try to work your way backwards. The Veeps are tough enough for me.

32. Close on film : GLENN

34. Prefix with hertz : TERA. I had to look this up post-solve. I'm down in the IT world with tera, mega., kilo and all other stuff. Here's a frequency explanation that I would never have been able to deliver: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terahertz

35. Big name in vodka : SKYY. Handy YY for a crossword!

36. Allowed : LET

40. Slippery swimmer : EEL

41. 19th-century Arizona lawman : EARP

43. Sly as __ : A FOX

44. Die down : ABATE

48. Prohibitionists : DRYS

49. Sirius XM radio star : STERN. Shock Jock Howard. Certainly a polarizing individual. Either you think he moved talk radio forward, or he should never have been allowed close to a microphone.

50. Coming-down-with-something feeling : MALAISE

57. "Buzz off!" : SHOO

60. Square cereal : CHEX. Food! I think. Is Chex Mix in Gardetto's, or am I completely confusticating myself?

61. Wine list heading : ROSÉS. Dry, please.

62. Mani mate : PEDI Do you get a pedi without a mani? We should be told.

63. Ritz-Carlton competitor : OMNI

64. First name in cosmetics : ESTÉE. Probably Mme, but I"m just guessing.

65. Rink jump : AXEL

66. Vegas glower : NEON. Funny, I read the clue first as "Vegas unhappy face". Sulk, Lost, what else? Then I saw it

67. "The Tower" poet : YEATS. A snippet from the poem:


I have prepared my peace
With learned Italian things 
And the proud stones of Greece, 
Poet's imaginings 
And memories of love, 
Memories of the words of women, 
All those things whereof 
Man makes a superhuman 

Mirror-resembling dream.

Down:

1. Prince Valiant's wife : ALETA. WAG with the "L", but it made my success with the "L" in LORRE. Best Guess sometimes wins.

2. Like the singin' Spoonful : LOVIN' Another "Didn't you know" songs? Yes, so did.

3. Do some holiday decorating : TRIM THE TREE. How can this be so rare in a crossword? It is. Bravo.

4. Versatile horse : ARABIAN. I stared this down so long with ARAB in my mind and then finally ...

5. Weaseling out (on) : RENEGING

6. Longtime Boston Symphony maestro : OZAWA

7. Superman's favorite sandwich? : HERO

8. It may be registered : MAIL

9. Pole, e.g. : SLAV

10. Diego Rivera works : FRESCOS. Thank you, crosses.

11. Charter __: historic Hartford landmark : OAK. Why did I think LOG might work? I plead ignorance of the immigré. C.C. has this stuff down much better than me.

12. Jag to remember : XKE. Ah now! The E-Type. How can I not show this? A 1969 V12 Convertible in British Racing Green - sex on legs, I mean wheels:



13. Cancels (out) : XES

21. Throw __ : RUG

22. Bud holder? : EAR

25. Go out in the afternoon? : TAKE A SIESTA. There was some great down fill in this puzzle, this is one of them. These long fills really make a puzzle buzz.

26. To date : AS YET

27. Fashionista's concern : STYLE

29. Evita's married name : PERON

30. African antelope : ORYX

31. Diet Coke predecessor : TAB

32. "Cagney & Lacey" co-star : GLESS. Thank you, Mr. Earp for fixing my confident GLASS

33. Took off : LEAPT. Great clue/answer. When you see the past tense, you're always thinking "ED". It's this stuff that makes a crossword compiler/editor make you think twice

34. Food that has an extra-firm option : TOFU. Food! An ingredient in my Pad Thai. Hint: Even with extra-firm, cube the tofu then pour boiling water slowly over it in a sieve or a colander - it sounds counter-intuitive, but the water shower dehydrates the tofu - then when you fry it, it browns a lot better.

38. Hang back : LAG

39. Tea named for a nobleman : EARL GREY. It's a lovely, aromatic tea, flavored with Bergamot oil. My favorite is to take two parts of Assam and one of Earl Grey. That's a kick-ass wake-me-up tea with a soft side.

42. Precook, in a way : PARBOIL

45. Close way to win : BY A NOSE

47. Time away from the base, for short : R'N'R. Rest and Recuperation in the armed forces. I'm re-reading "A Bright Shining Lie" and "Chickenhawk" right now, so this didn't need much thought.

48. Stevens of "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) : DAN. Thank you, crosses!

50. Recipe phrase : MIX IN - A LOVIN' spoonful, a SWEET moment, and AH ME. The best dish.

51. Short partner? : SWEET

52. Mississippi foursome : ESSES

54. Macro or micro subj. : ECON.  I majored it Economics. I LOVED that subject. Not too many rules, it was a BA not a BSc. Tells you a lot. It's an art, not a science.

55. Wistful words : AH ME!

56. Numbers game : KENO

57. Cruise ship amenity : SPA

58. Bewitch : HEX

59. Dedicated piece : ODE. Especially Grecian Jugs. Next time, I'm coming back as a jug.

So - I'm listening to "Puff the Magic Dragon" because I left the YouTube feed running after posting the link to the Lovin' Spoonful song.

I'd love to share the earworm with you. I have to go to bed shortly so, all together:

Puff, the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea
and frolicked in the autumn mist
in a land call Honah Lee

Right then!

Grid? Here!

PS - I know you don't need to PS on a blog, but I wanted to add a journalist shout-out to Halberstam, Sheehan, Arnett and Galloway; Capra and Pyle - and many more. Nothing to do with the puzzle.

Steve

Note from C.C.:

Happy birthday to our beautiful Melissa B, creator of Adopt an Inmate project. Melissa inspire me every day with her strength and compassion. She's a quiet hero.
Left to Right: Melissa's daughter, Melissa's mom Barbara B, Melissa
 

52 comments:

  1. Greetings!

    Thanks to Sam and Steve!

    Nice puzzle. Very tired, but slogged through it in reasonable time.

    Unknowns were: ANTIGUA, YEATS, ALETA and DAN.

    Hope to see you all tomorrow!

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  2. {B-, C+.}

    She left him at the ALTAR, for all their friends to see!
    Their honeymoon to ANTIGUA would never put to sea!
    The ROSES faded over days
    The hubby felt a SWEET MALAISE,
    He'd escaped that shotgun wedding, GLORY BE!

    There are legends in the forest of how names came to be.
    A FOX is sly with money, so a silver fox is he!
    An antelope can cast a HEX
    With algebra, so he's ORYX!
    And Yuletide the TIMBER WOLVES will help to TRIM THE TREE!

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  3. Good morning!

    Yay! D-O got the theme! Thank you, SAD. Interesting that you included 4-letter words ending in OO, XX and YY. Abejo got his morning serving of EARL GREY. Thanx for the expo, Steve. CHEX are an integral ingredient of Nuts'n'Bolts -- the bolts are pretzels.

    ANTIGUA -- frequent destination on WOF. Pat Sajak needs a phonetic cue-card to remind him that the U isn't pronounced.

    Happy birthday, MB, and many more.

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  4. A very easy Thursday. Figured out the newspaper connection early on. Needed perps for Aleta

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  5. Like Steve, had to WAG the "L" in LORRE. Fresher clue than something related to the better-known Peter Lorre. Only one erasure today, mgeaHertz for TERAHertz. Another fresher clue.

    I once ate at a restaurant near Ashland, VA where the professionally-printed menu included three wines: "Red", "White" and "Rose-A". All were available by the "glass", "craft" and "half craft". That same weekend I ate at a breakfast joint near Myrtle Beach where the special of the day was "hog brain omelette". FOOD!

    The only Boston maestro I know is Arthur Fiedler.

    I was a big Howard Stern fan before he switched to Sirius. I didn't like him well enough to pay to hear him. The worst things Howard unleashed on the public are the nitwits that yell "Baba Booey" at golf tournaments. I bought a new car in 2013, and Sirius XM is still activated (but not Howard's channels). I've never paid a cent, and won't.

    If You Believe in Magic, expect me chime in tomorrow after completing the Friday grid.

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  6. Ooops! I just remembered - its "DO You Believe in Magic".

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  7. NW played a bit tough, but slogged through it.

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  8. Great puzzle, Sam. I soon noticed the newspaper names. Nice going, Steve.
    I remember Aleta because I know a woman by that name, the only Aleta I ever met.
    LORRE and FOXX were the only unfamiliar fill, gotten by perps and wags.
    Our classical station frequently plays music led by Sergio Ozawa.
    I saw yesterday's KESHA in today's news. She's not my type. Neither is Howard Stern.
    Hartford's Charter Oak was part of early American historical lore I learned in school and also in historical novels.
    "According to tradition, Connecticut's Royal Charter of 1662 was hidden within the hollow of the tree to thwart its confiscation by the English governor-general. The oak became a symbol of American independence and is commemorated on the Connecticut State Quarter."-Wikipedia
    I was in the hospital the day President Reagan was shot and saw the immediate aftermath on TV. There was a big to-do over Secretary of State, Haig's saying, "I am in control here," when he was not next in line.
    People on the east coast visit many of the Carribbean island vacation spots, like Antiqua.
    Happy birthday, Melissa.

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  9. What is so versatile about an ARABIAN horse? All they do is run.

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  10. Stumbled with IBEX before correcting to ORYX, an unknown to me.

    Even if you are not a fan of Howard Stern's sophomoric humor, you should tune-in to some of his interviews. His format allows him to spend significant time with his guests, and his research on their backgrounds is impressive.

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  11. Good morning all!

    Thanks to Samuel for a great Thursday puzzle. Like Steve, I enjoyed the long fills and appreciate the shout out to print journalism since I'm a big fan of newspapers. None are "failing" as a certain someone likes to proclaim. I'll leave it at that ;)

    Thanks, Steve for a fun tour of this BREAKINGNEWS theme. And there was some food! in there for you. Nice tip about the TOFU. I'm not a big fan, but in all fairness I haven't used it much.

    W/O's : had Mega/TERA, Keats/YEATS, So far/ASYET

    Perps: ALETA, OZAWA, ORYX, DAN and ECON. Also had never heard of the term DRYS for Prohibitionists but of course, makes total sense.

    Favorites were the clever clues for HERO, ALTAR, TAKE A SIESTA.

    Jinx- funny story about the wines. I feel the same about STERN. DH also had a free trial of Sirius after purchasing his car about a year and a half ago. After the trial ended, they hounded him relentlessly but he refused to purchase it. Then a few weeks ago he got a notice saying "here's a free three month subscription for purchasing a new vehicle" What? I think it's a ruse to try yet again to get him to buy it. He'll enjoy the one station he likes for the next two months then tell them (again) "No thanks"

    AnonT - per yesterday: yes, I was living in Cincy when the tragedy occurred at The Who concert. I was in fourth grade; a classmate's older sister attended the concert and a friend of hers was one of the victims. There is now a memorial marker for them.

    Happy Birthday, Melissa B! Great pic of you and your Mom and daughter. Have a lovely day celebrating :)

    Beautiful day here! Hope it's sunny where you are and you have a wonderful day!

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  12. Arab horses are known for their exceptional speed, endurance, agility and beauty. They were used as war horses for centuries. Napoleon had an Arab war horse. Washington had a half breed Arab.
    As show horses they can compete in a wide variety of events, hence their versatility. Examples are racing, dressage, show jumping, among many, many other events.
    Arabs can be used for pleasure riding, trail and ranch work.

    Canadian Eh, from yesterday. I was glad to see Miso used as bean paste instead of soup.

    Alan is complaining again. I let him stay home today, just in case he would need to go to the doctor. It could be nothing, but pneumonia is a possibility. We are going on vacation soon and I want to be sure he is well. These things always arise on a Thursday or Friday and need a quick decision. On weekends it is difficult to get a good doctor, even in the emergency room.

    Beautiful, cooler day today after a torrential thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. CCC, cool, clear and comfortable.

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  13. Good morning everyone.

    Happy Birthday to Melissa B. Hope you have a great day to celebrate.

    Not too hard for a Thursday.Did not suss the circles until the reveal. For GLOBE , I thought of the Toronto Globe and Mail. In the SE I wrote Yates before YEATS. Big brain fart. (We have a Yates County near Rochester,). Almost wrote in Abejo for EARL GREY. Some great cluing such as 'Promising location?' for ALTAR.
    TERA - You see TERAwatt-hours all the time in the elec. power business; especially in contracts between bulk power interchanges.
    Jinx - re: Fiedler of the Boston Pops. I attended his concerts at least 3 times in the late'50s and '60s. Once at Troy in the Field House, once at Newport Naval Base, and once in the Shell in Boston. Knew of Ozawa, but got the spelling from perps.

    Have a great day.

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  14. Fiedler in the Field House? There oughta be a tongue-twister in there somewhere.

    Here's an interesting article from Tuesday's NYT about Will Shortz, the NYT crossword editor.

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  15. Technically, "R&R" is the abbrev. for rest and recuperation or also rest and relaxation. "RNR" is an abbrev. for Royal Naval Reserve.

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  16. Acronym Definition
    RNR Rock 'N Roll
    RNR Royal Naval Reserve
    RNR Ribonucleotide Reductase
    RNR Réserves Naturelles Régionales (French: Local Nature Reserve)
    RNR Receive Not Ready (ITU-T; ISDN)
    RNR Roles and Responsibilities (employment)
    RNR Rest and Relaxation
    RNR Royal Newfoundland Regiment
    RNR Réacteur à Neutrons Rapides (French: Fast Neutron Reactor; nuclear power)
    RNR Remove and Replace
    RNR Rest and Recreation
    RNR Risk-Need-Responsivity (criminal psychology)
    RNR Radio News Release (news story)
    RNR Registry of Nursing Research
    RNR Rate Not Reported
    RNR Research News Reporter
    RNR Reinhold-Nägele-Realschule (German secondary school)
    RNR Rock and Ride
    RNR Reward and Recognition
    RNR Ring No Reply
    RNR Random Noise Radar
    RNR Roman Revolutionaries (band)
    RNR Rassemblement National Républicain (French: Republican National Rally)
    RNR Registered Nurses, Retired, Inc.
    RNR Rhein-Neckar Region (Germany)
    RNR Response Not Required
    RNR Right-Now-Retailing (HP technology for retailers)
    RNR Revue Nucléaire de Russie (French: Russian Nuclear Journal)
    RNR Rapid Nasogastric Rehydration
    Copyright 1988-2014 AcronymFinder.com, All rights reserved.

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  17. Seemed a little easy for a Thursday but a fun romp all the same. Initially thought I must be wrong with XX and YY but both held. Thanks to Steve for the usual great write-up. Warm and humid in Chicago today before fall-like temps hit for a few days. Hope your day is great! JB2

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  18. Well GLORY BE, I got 'er done! Thanks for the fun, Samuel and Steve.
    I was on the Mensa site and groaned when I saw the 53A mention of circles. But I persevered and finished and then went looking for NEWS (rather than newspaper names) broken up in the theme entries. AH ME, I had to come here for enlightenment.
    We do have a Toronto SUN and also GLOBE and Mail (as Spitzboov mentioned).

    Hand up for Mega before TERA, Ibix before ORYX, wagging the cross of ALETA and LORRE, thinking of Fiedler before OZAWA, and noting the CSO to Abejo with EARL GREY tea. Like Jinx, I thought of Do You Believe in Magic for the LOVIN SPOONFUL.

    I had Scat before SHOO, White before ROSES, and smiled at the clever clues for JAG and TAKE A SIESTA. I love the sound of the word RENEGING.
    This Canadian did not know the Charter OAK nor was I aware that POT ROAST was a Yankee thing.

    We still have HHH. I will take YR's CCC. (YR, perhaps Rich noted your comments on MISO)
    HBD melissa b.
    Hope Alan feels better YR.
    I have not been Short and SWEET and must sign off! Enjoy the day.

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  19. Musings
    -What a nice puzzle by Samuel here on the chilly Great Plains.
    -I would venture that the bulk of people who decide elections are not daily readers of newspapers
    -Anyone else think of this 1956 ANTIGUA song? (2:35)
    -GLENN was ultra sexy and creepy in Fatal Attraction. Where’s my rabbit?
    -Those DRYS made Capone, et al very wealthy
    -Offended? Ya gotta know what yer gonna get when you listen to STERN or watch some of LORRE’s shows.
    -Registered mail
    -Adult, Mexican detasselers would always TAKE A SIESTA under the bus during the day but work til sunset to get the field done if necessary
    -SHORT and SWEET – Brevity is the soul of wit!
    -At 1:44 of this hilarious “5 Minute University” Fr. Guido Sarducci explains economics (3:55)
    -Happy Birthday Melissa!

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  20. Happy birthday, Melissa! What beautiful women you all are.

    It's unusual to sashay on a Thursday, but I did starting with ALTAR, LORRE, etc. I often wonder if he is related to Peter. DAN Stevens was Lady Mary's husband in Downton Abbey. He came to a crashing end and I guess now we know why.

    I actually saw the theme and like others, I prefer my news in print, newspapers as well as magazines.

    CSO, Abejo! Thank you to Samuel A. Donaldson and Steve!

    Have a lovely day, everyone! BTW, what is the third H in HHH? I get hot and humid, but what else?

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  21. Good Morning:

    This was a fun solve with some crunch but nothing perps couldn't overcome. Jamie Foxx's name took forever to emerge, even though I absolutely knew who played Ray Charles. Noticed Foxx and (Sly as) A fox duo. Hand up for Mega/Tera and Scat/Shoo. Naturally, Abejo was the Earl Grey man of the hour. Lorre was a gimme because he was at the center of the Charlie Sheen/Two and A Half Men firing/attack debacle. I, personally, find his TV productions off-putting, to say the least.

    Kudos, Samuel, for a Thursday treat and thanks, Steve, for the lovely tour, tofu and all!

    Happy Birthday, Melissa, hope it's a special day for you! 🎂🎉🎁🎈🍾

    Spitz, I, too, saw Arthur Fiedler at the Field House in that same time frame. I also saw Roger Williams and Ferrante and Teicher at the Troy Music Hall. The Music Hall, as you may know, is renowned for its acoustics and in my mother's youth, was the venue for the likes of Jascha Heifitz (sp?), Vladimir Horowitz, and Artur Rubenstein.

    YR, I hope nothing serious is going on with Alan. (I like your 3 C's vs our 3 H's, although I think cooler temps are heading our way in a few days.)

    DO, I read that article about Will Shortz yesterday and found it very interesting. (I imagine it made Rex Parker's blood boil, if he even read it.)

    Have a great day.

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  22. "... made Rex Parker's blood boil" Now I have to read it!

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  23. Lucina @ 11:00 ~ Hazy, hot, and humid. 😉

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  24. HBDTY and many more MB and thank you Sam for a fun puzzle.

    Chuck Lorre has given us Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly and Mom and the soon be unveiled Young Sheldon

    I did not know DAN Stevens as clued but would have known if the Downton connection had been mentioned. ALETA is still an unknown as reading any Prince Valiant in the future seems unlikely.

    Antigua and Barbuda are more than neighboring islands LINK they are worth visiting and if you want to buy a Casino next to Sandals, let me know.

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  25. I read the NYT article as well, thank you D-O. Without Will Shortz "Rex" would not be known.

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  26. Lucina,
    Hot, Hazy and Humid

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  27. Argyle @ 11:26 ~ I used that term because I think Rex's animus toward Will Shortz is fueled by jealousy and this profile of Will is very flattering and highlights Will's expertise and accomplishments in not only the crossword world, but in his life, in general.

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  28. Happy Birthday to Melissa B, and good day to all!

    I struggled mightily today, but finally prevailed without help. The "L" in the crossing of ALETA and LORRE was a WAG to finish it off. Thought "Promising location" for ALTAR was cute. Without circles, I, too, was looking for NEWS to somehow be broken up in the theme answers. Thanks for the expo and setting me straight, Steve.

    And thanks for the link to the Will Shortz story, DO. I had to smile at the comment from his 8th grade teacher regarding his essay on what he wanted to do with his life.

    Enjoy the day!

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  29. ALETA was a gimme since my mother loved Prince Valiant and even cut out each Sunday's color strip and pasted it into an ever-growing scrapbook.
    I was crusing right along until oSawa for oZawa threw me off for a while.
    Noticed the shout-out to Abejo.
    Great puzzle today, with lots of fresh and sparkly fill.
    Oops--thunder outside; time to go disconnect the antennas! Have a great day, all.

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  30. Hi Y'all! Is this the Samuel A. Donaldson who was a TV journalist for many years. If so, we are in the presence of greatness and this was certainly a great puzzle. So the newspaper theme would be appropriate. Solving this puzzle was a bit like investigative reporting. Check out some rumors & guesses, get some names, gather verifiable facts (also known as perps) and write, re-write, publish (aka post on blog).

    Great expo, Steve. Despite growing soybeans, I just can't go with TOFU.

    No circles, no chance at theme recognition. So when Steve explained, it was NEWS to me. When I filled TIMBER WOLVES, I thought it was going to be about basketball teams.

    Didn't see "Ray" but did see an interview with FOXX which had clips of the movie. Uncanny! He had spent time with Ray when he was alive and his portrayal was like he was channeling Ray's ghost. He deserved an Oscar.

    I saw Fiedler conduct several times in Boston, but he was Pops conductor in the spring/summer while someone else did the symphony in winter. I also met Fiedler briefly in the home at a Colorado university where I was babysitting and was asked to bring out the child to meet him.

    BaRRE before LORRE. Didn't know him. Don't watch sitcoms very often.

    Happy Birthday, Melissa. You are an asset to the blog.

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  31. Hi there.

    What a busy morning! I finally found time for the puzzle. It was great fun. Thanks, Sam. Fav today was Promising location: ALTAR. The theme was fun, and best of all: I found it! I had an easier time with this one than I did yesterday.

    Thanks, Steve for another fine and informative tour.

    Have a great rest of the day, everyone!

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  32. A very well clued Thursday puzzle, even if a bit easy. The theme had no impact on the solve, appreciated.

    Jinx in Norfolk - Sirius XM came with my 2016, but only for a year, I won't pay for it, but how do you get it for free?

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  33. After asking the question about Sam, I decided maybe I should see if there is an interview with him. Yep! He's not the TV newsman, but he sounds distinguished and did a knowledgable top notch puzzle. So thanks, Sam!

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  34. Perfect Thursday puzzle, Sam--crunchy but doable. No, I didn't get it perfectly although I messed up in the Northwest because I didn't know ALETA, and yet I got the middle which I feared I had goofed up. Lots of fun clues and delightful weird letter combos--especially that double XX and YY. I love seeing circles, and these broken newspaper titles were especially fun to figure out. So, many thanks, for getting our Thursday off to a great start, Samuel! And Steve, what a treat to get not only the YEATS poem but the bonus of "Puff the Magic Dragon"! Never knew how to spell HONALIE (think I still got it wrong).

    Hope Alan will be okay on the weekend, Yellowrocks. And happy birthday, Melissa! What a lovely family you have!

    Have a great day, everybody!

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  35. Today marks National Watermelon Day. Enjoy!

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  36. Misty, I don't think you can go wrong with the spelling. Online lyrics spell it Honah Lee (Steve's choice), Honnah Lee, Honali and Honalee. I spell it Hona3lee (the 3 is silent).

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  37. I think I saw Chick Lorre and Princess Aleta sipping drinks in a quiet corner of a bar in Natick. Don't tell Arn because it would crush him.

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  38. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA !!! The "First" Sunset toast tonight is to YOU !!!

    Steve, Nice write-up. I just knew you were going to have a photo of the XKE.

    Samuel: Thank you for a FUN Thursday puzzle. Made me "think" to complete it.

    Fave today, of course, was 35-a, Big name in vodka, SKYY.

    Least fave, of course, was 48-a, Prohibitionists, DRYS ... they are not allowed in at Villa Incognito. LOL !!!

    Cheers!

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  39. Thanks, Desper-otto--what a relief! I like your spelling best.

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  40. I used to drive Jaguars - before I gave up driving for good. Never as fancy as the XKE, but bourgeois variations, like the Sovereign, that made me feel good. Roomy and comfortable with warm wood interiors. Ahhh...

    Oh, before I forget, Ta- DA!. Nice pzl today, just about perfect for a Thursday. Tough to get into, but once on a roll it was very welcoming.

    I thank Mr. Donaldson for the newspaper theme. I have really come to rely on print news as the real news. I used to depend on the network feeds, shifting loyalty at times from CBS to NBC and lately to ABC.
    At our home, we call these the "Big Boy News," as distinct from the Little Boy local reports. I watch cable news too but never developed any loyalty.
    I have grown very disappointed, to the extent of yelling at the screens of late. All I see is that they offer companionable anchors and film/video of the events. Too often the stories are driven by video--whether there is any video. (No video, no story.) Often they don't answer questions that they raise, even obvious questions prompted by the famous journalistic Ws.
    I read the LA Times every day and the NY Times on Sunday. I know they are both liberal, but they are also honest and thorough. I try balancing them by looking in on Fox News, but its right-wing slant can grow hard to stomach.
    Lately the LA Times has been amping up its investigative reporting--and making fine use of its constitutional freedom!
    Sorry if this verges on the political, but I mean it to express my favor of print press.

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  41. Ol'Man Keith, you might try watching CNN. I stumbled onto it a while ago, and like the fact that they use panels of journalists and commentators with a variety of perspectives on national and international issues.

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  42. AnonPVX - Consensus is that I have just been lucky enough to not have the radio on when the "shut off" signal was sent down by S/XM. I don't drive it a lot - I bought it new in 2013 and it only has about 22,000 miles on it, most of which were accrued in Florida January through March. I actually prefer my 2001 RAV4 with 185,000 miles on it. It is a little smaller, and is the most reliable car I've ever had. I park on the street, so small is good. Not much demand for garages or even driveways when my house was built in 1914.

    As YR so eloquently demonstrated, acronyms cam mean many things. When I grew up, HHH meant Hotter'n Holy Hell (I know, that only makes sense to Dante). Project management reuses a LOT of acronyms - RBS and mean Risk or Resource Breakdown Structure, for example.

    I got hooked on CNN during the first Gulf War. Great coverage. I was a regular until the Bush / Gore post election coverage. They were so one-sided that I looked around and discovered Fox News. I'm now hooked on them. Their commentary / analysis is just as biased as CNN, but at least their straight news is reliably nonpartisan. I suspect that Shep Smith, Chris Wallace and Bret Baier lean left, but they report down the middle just like the good old days of Brinkley, Huntley, Cronkite and the like.

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  43. Hi All!

    Like Steve, Jinx, and MJ, I too only need the L @1dx14a to finish the NW. AH ME, I WAG'd a T (hey, I know of a TORRE). FIW w/ 1 bad sq.

    Thanks Sam for a fun puzzle with, as Steve pointed out, lotsa Sparkle. A nod to print-media is a perfect theme for this dead-tree-subscriber.

    Steve, wonderful expo and I can't wait to revisit for the tunes.

    Hand-up: EARL GREY == Abejo SO.

    WOs: XLE(?) b/f XKS; oHME @1st.
    ESPs: aforementioned LORRE & ALATA; GLESS; OZAAWA; DAN; RUG (really, I was going w/ Throw _ == oUt /w only the U in place);

    Fav: Nope, can't pick... KENO xing NEON (as clue'd) PAR BOIL'd POT ROAST; TAKE A SIESTA; Bud holder? = EAR; Close on Film = GLENN.

    {A-, B+}

    Happy Birthday mb! Glad to have you back blogging on the special Tuesdays.

    YR - Sorry to hear about Alan; I think you're right to double-check pre-weekend/vacation.

    Bunny M. Thanks for the article. I was in 4th grade too (yep, I was allowed to watch WKRP in 4th grade :-))

    Nope, never listened to STERN. My garaged-based Sirius/XM is on 122 (NPR) or 25 (Classic Rock). Occasionally, I go nostalgic for Next Wave or '80s. DW's car-based is on CNN unless I'm driving.

    DO - enjoyed the NY TIMES article; HG - Love me some Fr. Guido. Thanks both of you.

    Cheers, -T

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  44. Hello Puzzlers -

    Late to the party, obviously, but I didn't want the day to lapse without wishing the lovely MBee a Happy Birthday!

    Howdy Steve, and thanks for 'splaining. I suspect it would be quite fun to have a pint or two with you.

    I assume Cruciverb users noticed that we had the service back for just a few days, and now we're back in the doldrums. Sigh.

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  45. Thank you for explaining HHH! Hazy, hot humid. Here in AZ it would be hot, hotter, hottest.

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  46. WEES that LORRE/ALETA cross was unfair. But if this younger LORRE created so many recent TV shows, his name is worth knowing. Learning moment.

    Otherwise it was a fun theme and a smooth ride!

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  47. Picard, thanks for posting late. I couldn't get to the xword until noon and just got to your post.

    Hbd MB. Thx Steve. Owen, liked your pair today. Enjoyed Will Short article. Anybody guess his palindrome question?

    Yep. Rex is boiling, but he's on vacation so we'll see if he spews when he gets back.

    Boston Globe sports ain't what it used to be

    Gotta go

    WC

    Now for this JW Fri xw

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  48. Thanks for the greeting, Wilbur Charles.

    Perhaps we can encourage more people to do the puzzle and post in a more leisurely manner. That would bring more of us to the party.

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