Another happy Friday with another of the good friends of the blog. John is such an accomplished and warm human being, it is hard not to like all of his work I assume all "got" this theme as soon as the word "Roman" appeared so often. While there are countless words which include the letters which are also the Roman numerals, John limited his selection to the V and the X, with the perfect reveal. My first thought when I saw 1 Across was that all three letters were Roman numerals. You don't see three letter theme fill often but this all worked for me, with no words longer than 8 letters. Your thoughts on this work are appreciated. Off we go....
1A. Roman jet? : DC X. (3) The DC 10 was introduced into service in 1970. This one confused me because D and C are also Roman Numerals.
23A. Roman's advice to prevent an explosion? : COUNT TO X (8). Counting to 10 was a shortcut to meditation.
39A. Roman variety store? (and a hint to 10 other puzzle answers) : V AND X (5). The 5 and 10 was
an American institution, with WOOLWORTH being the epitome.
51A. Roman Shakespearean drama? : V ACT PLAY (8). Shakespeare was dedicated to this STRUCTURE.
70A. Roman graveyard shift hour? : V AM. (3). When I used to work doubles at the rubber factory (2 PM to 6 AM) it was the last hour that was the hardest.
3D. Roman bowler's target? : X PIN (4). A CSO for Boomer!
4D. Roman musical family? : JACKSON V (8). Can you name all five?
26D. Roman bike? : X SPEED (6). Bicycles have become too complex for me. They sell some for thousands of dollars.
27D. Roman "high" request? : GIMME V (6). These days this is one of the first things parents teach their children.
40D. Roman Scrabble Q-tile, e.g.? : X POINTER (8). Ten points, and all those words that don't need a U.
57D. Roman's long golf hole? : PAR V (4). Another CSO to our golfing contingent, HG, BE, Moe and all of those I left out by accident.
Well, I am worn out just listing the 11 theme fill. So let's explore the rest.
Across:
4. Start of a rhyming Basque game: JAI. Alai. Long the fastest moving ball in SPORTS.
7. Reason to use an inhaler: ASTHMA.
13. Knock: RAP. Oh, I guess I can call it "knock" music.
14. Cry buckets: BAWL. The word had a different meaning in my youth.
15. Unexpected twist: SPRAIN. Amusing.
16. The record longest continuous ride on one is 105.57 miles: UNICYCLE. Who knew? This makes it a TRIBUTE puzzle.
18. Unlikely to ride a 16-Across well: KLUTZY. Too true.
19. Hunted Carroll critter: SNARK. More of his IMAGINATION, beyond Alice.
20. Balm-maker's plants: ALOES.
22. A.L. East team: BOSton.
27. '80s jeans: GITANOS. Still for SALE.
31. SOP part: Abbr. : STD. Standard.
32. "48 __": HRS. The TV Show.
33. Assistant who didn't exist in Mary Shelley's novel: IGOR. Eegore, or Eyegor?
34. Whiskey order: NEAT. A clear CSO to Tinbeni.
36. "... beneath __ blue sky": Don Henley lyric: A DEEP. Not a sea but sky. LISTEN.
38. Stubborn equine: MULE.
41. Perry's creator: ERLE.
42. Dull finish: MATTE. JL is an avid and successful photographer as well a musician, ornithologist, entomologist and cruciverbalist - the modern Renaissance man.
44. F-__: STOP. Blushing?
45. A hothead has a short one: FUSE.
46. 67.5 deg.: ENE.
47. Item before a door: MAT.
49. Sack out: GO TO BED.
54. Bargain bin abbr.: IRRegular.
55. Bete __: NOIRE.
56. Immature dragonfly: NYMPH. I think of this when I see NYMPH, not THIS. What do you call a woman who is obsessed with immature dragonflies? Answer below....
59. Stereotypically stylish: UPTOWN. Saturday night.
62. Leaves port: SETS SAIL. Even when the ships do not have sails.
65. Facial feature named after an animal: GOATEE.
66. Muscovite's denial: NYET.
67. Whiskey option: RYE. Any Manhattan drinkers in our crowd?
68. They usually leave the park: HOMERS.
69. Key contraction: O'ER. Francis Scott - ramparts.
Down:
1. R and B's __ Hill: DRU. Not in my WHEELHOUSE.
2. Soup aisle array: CANS.
5. Hole-making tool: AWL.
6. Intestinal: ILEAC.
7. Invite on a date: ASK OUT.
8. NutraSweet competitor: SPLENDA. Both sweetener brand names - blue/yellow.
9. Have faith in: TRUST.
10. Noodle topper? : HAT. Noodle as head, not a form of pasta.
11. "Les __" : MIZ. Broadway.
12. At least one: ANY.
14. "... truth is always strange; / Stranger than fiction" poet: BYRON. From his poem, Don Juan.
"' Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;
Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,
How much would novels gain by the exchange!
How differently the world would men behold!"
17. "Willkommen" musical: CABARET.
21. Words on a reward poster: LOST DOG.
24. "... there's __!": Hamlet: THE RUB. Our Friday Shakespeare, but not all 5 acts.
25. Intimidating words: OR ELSE.
28. Exotic pet: IGUANA. These are neither exotic nor pets here; they roam freely unless and until a freeze. The past two winters were warm and their population has grown. They are 'affectionately' called "dem sumbitches" by an elderly neighbor woman.
29. Pre-Aztec Mexican: TOLTEC. I do not know much about this CIVILIZATION.
30. Multi-armed ocean critter: SEASTAR. We also discussed this before. LINK.
35. Bad picnic omen: ANT. Below a JL original, in his words. "This ant is on the head of an Ambush Bug who had just killed and eaten a bee. The ant is enjoying the leftovers while grooming the bug. I actually photographed the whole sequence."
37. Gets bent out of shape: DEFORMS. A pun here if you like the word.
43. Authorize: EMPOWER.
48. Dior designs: A-LINES.
50. Secret hot date: TRYST.
52. Fed. bill: T-NOTE.
53. Simple question type: YES/NO.
58. Casual greeting: HI-YA.
59. "That stinks!" : UGH.
60. Nanki-__: POO. The Mikado.
61. Bagpiper's hat: TAM. I understand the geographic connection, but I see more like...
63. Anatomical orb: EYE.
64. Apollo lander, briefly: LEM. How cool that dear JL ends with a CSO to yours truly.
Yesterday, Harper turned two and today my baby is celebrating his 29th birthday. Tonight we start the fasting for Yom Kippur, which lasts until an hour past sundown Saturday. Party time. Thank you, John and all who read. Gamar Tov. Lemonade out.
Answer: An entomologist!
45 comments:
Wow, first to post!
Thanks LEM for the kind words and thorough analysis. If you're reading this and haven't clicked on the WOOLWORTH link for 29-A, please do so. Lemonade found the perfect go-with that is both fun and educational and highlights my seed entry that got me going with the idea.
Happy solving, everyone!
Good morning!
I didn't latch onto the them until COUNT TO _ showed up. Then the fun began. Thanks, John, and all your critters: NYMPHs, IGUANAs and SEA STARs. Lots of interesting stuff in this one.
In honor of the theme, here's Love At The Five And Dime.
Lemon, those X SPEED bikes are too complicated for me, too. I've had enough problems with my one-speed cruiser.
Hi Y'all! Real cute, John Lampkin. Your puzzles always bug me. I was in a real SNARKY mood by the time I finally figured out the Roman gimmick on COUNT TO X. By that time, I was most of the way thru the puzzle except for the Roman stuff and had said a bad word on the reveal which revealed nada to me. However, I did chuckle when the light dawned. The rest was easy. So thanks, I guess.
Lemony, while not as enamored with John Lampkin as you are, I did enjoy your expo. However, the first link informed me that by clicking on it, I gave permission to store cookies on my site. What???!! That made me afraid to open any more links. I think I'll go back to bed and see if I can get up on the other side later.
P.S. I bet that guy on the UNICYCLE had a sore ILIAC after that.
John, thanks for a nice puzzle...looks like a bear to construct. I'm still a paper and pen solver so I don't check my answers til I get on this blog...had one mistake, Voltac instead of VOLTEC. Oh well, still had fun.
Thanks for the write-up Lemonade
There once was a man who rode a UNICYCLE
Who, A DEEP in thought, did SPRAIN his ankle
He mused, the JACKSONV
Would still be alive
If you substituted Janet for Michael
Coach J, it is Toltec and Gitanos.
Let me "knock" the RAP: It's not music.
So, what did BAWL mean in your youth?
Good morning everyone.
John's puzzle was a hoot. COUNT TO X gave me the gimmick and DC X verified it. Thought there was also a I (one), because I wasn't familiar with 5 act plays, but V ACT PLAY it was. John's hobby interests shown throughout, with F-STOP, NYMPH, HOMERS, SEA STAR, IGUANA, and perhaps some others.
V AND X - five and dime was a favorite. We had Ben Franklin stores in our neck o' the woods.
John Lampkin, you are a fine photographer and crossword constructor. However, you need to turn in your Man Card IMMEDIATELY for 1) knowing GITANOS, and 2) crossing it with TOLTEC.
Having said my peace it should come as no surprise that my sole bad cell was at that Natick, where (like Coach J) I WAGged a "v". Otherwise I thought this was a Thursday-level puzzle and enjoyed it. My only erasure was octopus for SEA STAR.
For "unlikely to ride a 16-across well" I wanted JINX, but it wouldn't fit. Never heard of DRU Hill nor Nanki-POO. I had no idea why JAI was the answer to 2A util Lemony hit me with the V8 can. I liked the CSO to Tin, and would order an Old Grand Dad NEAT in his honor if I was still a drinking man.
Anon - In my ute BAWL meant "cry profusely" or (with out) "berate".
John Lampkin, great puzzle. From the start I was looking for a Roman numeral in each theme. After the first V and X, I realized there were just those two. The reveal was cute. I hadn't thought of that. Easier than most Friday puzzles. DRU was the only truly unknown, but perps were needed to nudge my memory for some others.
The tam (really tam o'shanter) was and still is worn by some bagpipers, but we more often see the glengarry bonnet.
glengarry bonnet
Our Five and Dime was a Ben Franklin, too. In the city we went to Woolworth's with my grandmother and sat at the lunch counter. Lots of fun. We never dreamed of the mega stores they have today.
Cleverly constructed puzzle but I could never make my way to Kodiak Island in the DC-10. DRU Hill was a complete unknown and I couldn't decide if the bowler was aiming for the pocket with the ONE-PIN or picking up a spare hitting the TEN-PIN. Adding to that misery, my brain misread 'Soup aisle array' thinking of a buffet and confidently filled CUPS instead of CANS. But the worst self-inflicted misdirection was misspelling ILEAC as ILIAC - sneaky words. I saw the CLI and was thinking of some ride #151 that went 105.57 miles. UNICYCLE never had a chance.
Once I realized that Roman numerals were being used, the rest of my sea of white was correctly filled. I vaguely remembered TOLTEC but it was filled by perps, ac was Nanki-POO.
JohnL- the VANDX stores- I knew the term but most people that I knew just referred to them as DIME stores, even though they stocked more expensive items in the 50s & 60s. I mainly remember the goldfish and parakeets that you could buy there.
anon@8:41 RAP 'music' was once described as 'bad poetry accompanied by an electronic drum machine'- I agree with that assessment. As for BAWL, I'd heard it used as a synonym for another four-letter word that could result with one party becoming the past tense of "knock" to a higher elevation.
Good Morning:
I caught on to the theme quickly but there were still some crunchy areas. I had F Star before F Stop, as that was in a recent puzzle in that other paper. Didn't know Nanki Poo or Dru Hill or Sea Star. Knowing the theme really helped with the solve and the Five and Ten reveal was a surprise and an Aha moment. We had a Woolworth's and also an H. L. Green and they were referred to as the five and ten or five and dime stores. I think Green's had a lunch counter, too.
Thanks, John L., for a smooth and satisfying solve and thanks, Lemony, for the informative expo. Nice CSO's to you, Tin, and Boomer.
Lots of sunshine right now and cooler temps so I guess fall is starting, finally.
I'm slowly but surely whittling down my DVR queue but I still have 8 episodes of Ken Burns' Vietnam epic to watch.
Have a great day.
An entertaining Friday offering and an added treat to hear from the constructor. My favorite clue was "Noodle topper?" Thanks Lemonade for explaining "Key contraction", I just missed the connection. I first had "I raise" for 25-D, which can be intimidating words to a poker player, but the crosses told me that was wrong. We had a great Five and Dime store where one could fill a small paper bag with as much candy as it would hold, then pay 10 cents per pound. It's a wonder I still have any teeth left!
Nice one, John Lampkin! Thank you!
WEES. Most have already commented on what was my reaction, too, that is, JL's menagerie of wild life, camera setting, F-STOP, and just plain fun. I saw the Roman connection at COUNTTOX then went back and filled the blanks I had left.
I remember GITANOS and had not thought of them in years. UPTOWN reminds me of Billy Joel's song, UPTOWN Girl.
DRU Hill is unknown to me.
Well, today I'm off to Cali for the Believe Walk where last year 10,000 joined us. I'll see you all next week.
Have a terrific weekend, everyone!
Lemonade, you rounded off the perfect puzzle with your illuminating analysis. Thank you!
Musings
-An entertaining gimmick. My bowling target was the I PIN and a DC I airplane seemed okay but the reveal cleared that up
-A hit for Bing - I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A V And X Cent store)”
-Even toddlers know about HIGH V’s and fist bumps
-Our door MAT
-As a JH teacher, I saw many jean brands come and go where the label was everything
-The old Perry Mason TV shows say whether they are based on an ERLE novel or merely featuring characters created by ERLE
-Adjusting the F-STOP on the amazing iPhone (2:38)
-What will people who SET SAIL find to the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean Islands
-MLB has more HOMERS and strikeouts this year than ever before
-Simple words to college coaches – “Win OR ELSE”
-Seen more than once in my teaching career where the sender breathlessly awaited a reply
Greetings to all!
Such a clever theme, and well executed. Thanks, John. Favorite clue/answer was "Unexpected twist" for SPRAIN. The only unknown was DRU Hill.
Thanks for the expo and links Lemonade. I found the article about Woolworth stores very interesting.
Enjoy the day!
Thanks, JL, for a fun Friday puzzle, once the theme was revealed..... Like Big Easy, put in I not X for the bowling clue..... not sure if there was a DC1?
Thanks, Lemonade, for your thorough explanation. Didn't even see that only V and X were used.
YR, thank you for posting the Bonnet link.
BE, thank you for gently explaining the 60;s reference to BAWL.
Jinx, many of us learned about lady jean makers from our intense study of the way each brand fit on the female form.
Where has Barry G been?
HG, I, also, taught in a very upscale neighborhood where the label was everything. I felt sorry for the few middle and working class kids. One of these girls said to an upscale kid, "My top is just like yours." The snippy reply, in a superior tone, was "But mine is Izod!"
These Roman clues reminded me of a ninth grade friend’s comment the morning after a date, "Marty has Roman hands and Russian fingers."
HG, love your door mat
Lucina, what a good cause.
I am a Gilbert and Sullivan fan. Nankipoo, a character from the Mikado sang, “A Wand’ring Minstrel.”
Listen
Rereading the plot just now, I am sure it would be considered non PC these days. Even The Cat in the Hat is considered non PC now.
Well, I got the solve and I liked the puzzle, while despising the theme or gimmick or whatever. Agree with those calling Natick on TOLTEC crossing GITANOS. I guess I’m showing my age as I got GITANOS, but still.
I had noticed "(My son) 'John'" when I posted in the gloamin. I said "Friday toughie!".
And first I see he wants Latin and next some Basque nursery rhyme. So, I continue East looking for a box to fill.
I think I'm warm but what word begins with a K? Finally I grok the theme and then I filled Wednesday fast. Even when the POO perped I didn't recognize Nanki.
My sister played that over and over...
A wandering minstrel I
A thing of shreds and patches
Of ....and snatches
And dre-hee-mee la-ah-la-byes
My catalogue...etc. YR has the link, that was from memory.
Was it clear that East North East was the 67.5 degree answer?
I'm an avid GOLF watcher but don't play until my HS classmates drag me out. I'm in dire need of practice.
Sandy Koufax sat out Yom Kippur in 1966 but he was the man in game Seven. That summer I worked in a rubber factory but they quickly removed me from slicing duty. Talk about KLUTZES.
Nice job on the write-up Lemonade.
WC
WC- I worked for Jacob's Rubber in 1968, where did you work?
Barry G.'s work schedule, which allowed him to work from home, was changed after a company takeover. He may not have time, or he found not posting a relief. We all miss him, but after almost 10 years we have had many come and go. Only a few are left from when I started reading back in 2008.
The Roman answers were fun but the puzzle was too easy for a Friday ... more a Tuesday with an amusing theme.
Lemonade and WC, I spent 10 miserable years at Firestone Tire and Rubber in Decatur, Ill. in my 'ute
Unlike some, I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and once I grokked the theme, it solved in Wednesday time for me too.
Cya!
Great puzzle by John and interesting write-up by Lem. Easy fill for a Friday but the symmetry absolutely amazed me! Look carefully at the positions of the Xs and Vs, all mirrored across the grid and always reversing, e.g., X upper left and V lower right, V bottom East, X top West, etc. Wow, must have been a bear to construct. Thanks again, John.
From MxX feet above the ground, Hi All! I'm headed back to H-Town from DC and the WiFi onboard is meh. It took forever to read the blog and find links... Your MMV
John, I loved, loved, loved your puzzle today. I got an inkling @1a but thought "DCX,* no...".
Lightbulb! "Oh, Yes!," as I saw V AND X. Laughter ensued -- I thought of the V AND X ala the Vnemployment Insuvance building. Couple that with Brook's (not Shelley's) other creation (we know how it's pronounced) and we've got a mini-theme abrewin'. Thanks for the fun FIW John (and cool snap of the ANT!)
Thanks LEM for the fine expo and the I in JAI Xing ILIAC -- my downfall.
WOs: Headed for Jordache jeans at 1st (thankfully, couldn't spell it) and had AtIrES for Dior. Show's you what I know about fashion.
ESP: TOLTEC
Fav: The theme!
Other fun - HAT & TAM too to keep the noodle warm; Lucina called it - UPTOWN Girl (a song about Christly Brinkley IIRC); haven't the foggiest how I guessed UNICYCLE w/ only the x-ref, XPIN, and AWL for perps. All cute times X.
And then, there was, IGUANA for Tawnya.
Y'all have a great afternoon. I'll try to catch up after we land.
Cheers, -T
John Lampkin: the ambush bug was a new one for me. I have always been interested in entomology. Your patience and attention to detail in photographing the bee-eating-ambush bug-ant sequence is remarkable. I Googled for more info than is given in this format. As a farmer's wife & gardener at one time, I had to study bugs to know how to save enough of the garden crops for my family to eat. My well-used bug book is now at the bottom of some box packed away in my last move.
Bob Niles,,,thanks. I stand corrected.
A fine pzl from Mr. Lampkin, one might say a "classic" of its kind!
It appeared slightly daunting at first (as all good pzls should!), but as soon as I discarded my attempts at Latin & forced references to Mr. Polanski, I found the wavelength. Then I SET SAIL and 'twas easy cruising from then on.
Being a fan of both Lewis Carroll and G&S, today's gimmes were SNARK & POO. (How's that for a law firm?)
Ta- DA!
(Hm. Was it too easy for Friday?)
An excellent response from Lemonade. The visuals were most enjoyable - esp. the JL original of the ANT chowing down.
V-ACT PLAY? Shakespeare's purported five-act structure might have surprised old Will. As far as scholars can tell, he did not compose the plays in acts. Remember: he did not prepare his plays for publication, but as "sides" to be handed out to his fellow actors. The familiar act and scene breakdowns were added by editors for the folios after his death.
Why five acts? Because the classic tragedies of Greece generally (not always) had five episodes (i.e., the actions occurring between the choral songs or odes). Literate Renascence types admired Greek & Roman models so much they would squeeze new works to make them fit the old frames.
The V AND X answer made me think, like Lemonade, of a Woolworth store. The one in our neighborhood - on Chestnut Street (San Francisco) - was just one floor with everything laid out on counters. Exposed floor boards. I'll never forget its atmosphere, with dim lighting and thin threads of sun coming down through high windows, emphasizing how dusty the place was.
SEASTAR reminded me of an excursion during a Galapagos trip - where the guide insisted over and over that we all abandon the misnomer "Starfish"! She made so much a point of it that we all felt like sinners, not just mistaken amateurs.
Sheesh.
I agree, Lemon, that the pipers I see generally wear the garrison cap or Yellowrocks' Glengarry rather than the TAM, which is more like a pleated beret.
'Nuff said...
Lemony, it was called Hodgeman rubber in Framingham Mass. My father couldn't understand why I worked in Framingham when I lived 18 miles away. So, I quit and took my playground leader job for July and August. I was still a student.
WC
Lots of WAGs, but Gitvanos/voltec was the only one that got me.
Ramen Numerals?
No comment...
OK, this roman numeral substitution thing is getting out of hand...
Let's try this again.
In keeping with Anon T and today's puzzle, as my wife and I were on our way to lunch she stopped to take a picture which I have added to the write-up bu the IGUANA.
If you look closely, you can see a second iguana near the top of the tree.
D-N-F ... not even close. You got me John.
Fave today, of course, was 34-a, NEAT ... the only way to order Whiskey at Villa Incognito.
Hmmm, that gives me an idea ... and the Sun-Is-Over-The- Yardarm. Sooooo ...
Cheers!
What an enjoyable way to spend my early afternoon time: savoring a John Lampkin puzzle. Like many of you, I figured out the gimmick at COUNT TO X. For the multi-armed ocean critter I wanted OCTOPUS but when I got F-STOP, MAT, and NOIRE, that gave me ___ST_R so I wanted to change it to LOBSTER. The whiskey order, for which I had SHOT and then NEAT, put that idea to rest. I am in awe of the V and X construction.
Hand up for not knowing DRU. The only singer named Hill I could think of was Faith.
One small nit: the TV show is, judging from their web site, officially called "48 Hours" not "48 Hrs."
Best wishes to you all.
DNF because I got my numbers mixed up. For instance I had DC-5 (a plane but not a jet) and five pin after I persuaded myself the bowler would aim for the middle pin. I also had count to five and five speed :-(
I guess I was too impatient (or clueless) to spot I had way too few Xs for a VandX reveal.
Jai alai ball is no longer the fastest in sports. It has been surpassed by the long drive competitors in golf. Just heard this prior to starting my puzzle this morning in a YouTube video by Shawn Clement, a great Canadian golf pro and teacher.
I found it! V AND X [@22s - the quality is a II out of X, but, there you are. John - was it Mel's genius that inspired yours? :-) -T
I know only a few will read this but I can't *not* post! I love John's puzzles. Every. Single. Time. Today had to be one of your best, John. I had a bit of an epiphany when I finished in near-record-Friday time without cheats: I need to slow down and savor your puzzles. I will try harder to go slower and enjoy your offerings. And we should be friends, as we are always on the same wavelength. Or we are of the same generation so I get things that others miss.
Like Gitano Jeans. I proudly owned several pairs. And I could peg them like a champ.
Stranger Than Fiction is one of my favorite Bad Religion songs from the '90s. Led by Dr. Greg Gaffin, their songs are often call out issues addressing our society - like RAP, but punk instead.
Pretty sure 48 Hrs refers to the movie franchise with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.
Thanks a million for the bar-be-qued IGUANA, A-T! I was LMAO when it started playing! Also for linking Billy Joel...it had to be done, there was no avoiding it.
I am off to shower and bed. Thanks for checking in ;)
t.
OK, Big Easy: The four-letter word synonym is BALL, not BAWL.
Phillyfran, my link for Jai alai recognized that the current record is held in long drive golf - 204 mph.
My longest UNICYCLE ride was ten miles, from Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco to Sausalito and back on the ferry:
http://swt.org/events/thanksgiving2014/02unicycleride/
But it was not non-stop!
Hand up for ILIAC before ILEAC. Learning moment about IGOR.
Had to WAG that a long golf hole was PARV and not PARX as I know very little about golf. And I was not sure if XAM could be a graveyard shift hour. With that WAG I FIR!
Fun puzzle!
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