Theme: "Urbanagrams"- Each theme entry is a major US city and its anagram.
23A. A few bars in the West? : SAN DIEGO SONG IDEA
37A. Ticketholder's entitlement in the Southwest? : SANTA FE FAN SEAT
51A. Stage handles in the West? : SACRAMENTO ACTOR NAMES
72A. Complex papers for a pad in the West? : LOS ANGELES LONG LEASES
86A. Do stuff in the Southeast? : RALEIGH HAIR GEL
102A. Heavyweights in the Midwest? : COLUMBUS SUMO CLUB
Puzzle titles don't always reveal the gimmick easily, but this one does, though it won't help your solving much.
You can probably anagram lots of other cities, but your entries have to have enough surface sense and humor value. Otherwise, you won't tickle Rich. You cities have to be big, not EDINA.
Though only 6 entries, they're all very long and occupy a total 100 theme squares. The grid is very Bruce. Very clean & lively. And you'll always see a few entries in his puzzles.
Across:
1. Choir voice : ALTO
5. Van Gogh setting : ARLES
10. They might be hatched : PLOTS. Three consecutive gimmes in a row.
15. Jazz trumpeter Jones : THAD. This got me last time.
19. Collectible fossil : SHARK TOOTH. We don't often see long non-themer in Across. How many teeth do you think a shark has?
21. Sound : AUDIO
22. Hamburger man : HERR
25. First name in household humor : ERMA
26. "Don't __" : ASK
27. Twinkle __: Skechers brand : TOES. Guessable. Cute.
28. The palm and olive of Palmolive : OILS
29. Reason to use litmus paper : PH TEST
31. Rubber? : MASSEUR. Nice clue.
33. iPad model : MINI. And 50. Apple since 1998 : iMAC. Also 66. Jobs in the tech industry : STEVE
34. Lumber mill fixtures : RIPSAWS. One of the flea market guys here is specialized in tools. His saws go quite quickly. He always yells at his customers.
36. Gallery works : ART
40. Helps plan a job, maybe : ABETS
43. Cry of exasperation : AARGH
44. Crushed, as a test : ACED
45. Priestly garment : ALB. Learned from doing crosswords.
46. Hot : SEXY
47. Puma competitor : AVIA
48. Place to get off: Abbr. : STA
49. Horse fathers : SIRES. Not "Horse feathers".
57. Wearer of a "Y" sweatshirt : ELI. Yale Bulldogs.
58. Feathered indoor flier : DART. I was picturing fruit flies.
59. Less contaminated : PURER
60. Nabokov novel : ADA
61. Pot cover : TEA COZY. Not on my tea pot.
63. Saturn's largest moon : TITAN
64. Media holder : DVD CASE. Four consonants in a row.
68. "I'm close to winning!" game cry : UNO
69. "__ what?": "What next?" : SO NOW
70. Capsizing deterrent : KEEL
71. Frat house "H" : ETA. We also have 15. Sorority letters : THETAs
77. First of 12 popes : PIUS I
78. Ref. updated quarterly : OED. I brought a Chinese-English dictionary when I came to the US. Have not needed it for ages. Google Translate solves all my problems.
79. Dress like, for the costume party : GO AS
80. "High-__!" : FIVE
81. Mtn. stat : ALT
82. Wee : ITTY
83. Matches a bet : CALLS
85. Social conventions : MORES. Not NORMS.
90. Old Prizm maker : GEO
91. Yoga move named for a pet : CAT POSE
92. Trading post wares : FURS
93. Colonist : SETTLER
97. Summer line : IT'S HOT. We just had our first snow.
98. Extended rental? : LIMO. Another great clue.
99. Fancy cracker spread : PATE. Try the spread on Aldi's crackers.
100. Flurry : ADO
101. Actress Moreno : RITA
107. Eclipse, maybe : OMEN
108. Aardwolf relative : HYENA. Hey, are you guys relatives?
109. Daytona 500, e.g. : NASCAR RACE. Another debut.
110. Give up : CEDE
111. Test for purity : ASSAY
112. Lavished attention (on) : DOTED
113. Wasn't square with : OWED
Down:
1. Indian state bordering Bangladesh : ASSAM
2. Two-mile-high capital : LHASA. In China, we spell it La Sa. You can see the Chinese characters here. Both Shanghai and Lhasa are two-word names in Chinese.
3. Loses on purpose : TANKS
4. Chicago airport code : ORD
5. Dined at a restaurant, say : ATE OUT. In Las Vegas, many places have soy sauce on the table. Makes me so happy. My favorite.
6. "Copy that" : ROGER
7. Heads of Parliament? : LOOS
8. Sci-fi staples : ETs
9. Driving away : SHOOING
10. "Without a Trace" actor Anthony La__ : PAGLIA. His face is familiar, not the name.
11. Wilder's "The Bridge of San __ Rey" : LUIS
12. Unmatched : ODD
13. Make, as a knot : TIE
14. S.O.S, for one : SOAP PAD. I love those S.O.S. pads. They work miracles.
16. "This is our stop" : HERE WE ARE
17. Weaponry transfers : ARMS SALES. Sparkly pairs of 9's.
18. "Darn it!" : DRAT
20. Writers of bad checks : KITERS
24. Inning often not finished : NINTH. Bottom of the ninth.
30. QVC competitor : HSN
32. Mythical forest flutist : SATYR
33. Corday victim : MARAT. This was covered in our world history book also.
34. Parish head : RECTOR
35. Lead-in to bad news : I FEAR
37. Epitome of virtue : SAINT
38. Buckle or button : FASTEN. Also 56. Fleshy "buttons" : NAVELS
39. NCAA Final Four broadcaster : TBS
40. Selling point : ASSET
41. Bluesy Memphis street : BEALE
42. No longer working for The Company : EX-CIA. Notice the capitalized "The".
43. Animator Tex : AVERY
47. Online retail giant : AMAZON. I've never shopped at Walmart website. You? Their model is quite similar to Amazon's.
49. Seat at the racetrack : SADDLE
52. God, in Hebrew : ADONAI
53. Sound off : OPINE
54. Rush hour glut : AUTOS. Followed by 55. Rush hour pace : CRAWL
62. Talk a blue streak? : CUSS
63. "Ha! I was right!" : TOLD YA
64. Painter of ballerinas : DEGAS
65. Norse pantheon : AESIR. They live in Asgard.
67. Soothes : EASES
69. Boil : SEETHE
70. Round mound : KNOLL. The only one I know is that Grassy Knoll.
72. 1928 Gary Cooper romance in which a bouquet plays a vital role : LILAC TIME. Unfamiliar to me.
73. Went longer than : OUTLASTED
74. Invaders of ancient Rome : GOTHS
75. More than checks out : OGLES
76. In progress : AFOOT. And 84. Beached : AGROUND. Both solid A-words.
77. What one never is on a golf course : PAR. I was thinking you can have 1 on a par 3 or par 4 hole, if you're really lucky/good. But 1 is never a par.
82. Prankster's cry : I GOTCHA
83. Only speck of food the Grinch left in each Who's house : CRUMB
85. Shower component : METEOR. Meteor shower.
87. Flammable gas : ETHANE
88. NYSE news : IPO
89. "Let me just interject ... " : IF I MAY
90. Blow a gasket : GET MAD
93. Hooch : SAUCE
94. Old NBC legal drama : LA LAW. Also 96. Covered in court : ROBED
95. Draw forth : EDUCE
97. __-Z: classic Camaro : IROC
98. Moon goddess : LUNA. Chinese Moon goddess is Chang'e, who lives in the moon. That's why we eat mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival.
99. Vocal nudge : PSST
103. Yiddish laments : OYs
104. French article : LES
105. __ Paulo : SAO
106. HUN neighbor, to the IOC : CRO (Croatia)
23A. A few bars in the West? : SAN DIEGO SONG IDEA
37A. Ticketholder's entitlement in the Southwest? : SANTA FE FAN SEAT
51A. Stage handles in the West? : SACRAMENTO ACTOR NAMES
72A. Complex papers for a pad in the West? : LOS ANGELES LONG LEASES
86A. Do stuff in the Southeast? : RALEIGH HAIR GEL
102A. Heavyweights in the Midwest? : COLUMBUS SUMO CLUB
Puzzle titles don't always reveal the gimmick easily, but this one does, though it won't help your solving much.
You can probably anagram lots of other cities, but your entries have to have enough surface sense and humor value. Otherwise, you won't tickle Rich. You cities have to be big, not EDINA.
Though only 6 entries, they're all very long and occupy a total 100 theme squares. The grid is very Bruce. Very clean & lively. And you'll always see a few entries in his puzzles.
Across:
1. Choir voice : ALTO
5. Van Gogh setting : ARLES
10. They might be hatched : PLOTS. Three consecutive gimmes in a row.
15. Jazz trumpeter Jones : THAD. This got me last time.
19. Collectible fossil : SHARK TOOTH. We don't often see long non-themer in Across. How many teeth do you think a shark has?
21. Sound : AUDIO
22. Hamburger man : HERR
25. First name in household humor : ERMA
26. "Don't __" : ASK
27. Twinkle __: Skechers brand : TOES. Guessable. Cute.
28. The palm and olive of Palmolive : OILS
29. Reason to use litmus paper : PH TEST
31. Rubber? : MASSEUR. Nice clue.
33. iPad model : MINI. And 50. Apple since 1998 : iMAC. Also 66. Jobs in the tech industry : STEVE
34. Lumber mill fixtures : RIPSAWS. One of the flea market guys here is specialized in tools. His saws go quite quickly. He always yells at his customers.
36. Gallery works : ART
40. Helps plan a job, maybe : ABETS
43. Cry of exasperation : AARGH
44. Crushed, as a test : ACED
45. Priestly garment : ALB. Learned from doing crosswords.
46. Hot : SEXY
47. Puma competitor : AVIA
48. Place to get off: Abbr. : STA
49. Horse fathers : SIRES. Not "Horse feathers".
57. Wearer of a "Y" sweatshirt : ELI. Yale Bulldogs.
58. Feathered indoor flier : DART. I was picturing fruit flies.
59. Less contaminated : PURER
60. Nabokov novel : ADA
61. Pot cover : TEA COZY. Not on my tea pot.
63. Saturn's largest moon : TITAN
64. Media holder : DVD CASE. Four consonants in a row.
68. "I'm close to winning!" game cry : UNO
69. "__ what?": "What next?" : SO NOW
70. Capsizing deterrent : KEEL
71. Frat house "H" : ETA. We also have 15. Sorority letters : THETAs
77. First of 12 popes : PIUS I
78. Ref. updated quarterly : OED. I brought a Chinese-English dictionary when I came to the US. Have not needed it for ages. Google Translate solves all my problems.
79. Dress like, for the costume party : GO AS
80. "High-__!" : FIVE
81. Mtn. stat : ALT
82. Wee : ITTY
83. Matches a bet : CALLS
85. Social conventions : MORES. Not NORMS.
90. Old Prizm maker : GEO
91. Yoga move named for a pet : CAT POSE
93. Colonist : SETTLER
97. Summer line : IT'S HOT. We just had our first snow.
98. Extended rental? : LIMO. Another great clue.
99. Fancy cracker spread : PATE. Try the spread on Aldi's crackers.
101. Actress Moreno : RITA
107. Eclipse, maybe : OMEN
108. Aardwolf relative : HYENA. Hey, are you guys relatives?
 |
| Aardwolf |
 |
| Hyena |
110. Give up : CEDE
111. Test for purity : ASSAY
112. Lavished attention (on) : DOTED
113. Wasn't square with : OWED
Down:
1. Indian state bordering Bangladesh : ASSAM
2. Two-mile-high capital : LHASA. In China, we spell it La Sa. You can see the Chinese characters here. Both Shanghai and Lhasa are two-word names in Chinese.
3. Loses on purpose : TANKS
4. Chicago airport code : ORD
5. Dined at a restaurant, say : ATE OUT. In Las Vegas, many places have soy sauce on the table. Makes me so happy. My favorite.
6. "Copy that" : ROGER
7. Heads of Parliament? : LOOS
8. Sci-fi staples : ETs
9. Driving away : SHOOING
10. "Without a Trace" actor Anthony La__ : PAGLIA. His face is familiar, not the name.
11. Wilder's "The Bridge of San __ Rey" : LUIS
12. Unmatched : ODD
13. Make, as a knot : TIE
14. S.O.S, for one : SOAP PAD. I love those S.O.S. pads. They work miracles.
16. "This is our stop" : HERE WE ARE
17. Weaponry transfers : ARMS SALES. Sparkly pairs of 9's.
18. "Darn it!" : DRAT
20. Writers of bad checks : KITERS
24. Inning often not finished : NINTH. Bottom of the ninth.
30. QVC competitor : HSN
32. Mythical forest flutist : SATYR
33. Corday victim : MARAT. This was covered in our world history book also.
34. Parish head : RECTOR
35. Lead-in to bad news : I FEAR
37. Epitome of virtue : SAINT
38. Buckle or button : FASTEN. Also 56. Fleshy "buttons" : NAVELS
39. NCAA Final Four broadcaster : TBS
40. Selling point : ASSET
41. Bluesy Memphis street : BEALE
42. No longer working for The Company : EX-CIA. Notice the capitalized "The".
43. Animator Tex : AVERY
47. Online retail giant : AMAZON. I've never shopped at Walmart website. You? Their model is quite similar to Amazon's.
49. Seat at the racetrack : SADDLE
52. God, in Hebrew : ADONAI
53. Sound off : OPINE
54. Rush hour glut : AUTOS. Followed by 55. Rush hour pace : CRAWL
62. Talk a blue streak? : CUSS
63. "Ha! I was right!" : TOLD YA
64. Painter of ballerinas : DEGAS
65. Norse pantheon : AESIR. They live in Asgard.
67. Soothes : EASES
69. Boil : SEETHE
70. Round mound : KNOLL. The only one I know is that Grassy Knoll.
72. 1928 Gary Cooper romance in which a bouquet plays a vital role : LILAC TIME. Unfamiliar to me.
73. Went longer than : OUTLASTED
74. Invaders of ancient Rome : GOTHS
75. More than checks out : OGLES
76. In progress : AFOOT. And 84. Beached : AGROUND. Both solid A-words.
77. What one never is on a golf course : PAR. I was thinking you can have 1 on a par 3 or par 4 hole, if you're really lucky/good. But 1 is never a par.
82. Prankster's cry : I GOTCHA
83. Only speck of food the Grinch left in each Who's house : CRUMB
85. Shower component : METEOR. Meteor shower.
87. Flammable gas : ETHANE
88. NYSE news : IPO
89. "Let me just interject ... " : IF I MAY
90. Blow a gasket : GET MAD
93. Hooch : SAUCE
94. Old NBC legal drama : LA LAW. Also 96. Covered in court : ROBED
95. Draw forth : EDUCE
97. __-Z: classic Camaro : IROC
98. Moon goddess : LUNA. Chinese Moon goddess is Chang'e, who lives in the moon. That's why we eat mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival.
99. Vocal nudge : PSST
103. Yiddish laments : OYs
104. French article : LES
105. __ Paulo : SAO
106. HUN neighbor, to the IOC : CRO (Croatia)
C.C.
44 comments:
On starry nights, a painter in ARLES
Split his time between OILS and quarrels!
In a cafe, there was ADO
When he claimed that the LOO
When flushed, plagiarized his cloud swirls!
In Thailand, the dress code for a guy
Must both East and West MORES satisfy.
Business suits are in fashion,
But the neck, custom FASTEN --
It's a TITANIC task to TIE a Thai tie!
The Spirit drifted in to the BAR to peruse
The display of spirits that tipplers could choose.
He was offered a slosh
Of some of the SAUCE,
But demurred, saying, "I brought my own Boo-s!"
{A-, B, B-.}
Greetings!
Thanks to Bruce and C. C.!
Pleasant theme!
Not to many unknowns, but took awhile. No cheats.
DId not know: THAD, HYENA, LILAC TIME and CRO.
Hope to see you all tomorrow!
Brrrrr! Good morning!
I hate it when the temperature drops below my age. But we have a rule at our house: no furnace until after Thanksgiving. This year we didn't even make it to Halloween. OK, we're wimps. 40° this morning, and that warm furnace air feels good.
Forgot to read the puzzle title. Again. Still, managed to pick up on the gimmick with the very first themer. I liked the RALEIGH HAIR GEL the best. Thanx, Bruce. Didn't Haight this one at all. Hand up for NORMS, C.C. Tried IDEAS for PLOTS and was briefly making ARMS DEALS. I stumbled across the finish line at the 20-minute mark.
Interesting about the two-word Shanghai and Lhasa, C.C.
I haven't been caught in a rush-hour CRAWL for more than 7 years. Don't miss it a bit! I schedule all my appts for mid-morning or early afternoon. The only time I've been late was the fault of a freight train, not traffic.
Good morning.
I woke up very early in the morning after falling asleep in the early innings of the ballgame last night. Couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to do the puzzle. Finally got back to sleep after 4AM. Those extra few hours of sleep really helped.
Worked this one from the bottom up. Don't know why, but that's what I did. Got COLUMBUS SUMO CLUB pretty quickly, and then looked at the theme title. AHA ! I GOTCHA Bruce !
Pretty smooth solve, but enough crunch here and there that required pep help to suss the answers. I'm looking at you Tex AVERY. Like Fermatprime said, it took a little longer, but no "cheats" required.
Sorry to see that the Astros lost, but glad Ohio State came back to win that big game yesterday.
FLN, thank you BigJ for explaining Dang Skippy to mean "I agree."
What on earth is 66 down???
This was a pretty amazing crossword. Well done! A lot of fun!
FIW. Naticks for me were AAgGH x MAgAT and TEA CuZY x ADuNAI. Also didn't know Tex AVERY at the AAgGH Natick, but guessed that one correctly.
Other unknowns were TAD, Twinkle TOES, ADA, CAT POSE, RITA Moreno, Aardwolf, ASSAM, PAGLIA, AESIR, and LILAC TIME. Its been years since I've missed a Final Four game, but I didn't remember that they are on TBS. I thought they were on one of the Big Three. BTW - The basketball season starts for Kentucky on November 10th. They start the season with the least experience that they have ever had, which is saying something for a perennial mostly-freshmen program. They will take a few on the chin early, then hopefully gel by March. GO UK!
Erased sPeak, then Orate for OPINE. Only one erasure needed when Kroc became HERR, and like others, norms became MORES.
Favorites today were "rubber", "extended rental" and "fleshy 'buttons'". Least favorite was AARGH - these gutteral clues are my severe pet peeves. But thanks for the rest of the puzzle, Bruce. Thanks to CC for another great reveal.
Thanks C.C. and Bruce. The theme was fun and well-done. Although I had written it in, I didn't understand "Steve" until C.C. explained it. Thank heavens for C.C!
Have a lovely day, everyone.
Good Morning:
This was not any easy solve, despite the telltale title, but it was a lot of fun. At first glance, I thought it was going to be Columbus Sam's Club until I spotted the wayward "A." Bruce has a knack for tricky and misleading cluing, but he's fair and amusing. I stumbled over all three of these red herrings and I should know better: Hamburger man=Herr, Heads of Parliment=Loos, and Jobs in the tech industry=Steve. Other missteps were: Ideas/Plot, Stn/Sta, Peter/Pius I, Tiny/Itty, Kia/Geo, Spout/Opine, and Lied/Owed. Unknowns were legion: Marat, Avery, Adonai, Aesir, and Lilac Time. Paglia was a gimme as I was a fan of "Without A Trace."
Thanks, Bruce, for a challenging and satisfying solve and thanks, CC, for your always informative and chatty summary. Congrats on being part of the LA Crossword package; I'll be ordering the puzzles and look forward to solving the ladies' offerings.
We are expecting severe winds and rains later today and into tomorrow. It's very gloomy right now and, typically, calm before the storm.
Apropos of nothing, I feel bad for Joe Giradi.
Have a great day.
I knew that spelling look strange! Sorry, Joe Girardi.
DO @ 6:53 ~ Not only are you an early bird, but you are a speed demon, as well. I don't think I've ever completed a Sunday puzzle in 20 minutes.
Thanks CC - you rock! I thought I was doing pretty well this year in number of crosswords published in major venues till I counted up yours. You have about TWICE as many published as the #2 person from what I can tell. How do you do it CC? When do you sleep? Are you from another planet? You are amazing!
Normally my Sunday efforts are at least 140 words and often 144, which is the upper limit for the LAT. This one is only 138, so should mean more interesting long entries than the average. Rich changed one letter in my grid, tossing TO NOW at 69 Across and inserting SO NOW, which is a clear partial. He has used TO NOW several times in the past, but I do think SEETHE is quite a bit livelier than TEETHE.
Hope you enjoyed the solve! Bruce Haight
Thank you, Bruce Haight! How nice of you to stop by and comment.
By no means could I finish this in 20 minutes! I take my time and even though some answers came quickly, it still took an hour. Kudos, d-o!
AVIA and Asic are my favorite shoes but AVERY was unknown. STEVE Jobs! Oh! Thank you, C.C. I filled it only because of high-FIVE. I recognize Anthony LaPaglia but couldn't associate him with the show even though I was a big fan at the time. Googled him, I have to confess. AESIR is familiar from other puzzles.
Again, thank you, Bruce and C.C. I also, love S.O.S SOAPPADS. They work well on my glass topped stove and so much else. How nice that soy sauce is now also available on tables. It's a good marinade for meat, too.
Have a fabulous day, everyone!
FIR, at last. I took much longer than I normally do on Sunday. I loved the anagrams of the cities. Last to fill was PAGLIA, all perps. OILS had me going for a while, too. I enjoyed Bruce's clever Hamburger man/Herr, Heads of Parliament/Loos, and Jobs in the tech industry/Steve.
ARLES and Giverny were on my bucket list for years. But I believe foreign travel has kicked the bucket for me.
I enjoyed the movie about Van Gogh, Lust for for Life, in 1954. A new movie, Loving Vincent, is out now. I understand it is hand painted and has fine reviews. I have seen several TV specials about Van Gogh's life. I am even, more interested in Monet.
Our Episcopal priests wear ALBs. The root is Latin albus (white). Think albino. Recently I read a novel where the priest wore a brown alb. Totally wrong. No such thing. More and more frequently I find this kind of error in novels about all kinds of subjects. I look up the word to see if I am mistaken, but usually I am not.
My DIL and I love pate, but no one else here does. Sometimes we buy it for just the two of us.
Yesterday we had lovely warm temps and clear skies like early Sept. Today it is rainy, but the whole coming week promises to be slightly warmer than normal. Unlike other years, I have not used any heat so far and there has been no frost. Our condo has a modified passive solar design.
Hand up with Jinx in Norfolk: FIW with AAGGH/MAGAT. Not really a Natick for me. I did know MARAT but didn't think of it. Otherwise, a fun and rather challenging Sunday puzzle. I was impressed with the effort that went into constructing this.
Here is a handy site that generates anagrams!
Thanks for the write-up, CC. I totally could not parse IT SHOT and thought it was a photo of an "It Girl". So, it is "IT'S HOT".
ALB/TBS would have been a Natick except hand up for seeing ALB in these puzzles. Unknowns: THAD, PAGLIA, RITA, LILAC TIME, AESIR, LUIS, AVIA. My favorite shoe is the one that fits. Difficult because when I find one I like they change the style. Learning moment about AARDWOLF.
Clever clues for SADDLE, STEVE (JOBS), METEOR.
Here is my article with photos of our recent total ECLIPSE experience.
No OMEN except of the horrific traffic jam afterwards. But totally worth it. Photos do not capture the transcendent experience of a total eclipse. I want to experience another one!
Before that, we were in SAN DIEGO for one of my work conventions.
Here is a video I took near the convention center at Torrey Pines of an acrobatic paraglider.
The interesting bits are at the start and end. Who knew they could fly upside down?!
Musings
-I left for church with four empty cells and just now when I came back STEVE Jobs leapt into my mind and I was done. It wasn’t a JOB and it wasn’t plural!
-I enjoyed/needed/discovered the theme when I stumbled onto the title. Kids today say, “I saw it on accident”. SUMO CLUB was fabulous.
-My SHUTTLECOCK feathered, indoor flier got tossed when I saw the four cells
-A two-minute lesson on CALLING a bet
-The complexity of those Chinese characters looks daunting to me
-PATE – Liver by any other name tastes as foul!
-NBA TANKING
-I find Camille PAGLIA’s writing very engaging. I don’t know Anthony.
-Beware of SAINTS with this flaw
-My _ _ A _ L pace was not SNAIL
-Gary Cooper’s career definitely OUTLASTED Colleen Moore’s
-I enjoyed your comments (and puzzle), Bruce, and second your assessment of C.C.
Hi Y'all! Wow! What a test of perseverance! I was engrossed for all 62 min. 30 sec. it took to rassle this baby into shape. Longest I ever spent on Sunday, methinks, without just giving up. Very interesting, Bruce. Always interesting, C.C.
I read the title to begin, but totally missed the anagram part of the theme until C.C. 'splained it. Duh! I got the city names with a WAG of Sacramento then went back and filled the prior two. Looking for the cities also helped on the rest. I'm just not anagram oriented somehow.
Drove me nuts with several passes thru: Jewish God = ADONAI, fleshy buttons = NAVELS (not "breast"), S.O.S. = SOAP PAD (had SOAP from perps for a long time. Since I don't cook, haven't used SOS for a long time.), Jobs in the tech industry = STEVE (of course).
New to me AESIR & Aardwolf (but had enough perps to guess HYENA).
We've had some hard freezes the last two nights and chilly days. My furnace has been on for a week. My allergies are AARGH!
Fun Sunday puzzle, Bruce--and how cool that you stopped by to chat with us about it. I got about three-quarters before I started cheating a little, but enjoyed the misleading cues, which I should have gotten (HEADS OF PARLIAMENT, HAMBURGER MAN, etc.). Found all the Catholic references interesting: ALB, RECTOR, PIUS I, SAINT, and also enjoyed seeing Hebrew ADONAI and Yiddish OYS. However without C.C.'s great write-up, I would never have figured out the anagram part of the theme answers, even though I got most of the city names pretty early on--especially all the California ones. Many thanks, Bruce, and C.C., for getting our Sunday off to a great start.
Have a great day, everybody!
Steve Jobs, the guy who ran Apple...twice.
Wow, what a well-constructed puzzle! I love your skill and humor at misdirection, Bruce, and yet it is fair. Some constructors just come across as "Ha! I GOTCHA!" kind of guys but you don't, and I like that. Although it took me 50+ very enjoyable minutes to complete this wonderful offering, I was able to work it out without having to use Google or red letters. Yay me and yay you!
So, CC, how is a Chinese-English dictionary organized? Can't be alphabetically. Probably not phonetically. By so-called "radical"? By Pinyin spelling? Same question about using Google translate: what characteristic does one search on? For example, how would one look up 舒服?
LW and I have recently started a new "tradition" of EATing OUT on a "lunch date" once a week. Last week we had excellent steamed dumplings (小笼包) at a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant specializing in Shanghai-style dishes. We liked it enough that we will go back. By the way, LW and I really like our new tradition; it brings us closer together and offers a welcome change from the daily routine.
And with that I say ADIEU to you all and send blessings that no aardwolf shall ever darken your door.
Well this was fun (but took me more than 20 minutes (unlike d-otto!). Thanks Bruce and C.C.
I got the theme which helped immensely!
My collectible fossil was a Sabre TOOTH before a SHARK. And my 2 mile high capital was La Paz before LHASA so that top corner is an inkblot.
Downward dog wouldn't fit for my yoga move. CAT POSE it is.
I wanted Yahweh before ADONAI. (could have been ELOHIM also)
Hand up for Snail before CRAWL.
ALB was one of those words in my original crossword list that I was discussing with Mark S the other day. I finally remembered a previous discussion here about Heads in boats being bathrooms and LOOS came to mind.
STEVE Jobs was a V8 moment, as was SOS being SOAP PAD, and Rubber?=MASSEUR.
My TEA COSY is well used as I like to have a second cup that is just as hot as the first. I have a lovely one that fits right over the tea pot NOT one of those annoying ones that you have to tie around the pot and then either undo when you pour, or wash frequently because it gets stained with drips!
Enjoy the day.
Sorry, but I'll be today's Grinch, so here's my paltry crumbs: since the ONLY reasons I get the Sunday LAT are the comics and the puzzler, two pleasures that have endured in my life for over forty years. Got the themes (love anagrams) right off, but after over an hour of pointless struggle, I did 90D! After another half hour of angst, I let out an 43A, and looked at the solution with only one third of the puzzle filled in. I won't burden you with the two dozen or so arguments I have with Mr. Haight and his defs, but I detest the fact that the crosses of the anagram answers weren't straight forward enough to figure them out. My angst is caused by the fact that "clever" and "cuteness" are NOT synonymous. Clever clues make you think, cute clues make you groan. Since I want to be a grown up rather than a groaner, I'll pass on any further Haight entries. In fact, I will eschew the purchase of the LAT Sunday if I see that the puzzler is his. Otherwise, a nice puzzle (just kidding)!
Yellowrocks:
Might the priest in the book you mentioned have belonged to a religious order? Franciscans and others wear a brown habit though it's never called an ALB. It's possible the author didn't know the difference.
Jayce:
How very modern of you and your wife to have a date time! My daughter and her husband as well as other young couples I know incorporate a date night into their busy lives. It must certainly help their relationship to provide themselves some time together without distractions. Obviously it's a good practice.
As for a Hebrew God, I thought of Yahweh and Jehovah before ADONAI perped itself.
Lucina, I thought so, too. I am turned off by this careless use of words. I see many many such errors lately in various fields. I have trusted these books to increase my vocabulary. I believe editors and proofreaders should be more astute.
So... Let's start with Saturday. I accidentally saw WANNA BE so I was DNF before starting. I think it perped though.
I slogged and slogged, finally put it away for a nights sleep. But I missed AMAZON ANT. For Swell I had FOP. I had the right idea for the Island but spelled it IBIXA.
FAB is indeed a synonym for the antiquated SWELL, So common in teen movies of 40s and 50s. Ironically, "wonderful" has exactly replaced it.
I really wanted UNWIND before the obvious UNTIED.
Oh well, I'm boring everyone with ANCIENT xword talk. But Splynter, keep the pics coming. Congrats on your new work life which obviously is 180° from UPS.
Speaking of ANCIENT, let's go to Sunday in a brand new post.
WC
Actually, the GAULS were the ancient invaders of the pre-BC Rome. And add a few R's and G's and H's and you have a CSO to Wilbur and Misty.
AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH?
Ok. So there's an anagram generator, eh. Both Asimov and Tolkien used anagrams. I need Spitz to help me on Radshilde for Rothschild. Or is it Ratshilde.*
I quickly entered SNARL and SNAIL(pace). And used the first S for SPOUT before OPINE.
Bobbi,at least you had that ROTFL Bizarro from the comics. And speaking of NPR, they had a segment on bats pollinating agave which led to a line of "putting the boos in booze.
And then Owen drops something similar. Lots of great l'icks and haikus lately.
I just read about Charlotte Corday knifing Marat in his bathtub.
YR, sports books are notoriously poorly edited.
I like SBARRO'S spaghetti and meatballs. Bring your own spice.
Do not as you value your skin refer to a licensed massage therapist as a "rubber" or Mass-oose.
WC
* You might recall my theory that N. Radshilde yields Hari Selden.
If you've never seen The Scarlet Pumpernickel with Martin Shaw, Elizabeth McGovern (from Downton Abbey) and Richard E. Grant, I highly recommend it for French revolution vintage viewing. It's wonderful and was made for A&E, I believe, but may be available on Netflicks or some other streaming service. (1984) Warning: it's a musical. A well done musical!
Always fun to get a CSO, Wilbur--but I'm afraid your GAUL one eluded me today. Maybe just as well?
Could someone tell me what FIR stands for?
Comments Section Abbreviations
11) FIW: Finished It Wrong
12) FIR: Finished it Right
Filled It Right, and for most of us, we mean without help or cheats.
Great puzzle! Loved the theme even tho I loathe anagrams, I plugged away and got most of them!
Also loved the clue parliament heads! I'm from the uk originally. Gotta love the expression 'loo'!
Misty, ancient Gaul invaded Rome centuries before Caesar invaded and conquered Gaul. Perhaps to be more accurate, some of the Celtic tribes invaded. The Gallic tribes sacked Rome
This was circa 400 BC I'm guessing.
WC
2A should be "Hamburg man," not "Hamburger man" (or just "Hamburger").
3D To TANK is not to THROW; it is merely to lose ignominiously.
51A, 72A and 97A are really lame.
99A PSST is not a "vocal nudge": It is a sound made without the voice.
37A, 43A, 47A, 51A, 72D, 86A, 97A and 93D are FOULS.
This is one TRULY LAME puzzle.
Thank you, Wilbur, your history is wonderful, and I will just have to pray that all those poor people whose territories were invaded survived, or their children or their homes did, and that everyone had a tiny bit of joy before their last end. Isn't human history simply horrible? Why couldn't we just have been all and loving caring too each other over so many centuries instead of killing and torturing and murdering each other? Makes no sense to me whatsoever, and I'm not sure the animal world provides any logical answers, given that we're all of the same species.
Wilbur Charles: Misty was probably mystified because she wasn't talking about the GAULS. It was I, PK. You might like to check back on who said what if you aren't sure. As for myself, thank you for more information about Rome's invaders.
Agree w/Anon @ 2013 about:
22A (NOT 2A) - further, HERR translates to lord, sir, gentleman or master, not “man”. Man in English is mann in German.
(per Dictionary Reverso online).
3D - thought loses on purpose HAD to be THROWS - tanks really doesn’t fit.
99A - no vocalization.
HOWEVER - not liking (or not being able to figure out) a clue does not make it lame or a foul. This puzzle is difficult but extremely clever and definitely not lame. Imagine coming up with those anagrams and funny clues to fit! I’m impressed.
Sunday Lurk say...
{B, A, B+}
Thanks Bruce for a little inside-baseball.
C.C. What's your favorite Soy Sauce? I heard a while back on NPR's Splendid Table that Kikkoman's came out on top in a taste test [I assume American tasters and we're used to it]. I like Kikkoman's (it's in my fridge) but wouldn't know better.
D-O: I wimp'd out too. We cut on the furnace and fireplace yesterday. This below 65F silliness needs to stop!
Bill G - Another nutty (how many HRs was that?!?) WS game. Good show sans errors (1ea) by both teams. And a game that shouldn't have play'd the full 9th much less go to the 10th. I'm going to bed 'cuz I gots'ta get up early (the game will be on my AM radio as I try to go to sleep). See ya' Tuesday regardless the outcome tonight.
TxMs - you can't look yet.
Cheers, -T
For some reason unknown to me, the Mensa site does not/will not have the LAT puzzles for Oct. 27,30,31, or Nov. 1. Regular sequence will resume Nov.2nd.
As of 1:30 past normal posting time, Cruciverb does not have the Monday puzzle available.
As of 1:30 past normal posting time, Arkadium does not have the Monday puzzle available.
Merriam-Webster uses the Mensa interface.
LA Times uses the Arkadium interface.
The Final Four is not broadcast on TBS.
The men's is on CBS. The women's is on ESPN.
Some of the early round games of the men's tournament are broadcast on TBS, but not the Final Four.
It may be the puzzle was submitted some time ago. 2016 Final Four was on TBS.
I know this is late but let me clarify.
The CSO was the clue for AAARRGGGHH give or take a few G's and H's. Misty and I have both used it in here. I should have started a new paragraph for Gaul.
I then added my comment on ANCIENT Rome vs Rome. The GOTHS were invaders of Rome, the GAULS were invaders of Ancient Rome.
Much like Cleopatra was Queen of Egypt not Ancient Egypt.
And I agree with Mike S., This was a superbly crafted and thoroughly entertaining piece of art. Yes, I found it difficult grokking clues, far less difficult than Saturday.
WC Who sometimes, as someone noted, is too cryptic
Didn’t finish up until this morning after being interrupted yesterday by my grandson’s FaceTime showing me his coding efforts in Scratch fromn M.I.T. Fascinating what the little guy could do. Afterward, my wife and I joined friends of 48 years at their home for dinner. The puzzle pushed me to my edge of solfving ability. Very enjoyable.
Good Monday afternoon, folks. Thank you, Bruce Haight, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.
Well, I rode to Bloomington and back yesterday and worked this puzzle riding down and back. Could not finish. Looked at it again today and got it done. Phew!
Theme came eventually and did help with some answers. Very clever, I feel.
Got ACED eventually, but did not look at it as a school test. Should have.
ASSAM was easy once I had an AS. I have had ASSAM tea.
Wanted YAHWEH for 52D. Could not get any crosses. Held off and ADONAI appeared.
Wrote in GET RED for 90D. GET MAD worked eventually.
Anyhow, I have a meeting to go to. See you tomorrow (Tuesday).
Abejo
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