Theme: CCCW~!
Words: 70 (missing F,J,Q,V,X,Z)
Blocks: 30
Another
puzzle from our ever-producing blog hostess C.C. - four constructions
for the LA Times in October - that's impressive. This time, however,
there was to be no "STOG" - that Straight TO Google beast I got roughed
up by in September. Not even red-letter this time. A plethora of
9-letter answers, and pairs of 10-letter answers in the down corners;
1a. It features remotely controlled utilities : SMARTHOME - I was not sure if this was an actual brand name,
or just a phrase - turns out to be both. I
can argue that I have a smart home because Alexa can turn my lights on
for me with just a voice command, and I can do it thru my "smart" phone
as well
11d. Restaurant freebie : DINNER ROLL - PEPPERMINT fit as well, and even worked with my crossing WINE @ 35a.
53a. Crowdfunding website : INDIEGOGO - no clue. Perps and WAGs.
What a great idea this is. I might have to look further into the website as a source
of funds to get my board game started. Speaking of which, my buddy Mike
was in Orlando this weekend for a Toy Convention - recognize the guy
he's with~?
Hint - go fish
26. Program that holds you up? : RANSOMWARE - never heard of it - scary - the Wiki
O&W%$^R-//_d~!
ACROSS:
10. Blue Moon of '60s-'70s baseball : ODOM - Baseball~! "Johnny Lee" to his parents, I am guessing - his Wiki
14. One who fits perfectly : MALE MODEL - yep, damn ski(m)ppy
15. Your, of yore : THINE
16. Consequences of compliments : EGO BOOSTS
17. Seashore birds : ERNES - ERNES or TERNS~?
18. Oscar Wilde, e.g. : WIT
19. Bud : BRO
20. Biscotti bits : ALMONDS
22. Lane of "Unfaithful" : DIANE - crossword popular lately
24. Sunny : UPBEAT
25. Without question : TRULY
27. Expo display : DEMO
- Home Depot once had a store here on L.I. called "Expo", and it was
all high end home improvement items; they had vignettes of kitchens and
bathrooms that were over the top expensive, but way cool, too.
29. Deli option : RYE
30. Action film scene : CHASE
31. Works out : PUMPS IRON - ah, the exercising kind; I wondered if this was the "this came out good" works out
33. Hair piece : HANK - dah. Not LOCK
34. Lines at department stores : SEAMS - wow, that's vague. SEAMS on clothing. How 'bout these seams~?
35. Blanc, e.g. : MONT
- my first thought was WINE. Can you tell I work at a vineyard now~? I
spent the last two weeks re-working the warehouse with better shelving
that is customized to what needed to go on them. Here's a pic of what I accomplished, for TX
Ms.; yes, there's carpentry and mechanics involved, so this is just
about the perfect place for me.
36. Online place for handmade goods : ETSY STORE - seems redundant. I am familiar with the website - here; I have bought some cool stuff there.
38. Vexes : GALLS
39. Bustle : ADO
40. Koi __ : POND
41. In a romantic fashion, lighting-wise : DIMLY
42. "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen : POMPEO - never watched the show, did not know this actress;
filled via perps. Strange that she was born in Everett WA, and came to
NY - I was thinking about leaving NY for Everett WA about 15 years ago
44. Running legend : OWENS - my first thought was the crossword staple Emil (Zátopek), but neither name fit; instead, we were looking for Jesse Owens
46. Rabbit danglers : DEWLAPS - I tried LOP EARS. Bzzzt. I did not know that this was called a dewlap - I know only of the kind on iguanas
48. 2015 World Golf Award winner for Golf Course Designer of the Year : ELS - three letters and golf related~? Ernie ELS
49. Ended a standing ovation : SAT
52. Light __ : AS AIR - SABER worked, too - at least the "R" did
56. Focus quartet : TIRES - a-ha~! My first thought. A FORD Focus, that is - I would love to tear up the road in one of these
56. Focus quartet : TIRES - a-ha~! My first thought. A FORD Focus, that is - I would love to tear up the road in one of these
57. Disorderly places : RATS NESTS
58. "Vous __ ici" : ETES - Frawnche that translates to this
59. Bar item : SHOTGLASS
DOWN:
1. Eurasian duck : SMEW - Dah~! Not TEAL - they're North American
2. Star followers : MAGI - "WARS" fit, but didn't jibe
3. Loads : A LOT
4. Gray : REBel - The Confederate side of the Civil War. I tried APE, was thinking ALIENS
5. Sprint competitor : T-MOBILE
6. "Woo-hoo!" : "HOORAY~!"
7. Can't stop eating, as snack food : ODs ON
8. Bumped into : MET
9. Animated queen of Arendelle : ELSA
10. Laura's classic cry on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" : "OH, ROB."
13d. Private dining rooms? : MESS TENTS - dining for army privates
12. Sale limit : ONE DAY ONLY - Macy's seems to run sales like this
15. Playing speeds : TEMPOS
21. Sweetener units : LUMPS - not GRAMS
22. Like late twilight : DUSKY
23. Facebook co-founder Saverin : EDUARDO
25. "I've had enough!" : "THAT DOES IT~!"
28. Palindromic supermodel : EMME - Dah~! Not "ELLE"; never heard of this first-of-her-kind plus-size model
30. Easy-to-please companion : CHEAP DATE
31. Grunt : PEON
32. Mosque leaders : IMAMS
34. Condescend : STOOP
37. Sticks a fork in : SPEARS
38. Root widely used in traditional Chinese medicine : GINSENG
41. Remove from an exchange : DE-LIST
43. Barre bends : PLIES - forced me to change my LOP EARS
45. United with : WED TO
47. Formal addressees : SIRs
49. Player who failed to lead the league in all three seasons in which he hit 60+ home runs : SOSA - a lot of clue for a little answer - but it's more baseball from C.C.~!
50. CIA operatives : AGTs
51. Scrap : TOSS
54. Casual denial : "NAH."
55. Holder of locks : GEL
- I could not find a decent hair gel until I spoke with Maggie, who
cuts my hair (I was there on Thursday) - I actually resorted to using
Elmer's Glue - hey, it's water-based, and it worked. Maggie had
Suavecito pomade - I like it.
Splynter
Everett, Massachusetts? Just a skosh east of Washington.
ReplyDeleteGreetings!
ReplyDeleteThanka to C. C. and Splynter!
Took a while but got her done. HOORAY!
Didn't know INDIEGOGO, ODOM or POMPEO. Lots of perps. Sort of guessed at the first one. Had ELLE before EMME.
Have a great day!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThe two-word answers gave me problems this morning: DINNER menu, MESS halls. Also tried EARLAPS, but it wouldn't DEW. I still finished in better-than-normal Saturday time, so life is good. Well done, C.C. and thanx for the expo, Splynter.
Abe Vigoda ?
ReplyDeleteODOM a gimme. SOSA a gimme. Grey's Anatomy star, no clue. Thank you perps.
East side, top to bottom, was much easier for me than the west. Only erasures on the east were cubes before lumps and emirs before imams, but they were both short-lived answers that should have been vetted first.
West side story was different, probably because I was trying to work with fans for star followers, Verizon for T-MOBILE, age for gray, some form of tons or gobs for loads, pal for bud, and lock for hair piece.
So I solved it with two different TEMPOS, but it all worked out in the end. Good Saturday challenge CC.
This was generally a faster than normal solve but the SE slowed me down some- I had heard of the Go Fund Me website but not INDIEGOGO. Like D-O, I started with MESS HALLS - but couldn't think of anything but RYE for the deli - so HALLS became TENTS.
ReplyDeletePOMPEO came easily - but only because I had read an article just yesterday about how they stage the medical aspects of the show - like the surgeries.
Thanks Splynter and CC!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAfter the first pass across, I had a sea of white but, as is almost always the case, getting several of the long entries broke the rest wide open. My favorite answers were Rat's Nest and Cheap Date. I'm not familiar with Indie GoGo and while I've heard of Etsy, I've never visited the web site. Blue Moon Odom was a name from the past. CSO to Misty with Woo Hoo clue.
Thanks, CC, for a Saturday challenge and thanks, Splynter, for a fun tour and nice photos.
I join the chorus complaining about the déluge of spam emails. Just this week alone, I have received 2-3 a day from "Netflix" telling me my account has been frozen. Strange that I keep getting my DVDs on a regular basis! This morning's onslaught included one from a Sudanese who wants to share $18,000,000.00 with me, upon receipt of my personal information. And, unless I provide Keybank with updated information, my online banking privileges will be suspended. Strange, again, as I don't have an account with Keybank. (Nor Wells Fargo, Bank of America, AAA Insurance, or any of the other "companies" that are nothing but thieves!
Have a great day.
What a tough puzzle from our 'hostess with the mostest" C.C. I started out wondering if the left side would ever get filled. No gimmes. The right fills in a normal Saturday time with only two changes- Pete DYE to Ernie ELS and ELLE to EMME. I sound like TTP. I had never heard of INDIEGOGO. We just got a wedding invitation and since the couple is moving to Ecuador they didn't want any presents that would have to be shipped, but.........are you ready? The bridal registry had a GO FUND ME request for a company they are trying to start.
ReplyDeleteBut The west was another story. I actually filled DIMLY for 22D forgetting that it was already used for 41A. That didn't help. But eventually my ROLE MODEL turned out to be MALE, VERIZON morphed into T-MOBILE, my Ford Focus' DOORS became TIRES and DIMLY became DUSKY, I didn't AGE but became a REBel. HOORAY, I finished it.
inanahiker- I wanted MESS HALLS by RYE and HAM were the only 3-letter Deli clue answers and that negated the H for halls.
Irish Miss- This is the IRS and you need to immediately wire me, I mean the IRS, money or all your accounts will be frozen. After you respond, I will send the IRS routing and account number which we keep in Pakistan because it is cheaper to do business there than in Washington D.C.
EDUARDO, POMPEO and DEWLAPS were all from perps. All unknowns.
CC, fun puzzle. I started with a sea of white. OH ROB got me going and the eastern third and center went quickly then. The western third took a little longer. I thought of CHEAP DATE right away, but I thought NAH, it couldn't be. When I accepted it the SW filled easily. My biggest hangup was A TON instead of A LOT. MATE and WIN didn't make it.
ReplyDeleteRANSOM WARE, Anonymous T, thanks for your reassurance last night. I do very little for computer security compared to most people and have never had any kind of failure. I keep expecting it to catch up with me.
My square dance email gets dozens of SPAM messages a day but they all arrive in a JUNK folder. I could pay to have them eliminated. For months my crossword email tries to send all the Corner posts I write here to a Corner email address. They come back in the SPAM folder as undeliverable. My personal email account has very little SPAM.
SHOT GLASS CSO to Tinbeni.
Alan is having a good day for a change. HOORAY
Thanks CC and Splynter. Really enjoyed the challenge today even though I didn’t get everything right. Just couldn’t get a few boxes but that didn’t spoil the fun for me. My philosophy is you lose some, you win some, but never give up trying.
ReplyDeleteHis BRO thought HANK a real bore
Since he TRULY eschewed the indoors
While his friend PUMPS IRON
Hank delights in quoting Byron
“I love not man less, but nature more”
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed today's fine puzzle from C.C., but I had to google for Ellen POMPEO and DIANE Lane to finish up in the west. EDUARDO was another complete unknown, but he arrived via perps. Thanks for the thorough expo, Splynter. Your new job seems to be a good fit for you.
Fermatprime--I hope you are having less pain in your arm.
YR--So glad to hear that Alan is having a good day. HOORAY, indeed!
Have a great day!
DNF! Shooda been DNS (did not start).
ReplyDeleteSome really reaching clues.
Not for the faint of heart.
I’ll be happier with Monday’s puzzle.
Thanks, C.C., for a nice challenge this am. Loved "CHEAPDATE" the best! Great fill and some unknowns that were easily perped.....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Splynter, for another good review. Thanks for all you do on a Saturday blog!
"Puzzling Thoughts":
ReplyDeleteI used to think that Barry Silk was the most difficult Saturday puzzler, but our fearless leader is quickly catching up! And I mean that as a compliment - - -
FIW
C
WO
E
too many to list. WEES.
I too found the going easier on the "east coast"; my only two WO's east of the Mississippi were DYE > ELS, and MESS HALLS > TENTS.
But the West was not won, at all. Had to cheat CHEAP DATE and POMPEO to get a minor foothold in the SW, but DEW LAPS, ETSY and RANSOMWARE were not sussed. MALE MODEL finally emerged when I got REB, but not sure I "get" the clue for 14a
My brain is not in the "creative" mood today, so this "Moe-ku" is the best I could come up with .... dangling participle instead of rabbit dangler!!
Grey's Anatomy
Star now lives in Italy.
Pompei POMPEO
Hello everyone.
ReplyDeleteA slick Saturday special from C.C.
Also didn't know what Fermat didn't know. Had stem GLASS before SHOT GLASS. Also didn't know DIANE and ELSA Didn't know the supermodel EMME, but had EM and, ergo, the palindrome hint, plunked down ME. Heard of DEWLAPS, in the distant past, but could not recall it today.
Had to think 'army' to come up with MESS TENTS. Our destroyer had MESS deck for everyone E-6 and below.
Good job, Splynter. I look forward to your blogs.
I seem to have been on the same wavelength as Big Easy, finding it difficult, especially the West. The NW was the last to fall with that seemingly impossible crossing of SMEW and MALE MODEL. Hand up for SABER before AS AIR.
ReplyDeleteHand up for ROLE MODEL. Maybe MATE MODEL. Still don't really get how a MALE MODEL fits perfectly? Originally wanted something like SOUL MATE or IDEAL MATE.
Hand up for MESS HALLS and HAM before TENTS and RYE. Did anyone else think MELS for Blanc after our recent visit with him?
Learning moment that EDUARDO was a Facebook co-founder. Only know Mark Zuckerberg.
Other unknowns DIANE, ODOM, POMPEO. Only know the sexy SANDRA OH from Grey's Anatomy. ELSA and ELS only known from these puzzles.
This electronic RATSNEST is what I think of when I hear the term
As you route the circuit board, you convert the RATSNEST lines to circuit board traces. I used to do this for hours at a time for my work. It takes a lot of focus, planning. It would totally put me in a Flow state.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Having THAT WILL DO and LOCK was a roadblock that necessitated looking up POMPEO and it all came together
-A “freebie” is a euphemism for “included in the cost”
-MAGI changed the confidently entered ROLE MODEL to MALE MODEL
-Tech expos for teachers had some fabulous DEMOS for stuff we couldn’t afford
-“Got a HANK o' hair and a piece o' bone, And made a walkin' talkin' Honeycomb”
-Every Sunday now includes reports of who stood and who SAT
-Would you characterize your desk as immaculate or a RAT’S NEST?
-Not the type of SHOT glasses you might expect
-Cell carriers seem like insurance companies – It just doesn’t matter!
-How in the world does a lovely woman from China know “OH ROB!”?
-Slow TEMPO (:32)
-CHEAP DATE – Our dinners out are much more likely to be under $10 but some are over $100 and we’re good with either
-VERY competitive Appalachian GINSENG harvesting on The History Channel (1:43)
-SOSA also failed his drug tests!
At WOOHOO of course, I thought of Misty. Great CSO.
ReplyDeleteThis was rough going but little by little and step by step it filled. CHEAPDATE was my favorite, too. I protest! DINNERROLLS may seem free, but I believe they are somehow included in the price. I hope I'm wrong about that.
I had too many unknowns to LIST but enough familiar fill that it got me through the rough spots. OH, ROB. I can hear it now. MAGI, the biblical star followers. SOSA, I've heard of and seen many times. PLIES I know but not ETES, it just emerged. One big fat error, though. I had ELS but didn't parse DE LIST so wanted DELETE and ended up with ESS.
Thank you, C.C. It was a worthwhile challenge today and a good hour's entertainment. Thank you, Splynter, as well. I like your shelves.
Have a superb Saturday, everyone!
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteWell I TRULY bomb'd-out on another Sat... Let me count the ways...
Not Apple HOME, roleMODEL, SodaGLASS, nor finish (stick a fork in (it)). WEDed was close but no cigar. THAT DOES IT!; I'll take my LUMPs and CHEAt this DATE.
Thanks Splynter for the answers. I fixed my errors, put in a new quarter, and continued play. So it's not spelt GINSiNG (INDIIGOGO looked silly but so did ETSY f-eiE]. After re-trying, I enjoyed your expo.
I'm still UP BEAT [not BEAm] 'cuz the Astros are Champs and my BRO is here from CHI/Denver [He just took a job (CEO?!?) in the Mountains and is between cities now]. I'm just glad the cleaning lady came this week - the house isn't a RATS NEST.
Thanks C.C. for a Saturday Stumper... A LOT of misdirection that fooled this PEON [not Pleb]. I really liked the 'in the vernacular' long fills... I'm in awe considering English is THINE second language.
{Me Likie, Coach J} {meh, considering it's you C. Moe}
YR - Funny we were just posting re: RansomWare last night and Splynter's never heard of it [wood is not vulnerable until you hook it up to a SMARTHOME] ... And, yes, HOORAY for Alan and you.
Cheers, -T
CC: Inquiring minds are eager to know the answer to Husker Gary's question:
ReplyDeleteHow in the world does a lovely woman from China know “OH ROB!”?
Woohoo! Woohoo! I loved this C.C. Saturday puzzle, and was excited to see that Irish Miss and Lucina didn't think it would be presumptuous of me to think that C.C. might have given me a sweet shout out with her WOOHOO! Thank you, thank you all! Okay, like all Saturdays, this was a struggle for me, but it was fun to get OH ROB! early on. I can still hear Mary Tyler Moore saying it after all these years. I also loved the clue STAR FOLLOWERS for MAGI (so FANS wasn't correct, was it?). Helpful write-up, Splynter, and I always appreciate your conceding that there are toughies in these puzzles. Anyway, a great start to a sunny Saturday--many thanks, C.C. and Splynter.
ReplyDeleteGlad Alan is feeling better, Yellowrocks.
Loved your Byron limerick, Coach J.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
A real,toughie today, with some really tough clueing.
ReplyDeleteStill have no idea how/why 14A= malemodel.
Got the solve despite this and some others. But 14A just doesn’t add up.
Picard - these are the circuits I think of re: RATS NEST.
ReplyDeleteI was born after DVD but I think everyone who spends more than a month in the US of A knows MTM's Oh, Rob!. FWIW, that was my 1st "correct" fill today. Thanks C.C. for the soft-ball (SOSA was another; ODEM not so much).
PVX - It's kinda green-paint but a MALE MODEL's clothes have perfect fit. At least that's how I rationalize the c/a.
Misty - It hast'a be a non-coincidental SO to you at Woohoo! I can't imagine a Cornerite not pulling you forth when reading 6d's clue.
HG - I can see Eldest's dorm-mates using those SHOT GLASSes ironically -- they grew up with the Princessi. [that's the plural, right? :-)]
Cheers, -T
Wow, Anon-T, you were born after DVD? I was born before 45's when 78's were king.
ReplyDeleteHello all:
ReplyDeleteHave been very busy last 2 weeks rescuing 2 dogs from unbearable situations. One was hit by a truck and almost died. Dominique, a ratty, just loves people so I’ve taken her to a convalescent home where she just makes the people there feel so good. She just brightens up their lives. My other rescue, Shadow, loves to sit outside with me while I do the crossword with his head on my lap. I would post pictures but as of yet haven’t figured out how to insert in comments.
I have managed to do all LAT xwords and followed the blog for the last 2 weeks.
Always enjoy C.C.’s puzzles. This was quite a challenge; and I found it more interesting than yesterdays. Oh Rob started it for me and I was able to knock off NE quickly. But the rest was more of a challenge. Learning experiences. Indiegogo, etsystore, smew, or teal, dew laps, Pompeo, Emmett I had Elle but that couldn’t work. Koi pond was also new.
Thanks YR for your concerns. Ado, rye, seams, Ernest, els, Elsa crossword favs.
The challenge continues manana. Also thanks C.C. for challenging me once again.
MS
D-O, snorkle! lol
ReplyDeleteTo misquote Robert Heinlein --
ReplyDeleteTANSTAAFD
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Dinner roll.
DO - yes... That's why when I say "Lucina/IM/YR, et.all. on the blog said...."
ReplyDeleteShe'll say, "Oh, is that one of your octogenarian friends?"
I try to point out that Steve, and others are only a few bucks older than we and Splynter is much younger... She shrugs me off w/ a "NAH - you're old - you're doing crosswo ... WAIT, I can't say that 'cuz that would make me... 'Oh -T!', go enjoy your puzzles." We were both born in '70 (her in Feb, me in Jul so she's always the "older woman" :-))
I hope no one takes offense at DW's dismissal; she's joking. And, her mom (Dear MIL) follows us too :-). Age is a mindset IMHO - everyone @the Corner is young at heart. On the internet no one can tell you're young/old/a dog. [New Yorker]
The 1st 45 I had was Immigrant Song, a BSIDE [Led Zeppelin] when I was 4 or 5 yro. I've seen 78 on my turntable dial but never had real wax to test it out -- It would make 33&1/3 sound like the Chipmunks though; that was always fun.
TxMs - did you say Snorkle? [Tim Conway & Burnett w/ DVD laughing his butt off].
Cheers, -T
Excepting confidential or higher information during my career, I wouldn't question how another person would know a given bit of information. Gary's statement seemed to express amazement at her knowledge base, to which many of us here are in continuous awe of, and I think that was his point...
ReplyDeleteBut, if inquiring minds really want to know, perhaps at least one consideration should be given to the fact that OH ROB has appeared in either clues or answers multiple times here since CC started hosting this forum. I'm sure avid younger solvers, many of whom may have never seen the DVD show, might note that it has appeared in many other crossword puzzle venues as well as here.
Another consideration would be that syndication of old network programs keeps them on the TV long after their initial runs. As an example, I sometimes watch old westerns in the early morning hours. I never knew that Clint Walker starred in a series called Cheyenne, but enjoy watching it. Just knew him from The Dirty Dozen. Never saw Leave it to Beaver growing up, but now understand all of the humorous references to the two-faced Eddie Haskell thanks to syndication.
D-O and Anon-T, We had a working one of these in the house, but it didn't play any Zeppelin.
Fun, doable puzzle for a Saturday morning. Thank you CC. Last to fall was the E in indiE. Geesh....
ReplyDeleteSplynter, great write up as usual. Sauvecito sounds so manly. Better than Elmers Glue, Dep, or Gorilla snot. (I'm not making that up.)
Happy weekend, everybody.
yep I even discarded malemodel for rollmodel. Of course I didn't get REB because I fixated on the color. I also find that I can't spell sounds nor proper names. so close but no TADA.
ReplyDeleteOff to the range...Driving not home on the
I enjoyed this puzzle, even though it had so many pop culture items in it. C.C. sure does have "the knack" for constructing crossword puzzles and this one is a fine construction. Hand up for entering MESS HALLS at first. I also put in DINNER MENU before the perps showed it was wrong. Interesting to see TRULY crossing DUSKY and trying to imagine somebody saying, "It truly is dusky tonight." This puzzle is also a good example of one in which, as C.C. has pointed out, the bottom part is heavy with the letter S: SHOTGLASS, AGTS, TOSS, SIRS, PLIES, and RATSNESTS.
ReplyDeletePicard, I envisioned the same thing you did when I filled RATS NESTS. And, like Irish Miss and Lucina, I thought of Misty at Woo-hoo.
Thank you, AnonT and Jayce. It sounds as though my Woohoo has become a trademark!
ReplyDeleteTo those who wonder (and marvel) how our lovely lady from China knows about Oh, Rob, I can tell you from personal experience that CC knows more about American pop culture than I do. And, believe me, her treasure trove of knowledge encompasses a wide range of subjects, far beyond TV trivia. (More than once, she has had to correct my English usage.) What amazes me more than her language skills and knowledge, is her proficient and proliferate puzzle production. Aren't we lucky, folks?
ReplyDelete"Stick a fork in it" is a term used by stock analysts when describing companies that will either go out of business or get bought on the cheap by other countries. You can usually tell by researching which company's stock has the largest short percentage.
ReplyDeleteOne current 'dead company' still in business is Sears. Many restaurant chains are just treading water.
Ha -hah!
ReplyDeleteI knew I'd have to pay the price for the easy starters this week! And leave it to our own C.C. to supply the killer.
Don't get me wrong. While this wasn't a legit Ta-DA!, it wasn't a throw-in-the-towel day either. I managed well enough after resorting to OMK's Fallback Position #1 (something like DefCon 2), in which I allow myself to cheat on only those items that a devoted TV/film fan would know (like today's 9D & 42A).
I reason that such a concession just puts me in the same class as cruciverbalistas to my right and left.
(Yes, Yes! - I know that is still cheating, but what the hey--!)
My fave fill was MESS TENTS, but I liked RANSOM WARE too.
Happy weekend everybody. Remember to gain an hour tonight!
In 2017 we still watch the syndicated sitcoms from the 60's and 70's on TV. Alan loves them. I prefer them to a lot of modern TV fare.
ReplyDeleteI used to be thrown by "pop culture" details which, as Jayce & Irish Miss point out, are not readily available to everyone. Their admiration for C.C. is well placed, but this also points to a component in our solving menu that can be turned to good use.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am faced with a possible DNF because I'm just not up on my pop culture lore - or for that matter on any "lore" that's available to specialists but not to us unwashed masses - I'll first try to solve through WAGs and perps. But if all else fails I will not hesitate to cheat in a responsible fashion.
I'm sure others have been here before me. But isn't it worth spelling out? I mean, rather than quit the pzl altogether and go with a DNF, I will go to Fallback #1: giving myself permission to cheat in certain identifiable "fields," such as TV shows, or baseball greats, or you-name-it.
If you follow this formula, you need to be extra cautious about peeking at other answers. Don't let the slippage in a defined area give way to a slide or even an avalanche...
OMK's maxim:
Cheating is cheating, but some cheating is fairer than not cheating at all.
OMK et al:
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, looking up answers is not cheating, but LEARNING and isn't that the goal here? Sometimes when researching something it leads to further exploration and deeper learning. A puzzle often encompasses many fields beyond my knowledge base and I'm intrigued to discover more about that. Research is how we learn and continue to build on our own lore which then strengthens each time we recall it. That's my HO anyway.
AnonT:
From last night: thank you.
Hi Y'all! A very big challenge today, C.C. Thanks. Thanks, Splynter.
ReplyDeleteThe NW was the last to fill. Went top to bottom with little fill on the west side. Did better on the East. Finally got some fills on the bottom and worked back up.
Never heard of INDIEGOGO or BLUE MOON.
Tony, I have a son born in 1970. He's in his prime as a business man. He'd never have time for a CW because his two boys play sports which take up much of his time. Like driving to Houston over July 4 so his son could play baseball there. 1970's babies have big ideas & dreams, I think.
We didn't have TV during the "Oh, Rob" era but I knew it. Don't think I ever saw a complete show, just clips.
OMK, who do you think you are "cheating"? You aren't being graded. I'm with Lucina. Doing the CW is a private learning experience and constant learning process. It isn't a test for academic credit.
I just saw the fattest squirrel I have ever seen with a big bushy tail. I'm wondering if that is a sign of a very cold winter coming.
Thanks for the more common meaning of an electronic rats nest, Anonymous T. Routing a circuit board from a network ratsnest is a lot like solving a crossword: Perseverance, experience, creativity, art, science, engineering and luck.
ReplyDeleteEach person is free to solve puzzles and grade themselves as they please. I only consider my solution to be FIR if I solve with no Googles or peeks at the solution. Learning new words is a goal. Learning patience and creative problem solving is another goal.
That said, I like OMK's maxim:
Cheating is cheating, but some cheating is fairer than not cheating at all.
Here is a cheat I will do if all else fails and it would otherwise be a DNF:
I will try to VERIFY a WAG answer with Google. If it fails, then I can go back to more creative thinking and/or WAGs.
"I love the sound of Whoosh as a deadline goes by or a joke goes over my head" (with apologies to Douglas Adams). I just got your DVD joke. LOL! -T
ReplyDeleteAnon-T @ 2:53, happy that DW has a great sense of humor! Comes in handy every day, maybe? "Immigrant Song" (Led Zeppelin) at age 5?! Well, that 'splains your taste in music now. :-) Yeah, as a child I thought it was funny to change the speed to 78 rpm while Daddy listened to his classical music, but he didn't.
ReplyDeleteSnorkle is my feeble portmanteau of "snort" and "chuckle". Thank you much for the Carol Burnett clip - she was/is the greatest comedian ever. Tim Conway also was no slouch in those days.
No more links to "rat's nests" from you IT guys, please - yikes!
I'm with Picard exactly. Except I don't do the Google"cheats" because I know my mind. It'll always want to cheat.
ReplyDeleteNow take today: I saw CC which equals doable even on a Saturday. I futzed around and finally was Mistyfied by the NW(The CSO was cool). So...
I grabbed the Jumble and joined the hillbillies*. That didn't take long and I finally got to Wilde and Star follower which I originally thought might be Star-LETS. Then with the G I tried MAGS.
Then I got up and left McDonald's and white driving to the Airport WIT and MAGI dawned on Marblehead. However...
Despite everything, I don't get how the MALE MODEL "Fits perfectly". Maybe CC can explain in her write-up tomorrow.
WC
* Misty will explain
WC, got the goat Jumble. Sometimes when I have a cw brain freeze, I change to the Jumble, and vice-versa, to get the solve. Wonder which neuron transmitters are arcing doing which puzzle (are they located in the same area of the brain?)
ReplyDeleteBtw. Marines in general are called "Grunts". In the Corps it's the Infantry.
ReplyDeleteDye is the well known Golf architect but I knew Ernie Els had built an excellent course.
And of course I like CC puzzles 'cuz she'll throw in some baseball gimmes. Except ballparks. I can't keep the advertisers straight.
Ok. HILLBILLIES was the jumble answer.
WC
Weren't those HILL BILLIES cute on Jumble, Wilbur? They made me smile.
ReplyDeleteWow! My worst Saturday in ages. :-(
ReplyDeleteNot just a DNF, more a Barely Did 25% (counting generously).
I suppose it is good to be reminded just how much one has to be humble about.
A study in the arcane, and not all of it accurate: Dinner rolls are not free. TANSTAAFL.
ReplyDeleteWhat is this horse shit about male model?
Enough of BRO! Enough of ODS!
A typically lame puzzle from C.C.
For my friends who object to my use of the word "cheating" in connection with Xwds, I suggest you read less for the literal usage and more for context.
ReplyDeleteWe frequently mention cheating in this corner to describe the looking up of answers. If in doubt, just check back a couple days' worth. It's a fair use of our common language when self-reporting, although nobody thinks it ranks as an actual infraction. It is not a criminal act, neither a misdemeanor nor felony.
I can lighten up, therefore I am.