A Themeless Saturday Puzzle on Sally Ride Day
Today we celebrate the birthday of America's first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride. Her mission came 20 years after the Russians put Valentina Tereshkova into orbit in 1963. She is remembered as a true American hero and pioneer who died too young and this NASA educator is very pleased to acknowledge her contributions to the space program
30. They often display two years: GRAVE STONES
As you can see by Kyle's Tweet at the right, he was excited about getting this puzzle published in the LA Times today.
Here are the rest of Kyle's entries. I may have given short shrift to some proper names but am confident in your search capabilities if you decide you are even remotely interested.
Across:
1. Tipping point: LAST STRAW.
10. "The Screwtape Letters" author: LEWIS - Calvin's Miss Wormwood is named for the apprentice devil in C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters
15. Nixon, in John Adams' "Nixon in China": OPERA ROLE - I wonder if Nixon's big aria is I Am Not A Crook!
16. Public perception: IMAGE - We all know what happened to the IMAGE of the guy above
17. Smoking choices: CLAY PIPES - These were found along the banks of the Thames and some date back to the 1580's
18. Confuse: MIX UP.
19. Org. with a tepee-shaped logo: KOA - We stayed in this KOA campground that had a lovely view of the Grand Tetons
20. Cowboy handle: TEX.
21. Keep things as they are: SIT PAT - I'm more familiar with STAND PAT when you have a good poker hand and don't want to take more cards
22. Seekers of a better life, perhaps: EMIGRES and what some of them seek 56. Safe places: ASYLA.
25. 18th Dynasty Egyptian ruler, familiarly: TUT - Lord Carnarvon , the 5th Earl of Carnarvon (right), financed the Howard Carter (left) dig that found TUT. The Lord occupied Highclere Castle that was used in Downton Abbey and later died under mysterious circumstances. Some think it was the curse of TUT.
26. Japanese flier that sponsors an LPGA major tournament: ANA - All Nippon Airways
27. Scottish landscape feature: BRAE - Hillsides
28. Director Wiseman: LEN - I didn't recognize any of his work in the IMBd but I do recognize his wife Kate Beckinsale.
29. Colorful gem: OPAL.
34. "Broad City" co-star: ILANA GLAZER - Talk about not knowing her - I had every letter of her name except the first L and then GAG LAW furnished that.
35. Concert pieces: GRAND PIANOS
36. Cry for attention, maybe: MEOW - My de reguier kitty picture! Awww...
37. Horsefeathers: ROT
38. Source of tweets: NEST - I wonder if our robins are sending messages from their NEST outside my window
41. Wayfarer's rest: INN - Confidently putting in NADIRS for Low Points gave me A _ _ which held off INN for awhile
42. 2013 Spike Jonze film: HER - Okay
43. It often involves getting a card nowadays: CHECK-IN - Disney now offers a wrist band that unlocks your resort door instead of a Key Card.
46. Family tree entry: NEPHEW - I sub for mine a lot
48. Kaitlin's "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" role: DEE - Okay
49. Chicago-to-Lansing dir.: ENE - It appears to be a 3.5 hr drive with the first part around the lake
50. Southernmost of the Inner Hebrides: ISLAY - It is just off the coast of Scotland, known as The Queen Of The Hebrides and known for a good single malt, uh, scotch
13. Lesser Antilles lizards: IGUANAS - Where they are and what they are.
Geography lesson for today - Upper Midwest, the Inner Hebrides and The Lesser Antilles.
54. Easily crumbled: MEALY - "MEALY-mouthed" more familiar to you?
55. Leading by a lot: WELL AHEAD - Jockey Ron Turcotte on Secretariat looks back to see where the other horses are in the finish of the 1973 Belmont
57. "What a terrible shame": I'M SO SORRY - I'M SORRY, SO SORRY. The little girl with the big voice and some puppies!
Down:
1. Age of Enlightenment thinker: LOCKE- He had much to say on being tolerant of other religions, people retaining rights over government and the rearing of children
2. Composure: APLOMB.
3. What's inspired by the ocean?: SEA AIR - inspired/expired for inhaled/exhaled4. Whirl: TRY - "Aw come on, give it a whirl!"
5. Drain: SAP - Don't let her cut your hair Samson!
6. Lacking originality: TRITE - Nothing here from Dr. Dolan
7. Things to learn, with "the": ROPES - You learn the ROPES of teaching by teaching
8. "A Clockwork Orange" antihero: ALEX.9. Jazzman Montgomery: WES.
10. Contain: LIMIT - The job of relief pitchers is to come in and LIMIT the damage already done
11. Release: EMIT.
12. Roll in a pantry: WAX PAPER - A really great use for WAX PAPER. You can see it on the ground at the end of the clip.
14. Of a dividing membrane: SEPTAL - My ENT tells me the SEPTUM in my nose is crooked but to leave it alone for now
21. It might end at the sleeves: SUNTAN - Marines after 7 months in the desert
23. Expression suppression: GAG LAW - These never seem to work with our members of Congress. GAG ORDER seems more common
24. Put on again: RERAN - Seinfeld and I Love Lucy lead the pack
25. Model 3 automaker: TESLA - Here's one rolling out of a charging station in Rocklin, California. Will these soon be ubiquitous? 28. For real: LEGITimate
29. "Be right there!": ONE SEC - ONE SEC, we just had that yesterday!
31. First name of two U.S. presidents: ANDREW - Jackson and Johnson
32. Mist: VAPOR.
33. Pungent gas: OZONE.
34. Part of a golfer's skill set: IRON PLAY - A harder skill to manage because you don't use a tee in the fairway as Michelle Wie shows here
35. Commencements: GENESES - Plural of genesis
36. Low points: MINIMA - Ah yes, College Algebra
39. One that might hold tips: SKEWER - Beef tips and much more on SKEWERS
40. Failure to make good notes?: TIN EAR - There are others with this same opinion
42. 2003-'04 OutKast chart-topper: HEY YA - If you like obscenity-laced, mysoginistic "music", he's your guy!
43. Barred rooms: CELLS
44. Adele hit that won three Grammys: HELLO - Every kid I asked in a H.S. math class knew instantly!
45. Like oversized glasses, to some: NERDY - Name this non-NERDY actor in oversized glasses and the movie where this was one of the last scenes. Answer below the grid.47. Dining area: HALL - MESS seemed right at first
48. Think: DEEM - If you DEEM it necessary, please comment
51. Airport near D.C.: BWI - Baltimore Washington International
52. Grad student jobs: TA'S.
53. "What have we here?!": OHO - To quote this lovely lady in Minneapolis we know, "Gluey fill"
Feel free to comment (see 48 Down) on this paradoxical day - Dr. Ride and Dr. Dolan are the pair 'o docs
The big glasses wearer is Robert Di Nero and the movie was Casino where he was a mob guy who ran a casino and no one dared call him a NERD.
46 comments:
"Broad City" co-star: ILANA GLAZER
I never heard of Broad City or ILANA GLAZER, ISLAY also did not jump to mind, but overall a bit easier than some Saturdays.
Meanwhile, KATE BECKINSALE did more for the spandex suit than anyone since dear DIANA RIGG_ MRS PEEL
Oops, Wiseman is quite well known in his genre having created the UNDERWORLD movie franchise as well as the TV series SLEEPY HOLLOW. He also has produced APB and the successful LUCIFER
Enjoy the holiday weekend; the good news my Denver son is in town and my dear Charlotte has her dance recital. However we have tropical storm off the west coast of Florida so, none of the usual outdoor events for the holiday. Be safe and happy all, and good health to all at the Corner and their families.
Plastic pollution defies natural LAW!
To cut it down, some rules we must draw!
When drinking a shake,
Plastic tubes forsake,
Let a paper one be your LAST STRAW!
[Santa Fe city council has proposed banning restaurants from using plastic straws.]
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS I loved long ago
When Christian fervor kept me aglow!
Clive Staples LEWIS
Spoke well to us,
With humor from a demon down below!
At the head of GRAVES they're shown,
Engraved with dates, sometimes a poem.
To any finders
They're solemn reminders
That they are grim and grave STONES!
{C+, B-, B.}
SW corner was last to fall. I placed Islay in 54A instead of 50A and did not notice my error for far too long.
Uncle!
First pass- TUT,BWI, and ENE and the rest was white. Lotta WAGS today to 'almost' finish. The SW with the three A-ending fills was LAST STRAW. ASYLA would never enter my thoughts after OASES and HOLDS were the 'Safe places', kept thinking but never filled NADIRS for 'Low point', filled YEOW instead of MEOW. No way in hell that I would have ever filled HEY YA.
I did manage to correctly fill ISLAY, INN, IRON PLAY and GENESES. MINIMA makes sense, retroactively thinking, but I've never heard anybody actually say it.
ILANA GLAZER- 100% PERPS, as were Kaitlin's DEE, ANA, HER, LEN Wiseman, LEWIS, ALEX, and the song I'm sure I've heard before but don't know-HELLO.
So let's hear from the rest of the Corner. Don't be MEALY-mouthed today.
Hi Y'all! Thanks, Kyle, for the brain teaser. Thanks, Gary, for making it palatable.
I started LIU on the first line, something I rarely do. I didn't remember "Nixon in China" was an OPERA. Seems like an unlikely subject for a singing production. Also looked up C.S. LEWIS & WES before forging ahead. Also unknown: BWI, LEN, DEE, ILANA GLAZER (only one I know with that surname is Paul. Didn't fit.).
Last to fill: SW was full of forms of words not used often, if at all: MINIMA, GENESES, MEALY, ASYLA, HEY YA. Red-lettered my way through too much of that corner without any perps to help.
IRON not work, drive, but PLAY, a term I've never heard used by golf analysts.
President's name wasn't George or James but ANDREW. Similar question on Jeopardy recently.
WAX PAPER: Does anyone use this regularly since plastic wrap hit the market? My mother had a bunch of unused boxes of this in her cupboard when I cleaned out her house. They kept falling back where she couldn't reach so she'd buy more.
My overtired brain couldn't come up with GRAVESTONES for "often display two dates". Well, duh! Very clever and apt for Memorial Day Weekend. I once spent much time tiptoeing among the tomb STONES recording inscriptions and later published a reference book with all available information about a large cemetery in our hometown for the genealogical society. It was still being used locally by researchers the last I knew. Early records had been lost when fire destroyed a caretaker's shack. Several others contributed maps & plot owner records. Very interesting to me knowing local history & many families.
My wife uses wax paper regularly. Must be cultural.
Good Morning.
I'm with D-O here. Uncle, Aunt and NEPHEW!
I use unbleached wax paper all the time. I never let plastic wrap touch my food. I only use it to cover the top of a bowl. Everything in the fridge is in covered Pyrex bowls. No straws for me either.
Thanks, GH, for the explanations. I sure needed them. Thanks, Kyle, for a very daunting challenge.
Have a peaceful weekend.
An official DNF today because I had to cheat like crazy today to finish. Before I turned Red Letters on I only had EMIGRES, TUT, ANA, ENE, OZONE, CELLS, TESLA and BWI. Really tough one from Kyle today, but a lot of V8 can moments. HG's tour was polished and enjoyable.
I had BIRD before NEST, INASEC before ONESEC (I should have remembered the puzzle earlier this week), GEORGE before ANDREW and STEAM before VAPOR.
Eventually it all got filled in.
Enjoy the holiday weekend and I hope all on the Gulf coast don't get washed away from Alberto's rain.
As expected I got stalled early on this one. Ran out of P&P and looked up the 5 "arts" clues, then was able to finish without error. Didn't like all the showbiz stuff, but it is, after all, published in La La Land.
We spend a lot of nights in KOAs. Some are spacious and beautiful; some are cramped and not so beautiful. We especially like the ones in New Bern, NC and St. Marys, GA.
At first my concert pieces were ticket stubs. My safe places were banks. I erased INN to accommodate nadirs, then restored INN when the MEOW became irresistible.
PK, I too have never heard of IRON PLAY. The closest phrase used today is "short game". Long irons are being replaced by hybrid clubs, especially in the amateur ranks. I personally have nothing in my golfing skill set other than scorekeeping.
Thanks to Kyle for a puzzle that was at least approachable. And thanks to Gary for another solid tour. I'm surprised that the kids knew HELLO - I would have thought that Adele would be so yesterday by now in that age group.
Shoot. I may just give up attempting the Saturday puzzles. You "guys", above, are amazing with your range of knowledge.
Hello Puzzlers -
That was a toothy bear.
The SW corner just wouldn’t crack. I figured we were in for at least one Latin plural, because there wasn’t much room for S’s, so I did get minima. Never heard of Broad City or the actress, didn’t know OutKast or the supposedly great song, and somehow the names of Scottish islands just escaped my memory. Put me down for a Technical DNF.
Ok, I finished but I had to Google ILANA, at first I thought it was someone I actually had heard of like--- BRIAN GLAZER.
I don't mind difficult puzzles, when they give you a chance with cluing... but I thought cluing was a little too tough. i,e. how many of you actually know who OUTKAST are? Or ILANA GLAZER, much less the movie she was in? Perps helped in certain areas, but not that much.
Gotta run.... my youngest graduates from HS today. Supposed to be in the mid 90's. All''s good though... can't wait.
Good morning everyone.
Need help to finish. Too much A & E for me to do well, but, as last week, did it for training purposes and get a 'feel' for Kyle Dolan's modus operandi. Good intro, HG.
BELL RINGER. Expect to be at the Saratoga National Cemetery on Monday for services and to hear the carillon tolling.
MEALY - Was looking for 'friable', at first.
Just got the propane tank filled so we will have roasted sweet corn for supper today. On sale for several weeks here for 20 ¢ an ear.
Crunchy! Moving slowly but steadily I filled all but the SW corner. MINIMA, ISLAY, MEALY and HEYA were sticking points. I looked up the Inner Hebrides. ISLAY gave me the rest. Nice puzzle. Very many unknowns gotten with perps and wags, except for needing that one assist. Fine expo, Gary.
I wagged LEN from the L, thinking WISEMSAN could be Jewish and LEN seemed most likely.
FLN, Swamp Cat, Michael and Anon T. thanks for caring. I will pass your thoughts on to Lois. I did suggest that she could get a sitter for a few hours of relief a couple times a week.
In case you don't check back here, enjoy your weekend.
Husker: Wonderful write-up!
D-N-F ... not even close ... maybe 60% ...
Nice CSO (and cluing) at 40-d, TIN EAR.
We are watching a lot of The Weather Channel with ALBERTO out in the Gulf.
Sub-Tropical Storm season has started a week early.
No problems anticipated ... probably just 5 inches of rain today through Monday.
(On top of the 5 inches we have already had this month). ... So far!
Kinda takes a bit of FUN out of "Toasting the Sunset."
Cheers!
Good Morning:
After my first pass across, I had a grand total of nine entries; talk about a vast tundra of white spaces! Then, little by little, I chipped away here and there and I was off to the races, albeit in baby steps. I conquered the NW quadrant, then the NE, then the SE, and, finally, that treacherous SW enigma. The Islay/Hey ya cross was almost my downfall but, thanks to a fingers-crossed WAG, I finished w/o help. Phew! I felt this offering was reminiscent of a Barry Silk challenge but with a tad more difficult cluing. Unknowns were: Ilana Glazer, Opera Role, Lewis, Dee, and Len, as clued. My w/os were Rules/Ropes, Stump/Mix up, JAL/ANA, Nook/Hall, and Reair>Rerun>Reran. As usual, some long fill like Grave Stones and Grand Pianos opened up the grid. CSOs to Mr. Meow who is probably turning Europe on its ear and also to Tin (minus the ear) and at Andrew, his given name.
Kudos, Kyle, for a tough but satisfying solve and thanks, HG, for another gem of a write-up. Loved the kitty clip and the puppies, too.
I use wax paper and foil but haven't used plastic wrap in ages. Too "clingy."
Lemony @ 6:16 ~ Diana Rigg was just interviewed the other day. She's in the revival of "My Fair Lady" portraying Henry Higgins mother.
She's 77, if you can believe it.
Madame Defarge @ 9:08 ~ "Uncle, aunt and nephew", indeed! Gave me a good chuckle.
FLN, Michael, as a native New Yorker, I am familiar with Mahopac and Carmel and the local pronounciations vs other areas. The one that stands out to me is Greenwich. In New York, it is Green-witch but in Connecticut, it is Gren-itch. Give Valatie a try!
FLN, Anonymous T, "Code Black" still has five more episodes in its present season but I'll keep my eyes open for any future extensions.
YR, I 'm sorry about your sister and BIL's plight. As others have suggested, there may be some help available through social services. The important thing is that she gets some respite time. I wish her well.
Have a great day.
Well, I predicted we'd get a Saturday bear today, and this one sure felt like a real toughie to me. But I was surprised and happy to get the northwest and southeast corners on my second round, along with a variety of other spots here and there. Then I did start cheating and hoped I would make it with only three cheated items. But the southwest gave me a hard time even after I got a bit of it. Still clever clues and items and so, fun all the same--many thanks, Kyle. And I always enjoy your write-ups and pics, Husker Gary, especially that cute kitty.
One of my silliest problems was putting _ _ _ JAR for the thing that might hold tips. I was thinking of money for service, but finally gave in because BELL TOWER and WELL AHEAD had to be right. Didn't understand SKEWER until Gary's barbecue picture. Doh!
Owen, I liked your poems today. And PK, I enjoyed your tomb stone story--what a good service you performed.
Have a good weekend, everybody.
Whew! Talk about a mental challenge! This was it.
I did know C.S. LEWIS wrote The Screwtape Letters, but after that it was all guesswork. Little by little, however, each CELL gave up its secrets and the entire top blossomed. I like ROPES/TEX crossing each other. Very western.
When ILANAGLAZER emerged I was doubtful but the downs hinged on it nicely. GRANDPIANOS surprised me as I was looking for the name of a musical piece.
The SE also fell quickly even with the unknowns DEE and HELLO which filled themselves when BELLTOWER, WELLAHEAD and IMSOSORRY emerged.
Like the rest of you I struggled in the SW and had to give up ROOM, GENERA and IRONWILL. Finally I LU ISLAY since HEYYA would never have occurred to me.
Thank you, Kyle Dolan; you really forced me to dig deeply today. And thank you, Gary, for guiding us through the mire with witty comments and lovely graphics.
Have a celebratory weekend, everyone!
Lots of unknown proper names made this way difficult. Hand up for NOOK before HALL. Hand up never heard of ILANA GLAZER. Stuck a long time with a WAG of DIANA GLAZER. GAG LAW finally broke that through. Hand up never heard of ISLAY. We have an ISLAY street in Santa Barbara. Most of our names are Spanish. Possible learning moment if it is Scottish.
Can someone explain IRON PLAY? Google does not seem to offer its meaning.
MINIMA come up a lot in many fields. The challenge as seen in the diagram is to tell the difference between local and global MINIMA and maxima. You can get stuck locally and not realize there is a better global solution.
SORRY, but I don't get how SEA AIR is inspired by the ocean? Does it just mean that the waves pull the SEA AIR into the ocean?
Never heard of HEY YA or HELLO. Or LEN or ANA. Did not know LEWIS as clued. Totally amazed to FIR!
Here is my video of a land IGUANA feeding on cactus in the Galapagos.
I have plenty of other photos of IGUANAS, but I thought this was cool.
Thanks, Husker Gary, for the memorial reminder of Sally Ride. A pioneer and hero in many ways.
From yesterday:
AnonT: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed my KORea photos!
Interesting workout today. After the first pass I had six fills including LEWIS (one of my favorites ) and BELL TOWER. A three letter Egyptian ruler had to be TUT because Amenhotep wouldn't fit, but I can't claim I really knew it. Thanks, Kyle, for making me think. And Gary, thanks for making sense of all I did not know.
WAX PAPER is an interesting product. Yes, PK, I do keep it on hand and even use it for cooking sometimes. Mostly I use it for cleaning my smocking machine and stabilizing appliqués . Not the first thing I thought of for Roll in a pantry.
Stay dry all you Florida people! They keep telling us it is "disorganized" but that isn't much comfort when it is heading your way.
Thanks for the poerty, Owen. I liked all three, but SCREWTAPE was my favorite. I'd forgotten what the C. S. stood for.
OwenKL:
I, too, enjoyed those poems in which you cleverly inserted C.S. LEWIS's name!
Picard:
The black iguana surprised me. In Costa Rica I saw only green ones.
Thanks, HG, for all the links and pics. Guess thanks to Dr. Dolan :) This was a toughie, I thought, without much toeholds. Filled in the north, east and southeast okay, but man, the SW did me in - only had ASYLA. LU's: Never heard of Broad City or the actress, heard of HER but didn't know the director (who?), never knew, and still don't, any Hebrides Island names. Changed GEORGE to ANDREW since there were three George presidents, REAIR/RERUN/finally RERAN. Light bulbs finally on GRAVESTONES (I wasn't equating two "years" with two "dates") and GRAND PIANOS instead of a musical composition. With the LU's, it was a no-go. But head-scratchers are much more fun than the easy-sailing ones.
Stay safe, all in Alberto's gulf march.
although 34a was a possible game ender, it was easy for me as I am a big fan of "Broad City" and the two women comedians. The SW though was impossible. I am a bit ashamed of not filling Minima and ASYLA as my two years of HS Latin taught me plurals that end in "a"...second declension I think. But no chance at Hebrides or 2003 chart toppers.
Took me too long to get "iron play". My golf instructor was a little peeved when I told him I am done with lessons as he has taught me all there is to know. There are only seven to ten skills in golf. so after ten lessons it's redundant. iron play is one of the most important. I guess I'll go practice a couple of the others.
More for Yellowrocks from last night --
Fifth on the list: if the shut-in's situation is partly medical (from illness, aging, etc.) be ready for frustration with modern medicine ('Just a few more tests....') and the stress from traveling back and forth to the doctor's office or lab, as well as the possible uncertainty in a diagnosis. (One especially bad week, we were at Kaiser for hours EVERY day that week.)
This will leave everyone from 'very tired' to 'exhausted', so be sure to guard your energy. Get more rest; work towards getting more variety; don't be surprised at how often naps are inevitable.
Today's repast was so, ah, er, "challenging" that even claiming a DNF was beyond reach, because it would imply that I had -- somehow -- come close to a finish.
Ah, well, there's always Monday's puzzle.
Hi All!
Thank you Dr. Dolan for the offering but I'm w/ D-O; no, just no. Keep 'em coming though and I might be able to tune your frequency/wavelength.
I could only suss the deep SE. Anatomy of #Fail: KOA lead to Kafka (1st thought at philosopher with a K); Aluminum wasn't the Roll in the pantry; odors ≠ the pungent VAPOR.
So thanks HG for the fill 'cuz I wasn't worthy. I very much appreciated the dedication to Sally Ride at the top.
@10:10 - I think of Saturday's as learning days. Now that I've seen the answers, I'll try to do the grid later and see what I remember.
{A (and I knew that. #NPR), B, B+}
Ok, anyone who listened to the Fresh Air w/ Roth clip I posted FLN should have filled @30a because Roth described GRAVE STONES in those (very similar) words. I, however, didn't think of it until HG gave me the answer :-(
Let's see if this BBQ IGUANA brings out tawnya. [Wall of Voodoo] (she can't still be at Spring Training!)
Y'all in Alberto's path stay safe and a happy Saturday to the rest of YA.
Cheers, -T
Got the top half and gave up on the bottom. Lots of celebrity stuff, which I do my best to remain ignorant of.
I use wax paper when I microwave anything, keeps it clean.
I don't use either plastic wrap or WAX PAPER anymore. Still have both in a drawer in case.
YR: I am so sorry to hear about your sister & her husband's sad dilemma. I don't know what their financial status is, but nursing homes are such a relief if you can afford it. BFF had her husband in one for rehab and expected to leave him there until she learned it was costing $10,000 a day. This was exorbitant and was because of the rehab part. Since there was no chance of rehabbing him back to normal health at age 90, she got the trainers stopped. He finally perked up with all the attention, antibiotics and bed rest so she could take him home. Taking care of a seriously ill person takes such a toll on the family caregiver's health because they care so much. Some nursing facilities have available home health care visiting nurses or aides. Surely BIL's hospital will have a social worker who can help them find the help they will need before he is released.
Best wishes to all ye in the Gulf States with the storms brewing. My granddaughter is back home in boring landlocked middle America for the summer, so I am resting easier about her. Any reports from our Cornerites in Hawaii?
Inspire can mean breathe in (air).
Michael, the medical merry-go-round is the story of my life and Lois's and Lynn's, too. We are going to work to keep this 76 year old gal vital and involved.
I am beginnng to realze how much more biodegradable wax paper is compared to plastic wrap. Funny that no one fights wax paper, ice water, and ice cream the way they fight ice tea. I predict that in the next generation ice tea will win.
Hard hard hard! Had to do a lot of looking things up. Several of those "you either know it or you don't" entries, which usually means I have to look it up. Nixon in that opera? Do you mean the singer, eg. Maddalena? Do you mean what kind of character he was, eg. diplomat or door opener? Nope just a generic role, like, um, Don Giovanni in, um, Don Giovanni or Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi or Carmen in Carmen. This puzzle strikes me as bordering on the "Aha, I gotcha" kind of puzzle where the clues and answers are deliberately made obscurely specialized solely to make them hard.
Ta- Oops!
er - DA!
No, this one wasn't w/o cheats. Kyle Dolan's pzl was deceptively easy/hard depending on the sector I was working.
The NE caved quickly and gave me a sense that the whole thing would roll my way. But I found the mid section too tough - in the sense that it tried my patience, at least all the patience I was willing to give this Saturday morning.
The gimmes today were KOA and TEX, and the NW corner was another where I held my own. But I allowed myself to crumble with one look-up apiece in the SW and SE.
(Sorry! There is just too much news in today's paper to spend much time on the Xwd. No way could the editors anticipate that.)
I saw Nixon in China at the LA Music Center (in the late '80s, was it?) and was surprised at the sophistication of the work. I thought it would be a faddish sort of thing, but it had real breadth and depth.
~ OMK
____________
Diagonal Report: Just one, on the mirror side.
Misty,
Yes, agreed! It was the SW that I too found toughest. You at least got it started on your own, but I had to Google HEYYA to get a toe-hold. From there I could work it out, but still it resisted because of the combination of unusual words like ASYLA and MINIMA and the plural, GENESES.
Whew!~ and Sheesh.
Picard,
Your video of IGUANAS brings back happy memories of our visit to the Galapagos. I don't know about the Lesser Antilles' variety, but I was delighted by the stolid unfrightened nature of those Galapagos critters. They are so used to seeing humans who do not harm or attack them that they have actually learned to trust us.
We expect lizards and such to run from us; we're hardly prepared to see them basking or walking side by side - with absolutely no fear.
It is a good feeling all around.
~ OMK
Did anyone solve today's Jumble? I got stuck on KOIREO and never got the reveal? Would love to know the answer.
Our Galapagos guide asked us to keep to the trodden path so as not to disturb the various birds, iguanas, and other beasties.
But at this one point, we came upon a sleeping sea lion. He was a good 7+ feet long and his sleep-heaving chest must have been about two feet high. He had decided to lay his bod athwart our entire marked-off path, as if he wanted to personally greet each one of us as we came upon him.
But alas, he had fallen asleep while waiting.
A small party - 3 or 4 persons - had stopped before him right in front of us, so we added two more as we cam upon him.
"We had better go around him," I said.
"But we're supposed to stay on the path," a young woman answered.
There was a pause.
"I think," I finally said, "we'll be forgiven under the circumstances."
So they went around his tail side, and we went around his head.
We met again on his other side - and continued down the path.
~ OMK
Misty,
Try "rookie"and see if that helps.
Sandy
Misty,
Anonymous has you on the right track.
I must say I am not too happy with the final answer. See what you come up with. I think mine is right, but I am not fond of it.
(As is often the case.)
~ OMK
Ol' Man Keith,
Yes, I also thought the joke was less clever than most, kind of strained. But it did fit.
Sandy
PEN STROKES? If so, thank you Anonymous and Ol'Man Keith.
Lucina: Yes, the IGUANAS I have seen in Central America were mostly green. But they can change color. And they also can individually vary in color.
In the Galapagos, some of the IGUANAS evolved to be able to drink salt water and to be able to sneeze out the salt from their noses. Those are Marine IGUANAS and I have photos of those, too. So there are two different species now.
The one in that video is the "old fashioned" kind like the ones you saw in Costa Rica. I just looked at my IGUANAS photos from the Galapagos. The Marine IGUANAS are almost totally black. The "old-fashioned" ones are fairly black, but their heads have a lot of yellow.
Ol' Man Keith: Yes, it was a delight in the Galapagos that almost all of the animals were fearless around humans. Not all. There were small lizards and some small birds that were skittish. Animals are naturally not skittish because it wastes energy. But evolution will make animals skittish if they have been harassed or hunted over time.
In most of the Amazon the animals will flee if you get even within a quarter mile or so. Very sad. But if they are left alone long enough, this may change in future decades.
That was an amusing story about the sea lion. A lot of the sea lions in California will get close to humans, too.
OMK, Picard, your Galapagos adventures brought back wonderful memories of my favorite eco-tour. We were on a 12-passenger boat so we were able to visit the smaller islands off-limits to the larger boats. When we went ashore on South Plaza Island, we shared the beach with dozens of sea lions. Dozing, I quickly awoke with a sea lion sniffing at my toes. A great pic of a pair of blue-footed boobies and their egg on one of those off-limit sandy trails, and my first encounter with a Sally Lightfoot Crab. (Think that was the avatar of a CW poster some time ago). Spent a week in the islands, a week in the Cusco/Machu Picchu area, and one in the Amazon. I have a picture of me and the piranha I caught. Best trip ever, but unless I win the lottery, my chances of returning are nil. Thanks again, OMK/Picard.
Hand up for wanting friable for MEALY, until the letter count said no.
Other hand up for using wax paper in the microwave.
Other other hand up for getting through the first pass with most of the puzzle untainted by answers. Then I had to stop since my two sons were over to help me (read "do it for me") replace our front door. Naturally it was the hottest day so far this year. I didn’t get a chance to get back to the crossword until just now. Probably would have been for the best if I hadn’t. I finished in just shy of half an hour, but not without turning to red letters, which I don’t often do. But hey—it’s Saturday.
Thanks to Dr D (I think) and especially Gary, whose write up was excellent as usual.
Didn’t Donovan have a song called "Isle of Islay" back in the late '60s?
I'd say to have a great day, but there’s not that much of it left so I will just wish you all a good night’s sleep.
Tx Ms,
I think we had the same tour. National Geographic, right? We visited the same Galapagos islands and spent a marvelous time in Machu Picchu on the back end. One of the better journeys we've undertaken in recent years.
My wife won a photography award aboard ship after snapping a pic of blue-footed boobies!
[Spoiler to Jumble Fans]
Misty,
Yep. Not funny enough, but correct.
OMK @9:54. No, it wasn't with NG. International Expeditions was my eco-tour operator first to Australia/NZ, and they were so great I became a subsequent loyal fan on their trips to SA, Kenya, Egypt, and Costa Rica. Then my law firm imploded along with my salary and 4-wk vacation. [sigh]
OMK, have to agree with you re today's Jumble. Onward to Hoyt & Knurek's tomorrow.
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