Theme: Jay Lend-o - Loan a letter to a phrase and come up with a "punny" new one.
17A. Norwegian coastal horse?: FJORD PINTO. Ford Pinto
Not only was this car a genuine menace to drive, but when Ford wondered why it wasn't selling in Latin America, they were informed, late in the marketing day, that "pinto" is a rather perjorative term for the size of a man's ..... equipment. I mean car.
24A. Excellent joke?: GREAT JAPE. Great ape.
39A. Where a sensei teaches how to slalom?: SKI DOJO. Ski-Doo. A Sensei in this context is a martial arts teacher; I know the term as a third-generation Japanese-American.
50A. "We sure fell for that one, Jack," e.g.?: JILL HUMOR. Ill humor. What? I mean I get it, but can we come up with a better clue? "You" rather than "we" makes a lot more sense; still terrible, but better than this effort.
The reveal?
62A. Was yanked offstage ... or what four puzzle answers did, in a way: GOT THE HOOK. The "J" is a hook-shape. Hence a j-hook in hardware, and probably fishing, although I didn't check the fishing bit. Wild stab in the dark with the fishhook.
Yep, nothing to argue about here. Find a phrase, add a "J" to it somewhere, clue it appropriately and move on.
And ..... the fill.
Across:
1. Have a sudden inspiration?: GASP
5. Embryonic membranes: CAULS
10. "Good going!": NICE!
14. Ancient Andean: INCA
15. Fully committed: ALL IN. Poker term originally, I believe. Bet all your chips on one hand of cards.
16. Cries at the Home Run Derby: OOHS. Baseball mini-theme today. Home Runs, pitchers and such.
19. Agitated state: SNIT. Agitated? Ticked-off, in my book.
20. Ring leader?: TORERO
21. Parenthesis, e.g.: ARC
22. Dún Laoghaire's land: EIRE. It used to be the primary ferry port between Great Britain and Ireland, but most, if not all, services have now been retured. Pronounced "Dun Leary" if you ever need to buy a ticket.
23. Largest division of Islam: SUNNI
26. Alpine transport: T-BAR
28. 2010 sci-fi sequel subtitled "Legacy": TRON
29. Grassy stretches: LEAS
32. Map line: ROAD
35. "A Doll's House" playwright: IBSEN
38. "The Martian" has none: E.T.S
41. Stat for Chris Sale: ERA. He's a pitcher, so Earned Run Average. Red Sox now, previously White Sox. I wonder what he did with the white ones from his uniform when he was traded? Or did he just leave them in his locker for the laundry guy? There are around 1,200 players each season in Major League Baseball. He's one of them. I just need to learn another 1,199 and I've got this year's crossword nailed.
42. Pronunciation symbol: SCHWA. This thing: ə. A mid-central vowel. A south-central vowel in Los Angeles is probably something else entirely.
44. PBS science series: NOVA
45. Small racer: KART
46. Barbershop part: BASS
48. McGregor who plays two roles on TV's "Fargo": EWAN. I've liked him since "Trainspotting" which I saw at an "arts theater" in Santa Monica and was hugely amused to see that it was subtitled English, in spite of being in English.
54. Jungle vine: LIANA
58. Big star: IDOL. Billy. Rebel Yell. Cue the music. 80's live pop excess.
59. Lincoln Ctr. site: N.Y.C. Also the site of my hd. off.
60. PBS science series: COSMOS. Chlecho trickery with 44A.
61. Brit's floor covering: LINO. We had lino in the bedrooms when I was a kid, and no heating. Getting up in winter was a bare-foot-meets-ice-rink experience.
64. Fuss: TO-DO
65. Dvorák's "Rusalka," for one: OPERA
66. Instead: ELSE
67. Scandinavian name meaning "cliff": STEN. What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.
68. Block: DETER
69. Sunflower edible: SEED
Down:
1. They're kept under wraps: GIFTS
2. Pear variety: ANJOU
3. Contempt: SCORN
4. Raises: PARENTS
5. Guitarist's gadget: CAPO
6. "Aladdin" prince: ALI
7. __ nerve: ULNAR
8. Petrol unit: LITRE. Those British and their spelling. No reason to mess with the original French, but you know, what do those foreigners know?
9. Vehicle with caterpillar treads: SNO-CAT. Ski-doo, sno-cat. Winter today.
10. Often-cosmetic procedure: NOSE JOB.
11. View from Corfu: IONIAN SEA. Yep, nice spot for sure.
12. Sound from a tree: CHIRP.
13. Competitor of Helena: ESTÉE. Lauder vs. Ruberstein. Gloves off!
18. Small amount: DRIB. Is a drab bigger or smaller than a drib? Surely it has to be one of the two, else you'd be doing something "in dribs and dribs" or "drabs and drabs".
24. Abdomen neighbor: GROIN. It's a toss-up which one you'd rather take a hit playing rugby. I've suffered both. I think I'd lean towards the abdomen given the choice.
25. Chamber music group: TRIO
27. Storied craft: ARK
29. "__ Miz": LES
30. "You get the idea" letters: ETC.
31. Light hair color: ASH BLONDE
33. Brouhaha: ADO
34. Matthew Arnold's "__ Beach": DOVER. A scary chap, he was a schools inspector, frightening in itself, but his work is referenced by Ray Bradbury and Ian McEwan - you know you're not in for an easy ride with his poetry or prose when you're in that company.
36. Be off: ERR. Surprised to to see a baseball reference ... oh wait ...
37. Bryce Harper, for now: NAT. Washington Nationals. There it is!
39. Ornamental band: SASH
40. Talk: JAW
43. Belgian language related to French: WALLOON
45. Deli snacks: KNISHES
47. Ra, in ancient Egypt: SUN GOD
49. Cosmetic additive: ALOE
50. Rejects suddenly: JILTS
51. Jerk: IDIOT.
52. Mr. Magoo, for one: MYOPE
53. Santa's reindeer, e.g.: OCTET
55. Whac-__: A-MOLE
56. Rope loop: NOOSE
57. FAQ part: ASKED. Frequently-Asked Questions link on a website.
60. Scorch: CHAR
63. Amount past due?: TRE. Uno, duo, tre. Any Green Day fans are wondering what happened to that triptych. Uno was delivered, I think duo and tre are still a twinkle in the band's eye.
Got Grid?
Steve
17A. Norwegian coastal horse?: FJORD PINTO. Ford Pinto
Not only was this car a genuine menace to drive, but when Ford wondered why it wasn't selling in Latin America, they were informed, late in the marketing day, that "pinto" is a rather perjorative term for the size of a man's ..... equipment. I mean car.
24A. Excellent joke?: GREAT JAPE. Great ape.
39A. Where a sensei teaches how to slalom?: SKI DOJO. Ski-Doo. A Sensei in this context is a martial arts teacher; I know the term as a third-generation Japanese-American.
50A. "We sure fell for that one, Jack," e.g.?: JILL HUMOR. Ill humor. What? I mean I get it, but can we come up with a better clue? "You" rather than "we" makes a lot more sense; still terrible, but better than this effort.
The reveal?
62A. Was yanked offstage ... or what four puzzle answers did, in a way: GOT THE HOOK. The "J" is a hook-shape. Hence a j-hook in hardware, and probably fishing, although I didn't check the fishing bit. Wild stab in the dark with the fishhook.
Yep, nothing to argue about here. Find a phrase, add a "J" to it somewhere, clue it appropriately and move on.
And ..... the fill.
Across:
1. Have a sudden inspiration?: GASP
5. Embryonic membranes: CAULS
10. "Good going!": NICE!
14. Ancient Andean: INCA
15. Fully committed: ALL IN. Poker term originally, I believe. Bet all your chips on one hand of cards.
16. Cries at the Home Run Derby: OOHS. Baseball mini-theme today. Home Runs, pitchers and such.
19. Agitated state: SNIT. Agitated? Ticked-off, in my book.
20. Ring leader?: TORERO
21. Parenthesis, e.g.: ARC
22. Dún Laoghaire's land: EIRE. It used to be the primary ferry port between Great Britain and Ireland, but most, if not all, services have now been retured. Pronounced "Dun Leary" if you ever need to buy a ticket.
23. Largest division of Islam: SUNNI
26. Alpine transport: T-BAR
28. 2010 sci-fi sequel subtitled "Legacy": TRON
29. Grassy stretches: LEAS
32. Map line: ROAD
35. "A Doll's House" playwright: IBSEN
38. "The Martian" has none: E.T.S
41. Stat for Chris Sale: ERA. He's a pitcher, so Earned Run Average. Red Sox now, previously White Sox. I wonder what he did with the white ones from his uniform when he was traded? Or did he just leave them in his locker for the laundry guy? There are around 1,200 players each season in Major League Baseball. He's one of them. I just need to learn another 1,199 and I've got this year's crossword nailed.
42. Pronunciation symbol: SCHWA. This thing: ə. A mid-central vowel. A south-central vowel in Los Angeles is probably something else entirely.
44. PBS science series: NOVA
45. Small racer: KART
46. Barbershop part: BASS
48. McGregor who plays two roles on TV's "Fargo": EWAN. I've liked him since "Trainspotting" which I saw at an "arts theater" in Santa Monica and was hugely amused to see that it was subtitled English, in spite of being in English.
54. Jungle vine: LIANA
58. Big star: IDOL. Billy. Rebel Yell. Cue the music. 80's live pop excess.
59. Lincoln Ctr. site: N.Y.C. Also the site of my hd. off.
60. PBS science series: COSMOS. Chlecho trickery with 44A.
61. Brit's floor covering: LINO. We had lino in the bedrooms when I was a kid, and no heating. Getting up in winter was a bare-foot-meets-ice-rink experience.
64. Fuss: TO-DO
65. Dvorák's "Rusalka," for one: OPERA
66. Instead: ELSE
67. Scandinavian name meaning "cliff": STEN. What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.
68. Block: DETER
69. Sunflower edible: SEED
Down:
1. They're kept under wraps: GIFTS
2. Pear variety: ANJOU
3. Contempt: SCORN
4. Raises: PARENTS
5. Guitarist's gadget: CAPO
6. "Aladdin" prince: ALI
7. __ nerve: ULNAR
8. Petrol unit: LITRE. Those British and their spelling. No reason to mess with the original French, but you know, what do those foreigners know?
9. Vehicle with caterpillar treads: SNO-CAT. Ski-doo, sno-cat. Winter today.
10. Often-cosmetic procedure: NOSE JOB.
11. View from Corfu: IONIAN SEA. Yep, nice spot for sure.
12. Sound from a tree: CHIRP.
13. Competitor of Helena: ESTÉE. Lauder vs. Ruberstein. Gloves off!
18. Small amount: DRIB. Is a drab bigger or smaller than a drib? Surely it has to be one of the two, else you'd be doing something "in dribs and dribs" or "drabs and drabs".
24. Abdomen neighbor: GROIN. It's a toss-up which one you'd rather take a hit playing rugby. I've suffered both. I think I'd lean towards the abdomen given the choice.
25. Chamber music group: TRIO
27. Storied craft: ARK
29. "__ Miz": LES
30. "You get the idea" letters: ETC.
31. Light hair color: ASH BLONDE
33. Brouhaha: ADO
34. Matthew Arnold's "__ Beach": DOVER. A scary chap, he was a schools inspector, frightening in itself, but his work is referenced by Ray Bradbury and Ian McEwan - you know you're not in for an easy ride with his poetry or prose when you're in that company.
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanch'd land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.
Dover Beach, Matthew Arnold
37. Bryce Harper, for now: NAT. Washington Nationals. There it is!
39. Ornamental band: SASH
40. Talk: JAW
43. Belgian language related to French: WALLOON
45. Deli snacks: KNISHES
47. Ra, in ancient Egypt: SUN GOD
49. Cosmetic additive: ALOE
50. Rejects suddenly: JILTS
51. Jerk: IDIOT.
52. Mr. Magoo, for one: MYOPE
53. Santa's reindeer, e.g.: OCTET
55. Whac-__: A-MOLE
56. Rope loop: NOOSE
57. FAQ part: ASKED. Frequently-Asked Questions link on a website.
60. Scorch: CHAR
63. Amount past due?: TRE. Uno, duo, tre. Any Green Day fans are wondering what happened to that triptych. Uno was delivered, I think duo and tre are still a twinkle in the band's eye.
Got Grid?
Steve
65 comments:
Did not do well. the NE corner flummoxed me, and WALLOO? + STE? was a total natick. I was certain of GREAT Jest & EIRE, not so sure of OutS and SNIT, wavered between NICE and Neat, and 11-12-13d I had not even a WAG. Turned on the red letters and found one of my certainties was wrong, and one doubtful was right.
Just before I worked this puzzle, I'd been researching signet rings for my Jumble poem, so filled in Ring leader?=SIGNET and Ornamental band=RING. Both corrected by perps. Likewise BIGHT>NOOSE, FLEMISH>WALLOO?, ON THE [Beach]>DOVER, and probably others so blah that I've forgotten them.
He won a fishing contest, on his wall he has a BASS.
She won a beauty contest, now she wears a SASH.
With winning as their tie
They had an offspring by and by --
At the ugly baby contest it made all the judges GASP!
She thought it a GREAT JAPE to drive her PINTO to the FJORD.
Challenge folks to jump it, for a cash reward.
SKI-DOO to rust bucket,
No one survived who took it.
But that was just JILL HUMOR, whenever she was bored.
Across the land of EIRE, everyone must confess,
There was SCORN of bowing to society's repress.
Erin drove up ROAD and lane
As a free spirit, unrestrained.
Folks would shout "Erin go Bragh". but Erin would go bra-less!
{B+, B, B+.}
Thanks, Steve. Sorry about the clue for JILLHUMOR. I originally sent in, "Hilarity from Mrs. Biden." And yes, you're right that GOTTHEHOOK is because J is shaped like a fishing hook. When a puzzle theme adds or deletes something, I think it's important for there to be a reason. So when I see a phrase like getting the hook, it makes me think in terms of theme. "Hmm, a J looks like a hook," it occurred to me. The phrase is from Vaudeville, of course, where a poor performer could be pulled from the stage by a man with a shepherd's crook.
The Erin Go Braless bit was funny, Owen. Is that your line, or from a joke?
By the way, I had my Jeopardy audition. All went well, if you don't count the hotel's fire alarm going off in the middle of it. But mercifully, the delay was short. It really was a lot of fun, but I'm not holding my breath. They told us they interview about 2000 people a year and only use about 400.
Thanks for the puzzle & the expo! Thanks Paul, your clue was better.
Confused about “Sten” translated as “cliff” — it’s “stone” here in Sweden and as far as I could see in Norway & Denmark too. In Finnish it’s apparently “of”.
Swedish names really floored me when I moved here. Early on was introduced to a “Mats” and just could not compute. My mind argued against that word used as a name during the entire meeting. And yes a carpet is a “matta” here.
Hi, I have returned from a holy day absence to one of my favorite constructors.
There is an interesting consistency in where Paul placed the "J" in each fill. (BTW thank you for a J based puzzle, as I often note the poor letter is left out of most crosswors). Anyway, back to my point, the J is in the middle of the first word in fill 1; the beginning of the second word in fill 2: the middle of the second word in fill 3; and, the beginning of the first word in fill 4; each of which are two-word phrases. As C.C. would say, no outlier.
Paul works some difficulty (at least for me) into the puzzle. First CAULS a term i have never learned either as clued or in the woodworking sense. While the name MATTHEW ARNOLD is familiar, I did not know DOVER BEACH . Finally, STEN makes sense in retrospect e.g. golfer HENRIK STENSON but I did not know it.
As always, the duo of Steve and Paul give us a good start to the day, and we appreciate you stopping by to give us some insight and to keep us posted on your Jeopardy journey.
Good morning!
Filled in WALLOON, and then went looking to see what was wrong in that area. Hmmmmm...must be. Tried OPTIC before ULNAR showed up. Had no idea who Chris Sale might be. But I still finished in excellent Thursday time, so life is good. Thanx, Paul and Steve (I think you'd lean from a hit in either area).
ULNAR nerve: Hence the funnybone.
ESTEE: Steve, was that Ruberstein intentional, especially preceding "gloves?"
"Dún Laoghaire's land": Why are written Irish names so doggone unpronounceable? How are you supposed to get Shevaunne out of Siobhan?
Thought cAPO/cAULS was a natick, "pick" is the only guitar device I know but obviously didn't work, never heard of CAUL.
OTOH I thought the clue for JILLHUMOR was fine. After all the talk of Dad Jokes a few days ago I got that right off.
Thanks, Lemony. I notice things like outliers, too. At one point in going back and forth on this theme with Rich, we had DOJODAD in the central spot, which maintained the pattern. It was clued as, "Guy who regularly takes his kids for karate lessons?"
C.C. recently commented on Crossword Fiend at how much more civil the tone is there than on Rex Parker Does the NYT. Which is very true, but I must add, the tone here is the friendliest of all the blogs. So I'm always happy to have an LAT. I happen to have a NYT coming up on 10/2. Michael Sharp will probably hate the theme, as he does with most.
Even though I GOT THE HOOK at FJORD PINTO, it took a few extra minutes and many WAGS to finish this puzzle. But until the write up I didn't 'get' the HOOK, as in J looking like a hook.
CAUL is a new word for me. Thought OPTIC nerve before I was ALL IN and filled ULNAR. I was thinking either FRET or PICK for the guitarist's CAPO. JAPE is a word for joke that I've only seen in X-word puzzles. Pronunciation symbols- all I was ever taught were the long and short symbols over vowels. SCHWA came from working puzzles. Not ever watching baseball left me in the dark about Harper and Chris Sale but NAT and ERA were the only things that fit.
ESTEE, DOVER, SCHWA, NAT, ERA, EWAN- unknowns solved by perps.
JILTS- leaves standing at the altar
SVEN before STEN but IDIOV didn't look right.
Favorite clue- 'Amount past due'. TRE
Good Morning, I noticed the plethora of the letter "J" as I was working the puzzle, then when GOT THE HOOK, I realized why. Interesting concept.
Hand up for trying the Optic Nerve and the Fret before figuring out the ULNAR and letting the perps give me the CAPO.
I learned that a Big Star is not a NOVA, but a PBS Science Series.
We have tickets to see Aladdin next week, so it was interesting to find the Aladdin Prince in today's puzzle.
My favorite clue was They're Under Wraps = GIFTS even though it took me a few tries to get the 1-Down.
QOD: The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology. ~ Red Auerbach (né Arnold Jacob Auerbach; Sept. 20, 1917 ~ Oct. 28, 2006)
It took me a while to get the theme, but once I figured 50D had to be JILTS, it all clicked in. Fun and challenging puzzle!
DNF, not even close. Got the Solid South except for the Natick that OKL mentioned, 43d x 67a.
OK Owen, tell us that "boob JOB" didn't cross your mind for 10d.
Fun, fair puzzle that was just too tough for me. Thanks anyway Paul. I want to be able to FIR this level someday. I hope you get the call for Jeopardy. And thanks to Steve for the solid review. Sorry there wasn't much food, although I liked to catch, cook and eat BASS in my ute. It is National Pepperoni Pizza Day, btw.
Paul C @ 5:05
Original limerick for Erin go bra less dates back to March 2015 ... I recall this post from a former blogger ....
A young Dubliner seamstress named Bess,
Had a talent for making a dress;
In the top she used wire,
Allowed boobs to sit higher;
Truly now, Erin can go Bragh-less!
Fun puzzle, FIR, but it took quite some time. I loved the theme. I worked bottom up so I got JILL HUMOR early on and then found GOT THE HOOK. Aha! The theme. Favorite was past due=tre.
I read many historical novels about early medicine, including tales of midwives, so I knew CAUL after I had the L.
CSO to us elementary reading teachers who know SCHWA well.
I know WALLOON from teaching, too. They were early settlers in NYC. I am sure none of my students remember that.
Walloons
Swenglish Mom,I am glad you dropped in. Long time, no see. I see that the Swedish STEN means stone, but in researching Swedish names, I see it means cliff. Maybe the name came from an early version of the language. Have you ever met someone named STEN?
"Sten is a Scandinavian male given name. Literally meaning "stone" or "cliff", it derives from a literal translation of Peter into the North Germanic languages. Notable individuals with the name include. Sten Abel (1872–1942), Norwegian sailor. Sten Andersson (1923–2006), Swedish politician." from Wikipedia.
Thanks for visiting us Paul and discussing your fine puzzle. I agree that the Corner is a happy respite from the contempt and SCORN found on too many sites.
In that regard, how can anyone write, "I disagree with you, I hope you die a terrible death"? This age seems to mark the near death of reason.
Lemon and others, I am sorry we missed greeting you on Yom Kippur.
Limerick Larry, LOL
Good Morning.
I missed doing yesterday's puzzle, and this one was a dilly. FIW--WAY Wrong!
Maybe a Thumper day for me.
Thanks, Paul.
Thanks, Steve. Nice work.
Good Morning:
I caught the theme early on, but still had some hiccups: Nova/Idol, Sear/Char, and Lasso/Noose. Unknowns were Capo, Tron, and Dover and Opera, both as clued. I liked the clecho of Ado and To do and the fresh cluing for Sten. I don't think I've ever seen the word Myope before but it makes sense. Fun solve and cute theme.
Thanks, Paul, for entertaining us so well and so often and thanks for dropping by and keeping us in the loop, puzzle-wise and Jeopardy-wise. Your clue for Jill Humor was spot on, BTW. Thanks, Steve, for your usual wit and wisdom.
FLN
oc4beach, I'm sorry to hear of your SIL's decline. Alzheimer's is a cruel disease for both the patient and caregivers. Thoughts and prayers to all involved.
Have a great day.
Well, they finally got me on a THUR as I was lost on the whole Western side. Never heard of the word Cauls or a guitarist's gadget as CAPO. Same goes for WALLOON, STEN,SCHWA. So, in order to finish I had to red letter 5-7 cells and I never have to do that.
Like I said... they finally got me... on a THUR no less
Be well
Musings
-Misdirection, obscure words, a visual hook theme with J and visual fill with ARC! Add in Steve and "Ain't we got fun"
-GASP – step into a shower without knowing hot water heater is broken
-Our school went “ALL IN” on open-concept schools. We were “ALL OUT” in four years
-The BASS has a great last note in The Marcels’ version of Blue Moon
-“LINO for a floor covering? What ELSE ya got?”
-Hmmm… Is it SVEN or SWEN? What?
-Yes, being a good PARENT requires that you PARENT
-_ O _ _ J O B made me think of another cosmetic procedure
-This scene in LES MIZ draws many OOH’s
-Our Jewish friends who have ERRED had Yom Kippur this week for atonement
-I'll take Great Crossword Puzzles for $1,000 Alex. Answer - Paul Coulter Question - Who wrote today's LA Times puzzle
Paul's puzzle was a real stumper today. An official DNF because I had to turn on Red Letters and use alphabet runs to fill in the unknowns. I thought Paul's "J's" were inspired. Steve's tour brought a lot of Aha moments.
Paul: Good luck with Jeopardy. DW and I watch it every night (on DVR). Like many others we try to get the answer before the contestants ring in, but many times we don't get the right answer. But it is fun. I noticed that Alex Trebek's beard is disappearing and he was down to a somewhat scraggly mustache last night. Maybe tonight it will hopefully disappear also.
I had many stumbling blocks today. I didn't get GASP, CAULS, TORERO and LIANA without red letter help. I tried AGEANSEA vs IONIANSEA but it was too short, and I had TRAM before TBAR became evident.
IM & PK et. al.: Thanks for the kind words. Alzheimer's is hard for all to deal with. It takes away the person that you knew and loved and gives you a shell of a person who isn't enjoying what they are going through. Plus, in the back of our minds we wonder what may be in store for us as we get older.
On a brighter, note the weather in Central PA is beautiful today and I hope it is nice in your neighborhood.
I have a tshirt from from a st Patty's day celebration from 2003. It states erin go braless. I'm sure even that is dated.
Thank you, Paul Coulter, for this interesting puzzle and for visiting here. Good luck in your Jeopardy! pursuit.
I finished this in good time, noticed all the J's but didn't make the connection with hook. Thank you, Steve, for that.
Steve, I've never heard that explanation for PINTO but then regional differences exist in Spanish. In these parts, PINTO, means spotted, that is, painted with spots and refers to a horse. Oh! I see a connection.
For some reason I spelled MYOPE with an i so completely missed NYC and left a blank cell at CAULS/CAPO.
WALLOON as a language and a people feature greatly in history. They were merchants and artists.
Thank you again, Steve.
Have a very special day, everyone!
I have not encountered JAPE in everyday speech, but I find it quite often in newspapers and novels. There are so many examples it is hard to choose just one or two.
"Behind the opera's jolly japes and canny pastiches is one of Britten's boldest, most socially revolutionary statements: a piece hardwired into the youthful urge to experiment, rebel and break free." The Guardian, May 8, 2013.
"Last week we looked at some of the 'best' April Fools' Day japes from the world of football."
The Guardian, Apr 5, 2011.
Oh nice finished in 17 minutes. Had some doubts about Walloon spelling, but everything just worked out fine.
Glad to see Dvořák in the puzzle (wrong spelling...) With Smetana the biggest Czech composer.
We had a further round of lease accounting software trainings. The IT people shoukd be banned from touching accounting stuff. There are so manx things that could go wrong. Just too much power given on a single bookkeeper...
I always enjoy a Paul Coulter puzzle, and this one was no exception. While Paul's puzzles aren't necessarily easier or harder than any others, the cluing and vocabulary seem just a touch fresher and brighter to me. Today's effort is a case in point. Well done, Paul, and thanks for stopping by and providing us with your insight as the Cruciverb creativity process.
Great expo as always, Steve. Are you still commuting to Australia? Even if you are not, I don't see how you find the time for all of your activities.
This definition of CAUL was a learning moment for me. I was only aware of "caul", or "caul fat" as an ingredient sometimes used in cooking. It is the membrane that forms the outer lining of the intestines of a meat animal and it is spider-webbed with fat. It is used in cooking to wrap dishes while they cook, either to hold them together or more commonly, I think, to provide moistness during a dry, high-heat cooking process such a roasting. The membrane is not only a good barrier against moisture loss, but as the fat renders it is constantly basting the roast. (I've never used it. Not only can I not find it in a supermarket, but if I did try to use it the hole fam damily would revolt.)
DW and I are eating out tonight at our favorite Northern Italian restaurant. Tonight's occasion is an introduction to the Argentine wines of Don Marchado, accompanied by a five course meal that will be topped by a filet mignon. Yum!
Cya!
Blue Hen, stop it! You're making my wouth mater.
Great to have you check in with us, Paul C. I'd love to see you on 'Jeopardy' (and tell Alex to get rid of that beard). Thursday puzzles are often toughies for me, and on this one the only things I got on my first run-through were IBSEN, EWAN, and DOVER. But I worked my way through and eventually got almost everything except the southwest corner before I had to start cheating. Never heard of CAUL. And I would have to say JILL HUMOR turned out to be my favorite when all was done. So, many thanks, Paul. And Steve, very many thanks for giving us the bit of DOVER Beach--wonderful to read it again after all these years.
Oc4beach, my heart is with your family coping with their sad problem.
Have a good day, everybody.
Owen, I always enjoy your poems. Today especially the second one.
(Where are the j people lately?)
Bluehen @ 11:47 ~ I hope you'll continue to post on a regular basis as I've always enjoyed your comments, particularly those describing your culinary capers! Bon appetit tonight! 🍷
A walk in the park today. A dark, gloomy, quicksand-filled park. With spiders. Hoo boy…
After filling in only a few words in the entire NW (GIFTS, LEAS, SCHWA, and as a guitar player I have several CAPOs), I was pretty sure this would be a DNF. Fortunately, the south side was more forgiving and filled in fairly quickly. WALLOONS were part of the unit on the early settling of New Amsterdam which I taught some 30+ times, and the IONIAN SEA figured in geography every year.
I finally did FIR in just short of 20 minutes, kind of a long time for a Thursday puzzle.
Love the word SNIT. In the '70s there was a game from TSR called Snit's Revenge which was a favorite of mine.
I agree with those who didn’t like the cluing used for JILL HUMOR.
Well, it’s about time for my first mid-afternoon nap. Have a great day, all!
Paul CoulterThanks for stopping by! Good to know that awful clue for JILL HUMOR was not your doing. This has happened before with Rich and his "improvements".
Got the idea of an added J quickly with FJORD PINTO. And I did get the HOOK/J connection and found it clever!
Hand up some of the crosses seemed like Naticks to me:
STEN/WALLOON
CAULS/ALI/ULNAR
Learning moments.
LIANA took ESP. Tried TOROID before the unknown TORERO. Only know JAPE from these puzzles.
I did know CAPO from a lady friend who plays guitar
The CHIRP clue was my favorite! Slow to catch on!
Still not sure I get TRE? Is this Italian? Thanks, Steve, for trying to explain!
I learned to drive in a FORD PINTO. The handling was not great. Especially not good in snow. But it was very reliable. It always started up and never broke down.
Never heard of the DOVER BEACH poem. Thought maybe it was a TV show!
Here I was travelling from London to DOVER to Calais with my then Irish lady friend.
Notice the cricket bat in the luggage rack on the train!
From yesterday:
AnonT Thanks for trying to clarify the Duh comment!
I wish people would spend more time envisioning the ideal future they would like to see!
This Thursday puzzle had Extra Crunch...tough but fair. I had a WAG for the (Natick?) last letter in 43D/67A....N or W....went with the N and got lucky. What’s wrong with “British weapon” as the clue, haha.
See you tomorrow.
ERIN GO BRALESS. Tame
Hello everyone.
Back from a trip to Syracuse for a quarterly Dermo PM check. All OK. Dr. is near Syracuse Univ. campus, so side benefit was having lunch with grandson, a sophomore there.
Puzzle was challenging but ended up with one unknown cell at the CAULS / CAPO Natick.
Agree with YR's précis on STEN. I think Stein is a variation. and in German, Stein means 'stone'. Cliffs have a stoney façade. WAGged most of the center section. In hindsight, a very clever theme.
I'm surprised so many here are unfamiliar with this gizmo: CAPO. It allows a change of key in one swell foop.
Krijo, with your mention of Smetana I had to go to youtube to enjoy the Moldau (Vltava)a symphonic poem. It is one of my all time favorites. I just close my eyes and get lost in the music.
Reading this passage from Britannica as you listen helps picture the river growing from a little stream to a mighty force. So evocative!
"The movement starts with light, rippling figures that represent the emergence of the Moldau River as two mountain springs, one warm and one cold. Water from the springs then combines to become a mighty river, symbolized by a thickly orchestrated, stately theme that recurs periodically throughout the remainder of the work. Farther downstream, the river passes jubilant hunters, portrayed by a horn melody, and then passes a village wedding, signaled by a passage in polka rhythm. The river then enters a gorge where, according to legend, water nymphs—suggested by serene and mysterious melodies—come out to bathe in the moonlight. With the morning light, the main river theme returns, though it soon breaks into tumultuous dissonance as the river enters the St. John’s Rapids. Beyond the white water, the river reaches Prague, where to grand arpeggios of a regal hymn, it flows past the castle Vyšehrad, once the seat of power for Bohemian kings. After fading to a trickle, the piece—and the journey—comes to an unambiguous close with a loud two-chord cadence." Written by Betsy Schwarm
The Moldau It takes 14:40 min.
desper-otto I was also surprised how CAPO was unknown to so many here.
Here I found a photo of my college lady friend performing with a CAPO on her guitar.
This was at a rally at the MIT Student Center in April 1980.
By the way, I did WAG the STEN/WALLOON Natick correctly to FIR. Luck of the coin toss.
SwenglishMom Thanks for your take on the unknown STEN.
D-O @ 1405 - - Thanks for the picture. I used to call it a clamp and no one corrected me. A little out of my field, I play the accordion (poorly) and we don't use clamps er… CAPOS.
Dover Beach was one of the very first poems encountered in Oral Interp classes when I was an undergrad.
I knew nothing then of the geography of England and France - and would not arrive at the real Dover Beach for at least ten years. Still, these opening lines embedded themselves in my memory.
Tell me this is not sweetly seductive:
The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay."
Thank you, Steve, for offering a few words on the great Matthew Arnold.
Today's pzl was a pleasant-enough diversion from Mr. Coulter, with an amusing theme and clever cluing. I would have had a full Ta- DA! if it hadn't been for personal Naticks at 37D & 41A, the baseball nexus. I haven't been a fan, as I've previously explained, since the NY Giants Moved west to replace my old Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals.
Those robber baron big league owners never understood a kid's devotion to the hometown team that produced DiMaggio.
~ OMK
____________
DR: Two, one on each side.
Hi Y'all! Another vocabulary-building puzzle from Paul. I enjoyed and "got" the J-HOOK before the reveal. Thanks for stopping by.
Great expo, Steve. What's that about being a third generation Japanese-American? Really? Thought you were all Brit.
GASP was all perps. I once played the guitar so knew CAPO, but it was 40 years ago so I couldn't think of the name. I quit playing because every time I practiced, my toddler would get into something he shouldn't while I was engrossed.
I also knew CAULS from reading novels: "The "en-caul" birth, not to be confused with the "caul" birth, occurs when the infant is born inside the entire amniotic sac. The sac balloons out at birth, with the amniotic fluid and child remaining inside the unbroken or partially broken membrane." This occurrence caused a lot of superstitious beliefs in illiterate communities.
WALLOON was also known but forgotten. Did not know: LIANA, STEN (do know Henrik STENson), DOVER as clued, NAT.
My youngest son took Tae Quon Do so I was a DOJO mom.
Last to fill: IDOL/IDIOT cross. Duh! Don't know what I was thinking.
Erin go Braless has probably been around ever since the bra was created and Irish girls began to wear them, naughty boys.
Steve- Perhaps the film,"Trainspotting" had English subtitles as closed captioning for individuals with hearing loss?
Anonymous G
FLN
I think Isao Aoki was in a NYT clue recently. Since I get the xword a week late I'm in no hurry to solve.
Also, lol Owen.
Also there was this Littler
Today: Saturday tough. We drove through Natick, Dover Walpole and Framingham...
I had a Pinto. Good memories, for awhile
5d/a was complete Natick. I guessed Y.
Oops. C???
Sale may be the best but not best known. Kirshaw of LA ?
Oops again. The W on 42a/43d. I knew WALLOON I just didn't go far enough, alphabet wise. I guess online you can run through quickly.
Aaarrgghhhh. Not JAM. Somebody suggested the TV Guide xword. I said that would be impossible. I should read my Parade Magazine
Another one: MIOPE. Bad day. 4 boxes and counting
Owen. W+3*
Sandy, I'll be over when I'm done here. I did the J.
I'll post now. Betsy's waiting for me
WC
eHad no idea who/what "Dun Laoghaire" referred to, but it was obviously Irish Gaelic; so, of course, EIRE.
I guess STEN for "cliff" is as reasonable as Ayers being a "Rock."
LITRE is the original French spelling; liter is the American spelling. Noah Webster's legacy.
Didn't realize WALLOON is a Romance language.
I was hoping that there would be some explanation of the cluing and answer for 63D, as almost always someone gets befuddled before I get to the puzzle. Today, though, only M. Picard raised the question. Here's the wording:
"63. Amount past due?: TRE. Uno, duo, tre. Any Green Day fans are wondering what happened to that triptych. Uno was delivered, I think duo and tre are still a twinkle in the band's eye."
Huh? 'Tre' was the drummer for Green Day, but that's irrelevant. All I needed to do was count to 'three' in Italian, something I do every morning -- NOT!
====
"Green Day is an American rock band formed in 1986 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt. For much of the band's career, they have been a trio with drummer Tré Cool, who replaced John Kiffmeyer in 1990 prior to the recording of the band's second studio album, Kerplunk (1991)."
PK, thanks for keeping our discussions of redundancies alive. "Naughty boys", as if there are any other sort.
Got the reveal right away, but didn’t think of putting the Js in🤔
Paul, I so admire your construction on this one, but I’m taking a Thumper... not because of the wonderful puzzle but because I’m just not on your wave length. Thanks!!
Re. JILL. Something happened on that hill. Possibly, akin to what was going on in that PINTO of mine. Which, btw, I bought in Framingham.
Thanks for that QOD Hahtoolah. I was just talking about Red* . He also said he'd rather be someone's problem than have problems with someone. Cheated every chance he had. Belicheck is like him(both win) except Red had a personality.
Jinx, it sure did mine. I told Owen's joke today.
YR, you mentioned"Hip disease" yesterday. Should I try to LIU or can you elaborate. I had this hip thing bothering me all week .
I read parts of Les Miserables en Francais. If I read the whole novel I was young. And in English.
Also, re. The(Miz) plot: Florida just rounded up a pastor for a 1988 bounced check(technical felony) to take his voting rights away.
Again. I am with Rich's clue "improvement". I don't like the Biden version at all.
WC
*And I was also just talking about Synchronicity which Owen refers to as prescience.
I've seen CAPOs on guitars and knew what they are for, but did not know (or remember knowing) what they are called. That, plus not knowing CAUL made that crossing a natick for me. Fortunately an alphabet run got it in three tries.
I liked the puzzle, however.
Best wishes to you all.
Jinx: I had three brothers. One was never naughty and still is disgustingly saintly and lovable. The second little boy did a few dumb things. The third brother did enough creatively naughty things to make up for the other two and then some.
Hi All!
I got to learn to be more patient on Thursday puzzles - especially Paul's, with his thinking orthogonal to mine (Hi Swamp!). I tossed-the towel w/ 11 & 13d and the NW mostly empty (GIFT-wrap! Not deli wraps - no, I didn't know the pear either). Thanks for the puzzle Paul and thanks for stopping by with an update on your Jeopardy! status.
It's getting old saying this, but thanks again Steve finishing my grid. I got the Green Day HUMOR. More brands that failed to translate.
At least I knew my PBS shows and finally nailed SCHWA.
WOs: EbAN, TReO (I should have never got that Palm Pilot - messes up my spelling! :-))
ESPs: IBSEN, WALOON( Poirot?), STEN,
Flat wrong: A NIB for DRIB, STIR for SNIT
Fav: c/a for TRE
{A, B, A}
Bluehen (food!) & SwenglishMom chiming in on the same day? Whoot!
WikWak - LOL on your walk in the park...
Lem, I forgot yesterday was Yom Kippur. Shalom.
Anyone remember Colbert's Atone Phone bit?
Cheers, -T
A propos of nothing ., I had. PINTO. A floor demo, I paid $2000 for it and drove it for years. It was like driveing a tin can. But it got us from here to. there.
WC I can't find your reference to hip disease. Please explain.
Is no one else as upset as I am about the extreme reactions to different viewpoints? Violence, death threats, fire to burn your house down, extreme animosity, hatred. I was taught that we can agree to disagree. What has become of rational dialog? I am fearful for our country's future.
YR, don’t dispair. Those who want to say hateful things will always find a way.
But most of us are kind and reasonable. It may not be the fashionable way. But kindness always seems to win in the end.
Michael, the clue was referring to the Italian 1,2,3 Uno, Due, Tre threrefore the amoubt "past due" (2) is Tre (3)
Lemonade, thanks for finally making sense of the TRE question at 8:29 p.m. It evaded me too until just now. Shalom!
YR: I am also afraid for our country. So much anger can bring down a good thing. I just had an argument on another site with an idiot who advocates voting for a local crazy for the same reasons that I think no one could possibly want to vote for him. If he becomes governor, can I come pitch a tent in the Pine Barrens and live out my days?
Didn't do the puzzle today,
just got back from a day hike that took 2 hours driving just to get to...
Normally, not doing the puzzle would self disqualify me from posting comment,
but...
I was reading the write up, and thinking what silliness to post,
and thought, of course! The "J" bar ski lift!
(and why it was replaced with the T-bar...)
Add a "J?", "Got the hook?"
Paul, are you sure you didn't get this idea from me...
I mean, I posted this J hook silliness twice before on the Blog!
And lookee here, 26. Alpine transport: T-BAR
Hmm, (methinks I have been J-hooked right up the Wazoo...)
Oh well, I looked for examples, & they are many and tedious,
so, I give you The greatest T-bar fail of all time!
(Although, it would have been funnier if it was a J-bar...)
And, if you thought i was finished complaining...
growing up, we couldn't afford Capo's!
CED - Wooden CAPOs provide Serious Sustain - just listen.
//Story
Buddy just emailed that all the BlackHat, DefCon, and B-Sides [hacker] talks finally came in (on USB sticks - $800) today. I cried via email:
"Nooooo! DW & I are going to San Antonio for the weekend for our 30th! She'll kill me if I spend the weekend watching DefCon talks.
What to do, what to do?"
He shot back: "Watch BlackHat instead?"
I love working with that guy :-)
Cheers, -T
YR, I read "disc disease" as hip disease
WC
No comment necessary. They're not related, I'm sure
I am becoming a regular at this hour. Well this was a workout. Thanks for the fun, Paul and Steve.
I saw the Js and got the hook but there were a few visits to Google required to finish. Mostly WEES by now.
But I did love that "properly spelled" LITRE! Especially after my comment about Canadian litres in the Metric CW the other day.
But I then HUMOR was missing the U. Sigh.
I smiled at the clue for GASP. Thanks for explaining "amount past due", Lemonade. I think Steve must have had a typo with duo.
When I Googled the unknown-to-me Bryce Harper, it appeared that the clue was apropos for today, as he was going into one of his last home games as a NAT. That explains the "for now". Rich seems to keep right on top of these clues for accuracy.
I must fly. Busy day tomorrow coming up.
Who wants a sticky-sweet story? Then read on...
30 years ago this coming Tuesday DW & I "eloped" in Shreveport with a small Justice of the Peace wedding w/ our HS buddies. I was stationed in San Antonio for AIT so we drove back and spent our Honeymoon in the cheapest (clean) room we could find on the River Walk.
DW remembers walking past the Omni (w/ a Mardi Gras-y balcony & view of the River Walk) and said, "Think we'll stay there some day?"
Well, 30 years later, tomorrow will be the day. I've got a brilliant suit booked.
Our "Church" wedding to satisfy "The Family" was in Feb so we will (fingers-crossed) be in Italy for that.
Lucina - I have the Babbel +ITalian app; I nailed lesson one :-) Thanks for the recommendation.
Cheers, -T
Didn't refresh said...
C, Eh! - I noticed LITRE and considered using HUMOuR for Steve's Green Day quip; but alas... -T
Dash T, props.
AnonT:
Awww. That is so sweet and you are a gem! No wonder she is still with you. You'll ace Italian.
AnonT: such a romantic you are. Eloped and stayed married which some of these people with $50,000+ weddings don't do.
PK, TTP, Lucina - I married up - DW's smarter (and prettier) than I. Who knows?, by 31yrs, the other shoe drops, she wises up, and I'm kicked to the curb -- I may have fool'd 'er long enough :-)
See y'all (maybe) Domani(?). Cheers, -T
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