Theme:
62A. Clothing accessory, perhaps ... or what you can see in each of four groups of circles?: BELT BUCKLE
No getting around this one - you need the circles to see the theme. We have four belts - conveyor belt, Orion's belt, money belt and asteroid belt, all of which are "buckled" down, across and then back up in the grid.
I take my hat off to constructors who pull off this kind of puzzle - it's not just a question of fitting your theme entries into the grid and then filling around them, it's a whole step up in the craft. Roger & Kathy nailed it today.
Orion's Belt:
After Orion, and this week's blood super wolf moon, let's go hunt down to what else we've got:
Across:
1. It can cause a bad trip: LSD
4. Renders speechless: AWES
8. Late-night host with an orange-blimp running gag: CONAN. In the "industry" news this week for announcing a 30-minute slot of his show, rather than the full hour.
13. Show of hands: VOTE
14. Some Pequod crewmen: HARPOONERS. What a great word to find early on the journey today.
16. Tapped pic: ICON. Only if you've got a touchscreen of some kind.
17. Many Bach compositions: ORGAN MUSIC. Quick! Think of a J.S.Bach fugue! I betcha a dollar to a donut it was this one here
18. Sources of "Family Feud" answers: SURVEYS. "And the survey said ......"
20. Soccer officials: REFS. Much-maligned around the world. Not as maligned as the NFL official who didn't throw the flag for pass in the Rams - Saints game on Sunday. I don't think he should plan a trip to New Orleans for a while.
21. Till this moment: AS YET
22. Utah lily: SEGO
23. Hush-hush org.: NSA. There's a few "orgs" today. Shout 'em out as you see 'em.
26. Rebuffed, with "off": BRUSHED
29. Mob scenes: RIOTS
31. In bygone days: AGO
33. Retailer with blue-and-yellow megastores: IKEA
34. Does penance (for): ATONES
35. Clothing line: SEAM
37. Go-aheads: YESES. Could be YESSES, but two esses won out here over three.
39. Eye layer: UVEA
40. Say: FOR ONE. Might be hard to see this - when you're explaining something - "Take that crossword, say - it's a good theme" - "Take that crossword, for one, it's a good theme". I found it harder to explain than to solve. I probably made a complete mess of it.
42. Hops hot spot: OAST
44. "Things Are Fine in Mount __": Charley Weaver book: IDY. My last fill. Thank you, stab-in-the-dark gods.
45. Augment: ADD TO
46. Unborn: IN UTERO
48. Scale members: RE'S. Yuck, sorry. Do's, Re's, Me's, Sol's .... Nope. Not having it.
49. Preserves, in a way: CANS
51. Baton-passing event: RELAY, Baton-dropping, most embarassingly.
54. Switch partner: BAIT. and Switch.
55. Makes moist: DAMPENS
57. Electrical generator: ALTERNATOR
61. "The Matrix" actress Carrie-__ Moss: ANNE. Anyone called Carrie Anne cannot match up to my criush - Carrie Anne Inaba
63. Cupcake decorator: ICER
64. Andean shrubs: COCAS
65. Little piggies: TOES
66. Nero Wolfe creator Stout: REX. Who? What?
Down:
1. Center of power: LOCUS
2. Panels illustrating film scripts: STORY BOARDS. I loved the long downs. This was a cracker to start.
3. High capital: DENVER. A mile, plus or minus, high. I stayed in a hotel there (shame on me, the name escapes me) who had the one-mile marker next to the elevators on the ground floor.
4. "Hey, sailor!": AHOY
5. General concerns?: WARS
6. Unit of work: ERG
7. Let off: SPARED
8. Solace: COMFORT
9. Responsibility: ONUS
10. Wii forerunner, briefly: NES
11. Onassis nickname: ARI. stotle.
12. Foreign policy advisory gp.: NSC
13. Plastic choice: VISA. Mastercard,, Discover and Amex could have fit, but only AMEX might have snuck in there.
15. 100 sawbucks: ONE G. One Grand = 100 tens.
19. Place for pins and needles: ETUI
22. Salts, say: SEASONS
23. King's philosophy: NON-VIOLENCE
24. Jousting mount: STEED. Poor buggers. They already weigh two tons and then there's armor plate and a knight who matches them for mass on top. A long day for a horse at the jousting. Footnote - the terms of my 99-year leasehold flat in London explicitly forbade me from organizing jousting tournaments. I also was not allowed to keep coal in the bath. I was on the second floor. What the coal restriction was about, I have no idea. The Duchess of Camden was the freehold owner, bless her.
25. Test for purity: ASSAY
27. Scottish isle: SKYE.
28. Half a giggle: HEE
30. Letters for short people?: IOU
31. Equidistant: AS FAR. I was back and forth on this one. Quite aptly, I suppose - I was back one way, forth the other way, as far from the middle each trip
32. Sparkly stone: GEODE. I remember this thinking of a battery shorting out in a shower of sparks - Anode, Cathode .... yay Geode!!!!
34. Boss' backup: Abbr.: ASST.
36. Witty remark: MOT. Can it be witty just being a mot? I think bon mot.
38. __ de toilette: EAU
41. Strict diet restriction: NO CARBS
43. __ paper: TERM
46. Whole: INTACT
47. Get to work again: REPAIR
50. Japanese aborigine: AINU. Or Did I say I got my DNA results last week? 77% Irish, 19% English/Welsh and 2% each French and Norwegian. My friend was 100% 蝦夷.
52. Subsidiary structure: ANNEX. Attached to the ell? We should be told.
53. Belgian river: YSER
54. Phi __ Kappa: BETA
55. Dish (out): DOLE
56. Son of Zeus and Hera: ARES
57. TV network with much Shondaland programming: ABC. Shondaland is the production company that co-produces shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.
58. Summer sign: LEO. I'm either a Virgo or a Libra, depending on which version of my birth certificate you believe.
59. Solace for a sad BFF: TLC. This was weird. TLC was a lot earlier than BFF-speak. 60's - two-thousand-teens mash-up. I liked it.
60. Ref's ruling: TKO. Technically, a Technical Knock-Out.
Power to the People!
Steve
62A. Clothing accessory, perhaps ... or what you can see in each of four groups of circles?: BELT BUCKLE
No getting around this one - you need the circles to see the theme. We have four belts - conveyor belt, Orion's belt, money belt and asteroid belt, all of which are "buckled" down, across and then back up in the grid.
I take my hat off to constructors who pull off this kind of puzzle - it's not just a question of fitting your theme entries into the grid and then filling around them, it's a whole step up in the craft. Roger & Kathy nailed it today.
Orion's Belt:
After Orion, and this week's blood super wolf moon, let's go hunt down to what else we've got:
Across:
1. It can cause a bad trip: LSD
4. Renders speechless: AWES
8. Late-night host with an orange-blimp running gag: CONAN. In the "industry" news this week for announcing a 30-minute slot of his show, rather than the full hour.
13. Show of hands: VOTE
14. Some Pequod crewmen: HARPOONERS. What a great word to find early on the journey today.
16. Tapped pic: ICON. Only if you've got a touchscreen of some kind.
17. Many Bach compositions: ORGAN MUSIC. Quick! Think of a J.S.Bach fugue! I betcha a dollar to a donut it was this one here
18. Sources of "Family Feud" answers: SURVEYS. "And the survey said ......"
20. Soccer officials: REFS. Much-maligned around the world. Not as maligned as the NFL official who didn't throw the flag for pass in the Rams - Saints game on Sunday. I don't think he should plan a trip to New Orleans for a while.
21. Till this moment: AS YET
22. Utah lily: SEGO
23. Hush-hush org.: NSA. There's a few "orgs" today. Shout 'em out as you see 'em.
26. Rebuffed, with "off": BRUSHED
29. Mob scenes: RIOTS
31. In bygone days: AGO
33. Retailer with blue-and-yellow megastores: IKEA
34. Does penance (for): ATONES
35. Clothing line: SEAM
37. Go-aheads: YESES. Could be YESSES, but two esses won out here over three.
39. Eye layer: UVEA
40. Say: FOR ONE. Might be hard to see this - when you're explaining something - "Take that crossword, say - it's a good theme" - "Take that crossword, for one, it's a good theme". I found it harder to explain than to solve. I probably made a complete mess of it.
42. Hops hot spot: OAST
44. "Things Are Fine in Mount __": Charley Weaver book: IDY. My last fill. Thank you, stab-in-the-dark gods.
45. Augment: ADD TO
46. Unborn: IN UTERO
48. Scale members: RE'S. Yuck, sorry. Do's, Re's, Me's, Sol's .... Nope. Not having it.
49. Preserves, in a way: CANS
51. Baton-passing event: RELAY, Baton-dropping, most embarassingly.
54. Switch partner: BAIT. and Switch.
55. Makes moist: DAMPENS
57. Electrical generator: ALTERNATOR
61. "The Matrix" actress Carrie-__ Moss: ANNE. Anyone called Carrie Anne cannot match up to my criush - Carrie Anne Inaba
63. Cupcake decorator: ICER
64. Andean shrubs: COCAS
65. Little piggies: TOES
66. Nero Wolfe creator Stout: REX. Who? What?
Down:
1. Center of power: LOCUS
2. Panels illustrating film scripts: STORY BOARDS. I loved the long downs. This was a cracker to start.
3. High capital: DENVER. A mile, plus or minus, high. I stayed in a hotel there (shame on me, the name escapes me) who had the one-mile marker next to the elevators on the ground floor.
4. "Hey, sailor!": AHOY
5. General concerns?: WARS
6. Unit of work: ERG
7. Let off: SPARED
8. Solace: COMFORT
9. Responsibility: ONUS
10. Wii forerunner, briefly: NES
11. Onassis nickname: ARI. stotle.
12. Foreign policy advisory gp.: NSC
13. Plastic choice: VISA. Mastercard,, Discover and Amex could have fit, but only AMEX might have snuck in there.
15. 100 sawbucks: ONE G. One Grand = 100 tens.
19. Place for pins and needles: ETUI
22. Salts, say: SEASONS
23. King's philosophy: NON-VIOLENCE
24. Jousting mount: STEED. Poor buggers. They already weigh two tons and then there's armor plate and a knight who matches them for mass on top. A long day for a horse at the jousting. Footnote - the terms of my 99-year leasehold flat in London explicitly forbade me from organizing jousting tournaments. I also was not allowed to keep coal in the bath. I was on the second floor. What the coal restriction was about, I have no idea. The Duchess of Camden was the freehold owner, bless her.
25. Test for purity: ASSAY
27. Scottish isle: SKYE.
Sail, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
"Onward" the sailors cry.
Carry the man who's born to be king,
over the sea to Skye"
28. Half a giggle: HEE
30. Letters for short people?: IOU
31. Equidistant: AS FAR. I was back and forth on this one. Quite aptly, I suppose - I was back one way, forth the other way, as far from the middle each trip
32. Sparkly stone: GEODE. I remember this thinking of a battery shorting out in a shower of sparks - Anode, Cathode .... yay Geode!!!!
34. Boss' backup: Abbr.: ASST.
36. Witty remark: MOT. Can it be witty just being a mot? I think bon mot.
38. __ de toilette: EAU
41. Strict diet restriction: NO CARBS
43. __ paper: TERM
46. Whole: INTACT
47. Get to work again: REPAIR
50. Japanese aborigine: AINU. Or Did I say I got my DNA results last week? 77% Irish, 19% English/Welsh and 2% each French and Norwegian. My friend was 100% 蝦夷.
52. Subsidiary structure: ANNEX. Attached to the ell? We should be told.
53. Belgian river: YSER
54. Phi __ Kappa: BETA
55. Dish (out): DOLE
56. Son of Zeus and Hera: ARES
57. TV network with much Shondaland programming: ABC. Shondaland is the production company that co-produces shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.
58. Summer sign: LEO. I'm either a Virgo or a Libra, depending on which version of my birth certificate you believe.
59. Solace for a sad BFF: TLC. This was weird. TLC was a lot earlier than BFF-speak. 60's - two-thousand-teens mash-up. I liked it.
60. Ref's ruling: TKO. Technically, a Technical Knock-Out.
Power to the People!
Steve
FIRight, but had to do it in two sessions. First try, the SW corner just would not fall! I had answers to nearly everything, but none fit with others! E.g. ethER moTOR > ALTERNATOR, hug > TLC, eNTire > EN Toto > INTACT.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was a bust today. With Cruciverb still AWOL, and no circles at Mensa, even with the reveal I couldn't figure it out until I came here. Before I learned circles were involved, I thought HARPooners & ORGAN & non-VIOLence were part of a theme, but never found another instrument.
A fierce Olympian is ARES.
WARS are the weapons he carries.
He becomes incensed
At NON-VIOLENCE,
But he'll settle for RIOTS and -- SURVEYS?
The ONUS of caring for me
My wife takes on cheerfully.
A COMFORT she is,
My adorable Ms.,
When she DOLES out the T.L.C.!
(B, A+.}
Speedy solve for a Thursday. No TKO here.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteYay, no write-overs. The Barnacle had the circles, and I noticed the "belts" after finishing, but not the "buckle." Interesting to see both NSC and NSA (no such agency) in this one. That switch partner wasn't EROO (I waited for perps). Thanx, Roger and Kathy. Enjoyed the tour, Steve.
SHONDALAND: Totally out of my wheelhouse. Apparently, we don't watch much ABC programming.
STEED: Saw several last night in part II of PBS Equus. Even included the ones the knights rode. Steve, were you pulling our leg about that No Jousting clause? Or was that a cutesy way of saying "no horsing around?"
The Wienbergs are back with a wonderful and creative puzzle as skillfully explained by Steve. To make the theme work and still include HARPOONER , ORGAN MUSIC , NON-VIOLENCE , and my favorite STORY-BOARDS is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSteve, you are too young to have watched CHARLIE WEAVER on the JACK PAAR TONIGHT SHOW o even as a regular on HOLLYWOOD SQUARES . He is the gradfather of the acting Arquettes.
I am shocked that you question Grand Master REX STOUT creator of NERO WOLFE who appears often in crosswords.
Abbie Higashi?
Thanks Steve and Wienbergs.
The inspiration for this puzzle was the 12-1-16 BEAN DIP puzzle that appeared
ReplyDeletein the NY Times. Kathy and I tabled the idea for quite a while because, as Steve
said, working with so many triple-checked letters is tricky and it's difficult
to get "clean" fill. We hope solvers enjoy the puzzle and COTTON to the theme.
Roger
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGot the belt gimmick after the reveal @ 62a. Quite clever as Steve said. Didn't think of Denver right away; wanted something like Quito. but the DE_V__ from the acrosses quickly pointed to DENVER. Had 'intone' before FOR ONE. AINU helped nail down the SW. No help needed for the solve; a good Thursday romp. Thank you Roger and Kathy.
"Where do you keep your pins and needles, Caesar?"
ReplyDelete"Etui, Brute"
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI had a bit of trouble here and there but, eventually, everything fell into place. I think what threw me off was the Thursday-level cluing and fill because I'm so used to the Wienberg's early week offerings. I wasn't keen on One G, For One, and Res, but liked the related pairing of NSA, NSC, plus NES, for good measure. W/os were Sago/Sego and No Candy/No Carbs. Needed perps for Cocas, Anne, Eau, and Ainu. Conan never entered my mind; does anyone watch his show? I never even hear his name mentioned.
Thanks, Roger and Kathy, for a clever theme and challenging solve and thanks, Steve, for the fun and factual expo.
FLN
Dave, good to hear from you, hurry back.
Have a great day.
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Roger and Kathy for an enjoyable workout this morning.
When I first skimmed through the clues I knew it would be a little challenging and so it was.
FIR in reasonable time.
Puzzled over ASSAY and IDY crossing but dared to enter the Y and moved on.
Was held up at MOT and FORONE my last fill, once I understood the BELT connection .
No look ups or write overs as the undecided ones like SKYE, AINU, and YSER filled via the crosses.
Thanks Steve for the review . I was looking to see the explanation for FORONE and it agreed with my thoughts .
Happy birthday to my mom , 94 today and living in her apartment cooking her own meals and tho slowing down some , still a quick wit.
Cheers
Jerome, you are a treasure. Thank you for stopping by Roger. Your variation was more intricate than Mr. Polin's fine puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I flew into Denver was on a Lear jet and the cockpit was open and I could see the altimeter as we landed. At 10,000 feet I was rather non-plussed and remained confused as we approached the runway. It was only after we landed that I realized the altimeter was set to sea level and 5000 plus was correct.
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Roger and Kathy, and Steve.
ReplyDeleteThis CW required P&P in the SW; I actually put it down and came back for a fresh look, and things fell into place. Eventually I saw the BELT BUCKLE.
This Canadian has learned NSA and NSC, but sawbucks is not a common term for me. It took a minute to parse ONEG as ONE G and not the blood type O NEG!
I was misled also by Salts=SEASONS; I was thinking of our Salty Dog sailors from the other day when I had the SEA.. . OK, answer could be SEA SONS!
Thankfully IDY and ABC filled with perps.
I entered LEO because Cancer would not fit. Tee changed to HEE.
MLK clue at 23D would have been appropriate last Monday, but this was not a Monday-level CW.
Favourite today was "30D Letters for short people?=IOU"
Thanks for explaining FOR ONE, Steve. It filled the spot but left me blank!
Thanks for dropping by RAW.
Good to hear from you yesterday, Dave.
Wishing you all a great day.
I will echo Lemonade@7:20am and ask re Abbie Higashi in the credits today?
ReplyDeleteI see her teamed with Kevin Christian in her debut LA Times CW on Oct. 16, 2018.
Steve, do you have an alias, or is this your friend who was 100% 蝦夷???
Really great theme, Roger and Kathy. I saw the belts with the second one and wondered why the dip in them. I laughed when the reveal gave us buckle.
ReplyDeleteThe SE was the last to fall. Amazingly, just after MLK's birthday, I was looking for a reigning king instead of MLK. Getting more perps and rethinking that, made the completion of that corner easy.
More and more bon mot is shortened to merely mot with the same meaning.
I remember Charlie Weaver. Funny man.
DO from yesterday. Thanks. I had the same thought about my washer. However, the valves are on the wall only about eight inches from the side of the washer. I can reach in there to turn the water off and on, but not to disconnect the hoses. I waited until the big warm up in the last 24 hours and called warranty service just now.
Did we just have the pitcher Mariano Rivera the other day? He was inducted intot he Hall of Fame this week.
Hi gang -
ReplyDeleteIt's always a nice treat when the constructor pops in.
Jerome!!! Love it, man.
I thought this puzzle would be utterly hopeless, but plugged and chugged until it finally came together.
Worked it in pencil, right on the newspaper, so all the circles were there. Brilliant theme, excellent execution.
We just had ETUI yesterday.
Denver as the high capital. Nice double entendre.
I question of couple of the clues, though. As Steve mentioned Say = FOR ONE? I really don't get it. Filled it in completely from perps, and couldn't parse it. Even with the explanation, I'm still scratching my head.
This week especially, I would have like to see the Dr. in Dr. Kings name.
My first thought for a Bach Fugue is not a piece of ORGAN MUSIC at all, rather
the C minor fugue from Book 1 of the WTC
. Perfection!
Cold and gloomy here.
Cool regards!
JzB
@Canadian Eh - My friend :)
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Roger and Kathy, I, FOR ONE, loved your puzzle and gimmick!
-Steve, loved your write-up and flat agreement! Was there a limit on wenches?
-Raising your hand for a VOTE can give much different results than an anonymous VOTE
-Elementary kids here had to be trained to use a mouse as they were raised mostly with touch screens
-The home Family Feud bombed at Christmas. The answers were way too weird.
-The most famous BAIT and SWITCH?
-NES is in the puzzle world of “no need to indicate abbr.”
-Grandchild swap point? Wahoo, NE, which is equidistant from Fremont and Lincoln
-The ASST. (is “secretary” not PC?) would be missed long before the principal would be
Gary, says,"-The ASST. (is “secretary” not PC?) would be missed long before the principal would be." Yes, indeed. The admin asst or head secretary usually knows more than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteSay=for one is kinda iffy. I get the point, but would have trouble defending it.
Alan was accepted into the group home program yesterday. Soon we will be able to review lists of available homes. (Still a long road ahead, though.) To get into the program we had to jump through hoops to prove Alan could not function independently. On the other hand, his chances to be accepted by any particular home are very good because he is more self-sufficient and in not as much in need of detailed care as many others. Ironic, isn't it?
Owen, last one A++.
Temps in the 50's, falling to a low of 25 by early morning. I'll take it, in spite of the rain and gloom. So much gentler than having 3 degrees with the wind chill way below zero.
I accepted a big Windows 10 upgrade a few days ago. It took long to load. Then my computer was exceptionally slow in everything, and especially slow using WORD for a few days. My printer was recognized only after a big pause, or more often, not at all. Yesterday everything was back up to speed and the printer was easily accepted without my doing anything to help. Weird?
Fun puzzle for a Thursday, many thanks, Roger and Kathy, and thanks for stopping by, Roger. I got almost all of it, but had trouble in the southwest and goofed by having STARS BOARDS instead of STORY BOARDS for the down--even though I knew CANVEYORS wasn't right. But everything else was great, and like CanadianEh, my favorite was also the IOU letters for short people. Thanks too for the always helpful commentary, Steve.
ReplyDeleteFun pun, Jerome.
Good news about Alan, Yellowrocks.
How great that your mom is doing so well, Oas.
Loved your second poem, Owen.
Have a great day, everybody.
Roger, thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteOas, very Happy Birthday wishes to your amazing Mom. 🎂🎁🎉🎈🍾
YR, excellent news about Alan's future. You must feel like a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Your tireless efforts and faith paid off. Congrats!
From yesterday
ReplyDeleteAnonT I am happy you also enjoyed MAD Rushmore!
Thanks to Roger and Kathy for a fun BELTBUCKLE which AWES me! I saw the different BELTs but it didn't particularly help with the solve which was quick and easy for the most part.
ReplyDeleteHand up for IOU as my favorite!
Only one write over, intoto/INTACT. I should be on a NOCARB regimen but just need some once in a while. EAU de toilette has always amused me though I get the translation.
Thank you, Steve, your elucidation is much appreciated.
Jerome, you are brilliant!
Owen, your last one is so sweet!
YR: what a relief that must be for you. All that hard work finally paying off!
Have a beautiful day, everyone! Sunny and bright here.
I agree, Owen.
ReplyDeleteB and definitely A+.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good Thursday puzzle. Themed without giveaways, I always like that.
I must say, for one, that 40A was not a good clue. “Table __ __” would have made much more sense, IMHO.
Markovers...just one, DEAL/DOLE....should have waited for crosses.
See you tomorrow.
I thought this easy for a thursday cept for forone and in utero.
ReplyDeleteI got BELT with ORION'S and CONVEYOR; took perps to get BUCKLE.
ReplyDeleteI remember "Charley Weaver" (Cliff Arquette) and Mt. Idy from my childhood.
REX Stout's Nero Wolfe is a favorite.
RES is the plural of re.
Picard, I think you need more of a reference than "an historian friend" to explain your comment, "King's philosophy included NON VIOLENCE but it was so much more than that. As an historian friend talked about, King's NON VIOLENCE advocated confrontation and lawbreaking. Did he place his comments in the context of King's VISION ? If not the words sound judgmental.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Dr. Atkins and ALL MEAT DIET would very much dispute, "I am not sure anyone could survive on a STRICT diet of NO CARBS."
Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe and Archie have been long-time favorites of mine. I think I've read and enjoyed them all. Recently, another author has been tapped to continue the series. He's pretty good too.
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI think the Atkins diet is almost always misunderstood. It, and the so-called "keto" diets in vogue today, were and are never intended to be one's permanent diet because it is acknowledged that one cannot survive without carbohydrates. Atkins made it very clear that his extremely low-carb diet was only the first step in a long-term regimen.
ReplyDeleteTa ~ DA!
ReplyDeleteVeddy clevuh, these Wienbergs.
Except for SAY. (40A)
Don't know whether to blame the creators or the editors, but there's really no rescuing that one.
Several colleagues have tried to defend it. But, as I lectured long-suffering students for decades, "Don't make your audience do your work for you."
Otherwise I appreciated the pzl and the smart "buckled" theme letters. Very different from the usual circle fills.
I found it did not help with the answers; I had to finish the circled fills before seeing what they led to.
~ OMK
____________
Whoops! I take that back. The circles did help me get the second part of 62A.
AnonymousPVX:
ReplyDeleteI like your suggestion for cluing 40A.
Hi Y'all! This is the first puzzle by the Wienbergs that I actually liked. Bravo! However, I had no circles so the BELT theme remained a mystery until Steve 'splained it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHaving been in Denver many times, I filled that in rapidly. Steve, was the hotel you stayed in there the Brown Palace, a charming old hotel icon est. in 1892. I read or saw on a game show in the past week a mention of the elevation on or near the stairs in that hotel.
YR: great news! How is Alan taking it? Hope he can get excited about moving when he sees the place. Hope he finds one with good compatible companions he really likes.
A balanced diet is better in every way than a low carb diet. I need a high protein diet because of hypoglycemia, but at least once a week I need a high sugar fix like ice cream or I am non-functional. Constant struggle to eat enough to function but not too much and gain weight.
ReplyDeleteAs usual with the Mensa Site, there were no circles, so the solve was done without the circles. I didn't see them until I read Steve's very detailed and enjoyable tour through the grid. Even though it took me a little longer today than usual for a Thursday, it was a good puzzle by Roger and Kathy.
It took a while, but at least I was able to solve the puzzle with no Google or Red Letter help. There were a few hitches along the way: TEE vs HEE, KILN vs OAST and CIA vs NSA. Perps took care of the errors.
I knew STORY BOARDS immediately. Not only are they used for film scripts and cartoons, but are used in many other arenas. I was involved in writing proposals for many government contracts and one of the tools that we used was Story Boards to describe how we were going to answer the government's requirements spelled out in the RFP (Request for Proposal). We would then develop the proposal with the story boards as the guide to make sure that we answered all of the requirements. The walls in the Proposal Center would be covered with the Story Boards for all of the team members to review. It was a major step in the proposal process. To be honest, I don't miss working on proposals for government contracts. They were intense short term (usually around 3 months) projects that involved working 80 - 100 hour weeks and living on McDonald's burgers, cold pizza and Chinese take out food. Glad I'm retired.
Abejo FYI: Most of the school districts in Central PA (Centre and Clearfield Counties)and the University closed down early today because of icing conditions. Johnsonburg Area School District had a 2 hour delay
OK, I'm ready for Punxsutawney Phil to not see his shadow next week and call for an early spring. All in favor say aye.
Have a great day everyone.
The computer ate my note. It was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted a beautiful computer, but I'm stuck with this ugly black thing.
ReplyDeleteSteve, you're not a Nero Wolfe guy? Fer de Lance was his first Nero
ReplyDeleteThis was a slow Thur FIR. FOR ONE replaced INTONE and INTACT replaced IN TOTO.
I was looking for an obscure Asian or African Capital like Dakarta except it's Jakarta.
Has anyone ever seen Jerome Gunderson, Haiku Harry and Limerick Larry in the same place?
Rosa Parks "Broke the 'law'*
Adkins is not "No carbs". His diet restricted carbs under a specific plan. NO CARBS presents the danger of ketosis.
Oops, as usual Jayce is ahead of me and said it better.
Picard thx for MLK quotes
WC
* Not to speak of Jackie Robinson in 1945 while a Lt. in the Army
Dave, I compose a text to myself then paste and preview then publish.
ReplyDeleteI lost many a Pulitzer worthy post to quixotic robotics
WC
AnonymousPVX ~
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lucina, favoring your clue for 40A.
It is more elegant than "Change my reservation; I'm alone and it's ____."
Still, anything but (ackh) *#@! that.
~ OMK
Fairly easy puzzle for a Thursday. Still not sure I understand the "forone" explanation. How about "I .... don't understand this clue."
ReplyDeleteWe're a bit disappointed.
ReplyDeleteNo one mentioned the BELT in the puzzle that doesn't BUCKLE.
Can't be because you're RUSTy at this.
Roger
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteThanks Roger & Kathy for the enjoyable Thursday puzzle (and for the inside baseball Roger). Thanks Steve for the fun expo (had to lookup leasehold; still don't know how that works over 99yrs) and your bon MOT. Oh, and for clarifying Shondaland; thought maybe a show about Shonda and though BET for a second.
Huge V8 whack when I got to Salts in Steve's expo - SEA Dogs was my original thought, so SEA SONS, while meh, was acceptable. (hi C, Eh!)
Theme helped me crack West-central. I had AGO, GEODE, BOARD, and ADD TO; had a heck of a time until I figured MONEY BELT. Then MOT (duh), SEAM (duh!), FOR ONE (D'Oh!) filled quickly and I was done.
WO: started NGO b/f NSC
ESPs: IDY, REX,
Fav: RIOTS xing NON-VIOLENCE is a riot.
{A+, A}
YR - good news about Alan.
HG - Interesting observation on kids & mice v. touch-screens. Youngest is probably the last set of kids that started on mice. Time to break out the "mouse trainer" software, AKA, Solitaire. [at DOD in the early '90s, we on the support-team would recommend the "older crowd" play solitaire as much as they wanted so they could learn to "mouse." :-)]
Oc4 - I consulted for a client that would develop responses to RFPs (I was the technical SME for them). I can vouch for the wall of STORY BOARDs, long hours, etc. and no guarantee of winning the contract. Lots of time just to propose and possibly not get paid. 'Course I did, I was a consultant :-)
Pick a card, say, 2 of Hearts. vs. Pick a card, 2 of Hearts, FOR ONE. I'm OK-ish w/ it...
ORGAN MUSIC? in Blazing Saddles?
//I'll see myself out :-)
Cheers, -T
LOL! RAW@ 6:06pm - The ALTERNATOR BELT?! Clever.
ReplyDeletePicard, your response makes my point. Your words could have easily been interpreted as denigrating Dr. King's vision. Please be careful. The world is already too filled with hatred especially the misplaced animosity much of the African-American population has for Jews.
ReplyDeleteRAW, you got me, I saw no way to comment on the Belt in the reveal; please be more revealing.
I am familiar with the adverbial usage of say.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/say#Adverb
ReplyDeleteHere is Roy's example:
ReplyDelete(informal, imperative) Suppose, assume; used to mark an example, supposition or hypothesis.
A holiday somewhere warm – Florida, say – would be nice.
WC
Late to the Party early this A.M. ............. Steve you said a mouthful when you brought up the REF not throwing the flag.....
ReplyDeleteThat was a game changer right there..... Saints could have won that game if eyes were not AWAY seemingly not seeing a play like that......... If the ball was caught who was to say where it would lay on what yard line for the next play ????? CASH talks I guess......
Storyboards I know about.... I have 2 friends that are twins and they are artists.. They lived in New York and L.A.Cal. and worked for ad agencies and movie companies...... Talented is not the word... I hope this link goes thru... one of them drew this in pen and ink so to speak.. All the famous Chiefs inside of a Bison... I attempted to draw the others.....
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=100186586664625&set=a.100186553331295&type=3&size=604%2C453
Puzzle was the easiest for me this week so far ..... Same wavelength ????
Today's puzzle got me though.....1 unknown and never heard of it.... CRECHE I know Nativity though..... I had to look that word up when I finally finished the puzzle.... I thought I had something wrong in that area..... Red letters to the rescue.......
Plus Tard from a cold cold Cajun Country ...........