Looking for Nemo.
Each word in the starred theme answer can be placed aHEAD of the word FISH to give us a particular type of Fish.
17-Across. * Jewelry alloy: WHITE GOLD. White Gold is an alloy of gold and one other white metal, such as nickel, manganese or palladium. I actually prefer white gold to yellow gold.
In keeping with today's theme, we get Whitefish and Gold Fish. The scientific name of Whitefish is Coregonus clupeaformis. This fish lives in cold, deep-water lakes in the northern United States and Canada. There is nothing better than a good smoked whitefish. This fish is also used in making the best gefilte fish.
Who doesn't like a good Goldfish?
25-Across. * Genre that may be featured in the Eurovision Song Contest: SWEDISH ROCK. I am not aware of this genre, however, the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Tel Aviv in May 2019. Hmm... Last time I checked, Tel Aviv was in Asia.
Our fish for this clue are the Swedish Fish, which are really candies. You can probably get some at the Eurovision Song Contest.
And we also have Rock Fish.
38-Across. * Sleight-of-hand scam: SHELL GAME. A Shell Game is a type of con game designed to separate you from your money.
This clue gives us ShellFish. Did you known that Shellfish isn't kosher?
We also get Game Fish, which is something you hope to get when you go Fly Fishing. Dick Chaney does a lot of Fly Fishing in the movie Vice.
53-Across. * Food brand whose products include Caribbean curry paste and Jamaican jerk seasoning: TROPICAL SUN. I am not familiar with this brand of food products.
I
am, however, familiar with the fish this clue produces: It gives us Tropical Fish.
And Sun Fish.
And now for the unifier: 65-Across. 1978 novelty song with the line "Eat them up! Yum!" ... and what both parts of the answers to starred clues can be: FISH HEADS. The video is rather creepy. No bad words, but watch at your own peril.
Across:
Each word in the starred theme answer can be placed aHEAD of the word FISH to give us a particular type of Fish.
17-Across. * Jewelry alloy: WHITE GOLD. White Gold is an alloy of gold and one other white metal, such as nickel, manganese or palladium. I actually prefer white gold to yellow gold.
In keeping with today's theme, we get Whitefish and Gold Fish. The scientific name of Whitefish is Coregonus clupeaformis. This fish lives in cold, deep-water lakes in the northern United States and Canada. There is nothing better than a good smoked whitefish. This fish is also used in making the best gefilte fish.
Who doesn't like a good Goldfish?
Our fish for this clue are the Swedish Fish, which are really candies. You can probably get some at the Eurovision Song Contest.
And we also have Rock Fish.
38-Across. * Sleight-of-hand scam: SHELL GAME. A Shell Game is a type of con game designed to separate you from your money.
This clue gives us ShellFish. Did you known that Shellfish isn't kosher?
We also get Game Fish, which is something you hope to get when you go Fly Fishing. Dick Chaney does a lot of Fly Fishing in the movie Vice.
53-Across. * Food brand whose products include Caribbean curry paste and Jamaican jerk seasoning: TROPICAL SUN. I am not familiar with this brand of food products.
And now for the unifier: 65-Across. 1978 novelty song with the line "Eat them up! Yum!" ... and what both parts of the answers to starred clues can be: FISH HEADS. The video is rather creepy. No bad words, but watch at your own peril.
Across:
1. Fictional archaeologist Croft: LARA. She is the heroine of the Tomb Raider series of video games and was portrayed in the movies by Angelina Jolie.
5. Prep for fight night: SPAR.
9. Furry critters who helped disable the shield generator on Endor: EWOKS. The creepy creatures from the Star Wars movies.
14. Major work: OPUS.
15. La Scala song: ARIA.
16. "Mack the Knife" singer: DARIN.
19. Pull together: UNITE.
20. Frenzy: MANIA.
21. Plumeria garlands: LEIS. Plumeria are very fragrant flowers found in Hawaii, as well as other warm climates.
23. CIA relative: NSA. The National Security Agency is a relative of the Central Intelligence Agency. I'd tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you.
24. "__ recall ... ": AS I.
29. Serenade: SING TO.
31. "Good comeback": TOUCHÉ!
32. Palm starch: SAGO. Also known as tapioca. I wonder if this is what is found in Bubble Tea.
33. Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy: VEEP. VEEP is political satire television show in which Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays the Vice President of the United States.
37. London insurance pioneer: LLOYD. Lloyd's of London has been in existence since 1688. It began in Edward Lloyd's (1648 ~ 1713) coffee shop and initially covered marine and shipping insurance.
41. Dispatch boat: AVISO. This is a new word for me. It comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word meaning "advice" or "warning." Spitzboov can probably provide us with more information.
44. Apple desktop: iMAC.
45. Former Virginia senator Charles: ROBB. Charles Spittal Robb (b. June 26, 1939) married Lynda Bird Johnson (b. 1944) in the White House on my birthday in 1967. Kinda put a damper on my birthday party.
49. Sesame paste: TAHINI.
51. Daffy, for one: LISPER.
57. Lyft approx.: ETA. As in Estimated Time of Arrival.
58. Strike caller: UMP. As in the Umpire at the baseball game.
59. H.G. Wells race: ELOI. A crossword staple. A reference to the novel The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells (né Herbert George Wells; Sept. 21, 1866 ~ Aug. 13, 1946).
60. Actor Pratt or Pine: CHRIS. Chris Pratt (b. June 21, 1979) was in the television sit-com Parks and Rec. He is also the hero of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Chris Pine (b. Aug. 26, 1980) had played Captain Kirk in some of the recent Star Trek films.
62. Flower girl, perhaps: NIECE.
67. Come next: ENSUE.
68. "Dies __": IRAE. A crossword staple.
69. Exactly, with "to": A TEE.
70. Baby carrier?: STORK. My favorite clue of today's puzzle.
71. Sleek swimmers: EELS. Also a fish, in keeping with today's theme.
72. Gerritsen who created Rizzoli and Isles: TESS. Apparently TESS Gerritsen (b. June 12, 1953) is a writer of romantic thrillers, medical thrillers and a mystery series featuring police detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles. Tess Gerritsen is a retired physician, so her Rizzoli and Isles series combine her love of both mystery and medicine.
Down:
1. Catholic service with minimal ceremony: LOW MASS.
2. Loss of speech: APHASIA. I don't know what to say about this clue!!!
3. Making a mess of: RUINING.
4. Bubbly city: ASTI. Home of Asti Spumante, a sparkling Italian wine.
5. Mattress problem: SAG. I first tried Pea, as in the Princess and the Pea.
6. Orwellian worker: PROLE. A reference to 1984, the novel by George Orwell (né Eric Arthur Blair; June 25, 1903 ~ Jan. 21, 1950).
7. Didn't feel well: AILED.
8. Diameter halves: RADII. The plural of Radius. Also, apparently, a brand of sneakers.
9. College URL ending: .EDU
10. Pallid: WAN.
11. Venezuelan river: ORINOCO. This river appears on occasion in the puzzles. It is one of the major rivers of South America.
12. Tacky: KITSCHY.
13. Moved furtively: SNEAKED.
18. NCAA's Big __: EAST. College sports.
22. Mach 1 flier: SST.
26. Made on a loom: WOVE.
27. Ian who plays Bilbo Baggins: HOLM. That's Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (b. Sept. 12, 1931), to you. He played Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings.
28. Things used for good measure?: RULERS. Another fun clue.
30. Scuttlebutt: GOSSIP.
34. Nutmeg State Ivy Leaguer: ELI. A student who attends Yale University.
35. Shade tree: ELM.
36. Vardon Trophy org.: PGA. Golfing trophy. It looks nice and a bit old-timey.
39. Hägar the Horrible's daughter: HONI.
40. Civil rights gp.: ACLU. As in the American Civil Liberties Union. In a year, the ACLU will celebrate its 100 anniversary. It was founded on January 19, 1920.
41. Brings into harmony: ATTUNES.
42. Critter, in dialect: VARMINT. Varmint to hunt when it's not deer season.
43. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO!
46. Perform surgery: OPERATE. Does the doctor know what he is doing? I Hope So!
47. Happens to, quaintly: BETIDES. I haven't had occasion to use this word.
48. Copper-zinc alloys: BRASSES.
50. Party host's bagful: ICE. Sorry Tin!
52. Snowfall measure: INCH. My first thought was Feet. When I grew up, that is how we thought of the snowfall. Now that I live in the south, we rarely get snow, but when we do, it's usually less than an inch and last only hours.
54. 2004 Jude Law title role: ALFIE. A remake of the film that originally starred Michael Cain. What's it all about?
55. Orléans' river: LOIRE. I had to learn all of the rivers of France when I was in high school.
56. Rope fiber: SISAL.
61. __ index: HEAT. A measure of how hot it feels when taking into account the relative humidity. Our local weather forecaster often says "It's 96 degrees, but the the feel like temperature is 97 degrees." Yeah, I can tell the difference.
63. Mongrel: CUR.
64. Startled cry: EEK!
66. "__ Just Not That Into You": 2009 film: HE'S. I think this qualifies as a Rom-Com.
I hope you didn't have to do too much Fishing to get all the answers. Here's the Grid.
FISH HEADS left out in the TROPICAL SUN
ReplyDeleteWill soon start to stink like a son-of-a-gun!
But gulls don't seem to care
At the stench of their fare,
And terns will return till 'head'-waiters are done!
Tomb raiding is the craft of Ms. LARA CROFT.
She grabs WHITE GOLD urns, and holds them aloft!
Viking or Mayan
There was no denyin'
RUIN runes would be ruein' the thefts she pulled off!
Some call them VARMINTS who play the BRASSES
Their tunes aren't ATTUNED, music they harasses.
They play so loud
To parade-watching crowds,
They bully the flutes -- it ENSUES they're bad-asses!
{B-, B+, B.}
I wonder if a missal for a LOW MASS would be like that anti-gravity book that was being discussed at the end of the night yesterday? (For the math-take answers, count backwards from one.)
ReplyDeleteI had a medication several years ago that gave me ASTHMA as a side effect. It still has lingering effects. My dependence on online rhyming and thesaurus websites would, I'm sure, amaze some of you! APHASIA, dang it!
Hand up for PEA, even though I already had SPAR in place.
Unknown: TAHINI
?: SNEAKED
ELOI were PROLES.
Enya - ORINOCO Flow
Woe BETIDE the day
When we sail away (sailaway).
Then what will befall
When we leave behind the wall (sailaway).
What will be at hand
When we see a distant land (sailaway).
Will we see ships bedight
With colored fairy light (sailaway).
Will the sea be calm
As we watch the new dawn (sailaway).
We then will bewail
Timid souls who would not sail. (Sailaway).
{FLN: A-, sailaway: A.}
Hello Puzzlers -
ReplyDeleteStraightforward solve today. Had to dredge one or two old crossword answers out of distant recesses - aviso and sago particularly.
Morning Hahtoolah, yes, I remember that the non-kosher aspect of shellfish was a plot device in a Seinfeld episode.
-T from yesterday - Fugu? No thanks, too risky. Jacqueline Bisset? Yes, please.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteTotally missed the theme until the reveal. Surprised? I thought not. LOW MASS sounds like a BMI rating. AVISO used to be a frequent cw visitor; not so much lately. Well done, Robin. Hahtoolah, you're a natural at this blogging thing.
ORINOCO: Enya wrote a song about it: Orinoco Flow
IMAC: Had to kick it to the curb when it was less than 2 years old. No more.
ACLU: Check your calendar, Susan.
EWOKS: They weren't supposed to be "creepy" -- more like little teddy bears. I guess some folks think teddy bears are creepy.
DARIN: I did know that the song was from The Three-Penny Opera. Dredged that from some recess of ancient memory.
Fish Heads...Top 10 Best Xword Theme Ever!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Owen and Tom both linked the ENYA song, but chose different versions. I wonder if we will see others?
ReplyDeleteD-O: I never said math was my forte! I corrected the date.
ReplyDeleteQOD: To be able to do what you truly love for a living is a gift. ~ Trombone Shorty (né Troy Andrews; b. Jan. 2, 1986), New Orleans musician.
Good morning
ReplyDeleteThanks Robin Stears for a fun workout this morning .
Seemed really difficult and had to start at the SW corner.
After FISHHEADS appeared the fun began.
I thought WOVE was not complete but I got it being a verb .
Thanks Hahtoolah for the write up and OwenKL for the fun. It took me a few go arounds to come up with 0 but should have expected it from all the lame ones FLN :-/
The last fill this morning was the S at KITSCHY, new to me.
PK FLN - be gentle -
Cheers
Oops, I missed the fact that Owen had already linked it. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo! As a (new) Swede I loved this puzzle! Thank you Robin!
ReplyDeleteIt being January, all of Sweden awaits our national contest to select Sweden's Eurovision competitor, Melodifestivalen, which kicks off Feb 2 in Gothenburg with the first of 5 semi-finals leading up to the finale on March 9. This is how we survive the dark.
Good Morning.
ReplyDeleteI did both yesterday's and today's puzzles this morning. Thanks Derek and TTP for yesterday. I enjoyed the Salinger theme and the CSO to our favorite photographer.
Derek, even though I missed the theme, I found this solve very enjoyable. Thanks, Hahtoolah, for the excellent review. I enjoyed it immensely, and you clarified a very well done theme for me.
Have a great day, everyone.
DNF. California was a disaster, starting with reTUNES and not having heard AVISO, TAHINI or TROPICAL SUN. Hadn't heard of FISH HEADS, HOLM, Pratt or Pine (as clued). Also DNK LOW MASS, APHASIA or SWEDISH FISH wither.
ReplyDeleteI was involved in providing telephone service in remote areas of Venezuela. We had to float a switching system up the Amazon River, because the roads were inadequate and it was too heavy to deliver by helicopter.
My favorite rendition of Mack the Knife was a duet with Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Buffett.
Like Hahtoolah my favorite was "baby carrier".
Thanks to Robin and Hahtoolah for the interesting start to the day.
Hi Y'all! Thanks, Robin, for a fun FISHing trip! Thanks, Hahtoolah for adding your unique perspective.
ReplyDeleteGimmee: I've read several of TESS Gerritsen's series.
DNK: AVISO, ROBB, TAHINI, neither CHRIS, BETIDES.
BronzES before BRASSES. Not hemp or jute but SISAL rope.
OAS: FLN I thought I was paying Tony a compliment. He said he couldn't sell a joke. I said he does fine here. Isn't that pretty gentle?
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteAVISO - A kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop. English speaking navies used the term "dispatch boat." They have not been used in over a 100 years with the possible exception of the Falklands war when an underwater cable was cut and a British ship was used to bring in messages and mail. I've only seen AVISO in crosswords.
Easy for a Wednesday. Got FISH HEADS and SWEDISH ROCK as WAGS. Didn't try to suss the theme. Lots of bright fill; fun to work on.
Scuttlebutt - 1. A barrel with a hole in used to hold water that sailors would drink from. By extension (in modern naval usage), a shipboard drinking fountain or water cooler.
2. Slang for gossip.
Whew! "Sail Away". Thought I recalled a Glen Campbell or John Denver song with that chorus. Found a page listing different songs that fit. It listed 24 (Enya, Styx, Kenny Rodgers, et al., including several duplicate covers). Got to the bottom and found this was just page 1 of one-hundred and one pages listing "sail away" lyrics!
ReplyDeleteI didn't count, but there were a lot of vids of ORINOCO Flow, especially a lot of versions by Celtic Women (love watching them even if I can't make out their words)! I also saw a couple with outstanding art graphics (a ship with giant butterflies for sails, e.g.), but opted for one with lyrics on screen.
PK I was refering to the scratch
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Spitz, about scuttlebutt. So that's why we call gossip around the water cooler scuttlebutt. So I LIU.
ReplyDeletePer Wikipedia: The term corresponds to the colloquial concept of a water cooler in an office setting, which at times becomes the focus of congregation and casual discussion. Water for immediate consumption on a sailing ship was conventionally stored in a scuttled butt: a butt (cask) which had been scuttled by making a hole in it so the water could be withdrawn. Since sailors exchanged gossip when they gathered at the scuttlebutt for a drink of water, scuttlebutt became Navy slang for gossip or rumours.
I noticed early on that each theme fill contained two kinds of fish. It took a while to add HEAD to FISH in 65A. I never heard that song and wish I never did.
I loved the picture of the elms making an arbor over the street. We had such an arbor over our street with a different kind of tree. They became a menace in high winds and all of them were cut down.
We had the game Operation that Hahtoolah pictured. My kids were not that interested in it.
I never read any of Tess's books. Maybe I will look for them.
Thanks Robin and Susan for amusing us.
Thank you, Robin and Hahtoolah for starting my Wednesday in fine fashion. I like your entertaining Blog, Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteThis was an easy romp for me and I sashayed right through in a short time.
I love Bobby DARIN's music and we've seen ORINOCO many times in CWDs. LOWMASS is not often celebrated as music is an integral part of any MASS. MASS with musical accompaniment and singing is called a High MASS.
KITSCHY is hard to spell.
AVISO means advice or advise in Spanish as well as a warning.
WE have to peruse Shakespeare's works or the Bible to find BETIDES. "Woe BETIDE him who does evil works." He might be a VARMINT.
Have a delightful day, everyone!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAny Tuesday puzzle that can offer a true "Aha" reveal is aces in my book. Until filling in Fish heads, I was totally unaware of what the theme was; my kind of puzzle, as I've said many times. I wasn't familiar with Holm, Swedish Rock, or Tropical Sun, but perps were fair and solid. I liked seeing Ewoks and Eloi together, two words I hadn't ever heard of until "The Big Bang Theory" (Eloi) and crosswords (Ewoks). Nice CSO to Tin (Ice) and Jinx (Unite). I could do without Betides but accept its legitimacy.
Thanks, Robin, for a smooth and very satisfying solve and thanks, Hatoolah, for the fact- and fun-filled review. (I echo DO's opinion that you're a natural at this blogging business!) "Mack The Knife" brings back memories of high school days, when the song was popular, and my first steady boyfriend whose last name was Mackey. I believe Bobby Darin was only in his 30's when he died from heart-related complications, IIRC. Tess Gerritsen's detective/medical examiner duo was adapted into a TV series, "Rizzoli and Isles" with Angie Harmon in the Rizzoli role. The show's appeal, IMO, was enhanced by Lorraine Bracco who portrayed Angie's meddling but well-meaning mother. (For "The Sopranos" fans, Ms. Bracco played James Galdofino's psychiatrist.)
Seeing Baby Carrier=Stork is kind of prescient as one of my niece's due date is tomorrow.
I checked my Discover statement this morning and was pleased to see a credit from Southwest for the fraudulent charge.
FLN
Pat, Happy New year to you, too! Drop by more often. That sentiment goes to Boo L, also.
Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteGood late morning. Thank you Robin Stears and thank you Hahtoolah.
Never was a fisherman or much of a fish eater, but had no problem recognizing these. Among them, my favorite would be the SWEDISH fish. No, on second thought, SHELLFISH first.
Didn't know TESS or HOLM, but perped in easily enough. BETIDES has only been seen here a few times before today.
Is that tree lined street South Boundary Avenue in Aiken, SC ? Beautiful.
Musings
ReplyDelete-SWEDISH FISH? Oh, now I get it!
-The only SWEDISH musical group I know is named for their first name initials - Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid
-I actually ordered Bobby Darin’s version of “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer“ in 1959 at a local record shop
-If only our Congress could UNITE instead of investigating each other
-Churchill’s famous comeback – “…and if I were your husband, I’d drink it!”
-I learned about BOBATEA (bubble tea) in a C.C. puzzle recently
-Add TAHINI to AVISO and IRAE (and their lovely vowels) I learned here
-The BIG EAST” now extends clear out to OMAHA
-My RULER has many other functions
-Spring training evokes the “I HOPE SO” sentiment every year
-Give me a bag of dry ICE and I can entertain kids for a long time
The answer aphasia is incorrect. Aphonia is loss of voice. Aphasia is the inability to say words correctly because of a stroke.
ReplyDeleteOff to see a movie with a friend this morning, so had to cheat to get through the puzzle in time. Still fun, many thanks Robin and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteHave a good Wednesday, everybody.
This Tuesday puzzle feature a theme with no giveaways, nicely done and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteMarkovers...MANIC/MANIA, VICE/VEEP...told you it wouldn’t last, haha.
Owen, I think your first poem is definitely an A! You grade too hard for sure.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle and write-up! Now I want to have some Swedish fish! I'm still listening to Enya after the link to ORINOCO!
ReplyDelete@5twos at 11:12 - I don't think you read the clue carefully - it wasn't loss of voice - it was loss of speech - which would be APHASIA. The causes of APHASIA are myriad - but the most common IS a stroke where a clot has deprived certain areas of the brain of oxygen.
https://www.aphasia.org/aphasia-definitions/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA37HhBRC8ARIsAPWoO0x7A7_xN555RRJgduG2BA0Eb-e0SXLdqoyMg_4BWV4cDrUYJweQJ6waAgq6EALw_wcB
It can be hard for family to hear someone have difficulty producing the words- but that person is much better off, as what they are saying makes sense and they can understand what people are saying to them- so they can work with their therapists and family to get better. Harder is "fluent aphasia" where the person can form and say words just fine - but they don't make sense and they don't understand what you are telling them and they can't usually read very well either. Of course having mixed aphasia (both types at the same time) is the most difficult of all.
Thanks Hatoolah and Robin!
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteDNF - I could only get I--E of IRAE. SISIL(?) - learning moment...
What a great theme Robin! I only had SHELL GAME when I got to 65a - Nailed FISH HEADS with nary a perp 'cuz I know the Barnes & Barnes song thanks to Dr. Demento.
// Original film/video [4:43] with Bill Paxton
// Back-story on Fish Heads [5:01] from Bill Mumy
Thank you Hahtoolah for the final two squares of my grid and for the fun expo (loves me some Bloom County!)
WOs: SeGO, mut [sic] b/f CUR, EnOI
ESPs: AVISO, BETIDES, APHASIA, CHRIS, TESS, HOLM
Fav: The clue for RULERS was pretty cute.
{B, A-, B}
IM - Nice that Southwest / Discover finally did right by you.
Cheers, -T
IH's APHASIA LINK
ReplyDeleteIH @1:05, thanks for your helpful comments on aphasia. I wrote a similar post, but deleted it. I am now loathe to present a point of view different from anons, especially those opining off the top of their heads without any research or depth of knowledge. I believe Alan's birth defects have given him a mild form of aphasia.He is going to speech classes. If speech is the verbal communication of thoughts, there are gaps.
ReplyDeleteI fell in love at first hearing with Enya's Orinoco Flow and rushed out that same day to buy the Watermark CD. (Remember Tower Records?) Discovered several other wonderful pieces by her as well on that CD, but that one song is still in my top ten of favorites. Coincidentally, so is the Bobby Darin version of Mack the Knife. Mr. Darin was also a pretty good actor; I was extremely impressed by his performance in the movie Captain Newman, M.D.
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah, I must echo Irish Miss's echo of "DO's opinion that you're a natural at this blogging business!"
I also concur with CartBoy that FISH HEADS as a theme is right up there in the list of top 10 crossword themes. I loved it. Gotta admit, though, that I didn't know what "Swedish fish" is until reading about it here.
PK, I laughed heartily at your observation last night that SCOTUS sounds like something you'd scratch.
Good wishes to you all.
A very enjoyable puzz from Robin Stears!
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of staging The Threepenny Opera twice, in one professional and one collegiate production.
We Americans have a tendency to see the show in very dark terms. After all, the underlying theme is government/gangster collusion. None of our productions was darker than the Lincoln Center version directed by Richard Foreman in '76 and starring Raul Julia as Mack the Knife.
But I had the good fortune of seeing Brecht's original staging, revived in 1960 by the Berliner Ensemble, and it was presented as a light-hearted frolic, more tongue-in-cheek than dagger-in-the-back.
Brecht understood that the dark elements of his show (such as the ensemble song, "What Keeps a Man Alive (He Lives on Others)," stand out more starkly against a playful background.
Misty ~
Enjoy your movie. I trust you rec'd your LA Times this morning, as I did! I was so thrilled to get mine two days in a row that I wrote Customer Services to tell them how grateful I am for regular home delivery.
We take it for granted too often. I encouraged them to keep it up!
~ OMK
____________
DR: WARNING - Rough Language Ahead.
Today's pzl offers one diagonal (NW to SE) with a shocker anagram.
It offers a vision of the future, with highways widened to separate drivers even more precisely than in today's Emergency and HOV lanes. I think this may apply especially to California drivers, as the anagram promises that the future will offer us an ...
"ASSHOLE LANE"!
FISH HEADS was mentioned in last week's Jack Soo video
ReplyDeleteSUNfish I thought of the actual fish, not the budget sailboat.
The Threepenny Opera was based on the earlier Beggars' Opera with mostly the same characters and plot but different music.
Somewhere along the way, I lost a day (Anonymoux PVX, too) as today is Wednesday, not Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous T @ 1:11 ~ Yes, I was pleased that it was settled in a timely manner as it spared me any additional aggravation in getting it resolved. I was also pleased that Discover delivered a replacement card within 19 hours of the reported fraud. This level of customer care and service resonated with me so favorably in contrast to a recent opposite experience. I placed an order with a vendor that totaled $60.00, before tax and shipping charges. Approximately a half hour (or less) after I placed the order, I found a promo in my spam box from said vendor offering a 10% discount on holiday orders. I immediately sent an email explaining the situation and asked if I might receive the discount. Three days later, I received a reply stating the discount couldn't be applied after the order had been placed. I don't care about the $6.00 but I do care about being treated as a valued customer. (My previous purchases $250+. My future purchases? $0.)
That's right, billocohoes, and just as The Beggar's Opera was a major hit (and controversial) in its day, so was Die Dreigroschenoper (3PO) a huge hit in Weimar-era Berlin in 1929.
ReplyDeleteBert Brecht updated it and played up its dramatic absurdities. Its popularity was due in part to its balancing of a serious critique of the government with risque sex and a very singable score.
It flopped in its 1933 American premiere, but scored great success in Marc Bitzstein's adaptation in 1954 in the off-Broadway Theatre de Lys production--which set the standard for the dark grotesquerie that has since dominated American stagings. (Bea Arthur and Kurt Weill's widow, Lotte Lenya, played major roles in this production.)
The most appealing feature of any version is Kurt Weill's score. Weill, trained as a serious musician, brought his classical training and pop sensibility to his show tunes. I remember spending hours in our high school library listening to records of his music. One of my favorite numbers was this one, by Lotte Lenya, who performed it in a 1966 TV appearance, the infamous "Pirate Jenny Song".
If you keep YouTube on, you can hear her do a follow-up version of the marvelous "Surabaya Johnny," auf Deutsch.
("Du hast kein Herz, Johnny, du Hund.")
~ OMK
For 2019...
ReplyDelete1. May your health improve.
2. May your finances increase.
3. May your worries decrease.
4. May your pain be less.
5. May 2019 bring good luck to you and your family.
Thanks Robin and Hahtoolah. Very enjoyable.
Mind how you go.
~ Bill G
TGFP because of all the theme fills, I only knew SHELL GAME. WHITE GOLD appeared after I made a WAG for LOW MASS (I'm not Catholic; never heard of it). APHASIA- all perps; complete unknown. Then there's the theme fills SWEDISH ROCK & SWEDISH FISH and TROPICAL SUN. Total unknowns filled by perps. TAHINI, CHRIS, TESS, HOLM, HE'S, & VEEP were perped. Lots of unknowns today but they were easy guesses.
ReplyDeleteShellfish may not be kosher but my Jewish friends certainly like the shrimp, crawfish, & and especially grilled oysters. Ditto for cheeseburgers and ham & cheese poboys.
Irish Miss, It's WEDNESDAY, not Tuesday.
BigEasy @ 5:24 ~ You must have missed my correction at 3:48. 😎
ReplyDeleteThree "celebrity" deaths in the last two days and they were all 76. BOB EINSTEIN ; DARYL DRAGON ; and Wrestling announcer, GENE OKERLUND .
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of celebrities, SASHA ALEXANDER played ISLES after leaving NCIS .
Big easy, just as there are various levels of observance in Christianity, Islam, Buddism etc., how Jews observe their tradition varies tremendously. The basis of food prohibitions is listed in Leviticus both in the Torah and the Bible. Not religion but history.
ReplyDeleteWednesday Workout. Thanks for the fishy fun, Robin and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI had difficulty with this CW. I had to leave it this morning with blank areas in the NE and centre; when I returned this evening I was able to complete. KITSCHY was rearranged several times; SWEDISH Folk changed to ROCK and RULERS fell into place.
I had not heard of plumeria and was happy that perps game LEIS and not Boas.
Perps changed the NCAA Big Four to EAST, and gave me the unknown TESS and HOLM.
This Canadian can never remember Senator ROBB. But I got ACLU correct today. Eli was also a WAG since I didn't know the Nutmeg State.
I thought of Swenglish Mom with that Swedish Rock. Good to have you back.
Good evening to you all.
This was an easy Wednesday puzzle for me. I've read several books by TESS Gerritsen, remembered Bobby DARIN, and got the theme. Unfortunately I know APHASIA. A few years before she passed my mother had a major stroke which left her unable to speak.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite clue/answer is 26D: made on a loom/WOVE. In the late 50's or early 60's my dad's parents had 2 looms. They made about 5 pairs of drapes for my mother. The pair that was in their bedroom is now in my bedroom.
Thank you, Robin Stears, for the fun. Hahtoolah, you're doing a great job at blogging.
2019 is starting off very well. Hope your year is too!
Misty and OMK,
ReplyDeleteI just got an apology email from the LA Times. Did you get one?
FLN. The translation of "Idiot" from the Russian is considered inadequate. The 2004 Redsox called themselves"The Idiots" after a remark by Curt Schilling
ReplyDeleteLow Mass was a pre-1970 concept but as kids it was the only one to attend. We'd run to 6am Mass on Sunday then caddy. We had every priest timed.
My Dr had a Bird when I ended up in ER after eating the "Captain's Platter" "Don't you know you have gout,!!!!".
Jewish epicures essentially invented"Chinese Food" with it's delicious pork based lobster sauce*
This went slow and steady. Enough perps to fill toughies like HONI/AVISO
Nice job Hahtoolah
WC
* Laced with MSG
Yes, I did get my LA Times this morning, thankfully, Ol'Man Keith, but no, Sandyanon, I did not get an apology from them. I just hope the good service of the last three days continues.
ReplyDeleteThe movie I saw with a friend today was "Mary Poppins Returns." It was much more fun than I had expected from the reviews, and it was amazing to still see 91 year old Dick Van Dyke dancing a bit. So, a good, if busy day, after all.
Thanks! You prompted me to check my email, Sandyanon, and yes, I did find an apology from the LA Times' "Director of Distribution," Joe Robidoux.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice but generic "Dear Subscriber" epistle and, of course, it fails to address the specific suggestions I sent them regarding a solution to the fiasco.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that my two days of regular delivery will continue.
~ OMK
Misty:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Mary Poppins Returns. My family and I thought it was great fun when we saw it on Sunday.
Misty and Keith, it's great that the LA Times is now being delivered to you once again!
My new year is starting on a sour note. The kitchen faucet was leaking slightly and my BFF decided it would be an easy thing to repair. Wrong! Three trips to Lowe's and several hours later it's not repaired and I can't get hot water in the kitchen because the handle is still off. The dishwasher is loaded but has to wait. This does not bode well for 2019 but I hope it's the only thing that goes wrong.
Sandyanon, you, too. I'm glad you have your LA Times.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lucina--always nice to hear your kind and encouraging messages.
ReplyDeleteI see no need to apologize to Tin for 50D. After all, it was not specified that the I** was to be used in drinks; it’s my firm belief that it was to be used in ice packs to treat the sprained wrists of the over-enthusiastic Pin the Tail on the Donkey players.
ReplyDeleteLAT Readers - glad they got you guys back on schedule.
ReplyDeleteLucina - the "begat system." A simple project begets another trip to the hardware store. Water back yet?
D-O: Thanks for the link to George Barany's puzzle yesterday. I figured it all out but missed one sub-cypher. Your hint (rebus) helped in the SW (my first crack).
Did anyone click either of the two links I provided earlier? The fist one is just the full video (much different from Hahtoolah's) and the second is an Archive of American TV interview.
FLN - I didn't read the comics yesterday (didn't need to; didn't go to work :-))... Rhymes with Orange was apropos for TTP .jpg & D-O's why TP is hung wrong.
Cheers, -T
AnonT:
ReplyDeleteI love it! The "begat" system! The water is off only in the kitchen until the faucet is repaired and I'm not sure when that will be. I see a plumber in my future.