Theme: Job Description - as the reveal tells us, all the jobs comprise nine letters, followed by five.
To wit:
20A. One reviewing challenges: APPELLATE JUDGE. There are a minimum of three of them in an appellate court.
24A. One who's got you covered: INSURANCE AGENT. I'm going to see my AAA agent on Friday, I think I can save almost $200 a month on my auto and homeowners if I bundle with them. Awesome!
41. One seen in a Hanes catalog: UNDERWEAR MODEL. Mark Wahlberg, in his "Marky Mark" days, famously modeled for Calvin Klein.
46. Predictable work ... and, in a way, what the other three longest answers are?: NINE TO FIVE JOBS. When I had a desk job in the US it was always nine to six. Where did I go wrong?
According to the blog history, this is Kevin's LAT debut, so congratulations for that. I liked this theme, it's a little unusual that the reveal calls out the letter count of the theme entries and ties the long entries together, so it's very elegant. None of the theme entries have appeared before in any of the major puzzles which is quite an achievement in itself.
The fill has some nice fresh entries too, so there's a lot to like about this puzzle. Let's go for a tour and see what pops out.
By the way, I Googled Kevin, and if this is the same gentleman, he blogs on "The Jeopardy! Fan" and he appeared on the show on March 14th this year. I know a lot of our regulars follow the show, so I think that's very cool.
Across:
1. "High" places?: SEAS
5. Flag down: HAIL
9. Caller ID?: IT'S ME
14. El __, Texas: PASO. Founded as El Paso del Norte - the northern pass. Paso Robles, in California, was founded as El Paso de Robles - the pass of the oaks.
15. Actor Idris who plays Heimdall in "Thor" films: ELBA. British actor, best known I think for playing a drug trafficker in the HBO series "The Wire". Also spent a year training as a kickboxer for a documentary and won his first bout in 2016.
16. Mozart wrote a lot of them: NOTES. Do you write a musical note? I suppose you do, it never crossed my mind before. Or do you write a manuscript? Would you say that Shakespeare wrote a lot of letters? Discuss.
17. Dungeness delicacies: CRAB CAKES. Food! The best crab cakes have very little filler. Maryland-style crab cakes combine egg, Old Bay seasoning, mayo, mustard and seasoning.
19. Omni rival: HYATT
22. Fish eggs: ROE
23. Brooding genre: EMO. Here's a great example of the genre from Green Day.
32. Pig's sniffer: SNOUT
33. Weep for: MOURN
34. See 27-Down: RAE. I prefer cross-referenced entries to come in order in the cluing, but this looks fine in the grid.
35. Sch. near the U.S.-Mexico border: U.T.E.P. Second reference to El Paso today - University of Texas at El Paso.
36. Law school subject: TORTS
37. Put on the cloud, say: SAVE. Data backups and the like to the cloud. I've got three cloud storage accounts, iCloud, OneDrive and Google Cloud. My phone automagically backs up my Photo Stream to iCloud, it's rather nice. Google Cloud gets involved in photo backups too, I'm not quite sure how.
38. Writer Deighton: LEN
39. "It Wasn't All Velvet" memoirist: TORMÉ. Mel.
40. Asks: POSES
44. Aromatic necklace: LEI. Typically plumeria, but can also be made from other flowers. Ginger flowers make one of the prettiest and most aromatic leis.
45. "How We Do (Party)" British singer Rita __: ORA. Crosses all the way, I've never heard of her. The official video on YouTube has more than 56 million views, so obviously some people have.
54. Implied: TACIT
55. Chain used by many contractors: HOME DEPOT
56. Courtroom pro: STENO
57. Take testimony from: HEAR. Our theme Appellate Judge would take testimony.
58. Depend: RELY
59. "The Ant and the Grasshopper" storyteller: AESOP. Not one of his most famous fables, but easy enough to deduce.
60. Philosophies: -ISMS
61. Fort SSW of Louisville: KNOX. Site of the James Bond "Goldfinger" attempted heist featuring the staggeringly-named Pussy Galore.
Down:
1. Shelter gp.: S.P.C.A. There's an R in front of it in the UK organization, it has a Royal warrant.
2. Big name in Tombstone: EARP
3. "By yesterday!": ASAP!
4. Sleeps it off: SOBERS UP
5. Physician, ideally: HEALER. Ideally indeed. I wouldn't trust a physician who wasn't a healer.
6. Commercial word with Seltzer: ALKA
7. "Oh, suuure": I BET
8. Cut with a beam: LASE
9. Cruel: INHUMAN
10. Papillon, e.g.: TOY DOG. New one on me, I've never heard of the breed. Cute little fella though.
11. Deer sir: STAG. Nice clue.
12. Dole (out): METE
13. Ballpark fig.: EST. Estimated attendance figure. The "official" attendance tends to be inflated, as they count tickets sold, not "butts in seats." Season-ticket no-shows count as attendees.
18. Influence: CLOUT
21. Ballpark opinions, at times: JEERS. The jeers from the "phantom". attendees are rather muted.
24. One-__ chance: IN TEN
25. Incessantly: NO END
26. "When the moon hits your eye" feeling: AMORE
27. With 34-Across, Sally Field film: NORMA
28. More adorable: CUTER
29. Make blank: ERASE
30. Piercing site, perhaps: NAVEL. Gazing site too.
31. Scottish center?: TEES. The two T's in the middle.
32. Sci-fi navigator: SULU
36. Specifically: TO WIT
37. Float fixer: SODA JERK. Not because you get insulted when you order your soda.
39. Place with a bird's-eye view: TREETOP
40. Went carefully (over): PORED
42. Nickname of golfer Sergio García, who turned pro at age 19: EL NIÑO. I've always enjoyed watching Sergio play. I was happy for him when he finally won his first major at the 2017 Masters. He's a passionate Ryder Cup competitor.
43. Shakers' relatives?: MOVERS
46. "Mom" actor Corddry: NATE. Another unknown, thank you crosses. I don't recognize him at all.
47. Treats, as a sprain: ICES. Ouch.
48. Surprised greeting: OH, HI!
49. They're not on the same page: FOES. Peculiar clue. If two foes dislike each other equally, aren't they on the same page as far as that's concerned?
50. Religious scholar: IMAM
51. Premiere: OPEN
52. Simple tie: BOLO
53. Where Achilles was dipped for invincibility: STYX. Missed that pesky heel though, causing his downfall when he was shot in the heel with a poisoned arrow by Paris.
54. Org. operating full-body scanners: T.S.A.
I think that about wraps it up for today. I hope Kevin stops by to confirm or deny his appearance on Jeopardy!
Steve
To wit:
20A. One reviewing challenges: APPELLATE JUDGE. There are a minimum of three of them in an appellate court.
24A. One who's got you covered: INSURANCE AGENT. I'm going to see my AAA agent on Friday, I think I can save almost $200 a month on my auto and homeowners if I bundle with them. Awesome!
41. One seen in a Hanes catalog: UNDERWEAR MODEL. Mark Wahlberg, in his "Marky Mark" days, famously modeled for Calvin Klein.
46. Predictable work ... and, in a way, what the other three longest answers are?: NINE TO FIVE JOBS. When I had a desk job in the US it was always nine to six. Where did I go wrong?
According to the blog history, this is Kevin's LAT debut, so congratulations for that. I liked this theme, it's a little unusual that the reveal calls out the letter count of the theme entries and ties the long entries together, so it's very elegant. None of the theme entries have appeared before in any of the major puzzles which is quite an achievement in itself.
The fill has some nice fresh entries too, so there's a lot to like about this puzzle. Let's go for a tour and see what pops out.
By the way, I Googled Kevin, and if this is the same gentleman, he blogs on "The Jeopardy! Fan" and he appeared on the show on March 14th this year. I know a lot of our regulars follow the show, so I think that's very cool.
Across:
1. "High" places?: SEAS
5. Flag down: HAIL
9. Caller ID?: IT'S ME
14. El __, Texas: PASO. Founded as El Paso del Norte - the northern pass. Paso Robles, in California, was founded as El Paso de Robles - the pass of the oaks.
15. Actor Idris who plays Heimdall in "Thor" films: ELBA. British actor, best known I think for playing a drug trafficker in the HBO series "The Wire". Also spent a year training as a kickboxer for a documentary and won his first bout in 2016.
16. Mozart wrote a lot of them: NOTES. Do you write a musical note? I suppose you do, it never crossed my mind before. Or do you write a manuscript? Would you say that Shakespeare wrote a lot of letters? Discuss.
17. Dungeness delicacies: CRAB CAKES. Food! The best crab cakes have very little filler. Maryland-style crab cakes combine egg, Old Bay seasoning, mayo, mustard and seasoning.
19. Omni rival: HYATT
22. Fish eggs: ROE
23. Brooding genre: EMO. Here's a great example of the genre from Green Day.
32. Pig's sniffer: SNOUT
33. Weep for: MOURN
34. See 27-Down: RAE. I prefer cross-referenced entries to come in order in the cluing, but this looks fine in the grid.
35. Sch. near the U.S.-Mexico border: U.T.E.P. Second reference to El Paso today - University of Texas at El Paso.
36. Law school subject: TORTS
37. Put on the cloud, say: SAVE. Data backups and the like to the cloud. I've got three cloud storage accounts, iCloud, OneDrive and Google Cloud. My phone automagically backs up my Photo Stream to iCloud, it's rather nice. Google Cloud gets involved in photo backups too, I'm not quite sure how.
38. Writer Deighton: LEN
39. "It Wasn't All Velvet" memoirist: TORMÉ. Mel.
40. Asks: POSES
44. Aromatic necklace: LEI. Typically plumeria, but can also be made from other flowers. Ginger flowers make one of the prettiest and most aromatic leis.
45. "How We Do (Party)" British singer Rita __: ORA. Crosses all the way, I've never heard of her. The official video on YouTube has more than 56 million views, so obviously some people have.
54. Implied: TACIT
55. Chain used by many contractors: HOME DEPOT
56. Courtroom pro: STENO
57. Take testimony from: HEAR. Our theme Appellate Judge would take testimony.
58. Depend: RELY
59. "The Ant and the Grasshopper" storyteller: AESOP. Not one of his most famous fables, but easy enough to deduce.
60. Philosophies: -ISMS
61. Fort SSW of Louisville: KNOX. Site of the James Bond "Goldfinger" attempted heist featuring the staggeringly-named Pussy Galore.
Down:
1. Shelter gp.: S.P.C.A. There's an R in front of it in the UK organization, it has a Royal warrant.
2. Big name in Tombstone: EARP
3. "By yesterday!": ASAP!
4. Sleeps it off: SOBERS UP
5. Physician, ideally: HEALER. Ideally indeed. I wouldn't trust a physician who wasn't a healer.
6. Commercial word with Seltzer: ALKA
7. "Oh, suuure": I BET
8. Cut with a beam: LASE
9. Cruel: INHUMAN
10. Papillon, e.g.: TOY DOG. New one on me, I've never heard of the breed. Cute little fella though.
11. Deer sir: STAG. Nice clue.
12. Dole (out): METE
13. Ballpark fig.: EST. Estimated attendance figure. The "official" attendance tends to be inflated, as they count tickets sold, not "butts in seats." Season-ticket no-shows count as attendees.
18. Influence: CLOUT
21. Ballpark opinions, at times: JEERS. The jeers from the "phantom". attendees are rather muted.
24. One-__ chance: IN TEN
25. Incessantly: NO END
26. "When the moon hits your eye" feeling: AMORE
27. With 34-Across, Sally Field film: NORMA
28. More adorable: CUTER
29. Make blank: ERASE
30. Piercing site, perhaps: NAVEL. Gazing site too.
31. Scottish center?: TEES. The two T's in the middle.
32. Sci-fi navigator: SULU
36. Specifically: TO WIT
37. Float fixer: SODA JERK. Not because you get insulted when you order your soda.
39. Place with a bird's-eye view: TREETOP
40. Went carefully (over): PORED
42. Nickname of golfer Sergio García, who turned pro at age 19: EL NIÑO. I've always enjoyed watching Sergio play. I was happy for him when he finally won his first major at the 2017 Masters. He's a passionate Ryder Cup competitor.
43. Shakers' relatives?: MOVERS
46. "Mom" actor Corddry: NATE. Another unknown, thank you crosses. I don't recognize him at all.
47. Treats, as a sprain: ICES. Ouch.
48. Surprised greeting: OH, HI!
49. They're not on the same page: FOES. Peculiar clue. If two foes dislike each other equally, aren't they on the same page as far as that's concerned?
50. Religious scholar: IMAM
51. Premiere: OPEN
52. Simple tie: BOLO
53. Where Achilles was dipped for invincibility: STYX. Missed that pesky heel though, causing his downfall when he was shot in the heel with a poisoned arrow by Paris.
54. Org. operating full-body scanners: T.S.A.
I think that about wraps it up for today. I hope Kevin stops by to confirm or deny his appearance on Jeopardy!
Steve
50 comments:
RAE was an APPELLATE JUDGE.
To make decisions she couldn't fudge.
TORTS at law
She oversaw,
She wasn't allowed to hold a grudge.
LEN was an INSURANCE AGENT.
He had to be nice, always a gent.
He could SAVE folks' pain
From a hurricane,
But only with their paid consent.
NATE was a buff UNDERWEAR MODEL.
His pecs and delts he didn't coddle.
He denied he was beefcake,
He was more like CRAB CAKE --
Instead of walking he'd sideways sidle.
The APPELLATE JUDGE heard a suit
By an INSURANCE AGENT against a galoot.
He'd bet the fraud'll
Stop the UNDERWEAR MODEL,
And get him FIVE TO NINE in the coop!
Great morning Cornies!
Thank you Kevin Salat for this enjoyable CW. I liked the 9 to 5 employees.
Thanks Steve for introducing me to Green Day at 23 A. "Amy is beautiful and Seether is underrated ." I listened, but continued my review of your review sans the disturbing video. The song was enjoyable.
OKL, Your poems today were each very good, but I especially liked the fourth one where each themer was included.
Ðave
Good Morning, Steve and friends. I flew through this Thursday puzzle. How very clever was this theme with its NINE letter descriptive of a FIVE letter JOB.
My jobs were always longer than 9 to 5, as we never got credit for our lunch break.
Interesting to have both El PASO and UTEP.
I know Idris ELBA from The Wire. Although I am not familiar with his work in Thor, it was easy enough to get his name since it is so unusual.
I think the reference to Mozart and his "too many NOTES" came from a line in the movie Amadeus, when Emperor Joseph complements Mozart, but complains that there were too many notes. It was a line in the film that I always found very amusing.
I liked the fresh new clue for Mel TORMÉ
I am unfamiliar with Rita ORA, but the perps filled in her name.
I hesitated a moment with the Papillon. The word is French for Butterfly and was also the name of a 1973 movie starring Steve McQueen about Henri Charrière . He was the criminal sentenced to life on Devil's Island and the movie is about his escape attempts.
QOD: There’s nothing bad that accrues from baseball. ~ A. Bartlett Giamatti (né Angelo Bartlett Giamatti; Apr. 4, 1938 ~ d. Sept. 1, 1989)
Welcome Kevin, I really enjoyed this theme. It had a very satisfying AHA moment. The write-up was great, I added as background Dolly Parton singing and I was off to the races. I have had RITA ORA in some of the Friday puzzles and have seen her on TV at some point. Steve, actually APPELLATE JUDGES do not hear testimony. They may review transcripts, in panels of three, but are not fact finders. The actual number in a district vary but usually many more than 3.
Take care all and Thank you KS and Steve
Thank you Kevin Salat. A very nice debut. Elegant is an apt description.
Steve, I'd say that your review was elegant as well.
Because of the grid, I decided to fill it in as a pattern. Pattern filling always takes more time as you have to jump back and forth, but I was still sailing along. When I resumed, I soon found my error.
NINE TO FIVE - When I took my first staff position, my boss told me I probably needed to work only half a day to keep up with the job requirements. He then told me he didn't care if it was 8 to 8 or 9 to 9. He was flexible that way.
Those abs and guns in the picture of Mark Wahlberg is what Dash T's trainer wants him to look like by the end of the contract.
In today's German lesson, Salat is the word for salad. As in Kartoffelsalat (potato salad).
Good morning!
HALTed when I should've HAILed, but that was my only misstep this morning. Totally missed the theme -- I've gotta start reading the entire reveal clues. Nice debut, Kevin. Steve, enjoyed the tour.
PAPILLON: Hahtoolah, those were also my thoughts. I didn't know it was a dog breed.
SODA JERK: Got a job at the local drug store in my ute. I was looking forward to making malts, sundaes, sodas and phosphates. Nope. My very first task was to dismantle the soda fountain to make room for more floor displays.
Ballpark fig: I think of this as an estimate about anything. "Give me a number that's in the ballpark."
Courtroom pro: My niece is a court reporter in Mpls.
NE corner fell last. Had appellate court before stag made me take it to the judge.
What a creative theme.....which I of course didn't get until the reveal clue. I was POSITing it in my head and it sounded like a stale joke: An APPELLATE JUDGE, an INSURANCE AGENT, and an UNDERWEAR MODEL walk into a bar...
Idris ELBA's name keeps getting thrown around as a possibility for the next James Bond since Daniel Craig is stepping down.
Thanks Steve and Kevin!
Off to my NINE TO FIVE JOB -- NOT!!
Fun puzzle, Kevin. Interesting review, Steve.
The western and central two thirds were easy. In the NE when I changed COURT to JUDGE it all came together.That D gave me DOG and then I remembered the cute breed. It is named after the butterfly because of its ear shape.
For me IDRIS ELBA's claim to fame is his appearance in crosswords.
My favorites were SODA JERK and MOVERS and SHAKERS.
The NW became clear when I changed HEEL to STYX.
I love "real" crab cakes with very little filler. We find great ones in Maryland. I attended school near Baltimore and had Crab Imperial almost every Sunday.
Here The Ant and the Grasshopper is one of the most famous of Aesop's fables. It is often cited to reprove laziness.
I saw that the theme entries were jobs and the reveal confirmed that. They are not necessarily the traditional nine to five jobs. It didn't dawn on me that 9 to 5 was the letter count. Clever.
FIR, but had to fix APPEaLLATE JUDGE. UNTIE!!!
My ATF talk show host was Neil Boortz. He had a Papillon named Coco (the wonder dog). These dogs have large, prominent ears which evoke butterflies.
In business, if you need something right away you need to be specific (the hour or the date). If you say ASAP, you may as well say DATA (do as time allows).
I wanted the piercing site to be Nipple, but there weren't enough cells. My hairy, overweight neighbor has one which is on display whenever he does summer yard work. Can't unsee that sight.
Sergio has devolved into a bitter hothead. He was recently DQed for "serious misconduct" for intentionally damaging greens. He also got angry at Matt Kuchar at a recent match play event after Sergio slapped at a tap-in in anger and missed it. Kuchar would have given him the putt, but wasn't given time to do so. The rules don't allow for retroactively conceded putts. Sergio thought Matt should have forfeited the hole, which would have made the hole a tie.
Steve, I divorced MLB years ago, but when I was a big fan attendance figures were turnstile counts. That was important because the amount the visiting team was paid was based on attendance. It may be that with big TV contracts, attendance isn't financially significant anymore.
TTP - Great story about 8-8. When I was toiling to get my MBA I asked my boss if I could work Monday through Thursday, 7-6. He said "sure, but just work 8 hours on Fridays - I wouldn't want you to burn out."
Thanks to Kevin on this really fine puzzle. Fresh clues abound. I always like being reminded of the Velvet Fog. And thanks to Steve. Glad you got really yummy FOOD today.
Good morning everyone.
Elegant puzzle as others have stated. Got the 3 jobs easily enough. Probably why I didn't focus more on the 9 - 5 aspect.
Two references to El PASO.
CLOUT crossing SNOUT.
Salat and salad probably came from Arabic via Italian.
SNOUT is akin to German Schnauze, L. German Snuut, and Dutch snuit.
CLOUT dribbled down from the German Klöz (lump)
Jinx in Norfolk at 8:57 AM, I'm with you on ASAP. "Well I did it as soon as possible. I can't help if it was two weeks." Stat, on the other hand conveys urgency. I was in a Mickey D's one day when the counter supervisor called out "I need biscuits stat!"
Ðave
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Kevin Salat, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for a fine review.
Got through this fairly easily. Did not catch the theme until I was finished and then I studied hard. I noticed all the jobs were five letters and then I counted the first words and, wallah, nine letters. Made me happy to figure it out.
When I entered ELBA, I thought that was his or her's first game. The blog straightened me out on that.
I used to live in King George, Virginia, and ate hard shell crabs by the bucket. But, never really liked CRAB CAKES. Those crab houses with buckets of crabs and pitchers of beer were great!
When I saw TORME, I thought of velvet frog, then realized it was fog. Sorry, Mel.
Have a meeting to attend in a short while. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Good Morning:
I'm usually able to figure out the theme on my own, but sometimes I need the reveal. Today, even the reveal left me scratching my head until Steve spelled it out. The three themers were perfect to illustrate the theme (too bad I missed it!) and were strong fill, to boot. I had ERA/EST, and AMA/TSA, both due to subtle misdirection. Hatoolah and I were on the same wave length with the images conjured up by the Papillion and Notes clues. I, too, have never forgotten that line from "Amadeus" and when I think of "Papillion" the movie, I think of Dustin Hoffman who, I believe played the title role. (I may be misremembering, though.) I also thought of the cute Papillion canine. My favorite C/A was Caller ID=It's Me.
Congrats, Kevin, on a fine debut and an enjoyable solve and thanks, Steve, for the grand tour, particularly the badly needed explanation of the elegant theme.
Have to get ready to visit my sister, Anne, in the hospital. She suffered a slight stroke Tuesday and, so far, the only apparent damage is the loss of her peripheral vision. She is 91 and is in relatively good health, so I'm hoping she's able to go home soon.
Have a great day.
Musings
-After waaaaay too much time the gimmick finally hit me! Doh!!
-I will POSE this - Why does Rich Always choose Mr. Deighton instead of this LEN or why does he eschew this NATE for whoever that was today?
-The Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence and the Constitution spent WWII at Ft. KNOX
-Sleeping it off in Mayberry is actually pretty “homey”
-More welders coming in!
I agree this was an elegant puzzle. So much fresh fill. That said, my favorite was 1A, High places for SEAS. Thanks Kevin.
Steve, good tour. Owen, I’ve loved all your recent poems but couldn’t always post. Today was the best!! Thanks!
YR, Yellowrocks to you!!
Thanks all for the kind words on the puzzle! This is indeed the same Kevin that was on J! back in March. Only got to play the one game, but I did manage to get a crossword-themed Daily Double, so I'll call that a win :) Regardless it was the experience of a lifetime and I'm so grateful I got to be on while Alex is still hosting.
Theme-wise for this puzzle, the only other in-the-language entry I had that could fit this criteria was FURNITURE MAKER, and unfortunately that had to be left out. So I'm pretty pleased with the tightness of this theme set.
Pretty pleased with how the grid ended up too, even though I probably didn't need to drop to 72 words (I just don't like having too much segmentation). Originally had SDSU/INURN/NOMAD for the West, with SDSU being a new LAT entry. Rich had initially said it was fine, but I guess at some point it got changed in the editing process.
Love this blog community! Look out for a Sunday puzzle from me in the next month or two!
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Kevin (thanks for dropping by) and Steve.
This CW filled in quickly with only one inkblot where I had the wrong tense and put POREs instead of PORED. HOME DEPOT soon fixed that.
Nice theme which I saw. Enjoyed your poems also Owen.
Hand up for noticing the double reference to El PASO; also Ballpark clues.
NATE Corddry and Rita ORA were unknown but filled with perps. We have had Idris ELBA here before but I think more commonly for his first name. ELBA usually is clued as the Napoleon exile island.
Dungeness was unknown to this Canadian and sounded Scottish. I wondered about Haggis as the delicacies. CRAB CAKES filled the spot. Yum.
I smiled at POSES over MODEL, and OH HI and caller ID, IT'S ME.
We had JUDGE, STENO, TORTS, HEAR testimony for our legal fix today. Do courtrooms still need STENOs with modern digital devices??
Thoughts and prayers for your sister's recovery, IM.
Wishing you all a great day.
Well, High Places went right over my head,
but I did have to smile at the Clue/Ans. "Deer Sir..."
Also, I am really pissed that I missed the answer of Sulu
to Sci Fi navigator due to perps. I mean I was really
digging down thru the old gray matter trying to find that
answer, and meant to to back, but missed it till the Blog...
The Theme?
Well Mr. Salat, Ya got me on that one.
I was scratching my head till there was no dandruff left try'n
to make sense of that one. Never occurred to me it would be letter count...
The only suggestion I can add to the box to make this puzzle better is...
Becuase...
Kevin, as a 1st time , premiere puzzle,
I do believe your puzzle deserves a cake...
Time for NOT JAMES BOND
You have to be impressed by how much IDRIS ELBA has done and has scheduled.
I loved, loved, loved this puzzle, Kevin--many thanks, and thanks for checking in with us. Wish I had saved the Jeopardy you were on, would love to be able to look at it again. I had to work hard on this Thursday puzzle, but I got the whole thing perfectly. But like others, the theme answer didn't make sense to me until Steve explained it. Cool! It was fun seeing lots of folks and things that I knew, like LEN and MEL and ELBA, and still get the ones I didn't know, like NATE and ORA. Like others, I was sure PAPILLON was a butterfly, but the D_G on the bottom made it clear it had to be a dog. Wonderful experience--thanks again, Kevin and Steve.
Irish Miss, so sorry to hear about your sister, and will pray that she has a quick and good recovery.
Have a great day, everybody!
A nice Thursday puzzle.
Amadeus...”too many notes”....I loved Mozart’s response.
Papillon was a terrific film. Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen....hard to go wrong there.
No markovers today.
Have a good one.
Best crabcakes I remember were in W Virginia two years ago at a place called Hill n Holler. Another to die for breakfast was at Ft Browning gulf islands - crab bennies - never forget how good they were .
Great puzzle and review again thanks Kevin and Steve.
I echo what Misty said: "I loved, loved, loved this puzzle". The nine-letter with five-letter job titles were doggone clever; more clever than I am because I didn't notice the letter counts until reading Steve's explanation. Favorite clues were for SEAS and ITS ME. Thanks for making this nifty puzzle, Kevin Salat, and I'm eagerly looking forward to your upcoming Sunday offering.
Quite a few years ago LW and I had the great pleasure of attending a concert by Mel Tormé and George Shearing at a venue that used to be the Paul Masson Winery. Amazing how seamlessly his voice and Shearing's piano blended!
Good wishes to you all and to your families.
Hola y Buenos dias!
TOYDOG, papillon, reminded me of my sweet and affectionate pet, Menina, who was a pure bred papillon. Because she had an unacceptable spot on one ear I bought her for $50 instead of the usual several hundreds her perfect siblings commanded. She was my dear companion for 17 years. In the end she was deaf, had cataracts and I believe, was in pain so she went to dog heaven. I loved her so much. She and my daughter's big, black chow as well as her cat, Peaches were all good friends and romped around together.
Idris ELBA has been a favorite since I saw him in Luther, a British drama that plays on PBS.
I really liked this puzzle and finished it quite fast. Thank you, Kevin. I vaguely remember Kevin from Jeopardy!
I last ate CRAB CAKES when my sisters and I were in Vermont a few years ago and so yesterday I bought some to eat on meatless Friday.
Thank you, Steve, for your always delightful commentary.
Have a magnificent day, everyone!
OwenKL:
I don't praise you enough! Today's poems are wonderful.
Real easy for a thursday. Wow.
Oops. I meant to say we ate CRABCAKES in Maine not Vermont.
Today, my step-granddaughter turns 16! It's a milestone for her and her parents as she is now eligible for a driving license! She's a thoughtful and scholarly girl so I don't worry about her doing anything wild.
NIN TO FIVE job? Only government jobs and banks. That's a 7 hour workday. Try 5:00am to 4:30pm for two years and I loved the overtime. Then 7:00 am to whenever I left, usually after 5:00pm. Then whenever I got there to whenever I left.
Good morning/afternoon. I found this puzzle easier than the usual Thursday, especially the theme fills after a few perps were in place. Never heard of either Idris ELBA (ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA), Rita ORA, or NATE Corddry, but that's what the perps are for. And I thought a Papillon was butterfly, not a DOG. But after TOY was in place and JUDGE was filled I guess a huge metamorphosis took place. Just wonder what the larval stage looked like.
Kevin- I'm sure it's a lot easier answering Jeopardy from your couch than having to ring the bell before the other two and then give the correct answer. BTW, who won that day?
Misty at 11:56 AM, I couldn't find a video of the Jeopardy show, but I did find this:
Kevin Salat, a product marketing manager from Seattle, Washington
Happy Pi Day! Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category State Capitals East of the Mississippi) for Thursday, March 14, 2019 (Season 35, Episode 134):
The last 2 letters of this city’s name are the U.S. postal abbreviation for the state that it’s the capital of
Correct response: What is Albany (NY)?
Kevin Salat | March 14, 2019 at 4:06 pm | Reply
Kevin from the game here – state capitals is a notably tough FJ category! http://thefinalwager.com/2015/12/22/state-capitals-wordplay/
Agree that the clue comes down to how quickly you can run through the states. Sure enough, this clue looked very familiar to me because it’s close to the one that famously lost Austin Rogers the 2017 ToC (see here: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=5835).
Recalling that clue’s correct response of Montpelier meant my brain started out in the Northeast, so it luckily didn’t take me long to get Albany after that.
Ðave
I wouldn't characterize any of those positions as nine-to-five jobs in regard to the image that term normally brings to mind. None of them keep regular office hours in reality.
Steve, maybe it was the two hour lunches. Actually, 60 hours is considered the norm for"management" jobs. They call it "work ethic" more hours for less money
When UTEP beat Kentucky in the the famous NCAA final(1965?) They were Texas El Paso
I was naive enough to INK CALLS < JEER
When's the last time you encountered a SODA JERK? There was a place in Northern NH in 1993
EL NINO took a swipe at a missed putt but "Mr Nice Guy" Kuchar neglected to say the words "It's good".
Sergio was not happy*
And the bartender says "The usual: Scotch rocks, Rye whiskey, Shirley Temple?"
ELBA>Craig
"very little filler"? As in CRAB CAKES hold the crab? Btw, I agree with YR re. AESOP
Ironically, I was at Tropicana Wednesday and sure enough started solving about the fifth inning. I put it down after filling DELTA - I did finish the J*"
HG, you're a riot. Your LEN would have Anons screaming on a Saturday. Tiny's ok. He played for the C's.
* Oops, Jinx beat me. Except, why would Kuchar forfeit the hole? Perhaps all is not Shangri La in the newlyweds Castle
LATE to the Corner today. I had an early dentist appointment, one that turned into a longer session than I'd expected.
Ah, well. I guess I'm lucky to still have teeth to give me trouble.
Ta~ DA!
Neat pzl today, not difficult once I found footholds. Good work, Mr. Salat!
Sorry to read of your sister's stroke, Irish Miss. Sending my best wishes to you both. May she have a swift and full recovery!
~ OMK
____________
DR: 4 Diagonals today. One on the front end and a 3-way behind.
The mirror mainline gives us an anagram message from a knighthood aspirant, probably a squire who wishes to purchase a protective suit & needs to know from his master the address of his ...
"SAME ARMORER"!
IM:
I forgot to mention your sister's stroke and how sorry I am to hear of it. I'll remember her in my prayers. Thank you for mentioning her name; I like to specify the name when I pray.
Nine to five? Not for teachers either. I usually left my house at 6:45 A.M. and returned sometime after 5 P.M. just in time to cook dinner. Sometimes I had school work after dinner or I was taking classes and had homework.
OMK:
I like your attitude, "I guess I'm lucky to still have teeth to give me trouble." I'll remember that the next time I have to go visit my dentist. She is putting her three children through college so I'm sure she is glad I have teeth, too!
WC, Kuchar told the rules official that he would gladly give Sergio the putt retroactively, which would halve the hole. The rules official told Kooch that he couldn't do that. Sergio's point was that if Kooch really wanted the hole to be halved he could have conceded the hole. Hole halved.
I think Sergio just didn't give Kooch time to concede the putt - he was running too hot. But it is common strategy in match play to concede 4 footers throughout the match, then not concede an important three footer. Not bad sportsmanship, just strategy. But that's not what happened here. Sergio could have easily made the putt had he gone through his normal routine.
Many thanks, Dave--how nice to see that!
.
"Famously traded in the middle of the 2004 season by the Red Sox, largely because of his negative vibe in the clubhouse"
J, you may have heard that. If so consider the source.
Nomar did slip after 2003. Luchino did not want to pay him big money and had lo-balled a contract. He wanted to trade him and instituted a bash Nomar campaign.
As a teammate he was aces. Tremendous competitor .
As for Kuchar, I do recall Garcia wanting Kuch to lose a hole. PGA would have had a bird.
Now Lexi Thompson...
WC
Speaking of Jeopardy!, I just witnessed the most overmatched contestant I've seen in 30+ years of watching.
The unfortunate participant just couldn't compete the speed or knowledge of the other two. I believe she only rang in twice getting just 1 answer correct. I believe she must've been flustered because she answered that Germany invaded England in 1939 instead of the obviously correct answer of Poland.
Having successfully completed the online application process for Jeopardy! I am aware no one gets as far as she did without a very high aptitude. I was always fearful of getting to the stage and laying an egg such as she did tonight. I feel for her and hoped she still savored the experience.
Alex Trebek's Mustache:
You have probably forgotten that those of us on Pacific time haven't yet seen Jeopardy.
Sorry Sandy. I keep forgetting there is a West Coast. I just dont get over the George Washington much anymore. Luckily I only gave away 1 answer/question and was a fairly obvious one. As to the game, it will be obvious early in the game as to her inexperience and I didnt spoil any other facts of the competition. Hope you can still enjoy the broadcast. Again, I'm sorry.
Alex Trebek's mustache, no problem. I'm still looking forward to Jeopardy tonight. As much as you keep forgetting there is a west coast I keep forgetting there is an east coast. Heh :)
LW and I are also going to be watching Vera tonight, another one of those ubiquitous British police investigation programmes. By the way, for those of you who enjoy the British programming, there is a show called Unforgotten that is excellent.
AT's Mustache: Hey, I'm sure I'll still enjoy watching the broadcast. I promise I won't forget the East Coast if you won't forget the West Coast. Bargain?
Hi Y'all! Enjoyed this clever puzzle, Kevin, thanks! Didn't get the theme until Steve 'splained. Thanks, Steve! Good one.
WEES about Papillon, but Steve McQueen played the lead in "Papillon". LIU to be sure. One of my all-time favorite books/movies. Read the book in Reader's Digest Condensed Books when it came out and several more times. Also saw the movie several times. Forgot Dustin Hoffman was in it. Had heard of the puppy on Westminster shows, but when DOG perped in the puzzle, I just sat and stared at it. So not what I expected.
Kevin, I don't remember Jeopardy contestants by name unless they win several times, so I LIU to see your face and remembered seeing you. You were up against two determined power players, but I liked you. Just getting chosen to play is a great feat! Bravo.
My last job as bookkeeper, nobody told me what time to come so I just came in at 8 a.m. Wondered why everybody else was already there. Found out the two bosses had been raised on a farm & milked cows at 5 a.m. growing up. They still came in at 5a.m. although being past 65 they didn't do a lot. Boss said to me, "I always did my best bookkeeping around 7 a.m." I took that to mean I was to come in then. I'm not a morning person. I tried it one day and was so worthless all day, I just went back to 8 a.m. entry & no one said another word. They called me in after I'd been there a short time and said "We don't think you are worth $$ (the amount they were paying me)." I thought they were firing me. "We think you're worth $$" which was a substantial raise. I didn't argue with that.
IM: prayers for your sister Anne! Hope she will have no residual effects.
It's a deal! I was only joshing about the west coast earlier. I still get over there occasionally. Heck, this weekend I'll be on the west coast with some guests of mine enjoying the Chelsea Pier. Gotta do the touristy thing when friends come to town...
Hi All!
That was a fun puzzle with nary a hiccup (except sussing the theme - that took Steve). Thanks Kevin both for the freshly-clued puzzle and for dropping by The Corner.
Fantastic expo Steve. Allow me to fill you in on NATE; he's Rob Corddry's brother and they and a bit on Stewart's The Daily Show. [2:52].
WO: Comed [sic*] (over) held me up @40d.
ESP: ORA
Fav: I really liked Caller ID? clue for IT'S ME. (Hi IM!)
{A, A, B+...wait, it's all one story? A+}
IM - Love to your sister (and you). Keep us posted.
Cute DR OMK.
TTP - I told 'trainer' at the start - I don't need to be buff, I just want to be mobile at 70 after years behind a computer.
When commuting to D.C. from HOU, we'd land at BWI. Our driver would stop about 1/2 way at this restaurant... We always ordered the CRAB CAKES.
Jinx - we have an office in Egypt, there is no ASAP there. Ask for something and you'll hear Inshallah [God willing]; God might will it a few weeks later.
Hahtoolah - I guess if you're the King, everyone else must agree re: NOTES... It's good to be the King.
Alex Trebek's 'stache - I Lost on Jeopardy!.
//Funny thing happened on the way to the Weird Al video... I got an ad for someone I've never heard of before today.
9-5? Nope, more like 24/7/365.2425 'cuz hackers gonna hack. At least I get 5 weeks vacation, 2.5 weeks sick, and 3 floating-days applied to any Religion's Holiday coinciding with my "I don't feel like it today" days.
Cheers, -T
*UNTIE! Indeed.
Coda: Anyone play on Twitter? I use it mostly for CyberSec intel but I followed a few entertainers I like. One is George Takei [though I may un-follow; nothing but politics! (though some Tweets are funny)].
So, I just Tweeted:
@GeorgeTakei
Do you like it better if a clue calls you out by name?
In today's LAT crossword:
32 down: Sci-fi navigator
fill: SULU
Talk about a Gimme.
----
Over/Under re: he replies? I'm setting the bar at 1 in 100,000 - I only have 22 followers :-)
Cheers, -T
Is there anybody out there...?
Ok, one last thing - and this is for the nerds ONLY.
We (nerds) all know the RFCs (Request for Comments) are the Foundations of the Internet [Jon Postel R.I.P.]
Behold!: RFC 8565* (HTJP/1.0) the Hypertext Jeopardy Protocol, published 4/1/19.
Folks, this will change your Interwebs.
Cheers, -T
*Abstract
The Hypertext Jeopardy Protocol (HTJP) inverts the request/response
semantics of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Using
conventional HTTP, one connects to a server, asks a question, and
expects a correct answer. Using HTJP, one connects to a server,
sends an answer, and expects a correct question. This document
specifies the semantics of HTJP.
"Behold!: RFC 8565* (HTJP/1.0) the Hypertext Jeopardy Protocol, published 4/1/19.
Folks, this will change your Interwebs."
And increase your intake of beer....
Michael - glad to oblige :-) -T
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