Hi, Lemonade here. This is my fifth exposition of a Kurt Krauss' puzzle and his 26th overall. It appears to be the debut for Alicia. I found this to be a very easy Friday, but perhaps because I saw the gimmick as soon as I had solved the first stack of six. I do have the advantage of looking for this type of theme after many years of blogging. I have done many puzzles which require reading words backward, in this case from the bottom to top. Kurt ties this all together by having the phrases each involve one of the suits in a deck of cards. This is revealed by 25A. Gets ready for the big game ... and a hint to four puzzle answers: SUITS UP (7).
Generally, I get the puzzle partially solved and see a theme. I then look for the sparkly fill, which in this case revealed ARRIBA, BOLERO, TRALEE, ISHMAEL, RETWEET, ROYAL WE, and TRACTOR. Then all that is left is the write-up, so let's go.
5D. Preliminary drudgery: KROW EDAPS (9). SPADE WORK is defined as routine or difficult preparatory work.
10D. Layered lunch order: HCIWDNAS BULC (12). The CLUB SANDWICH was invented in 1894 at an exclusive gambling house in Saratoga Springs, New York, that was called the Saratoga Club House.
21D. Regal headpiece: ARAIT DNOMAID (12). A DIAMOND TIARA like Liz's
37D. EKG reading: TAEB TRAEH (9). The electrocardiogram is a test that measures the electrical activity of the HEARTBEAT.
Across:
1. i follower: POD. Since they market both an iPad and an iPod...
4. Cookout aid: SKEWER. We have our mini-theme of meat. Satay or shish kebab?
10. Butcher's assortment: HAMS. Also, bloggers.
14. Blond one in a bar: ALE. Why is there an "E" sometimes in that word? The ANSWER. Starbucks uses the term for its lightly roasted coffee.
15. Cry from a toon sombrero wearer: ARRIBA.
16. Scratcher: CLAW. The downside of kitty pets.
17. Dog star's first name?: RIN. TIN TIN.
18. Hang around: LOITER. This used to be a crime.
19. Hebrides isle: IONA. The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland.
20. King's self-allusion: ROYAL WE. The origin of this pronoun has been traced variously to 1169, when the English king Henry II used it to mean “God and I,” and to King Richard I, whose use of the pronoun bolstered his claim to be acting in concert with the deity and to be the ruler by divine right. I love the use of "allusion."
22. Share with followers, in a way: RETWEET. Do the Royals ever retweet?
24. Westchester County city known for its Playland: RYE. Clearly an invitation for some WRY HUMOR.
25. Pricey strings: STRADivariuses.
26. Civil rights icon Parks: ROSA. Her Q Score has gone way up recently.
29. Roman god: DEUS. The Latin word.
31. Put (out): SNUFF. A troublesome word for me as it is associated with the films in my head.
35. Others, to Ovid: ALII. More Latin.
36. "Exodus" hero: ARI. The movie version was Paul Newman.
37. Ad to lure you in: TEASER.
38. Windshield option: TINT. You can only tint a small area of the windshield.
39. Two-time Wimbledon champ Kvitová: PETRA. There is more to her STORY than tennis.
42. Sidesteps: EVADES.
44. Formally seek justice: SUE. More likely to seek money.
45. Take off: BOLT. Usain?
46. November 1 honoree: SAINT. All Saints' Day to many.
47. 24-Across, briefly: BURB.
48. Señor's "some": UNAS. Hmm...algunos, algunas, algún, unos, unas, algo de all mean "some."
49. Leading: ONTOP.
51. __ Aviv: TEL.
53. Melville narrator: ISHMAEL. The opening line in MOBY DICK.
56. County fair sight: TRACTOR.
60. Classic role for Carrie: LEIA. The late Carrie Fisher in STAR WARS.
61. Antique photos: SEPIAS.
63. Supermarket chain: IGA. Independent Grocers Alliance. They operate franchises in 30 countries.
64. Four Tops frontman Stubbs: LEVI. A cornerstone of Motown and a rare baritone frontman.
65. Seat of County Kerry: TRALEE. This was not in my wheelhouse. As they say, it took 6 perps. Kerry's County town, Tralee is at the base of the majestic Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland.
66. Swelter: FRY. I did not see this for too long.
67. Didn't dillydally: SPED.
68. Vinny famously called them "utes" in a "My Cousin Vinny" courtroom scene: YOUTHS.
69. Amount to pay: FEE.
Down:
1. Henry VIII's last wife: PARR. She is back again.
2. Assortment: OLIO. A regular CSO for C.C.
3. Reject: DENY.
4. Magnetic Field?: SALLY. "You like me!" A Friday deception.
6. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. The millionth use of this fill. Abejo is number 1.
7. Joker: WIT.
8. "Roger __ Book of Film": 1996 publication: EBERT'S.
9. Harder to find: RARER.
11. Cream additive: ALOE. Aloe is often in the creams but I use it in its purest form.
12. Locks in a barn: MANE. Cute horse pun.
13. Whack: SWAT.
23. Zap: TASE. I've done "Don't tase me bro" enough.
26. Utility company listing: RATES.
27. '60s-'70s Twins star Tony: OLIVA. A bonus for C.C. - baseball and Minnesota Twins great.
28. Scene of frequent Middle East unrest: SINAI.
30. Before, before: ERE. Very cute clue/fill.
32. Apply to: USE ON.
33. "The Most Happy __": 1956 musical: FELLA. I know the songs, but not the play.
34. Toga party places: FRATS. FRATernitieS.
40. Robot play: RUR.
43. Peak seen from Messina: ETNA.
47. Ravel work immortalized in "10": BOLERO.
50. Cantankerous: TESTY. Just relax. Let us provide a way that...
52. Facilitates: EASES. Your...
53. Misfortunes: ILLS.
54. Flow slowly: SEEP.
55. Queen's home: HIVE. Bees, not royals.
56. Tower of Pisa feature: TILT. We just had the lean explained here, didn't we?
57. Bit of bickering: TIFF. Noun. 1727, "outburst of temper," later "petty quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests imitative, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."
58. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.
59. Madcap Martha: RAYE. We share the same birthday though she had 32 years on me.
LINK
62. Six-time NBA All-Star __ Gasol: PAU.
There you have it. A Friday Funday. For those of you who hate this type of puzzle, see you in two weeks. It stretches the mind to see things in new ways. Or not. Thank you, Alicia and Kurt. Lemonade out.
Down:
1. Henry VIII's last wife: PARR. She is back again.
2. Assortment: OLIO. A regular CSO for C.C.
3. Reject: DENY.
4. Magnetic Field?: SALLY. "You like me!" A Friday deception.
6. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. The millionth use of this fill. Abejo is number 1.
7. Joker: WIT.
8. "Roger __ Book of Film": 1996 publication: EBERT'S.
9. Harder to find: RARER.
11. Cream additive: ALOE. Aloe is often in the creams but I use it in its purest form.
12. Locks in a barn: MANE. Cute horse pun.
13. Whack: SWAT.
23. Zap: TASE. I've done "Don't tase me bro" enough.
26. Utility company listing: RATES.
27. '60s-'70s Twins star Tony: OLIVA. A bonus for C.C. - baseball and Minnesota Twins great.
28. Scene of frequent Middle East unrest: SINAI.
30. Before, before: ERE. Very cute clue/fill.
32. Apply to: USE ON.
33. "The Most Happy __": 1956 musical: FELLA. I know the songs, but not the play.
34. Toga party places: FRATS. FRATernitieS.
40. Robot play: RUR.
43. Peak seen from Messina: ETNA.
50. Cantankerous: TESTY. Just relax. Let us provide a way that...
52. Facilitates: EASES. Your...
53. Misfortunes: ILLS.
54. Flow slowly: SEEP.
55. Queen's home: HIVE. Bees, not royals.
56. Tower of Pisa feature: TILT. We just had the lean explained here, didn't we?
57. Bit of bickering: TIFF. Noun. 1727, "outburst of temper," later "petty quarrel" (1754), of uncertain origin; OED suggests imitative, "from the sound of a slight puff of air or gas."
58. Fairy tale baddie: OGRE.
59. Madcap Martha: RAYE. We share the same birthday though she had 32 years on me.
62. Six-time NBA All-Star __ Gasol: PAU.
There you have it. A Friday Funday. For those of you who hate this type of puzzle, see you in two weeks. It stretches the mind to see things in new ways. Or not. Thank you, Alicia and Kurt. Lemonade out.
FIR, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't see the theme until after the reveal. I did get all the upside-down phrases, but not their link (and didn't get SPADE until after the reveal.
ReplyDeleteThere may be justice where there isn't any law.
In the jungle it's the rule of the talon and the CLAW!
The bold must SNUFF the life.
There's no recourse for the mice.
Do the lion or the eagle think this rule has a flaw?
Says Speedy Gonzales, "ARRIBA!
I can run from here into Sheba!
A BOLT from the blue,
And I'm telling you,
I'm faster than any amoeba!"
{C, B-.}
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteGot the gimmick when I saw KROW at 5d. Almost scored a DNF when I refused to give up ZEUS (Yeah, I know he's Greek, but...), and didn't know PETRA (except as a site in Jordan), and wasn't familiar with SPADEWORK. When the "suits" finally dawned on me it all came together. Phew! Thanx for the close call, Alicia and Kurt, and for the explication, Lemonade.
TESTY: I've been accused of this a time or two. Or three. Rightly so.
TRALEE: Don't know why, but with LEE in place it fell trippingly from my pen.
GASOL: PAU -- now this was cruel and unusual punishment. Is he related to Gasohol?
Let me see if I can summarize my experience with this one:
ReplyDeleteN
U
F
O
N
Although I got the gimmick at TAEB TRAEH (having had plenty of EKGs as a result of my atrial fibrillation), I had never heard of SPADE WORK, ARRIBA, PETRA, LEVI, TRALEE (oh com'on), and PAU.
At least the narrative was fun, he was given lemons and made Lemonade.
Hi Y'all! What a TEASER from Alicia & Kurt? Very clever, but was making me TESTY before I caught the theme and came out ON TOP. Thanks anyway. Thanks, Lemonade.
ReplyDeleteThis filled pretty easily for me except for the theme which I finally got when I filled the SW corner & saw DIAMOND going up. This helped me fill the all-white NE corner and the rest of SPADE. I had KROW a long time. Had it all filled and sat there trying to figure out how the reveal went with the theme entries. DUH! Finally AHA! Card SUITS!
PAU Gasol is one of my long-time favorites because he looks like my eldest brother. Good player, but aging out and moving around to different teams now. He has a brother in the NBA also. Originally from Spain. Pronounced with emphasis on the SOL.
DNK: PETRA, DEUS (wanted a name, tried zEUS), RYE, LEVI, RUR (I know we've had the latter.)
CED: FLN, got a belly laugh from your "out of order" forehead sticker. I want one.
ReplyDeleteJinx: FLN glad you got a laugh from my anecdote. As for breakdowns, I wrote a lengthy crucial business letter of which I needed four copies. Ran out of printer ink with one copy. Thought I had saved my letter. Can't find it. In addition, all of the men & institutions I've depended on for services for years have done things which are causing me anxiety. Old age ain't too fun!
Good morning !
ReplyDeleteI sped through this puzzle in about twice the time it normally takes me to solve a Friday. Did not see what was going on until about the last 5 minutes, and I was constantly checking and rechecking fill that I was certain had to be correct. Finally decided to read the reveal clue and it all be came clear !
Just saw a picture of Boomer and Tony Oliva the other day. It should have helped some of you with that answer. Baseball fans of a certain age would know that right away.
Those windshield and passenger windows tinting laws and enforcement vary from state to state.
PK, yes, younger brother Marc Gasol.
Anon at 7:21, thanks. I fixed it. Deleted you post afterwords.
I wish that I could say I finished but I'd be LYON (or is it LYONS). I don't DENY it. I caught THREE of the upside down answers but didn't notice card suits. I've never heard of the term SPADE WORK or the Roman god DEUS, just ZEUS and I knew he was Greek. But mainly I thought that the SUITS UP would also be a bottom to top fill. Stupid mistake. It was a normal 'down' fill. Alicia and Kurt SKEWERed me today. DNF.
ReplyDeleteMy only other slowdown was the cross of TRALEE & PAU- unknowns. FELLA, RYE, EBERTS and LEVI -other unknowns aided and abetted by perps. Pro baseball and basketball are not my thing. Just way too many games. Seasons too long. And I love it when the salary of some player is announced as in "we're gonna raise ticket prices" to cover it.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGot cookin' pretty good after realizing the long downs were backwards UP. Agree with Lemon. Easy for a Friday. RYE was easy for a New Yorker with some knowledge of Westchester Co. Hebrides Isle guess was between Skye and IONA. 'O' in ALOE nailed it down. Looked up UNAS for spelling in my $1.98 Spanish-English dictionary.
TIFF - Tagged Image File Format. I printed out a TIFF file of Avatar the other day. Now looking for a place to hang it.
ERIE - The only Great Lake that freezes over - 95% of its area in an average Winter. Its maximum depth is the only one above sea level, and its average depth is a mere 60 feet. The other 4 Lakes remain open in their large center areas. (Thought I would share some cool thoughts on these hot days.)
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI had more trouble with this Friday offering than I have in a long time. My struggles were in the NW corner where I held on to Anne way too long and was stymied by the other clues for that area. Entering Parr, finally, broke open Ale, Rin, and Pod and CC's beloved Olio. Not knowing Petra, Levi, and Paul didn't help matters, but once I read the reveal clue, I finally caught on to the theme and was able to finish w/o help, albeit in well over Friday completion time. I, too, had Zeus, as well as Leader/Teaser and Nuke/Tase. CSO to Abejo (Erie) and CC and Boomer (Oliva). My favorite C/A was Magnetic Field=Sally. Actually, I thought a lot of the cluing was quite good.
Thanks to Kurt and Alicia (congrats on debut) for a feisty Friday and thanks to Lemony for 'splainin' it all so clearly and cleverly.
FLN
Jinx, I got a chuckle out of your PAIR us and Ver SAILS pronunciations. I recently heard a well-known commentator pronounce Limerick, Ireland as LIME rick.
Have a great day.
A bit of a BACK scratcher this was, but in the long run it SUITED me fine.
ReplyDeleteBlogger Jinx in Norfolk has it right. NOT FUN!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIt took me awhile to see the “up” side of the long answers for this Friday grid. Didn’t even notice the card suits til here.
Some markovers today...BURG/BURB, DUE/FEE.
Got through it though.
See you tomorrow.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Gleaning the gimmick was the key but I took longer than my friend Lemon
-Retrofitting necessary due to our cat’s CLAWS
-Amateur astronomers like me (I know it should be I) know the dog star is Sirius
-My Uncle Walter was always known as SNUFF
-Some movie TEASERS show the one and only funny scene. Rotten Tomatoes does the SPADE WORK
-Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers were the best NFL EVADERS I’ve ever seen
-What Bernard Montgomery saw when he got to Messina was George Patton who beat him there
-Turns out "building it" was to EASE his own pain
This puzzle like to drove me nuts for a while. (Yes, I know. That's not a drive. That's a short putt.) I couldn't make any sense or any sensical words out of what I had for the long down clues. I was sure the perps were solid, but out of frustration I turned on the red letters. Sure enough, they were. Then I went back and revisited the reveal. Maybe that could be "suits up", although I still don't understand the significance of "big game" in the clue. You better suit up for all games if you're going to play. Think, dummy. Suit has more than one meaning and so could the phrase. Of course, the suits in a deck of cards, spelt up from the bottom. OK, Alicia and Kurt. You got me, but good. Well done. Beautiful explication, lemony. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Why is Sally Field magnetic?
We're having an old North Carolina Low Country dish from the Edna Lewis cookbook called Chicken and Pastry tonight, or "How to Feed Three Hungry Young Lions and One Grizzled Old Grey Mane on Four Chicken Thighs". The dish is a lot like chicken and slippery dumplings popular around here, but in this dish the broth is purer and the dumplings rise while cooking to be even more filling and satisfying. I'll use half of a family pack of thighs I got on sale for tonight, and sometime early next week use the other half for another low country staple, "Country Captain's Chicken". I did explain that I married a GRITS, right?
Well, better get started. Cya!
Hi Lemonade:
ReplyDelete6 DOWN) Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. The millionth use of this fill. Abejo is number 1.
What did you mean by your comment? I know Abejo is one of the bloggers, but I didn't understand what you meant.
Thank you,
LACW Addict
Husker Gary, inre your EASE comment: “Field of Dreams” will become a big-league reality on Aug. 13, 2020..."
ReplyDeleteTTP, I had no idea about the MLB game next to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa! I probably have no shot at tickets but it would be a dream for me to do. Like Ray Kinsella, the only connection I had with my dad was through baseball!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up!
Girl Raised In The South.
ReplyDeleteJinx, than you for the clever Lemons/Lemonade response to a puzzle you did not care for. Also for beating me to the GRITS explanation. My first wife (may she rest in peace) was raised in Birmingham, Alabama.
ReplyDeleteHG, the news about the game in Iowa was on GMA this morning
Irish Miss - - Today's WSJ cw had RPI as fill. They also had a clue: "Its call sign is "Shamrock"". I took a WAG and entered AER LINGUS. No Erie, tho; or eerie either.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this clever and tricky Friday puzzle and write up. Thanks Alicia, Kurt and Lemon. Also, Lemon, thanks for identifying yourself at the beginning of the write up. I hope that will become standard practice from now on.
ReplyDeleteBTW, it is good to see you again Bluehen.
ReplyDeleteLACW Addict what my comment meant was that Abejo receives the greatest number of CSOs (coincidental shout outs) because of his association with ERIE. According to Cruciverb, there have been 285 appearances of the word in the LAT with an additional 351 in the NYT.
Bill G. I used to do that all the time, but many of my vocal "fans" took it as a sign of my being self-centered so I stopped. I no longer care what they think
ReplyDeleteI guess I can't read backwards. I needed a peek before I could complete this one. SUITS UP was an insufficient clue for me.
ReplyDeleteJayce FLN ~
As to book burning, the president of the school board has assured us publicly that books are safe (for now). He says it's OK to study the evil of slavery in books, but the mural visualization is too much. Take that, artists!
SwampCat Also FLN ~
No, unfortunately the mural's survival is not up for a public vote. It would win hands down, but the only vote that's been counted so far is that of the school board.
They could have chosen to simply cover the mural, but one board member explained that it might then be "uncovered" in the future. Therefore, this temporarily-elected board took it into their hands to decide the matter for all future generations.
~ OMK
____________
DR: One diagonal on the near side (NW to SE).
Its anagram refers to the sometimes eccentric behavior of those pharaohs who were the products of royal incest, their...
"INTERBRED PLAY"!
OMK, when I was in high school I brought home The Grapes of Wrath. I was stunned when my mother told me that the wonderful book was banned when she was a young adult. Of the zillions of things she taught me, the lesson of the evil of government censorship may be the most enduring.
ReplyDeleteHola!
ReplyDeleteLate to the party today due to insomnia but once I started on this puzzle, it awakened me, pronto! What in blazes? Then I did the reveal and the light bulb turned on. So I started working my way upwards and it filled quickly.
OLIVA stymied me for a while, but with enough perps I guessed it and I'm always happy to see literary references such as ISMAEL and film ones when I know them.
I would say SALLY Field is magnetic because she is an excellent actress and attracts an audience in any movie when she acts. I know I like her.
Oops. I had UNOS and never looked back.
TRALEE was a guess because if in the song there is a Rose of TRALEE it must be a place.
OMK:
I am really sorry to hear that the mural will be destroyed. How else will history be taught and etched in memory if one picture is worth a thousand words?
I hope you are all enjoying your day!
WEESAEE. Hand up for just about all the things mentioned by those here before me. Thanks to Alicia and Kurt for taking up so much time today. :) And Lemonade, there are some things that I would STILL not understand were it not for your excellent exposition! The puzzle was fun, but...
ReplyDeleteTo those who found this an easy puzzle, I have only one thing to say: it sure SKEWERED me! I figured out the bottom-to-top entries pretty quickly but not until I came here did I see the SUITS in those answers. The SW was the last to come together and I needed the red letters to complete a couple of answers, so FIW in 38 minutes; longer than my typical time.
I wonder whether SPADEWORK is getting used less often because with modern tools and equipment no one needs to use a spade anymore. Rototillers, the field is yours. In the early ‘50s I surely had my share of SPADEWORK in the gardens—ours and my grandpa’s.
TTP: “Sped through in twice the time”... classic! ROTFL.
Bluehen: She has a magnetic personality; people just can’t stay away.
Now I’m crawling back into my crossword cave to lick my wounds. Maybe tomorrow will be easier... right?
It’s a beautiful day here; I’m off to enjoy some of it. G’Day, all!
Jinx ~
ReplyDeleteI read The Grapes of Wrath in Jr High, even though that was in the '50s, at the height (depths?) of the McCarthy era. I felt its power & was riveted by the ending. Even so, it took a revival of the 1942 movie to hit me with the political message. Of course, the film had to censor the final scene, but there was no getting around the sheer power of Henry Fonda's last speech, probably the strongest pro-Communist propaganda of the day.
It attests to the difference in the impact of media. A film hits in a different way from a book. Likewise, murals are different from lectures, etc. etc.
We shouldn't have to teach this to the president of the SF school board.
~ OMK
ReplyDeleteFor added solving fun, C.C. has another puzzle at puzzles.usatoday.com.
She also had one there on August 7th.
Fred Piscop has done a superb job at the USA Today Crossword site since taking it over, and has been drawing great constructor talent.
Our local supermarket has an electric scooter with a basket on the front to use when needed. I prefer it to being on my feet for most of an hour. People kept volunteering to help. Getting stuff off the top shelves is helpful and appreciated. One man even helped unload everything at the check stand.
ReplyDeleteI have a clever exchange with grandson Jordan from time to time. When he is using his camouflage backpack or wearing camo pants, I pretend I can't see them ('cause they're camo don't you know). 'Hey Jordan. Where's your backpack? Did you forget your pants.?' There was a young woman wearing heels and a short camo skirt at the supermarket today. I was tempted to ask her if she forgot her skirt but my better judgment helped me stifle. There is no sense trying to be witty and then having to look up and down the aisle floors for my missing teeth she might knock out. :>)
Bill G:
ReplyDeleteLOL! I don't use the scooter but do find people helpful especially when I'm trying to reach for something on the top shelf. Many tall people have come to my assistance and I appreciate it.
Big Easy: DEUS is the Latin word for God rather than a God's name. Romans spoke Latin.
ReplyDeleteFIR, Whew!
ReplyDeleteEvening folks.
Thank you Alicia Bachman & Kurt Krauss for this impossible Friday CW. Someone entered the long verticals upside down. No wonder they looked like Greek to me.
Thank you Lemonade for your excellent review.
Ðave