Theme: "Poetry Slam" - Part of each theme entry is replaced by a sound-like poetry term.
45A. "Another day, another $%&! Grecian urn"?: SAME ODE SAME ODE. Same old same old. Double ode action.
68A. "Religious Poetry Writing for Dummies" reminder?: PSALM ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. Some Assembly Required. Biblical poem.
94A. Love song written while playing hooky?: ABSENTEE BALLAD. Absentee ballot.
121A. Chaucer's workflow?: FROM BARD TO VERSE. From bad to worse. Another double word replacements.
16D Poet known for her footwork?: IAMB WOMAN. I'm Woman. (Edited: I Am Woman. Thanks, D-Otto.)
81D Tennyson lecture?: IDYLL TALK. Idle talk.
So nice to see John back. He never fails to deliver much-needed humor and fun into our Sunday grids. I'd never dreamed of FROM BARD TO VERSE. Such an imaginative brain.
John put two of this shortest theme entries in Down slots and made sure that the longest non-theme fill are 8-letter long. This way the theme entries clearly stood out.
Across:
1. Wacky: MADCAP.
7. Subterranean queen: ANT. And 12D. 7-Across, to an aardvark: PREY. John sent us below pic with this caption: "Carpenter Ant chowing down on a caddisfly. Since the wings are hairy, the ant will spit them out. I mean, would YOU eat them?"
10. Reaction to a trip: OOPS. Stumble "trip". Not a trip to China.
14. Throw out: EVICT.
19. Eight-time Best Actor Oscar nominee: O'TOOLE (Peter). And 118. How many Oscars 19-Across won: NONE. He did receive an Honorary Oscar.
20. Cloud content: MOISTURE. Not Pictures and files.
22. Queen topper: TIARA.
25. Let in: ADMIT.
26. Neither surfeit nor dearth, informally: ENUF.
27. Lie about one's age?: FAKE ID. Great clue/answer.
28. Heavenly harp: LYRA.
30. Decreases: EBBS.
31. Go after: SET UPON.
33. Aspiring singer's aid: DEMO.
35. Flexible joint: ELBOW.
37. What a ritardando gradually gets: SLOWER.
40. Very likely will, after "is": BOUND TO.
42. Be beholden (to): OWE.
49. Short notes: MEMOS.
51. Pete's wife on "Mad Men": TRUDY. Played by Alison Brie.
52. Fits: SUITS.
53. Places for drinks on tracks: CLUB CARS.
56. Pacino and Roker: ALS.
57. Florida horse country city: OCALA.
59. Streaker's covering: SKIN. This clue makes me smile.
60. __ account: ON NO.
61. Faced: MET.
62. Cloudy: GRAY.
63. Assist in the gym: SPOT.
66. Landscaper's truckload: FILL.
75. All of Sartre's "No Exit"?: ACT I. "No Exit" is an one-act play.
76. Cut with light: LASE.
77. "... bug in __": A RUG.
78. Giant Manning: ELI.
79. Omit: SKIP.
82. Env. fattener: ENCL.
84. Smarts measured by the ounce?: SENSE. I don't get this clue.
86. Muscle that sounds like a kiss: PEC. Peck.
87. "Me too": AND SO DO I.
89. One way to run: ALONG. And 7. One way to run: AMOK. Clue echoes.
91. Play division: SCENE.
93. Excited, with "up": KEYED.
98. Cooked sushi fish: EEL. Yep. Always cooked. Eel blood is highly toxic.
99. "My goose is cooked!": I'M TOAST.
102. Baroque: ORNATE.
103. Like some rovers: LUNAR.
105. Buzz: STIR.
107. Really feared: DREADED.
111. Panthers' school: PITT. Pittsburgh Panthers.
113. Dessert options: PIES.
115. Enter, as data: TYPE IN.
119. Be of help: AVAIL.
124. Many a quartet's bottom line: CELLO.
125. Relaxed: LOOSENED.
126. Produce visibly, as a sweat: WORK UP.
127. Young ones: TYKES.
128. Great times: EONS.
129. Bond, for one: SPY. James Bond.
130. Burns subjects: LASSES. This refers to Robert Burns, right?
Down:
1. Legendary mountain climber: MOSES.
2. Even things: ATONE.
3. Toroid treat: DONUT.
4. Addlepated: CONFUSED.
5. Pub patron's pint: ALE.
6. Bowser's bagful: PET FOOD.
8. Destination of the 1925 diphtheria serum run: NOME. More details here.
8. Destination of the 1925 diphtheria serum run: NOME. More details here.
9. Bashful: TIMID.
10. Baseball's "Little Giant": OTT.
11. Audibly: OUTLOUD.
13. Get sore: SEE RED.
13. Get sore: SEE RED.
14. Sorority vowel: ETA.
15. YouTube upload: VIDEO. In case you missed, here is our blogging team again. Almost viral, as Lemonade said.
17. Wah-wah source?: CRIB.
18. Pix from needles: TATS.
21. Subsidiary wager: SIDE BET.
24. Enthusiastic kids' plea: CAN WE.
29. Music genre prefix: ALT. Alt-rock, e.g.
32. Bit of subterfuge: PLOY.
34. Bucolic outbursts: MOOS.
36. Tank: BOMB.
38. Lamb literature: ESSAYS. Charles Lamb.
39. Castro of Cuba: RAUL.
41. Smooch and stuff: NECK.
43. Frayed: WORN.
44. Canadian gas: ESSO.
45. Item sold in sheets: STAMP.
46. Van Gogh milieu: ARLES.
47. "How many roads __ man walk down ... ": Dylan: MUST A.
48. Swamp gas: MIASMA.
50. Intestinal bacterium: E COLI.
54. Career military members: LIFERS.
55. Matchless: UNIQUE.
57. Elocuted: ORATED.
58. Vegas attraction: CASINO.
59. Oinker's digs: STY.
62. Yukon or Denali: GMC.
64. "NewsHour" airer: PBS.
65. "Little House" family name: OLESON. "Little House" antagonist Nellie Oleson.
67. Schlep: LUG. We schlepped lots of cards to the card show yesterday. The show continues today.
 |
| Boomer, 8/10/2019 |
69. Interruption: LAPSE.
70. Plumber's piece: ELL.
71. Forest __: RANGER.
72. Drive away: REPEL.
73. Colleague of Ruth and Sonia: ELENA.
74. Chopped into cubes: DICED.
79. Asian libation: SAKE. I love both Sushi and Sashimi. But only drink sake with Sashimi.
80. __ pants: KNEE.
83. "Bye!": CIAO.
85. Prefix with dermal: ENTO.
88. One-eyed Norse deity: ODIN. He sacrifed his eye for wisdom. Here played by Anthony Hopkins.
89. No. 2: ASST.
90. The Beatles' "words of wisdom": LET IT BE.
91. Asian appetizer: SATE.
92. Soaps and vacuums: CLEANERS.
95. Oboe kin: BASSOON.
96. Stop seeing someone: END IT.
97. Unintentional rat poison victim: BARN OWL.
100. Trailhead handout: MAP.
101. Minor matter: TRIFLE.
104. Handy: UTILE. Not a word I use.
106. "__ Hope": '70s-'80s soap: RYAN'S.
108. Nerds: DORKS.
109. Follow: ENSUE.
110. Oceanic abysses: DEEPS.
111. Concord: PACT.
112. 2017 Poker Hall of Fame inductee Phil __: IVEY.
114. Suffix with buck: EROO.
116. Job in a kitchen: PREP.
117. Whitewater challenge: EDDY.
120. Alhambra article: LOS.
122. Ed.'s stack: MSS.
123. U.S. govt. broadcaster: VOA. They broadcast in Mandarin Chinese & Cantonese.
C.C.
31 comments:
CC, re. 84a) I believe that c/a relates to a phrase that I have often heard about myself, to wit: "He hasn't got an ounce of sense".
DNF/FIWrong. LYRe + eLT, t?TT +tACT + ?VEY. The poetic puns weren't too difficult, but I couldn't figure out what SONNET COMMITTEE was a pun on, or what the clue for PSALM... was supposed to mean.
Who even knew there was a POKER HALL OF FAME?
Did any of the Mavericks grace it with their name?
Would they make a SIDE BET
That their bona fides MET
The CLUB CAR or CASINO SUITS that made the game?
Good morning!
John Lampkin does not disappoint, and I was on his wavelength this morning. Only stumbled over Dog Food (PET) and Basso (CELLO). C.C., I think IAMB WOMAN is "I Am Woman" ala Helen Reddy. Nicely done, both of you.
What a treat to wake up to a Sunday John Lampkin puzzle with fellow constructor C.C. guiding the tour. This one highlights his many interests - from bugs to photography to music to writing. I did not know the term RITARDANDO but it was easily inferrable. I also have never seen the spelling SATÉ for the skewered dish, but with all of the french influence in Indochina, it also was not a stretch. TRUDY required all 5 perps as I never got into MAD MEN,
I have heard of the famous BALTO but forgot it was Diptheria that spurred the trip.
Great job John and C.C.
Bluehen, in these here parts sense was always distributed in licks.
Good morning.
Took longer than usual again. I noticed that I wasn't quickly visualizing the number of squares in the answers, so I was seeing 5 squares where 4 letter words belonged. Blurry vision this morning. Misread a number of clues as well.
Caused me to make a lot of deletions.
Having said all of that, I really enjoyed John's puzzle, and the clever puns. I used t really dislike these types of puzzles, but when they are well executed, they are fun.
"Bowser's bagful" threw me for a loop. The only Bowser I knew, and wasn't certain of, was the singer from Sha Na Na. Then I started think that perhaps Bowser was some 40's or 50's term. Filled in PETFOOD with perps, and it took a second to understand that Bowser was another name for Fido.
UTILE and AVAIL in the very SW... Neither word is often heard in everyday conversation. Smiled when I saw them both in that corner. Probably only happens in crosswords.
Thank you, John, and thank you, C.C.
Her daddy say's he ain't worth a lick
When it comes to brains
He got the short end of the stick
Good Morning, C.C. and friends. I see that your question to Smarts Measured by the Ounce has been answered.
I wanted the Ant to be the Aardvark's Meal, then Food before the perps gave me the PREY.
I was not aware that Eel Blood is toxic.
QOD: Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. ~ Robert G. Ingersoll (né Robert Green Ingersoll; Aug. 11, 1833 ~ July 21, 1899), American writer and orator
Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, John. Great expo, C.C. Liked seeing Boomer's up-to-date charming smile picture.
Hahtoolah: great quote. Very apt for today's politics.
Wanted NiNE oscars for O'toole. He got NONE? Ridiculous! He deserved the honorary one.
Wah-wah source = CRIB? I was thinking JzB's horn sometimes.
Liked the video of the bloggers with the enlarged smiling faces. Missed it first time. Have to copy it out of my blog browser and go to another one to view.
DNK: TRUDY (hand up for never watched that show), PITT, ODIN (as clued), IVEY, VOA (Oh, Voice of America. Duh!).
DO, Agreed. That is what my father used to say about me, especially after I spent my entire summer savings from detasseling on fishing tackle. "That boy ain't got a lick of sense, spending all that money on gear so's he can outsmart a critter with an IQ just a little better than a stuffed owl".
Greetings C.C and Happy Solvers all! Thank you for the review and comments. It was nice seeing that video of the Crossword Corner blogging crew. Putting faces to fonts, as it were.
I found this to be a typical John Lampkin offering, erudite and entertaining. I, too, must have been on his wavelength because I finished in less than 40 mins which is an especially fast Sunday time for me. I guess it helped that I knew almost all of the proper names. Phil Ivey I remember from when Texas Hold'em was so popular on tv. He seemed as nice as his picture would indicate, unlike a lot of the poker brats that spent too much time on the screen. Thanks, Mr. Lampkin and come back anytime. Great expo, CC Thank you.
Roast pork loin tonight. I cut it from a whole loin that I got on sale, seared it all over, seasoned it, and vacuum sealed it. After a 48 hr. rest in the chill chest, it's now in a sous vide hot tub until dinner. From that one loin I got this roast, 3 meals of 4 chops each and a pound and a half of stew meat (Szekelygulyas, no doubt). life is good, sometimes.
No sleep at all last night. Gotta catch a nap. Cya!
I have to say I thought this was a brilliant puzzle, with those amazing theme answers all holding a poetry allusion--SONNET, ODE, PSALM, BALLAD, BARD, IAMB, IDYLL. Many thanks, John, for this treat. And I loved your Sunday commentary, C.C.--especially that lovely video of the whole crew--another treat, thank you.
There were so many fun clues all over the place, like TATS (tattoos) for 'Pix from needles', and PEC for 'Muscle that sounds like a kiss', and OOPS for 'Reaction to a trip' (I of course was thinking of travel not stumbling). A few toughies here and there--like others, I've never heard of RITARDANDO, and ACT 1 for Sartre's "No Exit" seemed a bit of a stretch. I've finally learned that Castro will be RAUL and not FIDEL these days. But my favorite was seeing IAMBWOMAN--I remember Helen Reddy's "I am woman, hear me roar" so well from my young feminist days.
Great way to start a Sunday! Have a good one, everybody.
I loved your punny poetic puzzle, John. CC, interesting blog. Thanks for linking the great video of the bloggers and their mates. I missed it the last time. This puzzle was not difficult for a Sunday. The only fill new to me was IVEY, easily perped.
I knew the story of Balto, but didn't remember it concerned diphtheria sera. Perps to the rescue.
Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" is a favorite of mine.
I, too, was looking for a horn related answer at first for WAH WAH. Cute one.
I love unagi (freshwater eel) grilled in a tasty sauce and used in sushi. Wild freshwater eel is becoming rare and so it is very expensive. Now farm raised freshwater eel is being used instead.
I am a sake snob, I guess. I like only high end super expensive sake, so I have only had it one time. Other brands? Meh. I like Kirin or Asahi, Japanese beer, with sushi and sashimi.
IMO, the most common use of AVAIL is in the saying TO (or of) NO AVAIL. I tried every solution I could think of to no avail. Meaning, being of no help.
The other common usage is AVAIL ONESELF. Tour director, "This is our rest stop. Please avail yourselves of the facilities. There will not be another rest stop for several hours."
Nice to be back home to the Corner. We spent Monday through Saturday in WV. Alan and two of my sisters vacationed with me.
Musings
-After 54 years of 11 am mass, we now must go at 10 am on Sunday due to a shortage of priests which really hampers my Sunday solve.
-2 ½” of rain last night brightened everyone’s spirits around here
-John’s themers and elegant/maddening cluing were fabulous! PSALM ASSEMBLY REQUIRED was my fav
-A big SCENE I had in a play was skipped over because another character started dialogue that was two pages later
-Duh! This NASA educator took some time to see LUNAR Rover
-Most of the presidential candidates have caused very little buzz so far
-My first quartet was singers with a BASSO (_ _ _ _ O) as the lower line
-ADDLEPATED vs. Twittepated (:28)
-Our small town has officially opened its third store for TATS
-We had SIDE/prop BET in yesterday’s puzzle
-A colleague retired and got hurt by a LAPSE in his health insurance
-Some baseball players wear their pants KNEE HIGH and some have them at the bottom of their shoes
-An interrupted LET IT BE from the fun movie Yesterday where singer is only one who remembers Beatles
-Whitewater : Clinton = Collusion : Trump. For crying out loud, LET IT BE and do something UTILE!
-“I don’t believe you Percy” – “SHELLY YOU JEST” – Came to me during a particularly pointless homily today
Super Sunday. Thanks for the fun, John and C.C.
Back to the Corner after a few busy days with family.
Solved online with a few red letter helps, but I got the theme (although SONNET=Senate escaped me!) and smiled at FROM BARD TO WORSE and PSALM ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.
Unknowns included TRUDY, IVEY, VOA, PITT (as clued - Brad I would have known!).
Like PK, I wanted to give O'TOOLE NINE Oscars.
Hand up for Dog, then Cat, before PET FOOD.
Light-bulb moment when ACT I filled with perps. Another learning moment about the diphtheria serum run to NOME.
I wanted SSAE before ENCL.
When it is cloudy in Canada, it is Grey. ESSO is only one Canadian gas station; we have Shell, Petrocanada, Canadian Tire gas, Ultramar, Husky, Fifth Wheel and more. Price was down today to 110.4 cents/litre (that's approx. $3.19 USD per US gallon)
What does it say about me that "Reaction to a trip" made me think of a bad acid (LSD) trip?
Asian food today with SAKE, SATE, EEL, (Wasabi and Tuna Roll was yesterday)
We had a SIDE or prop BET yesterday.
Thanks for the VIDEO, C.C. I couldn't get it to play on my iPad the first time, but was on my Acer today.
Enjoy the day.
Another tremendous Sunday puzzle in the LAT. Congratulations, John. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, a fine job explaining everything from C.C. I'm happy to report this one's guessing due respect on Fiend. Maybe Lemonade's lecture there last week did some good.
Well I'll ADMIT that I don't know what a Poetry Slam is but solving the puns was fun and easy. Only had to change a few fills: DOG to PET FOOD, WARM to WORK UP, and GLASS sheet to a sheet of STAMP(s). But it was an ultimate DNF because I didn't proof my on work and didn't read the clue to 29D. I had LYRE for the harp and left ELT instead of ALTernate rock (whatever that term means is anybody's guess). I was BOUND TO miss something; should have gone SLOWER.
That mistake was left ME "Blowin' in the Wind" (how many roads MUST A...). Nah, I'll just LET IT BE.
C.C.- you have more that 'an ounce of SENSE' but I have relatives that only have it in milligrams.
Addlepated- never heard of it but I wasn't CONFUSED on the fill.....
TRUDY, IVEY, OLESON, & SATE were unknowns filled by perps.
SIDE BET I got and knew; the PROP bet from yesterday was an unheard of unknown.
That's ENUF from me.
Hola!
Thank you, John Lampkin, for this amusing puzzle! As has been mentioned, it was fun solving the various puns. I liked and laughed at PSALMASSEMBLYREQUIRED! ABSENTEEBALLAD also made me smile. Good fun all around.
Thank you, C.C., for interpreting and especially explaining SONNETCOMMITTEE. Senate didn't occur to me.
I also learned that EEL blood is poisonous. Interesting. EEL reminds me of the first time I saw some in Portugal along the waterfront where crates of freshly caught EEL were stacked and ready to be purchased by shoppers.
TRUDY was a pure guess but with TR in place it seemed right. I never saw "Mad Men."
Shortly before his death Peter O'TOOLE was interviewed and he commented how honored he was to have been nominated those 8 times for an Oscar as well as to have received the honorary one.
Again, thank you, C.C. and John, for today's entertainment!
I hope all are having a magnificent day!
Creative and amusing puzzle from JL! I kept having to not look at the theme clues and say them fast to pull out the puns, etc.
Peter O'TOOLE didn't ever win a competitive Oscar - but he did get an honorary one for his whole body of work in 2002. At first he didn't want to accept it, because he thought he still might win one outright. But the academy said they were going to give it to him anyway and his children told him he was silly not to accept the honor and so he went to the ceremony to accept his award.
Glenn Close is approaching him with 7 nominations and no wins. She has won 3 Golden Globes and 3 Emmys though. And Amy Adams has been nominated 6 times with no wins, and she has also one 2 Golden Globes.
Thanks CC and John!
Good afternoon, folks. Thank you, John Lampkin, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.
Most of this puzzle was pretty do-able. I finally caught the theme after a while. ABSENTEE BALLAD was my Rosetta Stone.
I don't get ALT at 29D. I saw the explanation, but I never heard that before. Oh well.
Good learning moment on NOME. Enjoyed the link and the story. Reminds me of a good book, "Call of the Wild" by Jack London.
My last area to finish was the NW corner. Had DOG FOOD for 6D. Eventually changed that to PET FOOD. Got MOSES after thinking about it for a long time. Then Peter O'TOOLE became obvious. And, the rest filled in.
Liked MOOS. Clever.
Have to run. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
I loves me a Lampkin on a Sunday! And it’s always nice to see a C.C. review.
As much as I like John’s puzzles, this one I found more difficult. It took me nearly an hour to finish and I still FIW. The far southwest held me up the most. And too many names from things I have never watched.
Snug as A BUG in a rug... my mother used to say this a lot. And it’s another place JL brought an entomologic �� reference. Cute.
I agree with Abejo; MOOS for bucolic outbursts was clever and clearly in the run for Best Clue/Answer award.
I’m with ¡Lucina! ; Mad Men has never graced my screen.
C.C. that’s one more reason eel will never play a part in my epicurean delights.
Well, it’s 17:30 here, and time to get some real work done. G’day all.
Raw cashews and almonds are also poisonous. Grilled eel is very safe and tasty. They are rich in protiens, unsaturated fats,calcium and other minerals, as well as vitamin E.
You are missing a real treat,especially when prepared as my favorite sushi.
My grandpa caught eels and my grandma cooked them.
LIU. I see that UTILE is dated and no longer used much. I know the word from period novels. I have a fund of old fashioned and dated words that I assume are normal because I have seen them so often in novels.
YR, are you sure about the raw almonds? I've bought them at my supermarket and felt no ill effects. And I see they're even for sale on Amazon. ??
I loved this puzzle. It provided me with a full hour of pleasurable struggling.
I have been reading that the raw sweet almonds which we buy are pasteurized to kill salmonella. A variety called bitter almonds is also used as food sometimes. These almonds need to be processed to kill the toxins they contain. Some bitter almonds are used in cosmetics after processing.
"Bitter almonds are sold in pharmacies in Germany and are an ingredient in Christmas stollen, or Christmas fruitcake, made in Germany. Bitter almonds are used to make marzipan and cookies in Europe and can be used to make a kind of sweet syrup in Greece." Bitter almond food products are illegal in the US.
Bitter almond
I groaned when I saw JL as constructor. I thought it was tough until I finished. The A(e)LT-LYRA; SI(t)/DE-FAKE-I(t)D both got me. Of course I knew it was BET and ALT but thought the instrument was a LYRE. And that "Lie" was the verb.
I'd had a long day complicated by locking myself out of the Honda. When the remote wouldn't lock it I used the door button. Then the key wouldn't unlock the door.
Very strange. I borrowed a AAA card and when asked for ID, showed him my VA card.
I had to start in Maine and travel down the coast then West thru Texas and finally tackle Oregon and Montana. Puns of course were Lambkin worthy. Throwing In the two downs was a touch.
WC
So Peter O. is the Phil Mickelson of acting: Phil has five runner-up in the US Open (Snead had a bunch too)
PS. I loved Husker Gary's comments today
WC
Sorry to be a negative ninny but ELEVEN HOURS- no breaks, no food or drink, few bathroom breaks I finally tossed this *#&*$#$ puzzle. When I finally saw the answer, I shook my head in disgust. Way too esoteric for me! Not a knock out blow to me! I'll be back next week.
Bobbi, one suggestion:. When solving, and when stumped, completely leave the xword and do something else. A net time of 11 hours is not that unusual but that might be net of three days .
I had a NYT Xword in my bathroom for a month. The solvers here have been doing so for years. And, like I've heard just this weekend, I considered Friday and Saturday out of my league.
And… I considered this one much harder than the typical Sunday except…
Grok'ing the poetic puns provided long fills which made the clever downs perp'able. Fe. PSALM allowed me to perp ARLES and STAMP, a proper noun and a clever fill.
We admire your fortitude. Look forward to seeing you next week.
WC
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