Theme: People who live in glass houses ...
Here's something I don't remember seeing before. In three theme answers, the first word is a kind of rock - but, for a little twist, add the word ROCK to the fourth theme answer to get ROCK HUDSON.
17. Psychedelic decorative light: LAVA LAMP.
24. Not even a little high: STONE SOBER.
48. Structure renamed for a president in 1947: BOULDER DAM.
35. New York waterway: HUDSON RIVER.
57. Simon & Garfunkel hit, and hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 48- ... and 35-Across, too!: I AM A ROCK.
Melissa here. First Wednesday in a month or so with no circles. Does that make us square?
Across:
1. Braying beast: ASS.
4. "Diamonds & Rust" folk singer Joan: BAEZ.
8. Hop, skip and jump: CAVORT. Tricky. I was thinking goat parkour.
14. Where lowers lie: LEA. Lower Lea Valley. I don't know if that's the lower lea this refers to or not - but I learned lots about the location of the 2012 Olympics and it's redevelopment in preparation for the games. Facilities and infrastructure built to host the 2012 events are enjoying new life as hotels, apartments, offices and community facilities. Look.
15. Ready and willing partner: ABLE. Nice clue.
16. "Booksmart" director Wilde: OLIVIA. Released May 2019. Four stars on rogerebert.com.
20. Savory taste: UMAMI.
21. Board game gadget: SPINNER.
23. University of Nevada city: RENO.
27. Set up: ENTRAP.
29. Chinese "way": TAO. Clued last Wednesday as "Eastern principle."
30. Aqua in Aquitaine: EAU. French.
31. Whoopi's Oscar role in "Ghost": ODA MAE.
34. Palm fruit: DATE.
40. OTC antacid brand: ZANTAC.
41. Possess: OWN.
42. Notable time span: ERA.
44. EPA mandates, taken together: ECO LAW. Had not heard this phrase before, but it makes sense.
53. Behind: KEISTER. Oh.
54. Type, as data: KEY IN.
55. Develop a liking for: TAKE TO.
60. Story of life after death?: OBIT. Perfect.
61. Quaint "Tsk!": FIE. I usually think of FIE is a somewhat angry exclamation, and tsk as disapproving.
62. Zealous crusades: JIHADS.
63. Letters on Broadway-bound letters: NY, NY. New York.
64. Craze: FAD.
Down:
1. Magnetism: ALLURE. Ooh la la.
2. Ship captains, e.g.: SEAMEN.
3. Eminent scholar: SAVANT. I usually think of an autistic SAVANT, like Charlie in Rain Man, but the first definition is "a learned person, especially a distinguished scientist." Correction (thanks Husker Gary): Raymond was the autistic savant in Rain Man, not his brother Charlie. Younger Charlie could not say Raymond and so he called his older brother Rain Man.
4. Lingerie brand: BALI.
5. Justice league?: Abbr.: ABA. American Bar Association. Clever.
6. Nightmare loc. of film: ELM ST.
7. Youngest Marx brother: ZEPPO.
8. Eye part: CORNEA.
9. Mets slugger Pete who won the 2019 Home Run Derby: ALONSO. Perps to the rescue for those like me who don't follow baseball.
10. Video-sharing site: VIMEO.
11. Dominate: OVERBEAR.
12. Brazilian vacay destination: RIO.
13. Prof's helpers: TAS. Clued last Wednesday as "Some grad students."
18. Kissy-kissy: AMOROUS. That was unexpected.
22. Doctor in training: INTERN.
24. Places for scrubs and wraps: SPAS.
25. "Mangia!": EAT. Italian. As Lidia Bastianich says, "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!" (Everyone to the table to eat!)
26. Poe's "The Murders in the __ Morgue": RUE.
28. Do the math: ADD.
32. "Amadeus" subject: MOZART.
33. Actress Gasteyer: ANA. Best known for her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2002.
34. Unscrambling device: DECODER.
35. Jewish Festival of Lights: HANUKKAH.
36. Checkout counter unit: ITEM.
37. Shark or Dyson, briefly: VAC.
38. Short cut: BOB. Ohhhhh .... hair.
39. __ Jima: IWO.
42. Worked on text: EDITED.
43. Repairs, as infield grass: RESODS.
45. Fire: LAY OFF. Ohhhhh .... that kind of fire.
46. Pianist de Larrocha: ALICIA. I didn't know her name before. Beautiful.
47. Signaled slyly: WINKED.
49. Gibbons of TV talk: LEEZA.
50. __ Sanders, only athlete to play in both the Super Bowl and World Series: DEION.
51. Sheikdom of song: ARABY. The Beatles.
54. "Roar" singer Perry: KATY. ‘Cause I am a championAnd you’re gonna hear me roar.
55. __ Mahal: TAJ.
56. Mate, across the Channel: AMI. French for friend.
58. 60 secs.: MIN.
Notes from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear Husker Gary, author behind this fantastic Crossword Corner map. Email him if you want to be included in the map. On and off the blog, Gary has always been a caring friend and trusted sounding board for me. He has helped me numerous times with his super creative clues.
FIR in too many min.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Cornerites.
Please take time to remember the horror of 9-11-01. I pray that terrorists are kept from performing tragedies in the future.
Thank you Ed Sessa for this crunchy Wednesday CW.
Thank you melissa bee for your excellent review.
Ðave
Melissa,
ReplyDelete14 A -- Where lowers lie: LEA.
The cattle are lowing as they lie (or should they be laying) in the LEA.
Thanks for finding the Lower Lea Valley.
I find all this to be very mooving.
Ðave
Anonymous T FLN at 7:59 PM,
ReplyDeleteThanks for OK GO.
I did not read any kudos from the dog lovers, so I post it again.
Ðave
Very happy birthday wish to Gary and a great year ahead for him and his family. Also, it must be a sobering fact to be reminded of 9-11 each year on your birthday. It is one sure way to never forget.
ReplyDeleteDr. Ed always provides interesting puzzles with a few curveballs. Though I enjoyed the movie and remember it, I needed all the perps to fill ODA MAE.
Two CSOs for me with CORNEA reminding me of my multiple cornea transplants and PETE ALONSO who is a Florida gator and as a rookie is leading both leagues in Homer Runs.
Thank you Melissa and Dr. Ed
This post reminds me, I need to work on my vision once again - "homer runs?" thanks auto-correct.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else notice a plethora of first names? Olivia, Alicia, Deion, Alonso, Zeppo, Leeza, Katy, I'm lookin' at you. At least I knew one of 'em. Still, it all came together quickly, so life is good. I must be dense. I need somebody to 'splain what kind of rock is a Hudson. Oh, never mind. Thanx, Dr. Ed and Melissa.
HBD, Husker. Today was also my late brother's bday. September was a big birthday month in our family, which shows how the old folks celebrated the holidays.
Dave, Thanks for the dog repost. Love it. Us old folk often need these reminders.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI was completely in the dark about the theme, until I filled in the reveal. I never heard of "I Am Rock" but my knowledge of pop music and performers is woefully lacking. Hudson River was a gimme as I live about a mile from its shores, as the crow flies. I only am familiar with the phrase Stone Cold Sober, but maybe that's regional. Needed perps for Alonso, Ana, and Alicia but Deion and his enormous ego are forever etched in my brain; he was from the Ft. Myers area of Florida where were snowbirds for 17 years. Nice CSO to Spitz and DO at Sea Men.
Thanks, Dr. Ed, for a mid-week treat and thanks, Melissa, for an informative and entertaining summary.
Happy Birthday, Gary, hope it's as special as you are! 🎂🎁🎉🎈🍾 (Any new developments on the assisted living search?)
CED, how is your MIL coming along?
FLN
Anonymous T, I saw the OK Go clip too late to comment last night, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and watched it again this morning, as it was still in my browser. (Dave 4 was kind enough to post it again for those who missed it.) What a fun and impressive showcase for the talented canines. As noted above, my pop music exposure is practically nil, so OK Go was unheard of until your post.
Have a great day.
FIR, but it was no walk in the park for me, so many names! ODA M(A)E crossing (A)NA was a natick solved by a lucky wag.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for the inclusion of (ROCK) HUDSON because it was an anomaly. It was too different from the other themers.
Marilyn vos SAVANT has a very appropriate name. LIU. It is her real name. Other aptronyms (personal name aptly or peculiarly suited to its owner) are Usain Bolt, William Wordsworth , Sally Ride, and Anthony Weiner.
D4E4H, yes I agree the cattle are lowing, so they are lowers who lie on the lea, my favorite clue.
I wish you a very happy birthday, Gary. I hope you have a great day. I always look forward to your Saturday masterpieces.
Interesting that HUDSON and NY,NY was in today's puzzle. I filled them in this morning as images of the tragic events played on my TV screen.
ReplyDeleteThe Sheik of Araby was written in 1921, after a Rudolph Valentino movie, and has been covered by many singers and bands.
ReplyDeleteFIR, but erased enter for KEY IN and, because I can't spel, retnea for CORNEA. But I carefully spelt SEAMAN correctly, and just when I think I know how to spel Channakka they change it.
ReplyDeleteI remembered ___MAE, but had to wait for perps for ODA. All perps for UMAMI.
CSO to Rich Norris at EDITED.
Norfolk Southern announced yesterday that the hundreds of people they are firing aren't LAYOFFs, they are furloughs.
Neon DEION was a good cornerback, but if he didn't knock down or intercept the ball he was in trouble. Couldn't tackle worth a hoot.
Jimmy Buffett sang:
Oh, I could be anyone I wanted to be
Maybe suave Errol Flynn or the Sheik of Araby
If I only had a Pencil Thin Mustache
Then I could do some cruisin' too.
HBDTY, Husker Gary. FLN, thanks to -T for the OK Go link.
Thanks , Ed, for the fun, Thursday-tough puzzle. I liked seeing BIAS and BAEZ, KEISTER and ASS. Little CSO to someone's fetish, Ed? But didn't like seeing JIHADS in the 9/11 puzzle. And thanks to melissa b for the fun expedition.
YR, LOL @ Anthony Weiner. Will Power is a famous race car driver. My drama teacher was Harlan Hamm.
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteSad remembrances today.
Hope that Husker has a great Birthday celebration out on the prairies today. He is indeed a KEY cog on the Blog. Thanks for all your inputs.
Solved the Sessa stumper with only minor irritations. KEISTER is correct but wanted to spell it as kiester. Keester is an accepted variant spelling. Funny that 1a, the braying beast word, is in the same puzzle. Agree with the 'Rock' HUDSON variation, but its relation to the theme is clear enough. After parsing the SE correctly I FIR.
LEA - Except that I've never seen a lying lower low. They stand when lowing.
IM - Thanks for the SO. You and I have another CSO with the HUDSON RIVER. You live wiitin a mile of the River on the flanks of the Valley. Our lowers grazed in a LEA abutting the HUDSON after the evening milking.
Once, during the Winter, 10 of our heifers walked across the iced-up Hudson to the next county. (Luckily they recognized my Dad's voice when he recalled them.)
Musings
ReplyDelete-Thanks for the well wishes as I complete 73 trips around the Sun
-I had to really work on some of Ed’s devilish cluing and, like Melissa mentioned, I was AMAZED by the doubly creative reveal!
-I had five LAVA LAMPS running when I taught how convection currents cause volcanism
-Political name changes for Hoover Dam
-The device and the operator are both SPINNERS
-KEISTER has an E/I pairing where the first vowel is pronounced unlike niece, et al
-I’m sure Rich’s choosing a puzzle with JIHAD/NYNY today was inadvertent
-Autistic SAVANT has replaced idiot SAVANT in the language
-What George/Ira Gershwin song rhymed Glamorous and AMOROUS?
-I’ll bet this DECODER made me ask for Raisin Bran
Hi Y'all! Rock on, Ed & Melissa. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteROCK HUDSON? Okay, yeah! But I bought bags of RIVER ROCK for landscaping purposes, so I thought that was the theme entry.
NE corner was the last to fill. DNK: ALONSO, VIMEO, OLIVEA and was between a ROCK and a hard place trying to come up with CORNEA & OVERBEAR -- not the usual usage for dominate, always want an "ING" at the end of OVERBEAR.
Then I wasn't sure how to spell LEEZA (after I gave up trying to put in Ewell Gibbons), or HANUKKAH or DEION or UMAMI (doesn't start & end with an "E").
I NODDED before I WINKED.
Happy Birthday, Gary! You definitely rock, man!
Hola!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Gary, and many, many more! Yes, you are a ROCK!
It's also my granddaughter's 23rd birthday, she who recently made me a great grandmother.
Many thanks, Ed Sessa. Today you forced me to awaken some long dormant brain cells. I knew some of the names, BAEZ, ODAMAE and KATY but took too long with OLIVIA, ALICIA and DEION.
However, as often happens with the long theme fill, it was fairly easy to link from there and flow outwardly.
I love seeing MOZART and some of his musical strands come to mind as I type.
D4:
Thank you for posting the link to OKGO. Those dogs are a happy lot and I enjoyed seeing them CAVORT.
Have a splendid day, everyone!
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Ed and melissa bee.
ReplyDeleteI found this CW to be a little crunchy, and actually arrived here to discover that I FIWed by choosing an I instead of an A at my Natick crossing of ODAMAE and ANA.
Other unknowns (yes I thought there were a lot of names today too) were OLIVIA, DEION (I figured WC knew him!); perps filled them in.
But I saw the ROCK theme and smiled at the outlier, ROCK HUDSON (indicated as an outlier by the too! in 57A theme clue).
I don't consider Fire and LAY OFF to be exactly equivalent, but maybe American definitions are different. Fire is much more final IMHO.
We had On Key yesterday, and KEY IN today.
I learned UMAMI doing CWs.
Hand up for debating over the spelling of HANUKKAH - two Ns or two Ks?
I'm with IM in saying STONE Cold SOBER. (Ironically, I do not spell it Sobre!)
CAVORT is another one of those words that just makes me smile.
I see on Husker G's map that I am still alone in the frozen White North. Are there no other Canadians reading the blog that will post and join me?
Happy Birthday Husker Gary.
Sombre remembrances on this day.
C-Eh!, to me, "fire" connotes termination for cause, while LAYOFF connotes termination for reasons that are not the employee's fault. Probably no difference in labor law, but maybe we should ask Hahtoolah when she returns.
ReplyDeleteHappy 73rd Birthday, Gary.
ReplyDeleteI suppose your Boulder Dam link is more historical and educational than political. Thanks. Take good care
Abejo, some of us always check FLN before reading the new days posts. I used to think I was talking to the ether and it was none other than the late, esteemed Argyle that straightened me out. God bless Santa.
ReplyDeleteAlso FLN….. Boomer, it was that big HR Sano hit against Bosox that got my attention. It wasn't the nail in the Redsox coffin, that was delivered by Messrs Paxton, Judge etal Sunday night
Wow, FLN was a treasure trove. Re. Bob Kraft… He got the WC predicted standing O at the biannual Pat's "WC" extravaganza Sunday night. 68k at Foxboro, 40k at Fenway... Anyone home?
Finally, -T, yes, we've stopped counting although wasn't it here that someone said they saved $170/mo not smoking?
On to Ed Sessa's most excellent Wednesday xword
WC
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUSKER!!! My "First" Sunset Toast is to YOU.
ReplyDeleteMelissa: Wonderful, informative write-up. Good Job !!!
Dr. Ed: Thank you for a FUN Wednesday puzzle. I liked the theme.
Cheers!
I agree that "fire" is termination for cause and layoff is not. Usually those fired for cause cannot collect unemployment or severance packages. Also being fired, as opposed to being laid off, makes it more difficult to find another job.
ReplyDeleteI used to think layoffs were temporary, but these days many are not. From inc.com, "The laid-off worker has no guarantee of being called back to work; similarly, the employer may not be able to hire back labor if contracts don't renew or the business does not pick up. In the last decade or so the layoff itself has become a euphemism for force reduction."
Both my sister and my son were laid off and were never called back, nor was their position filled by someone else.
Canadian Eh, you are not alone! We read the blog faithfully from western Canada. We are adapting to the Washington Post format, appreciating the cleaner look and that circles are included. We enjoyed OKGO video, a dog act that isn't the same old same old. Thanks for posting the link. We had a smooth and steady solve today, no hangups with the proper names. Thankful for perps!
ReplyDeleteWilbur, yes that was Boomer who made the $170 remark in yesterday's blog post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with CanadianEh! and Jinx about LAY OFF and 'fire'. I didn't comment on it earlier because I thought maybe the EDITor had some wiggle room, but it did grate a bit.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing several WSJ puzzles each week, lately, but I think the LAT product is better edited.
BTW: I really liked the ABA clue as Melissa said.
ALLURE: The Hunter - Poem by Ogden Nash
The hunter crouches in his blind
'Neath camouflage of every kind
And conjures up a quacking noise
To lend ALLURE to his decoys
This grown-up man, with pluck and luck
is hoping to outwit a duck
Anon-T, how goes the battle on day three? I'm rootin' for ya -- hope it's still a no-hitter.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Husker G, for that beautiful Corner Map! We sure are spread across the nation. It is a great reminder of where we're all coming from...
ReplyDeleteMr. Sessa's pzl caught me unprepared.
When crossing unknown perps, especially involving proper names, it's easy to miss a letter or two. I never heard of "Actress Gasteyer," so had no way to correct an assumption that Whoopi might have played someone called ODAMIE.
Wa-a. No Ta~ DA! for Keith today.
~ OMK
____________
DR: One more mirror side diagonal.
Today we have a footware anagram.
He had invented the perfect athletic shoe. It cost under $50 to make and it had everything, from stylish lines to a comfortable fit to healthful support for the vulnerable parts of the foot--the arch, the ball, and the ankle. Best of all, it was guaranteed to last 10,000 miles!
It had only one problem. All the parts of the shoe were so precisely calibrated for endurance that they would all give out at once, the moment the wearer reached the 10K mark.
Thus was born the…
“TIMED SNEAKER”!
Yes, WC and Abejo, I usually check FLN before going to the present-day CW & blog.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jinx, YR & Spitzboov, I agree about Fire and LAYOFF. And yes, YR, I usually think of LAYOFF as possibly less permanent than Fire. But perhaps, it is just a euphemism nowadays.
LfromAlberta - glad to hear from a fellow-Canadian, even if you are on the other side of the country. Keep posting eh!
Fun puzzle. Thanx to Dr S and Melissa.
ReplyDelete- Count me in with the “Oooh... so many names!” group, and hand up for not liking the FIRE / LAY OFF clue.
- It did feel more like a Thursday puzzle than a Wednesday one. Maybe that was because of all the names.
- HBD, Husker! I always look forward to your Saturday masterpieces.
- I’ve still never heard a definition of UMAMI that made sense to me.
- ASS & KEISTER, BAEZ & BIAS; add me to the list of likers.
- OMK: TIMED SNEAKERS—good one.
Is it nap time yet?
Have a great day all!
ReplyDeleteSo I’m doing this Wednesday puzzle thinking it a bit crunchy for the day. When I finished I checked for the author.
And now I understand, another Ed Sessa adventure.
Patience was rewarded,
No markovers today. No one is more surprised than me..
I still have my red Lava Lamp, it still works fine.
And on to Thursday.
I wanted stone for the theme. How does that relate to the HUDSON RIVER?
ReplyDeleteJinx -- I too remembered MAE, but not ODA.
Unknown (or dimly remembered) names don't bother me as long as there are decent perps.
To my mind, many here are very particular about quite minor inconsistencies that I don't notice, and yet no one seems to mind the very inconsistent ROCK HUDSON. How about using Pebble Beach/ California golf links? I got Hudson River easily, but it grates like rocks in a rock slide. I feel outstanding. Outstandingly alone, odd woman out.
ReplyDeleteHi, Melissa B - thanks much for your recap - loved the cavorting goat link - made me smile!
ReplyDeleteAlso, the pop group link with the cute trained pups, Anon-T and D4.
Happy Birthday, Gary, hope you had a special day, despite it being now a sad US anniversary, but 55 years after your birth so maybe your family/friends associate the date with your BD first. Desper-Otto, your droll sense of humor is in fine form as usual.
Perps helped with the many of the unknowns, except for the obvious ones, Baez, Mozart, Leeza, and Katy. "I Am a Rock" was my very favorite back in the day. Loved the clue's tie-in to Hudson River.
Coincidence: In today's Chronicle "Looking Back" [on this date] on the cw page is: "1936: Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) began operation as [FDR] pressed a key in Washington to signal the startup of the dam's first hydroelectric generator."
I don't post here that often, but after reading many similar comments over time about proper names, I want to voice an alternative view.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing clues for proper names -- not because I always know them, because I surely don't. But when I do know them, or can recall them with a few letters filled in, I love the reassurance of certainty. So many clues carry a certain ambiguity because of multiple possibilities, but with a person's name, it's definite.
So there's my perspective, for what it's worth.
What's in a name? A name by any other name is still a name. The name that can be named is not the eternal name (名可名，非恆名). To name or not to name... Etc. (I'm being silly.)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Gary!
Agree about the Natickness of the ODAMAE (who?) and ANA crossing. Also agree with WikWak about UMAMI. One of these days I'm going to have to do a rigorous taste test.
I had RETINA before CORNEA.
I remember experiencing the trauma of being "laid off." I and 80 other employees back in 2001 (!) as the dot-com company we worked for imploded. The CEO and all the middle and upper-level managers just happened to be absent that day and their office doors locked, so there was nobody other than one lone HR guy to explain to us what the heck was going on and to give us our termination packages.
I like Lidia Bastianich.
HOOVER is a big name at Stanford University. LW and I lived right next door to his valet, a fellow by the name of Costa Boris. He was very old and had almost lost the power of speech but his wife Essie was delightfully chatterboxy.
Good wishes to you all.
The post from Wilbur Charles yesterday roused me to post today.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the theme today, but was totally clueless about ROCK HUDSON until explained here. Very amusing. Hand up too many proper names today. ANA/ODA MAE a Natick crossing for me. Correct WAG to FIR.
Here are my photos of Joan BAEZ performing here three years ago.
The boat disaster has become ever more personal for me.
Here is a short article I wrote including a short clip of me being interviewed on the Los Angeles NBC TV station.
Regarding the inquiry yesterday by Wilbur Charles about electrical terms: The easiest way to think of it is with a water analogy.
Think of a garden hose. The water pressure is similar to VOLTage. The flow in gallons per minute is like the current in AMPs. And the smaller the diameter of the hose, the more resistance it offers in OHMs. Does that help?
I should add: The power in an electrical circuit in WATTs is calculated by multiplying AMPs times VOLTs. So, an old fashioned light bulb might run on 120 VOLTS, using a current of half an AMP. To consume a power of 120 x 1/2 = 60 WATTs.
The reveal says I AM A ROCK.
ReplyDeleteLAVA is a rock
STONE is a rock
HUDSON is a rock
BOULDER is a rock
I don't think they all have to be the same kind of rock to be a rock. Just my 2¢.
Drat! I again failed to thank Melissa for her sparkling expo. Though I may not always acknowledge them I truly appreciate our daily bloggers especially when I see the posting time. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind ROCKHUDSON along with the other kinds of ROCK because it amusingly reminds me of the rich variety of the English language. BTW, I believe the long ago origin of the name is actually Roche or Rocco (1295-1376) and there is a saint by that name.
Picard, how tragic and personal. So sorry you lost a friend.
ReplyDeleteI am missing something. Someone please help explain. Rock Hudson for dummies. I would love the V-8 can moment.
Yellowrocks
ReplyDeleteROCK HUDSON was an actor. So, HUDSON was not a kind of ROCK as the others were.
And I do not mean to overstate the situation with the boat disaster. Allie was not a personal friend. It was just that we got to know her on our three day excursion as a real person. Hence the feeling of personal loss to know that she is gone now.
I am grateful to have met her mother at the memorial. She wants us to take her out for a hike if she has the time when she returns to California this weekend. It would be an honor.
Picard, that is the reason for my nit. They should ALL be kinds of rocks. ???? Why throw in an actor in place of a rock. It does not fit. Woodstock/ concert site, would be just as inconsistent.
ReplyDeleteRock concert? I am not being argumentative. I truly want to understand. I don't mind being wrong,if you can convince me. I need to learn.
I think Spitzboov explains it well and acceptably at 525p
ReplyDeleteYR - I saw the theme clue this way.
ReplyDelete"Simon & Garfunkel hit, and hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 48- ... and 35-Across, too!: I AM A ROCK."
Ed realized that the start of 35A was not consistent, as ROCK HUDSON is a person, and thus the clue includes ". . . . and 35-Across, too!" almost as a joke. Or as melissa said " a little bit of a twist". I smiled, but maybe it is just my Canadian sense of humour. (We spell differently too!)
A nursing home facility that my SIL worked for built a big lovely new facility for patients. Later they "layed off" all the more experienced nurses because they made too much money and hired novice nurses. They were having trouble servicing the debt incurred to build the facility. We thought that was not conducive to patient's good health & longevity.
ReplyDeleteWell, if Mr. Hudson is one of the people with Rock as a first name, then he is entitled to say, "I am a Rock", yes?
ReplyDeleteFLN,
ReplyDeleteJinx, very impressive!
Makes me want to start a new thread where
I link, & you guys Bon Mot!
(hmm, Bon Mot, I hope that's not French...)
I.M. MIL is doing better with the pin in her neck after surgery,
& is getting stronger every day.
This is the 1st week i have not been driving to Brooklyn every day
as DW ran out of time off from work, & her sisters have filled in
with the daily Daley visits. (Daley is her Nee...)
HG, Happy Birthday! May your Wife take your mind off Football...
a link for the puzzle theme...
& a link in desperate need of a Bon Mot lead in...
sandy anon, yes !! Exactly!! He is a “rock” because his name is Rock. Just the sort of foolery we look for in CWs.
ReplyDeleteI love this one. Thanks Dr Ed . Lots of good misdirection. Justice League had to be superheroes, right? No just a ordinary lawyers! Love it!
IM , I’m also more familiar with STONE cold SOBER, but it filled in ok.
HB. Gary! Many more! 🎂🍰🧁🍨🎉
More OKGO:
ReplyDeleteFree floating
The way the clue was written, it was clear HUDSON was a bit different than the other rocks. So I think it is a fine theme. Ed’s puzzles are always fun!
ReplyDeleteC.Eh! - good point about "…… and 35-Across, too!" I missed that nuance.
ReplyDeleteJeopardy had a question tonight about Bytown being an early name for Ottawa. I was familiar with the Bytown section of present day Ottawa. I remember the farmer's market there with an offering of the hugest leeks I've ever seen.
CED, how about "order your KEISTERmaster now and get glutes of stone, like these!"
ReplyDeleteReally, JIHADS in the 9/11 puzzle? Hope we don't get KAMIKAZE next 12/7. Please be more aware of what you're publishing.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteD'Oh! I'm dumb as a ROCK today. Jinx, I never figured out retNEA was not how you spell it. YouTube didn't fit and VIMO has an 'E' in it(?) - Oy! The NE is sans ink at 8a, 16a, and 19a crossing eLaNSO, and nothing for 10 nor 11d. BigFat DNF.
WEES re: names!
Thanks for the puzzle Ed and thanks for salving the wound with a marvelous expo mb.
WOs: noddED b/f I WINKED and I had To NY* b/f NYNY
ESPs: DEION (wait, there's an 'E' in that too?), ALICIA, BALI, LEEZA, ARABY
Fav: when the penny finally fell on KEISTER I LOL'd
Other observations - WEES re: Fire and LAYOFF. I thought it interesting that HANUKKAH is a) spelt like that and b) crossed JIHADS. Also noted the NY, NY following...
[Rocky] Balboa @6:48p - I got it ;-) I was OK with HUDSON being a ROCK, even if it is one particular Rock. Er, SandyAnon - yours is even a better way to put it.
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That's long way to go OMK :-)
Enjoyed being reminded of The Hunter Splitz. Thanks.
C,Eh! Wasn't it NorthernBoy who was also from The Great White North? Hope he's still out there.
D-O: So far so good. The trick is staying late at work. For years, I haven't smoked while at work. The longer I stay the less the urge (until I get to the car!) I'm actually still at the office as I type.
Glad to read everyone enjoyed the OK GO video. Their music is OK but their videos are AMAZing in both their creativity and the fact they are shot in one TAKE. Here's a 5 MIN video (that will blow your mind near the end) with a write-up.
Happy Birthday HG! I enjoy your daily musings and love your Saturday expos (and not just 'cuz you bail me out).
Cheers, -T
*Q: Why are so many Italians named Tony?
A: 'Cuz when leaving Italy their papers said "To: NY"
Sandy I also agree with you on names . Yes they are a nuisance when you don’t know them. But if you are sure of a name it is a rock to build on!!!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI thought the best clue of the day was 57A, "... and 35 Across too" which made me laugh out loud. Seemed pretty apparent to me, but I guess if you didn't get it, you wouldn't see the twist.
According to Art,
ReplyDelete"His most neurotic song..."
a very old clip...
Ed Sessa, your psychiatrist asks ,
why did you pick this theme?
Spitzboov- great memories of Byward Market.
ReplyDeleteAnonT- yes, I couldn't remember the name of Northern Boy. He was from the Ottawa area.
Doris Day- I'm glad that someone else saw the twisted Rock humour.
JEOPARDY SPOILER ALERT : Spitzboov reminded me that the final question tonight was apropos for me today. I just finished reading Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. It is fiction but based on the life of Frank Baum. Good read.
CED: I thought your "rock bottom" link was very cheeky.
ReplyDelete+1 PK. LOL!
ReplyDeleteHBD Gary and thx for straightening me out vis a vis Hoover-Boulder.
ReplyDeleteI spent so much time reading the write-up that I ran out of juice on my phone. So..
I compliment Ed Sessa on an amusing and clever xword. HUDSON threw me for awhile but I laughed when the V8 can hit. Great clue/answer.
WC
Picard, thanks for dropping in with that great article