Theme: FALSE START (58. Gridiron infraction, and a hint to 17-, 25-, 37- and 49-Across)- The first words are all pitfalls.
17. Exclusive place for tennis: RACKET CLUB.
25. Unpredictable leg joint: TRICK KNEE.
37. Skeet enthusiast: TRAP SHOOTER.
49. Big Apple power company: CON EDISON.
Boomer here again.
Lots
of sad news about Kobe and his daughter. I always have one eye on the
Lakers because they originated in Minneapolis. Also at my Benilde High
School, our basketball team was graced in the mid 1960s by Larry and
Terry Mikan, George's sons. I'll never forget a day when George came to
our school for a talk with our chemistry teacher, who happened to be
about 5 foot 8". Wish I had a cellphone camera that day.
I
also have concerns regarding the nasty coronavirus. They say the
United States is low risk, but C.C. has friends and relatives in China.
Across:
1. Like much desert terrain: FLAT. I wish golf courses were - especially the greens.
5. Constructed: BUILT. I constructed many goofy things with my erector set when I was a kid.
10. Modeling material: CLAY. I am old enough to remember when this was Muhammad Ali.
14. Latina toon explorer: DORA. The Explorer.
15. Bay of Bengal nation: INDIA.
Interesting that when Columbus hit ground in the U.S. he thought he was
in India, so native Americans were called Indians, even in Cleveland.
16. Ceviche flavoring: LIME. This is a seafood dish. I used to use lime in a non-food serving.
19. Slavic John: IVAN.
20. Come next: ENSUE. I think you need an enlawyer to ensue.
21. Tizzy: SNIT.
22. Keyboard slips: TYPOS.
Yup, I am a master at these. Used to be a problem on my Royal, I used
to use that paper that you could slip behind the ribbon and "white out"
the mistake. Now I just backspace and fix.
29. Cleaver nickname: BEAV.
I remember but how come they never called Wally "Wall". There's a
golfer from Minnesota named Tim Herron who is called "Lumpy".
30. Rapper __ Rida: FLO. Does he rap hurricanes?
31. Balls in coin-op machines, say: GUM. Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm Over the Rainbow in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (Not Michigan) in June, 1922.
32. Throat condition: STREP.
34. Ed who plays Santa in "Elf": ASNER. I prefer his roll as Lou Grant at WJM TV in Minneapolis.
36. Con's opposite: PRO. I have bowled with some famous PRO bowlers in Pro-Am tournaments. I am an AM.
 |
| Boomer & Walter Ray Williams, 2013 |
40. Salary: PAY.
42. Game console button: RESET. Start over.
43. Mary, Queen of __: SCOTS. We were not married. I was king of SCOTCH (Chivas Regal).
46. Air quality watchdog: Abbr.: EPA. Is air quality better when it's 10 below zero?
47. Poem of praise: ODE.
48. "The thing is ... ": LOOK. There used to be a "LOOK" magazine.
53. Big and strong: HEFTY.
54. Roman who wrote "The History of Rome": LIVY.
55. Puzzle-solving asset: LOGIC. I tried to use LOGIC on a Rubik's Cube. It doesn't work.
57. Unconscious state: COMA.
63. Quaint oath: EGAD. EGAD! I tried to think who used this on TV. I thought maybe LaVerne and Shirley??
64. Otherworldly: ALIEN.
65. Rooms to Go rival: IKEA. There's a store near our Mall of America. C.C. and I only went there once.
66. Singer Lovett: LYLE. New York Yankee Sparky Lyle helped Yankees beat the Dodgers in 1977 World Series.
67. One with piece offerings?: REESE. Pee Wee probably announced it.
68. Sleep in a tent: CAMP. Not me, There's no place like home.
Down:
1. Yalta Conf. attendee: FDR. The only 4 term president we'll ever have. That must have been some depression.
2. Mauna __ Observatory: LOA.
3. Rainbow shape: ARC. "Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what's on the other side ??" Kermit
4. Corporate acquisition: TAKEOVER. I wish the Twins could take over the New York Yankees.
5. Drill parts: BITS.
6. Like some directors' editions: UNCUT. I don't like UNCUT chicken. I prefer pieces.
7. Car waiting at the airport, maybe: IDLER. Uber and Lyft.
8. Lucy who voices Master Viper in the "Kung Fu Panda" films: LIU.
9. It might be opened in a bar: TAB. My sister and others used to swoon over Mr. Hunter.
10. Sound of toasts: CLINK. Not sure if this is the Colonel in "Hogan's Heroes." I think he spelled it with a "K". But either way it was appropriate.
11. Walking, talking example: LIVING PROOF. I think Chivas was about 80.
12. Hobbyist: AMATEUR. Did I mention that I was an AMATEUR bowler ?
13. Urge: YEN. Japanese money. One yen is worth about a penny.
18. USCG rank: ENS. Parker in McHale's Navy. (Tim Conway)
21. Hybrid apparel: SKORTS. I remember these. Are they still around?
22. "Miracle Workers" (2019) network: TBS. Atlanta, lots of Braves games on this channel.
23. "Is it soup __?": YET.
24. Fun-loving type: PARTY ANIMAL. Who can forget "BLUTO" John Belushi in "Animal House".
26. On the other hand: IF NOT.
27. Geppetto's goldfish: CLEO. I do not remember a fish. I only remember Pinocchio who is now featured in GEICO commercials. I do not like their ads.
28. Angsty rock genre: EMO. I think EMU is in the Liberty Mutual commercials. I do not like their ads either.
33. Send-up: PARODY.
34. Burros: ASSES. I may have chosen a different clue.
35. "That's all __ wrote": SHE. Not yet, we have ten more answers.
38. Spa treatment, for short: PEDI. I thought PEDI was for the feet. I did not know you need a spa for them.
39. Drawn from various sources: ECLECTIC. I spent years toiling for Graybar Electric which was not so eclectic, but it was okay.
40. Upper-bod muscle: PEC.
41. Words of regret: APOLOGY. "I'M SORRY" - sung by Brenda Lee.
44. Tyke on a trike: TOT.
45. Where thunderheads form: SKY. I'm so old I remember watching "Sky King" in his Cessna on out 19 inch black and white RCA TV,
50. Get away from: EVADE.
51. Skateboard stunt: OLLIE. OLLIE Hardy was never on a skateboard. Neither was Stan Laurel.
52. Circus clown's collection: NOSES. A nose by any other name still smells the same.
53. "__ Dark Materials": HBO fantasy series: HIS.
56. Code carrier: GENE.
57. Animation frame: CEL.
58. Distant: FAR. Around, Her neck, she wore a yellow ribbon. She wore it for her lover who is far, far away.
59. SweetWater Georgia Brown, e.g.: ALE. Only Ginger for me.
60. Alias letters: AKA. Also known as.
61. Sleep cycle: REM.
62. Put to use: TAP. A Keg
Boomer
FIR with no erasure. Got my laptop back yesterday, but the replacement battery is still on order so it will have to go back in briefly.
ReplyDeleteJulia Roberts is LIVING PROOF that LYLE Lovett is the luckiest man alive. Also PROOF that love is blind.
I finally remembered OLLIE, but only because of repeated appearances in the LAT crossword puzzles. Rich must like it clued this way.
OK Boomer, I too remember Sky King. Had a crush on Penny. The next show was Fury, the story of a horse and a boy who loved him.
Thanks to John and Boomer for all the fun.
Tons of crosswordese helped me sail through.
ReplyDeleteHola!
ReplyDeleteOnly one comment ahead of me! Insomnia forced me up and luckily the newspaper was in the carport. Last Wednesday I was frustrated that it was not there.
Thank you, John Guzzetta, for an easy midweek puzzle.
I'm well aware that much of desert terrain is FLAT, however, now and then a mesa or a butte will break the flatness.
IKEA is becoming a crossword staple.
It's always a tossup for me between Mauna Kea and Mauna LOA; I hope I can remember which one has the observatory. That is a good clue today.
I'm with you, Boomer, on disliking to CAMP. As I told my late DH, my idea of CAMPing is day old sheets in a hotel.
Last night the SKY was utterly clear and the crescent moon and venus were on brilliant display. Thanks again, Bill G, for the alert.
Thank you, Boomer, for another lively commentary. Luckily I wasn't drinking coffee or it would have inelegantly gushed out.
Have a terrific day, everyone!
Lucina, I love your statement, "My idea of CAMPing is day old sheets in a hotel." After a lifetime of camping with my parents and then my first husband, I married a man who said, "If God wanted me to go camping, why did He build all these fine hotels?" I am happy to do it his way, and will remember your motto as well!
DeleteOops. Hungry Mother jumped in before I finished.
ReplyDeleteFinished in under 5 minutes, which is very rare for a Wednesday. Unfamiliar with ConEdison.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteGot 'er done in good time, and even found the theme when I went looking for it. I may become a crossworder yet. Thanx, John (Americanized IVAN) and Boomer. (I don't think I've ever heard of George Mikan before. Shame on me.)
TYPOS: I bought a wireless keyboard/mouse combo for the upcoming tax season. I can't touch-type on the little notebooks they provide us. The new keyboard is a Jelly Comb and has really nice "feel." Inexpensive, too. I can still make TYPOS, though.
YEN: IIRC it was 360 YEN to the dollar when I was there.
CON EDISON: I remember the big blackout of '65 that took out the power in most of the northeast. I think it was caused by a squirrel, or was that the later one in the '70s?
TAB: I've linked TAB Hunter singing (if it can be called that) Young Love from back in '57. It's actually painful to listen to, so I won't link it again. If you're masochistic, you can find it on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteThank you, John. Thank you, Boomer.
Baseball yesterday and football today. Hockey tomorrow ?
We have Commonwealth Edison here. Abbreviates to ComEd, which is how it it commonly known.
I don't remember Sky King, but do remember Leave It To Beaver.
D-O, I remember listening to Tab Hunter the last time you linked that video. No thanks.
Coffee still hot .
ReplyDeleteGotta run . Thanks for a quick and easy one today . Cheers
ReplyDeleteC.C. has a puzzle, "This Is So Meta" over at USA Today.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteFIR with no erasures or look-ups. Got the theme (sort of) but Boomer made it nice and clear.
Paused at 1a; much desert: FLAT. Perps were firm. At least the clue didn't say 'most'. Thinking of Lawrence of Arabia - the Echo scene. I agree with Lucina.
No Erie today. Having withdrawal symptoms.
Have a great day.
Thanks to John and Boomer. HIS was all perps.
ReplyDeleteWe tent camped for about 35-40 summers. I loved it and would still be doing it if my knees and back allowed me to hammer in the stakes. I am afraid to drive an RV and like to be closer to nature.
I am the TYPO queen.
I don't think of deserts as flat. I have seen the Negev and read about the others.
The NEGEV is a rocky desert. It is a melange of brown, rocky, dusty mountains interrupted by wadis (dry riverbeds that bloom briefly after rain) and deep craters.
Several deeply dissected mountains, many volcanic, rise from the desert, including the Aïr Mountains, Ahaggar Mountains, Saharan Atlas, Tibesti Mountains, Adrar des Iforas, and the Red Sea Hills. The highest peak in the SAHARA is Emi Koussi, a shield volcano in the Tibesti range of northern Chad.
The MOJAVE Desert is defined by numerous mountain ranges creating its xeric conditions.
Sections of sandy deserts have very high dunes.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, John and Boomer.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in good time with no inkblots. I got the FALSE theme, but those long entries at 4D, 11D, 24D, 39D were crying to be a part of the theme too.
Unknowns (as clued) like FLO, LIU, ALE, HIS, TBS filled with perps.
I've never heard of Go but IKEA has become a CW staple lately. (Spitz, maybe it has replaced Erie!)
This Canadian has heard of CON EDISON. "Toronto Hydro and Con Edison are members of NAMAG. NAMAG is a consortium of 26 utilities from across the North Atlantic that have signed an agreement to share resources during an emergency, such as the 2013 ice storm, tropical storms, hurricanes, and other disasters."
I wanted my desert to be the usual CW fill of Arid or Sere. Lots of places could be flat.
Ancestor in DH's family tree was called Iwan (a variant of IVAN).
AnonT will be making TYPOS with his bandaged finger. (Hope it heals up soon.)
Yes I thought of Uber and Lyft instead of the nose-wrinkling IDLER.
Did anyone else think of RNA or DNA before GENE filled the spot?
Waited for perps to decide whether to have a Mani or PEDI at the spa.
I noticed SHE and HIS.
The size of the print prevented me from noticing the ellipsis (learned that word the other day!) in 48A clue. I thought it was a dash like 43A, and could not figure out "The thing is LOOK" (is it a new meaning like Woke?). Oh, LOOK=the thing is.
Favourite was "One with piece offerings?=REESE", especially after our past discussion about REESE vs Reese's. Re Boomer's comment for 6D "I don't like UNCUT chicken. I prefer pieces.', where can I buy REESE's chicken pieces? LOL
Enjoy the day.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Director David Lean’s agonizing FLAT desert scene (2:41) is said to be one of the best entrances in film history
-TYPOS – I can’t slow down my thinking to control my typing pace
-Boomer, I’ll bet that PRO got more PAY for his shirt ad than AMATUER you did for yours
-It never works: “LOOK, I’m not going to buy that, quit calling!”
-EGAD - In The Music Man, Zaneeta Shin said, “Ye Gods”
-FDR died two months after Yalta and never completed that fourth term
-If all the insurance ads say they’ll save you money, what company has a RACKET, TRICK, TRAP or CON to make you overpay?
Husker, you are very civil to those unwanted cyber callers. I wait until a real person comes on the line, and then I let loose with my full repertoire of cuss words.
ReplyDeleteSpeedy puzzle today - even though I'm not at work, with beautiful snow coming down as I sip tea! Thanks Boomer for another amusing blog. HG - I also thought of the girl in "Music Man" as well with the annoying voice - I think that was about her only line!
ReplyDeleteand Thanks John for the puzzle!
When i get a live caller trying to CON me into augmenting my medical benefits, they usually start by asking specifics of medical coverage. I tell them I'm not allowed to tell them that because of HIPAA rules. It blows their mind and they usually become speechless. I hang up.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteAfter filling in (Racket) Club and Trick (Knee), I thought a Card Game theme was coming, but the actual theme was more clever and had an Aha reveal with False Start. Bravo, John. The fill was so clean that I had no w/os and no unknowns. I did, however, notice the plethora of three letter words, but not too much crosswordese, so there's that. I know (and miss) Lucy Liu from "Elementary." Couldn't help noting a timely mini-theme for Super Bowl week: Party Animal, Tap, Ale, Lime, Clink, Pay, Tab! Also liked seeing She and His (Hi, CanadianEh.)
Thanks, John, for a fun solve and thanks, Boomer, for a second helping this week of your wit and wisdom. Thanks for pinch hitting!
FLN
Anon T, I hope your finger heals quickly. I also hope you learned the same lesson as Anon PVX did from his bicycle mishap and father's admonition, "Haste Makes Waste." I only use a mandoline when making French Onion Soup, but I always use the guard, clumsy though it may be. Maybe my long ago, meat grinder-menacing brother's dastardly deed serves as a reminder to beware of sharp objects. 🤨
Have a great day.
Natick area for me. Didn't know rapper Flo Rida or skorts and had is not for if not. DNF
ReplyDeleteGood morning, folks. Thank you, John Guzzetta, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteI was getting up all night to cycle my backup sump pump. So, since cruciverb was out to lunch again, I printed the L A Times puzzle. While my sump was being pumped out I worked the puzzle. I like to multi-task. Today I will fix the pump (replace it).
Puzzle went easier than most Wednesdays. Got through it in about a half hour (2:15-2:30 AM and 5:30-5:45 AM). Theme appeared easily after FALSE START.
Yes, guys, no ERIE today. Bummer.
OLLIE was a new word to me. Perps.
I do not have a TRICK KNEE, but two knees that are painful.
So, I have work to do. See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Delightful Wednesday puzzle, John--many thanks. I almost got the whole thing but had a little trouble in the middle south. Didn't know the skateboard stunt and still don't understand REESE,even though the word filled itself in--is it some sort of candy, Reese's pieces or something? But what fun to get those long words like LIVING PROOF, and PARTY ANIMAL and FALSE START, which did indeed make sense of the theme in the end. And, Boomer, your write-ups are always a pleasure, and you look cool on that picture.
ReplyDeleteMy root canal took an hour and a half yesterday, but, amazingly, not a bit of pain during or after and it all feels perfectly normal today. Unfortunately, I still have two more to go but I'll space them out in February and March.
Have a good day, everybody.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteMisty - I want your anesthesiologist; I kept waking in pain (rolling over on my hand) or from the recognizable chime on my iPhone indicating boss-man email'd me. (Dude!, LOOK*, I'll get to it later!)
Easy Wed Pzl John. I figuratively did it with one hand tied behind my back [literally incapacitated]. Thanks.
Fun Expo (Montreal?) Boomer. Thanks for BATTING 2x this week.
WOs: Just trying to make left-handed ink'd characters clear.
ESP: HIS
Fav: REM. Shiny Happy People [3:57]
Jinx - Take one LOOK at me and another at DW -- LYLE isn't the only lucky bastard.
IM - Aaggh - I remember your story...
My takeaway is the chainmail glove I bought. Like Abejo, I won't slow down :-)
//Good luck w/ the sump-pump.
I thought my left leg had a TRICK KNEE but it can never find the card you picked.
//I'll see myself out now...
Cheers, -T
*I took pics of the wound last night at the ER. None pass the 'breakfast test.' :-)
Sorry to hear that, AnonT. I didn't get any anesthesia for my root canal--only one Advil PM and one Tylanol.
ReplyDeleteMy root canals were pain free, too, Misty, but I'm pretty sure I had anesthesia. (This was quite a while ago.) Sorry you have more to come.
ReplyDeleteGood pzl today--fun solving.
~ OMK
____________
DR: A 3-way on the opp. side.
The main diag admits no anagram--not a single vowel!
Boomer: Outstanding write-up.
ReplyDeleteThe ONLY thing "opened" at the bar in Villa Incognito is
either a bottle of Scotch, Rum or Ouzo ... NO TABs allowed. LOL
Anon T ... I thought today's puzzle was on a Monday level.
Very easy ... couldn't write fast enough.
Cheers!
One of my favorite things to do on the Big Island is go to the observatories, which are on Mauna KEA.
ReplyDeleteIt's 14,000 feet high. You can drive up in your rental car and risk stripping the transmission, or take a tour (3 p.m. to midnight). Tours start at a Starbucks at sea level.
Reserve ahead. Don't miss it!
Not sure I ever heard CON EDISON, usually just CON ED, or the full CONsolidated EDISON. The ‘65 blackout was caused by an overloaded transmission line with insufficient reserve - when one line tripped its breaker, all its power was dumped onto the remaining lines, which also tripped.
ReplyDeleteBoomer & C.C.- you have to put the Coranavirus in perspective. Sure, it's a very infectious and sometimes fatal disease but out of a population of 30+ million in the Wuhan province, 5,000 cases with only 100 deaths is small compared to the US's normal flu statistics every year. The bigger questions are:
ReplyDeleteHow many of the fatalities are OLD people or those that were already suffering from another disease?
Is the secretive communist regime providing true statistics? I doubt it.
I seriously doubt their statistics since they are feverishly building new hospitals to handle the cases.
So now I know how to solve these puzzles. Use LOGIC!
ReplyDeleteHad Arid then Sere which I foolishly spelled Sear. Until FDR came along for FLAT.which frequently desert terrain is not.
Thinking of the wrong kind of model
...I had Glue before CLAY.
Like Jinx I remembered OLLIE from previous plus it's our nick name for my grandson Oliver.
Miss the excellent series "Elementary" and Lucy Liu's portrayal of "Joan Watson." Mentioned by Irish Miss.
Still undecided about "His Dark Materials" set in another fantasy world where humans exist along side their animal avatar "daemons" (sic). Watched the first season. Kind of hard to follow. May pick it up again when the next season starts.
My Polish wife's John cousin affectionately known at "Yash". Another Slavic language..where John is Jan (yan) not Ivan.
Appropriate name for a power company. Getting CONned with all the added fees and taxes.
Filling the puzzle was easy but I was way off track on the theme. With three long 'downs' in 4D, 11D, and 24D I couldn't see any connection.
ReplyDeleteTBS & ALE were unknowns. FLO-rida- I remember on "The Jeffersons" that pronounced her name-FLORIDA- that way.
"Rooms to Go" sells regular furniture. I've never been to or seen an IEKA but from what I've read, they sell furniture that YOU have to assemble when you get home. So does WalMart & Home Depot.
Yellowrocks- you are correct about deserts. They are just dry and windblown but many have mountains. Nevada has lots of mountains in deserts caused by the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate caused by wind blowing over the Sierras sucking up any moisture in the air once it drops it's moisture as snow.
TRICK KNEE- had one in HS due to a torn cartilage. It went out during a track meet about an hour before I was scheduled to compete in the high jump. I got it back in place about 10 minutes before my first jump after taping it. I still find it amazing that that was my only first place showing. I passed until all the other competitors had fouled on their three attempts, and cleared the bar on my first and only attempt.
ReplyDeleteThis Wednesday grid filled quickly.
Too quickly actually, got ahead of myself a bit.
Write-overs...just one...ORNOT/IFNOT....should have waited a bit.
And on to Thursday.
Haiku for today’s puzzle:
ReplyDeleteWhat companion gives
Me emotional support?
PARTY ANIMAL!
For you, Tinbeni
Triple crown with three regal posts...
ReplyDeleteWe thought Janice might be released from the hospital today. But so far we have no word from her doctor.
ReplyDeleteI just tried to check in by phone, but it went to voicemail. She must be sleeping, ...which is a Very Good Thing.
~ OMK
I should take notes. I ran out of cell phone power. But here goes:
ReplyDeleteI quickly inked ARID. But ARC fixed that. When I got the F I was thinking France as an attendee. Btw, I'm reading House of Morgan. An interesting take on world politics. Fits in with Asimov's Foundation.
Avoid/EVADE was another writeover. Pretty much a TinBeni type of solve- fill,fill,fill .
I like Boomer's baseball refs. I hope he likes mine. My Gambler friend has decided on Defense for Sunday- AKA San Fran. The Patriots had to choose Brady or Garoppolo a few years back: if niners win it'll be rings for both.
.
Me? I like KC.
WC
You may like KC, Wilbur, but which team do you really think will win?
ReplyDelete~ OMK