Theme:
36A. Like the start of four long answers, vis-à-vis its answer?: NOT FIT FOR THE JOB
17A. Make one's spirits last?: NURSE A DRINK. To our wonderful hospital staff:
49A. Use the airbrush, say: DOCTOR A PHOTO
23A. What a karaoke performer may do: BUTCHER A SONG
58A. Work out specific strategy: TAILOR A PLAN
Well, I have to confess I was a little confused by the theme. I see the occupations which were fun in context, but "Not fit for the job?". I think a butcher would be a perfect occupation for someone to ruin a song in a Karaoke bar. And a tailor can't work out a strategy? I can see a nurse not drinking on duty, but a Doctor isn't good at Photoshop? I think I'm missing something here. Bruce often drops in here, so I'd like to hear his take.
Good puzzle though, the theme-confusion aside. A nicely-constructed grid is one of Bruce's trademarks and he definitely doesn't overload with stale fill. Let's go find some nuggets.
Across:
1. Pub customer's usual, say: ORDER
6. Floor: AMAZE
11. One-liner: GAG. Mercifully, some are one-liners. The worst are the ones which go on for ages and when you get to the punch-line you wondered why you just wasted ten minutes of your life.
14. Wasteland: HEATH. I'm not sure a wasteland. Look at photographs of London's heaths and I'm sure you wouldn't describe them as wastelands. This is just part of Hampstead Heath in North London.
15. Hospital, often: DONEE. What? That's a real stretch.
16. Tribute in stanzas: ODE
19. Hawthorne Heights music genre: EMO. The band are also categorized as "post-hardcore" and "screamo". Whatever those mean, and I'm a music afficianado.
20. Choose: OPT
21. Short cut?: SNIP. I just got my first lockdown haircut today, I was starting to look like a rabid sheep. Jill watched a YouTube "how to" video last night and got the scissors out a couple of hours ago. I was trusting, nervous and eventually very pleased with the results! It appears that you can learn anything from YouTube.
22. __ interface: USER
27. Takes public transport, slangily: BUSES IT
30. Comedian Marc who interviewed President Obama on his podcast: MARON. Obscure clue. Thank you, crosses.
31. Foil relative: EPÉE. Not parchment paper, then?
32. __ Hayes, "The Mod Squad" role: LINC. Crosses to the rescue.
33. Canine care org.?: ADA. The canine teeth just behind your incisors. I was due a cleaning back in March but still no sign of re=opening at my dentist.
41. Musician Brian: ENO
42. "My Heart Will Go On" singer: DION. The Titanic movie. I'd link the song, but Celine makes such "chewing the scenery" and "emoting" mouth movements I can't stand to look at her. In crosswordland, she's a ham.
43. More than a glance: GAZE
44. More elegant: FINER
46. Caught: SNAGGED
52. Munch Museum city: OSLO
53. Instrument in the intro to the Carpenters' "For All We Know": OBOE. At least we get a different clue from the orchestra tuning staple, but this is another obscure reference. I'll take obscure.
54. Maven: PRO
57. 2019 Coll. Football Playoffs champs: LSU. The Louisiana State University Tigers. Questions are being asked why college football coaches are still drawing their full salaries (not inconsiderable) while their schools are virtual and they can't travel to recruit or coach. Fair question?
62. Ad-__: LIB
63. Gang leader on "The Wire": MARLO. Crosses again, thank you.
64. Impertinent: SAUCY
65. "By all means": YES!
66. Wide divide: CHASM
67. County in four Northeastern states: ESSEX. More name-stealing from the UK. I lived in the original county of Essex, north-east of London. My house was 500 years old, thatched, and built from the oak timbers of a ship which sank in the river near Colchester. You couldn't drill into those timbers they were so hard. This is the village pond photographed in 1976. It hasn't changed a bit. I fell into it once, but that's another story. The pub responsible is right behind me.
Down:
1. "Here comes trouble": OH NO!
2. Enlist again: RE-UP
3. Sticker at a bar?: DART
4. Ewoks, e.g.: E.T.'S
5. Monkey named for a mythical Greek king: RHESUS. Gives us the R+ or R- designation on our blood types. I didn't know the Greek connection though. King Rhesus appeared in Book X of the "Iliad". I don't think I read that far, much like I abandoned "Game of Thrones" during Season Two.
6. Aficionado: ADDICT
7. Transform: MORPH
8. What April has that no other month does: AN "I". Nice trivia.
9. __ garden: ZEN
10. "Yikes!": EEK!
11. Cries and cries, say: GOES ON A JAG. I cried a lot when I had my two Jaguars, those Jags were in the shop more often than they were on the road. The old saw "Why do you need two Jags? One to drive while the other is in the shop" was never more fitting.
12. Madison Ave. guys: AD MEN
13. Conductor Solti: GEORG. This is a fun clip. For a Hungarian-British guy, his German is immaculate. I'm always impressed by multi-linguists, our own C.C amongst them.
18. Naysaying: ANTI
22. Gp. for the troops: U.S.O.
23. Strengthen, with "up": BEEF
24. Mideast mogul: EMIR
25. Blog harangue: RANT. I'm glad we don't see too many rants here. This blog is a relatively peaceful and respectful place. You might think that crossword solvers wouldn't be angry people, but I have been called some rather eyebrow-raising things in my time. I just laugh.
26. Part of a foot: ARCH
27. Nota __: BENE. Better known as "N.B." or "note well".
28. Informed about: UP ON
29. Course load?: SET OF CLUBS. Golf. My set of clubs sits unused at the moment.
32. Chaney of horror: LON
34. Nod off: DOZE
35. Nodding off, maybe: ABED
37. Fig. on a badge: I.D. NO. Abbreviations galore.
38. Big piece of cake?: TIER. Yeah, that's a big piece. My sister-in-law has a small cake business in the UK. She's a decorating genius. Here's one of her tiered wedding cakes. Check out more at "The Dotti Cake Company" named for her mom. You'll be knocked out by her creativity, I swear.
39. Fit-king link: FOR A
40. Breakfast brand: EGGO. I learned last week from another crossword, in a universe far, far away, that you are instructed to microwave the cousin Pop-Tart for just three seconds. What the hell is in those things?
45. "How was __ know?": I TO
46. 1954 #1 hit for the Crew-Cuts: SH'BOOM. Totally unknown, but solved by the crosses. Will I remember it next time? Highly doubtful. I now realize I knew it as "Life Could be a Dream".
47. Queen dowager of Jordan: NOOR
48. Relaxed: AT EASE
49. Movie studio roller: DOLLY. Did you ever wonder what a "grip" or a "key grip" does when you watch the movie credits? It's got a lot to do with dollies.
50. Davis of "Grumpy Old Men": OSSIE
51. Matters of opinion: POLLS
54. Grade refinement: PLUS. Not "smooth out the lumpy ground" then?
55. Political contest: RACE
56. Cameo stone: ONYX
58. HBO rival: TMC. The Movie Channel. I think I had it once as an incentive with my cable package, but I never watched it. That probably tells me all I need to know.
59. "That's the spot!": AAH!
60. Golden yrs. fund: I.R.A.
61. Faux __: PAS. We've all been there.
And so we find ourselves at the end of the quest. Here's the grid, and continue to stay safe, all y'all.
Steve
36A. Like the start of four long answers, vis-à-vis its answer?: NOT FIT FOR THE JOB
17A. Make one's spirits last?: NURSE A DRINK. To our wonderful hospital staff:
49A. Use the airbrush, say: DOCTOR A PHOTO
23A. What a karaoke performer may do: BUTCHER A SONG
58A. Work out specific strategy: TAILOR A PLAN
Well, I have to confess I was a little confused by the theme. I see the occupations which were fun in context, but "Not fit for the job?". I think a butcher would be a perfect occupation for someone to ruin a song in a Karaoke bar. And a tailor can't work out a strategy? I can see a nurse not drinking on duty, but a Doctor isn't good at Photoshop? I think I'm missing something here. Bruce often drops in here, so I'd like to hear his take.
Good puzzle though, the theme-confusion aside. A nicely-constructed grid is one of Bruce's trademarks and he definitely doesn't overload with stale fill. Let's go find some nuggets.
Across:
1. Pub customer's usual, say: ORDER
6. Floor: AMAZE
11. One-liner: GAG. Mercifully, some are one-liners. The worst are the ones which go on for ages and when you get to the punch-line you wondered why you just wasted ten minutes of your life.
14. Wasteland: HEATH. I'm not sure a wasteland. Look at photographs of London's heaths and I'm sure you wouldn't describe them as wastelands. This is just part of Hampstead Heath in North London.
15. Hospital, often: DONEE. What? That's a real stretch.
16. Tribute in stanzas: ODE
19. Hawthorne Heights music genre: EMO. The band are also categorized as "post-hardcore" and "screamo". Whatever those mean, and I'm a music afficianado.
20. Choose: OPT
21. Short cut?: SNIP. I just got my first lockdown haircut today, I was starting to look like a rabid sheep. Jill watched a YouTube "how to" video last night and got the scissors out a couple of hours ago. I was trusting, nervous and eventually very pleased with the results! It appears that you can learn anything from YouTube.
22. __ interface: USER
27. Takes public transport, slangily: BUSES IT
30. Comedian Marc who interviewed President Obama on his podcast: MARON. Obscure clue. Thank you, crosses.
31. Foil relative: EPÉE. Not parchment paper, then?
32. __ Hayes, "The Mod Squad" role: LINC. Crosses to the rescue.
33. Canine care org.?: ADA. The canine teeth just behind your incisors. I was due a cleaning back in March but still no sign of re=opening at my dentist.
41. Musician Brian: ENO
42. "My Heart Will Go On" singer: DION. The Titanic movie. I'd link the song, but Celine makes such "chewing the scenery" and "emoting" mouth movements I can't stand to look at her. In crosswordland, she's a ham.
43. More than a glance: GAZE
44. More elegant: FINER
46. Caught: SNAGGED
52. Munch Museum city: OSLO
53. Instrument in the intro to the Carpenters' "For All We Know": OBOE. At least we get a different clue from the orchestra tuning staple, but this is another obscure reference. I'll take obscure.
54. Maven: PRO
57. 2019 Coll. Football Playoffs champs: LSU. The Louisiana State University Tigers. Questions are being asked why college football coaches are still drawing their full salaries (not inconsiderable) while their schools are virtual and they can't travel to recruit or coach. Fair question?
62. Ad-__: LIB
63. Gang leader on "The Wire": MARLO. Crosses again, thank you.
64. Impertinent: SAUCY
65. "By all means": YES!
66. Wide divide: CHASM
67. County in four Northeastern states: ESSEX. More name-stealing from the UK. I lived in the original county of Essex, north-east of London. My house was 500 years old, thatched, and built from the oak timbers of a ship which sank in the river near Colchester. You couldn't drill into those timbers they were so hard. This is the village pond photographed in 1976. It hasn't changed a bit. I fell into it once, but that's another story. The pub responsible is right behind me.
Down:
1. "Here comes trouble": OH NO!
2. Enlist again: RE-UP
3. Sticker at a bar?: DART
4. Ewoks, e.g.: E.T.'S
5. Monkey named for a mythical Greek king: RHESUS. Gives us the R+ or R- designation on our blood types. I didn't know the Greek connection though. King Rhesus appeared in Book X of the "Iliad". I don't think I read that far, much like I abandoned "Game of Thrones" during Season Two.
6. Aficionado: ADDICT
7. Transform: MORPH
8. What April has that no other month does: AN "I". Nice trivia.
9. __ garden: ZEN
10. "Yikes!": EEK!
11. Cries and cries, say: GOES ON A JAG. I cried a lot when I had my two Jaguars, those Jags were in the shop more often than they were on the road. The old saw "Why do you need two Jags? One to drive while the other is in the shop" was never more fitting.
12. Madison Ave. guys: AD MEN
13. Conductor Solti: GEORG. This is a fun clip. For a Hungarian-British guy, his German is immaculate. I'm always impressed by multi-linguists, our own C.C amongst them.
18. Naysaying: ANTI
22. Gp. for the troops: U.S.O.
23. Strengthen, with "up": BEEF
24. Mideast mogul: EMIR
25. Blog harangue: RANT. I'm glad we don't see too many rants here. This blog is a relatively peaceful and respectful place. You might think that crossword solvers wouldn't be angry people, but I have been called some rather eyebrow-raising things in my time. I just laugh.
26. Part of a foot: ARCH
27. Nota __: BENE. Better known as "N.B." or "note well".
28. Informed about: UP ON
29. Course load?: SET OF CLUBS. Golf. My set of clubs sits unused at the moment.
32. Chaney of horror: LON
34. Nod off: DOZE
35. Nodding off, maybe: ABED
37. Fig. on a badge: I.D. NO. Abbreviations galore.
38. Big piece of cake?: TIER. Yeah, that's a big piece. My sister-in-law has a small cake business in the UK. She's a decorating genius. Here's one of her tiered wedding cakes. Check out more at "The Dotti Cake Company" named for her mom. You'll be knocked out by her creativity, I swear.
39. Fit-king link: FOR A
40. Breakfast brand: EGGO. I learned last week from another crossword, in a universe far, far away, that you are instructed to microwave the cousin Pop-Tart for just three seconds. What the hell is in those things?
45. "How was __ know?": I TO
46. 1954 #1 hit for the Crew-Cuts: SH'BOOM. Totally unknown, but solved by the crosses. Will I remember it next time? Highly doubtful. I now realize I knew it as "Life Could be a Dream".
47. Queen dowager of Jordan: NOOR
48. Relaxed: AT EASE
49. Movie studio roller: DOLLY. Did you ever wonder what a "grip" or a "key grip" does when you watch the movie credits? It's got a lot to do with dollies.
50. Davis of "Grumpy Old Men": OSSIE
51. Matters of opinion: POLLS
54. Grade refinement: PLUS. Not "smooth out the lumpy ground" then?
55. Political contest: RACE
56. Cameo stone: ONYX
58. HBO rival: TMC. The Movie Channel. I think I had it once as an incentive with my cable package, but I never watched it. That probably tells me all I need to know.
59. "That's the spot!": AAH!
60. Golden yrs. fund: I.R.A.
61. Faux __: PAS. We've all been there.
And so we find ourselves at the end of the quest. Here's the grid, and continue to stay safe, all y'all.
Steve
Boy, did I get stumped by DONEE and ANI. An "I"! Of course! I knew it was something like that, and I went through the months, IDK, maybe I thought Dicember was the correct spelling. And I still don't get DONEE. Maybe I'm too young to understand that answer.
ReplyDeleteI had Ad-HOC for the longest time because the film studio roller made my brain roll over and give up. But then the perps helped and I said Oh, hello DOLLY! I've never seen The Wire so that was perped. Even though it took a bit of DOCTORing to get TMC. There's a TMC and a TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and they both appear in puzzles and I invariably choose the wrong one.
DONEE? Really? And with that stupid ANI I even peeked at latimescrosswordanswers.com and I saw ANI and said "HUH?" Anee?
It seems that EPEE has been on every single crossword puzzle I've done in the past year. I guess all those "E"s make it convenient in construction.
Fun to play DARTs while you NURSE A DRINK.
ENO and EMO in the same puzzle.
I guess I'm the first post again today, I hope I don't get any more of these overnight shifts for a while but it's fun being first!
Vermontah out!
SHBOOM was popular when I began dating, so that was an easy answer. Some write-overs: OHNO 4 uHoh, TIER 4 beEf, SAUCY 4 SAssY. I’ve just begun watching “The Wire” for the Nth time, so MARLO was another piece of cake.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteGuess who had a little trouble getting the theme? Hard to believe, but true. It started with BAD-CHER-I-SING. Lotsa Wite-Out was eventually involved. My final entry was an alphabet run to get the R in MARON, changing INCH to ARCH. Whew! DNF avoided. Thanx, Bruce and Steve (I can see getting "bit" with one Jaguar, but you went for a second one?)
SNIP: I bought a Wahl haircutting kit several years ago, but never got the nerve to actually use it. This was the week. Did it myself, and it turned out OK, I think.
ADA: I, too, had an appointment for a March cleaning. The earliest replacement I could get will finally arrive in late June.
RE-UP: I used to have nightmares about that. It's been more than 50 years. Not so much now.
DONEE: I inked that one in immediately. At the Houston Medical Center practically every hospital has a wing or two named for some donor. Dead people are generous to those who saved their lives. Temporarily.
A lot of clues were a real stretch. Hospital....donee? Hmmmmn.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, Steve and friends. This was a fun puzzle. I didn't ponder too much over the actual logic of theme I recognized the first word of each theme answer could be both a profession and a verb and smiled at that.
ReplyDeleteAs Vermontah pointed out, it was fun to see EMO and ENO in the same puzzle. Vermont is one of the 4 Northeastern states with an ESSEX county. Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey round out the other 3. Virginia also has an Essex County, but isn't consodered a Northeastern state.
I also liked seeing Nod Off (DOZE) and Nodding Off (ABED) next to each other.
I wanted SHO as HMO's rival. We watched The Wire, which was an HMO show, a couple of years ago. I had forgotten MARLO, until I filled in the _ARLO.
Hand up for Ad-Hoc before Ad-LIB.
Even though States are opening up, that doesn't mean the virus has gone away. Please stay safe.
QOD: I wanted to be a secret agent and an astronaut, preferably at the same time. ~ David Byrne (b. May 14, 1952), musician
ReplyDeleteGood morning.
Bruce always delights, and late week, always challenges.* FIR, but it took longer than any recent Thursday.
Did not know MARON, and not familiar with the phrase "GOES ON A JAG", but the intersecting N was effortless, so I accepted it. Western PA has an entirely different meaning for jag. As an insult, to call a man a prick.
Also DNK SH-BOOM. But I quickly recognized it as the song Ben Gazzara was playing as he sang along, wandering back and forth down the country lane, almost hitting Patrick Swayze in the movie Road House.
LINC was easy though. I always watched The Mod Squad. Had a crush on Julie.
Looking good, Steve. Jill did a really nice job. And your SIL is quite the artist. I especially liked the frothing mug. It was also fun to open the site knowing it was about cakes and getting the message "This site uses cookies."
On tap in early March was my overdue haircut and a dental checkup. DW cut mine about 10 days ago. She did a fine job.
Got four broadcast emails from the dentist's office in two days back then. The first explained the offices would be closed until further notice, excepting dire emergencies, and the next three were the same email with corrections to minor grammatical errors. Sent them a reply to the 4th, letting them know I caught the gist.
What's in Pop Tarts ? A jam-like ingredient that gets really hot, really quickly. Try the toaster. We favor the occasional plain strawberry versions. The iced versions are too sweet for us.
Canadian Eh, I read your article about the young driver getting picked up after being clocked at 193. The morning news just played a video of the officer sharing his thoughts about the incident. That kid was crazy. Hope he's learned his lesson.
* Perhaps I was a bit tired and groggy. Ate supper, hit a wall and was soundly asleep before 7 PM !
Lots to like about this puzzle. I liked that the theme answers followed the same pattern of (noun occupation that is a verb here) - a - another noun. I agree with Steve that saying the occupations are NOT "FIT" FOR THE JOB isn't quite right, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a major issue with the answers. BUSESIT is not great, though. It's not in Urban Dictionary, and the first two pages of Google search give responses that were structured like "He took two BUSES. IT was a long day." I don't love DONEE but it is apparently a word that's regularly used in certain circles.
But I don't love a bunch of the clues. Steve has mentioned some already. TMC is not a rival of HBO, unless we're saying every TV network is a rival (which I doubt is the way that HBO strategists think about it). No one buys TMC as a standalone extra, and their programming model is completely different than HBO. Showtime is a rival of HBO, not TMC. I had major trouble in South Central. Had no idea who MARLO was from The Wire, didn't consider TMC, "That's the spot" could be OOH or AAH, and that vowel crossed with the unguessable MARLO. For some reason, I couldn't figure out TAILOR or POLLS and had no way in here for a while. Eventually, TAILOR came into view and the rest fell.
I liked the trivia about April. I never knew that! I liked learning about RHESUS, too.
The theme was clever but it did take a few minutes to figure out what it meant. I took it as none of the theme answers used the occupations' job tasks in the phrases: nurse, doctor, butcher, tailor did not have anything to do with taking care of sick people, cutting meat, sewing clothes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve and Bruce!
Hi Y'all! Interesting challenge, Bruce! Thanks! Great expo, Steve! Always interesting to get your take on things.
ReplyDeleteLot of things I didn't get or get right the first time thru. Kept slogging away with perps & wags until filled. I looked at DONEE a long time after it filled. Was mentally saying DONE-E. Then realized givers are donors & receivers are DONEEs. Does that make it more understandable?
Steve, re coaches pay: Several big name coaches in our state universities have announced they are taking large pay cuts. The remaining pay seems beyond adequate to most working people.
Haircuts: When I was a young teenager, we had only one hairdresser in our little town. I watched closely while she BUTCHERED my hair and thought I could do better. So I started cutting my own, then my mom's & sister's. After I married we bought clippers and my husband never had another haircutter. Did both boys & girls. After I was making my own money, I did afford the luxury of my own salon haircut. Now since I'm homebound, I'm back to cutting my own hair again. I'm not set up with proper mirrors so I have trouble with the back. I don't go anywhere, so it really doesn't matter. My family doesn't say anything negative.
I was never AT EASE working on Bruce's puzzle today and while the theme answers were easy it was one of the FINER points that caused a DNF for me. Never heard of 'The Wire' or MARLO and my 'Matters of opinion' guess was POLES (opposites). MAREO looked strange but MARLO sounded like a female name.
ReplyDeleteWho says a DOCTOR can't take picture or a BUTCHER can't sing. I just had two MRIs on my hip and back. I wouldn't ever criticize the singing of an expert with knives and cleavers. I wouldn't want an Xray of a missing limb.
Steve- I can one-up you on the hair cut with this RANT. Since I'm bald on top, DW just uses hair clippers to cut the rest of the hair real short. I always have her cut it the day before I see the dermatologist. The clippers BROKE halfway through; right side short hair, left side uncut. To make matters WORSE WalMart, Target, and every store was sold out. My wife's hairdresser ( a good friend) brought one to the house so the job could be finished.
I took the theme as each item wasn't quite right. The photo needed to be doctored, the singer butchered the song, the drink needed to be nursed, and the plan needed to be tailored.
ReplyDelete"Donee" for hospital,often?
ReplyDeleteLike you donate body parts or money?
Way out there.
Not quite on Bruce’s wavelength today. The theme was a bit inconsistent. Two medical profession jobs, then two unrelated others. I get how butcher and doctor could be considered not fit in the context that they are doing something shaky, but don’t get the reference in relation to the nurse and tailor answers.
ReplyDeleteHad BAGOFCLUBS and INON next to it, so messed up on that section. I thought it was NOTFITforthejob, but couldn't get the down answers to make it right.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteSteve - Nice haircut.
Agree about the theme. It seems conflicted.
Tough solve for me. Finally accepted 6 red letters - in BUTCHER……, POLLS, and ARCH. But the successes more than made up for it. Got bolluxed up in the SE, too; had 'sassy' before SAUCY. Didn't remember OSSIE Davis in GOM, but perps ruled. Had RHESUS the other day in WSJ? puzzle, so it was in my 'recent' memory.
Queen NOOR - Is the daughter of Najeeb Halaby who ran the FAA during the 60's.
HEATH - German Heide. Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein
Und das heißt:
Erika.
(On the HEATH a small flower blossoms,
And it (she) is called
Erica.)
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Bruce Haight, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Steve, for a fine review.
ReplyDeletePuzzle started slow, but picked up as I bounced around through it. Caught the theme. Seemed logical to me. Lately I have missed some themes, but this one I got. Hurray!
No problem with DONEE, that is the recipient. DONOR, the giver.
Just had LINC and RHESUS recently.
Changed SASSY to SAUCY. Worked better.
Remembered NOOR after I had two letters. She has been in puzzles before.
Changed INCH to ARCH. 26D
Rained all night last night. Thunder as well. Supposed to rain all day today.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Musings
ReplyDelete-Saying OOH not AAH was a speed bump
-12 historic fotos that were DOCTORED
-SNIP - My wife’s twin sister just got a haircut from her husband who was a barber in the Navy
-A beautiful performance featuring a baroque OBOE
-Danny Thomas’s daughter gives way to a TV gang leader
-Aficionado = ADDICT?
-I remember my surprise when I heard GEORG pronounced with a hard G in Sound Of Music
-My SET OF CLUBS will be used today on a course that sat idle from flooding last year
-Grandkids started singing along with SH BOOM on the 50’s station in the car and I asked them how in the world they knew that. Their answer
-Steve’s write-up and pix were great!
Thanks Steve!
ReplyDeleteThe theme is not that complicated - take four occupations that can be used as a verb (there are not very many to choose from), and find phrases where the verb action has nothing to do with the occupation. There is some wordplay on "not fit" also - usually it means unfit but here it means that the action just doesn't fit the usual meaning of the job. I think the phrases are fun to think about- why did those particular occupations get linked with those activities? Pretty arbitrary, but somehow the phrases have persisted over centuries and are part of our complicated language....
WEES about many of the clues. SHO instead of TMC ????? really held up that area for a while. Overall kind of a meh puzzle. But enjoyed Steve's write up as always!
ReplyDeleteJB2
Not a bad challenge but lots of ink overs to FIR. Inch/ARCH, into/UPON, sassy/SAUCY and wouldn't leggo my Post cereals for EGGO too long. But even parsed the theme clues which helped. (Was ENO ever an EMO?) Though it was SHaBOOM.
ReplyDeleteLiked the "course load clue" but .....BUTCHER themed with DOCTOR kind of harsh.
Novel way to clue a very common answer.. OBOE.
Purchased cameos as gifts in Italy over the years. Thought they were only carved from shell or coral. But before someone else does I LIU apparently stone (ONYX) and even glass is used.
Like the rest of the Cornerites consider myself a cruciverbal Aficionado ..BUT Just because I skip the newspaper headlines and go directly to the crossword page. Break out put in a sweat over Aver or Avow, Aah, Ahh, or Ooh in a spa. Lose sleep Friday nights fearing an impossible DNF Saturday's puzzle.. Euphoria when I figure out the theme!! Does that make me an ADDICT!! ?? (Ok, its time ,where's the next "CWA" crossword anonymous meeting?)
DONÉE a recipient of charitable funds, hospital fits but a stretch. Part of the theme somehow?
Blog harangue....RANT... (constructionist trying to send a message? Eh?).
Knew MARRON from his bits on car radio "Comedy Central"
Is it a good idea to invest "golden year funds" in the Irish Republican Army?
Guess there was no Greek monkey King called "Howler" WOS and has been said with earlier puzzles TMC is not really an HBO rivals like SHO or Netflix
My grandkids 8 -12 want to GAG me when I tell them silly jokes or puns (when we take our annual April break [cancelled this year] Florida trip... always the same joke ..."what's a female manatee called? A womantee")
I can actually hear the groans.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI’m glad I’m not alone in feeling this offering had some minuses. I liked the theme itself but, like others, was confused by the revealer. My strongest criticism is the cluing being way off kilter, IMHO. It can be justified, I suppose, but so can a lot of other things I object to. Maybe if the constructor was someone other than Bruce, I might not be as disappointed, but this lacked Bruce’s usual style and humorous wordplay. On the positive side, I enjoyed the aural harmony of: Eno, Emo, Eggo, Photo, Marlo, On No, Oslo, USO, Pro, and Oboe! I also liked the duos of Anti and Pro, and Doze and Abed (Hi, Susan) abutting each other. I needed perps for Marlo and Sh Boom. I fell into the Sassy/Saucey trap and I had An L instead of An I for the April clue, forgetting the month of July. My favorite C/A was Course load=Set of Clubs. Now that’s the Bruce I know! CSO to our New Orleans contingent at LSU.
Thanks, Bruce, for a challenging solve (warts and all) and for dropping by and thanks, Steve, for your candid and informative summary. I hope we hear that pub/pond story someday. I enjoyed your links, too, especially the Solti video and your sister-in-law’s beautiful and creative cake designs. BTW, Jill did a great job on your hair.
Stay safe, all.
I just realized what a silly error I made having chosen An L for the April clue which, DOH, ends in an L. How dumb is that? Don’t answer!
ReplyDeleteFIR and enjoyed the theme.
ReplyDeleteWell, Thursdays are always toughies for me, but I like Bruce's puzzles and so was happy to struggle with this one.
ReplyDeleteGot the southwest corner because I got OSLO and OSSIE. Got LON Chaney, who shows up a lot in puzzles. The only MARLO I know is MARLO Thomas. Also got the mideast corner because I somehow figured out EGGO, and GAZE and DOZE and even ABED. Sounds like a sleepy morning, doesn't it? Like Irish Miss and others had SASSY before SAUCY, and had INCH before ARCH as the part of a foot. Lots of fun clues, actually--many thanks, Bruce. And thanks for checking in with us.
Nice haircut, Steve.
Have a good day, everybody.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteHello, Bruce! Your puzzle was fun and a great challenge. I like that the occupations mentioned were not the direct function in the fill.
Here, in Scottsdale, Virginia Piper was a tremendous benefactor and our hospitals as well as other institutions were the DONEEs of her generosity. She was the wife/widow of the owner of Motorola.
I recall when reading The Secret Garden I would wonder about all those HEATHs that were frequently mentioned.
No! TMC is not a rival of HBO. I agree it would be Sho. However, I rather enjoy TMC and know I can always find a favorite old movie there at no extra charge.
I also watched The Mod Squad and LINC was a favorite.
I really liked the clue for POLLS with the play on opinion.
Steve, that haircut looks great! And congratulations to your SIL on her cake decorating skills. That one is beautiful!
Thank you, Steve and Bruce! Constructors still AMAZE me!
I hope you are all having a delightful day!
As I've said before, I always enjoy Bruce's puzzles. This one, however, left a little to be desired. It was a FIR but not without the same issues mentioned by most of the cornerites. DNK Linc or Marlo but sussed them. Favorite clue was for April. And now bracing for a Friday toughie.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI'm going to declare that I finished the puzzle correctly and in superb time. Just as I was nearing the end, my browser froze and the only thing I could do was to shut the computer off and restart it. I didn't feel like starting from scratch again so I just came to the Blog and declared victory.
Great puzzle Bruce and Steve's tour was superb.
Obviously, I didn't get the theme because I didn't finish, but I did have most of the theme answers filled in.
I'll also say that I had many of the same issues that everyone else had.
With respect to haircuts, DW was my barber for most of my working career. However when we retired I went back to going to a barber who I grew up with. In a small town where else can a guy go to get all of the town gossip (other than a bar). But with the inability to get to the barbershop DW volunteered to cut my hair again. However the clippers no longer worked, and as others have found, there was no place to buy new ones. But as luck would have it, I stopped in an Ollies (a really cheap store) and they had clippers, so I bought one. When I got home I found out that the box had been opened and the clippers had been used and returned to the store. There was hair in the clippers. I took them back for an exchange, but the store had a policy of no returns during the pandemic. After I ranted about them selling really used stuff, they agreed to a swap just to get me out of the store. I'm not sure I'll be welcomed back.
FLN : Hungry Mother: Yes I met Grace Hopper on a flight from NY to DC. And yes she had to smoke.
Have a great day everyone and be safe.
I liked this puzzle and the theme. Nurse, butcher, doctor, tailor are not jobs in these idioms. Inanehiker, I agree. Would you want someone who doctors photos as your medical doctor, for example? These are not qualifications for the jobs.
ReplyDeleteNo problem with DONEE. As was said, hospitals receive substantial grants from donors. Most often the donee receives money not body parts.
My first fill was AN I.
CRYING JAG seems a common enough idiom. I never considered it a regionalism.
Those cakes are creative and lovely, one of a kind.
This brings back my high school days.
1954
HG, thanks for the beautiful oboe music. I am letting the site continue playing. It is now on the Moldau, one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteThis was a Thursday puzzle? Seemed like a Saturday.
Lots of misdirection, that’s fine, but some weird clue choices. 15A comes to mind. Also agree with TMC not really an HBO rival at all.
Write-overs...INCH/ARCH, NICER/FINER, INATRAP/SNAGGED.
Happy to get the solve today.
Amazing to me are all the “experts” who 8 weeks ago had no idea what an Epidemiologist does, and now can say they know better.
While these experts are out and about, maybe look into buying a coffin. Shop til you drop, haha.
Anyway, see you tomorrow, stay safe.
Good Afternoon, all. Ditto's on most of the comments above. Thanks Bruce for the puzzle and visit and thanks Steve for the splainin'. Congrats to all that FIR today. DNF for this solver. The north central section just wasn't going to give it up for me. Lots of learning opportunities. Can't hardly wait for Fri & Sat. lol
ReplyDeleteThis one was quirkier (is that a word?) enough to be fun for me. Canine Care org was my favorite. Thanks Bruce.
ReplyDeleteI don’t like the open ended answers like OH NO... could be anything. But then I got the treat of DART for sticker at a bar. Guess it evens out!
I knew SH BOOM but I always thought it was spelled Sha Boom.
IM, thanks for giving LSU to New Orleans but I don’t think Hahtoolah will let you get away with that . Much as I love Coach Oeaux, the school is in her town. 😊
Steve, love the ‘Doo!
Thanks for the pzl & the explanation, Bruce. I too was confused by the theme of "NOT FIT..." I kinda get it now, but you can see from the Corner's reactions that it was a bit of a stretch.
ReplyDeleteIf "Clarity for a Puzzler" were a saying, it would fit here.
Steve, I was another JAGuar fan. I had four of them--sequentially, not all at once. Yes, they spent time in the shop, but not inordinately. Maybe it's because I always bought them used--or "pre-owned" as we say--and took time to learn about their histories.
And anyway, the down-time was always worth it, for such things-of-beauty!
~ OMK
___________
DR: One diagonal, mirror side.
Too many vowels to yield decent anagrams.
I can make it give me a comment from a TAILOR to a customer who expresses satisfaction with his cut of the lapel, ...
"A GOOD EYE"!
- or -
An approving remark by a Pirate to a fellow buccaneer over his piratical speech (and the cut of his jib), ...
"A GOOD 'AYE'"!
Put RACE in, took it out to make room for SASSY, changed SASSY to SAUCY, put RACE back in. Also, hand up for INCH before ARCH and ad HOC before ad LIB. Waited for perps to see if it was GEENA Davis or OSSIE Davis because I didn't see the movie. Had BIKESIT and INON before that SET OF CLUBS came along. And so it went. Didn't know MARON but thought of you, Steve, when it did finally emerge, and yes I know your name is spelled differently. I really liked the clue about April. Like Misty, the only MARLO I know is Ms. Thomas.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about RHESUS. I will likely remember that.
For some reason, for the longest time I couldn't parse ABED except as the past tense of ABE.
I like GEORG Solti's renderings but can't stand to watch him, the way he jerks and thrashes around. Some musicians say he stabs the music. I have and love the recordings he made of all four of the Ring operas. And IMO his version of Bruckner's 4th symphony is the best.
So, there's an ESSEX, Wessex, and Sussex, but no Norrex (Norex? Norsex?). Maybe just as well.
Last night we had a wonderful Zoom meeting with about 15 family members. It was such a smashing success that we're going to do it again once every month, until, presumably, we all get tired of doing it. Nobody had a bad haircut.
Good wishes to you all.
@Jayce - It's when I get stuff addressed to "Steve Moron" that I object :)
ReplyDeleteThere's also a Middlesex. Not sure why "Norsex" didn't make the cut :)
I grew up in Winchester, which was the capital of Wessex when it existed as an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It's a beautiful city, apart from the parking structure in the middle of town which is both a health hazard and an insult to your eyes.
Steve @ 3:19. The same Winchester with the cathedral that wouldn't stop a fellow's girlfriend from leaving. Wouldn't even ring its bell?..Just stood and watched...LOL
ReplyDelete@ Ray-O-S - that's the one! The bells are pretty loud, the place is huge!
ReplyDeleteHaircut?
ReplyDeleteWe don't need no stinkin' haircut!
ReplyDeleteFLN, Eg. HG: "There’s a big difference between FREE and at no ADDED cost". On the web they are identical. But I know what you mean. Never got to post, FLN, my cell is no longer long life on the battery.
Oh?, "Celine" DION. My DION sang "Run Around Sue" with the Belmonts. I was saying "Two oldies (SHBOOM?(which became an earworm))?
Re. Steve's question on college football salaries… Supply and demand. The big schools net upwards of 80mil. Because they win. Why the outrageous salary? Because they win. If LSU doesn't pay him someone will.
I like the clue "Course loads" for GOLF. Not to speak of MORPH. Did we all have a "Murph" in our lives?*
I bought breaded coconut shrimp on a BOGO. No microwave instructions so I popped it in for 7 mins. The smoke alarm brought me back. So much for asking Mr S. For cooking advice
Re. April only having AN I, that's xword fodder for veteran CC'ers but devilish for relative newbies. We were all newbies once. Moi! 5 years ago when Thursday was my Waterloo. Ps, FIR today **. The last was PHOTO and NOOR/NiOR(and the H in SHBOOM. And SNAGGE not snared.
Re. BUSES IT: Depends on if you've grown up with MTA. I drive but Charlie BUSES IT. Not unusual at all
RayO, you said it, METOO. re. "can actually hear the groans". Try the "Roy" joke next trip
HBO and TMC, among others are ppv channels. Using Roku I'd have to pay for both or choose one. Ok, neither. I did buy Netflix and am now ADDICTED to Monk (and Mom)
Wow, i'm only up to 1128am and way over byte limit. c **
WC
*Capt. Murphy, USMC R. What a character. Another Bostonian. Everywhere the Boston bred stick together .
**I see many found the clueing difficult esp anon@928. What's pleasure for us geese is hell for certain ganders. And for the record, are you listening Monsieur Haight?, Most excellent and entertaining Thursday and I loved the theme and all the clues. The Naticks were perp-able ala a CC** xword
I also owned Jaguars; my "favorite" memory was when my wife and I had our first child. After one day in the hospital, it was time to bring them home. I went to the parking lot and it would not start. I had a friend who owned a limo company take us home and got the car the next day.
ReplyDeleteAnd also like Steve, I have a simple last name. I was mortified when I was in high school and went to show the result only to see the article had my name ChapRick. "Prick" was not an acceptable word.
SwampCat @ 2:04 ~ Actually, I thought Hatoolah lived in New Orleans. I should have CSOed to the Louisiana contingent! For the record, I didn’t know where LSU was located other than in Louisiana!
ReplyDeleteWilbur @ 6:00 ~ Until I read your post, I thought the Dion was the one from back in the day, also. My current pop music knowledge wouldn’t fill a thimble. I’ve had a couple of Murph’s in my life over the years. In fact, one of my nieces is Marie Murphy née MacKay. When she was a youngster, my mother nick-named her Maggie Murphy. Talk about serendipity!
ReplyDeleteTMC = The Movie Channel
TCM - Turner Classic Movies
"HBO rival" and TMC is valid.
WC LINK
ReplyDeleteThanks lemonade. I got careless I guess. There can never be a bad Argyle comic, bless our beloved Santa
DeleteWC
Late to the Thursday party. Thanks for the fun, Bruce (thanks for dropping by) and Steve (Jill did a great job with the haircut, and SIL's cakes look wonderful).
ReplyDeletePretty much WEES by now. I got the professions (thought it might be a medical theme since I solved NURSE and DOCTOR first). But the theme reveal left me scratching my head like many of you. I did understand DONEE once I got past the medical idea of hospital and remembered all the letters and emails I get requesting me to be a donor.
The bench is not going to be long enough for those of us who had Inch before ARCH, and Sassy before SAUCY. Hand up for trying to fit ShaBOOM into the space.
This Canadian knew Celine DION. Did all you Jeopardy fans get the Canadian questions correct tonight.
Wishing you all a good night.
Wilbur Charles:
ReplyDeleteI was going to ask why you pay for Turner Classic Movies, TCM, but I see you meant The Movie Channel, TMC. It's confusing!
Oboe: An ill wind that nobody blows any good — not seen this cluing in a long while, always my favorite
ReplyDeleteI remember that line from an album that Danny Kaye made..... years and years ago.
DeleteAnother was “I’ll never forget the morning that Grandpa ate an awning
, to impress a pretty lady,
who went for men that were shady”