Theme: Colorful Creatures
17. Whodunit misdirection: RED HERRING.
25. Bovine-named pet food brand: BLUE BUFFALO.
37. Costly possession that's no longer useful: WHITE ELEPHANT.
50. Diamond in a 1963 Peter Sellers film: PINK PANTHER.
Reveal:
60. Where this puzzle's "animals" might congregate?: IN THE SHADE.
Boomer here again, filling in another blog slot.
I
am not sure about this theme. Red herring may be in a shady pond but
the only time I might see a buffalo, elephant, or panther would be in
the zoo. If someone has figured it out, rattle my cage.
Please everyone stay as safe as possible. C.C. and I are okay, but the numbers coming in on the news are very concerning.
Across:
1. Frankie who played Malcolm in "Malcolm in the Middle": MUNIZ.
6. Forensic CBS episodes: CSIS.
10. Urban pollution: SMOG.
We are pretty lucky here in Minnesota. First we don't have much fog,
and secondly, most of our businesses control their pollution.
14. In unison: AS ONE.
15. Hyatt competitor: OMNI. I have never stayed at an OMNI nor have I ever driven a Dodge OMNI.
16. Own: HAVE. Or HAVE not.
19. Wax-coated cheese: EDAM. I've seen it, but I prefer shredded cheddar to add on my pizza.
20. "Look what __!": I DID.
21. Poetic adverb: OFT.
22. Kind of green: NILE. Silly me. I thought it was an African River. I know it is odd, because it flows south to north.
24. __ Cabos: Baja area: LOS.
Means "The" in Spanish. I am thinking of Los Angeles - home of the
L.A. Times, the Rams and Dodgers, and many problems with a virus that is
plaguing us all.
29. Straighten, as hair: UNCURL.
31. Online addresses: Abbr.: IPS. Internet Protocol addresses.
32. "Tubular!": RAD.
33. Burst in on, maybe: RAIDED. When the Oakland (now Las Vegas football team) comes to play our Vikings.
36. Bit of misdirection: RUSE.
41. Cross shapes: TAUS.
42. Dugouts, e.g.: CANOES. Many, many CANOES on our Minnesota lakes in the summer.
43. "We the Living" writer Rand: AYN. Born in Russia, died in New York. Authoress of many quotes.
44. Wedding vow: I DO. I DID.
46. Melonlike tropical fruit: PAPAWS. We like watermelon.
54. Pose for a portrait: SIT.
55. Chinese currency: YUAN. Last I checked, a YUAN was equal to about $.14 US.
56. Tofu source: SOY. I do not care for Tofu, but I like soy sauce on some things.
57. Thin smoke trail: WISP.
58. __ Crunch: CAPN. I pretty much stick to Chex and Grape Nuts.
63. "The Time Machine" race: ELOI.
64. Polite sneeze: CHOO. No, a polite sneeze would be to go outside and blow your nose off.
65. __ Meunier: Champagne grape: PINOT.
66. Court do-overs: LETS. Tennis Anyone?
67. Swiss landscape highlights: ALPS. "The hills are alive, with the Sound of Music!"
68. Set up: FRAME.
Down:
1. Henner of "Taxi": MARILU. Ricky Nelson once sang "Hello Mary Lou".
2. Applied to: USED ON.
3. DVD player error message: NO DISC. Mine never worked right, I gave all my movies away.
4. Aired with sharper resolution: IN HD. I think most TVs are HD now.
5. Letter akin to omega: ZEE.
6. Ionian Sea island: CORFU. A bit of a tourist resort of Greece.
7. Strike, biblically: SMITE.
8. Roadside stop: INN. My favorite is the C'mon Inn in Billings MT.
9. Enlist: SIGNUP. I did not sign up, I was drafted. But I did not mind giving two years to my country. It's given me a lot back now.
10. Bookcase part: SHELF. Ours are very full. C.C. loves books.
11. Attempted to win, with "for": MADE A RUN. Many are MAKING A RUN this November.
12. Lab eggs: OVA.
13. 50-Across, e.g.: GEM.
18. Baseball Hall of Famer Fingers: ROLLIE. Made his name with the Oakland A's but also spent time with the Padres and Brewers.
23. Conditions: IFS. Along with ANDS or BUTS.
25. Hot dog relative: BRAT. There are some in our freezer now. They should be gone near the end of August.
26. Six-term Delaware senator: BIDEN. I think I have heard about him.
27. Final: LAST.
28. Tribute in verse: ODE. My favorite is the "Ode to Billie Joe". Bobbie Gentry.
30. "Trinity" novelist: URIS.
34. Hazardous material cleaning, briefly: DECON. Decontamination.
35. She, in Lisbon: ELA.
36. Utter harshly: RASP.
37. "The __ see it ... ": WAY I.
38. Pooh's pride, as Pooh would spell it: HUNNY POT.
39. Sailor since 1929: POPEYE. Strong to the finish cuz' he eats his spinach.
40. Learn: HEAR.
41. Keg part: TAP.
Not a fan of beer so I never had to deal with one of these. Now if you
toss one in the pocket and leave a ten pin, that's a TAP. 7 pin for
lefties.
44. Keg filler, briefly: IPA.
45. Patrick of NASCAR fame: DANICA.
She was Packer QB Aaron Rodgers' girlfriend for a couple of years but
then they broke up. Good girl Danica, I never liked Aaron much either.
47. South Korean carrier: ASIANA.
48. What may be dispensed in pearls?: WISDOM. First you have to open an oyster.
49. Neighbor of Tampa, Fla.: ST PETE. I visited Tampa once while I was employed by Graybar. Never got farther south. Florida has its problems now.
51. Mila of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall": KUNIS.
52. Metro station, in Boston: T STOP.
Well let me tell you a story 'bout a man named Charlie on a tragic and
fateful day. He put ten cents in his pocket, kissed his wife and
family, went to ride on the MTA.
53. Hostess products: HOHOS.
When I was a kid, Mom would give us a dime to buy cupcakes or Twinkies
for our bag lunch. HOHOs came later. It's been a long time since I was
a kid.
57. Fan sound: WHIR.
58. Animation unit: CEL.
59. Part of 44-Down: ALE. I am downing Canada Dry Diet Ginger ALE as we speak.
61. Org. with Sharks and Predators: NHL. We used to have the Minnesota North Stars but they left for Texas. Now we have the "Wild".
62. Beach meas.: SPF.
Boomer
Good morning Cornerites.
ReplyDeleteThank you Zachary David Levy for your enjoyable Wednesday CW.
Carol and I FIR in 32:26 min.
Thank you Boomer for your excellent review, and doing extra duty.
Ðave
I think the theme of today's puzzle comes from the fact that each animal is proceeded by a color or "shade". As in Red Herring, Blue Buffalo, White Elephant, and Pink Panther.
ReplyDeleteToo damn many names!
ReplyDeleteI too do not understand the theme.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteGot 'er done, but it was a stumble to the finish line in the SE. (ST PETE area?) My tropical fruit was a PAPAYA, and it took me a long time to give it up. Thanx for the diversion, Zachary, and for pinch-hitting yet again, Boomer.
Good Morning! Well, I am off to the VA clinic to offer a bit of my blood for testing. Two months ago my PSA was 0.53. It had been lower than that previously but anything under 1.00 is okay with me. (And also okay with my Oncologist.) It has been nearly two years since my first diagnosis and I am actually feeling pretty good. I am actually posting this for our friend Abejo and wishing him all the best as you go through the initial treatments which are not fun but necessary. Happy Birthday to Alex Trebek (80)who has been dealing with the nasty disease or the past two years.
ReplyDeleteThis is great news Boomer. After a PSA of 4.0 I had a negative, but very unpleasant biopsy and resisted additional ones until a PSA of 19 was diagnosed as stage 2 PC. After two courses of radiation I have have PSA's of less than 0.1 for over 14 years now. After 10 years my oncologist told me not to see him anymore. Prostate cancer is definitely curable.
DeleteI too was stuck at Papaya until a little pearl of wisdom hit me and that did it. FIR!
ReplyDelete711. Not the store, my time: 7 minutes, 11 seconds. I was aware of the color + animal theme.
ReplyDeleteI loved the theme of this colorful animal puzzle. Anon @ 5:56, IMO you nailed it! Shade for color.
ReplyDeleteI thought PAPAYA, but WISDOM wised me up.
In company, when I feel a big sneeze coming on suddenly, I choke it back to a tiny "CHOO." Someone told me this is unhealthy. Still I persist.
So many names, but only KUNIS needed all perps.
We love all kinds of cheese. I suppose we use extra sharp cheddar the most, but we love the variety. I have four kinds of cheese in my fridge now. Did you ever try smoked Edam?
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Zachary David Levy, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Boomer, for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteBoomer, thank you for the good wishes regarding my treatments. I am almost half way finished.
Got up at 2:15 AM and started the puzzle. Cruciverb was working this morning. Got it 98% finished and got stuck so I laid down. Finished in the morning when I got up. Puzzle was pretty easy. Lots of perps helped.
Theme came easily. Bunch of colors and animals.
I remember ROLLIE Fingers. That goes back a ways.
Needed perps for that S. Korean airline. I see the word ASIA is the beginning.
I read Atlas Shrugged by AYN RAND. Enjoyed it. It was a long book. I understand it took her 10 years to write it.
Well, I have to run and get ready for my daily trip to the oncologist. I guess I am getting used to this. I still do not like the process. Very uncomfortable.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
( )
Imagine my surprise when you said your favorite inn was in Billings MT! I have lived in Montana my whole life and call Billings my home the last 40 years!
DeleteIn the Abbey Grange Holmes discovers the silver in the nearby creek. Baffled, LeStrade is only convinced by the idea of a RED HERRING. Holmes responds that "The inspector may doubt my methods but they did result in the finding of the silver. "
ReplyDeleteAgain I was too quick with PAPAya but ST PETE was a gimme. Lived there ten years. I had the WISDOM to move.
There's that GEM again. PINK PANTHER and Peter Sellers should have been obvious. Noodle not working well
Not Grand but PINOT. SPF and FRAME were cute. I inked MUNIZ and IN HD but was worried that it would be "O"
Let's see what the write-up says.
Just read it. Great job Boomer. I was a Candlepin bowler and single pins were my bane.
WC
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteHand up for Papaya. But St PETE was solid so began to focus on PAPAW. Yielded WISDOM and we were done. One misspelt word, TAU, (brain f__t). No searches were needed.
ON HD - Our 46" Samsung (8 yrs old) crapped out 2 days ago. Ordered a 50" yesterday from Crutchfield; should be here tomorrow.
YUAN - Quoted @ $0.1433 in today's WSJ. Renminbi is the name of the currancy. YUAN is the primary unit. Both have been in puzzles. (Not trying to make a lesson out of this; just trying to get it clear in my own head. Writing things down helps with the memory.)
Husker. - Watched the Omaha priest yesterday. Thanks for posting that.
i
ReplyDeleteGood morning.
Thank you, Zachary David Levy. I see this is your third LA Times crossword puzzle, and noted that each has been on a Wednesday. Nice job.
You too, Boomer. You are like a crossword Manny Mota. Oh wait, those that aren't base ball fans wouldn't get it. Manny Mota was a great pinch hitter. "Longtime Dodger announcer Vin Scully once said that Mota could wake up on Christmas morning and hit a line drive to center. Jim Murray, Los Angeles sportswriter, once wrote that you could wake Manny up at 2 AM, hand him a toothpick, throw an aspirin tablet toward him, and he would hit it for a line drive single to right."
Enough of that. Might I offer a little help on the theme, since you asked ? Those wouldn't be the normal colors for any of those animals.
So, Where this puzzle's "animals" might congregate?: IN THE SHADE. They're congregating in the shade because they (in common) don't want their off colors to be seen in the full light of day.
Reminds me of very early on in our marriage, my wife bought a pair of slacks and shirt that I would never ever wear. I thanked her, but asked her to take them back. "You wouldn't wear these when we go to a nice restaurant ?" No. "Where would you wear them then ?" Only in the dark. Please take them back.
I still managed to mess this puzzle up, and will have to chalk up a FIW. Keyed in MUNoZ to start and never looked back, or at the perp. Oh well, I still enjoyed it.
TTP, I take it that was your first wife.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all! Fun & sorta easy, Zachary, thanks! More Boomer this week. Yay!
ReplyDeleteHahtoolah gave us a chart of the different SHADEs of red as a precursor to this puzzle.
DNK: MUNIZ & took awhile to remember MARILU -- not a good start to a puzzle for me. DNK: ROLLIE. Couldn't remember KUNIS spelling.
Tubular = RAD? Coulda fooled me. Is that more modern slang?
CORFU, not Crete. ESP Omega kin = ZEE (kin must have been a cousin who immigrated.)
Pearls of WISDOM: CSO to the many learned bloggers who post at the corner.
Hand up for PApaya. Never had a PAWPAW. Didn't know it was a melon.
Abejo: have had some family who said the cancer treatments made them feel worse than the disease, but they lived a longer normal life afterward.
Thanks, Boomer, for pinch hitting. This Wednesday puzzle was a bit of a mixed blessing for me. FIR 7:28
ReplyDeleteI liked the shades of red, white, blue and pink animals theme but abbreviations and phrases were very much overused in the fill.
CSIS, ASONE, IDID, IDO, IPS, INHD, USEDON, WAYI, CHOO, NODISC, DCON, NHL, IPA, SPF, for example. Standing alone, the list reads like a collection of gibberish. I will concede that some offenses were less egregious than others. Heck, IDID once drink an IPA at an NHL game and Iddo it again, given the opportunity. Outside, if necessary. I’ll put on some SPF 35.
Maybe, though, I just misconstrued the clues. Perhaps Zachary was trying to say:
Mom, I didn’t eat the last cookie, CSIS
Yesterday it was overcast but today is ASONE day
Need a recommendation for a good plumber? I USEDON
On the multiple choice exam, Wynken is A, Blynken is B and NODISC
Well, the doorbell just rang and I must now go and CHOO it is. Maybe it is Manuel Rafael Geronimo Motta. Maybe it is John Galt (who the hell is he).
In any event, with apologies to Jackie Gleason, a WAYI go.
Have a great day, Corner habitues.
PAPAW is a double misspelling of PAPAYA (sometimes PAWPAW). What a PAPAW is is a GRANDFATHER.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI liked the colorful images the theme evoked and the revealer was spot on. Had a trouble some SE corner due to Papaya, but perps forced Papaws into the picture and all fell into place. I needed perps for Pinot and Asiana. Is Tubular=Rad current slang? I liked the duos of I Do ~ I Did and IPA and IPS. CSO to Tin and Wilbur at St. Pete and another nod to Wilbur at T Stop.
Thanks, Zachary, for a mid-week treat and thanks, Boomer, for pinch-hitting and scoring big! Glad to hear your positive health update.
FLN
Lemony, I hope your DIL’s symptoms are mild and improve rapidly.
Abejo, good to hear from you. Keep up the positive approach!
HG, all I can say is while not many priests are as entertaining and free-spirited as the Omaha pastor, today’s priests are a far cry from the fire and brimstone sermons and dictatorial disciplinarians of my youth.
Off to get ready for a doctor’s appointment for a routine checkup.
Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteColorful puzzle from Zachary today. Boomer added the shading to the grid in his expo.
WEES about CRETE (CORFU), STPETE, PAPAYA (PAPAWS), WISDOM and KUNIS.
I originally thought MUNoZ was correct, and I had RITZ before OMNI. Perps to the rescue.
Like Boomer and Irish Miss I'm off to the doctor's office. It's time to have my 50,000 mile pacemaker check-up.
T-storms predicted for today. We need the rain, but can do without the lightning.
Be safe everyone and wear your masks.
I agree with you, Manatee. Too much crossword glue for my liking. Also, your wordplay cracks me up!
ReplyDeleteAbejo, wishing the best for your treatment
Stay safe and mask up, everyone!
Boomer: Great write-up.
ReplyDeleteSince I grew up there ST.PETE was a gimmie.
Needed ESP (Every-Single-Perp) to get PAPAWS.
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset.
Cheers!
Musings
ReplyDelete-I think of SHADE as being a variation of one color like Forest and NILE green
-RUSE in 1944 – Patton seemingly preparing to invade Europe at the Pas-de-Calais and not Normandy
-Ah, PAPAW can also require only one W
-A mere WISP of a girl lives next door
-Poirot Mysteries usually contain a RED HERRING because someone is being FRAMED. The true guilty party named in the “reveal” sometimes has only been on screen for a very short time earlier
-Constructor Mary Lou Guizzo told us she has been greeted by Ricky Nelson’s song her whole life
-ZEE – Oh, akin in position not shape
-My daughters need the WHIR of a fan when they sleep here
-I miss the energy and joy Fr. Dave broght to the mass.
ReplyDeleteDesper-otto, she's still the one and only. To this day, I don't understand why she hasn't kicked me to the curb.
Erma Bombeck on marriage: "Marriage has no guarantees. If that's what you're looking for, go live with a car battery."
I really liked the clue 'What may be dispersed in pearls?' not only because of 'pearls of wisdom' but also that it follows the puzzle animal theme as in, 'casting pearls before swine.'
ReplyDeleteThere is much confusion about PAW PAW and many believe it is another name for PAPAYA . However, it is a different fruit. You can read about it THIS ARTICLE . Both sides are expressed on the internet, but my knowledge of the fruit comes from the play CRIMES OF THE HEART . My youngest was in the cast while in high school.
ReplyDeleteRollie Fingers may not have been the best all-time relief pitcher but his mustache was.
Thank you Boomer and ZDL.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Zachary and Boomer.
ReplyDeleteThis CW required P&P but eventually I FIRed and saw the theme (yes Anon@5:56 got it right).
But it was a poor start when both 1A and 1D required names that I did not know.
It also did not help that corner when this Canadian entered ZED for 5D. (D'uh, have I not learned yet that this CW is American based!) (Thanks for the litre the other night AnonT!)
This Canadian does not have a lot of experience with tropical fruit (fewer choices here and I haven't been on a tropical island holiday lately!) and was not even tempted to enter Papaya (I waited for perps). Apparently, Papayas and PAPAWS are the same species, but different fruits.
"A papaya is oval like a rugby ball.
A papaw is slightly larger and more round like a soccer ball." (per foodloversmarket.co.za)
I smiled at OMNI crossing INN.
Tubular=RAD. More unknown slang?
Is BRAT considered common usage and doesn't require an abbreviation in the clue? (obviously BRATwurst would not fit). Again, probably an Amer/Can difference.
The clue for BIDEN did not help this Canadian at all. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee or even 47th vice-president would have been easier. No politics, just a comment on the clue from this side of the border!
I entered ALE for 44A, but it was needed for 59D instead.
A polite sneeze would be into your sleeve. Yes, YR, I had a work colleague who cracked some ribs trying to suppress a sneeze. CHOO could also have been clued as half of a train whistle.
Wishing you all a great day.
FIR, but many unknown answers filled by perps.
ReplyDeleteNo idea about MUNIZ.
Wanted horseshoe for omega. Wouldn't fit.
I saw Sellers' PINK PANTHER in the 60's, but preferred Connery's 007.
Frequently canoe our beautiful spring fed Ozark National Rivers.
Thanks ZDL and Boomer for the very enjoyable review.
MO
Just read the other comments.
ReplyDeleteD Otto. I had to laugh out loud.
We call 'em brats. I seldom hear bratwurst these days. There are many recipes for brats, no period. I think it is a nickname. Sue for Susan doesn't need a period.
ReplyDeleteI have seen quite a few different opinions about the size of papaws, all quite large. In the folk song Susie puts them in her pocket. Must be some pocket.
Where, oh where is pretty little Susie?
Where, oh where is pretty little Susie?
Where, oh where is pretty little Susie?
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.
Come on, boys [or girls, or kids], let’s go find her,
Come on, boys, let’s go find her,
Come on, boys, let’s go find her,
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.
Pickin’ up paw-paws, puttin’ ’em in her pockets,
Pickin’ up paw-paws, puttin’ ’em in her pockets,
Pickin’ up paw-paws, puttin’ ’em in her pockets,
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch.
—The Paw Paw Patch
Traditional folk song
I thought this was a tad easier than yesterday although ai never heard of blue buffalo. Peter Sellers was in a quirky movie called Being There years ago and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it. At the end there were out-takes which were utterly hysterical. Gotta see it.
ReplyDeleteWell, a Wednesday toughie for me, but still a lot of fun--so, many thanks, Zachary. I started off well in the northeast corner with SMOG and EDAM, which gave me all the down words. SHELF and IFS and LAST and ODE gave me BUFFALO, though I had to wait a while for the BLUE. Finally put in BRAT--does that come from the German BRATWURST, meaning cooked sausage? And so it went, with the ALPS near the end. Nice to see BIDEN in the puzzle, and my favorite spinach eater, POPEYE.
ReplyDeleteBoomer, how nice of you to do the commentary today, and hope you have another good check-up. Good luck to you too, Abejo. I'm also rooting for Alex Trebek.
Have a great day, everybody.
Animals in the shade?
ReplyDeleteis this a reference to the heat wave?
These guys are cool...
Boomer said: but I prefer shredded cheddar to add on my pizza.
Boomer, I hope you don't buy that grated stuff they call cheese in a bag!
It is full of fillers & powders of various kinds
to keep the (cheese?) from sticking together.
Just remember,
It is always best to cut your own cheese....
(Um, er,,)
(sorry for the stinky pun)
(I smelt it after I dealt it...)
(I'll see myself out now...)
Thought I got the theme, if you are white, pink or red you need to get in the shade, but then there was blue?
ReplyDeleteOnce again thank you to Boomer for a fun review.
Everyone, stay well, mask up!
ReplyDeleteContinued Greetings from the Death Zone.
A crunchy Wednesday puzzle for today.
Write-overs...ZED/ZEE, DETOX/DECON, PAPAYA/PAPAWS.
FROM Yesterday....
GarlicGal...my 92 Miata is also MIATA RED.
Pillars of the Earth was a pretty good mini-series adaptation of the really good book.
SHANKARS....right in the middle of it here in Summerville, SC, just NW of Charleston. I cannot say more as my detailed COVID-19 comments about SC were deleted before as violations of the no politics rule. Not a complaint, just saying.
TODAY...Smoked Edam is quite tasty.
Stay Safe, see you tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think anon @ 5:56 got it right. At all. But, if you are so inclined, then go with it. I would argue:
First, shades aren't colors. Shades are gradual variations of colors. None of the animal colors in the theme answers are even close to being a shade of the real animal's colors. The closest might be the gray black of an elephant to white.
Second, each of the theme answers is a legit definition for each of the four entries. What they all have in common is simply a color that would never be associated with the animals except in those definitions.
Third, the 5:56 explanation doesn't make sense with the reveal clue OR the reveal answer. Why congregate ?
Crosswords aren't always perfect, but at the LA Times, puzzles with reveals make sense with the theme answers. Shades being incorrectly used for colors would be rather weak. Not suitable for a Wednesday.
Perhaps there is something else that ties the theme answers and reveal together that we are all missing ? If so, that would be a horse of a different color :>)
Paw Paw is also the name of a village WSW of Chicago that was named for the grove of paw paw trees. Abejo worked there a couple of days one time. A friend that used to bar tend locally moved out there when she and her boyfriend wanted to move out to the country.
Papaw is an accepted variation for the name of the tree. Early settlers that had seen papaya trees in the Caribbean reportedly gave them the name because they appeared very similar to the papaya trees.
Good puzzle, but unfortunately for me I FIW due to too many names I didn’t know.
ReplyDeleteFavotite clue/answer was WISDOM - very clever.
CanadianEh, I consider BRAT an abbreviation. Maybe could have been clued that way.
I love everything about canoes. I used to race them and teach kids how to paddle them at Canadian summer camp years (and years and years) ago.
Thanks Zachary and Boomer for a great start to my day.
Pawpaws are not tropical, but grow in North America and are not the same as papayas (or an alternate spelling 'papaws). They are much smaller than papayas (about the size of a large pear). They grow wild and are also cultivated, e.g. on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The flesh has a creamy texture and they don't ship well so you'll usually find them only at truck stands. As a kid I used to sing the folk song that Yellowrocks refers to and I doubt that was ever sung in the tropics (how would you fit a papaya in your pocket?). :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wheels42. I am happy to provide a chuckle or two during these troubled times or at any time. I have had some good sources of inspiration over the decades. Most recently, from my fellow inmates here.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, all. Haven't been commenting lately but still solving and reading the blog. FIW today, after FIR on Monday and Tuesday. Had Oer/oft, didn't know 6d or 7d so it looked okay to me. I should know 63a but misspelling in the SW corner hurt. Overall, nice xword but knew that there were going to be exceptions taken at all the proper names, etc. Thanks Boomer for 'splainin'. FLN No one commented on Thor's last name, except noting that Thor didn't have a last name. Odinson, really Odin'son. Wasn't Odin Thor's papa? Not sure but I think so. It made me smile. Rain today but an abatement of the heat. Happy hump day.
ReplyDeleteLearning moment today re papaya, papaw and pawpaw.
ReplyDeleteApparently, it has some connection to Australia (where is kazie when we need her?!)
They use the terms papaya and papaw for two different (but related) fruits, and the American Appalachian pawpaw is something else entirely. (see TTP@12:49 for possible origin of name with early settlers) Thanks also to waseely@1:05
"American pawpaw (note the different spelling) on the other hand is an entirely different fruit not related to the tropical Carica papaya from which Australian red papaya and yellow papaw come."
Difference
Hola!
ReplyDeleteLate today. I had to go for a blood draw. It's every three months. Everyone was masked except me, so I had to return to my car to retrieve mine. I just don't think about it.
CORFU reminded me of the PBS show, The Durrells of CORFU. I love it and hope it returns.
Initially, I spelled Frankie's name MUNoZ. IN CD forced the change to MUNIZ.
All went well in filling the puzzle until KUNIS which I spelled CUNIS. PINK PANTHER corrected that.
Most of my SHELF(ves) are double filled. I just hate to get rid of books. For my sisters and nieces it's like a lending library, anyway. Every time they visit, they return books and leave with more.
I though I had read all of Ken Follett's books, but I found an oldie called Trinity that I'm now reading. You know it's old when it occurs during the early days of Israel's formation as a State.
I believe THE SHADE of the reveal refers to the colors mentioned.
I've heard of PAPAWS but have never seen one.
If WISDOM comes with age, what happened to me? Or do I have to age even more?
Take care, all, and stay well.
I add cheddar to my pizza too, Boomer. My isn't pre-shredded; I do that myself.
ReplyDeleteIt is great to know you've been getting "A"s from your oncologist. Good on ya, mate! Good luck with the new test!
I don't suppose the cheddar had anything to do with that. But you never know.
Abejo ~ And good luck to you, too. Congrats on hitting the half-way mark on this round of treatment.
I enjoyed today's pzl. It seemed heavy on name recollection, but perps helped in pinning them down.
Ta~ DA!
I tried reading AYN Rand, but she seemed heavy on ideology, too much so. I understand that's what her fans enjoy. Not for me, though.
~ OMK
____________
DR: One diagonal to each side.
The paucity of vowels cuts down severely on the opportunity for anagrams. The one I can find is on the near side, and it designates that group of people who are being hit by a dilemma posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are the folk who must decide—individually and case-by-case—WHEN (if ever) to resume collecting from other folk who are out of their jobs and have little money.
I’m speaking, of course, of…
“WE LANDLORDS”!
Well, not me. Except for sub-leasing out a theater for a couple of years, I've never been a landlord. But I do understand their predicament, dealing with their own mortgages and tax-burdens and now tenants who just can't pay their way. A ferocious "ripple effect."
For decades now, on the West coast, "tubular" has been surfer lingo for "awesome" or "radical" (AKA RAD) because a tube shaped wave is the best to ride, and is totally tubular, man, y'know? Awesome!
ReplyDeleteHand up for putting in PAPAYA and getting stuck in that area. Having absolutely no idea what the South Korean carrier might be didn't help either. It took a bit of Googling to sort it out. Getting WISDOM (great clue!) was the result of finally getting PAPAWS, not the other way around.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, with all squares filled the clock still wouldn't stop, and my search for where I went wrong failed. It turns out I had MUNOZ and ONHD, which looked fine to me. Only after turning on "red letters" did the O show up in red. I still had to look him up to learn his name is spelled MUNIZ. Sheesh.
Never heard of TSTOP.
I count 10 names, including POPEYE and CAPN Crunch.
Good wishes to you all.
Besides that, WEES. Too many proper names for me, but Mr. Levy gave us sufficient perps to get 'er done. I imagine the strange colored beasts gather in the shade to avoid attention. ???
ReplyDeleteInteresting outing today. It took me awhile, but not as long as on some days, and no look-ups!
ReplyDeleteFIR, with a few perps and a couple of write overs (IDID/IGOT and I had penciled in RUAN before I remembered YUAN, which cemented HUNNYBEAR, or vice-versa). I didn’t even think of PAPAYA, which was very lucky, because that would have really thrown me for a loop. My grandchildren call me PAWPAW.
I’m up to SPF 100, (both sunscreen and lip stuff). Doctor’s ORDERS! During the summer (you know, March through October here in Houston), I spend lots and lots of time out in the sun. Ain’t no SHADE of any kind or any meaning out on the ramp.
Didn’t know RAD = TUBULAR. Thanks for explaining it, NaomiZ. It all makes sense - NOW!
ReplyDeleteI'm back from the cardiologist and no bad news. No episodes in the last 15 months (i.e. arrhythmias). The only bad(ish) news is that my battery has another 3 years before it will need replacing. It should be 6 years, but the pacemaker is running "hot" so I'll get about 7 years instead of the projected 10 years that was advertised when it was implanted. A bridge to cross when I get to it.
Thx, NaomiZ, so I didn't need to explain tubular and RAD. They're both familiar from the 60s. Lots of surfer movies back then. RADical was more hippy/mod slang (à la Austin Powers).
ReplyDeleteFIW. Southeast corner--ASIAir messed up all the perps.
>>Roy
I used one of those cheeses, gruyere, for dinner tonight. Coquille sans Jacques. Yummy.
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteWEES re PAPAYA/PAPAWS; MUNOZ/MUNIZ. Add to those, for me, when I placed ERECT/FRAME
I was puzzled by the clue for 62d; SPF is a bit of a stretch for that clue. I use sunscreen at many other venues besides the beach. And now that I’m in AZ, there ARE no beaches, so just sayin’ ... 😜
5d was my favorite clue/solve. As a freshman pledge for a frat in college, we had to learn the Greek alphabet. Even had to say it, three times in row, while holding a lit match ... PHI/PSI/CHI/OMEGA always got slurred, but I did learn the letters ... in order
Clever retort to when someone asks you, “What’s new?” Your reply: “the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet!”
I, too, couldn’t see the “SHADE”/“animals” reference in the reveal. Maybe if Zachary David Levy stopped by and explained ... but in the meantime, I came up with this “Moe-ku” to offer MY explanation:
Today’s RED HERRING
Were our comments ‘bout puzzle,
And throwing some SHADE ... 😂
DNF - I had to cheat and looked-up ASIANA & the spelling of DANA Patrick (oh, it's DANICA(?) - I was so close to inking Dannah)
ReplyDeleteHeap on a FIR - HoNNY POT, and I had a Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day :-)
Thanks Zachary for the puzzle - the names (too many!) did me in.
Thanks for stepping in with the expo Boomer; your fun write-up helped salve my wounds.
WOs: No DISk, SMoTE, Tees->TAo
ESPs: Names!
Fav: BRAT just 'cuz I'm hungry (yeah on a big hoagie-roll w/ sauerkraut & stone mustard. Excuse, me...
//dang! The Brats are in the freezer.
Funny DR. So far my tenants still have their jobs & SSA check. Did I mention they're my in-laws? Eviction would be awkward :-)
Perhaps if I'd never seen Peter Sellers' Clouseau, Steve Martin's (2006) would have made me laugh harder.
Nice to see you D4. Your place still Covid-free / no cases?
Nice to see you too SansBeach. And yes, Thor is Odin's son.
YR - DW's CHOOs are more a pwuew.
HG - Knives Out fits your Poirot plot device. I recommend it.
CED - Funny 'shred' your own but I think you missed the point... Cheddar? On Pizza?
NaomiZ beat me to it but the links are too fun... //Curmudgeon - it may have started in the '60s but it was the teen lingo in the '80s. I know, I was one :-)
RAD, gnarly, Totally Tubular, Bitchin' cool. Surfer slang.
A more scholarly take.
LOL C. Moe!
Cheers, -T
Yellowrocks I tried smoked Edam for a while but I could never get it to stay lit in my pipe.
ReplyDeleteRE the theme: I just saw it as clever because when I got the reveal I thought, “Ah. Answer includes the word SHADE and the animals were all different shades.” To me it seemed that many folks were reaching way too deep for the connection. Just my ten cents (inflation, you know).
Tha’s it. WEES to most everything else.
Stay well.
Anon-T,
ReplyDeleteCool Surfer Dude Beach Toys!
(Must get one...)
But, as far as Cheddar on Pizza,
Why not?
Which reminds me, Penne Pasta & Vodka Sauce on a Pizza-mmm-mmm-good!
You put cheddar cheese blends on Nachos, yes!
& what are Nacho's but little Mexican Pizzas...
WHich reminds me, the best Nachos I ever had started out on an extra thick chip,
smothered in a black bean dip made with garlic,scallions,olive oil,cummin,salt & pepper,
& then covered in 3 layers of different cheeses, (of which I still have not identified yet...)
Note: only one layer, these nachos were serious eats!
Oh, & you must top them with shredded lettuce!
I don't know why, but the crunch makes them perfect!
(no salsa-Salsa is a whole separate episode...)
WHIch reminds me!
Myfav cheese has to be Smoked Gouda!
To me it tastes like Bacon!
Imagine a pizza with a smoky cheese that tasted like Bacon....
Addendum,
ReplyDeleteOne caveat,
Do not eat too much!
I made a test batch of the above bean dip for Nachos a couple
of days ago, using only a 1/2 can of beans, & ended up eating the whole thing!
Beans & Garlic (why did I eat the whole thing!)
was probably on my mind when I responded to Boomers shredded cheese.
(Luckily, I can hide down the basement until this unfortunate episode passes...)
My girlfriend will be making pizza from scratch this Friday evening. The dough is made with sourdough starter that she has previously used to make the best bread I have ever tasted. Her family (maternal side) is from Sicily so the sauce recipe is also excellent. We won't have access to my pellet grill where I can get a pizza stone up to 600 F but we'll muddle through on that aspect. I am certain that there will be some good wine involved, also. As for the smoke, perhaps a good Islay whisky to start or, maybe I'll muddle some hot peppers and mix them with a smoky Mescal. FWIW, my favorite cheese is aged Gouda.
ReplyDeleteCED - Mozzarella. Wet for margherita pizza; dry for others. My pizzas don't have "handles" but are flat-bread (and usually not even circular).
ReplyDeleteNachos are yummy. We supported out local TexMex joint tonight by getting takout - fajitas, enchiladas, and queso! //I may need to join you in the basement :-)
MManatee - Never thought of sourdough for a crust. I must be the only one in the country that didn't start a starter at the beginning of the pandemic. 'Course I had 2 lb yeast on hand 'cuz Youngest loves to bake.
My favorite cheese just on a water-cracker is camembert. If I have bruschetta on hand, then I want bleu (with a glass of red. oh, and black olives (Kalamatas and/or Nicoise), roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes... mmmm noshy-noshy-noshy)
So, do we go with You must cut down the mightiest tree... with a HERRING or the Cheese Shop Sketch? :-)
Cheers, -T
I forgot to say how much I love HERRING! My first taste was in Sweden and it was love at first bite! Luckily Costco sells it by the jar. On crackers, of course.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great foodie conversation today! I wonder what we'll comment with Steve tomorrow?