Theme: "Space Savers" - Literally interpretation of each familiar phrase with its prepositional words removed.
23A. "Wait ... let me start over": I'M GETTING MYSELF. I'm getting ahead myself.
66A Belief common to much religion: DEATH LIFE. Life after death.
111A. Method for slow, steady progress: ONE FOOT THE OTHER. One foot in front of the other.
15D. Feeling ecstatic: SITTING THE WORLD. Sitting on top of the world.
33D. Make every effort: BEND BACKWARDS. Bend over backwards
36D. Fancy poultry dish: GLASS PHEASANT. Pheasant under glass. Not familiar to me.
40D. Superior to all others: A CUT THE REST. A cut above the rest
44D. Negative forecast: ZERO FIVE DEGREES. Five degrees below zero (Thank you, E.S.)
What a great concept. So creative. The grid design is also very masterful. I love the two intersection in the middle.
Across:
1. Did gondola duty: POLED.
6. "Today" rival, briefly: GMA.
9. Middling: SO SO.
13. Short staff?: ASSTS. Short for Abbr. This short is real: 19. Short trip: HOP.
18. Dollar alternative: ALAMO.
20. Alpha's antithesis: OMEGA.
22. Beat in the kitchen: WHISK. I use chopsticks to whip the eggs.
26. Najimy who voiced Peggy Hill in "King of the Hill": KATHY. Unfamiliar to me.
27. Bad look: LEER. And
28. Heckle, but not Jeckle: HARASS.
29. The "P" in PIN: Abbr.: PERS. Personal.
31. Unilever swab: Q-TIP.
32. Old manuscript copier: SCRIBE.
34. Scalpel sites, for short: ORs.
35. Polynesian wrap: SARONG. The Indonesian way. We also have 115. Asian wraps: SARIS.
37. Rage: IRE.
38. To the point: TERSE.
40. Spa sounds: AHS.
41. Early pictures: SILENTS.
43. Some online reads: E-ZINES.
45. Diamond surfaces: FACETS.
48. Georgia gridders, to fans: DAWGS. Georgia Bulldogs.
49. "Ginger __": 1952 Newbery Medal-winning book: PYE. We had this before.
50. "Spring forward" letters: DST.
51. School reunion attendee: ALUM.
52. Car radio button: PRESET.
54. Oxygen-eating bacteria: AEROBES.
56. Asian festival: TET. I seem to have this fill every Sunday.
57. Gets dirty: SOILS.
58. Busy center: HUB.
61. Uncle Sam's land, proudly: US OF A. This reminds me, what do you think "So Bye Bye, Miss American Pie" mean?
62. Bunny tail: SCUT. Learned from doing xwords.
63. Coral component: POLYP.
64. Big shot: Abbr.: ENL.
65. Cellar, but not collar, opening: SOFT C.
68. "Explain, please?": HOW SO.
70. Western PA airport code: ERI. Erie Airport. Shout out to Abejo.
71. Disappearing retail giant: KMART.
73. Hosp. readouts: EEGS.
74. Lodge opening?: ECONO.
75. Patel of "Slumdog Millionaire": DEV. All grown up now.
76. Gets one's feet wet: WADES.
77. Milne hopper: ROO.
78. Caught: IN A TRAP.
80. First novel in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle: ERAGON.
82. Sign of a hit: DENT.
83. Wks. and wks.: MOS. Been a long month for us. So glad our
garage ceiling leak is stopped. Last time it was the bathtub, this time
it was the toilet. The guy added some 2 by 4 to fix the bathroom flange
issue. Waiting for the drywall guy to fix the hole.
84. Platters in sleeves: LPS.
85. Beautify: ADORN.
86. Puts down: ABASES.
88. Honors: AWARDS.
90. Svelte: SLENDER.
92. 911 pro: EMT.
93. Culture: Pref.: ETHNO.
94. Friend of Goat in "Pearls Before Swine": PIG.
95. Some skippers: STONES.
97. Flock hangout: LEA.
99. List-shortening term: ET ALIA.
103. Sticks on a boat: OARS. And 105. Boat owner's rental: SLIP. Still can't believe Jeannie is gone.
106. Flat owner, maybe: LESSOR.
108. Sound: SANE.
109. Fitness mantra opening: USE IT.
114. Like a fleabag motel: SEEDY.
116. Dusk, to Donne: EEN.
117. __ dish: PETRI.
118. Half of scissors?: ESSES. The four letters in "scissors".
119. Hacking targets: Abbr.: SSNS. More ESSES here.
120. Sellout letters: SRO.
121. Hackneyed: TRITE.
Down:
1. Beach toys: PAILS.
2. Early Mesoamerican sculptors: OLMEC.
3. It may be golden: LAGER.
4. Some retired academics: EMERITI. Misty is one.
5. Point: DOT.
6. Karmann __: classic VW: GHIA.
.jpg/1200px-Volkswagen_Karmann-Ghia_Type_14_coupe_(6106019298).jpg)
7. President before an Adams: MONROE.
8. Eponymous newborn score creator: APGAR.
9. Sauces for sushi: SOYS. I mentioned to a few bloggers about shio koji. Try it, you'll have the juiciest chicken/turkey/pork.
10. Yoga syllables: OMS.
11. Overlook: SEE PAST.
12. Lustful looker: OGLER.
13. Comics cry from a birdcage: AWK. OK, parrot.
14. Member of three L.A. Lakers championship teams: SHAQ.
16. Stadium merch: T-SHIRTS.
17. Uses a Zoom alternative: SKYPES.
21. "Hair" dos: AFROS.
24. First name of Dickens' Madame Defarge: THERESE.
25. Ed.'s stack: MSS. Manuscript.
30. Dudley's toon foe: SNIDELY. I wonder how Dudley is doing.
35. Brother of Ham: SHEM.
39. Retired fliers: Abbr.: SSTS. More ESSES. Super grid-friendly.
42. Sheepish girl?: EWE.
43. Gentrification target: EYESORE.
45. Campaign funders: FAT CATS.
46. Alaskan native: ALEUT.
47. "SNL" staples: SPOOFS.
49. Took a breather: PAUSED.
53. Heat up: RILE.
55. O'er and o'er again: OFT.
57. Features of urns: SPIGOTS.
59. Loosens, as a tot's pajamas: UNSNAPS.
60. Soft hits just over the infield: BLOOPS.
62. Big name in tennis: SERENA. Look at her cute daughter.
66. Carpenter's groove: DADO.
67. Sierra __: LEONE.
69. LGBT History Mo.: OCT.
72. Drawers?: MAGNETS.
78. "__ a loss": I'M AT.
79. Remote area known for its middle?: NOWHERE. Middle of nowhere.
81. Hermione's guy: RON. Our Jazzbumpa also. I, RON, as he says at times.
82. Stream blockers: DAMS.
85. Assumed names: ALIASES.
87. Paging devices: BEEPERS.
89. Family dinner fowl: ROASTER.
90. Half of some couples: SPOUSE.
91. Hershey's caramel candies: ROLOS.
93. A time to dye: EASTER.
96. Granada girls: NINAS.
97. It's a sign: LEO.
98. __ Park, Colorado: ESTES.
100. Christine of "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood": LAHTI.
101. Like radon, say: INERT.
102. Home on high: AERIE.
104. Kick starter?: SIDE. Sidekick.
106. L, in box scores: LOSS.
107. "What a mess!": OH NO.
110. TV's Burrell and baseball's Cobb: TYS.
112. Ocean flipper: FIN.
113. Back (out): OPT.
C.C.
I'm sad to tell you that TTP has retired from blogging. But he's not leaving us. He'll continue to be our blog administrator and help me with the Comments section and other technical aspects of the blog. Blogging is a tiring job, looking for pictures, resizing them, looking for past themes/blog comments. And TTP is particularly thorough in his searches and comments, which often take up to 4 or 5 hours for one post. Thank you for what you've done and continue to do for us, TTP!
I'm
also excited to tell you that Chair Moe (Chris) has agreed to guide us a
few times a month. He'll share the Friday duties with Lemonade and maybe
one or two Wednesdays when need him. You'll see his debut on Wednesday. Thank you for joining us, Chris!
C.C.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteGot 'er done, but not without some missteps. Tried AMOEBAS for AEROBES and held on to DRAGON instead of ERAGON for far too long. FIVE finally set me straight. Learning moment: OLMEC can be singular or plural. SARONG evokes Dorothy Lamour from those "Road" movies with Hope and Crosby. I saw the CSO to Abejo (hope you feel better soon). Vaguely remember the APGAR score, but wonder what it sounds like. :) Very creative, Pam. And thanx for the expo, C.C.
Thanx for your yeoman service, TTP. Looking forward to Chairman Moe's first blog on Wednesday.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI just loved, loved this theme, even though the complexity didn’t dawn on me until the very end. I remember a similar theme from long, long ago, but this was extremely well-executed and a truly enjoyable solve. Oh how I envy this display of creativity! For a Sunday grid, the unknowns were scarce: Pye, Aerobes, Olmec, and Dado, although we’ve probably seen them before. There were some cute pairings, e.g., ORs/Oars/Oms, Sarong/Saris, and Ogle/Leer/Harass. I also, as always, liked the creature mini-theme: Cats, Dawgs, Roo, Pig, Ewe, Pheasant, Lea, Awk, Fin, and Aerie. Major CSOs to Madame Defarge (Therese), Leo III (Leo), JazzB (Ron), Abejo (ERI), and Misty, OMK, and Ferm (Emeriti).
Thanks, Pam, I’m really enjoying your Sunday puzzles and thanks, CC, for an excellent summary and, as always, the inside skinny! I remember Kathy Najimy from her hilarious performance in Sister Act with Whoppie Goldberg. Dev Patel’s appearance in the puzzle is quite timely as he is starring in the recent release of a remake of David Copperfield.
Although I’ll miss TTP’s witty and wise write-ups, I thank him for the time, effort, and dedication he put into the blog and will look forward to his continued presence and input. (I sent you an email yesterday, Tom.)
I look forward to a healthy dose of Chairman Moe’s inimitable humor and impishness.
FLN
Anon T, you and youngest did a fine job on that very attractive stand. My step-daughter was into wood-working several years ago and was quite accomplished. Thanks to her generosity, I have a huge cutting board of a mixture of woods, a lovely wooden bowl that I keep on my counter for fruit or vegetables, a standard-size clipboard, and a mini-clipboard that holds the note pad that I use for my daily puzzle comments.
Abejo, hope you’re feeling somewhat better. 😉
Have a great day.
44D. Five degrees below zero. A negative forecast
ReplyDeleteEye opener today. I didn’t know I knew some of the stuff I wrote in the squares today. I half got the theme in that I knew that prepositions were absent. I didn’t notice the literal positioning, but really didn’t need it. A great mind bender. FIR and knew it before I checked.
ReplyDeleteFIR. Figured out that words were being omitted ("Space Savers") from common phrases, but didn't catch on that they were prepositions. I was a little confused by 66A though, as not only was a word omitted, but the order of the remaining words was reversed DEADLIFE to LIFE AFTER DEATH. Liked it. Lot of interesting clues and even more interesting answers.
ReplyDeleteThe left/middle stumped me with the crosses until all I had left was 43 Down Gentrification Target and I had E-ESO-- I finally figured out EYESORE.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I didn't know ERI airport (ERIE?) or DEV Petel and I thought the dragon's name was Aragon instead of Eragon, so I ended up with ZEROFARADEGREES. Fara for Fahrenheit? Oops.
But I really really liked the space saver theme once I got it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pam and C.C. Very creative and entertaining.
The things you learn in crosswords. All this time I thought Madame Defarge's first name was Janice.
Abejo, I hope you start feeling better and that you're able to eat more.
C.C. thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for the kind words. I'll try to not screw it up.
Welcome aboard, Chairman Moe !
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteGuessed right at RON so FIR. Began getting the theme at PHEASANT (under) GLASS. Nice how Pam placed the object of the preposition above or before in the grid such as SITTING (on top of) THE WORLD. Agree with FIVE DEGREES (below) ZERO.
Enjoyable solve.
33d - Make every effort. On our DD when going at flank speed+ (25 - 28 knots on 2 boilers) the phrase "bending on the turns" would sometimes be heard; meaning do all you can, or squeeze out a little more power. (Turns refers to the rpms of the propellers. Bend probably came from the nautical meaning of attaching a sail or a rope. I don't think it is etymologically related to the BEND in today's puzzle.)
Enjoy the day.
Where is everyone? A couple Anons didn't care for this puzzle. I don't think I can be so critical when I think of the incredible effort this must have taken to construct. That said, I got the theme with pheasant and one by one they slowly filled. Also, I misread some clues which didn't help. Last to fill was the left center with the unknown Pye. A Sunday FIR in a bit more than the usual Sunday time. For this old man, at least, a good way to get the brain cells in gear for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteI loved this theme and the way the prepositions were illustrated rather than spelled out. How clever! Not much obscure fill, only ERAGON, PYE, LAHTI and DEV for me, all solved with handy perps. US of A is common, as is e-zines. I have heard of the Apgar scale.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam for delightful clues like some skippers/stones, dusk to Donne/een, big shot/enl., drawers/magnets.
Hello Madame Defarge. Are your grand kids still visiting?
TTP, I enjoyed your interesting blogging. I can see how time consuming it must have been. So glad you will continue to administrate and trouble shoot.
Life after death seems fine. It refers to heaven.
Yellowrocks to all from Kathy.
Musings
ReplyDelete-_ON/E_AGON. An R worked, so, it’s Gary 1 Natick 0
-BALLS, AZTEC, ROWED, OARED? Nope, it took the clever gimmick to get me started
-I better remember KATHY Najimy for being onscreen in Sister Act before she became SVELTE and had plastic surgery.
-LEER, HARASS and OGLE – a mini theme? :-)
-TTP did a great job on my HOW SO questions for the new blog. Welcome aboard, Chris!
-The cluing for APGAR clanged on my ear but I am happy to learn it
-Schools usually SEE PAST great people in their own buildings for presenters. You have to be 100 miles away to be an expert. ;-)
-Gentrification - Another before and after
-Cell phones finally got Law And Order off the BEEPERS
-A partner is a step up from a SIDEKICK
Puzzles like this contribute to my growing interest in crosswords.
ReplyDeleteValerie and I solved the puzzle without too much difficulty. It is great to see a puzzle engender such a range of opinions. Personally, I find myself in the "clever, well constructed, not too much bogus fill" camp.
ReplyDeleteBeing relatively new here, I have not had a lot of interaction with TTP but there has been enough to form a strongly positive view of his style and contributions. Thank you, TTP.
Spoiler alert, it would not have been inappropriate for Chairman Moe to have been up at bat tomorrow.
FIR after a long struggle. I interpreted 23 across as I'M (for)GETTING MYSELF, and was fortunate to grasp the dropping of prepositions, but since I did not grok I'M GETTING (ahead of) MYSELF, I was baffled by the word order in other answers. Why did "life after death" become DEATH LIFE? Only by reading the comments here did I eventually realize that the missing preposition dictated the word order. Oof! Tough. Thanks, Pam, for the workout, C.C. and all who commented to clarify, and TTP for continuing to make this meeting place work.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 1209 - - Really? Anyone who has become birth parents in the last 50+ years has probably been told their newborn's APGAR score by the attending medical personnel. I think the word is reasonably in the language for a Sunday solve.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a delightful Sunday puzzle, Pam. What an interesting theme and fun executions. I loved seeing SITTING on top of THE WORLD. Made me laugh. And, of course, my favorite was EMERITI--and thank you for the sweet shout out, C.C. Your comments and pictures are always wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss, I loved your tracking that neat animal theme. Dusty thanks you too. And thank you also for the kind shout outs to blog members.
We appreciated all your hard work, TTP, and get a good rest.
Get well soon, Abejo.
Have a great week coming up, everybody.
Thanks to Misty EMERITI popped right up.
ReplyDelete"Sound". I kept thinking of auric phenomenae . 2nd Step: Restore to SANity. I wasn't sure I ever was. New def? Not repeating; thinking things will be different next time.
I'm excited to hear C-Moe is our new commentator. TTP, thanks for all you've done and do.
Anon@829: "Seriously"* I found this very difficult but clued sensationally albeit in the wheelhouse of IM and other experienced solvers eg DADO,ESSES,SCUT ETALIA. Getting the convoluted theme finally was a big help.
Note: The acrosses were synonyms as were the downs opposite syns. ie ABOVE/UNDER
FIR. After a lot of work.
WC
*"Seriously"?. Once was too many. I hope you don't take yourself seriously. Go back to Rex where they take you "seriously". Or perhaps not.
Excellent puzzle. Hard and daunting. I do crosswords because I like puzzles and I learn a bit. I do not consider using google to get a answer cheating. That’s how I’ve learned a lot over the past 69 years.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I just don’t know or care who the 1951 Heisman trophy winner was.
Stop taking yourself so seriously anonymous and have fun and learn
That’s all I have to say about that.... Gump
Wow! This was very tough for me, and mis-spelling Snidely (Snidley), Emeriti (emereti) didn’t help. The theme was masterful! Many many interesting fill clues made the challenge fun.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that all the negative comments about the puzzle were posted anonymously. Maybe they should choose another, easier puzzle to work on.
Thank you Pam for the workout and C.C. for the tour. I’m going to try and find the sauce you mentioned.
TTP, thanks for all you do for the. Log and also for helping me navigate some of the ins and outs when I began posting.
I loved this puzzle.Loved it loved it loved it! How can one human mind think of stuff like this?
ReplyDeleteBecky
There once was a cartoon named Cathy
ReplyDeleteAbout a girl who said "Ack" and was daffy.
But the puzzle today
Spelt KATHY this way,
Crossed with AWK. Now isn't that laughy?
When out in the middle of NOWHERE,
One may question "HOW SO" that one got there.
One could make a quip
Of forgetting the trip,
To cover that sense of despair!
{A-, B.}
ReplyDeleteHola!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pam A.K. for this delightful puzzle. It challenged my brain but that is what puzzles should do!
APGAR is familiar to anyone who has had a child as was mentioned, in the last 50 years or so.
I love to see KATHY Najimy in action. She is so bubbly and funny.
I, also, liked the implied prepositional phrases; again, that is what makes puzzles challenging and thinking outside the box. You have to SEE PAST the obvious.
I watch Midsomer Murders and last night I actually heard AERIE used in conversation but not the usual eagle's nest; it was an attachment to the top of a house.
ERAGON is often seen on booklists so that is the only reason I know it.
Irish Miss:
I love the way you sort categories of animals and other facets of the puzzle!
Hoping you are having a most enjoyable Sunday, everyone! TTP (Tom) I'm sorry to see you go from the comments. You always offer valuable insights.
Lots of fun doing this puzzle and figuring out the theme by the middle helped greatly. Very clever! Towards the end I was bogged down until I saw EZINES and EYESORE. Those entries eased the way to the finish. Thanks, Pam and C.C. for an enjoyable Sunday activity. Reading C.C.'s expo alerted me to one sloppy error so I FIW....Sigh, again.... Better proofreading needed here. AERIE, not eerie. 🤓
ReplyDeleteThanks also to TTP for your continuing participation with the blog and to Chairman Moe for being available to help out. So much talent in this group!
C.C.
ReplyDeleteThank you for today's commentary and for the suggested seasoning. I'll check the Asian market near my home to see if it's available there. That market and all the businesses there have been there since before I moved here and now they are scheduled to be torn down for what? More apartments!! It's sickening.
Sunday Lurk Say...
ReplyDelete{you're on fire OKL - A's all the way}
TTP - LOL re: The Corner's MdF.
I'm a little saddened that I won't "hear" your voice alternative Friday's but I get it. Time is a resource to be used at one's whim and clocks|calendars suck. Thanks for all your efforts. I would say I'll miss you but I know where you live.
:-)
C. Moe! Oh, I can't wait to read your Wednesday take - And I don't even know what the puzzle is yet. Stay PG :-)
@8:29 - but how do you really feel? eZine is a stretch since a Zine is online sans e. US of A is in the (age dependent) vernacular though.
Spitz - Your nautical info is absolutely fascinating. Never have I thought about "bending on the turn" as a sea maneuver. I do that in my manual-transmission Alfa [drop RPMs, drift until turn, down-shift, gas it! - bend the turn]. I'm enriched.
IM - Wow - you're step-daughter made a bowl out of wood? That's very impressive.
//Remember the stuff Splynter would build? also above my abilities (patience? :-))
C.C. - I think "Bye Bye, Miss American Pie" means his innocence (and optimism (idealism(?)) died along with Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry), and Ritchie Valens on that fateful trip.
Though, if you ask Don McLean it means "I never have to work again" [cite] :-)
//oh, and Nama Shio Koji - Rice-malt Seasoning is in my Amazon cart for the next time I (impulsively) pull the trigger on stuff.
Cheers, -T
Thanks TTP and good luck Chariman Moe. I know all about boring, thankless work.
ReplyDeleteI didn't catch what was going on in the puzzle until about halfway through. That made some unknowns easier to fill. KATHY Najimy, Ginger PYE, ERI, DEV, ERAGON ( originally filled DRAGON), THERESE, & LAHTI were only solvable using perps.
SNIDELY Whiplash. I wonder how NELL is doing. She was the one in danger until the RCMP showed up.
Middle of NOWHERE. Been there a lot lately as I drove from Bellingham, WA to Denver, CO via Whitefish, MT and MT Rushmore. 50 miles and more between some towns.
Anon@ 10:56 & 8:42- If you think you can do better why don't you construct a puzzle and have it published. Personally, I don't like themed puzzles but I'm not in charge of the LAT. But I will not criticize somebody's hard work, even if I don't care for it.
FLN, I just now went back and read the final few comments on yesterday's CW. I saw TIRED and a reference to Blazing Saddles. I didn't click on the link. Didn't have to. It's always nice to have a visit from Lilly...but always too soon.
ReplyDeleteWell this was just fun and amusing with all the theme fill being figuratively laid out in the puzzle - ahead , after, below, on top of , etc.
ReplyDeleteAPGAR scores are in the language for anyone who has birthed a baby. The physician who developed the scoring at 1 and 5 mins was quite an impressive person:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Apgar
As a physician in training we would always joke that since the scoring is 1 worst -10 best that only the attendings and anesthesiologists kids would get a 10 at 1 minute. (actually nearly every baby got a 9 at 1 minute because their hands and feet would be a little bluish from coming out of the warm womb into the cooler outside world!) Our youngest son got a little stuck coming out -so his scores were a 3 at 1 minute and an 8 at 5 minutes . He is the naturally brightest of our 3 - we joke that if the experienced knocked off a few brain cells - it probably kept him closer to the range of the rest of us :)
CC - do you have a recipe or way to best use the Shio Koji ?
We just watched a neat mini-series (4 programs) on Netflix called "Fat, Salt, Acid, Heat" that foodies like Steve or those who want to know more about different locations that are known for certain ingredients. It was like a little trip to places like Italy and Japan!
Thanks TTP for your blogs and your background role! Looking forward to yours Chairman Moe!
Thanks CC and Pam!
Well, I think from over 100 miles away, Hurricane Laura somehow sucked up my wheelhouse and blew it halfway around the world, because I couldn’t find it today for THIS puzzle. While I must commend Pam for her clever construction and theme, I will admit that as I was fighting my way through it for HOURS, I kept saying to myself that I’m not having fun, but I refused quit! It was just too hard for my feeble brain.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the expo, C.C.
The first thing I did was highlight all of the long fills and their clues. Then, I looked at them and said, “Huh???”
Then, 1A got me, because I couldn’t choose among POLED, OARED and ROWED. For some reason, I figured it was POLED, but the long stick the gondolier wiggles back and forth is called an OAR, and his action is called ROWING. Then, 1D had so many possibilities, and I couldn’t make any of them fit with 1A any way that I liked them (didn’t know OLMEC and the other four downs there didn’t come to mind), so I had a horrible start! That’s what happens when I overthink this stuff.
Yeah, I misspelled SNIDELY too, which didn’t help!
None of my fills seemed to either cross or sufficiently perp the theme fills. I got about half of it done before I checked the beginning of C.C.’s expo. Luckily (?) on my tablet I was able to only see down to the three across theme answers, so after I got the gist of the theme, I closed up her expo and went back to work. Eventually, I was able to suss a few of the down themes, but I still had to look up more stuff than I like.
Anyway, tomorrow is Monday!
Thanks for everything TTP, and welcome Moe!
I loved this puzzle. So creative!
ReplyDeleteTo quote desper-otto, "Thanx for your yeoman service, TTP. Looking forward to Chairman Moe's first blog on Wednesday."
Good wishes to you all.
Anon @ 10:56:
ReplyDelete"Puzzles like this contribute to the declining interest in crosswords."
Uh, any data to back this up?
I know how you feel ... I was only 7 when Ginger Pye got that award ... but OTOH I learned of a new author today, who is working on an "Inheritance cycle", so if the library ever opens again, I'll have a name to hunt for. To reword Napoleon, "Patience, toujours patience."
Let me join the nay-sayers. Won't even look at the answers. A total waste if three hours. Sublime silliness in the so-called "theme" should be outlawed here. Remember; I never use cheat sites on the internet- only my library reference books, as I have done for about a half century. This puzzle was neither clever nor accurate. Ms. Klawitter eas obviously more interested in cutesiness than accuracy ..i.e. which word to omit in the answer. Again, please no comments about seeking "easier" puzzles. Fifty years+ of solving LAT puzzles makes me sure that I'm not ready for the pasture yet! I will continue to complain about the lack of professionalism by the LAT editors for allowing this sort of jumbled messes to appear in the pages of the their newspaper!
ReplyDeleteOops! It's, if course, BOBBI!
ReplyDeleteFor you foodies out there, I heartily recommend the book that came from the PBS miniseries.
ReplyDeleteFat Salt Acid Heat
Becky
Ok, Cornerites -- Stand down. I'll take this.
ReplyDelete@6:13p - If this was a USA Today puzzle; OK, some are lazy. LAT, WSJ, & NYT constructors, OTOH, put in a ton of work for a few grids a year.
To call them lazy is a reflection of one throwing the stone.
//there are some that are 'meh' but move on.
Just 'cuz you didn't have kids [Spitz - stand by], doesn't mean it's presumptuous of him nor not known to most. I fancy myself a baseball fan but I'd have no clue who won MVP in '32.
//I'm sure WC (& others?) has it on the tip of his brain giving him the Rosetta opening up his solve in this proverbial puzzle.
//was there even an MVP in '32?
Google?
Phillies Jimmie Foxx(?) - Now, that's lazy :-)
I've come up with themes but could not execute w/o the heavy-lifting of a true pro [*cough* C.C.]. It's a labour of love.
Opinions are like a**-holes; everyone has one. Just make sure yours smell of roses when you toss it in. Capische?
Now, go have a wonderful afternoon.
Cheers, -T
Most Sunday puzzles, because of their length, tend to be slogs and this one was, but the final solve ultimately proved itself satisfying. Most puzzles teach me something as do the comments from posters. One big lesson I have learned is that it isn't necessary to have experienced something personally to know it: in fact, that is one of life's BIG lessons. Sports clues always make that one clear to me.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteSheesh. Give it a rest! Spitz was not saying or even implying that everyone had kids; just pointing out that what might be known to some folks will likely be known to others. Isn’t that ALWAYS true?
This took me quite awhile to finish but a lot of that was because life kept getting in the way. It was not until I was about halfway through that I grokked the theme, but when I finally did, things came together much more quickly.
Seeing OLMEC took me back to my yute; my mother was fascinated by the indigent peoples of mesoamerica. Toltec, Aztec, OLMEC and Inca were frequent discussion topics around the dinner table.
Didn’t care for EZINES, but loved the misdirection at “Big shot” / ENL.
Didn’t know ERAGON, liked WHISK (it just sounds cool), and chuckled at “Drawers” = MAGNETS.
TTP, thanks for yeoman service (and for the link to the ham radio blog), and thanks C.C. for settling me on course a few (Ok, a lot of times). C Moe, welcome aboard! Maybe we’ll see some Mokus in the dissertations? Hmmm...?
Work awaits (doesn’t it always?). Stay well and mask up!
Regardless of the caterwauling about APGAR, it seems to be crossed by 5 very solid perps; helped along by easy abutting columns GHIA and MONROE.
ReplyDeleteThanks Inane for weighing in on the word. Always learn something here.
TTP - I join others in appreciation of your commentator efforts. I look forward to your future posts; always interesting.
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteWow! I was not expecting an intro today, but I’m both flattered and honored to add my - how did Irish Miss put it - inimitable humor and impishness to C.C.’s blog! I have big shoes to fill (TTP —> super job you did/do), but since we (Tom and I) share some background together (Pittsburgh Steelers / Pennsylvania roots), I feel pretty confident! Thanks, C.C. for adding me to your group of amazing bloggers.
One thing I do know, is I’ll now have to adjust my sleep habits to make sure my blog posts get published by 3:00 am CDT on those days I’m “up”! No more solving puzzles as late as I do ... like today’s, e.g. And a spoiler alert: I “hear” that my first blog may be constructed by PAK (today’s constructor). I hope it won’t be as difficult for me to solve as today’s was ...
I liked the concept of her work today ... once I “got” the theme, I easily solved all but one of them. For some reason, I had ARAGON/ERAGON, and refused to let go of it. I knew there had to be some number between ZERO and DEGREES, but FIVE didn’t register. The SOFT C and DEV never materialized. Had a few other write-overs (ROWED/POLLS & RAFTS/PAILS). Oh well. Can’t solve them all, but when it’s “my turn” to blog, I may have to cheat!! 😜
-T, I’ll keep them as “PG” as possible. No worse than PG-13! 🤡
And now that you all know my “real” first name, I guess my ALIAS is blown! But please, just call me “Moe”!
See y’all Wednesday ...
Good evening, folks. Thank you, Pam Amick Klawitter, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, C.C., for a fine review.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for wishing me well. I am not there yet, but working on it. Only a year to go.
TTP: Great job, my friend. You will be missed in that capacity. However, we will enjoy you solving puzzles.
The theme was tricky, but it all came together. I agree APGAR was a tricky word, but all the perps helped.
This took me quite a while to get through, but I stuck with it. So, with that, see you tomorrow.
Abejo
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TTP - thank you for all your wonderful work! It has been a joy to read your write-ups!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think people are being kind of harsh, I can understand why people wouldn't love the puzzle. I think it should have had an in-puzzle reveal, rather than having to rely on the title. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was going on, which was frustrating. I'm also one who believes that the answers should all make sense on their own, without knowledge of the theme.
That being said, once I sussed out the general scheme, I really liked the wordplay, and I had a lot of fun. But that reveal would have helped a lot.
@10:11a - Rebus puzzles (from the LAT) are a PITA [pain in the a**] when not expected. Shortz will run them sometimes in the NYT & they befuddle me until...
ReplyDeleteOne gloms onto.
Then it's certain joy. //You Bastard!, I see what you did there!
I recall solving an xword in the in-flight magazine that used the ✔ as a the gimmick. I was incensed at the solve until that beautiful "AhHa!" moment came over me.
Peace (☮), -Sunday Lurk.
This never got posted, I just have fallen asleep
ReplyDeleteIM, you forgot to mention the OFT/EEN pair.
-T, off the top of my head I'm guessing it was the second straight MVP of Jimmy Foxx. It could have been Gehrig.
Bobbi, I thought of you when solving. As I said earlier there are veteranp solvers like Irish Miss,Lemonade ETALIA who may not have had problems.
Sometimes a constructor has a lot of gimme's but not so Pam today. However, 23A revealed that Pam was saving space by omitting "AHEAD OF". Then later she reverses the order: DEATH/LIFE.
But from previous posts I knew this was not your cup of tea. California was blank until I got rid of "rested" and grok'ed PAUSED. But that's all good clueing by Pam.
And despite being a father I wasn't familiar with APGAR. I do recall when TB-Times had two xwords and the Rich Norris one was too difficult.
As you can see this was very enjoyable for the majority but not for everyone. We respect your honest opinion.
WC
I rarely comment on the Sunday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have, it is consistent with what I say which is I never solve by theme, occasionally see repetition of a syllable or letter but nothing beyond.
I had about 5 blanks in this one related to abbreviated expressions or a twist on same, particularly the vertical clue on weather and the "deathlife".
So I will say it was challenging, almost completed and I look forward to next Sunday's solve.
Pam, your puzzle of Sunday, 8-30 was great. Tough, but not too tough, and fun. Merl would be proud.
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