Works for me ...
Chairman Moe, here, filling in for my partner in "crhyme", MalMan. This is an interesting "work" from Paul Coulter. I completed it in my usual time for a Thursday puzzle, and had a minimal number of mistakes. I certainly used ESP (every single perp) to solve a number of these, as I will elucidate, later on. I had a really tough time figuring out the theme, and eventually it was explained to me. Thanks, C.C. and HG
Paul took the "unifier", (61-Across. Colleague ... and, when preceded by "the," what the end of 16-, 24-, 37- or 50-Across is:) WORK MATE, and combined it with the second word in each of the numbered clues, to form a common phrase.
Example #1: (16-Across. Figurative setting for many deals:) BACK ROOM. The "BACK ROOM" is where many deals get made, although I had a few sales "close" whilst at a bar. I remember getting a purchase order, written on a cocktail napkin, from a client!
Take the word "WORK", add the word "the" and then add the last word, and you get: "WORK THE ROOM". This puzzle literally was so obscure to me, at first, that I think THIS obscure clip speaks volumes!
Example #2: (24-Across. Alpha Centauri, for one:) STAR SYSTEM. Alpha Centauri is the next closest identified STAR (and planetary) SYSTEM to the Earth. But at some 4+ light years away, it is not weekend destination.
"WORK THE SYSTEM": doing what is needed to get around certain "rules",
or using the rules to your advantage. Due to our "no politics" rule here at
the Corner, I won't expound on how politicos may use this
Example #3:
(37-Across. Terra firma:) DRY LAND. This 1975 tune from Joan
Armatrading has
a deep meaning.
"WORK THE LAND" per Husker Gary, is a Nebraska specialty!
And what better item to WORK THE LAND than: (63. Groundbreaking
invention:) TILLER. Rotary tillers were introduced to the US in the
1930's from Germany. They were known there as “boden frasen” or earth grinder.
Spitzboov, stimmst du mir zu?
Example #4: (50-Across. Clash of
personalities, say:) EGO PROBLEM.
This website says it all; again, no political references, please!
"WORK THE PROBLEM": From Apollo 13, Gene Kranz @0:17
I'm not certain that as a blogger here I have any more insight to the puzzle than those who solve it on the published date. I usually do my puzzle solves with pen and paper, though on the days I blog they're done electronically due to expediency. And honest to God I couldn't see the forest for the trees in today's puzzle. A couple of my fellow bloggers bailed me out so I could write something more lucid. Whew! I never thought of this (blogging) as HARD WORK!
And now that it all fell into
place, so to speak, I will let my inner Stooge guide me through the rest of the
clues!
Across:
1. "Above the __": 1994 basketball film: RIM. The trailer:
The movie was shot on location in NYC, and loosely deals with an aspiring HS basketball player from "the 'hood'".
Of course here in Arizona when folks use the term "above the rim", most of us
here in the "valley" associate that with
this rim, not the ones at the Grand Canyon. The Mogollon Rim essentially separates,
or creates the "boundary" from high plateau (>8,000' elevation) from the
desert (less than 3,000' of elevation). The correct pronunciation for Mogollon
is: "mug-ee-on"
4. Influence: HEFT. I always thought that HEFT meant to lift something
(as a verb), or something heavy (as a noun). Turns out that one of its
definitions clearly points to having ability or influence; as in "intellectual
heft"
8. African capital on the Gulf of Guinea: ACCRA. Moe-ku #1:
Ghana cave dweller
Likes to play on trampolines;
It's an ACCRA bat.
13. Tip jar bill: ONE.
14. "Boo'd Up" Grammy winner __ Mai: ELLA. I just finished the NYT Sunday puzzle from Sept 20, where the constructor, Sam Trabucco, said in his bio: "one of my top priorities ... is to make my puzzles relatable to younger solvers. I want this hobby to remain relevant forever!"
The use of ELLA with
Grammy Winner Mai
certainly falls into that category. I guess I am one that will always equate
ELLA with Fitzgerald ...
15. Fissile rocks: SHALES. "Fissile" is from the Latin root: findare,
which means to split. Shale readily splits into layers, hence the clue/solve.
One of my favorite wine varietals is Riesling. Those grapes grown along the slopes of the Mosel River tend to be planted in slate-rich soil. One producer, Dr Loosen, has wines from both Red and Blue Slate soil. Go here to learn more about the differences between the two.
Now of course, if the clue said "Fraggle rocks", we'd have thought of this:
18. Locker hangers: PIN-UPS. What guys in HS back in the 40's, '50's, '60's, and '70's might have hung in their lockers. Not sure that PIN-UPS are allowed nowadays. Examples:
A Splynter PIN-UP.
A C Moe PIN-UP
19. Bring upon oneself: INCUR. I've INCURred a fair amount of debt in my lifetime, but have always managed to pay it off
20. Samoan capital: APIA. It resides on the north shore of Upolu, the second largest of the Samoan Islands, and has an urban population of just under 40,000 residents. Looks inviting
22. Big name in razors: ATRA. Although no longer produced, it was, I believe, the first of its generation, featuring multiple blades and a pivoting head
23. Almost at hand: NEAR. Ooh, you almost had it! It was so NEAR ...
26. Fizzles out: DIES. Literally, "fizzle" means to break wind, without making a noise. Some SBD's do seem/smell like something "DIED"!
28. Hams it up: EMOTES. Actors are known for showing EMOTION on stage, but when they "ham it up" they've OVER-emoted.
29. 2008 Visa milestone, briefly: IPO. Its IPO raised over $17.8 billion; largest in the history of the market
32. Weho or Soho, in slang: NABE. WEst HOllywood / SOuth of HOuston; NEIGHBorhoods, or "NABE" in slang. Or how to clue an obscure word to finish a noticeable hole in a puzzle ... ESP got this one for me. You?
34. Nostrils: NARES. Another ESP. Moe-Ku #2:
Hairy proboscis
Was becoming a problem.
Trimmed NARES with Nair
36. Recyclable item: CAN. CSO to Tin, perhaps??!
40. Brian of ambient music: ENO. A crossword staple. Easy 3 letter
fill
41. In __: awaiting delivery: UTERO. Or, how about a 1993 album by
Nirvana?
43. Arctic sight: FLOE. Moe-Ku #3:
Displaced polar bear
Was frustrated; His mate said,
"Just go with the FLOE"
44. Rehab hurdle: DTS. Delirium TremenS, or the
condition felt by many who are abstaining from alcohol, and in rehab, which is
short for rehabilitation
45. Colorful ring: AREOLA. Since this is a "family" blog, I will
refrain from inserting a picture here
48. Animal fat: LARD. As a kid, growing up in York, PA, one of my
favorite snack foods was Grandma Utz's potato chips. Cooked in LARD.
There is no other chip that meets that flavor, IMHO
52. They may be wild: OATS. Moe-Ku #4:
A vegan was cold.
Refused to use wool; instead,
He sewed his wild OATS
Into a sweater, I presume ...
56. Grimace: MOUE. Pronounced, "moo". Is that why cows always look so
annoyed?
57. San Joaquin Valley haze: SMOG. A portmanteau. From "smoke and
fog"
58. "Blue Ain't Your Color" country singer Keith: URBAN. Singer,
songwriter, and producer from Whangārei, New Zealand, whose "urban" population
went down when he left
59. Ill-judged, as a plan: INSANE. Moe-Ku #5:
The ill-judged Frenchman
Went for a swim, at the Louvre.
Was he just INSANE?
64. Art Deco artist: ERTE. Another crossword staple; I described this
in my last blog
66. Final word: SAY SO. There are at least two of my friends / relatives who need to have the final SAY SO whenever we text to each other. I'm sure you all know someone like that
67. Turns to gold, perhaps: DYES. As in dyeing ones hair, perhaps? Actually, there was no Sister Golden Hair, but it's a catchy tune from the mid-'70's
68. Zig when one should have zagged, say: ERR. From the C Moe book of fake facts: Noted author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, had a twin brother, Zag
Down:
1. Givens of "Riverdale": ROBIN. Best known as the sidekick for "shock jock" Howard Stern. Oops! That was Robin QUIVERS!! My bad! Here is Robin Givens' biography.
2. Absurd: INANE. INSANE without the "S"?
3. Muslim holy city: MECCA. The Holy City in Saudi Arabia
4. Berlin address: HERR. German for "mister". A CSO to Spitzboov.
Yesterday's puzzle had "FRAU"; HERR's "Gattin". Ich glaube, dass Die Hausfrau, ist politisch korrekt nicht, ja?
5. Jeff Lynne rock gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra. Co-founder of the group, vocalist, and guitarist
6. Passes on a lazy river: FLOATS BY. Looks peaceful, until you get to the rapids ...
7. Florida host of the Outback Bowl: TAMPA. CSO to Wilbur Charles; the creator of the term "Moe-Ku". The Outback Bowl was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl and is played on New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and University of South Florida football teams. Usually features teams from the SEC vs Big Ten
8. Sushi-grade tuna: AHI. Since the species (fish) begins with this letter, shouldn't a Sushi "grade" be an F? Ok, another "Bad Dad" joke. But seriously, here is all you need to know about eating and or preparing raw fish
9. Game with melds: CANASTA. One game I learned whilst in college was pinochle. A game played with a deck of 48 cards, having 2 each of the 9-10-J-Q-K-A in each of the four suits. It had meld as well. Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades was called a "Pinochle" and was = 4 points of meld; having both pairs of these cards = 30 points.
Canasta? Never learned it nor played it ... same with backgammon
10. Like an untidy desk: CLUTTERED. Both my significant other and I share the same "filing" method: horizontal! Glad we both have separate desks and that they're both rather large, in the horizontal dimension ...
11. Stand for: REPRESENT. Not sure what, these days, our REPRESENTatives in Congress are standing for. Certainly not unity ... sorry for the political bent ...
12. Indian silk region: ASSAM. Fascinating info on Wikipedia. I'd link it, but I have momentarily run out of blue ink ... but I do have a picture of the silkworms, if that's OK?
15. Jerk: SPASM. Moe-Ku #6:
Cracker lover shows17. Western Asia native: KURD. The KURDish people are an ethnic group found in portions of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. I had another Moe-Ku in mind, but I may have already reached my limit for one blog. Maybe one of our other punsters can bail me out ...
Uncontrolled SPASMS. Could he
Have "To Ritz" syndrome?
21. Anger: IRE. IRE can also be clued as the abbr. for a Celtic nation. Are the Irish IREd?
24. Scorch: SEAR. The seer SEARed the sere leaves. I wonder if he was thinking about lighting a cigar??
25. Over there: YONDER. Here is an earworm for you to carry with the rest of the day. "Off we go, into the wild blue YONDER". Just hit the "play" button; no lyrics, though ... (BTW, Thanks to all military personnel and veterans who protect/protected our liberties)
27. Weatherproof, as a swimming pool: INDOOR. Hmm. Interesting clue for this answer. My first thought was FLEX-SEAL, but that was too many letters
29. Post-op area: ICU. When former Alpine Skier, Street, had surgery, her folks wanted to know where the hospital staff took her. The head nurse said, "Picabo? ICU"
30. Barren region in southern South America: PATAGONIA. Barren to some, but in barren lands grow grapes! And as your resident Sommelier (yes, I actually AM a Somm) my first thought was to educate us all on PATAGONIAN wines
31. In a burdensome way: ONEROUSLY. ONEROUSLY, I think this is a terrible word and clue ... or did I mean HONESTLY? Neither, actually. I believe that perhaps Lemonade714 could verify, but I have never run across (or down, for that matter!) the word ONEROUSLY in a crossword puzzle before
33. Tolkien figure: ELF. ELF, ENT, or ORC; take your pick
35. "Help!" on the briny: SOS. Help in the kitchen?
38. Story with symbolism: ALLEGORY. Or what the Vice President for #42 might have been referred to, if he'd been stabbed in Paris
39. First name in linguistics: NOAM. I had NOAH at first (thinking Webster) but ESP gave me NOAM, as in Chomsky
42. Takes off the books: REPEALS. Mostly referring to laws, and/or congressional acts. Damn, you, Paul Coulter! Stop making us think about politics here!! LOL!!
46. Sore __: LOSER. Why do they always use "sore" to describe a LOSER? One theory: in the sports world, two famous quotes: First, by Leo Durocher (former baseball player and manager): "Show me a good LOSER and I'll show you an idiot." Second, by Vince Lombardi (former football coach of the Green Bay Packers): “Show me a good LOSER and I'll show you a loser”.
Today, just look for the symbol "L" as formed by your thumb and forefinger
47. SDI weapon: ABM. Strategic Defense Initiative weapon = AntiBallistic Missile ... and now, you know!
49. Quad building: DORM. Nice use of the abbr. for "Quadrangle" to result in the abbr. for "DORMitory"
50. Gives forth: EMITS. EMITS/OMITS one giveth, and one taketh away
51. Mooed: LOWED. Another earworm, perhaps?
53. Belittle: ABASE. Another clue/solve that steered me toward politics ... but again, I'll refrain
54. Russet, informally: TATER. I never ate these as a kid, but my kids did
55. Curled-lip look: SNEER. I worked for a boss once whose last name was SNEER ... we didn't get along too well!!
58. Hawaiian strings: UKES. Again, I wish Paul or Rich would've clued this as an abbr. But don't fret! I am inserting a video that'll teach you how to play the UKULELE!!
60. "The Matrix" hero: NEO. ESP, once again, for me. Never saw any of the 3 "Matrixes".
62. GPS suggestion: RTE. Back in the day, before cellphones, the most convenient method, maybe? Whatever happened to these?
The Grid:
Postscript: I know that politics are not allowed here, but I couldn't resist ... and for anyone who watched last night's VP debate, I HAD to pen this additional Moe-Ku:
I give Pence credit.
He displayed, once and for all,
That black flies matter
OK, Knuckleheads! Leave your comments, below!!
Notes from C.C.:
Happy
79th birthday to dear Jayce, who often astonishes me with his
understanding of Chinese language. I've had guilao colleagues who speak
Chinese, but none has Jayce's deep grasp of the language quirks. Such a comfort to have you here on the blog, Jayce!
Thanks Moe because even though Paul's puzzle was a super easy fill for a Thursday the WORK MATE theme was not caught by me.
ReplyDeleteHEFT as 'influence', while filled by perps, registers with the word 'gravitas'. While I get it, I've never heard it used in that context. People I know used the word 'pull' for inside influence.
Elly May Clampett I know; ELLA Mai- never heard of.
Unfamiliar with "Riverdale" but it was a 'given' that Givens was probably the former Mrs. Mike Tyson. Speaking of 'Riverdale', does she play Betty or Veronica?
60D & 40A---NEO & ENO
2D & 59A---INANE & INSANE
I wonder if he felt the FLY.
ReplyDeleteGood morning. Thank you, Paul. Clever puzzle. Thank you, Chairman Moe. Great Moe-Kus and crossword review. Lots of variety. Something for everyone. And as many times as you touched on Government and Politics, I saw nothing partisan.
Happy Birthday, Jayce !
Moved right along, working through minor trouble spots like ELLA (as clued) until I got south of the equator. Had NOAh (Webster) before realizing NOAM. Also had Ent before ELF.
The real problem area for me today was the SW. Had PATAGONIA easily enough, but MOan for "grimace" stalled the completion a bit. The now obvious TILLER for "groundbreaking invention" had me dumbfounded as well. Should have taken that clue literally.
And after all of that was worked out, it was a fail due to a typo. Alpha Centauri was a STAR SYSTEn.
Mosel Rieslings ? They may convince people who think they don't like wine to alter their opinion. When I was there, Zeller Schwarze Katz was my go to wine. We also made spritzers with it. The story is that a black cat defended a particular barrel of wine from the merchants, and thus the name.
Nirvana - IN UTERO - All Apologies and Heart-Shaped Box are my two favorites on the album.
FIR, no write-overs, but a bit of a slogfest. I kept searching for toeholds like I was climbing El Cap. I didn’t know NARES and maybe don’t know it now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chairman Moe. This theme went through several changes. The reveal was originally WORKABLE. Rich correctly felt it took too much inference. When I switched to WORKMATE, I had one of the theme answers ending in JOB. "Work the job" is a familiar expression to me, but apparently it isn't common. It took some digging before I came up with a replacement.
ReplyDeleteI'm in a great mood this morning because I sent my mail-in ballot. I hope this isn't too political, but that felt wonderful. I sure hope everyone gets a similar boost out of doing so, whether in person or otherwise. I live in a college town, where I taught for many years. I'm encouraged by the enthusiasm I see in young people for participating. This wasn't always true. It gives me a lot of hope for the rising generation.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteYay, a themeless Thursday! What, there was a theme? There was a reveal? Didn't even notice the whooshing sound as they went over my head. Yes, d-o fell into the NOAh/NOAM trap, but that was the only Wite-Out moment. Thanx, Paul, that was too clever by half. Chairman Moe, you were in fine fettle this morning.
CAN: I recycle them, but at $0.30/lb it's hardly worth the effort. In the "olden" days they would bring $0.75/lb.
CANASTA: We played a lot when MIL came to visit from Munich. She was sneaky and would meld and go out in one swell foop, leaving us with tons of points in our hands.
YONDER: Tom Lehrer referred to that song as "Up In The Air, Junior Birdmen."
ICU: Moe, your "Picabo? ICU" reminds me of the time Lew Harris became medical examiner. Folks addressed him as M.E. Lew Harris.
Happy birthday, Jayce.
Moe, to answer your question about prior usage of ONEROUSLY here is the list:
ReplyDeleteLA Times - Oct. 8, 2020
Universal Crossword - Feb. 14, 2013
New York Times - April 8, 1995
New York Times - May 31, 1987
New York Times - Nov. 15, 1974
I found the puzzle a bit tricky in places, but Paul always delivers. "Boo'd Up" Grammy winner __ Mai: ELLA and NABE is a meh for me.
Moe, if you had been here when the blog began, you would have seen that C.C.'s go-to picture of AEREOLA was what you thought about.
In addition to MIKE TYSON ROBIN GIVENS has am impressive dating history.
Thank you Moe and paul.
The puzzle filled fairly smoothly - a little slow in the SW corner as I had POUT before MOUE since it was the first word I was trying to fill in that corner. It also took me awhile to figure out how the theme answers connected.
ReplyDeleteBig Easy- since ROBIN Givens is now 55 - she is not Betty or Veronica - but Sierra McCoy the mayor of Riverdale in the TV show which is the live action version of the Archie comics world.
I find it sad that even though she is an accomplished film and TV actress- she is noted by some not the constructor) only for her 1 year marriage 30 years ago to someone who punched and abused her - with him later bragging about the abuse on a TV talk show!
Thanks C-Moe and Paul!
and HBD to Jayce!
(Wil)bur-ku of the day to help C-Moe out
ReplyDeleteMs Muffett was sad
The insolent spider said
"KURDS whey-ing you down?"
.
I can't keep my xwords straight since having them on Monday I solve them all Tuesday. TAMPA got a free Gasparilla on the Bolts Stanley Cup celebration
But looking back it doesn't seem easy except Paul has provided timely perps to get me by the long down fills:10,11,30,31. PATAGONIA I got from PAT*. Talk about dredging up a name.
PINUPS were a GI WWII staple. Ah, good'ol Splynter
Paul, thx for coming in. Entertaining Xword and of course, write-up. And…
As long as you didn't say WHO you voted for your fine
Wow, D-O on top of Moe's pikabo(STREET) groaner. Knowing APIA and ACCRA from previous xwords was a big help and vaguely knowing (Keith)URBAN.
Gee, I wish they'd have an all baseball theme one of these days*
WC
*As Rich Norris "groans"
Lemony @ 7:28 —> thanks, pal! I knew you’d know about ONEROUSLY.
ReplyDeleteAs for the AUREOLA, maybe I should’ve used this scene from Seinfeld
Paul Coulter —> thanks for stopping by and explaining. I tried contacting you a few days ago for help in understanding the theme, but had no email for you. Husker Gary and C.C. bailed me out! And as you’ve probably concluded from my recap, I’m a real “piece of WORK”!
Happy Birthday Jayce!
Hola!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Jayce! I so enjoy your posts, usually short and pithy.
Thank you, Paul Coulter. This was a Thursday worthy puzzle which I enjoyed solving. I really like it when actual words are required instead of a plethora of phrases or fill in the blanks. I do understand there are constraints in puzzle construction, so just stating my opinion not criticizing.
Since I don't watch a lot of TV, and then mostly on PBS, I regret to say that my only memory of ROBIN Givens is her marriage to Mike Tyson and its unhappy demise.
We have seen NOAM Chomsky in several previous puzzles so it was no PROBLEM.
Though ONEROUS may be ONEROUS to you, CMoe, I prefer it to NABE. What? That was my last fill and I doubted its validity. Thank you for explaining it.
Chairman Moe, you are a natural for Blogging, thank you.
It has often been said about debatable events, "If I had only been a fly on the wall". Well, someone got her wish! And it was much closer than the wall.
Have a happy day, everyone!
Wilbur,
ReplyDeleteFrank Virzi published "Baseball Crosswords: 70 All-New Puzzles for Baseball Buffs" in 2010, and "Baseball Crosswords Vol. 2: 70 More All-New Puzzles for Baseball Buffs" in 2017.
You might also be interested in "Massachusetts Crosswords: 60 Puzzles About Massachusetts People, History, Sports, And Entertainment" published in 2018.
You can find them on Amazon.
Finished the puzzle fairly quickly, even though I didn’t fully get the theme. I do appreciate Paul commenting, always enjoy his puzzles. Some interesting, long down answers.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-A nice Thursday puzzle and visit from Paul.
-Seeing Weatherproof as an adjective took a few heartbeats after filling in INDOOR
-Me too on NABE, Moe, but waddaya gonna do?
-Many political candidates have been put forth via a BACK ROOM
-WORK THE ROOM = Schmooze
-Music staples here – ENO, ELO, ONO, REO
-I watched my dad go through the DTS but he came out a better person
-“Don’t ask me, ask your mother. She has the final SAY SO around here!”
-CLUTTERED – Clearly something must go from my nightstand
-My lovely bride makes a great chicken fried steak with TATER Tots on the side
-生日快乐, Jayce.
Happy birthday Jayce, you a consistent clear voice here.
ReplyDeleteInane- I linked the wiki page about Robin because it reflects that she graduated high school at 15 and college at 19 and had a potential career path as a doctor sidetracked by modeling and acting. She was very young when she fell in with Tyson but they both have grown considerably, it appears.
Good morning everyone.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Jayce. Drei mal hoch!.
My solve had a CLUTTERED look for a while; couldn't get any one section to fully fill in. Finally the N and E were subdued and the rest of it came together. I was very lucky with helpful perps and several WAGs. Only strikethroughs were: to spell NARE right; I had 'nair' at first. And I had Noah before EGO PROBLEM gave me NOAM, which we've had before as Lucina stated. Finally, FIR.
TILLER - To answer CM: Das ist die Wahrheit. Actually in this context I consider TILLERS, more broadly, to include ploughs, disc harrows and drags.
HERR - In Germany, I think Hausfrau is used the way we would use 'homemaker'. I believe Hausfrau in a possible pejorative sense is more an Americanism. JMO.
Nice review, Moe. Fun puzzle, Paul.
ReplyDeleteI didn't grok the theme without Moe's help.
Happy birthday, Jayce, I enjoy your posts.
Sore loser makes sense literally when you realize sore can mean angry. A sorehead is a very angry person. I liked that sore loser crossed ego problem. Sore losers are trying to protect their egos, but they really are displaying weakness.
TTP, maybe I have become an easy grader. I can forgive a typo if you honestly intended the right letter. So I give you a FIR, FWIW.
HEFT and MOUE were easy once I had the first letter.
I believe that words like doc and uke are informal words, not abbreviations. See dictionary.
In my college only one dorm was on the quad.
I have been to PT rehab multiple times, but it took awhile for DTS to dawn on me.
I have seen NABE used mostly for neighborhood theater (movie house).
In the morning my internet keeps shutting down and returning in a few minutes. How can I tell whether it is the router or the cable service? My cable service shuts down the internet from time to time, but not the the TV and phone.
I have to declutter, give away, throw away and hide everything to show my home to prospective buyers. Then I can't find the hidden items.
The southwest was a disaster. I didn't think INSANE was correct and I don't get INDOOR for weatherproofing a pool so I was tempted but resisted using them. Also was sure it was NOAh (as in Webster of dictionary fame).
ReplyDeleteHeld on to LABOR for "awaiting delivery" too long . Oddly MOUx popped out of my cruciverbal cerebral lobe but spelled it wrong. Have to find room to store FISSILE there now. Thought Alpha Centauri was a STAR not a SYSTEM. NABE? C'mon!.... Dorms are not part of the Quad of any college or university I've been to....But hey. BTW to be teknikal post op you're headed to the SICU.
AHI..... I've learned more about sushi from the crossword and Cornerites than from a Japanese restaurant.
Maybe if I had more time? (nah, who am I kiddin'). Off to close camp for the season. Always a sad affair but night temps soon low enough to freeze the pipes.
Leave you with
Ire in Bahston..TAMPA
In that same city cylindrical metal containah....CANASTA.
Low ...MOUE
Nightingale familiarly/Progressive lady .... FLOE
Gift again...REPRESENT
Shēngrì kuàilè Jayce (the Chinese characters wouldn't copy/paste)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a Paul Coulter Special today. Tough but doable with a lot of perp help even though I didn't get the theme until it was 'splained.
C Moe did a great stand in job today.
However, when it comes to chips cooked in lard, Utz may be surpassed by Gibbles. Just my opinion and possibly IM's also. I have to ship Middleswarth chips (see the article) to my kids and grandkids who live out of state and like them better than Gibbles. To each his own.
ELLA, NABE, NARES and MOUE were total unknowns that were filled in by perps.
Have a great day everyone and please wear your masks.
C-Moe, I think I enjoyed your write-up more than the puzzle itself, especially "black flies matter". Too, too funny. As for the puzzle, as some have noted, what theme? It was a faster than normal Thursday for me with the only slight hang-up at 59A where I entered insafe and quickly changed to insane. The weatherproof clue was a stretch I thought. Otherwise, a smooth sailing PC puzzle. Sometimes I have to wonder what I'm doing here on this blog with just a slew of super bright people. It's simply a honor to participate, really.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Jayce!
ReplyDeleteAll yesterday's iPad problems seem to be gone today.
(How'd you fix it?)
Enjoyed the puzzlement, but a little extra puzzled today
As the theme did not work for me...
Still grimacing at moue...
(Spellcheck does not,like it either...)
My granddaughter moved out today and though I won't miss the CLUTTER I shall miss the baby. Not his early awakening cries, however. She started working at a very good job a month ago so I'm happy for her.
ReplyDeleteJayce, do you have plans for a celebration? Choices are so limited these days but I hope you can enjoy the day.
I was fine with it until the Kurds got in the whey
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paul, for a workable challenge, and Chairman Moe, for explaining. I FIR but couldn't figure out the theme. I like to think I'm conversant with current slang, but NABE was new to me! Altogether, a satisfying morning in the Crossword Corner.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Jayce! Your comments are never INANE and REPRESENT the final SAY SO.
inanehiker- thanks for the info on "Riverdale". I was just kidding about Betty or Veronica. Didn't know there was an actual show about them (other than the cartoon show back in the Stone Ages)/Since I don't watch TV I had no idea it was about Archie Andrews, Jughead, and that crew.
ReplyDeleteLive and learn.
Well, Thursdays are often toughies for me, and after a bit I needed help with this one too. But enjoyed it all the same--so, many thanks, Paul. And thank you for stopping by. And thank you for your hard work, Chairman Moe.
ReplyDeleteNice to see Keith Urban in the puzzle. Is he married to Nicole Kidman?
My German helped again today with HERR. I guess an INDOOR swimming pool would be pretty much weatherproof, wouldn't it? Then a lazy river, FLOATS BY, but we also got some DRY LAND--oh, yes, and a bit of SMOG.
Have a good day and good weather, everybody.
Hi Everyone:
ReplyDeleteNo real problems or stumbling blocks but it took me several minutes to fully understand the theme after I finished. As BigEasy pointed out, we had Inane/Insane, but I missed the Eno/Neo duo, but saw Elo/Eno and Nabe/Nares. Never heard of that Ella but knowledge of pop music is my weakness.
Thanks, Paul, for a Thursday challenge and for dropping by and thanks, Moe, for your excellent expo, cute Moe-kues, and the numerous links and visuals. You’re a natural at this blogging business!
oc4beach @ 10:25 ~ I’ve never had Utz’s potato chips, but Gibble’s are the best I’ve ever tasted. Must be that Lard!
We had a severe rain/hail storm yesterday afternoon with high winds. I lost power from 4:00 pm until 11:30 pm but I’m very lucky as there are still 130,000 homes still without power.
Happy Birthday, Jayce, hope it’s a special day. 🎂🎊🎉🎁🎈
have a great day.
i don't associate the San Joaquin Valley with smog. It had/has tule fog. I grew up in the LA Basin a long time ago. I Think smog was made up for smoke and fog there. it was so bad sometimes that it hurt to breathe. Didn't hold a candle, though, to Beijing.
ReplyDeleteFIR today so back on track? Got the theme but it took a bit of time to try the word THE in the middle of the phrase since WORK ROOM made sense but WORK LAND didn't.
ReplyDeleteMy slow area was the Midwest where I confidently put in limbo/UTERO and eco/CAN. Then I looked at post-op area and thought DELivery room? No, not post-op. One other w/o was STARrYSTEM which SPASM fixed.
As a former Midwestern girl, it was embarrassing to be slow there, but all's well that ends well and it could've been worse (like yesterday!) Happy Birthday to Jayce and good afternoon to all.
I think MOUE and NABE are fast becoming crosswordese, especially NABE. I find both in novels,
ReplyDeleteespecially NABE for movie theater.
ReplyDeleteFolks commenting on 27D keep saying “weatherproofING”...but the clue said weatherproof...not the verb but the noun.
I agree with all who had an issue with “nabe”.
Filled out my ballot, will mail it in Monday...I don’t want it sitting somewhere all weekend.
Fought my way through this one. Hand up for NOAH until perps rescued me. NABE is a stretch. New word = MOUE, which I don’t know the word OR pronunciation. Totally didn’t figure out the theme, cirrus cloud level over my head. Fun CW though, thanx, Paul, and entertaining write-up, thanx CM!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paul for an interesting puzzle which made me stretch to FIR.
ReplyDeleteThanks a LOT, Moe, for the excellent tour. I “took” the uke lesson and plan to practice later today. I have a beautiful uke, which sits in the corner, unused. Stay tuned.
I still miss AAA Triptics for driving trips - so satisfying to turn those pages one by one as the miles fly by.
We use “nabe” to refer to folks who live near us - “ we’re having a picnic with the nabes tomorrow”.
I thought WEATHERPROOF was a clever misdirection because it seemed to be a verb, but wasn’t.
The theme was way too tough for me to figure out without an explanation. Very clever! I don’t know how you guys come up with this stuff.
Happy Birthday, Jayce, and many more.
Yep, the theme went right over my head. And I really, really tried to piece it together! I enjoyed the puzzle and especially the write up. Thanks C-Moe. Nares, Noam, Neo (I haven't seen any Matrix films either) seem to be cropping up more often. But ONEROUSLY? That was brilliant, IMO!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Jayce, a fellow Bay Area neighbor. Enjoy your day.
Lucina, I read you were out our way a while back. I'm glad you made your visit between fires. The air quality is still pretty yucky depending on which way the wind is blowing.
Happy Thursday to One and All!
Garlic Gal, so nice to read your daughter is in Ann Arbor, my home town.
ReplyDeleteWe lived in your area for several years late in my husband’s career, and we went to the Garlic Festival a time or two. I love garlic, but I must admit I couldn’t manage garlic ice cream!
Oooohhh I C an INDOOR pool is weatherproof...gotcha...
ReplyDeleteOne of our houses came with a pool. I knew nothing about pools. When I closed it I weighted down the cover with cement blocks some of which fell in midwinter and ripped the hell out of the lining. 😳
I liked this puzzle. (Gee, what else is new?) I did flare my NARES at NABE. Like Carefree I thought of TULE as the San Joaquin Valley haze; I've driven in it a number of times.
ReplyDeleteLazy river reminds me of Hoagy Carmichael. Hoagy Carmichael reminds me of a certain kind of sandwich.
It seems losers are always sore, failing is always done miserably, and breasts are always ample.
Thanks to all of you for your birthday well wishes, 谢谢 Gary, and xièxiè Ray-O. Being 79 today I feel I'm on the threshold of something, namely reaching 80. LW is cooking a special dinner tonight.
C-Moe, I enjoyed your "black flies matter" 'ku.
Good wishes to you all.
Anonymous-T,
ReplyDeleteApologies for getting my panties in a bunch last night.
I guess I get testy(cle) when I can't see my links...
I finally saw the link a few moments ago,
& realized I never saw a bunch of comments from late Tuesday for some reason.
It was awesome!
And I had never seen it!
Although some of those palm stretches look absolutely painful,
I was absolutely in awe when he made the guitar sound like a Cello
With just the volume control!
here it is again if you missed it
Hi All!
ReplyDeletePaul, dude, today is NOT Saturday (yeah, HungryMother...). I struggled but got 'er done (-ish - I'm still confused if ABM or IBM is right - Moe: Expo and grid disagree; I have an A.). Thanks for stopping in Paul - first theme idea would certainly have been a stumper.
Moe - Told you it was HARD WORK to blog :-) Excellent expo with more links to click later. Fun ku!
//how did he not know that fly was there? Recall when an earlier president plucked on out of the air?
WOs: Hand-up for NOAh Webster. TubER b/f TATER.
ESPs: yeah. A lot. (MOUE is a word?!?)
Fav. ALLEGORY (of the cave) [TMBG]
TTP - I too had ASSAn. Thankfully, I caught the ERRor of my ways.
Wendybird - I couldn't take the Garlic ice cream either when in Gilroy.
Shankers @10:34 - are you kidding? I've got to be the dumbest guy here and I still toss in two pennies.
CANASTA [how to play] was oft part of a punchline in old jokes. I wish I could remember the setup. Anyone?
I was reluctant to watch The Matrix after seeing Sandra Bullock's The Net [really? That's how you hack? Disbelief NOT suspended]. Matrix blew my mind and I watched it 2 more times that weekend. NEO learns Kung Fu [5;26 - ffw to 1:01]
Sore LOSER? Only if I don't learn from the loss.
Jayce - I wish you a very Happy Birthday.
Cheers, -T
HBD!! Congrats, Jayce!!
ReplyDeleteAh, CANASTA!
I'd nearly forgotten the name o' the game
But it was our family "sport" when I was a kid. It was a national rage back then. Every night, after we cleared the dinner table, did the dishes, and swore we'd finished homework, it was time to...
Bring Out the Cards!
Our step-dad was the champion, but everyone had a turn at winning--even my baby sister.
Why, it was more democratic than our federal elections.
~ OMK
Dash T --> I just saw the disconnect between my grid (the one I solved, and posted) and the actual answer to 45-Across and 47-Down. Could this be a first? A blogger that had a Natick and didn't know it??!! Oh, the horror!!! Thanks for catching my ERRor
ReplyDeleteoc4beach and Irish Miss --> I saw the chips list. I noticed that Grandma Utz is not listed but their regular chip is. Difference is that Grandma Utz is cooked in processed LARD, and the regular chips are cooked in oil. BIG difference. And yes, Gibbles are great; no denying that. If you get the chance to try Grandma's, please let me know what you think
Wilbur Charles --> Kurds and whey; exactly what I was expecting!! LOL. Thanks. 7 Moe-kus is quite enough for one puzzle
BTW, anyone know where Owen is?
Correction to the link I looked for earlier ... ONE I should've used for AREOLA ...
ReplyDeleteThe Nipple
GarlicGAl:
ReplyDeleteHow good to see you here! Yes, I visited my friend in San Rafael but felt reluctant to ask her about driving anywhere since she already had plans for us.
I hope you are safe from the fires.
I have seldom met a word I didn't like. I look on words that are new and strange as new acquaintances. Soon they become old friends. I can't diss a word just because I never heard of it. I found many illustrations of the use of MOUE and NABE in well respected publications. Here are just a few.
ReplyDeleteMOUE- a disdainful grimace, pronounce MOO.
"Oddly, though, she seemed a little challenged by the role of the consummate seductress, all sultry low notes and starlet-like moues." Washington Post Sep 25, 2018
"Ms. Nielsen’s goggling eyes and goofy moues are always fun to watch." New York Times Jun 1, 2014
"But who cares what unknown forces shaped her mouth into its magnificent moue?" The Guardian Oct 6, 2012
"My eyebrows were plucked to a single arched line, my mouth set in a jaded moue." New York Times Nov 30, 2011
The Kennedys actually made their first home together in Georgetown, and moved around the NABE several times, The Huffington Post notes.— Devin Alessio, ELLE Decor, "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' Former Georgetown House Is For Sale," 6 June 2016
The Binghamton NABE was once a disused industrial stretch east of Midtown.— Bob Mehr, Billboard, "Why Drake & Justin Timberlake Love Memphis: Inside Its Bold New Renaissance," 8 May 2017
There will be a walking tour of Union Square at 2 p.m. with discounts — for example, 25 percent off a vegan puffer jacket ($345) and other goods at the men’s wear stalwart Rothman’s — and a photo scavenger hunt in the Flatiron NABE.— Alison S. Cohn, New York Times, "Nike to Open a Huge Store in the Heart of SoHo NOV. 9, 2016," 23 Nov. 2016
No sweat
ReplyDeleteCED - Your post came after mine(? scrolled back and there it was) but I'm glad you got to enjoy Eddie (yes, that solo is too cool! And cello-y (?that a word?))
ReplyDeleteYR - Thank you for the usage. I can always count on you.
Cheers, -T
Paul Coulter- you did a double today. I'm usually 2-3 days behind reading the WSJ but since I have been waiting out a hurricane I caught up and noticed your puzzle. You had a twofer.
ReplyDeleteA wee bit harder than the LA Times puzzle with tougher clues. My non-existent French knowledge made the West a little harder than it should have been but I 'prevailed' in the end. I was also in the wrong region of the Black Sea when I filled Sochi, so I 'dropped' it.
Big Easy - It's surprising how often these doubles happen to many constructors. Someone might go all month without appearing in one of the majors, then strictly by coincidence, two puzzles in one day. Best of luck in riding out the storm to you and everyone down there.
ReplyDeletePaul, did you say Riding the Storm Out? [REO].//sry, couldn't help me-self :-)
ReplyDeleteHouston is now getting the (very) outer bands of Delta. Not bad but that's a big-a** storm.
Peeps in NOLA (sorry Swamp, I know you hate that) LARD in and stay safe.
Cheers, -T
Anon T. We need to devise some kind of contest to determine who takes the crown.��
ReplyDeleteBig Easy - I did the WSJ X-word this afternoon, but didn't realize until your note that it was the 2nd today by Paul. I agree with your comment on the difficulty.
ReplyDeleteAnonT, alls fair in a hurricane. I hope you are prepared... as well as all our Texas friends.
ReplyDeleteLake Charles.... prayers!
We seem to be missing the really bad stuff. But it’s still early. Who knows?
Lucina, I have family in San Anselmo, next door.
Paul, thanks for the diversion. Always a treat! Moe, thanks also. (Incidentally my autocorrect, which I curse daily, doesn’t like MOE. It always changes your name. Please have mercy if I seem to insult you. It’s my poor editing skills at fault!
I feel a need to comment on NABE. I’m glad to know it’s a regional thing. I mostly hear “Hood” as the slang for neighborhood. Interesting...
ReplyDeleteI am extremely late to the party today but I would like to add a Happy Birthday, Jayce!
ReplyDeleteAlso, a big "Thank you" to the Chairman for pinch hitting.
HBD Jayce!!!🎂🎉
ReplyDeleteSwanoCat:
ReplyDeleteWe drove through San Anselmo a couple of times on our way to somewhere else. It's really close to San Rafael.
-T, re. ALKEGORY(of the cave)*. Here's my take from way back
DeleteIn the land of the blind the one-eyed reign
Or do the sages speak
But in the land of the one-eyed men
The two eyed man is a freak
TTP, thanks for the b-ball xword link. I'll hint for my birthday next week. And, I was tongue in cheek as you'll see in a few hours
Jayce, I forgot to wish a happy 79th.
My friend flew in a few weeks to the NABE and was scheduled to fly back to Make Charles today. Laura displace him. He'll be around for two more weeks.
WC
.**Yep by the Greek guy?
Sorry I forgot to wish you a Happy Birthday, Jayce!
ReplyDelete