At least I think that's the theme! Hello, Cornerites. As you'll see when I insert the picture of the grid, it not only took me awhile to figure out the puzzle, (I FIW in two spots and needed red-letter help) but also to figure out the theme based on the five entries. Our constructor du jour chose five entries (count 'em!) whose first words were synonyms of "rotate", and then used a clue for each of these whose second words were the inverse synonym of the answer.
Still not getting it? Let's look more closely . . .
17-Across. YENOH: INVERT SUGAR. YENOH is HONEY spelled backwards. And HONEY is another word/synonym for SUGAR. Meh. The use of terms of endearment are getting a bit passe in our "politically correct" world
26-Across. GOC: REVERSE GEAR. GOC is COG spelled backwards. And COG is another word/synonym for GEAR
36-Across. TAR: TURNED TRAITOR. TAR is RAT spelled backwards. And RAT is another word/synonym for TRAITOR
50-Across. CBA: BACK CHANNEL. CBA spelled backwards is ABC. And ABC is the name of a TV CHANNEL
60-Across. NEMO: COUNTERSIGN. NEMO is OMEN spelled backwards. And OMEN is another word/synonym for SIGN
So, was I a fan of this puzzle? Not really. And that's not a rap on Mr. Levy. Was it clever? Somewhat. And again, that's not a rap on Mr. Levy. As I review the entries/clues, YENOH and GOC are not normal "words". But TAR and NEMO are. And CBA --> ABC is an abbreviation for American Broadcasting Company. That's my primary "nit". Could he have chosen other vague clues? Perhaps. LANAC (which is CANAL spelled backwards) could've replaced CBA for CHANNEL; SADUJ (JUDAS spelled backwards) could've replaced TAR for TRAITOR; and KRAM (MARK, spelled backwards) could've replaced NEMO for SIGN.
OK, rant over! On to the other clues and fill . . .
Across:
1. Hardly inept: ABLE. I was finally ABLE to solve this puzzle once I turned on the red letters. Still kicking myself for not knowing 34-Down. "Incidentally," in texts: BTW, and 33-Across. Q neighbor: TAB (OH! The "TAB" key on your keyboard, which sits just to the left of the letter "Q")
But ABLE in 1-Across fits nicely with (42-Across. Formerly held the position of:) WAS. How about a palidrome? ABLE WAS I ere I saw Elba. And with all of the backwards clues, a palindrome is quite appropriate!
5. Informal get-together: MEET UP. MEET UP is a new website app which encourages you to join a group to meet people, make friends, find support, grow a business, and explore your interests. Thousands of events are happening every day, both online and in person. Check it out!
11. UFO occupants: ETS. Extra TerrestialS. Folks from outer space
14. Law enforcement tactic: RAID. This kind of "law enforecment"??
15. Midsize Kia: OPTIMA. As you saw, I missed this one completely. I think I had ULTIMA before the red letters corrected me
16. Howard who directed "Willow" (1988): RON. Better known as Opie in the Andy Griffith sitcom of our youth
19. Pretend to be: APE. A crossword staple with many clues
20. Slangy denial: NAH. Nope? NAH
21. __ Plaines: DES. A suburb of Chicago, close to O'Hare aiport.
22. Eponym for a Queens stadium: ASHE. Arthur ASHE was an iconic tennis player. The tennis stadium in Queens, NY where the US Open Tennis Tournament is played is named for him
23. Support wear: BRA. Does anyone recall the sophmoric description for this? "Over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder". I don't envy women who need to wear these
29. Engine leak-preventing device: OIL SEAL. Not a widely used clue/answer, but effective
31. Arranges meaningfully: SORTS. Also a laundry day task
32. Storied bear name: POOH. As in Milne's Winnie the POOH
35. Greek T: TAU. And a letter used in many fraternities and sororoties on college campuses
41. McKellen knighted in 1991: IAN. This guy. Knighted in 1991 and recently famous for his role as Gandalf in LOTR, and he also played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies. But his early years were spent acting in Shakespeare plays
43. E-reader option: iPAD. Kindle didn't fit
45. Basket willow: OSIER. Here is an old crossword answer! And since I've been solving crossword puzzles a long time, this one came easily. OSIER(n.) Synonyms: wicker, withe, willow twig.
48. "You can come out now": IT'S SAFE. But in baseball you can't be safe AND out at the same time
54. Spot for burners and beakers: LAB. As in Chemistry LAB. Not the canine
55. GPS displays: AVES.. Abbr for AVEnueS
56. Dating initials: BCE. Why is BC now called BCE? BCE/CE usually refers to the Common Era (the years are the same as AD/BC). ... The simplest reason for using BCE/CE as opposed to AD/BC is to avoid reference to Christianity and, in particular, to avoid naming Christ as Lord (BC/AD: Before Christ/In the year of our Lord). I hope this definition doesn't violate our blog's "no religion" rules
57. "__ Is Rage 2": Lil Uzi Vert album: LUV. LUV is also the ticker tape symbol on the NYSE for this airline
59. Needy cry from the playroom: MOM. But at 2:00AM when this cry comes from the bedroom, it's often DAD that gets up to see what's the matter! But in the movie "Wedding Crashers", it was an adult who cried out. Oddly, Will Ferrell was not shown in the credits for this movie
65. Altar constellation: ARA. This
66. Goes along: AGREES. And those who wish to be opposite can AGREE to disAGREE
67. Approve: OKAY. Yes! An easy Friday clue and answer!!
68. Case, for example: Abbr.: SYN. OK, Cornerites; help me out here, please! I had no clue what this clue was referring to
69. Crows: BOASTS. "MURDER" fits if it were relating to a group of the birds; but in this case, it refers to the mimicking of the sound a crow makes when it calls out in a squacking manner - as if to BOAST
70. Hall of Famer known as "O Rei do Futebol": PELE. PELE, "The King of Soccer". Another old-school crossword word/name
Down:
1. NFL's Cardinals, on scoreboards: ARI. CSO to those of us who live in the Grand Canyon State. Star WR played his college ball at my alma mater. He should've won the Heisman Trophy in 2003. He lost to Jason White. Yeah, remember him?
2. Prohibit: BAN. I'm guessing that they coined the eponymous deodorant that name because it prohibited a bad aroma?
3. Actress Tyler: LIV. Had this one before when I blogged
4. Paradise: EDEN. As in "The Garden of EDEN"
5. Full of holes: MOTH EATEN. Rarely seen in puzzles; nice clue and answer
6. Short mus. releases: EPS. Extended PlayS was all I could find for a musical reference to this clue, but "extended" doesn't mean "short", does it? Am I missing yet another clue??
7. Piece for practicing technique: ETUDE. Now THIS is a musical reference I get!
8. National animal of Malaysia: TIGER. THIS cat
9. It has a med school in Worcester: U MASS. U MASSachusetts has a main campus in Amherst and a med school in Worcester (pronouned "Wooster")
10. Expected result: PAR. What Phil Mickelson shot on his last hole to cement his PGA victory this past weekend
11. Writing tool: ERASER. Nice clue. Not one used by C Moe as he always solves in pen
12. Accessory for Mr. Monopoly: TOP HAT. And a token used in the board game Monopoly
13. Nasty looks: SNEERS. This? Harry Potter's foil
18. Not seen much: RARE. As opposed to this level of doneness that "finish" most of my steaks
22. Rabbitlike rodents: AGOUTIS. The AGOUTI or common AGOUTI is any of several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indies. Wikipedia
23. Rap on the head: BOP. Here's that word "BOP" again! BOP has been a popular "visitor" in our LA Times puzzles of late. But this definition is different; and what you do to score points in this arcade game
24. Real hoot: RIOT. When someone or something is a "real hoot", or funny, it's a RIOT. But a RIOT also has a negative connotation when referring to an insurrection. No politics, please
25. Baseball family name: ALOU. Another "Flashback Friday" clue and answer. Felipe, Manny, and Moises ALOU were MLB baseball players, all related, back in the day
27. Guerrero or Guerrero Jr. of baseball: VLAD. Not cool for those of you who dislike frequent Friday sports' names in our puzzles. Back-to-back baseball proper name clues. VLAD (short for VLADimir); Vladimir Guerrero Ramos Jr. (born March 16, 1999) is a Canadian-Dominican professional baseball first baseman and third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the son of former MLB player and Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. He made his major league debut in April 2019. Wikipedia
28. Morales of "Criminal Minds": ESAI. More of the old, stale crossword fill. But constuctor's LUV having four-letter proper names with 3 vowels
30. High-pitched cries: SHRIEKS. Have your computer or smart phone's volume turned down to listen
35. Unseasoned, maybe: TASTELESS. Salt and pepper works for me for most dishes, including my RARE steaks
37. Undercover figure: NARC. The use of the word "NARC" spiked in the 1970's; presumably with the increased use of illegal drugs/narcotics
38. Pour, say: RAIN. Remember this? "When it RAINs it pours"
39. Milky white kind of glass: OPAL. Also a reference to the milky white gemstone
40. "The King of Clay," familiarly: RAFA. Mohammed Ali - formerly, Cassius Clay - is known as the "King" in boxing circles. But today's "King of Clay" refers to the master of the clay court surface in tennis. Rafael "RAFA" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player. He is ranked world No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals, has been ranked No. 1 in the ATP rankings for 209 weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. His record of victories on clay surfaces is unmatched. RAFA Nadal has been the most successful player in history on clay courts. He has a 62–8 record in clay court tournament finals and has lost only twice in best-of-five-set matches on clay. He has won 13 French Open titles (and is unbeaten in finals and semifinals), 11 Monte-Carlo Masters and 10 Rome Masters, and won at least one of the three clay-court Masters Series tournaments every year between 2005 and 2014. Wikipedia
44. Ball honoree, perhaps: DEB. Short for DEBuntante, defined as an upper-class young woman making her first appearance in fashionable society
45. 2000s first family: OBAMAS. TRUMPS also fits, believe it or not; as does BIDENS and BUSHES. Take your pick!
46. Food Network adjective: SAVORY. Yet another "spicy" clue/fill in today's puzzle! SAVORY: (of food) belonging to the category that is salty or spicy rather than sweet
47. Nickname for a clutch player: ICEMAN. This guy was known as a "clutch player", but MAVERICK was equal to the task - remake due out this summer
49. Speak indistinctly: SLUR. As in SLURRED words. Was this guy the most famous one for doing that?
51. Former U.S. streaming option: HBO GO. HBO GO is an international TV Everywhere video on demand streaming service offered by the American premium cable network HBO for customers outside the United States. Launched in 2010. Unknown to me. I use ROKU now instead of cable. You?
52. Upscale auto: ACURA. ACURA is the "upscale" model of automobile created by Honda
53. Tijuana tots: NENES. Aren't these the state birds of Hawaii??
58. Cognac designation: VSOP. Ahh! A clue that's right up C Moe's alley! The designations you see on Cognac labels—VS (Very Special), VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) and XO (Extra Old)—are a guarantee of how long a Cognac has been aged. VS indicates that the Cognac has been aged at least two years, VSOP at least four years and XO (Extra Old) at least six years. Here is more info on Cognac
60. Lyft alternative: CAB. UBER didn't fit, but who takes a CAB anymore? The only CAB I take is one poured in a wine glass
61. Hanoi holiday: TET. First popularized during the Vietnam War. TET Offensive
62. 34th prez: IKE. We are at #46 now. I was born when #34 was in office - early in his first term
63. "Wonder Woman" actress Gadot: GAL. GAL Gadot - a 36 year old Israeli actress - portrayed Wonder Woman in the superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Gadot received swordsmanship, Kung Fu, kickboxing, capoeira and Brazilian jiu-jitsu training in preparation for the role. Gadot's performance as the superhero, which was the character's first appearance in film, was singled out as one of the best parts of the film. She was also Miss Israel in 2004 and stands 5'10" tall. Wikipedia
64. Emmy-winning scientist: NYE. Funny clip from TBBT
And while we're at it, here is yet another clip with an equally renowned scientist
That's all I got. Comments are always welcomed. See ya in a couple weeks . . .
62 comments:
DNF. Three areas, right down the center. I had ulTIMA < OPTIMA and NiNoS < NENES, which screwed up crosses MOTHEATEN, HBO-GO, and a few perps thereof.
Did get the gimmick right away, but it was of limited help, since I didn't know the term INVERT SUGAR, and wanted a rodent for TURNED TRAITOR and basics for BACK CHANNEL until enough perps filled in to make sussing them moot.
Her car of preference was a KIA OPTIMA
It drove just like the car she'd dream'a.
But her boyfriend SNEERS
And REVERSES GEARS,
Since the car he drives is a Honda ACURA!
A TIGER in a TOP HAT, what a sight!
Dressed so sartorial, doesn't raise a fright!
Playing an ETUDE,
His fingering crude,
But he got the glissando SLUR just right!
{B-, B+.}
invert sugar
An equal mixture of glucose and fructose formed by the enzymatic hydrolysis of sucrose; it is found in honey and some fruits, and also produced industrially.
I mentioned a day or two ago about multiple POOH characters, and today we have TWO more -- the Pooh himself, And the TIGER Tigger!
68A case is a SYNonym of example.
Good morning!
Wow, d-o figured out a second theme this week. He's on a tear. Saw "Mr. Monopoly" but pictured Mr. Peanut. Whew -- TOP HAT still worked. I'd call foul on the ESAI clue. He wasn't a regular character on Criminal Minds -- only appeared in 6 episodes. Seemed easy for a Friday, but no complaint here. Thanx, Zachary and C-Moe. (EPS were released as 4 songs at 45 RPM, as opposed to a complete album of 12 songs [later 10] at 33-1/3. EPS were "extended" because they had two songs per side instead of just one.)
DES Plaines: Common cry of Tattoo on Fantasy Island.
Streaming: We've stayed old-school with DirecTV as our main source supplemented by Prime Video, NetFlix and Paramount+ (formerly CBS All-Access). We also have a rooftop antenna for over-the-air TV, primarily for severe weather events when Internet and DirecTV are both knocked out.
Thank you Mr. Levy for a challenging Friday puzzle. It was very smart, though difficult for me, and I enjoyed it. I also got the theme very early.
Ch. Moe, thank you for your fun filled and interestingly linked, blog. Your points are generally well taken. But, in my Very Humble Opinion, a reviewer on this site, should be a little more enthusiastic, irrespective of his or her personal views of the puzzle at hand. Considering that most people just come to get the answers they missed, or the explanation, thereof, that they did not get, maybe it would do to be, a little more neutral in your opinions, on your 'official' review.
On the other hand, merely posting a post, like mine, you can say or state whatever you want.
Maybe I'm wrong. If so, please correct me.
I wanted to write on Invert sugars, which would be applicable to Honey, but OwenKL beat me to it. And he did an Admirable JOB (!!!) , much better than I could have ever done it.
I think the concept of inversion has either to do with the stereo specificity of the shape of the molecule, or maybe that it turns polarized light passing thru such a solution, the 'other' way. I'm not sure.
Thank you OWENKL, also for the explanation of Case, synonym ... that was one clue , metadata, that I did not understand, while solving the puzzle.
BTW, OwenKL I love. love. love your poems, although I dont rate them. Thank you.
A lucky FIR this Friday. Thanks Zachary! I got the theme early, words turned around, when I saw YENOH for honey. That generally helped things fill in.
There were tough spots. I first tried to make "mesh" work instead of MOTH, then tried "mis" like the start of mistaken. It didn't help that it took so long to come up with OPTIMA and get the Nissan Altima out of my head. EPS was hard since I thought muscle for "mus." not music. NENES also was problematic since I wanted "ninos." OBAMAS was my second First Family try. Later, perps changed Abe to Ike. (I am also history challenged.)
As OwenKL indicated, HONEY and SUGAR are also foods. Terms of endearment never occurred to me. OSIER lurked in my memory but spelling it was slow to come. It was a CASE of, or an EXAMPLE of, getting older? But hey, FIR!
Thanks, C Moe for the helpful tour. Good job puzzling things out for us this Friday! Since we cut the cable for a window antenna, I'll be watching PBS on our local CHANNEL tonight while DH is streaming German, French and Italian news on his computer. Hope you all are doing well!
Does SYN mean SYNtax?
Jesus ALOU was a another brother, of Felipe and Matty (not Manny). Moises is the son of Felipe.
Didn't know NENE as other than a Hawai'ian goose
Fln, Spitz I'm thinking I should have gone to ER. They took chest Xray and covid test. The latter I find out today. Doctors don't diagnose today, they run tests*
I inked ULTIMA. That's Nissan.(AL or UL?) But it wasn't RTES today.
I believe it's SYNtax
Worcesterites pronounce it that way but the other 4 million wister as I in wistershire sauce.
You forgot the third brother: Jesus. Moises was Felipe's son. Matty was held at third base thanks to Roger Maris play in 1962. Then Willy MCovey scorched a liner right into Richardson 's mitt. Game over.
NBA's ICEMAN was George Gervin
CABS take cash. Limo is the way to go. Uber wiped out the shuttles too.
I see billicoes was ahead of me.. re. Case:"Case is a feature that expresses a syntactic and/or semantic function of the element that carries the particular case value. "
WC
Doctor called. Wikl set for Strep
I was thinking SYNonym rather than SYNtax, not to CROW or BOAST about it. (People do that too, C Moe.)
I was thinking ATLGranny is correct.
Noticed the backwards HONEY immediately. Very easy for Friday. LUV, VLAD, and NENES were filled by perps. NINOS or NINAS wouldn't work.
Please... Ian McKellon did not play Dumbledore! Gandalf yes, Dumbledore, no.
Good Morning:
Sorry, this was just not my cup of tea, although I appreciate the constructor’s efforts.
Nice, entertaining commentary, Moe.
Wilbur, I hope you feel better soon.
Have a great day.
Good morning everyone.
Along with ATLGranny, I FIR; But was very lucky on a couple of WAGS. Finally got the theme (sort of) ala Lemonade; starting with COUNTER SIGN and BACK CHANNEL. We've had OSIER quite a while in the past, and seem to get ARA once in a great while. Paused briefly at ERASER, since it is an "un"writing tool, but perps were solid.
Good job, Zach, and thanks, Lemon, for another fine intro.
EDEN - We lived in the Town of EDEN, NY, for 13 years, so I'll take a CSO here.
SHRIEKS - Seems akin to German Schreie.
NENES - I assume it's etymologically related to Niño or Niña?
For Anon -T, D-O, and other Texans - - Today's WSJ has a full page devoted to serious black start shortcomings during last Winter's electric grid smash-up which may be of some interest.
Chairman Moe: Nice write-up & links.
Fave today was 1-d, ARI since those are my initials.
A "Toast-to-ALL" at Sunset (Like I do Everyday!).
Cheers!
Musings
-I wondered where this was headed and loved it when I saw it.
-In my optics classes, I taught INVERTED meant upside down
-Shoot PAR for 18? I am ready, willing but not really ABLE
-Are there or have there ever been ET’S visiting us? Checkout counter literature say yes
-DES Plaines, IL was where Ray Kroc opened his first McDonalds after buying out the McDonald brothers. It was actually the 9th McDonalds and the first in a cold weather location
-I will always remember her singing I’ve Gotta CROW!
-Baseball uniforms of my ute were never MOTH EATEN but smelled of the moth balls used to keep them whole in storage
-Does anyone else remember, “Little Bunny Foo Foo, Hopping through the forest, Scooping up the field mice, And bopping them on the head.”?
FIR in a semi-slog. I was going for NiN?S for the Mexican tots, but the crosses set me right. Worthy challenge today.
But the queen of the field mice caught wind of what that bunny was up to and zapped him, turning him into a goon.
Moral of the story " Hare today, Goon tomorrow
FIR, and an anagram for today: FRI...not eggzackly the theme but close. I agree with Moe's head scratching over some of the clues completed only with perps.☹
Realized "YENOH" was "honey" backward but didn't help with the theme till I noticed GOC/cog, ("gear")... kwite Klever...Regrettably lotsa sports re-memorabilia. Ran the auto gamet from OPTIMA to ACURA.
BCE uses the the original date of the birth of Christ as a beginning date which is accepted as calculated incorrectly by around 4 to 6 years. BCE maintains the original dating system. BC would be "literally" erroneous.��
Learned about the constellation ARA only from CW's. Consider an OPAL a gem, not "milky glass". (A diamond is just a sparkly piece of coal?). The GPS answer is always "rte(s)" except when it's not.
Some backward answers: HOOP, ELBA, WAS, BAT, LAG, STROHS, RAP, NOR, EPA, NAB, IRA, BED, AFAR.....(Also palindromes TET, MOM & ARA ).
Inkovers : invertsuite/SUGAR..(a mysterious ingredient on food labels), niños/NENES
Couldn't squeeze into the bathing suite cuz they were ____ TOPHAT
Hawaiian fowls....NENES (Moe! D'oh!)
Spinal canal ...BACKCHANNEL
O'Neil play "The ____ Cometh"....ICEMAN.
We are in for a chilly Memorial Day weekend in the SW Adirondacks. Possible overnight frost. (ICEMAN begone). 🥶
Learning moment: invert sugar
Thank you OwenKL,
it makes me wonder what else I am missing in this puzzle...
Vidwan827
So you’re aware, we bloggers get the puzzles several days ahead so we have plenty of time to solve the puzzle and formulate our thoughts for the blog. The puzzles come unsolved (in Across Lite format - computer file) and there’s a separate file with the answers. I prefer solving the puzzle without looking at the answers, as it gives me a better understanding of the difficulty. And when I’m stuck, don’t understand a clue, can’t suss a word, it is as equally frustrating to me as a blogger, as it would be as a daily solver. If you catch my drift.
Most every blog I do involves several hours of work and editing. And I do it freely and with enjoyment. And I try to be fair and balanced in my reviews. Balance to me means that if something in the puzzle didn’t resonate or sit well, I’ll mention it but not dwell on it. I do think that reviewers/bloggers are entitled to their own opinions. I’m guessing that you’ve never read or replied to the Rex Parker NYT puzzle blog. Now THERE’S a guy who is quite the curmudgeon when it comes to panning a puzzle. But by and large I am quite lenient in my criticism of constructors for a variety of reasons. As a newbie constructor myself I realize how difficult it is to come up with a clever theme and exciting grid. And not all of them are “home runs”.
And lastly, saying I’m not enthusiastic with my blogs? Have you actually read each one I’ve done? Sheesh! If I were any more enthusiastic you’d have to restrain me with a straight jacket!
Have a pleasant weekend. I hope I’ve addressed your thoughts and concerns. Feel free to email me if you want to discuss further.
In the 1950s, 45s had one song on each side. By using a narrower groove, two songs could be crammed on to one side, making a 4-song Extended Play record, or EP. Two EPs could be packaged as a shorter version of a 12-song LP (using eight of the 12 songs on the album). An EP was therefore considered a kind of mini-LP. In later years, artists who did not have enough material for a full-length LP could put four songs on an EP to get their music heard. When CDs arrived, they were usually 10-12 song versions of vinyl LPs. If they had only a few cuts on them they were called EPs. This has extended into the digital age, where a download with only a few songs is referred to as an EP, a shortened version of a full-length CD, or "album."
Interesting to enter "turned traitor" before momentarily having any idea why it would be correct - luckily I'm beginning to get these constructor's tricks quicker than in the past.
For my two bits, outside of having the actual constructor do the review, I don't mind the reviewer revealing some of his or her feelings. Only omniscient one here is the constructor...or maybe the legendary Rex Parker (yes, I've heard tell of him).
Theme was clever.Problem here was the fill. Way too many proper names and sports references.
Interesting Friday puzzle--many thanks, Zachary. And enjoyed your commentary, Chairman Moe.
I almost predicted yesterday that we'd see Arthur ASHE again today, and here he was! He was such a neat tennis champion in his day, and it was so sad that he died so young, that I'm happy seeing him turn up in puzzles over and over.
Also like seeing ESAI turn up frequently. We rarely see the OBAMAS in puzzles, but a delight to have them show up this morning.
Wilbur, take good care of yourself and have a good recovery.
Neat poems, Owen.
Have a good day, everybody.
68A is a poor clue. It should not have had a comma after case. House for home, auto for car, ARod for jerk. You get the picture.
Puzzling thoughts:
Thanks to Owen for explaining 68A, and to all the others for explaining the EPS answer
Glad to hear from Tin today; I will toast at sunset this evening with one of his favorites: Scotch, neat
Have a safe and pleasant weekend
CM
Hi All!
Scooch over IM, I need a seat at the Thumper Table...
Thanks for the grid Zachary.
Tossed the towel after my 3rd lookup and no clue what YENOH meant (You Ever Not Opt Happy? [in the (opposite of) YOLO vein]).
Ibid. other themers.
Thanks for the expo C. Moe! Much more fun.
@11:36a - that's why I loved Steve's expos - he'd call 'em like he saw 'em; meh and all.
{B+, B+}
Spitz - Houston Chronicle had a 3 part, over 3 days, 2.25 pages/day on WTF re: The Big Freeze. I'd link but it's pay-walled.
Rant: Everything has become so "just-in-time" efficient that one little hiccup and nobody can find toilet paper, microchips, cars, etc...
I think we need to return some inefficiencies to our systems for these type of unforeseen / unforeseeable events -- bean-counters be dammed!
//BTW, DW made fun of me for years 'cuz I'd keep 36+ rolls of TP in the back pantry - that is until last year. She gets me now :-)
HG - DW and her college chum taught me (well our kids //but I didn't know it) Bunny Foo Foo when our daughters were young.
WC - Funny re: Goon tomorrow. In our houses, the fairy turned Bunny Foo Foo into a Tickle-Bug; then we'd tickle the toddlers. You get well.
LOL "TO PHAT," Ray-O.
I've got the house to myself so... Nap Time!
Cheers, -T
FLN…CARAT VS KARAT….I meant to write this yesterday. Whenever there is this type of clue, an easy way to remember is that Gems have the “4 Cs”… Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat (weight/size). Gold is measured in Karats, with the K. So C for gems, K for metal.
This Friday grid beat me, I had 2 bad cells, cannot even remember the last time.
Had HDOGO/HBOGO (never heard of that), NINES/NENES…agree that NENES was a Hawaiian goose.
Apparently NENE is a baby, but not male (NINO) or female (NINA)….I guess.
I thought 56A was looking for Roman numerals.
Stay safe.
@ 68a - - I think you need the comma to render the clue correctly. Otherwise you are asking for a case for 'example. If you pause the reader, which is the reason for the comma, the reader can (hopefully) see that an element of SYNtax is 'case'. Arguably a bit muddled but I think, on purpose, for a Friday level. JMHO.
In my case, I got SYN from the perps, and then it made sense.
Baseball Fans - There's heads-up baseball and then there's this. -T
Agreed
Negative on Strep. They took blood. No antibiotics? I am much better than tue-thurs.
I look forward to c-moe write-ups. Suggestion: use a separate post for a critique. All critiques are opinions. obviously sports doesn't bother me but ALOU is xword fodder. VLAD was easily perped .
Hola!
I'm with Irish Miss today. This puzzle was definitely not my cup of tea, but what the hay, it's a challenge and I finished it! And only two write-overs.
DES was my starting point and eventually I saw the REVERSE clues so that helped immensely with the solve.
I'll take a CSO at ARIzona!
NENES for small children is not often used and in fact, I would say it's regional in certain parts of Mexico and perhaps Spain.
I've seen the ALOU family in enough CWDS to recall them. And believe it or not, I've heard of VLAD as well. PELE is exceedingly famous so I know of him.
IKE and OBAMAS were a big help at the bottom. TET, too.
HBOGO is new to me but then I don't watch any premium CHANNELS.
In my newspaper there is a comma after case (Case, for example). SYN can mean syntax or synonym.
I learned about RAFA on Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley. He was featured in an episode and how he has helped the island of Majorca where he is from.
Have a fantastic Friday, everyone!
CASE is a SYNonym for "example." Merriam-Webster lists these synonyms for "example:" instance, case, illustration, sample, specimen...
68A: Case, for example: Abbr.: SYN.
A clever clue. What Owen said. SYNonym.
For instance:
I think it's an example of where one can't see the forest for the trees.
I think it's a case of where one can't see the forest for the trees.
I think, for instance, it's where one can't see the forest for the trees.
Chairman Moe, I absolutely agree about Larry Fitzgerald. Oklahoma QB Jason White won the Heisman and went undrafted.
The next year USC QB Matt Leinart won the Heisman. Adrian Peterson should have won it.
ICEMAN was also in today's Universal as the answer to a totally unrelated clue.
Ian McKellan did NOT play Albus Dumbledore. It was Richard Harris then Michael Gambon.
C.Moe: the jig is up...
I Googled and, it seems (scroll down to Portrayals within films) IAN was offered the role of Dumbledore (tragic name!) but turned it down 'cuz it was too similar his to his LOTR's Gandalf.
All I know is what I read & what I hear. School me.
DW got home early -- so, do I still get a nap?
Cheers, -T
Thank you, Chairman Mao, for a very entertaining review!
Cute puzzle. NENES also really through me off, until I had to put in it. Oh well...
I finished this after a few write-overs- but thanks to Owen, et al. for explaining INVERT SUGAR - the other theme answers were all in the language for me but that one - I knew the blog would come through to make it clear!
If you want to watch an interesting crime thriller movie - probably available on some streaming service since it came out in 2019 - "The Good Liar" starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren is worth an evening
Thanks CM and Zachary!
Hi Y'all! I AGREE this is a Thumper-type puzzle. Z.D.Levy obviously got paid for it. We are users. If we don't like the puzzle, the constructor should be told why so as to be ABLE to make the product more enjoyable next time. Otherwise, we will keep getting puzzles without any redeeming factors. IMHO. Praising something just to be nice is like giving every little kid at the foot race a trophy. No incentive to do better.
Thanks, CMoe. I AGREE with you. Tell 'em like you see 'em.
I got the theme at YENOH, but that didn't help at all. Perps were little help.
"Incidently in texts" = BTW. I don't phone text so I was thinking textbooks. DOH!
VLAD? I delayed putting in the "V" because I didn't think anyone with a Spanish surname would have that Russian-eastern European name. A friend's father was named VLAD in Czech. but changed it to Ladd in American because people thought he was Russian during the Cold War.
Thank you Zachary for a clever Friday puzzle, which I was ABLE to finish, albeit I FIW, by just one letter. And thanks MOE for a RIOT of a review.
I got the theme early (sorta), which seemed to have something to do with FLIPPING the SECOND word in the themers, although without MOE's PRESCIENT explanation, I did have to work out the FIRST word via PERPS.
Lots of good clues/fill:
11A The perennial CWD fav ETS has now suddenly become very timely. Rumor has it has it we are to learn much, much more than we want to know about the "little green men" next month. . And now I can finally come out of the closet: I've been convinced that THEY ARE OUT THERE, since the ROSWELL INCIDENT. And full disclosure, the "incident" was first reported on July 6th, 1947, which just happens to be my birthday.
54A LAB. As I said I came close to an FIR, but my LAB ate my puzzle before I saw through the obvious misdirection at 56A. I was looking for something like SWM. I already had BCI to go with NIÑOS but that doesn't AGREE with 66A and actually translates to KIDS not TOTS (NENES).
Now that my excuses are out of the way, I can BOAST that the rest of the puzzle went pretty smoothly for a FRIDAY.
Now I've got to shower off the garden sweat to get ready for my eldest grandson's HS graduation (last seen here in a SONOGRAM).
Cheers,
Bill
Anon T: That video has been all the talk today on Chicago Sports Radio.
VLAD... I'm a Baseball Fan so I knew that one immediately
Anon@ 11:40AM: I'm with you, I like when the reviewer gives his/her opinion on the puzzle. That's what I like most about finishing the NYT puzzle and then reading Rex Parker. If it's a good puzzle he says that, when it's crap he says that too.
Termite treatment day at Club Fred. Didn’t have time for the CW until 5:00pm. Lots of moving stuff around so the Hulett guy could drill his holes and put his poison in. Now I gotta clean up, fill the holes in the quarry stone floor, and move everything back. Oy. Decided to finish it tomorrow and work on the CW, which was a toughy for me, even though I managed to get the theme with the very first clue, YENOH for INVERTSUGAR. CMoe ZDL was probably not using the terms as terms of endearment, but rather as chemical definitions. As least that’s my take. In spite of getting the theme immediately this CW was still such a struggle I almost threw in the towel. Two W/Os slowed me down too: DDE:IKE. OKAY cleared that up. And YOGI:POOH. ALOU straightened that out. All-in-all, a nice challenge for a Friday level CW, and clever, thanx ZDL for all the effort put into this construction. And thanx for the as usual excellent and fun write-up, CMoe! O.K, I guess I won’t wait till tomorrow to fill the holes in the floor. Back to work. Have a good long weekend everyone!
Hmmm. I comment posted with a time stamp of 4:50, but it’s 5:50 here. I guess the blog runs on central time?
PK:
I don't know if VLAD Guerrero is from Cuba, but it seems likely. Cuba has been greatly influenced by Russia and Russian names. That's logical since Cuba marches to the Communist drumbeat. I had some Cuban students named IVAN which is not a typically Spanish name.
Musings 2
-Waseeley
–Have we been visited by ET’S? I have seen NO evidence of this except on tabloids and cheesy TV shows.
-Have we been visited by ET’s? As anyone in the sciences believes, I am open to proof. Never say never!
CMOE - Don't sweat 56A -IMHO the constructor raised the question, so reviewers have a license to elaborate on it.
I'm asking for a seat on the Thumper bench for this puzzle today.
If not for having read Moe's excellent exposition and all your comments I never would have figured out what EPS and SYN meant. HBOGO sounds like some kind of word in a Bantu language. Nose wrinkles at NENES and AVES. So many 3-letter entries!
At least I knew OPTIMA. My granddaughter owns one. Good car. AGOUTIS, SHRIEKS, and MOTHEATEN are good entries.
Rafael "RAFA" Nadal seems like a nice guy. Jon Wertheim of "60 Minutes" did a wonderful interview with him not long ago at his home in Majorca.
Wilbur Charles, take care of yourself, young man.
Anonymous T, no nap for you, young man.
Good wishes to you all.
UF - The blog runs on Central Time. C.C. lives in the Minnesota.
I liked Zach's puzzle and FIR on paper without any cheats. It was challenging -- it *is* Friday -- and I nearly failed in the SW, but took a WAG on OSIER and ICEMAN. Clever theme, evident from YENOH onward. OwenKL explained the couple of things that troubled me. I say YAY TO Zach!
Ta ~ DAH!
This was a tough Friday PZL, but P+P won the day.
Thank you, Mr. Levy, and thanks to Chrmn M for a richly decorated follow-up.
~ OMK
___________
DR: Just one diagonal, on the near end.
The abundance of "A"s and limited consonants made this a tough one to anagram.
I'm settling for a reference to a light brown specimen of video game Subnautica. (Look it up!) This gives us the anagram (12 of 15 letters) of ...
"A TAN TRIVALVE"!
I'm with billicohoes and Wilbur Charles, thinking of syntax; "case" is a category in syntax.
IrishMiss and other from the Capital Region will see CBA as Christian Brothers Academy (Albany, NY).
>>Roy
As to the proper meaning of "syn": Only Mr. Levy (or the esteemed Editor) can give a authoritative answer.
>>Roy
If you thought syntax, you got the correct answer for the wrong reason.
syn·tax
/ˈsinˌtaks/
noun: syntax
the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
"the syntax of English"
a set of rules for or an analysis of the syntax of a language.
plural noun: syntaxes
"generative syntax"
the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax
Lucina, being Cuban makes sense for VLAD.
Frantic Friday. Thanks for the fun, Zachary and CMoe.
I had to come back to my lake (not Erie today) of white in the north and south central areas. A fresh look cleared things up.
I got the theme early which helped immensely. I thought it was quite clever.YVMD (and obviously, others did).
I was thinking of Canadian roads after a winter of fluctuating temperatures, ice and snow; somehow POT HEAVEN (no not that kind of pot, I was thinking of potholes) eventually became MOTHEATEN😮😁
This Canadian did not know HBO GO, but VLAD filled easily. Both he and his father have Canadian, Toronto Blue Jay connections. (AnonT, when I saw that video on the sports news, I knew it would be in the comments here!)
I smiled at Q neighbour= TAB; but I think an ERASER is a “removal of writing” tool.
I learned OSIER early in my CW-solving days and haven’t seen it for a while.
Wishing you all a good evening. Feel better soon WC.
Dear Chairman Moe, I sincerely apologize for my earlier posting.
I have been travelling for the last 8+ hrs and just got to read your reply. I'm glad I did, so I could rue my earlier posting. Actually, I wasnt expecting a reply.
I have never written or posted an official CW review, so I am in no position to critique.
Also I dont read Rex Parker, or the NYT blogs. My suggestion, was meant to be in a friendly, nudge-nudge, informal aside. I am flattered and honored that you spent the time and energy for a whole essay blogpost for me. A couple of lines would have been enough.
Thank you for the blog, and I hope you will continue to do many, many more.
Infact, I would like to thank all the blogger-reviwers, and also the bloggers on this page for their contributions.
I know it is late, but Im glad I made the deadline for the day, so the record is current for today, and I dont have to mention it tomorrow. Hopefully, you will read it. Please accept my apologies.
Criticism is like rain, some of it is necessary, and in every life, it is inevitable some rain must fall. Rain provides water, for growth and progress. I just felt that the main page should be devoted, and limited, to the explanation of the clues. I see I was wrong.
Tomorrow, is another day. Bring it on !
Husker Gary @5:03 PM Times they are a changin' Gary. I'd suggest reading this book and then we can talk about it: UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record by Leslie Kean.
Nice SciFi touch on the DR, OMK.
Waseeley - The Politico article has a few names (Bigelow, Knapp (he guest hosts) DeLonge) I know from the Crazy People Show (Coast to Coast AM - Art Bell's old show); I listen every night.
Maybe it is ETs, but I'd bank more on new government projects that are using "UFOs" as a cover - think SR71 [1:40] or the F117 [32:07].*
Check out this book of patches from Pentagon's "dark" projects of the past.
The Truth is Out There :-)
Cheers, -T
*Tinker AFB (where I worked) did repairs on the B-2 Stealth Bomber. I remember the first time I saw one taking off as I was driving to work. I opened the sunroof to watch... it 'hung huge, heavy, in the sky in very much the same way that bricks don't.' (apologies to Douglas Adams)
The B-2 really did look and feel other-worldly as it flew.
Dear -T:
"Maybe it is ETs, but I'd bank more on new government projects that are using "UFOs" as a cover - think SR71 [1:40] or the F117 [32:07].* "
Yet if that is the case, there are some spectacular advances we have floating around (control of speed, acceleration, inertia, etc.).
Vidwan, you are such a nice man and valuable part of the corner. Our points of view may differ but I don't necessarily think you are wrong either. You know what you like and are free to say so.
Michael - I agree re: spectacular advances.
The 'Aurora' plane is still "secret" and it's 'old' tech. Here's a video that, for some reason, uses the F117 in the photos(?).
I recall back in the late '80s getting a model Stealth B-2 [kinda like that] with a satellite picture (that was purchased from the Russians(?)) of Groom Lake (Area 51) on the back.
I also remember, at and air show in SPI. they had a F117 with ropes and armed guards around it. We could look in awe at a distance of 8'.
At the risk of being political... We're going to have to have another War before we know these really exist (think Desert Storm == F117 was admitted to).
Cheers, -T
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