Theme: To Kill a Vampire. The last word of each theme fill is something that a vampire cannot abide.
17. Netflix series about unintended consequences of new technology: BLACK MIRROR. A British dystopian science fiction series with stand alone episodes.
As the legend goes, a vampire will not reflect in a MIRROR. This is because, traditionally, MIRRORS were backed with a thin layer of silver, which, due to its purity, is incompatible with creatures of darkness. Cf silver bullets and were-wolves.
29. Campground support: TENT STAKE. A spike designed to hold the tent to the ground, either directly or by connecting to ropes.
A STAKE through the heart will take the un from the undead. Decapitation also works. Leaving nothing to chance, a diligent vampire hunter will do both.
48. Part of a southpaw's ring repertoire: LEFT CROSS. I boxing, a power punch delivered with the dominant hand when the opponent leads with the opposite hand.
The idea that a vampire cannot abide the CROSS stems from folk lore in Christian Europe. Evidently, since vampires are taken to be agents of Satan, the crucifix is anathema to them. Ditto holy water and the eucharist host. But Anne Rice discarded these concepts in her more modern vampire novels.
61. On earth: UNDER THE SUN. On earth; in existence (used in expressions emphasizing the large number of something.)
Since vampires are creatures of darkness, they cannot abide direct SUNlight. Light reflected by the moon, however, is perfectly acceptable to all sorts of macabre and nocturnal entities.
And the unifier - 46. Classic Lugosi character with an aversion to the ends of 17-, 29-, 48- and 61-Across: DRACULA. The prototypical vampire, from Bram Stoker's novel, and its various adaptations.
Hi Gang - JazzBumpa here, STAKing a claim to to this vampiric puzzle. Let's avoid getting CROSSED up, and finish it before the SUN goes down.
Across:
1. Digital money: ECASH. Originally a digital-based system that facilitated the transfer of funds anonymously. eCash was created by Dr. David Chaum under his company, DigiCash, in 1990. Though there was interest in the platform from large banks, eCash never took off and DigiCash filed for bankruptcy in 1998. Apparently the term is now used generically for a variety of electronic money transfers.
6. Welcomed at the door: SAW IN. According to legend, a vampire can Olly enter a home if invited.
11. "Happy little trees" painter Ross: BOB. He [1942-1995] died young from a lymphoma. His TV show lived on long after his passing.14. Elder Obama daughter: MALIA. She [b 1998] is to the left in this family photo.
15. Ad: PROMO. Promotional spot
16. Sci-fi vehicle: UFO. Unidentified Flying Object.
19. Cal. airport not in its namesake city: SFO. It is located 13 miles from downtown San Francisco.
20. Arcing shot: LOB.
21. Like money in a poker game: AT RISK. Or the stock market.
22. Some "Rocky" settings: GYMS. Movies about a boxer.
23. Historic chapters: ERAS. Long and distinct periods of history having a particular feature or characteristic.
25. "__ la France!": VIVE. An expression of French patriotism, on a par with God Bless America.
26. Embezzler's dread: AUDIT. When the cooked books don't match the expected recipe.
27. Actors sans lines: MIMES. Those using the theatrical technique of suggesting action, character, or emotion without words, using only gesture, expression, and movement.
31. Google: SEARCH. Exploring the inter-tubes.
33. Uses a needle: SEWS. Making a mend, perhaps.
34. "__ out!": YER. Umpires declaration in baseball.
35. Dutch colonist: BOER. A member of the Dutch and Huguenot population that settled in southern Africa in the late 17th century.
37. Per __: DIEM. Per diem is a Latin phrase that translates to “by the day.” The term also refers to the amount of money paid to employees for 2 different types of “day” scenarios. The most common use of the term per diem refers to expenses a company reimburses an employee when they travel on business. Another type of per diem is for employees who receive a set amount of pay for a single days’ work.
39. "Get a room!" elicitor, for short: PDA. Public Displays of Affection. Stop it - you're making me sick!
42. Pants, briefly: TROU. Short for trousers.
44. Fashions: TRENDS. That come and they go.
51. Insignificant person: TWERP. A silly or annoying person. Might or might not be insignificant.
52. TV host with her "OWN" network: OPRAH. Needs no introduction
53. Fruity antacid: TUMS. I prefer the old-fashioned minty-chalk version.
55. ROFL relative: LMAO. Laughing My Aft-regions Off
56. Colorful cereal brand: TRIX.
57. Homes high up: AERIES. An AERIE is a large nest of a bird of prey, especially an eagle, typically built high in a tree or on a cliff.
59. Green prefix: ECO-. -logical.
60. Efron of "High School Musical": ZAC. He [b 1987] has since moved on to a variety of other roles since this 2006-8 trilogy
63. Spacewalk initials: EVA. Extra-Vehicular Activity
64. Image on some birth announcements: STORK.
65. Hirsch of "Into the Wild": EMILE. [b 1985] Since then he has gone on to other movies, an assault conviction for an event he claims not to remember due to substance involvement, and a rehab stint.
66. Hibernation location: DEN. If you are a bear.
67. Itty-bitty: EENSY. teeny-tiny.
68. "Alas!": SO SAD.
Down:
1. Insignias: EMBLEMS.
2. Some diet soda has one: CALORIE. A measure of the energy content of ingestibles.
3. College football powerhouse: ALABAMA. The Crimson Tide.
4. [not my mistake]: SIC. Sic is a Latin term meaning “thus.” It is used to indicate that something incorrectly written is intentionally being left as it was in the original. [Sic] is usually italicized and always surrounded by brackets to indicate that it was not part of the original. If it ends up being unintentionally funny, it's {sic} humor.
5. Maori dance with rhythmic chanting: HAKA. If, like me, you knew noting about this, you can learn more here.
6. Exorcist's target: SPIRIT. Presumably of the evil variety.
7. Gets in: ARRIVES.
8. Took a downturn: WORSENED.
9. "Everything's fine!": I'M OK.
10. Postal motto word: NOR. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" Until recently.
11. Reason to skip lunch, maybe: BUSY DAY. If it's really busy, I might miss my nap. But lunch?!? Hardly.
12. How some candid comments are made: OFF MIKE. Or so the speaker hopes.
13. Enthusiastic supporter: BOOSTER.
18. "Jersey Shore" airer: MTV.
22. __ check: test of character: GUT. An evaluation or test of a person's resolve, commitment, or priorities, typically with respect to a particular course of action.
24. Belgrade resident: SERB. City and citizen of Serbia.
26. Aver: ASSERT. Avow, proclaim..
28. Rusty nail liquor: SCOTCH. The Rusty Nail is a cocktail made from Drambuie and SCOTCH whisky. Drambuie is a liqueur with a SCOTCH whisky base. The classic recipe is two parts Scotch to one part Drambuie, over ice. Modern versions are as dry as 5 to 1. A lemon twist is optional.
30. Silly person: TWIT.
32. Munich address: HERR. Meaning Mister or Sir.
36. Cheered for: ROOTED ON. For your favorite sports team
38. Whimper: MEWL.
39. Was overcome with emotion, informally: PLOTZED. I was unfamiliar with this Yiddish term.
40. Corrupt: DEPRAVE. This equivalence is legit, but I would never use them interchangeably
41. Like some violets: AFRICAN. The various pecies and cultivars are commonly called African violets (although they are not closely related to true violets) or saintpaulias. They are commonly used as indoor houseplants, but can also be kept as outdoor plants in certain climates.
43. Loan sharks: USURERS. Lenders of last resort who charge exorbitant fees.
45. Draco Malfoy, to Harry Potter: NEMESIS. A loog-standing rival, or arch enemy.
47. Cuddled, in a way: SPOONED. In a couple of ways. You choose.
49. Line on many bills: TAX. Sales tax, in this instance.
50. Condescending: SMIRKY. characterized by or having a smirk, especially so as to seem irritatingly smug or conceited.. Could be condescending, by not necessarily.
54. "Quiet on the __!": director's cry: SET.
57. Pay to play: ANTE. An initial bet before the cards are dealt.
58. Sows, e.g.: SHES. Females.
61. Operate: USE. Run also fits. Need perps.
62. Punk rock offshoot: EMO. A style of rock music resembling punk but having more complex arrangements and lyrics that deal with more emotional subjects.
47 comments:
I really liked this theme! It was very fun. And great writeup, jazzbumpa!
Thank you Mr. Christian for a challenging puzzle on blood sucking creatures and the christian (sic) way of eliminating them. I shalt try to remember, should an opportunity present itself....
Thank you JazzBumpa, for a blog that was so interesting, though it did not use your set expertise on music and its theory, or on macro economics.
I cant believe I'm number 2 today .... must be the onset of summer.
Good morning!
Missed the reveal, and forgot to look for the theme. And so it goes... All the squares were correctly filled, so that's something. Not familiar with PLOTZED; sounds like it might mean intoxicated. Got SMIRKY, but wanted SNARKY. Thanx, Kevin and JzB ("I prefer the old minty-chalk version." Amen.)
As an afterthought, Mr. Christian has forgotten to mention the elixir of chewing hi-potency raw Garlic against such offfensive beings.
I don't know about Mr. or Ms. Dracula, but I understand it can be effective against obnoxious beings, of all nationalities.
Why, I have more than lingering suspicions, that DW has used this ploy, often, against me, ... with very effective results. ;-)
I liked this puzzle. Several instances of, "OOH, I know that, but it escapes me right now!"
A few perps dredged them up.
HAKA and Bob Ross were new to me.
When I was a server in a restaurant with a bar we sometimes told bar patrons to get a room. They never did, at least not before dinner. There was a motel next door and we had takeout.
I didn't care for the TV show, Jersey Shore. It seemed to me it was bad for New Jersey's image. Today I read that out-of-staters who viewed it had a more positive image of NJ than those who did not. Still, I didn't want us to be known like that.
I think of Efron as Nora, but she spelled it Ephron. I didn't know Zac, so the Z was almost a Natick. An ABC run supplied it. Only then did I remember having seen or heard PLOTZED.
IMO the best defense against someone else's garlic breath is to have garlic yourself. Then you don't notice it.
Musings
-I couldn’t talk myself out of PLOTZED. Waddaya know…
-For a trip to a casino , you should have a definite limit as to how much money you are willing to put AT RISK
-Speaking of casinos, VIVE Las Vegas
-MLB players get a $100.50 per DIEM food allowance on the road
-SIC is said to be the first word Booth uttered after jumping from the balcony onto the stage
-Speaking of assassinations, SERB Gavrilo Princip’s killing of Archduke Ferdinand set off WWI
-A now deceased neighbor raised award-winning AFRICAN Violets and Joann is so proud that she has kept the one he gave her alive for three years
-To calculate a tip, it is said to double the sales TAX. I go way over that.
-I always enjoyed getting to USE a jackhammer when I was working construction (destruction)
Fun theme. SW corner was a little squirrelly but good puzzle overall.
At the airport in S.F.O.
Do they ever watch for a U.F.O.?
Should Little Green Men
Land there now and then
Would the T.S.A. check their bags when they go?
BOB the jockey insisted he be ROOTED fer,
Because he was just four feet, head to spur!
When he went out to eat
And was shown to a seat,
He couldn't dine until he had a BOOSTER!
{B+, B.}
Fln, I dabbled with the idea of an "Obituary game" where contestants would devise positive obits on characters like Hitler and Hoffa.
Logan Airport is outside Boston connected by tunnels
I doubt Tin would adulterate his neat SCOTCH with Drambouie
PLOTZED was 7 perps
Ironically the Archduke was pro SERB
"More wolfsbane, Van Helsing?" the count said with sneer as he took a step toward the much smaller male. "No, count. Something far more powerful."
Outside of PLOTZing around in the SW this went smoothly
WC
Ps, two delightful l'icks, Owen
Reporting in, a FIR for Wednesday! Got the theme too after the reveal, though one of my WOs was TENT poles, not especially feared by vampires. Speaking of vampires, I tried to fit that in the SE corner instead of DRACULA. Big inky mess when I corrected it.
My other big memory slip was AFRICAN violets, which was obvious. But first I thought violet colors and tried to fill in lilac combinations. Perps eventually saved the day there. I did remember ZAC this time. Great fun, Kevin, thanks! And thanks for the witty review, JazzB. Nice to read your comments again.
Channeling IM and Canadian Eh, I noticed TWIT and TWERP near each other, and UFO above SFO. PLOTZED was totally new to me but verklempt didn't fit.
FLN: Add my best wishes for a Happy 40th Anniversary on Sunday, Canadian Eh! Looks like a special summer for you with a big birthday coming up in July, too.
Happy Wednesday to all!
Hi Y'all! Enjoyed this puzzle, Kevin, even tho I felt AT RISK among the creatures of darkness. But not very. Smooth & fun solve. Great expo, JzB, I sort of got the theme, but you explained it better.
DNK: HAKA, PLOTZED, EMILE.
Fruity TUMS: got some by mistake and found them nauseating. Need the mint type to help a stomach upset.
YR: I agree that the Jersey Shore contingent gave a bad impression of your fine state. I had been to New Jersey Shore and met a much nicer class of people there. The show offended me in their behalf. I couldn't stand to watch it more than twice. The cast members kept showing up on other shows and weren't any better there -- like Dancing With The Stars.
FIIR, with no WOs or woes. I remember watching the dredging operations that built SFO atop the bay when I was a kid living in San Mateo.
Good morning everyone.
DNK PLOTZ or BOB. Got everything else, though, so I'M OK. Didn't care much for the theme; probably just me.
TUMS - Never have had one.
PLOTZ - Apparently came to the English from Yiddish which borrowed it from Middle High German. Modern German has the word "plötzlich" which means sudden or abrupt.
BOER - Means "farmer" in Dutch. Pronounced like English 'booer'. Low German Buer.
Have a great day.
This one filled without much hesitation and the theme was a lot of fun. Last weekend Svengoolie aired Curse of the Undead which is a 1959 vampire western. Terrible movie but it did star Eric Fleming of Rawhide fame.
Have not posted of late,
Bored, bored, bored....
I mean, how many times can you post a silly link about a vowel run.
But, today is different!
Black Mirror is is a new and refreshing look at
Technology gone awry ala twilight zone.
But before I give you that link,
Even more near and dear to my heart is another Netflix
Nightmare series called love, death and robots.
Every episode (usually under ten minutes) is different in story and style.
Here is episode three:
if you stop petting the cat, it will explode...
And now,
For something completely different,
black mirror snippets...
Thank you Kevin and JzB.
Clever theme, although VLAD the IMPALER is a bit MACABRE for my taste.
I've gotta' run as we are taking my oldest grandson to lunch to celebrate his graduation and also his attainment of the rank of Eagle in Scouts.
Fav so far:
53A TUMS I prefer the alternate to TUMS when needed: PLOTZ, PLOTZ, fizz, fizz. Actually I've found the best antacids are to 1) avoid fatty foods and, you can't, the drink lots of water.
64D STORK Loved the DUMBO video Ron.
I'll be back when the SUN goes down.
Cheers,
Bill
Good Morning:
It took the reveal to see the theme which I liked. There were some unknowns, to wit, Black Mirror, Haka, and Plotzed, but perps were fair. I thought of Tin and Moe at Scotch and CED at Mewl. Overall, a smooth mid-week solve.
Thanks, Kevin, for a fun Wednesday and thanks, JazB, for the witty and wry write-up. Your droll delivery is delightful.
YR @ 7:38 ~ I did an acrostic puzzle recently with a clue, “What most people think the tv show “Jersey Shore” is” and the answer was Unwatchable. That says it all, IMO. I often wonder who watches these inane, so-called reality shows.
FLN
oc4beach, the A/C installer is due between 10-2. Hooray! Actually, I was lucky that out of the two weeks without A/C, I had only 5 days of real discomfort, Sunday being the worst with an indoor temp of 87. To reward my forbearance, I ordered some Gibble’s!
Have a great day.
Nice puzzle.
I wasn't sure at first if it was UFO or the more recent term UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena).
I thought PLOTZ was to plop down on a sofa or chair. To me, the word for overcome with emotion is VERKLEMPT from SNL skits.
In the movie The Fate of the Furious, the Rock has his little girl's soccer team do a HAKA.
[50 second clip posted by him that shows the cameras filming it too-> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjpxpPiGSSs ]
(Other)Worldly Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Kevin and JazzB..
I got the theme (yes Vidwan, I was looking for garlic too), but had trouble in the SW corner.
I was vacillating between Aldrin (EEA) and Armstrong (NAA) for those spacewalk initials; only the A was correct. I guessed at ZAC but was unsure of PLOTZED, and finally saw DEPRAVE (verb needed!). Had to come here to find out who EVA was 😁🤔😁😁
Yes, ATL Granny, I noted UFO and SFO. ( thanks for the best wishes). We also had BOB and LOB, USE and USURERS, SET crossing UNDER THE SUN, ARRIVES crossing SAW IN. ALABAMA crossing the Obama daughter was interesting too.
I also noted a mini-theme of fiscal caution with ANTE, STAKE, AT RISK, USERERS. Watch for an AUDIT! Might be SO SAD.
AERIES not Eerie to match today’s theme.
United Nations with SERB and SCOTCH beside HERR crossing BOER.
Congrats to your grandson waseeley.
Wishing you all a great day.
Filled it all in without seeing the theme until I read JzB's tour through the grid. Good puzzle and tour.
A Rusty Nail is my favorite mixed drink, however I like it a little sweeter than the recipes listed. I use 2oz Drambuie to 1oz scotch over cracked ice. I know Tin wouldn't like it, but I do. However, it has to be a good single malt scotch like Dalwhinnie, GlenFiddich or GlenLivet to go with the Drambuie. I have a 94 year old acquaintance who claims to have had a Rusty Nail every day of his adult life and claims it's a major reason for his longevity. You can't argue with success.
IM: Enjoy your Gibbles and enjoy your new AC.
I knew TUMS right away. It cuts heartburn quickly for me, but doesn't last long. For longer term relief, Tagamet or Pepcid AC are needed.
I hadn't heard of BLACK MIRROR, but perps filled it in. Since I now have NetFlix, I'll have to check it out.
When I was working on the Space Station, EVA equipment was one of my responsibilities.
Have a great day everyone.
From Yesterday
Lucina, WA Seeley, Yellowrocks, Wilbur Charles, AnonT Thank you for the kind words about my JAFFA photos. They were taken in 2015 during a surprisingly peaceful period. Yes, I was also delighted by the shirt "Jews and Arabs Refuse to be Enemies" in the bakery.
And I was also pleased to see the sign remembering the genocide against the Armenians. The best way to prevent genocide is for there to be solidarity with at-risk groups.
Jayce, Ray-O-Sunshine, Jinx, TokenCreek Thank you all for the many helpful and detailed tips and information about doing a balloon ride for real that is not tethered. The Albuquerque event sounds delightful. So, it is easy just to show up and find someone who will give us a ride? Or should reservations be made?
Good to also know about Phoenix.
I am not so concerned about safety. My biggest concern is that we will travel a long way to do this and have the flight cancelled.
TokenCreek How did your company deal with having to cancel flights? Did this happen often?
I am happy to locate the reveal and solve it first. DRACULA came easily and helped with this fun theme.
As a child PLOTZ was often heard in our home. I always thought it meant to fall down from being surprised or overwhelmed. I later learned it meant to burst like a balloon. My grandparents spoke Yiddish as a real language, but my parents just used select words a lot.
I only know BOB ROSS because of this Solstice ensemble celebrating his life. You can see all the HAPPY LITTLE TREES.
I am friends with the artist who is in the foreground of the first photo and the mother of the artist who is proudly posing in the second photo.
Hi, this is Kevin Christian. I constructed today's puzzle. Thank you everyone for solving and commenting.
I intended this puzzle for on or around Halloween, but I guess Rich decided he didn't want to wait that long.
In the fill, I like HAKA and PLOTZED. Most people have seen a HAKA on TV or wherever, even if they didn't know what it was called, and I think it's a fun entry. I've wanted to use PLOTZ, PLOTZES, PLOTZED, or PLOTZING in a puzzle for a long time, so that was another fun entry for me.
The grid is wide open, and has 76 entries instead of the max of 78, so I think that's a positive.
I sat and watched the original Dracula movie with Bela Lugosi in order to come up with the theme entries.
Have a good day everyone. - KevinC
Fun Wednesday puzzle--many thanks, Kevin. And your write-ups are always a delight, JazzB--thanks for those too.
Had a little trouble only in the northeast and southwest corners--didn't know BOB Ross, or that SFO is not in San Francisco, and had no idea about PLOTZED. And "Rusty nail liquor"? Ick! Glad I don't drink SCOTCH.
Nice to see pretty MALIA and her sweet sister in the Obama picture.
Have a great day, everybody.
PICARD @ 11:50 : HAB rides are very weather dependant. Very seldom had to cancel once the forcast was confirmed. But if we did have to cancel, we would phone customers, tell them and ask if they would like reschedule. Pilots have access to weather info that most of us do not have. If we had to cancel for a SUDDEN change in the weather, after they already showed up, they, for the most part, understood the safety issue. Hope that helps. Very few flights are canceled at the Albuquerque Balloon Feista. TC
PICARD, it's been a while, but if I recall correctly, you can get a flight in Albuquerque anytime during the Fiesta without a reservation. LIU if you'd consider going.
Hola!
BOB Ross is a reminder of my late DH who was a big fan. When he retired he started painting and was "mentored" on TV by BOB. He had natural talent and we have some of his paintings on display both here at my home and at my daughter's. Many "happy" trees are portrayed.
Thank you, Kevin Christian and JazzB! What a nice puzzle! It was easy to fill. I liked seeing MALIA Obama and a picture of the family.
SEWS takes me back to my days of much, much sewing. Starting in seventh grade, I made most of my clothes.
ZAC was easy since my granddaughter was a fan. He was the teenage heartthrob of the day.
In just about a month I shall be landing at SFO!
Many a faux pas has been heard OFF MIKE. HAKA and BLACK MIRROR are new terms for me. Also, I've not see any of the "Rocky" films but GYMS was an easy guess.
Judging by the moisture on my patio floor I see that it rained last night! What a welcome sight and I hope that helped to put out the fires raging north of us.
Canadian Eh, congratulations on 40 years of marriage!
Have a happy day, everyone!
FIR, but VIVa-->VIVE. DNK ZAC, HAKA, PLOTZED, or Draco Malfoy.
Two CSOs to Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues":
"Drink SCOTCH whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel"
and
"They got a name for the winners in the world
(I) I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues"
Great song from a fantastic album.
VIVa Las Vegas? Elvis has left the planet.
Kevin -
Thanks for stopping by. it's always great to hear for the constructor.
Surprisingly cool here the last couple days.
Have a great day, everyone.
Cool regards!
JzB
Jinx, I’m loving that there is another strong Steely Dan fan here. I also listen to the Doobie Brothers, currently listening to One Step Closer, just fabulous.
This Wednesday crossword seemed to almost fill itself.
No write-overs today.
You want to watch a scary Dracula movie, try Nosferutu. I first saw it when I was 20 and I still remember.
I no longer drink, a personal choice, but when I did I didn’t drink Scotch.
Irish Miss, I’m hoping they are there by now and you are cooling down.
See you tomorrow.
Beautiful grid, Kevin, and a fun theme. Thank you!
The rain continues! The desert needs that moisture. Thunder! Which I had not heard in ages! What a wonderful sound. The downside of this weather is that if it continues to rain, the dry washes will fill up and drivers will attempt to cross them which will result in their being stuck. Newcomers to the area especially don't realize he danger those washes pose if they try to cross them. They are usually deeper than they look.
Hi All!
Thank you Kevin for the puzzle with a fun, well-executed, theme. I like the old monster movies, so this was in my wheelhouse. Thanks for stopping by The Corner.
Thanks for the expo, ,JzB! I even learned a few things :-)
WOs: BOoR, VIVa
ESPs: EMILE, PLOTZED, HAKA
Sparkle: OFF MIKE, SPOONED, MIMES' clue
Fav: TWIT [Monty Python - 4:20]
{B+, A}
Waseeley - Congrats to your grand on Eagle Scout. That's one thing that will stay with him for life. //I only was Life Scout - need the service project but went to Basic before I did it. :-(
"Jersey Shore" - remember when MTV played music videos? I do.
Pop and I would watch Bob Ross on PBS most Saturdays. Pop is a pretty good artist now :-)
Rusty nail? No, I'll take my SCOTCH straight w/ one cube of ice (sorry, TIN). Oc4 - nice selection! //and cool you got to work on the EVA.
Nice to see you today, CED. I'll watch the vids later.
IM - you cool'd down yet? Enjoy those Gibble's!
Hope to see you in SFO, Lucina. Enjoy the rains.
Cheers, -T
NYT Sunday xword had a clue: Jersey Shore character with incontinence issue?
_ _ _ _ N _ S _ _ _ H _ _ _ T_ _T _ _ N. Yes, 21 characters down
"Elvis in Las Vegas" was about how Elvis transformed the city.
WC
I liked this puzzle okay. The DRACULA theme was cool. ROOTED ON, as opposed to rooted for, and SMIRKY seem to me to be sorta made up. I did like seeing fill such as USURERS, NEMESIS, EMBLEMS, and CALORIE. I didn't know the correct spelling of Mr. Efron's first name and entered ZAK at first; AFRICAN fixed it. I also put in TROW at first until those USURERS came along.
Not knowing BOB Ross, being unable to guess at "--- out!" might be (Get out? Nope), and putting in POD instead of UFO (right above SFO? Naw, couldn't be. Yep, it was), messed up that corner for quite a while.
Very much enjoyed your exposition, Jazzb. And your verses, Owen.
I have very fond memories of the Jersey shore. Uncle owned a cabin in Forked River and we loved to ride in, water ski behind, and fish from his speedboat in Barnegat Bay. We shucked a lot of oysters. Clams, too, if I recall.
Good wishes to you all.
DNF - missed PDA/PLOTZED/DEPRAVE
Also a CSO to MalMan for SCOTCH; he is my foil for bouncing questions about the peaty malt … we usually help each other’s collections out by visiting Costco, and then emailing to share what we bought
Kevin C —> always fun to work your puzzles
W-O’s: OFF HAND/OFF MIKE; VIVA/VIVE; BLACK MARKET/BLACK MIRROR (either of which would’ve been a WAG)
When I used to travel to Vegas to gamble, my “rule” was to never tap into my future days’ STAKE if I lost on day 1. I would usually be there for 2-4 days, and I’d divide whatever I had AT RISK by the number of days there, and that’s what I’d wager. So if I was there for 4 days and had a THOU total, the most I’d bet/lose on day 1 was $250. Some might say I’m not a gambler, but it usually served me well. And if ever I returned home with the same money I LEFT home with, I was a HUGE winner. Haven’t been to Vegas since 2005, though. I’m sure a lot has changed…
I really enjoyed the theme and most of the puzzle.HAKA(never heard of it)was easily sussed but PLOTZED which I was unfamiliar with crossed by ZAC was a bit much.
I like a drier rusty nail, less Drambuie.
Happy 40th CE and DH. I hope you had a great day.
Wasee!ey, congrats to your grandson for his great achievement.
Thanks for all the kind comments about the N J shore.
agreat day.
A most enjoyable PZL from Mr. Christian--the kind that's really a pleasure to solve because so many of the fills are mild but real surprises.
And Jazzbumpa offers a fine response.
Too bad there are no diagonals. I was looking forward to anagramming this one...
~ OMK
Speaking of SCOTCH, CH M and others, it's now 17:00H here and my tasks for the day ave been completed so I think that it is time for something. I think that I will go with the Compass Box Peat Monster Arcana. It represents an inquiry into the effects of French Oak on (peated) SCOTCH whisky.
It's now thirty minutes later and all I can say is "Damn, that's good!"
Hello everyone. Thank you Mr Christian and Jazz B for a very good enjoyable puzzle and write-up. I think the themes of the puzzles lately are very diverse and I never know what to expect each day. Who would have expected Dracula as a theme? Very clever clues. Thanks.
Didn’t know haka, ROFL, plotzed. I happen to really like Yiddish words they’re enjoyable to pronounce and just seem so appropriate. Love the word schlep, many others. YR please don’t get me going about the MTV depiction of the Jersey Shore. All of my childhood summer vacations were spent there with lots of family. Wonderful family memories.
Have a good night!
Kevin C. is one the very nice people who not only make fun puzzles, but he also collaborates with others and takes the time to acknowledge and appreciate his audience-us.
It is late, but too late to thank Kevin and Alvin
Oops Kevin and Ron, I was thanking Alvin for the German/Yiddish lesson
FIR but took 31 minutes. DNKs: BOB Ross, HAKA, BLACKMIRROR, PLOTZED. I’ve never heard DEPRAVE as a verb. I did like this CW a lot though, thanx, KC! I did get the theme before the reveal, for once. Terrific write-up, JzB, thanx for all your time and effort.
The answer to How did we know the Jersey Shore character was incontinent?
Depends on The Situation
I had to look up Jersey Shore characters for that one
WC
I never watched the Jersey Shore and have no idea about any of it.
Tony:
Looking forward!
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