TITLE: Ruh Roh? Oh no! SCOOBY vs. ASTRO
Gary in his unstoppable move to take over the cyber crossword world is back with a sounds like puzzle based on a beloved cartoon dog. But which one? But first, lets examine the puzzle. It has a bunch of seven letter fill ANARCHY, AT LARGE, ATTESTS, BRIDGET, IT'S HERE, LAUGH IN, LOANERS, NEUTERS, PONTOON, RECASTS, TROLLEY and TSETSES which are a great basis to solve. The number of 3/4/5 fill are high - 57 and similar grids have appeared on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Those are the bland statistics, but for this effort the question is - was it fun to solve? It was for me and I will explain and provide more comments at the end.
18A. Deception at a dog show?: ROVER RUSE (9). This filled very quickly as ROVER is a common dog name and a RUSE is a deception, making the clue/fill very simple. OVER and USE are both complete words that have the R added. So when I went to the next themer...
23A. Top-shelf whiskey?: REGAL RYE (8). This is obviously a reference to EAGLE EYE, but it does not follow the 18A pattern. EGAL YE are nothing. But the fill sounds good; hmm, look for more info.34A. Food staple storage areas?: RICE RACKS (9). The perps gave me this pair, another Rxxx Rxxxx answer, but ICE ACKS (ICE AX?) does not make sense and despite my immersion in Thai culture, I do not know of RICE RACKS, as they dry their rice on mats, But I now have learned the Japanese method.
51A. Unexpected lopsided victory?: RARE ROUT (8). ARE OUT is another pair of real phrases but by this time I am convinced the puzzle is built aroud sound (not surround sound) and I am quickly provided a reveal.
56A. Cartoon canine whose speech patterns inspired four puzzle answers: SCOOBY DOO (9). Yes, Scooby Does start his words with the R sound, and now we are ready to move on to the rest of the story.
Across:
1. Musical collectible: ALBUM. My problem has been that they do not travel well or easily. I have ruined too many very valuable records from the heat.
6. Wit: CARD. Boring M-W: Synonyms for card; comedian, comic, droll, farceur, funnyman, gagger, gagman, gagster, humorist, jester, joker, jokester, wag, wit.
10. Cut: SLIT. A throat? More pirates hanging around...
14. Trunk with a chest: TORSO. This is a doubly cute clue/fill as it is tricky and combines TRUNK and CHEST which can be synonyms.
15. Mind: OBEY. Mind has so many permutations, mind your baby sitter, mind your manners, mind your ps and qs etc. but I find no etymology for mind to mean obey.
16. Is gentle with: PATS. This year they will be relying on Mac Jones the QB from Alabama's most recent national championship team. Bye bye Cam.
17. Denny who founded the Moody Blues and Wings: LAINE.
Biography
6. Wit: CARD. Boring M-W: Synonyms for card; comedian, comic, droll, farceur, funnyman, gagger, gagman, gagster, humorist, jester, joker, jokester, wag, wit.
10. Cut: SLIT. A throat? More pirates hanging around...
14. Trunk with a chest: TORSO. This is a doubly cute clue/fill as it is tricky and combines TRUNK and CHEST which can be synonyms.
15. Mind: OBEY. Mind has so many permutations, mind your baby sitter, mind your manners, mind your ps and qs etc. but I find no etymology for mind to mean obey.
16. Is gentle with: PATS. This year they will be relying on Mac Jones the QB from Alabama's most recent national championship team. Bye bye Cam.
17. Denny who founded the Moody Blues and Wings: LAINE.
Biography
20. With 21-Across, odds follower: AND. 21A. See 20-Across: ENDS. Odds and ends.
22. Highest unstriped pool ball: EIGHT. ❽
26. Washes up: BATHES.
27. Samsa of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis": GREGOR. If you have not read the story, it is interesting. I enjoyed the message. The name of the central character appears to derive partly from literary works Kafka had read. A character in The Story of Young Renate Fuchs, is named Gregor Samassa. The Viennese author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose sexual imagination gave rise to the idea of masochism, Venus in Furs (1870), a novel whose hero assumes the name Gregor at one point. Gregor Samsa has hung a picture of a woman in furs on his bedroom wall that he is very sad to see taken away.
27. Samsa of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis": GREGOR. If you have not read the story, it is interesting. I enjoyed the message. The name of the central character appears to derive partly from literary works Kafka had read. A character in The Story of Young Renate Fuchs, is named Gregor Samassa. The Viennese author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whose sexual imagination gave rise to the idea of masochism, Venus in Furs (1870), a novel whose hero assumes the name Gregor at one point. Gregor Samsa has hung a picture of a woman in furs on his bedroom wall that he is very sad to see taken away.
28. Roll in the grass: SOD. Wonderful clue/fill introduced to us HERE
29. Steamed state: IRE. I would say someone is irate but I get the idea.
30. Perfume compound: ESTER. Not ESTEE, a chemical answer.
31. Tees, say: TOPS. Yes, many kinds.
33. Video game letters: NES. Nintendo Entertainment System.
38. Blame: RAP. This has so MANY origins.
41. Wranglers rival: LEES. Jeans, Gene.
42. Big name in health care: AETNA.
46. Ambient music pioneer Brian: ENO. His letters keep him popular.
47. It might be sticky: BUN.
It does not go well with...48. Bordeaux wine: CLARET. Moe should have had this last week, but Claret is a British term used, unofficially, in reference to red Bordeaux wine. The red wines of Bordeaux are blends, mostly based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The term “claret” is sometimes used—unofficially, of course—to refer to Bordeaux-style red wines produced elsewhere, such as the United States.
49. Classic light provider: CANDLE. In the wind?
53. "Star Wars" name: ARTOO. R2D2.
54. Fishing boat: DORY. Also a lost blue tang.
55. Wireless standard initials: LTE. Long Term Evolution.
58. Youngest French Open champ: SELES. To this day Monica, aged 16 and 6 months, is the youngest winner when she won the French Open, to become the youngext in the Open Era. She was surpassed by Martina Hingis seven years later who won the 1997 Australian Open aged 16 years, 3 months. Her career was cut short by a crazed fan.
60. Superhero with a hammer: THOR. He has has too much press lately.
61. Has something: EATS.
62. "At the Movies" co-host: EBERT. Siskel and...
63. Dict. entries: SYNS. The bloggers have discovered so many cute syonym sites.
64. Where Cisco has no "i," briefly: NYSE. I hate to be the one who complains but this company trades on NASDAQ: as CSCO. Be more careful Rich.
65. Vast chasm: ABYSS.
Down:
1. Loose: AT LARGE. Sounds like aan escapee.
2. Auto repair perks: LOANERS. It certainly helps to have a car in our society. I have not been allowed to drive for 3 years plus and it sucks.
3. One of the Fondas: BRIDGET.
4. "Top Gun" org.: USN. Navy, not Air Force; the sequel flies into theaters November 19, 2021. Isn't that pirate day not maverick day?
5. Homer's bartender: MOE. Another reference coming a week late.
6. Clichéd: CORNY. Rustic, unsophisticated; ridiculously or tiresomely old-fashioned or sentimental; trite. colloquial.
7. Quarters: ABODE. So quadraplex would be Dollars?
8. Guns: REVS. Engines, especially motorcycles and airplanes. See 4D.
9. Salon supply: DYE. A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color
10. Diagonal sail extender: SPRIT. sprit
11. '60s-'70s show with a Joke Wall, familiarly: LAUGH IN. A feature many loved.
12. "The parcel has arrived": IT'S HERE.
13. African pests: TSETSES. More cutting remarks.
19. __ lips: READ.This comes in very handy.
21. Blunder: ERR. Is blundering divine also?
24. New __: AGER. An OPINION that may not reflect your ideas, but those of uswere efected by this concep
25. Loughlin of "Full House": LORI. More famous for her children and husband now.
26. Pear variety: BOSC.
28. Getaway spots: SPAS.
31. Many a "Buffy" character: TEEN.
32. Vein contents: ORE. Fooled you, no blood.
35. Solving aid: CLUE.
36. Trendy kind of chips: KALE. Do you do these awful creations?
37. Lightly burn: SEAR.
38. Replaces actors for: RECASTS. Darren Stevens comes to mind, both actors Dicks- York to Sargent.
39. Lawlessness: ANARCHY.
40. What may float your boat: PONTOON. A cute literal answer.
43. Transport on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": TROLLEY.
44. Fixes, in a way: NEUTERS. Ouch.
45. Certifies: ATTESTS. Hardly the same thing.
47. Oozy horror film menace, with "the": BLOB. Two versions; the CLASSIC and the REMAKE.
48. Shout: CRY. Cry out maybe, but not just cry.
50. Metaphorical opportunities: DOORS. If you call the Mayor she can open some doors for you.
51. Underground network: ROOTS. Hence the name of the mini-series.
52. Turned up: AROSE. Our dreaded A-word of the day.
54. WWII turning point: D-DAY. A LESSON for the children.
57. Strong desire: YEN. This etymology might surprise you but NOT C.C.
58. Watery expanse: SEA. Also one of my many great grand nephews by marriage.
59. Point of decline: EBB. Go with the flow man as I am ebbing my way out of here.
13. African pests: TSETSES. More cutting remarks.
19. __ lips: READ.This comes in very handy.
21. Blunder: ERR. Is blundering divine also?
24. New __: AGER. An OPINION that may not reflect your ideas, but those of uswere efected by this concep
25. Loughlin of "Full House": LORI. More famous for her children and husband now.
26. Pear variety: BOSC.
28. Getaway spots: SPAS.
31. Many a "Buffy" character: TEEN.
32. Vein contents: ORE. Fooled you, no blood.
35. Solving aid: CLUE.
36. Trendy kind of chips: KALE. Do you do these awful creations?
37. Lightly burn: SEAR.
38. Replaces actors for: RECASTS. Darren Stevens comes to mind, both actors Dicks- York to Sargent.
39. Lawlessness: ANARCHY.
40. What may float your boat: PONTOON. A cute literal answer.
43. Transport on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": TROLLEY.
44. Fixes, in a way: NEUTERS. Ouch.
45. Certifies: ATTESTS. Hardly the same thing.
47. Oozy horror film menace, with "the": BLOB. Two versions; the CLASSIC and the REMAKE.
48. Shout: CRY. Cry out maybe, but not just cry.
50. Metaphorical opportunities: DOORS. If you call the Mayor she can open some doors for you.
51. Underground network: ROOTS. Hence the name of the mini-series.
52. Turned up: AROSE. Our dreaded A-word of the day.
54. WWII turning point: D-DAY. A LESSON for the children.
57. Strong desire: YEN. This etymology might surprise you but NOT C.C.
58. Watery expanse: SEA. Also one of my many great grand nephews by marriage.
59. Point of decline: EBB. Go with the flow man as I am ebbing my way out of here.
I could not blog a puzzle near September 11, without acknowedging the horror of the event and its aftermath. While I was safe is South Florida listening to the unfolding of the attacks, I had worked in one of the towers, and had friends there. My high school roommate lived nearby with his wife who had her lungs destroyed by poisoned air and died young. He will never be the same. Each year we pray for all the families of the direct victims, the first responders and the callously called collateral damage. This year is particularly poignant with 9/11 coming during the 10 holiest days for Jews. If only the world would understand if each of us loved G-d (in whatever form you believe) and our fellow humans, there would be no silly wars, no arms race, no gun controversies. I will pray. I also ask for forgiveness from any I am have hurt or offended this year, and I forgive all who have acted against me.
Thank you Gary I enjoyed the puzzle and the challenge, Lemonade out.
38 comments:
I parsed the themers as
ROVER RUSE over use
REGAL RYE eagle eye
RICE RACKS ice axe
RARE ROUT air out
DNF. I did not do well with this one. Cartoons are normally my specialty, but SCOOBY DOO is not one I can watch, precisely because he mangles words beyond my comprehension. So, the theme entries were opaque to me. then, when I finally gave up and turned on the red, the etire top center went red! Every square that I had entered anything into!
The Venus De Milo is a female TORSO.
It ATTESTS to feminine beauty, and more so!
It's carved out of marble,
It's practically immortal!
Papier-mâché Was rejected 'cause it tore so!
One who BATHES at a SPA
May hold their treatment in awe.
They are given PATS
On their aching backs,
And get the muddiest that they ever saw!
{B, C.}
Hi Y'all! Gary: groan! 'Nuf said.
Lemonade, lovely tribute for a very nasty day to remember. Also a good review of the groaner.
A nice 9/11 tribute, Lemonade, but my calendar shows that today is actually September 10.
What a struggle. I don’t know how long I spent on this CW which I almost gave up on several times because I forgot to mark my starting time. A FIR in what I would guess to be 45 minutes of struggle. GL, you really created a brain-buster here, at least for me. Thanx for the nice write-up, Lemonade. Last week Thursday I met a friend of mine at the Peter-Pan Diner. They have a separate bar in the back, where we hang out occasionally. She ordered a chicken pot-pie, which looked delicious, and is only available on Thursdays. I had a Greek salad, which was also very good. I waited a week to go back so I could get the chicken pot-pie. We met there yesterday, along with two of her friends, whom I’d never met. They were out of the chicken pot-pie! And her two friends? One was on the phone speaking loudly in Spanish to someone the entire time, and the other was equally unsocial. I left early.
Good morning!
Started right off with OLDIE where ALBUM needed to go. Grrrr. I quickly noticed the R-removed theme answers, and wondered what a theme was doing here on a Saturday. D'oh. Guess I jumped into the 11th along with Lemonade. Cute puzzle, Gary, but there were too many obscure names for me. (Gregor, Laine, Lori, I'm lookin' at you.) The perps worked out, though. Thanx for the tour, Lemonade. (I transfer CDs to thumb-drives for in-car listening. The MP3 fidelity is good enough in the noisy auto environment.)
Sorry, I know today is the 10th, but I will not be blogging tomorrow and wanted to say my piece for the 20th anniversary tomorrow.
Uncle Fred, the law firm used to have its get togethers at the Peter Pan Diner which was always great. We did have a crazy secretary who would bring a bologna sandwich to eat.
I guess D-DAY because MidwAY and Stalingrad wouldn't fit. Depends on your definition of "turning point."
Lemonade, International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19, not November.
My University at Albany Great Danes (football home opener vs. URI tomorrow) are sometimes referred to by opponents as The SCOOBies.
Good morning everyone.
Lucina, glad you're back. Missed your comments.
Fun solve today. Gary is usually not that hard, so, once I settled down and comforted myself with that, the solution went well. Got hung up in the NW for awhile, but it was of my own doing. Once I changed 'attar' to ESTER, and dissuaded myself of odds '…or evens' to AND ENDS, it all came home. Favorite fill was ROVER RUSE. FIR.
Hard to believe that I got a FIR today when it started out so slow. But little by little it came (without having to come back to it multiple times during the day) until I got the last two answers: REGAL RYE and GREGOR. Only two WOs: PeTS/PATS and an e entered early before perps indicated it would be O in LORI. The theme was suggested by ROVER RUSE, but it took more thought to see the how the others fit, as Lemonade explained. Clever puzzle, Gary. Thanks to both you and Lemonade. Nice job, Lemonade. Your vision problem doesn't seem to keep you from doing your extensive reviews.
Friday already! I will leave my ABODE to walk in the sunny but cooler autumnal morning soon. Season changes are appreciated here! Hope you all have a great day.
Thank you Gary for a real SWAGFEST. But as my old buddy Jerry used to say "Even a blind pig gets an acorn now and then" and in a RARE ROUT I got an FIR. I've never seen SCOOBY DOO, but the repeated R words in the first themer really helped with the rest of the solve.
And thank you Lemonade for the insightful, illustrative and poignant review.
15A OBEY - We learn manners from our parents and must OBEY their wish that we mind them.
22A EIGHT - timely fill after yesterday's STRAIGHT POOL lesson.
34A RICE RACKS - wonderful video.
48A Bordeaux wine - it goes with everything! 🍷
11D LAUGH IN, where Goldie got her start.
36D KALE is very prolific, almost impossible to KILL, and you have to do something with it!
48D CRY works as a noun though.
54D DDAY - We've been to Normandy twice. DW lost her 21 year old uncle Vincent there on August 3rd after the invasion. He is buried on American soil in St. James Manche cemetery in Brittany, France.
Additional thanks to Jason for remembering a more recent invasion. I was working on the floor of a data center in Miami when the Towers fell, I guess not too far from where he was at the time. We watched it on live stream on our laptops. I recall a colleague saying "Everything will be completely different after this". I hope it's not the EBBing of America. I'd hate to think that Vincent died in vain.
Bill
Musings
--Note to self – Seeing Wit as Wilt can slow your roll. Numerous wrong fill options at the noon position also made that a tougher solve than was necessary.
-Speaking of noon – Part of my checkup yesterday was having to draw clock numbers on a circle and set the hands at 11:10. How many younger peeps could do that today?
-How old are you Gary? I had this LAINE ALBUM
-Many games of EIGHT Ball in my uncle’s bar occupied my misspent yute
-A rhino AT LARGE at the Omaha Zoo this week
-Suzanne Somers rightfully demanded more money for her role in Three’s Company. Jenilee Harrison was RECAST for that part.
-Lovely job, Lemon.
Good Morning:
While I have heard of Scooby Doo, I had no idea of how he talked, so the reveal clue offered no help with the solve. I thought Rice Rack was hinting at Spice Rack but none of the others followed this train of thought. I finished correctly but with no understanding of the theme until Lemony’s succinct explanation. As unclefred noted, it was a challenge, mainly due to the Friday-level ambiguous cluing. No complaints about that though because the perps were fair once I got a few footholds. I stumbled over Glob/Blob and Levi/Lees and needed perps for Laine, Gregor, and LTE. Some fun pairings were Sea/Ebb, Dye/Rye, Too/Doo, Rap/Eno, and Card/Laugh In. CSOs to Spitz and DO at USN and Moe at Claret/Moe.
Thanks, Gary, for a tough but doable offering and thanks, Lemony, for a fun and interesting expo. Thanks, also, for your eloquent and moving tribute, commemorating one of the saddest and tragic days our country has known.
FLN
Lucina, a great, big WELCOME BACK. Your cheery, bubbly presence was missed greatly! 🤗
Anon T, have a great family celebration and, if possible, behave yourself! 😈 I’ll bet Pops is thrilled to have all 5 of you together, especially for a happy occasion. Congratulate your Bro and thank him for his service to our country.
Have a great day.
Good morning.
Good puzzle by Gary Larson that slowed me down, and a nice write-up by Lemonade.
Running very late for my appointed tasks today. Had to remove a section of drywall in the garage earlier this week to run EMT conduit to a new 120V receptacle. Conduit is required in this county. Anyway, I've replaced the drywall, taped the seams and have finished the joint compound mudding and sanding. Today it's wash the entire wall with a non-phosphorus TSP substitute, then prime the area with the new joint compound, and then paint the wall a couple of times. Hope to get the job finished today. So I'd better get cracking and go now, but before I do...
This is a clip from a Wings concert in '76 with Denny Laine singing lead, and Paul and Linda McCartney providing the backing vocals to The Moody Blues '65 hit song Go Now. The structure and flow of this song has always stuck with me.
Dash-T, what IM said !
Your words really are from the heart. Nice tribute.
Bit tricky but eventual rolved the ruzzle
"Trunk with a chest"... great clue.
Eerily guessed at Gregor and Bridget albeit with some perp help. Dredged up deep from my CW cerebrum...Can you catch Nemo's friend Dory from a Dory?
Theme: remove the "R's"... ICE ACKS? ice axe? RICERACK? how does rice go on a rack?
What's with Scooby-Doo anyway? My elder daughter has a Great Dane "Penny" who speaks perfect English. Some deer that wonder into the yard think she's another deer. And she thinks the deer is another big dog.
Inkovers: sap/BUN, vamp/TEEN
Star Warriors who insist on "R2D2" ____ nit picky...ARTOO.
Most ducks can't carry a ____ PONTOON
Larcenous Pop and Dad are ____ of the father...SYNS
Mal Man from yesterday... Whenever an actor is told to "break a leg" the director ____ the role..RECASTS
Lemonade..Many central NY police and other responders hurried to help in the aftermath of 9/11. We are only a 5 hour drive from NYC..A good bud has severe chronic lung disease as a result.
i
FIR Friday! This was a mighty struggle for me, requiring three sessions. Edit->SLIT, RICE->race->RICE, areto->ARTOO, arms->GUNS, DYE->gel->DYE, and char->SEAR. DNK GREGOR and LAINE.
I wanted the clue for LORI TO BE "Laughlin of the big house."
Around here repair shops don't have LOANERS, they have rentals.
I don't think about CORNEY and cliché being synonyms. Stale and cliché, yes.
I only remember BRIDGET Fonda for her scary role in "Single White Female"
FLN - Jayce, it was sad to read that another of my favorites, Red Sails Inn, has gone away.
Thanks to Gary for stretching my solving ability to the very edge. And thanks to Lemony for another fun review and your timely comments as we approach 9/11.
Oops, arms->REVS
Well, I got the solve for this rather badly clued and unenjoyable grid.
The theme answers simply make no sense and are predicated upon a terrible premise…what a cartoon dog lisping would sound like. Ugh.
Disappointing as Mr. Larson is one of the best…but not today.
And what the h??? is a Rice Rack?
See you tomorrow.
RICE RACK
Golly,
I thought my rice rack picture worked; now Spitzboov has confused us even more. Here is his complete LINK . I do not knw the term either, but I guess we are learning.
And of course, Asian groceries do carry many varieties of rice which would fill Spitz' pic.
Anyway, my brain finally unfogged enough to see that I had fixated on my 9/11 memories so much I had mislabeled the puzzle. Please come back tomorrow to see what HG had to work with
Thank you Gary Larson, (ala Far Side protoganist heh, heh ), for a nice but challenging puzzle, which I enjoyed greatly.
Thank you Lemonade for your introspective and relflective blog. My twin brother, we seem to have similar, almost identical, ailments. My eyesight's worse than ever, and I kept postponing getting my drivers license renewed, from our birthday. Yesterday, I finally dragged myself in to a license bureau, in a small town, waay south of my city, and despite my earnest efforts, I failed the eye test, miserably. The clerk took a long look at me, sighed, and held up three fingers and asked me to count them. Then she declared me passed. So, I'm good for another 4 years. Haven't had an accident or a traffic ticket since 1996....
I can't even imagine what I would have done if I didn't get my license.
Thanks for the 9/11 reminder ... That, and the Kabul takeover, shows that the world is going to be a place for desperados for a long time to come, so we just as well better get used to it, for the rest of this century.
Husker Gary ... thanks for the link to the escaped indian rhino escapade ... speaking from personal experience, most indians are relatively peaceful creatures, and are content with access to a decent amount of food. ;-) Maybe he just wanted a change in his monotonous diet. I'm sure he appreciates the hands that feed him.... BTW, Jontu is hardly an indian name :-x) but its still better than Hellary !@#@@
Lucina, So nice to hear from you, and the pleasure you bring out, of all the ordinary things in this world, that we too often take for granted.
Have a nice day, all, and a good weekend.
Spitz
Thanks for the visual. Looks more like a Rice BIN.🤔
Canada Eh,.Throwing gravel at the PM? tut tut.. How unCanadian-like! Please don't pick up any of our bad habits..🙄
Fun puzzle, Gary--tough but manageable--many thanks. And moving 9/11 commentary, Lemonade--thank you for that too.
Got TORSO, which comes up frequently in puzzles.
The bottom-down items were very clever: ANARCHY, PONTOON, TROLLEY, NEUTER.
Didn't watch SCOOBY DOO, though I've heard of him, and so lost help with the theme.
But nice to end up with EBERT--a favorite of mine--and ABYSS (perfect ending to a puzzle like this).
Have a good weekend, everybody.
Is that the "Saul and DENNY, workin for a penny.." from the Mommas…"
I had pegs for Tees which written over became TOPS.
CORNY was yesterday with maloman
DYE not gel. NEUTERS was a cute clue
L714, I used to bring a bologna sandwich to my job shocking lobster where I could eat all the lobster I wanted.
Ah, vidwan, eyesight is overrated. When drove the airport van we had to have 20-40 in both eyes. My VA eye Dr wrote a letter certifying me knowing full well I flunked. Every trick in the book
I liked the xword. Tricky clueing perpable
WC
I very much liked this puzzle, even though I did/do not know how Scooby Doo speaks. But I figured out the theme answers anyway. Nice to see words like TROLLEY and PONTOON, the latter of which I thought was cleverly clued. (Not quite so nice to see words like TSETSES.) I also liked odds AND ENDS.
Lemonade, thanks for your heartfelt words about 9/11 and forgiveness.
Good wishes to you all.
Just back from another skin cancer surgery, so late to post today.
But I did not want to miss my opportunity to brag of a Friday FIR. Tough, but truly do-able.
Nor to shout WooHOO! over a diagonal Jackpot* !
C'mon! Rejoice with me!
~ OMK
____________
*DR: Yep! We hit the JACKPOT today. We have three diagonals on the far side,
and the central diag gives us a FULL ANAGRAM--A True WooHOO! of a JACKPOT (15 of 15 letters),
telling of a medieval (his title is listed as "archaic") constructor of domiciles who works entirely on muscle memory.
YES! You guessed it!
(Gotta love it!)
We are speaking of an ...
"AUTOPILOT HOUSER"!
Friday Fonetics. Thanks for the fun, Gary and Lemonade.
Officially a DNF because I required Google help in the NW corner. This Canadian did not know USN, and the names LAINE, GREGOR, LORI were Natick crosses for me. I knew, Henry, Jane and Peter, but not BRIDGET Fonda. And our auto repair shops have not given LOANERS for years; some will give you a ride home or to work, but at others you are left to your own devices for a ride.
Like IM, I saw SpiceRACK, (I also saw Spare ROUT, which made no sense), and never having watched ScoobyDoo, I did not get the theme.
Han, Solo, Darth, Vader, Leia would not work. Oh our old friend ARTOO,
I wanted Trite before CORNY. Loose did not mean baggy, but AT LARGE (although Large may be baggy on some people!).
I LOLed at NEUTERS after ROVER and SCOOBYDOO.
SELES was even younger than Canadian Fernandez who now has advanced to the finals of the US Open.
Yes, Ray-o, sadly we have imported some of your bad habits. But the Party involved has removed its riding president over the matter.
If you watched any of the English leaders’ debate last night, you will see how typically Canadian it was; it was actually quite civil!
Wishing you all a good evening.
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR with several W/O’s. The most egregious being DEPUTY DOG / SCOOBY DO! Then realized that the “Deputy” spelled his last name “Dawg” … GEL/DYE, and the couple that occurred before I corrected to Scooby
I’ll take the CSO’s with 5-down and 48-across. Thanks L714 and IM for noticing! 😂
I’m sorta “meh” on the puzzle though I thought the clues were fantastic. As with yesterday’s puzzle seemed to enjoy the recap more than the substance. I’ll have to go check Crossword Fiend to see how they liked it. Thanks Jason for the delightful blog and poignant comments about 9/11
My haiku du jour has nothing to do with today’s puzzle but I thought it appropriate:
Covid 19 sucks!
So please, get vaccinated;
Just give it a shot …
Moe
ps: I’m on a personal “rejection” streak regarding puzzles I’ve created. At least with one particular editor. But I’ll keep plugging away. What’s the old expression? If you throw enough $hit against the wall eventually something will stick. 🤡
Rejection is an integral part of the xword game.Seasoned professionals such as C.C. and Jeffrey Wechsler and Mark McClain have more rejections than publications. That no doubt is why so many now have their own sites.
The fact that you had publications is impressive, so many times I have read comments like "after 30 rejections" I have puzzle coming out.
I feel for all the cows in the world as the new Mu variant of covid is now in 49 states...
Lemonade. don't you think they're rushing through the Greek alphabet ?
I mean, what ever happened to the intermediate Epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda variants .... ?
They could have chosen one of them, nu ?
And what happens once they run out of the Greek alphabet ?
Are they going to start on the Chinese alphabet .....?
I think this is an ongoing scam by Pfizer to get us to take a post-booster, shoot -for -the -moon, shot ....
-T, FLN, I just watched your Neil Peart solo post. That's the first time I have ever seen a drummer endrummed, or bedrummed, in full sonic circle. (He must have had arms of steel, to boot.)
The latest variant, the Mu variant of the Covid virus, was discovered in Colombia and Ecuador. It contains as many as 3 mutations that could cause it to have vaccine escapes and evade the common, immunity defences. However, it is not considered more spreadable or more transmissable, ( so far -) and it may not be able to outcompete the Delta variant.
There is a risk however, that the Mu variant could couple with the Delta variant to form the MUD concomitant variant, ...... that would make it a really 'dirty' virus....
Also, if rumors are to be believed, frantic efforts, are going on in Colombia and Ecuador, to see if Cocaine could be a potential prophylactic for the Mu variant, because that fact alone, could really aid the economies of those countries... Scientists have been reported to be 'high' on such hopes.
I can't help myself. I just finished marathon Saturday. I never saw so much white since the blizzard of 78. And yet Wilbur got the whole thing. So, if you struggle remember that. Then again the two key 13 letter crosses may be duck soup.
Think "Nothings to wierd for this constructor ".
BTW, Someone mentioned that Jeopardy had a category "Cruciverbalism". Anyone catch that one? Someone asked me, "What's that weird crossword thingy?"
WC
L714: yes I’m aware of the rejection rate of constructors, and it’s even greater now that so many new constructors are flooding the editors with puzzle ideas. I am happy to say that when one doesn’t like a particular theme or idea, there are plenty others who might or will, so I keep plugging away. Counting the three collaborations I’m about 6 for 24 now. As CC told me in a memo, you have to enjoy doing them, and I do.
Hi All!
That NW was rough, Gary. But, growing-up with SCOOBY DOO cartoons, I was in on the fun. Thanks.
//OKL - that's exactly how I parsed the themers; Scoob's impediment considered.
Wonderful expo and tribute, Lem. Little (Army) Bro's retirement party is tomorrow. We've been at war 20 of his 21 years in.
WOs: trite->CORNY (Hi C,Eh!), SELiS. eaTNA
ESPs: GREGOR, LAINE, SPRIT, BRIDGET [my Sis's name] took a leap of faith (all perps considered)
Fav: LAUGH-IN. I'm to young to have seen it when it came out but DW & I would watch it on Nick@Nite.
{B, B+}
OMK - Pop is pretty much on autopilot for his 'handy-man' jobs. Little (Army) Bro has a lot to learn.
Michael - glad you enjoyed Peart. His response to a fan once: "Yeah, it's hard." :-)
C.Moe - keep at it. I did your Universal last week and it was a delight.
Lem@8:17 - do you expect a blame-cows for Mu? Like folks stopped buying Corona beer or Ed Bastian (Delta Airlines' CEO) won't say Delta variant ? :-)
Vidwan @9:13. Me Too! WTF happened to the rest of the Greek alphabet? What were the variants between Delta & Mu that they're not telling us about?
Inquiring minds ;-)
Personal note:
Little (CEO) Bro got delayed in Denver, missed his connection at ORD, and had to catch the last flight to SPI 6 hours later. He's finally here and surprised Army Bro when we woke him at 10:45p from a beer-induced nap.
A few more pints on the porch to celebrate!
Cheers, -T
Vidwan asked, "I mean, what ever happened to the intermediate Epsilon, zeta, eta, theta, iota, kappa, lambda variants .... ?"
The World Health Organization (WHO) assigns the names. I compiled the following list from articles by the WHO, the CDC, and WIKIPEDIA.
- EPSILON was already used. PANGO lineages B.1.427 and B.1.429. First detected in California. No Longer considered as a variant of interest.
- ZETA was already used. First detected in Rio de Janeiro. No longer considered a variant of interest.
- ETA is a variant of interest. B.1.525. First detected in the U.K. and Nigeria.
- THETA was already used. First detected in the Phillipines and Japan. No longer considered a variant of interest.
- IOTA is a variant of interest. B.1.526. First detected in New York.
- KAPPA is a variant of interest. B.1.617.1. First detected in India.
- LAMMBDA is a variant of interest. PANGO lineage C.37. First detected in Peru.
- MU is a variant of interest. B.1.621. First identified in Colombia.
- (Not yet named by WHO), B.1.617.3. is a variant of interest. First identified in India.
ALPHA, BETA, GAMMA and DELTA are all current variants of concern:
- ALPHA: Pango Lineage: B.1.1.7 and Q sublineages. First identified in the U.K.
- BETA: Pango Lineage(s): B.1.351 and sublineages, B.1.351.2, B.1.351.3 - First identified in South Africa.
- GAMMA: Pango Lineage(s): P.1 and P.1 sublineages. First identified in Japan and Brazil.
- DELTA: Pango Lineage: B.1.617.2 and all AY sublineages. First identified in India.
VARIANTS OF CONCERN:
Increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; OR
Increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; OR
Decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.
VARIANTS OF INTEREST:
A SARS-CoV-2 variant with genetic changes that are predicted or known to affect virus characteristics such as transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, diagnostic or therapeutic escape; AND
Identified to cause significant community transmission or multiple COVID-19 clusters, in multiple countries with increasing relative prevalence alongside increasing number of cases over time, or other apparent epidemiological impacts to suggest an emerging risk to global public health.
No doubt in my mind that variants will continue to develop as mutations occur in the unvaccinated masses around the world.
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