I usually save the puzzle grid for the end of my recap, but I think it's appropriate today to see how the entries and "reveal" emerged, based on the clue for 67-Across: "Preceded by 1-, 9- and 65-Across, what each circled word literally suggests: LEAF. I've highlighted the reveal and entry words . . .
I was scratching my head trying to figure out this puzzle and its theme correctly. Apparently I couldn't see the forest for the trees, as I was focusing on how the circled words in the puzzle RELATED to the theme instead of just looking below them. Thanks to C.C. (who read my late night post on Wednesday) I got an email from her suggesting where I should focus my view. Et voila! There it was. As obvious as the nose on my face! Just below the words "SPIN", "BEND", and "EDDY" is an anagram of the word "LEAF"! And since the words SPIN, BEND, and EDDY all mean "TURN", then they do, literally TURN, OVER A NEW "LEAF". And since FLEA is the only recognized anagram of the word LEAF, all three of the ones highlighted in the puzzle grid are truly NEW. Wow!
Now, if your puzzle came with no circled letters for those 3 synonyms, then you'd probably be "SOL".
As Lemondade714 pointed out in a previous recap, Friday puzzles are most often ones with fewer "blocks" (the black squares) and a higher letter count. All 15x15 puzzles have a total of 225 squares to fill. But to use all four of the corners (NW, NE, SW, SE) for the reveal (each being a four-letter word), as well as having all three entries be four-letter words, and then having THOSE words fall on top of the anagrams of LEAF . . . Paul DEFINITELY used some construction "magic".
Yes, there are 46 blocks; pretty high number for a Friday, but the grid still looks "open". Which left 76 words and 179 letters to fill. 24 of these were 4-letter words, and 13 were 3-letter words. Again, a pretty high count. But as I look at the words he used, none of the 37 short words seemed forced or unusual; either as an abbreviation OR an actual word, with one or two exceptions. I doubt it was easy for him to design and fill this
Anyhow, let's visit the clues and answers to see how this all fits together! I'm sure that Paul will stop by and add his comments . . .
Across:
1. Go bad: TURN. First word of the reveal. A nice easy start to the puzzle. D-Otto must be pleased! ;^)
5. Heart: CRUX. #3 from our Thesaurussaurus
9. Finished: OVER. Second word of the reveal. Somehow the video clip below came to mind when I saw the word "OVER"
13. Successor org. to the Bureau of Labor Standards: OSHA.
14. Cooked: DONE. Finished; OVER
15. Follow: TRACK.
Runner who follows,
Not leads, just entered in a
TRACK and 'yield' event
16. Passes (by): GOES. Another unforced 4-letter entry
17. Public relations staple: SPIN. Were the letters in your puzzle circled? Mine were. A theme entry identifier; and if you rearrange the four letters below it, you have LEAF
18. Character in all but one "Star Wars" film, familiarly: AR TOO. Just heard from Ms. Moe that a new COVID variant has surfaced called R1. Guess the next one CAN'T be named R2, as that would thoroughly p**s off C3PO
19. Certain ranch: CATTLE FARM. These steers had other ideas . . .
22. Healthy-looking, in a way: ROSY. A popular phrase back in the mid-1800's, it's making a comeback. As Dictionary dot com defines: (especially of a person's skin) colored like a pink or red rose, typically as an indication of health, youth, or embarrassment.
"the memory had the power to make her cheeks turn ROSY"
23. Unexpected result: UPSET. This could also be an "expected" result, as proved by this Moe-ku (here's hoping):
Coach Nick Saban's team
Was trounced by Ole Miss, and he's
UPSET with UPSET
27. Excise: CUT OUT. Similar to 23-Across, in that the word has two very different meanings depending on whether it's a verb, noun, adverb, etc. This one's the verb: "the precision with which surgeons can EXCISE brain tumors"
31. Cafeteria patrons: EATERS. This clue's OK; I might've used "Ant" or "Odor" followers
33. Playwright's vehicle: ASIDE. Similar to 23 and 27-Across. This one's the noun version: "Shakespeare's use of ASIDEs and soliloquies"; as opposed to the adverb: "they pushed their plate ASIDE"
34. Relent: BEND. 2nd of the theme entry identifiers; and if you rearrange the four letters below it, you have another LEAF! BEND is also a town in Oregon; with Mt Hood in repose
37. Ashtabula's lake: ERIE. There it is! Just ENE of Cleveland, along the shores of Lake ERIE
38. Father's love, say: PATERNAL FEELING. Appears as though this word phrase was last used in a crossword puzzle 5 years ago, but it also served as a key phrase for solving the reveal
41. Many a newspaper one is written well in advance: OBIT. Does OP ED fit this clue? Asking for a friend . . .
42. Blue dye: ANIL.
Papa Smurf is quite
Fastidious. Because he's
ANIL-retentive
43. __ wrench: ALLEN. Also the name of this wrench-wrangler, aka "Tim the tool man":
44. Scheduled: SLATED. The device shown on his wrist in the cartoon below wasn't SLATED to appear (for real) until the 21st Century. But then again, Fred did work for a MR SLATE
46. Forceful words after "because": I SAY SO. Or perhaps this?
Seamstress and her boss
Argued, 'til the boss cried out:
"Because I say SEW!"
47. As a friend, to François: EN AMI. Splynter always referred to this as "Frawnch"
48. Christian Science founder Mary Baker __: EDDY. 3rd of the theme identifiers. It sits directly atop the letters FELA in 50-Across; another anagram for LEAF. With regard to Mary Baker EDDY, there's a lot of info about her here
50. Morning drink choice: CAFFE LATTE. My morning drink choice is caffè nero. My caffè nero mug:
55. Divert: AMUSE. First one listed!
59. Cinematic beekeeper: ULEE. Becoming a staple entry; crossword-ese?
60. Make: EARN. As in wages. As we progress through generations, the amount we EARNed then, compared to what the same jobs pay now, seems so deflating
62. Outdated: PASSE.
Football team drafted
Lots of running backs. Must feel
To pass is PASSE
63. Teri of "Mr. Mom": GARR. She too is quite popular in crossword puzzles
64. Charity: ALMS. ALMS is one of those words that reminds me of biblical times. One hardly ever hears the word now. Charity and charitable are more common. And being charitable isn't just a good thing to do; it really makes you feel good when you do it! So remember that, if this happens to be me in a few years . . .
65. From the top: ANEW. Part of the reveal
66. Salt Lake City team: UTES. The University of Utah UTES football team is currently 2-2, and in 3rd place in the PAC-12 South
Down:
1. Deck (out): TOG. Clothe
2. Summer Games org.: U.S.O.C.. United States Olympic Committee
3. Saturn's second-largest moon: RHEA. All perps. Has anyone of us BEEN to Saturn?? Or seen its moons? Picard, might you have any photos to share with us re: RHEA?
4. Tammany Hall caricaturist: NAST. Before CATTLE FARM emerged I thought it could be NASH. Always get those two mixed up
5. Input feature of many laptops: CD SLOT. Not anymore. CD SLOTs are becoming quite "62-Across" (PASSE)
6. What pros know, with "the": ROPES. This pro knew the ROPES very well; as in ROPE-a-dope
7. Ally: UNIFY. Verb form of ally: (to) combine or unite (UNIFY) a resource or commodity with (another) for mutual benefit
8. TV role for Lucy: XENA. Lucy Lawless; not Lucy (Lucille) Ball. Wonder what Lucille Ball might look like as XENA Warrior Princess? Any photoshoppers out there? To photoshop is above this blogger's paygrade . . .
9. Bruins legend: ORR. If ORR wasn't a legend in hockey, he'd certainly be one in crossword puzzles
10. Winery vessel: VAT. KEG and TUN also fit. Here is a link to the world's largest wine VAT
11. Tourism lead-in: ECO. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) has quite the website
12. "Suspicion" studio: RKO. Offical trailer; movie was an RKO Radio release starring Cary Grant (IM's favorite!) and Joan Fontaine. Never watched it. Guessing it must be available somewhere on one of the streaming movie channels
15. Eastern Gulf Coast city: TAMPA. A CSO to both Wilbur Charles and Tinbeni who live close by this largest of the cities in Florida, population-wise
20. More loyal: TRUER. It fits
21. Paris's __ la Paix: RUE DE. According to Crossword Tracker, this two-word French reference to the beginning of a road name hasn't been seen in over a half a decade.
Isn't it great that crossword puzzles allow Frawnch, Spanish, German, Italian and Latin words? It definitely helps those who construct puzzles to get through some awkward corners
24. Stanley's wife in "A Streetcar Named Desire": STELLA. I'd be remiss if I didn't put in this iconic video clip
25. How a campfire story might be told: EERILY. This is a unique clue for EERILY. Paul, yours or Rich's?
26. Groups of three: TRINES. The only group of three that I can relate to are:
27. Mob leaders: CAPOS. The "evolution" of the word "capo" (plural, capos) started in the 1800's. Its origin is Italian (capo tasto) which translates to "head stop". The term CAPO can also refer to the clamp that fits across a stringed instrument to raise its tuning. The reference to CAPO meaning a "crime boss" has a North American origin, and whose popularity as a word has grown considerably through the end of the 20th C to the present
28-Down, Functional: USABLE, an adjective. 57-Down, Apply: USE, a verb
29. One-named Venetian master: TITIAN. Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio, known in English as TITIAN, was a Venetian painter during the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. During his lifetime he was often called da Cadore, 'from Cadore', taken from his native region. Wikipedia. One of his paintings:
30. One-named folk singer: ODETTA. Enjoy the classic ballad in the video below
32. Repeat symbol, in music: SEGNO. OK, Paul. I gave you plaudits for the fill of this puzzle; up until now, though! ;^)
The TRINE of TITIAN, ODETTA, and SEGNO certainly qualifies this as a "Friday" puzzle. Technically, it's "Dal SEGNO" which means "from the sign".
This sign:
34. Prohibition: BAN. I thought it meant those years when folks started making bathtub gin
35. Either Bush, in school: ELI. George Herbert Walker and George Walker Bush. Presidents 41 and 43, and Yale University grads in 1948 and 1968, respectively
36. Draft org.: NFL. SSS (Selective Service System) also fit. The SSS chose #47 as my lottery "draft position" number back in 1972
39. First name in 1970s gymnastics: NADIA. Didn't she score the first perfect "10" in Olympics history?
40. No-sweat class: EASY A. I never had a "no-sweat" class throughout my educational years. I didn't always work too hard to get an "A" grade, but I don't think many of them were "EASY"
45. Host: EMCEE. I've never been an EMCEE but think it would be a fun job
46. Goof-offs: IDLERS. I knew my fair share in school. I was always "goofy" but never a "goof-off"
48. Key of Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto: E FLAT. A little snippet for your listening pleasure: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat "Emperor", Op. 73 - Adagio un poco mosso
49. Caterpillar rival: DEERE. "Nothing rides like a DEERE"
51. Risky-to-eat puffer fish dish: FUGU. Add this one to the TRINE of TITIAN, ODETTA, and SEGNO, and voila: a QUARTET of unknowns are in the "down" position. Has anyone ever heard of the FUGU before this puzzle emerged? Looks like something I'd unhook and throw back if I caught it
52. Marsh duck: TEAL. And a favorite color of many. Kind of a greenish-blue IIRC
53. It may be a tall one: TALE. Related to Dad jokes, perhaps?!
54. Columnist Bombeck: ERMA. As with ULEE in 59-Across, ERMA shows up quite a bit in xword puzzles
55. Therapists' org.: APA. Abbreviated form of "American Psychological Association". This association is for therapists and psychologists, who can talk to and counsel you about your mental condition(s), but cannot prescribe any medication
56. Guy: MAN. Too easy!!
58. Capt.'s heading: SSW. Appropriate abbr. for that corner of the puzzle. Though the SSW corner had one glitch (for me) and that was the abbr "APA". Not as common as ADA or AMA. So Paul, might these two other ways of filling that corner have been any easier? Sorry Paul. I had to go in and look! Damn Crossword Compiler software!! ;^)
61. Troubling bank msg.: NSF. I vaguely recall this from a recent recap I did. L714 correctly advised me that it stands for "Non-Sufficient Funds"
Are we done already? Is it finally OVER??!! Thanks for adding to the blog with your comments! If I'm not here first thing this morning it's probably because I am out doing this (Moe hiking in the Superstition Mountains):
56 comments:
FIR. A share of t/os, COFFEE < CAFFE, UNITE < UNIFY, and TRIADS < TRINES kept me going for a while.
Now the theme. The phrase in the corners was cute, I liked that. And with mental stretching, I can kinda sorta see a connection between the circled words (all things a whirlpool does?). But any connection between any of them and the corners phrase is just beyond me. I guess a leaf dropped into a whirlpool might turn over just as it's being sucked under. Maybe.
The current BENDS as it reaches a whirlpool,
It SPINS around like a thread on a spool.
To the center, the CRUX,
There the water tucks,
Then the EDDY spews the current out of the pool!
He sipped his tea for some warm relief
As he thumbed thru the pages of the brief.
When a gypsy begged
To read his dregs.
Murky, she asked him to TURN OVER A NEW LEAF!
A CATTLE FARM, I tell you, laddie,
Is a place for a MAN, tough and hardy!
A campfire tin pot
Holds the coffee we've got.
A RANCH hand's got no USE for a CAFFÈ LATTE!
{A-, B, A-.}
🐰 🐇
Okay my apologies. I've now read the expo, and seen the anagrams. The theme was nowheres near as dumb as I thought. Grump. I still don't like it.
ULEE was President Grant's childhood nickname, short for Ulysses.
ALMSgiving in one of the 5 Pillars of Islam. Masonic Lodges and organizations often have an Almoner to collect and disburse charitable donations.
Good morning everyone.
I couldn't quite suss the application of the theme, but I got it all solved with a little help on RHEA and AMUSE. So, happy for a Friday frustrater. Had 'oped' before OBIT as C Moe suggested. Glad to see ERIE back.
Have a great day.
FIW, missing the easy NFs x ANIs. I was so stuck on SSS that I thought that the geniuses in Washington must have renamed it. And upon further review, ANIs turns out to be a person.
I'm sure it is important for Texas to differentiate farm-to-market and ranch-to-market roads. It wouldn't do to confuse the purpose of FM 243 and RM 620, now would it?
Jackson Browne sang about Rosie. Might make your skin ROSY, but also might make you go blind!
My freshman roommate took "football physics" because it was an EASY A. I took the "real" physics class. In fact, I liked it so much I took it twice!
Thanks for another fun puzzle, Paul, even though it was awfully French. And thanks to Moe for another fun review.
Thanks, Moe. This started out when I was listening to "Bridge Over Troubled Water." So I needed synonyms for bridge over anagrams of water. Second part, not so hard. But it turns out there aren't many synonyms for bridge. Span, yes, and arch, maybe. Types of bridge like suspension and cantilever are too long. Examples of famous bridges like Rialto and Golden Gate didn't work. But Rich liked the basic idea, so I played with it until I had a usable phrase for the reveal.
A very creative grid by Paul combining visual and historic Friday cluing. I loved it, but it does put a strain on solving.
I liked the continuing anagram feel from TEAL next to TALE .
Also being married to an Asian chef made the earlier appearances of FUGU come to mind...
Japanese pufferfish Derek Bowman Tue Jan 01, 2019
Fish whose preparation is strictly regulated in Japan Matthew Sewell Thu Mar 23, 2017
Japanese pufferfish for risk-taking eaters Alan Olschwang Sun Dec 07,2014
As a 50 year Florida resident I know there are 884 official cities in FLORIDA and since Duval County and Jacksonville merged, Jacksonville is the most populous. The ranking of Metro area populations WIKIPEDIA is also provided.
Thanks for the write-up Chris and maybe we can talk more on Monday! Thanks PC.
Good morning!
Yes, C-Moe, d-o thought of TURN immediately, and TOG confirmed it. I found another location to screw things up. My "Follow" was TRACE, making that studio REO. Never read the studio clue, and figured REO had to do with Olds. Hubris strikes again. DNF. Thought that Venetian master would be some sort of governor. TITIAN surprised me. Very elegant theme construction, Paul. It didn't make a sound as it went soaring over my head. Impressive. Enjoyed your expo, C-Moe. (Are you looking for the Lost Dutchman's mine up there?)
Draft Org: There was no lottery in my ute. Got deferred through college, but got my notice to report for physical in April of my senior year. By mid-July I was reluctantly in uniform in San Diego, marching around on the "grinder," under orders not to get sun-burned. Fun times.
FUGU: You'd better trust your chef. When incorrectly prepared, that dish can be lethal.
Jinx, don't think I've ever seen a ranch-to-market road (RM). The main drag through nearby New Caney is FM-1485. I only recently figured out how to voice it properly for Zelda in my GPS. I was saying, "farm-to-market road 1-4-8-5." It was the "road" that Zelda couldn't understand. Zelda is very picky about terms like street, road, trail, avenue. Pick the wrong word, and she'll interpret the address as somewhere at least 1,000 miles away.
Rabbit, rabbit, starts a new month and a FIW for me! My natick was ENAMI and ODETTA. I had an E. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. I confess I never saw the jumbled LEAF below the circled words. Kudos to you, Paul, for a many layered puzzle theme. Thanks for stopping by.
Plenty of trouble spots for me: TRAil/TRACe/TRACK and drill/ROPES as well as Core/CRUX. TRINES was new to me. I first filled TRIadS. And unlike DO, I toyed with rUiN and riG at the beginning corner before TURN and TOG came to mind. In spite of everything, I enjoyed the puzzle as well as your very helpful review, C Moe. TGIF, everyone!
Moe, thank you for explaining the "turn" lying over a "new" leaf! I could not figure out what the theme was, even after solving the puzzle. Paul, really impressive and clever! There are some compromises in the constructing, but I really enjoyed this puzzle!
Paul you almost gave me a headache filling the NW before my RUIN & RIG changed to TURN & TOG. Didn't really know which Saturn's 50+ named moons was in 2nd place but knew OSHA & NAST had to be right. But it was a FIW with a WAG of A FLAT & ADDY instead of E FLAT & EDDY. Getting the theme after getting the rest of the puzzle correct- no idea.
SEGNO- I know the symbol but never knew the name.
ODETTA- never heard of her.
USEFUL or USABLE? PARENTAL or PATERNAL? APEX or CRUX? TRIADS or TRINES? CUT OFF or OUT? Took a while to get 'em right.
OBIT written in advance? Since our local paper doesn't charge (yet) some of them are longer than papers I had to write in college.
NADIA- knew that was correct but not being a coffee drinker CAFFEE for COFFEE just looked strange. Then I realized I was imagining another E while looking at the FFE. Duh!
ALLEN wrenches- I have about 100 of them because somehow I always misplace the one I've used and have to buy another set just to replace that one.
EN AMI- knew AMI but waited for the perps.
Jinx- DW had the same student in her Biology class THREE times. He told her that she was his favorite teacher even though she failed him the previous two times.
I loved this puzzle, although I had one look-up, the R in RUE DE, which subsequently gave me FARM. I had seen RUE DE PAIX, just this week, but forgot the first part and the meaning. This was easier than yesterday's puzzle and far more satisfying. I realized that the circle words were kinds of turns, but didn't see the leaf underneath turned around.
Moe, thanks for the interesting review.
By the way, because of the hot, dry summer the leaves here have not yet turned to their autumn colors. They are still green and may turn brown instead.
NAST was my first fill. Only SEGNO and XENA were all perps. I was sure of CRUX, but XENA made me hesitate. I was thinking of Lucille Ball.
"For 10 years he lived off alms, often sleeping in graveyards and caves." Time Feb 17, 2010."
"The gunfire in the city of Mandalay began shortly after 7 a.m. on Tuesday, as "Buddhist monks paced the streets for alms and residents lined up for breakfasts of milk tea or noodle soup." New York Times Jun 22, 2021
The dictionary says ALMS is not common today, but I see it frequently.
Have a lovely day.
I had to come here today to say, "Hooray!" Finished this puzzle with a few write overs, but it was so much easier than yesterday's! I have to share my "funny" fill in. As I read RANCH, I thought of BUTTERMILK it fit. Needless to say it changed in a hurry, but I do like buttermilk ranch dressing! Happy weekend, All! The Black Hills are supposed to be warm, but will take a leaf-peeping drive through Spearfish Canyon tomorrow. Supposed to be beautiful and usually always is! Just don't want to think of winter coming.
Musings
-Chris’s opening paragraphs work for me too. Paul’s elegant gimmick was in the corners and in the circles, but wait there’s more, it’s also under the circles! Wow!
-SPIN – Presidential press secretaries must have absolute loyalty
-I know people who have CATTLE on their FARM but would never use these words together
-PATERNAL FEELINGS – We got a call at 11 pm last night and found out my son-in-law’s father died and his body was discovered after a few days in his home. Son-in-law and he had a contentious relationship.
-EERIE – Getting a call from a family member at 11 pm
-EERIE 2 – My neighbor’s dad, with whom she also had a contentious relationship, died two days ago. He ran a museum with over 200 Farmall tractors and not a DEERE to be seen. Do deaths really come in 3’s?
-Try reasoning all you want with a child but eventually it can come down to “because I SAY SO!”
-Superintendent where I sub has a 17-yr-old daughter named STELLA. She looked at me quizzically when I mentioned Streetcar Named Desire. I don’t know what she’d do with I Love Lucy
-When I taught sound, I played the C, E and G tuning forks together to make a soothing musical TRIAD not TRIUNE.
-SEGNO – a little learning? “It couldn’t hoit!”
Grew up in Bend, Oregon. That's not Mt. Hood; probably Mt. Jefferson. Mt. Hood is about 100 miles North.
Thanks for explaining the theme, Ch. Moe. That the recap started, more or less, with Airplane, was a good sign. Ultimately, it held so many gems that it could be described as Hahtoolah-esque. And the proposed alternatives to the SW? We have now entered a new era in commentary! How does one spell Chutzpah? :^)
As for the puzzle, FIR but not quickly. Grasped the "turns" but missed the "overs".
Thanks Paul for a slightly crunch Friday FIR after a string of silly FIWs. Got all the theme pointers (the ones in circles right?), but not the actual themers. I keep trying to TURN OVER A NEW LEAF, but just end up raking and bagging.
And thank you Moe for another STELLAr review. Review reviewlets to follow.
19A Well bugger that! Great cartoon MOE.
41A I'm sure many OPEDs are pontificated at a fast clip, whereas OBITs require some research.
42A Best MOKU MOE and much appreciated by this ex-IT GUY (but I'm getting OVER it).
44A Given that that the Flintones ran from 1960-66, and PC's weren't SLATED to appear until the early '80s; and smart watches not until the late '90s, Hanna-Barbera were pretty visionary. And with a satellite uplink to boot!
63A DW insists on this spelling. And BTW, today is her Name Day.
4D John NASH, not NAST, was the ANIL-retentive mathematician in in "A Beautiful Mind" (well schizophrenic actually).
8D Lucy is currently starring in "Murder is My Life" Series 2 on ACORN, set in her native New Zealand. For viewers who like fashionably dressed heroines and their murders without too much gore.
26D New to me, but perpable.
32D Knew the sign, but not the Italian. Thanks for today's lesson Paul.
36D My number was 326. Great for the SSS, but not so great for the NFL.
51D FUGU is legendary among Sushi lovers, but is very pricey, difficult to prepare, and rarely, if ever, served in the US. I've never had it. Perhaps Lemony could pass something on from his DW.
Cheers,
Bill
I finished this one without really needing to know the theme. Pretty easy for a Friday I thought.
Yellowrocks @9:13 AM Almsgiving is common in our Church and one of the 4 foci of Lent, the others being Prayer, Abstinence, and Fasting.
I finished the puzzle but focused on the circled letters and did not get the theme until I read the expo. A clever puzzle Paul. A fun Friday.
Waseeley, Talk about prescience, Dick Tracy's wrist radio first appeared in 1946 -- almost 20 years before the Flintstones episode.
SEGNO, is part right, the NO part!
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR, but with lots of help! ;^)
L714 - thanks for correcting me on the cities' population in FL. I could've sworn that Tampa was the largest. Interesting that Miami's greater population includes West Palm Beach. I mean, jeez, they're only 85 miles apart! And yes, I plan on being more blog active on Monday . . . wonder why?
D-Otto - We have explored several of the Superstition trails but have yet to find the Lost Dutchman's mine. Plenty of maps for sale that claim to lead you to it. But if you really want to know MY thoughts, it's probably located alongside where the Loch Ness Monster sleeps! ;^)
Anonymous - Could be Mt Jefferson. I just copied the photo and guessed!
MM - CC came to the rescue with her email. She guided me to where I needed to focus. As you and all of the other bloggers realize, sometimes the "solve" is not always that simple. Thanks for the comparison to Susan - I truly admire her recaps. And yes, I've been playing around with more puzzles. Just submitted another last night. Universal Crosswords has said they won't accept any new ideas until 2022. The pandemic created a huge crowd of new constructors . . .
Bill Seeley - thanks, regarding the ANIL-retentive Moe-ku. I figure that if I throw enough of them out there, one will bring a grin! Grin or a groan. Machts nichts! And although my lottery number was low, I fortunately had a 2-S through college and avoided getting drafted, as I graduated in '74
Will check back later. Thanks, Paul for stopping by and sharing your inspiration for this puzzle.
D-O @11:13 AM D-O @ PM. Your post brought to mind a book I read some years back by George Dyson (Freeman’s son), called “Darwin Among the Machines”. The title is taken from an essay written in 1863 by Samuel Butler, who had forsaken his Cambridge education and immigrated to New Zealand to raise sheep. While he was in Christchurch the first telegraph was installed there, connecting two sides of a wide valley. Dyson describes the impact that this first means of electronic communication had on Butler’s consciousness and the remarkable stream of ideas and predictions that came from it, culminating in what we call to day “the World Wide Web”. Here’s just a snippet from Dyson’s book:
“… the back country squatter may hear his wool sold in London and deal with the buyer himself—may sit in his own chair in a back country hut and hear the performance of [Handel’s] Israel in Egypt at Exeter Hall … and pay for and enjoy an Italian opera at Covent Garden. … this is the grand annihilation of time and place we are all striving for, and which in one small part we have been permitted to see actually realized.”
Hi All!
Big Fat DNF in the middle - cEde | DoD really bollixed things up. That and I had SDSLOT @5d so 5a never filled [I wanted gRit == heart] :-(
ATL Granny - I had the same E at ENeMI & ODETTe for FIW salt in the wound.
Thanks Paul for the puzzle. Nicely done. //and thanks for stopping by with the back-story; I have that Simon & Garfunkel album too.
Moe, thanks for bailing me out at 5d (wait,... towers have CD SLOTS too :-( ).
Fun expo.
Fun Moekus.
Fun links... OVER.
//I knew FUGU. But, then again, I ran OpenBSD [see logo] for DMZ boxen.
WOs: CoFFE
ESPs: yes, most of the grid; thanks for asking.
Fav: I'll go with Teri GARR [on Young Frankenstein]
Runner-up: ERIE xing EERILY
{A, B+, A-}
ALMS for an exLeper. [Python - you have to pay close attention for the laugh]
I've got tools that fix tools; I've got tools... both US & Metric ALLEN wrenches hang on my pegboard.
tiptoethru - I failed to mention the other day how nice it was to see [read] you again. Enjoy the autumn LEAFs.
MManatee - LOL Chutzpah. I think C. Moe is getting carried away with his new toy [software] / construction hobby. :-)
Good on him.
Jinx - how did you come so wise in the ways of FM roads?
I've lived in TX for 20+ years now and they still confuse me - just seems like random numbers. E.g. - I live near the junction of FM2759 & FM762. The roads' names have no meaning to me. TxMs / D-O - care to educate?
Back to work. Play later.
Cheers, -T
Dash T: Yes, the "new toy" has been getting its use! I think I am up to 30 puzzles created/submitted. And some of them, quite honestly, are like my "ku's". Maybe too weird. I am learning that editors prefer clever, and solvable with more well-known words
And speaking of "no sense" county roads, have you ever been to Wisconsin? Margaret and I were there a few weeks ago, and that state uses letters for the county road markers. Random letters, A through Z, I imagine. And interesting that Google Maps or iPhone Navigation doesn't always recognize them by the letter name. I referred to a road name that my GPS gave me - Central Ave - and a passenger in the car said, oh, you mean County Road R! Wisconsin has 72 counties and I'm guessing 72 County Road R's
Just for kicks, I googled "County Roads in Wisconsin" and came up with this. I forgot that some of the County Roads have double letters . . .
C-Moe, I can relate. In my ute I used to drive out County Road S and then County Road SS to visit my girlfriend. Sometimes I'd take the long way back home via County Road G. At least they haven't changed the road designators in the 60 years since.
Didn't really get back to work say...
I Googled & Wiki'd FM roads in Texas (hey, Oregon has some too - mostly for logging-to-market) but I never found a structure / algorithm for how they're named.
I mean, Interstate system has odd-numbers == North/South while even numbers are East/West. And the number goes up/down depending on positioning (e.g. I-10 is S of I-20 which is S of I-40 all going E/W. I-55 is east of I-25; both going N/S.)
Is there any such reasoning in the FM numbering?
OK - y'all are now putting alphabets in your roads... Waze, help!
D-O: I loved your call-back to Dick Tracy having an Apple Watch ;-)
Cheers, -T
Here in Token Creek, we have County Road C which about 3 miles of it is Grand Avenue. It got gentrified when developement began. Strip malls and such. Signs still say CR C/Grand Avenue.
TTP, I found this about the Texas FM road system: "The system has expanded so rapidly that it is now the largest secondary highway system in the country, more than doubling the pace of the next largest system. In total, 3,550 routes are designated within the FM system, of which, 3,370 are FM and 180 being RM. Thanks in part to this ever-expanding highway system, Texas is home to more road signs than any other state, over 500,000 to be precise across its state-maintained highways."
Speaking of signs and roads, ever notice how many towns are named after their water towers??
DO and Bill - Don't forget Maxwell's shoe phone.
-T - I drove a U Haul truck from Phoenix to Dallas circa 1991, and noticed all the FM and RM road identifiers on the exit signs. Asked around the office and my new office mates filled me in, along with a lot more Texas trivia (only some of which I found interesting.) I had flown into DFW many times, but had never driven it. Pretty big state.
Thank you Paul Coulter, for a easier puzzle than yesterday, though today is still a Friday. I got the primary and secondary meanings for LEAF, but did not try for the tertiary meanings from the circled letters. Thank you Ch Moe for the multi linked blog, where I spent most of my time.
Fugu, from Wiki, is an interesting fish .... apparently, it is eminently edible, .... IF the toxic parts have been removed ... the liver, the entrails, the ovaries, the eyes and the skin.... etc.
It just requires a conscientiously dedicated butcher and chef....
I remember going to the beaches around Mumbai (Bombay) when I was a schoolboy, in 1962, whilst on vacation, early in the morning when the fish catchnets were being hauled in, and staring at all the heaps of puffer fish abandoned on the sea-shores. I just assumed the fish were inedible. Even the crows that feasted on the leftover fish, would not touch these specimens ... Crows have a remarkable ability to process information from their older generations. So, apparently, they can retain inherited intelligence, and danger signals, in their DNA.
Having said that, I am not that adventurous to try even properly prepared fugu in my life .... why, I still don't even have the apetite to eat a frozen Durian, and that fruit is not even poisonous ! Even deep fried locusts and grasshoppers, that I saw, on sale, in the Dubai markets, seem to be too much to 'chew on' ....
have a nice day, all and a good weekend.
D-O: I'm '-T' :-)
But the other Tom (yes, I've mixed you guys up too) might have some insight on FM roads seeing how he's live in TX.
TokenCreek - I see what you did there. Watertowers... #TeeHee.
OK, back to work. Anyone see the Epik hack? The right-wing hosting co. that got ownzd?
//I'm betting some congresscritter is going to be egg-faced.
Jinx - I can't hear Phoenix AZ / driving w/o thinking of Steve Miller Band [@1:08]
And, yes, TX is a big state. That's why speed limits don't make sense* - you'd never get anywhere!
Y'all have a great afternoon.
-T
*sigh; I paid the ticket. I think I still have to see the Judge Wednesday for doing 85 in a 65.
Tony, I wish you two would keep yourselves straight, and stop confusing us poor folks!
The NE was last to go. I don't even know the largest Saturn moon! (Why do all the planets' moons get names except ours? 🌛)..TOG must be a CW word (needed a perp push.) that helped TURN the tide (a tide that didn't "go bad") and I FIR. Wait, what's that flying over my head? a bird?, a plane? no.. It's the theme
Draft organization is not SSA(selective service) At 19 in 1969 was the last to be called for a physical. The draft law lapsed afterwards.
TITIAN (Tiziano Vicellio) first name in painiting, ALLEN, first name in tools? Another artist known by his first name. TRINES? (cockney public transport?), FUGU? sheesh! 🙄
Inkover: keg/VAT ,eris/RHEA, isf/NSF, trail/TRACK. Every TV role Lucy played she was "Lucy" aha, oho, not that Lucy!
Every CATTLEFARM can ____ ...USABLE
Not saying "please" ....RUEDE
Worshipers of false gods....IDLERS
Not a friend to Francis...ENAMI
Was glad to hear our facility Vax rate jumped to 95% from 70% the last days before the no-vax/no-work health care rule went into effect.
Hi Y'all! Great puzzle, Paul, even if I didn't get the "fallen" LEAF part. Great expo, Moe.
TOG is a verb? Do tell...
Certain ranch wasn't Hidden Valley as expected. (Hi tiptoethru) We never used the term CATTLE RANCH altho we wintered the CATTLE in a feedlot on our original farm. In summer they grazed out west on our Ranch pasture.
Excise was not a type of tax but CUT OUT.
Divert suggested deflecting water so AMUSE perps surprised me. My original expectation was diverted.
EARN: My first & last jobs were as bookkeeper for car dealers (different brands). At age 21, I was thrilled to be making $200 a month with take-home of $180. In 1998 I had the same sets of hand-written forms & books, but made more than $200 a day -- thank heavens. But the most expensive cars we sold in 1963 were around $3,500.
I had doABLE/ USABLE
Never got the theme at all. Very complicated as the Frawnche would say: un chef d'oeuvre
O didn't have reading glasses and had TaTIAN and oLEE(the latter) crossing FUGU is a clear FIW.
Overall not as difficult as prognostication by C-Moe
WC
Ps, thought of Dick Tracey too
"Oh, the FARMer and the cowhand should be friends...!"
As a city boy, I have always assumed--just like the song's lyrics--that a ranch and a farm were two distinct entities.
Isn't that what Hollywood westerns educated us to understand?
That's why I resisted CATTLE FARM. FARMs are to be reserved for growing crops and maybe raising some small critters, like chickens or geese or summat. They're tended by, guess what?--FARMers! In overalls, with straw hats and pitchforks.
Ranches, on the other hand, are for CATTLE. Tended by cowboys. With chaps and Stetsons, etc.
They wear guns, too, because on weekends they ride into the nearest town to "shoot it up."
Sheesh. Now they expect us to change overnight.
~ OMK
_____________
DR Not much to offer today. Just one near side diagonal.
Its short anagram (11 of 15 letters) speaks to a rare phenomenon, possibly seen hovering above a pig's abode. Maybe this is based on the animal's methane production.
Duck!!
It is a...
"STY FIREBALL"!
We are back from two days in Los Angeles. This was supposed to be a relatively smooth process for DW to become a citizen. We were met by a lawyer who would make the process as painless as possible. But there was a new agent who had other plans. The lawyer thinks DW passed. But the agent was lazy and utterly inconsiderate. In addition to asking bizarre, utterly irrelevant questions.
Apparently we have to make the 200 mile round trip again just because she was too lazy to fill in the certificate. More waiting and uncertainty. Apparently, there is no accountability in the system at all. Individual agents can do whatever they want. At least we squeezed in a couple of interesting little hikes.
ChairmanMoe Yes, I had heard of FUGU, but had trouble dredging up the spelling. Cross with UTES a WAG to FIR. Not sure I would risk my life for a food delicacy. And thanks for asking about RHEA. I am embarrassed to say I had never heard of this moon! Learning moment!
Here is a 2009 image of RHEA from NASA's Cassini spacecraft with some explanation.
These NASA images are what make me proud to be an American.
Thank you for the explanation of the puzzle. I got the TURNs, but totally missed the hidden LEAFs underneath. What an amazing construction!
TERI GARR made her debut in my life in Star Trek. I totally had the hots for her. Just adorable.
From Wednesday:
Husker Gary, CanadianEh, LEO III, AnonT Thank you for the very kind words about my Lambs and Landings photos. Inspired by the bizarre TRAIL signs that offer no information!
AnonT You asked about the "contraption" used by the paraglider.
I assume you are talking about this photo of the paraglider coming in for a landing?
Are you talking about what looks like a sleeping bag that the pilot is wrapped in? I think that is used to keep the pilot warm. The cool air rushing by can make the pilot cold if not for this wrap. They have to pull out before landing to land on their feet.
Ray - O @2:15 PM LUNA, as in LUNACY, Ray. Capeesh?
Wilbur Charles @2:31 PM Geez WC, never thought of having one as an appetizer. 😁
Picard @3:13 PM Looks more like an EMU egg than a RHEA to me.
Waz...Luna is just the Latin word for "Moon"....., need a gender neutral name like Kelly or Pat..🌖 🌔 🌓 🌗
Why doesn't the moon have a name
🤔
You skipped 57 down - USE. I thought for sure you would comment on USABLE and USE answers in the same puzzle. And yes I have heard of FUGU.
Unknown @ 4:15
I didn't skip 57-Down; I added it to 28-Down in my recap. Here is the entry:
28-Down, Functional: USABLE, an adjective. 57-Down, Apply: USE, a verb
Glad to know you heard of FUGU. This was a learning moment for me. Part of why I enjoy doing the blog - I learn a lot here
Picard @3:13
Margaret's daughter-in-law and son encountered a similar experience with an immigration's agent as she was trying to obtain her green card. Very rude; very bizarre questions. Maybe that's "normal"? When I mentioned your comments, Margaret could only express empathy.
I loved this puzzle. What you all said has already expressed what I would say. I wholeheartedly concur.
Tiptoethru, Spearfish Canyon is indeed spectacular. I hope you enjoy it. See if the "Blue Grotto" is still there. (It has blue-colored ice all year 'round.) It's on the left side as you drive north.
Ol'Man Keith, that is how I also think of the difference between a farm and a ranch.
Wishing you all a fine day.
Loved this puzzle ! However, the intersection of EN AMI and ODETTA got me. I guessed E instead of A. Excellent, Paul !
Super review, Chairman Moe. Very well explained.
As far as the numbering scheme for the FM (and far fewer RM) roads in Texas, there's nothing special. It's the KISS method. +1. So, if the current newest one is 3550 as D-O suggests, the next one will be 3551. That's all. Nothing more.
FLN, Michael, produce bag was the term that was escaping me at the time.
And PK, let your daughter know that there at least two of us afflicted :>) !
Moe, one of the odd lessons of blogging is that most things we refer to from memory are less than accurate- READ, RESEARCH and WRITE.
Robert, if you glommed on to Teri Garr from her one appearance in STAR TREK episode 26, season 2, you were very observant and dedicated.
Nice group today.
omKeith & Jayce, Ranch hands aren't the people who ride into town and shoot up the place these days. However, they usually have some long guns in a rack in the back window of their pickup trucks and a pistol tucked under the seat. These are to get rid of whatever nasty varmints threaten their cattle -- coyotes, rustlers, etc.
Lemonade Yes, that was the show with TERI GARR. She made a strong impression with that one appearance! A bit ditzy, but very well meaning. And very pretty and sweet.
Ray O Sunshine I agree that our moon should have a name! Likewise for our sun! I was amused at the link about why the moon doesn't have a name. "I mean, would you call your kid Moon?". Do you think that person was aware that Frank Zappa indeed named his daughter "Moon Unit"? I just learned that "Unit" is her middle name. If you ever heard the song "Valley Girl" that is her singing.
Bill Seeley Yes, RHEA indeed is usually the bird. Good to learn something new.
Chairman Moe Thank you for reaching out about the experience of Margaret's daughter-in-law with an immigration agent. I will share that with my DW.
It all comes down to accountability. These immigration agents are totally without accountability. They can arbitrarily deny entry to someone or deny a green card or citizenship. I have other horror stories that are much worse.
Back in 2009 I was driving into the US from Canada with my then lady friend. She had a ten year visa and we had been in the US just a few days earlier. With no explanation we were placed in temporary detention. After a couple of hours of terror, we were released. No apology. No explanation.
A friend in graduate school had something similar happen, except he was held in detention for a week. Released with no explanation. No apology. An assurance that it can happen again at any time. Oh, I should mention he was already in the US! The immigration people had set up a road block north of San Diego and forced him to stop.
There needs to be accountability.
PK, I do understand.
I though I was done for the day, but the conversation seems to be interesting ...
RayO, I was amused by the last entry in the blog you linked to ... by Sue from Michigan.
She wrote, ... And as to why the Moon is a female, because it has a monthly 'cycle' too, LOL. I found that hilarious. How true.
Picard, thank you for the explanation of the paraglider in a sleeping bag ... I, too, wondered but was afraid to ask. I'm sure, it can get very cold, up there, what with the high winds whizzing past you at a hundred mph.
I am also sorry that your DW had to go through the hassle for the interview on her citizenship exam, and that you felt the necessity to hire a lawyer. My citizenship interview was >40 years ago, and I did not have a lawyer, and my interviewer from the then Imm and Natrl Service, took the opportunity to change the interview in a different direction.
Instead of asking my knowledge on the US Constitution, ... he asked me some questions on a personal matter,( applicable to him - ) on Federal Income tax law, as pertaining to a Sub-S Corp that he was the president of, and that was involved in a like-kind exchange on rental property.... and that took an hour and a half...
But, I have heard that the citizenship test interview has become much, much tougher ... no more just cramming ... it actually requires a semester worth of study, like towards a Poli Sci diploma... Without going into politics, some presidents and their philosophies have had an impact.
In any case, you NEVER argue with an INS Agent ... or a TSA Agent ... it will get you nowhere and worse. Grin,( or not ), and bear it. This too, shall pass.
A small sharp bump, for a great privilege.
C.Moe I really should have complimented earlier on your moekus. They were very entertaining!
Picard Star Trek is what I always connect Teri Garr to, as well. Don't think I had a crush on her, but was impressed enough to remember her name.
Ray-O I also consider Luna to be our moon's name, as well as Selene. Also Artemis and Diana, and many others. All female. So why in English do we have the Man in the Moon?
To complain more about the puzzle, whoever assigned the bubbles (most likely Rich) really did a disservice. The circles should have been placed around the LEAF letters!
TTP - That's it? Just ++1 to what ever FM road was numbered last. Oy!
//rip the corner of the bag (or, if you pull it off the roll just right, with a 'snap' at then end) with your teeth and then rub with your palms while trying to blow into it.
Add apples.
Picard - sorry to hear your SO got the run-around from INS
//yes, vidwan, many government workers have no sense of humor but a real sense of 'power.'
//Shouldn't every "American" submit to the exam? I mean, if that's what it takes for "them" to be one, why didn't I have to know about the Trail of Tears until I happened to live in OK?
Thanks also, Picard, for the info on the insulation bag used by the paraglider.
Teri GARR on Trek. I read Teri walked away after the episode 'cuz they wanted her skirt shorter(?!? - pretty short already)
OMK - theme is "TURNS" OVER a LEAF (anagram). The circles are, literally turns over...
Pretty cute, IMHO.
I'm still watching the Epik CEO's response to the hack. It's ~4hrs and you have to take it in small bites. Lots of whack-jobs popping in.
Cheers, -T
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