Theme: Leave nothing to the imagination. You might wonder what that means, but all will be revealed. Meanwhile, here is today's theme song.
17 A. *Well-worn, as carpets: THREAD BARE. Having the nap worn off, so that the thread shows; thus, worn out and shabby. Does the second word, now taken as a verb, indicate becoming naked, or early nude like Mother EVE?
25 A. *Lawn mower's spot: GARDEN SHED. An out building used to store garden and yard maintenance tools and accessories. The second word, as a verb, means to rid oneself of, slough off or lose something.
38 A. *Give the go-ahead from the control tower: CLEAR FOR TAKE OFF. Assure that a plane may now go airborne with no danger of collision with other departing or approaching aircraft. But the last two words, taken as a verb form, indicate the removal of something - such as free: clothing. [I'm detecting a pattern here.]
61 A. *Slapstick slipper?: BANANA PEEL. Slapstick is a form of low comedy based around pratfalls and mild comic violence. The second word, as a verb, indicates the removal of an outer layer, as from a fruit or burlesque actor.
50 A. *"Dilbert," e.g.: COMIC STRIP. A sequence of drawings, often cartoon, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative. The second word, again as a verb, means to remove the coverings from something, or - more specifically - an act of undressing, especially before an audience. Hence, today's alternate theme song.
And the unifier -- 69 A. Remove, as clothing ... and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues: DOFF. Well, if you were wondering what this is about, this should remove all doubt. Anybody up for naked puzzle solving? Or maybe it's bath time.
Hi gang - it's JazzBumpa, and under my cloths, I'm naked. Now you know. Gratuitous verberization - the reckless transformation of innocent helpless nouns into verbs sets my teeth on edge. The classic example is "parent." Ugh! But in this puzzle, we have none of that. The key words in their fill phrases are other parts of speech; but in a different context are perfectly legitimate verbs. With that mini-rant out of the way, let's go boldly forth and see what else we can uncover.
Across:
1. Triangular sails: JIBS. A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast.
5. Giant among speakers: BOSE. Brand name.
9. Belfry hangers: BATS. And you know what is on the belfry floor - crazy stuff.
13. Online money: E-CASH.
15. Scoville __: chili pepper heat measurement: UNIT - of measurement; a subjective estimate of the heat sensation of the pepper due to its concentration of capsaicinoids.
16. Overly fussy, say: ANAL. This is a non-technical use of the term which more specifically [since we're revealing all here] is relating to or denoting a stage of infantile psychosexual development supposedly preoccupied with the anus and defecation.
19. Tiny: ITSY. Minuscule.
2. 10-time MLB All-Star: ICHIRO. Suzuki [b 1973] is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played 28 seasons combined in top-level professional leagues. He spent the bulk of his career with two teams: nine seasons with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, where he began his career, and 14 with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. There's a lot more to his illustrious career, and you can read about it here.
3. Like fishhooks, usually: BARBED. Having a sharp point that sticks out and backward from a larger point
4. Atlanta-to-Miami dir.: SSE.
5. Forrest's shrimp-loving friend: BUBBA. Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson (b. 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films Forrest Gump, Con Air and Ali, and the television shows Boomtown, 24, and Justified.
6. Broadcasting: ON AIR.
7. __ Elton John: SIR. On Feb. 24 in 1998, Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) became Sir Elton John, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor for "services to music and charitable services."
8. Mont Blanc summer: ETE. French.
9. Uses a bucket in a boat: BAILS. Scooping out water.
10. Film noir protagonist: ANTI-HERO. A central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.
11. Suggested, flavorwise: TASTED OF.
12. Cunning: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
14. "Macbeth" role: HAG. The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth
18. Follow closely: DOG. Follow (someone or their movements) closely and persistently.
22. Kenan Thompson is its longest-tenured cast member, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live, broadcast since 1975.
24. Loi maker: SENAT. The French SENAT makes laws.
26. Uses Pledge, say: DUSTS. Multi Surface Furniture Polish Spray that works On Wood Granite And Leather.
27. Patronize, as a restaurant: EAT AT.
28. Behind: DUFF. The human posterior. DUFFS may be observed when togs are DOFFED.
30. French sea: MER. Equally wet in any language.
34. "Hair" styles: AFROS. Prominent in the musical "HAIR."
35. Fowl pole: ROOST. Where a bird sits - and a nice word play.
36. Big time: ERA.
37. Danger: PERIL.
38. In vogue: CHIC.
39. Chewy candy: LICORICE. A confection usually flavoured and coloured black with the extract of the roots of the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra.
40. Periodic table items: ELEMENTS. Each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter. Each element is distinguished by its atomic number, i.e. the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
41. Tap site: KEG. Container for ale or beer.
45. Dating letters: BCE. Before the Common Era
47. Mariners' park, familiarly and formerly: SAFECO. Now known as T-Mobile Park.
48. Lose interest in: TIRE OF.
49. Minn. college: ST OLAF. St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. The school was founded in 1874 on the land of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation by a group of Norwegian-American settler colonial pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus.
51. Atlas box: INSET. An inset map is a smaller map inset within a larger map. Inset maps can show the location of the main map in the context of a larger area or show more detail of a portion of the main map.
5. Giant among speakers: BOSE. Brand name.
9. Belfry hangers: BATS. And you know what is on the belfry floor - crazy stuff.
13. Online money: E-CASH.
15. Scoville __: chili pepper heat measurement: UNIT - of measurement; a subjective estimate of the heat sensation of the pepper due to its concentration of capsaicinoids.
16. Overly fussy, say: ANAL. This is a non-technical use of the term which more specifically [since we're revealing all here] is relating to or denoting a stage of infantile psychosexual development supposedly preoccupied with the anus and defecation.
19. Tiny: ITSY. Minuscule.
20. Bro or sis: SIB. People who share parents.
21. Desert partly in northern China: GOBI. And partly in Mongolia. The GOBI is a rain shadow desert, formed by the Tibetan Plateau blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean reaching the Gobi territory. It is the sixth largest desert in the world and the second largest in Asia after the Arabian Desert.
22. Put a thin cut in: SLIT. As with a sharp knife.
23. Greek Mars: ARES. Gods of war.
29. Internet connection: MODEM. A combined device for modulation and demodulation, for example, between the digital data of a computer and the analog signal of a phone line.
31. "Friendly Skies" co.: UAL. United Airlines Holding Company.
32. URL ending of a 37-Across: EDU. As in EDUcation.
33. Least distant: NEAREST. Where you should keep your enemies.
37. Campus VIP: PROF. A Professor.
42. To the __: maximally: HILT. Completely, to the maximum degree, as in The house was mortgaged up to the hilt. This idiom alludes to the handle (hilt) of a sword, the only portion that remains out when the weapon is plunged all the way in.
43. Oven pan: ROASTER. A pan for roasting meat.
44. Cooling rocks: ICE. Slangily.
45. Diddley and Peep: BOS. Plural of a proper name
46. Core concepts: GISTS. The substance or essence of speeches or texts.
55. Metz milk: LAIT. Metz is a city in north-east France.
56. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE. Rene Marie Russo [b.1954] is an American actress and model. She has appeared in many comedy, thriller and action-adventure films
57. Loads from lodes: ORES. Mineral deposits from which metals may be refined, and a nice word play.
59. To and __: FRO. Back and forth.
60. Marine steering mechanisms: FINS. Frequently found on fish.
64. Entr'__: ACTE. Entr'acte means "between the acts". It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production.
65. Writer Harte: BRET. Bret Harte [1836 - 1902] was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a career spanning more than four decades,
66. Swiss Miss product: COCOA. A chocolate powder made from roasted and ground cacao seeds
67. Common awards word: BEST. As in : "Movie," or "In Show."
68. Barrie's nonconformist pirate: SMEE. Hook's side kick, but I do not understand the clue.
Down:
21. Desert partly in northern China: GOBI. And partly in Mongolia. The GOBI is a rain shadow desert, formed by the Tibetan Plateau blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean reaching the Gobi territory. It is the sixth largest desert in the world and the second largest in Asia after the Arabian Desert.
22. Put a thin cut in: SLIT. As with a sharp knife.
23. Greek Mars: ARES. Gods of war.
29. Internet connection: MODEM. A combined device for modulation and demodulation, for example, between the digital data of a computer and the analog signal of a phone line.
31. "Friendly Skies" co.: UAL. United Airlines Holding Company.
32. URL ending of a 37-Across: EDU. As in EDUcation.
33. Least distant: NEAREST. Where you should keep your enemies.
37. Campus VIP: PROF. A Professor.
42. To the __: maximally: HILT. Completely, to the maximum degree, as in The house was mortgaged up to the hilt. This idiom alludes to the handle (hilt) of a sword, the only portion that remains out when the weapon is plunged all the way in.
43. Oven pan: ROASTER. A pan for roasting meat.
44. Cooling rocks: ICE. Slangily.
45. Diddley and Peep: BOS. Plural of a proper name
46. Core concepts: GISTS. The substance or essence of speeches or texts.
55. Metz milk: LAIT. Metz is a city in north-east France.
56. Russo of "Tin Cup": RENE. Rene Marie Russo [b.1954] is an American actress and model. She has appeared in many comedy, thriller and action-adventure films
57. Loads from lodes: ORES. Mineral deposits from which metals may be refined, and a nice word play.
59. To and __: FRO. Back and forth.
60. Marine steering mechanisms: FINS. Frequently found on fish.
64. Entr'__: ACTE. Entr'acte means "between the acts". It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production.
65. Writer Harte: BRET. Bret Harte [1836 - 1902] was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a career spanning more than four decades,
66. Swiss Miss product: COCOA. A chocolate powder made from roasted and ground cacao seeds
67. Common awards word: BEST. As in : "Movie," or "In Show."
68. Barrie's nonconformist pirate: SMEE. Hook's side kick, but I do not understand the clue.
Down:
1. Stuff thrown overboard: JETSAM. Unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a ship and washed ashore, especially material that has been discarded to lighten the vessel.
2. 10-time MLB All-Star: ICHIRO. Suzuki [b 1973] is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played 28 seasons combined in top-level professional leagues. He spent the bulk of his career with two teams: nine seasons with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan, where he began his career, and 14 with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. There's a lot more to his illustrious career, and you can read about it here.
3. Like fishhooks, usually: BARBED. Having a sharp point that sticks out and backward from a larger point
4. Atlanta-to-Miami dir.: SSE.
5. Forrest's shrimp-loving friend: BUBBA. Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson (b. 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films Forrest Gump, Con Air and Ali, and the television shows Boomtown, 24, and Justified.
6. Broadcasting: ON AIR.
7. __ Elton John: SIR. On Feb. 24 in 1998, Elton John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight) became Sir Elton John, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. He was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor for "services to music and charitable services."
8. Mont Blanc summer: ETE. French.
9. Uses a bucket in a boat: BAILS. Scooping out water.
10. Film noir protagonist: ANTI-HERO. A central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.
11. Suggested, flavorwise: TASTED OF.
12. Cunning: SLY. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
14. "Macbeth" role: HAG. The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth
18. Follow closely: DOG. Follow (someone or their movements) closely and persistently.
22. Kenan Thompson is its longest-tenured cast member, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live, broadcast since 1975.
24. Loi maker: SENAT. The French SENAT makes laws.
26. Uses Pledge, say: DUSTS. Multi Surface Furniture Polish Spray that works On Wood Granite And Leather.
27. Patronize, as a restaurant: EAT AT.
28. Behind: DUFF. The human posterior. DUFFS may be observed when togs are DOFFED.
30. French sea: MER. Equally wet in any language.
34. "Hair" styles: AFROS. Prominent in the musical "HAIR."
35. Fowl pole: ROOST. Where a bird sits - and a nice word play.
36. Big time: ERA.
37. Danger: PERIL.
38. In vogue: CHIC.
39. Chewy candy: LICORICE. A confection usually flavoured and coloured black with the extract of the roots of the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra.
40. Periodic table items: ELEMENTS. Each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter. Each element is distinguished by its atomic number, i.e. the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
41. Tap site: KEG. Container for ale or beer.
45. Dating letters: BCE. Before the Common Era
47. Mariners' park, familiarly and formerly: SAFECO. Now known as T-Mobile Park.
48. Lose interest in: TIRE OF.
49. Minn. college: ST OLAF. St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. The school was founded in 1874 on the land of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation by a group of Norwegian-American settler colonial pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus.
51. Atlas box: INSET. An inset map is a smaller map inset within a larger map. Inset maps can show the location of the main map in the context of a larger area or show more detail of a portion of the main map.
52. Actress Blakley: RONEE. Ronee Sue Blakley (b. 1945) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, composer, producer and director, perhaps best known for her work as an actress.
53. Steamed: IRATE. Angry
54. Ballpoint, e.g.: PEN. Writing implement.
58. Bunt on a scorecard: SAC. SACrifice. Deliberately batting the ball a short distance with the expectation of making an out at first base while advancing a runner already on base.
60. Groovy: FAB. Cool, man.
61. Air rifle ammo: BBS. Small metal spheres used as projectiles.
62. Chair part: ARM. They also have legs, a seat, and a back. Hmm - they're almost human.
63. i follower: POD. An i-Pod is an electronic device for storing and playing back music.
53. Steamed: IRATE. Angry
54. Ballpoint, e.g.: PEN. Writing implement.
58. Bunt on a scorecard: SAC. SACrifice. Deliberately batting the ball a short distance with the expectation of making an out at first base while advancing a runner already on base.
60. Groovy: FAB. Cool, man.
61. Air rifle ammo: BBS. Small metal spheres used as projectiles.
62. Chair part: ARM. They also have legs, a seat, and a back. Hmm - they're almost human.
63. i follower: POD. An i-Pod is an electronic device for storing and playing back music.
That's it for today. If you DOFF your apparel and go outside naked, remember your sunscreen, and that you'll need it everywhere, especially on your DUFF, and other places where the sun don't usually shine.
Cool regards!
JzB
56 comments:
Good morning!
This makes three zippy puzzles in a row. Even managed to suss the theme while wending my way down the grid. Thanx, Kurt, and for the tongue-in-cheek expo, JzB.
SIB: Still have two left from the original four. Both live more than a thousand miles away, so we don't see them often.
DOG: We have a cat, Gomer, who is particularly dog-like. He's a constant "talker," and loves to get underfoot so he can complain even louder when stepped on.
FIR, but erased dean for PROF and JETSoM (UNTIE!). DNK ICHIRO, loi or SENAT, BRETT or RONEE. Had to wait for ST OLA v/F.
Dilbert is one of my three favorite cartoons (along with Pearls Before Swine and Red and Rover).
"FINS to the left, FINS to the right, and you're the only bait in town." Jimmy Buffett's ballad about a woman who travels to boating communities and finds herself being the only female there. Genesis of the Landshark beer brand.
Scrappy little leadoff hitters frequently bunt for a base hit. Even if they don't, the threat gets the first and third basemen (basepeople?) to play in (closer to home), shortening their ability to react to a full-swing batted ball.
Thanks to KK for the fun. My favorite was DOG, however it was clued. I also liked DUFF and ANAL. The theme brought to mind Girls Girls Girls by Motley Crue. And thanks to JzB for the fun tour, except that your textbook explanation ruined a fun word like ANAL.
FIR quicker than yesterday. Other than that, exactly what Jinx said at 5:49, adding only DNK BCE until JzB ‘splained it.
Rather easy today. FIR. Only unfamiliar word was RONEE. Fun blog, Jazz.
With BARE and TAKE OFF I guessed the undressing theme.
I used to be a purist about about nouns used as verbs and many other grammatical questions. No longer. I am becoming less of a purist every year. I mostly argue for broader interpretation. The practice of turning nouns into verbs is called verbing. It is surprising how many examples of this have become so common we accept them without a quibble. It is also surprising that the examples people still reject vary so much from person to person. Some day they will be solidly in the language.
Flotsam vs. Jetsam: Flotsam is defined as debris in the water that was not deliberately thrown overboard, often as a result from a shipwreck or accident. Jetsam describes debris that was deliberately thrown overboard by a crew of a ship in distress, most often to lighten the ship's load.
Thanks,JzB for the word pictures . . . er, I think. The "silence" at ECASH spoke volumes.
I was up early this morning due to a sore left shoulder but, so far, I've experienced no other side effects from yesterday's Covid shot #3,
Speaking of grammar usage, I guess the rules must've changed since my school days. On Jeopardy! I hear Mayim Bialik using the objective case, "That is them" or "This is him" every day. Is that mainstream English today?
This was exposed in 5:27.
Unit, anal, and slit all appear in a puzzle about stripping.
Bos and Bose, ok. But, Afros & Fro?
Ronee?
JzB and YR: Maybe we should sit down and dialog about the growth of verbing.
My favorite example is Al Haig's "The Vietnamification of the war is going well."
Thank you Kurt for an ECDYSIASTIC ORGY of verbalized delights. And thanks JzB for a HOLLY entertaining and thoroughly PUNISHING review. Nice work.
Some favs:
16A ANAL. Freudian nonsense coming in two varieties: (1) ANAL RETENTIVE (if variety omitted) implying OCD or (2) ANAL EXPULSIVE implying arty, e.g. people who like playing with CLAY.
45A BO. Or MR BO JANGLES written by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
55A LAIT. AU THAT milk!
60A FINS. Or FIVERS.
65A Entr' ACTE. Handel wrote a lot of short organ pieces to keep people in their seats between the acts of his OPERAS (which are an acquired taste!). Here is his most famous The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from his sacred opera (oratorio) Solomon.
67A BEST. Henry Mancini got the Academy Award for BEST Original Music Score for Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Cheers,
Bill
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Kurt and JazzB.
I FIRed in good time, and saw that we were preparing to streak before I even got to the reveal (Pun intended) DOFF.
Yes, JazzB, no “gratuitous verberizatiin” today (we had IRATE not Ired!).
Having GAR at the start of 25A, I filled in GARage. Nope, the lawnmower is in the GARDEN SHED.
Dean changed to PROF (CSO to Misty with EDU). Yes, Jinx, I changed the O to A in JETSAM.
CLEAR FOR TAKEOFF made me think of Leo.
Lots of French today- MER, SENAT, LAIT, ETE.
We had ANTIHERO and ICHIRO, RENE and RONEE.
I smiled at ROOST crossing ROASTER. Our Canadian fowls went into the ROASTER last weekend for Thanksgiving.
To patronize a restaurant inside here, you must show a vaccine passport (QR code now available) and matching ID. Anyone can still access patio dining, but it is getting a little cool. BARE arms and legs will have goosebumps.
Wishing you all a great day.
Yellowrocks @7:21 AM This place is making cruciverberlizers out of all of us!
Not a bad midweek romp...FIR , One inkover: ecoin/ECASH. (speaking of taking any noun and making it a digital answer by just adding an E 😠). Not a lot of Proper Names but did't know ICHIRON or RONEE. Assumed the theme had to do with BARE, STRIP, DOFF, TAKE OFF, PEEL (looking at JZB's commentary I see I missed SHED). Kind of cold outside here to be that unclothed.🥶
SNL just did a hilarious send up of "Squid Game"🦑
If it's a GARDEN SHED with a lawnmower, prolly not a she-shed
Phyllis Diller: "When the house needs cleaning I report a crime, the police come and DUST for prints." 🤣
Signal that a stripper can start to DOFF "_____"... CLEAR FOR TAKE OFF
Country singer John ____...ECASH
Buttons go-with....BOSE
What we did for lawns.....MODEM.
Thor's day awaits
D-O @7:42 AM And we should mourn for the subjunctive "were". 😢
sorry..typo: ICHIRO...(THE Japanese version of IKEA?)
Musings
-RONEE - Never has an obscure name (for me) fallen so easily
-Are belfry hangers also what Quasimodo uses to keep his clothing unwrinkled?
-No company has more beautiful theme music than UAL’s
-In miniature golf, the player whose ball is NEAREST the hole putts first. In real golf it’s the opposite
-In next year’s campaigns, BARBED comments will fill the airwaves
-I nominate Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti western characters as the ultimate ANTIHEROS
-Mickey Mantle hardly ever was called on to bunt for a SAC but he had over 80 bunt base hits before his knees gave out
'The Stripper'- our Jr. High Band director had us play that at football games. But I didn't notice the GISTS that were the theme. But what I did notice was two OFs and two OFFs crossing. TASTED OF & TIRE OF crossing OFF & DOFF. It took perps to fill two proper names: BUBBA & RONEE. Didn't know who Keenen Thompson was but SNL is a Xword staple.
Forrest Gump & BUBBA- There was a restaurant named the BUBBA Gump Shrimp Co. in the Quarter.
Loi made by the SENAT- perps for that unknown
FINS- my mind was on tillers and rudders and it took the LICORICE, ELEMENTS, & INSET for me to realize it was about fish, not boats.
DUST with Pledge-NO. We use microfiber cloths. They work great as long as you never wash them with fabric softener.
Didn't ICHIRO play in the ball park formerly called SAFECO?
anon@8:11- I also noticed the anal & slit but didn't connect the unit.
BTW, if you check out my link to ECDYSIAST above, you'll see that it was coined by H. L. Menken, AKA the "Bard of Balmer". He lived only a mile or so from "The (infamous) Block" and is said to have coined the word for a lady there, who asked him for "a more dignified name for her profession". A couple of terms from his etymology would have fit right into today's puzzle.
Husker @9:36 AM For some of us, miniature golf is the REALIST it gets.
Good morning everyone.
Another easy one like others have implied. No wite-outs needed today. FIR. Kurt seems to offer up entertaining puzzles, and I look forward to his submissions. Liked the theme. Good FINS clue.
BOS - Genus of cattle. Also Logan airport identifier.
JETSAM - After our ship would pass the 50 nm mark when heading to sea, Main Control would, on each watch, request permission from the Bridge to "dump, pump, and blow." (Dump garbage, pump bilges, and blow (boiler) tubes.). I'm sure rules are stricter, now.
JIB - Tomorrow is the 216th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Lots of JIBS hoisted that day.
D-O - - Fundamentally, I agree with you on the objective case point. But to say, informally, "This is he." or "That is they" sounds stiff or snooty IMO. I think various Elements of Style allow some leeway here.
Nice intro, JzB.
Here are some examples of nouns that have been verbed and have been accepted for a long time. There are also examples of verbing that the author does not like.
verbing
Transition and workshop as verbs are fine with me.
I still use the subjunctive were. I hated it in spanish, though. Well, a second language is always difficult. And when I get a call asking for Rebecca, I answer "This is she." instead of "Speaking"
I did not know The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band wrote Mr. Bojangles. Great song.
Canadian Eh, thank you for introducing me to Louise Penny, I finally got a library copy of How The Light Gets In, so I'm all caught
up in the evolving story of the inspector. I'm not a violent person, but I'm glad most of the bad guys got killed, and so happy that she skipped all of the denouement and went right to the wedding. I need her most recent book and the Clinton collaboration.
Becky
Thank you Kurt Krauss for a nice Wed puzzle, which I found very enjoyable. Thank You Jazzy B for a pun filled, humorous, charming review.
I was not aware of some words RONEE, ICHIRO, BRETT, SAFECO ...
I was somewhat alerted to the buff filled nature of the long answer endings, but I was too busy completing the puzzle.
ELEMENTS - thanks JazzB for the qualifier ...'cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler ...' ... I don't remember if that 'chemically' qualifier was in the textbooks, when I studied 'Elements' in the sixth grade, long ago. I have a sample, ( in a lead box -) of a uranium dioxide fuel rod pellet, which I'm sure is slowly but surely, partly converting to some lesser elements, even as we speak..
I find it very distasteful for the word Anal, to be used in everyday conversation. I forbid it for my kids, since the third grade, and now, even when they are adults, they know better so to never use it at home or abroad. (' ... but its a medical term, dad ... ').
Though it may be a legitimate word, and has a scientific connotation, .... it does not meet my breakfast test, and in my opinion, should not be used in polite society. There are so many other synonyms with just as strong an emphasis ... you do not have to shock people to get your point across ...
Have a nice day, all.
Becky, although the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded Mr. Bojangles, they didn't write it. That credit goes to Jerry Jeff Walker (1942-2020).
I enjoyed this puzzle and think the theme clues were clever. FINS was my favorite mini.misdirection. I learned a new term today - verbing. Thanks Kurt for an interesting and fun challenge, and thanks Jaaabumpa for tge tour.
MM, we get our booster shots later today. Hopefully, no side effects. We want to be as bulletproof as possible for our grandson’s wedding in Hawaii next week, where many of the attendees in our family are not vaccinated - arrrggh!
D.O., I always cringe inwardly when Mayim Balik uses those phrases. Just sounds awkward. I wish she’d just say “right”, or “correct”.
Becky- glad you are enjoying the Penny book. How the Light Gets In is one of her best (but they seem to just be getting better). I’m pretty sure it was SwampCat who introduced me to this previously unknown to me Canadian author. Of course, I love her Canadian references (mostly Quebec but sometimes Ontario). Her plots are convoluted, but she also delves into the motives, morality, biases behind the crime (sometimes to excess IMHO). I started with some of the newer books, but have gone back to the start (and am now up to The Beautiful Mystery).
It all depends on what you are accustomed to. I hear anal quite a bit in polite society. It is short for anal retentive, often used in nontechnical contexts to describe someone as extremely or excessively neat, careful, or precise. It seldom reminds me of the body part.
It is used this way in newspaper articles.
"Dear Carolyn: For 55 years of marriage, our main arguments are around her tidiness — to a point I would call anal — and my sloppiness, which my wife would call "pigsty." Washington Post Feb 3, 20
"Sign you are a bit anal: You neatly fold your underwear as soon as you take it out of the dryer." Washington Post Sep 27, 2018
"I was a relaxed slacker; she was anal."
Delightful Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Kurt. And, JazzB, your commentary is always a pleasure, thanks for that too.
I also first put DEAN for 'Campus VIP.' Then, after getting PERIL, realized it had to start with a P. Totally stumped and felt like an idiot when DUFF gave me PROF.
Hey, I was a PROF for over forty years before I retired, but clearly not a brilliant one, given this silly problem this morning. But hey, I'm retired--that makes a difference.
Still, nice to get EDU right above PROF.
Have a great day, everybody. I have an Emeriti meeting on-line this afternoon. Hope none of my colleagues read my posting above.
-T, That (un)called 3rd strike ended the inning. Shades of '85 when last out at first wasn't called to end the Series. Sponsor pressure? BTW, I thought you were already ticketed* for game 6
Word has it that Tin (beni) eschews "cooling rocks". Moi? The more the better for my AP**
And Derek and Diddley
"Entr'__: ACTE", CSO to OMK
I think SMEE wasn't mean enough
Misspelling Bales messed me up good. INSET is that handy list of weeks puzzles. I'm through Thurs
WC
* Speaking of verbiage
** Arnold Palmer, unsweet
Becky, I am grateful to Canadian Eh as well, for introducing me to Louise Penny. I have read the entire series and hope there will be more stirues of Inspector Ganach and the whole eclectic group.
Vidwan @10:59 AM I think we owe popular usage of A**L to Sigmund Freud, not one of my favorite people.
D-O @11:08 AM Thanks for the correct on Mr. Bo Jangles D-O. I guess what TNGDB meant in their video was that they had been playing it for a long time.
Hi Gang -
I was unaware of the verb "verging" wise is an example of itself.
I still prefer my construct "verbalization" since it seems to emphasize the forcing aspect.
No objection to it in general, just when it is gratuitous verbalization. I use "parent" as the example because it was institutionalized as a magazine title, and its existence is completely unnecessary. One [or two] can raise, rear and nurture children. There is no need to parent them. It actually sounds ridiculous.
Off to do yardr work.
Cool regards!
JzB
which is, not wise is [sigh]
By MA ED. degree has a Parenting Ed, specialization. My practicum was running parenting seminars.
As a relative newcomer to this blog, I must say that I enjoy the daily dissections from the contributors and the comments from everyone else as much as I enjoy solving the puzzles, always informative and educational just as the puzzles are. Still trying to get a grasp on the pertinent lingo, never knew there was an esoteric language of crosswordese. And after today’s briefing I have to figure out how to work “capsaicinoids” and “Glycyrrhiza Glaba” into a conversation. :) Thanks Kurt and Rich for the grid and JzB for the expo!
Jzb, thanks for the CSO @ 9a!
Unfortunately I could not find a suitable silly link for today's theme,
As anything even remotely connected on the internet is, well, unsuitable...
Hmm, "unsuitable." I wonder....
Nope, nothing there either...
In the learning dept.
Jzb's mention of "slapstick" made me wonder why
It is called that, and how did it originate.
turns out, it's a real thing!
Oops!
Could have sworn I copy/pasted correctly,
Oh well
slapstick origin
and just 8n case you are looking for one...
JzB @12:53 PM Convert them into parents?
YooperPhil @1:59 PM Phil, here's a partial list of the dialect used on this blog. I've been studying it intensely for several years now, and still find myself frequently AT SEA.
I enjoyed this puzzle and had many of the same impressions and observations about it many of you did. I'm with Vidwan about the use of that word. Freud also posited other phases of psychosexual development but I never hear anybody saying something like "He's so genital!"
Good wishes to you all.
Interesting that the filter that deletes posts with the word er0tic in them doesn't delete posts with the words anal and genital in them.
AI is not really very I.
But it is very Artificial.
What a delightful PZL from Mr. Krauss! Tough, but not unfair, nor too tough for a mid-week challenge.
FIR, enjoyable throughout.
EDU was EZ, as it is my own email suffix.
Like everyone, I had DEAN before PROF, even though "PROF" is on my scooter's "vanity" license plate.
Last to fill? BOS. Turned out to be my favorite.
Why the last? 'cuz I wasn't sure of the perp, BCE, until inking it in.
~ OMK
____________
DR: A 3-way on the far side.
The central diagonal gives us an anagram (13 of 15 letters) of an attitude too often assumed by the wealthiest 1% of our citizens, that they are nearly "holy" in their societal status--above the realm of ordinary life, above the law, etc.
Such a person might consider him(or her-)self a...
"SACROSANCT 'NOB'"!
-or-
the label might pertain to an exclusive hotel and residential region of "Baghdad by the Bay," aka San Francisco.
Baghdad on the Muddy Mississippi is NOLA. The criminals run amok because the DA drops charges on just about everything but he can't get the US Att to drop the tax fraud charges against him.
YooperPhil @1:59 PM I can never remember where I put that list, but as my Daddy used to say, "If it had been a snake it would have bit me!". There it is, on the 4th line above Comments box. That was close!
Hi All!
Thanks Kurt for the good, clean, naked fun. Enjoyed the grid.
Jazzy expo, JzB -- it took longer to read than do the puzzle :-)
WOs: N/A
ESPs: BRET | RONEE, MER
Fav: LICORICE - my favorite candy
I'll go with definition #2 on the DR, OMK :-)
Enjoyed reading everyone!
Cheers, -T
-T, our fortunes have done a drastic 180. Now it's back to Houston. Interestingly the lf wall seemed to help Houston more than Boston.
Well, Eovaldi for game 6 and Rodriguez for 7 and Sale to back them up.
That missed called strike last night was big.
WC
Another one-square FIW. Knowing neither BRET nor RONEE, I stuck in an I where they crossed, and the rest is history. I also didn’t know BUBBA (I’m probably the only person in the world who has never seen FORREST GUMP, but that one was easy). I also didn’t know but had no problem sussing the answer to the KENAN THOMPSON clue (shows you how long it’s been since I’ve watched SNL.)
I WILL be recording SNL this Saturday, though, because Brandi Carlile is the musical guest. I got to see her in person many, many years ago in beautiful, downtown Helotes, TX, but that’s another story for another time.
I’m late again! I should have been here hours ago, because I finished this puzzle before 10 this morning. Cost me almost $1,000 to do it early, though. I was getting my 120K service done on my car, so that I can make my annual registration donation tomorrow. Wonder how many roads will get fixed with my $100 donation.
Hatch, NM, calls itself the “Chili Capital of the World.” I love them for flavoring, but I do not burn myself with them.
I also read DILBERT and PEARLS every day, but the relatively new BREAKING CAT NEWS is now my favorite.
FLN, thanks –T. Sometimes I just run out of time. We’re coming into our busy season at the museum. So far, I have two corporate events, a wedding and a youth tour to work between now and the end of the month --- in addition to my normal Fridays. Also, it’s a tossup between licorice and Buc-ees cinnamon bears, so when I stop there, I buy both. I ain’t supposed to eat either one.
I try to speak and write as correctly as possible. Doesn't always happen. Just another example of my AR-ness, except for the last sentence in the preceding paragraph.
Thanks, KK and JzB!
YooperPhill - Not sure my manners were up to par. Welcome to The Corner. Tell us a bit about yourself (profile is sparse) and stay & play; you seem like fun.
WC - See!, if our starters don't give up a Grand Slam, we can actually win :-)
About an hour ago, I got confirmation that I have tix for game six. It's in the nose-bleed section but I've never had a bad seat at Minute Maid Park.
Interestingly, it looks like we'll be playing (I'm putting the horse after the cart... :-) ) Atlanta; our old NL nemesis. I recall one September game that went 18. Starter Roger Clemens laced up for the last innings... [cite].
LEOIII - I had an I for RONiE but then though BRiT would be clued Englishy/UKy [how's that adVERBification? :-)]. So, I guess, technically, a WO but I make an 'I' as a straight down-stroke, so adding a few horizontals, I really didn't WO anything...
Breaking Cat News is kinda funny for this guy with no cats. I suppose if one had more than one (Pop had 4 GARDEN SHED cats), it'd be hilarious.
Cheers, -T
LEOIII - The funniest cat thing I ever saw...
Newman was a sly cat. I know cats hate water but, to get a bird, he'd do anything...
I was in Pop's kitchen doing breakfast dishes and looked out over the back yard. Newman was sitting in the Bird Bath doing his best Jerry Cat [think Tom & Jerry cartoons] statuette waiting for a bird to come in for water.
I expected cartoon-like water to fountain out of his mouth :-)
Donno if he caught one but I know Florida (a tabby) did - feathers everywhere in the back garden.
C, -T
-T Only got seven insiders and four outsiders, but she (Georgia Dunn) IS funny. She JUST adopted her fifth. Three of hers have physical handicaps: One is deaf (but he reads whiskers), one is a tripod, and the new adoptee is a one-eyed kitten.
The premise for the strip is very spot on for cat people. I'm glad she took the idea and ran with it.
If you go to her website, you can see all the way back to the beginning and how her art has changed over the years. It's quite an evolution, much of it necessitated by her being picked up by Go Comics and the newspapers. When she first got into the papers, she redid most, if hot all, of the original stories.
Her group of people on her blog on Go Comics isn't a large as the Corner, but she does have a following.
-T --- Time to print out the Thursday puzzle! To sleep, or not to sleep: That is the question!
Sixteen CIRCLES!!! Uh-Oh! We could write a song....
"Sixteen circles..., Make a lovely puzzle...."
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