google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday, November 26, 2021, Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson

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Nov 26, 2021

Friday, November 26, 2021, Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson

Theme: "If if's and but's were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas"

Happy Black Friday everyone. How are we all feeling after yesterday's big Thanksgiving Dinner? Ready to tackle the malls today now that we have less than 30 shopping days 'til Christmas?

Don't know about y'all but I am a bit hung over from turkey, vino, and football. If the weather cooperates I will likely go for a hike. But go shopping? Nope. Not today. I'd rather comment with all of you nice folks about Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson's clever use of play-on-word phrases that omit three conditional words that all parents have uttered once or more: (59-Across as clued: "I won't hear any excuses!" ... also, a clue to the three other longest Across answers) NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS. How did these two collaborators get there you ask?

17-Across. Odds that the pub is open?: CHANCE OF ALE TIME. LOL! Makes me think of this guy:

Add the word "IF" to this phrase - put it between the L and E of the word ALE - et voila! No "if" makes "Chance of a lifetime" become CHANCE OF ALE TIME

26-Across. Well-liked blue-state pol?: POPULAR DEM. Very, very clever P-O-W. If only the Crossword Corner would allow some mention of politics I could have a field day with this. In keeping with today's theme, though, let's look and see where the word "AND" could fit. How about after "DEM"? Ever heard of the phrase (by) POPULAR DEMAND?

46-Across. Where the Goddess of Pop resides?: CHER'S BLOCK. At first, I was thinking that this referred to one of the three actors who is playing CHER in the new Broadway Musical, "The CHER Show". Stephanie J. BLOCK.

But maybe it has the literal meaning of where she actually resides. On a street BLOCK. Either way, this one didn't tickle my punny bone as much as the other two, yet the addition of the word "BUT" to this yields the phrase: "BUTcher's Block".

And upon further review, the first deletion - IF - fits in the center of LE to make LIFE; AND fits at the end of DEM to make DEMAND; and BUT fits at the beginning of CHER'S to make BUTCHER'S. Very cool. Is that how you saw it? On to the fill . . .

Across:
1. __ choy: BOK.

Famous Chinese chef
Started a new franchise. It's
Called: BOK in a wok

4. Lines not meant for everyone: ASIDE. Not the meaning of the clue, but another way to use the word ASIDE:

9. Classic sci-fi film with a pronoun title: THEM. A 1954 movie with a star-studded cast

13. "Bah!" in Bavaria: ACH. We all know the phrase, "ACH du lieber" - which means, "Oh, my dear". And most other phrases with the word "ACH" seem to infer that it's "oh" rather than "bah". Maybe someone else has a different take? Later in the grid, we saw this: (51-Across. "Heavens to Betsy!":) OH DEAR.

14. Jockey, e.g.: RIDER.

Kentucky Derby
Horse was named after Doors song
RIDER on the Storm

15. Shack: HOVEL.

20. Gorilla who learned sign language: KOKO. As decribed in Wikipedia

21. Like a rogue: SLY.

A SLY actor needs
More makeup. Would that imply
The rogue wore some rouge?

22. An abundance: OODLES. Here's an oldie:

23. "Su-u-ure": "I BET". Song by Ciara would've been a good clue. Enjoy!

25. Fla. resort: BOCA. A CSO to some of our SE FL Cornerites (unclefred and Lemonade714) who live nearby BOCA Raton

30. "Conan" airer: TBS. The clip is kinda long but it was his last show (June 24, 2021) and says it all:

33. Org. that launched "My MPG" in 2005: EPA. With the popularity of battery-powered cars, will a new metric be used that measures MPkW??

34. Phoenix origin?: ASHES. At first I thought this was a comment about how the city of Phoenix, AZ originated. Interestingly enough, there was a correlation

35. Milk dispensers: TEATS.

British company
Launched new brand that includes milk.
It's called Tetley TEATS

37. Variety for a truffle hunter?: LINDT. Did anyone else think about pigs? Nah; we all thought of this, didn't we? Made by LINDT

39. Even so: YET. Hitherto?

40. "Ditto": AS DO I. We had the word DITTO in my last recap

41. Alexander the Great, to Aristotle: TUTEE. World History dot com confirms this: "In 343 BCE Aristotle was summoned by King Philip II of Macedon to tutor his son Alexander the Great. He was hired by Philip II, King of Macedon (r. 359-336 BCE) as tutor for his son Alexander the Great". And now you know!

42. Casino group, often: TRIBE. The first Indian casino was built in Florida by the Seminole TRIBE, which opened a successful high-stakes bingo parlour in 1979. Other indigenous nations quickly followed suit, and by 2000 more than 150 tribes in 24 states had opened casino or bingo operations on their reservations

44. Word with bobby or bowling: PIN. The "bowling" reference is a CSO to Boomer

45. AOL competitor: MSN. One of my three email accounts is with "hotmail", a MicroSoft Network provider. And the majority of what appears in my inbox there is (48-Across. Annoying email:) SPAM

50. Sweet talk: COOS. Which brought to mind an oldie, but goodie:

A pigeon landed
Upon a church steeple, and
Uttered some high COOS

54. Lead in to la-la: OOH. "Hands up" for putting "TRA" in there first

56. Start of some famous last words: "ET TU". The phrase “ET TU, Brute?” is never at any point attributed to Julius Caesar in any surviving ancient text. These words, however, are entirely fictional; as they do not appear in the writings of any Greek or Roman historians. Interesting

62. Spaceship Earth site: EPCOT. Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Disney World

63. "The Tortoise and the Hare" author: AESOP. According to World History dot org, AESOP, a former Greek slave, in the late to mid-6th century BCE, Aesop's Fables are the world's best known collection of morality tales. The fables, numbering 725, were originally told from person-to-person as much for entertainment purposes but largely as a means for relaying or teaching a moral or lesson

64. Reuben requirement: RYE. Corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing are also requirements, IIRC. Do you prefer your RYE bread with, or without seeds?

65. Sonic the Hedgehog owner: SEGA. This guy from the popular SEGA video games:

66. Holy hymn: PSALM. PSALM means: "a sacred song or hymn, in particular any of those contained in the biblical Book of PSALMs and used in Christian and Jewish worship"

67. They loop around the Loop: ELS. Short for "Elevated Trains". Note the capitalized second LOOP in the clue: A reference to the area within the city of Chicago

Down:
1. Here again: BACK. Sorry if this creeps you out . . .

2. Half of dieciséis: OCHO. Helps if you know Spanish. Dieciséis is sixteen. One half of sixteen is 8, or OCHO in Espanol.

3. Some casual wear: KHAKI PANTS. They say that the best commercials are the ones you remember whenever you hear a single word . . . like this, perhaps?

4. Bend: ARC. Does anyone else get ARC and ARCH mixed up? I found this: "ARC" - a shape or structure resembling an arc. "ARCH" - a curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge, roof, or wall above it. So why say that I "arched" my back. Shouldn't it be ARCed my back, instead??

5. Afternoon rests: SIESTAS. More Spanish today, but one that is much more familiar. I will take an occasional SIESTA; actually look forward to them!!

6. Pop star: IDOL. I'll call this one "crossword-ese" for today

7. Go against: DEFY.

8. Jazz __: ERA. Another crossword favorite shows up again

9. 2000s teen drama set in SoCal: THE O.C.. As in Orange County. A Southern California district whose county seat is Santa Ana. About 3-1/4 million folks call this their home. Anaheim is here; so is Newport Beach, where THE O.C. show was based. It ran on Fox Network from 2003-2007

10. Much-anticipated appointments: HOT DATES. This image made me laugh!

11. Good fighter?: EVIL. Very clever clue for this. One of my favorite books and movies use both words in the title . . . enjoy the trailer . . .

12. Viral video, e.g.: MEME. Or a viral image. Here's one for today:

16. "__ Misérables": LES. A bit of Frawnch to go with the Spanish. And the Frawnch lesson du jour is when do you use the word LES to mean "THE"?

"With masculine singular nouns → use le. With feminine singular nouns → use la. With nouns starting with a vowel, most nouns beginning with h and the French word y → use l'. With plural nouns → use LES." And now you know . . .

18. Restaurant chain with a signature black cod dish: NOBU. As your bi-weekly erudite envoy I am sad to say that I had no idea nor clue about this. Apparently I just don't "get around much"! ;^) Or, NOBU is a bit out of my price range. I checked the menu @ the Newport Beach, CA location, and the signature black cod dish (with a side of Miso) is $42

19. Device for Circe: LOOM. Here is all you need to know about Circe . . . I think

24. Overjoy: ELATE. What do you call a person who's tardy for the Zoom meeting? E-LATE

25. Rouse to action: BESTIR. I needed a few nudges this week to BESTIR myself to write the blog!

26. Fur piece: PELT.

27. Poppy product: OPIUM. "Papaver somniferum, commonly known as the OPIUM poppy or breadseed poppy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae. It is the species of plant from which both opium and poppy seeds are derived and is also a valuable ornamental plant, grown in gardens." Wikipedia

28. Blues partner: RHYTHM. One of my favorite tunes - one that's been covered many times. This version "happened" during my HS years:

29. Big name in lawn care: DEERE. "Nothing rides like a DEERE!"

31. Cause of back trouble, maybe: BAD POSTURE. Maybe because they ARC(h)ed it?

32. Not easily moved: STOIC. Kinda like pigeons on statue! Or these pigeons confirm:

35. Fitness system popular since the '90s: TAE BO. "TAE BO is a body fitness system that incorporates martial arts techniques, such as kicks and punches, which became popular in the 1990s. It was developed by American taekwondo practitioner Billy Blanks. Such programs use the motions of martial arts at a rapid pace designed to promote fitness." Wikipedia

36. Roll into the hole, as a putt: SINK. CSO to all of the Crossword Corner golfers, and this guy:

38. Visibility inhibitor: DENSE FOG. This cartoon's appropriate

43. Harvard has a renowned one, briefly: B-SCHOOL. Abbr. for Business School. Harvard's Business School is known as "Harvard Business School"! (had you going there for a second, didn't I?!). Oh, the cost of an MBA @ Harvard? Harvard charges $73,440 in MBA tuition fees for the academic year 2021-22. For the two-year, full-time MBA program at Harvard, you can expect to pay double that; $146,880 in tuition. Of course most Harvard MBA grads can earn the two-year cost of tuition in their first year of employment

46. Delevingne of "Carnival Row": CARA. Oops - we have a Proper Name alert! CARA Jocelyn Delevingne is an English model, actress, and singer. She signed with Storm Management after leaving school in 2009. Delevingne won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014. Wikipedia "Carnival Row" is a fantasy made-for-TV show that airs on Amazon Prime+ video

47. Leopold's nefarious partner: LOEB. Another Proper Name alert!! Nefarious/notorious; just plain old bad guys

49. Bucatini, for one: PASTA. A tubular variety: "Bucatini, also known as perciatelli, are a thick spaghetti-like PASTA with a hole running through the center. They are common throughout Lazio, particularly Rome. The similar ziti are long hollow rods which are also smooth in texture and have square-cut edges; "cut ziti" are ziti cut into shorter tubes." Wikipedia

51. Capital __: ONE. What's in your wallet? (do you think Moe watches the TV ads??!)

52. Source of bitter flavor in beer: HOPS.

Beer and malt drinker
Has a pet bunny rabbit
He calls it "HOPScotch"

53. More than chop: DICE. It chops, slices, and it DICES . . . remember?

54. Poems of admiration: ODES. Rarely see this crossword "staple" pluralized; would the French call this "LES ODES"??

55. Greek peak: OSSA.

57. "G2G": TTYL. Text-speak: Got to Go (G2G) = Talk To You Later

58. Employs: USES. I USES many pictures and videos and haikus and on and on and on . . .

60. Wet __: NAP. So, in Spanish would this be "mojada SIESTA"??

61. Tach readout: RPM. Revolutions Per Minute

And with that, we are at a close. Comments are always welcome! Hope you survived both Thanksgiving AND Black Friday! Here's the grid:

48 comments:

Wilbur Charles said...

How difficult was This xword? Let me count the ways. 1. Not until fini did I realize it wasn't the Thurs * xword. 2. No @#$%, How does that theme trick work? Stick IF between OF A and TIME? And just where do you stick AND And BUT? Aha….

Blue States are DEMocrats and that fur piece isn't a wraP nor was Alex a pupil of Ari. And…
I've been in Florida for 15 years but West and Central. Finally….

BOCA! Duh. And just how do I spell Rythym? Not that way, tho…
No Mr S., we're not dead YET! Tho there was a lot of white and nothing to BESTIR me esp in front of BLOCK???

Pop Godess? But where do I stick BUT? Btw I've lost count. From the ASHES Dawn rises over Marblehead as AL is a TUTEE; I'm ELATEd as the fat lady (not CHER of course) is warming up and…

That Casino Group is not house but TRIBE like the gang running the Tampa slots that my old BAE used to entertain herself for an afternoon **

And wait, all the squares are filled? It's a miracle and now for Thursday* which isn't a snap but feels like it is.

Everything N of BOCA and S of (but)CHER was filled rather quickly. And it wasn't Saturday but it felt Shotzian

I'm posting this and will read the write-up in a few hours.

WC

* I have the week's worth in an insert to tbtimes.
** If blowing a couple of $hundred is fun. Not her money. I was blowing $20 a week on FLA Lotto but I think I'm over it

PK said...

Yay, an easier & more fun puzzle than that groaner turkey of a puzzle yesterday. Didn't get the theme but didn't care. Still a challenge that took some red-letters to solve. Thanks, Jennifer & Victor. Fine expo, Moe.

Son brought me enough food for two days last night and stayed for a nice visit. He brought two of my big handsome grandsons who just had milestone birthdays, 16 & 21, Seeing them was the biggest treat. Didn't do hugs because of covid but did visit without masks. Hope they were germ-free.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Yes, guilty. d-o was thinking of pigs hunting those truffles. Didn't understand the link for casinos and TRIBE until C-Moe 'splained it. D'oh -- obvious now. NOBU? Don't think I've ever heard of it, and I'm sure I couldn't afford it. NO BS. Strained my arm patting myself on the back for figuring out the reveal and the theme. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. Thanx, Jennifer, Victor, and C-Moe.

THE O.C.: I was told that somebody tilted the country up on edge, and everything loose wound up in Orange County.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased udders for TEATS and heavy for STOIC. NTM: THEM, KOKO, LOOM and g2g (btw, most texters don't use caps). The theme helped me complete the puzzle, for a change, but didn't remember the Goddess of Pop until the perps suggested it.

We honeymooned a the BOCA Raton Beach Club. DW's company picked up the tab, including room service but not restaurant meals.

Maybe the most dangerous thing I've ever done was driving in DENSE FOG. I got off work in Rolling Hills, CA at midnight, and drove to my home in San Pedro. It was quite foggy on the whole drive, but for the last half mile I cracked the door so I could see the white center line, and followed that home. Fortunately, there were no other idiots on my street that night.

Thanks to Jennifer and Victor for the fun but doable challenge, and to C-Moe for the tour.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

We’ve had some interesting, fresh themes lately which I’ve enjoyed. This one’s reveal was easy to suss, thanks to the cluing and theme answers being missing the core components. I’ve heard of Nobu but had no idea of its signature dish but I was well aware of Sheldon’s Ifs and Buts lament. My only w/o was Tra before Ooh. Oodles is a fun word as were the duos of Sly/Rye, Era/EPA, and Nap/Siestas. CSOs to Lucina (Siestas and Ocho), Boomer (Pin), Ray O and Anon T (Pasta), and Unclefred and Lemony (Boca).

Thanks, Jennifer and Victor, for a fun Friday solve and thanks, Moe, for your witty and informative write-up. Love the Moekus!

FLN

Belated Happy Anniversary to Owen.

Glad some of you enjoyed CC’s and my puzzle.

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving and enjoyed being with family and friends. (I could sure go for a nice turkey sandwich for lunch but being a guest of someone else means no leftovers!)

Have a great day.

CanadianEh! said...

Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, Jennifer and Victor, and CMoe.
(I see that most of you are recovering from your 🇺🇸Thanksgiving and have not BESTIRed yourselves to complete this CW.)
I FIRed and saw the NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS theme, but it required P&P and a few WAGs.
Brilliant construction today.

Some Canadian disadvantage with TBS, NOBU (although it looks like Americans did not know it either), THEOC.
Some unknown names too (LOEB, CARA, KIMO).

I changed Deny to DEFY, ruler to TUTEE!, Staid to STOIC.
Hand up for thinking of truffles in the wild before those delicious LINDT ones (now available in the Swiss Chalet Festive Special- do you have that in USA?).
My Spanish does not extend to sixteen but perps gave me OCHO.
My texting does not extend to g2g, but again perps to the rescue.

I am starting my cleaning before Christmas decorating today. Hope I don’t ARC my back.
Wishing you all a great day TTYL.

ATLGranny said...

FIR Friday for me today. Maybe a little harder than yesterday but it made more sense after I got the reveal. Yes, I thought of pigs way too long. LINDT and TUTEE were my last fills. Didn't understand BUTCHERS BLOCK until you explained, C Moe. I was parsing two of the themers wrong but the perps confirmed the fill so I let it stand. Thanks for your helpful review.

Thanks Jennifer and Victor for an interesting puzzle and fresh clues. More, please.

Belated Happy Anniversary to OwenKL. Glad to hear about happy gatherings for the holiday reported by many. We'll celebrate with family tomorrow so I'm off to bake a pumpkin pie now.

unclefred said...

Wow, a lot of DNKs: TUTEE, THEM, TAEBO, THEOC, NOBU. Last cell to fill was the “T” in THEM/THEOC cross, since I knew neither, but “T” was the only letter that made sense. I managed to FIR in my booby-prize time of 35. I never did get LINDT, thinking, “Is that a type of mushroom?” (DOH!) AND I never figured out the theme, and had to have Chairman Moe ‘splain it. A very clever Friday level CW, thanx, JL&VG, you almost defeated my efforts. Thanx too to Chairman Moe for the outstanding write-up.

Malodorous Manatee said...

Valerie figured out the missing "IF". I then figured out the reveal AND we worked "backward" from there. BUT content very much NOT aside, nice job, Ch Moe!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-The clever themes just keep on coming!
-ASIDES in theater are called “breaking the fourth wall”
-Late night hosts? Norfolk, Nebraska’s Johnny Carson set the standard that has YET to be equalled
-“…and YET, I’ve grown accustomed to her face”
-Dorothy and her friends became unconscious in a field of poppies
-Gotta run but no Black Friday for me.

Vidwan827 said...

Gee, I wish I could re-produce my posts four times in a raw .... for EMPHASIS ....

Thank you Jennifer Lee and Victor Glaston for a very nice puzzle. I really enjoyed it, though I did not suss the theme.
Thank you ChairMoe for you interesting explanatory review, and Moe-kus. I especially like the 'high Coos'.

Lots of words I was not familiar with, but that does not matter. Many learning moments. Thank you, for where the IFs, ANDs and But fit in ... the theme answer were a complete mystery, but still decipherable.

We had an exciting Th'giving at a once-a-year family, and the hostess really outdid herself. The family got into an intra-familial big political argument, which I avoided by leaving the room, and helping with cleaning the dishes.... PLUS, we declined any of the leftovers, Yaah !!

Variety for a truffle hunter ... LINDT ... shouldn't this be the name of the company, rather than a mere variety ? YMMV

My MPG::: EPA .... In Ohio, the annual car registration Tax is also based on the state gasoline tax. I just found out that since hybrid cars are 'presumed' to use less gasoline, on an annual basis, the Car registr tax is 5 times more !! Oy, Oy, oy ...

Finally, Casino group, often :: TRIBE.
The way the Cleveland Indians have been performing, they'd be better off if they started a Casino ... they are handing out free tickets for Black Friday ...but few takers.

Have a good post holiday weekend, all.

Big Easy said...

I knew something was missing from the theme clues but since it was different for each I couldn't figure it out. The North gave me the most trouble- I'd seen KOKO before but didn't remember and had never heard of NOBU. THE OC and LOOM were also total unknowns. But I FIR.

The only thing I know about truffles is that pigs are used to find them. I'd heard of LINDT but that's about it. OCHO was the WAG that let me get CHANCE.

Vidwan827 said...

Husker Gary you made a good point.

When I read The Wizard of Oz, as a schoolboy, .... I was shocked that Dorothy 'merely walking' through a field of poppies, could get sedated strongly enough, to go to sleep ... and for years later, I was terrified of poppies and their immediate surroundings.

The issue is quite bogus, and total fiction ... even smelling poppies will not put you to sleep - we've had three beds of them in our garden, and believe me, I've tried it ... ;-o)

I worked for a legal pharma company that extracted the various anesthetics from the legal opium latex/resin/gum ..... ( about 12 to 15 percent ...morphine, codeine and thebaine ) and I never even had to take a break...

BTW, India is the largest LEGAL manufacturer of opium, but Australia is not far behind.

Prior to 1920's. ALL the indian millionaires became so, by smuggling opium to the poor chinese consumers, illegally, but under the patronage and connivance of the British Government in power. This is way the british got hold of the chinese silver, which they used ... to buy their tea.
The british even fought, and won, three Opium Wars to enforce their monopoly on the amuggling 'rights' and privileges.
Not politics, merely facts of history. Read Wiki if further interested.



Lucina said...

Hola!

Uno, dos, tres, oh! It's not a counting game. Thank you, Jennifer and Victor for the Friday fun!

No Black Friday shopping for me. I'm done and just have a few more presents to wrap.

This theme will not be among my favorites but it was a good challenge.

My favorite (and only) ASIDE was Whoopi Goldberg turning and whispering, "I forgot my lines" as she ad libbed.

In seventh grade, being a serious student and concerned about my POSTURE, I practiced walking with a book on my head as my science book suggested. It paid off. When I see someone who hunches over, I have to force myself not to go and straighten him/her.

Wet NAP. I really don't understand this unless it refers to a NAPpy, the English diaper, or one having wet dreams while taking a NAP. I guess it could be NAPkin as well.

What a relief to walk into my clean kitchen this morning! I am grateful for all who cleaned it yesterday. At its peak, it was disastrous. On these holidays we use many of my rarely used dishes but I'm glad to have them available. We did not use the "good" china, though.

Have a fantastic Friday, everyone! Enjoy your leftovers.

Chairman Moe said...

Lucina; Wet Nap is a brand name for a pre-packaged, moist hand wipe, or NAPkin. Many restaurants have them available (think of BBQ) for their diners to use after dinner.

In my recap I was making a connection between the use of the earlier puzzle word “SIESTA” and the word NAP. I never thought about “wet dreams”, and honestly was surprised that you did!! 😂😂😂

Big rivalry football game tomorrow between Arizona and Arizona State. Are you a football fan??

Malodorous Manatee said...

I just solved Agnes' and CC's Universal puzzle. Quite enjoyable and clever use of the LEGENDS theme.

Chris, it was easier for some of us in SoCal to focus on AU and ASU (where my niece attended/graduated) when it was the PAC 10. I still think of the conference as the PAC 8 - when it really was Pacific. PAC 12 with Colorado and Utah? C'mon. The economics, not geography, dictated the expansion.

desper-otto said...

Lucina, if you don't use the good china for Thanksgiving, what are you saving it for?

waseeley said...

Thank you Jen & Vic for a fun Friday FIR. After a breezy easy North, I was waiting for the other shoe to fall, and was rewarded with a slightly crunchy but still doable South. Themers were enough to SUSS the fill, but even with the reveal I didn't see it, until MOE 'splained it.

And speaking of MOE, thanks for a great review with lots of goodies, especially the MOEKUs, for which you should consider compiling a selective anthology with the clues that inspired them.

FAVS:

26A POPULAR DEMAND. Say it ain't so MOE!

37A LINDT. Hand up for thinking of pigs first. I perped LINDT and still didn't get until I came here, despite having had a few for Thanksgiving (truffles that is). The word always reminds me of a former co-worker who'd remark after I did something right for a change: "Even a blind pig gets an acorn now and then!"

42A TRIBE. Reminds of LONGMIRE, the "Western Mystery" series (think cross between John Wayne and Poirot). Members of a local TRIBAL casino played recurring roles in the series. Highly recommended.

50A KUS. Wow MOE, you've invented the METAKU, a fusion of the crossword metaclue and Japanese poetry.

54A. OOH. Hand up for TRA. OOH (and its variant 'OO') is becoming crosswordese. Here's rendition of "OO LA LA" with Rod Stewart and the Corrs.

56A ET TU. A complete fabrication by Willie the Shake from his Julius Caesar. Here's one of my favorites they left out: "But I am constant as the Northern Star, of whose true fixed and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament."

66A PSALMS. A reading from the PSALMS is a part of nearly every celebration of the Catholic MASS. Yesterday's Thanksgiving celebration used Psalm 145 (see 2nd reading Responsorial Psalm).

5D SIESTAS. I take one every day (SIESTA has a lot more panache then NAP).

38D DENSE FOG. Great cartoon MOE.

52A HOPS. Hopscotch sounds like a good name for a single malt scotch washed down with an IPA chaser.

60D NAP. DREAM wouldn't fit.

Cheers,
Bill

Misty said...

Well, as you all know, Fridays are toughies for me and this one was no exception--but still fun. So, many thanks, Jennifer and Victor. And always love your pictures, Chairman Moe.

Got BOK instantly and that got me started on those KHAKI PANTS. But things soon got tougher after that.

Fun clues, like "lines not meant for everyone"--ASIDE.

My silliest moment: Got EVIL but thought, how is EVIL "a good fighter"? Oh, the conflict between GOOD and EVIL.

No problem with OH DEAR--I say it all the time.

Congratulations on your joint puzzle, Agnes and C.C.

Have a good post-Thanksgiving weekend coming up, everybody.

waseeley said...

Husker @10:45 AM Last Saturday I reluctantly did my granddad duty by attending a High School performance of the play "The Wizard of Oz", one of many adaptations of L. Frank Baum's story. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a very gratifying experience. The acting and singing were excellent, and the scenery for the small stage was very creatively done. The "poppy field" consisted of crouched dancers with bright red floppy hats. The snow flakes drifted down from other dancers who dropped a white veil on each "poppy". After the performance I told my grand daughter (the costume mistress) that it was the best 10 bucks I ever spent.

Vidwan @11:50 AM Yesterday's 17A "Country in much 2021 news: AFGHANISTAN" is also a major supplier of opium to the West. The answer was the first syllable in the dance TANGO, but in this case maybe it should TANGLED.

waseeley said...

Oh yes Agnes and C.C. I liked your puzzle. Like they say in Real Estate, it's all about "Location, Location, Location".

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

I got the reveal early on but it didn't help one bit; I was still looking for add/drop a letter until C. Moe explained it. Thanks Moe! Great expo too.

Thanks Jennifer & Victor for a doable Friday puzzle (even with all the names!)

WOs: BOc & KOcO both fixed by KHAKI.
ESPs: BESTIR (took me a while to parse), LOEB, CARA, OSSA, NOBU (? - I was wanting NOLA thinking there might be a chain named after The Big Easy where blackened redfish was invented)
Fav: PASTA or HOPS in my IPA?

Vidwan - 1) I love poppy seed bagels (my first inclination at 27d). 2) Pop & Grandpop had poppies; I still have some of Grandpop's seeds in my fridge that Pop & I harvested after Grandpop passed. I've had them in Grandpop's old pill bottle for >20 years... Sentimental that way, I guess I am.

Lucina - What @12:21 C. Moe said... Wet NAPs. When the Girls where little, we kept packs in the car.

RUSH had a sense of humor naming Neil's drum solos: The RHYTHM Method [drums start at 3:18]

Black Friday? The other night I was watching some YouTube videos and I kept getting Kohl's & Macy's ads and thought, "Why is this still a thing when you have Amazon? CyberMonday?, etc.?"
Then I wrote the tasteless joke of the year:
"Why just Black Friday?
All Fridays matter."

And with that, I'll see myself out :-)
Cheers, -T

Vidwan827 said...

Waseely at 1:19
Re: Afghanistan and the poppy and opium/heroin production.

I keep somewhat uptodate in such matters. By 2010, Afgh was responsible for for upto 82 percent of the world's illegal opium and heroin production. The golden triangle Burma, north Thailand and Laos was a poor second.
The Taliban (!) in 1998, supposedly, reduced the poppy area cultivation by 94 percent !
Lets see if they can do it again .... although I believe the country is almost certain to go through a famine, this winter and next year. The Taliban will eventually learn a lesson, though at the cost of many lives. No more politics.

Vidwan827 said...

Anon T- ... from a medical journal ....

Poppy seeds are a common and flavorsome topping for breads and cakes. One gram of poppy seeds contains up to 33 micrograms of morphine and 14 micrograms of codeine, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the United States formerly mandated that all drug screening laboratories use a standard cutoff of 300 nanograms per milliliter in urine samples. A single poppy seed roll (0.76 grams of seeds) usually did not produce a positive drug test, but a positive result was observed from eating two rolls. A slice of poppy seed cake containing nearly five grams of seeds per slice produced positive results for 24 hours. Such results are viewed as false positive indications of drug use and were the basis of a legal defense.[114][115] On November 30, 1998, the standard cutoff was increased to 2000 nanograms (two micrograms) per milliliter.[116] Confirmation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry will distinguish amongst opium and variants including poppy seeds, heroin, and morphine and codeine pharmaceuticals by measuring the morphine:codeine ratio and looking for the presence of noscapine and acetylcodeine, the latter of which is only found in illicitly produced heroin, and heroin metabolites such as 6-monoacetylmorphine.[117]

Too Much Information, perhaps, but interesting reading .....

Anonymous T said...

Vidwan - I knew that re: false positives which is why I was sweating it out while waiting for lab results from a drug test for my current employer.
See, I'd had a poppy-seed bagel that morning not even thinking about it...
Results came back clean (and I've been w/ the Co for 8 years).

CED - Gotta ask... Did you think of this Leopold at the clue? And that he was the ornery one? :-)

Cheers, -T

Ol' Man Keith said...

Easy & hard, all at once.
How brilliant was today's BF PZL from the Lee/Galson team!
Almost a perfect finish for Yrs Try. I had to cheat on LINDT, as I was getting nowhere with LINLT (giving me an almost useful perp with LENS[x]FOG). "LENS" seemed so perfect, it kept me from seeing DENSE for a while.

I gotta real kick outta the theme. I cracked it fairly early on, but had the hardest time seeing how "BUT" fit into CHERS BLOCK. It finally dawned, but that was the toughest of the 3-some.
~ OMK
___________
DR:
Only one diagonal, near side.
It gives us a good anagram (13 of 15 letters), two words that serve as an injunction, ordering a not-so-young valet to quit whatever it is he is doing that causes such consternation among the neighbors--and interferes with the master's happy home.
Yes, I mean those very useful words...

"CEASE, HOUSEBOY!"

Ol' Man Keith said...

Anon T @2:44 ~
I wasn't thinking of your "Leopold" before.

But I sure am now. What a wonderful link!!
Thank you for providing it.
~ OMK

Lucina said...

desper-o
In other years and normally I would use the good china but 1) my granddaughter set the table and without asking used the every day china 2) I was glad she did because it better matched the new table mats which were a gift from one of my friends. It looked very colorful which mattered to no one but me.

On the Sundays when the family comes for dinner we do use the good china. My oldest granddaughter likes it because it's so pretty and if she sets the table she will use it. It's displayed in the china cabinet so easily accessible.

All my grandchildren know what the various tasks are so they simply start with whatever strikes their fancy, dishes, flatware, glasses, etc. As my daughter remarked, I'm the only one (they know) who sets a formal table. It is my intention to teach them and for them to have memories of a beautiful table. I can imagine their conversations in the distant future will be about Nana's table.

Anon-T;
Thank you for that information. I recall using some in the past but I believe they had a different name.

Lucina said...

Vidwan:
A few years ago the history channel or maybe another one, had a history of the poppies in Afghanistan. It recounted much of what you wrote.

I am on the lookout for the postman to inquire about my apparently lost new phone. It was ordered by Mark and according to the tracking information should have been delivered on Saturday, the 20 but has not appeared. If it is not delivered today, a search will be initiated, according to a postal worker to whom I spoke today.

CrossEyedDave said...

I was not going to post today,
As I could not find anything suitable to add
Until Anon-T's query...

I figured out the theme from the reveal, and
Sussed the 1st and 2nd themers, but never thought
To add the "and" to the end of "dem" for some reason,
So I was totally flummoxed by it.

Anon-T, thanks for "that" leopold! I needed it.
Especially after reading the wiki on leopold and loeb.

I am embarrassed to admit that when looking for a four letter
Cohort for leopold, I really wanted "Kate."

Those not interested in chick flicks can skip these links, but....
Kate & Leopold is a movie that is worth watching
More than once, as once you get past the love story, you need to see it
From the beginning again to see enjoy the subtle explaining of how
The story is really about integrity, versus sucking it up and finishing what you started.

For those interested,
The entire movie can be seen on YouTube, free with ads.

Anonymous T said...

Lucina - 1) I hope you find your new phone. 2) Yesterday Eldest set the scene. She used a 'harvest' table-runner (that DW forgot she had!), some plastic gourds (that DW forgot she had!), red Christmas placemats (actually the daily ones), and centered everything with POP's (FIL - once a Marine, always a Marine) memory candle. It was a very nice setting.

OMK - I was Googling around for an interview of Leopold and found this with Dan Rather.
Kinda funny but also amazing (he could spot a sharp in a natural?!? - Maestro indeed.)

Your DR is a bit less demeaning/punching down (as DW said) as my Black Friday joke. I still say funny is funny (even though I hate the thought of someone using it with malice).

//I do have another...

Why are so many Italians named Tony?
'Cuz when they left Italy for Ellis Island
their papers were stamped with "To N.Y."

Oh, right...
Yeah, there's the door. :-)
Cheers, -T

desper-otto said...

Anon-T, that joke was totally tasteless. I liked it.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Paper didn't arrive today so I Googled the puzzle and found an online site on my phone: the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. I was nearly finished when DW called everyone to lunch for turkey soup. When I returned to the puzzle it had timed out and was blank again. I didn't want to re-fill it so I'm taking a qualified FIR.

The clue "16" in Spanish erroneously had punctuation marks instead of letters on the digital puzzle. Wasn't sure if it was dieciséis or Italian "sedici" so perpwaited OCHO for "otto".. 8. Btw "bucatini" means "little holes"

Does anyone know of a good site to do the puzzle digitally?

As a lover of historic fiction started back when I read the first of many novels by Mary Renault, Including her series on Alexander, I knew he was a TUTEE of Aristotle. A month ago I read Madelline Miller's historical fantasy "Circe"..and her LOOM 🏺

Wet NAP? Not waking up "in time"? 😂🤣

LINDT's are a component of my chocolate addiction (sometimes I think as strong as an OPIUM poppy habit). I had two or three this morning but didn't think of them as truffles...I udderly held off on "milk dispensers" BSCHOOL?

Cher and BUT....

🎼"If I could turn back tiiiime.
I'd take these tattoos off my behiiind!"
🎵

Winner.....BESTIR.
Yesteday's yams or green bean cassarole....ASIDE.
When repeated, granules of steaming wheat...COOS.
Here again....BOK

Got rid of our 30 y o six heavy metal lighted Christmas outdoor reindeer decorations cleaning out the basement thus summer. Ordered a simple lightweight outdoor decoration this mid November. Was informed today shipping AFTER Christmas cuz of Covid, "the universal excuse". Sheesh. 🙄
(Lucina and her new phone)

Jayce said...

I enjoyed working this puzzle, which I solved without having to look anything up. I thought the gimmick was clever. Hand up for thinking about pigs hunting for truffles and for filling TRA before OOH. I liked the fill BAD POSTURE and DENSE FOG.

I prefer RYE bread without seeds. On the other hand, I like "everything" bagels which, I believe, include poppy seeds, which I also like.

I checked it out: there is a NOBU restaurant in nearby Palo Alto, Calif. I think we will not be opting to patronize it.

Good wishes to you all.

Big Easy said...

B SCHOOL-"Harvard charges $73,440 in MBA tuition fees for the academic year 2021-22. For the two-year, full-time MBA program at Harvard, you can expect to pay double that; $146,880 in tuition. Of course most Harvard MBA grads can earn the two-year cost of tuition in their first year of employment"

Most of the 'students' at the prestigious business schools- Sloan, Harvard, Univ. of Chicago, Carnigie-Mellon- already know what is being taught at those schools. Student battle for admission just to make connections. I had a group of those Sloan students from MIT come to look at my operation at the drug company. What were they really doing? It was the Thursday before Mardi Gras and we all went to Bourbon Street on my nickel.

waseeley said...

-T @2:44 PM ROTFL! Shades of the Italian conductor Arturo TOSCANINI, the greatest band leader of the late 19th, early 20th century. He brooked NO nonsense, insisting that the score be followed to the letter (COMÉ SCRITTO).

waseeley said...

-T @3:53 PM The man who brought back Bach. And who brought us Fantasia.

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

Just got back from our hike. Felt great to be out in nature. Wonderful day for it; mid 70’s with a slight breeze.

Joseph: The PAC-Whatever has some great football rivalries: USC-UCLA; Oregon-Oregon St; Washington-Washington St: Arizona-ASU. Cal-Stanford too, I reckon

Bill S: thanks. That “high coo” haiku was one I penned several years ago. It’s been suggested by others that I catalogue my ku’s … maybe some day

waseeley said...

Ray - O @ 4:43 PM LA Times puzzle site

Jayce said...

R.I.P. Stephen Sondheim.

CrossEyedDave said...

Wow!
That Dan Rather link blew me away!
94 and he signs a 6 year contract?

RIP Stephen Sondheim

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Waz

Thanks

Lemonade714 said...

How can one be shocked when someone dies at 91, but Sondheim did seem immortal. RIP.

Very late to the party trying to adjust to time zones, work zone, zoning out but I was very fun puzzle with a very fun write-up. Thank you all.

I also had a chance to solve C.C. and I.M.'s Universal from yesterday. Great fun, I asume created before Agnes started feeling ill. You are a team

OwenKL said...

Stephen Sondheim Was a crossword puzzle consttrutor, but never for the LAT. He wrote cryptic crosswords,

Lucina said...

Yes, thankfully, my telephone arrived! In fact, when I went out there, the postman HANDED it to me. How he knew it was I, I don't know; I've never met him. Was it the anxious expression on my face?

Now I have to go to have it activated but when I called, was advised not to go today because the store is "too busy." Hmmm. I wonder why? What's going on? I guess I'll wait until Monday.

C.C.'s and Agnes' puzzle is in the queue along with a plethora of puzzles that our newspapers publish on Thanksgiving Day.

Lucina said...

Anon-T:
Your table sounds very nice and good for your daughter to take that initiative!

I chuckled at your joke!

BigEasy:
Aha! So, those visiting students discovered what we have suspected all along: in spite of the bravado you put on for us here, you are, in fact, an easy mark, hence your name!

I know, everyone, that Big Easy is a nickname for New Orleans. You don't need to tell me.

sasses said...

Nobu maintains the Silk Road Restaurant on Crystal cruise ships. Only way we could afford to eat at one of his restaurant. Black cod was delicious!

Lucina said...

I completely forgot about "mojada siesta." No, it would be "siesta mojada" although I am sure there is a more idiomatic term for that. I think SUENOS MOJADOS might be more correct.