Theme: FLAT BROKE (58. Totally out of funds ... and what each set of circles shows, casually) - FLAT is broken up in each set of theme answers.
17. Become light-headed: FEEL FAINT.
24. Reason for a track race do-over: FALSE START.
36. Choose love over money, say: FOLLOW ONE'S HEART.
46. Finished version, as of a document:FINAL DRAFT.
C.C. here. Hopefully Boomer will be back next Monday. He enjoys writing the Monday posts and is always eager to read your comments.
Ideal Monday theme. Consistent set. Each answer start with F and ends with T, with L & A somewhere in the middle.
Across:
6. Miner's find: ORE.
9. Rotisserie rod: SPIT.
13. __ the time: on every occasion: ALL OF.
14. Jinx: HEX.
15. Saturn's largest moon: TITAN.
19. Cream of the crop: ELITE.
20. Former Montreal MLBer: EXPO. Now Nationals. Also 33. Batter's stat: RBI. And 29. Like the crowd after a home team homer: AROAR.
21. Mauna __: Hawaiian for "long mountain": LOA. The other is Mauna KEA, meaning "white mountain".
22. "Rolling" rockers: STONES.
23. H.S. hurdles: SATS.
26. Wing measurement: SPAN.
28. "Famous" cookie maker: AMOS.
32. Similar (to): AKIN.
40. Driver's aid: TEE. Tee drive. LPGA great Laura Davis never uses a tee. Just a clump of dirt.
41. Pea places: PODS.
42. Ward off: AVERT. And 43. One who saves the day: HERO. Very grateful to have Dr. Nina on our blog.
44. __ Spumante wine: ASTI.
50. Some canine retrievers: LABS.
54. In equal amounts: EVENLY.
55. Nest egg initials: IRA.
56. Stick-to-it-iveness: GRIT.
57. Mournful melody: DIRGE.
60. Passover meal: SEDER.
61. Sleep stage: REM. Tiny clue/answer dupe with 3. Was dreaming, perhaps: SLEPT.
62. Singer/songwriter Mann: AIMEE.
63. Lat. and Ukr., once: SSRS. Soviet Socialist Republics.
64. "__ to Joy": ODE.
65. Watchdog's warning: SNARL.
Down:
2. Amazon's virtual assistant: ALEXA.
4. Humongous: COLOSSAL.
5. Aptly named bug spray with an exclamation point: OFF. Boomer and I used to do flea market at Annandale. The bugs there were brutal early in the morning. It's on a a big farmland.
6. Akron native: OHIOAN.
7. Kidney-related: RENAL.
8. Phone routing no.: EXT.
9. Top of Texas?: STETSON HAT. Nice clue/answer.
11. "Proud Mary" singer's memoir: I, TINA.
12. Spud: TATER.
16. Where many eggs hatch: NEST.
18. __ Romeo: sports car: ALFA. Hi there, Tony!
22. Final Four round: SEMIS.
25. "Oh, for heaven's __!": SAKE.
27. B-29 movers: PROPELLERS.
29. Rear at sea: AFT. Glad Ray was able to attended Spitzboov's funeral.
30. Sushi garnish: ROE.
31. Bullfight cheer: OLE.
32. Reply to a ques.: ANS. Answer.
34. "It's cold in here!": BRR. Real winter here in Minnesota.
35. "The Addams Family" cousin: ITT.
37. Hardly succinct: WORDY.
38. Skunk's weapon: ODOR.
39. Villainous smile: EVIL GRIN. Another great fill.
43. Closet accessory for a coat: HANGER.
44. Ski lodge style: A FRAME.
45. "Immediately!" in the ER: STAT. Those nurses at the ER and the hospital are all so nice and friendly.
46. Govt. agents: FEDS.
47. Yale and Penn: IVIES.
48. "The Big Bang Theory" crowd: NERDS.
49. Stayed home in bed, say: AILED. Can you guys believed that
Boomer still bowled on Dec 16th? He had 334 I think, the worst game he's
ever had. He could hardly walk then.
51. Smell: AROMA.
52. Pedal pusher: BIKER.
53. Alloy that symbolizes strength: STEEL.
58. To's partner: FRO.
59. English lit degs.: BAs
C.C.
32 comments:
"FOLLOW ONES HEART," the HERO is told.
"To do what you want is more precious than gold."
Ah, would that we
Had choices so free,
But quotidian cares mean we do as we're told.
From the first FALSE START, to the FINAL DRAFT,
Writing an ODE can be a daunting task!
Some might FEEL FAINT,
And voice their plaint,
But putting words in order is the poet's craft!
{B, B.}
FIR with no erasure, but DNK CASCO (but I shop at CoStCO) and AIMEE. Yeah, now, what ya wanna do? I think I could stay with you.
AMOS, AROAR, AKIN - It ain't "veni vidi vici", but it ain't bad.
Top of Texas? Today it's Dallas who just handed Washington their STETSON HAT, 57-14, to clinch the NFC East.
CSO to -T @ ALFA Romeo, and to someone else @ Jinx.
Next time I go into a BIKER bar I think I'll say "hi, you bunch of petal pushers". Wonder how that'll go?
I got a new greyhound watchdog tee shirt for Christmas. It depicts four security scenarios. The first three, "doorbell", "stormy weather", and "burglar" depict a sound-asleep greyhound. The fourth is "fridge door", and shows a wide-eyed and alert greyhound. No SNARL though.
Thanks to Catherine Cetta for the fun, easy start to the work week. To avoid confusion, don't marry anyone named Jones. And thanks to CC for pinch hitting for Boomer. Looking forward to his better health and return to the Monday reviews.
Good morning!
Catherine Cetta nice easy lope, perfect for a Monday. Had the circles, and actually looked at 'em, so the FLAT was obvious. Noticed the ODOR and AROMA pairing, and the CSO to Tony (Anon-T). Nicely done, Catherine, and thanx for subbing today, C.C.
BIKER: We thought we were finished for the season, but it was so warm yesterday morning that we headed out for a quick pedal through the 'hood. Very pleasant. No BRR involved.
I have no complaints about Catherine Cetta's puzzle today, a WO-free FIR fun fest! My first thought wasn't the right fill in every case, but perps kept me from making wrong entries. The FLAT theme allowed some letters to be prefilled, but the reveal description was a surprise. I wondered what she would put. Nice job, Catherine.
Thanks for filling in for Boomer, C.C. and for your report on his progress. Sounds like he is doing well. Shout outs in today's puzzle to AnonT and Jinx. And best wishes to all puzzlers!
Thank you Catherine for a fine Monday puzzle that FLoATed on air.
Thank you C.C. for a fine review and updating us with BOOMER's progress.
This poem was full of Cornerite CSO's ...
14A HEX. A CSO to our man in Norfolk!
42A HERO. A CSO to our HERO and super solver INANEHIKER!
64A ODE. Schiller's poem and Beethoven's 9th.
9D STETSON HAT. ZZ was way to short.
25D ALFA. A CSO to -T. May his run ALL OF the time.
59D BAS. A CSO to Prof. Misty.
Cheers,
Bill
Good Morning:
I saw the Flat theme early on, thanks to the circles, but the revealer was a surprise and a delightful one at that! I really enjoyed this solve and appreciated the very-much-in-the-language themers. We had oodles (I love that word!) of neat pairings today: Roe/Fro, Slept/REM, Steel/Ore, Aroma/Odor, and two foursomes, RBI/Stat/Expo/Aroar and Ans/SATs/Ivies/BAs. Also, some nice CSOs to Lucina (Olé), Anon T (Alfa), Picard, Hahtoolah, Lemony, and the absent Naomi (Seder).
Thanks, Catherine, for a very smooth and satisfying challenge and thanks, CC, for subbing for Boomer and for keeping us up to date on his progress. Best wishes for his return to the lanes and the links! Hope the PT helps him get back on his feet soon. Loved the photo of Casio Bay. In fact, several nieces and nephews are heading to Maine today to celebrate a nephew’s 65th birthday tomorrow. We all love Maine and have spent many happy times there over the last 40+ years.
Owen, IMO, today’s efforts deserve A+.
FLN
Inanehiker, your comments on platonic relationships were so meaningful to me as I received a phone call on Christmas morning from a male friend who has been in my life from the early 1960’s. Despite many relocations (he’s in Arizona, now) on both our parts, major life changes, and just the passage of time, we have remained in touch and have a very strong, loving bond. I’ve told this anecdote before, but today’s Seder entry calls for a rehash. When I first met this friend, I was a very naive and non-worldly young lass and trying to be cordial and polite, with Passover approaching, wished him a Happy Cee-dar. Without blinking an eye or missing a beat, he immediately replied, “Thanks and you have a Happy Eye-ster, too.” That ready wit and sense of humor has only grown and expanded over the years.
Wik-Wak, don’t be a stranger. It was nice to hear from you.
Have a great day.
Took 16 seconds more than four minutes "flat."
Oh joy, circles.
Hope Boomer's better soon.
Str8forward Monday, no real trix, FIR, cleanly with no inkovers. OFF to a good start..
But a bit puzzled 🤔 by the FLAT theme (FAINT: "fall FLAT?", FALSE START: "FLAT tire?", FINAL DRAFT: "beer that's gone FLAT?" FOLLOW YOUR HEART: "FLAT Line?").. Am I over thinking this?
Never heard of CASCO Bay, looks charming.
"One who saves the day? Mickey's buff cousin Mighty Mouse ("rodent of STEEL") wouldn't fit.🐭
Secure....TITAN
Hiroshima hooch....SAKE
1973, last military conscription, ......FINAL DRAFT
Alternative to witch burning.....HANGER
Photographic surrounding...AFRAME.
Popeye's gal pal....ALLOF
Back to work today...
Sounds like Boomer is making good progress.
334? thought your score couldn't be higher than 300? 🎳 😊
Fun and breezy Monday - so many ways to have a word broken up in a longer phrase.
IM - thanks for sharing your story of your friendship - my friend and I are going on 45+ years and I know it will continue throughout our lives. It helps that he has built and flies his own plane - so he has popped up for a day different places I have lived.
Sunny day and cool but not frigid - looking forward to getting out there as I'm not working again until Wednesday.
Thanks CC and Catherine
Continued prayers and good spirits for Boomer
FLAT BROKE? Everybody's been there When you can't wait to get your next paycheck. Then it's gone two days later.
I wasn't familiar with CASCO Bay. Was it close to TITAN's "moonlight bay"?
No problems on this easy Monday puzzle by Catherine Cetta "Jones".
A 334 series by Boomer; that would be a normal one for me. I was a horrible bowler.
Hola!
Thank you, C.C. for your dedication and the update on Boomer. I'm praying for his good health to return.
FLAT was obvious very quickly and in fact, the puzzle took almost no time to solve.
Monday is volunteer day at Church so I'm OFF this morning.
Enjoy a merry Monday, everyone!
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Catherine and C.C. (Thanks for pinch-hitting; continued wishes for Boomer’s recovery).
I FIRed in good time with no inkblots, and saw the BROKEn FLATs (but no musical flats!).
Of course it can be ominous to not know 1A, but I see that even Americans did not know CASCO Bay. But it does look picturesque
Do you really use OHIOAN? It sounds awkward.
I was misdirected by “driver’s aid” and thought of Map. Oh we are playing golf.
Others (especially IM) have beaten me to the pairs and CSOs.
I love ODE to Joy. Here’s the Utah Symphony
OdeToJoy
Wishing you all a great day.
Hi Y'all! Fun & fast puzzle with a few sticklers, thanks, Catherine.
C.C. thanks for filling in and keeping us posted on Boomer's progress. Continuing to remember him in my prayers.
Last week I read the obits for an even half-dozen people I used to know in my home county and was sad. Even sadder was the fact that I wouldn't really miss them as much as I will miss Spitzboov whom I never met but enjoyed his comments on a daily basis.
Top of Texas: tried Panhandle which didn't work. Finally perped ST and got 'er right.
DNK: EXPO, CASCO, ALEXA (wanted a name that started with "S")
Apologies for sounding like a film critic but last night I saw IMHO the best movie of the year on Netflix. "Don't Look Up". Ironically I almost wish I hadn't; it's message really hit home.
Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play two scientists who discover a huge comet on a direct path to collide with and completely destroy earth. Their attempts to get the word out and persuade the president (Meryl Streep) to send rockets to deviate its path are thwarted by politics and money. Streep launches a campaign to convince the public that despite the science the comet doesn't exist holding boisterous rallies with signs and baseball caps emblazoned with "Don't look up".
The film is clearly an allegory of the antiscience approach to Covid and in a larger sense a metaphor for the eco-destruction of the planet.
If you get to see it, don't miss the epilog after the end credits roll.
👍👍
Hi All!
Thanks Catherine for the nice Monday puzzle to ease into another work-week. FLAT BROKE seems to be apropos after Christmas spending :-)
Thanks for the update on Boomer, C.C. And thanks for the CSO at ALFA.
WOs: N/A
ESPs: CASCO, RAE
Fav: ODOR & AROMA were cute
{B+, A+}
I know HEX is base-16 but what base is Jinx? ;-)
I love your guess for 9d, Waseeley. Musical link? Why not - it fits with the FLAT BROKE theme: I Gotsta Get Paid.
C, Eh! - you know that hypothetical "If you're marooned on a desert isle with only one song, what would it be?" Ode to Joy is my pick - it's so uplifting and never gets old.
Y'all have a great afternoon!
Cheers, -T
Musings
-Starting and ending in obscurities – CASCO and AIMEE did not diminish the enjoyment
-There was a time when runners were allowed one FALSE START but now, it’s “one and done”
-Beethoven’s musical text and translation
-FWIW, - Rhodesia’s national anthem was “Rise O Voices of Rhodesia” sung to this melody
-Akron OHIOAN LeBron James says he embraces his role as a “villain”
-STEEL describes Boomer’s constitution and C.C.’s strength through all his travails.
-All signs of Christmas have been moved to the basement. Winter now truly begins.
-FLAT BROKE irony – The man begging for help at the Wal Mart parking lot is literally surrounded by Help Wanted signs.
Wonderful and delightful Monday puzzle, Catherine--many thanks. And C.C. so sweet to have you fill in for Boomer, and please tell him our hearts are with him every day.
Tough start to the puzzle, since I've never heard of CASCO. But C.C.'s lovely picture now makes me wish I could visit it.
Great poems, Owen.
Loved your story about your funny word exchange with your friend, Irish Miss.
Waseeley, how kind of you to give me a CSO on BAs.
Had to laugh at that skunk's weapon: ODOR.
Have a great week coming up, everybody.
Learning moment about CASCO. FLAT BROKE theme made an easy solve even easier.
Being a PEDAL PUSHER is my normal mode of transportation. So many photos of that.
Here we were as PEDAL PUSHERs in Tel Aviv at the beach!
I love being able to be a PEDAL PUSHER in a new city. It makes me feel at home!
Irish Miss Thank you for the shout out about our SEDER people at Crossword Corner. You inspired me to dig deep for photos.
Here was our family SEDER back in the 1960s.
Not sure the exact year, but I could probably figure it out. My grandmother was seated next to my grandfather. She died young soon after that. And I see my cousin Jeff was just a newborn baby there. He was the other family member to go to MIT. His brother Sam in the photos also died young. Sam was my inspiration for many of my life passions.
From Yesterday:
Bill Seeley, CanadianEh Thank you for the kind words about my father's ELECTRON MICROSCOPE photo. Yes, I am still in awe of how he got his photo on the cover of Science. He did so several times.
Our scanning tunneling/atomic force microscope images also landed on the cover of Science. But we didn't get the credit as the creators of the microscope.
Wilbur Charles Thank you for the answer regarding Bungalow Bill. I remember that Beatles song on the radio often when I was a child and I thought people might have remembered the relevant lines:
The children asked him if to kill was not a sin
"Not when he looked so fierce", his mummy butted in
"If LOOKS COULD KILL it would have been us instead of him"
Easy-peasy start to the week. Even with time out to carry the grandbaby out to the car (and forgetting to stop the timer) it was done in just over nine minutes. Favorite: top of Texas? STETSON HAT.
Even though OHIOAN may sound a bit odd, it beats other names. OHIOITE? OHIOPERSON?
Everyone should have something to believe in; I believe I’ll go take a nap. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow perhaps.
Really nice Monday puzzle and a cute theme. And the fill's terrific.
Thank you, Big Easy, for clarifying Boomer's bowling series on the 16th...I was trying to wrap my head around a 334 *game*! :-)
Thanks for the write-up, C.C. -- and for the Boomer update!
Thanks for the puzzle, the recap and the update on Boomer.
If Christmas 2021 has now come and gone why the heck I am still so FLAT out busy with (mostly) wonderful things to be done? A rhetorical question, no doubt.
Puzzling thoughts:
I was pretty sharp today as I FIR with no egregious mistakes; though I did misspell COLOSSAL (had an extra L and 1 fewer S) which temporarily mucked up EXPO and SATS
Thanks for the update on Boomer, C.C. Prayers and positive thoughts for you both
Ray-O: I can't help but think how clever, informative, and entertaining you'd be as one of the Crossword Corner bloggers
Moe-ku:
When the bar owner
Closed for business, you'd say he
Poured his FINAL DRAFT
I enjoyed this puzzle and especially appreciate the sparkly fill such as EVIL GRIN, COLOSSAL, and PROPELLERS.
Picard:
I see that you have fun wherever you go. I liked the photos of you on your bicycle. It is one of my life's regrets that I never learned to ride a bicycle as it looks so carefree.
My friend who lives in San Rafael sent a ham for our group lunch which we'll have on Wednesday so today another friend and I, Kathy, sliced it and bagged it to share with the group.
-T, I'm a Base 4. No fingers, Left finger, Right finger, both fingers. (Actually I used to be able to convert hex into two base 4 numbers in my head just about as fast as I could write. Our switching system was designed to "speak" base 4 for nontechnical people like assignment clerks, and hex for us techies. All my peers could do the conversion on paper, but few could just recite the base 4 equivalent by just reading the hex (e.g. the machine would output "3AF9" and I would read 03223321.)
Boomer's 334 reminds me of a wag I used to work with. When he was asked how he did at a golf outing, he would answer "Well, I shot a 66". FANTASTIC! Then he would add "Then I had a hot dog and a beer and played the back nine".
Jinx @ 5:11 --
Loved your 4-part T-shirt (so true), but for our wonderful friend and paw, the fourth panel would merely have the sound of a fork on a plate, to achieve lift-off in microseconds.
I finally decided to continue working on Sunday's puzzle and really struggled in the SE. MONODY was very slow to emerge and ultimately decided to LIU. It was all just too frustrating. But then, I realized it was because of the cluing. Ed Sessa always poses a strong challenge.
Owen:
I saw your comment about ROWENA and found it interesting. A character on Poldark (PBS) had that name. It is the most recent contact I've had with it.
Jayce:
Good catch on SIT/SITS.
I'll take a CSO at HOOP EARRING(s) which I often wear.
Thank You Catherine Cetta for a nice abd easy Monday CW, which I ewally enjoyed.
THank YOu CC for a nice review. My prayers continue for the health of Boomer.
Coincidentally, My wife and I are also attending at a hospital in upper New Jersey for a near and dear one ... long story.
They allow only one visitor per day, and only once a day.
Tomorrow, because of Omicron ( pronounced O-mic-ron ... not, as i would, Oh-mike-ron )... no visitors at all, so we will just hang out in the lobby.
As Anon-T had asked .... If a HEX base is base 16, a Jinx base ... Could be ....13 ? ... ;=o)
Picard, I remember that promenade along te beach in Tel Aviv, we visited in 2018, and stayed at the Dan Tel Aviv hotel... and you can walk or bike all the way down to Jaffa.
FLN... I also read the article about Picard's father and the electron microscope, I worked for several years with a consulting metallurgical and biological company that had several electron microscopes ... but not the tunneling ones ...
Lucina, If you could get a good aide / trainer, I'm sure you could learnto ride a two wheeler bicycle, in no time at all... its much easier, than say, roller skating.
Have a great evening,and get ready for the New Year.
Best Wishes to all.
Nice Monday puzzle from Catherine. Nice to see C.C.'s byline subbing for Boomer.
Glad to hear that things are moving along for Boomer. Get well soon.
I finished the puzzle without many changes, but there were a few. Like others I didn't know CASCO bay although I've been to Maine. Also didn't know AIMEE but perps filled these two unknowns in nicely.
I didn't look at the circles until after I read C.C.'s write-up, so I missed out on the theme..
I guess I have to get busy wrapping some packages today for the kids who will be here later in the week. They always come after Christmas.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas.
Vidwan827
You would think so, wouldn't you, but I have trouble balancing. My husband, may he rest in peace, tried to teach me not only to ride a bike but also to dance. I could not do either. All of my siblings can do both and now that my balance is even worse, I doubt it could happen.
C. C., please assure Boomer that we are thinking of him and praying for him.
FWIW, 'omega' just means 'big O', and 'omicron' is 'little O', in Greek.
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