Title: Let's go to the movies and talk about the plot!
One of our regular Friday Fixtures, Gary Larson has presented a moviecentric puzzle which requires some thought and some cinema knowledge. It is a bit heavy on the 3 and 4 letter fill with 42 of the 77 words offset only by the 4 themers and AU NATUREL, CLEAN IT UP, MARIO KART and ORATORIES each 9 letters. What brought this effort to Friday is the very tricky but enjoyable theme where part of the clue (in BLUE) is a synonym for a movie and part (in PINK) suggests the plot. I liked that very much. We will begin with the themers...
17A. "Back to the Future"?: TIME RELEASE (11). The movie is a TIME travel variation which mirrors much of what H.G. Wells brought us.
29A. "March of the Penguins"?: WALKIE TALKIE (12). The Talkie revolutionized movies and not only tell made up stories but can show remarkable documentaries like this where the 'stars' walk.
46A. "Titanic"?: WATER FEATURE (12). This movie is the now very popular retelling of actual events but in a mostly fictional account which does spend its time on the water as the feature film.
60A. "Star Wars"?: SHOW OF FORCE (11). Here the SHOW comes first and the plot last but even if you have avoided seeing the movie the Force has become a force in the modern world. I love it and am caught up on the Mandelorian and the Book of Boba Fett.
So much excitement, but now to the rest...
Across:1. Name in Cold War news: TASS. We baby boomers knew them well but I will let Wiki EXPLAIN.
5. Lampoon: SATIRE. A big part of puzzles and blogs.
11. Ones presenting acts: MCS. Master of Ceremonies.
14. "Hard __!": captain's order: ALEE. The command used in coming about to inform the crew that the helm is being pushed hard to leeward, turning the boat into the wind, LA Times.
15. Ended an engagement, in a way: ELOPED. Funny, as getting married does end it.
16. Larter of "Resident Evil" films: ALI. You can decide if she is EVIL.
19. Gym unit: REPititon.
20. What a choir may sing in: UNISON. The chancel? A church, opera house, or school hall? Nope.
21. Bhopal locale: INDIA. Most famous for this horrible TRAGEDY. Some pictures may be upsetting.
23. Tablelands: MESAS. We have had pictures recently showing how flat they are.
24. Tacks on: ADDS. Like that hidden tip on your bill in the restaurant.
27. The last Mrs. Chaplin: OONA.
32. Brazil map word: SAO. Saint in Portugese and part of the name of many city, just as saint is here in the US.
35. Butler's last word: DAMN. He kept it and did not give it to Scarlett.
36. "Groovy!": NEATO. 50s beatnik talk.
37. Some pitches: CURVES. Sliders, sinkers, cutters...
40. Evasive tactic: END RUN. Both in American football and politics.
41. "We're live!" studio sign: ON AIR.
42. Limo destination: PROM. Two abbreviations.
45. Performs a Halloween prank, briefly: TPS. Toilet Papers.
50. Warehouse: STOW. The American desire to make every noun a verb.
51. Sleep and Comfort: INNS. Two national chains.
52. Spiral-horned antelope: ELAND.
56. Bear genus: URSUS.
58. "Out of Africa," for one: MEMOIR. A book and a movie.
59. Vince's agent in "Entourage": ARI. A TV show and a movie.
64. Prepare to drive, with "up": TEE. HG is perhaps our most dedicated golfer considering the Nebraska weather.
65. "Gracias" reply: DE NADA. It means “you have nothing to thank me for” (that full phrase being “no tienes nada [de] qué agradecerme”). Spanish lesson
66. 66 and others: Abbr.: RTES. Cute the route and the clue number.
67. Pair of gallons?: ELS. There are two "l"s in gallon.
68. Play areas: ARENAS. For sports and entertainment not your back yard.
69. Listening devices: EARS. Very simple and cute.
Down:
1. Stride pianist Art: TATUM. You want to learn HOW?
2. Classic Dior style: A LINE.
3. Weigh station line-up: SEMIS. As a kid I never understood the weigh stations and why all the big trucks pulled off the highway.
4. Vacillate: SEESAW. We know a seesaw goes up and down...
5. Gone out with: SEEN. Many were and are arranged just for the publicity.
6. "__ in": "Jeopardy James" bet: ALL.
7. Pirouette pivot point: TOE. Some ballet...
8. Draft choice: IPA. Not for a sports team but for a beverage from a tap.
9. Stand up to: RESIST.
10. Prime real estate?: EDEN. Another fun clue.
11. Racing game with Yoshi and Bowser: MARIO KART. I played this with my boys and their friends for many hours. I was better at some of the other NES games.
12. "Don't leave a mess": CLEAN IT UP. Sounds bossy.
13. Modest intake: SIP. My first thought was nip.
18. Actress Salazar of "Maze Runner" movies: ROSA. An obscure clus for me but I have seen this ACTRESS.
22. Allotted: DOLED.
24. Abbr. between names, perhaps: A/K/A.
25. Lower: DIM. The lights, no one else is home!
26. Pride's place: DEN. Seems a bit homphobic...
28. Very long time: AEONS.
30. Mormon letters: LDS. Latter Day Saints.
31. Gothic fiction pioneer Radcliffe: ANN. Ann Radcliffe, née Ann Ward, (born July 9, 1764, London, England—died February 7, 1823, London), the most representative of English Gothic novelists. She was a pioneer in developing a literature of terror, and her influential novels stand apart in their ability to infuse scenes of terror and suspense with Romantic sensibility. Britannica.
32. Barges and such: SCOWS. These are examples of a flat-bottomed boat with sloping ends used as a lighter and in dredging and other harbor services. Dictionary
33. In the buff: AU NATUREL. Our titillating French lesson. Dressed as you were born.
34. Private chapels: ORATORIES. I am not familiar with this as a small chapel, especially for private worship. Waseely?
38. Lookout offerings: VIEWS. You can try this location. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
39. Blunder: ERR.
40. Ostrich relative: EMU. Don't hate the bird just Liberty Mutual.
42. Write: PEN.
43. Commanded: RAN.
44. NHL tiebreakers: OTS. Overtimes.
47. Price partner: FISHER. Before Legos...
48. Coral __: REEF.
49. "Get Shorty" novelist __ Leonard: ELMORE.
53. Blood line: AORTA. It is the most important of them all.
54. Like sunny weather, vis-à-vis rainy: NICER. Silly.
55. Toggery: DRESS.
57. Food stamp?: USDA.
58. Degs. for playwrights: MFAS.
59. Eroded, with "into": ATE. Particularly nest eggs.
61. Low digit: ONE.
62. Pallid: WAN.
63. "Ghost" psychic __ Mae Brown: ODA. The renowned psychic...
My first 2022 write-up is now finished , and as is the new norm, done in a rushed fashion but I really liked the puzzle and the struggle. Thank you Gary and all who read these words and especially all who comment pro and anti. Lemonade out.
Notes from C.C.:
Happy Birthday to dear JD, an avid
traveler and a terrific grandma. JD still has trouble signing into
Blogger. Hope she solves the glitch soon.
 |
| JD and Bob, Switzerland, 2017 |
 |
| JD and Bob |
59 comments:
To LAMPOON with a SATIRE
Wit' low wit or wit' higher,
May start to dawn
Upon a faun,
Like Pan or other satyr!
An ELAND and an antelope
Decided that they must ELOPE.
Both their herds
Thought they were weird,
Mixed marriages were dope!
{B+, B.}
Good morning!
Several answers weren't obvious, but they all managed to perp in. Noticed the CSO to C-Moe at MESA. (My brother and niece used to live there.) Interesting that "Jeopardy James" showed up today. Last night Amy Shneider beat his 31-game streak...not the money, just the number of games won. Interesting theme, Gary. Thanx for the expo, Lemonade.
Happy birthday, JD. Please drop in. We haven't heard much of your world-hopping adventures lately.
Unlike last Friday's debacle, when I fiw'ed six ways past Sunday, I was fortunately able to fir this time. I was totally unfamiliar with "Mario Kart" (which I presume is a video game) and I thought "Fisher-Price" was a little obscure, but I persevered. There were also quite a few first names I didn't know, but of course we're all familiar with Oona Chaplin (nee O'Neal) from many Cw's of the past. Good, challenging puzzle!
FIR, but erased fister for FISHER (at first I wanted Waterhouse) and OOmA. DNK ALI, TATUM, "Jeopardy James", Yoshi and Bowser, ROSA, ANN, ORATORIES, and ELMORE.
Most racing sailors say "helm's ALEE", but everyone knows it's the same as "hard ALEE". Not a command, unless the captain isn't driving (which has been known to happen), but more of a warning. "Ready about" tells the crew the tack is coming, then "hard (or helm's) ALEE" tells them to start doing the associated tasks required. Mainly release the jib sheet, trim the jib sheet on the opposite side, move human weight to the windward side, and maybe release the windward backstay and tighten the new windward backstay.
So the Baltimore Orioles pitchers give up far too many homers to righties. Do you go out and get pitchers who don't throw hanging CURVES? Noooo, you just move the left field wall back ten feet and make the wall five feet higher.
Until today I had never seen a sign with "ON AIR" and "Recording" elements. All the many studios I have been around just had the ON AIR sign. Don't really need the other; interrupting a recording session is just as bad.
As a poker player, I didn't have to know "Jeopardy James" to know ALL IN. Usually done when you are running out of money, at least in Friday-night friendly games.
There is a beautiful category of racing SCOW sailboats prominent on the Great Lakes. Buddy Melges made and raced them, and went on to Olympic and America's Cup victories. How come we never see famous sailing names in CWs?
Thanks to Gary Larson for another fun, doable Friday grid. I'm all out of "Far Side" puns. And thanks to Lemony for another interesting and informative tour.
Another difficult Friday, which took unclefred 39 minutes to FIR, but at least doable, unlike last Friday. My DNKs are the same as Jinx. Did not get the theme until Lemonade ‘splained it. TOO clever. Thanx, GL for the workout. And thanx Lemonade for the terrific write-up.
I just squeaked in ahead of Uncle Fred in 7:15 today. For me, this was one of the easier Friday puzzles in a long time. It helped that I was familiar with all the movies and most of the proper names (but not Tatum or Ann), though I did not know oratories.
I don't think of Fisher Price as being obscure (seems very popular in these parts), although it was tricky as clued.
I read an interesting article yesterday, about a controversial clue/answer in the New York Times crossword puzzle, which resulted in a correction. Maybe someone can embed it, but here's the URL:
https://www.eenews.net/articles/inside-the-new-york-times-crossword-correction-on-coal/
Good morning. I noticed the movie theme after guessing WALKIE TALKIE with a few perps in place but wasn't sure which direction the puzzle was really going. MARIO KART and ORATORIES were unknowns that wouldn't have been filled without the easy 3-letter perps. ALI, ANN, ELMORE, & ROSA were others.
TASS & Pravda- they remind me of the current news media; all propaganda
SEMIS- some of the weigh stations on the interstates have 'rolling scales' and the trucks don't even have to stop to be weighed
FIR on a Friday. Always a good feeling, Gary. Thanks for a puzzle with a new theme, understandable and fun. My clean grid didn't last long when I put in parody/SATIRE. Other WOs were led/RAN and my attempt to fit DuddS/DRESS. The SW corner was my last fill since it took a while to get TEE. Perps are always appreciated, especially when I have spelling slips.
Thanks, Lemonade, for your excellent review, clearing up remaining questions. Well done!
Happy Birthday to JD! Your Swiss photo brings back memories.
FLN: Glad to hear your dental problem is resolved, Lucina. The dreaded root canal usually brings welcome relief from horrible pain.
Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday. We have nice weather now but could have snow on Sunday for the first time in four years. Yikes!
NY TIMES PUZZLE CLUE .
I had read about this
Way too easy for a Friday. Nonetheless, I always enjoy solving Gary Larson's puzzles.
Didn't know or even recognize a couple of names, but they perped in easily enough.
66. 66 and others: Abbr.: RTES. "Cute the route and the clue number." I did not notice that during the solve. Nice catch, Lemonade.
A couple of Thursdays ago, Malodorous Manatee wrote of the steady downpour of rain they were having that day. Here, that same day, one of the local meteorologists dubbed it the "Santa Monica Route 66 Storm." The weatherman said that the rain that was happening in L.A. was going to follow Route 66 from its endpoint near L.A., and reach the beginning of Route 66 in Chicago around 1:00 PM Saturday, and it did, resulting in about four to six inches. First time this season I got to use the snowblower.
The latest weather system looks like it is going to hit Iowa hard, skirt mostly west and south of Chicago, dropping temperatures in the mid southeast states, turn NE when it hits the Appalachians, and then pound New England. Don't fret it. NOAA says there's a 99% chance that 2022 will be among the top 10 hottest years on record, and there's a 10% chance it will be the hottest ever recorded.
4. Vacillate: SEESAW. "We know a seesaw goes up and down..." And, I might add, never gets anywhere. Australia has revoked Novak Djokovic's visa for a second time, yet he's still in the country and has been out and around and practicing. He's not vaccinated and has lied on his papers about where he'd been in the prior weeks. Kick him out and be done with it. It just keeps dragging on.
Jinx, I know you know what you are talking about, but that jargon is all Greek to me. The annual Chicago to Mackinaw race across Lake Michigan is usually a big deal here for those that sail. You know more about that than I do.. Is that what Buddy Megles did ?
Was there really a time when people commonly said NEATO ?
Happy Birthday, JD !
Thank you Near Side Gary for a Friday FIR, albeit a bit crunchy. Loved the punny theme, as it was actually helpful for the fill.
And thank you Lemony for the cinematic recap. The movie titles were all gimmes, but it took your explanation to tie both parts of the fill together.
A few favs (the first not in order):
34D ORATORIES. I'll address your CSO first Lemony. I learned this term from a dear priest (now departed) at a monastery where I used to attend Mass on Saturday mornings. One day I found Father Tom down on his knees prying up the tiles in a old storage room. When I asked him what he was doing he said that he was converting the room to an ORATORY. Daily Masses are often held in Oratories, the schedules for them are generally not published, and the attendance is usually small.
15A ELOPED. Clever clue.
23A MESAS. This is becoming crosswordese. The two ESSES and two vowels make them irresistible to constructors.
20A UNISON. Tricky clue. If it hadn't been for Art I might not have gotten it.
27A OONA. More delectable fill with a 75% VTCR.
56A URSUS. A down to Earth BEAR for a change.
55D DRESS. DNK TOGGERY, but the 1st 3 letters gave it away.
63D ODA. I recall Demi Moore saying she learned to throw pots to make this movie. As it took me a year of daily practice to learn how to make a passable pot I'm skeptical.
Cheers,
Bill
This was the easiest Friday solve in a long time. FIR with no problems.
Even with Lemonade's help I am not a fan of the theme, unless I am misreading the explanation.
If your have children or grandchildren, likely you have patronized Fisher-Price, a company that produces educational toys for very young children.
SEE SAW Is it Covid, sinusitis, a cold, an allergy, the flu or maybe just normally being a senior? I am up in the air and rapid tests are hard to get. Whatever, it is very mild. Most of us are self isolating regardless. I spend no more than 5 to 10 minutes a day in company, just to pick up my mail and evening meal while KN 95 masked and distanced.
I know oratory from medieval historical novels.
"The room in the castle called the Oratory was intended for use as a private chapel and would have an altar. It was a small room attached to the Castle Chapel used for private prayer by the Lord’s family. Mass would be heard in the Castle Chapel and additional private prayer might be made in the oratory. The Oratory would be richly decorated with beautiful altar clothes and rich religious tapestries."
Happy birthday, JD. I hope you can join us soon.
Anonymous @7:31 AM I'm doing this for Rich, so that he can avoid a similar fate.
Word of the day: lea, ley
Pronunciation: lee, lay
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. Flat, grass field suitable for grazing, a pasture. 2. Any flat, arable but untilled land.
Notes: Here is another word used so seldom we haven't even decided how to spell or pronounce it. In the US, lea, with the two pronunciations above, is preferred. Elsewhere it is spelled ley or lay.
In Play: This word usually refers to flat meadowland: "The stream ripples through the wood and by the lea with its lowing herd and onwards to Heaven knows where." Ley farming is not growing grain on a field but allowing it to "rest" as a ley every so many years: "Some progressive farmers alternate grainfields with leys for grazing cattle every four years."
For more on this Word of the day see alphaDictionary
Bill's comment:
"used so seldom" - Dr. Goodword obviously doesn't spend a lot of time in the fields of crosswords. OTOH, if constructors find out about the synonym, we'll have to wait for perps on it before we can suss the final fill.
p.s. The word I was referring to in my comment yesterday was "manumission", not "muniment". I think they are related terms, but the former refers specifically to documents attesting to release from slavery.
Good Morning:
I must have been on Gary’s wave length because I agree with TTP that this was easy for a Friday. I finished in way below my normal Friday time and I don’t rush. My only w/o was Ale/IPA and the only unknown was Rosa. Gary gave us a few fun duos with Err/Air, See/Tee, Pen/Den, and Oda/Oona. (Whoopie Goldberg was hilarious as Oda Mae Brown). CSOs to Vidwan (India), Lucina and Moe (Mesas and De nada for Lucina), and all Golfers (Tee).
Thanks, Gary, for a fun Friday solve and thanks, Lemony, for the great write-up and movie links. I had a much better understanding of the exact theme after reading your synopsis. Thanks, also, for the link about the brouhaha over the clue for Coal in that other crossword. I had read about it in Rex Parker’s blog the day it occurred. I imagine Lynne Lempel was quite upset, rightfully so.
Happy Birthday, JD, hope it’s a special day for you! 🎂🎁🎊🎈
FLN
Lucina, I hope you are back to your normal cheery self, sans pain and discomfort.! 🤗
Have a great day.
When my son was 7 we played MARIOKART and he'd say "Dad, let me show you how to think" and fruitlessly tutor me.
Would former Masters Champ Ernie? have been a better clue for ELS? Since TEE was Golf, too
I didn't find this easy but since I FIR perhaps it was. I get ahead of my self solving(I did Saturday last night) and forget.
So TALKIE meant a type of movie as with the others. I finally get that part.
Re. NYT kerfuffle. So much for NYT "Liberal" politics, eh.
And...Any opportunity for the Parker gang to take a shot at Shortz will be gladly seized.
BTW, does anybody agree with my derivation of that moniker?*
WC
* Rex (Morgan) and (Judge) Parker, two comic strips of the 50s
Ps, hbd JD, I guess you're reading if not posting
Fab Friday. Thanks for the fun, Gary and Lemonade.
I FIRed and saw the movie theme.
Several inkblots and ??? on my grid.
USSR changed to TASS. Yes, I hate it when I don’t get 1A from the start.
My “gym unit” was an Erg before a REP.
My map of Brazil had Rio before SAO.
We had Spanish SAO, DE NADA, MESAS, but it took a while for the French AU NATUREL to perp.
I smiled at “low digit” = ONE when TOE had already been used at 7D.
I noted ANN and INNS, ALI and ARI, STOW crossing SCOWS ( different pronunciation!), DRESS and ALINE (with CURVES!).
Several unknown-to-me names (ALI, ARI, ODA, ANN, ELMORE,) but they all perped eventually.
I knew Jeopardy James and ALL. FLN, Lucina commented on my American disadvantage. I was astounded that none of yesterday’s Jeopardy contestants (including Amy) answered the Canadian ROCKIES. American disadvantage? (And the day before, they wanted Ottawa for the capital of Ontario instead of Toronto.). Alex would have been disappointed.
My grandchildren love playing with their parents’ “vintage” FISHER Price toys in my basement.
Happy Birthday JD.
TTP- re that weather system: we are being warned that we may get 15 to 25 cm. (6-10 inches) of snow Sunday night and Monday, depending on how far NE that storm tracks.
Wishing you all a good day.
Musings
-A nice, quick solve even with Friday cluing for ALI, ROSA, ARI and ANN. Hey I knew ODA!
-Wish I could “tack on” a tip - I got two Egg McMuffins today. Ordering took twenty seconds, paying took 20 seconds and the girl had my bag outside the window waiting for me before I got to that window. My friend runs a tight ship at that store!
-How did Selznick get the word “DAMN” into his 1939 movie against the code of the day?
-Pro “TPERS” use Bernoulli’s Principle and a leaf blower
-When I played in the 60F weather this week, I still could not get a TEE into the frozen ground
-Some of us would have better known TATUM clued as “Globetrotter Goose”
-Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns requested GEICO stop using the EMU
-Happy Birthday, JD, we miss your input here!
-Most of eastern Nebraska had school called off for today because of the forecast. I am typing this at 10:30 am in full sunshine and not a snowflake in sight.
Gary, how about Celtics star Jason (TATUM)
I wondered the same thing when I saw DAMN vis a vis GWtW. Reading between the lines I see a very large bribe involved. But if so I doubt Joe Breen saw a nickel. Breens are like that.
WC
Husker Gary, sir, your Bernouli's principle link has an 404 error.
Maybe , you meant to iink this page ?
Thanks Lemonade for a fun review. I got the movie theme, but totally missed the “plot”.
Is anyone here playing Wordle? It’s a 5 letter word game that is the latest internet craze. Be warned it is very addictive.
You get 5 chances to solve a 5 letter word once a day. Sounds easy? Try it!
Is anyone here playing the latest sensation Wordle? Only one game per day (like CW) with 6 chances to guess the 5-letter word. I think some of you would like it. I have played two days now and worked out the word correctly in 4 and 5 steps. No charge to play and no app required.
Wordle
https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/
LOL Yuman. “Great minds think alike.”
Now we will get all our Cornerites addicted to Wordle.
Hola!
No time to read comments this morning. Have to take my car in. As you know this year started out with a bang, literally, for me. First the teeth, now the car.
I FIW as I forgot MARIO KART. Had the KART but doubt I would have known MARIO. CSO to my grandnephew, MARIO.
I managed the rest, however, and was impressed with ORATORIES and AU NATUREL which I spelled correctly. Yea!
Sorry I can't stop to relish the solve but must go. Later.
Happy birthday, JD! I hope you are off in some adventure.
Have a fabulous Friday, folks!
Anonymous @7:31, thanx for the big grin. Your comment about just sneaking in ahead of with a time of 7:15 (as opposed to my 39 minute struggle) really got a smile. I am NOT a movie buff, so this CW was a real struggle. But, truth is, you are just much better at CWs than I am. You always have times FAR below my booby-prize winning times, no matter the CW subject. Sadly, the older I get (now at 77) the SLOWER I get, so it's only gradually getting worse. Oh well, keep up the speed-runs!
Yuman and Canadian Eh, yes to Wordle, and I enjoy it.
I got stumped yesterday on ABBEY.
Thank you Gary Larson, for a very cute and enjoyable CW. However, I DID NOT get the show, feature, talkie etc. part of the long answers, so I could not have appreciated the punning slang and argot involved.
For that, and many other things, I am grateful to our maven, Lemonade, who explaineth all .... in wonderous words, ... typos and all. Glad you are doing well, Mr. L. ... and hope you continue to write briefs, that are tight and fitting .... ;-)
Regarding the New York Times CW clue and answer that caused so much Angst ... This is the main reason we should not have politics in this blog or any other related blogs !!!
For the record, I personally believe, IMHO, that Will Shortz was right. Otherwise each clue would have to be as long as the Encyclopedia Brittanica.
And the biggest polluters in the world, China and India, are going to do exactly nothing, to resolve the problem, and continue in their merry ways of polluting the world, ... but Clean Coal has sucker punched the poor West Virginian coal miners, in their gut, and cut off both their legs. These are just facts of life.
Have a nice day, all.
Kinda EZ 4 a Friday, clever clues but not too tricky. "prime real estate," "ended an engagement" plus many of the usual suspects: OONA, MESAS, etc....inkovers: ale/IPA, MARIObros/ KART, URSae/US. Fun motion picture theme. 📽
Waz..didn't known ORATORIES were private chapels either..(not a an ARENA for they who "orate"?) "Ora pro nobis" place to pray?🤔 Jeopardy James? one of Jesse's brothers?😁 (Lemony: thanks for the vid and also link to the NYT CW "clean coal controversy")
MARIO games...like to sit next to my 11 y o GS Ollie and have him explain the game as he plays.
So this time its not emcee..The ship ended up in a meadow when the Captain's order "hard ALEE" was misunderstood.😲 Saw all the "Maze Runner" movies, but didn't know "Salazar". AEONS: slightly longer "Dog's ages" than EON from the recent CW. The shy ELAND is back. How high an IQ to be considered a "bear genius"? (huh? wha?) oh nevermind!!😳
When I was a kid there was a clothing store downtown called "Sturdy Togs" ...Stride pianist? "Sleep and Comfort" like "Time and Money" (recent CW), the Capital letters (sorry upper case) give it away. "Price partner" (Waterhouse wouldn't fit: Jinx).😕
DAMN..I have to laugh when I see a TV series rated TV-MA: coarse language, violence, sexual content, nudity, smoking...SMOKING??!! OMG get the kids out of the room. BTW do any of you cornerites smoke while you do the puzzle?🚭
Spa franchise...CURVES
Puerto Rican capital: San _____ WAN
Low digit....TOE
Dairy Farmer's pride...SCOWS
Sorry so Wordle? today...back to the tundra for 2 weeks then back to sunshine...☀️😎
Fun, manageable Friday puzzle, many thanks, Gary, for a delightful gift. And always enjoy your commentary, Lemonade, thanks for that too.
My favorite item today was Butler's last word--DAMN. Brings back that movie every time.
Of course, also got, OONA Chaplin instantly.
Thank goodness, no one has ever performed that Halloween TP prank on my home.
Thanks for explaining DE NADA to us, Lemonade--didn't know that.
Happy Birthday, JD.
Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.
Puzzling thoughts:
I FIR but not without some hiccups
The top third of my grid looks pristine; bottom third looks more like a Rorschach test
SHIPS/SCOWS; LED/RAN; BEDS/INNS; BFA/MFA
I didn’t see the theme connecting these until reading Jason’s excellent recap. If, L714, it took you a very short time to recap this, I’m impressed. I get my fair share of “not Near Side Gary Larson” puzzles to suss, and I wasn’t on his wavelength today. Perhaps too many proper names …
My haiku du jour:
Pineapple shortage?
I guess that for now they just
Have to be DOLED out
😂
Thank you Canadian Eh for posting the “Wordle” link.
TTP I missed Abby, even tho I had a lab named Abby. Something so easy, can be so difficult, just like crosswords.
Actually, folks, in my comments earlier on this blog I misspoke.I did not mean to say that the name Fisher Price was obscure, I'm well aware that it is the name of an "educational" toy company. What I meant to say was that the clue itself was obscure or, to put it a better way, misleading, as several others have commented.
I thought this was as easy as a Monday. I enjoyed it, never the less, thank you Gary Larsen and Lemony!
Becky
I hope this clears up any confusion my previous comments generated. Hooray for toys (especially educational ones)!
I had trouble getting the NW corner started. Whenever we can't get the 1A square filled, it always seems to slow the whole game down. Turns out it wasn't so bad today, but the last sector to fall was the upper left.
WALKIE TALKIE was funny. Or maybe that was just 'cuz I smile whenever I see Penguins doing their waddle.
~ OMK
Not sure why FISHER Price (47D) is thought to be "obscure" as clued.
Lots of clues use "partner" to refer either to a real partner (as in business associate or team member) or to suggest one word is "partnered" with the other.
I too thought of Waterhouse first, but of course it wouldn't fit. Neither would Discount.
Nor would my Grandmother (neither of the given names of Miss Eleanor Annie Price).
~ OMK
I would like to thank Yuman and Canadian Eh! for ( simultaenously !!) introducing us to Wordle.
I tried it just now, and even introduced my hooky playing DW, to the game.
Its something like my favorite board game, Master Mind, which is played with colored beads and with red and white pegs for hints. Except that the beads can put, and arranged, at random, and you are allowed ten attempts for a solution, of five spaces ....
Wordle allows only proper words, for each guess, ... and no gibberish, so you can't fish around ! The big problem is how to get all the vowels to be checked off, at the first opportunity.
Despite this limitation, which took me some time to figure out, I was able to get today's answer, in 5 guesses, without leaving a sour taste in my mouth. ;-)
Thank you for todays Learning Moment of the Day !
Waseeely & Lemonade714, thank you for including/embedding the article I mentioned. I figured this is the target demographic for that one.
Unclefred, I'm glad you found some enjoyment in my comment, but don't forget that a booby-prize is still a prize. I appreciate your encouragement.
HBDTY JD, just back to my computer and it is always a treat to "hear" about one of our longtime posters. It always nice to catch up on your grandchildren have progressed.
HG, you are mixing your insurance company metaphors as GEICO uses many animals but no EMU.
With all the newspaper online puzzles to solve, I am reluctant to get addicted to WORDIE!
TTP: My favorite piece of hardware (because of it's baffling name) is this NICRO FICO TRUNNION TRIGGER SNAP SHACKLE.
Melges wouldn't have done the Chicago - Mac race in a Scow, but I'll bet he did that race on bigger boats many times. Here's a URL showing him leading an A-Scow race. Couldn't link it because it isn't an https address: http://www.ascow.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Buddy-Upwind-1024x819-600x400.jpg
On second thought, it's Price Pfister plumbing. No wonder no one else thought of it.
-Thanks, Vidawan! Let’s try this link!
Hi All!
Another DNF and, to add insult, it's at square ONE :-(
Thanks Gary for the cutely-theme'd puzzle. NEATO idea.
Thanks Lem for the fine review - Siskel & Ebert would be proud :-). Thanks for the TASS link; I was still stuck thinking a 'name' like Ames.
WOs: ale -> IPA, stages -> ARENAS, clear -> NICER
ESPs: You see any names today? Yeah, all of them (save OOLA).
Fav: I was looking for Waterhouse or Cooper when FISHER gave us a toy.
RTE 66 @ 66a was cute too*
'Don't leave a mess' reminded me of the signs posted when I was at DOD: "Your mama doesn't work here so clean up after yourself."
Who else is missing Spitz at ALEE? Jinx filled in nicely but the shoes still have a little room to fill ;-)
Happy Birthday JD - we've not seen you around in too long a spell. Hope to read you today.
{B+, A-}
The exit's over there Moe... That ku == 2x Dad Joke :-)
C, Eh! - LOL cm's of snow. Kinda threw me but I guess y'all can't measure snow-fall in metres :-)
I grew up in the 70's when they tried converting US kids from imperial units to SI. Boy!, was there backlash from parents. SI made sense to me and really helped later in life as an EE major. For whatever reason, MechEs were still using The King's Foot and I'd have to convert all units to SI for calculations. [I still don't know what a BTU is :-)]
Y'all got me curious re: Wordle. My latest obsession has been the NYT Spelling Bee; they email it w/ the news recap in the morning and I play with the letters. I've only been able to nail about a dozen pangrams.
Should I pipe in on 'clean coal'? All I know is SPI upgraded their towers for new scrubbers (with a 30yr bond) and now the Gov says shut it down 'cuz he wants to be 1st 'clean state' in the country. Like, Dude! They just spent $$$$ on cleaning up their coal-fired plant and now???
No, I probably shouldn't say anything.
Ray-O: I made the same observation re: 'smoking' as a trigger / TV-MA. What is the world coming to? :-)
I better move along. Cheers, -T
*Want a story? Pop was going to build a new patio and wanted pavers. A friend of a friend of a friend had helped tear-out 2nd street's bricks and backed a trailer of them into Sangamon River for safe keeping. The guy sold them to Pop; Pop's patio is actual RTE 66's bricks.
Jinx, I looked at the picture with the boats. Those are considered scows ? I've always had an image in my mind's eye of barge or barge-like boats. NEATO ! That snap shackle looks like it might come in handy from time to time. Not going to buy that one !
Here's the WORDLE link for those that want to give it a go. Because it's a game created in the UK, I'm thinking that one of these days I'm going to run into one of those often misspelled words like LITRE or METRE, :>) but not so far. Fun game.
Still amused that Yuman and Canadian Eh posted comments about the game at almost the exact same time !
Vidwan, same here. Got it today on the 5th entry.
Lemonade, not wordie that rhymes with nerdy (says the guy that misread quarrel as squirrel). That's an L. So WORDLE that rhymes with GIRDLE.
Dash T, I thought I was going to see a pic of your pop's patio ! The guy actually backed the trailer into the river ? Brazen !
TTP - you bent my arm. Also note the sign Pop posted on the garage door for commemoration.
Pic.
And, yes backed a trailer into the river. That's what I was told and I have no reason to think otherwise :-)
Cheers, -T
Jinx- your BUDDY LINK
WORDLE! Damn another visual failure. They should recreate "l" and "r" so those of us would have a better chance.
Happy birthday JD wherever you are...
Forgive my dense ness, (is that a wordle?)
But even with your explanation, I still do not
Understand the theme.
How is release a synonym for back to the future?
What's talkie got to do with penguins?
Titanic =feature (ok well maybe...)
Show of force is the only one I understand.
CEh! -- SAO would be Portuguese, not Spanish. How many times have we had "____ Paulo" recently?
Husker G "-Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns requested GEICO stop using the EMU." When did GEICO steal LibMu's mascot? I love the gecko, hate the emu. Also hate the pig and the duck. Flo I go both ways on (She's cute, even if she is pushy.)
Wordle has ignited a feud much like the NYT's)
CED - are you being cute or really don't get it?
//You're among my favorite posters so please don't take this wrong.
TIME RELESE is a common phrase for medicinal pills. And a FEATURE film RELEASE is an event in TIME.
//Christopher Lloyd really outdid his Taxi role (in this. [BTTF]
There was a lot a water in TITANIC's flick (I kept hoping for flick to show up but, DENADA that).
I think folks got wet in that one.*
TALKIES are post Edison films and penguins waddle (unless they smack the snot out of you). [Blues Brothers :-)]
//Sorry Lucina but my Nuns were very strict.
Get it now, CED? Fun movies filled/clued with silliness.
Cheers, -T
*saw a Twilight Zone last night (I know this one!) and the Martian didn't know what the Venus guy meant when he said 'wet'... One guy had three arms and diner-runner had an equal number of EYES.
You all remember when the Enerprise was called a garbage scow, right?
Dash T, Sweet ! Can't top that. I like the chiminea style wood stove to take out a little bit of the nip in the air.
OwenKL, I didn't see any problem with that answer. It's good to know that there is prouper spelling of wourds in that game. (Sorry, C'Eh, I coldn't resist.) :>)
-T, TTP, great stuff!
Thanks, Lemony, for the link.
Anon-T
No, I really didn't get it...
Thanks for the explanation.
I found time release a tough one to swallow...
Jinx: finally had some time to go back and read more of the blue stuff cuz at first I thought NICRO FICO TRUNNION TRIGGER SNAP SHACKLE was a new examole of a tongue twister. (Try to say it 3 times fast) 😮
OwenKL @5:43 PM Owen, hot and cold on Flo? You don't know the real Flo.
Bill, how does that pic help? CED, just keep having fun.
OwenKL- thanks for correcting my language. I keep forgetting that Brazilian’s speak Portuguese, not Spanish.
And I was hoping to have all British spelling on WORDLE.
TTP, LOL with all those U’s. And what are the odds of Yuman and I posting almost simultaneously.
Yes, Vidwan, WORDLE requires much the same logic as Mastermind.
AnonT- love your Pop’s patio.
Anon-T, I remember that Twilight Zone episode. At the end the 3-eyed bartender shows the alien the battle in the stars.
Great surprise ending. It started on a bus I recall.
WC
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