google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, January 11, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein

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Jan 11, 2022

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 Rebecca Goldstein

Hidden Talents:

17-Across. Iron or lead: METALLIC ELEMENT.

22-Across. Home of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks: STAPLES CENTER.  The clue should read as Former Home ... the arena is known know as the Cryoto.com Arena.

49-Across. Flat-topped South African landmark: TABLE MOUNTAIN.  I was not familiar with this South African mountain, which overlooks Cape Town, South Africa.  It is, indeed, quite flat.

55-Across. Giving 110%, say: TOTAL COMMITMENT.

And the Unifier:

36. With 38-Across, unpublicized skill found in each set of circles: HIDDEN.  //  38. See 36-Across: TALENT.  The word Talent is Hidden in the circles in each theme answer.

Across:
1. Attempts, with "at": HAS A GO.  Meh!

7. Apple on a desk: iMAC.  My iMac looks like this.  It is quite old, but it still works.

11. Endorses: OKS.

14. Refrigerator, once: ICE BOX.

15. Wax Ready-Strips maker: NAIR.  Ouch!


16. By way of: VIA.

20. Annoying noise: DIN.

21. Unclean: DIRTY.

27. Eight, in Ecuador: OCHO.  Today's Spanish lesson.  Hi, Lucina!

29. Nowhere near appropriate: SO WRONG.

30. Dental care brand: ORAL B.  This brand appears often in the puzzles.  The company now makes  the trendy electric toothbrushes.



32. "The Constant Gardener" Oscar winner Rachel: WEISZ.  Rachel Weisz (née Rachel Hannah Weisz; b.  March 7, 1970), was born in England, but became a naturalized US Citizen in 2011.  She is married to James Bond (Daniel Craig) in real life.


33. Public transit option: BUS.

40. Pigs' digs: STY.
41. Lavished affection (on): DOTED.

45. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.  Sonia Sotomayor (b. June 25, 1954) makes frequent guest appearances in the puzzles.


46. Early IHOPs, structurally: A-FRAMES.


48. Mesa or Boulder: CITY.  If this was a clue last Sunday, would the answer have been AZCO?

53. Contact info item: E-MAIL.  It should be phone number, as I get more text messages than e-mails when someone wants to contact me.

54. Form 1099 org.: IRS.  It's beginning to be that time again when we think of getting our tax information together to send to the Internal Revenue Service.

63. Cal. neighbor: ORE.  Not the ore that is mined, but the State of Oregon.  An interesting scholarly paper on the origin and meaning of Oregon.

64. Greek liqueur: OUZO.  Ouzo is an anise-flavored aperitif that is clear until it comes in contact ice, when it becomes milky opaque.


65. __ de Rossi of "Arrested Development": PORTIA.  Portia de Rossi (née Amanda Lee Rogers; b. Jan. 31 1973) appeared recently in a puzzle.  //  And 46. Actress Shawkat of "Arrested Development": ALIA.  Alia Shawkat (b. Apr. 18, 1989) portrayed Maeby Fünke on Arrested Development.  Neither the actress nor the character are Tuesday puzzle names.  Interestingly, however, there is an interview Alia Shawkat in this week's New Yorker.

David Cross and Portia de Rossi


Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat

66. Stark in "Game of Thrones": NED.  Although he is a fictional character, his full name was Lord Eddard Stark.  I never watched the show and I tried to read the book, but found it difficult to plow through.


67. __ Virginia: WEST.  Everything you wanted to know about the West Virginia statehood, but didn't know to ask.

68. Faux: ERSATZ.  This word was clued as "Like a bad copy" in last Tuesday's puzzle.

Down:
1. That guy: HIM.

2. Perfect service: ACE.



3. "Quiet on the __!": SET.

4. Lawyer's org.: ABA.  As in the American Bar Association.


5. Meir of Israel: GOLDA.  Golda Meir (née Golda Mabovitch; May 3, 1898 ~ Dec. 8, 1978) was a remarkable woman.


6. Yellow primroses: OXLIPS.  Such pretty flowers.


7. Company abbr.: INC.

8. Astronaut Jemison: MAE.  Mae Carol Jemison (b. Oct. 17, 1956) was the first Black woman to venture into Space.  She was a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in September 1992. 



9. Be unwell: AIL.

10. Dining room pieces with cupboards: CREDENZAs.  I think of a credenza as being more of an office piece of furniture.


11. Not at all subtle: OVERT.

12. Kunta in "Roots": KINTE.  Kunta Kinte was a character in Alex Haley's 1976 book, Roots.  It was later made into a mini-series, which aired before the days of taping shows to watch later.  In the mini-series, Kunta Kinte was portrayed by LeVar Burton (b. Feb. 16, 1957).


13. Mythical man-goat: SATYR.

18. Like a bicycle climbing a hill: IN LOW.

19. Vase-making dynasty: MING.  So beautiful.


22. Not on the level: SHADY.

23. Tattled: TOLD.

24. Lamb's mom: EWE.

25. __ Lanka: SRI.  The tear-drop shaped country off the coast of India.



26. "An arm and a leg" is a high one: COST.  It's also an idiom.


27. Sounds of awe: OOHs!

28. Lit __: CRIT.

31. Strange one made by politics?: BEDFELLOW.


33. Porto-Novo's land: BENIN.  Benin is a small country in West Africa to the left of Nigeria.  Hand up if you knew this country.


34. Condo, e.g.: UNIT.

35. Remain: STAY.

37. Standard: NORM.


39. Points in math class: LOCI.

42. Eastern "way": TAO.

43. Bird in Liberty Mutual ads: EMU.  Those ads are so annoying.

44. Acid-washed jeans fabric: DENIM.



47. Zebra feature: STRIPE.

49. Wyoming's __ Range: TETON.  Today's French lesson.


50. Love, in Sicily: AMORE.  Today's Italian lesson.

51. With __ breath: tensely anticipatory: BATED.  Bated or Baited?.

52. Fur tycoon for whom a northwest Oregon city was named: ASTOR.  I just read an interesting novel entitled The Social Graces by Renée Rosen, which is about the New York Astors and Vanderbilts in the late 1800s.  When the novel takes place, the Astors are considered "old money" because they were over 3 generations from when their money was made by "dirty" hands in the fur trade, whereas the Vanderbilts were nouveau riche.  Their money was made by The Commodore Vanderbilt, who was just a generation away and was considered coarse and crass.



56. Billiards stick: CUE.


57. Quarter-lb. quarters: OZs.  As in Ounces.

58. One-liner: MOT.  More of today's French lesson.  Most often paired with Bon.  Bon Mot = witty remark.

59. __ America Pageant: MRS.  Apparently, there is still a Mrs. America Pageant for married women.  Ladies, if you are interested, here's how to apply.  No age limit, but you do have to be married.

60. GPS prediction: ETA.  The GPS will give you an Estimated Time of Arrival, just like at the airport.

61. Little point to pick: NIT.

62. Toon devil: TAZ.  They are formidable creatures.


If you have found your Hidden Talent, can you tell it what it is?


חתולה


 



49 comments:

Subgenius said...

First things first: Thank you, Irish Miss, ATL Granny, Vidwan827, CanadianEh! for your kind words of welcome yesterday. I've been doing crosswords for years but only recently got my first smartphone. Now I'm hooked not only on crosswords but also on this friendly "corner"! As to the puzzle, the theme was clear early on, so it wasn't too hard to fir. Like our blogger, I wasn't familiar with Table Mountain but it wasn't too hard to suss. A fun puzzle.

unclefred said...

A fun CW indeed, with a theme easy to suss with the first theme clue. DNK ALIA or PORTIA, needed perps. Today we have a satyr, not a centaur. The centaur is half man half horse, and also a physician, making him the original centaur for disease control! W/O AMOUR:AMORE. This CW went fast, and I was surprised when my time came to 15. Thanx, RG, for the fun and doable Tuesday level CW. Thanx Hahtoolah for your (as always) terrific write up.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Zipped through this one with nary a stumble. The Wite-Out got a rest. Knew BENIN immediately, but couldn't have told you where in Africa it was located. I agree that CREDENZA is more of an "office" word. In the dining room it'd be a hutch. Thanx for the diversion, Rebecca, and for the expo, Hahtoolah. (You prefer texting to e-mail, eh? The only texts I receive are numeric codes for identity verification.)

IRS: Nope, not volunteering to do taxes this year. I'll still do our own return plus a couple of neighbor's.

KINTE: We've got the series on DVD. Hmmmm, maybe it's time to rewatch that.

Subgenius, welcome to the "pool." I think you'll find the water is fine.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Crossword friends. Stay warm everyone. It's pretty cold in my neck of the woods today.

D-O: I don't know that I "prefer" texting. It just seems that that is the way most people contact me these days.

QOD: I never made a damn dime until I started doing what I wanted. ~ Carroll Shelby (né Carroll Hall Shelby; Jan. 11, 1923 ~ May 10, 2012), Texan chicken farmer and car designer

ATLGranny said...

As was said, it's a terrific Hahtoolah Tuesday with a FIR for me too. Thanks Hahtoolah for the extras! Rebecca's puzzle and circled themers went well, though the exact phrase of the theme came after the reveal. TALENT was a help for prefilling circles after the second one. Thanks, Rebecca. Rushing to write down fill caused some WOs since I didn't check perps first. Enthusiasm can lead me astray, but a FIR anyway. No complaints from me.

It seems like many people, especially younger ones, notice new texts quicker than new emails so they respond sooner.

FLN: Thanks waseeley for sharing your photos of your grandson's special event. We can see why you are proud of the boys.

Cold here but sunny today so getting out isn't so bad. Hope everyone stays warm!

Anonymous said...

This one took 5:13 to find the talent.

Oh joy, circles.

I didn't know Alia, Mae, or crit.

inanehiker said...

Fun and breezy puzzle - even though there were some harder than usual Tuesday crunch here and there.

BENIN was a gimme as I have been to Ghana several times, and Togo & BENIN are the 2 skinny countries between Ghana and Nigeria. My husband is headed to Togo at the end of the month to do a training class there. Interestingly - that area region of West Africa- the Gold Coast is where Kunta KINTE was sent off on to be a slave in America.
Rachel WEISZ is a very talented actress, she likes to pick roles which are very nontraditional.

Thanks Hatoolah and Rebecca!

FLN congrats Bill on your grandson's Eagle Scout ceremony. It is true that behind every Eagle Scout is a mom(or dad) who kept them on track. I was given wise advice when my older son was going through it - "have them get it done before they get their driver's license or they will leave it unfinished" They can have their project done, but if their notebook which includes some essays to be written isn't finished they can't schedule their court of honor - than they can't be an Eagle Scout. There were several at my son's who had finished their projects years before but barely squeaked in the rest of it before their 18th birthday deadline!
Also chuckled at Boomer saying the VA wasn't a spa. When I was in med school when we were doing rotations at the VA - we all said that we were going to the VA Spa for a few weeks (pron VAH SPA)

Bill V. said...

FIW. WEISs looked right but CREDENsAS was so wrong.

CanadianEh! said...

TALENTed Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Rebecca and Hahtoolah.
Well this was easy-peasy! Circles that could be filled in once you saw the HIDDEN TALENT in the first two themers. (Hello ATLGranny) Plus a reveal, just in case you didn’t “get it”.
Yes I FIRed with one inkblot to correct my flower - Oxeye (that’s a daisy) to OXLIPS.

We had a plethora of Zeds today with WEISZ, ERSATZ and OUZO. And since Z is for ZEBRA, we also had STRIPE.
LOCI today instead of Foci.
You all know that CENTER seemed SO WRONG to me. But with an American LOCI, you can spell it that way.
Irish Miss won’t like the three-letter word count. I got 26!
I agree re PORTIA and ALIA but perps were fair.

I noted ICE(box) crossing ACE, but DIRTY was not near STY.
We could write an American travelogue using WEST VIA BUS ETA ASTOR CITY ORE with OOHS for TETON, ORE.

Wishing you all a great day. We are like that ICEBOX at -15C.

CanadianEh! said...

FLN- congrats waseeley to your grandson on his accomplishment (with help from the family). And encouragement for the younger grandson in his completion also.

JohnK said...

Funny how the times change. Staples Center is no more. Now it's Crypto.com something... I think the lease on the naming ended.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

I enjoyed the solve but I really prefer not seeing the revealer until I complete all the themers. This was very easy to see right from the first themer due to the circles, a necessity, I guess, for a Tuesday puzzle. Alia and Benin were unknowns and I had Ox Eyes before Ox Lips. I liked the Dirty/Sty and Ace/Ice duos and the CSOs to Ray O and Anon T (Amore) and Lucina (Ocho). We also had a Mini A Team with Via, Sonia, Portia, ABA, Golda, Alia, and ETA.

Thanks, Rebecca, for a fun Tuesday and thanks, Hahtoolah, for tickling my fancy and funny bone. Loved the very last cartoon! Didn’t love that Tasmanian Devil!

I mentioned recently that a DVD of The Father with Anthony Hopkins was either defective or my new DVD player was. Yesterday, I received a replacement DVD from Netflix which worked perfectly so, yay, my player is alive and well! I watched The Father last night and was absolutely mesmerized by Sir Anthony’s performance. It’s about the horrors of dementia and its toll on a family. At times, it was hard to watch, one scene actually made me wince at the cruelty, but there were joyous and humorous moments, as well. There was one closeup shot of his face that captured his anguish, fear, and confusion so palpably I near tears. The very talented Olivia Colman plays his daughter and, as usual, is outstanding. I can see why he won the Oscar for this role.

Have a great day and stay warm.

Irish Miss said...

Left out the “was” (near tears)

CanadianEh @ 8:38 ~ You’re right on the three letter words, both the count and my dislike. I decided not to comment because I don’t want to be guilty of kvetching too much! 😈

Yellowrocks said...

My touched pad which was turned off reactivated by itself and kept erasing my blog until I figured it out.
Easy and fast. Mae, Weisz, Portia, and Alia were unknown but suggested by perps.
Welcome, Subgenius.
ATL Granny, I, too, text because I am more certain of being answered.
West Virginia, almost heaven for a nature loving tourist. Beautiful, peaceful scenery. Almost very summer we have rented a housekeeping cottage in most of the state parks there since the 1970'with one or several of my sisters. We came from different states and converged there. We shared cooking and cleanup. It was so relaxing to reconnect on the porch by a babbling brook. Last year it was Covid and this year my driving only close to home that kept us away. Everything must end sometimes.
I'll have a go at it is common to me. When others are trying and not succeeding you can offer, "I'll have a go at it."
I hadn't thought of credenza as dining room furniture but two perps suggested it. LIU. It was originally and still is used for a sideboard or buffet. My mom called hers a buffet. It is now used for office furniture, as well, but it seems more common on the internet than office furniture.
Oxeye before oxlip.

waseeley said...

Thank you Rebecca for a delightful Tuesday, albeit my third FIW in a row. This is not trending well! TIZ a pity that ERSATZ didn't intersect with RACHEL's last name and I would have been good. Poor proofreading again, as we have a CREDENZA with cupboards in our dining room. My excuse (and I'm sticking with it), is that I'm always in a big hurry to see you folks!

And thank you Hahtoolah for another CHEERS FULL review!

14A ICE BOX. My paternal grandmother lived in the woods about three blocks from our house. She had no electricity and heated the house with a wood stove. I used to carry blocks of ice from a local supplier for her ICE BOX.

17A METALLIC ELEMENT. IRON OXIDES are common colorants in ceramic glazes, producing reds, browns, yellows greens, grays, blacks, and blues, depending on the concentration, glaze composition, and kiln atmosphere. LEAD is till used in glazes, but it's not for amateurs. Professional manufacturers have special facilities for handling it and carefully compound glaze recipes that prevent it from being leached into acidic liquids. There is still a lot of it in the white paints in old houses though, and is a major cause of cognitive difficulties for youngsters in poor neighborhoods.

2D ACE. A tennis term?

6D OX LIPS. My last fill. Had ..CENTER for 22A and an alpha run told me it had to advertise something.

19D MING. Could have been SUNG (9th Century). Their vases were more likely glazed with a translucent IRON green glaze called CELADON, revealing delicately carved porcelain bas relief figures.

25D SRI Lanka. The ERSATZ setting for a suburb of MUMBAI's "The Good Karma Hospital", which somehow manages to get better every episode.

33D BENIN. Hand up. It's sandwiched between TOGO and NIGERIA and I have church friends from both.

37D NORM. After watching the Cheers clip for about 10 minutes, I quickly picked up on the theme enabling me to fast forward to Season 11, Episode 23 where Sam finally treats NORM to a beer. Picking up themes is a HIDDEN TALENT of mine (see below for another).

Cheers,
Bill

p.s. to Hahtoolah. My hidden talent is making easy things look difficult.

waseeley said...

Word of the day: diploma

Pronunciation: di-plo-mê

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A document conveyed by an educational institution, testifying to the fact that the holder has completed the requirements for a degree at that institution. 2. (Historical) An official document issued by a government, such as a title, license, charter.

Notes: A diplomat is someone with official documents from his government. Diplomat is based on the Greek plural of the word, diplomata. The adjective diplomaed is not the presumed past participle of the verbal use of this word, but an adjective in the class of forested, bearded, uniformed, meaning "having X". Diplomatology is the study of original documents.

In Play: The most popular usage refers to the document certifying you've completed a course of study at an educational institution: "When Xavier was expelled from one college for blowing up a chemistry lab, he switched schools and was awarded a diploma with honors in chemistry." Any educational institution can confer diplomas: "Homer has a high school diploma, but he can't locate his hometown on a map."

For more on this Word of the day see alphaDictionary

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Too much sun? ☀️ yeah that's why I screwed up today. ☹ (Spend more time inside the "unit"?)

FIW by two letters.. my WAGS at the crossing of the "Arrested Development" actress (never missed an episode) with the unknown "S African landmark"..."S".. (flat-topped = table stoopid!!😕)... same with the "primroses" crossing the "Sparks" home.. "I"...both were SOWRONG. Though the theme was Tuesday level, and TALENT letters not even jumbled.

Got fooled by today's GPS..not rte or str but this time what is usually clued for airline info: ETA. Always forget Jemison's name and likely will yet again. Lit CRIT? 🤔

Poor NED lost his HED. NAIR is still our THAIR?

CREDENZA Italian for credence (CCR :"credenza acqua chiara rinascita?")😁

My younger brother Rich and I were BEDFELLOWS for nigh on two decades...for the first few years.."Ma! Ray wet the bed again!!!"🙄

Don't remember IHOP AFRAMES..seems like a an odd design for a restaurant. Lotsa wasted space to heat.

Ritual meal...SATYR
Asian wrap....SOWRONG
healthy wealthy and ____ WEISZ
Marriage acquisition....INLOW
I've never _____ _____ ..BENIN BENIN

Couple more days then back to the Arctic circle 😲

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

IM.."The Father"..Agree 150%. The technique of filming from inside Hopkins' head and POV was spot on.

oc4beach said...


Enjoyable Tuesday puzzle from Rebecca and the great write-up by Hahtoolah.

I found the HIDDEN TALENT early enough in the process to help fill in some of the other clues.

My hidden talent is so well hidden that I'm not sure what it is.

Like many others we are having some nasty cold weather. Time to head south if I could.

Stay warm everyone.

waseeley said...

There is also a small table in some churches near the altar called a CREDENZA. It is used for holding such items as a chalice, water/wine cruets, and the lavabo and towel used by the priest for washing his hands. The acolyte (altar server) brings these items to and from the altar as needed by the priest.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Easy-peasy Tuesday breezy. Thanks for the puzzle, Rebecca; theme was a no-brainer and circles made fill a little too easy.

Hahtoolah - I spent more time on the expo than the puzzle ($95 to apply to MRS USA?!?); thank you for your efforts & LOL cartoons (and NORM!).

WO: KINTa
ESPs: PROTIA, ALIA, BENIN, WEISZ
Fav: ICE BOX - I still sometimes say that instead of 'fridge //Grandparents used ICE BOX exclusively

Inanehiker - you've piqued my interest... What type of training class?

YR - Yep. Have A GO (at) or Take a Whack (at)...

CREDENZAs & side-boards/buffets are physically the same (skinny 3-door 2/3-drawer pieces of furniture) only distinguished by office or dining areas.

Youngest needs to get her car inspected so, yesterday, I sent her an email reminding her. 12 hours later:
"Why'd you email? You could have just texted that."
//Because I was in front of my computer, not my phone

HIDDEN TALENT - we had "team building" series of meetings and during one had to write our "hidden talent" on a slip of paper. The slips of paper where drawn one-by-one from a hat & then we all guessed who's talent was who's [we all know who played in a band 'cuz... yeah]. Only one person (our Admin) knew mine was juggling devil sticks [no, not me - I aint that good]

Cheers, -T

Lucina said...

Hola!

I have been absent form this Blog because of dental issues. I am still in great pain. Though I saw the dentist yesterday (after a tortuous weekend) he referred me to another which I can't see until Wednesday. I tell you, 2022 has not started well.

I solved the puzzle quickly. Nothing too strenuous there. Had not heard of TABLE MOUNTAIN.

I do know that PORTIA DE ROSSI is married to Ellen Degeneres.

I've heard of BENIN but it took a while to work it out.

I love OUZO!

One change, PHONY to SHADY.

Be well everyone! I don't wish a toothache on anyone!

CrossEyedDave said...

what is talent?

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

FIR with zero mistakes

What others said; the circles gave the theme away quickly. 17-across and 22-across solved it, and then the early “reveal” in 36&38 across made the bottom half of today’s puzzle anticlimactic

Fun recap; always love the cartoons, Susan!

Hand up for knowing BENIN. A fact that many of you might not know is captured in this haiku:

I’m told Cole Porter
Wrote “Begin the Beguine” whilst
Living in BENIN

And an obvious Moe-ku for 51-down:

Fisherman’s wife’s in
Labor. First child is nigh. He
Waits, with BAITED breath

Misty said...

Terrific Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Rebecca. And I always enjoy your write-ups, Hahtoolah, thanks for this one too.

Fun to get the Hidden TALENT theme early on.

Loved the picture of that early IHOP with a neat A-FRAME.

E-MAIL--couldn't live without it.

Never heard of BENIN.

Welcome to the blog, Subgenius.

Have a great day, everybody.

YooperPhil said...

Welcome to the Corner Subgenius! Not sure how I discovered it about a year ago but it is definitely an enhancement of the whole CW scene. The people who frequent are a very welcoming bunch, the bloggers and commenters providing so much info and entertainment it’s almost like a daily lesson plan. I think most of us crossword geeks have an innate quest for knowledge and this site certainly provides that! A puzzle may only take 15 minutes but I may spend wayyyy more time surfing all the various links etc.

Thank you Rebecca for providing today’s mental exercise, and Hahtoolah for your always interesting, humorous expo, really like all the illustrations and cartoons!

Managed a FIR in 13:14 with some help from the perps as I was unfamiliar with ALIA, OXLIPS and BENIN. The other day the country of Tenerife showed up so I am learning about West Africa. ASTORia in the NW corner of Oregon is a really beautiful coastal city with a long bridge across to Washington. CREDENZA is a very ornate word for a piece of furniture, sounds more like a term that would be used to describe a movement in a piece of classical music.

waseeley said...

Ray - O @11:09 AM This one's for your Ray: you heard it on the Corner.
I'll echo that Subgenius. I'll echo that Subgenius. Hey, is there an echo in here? And don't be too modest. It's obvious you have HIDDEN TALENT!
Lucina @11:51 AM So sorry to hear about your dental problems. ☹ Teeth are one of God's greatest inventions, but they have their weaknesses.

Northwest Runner said...

Surprised the LA Times is out of date on the name of Crypto.com Arena. Editor should have clued it as "former name" and the entry would have been fine.

Subgenius said...

Thanks, Yooper Phil, as you said, this definitely looks like a place I could learn a few things. (I've learned quite a bit already!)

Subgenius said...

Waseely, I may have fir'ed the last couple of days, but there have been plenty of times in the past when I've fiw. As the saying goes, "if you're so smart, why ain't you rich?" could apply in my case

Ol' Man Keith said...

I rarely use the word CREDENZA, although it has a nice ring to it.
It sounds like it belongs to a Music vocabulary, or as a technical term in Poetry.
When I moved into my office in the Virginia Museum many years ago, my secretary referred to the long cabinet behind my desk as a CREDENZA.

At home, we refer to the tall dining room piece, the one with shelves, drawers, and several large cabinets as the "Cupboard."
We do not think of the various storage UNITs inside it as--plural--"cupboards."
I am not saying Hahtoolah is wrong, only that there are different ways of reading that clue.
~ OMK

jfromvt said...

I think this was too easy, even by early week standards. When the theme is obvious and you just fill blindly fill in TALENT four times in the circles, where is the challenge? I know the puzzles get harder by the day, which I don’t necessarily agree with BTW, but this was pretty weak.

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle and all your comments.

Ol' Man Keith said...

81 degrees here in SoCal today.
Global warming at work? Does this offset record lows in the NE?

No, we go by averages over long periods, not by single records.
~ OMK

Yellowrocks said...

I believe that having two easy early week puzzles and the info found in this blog helps newbie puzzles solvers get a leg up and encourages them to aspire to harder puzzles gradually. We would die out without new blood.

We call the table that holds the Eucharistic bread and wine the credence table. I think most Roman Catholics and Anglicans do so.
In the middle ages a Credence Table, a small side-table, originally an article of furniture was placed near the high table in royal or noble houses, at which the ceremony of the praegustatio, Italian credenziare, the "assay" or tasting of food and drink for poisons was performed by an official of the household.
I find it odd that the Church adapted this poison tasting table to the Holy Eucharist.

Lucina, I am sorry to hear you are in so much dental pain. I hope they can soon resolve it.

Lucina said...

wseeley and YR:
Thank you for your sympathies. My dear friend, Kathy, brought me some soup and ice cream. It was much needed nourishment as I have been unable to eat for over 24 hours. I'll eat a bit more in a few hours.

The right side of my face looks like an overblown, but lopsided, balloon.

Now I'm tired so I'm heading for bed.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Waz...Thanks for the vid. (Funny, they don't look raisins). Never heard the CCR versionl, just realized it's Creedence with 2 ee's 🙄

Lucina..Dental issues can be the most painful. Hope you feel better soon. 🦷🦷🦷

Oreo...(our favorite CW cookie)
It's a milestone year for Oreo. The Nabisco-owned brand is turning 110 on March 6

Becky said...

Lucina, drink a lot of ouzo and you'll feel better. Plus it's an antiseptic!

Becky

waseeley said...

Northwest Runner 2:45 PM We don't do CRYPTIC crosswords here. Our STAPLE is standard crosswordese with some pretty outrageous themes. 😁
Subgenius @ 3:11 PM You're richer than I am right now. I've get a running streak of 3 FIWS in a row. But as we say, "there's always tomorrow".
Ol' Man Keith @3:31 PM So you're a museum piece now? I know you're Ol', but I didn't think you were that Ol'. You have the wit of people far younger than you (many of them witless I'm sure)
jfromvt @ 3:39 PM Sound's like we need more "Mamma Bear" puzzles. Like I said, there's always tomorrow. 😁
Yellowrocks @4:16 PM Thank you for correcting (albeit not consciously I think) my earlier post at 11:16 AM calling the Altar side table a CREDENZA. We Catholic acolytes DO call it a CREDENCE TABLE. I'd not heard the association with Food TASTERS (see 64A in my review from January 6th 2022). Poison is not something I'd give thanksgiving (Eucharistia) for.

waseeley said...

waseeley @7:04 PM Make that link ...

Vidwan827 said...


Thank you Rebecca Goldstein, for a nice and easy, and enjoyable Tuesday puzzle, that I finished along time ago, but was caught up with some other official matters...
I had no real problems, except for OxLips, ( I have seen and eaten OxTails and seen OxEyes ,,, but ) I have heard of Ox blood red as a color for certain expensive corals and coral beads...
I was also aware of the relative position of Benin, and have heard of Benin bronzes, which are ancient artifacts.

Thank you Hatoolah for your always charming and funny blog review. Many rabbit holes to discover from your numerous links.
When we visited Israel, we took a side trip to Nazareth, on the West Bank, and crossed over thru the security Wall, and as the bus passed through the palestinian suburbs, we came across a building , built right next to the said Wall, and the name on the building, said ,"Wall-d-off Astoria"....

The chemist in me still wants to find out ... what is the reason that OUZO gets foggy or opaque, when water is added ? I aim to keep Googling until I find out.

Lucina, so sorry to hear about your dental pains ... I am surprised the DDS didnt give you some oxycodone or hydrocodone to kill the pain ... or some Tylenol-C or a Valium or Percocet combination or both. This seems not very professional on his/her part. If you have a codeine cough medicine, a couple of spoonfuls would might offer some relief. In this day and age, it appears to me, that it is better to err on the side of liberalism to reduce pain for patients, and not worry about the risk of addiction. A dentist, above all, should be highly sensitive ( pardon the pun ) to such possibilities.
I have heard and read, that in folk medicine, that even holding a clove ( the aromatic flower bud-) of the spice tree S. Aromaticum, in your teeth can temporarily reduce pain ... the Oil of that Clove, available at certain stores, is even better... just a couple of drops, on the tooth itself, will bring some relief...

Welcome SubGenius ... you should have stayed with ( plain -) Genius, we have no 'subs' here, unless you count the our Eminent blogger Husker Gary. ;-) We all think of ourselves as Geniuses or certainly, Geni-asses....

Waseely, the word 'diploma' has many meanings, all around the world ! "False Friends" ?
In India, a diploma course, say in engineering, is a three year course, after high school, whereas a 'degree' course in engineering is typically five or six years after high school.
The difference between a degree holder ( say, a B.S.) and a diploma holder (say, an LEE )is the difference between a NCO and a commissioned officer in the US Army ... held back for life.
In this, India, as a commonwealth member, follows the British system, in education.

Have a nice day, all.

Lucina said...

Vidwan:
I have a prescription for amoxicillin which has really helped to ease the pain and some oxycodone which I can take if needed. The swelling has gone down a little.

Vidwan827 said...


Lucina, thats good to hear. My prayers, this evening for you.
Despite my wife's insistence, I have kept some of my old painkillers from 8 years ago. They almost never expire, and, in a pinch, can be useful almost forever.
Many indian stores, and some chinese stores carry clove Oil, or Oil of Cloves, as a seasoning, but it is highly recommended, as an analgesic, especially for toothaches and such.

LEO III said...

FIR without any problems today. The theme was obvious, and the unknown names were handled with perps.

Thanks, Rebecca and Hahtoolah!

Yes, even though I can type with the best of them, and even though I am the slowest texter in the world, I prefer text messages to emails. Like my head, both my museum and personal email accounts are full of useless things that really need to be deleted. I just need to do it!

I envy those who can zip through writing text messages using just their thumbs.

Wilbur Charles said...

I see we had ERSATZ last Tuesday. FIR again today, 4 in a row since black Friday

-T, we had a TB and it came down to two women for "former stripper ". A very refined lady programmer and the boss. I had to pick one*.

Speaking of the links...I lasted about 12 NORRRMMs!!!

Love me them thar hahtoolah write-ups

Lucina, are there no clinics nearby? I couldn't use one because of my MYRIAD** medical issues. I can never keep straight which Oxy is Percocet and which is the other brand(Vicodin?). I know this: take half and stay off the road.

WC

BTW, I solve the night before but can't get to posting until now. And now To solve Wednesday

* Of course I picked the Lady

** Saturday clue?

Michael said...

Dear Vidwan: I wouldn't be so concerned with ouzo's cloudiness, as with its potency.

When we landed in Athens, decades ago, we went out for dinner. The ouzo was served in little 187-ml. bottles ... three of which had me snookered, almost a pint. It turned out that ouzo is basically grain alcohol and water, with added anise. (The cloudiness you noted is likely the reaction of essential oils in the anise with water.)

Wilbur Charles said...

I just finished Wednesday

Wilbur Charles said...

34 minutes?

Husker Gary said...

The day got away from me as I got in 18 holes and had to meet with our AV and furniture peeps.
Fun puzzle where absence of circles would have made it more challenging.