Clue: Excellent, risk-taking crossword constructor?
Answer: "RADVENTUROUS"
"Puzzling thoughts":
First off, I FIR and don't recall having to cheat or look up any answers. Most of the grid came together by either knowledge or perps. The "theme", OTOH, was something I scratched my "hairless head" about (yes, I am quite bald on top), but I think I got it
I could see, and definitely sussed the added "R" to four puzzle answers:
16 Across. Appreciation for Jay-Z's music?: RAPPLAUSE. RAP = Jay-Z's music genre; APPLAUSE is how many give appreciation
24 Across. Compilation of angry blog posts?: RANTHOLOGY. RANT = carrying on, angrily; ANTHOLOGY = collection of literary works, usually published. A compilation
34 Across. Jamaican drink garnish?: RUMBRELLA. My favorite of Pamela's R-words today! RUM = a drink staple in Jamaica; UMBRELLA = the little plastic garnish for many RUM drinks (see image below)
50 Across. Deckhand unable to raise the sails?: RIGNORAMUS. RIG = as an action verb, the making ready of a sailboat (raising the sails; adjusting the ropes/cables/shrouds/stays/halyards, et al); IGNORAMOUS = an ignorant person. Not a very pleasant word; a word that's rarely used or heard anymore, although Oxford Languages Dictionary indicates that its usage is on the rise
And the reveal:
60 Across. "In Rainbows" rockers, and a hint to what changes four puzzle answers: RADIOHEAD.
OK, just for the record (no pun intended), I was never a fan of the band RADIOHEAD. As I prepared for this recap, I googled the band, read the Wikipedia page, checked out the album "In Rainbows", selected the hit single "Nude", as it was supposedly one of their bigger hits.
Note to self: be careful when you do a google search using the word "Nude" and "YouTube" ...
I even sent an email to C.C. to see if I was missing something here. I tried reaching Pam via FaceBook Messenger, but it went unanswered; so unless she visits the blog today, we may never know if the RADIOHEAD reveal meant anything more than each of the four answers having an "R" at its "HEAD". And to a degree, all of the four entries created a punny portmanteau. But regardless, this puzzle was quite RADVENTUROUS
Here is the grid, and then off to the rest of the fill:
Across:
1. Colorful chatterbox: MACAW. Our regular Crossword Corner contributor, desper-otto, has said that he likes to have an easy-to-solve "1 Across". MACAW was not the first colorful chatterbox to come to my mind, but perps helped
6. Needing a refill: LOW. One thing that this sommelier never lets happen:
9. Either of two "Monday, Monday" singers: MAMA. MAMA Cass Elliot and MAMA Michelle Phillips. They sang background; PAPA Denny Doherty was the "lead" singer, and songwriter PAPA John Phillips added vocal harmony as well
Fun Fact: "Monday, Monday" was the group's only #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the first time in history, a song by a mixed gender group reached the top of the charts. This, according to Wikipedia. I would've included a YouTube video of this song, but I know that most of you are already humming the tune
13. Ohno in the Olympics: APOLO. Per wiki: APOLO Anton Ohno is an American retired short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist in the Winter Olympics. Ohno is the most decorated American Olympian at the Winter Olympics and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2019. Today begins many of the events of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Viktor Ahn of Russia is perhaps the current, best speed skater
14. Mahershala of "House of Cards": ALI. According to Britannica, Mahershala ALI, original name Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore, (born February 16, 1974, Oakland, California, U.S.), is an American actor who rose to prominence in the 2010s and won an Academy Award for his moving and nuanced performance as the fatherly drug dealer Juan in the film Moonlight (2016)
15. '50s vaccine pioneer: SABIN. SALK didn't fit, so it must be SABIN. But given some info I found on-line, I found these "fun facts": The polio vaccine comes in two types: the Salk vaccine, made with a killed virus and the SABIN vaccine, made with a live but weakened, or attenuated, virus
Another Fun Fact, which might disprove today's cluing of SABIN: Which came first Salk or Sabin? Jonas Salk (1914–1995) became a national hero when he allayed the fear of the dreaded disease with his polio vaccine, approved in 1955. Although it was the first polio vaccine, it was not to be the last; Albert Bruce Sabin (1906–1993) introduced an oral vaccine in the United States in the 1960s that replaced Salk's ... hmm?
18. Big name in Civil War fiction: O'HARA. Scarlett O'HARA. Rhett Butler. "I don't give a damn". Airport in Chicago
19. A play may have just one: ACT. Here are a few to peruse
20. Terminates: FIRES. Not a pleasant experience for either the FIRE'er or the FIRE'ee
21. Sanctioned by Islamic law: HALAL. This one filled with perps. "HALAL is an Arabic word that simply means lawful or permitted, but generally refers to what's allowed under Islamic law. It's the opposite of haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. ... That's largely because meat can be either halal or haram depending on how the animal was slaughtered." - according to Fine Dining Lovers dot com. Hmm, doesn't sound kosher to me ... or is it??
22. Kitchen address: CHEF. As in calling the cook by his/her title: "Hey, CHEF!" A good friend of mine was a basketball official for years. His court address? "Hey, REF!"
26. Fizz up: AERATE. To make bubbly
28. Rights wrongs: ATONES. Cute clue
29. Much of E. Europe, once: SSRS. I work with a crossword puzzle editor who absolutely refuses to use SSR or SSRS in his puzzles. Other "crossword-ese" he won't allow: AGEE, ALOU, ANIL, APSE, ASTA, EDO, ELO, ELY, ENO, ENOL, ERNE, NAE, OBIE, OLEO, OLIO, ORR, OTOE, OTT, RALE, RIA, ROUE, SDI, SERE, SLA, SSR, STEN, TSAR, or ULEE
Not saying that using these words are "bad", but it does make one think harder to come up with fresh fill
30. Squeal: TELL. The informal verb form of squeal = TELL or inform; usually by someone wanting to call out a wrong doer
33. Feb. NC hours: EST. Despite its length in miles (503 from east to west), the state of North Carolina resides totally within the Eastern Time Zone. During February, the state observes Eastern Standard Time (EST), or GMT -5
38-Across. With 15-Down, brow-wiping comment
15-Down. See 38-Across. Put these together and you get: "IT'S SO HOT". Really? In February in N America? Not too many places fit that description! But here are a couple of videos that might bring a grin when they ask, "How hot is it?" IT'S SO HOT ...
41. Crew pair: OARS. SOCKS was too long of an answer to fit
42. Disney bigwig: IGER. Robert A. IGER is an American businessman who was executive chairman, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company
45. Exchange: SWITCH. Or, as we used to see all the time, bait and SWITCH:
48. Blue hues: AZURES. I'll take their word for it. As I kid I grew up with just 8 crayons in a box. These are the colors I know: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black
54. Moderate: EASE. I found a new website to explain this clue and fill
55. Bug: ANNOY. If you go back to the link in 54-Across and enter the words: BUG and ANNOY in the search window, you can see the WikiDiff between them
56. One following a point: TENTH. As in decimal point. The number to the right of it is called a TENTH. As in 98.6 degrees. The "6". Also can be 6/10; and that can be restated as 3/5. RRRGH!
58. Penn in NYC, e.g.: STN. Why is it that I always use STA to abbr. the word "station"? In crossword speak, it's STN
59. Online cash-back deal: EBATE. Moe-ku:
I've been wondering,
Is an on-line cash-back scam
Called: "E-BATE and SWITCH"?
62. Cubist Fernand: LEGER. All perps. Britannica dot com says: "Fernand Léger, (born February 4, 1881, Argentan, France—died August 17, 1955, Gif-sur-Yvette), French painter who was deeply influenced by modern industrial technology and Cubism. Today marks the anniversary of his birth. Coincidence?? LEGER developed “machine art,” a style characterized by monumental mechanistic forms rendered in bold colours. This one below is called: "Mechanical Forms"
63. Lager alternative: ALE. I did a double-take, and saw the word LEGER (see 62-across) alternative. Which made me think of this guy. But of course, it was "lager" - or a type of beer. IPA was my second guess - after Fau (see link) - and ALE finally showed after 51 through 53-down were solved
64. Tee choice: LARGE. I was thinking golf, and was trying to choose between "back", "middle", "senior", and "front"; or the corresponding colors: black, blue, white/green, or red. I left this blank until the perps solved it for me
65. March time: IDES. March 15, to be exact
66. Aleppo's home: Abbr.: SYR. Aleppo is a city in SYRia, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. with an official population of 4.6 million in 2010. Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; it may have been inhabited since the sixth millennium BC. Wikipedia. Of course our upstate New York contingent may have preferred to see a clue such as: "Upstate NY airport code"
67. Fourth circle of hell inhabitant, in Dante: MISER. Study dot com says: "The Fourth Circle of Hell is for those specifically guilty of avarice, who either spend or hoard too much money. This circle of hell is divided in half between the spenders and hoarders, who are constantly brawling with each other". A MISER is another name for a hoarder
Down:
1. Half a percussion pair: MARACA. A CSO to Lucinda, perhaps?? Fun Fact: What Are the Origins of MARACAs? Rattles similar to maracas have existed for millennia in Africa, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas. The Araucanian people, who live in what is now central Chile, may have been the first to use the word maraca to describe a gourd rattle around 500 BC. But the image below might belie that fact ...
2. Boeing 3-Down: APACHES 3-Down. See 2-Down: COPTERS. The Boeing AH-64 APACHE is an American twin-turboshaft attack heliCOPTER with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. First flown in 1975. Are there any of our veterans out there who are familiar with this, or have flown on one?
Fun Fact: Chairman Moe has never been on a heliCOPTER
4. Lofty peak: ALP. I think I had one similar to this a few weeks back. Jeffrey Wechsler was more specific and used MATTERHORN; a Swiss ALP. But today's image is that of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak in the Bavarian ALPs. Moe visited there in 1980 ...
5. Scarf (down): WOLF.
6. Michelle's White House predecessor: LAURA. LAURA Lane Welch Bush is an American teacher, librarian, memoirist and author who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as the first lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000. She is the wife of former President George W. Bush. Wikipedia
Born: November 4, 1946 (age 75 years), Midland, TX
7. Worker with Lane and Kent: OLSEN. James Bartholomew (Jimmy) OLSEN is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Superman (Clark Kent), and has a good working relationship with his boss Perry White. Wikipedia
8. "Let Them All Talk" actress Dianne: WIEST. Dianne WIEST is a wonderful actor. I thought one of her better roles was as the "matron", Joan Short, on the TV series "Life in Pieces" on CBS. She co-stars with Meryl Streep and Candice Bergen on "Let Them All Talk"
I was not familiar with the movie from today's clue; here's why: "Let Them All Talk" is streaming exclusively on HBO Max. Right now, the only way to watch "Let Them All Talk" online is with a subscription to HBO Max.
Well, I have no HBO Max subscription, nor do I want one. So I guess I have to be "teased" by the trailer
9. Island thanks: MAHALO. How do you respond to MAHALO? Mahalo is the Hawaiian word for “thanks”. If you don't want to respond in English, you can always use the Hawaiian phrase for “you're welcome” which could be either of the following: ʻAʻole pilikia (No problem), pronounced ah-o-lay pee-lee-kee-ah. Noʻu ka hauʻoli (The pleasure is mine), pronounced no-ooh-kah-how-oh-lee. And now you know
10. Sea otter prey: ABALONE. Is ABALONE related to an oyster? Abalone might be flesh inside of a shell, quite like an oyster, but it reportedly doesn't taste anything like one. Allegedly, abalone tastes like something between squid and a scallop, with a salty and buttery taste. It's remarkably delicious and has a very distinct flavor. And is quite expensive; a pound of it goes for about $125
11. They're not real: MIRAGES.
12. Handwriting __: ANALYST. What does your handwriting say about you??
17. Concession ending: AIRE. Or a dog breed beginning; AIREdale. Much different meanings as a suffix or prefix. -AIRE: a suffix that forms nouns denoting a person characterized by or occupied with that named by the stem, occurring in loanwords from French; concessionAIRE. AIRE-: a prefix referring to the River Valley (Aire) in Yorkshire, England
23. Klinger on "M*A*S*H": FARR. Jamie FARR (born Jameel Joseph Farah; July 1, 1934) is an American television and film comedian and theatre actor. He is best known for playing the cross-dressing corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the CBS television sitcom M*A*S*H. Wikipedia. FARR was born and raised in Toledo, OH. He made several references to his home town on M*A*S*H*, including this well-known hot dog place. Make sure you play the short video
25. Room access: HALL. As in HALLway. Two of our spare bedrooms in our house share a HALL. Now, when I saw the word "HALL", I immediately thought of Monty HALL, the erstwhile game show host on 'Let's Make a Deal'. If you recall, one of that game show's features was a contestant choosing among three closed doors or curtains. One of the three usually had a high-value item; the others not. The selection "process" even stumped many mathematicians which spawned a discussion about conditional probability and reasoning. Please click on the short video in this link
27. Volunteer State sch.: TSU. An HBCU. Tennessee State University (TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Wikipedia
30. Placeholder abbr.: TBA. According to Collins Dictionary dot com: TBA is sometimes written in announcements to indicate that something such as the place where something will happen or the people who will take part is not yet known and will be announced at a later date. TBA is an abbreviation for 'to be announced'
31. Goof: ERR. Crossword Corner Quiz: Who wrote: "To ERR is human; to forgive, divine"? Do you know the answer without looking it up? I didn't
32. Survivalist Stroud: LES. A CSO to our cruciverbalist north of the border, Canadian, Eh! LES Stroud is a Canadian survival expert, filmmaker and musician best known as the creator, writer, producer, director, cameraman and host of the television series Survivorman. Stroud was named Chief Scout by Scouts Canada on November 22, 2021. Wikipedia
35. Jay of "Last Comic Standing": MOHR. A 2:00 clip of one of his comedy bits
36. Lemon on "30 Rock": LIZ. Let's keep the comedy coming!!
37. Feverish feeling: AGUE. I'll probably jinx myself, but I have not suffered with AGUE since well before the pandemic. You? My last serious cold/flu/AGUE was in the late fall of 2018
38. Haifa native: ISRAELI. Haifa is a northern ISRAELI port city built in tiers extending from the Mediterranean up the north slope of Mount Carmel. The city’s most iconic sites are the immaculately landscaped terraces of the Bahá'í Gardens and, at their heart, the gold-domed Shrine of the Báb. At the foot of the gardens lies the German Colony, with shops, galleries and restaurants in 19th-century buildings. ― Google. It's also Israel's third largest city in population, behind Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. I've been to all three of these cities; was there in 2007 and 2008 on a business trip
39. Hotel option: TWIN BED. Wow! How old is THIS clue?? Or should I ask, when was the last time you saw a TWIN BED in a hotel room?? FTR, a TWIN mattress is typically 38 inches wide by 75 inches long, and usually fits small BED frames, daybeds, and bunk beds. A FULL BED is 54 inches wide by 75 inches long; a QUEEN BED is 60 inches by 80 inches, and a KING BED is 76 inches by 80 inches
Crossword Corner Quiz: Back in the early days of television, especially on sit-coms, whenever there was a scene of a married couple's bedroom, it showed TWIN BEDS. Question: Who is the first married couple (on TV) to be shown sleeping in a FULL or QUEEN size bed?
40. Turnpike reading: SIGNAGE. Well, this clue was a bit obscure at first - for me, anyway. I was thinking, Arizona Highways, AAA Triptik, On The Road?? Oh, not THAT reading! What you might read alongside the turnpike, or overhead. Having lived in several areas where turnpikes exist, I'm quite familiar ...
43. They remove bad marks: ERASERS. Well, in some cases. Whenever I received a bad mark in school my teacher wrote it in pen - usually, a red-ink pen. There was no ERASER that could remove those bad marks
44. Bring back to Broadway: RESTAGE.
46. U.S. IOUs: T-NOTES. Could this have also been T-BILLS? Or T-BONDS?
Fun Fact: What is the difference between T-bills, T-bonds and T-NOTES? The major difference among them is the time you need to wait to collect your principal: Treasury bills have maturities of a year or less. Treasury notes are issued with maturities from two to ten years. Treasury bonds are long-term investments that have maturities of 10 to 30 years from their issue date - Google
47. More evasive: COYER. Whenever I hear or see the word "COY", I'm reminded of this tune. Third stanza, I believe; "Don't need to be COY, Roy"
48. Wine region near Cuneo: ASTI. Hey! A correct clue for this word for a change! Granted, Cuneo is not the most well-known city in the Piedmont
49. One might get a return: SENDER. Any Elvis fans? If so, listen and enjoy
51. Razor choices: ATRAS. Can any person (male or female) who visits this blog ever recall using an ATRA razor?? Not I. But based on the number of times the word ATRA (or today, ATRAS) appears in crossword puzzles, you'd think it was the brand to beat all brands ...
52. Devious: MEALY. I can see devious as a synonym for MEALY-mouthed; so can Dictionary dot com: "avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising". But just for MEALY? Hmmm
53. Ready for the operation: UNDER. As in UNDER sedation. So as not to feel the incisions made during a surgical operation. Something that DID happen to me during one. Fortunately more anaesthesia was given to me, "stat"
57. Ian of "The Hobbit": HOLM. Bilbo Baggins character in the LOTR trilogy. Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert CBE, known as Ian HOLM, was an English actor. His death in 2020 at age 88 was attributed to an illness related to Parkinson’s disease
61. "Bali __": HA'I. Is Bali HA'I a real place? "Bali Ha'i" was based on the real island of Ambae (formerly Aoba Island). Ambae is located in Vanuatu (known as New Hebrides at the time the song was written). ... However, the scene was filmed on the north shore of Kauaʻi; Mount Makana was used as Bali Hai and is still known as Bali Hai today.
Not sure why Chairman Moe is all about songs and show tunes today, but we'll end today's blog with this rendition from the play "South Pacific"
56 comments:
FIRight! Surprising, since my last 2 or 3 cells were WAGs.
As for the theme, saw the added R right from RAPPLAUSE, but had to think for a minute how the reveal led to that.
He huffed and he puffed, but it still wasn't adequate,
So the time had come to see a psychoanalyst.
The ANALYST made such a bother
About his problem to discover.
Gave him one test, then another.
Showed him blots on a blotter,
Quizzed him about his mother,
The doc tented his hands together,
To reveal his findings to uncover:
"You're a pig, not a WOLF!" was his verdict.
{B-.}
FIR, lucking out on both my Naticks: WIEST x ALI and HOLM x MISER. ERASEd SABeN, RIOGNORAnce,COPToRS (UNTIE!), and corp for FARR. Also DNK ALI, HALAL, LEGER, LES, MOHR, LIZ, MEALY, and Cuneo. Waited for perps to give me STN over STa.
The nearby LA Diner (no, no\t THAT LA, this one is in Lake Alfred) is adorned with old-timey sign reproductions. One shows a buxom blonde grinning for the camera. The caption avows "the boobs are real, the smile is fake."
Thanks to Pam for the fun but difficult puzzle. Others will probably find this one easy, since I don't FIR a Friday grid very often. My favorite was RUMBRELLA too. And thanks to C-Moe for the comprehensive coverage of Pam's artistry.
FIR, but my overall take on this puzzle is ....... MEH!
Good morning!
Purposely stayed abed this morning. Temps are below 30°. There'll be nae 'hood marchin'.
Interesting R theme idea. Managed to stutter-step my way through it. Guess the reveal is saying that R is the HEAD of RADIO. Needed C-Moe to 'splain (or at least try to) MEALY. Took a while to parse TWINBED (it's easier when written horizontal). C-Moe was that the episode of Newhart when he wakes up to learn it was all a dream? Probably not. Hopefully, somebody'll know what it was. Thanx, Pam and C-Moe.
Chris your research and linking has moved on to a new level. I am exhausted just imagining the time spent on this write-up.
MEALY was also my only serious question. I did enjoy LEGER LAGER and LARGE all being in the grid.
AIRE is the home of the breed Airedale and here is a picture of my two youngest grandbabies Nessie and Owen . Nessie, the furry one is a few month old Airedale in the picture. She is bigger now.
Be careful of the weather and get better health all.
Not awake, but I did want to add:
1. CHEF a CSO to my wife.
2. DIANNE WIEST has had a wonderful career which blossomed by her inclusion in many WOODY ALLEN films. Her BEST ROLES .
3. Incidentally one movie was RADIO DAYS .
4. My one and only helicopter ride was in 1955, when we had a big flood and my Uncle who was the Windham County health officer was viewing the damage from the air.
5. My uncle also met Igor Sikorsky as a result of that event.
I've never ridden in a military helicopter, but used to fly often into the Gulf of Mexico to visit drilling rigs. Instead of a one-hour copter ride, the alternatives were a 4-6 hour really bumpy crewboat ride or 10-12 hours on a slower, smoother, larger workboat. There's lots of chopper traffic in the Gulf. The rule-of-thumb was that if the other plane appears to be moving relative to you, you should be OK. It's the plane that remains in the same general area of the sky that causes concern, because you're probably on a converging course.
Among the many critters under our roof: Cats, Dogs, Birds etc we had a MACAW for awhile.
We've settled on five conures until another hatching occurs.
Dry/LOW;aha, Scarlett, that OHARA
So, your Ed. is OK with Isao Aoki?
Oh oh I had mEwL/TELL;mBA/TBA;lES/WES. I took squeal literally.
The APACHE sounds like a newer version of the Cobra Gunship which I did take a memorable trip on
I had cprl/FARR. Thank God they weren't looking for Klinger's first name. Was it ever mentioned?
Florida has particularly bad SIGNAGE. I'm glad to see someone else using that word
I think Desi and Lucy may have shared a bed unless it was MTM and Dick Vandike
FIW
Chairman, your favorite in this 'R-Rated' puzzle was RUMBRELLA but RIGNORAMUS was mine. Ignoramous is a perfect description for a person I know who inherited TWO paid off houses at different times, moved into each , took mortgages so he could 'live well', ended up losing both of them, and currently lives out of his car mowing yards.
But what does RADIOHEAD have to do with anything. Until your writeup I'd never heard of it or them. 'Monday, Monday' was their only #1? 'Califoria dreamin', and 'Dedicated to the One I Love' were better. IMHO. But in the blog we can "Go Where You Wanna Go'. Anyway where's C.C. today? " I Saw Her Again Last Night' and she was on the way to 'San Francisco' (with some flowers in her hair)
LEGER, MISER, & WIEST were unknowns filled by perps.
MEALY- really didn't know and have only heard it as 'mealy mouthed'
FIR Friday, though I had big doubts and question marks next to RADIOHEAD and MEALY. Perps seemed solid but until C Moe's excellent review, I was puzzled. No WOs until I got near the bottom where I tried Tbills/Tbonds/TNOTES and return/SWITCH. (I know "return" was used in a clue, but we've seen that rule broken before.) I enjoyed getting the theme with RUMBRELLA, Pam. Thanks for the entertainment today.
About today's questions:
I didn't know who said "To err is human" and was surprised when I looked it up.
I passed on the chance to ride in a helicopter in Switzerland at a festival. I didn't need to be rescued, I get airsick easily in small planes, and it was expensive as are most things in Switzerland.
Didn't know which couple first shared a bed so looked it up too. Wasn't watching TV much in those days.
Hope you all stay safe and warm today.
Good Morning:
I saw the theme right away but the reveal was a true Aha moment. I needed perps for Radio Head as my pop music knowledge would fit in a thimble. I also needed perps for Leger, Les, and Miser, as clued. There seemed to be a copious number of proper names but I knew almost all of them. I thought some of the cluing was off kilter (Mealy, e.g.) but I guess Friday puzzles allow more latitude. My favorite themer was Rumbrella. Liked the Apaches/Copters and Iger/Leger/Lager grouping. CSOs to Lemony, Hahtoolah, MalMan, and Picard (Israel) and Moe (Asti).
Thanks, Pam, for a fun Friday solve and thanks, Moe, for a most interesting and informative review. All of your visuals and links were visible, surprisingly, and I checked out and enjoyed several of them. I really liked the trailer for Let Them All Talk. Thanks for the time and effort you put into your write-ups.
I watched Dark Waters last night and enjoyed it, although I found it very slow-paced and, once again, I had to endure too many poorly lit scenes. It certainly exposed DuPont’s greed and callous disregard for human life and safety. IMO, Anne Hathaway’s talents were wasted in a peripheral, minor role.
Have a great day.
Not a big fan of this CW: too many proper names (11), and the north-central was filled with them. Also, don’t know about “MEALY”; never heard it defined that way. Also APACHES COPTERS? MEH. But I did manage to FIR, although it took an agonizing 37 minutes. OTOH, I cannot create a CW myself, so, thanx, PAK, for your efforts at creating this CW. And thanx too to CMoe for all the time and effort put into the terrific write-up.
WC @8:19 Klinger’s first name was MAX.
Managed the Wordle this morning:
Wordle 230 5/6
🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
🟨🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Musings
-Yeah, R as the head letter seems right. C’mon, ya gotta love RIGNORAMUS!
-LOW – How many times has the LOW Fuel signal on your dash saved you. I’ve lost count.
-I have been the FIRER but never the FIREE
-I had my lawn “made bubbly” last October
-A favorite chant of sisters, “I’m gonna TELL”. BTW, that TELL has two syllables.
-Who thought scoreboard clocks should use TENTHS of a second for the last minute?
-Our high school has been RESTAGING plays that can put 90 kids on the stage for decades– South Pacific, Fiddler, et al
-UNDER – From, “Count backwards from ten.” to “Hi, Gary, you can get dressed now.”
-All MACAWS are parrots but not all parrots are MACAWS
-Was Elvis in that segment with Ann Margaret? :-)
Fred / WC, I think "Max" was used fairly often, maybe one out of every ten episodes. I thought the show jumped the shark when Radar went home and Klinger went establishment. Didn't mind when Henry was killed off and Bill Gannon took command.
Found this puzzle very annoying.
Do not like clues that refer to other clues, as 2 and 3 down.
Didn't know many of the names referenced.
Good morning. Thank you, Pam and Chairman Moe
I needed the reveal to understand the theme.
Those 4 added Rs could have been used in front of EBATE, IDES, OARS and EST.
Moe, during the solve, I predicted that you would link Elvis, and I'm happy that you did.
Loved TENTH for "One following a point"
SIGNAGE - Want to see billboard signage ? Drive from St Louis to the Oklahoma state line.
DNK LEGER, HOLM, LES.
Wasn't familiar with WIEST in that role, but I do remember her roles in Footloose and Little Man Tate, which I've seen and enjoyed multiple times.
The other names were all known, although I first had Leno instead of MOHR because I read the clue as "Last Man Standing" rather than "Last Comic Standing".
Had slYER before COYER in that area as well, so that took a couple of moments to work out.
Am not familiar with the word MEALY in any sense of devious.
Apaches were not deployed yet, so we didn't have any or service any at Coleman Army Airfield when I served in the 70th Trans Batt (AVIM). However, there were plenty of Cobras and other military helicopters there.
You Cornerites might be interested to know that at my day program, the Marshall Center, we've been playing "Wordle" every day this week. We don't use the "word of the day" from the actual Wordle site, but simply a word that a member or counselor has selected. Maybe that's why it's been fairly easy for me and friend Brenda, along with others, to collaboratively solve the puzzle in four tries or less each time. The idea of using the word "adieu" to start with, as recommended here, has proven fruitful, and I thank you folks for suggesting it. In spite of the fact that it IS a fun game, I don't think I'll be downloading the actual puzzle, because I don't think it would be as much fun to do solo as it is in a group of fellow solvers.
Puzzling thoughts 2:
To All: Keep guessing at the first TV couple who slept in a full or queen size bed. All guesses so far were incorrect
WC @ 8:19 --> Here is the preamble to the word list the editor won't allow:
UNINTERESTING/OBSCURE ANSWER WORDS:
With careful grid patterning, crossword-constructing software and a comprehensive database, obscurities are not necessary as “filler” words to complete a grid. You must consider a word taboo if it is unlikely to be seen or heard outside of crossword puzzles.
Having never seen it used in any of their previous puzzles, I'd guess "no"
Lemony: Now that I see the recap "live", yes, it does seem as though it was an exhausting exercise!! Lots of cutting and pasting. Worst part is all of the hypertext needed (e.g., <a ref ) to copy links
We got close to freezing last night, but otherwise it's a very beautiful, sunshiny day here in the VOTS
Now, as to today's CW, with the first long answer I grasped the theme, so that helped me solve the puzzle. Fernand Leger was a Natick, but the perps made it clear. And I didn't understand the reveal "Radiohead" until D-Otto explained it to me. Finally, I hadn't thought of "mealy" for devious but then I remembered the term "mealy-mouthed" so then it made sense. FIR, and was glad to do so.
Radiohead is not the same as the letter R. But the only way this theme works is if the letter R replaces the word Radiohead in the theme clue; Radiohead is not "R-head." Would "Red head" work?
Anthony, as Desper-Otto explained, "R" is the "head" (or first) letter in the word "radio", thus "Radiohead" makes sense, even if it is pretty obscure cluing.
Hola!
Not my favorite kind of puzzle but I finished it in good time, for me. I've been in a few hotels with TWIN BEDs but usually they are queens.
Gotta love RIGNORAMUS.
I really admire Diane WIEST. She has played in some good roles.
LIZ Lemon is unfamiliar to me but perps filled it. Don't know Jay MOHR either.
In a few months we'll be saying, "IT'S SO HOT."
APACHES are manufactured here in Mesa, AZ. the heliCOPTERS, that is. I rode in one in Canada over Niagara Falls.
Dick WOLF produces many of the crime shows on TV.
For my root canal procedure I did not go UNDER but only the part affected was numbed. I felt no pain.
MAHALO, Chairman Moe! Have a lovely day, everyone!
WAGged and perped my way to a FIR in 20:12 which is a decent time for me on Friday (probably about half the time that Speedy Solver will RRive home). Unknowns were the names LEGER, WIEST, LES, and HOLM. Thank you Pamela for the challenge, I really liked the theme which I sussed on my completion of RANTCOLONY, which of course I had to backspace out and correct a few letters when the perps didn’t work. NE was my last fill.
Thank you C-Moe for your very educational and entertaining synopsis, your time and effort is much appreciated by myself and I’m sure all the other Cornerites! Especially liked the comedy vids and Elvis’ Return to Sender, I actually bought my sister the 45 for Christmas back in ‘62 or ‘63. APOLO Anton Ohno used to train hear at the nearby Olympic Training Center. Also I remember a Bali HAI wine from back in my underage drinking days, very sweet ala Ripple, don’t think either of those is still on the market, TG!
Big Easy ~~ I also have a friend with almost exactly the same RIGNORAMUS story, except he had a much happier ending.
As far as the theme, it makes perfect sense to me...R is at the head of radio, being the first letter, the reveal states only that it is a hint to what changes the puzzle answers, which are all headed by an R.
Oops, I meant it took me probably double Speedy Solvers time, not half.
CM, I forgot to mention (until reading Yooper's comments) how much I enjoyed listening to Jim Gaffigan and his jokes about Las Vegas and Maine. When he got to the Mainers and their take on summer, I couldn't stop laughing.
As for the first TV couple, my first thought was Mike and Gloria Stivic, but that might have been too early, and I don't remember any specific bedroom scenes. I think there were bedroom scenes in The Jeffersons, but I don't think they were ever shown in bed together. Everybody Loves Raymond had a lot of funny scenes with them in bed together, but there may have been some shows in between that I'm not coming up with.
YooperPhil, you and I had similar times. My puzzle reset after I finally finished (I think it was 15 minutes+). I really struggled with albacore (crossing Sabin & Halal, near "analyst" to complete "handwriting ___"), the Holm & Hai pairing, and understanding how adding an "r" equals "radio". Theme is too "stretchy" for my taste, but otherwise a good mental workout.
Makes me miss the themeless Fridays of old.
Thank you Pamela for a Friday challenge, which I had to rassle to the mat and finally pummel into a FIR.
Thank you MOE for an ASTI ("sparkling") and very informative review.
To borrow D-O's frequent lament: Started 1A with MACAW, got no immediate gratification and changed it to TUCAN. But I saw no colors, only a sea of white for the longest time, before ATONEing for my ERR and giving MACAW a second chance. By then I had picked enough LHF to start piecing things together, got the theme, it was useful, and eventually everything clicked.
Some favs:
6A LOW. Favorite cartoon! The sommelier at the Wedding in Cana is described in this passage from John 2:1-12.
22A CHEF. At Le Chateau Anglais, this is how the staff addressed "Gareth" (Lenny Henry) in the hilarious BBC series "Chef". One of the funniest episodes (all available on YT) is "England Expects" when Gareth enters an international cookery competition in Lyon, France. All the dishes must have ingredients exclusively from the originating country - but the case of English wine didn't make the plane and he has to buy it from a French wine shop ("Vous voulez quoi Monsieur?"!
56A TENTH. I think your 3/5ths would only work in the SEXIMAL numbering system (I could have said SENARY, but I think SEXIMAL is better click bait).
60A RADIOHEAD. I'm not making this up: the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is giving a BSO Fusion concert tomorrow 2/5/2022 called Brahms v. Radiohead. Just for giggles I could probably get tickets to this, but lucky for Teri that she has a wedding shower to attend and I wouldn't want to go alone.
62A LEGER. "Machine art?" See RADIOHEAD's "OK Computer"
10D ABALONE. You can play sea otter in some of the better sushi establishments.
23D FARR. The link and video were mouth watering MOE.
37D AGUE. Neither have I MOE. I think it's my CPAP machine.
39D TWIN. I was only 5 mos old at the time and we didn't even own a TV. How would I know?
49D SENDER. Hand up!
51A ATRA. Used one just this morning.
Cheers,
Bill
Moe, since you insist.
Re your comment to Lemony @10:18 AM re embedding links. You only need the HTML "<a href ..." sequence in comments. There is a much easier way to do it in Blogger. I'll send you a reference doc that describes how to do it if you'd like - just email me.
------------------------------------------------
FLN "I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of this, Bill said prognostically"
HG - "The lower tier was fun but a challenge on this subzero morning, wrote Gary coldly!”
TTP - "Good morning. I didn't sleep too well, Tom said tiredly".
TTP - "They filled rather quickly", Tom said hastily.
TTP - "The official music video is more revealing, Tom said suggestively".
CMOE - “AW GEE, they cancelled The Three Stooges!, Tom moaned"
CMOE - "The Tom Swifty’s are up my alley; I was bowled over" - a variant called a "CROAKER" actually. I'm impressed that you read the all of the link!
CMOE -
“Today I achieved
A personal pool record!”
She said, swimmingly
WC - "Thanks for the milk, said the cat Saucily"
MOI - "I've given up tallying the Swifties today, Bill said resignedly."
MOI - "As I suspected, Lewis and Nancy have started a trend, Bill said faddishly."
YR - "After a light breakfast I ran errands and missed lunch. Now I am very hungry, said Yellowrocks, ravenously."
Word of the Day: janiform
Pronunciation: jæn-ê-form
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Two-face, having two faces facing in opposite directions like that of the Roman god Janus.
Notes: Janus was the two-faced Roman god of transitions like life/death, youth/adulthood, one historical era to another. His likeness appeared on doors and gates in ancient Rome. His two faces often were young and old, interpreted as looking ahead and looking backward.
In Play: This word means "like Janus", so the faces may be anyone's: "The statue they erected in the village square was janiform, with the face of Willy Playfair on one side and Les Cheatham's on the other." If you don't want to call your co-conversationalist the two-faced liar that they are, try a figurative use of today's Good Word: "I find you a janiform prevaricator."
See Alpha Dictionary for more info.
Hi All!
Nope. Way too many unknown names and I shot myself in the foot 2x (ussr & RIGNORAnce). I tossed the towel after getting the themers (those were fun) as not to spoil my morning with multiple Googles. Thanks for the puzzle, Pam.
Mighty-fine (and extensive!) expo and kus, C. Moe.
WOs: door -> HALL, STa->STN
ESPs: Nope, DNF
Fav: How about some Jimmy OLSEN's Blues [Spin Doctors]
We have tickets to the dress rehearsal of South Pacific Sunday night; maybe I'll remember 61a after seeing the show (for the 1st time).
{B}
I always thought of a mealy-mouth being a wishy-washy timid sorta person; just eats mushy meal (grains). Learned something, I did.
When I TELL folks (esp. techies) where I work, I must specify oil & gas - not web servers nor helicopters.
Our Army Reserves unit participated in a NATO exercise to build a full field hospital. We were ferried by helicopter 45 minutes across Germany from the base to the hospital site. The thing that impressed me most was all the hyperbolic cooling towers for their (now shutdown?) nuclear plants.
Another time, a Warrant Officer needed some flight hours so he took some of us up in a Vietnam-era looking Huey.
Well, it seems I have one frozen pipe outside the kitchen. I'll know if it cracked in a few hours when it's above 32F (0C) for a bit. I hope it's OK 'cuz otherwise we'll be w/ out water until a plumber is available.
Enjoyed reading y'all - have a great afternoon.
Cheers, -T
A tough Friday PZL from Ms. Klawitter, neatly parsed by Chairman Moe!
Lucina @11:28 ~ No need to wait "a few months" here in SoCal. We're in the 70s now and predicted to reach 80 degrees this Sunday. Not bragging or anything, just a typical weather report...
Looks like our golden, Maggie, is back on for surgery this afternoon. The vets found a mass on her liver but think it is benign, so we're going ahead.
~ OMK
____________
DR: Just one diagonal, far side.
There are only three consonants among the 15 diagonal letters, and that limits the anagrammatic possibilities severely.
Nevertheless, using our trusty P+P, we say MAHALO for what we have and proceed to extract an anagram (12 of 15 letters) that speaks to a typical reaction to an Hawaiian farewell song.
Yes, I mean...
"OO, A(n) ALOHA ARIA"!
Fab Friday. Thanks for the fun, Pam and C.Moe.
No newspaper delivery today because of the snow; I solved online and required red-letter help to complete.
Also, nowhere to write reminders to bring here.
I saw the added Rs rapt the HEAD, but also scratched my head to see the connection with RADIO.
Hand up for going to the golf course with Tee.
My kitchen address was Chez, and I stuck with it for too long. FARR finally fixed if.
Add an E to IGER and you get an ALP.
IT’S not SO HOT here, but that’s a Canadian winter for you.
SABIN is considered a pioneer for his development of the oral live polio vaccine.
The ANALYST tells me that I have high goals and big ideas, but like to stay out of the limelight. I’m also rational and discreet. I had years of experience analyzing doctors’ signatures on narcotic Rxs to confirm not a forgery. Don’t get me into a RANTHOLOGY about doctor’s penmanship on the rest of the Rx. Suffice it to say that the advent of electronic systems and computer order entry has circumvented the legibility issue.
I’m not on a first name basis with LES Stroud to take a CSO.
Wishing you all a great day.
Dash T, the main service line from the street or a 1/2 or 3/4 pipe ? If one of the latter two, stop by Home Depot or Lowes on your way home and pick up some Shark Bites connectors and maybe a small section of pipe in that same diameter. Maybe some steel wool if you don't have any in your shop - to clean the pipe after you cut out the bad section. Might get you back in business until you can get a plumber onsite.
Yooper- the RIGNORAMUS I know has only two jobs that I know of- He was a prison guard for a few years and used that experience when he was a bouncer at many joints on Bourbon Street. He doesn't smoke, drink, or do drugs but whenever he got any money, he would spend it immediately. Vacations, expensive restaurants,...etc.
Bill Seeley @ 1:12 --> I didn't google the quiz question for the answer; just one I know, anecdotally, and it wasn't Mary Kay and Johnny. Perhaps I should've been more specific and said that the show was on one of the three major networks. But yours was a great guess and I learned something new as well.
FWIW, there's an interesting movie streaming on Amazon Prime Video called Being the Ricardos. In it, the couple - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz - discuss their pregnancy as well as showing Lucy "with child" as her pregnancy develops; perhaps even having the delivery on TV coincide with the actual event. Interesting the comments by the "bosses" at CBS about that happening. Which makes your discovery of Mary Kay and Johnny even more intriguing ...
Also, with regard to using a hyperlink or not ... I'll email you about that
Being the Ricardos Trailer
A fabulous write-up, Chairman Moe! Well worth reading it and the links.
Not a bad puzzle, Ms. Klawitter. I "mediumly" enjoyed solving it. Had chatty CATHY at first, which had to be sorted out. Was looking for an author, not a character, for "Big name in Civil War fiction." Took all five perps to get LEGER.
Take care, all.
Too many names. My memory for words is more stable than my memory for names. If you walked down the street with me I likely would introduce you as What His Name.
Rumbrella was my favorite theme answer and my Rosetta Stone. I liked the theme.
I was sure Salk vaccine came out before Sabin, but I got the answer quickly.
I wondered at TWIN bed in a hotel. I haven't seen one in years.
IMO EASE and MODERATE can both mean lessen in intensity. This heavy rain will ease up soon. It will moderate. Listening to your favorite music can ease or moderate your tension.
Following a point made me think if this.
Watch
I read it is not harmful if you keep it away from the eyes.
Quickly realized the starred clues had to start with R so a help on a usual Friday level no so difficult puzzle. Following the theme trope what is ADIOHEAD?
AZURE (It: blue, azzuro). Tees come in different sizes? (Diff'rent Strokes for different folks?). MEALY means "devious"? Almost put lent for March IDES. think of a miser as someone opposite a hoarder, has little and gives put little. A hoarder can still be a generous person. I'm married to one
Inkover: ave/ste/STN.
Inhabitant of the Carnaby St neighborbood...SOHOT
Online Canadian nightcrawlers....EBATE
Stoned in Bali...HAI
Autographs...SIGNAGE.
(Following the theme) nonsense songs by a Stockholm group....ABALONE
Late to the partay...hadda make a couple trips to SW Florida airport to pick up and leave off some of DWs clan members...Not even a lousy tip
I missed it! My neighbor said he was at a ceremony Wednesday at nearby Cypress Gardens. The pink flamingo came out of his coop and saw his own shadow. Now we'll have 12 more months of summer.
ChrmnM @3:03 ~ Yep, I enjoyed Being the Ricardos very much. Excellent performances.
People complain that Nicole and especially Javier don't look enough like Lucy and Desi. but I didn't find that a problem.
The outstanding performance for me was JK Simmons as Bill Frawley (Fred), well acted and illuminating as to the behind-scenes relationship of Bill to Lucy.
Best of all is Aaron Sorkin's script, which he also directs. Thank goodness it's on Netflix, as it is the kind of witty, tight writing for which he is famous; you'll want to rewind and watch some scenes again & again.
~ OMK
Er... on Prime Video.
I said Netflix above, but Being the Ricardos is a Prime Video release.
~ OMK
OMK, Margaret and I loved BTR’s, and yes JK Simmons as “Fred” was spot on.
Now, we are watching This is Us (NBC show) from the beginning. Again, a wonderful script; perfectly acted. So glad I’m getting hooked; so sad it will end this season
Wordle 230 4/6
🟨⬛⬛🟨⬛
🟨🟨🟨⬛⬛
⬛⬛🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
It's a trivia question I've seen before. Censors declared the only ones who could be in bed together were those who were married IRL (didn't realize how far back that acronym stretched, did you!) There were lots of couples in that era, Desi&Luci, George&Gracie. But the winner of the bed race were Ozzie&Harriet!
Moe @ 6:09 ~ I share your feelings about the last season of This Is Us. I’ve seen every episode and still remember how confused I was watching the pilot episode, but I finally figured out what was going on with the flashbacks and I was hooked! Jack is still my favorite character but I’ll miss them all.
I watched two new series on Netflix: The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window (who could resist that title?) and Sweet Magnolias. The former is a mystery/thriller and the latter is a little soap opera-ish, but I enjoyed them both. Season 2 of Sweet Magnolias is available as of today. No word yet on season 2 of The Woman . . .
Hi everybody. I enjoyed the puzzle and the write up. Thanks Pamela, Chairman Moe, CC, Rich and everybody else who contributes.
I was listening to a CD in my car today while running a short errand. It was some really enjoyable music compiled from the Prairie Home Companion (PHC) radio show. I miss that show. Dunno about Garrison Keillor. I was sorry about his fall from grace. I wasn't there so I don't know for sure what to believe but I always liked PHC, Keillor's choice of musical guests and his creation of Lake Woebegone with its always-interesting inhabitants and where all the children were above average.
~ Mind how you go ...
Bill G @7:04 PM I'm with you on PHC. Keillor is a genius. We used to listen him, his house band, and his musical guests religiously on Saturday nights. We saw him perform on tours in the Baltimore/D.C. area at least twice. During his "Tales from Lake Wobegon", he seemed to go into a trance and just described what he saw happening there. It's such a pity that modern society lacks some sort of rite of penance allowing those who have fallen from grace to be forgiven.
Apparently downloads of the old performances are available at this link.
Fun fact: PK has ridden in a helicopter belted in next to a door-less opening with a 2-yr-old one my lap. The usually over-active wiggle-wart did not move for the duration of the flight to my surprise. He's the one who became a USAF pilot many years later. Something was mentioned about that trip a few years ago. Young as he was then, he remembered it and said "there wasn't any door on that bird". He said he wasn't scared because he knew I would hang on to him. Good thing he had sense enough not to wiggle.
Finally nailed it without ever figuring out how RADIOHEAD illuminated much of anything even after getting the added R and the "looping back" to "reuse" some of the letters for the second word. A worthy Friday adversary and a great write up to, as acknowledged, almost explain it all.
Keith:
I hope your Maggie made it through her procedure and I wish her good luck in her recovery. It's so hard when our pets suffer because they can't tell you how to help them.
It's been a rough day for me. The medication the dentist prescribed for me caused nausea so I was uncomfortable most of the day. I've been drinking lots of water to flush it out and I hope a good night's sleep will re-invigorate me.
Bill G.
It's always good to see you here.
In case anyone wondered, it was Fred and Wilma Flintstone! Yup, a cartoon couple was the first married pair to share a double bed on TV. Great bar trivia question
Waseeley @ 8:12--
Is it now a crime just to hug someone? That's all I could get from Wikipedia; an 'allegation' about Keillor. How about if I allege that crosswords cause eyestrain, and so should be banned?
I know one thing that is 'majorly' missing in America today: truth. Almost everywhere, lies and confusion...,. Thankfully, not here!
Here is the surprisingly obscure answer to the first couple on TV to share a marital bed. It appears on several sites.
trivia answer
Keillor
Feel better, Lucina.
Nice to hear from you, Bill G.
Moe, really ? Fred and Wilma ? Good trivia question, but after reading Yellowrock's link, I'll have to be careful about how it's worded.
PK, what a neat story ! It makes one wonder if that experience at 2 years old had anything to do with his desire to become a pilot, but I guess it's entirely possible that it did.
Yellowrocks: thanks for the link to the snopes article. As I mentioned, it was anecdotal knowledge (on my part) about Fred and Wilma. Unlike Mary Kay and Johnny, there are archived tapes of the Flintstones. Finding an episode that shows their full size bed would not be too difficult methinks
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