Saturday Themeless by Robyn Weintraub
I’m excited to have a puzzle in the L.A. Times again, and particularly honored that my puzzle is running in the first week of Patti Varol’s new tenure as editor. Congratulations to Patti— and Christina-- on their new assignments. I was lucky enough to meet both of these talented women at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford CT earlier this month. Not that you need me to confirm what is plainly obvious, but the LAT puzzle is in very capable hands going forward.
I’m a fairly regular contributor for my hometown (okay, home state) paper The New York Times, and a member of the in-house constructing team at The New Yorker. For those who may not be aware, The New Yorker recently upgraded their puzzle offerings to 5 puzzles per week (four themeless and one themed) and I contribute 2 each month, typically of the ‘easy’ themeless variety. Those two venues keep me pretty busy. And once spring finally decides to stick around on the east coast (temps here are currently in the 30s as I write this) you can usually find me playing in my garden.
Robyn
I’m a fairly regular contributor for my hometown (okay, home state) paper The New York Times, and a member of the in-house constructing team at The New Yorker. For those who may not be aware, The New Yorker recently upgraded their puzzle offerings to 5 puzzles per week (four themeless and one themed) and I contribute 2 each month, typically of the ‘easy’ themeless variety. Those two venues keep me pretty busy. And once spring finally decides to stick around on the east coast (temps here are currently in the 30s as I write this) you can usually find me playing in my garden.As for today’s grid, I made it a few years ago, so looking at it with older and wiser eyes there are a few entries in there I’d like to take back if I could. But the long stuff is all pretty fun—perhaps one might be so bold as to say a CROWDPLEASER—so hopefully that’s the part of the puzzle that solvers will enjoy and remember.
Happy solving,
RobynI am very grateful for Robyn's lovely response and since it's spring time, I hope Robyn will give me license for this image with an alternate spelling.
Across:
1. Cutting-edge name?: ATRA - Ginsu wouldn't work for this cwd regular
5. Scenery in Road Runner cartoons: MESAS.
5. Scenery in Road Runner cartoons: MESAS.
10. Polite address: MAAM.
14. "Sorry, my hands are tied ... ": WHAT CAN I DO - Probably said by constructors when they have to settle for fill they don't like.
16. Price for hand delivery?: ANTE - Oh, a poker hand!
17. Musical arrangement?: RECORD DEAL - This shows a young truck driver from Memphis signing his first RECORD DEAL with RCA. How did that work out?
18. Revolution: GYRE - Same root for Elvis' GYRATIONS
19. "I rock!": YAY ME.
20. Class stat: GPA - Did kids suddenly get smarter?
21. "Can confirm": IT IS.
22. Mystery that may have a stirring message?: SECRET RECIPE - 23 products with SECRET RECIPES
26. Bon __: MOT - Example: ''I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.'' Clarence Darrow
29. Place: PUT.
30. Unpredictable jerk: SPASM.
31. Checked: ARRESTED - Synonyms for stopped
34. Aegean capital: ATHENS - The preferred capital in this capital is the Euro
54. Bread machine: ATM - Here's one dispensing EURO "bread"
38. Like all tigers: ASIAN - What could possibly go wrong here?
40. Draft status: ONE-A - In the 60's: Next stop - Vietnam
41. Continues: GOES ON.
43. Run ragged: OVERWORK - Competence is often punished
45. "__ Gabler": HEDDA - One critic wrote: "Fans of Diana Rigg will enjoy a jackpot in her remarkable performance as Ibsen's icy, manipulating, despairing bitch."
49. Popular performer: CROWD PLEASER - Tiger Woods had no chance of winning the Masters this year but his gallery in person and on TV were very large
53. "Yeah, no": UH UH.
55. Source of some lumber: PINES.
59. Audio brand: BOSE.
60. Bridal store event: SAMPLE SALE.
63. Central German river: EDER - In red below
64. "Deep breaths ... ": TRY TO RELAX.
65. Ms. enclosure: SASE - Viking Press probably stuffed this rejection letter into a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to Alice Walker when they rejected The Color Purple. Oops!
66. Unlikely assignment from a math teacher: ESSAY.
67. Pinch at the table: SALT.
Down:
1. A bit off: AWRY.
2. Australian novelist Astley: THEA - Wikipedia's take on her
3. Somewhat blue: RACY and 58. Have a heated exchange?: SEXT - Be careful...
4. Cyclotron units: ATOMS - This cyclotron at Cal Berkley was used to discover Plutonium, Neptunium and other transuranium ATOMS. in the 1950's
5. Publication credited to the "Usual Gang of Idiots": MAD - Mad Magazine Archive
6. Wrap: END.
7. Military blockade: SIEGE - The 47-day SIEGE at Vicksburg, MS gave the Union control of the Mississippi River
8. Makes fit: ADAPTS.
9. Array for catching rays: SOLAR PANELS.
10. Disappearing act?: MAGIC SHOW - I don't think he fooled the kitty
11. "I'm waiting ... ": ANYTIME NOW.
12. Aweigh: ATRIP - ATRIP is an obscure (to me) synonym for aweigh which both describe when the anchor is no longer touching the bottom.
13. "With Reagan" memoirist: MEESE - He held high positions in Governor and President Reagan's administrations
15. Advances slowly: CREEPS.
23. Relocation option: CUT AND PASTE - I type my daily musings in Word and then CUT AND PASTE them into the blog.
24. USPS assignments: RTES.
25. "Have some": EAT.
26. Helgenberger of "CSI": MARG - A mile from my golf course
27. Cookie with the same colors as a crossword: OREO.
28. Construction projects guaranteed to get off the ground: TREE HOUSES - Wow!
32. Neither here nor there: ELSEWHERE.
33. "Rainbow in the Dark" metal band: DIO - Here ya go
35. Fictional Wolfe: NERO - The author's name dominated this early novel
36. Drink that may be served warm: SAKE.
42. Like 2021: ODD - Not just numerically
44. Educator Annemarie who co-founded a school in Greater Detroit: ROEPER.
46. Sites for some rites: ALTARS.
49. Products with triple the power?: CUBES - 43 = 64
50. Sitcom whose 1974 pilot episode was titled "Joe": RHODA - Where RHODA meets Joe
51. Awards won by 50-Down: EMMYS.
52. Climbs: RISES.
56. Beyoncé voice role: NALA.
57. Airline whose first flight was from Geneva to Tel Aviv: EL AL - A frequent cwd flier
61. School org.: PTA.
62. "The Thin Man" star: LOY - Myrna LOY poses with Thin Man costar William Powell and a dog whose name appears here quite often too.
55 comments:
DNF. Bah, Saturday!
I got everything else, but a 3x3 square in the NE was blank. I should have gotten ANTE, maybe GYRE and MEESE. AnytIMENOW I was fooled that it was A...I ME NOW. IT IS was a pretty wide jump, and ATRIP was just made up, I ween.
Monochrome checkers, white and black.
White jumps black, and lands on its back!
A black joins the fray,
On the white he does lay,
And that's how they grow an OREO snack!
WHAT CAN I DO? It's out of my hand!
ANY TIME NOW, their plan will expand!
But TRY TO RELAX,
We don't know for a fact.
It could happen ELSEWHERE, that would be grand!
{B+, B+.}
Good morning!
This one was suitably arcane for a Saturday stumper. NW was traction-free, so tried this one clockwise from the NE. D-o managed to stumble through to victory, accompanied by his trusty Wite-Out. Not SONY, BOSE. Not ELO, DIO. Not ODER, EDER. SIEGE immediately evoked Mariupol. Sad. Wasn't aware that bridal stores have SAMPLE SALEs -- samples of what? Enjoyed the outing, Robin, and the elucidation, Husker.
THEA Astley: Do you suppose she's related to Rick?
ONE A: Been there, done that. My college deferment lapsed in spring of my senior year. Before graduation I received the "Uncle Sam wants you" letter. Passed the physical, and enlisted in the Navy straight-away. That's where I learned ATRIP -- and that the Navy has little use for sailors who can't tell red lights from green ones.
A few words I didn't know; gyre, strip, and Dio come to mind. This was a thorny puzzle, as Saturday puzzles usually are, but through P and P I managed to FIR, so I'm happy.
That was supposed to be "atrip" not "strip." Autocorrect strikes again!
I also "atripped" in this three year old (?) grid. It makes the continued appearance of MESA more interesting.
I am sure I would have enjoyed the performance of Diana Rigg as Hedda, or pretty much anything.
Some fun clues such as Price for Hand Delivery and Construction projects guaranteed to get off the ground .
No idea about THEA
It was nice to see the Nero Wolfe Novel that was part of the wonderful Arnold Zeck books.
Thanks Robyn and Gary.
3 down I believe is not a correct clue for racy. Nowhere could I find that racy meant somewhat blue which to me means you are somewhat sad.
Imorgan138, "blue" and "racy" are both terms for off-color or sex-related.
Agree that "ATRIP" is very obscure.
First thought of GYRE was from "Jabberwocky" in Through the Looking-Glass, not the ocean currents that collect humankind's plastic garbage.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did GYRE and gimble in the wabe;
Whew! I got it after a struggle in the NE that looked grim for a while. Tried "at sea" and "aship" before ATRIP finally occurred to me. My other unknowns crossed each other (ILO and ROEPER), but I made A WAG that was lucky and gave me a FIR. YAY ME! In general it was a slow but successful solve. Not too messy other than that NE corner.
Thanks, Robyn, for a worthy challenge for Saturday plus your note to Husker Gary. Look forward to your next contribution. And thank you, Husker Gary, for confirming my iffy fills and entertaining us. Plenty of learning moments today including the reminder of how to spell SIEGE, not confusing it with the spelling of seize, and keeping SAKE and Saki straight.
DO, bridal stores have sample dresses in their stores for brides to see and try on, and occasionally sell them for much less than regular prices.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
I was racing through this puzzle like it was a Monday till I got to Roeper. Had every letter but P. Couldn't suss out pines or Nala and DNF. Ugh!
Our Natick was Roeper and ILO. Never heard of either. Otherwise smooth sailing.
FIR! On Saturday! Let the Corner records show that in 2022, Jinx got a Saturday grid! And no erasure!
I first thought of Peggy Noonan for "With Reagan", but she was too big for the fill.
The last OREOs I ate were white filling sandwiched by yellowish-orange wafers. We had some of the B&W ones too, which someone ate after the vanilla and lemon ones were gone.
SAKI may be the only alcoholic beverage that I didn't get around to abusing back in my imbibing days.
I thought of Norman Fell's Mr. Roper when ROEPER perped her way onto the grid.
ATRIP makes sense to me. Anchors are rarely just heavy objects thrown overboard. Boats use anchors that are engineered with points, called "flukes", that dig in to the bottom. That's called "setting" the anchor. The command to get the anchor un-dug in is "trip anchor" or "weigh anchor". So when the anchor comes off the bottom, it is ATRIP or aweigh. (Moorings and other permanent anchors are often just dead weight, like old engine blocks or concrete CUBES.)
Thanks to Robyn for the nice, gentle-for-a-Saturday puzzle, and to Gary for 'splainin' it all.
Took 14:20 to finish today.
Like others have said, I didn't care for the intersection of "ILO" with "Roeper", and I didn't know Thea (or likely any other Australian novelists).
I don't care for A-verbs. Atrip, aweigh, etc. I find them to be alazy and aannoying.
Some clues were enjoyable (e.g., cubes, treehouse, ante).
Not all tigers are Asian.
Some are from Detroit....
Billicoes beat me to the Alice/ Jabberwocky quote. I read the Annotated Alice awhile back.
REEL not Hora. ATRA was my last fill, I ran the alphabet to get the T as that Australian Author was unknown. Likewise ILO.
I gave the relocate clue to Phil and he answered: Drop and Drag. He piped up with SAKE instantly
MARG, DIO, ROEPER were UNK. Wolfe's one of my favs
Didn't RHODA stem from an earlier show? MTM?
I liked your l'icks today, Owen
I was actually ONE y. The ODDity of having an operation to GET INTO the Marine Corps was lost on me until I recounted it to some boomers one day. And… Like D-O 's color blindness I'd forgotten to mention my asthma which kicked up in OCS
L714, you teased me into this Arnold Zeck Nero Wolfe Now I've got to find the trilogy and reread it. Zeck is Wolfe's Moriarty
I commented fln about this with no detail. As I said, difficult for a Friday but clues like 1A and "relocate" (ETAL) were amusingly creative
WC
After two DNF's the Crossword gods bestowed a relatively easy Saturday FIR.😊 Lotsa klever, kool kryptic klues..like "price for hand delivery": ANTE, (not an obstetrician's fee 😂)
Inkovers: atsea/ATRIP, isso/ITIS, majordeal/RECORDDEAL.
"Cutting edge name"...ginsu? My first thought as well alas too long but gave us a new clue for an old answer: ATRA. On a blood thinner so if I "cut" the "edge" of my chin I may be late for work by the time I staunch the bleeding.☹
We had CREEPS and Jerks today, I worked with a few.🙄
May have read somewhere that the "Roadrunner" cartoons' setting is the red rocks desert of Sedona, AZ. ..Hiked with an Asian friend who would bring along a small thermos of warm SAKE...yum. speaking of ASIAN: I held off cuz I thought there were lotsa of 🐯🐯🐯's in Africa, a few in Detroit ⚾️ and one in the Woods 🏌️♂️.
SAMPLESALE sounds like an oxymoron. SAMPLES implies items given out for free.🤔
Thank you Ms Weintraub, the word SIEGE finally used appropriately as a military blockade and NOT an active attack. (unfortunately a devastating siege happening right now). Gyrate yes, but GYRE? ...held up the NE for awhile till perps gave me no choice. "Annemarie" ROEPER and THEA "Astley" both perps. Mio DIO as well. ATRIP was not a give-"aweigh" either.
Yet another novel clue for OREO (realizing that they come in different colors and flavors both the outside and the center frosting)....For a while it was PTO instead of PTA but back to the latter in these latter day puzzles.
Performs....GOESON.
What Seinfeld stole from an old lady...AWRY
Buttons and ____ ...BOSE.
Hedda Hopper won't shut up, what a _____!!... GABBLER.
The weather,Like a late pizza delivery, "Cold again" 🥶
FIR after working through a few tough spots.
"As for today’s grid, I made it a few years ago, so looking at it with older and wiser eyes there are a few entries in there I’d like to take back if I could." Could GYRE / ATRIP be among those?
Didn't know ROEPER or who Vanessa Hudgens was or the band DIO but a single crossing answer solved all of those issues, completed the puzzle and prevented OVERWORK.
For long term Corner solvers, I.L.O. (International Labour Organization) should be a gimme as it has appeared 36 times in the 14+ years of the Corner. It was used often by C.C., her mentor Don Hard G and her collaborator JzB. Also, Heart Rx and Peg Slat.
Enjoy
U.N. workers' rights gp.lat Michael A. Macdonald Thu Oct 29, 2020
U.N. workers' agcy. lat Mark McClain Sun Nov 04, 2018
U.N. worker protection gp. lat Victor Barocas Sun Apr 22, 2018
U.N. workers' agcy. lat Ed Sessa Thu Dec 14, 2017
U.N. workers' gp. lat Peg Slay Thu Nov 02, 2017
U.N. workers' gp. lat Garry Morse Sun Mar 26, 2017
Worldwide workers' gp. lat Gail Grabowski Sun Feb 26, 2017
U.N. workers' agcy. lat Kevin Donovan Sun Nov 06, 2016
U.N. workers' gp. lat Joe Schewe Sun Oct 30, 2016
U.N. advocate for workers' rights lat Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel Mon Jun 20, 2016
U.N. workers' agcy. lat Ron Toth & C.C. Burnikel Sun Jun 12, 2016
Worldwide workers' agcy. lat Frank Virzi Thu Mar 26, 2015
U.N. workers' agcy. lat Frank Virzi Fri Feb 20, 2015
U.N. worker protection gp. lat Marti DuGuay-Carpenter Mon Jan 12, 2015
U.N. workers' gp. lat John Lieb Sat Dec 20, 2014
U.N. workers' group lat Paul Hunsberger Sun Dec 14, 2014
Workers' rights gp. since 1919 lat Don Gagliardo Sat Sep 06, 2014
Worldwide workers' gp. lat Ron Toth and C.C. Burnikel Tue Aug 05, 2014
1969 Peace Prize-winning agcy. lat Brad Wilber Sat Jun 28, 2014
U.N. workers' rights agcy. lat Matt Skoczen Wed Jun 25, 2014
U.N. anti-child-labor agcy. lat Don Gagliardo & C.C. Burnikel Wed Jul 17, 2013
U.N. workers' gp. lat Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel Sun Apr 15, 2012
UN workers' gp. lat Don Gagliardo Tue Jul 19, 2011
Geneva-based workers' gp. lat Don Gagliardo Thu Mar 03, 2011
UN workers' gp. lat Michael Sharp and Angela Olson Halsted Wed Jan 19, 2011
Worldwide workers' gp. lat Gary J. Whitehead Thu Jan 06, 2011
UN workers' agcy. lat Don Gagliardo Fri Dec 10, 2010
1969 Peace Prize-winning agcy. lat Barry C. Silk Sat Jul 17, 2010
UN workers' rights agcy. lat Kenneth Berniker Tue Apr 06, 2010
UN anti-child-labor agcy. lat Merle Baker Tue Mar 23, 2010
UN workers' agcy. lat Dan Naddor Sun Oct 11, 2009
UN workers' rights gp. lat Samuel A. Donaldson Wed Aug 19, 2009
Workers' rights gp. since 1919 lat John Farmer Sat Jul 11, 2009
UN workers' group lat Don Gagliardo Wed Jul 08, 2009
1969 Peace Prize-winning agcy. lat Bruce Venzke Sat May 09, 2009
UN anti-child-labor agcy. lat Donna S. Levin Tue Sep 02, 2008
UN workers' group lat Timothy L. Meaker Tue Jul 29, 2008
Worldwide workers' gp. lat Dan Naddor Thu Jun 05, 2008
UN workers' advocate lat Donna S. Levin Fri Jan 25, 2008
Vanessa Hudgens attained fame in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and its two sequels as well as her relationship with Zac Efron.
WC, glad I inspired you. The Trilogy is worth rereading every few years.
Peg Slay NOT Slat damn autocorrect
Super Saturday. Thanks for the fun, Robyn and HuskerG.
I had to work to finish this CW. Three visits to Google were required for names to break open the areas around THEA, MEESE, and MARG. Thankfully the other unknown names perped. (ROEPER and DIO like MalMan et.al.) YAY ME!
Plenty of inkblots as 2021 was O’er (thankfully) before ODD, Greta changed to HEDDA (Gabler not Garbo), Seige spelling was corrected to SIEGE (ok there was no C). (Hi ATLGranny)
I had to parse correctly to get ANY TIME NOW (hello OwenKL) and ATRIP (horrible A word! OK, I take that back; thanks Jinx, your explanation makes sense.)
My Text got hotter when I changed to SEXT.
Oder changed to EDER as I moved west. (Hello d’o - and I’ll join you on Sony before BOSE.)
Hand up for thinking of knife brands before razors for 1A.
I smiled at the clue for ANTE (and even the new clue for OREO).
Wishing you all a good day.
(Join me at Owen’s Jumble blog with my WORDLE comment today.)
Good Morning:
I was delighted to see RW in “our” LA Times for a change! (I promise not to emulate Alice Walker’s decision. I didn’t read The Color Purple, but I can appreciate Viking Press’s position. Of course, it proved to be a costly one.) Anyway, I’m well aware of Robyn’s talent through her prodigious output in that other paper. Today’s offering is vintage Robyn: a clean grid, lots of sparking fill, little or no dreck, and clever and creative cluing. There were numerous unknowns, but the perps were fair: Atrip, Thea, Roeper, Dio, and, as clued, AVIA, Rhoda, and Nala. I had only two w/os, Asea/Atrip and Alters/Adapts. Robyn gave us several fun duos with Tree/Pines, Sale/Deal, Ante/Deal, Deal/Reel, Asian/Sake, Racy/Text, Recipe/Salt, and Emmys/Rhoda. CSOs to DO (Atrip) and Lucina and Moe (Mesas, AGAIN).
Thanks, Robyn, for a most smooth and satisfying solve and for sharing your thoughts and present endeavors and thanks, HG, for a really interesting and dazzling eye candy visuals. I enjoyed the secret recipe article, even though I never heard of many of the products. The Kitty and Asta were an added bonus.
Owen, A on both verses.
A niece is bringing me fresh haddock and lobster meat straight from the icy waters of Maine today. As Hahtoolah would say, Yummers!
Have a great day
Sext not Text. Damn autocorrect, ala Lemony!
My error in omitting “summary” in my thanks to HG.
Hola!
Not much time to read or comment. It's Book Club day and my carpoolers will be here shortly.
I enjoyed this puzzle by Robyn more than most Saturday ones. It was not obscurely clued and filled quickly while I was cooking my vegetable dish to take to the proceedings.
ARRESTED has a new, interesting clue.
OVERWORK is what many years ago used to send me to my bed in a bedraggled state.
We spent ten beautiful days in ATHENS and enjoyed not only the sights and shopping but the church service, too. It was Pentecost so very special.
The Intro to Drama class acquainted me with HEDDA Gabler and Ibsen. It's a dark and melancholy play.
I loved watching RHODA back in those days.
I hope you all have a wonderful day today! I'm going on a long drive to Gold Canyon. People from here likely know where that is.
IrishMiss:
We'll never run out of MESAS. They are numerous here in the desert SW and will likely be so in puzzles as well!
Good morning/afternoon. The very few 'Robyns' that I ever see in NOLA are in the dead of winter.
Robyn's puzzle was an easy fill for a Saturday until I got to the SE corner and then that was it. ROEPER and NALA were unknowns and PINES never had a chance even after I changed TEXT to SEXT. I was thinking FALA but that was FDR's dog. A DNF today.
Like Agnes I did manage to fill THEA, MARG, DIO, and ATRIP correctly but had never heard those words.
TREE HOUSES look like fun until the lightning and thunder starts.
AVIA was a WAG for the unknown lady's clothes.
GPA inflation. Everybody's child is above average. When I was in HS and college there might be one or two A's, if any, in a class. To be classified as a full time college student (and keep from getting drafted) required 15 semester hours. But if you took fewer than 17 hours you couldn't graduate in 4 years. Now all the college students are on the five or six year plans. Then they move back home.
L714, thank you for the statistics, but that seems to be way too many uses of "ILO."
I thought this was a very good puzzle, with some clever clueing! NE last to get, I knew it had to be MEESE 13D, so GYRE not gyro 18A. And got ATRIP purely through the across answers.
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR but only after looking up a few answers (ATRIP/GYRE was my Natick until Google fixed it); also, AVIA was a look up
With regards to what Ray-O said, yes, there were plenty of klever klues [sic] today, but after awhile they just seem to "forced". Maybe they are Robyn's; maybe Patti's; maybe a combo of both. I dunno. I want Saturday puzzles to be difficult but maybe more for the content than the clues ...
OK, Moe ... TRY TO RELAX. Not every set of clues are going to be a CROWD PLEASER
Maybe I'm just being a curmudgeon here
I'll lighten up; promise
My favorite clue and fill? 28-down
CSO to Yuman, Lucinda, and C-Moe for MESAS
Hi All!
I A-wave the white flag. Uncle!
How anyone solves a Saturday in less than 3 hours befuddles me.
Robyn - a mighty fine puzzle but the use of names is not my cuppa. MEESE was fair 'cuz political news. The rest? Not so much.
Thanks for the expo HG. I A-always enjoy your science takes.
//Did you see my FLN about a guy I knew at JSC?
No need for WOs / ESPs... let's just say WHO [World Heath O] (s/b ILO) is right-out.
(and I love The Who!
MESAS clue was fun b/c my 10yro self, post paper RTE, fare was Bugs & Road Runner 'toons.
I did like seeing '80's DIO in the grid. Ronnie James wasn't 1/2 bad. Derivative [think Black Sabbath ++ slash metal] but still listenable.
RHODA was a fun MTM spin-off.
C, Eh! - do folks really like getting SEXT'd their junk? ;-)
I know aptronmymly Rep. Weiner did,... but...???!???
Lucina - bedraggled? That is a fun word!
//Exclamation point wont get me published? But just you wait until I CUT AND PASTE and hit Post ;-)
BigE - you ever been to Lake Wobegon?
//Eldest double-degree'd in Vocal Music & Psych. #BOOMERSOONER
She just accepted a full-ride to GW for a PhD.
#YayMe - my kid is above average ;-)
Tonight is Eldest's B-day party* and she wants Korean BBQ with her BFF from grade-school. So a nap is in order.
Cheers, -T
*she's gonna be a 23yro? Holy waaa?
How old does that make me?
IM, does your niece pack it in ice with checked baggage or carry on. I practically can fly to Boston, eat at no-name and fly back for the price of imported Maine lobster and haddock
I should check Rhoda out(youtu.be tv?). Funny that she should meet "Joe" like that but why would they cut out Mary's departure scene? Copywrite or bad judgement?)
If FALA was FDR 's dog what was Myrna's dog's name? Fifi? Lol
C-Moe, curmudgeons make it all the sweeter for the rest of us. I really enjoying getting whacked in the head with a CUT AND PASTE Bon MOT(V8 can)
WC
Oh, BigE -
My EE plan was 4.5 yrs at LA Tech #Maths.
Didn't help that Desert Storm activation got me an F from a anti-war philosophy PROF. I still ended up w/ 3.255GPA which DOD rounded up to 3.3. for my 5yr gig at TAFB building networks for bases around the world.
DOD also paid for my MS in CS so there's that.
// I never got to build peaceful robots. [another movie that moved me, HG]
Cheers, -T^3
WC @ 1:51
Next Friday I have a puzzle running @ Newsday. As Friday puzzles are supposed to be harder, I had to dig deeper into my lexicon of clues to appease the editor. And I'm betting that Stan will have edited some of mine. But I get it. Puzzles need to make us think outside the black and white squares of the crossword grid, and be creative
A-Better clip say: Number 5. -T
Not sure if this will get you there; but check out the Drabble cartoon strip for today! Quite appropriate 😀
Drabble cartoon
C. Moe: LOL and apropos today...
Blondie [FFW to :58]
Now, about that nap. C, -T
Wilbur @ 1:51 ~ The precious cargo was transported in a cooler on the back seat of her car. When I tried to pay her, I was informed that it was a belated birthday gift from her and her fellow-traveler-sister. Ain’t I the lucky one? ☘️ 🦞🐟
A very do-able Saturday PZL.
~ OMK
____________
DR: 3 diagonals on the near side.
The center diag offers an anagram (11 of 15 letters) that would be useful in case the Road Runner ever needs to thumb a lift!
Yes, of course, I am referring to an...
"'ACME' VEHICLE"!
Pleasant puzzle; easier than many Saturday ones that have stumped me. I at least finished this one. I had forgotten the use of gyre in Jabberwocky. I first thought of “Sailing to Byzantine” by Keats.
It must be wonderful to be able to produce and publish so many crossword puzzles. RW is a lucky person.
We are fortunate to have the Cousins Maine Lobster truck in LA and Ventura. I believe they also ship. Excellent lobster rolls! cousinsmainelobster.com
Valerie and I got a good laugh out of the Drabble strip earlier today while flipping through the LAT comics. Thanks for posting it here.
The Blondie clip was great. " . . .the name inspired by the truck drivers who would catcall, 'Hey, Blondie!' at platinum-haired Deborah Harry as she walked by."
Well, that's 16:53 I'll never get back. Nothing too difficult. A few unknowns but the perps and solid reasoning paved the way to the win. Pretty certain that it was going to be MEESE, but GYR- made me think gyro. Finally acquiesced and entered the E instead of the O. For The Win ! (J FROM VT said it so much more succinctly.)
Late to the party. Four old TV's to the township recycling event this morning, and then re-rolling the lawn for a second time in this 80 degree weather. The yard is so flat now you could play billiards on it. Well, maybe not, but croquet for sure.
Robyn, I always enjoy your crosswords. Always fair challenges. I also enjoyed reading your remarks to Gary, and as far as I am concerned, today was indeed a CROWDPLEASER. Thank you. And you as well, Gary. Thank you for reaching out to Robyn.
ONE-A - Gary, like D-O, my brother got the spring notice in his senior year of college, but unlike D-O, my brother enlisted in the Air Force. He spent four years in Hawaii.
Congrats Jinx ! Your first perfect Saturday solve is now logged in the annals of the 2022 Crossword Corner blogspot.
Dash T, congrats on your daughter's GW full ride ! #BIGDEAL ! Oh, and I guess her b-day would make you 52, give or take 0. In re your F, I got an F in History at U of H. Worst college course I ever took. But all's well that end's well.
FLN, Wilbur Charles, Brian's Wordle strategy would only work in Easy Mode. You can't do that in Hard Mode. In Hard Mode, you must use all Correct and all Present letters. That's what makes it hard. To me, playing in Easy Mode would be like solving a crossword online with red letter help.
Canadian Eh, I may stop by Owen's place later tonight after I solve Wordle. And Owen, thanks for sharing your venue !
FLN,
(& possibly the day before...)
Husker Gary, daughter #3 also had asked me two days ago "what was my favorite movie?"
(Must be a TikTok thing going around...)
And I answered "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Anon-T,
Love Johnny 5!
Right after this clip, "Nova" pulls over the pick up truck and pulls guns on the little old man and lady. The shocked couple can be seen talking to each other but not heard as they covered it up. But in the original, the little old lady says to her husband, "did you hide the weed!"
Also, in today's comics, specifically, "Pearls Before Swine,"
a reference is made about some of the Anons who visit this Blog...
While poking around YouTube, the next clip just cracked me up.
I can't show it to my kids or they will go "oriental" on me...
I post it here because, as a tie in,
In the very last scene a better name for this clip is posted.
difficulty level: medium, hard, Asian...
I dunno, I am just taking notes for the next spam call I get...
'ATRIP' was truly evil since 'ATSEA' fitted both the clue and the space and the first two letters!
I was so sure ATSEA was correct that I started doubting 'MAGIC SHOW' and 'MEESE'.
Still fun (in a grumble, moan sort of way)
Irish M. Enjoy your seafood feast 🦞 🦈
Last week DW told me she went to Mc Donald's wishing for a filet-o-fish sandwich.
She asked the 12 y o cashier out of curiosity what kind of filet was in the sandwich, maybe Haddock? Cod?
No, she said. It's "fish"
😳
C E D ... thats the funniest youtube video ive seen a long long time ....
Firstly, let me assure you, I am an asian by race, and my name is very indian, and I get calls from indians - all the time... and they speak Hindi, Urdu and all other languages I have no idea about. I even get chinese ( Mandarin ?? ) calls - which I listen till the end because they are so sonorous....
As for the CW puzzle, I had a tough time and finished with some lookups. I did not enjoy it, but I wanted it done, at any cost. Thank you Robyn Weintraub for the construction, and thank you Husker Gary for the explanatory review.
A lot of the cluing was very arcane and 'forced'. in my humble opinion. Even aimple clues were rather difficult - maybe, this is the 'normal' style of the NYT CW and the ACPT standards...
If so, I have long reached my zenith, and have no desire to reach any further degree of proficiency. CW solving according to me, should be a relatively easy pass time, with a little intellectual thoughts thrown in. Something, that requires a heck of old american arcana and detailed expertise in sports etc., is ... I'm afraid, beyond my ken.
Have a good weekend, you all.
I liked most of this puzzle. Last to fill was the O crossing ILO and ROEPER, which was a lucky guess.
Um, I really don't like being told something "should be a gimme". That's even worse than being told "I'm surprised you didn't know that".
Jinx, thank you for the explanation of ATRIP.
CM @ 2:O6
I just checked, "Newsday" CWs are accessible just by Googling. Remind us again next Thursday about your Friday puzzle. Wanna give it a go.
Even though you kalled my klever komments sick...😂
I guess it is my week to unintentionally insult people. I know I talk too much, I sincerely apologize to any and all that I have insulted by my rude and careless comments or otherwise.
Lemonade714,
Huh?
(Wtf you talkin bout?)
Did I miss something?
Anywho, I read thru all your comments today, and tried to remember the past week.
(Tough puzzle, as I can't remember what I ate for breakfast...)
But I have not been insulted until your careless comment above!
How dare you usurp my place on this Blog!
C.E.D.
Hmm,
Usurp...
A five letter word...
(They wouldn't put this on wordle, would they?)
Ray-O @ 5:57
I'll put a link at the end of my blog on Friday. Thanks for giving it a go, and please provide feedback positive or negative. My battery awaits!! 😂
Anon-T, my brother went to LA Tech on a football scholarship in 1967. Back then they flunked many students and threw them out of school after being on academic probation one quarter and not raising their GPA the next.
But somehow two of his teammates managed to stay in school; Phil Robertson (Duck Dynasty) and Terry Bradshaw. Terry signed a letter of intent with LSU but his ACT score was too low to be admitted.
I think a "gimme" is akin to LowHangingFruit. A godsend on a Saturday like ie. ATHENS and HEDDA. But yes, they aren't LHF for everyone.
One example is Sports questions, French etc pour moi, and music, Spanish, and of course the worlds of pop-cul, music and art for many others.
Geography? I'm well acquainted with Natick where I played basketball in HS games*; California not so much and…
Speaking of…
I didn't realize Irish Miss was readily reachable by car from the Boston area. My Jesuits at BC said "everything west of Worcester is wilderness"
WC
** To be exact, where I went to sit on the bench except junior year JV
Started at noon ...3:43 am now ...only half filled! Robyn will be added to my "toss list" No fun today...half a dozen defs I still don't understand (and I'm reasonably well educated)
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