What a delicious, double delight! My first review of a C.C. Burnikel puzzle, edited by our new editor Patti Varol. And it has everything: it's an eclectically clued, not too hard, not too easy Thursday puzzle, with an easily sussed theme, circles, CSOs, lots of music, and of course lots of food!
Here are the themers:
3D. Revenue for attorneys: LEGAL FEES. Right off the bat we have CSOs to our legal beavers Hahtoolah and Lemonade. Lemony only recently RAISED my awareness about vertical themes, e.g. those used in this puzzle. His tip was they are usually a clue that there is a visual element to the theme.
7D. Garment associated with the Aran Islands: CABLE KNIT SWEATER. The Aran Islands are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. These islands are however famous for much more than just sweaters. Teri and I visited the largest island, Inishmore, in the late 90's, drawn there by our much earlier viewing of a cult classic "documentary" called Man of Aran. It depicted an heroic struggle for existence that had long disappeared by the time the film was made in 1934, but drew waves of tourists to the island and changed the way of life there even further. The film had a major impact on the islands and even spawned a documentary about the documentary, revealing that it had actually been staged with photogenic, paid actors. Here's a short trailer from the newer film revealing some of the mythical elements in the old film.
10D. Warrior with a light saber: JEDI KNIGHT. The light saber was the weapon that revolutionized ancient combat in "a galaxy far, far away". Here Obi Wan Kenobi duels Darth Vader:
31D. Option clicked during a Zoom call:
MUTE BUTTON. A failure to exercise this option can result in a
HOT MIC. I searched YouTube for some examples, but they always seem to involve
politics.
Oh yes, back to the theme. Here's the reveal
38D. Start to make more money, and what the circled letters do?: GET A RAISE. I think our constructor intends for us to read the themers and the reveal itself from the BOTTOM UP and prefix the circled fill with the phrase RAISE A. Reading the grid from left to right we get:
RAISE A FLAG
RAISE A BET
RAISE A STINK
RAISE A BET
RAISE A STINK
and saving the
hardest for last:
RAISE A KID
We now descend to the rest of the clues and fill:
Across:
1. Top of the world?: POLE. The realization that the Earth is spherical with "poles" at its North and South far predates the common misconception that in Medieval and previous times people believed that the Earth was flat. Nowadays of course we all know that Santa Claus and his elves live at the North Pole and the US Post Office even has their address!
5. De __: actual: FACTO. Or is it De JURE? What's the difference?
10. Preservers of preserves: JARS. Or using slightly cracked doors.
14. At any time: EVER.
Oxford Languages Dictionary
15. It's all in your head: BRAIN. Or in your Mind. However, the preceding point of view may be 17A.
16. Géorgie, par exemple: ETAT. The state of Georgia, USA. Today's French lesson.
17. Open to discussion: NEGOTIABLE. The number of negotiable propositions seem to be on the decline these days (see e.g. 25D).
19. Wrapped up: DONE.
20. None whatsoever: NADA.
21. Deli sandwich with two vegetables: BLT. Common crossword fare. We had one this past Sunday clued as "Club kin".
22. Burn slightly: SINGE. Singe another crossword staple and you get:
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Ahi tataki |
23. First player to make a slam dunk in a WNBA game: LESLIE. A slam dunk, also simply a dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by putting the ball directly through the basket with one or two hands. The first woman to perform this feat of legerdemain in the WNBA was 6' 2" Lisa Leslie on July 30, 2002. Here she is, showing off her stuff:
25. Maintenance: UPKEEP. IMHO the cumulative expense of UPKEEP (bug fixes, routine changes, new releases, etc.) is rarely included in cost/benefit analyses for the estimated useful life of software systems. "Getting too expensive to maintain? We'll just write a new one!"
26. Legolas, for one: ELF. This one doesn't live at the North Pole (see 1A), but rather in Middle Earth.
28. Clock sound: TICK.
29. Backs with bucks: FUNDS. Or bucks with backs:
32. Osaka from Osaka: NAOMI. Naomi Osaka was born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, Osaka has lived and trained in the United States since age three. She came to prominence at age 16 when she defeated former US Open champion Samantha Stosur in her WTA Tour debut at the 2014 Stanford Classic. Here's a biography for you tennis fans.
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Naomi Osaka |
35. Mix around: STIR. Also Brit for "prison".
37. Shakshuka ingredients: EGGS. Did not know this dish, which is said to have originated in Tunisia. Here's a recipe.
40. Concerning: AS TO.
42. Drive-thru devices: ATMS. Nowadays some crooks are driving through them, loading them onto trucks, and taking them home to plunder the cash.
44. Chick tenders: HENS. Cute clue. Hens not only tend them, but have them.
46. Olympic swords: EPEES.
48. Courteous acknowledgment: HAT TIP. AKA "doffing":
Oxford Languages Dictionary
50. Maguire of ''Seabiscuit'': TOBEY. Before Seabiscuit there was Spider Man, which made Tobey Maguire a star. On the other hand no one expected Seabiscuit the horse to be a star, but he surprised everybody.
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Tobey Maguire |
54. "Riverdale" actor KJ __: APA. Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa (born 17 June 1997) is a New Zealand actor, singer, and musician. Riverdale is an American teen drama television series based on the original characters of Archie Comics. Apa plays Riverdale's alpha-teen, Archie Andrews:
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AJ aka Archie. |
55. Campus job security: TENURE. A CSO to Misty and Ol' Man Keith. Hand up anyone I missed?
56. Make beloved: ENDEAR.
58. Worshipper in dreadlocks, informally: RASTA. Here's some history on Rastafarianism. Many of us are most familiar with Rastafarianism through the songs of of its musical ambassador Bob Marley. Here's his Three Little Birds.
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Bob Marley |
59. Meadow bleat: BAA.
60. Rose Bowl org.: NCAA. March Madness is finally over. Hand up if your team won.
62. Neglect to mention: OMIT.
63. "Way, way off!": NOT BY A MILE. As good as a miss.
66. Nix: VETO.
67. "Easy on Me" singer: ADELE. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on 5 May 1988 in the Tottenham district of London, to an English mother, Penny Adkins, and a Welsh father, Marc Evans. The rest is history, but suffice it to say that she is 9th on this list (YMMV) of mononymous singers. Here's her "Easy and Me" (lyrics):
68. Uruguay's Punta del __: ESTE. A seaside resort on the "east tip" (Southeast actually) of the country, and today's Spanish lesson. Among other superlatives it has been called the "Monaco of the South":
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Punta del Este |
69. Place with a tree guarded by a flaming sword: EDEN. This weapon sounds a lot like that wielded by a 10D. But this sword guarded the Tree of Life in the Garden of EDEN, preventing the return of Adam and Eve after their fall from grace. Legend has it that the angel brandishing it was named Jophiel.
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| The Angel Jophiel banishing Eve and Adam |
70. Black Panther's hat: BERET.
71. Close securely: SEAL. It's probably just my imagination, but the homophonic Bobby SEALE was one of the founders of the Black Panther Party referred to in the previous clue.
Down:
1. Implement stored in a notebook's spiral: PEN.
2. Tandoor, e.g.: OVEN. All about Tandoor ovens: what they are and how they work.
4. Eat into: ERODE.
5. Org. in "Judas and the Black Messiah": FBI. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 97% of 345 critic reviews of this 2021 film were positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "An electrifying dramatization of historical events, Judas and the Black Messiah is a forceful condemnation of racial injustice.
6. One of Morocco's official languages: ARABIC. Most Moroccans are multi-lingual. Here's a breakdown of the languages they speak.
8. Lean slightly: TILT.
9. Single: ONE.
11. Made things right: ATONED. To be forgiven is one thing, but to atone is not always easy.
12. Spans: RANGES.
13. Hard to climb: STEEP.
18. Aesthetic sense: TASTE.
22. Ocean froth: SPUME. Evocative of John Masefield's poem Sea-Fever, set to music by composer John Ireland (Masefield's Lyrics):
24. 10-Across tops: LIDS.
25. Sci-fi spacecraft: UFO. Due to Congressional pressure, largely for reasons of national security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a 9 page, unclassified report* in June of 2021 entitled Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP is the new PC for a 25D). This article contains a link to the DNI report in a downloadable PDF file. There are two main schools of thought on these sightings:
(1)
Visitation of the Earth by extra-terrestrials is impossible because of
limitations on interstellar travel that have been clearly demonstrated
by Einstein's theory of Special Relativity. Case closed!
(2)
The flight dynamics of such objects, as observed by veteran pilots and
which have been captured electronically, clearly violate other known
laws of physics. Open to discussion!
Here are two resources regarding this report: an audio interview with investigative reporter Leslie Kean discussing the implications of the DNI report (11 min); and a link to her 2011 book UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record. I have read the latter, and let's just say I found it -- provocative.
* The report provides only summary findings for a small sample of the large numbers of sightings made yearly. No detailed data regarding the sightings is provided. Note that the report is based on 144 sightings, 143 of which were unidentified, i.e. those for which no satisfactory explanation could be found.
26. Subj. for some new immigrants: ESL. English as a Second Language.
27. "Star Wars" general: LEIA. More than you could possibly want to know about Leia.
33. Vaccination spot, typically: ARM. I've gotten two in each ARM. I seem to get odd reactions to the odd shots.
36. Kim __-hyung: full name of the BTS singer known as V: TAE. BTS also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band that was formed in 2010 and debuted in 2013. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produces much of their own output. Here they are - V is the boy on the left: As of this writing I guess they're not really boys anymore.
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| The Bangtan Boys |
41. Work with a score: OPERA. Opera originated in the Renaissance and is still alive and well in the 21st Century, especially with masterpieces such as Moby Dick by Jake Heggie, which premiered in 2010. Just as Melville's story of the whale-obsessed Captain Ahab is considered by many to be the great American novel, IMHO with Heggie's work we finally have the great American opera. We were privileged to see it at the Kennedy Center in D.C. a few years back in an amazing production with innovative, digitally enhanced staging. Here's a trailer for the same production staged by the San Diego Opera:
43. Fish with prized roe: SHAD. Both the fish and its roe are prized in Maryland. The fish has a lot of tiny bones, but when slow baked for a 2 1/2 to 3 hours the bones dissolve and the fish is delicious. Here's a recipe.
45. Place for a snail facial: SPA. Whatever floats your boat!
47. Part of REM: EYE. Rapid Eye Movement, a sleep stage indicative of dreaming.
49. Big concert venue: ARENA.
50. Paired (up): TEAMED. I team up with Malodorous Manatee on alternate Thursdays.
51. Not remote: ONSITE.
53. Make possible: ENABLE. C.C. ENABLED this particular puzzle and was ABETTED by Patti.
55. Treasure stash: TROVE.
57. High points: ACMES. A member of the crossword A-TEAM, two others being ATOP and APEX.
59. Foreshadow: BODE.
61. Resort near Snowbird: ALTA. Speaking of MalMan, I'll bet he's been there. Hey, don't Snowbirds go to Florida in the winter?
64. "Is it soup __?": YET. Almost ...
65. Smoked fish in unagi nigiri: EEL. I like unagi, but I'm afraid it gives me indigestion.
And as always thanks to Teri for proofreading and constructive suggestions.
waseeley
Cheers,
Bill
55 comments:
I didn't have too much trouble with this puzzle. I knew who Legolas was, and even remembered Lisa Leslie, although I'm not a big WNBA fan. I didn't grasp the theme until the reveal, but I did then. FIR, so I'm happy.
Good morning:
It is nice to see C.C. being published here at her home court and Bill you have done a great job explaining and illustrating the puzzle. I appreciate SO for imparting a bit of blogging wisdom. I also loved the many little personal things she places in her puzzles.
Your background allows you to comment intelligently on certain clue/fill I could not. For example, your comment on SPUME a word I know but not your backstory for it.
SNAIL FACIAL the obsession with outward appearance knows no bounds but YUCK!
Thank you Bill(Terri) and the Queen.
Good morning!
This one filled quickly, but Wite-Out was required. JEDI WARRIO...oops! With that R in place fRench seemed likely, but it was really ARABIC. "Shakshuka" appeared on Jeopardy! last night, or maybe it was the night before. Saw the circles, but missed reading the full reveal clue. Again. And no, d-o didn't get the theme. Thanx, C.C. and Waseeley (Where'd that "O" come from?)
D-O @5:47 AM Jason caught that (Brit for Burnikel?). It's fixed.
FIR, somehow. DNK LESLIE, Legolas, NAOMI, shakshuka, TOBEY, riverdale or APA, tandoor, aran islands, TAE or V or BTS, unagi, and snail facial. Can you imagine the outrage had the CIA placed snails on the faces of the prisoners at Gitmo to get information from them?
I don't get how the NCAA is the Rose Bowl organization. What do they have to do with that stadium? Maybe CC and/or Patti meant the famous Tournament of Roses game played there? That would be colloquially "the Rose Bowl Game". Potato/potahto?
HAT TIP reminds me of the old "There Oughta Be a Law" cartoon by Jimmy Hatlo. He drew from ideas sent in by his fans, and would acknowledge the idea with a small inset sketch of himself TIPping his HAT with the name and city of the contributor.
FIR, but do I ever dislike circles in a puzzle. Didn't need the theme for the solve.
This was a smooth solve for a Thursday - I enjoyed the theme but definitely needed the theme reveal to understand it. At first I was trying to put "up" at the end of the circles words but that wouldn't fly. I second the list of unknowns that Jinx had - but easily perped. Hands up for SNAIL facial being gross, even if it was in a high-end SPA
Thanks Bill and CC!
I raised my for being finished today in 5:38.
Oh joy, circles.
Didn't know Mr. Apa or anything to do with BTS (thank you perps).
Interesting intersection of "legal fees" with the clue/answer pairing of "Legolas" the "elf". Nearly an anagram.
Not knowing ESTE or ALTA, I was able to FIB except for exactly one square, the T at the intersection of the two words. I solve on the web site, so I was able to try all 26 letters in that square. Does this count as FIB?
Jinx, I think you are correct, at least you are supported by wkipedia
What, "American inventor" or "Martial art, with -BO" aren't obscure enought clues for TAE?
I think colloquially, if you say two NCAA teams made it to the Rose Bowl, you usually mean the game, not the stadium.
I had TOBie McGuire and changed the I but not the eldest for my first FIW of the week. OK, Sunday I missed a few, too. Also…
I never caught on to RAISING a flag,stink,bet,kid. Very clever
DeSantis, FLA gov, got a law passed limiting professorial free speech, er, TENURE
Catholics refer TO ATONEment as Penance
Waseeley, I'll get back to those links. Very detailed write-up
WC
I liked this puzzle. Saw the theme words reading upwards, but was surprised at how they were related. Fun puzzle, CC. Great write up, Bill and Terri. FIR, perps were kind. I forgot about needing a plural and kept BRIDGE almost to the end. Then I noticed it and changed it to RANGES to complete that section.
TENURE, CSO to almost all of our teachers.
I have nor seen a HAT TIP in real life in decades, only on the screen. Men seldom wear that kind of hat these days.
SNAIL FACIAL? Yucky!
I have been doing the puzzles and reading the blog. I have not been commenting because I fell Monday evening and fractured a bone in the pelvic girdle. I am able to sit, stand and lie down quite comfortably, but walking is very painful, even using a cane. Until last evening the pain of walking was a 9 or 10. Now it is about a 7. Walking to the computer was too hard before this. I hate to type this much on my phone. Today I can stand at the kitchen counter to read for about 20 minutes because it is weight bearing, but not painful.
Billocohoes, my thoughts about the Rose Bowl, exactly. I have no nit there.
This week I got a FIR on Thursday, so the streak goes on.... Thanks C.C. for the puzzle full of fun! The circled words started unscrambling early on, but I needed the reveal to make the connections. I would never have found the words without the circles, so no complaints there.
Right at the outset I had Peak/POLE, followed in the NE corner with WOs related to Amends/ATONED (I know, wrong tense). I also tried leNDS/FUNDS, fixed by perps, which were generally quite helpful. After TOBie/TOBEY (Hi, WC!) no more WOs for a tidy enough grid. Thanks, waseeley and Teri, for a fact and fun filled review!
Mister Canoehead, I do the puzzle on paper and think that going through the alphabet to fill in a square is fine and still a FIR. Working it on the web and using red letters is getting extra help. When I was starting out, I would work on a harder puzzle as long as I could before looking at the review or checking Google for an answer. Extra help teaches you vocabulary and the tricks so you can improve.
Oh dear, YR, I am so sorry to hear of your misadventure! Hope you continue to feel better. And hope everyone has a good day.
Good Morning:
I really like puzzles with down themers, especially ones that conceal the reveal until later in the solve. Despite several unknowns, as clued, (Leslie, Apa, Este, Tae, and Elf), I thought the solve was relatively easy for a Thursday. IMO, eliminating the circles would increase the challenge and the satisfaction of completion. Otherwise, the grid is clean, with no dreck, with impressive long fill, Cable Knit Sweater, being my favorite. My only w/o was Nary/None. Baseball fan CC brought her A Team today with Nada, Apa, Rasta, Baa, NCAA, Leila, Spa, Opera, Arena, and Alta. She also gave us a mini creature theme with Hens, Eggs, Baa, Seal, Shad, Eel, and Tick. We were also treated to some fun pairings with Hens/Eggs, Oven/Ranges, ATMs/Fees, Steep/Keep, Jars/Lids, One/Done, Leia/Jedi Knight, and Eye/Brain/Arm. I’ll add Lucina (Nada and ESL) to Bill’s CSOs.
Thanks, CC, for a Thursday treat and thanks, Bill, for the extensive and informative review. There was so much to read and learn that I’ll have to make a return trip to absorb it all. I don’t have to research Shakshuka, though, as it is imbedded in my brain since it appeared in a Stella Zawistowski Saturday puzzle as an answer, one of many unknowns in that torturous non-solve defeat. Adele has a lovely voice but am I the only one who finds her lack of enunciation problematic? I don’t listen to pop music but I heard her sing on TV and I listened to part of today’s clip and I just can’t grasp much of what she is saying.
Have a great day.
Sorry, I forgot to thank Teri for her contributions to Bill’s blogging efforts. Thank you, Teri! 🤗
Learning moment: Snail Facial?
Reaction: NO! No no no no no...!
Yellowrocks,
Ouch!
But I am surprised to hear you can be "in any" position and be comfortable.
I trust you have expert care aiding your rehabilitation.
The puzzle?
Well, I can't say it got a rise out of me...
(Don't want to get too racy...)
However, here is some get a raise humor...
FLN,
Re cookies
(They are not all Oreos you know...)
Thank you Anon-T and TTP , I will venture (in incognito mode) further into the internet with your help.
I may have overthought it, but if I were a hacker, (which I am not) I would be trying to find a way to incorporate MalWare into those "click t9 accept cookies." Links.
I bet it is only a matter of time before some one figures out a way.
I googled, and most responses indicate cookies are benign.
However I did find one site that said "it is possible to add malware to click on cookies responses," but I did not want to investigate further, as to cont8nue, you had to click on their "accept cookies" pop up...
Oops. I meant to write, "I raised my HAND for being finished today in 5:38."
me (aka anon @ 7:57 a.m.).
YR, so sorry you had that terrible fall. Good to know you are still able to get around, albeit with pain.
Last I knew, baseball players still TIPed their HATs when fans insist (by applause and chants) that they come out of the dugout to take a bow for something like a notable milestone for home runs, strikeouts, or stolen bases. Pro golfers abbreviate the gesture to just pushing up the bill of their cap an inch or so and reseating it, and some players think its OK to just touch the brim and mouth "thanks". I understand that - golf fans are notoriously polite, and applaud just about any shot. Listen to a TV broadcast of a tournament and you'll hear some idiot yell "GET IN THE HOLE" after their favorite pro hits a tee shot on a 600-yard par 5. (A big exception is the par 3 16th hole at the Phoenix Open, or whatever corporate name it has these days. Fans actually boo players who miss the green or miss a short putt.)
But my first thought was of Charlie Daniels' big hit "Uneasy Rider":
"an' I was almost to the door when the biggest one
said 'you tip your hat to this lady son'
an' when I did all that hair fell out from underneath"
Somehow I erased my thanks to CC, Patti, Bill and Teri from my original post. So thanks to y'all.
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, C.C. and waseeley (and Teri).
I FIRed in good time, but required the reveal to GET the clever theme.
Unknowns like ELF, TOBEY, TAE, we’re fair and perped.
EGGS over HENS was cute (but under would have been even better for hatching).
Hand up for saying Yuck to that Snail SPA. That’s worse than a fish pedicure.
I smiled at the proper clueing for BAA today.
I am trying to get a fourth vaccine dose in my ARM before the suggested 150 days.
YR, sorry to hear of your fall and injury. Hope the healing process is quick and pain lessens soon.
AnonT- from the other day, re Mattea and Canadians talking with their hands, we only know how to say Sorry that way. LOL.
Wishing you all a good day.
Ach! Why does autocorrect change were to we’re??
Hmm, shoulda proofread 1st...
I just reread my post, and I have "no idea" why I typed, or what I typed to Yellowrocks...
I think I meant to say I was surprised you can sit comfortably.
If I don't respond to many of these personal issues, it is probably because I am afraid I will stick my foot in my mouth.
But please be assured I am thinking of you.
Wow, fun CW, thanx C.C. I am surprised I was able to FIR with all the DNKs: NAOMI, TAE, TOBEY, LESLIE, LEGOLAS, and SHAKSHUKA. It took 24, but went smoothly, done with pen on paper with no W/Os. I saw the theme fills, and saw to read upwards, but until the reveal could not figure out what the themers had in common. I thought of KID as a verb, like to joke around, not a noun, like a child, or a baby goat. Anyway, I enjoyed this CW and was a bit surprised to find that it took 24 minutes, it seemed to fill faster. Undoudtedly having to use PERPs for so many unknowns is where all the time went. Terrific write-up, as always, Bill, thanx for all the time and effort you put into it.
OH, I forgot to offer my best wishes to Yellowrocks for a quick recovery.
CED, no worries. I knew what you intended. I was sure your comment was friendly.
The pain level of walking with a cane is now down to a 5. I have cleared the kitchen counter, washed the dishes in the sink and pitched a few items from the fridge that I won't get to use. My neighbor makes me lunch and drops it off. The dining room delivers my dinner. A friend takes out my garbage and another one brings me my mail. A while ago I sat on a chair outside my door to read and chatted with people who passed by. I am so glad I am here instead of alone at my house. I can lie down without pain if I use the right position, no curling up. Thank you all for your caring remarks.
Great puzzle. As always it was well constructed and thought provoking. Great job CC.
Woohoo! A C.C. puzzle today! Woohoo! Wednesdays don't get any better than this. Thank you so much for this delightful treat, C.C.--a wonderful combination of tough and manageable. And thank you, Bill and Teri, for the helpful and interesting commentary.
Of course, my favorite item was TENURE. Thank you for remembering, Bill.
Are LEGAL FEES NEGOTIABLE? I liked their crossing.
Fun to see the chick tenders (HENS) right below the EGGS they have to attend.
HAT TIP cracked me up, as a courteous acknowledgement. I've politely acknowledged many good deeds to people in my day, but don't remember ever tipping a hat (well, I rarely wear one).
Glad a good recovery is on the way, Yellowrocks. Take good care of yourself.
Have a great week coming up, everybody.
Yellowrocks That sounds very painful and disabling. Which pelvic bone? I had a shattering of the ramus from being hit by a car and I was not allowed to walk at all without crutches. I do hope you are getting proper care and advice.
CC I loved your RAISE puzzle. But very surprised: No baseball? I am not complaining, just wondering if something was removed in editing?
Had difficulty at crossings of CABLE/LESLIE, STIR/TAE, ELF/LEIA, NCAA/ALTA, SNIP/APA. WAGs to FIR.
Bill Seeley Thank you for the many learning moments. I had no idea that POLEs were known during medieval times. I knew they were understood in ancient times, but I thought the knowledge was suppressed by the Church. Also learning moments about ARAN ISLANDS and SNAIL FACIAL.
Galway was my favorite place in Ireland back when I had an Irish lady friend. Did not realize the ARAN ISLANDS were right there.
I looked back through my Galway photos and indeed found this reference to the ARAN ISLANDS.
The white car backed up to the building belonged to my lady friend's father. Very grateful to have it on loan for our adventures. Not much public transit out there. We picked up hitch hikers.
Here we had a very STEEP ascent on the hike I led this past weekend.
The woman in front behind me is Kelli, who is my favorite dance partner of all time. She and her husband came all the way over from OJAI for my hike. But her husband got so impatient he went ahead and missed the whole point of the hike which is in the next photo!
Here we were on TOP OF THE WORLD at a new secret overlook!
From Yesterday:
AnonT Yes the SWEDEN ferry indeed looks sketchy! These Nordic countries were still a bit poor by US standards back when we lived there. But not so anymore! I would like to go back and visit now, but I am not sure I can afford it!
Picard, thanks. I had a closed fracture of the ramus. Was yours an open fracture? Much more disabling. I am allowed to do anything I can tolerate. My pain level has dropped a lot since Monday night. I heal quickly and have a high pain threshold. The morning after my knee replacement when the doctor came to see me I was washed, combed, wearing lipstick and peacefully sitting a chair with a smile reading a book. The doctor was stunned. I assure you I am following doctor's orders.
Super puzzle, C.C. -- thanks! And thanks to Bill for the great write-up. Yellowrocks, you are an inspiration!
Hola!
Late again because I had to go for a blood draw; without fail, every three months. However, I was surprised that the waiting room was almost empty, only one other person there besides me. Usually every seat is taken.
Today's puzzle was filled quickly and posed no problems. Thank you, C.C. I liked seeing the CABLE KNIT SWEATER, thought it's way too warm for wearing here except maybe on a cold morning in January.
I love ADELE'S voice!
The first time I saw TOBEY Maguire was in CIDER HOUSE RULES and then in SEABISCUIT.
Favorite clue: backs with bucks, clever!
Return of the JEDI is the only Star Wars movie I've seen in a theater. Both my late husband and my daughter (she as about 7) wanted to see it so we stood in line for a while. At the time we had only one theater in Scottsdale.
Thank you Bill and Teri! Enjoy your day, everyone!
Thank you, C.C. and Waseeley.
No problems except for a typo. Figured out the theme answers with the help of the circles. They might have been hard to spot without the circles.
Get healed quickly, Yellowrocks.
Jinx, would that be the Phoenix Waste Management golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale ? If I didn't know better, I would think it was so-named because of the number of wasted patrons boozing it up in the 16th hole stadium seats. A raucous crowd, for sure.
I remember Tobey from The Wonder Boys with Michael Douglas.
YR, sorry to hear about your fall. Hope you heal quickly.
YR, glad to hear you’re steadily improving. (I know a few things about falls and their aftermaths. 🍉)
21 Across... bad clue... A BLT has a meat, a vegetable and a fruit... a tomato is a fruit. Better clue: "Deli sandwich with a fruit and a vegetable"
TTP, that would be the one. Heaven forbid that the name of the tournament actually have historic meaning. I think that the "Tiger Can't Drive a Genesis Invitational" is far better than the "LA Open".
OTOH, corporate sponsorships might be a way to pay off our seemingly insurmountable debt. How much could we get for agreeing to change the drab name "Grand Canyon" to something snazzy like "SpaceX Terrestrial Exploration Center"? Or for changing the Grand Teton National Park to the "Johnson and Johnson Delightful Mounds Recreation Area"?
Musings
-The teacher for whom I was subbing today had her exercises on the computers with a time stamp for when the kids could access them. Well she set them for tomorrow and not today and so I did a lot of scrambling.
-Even worse, she only had PENS in or on her desk! AAARRRGGGHHH!
-We just planted our T’s for great summer BLT’s in July
-Yes, Irish, Stella Zawistowski had Shakshuka in the first puzzle of hers I blogged.
-I had today’s puzzle on the projector today and a 12-yr-old immediately spotted ADELE
-Gotta run for an overdue haircut.
The puzzle is now "open to discussion" Fun Challenge C C but the "easily sussed theme" went way over my head. FLAG, KID, KNITS(or STINK), BET wha? ..now I C.. "RAISE A...etc"
Inkover: shear/STEEP.
The second amendment guarantees vaccinations: (the right to "bare" arms.) Do you have to become a Mason to get those JARS and LIDS?... APA: one season of "Riverdale" was enough 🙄
If you "identify" a space craft as a(n) UFO then it's not a UFO. "Snail facial"? Am I reading that right? Let me add my YUCK 🤢... CABLE must not only be hard to KNIT but uncomfortable to wear.😲
I finally no longer miss ALTA. "Legolas" was an ELF ( lives in Middle Earth with a summer home in Legoland) . Yesterday's speaker of "Polish Prose" would obviously be today's POLE. Is it called TENURE cuz it takes ten years to get it?
First sons, Cain_____ ENABLE
Old nylons.....SEEMED
Easy, like tightening your belt....SINGE
Was filled with...TEAMED.
Recent female Watson... LIEU
May get some...dare I say it....SNOW yikes.🙉
JINX..maybe "Five Guys" the fast food chain could take over and sponsor Mt Rushmore even though it's only Four Guys..😁
HG, the PENS on the desk mean you had to do the puzzle in ink?
Anon at 3:18 said,"21 Across... bad clue... A BLT has a meat, a vegetable and a fruit... a tomato is a fruit. Better clue: 'Deli sandwich with a fruit and a vegetable'"
Why is everyone leaving out the bacon?
You all have joined Bill in the fun and entertaining the masses.
YR @1:35 Teri and I wish you rapid healing. We hope you gave your doc a peck on the cheek!
I think I've figured out the problem: many crossworders must be spending a lot of time watching TV, Netflix, etc. -- media in general.
Some of today's clues reflect this, such as for "Seabiscuit," "Riverdale," and especially "... BTS singer known as V." Luckily, our old friend 'perps' got me past these. (My reaction is often, "Who are these people and why should I care?")
Any chance of toning this media emphasis in cluing down? AT&T priced me out when their bill hit $240 a month....
IN RE "Tomatoes as fruits": IMHO, yes they are fruits, but there are two connotations to the English word "fruit": (1) the part of a plant enclosing its seeds, e.g. tomatoes, eggplants, pea pods, etc. These are technically "fruits", but generally connote vegetables and (2) fruits which are sweet or sweet-tart, e.g. oranges, apples, lemons, pineapples, or bananas that are more often used in desserts. A BLT sandwich contains bacon, lettuce, and tomato, which is a fruit of the first type and is commonly considered a vegetable.
I liked this puzzle. As Acesaroundagain said, "Great puzzle. As always it was well constructed and thought provoking. Great job CC." Yep. You too, waseeley, great write-up. Good wishes to you all.
Today's Universal crossword clue at 6 Across: Excessively exacting. The answer was anal. Like Anon at at 3:08.
Hi All!
Caught the theme early 'cuz C.C. & I worked on an 'up' puzzle once so I know the gimmick.
This is a much better 'RAISE' puzzle ;-)
Thanks C.C.
Great expo waseeley! Going back for the UFO links later. Thanks to you & Teri.
WOs: N/A
ESPs: LESLIE, NAOMI | SPUME, APA, TAE, ALTA | ESTE (Hi Canoehead!)
Fav: EGGS over HENS is a serendipitous tying together two themers.
CSO - APA is my company's $tock-symbol. [This is NOT investment advice - I've lost $$$ :-)]
Anyone else read 33d "Vacation spot, often" for, like, ever???? When I came back to that area, I finally parsed 'Vaccination' to fill the A & M.
YR - I was wondering where you were. So sorry to read of your fall. Re: your follow-up at 11:38 -- are you still going to be able to visit Alan?
ATLGranny - I do puzzle in newspring & ink... ABC-runs in my BRAIN I count it as a FIR. That got me NAOMI / SPUME today :-)
IM - I'd count ELF as a creature (albeit imaginary) too. ;-)
Jinx - LOL National Park sponsorships. //but, please, No.
Michael said re: A&E Why Should I Care?
And made me think of The Who so I just had to link :-)
//yeah, I have no idea who modern A&W folks are unless Terry Gross interviews 'em.
Today's fun... A couple of GIS [Geo Info Systems] guys at work put on a presentation this morning. One said he grew up in Ruston.
I messaged him after the presentation, 'Did you also go to LA. Tech?'
He said yes, so I sent back 'got my EE there in '93. Go Bulldogs!'
Turns out he didn't graduate HS/ go to Tech until '06.
Boy did I feel old!
Cheers, -T
CED I loved your housemaid asking for a raise joke .... so did my wife.
Ray O Subshine your homophones / homologues / homophobes whatever, continue to amuse me very much !@#@! altho once in a while, I have no idea on what you're talking er, writing about ...
I have not been posting lately, becuz, I have been in pain recently, so I can understand YR;s pain and suffering. BUt, this too, shall pass... sometimes it takes a long time to pass... Best wishes to Yellowrocks, and prayers for a quick recovery.
Thank you CC for a challenging puzzle, and Waseely ( and Teri - ) for a comprehensive review.
Thank you Picard for your various Hikes.... you must have ultra strong legs. I have lost a lot of wt recently in the last few months, and not only my belly fat, but my arm and leg musculature seems to have reduced, and that is very strenuous and painful. well, it cant be helped.
Thank you Wassely for the info on tandoor, and that the oven is used in a dozen other countries ... its been a long time, since I ate tandoori flatbread, ... and I know you have to eat it in a hurry, to get the full flavor of the bread... like a NY pizza.
have a good day you all. and a great weekend ahead.
Whaddaya think, Moe ? Kenny Pickett almost looked disappointed.
Long day, but first...
In case anyone missed it, last week OwenKL graciously invited any Wordle players to use his Jumble site if they wanted to post their results.
https://jumblehints.blogspot.com/
Here's the hotlink to Owen's Daily Jumble site , where you comment on the Jumble and post your WORDLE results.
Hi Y'all! Let's give C.C. a RAISE for a great puzzle which I really enjoyed. No unknowns that weren't filled easily with perps & a WAG. No red letter runs -- just fun. Theme was clever but I needed a reveal to get it. STINK had me wondering what the theme could be. I finally had a laugh over it.
Thank you, Bill, for another interesting expo.
YR: Bless your heart, you are having a miserable 2022! Virtual hugs for you. Prayers for a fast KNIT of your bone.
I am once again having trouble getting anything done because of an over-whelming need to sleep 12 to 19 hours a day and awake no more than 4 hours at a time -- mostly at night. Don't know why.
Almost messed up badly! I saw RAISING the FLAG, the BET and the KID, but I didn’t see the STINK. Figuring it was KITES, and not knowing NAOMI, I came very close to changing the N to an E (even had already used the Wite-Out), when Kizzy nipped me on the hand (he was already mad at me anyway, because I had just yelled at him to quit butting my hand and to get off the desk while I was trying to make an adjustment to my checkbook spreadsheet), and he told me to leave in the N.
Thanks for the FIR on a Thursday puzzle, Kiz! Guess I’ll have to give him extra treats tomorrow. (He’s already retired for the night.)
Thanks, C.C. and Bill and Teri!
I’ve never heard “de jure” pronounced as a double E on the end --- only like “soup du jour.”
Like others said, unknown peeps were LESLIE, NAOMI, APA, TAE, and maybe a couple more.
I hope these guys and gals whose names I never know aren’t suffering for additional income, just because I don’t know them (or CARE)!
Oh, I DO know who ADELE is, but none of her songs.
Get well soon, YR!
YR:
I am so sorry you are in pain and I hope you will be able to get some relief.
My reaction to the snail facial: UGH AND DOUBLE UGH!
Dear -T -- Thanks for the Who reference, but I don't think the 5:15 -- in-brain or not -- was quite where I was headed. I know my feelings about the (to me) obscure media persons is a mark, not of senility, but just of too many names to remember.
"Here it comes
Woo
Out of my brain on the train, on the train
Out of my brain on the train
Why should I care?
Why should I care?"
Vidwan @ 9:28: I'm sorry to share some, well, we'll call it a 'medical report' ... along with weight loss and muscular atrophy, serious medical interventions also just blast stamina. I had a partial duodenectomy in July 2020, with 60 days of institutionalization. Even with the various therapies, it is still a struggle to do things now which used to be so automatic.
Be patient with yourself!
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