google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday June 27, 2022 Will Pfadenhauer

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Jun 27, 2022

Monday June 27, 2022 Will Pfadenhauer

Theme: HOLY TRINITY (59. Christian doctrine of divinity, and the starts of the answers to 18-, 29-, and 45-Across?) - Holy can precede the first word of each theme answer.

18. Age-old method of long-distance communication: SMOKE SIGNAL. Holy smoke!

29. Triple-A baseball team based in Ohio: TOLEDO MUD HENS. Holy Toledo!

45. Atmospheric patterns that resemble fish scales: MACKEREL SKIES. Holy mackerel!

Boomer here. Congrats on Will Pfadenhauer's LA Times debut!

Another week of healthcare appointments coming up.  Our round trip to the VA medical center is about 60 miles.  The Hyundai is fairly frugal on gas, and our price at the pump is around $4.70.  This week will be 5 trips but I'll deal with it.  Maybe grab lunch at the cafeteria again.

Across:

1. Sandwich made with Peter Pan and Welch's, for short: PBJ. No Welch's for me.  I use strawberry J. 

4. Like an unruly kid: BRATTY. My son's name is Bret, not Brat.

10. Open-handed hit: SLAP.  A hockey player may use both hands.



14. Flamenco shout: OLE.

15. Nanny who may live in an in-law suite: AU PAIR.

16. "Field of Dreams" state: IOWA.  I visited there once.  Kevin Costner is one of my favorites.


17. Macadamia __: NUT.  Sometimes you feel like a NUT.  Sometimes you don't. Almond Joy.

20. Bus terminal: DEPOT.  We have made a number of purchases at Home DEPOT.

22. Each: PER.

23. "Been __, done that": THERE.  Here THERE and everywhere.

24. Computer that generates Bitcoin, e.g.: MINER.  Bitcoin drives me nuts.  Every time I go to CNBC they are constantly showing changes.

26. Younger of the NBA's Curry brothers: SETH.



28. 45-Down, e.g.: RED.   45. Dry wine choice: MERLOT.  I do not care for wine.

32. __ goo gai pan: MOO.



33. Mont Blanc, e.g.: ALP. Never been there.

34. Director Roth: ELI.

35. Some summer workers: INTERNS.  Quite a few at the VA.

38. Find My iPhone logon need: APPLE ID.

42. Kanga's joey: ROO.

43. Dean's list no.: GPA.  Grade Point Average.  I was never smart enough to figure mine out.

44. DVR forerunner: VCR.  Obsolete.

49. Female sheep: EWE.

51. Lotto variant: KENO.  About ten legal casinos in MN. Most do not have keno. Las Vegas seems to have deleted the game also.



52. Sends with a stamp: MAILS.  We finally used up our Yogi Berra stamps.

53. Midafternoon: THREE.  Blind Mice.

55. "Dear old" parent: DAD. 43. Reacted to a joke told by 55-Across, probably: GROANED. Hope all DADs had their day last Sunday.

57. Pulls hard: YANKS.  I heard that Aaron Judge settled last week.

62. Grab a bite: EAT. If you grab it, it may not be edible.

63. __ vera: ALOE.

64. Route: AVENUE.  We live on a street.

65. Pigpen: STY.  But not in a sty.

66. Lacrosse targets: NETS.

67. Pie servings: WEDGES.  Also for a shot less than 100 yards.

68. Netflix's "__ Education": SEX.

Down:

1. "On Golden __": Hepburn film: POND.  A wedge can get you over it.

2. Brewer known for its Belgian White ale: BLUE MOON.



3. Many a "Top Gun" aviator: JET PILOT.  I heard that Airlines are having trouble staffing pilots.  Many cancellations at MSP airport recently.

4. Kept moist, as a roast turkey: BASTED.

5. __ and Coke: RUM.  Away, Away with rum by gum ...

6. Each, informally: A POP.

7. Starts, as a new hobby: TAKES UP.  Try baseball cards, rewarding!

8. Like tall wedding cakes: TIERED.  Most baseball parks.

9. 12-mo. periods: YRS.

10. Weary sound: SIGH.  I do this sometimes working a crossword.

11. Folks who keep to themselves: LONERS. Add an A and its a bank.

12. Cognizant (of): AWARE.

13. Lost some color: PALED.

19. Service provided by the Geek Squad: IT HELP.  Best Buy.


21. Unspecified person: ONE. For the money, two for the show.

25. Southwest Virginia city: ROANOKE.  Interesting name for a city.


27. Steakhouse chain with a skinny tree in its logo: THE PALM.


29. Texter's "Sorry, did I overshare?": TMI.

30. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. Major League Soccer

31. Nada: NIL.  Nothing

36. Timeline stretch: ERA.  Earned Run Average.

37. Simple firework: ROCKET.  Red glare, bombs bursting in air.

38. __ Escape: PlayStation game featuring monkeys: APE.



39. Depravity: EVILNESS.  Losing 1-0.

40. Item of equipment for the NCAA's Frozen Four: ICE SKATE.  I think every kid in Minnesota had a pair.  I had mine.

41. ER staffers: DRS. Seen many. VA ER found my cancer in 2018.

46. Curly salad green: ENDIVE.

47. Verbally approve: SAY YES. Or just nod your head.

48. Korean automaker: KIA.  A brother of Hyundai.

49. Actor Hawke: ETHAN.

50. Complete: WHOLE.  She's got the whole world, in her hands!

54. Looks over: EYES.

56. Minor dent: DING.  Minor dents are no longer cheap to fix.

58. River of Hades: STYX.

60. Like sashimi: RAW.

61. Election time: Abbr.: TUE.  Coming soon for governors.

Boomer



48 comments:

Michiganman said...

I have switched from doing the NYT Xword to the LAT. I am enjoying this blog immensely. It has a friendly vibe that is lacking in a certain east coast NYT blog I used to read. Civility is important. I also like the no-politics rule.

The puzzle: I liked this one a lot, a nice start to a Monday morning. There are several nice longer entries in addition to the theme answers. The theme made me think of THIS

OwenKL said...

This is Monday? 5 cells still blank when I TITT, and 10 more that red letters told me were wrong!

Holy Themers, Batman, I think I've got it!

I want a girl, just like the girl,
That Dad married second, she of the curl.
Number three down the aisle,
She had the nicest smile.
Today is the fourth, who married dear old DAD!

You know Quasimodo, of Notre Dame,
He never went out, His days all the same.
He was offered a ride
To venture out-side,
Only once, so many DINGS in the car were a shame!

{A+, B.}

Wilbur Charles said...

FLW, If no one got it: Hack Wilson had 190 RBIS for the Cubs circa 1935. CC's Sunday question. Booner, tell her I didn't need to LIU

Boomer, you do get travel pay ? I do. But….
I didn't FIR I couldn't grok DRS. Duh, Mr S insisted it was e or o

Also, I didn't catch the simple theme. Back to sleep.

I inked(oops I did it online(punched) in bunt/SLAP))

I had to liu the AaronJudge settlement

That just covers 2022. He wants 36mil/yr. Yankees won't go that high. But other teams will and more

WC

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

This one took twice as long as a typical Monday. Never noticed the reveal, and totally missed the theme. Again. But it was a nice amble to the bottom. MLS, MUD HENS, and THE PALM were unknown, but when all else was completed, they easily fell into place. Nice debut, Will. Thanx for the tour, Boomer. Hope all goes well with those V-A visits this week.

Michiganman, welcome to the corner. You should "go blue" and visit often. We've got another Michigander, Yooper Phil, who's a regular here. And I think JzB, our sometimes Wednesday blogger, hails from the Toledo area.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, by luck without erasure. I almost penciled in slices, but waited because it could be pieces (clever with pie), then filled in WEDGES when the perps required it. Also waited for pen/ALP for Mont Blanc. DNK THE PALM, and the only Roth I can think of is Big Daddy ED, who created Rat Fink and a lot of cool cars.

A hot-out-of-the-oven white chocolate macadamia NUT cookie may be the closest thing we have to heaven on earth. At least for those of us who don't drink.

I knew about the MUD HENS from M*A*S*H. Klinger's favorites.

I also knew the old saying "mare's tails and mackerel scales make tall ships carry small sails". Big wind a-comin'.

My only Apple device, my trusty Apple II computer, doesn't require an APPLE ID.

Thanks to Will for the fun, easy (sorry, OKL) Monday grid. And thanks to Boomer for more of your good humor.

KS said...

FIR. A little tough for a Monday. Nice theme. Did anyone else notice that the 3 theme answers preceeding the reveal form a trinity?

Lemonade714 said...

Always a plus to start the week with a journey along with Boomer’s mind

Mondays will never be the same. Welcome Will is the f silent?

Welcome miciganman and a great week to all

ATLGranny said...

What joy today! FIR and no WOs! It's been ages since I managed that. Welcome, Will. Come make more Monday puzzles for us soon. I did need your reveal to see what was happening with the themers, but then it was obvious. HOLY SMOKE.

Good perps for my unknowns, which I appreciated. The L in APPLE ID was my last fill because I had APP in my mind at first. Boomer, thanks for clarifying the puzzle with your unique humor today. Hope your treatment this week goes well.

We're familiar with MONT BLANC after hiking around it three summers. You meet interesting people along the way.

Welcome to Michiganman, too.

Hope everyone has an interesting Monday!

desper-otto said...

Lemonade, I'd guess the P is silent.

Tony Express said...

As Michiganman stated, the LA Times puzzle and this blog are the best. I've been doing this puzzle since the 1980s, when I lived in southeast Texas and it appeared in the Houston Chronicle. I found this blog over 25 years later. The bloggers do a fantastic job, with explanations, humor and comics, links, and entertainment. I print the crossword and do it on paper every day, then log into the this fun blog.

unclefred said...

Marvelous Monday FIR in 15. Only DNK was THEPALM, which I googled after finishing the CW to see the nearest one. Turns out it’s in Miami. There are plenty of good restaurants here in FLL, so it’s unlikely I will go to The Palm. As it pertains to the CW, THEPALM perped easy enough. Thanx for this fun and doable CW, WP, please bring us more like it. Thanx too to Boomer for his usual informative and entertaining write-up. Good luck with your VA sessions this week, keep us posted on the progress. And enjoy the cafeteria, the food is quite good.

waseeley said...

Congrats on the debut Will and thank you for a slightly crunchy Monday puzzle with several learning opportunities (i.e. DNKs), but with enough perps for a FIR.

And thank you Boomer for another GROANworthy review. DNK you had a son, but that certainly explains all the DAD jokes.

A few favs:

1A PBJ. (I'll bet D-O loved this one). I prefer ABJs, Almond Butter & Jelly: TJ's No salt crunchy with Orange Marmalade on toasted Ezekial Bread. I have one for breakfast 2-3 times a week.

24A MINER. Still trying to SUSS whether Bitcoin is just a fancy PONZI SCHEME or not. One thing I have learned is that BLOCKCHAINS leave permanent, auditable traces across the Internet, so that fancy scammers will eventually get caught.

33A MONT BLANC. And I thought it was a PEN. 🙄

59A HOLY TRINITY. I have several friends in the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, who used to have a monastery near my home. They recently moved to a new location near my son, and I owe them a visit.

Cheers,
Bill

Michiganman @4:41 AM Welcome to the Corner. You're gonna love it!

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Sidney Poitier said he would not make In The Heat Of The Night if he couldn’t SLAP back.
-It’s a 5-hr drive from me to the Field Of Dreams – from near the Missouri River to near the Mississippi River
-2X Super Bowl winner ELI is on the bench today
-In H.S. my barber shop quartet sang, “I want a girl just like the girl that married dear old DAD”
-People around here have homes on what they call a lake that is really just a POND
-I seek out LONERS in school hallways to say hello
-Welcome Michiganman!

Bob Lee said...

Jinx: "I knew about the MUD HENS from M*A*S*H. Klinger's favorites."
Thank you! I was wondering why I knew MUD HENS!!

I'm a lifelong NYer, and used to do the NY Times crossword on the train commute to Manhattan (not in pen like I would see some folks do!). I much prefer this blog and the LA Times puzzles.

Husker Gary said...

Addendum
-Yesterday, I mentioned that my son-in-law had Dr. Fred Ohles, the president of Nebraska Wesleyan University, make a customized crossword Father’s Day puzzle for me. The puzzle was so good that I wondered if he had been published here.

-It turns out that he has.

Anthony Gael Moral said...

Oh, Oh! PPJ is an abbreviation for a number of things, but peanut butter and jelly is not one of them.

Vidwan827 said...


Desper Otto - the only silent P, I had heard, in an idiom, was in or about a swimming pool ...

Thank you Will Pfadenhauer for an easier Monday puzzle, and even the reveal was fairly easy. I enjoyed it.

Thank you Boomer for your humorous review blog, and your punny jokes and comments. Unfort I am too old to take up new hobbies, and collecting baseball cards would be an enormous commitment, after I dispose of my coin and note collections, puzzle and stamp collections...

Glad you are doing better, and I pray for you two every day.

Interns at the VA ? I dont go to the VA, but at a major hospital locally, I have blood draws thrice a week, and the phlebotomists are typically, ALL interns ... we are just guinea pigs for them ... they poke me for an average of atleast 3 or 4 times, each draw...
Finally, my wife put her foot down, and read me the riot act ... or the patient's Bill of Rights. If they dont get a good draw in 2 attempts, I have the right to ask them to cease and desist, and insist ... and demand for a supervisor to do it. Patients have rights too. Plus, its all on the right hand, because the left hand is fistula enabled, and is not to be touched....

Maybe, if I could just persuade my wife to get some butterfly needles, 21 G gauge from her work, and do it herself ... I'm sure she would do a much better job .... she's an expert.


On a happier note, I came across this Exploding Outhouse, a hilarious prank puzzle, ... at a flea market yesterday. Its a real hoot.


I intend to make atleast a dozen, .... for all my relatives. !@#@!!

On the CW puzzle, I was not familiar with the MudHens, since I don't do baseball, but I've been to Toledo, several times, a 3 hour drive away. Mackerel is one of the cheapest fish you can buy, but you got to be able to stand the oily, fishy smell.

I do not have an Apple ID, because they require a credit card number, to begin with, and I figured I've already spent enough buying the phone...

Have a nice day, and the beginning of a great week, you all.



Husker Gary said...

Musings2
-Vidwan – My grandson is working at a Lincoln hospital this summer learning phlebotomy. He has taken instructions, watched many procedures and then did a very successful actual blood draw under supervision. My very experienced nurse that does my infusion sometimes has to take a couple of shots at it. It is definitely and art.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Speaking of M*A*S*H (the movie), I remember that Jo Ann Pflug was Lt. Dish. Maybe she's available for pronunciation hints. (She was once married to Chuck Woolery, the original host of Wheel of Fortune. Maybe she should buy a vowel.)

I eat PBP, Peanut Butter and strawberry Preserves, Smucker's will do just fine, thank you.

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

As I have often said, I really like a well-hidden theme, especially on an early week puzzle, and today’s surprise reveal pleased me no end. There was a tad more crunch than usual, but that’s fine with me, the more interesting the better. I just wish that the current trend toward usage of proper names and pop culture was more balanced. I’m more than willing to accept any and all of those type of entries, but ask only that they’re less rampant and fairly crossed. In the same vein, using proper nouns to clue common word answers exacerbates the whole issue, IMO. For example, in today’s puzzle, there were several such unnecessary and, to me, annoying instances, the most blatant being the clues for Pond, Miner, Ape, and Ice Skate. I, like most solvers, do crosswords for pleasure, to learn new and interesting things, and be challenged and to enjoy the satisfaction of completion. Maybe I’m expecting too much?

Thanks, Will, for a fine debut and congrats and please understand that all of the above comments aren’t solely specific to your grid and thanks, Boomer, for the light-hearted, humorous expo. Good luck with your busy and challenging week.

Welcome to Michiganman whom I recognize from that other blog and to Tony Express.

Have a great day.



waseeley said...

Husker @ 9:04 AM I Read Melissa Bee's review of Fred's puzzle and here was her comment on 37D, which had the following question:

37D. Wild way to run: AMOK. Who knows what movie this line is from: "There's something amok with this sponge cake."

Checking all the comments for that day, apparently nobody answered her. I did a little research and a blogger somewhere flagged it as one of his favorite movie lines. He claimed it was from "Two Weeks Notice", starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. I guess we'd have to watch the movie if we can't take Anonymous' word for it.

waseeley said...

Vidwan @9:11 AM If your blood draws are covered by Medicare, I'd think you could go to facility that specializes in blood testing. I have all of my testing done by Quest Diagnostics, which is nationwide. The phlebotomists are professionals and invariably get what they need on the first try. It'd be worth the effort to see if they have an office near you, and whether their services would be covered by Medicare.

Subgenius said...

I had a "leg up" on this puzzle today. Being from Richmond, Virginia, "Roanoke" is just a few miles away. And, also, the Richmond Flying Squirrels often play against the Toledo Mudhens (Triple A Baseball). That being said, I note our esteemed editor has "crunched" things up quite a bit again. I particularly note the clue for "miner", which could have been clued much more simply. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the theme and managed to FIR, so I'm happy.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Lots of remote proper names again and it's only Monday. Didnt get thru thus one as pfast as usual. Kinda lucky I FIR but I WHOLEy missed the theme

Inkovers: romain(e)/ENDIVE , eel/roe/RAW, drags/YANKS, Roanoak/ROANOKE.

MUDHENS was a WAG/perp. Almost had SEan instead of SETH. (How many of you still have your never-used-for-years, dust-collecting VCR still attached to your TV? like mwah.) ... Never heard of THE PALM

"Flamenco shout": 💃 "My feet are killing me!" or "Who put PBJ on my castenets!" "Atmospheric patterns that resemble fish scales?" likeSharknados? MACKERAL SKINS ink-overed to SKIES. Wha? We usually say PB and J. ...SLAP, a new Oscar Night entertainment event?

RUM & Coke, (When I first met my DW, inquired if she'd like a drink, she asked for a "Roman" COKE 😃 ). "SEX Education" was a fun NETFLIX series, here's hoping for another season. Usually find enough in the clue to separate ERA from eon, but hadda perpwait this time.

Prepour Spumante sound....APOP
Some banks....LONERS
Hellish suburbs with "The"....STYX
Absorbs TAKES UP
Wept silently...TIERED
Elliot's bad bro...EVILNESS
Setting or locale... AVENUE

Hot one in the mountains yesterday, 90 , cooled down to mid 60s today. At least I can mow the lawn without heat stroke. 🥵

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Vidwan

Plebotomy :
I was always good with IV's. The CT techs still occasionally call me over when there's a difficult "stick". When I was a resident an intern asked how I was so handy starting IVs. Told her I always lick the tip of the needle for luck 😃.

Plebitis
During internship I had a resident from Liverpool England who pronounced venous inflammation as "flea-bite-us". I threatened to order flea collars for our floor to prevent an infestation....Hey, the nurses thought it was funny 😇

Lucina said...

Hola!

It's my volunteer day so no time for much except to say I finished the puzzle in good time and thought it was just a tad crunchy for Monday but no problems.

My great-grandson cuddled up with me so I can't call him BRATTY, just the opposite.

THREE above HOLY TRINITY is appropriate. I haven't read the comments so don't know if anyone else caught that.

BASTED is what I did before sewing an article of clothing back in the days when I sewed extensively.

Good to hear from you, Boomer!

Everyone, have a good day!

Subgenius said...

Irish Miss, if you have a chance to revisit this blog today, I want to respond to your query about the whereabouts of Picard. I don't know if you had a chance to visit the blog yesterday, but Picard did post a comment. The big problem that many people had with the Sunday's cw was the crossing of "Rian" (apparently a man's name) with "Titiana" (apparently a woman's name.) Picard pointed this out as a particular example of why he posts so rarely on the blog these days. He just doesn't like the current direction our new editor has taken the cw into. Just thought you'd like to know. (And I apologize for the tardiness of this post. I didn't want to type in this complex post by phone, so I had to wait until I had access to a computer today. It's now 12 noon my time. So I hope you have a chance to see this later today.)

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

FIW with my red letter at APE/MACKEREL crossing. I had a second A in Mackerel, leaving APA escape for the video game. I don't play video games, so this was an unknown. Guess I could have sussed in better

Nice puzzle and recap; slight "nit", though: isn't the expression "HOLY SMOKES"? I realize that there IS an S in SIGNAL, but that spans across the two word answer. I had a puzzle rejected because of that. Maybe the editors are becoming more lenient?

If a boat was built from trees that produce acorns, a Virginian who's on their way to the lake for a boat ride, when asked, "where are you going?", might answer: "to ROANOKE"

And my old favorite limerick that's also a CSO to me:

'Twas a wine aficionado
Who also liked dancing the limbo.
So she balanced her glass
While inverting her a$$,
Just to see how MERLOT she can go.

oc4beach said...


Welcome Michiganman. You'll enjoy it here.

The puzzle filled in nicely because the down clues were mostly easy and perps were good.

I still have a few VCRs and a few hundred tapes, but I haven't used them in a while. NETFLIX, PRIME, HULU, On Demand, etc. have taken over these days.

WRT blood draws, I always ask the phlebotomists to use a butterfly needle because they are thinner and less painful. Rarely do they object. Plus I always complement them when they get it in one try.

Have a great day everyone.

Irish Miss said...

Subgenius @ 11:02 ~Yes, I did visit the blog yesterday and was pleased to see Picard’s post and his visuals. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my inquiry so thoroughly.

BTW, is anyone watching the series, The Old Man, on FX (streaming on Hulu)? It stars Jeff Bridges, one of my favorite actors and another versatile veteran, John Lithgow. I found it confusing, at first, but it’s becoming more clear with each episode.

Monkey said...

Welcome, Michiganman. This is indeed a very friendly blog populated by smart, humerous people of varied backgrounds. I read it silently (called lurking) for several years and finally took the plunge and joined in this year. I always learn a lot here both from everyone.

I’m afraid I missed the mud hens, so DNF. Otherwise nice puzzle.

Chairman Moe, what a funny limerick.

CanadianEh! said...

Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Will and Boomer.
I FIRed and saw the HOLY theme (counterbalanced with EVILNESS and STYX).

I enjoyed the solve, but did have some Canadian disadvantage with TOLEDO, ROANOKE, IOWA, MLS, THE PALM, TUE; but between WAGs and perps, I got them. I also WAGged MINER and APE. Clues were fair IMHO.

I changed pie Slices to WEDGES, TAKES on to UP, RNS to DRS.
MOO and ROO were a cute pairing.

Celebrating our Anniversary today. DH has chosen The Keg as our steakhouse with a visit to Niagara Falls.
Read you all later.

Misty said...

Fun Monday puzzle, many thanks, Will. And Boomer, seeing your commentary on Monday always gets our week off to a good start. Hope you have a healthy week coming up with good medical visits.

Found seeing BRATTY and SLAP next to each other funny. Hope it wasn't the AU PAIR who delivered it.

ROO visits us in puzzles nearly every day--doesn't he? Would he have enjoyed being next to MOO?

Well, 'been THERE, done that,' time to get on with my day.

Have a great week, everybody.



Picard said...

Hand up tough Friday puzzle. Oh. It is Monday. The theme was very amusing. I did not figure it out until I was finished; it would have helped.

Learning moment about MACKEREL SKIES.

Here one of our Solstice musicians worked high in the MACKEREL SKIES to build his float.

I am guessing this is an example of MACKEREL SKIES? The musician calls himself "Beeman" which is his last name. Very eccentric, but an excellent musician on multiple instruments. He provided sound for our Grand Finale group.

Irish Miss and Subgenius Thank you for asking about me and for the explanation about my relative absence. Yes, the TATIANA/RIAN thing yesterday was a perfect example. I have several friends named TATIANA who spell it different ways, depending on what country they are from. There was absolutely no way to guess that except by pure luck. Women are more likely to have unusual name spellings than men. So TATYANA/RYAN made far more sense.

I don't like having to keep repeating the same gripes each day, hence my sparse appearance. Thanks again for asking!

Picard said...

From Yesterday:
PK and Wilbur Charles Thank you for the kind words about my unicycling photo in Solstice! Yes, it is indeed a challenge for the gonads. My solution: I wear Pearl Izumi bicycling shorts as my underwear under the costume. It helps a lot!

Yesterday I was back on my unicycle leading a much smaller parade to honor one of our jugglers who died. No magic underwear needed for that one!

unclefred Thank you for the awe about my Saturday solve! As I noted, it was so full of Natick clusters that I did not feel much joy about it when it was done. BRIE, RONA, GERWIG, MARIO PARTY and the odd EMS instead of EMTS all in the same cluster. Argh!

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Canada Eh Happy Anniversary...at Niagara Falls watch out when DH tells you to keep backing up to get a good picture of you and the falls in the background..😳

PK said...

Hi Y'all! Thanks, Will, for a fun & fast doable puzzle. Chuckled at the theme. No red runs today.

Thanks, Boomer, for a fun contribution. Keep on truckin'.

DNK: BLUE MOON, THE PALM, or NETS as clued. Who played lacrosse among us?

The photo of Steph & SETH Curry is misleading, since they are apparently wearing each other's jerseys. Steph definitely plays for the champion Golden State Warriors. This clue was a gimmee for me since I had watched a video the night before of SETH Curry's wedding to Coach Doc River's daughter.

IM: well said.

Vidwan: your "sticky" situation reminded me of my grandson at age TWO. He went in for minor surgery & the female anesthetist was having trouble putting a needle in his tiny veins. Finally, in a very loud voice he said, "If you stick me with that thing one more time, I'll kick you in the balls."

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle okay. At least I only had to do two lookups, namely THE PALM and ELI Roth, to get the E. (So it wasn't TEA PALM and ALI, which didn't work with MUD HENS anyway.)

I won't say more at this time.

Picard, I hope you continue to comment here. I enjoy reading what you have to say and also enjoy looking at the photographs of you engaged in various activities at various locations.

Good wishes to you all.

CanadianEh! said...

Ray-o- LOL, I will ask him to do a selfie with the Falls in the background . . . and we will both be in the water.

PK- the lacrosse NETS clue was the one Canadian advantage I had today. It is popular here - was started by indigenous peoples. (Hockey would have worked as a clue also)

YooperPhil said...

A good puzzle for a Monday with an easily sussed theme and only a couple unknowns which the perps filled for a FIR in 9:42. I knew of the TOLEDO MUD HENS cuz they are the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. A warm welcome to a fellow Michigander which brings the total on this site to at least two of us, though you may live in the Mitten and not UP where I do. As you can see by the comments, the bloggers and commenters here are most welcoming, with a vast wealth of knowledge that they are more than willing to share, if the puzzle is a dance, this is the after party and you’ll certainly enjoy it! And a lot of the people here are also constructors (not me though), so it’s always nice to have their input on the grids.

Boomer ~~ glad to see you at the helm today with your usual sense of wit and array of info!

CanadianEh! 🇨🇦 ~~ happy anniversary to you, hope you enjoy a nice dinner in the Honeymoon capital!

Anonymous said...

Ahhh, an easy puzzle to lead us into the week. Thanks, Will P., for the entertainment. Thanks, Boomer, for the enjoyable expo with lots of fun extras. I had a few w/os but it went smoothly for 95% of it.

Welcome, Michiganman! I'm a former Michigander, still have lots of family there. I know the Toledo Mud Hens from Mash. I've been a Tigers fan forever but never knew they were the AAA affiliate. Thanks for that info, YooperPhil.

I have found that, when I put the answers into the correct squares, it's goes much faster/easier. Pay attention, Pat!

We are getting a brief break from the hot/humid weather and I'm enjoying it. I hope others are enjoying their days.

Happy Anniversary, CanadianEh!

Vidwan827 said...


PK, your point is well taken. If I may add, in an explanation, from what DW has told me, there are so many para medical professionals in the field today ... for each anesth MD, there are atleast one or possibly 2, ... 'front liners' ... CRNAs ( Nurse Anesthists ) or AAs ( Anesthesia Assts ) who do, what I would call, the 'dirty' work. They do the actual needle poking, most of the time... as RayOSun indicated for CT techs.

So, the MD's job is usually as a supervisor, and for overall decisions on the drug dosage etc. and bearing the ultimate responsibility for medico legal reasons, like malpractice and insurance etc. ( and billing ...) The Anesth MD's generally do the very complex cases like the 'difficult airway' etc. DW is a ped anesth, and from her stories, pre HIPAA, I believe, .... in case of little kids and toddlers, ... they generally show the kids a movie, like Shrek ( very popular ) and 'put them under' with a general anesthetic, and then maybe put in the IV lines, when the patient can feel no pain.

To HuskerGary and Ray O Sun, my critiscism on blood drawing, was not meant to be a general condemnation. We all make mistakes ... Doctors, Accountants, Lawyers, Teachers etc., you name it... and we all learn from them. Accsts bury them in copious schedules, Lawyers in footnotes etc., so every profession needs guinea pigs to train and learn ... but blood drawers do not have that luxury, ... they will have to do it in front of a live body, who will complain.
( Pathologists, especially coroners, who do autopsies, on the other hand, have very few complaints ... their 'clients' are often buried six feet under. )

But every patient eventually, becomes street smart enough, to distinguish between a diligent professional and one who just does not care. You expect a phlebo to take the time to 'sense' the vein, before poking it. If you think we are mere pin cushions, you're in the wrong business. Also gossip talking to other coworkers in the room, while you are supposed to be doing something very delicate ... like discussing baseball scores, or your plans for the evening, ...its just unprofessional.

End of Rant.

Ol' Man Keith said...

A fair & honest Monday PZL from Mr. Pfadenhauer, under the baton of our Boomer.

Clear, helpful cluing today. This befits a constructor whose name in German suggests a "Path clearer."

I am happily surprised that I remembered the TOLEDO MUD HENS.
Not so happy with the reference to the APPLE ID. I was having trouble with my own version of this when trying to download an app.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
No diagonals.

Wilbur Charles said...

Xxxxxxxxc (St John) DeMatha HS in DC is a basketball powerhouse with Adrian Dantley. Danny Ferry and the late Len Bias as alums
My fav PB(&)J is raspberries on the PB grilled lightly

I have blood draws twice yearly from VA and always done perfectly. A+

Pat, I find good lighting and 3. 25 reading glasses are a big help. Especially with the small newspaper letters. Son Phillip gave me a tablet for Father's day and perhaps I'll solve in that.

I solved online this morning and perhaps I should blame that for the FIW

Yes, Saturday was tough and I gave up on SW but in retrospect too early. I see it as a challenge and Picard and subgenius etal should feel good about their FIR

WC

Lucina said...

Picard:
I always enjoy your photos from the many activities that occur in your city. It certainly is a vibrant place with involved citizens which seems to be unique to your town. That is so inspiring to see. I hope you continue to post and show us those photos and regale us with that civicmindedness.

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

I found this Monday easy on top, crunchy on the bottom -- Kinda like Yoplait [Mitch]

Fun theme and smooth fill, Will. Thanks for the puzzle and congrats on the LAT debut.
// I did think it was HOLY SMOKES and that other themers would span but only HOLY MACERELS also complied.

Thanks for the expo, Boomer. How much of it did you type with your left hand? :-)
Keep up the good spirits - we're all pulling for you.

WOs: N/A
ESP: ELI
Fav: BLUE MOON is a nice beer - if you have an orange.
Sparkle: DAD joke crossing GROANED, ROANOKE, and the corner 8stacks. I also liked ROCKET - last night I watched a few videos of Roger Clemens (aka The Rocket) as an Astro.

You don't need to BASTE a Brine'd Bird for moisture. [Good Eats]
//FIL got kicked under the table for saying my (Alton Brown) turkey was the most moist he ever ate ;-)

{A, B}
LOL Moe-ku.

Welcome to The Corner, MichiganMan. I hope you stay and play.
From one -T to another, I enjoy when you pop-in, Tony Express. //where in Houston did you live?

IIRC, a vendor treated a group of us to a THE PALM once - back when they were on Westheimer near The Galleria. Apparently, they've moved downtown.

HG - You never fail to impress... Getting a turtle out of its shell is... Well, let's just say I have a teacher or two to thank.

Vidwan - I was a phlebotomist in the (activated) Army Reserves during Desert Storm at Ft. Hood's blood-bank while the real Army was in Kuwait - I knew before I poked that I stood no chance against paper-veins and would call in a real nurse. Sorry you're getting poked too much.
//HG - Army training was "Count-off. Odds, turn to the Evens and draw blood." No oranges to practice on.

Picard - a) nice pic as is par b) No one told me I wasn't supposed to wear undies under my padded bike-shorts. After 100mi I had two rashes the size of quarters where the seams of my smalls met on my bum.

Waseeley - Crypto$ is for money laundering and a pump-and-dump scheme. Bitcoin was once over 50k / token to now less than 20k. CryptoBros are hurting and I'm SMH [shaking my head; I would expect this TXT-ism in a crossword one day... MHO]

Happy Anniversary, C, Eh!

Cheers, -T

Ol' Man Keith said...

Vidwan @9:11 ~ When I was first diagnosed with anemia, it was when I was also afflicted with several other ailments that, all together, required me to have blood drawn every two weeks.
This was hardly as often as your schedule, but often enough that it became more and more difficult for the phlebotomists to strike gold on the first try.
Or even the first arm.
They would often end up using trickery, like heating pads, and going into the back of the hand.
It got so I would always warn them in advance. They explained that frequent blood draws make the veins "shy." They pull deeper inside, roll, and/or refuse to take a normal needle.

Anyway, good luck to you. The only "cure" is to draw blood less often. These days, when I need to do it once every three or four months, I (they!) have no problem.
I still warn them, but it seems less necessary now.
~ OMK

PK said...

CanadianEh, Happy Anniversary! Hope you had a lovely celebration. Did you honeymoon in Niagra?

Vidwan, We thought my grandson's declaration was hilarious. We wondered where he had heard that before at age 2. I am very lucky to have very prominent veins, but once in a while I've had a trainee -- one poked me six times until I told her to get someone else. In my small hometown clinic & hospital, I was often a guinea pig for a trainee, partly because the medical personnel knew I'd be willing and helpful. (not the old grouch I am now.) One time they sent in a male proctor who looked like he was 12 years old to do my annual pelvic exam & pap smear. It struck me funny and I had a hard time trying not to giggle while he was trying to be a dignified doctor. I laughed all the way home.