Today's constructor is Michael Schlossberg, who last
appeared here with his second LAT puzzle on
January 23, 2022. He has also had
puzzles published in the NYT. Today he warns us about
Some spots you might want to avoid
The key to discovering the theme of this puzzle is a clue within the reveal. I didn't catch it the first time around and had to get some help (see acknowledgements at the end of the review*).
58A. Product used on four of this puzzle's clues: SPOT REMOVER. Reveal clue italics added by the blogger. A careful reading of the clue indicated that something had been removed from the clues, not the fill, as is often the case. If we add SPOT back in, the clue becomes an idiom synonymous with the idiomatic fill. Here are the themers:
17A. Tough: DIRE STRAITS. Tough spot to be in. The Greek hero Odysseus, on his long journey home from the Trojan War found himself between two monsters, the Scylla and the Charybdis, guarding the the Strait of Messina. This story has long been a metaphor for choosing between two lethal alternatives, either of which will probably fail!
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The Scylla and the Charybdis |
DIRE STRAITS, a British rock band formed in London in 1977 adopted the modern equivalent of this metaphor for their moniker. Here's their break out hit Sultans of Swing:
28A. Hot: THE PLACE TO BE. Hot spot to be. A
place that might make you sweat, like a dance club, or under a bright light in
a police interview room.
34A. Sore: TOUCHY SUBJECT.
Sore spot. Sadly the number of touchy subjects in today's society
is on the increase, and meaningful discussions about them are on the
decrease.
42A. Weak: ACHILLES HEEL.
Weak spot. We associate this weakness with Achilles, the hero of the
Homer's Iliad (see 17A about the hero of volume two
The Odyssey). But surprisingly the origin of this flaw derives
not from Homer, but from Greek mythology, which describes Achilles' mother
Thetis dipping him in the River Styx to convey invulnerability, save on the heel by which she held him. This same idea is repeated in Richard
Wagner's opera Siegfried. While this hero is bathing in
dragon's blood to
obtain invulnerability, a single leaf falls between his shoulder
blades.
This is of no concern to him as he would never turn his back and run
from an
enemy. In the end he is betrayed by a false friend, who having found
out about the vulnerability through subterfuge, stabs Siegfried in the
back. Here Wagner portrays
Siegfried's death and funeral march
(10 very moving minutes)
Here are the rest of the clues:
Across:
1. Conspiring circle: CABAL. I filled this first with what later became
1D, but it didn't perp. Semantically however they might be
interchangeable.
6. Singer/actress Thorne: BELLA.
Annabella Avery Thorne
(born October 8, 1997) is an American actress, model, singer, and
writer. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an
Imagen Award, a Shorty Award, a Teen Choice Award and three
Young Artist Awards.
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Bella Thorne |
11. Briefs brand: BVD.
An eponymous brand of men's underpants dating back to 1876.
14. Kitchen magnet?: AROMA.
15. Snacker's stack: OREOS. There must be a thousand ways to clue
these cookies.
16. Tool that only works in water: OAR. Clever clue.
19. Iberian cheer: OLE. The Iberian peninsula encompasses Spain
and Portugal, where soccer and bullfighting are popular. A CSO to Lucina.
20. Second printing: REISSUE.
21. Kerfuffle: RUCKUS.
23. Key above ~: ESC. A gimme if you're filling this on a
laptop.
24. Osso __: BUCO.
Ossobuco or osso buco
is a specialty of Lombard cuisine of cross-cut veal shanks braised with
vegetables, white wine and broth.
Here's a recipe
(2 hrs 15 min, but only 15 minute is prep time).
27. Party of the first part in the Bible?: MOSES. The "first part" of the Bible is the Torah, the books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. I'm guessing here but the "party of the first part" implies
MOSES, who is considered by many to be the narrator
of these books. Scholars point out however that as Moses died near the
end of Deuteronomy he couldn't have written all of it. But other
scholars counter that he dictated the end of the Torah to his successor
Joshua. But the question arises, on what did he write it down?
It's unlikely that the Israelites carried supplies of parchment scrolls and
ink as they wandered through the desert for 40 years.
However, these stories were actually recorded in human memory during that time, as the transmission of history by early Jews was largely through
oral recitation. Thus it is likely that
the books of the Torah were written down long after the events described in them. Scholars believe that this probably occurred during the period of
the
Babylonian Captivity and second exodus (597 - 537) after the destruction of the Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.
It was the means to survive as a nation in a foreign land by canonizing
and preserving ancient Biblical traditions at a time when
Jewish culture was under great stress.
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The Flight of the Prisoners (1896) the exile of the Jews from Canaan to Babylon James Tissot |
31. "Becoming Madame __": Anchee Min novel set in China: MAO. Becoming Madame Mao is a historical novel by Anchee Min detailing the life of Jiang Qing. She became Madame Mao after her marriage to Mao Zedong. In this story Min tries to cast a sympathetic light on one of the most controversial political figures in the People's Republic of China.
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Jiang Qing 1976 |
32. "Well, well, well!": OHO. Caught you in the act!
33. Homer's well-meaning neighbor: NED. Not the same Homer as in 17A and 42A.
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Ned Flanders |
39. Sweets: BAE. The Baltimorese for BAE is HON. Baltimore Hons are distinguished by their beehive haircuts, flashy dress, and feather boas. Every year there is a HonFest celebrating Hons in the Hampden neighborhood in East Baltimore:
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Baltimore Hons |
41. Massive lexicon: Abbr.: OED. Oxford English Dictionary. CSO to constructors, for only £100 you can get a yearly subscription.
47. Simple semiconductor: DIODE. A diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts current primarily in one direction; it has low (ideally zero) resistance in one direction, and high (ideally infinite) resistance in the other. Wait, there's more.
48. Space heater?: STAR. Our STAR heats a LOT of space.
49. Three-time World Series of Poker champion Ungar: STU. No, not Disco STU, this STU:
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Stuart Errol Ungar
(Sept 8, 1953 – Nov 22, 1998) |
52. Hyperformal "Blame me": IT WAS I. Don't look at me!
54. Haberdashery clips: TIE BARS. Draw in a pub crawl? Menswear buggy whips?
57. "New Rules" singer __ Lipa: DUA. Dua Lipa (born 22 August 1995) is an English singer and songwriter. Dua is a mezzo-soprano known for her signature disco-pop sound. In all the "official" videos of her songs I viewed, it was difficult to separate all the packaging from the human being. Finally I stumbled on this live performance of "Don't Start Now" on SNL in 2021 that liberates her from (most of) the glitz (lyrics):
61. Goof: ERR.
62. Big name in the cosmetics aisle: ESTEE.
63. Data visualization discovery, perhaps: TREND.
The Opte project
(kinda technical) uses visualization to show trends in the growth of the
Internet.
Here's their website. Very pretty.
64. "So?": AND. So?
65. "Copy that": NOTED. ROGER didn't perp..
66. Ish: SORTA. Kinda.
Down:
1. Inner circle: CADRE. This is what I had for 1A at
first. I'm sure that CABALS have CADRES. Somebody
has to give orders to the fall guys.
2. First sign of spring?: ARIES. Of course ROBIN would
have fit (they're a lot smaller than RAMS), but didn't perp.
3. __ acid: BORIC. This contains some visualizations of
Boric Acid. Didn't see any TRENDS though.
4. Hawkeye State college town: AMES. Here's the
ISU website.
5. Miss: LASS. A Scottish Miss no doubt.
6. Withstood hardship: BORE UP.
7. Stretch often named for a music genre: ERA. The
Baroque Era spanned the years 1600 to 1750. Here's a very brief
tutorial on the Baroque genre (5:28). At the end there is a short list
of pieces characteristic of this era, all of which I'm sure are also available
on YouTube.
Hands up from anyone who would venture a name for the the musical ERA we're
living in now?
8. Wreath of plumeria blossoms: LEI.
Also known as frangipani.
9. Tolkien trilogy, briefly: LOTR. As clued the
Lord of the Rings
refers to three novels (The Fellowship of the Ring,
The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) written in stages
between 1937 and 1949. I've read this captivating series twice, once to
my son, who in turn has read them multiple times to his children. Oxford professor J.R.R.Tolkien wrote them at the urging of his publisher due to the
success an earlier novel called
The Hobbit, which is essentially a prequel to LOTR, introducing many of the main
characters. The novels describe the inhabitants and the cosmic struggles of
Middle Earth, a fantasy world in which readers become quickly
immersed. The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit were essentially cult
classics until director
Peter Jackson
released three beautifully crafted films for the novels from 2001 -
2003. Here is a trailer for
The Fellowship of the Ring (vocals by Enya):
10. Take on: ASSUME. Well we all know what happens when we ASSUME.
11. Audible precursor: BOOKS ON CD. I've never been attracted to recorded books. There is something about seeing the words on a page.
12. Pot-building poker wager: VALUE BET. This is how you can make big bucks. One of the tricks that I'm sure Stu Ungar (49A) had up his sleeve.
13. Decent, so to speak: DRESSED. As opposed to "naked buck" as my grandchildren would say.
18. __ top: TUBE. A tight-fitting strapless top made of stretchy material and worn by women or girls. Here's an array you can choose from at Walmart:
22. Easy-to-store bed: COT.
25. Like the winner in a number-guessing contest: CLOSEST.
26. Island that hosts the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing: OAHU. Here are the winners since 1983. Don't try this at home:
28. Sigma follower: TAU.
29. Ad __: HOC.
30. Male swan: COB. SWAN and the associated COB, PEN, and CYGNET are becoming crosswordese. The Finish
composer
Jean Sibelius
showed great affection for these graceful birds with musical odes to them in
at least two of his pieces:
the finale of his 5th Symphony
(1:18 min) and in his haunting tone poem the
Swan of Tuonela
(reportedly J.R.R. Tolkien's favorite piece of music). Here's the complete work (8:13 min):
and if you're pressed for time here's
a short clip from it with the evocative English Horn solo (2:43).
31. Leader of a slapstick trio: MOE HOWARD. And a CSO to our
Chairman. Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges,
the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for
four decades. Here's a picture of the Chairman taken from his good
side:
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| Howard in 1937 |
34. Saying little: TACITURN. Not a problem I have.
35. Unblinking sci-fi villain: HAL. Who needs eyelids anyway?
36. First name in couture: YVES. More commonly known as YSL.
37. Java: JOE. Where did the term "Cup of Joe" come from? Here are some folks at Java Joe's enjoying a brew. Is that YooperPhil on the right?
38. Swimmer that hunts using electrolocation: EEL. There is an electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Mean looking critter!
39. "I wouldn't do that": BAD IDEA. I wish I had a nickel for everybody who ever told me that (and I'd listened!). I'd be millionaire.
43. Ore. neighbor: IDA. The great state of IDAHO.
45. "__ is the coward's revenge for being intimidated": Shaw: HATRED.
46. Great Lake near the Pro Football Hall of Fame: ERIE. Hand if you've been there (the HOF not the lake)? Save this URL and you will always know exactly how many dd:hh:mm:ss it is until the next enshrinement.
49. Screen __: SAVER.
50. Reznor of Nine Inch Nails: TRENT. Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and composer. He serves as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and principal songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.
51. Vitamin intake std.: US RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowances derived from standards defined in the National Institutes of Health's Nutrient Recommendations: Dietary Reference Intakes. How's that for a mouthful?
53. __ facto: IPSO. Today's Latin lesson: "By the very fact", in other words:
55. CPR pros: EMTS. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. CPR is one of many skills required of EMTS and PARAMEDICS (a more advanced occupation). Here's a brief description of these services from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
56. NYC division: BORO. Since the clue was an acronym, the fill was a shorthand for BOROUGH. For all of you folks who live in the other half of the US here the New York City boroughs.
59. Mel who hit 511 career home runs: OTT. Here they are in column 4. Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played for the New York Giants, from 1926 through 1947 and made the trip to Cooperstown in 1951. Tragically he died at age 48 a week after an auto accident in Mississippi.
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| Mel Ott |
60. Capital of Thailand?: TEE. The question mark is a clue to misdirection. In this case TEE is the first letter in the word Thailand. Alternate clues for it could be "Golfer's support" or "Cheap short-sleeved shirt with a silk-screened meme on the back".
Thanks bhart for spotting the missing grid, and thank you C.C. for the temporary bailout!
*Also it was Teri who helped me figure out the theme. My long range plan is to get her to do the whole blog! Anywho, after solving the puzzle the theme didn't jump out at me right away, and as I was headed upstairs for my afternoon nap I asked her to take a look at the theme clues. Within 5 minutes she came upstairs and triumphantly announced her findings.
39 comments:
FIWrong. Totally unknown DUA crossing misspelt TACITURN. Robots will never take over. Artificial Intelligence is no match against Natural Stupidity.
a rare complaint from me -- even with the reveal -- I CAN NOT FIGURE OUT THE THEME!
Where's the grid?
Good morning!
This outing was lotsa fun. Needed my trusty Wite-Out to correct TIE tacS to BARS, but that was my sole misstep. Sensed the theme, but after failing to read the full reveal clue, never fully got it. Thanx for 'splainin', Bill. C.C. occasionally asks for my help finding a puzzle theme. With my track record, I can't imagine why. Well done, Michael and Waseeley. (Moses is probably credited with writing those books because he had a tablet.)
COB: Isn't its counterpart the PEN?
RDA: Is that still a "thing?" Thought it was passé.
LOTR: First encountered this trilogy when I came home on leave back in the '60s. Everybody was reading it, and the campus bookstores had trouble keeping it in stock.
Achilles' Heel: Reading up on Wagner was when I learned that Götterdämmerung doesn't mean what I thought it meant. Also that Bayreuth wasn't the same as Beirut.
This puzzle was a little tricky, but not too bad. I didn't get the gimmick at all, until after I got the reveal and went back and looked at the theme clues. Then all became clear. FIR, so I'm happy.
A tougher than usual Thursday puzzle but. Saying IT WAS I instead of 'I did it' wouldn't mean the same thing for finishing it right. And Chairman MOE got a CSO this morning. My ACHILLES HEEL is total ignorance of the A&E clues for some of the fills. DUA, BELLA, NED, and STU were filled by perps. The theme was hard and even after filling SPOT REMOVER it took a few minutes to sink in.
Heard of 'bear down' but BORE UP is a new one for me.
VALUE BET is another new one.
Daughter & family flew from OAHU to LAX last night.
TREND and 'Data visualization discovery' being connected? No idea but perps worked.
NOTED- wanted ROGER but DW buys ESTEE Lauder makeup and I play pickleball at the Mel OTT facility in Gretna, LA on Wed. & Thur. So ROGER was not AOK. Duly NOTED.
D-O @5:58 AM I sit corrected. Like my old physics professor used to say, "I was just making sure you were paying attention". RDAs haven't given up the ghost, but you have to read the fine print (in the link that is).
FIW. My downfall was gluing in stiCKEY SUBJECT, which lead me to guess chO for MAO. But even my dumb mass self got the theme, even when it escaped smarter Cornerites.
I've never wished I could be a rock star, but every time I hear "Sultans of Swing" I wish I could play those two fantastic guitar solos.
The first DIODEs I worked with were vacuum tube devices. They were used to change AC into DC. The semiconductor versions can do that too, and so much more.
I'll bet both Michael and Patti are too young to know about Murphy Beds. They store even easier than COTs.
FLN - Tin, do you think St. Pete is on the coast? And I'm with you - Let's Go Bolts! And my pal lives just up the road from you in Port Richie (not the new one).
Took 9:46 to hit the spot today.
I didn't see or get the theme until coming here, so thank you, Teri (& Bill).
Cabal/Cadre gave me pause; I didn't know Bella, Stu, or Mao; and, I'm still not sure of "bore up" for "withstood hardship," but ok.
Bonus points awarded for "taciturn" and "Moe Howard."
FIR, despite never getting the theme, which I just didn't see. Loved the clue for Moses. Tough Thursday puzzle.
I took the clue for Moses to be a reference of he "parting" the Red Sea.
Re: 27. Party of the first part in the Bible?: MOSES. I took this a referring to Moses PARTING the Red Sea :)
Didn't get the theme 'til reading the blog, but FIR regardless. Fun!
Clever theme! I definitely thought the clues were lacking but it didn't stop the solve- until the reveal clue made it all clear.
Pretty smooth solve although a few spurts followed by slow downs. I had amino before BORIC acid. We used to use that to try to get rid of ants - but it never worked very well. I also had "Got it" before NOTED for 65A. I knew it was MOE for the Stooge, but couldn't remember his last name - so had to wait for perps on that.
I use BOOKS ON CD from the library for car trips. Our kids loved them and we would try to find books that pertained to where were going like "Across Five Aprils" and "Rifles for Watie" when we were going South and stopping at some Civil War sites. Rather than the typical kids' rant about wanting to stop all the time - they were more likely to say "Don't stop now, it's at a good part" in the book. I think they had bladders of steel!
I also use them when I drive by myself to stay awake - but it has to be something with a fast moving plot like a murder mystery- "Pride and Prejudice" won't hack it.
Thanks Bill & Teri for the blog, and Michael for the puzzle!
if you "spot" the difference, your view will be permanently changed...
Hi Y'all! Michael, thank you for the challenge with a lot of TOUGH SPOTs. Thank you, Seeleys, for divulging the theme which I didn't get at all. Really good expo.
My son's college experience was greatly enhanced by an excellent CADRE of career military officers for his AFROTC. They took him under their wings when his father died and kept him in school & their program when he was distraught. I am forever grateful.
My WEAK SPOT is celebrity names. DNK MOE had a last name.
Barry T @7:42 AM Sheesh! That wave went right over my head! But then I couldn't have riffed on the Torah and all that other stuff.
Aargh! Another Thursday FIW due to carelessness. I left an O at the crossing of DUA and MOE HOWARD. And I know we have been having Dua Lipa lately....
Otherwise I navigated tough SPOTS successfully, after trying diTto/RogEr/NOTED, RUmble/RUCKUS, and TIEtAcS/TIEBARS. Did anyone else think of LAck before LASS?
Thanks, Michael, for a worthy Thursday puzzle. You nearly got me with the theme, but finally I saw where the SPOT belonged.
Waseeley, thanks go to you and Teri, too. I enjoy your distinctive style and many links of music and extra clarification.
Thanks, Brian and BarryT, for mentioning the connection between Moses and the parting of the Red Sea.
Hope everyone is doing well. C.C., how's it going?
Musings
-Brilliant puzzle! MOE HOWARD and OTT were nice “last century” references my granddaughter probably wouldn’t know. She’d know BELLA and DUA! …and the beat goes on!
-I needed the onscreen words to see the lyrics to wonderful Sultans Of Swing
-A UK publishing house is REISSUING Steven King’s works including the 50th anniversary edition of Carrie
-AHA, it’s OHO! NOTED not GOT IT!
-Patti’s assistant Christina Iverson lives in AMES, Iowa
-TACITURNITY increases as students age
-Shaw: Is that HATRED for the intimidator or the intimidatee?
-Interesting links and info, Bill.
-Off to Miracle Hills in Omaha for 18 today with my CADRE/CABAL/COVEN of friends!
Puzzling thoughts:
Bill, all I can say is that I am glad that YOU had this one to blog. Took me almost 21:00 to solve. I DID get the reveal after re-reading the clue for SPOT REMOVER.
Thanks for the shout out. When I saw that MOE HOWARD fit into 31-down, I was surprised to say the least. Many don't know that MOE, Curly, and Shemp were brothers in real life.
inanehiker @ 8:05 --> regarding not remembering the Stooge's last name ... in my case, MOE is my LAST name. "Chairman" is my first!! ;^)
Some quick notes before reading the write-up
No, I never wore dVDs and that neighbor is NED not Ted(isn't there a STU too?)
BAE not pal, and it's not sOhO but BORO(ugh if it was Boston)
Finally I perped COB for the swan. Which filled SUBJECT.
Only after all was filled did I make sense of the theme. --T, isn't there a rock group called DIRE STRAITS?(Yes, says maloman(oops waseeley)) I'm finishing a book about R&R Group's* and their egotistical, drug fueled madness. 27 was a bad age for several of them
I just stumbled upon an audible version of LOTR. When I was introduced I read it cover to cover and immediately reread it(1973). This Dostoevsky guy at first POOPOOed fantasy
I think #2 was Larry Fine but I can't tellya Curly's last name
As you can see Mel (OTT) was only 17 when McGraw signed him for the Giants
Baht wouldn't fit for Thai currency. Spent a mini R&R there in 1970
Did I hint that this was a toughie ? FIR
HG, will you be placing some VALUE BETS on the course?
Say hello to Alice if she drops by
WC
* Nothing yet about 9 Inch Nails but somehow I recalled TRENT
********
HG, will you be placing some VALUE BETS on the course?
Say hello to Alice if she drops by
WC
Musings 2
-WC, I am not in the part of our group that plays a skins game for money. The winner gets the money and then he is obligated to buy the beer which takes most of his “winnings”.
-Alice?
-I have to go clean my bathroom and then, FORE on yet another beautiful spring day, this time on the Missouri River and not the Platte.
WC @ 9:45 --> Curly's last name was also HOWARD (nee, Horwitz), but I think in one of the film shorts he was in as a Stooge, he was referred to as Curly Q Link. This one, called If a Body
Note: The link is about 18 minutes in length; but the name "Curly Q Link" first appears about 2 and a half minutes in ...
Like 2 different puzzles. Rapid fill for the upper 1/3 coming to a screeching halt for the bottom. But eventually plowed through and FIR, Inkovers: got it/NOTED, anode/DIODE, Sam,Sal,/STU ..Alas and Alack I didn't parse the theme.
"Reznor", "Ungar", "Thorne" ?
Some easy creative clues but do-overs like "kitchen magnet" and "Snacker's snack" for OREO (DW has to keep finding a new hiding place so I don't binge, latest is chocolate hazelnut flavored cream🥴).
A 4-letter island that starts with O that hosts an unknown "surfing contest" hadda be OAHU. .. aHa or OHO. "Space heater" raygun wouldn't fit. Not sure a STAR can heat "space", there is nothing to heat up. "Capital of Thailand" clever. HAL had eyes? I just remember the eerie soothing calm computer voice.
Not the boroughs of NY? We live in a burb called Whitesboro, NY. the original ERIE canal ran along main street.
Erstwhile soda ad "It's ___ to be good"....COT
Land in the Seine... EEL
Music ___ ...LESSEN
Dislike scarlet...HATRED
My week off has been a bust, rain and more rain
Unclefred manages to FIR in an award-winning time of 37. One full minute of that was staring at BOOKSONCD before finally parsing it. What on earth is a “value bet”? The NE was the biggest struggle for me, with OAR finally getting it started. DNK BELLA, DUA, HATRED (as clued), or STU. It’s spelled BORO? I thought it was BOROUGH! Still don’t understand BAE, even after Bill ‘splained it. Didn’t get the theme until Bill ‘splained it, either, but then it made sense. Tough Thursday CW. Overall clever though, thanx, MS. Thanx for the write-up, Bill. CED @8:33 the dishes thing is fun.
Unclefred, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that "bae" is the modern iteration of "babe" or "baby," common terms of endearment from the 1930's through the 1980's. FYI
A fine Schlossberg PZL, well mediated by waseeley.
I appreciated the detailed clarification of the theme. I hadn't a clue as to the clues' role--in understanding that SPOT was missing.
Also appreciated the clarification at 33A, as I am always mixing up Bart's dad with the hero of the Odyssey.
Always.
~ OMK
____________
DR: One diagonal, far side.
Its anagram (13 of 15 letters) requires no explanation.
It is simply a procession of fatuous fools, a...
"SHMO CAVALCADE"!
Thanx for the explanation, SG, but I have never heard anyone say “bae”; young, old, black, white….just never heard it from anyone….ever.
unclefred @1:32 PM Some words live only in the virtual world of crosswords. It is our mission to preserve them in perpetuity.
I liked this puzzle. HON had to become BAE and ROGER had to become NOTED. Not remembering which Simpson's character is which I put STU in at 33 across; obviously, due to STU being the answer at 49 across I changed 33 across to NED. There was some nice fresh cluing that I liked.
I very much appreciate(d) your write-up, waseeley.
Good wishes to you all.
Is there a purpose or meaning to the em dash in the clue for 23A?
Would the clue be any different if it were "Key above" rather than "Key above —"?
Anon at 6:24 PM: In the clue is the "~" character which is the computer key just below the ESC key. Therefore, ESC is the answer.
It's not a dash, but a squiggle symbol or the "approximate" symbol. Some fonts aren't very distinctive and it looks a lot like a dash.
Hola!
Late, late to the party! This morning I went to a funeral for a friend, acquaintance actually, who was 99 years old. I knew her only because she sat in the same pew with me at Mass and we exchanged pleasantries. However, on reading her obituary I learned what an accomplished person she was!
This puzzle was quite tricky but I worked out most of it. LIU TRENT since I did not know his name.
My W/O was also at TIETACS to TIEBARS.
MOE HOWARD was a surprise and since I've never watched them of course did not know the surname.
I hope you are all well and have enjoyed a beautiful day. Tomorrow I'll go to two other funerals, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Hi All!
I liked the theme twist, Michael. Thanks for putting the grid together.
Thanks waseeley for the link-laden expo and Teri for the edits.
I still have videos to view.
WOs: I was thinking oso beso and ink'd that.
ESPs: BUCO, BELLA, STU. I had to wait on perps aplenty for allot of things, though (TIE... nope not pins)
Fav: could you describe the RUCKUS, sir?.
C. MOE HOWARD was fun too.
I was looking for BORE it.
Mark Knopfler of DIRE STRAITS is an amazing guitarist. I first learned of him on MTV and then went back to the stacks to know.
Cute DR.
I know WC has but, D-O, did you ever make it through Two Towers? I tried twice starting over from Hobbit and still got lost w/ all the names.
//somehow I was able to keep up with Asimov's Foundation trilogy.
BOOKS ON tape - I'd listen to 'em during my commute (fav was "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"). My buddy now listens to Audible "books on tape" for his commute (he's listening to This is How They Tell Me the World Ends now [I have the hard-cover ;-)]
Enjoyed reading y'all this eve.
Cheers, -T
Late to the game, as usual.
Thank YOU Michael Schlossberg for a challenging Thursday CW, which I struggled with, and eventually completed.
Thank You Waseely for a very good explanatory review. I knew the long across answers were 'incomplete' and missing something, but the answers which perped themselves, basically for the most part seemed vaguely appropriate....
27 Across ... Party of the first part of the Bible ... MOSES, which perped mostly, ... had me very confused. The firat phrase seems to imply some sort of a contract, so I thought, ... Moses, as the Law giver, had to have done it.
If Waseeely's explanation of the 'originator, and writer of the OT' is to be axccepted, then what is the second part party ?
On the other Hand, .... If Party .... seems to imply the parting of the Red Sea ... then 'first' part would imply that the Red Sea was parted, again, at a later date ?
In any case, is the constructor and the Editors allowed to fool around with the rules of grammer, as well ?
There is big difference between Party ( or Part - ) .... and ... the Parting of.
THANK YOU !!!! .... CED, your link to the OP ART picture .... Blew my mind .... and confused the DW, as well..
First, I had to explain, to her, ..... 'how to' get the dishes facing up perspective' ... then she forgot the 'dishes facing down', altogether.... fascinating...
Have a great day tomorrow, you folks,
By the Way, .... has anybody noticed that Wiki or Wikipedia has "SHUT DOWN" ....!!
And will not Load or upload, for the rest of the 24 Hour period.
I noticed this last night, and then again, this morning ...
Here is a detailed explanation, as an interview, news .....
-T @9:43PM LOTR is a pretty thick set of books and takes a lot of time to get through. But you really owe it to yourself to watch the videos. They follow the story line closely and are very moving and beautiful.
Vidwan @10:42 pm I forget his name (bhart?) but he nailed it as reference to the parting of the Red Sea. My Superpower is the ability to make the simple seem complicated. 🙃
Vid @10:52 pm I was in and out of the Wiki all of today preparing a review for next Tuesday and didn't notice anything.
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