Title: Liar Liar pants on fire!
With our new editorial staff we are seeing a stream of new female constructors bringing their perspective to the puzzle world. Today is a classic Friday theme where rather than add letters we remove letters and then clue the result to make witty sense. Rebecca's choice is the ambitious trigram LIE, which she supplements with the uncommon Friday reveal. Since her mainstream puzzle debut on Groundhog Day 2021, she has more than 20 published efforts. She shows her skills by including a bunch of long non-theme fill ASSAILS, RAMPS UP, EGG TIMER, GOLD STAR, SLED RACE, WE'RE HOME, POPS WHEES, SHOE HORNS, SORRY CHAR and SWEATSUIT. Impressive. Let us move to the theme.
18A. *Sounds when Dad is on the roller coaster?: POPS WHEE
24A. *Football official who makes the absolute worst calls?: DISASTER RE
47A. *Extremely poor student?: LORD OF THE F
56A. *Woefully inadequate crust on a steak?: SORRY CHAR
And the reveal:
35A. "You can't deny it," and a good question about the answers to the starred clues: WHERE IS THE LIE. Not crazy about this clue or the placing a reveal in the middle of the puzzle, but it certainly tells the story.
Now that we have done part I, lets see the rest.
1. Diamond-studded watch, e.g.: BLING. This filled immediately but I can see it might have made some unhappy.
6. Drama award: OBIE. Off Broadway equivalent of a Tony.
10. Greek peak: OSSA. Rising from a broad, steep-sided plateau to a pyramidal peak of 6,489 feet (1,978 m), the mountain is noted in mythology for the attempt of the Aloads, sons of the sea god Poseidon, to climb to heaven by placing Ossa on Olympus and the Pelion (Pílios) Mountains on Ossa. Britannica.
14. "On the Media" medium: RADIO. On the Media (OTM) is an hour-long weekly radio program hosted by Brooke Gladstone, covering journalism, technology, and First Amendment issues. Wiki.
15. Underwhelming: SO SO. So what?
16. Temple athletes: OWLS. This Philadelphia University has produced some successful graduates. A LIST. To honor Temple's beginning as a night school for ambitious young people, the nocturnal owl was adopted as its mascot.
17. Former NBA center who made only one three-point shot in his career: O'NEAL. He tried 22 times .
20. Tower of note: AAA. The company that tows cars, hardy har har.
21. "You wouldn't __!": DARE. I already did!
23. Adjective on taco truck menus: ASADA. From the Spanish for grilled I think.
28. Start to cycle?: TRI. Cute, tricycle.
29. Minute: ITSY. Bitsy teenie weenie...
30. Ingest: EAT. This makes the process seem awful.
31. Margarita condimento: SAL. Spanish for salt.
32. Span. title: SRA. Continuing the trend, Senorita, a miss.
33. Business closing?: INC. This is the last part of a business name e.g. Crossword Corner, Inc.
34. Florida NFLers: BUCS. We have three NFL teams, The Jaguars from Jacksonville, the once mighty Miami Dolphins and the Tom Brady led Tampa Bucs.
39. Old Royale 8's: REOS. A car made by that company.
Pretty classy.
40. "I hate it": UGH. Also 46A. Response from the underwhelmed: MEH. 61A. "Yeah, don't think so": UM NO. The flowery speech of modern times.
40. "I hate it": UGH. Also 46A. Response from the underwhelmed: MEH. 61A. "Yeah, don't think so": UM NO. The flowery speech of modern times.
41. "Trust your __": GUT. This has become an accepted way to live, why?
42. Exist: ARE. To be or not to be.
43. For: PRO. Against: Anti.
44. Pen pals?: HOGS. Cute, in their pigpen.
52. Prefix meaning "light": PHOTO. word-forming element meaning "light" or "photographic" or "photoelectric," from Greek photo-, combining form of phōs (genitive phōtos) "light."
54. Bread served with saag paneer: ROTI. We must first learn that saag paneer is a spinach based dish popular in Indian culture, then the fill is easy.
55. Maracanã Stadium city: RIO. Maracanã Stadium, officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
59. Single-sex group of experts: MANEL. An appropriate feminist portmanteau for Man (only Pan) el.
62. The Hawkeye State: IOWA. Most sources say that Iowa's Hawkeye State nickname was inspired by a Native American warrior named Black Hawk and/or the character of Hawkeye in James Fenimore Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans. Though the exact history of the name is debated, most Iowans proudly refer to themselves as Hawkeyes.
63. Banish: EXILE.
64. Younger sibling, stereotypically: PEST. I was the youngest so I guess I was the pest.
65. Study __: SESH. Dictionary says / (sɛʃ) / noun. slang short for session.
66. Pond plants: REEDS. Reeds and rushes are pond plants that will attract wildlife such as hummingbirds, dragonflies and butterflies to you water feature.
Down:
1. Far-reaching: BROAD. I think this is very insulting and unfair as women deserve respect even if they are ... oh, sorry.
2. Poipu patio: LANAI. A very pretty area in Hawaii.
3. Notes app entries: IDEAS. I guess that is the idea but I imagine most just put in reminders.
4. Actress Long: NIA. Actress, Producer, Singer SUPERSTAR. This impressive lady.
4. Actress Long: NIA. Actress, Producer, Singer SUPERSTAR. This impressive lady.
5. "Well done, you!": GOLD STAR. Did you get these in school?
6. Hawk in a duet: OSPREY. This sounds so familiar but refuses to come to the surface. Help musicians, please.
7. Bronx cheer leader: BOOER. The term Bronx cheer is named for a borough of New York, the Bronx, and presumably the inhabitants' propensity to employ their tongues to express derisive feelings when a sports team does not perform up to par. See Yankees.
8. Co. for surfers: ISP. Internet Service Provider.
9. Maker of The Hero and The Fixer lip care products: EOS. Two of their lip balm products.
10. Sounds of awe: OOHS. And aahs?
11. Work-from-home attire, for many: SWEAT SUIT. I no longer own any, but in Florida it is shorts and flip flops.
12. The Iditarod, e.g.: SLED RACE. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod, is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome, entirely within the US state of Alaska. WIKI.
13. Goes after: ASSAILS. A fancy word for attacking someone. Etymology "attack violently," c. 1200, from Old French assalir "attack, assault, assail."
19. Drift, as an aroma: WAFT. I love the smell of coffee brewing when I am getting up. Sadly for Oo she does not.
22. @ signs: ATS. a gimme.
25. Buenos __: AIRES. We are back in South America.
26. Flat bread?: RENT. Another classic misdirection with flat = apartment and bread = money.
27. A throw: EACH. A piece.
32. Makes fit, in a way: SHOE HORNS. A picture clue.
33. "Thereabouts": ISH. I will see you 7ish.
34. Rosé: BLUSH. Don't whine, this is wine. I defer to C Moe to discuss this blend. My d-i-l use WHINE as her WORDLE word every day; last two days the answers were WHILE and TWANG = two 2s.
35. "Did you miss us?": WE'RE HOME. We are the 'us' here so we don't get to say this often.
36. 100 cents: EURO. Did you know the EURO used cents?
37. Rangers goalie Shesterkin: IGOR. Goodbye Igor, Eyegor here is a very New York clue/fill. In the 2021–22 NHL season he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.
38. Kitchen counter?: EGG TIMER. Another nice pun.
39. Increases quickly: RAMPS UP.
43. Ruse: PLOY. In the top 5.
44. "Yippee!": HOORAH. Very marine...
45. O'er and o'er: OFT.
48. Doodles: DRAWS.
49. "Rubber Duckie" singer: ERNIE. Not Bert, but...
51. Red parts of Louboutin shoes: SOLES.
53. Moderate pace: TROT. Don't rush.
57. Prefix with gender: CIS. Cisgender, or simply cis, is an adjective that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
58. Gardener's tool: HOE. Ho, ho, that is a trap to which I will not go. I think Erle wrote about Perry Mason, among others.
60. Logger's tool: AXE. What are logging tools?
57. Prefix with gender: CIS. Cisgender, or simply cis, is an adjective that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
58. Gardener's tool: HOE. Ho, ho, that is a trap to which I will not go. I think Erle wrote about Perry Mason, among others.
60. Logger's tool: AXE. What are logging tools?
Cant Hooks. Steel Cant Hooks. Aluminum Cant Hooks.
Log Peaveys. Steel Log Peaveys. Hookaroons. Steel Hookaroons. Log Arches. Junior Log Arch. Buck Arch Log Arch. Log Carriers. Timber Tongs. 2-Person Log Carrier.
Axes are for wimps, but they are cute and my personal favorite band.
Handicapped by a hand that was assailed by my grand puppy, Remus the Jack Russell, I did not get to start until tonight and I hope we had a good time and I made enough sense as I ploughed through. This was a fun puzzle from an impossibly busy new constructor. I look forward to your comments and thank you Rebecca, all who read, all who write, C.C. and Boomer and keep good wishes flowing for them and the whole
world. Lemonade out.
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteLemonade, since you asked ... Rosé - or BLUSH - is indeed a wine. It's usually produced from red grapes only but some contain white grape varietals, too. The color of the finished wine product comes from the skins of the grape. As the wine ferments the skins, if left in contact with the juice, will transfer Anthocyanins which contain the pigments that color the wine. With reds, the full color transformation takes a few days. When producing a BLUSH wine, the winemakers will remove the skins shortly after the grapes have been crushed, thus limiting the level of color. Usually within a couple of hours. Other characteristics of red wine (tannins, e.g.) will be also limited by the early removal of the skins. These are just the "cliff notes"! My favorite BLUSH wines come from the Provence region of France; near to the Mediterranean Sea. The commonly used red grape varietals from that area are Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, but you'll sometimes see Cabernet Sauvignon used, too
BTW, if anyone wants to try solving another puzzle today, I can highly recommend this one
I finished the crossword, but didn’t get the “turnover “ that means success. In proofreading this puzzle, I noticed a small mistake: “sel” had to be replaced with “sal”. Then all was good. Also, I caught wind of the gimmick with the first themed solve, so that helped immensely in solving the entire puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteA group of Ospreys is called a duet.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMANEL? Still don't get it. Those "Pen pals" weren't CONS, and that Indian bread wasn't NAAN. (Isn't "roti" French for roast?) Got 'er done, but this one took longer than I care to admit. Thanx for the diversion, Rebecca, and for the interesting expo, Lemonade. (A group of ospreys is called a "duet.")
IOWA -- Brief one-time home of d-o. Our radio station was KHAK -- K-Hawk, in honor of the Hawkeye State.
SWEAT SUIT -- I wear the pants as winter pajamas.
SE was a bear. EXpel for banish seemed solid. With an E I thought of Eeore for the Ducky song. Plus, I misread City for cry and inked Ole. And finally given _E_E_ I confidently inked heels.
ReplyDeleteAnd I actually thought MANEL might be what Rebecca was looking for. Filling RIO and getting FS started my recovery. I think I FIR
Also. I finally found the LIEs with Lord of the Flies which we read in 62 prior to frosh year.
Let's check the write-up, yes, FIR
WC
So much for my brain function; of course DUET and OSPREY. We have discussed the odd names for groups of animals many times. Thank you tperki.
ReplyDeleteAlso, CMOE, thank you for the info, which did not make me blush; off to solve your puzzle.
Tom M for man and the word PANEL = MANEL.
HOORAH. I'll admit- it was a sea of white on the first pass and I finished the bottom and worked my way back to the start. I smelled something about the theme at LORD OF THE EFS but it didn't give me any RE-LIE-F. Luckily I had WHEES, REF, CHAR, & EFS in place via perps and worked backwards to finish the fills.
ReplyDeleteMy Pen pals started as CONS, then DOGS, then HEN, before they gained weight and became HOGS.
My younger sibling PEST was a BRAT for a few seconds.
EOS, IGOR, & MANEL were all unknowns today.
NIA, RADIO and FIELD- I didn't know but were easy to guess.
OSPREY- I filled it but didn't understand why. I see tperki and desper-otto state that multiple OSPREYS are considered a 'duet'. So that's where the 'new math' started- six is really two.
MANEL is a word I've never seen and let's hope it never makes it to common usage.
SESH- a bad abbr. for session, IMHO.
In addition to the fun puzzle by Moe, the Burnikels presented today's Universal. A solver's dream day. Enjoy
ReplyDeleteThis took me 8:21 to detect the lie.
ReplyDeleteHadn't heard of "manel," but ok. Hadn't heard of Igor either.
I have no issue with the reveal being in the middle of the puzzle.
I liked the clue of "flat bread" for rent.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteUntil I filled in the reveal, I was clueless about the theme. For once, the placement of the theme was an advantage, rather than an annoyance. However, Where Is The Lie sounds stilted and forced to my ears vis a vis the clue. The level of difficulty was somewhat raised by the numerous entries requiring perps: Owls, Osprey, Sesh, and Radio, as clued, and the unknowns of Manel, EOS, and Igor. I also went astray at Uni/Tri (I blame that on Picard!) and Naan/Roti. Fewer three letter words would have made the solve more enjoyable, IMO.
Thanks, Rebecca, for a worthy Friday challenge and thanks, Lemony, for your expert guidance and the many learning moments. Sorry to hear of your hand injury and hope it heals quickly. I hope Remus is dutifully repentant.
FLN
Moe, great news about your new home. Hope all goes well and the move is as painless and stress free as possible. 😉
Wilbur, I’m very disappointed with the lack of reporting on your culinary adventures in New England! 🦞
Have a great day.
IM, my big culinary adventure was the $prices. Day 1 my son and two nephews and I ate at a seafood place and I , yes, had twin lobsters. Later that night we went for Chinese and I had the Boston version of lobster sauce,the brown gravy originally concocted to accompany lobster but I had it with shrimp.
ReplyDeleteAt the big birthday party for my WWII vet uncle Tom my sister had a veritable smorgasbord with delicious salads.
But I'm not the gastronomical warrior of yesteryear. Peggy Lee said it best: Is that all there is?
Oh yeah, on the way home in Maryland I visited my niece and we four(her fiance) had a nice meal and I had Chilean Bass.
Speaking of prices, on Thursday night we stayed in Danbury to avoid Foxboro as a Patriots game was being played. Lo and behold they had concerts on Friday and Saturday, the latter Jimmy Buffett. We found an Econolodge
WC
I finally have real internet not my phone’s hot spot, so I can get back to my favorite CW puzzle and read your comments on something bigger than my little phone. Moving is a hassle but we got everything unpacked and we’re settling in. Anonymous T was my inspiration.
ReplyDeleteFIW,
ReplyDeletebut I can't complain, as I had a bad lie...
so true, so true...
(The same can be said for fishing, and possibly crossword blog posted times?)
Wait a sec,
If the group of ospreys is more than two, it is still called a duet?
Hmm,
A mob of crows is called a murder,
But ospreys are called a duet?
Well la-di-da ospreys. la-Di-Dah...
If there's NAE lyin' there's NAE golf
DeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteRebecca's puzzle took some noodin' but, No LIE(!), I FIR. Thanks for the puzzle.
Nice expo, Lem.
I'd have titled the puzzle "To Tell The Truth." //what do y'all think? I'm practicing and would like feedback.
WOs: GOoD->GOLD, piGS -> HOGS, oer->OFT, started bUck -> EURO
ESPs: OSSA, EOS, NIA, IGOR
Fav: RENT's clue was cute.
Runner-up: I listen to OTM on the RADIO (NPR) every week. OFT, they do great in-depth of how lazy the media really are when a narrative 'wants to be true.'
D-O: A panel of all men is a MANEL but I shouldn't have to Mansplain that :-)
Congrats on finishing your move, TanteNique
Does "on Main Street" automatically jump to mind when you hear EXILE? [Stones in Exile - Trailer]
Just me? ;-)
Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteFor some reason the LA Times puzzle will not open on the LA Times web site, so, I've had to go to other papers to get to the puzzle. Most of these sites are not great to use.
DNF. I didn't get the LIE today. Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait til Monday to get a puzzle that is more my speed.
Have a great day, everyone.
Hi Y'all! Sorta got the theme on LORD OF THE FS with no other theme phrases filled. But didn't realize I was right until finally filled the whole thing. Much white everyWHERE. Theme rating: SOSO. Other fill rating: MEH! I'm afraid for this puzzle, I'm a BOOER (to use Rebecca's own words.)
ReplyDeleteCED: Your "bad LIE" picture made me laugh out loud. That's how my life feels lately.
So many proper names (is "Shelterkin" related to Rumplestilskin?). DNF, couldn't reckon the answers in the mid section with HURRAH. Ahhh it's HOORAH not Hurrah. 🙄 There's the rub... "WHERESTHELIE" (sounds political 😳). Took a while to determine where to insert LIE in the starred clue answers.
ReplyDeleteInkovers: toss/Each, eer/OFT, uhno/UMNO, panel/MANEL (c'mon!!, seriously?... if it's all female is it a fennel?)
"A throw" as EACH? "Apop" perhaps, but never heard this term, maybe regional. "Flat bread" (RENT) was clever, totally perped. Light "prefix" was thinking Latin luce like Lucifer (light-bearer). "Tower of note" is always Pisa except when it actually a towing company, great misdirection.
NIA, I only knowa from past puzzles. Parsed "study" SESH, partly perped, and I must make a confesh only remembered this, (IMO, a non word) from a old puzzle as well. How is an OSPREY a "hawk in a duet"? (ah Thanks DO & Tperki)
"Work at home attire, jammies was too short 😆. Then I got the SUIT part but birthday was too long🤭. ISH as in recent RUDISH? PRO as in quid pro quo ("this" [or British pounds] " for that")
"Single sex group of experts?" DW and her sisters, no contest. 🙄
No refund if it's ____ item...ASSAILS
Third from the last theater row...EXILE
Bull warning to matador ...IGOR
Lemony thanks for a thorough review..Sorry about your vicious attack by Jack Russel the terror. Oh a jack russell terrier!!
😄
Wilbur @ 9:06 ~ Thanks for humoring my culinary curiosity. Sounds as though you enjoyed some great food and, of course, the highlight of the trip, your Uncle Tom’s milestone birthday bash.
ReplyDeleteTanteNique @ 9:15 ~ Glad to hear you survived the move and are now enjoying the fruits of your labor. (We moved so many times that my family’s address books bordered on being indecipherable.)
Musings
ReplyDelete-Subbing today where the dreaded “have a study hall” is the last thing for them to do
-A delightful slog where cleverness and ambiguity and “trusting my GUT” led to erasures. See Irish’s comments.
-I always avoid a reveal in the middle until I figure out the gimmick myself. LORD OF THE FS did it for me.
-OSPREY/BOOER/ISP/EOS took some time as clued
-Mount OSSA is ENE across the Ionian Sea from Mount Etna
-My daughter quit State Farm after 20 years where she worked from home. Now she’s at Duncan Aviation in Lincoln and has to put on “real clothes.
-“is OFT interred with their bones”
-C.C. was the first to tell me about Louboutin shoes and their distinguishing feature. She did not say whether she had paid over $1,000 for a pair.
-Thanks tperki, now I get Hawk/OSPREY duet. A google search merely told me OSPREY is the correct crossword fill for Hawk duet.
Has anyone heard that phrase "WHERE IS THE LIE"? It was essential for the solve, which I eventually figured out.
ReplyDeleteHand up learning moment about DUET of OSPREYs. But Audubon says that an OSPREY is not actually a HAWK. Learning moment about MANEL. Lots of unknown proper names.
Irish Miss Hand up for UNI before TRI!
You can see one of these bicyclists POP a WHEELIE right into me!
This was from the last Fiesta Cruiser Ride before COVID. The police barely tolerate it and give lots of tickets for minor infractions.
From Yesterday:
Wilbur Charles Thanks for the Math Team cheer! You were a math major at Boston College? I am guessing that is what is BC?
Oc4beach (et al)
ReplyDeleteJust sharing a curiosity that happened to me two days ago,
that may, or may not have anything to do with trouble opening the LATimes site puzzle.
I was on my iPad , and the damn thing wouldn't open...
I noticed it got stuck on the black banner that precedes the Ad.
Usually this goes straight into the 30ish second Ad on mute (at least for me, which is lovely, as I don't have to see "and hear" the Ad) When I noticed the "Ad" was on pause!? (Never happened before..)
Just tapping the arrow (play) icon started the Ad and then the puzzle.
I think they change things every once in a while just to keep you on your toes...
Picard, you think BC is where Wilbur went? I thought it was when he went.
ReplyDeleteFLN
ReplyDeleteAnon T ..we say IBI: Italian by injection 😉
Roman soliders were stationed throughout Europe and often married local girls either legal or common law depending on the era. So their genetic traits are probably everywhere in the European population.
Fun Friday puzzle, Rebecca-- tough but not a DISASTER, and might even deserve a GOLD STAR. So, many thanks. And your commentary is never MEH or SO-SO, and also deserves a GOLD STAR, Lemonade, so many thanks for that too.
ReplyDeleteNot many critters this morning, but we at least got an OSPREY, and some OWLS, and some HOGS. And, hopefully, none of those pets was a PEST.
When the folks came back from the SLED RACE in their SWEAT SUITs, they were happy to TROT up to the door and say WE'RE HOME.
Not much food to EAT today, but at least the EGG TIMER is on, and the eggs will serve our GUT without any UGHs.
Have a fun day, everybody.
Misty you outdid yourself today with the chain of CW puzzle words. Yes a GOLD STAR for you.
ReplyDeleteCrossedEyedDave: that’s exactly what I discovered also to get the LA Times puzzle on line. In fact in my case it skips the ad. Technology is wonderful, but it changes so often and rapidly that I get cross-eyed sometimes.
Tante Nique, thank you so much for your very kind comment on my verse! So glad you had a good move. Where are you living now? And are you really an aunt to a German relative? Bet you are much loved.
ReplyDeleteWilbur, what a wonderful trip you are on! It sounds as if all the dining is just wonderful! Congratulations, and continue to have a great time.
So many delightful postings from everyone this morning, thank you all. Only I miss Owen. Hope he checks in with us before too long.
Misty: we moved from Lake Charles, LA to Baton Rouge, LA because we have close family there, including my 8 year old great grand nephew (we have no children and no grand children) who calls me Tante Nique. His sweet mother came up with that name when he was born. She chose it because my name is Monique and tante is French for aunt, since I’m French. I do feel much loved by all the wonderful young family members who have been of tremendous help in moving two old people.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon. Thank you, Rebecca, and thank you, Lemonade
ReplyDeleteWow, that took too long. Almost 27 minutes. I don't think it was the difficulty of the puzzle as much as it was me.
Some obvious answers weren't working out. Until I looked a little closer, and found typos or my dyslexic spellings in the perps. For instance, I had RAMPS pu instead of UP
I don't know how many times I read 2D as poipu potato. At least 5 times, for sure.
Just tired, I guess.
Yep. LORD OF THE F(LIE)S was mt first theme fill, and made getting the other themers easier.
Not familiar with the phrase, "WHERE IS THE LIE" and it mostly perped in at the last part of the solve. Perhaps Rebecca made it pu as a way to provide the reveal, which is acceptable. I am familiar with Roberta Flack / Donny Hathaway - Where is the Love (1972).
HA ! Love the tern MANEL. Never heard of that before, but it conveys exactly what is intended.
Dash T - the title should convey that the answers are missing LIE. So think along the lines of a title that conveys LIE-LESS or MISSING LIES. Perhaps you'll find something by using synonyms...
Sometimes the best title is the reveal. Other times the reveal needs a little help. And of course, at other venues such as the Universal or the USA Today, the title often is the reveal ( or a hint to it).
Also - good one for Exile on Main Street, but for me " ... on Main Street" would be Seger BOB SEGER (1977) - MainStreet.
Now, if the phrase is "Main Street on ..." then I would have to go with Parade. :>)
Oh wait, you were commenting about Exile, not Main Street. I am tired. (Started on the driveway before 6 AM). Never mind.
Neat PZL for Saturday from Ms. Goldstein, squeezed for us by Lemonade
ReplyDeleteI particularly enjoyed the "LIE" theme.
Oops! SRA is the abbreviation for Señora (SRTA is for Señorita.)
~ OMK
___________
DR: Again, just one diagonal, and on the far side.
It does not have many vowels, so offers limited anagram possibilities. I'll go with the one (only 11 of 15 letters) that reminds me of a series of nightmares I once had--of meeting the hound, Cerberus, at the gates of Hell!
I refer you to my...
"'GRR' FANTASMS"!
Sorry! I meant Friday.
ReplyDeleteNow, why did I write "Saturday"?
My (as the kids say...) Bad!
~ OMK
FIW but enjoyed the theme and multiple misdirections. I had several moments of, "How could I possible know that?!" morphing into, "Oh, I think maybe I DO know that." (Ex: Rubber Duckie singer)
ReplyDeleteLike others, Lord of the Flies was the aha moment for me. Sorry Charlie came next. I had some early errors to overcome (Ex: MrMet for Bronx cheerleader & Good Work for Gold Star) but was eventually able to get a grade somewhere between a Gold Star and and F.
Speaking of Fs, TGIF everyone!
oc4beach - clear your cookies for latimes.com. When known good sites don't work, it's usually the site cookies, your browser's tracking protection setting, or your ad blocking software. Unless you are using an Apple product. You can also do the puzzle at the WAPO link. There's a link to it in the upper right corner of teh main page of the crossword corner.
ReplyDeleteA few notes on the Mecum auto auction
The 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, 6.2 Liter, 820HP, under 600 miles, was a steal at $155K
The '65 Shelby Fastback 427 did not sell even with a bid of $3.8M. It hadn't yet met the minimum reserve bid when it was pushed off the stage. "Bid goes on" means it still may sell with off stage bidding.
Lot F54 '69 Boss 429 Fastback with the 820-S "NASCAR special" engine sold for $400K. presale est was 400 - 450
The '65 Shelby Cobra Dragon Snake top bid was at $1.4M. Reserve not met. "Bid goes on."
Lot F81 '69 Boss 429 sold for $300K. presale est was 300 - 350.
I did not add any cars to my collection today. :-(
Not a speed run, but a fun solve. I too puzzled over OSPREY and duet but the perps were solid. MEH on SESH! Same with MANEL. Thanks for the ‘splaining, Lemonade.
ReplyDeleteFLN
Welcome back, Lucina. Yes, there’s no place like home and one’s own bed!
Anon-T, did the electrical “hiccup” yesterday reset your fridge? Hope so. My old-school appliance repairman said I should try to keep my 16-year-old fridge running as long as possible because the new ones have a circuit board which can go out often. When I was shopping for a new washer, most, if not all, of them have water level “sensors” – can’t even override the “brain.” Nope! Hoping for a miracle every time I wash clothes. And, oh, it rained 1-3/4th at my house. Steady drizzle today, but I’ll take it! Had 3/4” on the 7th; before that it was the last week in May when I saw the “phenomenon.”
FLN, C-Moe @ 7:31. Congratulations on finding a new home! I know too well how difficult moving can be; but, it sounds like by Christmas you will be in a better situation than if things had stayed status quo! Life can be funny that way.
ReplyDeleteHere's one of my best moving tips: When you take your art & photos off the walls, use a piece of scotch tape to tape the nail & hanger on the back. When you go to put things up at your new place, you'll have just the right hanger matched to everything!
UGH! MEH! SORRY, CHARLIE, not my cup of tea. SESH?? BOOER?? UM, NO.
ReplyDeleteChris, I give up on finding the debut word. It is after 4 CDT, please?
ReplyDeleteHola!
ReplyDeleteSo late to the party! Busy doing other things but started the puzzle about 6 AM. Finally finished and it finished me! Not my favorite kind of puzzle!
Constructors, please compose a puzzle that actually finishes the phrase! I got it, but still prefer a complete sentence.
Are we missing a few people? I didn't see PK or Kathryn. I hope they are well.
Thank you, Lemonade. I would not have understood this puzzle without you. Well, I did, but appreciated the further explanations from you.
Please, can we get some sensible puzzles.
Have a great afternoon and evening, everyone!
I liked the theme gimmick and enjoyed fitting each LIE back into its proper place. I got a nice chuckle from LORD OF THE FS. At first I had PAPA WHEES until I figured out the proppa grammah. I also like how RENT, AAA, GUT, and HOGS, are clued. I did not like either the clue nor the answer SESH. And, like Big Easy, MANEL is a word I've never seen and I hope it never makes it to common usage.
ReplyDeleteOverwrites:
ROLEX-->OMEGA-->BLING
TONY-->OBIE
UNI-->TRI
TINY-->ITSY
OLDS-->REOS
NAAN-->ROTI
BABY-->RUNT-->PEST.
Lemonade has already listed the bunch of long non-theme fill, which I, too, appreciate.
Good wishes to you all.
What a lovely family story! Thanks so much for sharing it, Aunt Monique. (I'll go back to Tante Nique tomorrow). I'm so glad you moved to be closer to those loving relatives you have.
ReplyDeleteFIW, missing SESy x HORRAy. I like SESH about as well as "vacay" for vacation. Where is Edwin Newman when we really need him?
ReplyDeleteDecided to return home from our camping trip early because of expected heavy rain overnight. Since we decided this morning, I had a lot to do to get ready that I normally do the night before we leave. So I worked on this puzzle in about four sessions between steps to get us home.
Hand up for noticing that the LAT site requires pushing play on the ad before I can get to the puzzle menu. The ad plays on my two desktops, but it skips to the menu on my laptop.
Since I live in a Navy town, GOLD STAR has special meaning. Families who have lost sons, daughters, wives or husbands in combat operations are called GOLD STAR families.
MANEL could grow on me. I'll have to remember "hennel" for another panel makeup, and when the church ladies sing they'll open their "femnal" instead of the guy's hymnal.
The player with the fastest cart never gets a bad lie.
D-O, you will Just. Not. Do. Glad I wasn't drinking coffee.
-T, So you didn't think to cold boot a stuck electronic device? Guess the 1st level techs at the help desk have to provide those elementary steps we all hate after all. I'll bet that U-Fred will enjoy longer life for his electronically-controlled appliances now. I'm sure his power is much cleaner than the crap off the mains.
I did enjoy the puzzle, so thanks Rebecca. And Thanks to Lemony for the review - I alwys learn something from them.
Just a note about dog bites on the hand. Require special cleaning and probably some antibiotic.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 8:16; thank you for the hand concern. I did get my hand cleaned by an MD, a course of two oral antibiotics in addition to topical application. The healing has gone really well and Remus still is not interested.
ReplyDeleteAnother fun joint effort with all of you. Be well.
Well done MalMan with the answer to the Moe challenge, I congratulate you on getting both parts.
ReplyDeleteTTP - so, too many leaps from NO LIEs to TELL THE TRUTH, eh? Thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteIs that Steve McQueen's fastback?
Sumdaze - I could have used your handy nail-hint a few weeks ago ;-)
Jinx: C'mon man, you know turn it off and on again was 1st thing I did. I think it was the surge when the power was restored that flipped whatever relay that wasn't.
TxMs - The Fridge works for now but I don't trust the board to keep my milk cold.
Cheers, -T
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon. Thank you, Rebecca, and thank you, Lemonade
Dash T, yes, I would say too many leaps. Hey, you asked for feedback. :>)
We had BOSS as an answer last Monday while you were playing hooky. Jinx recalled BOSS in the context of the Boss Mustangs. Ford only made the Boss 302 and Boss 429 in 69 and 70. Not a whole lot of them. As a general rule, the Boss Mustangs are the most valuable production line Mustangs ever built. The custom Shelby Mustangs of any year are the most valuable overall, far exceeding the Boss Mustangs.
Of course, for specialty cars or situations, such as when a celebrity has owned a car, or a car is featured in a hit movie as a "hero" car, prices can go through the roof. Here's the backstory on McQueen's Mustang: The 1968 "Bullitt" Mustang Sells for $3.74M at Mecum Kissimmee in 2020.
Same kind of thing for Nicolas Cage's "Eleanor" for the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds". However, 11 Mustangs were built as hero car Eleanor. One of those sold at the same Mecum auction for $825K.
No one on planet earth wears a "sweatsuit". You can wear a "sweatshirt", and you can wear "sweatpants", but when worn together they are never called a "sweatsuit". Period.
ReplyDelete