Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee, here, with today's recap of a puzzle constructed by Garrett Herzfeld. As his name does not appear in the list of previously-used labels, this may be his L A Times debut. Today's puzzle does not have a "reveal" but it does contain four themed answers and the theme could be dubbed, simply, COUPLES. Or, perhaps even more simply, AND. At four places in the grid, the answers are commonly used expressions that consist of two things each of which directly relate to the topic of the clue. In keeping with the theme, these four clues all contain only a couple of words . . . one of which is, of course, couple. Here are the themed clues and answers:
17 Across: Married couple?: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. The traditional (Western Christian norms) marriage ceremony contains the phrase "to have and to hold". A couple of marriage-related things.
26 Across: Perfect couple?: PRIM AND PROPER. Both PRIM and PROPER could refer to a condition of perfection (seemingly, a wee bit of a stretch, clue-wise). A couple of perfection-related things.
42 Across: Celebrity couple?: RICH AND FAMOUS. Celebrities are often both rich and famous. A couple of celebrity-related things.
56 Across: Power couple?: BIGGER AND BETTER. Again, just a bit of a stretch, clue-wise. A couple of power-related things? Let us know if you come up with a BETTER way to clue this.
Here is how all of this appears in the grid:
. . . and here are the rest of the entries:
Across:
1. "Calvin and Hobbes," for one: COMIC. Bill Watterson's classic. My kids grew up with the characters . . . and I grew along with them. Watterson famously walked away from drawing the comic strip rather than head down the licensing path. Neither a Hobbes plush toy nor a McDonald's happy meal tie-in was going to happen.
Calvin is the one on the left
6. Cave __: ART. Punting on second down (no pun intended 'cause it's across)? Lots of other ways to clue ART. See, for example, 38 Down.
9. Church bell sound: CHIME.
Manfred Mann Sings About Bells Chiming
14. Catherine of "Schitt's Creek": O'HARA.
15. Ultrasound goo: GEL. Often clued with something relating to hair care.
16. Enter one's credentials: LOG ON. Ah, the old "log in" vs "log on" hesitation.
20. Navigate black diamond slopes: SKI. Black (diamond), Blue (square) or Green (circle)? Advanced, Intermediate or Beginner?
21. Telephone no. addition: EXT. EXTension
22. Destinations in some getaway plans?: RESORTS. A nice bit of word play.
23. Craters of the Moon locale: IDAHO. Not our planet's satellite.
25. "Big whoop": MEH. Slang and slang.
31. Basic bagel order: PLAIN. Not onion, sesamee, poppy seed or everything.
33. Uber __: EATS.
34. Many a Monopoly sq.: AVE. AVEnue
35. Forever, seemingly: EONS. What do you call a smell that lasts for a very long time? EON musk.
36. Sonic explosions: BOOMS.
38. Kitchen job: PREP. PREParation.
39. "Pressure" singer Lennox: ARI. ANNIE Lennox was not going to fit.
40. Artificial grass: TURF. Astro TURF was first installed in 1964 at Fieldhouse at the Moses Brown School in Providence Rhode Island. The subsequent (1966) installation at the Houston Astrodome gave it fame, and its name.
41. City north of Memphis: CAIRO. Cairo, IL is north of Memphis, TN. Cairo, Egypt is north of Memphis, Egypt. Take your pick.
46. Large deer: ELK. What do you call a well-known ELK? Famoose.
47. Olfactory sense: SMELL. Tautological.
48. Holds carefully: CRADLES.
52. Not feeling well: ILL. It makes me sick when people forget to add an apostrophe. If it happens again, I'll be ILL.
53. Mobile download: APP. Mobile phone.
59. Uses Liquid Nails, say: GLUES. Useful stuff. Great for re-setting bricks if you don't want to chip out and reinstall mortar.
60. Rapper Lil __ X: NAS. Yet another visit from this guy.
61. Pond honker: GOOSE.
What's In The Bag, GOOSE?
62. Brute: BEAST.
63. Procure: GET.
64. Ready for a refill: EMPTY.
Down:
1. Camp beds: COTS.
2. "Aw, what the heck": OH OK. I suppose.
3. Fish tacos fish, on menus: MAHI.
4. Sportswriter Berkow: IRA. He shared in a Pulitzer Prize in 2001.
5. Collapsed: CAVED IN.
6. Kathryn's "WandaVision" role: AGATHA. I have never seen the show. Thanks, perps.
7. Kylo of the "Star Wars" sequels: REN. It helped that the clue referenced the source.
8. Letters before a summary: TLDR. Too Long, Didn't Read. SMH.
9. Bullpen aces: CLOSERS. A baseball reference. The best relief pitchers.
10. Santa's laugh: HO HO HO. Oh, ok.
11. Archetypal lab assistant: IGOR.
That's Eye-gore
12. Shed feathers: MOLT.
13. Burnt __: ENDS. The trimmings from a smoked brisket.
18. Checkup: EXAM.
19. Dangles a carrot in front of: TEMPTS. The old Carrot and the Stick dichotomy.
23. Fashion icon Apfel: IRIS.
24. Singular events: ONE-OFFS.
26. "Pray for the Wicked" band __! at the Disco: PANIC.
27. Reservoir creator: DAM. BEAVER would not fit.
28. Musée d'Orsay city: PARIS. An art museum housed in a former railroad station, the Gare D'Orsay. I preferred the Jeu de Paume mais c'est la vie.
29. At any point in time: EVER.
30. Credit report blot: REPO. It is tough to get around if the bank has REPOssessed your car.
31. Bottom-heavy fruit: PEAR. Or, person . . .
32. Chicago mayor Lightfoot: LORI.
36. "All in the Family" surname: BUNKER.
Archie and Edith Bunker
37. Chicago airport code: ORD. code for Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The airport used to be called Orchard Field. Ah, that explains it.
38. Simon & Garfunkel half: PAUL. Not Art. Did you know that PAUL wrote this song?
Not The Cyrkle
40. Like Denali, among North American peaks: TALLEST. 20,310 feet
41. Morehouse, e.g.: COLLEGE. I first thought that it said Moorehead, as in Agnes.
43. Shrubbery: HEDGES.
44. In the thick of: AMIDST.
45. Former Spice Girl who was a judge on "America's Got Talent": MEL B.
48. Longtime NYC punk rock club: CBGB. The letters stood for Country, BlueGrass and Blues. . . but it became the birthplace of Punk.
49. Stir up: RILE.
50. Desierto's lack: AGUA. La lección de español de hoy. A desert lacks water.
51. Belted out a tune: SANG.
53. Situated on: ATOP.
54. Vexation: PEST. Interesting cluing.
55. 2022 prequel film in the "Predator" franchise: PREY. Hollywood does like to recycle ideas. They call the bodies of work franchises.
57. Scottish no: NAE.
58. Spider-Man player Holland: TOM.
Well, that's it for today. . . and for a while. 57 Down is a fitting send off as I will be in Scotland next month (with brief visits to both Spain and Portugal, also). I will be able to read the blog but I will nae be available to write up the puzzles. Slainte!
Garrett, you are invited to post anything that you'd like to share about this puzzle, its evolution, the theme, or whatever in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
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43 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I started solving the LAT crosswords regularly only a couple of months ago. Earlier today I checked out an older puzzle (Thursday Aug 12 2021) and it was A LOT harder than today's, with a bunch of odd fill (at least to me) and quite a few vague/misdirecting clues. Did the puzzles get generally easier with the new editor or did I just pick a super hard outlier by complete chance? (My solving time was close to last Saturday's puzzle, and nearly double the time today's solve took)
Back to today's puzzle, I really enjoyed it! I agree that BIGGER AND BETTER feels like the weakest themer in relation to the clue (power up = make bigger and better?) but it didn't bother me too much.
I was unfamiliar with the text speak “TLDR” and the sheer number of proper names was daunting. However, the expressions that made up the heart of this puzzle were well known and not hard to suss. FIR (with a little help from red letters at the very end) so I’m happy.
Slogged through this one. I allot 15 minutes for Thursdays, and this one came into the station ahead of schedule. CBGB and TLDR were learning moments -- needed Mal-Man's explanation for both of 'em. Nice debut, Garret. Enjoy your European extravaganza, Mal-Man. (I liked Famoose and Eon Musk.)
I strongly dislike the crossing of the proper nouns "Lori" and "Ari." I don't think I've heard of "Ari Lennox" or "Pressure." A mayor of a major city, I guess is fair game, but it easily could've been Loni and Ani.
I do not understand the "TLDR" clue/answer. If something is "too long," then why would you write that BEFORE a SUMMARY?
I enjoyed the "this and that" theme, but the Ari/Lori and TLDR clues/answers were too much.
To answer the Anonymous at 4:24, I would say that with the new puzzle editor, the puzzles are overall a little easier, but much like today, you have to deal with a few very obscure or confusing clues/answers in each puzzle.
I found this theme and overall fill on the lightweight side for a Thursday. And, as usual of late, I found the preponderance of proper names/nouns distracting, both in the fill and the cluing. I guess we’re destined to live with this current trend but, speaking for myself, not destined to like it or accept it graciously. My unknowns were Ari, Ira, Agatha, Iris, CBGB, and Panic, as clued. The only stumble was Log In/Log On. Nae, as always, reminds me of Wilbur and Tom of our two Tom’s.
Thanks, Garrett, and congrats on your debut and thanks, MalMan, for your expert guidance and chuckles along the way. Have a wonderful trip to Europe. Safe travels.
I’m hoping Aaron Judge will break Roger Maris’s home run record on Saturday, as two of my nieces (sisters) and their spouses will be at Yankee Stadium. Marie and Dean are driving down from the Cape and Michele and Dave are taking the train from here. It’s a birthday celebration for Marie and, unbeknownst to her, Dean invited Michele and Dave as a surprise. I wish I could be there to see her face when she sees her sister!
Anonymous @7:50 - After a long, say, online post, one could write something like "TL:DR [insert short version here]". The TLDR section of the post comes after the full story, but the letters TLDR go before (introduce) the summary.
Testing Thursday. Thanks for the workout Garrett (congrats on your debut) and MalMan (have a great trip). I finished and got the theme couples, but arrived here to discover that I FIWed. Yes, Anon@7:50, that personal Natick cross of ARI and LORI was my downfall. I had an N, thinking of Annie Lennox, (and do you Americans know the first name of the Ottawa mayor? Sheesh! The only Lightfoot I know is Gordon!)
Maybe I am testy today because I still feel a little ILL, but I agree with Jinx. This CW had an excess of names and text speak, music genres not familiar to me. My response was a big MEH. Perhaps no fault of Garrett, but again a desire for modern clueing by our new editor. I sincerely hope that the younger generation that she is trying to reach is lapping up these CWs; I am almost ready to throw in the towel. At least this Canadian knew OHARA,
Subgenius, TLDR can be used in text, but it's not text speak. The abbreviation sprang from the internet.
Unknown composer @ 7:50, TLDR has a couple of contexts. The first is in the sense of a short response to the sender of a long note, or as a response to why something wasn't read. "War and Peace" - TLDR.
The second context is an author's summary before all of the detail is presented. If you read Investopedia articles, you will see the style, albeit without the authors actually using TLDR. They'll use "Key Takeaways" instead.
Here's an article that uses TLDR in the second (summary) context (as clued in today's puzzle): https://towardsdatascience.com/what-i-learned-from-playing-more-than-a-million-games-of-wordle-7b69a40dbfdb
Musings -Obscure 21st century names/abbr. balanced by BUNKER which was a true “game-changing” series and PAUL, a true genius -The Crown shows the royals as RICH AND FAMOUS but not necessarily PRIM AND PROPER -Church bells peal, ring or clang, they do not CHIME. -Offut Air Force Base quit flying their jets over our town because the sonic BOOMS scared livestock -CAIRO, NE (pop. 780) has a lovely golf course -Eww, FONDLES doesn’t quite work as “Holds carefully”. :-) -Of all the AGATHAS in all the world, Garrett/Patti chose that one. -Burnt ENDS – I had a student get her hair too close to a Bunsen burner -Safe travels, MM! If you happen to find a nice Scottish ball marker… -Off to a 2 ½ hr. dental procedure.
HO! HO! HO! I'll CHIME in today. Another 'Entertainment Tonight' puzzle with so many not so RICH AND FAMOUS PRIM AND PROPER names. The 'couples' were easy guesses after a few perps but then there was TLDR, AGATHA, IRA, REN, ENDS PREY, TOM, PANIC, CBGB, MELB, ARI, OHARA, and a few other unknowns that required perps. But it was a fast fill.
ENDS after Burnt is as obscure as you can get. TTP- what is 'text speak'? Have a nice trip MalMan but I keep my money in the USA and Canada. DW goes with the girls but old buildings, churches, and undrinkable water doesn't interest me.
Gary- I remember back in Jr. High that there was a sonic BOOM at the end of our lunch period every single day for about two months. All of us would be standing outside and looking at the vapor trail waiting for it. Don't know where the fighter jets were based out of because Barksdale AFB is a SAC base.
Anon@424, one theory is Covid made everyone dumber and complex cruciverbalist measuring devices detected same hence easier xwords
Funny, it was the very paucity of pop-cul etc that made this an easy solve; more Tuesday than Thursday . Or perhaps names were perpable
Oops, LOnI and AnI was my guess at the Natick. FIW
IM if there's NAE pop-cul there's NAE Patti
Considering the frick'n* brouhaha in 1961 around 154 vs 162 I'm surprised to see nothing said about it this year A footnote* perhaps?
HG, yesterday the bells CLASHed
I have a friend LORI and a friend Laurie. But is ARI a woman's name?
WC
* When Maris chased Ruth Ford Frick opted to place an asterisk/footnote to indicate the 162 game season vs Babe's 154. Judge will easily pass Ruth in less than 154
Never did figure out what the theme was going for. This PPP-laden schlock made this puzzle a slog. It’s sad how crosswords have been taken over by pop culture.
Excellent theme, each set of "couple" words are all the same length, and exactly fit across the puzzle. Plus proved great perp aids.
TLDR?...NSNHO (Never Seen Nor Heard Of..)
OHOK?..um, not really. I watched every episode of "WandaVision" and had no idea but the WAG of IDAHO produced enuff perps for AGATHA. (Is CAIRO pronounced "kay'-ro"?)
With all the CW publicity I oughtta know all the "Spice Girls" names by now. My limited knowledge of epañol led me to incorrectly guess that "desierto" was Spanish for dessert "gracias por los perps".... (Is amid / AMIDST like while / whilst)
That old soda (pop) brand still has ____ to be good....COT. End time workers...TEMPTS What visitors first did on "Fantasy Island" : de _____... PLAIN "La poire": ____ in _____....PEAR PARIS
Malman have a great trip. Are you flying, sailing, or swimming (with your fellow manatees) to Europe? 😃
In spite of the numerous proper names and text speak clues, FIR, but this puzzle felt uneven. The theme was super easy and so much of the rest names. Not my kind of puzzle, but others might like it. I look forward to tomorrow’s puzzle.
I’ve eaten a lot of fish tacos, but never with MAHI; they’re usually filled with cod or, in this area, cat fish.
Thank you Garrett and congrats on your debut. The theme sorta helped but I gotta FIW: DNK the mayor of Chicago (so RAHM left?) and SWAGGED ANI when I shoulda SWAGGED ARI.
Thank you MalMan for trying to make some sense out of this Ménage à QUATRE de Ménage à DEUX.
Some favs:
1A COMIC. The GOAT COMIC strips.
9A CHIME. Loved me the Manfred Man MalMan.
20A SKI. Can we take it that you're a Black Diamond man MalMan?
25A MEH. OK, so they're slang and slang, but are they synonymous slang?
35A EONS. I think he'll smell better on MARS, and let's hope he stays there.
27D DAM. A family of BEAVERS lives in the reservoir behind my son's house. They didn't create the DAM, but persist in felling some pretty large trees by the shore. I guess they're keeping their teeth sharp in case the DAM ever CAVES IN and they need to repair it.
28D PARIS. We've been to the Musée d'Orsay twice and love their collection of Impressionist paintings. Also it was here that we first had Salade Niçoise, which reminds me, we have some fresh green beans in the garden!
Cheers, Bill
p.s. We'll miss you MalMan!
p.p.s CanadianEh! @8:10 AM I'm hoping that LA Times' management taps her on the shoulder and reminds her that the puzzle is brought to us by ADVERTISING money, and I'm sure the revenues brought in by it are on the decline along with the solver population.
Bill, I used to ski a lot of black diamond and double black diamond runs but the knees, back and feet hurt too much these days to ski those regularly and without doing so regularly my "chops" have definitely deteriorated. Now, it's hit the slope at the crack of 10:00, cruise a few runs and grab a beer and a slice.
Fun Thursday puzzle, many thanks, Garrett. And have a safe and good trip coming up, MalMan.
Neat to start out with COMIC ART, although that could be any kind. Would it require GLUES or GELS? Would it be funny--HOHOHO? Or maybe some other sound, like a CHIME--or would that RILE some people. Either way, lets enjoy it.
Some geography this morning with IDAHO, and CAIRO, and PARIS. Do any of these cities have a PLAIN with some TURF, or a river with lots of AGUA and a DAM?
Always fun to see a few BEASTs-- like that GOOSE and that ELK. None of them are likely to be a PEST.
The theme fill was very helpful. ANI-LONI instead of LORI-ARI. I believe that name Naticks like this make the new editor's puzzle harder, and the name fests make them less fun than before. Never have seen CGBG and TDLR, but perped them. TTP, thanks for making sense of TDLR. Meh, I think my lack of enthusiasm for these new puzzles, inhibits me from posting. Prim and proper couples try to do everything perfectly. Power couples do everything bigger and better than others. OTOH, many modern couples have and hold only for a limited time. MM, Yes, "the knees, back and feet hurt too much," put paid to my life long tent camping these past 5 years. Not an RVer. Bon voyage. Have a great trip.
MalMan! Thanks for the write up! (I don't remember when I fell down so many rabbit holes...) (This is going to keep me busy for a while.)
1st up: Granny Goose! I don't remember (this theme may come up a lot, I might just abbreviate it to IDR...) ever seeing a tv commercial that actually made me want to taste the advertised product. Which also reminds me Anonymous's comment about Thursday level puzzle hardness. I agree, Thursdays used to be harder. "But", the difficulty of a puzzle is based on your life experiences... if "goose" was clued Granny (blank) I wouldn't have a clue. And yet being a New Yorker, CBGB's is a gimme...
TLDR? I would take exception to this learning moment, except it has so many useful applications... For instance, this morning, I had to download an update for my Fitbit Charge 4. (Thought it might help with some GPS excercise issues I was having) (I know, you might think me a fool, but I prefer to think of myself as a dreamer...) (An update, helpful? Oh well, might as well give it a try..,) Anywho, I digress. I tried to update, but battery was not above 50%. When it finally got there, I hit "next" on the dang thingie button, but it woukd not work! I then discovered that I had to scroll down thru, and to the end of the terms and conditions before the "next" button would work. IT WOULD IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION, and make grateful old farts like me everywhere, if they would add next to the "next" button, a "TLDR" button!!!
Anywho, (Post cont...) (Or if you prefer, TLDR....)
One thing that busted my chops, 30 down, credit report blot, I had -E-- Easy peasy, DEBT! Aw c'mon! It's not "debt!" &#@*&
MalMan, enjoy your trip! You really sent me down the rabbit hole on a couple of things... I hope you take the high road, and I'll take the low road, as my knees are nae better than yours... Black diamond ski runs made me want to relive my youth. So I googled YouTube... However, my memory is faulty, as I now remember most of my ski runs were down that very first slope on every skiing facility that is appropriately named "chicken ridge."
Yes, I remember Red Rubber Ball! The first song Paul Simon ever wrote. (According to my memory) Research shows that he wrote it in England to get 100 pounds selling it to "The Seekers." 100 pounds? In 1966? Jeez! That would have paid the rent and more! (And how many bands sang this song?) Which led me to the Phil Colbert interview, (very amusing) which led me to a half hour interview on Letterman, (Which I would still be down that rabbit hole , if I had not run out of... ) Anywho, after a run to the store, I will try and find the Paul Simon red rubber ball 8nterview for you...
Which reminds me, (Was it Anon T yesterday) Re: potty training... Teach him to aim for the cheerios... (Yeah, but how do you stop him from eating them?) (Ya gotta train yourself to be quick on the flush...)
MalMan unpacks a Herzfeld PZL for us on an auspicious day.
Did I say "auspicious"? (Why is that, Keith?) Because SUMMER ENDS TODAY. Yes, my friends, the Autumnal Equinox arrives this evening--at 6:03 pm PDT!! If you haven't completed your summer reading list, you'd better get cracking...
I liked this XWD. I had trouble only in the SE corner, as I am no longer au courant with my punk rock hangouts. ~ OMK ___________ DR: Three diagonals, far end. The central diag's anagram (14 of 15) points to perhaps the worst example among a set of foolish creatures. Yes, it identifies a particularly...
CBGBs was a punk/alternative rock venue located in the Bowery district of lower Manhattan. A number of bands that went on to to become extremely successful got their start there, such as Blondie and The Talking Heads.
Just kidding... Thanks Garrett for the "fresh" puzzle. Thanks MManatee for the fun expo. You doing the whiskey tour? Missing that is my one regret re: my trip to Aberdeen.
WOs: N/A ESPs: AGATHA (Youngest watches that show), ANI, TOM. Fav: I'm going with 1a's clue. Maybe Bill G will stop by and tell us a Jordan story. CSO: ILL - DW & I have been under the weather since she tested + again on Tuesday.
CBGB - LAT puzzles 12/12/21, 5/13/21, 5/21/21. @2:53 named two of the big names that found fame there.
9 years ago, I walked in the Directors' meeting and Boss-man (VP IT) said, "-T has only been here a week and he taught me something we could all use. Has anyone ever heard of TL;DR? It was at the top of his status report and he told me 'Too Long; Didn't Read / Executive Summary'."
If you're not yet RICH, you could just be Naked and FAMOUS [MA].
Hand up for LOnI/AnI so FIW. FAV: bottom-heavy fruit. If you haven't hear, a Natick is one way a puzzle can go PEAR-shaped. As waseeley @ 10:51 said, CBGB is the title of a movie about CBGB the club. It stars Alan Rickman. If you see it, you will remember the club's name next time. Thanks, Mal Man. I liked the beaver clip. Safe travels!
Thanks to all for the nice comments and for the good travel wishes. I will be able to stop by from time to time and check in. I might even link a photograph or two.
I was thinking of you all when I saw the Calvin and Hobbes clue. Then AnonT's comment spurred me into this little bit of typing action. How is everybody?
Calvin and Hobbes continues to be at the top of the heap of comics along with Pogo, Peanuts and maybe a few others. It's still amuses me and impresses me with the great artwork.
I can't come up with any especially interesting Jordan stories... but wait! Here's a little, slightly significant, milestone. Yesterday Jordan got his Learner's Permit and we went driving together with his doing the driving. It was pleasant doing something together and brought back memories of my own experiences learning to drive. I realize that it's been too long since Jordan and I have read Calvin and Hobbes together. Maybe his learning to drive will become our new shared experience.
Tim just called me to let me know that the Yankee game is being televised. Aaron Judge is up with a chance to break Roger Maris's home run record. The Yankees were Barbara's favorite team and Judge was her favorite player, right behind Mickey Mantle.
Thank you all for continuing to keep me in your thoughts. I'll try to do better about staying in touch.
Haven't done the puzzle yet. Just woke up from a nap I took after coming home very tired from having had that dreaded MRI scan, an affair that took most of the day. Admittedly, things were a little more complicated because I had an IV sedation which put me to sleep for the procedure. In spite of the additional rigamarole, I'm glad to have been put to sleep because I know I could not have tolerated it otherwise. I truly will refuse to ever do it again. One upside, though, is that the anesthesiologist, the nurses, and the staff were all extremely nice and took good care of me. A weakness in the system, as I see it, is that they really don't tell you ahead of time the information that is the most useful from the patient's point of view, so it was like going into the unknown. "We'll check you in at admitting in room 112, then send you down to room 122 for the scan." "Send you down"? What does that mean? Lady, I can't walk without canes and in any case I can't walk that far. (Room 122 is way down at the end of a long hallway and then a right turn and down a second long hallway.) Seemingly trivial stuff like that, they don't tell you until you're already there. Anyway, bottom line, I'm thankful it's over. Now I shall do the puzzle and read what y'all have written.
Welp, like CanadianEh, I feel this puzzle was a big MEH.
Darn good to hear from you, Bill G.
Misty, I encourage you to go back and read what I posted yesterday, which is a link to an article in The Atlantic magazine that I think you might be interested in reading, maybe.
No sonic boom: It turns out neither of these are correct. Instead, Gay had captured an effect known as flow-induced vaporization that sometimes forms around objects flying at high speeds in the right environmental conditions. “They are not an effect of breaking the mythical sound barrier,” according to Peter Coen, NASA’s supersonic project manager at Langley Research Center in Virginia.
Coen uses the word “mythical” because, until Chuck Yeager first exceeded Mach 1 in 1947, many people thought that the sound barrier was an actual force that caused planes to crash. When pilots and ground observers later saw these vapor cones briefly enveloping high-speed jets, it was only natural they would assume it was related to this old belief. Now, though, photos like the one Gay took have allowed scientists to better understand the phenomenon, and many others have since documented flow-induced vaporization, both on jets and on rockets.
Ghy ft - I'm confused about your post. There is a 'sonic BOOM' when things (SST/F-16s) go over Mach 1 or when things (Space Shuttle) slow down.
BigE - They have (had? I was there in late 80's/early 90's) a "Christmas Tree" of F-something fighters that'd take off b/f SAC Bombers took to air at Barksdale. There's nothing more "Wow!" than watching 'em hit the sky.
Oh, and seeing the Stealth Bomber float overhead (very much like a gold brick doesn't #DouglasAdams) at Tinker was pretty WTFIsThat?!? the first time I saw one on my way to work.
43 comments:
I started solving the LAT crosswords regularly only a couple of months ago. Earlier today I checked out an older puzzle (Thursday Aug 12 2021) and it was A LOT harder than today's, with a bunch of odd fill (at least to me) and quite a few vague/misdirecting clues. Did the puzzles get generally easier with the new editor or did I just pick a super hard outlier by complete chance? (My solving time was close to last Saturday's puzzle, and nearly double the time today's solve took)
Back to today's puzzle, I really enjoyed it! I agree that BIGGER AND BETTER feels like the weakest themer in relation to the clue (power up = make bigger and better?) but it didn't bother me too much.
I was unfamiliar with the text speak “TLDR” and the sheer number of proper names was daunting. However, the expressions that made up the heart of this puzzle were well known and not hard to suss. FIR (with a little help from red letters at the very end) so I’m happy.
Nope. Just got a brief start and noticed a few pop-cult items, so I scanned the rest and decided that this one isn't for me. On to Friday!
Good morning!
Slogged through this one. I allot 15 minutes for Thursdays, and this one came into the station ahead of schedule. CBGB and TLDR were learning moments -- needed Mal-Man's explanation for both of 'em. Nice debut, Garret. Enjoy your European extravaganza, Mal-Man. (I liked Famoose and Eon Musk.)
BTW, CC has a puzzle in USA Today today.
Took 5:13 for me to start and finish.
I strongly dislike the crossing of the proper nouns "Lori" and "Ari." I don't think I've heard of "Ari Lennox" or "Pressure." A mayor of a major city, I guess is fair game, but it easily could've been Loni and Ani.
I do not understand the "TLDR" clue/answer. If something is "too long," then why would you write that BEFORE a SUMMARY?
I enjoyed the "this and that" theme, but the Ari/Lori and TLDR clues/answers were too much.
To answer the Anonymous at 4:24, I would say that with the new puzzle editor, the puzzles are overall a little easier, but much like today, you have to deal with a few very obscure or confusing clues/answers in each puzzle.
Good Morning:
I found this theme and overall fill on the lightweight side for a Thursday. And, as usual of late, I found the preponderance of proper names/nouns distracting, both in the fill and the cluing. I guess we’re destined to live with this current trend but, speaking for myself, not destined to like it or accept it graciously. My unknowns were Ari, Ira, Agatha, Iris, CBGB, and Panic, as clued. The only stumble was Log In/Log On. Nae, as always, reminds me of Wilbur and Tom of our two Tom’s.
Thanks, Garrett, and congrats on your debut and thanks, MalMan, for your expert guidance and chuckles along the way. Have a wonderful trip to Europe. Safe travels.
I’m hoping Aaron Judge will break Roger Maris’s home run record on Saturday, as two of my nieces (sisters) and their spouses will be at Yankee Stadium. Marie and Dean are driving down from the Cape and Michele and Dave are taking the train from here. It’s a birthday celebration for Marie and, unbeknownst to her, Dean invited Michele and Dave as a surprise. I wish I could be there to see her face when she sees her sister!
Have a great day.
Anonymous @7:50 - After a long, say, online post, one could write something like "TL:DR [insert short version here]". The TLDR section of the post comes after the full story, but the letters TLDR go before (introduce) the summary.
Testing Thursday. Thanks for the workout Garrett (congrats on your debut) and MalMan (have a great trip).
I finished and got the theme couples, but arrived here to discover that I FIWed. Yes, Anon@7:50, that personal Natick cross of ARI and LORI was my downfall. I had an N, thinking of Annie Lennox, (and do you Americans know the first name of the Ottawa mayor? Sheesh! The only Lightfoot I know is Gordon!)
Maybe I am testy today because I still feel a little ILL, but I agree with Jinx. This CW had an excess of names and text speak, music genres not familiar to me. My response was a big MEH. Perhaps no fault of Garrett, but again a desire for modern clueing by our new editor. I sincerely hope that the younger generation that she is trying to reach is lapping up these CWs; I am almost ready to throw in the towel.
At least this Canadian knew OHARA,
Wishing you all a great day.
Subgenius, TLDR can be used in text, but it's not text speak. The abbreviation sprang from the internet.
Unknown composer @ 7:50, TLDR has a couple of contexts. The first is in the sense of a short response to the sender of a long note, or as a response to why something wasn't read. "War and Peace" - TLDR.
The second context is an author's summary before all of the detail is presented. If you read Investopedia articles, you will see the style, albeit without the authors actually using TLDR. They'll use "Key Takeaways" instead.
Here's an article that uses TLDR in the second (summary) context (as clued in today's puzzle):
https://towardsdatascience.com/what-i-learned-from-playing-more-than-a-million-games-of-wordle-7b69a40dbfdb
FiR, but I've never heard of TLDR and CBGB. Thank the maker for perps.
Musings
-Obscure 21st century names/abbr. balanced by BUNKER which was a true “game-changing” series and PAUL, a true genius
-The Crown shows the royals as RICH AND FAMOUS but not necessarily PRIM AND PROPER
-Church bells peal, ring or clang, they do not CHIME.
-Offut Air Force Base quit flying their jets over our town because the sonic BOOMS scared livestock
-CAIRO, NE (pop. 780) has a lovely golf course
-Eww, FONDLES doesn’t quite work as “Holds carefully”. :-)
-Of all the AGATHAS in all the world, Garrett/Patti chose that one.
-Burnt ENDS – I had a student get her hair too close to a Bunsen burner
-Safe travels, MM! If you happen to find a nice Scottish ball marker…
-Off to a 2 ½ hr. dental procedure.
HO! HO! HO! I'll CHIME in today. Another 'Entertainment Tonight' puzzle with so many not so RICH AND FAMOUS PRIM AND PROPER names. The 'couples' were easy guesses after a few perps but then there was TLDR, AGATHA, IRA, REN, ENDS PREY, TOM, PANIC, CBGB, MELB, ARI, OHARA, and a few other unknowns that required perps. But it was a fast fill.
ENDS after Burnt is as obscure as you can get.
TTP- what is 'text speak'?
Have a nice trip MalMan but I keep my money in the USA and Canada. DW goes with the girls but old buildings, churches, and undrinkable water doesn't interest me.
Gary- I remember back in Jr. High that there was a sonic BOOM at the end of our lunch period every single day for about two months. All of us would be standing outside and looking at the vapor trail waiting for it. Don't know where the fighter jets were based out of because Barksdale AFB is a SAC base.
Big Easy, Subgenius used the term text speak in his 4:38 AM comments as the vernacular of texting.
Hola!
Thank you, Garrett and MalMan! Safe travels!
Common pairs is what I would name this puzzle. It all came together quickly though I had no idea what TLDR meant.
IDAHO is one of the states I have not visited.
The most FAMOUS AGATHA I can think of is AGATHA Christie.
Wanda Vision means nothing to me but I'm familiar with Kathryn O'HARA.
One of my pewmates on Sundays is named LORI.
It's too early for me so I shall return to bed. Later.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Anon@424, one theory is Covid made everyone dumber and complex cruciverbalist measuring devices detected same hence easier xwords
Funny, it was the very paucity of pop-cul etc that made this an easy solve; more Tuesday than Thursday . Or perhaps names were perpable
Oops, LOnI and AnI was my guess at the Natick. FIW
IM if there's NAE pop-cul there's NAE Patti
Considering the frick'n* brouhaha in 1961 around 154 vs 162 I'm surprised to see nothing said about it this year
A footnote* perhaps?
HG, yesterday the bells CLASHed
I have a friend LORI and a friend Laurie. But is ARI a woman's name?
WC
* When Maris chased Ruth Ford Frick opted to place an asterisk/footnote to indicate the 162 game season vs Babe's 154. Judge will easily pass Ruth in less than 154
Never did figure out what the theme was going for. This PPP-laden schlock made this puzzle a slog. It’s sad how crosswords have been taken over by pop culture.
Excellent theme, each set of "couple" words are all the same length, and exactly fit across the puzzle. Plus proved great perp aids.
TLDR?...NSNHO (Never Seen Nor Heard Of..)
OHOK?..um, not really. I watched every episode of "WandaVision" and had no idea but the WAG of IDAHO produced enuff perps for AGATHA. (Is CAIRO pronounced "kay'-ro"?)
A Shrubbery!!!
With all the CW publicity I oughtta know all the "Spice Girls" names by now. My limited knowledge of epañol led me to incorrectly guess that "desierto" was Spanish for dessert "gracias por los perps".... (Is amid / AMIDST like while / whilst)
"Preditor prequel"...not "PrePreditor?".
"NYC punkrock club"? CBGB?.. sheesh..c'mon.
That old soda (pop) brand still has ____ to be good....COT.
End time workers...TEMPTS
What visitors first did on "Fantasy Island" : de _____... PLAIN
"La poire": ____ in _____....PEAR PARIS
Malman have a great trip. Are you flying, sailing, or swimming (with your fellow manatees) to Europe? 😃
In spite of the numerous proper names and text speak clues, FIR, but this puzzle felt uneven. The theme was super easy and so much of the rest names. Not my kind of puzzle, but others might like it. I look forward to tomorrow’s puzzle.
I’ve eaten a lot of fish tacos, but never with MAHI; they’re usually filled with cod or, in this area, cat fish.
Bon voyage to MM.
Thank you Garrett and congrats on your debut. The theme sorta helped but I gotta FIW: DNK the mayor of Chicago (so RAHM left?) and SWAGGED ANI when I shoulda SWAGGED ARI.
Thank you MalMan for trying to make some sense out of this Ménage à QUATRE de Ménage à DEUX.
Some favs:
1A COMIC. The GOAT COMIC strips.
9A CHIME. Loved me the Manfred Man MalMan.
20A SKI. Can we take it that you're a Black Diamond man MalMan?
25A MEH. OK, so they're slang and slang, but are they synonymous slang?
35A EONS. I think he'll smell better on MARS, and let's hope he stays there.
27D DAM. A family of BEAVERS lives in the reservoir behind my son's house. They didn't create the DAM, but persist in felling some pretty large trees by the shore. I guess they're keeping their teeth sharp in case the DAM ever CAVES IN and they need to repair it.
28D PARIS. We've been to the Musée d'Orsay twice and love their collection of Impressionist paintings. Also it was here that we first had Salade Niçoise, which reminds me, we have some fresh green beans in the garden!
Cheers,
Bill
p.s. We'll miss you MalMan!
p.p.s CanadianEh! @8:10 AM I'm hoping that LA Times' management taps her on the shoulder and reminds her that the puzzle is brought to us by ADVERTISING money, and I'm sure the revenues brought in by it are on the decline along with the solver population.
Ray - O @10:26 AM CBGB was real and it was also a film. I only know this because I blogged it many moons ago.
Bill, I used to ski a lot of black diamond and double black diamond runs but the knees, back and feet hurt too much these days to ski those regularly and without doing so regularly my "chops" have definitely deteriorated. Now, it's hit the slope at the crack of 10:00, cruise a few runs and grab a beer and a slice.
Fun Thursday puzzle, many thanks, Garrett. And have a safe and good trip coming up, MalMan.
Neat to start out with COMIC ART, although that could be any kind. Would it require GLUES or GELS? Would it be funny--HOHOHO? Or maybe some other sound, like a CHIME--or would that RILE some people. Either way, lets enjoy it.
Some geography this morning with IDAHO, and CAIRO, and PARIS. Do any of these cities have a PLAIN with some TURF, or a river with lots of AGUA and a DAM?
Always fun to see a few BEASTs-- like that GOOSE and that ELK. None of them are likely to be a PEST.
Have a good day, everybody.
The theme fill was very helpful. ANI-LONI instead of LORI-ARI. I believe that name Naticks like this make the new editor's puzzle harder, and the name fests make them less fun than before. Never have seen CGBG and TDLR, but perped them. TTP, thanks for making sense of TDLR.
Meh, I think my lack of enthusiasm for these new puzzles, inhibits me from posting.
Prim and proper couples try to do everything perfectly.
Power couples do everything bigger and better than others.
OTOH, many modern couples have and hold only for a limited time.
MM, Yes, "the knees, back and feet hurt too much," put paid to my life long tent camping these past 5 years. Not an RVer.
Bon voyage. Have a great trip.
MalMan!
Thanks for the write up!
(I don't remember when I fell down so many rabbit holes...)
(This is going to keep me busy for a while.)
1st up: Granny Goose!
I don't remember (this theme may come up a lot, I might just abbreviate it to IDR...) ever seeing a tv commercial that actually made me want to taste the advertised product. Which also reminds me Anonymous's comment about Thursday level puzzle hardness. I agree, Thursdays used to be harder. "But", the difficulty of a puzzle is based on your life experiences... if "goose" was clued Granny (blank) I wouldn't have a clue. And yet being a New Yorker, CBGB's is a gimme...
TLDR?
I would take exception to this learning moment, except it has so many useful applications...
For instance, this morning, I had to download an update for my Fitbit Charge 4.
(Thought it might help with some GPS excercise issues I was having)
(I know, you might think me a fool, but I prefer to think of myself as a dreamer...)
(An update, helpful? Oh well, might as well give it a try..,)
Anywho, I digress.
I tried to update, but battery was not above 50%.
When it finally got there, I hit "next" on the dang thingie button, but it woukd not work!
I then discovered that I had to scroll down thru, and to the end of the terms and conditions before the "next" button would work.
IT WOULD IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION, and make grateful old farts like me everywhere, if they would add next to the "next" button, a "TLDR" button!!!
Anywho,
(Post cont...)
(Or if you prefer, TLDR....)
WAZ @ 10:51
Don't doubt that CBCG is real just obscure, the constructor probably needed fill for those four letters and did a search.
One thing that busted my chops,
30 down, credit report blot,
I had -E--
Easy peasy, DEBT!
Aw c'mon! It's not "debt!"
&#@*&
MalMan, enjoy your trip!
You really sent me down the rabbit hole on a couple of things...
I hope you take the high road, and I'll take the low road, as my knees are nae better than yours...
Black diamond ski runs made me want to relive my youth. So I googled YouTube...
However, my memory is faulty, as I now remember most of my ski runs were down that very first slope on every skiing facility that is appropriately named "chicken ridge."
My first YouTube video showed a "double" black diamond trail, that, like chicken ridge, looks scary, but was quite easy in the first run. However it was the second run that brings back the memories...
Yes, I remember Red Rubber Ball!
The first song Paul Simon ever wrote. (According to my memory)
Research shows that he wrote it in England to get 100 pounds selling it to "The Seekers."
100 pounds? In 1966? Jeez! That would have paid the rent and more!
(And how many bands sang this song?)
Which led me to the Phil Colbert interview, (very amusing) which led me to a half hour interview on Letterman,
(Which I would still be down that rabbit hole , if I had not run out of... )
Anywho, after a run to the store, I will try and find the Paul Simon red rubber ball 8nterview for you...
Anywho,
married couple?
Versus to have and to hold?
perfect couple?
Versus sorry, but the image I found of prim and proper, was decidedly not...
Hmm,
maybe I'll just pass on celebrity couples, and rich and famous...
Ditto on power couple, but bigger and better works...
Which reminds me,
(Was it Anon T yesterday)
Re: potty training...
Teach him to aim for the cheerios...
(Yeah, but how do you stop him from eating them?)
(Ya gotta train yourself to be quick on the flush...)
MalMan unpacks a Herzfeld PZL for us on an auspicious day.
Did I say "auspicious"? (Why is that, Keith?)
Because SUMMER ENDS TODAY.
Yes, my friends, the Autumnal Equinox arrives this evening--at 6:03 pm PDT!!
If you haven't completed your summer reading list, you'd better get cracking...
I liked this XWD. I had trouble only in the SE corner, as I am no longer au courant with my punk rock hangouts.
~ OMK
___________
DR: Three diagonals, far end.
The central diag's anagram (14 of 15) points to perhaps the worst example among a set of foolish creatures.
Yes, it identifies a particularly...
"DEPLORABLE GOON"!
CBGBs was a punk/alternative rock venue located in the Bowery district of lower Manhattan. A number of bands that went on to to become extremely successful got their start there, such as Blondie and The Talking Heads.
Hi All!
The TL; DR - FIR.
Cheers, -T
Just kidding...
Thanks Garrett for the "fresh" puzzle. Thanks MManatee for the fun expo. You doing the whiskey tour? Missing that is my one regret re: my trip to Aberdeen.
WOs: N/A
ESPs: AGATHA (Youngest watches that show), ANI, TOM.
Fav: I'm going with 1a's clue. Maybe Bill G will stop by and tell us a Jordan story.
CSO: ILL - DW & I have been under the weather since she tested + again on Tuesday.
CBGB - LAT puzzles 12/12/21, 5/13/21, 5/21/21. @2:53 named two of the big names that found fame there.
9 years ago, I walked in the Directors' meeting and Boss-man (VP IT) said, "-T has only been here a week and he taught me something we could all use. Has anyone ever heard of TL;DR? It was at the top of his status report and he told me 'Too Long; Didn't Read / Executive Summary'."
If you're not yet RICH, you could just be Naked and FAMOUS [MA].
Cheers, -T
CED @1:28 PM Well, tomatoes and potatoes ARE distant cousins. They're both in the Nightshade clan.
Hand up for LOnI/AnI so FIW.
FAV: bottom-heavy fruit. If you haven't hear, a Natick is one way a puzzle can go PEAR-shaped.
As waseeley @ 10:51 said, CBGB is the title of a movie about CBGB the club. It stars Alan Rickman. If you see it, you will remember the club's name next time.
Thanks, Mal Man. I liked the beaver clip. Safe travels!
Thanks to all for the nice comments and for the good travel wishes. I will be able to stop by from time to time and check in. I might even link a photograph or two.
Hi AnonT and everybody else.
I was thinking of you all when I saw the Calvin and Hobbes clue. Then AnonT's comment spurred me into this little bit of typing action. How is everybody?
Calvin and Hobbes continues to be at the top of the heap of comics along with Pogo, Peanuts and maybe a few others. It's still amuses me and impresses me with the great artwork.
I can't come up with any especially interesting Jordan stories... but wait! Here's a little, slightly significant, milestone. Yesterday Jordan got his Learner's Permit and we went driving together with his doing the driving. It was pleasant doing something together and brought back memories of my own experiences learning to drive. I realize that it's been too long since Jordan and I have read Calvin and Hobbes together. Maybe his learning to drive will become our new shared experience.
Tim just called me to let me know that the Yankee game is being televised. Aaron Judge is up with a chance to break Roger Maris's home run record. The Yankees were Barbara's favorite team and Judge was her favorite player, right behind Mickey Mantle.
Thank you all for continuing to keep me in your thoughts. I'll try to do better about staying in touch.
~ Mind how you go...
Bill G.
Haven't done the puzzle yet. Just woke up from a nap I took after coming home very tired from having had that dreaded MRI scan, an affair that took most of the day. Admittedly, things were a little more complicated because I had an IV sedation which put me to sleep for the procedure. In spite of the additional rigamarole, I'm glad to have been put to sleep because I know I could not have tolerated it otherwise. I truly will refuse to ever do it again. One upside, though, is that the anesthesiologist, the nurses, and the staff were all extremely nice and took good care of me. A weakness in the system, as I see it, is that they really don't tell you ahead of time the information that is the most useful from the patient's point of view, so it was like going into the unknown. "We'll check you in at admitting in room 112, then send you down to room 122 for the scan." "Send you down"? What does that mean? Lady, I can't walk without canes and in any case I can't walk that far. (Room 122 is way down at the end of a long hallway and then a right turn and down a second long hallway.) Seemingly trivial stuff like that, they don't tell you until you're already there. Anyway, bottom line, I'm thankful it's over. Now I shall do the puzzle and read what y'all have written.
Welp, like CanadianEh, I feel this puzzle was a big MEH.
Darn good to hear from you, Bill G.
Misty, I encourage you to go back and read what I posted yesterday, which is a link to an article in The Atlantic magazine that I think you might be interested in reading, maybe.
Good wishes to you all.
Bill G. - You made my day. Thanks for poppin' in and glad to hear alls well with you.
CED - you get honors'-mention for the LOL comics ;-)
Cheers, -T
Bill G:
It's so good to hear from you and know that you are well. Hard to believe that Jordan is of driving age!
Jayce:
I'm sorry to hear of your ordeal. Those tests are always tiring and in some cases frustrating. Maybe that will be the last one for you.
No sonic boom:
It turns out neither of these are correct. Instead, Gay had captured an effect known as flow-induced vaporization that sometimes forms around objects flying at high speeds in the right environmental conditions. “They are not an effect of breaking the mythical sound barrier,” according to Peter Coen, NASA’s supersonic project manager at Langley Research Center in Virginia.
Coen uses the word “mythical” because, until Chuck Yeager first exceeded Mach 1 in 1947, many people thought that the sound barrier was an actual force that caused planes to crash. When pilots and ground observers later saw these vapor cones briefly enveloping high-speed jets, it was only natural they would assume it was related to this old belief. Now, though, photos like the one Gay took have allowed scientists to better understand the phenomenon, and many others have since documented flow-induced vaporization, both on jets and on rockets.
Ghy ft - I'm confused about your post. There is a 'sonic BOOM' when things (SST/F-16s) go over Mach 1 or when things (Space Shuttle) slow down.
BigE - They have (had? I was there in late 80's/early 90's) a "Christmas Tree" of F-something fighters that'd take off b/f SAC Bombers took to air at Barksdale. There's nothing more "Wow!" than watching 'em hit the sky.
Oh, and seeing the Stealth Bomber float overhead (very much like a gold brick doesn't #DouglasAdams) at Tinker was pretty WTFIsThat?!? the first time I saw one on my way to work.
Cheers, -T
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