Theme: Music with Dinner. Though, I might have that backwards. Either way, it's both tasty and notable. And maybe I'll have to sing for my supper. Let's hope not. So let's dive in.
20 A. Favorite vegetable side dish of singer Donna?: SUMMER SQUASH. This is a squash that is harvested when immature, while the rind is still tender and edible. LaDonna Adrian Gaines (1948 – 2012), known professionally as Donna SUMMER, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music gained a global following.
31. Favorite leafy course of singer Al?: GREEN SALAD
. A SALAD is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. A GREEN SALAD consists of lettuce and other uncooked green vegetables.
Albert Leornes Greene (b. 1946), better known as Al GREEN, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s.
42. Favorite fish entree of singer Carole?: KING SALMON. The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus Oncorhynchus. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include KING SALMON, Quinnat salmon, Tsumen, spring salmon, chrome hog, Blackmouth, and Tyee salmon.
Carole KING Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway, and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
53. Favorite fruity dessert of singer Fiona?: APPLE STRUDEL. A STRUDEL is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, in this case sliced APPLES, spices, and other optional ingredients.
Fiona APPLE McAfee-Maggart (b. 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. APPLE has received numerous awards and nominations, including three Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and a Billboard Music Award
Hi Gang, it's JazzBumpa here, today's maitre'd cum impresario. Hope you enjoy the savory offerings from Chef Susan. Let's see what other delights are on the menu.
1. Truism: AXIOM. A statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.
6. Scrape cover: SCAB. A dry, rough protective crust that forms over a cut or wound during healing.
10. Runs or walks, e.g.: STAT. Baseball statistics.
14. Subway to the Louvre: METRO. A rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architecture and unique entrances influenced by Art Nouveau. It is mostly underground and 226.9 kilometres long.
15. Spanish lake: LAGO. Literal translation.
16. One and only: LONE. Having no companions; solitary or single.
17. Fuss at the mirror: PREEN. Devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance.
18. Many an Omani: ARAB. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
19. Legendary: EPIC. Of extraordinary scope or magnitude.
23. Go out, as the tide: EBB. Recede, diminish.
26. Sail support: MAST. A tall upright post, spar, or other structure on a ship or boat, in sailing vessels generally carrying a sail or sails.
27. Toepick-assisted skating leaps: LUTZES.
6. Scrape cover: SCAB. A dry, rough protective crust that forms over a cut or wound during healing.
10. Runs or walks, e.g.: STAT. Baseball statistics.
14. Subway to the Louvre: METRO. A rapid transit system in the Paris metropolitan area, France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architecture and unique entrances influenced by Art Nouveau. It is mostly underground and 226.9 kilometres long.
15. Spanish lake: LAGO. Literal translation.
16. One and only: LONE. Having no companions; solitary or single.
17. Fuss at the mirror: PREEN. Devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance.
18. Many an Omani: ARAB. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
19. Legendary: EPIC. Of extraordinary scope or magnitude.
23. Go out, as the tide: EBB. Recede, diminish.
26. Sail support: MAST. A tall upright post, spar, or other structure on a ship or boat, in sailing vessels generally carrying a sail or sails.
27. Toepick-assisted skating leaps: LUTZES.
28. More gloomy: DARKER. As in some fiction or weather phenomena.
30. "Okey-dokey": YEAH. Agreement or approval
34. Decide (to): OPT. Make a choice to do something, or not
37. Contract negotiator: AGENT. A person who acts on behalf of another person or group.
38. Family boy: SON. Male offspring.
39. Bub: FELLA. Some guy.
41. Crayola eight-pack choice: RED. One of the primary colors.
44. Speaker's platform: DAIS. A low platform for a lectern, seats of honor, or a throne.
46. Candy bar nut: ALMOND. The oval edible nutlike seed (kernel) of the almond tree, growing in a woody shell, widely used as food.
47. Saunters: MOSEYS. Walks or moves in a leisurely manner.
50. Some ceiling fixtures: FANS. Twirly thing that moves air.
52. Big __ Conference: NCAA division that includes Montana: SKY. A collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision.
56. Shoe inserts: FEET. I wanted orthotics. Oh, well. If it fits, wear it.
57. Curling __: IRON. Device for unstraightening hair.
58. Post-swim wrap: TOWEL. A piece of thick absorbent cloth used for drying oneself or wiping things dry.
62. Quechua speaker: INCA. South American Indians who, at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, ruled an empire that extended along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of modern Ecuador to the Maule River in central Chile.
63. Raven's retreat: NEST. Bird's home.
64. Connect with: TIE TO. Make a connection or relationship between two or more persons or things.
65. Queries: ASKS. Requests an answer or some information.
66. Picks up on: GETS. Understands.
67. Like draft beer: ON TAP.
Down:
30. "Okey-dokey": YEAH. Agreement or approval
34. Decide (to): OPT. Make a choice to do something, or not
37. Contract negotiator: AGENT. A person who acts on behalf of another person or group.
38. Family boy: SON. Male offspring.
39. Bub: FELLA. Some guy.
41. Crayola eight-pack choice: RED. One of the primary colors.
44. Speaker's platform: DAIS. A low platform for a lectern, seats of honor, or a throne.
46. Candy bar nut: ALMOND. The oval edible nutlike seed (kernel) of the almond tree, growing in a woody shell, widely used as food.
47. Saunters: MOSEYS. Walks or moves in a leisurely manner.
50. Some ceiling fixtures: FANS. Twirly thing that moves air.
52. Big __ Conference: NCAA division that includes Montana: SKY. A collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision.
56. Shoe inserts: FEET. I wanted orthotics. Oh, well. If it fits, wear it.
57. Curling __: IRON. Device for unstraightening hair.
58. Post-swim wrap: TOWEL. A piece of thick absorbent cloth used for drying oneself or wiping things dry.
62. Quechua speaker: INCA. South American Indians who, at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, ruled an empire that extended along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of modern Ecuador to the Maule River in central Chile.
63. Raven's retreat: NEST. Bird's home.
64. Connect with: TIE TO. Make a connection or relationship between two or more persons or things.
65. Queries: ASKS. Requests an answer or some information.
66. Picks up on: GETS. Understands.
67. Like draft beer: ON TAP.
Down:
1. Concert piece: AMP. Sound amplifier. Not a musical selection.
2. Gen __: XER. the demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials, generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980. My kids are from 1970 and 1972.
3. Meteor follower: -ITE. Cutesy clue for a suffix. When meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors. When a meteoroid survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it's called a meteorite.
4. Raw metals: ORES. Naturally occurring solid materials from which metals or valuable minerals can be profitably extracted.
5. __ Valley: puzzle game with optical illusions: MONUMENT. Interesting game. I played it a few years ago, then forgot about it more recently.
6. Closes with force: SLAMS. As if in anger.
7. Keyboard symbol above 6: CARET. This thing: ^
8. Food thickener: AGAR. A jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori and "tengusa".
9. Winter Olympics racer: BOBSLED. A team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh.
10. Nancy Drew, e.g.: SLEUTH. A person who investigates crimes.
11. Birthstone after opal: TOPAZ. For the months of October and November, respectively.
12. Pernod flavor: ANISE. A Mediterranean plant of the parsley family, cultivated for its aromatic seeds which are used in cooking and herbal medicine.
13. Help desk pros: TECHS. AKA nerds.
21. Red planet: MARS. The 4th planet in our solar system.
22. Sine __ non: essential: QUA. QUA means "in the capacity of." The phrase refers to something that is absolutely necessary.
23. Mystery writers' award: EDGAR. Named for Mr. Poe.
24. River transport: BARGE. A flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight
25. Kennel club designation: BREED. A stock of animals within a species having a distinctive appearance and typically having been developed by deliberate selection.
29. Fox Sports MLB reporter Rosenthal: KEN. Ken Rosenthal (b. 1962) is an American sportswriter and reporter. He serves as a field reporter for Fox Major League Baseball since 2005, and was an in-studio reporter for MLB Network from 2009 to 2022. Since August 2017, he is a senior baseball writer for The Athletic.
30. Yin and __: YANG. Yin and yang is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes interconnected opposite forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and yang and formed into objects and lives.
I used this idea in a sonnet I wrote many years ago.
THE SUBSTITUTE
There are those whose lives are meant to be entwined,
Lovers thrust together by the force of destiny,
When choice and fate converge, that they may be
Connected at the soul, the heart, the mind.
Within their closed circumference one can find
Two curves in perfect fit -- his yang, her yin,
That in each cycle once again begin
To cluster into love's sweet spiral bind.
But consider -- if in the vast span of infinity
One of them becomes displaced in small degree;
Is born a decade late, perhaps is sent
To the farthest corner of the continent --
The distant echo of an unfelt touch, an unseen face.
Who will be the one who comes to take his place?
33. Chaney of classic horror: LON. Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (1883 –1930) was an American actor, director, screenwriter and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".
34. "Mayans M.C." star Edward James __: OLMOS. Edward James Olmos (b. 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in Miami Vice (1984–1989), actor in and director of American Me (1992), William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009), teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver (1988), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, and Detective Gaff in Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017). In 2018 through 2022, he has played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series Mayans MC.
35. Cheap wine, in British slang: PLONK. Who knew?
36. Jessica of "Cocoon": TANDY. Jessie Alice Tandy (1909 – 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an Academy Award, four Tony Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She acted as Blanche DuBois in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948. Her films included Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and The Gin Game. At 80, she became the oldest actress to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Driving Miss Daisy.
39. Artificially high voice: FALSETTO.
40. West __: high-end design retailer: ELM. One of many brands owned by the Williams-Sonoma Co.
42. Smooching: KISSING. Touching with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, reverence, or greeting.
43. Temporary castle material: SAND. For when you're at the beach.
44. River mouth formations: DELTAS. Landforms shaped like triangles, created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or another river that cannot carry away the supplied sediment.
45. Affirmative vote: AYE. I see.
47. Criminal group: MAFIA. An organized international body of criminals, operating originally in Sicily and now especially in Italy and the US and having a complex and ruthless behavioral code.
48. Debuts: OPENS. As, frex., a play or movie
49. Tiny bit: SPECK. Mote
50. Cold coat: FROST. a deposit of small white ice crystals formed on the ground or other surfaces when the temperature falls below freezing.
51. Many godmothers: AUNTS. Moms' sisters. Or dads'.
54. Genealogy diagram: TREE. A diagram showing the relationships between people in several generations of a family; a genealogical tree.
55. Meat cut: LOIN. a cut from the part of the body on either side of the spine between the lowest ribs and the hipbones.
59. In need of a 58-Across: WET. From swimming or getting caught in the rain.
60. Due-in hr.: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival
61. Cut (off): LOP. To cut off (a branch, limb, or other protrusion) from the main body of a tree. Can one lop a loin?
After today's tasty adventure, I will leave you to ponder that meaty question at your leisure.
Cool regards!
JzB
48 comments:
The Natick of “Plonk” and “sky” ( as clued) almost got me, but my WAG proved successful, so I came through. The rest of the puzzle didn’t give me too much trouble. FIR, so I’m happy.
About that... for me it was a triple Natick! DNK any of the three downs crossing SKY and I solved the puzzle by WAGing something that seemed to make sense. I liked FALSETTO and the clue for MONUMENT (knew the game, but haven't played it).
It was a bit odd to see a Wednesday puzzle without a single (non-theme) "?" clue, I could see some arguing that the AMP clue should have one but I think it works without. One of my favorite clues in the puzzle.
Good morning!
Nicely done, Susan. Gotta love a simple, revealless Wednesday. Zipped right through, no Wite-Out required. Enjoyed your expo and elegant sonnet, JzB.
TOPAZ -- We re-watched the Hitchcock classic a few nights ago.
PLONK -- Sounds like d-o at the piano.
Ceiling FANS -- Very common here in the southland. We've got five of 'em in our small house.
RED -- Never understood why anyone would need more than eight crayons. Advantage (disadvantage?) of being color-blind, I guess.
FIR, but erased sole for LONE, primp for PREEN, end for ELM and quo for QUA. DNK KEN, OLMOS, PLONK or ELM.
Curling IRON, because "stone" wouldn't fit.
Remember the grade school taunt "Bruce and Judy sittin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G" (or whoever the clandestine couple was that you were outing)?
Thanks to Susan for the fun. Favorites were "runs or walks" for STAT, and "shoe inserts" for FEET. Easy to overthink both. And thanks to JzB for the informative tour.
It wasn't METRO but train and Paris reminded me of this
w/os: primp/PREEN,end/ELM (I couldn't fit ALMOND and SALMON so end had to go),scar/SCAB,sole/LONE
Love that poem, JzB.
The mystery of the great 'what might have been'
Explored by philosophers , Taoists and devotees of zen..
Dnk OLMOS but knew TANDY
Clue of the day:(SAND)Castle
onerta is mafia code
Just enough crunch for a Wednesday. (Big)SKY was hanging fruit but I see it was UNK for some especially crossing PLONK and OLMOS
FIR so I'm happy
.WC
That's Omerta
FIR, but had trouble in the east what with plonk and Olmos. Couldn't get king crab out of my thinking for the theme answer.
What Jinx said
I finished the musical dishes in 5:06 today.
Plonk?
I also didn't know the "Ken."
I've never understood why the caret (^) gets a spot on the keyboard. Does anyone actually use it? I would've put the cent sign, or some other sign there instead.
Good Morning:
Yesterday the focus was on animals and today it’s on food, two enjoyable subjects. I noticed that all of the foods began with S which added an extra level of tightness to the theme. No reveal necessary for this culinary creation. I stumbled over Adage/Axiom and Lift/Feet but no real unknowns, as I think we’ve seen Plonk before. I wanted Lucina’s Sashays for Saunters, but it was too long, so Moseys it was.
Thanks, Susan, for a tasty Wednesday treat and thanks, JazzB, for your hearty and heaping dose of information and learning moments.
FLN
Thanks to Mangesh and Kevin for stopping by.
Have a great day.
Amazon Prime for Kindle offers mostly books from the UK, Australia and Canada. I have learned many Britishisms, including PLONK.
This is my first experience with MONUMENT as a game and with OLMOS. Perped them.
I like summer squash. Ratatouille is a vegetable dish consisting of onions, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, fried and stewed in oil and sometimes served cold. Sometimes it is served here. Yummy. I am not a fan of winter squash.
I took the S to be a possessive with the S doing double work. Summer's squash. Donna's squash.
Fun theme.
We have a full meal here. Green salad for starters, kings salmon entre with a side of summer squash and apple strudel for dessert.
The theme was obvious; singer and food in each clue but Fiona Apple was unknown and after listening to the "Sleep to Dream" song I won't bother to listen to any of her other offerings.
LUTZES was filled because AXELS was too short. No ice in NOLA and the video didn't interest this old person in a way to bust his ass.
MONUMENT Valley- seen it in many old movies but never heard of the game. An easy guess after a couple of perps.
CARET- it's on the keyboard and it ^ and ! are never used by me.
PLONK- unknown, the British Thunderbird, Boone's Farm, Strawberry Hill, or Annie Green Springs
MeteorITE- hard to believe that 25 MILLION meteors hit the earth's atmosphere every day but only about 17 manage to hit the ground in solid form. The rest disintegrate in the air. Help, the sky is falling.
Have heard PLONK on "Midsomer Murders."
Even if you don't follow college sports outside the "Power 5" conferences, Montana and surrounding states are known as "Big SKY Country."
Needed a second perp to decide between mayA and INCA.
Plonk and Olmos and then sky in the mid east side sunk me. Enjoyed the puzzle very clever .
Hola!
Well served, Susan Gelfand and JazzBumpa, thank you. The entire meal was laid out for us. Yum! And even a TOWEL to clean up afterwards. Perhaps some will enjoy a beverage ON TAP, too.
CSO to my sister, Yoli, whose birthstone is TOPAZ.
I always serve a GREEN SALAD with the main meal.
Edward James OLMOS is an outstanding actor and Jessica TANDY was superb in Driving Miss Daisy.
In our hot climate, ceiling FANS are required even with A/C.
I was sure that mosey would be sashay but not enough spaces.
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Once you drive across Montana and observe the open ambience, you understand why it's called BIG SKY country.
Musings
-Starting the day with, Jazz, a clever puzzle and Donna Summer works for me!
-One math AXIOM: If equals are added to equals, the wholes are equal
-John Malkovich as Poirot was in a remake of The ABC Murders that was much DARKER than the one with David Suchet
-I’ve seen YEAH used as a homophone for YAY
-A pound of ALMONDS requires over 400 gallons of water to produce. Cal. growers are feeling the pinch
-Lazy me left CARAT and did not correct with SUMMER. Online versions won’t let you quit with such an error
-Nancy Drew : Carolyn Keene :: Hardy Boys : Franklin W. Dixon. House names representing many authors
-I know lots of TECHS who are not even close to being NERDS
-FALSETTO favs of mine – Frankie Valli, Barry Gibb (more disco) and this lesser-known singer
-Pat Boone sang about temporary Love Letters In The SAND
-23ANDME took me back to relatives who, it seemed, owned three slaves 300 years ago in Virginia
Thank you Susan for a tasty Wednesday FIR. This puzzle was truly mouth watering.
And thank you JzB for your flavorful culinary review, sprinkled with all that delicious bling.
Some favs:
14A METRO. Favorite METRO experience was a guy miming Belafonte's DAYO with a sock puppet between stops.
15A LAGO. Timely fill.
20A SUMMER SQUASH. We've collected enough to make our favorite: Squash Parmesan. But I don't think that it'll be as HOT as HOT STUFF!
27A LUZES. Prefix it with a C and you've got me on skates.
31A GREEN SALAD. I'm the salad "sous chef" in the family. I specialize in "kitchen sink salads" made from every fresh veggie I can find in the fridge.
42A KING SALMON. We haven't heard much from Queen King lately. I'd forgotten just how great she really is.
46A ALMOND. I often have almond butter toast topped with orange marmelade for breakfast.
58A TOWEL. No need to TITT on this one.
29D KEN. Isn't he married to Barbie?
35D PLONK. Brit for "not Claret (aka Bordeaux)".
36D TANDY. Jessica had an equally famous husband named HUME CRONYN.
54D TREE. Great video showing how everyone is TIED TO everyone else. One of my sisters is the family genealogist and doesn't know when to quit. All we ever get are emails noting small branches, twigs, and leaves, dating back to the 18th Century on both sides of our family. One day I pray that she'll send us an EPIC picture.
Cheers,
Bill
dinner music?
My mind says I posted this RUMPOLE OF THE OLD BAILEY LINK recently but that must have been in the fantasy world where my brain lives these days. Rumpole did indulge in many bottles of PLONK during the shows 14 year run. I thought it just meant a cheap claret, but I am not a wine expert.
I do know what I like and this was a fine, fun puzzle.
Thank you JzB and Susan
Weird Al Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Susan and JzB.
I FIRed in good time, and saw the theme music stars’ food. (Great catch re the S foods, IM, and the full meal, YR.)
Did anyone else think Yankovic was a little long to fit into the 31A SALAD.
Hand up for thinking Adage before AXIOM; I waited for perps to decide between Sole or LONE.
Hahtoolah gave us the chart of all the birthstone gems yesterday. Very helpful.
FEET was so obvious a fill that it was devious.
KEN and OLMOS required perps. But this Canadian knew PLONK.
CSO to Montana with SKY.
TOWEL crossing WET was cute.
MOSEYS is a great word! (Almost as good as Sashays!)
LUTZES are very difficult. The first triple lutz was performed by Canadian Donald Jackson in 1962. It took until 2011 for the first Quadruple lutz to be performed by American Brandon Mroz. (Canadian Kurt Browning performed the first Quadruple loop in 1988.)
Wishing you all a great day.
It seems puzzles are getting easier each day this week...the reverse of strict crossord dogma 🐕
Fun theme, easy to parse, but never heard of Fiona APPLE, Kynuva odd clue for MONUMENT (I was "puzzled" by it 🤔)
Inkovers: Sommer/ SUMMER, sole/LONE
Happened to do the puzzle in front of my keyboard, though sorely tempted, I did not look over at the 6 key. High piano keys plink, low ones PLONK
SON crosses with A SIS
The size of your Crayola box was an indication of grade school social status. I was a lowly 8 count packer, (no sharpener of course)....😖
Mar-a-LAGO, (why would the sea flow to a lake? 🤔)
Roll of the ____... DAIS
Edward James ____ didn't become an actor...OLMOS
Ben Cartwright's steak salad: _____ Green...LOIN
Parter of the RED Sea...MOSEYS
Happy Humpday.
Back in the '72 some of my University buds took the train to Paris. We soon realized you could use the same METRO ticket over and over, in the automatic turnstile even discarded ones. Occasionally there was a "controlleur" who checked that your ticket was only punched once so we kept one like that for show. The free rides were corrected the next time I went to with DW in 75.
Fine puzzle. My only unknown was LUTZES but TOPAZ helped settle that. I had to correct my spelling of STRUDlE. I like that dessert,, but I prefer the peach kind.
HG: I don’t think anyone can replace Suchet as Christie’s little Belgian.
Monument Valley is truly awesome.
Thinking about dinner music movies scenes, (there are several in Kate and Leopold I wanted to post).
I perused the internet, and came across The Blues Brothers horn player recruitment scene, (Fine Dining, but no good music, unfortunately.)
When it occurred to me that the Ultimate dinner music scene would have to be
Day-O, The Banana Boat Song...
(Just imagine, being an actor, and having to play out this scene from a script...)
However, I cannot stop thinking about "a little night music."
What was it,
Sondheim? Phantom of the Opera?
I can't seem to find it...
Anyone?
If you were making a Boomer-quality avocado / Avogadro pun, how could you write "6.023 x 10^23" without the "^" (and still create a knee-slapper)?
I tried to use paper subway tickets from the DC Metro for the Caracas Metro, and vice-versa. Didn't work in either case.
The first thing my high school chemistry teacher did in my class was give us a one-question test.
"If 45 apples cost $17, how much was each apple?" We all had two years of algebra, and many of us had or were taking analysis or calculus. Most struggled with this real-world challenge. He then explained that "dollars over apples times apples equals dollars. If you master this simple concept, this class will be easy." He was right.
Delightful Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Susan. And I always enjoy your commentaries, JazzB, thanks for those too.
Wasn't sure there was going to be much to add to all those wonderful foods in the theme answers. Made for a lovely and healthy DINNER. A bit of ANISE helped spice it up a little, and a sprinkle of ALMOND on the dessert also helped. Bon appetit, everyone.
We also had a bit of a DARKER theme, when the MAFIA appeared in the puzzle. They probably get a bit of help from a SLEUTH or two, and TECHS to help them with work on the computer. Bet they could use the help of an AGENT or a FELLA like EDGAR Allen Poe.
Anyway, I wish you all a quiet evening, with a nice bottle of wine ON TAP, and all those snacks we've already discussed, putting our FEET up, listening to a concert piece on an AMP, happy in a comfortable NEST.
Have a good one, everybody.
FIR. Thank you, Susan for the fun puzzle. Last to fill was the DARKER/KEN crossing
FAV: temporary castle material
Thank you, JzB for the informative write-up. I might be guilty of having used the terms "meteor" and "meteorite" interchangeably in the past.
CrossEyedDave @ 9:57. Liked the Peanuts link.
As others mentioned, the cells between OPT and SKY were the toughest part of the CW, at least for me. OPT was obvious, and mentioning Montana made SKY obvious, but I needed perps for the cells between. One W/O CAROT/CARET. Everything else pretty much fell into place for a FIR in unclefred usual Wednesday time of 18. Might have been less, I had a buddy in Brazil texting me repeatedly while I was trying to work the CW. Anyway, thanx, SG, for the entertaining CW. And thanx JzB for the entertaining and informative write-up. That Ray Stevens song is hilarious! I also love Wierd Al! I recall him saying he wanted to play in a rock-and-roll band, but couldn't find one looking for an accordion player! I finally got my second Tesla PowerWall battery installed and programmed yesterday. This will be the first day to test the entire system. Did I mention my homeowners insurance went up by $1,056 to cover the cost of the solar system? That puts a big hole in my savings on my electric bills.
I liked this puzzle. Nifty theme. I remember in some British shows a superior police officer might call a lowly constable a PLONK.
I like that sonnet you wrote, Jazzbumpa. Thanks for posting it.
Power was out almost all day yesterday, so didn't do the puzzle. Heck of a day to have a power outage, as it got up to 107 degrees outside. We kept the house cooler than that by keeping doors and windows closed and drapes drawn, but it did eventually rise to 95 degrees inside by the time the power came back on at about 5:00 PM. We don't have AC, but we sure could have benefitted from being able to use our good ole oscillating fan. Frequent wipe-downs with a wet washcloth were essential, along with the flapping of hand-held fans. Now I'm going to go do yesterday's puzzle.
Good wishes to you all.
Lovely, elegant puzzle -- thank you, Susan, and thank you, JazzB for the write-up...and the sonnet!
A nice, easy Wednesday PZL from Ms. Gelfand. Very enjoyable.
Thank you, thank you, Jazzbumpa, for that video clip on how I can do a LUTZ!
Oh, I needed just that guidance. Much appreciated!
Truism = AXIOM. I remember the first time I encountered AXIOM in a math class. Geometry I think it was. And how it got my head to swimming: the very idea that there are certain "givens" in a class where you had to prove everything else--!
It was only years later that I reckoned that AXIOMs are tautologies, truths in which each side of a statement is the SAME observable fact. It just took someone, a very patient ancient detective, to look closely at what was being asserted to declare each AXIOM to be an honest assessment.
I know, I know, it was just me...
~ OMK
____________
DR: Four diagonals, three on the far side, one at home.
The near diagonal yields an anagram (13 of 15 letters) that tells of a helpful parasite, one that focuses its attention on aquatic plant life.
If you should happen to ingest too much pond plant, this lil' critter will help you dispose of it.
It is the ever-helpful...
"ALGAE TAPEWORM"!
CrossEyedDave @11:51 AM Here's a little.
Good morning. Thank you Susan, and and thank you too, JzB
AL GREEN and FALSETTO. Great soul singer. All of his hit songs featured his vocal range from a baritone to his FALSETTO, as evidenced by the "Let's Stay Together" video JzB embedded.
Speaking of which, A Favorite FALSETTO
"If she gives me a sign that she wants to make time (stop)
I can't stop (stop) I can't stop myself (stop, stop)"
For me, Edward James OLMOS should have won the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal in "Stand and Deliver" but Dustin Hoffman won it with "Rain Main"
It's early in the season, but there's a five-way tie for first place in the Big SKY Conference Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) of the NCAA. There's also a seven-way tie for last place in the same conference.
I can type a ^, but I can't reliably type any of the special characters above the seven, eight, nine and zero. Nor those numbers. Just started with these problems. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Type for a new keyboard. I need those special characters and numbers for passwords. Amazon tells me that I ordered one 3 years ago on August 21st, 2019. Just ordered another.
Good luck, Jayce. I hope it cools down quickly.
CEDave
I believe that's Mozart you want for " a little night music"
Per Wikipedia:
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade No. 13, K. 525, Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The musical includes the popular song "Send In the Clowns".
puzzling thoughts:
FIR with little correction - I think I had CARAT but saw the error in SUMMER
Clean puzzle; easy to solve; a few new clues but overall more enjoyable than some others
Thanks JzB and Susan G for the fun and frolic - nice poem/sonnet, BTW
Just found the blog, very cool stuff!
I liked today's theme, however, I believe they failed to include a certain food named artist into the puzzle:
Favorite sandwich of singer Kevin?
...
BLT
That probably would have caught people off guard.
-Israel
Crossword Humor
Hi Y'all! Thanks, Susan, I thought your puzzle was doable, interesting & fun. JzB, Thanks, liked your poem & expo.
Had to look long & hard at the thing on the Keyboard 6 to recognize a CARET. Never knew that was there.
Hi All!
Susan's offering took me a bit to get inking but I got it. Thanks for the four-course meal, Susan.
I liked the theme title and the poem, JzB. The rest of the write-up was pretty dern good to. Thanks.
WOs: SCAr, yea->AYE
ESPs: LAGO, ANISE (as clued), QUA, and OLMOS, PLONK, TANDY
Fav: STAT's clue
SpeedySolver - I use the ^ all the time. 1) exponents: googol = 10^100 2) put it in pass^ords 3) pointing up: ^^^^ 4) a nose :-^)
YR @8:36a - That's how I took the S's too.
C, Eh! Weird Al was my 1st (and second) thought at 31a.
Unclefred - I never thought about the insurance implications of installing a solar system. Oy! They get your money one way or another...
Anyone else celebrate TOWEL Day?
Cheers, -T
Lucina @3:27 PM (and CED) See my link above fur "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik".
-T @6:13 PM Aren't we a bit late? I'm putting on my calendar for next May 25, which IIRC is also Maryland Day.
Israel @5:39 PM Welcome aboard, you're gonna love it here. If you don't mind my asking, "Kevin who?". Certainly not Costner :-)
Make that March 25th, the landing of the Ark and the Dove.
Waseeley @ 7:28 pm
I'm guessing he is referring to Kevin Bacon.
Caught me!
I have to ask, why is there a TOWEL DAY?
Kyra - I was thinking Kevin Bacon too - but, does he sing?
Lucina - Towel Day WikiP] and the significance of Douglas Adams' humour.
Cheers, -T
Waseeley @ 7:28 pm Thank you!
Kyra - Yes! Kevin Bacon is the mystery BLT-loving singer.
T- He does sing, check this out
When I found out I was quite surprised
Isreal - I'll be honest... I thought you were plugging a untoward site so I ran it through my SANDbox analyzer. You seem on the up-and-up (not withstanding the new Blogger Profile).
I, too, welcome you to The Corner. Keep working that website.
And!, I had no idea Kevin Bacon sang. He's like my (CEO) Bro -- multi-talented. That said, the music is too slow for me. Give me some RUSH (or Mozart!) any day :-)
Cheers, -T
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