Hello Cornerites!
sumdaze here. C.C. asked me to pitch hit today. It is my pleasure to walk you through this fun and challenging puzzle from Wendy L. Brandes. I will do my best to not let you down.
Today's theme is AL Has Left the Building.
Each of the 3 themed answers come from common phrases in which the letters A and L have been removed to create a new phrase. Additionally, all of the "al"s are removed from the ends of the first words of a 2-word phrase. We have:
17. Across * Desire to dress in Victorian era garb and sip tea daintily?: PRIMal URGES.
 |
| very PRIM & proper |
23. Across * One who helps fix a banged-up car?: DENTal ASSISTANT. One works on cars, the other on your teeth.
49. Across * Fine print about a knee replacement?: LEGal DISCLAIMER. They can deny responsibility if you have problems with your LEG after the surgery
 |
| knee replacement |
59. Across. Favorite time of the school day for some teachers and students, or a two-word hint for the answers to the starred clues: DISMISSAL or DISMISS AL. "Al" technically counts as a word if we think of it as a proper name. So Al is being dismissed (sent out). Are you feeling a bit dazed & confused? Perhaps this video clip from the movie Dazed and Confused (1993) will help.
Across:
1. The "sheet" in "three sheets to the wind": ROPE. A tricky start. To be "three sheet to the wind" is to be very drunk. I always thought the "sheet" was the sail. Today I learned that the "sheet" is the line (ROPE) that holds the sail. If the ropes are loose (flapping in the wind), the ship is out of control.
5. European wine region: ASTI. Always a good guess for a 4-letter wine region in Europe. Try "Napa" if in California.
9. Daily crossword review sites, e.g.: BLOGS. This is my first one!
14. "Downton Abbey" title: EARL. He was not invited to the tea party pictured above.
15. One who tweets a lot: BIRD. This is a fun misdirection clue, playing on bird noises and the Twitterati.
16. Sirius business: RADIO. Not "serious" business.
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States.
19. "Inside the NBA" analyst: O'NEAL. Shaquille O'Neal. There is a small hint in this clue with "NBA" to stimulate thoughts of all the famous basketball players one might know... about 5 for me.
20. "Just a __": SEC. At first I had "just a SIP" but perps changed it to SECond.
21. Zip: NONE.
22. "Volunteers?": ANYONE. I have to go with Ferris Bueller (1986) on this one:
19. "Inside the NBA" analyst: O'NEAL. Shaquille O'Neal. There is a small hint in this clue with "NBA" to stimulate thoughts of all the famous basketball players one might know... about 5 for me.
20. "Just a __": SEC. At first I had "just a SIP" but perps changed it to SECond.
21. Zip: NONE.
22. "Volunteers?": ANYONE. I have to go with Ferris Bueller (1986) on this one:
26. Anorak part: HOOD. An Anorak is a waterproof jacket, typically with a hood, of a kind originally used in polar regions.
27. Docking spot: PIER. I first tried "moor". "Quay" is another 4-letter option. It cannot be "dock" because that is part of the clue.
28. Spin: TWIRL.
30. Out of juice: DEAD. The batteries died.
32. Hummus and baba ghanouj: DIPS. Hummus is mostly garbanzo beans (AKA chick peas). Baba ghanouj is mostly eggplant. I'll take one of each!
36. Whiskey barrel wood: OAK.
37. Rock equipment: DRUM SET. ♪♪♪
40. "Surely you don't mean me?": MOI.
 |
| Miss Piggy |
41. Seeing things: EYES. This time "seeing" is not a verb. It is an adjective (present participle) modifying the noun "things".
43. Withdraws, with "out": OPTS.
44. Winter X Games host city: ASPEN. Here's a shocker: according to Wikipedia, the X-Games has never carried out drug testing on its competitors.
46. Simplicity: EASE.
48. Barbecue crust: CHAR.
54. Fish that spawns in fresh water: SALMON. Ballard Locks is a must-see when you go to Seattle. All fish, including endangered salmon, must pass through the locks, spillway or the fish ladder to move between Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Click Here for Ballard Locks Info
55. "Don't move!": HALT. Who goes there?
56. Bishopric: SEE. Friday-level clue. Click here for Bishopric synonyms
58. Furry swimmer: OTTER. I hope Misty likes this pic:
 |
| otter mom & pup |
61. Make amends: ATONE.
62. Pt. of IMF: INTL. INTernationaL Monetary Fund. Abbreviations in the clue mean the answer will also be abbreviated.
The International Monetary Fund is a major financial agency of the United Nations and an international financial institution.
63. Muscles near delts: PECS. You can work them with REPS (1 Down).
64. Lets: RENTS. I think most of you know these lyrics from King Of The Road by Roger Miller:
63. Muscles near delts: PECS. You can work them with REPS (1 Down).
64. Lets: RENTS. I think most of you know these lyrics from King Of The Road by Roger Miller:
Trailers for sale or rentRooms to let, 50 centsNo phone, no pool, no petsI ain't got no cigarettes.
65. Prone to prying: NOSY.
66. US Open stadium: ASHE. 4-letter stadium with a tennis reference -- try "ASHE"
Down:
1. Crunch units: REPS. Ab excercieses.
2. Worked in a galley: OARED.
 |
| Galley Slaves |
3. Consumer concern: PRICE HIKE. Have you seen the price of green onions lately?!
4. With 7-Down, blight victims: ELM and TREES
5. Overseas: ABROAD.
6. Talks with one's hands, maybe: SIGNS. Sign Language
7. See 4-Down: TREES.
8. Some badges: IDS. IDentification badgeS
9. Heathcliff creator: BRONTE. Heathcliff is a fictional character in Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. At first I could only think of the cartoon cat ... very embarrassing.
 |
| creator: George Gately (1973) |
10. Summer camp project: LANYARD. Hand up for making these while at 4-H camp.
 |
| basic lanyard |
11. "__ Melancholy": ODE ON.
Wiki: "Ode on Melancholy" is one of five odes composed by English poet John Keats in the spring of 1819, along with "Ode on a Grecian Urn", "Ode to a Nightingale", "Ode on Indolence", and "Ode to Psyche".
12. Oracle Park player: GIANT. San Francisco Giants. Years ago, I used to go with my family to see the Giants play at Candlestick. One time there was a small commotion when a group of men in suits sat down in the seats just below us. My dad explained to me that they were moving then SF mayor George Moscone to our section (cheap seats) because people kept coming up to him in his regular seat and he could not enjoy the game. Later that year my dad told me that someone shot Mayor Moscone.
13. Lone: SOLE.
18. Incalculable: UNTOLD.
12. Oracle Park player: GIANT. San Francisco Giants. Years ago, I used to go with my family to see the Giants play at Candlestick. One time there was a small commotion when a group of men in suits sat down in the seats just below us. My dad explained to me that they were moving then SF mayor George Moscone to our section (cheap seats) because people kept coming up to him in his regular seat and he could not enjoy the game. Later that year my dad told me that someone shot Mayor Moscone.
13. Lone: SOLE.
18. Incalculable: UNTOLD.
"Untold millions are still untold." John Wesley
22. Off-mic comment: ASIDE. The LA city councilmembers can probably explain this to you better than I can.
24. Scand. land: NOR. Scandinavia is abbreviated -- so is NORway.
25. "Not interested": I PASS.
28. Sock part: TOE.
29. Method: WAY.
22. Off-mic comment: ASIDE. The LA city councilmembers can probably explain this to you better than I can.
24. Scand. land: NOR. Scandinavia is abbreviated -- so is NORway.
25. "Not interested": I PASS.
28. Sock part: TOE.
29. Method: WAY.
 |
| for The Mandalorian fans |
Side note: If you are not familiar with The Mandalorian, it is a series in the Star Wars universe, available on Disney+. IMHO, it has made its way into CW puzzles because it is where we first meet Baby Yoda (actually a baby of Yoda's species), a character recognized on every continent and generally considered super-cute by people of all ages.
 |
| Grogu in The Mandalorian |
30. Copies, briefly: DUPES. "Briefly" is a hint that the answer will be shortened. DUPlicatES.
31. CPR expert: EMT. Emergency Medical Technician
33. Dazzles: IMPRESSES.
34. "Tamerlane" poet: POE. I suspect the English majors among us are enjoying today's puzzle.
35. Break a commandment: SIN.
38. Ballet shoe application: ROSIN. We've seen this with baseball pitchers and fiddle players. I wonder who else uses it.
39. South Seas island: TAHITI.
42. Part: SEGMENT.
45. Heughan of "Outlander": SAM. I read that Sam says he is passionate about Scotland, whisky, and fitness ... and newbie crossword bloggers who like to ride bicycles.
 |
| Sam Heughan |
47. Loves to pieces: ADORES. See 45D.
48. Without panicking: CALMLY.
49. Foamy pick-me-up: LATTE.
50. Taron's "Rocketman" role: ELTON. Sir ELTON John.
48. Without panicking: CALMLY.
49. Foamy pick-me-up: LATTE.
50. Taron's "Rocketman" role: ELTON. Sir ELTON John.
I saw this movie (Amazon Prime) but still did not recognize "Taron". "Rocketman" was a big help!
51. Twill fabric: CHINO. CHINO pants are made of CHINO fabric.
52. Has a long shelf life: LASTS. Here are 22 healthy foods that do not spoil easily.
53. Part of a boxer's "tale of the tape": REACH.
51. Twill fabric: CHINO. CHINO pants are made of CHINO fabric.
52. Has a long shelf life: LASTS. Here are 22 healthy foods that do not spoil easily.
53. Part of a boxer's "tale of the tape": REACH.
"REACH refers to the total length of a fighter's arms from one fingertip to the other. Think of it like a boxer's wingspan. This is not to be confused with arm length, which only measures from shoulder to fist in one arm."
I thought it was the latter. Learning moment.
54. Rise above it all: SOAR. My favorite Disney ride is SOARin' Over California.
54. Rise above it all: SOAR. My favorite Disney ride is SOARin' Over California.
 |
| It makes you feel like you are hang gliding. |
57. "What __ Can I Do?": "Encanto" song: ELSE.
59. Racket: DIN. Noise.
60. Spot for a mud bath: SPA.
Here's the grid:
That's all for today. I look forward to reading your thoughts.
Thank you, C.C. for your encouragement & guidance!
Notes from C.C.:
I'm very happy to tell you that Sumdaze (Renee) has joined our blogging team. She'll blog once a month to start with. Can you believe this is only her first blog post? She's just incredible!
61 comments:
Welcome, Sumdaze! I agree with CC that you did a great job on your first “moderator “ post! And like you, I had the cartoon cat in my mind for “Heathcliffe.” The very first clue stumped me at first, as I’ve always thought “three sheets to the wind” as just an expression meaning “plastered.” But I’m sure Jinx, and other “salts” can set me straight about that. As to the rest of the puzzle. I got the gimmick in my head early, and that helped me solve the puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Managed to put this one to bed under 10, which is about par for a Friday. Noticed the missing AL, and even read the full reveal clue, which is not par, ever. Got OARED, but what an ugly word it is. (Shades of Jack Hawkins, "Ramming speed!") Don't feel bad, Sumdaze, this old swabbie also thought the "sheets" were the sails. Of course, this old swabbie did all he could to avoid going to sea. (Many people don't know that "Quay" is pronounced Kee. Our old rust bucket parked at the North Island Quay Wall in San Diego.)
Wendy, thanx for the outing. Auspicious debut, Sumdaze; you're a natural. Welcome to the roster. I'm sure your efforts will be appreciated.
sumdaze: Looks to me that this is "not your first trip to the dance". Big shoes to fill!! Great job.
Hi Y'all! Thanks for the challenge, Wendy! Welcome & thanks for a fun expo, Sumdaze!
Got the theme early which helped. Lots of unknowns as clued including ROPES.
Never eaten either of those two DIPS.
Had a DRUM SET in my Victorian parlor for 6 years until my drummer boy graduated HS and sold it. Kept the PRIM-ness out of that room.
SALMON: visited Ballard LOCKS on a bus tour. Fascinating.
Thought ODEON was one word. Learning moment that the poet wrote other ODES besides the one on the Urn.
FIR, no problems, got the theme early and breezed through.
Welcome Renee. I was thinking NO AL as soon as PRIM URGES was filled. As for LEG DISCLAIMER, it can't hurt because the new 'knee' has no feeling. Mine's been in place 13 years and I feel nothing.
ODE ON, SAM, & ELTON-unknowns filled by perps today in Wendy's puzzle. No problems to FIR.
d-otto- OARED is a crossword word, just like IRE
PK- my drummer boy donated his Ludwig set with Zildjian cymbals to a church that plays guitars to accompany the choir, organ and piano.
RADIO- SiriusXM comes standard in new cars, free for a couple of months. Then they want you to pay $20/month after that. Drop it for a couple of months and you get an offer for $5.00/month.
PRICE HIKE - most of us remember the 'stagflation' of the 70s & 80s. But there is only ONE cause of inflationary price hikes. Deficit spending by governments printing borrowed money. Pulling money out of thin air never works; it doesn't grow on trees either.
Took 6:39 for me to complete this, if that information isn't too person__.
Seemed easy for a Friday, despite not knowing that somehow a sheet is, apparently, a rope. And, I didn't consider an aside to be off-mic.
Fortunately, no circles.
Good puzzle (even if more of a Wednesday level), and a great debut review.
Good morning. Thank you, Wendy, and congratulations on your first solo LA Times ! Clever and enjoyable. A fun solve !
Thank you, sumdaze, and congratulations on your wonderful debut review !
Hand up for assuming "three sheets" was derived from the sails.
Hand up for having mispronounced "quay" - in my mind's voice - every time I've ever read it. I thought it was an Australian Cay.
These days, one can just type pronounce (word) in the Google search bar to find pronunciations. Try it. Key in "Pronounce Cay". You might be surprised at its pronunciation. At least one of them.
Hot-mic seems to be commonly interchanged with off-mic, but in my mind, they are different. Just as an aside is not an off-mic comment.
I am not familiar with "The Mandalorian" but have seen it referenced in crosswords before.
According to this article...
“Quay” was originally pronounced KEE, and that’s still the preferred pronunciation (it was once spelled “key”). Some dictionaries give only that pronunciation, though in American English two variant pronunciations are recognized as standard : KAY and KWAY.
Another Friday FIR! Thanks, Wendy, for a manageable puzzle. After I saw what was happening with the theme today with DENT ASSISTANT, the others went well. My slowdowns were caused by putting lord/EARL, Section/SEGMENT, and more/ELSE. Anyone else? Perps clearing these areas sped me along.
You did very well for your blogging debut, sumdaze! Interesting and fun. Thanks for explaining ROPE. I didn't know that meaning of sheets though the fill fit perfectly. I looked at ODEON and thought it must be parsed to ODE ON, making more sense as a title I was unfamiliar with. And so it went until the grid was full.
Yet another smile today on your comic__ take on the themes, Anonymous DNLC! I enjoy your comments.
TGIF everyone!
Welcome to blogging, Sumdaze. Great debut.
Easy and quick for a Friday, more like a Wednesday.
Great start with three cute clues, rope, bird, radio.
I thought of SAIL for three sheets to the wind, but then I remembered the Royal Navy novels I have read. They sheeted the sails in storms, so it can't be sail. That led me to recall ropes.
DISMISSAL is not the end of a teacher's day. I had some students stay after school so I could tutor them one on one, gratis. Then, paper correcting, lesson plans, bulletin boards, making charts and other teaching aids, parent calls and emails, and curriculum and other committees and meetings. Sunday evenings and a week or two in the summer were also involved.
Only SAM needed ESP.
Asides can be remarks by an actor intended only for the audience. At meetings we whisper asides to the person sitting next to us or we write very short notes. Some asides are picked up unintentionally by the mic.
A Quick FIR for a Friday. Plus a parse-able theme based on the pun DISMISS(A) L but... Nope.. I won't touch ABROAD, no puns (wait, I just made one...sorry 🤭)..
I always thought those 3 "sheets" were ship's sails. Just LIU refers to windmill sails. ... ROPE?? "This expression is used to describe someone who is drunk to the point of being unable to stand up straight. The ‘sheets’ here refer to the sails of a windmill rather than bed linen".
Boxer's REACH is a new one for me. Figured full of "zip" like energetic, enthusiastic, verve, but NONE was correct..😁
...Emily Brontë was a caroonist? (Oh THAT Heathcliff). "MUD bath spot" 3 letters..almost put STY 🐷
Inkovers: slip/PIER,
Freeway with no charge....UNTOLD
At Starbucks a coffee can cost a ____ LATTE
Eventual fate of the Aral .... NOSY
Fools you with fake recordings....DUPES
TGIF 🙄
Great Job SUMDAZE...keep up the good work
(🎼" Don't Walk Away Renée"🎵) 😃
Google, three sheets to the wind. LIU "Derived from sailing ships. The 'sheet' in the phrase uses the nautical meaning of a rope that controls the trim of sail. If a sheet is loose, the sail flaps and doesn't provide control for the ship. Having several sheets loose ("to the wind") could cause the ship to rock about drunkenly."
Sirius unwittingly divides music eras by decade when in actuality the eras are 54-63,64-73 etc
Even I needed a few perps for O'Neal
Don't feel bad, sumdaze, I thought of cartoon Heathcliff too. I realized it was Bronte after a few perps
Was it Raven that led to POE link yesterday?
I saw Taron as UNK Pop-cul and never noticed Rocketman in which case I wouldn't need 5 perps for ELTON
Atl, I inked SEction and had to messily dig my way out in SW
WC
Good Morning:
I enjoyed the solve but thought the theme, cluing, and fill were more Wednesday-ish in terms of difficulty. I did appreciate the low three letter word count and the moderate use of proper nouns. My only unknown was Sam who, coincidentally, had crossed my path the day before in an entertainment news article. I recognized Heughan but forgot his first name. No w/os because of the straightforward fill.
Thanks, Wendy, for a fun solve and congratulations on your debut and thanks, sumdaze, for joining the ranks of talented Corner bloggers with such an auspicious debut. You’re a natural and I look forward to your future reviews. Congrats and Brava!
Is anyone else enjoying the new series, Alaska Daily, as much as I am? Also, has anyone seen The Watcher on Netflix? I’m interested in other’s opinion.
Have a great day.
Agree that this was a bit easier than most Friday’s as it only took me 11:37 for the FIR. Had to change whirl to TWIRL (I think we had the same clue recently and the answer was whirl), and sail to ROPE, (sheet just does not denote rope to me). SAM was about the only unknown, but perped. Thanks Wendy for the nicely put together puzzle!
d-o ~ I agree about OARED, I’ve never oared a boat but I have rowed a lot.
Sumdaze ~~ a very fine start to your blogging career, as someone else said, you are pretty much a natural! REACH was a learning moment for me also, always thought it was just the length of one arm from shoulder to fist. SOARIN’ is a really great ride, been on it at Disney World, but I think it’s not the same as the California one, more around the world. Not surprising that the X Games don’t do drug tests as they would probably not have many competitors, as I think the majority probably smoke a lot of weed...lol
Dnk a sheet was a rope. Pretty easy Fri. Couple of names threw me but filled with no problems.
ATLGranny, I'm glad you're amused by my silliness.
Ms. Irish Miss, I am enjoying Alaska Daily (but I'm not sure if it's as much, less than, or the same as you).
Seems like several other commenters had good, quick solve times today. Nice job.
Soarin was one of my favorite Disney rides too.
-The guy who doesn't like circles in his crossword puzzles
IM
I stayed up way too late last night inorder to finish the last 2 episodes of "The Watcher" . A 2 day binge... Liked the feature that everytime you think you know who the watcher is...you're wrong. Definitely enjoyed it.
Never heard of SOARIN' at Disneyland (never been to Disney World). The last time I was at Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted House were the trendy, new E-Ticket thingies.
Seemed more like a Wednesday level CW, which I’m grateful for. FIR in ~15. With all the sailing I’ve done, I should know the sheet is the rope that controls the sail, yet still wanted to fill SAIL for 1A. W/Os GATLEY:BRONTË, ODETO:ODEON, ELEMENT:SEGMENT. Like others I was thinking of the cartoon cat, so filled GATLEY, spelling his name wrong, too yet. I never have liked the word “OARER”. The oar is the blade; the person who wields it is the rower. Anyway, a fun, clever CW, thanx WLB. And an outstanding write-up, Sumdaze. Is this REALLY your first crossword write-up? I think you’ve been secretly practicing, because this is a really terrific job. Thanx.
Welcome Sumdaze, and thank you for a very informative write up. Well done!
Wees, ditto, sheets were ropes?
All these years I imagined the listing yacht, but the drunken wobble of a sailboat with loose sails is much more apt.
I'm afraid no one can explain to me bishopric=see?
(I looked, researched, and became more confused than ever...)
From yesterday,
Thank you TTP for fixing Boomers cake. It was huge on my iPad, so I forgot to check the pixel size.
Also, some day you will have to tell me how you rotated it. It was the only one I could find that had "Boomer" written in icing.
( I personally think to have a name "printed" over the cake instead of written in icing to be cheating...)
So options were limited.
Waseely!
I hope you took my silliness yesterday about the links in the manner I intended. Since posting links is pretty much all I do, (hence, one possible meaning of CrossEyedDave,) I was trying to be the kettle calling the pot black. (Hmm, I hope that, also does not get misinterpreted.)
However, as far as the cakes I post, I can assure you they are stolen, from the internet, plagiarized, the true owners never mentioned. "And," I don't even like cakes or sweets, and my favorite dessert would have to be Key Lime Pie! I think it all started as a silly joke for which I have never been able to find a satisfactory link. It was Rodney Dangerfield lamenting that his parents didn't love him, and even for his birthday, he only ever got "a picture" of a cake...
In my defense,
Any and all of these cakes and links can easily be source verified by a simple Google search...
And after all these years, I prefer to think of myself, as The Ed Sullivan of the Blog, (not imp, as Irish Miss would say, but I do agree, I am one.)
Yes, the Ed Sullivan of the Blog, searching the internet, to bring you the best silliness, and information out there. And when it comes to cakes, (as much as I hate French in crosswords) "A really big Choux..."
Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, Wendy and sumdaze (congrats on your first BLOG).
I FIRed in good time for a Friday, and got the missing AL theme.
We had DIS in the third themer “ DISCLAIMER” and in the reveal “.DISMISSAL” which diverted me at first.
Was ONEAL an Easter Egg? Dismiss the AL and get ONE (above ANYONE).
Did BRONTE have 17A?
Several inkblots in the North centrAL.
Hand up for wanting Sail at 1A.
I entered Dutch ELM, but plural was needed. Perps revealed reversAL to ELM TREES.
Mimes changed to SIGNS.
Resin turned to ROSIN further south.
We could find a mini- religious theme with SIN, ATONES and SEE, plus sumdaze quote re UNTOLD, but no religion here.
Wishing you all a great day.
Hmm,
Aw nuts, my link went awry...
second attempt...
CED, here's what Merriam-Webster says:
see noun
Definition of see
1a : a seat of a bishop's office, power, or authority
b : a cathedral town
c archaic : cathedra
2 : the authority or jurisdiction of a bishop
I, too, thought bishopric might have been a description of the bishop.
Nice Friday puzzle!! Thanks Wendy! Didn't get the theme until I read the Blog. Suspected it when I got 23A. (After I changed DING to DENT.) Thanks, Sumdaze for a great write-up! And for the explanation of 1A. I, too, thought the sheet was the sail but that didn't work with any of the downs. And my first thought for galley had something to do with kitchen or cooking. Also went for PUNCH before changing to REACH (53D) Was just working with the "CH"
Timely clue for 15A with Elon Musk in the news yesterday and today but liked the fill instead.
How many ways to spell ONEAL? And why is it usually the other one? Funny about the perp 11D. I put in ODEON and didn't go back to check it. I thought it was the Greek theater!!! LOL!
Hi Dave, I "fixed" the cake yesterday using a Windows computer, but you should be able to do the same using your Apple product, but with whatever different terms they use for the tools. It's pretty easy:
1) "Snip" the image
2) Paste the image into Paint
3) Use the Paint rotate function to orient it properly
4) Enlarge or decrease the image size as desired, using Paint
5) Snip the image again
6) Save the image to your computer
At this point, I used Google Photos, uploaded the image from my computer, used the Google Photos Share button to create and copy the link, and then inserted the link red into the standard code for creating a URL link. Have fun !
Thank you Wendy for a fun Friday FIR. I see that your appearances here go all the way back to October 4th 2018, blogged by Steve. Let's hope this is not your FIN puzzle with the LAT.
Impressive debut Renee. No one would ever guess this is your first rodeo. You ride like a pro.
Some favs:
1A ROPE. Like others I DNK it was not the sails, but the ROPE that is the "sheet". Does the trick "short sheeting" derive from this? I finally got it on perps and it was one of my last fills, keeping the NW unfinished for awhile and obscuring the theme.
9A BLOGS. Meta-fill for today only?
16A RADIO. Our new car came with a freebie SIRIUS subscription, but I didn't bother activiating it as the only station ever I listen to is 91.5 FM, heard all over the world on WBJC.COM. BTW they just finished another successful fund raiser and you can still contribute via the preceding link (full disclosure - they don't pay me cent to advertize, but after 50 years of listening, it's a tough habit to break).
26A ANORAK. Could also be a Brit "geek".
22D ASIDE. IMHO "Off-mic comment" is actually the opposite of an ASIDE, which is usually meant for the audience of play, rather than the players.
45D SAM. Do I sense a little chemistry here sumdaze?
29D WAY. Or Lao Tzu's Tao, or "Followers of the Way", the term for Christians before they were called Christians.
FLN
60A ODIN The stars of TV series "The Gods of Wheat Street" were NOT Maoris, but rather Australian aborigines. The Maoris migrated from East Polynesia to New Zealand in the 14th Century, whereas Australian aborigines migrated to Australia from Asia many thousands of years before.
Cheers,
Bill
Yes, Bill, (and Irish Miss), this is Wendy's first SOLO crossword at the LA Times, not her first crossword here. She had a couple othjers in collaboration.
Anonymous (SS) @ 10:07 ~ To clarify, I’m enjoying AD very much. The best new series in a while, IMO, at least so far.
Ray O @ 10:24 ~ I, too, binged on The Watcher. I thought the acting was top notch and the suspense palpable. However, I was put off by the barrage of coarse language. Ordinary, civilized people do not communicate the way these characters did and the gratuitous repetition in scene after scene became tiresome. I was also disappointed in the ending which was totally unexpected. I think my favorite character was Big Mo, thanks to the underrated Margo Martindale’s portrayal.
Hola!
Congratulations, Sumdaze, on your debut BLOG. Very nice job. I look forward to your future ones.
This puzzle was very straightforward for a Friday. I enjoyed solving it.
While visiting in Seattle I recall watching those SALMON. Nature and its instincts fascinate me.
A bishop's SEE is quite familiar to me and I have lived in several different ones but have met only two bishops. Actually, three, but one, FR. John Quinn was not yet a bishop.
Today is my physical so I have to make this quick.
Have a fantastic Friday, everyone!
TTP @ 11:38 ~ Thanks for the correction. 🤗
Nice job Renee. I especially liked the part about the crossword blogging bicycle rider. LOL
R.I.P., Jerry Lee Lewis.
Nice and fun CW this morning. Sumdaze provided lots of good info. I too has sheet for ROPE. Learning moment, the kind I have every time I read this blog. What a great community of learned and witty people.
Thanks TTP,
(& Desper-Otto:)
I should have remembered, but completely forgot...
Way back when, I would post on our flight sim Blog, where we would show each other videos of our aerial conquests.
Many of these would involve single photos, especially recon photos of bombing targets. Unfortunately the flight sim program could only record photos in BMP format, and we would use "paint" to resize and convert them to JPG format. Another use of this was to create nose art for our planes that was small enough in data that they would not slow down the frame rate of the simulation.
(1 hour later...)
Sorry, the above completely sent me down the YouTube rabbithole!
I was looking for a way to screenshot videos (which is possible!) to show you my planes nose art.
What I should have been doing is looking for a way to celebrate todays puzzle...
While it was a bit dismissive of Al, I prefer to celebrate "AL."
Fun Friday puzzle, Wendy, many thanks. And thanks too for a delightful commentary, Renee.
I always love it when I see critters in a puzzle. So it was great to meet the SALMON, the OTTER, the BIRD, and the SOLE. Most of them are found out in the country with its ELM and OAK TREES. But besides the SOLE there are probably other fish to encounter if you OARED around the lake, and DIP your feet into it, like a SPA.
Also a pleasure to find some references to Poetry and Literature. Nice to find clues to Emily BRONTE's Heathcliff, and to John Keats's "ODE TO Melancholy," and Edgar Allan POE's "Tamerlane." I've never actually heard any of these poems recited, so I suppose they are UNTOLD for me. I'd better spend a bit more time reading poetry after my Spring class on James Joyce's poetry is over.
Have a good weekend coming up, everybody.
Irish Miss, forgot to say that I'm also really enjoying watching the new series "Alaska Daily" on TV. I taped the episode which came on at 10 pm last night, and look forward to watching it tonight.
Maybe I should have written SOLO in caps in my 8:14 comments ? :-)
I heard earlier this week that Jerry Lee Lewis had died. Then I heard that the reports of his demise were not true. Then today, they reported again that he had died. The news anchor said he was 87, and the caption at the bottom of the screen said he was 97. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire !
Saw him perform a couple of times, SOLO and with his cousin Mickey at Gilley's in Pasadena.
Dave, you are welcome. Glad you are familiar with Paint. I was just trying to help out yesterday.
Time to get outside and enjoy a little of this great autumn weather.
Oil companies and the Saudies making big bucks thru price gauging.
Cute theme, super write-up -- thank you Sumdaze and Wendy!
Greetings & Welcome, Sumdaze!
And thanks for introducing this Brandes PZL--a treat for Thursday.
I enjoyed the theme. I thought the first answer, at 17A, PRIM URGES, was simply clumsy. But I hadn't checked for the theme yet. After catching on, I thought all the theme fills were a real hoot.
I shoulda known! I tried SAIL first. But I shoulda remembered that a nautical sheet is a ROPE. My Boy Scout troop learned that when we were studying knots, for goodness sake.
The "sheet bend" is a knot we learned, used by sailors to join ROPEs of different girths.
Thanks for the timely illustrations on knee replacement surgery. My wife just had her right knee replaced and is leaving for her physical therapy session even as I type this!
~ OMK
______________
DR: Three diagonals on the far side, none at hand.
The central diag coughs up an amusing anagram (14 of 15 letters), referring to a situation in which even the best intelligence-gathering operation may fail in its mission(s) because of inept synchronization.
When clumsy codification is caused by hesitation and a lack of audacity on the part of the central coordinator, the entire mission may be written off.
And all because of a...
"TIMID SPYMASTER"!
That should have been haD. And I proofread. The eye can be deceiving. I need cataract surgery, that’s my excuse for now.
BLOGging was a lot of fun!
Thank you, everyone, for your kind words! I'm so happy you liked my write-up! I've been nervous about today ever since C.C. contacted me. I know that you are all accustomed to reading high quality work. I still have a lot to learn. Hopefully you'll see improvements over time.
Ray-O @ 8:59. Yep, "slip" is another good 4-letter docking spot.
Waseeley @ 11:32. I would happily volunteer to be Sam's lab partner in Chemistry class.
OMK @ 2:42. I wish your wife a speedy recovery.
Ray O, when you have a minute, check your emails.
BTW, CED, you are an Imp, but you’re our Imp and we 💚 love you!
Misty, happy to hear AD has another fan!
Speaking of happy, I was invited to my sister Peggy’s tonight for homemade pizza. 🍕Yummers, as Hahtoolah would say!
FIR, but erased nada for NONE and wait for HALT.
If I go to a party and they only have hommus and baba DIP, I just remembered that I had an emergency meeting with the boss in his office.
We not only got a PRICE HIKE, but the center threw the ball over the punter's head.
I started working on the puzzle about 5:30 this morning, but Zoe decided we really needed to go for her walk and feeding immediately. Hooked up her leash, opened the door, and when I did that all the lights went out in the house. My first thought was that opening the door was the final straw for some wire somewhere, but then I looked outside and there weren't any lights across the street either. I set up the laptop to give DW a little light, and took the dog on a short stroll. When I got back home there was no light, and DW was in the bathroom yelling for help. She had managed to unplug the laptop's charging cord, and it shuts off the idle screen when not plugged in. Got her up and out to her comfy chair, then retrieved a couple of battery-operated reading lights and we worked our respective morning puzzles. We were still dark at 7:00, so I took her to breakfast. We came home to a still-dark house, and at about 9:00 we decided to go refill the motor home to get it ready for our winter trip. $340 worth of diesel and $65 of propane later, we're all set. Went to our favorite local Italian place for lunch, then got home to an electrified home at about 1:30.
DO - You are right. Quay, Key and Cay are homophones and synonyms.
Yup, knew that "sheets" were lines attached for the purpose of trimming the sails. They are attached either to the corner of the sail (jibs and spinnakers,) or somewhere on a solid piece of wood or metal at the foot (bottom edge) of a main or mizzen sail. "Rope" actually refers to a metal line, but is commonly (mis)used to mean any line on a boat. In the old days when sailing terms were evolving, the sails were called "yards" and the lines that are used to hoist them were called "haul yards," which was shortened to "halyards". So sheets are lines used to control the angle between the wind and the leading edge of a sail, whereas halyards are lines used to raise and lower sails.
Thanks to Wendy for the fun, easy-for-Friday puzzle. My favorite was "lets" for RENTS. And thanks to Sumdaze for joining the crackerjack staff of Corner, Inc. You are off to a great start!
CED @11:10 AM Not to worry Dave. I don't take anything you say seriously. You actually did me a favor be giving me an opportunity to rationalize my "philosophy" of blogging. I can't count the sleepless nights I've spent lying awake wondering if my reviews (like this comment) are too verbose. Not wanting to call attention to that is one of the reasons I always use the initials WAS instead of BS.
Fun puzzle and theme - congrats Wendy on your solo debut!
I remember when I was growing up we had huge 40+ year old elm trees lining both sides of my street and every one of those had to be taken down due to Dutch Elm - we were so sad
I was visiting back to my hometown a few years ago and it was sweet to see those scraggly replacements are now just as big as the originals were
Thanks Renee on your blog post debut!
IM - I haven't seen the Alaska show but my sister really likes it so I am recording it - I have always liked Hilary Swank as an actress
sumdaze @3:14 PM ROTFL!
Hi All!
Nice puzzle, Wendy. Theme was fun and fairly straight forward after I got the reveal (early). Congrats on the SOLO LAT debut.
Congrats on the 1st expo, sumdaz. I see why C.C. chose you to Step in.
//BTW, you're embarrassed? My 1st thought at 9d was Jane Eyre. Good thing I didn't know Gately like UncleFred, 'cuz the cat was my 2nd thought (and it fits the squares. :-) )
WO: SOLo
ESPs: SAM, SEE (as clued),
Fav: Musk wasn't tweeting; it was the BIRD. //now he can kick me off if I give him one :-)
Learning: (The) ROPES. Fortunately, I couldn't get sail to perp.
The theme put Paul Simon in my head all day. CED beat me but what about You Can Call Me Al w/ Chevy Chase [official video]
@8:03 - fun use of the theme... I smiled big. //You too, ATLGranny.
The way I thought about it... If a speaker covers the mic and turns away, it's an ASIDE to his/her aide (listenee). (What YR said).
C, Eh! I don't know if that was a serious question but BRONTE died in 1845 and radio was invented in 1895 (ILU)
D-O: I just heard about Jerry Lee Louis on NPR :-(
CED - LOL Rodney Dangerfield's joke; I missed that one.
Naptime before Astros' game tonight!
Cheers, -T
Nifty puzzle. I liked it.
Terrific write-up, sumdaze.
Nice Friday puzzle that I was able to finish without Red Letters or any other cheats.
Sumdaze, I really liked your Expo. It had a lot of depth and was very enjoyable. Look forward to your next one. Also, I think that gymnasts use ROSIN in addition to other sports.
IM: I just watched last night's Alaska Daily on the DVR. It's interesting and I will probably continue watching it. I haven't watched the Watcher yet, but I think I give it a try.
Hope you all had a great day today.
Musings
-An airport run from here to Omaha to Lincoln and back home, 18 holes of golf and a big backyard project!
-Do marching bands have TWIRLERS any more?
-DRUM SET – Our new grandson is a professional drummer and majoring in drums at Colorado State
-Granddaughter has a cat she named SALMON. She calls him SAM.
-What do OARS have to do with food prep. In a galley? Never mind…:-)
-That ROSIN can go on a violin bow, a ballet shoe or a baseball!
-Very impressive, Rennee!
Addendum
-Our new neighbor from Alabama just brought us ten packages of beef that have to be worth at least $200 and refused any money. He said he got it from one of his growers on their chicken farm. The grower has five chicken buildings that each have 40,000 birds that help supply the Costco plant south of town.
Google: "Why is a bishopric called a see? The word see comes from the Latin sedes, meaning 'seat' which refers to the episcopal chair occupied by a bishop AND the area over which he has responsibility."
AnonT- your comment re radio threw me for a minute, but I think I see what happened. It wasn’t a Sirius question (that was 16A). I was referring to the themer at 17A with the Victorian garb and sipping tea. PRIM URGES for BRONTE?
I know, bad joke!
C, Eh! Oh, haha. I thought you were commenting on the xing of BRONTE & RADIO and looked it up. I figured you knew better but I didn't ;-)
HG - Though it wouldn't have been my first thought, I've seen oars used in chili parlors for huge batches. Also, I've seen them at crawfish boils, but that's usually outside (not in a galley).
Anyone watching the game? Verlander is on fire through three.
Cheers, -T
I’m watching. All tied up now. This should be a good series!
Yay, Phillies won in a nail biter! 10 innings.
Phillies deserved to win coming back 5 runs on Verlander (who collapsed in the 4th). -T
What did Jerry Lee and Edgar Allen have in common?*
YR, great explanation. Now, why is a See called a bishopric?
I started watching WS but I couldn't pit Betsy through the agony. She'll watch college football, woman's volleyball and tennis but Baseball no. We who grew up with it don't think it's complicated but I guess it is
WC
*They both married their 13 year old cousins
Post a Comment