And welcome to the penultimate puzzle of 2022!
Hi Cornerites! The penultimate puzzle of 2022 was cleverly created by a crafty couple, Mark Valdez and Brooke Husic. This is not the first time these two have collaborated on a puzzle, and it shouldn't be their last. In keeping with the new Friday-styled puzzles, today's is another play-on-words that involves the "ADDition" of the word "UP", as is clued in the reveal: (71-across. Make sense, and a hint to the answers to the starred clues: ADD UP). So the added "UP" defines what each of the four theme entries has done in the form of a noun. Interesting to note, the addition of the word UP to the selected words (BREAK, MIX, SET, and MASH) could form a verb phrase and adjective, as well as a noun. In all but one case, the noun requires a hyphen; some may argue that SETUP does, too. So if I had just the tiniest of nits to pick, a theme with four hyphenated puns would've been perfect!
Note: I edited this review several times. I wish I had sent Yellowrocks - our resident grammarian - an email asking for her explanation. Nonetheless I'll try to give it my best shot! Let's explore, shall we?
20-across. *Separation after the vernal equinox?: SPRING BREAK-UP. I like the clues for all four of today's witty entries, starting with this one. Not sure if it was Mark or Brooke or both who came UP with this extremely clever idea, and the equally clever clues. Kudos! In the first of the four, "Spring" is defined as the time of the vernal equinox. And Spring goes just fine with the word "Break" (a period of time-off). SPRING BREAK has been the rite/ritual of many a college student over the years. And I'd venture a guess that many Spring Break trips result in a "Spring Break-UP"
31-across. *Nightmare for a wedding baker?: CAKE MIX-UP. Given the enormous number of weddings on any Saturday during the spring and summer, it's certainly possible that a bakery could have a "mix-up" with their deliveries, even if they used the same batter to mix up each cake. Decorations; tiers; cake toppers; who can keep them straight?? I really wanted to insert a cake-related image here, but I think it more appropriate that CrossEyedDave find one and use it in HIS comments. Dave, are you here today? Please help me out, buddy!
45-across. *Arrangement of extras for a zombie movie?: DEAD SETUP. So first, is it dead-set or dead set?
Dead set is often a phrasal adjective, but it usually follows what it modifies, so it doesn't need to be hyphenated. (as in "he was dead set against it") When it precedes what it modifies, however, dead-set is correct. The one-word deadset has not fully caught on as a replacement of the two-word form, but it is gaining ground, and may someday gain acceptance [according to grammarist dot com]. The same website discussed SETUP vs set up: Is it setup or set up? Set Up – What's the Difference? Setup is one word when it is a noun (e.g., “it was a setup!”) or an adjective (e.g., “follow the setup instructions”). It is two words—set up—when it functions as a verb (e.g., “I'm going to set up the computer”). No hyphen needed; the outlier today. And now you know!
58-across. *Halloween costume that's a sheet on the bottom and a witch's hat on top?: MONSTER MASH-UP. [dictionary dot com] MASH-UP is "a mixture or fusion of disparate elements." Clearly a halloween costume with a sheet for the bottom (ghost) with a witch's hat on the top is pretty disparate. And without sounding desperate, was this puzzle that hard or am I making more of the theme and entries than I should be? Well, that's why this blog comes with a "Comments" section!
I'm interested in seeing how you all interpreted today's puzzle. But before that, let's check out another song video that fits 58-across:
Across:
1. In the lead: FIRST. I placed the word "AHEAD" in this space, and quickly fell behind
6. Word files, informally: DOCS. Microsoft WORD has been around for a long, long time. When you save something you've created in Word, the file extension is .doc
10. Box set unit: DVD. A "boxer" set unit might be: "BVD"
13. The Gem State: IDAHO. I knew this one; when I placed it into the grid (below AHEAD), something looked weird
FUN FACT: Why is Idaho called the Gem State, you ask?
14. "By yesterday!" letters: ASAP. [spoiler alert] I got today's puzzle in an email from C.C. on the 19 December; solved it, and began writing my blog on the 20th. ASAP was my cue. Then the holidays became nigh; I only got through a few of the clues, and continued/finished writing the blog on Boxing Day ...
15. Ginger or daikon: ROOT. While I would always ROOT for Ginger, I thought Mary Ann was much hotter
17. "The Princess and the Frog" setting: BAYOU. My daughter's alma mater, LSU, is sometimes nicknamed the "BAYOU Bengals" even though their "official" sports nickname is the "Fighting Tigers". Experiencing a night game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge is quite an event
FUN FACT: The BAYOU Bengals nickname is now bestowed upon the Cincinnati Bengals NFL team as their starting QB and WR are both LSU grads (they played together in 2019 season when LSU won the National Championship)
18. "Carol" star Rooney: MARA. This person
19. "The Country Girls" novelist O'Brien: EDNA. This person
23. Moral wrong: SIN. Although I did not grow up Roman Catholic, I had plenty of friends who did. I came to learn that they have all different kinds of SINs. Some tried to group them all into a venial SIN so as not to lose their entire grace with God ... this image may depict otherwise:
24. Round number: ESTIMATE. So if I interpret this clue and answer correctly, 3-1/3 would NOT be an ESTIMATE?
25. "And now, without further __ ... ": ADO. I bring you the clue and answer to: "when did C-Moe have his first 2 oz. pour of brown-colored liquor as he was doing his recap?" NOW!! A little Green Spot Irish Whisky in the Glencairn
28. Take to court: SUE. It's a stretch, but "WOO" fits, doesn't it??!
30. "So?": AND.
35. Epic tales: SAGAS.
39. Streetcar: TRAM. The alternate title for the Tennessee Williams play featuring Blanche DeBois was "TRAM named Desire"
40. Thompson of "Passing": TESSA. This person
42. Draped attire: TOGA. I think I once took a pair of drapes from a curtain rod to form a TOGA ...
43. Zoom alternative: SKYPE. Four words of the 21st century that never made a crossword puzzle in the past century (at least clued as such) are: ZOOM, SKYPE, LYFT, and UBER. I'm sure there are several more ...
47. Light touch: TAP. I know someone who gets goose bumps when I give a light touch; they've never called it a "TAP"!
49. Draw: TIE. Oddly, these still exist in NFL games; only after the teams have played a ten minute overtime period
50. "This __ to stop": HAS. Not really; I'm still on the "across" clues; had this been in 50-down, it would make more sense, "Crossword Blog-wise"! ;^)
51. "Be careful!": STAY SAFE. One of my favorite uses of this clue is: "travel SAFEly"
56. Choose: OPT. I OPT for writing my blog recap in HTML
61. Strongly encourage: URGE. I URGE you to keep reading ...
62. Falsehoods: LIES. Which coincides with 1-down. (Tell 62-Across:) FIB.
63. Broadcasting: ON AIR. A sign to alert standers-by to keep quiet
66. Big do: GALA. AFRO also fits here
67. Kick back: LAZE. A favorite activity for this returee
68. Spanish royal: REINA. CSO to Lucina, our resident REINA!
69. Sweltering: HOT. Even though November and December were below average temperature-wise in AZ, we KNOW that in the summertime it will be sweltering HOT here
70. Showcase for a soprano: ARIA. Here are some you might enjoy:
Kinda sorta goes with: (57-down. Hitting all the right notes:) TUNED.
Down:
2. Civil rights pioneer __ B. Wells: IDA. This person
3. Sunbeams: RAYS. CARS would've been a cute distraction as the answer here. Anyone recall the Sunbeam automobile?
4. Selling points?: SHOPS. This clue was a bit odd, but I get it
5. Major component of Iceland's economy: TOURISM. Not on my bucket list, but it does look like an interesting place to visit. I'd bet that Picard has some photos to share
6. __ with faint praise: DAMN. [Merrium Webster dot com] says: "to give praise without enthusiasm in a way that shows one really dislikes someone or something"
7. Great Plains people who call themselves "Children of the Middle Waters": OSAGE. Learning moment
8. Pasta nutrients, for short: CARBS. [medlineplus dot com] says: "Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates (aka, CARBS) are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for your body's cells, tissues, and organs"
9. Peloponnesian city-state: SPARTA. [NationalGeographic dot org] says: "The Peloponnesian War was a war fought in ancient Greece between Athens and SPARTA—the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at the time (431 to 405 B.C.E.). This war shifted power from Athens to Sparta, making Sparta the most powerful city-state in the region
10. Info provided to a matchmaker, perhaps: DREAM DATE. Here are the Top 14 dating websites, according to [chicagoreader dot com]. I tried Zoosk for awhile but none of those I dated were interested in a long-term relationship. I did travel with one to Belize
11. Spirit of the cosmos?: VODKA. Cute play-on-words clue. Without the question mark, Spirit of the Cosmos would refer to this tarot deck:
But in the context of the clue and correct answer, it refers to the erstwhile most popular adult beverage (for females) known as the Cosmo. Made with VODKA. Click here for the full recipe
12. Pastry with a hole: DONUT. So, is it DONUT or DOUGHNUT? [grammerly dot com] says: "DONUT is an alternate spelling of doughnut. Some dictionaries point out that donut is rarely used outside the United States. All of them recognize doughnut as the main spelling, as do some of the more popular style guides. Doughnut might be the spelling you should use if you want to be sure you're not making a mistake
FUN FACT: According to [alexaanswers dot amazon dot com] "How many donuts are made in the US each year? 10 billion! That's a lot of holes!!
16. Cassette: TAPE. [according to npr dot org] This person invented the cassette TAPE
21. Alaskan people: INUIT. ALEUT fits; ESKIMO does not
22. Zehn minus neun: EINS. 10 minus nine (in German) = one (EINS)
25. Makes a move: ACTS. "GOES" is another four-letter word that fits here
26. __ chocolate: DARK. "MILK" is another four-letter word that fits here; I prefer DARK, and it was my first choice; guessing that some of you tried MILK first
27. "Sure": OKAY.
29. Crossed (out): EXED.
32. Focus of some special elections: EMPTY SEAT. Believe it or not, it's been 10 years since the focus of the 2012 Presidential Election was on a speech given in Tampa Florida; referencing a synonym for "SEAT"
33. Function: USE.
34. Pre-coll. exam: PSAT.
36. Ancient Teuton: GOTH.
37. __ fresca: Mexican drink: AGUA. Another CSO to Lucina?
38. Depletes: SAPS.
41. "¡Hasta maƱana!": ADIOS. A third CSO to Lucina?
44. Right direction?: EAST. As in the direction that is on the right side of a compass; EAST
46. "We Belong to Something Beautiful" cosmetics chain: SEPHORA. As I filled in the puzzle, the letters from the perps helped me solve this. I don't use cosmetics but I've heard of this chain
FUN FACT: SEPHORA (founded in 1969) is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, nail color, beauty tools, body lotions and haircare [Wikipedia dot com]
48. Saffron-flavored rice dish: PAELLA. Does anyone remember their first PAELLA? I do. It was at the Columbia Restaurant Ybor City, back in the mid 1990's. I guess this could be a CSO to Wilbur Charles (and Tinbeni), our Tampa resident(s) on this chat board blog. Please take a few moments to search their website as it has some interesting history. But if you're strapped for time, here is an image of the PAELLA from their menu:
51. Self-satisfied: SMUG. I've been called this before; not a trait I'm proud of, but if the shoe fits, wear it
52. Bat mitzvah scroll: TORAH. The counter-attack on Japan in WW II by some Jewish airmen was called: "TORAH, TORAH, TORAH" ... really, Moe?!
53. __-Saxon: ANGLO.
54. Man on a mission?: FRIAR. MORMON didn't fit
55. "The Death of Vivek Oji" author Akwaeke: EMEZI. Totally solved via perps. [Wikipedia dot com] says: "The Death of Vivek Oji is a 2020 fiction novel by Nigerian author Akwaeke EMEZI. It was published on 4 August 2020 by Riverhead books, it narrates the life of Vivek Oji until his death
59. Between ports: ASEA. Crossword-ese
60. Settled: PAID. As in settled a debt
64. Shiba __: dog breed: INU. I thought I knew most all breeds of dog. I don't, obviously, because this one is unfamiliar to me. It is similar to an AKITA
FUN FACT: The Akita dog protects its family. Because of its fighting dog background, it can be aggressive toward other dogs. The Shiba Inu, on the other hand, is often more tolerant of other dogs. And if you live in a smaller space or a shared environment — like in an apartment building — the Shiba Inu is better suited to adapt. This is what one looks like:
65. Megan Thee Stallion genre: RAP. This person:
Well, my timing was better tonight as my Green Spot Irish Whisky finished just as the blog did. I hope y'all had fun with the puzzle. Please add your thoughts and comments below. Here is the grid:, and see you next year!
41 comments:
This puzzle,IMHO, was an interesting combination of the relatively easy and the very difficult. The easy part was the themed fills; at least, they were relatively easy to get for me. The hard part was found, for the most part, in the SW section of the puzzle, where there were such things as the Natick of “reina” and “Inu.” But somehow, through P&P, I managed to persevere through it. FIR, so I’m happy (not to mention relieved!)
Good morning!
Things are looking UP. D-o successfully finished another late-week puzzle, and even got the theme. Even so, Wite-Out was required to change AHEAD to FIRST. (Have I ever mentioned....?) That N at the INU/REINA cross was my final fill. Had a good time on this penultimate day of 2022. Thanx, Mark, Brooke, and C-Moe. Nicely done to all three of you.
MARA -- I remember Rooney MARA from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Her sister Kate Mara is also an actress.
EMPTY SEAT -- There may soon be one on Long Island. No lie.
FLN: Tante Nique, I agree with you. Sometimes puzzles, or parts of puzzles, that I find relatively easy, other people find difficult. OTOH, sometimes puzzles, or parts of puzzles I find difficult, other people find easy (case in point, D-O above.) I guess you just never can tell!
I agree with SG: this CW was a mix of easy and difficult, more so than most CWs. Last section to fill was the NW. I knew it couldn’t be AHEAD because I had IDA and RAYS in there. Unfortunately I also has LIE for 1D, giving me LIRxx for 1A and EAYxx for 17A. Then SHOPS and TOURISM filled and I finally figured out it had to be FIB, not LIE. Anyway, a fun CW. I got the theme, which helped. REINU and INU, that “N” didn’t look right, but out of the dredges of my mind it seemed to be the right letter. So managed to FIR. Thanx MV&BH for the fun challenge. And thanx too to CMoe for the great write-up.
Yesterday’s solve was slower than most Fridays for me, but today I got it done in Monday/Tuesday time, my fastest Friday by far. My only real slowdown was starting with LIE at 1D and FIBS at 62A. EMEZI was totally unknown but luckily the crossings were fair.
FIR, despite having never heard of Mara or Emezi. Thank heavens for perps.
Mark and Brooke have a 'Wheel Of Fortune' Before & After puzzle with UP being the after for all four clues. Easy to spot and even easier to complete. But there were very few proper names, and that's good.
BAYOU-Chairman- until the television money came along and games started playing at every hour, LSU was one of the few teams that always played their home games on Saturday night. The biggest crowd ever in Tiger Stadium was GARTH BROOKS this past May.
VODKA for "Spirit of the cosmos?"- a great clue
EMPTY "SUIT" would have been a better reference but SEAT was the fill.
Sunbeam Alpine? My Junior HS Band director had one back in 1964-65. Reminded me of a Triumph TR4.
EDNA, TESSA, SEPHORA, INU, EMEZI- perps for those.
RAP- never heard of her until this week when another wannabe RAP person was convicted for SHOOTING HER. Gotta build up those street creds.
Finished this one in 6:10 with little pent-up frustration.
Like the others, I wasn't familiar with either inu or reina, but I guessed luckily with the "n."
Per usual, I didn't know today's female novelist (Edna) or today's female author (Emezi).
Not a great puzzle (the foreign words, the evil natick, etc.), but a good one.
Yippee, a Friday FIR today! FIRST out of the gate, I had a WO because like uncle fred I put "lie" instead of FIB for 1D. And like D-Otto and uncle fred I wondered about "ahead" but I didn't write it in. I was sure about IDA which helped straighten up that corner.
As subgenius said, people have such different takes on the puzzles! For me knowing some Spanish and German was a big help today, making REINA a certainty and helping solve that corner.
Mark and Brooke gave us a clever theme today. Thanks! And thanks, C Moe, for easing us through the review which you managed to write during the busy holidays! Like you, it took me a minute to see how SHOPS were selling points, too.
It's Friday so don't LAZE around. Have a great weekend!
At last...FIR; surprising cuz sooooo many unknowns. Wuz worried a nasty Natick would do me in.....Became obvious early on that the theme answers would end in UP, so a helpful given.
FIRST I had ahead
Inkovers: lie/FIB ,fishing/TOURISM (don't tourists fish in Iceland?)
Spirit of the cosmos/VODKA..finally hit me: DW's favorite cocktail. Great clue
DARK chocolate š« a definite addiction.
EAST is the "right direction" if you're facing north.
Civil War "Drappery Attire"
_____ Tessie O'Shea....TEUTON
Golden Arches gig....FRIAR
ADIOS to Nancy....ADO
Thoroughly informative commentary C Moe, thanks.
Welcoming the upcoming long quiet weekend. A colleague has been out all week with the generic flu. š¤§š¤
Good Morning! Relatively easy for a Friday with a few brick walls to be dealt with and a couple of WAGs with perps in all the right places.
C-Moe, your review - WOW! Loaded with info and fun facts! Thanks.
DNK EMEZI
WO: TOURing -> TOURist -> TOURISM as I worked my way down.
Bad info surfacing about DARK chocolate: containing dangerous levels of cadmium and lead. Boo-Hoo! It's my favorite, too.
Thanks Mark and Brooke for a fun CW puzzle.
Ther wasn't one person on this puzzle that I knew.
FIW, missing my WAG at REIgA x IgU. Erased tonal for TUNED and ahead for FIRST.
Yup, I remember the Sunbeam Alpine. The Tiger was a similar car with a V8. I had a buddy who was a mechanical wizard. He transplanted a Mazda rotary engine in to an Alpine, then completely reengineered the suspension system. I got to drive it occasionally, and it was an amazingly responsive sports car. The only weird thing I remember was was that it didn't have much power at low RPMs, but when that Wankel revved up it was a beast.
I've been told that Iceland is green, and Greenland is icy. Never been to either.
I remember Kodak film cassettes.
RAP and emo are autofill genres. Just gotta figure out which one is called for.
Just got 5 double-paned windows changed out in the coach. The guy was a real artisan. He left with all my lunch money for 2023.
Thanks to Mark and Brooke for the fun challenge. I really enjoyed it, even though I had that bad square. My favorite was "spirit of the cosmos" for VODKA, which I'm also very fond of. It's off my menu, unfortunately. And thanks to C-Moe for another fine review.
Didn't Maxwell Smart drive a Sunbeam Tiger?
There are some interesting mathematical concepts as well as grammatical nuances with the word "round". A round number in math is a number without a fractional part. So 3 1/3 is not a round number. But 3 1/3 can be an estimate if the actual value is not exactly 3 1/3, e.g. 3 4/9. Generally, estimates are values (a)round the actual value.
One place I was not sure of was the "E" on DREAM DATE. I almost went with "A" since DATA is info. All moot when DEAD SETUP appeared.
All in all a well ROUNDED puzzle.
RosEš¹
So it's the lead that's making me heavy and all this time I thought it was just the DARK chocolate making me fat. What a relief, though most of the lead seems to collect in my sitting parts.
š
Fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun Mark and Brooke, and CMoe.
I FIRed in good time and saw the UP theme.
No real problems except that N cross of REINA and INU. I WAGged the N over the G.
I did an alphabet run all the way to Z for LAZE
(which gave me the unknown EMEZI). Should I be memorizing that name?
Hand up for wanting Ahead before the appropriate for 1A FIRST.
Another hand up for liking the clue for VODKA.
DOCS above ASAP was cute, but real DOCS say STAT!
Canadian icon Tim Hortons sells Doughnuts not DONUTS. But of course, you have all listened to me long enough to add the U(and gh)! BTW, those holes become Timbits.
Wishing you all a great day.
Late start today.
Busy, busy, busy, it was 5 degrees last week, and today it is 50!
What does that mean?
It means I will be on a ladder trying not to fall off, taking down Xmas lights in prep for fleeing to Florida for the winter...
Damn crossing Mara was last to fall. Sort of a Natick for me, as I was not remembering "damn with faint praise."
Hmm, I wonder if some of our Anons could take this (Thumperish) approach to damning crosswords they don't like.
HEY ANONS! If you damn the xword with faint praise, I will post you a cake!
If I get time, I will try to be back with silly links for the themers. (Busy busy busy)
But in the meantime, for Chairman Moe, here is a nightmare of a cake mixup...
Oh dang it all!
Wrong link!
(Hmm, maybe I don't deserve the "drank less" cake after all...)
here we go!
Oy. I opened my Tim Hortons app to discover that they spell it DONUT! Traitors!
I was so SMUG when I filled in ahead instead of FIRST, thinking oh. boy, this is a sign this will be easy. What a MIX UP. Then I was DEAD SET on lies instead of FIBS. I finally found the BAYOU and I was OKAY. No bayous in Idaho, I would think.
After many more snafus and erasures, I FIR, but what a SAGA. It was all worth it however. I really liked the theme and the clever clues and fun and informative write up from C-Moe.
STAY SAFE everyone.
Musings
-A just right Friday puzzle, EMEZI notwithstanding. I always wonder if a constructor knows such names or is just tickled to find something using crossword tools. :-)
-ROOT – My UNCLE grew radishes that would bring tears to my eyes
-The mayor or Omaha is determined to build a trolley system in her town where city buses run mostly empty
-Yeah, Jinx, 80% of Greenland is covered in ice and only 11% of Iceland is
-Is there such a thing as “Praise with faint damnation”?
-Joann’s favorite store, Kohl’s, has given up a huge amount of its floorspace this year to SEPHORA
-Off to vacuum!
Hola!
Why, thank you, CMoe! Sometimes I feel like a REINA and other times I have felt like the servant. But my late DH always made me feel like the former. When we FIRST met he was my DREAM DATE.
Thanks to Mark and Brooke for a fascinating trip with no MIX UP for me.
I don't recall if I've ever had VODKA. Vino, yes, mucho. And AGUA every day, several glasses of it.
Rooney MARA is familiar to me only because of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I loved that whole series and was so sad to learn that the author had died.
I've never used SKYPE but one of my sisters regularly contacts her grandchildren that way. She is much smarter and tech savvy than I am.
Yum. PAELLA. When it's made well, it's delicioso!
Right now I have tamales in the Instant Pot for a Christmas party I'm going to later. It's our friends' gift exchange party. My gift is for a friend named Joy and I found a wine by that name though I have no idea what it tastes like. Thinking about it now I wish I had bought another bottle to sample it. Ah, hindsight. Maybe I'll go back and buy one.
ADIOS! Wishing you all a very fine day!
Gary, yes! I was surprised to see SEPHORA at Kohl's! The JCPenney store has had them in their store for years, too.
Yesterday a pimple developed right on my nose! That is something I haven't had since I was a teenager! I just hope makeup will cover it.
Ray-o-Sunshine š
CanadianEh, I did the same thing with the Z. First thought for kick back was along the lines of payola.
I had D_M_ for faint praise and forgot to fill in those 2 boxes. Ironically since I've used the phrase often.
I'm no longer in the greater Tampa area having moved north to greater Ocala area. But I've dined at the Columbia
FlieR fit for the Man in a mission, too
No! Teutons and GOTHS are separate people
Started with lie and wanted ahead but IDA and IDAHO straightened it out.
For me easiest Friday in awhile albeit forgetting to fill DAMN
It's(Cosmos) off my menu, unfortunately. Or fortunately
And, Dunking DONUTS has taken over America if nor the world but DONUTS are a small part of their business
WC
Started off with “ahead” and missed some of the names. INU and DAMN new to me. Shouldn’t have missed COSMO, my daughter gave us a bottle of “Skinny Girl white cranberry Cosmo” might open it to toast in 2023.
When our Kohl’s put in a big SEPHORA section, they rearranged the whole store, making it difficult to find anything. I prefer to shop on their app.
Woke up this morning to very thick fog, unusual for the desert. Another storm from CA is moving in to AZ this weekend.
Edward LA HERE: I solve with a felt tip penn.
I liked Mark and Brooke's puzzle and its clever themers. FAVs: Spirit of the cosmos? and Right direction?
I did not put "ahead" for 1D but I did put "FronT" because it worked with FIB. Took a bit to make my way to FIRST.
I knew IDAHO and its nickname because my birthstone is a garnet.
INU means "dog" in Japanese. ćć¬
I know Megan Thee Stallion because I saw her cameo on She-Hulk. The reason I watched She-Hulk is because it was part of one of the XWs I blogged and the trailer looked fun. Funny how that circled back!
My penultimate thought: C-Moe, I always enjoy your write-ups!
C-Eh! @ 10:36. LOL!
I've been to the Columbia in Ybor City a couple of times. Caught the flamenco dance show once. Saw the set of the cigar radio show, but they weren't on the air at the times I ate there.
Chairman Moe, our Friday leader, offers a XWD from the Valdez/Husic team.
Chewy but doable, with the notable exception of the nexus of 55D and 58A. I see that none of my colleagues knew EMEZI, even if they could work it from perps.
I flunked out with the "M" because I didn't see MONSTER MASHUP forming. I settled for DASH UP. (Don't ask....)
~ OMK
____________
DR: Three diagonals, on the near side.
The central diag presents an anagram (13 of 15) of a phrase that might be found when quoting pithy, witty lines from the 1953 movie, How to Marry a Millionaire.
The comedy stars three gorgeous famous ladies--Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Rita Hayworth--and they outdo each other with zingers.
None of the beauties believes a wealthy man can ever really be old.
One of Bacall's famous lines is her answer to the question, whether she ought to marry an older gent.
Her response is followed by today's phrase:
"Look at that old fella--what's his name?-- in The African Queen," the...
FOXY PINUP SAID!
Hi Y'all! Thanks, constructors. That's the faintest praise I can think of. Very nice expo, CMoe.
I was UP for solving this last night altho I almost gave UP when the top tier was mostly white. Then it got easier & I filled 'er. Yay! DNK: WEES. UPpity do dah!
Round number wasn't "zero". Looks round to me. That's my math level.
Thank you, Mark, Brooke, and Chairman Moe
Fun puzzle, and humorous theme clues.
Each of the starred clues only make sense when you ADD the word UP to the common phrases.
Busy day. I hope I don't have to go shopping again until at least next year :>) The stores were packed !
SubG, today's puzzle must have made you disoriented. You meant SE section. Been there, done that.
Chairman Moe, I had Shiba Inu in the very ahead puzzle I blogged here. Uh, er, um, I mean the very FIRST puzzle I blogged here. Tuesday, March 20, 2018 C.C. Burnikel. See 57A in the link.
Prior to that date, Argyle blogged every Monday and Tuesday. Boomer blogged the 19th, and then I blogged the 20th as Argyle was in the hospital. March 20th was also Spitzboov's 80th birthday, and he took a tongue-in-cheek exception to my calling the Shiba Inu a spitz breed of dog. He said the dog didn't resemble him.
You had a very appropriate Moe-Ku that meshed well with C.C.'s theme.
Back to the exciting Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl game between PITT and UCLA.
"-The mayor or Omaha is determined to build a trolley system in her town where city buses run mostly empty"
Gary, I equate it to the politicians who build stadiums and arenas under the premise" Build It And They Will Come". As a result there are many EMPTY stadiums and arenas, financed by taxpayers. And let's not forget all the pro sports teams who want a free venue, 100% of the proceeds of naming rights and concessions, and a yearly request for upgrades. Then they threaten to leave town if they don't get it.
The trolley's will remain empty, just like the buses.
Ok, sorry I'm late. (Like I said, busy)
Note: the cake mixup was pure serendipity...
I never intended to screw up the link...
Anywho,
Sorry I'm late posting a silly link for spring breakup...
I've heard of knocked up,
but, monster mash up?
Anywho, who,,
This puzzle themers left me with only one way to get out of linking a silly dead setup...
Hi All!
Missed it by "that much." //yes, Jinx - Agent 86 had Sunbeam Tiger (according to Google).
FIW @ REIsA - Spanish and a breed I don't know.
Thanks Mark & Brooke for a pun-Friday puzzle. Thanks C.Moe for a Marvelous UP-beat expo.
WOs: Otoes -> OSAGE, INUeT, EXEs
ESPs: MARA, EDNA, TESSA, EMEZI, and the FIW (minus WAG)
Fav: VODKA's clue is deviously brilliant
Happy / proud moments: I actually remembered both PAELLA and SEPHORA... Sure it took some perps for spelling but...
//I bought a paella pan last year - so far I've just used it as a handy tray for bread & dipping oils :-)
Hand-up for DARK: I have two bars of Lindt's DARK chocolate (one with orange, one w/ sea-salt) on my desk.
The only Rooney I know of is Andy [on sleep]
C. Moe - the link to cassette mentioned this documentary [Trailer]. Next time I get a free hour, I'll watch the whole thing.
Mel-O-Cream (DONUT shop in SPI (and best in America!)) sells Donut Holes.
C, Eh! - Funny, Timbits - and LOL @10:36a //FWIW, Tim Horton's coffee is way better than Starbucks'.
CED - that's a crazy Fantasy/SciFi mash-UP CAKE.
RosE - I too thought Payola and WKRP S1E14 came to mind. Mr. Carlson put cocaine in his socks 'cuz he was told it was foot-powder: "I got the monkey on my back!"
LOL "round numbers," PK.
Sumdaze - funny indeed and funny how much one learns when one has to teach (or explain), eh? I taught some night classes (HTML / Win95 / C++*) back when I worked for DoD. //I got off at 4p and, with DW in classes, had nothing better to do - it kept me off the streets ;-)
Cheers, -T
*I got roped into teaching C++; "You know C, so, um, please?" Ten bucks is ten bucks, eh?
//C & C++ share loop and semicolon syntax and that's about it ;-)
Chairman Moe Thanks for the ICELAND shout out. We have not yet been there, but plan to do so. A hiking friend has been there, but she is a bit ditzy about having access to her photos. I am looking forward to seeing their model of environmental and social sustainability.
Thanks for the learning moment about cassette TAPE. When I was a poor teen I used to record favorite songs off the radio onto cassette TAPE to listen to them later.
REINA is a gimme because our famed Monarch Butterfly is Mariposa REINA in Spanish. The name of a small village up the coast from us.
Here are my photos of the BAT MITZVAH of my bright and beautiful young cousin Sophie last year. The TORAH is in the last line of photos.
The event was a hybrid in-person and on-line. I had the sense to do a screen recording of the whole event, so I got the only photos! My aunt Sandy (grandmother of Sophie) is front left in the first photo with Sophie.
From Yesterday:
AnonT Thank you for sharing the beautiful PEN AND INK drawing done by your father. You might try to scan it to preserve it for posterity and share it.
I cannot remember who here recommended "Magpie Murders". I borrowed the DVDs from the library and just finished the last episode tonight. Riveting story! Thank you for the recommendation!
Picard:
I enjoyed the photos of your cousin's Bat Mitzvah. At what age does that take place? I assume 15 or 16. Is that right?
I had only heard of the boys' ceremony. Have girls always had theirs as well?
FIW! Not knowing any better, I had REIZA/IZU down in the southeast corner. I did, however, finish it, which is unusual for me for a Friday puzzle.
I DO wish ROONEY MARA and Daniel Craig had made movies of the other Steig Larsson “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” books. I really liked all three books AND the movie! She DOES have an interesting lineage.
Swedish movies of all three of the books are out there somewhere. I’m pretty sure they have English subtitles. I’ve seen the first one.
Yes, Lucina, Larsson’s passing (heart attack climbing a flight of stairs – age 50) was tragic, as was the legal mess involving his estate. Here’s more than any of you want to know about something that was only mentioned tangentially in today’s proceedings:
Stieg Larsson
MAKE SURE YOUR WILLS ARE UP TO DATE AND PROPERLY PREPARED!!!
Oh, thanks Mark and Brooke and Chairman Moe!
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