Themeless Saturday by Erica Hsiung Wojcik and Brooke Husic
On personal note, today marks the end of my 5th year of blogging Saturday puzzles on C.C.'s Crossword Corner. I have learned a lot and interacted with so many very smart and clever bloggers, commenters and constructors. 19. Starting from: SINCE 2017!
Now on we go to my 6th year and 261st Saturday write-up!
Across:
1. Ceremonial champagne opener: SABER.
6. Rich brown shade: MOCHA.
11. Brazen personal ad?: SHAMELESS PLUG - Many talk show guests are there to simply promote their latest project and work it into the conversation.
14. Gains star power: HITS THE BIG TIME - They credit appearing on Johnny Carson's Tonight show to HIT THE BIG TIME
15. Attacks, as a snow fort: PELTS.
16. First name in jumps: EVEL - In some of attempts, the jump was fine but the landing not so much.
17. Hub served by BART: SFO - This Bay Area Rapid Transit map shows you can take the red or yellow line out to The San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
18. Initial request for an answer?: RSVP.
19. "You're killing me, __!": SMALLS - I have this 1993 video of Sandlot but forgot this line. It is now slang for telling someone that they are disappointing you. The origin of the line
21. Something clasped for support: BRA.
23. Legal conclusion?: ESE -LEGALESE - Here they are essentially saying "today": In witness whereof, the parties hereunto have set their hands to these presents as a deed on the day month and year hereinbefore mentioned.
24. Knee-slappers: RIOTS.
25. Workshop device: CLAMP.
27. Mystery-shrouded novelist Elena: FERRANTE - Did anyone else think of the piano duet of Ferrante and Teicher?
29. Fancy affair: SOIREE - SOIR is French for night and so SOIREE is an elegant evening party
30. Restless desire: ITCH.
31. Symbol held aloft in an Emmy statuette: ATOM - One of our favorite people with his Emmy
32. Indigenous Arizona people: APACHE - I'd thought I'd throw in a 1960 classic named for this tribe in Eastern Arizona with great pictures too.
39. Number of World Series wins for each of Chicago's teams: THREE - Cubs 1907, 1908 & 2016. White Sox - 1906, 1917 & 2005
40. Draws (away): SHIES.
41. Continuity problem: GAP - Many students suffered a continuity GAP during the Covid pandemic
42. See 45-Down: MAT and 45. With 42-Across, surface for shavasana: YOGA.
43. Having sex, perhaps: RATED-R - The wonderful movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles would have been easily rated PG-13 but the rental car scene between Steve Martin and the delightful Edie McClurg used the "f-word" eighteen times and thus received an R rating.
45. City in the Sonoran Desert: YUMA - They bill themselves as the hottest city in America.
46. Chest bone: RIB.
48. "Phooey!": DRAT.
49. Entrance hall: FOYER.
50. "Calm down, sport": EASY THERE TIGER - Slow your roll...
53. Triumphant declaration: NOT TODAY SATAN - You're not getting me today, Satan.
54. Animals in Serta ads: SHEEP.
55. A couple: MATES.
Down:
1. Chutzpah: SASS - Don't use "chutzpah" unless. you know how to pronounce it
3. Colossus: BEHEMOTH - Two beasts from the book of Job
4. Give a lift: ELEVATE.
5. Defies authority: REBELS - Make sure it's worth it.
6. Food additive: MSG - The Monosoduim Glutamate myth
7. Picks: OPTS.
8. Snack with a rock climber on its wrapper: CLIF BAR.
9. "Just play along": HUMOR ME.
10. Number that's always positive: AGE.
11. Second place: SILVER.
12. Letters in a tab: HTTP - Where we are right now: HTTPs://crosswordcorner.blogspot.com/
13. Place for a plant: SILL.
14. Sculptor Eva who pioneered postminimalism in the 1960s: HESSE - All about Eva
 |
| One of her pieces |
15. Fave option: PREF.
20. Hustles out: SCOOTS.
22. King Kong or Kanzi: APE - Kanzi is a bonobo APE who is said to be the first ape to be able to recognize spoken language
24. "__ Outspoken: My Life in the News": 2012 memoir: RATHER.
26. Long ride: LIMO - I'm getting used to this reference being to the vehicle and not the trip
28. Main ingredient of zongzi: RICE - A recipe
29. Use a joystick, perhaps: STEER - A common sight in nursing homes
31. Quality assurance: ACID TEST - I have spent hours making a lesson plan but the ACID TEST is putting it in front of teenagers.
32. Bread machine: ATM.
33. Title derived from the ancient Egyptian for "great house": PHARAOH - Interesting to learn
34. Skilled performer: ARTISTE.
35. "Word": I HEAR YA - "Word Up" became "Word" and is slang for I HEAR YA!
36. Illustrator Dustin who won an Eisner Award for "Descender": NGUYEN - The illustrator for this "Science fiction/Space opera" comic book.
37. One gaining star power, perhaps: GAMER - They can get college scholarships as well.
38. Go at it: SPAR - What boxers do in the ring and politicians do in a debate
40. Water under the bridge: STREAM.
44. Diagnosis that may be accommodated with an IEP: ADHD.
40. Water under the bridge: STREAM.
44. Diagnosis that may be accommodated with an IEP: ADHD.
47. Gig fraction: BYTE.
49. Makes sense: FITS and 52. Korean for "kick": TAE - TAEkwando is familiar in Crosswordville and it FITS
50. Two out of nine?: ENS - Gotta love meta clues: Two of the letters in "nine" are ENS. Half of nine would work too.
51. Polo, e.g.: TOP - Polo shirts are standard wear for boys and girls high school golfers at the school where I sub.
Erica has a great article about her philosophy of cross wording:
I spent about two hours striving and straining to get through this puzzle . Gradually , through P&P, it opened up in me. I had never heard the expression,”You’re killing me, Smalls!” and had no idea where it came from. Also, I originally had “sword “ instead of “saber” for the champagne thing. Also “ice tongs” took a while to suss , as did a number of other answers. Eventually, and I mean VERY eventually , I overcame the challenge without resorting to red letters or looking things up or anything like that. FIR, so I’m not only happy , I’m relieved!
ReplyDeleteSo who is that guy clutching the Emmy(ATOM)
ReplyDeleteGary, it seems like forever but I remember the Splynter days
I inked in ICE TONGS but had a heck of a time making it fit
1908 was the year of Merkle's boner. Asterisk? Every three years from 29-38 Cubs lost the WS plus a war year
Once MAT perped and Asana was staring me in the face it had to be YOGA and thus the agonizing* reappraisal of SE
See clue beginning and ending in R baffled me plus I couldn't place the Sonora desert and had gazA
Another food that got an unproven rap was eggs (cholesterol). Chinese lobster sauce was loaded hence must be eaten with copious beer
Ironically, I posted late that my only "cheats" were aid from Betsy on YOGA and Phil on GAMER questions
WC
* Who authored that line in the 60s?
Ps, FIR after going to sleep with right half all white
My experience was very similar to Sub's
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteManaged to finish, but had to visit Mr. Google a couple of times. Got a late start due to Soddenlink problems -- it's still out; I had to reeducate myself on setting up the hotspot on my phone. I'm using that now. This was definitely a worthy Saturday challenge, and d-o proved himself unworthy. Like Subgenius I had no clue on SMALLS and had to Wite-Out SWORD for SABER. I did think of FERRANTE and Teicher when __RRANTE showed up. We keep an MSG (Accent) shaker in the spice cupboard. I've never had any problem with MSG and nobody's ever complained to me when I've used it. NOT TODAY, SATAN makes sense, but is a new expression to d-o. Erica and Brooke, despite my failure, I enjoyed the outing. Husker, congrats on another outstanding writeup. (Thanks for the Jorgen Ingman link. I've got the Shadows' Apache cover on my music server. Ingman was the original.)
Wilbur, did you not recognize the late Alex Trebek, longtime Jeopardy! host?
ReplyDeleteDNF. Filled 38; barb instead of BYTE and guts instead of SASS costing me a few more. Typical Saturday for moi.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I managed a FIR in 35:24 w/o help, amazing even myself since virtually the whole grid was a mystery, just had to keep chipping away at it. Had to change the “f” to a “p” in the PREF/PERRANTE crossing to get my congratulatory message. Brooke has really established herself as quality constructor, especially the difficult themeless ones, (my favorites), and this was a really fine collaboration with Erica, nice layout and clueing, definitely not a puzzle for newbies. Thank you both for the Saturday challenge!
ReplyDeleteHG ~~ at first I read your message to mean that this was the end of your Saturday blogs, but rereading it I realized that today was marking the end of your 5th year and not the end of your blog, and I’m glad of that! 261 is quite impressive, and since I discovered the Corner I’ve enjoyed your write-ups, always educational with graphics and information, thanks for your time and effort you put into these!
*** I meant I had to change the P to an F, not vice versa
ReplyDeleteFIR, which is a miracle. Smalls? Hesse? Ferrante? Unknown to me. And "Not Today Satan"? I've never heard anyone say that. So I guess, not today satan.
ReplyDeleteI managed to finish in 14:16. Flew through parts, but got bogged down in a few.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy themeless puzzles, but "Sculptor" anybody isn't a great clue. Neither is "Illustrator" someone, despite winning an apparent illustration award.
"Not today, sugar" made just as much sense to me as satan, having never heard either.
I appreciate your hard work, HG.
Fun, doable, fir. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI’m very impressed with YooperPhil’s finish time compared to my 1:00:37 and, of course, kudos to SS (Assuming that 9:13 is his post) for his SuperSonic solve time. I’ll readily admit that I was ready to throw in the towel at one point, but stubbornness and pride overcame my frustration and I plodded on to the bitter end. Have never heard You’re Killing Me, Smalls, Not Today Satan, or Word meaning I Hear Ya. I also have never heard of Hesse, or Nguyen. I have heard of Atom, Rice, ADHD, and Yoga, but not in the sense they were clued. Ferrante has appeared before but not often enough to remember. Chutzpah is a lot stronger in meaning than Sass, IMO. I admire the constructor’s craftsmanship, but my solving experience was low on the enjoyment meter.
Thanks, Erica and Brooke, and thanks, HG, for always pleasing and never disappointing us. Congratulations on your 5 year milestone and thank you for your time, efforts, and dedication.
Have a great day.
After the first two paragraphs I could see that Erica and Brooke were smarter than me ---but they didn't outsmart me on TODAY's puzzle. And after the clues for "Brazen personal ad?" and "Having sex, perhaps" I was getting excited. DW was probably thinking NOT TODAY SATAN when I showed her the clues and said EASY THERE TIGER. I didn't have enough 1D today or have to say I HEAR YA. DRAT, it was only a film RATED-R and a SHAMELESS PLUG.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Gary, on your FIVE YEARS and 261 write ups called 'blogging' (I hate that word).
I'm not familiar with NOT TODAY SATAN, IEP, "You're killing me, SMALLS", shavasana surface, Dustin NGUYEN, Eva HESSE, Elena FERRANTE, CLIF BAR, or zongzi but I got 'em all. SHIES was filled by perps but I wouldn't have known it as clued.
SWORD or SABER?
TAUPE or MOCHA?
RATS, DAMN, DANG, or DARN? - had to wait for perps
PREF for Fave? I guess they just had to fill it with something.
The long clues, not that difficult for Saturn's Day. That "drew" me to a rare weekend FIR.
ReplyDeleteNovel way to remove one, trip and grab your GF's BRA for "support" ðŸ¤...Read (past tense) all 4 of her "Neopolitan" novels...but don't believe that Elena FERRANTE's real identity is yet known. Speaking of "unknown: "Eva"? "shavasana"?..A "zongzi"? Sounded Asian so I WAGed RICE, SINCE I already had R to start.
WEES.."You're killing me SMALLS" ? (I tried softly first)
FOYER (dare you to pronounce it fwai -YAY). WC: 1908 Merkle's boner? (😆 I won't even ask ðŸ¤)
"Symbol held aloft in an Emmy statuette" Not a gilded TV remote control? 😄 (always thought it was a hollow stylized orb but too short an answer). YUMA: don't we have a cornerite from there, Yuman?
Had the OA reversed in PHARAOH and almost filled "Latterday SATAN" yikes.. "What happened to the No Religion policy" 🙉? but perps corrected to NOT TODAY
I was fortunate that DW has a BA in Special Education and Masters degree in Learning Disabilities; able to write our Special Ed DD Catherine's IEP. Often an intimidating, confusing, frustrating process. I would sit at the IEP meetings bewildered as my wife expertly battled with the school system and always won.
What you confess in Confession (and how long it's been ____ your last....SINCE
'Tis a male butterfly or _____ ? BEHEMOTH
after the old one fell off,, the mice met to decide who _____ the cat...REBELS
Got PELTed with another snowstorm yesterday.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
This definitely reminded me of a Saturday Silkie today - I was sort of floundering around a bit and then slowly but surely it was done!
ReplyDeleteI thought 10D might be ACE before perps changed it to AGE. I misread 21A at first as "something grasped for support" and put in bar before the "clasped" turned it to BRA.
As far as names - I could almost hear IM saying in my head that she didn't know HESSE - AS CLUED- with the clues more often having to do with Herman HESSE author of "Siddharta"
I didn't know the Illustrator at 36D but once I had the NG in I knew it had to be NGUYEN because it is the most common Vietnamese last name (almost 40% of the people)
Thanks HG for today's blog and congrats on 5 years of Saturdays! And thanks to Erica and Brooke for the challenging puzzle!
More of a learning than a solving experience...
ReplyDeleteYou're killing me smalls, is an apt reply to our constructors...
(I always thought that thingy on the Emmy was an Art Deco representation of the world. atom? Why?)
Age is a positive number? Ok, I get it, but it's hard to swallow when you feel as old as I do...
Word? I hear ya? (Must be a regional thing....)
In a positive note, I thought the clue/answer "something clasped for support" was absolutely brilliant!
So much so, I had to share it with DW. (Um, the clue, not the answer. No rated R here...)
Which reminds me, I have never seen planes trains and other transportation. So I just had to look up how a clip could possibly have 18 f-bombs in it... I must say, the last word sums it up nicely...
Way back when, I learned the champagne saber method from Alton Brown right here on the blog.
In fact, I think I will watch it again now...
Easier Saturday than usual for me in spite of unknowns like the ones mentioned by most commenters. IMHO, when there are unknowns but I still manage to fill them it is an indication of a well constructed puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI loved that song KILLING ME SOFTLY and Roberta Flack’s voice.
The SMALLS bit was entirely new to me but it perp'd as did NGUYEN.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the significant milestone H.G.
Super Saturday. Thanks for the fun, Brooke and Erica, and HuskerG.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed, but this CW required some serious thinking.
The mid-south was the last to fall.
Inkblots abound.
I had SHAMELESS PL ay, which held up HUMOR ME (plus you know I hated that spelling!)
I could not fit ACcreditation into the space for “quality control”. Perps to the rescue.
I did succumb to one Google trip for the Korean kick. But it gave me Chagi which was not helpful. TAE finally perped.
My modern slang does not extend to SMALLS., although I did remember Word.
NOT TODAY SATAN must also be for the younger crowd.
I have read FERRANTE and she has been in CWs before.
Did anyone else not understand PREF. for “fave”. PREFerence.
I was agape at the 43A clue. Oh, in movies. Patti never SHIES from the new PREF.
LOL re BRA clue.
Wishing you all a great day.
FIR in reasonable time in spite of all the unknown proper names and phrases. Doubted the answer SASS for chutzpah, which is brazenness or gall -- as Leo Rosten wrote in The Joys of Yiddish, "that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the helpful review, H-G!
Hola!
ReplyDeleteErica and Brooke gave us a good challenge. And thanks to Gary for his always valuable insight. Five years! Yikes! However, you always ELEVATE the discourse, so thank you for that.
The SFO airport is very familiar to me and now that the remodeling is finished, it looks very fine, indeed. It is, however, still a long, long walk but the enlarged posters are interesting to look at while strolling along the concourse. They depict the Harvey Milk story.
I'll take a CSO at YOGA MAT though a bum leg has kept me from practicing it lately. I hope to resume it soon.
I have no idea about who is Dustin NGUYEN but once I had the first THREE letters, it filled.
Mesa or YUMA, just wait for perps.
Yes, my first thought was FERRANTE and Teichner. Had not heard of Elena, though.
My grandson is an avid GAMER and he hopes to continue in college. At age 16 he's already 6' and taller that his dad.
Sigh. I really miss Alex Trebek. R.I.P. though Ken is doing a fine job.
My quest for a car continues though I hope to find one by the end of the week and give myself a Christmas present.
Have a very special Saturday, everyone!
Ray-O, thanks for the CO. Yes, I live in Yuma, AZ located in the Sonoran Desert on the California and Mexico borders. In addition to being the hottest city, we are all so the sunniest, with sunny skies 91% of the year. A cloudy rainy day causes much excitement among the locals. Yuma is also the winter lettuce (among many other produce) capital, and the harvest is in full swing this month.
ReplyDeleteDitto what KS missed. I even missed Nguyen, and that is my doctor’s name.
Two of my grandsons have ADHD and one of them has Asperger’s Syndrome, and have had numerous IEP.
To those of you awaiting some nasty winter weather, stay warm, be safe. Adios
FIR in 15:04 but that was the computer timer after pausing for various interruptions and quite a few guesses. Probably more like an hour in real time. “Sandlot” is one of my favorite movies, still I couldn’t believe “You're killing me Smalls” fit. Nice Saturday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteDesper-otto, thanks for reminding us about ALEX TREBEK. I recognized him instantly in the picture, but just couldn't remember his name. A relief to learn it from you.
ReplyDeleteYuman@11:53: what a clever moniker now knowing where you live, and of course seeing your avatar.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThere’s horrible clueing, and then there’s this. Designed to make sure you quit.
It worked.
Thank you Erica and Brooke for a SLOTHFUL Saturday SLOG, which I somehow managed to FIR. The first half was so exhausting that I had to take a 45 minute break, and come back for round 2. Whenever I see Brooke's smiling face I'm tempted to run for the hills. She's one constructor you don't easily forget.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats Gary on your anniversary. I always look forward to your Saturday reviews, as I usually solve half the clues with perps, and need you to explain the other half. So "SMALLS" is no longer clued with something like "Sizes below mediums"? What will they think of next?
Some favs:
16A EVEL. Thought this had something to do the Olympics.
21A BRA. Didn't grasp that it was "clasp", not "grasp", and I was thinking it was something you have to hold onto ...
24A RIOTS. Had HOOTS which held me up for quite a while.
25A CLAMP. ... It wasn't until I got this and APE, that I finally grasped BRA.
27A FERRANTE. DNK this author, but did think of F&T when it perped. Here's their take on the theme from the 1966 film Un Homme Et Une Femme.
35A ICE TONGS. CORK SCREW wouldn't fit.
40A SHIES. CMOE's Boston Herald puzzle from yesterday had DRESSAGE as an Olympic event. There are no SHY horses in that competition.
53A NOT TODAY SATAN. Maybe I'm just superstitious, but I wouldn't taunt this guy.
3D BEHEMOTH. LEVIATHAN was also the title of a book by Thomas Hobbes, most famous for the phrase "Life is nasty, brutish, and short."
6D MSG. UMAMI in a jar.
12D HTTP. This is already crosswordese Gary. You just made it meta-bloggerese.
14D HESSE. Her work doesn't turn me on. This HESSE is one of my favorite artists.
29D STEER. When my Mother was in a nursing home, we had a good friend named Gerry who lived there. The home was on a hill, with a lot of up and down ramps inside and Gerry was a joystick pro. She had a rep as the 80 year old "NASChAiR racer" of Augsburg Village.
37D GAMER. I have a nephew who was a GAMER and he got one of the first degrees in game design from RIT. He landed a job at Microsoft right out of college.
44D ADHD. While he was never officially diagnosed, my nephew probably had some form ASD, but never benefited from an IEP. WWWDWA?
Cheers,
Bill
IH @ 10:06 ~ You’ve got my number! 🤣
ReplyDeleteBill @ 12:44 ~ I don’t remember any Dressage reference in Moe’s puzzle. What did I miss? Hearing Ferrante and Teicher evokes many happy memories of seeing them in person a couple of times.
Anon PCX at 12:37, I’m WITH You!!
ReplyDeleteAmazingly, I knew “Smalls” from the movie and from my daughter using it on her little girl frequently. Other than that, I struggled mightily and finally succombed to a couple of look-ups, but it was no fun.
Thank you, Gary, and congrats for the longevity!
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteAfter a few hours, I tossed the towel. Now, with Gary filling my final 9 letters, D'Oh!
//I'll blame Covid brain-fog :-)
Thanks Erica & Brooke for the puzzle. Thanks HG for the great expo to enjoy after my frustrations - congrats on 5 years! They've been great.
"You're killin' me SMALLS," is said at least once a week by someone on our team at the office; NOT TODAY SATIN isn't (and I couldn't come up with it).
WOs: Sword, BoHEMOTH
PREF: RATED-R made me laugh when it finally perp'd.
CED - I kept wanting globe in ATOM's squares too. Anyone know why ATOM?
GAMER clue - I was thinking it was more along the lines of Mario getting power when he collects a star.
Of course, GAMERs are becoming famous.
C, Eh! No complaints about SABER? :-)
Cheers, -T
Hi Y'all! This puzzle was brutal with so many unknowns that I didn't understand even when I filled them & they stayed black. I'm not ashamed to say that I used a lot of red-letter runs to get toe-holds & sometimes whole words/phrases. Erica & Brooke don't speak any language I do. Disliked this puzzle intensely even after I filled it all.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gary, for educating us so many years in an enjoyable manner. You were the bright spot in today's puzzle time.
My daughter is very croupy ill as is everyone in her office except the boss. Boss is very annoyed at all the coughing. She held a party for clients last Friday & insisted staff be present. Wonder how many clients are coughing this week? I think I will be spending Xmas alone to avoid the viruses. Bummer. I hope my daughter doesn't end up hospitalized.
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFIW - had to resort to red letters and several look-ups. I'm guessing, that regardless of how astute a puzzle solver you are, that Saturday-level puzzles just need a few obscure clues and/or words/phrases to make them more challenging
HG, congrat's on your anniversary of blogging - you bring a wealth of knowledge and entertainment to our Corner
It gets harder and harder to find motivation to tackle a Saturday PZL. I expect them to grow tougher as my aging brain slows down, but when they don't offer diagonals, that sorta rubs it in.
ReplyDeleteAnd I suppose I feel my years in the number of "pop" references I miss.
The killer today is SMALLS. I am not of the generation that watched The Sandlot. I keep hearing a different voice saying, "You're killing me ____."
My recollection has a distinctive, whiney voice, ending in a name I almost hear. Almost.
But I know for sure it was not "Smalls."
I think my voice is from a TV commercial... But, damn, it won't come to me! Not yet.
Ah, well. I remind myself that all this woe (that only some of us experience) adds to a sense of accomplishment for those who manage to stick it out and nail the whole thing.
I beg the spirit of the season to turn me around.
And help me to take vicarious joy in their triumph!
Kudos to them! Congratulations!
Please, dear colleagues, enjoy your hard-won victory!!
~ OMK
I got it!
ReplyDeleteFor many of us, the expression does not end in SMALLS.
The name is LARRY.
It's from the Sit 'n Sleep mattress commercials!
Here's a sample of "You're killing me, Larry!" Check it out!
~ OMK
Moe @ 2:53 ~ Re your second sentence, oh, if it were only a “few”.
ReplyDeleteOMK @ 3:23 ~ If it makes you feel any better, a sense of accomplishment was not exactly what I felt upon completing this puzzle, it was more like the relief of having a thorn removed from my side. 😬
Took too long getting myself a DNF today with big trouble in the RATED R section. So many unknown words and phrases, but some I managed to fill in spite of it: SMALLS was an early example. Thanks, Husker Gary for explaining what was what. I am glad you are not retiring after five years!
ReplyDeleteI do thank you , Erica and Brooke, for creating this puzzle and stretching our limitations. It was on my mind when I did other chores, hoping the word or phrase I needed would appear. Some did.
I need to leave soon so will read more comments later. I see already I am not the only one who struggled, but enjoy reading what others came out. Bravo to those who FIR!
Can anyone explain the origin of "NOTTODAYSATAN"? Never heard of it, never read it, cannot think of any time or situation where it would be used -- like some other crossword answers, this seems to have originated de novo, more of a constructor's whimsy.
ReplyDeleteFIR. Can you believe it?!?! Texas was the last to fall.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erica and Brooke for boosting my confidence. FAV (or should I say PREF): Initial request for an answer?
Big Easy @ 9:45. LOL!
Congrats to H-Gary on the 5 yr. anniversary! You've obviously passed the ACID TEST!
No way. Not even close. I was totally unable to even half way solve this one.
ReplyDeleteMichael- I LIUed NOT TODAY SATAN
ReplyDeleteUrban Dictionary says “ "Not today Satan, not today," comes from the show RuPaul's Drag Race, and was said by season 6's winner Bianca Del Rio who served us some clown realness. The meaning means the devil a.k.a. Satan will not get in your way today.”
And there is a song by KB and Andy Mineo.
Not Today Satan
Plus Walmart sells a Tshirt, Etsy has a cross-stitch, Amazon has a notebook.
Apparently, it is a thing. We’re just the wrong AGE.
AnonT- I forgot SABER. Sometimes I get used to entering the American spelling.
When in Rome . . .
Feel better soon.
Just a reminder in case you missed it, C.C. posted Boomer's obituary at this site. It has a section for leaving your memories about him. I'm sure she would appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and stories of your favorite Boomerisms.
ReplyDeleteFor all you Louise Penny readers, I just finished her newest book, A World of Curiosities. Possibly her greatest yet. Her gift for description, story plot, characters is immense. I highly recommend.
ReplyDeleteIrish Miss @1:26 PM It was 56A "Summer Olympics event". Of course we may be talking about different puzzles. The guy is starting to get prolific.
ReplyDeleteCanadianEh! @1:26 PM These NEOLOGISMS are getting to be a DRAG. 🙄
CEh!@6:27 pm: I’m a Louise Penny fan, although I was very disappointed in her last 2 or 3. I will try this one. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteHola!
ReplyDeleteBusy! Busy! Busy! That's how my day has been and through it all I bought a car and even started my Christmas cards. The car is a Nissan Rogue, 2017 with 90,000+ miles. It's a nice ride and these days I don't drive extensively. It was delivered to my carport, I signed the paperwork at my kitchen table and it was done!
The puzzle was tame for a Saturday though it took me almost all day to finish because of the aforementioned events. Somehow, FERRANTE and Teichner seemed familiar to me though I can't recall why. I've heard SHAMELESS PLUG often though I can't exactly specify it.
There's an APACHE Boulevard in Tempe just south of where I live and in my uni days I traveled it often.
CSO to my maternal grandfather who was primarily a SHEEP farmer although he owned several businesses including a bar and a gas station. My mother told me that at one time the herd numbered in the hundreds. A few cattle, too. Those I recall and can still hear the cries when they were branded. In those days the hills of the town were covered with rich, green grass for grazing. Today Concho is a deserted town.
It's late so I'll stop and hope you all have had a most enjoyable day.
Dear C-Eh!: Thank you for your reply of 6:12 PM. Yes, I fear you are correct, that age is 'terming out' us of the ongoing progress -- I'm using the word sarcastically and ruefully -- this progress of culture. RuPaul?? Who'd'a thought (or cared)?
ReplyDeleteI took the phrase as a response to temptation, but even that is archaic.
Oh, well, on to Sunday's crossword!