Saturday Themeless by Juliana Tringali Golden and Kate Chin Park
A fun Christmas Eve puzzle by two talented constructors. I hope all of you have been nice and not naughty. This fire looks mighty nice out here on the frozen plains!
Across:
1. Confines, theatrically: TYPECASTS - George Reeve suffered that.
10. Tech site with a "track prices" browser plug-in: CNET.
14. Rank and file: HOI POLLOI - 58 synonyms
15. Give up: WAIVE.
16. "I'm sunk!": ALL IS LOST and 36. Back on board: AFT - The AFT went down last @2:19 below
17. Snoring cause: APNEA.
18. Misery: WOE.
19. Both parents, in some families: MOMS - My neighbor's grandson has two lovely MOMS
20. Heist series title word: OCEANS - The one with "The Rat Pack" started it all
21. "Let me have it": DO YOUR WORST.
25. "A plateau is the highest form of flattery," e.g.: PUN.
28. Chess player Krush who is the only American woman Grandmaster: IRINA.
29. Enviable trait: ASSET.
31. "Wipe your paws" spot: MAT.
32. Turn to: CONSULT.
34. Stands to take a picture?: TRIPODS - Stands is a noun not a verb here. Even for my iPhone:
37. Meryl's "Mary Poppins Returns" role: TOPSY - Emily Blunt plays Mary Poppins and Meryl Streep plays a minor role as Mary's cousin TOPSY.
39. State capital?: MONEY - In Italy it used to be LIRA but now it's Euros
40. Old Italian 39-Across: LIRA - This 500,000 LIRE note would convert to about 276 Euros
42. Trojan leader?: TAU - A Trojan (citizen of Troy) is Τρωός in Greek with TAU being the first (leading) letter
43. Scrapes (by): EKES.
44. Doll featured in many unboxing videos on YouTube: LOL SURPRISE - Open it up and see what you've got. New to me!
48. "We're dying to know!": TELL US.
49. Grandly appointed: POSH.
50. Zoom appt.: MTG - I saved $3,200 on my new hearing aids and talked to a nice guy named Bob via a Zoom MTG and he adjusted them for me online.
53. "Perfect!": A-PLUS.
54. Eucalyptus lover, familiarly: KOALA BEAR.
56. Stadium strata: TIERS.
57. Tragic dancer of French literature: ESMERALDA.
58. One could be a lot: ACRE - Oh, a building lot.
59. Film starring Himesh Patel as the only person in the world who remembers the Beatles: YESTERDAY - A lovely movie with a wonderful premise and the music, hey, it's the Beatles
Down:
1. Soften: THAW.
2. "No regrets" initialism: YOLO - I didn't ride a big roller coaster until I was 53 and You Only Live Once.
3. Nap on a carpet, e.g.: PILE.
4. Prefix with -phenomenalism: EPI - Here ya go
5. Explorer trained at the Gagarin Center in Star City: COSMONAUT - It's named for COSMONAUT Yuri Gagarin, the Russian who was the first man in space. Yeah, it was a gimme for this NASA guy.
6. Metallic mixture: ALLOY.
7. Replay tech: SLO-MO - The SLO-MO shows the Tennessee player fumbled before the ball crossed the goal line.
8. Tough calls: TOSS UPS.
9. Go unused: SIT.
10. Piccata need: CAPERS - Capers are the immature, unripened, green flower buds of the caperbush
11. Singer who said, "Sometimes I sound like gravel, and sometimes I sound like coffee and cream": NINA SIMONE - A sample
12. Foundation of a barter system: EVEN TRADES
13. Oolong and pu-erh: TEAS - The former was easy, the latter, huh? All you want to know about pu-reh tea
 |
| A Pu-erh TEA cake |
15. Home of the Baylor Bears: WACO - The Air Force played Baylor in WACO on Thursday night and it was 11⁰F. Yikes
20. Title holder: OWNER.
21. Ranks in judo: DANS - Everything you want to know
23. Social image?: PROFILE PIC - Mine
24. Grooming aid that might gather dust: LINT ROLLER.
27. Site with artisan shops: ETSY - A frequent cwd visitor
28. Onetime macOS scheduling app: I-CAL.
29. Stock phrase: AT PAR - Here ya go
30. Home for the holidays?: TIMESHARE - or...
33. Flower sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism: LOTUS.
35. Dish whose name means "to slice" in Hawaiian: POKE.
38. Take as a given: SUPPOSE.
41. Draw: ALLURE - We had it yesterday as "21. Seductive quality"
45. Root (out): SUSS - We crossworders do this all the time
46. Wanders: ROAMS.
47. Dot on a map: ISLET - The ISLET of Mauritius (way to the right (east) on this map) recently hosted a big golf tournament on one of its nine golf courses.
48. "Cheerio!": TA TA - Do Brits even say Cheerio and TA TA any more?
50. Canasta play: MELD.
51. "See what I did there?": TADA.
52. Overcast: GRAY.
54. Solution: KEY - Here's how I made my own
Speaking of kitties:
 |
| This is Ludo. Kate's beautiful kitty. |
I would say this was the usual Saturday slog, maybe a trifle easier than some, but not by much. I knew 1 down had to be either “thaw” or “melt” so getting that right got me started. I certainly had no idea about “LOL Surprise.” There were a few other obscurities too. But generally, I found this puzzle pretty fair and solvable and so FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteFIR, but erased Trojan's USC for TAU. "Reservoir tip" wouldn't fit. DNK IRINA x DANS, TOPSY (kept thinking of what Lucas Davenport's wife calls his busty colleague Marcy), LOL SURPRISE, ESMERALDA, YESTERDAY, EPI, NINA SIMONE, DANS, and POKE (even with no pig in it).
ReplyDeleteDon't know if I should like this one because even my dumb-ass self could get it, or hate it because even my dumb-ass self could get it.
The primary job of a CONSULTant is to extend the CONSULT.
My golf pal owns a few TIMESHAREs. He loves them. Getting rid of them has become a big business.
Thanks to Juliana ad Kate for the fun, and to Gary for the interesting review. Time to take Zoe for her first walk of the day. It's 33 degrees, so it might be a short one.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteWell, shiver me timbers...and all the rest of me. The big freeze is due to break this afternoon, and then we'll learn if the pipes broke mid-freeze.
Started right off inking MELT at 1d. Have I ever mentioned...? The rest of this one came together pretty fast. D-o finished in under 15 minutes, which is super-fast for a Saturday themeless. Those stacked 10s in the NE and SW, and triple-stacked 9s in the NW and SE were very nice, though ESMERALDA was all perps. As mentioned by others, LOL SURPRISE was a complete surprise. Enjoyed the ride, Juliana and Kate, and the tour, Husker.
AFT was last for me, too. But…
ReplyDeleteI had eRIcA Krush which led to DAcS and eCAL. Then I noticed my film was YESTERDAm and the lady, ESMERALDi as I had GRim.
Careless on the simple GRAY
I imagine I'm not the only one who inked Tee on Trojan leader. Lots of bafflement but KEY and APLUS finally dropped
I originally had AMSTERDAM since it had a Beatles connection
Now that I think about it, of course the Apple product would start with I(CAL)
Despite FIW I'd rate this at best A 7 out of 10 difficulty-wise but a 9.5 on enjoyment
WC
Wilbur, I thought Apple should have bought that neighborhood store, resulting in I-Dollar Tree.
ReplyDeleteTYPECASTS- George Reeve goes from GWTW to Superman and felled by a speeding bullet-his own.
ReplyDeleteFinally, a Sat. puzzle that I can FIR with just a few unknowns, especially LOL SURPRISE. Gary, I've never heard of it either. TOPSY, I-CAL, and IRINA were other total unknowns. If you don't know what 'phenomenalism' is you certainly don't know what EPI-... is. I didn't and after reading the IEP write-up, I still don't care.
I wanted either MELT or THAW for 1D in the NW but PILE, COSMONAUT, ALLOY, & SLOMO got me going. A lot of white until YESTERDAY opened up the SE. Everything else just fell in place but LOL SURPRISE needed 100% perps.
Merry Christmas and keep WARM. 26F this am in NOLA.
FIR. What a workout. ICal and Irina gave me fits, but it came to me in the end.
ReplyDeleteLooking back on my grim error in SE I Wonderware my GRAY matter has gone.
ReplyDeleteMr S. thought YESTERDAM sounded just fine.
I should have put it away and rechecked in the AM
WC
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteDespite the numerous unknowns, Dans, Irina, Topsy, Tau, LOL Surprise, Epi, I Cal, and Yesterday, I finished w/o help or w/os in normal Saturday time and, while it wasn’t a stroll in the park, it was much easier and far more enjoyable than last Saturday’s head scratcher. The long fill was helpful and fresh, too, and there were only 10 three letter words, a nice plus.
Thanks, Juliana and Kate, for a smooth Saturday solve and thanks, HG, for te bright and cheery review. That roaring fire started us off on a cozy note and the cuddly Koala (Hi, SG !) and cute kitties added to the warm and fuzzies!
FLN
sumdoze, thank you for those kind words.
Lewis, thank you for stopping by and for your very gracious compliments.
I’m going to my niece’s tomorrow for Christmas dinner, which, nine years ago, was the scene of one of my more infamous falls that resulted in hours in the ER, a hairline fracture of my tibia, and 15 stitches in my knee. At the time, DO commented that it was a Christmas that I wouldn’t soon forget and he was absolutely correct, as I remember every painful detail! Let’s hope tomorrow is less dramatic! 🤭
Have a great day.
Almost gave up a time or two but eventually managed to FIR. WEES about unknowns, and 42A TAU was more than a stretch, but, anyway, got ‘er done. Thanx JTG & KCP for the entertainment. And thanx too to HG for the terrific write-up. As in the old saw, “Be careful what you wish for!” I’ve been wanting cooler weather here in SOFLO. Today it’s 46*F. I was hoping for “cool”, not frigid. But I can’t complain compared to most of the country. Stay safe, everyone.
ReplyDeleteFinished in 11:51, while the current temp is 3F.
ReplyDeleteI had the same unknowns as the others above me, although I knew (and enjoyed) "Yesterday."
"Profile pic" took a long time to get/parse, as I was looking for something to fit with the ending of "epic."
Ms. Irish Miss, your fall sounds very painful. When I was around 8 years old, I spent some time in the ER on Christmas morning too, when I tripped playing with my new soccer ball insides and busted my lip open on the corner of a partially opened drawer.
On a brighter note, I enjoyed this puzzle, the review, and the comments (including Jinx's reservoir comment).
FIR, probably my quickest Saturday ever (Thursday-level time). Though I happened to know both IRINA and DANS.
ReplyDeleteHola!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Juliana and Kate, for a very doable Saturday puzzle. Amazingly I finished in record time for a Saturday. Sometimes it drags on for a full day but today it all came together nicely in spite of the unknowns IRINA and NINA SIMONE.
ESMERALDA of course from the Humpback of Notre Dame is familiar.
We likely all know that KOALA BEAR is a misnomer.
WACO recalls a very tragic event from many years ago.
Thank you, Gary, for your usual upbeat narrative.
Have a lovely Christmas Eve, everyone. It's going to be busy!
LOL SURPRISE, FIR, and in record time. Like everyone else, I encountered a few unknowns. Oh, no, I just noticed I hadn’t filled the M of MELD. Otherwise, very happy with this Saturday very doable and also enjoyable CW. It’s obvious Juliana and Kate are real pros.
ReplyDeleteIM, ☘️ better luck this Christmas.
I hope you all get lots of lovely presents under the tree tomorrow morning. For some unknown reason, my family has traditionally opened presents on Christmas Eve.
I guess I’m in the minority on this one, I thought it was a difficult solve as I could only confidently do a few fills at first glance, but with much thought I did manage a FIR w/o help, though it did take me 38:37 to get the congratulatory message. OTOH, this is the kind of puzzle I really enjoy, thank you Juliana and Kate for putting this fine piece of W together!
ReplyDeleteHG ~~ you just keep coming at us with great Saturday reviews and I appreciate your efforts!
To all on the Corner ~~ whatever Holiday you celebrate I wish you ☮️ &♥️
The editors must have told Juliana and Kate, "It's Saturday, DO YOUR WORST!" 😡
ReplyDeleteFIW...Like some others, had ERIKA crossed with DAK, thus ECAL (apparently not Electronic calendar like Ebook?). Even put Tina instead of NINA and I know that it's CNET!!! (UNK singer)... EPI phenomenlism? SHEESH
Inkovers: pepper/CAPERS, Tee/TAU (Do we know the Trojans used the Greek alphabet?🤔)
Can we take up a Christmas collection for the folks who keep trying to EKE out a living on CWs?
Almost put Teddy BEAR; KOALA BEAR 🐨 is the correct answer, it's not a bear though we call it one "familiarly". Took me a couple beats but plateau/flattery is a terrific PUN.😆
YOLO like FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
Kramer in space...COSMONAUT
If ____ you, everyone'll wanna....ISLET
Good Queen Bess II had a permanent _____ WAIVE
At the circus Smokey Robinson sat in "The ____ of a Clown....TIERS.
Sunny day reflecting off the "White and Drifted Snow".
ReplyDeleteI’m calling a Natick on Irina /ICal.
Have a great Christmas Day to all who celebrate, have a great day to those who do not.
Thank you Juliana and Kate for a fun Saturday outing. I was surprised how easily the NW and SE stacks fell, but I still didn't quite get a FIR. I did a CLU ("Confirmatory LookU") on "TOL" SURPRISE (like Gary it was unknown to me) and of course Google corrected me (it's such a SMART ALEC!). But I have to admit that PROFILE PIC made a lot more sense than PROFIT EPIC.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gary for the setter BIOS and your illuminating and informative review. I especially liked your illustration for 38D.
Some favs:
17A APNEA. After waiting nearly 2 years, I finally got a replacement for my 7 year old Phillips CPAP machine yesterday. I can't wait to try it out.
21A DO YOUR WURST. Said the DELI customer to the counter clerk.
25A PUN. Isn't that what this all about? The bestest clue.
34A TRIPOD. The next cleverest clue.
59A YESTERDAY. Great flick!
4D EPI. For those who don't buy Epiphenomenalism (e.g. MOI) it's akin to the the logical fallacy "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc", i.e. "After the fact, therefore because of the fact".
21D DANS. Also the name of the 1-9 scale used to rank GO players. It turns out that a 1 DAN Japanese player can usually beat a 9 DAN American player. But ALAS all the 9 DAN Japanese players have fallen to DeepMind's AlphaGO.
Cheers,
Bill
Merry Christmas ✝🎅🎄❄ and Happy Hanukkah 🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎 to everyone!
Happy Holidays to All from where it's a (relatively warm) 268 Kelvin.🎄 🏔 ☃
ReplyDeleteMM @12:16 PM 12F here in Charm City.
DeleteGreetings! I thought today's puzzle lived up to the Saturday reputation. Tx Juliana and Kate for the challenge. NE was the first to fill, SW was the last.
ReplyDeleteDNK mostly the same as in the previous posts.
Least favorite clues are ones ending with a ?
The MAT at my front door says, "Wipe Your Paws!" so that brought a smile to my face. a sentimental throwback to my pups crossing the threshold.
WACO - tx Chip and Joanna Gaines of Magnolia Network. I'm a fan.
PROFILEbio to -PIC.
Tee to TAU.
Thanks, Husker Gary for your enlightening review. Always a good day when I can learn something new!
Come to think of it, I don’t get the PUN in Plateau is the highest form of flattery, e.g.
ReplyDeleteTante Nique
ReplyDeleteI believe PLATEAU, being flat and high in altitude, is a play on the word "flat".
Anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Thank you, Lucina. Your answer makes sense.
ReplyDeleteNo time to do the CW (plus we had no newspaper delivery because of our weather). Fortunately, we have not been hit quite as hard wit( the blizzard as areas along the shore of Lake Erie.
ReplyDeleteI’ll repost my late entry from last night.
Am I too late to post my Christmas Song contest?
Identify the song/carol/or other OLDEN AIR from these lines with the words from today.
1. Hark the HERALD (MalMan has a point already!)
2. Haste, haste to bring him LAUD
3. In his master’s steps he TROD
Or
3b. … your baby boy has walked where angels TROD
4. Then pretend that he is PARSON Brown
5. Hail the new ye lads and lasses (or LASSIES)
6. One More Sleep TIL Christmas (OK, this is the title, but can you identify the singer?)
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Hi Y'all! Groan! I was not on the constructors' wavelength. Filled it with many red-letter runs. Many unknowns/never heard of.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gary, for your eternal optimism.
Rank & file = hoi poloi? I was expecting some military term.
Think I have terminal brain freeze in this weather.
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFIR once I looked up IRINA
As others said, many new words and phrases I didn't know, and will likely forget
DO YOUR WORST seems a little negative on Christmas Eve, doesn't it?
Thanks to the constructors and our own HG
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukkah
I only had to look up Krush in order to complete this pretty interesting puzzle.
ReplyDeleteLINT FILTER had to become a LINT ROLLER.
EASE --> THAW.
PILE went in, came out, then went in again.
NEO --> EPI.
TEE --> TAU.
DONS --> DANS.
IDIOM --> ATPAR.
Answers I knew or guessed correctly include APNEA, PUN, MAT, TRIPODS, EKES, MTG, KOALABEAR, TIERS, ALLOY, TEAS, ETSY, LOTUS, POKE, ROAMS, ISLET, TATA, MELD, and BAR.
Overall, I liked this puzzle.
Going up to spend the day with our son and his wife, our grandson, and her 2 kids. Looking forward to it.
Good wishes to you all.
FIW with issues in the NW. Thank you, Juliana and Kate, for the challenging puzzle. I was so excited to see the movie "YESTERDAY" in the puzzle. It's in my top 5!
ReplyDeleteOther FAVs: Stands to take a picture, Home for the holidays?, Draw, One could be a lot
Ludo has magnificent whiskers. Please rub his cheek for me.
Loved your write-up, H-Gary. Thx for the warm fire!
Thx to all the Cornerites for the whichever-holiday wishes. Same to you!!
Finished the puzzle this afternoon after a few breaks to ponder. Managed to make sense of things I wondered about and felt good about it. Then reading Husker Gary's review I saw I guessed wrong at my Natick, putting ERICA for a FIW.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, I am happy to do so much correctly, not finding it as easy as others of you. Thanks, Juliana and Kate for creating and Husker Gary for deconstructing the puzzle today. It was a fine Saturday exercise.
Hope everyone is having a warm and happy holiday weekend!