First off, welcome back Jeffrey Wechsler. My semi-laziness kept me from searching when a Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle last appeared in a Crossword Corner blog. Maybe right before Rich retired? Regardless, his puzzles were missed by many of us, myself included. When I saw that Wechsler was the constructor, I immediately emailed Lemonade714 to ask if he wanted to briefly come out of retirement and provide today's comments. Lemony/Jason graciously said "no", so we'll see if I am up to the task ...
The first thing that caught my eye was the unique pattern of black squares (blocks). I also noticed - before solving the first word - that there were two 14-letter entries (Rows 3 and 13), and an 11-letter entry in the center row (row 8). Typical themed puzzles are required - by the editor - to have a minimum of 40 letters in the total of the entries. 14 + 14 + 11 = 39, so I knew that more were there; just didn't know where
I also noticed a plethora (24) of 3-letter words. That is usually too high for a 15x15 puzzle on any day, let alone on a Friday. But knowing that Wechsler was the creator, I was not nonplussed ... (BTW, is "plussed" the antonym of nonplussed??!)
So off I went, starting at 1-across, looking for any "low hanging fruit". 1-across was not immediately known. (6-across. South Dakota region:) BADLANDS was easily solved, as was (14-across. __ All: car care brand:) ARMOR. The corresponding down clues (1. Cul-de-__:) SAC, (2. Letters for Kate Middleton:) HRH, and (3. Punk subgenre:) EMO, helped me get a foot hold in the NW Corner. (1-across. Stock holder?:) SHELF then quickly fell (brilliant clue, BTW), as did (5-down. Orchardist's concern:) FROST. (18-across. Application:) USE was next; then (22-across. Connecticut home of ESPN studios:) BRISTOL, and I thought, "Oh boy! This will be a cinch!" (which is not to be confused with the word "CONCH", [the answer to 33-across. Caribbean gastropod:])
So right now I am guessing that a few of you are saying, "Ok, Moe, slow down ... what sort of blog are you writing today?" "Are you going to explain HOW you solved the puzzle - each and every word - or are you going to 'get to the point'?!!"
OK. Here's the deal: I am writing this blog on Tuesday (Jan 24), and am in a bit of a hurry. Tomorrow (the 25th) begins a day of hell (for me), as the 26th I am scheduled for a colonoscopy ...
TMI? Perhaps
But for anyone who has gone through this procedure, the preparation day is a day from hell. I am looking forward to resting afterwards on Thursday, so getting the blog done today is my top priority, so please bear with me!! ;^)
15-across (Collection of Buddhist sculpture, Chinese jades, etc.:) ASIAN ART, only partially filled (I got the "ASIAN" part). So now comes the first theme entry: 16-across. Specialized work at a confectionary?: CHOCOLATE LABOR. The 3 and 4-letter clues running down from the word "BADLANDS" made this entry fill in easily: (6-down. "Hey, ewe!":) BAA; (7-down. Italian wine region:) ASTI; (8-down. Ran out of juice:) DIED; (9-down. "Deck the Halls" chorus fragment:) LA LA; (10-down. Political commentator Navarro:) ANA; and (11-down. Catches:) NABS. The "O" and "R" were gimmies, based on the clue. So now I knew what to look for in the remainder of the clues that had a "play-on-words"!
Jeffrey Wechsler incorporated the letters "OR" into the ends of two proper names (KING TUT and AQUAMAN), two descriptive nouns (CHOCOLATE LAB and THE BIG TEN), and one gerund (SPEEDING PAST). All of which provided us with a playful challenge!
Here are the "themed entries":
36-across. Instructor for a monarch?: KING TUTOR
38-across. Nickname for Luciano Pavarotti?: THE BIG TENOR
40-across. Estate that went all-out with turquoise paint?: AQUA MANOR
59-across. Vicar who puts the pedal to the metal?: SPEEDING PASTOR.
Honestly, I'm not sure which of these five I liked the best. They were all brilliant! And when you notice that three of the five are in rows 7, 8, and 9, it makes this one of the best, most creative puzzles I've ever solved
Were there a few words that could be construed as odd or perhaps disturbing? Maybe. (26-across. Nail polish brand with an Always Bare for You collection:) OPI is one; (32-down. Subatomic particle:) MUON is another ... and I am sure that some of you will take umbrage with other words, too ...
This puzzle has 59 themed letters!! For anyone who's ever attempted to create a crossword puzzle - by hand or from a computer program - this is insanely difficult. Jeffrey earned every penny today. It was well worth the wait. I hope you all enjoyed it - please comment below ... By the way, my procedure will be done as an out-patient, but technically, in the OR!! How fitting ...
Here is the grid, followed by the other clues:
Across:
19. Investigative journalist __ B. Wells: IDA.
20. Tiff: SPAT.
27. Prefix with gender: CIS.
28. Body care brand: NIVEA.
32. Tone down: MUTE.
42. Grind together: GNASH.
45. Baking measures: CUPS. Glad to see that this wasn't an abbreviation (TSPS, e.g.)
46. Fantasy brutes: OGRES.
48. Loose __: TEA. I actually WAG'd at this, but it fits better than a loose END
49. Subdivision unit: LOT.
50. Plead: ENTREAT. Which crossed a totally different, yet similar word (due to its spelling) ... 30-down. Item on a menu: ENTREE
53. Deep-dish chain, familiarly: UNOS. This one took me a few perps to fill - Chicago-based pizza chain
55. "And what have we here?": OHO.
58. Investment option, briefly: IRA.
65. Telemarketer's accessory: EARPIECE. This was a bit of a stretch, clue-wise
66. Hard section of a textbook, perhaps: SPINE.
67. Compact cars?: TRAIN SET. Cute clue
68. Made a big deal of: HYPED. I hope this isn't what I did with today's puzzle!! ;^)
Down:
4. Place: LOCUS. [from one of the many on-line dictionaries] "a particular position, point, or place." As used in a sentence: "It is impossible to specify the exact LOCUS in the brain of these neural events"
12. Worrisome educational statistic: DROPOUT RATE. First time this entry/word has been used in a crossword puzzle. Ditto for (24-down. Disappoints:) ISN'T UP TO PAR. Having one new word/phrase in a puzzle is cool; having two is amazing. And both are terms/phrases that are colloquial
13. Attach, in a way: STRAP TO. Glad that Jeffrey used "STRAP TO" rather than STRAP ON
17. Boxer Spinks: LEON. [wikipedia dot com says] "In only his eighth professional fight, he (LEON Spinks) won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a split decision, in what is considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history"
21. Level: TIER.
22. Email on the q.t.: BCC. [grammarist dot com says] "On the q.t. means doing something secretly. The q.t. in the phrase on the q.t. is an abbreviation of the word quiet. The term originated in the mid-1800s. There is some debate on whether the phrase on the q.t. is of American or English origin"
23. 2016 Olympics city: RIO.
25. Preference: LIKING.
29. Energy: VIGOR.
31. Medical chart datum: AGE.
34. Cartoonist Addams, familiarly: CHAS.
35. Adjustable border: HEM.
37. "Star Trek" spinoff before "DS9": TNG.
39. Steamed bun: BAO. Perps to the rescue; JW had no choice in this one
40. Org. concerned with privacy laws: ACLU.
41. __ hut: QUONSET. PIZZA didn't fit; besides, the word "hut" wasn't capitalized
43. "My bounty is as boundless as the __": Juliet: SEA. A staple in most every Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle is a clue which contains a reference to Wm. Shakespeare
44. Panama, for one: HAT.
47. Cut a bit: SNIP.
51. Wreck: TRASH.
52. Hoarse: RASPY.
54. Spanish : noche :: Italian : __: SERA. In Spanish, SERA is the verb form "will be". As in Que sera, sera. Of course, this leads me to the following Moe-ku:
What Doris Day sang
When nacho cheese not melted?
"Queso raw, so raw ..."
55. God who gave up an eye to gain wisdom: ODIN. Perps/Friday clue
56. Shakes a leg, quaintly: HIES.
57. Second word of many limericks: ONCE. What my friend Wilbur Charles calls a "Moe-L'ick"
There ONCE was a young girl from France
Who figured, she'd just "take a chance"!
She let herself go
For an hour, or so
And now all her sisters are aunts
60. Prefix with gram or graph: EPI. TELE was too big
61. Comprehend: GET.
62. Bit of advice: TIP.
63. Early afternoon hour: ONE.
64. Rare color?: RED. As in a steak, perhaps?
Thanks for coming along for the ride! Hope you liked the blog despite it being bereft of pictures and videos. Maybe next time ... I hope to stop by later today and check-in. Feel free to add a comment
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteOverslept today. Can't believe there aren't a stack of comments before mine. I always enjoy JW's creations, and this one was no exception. Caught the theme immediately at CHOCOLATE LABOR, and was off and running. Found California/Arizona to be the most difficult area, but this one still came together Wite-Out-free and quicker than yesterday. Thanx, JW and C-Moe (Hope everything worked out OK.)
So Moe, we all know your Wed. "meals" weren't too pleasant. Been there, done that three too many times. And hope the results were good.
ReplyDeleteI like Jeff's puzzles; not much A&E or proper names. And I caught the OR immediately at the dog. It was easier than most of his and all the 3-letter fills basically gave up the theme fills. I remembered OPI and UNO'S form other puzzles but BAO, TNG, and ANA were complete unknowns. Easy puzzle for one of Jeff's.
EARPIECE- I usually have wireless ear buds attached to my collar. Can't lose them that way. I set my phone to answer automatically when on bluetooth and I hate to hold the phone up to my head. Very useful when riding a bike.
LEON Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II, was a professional boxing match contested on September 15, 1978, in New Orleans. I remember it well. I didn't go but a local politician, Sherman Copelin and another promoter, were caught with over $100,000.00 of the cash gate money. ALI defended them and nobody ever got charged. And the politician was reelected.
How many CUPS of TEA per pot
ReplyDeleteWould be considered an awful LOT?
Who should ENTREAT
We GNASH our teeth
On biscuits served up piping hot?
FIR, but had to make two corrections. I spelled quonset with an I instead of an E, and threw down "drop in grade" insted of "dropout rate" before the perps made me see my error.
ReplyDeleteWhen a knight buys ARMOR for himself,
ReplyDeleteIt's bespoke stuff, not off the SHELF.
But to afford,
He must hoard
A trove of booty and such pelf!
FIR, but erased sun for SEA. My only real unknown was MUON. What a treat - A JefWech Friday puzzle and an OKL 'lick.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen any UNOS in Florida. When home, I usually have lunch there every Monday, when they have their personal-size pizzas for half price. For years they were $5, but inflation caused them to change the promotion.
Leave it to Jeff to find a word I know in English, Spanish and Italian.
Looks like ARMOR and VIGOR could have been shoehorned into the theme, since ARM is a limb and VIG is the interest Vinnie charges me whenever I take out a short-term loan.
My dad had the same reaction to LEON Spinks and Roosevelt Leaks. Whenever the name was announced he said (to the TV) "he does?"
I know that Jeff has had at least a couple of publications in the Patti era, because I remember thinking that she hadn't run him off after all.
Thanks to JefWech for yet another gem. My favorite was CUPS. And thanks to C-Moe for the tour. I hope that the results were good.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteDO overslept (by his standards) and I underslept because I misread the time on my clock. Oh, well, no harm done and a JW puzzle more than made up for some lost extra ðī. I saw the gimmick immediately at Chocolate Labor and was tickled by it, but The Big Tenor was my favorite as Luciana was larger than life, literally and figuratively, IMO. Muon was my only unknown, but I went astray on Snit/Spat, Aroma/Frost, Rigor/Vigor, and Ares/Odin. Once again, too many three letter words but as Jeffrey is my Cary Grant of Crosswords, all is forgiven.
Thanks, Jeffrey W, for a Friday romp and thanks, Moe, for a terrific mish-mash of fun, facts, and observations. (You should have colonoscopies more often! Kidding!) The lack of links and visuals was offset by the stream of conscientiousness commentary and especially by the hilarious Moe-Lick and Moe-ku. Reaching out to Lemony was a very kind and thoughtful gesture. Sorry he wasn’t up to accepting your offer.
Have a great day.
Scusa, Luciano!
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest, I was half-expecting a Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle right before opening the crossword webpage. Turns out my gut feeling was right somehow.
ReplyDeleteFIR, much faster than yesterday (as I was expecting). The amount of 3s doesn't surprise me considering that there are three stacked themers AND 8s stacked with the other themers. The number of theme squares was even higher yesterday, a whopping 71!
Big Easy @6:56 - Could anyone enlighten me on what A&E stands for?
Took 8:41 for me to finish today, and that's no rumor.
ReplyDelete1-Across (shelf) was my last solve.
I didn't know HRH, muon, or Nivea, and I was stumped by "locus" for "site."
Cool to see Quonset hut in the grid.
It did seem like a lot of 3-letter words, but if Ms. Irish Miss can look the other way, so will I.
Mr. Wechsler is a great constructOR.
Anon at 8:08 - A&E = Arts and Entertainment (ie pop culture) from the cable channel name
ReplyDeleteStarted with FRuiT for FROST and THE top TENOR for BIG before perps
OPI was unknown
I’ve been curious about the absence of some old familiar bylines in the LAT as of late, ie Jeff W, Stella Z, Paul C. to name a few. Didn’t know if they were being published somewhere else so I was going to ask those in the know on the corner. Anyway was happy to see the JW construction today, he always delivers a top notch grid, and C-Moe explained this one very well, especially impressive was the themer stacking in rows 7,8 and 9, which I didn’t notice on my own. Not too difficult for a Friday, managed a FIR in 15:12, and I usually have to devote more time on a Friday. Thanks Jeff for some morning entertainment, nice piece of W!
ReplyDeleteC-Moe ~ nice parsing of the puzzle today, and I hope your procedure went well.
Anon @8:08 ~ I had that same gut feeling, maybe cuz a JW puzzle was overdue ðĪ·ðž♂️.
Anon @8:08 - I think BE means "arts and entertainment". His is a better term than my "pop-cult crap" because his term includes obscure historical titles and players. I see a lot of entries that require me to know the latest pop-tart singer or boy band, movies that I've never heard of, actors (of all genders) that I've never heard of, streaming service productions, neo-abbreviations that seem forced and the like. (Terms that will be important to the next generation of crossword puzzle solvers, if there is to be one. My guess is that future crossword aficionados will be as rare as today's faro players.)
ReplyDeleteI’m late today but had a busy morning. As D-O and IM have said, caught the gimmick at “chocolate labor “ and went on pretty well from there. FIR, so I’m happy .
ReplyDeleteA Friday very much to my LIKING. The computer must have been set to "Tuesday" by mistake. Except for TRAINSET (it has a ? like the theme clues) the theme itself was reasonably easy: knock off the last syllable OR else!
ReplyDeleteInkover: sun/SEA, apt/LAT, tsps/CUPS, (bakery and bra measurements ☺)
The joke in our family is that we should chip in and buy our harried brother-in-law (married to DW's oldest sister) a SPINE.
At first I thought it said "orchidist concern" ...Jabba the didn't work with "hut".. ð. I've learned so much meaningful important information from these CWs like the name of a nail polish company. ð
Hafta check with Lucina but I thought "noche" was Spanish for "night" The Italian cognate is notte (NAWT-teh). Deriving from Latin "Nox".....SERA is "evening" in Italian French cognate is soir. Oddly "sera" is a feminine noun and "soir" is masculine.
Disgruntled sheep's "humbug" go with....BAA
So What's the answer? Haven't ____ ..ACLU
Bumpy aircraft arrivals....BADLANDS
TGIF...what a week. January ending so quickly and with lotsa snow. Off for 2 weeks...more medical tests and final decisions for the wife.
Micro Leadless pacemakers implanted directly into the heart through a catheter are the up and coming technology. When I described one on a film recently the confused dictation system had to be updated. Instead of "leadless" it printed "needless" pacemaker.
Musings
ReplyDelete-Jeffrey never disappoints
-I live in BIG TEN country and love TENORS
-A circle is the LOCUS of all points equidistant from a point
-Godfather III isn’t UP TO PAR with the rest of the trilogy
JFK’s pronunciation of VIGOR is very different than what we use here
-Sometime today I am going to find out why pronunciation leaves out an O from pronounce
- My lands, BE, corruption in a prize fight in New Orleans? Next thing you’ll tell me NOLA is below sea level!
-A very nice lurker on this site wrote to me about obscure fills and Malaika Handa’s advice about “it’s a game not a test”. He told me this "By the way, it was Brooke Husic whose recent New Yorker themeless had me scurrying to Google and beyond. Italian economist Vilfredo PARETO, couturier ALAIA Azzedine, and Beale Street actress Kiki LAYNE had all confounded me, but the hall of famer was this: "Northernmost city in the United States," the answer being UTQIAGVIK. Couldn't find it on any map of Alaska. So I suspect Brooke subscribes to Malaika's advice.
TMI, schmeyemy. C-Moe; We want a blow by blow of the whole colonoscopy ordeal complete with enema photos and doctor chitchat during procedure
ReplyDeleteI'm scheduled for one in March but methinks I'm too old. Let me tell you about my bowel movements and show some pics. TMI, schmeyemy
I solved the whole thing and never noticed it was jeffwesch
Just as well, I might have been intimidated
I caught on to the added OR at TUT which allowed handy cheats like PAST-OR
I had Grate/GNASH which needed some extra ink
Ah, the lovely QUONSET huts of my USMC days. Spelled with ON not aN but LOT perped nicely
ODIN is perfect: Nexgen know him and son Thor from Marvel universe*. Boomers if nowhere else,right here. A&E meets pop-cul
Yep, unk MUON was fortunately solidly perped
Not easy for the likes of Wilbur but all of a sudden, all squares were filled
WC
HG @ at 9:18
ReplyDeleteLike announcing an annunciation (the ritual by which a woman joins a convent I think?) Denunciation (should she leave the convent?)
ðĪ
ReplyDeleteYeah, I liked it.
Moe, I don't know if "plussed" the antonym of nonplussed, but with a question mark, it would make a devious clue for added. "I plussed 5 with 3 and got 8."
Husker, you referencing the place where snowy owls are hunted :>)
(I did know of it by the old name.)
When I saw JW’s name, I figured I was in for a rocky morning, but I was happily surprised. I too got the theme at the LABRADOR answer. I appreciated the main clues, and now that the Chairman has explained the intricate difficulties of JW’s construction. I’m really impressed.
ReplyDeleteKing TUT shows up again. The boy king always makes me think of Steve Martin.
I hope the Chairman will have good results from the dreaded colonoscopy. Such indignities!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see JW back again with a Friday challenge that was ultimately do-able. I got the OR theme early in the solution today.
WRT to pacemakers and colonoscopies, they are both on my agenda for this year. Colonoscopy in March and a new pacemaker sometime within the next 6 months depending on the battery level remaining in the current one (which is decreasing). Not looking forward to either, but I agree that the prep for the colonoscopy is a real pain in the arse.
Have a great day everyone.
How great to see a JW effort! Clever clues, and fair perps for my unknowns equal a Friday FIR, a rare event for this solver.
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteWhoot! I nailed a Friday JW! And, this must have been my fastest Friday solve. I was done before my 8a meeting was over.*
I loved the theme, Jeffery and most of the fill was right up my ally (TNG [The Next Generation], MUON). Perps were fair and the clueing had whimsy.
Hope everything 'came out' OK, C. Moe. Pictureless but, nevertheless, a fun expo.
//The drugs they gave me for my procedure gave me the greatest-nap ever! with good dreams. I came out of the drugs feeling great.
WOs: I had spelled out NOT but didn't notice I left out the T in 24d #dyslexia
ESPs: SHELF (V8 moment), NIVEA, OPI, SERA
Fav: SHELF (last fill) just for the OHO / Aha!
OKL! Great to see you again! I was checking MasonObits.org [not a real site] to see if you were still with us. Nice to see your muse is back as well.
QUANSET Hut always makes me think of Click & Clack.
For TanteNique: Martin's KING TUT.
C. Moe has set the standard for 'in-a-hurry' expos - we'll see how mine turns out; my to-do list is a mile long today.
Cheers, -T
*Jinx - you mentioned last week that you thought all I did was meetings & x-words; it's just having fun with ADHD :-)
Thank you JeffWech fOR a Friday FIR.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you Moe for your constructor's eye view of a master constructor. About a few of the questions you raised ...
PLUSSED? Among its many meanings it does appear to be an antonym of NONPLUSSED. Here's the WikiD.
COLONOSCOPY? Let us know how it all comes out. I've got so many doctors these days that I'm asking them to take a number if they want to see me. Anywho, for obvious reasons a colonoscopy is at the BOTTOM of my list.
Oh yes some favorite clues ...
16A CHOCOLATE LABOR. We had a BLACK LAB and a YELLOW LAB, but Teri wouldn't spring for a CHOCOLATE.
15A ASIAN ART. My favorite period is the Sung Dynasty. They invented the downdraft kiln, stoneware, and porcelain. If you're ever in D.C. try to stop by the Smithsonian Freer Gallery. They have a lot of Sung stuff.
38A THE BIG TENOR. My spies tell me that we'll be hearing from this guy in the near future. Not a spoiler. He's not the clue or the fill.
5D FROST. After 15 seasons Teri and I are rationing the last few episodes of "A Touch of Frost" on Britbox, about detective Jack Frost, a witty, persistent bloodhound. Here's the trailer for one of the first episodes.
32D MUON. PION didn't perp.
43D SEA. ALAS, Romeo shared Juliette's boundless bounty only on d before their tragic deaths.
Cheers,
Bill
Greetings! Oh my! when I saw Jeffrey Wechler was the constructor, my first thought was glad to see him in his Friday spot, but then knew we were in for it!! Tx Jeffrey!
ReplyDeleteThanks C-Moe for you refreshing review. Good to shake things up a bit! I followed your thought process and shared a few myself. Thanks for the reveal of the theme. I am either too anxious to get to the recap, or too done in by the puzzle to stop and suss out the theme if it isn't obvious. Anyway, hope you are doing well after your procedure.
DNK MUON
LOCal -> LOCUS
smASH -> GNASH
Verve - VIGOR
OwenKL you're back! {A+,A+}!!!
ReplyDeleteA-T: thanks for the Martin skit. I still love it.
ReplyDeleteYes, nice to see OwenKlL back, in great form.
Good to see OwenKL!
ReplyDelete(I wonder how Misty will tackle this one... :)
Oh nuts! I forgot to look for diagonals. Ol' Man Keith to the rescue!
I saw Jeffrey Wechsler, combined with Friday, and was glad I had seat belts installed on the couch. But it turned out unnecessary as it was a pleasant romp, with lots of aha moments. ( except when it was oho...)
Sorry to hear about your day Moe, must be tough for a Chair Man to be seated in days like this...
Maybe I can help out with the visuals.
Chocolate labor brings to mind...
You already beat me to Martins King Tut, but for some reason the tutor part made me think of a movie I have not seen yet.
Now, after this clip, I am going to have to watch it...
Be back later if no one else comes up with any visuals.
Friday toughie, but always very clever, given that it's a Jeffrey Wechsler--many thanks, Jeffrey. And hope you get good care coming up, Moe.
ReplyDeleteWell, this started our pretty negative with a DROP OUT RATE that suggested that this ISN'T UP TO PAR. But I did my best to SPEED PAST all this negativity and look for a TREAT. And there it was, not an ENTREE unfortunately, but still CUPS of TEA to go along with the CHOCOLATE, and a chance to play with a TRAIN SET--all much more to my LIKING. And maybe even a trip to the museum to see some ASIAN ART later on. Not bad for a Friday.
Have a good weekend coming up, everybody.
Two things: 1st: Sorry of the gap. I didn't see my cursor had taken a downward trip.
ReplyDeleteThen RE: A&E: Long gone are the days they were truly ARTS & ENTERTANMENT. I remember when they had Biography and such, but now they just put up sorted (IMHO) trash.
Well, thirdly, correct spelling: Wechsler. Tx JW.
Nice to have a Friday Jeff Wex - got back late from a trip Wednesday night - killer day in the office Thursday - so nice to have a Friday to recupe and do the CW leisurely.
ReplyDeleteMostly sailed along, but with some of the first fills without perps headed me in the wrong direction that had to be righted as more fill came along
e.g. 5D started with trees then went to grove and finally landed on FROST with perps.
Also started 40A with BLUE MAN-OR (from the touring Blue Man group) which had to change to AQUA MAN-OR.
Thanks CM for the blog - hope you got a good report!
Encourage everyone to keep up with that - rates for colon cancer has been dropping slowly for years due to catching polyps before they get to cancer and healthier lifestyle with increased fiber, etc. Unfortunately it has gone up some with the younger crowd with poor lifestyle choices. I remember before we had colonoscopy, and no matter the risk, people would be sitting on a ticking time bomb - and come in once they were anemic, bleeding, or obstructed and the cancer was often already metastasized. So one day of annoyance is better than colostomies, chemo and shortened healthy lifespan. End of PSA :)
Hola!
ReplyDeleteYes! Yes! Yes! A JefWex Friday puzzle! What a wonderful surprise! We haven't seen his work in a while and it is a welcome sight. I've missed his witty wordplay and tricky clues.
I'll take a CSO at OPI nail polish. That is the brand used at the salon where I go.
CSO to my mother LALA. She would be thrilled to see her name in print. Not only my mother but her cousin IDA and my great-aunt ANA. She sent a home-made fruit cake every December which is why I learned to love fruit cake. It arrived early in the month and my grandmother would add a little brandy every day to keep it moist. Yum!
I've debated buying a TRAIN SET for my great-grandson but I think I'll wait a couple of years when he is just a bit older.
Tomorrow my niece is going to host a tea party for her mother, my sister, for her birthday and we are expected to dress the part. Luckily I have a hat (required) to wear.
Owen, it's great to see you back and see your wonderful poems. Thank you for that.
Misty, you are still in good form. Keep it up.
Have a sensational day, everyone!
Edward in Los Angeles: first read through was impossible. But the easy stuff enabled a shotgun hit pattern to solving. A fun puzzle.
ReplyDeleteEasy puzzle, great theme. As it often happens, I previewed my post this morning and then closed the site without publishing. Grrr! This is part of the reason I do not post frequently, The other reason is that I erase posts that are filled with too many OTOHs.
ReplyDeleteI see most things from several angles. My world is gray, not black and white.
As far as I can tell PLUS and MINUS are not verbs. IMO, you don't plus 3 and 5 to equal 8. You don't minus 5 from 8 to equal 3. This usage grates in my ear. I thought it was only "kid-speak". Could someone please confirm these words can be used as verbs.
YR @12:39 PM I'd suggested composing comments in a word processor or text editor and then copy and paste them into the Blogger comment screen.
DeleteWaseeley, Pavarotti also had a lot of SUNG stuff.
ReplyDeleteD-O @12:40 PM IIRC he did, although rumor has it he was a virtuoso whistler as well.
DeletePuzzling "after" thoughts:
ReplyDeleteThanks to all of my well-wishers about my "procedure" yesterday. I won't go into the "gory details", but if you really want to know, send me an email and we can discuss there. But I will echo what inanehiker said: if you're over 45 and haven't had a colonoscopy as yet, do schedule one. Cancer is no laughing matter. Catching cancer early generally allows multiple forms of treatment and or surgery. And the early detection normally provides the highest cure rate and minimal need for future treatments. I can attest to this as a cancer survivor of 19 years and counting
Lucina, I did not realize that you are an OPI user! ð It's been almost a given that on my blogging day I am sending you a CSO. Sorry for missing this one ...
For future reference, I do plan on "shaking up" my biweekly Friday blogs. Your feedback is always welcome!
For those who are interested in solving one of Chairman Moe's puzzles, rumOR has it that one of his will appear in the Newsday "daily puzzle", tomorrow (January 28). Thanks to my "brother from another mother", Malodorous Manatee, for reminding me that it will appear then. It's called "Facial Finishes". I'll try to remember to include a link on HG's Saturday blog ...
Good to hear from Owen, and hope that Jason C stops by later
An excellent Wechsler for Friday.
ReplyDeleteFriendly tough--meaning tricky but do-able.
And with a clever "Moe-L'ick" as well. Can't beat the combo for a Friday treat.
~ OMK
___________
DR: One diagonal, near side.
Its anagram (12 of 15) suggests that the boy king, although cut down in his prime, lived long enough to ensure a degree of legacy.
We refer here to ...
"TUT'S GRANDSON"!
Hi Y'all! Oh, joy! A fun, doable JeffWex which took me 13 minutes less to solve than yesterday's. And I love anything with CHOCOLATE in it -- no LABOR to that theme. I'm thankful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, CMoe for a fine expo. We don't always need embellishments. Hope the big cleanout isn't newsworthy and just lightens the load.
C-Moe ~~ Facial Finishes? Sounds rather umm…well, I won’t go there ðŦĒ
ReplyDeleteYooperPhil: that wasn't my original name for the title of this puzzle, so ya know! ð
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, nearly every puzzle I've created or seen @ Newsday uses the title word/phrase as the so-called "reveal". It's Stan's thing I guess. He's always told me that if the puzzle title doesn't give it away, then he's ok with using a short word to reveal it. Example: a recent puzzle where I used the letters DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, and DO in the four entries had the word SCALE at the bottom for the reveal. I forget the actual title he coined for the puzzle but I knew, as we were doing the editing of the puzzle, that a reveal word was needed
No takers on the remaining visuals?
ReplyDeleteOh, ok, I get it, it is kinda tough to find these things...
(Sometimes ya just post whatever you find. Like:)
TheBigTenor?
Aquamanor was really tough, try finding an aqua colored manor that's worth posting.
(Nada, nil, Butkus I tell ya...)
So, then I thought, maybe under "SpongeBob."
and that's when I found this...
Now, I thought speeding pastor would be really tough, but it wasn't...
act7ally, it was kind of a bumper crop...
just imaging if Moses was in a hurry...
Ack! I can't stop!
Forgive me, but there was even a Chairman Moe reference...
CED: I resemble your final link! ðĪŠ
ReplyDeleteInanehiker - "...and no matter the risk, people would be sitting on a ticking time bomb..." I see what you did there.
ReplyDeleteI thought that they stopped colonoscopies at 70, butt when I assed my doc he told me there is no age limit.
Musings 2
ReplyDelete-Ray, thanks for the denunciation example.
-YR - plus as a verb. Walt Disney is famous for telling his imagineers to “plus” an attraction. Which means to add something to make it even more special.
-I was amazed that my spell checker had no issue with UTQIAGVIK
-We’re off to buy birdseed! I wish I could claim them as dependents.
Oh, forgot to mention - today is Mozart's birthday!ðððð How about a little night music to celebrate!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Bill
A Friday FIR on a Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle! What's not to like! It came together little by little and sussing the theme as I filled CHOCOLATE LABOR was a big help. I did have some mistakes, but perps cleared them up: Mike/LEON, Sun/SEA, tRees/FROST, and corner/SPINE Other than the totally unknown MUON, everything made sense. A satisfying puzzle, Jeffrey, thanks!
ReplyDeleteC Moe, your effort was fine today, so do what you have time for. Glad your procedure went smoothly yesterday.
I had a busy time this morning after I solved the puzzle, but now I am catching up on the blog and comments. I agree many of you. I'm especially pleased to see your contributions, OKL.
Anon-T and WC, one of my quandaries in this puzzle was how to spell QUONSET. Thought at first it was QUANSET....Maybe I'll remember it next time.
TGIF everyone!
@Jinx at 201pm - actually they generally stop screening at age 80 - but that is for screening colonoscopies without symptoms - they still do diagnostic ones after that if someone has symptoms that warrant it. They sometimes stop screening before that if patient has an underlying condition that makes it not recommended (eg limited life expectancy, condition that they won't likely tolerate anesthesia, etc.)
ReplyDeleteCMoe:
ReplyDeleteThere is no way I would expect you to remember that I use OPI nail polish! That's my job! You have enough with writing the Blog and entertaining us with your Moekus.
Thank you for a job well done!
Inanehiker. My PC said coloscopies are not recommended for patients over 80, but every single one of my colonoscopies (5 or so) has had benign polyps that were removed. If I should live ten more years couldn't the benign could change to malignant? The PC gave no other reason for holding off except for my age. Doesn't my long term history of polyps send up a red flag?
ReplyDeleteThanks, HG. Is Disney's quote a "one off"?
Lucina, OPI. I thought of you. Since I was 60, nail polish makes my nails very dry and then they split, so I have sworn off using it.
Waseeley, yes, I could type and edit my post on Word, look up the latest posts on the blog for anything to add (or plus), and then copy and publish my offering without preview. Thanks. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
Wechsler's puzzle was UP TO PAR. Unfortunately, I was not. One bad square at cRASH / TRASH. I cannot account for what I thought "ENcREAT" might mean.
ReplyDeleteC-Moe gave us a peak into his solver brain -- sort of a brain-oscopy!
OwenKL. Happy the mood hit you today. Good ones!
Waseeley @ 11:32. ASIAN ART brought the Freer/Sackler to my mind as well. It's my favorite of the Smithsonians. I used to wander it regularly when I lived in DC. My co-worker's partner worked there and let me come along on a behind-the-scenes tour once. Good times!
My doc said I was a perfect a-hole so no need for another bootie-scan 'till I'm 60. Butt, now y'all are scaring me. Should I get another at 55?
ReplyDeleteTTP / HG - OK, what's UTQIAGVIK's non-indigenous name? Y'all lost me.
Sumdaze - I think Patti is trying to learn us [Yosemite Sam @0:45] like Rich did...
Yesterday, Entreaty was 31a. I fill'd pact b/f PLEA 'cuz I thought Treaty(?) b/f my WOs) and today we get Plead == ENTREAT.
Coincidence?
CED - LOL! You always have the great links.
Friday nap time!
Cheers, -T
-T, I was on a 10-year schedule, butt during my second one they found a single polyp. "Hope you like citrus-flavored snot, Jinx. You are a five-year customer now."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information, Inanehiker. I suspect that the risk/benefit curve makes 80 a good stopping point. I know there's a correlation between risk from anesthesia and age. I'll just continue to make appointments when my PC suggests I do so.
ReplyDeleteFantastic Friday. Thanks for the fun, Jeffrey and CMoe.
ReplyDeleteThis was a workout (I didn’t know it was a JW special until I arrived here.)
I saw the OR theme with the CHOCOLATE LAB, which helped. (And of course, the Canadian/British spelling of LABOR would not have worked!)
Was ARMOR an Easter Egg? (VIGOR is just an outlier.)
But I arrived here to discover that I FIWed.
I learned German Nacht (vs. NICHT) yesterday but my Italian is lacking. And this Canadian does not know UNOS. I had already penciled in an N to start the Night word, and never changed it to S.
SHELF filled, but stumped me, even when I got here. Stock is either the animals in the pen, or the components of your financial savings, or . . . .? OHO, the items on the SHELF at the grocery store.
I noted some interesting rhymes/anagram crossings with TEA, entrEAT, SEA, rATE.
My favourite OPI polish is Rosebud for spring.
Wishing you all a buona SERA.
Thanks for informing us that colonoscopies aren't recommended after age 80. Now I have a good excuse for my kids. The last one I had ten years ago found nothing and was really hard on my health & hypoglycemia. One of the problems with anesthesia after a certain age is a lapse into dementia. I've seen that in several people including my mother. My brother has had two minor surgeries in the past two years as well as a couple life-saving procedures earlier and he can hardly find his way home from the grocery store without his wife doing the navigating. He knows it and apologizes for it. I finally told him I thought it was a result of anesthesia & he cancelled bunion removal as not being necessary. I think the two minor surgeries might have been because he was willing and his doctors weren't busy during the pandemic scare aversion to minor procedures.
ReplyDeleteJinx, hope you can make some good arrangements for your DW. No easy decisions but necessary.
Musings 3
ReplyDelete-A T, with some research I found out that UTQIAGVIK's non-indigenous name was Barrow.
-YR, “Plus it” was not a one-off deal with Walt Disney. He applied it to every project in his studio/parks.
I liked this thoughtfully constructed Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle. I'm glad Patti didn't ruin it.
ReplyDeleteAnother clue/answer that is factually wrong (there were two of them yesterday): Spanish : noche :: Italian : __: SERA. Noche means night. Sera means evening. If this was Patti's clue, then I guess she did ruin it.
There's a funny scene in Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville in which a host and guest repeatedly sing "Buona sera" to each other as the guest tries to stay on beyond his welcome and the host tries to usher him out the door.
Thank you, Chairman Moe, for a terrific exposition.
Good wishes to you all.
Jayce @6:37 PM And here it is!.
DeleteHG, I mean only Disney used it. Disney himself being the one off. You cannot start a trend with just yourself and no one else.
ReplyDeleteJayce, "Good night" said by host and guest? I can sympathize.
Ah yes, Barrow. I know it. The other name is too esoteric for me and most of us.
PK, my friends have had similar experiences. I am holding off for now.
We had a student ballet performance tonight. Well done. All dark haired women except for one, electric neon red.
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks, according to Bill's Wiktionary link, plussed is a verb, as a simple past tense and past participle of plus. According to dictionaries, it is not a word. Neither is minused. Plussing is a word while minusing is not.
Crossword puzzle clues and answers are frequently not perfectly grammatically correct and take liberties with usage. So, in my opinion, it was perfectly acceptable (and somewhat humorous - at least to me) when I commented to Moe when I wrote about plussed "... but with a question mark, it would make a devious clue for added."
"In the world of crosswords, a clue with a question mark means that particular clue demands a second look. Usually, that bit of punctuation is an indication that the clue itself is a play on words, as opposed to a straightforward question..."
Jayce - you did this to yourself Barber of Seville (and how I know all the classics).
ReplyDeleteCheers, -T
ReplyDeleteDash T, Barrow was the answer to the trivia question about northernmost US city. When Gary wrote otherwise, I had to look it up. So I have now learned that Barrow has been renamed to the indigenous name. Not that I'll be readily able to spell it :>)
Anonymous T and waseeley, thanks for linking to those musical pieces.
ReplyDeleteTTP: So when you cannot add anything more, are we then plussed off?
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with colonoscopies, is that they sometimes find obnoxious things, like unknown growths, as in my case, a benign thing growing at the very start of the ascending colon. This resulted in five more holes in my abdomen, a bit less ileum and colon, and a bonus appendectomy. Plus something we never learned in high school, that it takes months to recover, as we age.
So the cure is worse than the prep.