Theme: Bad Beginnings. Two-word in-the-language phrases are given new meanings by adding the prefix MAL- to the first word. This prefix ordinarily indicates a bad or evil version of the root word, but here it results in a totally new, unrelated word. Very clever, and I don't know how Tom and C. C. were able to find them.
17 A. Soft feathers on a croquet implement?: MALLET DOWN. This is a silly image, so - right up my ally. Maybe wielded by an iron fist in a velvet glove? A LET DOWN is a disappointment. None here, though.
30 A. Negotiations over the ingredients of a milkshake?: MALTED TALKS. The silliness continues. Here is a recipe to TALK about. I got a 100 point glucose spike just looking at the nutrition facts. "TALKS" often refers to serious negotiation over treaties or arms limitation A TED TALK is a recorded public-speaking presentation that was originally given at the main TED (technology, entertainment and design) annual event or one of its many satellite events around the world. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks, often called "TED talks."
47. Place to park one's spiteful feelings?: MALICE SHELF. Are you on silliness overload yet? I'm enjoying it. Malice is ill will or the intention or desire to do evil. A bit abstract to be stored anywhere other than the depth of your psyche. An ICE SHELF is a floating sheet of ice permanently attached to a landmass. Until it collapses, that is. This is not good. You can learn more here.
64. Karl's years with the Utah Jazz?: MALONE TIME. Karl Anthony Malone [b. 1963] is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. He spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. He was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. Malone Time was a good time. ONE TIME can refer to some one or some thing from the past, or it can relate to a single, unique occurrence or event.
Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here to assure we don't have a bad beginning, middle or end. Let's dive into today's puzzle and see what we can find.
.Across:
1. Bit of pond growth: ALGA. A simple, nonflowering, and typically aquatic plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, leaves, and vascular tissue.5. Snatches: GRABS. Grasps or seizes suddenly and roughly.
10. Map out: PLAN. As indicated, plan out the details of program or course of action.
14. Earsplitting: LOUD. Extremely loud.
15. Anti-harassment movement: ME TOO. A global social movement that seeks to expose and prevent sexual harassment and assault, especially against women, by raising awareness and holding perpetrators to account publicly.
16. Perfect gradually: HONE. By analogy to sharpening a knife.
19. Billions of years: EONS. Indefinite and very long periods of time.
20. Stick on: AFFIX. Stick, attach, or fasten (something) to something else.
21. Bow (out): OPT. Make a choice from a range of possibilities. One could also opt in.
22. Judi Dench and Helen Mirren, for two: DAMES. DAME is an honorific title and the feminine form of address. Originally this was the female equivalent of knighthood, but now is extended to recognize accomplishment in other endeavors. The two mentioned DAMES are film actresses.
23. Emeril catchword: BAM.
25. "No thanks": I PASS. I'll opt out of whatever this is.
27. Proverb: SAW. An old saying, often repeated; maxim; proverb.
35. CBS forensic franchise: CSI. Crime Scene Investigation.
36. Animated film about a bird from Brazil: RIO.
37. Some unauthorized creations: FAN ART. Artwork created unofficially by fans of a book, film, etc., and based on that work.
38. All the __: RAGE. Very popular at a particular place and time.
40. Font flourish: SERIF. A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces.
42. Rascal Flatts, e.g.: TRIO. Rascal Flatts was an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto, and a former member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West.
43. Casting director?: ANGLER. Nice misdirection here. Casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook (or a lure) out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod. Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth.
45. "Shea Butter Baby" singer-songwriter Lennox: ARI. Courtney Shanade Salter [b. 1991] known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C. She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records.
46. Day-__ paint: GLO. The Day-Glo Color Corp. (also styled as DayGlo) is a privately held American paint and pigments manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1946 by brothers Joseph and Robert Switzer and is currently owned by RPM International. It specializes in fluorescent paint and pigments, such as those used in safety applications, artwork and signage. It invented black-light fluorescent and daylight fluorescent paints and nondestructive testing methods using fluorescent dyes.
50. Bracket shape: ELL. Same shape as the letter "L".
51. Drop out of the conversation?: ELIDE. Omit (a sound or syllable) when speaking. Misleading clue.
52. Stately tree: ELM. A tall deciduous tree that typically has rough serrated leaves and propagates from root suckers.
54. Herb piece: SPRIG. A small stem bearing leaves or flowers, taken from a bush or plant.
56. SoFi Stadium NFL player: RAM. Member of the L.A. Rams professional football team. They were the victims of horrendous officiating on Sunday that gave a playoff spot to the Seahawks. If they had lost or tied, that spot wold have gone to the Lions. Wait until next year.
59. Psyched: EAGER. Slang term for being highly enthusiastic about some activity.
63. Landing spot for a cannonball: POOL. A cannonball is a diving style where the diver hugs their knees and attempts to enter the water with their body shaped as much like a sphere as possible. The goal is to create a large splash.
66. Unflappable: COOL. Calm and composed, especially in a potentially tense situation.
67. Honeycrisp, for one: APPLE. The round fruit of a tree of the rose family, which typically has thin red or green skin and crisp flesh. Many varieties have been developed as dessert or cooking fruit or for making cider.
68. Video snippet: CLIP. Video clips are short sections of video, usually parts of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.
69. Private employer?: ARMY. Also a Major employer and a General employer.
70. Sauce for gnocchi: PESTO. Pesto is a sauce that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano.
71. Sandogasa, beanie, etc.: HATS. Various head coverings, some rather obscure..
Down:
1. __ mater: ALMA. Literally, "nourishing mother;" an allegorical Latin phrase used to identify a school, college or university that one formerly attended or/and graduated from.
2. Be a couch potato: LOAF. Be lazy.
3. View from Florida's west coast: GULF. A large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies of salt water that are enclosed by the coastline.
4. Embrace spontaneity, in a way: AD LIB. In music and other performing arts, the phrase ad libitum, often shortened to "ad lib" or "ad-lib", refers to various forms of improvisation.
5. Clock-setting std.: GMT. Greenwich Mean Time is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight.
6. Give the decor a face-lift: RE-DO. Redecorate.
7. Resting on: ATOP. On the top of.
8. Neckwear worn by Matt Smith on "Doctor Who": BOW TIE. The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that the two opposite ends form loops.
9. Male offspring: SON. A boy or man in relation to either or both of his parents.
10. Ring-necked state bird of South Dakota: PHEASANT. Birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia.
11. Has tremendous influence: LOOMS LARGE. Becomes or seems highly important and often causes worry.
12. Baby photographer Geddes: ANNE. Anne Elizabeth Geddes [b 1956] MNZM [New Zealand Order of Merit] is an Australian-born, New York City-based portrait photographer known primarily for her elaborately-staged photographs of infants. Geddes's books have been published in 83 countries.
13. Loch in tabloid photos: NESS. Home of the Monster.
18. Final, e.g.: EXAM. A test given to students at the end of a course of study or training.
22. Spreadsheet contents: DATA. Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.
24. Color akin to brick: MARS RED. A Fine Arts red pigment used in painting, artificially made from an iron oxide base and characterized by strong film-forming properties and permanence.
26. Common email attachment: PDF FILE. Portable Document Format - a file format that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted.
27. "Buzz off!": SCRAM. Go away.
28. Yoga position: ASANA. An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, to any type of position, adding reclining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses.
29. Leeway in a negotiation, say: WIGGLE ROOM. Capacity or scope for negotiation or operation, especially in order to modify a previous statement or decision.
31. Falsehood: LIE. Dishonest statement intended to mislead.
32. Text at a bat mitzvah: TORAH. The compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
33. Whale food: KRILL. Small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian word krill, meaning "small fry of fish",
34. Seat at the bar: STOOL. A seat usually without back or arms supported by three or four legs or by a central pedestal.
39. Prozac maker: ELI LILLY. Eli Lilly and Company is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in 18 countries. Its products are sold in approximately 125 countries. The company was founded in 1876 by, and named after, Colonel Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical chemist and veteran of the American Civil War.
41. Ring of Kerry's isl.: IRE. Ireland. The Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry. Its 179 km-long, circular route takes in rugged and verdant coastal landscapes and rural seaside villages.
44. Vaping device: E-CIG. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products—flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. Users inhale this aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales into the air.
48. Brightly colored wrap: SERAPE. A long blanket-like shawl/cloak, often brightly colored and fringed at the ends, worn in Mexico, especially by men.
49. Escape in a hurry: FLEE. Scram.
53. Stick in a book: MATCH. A short, thin piece of wood or cardboard used to light a fire, being tipped with a composition that ignites when rubbed against a rough surface.
54. Animal rescue org.: SPCA. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
55. Not great: POOR. Worse than is usual, expected, or desirable; of a low or inferior standard or quality.
57. Austrian peaks: ALPS. The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe,[b][2] stretching approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.
58. Lose feathers: MOLT. The process of an animal to shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.
60. __ monster: GILA. A species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, typically slow-moving reptile, up to 56 centimetres long, and it is the only venomous lizard native to the United States.
61. Give off: EMIT. Produce and discharge something, especially gas or radiation.
62. Counts at a gym: REPS. Repetitions of an exercise or action.
64. Diagram at a visitor center: MAP. Floor plan of the building.
65. Opposite of paleo-: NEO. A new and different form of something that existed in the past, such as a theory, style, language, or philosophy.
There goes another Wednesday. Hope you enjoyed it from the beginning to the ending.
Cool regards!
JzB
43 comments:
I saw the “mal” at the beginning of all the themed fills, but didn’t get what the constructor was getting at until I came onto this site. Other than that, I don’t have too much to say about C.C.’s puzzle, except that it seemed fair and solvable. One other thing: I thought the singer’s name was “Ani Lennox” but “Ine” didn’t look right for the perps so I took a chance and changed it to “Ire” for “Ireland” and it turned out I was right. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
FIR but got Naticked at ARI/IRE. Keeping up the trend of not cluing normal words like IRE as normal words when crossing a name, I see. The cluing seemed on the tougher side for a Wednesday, my solve time was Thursdayish for my standards.
An unusually fast fill to FIR for a Wednesday. I was definitely on the wavelength: my guesses were always correct except, as SG said, I too had ANI before ARI. Also like SG, I saw the MAL but didn’t give it enough thought to suss the theme. JzB furnished the V-8 can. Two W/Os SERONG:SERAPE, CAPS:HATS. Yeah, I know, that’s not even the correct spelling for SARONG. Or SO WRONG. Anyway, an enjoyable, entertaining and clever CW. Thanx, TP& C.C. And thanx too to JzB for the enlightening write-up. Now, time for coffee.
Good morning!
Bah. Fie. Got stumped dead center at the I_E/A_I cross. Don't think I've ever heard of the Ring of Kerry's Island, and probably won't remember it. Bzzzzzt. Thanx for playing. Figured the theme was add-an-M to ALONE TIME. Hmmmm. Didn't work with the others. Thanx, Tom and C.C. (Please tell me that Kerry clue wasn't yours.) Very thorough expo, as always, JzB.
ALGA: We just called it pond SCUM.
GULF: A crane mechanic I knew ELIDED the L, making it GUFF.
PHEASANT: A hunting group built PHEASANT pens in our small town where they raised the chicks. They released them into the wild shortly before hunting season.
SERAPE: Can't see this word without picturing Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone spaghetti western.
Hi Y'ALL! Fun & interesting puzzle, Tom & C.C.! I studied the theme until I got it and laughed out loud. Real good job. Thanks.
Great expo, JzB. Thanks.
DNK: ARI, Dr. Who or his neckwear (WAG), ANNE, MARS RED. I cringe when I see ANNE's swaddled babies. They look dead. I like to see babies' arms & legs moving and open eyes & smiles.
We always hadno pheasants on our farm. Seldom hunted them and posted "no hunting" signs. My son brought a bunch of guys home one year for pheasant hunting. The boys were half-a-mile north thrashing through a little pasture looking for birds to shoot. I looked out the window and there were a line of at least 8 birds creeping through our cedar windbreak north of the house enroute to hide in some old buildings in our yard. I had a good laugh and still laugh when I remember it every year. The boys saw a few birds but didn't shoot any they hit.
That is supposed to read "we always had Pheasants on our farm." I don't know how NO appeared there. By the way, I didn't tell the boys what I'd seen when they came in with their guns.
DNK: Mars Red as associated with bricks.
Making matters worse I had "Ang Lee" for 24A "Casting director" resulting in "marseed" as the brick color. Huh? Doh!
FIW. The crossing of Ari and Ire did me in. Took a WAG and was wrong. Also I did not get the theme until coming here. Not my day.
FIW, missing my WAg at Natick IlE x AlI. Erased MALONS TIME for MALONE TIME, calm for COOL, and SaRAPE for SERAPE (UNTIE!).
I got the gimmick before coming here. Wonder if it was MALware that took down the NTAM system and grounded all commercial flights. I can write a letter for Buttigieg's signature: "Dear FAA: I want to make it clear that The Department of Transportation will be holding the FAA accountable for their responsibilities to customers, both to get them through this situation and to make sure that this can't happen again." Nah, when it happens to a government entity it's just an unavoidable glitch.
Thanks to Tom and CC for the fun challenge. My favorite was "landing spot for a cannonball" for POOL. And thanks to JzB for the fun review.
Natick for me at M?RS/?IO but the RED Planet MARS helped
Btw, is Tom our TTP?
Difficult? ½ Tuesday ½ Thursday. It picked up snap as I passed the equator. I don't recall seeing the clue for IREland. My father's side is originally from County Kerry; the other side MAYO
I had a lapse in SW thinking Calm/COOL and soso/POOR.
It all worked out for the FIR
I liked your PHEASANT story PK. My grandmother grew up on a farm in Derry , NH which I visited as a child
WC
Took 6:39 for me to be a malcontent today.
I mirror what the others said, especially by friend SubG, about Ari/Ire. First, why go out of your way to clue a word (ire) as an abbreviation (Ire.)? I don't understand that. Second, Ari Lennox? Third, "Shea Butter Baby"?
Most of us have heard of Annie Lennox (a member of The Eurythmics, and inducted last year in the Rock and Roll HOF). So, I have to question the choice to clue another singing Lennox with a totally unnecessary abbreviation.
Otherwise, it was really good Wednesday puzzle, even if I didn't get the theme until coming here.
I didn't notice any "MAL-CONTENTS" in today's puzzle and hope there are no MALCONTENTS offering their two cents. Not 'bad' for Tom and C.C. But I had to make a WAG or two and help from perps to FIR. ARI and her song were unknowns. I wanted ANI (ANNIE) Lennox but there were two problems- too long and INE was an unknown abbr. for a country. ANNE Geddes, MARS RED- perps for those two.
I wouldn't have known RAM was the fill for SoFi Stadium player if I hadn't watched Georgia pulverize TCU Monday night. But any "Dawg" that tried to eat a horned frog would be in for an unpleasant surprise. They shoot blood from their eyes.
Karl MALONE was gone from LA Tech before Anon-T made it to Ruston.
Since last Friday, I have been doing better and got another FIR today. I was pleased to see Tom and C.C. listed as constructors and wasn't disappointed. Thanks for a fun puzzle!
The repetition of MAL caught my eye so I looked to see what was going on. Finally noticed the phrases following. No Malpractice here.
Thanks, JazzB, for confirming the theme and my FIR with an informative review. It explained Ring of Kerry, unknown to me though I associated Kerry with IREland. That was needed since I didn't know ARI either. Learning moments shared by many others I see.
I started off with WOs to change Adapt to ADLIB. Like D-Otto I find trouble in the first corner discouraging. After that no WOs until misspelling SERAPi, a brain blip since I know the word well. PiSTO alerted me quickly.
Hope you all have a great day!
WC @ 7:36AM, isn't Tom Pepper the crossword puzzle guy in Minnesota who helped C.C. and Boomer so much recently?
Hola!
Clever! I like clever puzzles and this one fit the bill. Thank you, C.C. and Tom (TTP?) And thank you, JazzBumpa, for your usual encyclopedic details.
The MAL- prefix was not obvious until I finished and looked it over.
MALONE TIME seems inconsistent, though. ALONE TIME
One year I grew a basil plant and made my own PESTO. I had enough for a lifetime! Finally some had to be thrown out.
I had PETA before SPCA.
Adjacent to my neighborhood when I was growing up was an ELI LILLY plant. I had no idea what it was for but the neon sign consistently blinked its name to announce its presence.
ANNE Geddes not ANNIE Lennox today. ARI is unfamiliar to me.
I PASS on BOW TIES. Some men can wear them with style, though. I guess TIES are uncomfortable but they complete the outfit so smartly.
Have a great day, everyone!
Thanks Atl, I do recall that name now. He must have drafted the lower half of the xword where easy peasy stiffened up
WC
AtlGranny, you are correct about Tom Pepper. He's one of several crossword creators in the Mpls area, and he was very helpful to C.C. and Boomer in recent days. TTP resides in the Chicago area.
Hi All!
Fun puzzle Tom & C.C.. The sonic-boom y'all heard was the theme swooshing over(my)head. Fun cluing, Tom; nice stacks, C.C..
JazzB - detailed expo, mate. Took me longer to read the write-up than doing puzzle-play. Thanks for keeping the party going.
WOs: adapt(?)->AD LIB.
FIW: A-ell-I | I-ell-E (?). I did think R in that crossing but...
ESPs: N/A
Fav: BAM! //I was getting a book signed for a buddy and Emeril asked, "What about you?" So, pic is my copy.
I was going for "National Treasure" [@2:42] for DAME Judi. Icon did fit.
Jinx - Defunding for years == antiquated. Occasionally, it needs a reboot(?). As of 7:45am flights started leaving Hobby & IAH.
WC - I don't think this is either Tom (Chicago nor Houston). IIRC, Mr. Pepper lives in FL now (or maybe ATLGranny / D-O knows better).
PK - great PHEASANT story!
Lucina - NOOOOOOO! You tossed it?!? Basil is from the gods! I typically go for 10 to 12 basil plants for a summer of pesto, Caprese, RED-sauce, and, well, anything else I can think of (really good fried for a Vietnamese dish).
I get to WFH today - I asked boss-man if OK so I could do lunch with Eldest b/f she flies back to VA / school tomorrow.
Speaking of work...
Cheers, -T
To miss (MAL) quote Billy Shakespeare: "This was the puzzle of my MALcontent". FIW
Had "Casting director" Ang Lee for ANGLER. Annie (Ani?) Lennox (guess I weren't the only one) of the Eurythmics which rendered the odd red color MARSeED. 😳
"Perfect gradually" tweak wouldn't fit. Always tempted to try scum for the frequent "pond" clue (but it's always ALGA.)...Never remember: K or C? for KRILL (the whale doesn't care)
I'll bet Emeril stole BAM from Barney Rubble's "male offspring".
I try to "BOW out" of a BOW TIE. Ring necked PHEASANTS are not native and were imported from Asia. Seems like an odd choice then for a state bird.
Ain't it kynna rude calling Judy and Helen DAMES...😁. ....SCRAM.. then there was "Click and Clack", the Tappet Bros radio show's "customer-care representative" Heywood Jabuzzof 😆
Junkie need......AFFIX
One way to dispatch a PHEASANT...RING NECK
Friendly people, there is no ___ in the Emerald Isle... IRE.
Thanks CC...(who's a Pepper?, he's a Pepper,) and Tom Pepper.) 🥤
Musings
-Tom who is a fellow Minneapolitan who helped C.C. so much with Boomer. We all should have such a good friend.
-I am subbing with a condition that feels like MAL de mere. I almost went back home but have fought my way through it and the kids are great.
-Even after 40 years in the classroom I was still trying to HONE my lessons
-Sonny and Cher sang, The Charleston was once the RAGE, uh-huh, History has turned a page, uh-huh
-The RAMS have gone from first (Super Bowl winner) last year to near worst this year
-“You can’t handle the truth” is a famous Jack Nicholson AD LIB
-My constructor friend sent me puzzles in .pdf format and I asked him to use .puz.
-I thought my friend had made a mistake when he had the word SARAPE not SERAPE
-Here come the 7th graders to start a unit on poetry. I asked them to name a poem and Dr. Suess's were the first ones and then one very precocious boy said Dante's Inferno
(Wees!) I dnf'd at ari/ire...
(Couldn't figure it out, and hit reveal in a lack of patience.)
In hindsight, both are crossword staples, seen way too often, but cleverly disguised in the clueing.
(However, I am kicking myself for not connecting "Kelly" and "Ireland.")
How I saw the Themers?
MalletDown?
MaliceShelf?
Here is some MaloneTime for you...
Actually, way too much... 9 minutes? (Part 7???)
And finally,
MaltedTalks sent me down the rabbithole, as it reminded me of Joni Mitchell's song "Conversation," with the line, "secrets, and sharing soda, that how our time began."
For aspiring guitarists:
If you ever get in a funk, (and you will...) and nothing sounds right, or in tune. This is the perfect song for beginners, or anyone to get out of a slump. Joni uses an open D tuning that is a delight to play, and makes everything easier for the beginner.
(Bar chords become one finger across the neck)
From low to high, D. A. D. F#. A. D.
Note that when you use a capo, you will have to tweak tuning slightly to the get best resonance, which is what is sadly missing when you are in a funk.
So, here ya go, get in sync with that syncopated rhythm, and wail away with the Sax...
P.s. this tuning is used on Big Yellow Taxi, Chelsea Morning, Cactus Tree, Peoples Parties, Clouds, and several others...
HG. Mal de Mere?. Mom's disease? Is it that time of the month for you? (Mal de Mer)
Dante's Inferno was a strip joint here in town when I was in kollidge.
😈
I’m so disappointed in myself that I didn’t see the MAL theme when it should have been so obvious. I blithely thought just M added.
It also didn’t help that I spelt KRILL with a c, and I tripped in the ARI/IRE trap.
Otherwise a great puzzle full of clever clues.
My favorite apples made an appearance. I love honeycrisps.
Thanks Ray! The boat seems to have settled down and I am doing much better after several trips to the head. I don't anything in the galley will look very good at noon. :-)
Greetings! Thanks JzB. Loved your very informative recap - you've expanded my horizons.
Thanks, Tom and CC for a clever theme and for your cluing of IREland with the Ring of Kerry. It's a wonderful memory of my being there. Altogether a nice Wed. puzzle.
The top came together smoothly, but I had to work at the lower half. Finished w/ only one WO - DNK ARI or ANNE but got them w/ the perps.
Never heard of MARS RED. Brick comes in many colors (as a viewer of HGTV). Didn't know which shade they were angling for. (I think that is "currently" phrased correctly - for which they were angling - seems too awkward. LOL!
HG@ 10:42
IMO the two professionals who have the hardest jobs are teachers and stand-up comedians. Plus short term subs frequently wind up as the Rodney Dangerfields of the classrom. Then add to it you're under the weather
You deserve a 🌟
FIW with just one bad square at I?E/A?I. I should have paid more attention to the "Kelly" hint. Thanks, C.C. and Tom for a fun puzzle! I enjoyed all the misdirection. FAVs: View from FL, cannonball, and Casting director?
Thanks, also, JzB for explaining things so well!
D-Otto @ 5:47. Same same on the Clint Eastwood image
= )
-T: Do you know if the DOD is still using Windoze XP? I remember they were paying a fortune to Microsoft to keep it alive just for them. Teaching them was a challenge because of the system and application version differences. I also couldn't pass out CD ROMs with exercises on them to any such students that were in class. Made it extra difficult when all my students in the class were Nexcom employees.
When you were still in KNEE PANTS (I know, a throwback), AT&T put a bad patch in one of their 4ESS toll switches. It propagated across the nation, and knocked out nearly all interstate phone calls for a few days. This was before cell phones, so there wasn't a backup capability. In the same time frame (circa 1988), there was a fire in a telco office in Hinsdale, IL that knocked out voice and data communications for several days. I remember that none of the ATMs in Dallas worked. One of the great things about all things packet is the ability to get around such disaster.
Wednesday Workout. Thanks for the fun, Tom and C.C.
Officially a FIW - same ARI/IRE cross as everyone else. Yes, I’m kicking myself too for not getting the Kerry prompt.
Plus I didn’t get the theme properly. I saw Meltdown, Malta talks, Alice shelf, Lone time, and really didn’t understand. Oh well, it was fun.
I had Tune before HONE; my vaping device was a Pipe, then a Bong, before an E-CIG.
After alphabet runs to get the W in SAW and G in RAGE (all the ____ could have been Rest and others), I got WIGGLE ROOM and smiled. Clue for ELIDE was great too. Plus LOOMS LARGE and POOL.
I thought I would be the only one misdirected to ANG LEE until I parsed MARS RED to get ANGLER.
At least ELL had a non-meh clue today.
Great PHEASANT story PK. Pelee Island has a pheasant farm, and there is a pheasant hunt every fall.
PheasantHunt
Wishing you all a great day.
I liked this puzzle a lot. I feel it was a nice blend of some gimmees to give the solver places to start, wonderfully sneaky clues such as "Casting Director" and "Drop out of the conversation", and a wonderfully creative theme. It was a great pleasure to solve Tom and C.C.'s puzzle today.
I went entirely the wrong way (a pleasant detour) with "Casting Director" because I had ANGLE and I put in ANG LEE, the movie director. It was only during the effort (a pleasant effort) to parse MARSEED that the light bulb lit up and I realized that E should be an R. By golly, now that is how I actually enjoy being fooled. Good stuff!
I also had to change AMPED to EAGER, ANI and INE to ARI and IRE, OAK to ELM, and CALM to COOL.
This puzzle was a bright spot in today's otherwise very rainy gloom.
Good wishes to you all.
Jazzbumpa does the honors, guiding us through this Pepper/Burnikel PZL...
A good solid XWD, with several write-overs. In the end, I got 'em all, but not without a bit of sweat. Well placed for a Wednesday job.
~n OMK
___________
DR: Three on the near side.
The central diagonal produces an anagram (13 of 15) which can be read either of two ways. The first is used when addressing the sort of mariner one knows only briefly, too short a span to bother learning his name, to inquire whether the guy is having a bad karaoke session...
"ILL ARIA, SAILOR?"
By a minor re-shuffling, it is an inquiry into the truthfulness of the same guy...
"LIAR, SAILOR?!"
Jinx - from what I've read (no 1st-hand knowledge) the DoD, as of 2021, still uses XP. I remember the problem with the Navy: by the time the subs were sea-worthy the software was outdated but all applications were built to SPEC on XP.
//I wonder if the Ukrainian kids showing up at Ft. Sill know XP? - I bet then know how to hack it :-)
That's the problem with using COTS* -- a team of engineers design a nuclear sub meant to be asea for 40 years and some punk in Seattle writes software that's only good for, maybe(?) 7. I'm sure there's billions here and a billion there [adds up to real $$$ you know] supporting a small team at µ$soft responsible for 40% of profit :-)
Anyway, my $0.02 (that no one asked for) is build long-term projects with proven real-time operating-systems.
I like #2, OMK.
Ray-O - perfect for HG! I couldn't have put it better.
Cheers, -T
*Commercial Off The Shelf - big push for it in the '90's at DoD. That and RIF (Reduction in Force (BushI & Clinton)) - that's when I jump'd to consulting ;-)
Puzzling thoughts:
Other than having a word in a clue (10-across: "Map out") being a word used in the grid (64-down: "Diagram at a visitor center") this was just fine
Thanks to C.C. and her friend Tom for the fun puzzle; thanks JzB for the entertaining and informative recap
See y'uns on Friday
I certainly enjoyed the theme! Thanks to C.C. and Tom for the puzzle and to JzB for the great recap.
Anon-T, the nuclear subs as I recall were powered with VAX/VMS. During a trip north of Concord NH we stopped at a convenience store.
The proprietor was Ken Olsen's bil. He mentioned Ken came to visit him in the hospital and said something mysterious:
"If I lose the government contract I'm afraid I'll lose the Company"
Apparently the government wanted to wean off of DEC and go, as you say, to off the shelf.
Perhaps DEC was too proprietary. My theory was the engineering and security was to robust which of course is an enigma
I only wish I'd sold DEC stock short
WC
OMK, isn't that redundant: "LIAR, SAILOR?!" There was a common saying that was used to welcome newcomers to the fold, whether they were new to racing or just new to the area. "Come up to the [clubhouse/restaurant/bar/'Elton''s boat] after the race. We drink, tell jokes and lie about what great sailors we are."
-T and WC: GTE / Verizon IT bought into the COTS approach as well. Good for marketing stuff like our data warehouse; not so great for billing and provisioning systems. (Our data warehouse implementation still required a tremendous amount of manpower to engineer data structures and queries.)
Jinx said "to engineer data structures and queries." WTF do you think I do 1/2 my days :-)
//Splunk makes it a heck of a lot easier - too bad I can't share the 'metrics' dashboard I built last night.
WC - Maybe I'm MALremembering and it was battle-ships with XP that had to re-doc. Nevertheless, my assertion (re: solid systems (and DEC's VAX was one!)) still stands ;-)
Cheers, -T
-T, I didn't know what you did in the half of your days when you weren't in project meetings doing crosswords!
MalMan, has no one even acknowledged your CSO?
One time I had a close encounter with a ring necked pheasant in PA. As I was traveling 65 miles an hour on Rte.80, one of them flew right past my windshield. I slowed a little and the tips of his wings just brushed the glass. If I hadn't slowed it would have been a disaster.
I noticed the MALs right away. I enjoyed the theme. Some clever misdirections. Usual Wed. level of difficulty.
Jinx - yes, and in the Third-half of my day I can actually do my job of keeping hackers at bay.
//A sincere ask - why does brass want metrics?* They only get what is measured.
R.I.P. Jeff Beck. Uncle Milton introduces The Yardbirds.
Cheers, -T
*boss-man & I had this conversation this afternoon. We came up with building metrics to get what WE want - like more staff, other teams to do their jobs, bonus(? - here's hoping :-))
FIR. As usual, I forgot to really look for the theme. I noticed the MAL answers, but that was the extent of it. Fortunately, TALKS made me change the C to K in KRILL.
Nice puzzle, C.C and Tom; nice expo, JazzB! Thanks to all!
I’ve not even tried to keep up with all of the stadium/arena names. Don’t get me started!
I hope our California friends are safe from the floods I see on the News. Those living right on the coast and cliff edges are especially vulnerable according to the reporting.
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