Hello Cornerites! Welcome to the first Monday in April!
Mama Mia! Today's constructor Dan Caprera has given us a Wicked fun puzzle enjoyed by solvers from Oklahoma! to Chicago to the South Pacific to Hamilton, Ontario. Yes, The Sound of Music from A Chorus Line was ringing in my ears as The King and I, along with the other Guys and Dolls, worked our way through the clues. We plan to thank The Producers by sending them a case of Spamalot and perhaps a pair of Kinky Boots.
You guessed it! Our theme today is Broadway Shows
James Cagney performing Give My Regards To Broadway
from the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942).
Let's take an intermission and look at the 4 themed entries:
16 Across. *Vigorous effort: ELBOW GREASE.
noun
INFORMAL
- hard physical work, especially vigorous polishing or cleaning."you should be able to get the rust off with a wire brush and elbow grease"
23 Across. *"Last Week Tonight" host: JOHN OLIVER.
 |
| Comedian, actor, and writer JOHN OLIVER hosts this HBO show. It airs at 11 p.m. on Sunday nights. Oof! |
38 Across. *Winter transports with treads: SNOCATS. "SNOCAT" is a portmanteau of "snow" and "Caterpillar", as in the tractor company. The name originated from a 1946 trademark by Tucker Sno-Cat corporation. They can be used for plowing; grooming mountains and trails; creating snow terrain parks and obstacle courses; and transporting passengers across snow-covered areas. 
49 Across. *Come out on top, but just barely: WIN BY A HAIR. This idiom and "win by a nose" mean to defeat one's opponent by a very narrow margin.
Why would these seemingly disparate things be in the same puzzle? Let's look at the reveal:
61 Across. Dazzling theater performance, and what the answer to each starred clue literally has: SHOWSTOPPER. The Broadway shows GREASE, OLIVER, CATS, and HAIR are all dazzling theater performances. Furthermore, the titles are at the end of the starred clues so each starred clue actually STOPs with a show.
Well done, Dan!
Across:
1. Abrasion a tot may call an "owie": SCRAPE. A Hello Kitty band-aid will make it feel better.
7. __-mo: instant replay technique: SLO.
10. Cauldron: VAT. a large tank or tub used to hold liquid, especially in industry.
13. Wobble: TEETER. Does anyone remember these toys?
25. Treble __: music symbol: CLEF.
27. Exceedingly dry: SERE. (adjective) being dried and withered.
28. Fan's "I want my money back!": BOO.
31. Use Grubhub, say: EAT IN. When I had the "E", I was trying to make some sort of E-food or E-tail thing work. Turns out, it wasn't that complicated.
34. Curt: TERSE.
37. Gallop: RUN.
40. "__ it ain't so!": SAY.
41. Mermaid whose father is King Triton: ARIEL. (See 55 Down.)
43. Soda brand in blue cans: PEPSI.
44. Chopping tool: AXE.
45. Do as one's asked: OBEY.
47. Philosopher Immanuel: KANT. (1972-1894) life and works and more
53. Carmine and ruby: REDS. wines
57. Comes to a close: ENDS.
58. Piggy bank addition: COIN.
59. Confusion: MIX-UP. I am sure you have heard stories of travel destination MIX-UPs. This one happened just last February when a man traveling to Sydney, Australia ended up in Sydney, MT .
60. Hullabaloo: ADO.
63. Cup edge: RIM.
64. James of jazz: ETTA.
65. "Gotta hurry!": I'M LATE. "Gotta" in the clue makes the contraction in the answer work.
66. Observe: SEE. and 36 Down. Observe: EYE.
67. Donkey: ASS.
68. Dangerous African fly: TSETSE. When an infected TSETSE fly bites people, it can transmit a parasite that causes the disease African trypanosomiasis, also called sleeping sickness. Symptoms include fatigue, high fever, headaches, and muscle aches. If the disease is not treated, it can cause death.
Down:
1. Units tracked by fitness trackers: STEPS.
2. Large stringed instruments in an orchestra: CELLI. Hand up for first having CELLo. It turns out that CELLI or cellos is the plural of "cello" (full name: violincello).
3. Picture puzzle: REBUS. Here are 9. You can find the answers at the end of this write-up.
4. Decidedly tiny: ATOMIC. A human hair is about 1 million carbon atoms wide.
5. Church benches: PEWS. Wisdom from my grandfather: He who passes gas in church sits in his own PEW.
6. Indoor rower, for short: ERG. We've had this one before. An ERG (commonly known as a rower) stands for "ergometer", a device that measures the amount of work performed. It is designed to mimic the rowing motion that a person creates when in a watercraft but operates on land. Embrace the ERG!
8. Rodeo ropes: LASSOS.
9. Dollar: ONE.
10. The other way around: VICE VERSA. Fun fill!
26. TV journalist Stahl: LESLEY. Ms. Stahl began her 31st season on 60 Minutes in September 2022, having joined the broadcast as a correspondent in March 1991.
28. Wardrobe item with a clasp: BRA.
29. Belonging to us: OUR.
30. Russian Orthodox church feature: ONION DOME.
32. Rink surface: ICE.
33. Some lap coverers: NAPKINS.
35. Kenny G's horn: SAX.
39. Old Russian ruler: TSAR.
42. Subsides: EBBS.
46. Luxury vessels: YACHTS.
48. __ sec: orange-flavored liqueur: TRIPLE.
49. Puts on: WEARS.
50. Many a low-budget flick: INDIE.
That's all for today. Please save me a seat for next week!
1. Abrasion a tot may call an "owie": SCRAPE. A Hello Kitty band-aid will make it feel better.
10. Cauldron: VAT. a large tank or tub used to hold liquid, especially in industry.
Batman (1989)
Michael Keaton (Batman) and Jack Nicholson (The Joker)
have it out over a VAT of industrial goop at Axis Chemicals (1:41 min.)
13. Wobble: TEETER. Does anyone remember these toys?
Weebles Wobble but they don't fall down. ♪♪♪
The Camino de Santiago SPANs a good portion of northern SPAIN.
Has anyone read I'll Push You ?
15. Wedding promise: I DO. I heard recently that people are using ChatGPT to write their "personal" wedding vows. 😂
18. Dairy farm animal: COW.
19. Future prunes, perhaps: PLUMS. I used to have a neighbor who had a prune orchard. That is how I learned that prunes are their own fruit -- not just dried plums. I ate fresh prunes off the tree and made prune jam. This link explains the difference between a plum and a prune. Good job, Dan, for including the "perhaps" qualifier!
20. R&B singer Redding: OTIS. Oh, yeah....
21. "And __ off!": WE'RE. I usually add, "...like a heard of turtles." My Aussie friend Mick usually adds, "...like a bucket of shrimp left in the sun." His version is funnier.
22. Spanish "Yes, yes!": SÍ SÍ
15. Wedding promise: I DO. I heard recently that people are using ChatGPT to write their "personal" wedding vows. 😂
18. Dairy farm animal: COW.
 |
| Check out their tally board! |
19. Future prunes, perhaps: PLUMS. I used to have a neighbor who had a prune orchard. That is how I learned that prunes are their own fruit -- not just dried plums. I ate fresh prunes off the tree and made prune jam. This link explains the difference between a plum and a prune. Good job, Dan, for including the "perhaps" qualifier!
20. R&B singer Redding: OTIS. Oh, yeah....
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
The song was recorded shortly before Otis died in a plane crash.
It was the first posthumous single to top the charts in the U.S.
My cat used to always perk up during the whistling part.
21. "And __ off!": WE'RE. I usually add, "...like a heard of turtles." My Aussie friend Mick usually adds, "...like a bucket of shrimp left in the sun." His version is funnier.
22. Spanish "Yes, yes!": SÍ SÍ
25. Treble __: music symbol: CLEF.
27. Exceedingly dry: SERE. (adjective) being dried and withered.
28. Fan's "I want my money back!": BOO.
Snoopy BOOs Charlie Brown
in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) (31 sec.)
31. Use Grubhub, say: EAT IN. When I had the "E", I was trying to make some sort of E-food or E-tail thing work. Turns out, it wasn't that complicated.
34. Curt: TERSE.
37. Gallop: RUN.
40. "__ it ain't so!": SAY.
Weezer released SAY It Ain't So in 1994.
41. Mermaid whose father is King Triton: ARIEL. (See 55 Down.)
43. Soda brand in blue cans: PEPSI.
44. Chopping tool: AXE.
45. Do as one's asked: OBEY.
47. Philosopher Immanuel: KANT. (1972-1894) life and works and more
53. Carmine and ruby: REDS. wines
 |
| Was it constructor Dan's plan to distract us with thoughts of this Carmine from Laverne & Shirley? |
58. Piggy bank addition: COIN.
59. Confusion: MIX-UP. I am sure you have heard stories of travel destination MIX-UPs. This one happened just last February when a man traveling to Sydney, Australia ended up in Sydney, MT .
60. Hullabaloo: ADO.
63. Cup edge: RIM.
64. James of jazz: ETTA.
65. "Gotta hurry!": I'M LATE. "Gotta" in the clue makes the contraction in the answer work.
66. Observe: SEE. and 36 Down. Observe: EYE.
67. Donkey: ASS.
68. Dangerous African fly: TSETSE. When an infected TSETSE fly bites people, it can transmit a parasite that causes the disease African trypanosomiasis, also called sleeping sickness. Symptoms include fatigue, high fever, headaches, and muscle aches. If the disease is not treated, it can cause death.
Down:
1. Units tracked by fitness trackers: STEPS.
2. Large stringed instruments in an orchestra: CELLI. Hand up for first having CELLo. It turns out that CELLI or cellos is the plural of "cello" (full name: violincello).
3. Picture puzzle: REBUS. Here are 9. You can find the answers at the end of this write-up.
5. Church benches: PEWS. Wisdom from my grandfather: He who passes gas in church sits in his own PEW.
6. Indoor rower, for short: ERG. We've had this one before. An ERG (commonly known as a rower) stands for "ergometer", a device that measures the amount of work performed. It is designed to mimic the rowing motion that a person creates when in a watercraft but operates on land. Embrace the ERG!
8. Rodeo ropes: LASSOS.
Will Rogers in The Roping Fool (1922).
Watch him rope a mouse!
10. The other way around: VICE VERSA. Fun fill!
adverb
- with the main items in the preceding statement the other way around
Here is the trailer for the 1988 movie VICE VERSA starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage.
It's one of those parent-kid-switch-bodies movies -- always a good set-up for some silliness.
11. Love to pieces: ADORE.
12. Pisa landmark: TOWER. Construction of the Leaning TOWER of Pisa began in 1173 as the third and final structure of the city of Pisa's cathedral complex. In particular, it was built to serve as the complex's bell TOWER.
14. "Jokes __ Can't Tell": late-night segment: SETH. The "late-night" part, along with a perp or two, helped me guess "SETH Meyers". I found this article on the segments.
17. Locale of many a swanky bar: ROOFTOP.
21. Cable: WIRE.
23. The Fugees rapper Wyclef __: JEAN. Wyclef Jean, born on October 17, 1969, is an American-Haitian rapper and songwriter best known for his chart-topping album “The Score.” He began his musical career singing in church choirs, having been raised by a preacher father.
24. Admits: LETS IN.
12. Pisa landmark: TOWER. Construction of the Leaning TOWER of Pisa began in 1173 as the third and final structure of the city of Pisa's cathedral complex. In particular, it was built to serve as the complex's bell TOWER.
14. "Jokes __ Can't Tell": late-night segment: SETH. The "late-night" part, along with a perp or two, helped me guess "SETH Meyers". I found this article on the segments.
17. Locale of many a swanky bar: ROOFTOP.
21. Cable: WIRE.
23. The Fugees rapper Wyclef __: JEAN. Wyclef Jean, born on October 17, 1969, is an American-Haitian rapper and songwriter best known for his chart-topping album “The Score.” He began his musical career singing in church choirs, having been raised by a preacher father.
24. Admits: LETS IN.
A policeman at 10 Downing St. LETS IN Larry the cat. (56 sec.)
I love that Larry uses the policeman as his personal doorman.
Notice the giant yawn.
26. TV journalist Stahl: LESLEY. Ms. Stahl began her 31st season on 60 Minutes in September 2022, having joined the broadcast as a correspondent in March 1991.
28. Wardrobe item with a clasp: BRA.
29. Belonging to us: OUR.
30. Russian Orthodox church feature: ONION DOME.
 |
| why Russian churches have ONION-shaped DOMEs |
32. Rink surface: ICE.
33. Some lap coverers: NAPKINS.
35. Kenny G's horn: SAX.
Kenny G. plays Silhouette (1988).
39. Old Russian ruler: TSAR.
42. Subsides: EBBS.
46. Luxury vessels: YACHTS.
48. __ sec: orange-flavored liqueur: TRIPLE.
 |
You might find it in these drinks: |
49. Puts on: WEARS.
50. Many a low-budget flick: INDIE.
 |
| We are not talking about INDIana Jones. This refers to an INDEpendently made movie; that is, one made outside of a major studio. |
51. Owl sounds: HOOTS.
52. Audio brand: AIWA. I found this timeline on the company's website:
52. Audio brand: AIWA. I found this timeline on the company's website:
1951 Founded & independent
1982 Acquired by Sony Corporation
2006 Brand Discontinued
2017 Re-launch of AIWA (independent again)
2020 Kick-start AIWA Global Business Network Formation
54. American living abroad, for short: EXPAT. An EXPATriate is a someone who lives outside their native country. the difference between an EXPAT and an immigrant
55. Tunes two croon: DUETS. Here are two toons crooning tunes:
54. American living abroad, for short: EXPAT. An EXPATriate is a someone who lives outside their native country. the difference between an EXPAT and an immigrant
55. Tunes two croon: DUETS. Here are two toons crooning tunes:
Sweet Child from The Little Mermaid (1989)
56. Shopping binge: SPREE. According to Good Job, Brain! Episode #107, Mary Todd Lincoln was a notorious compulsive shopper. She liked to go to New York on shopping SPREEs where the merchants were happy to extend credit to the president's wife. Her shopping debts created problems in her life.
59. May honorees: MOMS. This year, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 14.
61. Salty expanse: SEA.
62. __ for tat: TIT. actions done intentionally to punish other people in retaliation for something they have done to you.
59. May honorees: MOMS. This year, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 14.
61. Salty expanse: SEA.
62. __ for tat: TIT. actions done intentionally to punish other people in retaliation for something they have done to you.
And for the grand finale, we have the grid!
3 Down. REBUS puzzle answers:
1.) misunderstood, 2.) a walk in the park, 3.) one in a million, 4.) looking back, 5.) you're under arrest, 6.) stand by me, 7.) walking on thin ice, 8.) I see you understand, 9.) B flat
40 comments:
Although for those unfamiliar with John Oliver, this puzzle may pose some small difficulty, it was, in the main, another typical Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
This was a nice Monday offering. The Wite-Out got a rest. Saw the reveal...even read the whole clue...and then went looking for stoppers like "Cork," "Plug," etc. D'oh. Really liked the TIT for Tat cartoon. Excellent revue, Sumdaze. (Was that friend with the prune orchard a regular guy?)
You have to love a puzzle that has the pairs Ass-Jean and Tit-Bra.
A terrific unclefred-level CW, thanx DC for the doable Monday effort. I even knew all the proper names today! Thanx too to Sumdaze for the wonderful write-up, although the link to “Why do Russian orthodox churches have onion domes?” turned out to be a bit of a rabbit hole. After reading the whole thing the answer turns out to be, “Geez, we’re not really sure.” I learned something about plums and prunes that I didn’t know, thanx for that, Sumdaze. I’m really happy with the changes MLB made; the games are now worth watching. No more yelling at the pitcher on TV, “Throw the &$&*% ball already!” which never seemed to help anyway.
FIR, but after all it is a Monday. Threw down pot for the clue cauldron and soon realized my mistake. And I've never heard of John Oliver, but no problem. Very clever theme, nice puzzle.
FIR, but erased gems for REDS, sweated out arid for SERE, and smoked pot for VAT. Personal Natick JEAN x JOHN OLIVER, but it was an easy SWAG.
It was nice to have lower-case "ruby" so I wasn't looking for a surname for a pair of sisters. I remember that the divorce lawyer employed by Car Talk was Carmine Notyours.
As a former horse racing aficionado, I'm more familiar with the shout "they're off", and the expression WIN BY A nose. I loved to look at the photo finish pictures that would be posted several places in the grandstand shortly after the race was decided. These were made on film cameras using technology that seemed indistinguishable from magic to me.
Yeah, ATOMs are tiny, but I'll bet that nearly everyone thinks "huge" or "powerful" when ATOMIC is used as an adjective.
Congrats to LSU for winning the D1 women's national championship. I'll bet Iowans are yelling "we was robbed!"
Thanks to Sumdaze for the fine, fun review.
I finished this in 4:24 today while sitting on my fAnnie.
I was familiar with John Oliver - I've seen several episodes (mostly the reruns, not the 11pm showings). Oddly, I don't think there was an actress or a novelist for me to not know today.
My Dear Uncle Fred, maybe you just weren't yelling loud enough.
Quick as usual Monday - added fun of Musicals as I am a big fan.
Otis's song will be my earworm for the day- which is sweet
My husband and son walked the entire French route of the Camino de Santiago in 2014 from St Jean Pied-a-Port - 500 miles in 30 days. The trip of a lifetime for them both.
There is a new documentary out with limited release in theaters and then it will probably stream: Santiago: the Camino Within which captures the experiences of the pilgrims
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Santiago-The-Camino-Within
Thanks SD for the blog and Dan for an amusing puzzle!
My first booboo was in place of SCRAPE. After that all was well.
Good Morning! Another fine start to the week! Thanks, Dan.
KANT – all perps.
LESLEY: ie to EY
Sumdaze, your recap was enlightening and entertaining as ever. Clever intro capturing so many other noted plays along those in the theme.
REBUS. I’ve always enjoyed them and aced all but #9. Couldn’t get past seeing it as a baffling horizontal, then AHA moment after your reveal.
Love Kenny G. Soothing background as I read the rest of the recap.
Loved the cow’s tally board and the piggy bank at the Dr. 😂
fFun Monday puzzle with just a slight crunch. Not a mindless 1-2-3, but very easy.
People I know don't say,"Owie." Boo-boo is more common here. My parents didn't use much baby talk, so said neither. OTH they did call Merthioalte "red stuff." I guess we kids could not pronounce Merthiolate.
This sense of ERG is new to me, but the perps fit.
We used to call a seesaw a teeter totter.
I remember Romper Room and Weebles.
I learned something new about plums and prunes. Thanks, Sumdaze.
Vice versa is one of many loan words not considered foreign since we adopted them. Many words deemed foreign here are actually loan words and in the legitimate English language now. Loan words often change pronunciation, spelling and/or nuance when adopted by another language,
I see no rebus puzzles. Where are they?
I did originally have cello, which had to be corrected when I filled si si. 3 names crossed which, since I didn't know them , made that section difficult but I figured it out. No other issues.
Musings
-This lover of musicals had the theme smack him in the head after overthinking!
-…and we’re off like a dirty shirt!
-TERSE – At the dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery, Edward Everett spoke for two hours. Abe Lincoln spoke for two minutes.
-Black Sox Scandal, “SAY it ain’t so, Joe!”
-COIN – If your bill is $3.51, see what happens when you hand the clue a $5 bill, two quarters and a penny.
-Name this character, “I’M LATE, I’M LATE for a very important date, No time to say hello goodbye, I’M LATE, I’M LATE, I’M LATE”
-Nice job, SD!
Good Morning:
A more observant solver may have noticed the show endings before the reveal clue, but I certainly didn’t, therefore, Show Stopper was a pleasant Aha surprise. I went astray at Pot/Vat (Hi, KS) and Din/Ado, and needed perps for the unknown Seth and Jean. Yachts abutting Sea was cute and I also appreciated the minimal pop culture references.
Thanks, Dan, for a clever theme and thanks, sumdaze, for a top-notch review. My favorite comic was the Piggy “Bank “, and seeing Jimmy Cagney’s effortless footwork is always a treat. I got all of the Rebuses except for #9.
I watched The Banshees of Inisherin yesterday and while there were some comic moments, the overriding theme was extremely dark and heartbreakingly sad. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson’s performances were extraordinary and mesmerizing. It’s a powerful movie, but not one for the faint of heart.
Have a great day.
A fun Monday puzzle. FIR but not always with my first idea. I started to check the review, then thought, "but wait , there's more!" The SHOW STOPPERs were easy to find. Well done, Dan!
Sumdaze, you did a great job reviewing today. My only WOs were tie/BRA (I was thinking of tie tacks) and precipitously writing SEE in EYE's space first. (I try to check perps first, but...)
No Wobbles TEETERed in our house during the 70s.
Thanks for the prune/plum explanation, sumdaze. We had a large prune tree in our garden in Germany and harvested fruit enough to share as well as to bake tarts.
I didn't make the Be Flat picture large enough to see what it was, inanehiker. I've seen these kinds of puzzles used on Jeopardy and on puzzle pages. Rebus? Maybe it's one type of a rebus picture puzzle, YR?
Yes, Otis will be singing on the dock of the bay now for me too, RosE.
Enjoy your day, everyone!
I am lost. Sumdaze and Irish Miss, where are the rebuses?
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR with maybe a couple of KO's (Keyboard Overs)
Yellowrocks @ 10:38 --> the rebuses were images that sumdaze placed under the recap of that clue/entry. They were boxes with words that made up the rebus phrase; e.g., the letters ICU was under the word STAND (I see you understand). Maybe they aren't visible on the device your're using to view. Might it be an AIWA??!! ;^)
As did IM, I too had an "aha" Moe-ment when the SHOWSTOPPER reveal was so perfectly explained by our marvelous Monday maven, Renee!
Congratulations to the Lady Tigers (LSU) for their victory yesterday in the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament ... Geaux!!
Didn't walk through the park today: GALLOPED! Fun Monday romp. The only name I didn't ken was the rapper. POT/VAT, PIG/COW, ARID/SERE (note to self: wait for the perps, dummy!) FIR, but ran so fast that the theme couldn't catch up to me....thanks for 'splaining, Sumdaze.
I couldn't make out B flat either (I thought they were pencils?)
I often get missing pictures , Yellowrocks, try reloading the Blog.
The blog has a lot of different attachments from all over the web, and sometimes they just don't all load.
Every day I open the blog, and sometimes I just can't wait for all the Ads and pics and links, so I resize it to make it easier to read without waiting. This also sometimes stops things from loading.
Sometimes the little spinning wheel (loading indicator) never stops turning...
In the meantime,
Here is a favorite showstopper of mine.
Thanks, CMoe, now I get them. I love rebuses.
Hola!
Don't know John OLIVER? He is one of the funniest men on the planet! His humor is understated and delivered with a very straight face.
Luckily I know all the names in this puzzle: JOHN OLIVER, LESLEY Stahl, ETTA, SETH Meyers, and OTIS Redding. What a loss when he died!
My daughter loves GREASE! She likely knows all the dialog by now. R.I.P. Olivia Newton-John
interesting to have TSAR and ONION DOME in the puzzle.
Even after three visits I would go again to SPAIN.
Thank you, sumdaze, for the wonderful summary!
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
Jinx @ 7:52 --> you said, "As a former horse racing aficionado, I'm more familiar with the shout "they're off", and the expression WIN BY A nose"
Ditto, WIN by a NOSE (or NECK or HEAD) is what I relate to; not a HAIR. But I guess that Patti allowed it due to the nature of the puzzle theme
I too, fancied myself as a horse racing aficionado. I cut my teeth, so to speak, at the 1978 Travers Stakes race @ Saratoga featuring Affirmed and Alydar. They ran one/two all spring in the Triple Crown races, but Alydar reversed that when he was placed first due to interference/disqualification by Affirmed in the backstretch. Affirmed's TC winning jockey - Steve Cauthen - was injured and not aboard Affirmed for that race
Being part of that "Sartoga scene" got me fired up to enjoy thoroughbred racing for several decades. My uncle (dad's brother) was the one who started/fueled my interest. We both attended many Travers Stakes together, as well as several Breeder's Cups. As he got older, we would spend hours talking about horses. He loved handicapping the races, and was pretty darned good at it.
He passed away in 2017, and while I've maintained an interest in horse racing, it's not nearly as much as it used to be. I watched the Florida Derby and Arkansas Derby this past weekend; both winners looked sharp and should contend for the Kentucky Derby as two of the top choices. But that race (Kentucky Derby) can be unpredictable - last year was a perfect example ...
Hi Y'all! Thanks, Dan, for a fun musical puzzle! Thanks, Renee, for a fun, informative review!
Love all the musicals that appeared on this "stage".
DNK: John Oliver and I wanted JOHN for Wyclef but then realized his must be the French pronunciation spelled JEAN.
Needed no ELBOW GREASE for a FIR but didn't even SCRAPE BY with the theme.. ah Broadway musicals!!! Like DO was looking for bottle STOPPERS.. (btw CAPRERA is a goat island in near Sardinia..,"capra" goat)
Prunes/PLUMS, If the first isn't the dried version of the second I'm confused, Google says... Prunes are dried plums. They come from specific plum varieties that are intended to be dried rather than consumed as fresh fruit.
So where can I buy a raisin vine? 🍇 😄
My Mom put something called Witch Hazelon scrapes. Sounds like sorcery
Inkovers: pot/VAT (KS), and missed the plural on CELLI. (Hands up, I'm under CW arrest)
ARI?L...perpwaited for EBB. TSAR, has it ever been spelt the other way in a CW? TRIPLE sec: (There was a clue in our papers 2 week old NYT Sunday puzzle yesterday: "more than just a sec"...BRUT)
Never miss JOHN OLIVER "Last Week Tonight"
"The art of one-handed bra CLASP undoing" a kollidge freshman 101 course.😁
"AFC Richmond" is Ted _____ team... LASSOS
Bring back public transportation....REBUS
If the tortoise loses, it's a_____...WINBYAHAIR
Tugboat on Pisa's Arno....TOWER.
Let's have a nice week..🌞
A fun Monday puzzle and informative write up! Plum/prune - very interesting. Growing up, I always heard people say visa versa for VICE VERSA. The highlight of my granddaughter’s life was meeting ARIEL at Disneyland. Margarita’s need TRIPLE SEC.
RoseE @8:56 Kenny G -“background”’, or not at all. Prefer artists authentic to their genre like ETTA and OTIS. However, to each his own😊.
HG @10:29 White Rabbit.
Yellowrocks @ 9:04 Appeared on Romper Room before Weebles were invented.
Some interesting information about dry macular degeneration: In February, the FDA approved a new drug, Syfovre, that will be the first treatment ever available for dry MD. Like wet MD, it is a shot in the eye, recommended one shot every one or two months. It is made by Apellis Pharmaceuticals. A second drug, Zimura, made by Iveric Bio is expected to be approved in August. Good news!
Jinx@7:52 and C-Moe @ 11:38. I, too, wanted "And they're off!" and "win by a nose".
I think Dan and Patti got it right because today's clue had the word "top". If you were measuring 2 people's heights, their HAIR could make the difference. "Nose" would have been a better fit if it said, "Come out 'in front', but just barely". Impressive clueing!!
My FAV today was Larry the cat.
C-Moe, by the time I was old enough (maybe 10) to go to the races, my dad was already a recovering compulsive gambler. But when my mom would take me to Keenland, he would give me $20, enough for a $2 ticket in each race, one on the Daily Double, with enough left over to buy a hot dog. They wouldn't let me place bets, so my mom had to place them for me. As a young adult I lived above a couple who worked for the trade publication The Thoroughbred Record. She knew a lot about the business, and he had a BS degree in Animal Husbandry. They spent 40 hours a week studying race horses, and countless hours outside of work studying the Racing Form. They were convinced that they could make a living betting the horses, but in the couple of years I knew them they weren't able to convince themselves that they could.
Ray - I used to put witch hazel on the tires of my slot car racers. Made them stickier. Smelled nice too. And, when you find that raisin vine, don't be tempted to wash down its fruits with milk from a gentleman cow.
Hi All!
Quick Monday fun today. I missed CATS as a themer but otherwise FIR. Thank you Dan for the grid.
Wonderful intro, Sumdaze! And the rest of the expo was a entertaining and enlightening too.
WOs: pot->VAT, LESLie -> LESLEY
ESP: JEAN
Fav: SETH crossing JOHN OLIVER - I love their shows.
Speaking of shows, Ray-O, Ted LASSO (AppleTV) is fantastic. Thanks for the extra phun.
I know nothing of horse-racing (other than it can be crooked) so I don't play. I'd like to be one of those guys that read the mare reports and at least have a chance.
//there's a track <20min away. One day, maybe, I can convince DW to go(?)
Us 5th level Cub Scouts would cry: Webeloes Wobble but we don't fall down!
DW was impressed I knew of Kant... I'm still not sure if I should disclose (and burst the "she thinks I'm smart" bubble) that I learned all my philosophers from Monty Python.
Back to work. Enjoyed reading y'all. Play l8r.
Cheers, -T
Thanks Dan for a Really Good Shew! It was a needed respite from the OWIES of the weekend.
And thank you sumdaze for producing and directing this dazzling spectacle of spectacles.
Some favs:
14A SPAN. After my oldest grandchild graduates from college this Spring she is headed to Spain to walk the Camino De Santiago, aka "The Way". A few months ago she suddenly announced her intention to do so, promptly set up a website, and has raised all the money she needs to do it. This journey has been an inspiration to many, including the producers of a film called The Way, starring Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez. It's a incredible journey and if your streaming service doesn't have it, it's definitely worth buying the DVD on Amazon.
40A SAY. Perhaps better known for the phrase "SAY it ain't so, Joe", directed to Shoeless Joe Jackson by a reporter during the infamous Black Sox Scandal of 1919.
28A BOO. Also short for Babboo, as in My Sweet Babboo, the term of endearment used by Peanuts' Sally for her main squeeze Linus.
59A MIX-UP. I guess the gentleman missed the Opera Reneé.
67A ASS. Yesterday commemorated the famous entry of a man into Jerusalem riding on an ASS.
39A TSAR. "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end".
Cheers,
Bill
Neat Monday puzzle, Dan, many thanks. And your commentary is always helpful and fun, Sumdaze, thanks for that too.
Always a pleasure to see a puzzle that offers us some NAPKINS to put on our laps, when we plan to EAT IN and sit down to enjoy some food. Today it turned out to be mainly PLUMS, but at least we got to drink some PEPSI, even though some were hoping for some REDs wines too. But at least we got the gift of some music to go with the snack: there were CELLI and a SAX playing DUETS and even some TRIPLES. We could hear some MOMS in the audience who ADOREd the performance and gave it lots of HOOTS and applause. And afterwards they took all the players on a YACHT for a brief voyage at SEA to thank them. A pleasant day all around.
Have a great week coming up, everybody.
Misty, you have such a vivid imagination! I enjoy your colorful narratives.
For some reason my friend, Mark, was inspired to clean my patio and we all got involved! After he cut the excess growth with the electric cutter, my granddaughter raked it all, I helped pick up some of it, stuffed it into plastic bags and we carried them to the trash bin. It looks so nice now. The spring rain had encouraged tremendous growth!
More Python Philosophers? Here on the pitch..
Lovely, Misty. You're silly - I like that.
Lucina - how'd you get roped into yardwork with your new cane?
Mom sent me pictures of young me & (CEO) Bro today. She found a whole box full of Kodachrome slides from her '70's era Minolta. Boy did I look like a dork.
Cheers, -T
I liked this puzzle and sumdaze's write-up.
Thank you for your kind comments, Lucina and AnonT--much appreciated. And Lucina, how nice that you were able to get your patio all cleaned up. Mine could use a bit of work too--will have to think about that.
It was a young boy who said the famous words to Joe. He just bowed and looked away.
It's been 8 days of Covid. I've got 3 sets of paxlovid pills left. The onset was rough. I skipped Saturday xword but had that same SKAm/T FIW as others on Sunday
Dosage index is a big thing in handicapping. Breeding tells.
Enjoy sumdaze write-ups
WC
-T @6:03 PM You're a hoot Tony, you're a hoot.
WEES.
I contest #9.
It's not B flat.
It's BELONG!
About pilgrimages, there is an interesting article in this month's Harper's magazine, abut a lady who pilgrimages everywhere, not just the Camino. Good insights into the motivation involved. The piece is titled "Numinous Strangers -- The enduring allure of pilgrimage."
AnonT
You misunderstand. I sat and watched! Then I took one of the small bags of trash and walked to the bins with my granddaughter. Gabrielle did most of the work of raking after Mark pruned with the electric cutter.
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