Theme: HAT TRICK
19. Hat that sounds right for an eco-conscious poet?: SOLAR BOWLER. The BOWLER hat was originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849.
31. Hat that sounds right for a futuristic cartoon poet?: JETSON STETSON. John Batterson STETSON is the the inventor of the cowboy hat. Near the end of his life, STETSON began donating almost all of his money to charitable organizations. He built grammar and high schools and helped build colleges, helped establish the YMCA in Philadelphia, co-founded Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, and a homeless shelter and soup kitchen, in 1878. Here's a favorite version of St. James Infirmary, covered by Arlo Guthrie, where he croons about being buried in a STETSON hat (@5:10).
56. Hat that sounds right for a poet on Election Day?: VOTER BOATER.
Across:
1. Hair-covering garments: HIJABS. Not a hat, but a kind of head covering.
7. __ oil: CASTOR. No thanks.
13. Together at the movies, say: ON A DATE.
15. Army swimmer?: OCTOPUS. Get it? 8 arms?
17. Equestrian loop: STIRRUP. Loop for a foot.
18. "Success at last!": I MADE IT.
21. Opposite of SSW: NNE.
22. Thompson who plays Bianca in the "Creed" films: TESSA.
23. Foil alternative: EPEE.
24. Bend at a 5-Down: PLIE. Ballet.
27. Some chats, briefly: IMS. Instant messages.
30. Cheryl of "Charlie's Angels": LADD. She joined the show after Season One when Farrah Fawcett left the show, playing Kris Munroe, Jill's younger sister.
36. Eur. carrier: SAS. Scandinavian Airlines.
37. Carnival city: RIO. The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a festival held every year before Lent; it is considered the biggest carnival in the world, with two million people per day on the streets. The first Carnival festival in Rio occurred in 1723.
38. Concept in East Asian philosophy: TAO. Chinese word signifying way, path, route, road or, sometimes more loosely, doctrine.
39. Scheduling abbr.: TBA. To be announced.
46. 2% alternative: SKIM. Milk.
48. Phillipa of "Hamilton": SOO. She played Eliza Hamilton.
49. "Auld Lang __": SYNE. "The good old times."
50. Tea brand with an Iced Citrus Jasmine variety: TAZO. Starbucks sold the Tazo Tea brand to Unilever.
51. Letter-shaped fastener: T-BOLT. T-bolts are a type of threaded fastener that is used to secure two or more objects together. They consist of a head with two wings on either side, which allows them to be tightened securely when inserted into a pre-drilled hole.
55. Notable period: ERA.
62. Backdrop for some History Channel programming: WARTIME.
64. Flyer making short hops: AIR TAXI. A small commercial airplane used for short flights between localities not served by scheduled airlines.
65. Tries hard: STRIVES.
66. Joint Chiefs member: GENERAL. General Mark A. Milley is the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council.
67. Trigonometry function: SECANT. I was told there would be no math. For those who like math ... here's more about it.
68. __ seed: SESAME. People suffering from gout and Wilson's disease should avoid sesame seeds as they are rich in copper. Sesame seeds might lower blood sugar levels, thus making the ingredient unsafe for people on blood sugar medication.
Down:
1. "Bonanza" brother: HOSS. Played by Dan Blocker.
2. Engrossed by: INTO.
3. Monopoly corner: JAIL. The board game.
4. Classified info?: AD RATES.
5. Supporter of dance troupes: BARRE. The horizontal handrail, usually wooden, that is fixed to the walls of a ballet studio approximately 3.5 feet (1 m) from the floor.
6. Short Wikipedia entries: STUBS. A stub is an article deemed too short and incomplete to provide encyclopedic coverage of a subject.
7. Slinky, for one: COIL.
8. Top: ACME.
9. "There was a __ danced, and under that was I born": "Much Ado About Nothing": STAR. What does it mean?
10. "Dracula" director Browning: TOD. The films of Tod Browning.
11. Kitchen storage option: OPEN PANTRY. 16 Ideas How to Make Your Open Pantry Look Good.
12. Beyond repair: RUINED.
14. Thematic set of poems: EPOS. A group of poems, transmitted orally, concerned with parts of a common epic theme.
16. Fine mount: STEED. A very old-fashioned way to say "horse." In Middle English, a steed was distinguished as "a great horse," as opposed to a palfrey, an ordinary, everyday horse. So a steed was typically a war horse that carried warriors into battle.
20. "Don't go!": WAIT.
23. Jeff Lynne's band: ELO. Wikipedia: The Electric Light Orchestra are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterized by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography.
24. Short nightwear?: PJS. Short for pajamas.
25. "Mulan" singer Salonga: LEA. Renown across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is best known for her Tony Award winning role in Miss Saigon.
26. "I've never seen anything so weird!": IT'S BIZARRE. That did not come easy.
28. Facebook parent company: META. The rebranding is part of the global company's big plan to develop a virtual world but critics say its an attempt to shift focus from recent controversies.
29. "Don't go!": STAY.
32. NHL great Bobby: ORR. Robert Gordon Orr OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time.
33. Minor complaints: NITS.
34. Nabe in lower Manhattan: SOHO. Nabe being short for neighborhood. SoHo is short for “south of Houston Street.” Today, the neighborhood is famous for its upscale boutiques, artists, and cast-iron architecture. But in the mid-1900s, SoHo was known for its factories and industries, earning it the nickname “Hell’s Hundred Acres.” What To Do in SoHo: Art, Food and Elegance in New York City.
35. __ story: SOB.
40. 2016 World Series MVP Zobrist: BEN. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Royals, and Chicago Cubs.
41. Broke bread: ATE.
43. Tweeter's "I think": IMO. In my opinion.
44. Pour on the TLC: DOTE.
45. Some country homes: ESTATES.
46. Instant Pot dishes: STEWS. So many recipes these days are either for the Instant Pot or the air fryer.
47. Gold standards: KARATS.
52. Crow: BRAG. Seeing this as cow didn't help.
53. Stage awards: OBIES. Notable achievement in plays performed off-Broadway.
54. TV producer Michaels: LORNE. Best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the Late Night series, The Kids in the Hall and The Tonight Show.
56. Bounty alternative: VIVA. Paper towel brands.
57. Harbinger: OMEN. Rain, hail and snow still here - but the harbingers of Spring have appeared - ants!
58. Skills assessment: TEST.
59. Skating commentator Lipinski: TARA.
60. Skills assessment: EXAM.
61. Provoke: RILE.
63. Spasm: TIC.
Notes from C.C.:
Happy birthday to dear Agnes (Irish Miss), who helped me so much during the last few years of Boomer's life. I can't imagine the mistakes I would have made without her always prompt and practical advice. Thank you so much for the love and care you've been so generously giving to me, Agnes!
From Agnes:
The flowers are from a Words With Friend opponent whom I’ve been playing steadily for more than 8 Years. We have never met or spoken on the phone, but have become friends through chatting via the game, texts, and emails. His wife’s maiden name is McGrath, as is mine, and that coincidence started our friendship. He never forgets my birthday and I never forget his as it’s on St. Patrick’s Day and, fittingly, his name is Patrick!
I have mixed feelings about the puzzle today. I enjoyed the theme, but… BIRTHDAY and BERET just don’t rhyme. How about…
ReplyDelete“Apt hat for an unoriginal poet?” - CLICHÉ BERET (11)
“Apt hat for a poet without a stable job?” - FLOATER BOATER (13)
Interesting choice by JW to have 11-letter themers on the fourth row with big corners of 7s. Not sure whether it was actually worth all the “meh” fill needed to hold them together. I liked IT’S BIZARRE more than any of the corner 7s, but “I MADE IT!” was neat too.
LEA/SAS?? Come ON. Just put an O there, much better.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteImmediately inked in SNOODS at 1a. (Have I ever mentioned...?) Followed that up with CAnola where CASTOR needed to go. Today turned into a Wite-Out workout. It was fun, though. Anon@4:01, to my ear Beret and Birthday rhyme. No NIT from d-o. It's always a problem to keep the KARATS and CARROTS straight. Enjoyed the exercise, JW. Thanx for the expo, Melissa Bee. (I didn't understand OCTOPUS til you 'splained it.)
A couple of more, and every clue would've been a proper name
ReplyDeleteA Wechsler Wednesday puzzle that was a DNF today. The NE was unfinished. DNK TOD or STAR and my brain was stuck on CANOLA oil, not CASTOR oil. Thought maybe I'M A SUIT (exec) would work but it didn't. No tada today.
ReplyDeleteSTUBS. LEA, BEN, SOO, TESSA & TAZO filled by perps.
As long as HOSS was here, Ben Cartwright was played by LORNE Greene.
Happy birthday Agnes
FIW, snatching defeat from the very jaws of victory by erasing OCTOPUS, because I was certain that TOD needed another D (unless meant as 'time of day'), but TAD was a name endorsed by our sixteenth president. Also erased tonys for OBIES (sorry, -T), hijobs for HIJABS, eta for TBD, and the first STAY for WAIT.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is in a phase where she wants to wear her day clothes to bed. Last night I convinced her to change into her PJS, but before she got into bed she changed back into the skirt and blouse she wore all day. I've learned that there are few things that are worth fighting about, and this ain't one. I'll put my foot down about doctor visits and medications, and that's about it. Unfortunately, I know that I'll look back on these as the good old days.
It is always a treat to find a JefWech offering. I'm glad Patti hasn't completely run him off. And thanks to melissa for the fun review.
Happy early, timely, or late birthday to Irish Miss. I thought about making that my signoff, kinda like Jimmy Durante's "good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are," but I thought that might get a little grating after a few days. On second thought...
South Florida SunSentinel calls this a Jeff Chen CW, here it is called a Jeff Wexler CW. Whoever constructed it: well done. I did FIR but it took quite a while. I was most of the way through the CW before the V-8 can hit with the theme, because the last section to fall was the NW. HIJABS took a while to show up. 1D coulda been HOSS or ADAM, so that slowed things down too. Anyway, clever CW, several DNKs, and several proper names I SHOULD have known, but struggled to remember: TARA, for instance. Favorite clue: “Army swimmer”. That brought a smile when “OCTOPUS” finally occurred to me after COIL, ACME, RUINED and STEED filled, giving me the OC___US. Thanx to the constructor for the clever and entertaining CW, and thanx too to Melissa Bee for her usual outstanding write-up.
ReplyDeleteThe Sun-Sentinel is seldom right.
DeleteThis one took 6:51 for me to wear the grand slam tam.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Tod, nor Lea Salonga/Salonga Lea, nor did I know Phillipa Soo/Soo Phillipa (although I vaguely recalled hearing that name from a prior crossword puzzle). I knew Ladd!
I agree with the prior comment about the avoidable intersection of Lea & SAS.
Doesn't it seem like just yesterday we were celebrating a birthday for Ms. Irish Miss?
How time flies.
FIR. Not sure I like Birthday beret, but I guess the constructor was trying hard to fill the space. Got the other theme answers right off, so Birthday beret set me back a bit.
ReplyDeleteThere's some question as to who the constructor is. Jeff Wechsler or Jeff Chen? Any ideas?
A somewhat easy JW puzzle with only the NW corner causing a pause. In light of the difficult and obscurely clued puzzles we’ve had lately this recognizable constructor’s puzzle was a pleasure.
ReplyDeleteOctopus? GROAN
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that one of my favorite constructors appears on my birthday! I found this a few notches above a normal Wednesday difficulty, probably due to the unknown proper names, Tod, Lea, Ben, and Soo, and Epos which I don’t ever recall seeing. My biggest obstacle, though, was hanging onto Canola Oil, which seemed correct because Coil and Acme fit so well. Finally, Octopus broke the dam and Castor became evident. I, too, puzzled over Army swimmers=Octopus until Melissa’s expo. What a great C/A! I liked all of the themers, with Stetson Jetson being my favorite. If you put the emphasis on Day, Birthday Beret works fine, IMO.
Thanks, Jeffrey W, for making my day special and for, once again, wowing us with your fun word wizardry talents and thanks, Melissa, for your always interesting and very informative write-ups. Hope to see some photos of Jaelyn and Harper in their Easter finery.
FLN
Anon T, don’t sell yourself short! You’re doing a great job blogging and your voice is so distinctive that there’s little doubt who is at the helm! Keep up the good word. 😉
CanadianEh, I’m sorry you’re dealing with such a difficult task. Your ailing relative is lucky to have someone with your compassion by his/her side. Good luck and know we’re here fort you.
I’m being treated tonight to dinner at my sister Peggy’s. Her daughters and my sister Eileen and her daughter (my Godchild) will be present, as well. The menu is a secret, so far. Knowing Peggy’s culinary chops, I won’t be disappointed.
Have a great day. Mine is off to a good start, thanks to JW. Thanks, again, for the birthday greetings!
Anon T, correction, good work!
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Another fun Wechsler excursion into excellence
-Me too, D-O, I felt confident that semi-obscure SNOODS would work for 1 Across. Nope!
-I got VOTER BOATER with no cells filled and after getting the other themers
-I thought we had reached the end of the Earth at La Range in the middle of Saskatchewan but no, we had a half-hour ride in an AIR TAXI to get to our fishing camp!
-My grandmother had two toys at her house: A SLINKY and a snow globe.
-BRAGGING
-Yes, BE, LORNE Green played HOSS’s dad, BEN
-OMEN: It was 55F, with sun and so I got in my first round of golf yesterday.
-HBTY, Agnes, I have enjoyed your wit and wisdom here and via emails! Even, “keep up the good word” was a fun error!
Caught the theme early which helped me solve the puzzle. Definitely a Wednesday-level puzzle, if not Thursday or Friday. FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteTo IM@8:55 a.m. We all were a day early yesterday. May I wish you Happy Birthday on your actual birthday? It sounds like you’re in for a fun time. To my mind, it couldn’t happen to a nicer person. Blessings!
Easy, breezy today - WEES about the small nit of BIRTHDAY BERET having the ends rhyme but not the whole words in the other theme answers.
ReplyDeleteLEA Salonga has an amazing voice- She was not only the voice of Mulan but also Jasmine in "Aladdin" She was one of the youngest Tony winners for "Miss Saigon". She also was Eponine in the Broadway and London's West End cast of Les Miserables- One of my favorites to watch is the Les Miserables 10th anniversary concert at Royal Albert Hall which was filmed and released on DVD https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables:_The_Dream_Cast_in_Concert
Thanks to Melissa Bee for the blog and Jeff Wex for the puzzle
Agnes sounds like a wonderful dinner to celebrate your life! Enjoy!
Hi Y'all! Yay, a fun challenging Jeff Wex puzzle! Can't top a hat theme, can ya'? More fun from Melissa, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think the OCTOPUS was hard to come by since Army was capitalized as the clue-starting letter. Not military. Got a big laugh when I filled it.
DNK: TESSA, TAZO, SOO, SAS, SECANT, STUBS as clued.
FLN: CanadianEh, hope you are OK and things get better.
Happy Birthday (once more with feeling), Agnes!
I loved the rhyming theme. Not that difficult, maybe more like a Thursday puzzle. To those who FIR in a short time, the unknowns didn't hold you back, so no harm. no foul, IMO.
ReplyDeletePerps and swimmer let me wag octopus. Thanks for explaining it, mb. Clever. Great expo.
I have watched Bonanza originally and in years of reruns. One of my favorite shows. It presented moral dilemmas, much like Jodi Picoult's novels do. She is another favorite of mine.
Eliza Hamilton reminds me of the book, My Dear Hamilton, by Laura Kaye. I have read it twice and will read it again. Dramatic, heart tugging, interesting and quite true to the facts. A fascinating look into the early days of our republic.
Jinx, my heart goes out to you and your wife. "The long good-bye" is heart rending. We suffered through it with my mom. I commend your love and patience.
Happy birthday, Irish Miss. I hope it as fabulous as you are. That family dinner sounds like you are off to a good start.
So many names I didn't know. Counted 18 proper names, turned me off.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning! Welcome to Friday on Wednesday! Thanks, Jeffrey, for the challenge.
ReplyDeleteStarted off with a dilemma: Adam or HOSS… guessed right.
The top was the last to fill; the rest looked like Swiss cheese as I slowly worked my way through.
Once I filled BIRTHDAY BERET, I latched onto the theme.
Lotsa WOs: CAnola -> CASTOR. tOy – SOB. tony – OBIE.
Had to move STAY from 20D -> 29D
ESP: LEA & SOO
Army OCTOPUS? …….groan….Good one!!😂
Thanks, Melissa, for your enlightening review.
TGIF! Oh it's only Wednesday? Then a TIP O'THE HAT to Jeffrey for a Wednesday FIR ... and for a TOP notch review by Melissa Bee!
ReplyDeleteJust a few favs [hold your applause]:
7A CASTOR. Apparently this was used as punishment of dissenters by IL DUCE in WWII.
68A SESAME. Also used to open CAVES.
7D COIL. At first I thought this was a adjective for sexy PJS.
26D IT'S BIZZARE. This came easy to me, but then I'm into that sort of thing.
Cheers,
Bill
FIR. I breezed through this one for some reason. I did want snoods at first, but the JAIL set me straight. The proper names I didn’t know, I guessed. HOSS came from the depth of my memory but I managed to dredge it up.
ReplyDeleteSo nice morning: fun puzzle and cool write up.
Irish Miss 🍀 have a nice birthday dinner.
I never noticed it was jeffwesch as constructor. P&P easily perpable but clueing(army OCTOPUS) was tricky
ReplyDeleteA worthy Wednesday with themes a big help filling space
Anybody remember the Kirwood Derby
WC
Delete* Or Durward Kirby for that matter(Candid camera)
I, too Doff my cap to Jeff. FIR with a bit of strain. Smart enough to do a LOT of perpwaiting, which saves on Witeout. A fair challenge, and I actually knew more than half of the names!
ReplyDeleteHi All!
ReplyDeleteJeff Chen never disappoints (wait, this is a Wechsler? [explains the Shakespeare clue] - my paper (and Unclefred's) says Chen. Sentiment stands.) and neither does mb -- I was told there'd be no math [8:46 - Debate '76, LORNE's SNL].
Thanks both yous.
WO: etA -> TBA
ESPs (&WAGs): TESSA, LEA, SAS, SOO, TARA, TOD, BEN
Fav: CASTOR - not for the oil but it makes me think of Pop's back yard. He's got a beautiful row of Castor-bean plants growing out back.
Gold standards == KARATS and Army swimmer? == OCTOPUS are also cute.
Better clue for WARTIME? Talking Heads' "Life During __". Just me?
//For anyone who cares, Seymour Stein (who signed Talking Heads, among other huge names) died earlier this week. NPR Story)
Was I the only one thinking Nun's habit @1a? JAIL put me onto the right religion.
Jinx - I'm saddened to read about your battles - but you know what to fuss over. Same loving thoughts to you C, Eh! #SerenityPrayer.
Happy Birthday (again) IM! //I thought "good word" was punny ;-)
Enjoy your special meal tonight!
Cheers, -T
Hola!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Irish Miss!
A JeffWex puzzle is a welcome sight any day of the week! And I MADE IT! CASTOR oil recalled my childhood when our mom had us take a globule of it every day. The glasses were lined up in a row with the pills beside each one.
My daughter and granddaughter both had ballet lessons so a BARRE is familiar to me.
Jinx, I am so sorry for what you are dealing with. My late best friend went through that phase. She was an intelligent woman, smart dresser and proud person but when she deteriorated, she was unrecognizable from the person I knew. Her husband told us she would not shower, wore the same clothes every day and other habits which were unlike her. That's when the "for better or WORSE" really challenges a marriage. Good luck to you and prayers going your way.
ARMY swimmer! Clever clue!
Tessa, SOO and BEN are unfamiliar to me.
I like ESTATES next to TARA.
The only thing I remember about trigonometry is the vocabulary so SECANT filled immediately. But please don't ask me to explain it!
Thank you, Belissa for your insightful review!
Have a good day, everyone!
FYI, CC was kind enough to add a request I made to the end of Melissa’s write-up. Thanks, CC.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday (again) Irish Miss...
ReplyDelete(And hats off to Jeffrey Wechsler...)
Delightful, if challenging, Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Jeff. And your commentary is always a pleasure, thanks for that too, Melissa.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you'll be ON A DATE with family tonight, to celebrate your BIRTHDAY, IRISH MISS.
Have a wonderful time.
And have a good day, everybody.
ReplyDeleteMy LA Times paper itself says Jeff Chen. Surely, they got it right.
-T !@11:35 AM Where do you come up with this stuff 🙄? The first two clips were real hoots. Now if you'd said that Stein signed Madonna❤❤❤, I might've read that link too.
ReplyDeleteThis PP filled junk had to have been a Jeff Chen puzzle. I hope Jeffrey Wechsler didn't construct this because I'd be disappointed. His puzzles are usually top notch.
ReplyDeleteGot the theme at VOTER BOATER - Clever puzzle! I needed the write-up to explain OCTOPUS and IMS. LEA, a wonderful singer in the age of screamers. CASTOR oil, not a good childhood memory. NW took a while because I misspelled HIJABS.
ReplyDeleteJinx @6:57 So sorry for what you are dealing with. We chose to laugh at the often bizarre situations, perhaps to the chagrin of outsiders who did not understand it was better to laugh than to cry. I could tell you some funny stories that in no way diminishes the respect and affection we had for our loved one.
IM @11:48 Beautiful flowers from you friend. No sunshine today (at least in E.M’s) but it isn’t raining, so that’s a plus. Have a wonderful time with your family, this best gift of all.
Enjoyed the puzzle and the write-up! Thanks! Army Swimmers? Now I get it!
ReplyDeleteThere is one typo in the grid. There is a "T" instead of an "R" in square 37. Should be ORR and RIO rather than OTR and TIO.
Waseeley - are you being facetious? That's literally in the title of the NPR article ;-)
ReplyDeleteAm I'm going to have to go on Twitter and bother the Jeffs to find out who is the real Jeff today?
Cheers, -T
-T @3:00 PM Moi? Facetious? Okay, I fess up. I was being facetious. 🙄 And I'm telling ya, most emphatically, it Jeffwech. Sheez. 🙃
DeleteJinx, prayers for you & your DW. So hard to take. However, I have to tell you that I went to bed in my clothes last night. I hope it was because there were dangerous windstorm warnings and I wanted to be dressed if I had to evacuate or when I was pulled out of the rubble. Hard to tell what was on your DW's mind. I have to agree with Parsan that it is better to laugh than cry if you can. Plenty of crying goes with it. Been thru it with my mom and a good friend. So sad that it is so prevalent.
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle. It says Jeffrey Wechsler on the on-line LA Times games site.
ReplyDeleteFinally got around to the Slinky commercial in mb's fantastic expo say...
ReplyDeleteSlinky commercial reminded me of Log [Ren & Stimpy cartoon]
//yes, weseeley - cartoons deeply warped me ;-) I think CED is afflicted too. //great cake, BTW.
Still no news yet on which Jeff is the constructor (neither seems to tweet(?)). I may reach out to Patti or Katie. The mystery continues.... //insert bum-bum-bum! music here
Cheers, -T
T @3:00 PM Name another constructor who signs his puzzle with quotes from Willie the Shake. Most of the younger ones 'ave never 'eard of the guy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Irish Miss, PK, AnonT for the kind thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAnd mine go out to Jinx.
FIW with one bad box. LEe/SeS.
ReplyDeleteHand up for CAnola before CASTOR. I also had the valley girl version first "how BIZARRE" before IT'S BIZARRE.
I enjoyed your write-up, Melissa! Add me to the list of those who needed your help to understand how an OCTOPUS is an Army swimmer. Now that I get it, it's my FAV for today.
Happy B-Day to Irish Miss! I hope you enjoyed your dinner celebration.
Jinx, we hear you...one day at a time...your DW is fortunate to have you there.
FLN, CanadianEh! Thoughts & prayers...
PK@5:05. "pulled out of the rubble". LOL! I'm glad you made it through the night OK!
ReplyDeleteA rare pleasure today of solving a Jeffrey Wechsler puzzle and getting a FIR! As Jayce said, the LA Times online puzzle indicated JW was the constructor, and it's on Irish Miss's actual birthday! BIRTHDAY BERET. Coincidence? I think not!
ReplyDeleteI am sometimes on JW's wavelength and that was the case today. I started the puzzle in the morning, then stopped to do chores. When I came back, I soon finished it. HIJABS came quickly to mind but at first I had the vowels reversed. I had a few doubts about some short fill (TOD, LEA, and SOO, plus EPOS) but perps were mostly solid. I also thought of canola oil and didn't catch the "army" reference, wondering, why OCTOPUS? Thanks Melissa B for explaining. (Lucina, I liked your combination of Melissa B's name, "Belissa.")
Sorry about your situation, Jinx. I've been impressed by your can-do attitude and energy, taking your wife travelling in the RV and generally being patient with her, knowing what is important. I look forward to reading your comments bright and early every morning on the Corner.
Anon@7:43 AM, "grand slam tam!"
AnonT, fun SNL link!
CED, imaginative cake for IM!
Interesting that D-Otto and Husker Gary both thought of SNOODS (good solutions for a bad hair day?) which we had on a puzzle earlier but wasn't in today's.
Hope you all have a good night. See you tomorrow!
CED @ 12:10 -- If IM doesn't eat that cake, she could sell it to ConEd and get 6 months of free electricity!
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness! Melissa, I apologize for misspelling your name! I just now saw it when someone mentioned it. Consider it a subconscious thought of you as BELISSIMA!
ReplyDelete