For many of you today's constructor Doug Peterson needs no
introduction. By my count today's outing marks his 59th appearance on
the Corner, his first being on Friday, May 9, 2008, reviewed by
C.C.
Here's an interview with Doug on November 29, 2016 published in the blog
Puzzle Nation.
His theme today is contained in 4 over the shoulder
zingers said by the person who got in the last word at a less than amicable
departure. This is not the type of theme that helps you to solve the
puzzle, but rather one that is a puzzle in itself, While this will
disappoint some, I think that it would be difficult to suss without the
circles, and in the event that your publisher didn't include them
just
Give It Your Best Shot
For reasons we'll see shortly, each themer consists of a pair of
answers. I've highlighted the letters that appear in the grid
circles.
Pair 1:
17A. Song from "Anything Goes":
YOU'RE THE TOP. Here's Ella Fitzgerald with this classic
Cole Porter musical
(click Show more for lyrics) ...Pair 1:
 |
| We call them Snow Balls |
22A. "Lodge 49" actor __ Russell: WYATT. Lodge 49 is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jim Gavin. It aired on the cable television network AMC in the United States from August 6, 2018, to October 14, 2019. Wyatt plays Sean "Dud" Dudley, an ex-surfer who discovers Lodge 49 and is looking to lead a happy life. The series was cancelled after 2 seasons, so let's hope he found it.
24A. Like some hockey goals: EMPTY NET. An empty net goal, abbreviated as EN or ENG and colloquially called an empty netter, occurs in several team sports when a team scores a goal into a net with no goaltender (goalie) present. After reading the above link, I'm still unclear on the concept and hope that somebody (CanadianEh!?) stops by and 'splains it.
Pair 3:
35A. Wet/dry garage cleaner: SHOP VAC. These are very useful in a pottery studio where you're working with clay and water, as long you don't have to change between wet and dry filters too often.
38A. HBO subsidiary: CINEMAX. Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
52A. Pain relief brand: EXCEDRIN. A combination drug (Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) / paracetamol (acetaminophen) / caffeine) for the treatment of pain, especially tension headache and migraine.
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Katie Ledecky |
60. End of a testy exchange, and what can be found four times in this puzzle, thanks to four black squares: PARTING SHOT.
Here's the grid, with the four types of SHOTS each "parted" by a BLACK square. ...
PIC as in PHOTO
ATTEMPT as in TRY
VACCINE as in VIRUS :PROTECTION
DRINK as in a stiff drink of HARD LIQUOR
ATTEMPT as in TRY
VACCINE as in VIRUS :PROTECTION
DRINK as in a stiff drink of HARD LIQUOR
And with the exception of "attempt", let's thank Doug and Patti for NOT including these other types of shots ...
... We get daily doses of these from other publications. 😔
Here's the rest ...
Across:
1. Arduous journeys: TREKS. E.g. journeying through all the Star
TREK series and spinoffs is really arduous.
6. On the move: ASTIR.
11. Dr. J's first pro league: ABA. It's a little known fact that before
Julius Irving
joined the NBA he was in the legal profession ...
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|
Julius Irving, ABA |
14. Bleachers sign: HI MOM.
15. Extent: SCOPE.
16. Big finish?: RIG. Fashion Photographer Captures the Most Beautiful Big-Rigs on Earth ...
17. [Theme clue]
19. [Theme clue]
20. Comic Boosler: ELAYNE. Here's Boosler on Leno...
21. Crunch at breakfast?: CAP'N. The story of CAP’N CRUNCH and the toy whistle that spawned an industry ...
24. [Theme clue]
27. Pixar short about a steamed dumpling: BAO. The story of an Asian delight on the threshold of crossword stardom.
28. Alien-seeking org.: SETI. Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. If we can't find any here, why would we expect to find any in outer space? It makes great science fiction though ...
31. Does some grilling: ASKS. Whenever perps are subjected to this the cops DON'T ASK NICELY.
33. Arthurian island: AVALON. Avalon, or Insula Avallonis, the legendary island of Celtic mythology, is where, according to some sources, King Arthur’s Excalibur sword was forged. It is also the place where the mythical king was taken, fatally wounded, to meet his death. In short, Avalon is a utopian paradise where the legends of English knights and political wholeness unite in a kingdom lost in the mists of time.
|
|
The Lake of Avalon |
35. [Theme clue]
38. [Theme clue]
42. Clicker: REMOTE. Or somewhere LOCAL, like in the sofa maybe.
44. Rummikub piece: TILE. Rummikub (/ˈrʌmikjuːb/[1]) is a tile-based game for 2 to 4 players, combining elements of the card game rummy and mahjong. Here's the official site.
48. Caspian country: IRAN.
51. Here-there connection: NOR.
52. [Theme clue]
54. [Theme clue]
56. Checkout IDs: UPCS. Universal Product Codes.
57. Fool's gold: PYRITE. It may not be gold, but it has its uses.
|
|
Pyrite |
|
|
Gold Nugget |
60. [Reveal clue]
65. Each and every: ALL.
66. Prove useful: AVAIL.
67. Slip away from: ELUDE. Some things you just can't ELUDE ...
68. Agcy. with a "3-1-1" rule for liquids: TSA. In case you haven't flown lately ...
69. "I did awesome!": YAY ME. "Good for you!"
70. Like Cheerios: OATEN.
Down:
1. Archaic possessive: THY.
2. Christ the Redeemer locale: RIO. Christ the Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in RIO de Janeiro, Brazil, created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida sculpted the face. Constructed between 1922 and 1931, the statue is 30 metres (98 ft) high, excluding its 8-metre (26 ft) pedestal. The arms stretch 28 metres (92 ft) wide. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.
|
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Christ the Redeemer |
4. Peninsula near Japan: KOREA.
5. Refines, as ore: SMELTS. Also tiny fishes ...
 |
| Smelts |
7. When, in Act I, Lear curses "a thankless child": SCENE IV. In this clip from Act 1 Scene 4, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Antony Sher plays King Lear mercilessly berating his "thankless child" Goneril, played by Nia Gwynne (wait for it - the line in the clue is at the very end) [subtitles were lost by the clip - words below] ...
LEAR It may be so, my lord.—
Hear, Nature, hear, dear goddess, hear!
Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful.
Into her womb convey sterility.
Dry up in her the organs of increase,
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honor her. If she must teem,
Create her child of spleen, that it may live
And be a thwart disnatured torment to her.
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks,
Turn all her mother’s pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt, that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is
To have a thankless child.—Away, away!
A CSO to our thespian Ole' Man Keith, who I'm sure has berated a few Gonerils in his time, for an explanation as to how she came to merit such abuse.
8. Sacred carving: TOTEM. For example the TOTEM poles created by First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest to represent and commemorate ancestry, histories, people, or events. I first learned of these works in the pages of Boys Life as a scout and to see them is on my bucket list. Another CSO to CanadianEh!:
 |
| G’psgolox Pole Haisla people British Columbia, CA |
10. Weight room iteration: REP.
11. "West Side Story" Oscar winner DeBose: ARIANA. Ariana DeBose (born January 25, 1991) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a nomination for a Tony Award. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Here Anita, played by Ariana, tells the Jets what happened to Maria ...
12. Popular writer?: BIC PEN. Cute.
13. Boris and Natasha, e.g.: AGENTS. From the greatest cartoon series of all time here's Boris on a Broomstick or The Flying Sorceror ...
18. "Girls Trip" actor Larenz: TATE. Girls Trip is a 2017 American comedy film starring Regina Hall (Ryan), Queen Latifah (Sasha), Tiffany Haddish (Dina), and Jada Pinkett Smith (Lisa). It follows a group of four friends who go to New Orleans to attend the Essence Music Festival in order to reconnect after a long time. Larenz TATE plays Ryan's love interest ...
 |
| Larenz Tate |
22. Clean: WASH.
23. Artist Ono: YOKO. We haven't heard from YOKO in a while, and as she turned 90 on February 18, I thought it might be a good time for an update.
 |
| Yoko Ono |
26. Jumbo suffix: TRON. My son took 3 of his children to an O's game at Camden Yards recently. It was my 8 year old grandson's first time at a ballgame. My son said that he was so excited that he danced the whole time. It was only a matter of time before the Jumbo-TRON spotted them and my son managed to get this long shot. The 8 year old is 2nd from the left and my son's on the right taking this picture:
27. Some four-year degs.: BAS.
29. Folded fast food: TACO.
32. Bouts of indulgence: SPREES.
36. Peddle: VEND.
37. From the States: Abbr.: AMER.
39. Smaller version: MINI.
40. Skin-healing plant: ALOE.
41. Millennial preceder: XER. One of the 7 generations starting with those who lived through WWII until today. Here's how you can keep them all straight.
43. "A Christmas Carol" child: TINY TIM. Last week we had the miser Ebeneezer Scrooge.
45. "Bathers at Asnières" painter Georges: SEURAT. Bathers at Asnières (French: Une Baignade, Asnières) is an 1884 oil on canvas painting by French artist Georges Pierre Seurat. And today's French lesson:
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| Bathers at Asnières |
47. Pepsi alternative: RC COLA.
49. Analogous: AKIN.
50. "Wicked Tuna" channel, familiarly: NAT GEO. - To steal a phrase from Otto von Bismarck - "Anybody who likes AHI and respects the law, should never see either being made". Wicked Tuna follows a group of salty fishermen from the nation's oldest seaport, Gloucester, Massachusetts, as they make their living the way it's been done for centuries – rod and reel fishing, one catch at a time – all in pursuit of the bluefin tuna A reel reality show. Here's a trawler ...
53. "Here's hoping ... ": I PRAY. As I get older I seem to be doing more of this every day.
55. Rock band named for an inventor: TESLA. And I thought they were named for an EV. TESLA is an American rock band from Sacramento, California. In late 1981, bassist Brian Wheat and guitarist Frank Hannon formed a band named City Kidd, which evolved into Tesla. Here's their Love Song ...
58. Tick off: RILE.
60. Prove useful: PAY.
61. "Sweet but Psycho" singer __ Max: AVA. Amanda Ava Koci (born February 16, 1994), known professionally as AVA Max, is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Atlantic Records in 2016, through which she released her breakthrough single, "Sweet but Psycho", in August 2018.
62. Rough house: HUT.
63. Verse of exaltation: ODE.
64. X, on a Rolex: TEN.
Cheers,
Bill
As always, thanks to Teri for proof reading, for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
We once held a war in KOREA.
ReplyDeleteThe sides just couldn't agree-a.
Those Communist blokes
Were unfriendly folks,
While the Democracy guys were much free-a!
Arthur is king in AVALON
Where Guinevere sells Av-Avon
And Galahad,
That trusty lad,
Often turns his SHOP VAC on!
{B, B-.}
This puzzle was such an interesting combination of the obvious and the nearly impossible. One thing though: I found it top-heavy with obscure names, many of which I got only by a number of WAGs. I did figure out before the reveal that it would have something to do with shots, so as Jinx would say “at least I had that going for me.” Also, I don’t think my good friend SS will be too happy with two “circles “ puzzles in the same week. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteOwenKL @4:07 AM That last line of your second poem really SUCKS! 😀
ReplyDeleteHere's DAB's puzzle for today. I haven't solved it yet, but it appears to have only one topical reference, which will probably perp away.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteIt looked like this one was gonna get me...and then it did. It came down to __IANA, and d-o guessed wrong. Bzzzzzt. But still, thanx, Doug and Waseeley.
CYGNET: On our Sunday morning pedal through the 'hood we saw an adult duck alight from a tree branch. Then a second adult dropped down. Plop, plop, plop, it began raining ducklings -- 15 in all. Mom and (Another mom or dad?) led them across the street and into an empty lot. One straggler was left behind, so dw scooped it up and raced to catch the parade. Success. I had heard of ducks laying their eggs in trees, but had never witnessed anything like this before. I'm amazed there weren't some fatalities, but they all survived the 20' drop.
I agree with Subgenius: this CW is an interesting combination of very easy and maddeningly obscure names. Too many obscure names, for my liking. And I never got the theme until Bill ‘splained it….and even then had to study it a bit before the V-8 can hit. I rate this CW, overall, as above my difficulty level, although I did ….eventually….manage to FIR. Only W/O CAPT: CAPN. I wanted Boris and Natasha to be spies, or Russians, or ‘toons. Took a while for them to become AGENTS. Thanx DP for this skull-buster. Thanx too to Bill for a truly spectacular write-up, and for enlightening me to the CW theme.
ReplyDeleteWhen will patti get with the program and put a stop to all these puzzles loaded with stupid obscure names. Rich would never have allowed this b.s.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the creativity of this theme with the PARTING of the theme answers.
ReplyDeleteWYATT Russell is mostly known for being Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn's son. Only thing I've seen him in was the MCU's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" He definitely looks like Kurt.
I mostly think of EMPTY NET goals happening when the team that is down near the end of a game is trying anything to try to tie the game up, so they pull the goalie out of the net to have more players on the offensive end to try to score (though obviously risking being scored on - which is why it's usually a desperation move, kind of like intentional fouls at the end of a basketball game)
Thanks Bill & Teri for another fun blog and Doug for the unique puzzle
inanehiker @7:15 AM And thank you for that explanation of EMPTY NET. Makes sense.
DeleteFIW, not catching wIG (big wIG?) x AwIANA. Ain't that Grande! But I got my wag @ WYATT x TATE, so I got that goin' for me. (Bill - I stole that from the infamous Carl Spackler.)
ReplyDeleteOf all the "shaved ____" I could think of, ICE was the last.
Al Jolson recorded AVALON in 1920, which was a day or two before my time. Crossword-favorite Nat "King" Cole did a great cover version too.
We watch a lot of NAT GEO Wild. DW seems to be entertained by the animal shows more than anything else these days. She can no longer follow sitcoms like her previous favorite, Mom.
Thanks to Bill and Teri for the fun review. Also, an empty-netter happens when the losing team is down a goal or two, and time is running out in the final period (Click and Clack would say "the third half." Usually 2 minutes or so when 1 goal down, and 3 - 5 minutes when down 2. The losing team substitutes an offensive skater for the goal keeper to get a 6-on-5 player advantage, at the risk of giving up an easy goal. But if the worst happens and the short-handed team scores an empty-netter, it is no worse to lose 4-2 than it is to lose 3-2. IIRC, there have been 5 goals scored by NHL goalies, all empty-netters. One happened this season. Finally, an empty-netter isn't a statistic against the removed net minder.
Had I seen it, I would just have written "WIHS". The intentional foul analogy was spot on.
ReplyDeleteTook 6:40 to get my shot off today.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as my good friend SubG set me up, and in keeping with the theme, I'll take my shot:
Wyatt somebody of some lodge show/movie, Tate somebody of some Girls Trip movie/show, Ava somebody (but not the director this time), Seurat, Ariana (but, she won a prize, so it's legit), two uses of Roman numerals (ten and scene iv), "Amer," halves of poli sci and jumbo tron, and (sorry, Ms. Irish Miss) 17 3-letter "words". But, hey, we had circles!
So, let's all rejoice: oh, joy circles!
SS @7:44 You're gonna be delighted with next Thursday's puzzle. 😃
ReplyDeleteYAY ME! I got another FIR after a slow start today. Thanks, Doug. I saw the divided words in the circles but needed the reveal to understand what they had in common. Clever theme and interesting vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteThanks waseeley for reviewing the puzzle thoroughly with Teri's help again today. You explained PIC referred to photo which strangely enough ELUDEd me until then. What was I thinking? Actually, something to do with basketball moves came to mind instead but didn't work with SHOT so well.
Speaking of basketball, was your comment about Dr. J being in the legal profession a test to see if we were paying attention? He was involved with the other ABA, the one that later merged with the NBA.
That's my PARTING SHOT so have a great day, everyone!
ATLGranny @8:22 AM Nah. Just a lame Dad joke. 🙄
DeleteFIW. Once again, way too many proper names.
ReplyDeleteI still don't get 16A. I put wig and could make no sense of Awiana. But rig? How is that a finish for big? The NE was my downfall and the perps couldn't help me.
KS @8:28 AM "BIG RIG" is a common slang for long haul tractor trailers, aka "SEMIS". Check out the link for that clue with lot of beautiful PICS of BIG RIGS.
DeleteThank you, Doug Peterson and thank you, Waseeley
ReplyDeleteOne typo. I hit the H instead of the T at the intersection of KATIE and TESLA.
A fast solve though. I didn't see some of the fill until reading the review.
I didn't really notice the names. I guess because I knew them all except WYATT and ARIANA, and/or they perped in easily enough.
KATIE Ledecky's performance at the Olympics was must see TV for me. Stunning, awe inspiring victories.
REO Speedwagon was named for the light truck Reo Speed Wagon, a light truck made (1915-1953) by the company founded by xword friend Ransom E Olds.
ReplyDeleteEMPTY NET goals happen more often in lacrosse, where the goalkeeper often leaves the goal to help clear the ball across midfield, or to get a loose ball, and a turnover can catch him out of position.
billocohoes @9:16 AM DNK it was an actual truck. Knew about automotive pioneer REO, but, thought the band had tacked on the rest of it to be clever. Thanx!
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI like DP’s puzzles and found this one on the challenging side due, no doubt, to the aforementioned plethora of proper names, including Wyatt, Tate, Ariana, Ava, and the unknown, to me Pyrite. I thought the theme was cleverly concealed, despite the necessary circles, so the reveal was a pleasant surprise. I went astray at Afoot/Astir, Elayne with an I, and Exiles/Expels.
Thanks, Doug, and thanks, Bill, for the detailed and informative review and enlightening commentary. I doubt that Elayne Boosler’s humor would pass muster in today’s PC climate. The absence of expletives probably wouldn’t go over too well with today’s audiences, either. Enjoyed the photo and back story of your son and children enjoying the Oriole’s outing and win! Thanks, also, to Teri for her assistance.
FLN
Tante Nique, Parsan, sumdaze, and Bill, I’m glad you enjoyed hearing about Fluffy’s literary escapawdes. Surpawsingly, I can still remember some of the pawcocious canines: Raisin (Beagle), Meagan (Westie), Sherlock (Mutt), Mac (Scottie), and Dustmop (Cairn Terrier) whose pawrents were in the cleaning business! And, as Fluffy would sign off, Bow Wow For Now! 🤣
Have a Great Dane day!
IM @9:22 AM You arf an endless fountain of fido pawns!
DeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-Any puzzle with a Cole Porter song has to be great
-WYAT_/TA_E was a potential natick as Mr. Earp and the London museum were passed by. Obscure AVA filled itself in without Ms. Gardner.
-The old 50’s Dragnet shows had Joe Friday grilling perps with no thoughts of lawyers or warnings about self-incriminations. Our recent cwd fill or Ernesto Miranda changed all that.
-Checkout – Joann had over $200 worth of groceries yesterday but the store only had two checkers. She, and many others, refused to go to the self-check machines. Was there that big of deal when we started pumping our own gas?
-The 2021 cast of West Side Story was much more true to life than the 1961 version. Natalie Wood is beautiful and talented but Maria? Times have changed.
-Of course, the Huskers now. have a Jumbo Tron, but this was their first in-stadium TV and was a source of amazement.
-Nice write-up and pix/story, waseeely!
Addendum
ReplyDelete-I am going to a retirement party for a former colleague today after I sub. Joann got me a nice card to take but it fell to me to “write something”. Talk about “use it or lose it”, my scrawl was practically indecipherable and had too many write-overs. Do you have that issue?
HG @9:43 AM I only use cursive for scribbling my signature on checks. All else is printed, although even that is gradually becoming illegible! All cards in our house are written by Teri who learned writing from nuns.
DeleteHolal!
ReplyDeleteDoug Peterson usually offers more of a challenge but this allowed me to finish in good time and with a BIC PEN.
I loved the progression of HI, MOM, YOU'RE THE TOP even though it was not intentional.
By coincidence I'm currently re-reading The Mists of AVALON and I especially like the name PENDRAGON.
I'm thinking of TACOs for dinner tonight. Oh, no! It's my daughter's birthday and we're going out to eat.
Happy birthday to the love of my life, my daughter!
You all have a wonderful day!
Husker, nope, I don't have that issue. I don't do cards.
ReplyDeleteManaged a FIR but big jump in hardness from yesterday (a 6/10 on the Mohs scale)..
ReplyDelete"Rummikub piece" "Larenz" "Lodge 49" "Ledecky" "Psycho Singer"
"DeBose"??...Yeesh!... And the theme? Sheesh..my foggy brain has no idea whatcher talkin' 'bout. 😲...
Inkovers: exiles/EXPELS,
TINY TIM eventually had corrective orthopedic surgery, learnt the ukele and the words to "Tiptoe thru the Tulips" 😃
My Mom was born in a tiny hamlet in St Lawrence County NY called PYRITES.
With "Rough house" ...I was fixin' for a fight..😃...."the X in Rolex".. If it says "Rolecks" instead of "RoleX" don't buy it.
YOKO welcome back, where yah been? 90!!! ELAYNE, laughed for at you for years but I spelt your name wrong, sorry.
Resistant decking material....TREKS
Lungs: Pipe____ ORGANS
DIG a new trench around the castle....REMOTE.
Part of nuns' good habits...AVAIL
Irish M's chronicles' sign off "___ Wow for Now"....BAO.
Daring to put in annuals this week off. Hope I don't RILE the Frost Gods. 🙄
Greetings. This was a TREK in iron boots for me….. Thanks, Doug, for a clever theme anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlmost, but DNF (4 blank sq’s: AVA crossing YAY) WAGs, unknown names, vague cues and little if no help from perps did me in.
Thanks, Bill & Teri for making it all look so easy.
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Doug, and waseeley and Teri.
ReplyDeleteI required one Google confirmation to finish today. The cross of Dr. J and the Oscar winner required a LIU for the A (I knew N couldn’t be correct). But I saw the PARTING SHOTs.
Plenty of unknown names today, but they eventually perped.
I noted RIO and RIO, PIC and BIC.
Nice misdirection with ASKS.
We have tickets to see King Lear (with Paul Gross of Due South fame as Lear) at Stratford on our anniversary next month.
Not all TOTEMs are on the west coast. Here is a restoration story of a totem in Niagara.
RestoringTotem
Let me use our Maple Leafs to illustrate Empty NET goal. Last night in the last few minutes of the Leafs/Panthers game with the Panthers trailing by a goal, the Panthers pulled their goalie, giving them an extra man for a final offensive attack to try to score and tie the game (and go to overtime). This leaves the Panther NET without a goalie (empty), and risks Toronto scoring an empty NET goal if the puck cannot be kept in the Toronto end. But the risk is worth it since the game will probably be lost anyway. In last night’s game, Toronto did not score an empty net goal, but Florida did not score either (even with the extra man). Our Maple Leafs live to play another game with the series now 3-1. Still a steep hill to win the series! Hope springs eternal for Leaf fans who haven’t seen a Stanley Cup win since 1967.
Wishing you all a great day.
Enjoyed the PARTING SHOT theme, which helped a bit with the solve. Notably, the Natick cross of WYATT/TATE.
ReplyDeleteSince RIG has shown up twice recently, I have to share this, given the history of horrific spills from oil RIGs here in the Santa Barbara Channel.
Here someone played our "Decommission an Oil RIG" at our Earth Day booth last month.
Notice one of our Board members in the Hazmat suit. Our last RIG spill was in 2015 and I have photos of the real cleanup crew in Hazmat suits.
Managed to FIR, but WEES about the trivial obscure people. An actor on a pay TV channel in a canceled series, (because no one watched?) That ran for only a little over a year? There are learning moments, and there are "who the heck cares" moments, and this puzzle had too many of the latter category for my taste. (End rant!)
ReplyDeleteI could not master thé NW, again, so DNF. In addition, I missed the theme. Thank goodness for Waseely’s fine explanation. No YAY ME for me today.
ReplyDeleteYes, many unknown names, several I got with perps and WAGS.
Lucina @9:45. I liked your putting together HI, MOM YOU’RE THE TOP.
I remember the old TV ads for EXCEDRIN headache relief.
I hadn’t read you all when I posted, or like Jinx said, I could have just entered WIHS re empty NET goals.
ReplyDeleteBut now you all have no excuse for the next time it is used.
Thanks to billocohoes for the lacrosse example also.
Dr J played down the road in Amherst(UMass). He got them into the NIT only to be swamped by the Tarheels
ReplyDeleteRather than being attached to the Silent Generation I think 40-45 births should be separate as war babies (Misty (44( may agree)
The "Intentional Foul" trick didn't work for Miami last night. The guy sank 5 of 7 including the two clinchers
I had to sign thousands of checks in Nam and adapted a squiggle. I was WC B****. I can sign my full name with PEN never leaving paper
I hate coming to a full stop when pop-cul pops. I FIR as I was able to perp ARIANA etc
I mentioned the Panthers sending game into overtime using "Empty net" strategy last week
WC
Greetings. This was a TREK in iron boots for me….. Not a fun puzzle, but thanks, Doug, for a clever theme anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlmost, but DNF (4 blank sq’s) WAGs, unknown names, vague clues and little if no help from perps.
Thanks, Bill & Teri for making it all look so easy.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteWow! I usually don't have this many issues w/ Doug's puzzles but this was a mind-bender (that or I was up too late researching the Dragos hack / memo writing).
//Note to self: don't draft memos at 1am
Thanks Doug for the puzzle. And thank you Waseeley (and Teri - does he have a Sunday plan yet?) for the fun review //I would have picked a more rockin' REO Speedwagon tune [cite ;-)
WOs: tried RUSSIA(n) in BIC-PEN's squares, couldn't spell CINEMAX w/o perps [lots of ink there], was thinking EPA b/f TSA, and I thought there was DICE in Rummikub.
ESPs: #Names
Fav: OMG, Doug -- CLICKER shows your age :-)
{A-, B--} // "sells AVON upon" in second line(?)
SpeedySolver (@7:44a) - I love me some Roman numerals. Learned my first XII at the Stations of the Cross and the rest from Van Halen's 1984 release.
IM - stop with the puppy pu(wn)s - you're killing me! :-)
Big RIGs - Convoy. As a kid in the Midwest, they were exiting to see. And then Smokey & The Bandit.
//Convoy was about the extra tax put on truckers for length - that's when cab-overs started coming out (memory - don't take that to the bank)
HG - Yes. The later it gets in the day the worse my scrawl is. Like waseely, I print [Drafting class] everything but my signature.
//Funny thing, I was filling out a clearance form over the weekend and they asked about my fingerprints. I found a print-card I did in Boy Scouts (for Fingerprint Merit Badge) and my signature is nearly identical to today's!
Ray-O: Pop never put plants in the ground before Mother's Day. That is until last week - he's playing with fate too. //I have one Roma & 3 bells nearly ready #Houston.
Go Canada!, eh?
Cheers, -T
My BD is Monday..the date I usually plant... but people are so anxious if I wait that long it's slim pickens at the nurseries.
DeleteHaving taught penmanship for many, many years I can still write fairly legibly in the Palmer method. The question though is, who can read it? I often wonder when I send cards if the postal workers can read it.
ReplyDeleteSome of my adult students wanted to learn cursive so I gave some lessons at break time.
CEh! @10:50 AM Very interesting article on the Centennial Garden totem pole. Please keep us "posted" as the project progresses. And thanks for your explanation of an EMPTY NET goal. Much better than the one Google coughed up.
ReplyDeletePicard @11:09 AM Thanks for the Earth Day SHOT. When one of those BIG RIGS fail the damage is orders of magnitude greater than when a SEMI goes down.
For those of you who have (rightly) observed the number of obscure names in this puzzle I'm reposting the earlier link for David Alfred Bywaters' NOT NOW puzzle. It has only one proper name (8D) and if you don't get it then shame on you! 😄
Lucina - Father Somebody (Jesuit) taught Pop the Palmer method and then he (Pop) learned calligraphy on his own. He tried to teach me but I was too impatient making circles over and over.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I've saved every B-Day card & envelope he's sent me. Near pieces of art they are.
-T
I learned (Ann) Palmer Method in GS Was supposed to cut down on writer's cramping but was difficult to pull off.
DeleteSince when have crossWORD puzzles morphed into trivia contests? I was helpless and hopeless at this one, perhaps due to my refusal to watch or read ads, distaste for modern "culture", and small town isolation from much of what is available in cities. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteWas- Just finished the DAB puzzle. Thanks! Really shows that a clever crossword does not have to be an A&E trivia contest. (Although there is another proper name at 44A, it isn't an obscure one!)
ReplyDeleteNeat Thursday puzzle, Doug--many thanks. And I always enjoy your commentary--many thanks to you too, Bill and Teri.
ReplyDeleteLoved the possible little story of TINY TIM waking up and, ASTIR, saying HI MOM and soon asking her for a TACO and some COLA, making him happy and SERENE. When he's done he tells her, "YOU'RE OVER THE TOP."
Have a great day, everybody.
kazie - trivial names? I recall learning OOLA [Chaplin's wife] years ago from playing the grids. OOLA was 40years b/f my time!
ReplyDeleteNow, keeping up with "modern" stuff is almost impossible too [lots of channels] and I want to play with the '70's /'80's /'90's names I know.
Alas.
Time doesn't Stand Still [RUSH]
Cheers, -T
Anon-T @1:07....I think her name was OONA.
ReplyDeleteNice Trivia contest today. I WAGed to a fare thee well, but the plethora of unknown names crossing each other got me. I’m with Charlie Echo.
ReplyDeleteStill,I enjoyed some of the fill, and, as a Camelot junkie, The Mists of Avalon is a favorite book - the familiar story told from the perspective of the women in it.
Thanks for the great write-up, Bill (and Teri). I was interested to read the descriptions of each “age group” instead of just listing the names and dates of each. I enjoy anything Ella Fitzgerald sings any time so thanks for that clip.
Lucina. It’s my daughter’s birthday too - and, like you, she is my treasure.
Waseely and Charlie Echo, I just did the DAB puzzle too - what a treat. I counted 3 proper names, but 2 were very familiar and the 3rd one perped easily. Thank you, Bill, for posting it.$
DeleteEcho, Charlie - spot on. Culpa Mea. -T
ReplyDeleteAnonymous T, I missed a few days of elementary school due to chicken pox, and when I returned we were suddenly using letters (I, V, X, etc.) in math class instead of numbers. I remember looking around the room thinking that everyone had gone mad (or they were pranking me). Nowadays, I associate Roman numerals with Super Bowls (although there's no formal requirement for that).
ReplyDeleteRegarding the empty net discussion, in the 1980 Olympic USA v. Russia hockey game, the Russian team did not pull their goalie, despite the USA being up by 1 goal for the last 10 minutes. The Russian team wasn't used to losing, and they didn't even practice the act of pulling their goalie.
I'm young, scrappy, and hungry, and I'm not throwin' away my shot.
Anonymous (the anti-circle one).
There was much to like in this puzzle and much to dislike. I won't list them. IMO, a good Doug Peterson puzzle ruined.
ReplyDeleteLoved your write-up, waseeley, and all your comments, folks.
I wonder what Rihanna thinks, if anything, about being called "Riri."
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when you ask that device on the table "Hey RIRI, who has the best crossword puzzle today?"
ReplyDeleteWendyBird @2:49 PM I find DAB's puzzles to be very civilized.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had more like that.
DeleteBesides writing in cursive I also learned calligraphy, which I may have mentioned at one time, I took as an elective in college and had a wonderful teacher. She was actually our art teacher so very talented. I have two of her paintings which I cherish.
ReplyDeleteI use calligraphy to print the names on birthday cards. Anyone who doesn't know me is immediately impressed. The rest already know.
WendyBird @4:13 PM He has several hundred puzzles on his website along with hundreds of images of beautiful Victorian paintings and downloadable public domain Victorian novels. He has one of the most interesting websites I know, all available at this URL: https://www.davidalfredbywaters.com/.
ReplyDeleteThank You!
Delete8x8 Rule!
ReplyDelete~ OMK
Lefthanders, cursive and inkwell are a bad mix. Sister Kevin truly thought left-handers were sprung from the devil.
ReplyDeleteI actually had to self teach non-cursive and printing when I switched to Public.
One girl solved the leftie/ink smudge problem: She wrote cursive upside down. 8th grade. I tried it but BIC pens had arrived
WC
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteMy reply will make 60 replies today to waseeley and Teri's blog
Thanks Doug, Bill, and Teri for the fun romp; as other said, too many proper name clues, but it is what it is
FIR
Today was perhaps our last hike in the desert until fall (October/November), but we saw lots of cactus in bloom
Chairman Moe, I'm glad you saw lots of cactus in bloom. It's so pretty. I think the Arizona-Sonora desert is one of the prettiest. I get a kick out of the Palo Verde trees, what with their green bark.
ReplyDeleteWho comes up with these names? Stuff a week’s worth of trivia into one day and you end up with just a plug-and-chug arcane trivia quiz. Great if it is your wheelhouse.
ReplyDeleteWatching NJ and Carolina do battle in the NHL playoffs, I remembered one thing that I wanted pass along. When you are watching a hockey game on TV, it looks like both teams just throw the puck away a lot of times. I didn't understand it until I attended a game of the Norfolk Admirals, one of Carolina's minor league affiliates. They do that so they can do a wholesale skater change. A skater's shift is usually about a minute long, and teams like to change the three forwards and/or the two defensemen as a unit when it makes sense. (Injuries and penalties interfere with those plans, as does someone having a bad day.) There are normally 4 sets of 3 forwards (each set called a "line") and 3 sets of 2 defensemen. Everyone on the bench (except the backup goalie) gets a lot of ice time, and there is no "right field" to hide a liability.
ReplyDeleteYes! All the desert plants are in full bloom right now including one in my patio with gorgeous yellow blossoms.
ReplyDeleteLoved the review and attachments for this puzzle. And I did subscribe to DAB's free website. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteFor HuskerG @ 9:43 -- I share your dis-penmanship. One solution I found is -- using the current e-reality -- an English outfit that has a wide range of electronic cards. (This only works if you have the recipient's e-mail address.) Take a look at jacquielawson.com .
ReplyDeleteAnd for handwriting, my dad was naturally left-handed. Having Irish parents, he of course went to a parochial school. The nuns mercilessly forced him into writing right-handedly. I used to be able to read what he wrote, but it resembled the old-style German handwriting in its legibility.
I liked Doug's PARTING SHOT theme but the only name I knew belonged to KATIE. She is such an impressive swimmer! Oh, and I also knew Boris & Natasha....
ReplyDeleteI took a DAshotRK at 11D for a FIW.
FAV: X on a Rolodex
Thank you, Waseeley & Teri, for your very thorough write-up! All is now crystal clear!