54 A. Corporations with little business activity, and what are formed by the circled letters: SHELL COMPANIES. Corporations without active business operations or significant assets. These types of corporations are not all necessarily illegal, but they are sometimes used illegitimately, such as to disguise business ownership from law enforcement or the public.
Here, the phrase is repurposed [or reused, per 28D] to indicate a bookends type theme for the puzzle, in which the names of prominent American corporations are split, providing the beginning and ending letters for the theme fill entries.
16 A. Fruity frozen treat: ORANGE POPSICLE. A popsicle is a piece of flavored ice or ice cream on a stick. In this case the flavor is ORANGE. Rather specific fill for an other general clue. Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Austin, Texas. In 2020, Oracle was the third-largest software company in the world by revenue and market capitalization. Oracle also declined during 2022. It started to recover in October and has recently passed its former high and gone hyperbolic.
25. Pursue additional education, e.g.: APPLY FOR COLLEGE. To ask to be accepted as a student at colleges or universities by filling out and sending applications. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Apple is the world's largest technology company by revenue, with US$394.3 billion in 2022 revenue. As of March 2023, Apple is the world's biggest company by market capitalization. As of June 2022, Apple is the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales and the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. It is often considered as one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet (parent company of Google), Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. Apple stock had a choppy decline through 2022, bottoming early this year. It has since soared to new highs.
35. Spanish "I like": ME GUSTA. Literal. Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly named Facebook, Inc., and TheFacebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other products and services. Meta is one of the world's most valuable companies and among the ten largest publicly traded corporations in the United States. It is often considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Alphabet (parent company of Google), Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. Meta stock price peaked in September, 2021, then lost over 75% of its value at the November, 2022 low. It has since recovered, but is still far below its all time high.
42 A. Slips, bras, etc.: INTIMATE APPAREL. Women's underwear and nightclothes. synonyms: lingerie. types: gown, night-robe, nightdress, nightgown, nightie; lingerie consisting of a loose dress designed to be worn in bed by women. Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is one of the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 series of instruction sets found in most personal computers. Its stock was badly battered last year, losing over 50% of its value. It flattened out in October and is starting to make a comeback.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to broker today's transactions. All the theme entries are American multi-national corporations involved in various aspects of technology. Let's see how we can push forward.
Across
6. Place to soak some barking dogs: FOOT SPA. A bowl for soaking the feet in warm water, especially one in which the feet are massaged by small jets of water. For "dogs," not canines.
13. Indigenous New Zealanders: MAORIS. Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages between roughly 1320 and 1350.
15. Underhanded course of action: LOW ROAD. A behavior or approach that is unscrupulous or immoral.
18. Precious stone: GEM. A precious or semiprecious stone, especially when cut and polished or engraved.
19. Release, as an album: DROP. The act of releasing it to the public.
20. Chats online, briefly: IMS. Instant Messages.
21. Beach bucket: PAIL. A bucket is usually an open-top container. In contrast, a pail can have a top or lid and is a shipping container. In common usage, the two terms are often used interchangeably. In this context, a beach bucket is a toy for plying in the sand.
22. "Rumor has it ... ": I HEAR. Through the grape vine, maybe.
31. Spring flower: IRIS. A plant with sword-shaped leaves and showy flowers, typically purple, yellow, or white. Native to both Eurasia and North America, it is widely cultivated as an ornamental.
%2C_Wakehurst_Place%2C_UK_-_Diliff.jpg)
32. Fish in a swarm: EELS. Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators. They do swarm in deep water
33. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT. On a personal computer with the Microsoft Windows operating system, Control+Alt+Delete is the combination of the Ctrl key, the Alt key and Del key that a user can press at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system.
34. Not 'neath: O'ER. Over, aka above.
38. "Obvi": DUH. Said of something that is readily apparent and not at all surprising.
39. Comedian DeLaria: LEA. Lea DeLaria is an American comedian, actress, and jazz singer. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic to appear on American television with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show.
40. Notable times: ERAS. A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic. Three of our granddaughters attended the Detroit performance of The Eras Tour, the ongoing sixth headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Described by her as a journey through all of her "musical eras", the Eras Tour is a tribute to all of Swift's studio albums so far. They loved it.
41. Ballet leap: JETE. A jump in which a dancer springs from one foot to land on the other with one leg extended outward from the body while in the air.
33. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT. On a personal computer with the Microsoft Windows operating system, Control+Alt+Delete is the combination of the Ctrl key, the Alt key and Del key that a user can press at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system.
34. Not 'neath: O'ER. Over, aka above.
38. "Obvi": DUH. Said of something that is readily apparent and not at all surprising.
39. Comedian DeLaria: LEA. Lea DeLaria is an American comedian, actress, and jazz singer. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic to appear on American television with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show.
40. Notable times: ERAS. A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic. Three of our granddaughters attended the Detroit performance of The Eras Tour, the ongoing sixth headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Described by her as a journey through all of her "musical eras", the Eras Tour is a tribute to all of Swift's studio albums so far. They loved it.
41. Ballet leap: JETE. A jump in which a dancer springs from one foot to land on the other with one leg extended outward from the body while in the air.
47. Express big feelings, maybe: EMOTE. Portray emotion in a theatrical manner.
48. Transit option to NYC's Roosevelt Island: TRAM. A tram is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are called tramways The Roosevelt Island Tramway provides the most modern aerial tramway in the world, running every 7-15 minutes from 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan to Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island.
49. Web access co.: ISP. Internet Service Provider.
50. "Any minute now": SOON. Immanent.
51. WNBA honor for A'ja Wilson in 2020 and 2022: MVP. Most Valuable Player.
59. Item on a laundry list?: TIDE POD. Water-soluble pouches containing highly concentrated laundry detergent, marketed by Proctor and Gamble under the Tide brand name.
60. Campfire treats: S'MORES. Toasted marshmallows sandwiched between graham crackers with a chocolate segment.
61. Bounding main: OPEN SEA. An expanse of sea away from land.
62. Prevent, as disaster: AVERT. Prevent or ward off an undesirable occurrence
Down:
1. Dark cloud on the horizon?: SMOG. Air pollution that reduces visibility. The term "smog" was first used in the early 1900s to describe a mix of smoke and fog. The smoke usually came from burning coal. Smog was common in industrial areas, and remains a familiar sight in some cities today. I don't think this clue is accurate. Smog occurs much closer than the horizon.
2. Largest lagomorph: HARE. A lagomorph is a mammal of the order Lagomorpha; a hare, rabbit, or pika.
3. Cover a lot of ground: ROAM. Move about or travel aimlessly or unsystematically, especially over a wide area.
4. Mantle piece: URN. A tall, rounded vase with a base, and sometimes a stem, especially one used for storing the ashes of a cremated person.
5. Circled square on a calendar, maybe: BIG DAY. A very important or significant day.
6. First three community cards in Texas Hold 'em: FLOP. The dealing of the first three face-up cards to the board, refers also to those three cards themselves.
7. Alley-__: OOP. Used to encourage or draw attention to the performance of some physical, especially acrobatic, feat.
8. Hurt sounds: OWS. Expressions of pain.
9. Start to cycle?: TRI. A vehicle similar to a bicycle, but having three wheels, two at the back and one at the front. This kind of clue makes me gnash my teeth.
10. __ media: SOCIAL. Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
11. Expert who relies on a show of hands: PALM READER. Typically, this clue refers to a non-verbal method of voting by raising hands. Here, the PALM READER is one who practices fortune-telling through the study of the palm. Also known as palm reading, chiromancy, chirology or cheirology, the practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Clever clue.
12. Citrus drinks: -ADES. I can't find a specific definition for this suffix on its own. But these drinks contain the juice of the fruit mixed with sweetened water.
14. Calligrapher's flourish: SERIF. A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces.
17. Casual top: POLO. A casual short-sleeved cotton shirt with a collar and several buttons at the neck.
21. "Thx" counterpart: PLS. Please and thanks, shortened.
22. Fruity frozen treats: ICES. Very cold -ADES, maybe.
23. "NBC Nightly News" anchor Lester: HOLT. Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is an American journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News following the demotion of Brian Williams. Holt became the first African-American to solo anchor a weekday network nightly newscast.
24. Pataky of "Fast & Furious" films: ELSA. Elsa Lafuente Medianu [b 1976] known professionally as Elsa Pataky, is a Spanish model and actress. Pataky is known for her role as Elena Neves in the Fast & Furious franchise. She has appeared in the films Snakes on a Plane, Giallo and Give 'Em Hell, Malone.
6. First three community cards in Texas Hold 'em: FLOP. The dealing of the first three face-up cards to the board, refers also to those three cards themselves.
7. Alley-__: OOP. Used to encourage or draw attention to the performance of some physical, especially acrobatic, feat.
8. Hurt sounds: OWS. Expressions of pain.
9. Start to cycle?: TRI. A vehicle similar to a bicycle, but having three wheels, two at the back and one at the front. This kind of clue makes me gnash my teeth.
10. __ media: SOCIAL. Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
11. Expert who relies on a show of hands: PALM READER. Typically, this clue refers to a non-verbal method of voting by raising hands. Here, the PALM READER is one who practices fortune-telling through the study of the palm. Also known as palm reading, chiromancy, chirology or cheirology, the practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Clever clue.
12. Citrus drinks: -ADES. I can't find a specific definition for this suffix on its own. But these drinks contain the juice of the fruit mixed with sweetened water.
14. Calligrapher's flourish: SERIF. A slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces.
17. Casual top: POLO. A casual short-sleeved cotton shirt with a collar and several buttons at the neck.
21. "Thx" counterpart: PLS. Please and thanks, shortened.
22. Fruity frozen treats: ICES. Very cold -ADES, maybe.
23. "NBC Nightly News" anchor Lester: HOLT. Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is an American journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News following the demotion of Brian Williams. Holt became the first African-American to solo anchor a weekday network nightly newscast.
24. Pataky of "Fast & Furious" films: ELSA. Elsa Lafuente Medianu [b 1976] known professionally as Elsa Pataky, is a Spanish model and actress. Pataky is known for her role as Elena Neves in the Fast & Furious franchise. She has appeared in the films Snakes on a Plane, Giallo and Give 'Em Hell, Malone.
Doesn't look furious
25. Garlicky dip: AIOLI. A cold sauce consisting of an emulsion of garlic and olive oil; it is found in the cuisines of the northwest Mediterranean, from Andalusia to Calabria.
26. Take a long look in the mirror?: PREEN. Devote effort to making oneself look attractive and then admire one's appearance.
27. Vessel that may fly the Jolly Roger: PIRATE SHIP. A sailing vessel used by a person who commits robbery on the seas. Jolly Roger is a pirate's flag with a white skull and crossbones on a black background.
28. Waste reduction strategy: REUSE. Reuse is the action or practice of using an item, whether for its original purpose or to fulfill a different function. It should be distinguished from recycling, which is the breaking down of used items to make raw materials for the manufacture of new products.
29. Muscle used in a squat, informally: GLUTE. A muscle of the buttock.
30. Broadway icon Merman: ETHEL. Ethel Merman [1908 - 1984] was an American actress and singer. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, as well as her leading roles in musical theater, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." She performed on Broadway in Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, and Hello, Dolly!
35. "Someone didn't get the __": MEMO. To not know something that everyone else knows: Everybody seems to be wearing green today - I guess I didn't get the memo.
36. Part of Q.E.D.: ERAT. Latin abbreviation for quod erat demonstrandum: "Which was to be demonstrated." Q.E.D. may appear at the conclusion of a text to signify that the author's overall argument has just been proven.
37. Scandal suffix: GATE. This originated with Nixon's Watergate scandal, the burglary of the DNC headquarters in the Watergate Office Building. Now the suffix is recklessly added to any distinctive word associated with a political scandal.
41. Printer problem: JAM. Paper getting stuck in the printer mechanism.
43. Hold up: IMPEDE. Deter, delay, obstruct, hinder.
44. Bonding partner: ATOM. ATOMS are the smallest particles of a chemical element that retain the properties of that element. Molecules are made up of atoms bonded together.
45. Play things?: PROPS. Prop is short for 'property' and is any object used in a performance that isn't part of the set or worn by an actor. Props can be anything, from small to large items – a notebook to a fountain. This is a clever clue.
46. Country that connects the Americas: PANAMA. Panama is a country on the isthmus linking Central and South America.
49. Analogy phrase: IS TO. A is to B as alpha is to beta. Comparative connector, I suppose. In a cursory search I'm unable to discover anything else about this usage.
50. Word with bread or cracker: SODA. These items are made with sodium bicarbonate in the recipe rather than yeast as a leavening agent.
51. Slimy mud: MIRE. Swampy or boggy ground.
52. Swerve: VEER. Change direction suddenly.
53. "Over here!" in a library voice: PSST. A non-vocalized whisper.
55. Ballroom dancer Goodman: LEN. Leonard Gordon Goodman [1944 - 2023] was an English professional ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and dance competition adjudicator.
56. Vinyl records, briefly: LPS. Long Playing records.
57. Cedar Rapids campus: COE. Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities.
58. Native American Heritage mo.: NOV. November. On August 3, 1990, President of the United States George H. W. Bush declared the month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month. The bill read in part that "The President has authorized and requested to call upon Federal, State and local Governments, groups and organizations and the people of the United States to observe such month with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities". This landmark bill honoring America's tribal people represented a major step in the establishment of this celebration which began in 1976 when a Cherokee/Osage Indian named Jerry C. Elliott-High Eagle authored Native American Awareness Week legislation the first historical week of recognition in the nation for native peoples. This led to 1986 with then President Ronald Reagan proclaiming November 23–30, 1986, as "American Indian Week"
On that happy note we wrap up today's midweek transactions. Thanks for keeping me company. Hope you found it to be profitable.
Cool regards!
JzB
40 comments:
I found it a bit tough starting off, getting “shrub” and “smog,” but after that things seemed to proceed pretty easily. I note that all the “companies “ were tech related; another layer of meaning, perhaps? Or maybe just an allusion to the economic power of tech in our modern age, I don’t know. In any case, FIR, so I’m happy.
I inked in omen/SMOG. And…
At the LA Open you could see the SMOG on the horizon over LA
Having been to a Jesuit college QED was familiar. New though in 1962
LEN for Goodman not Deighton today
After the slow start I pretty much sailed through
WC
Good morning!
Rough start with smooth finish. Wanted YUCCA for that Chaparral growth. (Have I ever mentioned....?) Len Goodman of DWTS fame died just a couple of months ago -- bone cancer. COE was a gimme; the campus was just up the street from our studios. Rebecca game us some nice variety for the first full day of summer. Erudite expo, JzB.
Not "game," "gave."
Hmm, blogger is back to the old format vis a vis the size of the PUBLISH Block. I liked the new format because the paste button was too close to publish
WC
WEES about having a rough start. The clue for SMOG... just no. It's trying too hard, the ACTUAL issue with smog is when it's NOT "on the horizon", isn't it?
The first theme answer I got was (APPL)YFORCOLLEG(E) and so I assumed the circled words would be fruits. It would've been awful if the ORANGE phrase had ORA-NGE in the circles, glad it wasn't the case.
While I did manage to FIR, I don’t get how ORACLE, APPLE, META and INTEL are shell companies. Can someone tell me what I am missing here? A shell company, as JzB rightly said, is a company with little or no business. These are some of the largest corporations in the world; hardly shell companies. Anyone? This CW took a bit longer than usual for a Wednesday. 1A I wanted “SCRUB” at first, and didn’t know what a lagomorph is, so that slowed things down in the NW. 6A I wanted HOTBATH at first, had to wait on perps there, too. I did like the low number of names, 7 by my count. Thanx for the nice write-up, JzB.
A shell is an “outer case”. The circles were the outer case of the answers?
FIW, missing ICES with crossword-favorite ICEe and not trusting my feeble Spanish. Also erased uni for TRI (your fault, Picard - your pix are just too memorable.)
Fred and Anon @ 6:37, I did a lot of thinking about SHELL COMPANIES as well. Then I remembered how GTE was organized. When asked, our customers would say their phone service was provided by GTE, when it was really provided by GTE California, Inc, GTE Southwest Inc, GTE Midwest, Inc, etc. Corporate GTE provided direction and support to its subsidiaries, but didn't have a product to market itself. The Intel we think of is actually Intel Americas, Inc. This chart shows the difference between shells and holding companies.
I was going to link Adele's big hit Rumor Has It, but I was afraid that the other guys on the Corner would descend on Norfolk with pitchforks and torches while chanting my name.
INTIMATE APPAREL, because "superfluous impediments" wouldn't fit. I got an email from Hanes last week encouraging me to "Banish Bounce with this Playtex Bra $14.98". I wanted to answer back "now why would I want to do that?" Spoilsports.
Yeah, you can link to an unknown Panama, or the famous one from Van Halen.
Thanks to JzB for the fun, detailed review.
Got off on the wrong foot twice, first filling OMEN for SMOG, then SCRUB for SHRUB. I didn't how what a lagomorph was and HARE was a guess-lucky. So was EELS for swarms (mosquitos and gnats swarm around here). I always take the HIGH, not LOW, ROAD so situations don't come back to bite you. People can be so petty and spiteful.
LEA, MVP, TRAM, ELSA, LEN, NOV- unknown as clued and filled by perps. INTIMATE APPAREL was filled by perps before I read the clue.
A paper JAM in a printer is usually easy to get out but a CARD JAM in a card reader is a whole 'nother story. After we went 'cardless' I took the file cabinet used to store programs home. Heavy steel but holds a lot of tools.
BIG DAY- I never kept a personal calendar or even used one until the last couple of years. Too many MD appts. I had one on the wall behind my desk that employees would use to write in the days they wanted to take off.
I usually ignore circles but when I saw Apple's stock symbol, APPL, I put the E in the other circle. Then noticed ORACLE and META girding the unknown MEGUSTA (perps). Never knew ORACLE moved from CA to TX; smart move. Larry Ellison (net worth over $15 BILLION) would owe billions in income tax to CA if he stayed. Elon Musk also moved; he's got 100 billion more than Ellison. It's hard to comprehend someone having that kind of cash.
FIR, but I fail to see how Oracle, Apple, Meta, and Intel are shell companies. This seems somewhat out of touch with reality.
I had no problem with the solve once I corrected my first mistake throwing down omen at 1D before seeing nothing else fit across. The perps helped me see smog as the answer.
TInkered around a little, and took 7:01 for ME.
(Is TIME still around?)
Oh joy, circles.
Like my dear UncleFred, I don't see how these companies are "what are formed by the circled letters". Even the circle gimmick seems forced/contrived.
Oddly, I got today's WNBA clue, but only because I had 2 of 3 letters of MVP already.
Lea who? Ballroom dancer somebody?
First tried LOW blow, which often is delivered literally underhand.
Thank you Rebecca for a puzzle that started off a bit crunchy, but smoothed out as it progressed. Seeing the circles I looked for a reveal, which made the theme easy to suss, all containing well-known company names.
And thank you JZB for another comprehensive and thorough review.
Some favs:
60A SMORES. My grandkids' favorite campfire treat
6D FOOT SPA. I just use a PAIL with Epsom salts dissolved to H2O to shush my DOGS.
2D HARE. This perped in and taught me a new word: LAGOMORPH
10D SOCIAL. This comment brought to you by BLOGGER, the SOCIAL MEDIUM we all visit most days.
11D PALM READER. Clever clue.
44D ATOM. Favorite clue.
Cheers,
Bill
Rather easy. Unknowns, LEA, LEN, ELSA were filled before I got to them. The only other unknown was FLOP, perps and a wag.
I, too, wondered why these big, prosperous companies were called shells. Thanks, JzB, the first and last letters of the theme answers spell a company. These letters form a shell or outside covering around the answer. Clever
My mom often said, "My dogs are barking," when her feet hurt. I have heard it nowhere else.
The internet says pails have lids or tops, but suggests bucket and pail can be interchangeable. In my experience they usually are interchangeable. We call it a sand pail. It has no lid.
I believe a swarm of eels is a similar construction to a gaggle of geese.
The horizon is where the sky and the land appear to meet. So the smog seen there is actually on the land. Look up images of smog on the horizon.
The Roosevelt Island tramway or tram has no tracks. It is an aerial tramway that has the cars suspended from a cable. Also the trams at the Jersey shore have no tracks. They have wheels and run directly on the boardwalk. Most of the internet definitions do not take this into account.
Only in crosswords do I see ADE as a citrus drink standing alone, but LIU. "Ade is a slang term for a sweet drink, more often used as a suffix." Using ade alone, meh. But it is legitimate because slang is allowed here.
Although I see the logic about WEES about “shell” being an “outside coating “ for the “companies” I still think the puzzle is lacking in logic (as others have also said) in referring to these “big, prosperous companies “ as “shell “ companies - it just doesn’t “jive”!
Musings
-Omaha will get 15:09:22 of daylight today. Tomorrow it will be 15:09:19 and slowly decrease after that
-ORA…CLE made me think the gimmick was fortune tellers at first
-LOW ROAD – pols would quit using it if it were not effective
-Some travel on the OPEN SEA is made by rail
-The recent U.S. Golf Tournament in L.A. did not experience a lot of SMOG but the marine layer did cause some vision issues
-Buffalo never did ROAM here in Nebraska. The bison did.
-These TRIcylces are on the ocean with Diamond Head as a backdrop
-I like SOCIAL MEDIA but PLS, like here, no politics, religion or personal attacks
-A PALM READER (scanner) can replace your door key and credit card
-Sometimes a PROP is in the title of a movie: The Maltese Falcon
-My dad served in PANAMA during WWII and said, “Not one Nazi ship got through!”
-BIG DAY – No calendars in my life other than the one on my iPhone
Good Morning! Slow start today, but once I got into it, it all came together. Thanks, Rebecca.
Thanks JazzB for a great recap – I was wow’d with all the info.
NW was the last to fill. 1D: omen?? Couldn’t get it to work.
2D: HARE – all perps. Never heard of the word lagomorph before. CWs are great for life-long learning!
GEM was in, then out, ore?? No, GEM back in.
Computer-related companies didn’t seem to fit the clue – they do plenty of business! I think of SHELL COMPANIES has come to mean money launderers….
Thanks, Anon @ 6:37. Now “SHELL” makes sense for the clue.
Nice to see DUH as a fill. Not a Simpson’s fan, so “doh” never took hold. I guess I’m a traditionalist or maybe a fuddy-duddy….😂
ESP: FLOP, ELSA, COE, MVP
Alley-OOP to me is the cartoon character of the ‘50s.
Slow start, fast finish, fun puzzle and informative review, thank you RG and JzB. Wanted manicurist for PALM READER, Friday/BIG DAY. and icee wrong when ORANGE POPSICLE finished the puzzle.
The Italian version I make of AIOLI is a thin, eggless, garlic flavored evoo sauce with added sautéed onions, tomatoes,and parsley served over linguini. So good! We had pesto yesterday, Will it be marinara tomorrow?
WC @5:36 - Very good tournament but a quiet crowd, not like last year. SMOG in California called June Gloom.
Remember “Loch Lomond?”
You’ll take the high road and I’ll take the LOW ROAD
And I’ll be in Scotland afore Ye
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the Bonny Bonny banks of Loch Lomond
Happy day, all!
Madam Inga is an ORACLE of sorts
Altho she's not very good at sports.
But as a PALM READER
In her field, she's a leader,
So let's give her a hand of support!
Xavier loved the OPEN SEA!
On a PIRATE SHIP he would be!
He'd VEER with the wind,
What a humour he'd be in!
"It gets 50 Miles Per Galleon" quoth he.
{A, A-.}
Yellowrocks @9:42 - A hundred years ago when I worked in Atlantic City on the Jersey shore, there were no motorized vehicles on the Boardwalk. Two person rickshaws were pushed up and down the wooden walkway by some professional men but mostly by strong college students. The small little buses that ran on the avenues were call Jitneys.
Anonymous at 6:37 I suspect you are correct.
Learning moments about SODA and FLOP. Hand up on all those unknown names, but crosses were reasonable. Got the theme reveal first, which helped with the solve. Fun.
When I was in college my father lost his job and my parents moved to New York City for his new job. They were very fortunate to find a small apartment on ROOSEVELT ISLAND that they could afford. The aerial TRAM was definitely the best part. But some of their friends and family refused to ride it!
Here are two of my photos of the ROOSEVELT ISLAND Aerial TRAM.
Sorry that x-CYCLE today was not UNICYCLE. This Saturday is Solstice and I am in serious training. The artist making my morel mushroom headpiece is brilliant, but also rather mentally disturbed. He ended up in jail last week. So... I am trying to practice riding with a different one that is really huge.
My friend Darla Bea got this wonderful short video of me attempting to ride my UNICYCLE yesterday with this huge morel mushroom head piece.
From Yesterday:
Lucina, Wilbur Charles, Charlie Echo, AnonT Thank you very much for the kind words about my photos. Glad they can bring back happy memories.
We can't overthink this. It is not that these companies are shell companies themselves. It is ONLY that their names in the circles are shells around the theme answers, as many of us have said. Two different meanings of the word shell, a misdirection.
I had ORA------ and APPLE right away and thought the theme might be fruit. Then the popsicle was ORANGE so that nixed that idea.
I love these long hours of daylight which allow me to go out in the evening. I don't drive in the dark so I must return before then. Friends offering rides are very helpful.
Buffalo is an informal names for bison that has been used for centuries. It is not the scientific name. Some dictionaries even list it as a synonym for bison. Common everyday language vs formal. The term, buffalo hunter, was definitely used on the frontier. Stories about the old days don't mention bison hunters. Then there is the buffalo nickel.
HG, I cannot understand why the "low road" appeals to some voters, but it certainly does. It turns me off.
Parsan, the jitneys still run on several NJ shore resorts' streets during the summer before Labor Day. The motorized tram cars still run on the Wildwood Boardwalk. We ride them every year. Atlantic City has had rolling chairs pushed by employees since 1887. They are advertised to be used this summer, too.
Slow start today left me a bit apprehensive, but things soon picked up the pace for a FIR. last to fall was the cross at the unknown actress, and the unknown Spanish. All in all, an enjoyable solve, with some clever clues.
Husker @10:13 AM "made by rail" LOL!
Hola!
ME GUSTA este rompecabezas! (I like this puzzle!) Literally, head breaker.
When the reveal emerged (SHELL COMPANIES) it made no sense to me. Thank you, JazzBumpa! I can always count on you to give us the detailed meaning and I've learned so much from you.
TIDE PODs are the most expensive of laundry detergents.
A PALM READER once told me I would have a long life and she was right. I was thirty-something at the time. So far I've lived longer than my parents and grandparents and I'm grateful for that. I hope to live long enough to see all my grandchildren graduate from college. Two more to go.
Picard, my hand is up thinking of you at TRI-cycle.
I'm not familiar with LEN Goodman so thankfully it emerged.
I hope your first full day of summer is progressing well, everyone!
HGary:
I have to agree with waseeley @ 12:00!
So sad about the tourists hoping to see the Titanic. What a high price to pay for that outing!
Does anyone know where to find answers to today’s lat ken ken?
Mark
I also put Omen for Smog and it caused me a slow start. I like when I know a name and do miss Len Goodman from Dancing With The Stars. A few clever clues and a fun puzzle. kkFlorida
JzB, I see that no one has taken you to task for immanent. The word you are looking for is immInent meaning soon or almost immediately. Immanent is a word but it's meaning is " a natural part of something; intrinsic".
FIW, I went for SCRUB, not SHRUB and missed seeing the mismatch with CARE and lagomorph. The rest of today's offering from Rebecca was straightforward. Thanks JzB for your otherwise fine discussion of the puzzle answers.
After a slow start, I too managed a FIR, and saw the cracked SHELL COMPANIES Rebecca created for us as today's theme. Thank you!
No complaints about the puzzle fill and I appreciate your review, JazzB, which was thorough. Thanks for explaining FLOP and DROP which I had filled without understanding the meaning here. Learning moments.
Time to get busy again. Hope you all are doing well!
I liked this puzzle. Hand up for entering SCRUB, which caused 2-down to be CARE, which I didn't notice. I was too busy trying to figure out what letter crossed FLO- and DRO-, neither of which term I was familiar with.
JzB, thanks for your informative write-up.
Of all the network news anchors, I like Lester HOLT the best. He doesn't nod his head, make facial or hand gestures, or artificially modulate his voice like other network anchors do in their phony attempts to make everything seem sensational.
Good wishes to you all.
Hi All!
#CorpShills puzzle was fun. Thanks Rebecca. Theme got me the ORANGE to break up the NW at the end...
Anyone remember the Creamsicle?
Thank you JazzB for the extensive review. So much new #learning.
//The SAT / ACT was big on "dog IS TO house as elephant IS TO <select best answer>"
WOs: UNI (#Picard)->TRI, --U was inked b/f I realized "not a Uni" but COE.
ESPs: MAORIES (mostly), AIOLI (spelling), ELSA | MEGUETA, LEA, LEN,
Fav: PIRATE SHIP / Jolly Roger. #HappyHacker!
{A+ //cute!, A}
Jinx - I'm not the only one that thought Van Halen at PANAMA? [Live w/ Hagar].
Sweet that I'm not the only reprobate at The Corner.
I need to brush up b/f I get to Vegas in August (#BlackHat #Defcon!), 'cuz I was thinking "river" before "flop."
BigE - if you ever want to get rid of your "tool boxes," I can rent a truck :-) //If DW lets me get more old computer stuff...
Parsan... Second paragraph made me really hungry. I can't wait 'till DW gets off Keto so I can #pasta!
HG - Biometrics (PALM READERs) is fine for authentication but not for authorization. //Oh, ... I have to have a printed calendar to see everything all at once or I get lost. No iApp does that like paper.
Re: SHELL Cos - @6:37 nailed it (companies in the fill's husk) but, in a way, these multi-nationals are "parent" / "shell" companies of many others under their umbrella and hence don't produce anything except tax-avoidance manipulations. //I need a cite - but it feels truthy ;-)
Y'all have a great eve.
Cheers, -T
Fun Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Rebecca. And thank you too JazzB, for your commentary.
I figured I'd best treat this as a BIG DAY when it would be important to relax a little, and maybe go to the FOOT SPA, and then buy some new APPAREL and PREEN a little, especially if I look good riding the TRAM.
After that I think I'll go to a cafe on the OPEN SEA, and order an ORANGE POPSICLE along with some SMORES, and some bread and crackers and drink a SODA. Not just a BIG DAY, but a GOOD DAY.
Have a pleasant afternoon, everybody.
-T, an engineer who worked for me in LA had a functioning PDP-11 in his garage. His ancient Isuzu pickup truck had to live outside. (He didn't have a DW though. I don't think he even dated, so he was sans adult (i.e. female) supervision.)
The NW looked fuzzy so I started in the NE and worked my way back. FAVs: Show of hands; Play things, and Lagomorph (Thanks for building my vocabulary, Rebecca!).
I always enjoy your information-filled write-ups, JazzBumpa! I liked your Panama link, too.
I never can guess what Picard will be up to next!
ATLGranny. I did not get to yesterday's puzzle until today. Best wishes as you recover from your cataract surgery!
No diagonals today.
~ OMK
I missed the reference to another cornerites, ATLGranny this time, having cataract surgery. Best wishes.
That’s cornerite without an s.
Post a Comment