google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, July 6, 2023 Ed Sessa

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Jul 6, 2023

Thursday, July 6, 2023 Ed Sessa

  Forever Blowing Bubbles

Today marks the 140th puzzle that Dr. Ed Sessa has constructed for us.  Here's an email that Husker received from him on June 1, 2023 re his current plans ...

Hi Gary,
Thanks for asking. Penny and I traveled through northern Virginia trying to find a place, home or apartment that was somehow equidistant and closer to our kids but it was not to be for various reasons. All things considered we decided to stay in SW Florida, and will soon close on a home in Fort Myers. It's about 45 minutes from Sanibel so we can still maintain some friendships and connections from the past 20+ years and watch the island heal. We were very lucky that someone (turned out to be an ex-football player and contractor) bought what was left of our home, with plans to build an elevated home on the site. I appreciate all the work you and the whole crew do on the blog site - it must be a labor of love. If you are ever in the neighborhood let me know!
Regards,
Ed

As for today's construction, I think Dr. Ed must have gotten wind of the controversy that occasionally arises on the Corner, the one about whether or not circles are actually ever needed in theme puzzles.  Today he rises to the occasion, and presents a puzzle which not only uses circles, but absolutely requires circles, as they are a part of the theme.  Here are the themers, which are all DOWN clues, listed from WEST to EAST (use your imagination to circle the RED letters) ...

3D. Snooze: CATCH SOME ZS.   It's time for my afternoon nap ...


34D. Act as a matchmaker: PLAY CUPID.

14D. Got carried away: WENT OVER BOARD.  Goldie meets Kurt and mayhem ensues ...


8D. Whoopi Goldberg comedy with a "Back in the Habit" sequel: SISTER ACT.   Co-starring the Dowager Countess of Grantham from Downton Abbey ...

Time to burst the bubble on  what the circles reveal (when read from BOTTOM UP of course) ...

25D. Products of a child's wand, and what are literally rising in this puzzle's circles: SOAP BUBBLES.

Here are the SOAPS ...

ZEST
DIAL
DOVE
CARESS

Here's the grid ...
 

And here's the rest ...

Across:

1. Indy 500 leader: PACE CAR.  After 1911 the Indianapolis 500 auto PACE CAR led the assembled starting racers around the track for a predetermined number of unscored warm-up laps. Then if the officials deem appropriate, they'd release the field at a purposeful speed to start the race proper.  Prior to this date the cars began from a standing start.
The PACE CAR (a Chevrolet Corvette) leads the field past
an accident site at the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

8. "More or less": SORTAKINDA.

13. Regional measure: STATE LAW

15. One-dimensional: LINEAR.  À la A______________________________B

16. Make future plans: SET A DATE.

17. Not on the level: ASLANT.

18. Gumshoe: TEC.  My favorite TEC ...
19. "So be it!": AMEN.

20. Trough location: STY.

21. Prefix with scope: HORO.  A HOROSCOPE is an astrological chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, astrological aspects and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from the Greek words ōra and scopos meaning "time" and "observer".
A horoscope calculated for January 1, 2000
at 12:01:00 A.M. EST
in New York, NY, US
(Long: 074W00'23" – Lat: 40N42'51")
Hand up if you're an astrologer --
does this horoscope predict the end of the World?

23. Actress Catherine who played Donna Noble on "Doctor Who":TATE.   Dr. Who has been adventuring through time and space since November 23, 1963, always accompanied by one or more companions. Donna Noble was a companion of the 10th Doctor (David Tenant).  In this episode, called Partners in Crime, she has been re-united with the Doctor as they attempt to foil the evil machinations of Adipose Industries, led by the shady Miss Foster (Sarah Lancashire of Happy Valley).  Hand up if you know how to lip-read -- perhaps you can help us with some of the silent dialogue in this clip ...
25. Blue: SAD.

28. Reckless: RASH
 
30. Candymaker Russell: STOVERRussell Stover Chocolates, Inc. is an American manufacturer of candy, chocolate, and confections. Founded by Russell Stover, an American chemist and entrepreneur, and his wife Clara Stover in 1923, it is an independent subsidiary of Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli.

32. Poem of praise: ODE.  Hand up if you can name another 3 letter poem type?

33. Tread heavily: CLOMP.

35. Vegan brand owned by Estée Lauder: AVEDA.  Funny I'd never heard of this before, but the other day I turned around in the shower and there was a bottle of AVEDA shampoo on the shelf.  I use the 2 in 1 Goo on the shower rack.

36. Instant messaging pioneer: AOL.

37. Desert mount: CAMEL

"The camel has a single hump;
The dromedary, two;
Or else the other way around.
I’m never sure. Are you?"  -- Ogden Nash

38. Part of mph: PER.

39. __ pants: CAPRIThey're back!

41. Pacific Coast Highway's route number: ONE.

42. Golden __: AGERS.

44. Squeezable containers: TUBES.

45. "Supernova" singer Phair: LIZElizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American rock singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco, California, but returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing audio cassettes under the name Girly-Sound. The tapes led to a recording contract with the independent record label Matador Records.  Here's her Supernova ...

46. "Count on it!": YOU BET.

48. Word with order or hour: RUSH.  Or this BAND (with thanks to -T for this inspiring recommendation!) ...

49. Donkey: ASS.

50. Guitarist's gadget: CAPOWhat's a capo and why you need it (if you're a guitarist that is)?

51. Uneducated guess: STAB.

53. Director's cry: CUT

54. Declare: AVER.

56. Pal to text emoji hearts to: BFFBest Friends Forever.

59. Party app: CANAPESORTA synonymous with hor d’oeuvre.  Here are some recipes for easy Canapés.
Canapés
62. Merchant: RETAILER.

64. Unlikely Best Picture nominee: B MOVIE. How to see B-MOVIES with Dave Kehr of MOMA (and no Casablanca is not a B Movie) ...

65. Separate: DISCRETE.

66. Scattered, as seed: SOWED.

67. Thoughtful words: LETS SEE.

Down:

1. Furtive summons: PSST.

2. Suit to __: A TEE.
.
3. [Theme clue]

4. Greek vowel: ETA.

5. Wood for some dressers: CEDARCEDAR oil is a moth repellent.  My father made CEDAR chests for each of his children.

6. Los __, New Mexico: ALAMOS.  The film Oppenheimer is set there.  It's opening in theaters beginning 7/21/23 and the buzz is that it's pretty scary ...


7. Charge per day, e.g.: RATE.

8. [Theme clue]

9. Rihanna's "__ Girl (In the World)": ONLY.  I wonder if this was the ONLY clue for ONLY that Dr. Ed could think of? 😀

Robyn Rihanna Fenty, NH (Order of National Heroes) born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Known as a hitmaker, she is widely considered one of the most prominent singers of the 21st century.  


10. Belfast-born actor Stephen: REAStephen REA (born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor.  Rea has appeared in films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto. Rea was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Neil Jordan's thriller The Crying Game (1992) ,,,
11. Shade at the beach: TAN.

12. Painting, sculpture, etc.: ART.

14. [Theme clue]

15. Stood the test of time: LASTED.  Here are some things that have stood the test of time ...

22. "Heavens to Betsy!": OH ME.

24. Ill-disposed: AVERSE.

25. [Theme reveal]

26. Loves loads: ADORES.

27. "Yummy!": DELISH.

28. Dr Pepper alternative: RC COLA.

29. Seven-time Grammy winner Morissette: ALANISALANIS Nadine Morissette (born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two dance-pop albums. In 1995, she released Jagged Little Pill, an alternative rock-oriented album with elements of post-grunge, which sold more than 33 million copies globally and made her a cultural phenomenon.  

Alanis seems to have mellowed a bit since the early days.  Here's her song Missing the Miracle from her 2017 album Such Pretty Forks in the Road ...


31. Attend to, as a sprain, e.g.: TAPE UP.

34. [Theme clue]

40. Otherworldly glow: AURA.

43. Doodled beard on some pictures: GOATEE.  I resemble that remark!

47. __ fly: TSETSETSETSE, are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. The tsetse is an obligate parasite, which lives by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals. Tsetse has been extensively studied, because of their role in transmitting disease. They have a prominent economic impact in sub-Saharan Africa, as the biological vectors of trypanosomes, causing human and animal trypanosomiasis ("sleeping sickness"). Scary looking ...
Tsetse Fly
52. Parcel of land: TRACT.

53. Totally give in: CAVE.

55. Concealing garb: VEIL.  Something we all wear, and a theme explored in W. Somerset Maugham's 1925 novel The Painted Veil, the basis for this movie starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts ... 
57. Big ball: FETE.

58. Unfettered: FREE.

59. "Young Sheldon" network: CBS.  Full disclosure: I've never seen TBBT.  But, just like The Simpsons, it's a learnable skill if you do crosswords ...


60. Latin primer word: AMO.  "I love".  Today's Latin lesson.  Also short for BBs.

61. Today: NOW.

63. Org. that takes many forms: IRS.  Or "Org. that doesn't have many fans".

Cheers,
Bill

And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.

waseeley 

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 76th birthday to dear Bill, our most kind, caring and thoughtful Thursday Sherpa. Bill and Teri's cards and emails provided me great comfort and love in the final year of Boomer's life. Thank you for being in my life, Bill!

 


 

49 comments:

Subgenius said...

This puzzle, which at first seemed quite difficult, eventually opened itself up to a solution and did not seem quite as tough as I had first thought. There were many well-known expressions in it, for one thing and the theme, at least to me, was evident from the get-go. FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

Saw the circles...then forgot about 'em until I'd finished, so they were no help with the solve. Not sure I've heard of Caress soap, but recognized the others. D-o actually read the full reveal clue today. Yay. Maybe there's hope. Nah. Thanx, Dr. Ed and Waseeley. (Why do you put goo on your shower rack?)

Barbadian: Guess that means she's from Barbados. Sounds sorta like something Bruce Willis would say -- Badda-Bing.

Happy Birthday, Waseeley. Are you going to "throw" something special today?

Anonymous said...

I never realized there are so many kinds of pants that start with C...

I had CHINO x HALO x SHOT, then got TRACT and changed HALO to AURA and CHINO to... CARGO. But with DELISH I quickly fixed it to CAPRI.

HORO totally got me because I was thinking measuring equipment. But man, that's quite a bad bit of fill.

desper-otto said...

Anon@5:35 -- I see situations like CHINO/CARGO/CAPRI to be hallmarks of a well-crafted puzzle. So long as they don't occur at 1a, of course.

OwenKL said...

I've oft been to LOS ALAMOS.
It's up a cliff that's sheer, almost!
The drive, I find,
Scares me half blind.
If I go OVERBOARD, I'm toast!

I saw a miss dance a bolero,
And a guy with a tie so narrow...
Thought I'd PLAY CUPID.
Guess I'm SORTA stupid --
Or Cupid uses an odd type arrow.

{A, A.}

Anonymous said...

Y our mileage may vary, but this one took me 8:44 today.

A lways seem to enjoy a puzzle from Ed Sessa.

L ots to like about this puzzle, well, except for one aspect...

O h joy, circles!

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased gyro for HORO, and the recently-learned bae for BFF.

"Make future plans" is one too many words, per the Department of Redundancy and Duplication.

I'll be spending a month about a mile from a Russell STOVER factory and store in Wildwood, FL. They get enough traffic that last year they added turn lanes and a traffic light at the entrance.

I question whether RC COLA is a Dr. Pepper alternative. Mr. Pibb is, though. I guess the clue and answer are technically correct, in the sense that RC COLA is an alternative to many things, including water and dying of thirst. Economists and marketers use the term "close substitute" to avoid this kind of ambiguity, but then what fun would that be?

FLN
-T, I've heard "I've cut it twice and it's still too short" a few times.
WC, I'm not a financial advisor, but for folks who want to be ultra-safe, T-bonds are good. If a little more return is needed, blend in a few laddered AAA corporate bonds. The only reason I can think of using an S&L for an IRA is sense of community.

Thanks to Dr Ed for another fine offering. Now if we can have a JefWech to cap off the work week, all the early week silliness will be offset. And thanks to Bill 'n' Teri for another fine, fun review. Bill, have you ever thought of donning a bolo tie and a white suit, going into a KFC, and asking for a free bucket for quality control purposes?

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Anon @ 7:23, well done.

inanehiker said...

This was a fun puzzle with SOAP BUBBLES rising up- I think the larger wands are easier for littles that they can wave than the little wands they have to blow through gently. Gently is not in their wheelhouse yet. Thank Ed - your puzzles are always a joy

The instrument on HOROscope looks a lot like the Dial of Destiny in the new Indiana Jones movie.

Russell STOVER's candy was started and headquartered in Kansas City where I grew up. On the way to my dad's office, we drove by the STOVER's house with awnings on all the windows with a big S on each one. I don't know if they do anymore - but it used to be that every chocolate had a different unique swirl on the top before they had a legend in the box lid. So you could always get your favorite if you knew the shape and swirl of that filling.

Thanks Bill & Teri - loved all the music variety - though I would lean towards ALANIS Morissette and YoYo Ma over Rush (sorry Tony)
And Happy birthday Bill!


waseeley said...

SS @7:23 AM But they weren't circles, they were bubbles! 😁 Ole1!

unclefred said...

WMOS, started tough then loosened up. A few W/Os = PERI:HORO, CARGO:CAPRI, CEDE:CAVE. Clever theme, and as Bill said, the circles were needed to form the soap bubbles. I, for one, very much appreciate the paucity of proper names in this CW. I usually struggle with Ed’s cleverly crafted clues, but today not so much. (See if you can say “cleverly crafted clues” 5 times fast!) Anyway, very nice CW, easier than Monday (for me) and a fun fill. Thanx ES. Thanx too to Bill for the terrific write-up. You obviously put a lot of time and effort into it for our entertainment. Please know your efforts are appreciated.

waseeley said...

Jinx @7:23 AM KFC is one of my side hustles 😁. ROTFL on "it's still too short".

unclefred said...

Oopsie!! Forgot to say HBD, Bill!! Don’t let the candles burn your house down!!

KS said...

FIR. Seemed easy for a Thursday even though I dislike vertical puzzles, but I had no problem finishing.

A couple of nits: discrete as the answer for separate, and RC Cola as the answer for Dr. Pepper alternative seem a bit of a stretch. Also, I can't see a child blowing bubbles with any of those soaps. But then what do I know

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

What a delightful start to my day with this breath of fresh air from a Corner favorite, Dr. Ed. We have a nice, clean grid, a playful theme with a fun reveal, no dreck, and lots of fresh and lively fill: Catch Some Zs, Went Overboard, Play Cupid, etc., plus examples of CC-like fun phrases like You Bet, Let’s See, Oh, Me, etc. I didn’t pay attention to the circles until I had completed the solve, mainly because in vertical themers they aren’t as conducive to easy parsing, but, upon completion, the “bubbles” were easy to pick out. Tate, as clued and Aveda needed perps and my Stomp morphed into Clomp.

Thanks, Dr. Ed, for a very enjoyable solve, as always, and congrats on that milestone achievement of 140 published puzzles. Best of luck in your new surroundings. Thanks, Bill, for another fun and fact-filled review. I especially enjoyed the musical interludes and comical snippets, I.e. the irrepressible Goldie Hawn, the multi-talented Whoopie, and the incomparable Yo Yo Ma. Best wishes for a very Happy Birthday! 🎂🎉🎈🎊 BTW, your goatee is very fetching and distinguished. Thanks, also to Teri!

Received a clean bill of health from the dermatologist yesterday. (😉 SS). Also learned that the mask requirement and the no companion pronouncement was never rescinded but is no longer in place.

SS @ 7:23 ~ Olé to you, too. No circles today, only Bubbles! 🤣

Have a great day.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Another cool morning has forced me off the deck to stay inside to solve
-It was fun to see Vera Lynn again. I had her last Saturday for We’ll Meet Again
--This switching a somber hymn into rock and roll in Sister Act about knocked me out of my seat!
-STATE LAW: Nebraska law NOW allows gambling. Utah and Hawaii are the two that don’t.
-Horoscopes are silly and harmless unless you plan your life around them
-A CAPO was necessary when I had to transpose music so my voice could handle the notes
-Today’s RETAILERS have to battle inflation, Covid, online shopping and rampant shoplifting
-I’ll put A TEE in the ground today on a 190 yd par 3 that is uphill, over water and into the wind.
-I can’t wait to see Oppenheimer
-Me too, Jinx, Mr. Pibb is the Dr. Pepper alternative
-Congrats to #76, Bill, but you’ll always be 10 months behind me. :-)

Yellowrocks said...

I liked this puzzle with its cute theme. The child's wand produces soap bubbles. The type of soap does not to have any relationship to theme other than a it is spelled in the rising bubbles. The theme answers do not have much to do the with bubbles the wand produces. Very often posters try to make this type of match, often unsuccessfully because it is not intended by the constructor.
My grandson loved chasing the bubbles. He wanted me to produce the bubbles while he ran after them.
I filled the O in HORO scope last, after getting OH ME. An aha moment.
Vocabulary.com says:
Discrete means separate or divided. A discrete unit is a separate part of something larger. A room is a discrete space within a house, just as the crankshaft is a discrete part of a car engine.
Discreet describes someone or something that is appropriately quiet, prudent, and restrained.
Most of the music came up a fail on my computer. After reading that others listened to it, I closed the blog and clicked on it again. Success!
Dr. Pepper is not a cola or a root beer, but it's a soft drink category. So any soft drink might be an alternative to it.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Golfers, have you seen the video of LPGA player Rose Zhang practicing for the US Open at a par 3? She hits the ball and it finds the green, but the best part is the tee flips up and nestles into her back pocket. Try that one!

HG: Yeah, the Mormons who run Utah have the attitude that if you want to waste your money gambling, drive to another state. Hawaii has that attitude too. After all, they have Interstate Highway H1.

Uncle Fred - I keep meaning to ask: Now that you have more experience with your solar power system, can you share your results to date? Not just financials, but unexpected benefits, snags, joys, etc.

Wilbur Charles said...

D-O, in current slang "bad" can mean good as with Boston's wicked and Dennis Eckersley's filthy

WC

RosE said...

Good Morning! Thanks, Ed, for a tricky but doable puzzle. I found the west harder to come together.
One (small) issue: the more familiar vocalizations of (sigh) AH ME or (gasp) OH MY! But OH ME is just awkward. I didn’t like it but had to go with it to fill HOROscope.
Happy Birthday, Bill! Enjoy your special day!! And thanks for a lively recap.
DNK: AVEDA
WO: maple -> CEDAR; cede -> CAVE
Fav fill; CAMEL

Monkey said...

When I saw Dr Ed’s name, I knew I would be in for a treat, and I was not disappointed. I appreciated the bubbly theme. The unknowns were filled in with perps in no time. D O V E was The give away for me.

Waseely, happy birthday 🎂🎈🎉.

Yes MR Pipp is more accurate to replace Dr Pepper. I don’t drink colas but every once in a while I’ll have some Dr Pepper.

I didn’t know AVEDA was vegan.

After DH spent a couple hours watering our lawn and beds, we had a two hour downpour after several very dry days. Oh, well, it all helps. Now he takes credit for making it rain.

waseeley said...

Husker @8:50 76? You don't look a day over 60! 🙂. We'll probably see Oppenheimer too, but a Wired review I read said it's pretty heavy. I think it might get into some of the troubles he faced with Congressional investigations after WWII.

Wilbur Charles said...

I had to adjust STATute and tried to fit gyro for the scope
ntsp of arches/AGERS

TBBT became the Seinfeld of the second decade(2010-20)

I had most of my trouble in SW because I viewed TBBT and YS on tBS. I thought I was stuck with BM…. until MOVIE dropped and cede became CAVE and voila:CANAPE

I would add sloppy software to those RETAILER issues

Re. Women's Open Golf. Michelle Wie has undergone a complete transformation. She married Jerry West's son. Never should have messed with PGA Tour. She left the Tour to attend Stanford

Hbd, Bill. Not much Opera nor classical music today. My speaker is dead on cellphone thus so are links

To borrow: FIR so I'm happy

WC

FLN, And… Are there any S&Ls these days?

Wilbur Charles said...

Aretha used OH ME, oh my (I'm a fool for) you baby
Song

Stay away from Snake version

WC

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Came close to a DNF in the SW cuz I stuck with cede too long, finally went on to CAVE. I'm all in a lather: I didn't parse the theme 🧼

Almost put askew for ASLANT (I guess thatsa word?). "Remember LOS ALAMOS!!" cuz there's apparently more than one and they're in New Mexico. Been a while, thought the TSE TSE fly had been exterminated from the crosswords. "Gumshoe" = TEC? What?

They say you can judge how old a person is if they (like me) have an AOL email address. Hmmm. I wonder if "Russell" STOVER ever dated Fanny Farmer. (We kids useta call it Farmer's Fanny).

indIE was too short for the "unlikely best picture nominee" clue.....😴 Canada Eh do you guys say "Catch some zeds"? 💤

Ahab's fate....WENTOVERBOARD
Roulette table activity ...YOUBET
"Grab your driver and ____ ...GOATEE
A tin container of pod produce....CANAPES
a collector of a 1960's popular doll...BARBADIAN

Dr. Ed ... One of my biggest regrets was selling our condo in Ft Myers, 3 years ago.. a mile bike ride from Bunche Beach and 10 minutes from the Sanibel Island causeway. We still have our 2 week time share in November on Sanibel and just maybe will reopen in the fall. 🤞

Charlie Echo said...

Really enjoyed this Dr. Ed special. FIR with a great sense of accomplishment. Lots of clever misdirection. I have to wonder if the clue for ONLY came from the Dr. Or the EDitor? Happy B-Day, WAS! Enjoyed the expo.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...



Happy Birthday Waz

Here's an interesting birth day story

Yesterday DW and I attended the 80th birthday party of our dear friend Jean , a neighbor for decades. She and her husband (decreased) adopted an infant boy, Jeff, who is now in his late forties; a good friend of our son. A couple years ago Jeff submitted DNA to an agency and was contacted by a birth cousin. Turns out his birth mother Carol and her sweetheart Jim got pregnant while in HS and she gave up the baby. Carol and Jim later married and had 3 daughters. So Jeff had "100&" birth parents and 3 full, not half, sisters. It was an incredible reunion

There's more...everyone lived within a couple miles of each other

Carol's mom, Jeff's birth grandmother, Marie and her sisters (great aunts) were all friends of my wife's family, lived in a multifamily home across the street. They were at Jean's party, we had known them for years and it was great to see them again. Healthy 90 y olds

Jeff's birth family have made Jean part of their family

Lucina said...

Hola!

A puzzle from Ed Sessa is always a treat! And ably interpreted for us by Bill. Happy birthday, Bill! I hope you celebrate.

I love CARESS SOAP. It's smooth and surprisingly doesn't create too much lather. It's just enough for a good shower.

I've seen AVEDA on the shelves but have never tried it and had no idea of its origin.

CAPRI pants are a blast from the past! And the Isle of CAPRI brings back some good memories.

CAPO. Isn't that a mob boss?

I did not mean to PLAY CUPID but I introduced my best friend (now deceased) to her future husband many years ago.

Yesterday my A/C was not cooling as it should so a repair man is here today. Ay, ay, ay! $$$

Enjoy your day, everyone!

Acesaroundagain said...

Well I FIR, red the clues from the bottom up but thought of everything but bars of soap. Thanks Bill for the recap. GC

Anonymous said...

I am so used to the CW’s having trendy lingo ….for 59 across I thought “party app” referred to a phone download… so I wrote Picolo which is an app that has games you play at parties. 😣 Doh
Thanks for a fun Thursday puzzle Dr. Ed
kkFlorida

Monkey said...

Ray-O@11:26. What a wonderful story.

Kelly Clark said...


Love, love, love this puzzle AND the review! Thank you, Dr. Ed and Happy Birthday, Bill!

Misty said...

Neat Thursday puzzle, many thanks, Ed. And I always appreciate your commentary Bill and Teri, and hope you can celebrate a wonderful birthday today!

Well, I got all ready for my favorite food collection when I saw STOVE, and we at least got an RC COLA to start us off, and ADORED and DELISH got me all excited for a great party. But all we ever got was a CANAPE at the end. Not the best FETE we ever had here.

But at least we got some entertainment starting with a SISTER ACT and some ART that got a bit serious with an ODE. And we at least got to see a B MOVIE at the end. Guess we'd best stay home and just CATCH SOME Zs today.

Have a good one, everybody.

Irish Miss said...

Ray @ 11:26 ~ Thanks for sharing that lovely story.

waseeley said...

Ray - O @10:57 AM "TEC" as in "deTECtive"

Jayce said...

I liked this puzzle, waseeley's write-up, and all your comments. Happy birthday, waseeley.

Jayce said...

AL UNSER --> PACE CAR.
Golden GIRLS --> AGERS.
GYRO --> HORO.
SINAI --> CAMEL.

Ol' Man Keith said...

A Sessa PZL, presented by waseeley...

Fairly easy for Thursday, though I tripped myself up in the NW corner by rushing a fill in 3D. Or maybe it was because I had PERI for 21A.
Now, hmm, which came first...?

I did not know that Estee dabbled in Veganism. Live, and...

Back when I was learning the guitar, I thought using a CAPO was cheating.
~ OMK
____________
DR:
One diagonal, far side.
Lotsa extra vowels, but enough consonants for an anagram (11 of 15) that designates a very special locale for gossips, a place toward which everyone who loves to "dish the dirt" must turn.
I am obviously speaking of...

"A NOSEY MECCA"!

Wilbur Charles said...

Anon@1159, app=appetizer=CANAPE. Dawn over Marblehead

WC

Yellowrocks said...

AH ME seems outdated. OH ME more outdated. OH ME, OH MY seems more current.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...

Never heard that term. A TEC(h) is one of 40 people I work with.

sumdaze said...

I liked the good, 'clean' fun in today's puzzle. Thanks Dr. Ed! When I saw DOVE and CARESS, I thought the theme might be 'soaps up'. I needed the circles in 3D to help me sort that one out with its perps.

Jinx@9:38. That TEE clip was bananas!

Ray-O @ 11:26. Gotta love a happy ending. How wonderful for Jean!

Happy birthday, waseeley!! Thanks for all the time you spend giving us such a thorough write-up. I did not know how TEC was a gumshoe but I do know Guy Noir. I used to love listening to APHC and even went to a live show back in 2014 at Wolftrap. Thanks for the memory link!

Anonymous T said...

Hi All!

Thanks Dr. Ed for another fine grid - you never disappoint (though, I didn't get the gimmick until the reveal).

Waseeley: Thanks for the expo, RUSH, and I also love Guy Noir, Private Eye.
And, Happy Birthday!

WOs: Mr Pibb -> RC COLA, Cargo ->CAPRI, CedE -> CAVE (Hi Unclefred!)
ESPs: AVEDA, REA, AMO,
Fav: RASH, er RUSH, of course ;-)
//The real members of RUSH are the ones at the counter in the intro skit.

Waseeley, we were 11 or 12 and my buddy was trying to get me out of The Who, Beatles, Stones era. He played me Scorpions (pass), something else (pass), and then said, "You like space stuff, listen to this..." It was RUSH's Countdown from his older brother's collection and I was hooked. I spent all my paper-route money on their pre-'81 catalogue and purchased every album since.

{B+, A+}
Cute, DR

Bravo, SpeedySolver. I see what you did there.

Great story @11:26a, Ray-O.

@11:59 - I too was thinking eInvite or some such for the "party app;" appetizer hit like a V8 oil-drum.

LOL "still too short," Jinx.

OH, ME - Snagglepuss says, "Heavens to Betsy!"

Enjoyed reading y'all today!
Cheers, -T

waseeley said...

sumdaze @6:34 PM We were at that show!

PK said...

Enjoyed the puzzle, Ed, but couldn't figure out the bubbly theme.

Thanks, Bill, for the expo and explaining the theme. Happy Birthday!

sumdaze said...

waseeley@8:19 No way!!!!

waseeley said...

sumdaze @9:01 PM Teri just informed me that the performance we saw was in 2004. I sit corrected.

Big Easy said...


A late puzzle solve today on the Bubble UP soaps. I was thinking CATCH TWENTY (winks) before the ZS, which you usually see as 'ZZZ'. TATE, LIZ, AVEDA, and ALANIS were unknowns today, kindly filled by perps. HORO only made it after CATCH was on the grid; lots of 'scopes' out there- tele, peri, gyro, micro.

If 'Seven & Seven' is a drink does anybody drink 'Crown & Crown'; Seagram's 7 & 7 UP, Crown Royal and Royal Crown (aka RC Cola).

"Full disclosure: I've never seen TBBT. But, just like The Simpsons, "
Neither have I and my name is Simpson.

sumdaze said...

waseeley@9:33. I guess that explains why I do not see you in any of my pictures.
;-)