Theme: CAFETERIA RUMBLE. It's all about a lunch time brawl.
Let's start with the unifier to make things clear.
62 A. Cafeteria combat epitomized by the actions in 17-, 36-, and 42-Across?: FOOD FIGHT. This is a presumably not-too serious battle in which food stuffs are used as projectiles. Serious or not, it's sure to make a mess.
17 A. Condiment often served with egg rolls: DUCK SAUCE. This is a sweet-sour condiment made from plums or other fruit, with sugar, vinegar, ginger and chili peppers. Its name may have originated from a similar sauce served with Peking Duck. Here, though, DUCK is verb meaning to get low and out of the way, as from, perhaps, a thrown [or flying] DUCK.
36 A. Budget beef cuts: CHUCK STEAKS. Or maybe the flung object could be a rectangular cut of beef, about 2.5 cm thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones. It could be CHUCKED, that is to say "thrown" of "heaved" from across the room. [Such a waste. Sad.]
42 A. Vegetables that rank high on the Scoville scale: FIRE PEPPERS. Prairie fire peppers are a type of Capsicum Annuum, the same species that gives us jalapeño and bell peppers. However, unlike those mild peppers, prairie fire peppers are much hotter, with a Scoville heat range from 70,000 to 80,000 SHU. This heat is comparable to spicy Thai peppers, with a fruity flavor that sets them apart from your typical ornamental pepper. These chilies are nine to thirty-two times hotter than jalapeño peppers. To FIRE something is to throw or propel it with great force. If a pepper hits you in the eye, let's hope it is of a mild variety.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here to see if we can whip up some culinary delights, and get through the fray without any serious damage - or even a mess to clean up.
Across:
5. Hermana de la madre: TIA. Your mother's sister is your aunt. Another foreign word, but this one can be excused, as it's a word you could have encountered in daily life. Plus, Spanish is a much more familiar language here in the USA.
8. "Skip me": I PASS. It's my turn, but I don't want it.
13. State with Blue Jackets: OHIO. The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team in the National Hockey League
14. Like bald tires: WORN. A tire is WORN when the tread depth is depleted by use. This can be dangerous, so get a new set.
16. Pastry in a pink box, in Los Angeles: DONUT. A donut is a type of tire-shaped confection made from leavened fried dough. No esta bien para los diabéticos.
19. "Drop it!": LET GO. Either literally release your grip on something, or figuratively stop doing or thinking about something.
20. Extremely steep: SHEER. Like a mountain cliff.
21. Circle or square: SHAPE. The external form, contours, or outline of something.
23. Kings, on NBA scoreboards: SAC. The Sacramento team in the National Basketball Association.
24. Queen Latifah's genre: RAP. A type of popular music originating among African American communities in which words are recited rapidly and rhythmically over a prerecorded, typically electronic instrumental backing.
26. National Pickleball mo.: APR. April.
Oh, yeah.. I LOVE this
27. Tined utensil: FORK. In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods either to hold them to cut with a knife or to lift them to the mouth.
28. Loops in discreetly: BCCS. Tricky clue. Includes someone in a communication by Blind Copying them, i.e. eliminating their name form the published copy list
31. News letters: UPI. United Press International, an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th century.
33. Works for: EARNS. Rerceives a money payment for labor or services rendered.
35. NPR host Glass: IRA. Ira Jeffrey Glass is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series This American Life and has participated in other NPR programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Talk of the Nation. I can't speak to the condition of his individual retirement account.
39. Cute nickname for a fuzzy pet: FUR BALL. Self explanatory.
41. Reach new heights?: LEVEL UP. A phrase from gaming meaning to finish one phase of the game and move on to the next, typically with new powers or abilities. More generally, to improve one's self or some situation in a meaningful way.
44. "Yo," in Rio: OLA. I recognize this word as informal greeting in English and Spanish. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese, so let's assume it works there, as well..
45. Get a feeling: SENSE. To have a thought about something based on real or imagined indirect clues, rather than factual information.
46. Go "vroom vroom": REV. Increase the running speed of an engine or the engine speed of a vehicle by pressing the accelerator, especially while the clutch is disengaged.
47. Hideous: UGLY. Unpleasant, especially in physical appearance.
48. Blow off steam: VENT. The expression or release of a strong emotion, energy, etc.
49. Animal house?: ZOO. Unlike the 1978 movie about a group a college misfits, this is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition, and often bred for conservation purposes.
51. Triage ctrs.: ERS. Emergency Rooms, hospital departments that provides immediate treatment for acute illnesses and trauma. Triage is the preliminary assessment of patients or casualties in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required.
53. Rough calculation, briefly: EST. Estimate.
54. Burdensome: HEAVY. Oppressive or overwhelming, as of a task or situation.
56. Website with customizable RSVP options: EVITE. A social-planning website for creating, sending, and managing online invitations. The website offers digital invitations with RSVP tracking. They also offer greeting cards, announcements, eGift cards, and party planning ideas.
60. Performance platform: STAGE. A raised floor or platform, typically in a theater, on which actors, entertainers, or speakers perform.
64. Ski equipment: POLES. Lightweight slender shafts used in skiing that have a handgrip and usually a wrist strap at one end and an encircling disk set above the point at the other end
65. Inner Hebrides isle: SKYE. The Isle of Skye, connected to Scotland's northwest coast by bridge, is known for its rugged landscapes, picturesque fishing villages and medieval castles. The largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago, it has an indented coastline of peninsulas and narrow lochs, radiating out from a mountainous interior. The town of Portree, a base for exploring the island, features harbourside pubs and boutiques. MAP.
66. Fly high: SOAR. As defined.
67. Church nooks: APSES. Any large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the eastern end, and usually containing the altar.
67. Church nooks: APSES. Any large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the eastern end, and usually containing the altar.
68. Proterozoic or Hadean: EON. An indefinite and/or very long period of time. The Proterozoic Eon, meaning “earlier life,” is the eon of time after the Archean eon and ranges from 2.5 billion years old to 541 million years old. The Hadean Eon, named after the Greek god and ruler of the underworld Hades, is the oldest eon and dates from 4.5–4.0 billion years ago. This time represents Earth's earliest history, during which the planet was characterized by a partially molten surface, volcanism, and asteroid impacts. Now - don't you suddenly feel young?
69. "Voyage to India" singer India.__: ARIE. India Arie Simpson [b. 1975] also known as India Arie, is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, Acoustic Soul, was released in 2001, and she has since released six more studio albums. Voyage to India is an album. You can listen to it here.
Down:
1. Figures, casually: BODS. This had me thinking of numbers or geometry, but it refers to the shapes of human torsos - bodies, or BODS, informally.
2. "Nope": UH-UH. Informal negation.
3. Sushi roll ingredient: RICE. As a cereal grain, domesticated rice is the most widely consumed staple food for over half of the world's human population, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize. A sushi roll is a type of sushi wrapped in seaweed; usually cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Wild cards?: JOKERS. A wild card is a playing card that can have any value, suit, color, or other property in a game at the discretion of the player holding it. The Joker is a playing card found in most modern card decks, as an addition to the standard four suits (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades). it often acts as a wild card, but may have other functions such as the top trump, a skip card (forcing another player to miss a turn), the lowest-ranking card, the highest-value card or a card of a different value from the rest of the pack
5. JFK hotel named for a defunct airline: TWA. John F. Kennedy International Airport, colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK, is the main international airport serving New York City. TWA is the only on-airport, AirTrain-accessible hotel at JFK Trans World Airlines [TWA] was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1930 until 2001 when it was acquired by American Airlines. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with Ford Trimotors.
6. Chits: IOUS. An IOU (abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging monitary debt. An IOU differs from a promissory note in that an IOU is not a negotiable instrument and does not specify repayment terms such as the time of repayment.
7. Ancient: ARCHAIC. Very old or old-fashioned - of an earlier eon, perhaps.
8. Waste time: IDLE. This looks like an adjective, but here it's a verb, indicating doing nothing.
9. "The Raven" poet: POE. Edgar Allan Poe [1809 - 1849] was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States, and of American literature.
10. Celery topped with peanut butter and raisins: ANTS ON A LOG. A snack made by spreading peanut butter, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, or another spread on celery, pretzels or bananas and placing raisins (diced olives, chocolate chips, etc.) on top. The snack and its name are presumed to be from the 1950s. The classic peanut butter version of ants on a log is recommended as a healthy snack by the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
11. Day of the Dead symbol: SUGAR SKULL. A sugar skull is a type of Calavera [any artistic representation of skulls or skeletons] or a representation of a human skull. These are called sugar skulls since they’re traditionally made of sugar. Today sugar skulls are often made of a variety of things like chocolate, nuts, and other treats. These skulls play a large role in the Day of the Dead. This holiday follows All Saints’ Day, and it’s a way for people to honor their dead. Families flock to gravesites, offering gifts and food for their ancestors. People join together to eat, drink, tell stories, and celebrate the circle of life.
12. Market share?: STOCK. This is a nice word play and misdirection. Market share means the portion of a commercial market controlled by a particular company or product. A stock is a security that represents a fractional ownership in a company. When you buy a company's stock, you're purchasing a small piece of that company, called a share. Shares of stock are bought and sold on the stock market. Very tidy.
15. Semimonthly tide: NEAP. This is a tide just after the first or third quarters of the moon when there is least difference between high and low water.
18. Mexican Mrs.: SRA. Abbreviation of Señora, a title or form of address used of or to a Spanish-speaking woman, corresponding to Mrs. or madam.
22. Save for later, in a way: PRESERVE. Assuming this is referring to food stuffs [and why not] to can, pickle, or similarly prepare for future use. Otherwise to keep something safe or intact.
25. "Gimme a break": PUH-LEEZE. Used to express exasperation, protest, or disbelief.
27. Available: FREE. As a day or time when one has unscheduled time, or unoccupied, as of a rest room.
28. "Back to the Future" bully: BIFF.
29. Port of call: CRUISE STOP. Scheduled locations for the ship to dock so that passengers can have excursions on the land. Granddaughter Amanda is on her 3rd cruise ship gig, traveling to stops in Alaska.
30. Wheels away?: CAR RENTALS. Typically, this would indicate a rapid departure by vehicle. But "Wheels," as a noun, is an also slang term for a vehicle, usually an automobile. So this clue refers to a CAR RENTAL when you are are away from home. Clever.
32. Juicer discard: PULP. The stringy fibre or crushed mass which is often removed from fruit juice
34. Dune buggies, e.g.: Abbr.: ATVS. All Terrain Vehicles.
36. Lids offerings: CAPS. Lids or Hat World, Inc. is an American retailer specializing in athletic headwear. It primarily operates under the Lids brand with stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom plus various websites. I did not know that.
37. Artist whose name is a homophone of a sculpture medium: KLEE. Paul Klee [1879 - 1940]was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism.
38. Fix, as a dog: SPAY. Sterilize a female animal by removing the ovaries.
40. Dog-eared, say: BENT. The folded down the corner of a page of a book or magazine, typically to mark a place. Collectors and librarians hate this. Cf next entry.
43. Get a rise out of: PROVOKE. Stimulate or give rise to a reaction or emotion, typically a strong or unwelcome one, in someone.
47. Document from an Amer. embassy: US VISA. An endorsement on a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country, issued by the United States.
48. Milanese moped: VESPA. Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived from the vehicle's body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae.
50. Bumblers: OAFS. Stupid, uncultured, or clumsy persons.
52. WNBA official: REF. Referee - an official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and (in some sports) to arbitrate on matters arising from the play. Here, one such in the Women's National Basketball Association. There are also Refs in many other leagues and sports.
54. Collectible toy truck brand: HESS. Created as a way to provide a fun, high-quality, and affordable toy for families during the holiday season, the first Hess Toy Truck was introduced in 1964. Ever since, the annual release of a new toy truck is a highly anticipated event and a treasured holiday tradition for millions of families.
55. Toy with an Eiffel Tower trick: YO-YO. A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE.
57. Rangers goalie Shesterkin: IGOR. Igor Olegovich Shestyorkin (Russian: Игорь Олегович Шестёркин, commonly spelled as Shesterkin; born 30 December 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round, 118th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. In his first 82-game season in 2021–22, Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.
58. Pad see ew cuisine: THAI. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai food, observes that unlike many other cuisines, Thai cooking is "about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it's got to have a smooth surface but it doesn't matter what's happening underneath. Simplicity isn't the dictum here, at all."
59. Raison d'__: ETRE. The most important reason or purpose for someone or something's existence.
61. "Golly!": GEE. An expression of surprise or delight.
62 Room for movie night: DEN A multi-purpose room in a home that can be used as a secondary living space, an office, an at-home library, a games room, a kid's playroom, and much more. It can be distinguished from other rooms like the living room and dining room because it functions as a more private and informal space.
And so we end on that informal note. I had my nit, but despite that blemish this was a good puzzle with a tight theme and some lever clues. Nope you enjoyed it.
Cool regards!
JzB
48 comments:
You know a puzzle is going to be tough when it starts off with a WAG, as this one did. And it didn’t get a whole lot easier from there, either. This puzzle had too many obscure words and phrases for my taste, so while I did solve it, I can’t say I’m particularly “happy” about it, but I am happy to be here with you folks. That’s all I can say about it. Subgenius out!
What’s “WAG” mean, please?
Good morning!
This guy who almost continually carps about the 1a entries, thought of the world's tallest building, and immediately inked in BURJ. Go figure. He found other places to go wrong, though: I'M SET/I PASS, SET ASIDE/PRESERVE, Cruise ISLE/STOP. I take it that KLEE is pronounced like "clay." Who gnu? The unknown names perped easily, so no foul. Thanx, Rebecca and JzB. (Your erudite expo suffered otto-correction at the end: I had my not...some lever clues. Nope you enjoyed it.)
UPI: Both UPI and AP had newswires. UPI offered a radio wire that was written to be read aloud. AP wire items required extensive rewrites for radio use.
FOOD FIGHT: When d-o lived in the dorms we learned to make "food glasses." We'd take unpopular (unrecognized?) items from the buffet and stuff them into a glass. Otherwise those same items would continue to appear the next day...and the next.
Anon@5:44 -- See "Please click on Comments Section Abbrs for some blog-specific terms." at the bottom of the comments section.
Pretty straightforward for me.
Only one stumble; I threw in "elevate" for "Get a rise out of" before checking any perps.
Elevate would also fit for "Reach new heights"
I suspected it would be BURJ right away. Perps proved it.
Did not know of SUGAR SKULL. New to me.
As was the pronunciation of KLEE.
I liked many of the clues today.
The Belle Tout Lighthouse atop the SHEER chalk cliffs near the English Channel in East Suffex
Thank you Rebecca and JzB.
Although there were a few unknown the crosses were friendly. Burj was the last to solve.
WAG. Wild a$$ guess.
FIR without erasure, after guessing BOD x BURJ as my last square. I still dislike the guttural stuff like UHUH.
Today is:
NATIONAL BEACH DAY (my Floridian friends say "thanks a pantload, pal)
INTERNATIONAL WHALE SHARK DAY (gentle giants)
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE VICTIMS OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE (common targets include children, people with disabilities, human rights defenders and lawyers)
NATIONAL GRIEF AWARENESS DAY (commonly caused by the loss of a loved one, a marriage, or a job)
NATIONAL TOASTED MARSHMALLOW DAY (only a couple of ingredients short of a s'more)
Around here, triage is performed in EDs, not ERs. Potato, pothato.
I think Patti has finally taught me EVITE (but not India.ARIE.)
I didn't know ANTS ON A LOG, but I do know the famous breakfast dish creamed chipped beef on toast, abbreviated SOS.
HESS gas stations are now Speedways, but the toy truck name didn't change.
Best. FOOD. FIGHT. Ever.
Secrets of the Zoo is one of DW's favorite shows. Tampa and Columbus are my favorites.
Thanks to Rebecca for the fun. I forgive you for BURJ on a Wednesday grid. You made up for it by teaching me that KLEE isn't pronounced like Klieg and Kegel. And thanks to JzB for the interesting tour, and for teaching me that OLA could be Spanish. I only knew "hola," a homonym.
TTP - San Diego Bay was once guarded by a lighthouse on the tippy top of Point Loma. There was a problem - the area is notorious for heavy fog forming above the ocean, leaving the light above the layer in clear air, but not visible to approaching ships. In 1891 they relocated the light closer to sea level to make it more visible.
FIR. Pretty crunchy for a Wednesday. Lots of "archaic" answers, like sugar skull, burj, and Igor to name a few.
I missed the theme with duck, chuck, and fire, but got the food part.
Lately the LA puzzles have a strange vibe to them. I can't put my finger on it.
This was a fun theme - and I'm with Jinx - the clip that JzB posted is a direct reference back to the "Animal House" FOOD FIGHT with John Belushi- the movie came out in my early college years so toga parties and FOOD FIGHTs were popular for a time.
Looks like the Corner is divided between 1A being a gimme and being an unknown. I don't know much Arabic, but I did know that BURJ Khalifa in Dubai, UAE is the tallest building in the world since 2009- so figured that BURJ could mean tower since UAE is a caliphate.
"Secrets of the Zoo" is the American version of "The Secret Life of the Zoo" filmed at the zoo in Chester, England, UK. In the last several weeks of her life, I would go sit with a friend who had a brain tumor for a half day a week so her husband could get out the house and she enjoyed the show. Oscar winning actress, Olivia Colman narrated the British one and it was calm and peaceful without much plot - so she could still follow it.
Thanks JzB for the blog and Rebecca for the puzzle.
Took 6:29 today to throw away my tray.
I agree with our esteemed reviewer, starting off with burj and then following it up with tia wasn't a great start.
Proper names continue to infiltrate. See, e.g., Igor, Klee, Poe, Biff, Arie ....
Had peel before pulp and era before eon, but the crosses helped.
Wow, starting off with an Arabic word, second clue a Spanish word. BURJ was finally filled via for perps, followed by my only W/O = TIO:TIA, when ARCHAIC appeared. I wanted IMOUT but waited for perps to give me IPASS, which was not a long wait, since POE made IPASS the correct fill. I’ve long wondered why someone hasn’t made a biographic movie of Poe, as I do believe it would be a hit movie, with more than enough salacious episodes, like marrying his 14 y.o. niece, when he was 23. And this after living in the same house with her and his aunt for a few years. Makes me wonder what happened between Poe and his niece before he married her. And how old was she when it started? Anyway, back to the CW. I thought OLA was spelled HOLA, with the “H” silent. Guess not. I did FIR, eventually. AND I got the theme for once, although not until I had finished the CW, so it was no help in solving. Challenging but fun CW, thanx RG for the fun, even though this CW produced a few mumbled nasty words in the beginning with two foreign words to start. Wow, JzB, you always have great write-ups, but you outdid yourself today. The lids/caps thing I just thought of lids on bottles and jars can also sometimes be called caps, I had no idea Lids is a company until you explained it. Lots of other enlightening items too today, including “sugar skull” which I also DNK. Thanx for your great write-up, JzB.
A dog is a male canine a bitch is a female canine you do not spay a dog you neuter a dog and spay a bitch
Jinx, interesting about the San Diego Lighthouse originally being constructed above the marine fog layer.
I didn't know that HESS gas stations are now Speedways. I haven't been to NY or the NE in years and years. I had never even heard of HESS until a business trip to NY in the early 80s. Later I read about HESS toy truck collectors.
Inanehiker, I've seen a few episodes of Secrets of the Zoo on NatGeo. It is relaxing and I found it interesting, and in some cases, really eye opening. It's a good title for the program. I've never seen the British version though.
Good Morning:
Any puzzle with Furball in it is purrfectly fine with me. However, I agree with others that 1A was sort of a wince-producing beginning. The theme and reveal were fun and some of the cluing was quite clever, and even though I hit some rough spots, eventually everything fell into place. Parsing Car Rentals as Carrentals had me stymied for a bit, probably due to it being a vertical entry and my fixed mindset.
Thanks, Rebecca and thanks, JazzB, for a truly outstanding review. Your analysis of the 1A entry was flawless. Well said, indeed.
Anon T, I sent you an email on 8/24. Maybe it’s in your Spam folder?
Have a great day.
Musings
-Rochester Royals -> Cincinnati Royals -> Kansas City/Omaha Kings (KC already had the MLB Royals) -> Sacramento Kings
-Our coal-fired power plant loudly VENTS itself every few weeks
-Did anyone else notice STAGE and POLES next to each other?
-Are E-VITES and E-CARDS making analog means archaic? I’m asking for a friend. :-)
-Poe: Sunday’s puzzle had 96. "Ulalume" author's middle name: ALLAN.
-Today I learned what a SUGAR SKULL is and I found this one online
-We put our 30-yr-old tiller on the curb with a FREE sign on it. My neighbor was very pleased to get it.
-I wonder if Rebecca had that IGOR in mind
Addendum
-The starter word I have used in hundreds of Wordle puzzles turned out to be the answer today! One and done!
Good Morning! JazzB, thank you! You saved me from adding what you so eloquently put. I agree with your observations about BURJ as “gratuitous obscurity” and food fights as a “sad” waste. I remember first seeing one on ’50’s TV – either Red Skelton or Milton Berl – and this impression has not changed.
Rebecca’s effort was all in vain for me today. From the many puzzles of hers I ‘ve enjoyed since Feb. 2021, this one hit a sour note, but she has a good track record, so 🤞 for her next one.
IMHO – PUHLEEZE has no business in a crossword puzzle.
JazzB, your thoroughly enlightening and entertaining recap is the best part of today’s LAT CW experience. Thanks!!
DNF. Done in by the NW corner. DNL. Did not like. Could we PUHLEEZE have some real words in our crosswords? Rant over. (Must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed) (my coffee still is not talking to me.)
Wednesday workout. Thanks for the fun, Rebecca and JazzB.
Officially a DNF, plus a FIW in what I did complete.
But I did see the FOOD FIGHT theme with its foods plus DUCK, FIRE, CHUCK.
That NE corner was my nemesis. BURJ was unknown, this Canadian could not decide between Utah, OHIO or Iowa, are the figures numbers or people?, do our sushi rolls have nori, fish , RICE? I always have Plum sauce on my egg rolls, and my inability to give up that word did not help. Plus I had S_ _ ER and was looking for a comparative word. PUHLEEZE!
To add insult to injury, I corrected the A to E in PUHLEEZE, but not the S to Z. What on earth is a SOO animal house? GEE, I must unlearn my spelling for all these slang expressions. UH UH.
Plenty of other FOOD for our FIGHT today - DONUT, SUGAR, ANTS ON A LOG, soup STOCK, RICE, with an SAC to put it in, and a FORK utensil. And we have a REF (not REV) to moderate the FIGHT. All we need is an EVITE.
I PRESERVED tomatoes yesterday, and juicy Niagara peaches are on deck for today. Thankfully it is cooler.
Wishing you all a great day.
Enjoyed the FOOD FIGHT theme. Hand up amused to see the ANIMAL HOUSE reference in the same puzzle.
Hand up NW not nice with BURJ, obscure BLUE JACKETS. Cross of IGOR/ARIE not nice, except we have seen ARIE before. FIR.
Here a beautiful young lady has painted her face to match the SUGAR SKULL array she is posing with for DAY OF THE DEAD.
DAY OF THE DEAD is a big holiday in our town, with so many residents from Mexico and Central America. One of our dear friends has travelled to southern Mexico just to learn the fine arts of making SUGAR SKULLs.
From Yesterday:
AnonT Thanks for the shout out about PALO ALTO. What more were you going to say? As for the HP calculator, I was on the EQUALS side of the battle between ENTER and EQUALS. Sorry!
I remember you guys had a t-shirt that read ENTER >> EQUALS.
I see that I am directionally challenged today. It was that NW corner that stumped me (as it did many of you). And yes, I did think of that tallest tower in Dubai, but couldn’t remember its name. BURJ KHALIFA is now indelibly inscribed on my brain (maybe!)
A challenging NW corner but I somehow remembered Burj Khalifa. I like foreign words in the crossword as I like to learn about other cultures. I had trouble with duck sauce … never heard of it.. thanks Rebecca for a Wednesday workout…kkFlorida
Fun Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Rebecca. And I always enjoy your helpful commentary, Jazzb, thanks for that too.
Well, yesterday's puzzle nearly starved us when it came to food, but, as almost all of you have noticed and commented, this one gave us lots of food--if not exactly a FOOD FIGHT. We started out with a DONUT, always good food for breakfast, but then soon got some DUCK SAUCE to put on our egg rolls for lunch. For supper, we're going to need a FORK if we're going to have some HEAVY CHUCK STEAKS, served with FIRE PEPPERS? I'm not sure that's a great idea. Maybe some THAI food would be better, after all, but not with ANTS ON A LOG. Hope this has all made you hungry and ready for breakfast or lunch.
Have a great day, everybody!
Another Animal House ref. Classic
RG— — A really enjoyable puzzle after getting past Arabic tower BURJ, still a heart breaking memory. Remembering a wonderful TIA in Akron OHIO who taught me to make DONUTS cheered me up. Thank you Jazzbumpa for all the detailed information and the “APRil in Paris” from Count Basie.
The Isle of SKYE is the setting for the classic “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf. Another favorite, “A Room of Ones’s Own”. She writes of one lecture given at a girls college associated with Cambridge University where she VENTed about having been refused entry into a library at Cambridge because she was not accompanied by a man. Times have certainly changed! The club she spoke to was named ODTAA (One D—- Thing After Another).
Hands up for many, many purchases of HESS trucks that I used to be able to buy at our local gas stations, but now must order on line. They are very well made and each year they have new and original designs. A wonderful gift for any young child.
Happy day, all!
Hola!
OLA is, I believe, Portuguese. Yes, HOLA is Spanish.
Because I've heard of the BURJ Kalifa I was able to start with that.
My niece always refers to her dogs as her FUR BABIES which is what I had until FURBALL became apparent.
REV to me recalls REVEREND for the clergy.
PUHLEEZE in a crossword puzzle is just cruel.
I've never actually seen "Back to the Future" so BIFF is unknown to me. But wasn't BIFF in "Death of a Salesman"?
That EW in Pad see ew doesn't sound appetizing.
Good to know how to pronounce KLEE.
FIRE PEPPERS sound appealing! I love hot food!
Wishing safety for you who are in the path of the hurricane.
THanks, Rebecca & JazzB!
I knew the BURJ Khalifa because my USAF pilot son (now retired) used to fly over it when he was stationed in UAE. He was delighted to find out from an article I sent him that the architect for the BURJ was a Kansas State University graduate like himself.
Parsan, I think you may has missed an email I sent late last night. 😉
Why the LOS ANGELES reference for DONUT?
@Donut Curious - I just read this article about pink boxed donuts in LA as I was curious too-since I've seen them other places:
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/reason-doughnut-boxes-are-usually-pink
HG - I was in high school when the NBA Kings were in Kansas City before the move to Sacramento - I remember that because my high school vocal ensemble (16 of us) sang the National Anthem before one of the games
Got the solve despite some really ugly clues. But that seems the new norm.
I've seen donuts in pink boxes here at Bosa Donuts
Hi Gang -
I made even more typos than you know about. Got a little help from a friend, but some still snuck through.
I'm a poor typist and a worse proof reader.
Lo siento.
Cheers!
JzB
H.Gary - How did I (of all people) miss STAGE and POLE? Wouldn't have been nice to see a weather fill like "make it rain", and/or a musical reference like "G string."
Wouldn't it have been nice... I hit "publish" instead of "preview."
Jazzbumpa
But you are witty and fun to read!
WEES.
I'll have to keep this brief [Please hold your applause until the end 🙄] as we've got the two youngest grandsons again, and with less than 24 hrs notice. Not only is Teri frantically shopping for them, but also for my BIL's retirement party on Saturday so ...
Thank you Rebecca for a DELICIOUS, albeit somewhat PUGILISTIC puzzle, which didn't taste all that CRUNCHY for a Wednesday.
And thanks for the review JzB. I admire your ability to say something about ESC (Every Single Clue), whereas I just say too much about some of them. And thanks for the YoYo trick -- I'm sure the grandsons will love it.
A fav or two ...
1A BURJ. I thought this was crosswordese, especially after the JOKER showed his face.
17A DUCK SAUCE. Love the stuff, but we haven't had Chinese in a coon's age as it's bad for my HBP. It has largely been UP STAGED in recent years by WASABI with low-salt soy SAUCE.
39A FUR BALL. At last count our grandchildren have 5 of them.
5D TWA. When I stopped traveling for work I had over 300K frequent flyer miles with them. I still have them with American and we get miles for charging stuff so now it's over 600K. Which reminds me, I've gotta get moving ...
Cheers,
Bill
Thanks to Rebecca for her puzzle and to JzB for his excellent write-up! I learn all sorts of things on JzB-day. For instance, I did not know that IRA had an IRA.
; )
Also, thank you for the April in Paris music. I liked Rufus "Speedy" Jones on the drums.
Agree that the NW was tough. TG for OHIO! Rebecca was probably expecting us to all remember how to spell BURJ Khalifa.
FAVs: SUGAR SKULL and "cafeteria combat" is funny.
Who would have thought that a name ending in two Es would rhyme with "clay"? Hmmmm....
H-Gary @9:31. Congrats on your Wordle success. That is the dream!
Jazzbumpa presents a Goldstein PZL.
Are we supposed to know Arabic now? Glad that our host took this opener to task! He is correct; the perps were little help.
Maybe the correct answer is to be read as JRUB...?
In our region we do not use DUCK SAUCE. It is nearly always SOY SAUCE. Sometimes SOYA SAUCE--which made the 4-letter fill all the more puzzling.
The rest of this XWD was full of gimmes, so that made the NW corner all the more baffling.
~ OMK
____________
DR: 8x8.= Blank
sumdaze @ 5:35 PM KLEE -- In German, or in this case Swiss-German, the letter E is pronounced like our long A, without the little trailing diphthong (ya know, like CanadianEh!).
waseeley @ 6:24. Thank you for that added info but I think you missed my attempt at humor. Hint: my name IRL
sumdaze @6:32 PM How did I miss that! But I did have a suspicion that you already knew this factoid. 😊
Thank you Rebecca Goldstein for a very challenging puzzle.
I happened to 'know' BURJ, only because I've have the privilege of stepping inside that building, in Dubai, ten years ago ... but it is a rare Arabic word for today's puzzle. Mahal, or minar would not fit ... but what do I know.
Thank you JazzBumpa for an excellent commentary ... I learnt a lot of trivia and some not so trivial answers.
Your typos, if any,don't mean a thing for me, my eyes overlook such trivial matters as a matter of routine...
I thought the answer to the artist must be KLEE, but I did not know that his name was pronounced thus, or the swiss-german accent-pronouncements of certain vowels.
Inanehiker's comment on the UAE being a 'caliphate' tweaked my interest ....
... while the previous sheikh Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, the first ruler of Abu Dhabi, went by the nickname of Khalifa,
.... and the Tower Burj Al-Khalifa was named after him,( while he was still alive ...) ... for the Abu Dhabi funding that rescued the original tower builders out of bankruptcy ... long story ...
.... he was not a khalif or a Caliph, in the true sense. Thus Abu Dhabi which is one of 7 emirates forming the UAE is also not a Caliphate, but an 'elective monarchy' .... per Wikipedia. The seven monarchs are chosen by birth, as in England, but they vote among themselves, to the positions in the UAE council .... thus 'elective', .... in some sense....
I am not knowledgeable enough on this subject, so Wikipedia may be the best source of information, but to the best of my knowledge, the last Caliph, was probably the Sultan of Turkey, just after World War I,....
.... after which the monarchy was abolished, under Kemal Attaturk.
Thus I would presume that a 'Caliph' is not only a ruler, in an Islamic nation, but also carries a spiritual power, including the temporal power, among other islamic nations, as well. Something like a Pope, in the olden days.
a lot of TMI... end of rant ... pardon me, for this excessive length.
Vidwan @ 8:50 PM You can "rant" all you want. It's so good to hear your voice again.
Hi All!
What most everyone said about the rough fill. Whew!
Thanks Rebecca for the Wednesday challenge with a fun theme. Thank you JazzB for explaining with humor.
WOs: SOY SAUCE (oops!), PPULEEsE
ESPs: BURJ, KLEE, OLA, ETRE
Fav: LEVEL UP was cute.
Cool on Wordle word HG. It took me
Inanehiker - thanks for the link on Pink Donut boxes.
Well, late to the party with not much to add that hasn't been said.
It was fun reading y'all (and nice to see you again Vidwan).
Cheers, -T
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