Theme: A puzzle in MODE mode. The second word of two-word in-the-language phrases represent various types of MODES.
17 A. *Ray Winstone/Ben Kingsley crime drama: SEXY BEAST. A SEXY BEAST is someone who exudes sexuality and is difficult to resist. BEAST MODE refers to the aggressive, animalistic persona that one might assume when in competition or combat in order to overpower an opponent.
22 A *Period of anxiety that may be brought on by facing one's mortality: MIDLIFE CRISIS. This is an emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in early middle age. CRISIS MODE is a hyper reactive condition where everything catches you off guard, increases your stress levels and you feel panicky.
49. *Folded missile in a classroom: PAPER AIRPLANE. Here are detailed instructions for how to make one.
AIRPLANE MODE is a setting on a smartphone or tablet for use on board an aircraft, in which the device does not receive or transmit wireless signals and so does not interfere with the aircraft's communication systems.
58. *Spot to store valuables when traveling: HOTEL SAFE. A SAFE is a strong metal cupboard with special locks, in which you keep money, jewelry, or other valuable things. There might be on in your HOTEL room. SAFE MODE is a diagnostic mode of a computer operating system. It can also refer to a mode of operation by application software. Safe mode is intended to help fix most, if not all, problems within an operating system. It is also widely used for removing rogue security software.
38. Fashionable, or an apt description of the ends of the answers to the starred clues: A LA MODE. This refers to something fashionable and stylish. Or, alternatively, a mode of serving pie, along with a scoop of ice cream.
Hi Gang, JazzBumpa here, in puzzle analysis MODE. {We will definitely not be getting into analyzing musical or mathematical MODES!}. Generally, a MODE is manner in which something occurs or is experienced, expressed, or done. Let's get into action MODE.
Across:
1. Flowerbox place: SILL. A widow shelf.5. Hubbub: STIR. Ado
9. Use a 26-Down: SHAVE. Scrape whiskers off the face, for example.
14. Nabisco cookie: OREO. A pair of chocolate wafers with a sugary cream filling. The crossword world's favorite desert.
15. Gallant one: HERO. Doer of courageous deeds, or a large sandwich. Chose wisely.
16. Wonder Woman's rope: LASSO. A rope with a loop or noose at one end, suitable for capturing villains, perhaps.
19. "Touch of Evil" director Welles: ORSON. This 1958 movie involves the investigation into drug trafficking after a car bomb explodes near the Mexican border. George Orson Welles [1915-1985] was an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time.
20. Some remote batteries: AAAs. Small cylindrical batteries.
21. Bacon pieces: STRIPS. One strip = one rasher.
27. Apartment, say: UNIT. A single living quarter in a larger structure.
28. "You __ to be there": HAD. Explaining that being a direct witness is sometimes important for understanding or believing.
29. Put away: STOW. Pack neatly in a particular place.
32. Some DVD players: SONYS. Products of the Sony Group Corporation, a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
34. Assessed, with "up": SIZED. Examined and evaluated something or someone.
36. Actor Vigoda: ABE. Abraham Charles Vigoda [1921 - 2016] was an American actor known for his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather and Phil Fish in both Barney Miller and Fish TV shows.
37. Vampire vaporizer: SUN. According to legend, these evil creatures cannot abide direct sunlight.
40. Not gross: NET. After all charges and deductions.
41. Examine critically: EYE. Size up, visually.
42. Waffle: WAVER. Vacillate due to uncertainty.
43. First few pages of many books: INTRO. Short for introduction - a preliminary and explanatory section at the beginning of a book, report, or speech..
45. Feudal laborer: SERF. An agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on their lord's estate.
47. Neither's partner: NOR. Used to exclude pairs of things or concepts.
48. Japanese noodle: UDON. Wheat pasta made in thick strips.
54. Parking spots: SPACES. Areas demarcated within a larger region for placing individual vehicles.
56. "Agreed!": DEAL. An agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefit, especially in a business or political context.
57. Eagle's perch: AERIE. A large nest in a high place.
63. Pertaining to birth: NATAL. As defined.
64. Disney snowman: OLAF. From the movie FROZEN.
65. "__ go bragh!": ERIN. Ireland forever!
66. Do up, as hair: STYLE. A particular arrangement of one's hair.
67. Guitar tuners: PEGS. Short wooden or metal sticks with flat, rounded ends that are turned to make the strings on a musical instrument tighter or looser.
68. Lean (toward): TEND. Have a natural inclination to do or be drawn toward some object of action.
Down:
1. "Help!" letters: SOS. A Morse code distress signal used internationally, originally established for maritime use. In formal notation SOS is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" are transmitted as an unbroken sequence of three dots / three dashes / three dots, with no spaces between the letters.
2. Anger: IRE. Negative emotional reaction to words or an event. Hopefully, it is not forever.
3. Supervillain Luthor who co-founded the Injustice League: LEX. Originated in Superman comics.
4. Faithfulness: LOYALTY. A strong, reliable feeling of support or allegiance.
5. Bundle of harvested grain: SHEAF. A bundle of grain stalks laid lengthwise and tied together after reaping.
6. Poke fun at: TEASE. Merriment at the expense of a usually unwilling victim.
7. Org. with many auditors: IRS. Internal Revenue Service - the Federal tax collecting agency.
8. Spoil: ROT. Deteriorate over time, as produce.
9. Casino machines: SLOTS. Coin-operated gaming machines that generate random combinations of symbols on a dial, certain combinations winning varying amounts of money for the player.
10. Vice president Kamala: HARRIS. Kamala Devi Harris [b. 1964] is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th and current vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.
11. Prosecutor's deputy, for short: ASSISTANT D.A. The Assistant District Attorney is responsible for assisting the District Attorney with administering the ongoing activities of the District Attorney's Office and assists in developing and implementing departmental goals and objectives within general policy guidelines.
12. Initials on a brandy bottle: VSOP. Very Superior Old Pale. For a cognac to be classified as a VSOP, the minimum age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend must be at least 4 years old.
13. Ages upon ages: EONS. Long periods of unspecified duration.
18. "Wow at first sip" brand: BAI. A brand of cocoanut water.
21. Allied (with): SIDED. Joined together for some purpose, generally against organized opposition.
22. Dishevels, as hair: MUSSES. Runs fingers through someone's hair in a random way to mess it up.
23. Senator for whom Honolulu's airport is named: INOUYE. Daniel Ken Inouye [1924 - 2012] was an American attorney, soldier, and politician who served as a United States senator from Hawaii from 1963 until his death in 2012. Beginning in 1959, he was the first U.S. Representative for the State of Hawaii, and a Medal of Honor recipient.
24. Occasion to use the good china: DINNER PARTY. A social occasion at which guests eat dinner together.
25. Fire-breathing Greek monster: CHIMERA. In Greek mytholog, a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.
26. Stubble remover: RAZOR. An instrument with a sharp blade or combination of blades, used to remove unwanted hair from the face or body.
30. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" king: OBERON. A king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairies. Also, Oberon is a wheat ale that embodies everything we love about summer. Brewed with just wheat malt, hops, water and Bells Brewery's signature house ale yeast.
31. Slobbery kiss: WET ONE. Moist smooch.
33. Watched: SAW. Observed or eyed.
34. Really relish: SAVOR. Enjoy the flavor of.
35. "Agnus __": DEI. Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within Christian liturgies descending from the historic Latin liturgical tradition, including those of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism.
39. Features of a bowling alley: LANES. Wooden or urethane decks that are 62'10-3/4" long and 42 inches wide with ten pins spaced one foot apart 60 feet from the foul line.
44. Mathematical void symbolized by { }: NULL SET. In mathematical sets, the null set is a set that does not contain any values or elements. It is expressed as { } and denoted using the Greek letter ∅ (phi). Now we exit math mode.
46. Treatment that may involve a peel: FACIAL. A beauty treatment for the face.
50. "Nope" writer/director Jordan: PEELE. Jordan Haworth Peele [b. 1978] is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker, known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. I don't believe he is known for his facial treatments.
51. Luggage label: I.D. TAG. Item to identify the ownership of an item of luggage.
52. Hangouts for some schools?: REEFS. A ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea. The school here is of the fishy variety.
53. Friend: PAL. Buddy amigo.
54. Without: SANS. In French. I relish a puzzle sans French.
55. Organic fuel: PEAT. Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs.
58. Short jump: HOP. I HOP means I make a short jump. IHOP is where I'm taking Gloria later this week for pumpkin pancakes.
59. Copa Mundial cheer: OLE. Copa Mundial is Spanish for World Cup, the FIFA international soccer [futbol] tournament. I had a bit of trouble tracking it down, since Google just wanted to show me shoes of the same name. Olé is a Spanish interjection used to cheer on or praise a performance commonly used in bullfighting and flamenco dance.
60. What "will be" will be: ARE. Forms of the verb "to be." This is a playful little excursion into tenses, where the future of the past becomes the present.
61. Sign of a shark: FIN. The shark's dorsal fin can sometimes be seen above the water line. Not a good sign.
62. Goal: END. The aim or purpose of an activity. Also the END of this puzzle. Well placed.
OK, Gang - that wraps up another Wednesday, and a fine ride it was. I am now in sign-off mode.
Cool regards,
JzB
34 comments:
I didn’t get the gimmick until the reveal, and even then, I wasn’t sure what “beast mode “ was until Jazzbumpa explained it. But, on the whole, I found this a very doable puzzle, especially for a Wednesday. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Only needed my trusty Wite-Out to correct DONE to DEAL...and then it was done. Nice, smooth, Wednesday. Thanx, John and JzB. (Esoteric, as always.)
SOS : When a helicopter takes off and heads into the Gulf of Mexico, the pilot will radio in the number of SOBs -- souls on board.
RAZOR : D-o eschews the crossword-favorite ATRA in favor of a two-blade SENSOR. Remember when you could get just a single shave from a razor blade? Gillette's planned obsolescence? The latest incarnations last me about six months. Of course, they cost an arm, leg, and first unborn child.
I just couldn’t get the connection today - happy to find the explanation
FIR, but not without a WAG at the crossing of beast and Bai. Never heard of the drink, and what is beast mode? And Sexy Beast? New to me.
Aside from that one issue this was a fairly straightforward Wednesday puzzle.
FIR, but erased slices for STRIPS. Yeah, technically a rasher=1 piece of bacon, but "...it can also mean two or three slices of fried bacon for breakfast as in 'Some fried eggs and a rasher of bacon.'” It must be true, I read it on the internet.
Today is:
WORLD DENSE BREAST DAY (dw has them – mammograms don’t work well)
NATIONAL WOMEN’S HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY (gotta look good in that bikini, A SEXIST WOULD SAY)
NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MILK DAY (what are we, 12 year olds now?)
NATIONAL CORNED BEEF HASH DAY (I prefer chipped beef on toast, AKA SOS)
NATIONAL SCARF DAY (I can scarf down more than my share of SOS)
NATIONAL CRUSH A CAN DAY (Broncos got their cans (Orange) Crushed Sunday)
NATIONAL DAY OF FORGIVENESS (I need this most days after posting here)
Boomer would say "what's a bowling alley?"
FINs is a song by Jimmy Buffett about a comely woman who goes to the islands to unwind. She is hit on by guys everywhere she goes. Jimmy called the guys "sharks that can swim on the land." The song was a must-play at every Jimmy concert, and was a big audience participation event with the crowd forming FINs over their heads and leaning as Jimmy sang "FINS to the left, FINs to the right, and you're the only bait in town." The song's enduring popularity was also the basis for the brand name of Jimmy's beer label, Landshark.
Good Morning:
I completed the puzzle with no w/os and no unknowns, other than Sexy Beast and the complete lack of understanding of the theme. Either my brain cells are deteriorating or my persistence is waning because I quickly gave up trying to figure out what A La Mode had to do with any of the themers.
Thanks, John, and thanks, JazzB, for the excellent explanation and the, as usual, educational and enlightening review.
FLN
TTP, thanks for the touching story about Abejo’s family’s search.
Have a great day.
Anyone else go for Slice instead of STRIP of bacon? Saw my error when the VP was clued. Other than that whiteout, the rest was a piece of ALAMODE cherry pie.
John, I enjoyed my solving of your offering, and Jazzbumpa, your neat recap of his work.
Here comes the sun!!
Took 5:02 today for me to face the music.
I agree with what the others have said, especially bai crossing sexy beast.
I've heard of beast mode before, and I associate it with the former running back for the Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch.
I entered "tilt" before "tend" in the bottom-right corner, but that was the only problem aside from spelling Inouye.
Seemed like an easier than Wednesday puzzle.
Good Morning! I liked today’s puzzle. It flowed smoothly for the most part. Thanks, John.
One glitch (mine) & one error. I put a right answer in the wrong boxes which quickly became evident.
WO: parking plACES -> SPACES.
WAGs & perps: BAI, INOUYE, OBERON, NULL SET.
Thanks, JazzB, for your recap and explaining the theme. The starred clues filled easily, but the overall theme didn’t click with me, and after reading how it all fit together, there was no WOW, but as I said, it was a fun puzzle to work.
On American Ninja Warrior, the athletic reality TV show , the contestants often have to go “full beast mode” to complete the challenging obstacle courses.
Thanks John for fun Wednesday and Jzb for an excellent recap….. kkFlorida.
Fairly easy puzzle. Unfortunately I totally missed a lot of words until the write up because they were already filled in.
Totally did not Grok the theme though, my mind must have been stuck on ice cream...
I guess I should have thought outside the ice cream box...
Very nice, smooth-filling CW, although I did not get the theme, even after I looked. It took JzB to explain it. No W/Os for a change. By my count 11 names, but I knew most, although I needed many perps to spell INOUYE. Knew the name, not the spelling. Thanx JG for the fun Wednesday level CW, which I actually finished in less time than yesterday’s CW. Thanx too to JzB for the outstanding write-up, and explaining the theme. JzB you have a typo: I don’t know what a WIDOW SHELF is, LOL, obviously you meant WINDOW SHELF.
Musings
-In FB games, you’ll see at least one defensive lineman in BEAST MODE who cannot be blocked
--My colleague’s husband, Ed Eldridge, was a LASSO expert and quick draw champion.
-For me, ORSON conjures up his infamous 1938 Halloween radio broadcast
-Don’t you just hate the dance in the airplane aisle to STOW something in the overhead bins?
-You’re a real BB fan if you know who ABE Saperstein was (*answer below)
-Do most voters TEND to vote as they always have without examining past records?
-I eventually learned that CHIMERA is pronounced with a hard “C” (kuh MEE ruh)
-The facility with the most bowling LANES in the world
-*ABE Saperstein was the founder of The Harlem Globetrotters
Wondering Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, John and JazzB.
I FIRed but like others here, I did not get the MODE theme.
One inkblot at the cross of UDON/OBERON to get the correct vowel.
Another inkblot to change Bend to TEND. Both fit the clue, but NULL SEB made no sense.
Fortunately the vowel-rich INOUYE perped for this Canadian (I think we have seen him here before).
I guessed the B for BEAST/BAI cross.
Loyal was the Wordle yesterday. Interesting that we get LOYALTY in CW today.
We had AIRPLANE and LANES.
Interesting second row with O endings - OREO, HERO, LASSO.
Canadians may be audited by the CRA.
END was located at the End today.
11 letters for 11D is short? Oh, DA is short.
Wishing you all a great day.
As IM once pointed out the puzzles don’t always consistently get harder as the week moves along. This was the easiest so far; certainly easier than yesterday which was easier than Monday. But the theme? NOPE! (BTW Peele’s weirdest flick yet). I’ve heard of all those MODES so kyna klever
Remember as a tyke watching with fascination as my Grandfather carefully shaved with a straight RAZOR.
Inkovers: Inonue/Inounu/INOUYE
1940’s 30 “Down Midsummers Night Dreamy” descendant ?
NATAL: In Italian the word “NATALE means “birth” but traditionally refers only to the birth of Christ or birth of Rome, otherwise nascita (NAH-she-tah) or nascimento is used ergo rinascimento/renaissance/rebirth
CWese for “spa sounds”……. AAAS
Medieval Grange: _____ Board….SERF
Good Queen Bess ll often…..WAVER
How the military services buy each jet fighter…..PAPERAIRPLANE
During the Irish feminist movement ____ would often “Go Bragh-less!”…..ERIN
Doris, Dennis, or Agnes…. DEI
(At mass we sing “Agnus Dei” Lamb of God in Latin instead of English sometimes, I dunno why)
FLN…..
Vid wan
Thank you for adding two new words to my limited vocabulary: “Endonym”and “Exonym”: From Google: “An exonym is a place name that isn't used by the people who live in that place but that is used by others. Also spelled xenonym. Warsaw is the English exonym for the capital of Poland, which the Polish people call Warszawa. Vienna is the English exonym for the German and Austrian Wien.
In contrast, a locally used toponym—that is, a name used by a group of people to refer to themselves or their region (as opposed to a name given to them by others)—is called an endonym (or autonym). For example, Köln is a German endonym while Cologne is the English exonym for Köln.
Hey../CW Constructors, don’t get any ideas🥺
Anon T: I musta missed it ….belated wedding anniversary best wishes 💍👰♀️🤵♂️
As I worked through this puzzle I thought this must be Monday until
1. Didn’t bother doing an alphabet run to come up with BAI and BEAST,
2. I gave up figuring out the MODE phrases.
IM☘️I attribute my failure to laziness. LOL. Some mornings my attention quickly moves to what I have to do today.
Sumdaze gave us a fine review.
I finished this puzzle, late last night, past midnight but was disappointed when there was nowhere to post ?@# I wrote in a comment, anyway... ( to stake out my achievement ?)...
RayOSun ... I learnt of exonyms and endonyms, through this blog, itself, just a few years ago... As Germany is really Deutschland, Egypt is actually Misr, and so on.
BTW, I thought of you when looking at the shoe sizing flourescopes, yesterday ?, and could imagine you blanching ...
RayO, regarding Merle Oberon, .... you may want to read the copious biography of Merle O, in Wikipedia ... she was an Anglo-indian, with some natal secrets of her birth, which would have been 'career disasterous', .... in a day when racism was considered a simple fact of life ... and she tried to move heaven and earth to hide her original roots until the very end of her life. Very Sad.
Thank You John Guzzeta for a very easy (for me -) puzzle, and to Jazzbumpa for a very interesting review. Throughly enjoyed both.
In addition to the various modes, JazzB mentioned, there is also of course, the statistical 'mode' , which is the most repeating or common number in any series...
Thought of dear Boomer, at the bowling lanes ...
I had WAFER for Waffle, which is quite understandable, .. but the cross SAFOR made no sense...
Have a nice day, you all ... and onto Thursday !
Enjoyed the MODE theme after I struggled a long time to figure it out. But the puzzle was seriously spoiled for me with that absurd obscure crossing. FEAST MODE made far more sense. As in FEAST or FAMINE.
Delighted to see SHARK FIN in today's puzzle. We have them now, right in our neighborhood!
Here is my photo of a leopard SHARK and its FINs just a fifteen minute bicycle ride from our front door!
And here is my SHARKs in the neighborhood article, complete with several short videos!
I highly recommend watching the videos to really see how they look and behave. As I explained in my article, leopard sharks are totally harmless to people. A couple of days ago I called down to a young woman making a video of them from the beach that they are harmless and it is OK to wade in. She was in a bathing suit. She said, "I know. But they are still SHARKs!"
Hola!
WEES about the ease of finishing this puzzle. Thank you, John Guzzetta! It takes me a bit longer than most of you because I enjoy my coffee during the solving/thinking process. However, it was still a fast solve.
SEXY BEAST left me flummoxed as I had not heard of it nor of BAI so I was glad to see Jazzbumpa's explanation.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" was made into a movie with Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Everett among others in the cast. The musical score is also wonderful.
On my trip last week we went to the Charles Shultz Museum in Santa Rosa and I bought an ID TAG with the Lucy character on it. If you have a chance to go, it is a marvelous tribute to the cartoonist. His widow lives nearby.
Have a very, very nice day, everyone!
Zip, zip, done. FIR almost as fast as I could write today, but sadly, no icecream on my pie. The a la MODE totally flew past and left without me this morning.
Good afternoon. Thank you, John Guzzetta, and thank you, JzB.
Easy peasy, with an excellent review to top it off. I enjoyed reflecting back with the fishy variety link.
Would this fit the theme? Humorous light-hearted movie genre? ROMCOM
BEAST MODE - Yes, I agree about associating it with Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks. Beast Mode - "Trademark of Marshawn Lynch - Registration Number 3650781 - Serial Number 77637215 :: Justia Trademarks." He has an apparel company and line of clothing with that name.
Re: Jinx' comment "NATIONAL CRUSH A CAN DAY (Broncos got their cans (Orange) Crushed Sunday)"
The Denver Broncos playing defense against the Dolphins 10 of the 11 Broncos defenders are pictured in this play. 6 of them are on the ground as the Dolphin running back heads for the endzone.
Vidwan, the reviews are published at 3:30 AM Central.
Picard, to be honest, if I saw shark fins in the water, and a stranger that I didn't know from Adam called out that it was safe to go in, I'd still err on the side of caution... :>)
Lucina and Irish Miss, you are welcome. I was just about to change the channel and the news anchor started saying, "When we come back..." and then they flashed a picture of him on the screen. Instant recognition.
RayO, can you explain Florence -> Firenze? Firenze tripped me up so many times looking at a map or reading an article on Italy.
MODE? No way I'd have ever noticed that. Not familiar with either BEAST or SAFE MODE. AIRPLANE Mode is something you hit by accident on your phone and don't notice it until you can't make a call. Today's puzzle was in A&E fantasy mode with unknown SEXY BEAST, Wonder Woman's LASSO, fictitious Vampire being destroyed by SUN, (stake to the heard, or cross on a bullet also works), LEX Luther, Greek monster Chimera, mandatory Shakespeare character OBERON, Xword regular OLAF, and unknown Jordan PEELE.
{ }- there's nothing there so why bother to mention it.
DINNER PARTY- with our THREE sets of good china the Chinette gets pulled out for holidays.
FIR. Today was easier than Monday's puzzle. However, never got close to figuring out the theme. GC
I must say that Ben Kingsley seldom disappoints. Everyone knows of AMADEUS of course, but SEXY BEAST was marvelous. If you like him you also have to see THE WACKNESS.
TTP@ 12:23
Florence is an ancient Etruscan city hence the capital of Tuscany evolved from Florentia …Fiorenza….Firenze (the endonym of the English language exonym Florence) but a citizen is a Florentine or Fiorentino (common surname)
The English exonym for the city of Livorno (a port city and beach resort also in Tuscany) is Leghorn! which for me is a real head scratcher
Oh and yes! Foghorn Leghorn is a descendant, his ancestors. “Polli Livornesi” originated from there. “That’s not a joke, I say that’s not a joke son” 🐔
Today's puzzle was fun with some satisfying long fills. Thank you John!
I remembered this meaning of A LA MODE from the Monday 8/18 puzzle. AIRPLANE MODE made the most sense. Like many of you, I was unfamiliar with BEAST MODE. Perhaps that is a good thing!
FAV: Hangouts for some schools? I also noted FACIAL next to PEELE. So did JzB. He had a good quip. Speaking of, another great review in JzB MODE. Thank you for all the explanations and hidden gems! Tante Nique @ 10:25 accidentally credited me for the 'fine review'. I'll happily take the credit.
PEGS. When taking a guitar on an AIRPLANE, you need to loosen its strings (put it into AIRPLANE MODE, if you will). I get nervous in my belly when I do this, the same way as when someone next to me is blowing up a balloon and I'm afraid it will pop or when I am inflating my bike's tires. I tense up anticipating the big SNAP! Once a friend tried to cure me by quickly turning the PEGS and saying, "See, it's OK". Right then....TWOINGGGGG!
Delightful Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, John. And always enjoy your commentary, JazzB, thanks for that too.
I usually look for clues of romance in puzzles to enhance my commentary, but SEXY BEAST went way beyond my usual topical boundaries. So, why don't I just start with a DINNER PARTY that a couple got ready to attend. He had to SHAVE with a RAZOR--no, not a WET ONE--and she had to look through her closet to find something with STYLE. They did not much SAVOR the food at the party, but they at least got a HERO sandwich and some OREOS for dessert. Not something that deserved an OLE, but they still had a good time.
I wish you all a good time today too.
RayO, thank you. Funny about Livorno translating to Leghorn. Foghorn Leghorn was a favorite cartoon.
There's a place in Germany called Katzenelnbogen that translates to Cats Elbow, and there's a place in Bavaria called Pups that translates to fart.
Back to cooking.
I rather enjoyed working this puzzle. Having “peel” in a clue and PEELE as an answer caught my EYE.
TTP Thank you for that TV link yesterday regarding Abejo (Bradley Baker) and his tuba. Does anyone know what "Abejo" means?
Regarding the young woman and the SHARKs, I agree that she had no reason to trust me. What I thought was funny: She said she knew they were harmless. But they are SHARKs!
Picard, thank you for asking.
Abejo is Farsi or Persian for beer. Abejo is pronounced as if you were saying Abbey Joe fast. Brad worked for GTE in Iran in the 1970's before the Shah was ousted. His Irani coworkers gave him that name. One of the first questions I asked him when we met was how his avatar name was pronounced. Prior to that conversation, I mentally pronounced it with a more Spanish "h" sound for the "j".
Through and through, a genuinely kind, considerate and caring man who it seemed was always putting others ahead of himself. Always on the go. Always volunteering. Always donating his time and efforts to the benefit of others for good causes, but especially for those in need. I could never say enough good things about that man.
TTP
You are so right in your assessment of Abejo. When I commented on the sale of the tuba I could not recall the name "Abejo". Now I remember that he posted the meaning of his name.
Picard
Even though I know that sharks might not attack me I would never take that chance!
TTP … I remember Abejo and his comments …. He appeared to be a long distance trucker who travelled between Chicago and nY city and was always on the run.
He was also a dedicated member of the Shriners and volunteering for them. Thus he had to be at a different city every night…. I must have missed the time when he left the blog ….. or this earthly state ….
As for why I am posting …. I could not sleep and completed tomorrow’s puzzle. I found it a bit more difficult …. Mind you, that’s just me….
Now, back to my pillow …. And then counting some more sheep …. I’m upto 7644 and may have to go upto in the five figures …. Lol.
This is Wendybird, but for some reason, I’m identified as Anonymous - any ideas?
This was an Enjoyable puzzle which seemed easy for Thursday but had enough crunch to keep it interesting. My favorite clue was midnight mouser. Except for JOKEY, which was cringeworthy, the clues were real crosswordeese, not just trivia names and places. Thanks, Jeff.
I LOVED the musical and dramatic clips ! Peter and the Wolf was a childhood favorite, which was introduced to my children and grandchildren and now our “greats “. The Peer Gynt Suite was our 4th grade class’s musical production, and it’s permanently embedded in my brain. Who can resist On the Waterfront? So gritty and gripping. Thanks so much, Billy and Teri
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