THEME: RECYCLE~!
This
one had me stumped at first; I simply could not see a connection
between the answers - and then I realized the answers had nothing in
common - other than starting and ending with the same
three letters. ah-HA~! The "clue" was not much help for me, TBH. A
very quick solve for me, felt like a Monday level puzzle - but it took
two extra minutes for me to find out why I did not get the ta-DA~! at
the end; 46d crossing 69a, Latin vs. Spanish, so I was a little
disappointed. And no Frawnche, either. Here are the theme answers, as
indicated with the "*" and referred to as the "starred" clues:
17. *Synthetic pump: ARTIFICIAL HEART - ART to ART
26. *Cheap shot: LOW BLOW - LOW to LOW
50. *Regional collective pronoun: ALL Y'ALL - ALL to ALL - quite popular this week
61. *"There really is a wolf now!": "I MEAN IT THIS TIME~!" - IME to IME
And the central reveal....
33. With 43-Across, "When one door closes, another door opens," and an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: THE END IS JUST
43. See 33-Across: THE BEGINNING
And Around We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Formula One event: RACE
5. Prep, as onions: CHOP - I took Husker G up on his "offer" Saturday, and made a tater tots casserole
9. __ bean: PINTO
14. Machine that helps with 51-Down: CPAP = Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, which I'd heard of, but never knew what it stood for; and; 51d. Sleeper's problem: APNEA
15. [Snicker]: HE-HE
16. Trapshooting: SKEET
20. General on American Chinese menus: TSO - my 'go-to' dish when I order
21. Asian country divided in 1945: KOREA
22. __-la-la: TRA
23. Meaning of an unlit "vacancy" sign: NO ROOM
28. Kept cold: ICED
29. Chicken __ king: A LA
32. Vega's constellation: LYRA
38. Cruelty-free lip balm brand: EOS
39. Secret spots?: ARMPITS - best. clue. ever. Secret, the deodorant
40. That guy's: HIS
45. Bangers partner: MASH - not "head" Bangers - the old MTV metal hours late on Saturday nights, but the British dish
48. Foreign policy org. chaired by the president: NSC - National Safety Council
- we had OSHA in the grid earlier this week, and I am required to finish their
30-hr course in order to work at the Washington National Cathedral - I
am about 20 hours in
49. "Grand slam" awards acronym: EGOT - when I stopped blogging Saturdays five years ago, this was not a crossword fill at all; Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony awards; more here.
54. Decade following Y2K: AUGHTS - 00's
56. Regret: RUE - OR - a Frawnche Canadien street~!
57. Marshmallowy Easter treats: PEEPS - I am not a fan - sorry; my thing is the Cadbury eggs
60. Mouse site: PAD - cute.
66. Painful turning point?: ANKLE
- clever, but my "ETA" at 62d messed me up - I do the DOWNS to start, so
that the theme answers ( usually in the across ) are half-filled by the
time I get to them
67. Primary: MAIN
68. Necessary __: EVIL
69. "__ mañana": HASTA - Spanish for "see you tomorrow" (?)
70. "SportsCenter" network: ESPN - I have Hulu with Disney and
ESPN, and the price goes up in one week - and I am thinking it's time to
ditch Disney - I have seen all the 4d I think I care to see - and I am a
HUGE fan
71. Swabbing spot: DECK - Aye, matey
DOWN:
1. TV pioneer: RCA
2. Fourth mo.: APRil
3. Towers that may have scratching posts: CAT TREES - I knew what
we were looking for, but didn't know they were called "TREES"; my
brother has a cat named Ashes - guess what color....
4. "Star Wars" installment: EPISODE - Episode IV, A New Hope
changed my life - I was six years old, and decided right then that I was
going to make movies....didn't quite work out the way I had planned
5. Greek X: CHI - I WAGed this, and was correct
6. "What the __!?": HECK - The "censored" answer
7. Home state of the Reds and the Browns: OHIO - and the Bengals,
I might add - but then again, their record in relation to their QB, the
highest paid player in the history of the NFL....
8. Gem from a mollusk: PEARL
9. "Balderdash!": "PSHAW~!"
10. Barinholtz of "The Mindy Project": IKE - no idea; filled via perps
11. In a tidy way: NEATLY
12. Paralyzing fear: TERROR - I tried PHOBIA first
13. Home of Canada's Parliament Hill: OTTAWA - nailed it; hockey starts soon~!
18. __ Fighters: Dave Grohl's band: FOO - I liked Nirvana - Dave's first band; the Foo, not so much
19. Astrological cat: LEO
23. Nick at __: NITE - Nickelodeon TV channel after 9pm
24. Dos y seis: OCHO - more Spanish, two and six = eight
25. Spanish parent: MADRE - and yet more Spanish
27. Classic sammie: BLT - sammie being an abbreviation of sandwich ( my word is "sa'mich" ), we get the Bacon Lettuce & Tomato short answer
30. Support for a tire swing: LIMB
31. Colorado ski town: ASPEN
34. Casual rejection: NAH....
35. Joyful dances: JIGS
36. Erie Canal city: UTICA - I could not answer this one; it just means I have moved that much further away from New York, and I am not looking back.
37. Tax ID: SSN
40. Compete in a dramatic event at the World Aquatics Championships: HIGH DIVE
41. Playing to break a tie, briefly: IN OT
42. Some NCOs: SGTs
43. Quaker pronoun: THY
44. Canceled out: NEGATED
45. Singer Carey: MARIAH
46. College grad: ALUMNA - I had ALUMNI, which is the plural form
47. Makes glossy, as hair: SLEEKS
52. Floral wreath: LEI
53. "I can do that": "LET ME"
55. FedEx rival: UPS - ah, me, back in the day....
58. School gps.: PTAs
59. Use 55-Down, say: SHIP
62. Flying fig.: ALTitude - not "ETA"
63. Quaint lodging: INN
64. Need for playing Rock Band, for short: MIC - Rock Band is the "expanded" version of Guitar Hero, adding in drums and vocals
65. Great Plains grazer: ELK - Giraffe didn't fit - har har har har . . . .
Splynter
34 comments:
Like Splynter, I had a hard time seeing what the reveal had to do with anything, at first. But eventually I became aware of the letter “repetition “ and the cleverness of the theme. I thought the rest of the puzzle was relatively easy, especially for a Wednesday. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
There is a babe in OTTAWA,
Wets his pants, he oughta "Wah!"
When he gets older,
A bladder-holder,
Nights will pass with AUGHT a "Wah!"
A restaurant in OTTAWA
Cooks their food in styles, A LA:
General TSO,
KOREAN phở,
Or CHOP it just for fun, PSHAW!
{A, A-.}
Good morning!
Failed to see any theme this morning, but that's my style. This one was a "quickie" -- faster than yesterday. Matt, I couldn't see the "Forest" for the CAT TREES. Splynter, I knew it was you with Frawnche in your opening paragraph. Well done, both of you.
FIR without erasure. This was the easiest LAT Wednesday puzzle this week.
I bought a SKEET target flinger when I was an avid land yacht racer. Although there is usually plenty of wind on dry lake beds, occasionally high pressure sets in and there is little or none. A 12 gauge and clay pigeons make for a great way to pass the time on a budget. (The moneyed guys bring gliders. On windless days, thermals develop on dry lake beds and act like elevators in the sky. These guys would use a car to launch their plane, seeking those elevators.)
Mouse PADS are so 8-track.
My mother and both sisters belonged to CHI Omega sorority. Some of their songs ended in a rip off of "shave and a haircut, two bits" - Ex and a horseshoe, CHI O.
I MEAN IT... reminded me of The Beatles' I Me Mine
Jimmy Buffett declared that Life Is Just A Tire Swing
Today is another getaway day. We are supposed to be in Powhatan, VA until Saturday, but it looks like a cold front will bring big wind Saturday so we may return a day early. Big wind and big RV don't mix well.
Thanks to Matt for the fun grid, and to Splinter for legging out the tour. Good luck with the OSHA class.
Forgot, Splynter, one nit -- I'm pretty sure that S in NSC is "Security."
Almost forgot!
Today is:
NATIONAL VODKA DAY (I'll drink to that!)
NATIONAL GOLF LOVER'S DAY (let’s not talk about the Solheim or Ryder Cup)
NATIONAL TACO DAY (why isn’t this always on a Tuesday?)
NATIONAL COFFEE WITH A COP DAY (not with doughnuts, but with…)
NATIONAL CINNAMON BUN DAY (even the ones that you bake from a tube are great)
NATIONAL PUMPKIN SEED DAY (pumpkins are easy to grown)
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Matt and Splynter.
Quick solve today with no inkblots. I saw the matching ENDs early in the solve.
ALL Y’ ALL was a gimme after the other day.
I’ll take a CSO with OTTAWA (and Splynter’s added RUE)
I agree that todays favourite is the clue for ARMPITS.
Wishing you all a great day.
FIR. Started off putting cat posts which slowed me down a tad in that corner, but the the Chinese General made me see the light.
I admit I didn't get the theme till I got here. But this didn't stop me from a correct finish.
Took 4:50 today for me TOO.
I didn't see the theme, and I agree with Jinx, that "This was the easiest LAT Wednesday puzzle this week." Hard to argue with that.
I also thought "armpits" was very clever and of Headbangers Ball from the old MTV days.
Unknowns for me were this "Ike," and "sleeks" for making hair glossy.
Stumped? So was I. It was easy to FIR but even with THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING I never noticed the connection.
All Y'ALL- like I told YOUSE GUYS Sunday it's not what I hear when I hear somebody speaking to a group of people.
ARMPITS- agree- great clue for Secret spots.
EOS- know of the 'minor planet' but the lip balm was unknown
IKE or "The Mindy Project" were both unknowns
Rock Band was a complete unknown but MIC was a good guess after MI_ was filled.
AUGHTS- "Should we draw from the wisdom of Jethro Bodine from the Beverly Hillbillies, who dreamed of becoming a double- naught seven secret agent, like James Bond? I”m afraid naught, I mean not." NAH
Jinx- I use a mouse TWO mouse pads because I have TWO wireless mice & keyboards connected to my PC. I can't stand the itty bitty keyboards on laptops. My desk is L-shaped and I don't have to turn around to do anything with the computer.
Anon@8:01- SLEEKS? With Brylcreem "A little dab'll do you" or maybe get rid of "The Greasy Kid Stuff" and use Vitalis.
Good Morning! Great puzzle today – thanks, Matt. I saw the theme as I paused after filling the reveal – clever, and as a reveal – in my view, very spiritual.
Splynter, RE: your filling method (66A), Mine is usually a crosshatch because I try to verify before committing. Doesn’t keep me from sometimes throwing caution to the wind…😁.
CSO to CanadianEh for OTTAWA and Ray-O-S for (I think) his neck of the woods – UTICA.
Perps for LYRA and AUGHTS (I knew the ‘00s, but that’s such an old-timey word.)
October 4, 2023 at 8:52 AM
I don't know what anon @ 9:01 is trying to say, but I'm afraid to click on it...
The puzzle?
10 m8nutes and done, didn't even see most of the downs...
I must try that tater tot casserole! An easy version of shepherds pie sounds great to me!
Although, I am more of a carrots and peas kind of guy, I found this recipe on YouTube that looks promising. But I wonder, has anyone made this? Which would be better, the butter and flour version, or the cream of mushroom soup version? Enquiring minds want to know...
Anywho,
My day begins with the comics...
And ends with the comics...
HEY YOUSE GUYS!! (CSO to Rita Moreno on The Electric Company). Secret spots is a CLUE, ARMPITS is the answer! Agreed best clue/answer today.
FIR today. Fairly easy offering as SubG remarked.
Splynter, Alumnus is the masculine version, Alumna is the feminine version and Alumni is the plural version of the word. Not clear from clue which is wanted, but graduate is singular.
EOS is also the goddess of the dawn.
Thanks to Matt for his contribution to today's fun and to Splynter for her musings on his labor.
See, y'all.
Not a fan of cross referencing clues especially jumping from one end of the puzzle to the other. But the theme : the last 3 letters are the same as the first was fairly obvious for once. Usually I’m the one scratching my head while the rest of you geniuses latch right on to the theme. (You couldn’t see the Forrest for the trees? 😜)
Who says “I SLEEK my hair”? (Maybe I “slick” my hair back?).
Inkovers: send/SHIP (does UPS ever SHIP by SHIP?)
PEEPS belong in the confectionery trash heap along with candy corn and Christmas ribbon candy. Give me chocolate or give me death! 🍫 (unless you’re a 🐕🦺)
I was ”Sure” “Secret” meant the deodorant for ARMPITS.
ALLY ALL? oh… “All y’all”
What raised Marilyn’s skirt….LOWBLOW
Top floor raunchy bar…. HIGHDIVE
Explosively popular subcompact….PINTO (my younger brother’s first car. He’s OK)
Splynter I just worked the puzzle from UTICA (on the Erie Canal) whence you’re reading this. Will hit 85, a glorious fall day with the foliage at peak colors. (When the snow arrives we head south for a few weeks, unlike many not a winter sports fan)… BTW we local yokels say ”sangwidge”….some of the neighborhood eateries will even spell it that way as a goof
Took this picture this past weekend from the deck of my camp 45 minutes north of Utica in the Adirondack foothills
Happy Hump Day 🐪
I really enjoyed this puzzle, mainly because I didn’t have to come up with somebody’s name to get the theme, which I got pretty quickly and find very clever.
Yes the CW was fairly easy to fill, but this is only Wednesday.
Many years ago I spent several days in OTTAWA for an international conference. I froze to death, so to speak. It was scheduled in the middle of winter, early March I think one year that the Canadian winter had been particularly cold. I had just flown in from warm Louisiana with the azaleas in full bloom.
Splynter gave us a great review. All in all, nice morning.
Hola!
The top filled fast but the I slowed when at the bottom. Finished it not quite right. I forgot to change MGR for MGTS. Abbreviations get me every time! Drat!
ALL'Y ALL, we meet again.
ALUMNA is a female.
MADRE is what I am to my hija.
That's all for now. The L.B. is here.
Have a great day, all.
Ray-o - beautiful photo from your “camp” (that’s what folks in Thunder Bay region call them, while we southerners call them “cottages”). We have record high temperatures here yesterday and today, and are enjoying this extra “summer in October”. Apparently it will end on Saturday.
Tante Nique% I feel your pain from that Canadian winter. But they have not been as severe recently. This past winter, the skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa did not open (for the first time in 52 years) due to poor and unsafe ice conditions. We shall see what this winter brings.
LOL Lucina, I see that the Lightning Bug has now been abbreviated! Have fun.
CE Dave, Shepherd’s Pie is one of my favorites, and I like the Tater Tot topping switch from the mashed potatoes (saves an extra step or pre-planning). I agree, definitely peas & carrots, but I do add corn.
I make the flour/beef broth/Worcestershire version for the sauce in Shepherd’s Pie. I am a mushroom fan as a topping or side but not the soup.
For Tuna Noodle casserole I always use Cream of Celery soup instead of mushroom. Not a fan of mushroom soup.
Ray - O @9:52 AM Is that sangwidge made with blood pudding? 😁
Fast FIR today. No particular issues, other than TRAP and SKEET are two similar but different sports. Appreciated the lack of D-list actors and obscure others. Theme? There was a theme? D'oh! Thanks, Splynter!
Pretty easy for Wed. Never saw any theme, thanks Splynter. I was thinking of everything for secret hiding place. Great clue. GC
Thanks Matt for a Wednesday DO RE MI FA SOL LA TI DO FIR!
And thanks Splynter for 'splainin the theme which I was only BEGINNING to see before I got to the END.
Pressed for time -- gotta see a man about a new front-end for my computerized kiln controller --
-- so just two favs:
48 NSC. I'm with whoever said that the S is for SECURITY. I doubt that SAFETY is that big a deal that it requires a POTUS to council it. But be sure to take good notes in your OSHA course. I have a nephew who used to fix smaller ORGANS and he actually got stuck in one once!
65A ELK Is that one of the TALL models you found for sumdaze earlier this week?
Cheers,
Bill
So Splynter does like giraffes! Good one, very funny!
I enjoyed Matt's quick & easy puzzle and Splynter's terrific review!
Agreed, Secret spots? is spot on!
I think Misty will have fun with this one.
Thank you, Matt Forest, and thank you, Splynter
Splynter, I had to do a double take. I thought I was looking at Doug Heffernan of IPS.
Not much to add about the puzzle. Hand up for " Secret spots."
Busy morning deadheading the zinnias and watering. Hoping for another burst of blooms from the "Cut and Come Again" hybrids.
ALL Y'ALL --- Through the years, I've closed over 120 of my blog comments with "SEE ALL Y'ALL later n'at", combining the dialect or both my Central Texas and Western PA / Eastern Ohio roots. ALL Y'ALL was well defined today. Y'all can be one person, but ALL Y'ALL is everyone in a group, or everyone overall, like, "All y'all daily complainers come across like a broken record."
In Younsgtown you can hear "youans" (you ones) and in Pittsburgh you can hear the thicker, faster "yinz" for the same. "Yinz going to the game?"
All three are are (dialect) collective pronouns.
"n'at" is Pittsburghese for "and that" or "and what follows" or "all that (that) entails." It's generally meaningless, like when Canadian speakers end with "Eh?"
I don't know if this was the first time I used it here: Sept 4, 2013 "See all y'all later n'at"
I was so pleased finding 3 more tomatoes ripened on the vine Monday. I thought we were done for the season. What's more is that there are another 5 new green ones that have ballooned up in the last week. I'm recommending these Celebrity or Celebration tomatoes. (I have to look at the tag again, and set it aside for next year's planting.) Anyway, I just had 3 more BLTs for lunch. That brings this season's BLT total to 18. Not necessarily good for the cholesterol. Good thing I'm so active or I'd be over 200 pounds. I don't know how many she's had.
Time to get ready for golf this afternoon.
See all y'all later n'at!
TTP @ 2:01. I'm afraid I was indoctrinated from birth with "you guys". (Hey, you guys, come check this out!) It refers to any group of two or more, regardless of gender.
Puzzling thoughts:
Thanks to Splynter, I was able to finally "see" the BEGINNING and the END - as other commented, the reveal's connection to the starred entries was not that obvious
I also solved Matt's puzzle in short order. That makes 4 puzzles this week (I haven't done Thursday's as yet, but I did solve Friday's and wrote my blog) that I have solved quickly
ARMPITS vs UNDERARMS --> isn't this "term" more gender-driven? It seems to me that women usually refer to that "spot" as their underarms while guys call them armpits, or "PITS" for short. And as clever as the clue was (Secret spot?) the brand "Secret" is one used almost exclusively by women. So, might Matt have considered: "Right Guard location?" or "Places for Axe?" instead?
Pretty easy for a Wednesday. Theme had me baffled until I came here.pretty cool
I had a good time with this puzzle, and it was done in good time. Thank You Matt Forrest for a nice and easy puzzle, with a confounding (?) theme...
Thank You Splynter for a very interesting and chatty write up on the blog. I was thinking it was you until I saw the leggy female model .. appropos to nothing ...
I was flumoxxed by MIC, ARMPITS, CPAP and a few others. I should 'know' Apnea, having had it off and on, myself. One of ex-neighbor's son, used to have a tough time at school, and never completed college, but he evetually started an Apnea clinic, down South, ... through an MD patron ... this was 29 years ago, and he's still going gangbusters ....
I was totally floored by Secret, but I agree its a great clue.
I thought of RayO immdeiately, when I saw UTICA ... and I lived in Rochester, a nearby area for 6 years. When I first came to the US, I used to confuse Utica with Attica, where a notorious prison riot had taken place at that time ... 1971.
RayO ... pardon me, but what with your constant weekend trips to lake camps, and periodic visits down south, .... your sub-speciality seems to be more fun than a medical director in a cruise ship ... ;-)
Lucina ... 'forgot to change MGRS for MGTS' ... ?? I couldnt see where this appears in the puzzle..
BTW, it is so very interesting to hear about you handling, or rather coping up, with Lightning Bug. He seems fascinating !!! If you can, please include a picture of him ( her?) ...
It is so admirable that you can do such arduous work, at your age and with a great-grand !!
I am slightly younger, but I cannot handle any of my rambunctious grandkids ... Sorry, but God made parents for exactly that reason ...
Have a great rest of the week, all you folks.
Splynter is today's responsible leader, taking us through the Forest PZL.
I missed the theme of repeating letters until it was explained.
I thought (incorrectly?) to make sense by putting the long fills together at 33A, 43A, and 61A.
The three form a curious kind of logic.
~ OMK
____________
DR: One diagonal, near side.
Its anagram (13 of 15) requires some decoding.
I am pretty sure it means, "I think I am a pepper" ...
"COGITO PAPRIKA"!
C-Moe, I had a girlfriend once who used to refer to a quick shower as a "PTA bath," with the "P" meaning PITS.
TTP @ 2:01 -- Thanks for your exposition of linguistic change, the revival of a distinct 2nd person PLURAL formation in English! All in all, Y'ALL been missing out.
Hi All!
Cool theme, Matt. I got it when the reveal filled and saw ART & LOW.
Thank you Splynter for another one of your patented reviews #Fun
WO: tEHE
ESPs: N/A
Fav: ARM PITS' clue.
I thought they were called CAT condos but plural didn't fit.
{A, A}
My Mouse PAD.
Thanks for the comics, CED.
Enjoyed reading y'all.
Cheers, -T
I had a busy, busy, busy day! I loved how the gimmick finally hit me and really enjoyed Splynter's write-up.
Vidwan
Thank you. But "coping" is hardly what I do! He runs circles around me, sometimes literally.
I'll have his mother help with the photo. It might be a blur if he is in action. He is now gone for the rest of the week to be with his father. And I can rest!
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