Theme: ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. I'll defer the explanation until after we've reviewed the theme entries.
3 D. *Staff symbol for a bassoon piece: TENOR CLEF. This monstrosity. European symphonic music uses it for trombone parts, to my great dismay.
The TENOR of a situation can also refer to the general conditions or attitude present,
9D. *Symphonic composition that evokes another art form: TONE POEM. A piece of orchestral music, typically in one movement, on a descriptive or rhapsodic theme, intended to evoke vivid imagery. TONE can also refer to the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
33. *Wig adhesive: SPIRIT GUM. A quick-drying solution of gum, chiefly used by actors to attach false hair to their faces. SPIRIT can also refer to those qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation, or group or in the thought and attitudes of a particular period.
37D. *Accessory that changes color: MOOD RING. A finger ring that contains a thermochromic element, or "mood stone", that changes colors based on the temperature of the finger of the wearer. Finger temperature, as long as the ambient temperature is relatively constant, is significantly determined by peripheral blood flow, which, presumably, is modulated by the autonomic nervous system. A mood ring contains liquid crystals that change color depending on the temperature. MOOD can also relate to a state of mind or being.
And the unifier -- 7D. Layer in which space stations orbit Earth, and what the answers to the starred clues literally have?: UPPER ATMOSPHERE. A collective term that refers to various layers of the atmosphere of the Earth above the troposphere and corresponding regions of the atmospheres of other planets. Read about it here. The troposphere is the lowest layer, containing 75% of total atmospheric mass. It is where most weather happens. ATMOSPHERE can also relate to the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art.
Hi, Gang, JazzBumpa here to gauge the collective mode here at the Corner. Don't feel bad it you had trouble sussing today's theme. It's clever, subtle, and actually on the abstract side. But I didn't let it spoil my mood. I appealed to my fellow bloggers, and they figured it out for me. Thanks, guys! The definition I found for ATMOSPHERE actually uses some of the words in the theme fill, so this theme is really solid.
Also, when the theme is presented vertically, there is usually a related gimmick. Here it is the word UPPER, indicating the the meaningful part of the theme fill will be located high in the vertical position - the first word of the two word fill. Really well done.
Let's check out the rest of the puzzle.
Across
6. Early riser?: SUN. It's always up at the crack of dawn.
9. Folded fare: TACOS. Meal in a hard corn flour shell.
14. Vegan beauty brand: AVEDA. Maker of hair and skin care products.
15. Tax pro: CPA. Certified Public Accountant.
16. Surname of Bo and Sunny: OBAMA. Bo, a male Portuguese water dog was a family pet of the Obama's from 2009 until it died in 2017. Sunny, a female of the same breed, joined the family in 2013.
17. "Despacito" singer Luis: FONSI. Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (b. 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi, is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs.
Take it slow
18. Tablet download: APP. Short for APPLICATION - a functional program for the device.
19. Taking a personal day, say: NOT IN. Away from the job or office.
20. Cube root of eight: TWO. 2x2x2 = 8.
21. When an album drops, e.g.: RELEASE DATE. The date on which it is available for purchase or distribution.
24. 46-Down Emmy winner Gilda: RADNER. Gilda Susan Radner (1946 –1989) was an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. Radner was one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from its inception in 1975 until her departure in 1980. In her routines on SNL, she specialized in parodies of television stereotypes, such as advice specialists and news anchors. In 1978, Radner won an Emmy Award for her performances on the show. She also portrayed those characters in her highly successful one-woman show on Broadway in 1979. Radner's SNL work established her as an iconic figure in the history of American comedy.
26. Divest of wrapping paper, perhaps: OPEN. As birthday or Christmas presents.
27. Decongest: UNCLOG. Open a drain pipe or nasal passage.
29. "°Hasta luego!": ADIOS. Later, alligator.
31. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" actress Little __: NELL. Laura Elizabeth Campbell (b. 1953) better known as Nell Campbell or by her stage name Little Nell, is an Australian actress, singer, and former club owner. She is best known for her role as Columbia in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the original stage play from which it was adapted.
32. Far from fresh: STALE. As defined.
33. Spot for a soak: SPA. A mineral spring considered to have health-giving properties, or a location or a facility offering something similar.
36. Big goal: DREAM. A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
38. "I wonder ... ": HMM. Used to express reflection or hesitation.
39. Clean a spill: MOP UP. Wipe liquid away from a surface with something absorbent.
41. Taking a personal day, say: OFF. Away from the job or office. Look - a clecho!
42. Pungent bulb: ONION. An edible bulb with a pungent taste and smell, composed of several concentric layers, used in cooking.
44. Dig up: MINE. To dig holes in the ground in order to find and obtain coal, diamonds, etc.
45. Chicken homes: COOPS. Cages or pens for confining poultry.
46. Street __: SMARTS. The experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.
48. Edamame units: PODS. Long, narrow, flat parts of some plants, such as beans and peas, that contain the seeds and usually have a thick skin
49. Food word that is plural in Italian but singular in English: PANINI. Over there, more than one piece or loaf of bread. Over here, a sandwich, usually toasted, made from Italian bread
51. Chad Michael Murray teen drama set in North Carolina: ONE TREE HILL. One Tree Hill is an American drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, which ran from 2003 until 2012. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill in North Carolina and initially follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who compete for positions on their school's basketball team and the drama that ensues from the brothers' romances.
54. Brief "I can't unhear that": TMI. Too Much Information. Not on my need-to-know list.
57. Rock icon Smith who wrote the memoir "Just Kids": PATTI. Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (b. 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.
19. Taking a personal day, say: NOT IN. Away from the job or office.
20. Cube root of eight: TWO. 2x2x2 = 8.
21. When an album drops, e.g.: RELEASE DATE. The date on which it is available for purchase or distribution.
24. 46-Down Emmy winner Gilda: RADNER. Gilda Susan Radner (1946 –1989) was an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. Radner was one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from its inception in 1975 until her departure in 1980. In her routines on SNL, she specialized in parodies of television stereotypes, such as advice specialists and news anchors. In 1978, Radner won an Emmy Award for her performances on the show. She also portrayed those characters in her highly successful one-woman show on Broadway in 1979. Radner's SNL work established her as an iconic figure in the history of American comedy.
26. Divest of wrapping paper, perhaps: OPEN. As birthday or Christmas presents.
27. Decongest: UNCLOG. Open a drain pipe or nasal passage.
29. "°Hasta luego!": ADIOS. Later, alligator.
31. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" actress Little __: NELL. Laura Elizabeth Campbell (b. 1953) better known as Nell Campbell or by her stage name Little Nell, is an Australian actress, singer, and former club owner. She is best known for her role as Columbia in the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the original stage play from which it was adapted.
32. Far from fresh: STALE. As defined.
33. Spot for a soak: SPA. A mineral spring considered to have health-giving properties, or a location or a facility offering something similar.
36. Big goal: DREAM. A cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.
38. "I wonder ... ": HMM. Used to express reflection or hesitation.
39. Clean a spill: MOP UP. Wipe liquid away from a surface with something absorbent.
41. Taking a personal day, say: OFF. Away from the job or office. Look - a clecho!
42. Pungent bulb: ONION. An edible bulb with a pungent taste and smell, composed of several concentric layers, used in cooking.
44. Dig up: MINE. To dig holes in the ground in order to find and obtain coal, diamonds, etc.
45. Chicken homes: COOPS. Cages or pens for confining poultry.
46. Street __: SMARTS. The experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.
48. Edamame units: PODS. Long, narrow, flat parts of some plants, such as beans and peas, that contain the seeds and usually have a thick skin
49. Food word that is plural in Italian but singular in English: PANINI. Over there, more than one piece or loaf of bread. Over here, a sandwich, usually toasted, made from Italian bread
51. Chad Michael Murray teen drama set in North Carolina: ONE TREE HILL. One Tree Hill is an American drama television series created by Mark Schwahn, which ran from 2003 until 2012. The show is set in the fictional town of Tree Hill in North Carolina and initially follows the lives of two half-brothers, Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who compete for positions on their school's basketball team and the drama that ensues from the brothers' romances.
54. Brief "I can't unhear that": TMI. Too Much Information. Not on my need-to-know list.
57. Rock icon Smith who wrote the memoir "Just Kids": PATTI. Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (b. 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.
Over 9 minutes - you have been warned
58. Crossed (out): X-ED. Deleted. To show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it.
59. Golden beer: LAGER. A beer (such as a bock or pilsner) that is brewed at cool temperatures by slow fermentation with a slow-acting yeast. Lagers tend to have a lighter, clearer appearance than ales with a usually lower alcohol content and slightly higher sugar content. The yeast used to ferment lager is often referred to as "bottom-fermenting" since it does not rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation.
61. Scandal-plagued energy company: ENRON. Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 20,600 staff and was a major electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper company, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion during 2000. Fortune named Enron "America's Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years. At the end of 2001, it was revealed that Enron's reported financial condition was sustained by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known since as the Enron scandal. Enron has become synonymous with willful corporate fraud and corruption.
62. Is for you?: ARE. Second person, present tense, both singular and plural form of the verb "to be."
63. Upscale Honda: ACURA. Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Kuwait.
64. "Nothing __!": DOING. There is no prospect of success or agreement.
65. Shirt size: Abbr.: MED. Medium.
66. Country on the Gulf of Aden: YEMEN. Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. It is located in the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast. It shares maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
59. Golden beer: LAGER. A beer (such as a bock or pilsner) that is brewed at cool temperatures by slow fermentation with a slow-acting yeast. Lagers tend to have a lighter, clearer appearance than ales with a usually lower alcohol content and slightly higher sugar content. The yeast used to ferment lager is often referred to as "bottom-fermenting" since it does not rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation.
61. Scandal-plagued energy company: ENRON. Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 20,600 staff and was a major electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper company, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion during 2000. Fortune named Enron "America's Most Innovative Company" for six consecutive years. At the end of 2001, it was revealed that Enron's reported financial condition was sustained by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known since as the Enron scandal. Enron has become synonymous with willful corporate fraud and corruption.
62. Is for you?: ARE. Second person, present tense, both singular and plural form of the verb "to be."
63. Upscale Honda: ACURA. Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Kuwait.
64. "Nothing __!": DOING. There is no prospect of success or agreement.
65. Shirt size: Abbr.: MED. Medium.
66. Country on the Gulf of Aden: YEMEN. Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. It is located in the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast. It shares maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
Down:
1. Drift on the breeze: WAFT. As a pleasant odor, perhaps from baked goods.
2. Declare openly: AVOW. Or AVER - always need perps
4. Items in jewel cases: CDS. Compact Discs - storage media for recorded music or data.
5. Coif: HAIR DO. A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head but sometimes on the face or body. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles. What then is a hair don't?
6. Beaufort __: SCALE. The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale.
8. Cabbage in baechu kimchi: NAPA. Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as "Chinese cabbage".
10. Homes: ABODES. Dwellings.
11. Settlement-building game with hexagonal tiles: CATAN. Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag as Die Siedler von Catan.
12. Exclude: OMIT. Leave out or ignore.
13. Levelheaded: SANE. Rational.
22. Lang. of Canada: ENG. The English Language, spoken if parts of Can.
23. Planter contents: SOIL. Dirt. I can dig it.
25. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made primarily with vodka and penne pasta (or similar shapes such as rigatoni), usually accompanied with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, and sometimes small meats and vegetables like sausage, pancetta or peas. The pure alcohol apparently helps intensify and accentuate flavors in the dish, among other claims.
27. Back up, on a PC: UNDO. Not back up, as to make a reserve copy, but to reverse and erase characters while typing at the keyboard, or negate some operation.
28. Foam toy brand: NERF. Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Their best known toys are their dart guns (referred to by Hasbro as "blasters") that shoot ammunition made from "Nerf foam" (partially reticulated polyether type polyurethane foam). Their primary slogan, introduced in the 1990s, is "It's Nerf or Nothin'!". Annual revenues under the Nerf brand are approximately US$400 million
30. 2017 Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN. The fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, dropped on April 14, 2017. DAMN received widespread critical acclaim, with many naming the album one of the best albums of 2017 and the decade.
32. Endorse as a couple, in slang: SHIP. To take an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between (fictional characters or famous people), whether or not the romance actually exists. I'm guessing this is derived from relationship, but -- who knows? I don't have that kind of street smarts.
34. Fourth-down play: PUNT. In American football, kicking the football away to the opposing team in an attempt to give them worse field position. This is done when it is unlikely to achieve a first down - the next short term goal of the team with the ball.
35. Bonobos, e.g.: APES. Large primates that lack a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orangutan, gibbons and certain British Bishops. The bonobo, also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan (the other being the common chimpanzee.)
40. Country northeast of 66-Across: OMAN. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located in West Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat.
46. NBC show with Punkie Johnson: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
47. "A Few Figs From Thistles" writer: MILLAY. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 – 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. Millay won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her poem "Ballad of the Harp-Weaver"; she was the first woman and second person to win the award. In 1943, Millay was the sixth person and the second woman to be awarded the Frost Medal for her lifetime contribution to American poetry. Millay's 1920 collection A Few Figs From Thistles drew controversy for its exploration of female sexuality and feminism. She was promiscuous and bisexual before it was cool.
1. Drift on the breeze: WAFT. As a pleasant odor, perhaps from baked goods.
2. Declare openly: AVOW. Or AVER - always need perps
4. Items in jewel cases: CDS. Compact Discs - storage media for recorded music or data.
5. Coif: HAIR DO. A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head but sometimes on the face or body. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles. What then is a hair don't?
6. Beaufort __: SCALE. The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind force scale.
8. Cabbage in baechu kimchi: NAPA. Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as "Chinese cabbage".
10. Homes: ABODES. Dwellings.
11. Settlement-building game with hexagonal tiles: CATAN. Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag as Die Siedler von Catan.
12. Exclude: OMIT. Leave out or ignore.
13. Levelheaded: SANE. Rational.
22. Lang. of Canada: ENG. The English Language, spoken if parts of Can.
23. Planter contents: SOIL. Dirt. I can dig it.
25. Penne __ vodka: ALLA. Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made primarily with vodka and penne pasta (or similar shapes such as rigatoni), usually accompanied with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, onions, and sometimes small meats and vegetables like sausage, pancetta or peas. The pure alcohol apparently helps intensify and accentuate flavors in the dish, among other claims.
27. Back up, on a PC: UNDO. Not back up, as to make a reserve copy, but to reverse and erase characters while typing at the keyboard, or negate some operation.
28. Foam toy brand: NERF. Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Their best known toys are their dart guns (referred to by Hasbro as "blasters") that shoot ammunition made from "Nerf foam" (partially reticulated polyether type polyurethane foam). Their primary slogan, introduced in the 1990s, is "It's Nerf or Nothin'!". Annual revenues under the Nerf brand are approximately US$400 million
30. 2017 Kendrick Lamar album: DAMN. The fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, dropped on April 14, 2017. DAMN received widespread critical acclaim, with many naming the album one of the best albums of 2017 and the decade.
32. Endorse as a couple, in slang: SHIP. To take an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between (fictional characters or famous people), whether or not the romance actually exists. I'm guessing this is derived from relationship, but -- who knows? I don't have that kind of street smarts.
34. Fourth-down play: PUNT. In American football, kicking the football away to the opposing team in an attempt to give them worse field position. This is done when it is unlikely to achieve a first down - the next short term goal of the team with the ball.
35. Bonobos, e.g.: APES. Large primates that lack a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orangutan, gibbons and certain British Bishops. The bonobo, also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan (the other being the common chimpanzee.)
40. Country northeast of 66-Across: OMAN. Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located in West Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat.
43. Bouquet: NOSE. Aroma, such as one that might waft, or more likely from a bottle of wine.
45. "The fabric of our lives," per an ad slogan: COTTON. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water.
45. "The fabric of our lives," per an ad slogan: COTTON. Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water.
It's fun to play
It is a curious fact of the music world that marches written for fairs and expositions almost always fade into oblivion. Two notable exceptions are Sousa’s “King Cotton” and “The Fairest of the Fair.” The former was written for the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, and the latter for the Boston Food Fair of 1908.
Sousa and his band had great drawing power at fairs and expositions and were much sought after. But officials of the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta attempted to cancel their three-week contract with the Sousa Band because of serious financial difficulties. At Sousa’s insistence they honored their contract, and at the first concert they became aware of their shortsightedness. Atlanta newspapers carried rave reviews of the band’s performances.
"Sousa’s march, “King Cotton,” has proved a winner. It has been heard from one end of Dixie to the other and has aroused great enthusiasm and proved a fine advertisement for the Exposition."
The Sousa Band did indeed bring the exposition “out of the red,” and the same officials who had tried to cancel Sousa’s engagement pleaded with him to extend it. “King Cotton” was named the official march of the exposition, and it has since become one of the perennial Sousa favorites.
-- From notes to the video
46. NBC show with Punkie Johnson: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
47. "A Few Figs From Thistles" writer: MILLAY. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 – 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. Millay won the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her poem "Ballad of the Harp-Weaver"; she was the first woman and second person to win the award. In 1943, Millay was the sixth person and the second woman to be awarded the Frost Medal for her lifetime contribution to American poetry. Millay's 1920 collection A Few Figs From Thistles drew controversy for its exploration of female sexuality and feminism. She was promiscuous and bisexual before it was cool.
48. __ dish: PETRI. A Petri dish is a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to hold growth medium in which cells can be cultured,
50. Helped: AIDED. Assisted or abetted, depending on what was attempted.
51. Piece with a view: OP-ED. An opinionated article printed opposite to the editorial page.
52. Prefix with bot: NANO. Nano is a unit prefix meaning one billionth. Used primarily with the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001. Nanobots are the object of an emerging technology field creating machines or robots whose components are at or near the scale of a nanometer.
53. LSAT, e.g.: EXAM. An examination or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates.
55. Only: MERE. That is solely or no more or better than what is specified.
56. Country north of 40-Down: IRAN. Iran, also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east.
50. Helped: AIDED. Assisted or abetted, depending on what was attempted.
51. Piece with a view: OP-ED. An opinionated article printed opposite to the editorial page.
52. Prefix with bot: NANO. Nano is a unit prefix meaning one billionth. Used primarily with the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10⁻⁹ or 0.000000001. Nanobots are the object of an emerging technology field creating machines or robots whose components are at or near the scale of a nanometer.
53. LSAT, e.g.: EXAM. An examination or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates.
55. Only: MERE. That is solely or no more or better than what is specified.
56. Country north of 40-Down: IRAN. Iran, also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan to the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east.
60. Pro: ACE. An expert in some activity or endeavor.
Thus endeth another Wednesday. We had some fun music and a middle-eastern geography lesson. So it's all good and the atmospheric conditions should be quite positive.
Adios, and Cool Regards!
JzB
Well, I won’t say this was an easy puzzle, but it was far from impossible to solve. I had trouble coming up with “panini” and finishing “”Millay,” among other things, but I got them eventually. And, yes, I did understand the theme after I got the reveal (again, eventually.) Anyway, after all is said and done, I managed to FIR, so I’m happy. Eventually.
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteStumbled with TUB until SPA became obvious. Learning moment: all pilsners are LAGERs, but not all LAGERs are pilsners. FABIlous effort, Rachel. Nicely done, JzB -- that tenor clef does look awful. Cute comment about the Anglican primates.
In spite of multiple new things I filled it rapidly.
ReplyDeleteTENOR CLEF- unknown to this person who learned bass and treble on piano, played trumpet and baritone horn.
SPIRIT GUM- none for this bald guy. Heard of toupee tape
TONE POEM- complete unheard of, unknown
Ditto for ONE TREE HILL which I filled by perps before looking at the clue; I would never have filled it from the clue.
Theme for me? Not the slightest idea. It took a few leap of faith guesses to FIR. FONSI AND AVEDA were completely new to me, as was CATAN.
NELL- never saw the movie or knew of her. Perps.
When you hear TMI you can't UNDO it from your mind.
But it was the cross of the unknown SHIP as clued that gave the most trouble. 38A could have been MMM, UMM, or HMM. A slang could have been SMIP, SUIP, or SHIP.
Took 7:56 today for me to find the correct ambiance.
ReplyDeleteOur good friend SubG summed it up nicely, and JzB explained it very nicely and thoroughly.
Seemed like a lot of unknowns to me: ship (?), napa, Fonsi, tonepoem, tenorclef, spiritgum, Millay, Nell, One Tree Hill (or the actor), and Kendrick Lamar's album.
I can't believe I know this, but the term ship originated with the XFiles. During the early days of the internet, two factions appeared in chatrooms and usenet groups. There were those who were content with Mulder and Scully as platonic partners. They were called noromos (as in no romance). Then there were those who wanted them together as a couple. They were called relationshippers. This was eventually shortened to shippers and the rest is history.
ReplyDeleteFIR. This was a tough puzzle for a Friday, oh wait, it's only Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteThe crossing of Damn, ship, and hmm was really cruel. And more proper names than I care for.
Even though I threw down the unifier with ease, I didn't get the theme till I got here.
Overall, this was a CW that I disliked and hope not to see again.
FIW, missing FOsSI x TEsORCLEF and TONEPOEs x sOP UP. But I got 5 of my 6 Naticks (sOP UP wasn't a Natick for me,) so I must have been doing more SWAGging than WAGging.
ReplyDeleteToday is:
WORLD RADIOGRAPHY DAY (celebrates the invention of the X-Ray diagnostic)
NATIONAL CAPPUCCINO DAY (just some black coffee, please)
NATIONAL PARENTS AS TEACHERS DAY (I’m so old I remember when teachers wished parents would be MORE involved in their kid’s education)
NATIONAL HARVEY WALLBANGER DAY (who do I have to [kiss] to just get a LAGER around here?)
NATIONAL S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. DAY (we’ve already argued about this topic – I remain unconvinced)
WORLD URBANISM DAY - also known as World Town Planning Day. (Our city planning NEVER includes risk assessment, just the pie that resides in the clear blue)
But I did know Beaufort SCALE. The descriptions are quite vivid. Here's one for a Force 10 storm: "Very high waves with long overhanging crests; resulting foam in great patches is blown in dense white streaks along the direction of the wind; on the whole the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance; rolling of the sea becomes heavy; visibility affected."
For some reason, MOOD RING made me want to dig out that lime green polyester leisure suit and go find a disco.
I loved Michael Crichton's Prey, a thriller about NANObots that escape the lab and get into the wild. The lab was NOT in Wuhan.
Thanks to JzB for making some sense of this puzzle.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteMore crunch than usual for a Wednesday but nothing that stymied me for long. Fonsi, Nell, Catan, were completely unknown and Millay and Ship, as clued, needed perps. (Under advisement from Thumper, I'll refrain from commenting on the clue for Ship.) I remember Bo but not Sunny from the White House years. Noticed the Scale/Stale duo and the geographical trio of Yemen/Oman/Iran. Vertical themes and reveals are sometimes a little trickier to parse, as was the case today.
Thanks, Rachel, for an enjoyable solve (in spite of Ship!) and thanks, JazzB, for the fact-filled review. Your closing words praising the theme and reveal were "Really Well Done". I think those same words apply to your analysis and excellent explanation. Learning moment was that Napa cabbage isn't from Napa and discovering the heretofore unknown King Cotton title of a familiar piece of music. As always, I enjoyed your dry and subtle humor.
FLN
Belated Happy Birthday, Charlie Echo. Hope your day was special. 🎂🎊🎉🎈🎁
Have a great day.
I always enjoy a vertical theme and with this one the sky's the limit!
ReplyDelete"Despacito" was at the top of the charts in 2017 both with the original and also boosted by the re-mix that FONSI did with Justin Bieber. The re-mix was a mixture of Spanish and English and the first time Justin had recorded a song partially in Spanish (part was an English translation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72UO0v5ESUo
I knew MILLAY but had hardly ever heard Edna's name without the St. Vincent Millay.
Thanks JzB for your explanation and the music and to Rachel for the creative puzzle!
Knew the answers but DNF as a matter of principle. I'm boycotting DAMN and the lame clue for SHIP. Just because a word exists doesn't mean it should go in a crossword. Sad to witness the erosion of our language. Never watched X-Files (thanks Noob77) and pretty much every name/show in this puzzle had to be perped. News flash for constructors: prior to 1990 the pop culture lexicon was pretty universal. After that, it expanded to countless shows, movies, series, actors, singers -- but that doesn't give license to throw them all in there. Am I also a troglodyte if I don't know sushi ingredients or how to read a Thai menu? I've always loved crosswords, but it's quickly becoming time to move to Sudoku.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteNot a walk in the park… lots of rewrites, alphabet runs but eventually FIR. Didn’t understand all the theme answers till JazzB ‘splained ‘em.
Inkovers: aol/APP, score/SCALE, sopup/MOPUP, posy/NOSE, oust/OMIT, wrong/DOING, Emron/ENRON (I get this wrong half the time)
Misinterpreted “I wonder…” thought it needed an ending, at first and put why but it required a synonym sound (like ah, oh, aha, oho, etc) HMM, not a fan of interjections as answers .
“Back up on a PC” usually means save work to a file. Maybe that’s the trick to the clue… too obvious. Liked ARE as “is for you”, clever. So “Bo and Sunny” are OBAMA pets.
I stuck with KALE for “kimchi” way too long which delayed the mid north. Was afraid to put TACOS for awhile cuz the clue sounded singular and lately TACO means a “folded” CW snack not “food”. Didn’t get the SHIP clue
Day the rent contract is signed again…..RELEASEDATE
“Happy Days” Arthur…. FONSI
Chicken owned communal farm…CO OP
Casper’s ghostly chew… SPIRITGUM
Saw “Killers of the Flower Moon” more than three hours long!! Luckily needed no bathroom breaks. Oscar worthy performances by Leo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone (but De Niro kept slipping out of his Oklahoma accent). So many über long films lately. It’s like a cinematic competiton 📽️
What Anon @7:07 said about the number of unknowns. I always am amazed that a TV show could have been broadcast for ten years yet I never heard of it One Tree Hill, for example). W/Os = KALE:NAPA, PEAS:PODS. Once again too many names, 16 by my expanded count. And as others including JzB said, “Ship”?? I’ve never heard that. Anyway, after a 30 minute struggle I did FIR, but never saw the theme until JzB ‘splained it. Tough Wednesday, thanx for the workout, RF. And thanx for the excellent write-up, JzB. I have a 3-way dimmer switch that needs replacing. I used Angi to get an electrician to replace it. The guy that showed up was not a licensed electrician, spoke no English, and after struggling with it for a while indicated he could not fix it and left. I called my credit card company to make sure I wasn’t charged the outrageous price ($265) to do it. Angi said I wouldn’t be charged until the work was completed to my satisfaction, but I discovered they had charged my card as soon as I booked the job. Then I had to go to Angi’s website to try to get a refund. There is no way to talk to anyone, it is a typed “Chat” with people in India. It was quite the struggle to finally get a credit. Then the guy claimed he HAD fixed the switch, and Angi wanted the money to pay him. Eventually I made a video and sent it showing the old switch still in place and not working. What a total hassle. Don’t use Angi.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-This gimmick reflects the admonition to “read the room”
-The NW was a tough jumping off place. It had obscure fill instead of common fill with obscure cluing.
-NOT IN/OFF: What keeps substitute teachers busy
-STREET SMARTS can help you recognized the MOOD, TENOR, etc. of a situation
-Golden Beer could have been Coors which is brewed in Golden, CO
-Several constructors have mentioned their love of the game of CATAN
-Last week a student showed me that shaking my cell phone can UNDO what I just typed
-Seahawk PUNTER Michael Dickson makes $3.67M/yr.
-Some of us might better know NELL Fenwick
In the beginning of this clip, you can see Columbia. I include it here because the 1st comment states, "her laugh sounds like a car horn..."
ReplyDeleteGilda's "the audition," is started to show its age. I can't find any better copies on YouTube. but Gilda is as perky as ever...
You may want to learn about the upper atmosphere, lest you be doomed to repeat it...
Good Morning! Another busy morning – Tree guys here for the stump removal & electrician for the CO2 detector.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of today’s puzzle – WAGs & perps for too many obscure names & places.
I erred on TENOR crossing FONSI and TONE POEM crossing NOT IN and sop -> MOP UP.
Thanks JazzB for the enlightening recap, I still don’t COTTON to the theme…. But enjoyed your review of today’s puzzle.
Husker Gary beat me to the punch,,, er…beer with the missed opportunity for COORS Brewery of Golden Colo. Nice!! 😄😄😄
I went down in flames. There were So many unknown names and references like SHIP. I had TTIT.
ReplyDeleteThe one name I knew was RADNER. I loved her back in the day when I used to watch SNL.
One problem I had wraps instead of TACOS and aver so that threw me off. I did get the three countries as clued. I should have gotten TONE POEM and I very quickly got UPPER ATMOSPHERE. I hope that counts for something.
JzB gave us an excellent and very informative review. The best part of this CW.
A bit frosty in spots today, but nothing too tough to work through. FIR
ReplyDeleteI'm with memforest@8:41 concerning the VAST conglomeration of slang and pop culture that is available. Just because it is available does not mean it is appropriate for use. I am a big X-files fan but have no knowledge of the "SHIP" slang.
Obviously perps help a lot involving unknown fill. But sometimes yo gotta guess the fill. Never heard of a tenor clef but it made sense and completed 14A & 17A which I did not know.
Only trouble hides behind drinking too much.
Bim Sala Bim
Want to add a nod to JzB and Rachel for their teamwork my today's selection.
DeleteTITT on this stinker. It was way too obscure, with too many names, to waste time on this morning. WEES about pop-cul and slang. Fortunately, Jazzbs recap was entertaining!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI watched X Files during the entire run. I never heard of noromos or relationshippers. But then again, I just watch the show, I don’t get wrapped up in the commentary.
MEMFOREST….no idea why you want to boycott “damn”…or the crossword. And I agree about the “lame clue”, but that’s not the first or last time that happens. What does the boycott accomplish, other than raising your cortisone level?
A Wednesday 🏃♀️ run with a few speed bumps….22A lang of 🇨🇦 Canada … both English and French are the official languages of Canada. It might be an affront to Francophones there to say English.. the clue should of said .. one of Canadas official languages…
ReplyDeleteA clever offering today. Thanks Rachel for a fun hump day 🏃♂️ run. Thanks JzB for the detailed and informative recap.. kkFlorida
ReplyDeleteRose…I’d ask about the stump grinding cost but apparently it’s a government secret as was the takedown cost. No worries, I’ll ask someone else.
Hola!
ReplyDeleteI finished this but that doesn't mean I liked it although I always appreciate a challenge.
And the only NAPA I know is the one in California where the Christian Brothers Monastery is located.
There's another FONSI? But the one from Happy Days is FONZI.
Mmmmm. One of my favorite foods: TACOS. That gives me an idea for dinner tonight.
COTTON brings to mind how we had to iron all our clothes in the past because they were all made of COTTON. Now I rarely, if ever, use my iron. At church on Sunday I saw a young woman wearing a very wrinkled dress. Like most young people today she likely doesn't even own an iron. It's even disappeared from Monoply.
WE had a nice geography lesson today with OMAN, IRAN and YEMEN as well as NAPA.
I believe that Gilda RADNER was married to Gene Wilder. He once mentioned how much he missed her after her death.
The only NELL I know is NELL Carter whom I saw on Broadway in "Annie".
ADIOS for now. Have a great day, everyone!
Thanks JazzB. I had no clue on the theme. How obscure. Another gripe, SHIP, so many clues for this but "endorse as a couple" is just dumb. My favorite clue was "piece with a view". Never heard of "One Tree Hill". FIR but it wasn't my favorite. GC
ReplyDeletePVX, I answered your request on Monday at 4:39 p.m., but when there was no response from you to my post by Tuesday evening, I deleted it. No need for your caustic comment. If you're still interested, please let me know and I will repost.
ReplyDeleteHand up mystified by the UPPER ATMOSPHERE theme. If the SPACE STATIONS actually entered the UPPER ATMOSPHERE, wouldn't they soon crash to Earth?
ReplyDeleteJazzBumpa Thank you for clarifying the theme that I eventually got in hazy terms.
Last to fill was the NE with the unknowns TONE POEM and CATAN. The area around unknown ONE TREE HILL was also a struggle. FIR.
No SPIRIT GUM used on my Halloween costume WIG and none for DW either.
From Yesterday:
CanadianEh, Lucina, Vidwan Thank you for the kind words about my FLAMENCO video and about this talented and skillful dancer. Someone went to a lot of effort to lay out all of those wooden tiles to create the dance floor in our "Funk Zone".
PICARD: That's what I thought about UPPER ATMOSPHERE. Didn't MIR burn up when it de-orbited and RE-ENTERED the atmosphere? Also, I believe that SPIRIT GUM is used mostly to adhere fake beards and mustaches.
ReplyDeleteLucina @ 12:39 ~ I doubt that you meant your comment about the iron even disappearing from Monopoly jokingly, but it struck my infamously warped funny bone and I burst out laughing! On a more serious level, I am very curious to hear your opinion of the adaptation of All The Light We Cannot See to the screen. I did not read the book, but I watched the four episodes on Netflix. I don't know how true to the novel this adaptation is, but I found some situations and resolutions contrived and overwrought.I also thought the demented German officer obsessed with the cursed Diamond was portrayed as more of a deranged buffoon rather than an evil, sociopathic, sadistic murderer. I enjoyed much of the pre-war scenes and foundation for the pivotal scenes but, somehow, I have the feeling that the mini-series didn't do justice to the novel.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rachel for an simply SOARING Wednesday FIR.
ReplyDeleteThank you JzB for the informative, entertaining, and comprehensive review.
A few favs:
17A FONSI. Loved the video.
25A ALLA. I learned the quickest way to shell fresh garlic (whack it the bulb with a flat cleaver) at an outdoor cooking demonstration on how to make PENNE ALL VODKA given by celebrity chef Fr. Leo Patalunghug.
32A SHIP. It's always great to learn new slang. Thank you noob77 @7:17 AM?
9D TONE POEM. The Swan of Tuonela is one of Jan Sibelius' most evocative TONE POEMS. Here's the main theme representing the swan floating on the waters surrounding the Isle of the Dead.
Cheers,
Bill
IM☘️@ 2:33. Your comments on the Netflix adaption of All the Light we Cannot See warn me off watching it. I read the book when it came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was superb. I don’t want to spoil my memory.
ReplyDeleteWednesday workout. Thanks for the fun, Rachel and JzB.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed except for that Natick cross in the centre of the unknown-to-me slang SHIP and the album that could have been DAMN, Darn or Dawn.
But I did see the UPPER ATMOSPHERE theme.
Not my favourite CW today with all the names and slang, but YOPV.
I agree with Anon@11:35am about the clue for ENG. The Francophones can rightfully be offended. Any solely English-speaking country in the world could have been substituted in the clue. And while I appreciate the CSO, please do better background checks on your clue, Ms editor - Canada has two official languages.
Whew! Rant over!
I changed Aver to AVOW, Test to EXAM.
Beaufort SEA was too short- SCALE fit.
Fortunately I have played CATAN with the grandkids, and I recognized the game.
Wishing you all a great day.
C'mon, the dogs actually had last names?
ReplyDeleteSheesh, I thought I was so smart for filling COORS for that "Golden beer."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Monkey: "JzB gave us an excellent and very informative review. The best part of this CW."
ReplyDeleteMonkey @ 3:02 ~ Please don't let my subjective review influence your decision. Wait for Lucina's because I know she read the book and she was watching the Netflix presentation, so she can give a more reliable critique. 😉
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit out of practice so I was relieved to get a FIR. Thanks, Rachel and JzB!
ReplyDeleteFLN, Happy 75th Birthday to Charlie Echo!
Lots of catching up to do....
ReplyDeleteThank You Rachel Fabi, for your 'fabi-ulous' CW... I was flumoxxed by some of the clues, which were beyond my comprehension, but the perps were generally generous, and I was able to make some reasoned guesses...
SHIP, and the long vertical answers were quite a challenge because I am not familiar with musical terms, having never played a musical instrument or taken any courses in music theory .... and the lingo and the argot of the times.
For that, the foregoing, I have to be gratefl to JazzBumpa for his lucid explanations of each clue. I especially noted, his tongue-in-cheek referring to Primates of the Anglican bishops ... indeed ! Thank You for your commentary.!
BTW, the most curious fact about Bonobos is that they are very promiscuous and will routinely indulge in cohabitation with all the members of the opposite sex in their tribe... This was the first thing discovered by the zoologists and anthropologists who first studied these primates ... and this anomaly was prominently written about in the Smithsonian and National Geographic magazines. It is believed that this behavior prevents any latent sexual tension, and agressive behavior especially among the males of the tribe.
For obvious reasons, this sort of behavior would not be practical for the human race ...
MOOD RING::: I have a small collection (8) of Mood Thermometer bands, which, if held to the forehead, for a minute, can read off the patient temperature ... Unfortunately, they are accurate only to plus or minus three degrees, far too vague for a practical purpose. Now, the world has changed, and the modern infrared technology based thermometers can take a very accurate temperature, through no-touch, in exactly one second ... and cost about $20.
Have a nice rest of the week, all you folks.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel for the UPlifting puzzle and thank you JzB for the extensive review.
WO: AMBER -> LAGER
ESPs: AVEDA, FONSI, ONE HILL TREE, MILLAY, DAMN (as clue'd)
//There may be more WOs & ESPs but I left my grid at the office so...
Fav: PANINI
FLN: Happy Birthday Charlie Echo!
Noob77 - I was in the noromos camp. As soon as the sexual-tension pop'd then it was "save my girl/boy friend." Thpppt :-)
UncleFred - I never heard of One Tree Hill (TV-14) either. I Googled it and found the show was on The WB and The CW channels - kinda the backwaters of cable (unless you're a teen).
Kinda backs up Memforest's point of bifurcated pop-culture.
Back to work. Cheers, -T
CED - I just finished reading your last link... LOL! Thanks for the laugh I needed today.
ReplyDeleteCheers, -T
IrishMiss
ReplyDeleteTonight I got hooked on The Lincoln Lawyer so it will be a while before I return to All the Light I cannot See. So far though, I thought it was true to the book. Even the model city was depicted.