A Place for Everything
As this is the Thursday of the Octave of Christmas, I thought The Place Where I Belong by singer/songwriter Leroy Sanchez would be a good place to start ...
Today's constructor, veteran Adam Vincent, reminds us that there is a place for everything, or as he puts it, an "Apt spot to ...?". He does this with 4 multi-level themers (2 Across and 2 Down) ...
46A. Apt spot to do the running man?: POLITICAL PARTY. It could be a man running for election, or the title song from the 1987 dystopian film The Running Man, performed here by Ghost Town DJ ...
55. Apt spot to breakdance?: WRECKING BALL. A contemporary torch song by Miley Cyrus ...
4D. Apt spot to swing dance?: GOLF CLUB. If a ballet on the links doesn't get you in the mood, maybe this will ...
11D. Apt spot to do the moonwalk?: SPACE BAR. Not just the long key on the keyboard that I just pressed 8 times, but a dive on the desert world of Tatooine during in the first Star Wars movie ...
No stars, no circles, no reveal. Here's the grid ...
Across:
1. Buck: STAG.
5. Condiment often applied with chopsticks: WASABI. I think of SUSHI as a condiment to put on WASABI.
11. Out of harm's way: SAFE.
15. Quite: OH SO.
16. Howard who has two Oscars for Best Original Song: ASHMAN. Baltimore born Howard Elliott Ashman (May 17, 1950 – March 14, 1991) was an American playwright, lyricist and stage director. He is most widely known for his work on feature films for Walt Disney Animation Studios, for which Ashman wrote the lyrics and Alan Menken composed the music. His work included songs for Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Here's the trailer for the 1989 film, The Little Mermaid, based on the original Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale ...
17. Thank God, maybe: PRAY. It really helps. And a lot helps a lot.
18. Cut out early: BAIL.
19. Backless furniture: STOOLS.
20. Crop unit: ACRE.
21. Walking stick: STAFF.
23. Non-neutral particles: IONS. This guy moves fast ...
24. Is sore: ACHES.
25. Actor whose final film role was in 1961's "The Misfits":
CLARK GABLE. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Cliff ...
31. Endows (with): IMBUES.
35. Refers (to): ALLUDES.
37. Hallelujah kin: HOSANNA. As in the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah ...
38. Shallot, for one: BULB.
39. Boeing rival: AIRBUS.
42. Wedding invite request: RSVP.
43. Pro who wears a Star of Life emblem: EMT. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the "Star of Life" and holds priority rights to the use of this registered certification mark.
45. Canon SLR camera: EOS. Canon EOS (Electro-Optical System) is an auto-focus single-lens reflex camera (SLR) and mirrorless camera series produced by Canon Inc. Introduced in 1987 with the Canon EOS 650, all EOS cameras used 35 mm film until October 1996 when the EOS IX was released using the new and short-lived APS film. In 2000, the D30 was announced, as the first digital SLR designed and produced entirely by Canon. In 2018 the system was further extended with the introduction of the EOS R camera, Canon's first full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens system.
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| Canon EOS R SLR |
46. [Theme clue].
53. James Blunt's "__ Beautiful": YOU'RE. A song by James Blunt that you can find on YouTube.
54. Helps in a bad way: ABETS.
55. [Theme clue]
60. Long hike: TREK.
62. __ of New York: photoblog with street portraits and interviews:
HUMANS. Brandon Stanton (born March 1, 1984) is an American author, photographer, and blogger. He is the author of Humans of New York, a photoblog and book. He was named to Time magazine's "30 Under 30 People Changing The World" list.
63. Afflicts: AILS.
66. River through Aswan: NILE. Aswan is a busy market and tourist center located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the NILE at the first cataract. The modern city has expanded and includes the formerly separate community on the island of Elephantine.
 |
| Monastery of St. Simeon Aswan Old Town |
67. Respond impatiently: SNAP AT.
68. Gadget review site: CNET.
69. Let the cat out of the bag: TOLD. Let's “Let the Cat Out of the Bag” about the origin of this phrase.
 |
| Hi Hahtoolah! |
71. Like custard: EGGY. Here's a recipe.
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| Vanilla Custard |
1. Cries and cries: SOBS.
2. "How about __!": THAT.
3. Cambodia's continent: ASIA.
4. [Theme clue].
5. Used to be: WAS.
6. Moving: ASTIR.
7. Trembled: SHOOK.
8. Mixed in with: AMONG.
9. Model wood: BALSA. Today's Spanish lesson -- BALSA is the word for "raft". Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the Balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density.
 | |
| Balsa Tree Royal Botanical Gardens Richmond, UK | |
11. [Theme clue]
12. Part of the St. Louis skyline: ARCH. It's called the Gateway Arch because St. Louis is also called "The gateway to the West". Hand up if you've taken the TRAM to the top and back down? We did when we visited one of my sisters in St. Louis. Definitely not for the claustrophobic. The Arch was designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947, and construction began on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965. It uses a catenary arch design, the same as the first kiln I ever fired circa 1972. 🔥.
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| St. Louis Gateway Arch |
14. Spots on spuds: EYES.
22. Got the heck out of Dodge: FLED.
24. Poor offering: ALMS. ALMS giving peaks around this time of year, but it is never enough.
26. On a cruise: ASEA.
27. "About us" blurbs: BIOS.
28. "¿Quién __?": Spanish "Who knows?": SABE.
29. Not smooth: CLUMPY.
30. More than one would like: ALL TOO WELL. A song by Taylor Swift about her memories of a relationship long ago (short version) ...
32. Disturbing: UNSETTLING.
33. Official messengers: ENVOYS. Apparently the US has a lot of them.
34. Weakens: SAPS. Or a noun connoting marks for scams.
36. Apple virtual assistant: SIRI.
37. Much of a shipwreck: HULL.
40. Cam button: REC.
41. Easy for ewe to say?: BAA.
47. Stuck to the shadows: LURKED. LURKING is also cyber-slang for read/only participation in social media.
48. Galway's isl.: IRE.
49. Some lab workers: TECHS.
50. Part of PBR: PABST. Pabst Blue Ribbon, commonly abbreviated PBR, is an American lager beer sold by Pabst Brewing Company, established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1844 and currently based in San Antonio. Originally called Best Select, and then Pabst Select, the current name comes from the blue ribbons tied around the bottle’s neck between 1882 and 1916.
52. Do up again, as a corset: RELACE. The jury seems to be out as to whether corsets are bad for women, or good for them.
57. Quran scholar: IMAM. An IMAM (/ɪˈmɑːm/; ) is an Islamic leadership position. Like many things related to religion, the significance of the term depends on which sect one belongs to.
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| Imams discoursing |
59. Minute annoyance: GNAT.
60. Dynamite kin: TNT. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) was first prepared in 1863 by German chemist Julius Wilbrand and originally used as a yellow dye. Its potential as an explosive was not recognized for three decades, mainly because it was too difficult to detonate because it was less sensitive than alternatives. This wily fellow seems to be able to detonate it with ease ...
61. __ Grande: RIO. Just how grand is the RIO GRANDE?
64. Drumstick: LEG. Yum Yum! Dark meat!
65. Hog's digs: STY.
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
And a Happy New Year to all! 🎆🧨🍾🥂🎇
28 comments:
Once again I am going to ask you friends, are these puzzles getting easier, or am I getting smarter? Most of them seem to me to hold little challenge these days (except for Saturdays, of course, which remains “a bear.”) Case in point: Besides swapping “clumpy” for “clumsy” I had little trouble with this puzzle, and that seems true most days. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Turned left when I should've turned right, resulting in a dreaded Thursday DNF. ALONG/ASHLAN looked good. AMONG/ASHMAN was required. Bzzzzzt. The Wrecking Ball d-o would recognize is the Emmylou Harris/Daniel Lanois version, title song of her 1995 album. BALSA is a very soft wood. Ironically, it's classified as a hardwood. Who gnu? Over all, Adam provided a pleasant trip down to the abasement. Thanx, waseeley, and Teri for pointing out the error of my ways.
FIR, but erased etudes for SCALES and flee for FLED (READ THE CLUE, JINX!)
Today is:
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE DAY (I wish they would reintroduce this tradition in primary education)
NATIONAL SHORT FILM DAY (I really liked him in Captain Ron)
NATIONAL CARD PLAYING DAY (gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em)
NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CANDY DAY (a friend SEES this day and drools)
HOLY INNOCENTS DAY (commemorates the execution of the innocent, male children in Bethlehem)
If ASEA implies an ocean, why doesn't ABET imply gambling?
I used to have a boss who walked all over his STAFF. Case in point: He would call to his secretary "Debbie, my printer is out of paper again" as her cue to come into his office and reload it. BTW, her name was Betty, not Debbie. At one point, 60% of his STAFF was being treated for one stress-related malady or another.
Some folks say that I'm an ASHMAN. Or something like that. Former regular blogger Steve is a notable legman.
Like Sub, I thought this one was easy for a Thursday, but I think it is just that we got used to Rich's difficulty level progressing from Monday through Friday. I think that Monday through Thursday are kinda one pot in Patti's world. I often can't finish a Friday, occasionally can't finish a Sunday, and almost never finish a Saturday.
Thanks to Adam for the fun puzzle with its clever theme. And thanks to Bill 'n' Teri for the interesting and fun review.
D-O, BALSA being a hardwood is a great bar bet. I may have used it a few times over the decades.
FIR. I normally do not like vertical puzzles and prefer the traditional diagonal layout, but this one was fun to do. And very clever cluing; loved the misdirection of shalot being bulb. I didn't know Ashman, and wanted etudes before scales, but soon saw the right path thanks to perps.
The theme was fun and I loved all the answers. Very well done.
Yikes back to work today - but squeezed in this faster than normal amusing puzzle!
Since it is just 2 hours away - I've been to the ARCH many times - it is always impressive. If you go, I highly recommend the movie that was filmed about constructing the ARCH. It is humorously dated though, as the workers and engineers alike are up on the ARCH without safety harnesses and smoking cigarettes!
Thanks Bill & Teri for the fun blog and Adam for the puzzle
Musings
-Have you ever walked into a place and thought you were in the SPACE BAR of Star Wars?
-Unsuspecting me ate a big hunk WASABI. SOBS ensued.
-People who resolve to start a new workout regimen on Jan 1, may feel a lot of ACHES
-Of working with on The Misfits with Marilyn, CLARK GABLE said "Christ, I'm glad this picture's finished. She damn near gave me a heart attack." He died of a heart attack ten days after shooting ended.
-Paul Harvey often spoke of “Letting the cat out of the transparent bag”
-We baseball peeps remember this guy saying How About THAT
-The Vietnam Memorial and the St. Louis ARCH show the beauty of simplicity
-A bad pun with some of today’s words
-Thanks Bill and Teri!
Subgenius. Although you’ve always been smart at solving puzzles, I must say you’re not getting smarter, the puzzles are getting easier (except for Saturdays) in MHO.
Today’s was a cinch. I did erase études for SCALES and had to correct my misspelling of WREaKING BALL and a couple of unknowns perpped easily.
That said, I think this was a fun puzzle. I enjoyed the theme.
Thank you Waseely and Teri for a neat recap.
I changed "clumsy" to "clumpy" and had no further problems. Went pretty fast for a Thursday.
Good Morning:
Cute theme and a pretty straightforward solve. Ashman, Sage, and Humans, as clued, were the only unknowns, but perps were kind throughout the grid. Having the B filled in at Golf Club tricked me into putting Herb in before Bulb surfaced. I was prepared to do battle over Shallots being an Herb, but I got my comeuppance rather quickly. A modest three letter word count (12) was frosting on the cake.
Thanks, Adam, for a fun romp and thanks, Bill and Teri, for the entertainment and enlightenment. The musical interludes, as always, are delightful, as are the recipes.
SubG @ 4:03 ~ I think Jinx's interpretation of Patti's style answers your question.
DO @ 5:36 ~ You do have a knack for punning! 😉
Have a great day.
Got OHSO bogged down in the Mid West. Thought it was the magazine “House Beautiful ”. Then stuck with FLee not FLED which blocked ALLUDES so DNF, I knew ALL TOO WELL that I would FIW cuz nothing perped. Sussed the theme clues at least
Inkover: WASABe/I, 🥵
Since it’s the Christmas season almost put “angels” for ENVOYS. “Howard” ASHMAN? BAA humbug!! I Almost started to fill études but the clue was singular (SCALES in this case is a collective noun). GMAT: hafta remember this one, sure it’ll turn up again.
The moniker AIRBUS makes the aircraft sound clunky and slow.
When the townspeople asked Tonto “Who was that masked man” I think he answered “Quién SABE” Or was it “WASABI?” (Native American for “ Wassup??”)
What informant pigeons roost or perch on…..STOOLS
Trick actress Paquin….HOSANNA
Guinness stout: good for what ___ you….AILS
Learning moment: didn’t know that blue symbol I see everyday at the hospital is called the “Star of Life”. Thanks Waz.
🚑
Sabe, not Sage. I wish (for the umpteenth time) that Autocorrect would mind his/her own business!
Good Morning! Yikes! What a challenge! Thanks, Adam. Fun theme.
Lots of WAGs and perps throughout.
WOs: Hosanah -> HOSANNA; leek -> BULB; tell -> TOLD.
I like when the NW comes together smoothly. That sets the tone &/or encourages me to continue no matter how many blanks I leave along the trail, which was the case today. After NW & most of the top filled in, I went to the South and worked my way up to finish in the West Center when CLUB gave me BULB.
GMAT is new to me.
FLED: Once, long ago, as I was driving through Dodge City, KS and I came upon some road construction. There was a large sign informing drivers to “KEEP MOVING.” It always struck me funny how reminiscent of the Old West and felt like I was on a cattle drive! 😂!
Thanks, Bill & Teri. I loved your opening number, and as I read on, the variety of your musical links is outstanding!
I thought this one was fairly easy too, although I stuck with CLUMSY way too long, and stools took a while. (My bar stools have backs!) Lots of clever misdirection, and the theme was fun. Another great write-up for the Was & Teri show...think I'll go back for another run-through of "In The Mood" and some more Wiley Coyote!
Hola!
Thank you, Adam Vincent! I agree this was perfect for a Thursday morning workout. And any puzzle that has CLARK GABLE is fine with me! To no one's surprise, I love looking at a handsome man!
I laughed at ASTIR next to SHOOK.
When we counted ALMS yesterday, we saw some nice surprises. People were exceedingly generous! Several checks were for $500 and one for $1,000.
At the Christmas liturgy we sang HOSANNA many times over and the choir was in top form! As is expected, the holiday liturgy is exhilarating; it leaves us with a joyous spirit and our pastor preached a positive message of love and hope.
I hope your day is joyful, everyone!
I just stopped by the Walmart in nearby Auburndale, FL. Parked in the lot was a bright yellow, new-looking sewer / septic tank servicing truck. "STOOL bus" was professionally painted on the doors.
Hi All!
-T here about 32,000ft over New Mexico; isn't technology grand?
Thanks, Adam, for the fun 16x15 grid. Thanks waseeley for the excellent expo (I mean any expo with Wile E Coyote in it...)
I've been to the top of the ARCH 3 times; once as a kid, once taking my nieces, and lastly with the Girls. Growing up in SPI, the Arch was only 85 minutes away - saw it every time we approached the river on I-55. //yes, inandehiker, a great movie - OSHA be damn'd :-)
WOs: bumppy [sic] -> lumppy [sic] -> clumpy, Tell -> TOLD
ESP: ASHMAN
Fab: BAA's clue was cute
I was so proud of myself that I actually remembered etude only not to use it.
IM - LOL re: Shallots as herb thought. I was headed down the same road and ready to shout, "A shallot is NOT a herb!" Speaking of herbs, Sage? You said sage in second sentence(?). //n/m - you fixed at 10:36a
Jinx: Oooooh, I'll be in SFO; I can get some See's Candies. And STOOL Bus is funny.
You know what's cool - post Covid, WFH is more lax (Dr. Apt, WFH; dude coming to fix the dishwasher, WFH). Technically, I'm working remote until we land at 2pm CDT :-)
Cheers, -T
Creative and enjoyable theme. FIR after struggling with unknown ASHMAN. Always happy to see TREK.
desper-otto Hand up thanks for the learning moment that BALSA is a hardwood.
I just found this photo of a BALSA aircraft airframe I was building as a teen.
My physics grad school advisor said that building BALSA model airplanes as a teen was the best predictor of success in his program. I wonder if "kids today" do this at all?
From Yesterday:
sumdaze Thank you for the kind words about the family photo with my GRANDMA who was a BRIT. Her parents were from Poland. They were forced to live in the Jewish Ghetto where food was so scarce that all of their children died of malnutrition. Thankfully for me, they somehow made it to London where my GRANDMA and her sisters and brother were born and survived very well.
Yes, the photo definitely has a 1960s vibe with those hairdos! My great aunts did not have much money, but they were very generous to my brother and me.
A clever and fun Thursday offering.
I follow Humans of New York (thru Facebook) as they share their trials, tribulations, fears, joys, and successes. It is an engaging blog.
Thanks Adam for a creative puzzle.
….. klFlorida
Thanks Waseely for an awesome recap
…. kkFlorida
Keel b/4 hull, clumsy b/4 clumpy.
Thank you Waseely for the informative write up. I know you didn't ask for thoughts, but I need to get these out of my head....
In the swing music link, that was John Payne playing the piano! I only know him the 1947 Miracle on 34th street movie.
That clip must have been from a movie he was in, but IMDb is not cooperating. (More research needed.)
Wasabi!
I don't eat sushi, after watching videos of fish parasites, I only partake of the California Roll when family goes to the all you can eat sushi place ($25- quite a deal!) but my favorite thing about the place, besides wasabi, was the red bean ice cream dessert.
(Imagine this OCDer eating ice cream with chopsticks...)
But it's the chopsticks I like best, very sanitary! Until the wasabi came out, and everyone is expected take a little bit with their saliva covered chopsticks! Moral: steal all the wasabi from the get go, and let the rest of the table order more!
Sorry for the thoughts, perhaps these apt spot markers will make up for it.
exhibit A
exhibit B
now, where was I again?
Really fun puzzle! Thanks, Adam, and thanks Bill 'n Terri for the terrific review!
CED @ 2:01 ~ According to Mr. G, the movie was Sun Valley Serenade, 1941.
I liked this puzzle and all your comments and links. Had to change CLUMSY to CLUMPY. ASHMAN was all perps. Our neighbor can't say KUNG Fu without always saying Panda. (Kung Fu means "Empty Hand." So does Karate.) Loved that STOOL Bus! I once had a Canon EOS camera; gave it to our grandson when he was into photography. It now lies somewhere stashed in a closet, unused. A welcome learning moment, that BALSA is the Spanish word for "raft". Thanks for that. A nice re-learning moment, about catenary curves.
Good wishes to you all.
Puzzling thoughts:
Like D-Otto, my hiccup was at ALONG/ASHLAN instead of AMONG/ASHMAN which was required; FIW
subgenius @ 4:03 ==> I agree that this Thursday and last Thursday puzzles were a bit easier than what we have experienced. Maybe that is Patti's Xmas gift to we solvers!
waseeley, I noticed that your recap today - while very informative and delightful to read - was a bit shorter and less complex ... I liked it! My New Year's Resolution is to be less verbose with my blogs
I'm ready for 2024 ... anyone else??
I'm ready for 2024 also. Lots of legal filings to read.
Thank YOu Adam Vincent for a nice and easy Thursday puzzle, that I finished so fast. I forgot to come to this blog and post my experience...
Thank YOu Waseely and Teri for an enjoyable blog review. I had problems only with CLAMPY, ASHMAN, HUMANS ( as clued ) and CNET.
BTW, Wiki and other references inform us that Real Wasabi is quite scarce and difficult to obtain, so it is frequently adulterated with Horseradish root... I can believe it. I love Wasabi sauce, when it has been adequately diluted with mayonnaise etc.,
GMAT was easy, though I never sat for it... I'm soo old, that I had an earlier test run by the same, ETS, Educational Testing Service, out of Princeton, New Jersey, ... the guys who run or ruin the GRE's... the test was the ATGSB ... the Advanced Test for Graduate Study in Business.
I have worked with Balsa, to make some simple puzzles, and dinosaurs and skeletons etc., but I never thought of it as a hardwood ... like Ebony, Stone wood, or Teak. I must read up on this subject, and find out why it is a hardwood.
I always used to have a problem differentiating ( not calculus, but making out the difference between - ) a parabola and a caternary.
One is y*2 = 4ax + c, - a parabola, ... and the other is y = aCosh(x/a) - a hyperbola.
A parabola is a curve of a shell projectile fired from a cannon, under gravity, with no wind resistance.... while a caternary is the shape of a heavy chain, hanging under its own weight ... ( wiki )
Finally, what RayOSunshine mentioned ... the Star of Life ... I remember reading that the staff used by medical folks in the US is erroneous (???) ...
What is used as a logo in the medical profession is the Caduceus ... a rod, with 2 serpents intertwined around it ... Hissing at each other ?? Lol
Whereas, the actual (?) symbol of the healing arts and medicine is the Rod of Asclepius ... with only one serpent around the rod, doing the pole dance ... as in the Star of Life ...
BTW, Ms. Google says that Caduceus is associated with Hermes, the messenger of the gods, ... and symbolizes commerce, merchants, and "Thievery" (!!!)
Maybe RayO would like to comment on the last... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Have a great and a Happy New Year ... in case I don't or can't comment again...
Thanks, to Adam for a fun puzzle! I had a FIR but had to change ALL TOO much for ALL TOO WELL.
The 16x15 grid with 2 vertical & 2 horizontal themers reminded me of the Dec. 13 puzzle.
Thanks to waseeley, too! I enjoyed the Glen Miller clip, mostly because of the stand-up base. Thank you, also, for the Star of Life info.
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