Theme: It's a Horse ... Of Course!
Mr. Ed Theme
Howdy, everyone! sumdaze here with a puzzle by The Corner's own Chris Gross, a.k.a. Chairman Moe. I am sure I am not the only one delighted to see Chris' name on today's grid.
There are three themers. Each is a familiar, three-word phrase:
20 Across. "Focus on the future now": NO LOOKING BACK.
25 Across. "Never in a million years!": WHEN PIGS FLY.
45 Across. Easy to set up, as a computer: PLUG AND PLAY.
What do they have in common? It's a HORSE...of course!
Let's look at the reveal:
51 Across. Equestrian transport vehicles, and what the last words of 20-, 25-, and 45-Across can be: HORSE TRAILERS.
When we place the last words in each of the themed clues after (in other words trailing) the word HORSE, we get:
- HORSEBACK: (adj.) done while on a horse; (adv.) on a horse.
- HORSEFLY: any of a family of large dipteran flies with bloodsucking females.
- HORSEPLAY: rough play in which people push and hit each other or behave in a silly way.
This theme set reminds me of the time I was HORSEBACK with my friend Kelli and her daughter. We were holding the herd and, to pass the time, PLAYed a game where we whacked HORSEFLies with our romals and kept score. We all got into the double digits. I have never been around that many HORSEFLies before or since that day.
I'll stop stalling now and move on to the other clues:
1. "Golly!": GOSH.
5. Infuriated with: MAD AT. I thought I'd flip the script with this one and use it to cue a love song by Madness.
Madness It Must Be Love (1981)
Note: Imagine my surprise when Madness turned up as a clue in last Saturday's puzzle!
14. "It's __ you": "You decide": UP TO.
15. Justice Kagan of the Supreme Court: ELENA.
16. Metals from a mine: ORES.
17. "Jeopardy!" creator Griffin: MERV. He also created Wheel of Fortune. Here' a fun 1:27 min. video about when Merv hired Pat Sajak.
18. Piccata ingredient: LEMON.
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| This is that -- LEMONs and all. (Those little green things are capers.) |
19. Christmas song: NOEL. The first one, they say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
23. Top-notch: A-ONE.
24. "__ you listening?": ARE. This is a line from another Christmas song.
23. Top-notch: A-ONE.
24. "__ you listening?": ARE. This is a line from another Christmas song.
Sleigh bells ring ... 🎵
31. Barely lit: DIM.
34. Makes cursed: HEXES.
35. Some clip-on accessories: TIES.
36. Game with Skip and Reverse cards: UNO.
37. "Need You Tonight" band: INXS.
38. Cover story: ALIBI. A fun play on a magazine's cover story!
31. Barely lit: DIM.
34. Makes cursed: HEXES.
36. Game with Skip and Reverse cards: UNO.
37. "Need You Tonight" band: INXS.
38. Cover story: ALIBI. A fun play on a magazine's cover story!
This Lefty Frizzell song always gets to me.
Long Black Veil (1959)
"The judge said son what is your ALIBI?
If you were somewhere else then you won't have to die."
40. Pakistani language: URDU. This is what UNSECO says about URDU.
41. Theater sign on a busy night: SRO. Standing Room Only
41. Theater sign on a busy night: SRO. Standing Room Only
Last week we learned it can also mean Single Room Occupancy in the hotel biz.
42. Shortly: SOON.
43. "Delta of Venus" author Nin: ANAIS. goodreads link
44. Family: KIN.
48. Deg. for an exec: MBA. An executive might have a Master of Business degree.
50. Went by bike: RODE. Watch these professional cyclists show what it takes to ride in the French Alps. (3:15 min.)
57. Desert in southern Mongolia: GOBI. It ranks #5 on this List of the 10 Largest Deserts.
58. Clueless gamers: NOOBS. N00BS are "new" to something. IIRC, -T told us to spell it with two zeros -- but that wouldn't perp this time.
59. Go first: LEAD. and its clecho 2 Down. Go first: OPEN. (like when one band OPENs for the main attraction band)
61. Surrounded by: AMID.
62. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer: YALIE. A student at Yale University is called a YALIE. Another nickname is Elis after Elihu Yale, the school's namesake.
63. Spanish "she": ELLA. Spanish "he" is only two letters so él no está aquí.
42. Shortly: SOON.
43. "Delta of Venus" author Nin: ANAIS. goodreads link
44. Family: KIN.
48. Deg. for an exec: MBA. An executive might have a Master of Business degree.
50. Went by bike: RODE. Watch these professional cyclists show what it takes to ride in the French Alps. (3:15 min.)
57. Desert in southern Mongolia: GOBI. It ranks #5 on this List of the 10 Largest Deserts.
58. Clueless gamers: NOOBS. N00BS are "new" to something. IIRC, -T told us to spell it with two zeros -- but that wouldn't perp this time.
59. Go first: LEAD. and its clecho 2 Down. Go first: OPEN. (like when one band OPENs for the main attraction band)
61. Surrounded by: AMID.
62. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer: YALIE. A student at Yale University is called a YALIE. Another nickname is Elis after Elihu Yale, the school's namesake.
63. Spanish "she": ELLA. Spanish "he" is only two letters so él no está aquí.
64. Brazilian soccer legend: PELÉ. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, Pelé was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. He scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games. The world mourned his passing on December 29, 2022.
65. Book of maps: ATLAS.
66. Like purple hair: DYED.
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| Are you sure it's not natural? |
Down:
1. Bubble blower's mouthful: GUM. Fun clue!
3. Houston MLBer: STRO. "Major League Baseball player" is abbreviated, so is "ASTRO".
4. Rush-hour traffic conveniences: HOV LANES. High-Occupancy Vehicle. Nice fill! I checked Crossword Tracker. It showed HOVLANE but not it's plural.
1. Bubble blower's mouthful: GUM. Fun clue!
3. Houston MLBer: STRO. "Major League Baseball player" is abbreviated, so is "ASTRO".
4. Rush-hour traffic conveniences: HOV LANES. High-Occupancy Vehicle. Nice fill! I checked Crossword Tracker. It showed HOVLANE but not it's plural.
SoCal news anchors chat about this violator on "The 210".
5. Christopher of "Law & Order: SVU": MELONI.
6. Pub barrel: ALE KEG.
7. "Cool for the Summer" singer Lovato: DEMI.
8. "We don't know who wrote this" abbreviation: ANON. Multiple CSOs!
9. Cranberry juice quality: TANG. Hand up for TArt before TANG.
10. Sunken ship finder: SONAR.
11. Many a TV crime drama: PROCEDURAL. In television, this specifically refers to a genre of programs in which a problem is introduced, investigated, and solved all within the same episode. These shows tend to be hour-long dramas, and are often (though not always) police or crime related.
12. Assault the nose: REEK. not a punch on the nose
13. Fashion monogram: YSL.
21. Unwelcome word from a barber: OOPS. Cute!
22. Large coastal inlets: BAYS.
 |
| Oh, yeah, that guy. Catch him in an 11-Down. |
7. "Cool for the Summer" singer Lovato: DEMI.
8. "We don't know who wrote this" abbreviation: ANON. Multiple CSOs!
9. Cranberry juice quality: TANG. Hand up for TArt before TANG.
10. Sunken ship finder: SONAR.
11. Many a TV crime drama: PROCEDURAL. In television, this specifically refers to a genre of programs in which a problem is introduced, investigated, and solved all within the same episode. These shows tend to be hour-long dramas, and are often (though not always) police or crime related.
12. Assault the nose: REEK. not a punch on the nose
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| You can buy this YSL purse at Neiman Marcus for $1,790. |
21. Unwelcome word from a barber: OOPS. Cute!
22. Large coastal inlets: BAYS.
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| I live next to this one. |
25. Batter blender: WHISK. Whimsical Wording!
26. "Three Bathers" painter Matisse: HENRI. (Dec. 31, 1869 - Nov. 3, 1954) It turns out Matisse owned Cézanne's painting for forty years. article
26. "Three Bathers" painter Matisse: HENRI. (Dec. 31, 1869 - Nov. 3, 1954) It turns out Matisse owned Cézanne's painting for forty years. article
 |
| (L to R) Three Bathers by Paul Cézanne (1879-1882) Three Bathers by Henri Matisse (1907) Henri Matisse's three cats (who look like they just finished bathing) |
27. S&P 100 company that's a descendant of Standard Oil: EXXONMOBIL. John D. Rockefeller formed the Standard Oil Company in 1870. Exxon and Mobil merged in 1999. timeline
28. On-the-job risk for a beekeeper: STING. I recommend The Honey Bus, a book by Meredith May about her beekeeper grandfather.
29. White lie: FIB.
30. Sweet-smelling garland: LEI. My Yellow Ginger Lei is a Hawaiian classic.
32. Nepal neighbor: INDIA.
33. Hardly assertive: MOUSY. Def.: nervous, shy, or timid.
38. Email pioneer: AOL. America Online
39. Baseball Hall of Famer Gehrig: LOU. Boomer knew all about the cards.
42. Health resorts: SPAS.
43. Not incl.: ADD'L. If it is not included, there might be an ADDitionaL charge.
46. Saudi __: ARABIA.
47. Beeps and peeps: NOISES.
49. Wedding bouquet tosser: BRIDE.
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| OOPS! |
51. Base runner's goal: HOME.
52. Irish New Age singer: ENYA. RosE and I are fans.
Long Long Journey (2005)
53. Precisely: TO A T. Read as "To a Tee".
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| Mr. T, accessorized TO A T |
55. Depend (on): RELY.
56. Cyber Monday event: SALE.
57. Generation __: GAP. This can be an issue with XWD solvers.
60. Family guy: DAD. or son or unc or pop or bro
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| Peter Griffin is the patriarch on the TV show Family Guy. |
Well, that's enough horsing around from me. I'll attach the grid then I'm oat-a here!
41 comments:
I will admit I had no idea what tied the themers together until the reveal; then it all made sense. Despite that, and a couple of fairly obscure names (Did anyone else try to put in “Malone” before “Meloni”?) this was another Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Was ready to complain that TART should be TARTNESS. Oh, it's supposed to be TANG. Well, color me orange. Zipped right along, and right past the reveal with no hint as to what C-Moe's theme might be. OOPS. Cute idea, nicely executed, C-Moe. Really enjoyed your expo, sumdaze. (You sent me to Merriam-Webster to look up "romal.")
ALIBI: The Long Black Veil sounds traditional, but it was actually written in 1959 shortly before Lefty recorded it. Songwriting credit goes to Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin.
SONAR: Doubt you would use this to find a sunken ship -- they don't make much noise. Radar is more likely.
Cezanne: Took some time for d-o to realize that the painting took three years to create -- 1879-1882. Thought the painting was pretty impressive for a three-year-old guy. D'oh.
On second thought, maybe active pinging with sonar could reveal something on the ocean floor. Dunno.
FIR. Several slightly obscure clues made this somewhat challenging for a Monday. Threw down mixer at 25D which slowed me down for a bit. And I couldn't remember Meloni, although he is in a ton of ads lately. Also threw down horse trainer before trailer before I saw the theme reveal made no sense that way.
All in all, an enjoyable puzzle.
FIR, but erased onion for LEMON, and had to (crossword-favorite) relo LEAD from 2D to 59A.
In Foreigner's Hot Blooded, they sang:
Now it's UP TO you
We can make a secret rendezvous?
Just me and you
I'll show you loving like you never knew
The early days of PLUG AND PLAY weren't all that successful. We called it PLUG AND pray. Pretty good these days.
An MBA is also for exec wannabes. In big companies, a candidate's paper qualifications can be more important than proven ability on the job. I started my MBA program for that reason, but ended up with a lot of knowledge that actually made me a better manager.
D-O, if you have ever seen a modern fish finder, you see SONAR in action. Those things are really impressive. They not only show fish, but also the bottom contour.
FLN - Big Easy, I never broke 80, but I did have a 2-over 38 during nine hole league play. We played a tough course designed by Joe Finger and Byron Nelson. And I bogied both par 3s! Also, I had the misfortune to play PGA Las Colinas the day after the Byron Nelson Classic finished. I couldn't believe how hard it was to find my ball, even after I saw where it went into the rough. (It was a good thing that the vendor was providing the golf balls.) And the greens were the fastest by far that I had ever putted to that point.
Thanks to our Chairman for the outstanding Monday special, and to sumdaze for the fine tour.
Took 3:20 today for me to put on the shoe.
I didn't know today's actor.
Do I get credit for a shout-out with "anon"?
Anais doesn't strike me as a normal "Monday" answer.
Congratulations to the Chairman on the puzzle, and thank you for the fun review, sumdaze.
Where did my TODAY IS go? (How's that for some mangled English?)
Today is:
NATIONAL PISTACHIO DAY (oh nuts! We’re out of them. Again)
NATIONAL TELL A FAIRY TALE DAY (My favorite is “the check’s in the mail”)
NATIONAL SET A GOOD EXAMPLE DAY (if I tried to do this, everyone would think I’m pulling a scam)
NATIONAL LETTER TO AN ELDER DAY (go the extra mile - write it in cursive)
Thank you, Chris, and thank you Sumdaze.
That was an enjoyable and easy puzzle, with fun theme answers. Very nice. I like a little HORSE PLAY every now and then.
Sumdaze, that gif of the bride's bouquet toss cracked me up. The little toddler may have gotten an owie on his knees, but no face plant.
It will be in the mid 60's today, and low 70's tomorrow. Very unusual late Feb weather for Chicago, but I'll take advantage of it. Let's see, edge the gardens or go golfing? hmm
OOPS, Ray-O, you'll have to repost your comment.
I recognized Chris’ name and knew it would be a great CW, and sure enough it was. It had some originality: GUM, OOPS, PROCEDURAL, and a few unknowns that perps took care of like INXS, MELONI.
I didn’t get the theme at first because I had TRAInERS. Then changed to the right answer and really appreciated the theme.
Sumdaze, thanks for a fun recap. That poor DYED purple dog!
Good Morning! What a nice surprise to see the Corner’s Chairman Moe as our constructor today. And what a nice puzzle he gave us! Thanks, Chris!
Two WOs – dashed forward with TArt before TANG appeared, and spelling: MALONI: y -> I. I have never watched L&O SVU, but those support-wear ads – UGH! Not a fan.
Sumdaze, my goodness, you’ve had some interesting experiences! I had to look up the word “romals” – new to me. (Spellcheck doesn't even know it!) That’s a reason this blog is so great – little learning opportunities pop up all the time.
ENYA: sumdaze, yes we are! I was lost in the melody and visuals. Thanks.
Was able to quickly “WHISK” together this Monday fare with no inkovers. Relatively simple “Equestrian” theme. No need to HORSE around 🐴
Checked out Google but couldn’t find a video of Arthur Treacher
introducing “MEEERV”! 🗣️🎤
In Alabama a woman can now use the HOVLANES with a + pregnancy test. 🚘 ☺️
ANAIS and ENYA welcome back after a long absence. “Not incl.” sold separately way too long. If your email provider is AOL (like me) you’re showing your age. So TOAT is slang for “Precisely” where does equally nauseating “Totes Adorbs” come from?
You can “go first” LEAD or OPEN
Cardiac arryrhmia white lie, A ___ …..FIB.
TV previews of “Mr Ed”…… HORSE TRAILERS
Classic “Breakfast of Astronauts”……TANG
Curses on a gas company ____ HEXESONMOBIL
Back to work this week.
DO sonar is like medical Ultrasound it emits sounds waves that then bounce off the object being examined to recreate an image
Thank you Chris! The north quarter of this was a bit crunchy for a Monday and at first I thought this was going to be a typical CMOE struggle. But it eased in the saddle as I headed South and everything was okay by the time I got 'er into the barn.
And thank you sumdaze for all the horsing around! It's not a spoiler to reveal that 52D will appear in this Thursday's puzzle, not as an answer, but rather an example of a 19D.
Some favs:
38A ALIBI. The perps in all the PROCEDURALS have them. In Season 3 of Madame Blanc the chief suspect was conveniently out of the country at the time of the murder. Our theory is that it's always the person you least suspect.
40A URDU. Thanks for the link Renee. I didn't know how closely all the languages in that region were related. The difference between a language and a dialect is often a matter of opinion.
43A ANAIS. Her writings was pretty shocking at the time that they were written, but they don't turn a page these days.
45A PLUG AND PLAY. Tbis only applies to hardware. Software is different matter -- your computer is often a battleground between the operating system and applications not developed by the OS manufacturer. I won't mention any names lest this session end in a blue screen of death.
3D STRO. A CSO to fan -T.
6D MELONI. DNK Christopher and I suppose that's the last time I'll ever hear of him.
7D DEMI. Knew the name but not the song: There's nothing like a Summer vacation"! (rated PG).
49D BRIDE. Great GIF!
Cheers,
Bill
Marvelous Monday. Thanks for the fun Chris (CMoe) and sumdaze (you do have the greatest background experiences!).
I FIRed in good time and saw the HORSE TRAILERS theme early.
Hand up for one inkblot changing Tart to TANG.
Some familiar old fills (even this Canadian knows ELENA), ANAIS, YSL.
ADDL filled with perps, as did INXS and MELONI (crossing LEMON was cute).
TOAT required parsing (oh, To a Tee!).
I’ll save you all a trip to Wikipedia. “ romal (plural romals)
A long quirt attached to the end of a set of closed reins that are connected to the bridle of a horse, and used to assist in moving cattle.”
Wishing you all a great day.
Hola!
thank you, Chris Gross! This was a breezy Monday solve so I cannot be MAD AT you because it was charming as well. Nothing was obscure or unknown, well, EXCEPT ROMAL.
WHEN PIGS FLY is such a colorful expression!
Today is my volunteer day at church so that's all the time I have.
Thanks to sumdaze, too, for an excellent review.
Have great day, everyone!
Good Morning:
I can't think of a better way to start the week than by seeing our Chairman's byline! This was a cute theme that remained hidden until the reveal, which is always impressive to me, especially with Monday puzzles. Chris did a nice job, IMO, of cluing on a Monday level, yet not over simplifying. I was unfamiliar with the term Plug and Play and I had Rias before Bays, but the solve was basically a breeze to the finish. I almost entered Anon for Shortly but realized Anon had already been filled in. A modest (14) TLWs, plus a junk free grid and some nice, long fill added to the enjoyment of the solve.
Thanks, Chris, for a fun and enjoyable romp and thanks, sumdaze, for the great recap and the varied and interesting links. From the video of the Tour de France segment, I'd say the cyclists face more danger from those crazy crowds than from the course itself! How they keep their concentration and wits is beyond me. The Merv Griffin/Pat Sajak story was an unknown tidbit and the HOV Lanes clip was funny. The poor purple poodle was sad to see, though, and as far as anything about Tik Tok goes, I'll defer to Thumper! I also enjoyed the musical clips, as well. Nice job!
Have a great day.
A clever Monday offering by our own Chairman.
Christopher Meloni has not been in SVU for a few years.
He is in the spin off series Law & Order: Organized Crime.
No wite-out needed today and a fun theme to tackle.
…. kkFlorida
Musings
-Nice job, Chairman.
-Renee, your write-up was lovely as usual and I learned what a romal is!
-HORSE PLAY: Jr. High boys just can’t keep their hands to themselves!
-A nonprofit organization is working to preserve SPRY Fred Astaire’s house in Omaha
-If I tell my wonderful bride, “You decide”, I’ll agree with it. The converse is not true.
-Baseball peeps know of The Curse Of The Bambino that lasted 86 years
-UNO – The University of Nebraska at Omaha has 16,000 students
-Some think the 49ers decision to go first in the Super Bowl was the wrong thing to do
-Florence Jean Castleberry of Mel’s Diner was often heard to say, “When donkeys fly”.
Fun Monday with HORSE play! Chairman Moe, your puzzle suited me TO A T. Sumdaze, a lovely tour. Thanks!
I enjoyed the theme, although I didn’t pick up on it readily. A confession: I once fulfilled a request to sing the “Mr. Ed” theme song – in the newsroom at midnight after deadline. I loved Chris’s “cover story” clue and the barber saying “oops,” as well as seeing PROCEDURALin the fill. I also enjoyed the purple poodle, so thank you, sumdaze. Our standard poodle is supposedly a “blue,” but he’s still pretty black and we hope he stays that way.
I don’t usually comment on easy Monday puzzles, but with our Chairman Moe constructing, I became more interested than usual in the cluing process between constructor and editor.
You figure the clues have to be as pithy as possible in a crossword puzzle, so you might expect to see and solve “author Nin,” “painter Matisse,” and “singer Lovato” without the addition of the names of their works. It would seem that “Desert in Mongolia” suffices without the “southern” part. Now I’m interested in the details concerning the presence of those, well, details.
The term “MLBer” also caught my eye because we’ve seen it less under Patti’s aegis than we used to when Rich was editor. In all my years of sports journalism, I never saw MLBer, ALer, NFLer, etc. Never. They are NOT sports jargon. They’re seen primarily in crossword puzzles and then almost exclusively the L.A. Times puzzles.
So, although I thought “Justice Kagan” might have sufficed as a clue for Elena, at least it wasn’t clued as “WNBAer Delle Donne.”
Fun puzzle. A little crunchy for Monday
It's so nice to read all the positive comments on C-Moe's puzzle (especially IM @9:59's notes)!
"Romal" got a lot of attention. I pronounce it "roe-mel". In addition to what C-Eh!@9:48 wrote, it functions as a counterbalance to the weight of a Spanish-style bit. It helps the bit sit comfortably in a horse's mouth. One would not use a romal with a snaffle bit.
I'll write more about that day because it is one of my favorite stories. Kelli and her husband, Gene, were buying cows from another rancher up north. When we showed up, the rancher said to Gene, "I thought you said you were bringing help." Gene smiled and said, "This is my crew." We gathered the cattle, sorted off the ones to be purchased, and loaded them onto trucks for their journey to the new home. That rancher's two hired hands were a circus -- dust and tails flying everywhere. Meanwhile, our end of things was calm and efficient. At the end of the three days the rancher told Gene, "I've reconsidered what I said. You brought a good crew." Kelli and I laugh about that all the time. We also laugh about how her daughter used her pay to buy a flatiron curling iron. I seriously doubt that's a common way to spend a cowboy's paycheck!
If you would watch Expedition Unknown, you would see them using highly advanced and extremely sensitive sonar devices to scan for shipwrecks. Some of them are autonomous and will run a search pattern and return to the launch site.
Puzzling thoughts:
C-Moe, here, aka "Chris Gross" ...
This puzzle had a bit of back and forth (as do ALL puzzles, BTW) with the editors, as some of the entries I offered were either dated or not "in the language". The center portion of the puzzle was edited (with both entries and clues), but as I look at the last submission I sent to them, the revised version is better
And so you all know, there is NEVER a crossword puzzle submitted that DOESN'T get edited/changed (yes, a double-negative!!). As I have quickly learned in this new "hobby" of mine, you are thrilled to see your name on the by-line. Period.
When I had the idea for the puzzle, I was surprised that a theme such as this had not been previously used. It offered a lot of choices for entries and clues. I think that "WHEN PIGS FLY" was one of my originals, as was "PLUG AND PLAY". NO LOOKING BACK was one the editors suggested, and I happily accepted. Here are a few more that were sent but did not make the final cut:
JEEP WRANGLERS - clued as: Popular SUVs (HORSE WRANGLERS)
DOMESTIC TRADE - clued as: Transportation of goods within the United States (HORSE TRADE)
CHOO CHOO TRAIN - clued as: Coveted toy for a toddler or Thomas the Tank Engine, for example (HORSE TRAIN)
ABSOLUTE POWER - clued as: David Baldacci best seller and movie title (HORSE POWER)
BASIC TRAINING - clued as: Another term for "boot camp" (HORSE TRAINING)
NO LOOKING BACK - clued as: "I'm focused on the future" (HORSE BACK)
DEFENSIVE BACK - clued as: Position in football (HORSE BACK)
Thanks, Renee for your recap! As I've said often, your blogs are always a fun read!
And thanks, too, to all of my cyber friends here at the Corner. Your comments are always helpful
A special "shout out" thank you to Irish Miss ... Agnes has been my sounding board and designated solver for many of my pre-submitted puzzles. If memory serves, she helped with this one
Oh. TO A T 🙄
A nice crispy puzzle here, no stinky HORSEmanure here. CMoe, a fine job, Sumdaze a swell review
Liked 2D and 59A ; Go first. I tried LEAD for 2D but it didn't perp. So when 59A came up I popped it into the OPEN slot.
Days come and go and the older you get the faster they come and go.
Bluster.
IRISH MISS pretty much summed it up for me! An enjoyable opening for the week.
Copy Editor - When greyhounds are born with grey fur, their color is "blue." Doesn't seem fair, somehow. Also, if clue writers kept it pithy, "cookie" would be OREO most of the time, and SNAP otherwise. "Wind" would be OBOE, and "canal" would suffice for ERIE. But I was a N00B not long ago, and even an early-week puzzle would be nearly impossible at that skill level if clued tersely. Gotta give folks a chance to learn what is trite, and gotta give constructors a challenge to find fresh clues for trite fill.
Moe @ 11:50 ~ Thanks for the CSO and kind words You are most welcome for any modest contribution I may have made. I can't say for certain that this puzzle rings a bell with me, but my memory isn't what it used to be either. FWIW, I think Horse Power was a great themer, but perhaps Patti nixed it because the clue is for a novel, rather than an in the language phrase?
First thing I thought when I saw today’s byline was “hey I know that guy!” (Kinda). Thanks C-Moe for the nice start to the CW week! LOU Gehrig, (Iron Man), one of the all time greats, played in 2,130 straight games, the record till broken by Cal Ripken Jr. Lou knew his fate, but he still stood in front of a packed Yankee Stadium and told the fans he was “the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Pride of the Yankees ~ great movie with Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright.
Jinx ~ had an even par 71 this morning (in a scramble cuz there’s no way I do that myself).
Saw the SO to all the ANONs, but there’s only one SS and kk, (some of the other ones I find annoying cuz all they do is complain).
CanadianEh! 🇨🇦 ~ thanks for defining a romal, but you made me look up “quirt” 😂
Sumdaze ~ always enjoy your Monday blog, the bouquet toss was a hoot!,
I wholeheartedly add my praise and thanks to Chris Gross for a fine puzzle and to sumdaze for a fine review. I also heartily agree that we should not test others' love for us. And whoever it was who called jealousy the Green-Eyed Monster was right.
What a fun, easy way to start the week! Thank you, Chris G., for the puzzle and to Sumdaze for the entertaining write-up!
I didn't catch on to the theme until Sumdaze explained it, as usual for me. Cute!
My favorite clue/answer: 25 Across. "Never in a million years!": WHEN PIGS FLY. Cincinnati was a major supplier of pork in the past. "This how the flying pig became so ubiquitous as a city symbol. It seemed to have started with a 1988 sculpture by British artist Andrew Leicester, who topped a 1988, city-bicentennial installation of four smokestacks (a callback to Cincinnati’s river history) with four winged pigs. But, according to the Enquirer, this sculpture drew from the city’s past, symbolizing “Cincinnati’s pork processing history – and the pigs’ ascent into heaven.” Cincinnati was indeed once a major pork-processing center — along with the more-regal nickname “the Queen City,” it has also been known as “Porkopolis." (from the Cincinnati Enquirer, August 31,2021) Cincinnati has embraced the idea of the "Flying Pigs". We have the Flying Pig Marathon and accompanying events and hosted the Big Pig Gig art installation. Here are some pictures of flying pigs!
It's a beautiful day here today, 74*, blue skies, birds singing, a great spring day. Tomorrow we get thunderstorms, cooler temps, back to late winter. I'm enjoying it while we have it.
Have a great week, everyone!
I liked reading your Cincinnati/Pig's Fly trivia, Pat!
Pat - thanks! I lived in a Cincinnati suburb for 19 (1993-2012) years so it was nice to see your comments about the Queen City!
Pat, I had forgotten about Cincy being "hog heaven." I learned it from Michener's Texas, in which Cincy played an important role in getting the early settlers down river. All I personally remember are Crosley Field, Carew Tower, Dreamland, Coney Island (a swimming pool sporting the motto "you don't stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing"), Shillito's, learning that chili with spaghetti is cheaper than straight chili, and (I think) Chock-Full-O-Nuts. City downtowns were vibrant, relatively safe places in those days. I was about 10 in those days, IIRC.
Oh yeah, I also remember that my sister's college roommate was a huge Reds fan. Her nickname was Vada for Vada Pinson, her favorite and one of the all-time great Reds players.
Pat, thanks. I did not know of the big pig gig. Fun. We also had a record setting day here in Chicago. I chose to work in my gardens today rather than going golfing. The course was packed! I think everybody and their brother was there. :>)
Tomorrow is supposed to be another record-setter, and then we are supposed to have snow on Wednesday. From the 70s to the 30s in one day! That's just crazy for here.
Just remember...when pigs fly, EVERYONE will carry an umbrella!
Pat @ 3:07 -- Re: Porcine Propulsion: Swinehilda in her tutu a perfect exemplar of municipal, er, ah, yes, that's it ... municipal pork.
Congratulations,Chris! A well constructed and enjoyable puzzle.
Do I hear an echo in here?
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