Theme: "Academic Clubs" - Each group-ending common phrase is punnily rephrased as if it's a club for some majors.
23A. Club for music majors?: INSTRUMENT PANEL.
36A. Club for geology majors?: HEAVY METAL BAND.
56A. Club for astronomy majors?: HEAVENLY BODY.
80A. Club for paleontology majors?: SKELETON CREW.
99A. Club for philosophy majors?: REFLECTING POOL.
116A. Club for botany majors?: FLOWER GATHERING.
15D. Club for genealogy majors?: BIRTHDAY PARTY.
55D. Club for urban planning majors?: TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
Good
to see Amy's byline again. She was a frequent Sunday constructor a
few years ago. For those who are new, Katie Hale is the assistant to
Patti Varol. She has been generously helping many constructors with
their themes and grids. Here's Katie (picture from Gary's blog)
Across:
1. Sorrowful sigh: ALAS.
5. Crude cartel since 1960: OPEC.
9. Blue, in Barcelona: AZUL. Alliteration.
13. Shady plot: ARBOR.
18. Actress Sorvino: MIRA. She speaks Chinese.
19. City in Victor Hugo novels: PARIS.
21. "Catch ya later!": CIAO.
22. Jazz singer Cleo: LAINE.
26. Agent concerned with spots: AD REP.
27. Heredity units: GENES.
28. Causing shudders, maybe: EERIE.
29. Key holder, often: JANITOR. Nice clue.
31. Was successful in: WON AT.
32. YouTube alternative: VIMEO.
34. Stage name intro: AKA.
35. "How tragic": OH NO. And 33. "How tragic": IT'S SAD.
40. Still in the sack: ABED.
42. Monogram on some high-end handbags: YSL.
43. Many corny jokes: PUNS.
44. Go on the lam: BOLT.
46. Biblical name of ancient Syria: ARAM. Root of Aramaic spoken in "The Passion of the Christ".
48. "__ Christ Superstar": JESUS.
49. Makes a connection: TIES IN.
51. Howled loudly: BAYED.
53. Wasatch Mountains ski town: ALTA.
59. Standard: PAR. And
60. Standards: NORMS.
62. __ jockey: DISC.
63. Rough guess: STAB.
64. Vague quantity: ANY.
65. Like extreme measures: DRASTIC.
68. Reebok rival: ASICS. Dr. Nina's favorite brand.
71. New citizen, perhaps: EMIGREE.
73. NFL flag thrower: REF.
74. Dull pain: ACHE. 76. Treat 74-Acrosses, maybe: SOAK.
78. Wee: BITSY.
79. Christmas helper: ELF.
85. Storage unit: BYTE. Computer storage.
86. __ station: WEIGH.
88. Music industry drama series starring Taraji P. Henson: EMPIRE.
89. NAACP __ Awards: IMAGE.
91. Cold, slushy treat: ICEE.
92. Nemo's home: REEF.
93. Mystery writer Paretsky: SARA. From Ames, Iowa.
94. Victoria's Secret purchase: BRA.
97. Haggler's concern: COST.
104. Middle Eastern title: EMIR.
106. Short greetings: HIS.
108. How tempura is fried: IN OIL. I love shrimp tempura the most.
109. Scrooge visitor: GHOST.
110. Come really close to: VERGE ON.
112. African language family: BANTU.
114. Square: PLAZA.
115. Spanish folk hero: EL CID.
121. Pass along: RELAY.
122. British aristocrat: EARL.
123. Changed direction, nautically: YAWED.
124. Uber Eats display: MENU.
125. Many first-time voters: TEENS.
126. Some bourbons: RYES.
127. Cincinnati ballclub: REDS. Pete Rose continues to bet in Las Vegas. Signing autographs at Mandalay Bay. His full-time job there.
128. Chariot-riding god: ARES.
Down:
2. Legalese and computerese: LINGOES.
3. Longtime Tottenham football rival: ARSENAL.
4. GPS tech: SATNAV. Satellite Navigation.
5. Bloom County penguin: OPUS.
6. "I Said a Prayer" singer Tillis: PAM.
7. Browning's before: ERE. I love love stories.
8. Show place: CINEMA.
9. Smoothie berry: ACAI.
10. Online pub: ZINE.
11. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE.
12. Texter's "I didn't mean that :)": LOL JK. Just Kidding.
13. Rickman of "Die Hard": ALAN.
14. Time of Roosevelt's fireside chats: RADIO ERA.
16. Walk result, maybe: ONE ON.
17. Brief copy: REPRO.
20. Kind of drum or guitar: STEEL.
24. Enter again: RE-TYPE.
25. "Not my __": PROB.
30. Moody's top bond rating: AAA.
31. Question of motive: WHY.
32. Wedding planner's concern: VENUE.
34. Freestyle raps: ADLIBS.
37. "Go faster, huskies!": MUSH. A few sled dog races in Minnesota were canceled due to our warm weather. Odd winter.
38. Genesis figure: ABEL.
39. Like some neighbors: NOSY.
41. Highchair wear: BABY BIB.
45. Safe IRA option: T NOTE.
47. Most lowdown: MEANEST.
48. Some spreads: JAMS.
49. Hardy title character: TESS. "Tess of the d'Urbervilles".
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50. Sharp front tooth: INCISOR.
52. Systane target: DRY EYE.
53. "Bizarre Foods" host Zimmern: ANDREW. He's based in Minnesota.
54. Singing nymph of the Rhine: LORELEI.
57. Passing through: VIA.
58. Three Gorges structure: DAM. Called San Xia in Chinese. San means "three".
61. Stockpiles: STASHES.
66. "I'm not eating that!": ICK.
67. Merriment: CHEER.
69. Baskin-Robbins treat: CONE. And 111. "Grand" ice cream: EDYS.
70. Word with ink or egg: SAC.
72. Barb: GIBE.
75. Sticky brand: ELMERS.
77. Governor Noem of South Dakota: KRISTI. She looks like a TV news host.
81. Olympic sword: EPEE.
82. Petty squabble: TIFF.
83. Inbox buildup: EMAIL.
84. Alert: WARN.
87. Architectural style between 1714 and 1830: GEORGIAN.
90. Bunch of honkers: GAGGLE.
94. Stronger, as mixed drinks: BOOZIER.
95. Cash of country: ROSANNE.
96. Ctrl-__-Del: ALT.
98. Albeit, briefly: THO.
100. Dash or slash: LINE. Love this clue also.
101. Diary passage: ENTRY.
102. Mountain lion: COUGAR.
103. Big __: drug industry, colloquially: PHARMA.
104. Tennis great Chris: EVERT.
105. Fracas: MELEE.
107. Conclude: INFER.
112. Cause of some nodding: BORE.
113. Shoemaker's tools: AWLS.
114. Many profs: PHDS.
117. Install, as brick: LAY.
118. Bedazzle: AWE.
119. Sam player on "Cheers": TED.
120. "Breaking Bad" villain Fring: GUS.
40 comments:
I have only two things
to say about this puzzle:
(1) I agree with SS’s comment the other day that textspeak should be banned from our crosswords
(2) I was glad to see my “main man,” Jesus, in the puzzle for once
Other than that, I’ll just say FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Gave up on yesterday's puzzle, but was able to complete this one...almost. Thought the Spanish blue color would be AZUR, giving me the nonsensical ROLJK. But LOLJK looks just as nonsensical. The theme was cute. Thanx, Amy, Katie, and C.C.
Good morning all. I caught the theme immediately but didn't FIR, a DNF today. The NE stumped me with the unknown LOLJK, which wouldn't give me a toehold for JANITOR. I tried AD MAN and OH MY and got stuck. ONE ON, OH NO, and REPRO did not have a chance. No other problems other than the usual unknowns filled by perps. VIMEO, ARAM, SARA, GUS, EMPIRE-
TEENS don't have the sense to know who to vote for. They don't even take civics these days.
I thought EMIGREE was spelled EMIGRE.
Agree with Subgenius-"(1) I agree with SS’s comment the other day that textspeak should be banned from our crosswords"
Have a nice day. Outta here,
FIW, like DO I had AZUr. insta->VIMEO, dogma->NORMS, mel->AMY, ivan->ALAN, amasses->STASHES, and cristy->KRISTI. Or as I refer to her, Governor Hottie.
Today is:
NATIONAL ANTHEM DAY (please don’t kneel or turn your back, even though it is your right to do so)
NATIONAL SOUP IT FORWARD DAY (deliver a healing pot of your delicious chicken noodle or split pea to a family or friend. Another johnny-come-lately “day”)
NATIONAL I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY DAY (we're not individually responsible for others' happiness, but we do play a role in spreading joy and good cheer)
NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY (there is a cold cut for everyone. Well, everyone except the vegetarians)
FINISHER'S MEDAL DAY (I’m pretty sure that this Frank Sinatra tune is their theme song)
NATIONAL MULLED WINE DAY (sometimes these “days” make me question my sobriety)
I remember a young comedian Gallagher on Johnny Carson. "I went to the doctor about my baldness. He said it's in my GENES. I told him 'no, doc. I've got hair in my jeans, I just don't have hair on my head!'"
I always thought that wearing WalMart neckware with a Hugo Boss suit was a TIE SIN.
Gotta love a British sports team with ARSE in their name.
I've learned a new way to be less crass. I'll just say "I need to get installed." Then maybe look for a willing COUGAR.
Thanks to Amy and Katie for the fun challenge. My favorite was RADIO ERA. Very clever cluing. And thanks to CC for the tour, except that I think you meant to write "just kidding" instead of "just joking."
Good Morning:
This was a very clever and well-executed theme and a very enjoyable solve. There was no junk, although LOL JK, Prob, and Boozier, as clued, were a tad annoying, but those are tiny nits in an otherwise pleasing puzzle. Also pleasing was the low (24) TLW count in a Sunday grid. My favorite themers were Skeleton Crew and Traffic Circle, but they were all good, solid phrases. The only truly unknowns were Aram and Dry Eye, as I have never heard of Systane before. I went astray at Azur/Azul, Manager/Janitor, Return/Retype, and Bra/PJs/Bra. Noticed the hang-dog trio of It's Sad, Alas, and Oh No, plus the kissing cousins of Alt/Alta.
Thanks, Amy and Katie, for a nice Sunday treat and thanks, CC, for your usual sharp-eyed analysis and commentary. An alternate title/theme could be Women's Club, Amy and Katie, Constructors; CC, Blogger; Mira, Tiraji, Sara, Elizabeth, Tess, Kristi, and Rosanne, Members!
Have a great day.
I too thought Spanish for blue was azur. I just googled it and they agree, azur is Spanish for sky blue. And I also agree that text speak should not be in crosswords. So technically, I FIW. But I do not believe I did!
I got the theme early on and enjoyed figuring them out. But this puzzle on its own merits didn't have any!
I agree with the first line of IM’s☘️ comment ⬆️⬆️. A standard Sunday grid with just the right amount of crunch, fair cluing and some givens which always help with the unknowns. FIR in 27:57. “Bunch” of honkers: “GAGGLE” perfectly fit the theme. We’ve seen Victor Hugo two days in a row. I think with the proliferation of texting as a form of communication we’d better get used to seeing textese or textspeak in CW’s. Thank you Amy and Katie for the morning treat! Nice photo Katie, lovely curls!
C.C. ~ Always enjoy your Sunday write-ups! The sled dog races were cancelled in Upper Michigan for the second year in a row due to lack of snow, which a few short years ago would have been unheard of in early February.
Copy Editor,
Go to yesterday's blog; I sent you a message at 9:53 PM re Art Fleming and Jeopardy.
Took 18:29 today to get in the club.
I didn't know several of the proper names today: Kristi, Aram, Laine, Andrew, Pam, Roseanne, Alta, etc., but I knew a few others: Jesus, Tess, Ted, Evert, & Alan.
Like Ms. Irish Miss, I went bra then PJs (Cash had to be some spelling of Johnny, right?) then back to bra.
I'm glad to see the anti-text speak movement is gaining traction.
Next, we'll all rally against the circles!
I learned this week (in the premier episode of Elsbeth) I'm showing my age by putting two spaces after the period in a text message. I also learned on WWDTM that it's now OK to end a sentence with a preposition. (This is an outrage up with which I shall not put!) Thirdly, I learned on today's NPR Weekend Edition that Will Shortz suffered a stroke in early February, and that's why he's been missing from the show's puzzle segment. It's been an educational week.
No Comment Today...
Oh and one other thing ~ I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word BITSY not preceded by ITSY. “Itsy-bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini”, ear worm of the day.
AZUL is just plain blue in Spanish. AZUR is the color of the sky, azure in English.
FIW, I was caught in the AZUr/AZUL trap as well. Interestingly, so did Irish Miss. Almost went wrong at REF.ECTionPOOL but I recouped with REFLECTINGPOOL.
Once the theme was clear, it helped a lot with the solve. Liked that two of the theme entries were in the down category.
A salute to Amy and Katie for their clever theme and to C.C. for the reveal.
I've gotta a loverly buncha coconuts, and I'm gonna throw 'em atcha.
Brambles
Oh no you don't. I hear thar song too often on SiriusXM.
An EMIGREE is a female EMIGRE.
Here's one that may be the 4th thing you didn't know: sharks have been around longer than trees. They also predate dinosaurs.
This is my kind of CW, clever, fun, slightly crunchy, but doable, well almost, I got all tangled up in the center and forgot to return to it to get VIA, ASICS, probably because I spelt KRISTI with a C.
I agree, no more text speak.
My dear SIL named Claire was given the nickname BITSY as a child.
Thank you C.C. for the recap.
The NE corner took me quite a while, but eventually I got it. The Theme definitely helped with this puzzle overall. My only quibble would be that Wool Gathering would have made a better clue and answer over Flower Gathering in the construction.
While we're at it, names crossing with other names really should be banned!
Thanks Amy and Katie for a clever Sunday offering.
It had just enough crunch and a few misdirections; plus some unknowns but the perps were fair and most of the cluing was solid.
I think text speak is ok for crosswords as most of us add it to our comments IMHO
However, todays LOLJK was a bit of a stretch but was sussed out by the perps.
I FIR and enjoyed the solve.
….. kkForida
Musings
-Me too, Big Easy, the NE corner about did me in but ARBOR jumped out to replace OASIS and ATRIA and JANITOR went in for MANAGER and they unlocked RADIO ERA which was a great revelation.
-Completion anxiety drove me on!
-A former student’s beauty queen appearance served her well as an AD REP
-Modern slang for “He has BOLTED” is “He’s in the wind”.
-The lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar really affected me
-PAR on a golf course is more like a rating than a NORM
-An NFL REF has had a good day when on one remembers his name
-When we were on the RHINE, I listened intently but ALAS…
-Covid caused a lot of people to STASH toilet paper
-This morning I got a response to an EMAIL I sent two months ago
-Gus Fring hid his sinister side much more than Hans Gruber in Die Hard
-Is there any irony in the distaste for texting initials here when we have a ample supply of our own? :-)
Husker Gary's comment is spot on: our solvers can TITT but not take a JK!
Today's puzzle was very difficult for me, but I FIR on paper without cheating. The northeast corner was brutal. For one thing, the relationship of BIRTHDAY to genealogy is a little weak, IMO.
Still, if I can FIR without knowing all the names, I consider it a fair game. Well done, Amy, Katie, and Patti! Many thanks to C.C. for the review and for providing this REFLECTING POOL.
DO said "I'm showing my age by putting two spaces after the period in a text message." Actually, you're showing your age by using a period in a text message. Period. Full stop. No one knows what the historians among today's youth will write, but we do know that it will feature poor grammar and no punctuation.
Wasn't it the diminutive seamstress BITSY Ross who sewed the first flag?
Thank you, Amy and Katie for this very fun, slightly crunchy puzzle. It was certainly no gimme, but it allowed places to hook on and suss it out from there. Several clever themers added to the fun, and much of the fill was sparkling , to borrow an adjective from IM.
Irish Miss, I have to use Systane drops for my dry eye every day, unfortunately, so that clue was a gimme.
FLN - one of the Anonymouses - please don’t knock “left coast mentality”. Many of us Cornerites who live there take issue with that perjorative remark.
Have a great Sunday everyone!
Hand up the Northwest nearly had me TITT. Hand up no idea about TEXT-speak. I type on real keyboards only. No idea about ALAN, LAINE or ARAM. Hand up stuck with MANAGER before JANITOR and AD MAN before AD REP. But I knew Patti would not allow a MAN in an answer. FIR!
Here I was happy to photograph the tomb of VICTOR HUGO in PARIS.
He lies in the crypt in the basement of the Pantheon. I included a photo of the ground floor above the crypt.
YooperPhil Yes, I felt VICTOR HUGO deserved a photo after appearing two days in a row.
Something happened to my comment, so here I go again.
I enjoyed this puzzle very much and FIR on paper. The themers were clever, and the fill was sparkling (to borrow a description from I.M.). Some of the clues seemed to be pointed toward me - I bought a pair of ASICS two days ago; I have to use Systane drops daily for DRY EYE , an unfortunately common after effect of catarect surgery; we have skiied ALTA several times; we sailed past The LORELEI on a cruise on the Rhine; finally, a bit of a reach, but I am from Ann ARBOR. Thanks, Amy and Katie, for a fun outing, and thanks, C.C. for the always interesting tour. How’s the swimming going?
I meant Northeast not Northwest.
I also meant to say that I very much enjoyed the ACADEMIC CLUBS theme.
Thank you Amy and Katie for a doable, THO slightly tricky in places, Sunday puzzle. Cozy theme!
And thank you for your review C.C., especially your theme explication.
A few favs:
9A AZUL. DNK the Spanish for BLUE,but figured that 12D probably started with LOL.
29A JANITOR. This one had me stumped for a while, but I finally stumbled on it in order to keep those bond ratings up to AAA.
34A AKA. Struggled with this one for a while too. I guess it protects show-biz people's privacy.
48A JESUS. Fill we don't see very often in crosswords. I'm glad A&K found a way to sneak it in. Was 56A HEAVENLY BODY and Easter Egg?
63A STAB. An 81D can be used to do this deed.
108A IN OIL. We love Shrimp tempura too C.C.! In fact we're getting Shrimp tempura rolls with our sushi order tonight.
90D GAGGLE. GEESE was too short, but this eventually WADDLED in.
95D ROSANNE. Daughter of legend Johnny CASH.
103D PHARMA. RANT BEGIN: They've been under a lot of pressure lately to clean up their act, not just for OPIOIDS, but for other drugs as well. Over 3 years ago the gummit said they had to lower their price on ELIQUIS (a stroke preventative for those with AFIB) from $350/mo list to something reasonable, but that hasn't happened. It's apparently cheaper to pay a GAGGLE of lawyers to fight it in court than to give up those profits. Latest estimate for a generic April Fools Day, 2028. :RANT END.
Cheers,
Bill
Even after perp'ing ARAM I did not make the connection with Aramaic. Doh! Thanks, C.C. It if ever shows up again I won't have to perp it.
I enjoyed this puzzle and enjoyed reading all your comments.
Le Marlin AZUL is a seafood restaurant located in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. We have eaten there many times.
Good wishes to you all.
Right on!
Hola!
I'm late to the party today but is it ever entertaining! Your comments, that is. I agree that the level of difficulty was raised today. Usually Sunday puzzles are less challenging. The NE was especially so. However, I've filled Cleo LAINE in many puzzles so that was a good start.
And yes, AZUL is blue in Spanish. That was my first fill today quickly followed by OPEC, ALAS, and MIRA whose name always reminds me of the movie, "Mighty Aphrodite".
I also liked all the theme answers. And it's nice that Arizona resident Chris EVERT is still remembered and immortalized in puzzles.
I hope all are enjoying a good Sunday!
Fun & challenging Sunday. FIW because of guesses; RETRO and RADIO EVE.
For the azul/azur confusion, some people may be thinking of Italian, where the word for blue is azzurro. Their national soccer team is called the Azzurri because they wear blue uniforms (for some reason).
Thank You Amy Johnson and katie Hale for a long involved, and very challenging Sunday CW> The beginnings on the NE and NW corner were very difficult and I didnt think I could complete them, but miracles of miracles, ... I did, anyway.
The theme wa complicated, altho I eventually saw the reason for it all.
Thank YOU CC for your explanatory blog.
Thank You Picard, for the picture of the ground floor of the Pantheon. Its been ages, since we visited Paris. I also remember visiting Napoleon's tomb ... altho his contributions to the French and world history, has me in mixed emotions. Although a great general, or very lucky one, he caused immense misery, especially for the French peoples, with his numerous wars and battles and bankrupted France, BUt, He United Italy ( more of less - ) ... had a disaster in Russia etc. and enacted a legal code that lives even in Louisiana, here in the US. But, he's a hero, more or less, I guess.
I apologise deeply for the politics in the above statement !!!??? Really ... Sorry.
I am also surprised why the word 'Jesus' is not normally allowed in CWs. Is this how we show our 'secular' leanings ?? How come Roman Gods, Hindu Gods and Buddha are allowed ??
T-NOTES::: When I first came to the US in the early 1970's .... the corporate bonds of AT&T were rated higher than those of the US Govt. !!! No kidding ... they had no long term debt, and no deficit financing .... and they had a monopoly in telephony ...
Have a great weekend, you all.
Waseely, I fully agree with you on the pricing and the 'profit' ratios on big pharmaceutical drugs.
The number of miracle drugs invented in this country has been, absolutely miraculous. !!
The prices of drugs and ..... even over-the-counter meds in the US is absolutely scandalous....
I just found out the price of a 'newish' drug, Entresto (ARNI ) - a med for post-heart failure survivors, an ArNi --- Angio-tensin Receptor -Neprilysin Inihibitor ... is unbelievable.
...Unless you're on Medicaid and or complete Medicare AND Medicaid.
It is 72% cheaper in Canada, and 89% cheaper in India .... go figure...
But, again, ... no politics on this blog....
Plus a majority of my extended family are in Healthcare, and 4 in the big Pharma ... Eli Lilly, Novartis and Janssen. But still....
Some bad news and good news. I just read on my Google feed that Will Shortz suffered a stroke on February 4th. Apparently he is recovering well and gave an interview to NPR, which hosts his Sunday Puzzle program.
Vidwan @ 5:21 PM I don't know that the usage of JESUS' name is "not allowed", just that it's seems rare. The context for this was "______ Christ Superstar", a secular rock musical. IIRC the latter wasn't particularly disrespectful, but I don't think we see His name used in a religious sense, e.g. "Who was the subject of John 3:15". OTOH, see today's 46A! There are many more references however in crosswords to the Old Testament (AKA The Hebrew Bible), e.g. to the Psalms and various prophets.
DO @ 10:00 ~ I learned two things today, both from you.
1) It's Elsbeth, not Elspeth which I had mistakenly assumed since her appearances in The Good Wife.
2) That the pilot episode had already run on Thursday night.
I watched the first episode earlier via On Demand and, to be honest, I can't help but wonder if her quirkiness and exaggerated antics will become tiresome in large doses. I'm also not fond of the format of knowing the perpetrator right off the bat. Oh, well, time will tell.
Bill @ 6:30 ~ Thanks for the encouraging update on Will Shortz.
Thanks to Amy and Katie for their clever Sunday challenge! Count me as one of your "groupies".
I did get a FIR but only after finally sussing LOLJK which then led to JANITOR which sealed the deal in the NE.
Thanks to C.C. for taking us through the clues!
Healing wishes going out to Will Shortz!
I still don't get ONE ON for "Walk result." I'd never seen REPRO. Clever puzzle, leaving me a big white NE.
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