Games People Play
Our constructors today, Alan Massengill and Doug Peterson,
clue their themers with 4 leading questions about popular game shows,
resulting in 4 in the language phrases. No stars, circles, or reveal
...
17. Mistake by a contestant on "The Price Is Right"?: COST OVERRUN. "The Price Is Right"
is an American television game show where contestants compete by
guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. Contestants
are selected from the studio audience: the announcer calls their name,
inviting them to "Come on down!", the show's famous catchphrase.
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Here's the grid ...
Across:
1. Entrepreneur Blakely who founded Spanx: SARA. Spanx, Inc. is an American underwear maker focusing on shaping briefs and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The company manufactures mainly pantyhose and other underwear for women and, since 2010, produces male underwear as well. Spanx specializes in foundation garments intended to make people appear thinner or more shapely -- and they're also onomatopoetic! 😀
5. Mischievous kids: SCAMPS. One of the most notorious SCAMPS in history is Till Eulenspiegel. His life is memorialized in this brief tone poem by Richard Strauss entitled Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks. Things do not go well for him in the end, but his spirit lives on ...
11. Personal pronoun: SHE.
14. Malevolence: EVIL. We were visited by EVIL in last Thursday's puzzle. One of the things that Hannah Arendt taught us about it is its banality, i.e. its commonness. Today marks the commemoration of the Christian saints Perpetua and Felicity, women who were martyred for the entertainment of Roman emperor Septimius Severus during his birthday party in 203 AD.
15. 7UP nickname, with "the": UNCOLA.
16. Male cat: TOM.
.
17. [Theme clue]
19. "__ bet!": YOU.
20. Blazer fabric: TWEED. Fabric created on a 44A.
21. Betty or Veronica: TEEN. Spin offs from the Archie Comics series.
22. Edelweiss range: ALPS. Edelweiss is not an area in the ALPS, but a region where the flower is particularly abundant. It is also the name of this song made famous by Roger's and Hammerstein's Sound of Music.
23. __ Bravo: RIO. Rio Bravo is a 1959 American Western film directed and produced by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ward Bond. Here's Get Along Home Cindy sung by Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan and Dean Martin.
25. Like neither Jack nor Jill, apparently: AGILE.
32. Chinese tea: CHA. The etymology of words for tea.
34. Quaint 19-Across?: THOU. "Thou bet" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
35. Computer shortcut: MACRO. A macro is an automated input sequence that imitates keystrokes or mouse actions and can be invoked with a single CTRL key. A macro is typically used to replace a repetitive series of keyboard and mouse actions and used often in spreadsheets and word processing applications like MS Excel and MS Word. MACROS are also used to encapsulate logic in some programming languages.
36. Scratchy sound: RASP.
38. Pecks and pounds: UNITS.
41. Rocky __: ROAD. Lots of things answered this clue/fill including an ice cream, a confection made of chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts and one of the roads to Dublin ...
42. "For sure!": OH YES.
44. Textile machine: LOOM. A LOOM is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but the basic function is the same.
46. 70-Across's div.: NLE. National League East
47. [Theme clue]
51. "Bring it!": TRY ME.
52. Wee bit: TAD.
53. "Uptown Funk" singer Bruno: MARS. Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. Very funky!
55. North African seaport: ORAN. ORAN is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is 432 km (268 mi) west-southwest from Algiers. The total population of the city was 803,329 in 2008, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second-largest city in Algeria.
58. Royal bride's accessory: TIARA.
62. Common verb: ARE.
63. [Theme clue]
65. Small pedestal: TEE. Cute. 😀
66. Bully: MEANIE. This particular variety is blue ...
67. Farm grunt: OINK.
68. Topper: HAT.
69. Lest: UNLESS.
70. 2019 World Series champs: NATS. The Washington Nationals.
Down:
1. Ticket abbr.: SECT.
2. Profess without shame: AVOW. If you wanted AVER this might help.
3. Stand up: RISE.
4. Sizes up, maybe: ALTERS.
5. Explorer, e.g.: SUV. It takes a stomping and keeps on romping ...
6. Tech review site: CNET. Their motto is "Your guide to a better future" and maybe "the more things you have the better!".
7. Good-sized building site: ACRE.
8. Mad scientist in an H.G. Wells classic: MOREAU. The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection.
9. Drop like a stone: PLUNGE.
10. Hokkaido honorific: SAN. E.g. Cho Cho SAN, the honorable Madama Butterfly. Her last words were "If you cannot live with honor, you must die with honor". Here she is waiting for the beautiful day (Un bel dì, vedremo) when her faithless husband returns to Nagasaki to retrieve "his" child ,accompanied by his "American wife" ...
11. Billy Porter and Lady Gaga, for two: STYLE ICONS.
12. Earring shape: HOOP.
13. Some native Australians: EMUS. The first time I've heard it clued this way.
18. Pindar, for one: ODIST. Pindar (Greek: Πίνδαρος; Latin: Pindarus; c. 518 BC – c. 438 BC) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar is by far the greatest, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich exuberance of his language and matter, and his rolling flood of eloquence, characteristics which, as Horace rightly held, make him inimitable. Here is one of his victory odes ..
22. Communion table: ALTAR. Here is the high ALTAR at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore where we attend Mass ...
24. Birthplace of 53-Across: OAHU. Bruno Mars.
26. Doctrine: ISM.
27. Financial independence: EASY STREET.
28. Hither and __: YON.
29. Patterned spread: QUILT. Here's a QUILT created by Teri's sister Rose ...
30. Face-to-face exam: ORAL. I wonder if the face-to-face exams at Gallaudet University are DIGITAL?
31. Lymph __: NODE. Lymph NODES are a part of the Lymphatic System, a group of organs, vessels and tissues that protect you from infection and keep a healthy balance of fluids throughout your body. Lymphatic system organs include your bone marrow, thymus and lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes are a sign of common infections, like strep throat, but also more serious diseases like cancer.
32. Footwear sometimes decorated with charms: CROC. Here's a pair for little Taylor Swift fans ...
33. "I got it": HA HA.
37. Jury makeup: PEERS.
39. Excessively: TOO.
40. Database command: SORT. In SQL, the most common database language, records are SORTED with the ORDER BY clause. Here is a list of the basic SQL commands.
43. Reserved: SHY. Also in debt.
45. Mazda two-seater: MIATA. Review of the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata
48. Wide receiver's shout: IM OPEN.
49. Episodic story: SERIAL.
50. New Jersey township named for an inventor: EDISON. EDISON is a township located in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 1876, Thomas Edison set up his home and research laboratory in a neighborhood called "Menlo Park". While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park". Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the phonograph, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, the incandescent light bulb, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.
53. "Do the __!": MATH.
54. Quarter: AREA.
56. Photographer Geddes: ANNE. Anne Elizabeth Geddes MNZM* (born 1956) is an Australian-born, New York City-based portrait photographer known primarily for her elaborately-staged photographs of infants. Here's her website.
57. CBS maritime drama: NCIS. NCIS
is an American military police procedural television series and the
first installment in the NCIS media franchise. The series revolves
around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service,
combining elements of the military drama and police procedural genres
with comedy. Here's an extended trailer for the 2024 season that also
contains a bit of history for the entire series.
59. K2 locale: ASIA. K2, at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) above sea level, is the second-highest mountain in ASIA (and also on Earth), after Mount Everest at 8,849 metres (29,032 ft). Here are some rest stops on the way up ...
60. Lease: RENT.
61. Is inquisitive: ASKS.
63. Eric Dickerson's alma mater: Abbr.: SMU. Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University and was recognized as an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. During his NFL career, he rushed for over 13,000 yards. He holds the NFL's single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards, set in 1984. Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and, in 2019, was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. He wore prescription goggles throughout his career due to myopia ...
64. Primus lead singer Claypool: LES. Primus is an American rock band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist LES Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. To describe them as strange would be a bit of an understatement. One interesting thing about them is that they do a lot of purely instrumental work and remind me a little of the modern German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen (of whom I am not a big fan!). I had trouble connecting with their work, but finally found this recent opus. Here is the first 5 minutes or so of Conspiranoia (2022) ...
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
1. Entrepreneur Blakely who founded Spanx: SARA. Spanx, Inc. is an American underwear maker focusing on shaping briefs and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The company manufactures mainly pantyhose and other underwear for women and, since 2010, produces male underwear as well. Spanx specializes in foundation garments intended to make people appear thinner or more shapely -- and they're also onomatopoetic! 😀
 |
| Sara Blakely |
11. Personal pronoun: SHE.
14. Malevolence: EVIL. We were visited by EVIL in last Thursday's puzzle. One of the things that Hannah Arendt taught us about it is its banality, i.e. its commonness. Today marks the commemoration of the Christian saints Perpetua and Felicity, women who were martyred for the entertainment of Roman emperor Septimius Severus during his birthday party in 203 AD.
16. Male cat: TOM.
.
17. [Theme clue]
19. "__ bet!": YOU.
20. Blazer fabric: TWEED. Fabric created on a 44A.
21. Betty or Veronica: TEEN. Spin offs from the Archie Comics series.
23. __ Bravo: RIO. Rio Bravo is a 1959 American Western film directed and produced by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, and Ward Bond. Here's Get Along Home Cindy sung by Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan and Dean Martin.
25. Like neither Jack nor Jill, apparently: AGILE.
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
He went to bed to mend his head,
With vinegar and brown paper
27. [Theme clue]As fast as he could caper,
He went to bed to mend his head,
With vinegar and brown paper
32. Chinese tea: CHA. The etymology of words for tea.
.svg.png) |
| Tea |
35. Computer shortcut: MACRO. A macro is an automated input sequence that imitates keystrokes or mouse actions and can be invoked with a single CTRL key. A macro is typically used to replace a repetitive series of keyboard and mouse actions and used often in spreadsheets and word processing applications like MS Excel and MS Word. MACROS are also used to encapsulate logic in some programming languages.
36. Scratchy sound: RASP.
38. Pecks and pounds: UNITS.
41. Rocky __: ROAD. Lots of things answered this clue/fill including an ice cream, a confection made of chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts and one of the roads to Dublin ...
42. "For sure!": OH YES.
44. Textile machine: LOOM. A LOOM is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but the basic function is the same.
 |
| A simple treadle floor loom. |
46. 70-Across's div.: NLE. National League East
47. [Theme clue]
51. "Bring it!": TRY ME.
52. Wee bit: TAD.
53. "Uptown Funk" singer Bruno: MARS. Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and rock. Very funky!
55. North African seaport: ORAN. ORAN is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is 432 km (268 mi) west-southwest from Algiers. The total population of the city was 803,329 in 2008, while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second-largest city in Algeria.
58. Royal bride's accessory: TIARA.
 |
| Princess Diana 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997 |
63. [Theme clue]
65. Small pedestal: TEE. Cute. 😀
66. Bully: MEANIE. This particular variety is blue ...
68. Topper: HAT.
69. Lest: UNLESS.
70. 2019 World Series champs: NATS. The Washington Nationals.
Down:
1. Ticket abbr.: SECT.
2. Profess without shame: AVOW. If you wanted AVER this might help.
3. Stand up: RISE.
4. Sizes up, maybe: ALTERS.
5. Explorer, e.g.: SUV. It takes a stomping and keeps on romping ...
6. Tech review site: CNET. Their motto is "Your guide to a better future" and maybe "the more things you have the better!".
7. Good-sized building site: ACRE.
8. Mad scientist in an H.G. Wells classic: MOREAU. The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island home of Doctor Moreau, a mad scientist who creates human-like hybrid beings from animals via vivisection.
 |
| First Edition Cover |
10. Hokkaido honorific: SAN. E.g. Cho Cho SAN, the honorable Madama Butterfly. Her last words were "If you cannot live with honor, you must die with honor". Here she is waiting for the beautiful day (Un bel dì, vedremo) when her faithless husband returns to Nagasaki to retrieve "his" child ,accompanied by his "American wife" ...
11. Billy Porter and Lady Gaga, for two: STYLE ICONS.
12. Earring shape: HOOP.
13. Some native Australians: EMUS. The first time I've heard it clued this way.
18. Pindar, for one: ODIST. Pindar (Greek: Πίνδαρος; Latin: Pindarus; c. 518 BC – c. 438 BC) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar is by far the greatest, in virtue of his inspired magnificence, the beauty of his thoughts and figures, the rich exuberance of his language and matter, and his rolling flood of eloquence, characteristics which, as Horace rightly held, make him inimitable. Here is one of his victory odes ..
Creatures of a day! What is anyone?
What is anyone not? A dream of a shadow
Is our mortal being. But when there comes to men
A gleam of splendour given of heaven,
Then rests on them a light of glory
And blessed are their days. (Pythian 8)
What is anyone not? A dream of a shadow
Is our mortal being. But when there comes to men
A gleam of splendour given of heaven,
Then rests on them a light of glory
And blessed are their days. (Pythian 8)
22. Communion table: ALTAR. Here is the high ALTAR at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore where we attend Mass ...
 |
| Cathedral Sanctuary |
24. Birthplace of 53-Across: OAHU. Bruno Mars.
26. Doctrine: ISM.
27. Financial independence: EASY STREET.
28. Hither and __: YON.
29. Patterned spread: QUILT. Here's a QUILT created by Teri's sister Rose ...
 |
| Barn and Windmills |
31. Lymph __: NODE. Lymph NODES are a part of the Lymphatic System, a group of organs, vessels and tissues that protect you from infection and keep a healthy balance of fluids throughout your body. Lymphatic system organs include your bone marrow, thymus and lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes are a sign of common infections, like strep throat, but also more serious diseases like cancer.
37. Jury makeup: PEERS.
39. Excessively: TOO.
40. Database command: SORT. In SQL, the most common database language, records are SORTED with the ORDER BY clause. Here is a list of the basic SQL commands.
43. Reserved: SHY. Also in debt.
45. Mazda two-seater: MIATA. Review of the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata
 |
| 2024 Mazda Miata |
49. Episodic story: SERIAL.
50. New Jersey township named for an inventor: EDISON. EDISON is a township located in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 1876, Thomas Edison set up his home and research laboratory in a neighborhood called "Menlo Park". While there he earned the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park". Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the phonograph, a stock ticker, the motion-picture camera, the incandescent light bulb, a mechanical vote counter, the alkaline storage battery including one for an electric car, and the first commercial electric light.
 |
| Edison Tower A monument to the light bulb? |
54. Quarter: AREA.
56. Photographer Geddes: ANNE. Anne Elizabeth Geddes MNZM* (born 1956) is an Australian-born, New York City-based portrait photographer known primarily for her elaborately-staged photographs of infants. Here's her website.
 |
| Anne Geddes *New Zealand Order of Merit |
59. K2 locale: ASIA. K2, at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) above sea level, is the second-highest mountain in ASIA (and also on Earth), after Mount Everest at 8,849 metres (29,032 ft). Here are some rest stops on the way up ...
61. Is inquisitive: ASKS.
63. Eric Dickerson's alma mater: Abbr.: SMU. Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University and was recognized as an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. During his NFL career, he rushed for over 13,000 yards. He holds the NFL's single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards, set in 1984. Dickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and, in 2019, was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. He wore prescription goggles throughout his career due to myopia ...
 |
| Interesting Instagram posts |
64. Primus lead singer Claypool: LES. Primus is an American rock band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist LES Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. To describe them as strange would be a bit of an understatement. One interesting thing about them is that they do a lot of purely instrumental work and remind me a little of the modern German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen (of whom I am not a big fan!). I had trouble connecting with their work, but finally found this recent opus. Here is the first 5 minutes or so of Conspiranoia (2022) ...
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
51 comments:
Starting off with an obscure name didn’t seem too auspicious, but the puzzle soon settled down into relative ease. I thought the conceit was quite clever and all of the themed answers were simple in-the-language phrases that ended up making intuitive sense. FIR, so I’m happy.
FIR, but erased chi for CHA, alps for ASIA (ALPS would be required elsewhere) and yes Bill, aver for AVOW.
Today is:
NATIONAL HOSPITALIST DAY (try calling your surgeon a hospitalist and let us now how that goes)
NATIONAL CEREAL DAY (breakfast of champions)
NATIONAL FLAPJACK DAY (early lunch of champions)
NATIONAL CROWN ROAST OF PORK DAY (dinner of champions)
This one seemed to be very difficult at first, but then turned out to be pretty easy for a Thursday (YMMV.) Didn't understand CASE HISTORY until coming here and learning the show uses briefCASEs.
Still don't understand why quarter=AREA. I'm thinking that "headquarters" is the area where all the people who head an org work?
EASY STREET, because Patti would never allow F-U MONEY, which is the modern equivalent.
When I run my query for the first time, the data base usually says "I'll do nothing of the SORT."
Off to Fayetteville, NC today for our final night of our 23-24 winter trip.
Thanks to Alan and Doug for the fun challenge, and to Bill 'n' Teri for another great write-up.
Good morning!
Not too difficult for a late week puzzle. Downright solveable. Hand up for AVer/AVOW, but that was the only Wite-Out moment. Thanx, Alan, Doug, waseeley, and Teri. (Do you suppose "Conspiranoia" was so named because they conspire to annoy ya?)
ORAN: Everything I know about this city I learned from The Plague by Albert Camus.
Today is the great central air and furnace change-out. The current units were original to the house and are now 20 years old. Temps today will be in the low 70s, so the work crew shouldn't suffer too much up in the attic. Most of the suffering will occur in the checkbook.
FIR. I found this to be a tad easy for a Thursday. Clever theme and very few proper names, although Sara was nasty at the very start.
And I haven't seen Oran in a puzzle in quite a while. Also there were look-alike answer in alters and altar. Synonyms can be fun.
Overall this was a fun CW and very enjoyable.
Good Morning:
This was a different type of theme and was fun to solve. The strongest and best C/A was Pre show training for a contestant on "Wheel of Fortune"?=Spin Classes, IMO. At one time, Deal or No Deal featured Megan Markle as one of the suitcase ladies. The puzzle was on the easy side for a Thursday, but I needed perps for Sara, Oran, SMU, and Les, all easily filled in. My only w/o was Panel/Peers. Scamps brought you-know-who to mind, (CED, naturally) and Alters/Altar stood out.
Thanks, Alan and Doug, for a satisfying solve and thanks, Bill, for the mini course in so many different disciplines. Thoroughly enjoyed the poignant Edelweiss and the heart-wrenching plaint of Cio Cio San. Great visuals, especially the altar in the Cathedral. Thanks to Teri, as well.
Have a great day.
Took 6:10 today for me to see what the survey says.
I didn't know the Chinese tea or the North African seaport, but I knew K2 was in Asia.
Speaking of today's geography, I think that the quarter/area is illustrated by this: French Quarter = area of NOLA.
I am not a fan of Anne Geddes. Leave those babies alone.
I'm familiar with Sara Blakely. I thought it was great/generous of her that when she sold Spanx, she gifted every employee two first-class airplane tickets to anywhere in the world and $10,000. If you can find video of when she announced it to her employees, it's worth a watch to see the joy and elation on their faces. Very cool.
Clever theme and smooth solve, the unknowns were solved by perps
A few gimmes - Bruno MARS "Uptown Funk" was in the regular rotation of songs a few years back at my cardio dance class
I've had to create a few MACROs in the years since we started electronic medical records back in 2005.
I love ANNE Geddes photos of babies.
I figure anyone with a MIATA must have other cars as they are so impractical.
I wanted toon before TEEN for Betty & Veronica- Archie comics were a favorite in my grade school years
Fun memories of my appearance on Jeopardy! created by Merv Griffin.
Thanks Bill & Teri for a fun, musical blog and Allen & Doug for the puzzle!
It was a struggle to FIR for this non-MEANIE today, starting at 1A for the unknown SARA. The theme was obvious but I had trouble getting CASE- never seen 'Deal, or no Deal"
ALTAR & ALTERS in the same puzzle today.
One ALTERation- MINE to HA HA for "I got it" (thinking of baseball for a pop fly, not a joke).
ORAN- an old crossword staple.
TEEN- wonder how old they really are.
STYLE ICONS- I don't know who Billy Porter is but if Lady Gaga is a style icon, heaven help us.
CROC-it took a while to get that one. I've never bought any because they are too wide for my 12A sized foot.
SMU- one of my best friends was the running back coach for both Eric and Craig James at SMU and was there when SMU's team was killed by the NCAA. I heard all kinds of stories about very rich alumni "donating" all types of things to the team. Trips, cars, and other items that got the SMU football team blackballed.
Despite appearing in, I don't know so let's say 1,000 crossword puzzles, and my looking it up, I don't know so let's say 100 times, I still often forget the difference between AVER and AVOW when confronted with a clue.
Thanks for the informative and entertaining recap, Bill!
Hola
Ole! Ole! I'm in!
This was fun for the most part. SARA was a surprise when it emerged. I knew of her but did not recall her name.
SPIN CLASSES at the gym are something entirely different.
It's too bad that Big Easy has not seen Billy Porter; his reaction would be interesting!
SEE is a small pedestal?
I can think of another clue for MASH as the long running TV show.
ESSAY QUESTIONS are a good assessment of a student's knowledge but reading them is an assessment of the teacher's patience.
Thank you, Alan and Doug for today's fun!
This was a thoughtful, clever and fun puzzle AM and DP. Hard at first and then easier with COST OVERRUN. Wonderful review Bill and Reri, informative and interesting. The Puccini a favorite.
Seat before SECT, series/SERIAL,toon/TEEN. ANNE Geddes, an original and whimsical photographer. Always loved the one of the baby in the cabbage. Didn’t people used to tell their children they found them in the cabbage patch? Another version of the stork delivery.
A friend made beautiful fabric on her LOOM. It was very big and filled up a room in her house. My Mother made many QUILTs for her family and she left one for each of her 10 grandchildren.
Happy day, all!
Lucina@10:19 - Do the MATH - TEE.
My FIR was in doubt when I ended up in the Lake Tahoe area facing a natick -- two dialogue entries (OH, YES and HAHA) whose clues seemed totally nebulous, a recurring gripe of mine with Patti’s editing. It was a natick and a half, really, since CHA was unknown to me despite my purchase of some Oolong yesterday at a large Asian emporium. That and the obscure clue for SARA at 1A (has D-O ever mentioned? . . .) were the only major challenges, although I also didn’t like “bring it” as a clue for TRY ME.
Of course I liked the theme, although I haven’t watched The Price Is Right since Bill Cullen was host, and I’ve never watched Deal Or No Deal and didn’t understand the answer until Bill explained it. I watch Jeopardy and Wheel back-to-back. At this point, I’d rather try my luck on Wheel than attempt a comeback on Jeopardy, largely because most of the contestants on Wheel are lousy players, whereas nearly everyone on Jeopardy these days belongs there. These past 15 years or so of doing 10 crosswords a week have made me a better solver on Wheel.
HOPE THIS GETS FIXED: Hammerstein’s musicals partner was Richard Rodgers, not Rogers, and the apostrophe in his possessive would come after an S, not after the second R.
Musings
-Even starting with obscure SARA and ending with obscure LES could not stay this solver from the completion of his appointed rounds
-Loved the gimmick!
-Recently the correct Jeopardy question for “xe, xem, xyr, ze, zir, zie, fae, and faer” was “What are pronouns?” Comment Irish?
-Ricky Nelson as a menacing character in Rio Bravo was silly but helped at the box office
-Teach all day, no problem. Now after two hours as a sub, my voice gets RASPY.
-I remember a very SHY girl being asked to RISE in geometry class. She did and then fainted.
-The K2 Conga Line
-The NATS soon became horrible as their key players got more money elsewhere
-There’s not a wide receiver in history who never said, “I’M (or I can get) OPEN!”
Good Morning. I cringed when I saw Doug Peterson’s name and knew I’d be in for a tough puzzle. 1A did not disabuse me of that impression, but I eventually finished (with a wee bit of help). Thanks, Alan & Doug.
ESP for Blakely, Geddes, Dickerson and Claypool – all unknowns.
Google for CHA crossing CROC. I never saw a CROC with charms…..
The theme, IMHO, was mediocre, as themes go….
AGILE – amusing clue.
TEE – best misdirection.
Thanks, Bill and Teri, for saving the day in good STYLE.
A TAD of crunch this morning, but an enjoyable puzzle nonetheless. I had a bit of the slows in the far west, but eventually CROC, HAHA, and CHA emerged from the deep brain recess. JINX, re: AREA, think of "the French Quarter" in NOLA.
Jinx, 54D Quarter. Answer is AREA. - In some urban areas of the U.S. and in other countries, quarter may be used as a reference to a section of the city. Similar to calling an area of a city "Little Italy" or "Chinatown." You have probably heard of "The French Quarter" or "The Jewish Quarter" or maybe even the "Krakozhian Quarter."
FLN, Lucina wrote, "When I tried to post, my computer went into a different mode telling me that I had been hacked and I had to call Microsoft which then took me a good three hours or more and it still is not resolved. The technician said we would continue tomorrow."
Lucina, that is a tech support scam. Microsoft error and warning messages never include phone numbers. Read the following to better understand:
Protect yourself from tech support scams.
Do not give them any more information, do not send them any money, and do not download any software. You need to get some local support.
BIG EASY: I worked in Texas sports journalism for most of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and was a copy editor at The Dallas Morning News when Bobby Collins succeeded Ron Meyer as SMU's head coach. I’m guessing your buddy worked under Collins, not Meyer. The Collins staff was less open to illegalities than Meyer’s staff had been, but sportswriter Jim Dent (whom I don't know) said his sources told him Collins was inept at covering up improprieties. “Pony Excess” is my favorite of all the ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries, largely because I knew about half the journalists who went on camera.
Addendum
-Another Jeopardy story – Three days ago, the Final Jeopardy Category was Poets Of Ancient Rome. I though to myself, I only know of one. The answer was “Far from Rome, this first century poet wrote, “the leader’s anger done, grant me the right to die in my native country”
-It turns out he (xe?) was the guy!
Middle aged ladies like myself had an advantage at 1 Across, but otherwise, the east filled more quickly than the west. DNK "CHA" and was unfamiliar with "Deal or No Deal," but enjoyed the game and FIR. Many thanks to Alan, Doug, Patti, Bill, Teri, and all y'all.
Copy Editor,
Did you see my later comment last Saturday (March 2) regarding Art Fleming? You thought I had made a crack about him (regarding the Serapis), and my later comment clarified that on the contrary I honor Art Fleming for his talent and for the pivotal role he played in the history of Jeopardy.
Wasn't going to post today, but then Irish Miss promoted me...
Cost overrun: have you noticed how expensive computer games have gotten?
Essay question: Who is Jimmy McPerson?
Case histories: or why CED hasn't posted much lately...
DONT FORGET TO EXERCISE YOUR KITTIES!
And, an honorary mention...
Um, case histories link went KaKA,,,
I'm not sure why...
Fun Thursday puzzle, many thanks Alan and Doug. And always enjoy your helpful commentary, Bill and Teri, thanks for that too.
This was a great puzzle for a retired professor like me, someone who had to answer many ESSAY QUESTIONS in my study days and grade many of them as a professor. And I've also had lots of experiences with ORAL exams as both student and teacher, in lots of different CLASSES. But I was lucky that my students were always nice, and never SCAMPS. And in return I was always kind and never a MEANIE.
Have a great day, everybody!
I am not sure that I GOT IT with HA HA. Learning moment about CROCs and CHARMS. Hand up no idea who is BILLY PORTER. Enjoyed the game theme. FIR.
Always happy to see EDISON. One of my childhood heroes. Also, my aunt, uncle and cousins lived in EDISON, NJ. And their name is MATH. Clearly a sign that I should share my photos of them again. When I was 13 years old I asked if we could all go visit the EDISON laboratories.
Here are my photos at the EDISON National Park with my MATH family who lived in EDISON, NJ.
It turns out the EDISON National Park is almost an hour from EDISON.
Lucina Hand up I am concerned that you have been scammed with the fake Microsoft message. Have you run a virus scan on your computer since then? Did you give the scammers any sensitive information like a credit card number?
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Alan and Doug, and waseeley and Teri.
I FIRed in good time and saw the game theme.
Some unknown names or fills (SMU, SARA, LES) but perps were friendly. The north-centre was last to fill. I really wanted Imps but it was too short. DH helped with SUV, CNET, SAN MOREAU, UNCOLA, TEEN just required a perp to open the logjam.
I’ll bet changed to YOU. We had lots of grammar today with SHE, YOU, THOU, ARE, TOO.
I contemplated Aver, but AVOW fit better.
Chinese CHA and Indian Chai. (Matcha, Japanese green tea with Chinese origins)
Favourite today was the clue for AGILE. I LOLed when I got it.
Clue for TEE was fresh.
Wishing you all a great day.
HG @ 10:46 ~ Looks like a bowl of Campbell's Alphabet Soup tipped over! 🤣
CED @ 12:06 ~ An Imp by any other name would be as mischievous! 😉
I hate when 1A is a clue that leaves me clueless. Not all that many names, and I only knew about half of them. Still, managed to work my way through it all with perps and WAGs to finally FIR in very good Thursday time (for me). Thanx AM&DP for this challenging CW. And thanx Bill for the terrific write-up.
FIR today without much trouble. The perps for my unknowns were fair and gettable. I thought the themers were clever - my favorite was SPINCLASSES. My favorite fill was AGILE for the clutsy Jack and Jill.
Coming your wayp on
Tehachapi Ken: Saw the Art Fleming update comment Sunday. Thanks!
Third time’s the charm
Liked the theme, something diff’rent
As I’ve said before I don’t mind circles but not a fan of hopping all over the the puzzle to get an answer. the Duchess of Sussex once held a suitcase on “Deal or No Deal”
Same answer EMU as yesterday just a later-in-the-week harder clue.
Toadily forgot about the UNCOLA till I perped the U and A. Was thinking “internet explorer” forgetting how my son totaled my Ford Explorer SUV years ago 🚙.
At University like most of Europe at the time all exams were ORAL and not offered until the course was completed. Professor could ask anything about the subject matter and the student was expected to expound till the interrogator was convinced he/she knew the material and moved on to the next question
Didn’t know a “Jury” was s’pose to wear “makeup” 💄💋. Frequent clue for ISM should be an abbrev. like the clue.
I barely remember a 50’s show about ghosts “Topper”. I hafta agree but a TEE is quite a TEEny “pedestal”
Inkovers: loop/HOOP, Ohio/OAHU, ton/TOO, series/SERIAL/ teaser/MEANIE.
In her wedding pic my Mom is wearing a TIARA. Does that make me a Prince!
Giant textile machine: ____ large…..LOOM
“Communion tables” (where items are transformed) …ALTERS
Ask for Chinese tea thrice or a Cuban dance —— —— —— ….. CHA
Tried to swim a few laps today and got winded. 🏊…..Oughta get back to SPIN CLASSES I useta take years ago….🚴♂️….maybe
FIR, no help. I really liked the theme. Jeopardy is my addiction. I also follow Wheel of Fortune. I have watched Price is Right from time to time.
The first fill for this Jersey girl was Edison. I have toured his laboratory three times.
My Walter Mitty fascination was the Miata convertible. Neato! I can afford only one car, a family car. A two seater with limited cargo space doesn't work. I know a woman who garages hers all winter because it is not good in snow.
One year I had a cute Anne Geddes calendar full of whimsical babies.
I was surprised to think that a golf tee is a kind of pedestal for a ball.
I loved essay questions. They worked well for me and were worth more points. I kept my answers thorough, but brief and to the point. For my MS degree we had one big written assignment where everyone turned in voluminous opuses. I was dying that my paper was so light, but I did well.
Lucina that sounds sounds like a scam that almost had me. When I realized it they had already messed up my computer. Fortunately, my credit card company refused to pay the scammer. Under my Best Buy membership The Geek Squad fixed the damage for no extra charge. There are many Microsoft scams out there. Everyone beware!
TEE is the small pedestal!
Regarding 22A "Edelweiss range," mention has been made that "Edelweiss" is the name of a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Sound of Music. This is true, and I have a couple comments here:
First, "Edelweiss" is the last song Oscar Hammerstein ever wrote. He died during the stage production of Sound of Music;
Second, I knew Oscar's widow, Dorothy, a gracious lady. But she bristled--as did Oscar--whenever people mispronounced their last name. It's HammerSTINE, not HammerSTEEN. Think of a stein of beer. I would have been remiss to Dorothy's memory if I had not passed that along.
There once was a lady from Lyde
Who, from eating green apples, died.
Inside the lamented
The apples fermented
And made cider inside her inside.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and TRYME.
EASY STREET is a really neat-o song in the show Annie.
I was also confused by Quarter/Area, but while reading your comment “French Quarter” came to mind.
Copy Editor - Randy Galloway is one of my all-time favorite sports writers and radio personality. I assume you probably know him. I liked Skip Bayless too, but I thought that Randy's insights were keener, even though it was Skip who went on to network TV.
Thank you all for your concern. Yes, I realized the call was a scam and recognized the male voice from a previous scam. After posting this morning, I shut down my computer and have not turned it on until now. I want to make sure that nothing happens. I've checked my bank balance and nothing there was touched. As in a previous event, the caller wanted me to go to the nearest store to buy gift cards. Bye. Bye. That was the end of the call for me.
My great-grandson is here now and is taking a nap. His mother will collect him after work tonight. I hadn't seen him in several weeks.
Hi All!
Cute theme, Alan & Doug. I like how you liken a game show to a common phrase. Nice.
Thanks for the expo waseeley. Tell Rose that's a nice QUILT
WOs: CHi->CHA; Do the MAsH (the Monster Mash!) -> MATH
ESPs: ORAN | ANNE
Fav: 25a's clue for AGILE
Aver or Avow? I a-wait.
In the military I'd hear "retire to your quarters" / go to your AREA.
Tonight, I want to watch the SOTU but DW & Eldest says we're watching a movie :-)
Time for the commute home;
Enjoyed reading y'all!
Cheers, -T
Yeah, not “The Monster Mash”… 🤣 ====> D.
Another bottom-up build, thanks to that NW corner’s collection of EVIL clues and names. But did pull a FIR outta this thanks to the fun themers — well played, Doug and Alan! Ms. Varol was pseudo-semi-para-demi kind today (for the most part, anyway…). I think “I get it” would’ve been a cleaner clue for 33D than “I got it”, based on common vernacular, imho.
Another entertaining run-thru from Bill and Teri — thanks, you two! Loved your gag about ORALs being digital with the ASL crowd 👍🏽 And I hadn’t heard any Primus in donkeys’ years.
Guess I haven’t been around the cw world long enough — do not recognize ORAN as a “staple”.
Every time I hear “Edelweiss” I’ll grin; my German grandmother had a warped version she’d let out if she heard it, “Esel Scheiß” (if you speak German, you’ll get the same grin!).
And a Miata can be great fun in the snow, if you’re prone to drive rallye-style (as I like to do given a safe opp) — being a rear-drive car, it can be entertaining, to say the least. As they say in the TV ads, “Professional driver, closed course; do not attempt”
====> Darren / L.A.
-T @6:00 PM I'll definitely tell. She has done many QUILTS and she is an expert seamstress -- she used to make the costumes for the Maryland Ballet.
I have been financially independent since I was 22, but most of those years I was not on Easy Street, maybe not even now. More likely, I am just comfortable.
Ken @5:09 PM We also have an indirect connection to that story as well -- one of the von Trapp sisters ended up in Maryland and was a long time parishioner at a church we used to attend, but that was before our time there was before our time.
I hope she sang in the choir!
Thanks to Alan and Doug for their puzzle with a fresh gimmick! FIR but it took me a few laps.
SPIN CLASS was my FAV themer. I also liked being reminded of the UNCOLA commercials from the 70s(?).
Thanks for another informative recap, waseeley! Loved, loved, loved the Madama Butterfly aria.
Jayce@5:26. HAHA!!
Darren, sehr gut!
😎👍🏽
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