Slo-MO. The Modus Operandi of today's puzzle was to have each theme answer be a two-word phrase where the first word begins with M and the second word begins with O. Working this puzzle, however, was anything but Slow.
17-Across. * Consider carefully: MEDITATE ON.
21-Across. * Transformative beauty treatment: MAKE OVER.
54-Across. * Talk back (to): MOUTH OFF
59-Across. * Divvy up: MEASURE OUT.
And the unifier:
36-Across. Plan of action, as "initially" found in the answers to the starred clues?: MODUS OPERANDI. The phrase Modus Operandi is a Latin phrase meaning Method of Operation. I would narrow the definition provided in the clue to mean an established habit of working. It is frequently in the context of a business or criminal endeavor. Modus Operandi, or MO, is often used in detective/cop television shows.
Across:
1. Goal of much medical research: CURE.
5. Like a baby with pudding, probably: MESSY.
10. Floor model, e.g.: DEMO.
14. "That'll be the day!": AS IF.
15. Jazz great Earl "__" Hines: FATHA. Earl Kenneth Hines (Dec. 28, 1903 ~ Apr. 22, 1983) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was considered one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano. He apparently earned his nickname "fatha" after giving a drunken announcer some "fatherly" advice to limit his drinking. [Name # 1.]
16. Woeful word: ALAS.
19. Home in the sticks: NEST. Cute clue.
20. Fluster: ADDLE.
23. Fancy timepieces: ROLEXES.
26. Luthor of DC Comics: LEX. He is the supervillain and archival of Superman. His full name is Alexander Joseph Luther. [Name # 2, fictional.]
27. Stand-up comedian Shaffir: ARI. I am not familiar with Ari David Shaffir (b. Feb. 12, 1974). [Name # 3.]
28. Undivided: ONE.
29. Removes soap from: RINSES.
31. Tic-__-toe: TAC.
32. Maytag sister brand: AMANA. How the two companies are related. [Name adjacent.]
34. Tusks, e.g.: TEETH.
40. Writer Sir Arthur __ Doyle: CONAN. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 ~ July 7, 1930) is best known for being the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle tried to kill Sherlock Holmes, but his readers protested so much that Holmes was resurrected. [Name # 4.]
41. Still-life pitchers: EWERs.
42. GOP gp.: RNC.
43. Bearded spring blooms: IRISES. Vincent van Gogh (Mar. 30, 1853 ~ July 29, 1890) was known for his numerous paintings of Irises. If you are ever in Amsterdam, a visit to the Van Gogh Museum is well worth a visit.
46. Many an email attachment: PDF. Portable Document Format.
49. Earlier: AGO.
50. Intentionally mislead: CON.
51. "Don't let that woman get away!": STOP HER!
57. Garlicky mayonnaise: AIOLI. This vowel-rich condiment is fast becoming a crossword staple.
58. Angry: SORE.
62. Rae of "Insecure": ISSA. Issa Rae (née Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) makes frequent appearances in the crossword puzzles. She had her own television show, Insecure, which ran from 2026 until 2021. [Name # 5.]
63. Industry honcho: BARON.
64. Surrender, as territory: CEDE.
65. __-do-well: NE'ER.
66. "You __ sweet!": ARE SO.
67. Potato buds: EYES.
Down:
1. Chevrolet that will be discontinued in 2024: CAMARO. The Camaro was first sold in 1966. It had a long run. [Name adjacent.]
2. Applied to: USED ON.
3. Brain-breaking question: RIDDLE. Here's an ancient riddle that dates back to 18th Century BCE in Samaria: There is a house. One enters blind and comes out seeing. What is it? For the answer, you must read this article.
4. Paperless option for taxpayers: E-FILE. We just had our annual visit with our CPA.
5. Curator's deg.: MFA. Master of Fine Arts.
6. Take in: EAT.
7. Women in __: educational advocacy org.: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
8. Sandbars: SHOALS. This makes me think of the Isle of Shoals, which are a group of small islands and tidal ledges situated approximately 6 miles off the east coast of the United States that straddle the border of the states of Maine and New Hampshire. Writer Anita Shreve (Oct. 7, 1946 ~ Mar. 29, 2018) wrote The Weight of Water, a historical novel about a murder that takes place on the Isle of Shoals
9. Big Apple MLB player: YANKEE.
10. Paul of "The Batman": DANO. Paul Dano (né Paul Franklin Dano; June 19, 1984) portrayed the Riddler in the 2022 version of Batman. [Name # 6.]
11. Like some beachside homes: ELEVATED.
12. GranTurismo automaker: MASERATI. Maserati is an Italian manufacturer. The company was established in December 1914 in Bologna, Italy. [Name adjacent.]
13. Bird with a powerful kick: OSTRICH.
18. __-Mex cuisine: TEX.
22. Celeb who's no longer in the limelight: EX-STAR.
24. Important ages: ERAs. Taylor Swift (née Taylor Alison Swift; b. Dec. 13, 1989) is on her Eras Tour.
25. Chinese: Pref.: SINO-.
30. Kitten-lifting spots: NAPES.
32. Oral health org.: ADA. American Dental Association.
33. German city that hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics: MUNICH. The 1972 summer Olympics were overshadowed by the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes.
35. Napkin corners?: ENs. I suppose this means that the word Napkin begins and ends with the letter "N". Rather like last Friday's clue about Label Edges = ELs. I didn't care for that clue, either.
36. Ferretlike carnivore: MONGOOSE.
37. Proceeding as planned: ON COURSE.
38. Lambs' moms: EWEs.
39. Take a break: REST.
40. Adds to an already full suitcase, say: CRAMS IN.
44. Saucer-shaped vacuum: ROOMBA.
45. With trepidation: IN FEAR.
46. "Nuts!": PHOOEY.
47. Intentionally mislead: DELUDE.
48. Steak __: bistro dish: FRITES.
52. Rowboat blade: OAR.
53. Component: PIECE.
55. Run like heck: TEAR.
56. Cab charge: FARE.
60. Letters sent in emergencies: SOS.
61. Game with colorful cards: UNO. This game has become a crossword staple.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
29 comments:
In spite of a few foreign words and fairly obscure celebrities, this puzzle was nearly as easy as yesterday’s. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning.
Took one minute longer than yesterday...seems about right. Thought those women were in STIR, d-o's only Wite-Out moment. Failed to read the full reveal clue. Again. Noticed the M-O pattern, though. Does that count? Thanx, Dr. Ed and Hahtoolah. (That Roomba cartoon was cute. Pet poop is the bane of the Roomba.)
MEASURE OUT: The company where I spent 28 years had a unique retirement policy -- you stop working, and we stop paying you.
Fun easy puzzle. Love the memes!
FIR, but erased MAZaRATI and CAMeRO. And I thought I was a car guy. Also erased lie for CON.
Today is:
AMERICAN DIABETIS ASSOCIATION ALERT DAY (oh snap, I just became pre-diabetic this month, with an A1C of 5.7. Yes sir, Doc. I’ll cut carbs and lose weight. Starting tomorrow)
EPILEPSY AWARENESS DAY (AKA “Purple Day”)
NATIONAL SPINACH DAY (Oh, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man. I'm strong to the finich Cause I eats me spinach I'm Popeye the Sailor Man)
NATIONAL NOUGAT DAY (essential in making 3 Musketeers, Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Baby Ruth and others)
Chevy named it CAMARO because "we have a Pony Car too" was too long.
Anybody else notice that Ha2la's clip for ARI was at the LEXington Opera House, located in downtown LEXington, KY? ARI was adjacent to LEX in the grid. (When I lived in California, I flew from LAX to LEX several times.)
Thanks to Ed for another super fun puzzle, and to Ha2la for the chuckles. BTW, I bought an AMANA fridge because they had a reputation for reliability. A little after the three-year compressor warranty expired, it failed. Replacing it would have cost more than a new fridge, so I junked it and bought another brand.
FIR. A few proper names and some odd cluing, but perps helped with solving them. A clever theme which I got early on with make over.
Kind of a routine Tuesday puzzle.
Took 5:27 today for Me, Online.
I didn't know "sino" or "fat ha" (oh, "fatha"), and originally filled in meditation before meditate on.
I knew today's actress (Issa) & actor (Dano), thanks solely to prior puzzles, but not the comic.
Good Morning, Crossword friends: Today's puzzle was not the usual MO for a Tuesday. There were fewer given names, which should make some people happy. Although some names, such as Fatha Hines and Ari Shaffir, were a bit obscure for a Tuesday.
QOD: If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on somebody else’s path. ~ Joseph Campbell (né Joseph John Campbell; Mar. 26, 1904 ~ Oct. 30, 1987), professor of comparative mythology and religion
Nice steady solve today - picked on the theme before the reveal for once
Thanks Susan for the fun blog with all the songs and cartoons - SOS will be the earworm of the day. Nice to Ed Sessa as constructor - its been awhile
Prayers for all affected in Baltimore with the bridge/container ship accident - hope no one connected with waseeley was involved
I believe you meant 2016 - 2012 for Issa Rae.
Nice compact little puzzle today. FIR. The theme was a bit mundane, but OK. The 8 downs were a nice touch. No real misdirection in the clues at all.
Ed and Sue did their jobs with aplomb. Congratulations.
I look to the skies for inspiration but all I get is a sunburned nose.
Mustard.
This took a little more thought than yesterday, but it was Tuesday easy.
I waited for quite a few perps to get modus operandi. I wasn't looking for a Latin phrase, although this one is common and has been adopted into English.
Alan plays UNO several times a week.
Aioli again. A few days ago someone mentioned it as a dish containing mayo. It IS a type of mayo.
FATHA was a gimme for me. I find it interesting that our life experiences have a lot to do with whether we find a clue obscure or easy, even more so when it comes to names.
More paperwork on tap for today.
Good Tues. Puzzle. Knew some of the proper nouns, others filled with little problem. Never heard if steak frites
Hola!
Easy Tuesday puzzle by a favorite constructor, Ed Sessa. Thank you, Mr. Sessa and thank you, Susan, for adding to the fun.
I saw ISSA Rae for the first time at the Golden Globes wards where she was a presenter. She is very tall.
CONAN O'Brien is the only other one I know of by that name.
The late Jack RIDDLE was my boss for many years. He was decisive and kind.
My tax return is E-FILEd but the person at the office where I go is new and she used my old bank account number so my money is likely in limbo and she doesn't know how to correct it, if in fact it can be done. We wait and see.
I hope you are all having a happy day!
I just had steak frites in Paris recently. Nummer nummer.
For SOS, here I was thinking of its first use, in April 1912, by the Titanic, and then inane hiker goes and brings up the ABBA song from Mamma Mia. Now we've both got the earworm all day. Oh well, at least I like the song.
Oh, the puzzle! It was great, with all the variations on an MO theme. Thanks, Ed, for a clever and enjoyable Tuesday puzzle!
FLN, and of course ongoing, I checked in with Irish Miss and she let me know that she was going through some "challenging health issues" that were not life threatening but were "unpleasant". She added that she was looking forward to being back to The Corner soon and that she appreciated everyone's concern.
WEES. Nice and easy. Just a few names, nothing onerous. Fun theme. Ooh. ADDLE crossing RIDDLE.
I agree with Yellowrocks @9:14. Different life experiences. For example Anonymous @7:26 didn’t know SINO and FATHA but knew ISSA and DANO.
It was the reverse for me. I knew SINO and FATHA, but didn’t know ISSA and DANO, though their names appeared thanks to perps.
So many cute cartoons Hahtoolah and interesting article on ancient Sumerian RIDDLEs.
A nice breezy puzzle from Dr. Ed today which I finished in a minute less than yesterday, nice theme, fair cluing. I knew all the names today, mostly from previous CW’s, ISSA is a staple, DANO was a recent entry. I think that may be by design by Patti, introduce what may be an obscure name to some, then follow up a short time later in hopes that it was committed to memory.
MM ~ thanks for the update on IM☘️, hope she gets well and returns to the Corner soon, I know she is much respected here!
My 1975 CAMARO was probably the finest car I ever owned, fast and a great road hugger.
Hahtoolah ~ thank you for your sparkling recap!
FLN,
I believe PK was the last post, who queried the making of dandelion wine, asking, "how much sugar can you possibly get out of dandelions?"
This made me relook at the recipe, 8 cups of sugar???
Which makes me wonder, " what do you need the dandelions for?" I mean, it sounds like sugar + yeast + anything = wine!?!?
Hmm,,,
There were a couple of learning moments in this puzzle, but I have already forgotten them...
One, I remember simply because I prepared a link for it, was the isle of shoals.. So I went and looked up this video, which I started, but I am afraid to finish because the mystery will be gone...
Will one of you pls let me know how it turns out?
Oh, and here is my modus operandi for making dandelion wine...
Just testing,
I was using Google Earth, via Street View and PhotoSphere to explore the Isles of Shoals, when a link popped up.
I wonder if you can take a walk with me on the isles of shoals, or do you need the google earth app to view this?
How nice to see Dr. Ed again! A pleasant puzzle, quickly completed, and a nice ABBA earworm from Ha2la. Hard to beat!
Nice puzzle today. FATHA was the strangest bit for me, but FIR in good time.
Thank you, MalMan, for updating the group on Irish Miss. I hope there is an easy CURE.
D-O, I worked for many years at a university that had the same retirement plan as yours. When I figured that out, I left for a career where I had some hope of saving something for the future. I'm still working, and agree with Hahtoolah's sign that "the first 5 days after the weekend are the hardest."
Many thanks to Ed, Patti, and Hahtoolah for the morning fun.
Musings
-I remember Joe Friday discussing the M.O. of a particular criminal in 1950’s TV
-ONE nation, indivisible…
-Really good teachers send me advance lesson plans via a PDF file before I sub
-MLB is much more interesting for YANKEE admirers and haters when the Bronx Bombers are good
-A National Guard installment just south of me has ELEVATED their new buildings on stilts that put them 5’ above the water level of our historic 2019 flood.
-Speaking of which, I hope Dr. Ed has rebuilt his life after losing everything in his Sanibel Island home to Hurricane Ian in 2022.
-A former student just graduated from UNO (University Of Nebraska in Omaha) with a physics degree and her mother told me yesterday she is looking for a Master’s program.
-My hope for a quick recovery to our friend Agnes (Irish Miss). Your wit and wisdom is sorely missed.
A fun Tuesday offering from Dr. Ed.
I always make a fresh cup of coffee when I see Ed Sessa is the constructor because I know I will enjoy the puzzle and the coffee.
Thanks Hatoolah for the informative and zany review.
Thanks Malman for the update on IM
…… kkFlorida
MalMan
Thank you for the update on Irish Miss. I hope she knows we miss her and are thinking about her.
IM, hope you come back soon. (And also hope no watermelon was involved!)
Greetings! I finished the puzzle this morning and then rushed off to take a bunch of stuff to the electronics recycling center. I’m in the process of “making space” in the garage. It’s a work in progress…. This MO theme was very timely for me! Thanks, Ed Sessa!
Thanks, Hah2lah, for the fun review. Loved the poodle and the ewe, and the artistic beaver!
The NE was my one glitch. I had to turn tent into NEST to finish the unknown DANO and the spelling of MASERATI.
Best wishes to IM for a speedy recovery.
I liked this puzzle. Ed Sessa is a master.
Yay, Dr. Ed! Yay, Hatoolah! Glad you are both back! Fun, fun, fun!
Get well soon, Agnes!
CED, got a big laugh out of your dandelion wine presentation. I don't want the things on my lawn or in my stomach.
Nina @7:52 AM The city is connected to it. We're all in shock.
Post a Comment