Saturday Themeless by Zhouqin Burnikel
Zhouqin Burnikel- I got permission from 
C.C.to use this bio and picture of our lovely ring mistress that was printed in the program for the 2018 ACPT Competition: Zhoquin grew up in Xi'an, China, and moved to Minnesota in 2001. She started making crosswords in 2010, partly as a way to learn English, and was mentored by veteran constructor Don Gagliardo. Together they have made over 100 puzzles for various publications. Zhouqin created the L.A. Times Crossword Corner blog in 2008. The name Zhouqin comes from the first two great dynasties that ruled ancient Xi’an — the Zhou and the Qin. It is pronounced something like “ZHOH-chin.”Across:
1. Squad whose Double-A affiliate is the Rumble Ponies: METS - A baseball lead off by C.C.!
15. __-free: DUTY.
16. Shoyu dish: RAMEN Recipe
17. "Don't move": STAY WHERE YOU ARE.
20. Part that has a radius but no diameter: ARM - The radius joins the wrist on the thumb side of your hand.
32. Hiding place: LAIR.
33. Chorizo, por ejemplo: CARNE - Meat. Ten things about Chorizo
38. "This can't be happening!": OH NO.
39. Ingredient in some exfoliators: ACID - Contains Salicylic Acid, Exfoliating Body Lactic Acid and Hyaluronic Niacinamide
41. Deal that generates interest: LOAN
42. Investor's concern: NET YIELD - e.g. (exempli gratia - more Latin)
44. Photo finish: MATTE.
45. Boo: BAE - Really?
46. "I want no part of this!": WHO'S WE.
48. Pastry choice: ECLAIR.
52. Fisher of "Shameless": NOEL - Saturday cluing
53. TripTik org.: AAA.
55. Sighed line: THAT'S THE WAY IT IS - C'mon, you thought of him too from back when TV News mostly hid their political views.
58. Poet on some 36-Across coins: DANTE.
59. 57-Down, for one: BEER and 57. Dogfish Head's Notorious H.O.P., for one: IPA.
60. Treat for one's dogs?: PEDI - These dogs are slang for feet
61. Symptoms: SIGNS.
62. Casino figures: ODDS.
63. Side by side?: AREA 😀 Length x Width = AREA
Down:
1. Atole ingredient: MASA - Atole: In Mexico, it is a drink typically includes MASA (corn hominy flour), water, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla, and optional chocolate or fruit.
2. Trattoria request: EXTRA SAUCE - What is a trattoria? and 18. "That's enough": WHEN.
6. Not permanent: GUEST.
7. Infinitive of suis, sommes, etc.: ETRE.
8. Go green, say: DYE - The Chicago River on March 17
9. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" novelist: BRONTE - A first edition that uses Anne Bronte's pseudonym of Acton Bell.
10. Talk up: LAUD.
11. Vellani of "The Marvels": IMAN.
12. Successor to Claudius: NERO - Did he fiddle while Rome burned? Tacitus suspends judgment on Nero's responsibility for the fire; he found that Nero was in Antium when the fire started, and returned to Rome to organize a relief effort, providing for the removal of bodies and debris, which he paid for from his own funds. After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors.
13. Was certain of: KNEW.
19. "We totally should!": YES LET'S.
24. Send-up: PARODY - Weird Al leaped to my mind
25. Rasta pasta pasta: PENNE.
26. Washed up: CLEAN - Dishwasher indicator
27. Influencer's concern: TREND - These are expert influencers who live on any new TREND
28. Trio in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: VIOLAS - As a full service blogger, I will link to some of that
29. Facing trouble: IN HOT WATER.
30. One who may face an up-Hill climb: SENATE AIDE 😀 - Oh, going up the capitol hill!
31. In lockstep: AS ONE - Certainly the U.S.M.C. Silent Drill Platoon does just that.
33. Writing on the wall?: CAVE ART - This wonderful example of 17,000 year old CAVE ART is in the Lascaux Cave in south central France. It is no longer open to public tours.
34. Able to do splits, say: AGILE.
43. Birds that often nest with spoonbills: IBISES.
44. "Holy __!": MOLY.
46. Blown away: WOWED.
47. Picks up: HEARS - My kids loved using this parabolic reflector
48. Gate stats: ETDS - Airport gates
49. Masala __: CHAI - Masala chai is a popular beverage throughout South Asia, originating in the early modern Indian subcontinent. Chai is made by brewing black tea in milk and water and then sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates chai, although chai is often prepared unspiced. You're welcome.
50. "Constant Craving" singer: LANG.
51. Routing abbr.: ATTN.
52. Not just want: NEED - Teams that NEED a QB in this year's draft.
54. Continent with nine island nations: ASIA - The Island Nations of ASIA are: The Philippines, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, Taiwan and Brunei.
56. "True Detective" network: HBO.
1. Squad whose Double-A affiliate is the Rumble Ponies: METS - A baseball lead off by C.C.!
5. Like black vinegar: AGED - This is a ten-year old bottle. C.C. says traditional Chinese vinegars are aged 6 - 10 years.
9. Bit of shut eye?: BLINK 😀
14. Rink leap: AXEL - How 'bout a triple?
14. Rink leap: AXEL - How 'bout a triple?
15. __-free: DUTY.
16. Shoyu dish: RAMEN Recipe
17. "Don't move": STAY WHERE YOU ARE.
20. Part that has a radius but no diameter: ARM - The radius joins the wrist on the thumb side of your hand.
21. Item that may wind up in a backyard: HOSE - Oh, that use of the phrase "wind up"!
22. Program-terminating command: END NOW.
23. Feature: ASPECT.
25. Seattle hrs.: PST.
26. Political network: C-SPAN - Is there a non-political one?
27. Media company that claims to be the largest producer of Spanish-language content: TELEVISA.
23. Feature: ASPECT.
25. Seattle hrs.: PST.
26. Political network: C-SPAN - Is there a non-political one?
27. Media company that claims to be the largest producer of Spanish-language content: TELEVISA.
32. Hiding place: LAIR.
33. Chorizo, por ejemplo: CARNE - Meat. Ten things about Chorizo
35. Agnes, in Spain: INES.
36. Italian bread: EURO - Money not a bakery product
37. Deal-maker: AGENT - AGENT Scott Boras has negotiated record $1.217 billion worth of contracts this winter. That’s about $121 million for Boras to keep for himself this winter. Team owners don't like to see him walk in the door.
36. Italian bread: EURO - Money not a bakery product
37. Deal-maker: AGENT - AGENT Scott Boras has negotiated record $1.217 billion worth of contracts this winter. That’s about $121 million for Boras to keep for himself this winter. Team owners don't like to see him walk in the door.
38. "This can't be happening!": OH NO.
39. Ingredient in some exfoliators: ACID - Contains Salicylic Acid, Exfoliating Body Lactic Acid and Hyaluronic Niacinamide
40. Tree huggers?: VINES.
41. Deal that generates interest: LOAN
42. Investor's concern: NET YIELD - e.g. (exempli gratia - more Latin)
44. Photo finish: MATTE.
45. Boo: BAE - Really?
46. "I want no part of this!": WHO'S WE.
48. Pastry choice: ECLAIR.
52. Fisher of "Shameless": NOEL - Saturday cluing
53. TripTik org.: AAA.
55. Sighed line: THAT'S THE WAY IT IS - C'mon, you thought of him too from back when TV News mostly hid their political views.
59. 57-Down, for one: BEER and 57. Dogfish Head's Notorious H.O.P., for one: IPA.
60. Treat for one's dogs?: PEDI - These dogs are slang for feet
61. Symptoms: SIGNS.
62. Casino figures: ODDS.
63. Side by side?: AREA 😀 Length x Width = AREA
Down:
1. Atole ingredient: MASA - Atole: In Mexico, it is a drink typically includes MASA (corn hominy flour), water, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla, and optional chocolate or fruit.
2. Trattoria request: EXTRA SAUCE - What is a trattoria? and 18. "That's enough": WHEN.
3. Rah-rah feeling: TEAM SPIRIT.
4. Cute: SLY.
5. Not permanent: AD HOC.
4. Cute: SLY.
5. Not permanent: AD HOC.
7. Infinitive of suis, sommes, etc.: ETRE.
8. Go green, say: DYE - The Chicago River on March 17
9. "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" novelist: BRONTE - A first edition that uses Anne Bronte's pseudonym of Acton Bell.
11. Vellani of "The Marvels": IMAN.
12. Successor to Claudius: NERO - Did he fiddle while Rome burned? Tacitus suspends judgment on Nero's responsibility for the fire; he found that Nero was in Antium when the fire started, and returned to Rome to organize a relief effort, providing for the removal of bodies and debris, which he paid for from his own funds. After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors.
13. Was certain of: KNEW.
19. "We totally should!": YES LET'S.
25. Rasta pasta pasta: PENNE.
26. Washed up: CLEAN - Dishwasher indicator
27. Influencer's concern: TREND - These are expert influencers who live on any new TREND
28. Trio in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: VIOLAS - As a full service blogger, I will link to some of that
29. Facing trouble: IN HOT WATER.
30. One who may face an up-Hill climb: SENATE AIDE 😀 - Oh, going up the capitol hill!
31. In lockstep: AS ONE - Certainly the U.S.M.C. Silent Drill Platoon does just that.
33. Writing on the wall?: CAVE ART - This wonderful example of 17,000 year old CAVE ART is in the Lascaux Cave in south central France. It is no longer open to public tours.
34. Able to do splits, say: AGILE.
43. Birds that often nest with spoonbills: IBISES.
44. "Holy __!": MOLY.
46. Blown away: WOWED.
47. Picks up: HEARS - My kids loved using this parabolic reflector
48. Gate stats: ETDS - Airport gates
49. Masala __: CHAI - Masala chai is a popular beverage throughout South Asia, originating in the early modern Indian subcontinent. Chai is made by brewing black tea in milk and water and then sweetening with sugar. Adding aromatic herbs and spices creates chai, although chai is often prepared unspiced. You're welcome.
50. "Constant Craving" singer: LANG.
51. Routing abbr.: ATTN.
52. Not just want: NEED - Teams that NEED a QB in this year's draft.
54. Continent with nine island nations: ASIA - The Island Nations of ASIA are: The Philippines, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, East Timor, Taiwan and Brunei.
Notes from C.C.:
Our Thursday Sherpa waseeley (William Seeley) and I made today's USA Today puzzle. It's edited by Jared Goudsmit. Click here to solve. Congrats on your worldwide puzzle debut, Bill!
39 comments:
I didn’t think it would be “easy” (no Saturday puzzle is) but when I saw C.C.’s name as constructor, I thought it would be doable, and I was right. I especially liked the grid spanners “Stay where you are” and “That’s the way it is.”
And trust C.C. for a baseball reference, right? Anyway, through P&P I managed to solve this challenging but fair puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
FIW. Troublemakers were stINK (eye) and toUt (not LAUD). Also had IvAN for the unknown "The Marvels."
Today is:
NATIONAL EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DAY (created by companies in the 1940s to sidestep federal wage controls)
NATIONAL CARBONARA DAY (no, no, no Рnot that company with the car vending machines Рthis is a fancy Italian entr̩e)
NATIONAL CARAMEL POPCORN DAY (I can’t seem to resist a bag of this stuff, freshly hand made at the Marion County (FL) flea market)
NATIONAL HANDMADE DAY (most anything from ETSY, and caramel corn from the flea market)
NATIONAL TEFLON DAY (accidentally invented in 1938 by Dr. Roy Plunkett of du Pont)
NATIONAL LOVE OUR CHILDREN DAY (focuses on the prevention of child abuse and violence against children)
NATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETE DAY (when I was in college, athletes took “football fizicks”)
NATIONAL TARTAN DAY (recognizes Scottish Americans and their achievements and contributions to the United States)
NEW BEER'S EVE (as everyone knows, tomorrow is National Beer Day)
NATIONAL SORRY CHARLIE DAY (Charlie the Tuna never let rejection stop him, don’t let it stop you)
This is one time that I think I could have FIRed had I been solving on line. The lack of "TADA" would have sent me back to the NE to reconsider my guesses.
H.Gary beat me to it, but MSNBC is also a political network (and it fits.)
My first thought when I filled WHO'S WE was that Tonto disclaimer.
The only actors I remember from Shameless are the incredibly talented William H. Macy and the frequently naked Emmy Rossum.
I dropped out of AAA when they stopped making those Trip Tiks and ended their free map program.
Thanks to CC for the fun puzzle, and to H.Gary for the fine tour.
Congratulations C.C. I actually managed to FIR this Saturday. It took help from WAGs and perps to get over the line. I like tricky but fair clueing. You have foreign foods-MASA, CARNE, RAMEN, CHAI- and a brew-IPA BEER- that needed some guessing to fill. I knew there were more than three' chords' in Bach's Concerto but a concerto is usually a soloist accompanying an orchestra, not a trio of VIOLAS.
The Rumble Ponies clue. Could have been CUBS, REDS, RAYS or METS. Perps for that one.
ACID- because BASE wouldn't fit. I use a lot of Cera Ve for my dry skin.
I knew UNIVISION but only the TELE start of TELEVISA and perped the VISA. My first thought was telenova but knew that was wrong.
BAE- I wish that word would go away. Had no idea for it being associated with BOO.
Fisher is not "The First NOEL" I didn't know.
EXTRA SAUCE- at every restaurant I tell the waiters I want all the sauce on the side. Cooks want to smother and I'd rather add my own amount.
Trip Tik- I'd seen them but never got one. I just had maps from the gas stations. I have AAA in case I need a tow or to change a flat.
Took 9:28 today for me to cc my way through this.
Good puzzle & good review. Gotta go.
FIR, and I surprised myself doing so. I knew I had a shot with this puzzle when I was able to throw down " stay where you are" without a doubt.
One misstep for me was having loud before laud, but a guess at ramen fixed that. Also had aloe before acid. And I'm still not sure what etds are?
This was an enjoyable Saturday puzzle, lots of fun to solve.
ETD estimated time of departure
There was a lot about today’s puzzle that I didn’t know, but just enough that I did know that I was able to perp my way through for a FIR in 20:35. Not familiar with Anne BRONTË, only Emily. Does BRONTË rhyme with DANTE? Dogfish Head Notorious H.O.P. will probably throw off a non BEER drinker, sounds more like the name of a punk band.
C.C. ~ thank you for the fun challenge today, you certainly took learning English to a very high level, becoming the prolific constructor that you are!
Gary ~ I know I may repeat myself sometimes, but another stellar review today! Always learn from your blogs, today I had to look up parabolic reflector.
waseeley ~ congratulations on your CW debut collaboration with C.C. Unfortunately I already used up my two free USA puzzles quota for the week and I don’t have a subscription so I couldn’t do it 😕
Nice one, Bill & CC. FIR without erasure.
Of course I had to do todays puzzle. My thoughts were,
I'm getting these answers because I know the constructors style...
I will hold off on saying it was easier than most Saturdays until I hear what everyone else has to say, but I had a really tough time with the top center. I could not get aged for some reason, and the perps were not helping. It could be my Brain was stuck on trying to squeeze "balsamic" into four spaces...
I cannot do Waseely's puzzle, because, in order to print it out, I have to create an account.
To quote Groucho Marx:
I would never join any club that would have me as a member...
When I saw CC’s name, I trusted this puzzle. And sure enough I was right. At first I had lots of blank spaces then I got the first long answer and picked up the rhythm.
Lots of really clever clues like the ones for BLINK, SENATE AIDE, LOAN and AREA.
The NE was the last to fill because I held on to tout for LAUD too long. I never noticed the silly BAE/boo connection because the CAVE ART covered it up, so to speak.
In SW Louisiana there a roseate spoonbill rookery I have visited a few times in the spring. The sight is breathtaking. All those pink fluffs.
HG, thank you for refreshing my knowledge of CC’s bio. She’s an extraordinary woman.
And congratulations to you and Waseely for the CW publication in USA Today.
Good Morning:
Many thanks and much appreciation for the numerous birthday wishes yesterday. CED, the cake was perfect! ☘️
I thoroughly enjoyed this solve, which took some P and P, but a chip here and a chip there led to a satisfying finish in respectable Saturday time. (I'm still getting my sea legs, so to speak.) The grid spanners and long fill, such as, Team Spirit, Extra Sauce, In Hot Water, etc. were very helpful in establishing footholds in troublesome areas. The grid was clean and dreck free, the fill was fresh and lively, and the negligible TLWs (8) was the icing on the cake.
Thanks, CC, for a challenging yet doable puzzle and thanks, HG, for your usual fun and fact-filled review, replete with stunning and meaningful visuals. Thanks, also, for the short CC bio. Reading about Don G's and CC's collaborations brings back memories of how I found this blog 12 years ago.
Have a great day.
Well I’m never as quick or clever as those above, but eventually FIR. Initially I thought there was no way I would finish since the first time through there were very few’gimmes’ such as cspan, axel, pst, moly, and a few maybes (agile and agent). Thank heavens for perps and doggedness! Hype eventually became laud; arc became arm; agree became as one. But think about the array of knowledge necessary to make this easy: obscure local knowledge of baseball farm teams, chef quality knowledge of foreign cuisines (aged Chinese vinegar, ramen, carne, masa, penne, chai), classical music instrumentation, IPA details, Italian coins, Spanish media, Emily’s lesser known sisters’ works under a pseudonym, names of actors in shows or networks that are so diverse that no one could possibly keep up to date versus ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, and the clever clueing to make easier answers very difficult. So very happy to finish, but would love to find Saturday puzzles from 25-30 years ago to compare approaches and degrees of difficulty! Thanks for the challenge.
This was a great Saturday puzzle! My only complaint is that I don’t consider sly as a synonym for cute. But that aside from that it was a fun one to solve!
What a nice Saturday puzzle! Some great clues, and clever misdirection, but I managed to FIW. I just could not grok the W connection at WOWED/WHOSWE. D'oh! I really enjoyed WHEN, HOSE, BLINK. and ARM. Held my nose at BAE. (Perped) Thanks CC!
FIR after a slow start, but I usually enjoy C.C.’s puzzles more than I enjoyed this one. It reminded me that Haydn was a great composer, but he was so prolific that his symphonies were not always compelling.
But one of the great things about C.C. is that she’s so prolific, so THAT’S THE WAY IT IS. Of course that reminded me of Cronkite. Good call, HG. And congrats to our waseeley on the puzzle debut.
I’m a liberal, but Jinx reminded me how tickled I get when a conservative friend refers to my favorite network as “MSLSD.”
Gotta go. Our octet is performing this afternoon in front of other octets, and I’m the soloist on “Sh-Boom.”
FIR but it wasn't easy. It is impressive how C.C., who picked up English as an adult, beats native speakers at their own language and culture.
How did she fool me? Let me count the ways! BLINK, not "a wink," END NOW (which I've never encountered), obscure Fisher, Vellani, and LANG as clued, unknown pasta dish, and obscure clues for SLY, BAE, and ETDS.
All's well that ends well. Thank you C.C., Patti, and Husker Gary!
Finished this one with a little help. Not familiar with some of the names like Veliani and Fisher. I, too, wanted to go down the TELENOR path but it didn't perp. Catching VIOLAS fixed that.
Always liked Walter Cronkite, for those of you who may not recognize him. He always finished his newscasts with that familiar quote of 55A with the date following. The four 10's down were quite imaginative. Getting the two grid spanners opened the floodgates to filling the rest of the grid.
One of my favorite pastries is the ECLAIR. The custard filling is the best.
Congratulations to C.C. for her excellent work today. Hats off to Gary for his fine wrapup. Belated birthday wishes to Irish Miss.
No words can ever express the horrors of war.
Freedom
Many thanx to C.C. for this interesting CW, although I did NOT manage to fill it W/O multiple Google searches, so cannot claim to FIR. I finished it, but not "right". Still don't know BAE, but maybe that's a generational thing. Never-the-less, it was a fun CW to cheat my way to a fill. So, again, thanx C.C. And thanx to HG for the nice write-up.
TELENOVA
Hola!
Sassy Saturday that almost bit me! I needed help from AlEXA a few of times: LANG, NOEL, IPA. Anything to do with beer is foreign to me.
And THAT'S THE WAY IT IS most certainly brings to mind Walter Cronkite.
I still have some unopened DUTY FREE vodka from my trip to either Greece or Russia several years ago.
This puzzle has some good eats; CARNE, PENNE, RAMEN, EXTRA SAUCE, ECLAIR, and MASA which, of course, has to be mixed to eat it. I am re-reading the book, "Indian Givers" which tells of the many, many foods we enjoy from the Natives in both South and North America. Amazingly, the Incas developed 3,000 kinds of potatoes of which only a few now remain.
BRONTE was a pure guess because the book cited is one of the most obscure titles.
Time to go. I have to get to the credit union before closing time at one p.m. My tax refund finally came in the form of a check. That is so last century!
Have a sensational Saturday, everyone!
“Bae” should be eliminated from CWs. Period. If one is too lazy to get the B syllable out of their mouth maybe they should keep it shut
I very much liked this puzzle.
About BAE. A few days ago I read an article whose author called for the retirement of some Millennials slang and BAE was prominently featured.
To Anonymous: I live in the back of beyond, NE Arizona. We only have basic cable, it's a bit spendy in the provinces and I refuse to be 'streamed' to the poorhouse :D Any streaming service, HBO, Showtime, Apple TV, Netflix reference is lost on me. I can barely keep up with the old movies I want to watch on TCM! Yep, I'm a dinosaur :D
FIR on a Saturday for me! Yikes--what's the world comimg to?
Do I understand that CC is today's constructor, Zhouqin Burnikel, and that her native language is not English? If so, she's certainly made great strides!
I lived in Paris for a couple years, so 7D was not troublesome, but it must have been difficult for folks who have not studied French.
This was a challenging puzzle,but doable largely because of so many neighboring
perps when they were drastically needed.
Jinx--AAA still gives out free maps. In fact, I was just in there the othrr&
the other day.
I continue to be in awe of those who FIR inless than 10 minutes. I worked for over an hour to finally do a Rocky dance. My first pass yielded only 2 “for sure” answers, and I might have bailed right then, but knowing C.C. had built it gave me the impetus to keep trying - and soon I got a few toe holds, then a few more, and finally I staggered over the finish line sweaty but smiling. As several have said, getting the long ones first was the key.
The Walter Cronkite sign-off line brought back many memories, especially his heartful reporting of President Kennedy’s death. STAY WHERE YOU ARE evoked a hilarious Monty Python and The Holy Grail bit for me.
Thanks C.C. For a challenging but fair ordeal, and thanks H.G. for an interesting and amusing tour.
I loved using Trip Tiks on road trips and was sorry they went away. Such a nice sense of accomplishment to flip each page.
FLN. Another use for MELD in games was in Canasta, which at one point was more popular than bridge I am told. I don’t think anyone plays it any more.
Good weekend for watching sports. NCAA basketball finals, Valero golf tournament, and CUBS v Dodgers. I think Jack will be glued to the TV.
Good! It is so dumb!
CC.’s prowess with the complexities of theEnglish language, given the relatively short time she has lived here, is miraculous. Now, applying that focus and determination to her newly acquired swimming skill will surely lead her to successful competition and many medals. Stay tuned!
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR in about 25 minutes, which is faster than normal for me for Saturday puzzles. Could be that I know the constructor and her tendencies! ;^)
Nice job, CC and HG - also, a CSO to Irish Miss with the Agnes/INES clue. Should we call her "Spanish Miss" from now on??!! ;^)
Nice job waseeley and congrat's on your first published puzzle!! Feels great, don't it?? Now I know why you were asking about Crossword Compiler in yesterday's little conversation we had. Be careful ... once you get the urge to build puzzles you may never stop! If you ever need help and CC's not around or too busy, I am happy to help
Thanks to all for the congratulations. I can assure you that my role in the construction was minimal, with C.C. leading the way at every step. The great benefit for me was learning just how complicated the art of "crossword setting" really is and the fact that when the editor gets through with "your puzzle" you can barely recognize it! And unfortunately I didn't really have time to do today's puzzle as I'm up to my neck in taxes! I've not read Gary's review and I saved a copy of the puzzle, so I'll give it a shot when things settle down.
MOE @ 4:37 PM Thank you for the offer -- ideas keep popping into my head and I've started a little notebook, so who knows ...?
I'm always happy to see C.C.'s byline on a Sat. puzzle because I know the puzzle will be challenging without being frustrating. That was the case for me today. FIR in 40:19. Whoo-hoo!
FAVs: clues for ARM, CLEAN, HOSE, & AREA. All were simple answers but had clever wordplay.
5D asked for a 5-letter word for "not permanent". My mind was blank. Then 6D asked for the same thing. Yikes! Everything came together when I finally ditched "likes" for the influencers concern for TeENs then TREND.
Thanks, also, to H-Gary for your excellent write-up! I played the BACH while I read through everyone's comments. (It's interesting how many of us trust that C.C. will give us a doable puzzle.) I liked how you combined EXTRA SAUCE with WHEN. Another FAV is the Marines. (Some of you know why.)
Congrats to waseeley on your puzzle!! I cannot imagine a better partner!
Nowhere in recent memory can I recall a single cw with so many clues I found to be so wonderfully creative and original. Thank you, Zhouqin (C.C.?) for such a delightful solve. My fav clues were for BLINK, HOSE, WHOSWE, PEDI, AREA, WHEN, and SENATEAIDE.
Now for the bad… 12 total unknown clues/answers and 4 questionables:
- Cute = sly? Really??
- Send-up = parody?
- Cave art is “writing”? Methinks not.
- Departure time is a “stat”? Meh.
And (sorry to brag) but I just made history: my first ever cw completed entirely while driving (don’t tell anyone)—and a Saturday FIR, no less!
Just crossed the border. Back in AZ, bae.
I mean how many thousands of times have you seen AREA in a cw?? And to come up with an original clue that is absolutely brilliant… I am just blown away—er, sorry—WOWED!
Bill, I collaborated with MM a while back. I'd be honored to create one with you
MOE @6:51 PM I've been kicking around some theme ideas for awhile but can't bring them together. After I finish our taxes and get over a nasty cold I've been fighting I'll shoot you something.
I ordered glasses to view the eclipse but they have not arrived! Pshaw! Anyway I'll likely be indoors doing my Monday volunteer work. Or, I might be driving! Yikes!
“WooHOO, a C.C. puzzle!!” says I upon (finally) opening the Saturday LA Times (had to work this weekend). Very doable while still being a hood challenge, and I love C.C.’s snazzy clues!
The only “gag!!” moments I had were the BAE/boo fill and being expected to conjugate the French or Spanish or whatever the 🤬 that ETRE thing was. Yech.
Thanks for the fun, my dear!
====> Darren / L.A.
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