google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, April 2, 2024 David Tuffs

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Apr 2, 2024

Tuesday, April 2, 2024 David Tuffs

O Captain! My Captain!  The circles spell out a very well known (Obvious) Captain, some fictional, some real. 

16-Across. Give up vaping, say: KICK A HABIT.  Captain Ahab.  Think Moby Dick, the whaling novel by Herman Melville (Aug. 1, 1819 ~ Sept. 28, 1891).  Captain Ahab is the monomaniacal captain of the whaling ship Pequod.  On a previous voyage, the white whale Moby Dick bit off Ahab's leg, and he (Captain Ahab) now wears a prosthetic leg made out of whalebone.  The book was inspired by an actual event.   [Name # 1, Fictional.]

23-Across. Low-cal beer option: MICHELOB LIGHT.  Captain Bligh.  Vice-Admiral William Bligh (Sept. 9, 1754 ~ Dec. 7, 1817) was a British officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for the mutiny on HMS Bounty.  He was known for his volatile temper and in 1789, his crew mutinied.  Captain Bligh and some of his loyal followers were set adrift by the mutineers.  Amazingly, he survived and his crew survived.  [Name # 2, Real.]

46-Across. "Still Alice" Best Actress Oscar winner: JULIANNE MOORE.  Captain Nemo.  [Names # 3, Fictional,  and # 4, Real.]  Captain Nemo is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (né Jules Gabriel Verne; Feb. 8, 1828 ~ Mar. 24, 1905).  You can read about Captain Nemo two of Verne's science-fiction books: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and The Mysterious Island.

58-Across. Musical instrument also called a calliope: STEAM ORGAN.  Captain Morgan.  Captain Morgan (circa 1635 ~ Aug. 25, 1688) was a Welch pirate who later became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.  He was also a sugar plantation owner, which is probably why his name today is associated with spiced rum.  [Name # 4, real.]

And the unifier:

35. With 37-Across, title for the hidden individuals in 16-, 23-, 46-, and 58-Across, thanks to the circles in each answer?: CAPTAIN.

37. See 35-Across: OBVIOUS.  Together these clues give us Captain Obvious.  Captain Obvious is a pejorative nickname given to a person who insists on stating things that are patently clear.



What other Obvious Captains can you think of?  I thought of Captain Kangaroo, Captain Kirk, Captain Marvel, Captain Underpants, Captain America, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Captain Hook.

Across:
1. Settle, as a debt: REPAY.

6. "Leaving the chat for a sec": BRB.  Textspeak for BRight Back.

9. Puerto __: RICO.  Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory.


13. Get out of bed: ARISE.

14. Bubble tea pearls: BOBA.  Boba are the chewy tapioca pearls that are found in milk tea.  Everything you wanted to know about Boba Tea but didn't know to ask.

15. Wet dog emanation: ODOR.


18. Amaze: STUN.

19. Startled cry: EEK!

20. Muscles worked by crunches: ABs.  As in the Abdominal muscles.


21. Tries, with "at": HAS A GO.

27. Justice Kagan: ELENA.  Elena Kagan (b. Apr. 28, 1960) makes frequent guest appearances in the crossword puzzles.  [Name # 5.]

29. Greek Cupid: EROS.  Eros is the Greek god of love and sex.  His Roman counterpart is Cupid.  [Name # 6, Mythological.]

30. Kid-lit "Dr.": SEUSS.  Dr. Seuss is best known for writing children's books.  He write and illustrated over 60 books for children.  Dr. Suess is actually the pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel (Mar. 2, 1904 ~ Sept. 24, 1991).  [Name # 7, Pseudonym.]

31. As above, in footnotes: IDEM.  Today's Latin lesson.  The word means meaning "the same".  It is commonly abbreviated as id., because adding the "ed" takes too long.  The word is generally used in legal citations to denote the previously cited source.

32. Roaring-lion studio: MGM.  The studio is the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


40. Surveillance org.: NSA.  As in the National Security Agency.



41. Chicago MLB team: CUBS.  One of two Major League Baseball teams in Chicago.

43. "You win": I LOSE.

44. Rib-eye request: RARE.

45. "Thor: Ragnarok" actress Thompson: TESSA.  Tessa Lynne Thompson (b. Oct. 3, 1983) is an American actress.  She starred as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok.  [Name # 8.]


52. Shorebird with a curved bill: AVOCET.  Everything you wanted to know about the American Avocet but didn't know to ask.  They do have cute curved bills.


53. "Ugh": GAH.

54. Punk subgenre: EMO.

57. Phone-silencing button: MUTE.


62. Down or dirty: BLUE.  Think sad.  He was feeling blue when he learned she was moving away.  Blue is also associated with dirty words.

63. Attention-getting sound: AHEM.

64. Furious: ANGRY.

65. Pert reply: SASS.

66. Hoped-for proposal answer: YES.  //  And 4-Down. Inquire: ASK.


67. 2023 installment in a Vin Diesel film franchise: FAST X.  Movie number 10 in the Fast and Furious series.  Also known as Fast 10: Your Seatbelts.  Vin Diesel's given name is Mark Sinclair (b. July 18, 1967).  [Name # 9, Pseudonym.]

Down:
1. Tool for tidying a golf bunker: RAKE.

2. Ohio border lake: ERIE.  A shout-out to our dear friend Abejo.

3. Mood lifters: PICK-ME-UPS.

5. "Oh, about __ high": YEA.


6. Gravity-powered winter racer: BOBSLED.

7. Slugger's stat: RBI.  Runs Batted In.

8. Product for a scented soak: BATH BOMB.  Everything you wanted to know about a bath bomb but didn't know to ask.

9. Martini & __ vermouth: ROSSI.  Martini & Rossi is an Italian multinational alcoholic beverage company primarily associated with the Martini brand of vermouth and also with sparkling wine.  [Name adjacent.]

10. Bone on a dog collar, perhaps: ID TAG.

11. Lozenge target: COUGH.

12. " ... but perhaps I'm mistaken": OR NOT.  Generally said sarcastically.

14. Sweetie: BABE.
17. Triumphant laugh: HAH!

22. "Happy Days" diner: AL'S.  Formerly Arnold's diner until Al Delvecchio took over Arnold's after Arnold got married and moved away.  [Name # 10, Fictional.]


24. App with Reels, familiarly: INSTA.

25. Castle in Spain, e.g.?: CASA.  Today's Spanish lesson.  My home is my castle.

26. Sandwich treats: OREOs.  A crossword staple.


27. Corner PC key: ESC.

28. Not fatty: LEAN.

31. Store, after cremation: INURN.  To place or bury in an urn.

32. Distance runner: MILER.

33. Plenty of nothing: GOOSE EGGS.


34. Rumple, with "up": MUSS.

36. "Your guess is as good as mine": I CAN'T SAY.

38. Don Corleone: VITO.  Vito Corleone was the fictional in The Godfather.  He was portrayed by Marlon Brando (Apr. 3, 1924 ~ July 1, 2004) in the original movie.  [Name # 11, Fictional.]

39. Word after Red or before robin: SEA.  As in Red Sea or Sea Robin.  A Sea Robin is not a bird, but a fish.  Who knew?

42. See 59-Down: BEE GEES.  //  59-Down. With 42-Down, "Stayin' Alive" disco trio: THE.  Together we get The Bee Gee, named for Brothers' Gibb.  I'll spare your ears.

44. Issa of "The Hate U Give": RAE.  Issa Rae (née Jo-Issa Rae Diop; b. Jan. 12, 1985) visited us just last Tuesday.

46. Door frame parts: JAMBS.

Anatomy of a Door Frame.

47. Soft palate dangler: UVULA.
48. Floating flower: LOTUS.

49. Slurpee-like drinks: ICEEs.

50. Polite title: MA'AM.

51. Resistance unit: OHM.  The ohm is the unit of electrical resistance in the International System of Units. It is named after German physicist and mathematician Georg Simon Ohm (Mar. 16, 1789 ~ July 6, 1854)

55. Small shop: MART.

56. Black gem in a cameo: ONYX.  The Onyx is one of the birthstones of July.

60. Clumsy one: OAF.

61. Genetic messenger: RNA.



Here's the Grid:



חתולה



41 comments:

Subgenius said...

Despite some real obscurities (“gah,” anyone?) this puzzle didn’t strike me as terribly difficult. And, as usual, I found the circles useful, though others may disagree. FIR, so I’m happy.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

SEA robin? Well, at least it wasn't placed at 1a. Saw the hidden captains, and knew that Kirk must be one of 'em. Nope. Too obvious? No Wite-Out needed today. Enjoyed the outing, David and Hahtoolah.

KS said...

FIR. This puzzle tested me in a lot of ways. First, circles. And then bizarre clues and answers, like bath bomb and gah? And "down and dirty" is blue? Come on!
The SE was the last to fall, mostly because I threw down opal before onyx, and had no idea what 67A was. Still don't.
Overall, just yuk, or is it gah?

Jinx in Norfolk said...

FIR, but erased cartoon for CAPTAIN, irate for ANGRY, bath soap for BATH BOMB(?), and uvela for UVULA (UNTIE!)

Today is:
SAAM DAY OF ACTION (aims to stop sexual assault, harassment, and abuse before they happen)
NATIONAL DIY DAY (I’m an addict. Sometimes costs me more than just calling in the pros)
NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY DAY (Just tried Smucker’s peanut butter. Ingredients: Peanuts. Salt. No idea why fewer ingredients = higher price)
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION DAY (urges us to repair relationships we have damaged through words or actions)
NATIONAL FERRET DAY (shout out to Maj. Frank Burns, 4077 M*A*S*H)

Got my Natick IDEM x BATH BOMB! I'm da BOMB!

When pricey beer ruins your part of town, do you have MICHELO BLIGHT?

I'm not sure that MUTE silences the phone. We had a lot of conference calls when I worked in Phoenix, and we used the MUTE button for sidebar conversations while still being able to hear the others. 'Course there is that Consumer Cellular commercial where Barbara's phone gets muted.
DW thinks someone is talking to her when the agent says "Barbara?"

My dad loved the Shriners, even though he never rose through the ranks like my uncles. We were attending a Shriner's parade, and the STEAM ORGAN player couldn't make it at the last minute. They recruited my dad, who didn't know how to play any musical instrument, to hop up and play during the parade. They told him to just plunk on some keys, and it would be better than a silent calliope. He did, and I don't remember it sounding awful.

There's a big difference between "I don't know" and "I CAN'T SAY." When someone says "I CAN'T SAY" I always think that they know, they just aren't allowed to SAY.

Yesterday VETO. Today VITO. Maybe tomorrow will yield LIDO?

Thanks to David for the challenge, and to Ha2la for another excellent review.

inanehiker said...

This was a nice fun puzzle to start the day - lots of famous CAPTAINs to choose from

BATH BOMB reminded me of one of Patrick Mahomes' State Farm commercials:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmQtSpW30SI

Time to get going with work
Thanks Susan and David for a good wake up for the mind

Anonymous said...

Took 5:30 today for me to get promoted.

I didn't know today's actresses (Tessa nor J. Moore based on the clue), but did know today's Spanish lesson (casa). I also didn't know the bird (avocet).

"Gah" is unsightly.

Captain Marvel is a ... Marvel character. "Captain Fantastic" is a movie I saw last year, though it's been out for about 8 years. Captain Tuttle is (kind of) from M*A*S*H (starring Crossword-friendly "Alda").
 
Oh joy, circles!

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Crossword friends. I have noticed a different "flavor" to the puzzles recently with more obscure clues early in the week. Although they are easily fillable due to the perps, there does seem to be a bit of a difference. KS: The clue for 62-Across, for example: Down or dirty. It wasn't until the perps had filled in the answer that it dawned on my how the answer and clue fit together.

QOD: I’ve succeeded at everything except my life. ~ Serge Gainsbourg (né Lucien Ginsburg; Apr. 2, 1928 ~ Mar. 2, 1991), French singer-songwriter

Yellowrocks said...

Bubble tea is popular here, but I am not a fan. I don't like the tapioca pellets (boba). They are not drinkable. I don't like milk in tea. I take both iced and hot tea barefoot, or maybe a splash of lemon juice.
UGH and GAH are sounds or grunts that we can indicate only by trying to spell them. You can find GAH in the comics.
I perped the actress, but I found the novel that the movie was based on true and heart rending. Lisa Genova, a neuroscientist wrote about a very intelligent lady and detailed her decent into Alzheimer's disease. In addition to research Genova had experienced her grandmother's struggle with it. I could relate as my mother also was afflicted.
Alan likes to read Dr. Seuss. His problem is that when he sees words in isolation he sight reads them or sounds them out, but when they appear in a story he guesses using only context and not using the letters.
I take "I can't say," to mean I don't know. But, sometimes it means I am not supposed to tell.
My favorite clue was down or dirty=blue. A week of rainy days makes me down, sad or blue. Many night club acts have dirty jokes. We call them blue."Slang authority John Camden Hotten, in his 1859 publication, A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, suggested that the base or indecent connotation of blue had its origins in the French Bibliothèque bleue, popular literature published between the early 17th and mid-18th centuries on low-quality paper with a blue cover and read by the lower classes."

Lee said...

My only hangup today was trying to make GOOdEEGGS out of GOOSEEGGS. Shoulda looked at the clue for Miss Thompson.

The captains were obvious as all have found their way onto crossword puzzles in the past. UVULA is one of those words that just stuck in my memory the first time I heard it. Strange how that happens.

Everyone needs a little PICKMEUP now and again. ICANTSAY what it would be, however.

Learning moment: I knew the word AVOCET, but didn't know it was a bird.

A bow to David and Susan for their fine collaboration in presenting today's gourmet meal.

Never be sorry about doing the right thing.

Northwest.

waseeley said...

Thank you David and thank you Hahtoolah.

The circled AHAB made a SEA theme OBVIOUS from the get go.

A few favs:

14A BOBA. Reminds me of BOBA FETT, a bad guy in the Star Wars franchise.

20A ABS. Favorite 'toon.

31A IDEM. I always thought it was IBID. Could they be synonyms?

37A OBVIOUS. This fill wasn't OBVIOUS until I MUSSED my hair instead of MESSED it.

40A NSA. A mythical agency about 30 miles South of my home.

58A MORGAN. I could use a SNORT or two of his tonic to help get over this COUGH.

9D ROSSI. Is a RUM and VERMOUTH Martini a thing?

36D. I CAN'T SAY. People who know me well know that I CAN'T STOP SAYING.

39D SEA. SEA ROBIN? That wasn't OBVIOUS!

Cheers
Bill

CanadianEh! said...

Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, David and Hahtoolah.
I FIRed in good time and saw the CAPTAIN OBVIOUS theme. I LOLed at the reveal clue. Have Patti/David been reading our Anon with his “Oh joy, circles!) comment?

Hand up for hurriedly entering Opal before noticing that “black” required ONYX. I prefer my July Ruby.
BLUE filled in the spot, but I didn’t fully “get it” until Hahtoolah’s explanation. Of dirty words. Thanks also for YR’s further history behind the word.

Mess changed to MUSS (but TESSA wasn’t Tussa).
I hesitated to enter SEA as I have never heard of a SEA Robin. AVOCET was equally unknown.
HASAGO took a minute to parse.
BLUE crossing LOTUS was appropriate.

The whole central area was a Beehive of B words with BOBA crossing BABE and BOBSLED. Plus those BATHBOMBS. Then we had the BEEGEES in the south.

Wishing you all a great day.

YooperPhil said...

Fairly typical Tuesday difficulty level, FIR in 11:33. Seems a lot of Tuesday grids are of the OJC variety, I usually just ignore the circles until I’m done or see the reveal, sometimes they help, OR NOT, I CANT SAY. AVOCET was new for me as was learning there is a SEA Robin 🤷‍♂️. GAH reminded me of ERM, ack, or any other “word” seemingly made up for the sake of fill. Enjoyed the puzzle David!

Hahtoolah ~ fine write-up today, as always is the case when you take the reins, always educational and replete with graphics. The only other CAPTAINs I could think of are Captain (and Tennille), and Crunch (although he’s a CAP’N).

FY ~ sumdaze ~ amazing that you have spent many years maintaining the sour dough starter! Regarding boating down here in Florida - yes we see a lot of waterfowl, lots of fish eaters, pelicans, osprey, cormorants, eagles etc. Routinely see dolphins which seem to be “boat smart”. Manatees occasionally, have to always be on the lookout for them cuz they are like big logs floating low in the water. Rare to see alligators except occasionally in the canals, they seem to prefer fresh water.

Anonymous said...

Flying along until the proper names showed up. 7 names , knew Julianne and Vito never heard of Avocet, Fast x, Rae or Tessa. Some filled some didn't.

CanadianEh! said...

waseeley @9:20am - reed.edu
“ Idem vs. Ibid. or Ibidem
Idem means "the same person" whereas ibidem (abbreviated ibid.) means "at the same place." So use idem when the author and work are the same as cited immediately before, but the page number is different: idem, page 56. Use ibidem when the reference is exactly the same as the preceding citation.”

Monkey said...

I FIR, but it took a while for the theme to become OBVIOUS.

I started with pay up before REPAY, but that was quickly corrected.

GAH ? BLUE as clued? Great clue for CASA., however.

As a rule I dislike proper names for theme clues and we had two this morning.

Hahtoolah great info and links.

Anonymous said...

Loved the puzzle theme, not so enamored with the proper nouns and names. I guess bubble tea ingredients will be a thing now; make mental note to remember tapioca and boba. Stingray, manta-ray, jellyfish, dog-fish, cat-fish, SEA ROBIN, piranha, narwhal and whale were all mentioned in the B52s song Rock Lobster. The Red Sea is home to Sea Robins. The Uvula produces saliva and is only found in humans. Its other function is to close off the nasal passageway to prevent food or liquid from going up there. The BBB would get a kick out of this puzzle.

Anonymous said...

A clever puzzle.

I think fitting Michelob Light into a Tuesday puzzle is worth a 🍺 drink.

A bit of “crunch” in the clues today but a fun offering. Thanks David

Thanks Hatoolah for an intense and informative recap.

….. kkflorida

CrossEyedDave said...

I don't mean to be Captain Obvious, but we are not supposed to complain about the hard clue/answers due to Thumper.
So I propose to complain about the ridiculously easy hoped for proposal answer clue...

PSA:
Political Service Announcement

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-Along with a pleasant solve, I was happy to learn a SEA ROBIN is not a bird but an AVOCET is. :-)
-At least David didn’t choose CAPTAIN OBVI
-The Iowa women STUNNED LSU last night in a very entertaining game that will set a record for most TV viewers
-Everyone HAD A GO at guarding Caitlin Clark to no avail
-ELENA and her friendly vowels have a permanent home in Crosswordland next to ERIE’s CASA
-My good friend’s last name was spelled SUESS rhymes with cease; the Doctor’s name of SEUSS rhymes with Moose
-In a Rick Steves’ travelogue, we learned that in Tuscany lamb is eaten very RARE (not rarely)
-Unlike the pros, we amateur golfers take the RAKE into the bunker with us and use it as we leave
-Yup, inanehiker, Here are BATH BOMBS in a hilarious commercial (:30)
-As long as I’m in a linking mood: -A very funny URN scene! (:47)

Tehachapi Ken said...

Growing up, my family had a house and boat in Ocean City, N.J. We'd take our boat out in the ocean to go fishing, and when we caught something, we could almost always tell by the way the line behaved and how much the fish was fighting, whether it was a flounder, small shark, bass, or yes--a sea robin. Far and away the fish we caught the most was sea robin. We threw them back because they were not particularly edible.

Yellowrocks said...

Thanks, Canadian EH, I was just about to post the same ibid / idem reference. After a colleague and I successfully finished our Masters theses we took another class where we wrote short research articles. The instructor berated both of us for our bibliographies. We had used exactly the same instructions we used for our theses. We covertly made eyes at one another, but he did give us A's.
When I use mute on the phone I expect it to mute me, but not the speaker. Mute works the same way on Zoom.
Waseeley, OBVIOUS was my last fill. I, too, had to change mess to muss. I thought the captain's names were obvious because they were spelled out in circles.
I remembered having heard of sea robin only after I filled it by perps. I never have seen a picture of one before. Avocet was easier.
I believe that spelled out sounds like ack, gah, ugh, uh huh, oof, etc. were used before crosswords picked them up. Crossword puzzle constructors didn't invent them. I see them and hear them regularly. Some of these words like bang and hiss have become standard, even

in educated settings.

Anonymous said...

Started fun, ended no fun.

Charlie Echo said...

Managed to FIR despite the proper names and some squishy cluing. The theme came easily, and didn't really need the circles, although on second thought, I guess they made it even more OBVIOUS!

NaomiZ said...

FIR and enjoyed it, although I did think it was challenging in the south for a Tuesday. Loved the theme! I frequently (figuratively) bite my tongue to avoid saying, Thank you, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS! Today I'll say thank you to David and Patti for the fun, to Hahtoolah for clarifying, and a special thanks to Yellowrocks who is so well-read, hip to what's happening, and unflappable.

Ray - O - Sunshine said...


Love me them circles but probably not necessary with these non-jumbled answers. (Had not trouble “finding” NEMO). Not a lot of (captain) CRUNCH to this fairly easy, mostly PN free puzzle. I filled MOORE first then perped JULIANNE cuz I wuzn’t sure how to spell it. 🤔

HASAGO sounds like an Italian cheese. BABE? I thought it’s now bae 🙄. “Curved bill” AVOCET ibis too short

The Middle East was screwed up for a while cuz I stuck with capo too long. My maternal grandfather’s name was Vitaliano, a mouthful, (also patron saint of his old-country town) so they called him VITO for short. But that is actually a different guy, St. Vitus of “Dancing with the Saints” fame

YR, My daughter convinced me to try BOBA tea …I agree, UGH, GAH, not my cuppa.😝

Inkover: BATHsalt/BOMB, mess/MUSS

It will ruin yer tomato crop: MICHELO BLIGHT (😁.. Jinx beat me to it. )…ICEES: only experience them on CW. Bet they deliver a wicked brain freeze.🥶

Does anyone know if OREO is the communist, sorry, I meant commonest clue answer ever? 🤔

RosE said...

Greetings! I found this puzzle more difficult than the usual Tuesday fare. The west was kinder than the east, but with a couple of mid-course corrections, I finished.

Add footnote abbreviations to the list of obscure fills.
ESP: TESSA, AVOCET,
WOs: MeSS -> MUSS; bAH -> GAH, (not a fan of spelled sounds.) Filled but also noted AHEM and HAH… too many IMHO.
New to me: SEA robin, BATH BOMB

I knew “Stayin Alive” was the Brothers Gibb, but stretched over separate fills it was slow to arrange with the wrong BAH and the unknown STEAM ORGAN crossing.

Thanks, Hah2lah, for shedding the light. It’s the prize after an uphill climb.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

H.Gary, in the PGA, the rules specify that the caddies are responsible for raking the bunkers.

Also, NC State and UConn made history last night. This is the first time that two schools are appearing in the Final Four© of both the women's and men's tournament.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Boy, does that sound wrong. How 'bout "this the first time that two Division I schools have men's and women's teams in their respective Final Four©."

Chairman Moe said...

Puzzling thoughts:

FIR with just one write over (MESS before MUSS)

Husker Gary - too funny, the video clip you attached for the URN

Speaking of funny clips ... for any of you who used to listen to the Bob and Tom show on the radio, here is a fun clip about MR OBVIOUS, one of the show's featured characters ... enjoy!

Tehachapi Ken said...

I was just two squares from FIR. They're both in the SE corner: EMO and FASTX. Greek to me.

Hey, that reminds me: the expression "it's Greek to me" was first used where? Extra credit: who said it?


Anonymous said...

EMO is a CW staple, sub genre of punk, short for EMOtion(Al), ENO is also common, as in musician Brian.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

T.Ken, I don't know an actual name, but I think it was that guy who was the first to get a digital prostate exam.

Misty said...

Neat Tuesday puzzle, David--a bit challenging but doable, many thanks. And always appreciate your helpful and witty commentary, Hahtoolah, thanks for that too. I wouldn't have gotten the "Captain" theme without your help. It sure wasn't OBVIOUS to me, but nothing to get ANGRY about.

That 'sweetie' BABE made me smile. Nice to see Dr. SEUSS in the puzzle. Haven't heard anybody call me MAAM in ages. I ought to get out more.

Have a fun day, everybody.

Arizona Jim said...

The “Captain” part of the theme was obvious, but the “Obvious” part was not, ironically.

I would reiterate the issues people have brought up with all the obscure clues & answers today but it’s too much to list—certainly too much for a Tuesday.

Thanks, everyone for the explanations of these obscure things. I think the only one left now is STEAM ORGAN. What is this, like a steam-powered pipe organ?? Sounds amazing!

GAH??? Ugh.

Jayce said...

If I recall, Dilbert said GAH a lot.
I liked the obvious captains.
The daughter of our neighbor choked on a BOBA "pearl" while sucking it up through a straw.
I learned the attention-getting sound was AHEM, not PSST.
My wife's name means Precious LOTUS.

Charlie Echo said...

Steam organs are definitely a real thing. The old Belle of Louisville sternwheel steamboat had one mounted on her upper deck, and serenaded us as we cruised down the river.

Jinx in Norfolk said...

Charlie Echo - Thanks for the reminder - The Belle of Louisville will compete in the annual Great Steamboat Race on May 1, as part of the Kentucky Derby fanfare.

Lucina said...

Hola!

I've been unable to post in while because the internet was down most of the weekend. It finally became available this afternoon. I'm not sure what the problem was but it was very annoying. Now my settings are strangely positioned and I'll have to figure out what to do about that. The lighting is a bit dim, too.

In the meantime, I've done all the puzzles this weekend but was unable to comment. And I don't have much time now because we are going to dinner to celebrate granddaughter number two's birthday.

I hope all have been well and that I haven't missed anything earth shattering.

Our Easter celebration was peaceful and joyful with only five of us here. Tonight we'll have a bigger crowd at dinner.

I wish you all a peaceful evening!

PK said...

Fun puzzle, Thanks, David! Fun expo, Thanks, Hahtoolah!

I caught on to the theme early and didn't have problems with what most of you did. I knew AVOCET altho I've never seen one. Studied bird books when our man-made lake filled and birds showed up that we'd never seen before when our county was dry. The word AVOCET just stuck with me.

Strangely, I couldn't think of UVULA until the U filled in. I've known that word forever.

I'd never heard of BATH BOMBS until I read it in a book recently. I have no idea what book since I go thru three or four a week.

Gary, I clicked on your link and a very BLUE meme came up with a naked female dancer. How that happened, I CAN'T SAY.

Husker Gary said...

Hi PK,

I check my links at least twice before I post them and I can't get any blue meme now with any of them.

sumdaze said...

Thanks for the Tues. fun, David! FAVs: Bubble Tea Pearls and HAS A GO. I also liked your grid work with THE BEEGEES and putting an X in the bottom, right. We don't see that much.
LOTUS helps me spell AVOCET.

Thanks for all the info. in your write-up, Hahtoolah! I needed your help with SEA ROBIN and BLUE. Both were new to me. Is that what is meant by "talk a blue streak"?
I'll add Captain Cook to your list.