Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with an LAT debut for constructor Aaron Ullman. Congrats, Aaron!
Theme: 
We will begin with the four starred clues:
20 Across. *"I can't make sense of it": DON'T ASK ME WHY.
Tell Me Why was the opening track on Neil Young's After the Gold Rush album (1970).
33 Across. *World Series of Poker game: TEXAS HOLD'EM.
Yes, it's a card game but it is also a song on Beyoncé's new country album, Cowboy Carter (released March 29). This album is getting a lot of attention. Perhaps you've heard about it. I decided to not embed the music video; but, if you are curious, you can catch it here. Warning: language, skin, and incorrect rope swinging (Do not hold onto the honda.)
41 Across. *Natural-horror film franchise featuring superintelligent sharks: DEEP BLUE SEA.
Not my genre but sussable. Here is the trailer:
Warning: It's Samuel L. Jackson intense! (Yes, I just used SLJ as an adjective.)
52 Across. *Catchphrase of the Three Stooges: OH A WISE GUY EH.
I just could not parse the first three letters of this one. That contributed to my loss of patience and a DNF in the southwest. Oof! I bet Chairman Moe knew it! 
The reveal is perfectly placed in the bottom, right corner:
67 Across. Disco classic spelled out with arm motions and by the ends of the answers to the starred clues: YMCA. Sing it with me -- WHY 'EM SEA EH ♪♪
Well, now that we have that all sorted, let's take a look at the other clues:
1. "The Phantom of the Opera" prop: MASK. In the 1909 novel by Gaston Leroux, the phantom was born disfigured. The 1943 film changed this explanation to say that he had acid splashed in his face.
9. Parroting: APING.
14. Wrinkly citrus fruit: UGLI. and 10. Large citrus fruit: POMELO.
 |
| The UGLI fruits look easy to peel. |
15. Slender wind instrument: OBOE.
16. Polite refusal: NO SIR.
17. Inspirational collage for designers: MOODBOARD. more info.
19. Mental picture: IMAGE.
22. Crab or lobster catcher: POT. From what I read online, it seems a lobster POT is another name for a lobster trap. This video explains how a lobster trap works. 25. Told tales: LIED.
26. Feel poorly: AIL. This one reminds me of an example my high school English teacher liked to use: My boyfriend feels well.
27. Puts into law: ENACTS.
29. Losing candidate: ALSO RAN.
36. Brewpub pour: ALE.
37. Scissors sound: SNIP.
38. Spanish day: DÍA.
39. "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" actress Kristen: WIIG. Here's the trailer for this 2021 movie:
40. Bowler's target: PIN. and 64 Across. Bowler's place: LANE.
It makes me smile to see these clues on a Monday. 😊
45. African capital on the Mediterranean Sea: ALGIERS.
48. __-cone: icy treat: SNO.
49. "__ well that ends well": ALL'S. This idiom is used to say that a person can forget about how unpleasant or difficult something was because everything ended in a good way. It is a line from Shakespeare:
51. U-turn from NNW: SSE.
57. Euripides tragedy: MEDEA. Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides.
58. Many a charitable organization: NONPROFIT. Generally speaking, the IRS filing due date is March 15 for S-Corps , April 15 for individuals, and May 15 for NONPROFITs. (That's just two days away!)
62. Common font: ARIAL. Arial is the font, Ariel is the mermaid, and aerial is the antenna.
63. Actress Swenson: INGA. (1932 - 2023) Inga was an American actress with a long list of credits from the screen and stage, including Hoss's mother on Bonanza and the housekeeper on Benson (1979-1986).
65. Sidles up to: NEARS. and 12 Down. Close by, quaintly: NIGH.
66. Like pink hair: DYED.
Down:
1. Bluey and Bingo's parent: MUM. If you do not watch cartoons targeted to 5-7 year-olds, you might not know that Bluey is a children's animated TV show on Disney+ about an Australian Blue Healer Cattle Dog (Bluey) and her little sister (Bingo). It does have some controversy. Here is a 1:25 min. clip:
55. Oklahoma city west of Tulsa: ENID.
56. "__ guacamole!": HOLY.
59. Closest peeps: FAM. "Peeps" is short for "people" -- a hint that the answer will be a shortened word, too.
60. Company abbr.: INC. INCorporated
61. Lipton drink: TEA.
45. African capital on the Mediterranean Sea: ALGIERS.
47. Tab key function: INDENT. Also, Shift+Tab will un-indent.
48. __-cone: icy treat: SNO.
49. "__ well that ends well": ALL'S. This idiom is used to say that a person can forget about how unpleasant or difficult something was because everything ended in a good way. It is a line from Shakespeare:
All's well that ends well,
Still the fine's the crown:
Whate'er the course,
The end is the renown.
51. U-turn from NNW: SSE.
57. Euripides tragedy: MEDEA. Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides.
58. Many a charitable organization: NONPROFIT. Generally speaking, the IRS filing due date is March 15 for S-Corps , April 15 for individuals, and May 15 for NONPROFITs. (That's just two days away!)
62. Common font: ARIAL. Arial is the font, Ariel is the mermaid, and aerial is the antenna.
65. Sidles up to: NEARS. and 12 Down. Close by, quaintly: NIGH.
Down:
1. Bluey and Bingo's parent: MUM. If you do not watch cartoons targeted to 5-7 year-olds, you might not know that Bluey is a children's animated TV show on Disney+ about an Australian Blue Healer Cattle Dog (Bluey) and her little sister (Bingo). It does have some controversy. Here is a 1:25 min. clip:
"Bluey" was also the name of the Australian cattle dog with the world record for longevity.
Bluey ---> Australia ---> + parent = MUM
2. Many moons __: AGO. This is also the title of a song from the Broadway show Once Upon a Mattress. Here is Harry Snow as the Minstrel (1959-1960). You will likely recognize the first two names on the Playbill.3. __-mo replay: SLO.
4. "The Mermaid Chair" novelist Sue Monk __: KIDD. goodreads link
5. Vague promise from a procrastinator: SOONISH. The opposite of many moons ago???
6. Tail off, as a storm: ABATE.
7. U.S./Canada military acronym: NORAD. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is a bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America.
4. "The Mermaid Chair" novelist Sue Monk __: KIDD. goodreads link
5. Vague promise from a procrastinator: SOONISH. The opposite of many moons ago???
6. Tail off, as a storm: ABATE.
7. U.S./Canada military acronym: NORAD. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is a bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America.
Additionally, every Christmas Eve NORAD tracks Santa's flight around the world to ensure his safety. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to help man the phones in 2019. #BestChristmasEveEver
8. Canvas shoe brand that makes bridal sneakers: KEDS.
9. Belief that all beings have a spirit: ANIMISM. You can read more here.
11. "__ it first!": "Dibs!": I SAW.
13. __ Goose vodka: GREY.
18. Runs away fast: BOLTS.
8. Canvas shoe brand that makes bridal sneakers: KEDS.
9. Belief that all beings have a spirit: ANIMISM. You can read more here.
11. "__ it first!": "Dibs!": I SAW.
 |
| It is just now occurring to Calvin that his no-nonsense babysitter will be coming over tonight. |
13. __ Goose vodka: GREY.
18. Runs away fast: BOLTS.
An aptronym is a name that matches the occupation or character of its owner, often in a humorous or ironic way. One example is the Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt. Wiki list
21. Leafy vegetable in a green smoothie: KALE.
22. Pampering place for furry friends: PET SPA.
23. Close soccer score: ONE-NIL. Hand up for first having ONE-one.
24. Exhausting: TAXING.
28. Baseball hat: CAP.
29. Not much (of): A DAB.
30. Salary hikes: RAISES.
31. Sci-fi beings: ALIENS.
32. Invalidate: NEGATE.
34. Celebratory poems: ODES. Jimmy Stewart shared this heartwarming ODE with Johnny Carson about a dog named Beau:
35. Place for a piercing: LIP.
39. Married: WED.
41. "Wasn't me!" and "I didn't do it!": DENIALS. It is a bit unusual to see two quotes in one clue but it works for the plural answer.
42. Greek god of love: EROS.
43. Perch for a frog in an ornamental pond: LILY PAD.
44. Al or Bobby of auto racing: UNSER. The Unser family has won the Indianapolis 500 a record nine times, with Bobby and Al Unser Sr. being the only set of brothers to win in the race's history.
46. "Pinkie promise!": I SWEAR.
49. Great pain: AGONY. AGnst also fit ... for a while.
50. Fencing thrust: LUNGE.
52. Muscat's land: OMAN.
53. "Take this": HERE. Well clued, Aaron!
54. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA. Adia is a song by Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan from her fourth studio album, Surfacing (1997). It was co-written by McLachlan and her longtime producer, Pierre Marchand.
21. Leafy vegetable in a green smoothie: KALE.
22. Pampering place for furry friends: PET SPA.
23. Close soccer score: ONE-NIL. Hand up for first having ONE-one.
24. Exhausting: TAXING.
28. Baseball hat: CAP.
29. Not much (of): A DAB.
30. Salary hikes: RAISES.
31. Sci-fi beings: ALIENS.
32. Invalidate: NEGATE.
34. Celebratory poems: ODES. Jimmy Stewart shared this heartwarming ODE with Johnny Carson about a dog named Beau:
35. Place for a piercing: LIP.
39. Married: WED.
41. "Wasn't me!" and "I didn't do it!": DENIALS. It is a bit unusual to see two quotes in one clue but it works for the plural answer.
42. Greek god of love: EROS.
43. Perch for a frog in an ornamental pond: LILY PAD.
44. Al or Bobby of auto racing: UNSER. The Unser family has won the Indianapolis 500 a record nine times, with Bobby and Al Unser Sr. being the only set of brothers to win in the race's history.
46. "Pinkie promise!": I SWEAR.
49. Great pain: AGONY. AGnst also fit ... for a while.
50. Fencing thrust: LUNGE.
52. Muscat's land: OMAN.
54. 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA. Adia is a song by Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan from her fourth studio album, Surfacing (1997). It was co-written by McLachlan and her longtime producer, Pierre Marchand.
Oh, that song!
55. Oklahoma city west of Tulsa: ENID.
56. "__ guacamole!": HOLY.
59. Closest peeps: FAM. "Peeps" is short for "people" -- a hint that the answer will be a shortened word, too.
60. Company abbr.: INC. INCorporated
61. Lipton drink: TEA.
The grid: 
C ya!
50 comments:
Usually, when it comes to a Monday, I can figure out the gimmick in advance of the reveal. Not this time, though. Other than that, it was the usual Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Had no idea on MUM and little idea on KIDD, so MOODBOARD almost caused a Monday DNF. Could'a been a WOODboard or WOOLboard or GOODboard or...you get the idea. Whew! Never noticed the FAM, INC, or TEA in Florida -- they were already filled in. Saw YMCA as that disco tune, but (once again) failed to read the full clue and totally missed the theme during the solve. [sigh] Interesting debut, Aaron. Enjoyed your elucidating expo, sumdaze. (Wow, now we can add NORAD phone-bank volunteer to your lengthy list of exploits. Aptronym: Goodbody Mortuary in San Diego.)
Good Morning:
Although this was an easy Monday solve, I can see where a newbie might have a few hiccups, namely, at Animism, Adia, and Medea, but the perps were more than fair. I, myself, needed perps for Mood Board, Deep Blue Sea, and, Oh, A Wise Guy, Eh, all of which were unknown. I also went astray at One One/Nil (Hi, sumdaze!), and A Tad/A Dab. I had no idea what the theme was until filling in YMCA and that elicited a true Aha delightful surprise! Well done, Aaron. There was also a fun geographical sub-theme with Texas, Oman, Algiers, and Enid.
Thanks, Aaron, and congrats on such a cut-above Monday solving experience, not to mention an auspicious debut and thanks, sumdaze, for your always unique perspective and singular knack for providing chuckles and interesting tidbits and Monday-morning pick-me-ups such as the rousing YMCA and the poignant Ode to Beau, beautifully rendered by the incomparable Jimmy Stewart. Favorite comics were the smug English Majors and the Parrot and the Ape. I was also glad to finally learn who/what Bluey is!
Have a great day.
Took 6:04 today for me to have fun to stay....
Never saw the theme.
Like D-O, I didn't know Bluey or Bingo, nor did I know today's writer, so _oo_board was up for grabs for a while.
I knew today's Spanish lesson (dia), but not today's actress (Inga). I knew Adia, but thought that was a tricky intersection Adia/Medea.
Good morning. Thank you, Aaron Ullman, and thank you, sumdaze.
Congrats on your LA Times debut, Aaron!
And before I forget again, congrats to you too, sumdaze for your debut puzzle in last Thursday's USA Today!
I wondered where we were going with the theme answers, but the reveal made it clear.
It was slow going in the NW. Didn't know MUM and KEDS as clued. Misread collage for college. Didn't know KIDD.
"I can't make sense of it": DON'T ASK ME WHY. "Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why". (When the song first came out, I thought it was a woman, but it was Timothy B. Schmit singing falsetto.)
sumdaze, we both had a gif of a golfer sinking a putt. However, I recognized the golfer in yours. That's "Lefty." Phil Mickelson.
Never saw the clue for INGA. I try to make sure that I read every clue. It seems to help in later solves.
I liked that list of aptronyms, and the list of inaptronyms as well. Fun stuff.
FLN, Dash T, true dat about a soldier being able to sleep anywhere, but also, being able to stay on task until done. #armystrong.
FIW, missing my WAG @ MUw x wOOD BOARD.
Today is:
NATIONAL FROG JUMPING DAY (began in 1849 in Calaveras County, California)
NATIONAL CROUTON DAY (my favorite local Italian joint makes their own bread, including croutons. When they are fresh out of the oven, I could make a meal out of 'em)
NATIONAL WOMEN’S CHECKUP DAY (I’m not a physician, but I've been known to play one after a couple of drinks)
NATIONAL FRUIT COCKTAIL DAY (so much better than fruitcake)
NATIONAL APPLE PIE DAY (the Dutch variety is my favorite, crumbs down)
Okay folks, no cigar until now. Here's Billy Joel's DON'T ASK ME WHY.
Traveling today for a brief camping trip. Hopefully check back in NLT tomorrow morning.
Thanks to Aaron for the solid Thursday puzzle, albeit a little early. And thanks to sumdaze for another sparkling review.
FIR. This Monday puzzle had a little bite to it. I almost bought the farm on moodboard. I had moonboard first but changed it with a WAG at Kidd. And mum? What the.......
The reveal allowed me to see the theme, but not before. Like SubG, I usually get the theme early on a Monday. Not today.
Overall, this was a less than enjoyable puzzle. It's done, so on to tomorrow.
Hi All!
FIW at MErEA | ArIA @54d xing 57a. It's going to be one of those Mondays...
Thanks Aaron for the grid & congrats on your debut.
Thanks sumdaze for your fantastic expo. Though, I do love some Neil Young, I'd have thought you'd go with Billy Joel at DON’T ASK ME WHY :-)
//Dang it - Jinx beat me to it. But my link is a live performance.
WOs: I forgot the I in ALGIERS (where my good buddy is from)
ESPs: Nope - FIW.
Fav: What sumdaze did with I SAW at #Calvin&Hobbes
NORAD - David Lightman hacked into 'em in War Games and had Joshua nearly start WWIII.
Didn't really know Bluey and thought maybe Brit TV(?). MUM came regardless.
It was nice to see a nod to see The Three Stooges this morning after I saw Benny Hill trending (for some reason(?)) on Twitter.
Y'all have a nice Monday. We're expecting HAIL this afternoon so maybe I'll get a new roof ala D-O :-)
Cheers, -T
Good Morning! I thought today’s puzzle was a tad crunchy to start the week, but I made it through. Thanks, Aaron, and congrats on your debut whichever day it was placed.
I relied on perps for a number of fills (ex: MUM), and some I didn’t even see, the luck of which direction I’m going.
After I got YMCA, I didn’t go back to figure out the theme, and it was a fun revelation when I got to the Corner. Thanks, sumdaze. We sang the song on a regular basis when I did pool aerobics.
WO: A bit -> A DAB; BFF -> FAM.
I had tears in my eyes along with Jimmy and Johnny. Anyone who has loved a dog knows….. What a heartfelt tribute to Bo.
Aaron's debut puzzle engendered no small amount of crunch for a Monday, but I was able to FIR, largely because it was so much fun for me. For one thing, I have two granddaughters, 7 and 5, and they love Bluey and his (yes, sumdaze, Bluey is a male) family and friends. And then at the other corner of the puzzle I got to sing (shout? gyrate?) YMCA. Which in this clever crossword was "why em sea eh".
And "Don't Ask Me Why" made me think of the Eagles, for whom I hold fondness, because I knew Don Felder, one of their members, who is a wonderful guy.
There were some answers that were impossible for me, like KIDD, MOODBOARD, WIIG, and ADIA. But well-placed perps--notably in the difficult SW--saved the day.
Welcome to the Corner, Aaron, and I look forward to your next entertaining puzzle.
A little crunchy for a Monday. FIR w/o help.
1D three letter parent beginning with M? Mum or Mom. Bluey and Bingo were not necessary.
I hear many moons ago used humorously. Some say it is imitating Native American use of English. Time was measured by moons or months in many cultures.
Animism was not difficult.
Inspirational suggested MOOD.
I got OH A WISE GUY, but I needed perps and the sound A to get the ending EH. Alan watches The Three Stooges every Sunday with me.
My knowledge of NORAD comes from the Santa watch.
ESP for WIIG, On second thought I have seen it, but I can't remember who she is.
ESP for ADIA and INGA.
Not a walk in the park for me. Maybe I was still half asleep. After the second cup of coffee I solved more quickly.
Thanks Aaron and Sumdaze for the fun start to my day. I am awake now.
A deliciously fun CW. Somehow I caught on to the theme right off and entered YMCA early on then went back and filled in the rest of the cells.
I needed perps for MOOD BOARD, by the way thank you Sumdaze for the link, and DEEP BLUE SEA.
My font of choice is Palatino.
Ken @ 8:56 ~ I'm a tad confused about Bluey's gender as Wiki (and other sources) refers to Bluey as a little girl with a little sister, Bingo.🤔
I looked it up:
"Palatino is the name of an old-style serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf, initially released in 1949 by the Stempel foundry and later by other companies, most notably the Mergenthaler Linotype Company."
There is so much crosswordise in that explanation, I'm sorry I posted it... (Zapf? - sounds like a Douglas Adams' character).
-T
Maverick Monday. Thanks for the fun, Aaron (congrats on your debut) and sumdaze.
I FIRed eventually and saw the YMCA theme at the reveal (although I missed out on the complexity by only seeing the letters Y and M on the first two themers - WHY, EM, SEA, EH! Was great). And I’ll take a CSO at SEA EH,
Plenty of inkblots.
Hand up for ONE one before NIL.
TAXING is more exhausting than my first entry, Tiring.
I knew ADIA, but had to correct my e to A.
IrAN changed to OMAN. Close but no cigar.
CSO to CMoe with the Three Stooges.
Memories of Boomer with PIN.
MUM’s Day was a day AGO.
Wishing you all a great day.
IM:
Could be. I'll check with Julia and Sasha (my g'daughters) to get their stand on Bluey.
A-t @ 9:36. Wow. Nice research. I have a feeling the key words in your description are “old style”. That’s me. Although I have been using Palatino font for over 20 years.
Several years ago when I was in Arles, I met a, at that time, very elderly gentleman who was a font creator. For example he had just finished an order for the Denver phone book needing a font that would let the publisher squeeze in as many names as possible in as small a space as possible and still be legible.
An enjoyable FIR to start the week! A little crunch here and there, but helpful perps to the rescue. Wanted "NYUKNYUKNYUK" for the Stooges, but... another great write-up by Sumdaze. Going back to it now for some music! (Loved the English majors jury!)
.
OK--my granddaughters have corroborated that Bluey is female. I stand corrected! Well done, Irish Miss.
Well it was kinda a Monday- and kinda Not. While I FIR, it shouldn’t take a wag to finish a Monday when you cross obscure items such as mood board with mum and Kidd. No clue on bluey and bingo or the mermaid chair. I prefer sunk to sank, but ok. And at least Adia, animism had perps to be fair. So no problem but not quite a Monday.
Hola!
THE MERMAID CHAIR by Sue Monk KIDD was the book that started our Book Club many years ago. We have read dozens of books since then, the next one being THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE which we shall discuss this coming Saturday.
My friend who lives in San Rafael has a Swedish friend, Yvonne, who looks like and sounds like INGA.
KEDS were the shoes of our youth and could be purchased at the grocery store for $2.00. I well remember receiving $2 for my birthday one year and that's what I bought.
I love The Village People singing YMCA! Thank you for posting it!
CSO to Tony and d-otto at TEXAS.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
SANK is the correct form to use. SUNK requires an auxiliary verb as in: THE BOAT HAD SUNK BY THE TIME WE GOT THERE. It sank in the deep water.
It is interesting to me how some clues speak to us differently. For example, I didn't think the parent clue suggested a generic term in light of the two specific names mentioned. I considered Max, Moe, or other made up names.
Ugli (the u in mum) is a proprietary name for a Jamaican tangelo.
While inspirational may have suggested mood to some, the designer portion of the clue suggested to me room, wood, wool, or other subjects of design, including those that desper-otto mentioned.
TTP@7:00. Thanks for the congratulations! I thought it was fun that your write up yesterday had both a golf putt gif and a YMCA clip. I love the Minions! I went with the humans clip because the pronunciation was a better match for today's grid.
T-Ken@8:56. This is from greenlight.com:
The creators of "Bluey" have openly stated that Bluey is a girl. This revelation aims to challenge traditional gender norms and present a character that both boys and girls can admire and relate to. Bluey's adventures are universal, showcasing themes of family, friendship, and growth that resonate across genders.
C-Eh!@10:04. How did I miss your CSO??!! Good one! So glad you claimed it!
I’m a 64 year old attorney who absolutely loves the show Bluey. I admit that I’m not exactly the target audience, but I love it nonetheless.
Fun Monday puzzle, thank you, Aaron, and have a good week. And thank you too for your helpful commentary, Sumdaze.
I bet the folks who run a NON-PROFIT like the PET SPA have a bit of ANIMISM in their system. Bet they even enjoy watching the frogs in that LILY POND. I would enjoy it too, but it's time to go out and feed my turtle.
Have a good week coming up, everybody.
Misty@12:24. Do you really have an outdoor turtle pet? I wish I could come visit it. Please tell us more. What is its name? How old is it? I've heard they can live a very long time.
Ken @ 10:43 ~ I owe you a thank you for piquing my curiosity to learn a little more about a character whom I had only known about via TV listings. In fact, before today's revelation, I was thinking Bluey was a water creature, like a whale or shark! I'm happy to know she is a playful pup! 😉
An excellent debut puzzle Aaron.
Some lively and challenging clues but the perps were fair.
I loved the theme song YMCA .
I still do the hand gestures whenever I hear the song.. which is rarely played anymore.
Thanks sumdaze for the recap.
I 😂 at the igloo antenna.
I can remember holding the TV antenna in various positions until my dad was convinced there was less snow on the tv screen.
Cheers
…. kkflorida
Hand up struggled with crosses of unknowns involving MOOD BOARD, KIDD, BLUEY AND BINGO.
Charlie Echo Hand up thought of NYUKNYUKNYUK. Amused by the YMCA theme. That was my first fill, which helped.
Lucina Thank you for explaining SANK vs SUNK.
On Friday we watched as the Santa Barbara Mayor opened our Summer Solstice Workshop with a SNIP of giant SCISSORS.
This is the 50th anniversary for Summer Solstice. Today is our anniversary for Merlie and me. Much less than 50th!
FLN
We spent most of yesterday celebrating Mother's Day at my son's house. He made a delicious cinnamon curried chicken stew, with baked baby potatoes and assorted veggies. I did manage to squeeze in the Sunday puzzle, but got an FIW due to an SSE ("Stupid Spelling Error") -- I misspelled Sam Neill's name and somehow convinced myself that WALE was a type of ("garden") border. If you haven't seen his 1983 TV series Reilly Ace of Spies you're in for a real thrill.
Today ...
Thanks Aaron and congrats on your debut. As a few others have mentioned this puzzle was a bit crunchy for a Monday, but I prevailed and managed a FIR.
And thanks sumdaze for another entertaining review -- the Neil Young clip was a blast from the past and the Beyonce clip was, er, um, "educational"😁 .
A few favs:
17A MOOD BOARD. A piece of cake for me, as it was in a review I did a month or so back -- I guess nobody read it 😥.
23A POT. NET would have worked and actually does work as a way of catching crabs from a pier or bridge. Just dangle a weighted string, baited with a piece of chicken. When you feel the crab working on the chicken, slowly draw the string up until you see it just below the surface, then bring a net up under the crab to catch it.
32D NEGATE. Favorite cartoon!
34D ODES. The Jimmy Stewart poem reminded me of a song my father taught me: neither of could get through it without crying.
Cheers,
Bill
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR, though the 12:00 to solve is a bit longer than Mondays usually take me. I know if I were solving with pen on paper I'd move faster. Too much of my solving on the computer is due to hhitting the wrong keyz abd having to dlete and/or correcgt misspleeled words
Yes, I was familiar with the Stooge's quote
Renee (sumdaze) you again regaled us with so many great cartoons, images, and videos
Aaron, thanks for the fun puzzle and congrats on you LAT debut
ps: I got an update today from the collision center where my car has been since the accident. The amount of body damage (beyond what you see from the impact area) is quite extensive. I am preparing for the insurance company to write off the car rather than fix it. And I am guessing that I will also have to go to small claims court to try to squeeze money from the guy who hit me as he (and his car) were not insured ... we truly need to figure a way to prevent people from driving and/or owning a vehicle if they can't afford insurance
Like Ceh,I too appreciated the CSO to Boomer with PIN/LANE, especially since it avoided ALLEY as he hated the phrase "BOWLING ALLEY." Aaron if you read the Corner stop by and say hello
Nice to read so many familiar names and also so many new ones.
C-Moe @2:42. Sorry about your car accident. It is a problem that people can blithely drive around with no car insurance and expect the rest of us to pick up the pieces.
Picard: Happy anniversary.
TPP, I too slipped up with AriA MErEA.
C-Moe and Monkey, I witnessed an auto accident this morning on my M-o-W route. A lady in a CRV was exiting the tollway and blew through a stop light just as a guy in his F-250 was heading into the intersection. Bam! The pickup suffered some minor front-end damage, but the driver's door on the CRV was badly crumpled (smushed is the technical term). We had to yank the door off in pieces and push the air-curtain bag out of the way so the driver could get out of the vehicle. She was too dazed to move, but apparently not badly injured, so we decided to let her sit there until the paramedics arrived. I continued on my route. Hope she's OK.
desper-otto @ 4:09 My accident happened 10 days ago. A guy decided to try to pass me as I was about to make a right turn and slammed into my right rear quarter panel. Shocked the $hit out of me but both I and Margaret are ok. My car was four years young and had barely a scratch on it. And only 22,000 miles. And 2/3 of the way paid for. The guy who hit me was driving a 15-year-old sedan. No insurance. I'm not a happy camper right now
sumdaze, I wondered how in the world I was going to be able babysit my great-grand nephew while my sister, my niece, and my grand niece all went to the mall. No problem. My grand niece had just bought a tape of the new (at the time) Despicable Me 2. He was wide eyed and rapt! We watched it back to back. I loved it.
Chairman Moe. I know that feeling. The guy that hit me had no insurance, no drivers license, no registration, and expired license plates. He also tried to drive away from the scene. The Ohio State Highway Patrolman found no fault. The officer had also responded the night before to a similar accident on the same small stretch of road, and had called for the highway department to keep that section salted. Anyway, I hope it all works out for you.
Prof M, you have me mixed up with someone else. I did not have an error there. I know both ADIA and MEDEA, mostly from doing crosswords.
Desper-otto, you are an all around Good Samaritan!
TPP, my apology! I intended Anonymous T.
Prof M, no worries. You can easily tell us apart. He's the smart one with strong social media skills and a big brother supportive personality.
TTP, apology #2 for the absent T.
TTP, cops don't find fault in an accident. They can write tickets for violation of the law to one or all parties, but not find fault. That's for the judicial process.
Virginia has an uninsured motorist coverage option, which I carry. I've only used it a couple of times, both for its hit-and-run clause. The first time, the insurance covered it all without deductible. The second time they had changed the law, and my standard deductible applied. (In my old neighborhood, almost no one has off-street parking. So I guess I get hit on average every 10 years.)
The worst insurance I've heard of was from a fellow Florida snowbird, I think from Michigan. He told me that they have no-fault insurance, and when he had a fender-bender with the other guy totally at fault, HIS insurance went up because of his claim.
Well, I saw the "Y" at the end of DON'T ASK ME WHY, the "M" at the end of TEXAS HOLD'EM, the "A" at the end of DEEP BLUE SEA, and the "H" at the end of OH A WISE GUY EH, so even though my mind was screaming "YMCA!" at 67 across, I put in YMAH, which I knew had to be wrong but I couldn't figure out why. I didn't see the phonetic WHY EM SEA EH until reading sumdaze's write-up. Sweet.
Dang, I'm getting tired of clues that are simply arbitrary paraphrases of the answer, thus not really contributing to or helping the solve. Here are the ones in this puzzle:
"I can't make sense of it": DON'T ASK ME WHY
"__ it first!": "Dibs!": I SAW (to me, DIBS means "I lay claim to it.")
"Pinkie promise!": I SWEAR
"Take this": HERE.
I don't think "Wasn't me!" and "I didn't do it!": DENIALS quite fits this mold, as the answer and clue are not paraphrases of each other, but it comes close.
Fill that I liked includes:
NONPROFIT
ANIMISM
TAXING
NEGATE
DENIALS
LILY PAD.
For that Mediterranean seaport I put in TRIPOLI, but it turned out to be that other Mediterranean seaport.
I got some enjoyment out of this puzzle, but much more enjoyment from the write-up.
Good wishes to you all.
Jinx, yes, I should have written citations. He was not cited for any of those violations.
My car got dented (side-swiped) in a rain-storm on I45 heading south. Never saw the person and my back was out for two days.
TTP said: "Prof M, no worries. You can easily tell us apart. He's the smart one with strong social media skills and a big brother supportive personality."
ROTFLOL - you are easily the smarter o' the Ts. I'm just a dyslexic moron who loves puzzles & married way above my pay grade to an English Prof.
//To my credit, I spotted how smart she was and we married right out of HS. I think she just thought "Oh, he's cute" which I still don't comprehend.
Congrats Picard on finding your's & your anniversary!
Cheers, -T
Jayce, I totally agree. Parallel construction with the clue and the fill consistent would be nice. I even worked a WaPo the other day that had a clue in the present tense and the fill in the past tense!
HAH!
Point proved. Dash T deflected. He can't help himself. Case closed. He's your big brother.
Musings
-If I thought it was interesting, I would tell you why I am posting late but it isn’t and so I won’t
-Loved it, even though MUM (as clued) and MOOD BOARD (huh?) caught me between the Devil and THE DEEP BLUE SEA for a while
-Granddaughter just confirmed that she made MOOD BOARDS in 4H
-EH as the last letter was inspired and fun.
-I’ve never known anyone who uses APE or any form of it as a verb
-Those denials are right out of the middle school hymnal
Sumdaze, it's late and I have to give you a quick response to your question. We can talk more tomorrow, if you'd like. But the turtle belongs to the species "Gopherus Agassizi" and so her name is "Gophie." They apparently live between 50 and 80 years and I've known her for more than 40 years, I think, although she probably already had a decade or two behind her by than. As I say, remind me tomorrow to tell you more about Gophie. And thanks for asking--very kind of you.
It is so much fun and so enlightening to read your comments! I learn so much from all of you especially kindness and consideration.
Tonight I went to my youngest gr-daughter's concert. She plays the drums and the glockenspiel. Overall, the concert was good for elementary school and not too long, just right. The trumpeters were especially good, I thought.
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