Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here with a Max Schlenker offering. Max had two LAT puzzles published last year -- a Wednesday and a Thursday.
Today's theme is: 
50. Rex Stout's stout sleuth Wolfe: NERO. IIRC, Splynter has been reading these books lately.
55. Was introduced to: MET. I wonder if Patti has ever MET a NY MET?
57. Ripped: TORN.
59. Cut in two: CLEAVE. CLEAVE is one of those Janus words that can also mean its opposite, "to adhere firmly".
63. Golf target score: PAR.
64. Multicountry org. based in NYC: THE UN "New York City" is abbreviated, so is "The United Nations".
66. Celebration at the end of Ramadan, informally: EID. more info.
67. Goal in the board game Sorry!: HOME. Great clue! Perhaps this is where the phrase, "Sorry, not sorry," originated.
68. Wails woefully: KEENS. KEEN as a verb means to lament, mourn, or complain loudly.
Down:
1. Girl who meets the Cheshire Cat: ALICE. One of my favorite soundtracks is the one for Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman (2010).
2. Holy text in Hebrew: TORAH.
3. Disney film set in Polynesia: MOANA. Here is the trailer for the 2016 Disney animated film. A live action version (also starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) will come out in 2026.
4. Calls dibs on: CLAIMS.
5. Retained: HELD ON TO.
6. Holiday lead-in: EVE.
7. Practical know-how: SAVVY. The verb form is an alteration of sabi (or sabe or sapere) meaning "to know" in Latin-based languages such as Portuguese and Spanish.
8. Elm or oak: TREE.
9. "La Cage __ Folles": AUX.
10. Small sour fruit: CRABAPPLE. Speaking of trees, here is a CRABAPPLE tree.
11. First word for some babies: MAMA.
12. "What __ is new?": ELSE.
15. Bring up again, as a web page: RELOAD. I started with "reopen".
18. Struggle with "s" sounds when speaking: LISP.
20. The "D" of FDA: DRUG. The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services.
24. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" realm: NARNIA. C.S. Lewis penned this novel in 1950. It is the best known of the seven-novel series.
26. 1950s POTUS: DDE. Dwight David Eisenhower was the 34th President Of The United States. The Eisenhower Tunnel is located about 60 miles west of Denver on I-70.
28. Mischievous: IMPISH.
29. Cheer (for): ROOT.
30. Director Preminger: OTTO. (1905-1986) his IMDb page
31. Casual top with a collar: POLO.
32. Relocation in an emergency, for short: EVAC. EVACuation
33. Song in a Pride event set list: GAY ANTHEM. This fill crossed O CANADA.
35. Bubbly prefix: AER-. It means "air".
39. 1980s maze runner with a red bow: MS. PAC-MAN.
42. French one: UNE.
43. Superstar Dolly: PARTON. Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, TN. She is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. Her website calls her a living legend and who can argue with that? Here is an old clip of Dolly singing Jolene on The Porter Wagner Show in 1973.
45. "South Park" kid in a green hat: KYLE. While there technically isn't a town called "South Park" in Colorado, most people consider Fairplay, CO (population 737), located in the South Park National Heritage Area to be the setting for this animated TV series. I used to drive through it on my way to go snowboarding in Breckenridge.
47. __ and gloom: DOOM.
49. Focus of some lessons in history class and math class: RULERS. This was my favorite clue today!
Each of the six themed answers begins with a voiced vowel name. Additionally, they appear in alphabetical order. Here they are:
17 Across. Hurdles for British students hoping to attend university: A-LEVEL EXAMS. Advanced Levels are qualifications in particular subjects that are usually the final academic courses taken before a student attends university.
They were unfamiliar to me but easily sussable after I saw EXAMS on my second lap.
23 Across. App for finding a main squeeze: EHARMONY. Not an app for buying avocadoes, eHarmony is an on-line dating website launched in 2000. I read that it mainly attracts heterosexual men and women aged 35 to 55 who are currently single and looking to meet (and eventually marry) their soul mate.
Did you meet your SO (Significant Other) on-line? If not, how? DH and I met running. It's a great story for another day.
28 Across. Apple tablet option: IPAD PRO. It was first introduced in 2015. The newest edition is M4 and is only slightly thicker that the diameter of a pencil-top eraser.
46 Across. National song celebrating "the True North strong and free": O CANADA. ♪♪
Last week I missed an opportunity to note a CSO to CanadianEh!. This week I am sending her (and all Canadians) not only a CSO but also good wishes for a Happy Victoria Day!
51 Across. Rental option on moving day: U-HAUL VAN. U-Haul has been serving do-it-yourself movers since 1945. They launched their SuperGraphic program in 1988. Since then, over 250 different images have been created, each one honoring individual states and provinces, and saluting North America's public. Here's one for Husker-Gary:
 |
| No, that's not me kissing the rhino SuperGraphic. |
60. Sex-determining heredity unit: Y CHROMOSOME. Children learn in school that "Y is sometimes a vowel". (See 48A and 69A for two excellent examples.)
Here's an early look at the grid so you can see the theme-dense construction. The themers are 11-, 8-, 7-, 7-, 8-, and 11-letters. Well done, Max! 
Let's facetiously move on to the other clues and answers. As it turns out, every one of them contains an A, E, I, O, U, or (sometimes) Y.
Across:
1. 20s dispenser: ATM. twenty dollar bills
1. 20s dispenser: ATM. twenty dollar bills
Are you seeing $50 bills at ATMs? I guess $20 does not go as far as it once did.
4. See 65-Across: CHEST. and 65 Across. With 4-Across, storage unit made of fragrant wood: CEDAR.
4. See 65-Across: CHEST. and 65 Across. With 4-Across, storage unit made of fragrant wood: CEDAR.
I used to live in an old ranch house that had CEDAR-lined drawers and closets in the bedroom. I loved it!
9. Apex: ACME. Companies liked the name back when it appeared near the top of an alphabetical order phone book listing.
13. Brit's restroom: LOO.
14. "Reading Rainbow" host Burton: LEVAR. (b. Feb. 16, 1967) In 2017 he created and hosted the podcast, LeVar Burton Reads, sometimes described as "Reading Rainbow for adults."
15. In the boonies: RURAL.
16. 401(k) kin: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
19. Frank and sincere: CANDID. One definition of CANDID is "marked by honest and sincere expression". Another definition is "relating to photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed." It is that second definition that gave us the alliteratively titled TV show, Candid Camera. (2:45 min.)
21. Face covering: VEIL. In the 13th century, VEIL was considered a noun. In the 14th century, people started also using it as a verb.
22. Main squeeze: BAE. According to 23 Across, you can find one with an app.
25. Bubbly drink: SODA.
27. Military sch. located in "America's Sailing Capital": USNA. I do like a good trivia clue with an embedded hint!
9. Apex: ACME. Companies liked the name back when it appeared near the top of an alphabetical order phone book listing.
14. "Reading Rainbow" host Burton: LEVAR. (b. Feb. 16, 1967) In 2017 he created and hosted the podcast, LeVar Burton Reads, sometimes described as "Reading Rainbow for adults."
15. In the boonies: RURAL.
16. 401(k) kin: IRA. Individual Retirement Account.
19. Frank and sincere: CANDID. One definition of CANDID is "marked by honest and sincere expression". Another definition is "relating to photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed." It is that second definition that gave us the alliteratively titled TV show, Candid Camera. (2:45 min.)
21. Face covering: VEIL. In the 13th century, VEIL was considered a noun. In the 14th century, people started also using it as a verb.
22. Main squeeze: BAE. According to 23 Across, you can find one with an app.
25. Bubbly drink: SODA.
27. Military sch. located in "America's Sailing Capital": USNA. I do like a good trivia clue with an embedded hint!
The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established in 1845. It's motto is Ex Scientia Tridens, which means "Through Knowledge, Sea Power". more history
31. "Shaun of the Dead" actor Simon: PEGG. He plays the titular character in this 2004 zombie-themed film.
34. Coal mine carrier: TRAM. How strong and huge must one be to carry a coal mine? I am reminded of the title of this book: 
36. Bus station: DEPOT.
37. Egg cells: OVA.
38. 1300, in military time: ONE P.M.
40. "Thanks a __!": LOT. Is it just me or does this apology seem insincere?
41. Short-range basketball shot: LAYUP. Here is a how-to video:
31. "Shaun of the Dead" actor Simon: PEGG. He plays the titular character in this 2004 zombie-themed film.
 |
| PEGG is in the foreground. |
37. Egg cells: OVA.
38. 1300, in military time: ONE P.M.
 |
| The clock at the USNA only goes to 12. 😜 |
41. Short-range basketball shot: LAYUP. Here is a how-to video:
44. Colorful eye part: IRIS.
45. Low-carb diet: KETO.
48. Agile: SPRY. and 69 Across. Sneaky: SLY.
45. Low-carb diet: KETO.
48. Agile: SPRY. and 69 Across. Sneaky: SLY.
...and sometimes Y
50. Rex Stout's stout sleuth Wolfe: NERO. IIRC, Splynter has been reading these books lately.
55. Was introduced to: MET. I wonder if Patti has ever MET a NY MET?
57. Ripped: TORN.
59. Cut in two: CLEAVE. CLEAVE is one of those Janus words that can also mean its opposite, "to adhere firmly".
63. Golf target score: PAR.
66. Celebration at the end of Ramadan, informally: EID. more info.
67. Goal in the board game Sorry!: HOME. Great clue! Perhaps this is where the phrase, "Sorry, not sorry," originated.
 |
| Remember the SLIDEs? If you land on the first space of a SLIDE that is not your color, you get to move all the way to the end of it, bumping any opponents in your way back to their own START spaces. Sorry! |
Down:
1. Girl who meets the Cheshire Cat: ALICE. One of my favorite soundtracks is the one for Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman (2010).
2. Holy text in Hebrew: TORAH.
3. Disney film set in Polynesia: MOANA. Here is the trailer for the 2016 Disney animated film. A live action version (also starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) will come out in 2026.
4. Calls dibs on: CLAIMS.
6. Holiday lead-in: EVE.
7. Practical know-how: SAVVY. The verb form is an alteration of sabi (or sabe or sapere) meaning "to know" in Latin-based languages such as Portuguese and Spanish.
8. Elm or oak: TREE.
9. "La Cage __ Folles": AUX.
10. Small sour fruit: CRABAPPLE. Speaking of trees, here is a CRABAPPLE tree.
11. First word for some babies: MAMA.
12. "What __ is new?": ELSE.
15. Bring up again, as a web page: RELOAD. I started with "reopen".
18. Struggle with "s" sounds when speaking: LISP.
20. The "D" of FDA: DRUG. The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services.
24. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" realm: NARNIA. C.S. Lewis penned this novel in 1950. It is the best known of the seven-novel series.
26. 1950s POTUS: DDE. Dwight David Eisenhower was the 34th President Of The United States. The Eisenhower Tunnel is located about 60 miles west of Denver on I-70.
28. Mischievous: IMPISH.
29. Cheer (for): ROOT.
"Let me ROOT, ROOT, ROOT for the home team." ♪♪
(It's cute when he eats the pop fly.)
30. Director Preminger: OTTO. (1905-1986) his IMDb page
31. Casual top with a collar: POLO.
32. Relocation in an emergency, for short: EVAC. EVACuation
33. Song in a Pride event set list: GAY ANTHEM. This fill crossed O CANADA.
Here is a Spotify list of 50 songs considered to be GAY ANTHEMs. YMCA is on that list but we had that one last Monday. Let's go with a Diana Ross tune....
I'm Coming Out (1980)
35. Bubbly prefix: AER-. It means "air".
39. 1980s maze runner with a red bow: MS. PAC-MAN.
42. French one: UNE.
 |
| for future reference.... |
43. Superstar Dolly: PARTON. Dolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946 in Pittman Center, TN. She is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily for her decades-long career in country music. Her website calls her a living legend and who can argue with that? Here is an old clip of Dolly singing Jolene on The Porter Wagner Show in 1973.
45. "South Park" kid in a green hat: KYLE. While there technically isn't a town called "South Park" in Colorado, most people consider Fairplay, CO (population 737), located in the South Park National Heritage Area to be the setting for this animated TV series. I used to drive through it on my way to go snowboarding in Breckenridge.
 |
| They have one of those signs where you can put your face in the holes. I did Stan. L to R: Kenny, Stan, Kyle, and Eric |
47. __ and gloom: DOOM.
49. Focus of some lessons in history class and math class: RULERS. This was my favorite clue today!
Human body parts made handy measuring devices before someone invented a standardized rod. read more
51. "I wish I could __ that!": "My eyes!": UNSEE. The definition of UNSEE is to erase the image of something from one's memory. It does not have to be a bad thing. For example, once you see Australia this way, you might always think of these images.
52. Flouts a "No Smoking" sign, perhaps: VAPES. Flout vs. flaunt: Flout is to ignore the rules. Flaunt is to show off. Good job, LAT editors!
53. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.
54. Geeky: NERDY.
55. Legend: MYTH.
56. Empty room sound: ECHO.
58. Boulder: ROCK.
61. Feel remorse over: RUE.
62. Poem in tribute: ODE.
51. "I wish I could __ that!": "My eyes!": UNSEE. The definition of UNSEE is to erase the image of something from one's memory. It does not have to be a bad thing. For example, once you see Australia this way, you might always think of these images.
 |
| (Is Tasmania is a coughed-up furball? 😀) |
53. To no __: in vain: AVAIL.
54. Geeky: NERDY.
55. Legend: MYTH.
56. Empty room sound: ECHO.
58. Boulder: ROCK.
61. Feel remorse over: RUE.
62. Poem in tribute: ODE.
I will sign off with one more vowel giggle....
33 comments:
No reveal, and none was needed. While this puzzle had a bit of a “crunch,” for the most part, it was another Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Zipped through the grid without thinking about the theme. D'oh. Nice Monday romp. Excellent expo, Stan...er sumdaze. (No dw and I did not meet online; there was no online in those days. We met the old fashioned way. In a bar.)
ACME: In these parts we have Abacus plumbing, chosen to be near the front of the alphabet. In all parts we have Amazon, chosen for the same reason.
IRA: Dw and I both have two -- a regular and a Roth.
CLAIMS: Dw likes to relax in her teak recliner on the porch. But whenever she gets up to refresh her beverage, she loses her spot to Rumby (formerly Runty) the cat. Not sometimes, every time.
NARNIA: Never read any of Lewis' NARNIA books, but I did enjoy Out Of The Silent Planet back in my H.S. days.
FIR, but erased mask for VEIL, ike for DDE, and tore for TORN. Read the clue, Jinx!
Today is:
NATIONAL RESCUE DOG DAY (adopt a greyhound, lose a couch)
NATIONAL PICK STRAWBERRIES DAY (Virginia considers this “agritourism”)
NATIONAL BE A MILLIONAIRE DAY (not nearly enough to be on easy street)
NATIONAL STREAMING DAY (brought to you by the makers of Flomax)
NATIONAL QUICHE LORRAINE DAY (BAKE IT AGAIN, SAM. Just remember this, a quiche is still a quiche. The fundamental things apply, as time goes by)
I knew that Annapolis dubs itself "America's Sailing Capital." Also home of the United States Sailboat Show, worth a visit whether you are a boater or not.
Thanks a ______? My go-to is "pantload."
OF COURSE the Y CHROMOSOME has a short arm.
I only KEEN when I see the price of their sandals.
I saw a documentary on TV where they demonstrated that a baby's first words are likely to be "Liberty." No emus were harmed in making the program.
Yesterday's online Virginian Pilot included bonus puzzles. Among the chaff I found crosswords by Gail Grabowski and Pam Amick Klawitter. I'll get to them someday.
Thanks to Max for the Monday fun, and to sumdaze for another fine review. You make a fetching KYLE.
Good Morning:
This was a fun start to the week with, as Subgenius noticed, a bit of a bite, with Narnia and EID. The theme was obvious early but didn't detract from the solve. Alphabetical order added smoothness, especially with the inclusion of the oft-ignored Y. I needed perps for Kyle and MS Pac Man, but, overall, the cluing and fill were pretty straightforward and Monday appropriate. CSO to DO at Otto and CED at Impish.
Thanks, Max, for a fun solve and thanks, sumdaze, for the chuckles and commentary. Dolly Parton is a national treasure and baseball (Take Me Out To The Ballgame!) is the national pastime, so those videos were appreciated, as was Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, and the Dibs if Dibs dog! Great fun.
Have a great day.
FIR. Typical Monday puzzle, with a few too many proper names for my liking. Levar and Pegg for example. And I'd never heard of A level exams, but when iPad pro appeared I got the theme and was able to fill the long answers sans perps.
But it's done so I'm happy.
Too many proper nouns, don't know french, and 64 across wasn't quite kosher.
Took 4:47 today, and I'm not saying that fAcEtIOUslY.
Pretty good themeless (to me) puzzle.
I didn't know Pegg or wasn't sure if it was Lavar or Lamar. "Held onto" & "eve" taught me that it was "Levar."
I failed today's French lesson (une, and I assume, aux).
For a moment, "MSP" sure looked wrong.
Only new to me answers were Kyle, LeVar and Pegg, filled with adequate perps. I didn't look for the theme, although it was a good one. Great visuals, Sumdaze. I especially liked Cat Head, Dog Head. The Scrabble one hit home. I don't play it here because they use the dictionary to find words to play. And they challenge without penalty if the challenger is wrong.
BTW, the new version of UNO rules has quite different rules than the old ones.
Coal mine carrier is like garage or barn sale. Are they selling barns and garages? A book sale sells books, so would a baby sale sell babies? Our language can be confusing.
My ATM now dispenses $50's. It used to be many stores did not accept $50's, now most of them do.
Most of the Kindle Prime books I borrow are written by British or Australian authors, so I often see "A Levels."
Marvelous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Max and sumdaze.
I FIRed in good time and saw the vowel (and sometimes Y) theme.
Two inkblots created by CEDAR CHEST being out of order and the same number of letters. I had wondered about this since the clue was actually at 65A.
Perps were fair for anyway unknown names (PEGG, MS PAC-MAN, LEVAR).
I had to parse THE UN (I had wanted to enter UN but it was too short).
“La Cage AUX Folles” is being performed at the Stratford Festival this summer.
I noted MET and EHARMONY, OVA and Y CHROMOSONE.
Like d’o, DH and i MET long before online dating. (We are coming up for 43 year anniversary next month!). We met at a Young Adults church group.)
My ATM has a choice of all 20, all 50 or a mix of 20 and 50 dollar bills. I take a mix.
Thanks sumdaze. I’ll take my CSO for O CANADA (crossing it with GAY ANTHEM was interesting!). An appropriate day since we celebrate Victoria Day today (firecrackers tonight!).
Wishing you all a great day.
A Monday worthy offering.
A nifty theme and fair cluing.
If you ever get a chance to tour the United Nations in New York make sure to get your passport stamped as they are considered a sovereign territory within the USA. They have their own security force and customs.
Thanks for the awesome recap sumdaze.
….. kkflorida
More Wednesdayish. Didn’t know ALEVELEXAMS , and quite a few
Inkovers: Lavar/LEVAR, mask/VEIL, cranberry/CRABAPPLE. tore/TORN , cedar/CHEST, (✋ hand up, I reversed the answer order). Theme? There’s a theme
“O Canada” a newly released film with Richard Gere I have put on my “to see” list. Still know the words to the ANTHEM: a PEI fraternity brother made us pledges sing it at the drop of a hat.
Much of Europe uses military time, took a while to get used to back in the day. Mom’s fav shortening is back so soon: SPRY. What’s a THEUN? ohhh , THE UN 🇺🇳
CLEAVE: an antagonym, contronym, contranym or autantonym : a word with opposite meanings: 1. Split apart. 2. Come together 🤨. (“The Cleavers” the Beav’s perfect family or a slasher movie about a family of serial killers? 😁)
___ Preminger, a great director forward and backward…. OTTO
After sampling many headpieces the bride came to know a ___. VEIL
For some with a LISP it’s the legendary ___….MYTH PAC-MAN
Ramadan is over so ___ like to start eating again…. EID
Top of the week to all😊
WEES. Neat and fun CW with few unknown names that were revealed with perps, so no problem.
This weekend we had TINDER and today it’s EHARMONY.
We still have a CEDAR CHEST that my MIL gave us when we got married.
Sumdaze I read Lynne Truss’ book on punctuation and I’m now reading the third in the Constable Twittten series and thoroughly enjoying it.
Thank you for the nice recap and that pic of Australia is interesting.
Enjoyed the vowel run theme. I only know LEVAR from Star Trek. Happy to know he is doing other good work.
sumdaze Thank you for the amusing and illustrated review. How do avocados relate to EHARMONY?
Jinx Thanks for the short arm joke. And thanks again for your comment yesterday. I replied late.
Here is my photo of a UHAUL VAN modified for Burning Man.
Burning Man does not allow the display of corporate names or logos.
Musings
-All the vowels, in order, symmetrically placed with even the occasional Y at a Monday level? Wow!
-If there’s a better national anthem than O CANADA, I don’t know it.
-I’ve never seen a rhino in the Platte or Missouri! This must refer to Omaha’s great zoo. Thanks for the shoutout in your always great review, Renee!
-The ACME/APEX coin flip was eliminated as one of them was the clue
-RURAL: Don’t make fun of farmers with your mouth full.
-One of the rituals of my misspent youth was calling DIBS for shotgun
-Despite many warnings, this guy did not EVAC Mt. St. Helens
Got 'er done, but failed to look for a theme. Thanks, Sumdaze! Never realized there were so many four letter words for face covering. MASK, HOOD, SKIN, CAMO, bzzt...VEIL! Held my nose at BAE, and GAY ANTHEM took a while to grok, as I was looking for an actual song. All in all, not a bad start for the week!
Fun puzzle,
But had a little trouble figuring out (why) a foreign language was crossing a foreign exam on a Monday...
Spent the past couple of days in Rhode Island.
Spent the four hours getting there playing car games, like, what's a four letter word for part of a foot? And of course, I had to explain why it's called a Natick...
Here's what I found googling "and sometimes y."
I am enjoying your comments -- especially the "how we met" ones!
Piccard @ 10:26. The clue for 23A about a "main squeeze" made me think of how people squeeze all the avocados in the grocer's bin, trying to find the degree of ripeness they desire. It's not very thoughtful to the people who come after them and are left with bruised avocadoes. Perhaps someday there will be an app where we can point our phone at a stack of avocadoes and it will identify the best ones to buy.
=)
sumdaze Thank you for that explanation about EHARMONY and avocados! Merlie puts avocado in my salad most evenings and I have no idea how she finds such perfect ones. Sadly, the ones from the Farmers Market are not as good as what she finds in the regular stores.
Husker Gary Thanks for the article about Harry Truman on Mt St Helens, who refused to EVAC. I remember it well, but had forgotten some details.
Got 'er done, FIR in 11. It helped to know all the names but two. Very clever theme which (of course) zoomed over my head. I didn't look for a theme, so how could I find it? Speaking of searching for things, when I'm looking for something, I hate when someone asks, "Well, where did you put it?" If I knew that, I wouldn't have to search! Or when someone finds something and says, "Well, wouldn't you know, it was the LAST place I looked." Well, I certainly hope you didn't keep looking after you found it! Anyway, clever CW that must have been difficult to construct, good job and thanx, MS. Another terrific write-up, as always, Sumdaze, thanx for all the time and effort you put into your reviews.
Thanks Max for the fine Monday construction, good start to the CW week! Managed a FIR in 11:24 with only a few unknowns, EID and PEGG. Thank you sumdaze for your insightful illustrative critique, always enjoy your Monday blog! Flowering CRABAPPLE trees are abundant in this area and are just coming into bloom, beautiful for about 10 days till the pink blossoms fade.
Just after finishing the crossword I saw where LEVAR Burton was in the news for weighing in on last weeks kerfuffle in the U.S. House between congresswomen Crockett and Greene, it was catty exchange to say the least…lol
,Watching CANDID Camera as a kid, I thought candid meant “hidden”, which is pretty much opposite.
Husker ~ I also remember when “shotgun” was an important position and whoever called it got it. Nothing worse than riding alone in the back seat 🤣. When Mt. St. Helens blew on 5/18/80 I was working in Portland OR, about 60 miles away. Have never seen a sky so dark and ominous, and the devastation was tremendous.
CanadianEh ~ Happy Victoria Day 🍁 🇨🇦! Several years ago I was working in Massachusetts and decided to take the Queens Highway via Sault Ste. Marie ➡️ Montreal ➡️ the Vermont border. Unbeknownst to me it was Victoria Day weekend and the traffic was horrendous!
Thanks Max for a Monday meander in the park, but I didn't have a clue about the now obvious theme (DOH!).
And thanks sumdaze for the funny and illuminating review and for cluing me in on the theme. I'm helpless with "circles, and asterisks, and other instruments of construction".
Some favs:
9A ACME. There's a reason why ACME products don't come with a warranty.
65A CEDAR & 4A CHEST. My carpenter dad made each of my 4 sisters and Teri a CEDAR CHEST. We store our wool sweaters in ours, as moths don't like the aroma of CEDAR.
23A EHARMONY. Teri and I met in the doorway of Mr. Saterle's 11th grade "Modern and Contemporary History" class. It was like recognizing someone you'd known all your life. Just celebrated our 55th.
31A PEGG. He was in one of the puzzles I blogged a month or so back. He doesn't play just dead people.
1D ALICE. Very popular in the 60's.
7D SAVVY. or SAVOIR FAIRE, Frawnch for "to know how to do".
18D LISP. LISP ("List Processor) was also an early programming language used in the development of Artificial Intelligence programs.
51D UN SEE. Favorite bling -- I'll never look at Australia the same way!
Cheers,
Bill
Picard, I did see your comment. Every morning I check for late comments before redirecting Firefox to get to today's Corner. Great van mods - I regret never going to Burning Man. I'm too old now to tolerate those conditions, and I don't think I would take my RV there.
My favorite big outdoor event was Stompin' '76, sometimes called "the bluegrass Woodstock." It was held outside tiny Galax, VA. I had backstage credentials, being an engineer for a PBS station that was putting together a special called Twisted Laurel that was aired network-wide. I wasn't being paid, but had agreed to be available to help anytime they needed an extra hand. I probably worked three hours over the weekend for my free passes.
Puzzling thoughts:
As did CanadianEh!, I too put CEDAR first before CHEST (in the order they appeared). While this delayed the NC section, I eventually FIR with no other mistakes
Max did a great job of incorporating some new fill to a theme which I am certain has been tried before. The A E I O U Y progression didn't hit me until I realized there was no "reveal". I looked back, et voila!
Renee, your recaps are a total delight; thanks!
Check for the value of my old car is coming today. It was surprisingly higher than what I originally expected. Not sure if I am going to buy a replacement right away or not. I am leaning toward German (VW) if I do as they still make cars with a manual gear box
unclefred @ 1:17 said, "Or when someone finds something and says, "Well, wouldn't you know, it was the LAST place I looked." Well, I certainly hope you didn't keep looking after you found it!"
That reminds me of some good advice the attorney who did my will gave me. I will pass it along to you. He said to destroy all copies of any old wills because after you pass, someone will look through your stuff to find your will. They will stop looking when they find A will, not knowing a more current version exists.
HuskerG- I may be biased, but I agree with you about O Canada. The English version has been updated over the years (the most recent being the change from “in all thy sons command” to “in all of us command” to include the daughters!)
History of O Canada
Most recently in February 2023, Jully Black sang the Canadian national anthem ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star game and intentionally sang “Our home ON native land” instead of “Our home and native land” to draw attention to our indigenous people who were here before our fo7nding fathers.
Who knows, more changes may be ahead.
Yooper Phil - I feel your pain with the busy traffic, and it is even worse now. You would have taken the Trans Canada from the Soo and through Sudbury and Ottawa to Montreal. I think you would have avoided the worst traffic the area around Toronto with the 401 and QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) which would be a zoo with folks coming back from their first weekend up north to open the cottage. We have a gorgeous weekend this year, and I am glad not to be on the road.
I solved very early, and then fell back asleep. Then had to complete my lawn and gardening work before the storms rolled in. Mission accomplished.
Same here as many others. Sped through it, but had fun. The theme caught me off guard and I failed to pause after the solve to see the theme. But sumdaze's fun expo made it immediately clear.
We met at work. I relo'ed to big city Chicago from a smaller city in Texas*, and the big city girl turned me in for tailgating through the door, and for not properly displaying my ID badge. It may or may not have been a ploy on her part to meet me, but I think I got even by marrying her.
My CRABAPPLE, magnolia, spirea, hydrangea, irises and tulips have all bloomed, with only a few flowers remaining on the spirea. But the next groupings of blooms are starting with the peonies and hardy geraniums starting to pop, and the common day lilies and spectacular Asiatic lilies shouldn't be lagging far behind. We've just started planting some of the annuals, and the zinnia seeds will be getting furrowed in later this month.
All of this gardening is cutting into my golf time.
*Oh, that small Texas town was Houston. Not in area, but in population when compared to Chicago. For city populations in the US, Chicago is 3rd and Houston is 4th. If the qualifier was North America, then Houston moves to 5th behind Toronto.
Enough. The clematis got blown over in the wind. It had climbed freestanding to over twice it's supported height by curling and twisting around its own stalks. I'm going to stand it back up and add some form of support. I think I have an old hoe or rake in the shed that should work nicely.
See all y'all later n'at.
Wrote a long message with comments on so many items in today's puzzle, and before I had a chance to click on SEND, it disappeared. Just wanted you to know that I did check in and enjoyed all the various comments. And that I especially loved hearing the melody of O CANADA pop into my head as I was working on the puzzle. Have a good week coming up, everybody.
Excellent advice about destroying all previous versions of one's will.
As for the puzzle, I had to check with some perps in order to know which of CEDAR or CHEST would be above and below.
That 20s dispenser wasn't PEZ. I should have known that. MASK became VEIL.
I really dislike the term BAE. I don't think my feelings about it will ever change.
An actor I liked was named Rip TORN.
My recollection after biting into a CRABAPPLE was that it was bitter, not sour.
Loved your write-up, sumdaze. Good wishes to you all.
I often have trouble finding my belongings. Thinking where I used them last and moving on from there works most of the time. They are usually found in a very logical place.
I think that people mean they found the lost things in the very last possible place they could think of. I am trying hard to be very conscious of where I lay things down. I am losing track of things much less often.
I was surprised by the number of comments regarding the order of 'CEDAR' and 'CHEST'.
I had always thought the convention was that the "With X-Across (or X-Down)" clue was always the first word and the "See X-Across (or X-Down)" clue was always the second word.
But now I'm wondering if this "rule" is just something I made up out of nowhere!
Jayce @5:13 PM A physicist I like was called Kip TORN
Anon@5:35pm - I think you are correct about the order. As I mentioned in my comments @8:38am, I erred in my entry, but hesitated due to the location of the clue. I should have waited for perps like Jayce did.
I solved this puzzle early - but I had a dentist appointment before hustling to work -so no time to post a comment.
Creative puzzle which had an easy theme to suss- speeding the solve along.
My grandmother was an antique collector - so over the years she found a CEDAR CHEST for each of the grandkids to start off in life. I still have mine in our bedroom 50 years after being gifted it.
Fun video of "Take me out to the Ballgame" with the final lyrics "ROOT ROOT ROOT for the home team..." That the Final Jeopardy answer when I was contestant
I love that the game Sorry is so well crafted as to often have everyone end close to the same time in an average game.
My kids loved LEVAR Burton and Reading Rainbow!
My husband and I met at a Christmas caroling party during Dead Week during college - my sophomore year and his senior year (Dead Week was the week before finals when no other exams or quizzes could be given) He stayed there after graduation doing campus ministry or we never would have gotten together. We were friends for 4 years before it turned to a romantic relationship when he was in seminary in Chicago and I was in St Louis in med school.
When we moved from Chicago to Madison, WI we used a U-HAUL and we remarked even back then that it was probably the last time we would be able to do that!
Thanks SD for the fun blog with all cartoons and videos - and to Max for the puzzle!
Post a Comment