SHOES, BUT SHOES WISELY
Indiana Jones and the Last Blue Suede~?
A funny farce of footwear fashion; four phrases redefined as
types of shoes defines today's theme ( I decided that since we started the week with "F-stop", I'd go with "F-start" ). Some odd similarities with both Monday & Tuesday's puzzles, I noted. I do believe this is Andrew Walker's first LA Times
publication; congrats to you~! A quick solve for me on this hump-day,
with just a few names, all of which are pretty standard crossword fare.
Two eight-letter non-theme Down fills, but we had more than the usual
three-letter words in today's grid, which caused a few "meh" moments for
me, at least for a Wednesday-level puzzle; Yem Beady. The theme
clues/answers;
17. Shoes for emptying the kiddie pool?: DRAIN CLOGS - not the hair clump type, but these
27. Shoes that prevent slipping in the shower?: WATER MOCCASINS - not the Cottonmouth snake, but these
45. Shoes for attending a gala?: PARTY PLATFORMS - not the political stance, but these
They look precarious
59. Shoes that coordinate with a bright green ensemble?: LIME WEDGES - not the drinks garnish, but these
With lunchmeat~?
And Away We Go, White Rabbit~!
1. Tea in masala chai, perhaps: ASSAM - the "M" was my last
6. Indeterminate but small amount: A FEW - Vague. Get it~? har-har~!
10. Partner: MATE - and - 6D. Partner: ALLY - house MATES was yesterday's theme
14. Stockpile: CACHE - the noun, not the verb; I was thinking AMASS
15. Mischief-making Norse god: LOKI
16. "Stat!" letters: ASAP - As Soon As Possible - also the name of the band created by former - and current - Iron Maiden guitarist, Adrian Smith ( and Project )
19. Upscale: NICE - meh.
20. Avis rental: CAR
21. " ... hallowed be __ name": THY - Speaking of Iron Maiden . . .
Hallowed By THY Name - live 1984 - 85
22. Matter of will?: ESTATE - I am still waiting on one last bank account, and then my parent's estate will finally be settled
24. __ urchin: SEA
25. Ring-tailed mammal: COATI
33. Place to kick back: SOFA - we had this on Monday, too
34. Cheri who played Judge Judy on "SNL": OTERI - name, but one we're used to ( I think )
35. __ de los Muertos: DIA - Spanish lesson #1, the "Day of the Dead"
36. Catches with a lure: ENTRAPS
39. Main ingredient of 54-Across: LENTILS - didn't know 54A., so I wouldn't know what's in it
41. Barely scrape (out): EKE - crossword staple
42. Minor squabble: SET-TO
44. Plot devices?: HOES - farming plot, that is
49. Aquamarine, for one: BERYL - stumped; I did not know March's birthstone was this mineral - and if we'd had February/amethyst yesterday, we could have had a three-month run . . . the Wiki
50. Lucy of "Elementary": LIU - name, but pretty common in crosswords; anyone remember her from the movie "Payback"~?
51. "Deadwood" territory: DAKOTA - I start with the Down clues, so half of this was already filled via perps; I have not seen the show/series
54. South Asian stew: DAL - meh. I'll have to remember this for future puzzles
55. "The Greatest" memoirist: ALI - name, but a standard; Cassius Clay, a.k.a. Muhammad Ali
58. Not protected by defenders: OPEN - made me think of the board game Risk
as seen here in "Siam"
63. Audition goal: ROLE
64. "Family Guy" mom: LOIS - another LOIS appeared on Monday
64. "Family Guy" mom: LOIS - another LOIS appeared on Monday
65. Like farm country: RURAL
66. Google Play downloads: APPS
67. "Nasty!": "YUCK~!" - YUCK was in yesterday's clues
68. Lamp topper: SHADE
DOWN:
1. Current letters: AC/DC - has this ever been clued as "Australian rock band~?"
66. Google Play downloads: APPS
67. "Nasty!": "YUCK~!" - YUCK was in yesterday's clues
68. Lamp topper: SHADE
DOWN:
1. Current letters: AC/DC - has this ever been clued as "Australian rock band~?"
2. Actress Gilbert: SARA - totally did not remember her, known for her 63A. ROLE in Roseanne; filled via perps on the second pass
3. Rumble remnant: SCAR - street-gang fight, "rumble"- and SCAR was yesterday's last Across
Lightning Strikes, Aerosmith
Neither Joe Perry nor Brad Whitford were the guitarists on this
Neither Joe Perry nor Brad Whitford were the guitarists on this
4. Bigeye or yellowfin tuna: AHI - my first guess, but I waited
5. Plato, to Socrates: MENTEE - STUDENT didn't fit, and spellcheck doesn't care for this, either
5. Plato, to Socrates: MENTEE - STUDENT didn't fit, and spellcheck doesn't care for this, either
7. Egg __ yung: FOO - We had FOO in a clue on Monday - I know this has been clued as "rock band _ Fighters", but I liked it better when Dave Grohl was in Nirvana
8. Heart chart, briefly: EKG
9. Know-it-all: WISEACRE
10. Seth Rogen's "Kung Fu Panda" voice role: MANTIS - never saw the movie
11. Much of an atlas: ASIA - Dah~! It got me - I had MAPS to start - which was yesterday, and I am hopefully going to be in the "tractor ring" soon; see below . . .
12. Social sensitivity: TACT
13. Fencing tool: ÉPÉE
18. Leave on the grill too long, maybe: CHAR - BURN ( Monday ) was not well-done enough....
23. Spot on a shirt, say: STAIN
24. The sun, for one: STAR - a G-type yellow dwarf, if I'm not mistaken
25. Foldout bed: COT
26. Wildcat native to the Americas: OCELOT - COUGAR~? Didn't know, had to wait
27. Fictional chocolatier: WONKA - Willy~!
12. Social sensitivity: TACT
13. Fencing tool: ÉPÉE
18. Leave on the grill too long, maybe: CHAR - BURN ( Monday ) was not well-done enough....
23. Spot on a shirt, say: STAIN
24. The sun, for one: STAR - a G-type yellow dwarf, if I'm not mistaken
25. Foldout bed: COT
26. Wildcat native to the Americas: OCELOT - COUGAR~? Didn't know, had to wait
27. Fictional chocolatier: WONKA - Willy~!
28. Part of a makeover photo spread: AFTER - all of my home
projects are stuck in the "BEFORE" phase; I really need to get motivated
to finish them - I hope to buy the tractor pictured below at the end of
the week - it will help tree-mendously ( eye-roll ) with clearing the
chunks of Ash still sitting in my back yard
29. By and large: MOSTLY - I was just talking about "BUY & Large" at work, from Wall-E
30. Cool beans or warm fuzzies: IDIOM - IDIOM, ADAGE, AXIOM~? I can never tell which
31. TV's younger Dr. Crane: NILES - his brother was Frasier, the character/spin-off from Cheers
32. Lip: SASS
33. Leak slowly: SEEP
37. Until now: AS YET
38. Spirited gathering?: PEP RALLY - I was thinking KEG PARTY, or SÉANCE(ish)
40. Drive-__ car wash: THRU
43. "¿Qué __?": Spanish greeting: TAL - meh. I keep saying I am going to learn Spanish (#2)
46. Steakhouse options: T-BONES
47. Blemish: FLAW
48. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS - they are up 3-1 on the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup playoffs
51. "The Lost City of Gold" explorer: DORA - ah. I know OF the Explorer the cartoon, but did not know about the city, or, for that matter, that there was a live-action movie . . .
31. TV's younger Dr. Crane: NILES - his brother was Frasier, the character/spin-off from Cheers
32. Lip: SASS
33. Leak slowly: SEEP
37. Until now: AS YET
38. Spirited gathering?: PEP RALLY - I was thinking KEG PARTY, or SÉANCE(ish)
40. Drive-__ car wash: THRU
43. "¿Qué __?": Spanish greeting: TAL - meh. I keep saying I am going to learn Spanish (#2)
46. Steakhouse options: T-BONES
47. Blemish: FLAW
48. Edmonton NHL team: OILERS - they are up 3-1 on the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup playoffs
51. "The Lost City of Gold" explorer: DORA - ah. I know OF the Explorer the cartoon, but did not know about the city, or, for that matter, that there was a live-action movie . . .
52. Per item: A POP - not EACH. Meh.
53. Iodine-rich seaweed: KELP - I pondered NORI, waited on perps
54. Home office need: DESK - it does help, that I can tell you
55. Taj Mahal site: AGRA
56. Head up: LEAD
57. Many a Caribbean country: ISLE
60. "Payment forthcoming" note: I.O.U.
53. Iodine-rich seaweed: KELP - I pondered NORI, waited on perps
54. Home office need: DESK - it does help, that I can tell you
55. Taj Mahal site: AGRA
56. Head up: LEAD
57. Many a Caribbean country: ISLE
60. "Payment forthcoming" note: I.O.U.
61. ASMRtist's need: MICrophone - ASMR, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, and I do get the ticklish sensation - you can try it here
62. "Like I didn't know!": "DUH~!" - Like, we're at the last clue, dude
Splynter
41 comments:
I have a spiritual mentor. I often sign off notes to him with “Your mentee,” etc. I thought I had cleverly made that up. So, I guess not. But it came in handy with this puzzle, anyway. Other than that, I don’t have too much to say about this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Recognized your style right off, Splynter. Cute theme with the shoe styles. No reveal need apply. No Wite-Out, either. That makes d-o happy. Excellent debut, Andrew. Enjoyed the tour, Splynter.
OCELOT: There are only a few remaining in the wild, and darn few in the continental U.S. Mostly in south Texas.
BTW, some of you may remember SARA Gilbert as Leslie Winkle on TBBT.
Clever theme. I suspected shoes with the first theme fill, clogs.
IMO the only comfortable shoes here are moccasins. At my age I can get away with comfortable shoes.
Upscale/nice. I agree, meh.I wagged the N, my last fill.
Rabbit, rabbit. Have a nice day.
FIR, but erased mentor for MENTEE and each for APOP.
Today is:
NATIONAL SKILLED TRADES DAY (highly skilled workers that fill a multitude of trades in the healthcare, construction, manufacturing/industry, and service categories)
NATIONAL INTERPRETER APPRECIATION DAY (simultaneous Interpreters amaze me. I couldn’t even restate what an English speaker says in real time)
MAY DAY (celebrates spring flowers and such. Also, the international radio distress call. From the French pronunciation of "m'aider" ("help me"))
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS' DAY (They set the academic tone and implement their vision, to provide a successful and positive environment for students and teachers.)
LAW DAY (encourages all Americans to reflect on the personal rights and liberties. Not so fast there, 43)
SILVER STAR SERVICE BANNER DAY (the Silver Star is the third highest medal a member of the Armed Forces can receive for gallant action during combat)
NATIONAL CHOCOLATE PARFAIT DAY (this dessert dates back to 1894, and originated in France)
NATIONAL LOYALTY DAY (calls on Americans to raise their flags, pray, and reflect on their heritage)
NATIONAL MOTHER GOOSE DAY (is the mother of all gooses performed with both hands?)
I've gotta get crankin' on my will. This year, for sure. (Sorry, you're not gonna be in it.)
The Beatles sang "Took her home I nearly made it, Sitting on the SOFA with a sister or two"
When I pretend to speak Spanish, my go-ton greeting is "que pasa," but I had a friend who named his boat TAL Vez which is "Maybe" en ingles.
I wanted "lynx rufus" for wildcat, because that's the model for the Kentucky Wildcats. Usually goes by "bobcat."
Someone probably once said, "if you want to lead, you first have to get the lead out of your butt." Ain't English grand?
I had to wait to see whether English (ECG) or deutsch (EKG) was required.
CSO to C-Eh! @ OILERS.
Thanks to Andrew for the fun Wednesday puzzle. Except that if you know that much about shoes, your man card may be in jeopardy. And thanks to Splynter for the fun, especially those support systems for the shoes. Good luck with your tractor.
FIR. Got the theme early with clogs. Only when I got to lime wedges did I scratch my head.
This was a typical midweek puzzle with several unknowns that the perps solved for me.
Nice puzzle and quite enjoyable.
Took 6:31 today for the shoes to fit.
I knew today's actresses (Sara & Liu), and passed (with the help of perps) today's Spanish lesson (dia) and Indian lessons (Agra & assam).
Beryl was unknown.
Yep, a good mid-week puzzle.
Good Morning:
What a cute theme and clever play on words! My favorite (and strongest theme C/A, IMO) was Lime Wedges. My least favorite visual representation is the Platform shoe, which is one of the most unattractive designs I've ever seen. I guess a Fashionista I'm not! 🤣 There were a few unknowns, including Beryl, Lois, Dakota, Mantis, and the kissing cousins, Dal and Tal, but perps were fair, so no foul there, and I momentarily tripped over Dio/Dia and Maps/Asia. I liked the clecho cluing with Partner and also some other clever cluing, e.g., Plot Devices?=Hoes and Matter of Will=Estate.
Thanks, Andrew, and congrats on a fun debut and thanks, Splynter, for an informative and entertaining review. Loved the comic of the Sand Wedge. I was surprised by your comment about the high TLW count because I wasn't conscious of that while solving. My subsequent count showed 16 which, by my personal yardstick, is more than acceptable. Of course, everyone has a different tolerance level, as we well know from comments from those who are fans of TLWs.
Have a great day.
Today's puzzle I found enjoyable. The theme , which was built upon women's footwear, might have otherwise been a gobsmacker for me, except that I am a former principal of a girl's high school. As such, I took the girls on many weeklong field trips, and I directed many of their plays. So I can talk endlessly about pumps, flats, heels, crocs, ....
I loved 59A, LIMEWEDGES, because it made me think of a seafood platter. Yummers.
Hey, 56 Down reminded me of something else. What is the past tense of the verb "to lead"? In writing it is often written today as "lead." Nope; the past tense is "led."
Clever clues, Andrew, especially for the four long theme phrases. If this is indeed your debut puzzle here, well done, and I hope we see you again soon.
This puzzle was a smooth solve with a cute theme. I also had the maps change to ASIA
I think of Cheri OTERI and A POP as crosswordese
I didn't know that Aquamarine was a BERYL even though it's my birthstone. But I did know BERYL, as it was one of my college roommate's mom's name - similar to Ruby or Pearl but much less common. Coincidentally, she was the first female judges on the North DAKOTA Supreme Court. She was quite a role model as she went to law school when my friend was in junior high after the youngest of her 5 kids went to school - driving 80 miles each way from Fargo up to Grand Forks to go to school- she would have benefitted from online learning but of course in the early 70s we didn't even have personal computers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_J._Levine
Thanks Splynter and congrats to Andrew on the publish!
Good morning. Thank you, Andrew Wlaker, and thank you, Splynter.
To paraphrase what D-O wrote, "No reveal needed", but I later had to google "what are wedge shoes?" I may have seen them, but never paid attention to them. I would probably have just called them platform heels if I had a need to identify them.
Splynter, sure. AC DC has been clued as the answer to Australian rock band types of clues before. There are probably a few other Australian rock bands that I've never heard of. IMO, most of the radio play for bands that came out of Australia was easy listening (Air Supply, Little River Band) or pop/soft rack (Men at Work, INXS). AC DC is way up there on my list of all time rock bands, and "Back in Black" is one of the all time albums for any band of any genre.
The NW was the last to fill, but I did get CLOGS right off so knew what to look for, but I kept searching for something associated with kids and swimming. Once I finally got CACHE, I got the answer.
I too loved the LEMON WEDGES answer. I found matter of will? to be very clever. I appreciate the low number of proper names.
The ASMRtist clue is very puzzling. I appreciate Splynter’s video without which I would have been without a clue.
Thank you Andrew for a SHODDY, but good, Wednesday puzzle.
And thank you Splynter for a funny, eclectic review. Since shoes are usually found at the end of legs, it was right up your alley. 😁
A few favs:
14A CACHE. It can also be used as a verb -- "to CACHE" is "to AMASS"
16A ASAP. STAT means immediately, as opposed to ASAP, which could be never.
19A NICE. A NICE town in the South of France.
25A COATI. No, not Buffalo Bill.
33A SOFA. I think sumdaze's husband CRASHED on one just this past Monday.
39A LENTILS. DAL and Potato Stew is one of our favorites.
49A BERYL. EMERALD is probably a better known variant.
Cheers,
Bill
Musings
-Shoes: Joann and I both bought two pairs of these great shoes this weekend!
-Walking in those CLOGS looks like punishment
-Did anyone else swap COATI for LEMUR?
-ENTRAPS: Use a hooker or money
-AUDITION: The average co-star role draws over 1000 submissions. Only 50 or so will be asked to audition. Maybe 5 will be asked to a callback, and only one will get the job.
-We are going to one of the last great Nebraska steakhouses Saturday. If we don’t get there at 5 when they open, it’s an hour’s wait.
-I sometimes wondered what the top of my DESK looked like under all my mess
-A trademark Splynter blog!
Between proper names, too many to count , and foreign words I did not enjoy this puzzle.
Easiest, fastest so far this week with a fine fun gettable theme
Inkovers: mentor/MENTEE, Willy/WONKA, color/BERYL
I’ve heard of ¿Qué Pasa? But needed to move beyond Spanish 101 for this answer.
She was not the “City of Gold” conquistaDORA I was seeking.
IM ☘️. DW wore the thickest platform heels back in the day when we were dating.
…. looked like I had a GF walking on stilts
I thought “upscale”/ NICE was an odd combo too.
There was a discussion here a while ago about ASMR. Of course I forgot it all.
“Spirited gathering?” seance too short (why the “?” This was a str8forward clue, not misdirection for my tricky non workable answer. I guess PARTYPLATFORMS as political goals is prolly too CW political
A cameo appearance from “Cheri” OTERI….
What’s the deal with “car washes”?
They’re sprouting up like weeds all over the place…..
I read it as “LamB toppers”. What?
Apes with aquamarines, A ____ of monkeys……BERYL
”Be a ___ and make me some south Asian stew”….DAL
___ is not an “easy going”, ___ god…… LOKI
Happy 🐪 Day
Bit of a head scratcher in places, but I fir eventually.
Started with pupil before mentee, and lemur before whatever that other thing is.
The following link is a test, 25 shoes for you foot fetish.... I posted it, not because they are weird, but because it is one of those awful clickbait sites that make it impossible to read or load with intrusive ads. I wanted to see if the link will go straight to reader mode, which actually makes these sites readable.
Just a heads up before you by the tractor, if you use it to mow.
Check the mower deck spindles for grease fittings!
A lot of the newer tractors mfgrs have been supplying the spindles dry, with no grease, and no way to grease them. These time bombs will fail in about a year of light use, forcing you to buy their rebuild kits.
see here if interested
Clever puzzle AW and funny, informative review, Splynter - thank you! Like others each/APOP, drip/SEEP. ecg/EKG, and I had to rethink mentor/MENTEE when SEA was obvious. No hesls is the the recommendation AFTER hip replacement. Sketchers are great slip-in, no-bending-down casual shoes.
TKen@8:36 - Being a Principal is a tough job, especially today. Often unsung hero’s like teachers, clergy, and law enfofrcement
inanehiker@8:38 - Bravo to South DAKOTA BRRYL! My grandmother must have loved gems because she named 3 of her daughter BERYL, RUBY, and PEARL.
Is an Atlas “much” of ASIA or just “some”?
Jinx - If a man knows shoes isn’t he still a man?
Happy day, all!
Hi All!
Not knowing 1a and wanting AMPs going down, that NW corner took forever to come together. Otherwise, a smooth Wednesday. Thanks Andrew and congrats on the LAT.
Great expo Splinter. I loved the music and I hope you get your dream tractor. I want one too so I can buy a pickup truck and a trailer. DW says I have enough toys and there's nowhere to park them [read: No].
WO: DeL -> DAL
ESPs (and WAGs): ASSAM | SARA, BERYL | TAL
Fav: Plot devices? => HOEs. //aren't they part of the Real Housewives plots? ;-)
DW: "Let's go to a NICE restaurant" - I know it's not fast-casual but something more upscale with linens and more forks than I know what to do with.
IM - I think most of us guys were NOT looking at the PLATFORM shoes ;-)
Ray-O: I heard something on [Bloomberg] why so many car washes earlier this year on the radio.
//I still think its an easy way to launder money along with a car.
Back to work.
Cheers, -T
Another fun, fast and enjoyable puzzle! We're on a three-day roll, and I'm starting to dread the rest of the week. Que Sera, Sera I guess!
Parsan, knowing shoes isn't proof that a person is no longer a man, but it is evidence. Kinda like admitting that a favorite magazine is Cosmo.
I was going to make a dig at TTP for calling them "platform heels" instead of "stripper heels," but fortunately I read Ray-O's narrative about his erstwhile girlfriend's choice of footwear just in time to temper my remarks.
Liked the theme, especially the WATER MOCCASINS, and needed WAGs only on BERYL and LOIS to FIR without any other problems.
I liked que TAL, because Spanish speakers actually say it, unlike “que pasa,” which is what American louts say instead of “que paso” (accent on the O), which is what I’ve often heard Spanish speakers say instead. “Que Pasa” does make sense and isn’t necessarily “wrong,” but it’s kind of Spanglish.
I intensely disliked NICE as a parallel to “upscale.” Nice people can be poor, and nice things can be inexpensive. Horrible clue.
There sure seem to be a lot of objections to Indian cuisine references among Cornerites, some of whom don’t hide their objections to any and all foreign words and concepts. Xenophobia IS political. Just sayin’.
It's always refreshing to see Splynter back in the fold, with the great gams.
Knowing men's wing tips doesn't make me less of a woman. Guys who have wives, lady friends, or daughters may have heard of some of these shoe terms. CED, weird shoes indeed!
Copy Editor says, "There sure seems to be a lot of objections to Indian cuisine references among Cornerites, some of whom don’t hide their objections to any and all foreign words and concepts. Xenophobia IS political. Just sayin’." Amen to that! BTW, I believe we have seen TAL and DAL before.
ASIA makes up much of an atlas.
Today my Dexa Scan has been postponed for the third time due to machine problems. This time I phoned before I left home.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Andrew (congrats on your debut) and Splynter.
I FIRed and saw the Shoes.
But plenty of inkblots.
Maps changed to ASIA, Home to SOFA, Alec to ACRE, Entices to ENTRAPS, Each to A POP.
I waited debated between C or K for the cross in LOKI and EKG. K won.
Perps decided Ooze or SEEP.
We had Rabbit FOO FOO the other day. We also had the Kung Fu panda today.
Son and family were in India recently, and brought me some teas, including ASSAM. They visited AGRA. DAL and LENTILS were familiar to me from my DIL.
Favourite today was the clue for HOES.
I’m a long way from Edmonton to take a CSO for OILERS. LfromAlberta might still be reading and claim it.
Appointments to attend. Read you all later.
Wishing you all a great day.
Enjoyed the amusing SHOES theme. I hate shopping for SHOES so much that I would happily wear the exact same SHOES for the rest of my life. The SHOES manufacturers don't get this concept. As soon as I find SHOES that fit me, they change the design. If I have to shop for a new pair of SHOES I have no reason to buy from that company again.
Splynter Hand up for enjoying that SHOES are at the end of legs and thanks for showing them off.
Here we were last week in ASIA at the Atomic Bomb memorial in Hiroshima. Which Japan claimed was an OPEN City.
In my life, I have come to realize the complexity of such issues and wish that others would see that such choices are never easy.
Learning moment that WISE ACRE is not just a NICE way of saying WISE A--. It comes from the Middle Dutch wijssegger, meaning "soothsayer". I have never heard an actual person use this term.
From Yesterday:
waseeley and others I acknowledged already Thank you for the kind words about my photos. Merlie probably would move to Japan right now if she could. She really liked how everything was clean and worked so well.
Jinx @ 11:13
How dare you call my DW erstwhile “Uh, never mind I just looked it up” 😖
Anyway one of the perils of such high-off-the-ground platform shoes was taking a tumble which was not infrequent and could lead to a serious ankle injury. …wait! Am I revealing too much familiarity and thus risk threatening my masculinity 😳
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR with just a small write/over in the crossing of BERYL and TAL
Congrats to the constructor on their debut puzzle
Jinx in Norfolk: like you I need to get my will written/updated. Also, you forgot one of my favorite "NATIONAL DAYS": today is NATIONAL GARDEN IN THE NUDE day. I thought about including a hyperlink but I'm sure if anyone is curious they'll google it. Hope my neighbors don't mind my birthday suit when I pull a few weeds later ...
Small correction: this Saturday May 4 is National Garden in the Nude day. Oops!
I enjoyed the puzzle this morning, which gave me sort of a nice sense of home, maybe in a RURAL area. Thanks for that, Andrew, and I also enjoyed your commentary, Splynter.
Once I saw MATE and ESTATE, I figured we were in a place that had a SOFA, even if not many PARTY PLATFORMS, but still a place where you could get some LENTILS and a drink with some LIME WEDGES, and later on take a break and take off your WATER MOCCASINS and sit in the SHADE, and get a little bit of rest before having to get in the CAR and go to work. Sounds like a pleasant part of the day to me.
Have a good one, everybody.
Got 'er done after some head-scratching on some of the clues. My poor eyesight didn't help, as I struggled to read some of the clues. I may have to start doing the CW on my PC, so I can enlarge it, although that will diminish the grins I get when I finally recognize the misread of a clue. "Lamb topper" had me guessing "WOOL" or ... (visualize head-scratching here) ... and when "SHADE" perped in I reread the clue and STILL saw "Lamb" not "Lamp". More head scratching. It was only upon reading Splynter's write-up that I finally saw it was "Lamp topper", which made "Shade" a very easy fill...if only I'd seen that it was "Lamp", not "Lamb". Geez, Louise! Anyway a nice perfect-for-a-Wednesday CW, thanx AW. Splynter, thanx to you too for all the time and effort you so obviously put into your write-ups for us all.
Copy Editor, you are, of course, free to intensely dislike anything you would like to dislike - it's still a semi-free country. But if you walk into a Super 8 Motel room, you aren't likely to say "nice" or "this is upscale." Walk into a room at a Four Seasons, and both descriptions absolutely apply. I saw nothing that made me think the constructor or editor implied they were talking about the relative attributes of people. But I must admit I do love manufactured outrage - it's a great spectator sport. Would you be outraged with the clue "low quality" for "poor?" Has nothing to do people, obviously. (God help me, I'm standing up for Patti. I didn't see "opposites day" on today's list.)
If men were as astute as women on clothes, the phrase "you aren't going to wear that, are you?" wouldn't exist. That's how we know that John Sandford's detective, Lucas Davenport, is fictional. He's an expert on men's clothes.
C-Moe, I've got 16 items on the list for Saturday, and that's not one of them. You've laid bare the list editor's ignorance. ("Gardening" is one of the few things I've never done outdoors in the nude.)
Anon Tony @ 10:45
Come to think of it Walter White (Bryan Cranston) opened a car wash to launder drug money in “Breaking Bad” and maybe not coincidentally the explosion of new car washes started around that time. 😉
Greetings! I thought today’s puzzle was more of a challenge , but maybe appropriate for mid-week. Thanks, Andrew & congrats on your debut.
Observations: Themer 1 was YUCKy; Themer 2 was cringe-worthy, Themer 3 – oops, not going there on the Corner; Themer 4 – yummy.
Some exotic foods – ASSAM, DAL
Characters from shows I’ve never seen (MANTIS, LOIS) and a learning moment about BERYL.
As I’ve said before (last week) STAT and ASAP are cousins, NOT twins! Similar, but not the same.
Most clever misdirection: ACDC.
Did not compute: clue for MIC...???
DUH, my preferred spelling since I’ve never seen the Simpsons.
Thanks, Splynter. You enlightened and entertained.
Were the other three April, May, and June? Don't leave out Julie. Our her son August.
Anon @ 3:46, don't forget January Jones, who played the lovely Betty Draper in Mad Men. Also Stephanie Caroline March as Alexandra Cabot in Law & Order.
RosE, it may just be me, but I've always thought of DUH means "obviously" and DOH means "I shoulda known that!" Wish we could ask Homer.
I haven't read your comments yet, so please forgive me if I repeat something one or more of you might already have said, which is: a mentor does not "ment" and thus there is no such thing as a "mentee" i.e. the one who is "mented." Sheesh!
Hi again~!
Splynter here, and thanks to all for your compliments~!
CED, when I went to the dealer for "tractor training", he had the thing up on the lift, and I was able to see the underside, which is in really great shape - when we took it for a test drive, the blades did whine, so the guy said he'd hit the zerk fittings for me - and I did see them ALL OVER the tractor; I'm gonna need to invest in a gun and a case of grease myself~!
Anon-T, I totally understand the need for a new truck/trailer before getting the tractor - my 6cyl Dodge Caravan cannot get near bringing the thing home, so it will be delivered...but then again, I have no DW to 'suggest' my toy collection is complete~!
Splynter
I liked the theme gimmick. Fun to parse.
Good reading you all.
Congratulations to Andrew on his debut! He must be "pumped"!
I found today's puzzle challenging on the first pass. There were several clues I didn't think I knew but then it turned out I did. Ex.: Dr. Crane and Lamb topper (Hi unclefred!)
FAVs: PARTY PLATFORMS, LIME WEDGES, and Matter of will?
Thanks to Splynter for his excellent recap. Either this puzzle was a perfect fit for your style or you made it fit. Sand wedge comic was LOL!
waseeley@9:04. You might have missed my reply to you later in the day on Monday.
Jinx @ 4:34 RE: DUH vs. doh - I stand enlightened! I'll make a note. (We see this so often.) Thanks.
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