Theme: "Watching With the Sound Off"
The long entries in today's puzzle are slight variations on well known movie titles. A few letters are added to, dropped from, or changed in each title to create a "sounds like" phrase fitting the clue. So we're looking at movies, but the SOUND is slightly OFF.
22A. Movie about one who defies authority and gets absolutely no credit for it?: REBEL WITHOUT APPLAUSE.
Rebel Without A Cause was a 1955 movie starring James Dean, adapted from psychologist Robert M. Lindner's 1944 book, Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath. Twenty-four year old Dean died in a car crash the same year the movie was released.
38A. Movie about life with a hockey dad?: GOAL MINDERS DAUGHTER.
38A. Movie about life with a hockey dad?: GOAL MINDERS DAUGHTER.
Coal Miner's Daughter was a 1980 movie about the life of country singer Loretta Lynn, played by Sissy Spacek, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.
55A. Movie about a major problem at a croquet tournament?: ABSENCE OF MALLETS.
Absence of Malice was a 1981 movie thriller starring Paul Newman and Sally Field. An innocent man has been maligned in the press. Can the reporter claim Absence of Malice as a defense to libel? Will they have to play croquet without MALLETS?
86A. Movie about playing baseball during a downpour?: SWINGIN IN THE RAIN.
Singin' in the Rain was a 1952 American musical starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. It depicts Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to "talkies." Modestly successful at the time, and now critically acclaimed as one of the greatest films ever made.
98A. Movie that captures the arc of conception through the delivery room?: FROM HERE TO MATERNITY.
From Here to Eternity was a 1953 war drama based on the 1951 novel of the same name by James Jones. It follows three United States Army soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Frank Sinatra, stationed in Hawaii in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It even dealt with issues of MATERNITY.
118A. Movie exposing the truth behind a cloning experiment?: THE SCIENCE OF THE LAMBS.
The Silence of the Lambs was a 1991 horror film adapted from Thomas Harris's 1988 novel of the same name. It stars Jodie Foster as an FBI trainee hunting a serial killer who skins his victims. She seeks advice from the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. Doesn't that sound great? It won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was the only horror film ever to win Best Picture. I would prefer a documentary about the SCIENCE of baby animals. The cloning of the lambs would be an interesting bit.
And now for the rest of our Sunday test:
And now for the rest of our Sunday test:
Across:
1. Fleet: FAST.
5. Campaign bane: LEAK.
9. Crimean resort city: YALTA. I've heard of the Yalta Conference in 1945, but never realized that Yalta is a seaside resort.
14. High poker pair: ACES.
18. R&B's India.__: ARIE. India Arie Simpson (sometimes styled as india.arie) is an American singer and songwriter. I am not up to date with popular music! This rang a bell, but I needed perps.
19. Ski resort near Salt Lake City: ALTA.
20. "Inside the NBA" analyst Shaquille: ONEAL.
21. Nanny's nightmare: BRAT.
22. [Theme clue]
26. Mountain formation: MASSIF. "Massif" comes from the French for "massive," and refers to a large mountain mass, or a compact group of mountains forming a portion of a range. A massif results from movement of the earth's crust, and tends to be internally stable.
The Mont Blanc Massif straddles France, Italy, and Switzerland.
27. Yearly record: ANNAL.
28. Wind dir.: ESE. One of several possible directions for the wind! Once you have ES_, it has to be ESE.
29. "Can do": YEP.
31. Wish to take back: RUE.
33. Indigenous people of Canada: CREE.
28. Wind dir.: ESE. One of several possible directions for the wind! Once you have ES_, it has to be ESE.
29. "Can do": YEP.
31. Wish to take back: RUE.
33. Indigenous people of Canada: CREE.
Cree family, Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, June 1895
35. Small scrap: TUSSLE. Oh, that kind of scrap. Scuffle. Dustup.
38. [Theme clue]
44. Puts in the overhead bin: STOWS. On Southwest Airlines, passengers vie for early boarding, not just because there are no assigned seats, but because early boarders find space to STOW their carry-on luggage overhead.
46. Section in a poetry anthology, perhaps: ODES.
47. Jenga loser: TOPPLER. In the game Jenga, players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. If you make the tower topple, you're the loser!
Jenga Toppler
48. Pick or file: TOOL.
49. Recipe direction: STIR.
50. Soap characteristic: SCENT.
52. Surrender: YIELD.
55. [Theme clue]
59. Mentally acute: KEEN.
60. Sandwich option: RYE TOAST.
61. Indigo dye: ANIL. Anil is a plant native to the American tropics, all the way south to Argentina. It is a source of blue dye, especially indigo blue.
62. Paddle kin: OAR.
64. Assam export: TEA.
65. Fa follower: SOL. I'm familiar with Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, but didn't know these were from Solfège, a system of memorizing notes and sight reading music. In the movie, The Sound of Music, the notes were:
49. Recipe direction: STIR.
50. Soap characteristic: SCENT.
52. Surrender: YIELD.
55. [Theme clue]
59. Mentally acute: KEEN.
60. Sandwich option: RYE TOAST.
61. Indigo dye: ANIL. Anil is a plant native to the American tropics, all the way south to Argentina. It is a source of blue dye, especially indigo blue.
62. Paddle kin: OAR.
64. Assam export: TEA.
65. Fa follower: SOL. I'm familiar with Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, but didn't know these were from Solfège, a system of memorizing notes and sight reading music. In the movie, The Sound of Music, the notes were:
Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow Sew
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do
66. Spanish seasoning: SAL. Salt.
68. Smallest Canadian prov.: PEI. Prince Edward Island is an island province off the east coast of Canada.
70. Periodic table suffix: IUM.
72. __ and cheese: MAC. I was searching for something fancier.
75. Recent prefix: NEO.
77. Ventimiglia of "Heroes": MILO.
Milo Ventimiglia, heartthrob of "This is Us"
79. Unexpected boons: GODSENDS.
84. Merriness: GLEE.
86. [Theme clue]
89. Bird skilled at mimicry: MYNAH. Usually spelled Myna.
84. Merriness: GLEE.
86. [Theme clue]
89. Bird skilled at mimicry: MYNAH. Usually spelled Myna.
I took this photo of a Myna on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2021.
91. On and on: NO END.
92. __ Field: Queens stadium: CITI.
93. Sicilian hiking destination: ETNA.
94. Pollen holders: STAMENS.
92. __ Field: Queens stadium: CITI.
93. Sicilian hiking destination: ETNA.
94. Pollen holders: STAMENS.
96. Townshend of The Who: PETE.
97. Shutterbug's setting: FSTOP.
98. [Theme clue]
103. Study again: REREAD.
104. Texter's "Gimme a reason": Y NOT.
105. Confession topic: SIN.
106. Fabric store meas.: YDS.
107. Feeling queasy: ILL.
110. Bank of America's virtual assistant: ERICA. DNK (Did Not Know). Relied on perps, and it makes sense, too, as it's the Bank of amERICA.
113. Capital of the Bahamas: NASSAU.
97. Shutterbug's setting: FSTOP.
98. [Theme clue]
103. Study again: REREAD.
104. Texter's "Gimme a reason": Y NOT.
105. Confession topic: SIN.
106. Fabric store meas.: YDS.
107. Feeling queasy: ILL.
110. Bank of America's virtual assistant: ERICA. DNK (Did Not Know). Relied on perps, and it makes sense, too, as it's the Bank of amERICA.
113. Capital of the Bahamas: NASSAU.
DH did not love our trip to Nassau in 2005. Too many kids going too many directions, too many close calls, and one rusty nail through my foot. I was pretty chill.
118. [Theme clue]
123. Light as can be: AIRY.
124. Aquafina rival: EVIAN. Bottled water.
125. [look on the back]: OVER.
126. Japanese beef city: KOBE. Heard of Kobe beef, but didn't know it was a city.
127. Dean's list figs.: GPAS.
128. Cold brew style: NITRO.
129. Closely guarded IDs: SSNS.
130. "Zounds!": EGAD.
Down:
1. Stable setting: FARM. Stable the noun, not the adjective.
2. Blueprint calculation: AREA.
3. Luke and Leia, e.g.: SIBS.
Luke and Leia of Star Wars are siblings, and twins!
4. Course pegs: TEES.
5. Permissible: LAWFUL.
6. "Knock Knock" filmmaker Roth: ELI. For those of you who loved The Silence of the Lambs, here's a "splatter film" (horror genre) director for you. DNK.
7. Flour ground in a chakki: ATTA. Atta is whole wheat, ground to flour in a chakki. DNK.
5. Permissible: LAWFUL.
6. "Knock Knock" filmmaker Roth: ELI. For those of you who loved The Silence of the Lambs, here's a "splatter film" (horror genre) director for you. DNK.
7. Flour ground in a chakki: ATTA. Atta is whole wheat, ground to flour in a chakki. DNK.
Indian woman grinding ATTA in a chakki.
8. Actress Madeline: KAHN.
9. "Name please?": YOU ARE. Hello ... and you are ...?
10. Buck's defense: ANTLER. A four footed buck. Not a dollar bill.
11. Grassy expanse: LEA. Meadow, pasture ...
12. Box sealer: TAPE.
13. Salzburg setting: ALPS.
14. Gp. of lawyers: ABA. Group of lawyers: American Bar Association. The answer is abbreviated, just like the clue.
15. Grand __: wine classification: CRU. Grand cru is literally "great vineyard" in French. Only applicable to selected vineyards in certain regions of France.
10. Buck's defense: ANTLER. A four footed buck. Not a dollar bill.
11. Grassy expanse: LEA. Meadow, pasture ...
12. Box sealer: TAPE.
13. Salzburg setting: ALPS.
14. Gp. of lawyers: ABA. Group of lawyers: American Bar Association. The answer is abbreviated, just like the clue.
15. Grand __: wine classification: CRU. Grand cru is literally "great vineyard" in French. Only applicable to selected vineyards in certain regions of France.
16. Life of affluence: EASY STREET. Are we there yet?
17. Anastasia of "Fifty Shades of Grey": STEELE. Couldn't read the book because it was so poorly written; no patience for watching a movie of same. Anastasia Steele is the main female character.
17. Anastasia of "Fifty Shades of Grey": STEELE. Couldn't read the book because it was so poorly written; no patience for watching a movie of same. Anastasia Steele is the main female character.
Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey
23. Ankara coins: LIRAS.
24. Like most software, once: ON CDS. First it came on floppy disks, then on CDs, and now via online download.
25. Subside: LET UP. Stop or become less intense.
30. Pricing word: PER.
32. Overdoes it on stage: EMOTES. Emote means to portray emotion, especially in acting. When did it become overacting? On stage, one makes broad gestures to be understood in the balconies, but in filmmaking, small gestures are easily captured. In a movie, emoting could be too much. But on stage? Overacting is also called "chewing the scenery."
34. Getty of "Golden Girls": ESTELLE.
Estelle Getty played Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls (1985–92)
36. Like eyesores: UGLY. Not sores on your eye, but things you find ugly. I guess they make your eyes feel sore.
37. Arab patriarch: SHEIK.
38. Chaser chosen by a head tap, in a kid's game: GOOSE.
37. Arab patriarch: SHEIK.
38. Chaser chosen by a head tap, in a kid's game: GOOSE.
I played Duck, Duck, Goose in elementary school.
39. Big-eyed babies: OWLETS.
40. "__ Guides": how-to series: IDIOTS.
DNK there was a Complete Idiot's Guide
to Crossword Puzzles & Word Games
41. Foam dart maker: NERF.
42. Fully cooked: DONE.
43. Likely will, with "is": APT TO.
44. Pentagram shape: STAR.
45. Country Music Hall of Famer Keith: TOBY. Toby Keith passed away in February 2024. I liked his songs "I Wanna Talk About Me" (2001) and "Beer for My Horses" (2002), a duet with Willie Nelson. I was going to share the lyrics of the latter with you, but it seems to be pro-lynching. At the time, I only understood:
42. Fully cooked: DONE.
43. Likely will, with "is": APT TO.
44. Pentagram shape: STAR.
45. Country Music Hall of Famer Keith: TOBY. Toby Keith passed away in February 2024. I liked his songs "I Wanna Talk About Me" (2001) and "Beer for My Horses" (2002), a duet with Willie Nelson. I was going to share the lyrics of the latter with you, but it seems to be pro-lynching. At the time, I only understood:
We'll raise up our glasses against evil forces,
singing: whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.
49. Climbs, as a rock wall: SCALES.
One of our daughters does this.
Because life isn't hard enough already.
50. __ Diego: SAN.
51. Pre-tied tie: CLIP ON.
53. Big name in denim: LEE.
54. Crime lab material: DNA.
56. Start of p.m.: NOON. "Post" fit, but did not work with the perpendicular entries (perps).
57. Slander: MALIGN.
58. Greeted: SAID HI.
63. Scheme: RUSE.
67. Request from a whistleblower: AMNESTY. Someone who "blows the whistle" by exposing government or corporate wrongdoing might request amnesty, or freedom from prosecution.
69. Light: IGNITE.
71. Least noticeable: MEREST.
72. Studio whose logo says "Ars gratia artis": MGM. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
73. Gymnast Raisman: ALY. Wikipedia says: "Alexandra Rose Raisman (born May 25, 1994) is an American retired artistic gymnast and two-time Olympian. She was captain of both the 2012 "Fierce Five" and 2016 "Final Five" U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics teams, which won their respective team competitions." Did Not Remember! All perps.
Aly Raisman
74. Removing books from a library, say: CENSORSHIP.
76. Pet tag info: OWNER.
78. To-go cup top: LID.
80. Grown-up pups: OTTERS.
81. Well put together: NATTY. Dapper, dashing, sharp, slick, or stylish.
82. Natural history museum display, for short: DINO. My father was a paleontologist interested in reptiles of the Permian Period, but some of his students became DINOsaur hunters, looking at the later Cretaceous Period.
Dinosaur skeletons at the Natural History Museum,
Los Angeles County
83. Pic: SNAP.
85. Wonderland cake directive: EAT ME. From "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll.
87. Skye of "La Brea": IONE. Ione Skye Lee is a British-American actress and the daughter of singer Donovan. She's in a TV series called "La Brea." All news to me. Needed perps.
88. Rap great born Tracy Marrow: ICE T. Didn't know his real name. Took a Wild Ass Guess (WAG) that this was he.
90. "Funny!": HAHA.
95. Frontline doctor: MEDIC.
Medics on M*A*S*H (TV Series 1972–1983)
96. Barbecue spot: PATIO.
97. End-of-semester hurdle: FINAL.
98. Sizzle: FRY.
99. Marker for some sale items: RED TAG.
100. Smallish garage: ONE CAR.
101. First Latina EGOT winner: MORENO. EGOT stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. It's rare for anyone to win all four of these awards. Rita Moreno won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1962 for "West Side Story"; a Grammy for a cast recording of the PBS children’s television show, "The Electric Company," in 1972; a Tony as Best Featured Actress in a Play for a Broadway show called "The Ritz" in 1975; and the 1977 Emmy for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music for her single appearance on "The Muppet Show." Good for her! DNK.
102. West Coast gridders: NINERS. The San Francisco 49ers, a football team. The lines on the field look like a gridiron, or cooking grate.
108. Security claim: LIEN.
109. Big name in denim: LEVI. Levi Strauss & Co. patented rivets on work pants in 1873, touching off 150 years of blue jeans as the most popular way to dress your lower half.
111. Budget execs: CFOS. Chief Financial Officers.
112. Off-rd. rides: ATVS. All-Terrain Vehicles are designed for use off the road.
114. For old times' __: SAKE.
115. Brown sky cause: SMOG.
116. Swedish supergroup: ABBA. Responsible for "Dancing Queen," "Fernando," and "Take a Chance on Me." My dad used to call this genre "bubblegum pop." I didn't realize ABBA had actual bubblegum wrappers.
97. End-of-semester hurdle: FINAL.
98. Sizzle: FRY.
99. Marker for some sale items: RED TAG.
100. Smallish garage: ONE CAR.
101. First Latina EGOT winner: MORENO. EGOT stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. It's rare for anyone to win all four of these awards. Rita Moreno won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1962 for "West Side Story"; a Grammy for a cast recording of the PBS children’s television show, "The Electric Company," in 1972; a Tony as Best Featured Actress in a Play for a Broadway show called "The Ritz" in 1975; and the 1977 Emmy for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music for her single appearance on "The Muppet Show." Good for her! DNK.
102. West Coast gridders: NINERS. The San Francisco 49ers, a football team. The lines on the field look like a gridiron, or cooking grate.
108. Security claim: LIEN.
109. Big name in denim: LEVI. Levi Strauss & Co. patented rivets on work pants in 1873, touching off 150 years of blue jeans as the most popular way to dress your lower half.
111. Budget execs: CFOS. Chief Financial Officers.
112. Off-rd. rides: ATVS. All-Terrain Vehicles are designed for use off the road.
114. For old times' __: SAKE.
115. Brown sky cause: SMOG.
116. Swedish supergroup: ABBA. Responsible for "Dancing Queen," "Fernando," and "Take a Chance on Me." My dad used to call this genre "bubblegum pop." I didn't realize ABBA had actual bubblegum wrappers.
117. Like many textbooks: USED. A textbook is less expensive if purchased used, but publishers make it hard for students by issuing new editions with new page numbers. It's tough to follow the professor's reading list without the latest version of the book.
119. New __: cap brand: ERA. New Era makes caps with visors sporting team logos. Who knew? Perps.
120. Pt. of GPS: SYS. Part of Global Positioning System? An abbreviated clue requires an abbreviated answer.
121. Picker's problem?: NIT. Cute. I'm a nit picker.
122. 1-Down layer: HEN. A farm "layer" is a female chicken, or hen, that lays eggs.
The completed grid:
I was impressed with Pam's "sound off" movie titles. Very clever!
And you?
-- NaomiZ
-- NaomiZ
38 comments:
I had a couple of white-outs. “Yep” instead of “Yes”, “mynah” instead of “minah.” Other than that, I didn’t have too much trouble with this very amusing puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Interesting set of themers -- punny, and all were derived from familiar (ie: ancient) movie titles. D-o is also on the ancient side and appreciated that. Thanx, Pam. NaomiZ, I suspected it was you at the helm after the first few paragraphs. Well done.
EMOTES: This word always evokes images of William Shatner for me.
ONE CAR: Around here that's be considered tiny rather than "smallish." Three-car is now the standard.
KOBE: When we visited Japan in '69, my dad suggested we look up a shirt-tail relative who was stationed in Kobe for Price Waterhouse. He took us for a "little lunch." There was so much food, I don't think we could've survived a regular lunch.
BUCK: We often see deer in our back yard, and this month we saw three bucks hanging out together. All were beginning to develop antlers, one already had multiple points. I thought deer didn't start antlers until the fall? Any deer experts in the house?
NaomiZ ~ seems like you just had your blogging debut and already got promoted to a Sunday gig, very impressive, as was your expo today! Appreciate your time and effort you put into this which made for a very enjoyable read. Nice that you got to blog about which, IMO is about the perfect Sunday puzzle by seasoned pro Pam Klawitter. Fun to decipher the movie titles, all familiar classics of which I’ve seen four, “Rebel Without a Cause” being one of my all time favorites, don’t recall ever seeing “Absence of Malice” though. “Singing in the Rain” has some amazing dance scenes. Thank you Pam and Naomi for your fine work today, and Naomi, I hope you have at least a few good memories from your dream trip to the Bahamas! 😂
FIR, but erased mALTA, IONa, and euros for LIRAS. Got both WAGs at MASSIF x LIRAS and NITRO x MORENO.
No, no, no. Don't go there. Everybody saw it, no need to comment on "mentally acute."
Singing in the Rain always reminds me of an ultraviolent scene in A Clockwork Orange, one of those movies you can't unwatch. (No music, but the movie I most wish I could unwatch is Short Eyes. I know the violence and gore is simulated, but it looked soooo real it gave me a nightmare.)
YNOT is also a good local chain of Italian restaurants. It was named that by the originator, Tony DiSilvestro, by just spelling his first name backwards.
When I moved to Atlanta, I bought a house with a 2-car garage, mainly because I loved everything else. I thought I had really sacrificed until I bought this 1914 house in Norfolk, which doesn't even have a driveway.
In the closing scene of the movie Animal House, John Belushi's band of misfits drive a float looking like a cake decorated with EAT ME in a parade.
"For old time's SAKE," nowadays known as "sex with the ex."
Thanks to Pam for another fine puzzle. Kinda clenses the pallate after the last three days of clunkers, IMO. Also, thanks to Patti for not ruining it. And NaomiZ, your narrative was great!
Took 18:12 today for me to guess wrong at Al_ crossing m_nah. "i" seemed right to me.
Otherwise, fine Sunday puzzle. I even knew today's actresses (Kahn & Moreno).
Clue for Erica seemed like a long way to go.
Nice debut, NaomiZ! I appreciate your efforts.
FIR, thanks to friendly perps. Really liked the theme. Is it PC to have pet “owners.” I thought pet parents was now the only acceptable term. Only one annoying social media abbreviation/acryonym this week, but it was a doozy. Y NOT doesn’t even make the top 1697. https://www.webopedia.com/definitions/text-abbreviations/
Good Morning:
Pam is one of my favorite Sunday constructors as I find her puzzles to be creative, appropriately challenging, and just plain fun to solve. Unlike most Sunday offerings, today's was minus the usual plethora of obscure proper names and places, and an over abundance of TLWs, having only a very acceptable Sunday count of 30. Only two unknowns, Massif and Nitro, as clued, plus my sole w/o, Ham/Mac are indicators of a smooth and enjoyable solve. I have seen all of the movies and I think Pam did a great job redefining and tweaking the titles.
Thanks, Pam, for a fun solve and thanks, Naomi, for a great review and commentary. You had me guessing until the very end as to the authorship, but that means you have your own voice and style. I enjoyed all of the visuals, especially Milo Ventimiglia, the heart and soul of the Pearson family! Aly Raisman's appearance is quite timely as the Olympic gymnastic trials are in progress this weekend. BTW, your explanation of the title of the puzzle was appreciated.
Have a great day.
FIR. I really liked the theme. I knew the first movie with James Dean, and when it fully revealed, I got the gist of what was coming.
Some of the cluing was a little rough, like dino for example, or the crossing of Alta and atta, but nothing the perps couldn't overcome.
Today was a truly enjoyable crossword!
Super easy puzzle I thought, with a few too many three letter answers. Fun theme answers. Good break after the slogs at the end of this week.
Hola!
This was a FAST solve! Thank you, Pam and Naomi and congratulations on your analytical style for Sunday puzzles. I knew it wasn't C.C. but until the end I did not know the author.
I loved all the long themes and chuckled all the way. It certainly took a great amount of imagination to re-name those movie titles. FROM HERE TO MATERNITY was my favorite but they are all good.
EASY STREET. That is an actual name of a street in Carefree, AZ. All the streets have names in that style. Carefree is northeast of Scottsdale where I live.
When I travel my goal is to not have to STOW anything overhead as I am too short to retrieve it and with all the jostling I'd rather just have a small bag under the seat.
NATTY always reminds me of one of my sisters-in-law; it describes her perfectly.
Have a lovely Sunday, everyone! The heat is here and with a bit of humidity, too.
What a nice way to spend some Sunday morning time! Really clever themes had me chuckling. Lots of Aha! moments, fair perps, very little drek, and an enjoyable recap by NaomiZ! A sigh of relief after the last few...this is more like it! Bravo!
Lucina, I've been to Carefree (and nearby Cave Creek) many times. I can't remember which town is which. One had a restaurant called The Horny Toad, the other had one called The Satisfied Frog. Don't remember EASY STREET, but the Phoenix area has several names that I think are meant to get folks to ignore that they are basically living in an oven. I used to work off of Utopia Road, and golfed in Paradise Valley.
The Penny Press crossword today has "chatty bird" for MYNA.
Valerie and I worked through the puzzle at a reasonable pace. The themers were amusing, figure-out-able, and helpful but I am very glad that I did hot have to try to explain what was going on with them. Great job, NaomiZ, of doing that suscintly, understandably, and amusingly.
Perfect puzzle for a rainy Sunday to enjoy with coffee and jazz playing in the background. Ahh... (or is it "aah" - LOL)
Loved the twisted movie titles, I thought they were much better than the lame ones we sometimes get. Especially GOLD MINDERS which is a double whammy.
Got off on the wrong foot with 1D being BARN instead of FARM, but otherwise smooth sailing.
Just a couple of things that came to mind while doing the puzzle:
language is no barrier to understanding this one car garage.
And Rita Moreno on the Muppet's
Just don't get carried away with these clips...
I enjoyed this fun puzzle. Definitely a break from the last couple of days. Plenty of time to complete this since its so dang hot and humid out there today. Nice recap NaomiZ. GC
Musings
-No obscure film references in this fun puzzle!
-Gene Kelly had no absence of malice as he was horrible to 19-yr-old Debbie Reynolds in that film
-Charles de Gaulle’s reputation of LEAKING info prompted Ike to not tell him much about D-Day
-I thought the bane of a campaign was a FACT
-Cree Indians were our guides at this remote Saskatchewan place with an unlikely name
-In the ANNALS of baseball history, recently deceased Willie Mays is said to be the best player with all five TOOLS: hit for average, hit with power, run, catch and throw.
-Casino gambling is now legal in Nebraska but they must be attached to a horse racing track with STABLES
-While at Salzburg we went into a salt mine in the ALPS
-When my daughter and her very musical husband have a party on the PATIO, this is a big part of it
-A wonderful debut, Naomi!
Big Easy from phone
It was an easyNorthwest to Southeast. I caught the gist of the puzzle at Goal minders daughter. It contain the normal Sunday amount of unknowns that were filled by perps. I had never heard of nitro or New ERA caps
ERICA a term I'm familiar with, only cause I handle the banking for my wife's aunt at BOA. I try to convince her to get her money out of that bank because they don't pay any interest.
I had to guess on the spelling of MYNAH or minah because I didn't know if it were Amy or Aly.
Ooh! This was fun. A CW with an ABSENCE OF MALice.
Smack dab in the center we had four TLWs chasing each other: SOL, SAL, PEI, IUM.
I’ve never heard of ERICA as clued, but clever of the bank to have selected that name.
There were very few words I needed perps for like YNOT, ARIE, and MILO.
Great recap NaomiZ.
Finally, a puzzle that is as enjoyable as it worked.
Just enough bite today to make it interesting. I am not as fast as someone our puzzle experts, but I can usually get the job done.
A couple of spots that needed renegotiating; wanted REDink but it became REDTAG and the euRoS became LIRAS. 71D wanted raREST but it became MEREST,
Great offering, Pam, superb review NaomiZ. Keep up the good work.
Offer her everything, and always rub her feet.
Budgetary
That is "some of`" our experts.
“What a difference a day makes”! This is my idea of what a Sunday puzzle should be - fun, challenging enough to be interesting, not too many names. The themers were creative, with my favorite being GOAL MINDERS DAUGHTER. This certainly dries my tears from the past two days of impossibility , pour moi. Thank you so much, Pam. Thanks too to Natalie for the excellent tour. I am filled with admiration for all of you who make that effort for the benefit of the rest of us.
I love Carefree,AZ. If Jack and I still lived in North Phoenix, we would have moved there by now. Our favorite restaurants in that area were Cartwright’s (especially the Sunday jazz brunch) and Tonto Bar and Grill.
Reply to Lee - I’m not fast either. In fact, I like to linger and enjoy the journey while I sip coffee and contemplate my day. I do the print version which is probably inherently slower than on line with red letters. To each his own.
Super Sunday. Thanks for the fun, Pam and NaomiZ.
I FIRed online (red letters off) and smiled at the Sound Off theme.
But then I don’t take any notes, so my comments will be brief.
I’ll claim my CSO’s with CREE and PEI.
This Canadian did not know ERICA (thanks for explaining, NaomiZ).
Wishing you all a great day.
C.C. set me up for success when she assigned me blogging responsibilities for today's puzzle by Pam Amick Klawitter. Everyone's delight with the puzzle allowed me to bathe in Pam's reflected glow. I appreciate all the kind things said here, and look forward to contributing again! -- NaomiZ
Jinx in Norfolk
Carefree is a town on the far northern part of the county and far, far different from most Arizona towns. It is a wealthy enclave where many celebrities live. Dick Van Dyke was once a resident there. Most of the streets have whimsical names like EASY STREET.
The streets in Phoenix, on the other hand, have practical names like presidents, plants, etc. It is divided by Central Avenue. On the west side are the AVENUES and on the east side are the STREET names.
Possibly you may have forgotten that particular pattern.
Lucina I haven't forgotten. Phoenix's layout is the most logical of any city I've lived in (except for a crazy 5-point intersection west of town on US-60.) Not only did the street/avenue let me know which direction I needed to go, but IIRC as a rule of thumb 10 streets or avenues were approximately equal to 1 mile. Also, didn't Walter Cronkite live in Cave Creek? (I still think of that area as being "greater Phoenix." I lived near 55th Ave and Pinnacle Peak, so Cave Creek / Carefree were closer to me than PHX airport.)
Speaking of Pinnacle Peak Road, there was a rustic steakhouse on it that was fun but kind of touristy. If a tie was worn to the establishment, the wearer was given the choice of removing it or having it cut off and mounted with hundreds of others on the walls/ceiling. 'Course I've lived in Norfolk for a quarter century, so there may have been a change or two made since I lived there.
Thanks to Pam for a delightful Sunday solve! I filled the grid north to south (unusual for me on a Sunday).
FAV: SWINGING IN THE RAIN and clue for TOPPLER
The Tour de France started yesterday. I am looking forward to watching the cyclists battle it out in the ALPS.
Thanks to NaomiZ for the enjoyable recap. I am impressed that you took on a Sunday grid on your second outing! It is nice to get to know you better.
FAV: Explaining ERICA. Clever!
¡Hola Lucina y Jinx!
My mother lives on Carefree Drive in Carefree, AZ. When I visit, we often have dinner at a little Trattoria on Easy Street, just across the way from Ho Hum Drive. But when I'm in the mood for a margarita, it's the Spotted Donkey Cantina at El Pedregal on Scottsdale Road.
NaomiZ, both places sound great! I can't remember our frequent haunts, except I ate a lot of Sunday brunches at Deer Valley Airport.
I usually love Pam's work, and this puzzle is no exception. Masterfully crafted.
Loved quite a lot of the real words, including:
YALTA
MASSIF
TUSSLE
TOPPLER
RYE TOAST (I had RYE BREAD at first)
GODSENDS
LAWFUL
ANTLER
EASY STREET (Our g'daughter sang that song in a production of Annie)
AMNESTY
CENSORSHIP
NATTY (This is our g'son Nathaniel's nickname, the same as the "Natty Bumppo" character in James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales).
We had BRATs for dinner last night.
Thanks for the excellent write-up, NaomiZ!
Might write more later, after I've read what y'all had to say.
NaomiZ I enjoyed the puzzle, but didn't fully grasp the SOUND OFF theme until coming here. Thanks! I only saw they were movie titles that had been altered. Fortunately, I knew all those movies. INDIA.ARIE used to make a lot of appearances in the puzzles. FIR.
Jinx Hand up Clockwork Orange ruined SINGIN IN THE RAIN.
I use SOAP to get clean. Not to add a hideous SCENT. I find it endlessly annoying and frustrating when a SCENT is added to anything. Am I the only one?
Here was my article "What is Clean" arguing that something is not clean if it has a SCENT.
From Yesterday:
Jinx Thanks for the further comments on regional terms. Yes what we called soda in the northeast is generically called "Coke" in the southeast. My best friend in DC was from Louisiana, so I learned a lot from him about this.
Anyone who drives in Boston should have their head examined. As in Japan any sane person uses public transit. I did drive through the Big Dig, but only because I rented a car as I was leaving the city to drive to Maine.
Jinx and anyone else who lived her in the past would be shocked to see how much the entire area has grown. It is my belief that living in the desert is not for the faint hearted and it is now proof positive that Americans and some transplanted others are stout-hearted as they constantly move here. Of course, A/C makes all the difference! when I was growing up we didn't have it.
Yalta is a beautiful resort city located on the Black Sea in Ukraine. It is in the area desired by Russia for its year round access to the sea. The site of the Yalta Conference is maintained for visitors in more peaceful times.
Good show, all around!
Picard, that is an interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
Ahhhh, what a relief after the severe whippings we’ve had the last couple-3 days! An amusing set of well-done themers (I’d pick ABSENSE OF MALLETS as fave of the day), clues that actually made sense, and no obscure proper names…wooHOO!
Also: Very nice job on the review, @naomiZ. Even with C.C. setting you up, it’s still a challenge to sort through all the fills and dig up good expos for them. You did just fine! Thanks for the effort.
====> Darren / L.A.
ech… *ABSENCE 🤬
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