 |
| Aurora, IL Party Animals |
It took me a second for the party-penny to drop but each creature is proceeded by a type of party.
17. Vegetable patch pest: GARDEN SNAIL. Garden Party.
25. Feline who lives indoors: HOUSE CAT. House Party.
37. Workplace companion: OFFICE DOG. Office Party.
52. New York City rodent that went viral in 2015: PIZZA RAT. Pizza Party.
In case you missed the viral video
62. Really fun person, or an apt descriptor of 17-, 25-, 37-, and 52-Across?: PARTY ANIMAL.
 |
| My kids loved this book. |
Across:
1. Pool or polo: GAME. Pool as in billiards not swimming.
5. Groups of troops: ARMIES.
11. Understood, as a joke: GOT.
14. Persian Gulf country that borders Armenia: IRAN.
15. Noggin: NOODLE. Brain.
16. NPR host Shapiro: ARI. He also plays with Pink Martini.
17. [See: Theme]
19. "Mm-hmm": YEP.
20. Lawyer's org.: ABA. American Bar Association (the antithesis of AA ;-))
21. Unwilling (to): LOATH.
22. Band bookings: GIGS.
23. Native Costa Ricans, informally: TICOS.
25. [See: Theme]
28. Anthem heard in Nova Scotia: O CANADA. (Hi C, Eh!)
31. Olympic gymnast Biles: SIMONE. She grew up in Spring, TX.
And is Amazing!
32. Vanity Fair publisher Condé __: NAST. Publisher of The New Yorker, GQ, Wired, [see: clue], Vogue, etc.
33. Tooth's outer layer: ENAMEL.
36. Neither's partner: NOR.
37. [See: Theme]
40. Cable network with many reruns: TBS. Turner Broadcasting System.
43. "Good enough": IT'LL DO.
44. Job inspection org.: OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
48. Baltimore ballplayer: ORIOLE.
 |
| You know #8 |
50. Walked stealthily: SNEAKED.
52. [See: Theme]
55. Mixes: STIRS.
56. School support orgs.: PTAS.
57. Coral producer: POLYP.
60. Combat sport, briefly: MMA. Mixed Martial Arts.
61. Ad-__: improvise: LIB.
Two of the best at Ad-libbing.
62. [See: Theme]
65. Subj. for some new immigrants: ESL. English as a Second Language.
66. Zoo section with birds: AVIARY.
67. Actress Russo: RENE.
68. __/her pronouns: SHE.
69. Prime-time soap opera set in Texas: DALLAS.
70. Commotions: ADOS.
Down:
1. Unit of explosive force: GIGATON. ~50 megatons is biggest nuclear bomb tested; a gigaton is on the order of a mile-wide asteroid's impact.
2. Coffee bean variety: ARABICA. Arabica beans are grown in high-altitudes and have a smoother, sweeter, and more complex flavor than other coffees.
3. Seed-filled percussion pair: MARACAS.
 |
| I read these are not found in Spain but in Mexico / S.A. because of the African slave trade. |
4. Stop: END.
5. __ Domini: ANNO.
6. Civil rights activist Parks: ROSA.
7. Calendar viewing option: MONTH.
8. Washington neighbor: IDAHO.
9. Former quarterback Manning: ELI.
10. Salt, in French: SEL.
11. Judy Garland or Cher: GAY ICON.
12. Herb in Italian seasoning: OREGANO.
13. Bettor's adviser: TIPSTER.
18. Anna's sister in "Frozen": ELSA.
22. Precious stone: GEM.
24. Not fooled by: ONTO.
26. Applied to: USED ON.
27. Storage tower: SILO.
29. More adroit: DEFTER. ? I'd say more deft.
30. Deep blue dye: ANIL.
34. Oft-torn knee pt.: ACL. Austin City Limits, er... anterior cruciate ligament.
35. Rx items: MEDS.
38. Seoul-based athleisure brand: FILA.
39. Billy __: GOAT.
40. Brings down: TOPPLES.
41. "The Great __ Baking Show": BRITISH.
42. Quite large: SIZABLE.
45. Read quickly: SKIMMED. Cute - past tense.
46. Spanish brother: HERMANO. Just learned this on Duolingo.
47. Revenue source for magazines: AD SALES.
49. Parts of lbs.: OZS. Pounds / Ounces.
51. "SportsCenter" network: ESPN.
53. Earth Day time: APRIL.
54. Add up to: TOTAL.
58. Harp-shaped constellation: LYRA.
 |
| If you say that's a harp, um, OK. |
59. Celebratory shouts: YAYS.
62. Cushion: PAD.
63. Filmmaker DuVernay: AVA.
64. Nest egg letters: IRA.
The Grid
 |
| The Grid |
The WOs, ESPs, etc. will have to wait; I left my original grid at the office.
Cheers, -T
49 comments:
This was not the easiest Tuesday puzzle. I had no idea about “Ticos” for example. But I got through it okay. FIR, so I’m happy.
Oh, and also, like Dash T, I didn’t notice the “party” part of “ party animals “ at first; in fact, I didn’t noticed it until T pointed it out! “D-oh!”
Good morning!
Yup, saw all the animals, but failed to notice the party connection. D-o is definitely not a party animal. We had both GIGS and GIGATON today. Zipped right through this one unscathed. Thanx, Taylor and Dash-T.
FIR without erasure. Two days in a row! (I feel like I've been set up for a fall tomorrow.)
Today is:
NATIONAL HUG YOUR CAT DAY (closest I come is reading Get Fuzzy)
NATIONAL SAFE DAY (promotes gun safety in homes with kids)
NATIONAL COGNAC DAY (loved it back in the day, especially when a vendor was buying dinner)
NATIONAL CHEESE DAY (why is it that nearly everything that tastes good is fattening?)
NATIONAL OLD MAIDS DAY (aka spinsters or thornbacks. Why does “confirmed bachelor” sound so much cooler?)
No, Dr. Jill, they aren't TaCOS, even though today IS "TaCO Tuesday."
"Cable network with many reruns" doesn't pare it down much.
DNK that Judy and Cher were GAY ICONS. I did know that the Dinah Shore LPGA major golf tournament was a lesbian "Woodstock."
I think the clue for ESPN should have been better. It's kinda like cluing "trauma disorder" for PTSD.
Thanks to Taylor for the fun, easy puzzle, even though I think the overall cluing was weak. And thanks to Bayou Tony for the fine review.
This was much easier than Monday's puzzle and the theme was cute. I missed the PIZZA RAT you tube but it filled itself.
The comment "I did know that the Dinah Shore LPGA major golf tournament was a lesbian 'Woodstock.'" is a common misconception and a bit insulting. While many female athletes do prefer female partners there have always been many heterosexual LPGA stars, with most of the biggest names married with children.
From last night, the more accurate history of the name IKEA as set out in their website is that it was "named after the initials of founder Ingvar Kamprad; Elmtaryd, the farm on which he grew up; and Agunnaryd, the nearby village." It really is an interesting story.
Speaking of interesting stories, when Mr. Johnson has his first NYT published, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/13/crosswords/daily-puzzle-2022-11-14.html, he revealed "You can reach me on Twitter at @lemonade_disco_." I wonder where he got that name? Thanks for today's romp which is reminiscent of that NYT.
-T, you always entertain.
This was a fun and fast solve - some of the answers I found out here because they had all perped in.
PARTY ANIMAL - reminded me of a kids' musical my kids were in called "It's a Jungle Out There"
the catchiest song in it was "We are PARTY ANIMALS" The minute I saw the words fill the song came back to mind after all these years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUIALpz1584
I knew TICOS because that is the nickname of the Costa Rican national soccer (futbol) team.
My friends who lived in Costa Rica for many years were always rooting on the TICOS in CONCACAF games (the lead up to the World Cup)
Gotta get to work
Thanks Tony for subbing and to Taylor for the puzzle
Took 4:23 today for me to join the party.
Not to be the party pooper, but it doesn't seem to me that the animals parts are, in fact, "apt" if it's the other word that is paired to form "party animal."
"Ticos" was unknown, but I barely passed today's foreign language lessons (hermano and anno, but not sel) and I knew today's actress (Rene).
FIW. For a Tuesday puzzle this had more than a little crunch to it.
I had no idea about ticos and guessed wrong. And I still don't get 11D as gay icon? What? Can someone explain that to me.
The theme was clever but I too missed the party part. And I've never heard of the phrase office dog. Guess I need another explanation here.
Overall not an enjoyable endeavor today.
Lemonade714@7:31
I must say, Lemonade, it’s very nice to have you back with us after long absence! Blessings!
Good Tues puzzle. Had 4 issues all in the down columns: 11d gay icon, unaware, 13d tried touter , 29d defter - awkward, 59D yay - who says that?
Good Morning! Well, this wasn’t one of my better crossword experiences, but still an A- rating for me. Thanks, Taylor.
I missed on TICOS and YEP which threw off the NW & NE and the perps didn’t help this time (spelling in the NW & I just couldn’t see TIPSTER.
CSO to waseeley for the Baltimore ORIOLE. And -T for the picture of Cal Ripken.
Thanks, Dash -T, to the rescue for highlighting the theme – yes, it was a fun one, and righting my errors.
YooperPhil here, reporting from the M/S Chi-Cheemaun ferry, traversing Lake Huron/Georgian Bay en route to Manitoulin Island (the largest fresh water island in the world), heading back to the UP from Tobermory Ontario. Beautiful two hour ride which saves about 6 hours drive time.
As for the puzzle, FIR in 12:58, typical Tuesday time, only a few unknowns which perped. Thanks Taylor for the pleasant solve and to T for temping in place of Hahtoolah! Good day to all!
Taylor and -T make a fine pairing with today's puzzle. Thanks to both for their efforts.
The theme was cute but I didn't see the party connection either. My trouble spot was trying to use "hoc" instead of LIB. Also wanted maizeRAT before PIZZA became obvious.
All have their own inner beauty.
Balderdash.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Taylor and AnonT.
I finished and saw the PARTY ANIMAL theme, but had a personal Natick at the cross of 1D and 23A.
I did an alphabet run, wavered between C or G, and chose C. Bzz, it should have been T. (Can I claim Canadian disadvantage for TICOS when HERMANO popped up from my memory banks?)
No inkblots today as the rest of the CW filled in short order, but I had to wait for ABA to finalize the spelling of MARACAS.
Thanks for the CSO with O CANADA. I wonder why Nova Scotia was the province chosen for the clue?
ANIL reminded me of the novel that I am currently reading, Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd. Great read so far.
Good to see you back, Lemonade.
Wishing you all a great day.
YooperPhil- you have a beautiful day for your ferry ride on the Chi-Cheemaun. Enjoy! Are you spending a time on Manitoulin or going straight home?
YooperPhil here ~ CanadianEh 🇨🇦, yes a beautiful calm day on the water, unlike a few crossings I’ve been on in rough water with the boat listing side to side. Just gonna pass through Manitoulin today, the bonus being there’s a Tim Horton’s in Little Current! ☕️ 🍩 😋. Will be making a return trip in August.
Good Morning:
Two days in a row of fun and clever themes! After filling in Party Animal, it dawned on me that the first word in each themer was a type of party and, of course, the second word was the animal. How cute is that! Office Dog was unfamiliar but the concept is a real thing, plus post-solve research confirmed a band by that name. I enjoyed the added crunch because the fill was so fresh and lively and the perps were more than fair. I went astray at Noggin/Noodle and I needed perps for Ticos, Office Dog, and Fila, although I have heard of Fila.
Thanks, Taylor, for a very enjoyable solve and thanks, Anon T, for the great review and commentary. I especially enjoyed the video of the incomparable Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams. And the performance of Simone Biles deserves the word so often misused and, therefore, mostly meaningless, but in this case, oh so meaningful and accurately descriptive, AWESOME! I'm sure HG will agree.
Have a great day.
YooperPhil: I'm guess you have, but have you been to Isle Royale National Park?
I visited it last year, and it was beautiful, despite some rain, wind, and waves that threatened to keep us there longer than planned. We only ended up staying about 2 hours longer, which allowed for several more casts and hands of cards.
-Anon from at 7:44 AM
Thanks, Taylor, for a by-and-large fun and straightforward Tuesday. One section that gave me pause was the NW, where GIGATON was naticking annoyingly with one or two horizontal words. But neighboring perps helped immensely. One of those perps was 28A, Canada to the rescue! And I think we should all otherwise stand in honor for Canadian Eh when we do 28A. This is one of the great National Anthems of the world IMHO, partly because I think the music is so gorgeous.
The NE gave me a problem, also, and judging by many other comments, I am not alone. I am referring to 11D, where the mundane answer would be something like SINGERS. The NE was overloaded with horizontal perps, so it was not difficult to suss out 11D. Could someone please explain the answer to 11D?
Hands up from players (including me) who initially had IRA and not the correct ARI in 16A.
Constructors who want to put ELI in their puzzle have to decide between Manning and Yale for their clue. It will be noted that Manning defeated Yale today.
Again, thanks, Taylor, for a fun and Tuesday-appropriate challenge.
PARTY ANIMAL- only noticed the animals. PIZZA RAT and OFFICE DOG- never heard of either but they were easy fills. The NE gave me fits and it almost took an entire alphabet to get to 'Y' for the GAY to appear. TIPSTER didn't come easily. I was thinking some nationality for Cher and Judy. ARI or IRA- can't remember. TICOS- unknown here.
FILA is an ITALIAN brand that was bought by Koreans. It was a bankrupt company.
40A. Cable network with many reruns? TBS is just one of a thousand. We recently bought two 'smart' TVs. One ROKU and the other VIZIO- $350 total for both. They each have their own free channel line ups with about 500 channels each-ALL the channels are reruns except the 100+ news channels. They both show everything you NEVER wanted to see.
This was a typically easy Tuesday level for me. PIZZA and TICOS were the only new to me answers, easily perped. I heard of Shapiro and knew he was Jewish so that helped. Three letter Jewish male name, ARI or URI.
I am surprised that living in the NYC news area, I never saw the pizza rat video. Unfortunately rats are a terrible problem in that city. Yucky.
I saw the animal theme right away. I needed the reveal to join the parties.
I hesitated in the NE corner, but solid perps said GAY, so I kept it.
I knew Judy Garland was not gay and neither is Cher. LIU. They are icons among many gay men.
Costa Rica was Alan's and my favorite trip. The flowers, birds and wild life were exceptionally abundant and lovely. We took many excursions on small boats.
It seems that an office dog is a real thing. "An office dog is a dog that is part of a work team and is allowed in the office or an office-like environment."
Claudette Colvin was arrested nine months before the Rosa Parks incident for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. Colvin's case was dropped by civil rights campaigners because she was unmarried and pregnant during the proceedings.
Welcome back, Lemonade. I often think of you.
Thank you Taylor for a Tuesday trot in the word park, for which technically I got an FIW. Okay, I actually did get an FIW. I'll explain later.
And thanks -T for subbing for the Cat. I knew it was you -- it's got your name written all over the last line of the review. And thanks for explaining the theme -- saw the animals, but missed the party.
A few favs:
23A TICOS. Swagged RICOS, but didn't notice later that 1D GIGARONS was, well ... stupid! I knew a lady from Costa Rica who led my grandsons' Cub Scout pack. Her English was so good that I didn't discover that she was not American until one evening she openly expressed her admiration for our country.
52A PIZZA RAT. Was that video staged? Or is there rampant PIZZA littering all over the Big Apple? Now a rat trying to drag a BIG APPLE home would be real news.
48A ORIOLE. They're from Baltimore!
45D SKIMMED. And LITELY.
56D HERMANO. And "sister" is HERMANA, which I learned from the Hermanas de Santa Marta, several of whom I knew from a local monastery. While they are a world wide order, the nuns I knew were from Mexico. Very sweet ladies.
63D AVA. Apparently she has taken up residence in crosswords.
Cheers,
Bill
KS @ 7:55 AM and Lemonade @7:31 AM If it hasn't been said already GAY ICONS are not necessary GAY, as Judy Garland and Cher certainly (weren't/aren't). They are just admired by Gays.
This was my first time solving online, so it took 24 minutes. I’m a fast typist, but I like to go back and forth between across and down, which created some frustrations despite the ease of the puzzle.
As for the theme, I had an “office wife” a couple of times, which should not be construed to be romantic, but I hadn’t heard of OFFICE DOG or the PIZZA RAT. I didn’t pay much attention to the reveal. Thank for blogging, Tony. You ARE appreciated and deserve a Ninfarita.
My newspaper background gave me an edge on TICOS. The Tico Times is a major newspaper in Costa Rica, and I know someone who worked there. But my theatre background didn’t help me at first on the GAY ICONS, because I didn’t know Cher is up there with Judy Garland in that category.
I’m not gay, but I’m extremely gay-friendly, so I don’t think it would be an insult to me to say that gay men may be the majority in most theatre groups. I was in one group that had four guys named Michael, and they were all gay. Both of my “brothers” in The Lion in Winter were gay, and that was 50 years ago. The elite choir I joined for three years not along ago had a gay male majority. Etc., etc. And when I covered high school sports in a sparsely populated locale, I can tell you that 50 percent of the coaches in girls sports were gay. I could have written a lot about that.
So I don’t think it’s an insult to the many hetero golfers and their fans to say the Dinah Shore Classic is a lesbian Woodstock. Best estimates are that only 10 percent of the players are gay, but that the fan base is more than 50 percent gay.The rainbow flag flies especially high in Palm Springs that week.
Inattention on my part for missing the PARTY words, just satisfied with the animals. Must do better.
DNF because I had, like someone else, Shapiro’s name as Ira instead of ARI, and I knew that. Again inattention.
Besides all the animals, we had an AVIARY.
Thank you A-T for the recap. I was a huge fan of Jonathan Winters.
Today's puzzle was fast and easy, with just a couple of knots to untangle, especially in the northeast, but it is no secret that Judy Garland and Cher are GAY ICONs with their exaggerated sexuality combined with vulnerability.
I liked the PARTY ANIMALs, but didn't understand the PARTY aspect until -T explained it.
A few years ago, I asked my mom where she would travel, if given the choice of going anywhere, and she said Costa Rica -- so I rented a house on the west coast and took the whole family down there at the beginning of 2020. Saw some amazing ANIMALs, and learned the word TICOS. Pura vida!
Many thanks to Taylor Johnson for a great puzzle, to Patti, and to -T.
Wikipedia explains 11D (with more examples)
GayIcons
-T, the Breaking Cat News is hilarious!
In the phrase "gay icons," gay is the adjective modifying the noun "icons." This means that the icons are gay. But the consensus of recent postings seems to be, no, neither Judy Garland nor Cher is/was gay; it's just that gays enjoy watching them perform. Fair enough; but if that's the case, shouldn't there be an apostrophe after the word gay, so that "gays" changes from an adjective to a (possessive) noun (gays' icons)? I think that might help solve the confusion.
Fun and easy today, thank you TJ, and good review A-T! Jonathan Winters, a comic genius. My favorite ad LIB by him was when someone congratulated him on his 50th wedding anniversary —- “You try it!”.
When I had GARDEN—-, HOUSE—-, and OFFICE—- I thought the reveal would be about places where one could go, but then PIZZA filled in and you can’t go to a PIZZA—-. I’ve been to a wood-fired open oven shop in Naples that claims to be the original, oldest, continuous operating PIZZA shop in the world.
Many blind people (should I write vision impaired?) and others with handicaps can get to work because they have an OFFICE DOG or other service animal. Some employers allow their employees to bring children and DOGs to work.Is this what TJ meant?
Yellowrocks@ 9;57 - Went to a wedding on the beach in beautiful Costa Rica. The ceremony lasted longer than the marriage (well, almost). I was fascinated with the long-tailed coati that roamed freely, a sometimes crossword word.
Ken@9:27 - How about Whitney?
My spoiled HOUSE CAT is Freddy. What CAT are you a servant to?
Happy day, all!
Hola!
PIZZA RAT? Without the explanation I would have no idea about that. but the others, OFFICE DOG and GARDEN SNAIL are self-explanatory. I haven't seen any lately, but GARDEN SNAILS were quite common for a while. I guess it's too hot even for them.
Of my three HERMANOs, two have left us; they died at a relatively young age of 48 and 52 and left us beautiful daughters and handsome sons. One HERMANO is still living.
DEFTER sounds awkward.
I've never watched ESPN.
Thank you, Taylor Johnson for the challenge and thank you, Tony, for the fun.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Fun Tuesday outing. What I didn't know right off the bat, perped nicely. Good thing, too, as 11D made no sense. The proper names were not in the least obscure, and the PIZZA RAT even made all the news shows in the Chicago area!
Copy Editor, thank you for clarifying what I meant with my "Dinah" comments. Had I wanted to label a group of athletes, I would not have chosen a single tournament. Especially not one that has been discontinued. And not golfers, for that matter. I fear that Lemony's absence has dulled his reading comprehension skills.
IIRC, The Grown-up's Guide to Running Away From Home lists Costa Rica as their top choice as a destination for American expats.
"Gay icons" should be "Gay favorites" or "Favorites of gays."
I had not watched the video A-T included in his recap, now that I view it, I remember the PIZZA RAT that made the news, however so briefly.
I was also better able to focus on the cat reporters funny. Loved it.
I managed to FIR in very good Tuesday time (for me) of ten minutes. For some reason, I always fill IRA for Shapiro of NPR, and have to reverse it when perps fill. I never heard of an "office dog", but then again I never worked in an office. Very clever theme, to get two word fills for clues, both of which answer to the theme. Impressive construction, TJ, thanx for the fun Tuesday level CW. As others, I DNK TICOS, but 1D had to be GIGATONS. Was not sure of the spelling for ARABICA, that "I" coulda been another "A", but guessed right. I also appreciate not too many names, and the ones clued I knew. So relatively smooth solve overall. Again, thanx for this nice CW, TJ. Anon-T great write-up, if a bit abbreviated, still fun. Why is abbreviated such a long word? Taco Tuesday at the Quarterdeck restaurant here in FLL: two mahi-mahi or chicken tacos for $6! Each includes a generous slice of avocado. Yummers! (That word remind you of anyone?) I'll be off for my two-taco-plus-two-Guinness linner in a bit.
P.S.- It was "TICOS" that reminded me of the tacos at QD.
Took awhile to grasp the PARTY ANIMAL theme. I may be an outlier, but I do not approve of the OFFICE DOG thing.
Here I photographed some TICOS having fun in San Jose, COSTA RICA.
NaomiZ Glad that you also got to appreciate the joys of COSTA RICA. I would like to go back sometime.
I love animals, so it was really fund to see that HOUSE CAT and that OFFICE DOG appearing--much cuter than that GARDEN SNAIL and that PIZZA RAT. None of these guys are going to feel comfortable in an AVIARY, but at least they can all have fun as PARTY ANIMALS.
And it's time for us human animals to have a fun day too!
U.Fred, what a coincidence. I was stowing my winter clothes and taking my summer duds out of the box just yesterday, and found one of my favorite tees, from Quarterdeck Restaurant in Key Colony Beach. My buddy lived across the channel from it. They had a Wednesday wing special - a quarter each. That was about 15 years ago, back when beer was still on my menu.
I had ARI rechristened as Abe, for an NPR minute.
The only cat I consider funny is Garfield. The “Cat News” strip cats aren’t.
Thanks, -T, for presenting the clip explaining the pizza rat. I will never look at a slice of pizza in the same way as before.
Musings
-The PGA needs an Arnie’s ARMY again
-TIPSTER: I’ve got the horse right, name of Paul Revere…
-So happy to see Lemonade back at our little word stand!
-Four-handed TICO TICO
I loved Costa Rica and would go back in a heartbeat.
I solved this puzzle without having to look anything or anybody up.
When GAY ICON filled I thought, "Huh?"
TONS TNT had to be changed to GIGATON.
Too bad "Billy" is not a type of party. If it was, BILLY GOAT could also be a theme entry.
Good wishes to you all.
Hi All!
WO: wrong lira
ESPs: TICOS
Fav: OREGANO - you can't really taste it but you know when it's missing ;-)
//and we had 5 O-words!
Cheers, -T
Husker Gary Thank you for that Four Handed TICO TICO. Just amazing coordination of a lovely couple. Talk about finding your soulmate. Wow.
HG. Thank you for the four- handed Tico Tico. Marvelous.
Husker, that "Tico Tico" is "Rico Rico"!
Fortunately, 'gigaton' is a creture only of our metric system of prefixes. (The little pocket AEC/DOD calculator that I have only goes up to 20 mt.)
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