The Perfect Gift
G'Day!, Cornerites.Today, Susan offers us jewelry apropos to one's occupation. Each phrase is "in the language" with the first word describing the position and the second a bit of bling. Let's take a look:
20. Custom timepiece for a meteorologist?: STORM WATCH.
33. Custom necklace for a chef?: FOOD CHAIN.
41. Custom brooch for a defensive back in the NFL?: SAFETY PIN.
Johnny can make a brooch out of it.
52. Custom band for a barista?: COFFEE RING.
I once had the idea that, if I ever went out on my own consulting, I'd call it "Coffee Ring Consultants" 'cuz every document I pre-produced for draft editing ended up with a coffee stain in the upper left corner.
//I always wore a mocha button-down when I did presetations for clients - that way spilt coffee wouldn't show. #ProTip
Cute theme, eh? Nicely done Susan. Thanks.
Across:
1. Passionate enthusiasm: ZEAL.
5. College concentration: MAJOR. Mine was Double-E w/ a Masters granted in CS. In my young ZEAL I thought I could build AI robots but, instead, I landed at DOD protecting networks which took all my hackin' skilz to the other side of the fence.
Tell us your major and why.
10. Dazzling figure skating feat: QUAD. Quadruple (14a) AXLE.
Ilia Malinin
14. Car bar: AXLE. Not a cocktail-box in the back, Double-O-7. Sorry to disappoint you, sir.
//I rewatched a few James Bond flicks while DW was in Japan :-)
15. Run off to wed: ELOPE.
16. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO...as you would have them do unto you - The Golden Rule.
17. Falafel wrapper: PITA.
 |
| Yummers! |
18. Greased: OILED.
19. Fan favorite: IDOL. Billy is one of them.
Dancing With Myself
20. [See: theme]
22. Word on a door: PULL.
 |
| The Far Side |
23. Agreeable answer: YES.
Roundabout - YES (a big influence on RUSH*)
24. Art studio stands: EASELS.
26. "Let's keep going!": ONWARD.
30. Spill the beans: BLAB.
32. Jeweled topper: TIARA.
33. [See: theme]
38. Still a contender: IN IT.
39. Robes at the Roman Forum: TOGAS.
Obligatory Animal House clip.
(It's in my contract)
40. Plot parcel: ACRE.
41. [See: theme]
43. Mountain lions: PUMAS.
44. Cathedral alcove: APSE.
45. Scout's discovery: TALENT. Talent scout not a Boy Scout.
46. Push and shove: JOSTLE.
50. Pointy leatherworking tool: AWL. Funny, I call my awl "pointy tool."
51. No more than: UP TO.
52. [See: theme]
59. Statistical average: MEAN.
60. Naturally bright courtyards: ATRIA.
61. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.
62. Soft French cheese: BRIE.
63. Bird associated with babies: STORK.
64. Air conditioning outlet: VENT.
65. Rowboat pair: OARS.
66. Hefty books: TOMES. Asmov's Foundation Trillogy was one. It filled 80% of my backpack (sorry, history book). #Priorities
67. Previous partners: EXES.
Down:
1. Heats up in the microwave: ZAPS.
Percy Spencer accidentally discovered it.
2. Highway off-ramp: EXIT.
That's not real. This one is.
3. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO. I think I mentioned they (the eponymous company) make pretty good firewalls.
4. Shakespearean ruler who divides his kingdom between two of his daughters: LEAR.
5. Cried like a calico: MEOWED.
6. Pseudonym: ALIAS.
7. Caffeine rush: JOLT.
8. Crude cartel: OPEC.
9. Conan O'Brien and Prince Harry: RED HEADS.
10. Witticisms: QUIPS.
11. Disproportionate, as influence: UNDUE.
12. Coral island that surrounds a lagoon: ATOLL.
How they're formed
13. Barbie and Skipper: DOLLS.
 |
| Barbie and kid-sister Skipper |
21. British pianist Hess: MYRA.
25. "Abbott Elementary" network: ABC.
26. Redding of R&B: OTIS.
27. Simone of R&B: NINA.
28. Ragamuffin: WAIF.
29. Prado paintings: ARTE.
30. "Casablanca" star, familiarly: BOGIE.
 |
| Humphrey Bogart |
31. Library offering: LOAN.
33. Fancy dressers: FOPS.
34. Transport: HAUL.
35. Pinnacle: ACME.
 |
| Wile E. Looking for the Perfect Gift. |
36. Country on the Persian Gulf: IRAN.
37. Hummingbird's home: NEST. I remember the night before DW's water broke for Eldest. She was in fast-mode getting things in order and I was tidying up the garage. We fell asleep for about 20 minutes on the couch and spent the next morning in the Delivery Room.
Nesting Urge.
39. Stuck playing the same roles again and again: TYPECAST.
42. " Qu __?": Spanish "What's up?": TAL.
43. Muted, as colors: PALE.
45. Makes minor adjustments: TWEAKS.
46. Extra-large: JUMBO.
47. Met performance: OPERA.
48. One step: STAIR.
49. Earth __: natural shades: TONES.
50. Blazing: AFIRE. Hand-up if you thought Saddles immediately.
53. Nove minus uno: OTTO.
54. Email heading word: FROM.
55. Wander about: ROVE.
56. Mountain goat: IBEX.
57. Zilch: NONE.
58. Comprehends: GETS.
The Grid:
 |
| The Grid |
WOs: AXIL [sic] -> QUAD
ESPs: MYRA, TAL
Fav: JOSTLE is such a fun word.
There you have it folks. Next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Hahtoolah. It was fun (for me anyways) filling in.
Cheers,
-T
*I think it's also in my contract to include RUSH. DW got home Sunday to IAH from NRT but didn't go through
YYZed
37 comments:
While there were one or two answers that were a little obscure (“Otto,” anyone?) the perps were kind, and I didn’t have too much trouble with this puzzle. FIR, so I’m happy.
Otto is Italian for eight.
I took one look at the grid and I feared it was going to be one of those NYT-style Tuesdays where the gimmick involves the whole grid (a stunt puzzle, basically). The actual reason why this grid was so segmented was the pangram. I never understood why anyone making a grid with not that much theme material (two 9s and two 10s) would go for the pangram instead of taking an opportunity to put in some nifty long Downs. At least the forced pangram didn't impact the fill like it usually does.
FIR, but erased axel for QUAD. And I was so proud of finding axel/AXLE.
My BS MAJOR was Telecommunications Management. Technical, but less math than EE. My MBA doesn't have a specialty.
I've always said the REDHEADS are my kryptonite, but I'm immune from Conan and Harry.
UNDUE can't be performed by ctrl+z, but undo can.
Thanks to Ha2la for the fine Tuesday puzzle. I suspected a pangram when I saw Z and X up around Billingham, but forgot to check whether it was one. But I'm pretty sure there is legal precedent that requires OTTO to be clued as The Simpsons bus driver. And thanks to Bayou Tony for the fine review. I'm sure you know that YES and Deep Purple will perform together at the Mitchell Pavilion on August 17. I'd be tempted to go, but it's in Houston. On August 17.
Good morning!
Zipped through this one. Yay. Even got the theme. Double-yay. Thought "Skipper" was the Gilligan compadre; it's a girl? Briefly fell into the AXEL/QUAD quagmire. Aha, CSO to moi at 53d. Thanx for the outing, Susan. (Jinx, this Susan isn't Hahtoolah.) And thanx for filling in once again, Dash-T. (That island video wasn't difficult to understand atoll.)
Contrary to what Anonymous stated @5:06, I thought this was a finely constructed and well edited early week puzzle. A pangram in a 15 X 15 is always impressive and I don’t see how it was “forced”. The low count of only four TLW was also a plus. The use of many CW standards ie: TIARA, OBOE, ATRIA, AWL TOMES etc makes this grid quite easy for most Cornerites I’m assuming. FIR in 8:06. Thank you Susan and Patti for the pleasant start to the day and to T for blogging in Hahtoolah’s absence.
Thanks, DO - In spite of not being constructed by Ha2la, I still liked it a lot. My apologies to today's Susan, who seems to make more appearances in the NYT than in the LAT. Hope to see many more of your future works here.
Took 5:02 today for me to finish.
"British pianist Hess"? That's just poor, though, I've learned from reading comments that we're supposed to accept that if the perps are fair. But still, ugh.
I didn't know today's foreign language lesson (otto & arte), nor did I know Skipper.
Isn't "Met" an abbreviation? I was looking for some abbreviated answer.
One of my two majors was international business. Why? Because it only required taking two additional classes and wouldn't delay my graduation.
FIR. For a Tuesday puzzle this lived up to expectations. No "major" obscure cluing, and the few difficult answers had perps in all the right places.
The theme was clever and fun to suss out from the clues.
Overall, a very enjoyable crossword.
Anon @ 7:14, I think that "MET" has become synonymous with "The New Your Metropolitan Opera." Kinda like "auto" is accepted in lieu of "automobile," and "bus" is accepted in lieu of "omnibus."
It's good to see that you are familiar with your contract. Thank you for the great job filling in.
Good Morning! A delightful breeze through today’s puzzle. Thanks, Susan.
ESP for MYRA and TAL, but they perped nicely.
I rushed forward when I had RED H_ _ _ _ and put in hair instead of HEADS.
Thanks, Dash-T. Loved the clips, fascinating ATOLL formation, sweet hummingbird cam, music and the amazing QUAD. I’ll have to take their word for it – it happens too fast for my eyes to track!!
Fun and fast solve with a creative theme - which is good as I will be inside working while it is a hot day outside!
My major was an interdisciplinary one where the core classes were balanced between biological and social sciences and each person developed a emphasis within that for their upper level classes as well as integrated classes taught by 2 professors in a social and natural science.
We also had to take a policy class in either environmental or health science. My health policy prof had just returned from a stint as head of the FDA and was an interesting lecturer.
It suited me well because I liked the variety
Thanks AnonT and Susan for a fun start to the day!
Good Morning:
Anon T titled this "The Perfect Gift" which accurately describes the theme of what I consider The Perfect Puzzle! The theme is not only clever, but is executed expertly, with very solid, in the language phrases (Safety Pin being my favorite); there was just the right amount of crunch, aided by very fair perps, and clear, straightforward cluing in a clean grid with no junk, and fun and fresh fill, i.e., Jostle, Jumbo, Jolt, etc. The minuscule number (4) of TLWs is practically unheard of and quite a feat, IMO. I tripped over Zest/Zeal, Ocho/Otto, and Push/Pull, and the only unknown, to me, was Tal. I was unaware of the pangram and I never even noticed the grid design; my focus was on a satisfying and enjoyable solve, which Susan provided quite successfully.
Thanks, Susan, for this perfect gem of an offering and thanks, Anon T, for doing it justice with your analysis and commentary. I enjoyed all the visuals and several of the musical snippets.Thanks for pinch hitting so faithfully. Regarding the figure skating video, as a purist, I'll take beauty, grace, style and interpretation over all the triple-quad jumps in the universe! Peggy Fleming remains my heroine. (Also a purist on language!)
FLN
CEh, belated best wishes for a Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦
Have a great day.
Regular Tuesday type CW. Very satisfying. I should have been on the look out when the first entry started with a Z. I’m sorry I missed noticing the pangram.
My beloved miniature schnauzer was named BOGIE. He’s been gone a long time but I still miss him.
Thank you A-t. That first picture of Houston spaghetti interstate looked quite believable. We’ve had to drive through Houston many times, either to visit my SIL who lives on the west side or on the way to Austin, and I’m never sure we’ll survive the trip.
I loved this puzzle! The jewelry items were absolutely the perfect gifts for the named professionals. So clever! My DNKs were MYRA Hess and NINA Simone, but perps were fair. FIR and enjoyed it.
Can someone explain about "pangram" in the comments? Does it have to do with the layout of the grid? It looks lovely to me.
-T, thanks for an interesting tour. Birth of an Atoll was more complex than I expected, and the hummingbird nest cam was delightful.
From your friendly double major in history and religious studies, with an MA in library science. With apologies to all you real scientists.
Hola!
What a lovely puzzle from Susan G and a lively analysis from AnonT who is no longer very anonymous.
Starting with ZEAL, EXIT and QUAD, I immediately thought this puzzle would be a pangram and so it is. Nicely done. Throwing in a little Spanish, TAL, makes it ideal for me. And actually, Palo ALTO also qualifies; it means "long stick"; stick here refers to tree. I.e., long tree or tall tree. Sometimes translations are awkward.
CSO to d-otto. Jinx, I chuckled at your remark about requiring OTTO to always be the Simpson's bus driver.
OTIS, OTTO, OARS, OBOE almost makes this a symphony in O!
This was fun and a good start to the day. Have a beautiful day, everyone!
NaomiZ:
A pangram is a puzzle in which all 26 letters of the alphabet are used. I'm sure it is a rare and challenging feat for the constructor.
Very nice puzzle today! I'll Echo IM on this one, as she summed it up perfectly. A fun recap from -T added to the enjoyment..NaomiZ, a pangram is a puzzle that uses every letter in the alphabet. My major? Warfare. (University of Southeast Asia)
An enjoyable puzzle from Susan and a fun expo by -T.
I had my first airplane ride when I was 4 sitting on my uncle's lap while he piloted a Piper J-3. He was a WWII Air Corp pilot. From then on I wanted to be an Aeronautical Engineer. Times changed (Sputnik) and my emphasis became Space and my degree was one of the first in Aerospace Engineering at my school. Although my career dealt mostly with space vehicles, I never lost my love for airplanes and I did do some major design work on some aircraft.
Have a great 4th of July.
Musings
-It’s rainy again today here in the FARM BELT
-My MAJOR was math because of my left-brain skills
-In what movie did this car lose its rear AXLE? (answer below)
-The relevant sentiment above was “Do UNTO others and then split”
-ONWARD: My philosophy even when I encounter a really hard puzzle
-After a horrible 2023 season, this year my KC Royals are still IN IT for a playoff spot this year
-AGT has shown there is a lot of undiscovered TALENT in America
-Tony, do you live a part of the world where OIL is pronounced AWL?
-MYRA Breckenridge came to my mind much faster than whoever that pianist is
-Chain-smoking BOGIE died of throat cancer at 58
-“Who are you subbing for today, Gary?” My reply is always, “I’m a PALE reflection of Mr./Ms. ___)
-That rear axle came from police cruiser of Officer Holstein in American Graffiti
I don’t usually comment on early week puzzles unless Cornerites construct them, but I enjoyed this one despite its lack of challenges. The pangram added a bit of extra luster.
But the main reason I’m commenting is that I recently criticized “que pasa” as a somewhat distasteful Americanism (and I stand by that criticism), so I have to praise this puzzle for que TAL, which is what I say when I want Spanish for “whassup.?”
Good work, Tony and Susan.
Enjoyable Tuesday puzzle, many thanks for this treat, Susan. And always appreciate your helpful commentary, AnonT, thanks for that too.
Well, I thought it was interesting that we got both a bit of art in this puzzle, as well as a bit of food. Artists need to have both ZEAL and TALENT to do their work, whether it's painting on their EASELS or composing music for their OBOE or producing TOMES of new books. And they have to stay in good shape with a good FOOD CHAIN, enjoying their BRIE along with some COFFEE. In their spare time they can go to parties wearing TOGAS and TIARAS, and who knows, they might even end up having to ELOPE.
Well, it's time for me to EXIT. Have a great day, everybody.
I don't remember who asked (IM, maybe?) for suggestions on what to watch on Netflix. We just finished watching the 6-episode Benedict Cumberbatch miniseries, Eric. We both recommend it. It's set in 1980s New York City and involves the search for a missing 9-year-old son. There's minimal sex and violence, but don't watch if coarse language upsets you.
DO @ 12:21 ~ Yes, DO, I asked for recommendations on Netflix (open to suggestions on Hulu and Amazon Prime, as well.) I watched Eric and enjoyed it, despite the coarse language. I have found that coarse (foul) language seems to be de rigueur in the majority of the newer series/movies. I can tolerate it (barely) if the acting and strength of the story are worthwhile and riveting. Not only is most of it gratuitous, it adds nothing to the story line. I recommend The Act, which is based on true events, and The Patient, which starred Steve Carell in an unusual dramatic role. They both have their share of coarse language, but not as much as some other series, and they are both dark and disturbing, but the acting and story mitigate any negatives. They are both on Hulu.
Hand up AXEL before QUAD. I don't wear jewelry but I enjoyed the theme.
AnonT Yes I thought of BLAZING Saddles. Best movie ever. Thanks for your good work.
Enjoyed the SCOUT misdirection, as I had done a rather challenging SCOUT of the more usual kind yesterday.
Here are three short drone clips of me doing the more usual kind of SCOUT in a spectacular place.
A friend showed me this place two years ago and I want to lead it myself in a few weeks. The place is a very hidden cave my friend called the Meditation Cave, but I might call the Buddha Cave. I was very proud to find it on my own. But it was hot and I got lost a lot, so I ran out of water. A bit scary.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Susan and AnonT. (I may be the only one who “gets” that YYZed comment LOL,)
I am on my way out the door to do some grocery shopping after our long weekend (thanks for all the good wishes). I will echo CharlieEcho and say “I’ll Echo IM on this one”.
Copy editor - my Spanish is limited, and I learned Que Pasa from CWs. I will now be corrected to TAL which was unknown to me.
Wishing you all a great day.
Puzzling thoughts:
FIR in fewer minutes and seconds than usual
Clever puzzle; not one I thought that the editors would approve due to its having only 38 characters in the four theme entries (10-9-9-10). The "minimum" for most puzzles is 40. Perhaps this is what accounted for the small number (4) of three-letter words. Nice to see a pangram that didn't seem forced
Kudos to Susan and Tony for the fun solve and recap (loved the Animal House clip - "Double Secret Probation")
When I saw COFFEERING I thought of the residue left inside my mug after a bit of evaporation from sitting IDOL, er idle for awhile.
Picard
-I really liked the drone clips. Who is your pilot?
I’ve been meaning to comment on how impressed I am with so many of you Cornerites. Witty Wordsmithing abounds here! As a former law professor of more than 40 years, I appreciate that, and love this blog!
Bayou Tony, the real intersection you showed must have a name. I think that all cities that are big enough to have traffic reporting aircraft and intersecting interstate highways have nicknames for those intersections. I remember Atlanta's Spaghetti Junction, and IIRC Dallas had The Mixmaster before it was replaced by The High Five.
H.Gary, I was thinking the movie was Porky's, but when I watched that clip, they just removed the lug nuts from all the wheels of the copmobile. Kinda the same result.
Husker Gary Thank you for the kind words about the drone clips of me doing the SCOUT for my hike.
I wish someone could take credit for the piloting, but in fact this HoverAir X1 drone needs no pilot!
Here is information about this HoverAir X1 drone.
It has several pre-programmed flight modes. The one I used in those clips is called "Zoom Out". One I have used for my unicycle rides is called "Dolly Track" mode.
You can't really pilot it like a regular drone and it has a limited range. But it is perfect for getting these kinds of "selfie" shots in remote places with no one else to take your photo. It is also very light and folds up to be very compact. I put it in my fanny bag with my small camera, lunch and water.
When Lucina wrote, "Starting with ZEAL, EXIT and QUAD, I immediately thought this puzzle would be a pangram and so it is," I had a V-8 (head slap) moment. Of course this means a puzzle that uses all 26 letters. Thanks to Lucina and others who took the time to spell that out for me.
I liked this puzzle.
Fun puzzle, Susan G.! FAV: FOOD CHAIN
Fascinating videos, -T. Thanks!!
This has nothing to do with the puzzle but it leaves me with puzzling thoughts, but did anyone else watch the interview with Stormy Daniels? Amazing!
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