Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. Today we are treated to another Olympic-themed puzzle. What a marvelous surprise! Theme:
USA FTW!
Beginning with the four themed clues, we have:
16 Across. Performance in the center ring, e.g.: CIRCUS ACT.
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| Three Ring Circus by Linda Mears |
22 Across. Facetious "do not disturb" sign: GENIUS AT WORK. This one was my favorite.
 |
| some Wile E. for Charlie Echo |
49 Across. Year-end feat for a star student: A-PLUS AVERAGE. It took me a bit to parse the hyphen. I suppose that lowers my average.
60 Across. Leafy dish that may be topped with vegan ranch dressing: TOFU SALAD.
 |
| recipe (I would skip Step #2 to save time.) |
The reveal is found in Row 8:
38 Across. Olympic delegation cheered on by the chant found in 16-, 22-, 49-, and 60-Across: TEAM USA. 
Bonus points to Shaun and Ben for finding phrases where USA spans two words.
Additional bonus points for including eleven Olympics-themed clues in the fill. I will note them as we go through the other clues. Just a warning, I am taking some liberties here.
Across:
1. Clock front: FACE. Last Monday's reveal was ON THE CLOCK.
5. Genie's home: LAMP.
9. IRS form experts: CPAS. "Internal Revenue Service" is abbreviated, so is "Certified Public Accounts".
13. Arkin of "Argo": ALAN. (1934 - 2023). He was in a lot of notable movies. I wonder if our constructors chose Argo because they advocate alliteration. #ItTakesOneToKnowOne
14. Genesis twin: ESAU. He was the elder twin to brother, Jacob.
15. __ kebab: SHISH. Its etymology is Turkish. The Western version is a dish of pieces of marinated meat and vegetables cooked and served on skewers.
18. 1492 craft: PINTA. and 20 Across. Ocean crossed by 18-Across: ATLANTIC.
19. Barcelona bar bites: TAPAS. another amusing alliteration
25. Splashy suits?: SPEEDOS. [Olympic nod #1. They are seen in the swimming and diving competitions.]
28. "One Kiss" singer __ Lipa: DUA. If you saw Barbie, you saw Dua in a cameo role, playing Mermaid Barbie. Additionally, her song Dance the Night is on the movie's soundtrack.
30. Beaver structures: DAMS. Beavers are considered a keystone species because they create habitat for so many other animals. This is wonderful time-lapse video showing the wildlife attracted to a pond made from a beaver's DAM. It is from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. (5:41 min.) Look for the dates in the bottom, right-hand corner. It begins on 3/31/19 and goes through 4/20/20. At the end, there is a list of all the animals in order of appearance. Fittingly, the very first animal listed is Beaver Castor canadensis.
33. Pride flag letters: LGBTQ.
37. "__ the land of the free ... ": O'ER. [Olympic nod #2. You will hear it whenever the USA is awarded a gold medal.]
40. 38-Across gymnast Mary __ Retton: LOU. [Olympic nod #3. She won five medals in gymnastics events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angles.]
41. Hard-to-find guy: WALDO. There are seven primary Where's Waldo? books and over 30 variations. The first Where's Wally? book was published in 1987 in the U.K.
43. Guitar clamp: CAPO. Without a CAPO, the open strings on a guitar are E, A, D, G, B, and E. My teacher taught me the mnemonic Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears. Using a CAPO changes those notes, depending on where the CAPO is applied. It allows one to use familiar finger positions to play different chords.
44. 38-Across gymnast Lee: SUNI. [Olympic nod #4. Among her many achievements, Suni is on the 2024 USA Women's gold-medal winning gymnastics team.]
45. Dashboard stat: RPM. "Statistic" is abbreviated, so is "Revolutions Per Minute".
47. Optometry exam: EYE TEST. I had one the other day. I had to confess to my doctor that I was "meta-ing the test" because I could not tell if the second letter was an O or a D but I looked ahead and saw a for-sure D, so I knew the blurry letter must be an O.
54. Steakhouse order often served au jus: PRIME RIB.
55. Old enough: OF AGE. [Olympic nod #5. Have you noticed that the announcers tend to say, "At twenty years OF AGE" instead of "twenty years old"?]
59. __ of humor: SENSE.
63. Cheered (on): EGGED. I am fairly sure EGGing someone on is cheering them on to do a bad thing so no Olympic nod this time.
64. Erelong: ANON. Erelong is a hint that the answer is also archaic. Both are adverbs that mean "before long", "shortly", or "soon".
65. "Blame It on the Bossa __": NOVA. This song was a 1963 hit single for Eydie Gormé (1928-2013). (Mad Men fans might like this video.)
66. Flue grime: SOOT.
9. Chitchat: CHIN-WAG. Merriam-Webster labels this word as "chiefly British" and "informal". It means "a friendly conversation."
10. Spotted bean or horse: PINTO. In the NE, we have PINTO crossing PINTA, which crossed the ATLANTIC.
12. Rustic cabin: SHACK.
39. Protein-rich bean: SOYA.
42. Percussionist's kit: DRUMSET. Putting kit in the clue waved us off the preferred DRUMkit.
44. No Doubt lead singer Gwen: STEFANI. Before she was on The Voice, Gwen was Just a Girl (1995), singing in a band called No Doubt.
46. Tarnish: MAR. like a reputation
48. Self-images: EGOS.
49. Church recesses: APSES.
50. Spaghetti sauce brand: PREGO.
51. Shoptalk: LINGO.
52. All-important: VITAL.
53. Tree with black wood: EBONY.
56. "Thanks __!": A LOT.
57. __ birth to: GAVE.
58. Cheese similar to Babybel snacks: EDAM.
61. The "F" of FWIW: FOR. FOR What It's Worth
62. French one: UNE. [Olympic nod #11. France is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.]
1. Clock front: FACE. Last Monday's reveal was ON THE CLOCK.
5. Genie's home: LAMP.
9. IRS form experts: CPAS. "Internal Revenue Service" is abbreviated, so is "Certified Public Accounts".
13. Arkin of "Argo": ALAN. (1934 - 2023). He was in a lot of notable movies. I wonder if our constructors chose Argo because they advocate alliteration. #ItTakesOneToKnowOne
14. Genesis twin: ESAU. He was the elder twin to brother, Jacob.
15. __ kebab: SHISH. Its etymology is Turkish. The Western version is a dish of pieces of marinated meat and vegetables cooked and served on skewers.
18. 1492 craft: PINTA. and 20 Across. Ocean crossed by 18-Across: ATLANTIC.
 |
| In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean Blue. |
19. Barcelona bar bites: TAPAS. another amusing alliteration
25. Splashy suits?: SPEEDOS. [Olympic nod #1. They are seen in the swimming and diving competitions.]
28. "One Kiss" singer __ Lipa: DUA. If you saw Barbie, you saw Dua in a cameo role, playing Mermaid Barbie. Additionally, her song Dance the Night is on the movie's soundtrack.
29. Dressed (in): CLAD. In the above picture, Dua Lipa is CLAD in a mermaid costume.
30. Beaver structures: DAMS. Beavers are considered a keystone species because they create habitat for so many other animals. This is wonderful time-lapse video showing the wildlife attracted to a pond made from a beaver's DAM. It is from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. (5:41 min.) Look for the dates in the bottom, right-hand corner. It begins on 3/31/19 and goes through 4/20/20. At the end, there is a list of all the animals in order of appearance. Fittingly, the very first animal listed is Beaver Castor canadensis.
33. Pride flag letters: LGBTQ.
37. "__ the land of the free ... ": O'ER. [Olympic nod #2. You will hear it whenever the USA is awarded a gold medal.]
40. 38-Across gymnast Mary __ Retton: LOU. [Olympic nod #3. She won five medals in gymnastics events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angles.]
41. Hard-to-find guy: WALDO. There are seven primary Where's Waldo? books and over 30 variations. The first Where's Wally? book was published in 1987 in the U.K.
43. Guitar clamp: CAPO. Without a CAPO, the open strings on a guitar are E, A, D, G, B, and E. My teacher taught me the mnemonic Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears. Using a CAPO changes those notes, depending on where the CAPO is applied. It allows one to use familiar finger positions to play different chords.
44. 38-Across gymnast Lee: SUNI. [Olympic nod #4. Among her many achievements, Suni is on the 2024 USA Women's gold-medal winning gymnastics team.]
45. Dashboard stat: RPM. "Statistic" is abbreviated, so is "Revolutions Per Minute".
47. Optometry exam: EYE TEST. I had one the other day. I had to confess to my doctor that I was "meta-ing the test" because I could not tell if the second letter was an O or a D but I looked ahead and saw a for-sure D, so I knew the blurry letter must be an O.
54. Steakhouse order often served au jus: PRIME RIB.
55. Old enough: OF AGE. [Olympic nod #5. Have you noticed that the announcers tend to say, "At twenty years OF AGE" instead of "twenty years old"?]
59. __ of humor: SENSE.
63. Cheered (on): EGGED. I am fairly sure EGGing someone on is cheering them on to do a bad thing so no Olympic nod this time.
 |
| a crocodile hatching from and EGG Its mother will stay nearby (to EGG it on?) for several weeks to months. more on crocodiles |
64. Erelong: ANON. Erelong is a hint that the answer is also archaic. Both are adverbs that mean "before long", "shortly", or "soon".
65. "Blame It on the Bossa __": NOVA. This song was a 1963 hit single for Eydie Gormé (1928-2013). (Mad Men fans might like this video.)
66. Flue grime: SOOT.
67. U-shaped stringed instrument: LYRE. 
68. Checkout unit: ITEM.
Down:
1. Information that's easily verified: FACT.
2. Shawkat of "Being the Ricardos": ALIA. She was also in Arrested Development. IMDb page
3. Gefilte fish fish: CARP.
4. Like some small pets: ENCAGED. After being ENCAGED, the canary was ENrAGED so it ENgAGED an attorney.
5. "__ Misérables": LES. [Olympic nod #6. A French rendition of Do You Hear the People Sing? was in the Opening Ceremonies.]
68. Checkout unit: ITEM.
 |
| (Click to enlarge.) Sometimes that is me on the right because I have not yet figured out how to bag my own ITEMs and dig for my credit card at the same time. |
Down:
1. Information that's easily verified: FACT.
2. Shawkat of "Being the Ricardos": ALIA. She was also in Arrested Development. IMDb page
3. Gefilte fish fish: CARP.
4. Like some small pets: ENCAGED. After being ENCAGED, the canary was ENrAGED so it ENgAGED an attorney.
5. "__ Misérables": LES. [Olympic nod #6. A French rendition of Do You Hear the People Sing? was in the Opening Ceremonies.]
6. Fit __ fiddle: AS A. Have you heard, "As fit as a brown trout"? Read more here.
7. Chinese region known as the "Las Vegas of Asia": MACAU. Vegas vs. Macau
8. Final golf shots, usually: PUTTS. [Olympic nod #7. "Golf first became an Olympic sport during the second edition of the modern Games, Paris 1900. It returned for the the 1904 Games in St. Louis, but then took a 112-year hiatus before finally returning to the Olympic program for Rio 2016." Golf Olympic History]
7. Chinese region known as the "Las Vegas of Asia": MACAU. Vegas vs. Macau
8. Final golf shots, usually: PUTTS. [Olympic nod #7. "Golf first became an Olympic sport during the second edition of the modern Games, Paris 1900. It returned for the the 1904 Games in St. Louis, but then took a 112-year hiatus before finally returning to the Olympic program for Rio 2016." Golf Olympic History]
9. Chitchat: CHIN-WAG. Merriam-Webster labels this word as "chiefly British" and "informal". It means "a friendly conversation."
10. Spotted bean or horse: PINTO. In the NE, we have PINTO crossing PINTA, which crossed the ATLANTIC.
11. Showing signs of life: ASTIR.
12. Rustic cabin: SHACK.
The B-52's ~ Love Shack ~ 1989
15. Pancake flipper: SPATULA.
17. Like items at a consignment store: USED.
21. Boy: LAD.
23. Lymph __: NODE.
24. Physicist Newton: ISAAC. I remember liking this book. I should re-read it.
25. Flat-bottomed barge: SCOW.
26. Heartfelt request: PLEA.
27. Actor James __ Jones: EARL. [Olympic nod #8. James Earl Jones narrated introductions to the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics.]
31. Sport in octagonal enclosures, for short: MMA. Mixed Martial Arts
32. Word before hero or power: SUPER.
34. Red, white, and __: 38-Across's colors: BLUE. [Olympic nod #9. These are the colors of the American flag.]
17. Like items at a consignment store: USED.
21. Boy: LAD.
23. Lymph __: NODE.
24. Physicist Newton: ISAAC. I remember liking this book. I should re-read it.
25. Flat-bottomed barge: SCOW.
26. Heartfelt request: PLEA.
27. Actor James __ Jones: EARL. [Olympic nod #8. James Earl Jones narrated introductions to the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics.]
31. Sport in octagonal enclosures, for short: MMA. Mixed Martial Arts
32. Word before hero or power: SUPER.
34. Red, white, and __: 38-Across's colors: BLUE. [Olympic nod #9. These are the colors of the American flag.]
I read once that "red, white, & blue" sounds odd to French people. They say, "blue, white, & red." Fair enough. 
35. Cargo capacity units: TONS.
36. Bow out: QUIT.
38. Athlete in lane four of an Olympic swim trial, for one: TOP SEED. [Olympic nod #10. An Olympic pool has eight lanes. Lane #4 is preferred because it has less wave resistance. The swimmer with the best time in the preliminary heats merits Lane#4 in the finals. Read more here.]
35. Cargo capacity units: TONS.
36. Bow out: QUIT.
38. Athlete in lane four of an Olympic swim trial, for one: TOP SEED. [Olympic nod #10. An Olympic pool has eight lanes. Lane #4 is preferred because it has less wave resistance. The swimmer with the best time in the preliminary heats merits Lane#4 in the finals. Read more here.]
39. Protein-rich bean: SOYA.
42. Percussionist's kit: DRUMSET. Putting kit in the clue waved us off the preferred DRUMkit.
44. No Doubt lead singer Gwen: STEFANI. Before she was on The Voice, Gwen was Just a Girl (1995), singing in a band called No Doubt.
46. Tarnish: MAR. like a reputation
48. Self-images: EGOS.
49. Church recesses: APSES.
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| The round part is an APSE as viewed from the outside. |
50. Spaghetti sauce brand: PREGO.
51. Shoptalk: LINGO.
52. All-important: VITAL.
 |
| a sign displaying human VITAL signs (Click to enlarge.) |
53. Tree with black wood: EBONY.
56. "Thanks __!": A LOT.
57. __ birth to: GAVE.
58. Cheese similar to Babybel snacks: EDAM.
62. French one: UNE. [Olympic nod #11. France is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.]
Here is the grid: 
 |
| I "picked" these Black-Eyed Susans for you. Enjoy your day! |
30 comments:
While it took me a few minutes to remember such things as Gwen Stefani’s name, I wouldn’t say that this puzzle was difficult. In fact, it was another Monday “walk in the park.” FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Misread "Clock front" as "Cloud front." Tried IN CAGES for those small pets, and so it went. Not fatal -- they were both correctable (and avoidable) errors. Thanx, Shaun, Ben, and sumdaze.
"Steakhouse Order": We visited a Texas Roadhouse this past weekend after a several year hiatus. The food was always good, but the atmosphere was too rah-rah. Went back because we had a $25 gift card from a local chat board. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was still good, and things had calmed down considerably. We'll definitely be returning.
The dreaded format change has reared its ugly head.
Whew! Closed/re-opened the browser, and things have reverted to normal.
FIR, but erased soon for ANON and give for GAVE.
There goes another myth. Turns out that it is not true that the only one of Columbus's ships used for fill in crosswords is Nina.
Remember the old "do no disturb" bumper sticker "don't be knockin' if this van's rockin."
I just learned about Lane 4 yesterday.
I erased SUNI yesterday, but not today!
At first I thought that "church recesses" were times when the ministers went out back to smoke.
Thanks to Shaun and Ben for the Monday workout, and to sumdaze for the amusing tour.
Finished in 4:30 today, but sorry, unlike the Olympic timer, this doesn't go to the thoUSAndths place. InexcUSAble, I know.
Like the wise SubG said (and says), a "walk in the park."
How dare we have une French lesson in this otherwise patriotic puzzle.
USA! USA!
I liked the patriotic Olympic theme. Monday walk in the park. Two easily perped names.
I don't consider erasures or write overs errors. On paper I place them as trials knowing they might not hold, depending on later crosses. Online I turn off red letters and place iffy words as trials, too.
CSO to my Alan. Finally at age 62, with the proper med mix he is growing in independence and also intellectually. He has been reading with just a little help for months. Yesterday he read a Dr. Seuss book unaided.
Good Morning:
This was a pleasant and timely solve, enhanced by the many Easter Eggs that our eagle-eyed blogger spotted. The themers were all solid and nicely executed. I went astray at Wore/Clad and Macao/Macau, but no unknowns or obscurities. I don't see the need for Encaged vs Caged, but it's a common crossword entry. The Pinta/Pinto crossing was unusual.
Thanks, Shaun and Ben, for a Gold Medal effort and thanks, sumdaze, for the very entertaining commentary. My favorite comic today was the one for Lyre and, of course, Snoopy is always welcome. Thanks for pointing out the Olympic-related C/As and all the alliteration, as I echo your fondness for it.
Have a great day.
As tough as last Saturday's was, this was at the other end of the distribution. Only went wrong at 1A and 1D with dial and data. Corrected to FACE and FACT.
Nice tribute to the Olympics. Congrats to Ben and Shaun for their salute and Sumdaze for the analysis. Terrific video on the beaver pond. Enjoyed it immensely.
Some like it hot, some like it cold. Some like it in the pot nine days old.
Smelly.
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Shaun and Ben, and sumdaze. (Great catch on all those Olympic Easter Eggs today.)
I had a head start today since our paper gave us Saturday’s stumper and today’s CW on Saturday, due to today’s Cvic holiday.
I FIRed and saw the Olympic theme early in the games. Of course, this Canadian has been cheering for our Maple Leaf team.
We have 17 medals, including a gold yesterday in hammer throw.
Only one Canadian disadvantage- I knew all but SUNI.
Primo changed to PREGO sauce.
My son loved Where’s WALDO. I still have that first book, and now the grandkids search for him.
I had LYRE before Harp yesterday, but it was needed today.
YR- great to hear of Alan’s accomplishments. Your care and advocating for him have undoubtedly contributed to this.
Wishing you all a great day.
Thanks to sumdaze for the beaver DAM video with its Olympic cast of Canadian beaver and goose, and American bear, plus numerous other species.
FIR. Nice easy Monday fare, clever theme and doable cluing.
The only problem I had was getting ahead of myself and not reading the clues thoroughly as I sped through the solve. Sometimes I overthink things.
But overall a truly enjoyable puzzle.
Yikes. Way too busy today.
filling in for 2 colleagues
Aufalotta proper names for a Monday. 🥺. Theme: a not so hidden USA x 4
Glad we had to guess the SHISH part and not the many-spelled variants of “kebob”. Waiter was too long for WALDO. So was French dip for “au jus steak order”
TOP SEED: How do the swimmers know if they are ahead or behind?
🏊
🏊♀️
🏊♂️
Almost put main event but perp-waited enough for CIRCUS ACT. Also always hafta perp-wait for the U (or is it “O”) on MACAU. It took a GENIU to figure that out. Had started WALly then saw it was too short ..WALDO
CLAD in SPEEDOS? that ended around age 40, leave them for the USA swim team 😌
When counting: Le numéro ONE en français est un. UNE is feminine French for “a” like UNE lampe . “Grazie” (thank you)….”PREGO” (you’re welcome)
Jack’s Mom; “You sold ___ for a handful of beans??!!…. MACAU
Stye….ISAAC
“____ eating a TOFU SALAD yesterday ….SOYA
Subcompact ‘70’s exploding Ford…. PINTO
Poisonous snakes to a dyslexic? APSES
Ovulated a house on “All Hallows Eve” …. EGGED
Almost DNF. Wonder what the rest of the week has in store. 😳
Lovely, timely CW. I didn’t know that gefilte fish was CARP. I never thought about it. Nice to know.
Sumdaze, you’re correct the French flag 🇫🇷 is bleu blanc rouge, the first color is the one closest to the mast.
Also thanks for a delightful, insightful recap. All in all a great morning experience.
And the cherry on top, as the cliche goes, the format is back to normal today, unlike yesterday.
First time I clicked on the comments today on my iPad the new format appeared, next time it was back to normal, it has never changed on my phone 🤷♂️. The new unimproved one is hard to navigate as the screen jumps around.
Anyway, FIR in under 10, no real misdirection or obscurities in the clueing, and a nice timely theme. Wasn’t familiar with CHIN WAG but it perped. Have committed DUA Lipa to memory, but not ALIA anybody. Three PUTTS (or more) are the bane of many a golf game. ALAN Arkin had quite the acting resume, I really liked his roles in “Wait Until Dark” and “Little Miss Sunsine”, never saw “Argo”. Some people that wear SPEEDOS probably shouldn’t wear them. Thank you Ben and Shaun for today’s creation.
sumdaze ~ always a pleasure to read your Monday blogs, I know you put a lot of time and thought into your presentations and they are always a bright spot on the Corner! Nice catch on all the Easter eggs, I didn’t really notice any of them till your expo. Really liked the beaver dam vid!
Good Morning! Thanks to our constructors for the patriotic theme.
I had to wait to see if ALAN or Adam Arkin would appear.
Noted PINTA crossing PINTO
ESP: CAPO
WO: A-PLUS, instead of Above AVERAGE; STEFANI, with an F not ph.
Thanks, sumdaze, for a fun recap and clever bouquet! The grocery lines toon was a hoot. I’ve been in that far right line where the customer doesn’t start looking for their payment method until after the total has been rung! Note: I then had to delete my comment after reading yours… 🤭
Just out of curiosity, I checked my Android phone and the blog format is the newer one, while my IOS iPad has been back to the normal format for several days. 🤔
Musings
-A enjoyable puzzle and recap.
-TOFU and I are not on speaking (or eating) terms
-USA! USA! USA! was part of my favorite Olympic moment where American boys beat the Russian pros
-Britney Griner said hearing the National Anthem was very different after spending 9 months O’ER in a Russian jail.
-CAPOS are indispensable to those of us singers who have to sing in a different range
-Joann loves PRIME RIB but always saves enough for our kitty Lily
-Last day of 100+ temps
I am happy to see that Shaun and Ben's puzzle was a winner.
Hand up for waiting for perps on MACAU or MACAo.
Lee, C-Eh!, and YP. Thanks for your comments on the beaver pond. I really liked that one, too.
Monkey @9:26. Thanks for your confirmation on RWB.
RosE@10:15. LOL! That's OK. Actually, I think the cashiers appreciate the short break, even if the people in line do not.
FLN. Jinx@2:08 on Sunday. Thanks for telling us about S. Scheffler and the Star Spangled Banner. I watched the video on YouTube last night. You are right. Favorite Olympic moment...and this comes from someone who gets choked up talking about ANY Olympic moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-gTCkds9WA
So far I have never experienced the new Blogger format. Lucky me?
Seemed right to begin the week having to FACE FACTs. Sumdaze did a nice job finding Easter eggs. Great to hear good news from Yellowrocks. Thanks to Shaun and Ben for the exercise! USA!
Hola!
Wow! This puzzle was one Z short of a pangram. Thank you, Shaun and Ben for the nice workout.
Not just anyone can look good CLAD in SPEEDOS.
I always tried to maintain an A-PLUS AVERAGE in school. MATH, of course, was my downfall. I barely managed a B in algebra.
I have several SPATULAs and they get a good workout when I cook.
Even after I came OF AGE I still got carded until I was over 30.
I love the song, EBONY and Ivory.
The SHACK was a really good book.
TEAM USA has done very well for itself in the Olympics with more than 75 medals. Congratulations!
Have a marvelous Monday, everyone!
IM☘️@10:51. I’m really baffled by the formats. For me the newer format is on my iPhone, but I post on my OS Ipad and you say it’s been the old format for you, but for me it was the old format for a few days last week, then Sunday it was the new format, and today it’s back to the old format, yet we both use the same device.
2 things I really dislike about the new format: no rectangle to type within, and no avatars on the right to make everyone more readily visible.
You are a Saint….
Yellowrocks….good to hear.
Nice Monday puzzle--manageable but still with clever items here and there--many thanks, Shaun and Ben. And always appreciate your comments, Sumdaze, thanks for those too.
I got excited as soon as I saw the CIRCUS ACT, which, I was sure, was going to offer us more than one GENIUS AT WORK. Am just hoping that the folks in that act are CLAD in something better than SPEEDOS. I mean, not everybody watching them is going to have had an EYE TEST. But wait--maybe having an audience without their spectacles could make this performance a lot less offensive, and maybe get us an A PLUS AVERAGE. Hey, that would be a pretty good outcome to this puzzle--wouldn't it?
Have a great week coming up, everybody.
Got 'er done to FIR in 9, an absolutely excellent time (for me). Even saw the theme, although not until too late to help. Facts are, actually, easy to verify, although you wouldn't know it to talk to some people. Speedos are something you wouldn't want to see me in theses days. Maybe when I was 20ish... Can't think of much else to say about this CW, other than it was fun! Thanx SP&BW-T. Sumdaze never disappoints with a witty, fun and informative write-up. It is so obvious that a lot of time and effort is put into the write-ups for our enjoyment. Thanx, Sumdaze.
I think the near panagram is missing a J as well. At least to my eye.
Monkey @ 2:08 ~ It's a mystery to me, too. I only had one day on that new format and then a return to the old. I never use my phone for internet use.
sumdaze @ 12:10, You gave me two good reasons and a whole new perspective in the grocery line (bagging & the cashier's break). From now on I'll look at it in a whole new light.... but there are still some who stand there slack-jawed who'll deserve a little toe-tapping.
Late today, lots that had to get done this morning. FIW, no particular issues. Managed to miss the USA somehow, until I got to Sumdazes excellent and entertaining review. Thanks for the Wiley C!
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