Theme: Confused Dog Days of August. The circled letters in each theme fill are a jumble of a type of terrier dog.
Fortunately, not like this.
18 A. *Skeptical response to an ultimatum: OR ELSE WHAT. Wadda ya gonna do about it? The mixed up dog here is a WELSH terrier.
24 A. *Swashbuckling feline voiced by Antonio Banderas: PUSS IN BOOTS. The original story is a European fairy tale about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand in marriage of a princess for his penniless and low-born master. Now, this cat has gone to the dogs. Or at least to a BOSTON terrier.
50 A. *Common side with chiles rellenos: SPANISH RICE. A Mexican side dish made from white rice, tomato, garlic, onion, and perhaps other ingredients. Under the table, hoping for scraps, is an IRISH terrier.
39 A. *"Absitively posolutely!": HECKYES. Slangy and jumbled, but enthusiastic agreement. And who could say no to a SKYE terrier?
And the unifier -- 59 A. Hybrid dog breed, literal examples of which can be found in the answers to the starred clues: TERRIER MIX. A terrier mix is a dog that is a combination of a terrier-type dog and another breed. They can vary in size, color, and personality, and can make good companions for many lifestyles. What kind of dogged determination did it take to find the fill for this puzzle?
Hi, Gang. JazzBumpa here to walk us through this doggone fine puzzle, and not bark up any wrong trees along the way. Nothing arf-way about it. I've never had a dog, but every family in our next generation has has had a parade of them over the decades - mostly rescues.
1. Forecaster's tool?: ESP. Extra Sensory Perception - a paranormal ability to perceive information outside of the five senses, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition. Here, this is not a weather forecaster, as you might suspect, but somebody predicting the future
4. Sow's opposite: REAP. Planting and harvesting.
8. Forecaster's tool: RADAR. This clecho does refer to the weather.
13. Wong of "Beef": ALI. Alexandra Dawn "Ali" Wong [b. 1982] is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. She is best known for her Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong.
14. Seal predator: ORCA. The orca, or killer whale, is a toothed whale that is the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. It is the only extant species in the genus Orcinus. Orcas are recognizable by their black-and-white patterned body. They are the only predator feared by the great white shark. All they want from the shark is it's liver.
15. Lady Liberty's land, familiarly: US OF A. United States of America.
16. Bay Area industry: TECH. Computers, chips, software, and related items.
20. Unwilling to be swayed from: SET ON. Bound and determined, as my mother used to say.
22. Driver's "Star Wars" role: REN. The son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, is a dark warrior strong with the Force. He commands First Order missions with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber. As a leader of the First Order and a student of Supreme Leader Snoke, he seeks to destroy the New Republic, the Resistance and the legacy of the Jedi. If anyone is interested, here is my review of a movie he was in.
23. "Were your __ burning?": EARS. 'Cuz I was dissing you to your friends.
28. Retired Bing assistant: CORTANA. Not Mr. Crosby's former butler, Cortana was a virtual assistant developed by Microsoft that used the Bing search engine to perform tasks such as setting reminders and answering questions for users.
29. Shout to a diva: BRAVA. A shout of approval, the female equivalent of "bravo."
32. Days before: EVES. Especially of holidays or important events.
33. Vocal quality after a long speech, perhaps: RASP. A rough, unpleasant sound due to vocal irritation.
36. Giving a good look: EYING. Looking at or watching closely or with interest. Ogling, perhaps.
38. Flanders who lives on Evergreen Terrace: NED. Homer Simpson's neighbor.
41. Change one's tone?: DYE. Tone here meaning color, as of hair or clothing. Clever.
42. Innate characteristic: TRAIT. A distinguishing quality or genetically determined characteristic.
44. Role: PART. As in a stage or screen performance.
45. Nintendo rival: SEGA. Video game consoles.
46. Electronic instrument, for short: SYNTHesizer -- An electronic machine for producing different sounds. Synthesizers are used as musical instruments, especially for copying the sounds of other instruments, and for copying speech sounds..
48. National Park vacation package, perhaps: ECOTOUR. Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education
53. Burn treatment: ALOE. Ointment made from the juice of Aloe vera -- a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but also grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world
56. Bushwacker liquor: RUM. This does not refer to woodsmen skilled at surviving in the wilderness, nor to confederate guerrillas. Instead, the bushwhacker is a complex cocktail with several and varied ingrediants, which might or might not include rum.
57. Skyscraper abundance: GLASS. Because they often have a cladding system that covers the building's exterior by combining large windows and opaque panels to create the look of an uninterrupted glass surface.
63. "Frozen" sister: ELSA. When their kingdom becomes trapped in perpetual winter, fearless Anna (Kristen Bell) joins forces with mountaineer Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his reindeer sidekick to find Anna's sister, Snow Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), and break her icy spell. One might argue which of these female siblings is the main character and which is the "sister."
64. Runs into: MEETS. This refers to a chance encounter, rather than a planned meeting or a collision.
65. Click a floppy disk icon: SAVE. The act of preserving data at a storage location, such the hard drive or a portable device.
66. Stocking stuffer?: LEG. Usually this phrase refers to Christmas presents stuck in a decorated cloth tube hanging from the mantle. But here it's a body part put into an article of clothing.
67. Tiny bit: SKOSH. The word skosh comes from the Japanese word sukoshi, which is pronounced "skoh shee" and means "a tiny bit" or "a small amount." The Japanese word was shortened by U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan after World War II.
68. "Grand" ice cream: EDYS. A brand of ice cream from the American company Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc., which was founded in 1928 by William Dreyer and Joseph Edy. The brand is named after its founders and is sold in the Eastern and Midwestern United States under the Edy's name, and in the Western United States and Texas under the Dreyer's name.
69. U.S. ID issuer: SSA. Social Security Administration.
Down:
1. Puts away: EATS. Downs, ingests, devours.
2. Some tween parties: SLEEPOVERS. An event involving an overnight stay at another's house.
3. When school is full of posers?: PICTURE DAY. The day when school pictures are taken. Of course, the students all pose. Clever.
4. Aussie hopper: ROO. A kangaroo.
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5. Go astray: ERR. Goof up. In the New Testament the Greek word for sin is a term from archery that means "missing the mark."
6. Biting: ACERB. Dry, sour or bitter. I always want an -ic at the end.
7. Diet that avoids processed foods: PALEO. An eating plan based on foods humans might have eaten during the Paleolithic Era. The Paleolithic Era dates from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.
8. Regret: RUE. Bitterly regret what one had done. Did the apprentice chef rue spoiling the roux?
9. In a manner of speaking: AS WE SAY. In a manner of speaking.
10. City whose name comes from the Arabic for "roundness": DOHA. Doha is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the country's population. It does have a sort of semi-circular layout.
11. Nowhere near: AFAR. At a distance.
12. "Dagnabbit!": RATS. Oh, phooey!
17. Slews: HOSTS. Large quantities.
19. Craft beer aficionado, perhaps: SNOB. A person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people. I, for one, prefer Bell's Oberon to Budweiser.
21. Unit with a classified no. of employees: NSA. The National Security Agency/Central Security Service, a US Department of Defense agency that is part of the US Intelligence Community. The NSA's mission is to protect US national security systems and information by collecting, processing, and sharing foreign electronic signals intelligence. They also work to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing classified national security information.
25. Memo header: IN RE. In re is a Latin phrase meaning “in the matter of.” The term “In re” is used in legal documents to refer to a case, particularly a case without an opposing party.
26. Image Awards gp.: NAACP. NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States, founded in 1909 by Black and white activists in New York City. The NAACP was created in response to the violence against Black Americans at the time.
27. Very, in Vichy: TRES.
28. Minor change?: CENT. Ha, ha. One penny, rather than some slight modification.
30. What Zoomers are up to these days?: VIDEO CALLS. Zoom is a proprietary videotelephony software program developed by Zoom Video Communications. The free plan allows up to 100 concurrent participants, with a 40-minute time restriction.
31. "Who thinks they know the answer?": ANY GUESSES. I had a few solving this puzzle.
34. Reel Big Fish genre: SKA. A music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album Turn the Radio Off.
6. Biting: ACERB. Dry, sour or bitter. I always want an -ic at the end.
7. Diet that avoids processed foods: PALEO. An eating plan based on foods humans might have eaten during the Paleolithic Era. The Paleolithic Era dates from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.
8. Regret: RUE. Bitterly regret what one had done. Did the apprentice chef rue spoiling the roux?
9. In a manner of speaking: AS WE SAY. In a manner of speaking.
10. City whose name comes from the Arabic for "roundness": DOHA. Doha is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the country's population. It does have a sort of semi-circular layout.
11. Nowhere near: AFAR. At a distance.
12. "Dagnabbit!": RATS. Oh, phooey!
17. Slews: HOSTS. Large quantities.
19. Craft beer aficionado, perhaps: SNOB. A person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people. I, for one, prefer Bell's Oberon to Budweiser.
21. Unit with a classified no. of employees: NSA. The National Security Agency/Central Security Service, a US Department of Defense agency that is part of the US Intelligence Community. The NSA's mission is to protect US national security systems and information by collecting, processing, and sharing foreign electronic signals intelligence. They also work to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing classified national security information.
25. Memo header: IN RE. In re is a Latin phrase meaning “in the matter of.” The term “In re” is used in legal documents to refer to a case, particularly a case without an opposing party.
26. Image Awards gp.: NAACP. NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States, founded in 1909 by Black and white activists in New York City. The NAACP was created in response to the violence against Black Americans at the time.
27. Very, in Vichy: TRES.
28. Minor change?: CENT. Ha, ha. One penny, rather than some slight modification.
30. What Zoomers are up to these days?: VIDEO CALLS. Zoom is a proprietary videotelephony software program developed by Zoom Video Communications. The free plan allows up to 100 concurrent participants, with a 40-minute time restriction.
31. "Who thinks they know the answer?": ANY GUESSES. I had a few solving this puzzle.
34. Reel Big Fish genre: SKA. A music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album Turn the Radio Off.
37. Camper's bagful: GEAR. Equipment that is used for a particular purpose.
39. Address letters: HTTP. For web addresses
40. __ A Sketch: ETCH. A mechanical drawing toy operated by two knobs moving an enclosed stylus horizontally and vertically. It always amazed me when someone could actuallly draw something with one.
43. Some orthotic devices: INSERTS. Custom-made, removable, prescription medical devices that are worn inside shoes to help relieve pain and correct foot problems. Not all shoe inserts are orthotics.
45. Subway spinner: STILE. Short for turnstile, a post having arms which turn around that is set in an entrance or exit so that persons can pass through only on foot one by one.
47. Fabled braggart: HARE. In his hubris, he lost the race with the tortoise. "The Tortoise and the Hare" is one of Aesop's Fables and is numbered 226 in the Perry Index. The account of a race between unequal partners has attracted conflicting interpretations. The fable itself is a variant of a common folktale theme in which ingenuity and trickery are employed to overcome a stronger opponent.
49. Assn.: ORG. Association, organization.
51. Breastfeed: NURSE. literal.
52. "So cheesed off!": I'M MAD. An expression of anger.
53. Note givers: ATMS. Automatic Teller Machines, notes in this case being paper currency.
54. Shallot relative: LEEK. Both of these plants form edible bulbs that are used in cooking. They are related to onoins.
55. McCafé frappé flavor: OREO. A sweet, frozen coffee drink from McDonald's that blends vanilla Frappé base, ice, Oreo cookie pieces, and Cookies 'N Cream flavored syrup, and tops it with whipped cream and more Oreos
58. Overdrawn account?: SAGA. Not related to bank overdrafts. Instead, this clue isa pejorative descriptor of a long story.
60. Thereabouts: -ISH. A suffix that makes the modified noun less exact.
61. Wrigley Field plant: IVY. Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. Wrigley Field's features include its ivy-covered brick outfield wall, distinctive wind patterns off Lake Michigan, the red marquee over the main entrance, and the hand-turned scoreboard.
62. Marks (out): XES. Draws an X or a series of X's through something to indicate that it is incorrect or no longer wanted.
That's it for this Wednesday. See you in September.
Cool regards,
JzB
After I got the reveal, I looked back and saw all the (anagrammed) “terriers.” I wouldn’t say this puzzle was “easy” based on the number of “?” or what I call “cryptic” clues. (Has anyone here ever done a “cryptic” crossword? If you have, do you find them maddingly difficult, as I do?) Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that long time poster OwenKL used to solve cryptics.
DeleteBTW, those aren't anagrams. They are jumbles or simply mixed-up letters.
An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once.
I wonder how many anagrams the federal gov. has coined. Every program passed by Congress seems to have one.
DeleteB-E, those would be initialisms and acronyms.
DeleteFIR in 15:14, a couple of those minutes spent searching for a mistake, had to change DENT to CENT, (never heard of CORTANA and dent made sense too). Working top to bottom I sussed the theme at KYES when I looked back at the top two jumbles, without the circles I’d have never seen it. I’d guess I’m not the only one who had to change BRAVO to BRAVA. Two days in a row without an over abundance of names!! All in all, an enjoyable solve on a puzzle fitting for a Wednesday, thanks Brian and Will. JzB ~ thanks for your detailed recap!
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteRan into several could'a beens that weren't: BOAR/REAP, ECOTRIP/ECOTOUR, GORP/GEAR, DENT/CENT (Hi, Yooper). After buying a new PC, I spent several hours making certain that CORTANA would stop rearing it's ugly head. The circles were definitely necessary in order to see the "mixed" terriers -- wasn't aware there was an IRISH terrier, just setter. Enjoyed your creation, Brian and Will. Also enjoyed your expo, JzB. (Remind me not to have you review any movie I might someday create.)
TRAIT: Dw says I was born with the curmudgeon gene.
SNOB: No beer-snob here. D-o is a connoisseur of whichever brand's on sale.
ORCA: We watched a Nat-Geo program last night on creatures of the deep. It included a very disturbing sequence on a pod of Orcas systematically attacking a humpback whale and her calf, ultimately drowning the calf.
My favorite beer is OPB-----------------Other People's Beer.
DeleteFIR, but I struggled with some if the cluing which seemed slightly off. And add to that circles, which I hate, and this puzzle was a real slog.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got the reveal I went back to see the anagrammed dogs, but they weren't relevant to the solve so I said "Oh well".
Overall not an enjoyable Wednesday puzzle. Just meh!
FIR, but erased amy for ALI and style for STILE.
ReplyDeleteGot SKYE first, then WELSH followed by IRISH. Gave up without getting BOSTON, but I'm not a fan of anagrams anyway. (I try to solve the daily Jumble solely by looking at the cartoon. If that fails, I'm off to something else.)
Were asterisks needed when we already had circles?
My first dog as an adult was tagged TERRIER MIX at the LA County pound. Sweet little guy with big feet. I took him to the vet the next day, and the vet snorted when he read TERRIER MIX on my information sheet. He told me I had an IRISH Wolfhound. I asked what they were, and he told me to thing big, really big. That started my love affair with those big galoots that lasted until about 15 years ago, when I figured that I was too old to wrangle 165 pound dogs. (My last one was 6' 10" if he stood on his back legs with his nose in the air.) People are taken aback when I refer to greyhounds as "small dogs." (The vet told me that "TERRIER MIX" is the label the pounds use when they don't have any idea what the mix really is. Sounds more scientific than "Heinz 57.")
Thanks to Brian and Will for the fun midweek challenge, and to JzB for another fine tour.
I found this more Thursday like. The reveal led me to find IRISH and the theme. Very enjoyable puzzle. HELL before HECK. I had forgotten about CORTANA. The middle west coast was the last to fall. D-O, I had the same could'a been thoughts. Also, TOE before LEG.
ReplyDeleteI wore custom orthotics for two years. They fit only my sneakers, so no dress shoes all that time. With that and faithful daily exercises my plantar fasciitis disappeared permanently, unlike many of my friends' experiences.
Costa Rica specializes in Ecotourism. Delightful visit there.
Took 5:48 today as I was RACINg through this one.
ReplyDeleteOh joy, circles!
This is another puzzle where the juice wasn't worth the squeeze, but at least we got an Easter Egg of Ms. Irish Miss.
For me the juice was certainly worth the squeeze and Jazz's blog made it even more delightful. We all have different tastes. "“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”. PS, I like circles. You can ignore them and treat the puzzle as a themeless, if you wish.
ReplyDeleteI ignore the circles as I solve, however the gimmicks that the circles encapsulate/represent most often detract from the overall solving experience. I enjoy solving the Jumble and I enjoy solving crossword puzzles; I just don't enjoy it when they meet (which is too often).
DeleteYou can ignore my dislike of circles and their gimmicks, if you wish.
I am aware that we all have different tastes - that's what makes life so interesting. But, we may also disagree on the last part of your adage, as JzB's reviews may just please all of the people all of the time.
Well, RATS, my posting just disappeared while I was composing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks JZ for the write up. Mine was not worth re-entering.
Monkey, did you get an error message? What happened?
DeleteIn other words, did you get an message when you pressed Publish, or before?
DeleteMy post disappeared as I was typing it. My error might be I ended back on Safari and I know the new format prefers Chrome. I’ll have to remember to stick to Chrome.
DeleteMonkey, thank you.
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteUnlike yesterday's puzzle, today's needed the circles, IMO. I ignored them until the reveal because the first two were indecipherable, at least at a cursory glance. The theme and reveal appealed to my dog-loving nature, so no complaints from me. I needed perps for Cortana, although it's vaguely familiar, but no w/os. Cute duos of Sega/Saga and NSA/SSA, plus the clecho cluing for ESP and Radar.
Thanks, Brian and Will, and thanks, JazzB, for the fact-filled summary. Always enjoy your playful tone.
Subgenius @ 3:31 (Way too early for me!) ~ Yes, I have done Cryptic crosswords but I don't have the patience nor the experience necessary to solve them. I do enjoy Acrostic crosswords, though.
SS @ 8:09 ~ Thanks for the CSO. Your jumbled Cairn Terrier reminded me of a couple I knew years ago in Florida. They were in the house-cleaning business and their beloved Cairn Terrier was named Dustmop!
Have a great day.
On that doggy note, IM☘️@8:43, my sister and BIL had a Lhasa Apso he adored. I named it Dustmop because of all that hair and short legs.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning!
ReplyDeleteI loved the dog theme. Thanks for the circles! After I finished the puzzle, I worked the jumbles (MIX) to reveal the theme. Fun!
WO: Rye -> RUM; morgana (WAG 😄) -> CORTANA - I had no idea… and Y -> I for STILES. Ah, yes..., a ?-mark clue & a vowel, my bugaboos.
I was fooled by “sow” 🐖 and first went with “boar” until the downs canceled out that idea.
Perps for DOHA, REN, SKA (as clued).
Thanks, JazzB, I enjoyed your commentary.
RosE, same for me on sow ==> boar before REAP
DeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-BRAVA not BRAVO led me to two bad cells. Sigh…
-If a teacher says, “OR ELSE”, there had better be an “OR ELSE”
-I remember SPANISH RICE being an unpopular item on our H.S. lunch menu
-Me too, D-O.
-We all sat in the clubhouse yesterday watching the RADAR on our phones to see when the rain would quit so we could start playing.
-CORTANA?
-If I am in sloppy clothes and unshaven, I am certain to run into someone I know.
-AS WE SAY: Here we say pictures not photos, pop not soda, porch not stoop and sacks not bags
-I was so amazed that a VIDEO CALL allowed us to see granddaughter’s room in Grenoble, France in real time
-My friend and constructor in Lincoln has me proof his puzzles before publishing. I tried two of his Cryptic Puzzles and told him, “Enough!” There were too many layers to dig through.
As a long time lurker. I seem to remember one of the regulars exclaiming "Oh joy, circles!" Now I say that to myself whenever I see them, even though they don't really bother me. (sorry to not know who to attribute this to.)
ReplyDeleteWhat I really dislike is anagrams - I mean jumbled letters (I learn something new every day. Thanks TTP!) Fortunately, the mixed-up dog breeds didn't affect the solve - don't tell my Westie!
BTW excellent write-up today.
I enjoyed solving Brian and Will's puzzle, but I am weak at unscrambling jumbled words, so even though I have two 16-year-old TERRIER MIX dogs and understood that's what I needed to find in the circles, I needed JazzBumpa to reveal them to me. Except for my failure to read the breed names, FIR!
ReplyDeletedesper-otto at 5:44 AM -- I have also been haunted by video footage of Orcas up to no good! I remember watching two Orcas toss a seal back and forth until the poor seal died, and then the Orcas swam off, having no other use for it.
Jinx at 6:55 AM, my two ancient TERRIER MIX dogs were accurately labeled as such at the LA County animal shelter -- although one is a white Jack Russell type, and the other a brown Norfolk look alike -- but like most dogs in the shelter at that time, they were marked "2 years old." The white one was about 7 months, the brown one maybe 10 months. I don't know what we'd have done if these little guys turned out to be Irish Wolfhounds! I applaud you for embracing the surprise.
Thanks to Brian and Will for a good game, and to JazzBumpa for an excellent explanation of all the clues and answers.
In lieu of a "like" button.
DeleteWe ended up moving after our TERRIER MIX grew to big for the rules where we were living, in the Top O' Topanga mobile home community. It was for the best - it encouraged me to buy my very first house in beautiful downtown Canyon County.
DNF. Clever puzzle, just not on my wavelength this morning. Not a fan (or good at!) Jumbles. Wrinkled my nose at USOFA, and if an answer is abbreviated, as in STILE, shouldn't the clue reflect that? Oh, well. Onward!
ReplyDeleteRustyBrain ~ if you scroll up several comments above yours you will see that the creator of the tagline “OJC” for short is none other than Anonymous, aka SS, aka DNLC.
ReplyDeleteCool, it should be in Bartlett's!
DeleteFun word play, minor change/cent etc...
ReplyDeleteAcrid b/4 acerb
Bravo/a
Got 99 percent but could not parse "boston" I
In the circles. Just not familiar with the breed.
I always confuse them with Pugs...
JazzB: Just read your movie review. Great stuff! ROTFL!
ReplyDeleteWell, some of today's clues seemed a bit peculiar, even inscrutable, but I just chalked that up to the boss's feeling that we needed a midweek handicap.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the theme, and thought the reveal was satisfying and apt.
Some observations, including a few of the nitpick variety:
--I do not like the awkwardness of USOFA;
--perps were necessary to get REN, CORTANA, and DOHA;
--will the clue for ALI ever again be Muhammed?;
--most constructors seem not to be from the West: out here there is no Edy's ice cream. Yet EDYS shows up in LAT crosswords about as frequently as OREO (which made its usual appearance today);
--i don't understand why so many folks get in a lather over circles. I can take 'em or leave 'em. Today's circles were useful.
Thanks, Brian and Will, for a clever and Wednesday-appropriate challenge.
--
Didn't take long to FIT, with trouble in the Carolina area. My ECO TRIP became a TOUR, my GORP became GEAR, and EYING just doesn't look right (to me). I noticed the circled dogs after TERRIER MIX was filled. I also had to change ACRID to ACERB, which gave me REN and OR ELSE WHAT.
ReplyDeleteA PALEO diet might help avoid processed foods but there are many germs lurking in those fresh foods. OREO and ALI were unknowns today.
CORTANA- on my last desktop- It reminded me of the 'paper clip' that Microsoft office had years ago. Tried to avoid it..
The dreaded Clippy tapping on the screen. Ick.
DeleteI just couldn’t get past the NW and parts of the mid W.
ReplyDeleteAs some of you sometimes remark “too many clues too cute by half” and it’s only Wednesday. (Maybe Brian and Will were in some kind of competition 😉) Oddly the long clues and dog breeds were obvious providing plentiful perpage. The Theme easy to figure out too. Remember when $ 1000 designers dogs were 5 buck mutts at the humane society, plus shots. That was our Emily who lived 18 healthy years. We have no idea what she “was”
Inkovers: floor/GLASS, toe/LEG, style/STILE,
Anyhoo. “Absitively posolutely” HECK EYES? huh? wha? Couldn’t think of a SPANISH food word that had an SH in it 😄
“Sow’s opposite” boar or REAP?. “Memo heading” asto or INRE (also a crucifix “heading”)
What is “Wong” with “beef”? 🤔
“Pre dates” a seal? Ohhh “predator”. “Paleo” diet cuz cavemen were known for their longevity. I recall prior CW ACERBic discussions about the word ACERB. I’ve heard of a wine SNOB, know a few, but a beer SNOB? Who refuses any cold one on a hot day…. CORTANA? who?
“ETCH-a-sketch” what we usta call the early model Ultrasound images
One bitter Balkan….ACERB
Hybrid cat and cowboy…PUSSINBOOTS
“Or ____ what?… ELSA
USOFA (your couch?) …On Italian documents I was not referred to by what was considered the too generic term “Americano” but “Statiunitense” Unitedstatesan 🙂
Some folks bristle to "American" being used for only USA people. E.G. Venezuelans are Americans too - South Americans.
DeleteThanks to Brian and Will for the Wednesday-worthy entertainment! I'm with RosE, "I loved the dog theme. Thanks for the circles! After I finished the puzzle, I worked the jumbles (MIX) to reveal the theme. Fun!"
ReplyDeleteFAVs: PICTURE DAY; Overdrawn account; and the Forecaster's tool clecho
Hand up for "boar" before REAP
Thanks to JzB for today's recap! FAVs: your theme and the SKA video
Hola!
ReplyDeleteLate today because for the last 24 hours or more I have been dealing with what I finally decided was a scam. He sounded so sincere and real! When he wanted me to change my bank account# is when it finally dawned on me. Up to that time I did not want to believe it. After speaking with a bank rep I realized it was not good so I have blocked his number. How I hate those fraudsters! As for the puzzle; it was a walk in the park after all that gibberish I have been listening to. Thanks to Brian and Will for a fun distraction. I did not have the patience today to parse the circles. As an adult I have owned a papillon which was my favorite dog. She was cute and petite and lived for 17 years giving me pleasure in all that time. At the same time my daughter had a black chow mix. She was large and lovable but, oh, how she shed. Most recently, after her Chihuaha died, she and her husband purchased two dogs. One is a German shepherd and the other is a white one but I don't recall the breed. They are still puppies and very energetic. My daughter loves animals and I believe I've mentioned that at one time she had a snake, a goldfish, a hamster and of course, the dogs. I hope you are all well. I'm exhausted!
Lucina, please be careful. If you don't know the calling number, let it go to voicemail. Even if you know the calling party being displayed, be careful. Scamsters can (and do) falsify the calling number (which can falsify the name) so they look legit - like your bank, the police, a hospital, or even a relative. Asking you for nontraditional money transfer - like gift cards - is a nearly certainly a scam.
DeleteAs Bayou Tony reminded us earlier this week (I think,) it is a great idea to freeze your credit reports at all three agencies. These days it is nearly a must, since a recent bad deed put the name and social security number and other sensitive information of practically everyone in the country on the dark web for cheap purchase by any nogoodnick.
To piggyback on the above .Bottom line don’t supply sensitive info by phone unless you made the call. If “the bank” calls you hang up and call your bank etc.
DeleteI’m still waiting for a Thankyou from my grandson for all the cash I hadda spend getting him out of a Turkish prison while he insists he didn’t leave town. Ungrateful
Its gonna get worse when it becomes cheap and easy to use AI to fabricate a plea from your loved one's voice samples. (Hell's bells, they may even be able to make a GPS voice sound real.)
DeleteWonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Brian and Will, and JazzB.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed and saw the TERRIER MIX dog theme at the reveal.
The NW was the last to fill.
I had forgotten CORTANA; I fought entering EVES because I think of them as nights not days; ALI Wong was unknown; photo DAY was too short
Did anyone else think of Boar before REAP?
And not being from the US OF A, this Canadian always struggles with NSA and SSA.
I was Irate before I’M MAD.
Hand up for BRAVo before A to match the feminine Diva.
I’m back after a long absence while DH was in the hospital. I was able to do many of the CWs in that time, but not able to get here.
I see the new format is permanent.
Wishing you all a great day.
First I wanna congratulate myself: for ONCE I remembered to search for the theme after I FIR. Usually, I come here, read the blog, and slap my forehead: "Forgot to look for the theme AGAIN!" Anyway, un-Jumbled the dog breeds, got the theme, hooray for me. Where's my little box of gold stars? I'll stick one on my forehead. I too had BOAR/REAP, BRAVO/BRAVA. DNK REN or CORTANA. I always thought IN RE in "In Regards (to)". Hmmm. DNK: Reel Big Fish. Thanx for the link, JzB. That didn't sound like what I thought SKA sounded like: I thought SKA was much closer in sound to Reggae. Anyway, thanx BC&WE for the fun, perfectly-Wednesday CW. JzB you did it again: another truly terrific write-up, thanx. Please know that all the time and effort you put into your write-ups truly ARE appreciated. ;-)
ReplyDeleteBit of a crunchy Wednesday puzzle, but still enjoyable. Many thanks, Brian and Will. And your commentary was a total pleasure, JazzB--thanks for that too.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed all the conversations about dogs. I loved my pups, but after my last two dachshunds were taken off by wild coyotes, I just couldn't take the risk of losing any more. But I miss them.
My sweet late husband got a tortoise when he was 22. I sadly lost him at age 81 in 2015, but Gophie (gopherus agassissi) is still healthy and well and waiting anxiously for her lettuce and small tomato salad for her lunch every day. If you want a pet with a long life-span, I highly recommend a turtle.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteThat took me much longer than a normal Wednesday but it was satisfying fun. Thanks Brain & Will.
Thanks for the detailed expo, JzB and including Reel Big Fish's Sell Out.
WOs: AmI -> ALI, BRAVo, toe -> LEG leading me to VIDEO ChatS
ESPs:
Fav: I liked SAGA's clue
CORTANA would annoying try to interject itself in what you're doing. Unlike SIRI, which waits until you ask.
Growing up I heard US of A way more than I heard US or USA. Now it seems reversed.
Welcome back C, Eh! Hope it's not too serious re: your husband.
Headed to the gym.
Cheers, -T
HG @ 9:52 -- I had the same experience with BRAVA ... wasn't aware that "bravo" is declinable ... all these years being unwittingly sexist; for shame.
ReplyDeleteLucina, I think you may be being targeted.
ReplyDeleteOver the last few months, you have written about being prompted to enter your passwords when you should not have been asked, about having to be issued new credit cards because of fraudulent charges, and now dealing with someone on the phone that wants you to change your banking account numbers. Hopefully your bank reported it to the authorities.
Just last month you wrote of having to get a new account at your credit union, and then having to update all the accounts that you pay, and that it was (then) the second time that it has happened.
Call your police department and talk to them about it, and ask them for help. You may have been compromised in a man-in-the-middle-attack to get your passwords. Have a computer professional scan your computer for malware.
No one should be having this many issues unless your info has been compromised and you are being viewed as a mark.
TTP, thank you, I have come to the same conclusion since it has happened more than once. It was disappointing when I called the credit union and they took it less seriously than I thought was warranted. Tomorrow I plan to go and talk to someone about the problem. When the next call came I recognized the number and did not answer.
ReplyDeleteCanadianEh: I am sorry about your husband's illness and hope it is not serious.
This evening I have been watching the Democratic convention. I really enjoy all that hoopla.
ReplyDeleteLucina, I've been enjoying watching the Democratic convention too. Now we'll have to wait and see how all continues and turns out.
ReplyDelete