Theme: "Spanglish"
Spanglish is a mixture of Spanish and English, typical of Spanish speaking immigrants to English speaking countries, who -- like most language learners -- rely on a mix of the native tongue and the new. In today's puzzle by veteran constructor and our blog mistress, Zhouqin Burnikel (known here in the Corner as C.C.), the answers to theme clues are English phrases that can be read with a Spanglish meaning. Let's see ... ! Vamos a ver ... ! Here are the theme clues -- each distinguished by a question mark -- and the answers.
23 Across. Number of NBA championships won by Bill Russell?: ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
You might think that Bill Russell only won the NBA championship once, but he actually won it eleven -- once [pronounced ON-say] -- times!
38 Across. Heaven for basic seasoning lovers?: SAL PARADISE.
Sal Paradise is the protagonist of Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel, "On the Road." Or maybe ... it is a wonderful place for those who love salt -- which is sal, in Spanish.
My cousins visited this salt operation in Baja California, Mexico.
56 Across. Introduction for a cartoon hamburger?: SOY PROTEIN.
As a vegetarian, I try to incoporate a little soy protein in my diet. But if I were a Spanish hamburger, I might say, "Hola, soy proteína!" Soy means "I am."
80 Across. Carb choice of Olympic marathon runners?: PAN FOR GOLD.
Folks raced to California to pan for gold during the California gold rush (1848–1855). But if you were a Spanish speaking athlete, you might take pan (bread) in exchange for gold.
98 Across. Typical posture for a cancan dancer?: PIE IN THE SKY.
Pie [pronounced pee-AY] means "foot" in Spanish.
 |
| A cancan dancer with her pie in the sky. |
115 Across. Representative for Buckingham Palace, say?: REAL ESTATE AGENT.
Real [pronounced ray-AL] means "royal" in Spanish.
37 Down. Sweet spread for a teen's birthday celebration?: QUINCE JELLY.
Quince is a pear-like fruit that can be made into jelly. Or ... maybe it is a special treat for a birthday party when a young person turns fifteen -- which is quince [pronounced KEEN-say] in Spanish. A quinceañera is a celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday. Here in Los Angeles, the festivities usually include religious services and an elaborate party with dancing.
41 Down. Gene carrier that keeps people wanting more?: Y CHROMOSOME.
The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes that determine an individual's biological sex. Usually, a male has an X and a Y chromosome, whereas a female has two X chromosomes. But in Spanish, "y" [pronounced EE] means "and." Imagine a chromosome (which is a gene carrier, by the way), saying, "And ... ?" "¿Y ...?"
So many theme clues and answers! ¡Tantas pistas y respuestas temáticas!
Extra impressive because English is not C.C.'s first language, and her native tongue is not Spanish, either!
Here are the rest of the clues and answers. Aquí están el resto de las pistas y respuestas.
Across:1. Hoity-toity type: SNOB.
5. "Poker Face" singer Lady __: GAGA.
9. Berth place: WHARF.
14. Former TV drama set in SoCal: LA LAW.
19. Anecdotal tales: LORE.
20. Genesis garden: EDEN.
21. Code breaker?: ERROR. When you write computer code, an error in the code may break the functionality. Amirite? Coders, please chime in.
22. Fill with joy: ELATE.
23. [Theme clue]
26. Island near Java: TIMOR.
27. Baby panda: BEAR CUB. In 1985, molecular studies indicated that the giant panda is a true bear, part of the family Ursidae. In case you wondered.
28. Dr. with a dream: MLK. Dr. Martin Luther King.
29. Video game where players round up primates: APE ESCAPE. A game for Sony PlayStation.
31. Early console letters: NES. Nintendo Entertainment System. This was the game system we had when the kids were growing up. I enjoyed playing Tetris, where you fit falling shapes into rows.
32. Office assistant: AIDE.
34. Remove from a page: ERASE.
35. Stimulate, as curiosity: PIQUE.
38. [Theme clue]
41. NFL gains: Abbr.: YDS. Oh, no! I have to explain a sports thing. Players in the National Football League make gains measured in "yards"!
44. Decisive win: ROUT.
45. School book fair org.: PTA. The Parent Teacher Association may organize special events and fund-raising activities for the school.
46. In __: harmonized: SYNC.
47. Song that was never a single: DEEP CUT. A deep cut is a song that is less widely played and less well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist.
49. Soul great Redding: OTIS. Otis Redding (1941-1967) was an American singer and songwriter, nicknamed the "King of Soul." He was only 26 years old when he died in a plane crash. Shortly before his death, Redding wrote and recorded his iconic "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Steve Cropper. The song became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.
 |
| Otis Redding |
50. Rabbit kin: HARE.
52. Annoyed: IRKED.
54. Words of surprise: OH MY.
55. Prohibit: BAN.
56. [Theme clue]
59. Detergent powder: BORAX.
60. Miracle-Gro alternative: SCOTTS.
62. "Feels so good!": AAH.
63. Pluto, for one: DOG. Pluto is Mickey Mouse's pet dog in Disney cartoons.
65. People unlikely to develop crushes, briefly: AROS. Some folks do not experience romantic attraction to others. They are "aromantic" people, popularly called aro (or plural aros). They have their own pride flag!
66. Skin care product long used by Aboriginal people in Australia: EMU OIL. WebMD says: "People use emu oil for hair loss, eczema, burns, high cholesterol, psoriasis, wound healing, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses." Yes, they kill the emu and distill its fatty bits into oil.
 |
| Is this all I am to you? |
68. Seller of Souls: KIA. The Kia Soul is a compact car manufactured in South Korea.
70. Amazes an audience: WOWS 'EM.
72. Spun records: DJ'ED. Also DJed or DJ'd or Deejayed.
73. Goose egg: NIL. "Goose egg" can be used to mean "zero." "Nil" also means zero, especially in the context of score keeping.
75. College domain: EDU. College and university websites and email addresses end in .edu which is a top-level web domain.
70. Amazes an audience: WOWS 'EM.
72. Spun records: DJ'ED. Also DJed or DJ'd or Deejayed.
73. Goose egg: NIL. "Goose egg" can be used to mean "zero." "Nil" also means zero, especially in the context of score keeping.
75. College domain: EDU. College and university websites and email addresses end in .edu which is a top-level web domain.
77. Steering gear component: TIE ROD. A tie rod connects the steering rack to the steering arm, which is connected to the steering wheel. You cannot steer your car without tie rods.
79. Some facials: PEELS.
80. [Theme clue]
83. Cry noisily: SOB.
85. Result of a good pitch: SALE.
86. South American barbecue: ASADO. Asado is a South American barbecue technique that involves cooking meat over an open fire or grill.
 |
| This Argentine asado looks like a Biblical trauma. |
88. Olympic event whose name comes from the French for "sled": LUGE.
89. Caramel candy: ROLO.
90. Full of bluster: ALL TALK.
92. Writer/illustrator Carle: ERIC.
95. N's on sorority row: NUS. Nu is a letter of the Greek alphabet used to represent the "n" sound. The names of fraternities and sororities generally consist of two or three Greek letters.
96. Balls, in dodgeball: AMMO. In dodgeball, balls are used as ammunition (or ammo) against the opposing team.
97. Hog hangout: STY.
98. [Theme clue]
101. Think pieces: IDEAS.
102. Expels, as lava: SPEWS.
103. "__ smokes!": HOLY.
104. Reggae kin: SKA.
105. Coverage of regional events: LOCAL NEWS.
109. Texting nicety: PLS. Texting shorthand for please.
110. Many Mount Everest mountaineers: SHERPAS. The real heroes of Mount Everest!
114. "Yes we can" sloganeer of 2008: OBAMA.
115. [Theme clue]
118. "Never needs sharpening" brand: GINSU.
109. Texting nicety: PLS. Texting shorthand for please.
110. Many Mount Everest mountaineers: SHERPAS. The real heroes of Mount Everest!
114. "Yes we can" sloganeer of 2008: OBAMA.
115. [Theme clue]
118. "Never needs sharpening" brand: GINSU.
119. Some British peers: EARLS.
120. Actress Falco: EDIE.
121. Cosmetics chain: ULTA.
122. Place: STEAD.
123. Constellation that resembles a serpent: DRACO. The Big Dipper is the serpent's head.
124. Emporium: MART.
125. Tree house?: NEST.
Down:
1. Messy houseguest: SLOB.
2. Second to __: NONE.
3. Mammal that can sink a boat: ORCA.
4. Happy hour snacks: BEER NUTS.
125. Tree house?: NEST.
Down:
1. Messy houseguest: SLOB.
2. Second to __: NONE.
3. Mammal that can sink a boat: ORCA.
4. Happy hour snacks: BEER NUTS.
5. Family division: GENUS.
6. Very little: A DAB.
7. Goo in a reusable ice pack: GEL.
8. Kangaroo or koala: ANIMAL. There seem to be quite a lot of animals in Australia whose names begin with the letter K: Kangaroo, Koala, Kookaburra, and Kiwi, for starters. But our crossword constructor is confounding us; any animals could have served in the clue for this answer.
9. One of a calendar quintet: WEEKDAY.
10. Menopause treatment, briefly: HRT. Hormone Replacement Therapy. The history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) started in the 1960s, with very high popularity in the 1990s. After the announcement of the first results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in 2002, which showed that HRT had more detrimental than beneficial effects, HRT use dropped. The message went out that HRT had more risks than benefits. Later, a reanalysis of the WHI trial showed that the use of HRT in younger women or in early postmenopausal women had a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reducing coronary disease and all-cause mortality. Tough decisions for the ladies, based on changing information.
11. Diva's chance to shine: ARIA. A diva is a distinguished female opera singer. An aria is a melody sung by a single voice.
12. Frolicked: ROMPED.
13. Full scholarship, informally: FREE RIDE.
14. "Hmm ... ": LET'S SEE.
15. White Rabbit pursuer: ALICE.
 |
| From Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, an 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll. |
16. Tibetan spiritual leader: LAMA.
17. Resting on: ATOP.
18. ''Wish you __ here'': WERE.
24. Slushy summer treat: ICEE.
25. Acrobatic feats: FLIPS.
30. Made simpler: EASED.
33. Bert's roommate: ERNIE.
 |
| Bert and Ernie, Muppet characters who appear on the PBS/HBO show Sesame Street. |
35. "No __!": "Happy to help!": PROB. No problem! ¡No hay problema! [Pronounced no eye proBLEHma. "No problemo" is not even Spanglish.]
36. Tiny bits: IOTAS.
37. [Theme clue]
38. Doesn't go out: STAYS IN.
39. Org. that fights age bias: AARP. AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. An abbreviation in the clue signals an abbreviation in the answer.
40. Bitter-tasting: ACRID.
41. [Theme clue]
42. "The Black Tulip" novelist: DUMAS. The Black Tulip, by Alexandre Dumas, is a work of historical fiction that mixes actual events in the Netherlands in the 17th century with fictional characters and events. It was first published in 1850.
43. River of Hades: STYX. In Greek mythology, dead souls crossed the river Styx into Hades, the realm of the dead. The realm shared the name of its ruler, the god Hades.
36. Tiny bits: IOTAS.
37. [Theme clue]
38. Doesn't go out: STAYS IN.
39. Org. that fights age bias: AARP. AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. An abbreviation in the clue signals an abbreviation in the answer.
40. Bitter-tasting: ACRID.
41. [Theme clue]
42. "The Black Tulip" novelist: DUMAS. The Black Tulip, by Alexandre Dumas, is a work of historical fiction that mixes actual events in the Netherlands in the 17th century with fictional characters and events. It was first published in 1850.
43. River of Hades: STYX. In Greek mythology, dead souls crossed the river Styx into Hades, the realm of the dead. The realm shared the name of its ruler, the god Hades.
 |
| Charon the ferryman brings a dead soul across the river Styx. |
45. Pinterest upload: PHOTO. Pinterest is a social media platform that allows users to share images they have found on the web.
48. Not as flush: POORER. An informal meaning of "flush" is "having plenty of money."
51. Noteworthy period: ERA.
53. Have down pat: KNOW.
56. Hoops alternative: STUDS. Not sports this time! Earrings!
48. Not as flush: POORER. An informal meaning of "flush" is "having plenty of money."
51. Noteworthy period: ERA.
53. Have down pat: KNOW.
56. Hoops alternative: STUDS. Not sports this time! Earrings!
 |
| A hoop and two studs. |
57. Whiskey barrel wood: OAK.
58. Man of steal: THIEF. Ha ha!
59. Contingent (on): BASED.
61. Tamagoyaki, e.g.: OMELET. Tamagoyaki is a type of Japanese omelette made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs.
64. Reliable sort: GO-TO GUY. Someone you can go to for reliable help, usually in a particular area of expertise.
67. "Illusion" singer Dua __: LIPA. I don't know the song, but is there another singer Dua ____?
69. Commotion: ADO.
71. Sneaky tricks: WILES.
72. Gave a hand: DEALT. Not applauded, but gave playing cards.
74. Heavily loaded: LADEN.
76. Link destination: URL. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator, also called a web address) is a unique identifier used to locate a resource on the internet. URLs consist of multiple parts -- including a protocol and domain name -- that tell web browsers how and where to retrieve a resource. A link on a webpage or in an email takes you to a specific URL.
78. Stuffed grape leaf: DOLMA. A Turkish dish, often minced meat or grains wrapped in grape leaves.
79. Ads that raise awareness: PSAS. Public Service Announcements.
81. Needle point?: NORTH. The needle on a compass points north through the magic of magnetism.
82. Icky, sticky stuff: GUNK.
84. Sounds of disapproval: BOOS.
86. Visitor from outer space: ALIEN.
87. Way to serve satay: SKEWERED. Satay is composed of small pieces of meat, marinated and grilled on a skewer, and served with a spicy sauce. Our local vegan Thai place skewers soy meat.
84. Sounds of disapproval: BOOS.
86. Visitor from outer space: ALIEN.
87. Way to serve satay: SKEWERED. Satay is composed of small pieces of meat, marinated and grilled on a skewer, and served with a spicy sauce. Our local vegan Thai place skewers soy meat.
89. Speed trap device: RADAR GUN.
91. Give a hand: APPLAUD. A near clecho! (Clue echo.) 72 Across was *gave* a hand.
93. "Fingers crossed!": I HOPE SO.
94. Minesweeper units: CELLS. Minesweeper is a logic puzzle video game genre generally played on personal computers. To win a game of Minesweeper, all non-mine cells must be opened without opening a mine.
99. "Fingers not crossed!": I SWEAR. Honestly!
100. Honor __: SYSTEM. An honor system is a way of running an endeavor based on trust and honesty.
101. Store with a Swedish House Mafia collaboration: IKEA. "Designed in collaboration with electronic music artists Swedish House Mafia, the OBEGRÄNSAD collection answers the needs of home music creators." Ektorp!
102. Kafka protagonist: SAMSA. Franz Kafka's novella, The Metamorphosis, tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a huge insect.
104. Paper tray unit: SHEET.
105. Enters in a record book: LOGS.
106. Final bio: OBIT. Bio is short for biography. Obit is short for obituary.
107. Walking stick: CANE.
108. Mystery writer Paretsky: SARA. Credited with transforming mystery novels through the creation of her female private eye V.I. Warshawki, Sara Paretsky's books are international best-sellers. I did not know (DNK) this author.
110. Awaken: STIR.
111. Soccer legend nicknamed "O Rei": PELE. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer (or soccer player). "O Rei" is Portuguese for "The King."
112. Insects who prefer sweet foods: ANTS.
113. "Right now!": STAT. "Stat" is a medical term that means "immediately" or "right now." It comes from the Latin word statim which has the same meaning.
116. Business letters: LLC. Limited Liability Company. Limited liability means that the individual assets of LLC members cannot be used to satisfy the LLC's debts and obligations.
117. Oral health org.: ADA. Org. is an abbreviation for organization. ADA is an abbreviation for American Dental Association,
105. Enters in a record book: LOGS.
106. Final bio: OBIT. Bio is short for biography. Obit is short for obituary.
107. Walking stick: CANE.
108. Mystery writer Paretsky: SARA. Credited with transforming mystery novels through the creation of her female private eye V.I. Warshawki, Sara Paretsky's books are international best-sellers. I did not know (DNK) this author.
110. Awaken: STIR.
111. Soccer legend nicknamed "O Rei": PELE. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer (or soccer player). "O Rei" is Portuguese for "The King."
112. Insects who prefer sweet foods: ANTS.
113. "Right now!": STAT. "Stat" is a medical term that means "immediately" or "right now." It comes from the Latin word statim which has the same meaning.
116. Business letters: LLC. Limited Liability Company. Limited liability means that the individual assets of LLC members cannot be used to satisfy the LLC's debts and obligations.
117. Oral health org.: ADA. Org. is an abbreviation for organization. ADA is an abbreviation for American Dental Association,
Here's the grid:
NaomiZ
38 comments:
I didn’t get the gimmick at all, even though I solved the puzzle. Fortunately, all answers were well-known phrases or literary characters. Thanks to Naomi Z for showing me what I could never have figured out for myself! Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Wondered how some of those themers matched the clue. Might have helped if d-o had read the puzzle title. Or not. My knowledge of Spanish is limited to ordering a beer. GO TO GUY began life as GOOD JOE which morphed to GOOD GUY. DJED was a gimme. My early career was as a radio DJ in the city where Otis Redding crashed. Enjoyed your puzzle, C.C. Thanx for the elucidating expo, NaomiZ. Well done.
Congratulations C.C.
I never try to fill long clues until a few down perps are in place. I'd already filled ONCE IN A LIFE and looked at 23A clue and knew Bill Russel more than ONCE. When I got to SAL PARADISE, I saw the Spanish substitution. Lots of unknowns but the puzzle was easy to FIR.
Finished by changing ASADA to ASADO (DNK), realizing NARTH was NORTH, crossing ERIC(DNK) crossing CELLS (DNK).
The Y CHROMSOME fill had me baffled. It was easy but I couldn't figure out what the male wanted more of. (Yes I did)The Spanish 'y' I didn't know.
60. Miracle-Gro alternative: SCOTTS. That's wrong. Miracle-Gro has been a SCOTTS product for over thirty years.
DRACO, DOLMA, SAMSA, SARA-perps for those unknowns.
Changed PUREX to BORAX when DUMAS was filled. Changing OP-EDS to IDEAS gave me the unknown DOLMA.
Adios amigos
FIR, but csi la->LA LAW, arom->ARO (in Boomer speak, "ugly",) tsks->BOOS (I gave up BOOS years ago) and asap->STAT.
Although I didn't much care for the theme requiring Spanish 101, my feeble knowledge of the language sufficed for most of the fills. Had it been French or German i would have been lost.
I liked the cross of URL y EDU. (We have a restaurant named Tacos y Tequila, so I knew "y." I order fajitas and diet Pepsi.)
The first thing that came to mind for "Miracle-Gro alternative" was "Viagra."
Pink Floyd recorded this great tune as the title track for the album Wish You Were HERE.
Thanks to CC for the clever puzzle, and to NaomiZ for another fine review. Hope to see you on the first page more often.
A CC puzzle? Of course I had to do it...
Last to fall was studs crossing DJed, because with CC as the Constructor, i was sure it was a basketball reference...
Forgot to remember the theme "Spanglish," and even if I did get it, "Pie in the sky" clued with Can Can dancers could only make me visualise they stepped in something...
Correction, I was sure "the hoops clue" was a basketball reference.
(Hey, I'm getting used to this reply gizmo!)
FIW. I threw down asada instead of asado, based mainly on the fact that one of my favorites is carne asada. Oh well. I also failed to see north as the answer for needle point.
The theme completely escaped me. I am no Spanish expert, and can barely make myself clear to someone who speaks that language, something important given where I live!
But the puzzle is done, so there's that. Not very enjoyable for me.
Good Morning:
I continue to be amazed by CC's creativity and craftsmanship, not to mention her linguistic proficiency, as evidenced in this unusual, well-executed theme. Thanks to the title, I readily saw what was going on with the first two themers, even with my almost zero knowledge of Spanish. Knowing that Onze is French for eleven, I deduced that Once was Spanish for it, and Sal is close enough to the French Sel, for salt. However, I didn't know any of the other Spanish words, but with friendly perps and some logical reasoning, I had no trouble finishing in normal Sunday time. I needed those friendly perps for Ape Escape, Dumas, Samsa, Eric, and Draco, not that many for a Sunday grid.
Nice job, as usual, CC and thanks, Naomi, for an excellent review and synopsis of the theme. Sunday puzzles are difficult to construct because of their sheer volume of clues and fill and, I imagine, equally difficult to review methodically and concisely. You were more than up to the challenge, much to our benefit.
Have a great day.
I got all tangled up in the theme. This is probably the first time I DNF a CC puzzle.
Thanks NaomiZ for that nice recap.
Si si to C.C. on this one! Being mostly monolingual (except for scattered words across many languages, a lot of which I’ve learned from CWs) I was unfamiliar with all the Spanish words except Sal. But it didn’t stop me from a FIR w/out help (except for perps which aided greatly) in 27:19. Other than the themers, unknowns were minimal, SAMSA, ASADO, SARA (if a writer is unknown to a librarian, most likely I’ve never heard of them either), and of course HRT. I knew GAGA and DUMAS but not by their referenced works. Patti seems to do this a lot, attach an obscurity to an otherwise solvable clue. I DJ’ED at my college radio station back in the day. I’m glad I’m not ARO, seems boring. A Greek restaurant by me serves DOLMAthes.
NaomiZ ~ nice to see you at the wheel today to steer us through C.C.’s grid, and you did a fine job! Only a couple of sports related subjects today and you covered them well! ONCE IN A LIFETIME made no sense till you defined ONCE in Spanish. Gracias for the informative review! 😊
Like many others here, I didn't know enough Español to be helpful but the phrases were inferable. CC never ceases to amaze. She knows more Spanish than I do and I live in South Florida.
Who knew that taking Spanish classes back in the 70's would be so handy today? Went to a Catholic high school and took Latin instead - great for etymology but not for conversation. As we used to say, "Latin's a dead language, it's very plain to see. It killed off all the Romans, and now it's killing me!"
Hand up I am in awe of this extraordinarily creative SPANGLISH theme that was constructed so magnificently by CC. I had a year of Spanish when I was in grad school. My physics advisor was not pleased with the distraction from my studies! I am useless when it comes to speaking, but knew all of the theme words.
Had ACES (asexuals) before AROS. Last to fill was ?CHROMOSOME. I had the same thought as Big Easy. Had TDS before YDS and then I laughed when I got it. Brilliant. FIR.
Yesterday I was privileged to experience this TIBETAN SPIRITUAL event.
DW still looks like she went a few rounds with Mike Tyson and did not want to come along. She is looking a bit better day by day, though.
Ugh.
Well I loved it, but I know a lot of Spanish, so I got the theme quickly especially as Spanglish as the title. However the themes were pretty well know without knowing Spanish. I finally realized, "oh that needle". I had never heard of "aros". I like "not flush", the way CC used "gave a hand" two different ways, fingers crossed and not crossed and working in Y chromosome. Well done. Any unknowns seemed to perp together well. Nice recap Naomi. And another good job CC. GC
Eduardo in Los Angeles (the angels🤪), I feel the phonetic versions of the Spanish answers were “too English “:
Once , try On seh
Pan, try pahn
Real, try reh all
Pie, try pee eh
¡Gracias, amigos!
Eduardo again…:
Sal, try sahl
Quince, try keen seh
¡Mas gracias!
Eduardo, once more:
Y chromosome: y in Spanish means “ and”
Try saying the word”Y”, as ‘we’
¡… Y mas gracias!
Eduardo:
Typo “Y” , it as “ee”
Well, Sunday puzzles are always toughies for me, but if it's a C.C. puzzle, then it's a wonderful treat. Thank you, C.C., and your commentary was also helpful, Naomi, thanks for that too.
Let's see what I got. Seeing EDEN early on was a pleasure, a real PARADISE even if it's not connected to Sal. When I saw PLATE I got excited about getting food, but there wasn't much I found enjoyable. I'm not crazy about BEER NUTS, and I've never heard of QUINCE JELLY, so I can't vote for that either. It would be nice to find out where we might find some SOY PROTEIN, and a PIE would be wonderful, but not in the SKY. But finally, finally I found that OMELET, and that made me APPLAUD and get ready to eat breakfast and watch the LOCAL NEWS on TV. Not a bad morning, all things considered.
Have a lovely rest of the day, everybody.
FIR despite the fact about the only Spanish words I know are “cervesas” and “donde esta banos” aside from “si” and “bueno”
Musings
-Fun and educational puzzle and write-up! What a hoot.
-I know enough CODE that if I can’t fix something in Compose Mode I can try to use HTML View
-If a fisherman is having a lot of luck, it PIQUES the curiosity of those around him
-Patti has also used/allowed ACES for asexual. That would be TMI for me.
-The secondary schools where I have taught or subbed use .org
-ALL TALK – Let’s visit after the election
-DRACO winds its way between the big and little dipper but neither is in DRACO
-Dr. Carlson is a brilliant, retired astronomy prof here in town and is my GO-TO-GUY for any sky info
-HONOR SYSTEM – Any kid cheating on a test is usually looking right at you as you scan the room
-DOLMA, SARA and SASMA were unknowns that let themselves in
-Speaking of “getting used to”, I am adjusting to working online now that the LA Puzzle is gone from my and many other’s papers.
What a lovely way to start the day! A fine puzzle by C.C. and an informative write-up by NaomiZ!
I'll write some more after reading what you all had to say.
Hang in there Merlie, it is worth eating soft foods for now to enjoy a lifetime of health and eating whatever you wish! Sasse
Not my glas of cervesa!
Good reading you all.
About the puzzle: I usually like the Sunday puzzle because of the larger size and the wordplay it usually employs. Add C.C.'s byline and you've hooked me.
A major NORTH-south street around here is El Camino REAL.
DW and I often patronize a local Greek restaurant that, of course, offers DOLMAdes but also has a dessert made of yogurt and QUINCE preserves that I always enjoy.
I am not a SNOB, but our son's wife calls herself a bagel SNOB.
I like the words PIQUE and SKEWERED.
Hand up for changing TDS to YDS and ASADA to ASADO. Also, I waited for a perp to determine if those British peers would be LORDS or EARLS.
Yesterday I wanted one of the answers to be GINZA, which it was not, and today we have GINSU.
NaomiZ's comment 99. "Fingers not crossed!": I SWEAR. Honestly! shows the randomness of having a clue merely a paraphrase of the answer. They are not clues, as they do not lead one's thinking to the answer; they are, as I say again, purely utterly completely random.
Just from the name, APE ESCAPE strikes me as having been a fun game, even though I had never heard of it nor played it.
Well, I've blabbered on too long. Here's wishing you all a good day.
Superb Sunday. Thanks for the fun, C.C. and NaomiZ.
No time for a proper post, but I wanted to say that I enjoyed this CW, even if I wasn’t totally successful.
My Spanish is lacking, so I didn’t “get” all the themers. But I figured they were Spanish words. I too am impressed by C.C.‘S use of another language.
Read you all later.
Wishing you all a good evening.
Sasse at 3:22PM Thank you for the good wishes for Merlie.
Also, thanks to those who explained CODE BREAKER/ERROR, which I did not grasp. I will also add that I had no idea what was SAL PARADISE until coming here. Same for CELLS clue.
Really disliked this drudge! Even though I speak some Spanish, it didn't help here. I got 2/3 of the puzzle quite quickly but the SE flummoxed me and I tossed it after a two hour struggle. Again, I dislike constructors who overdo their desire for "cutesy" defs rather than clear clues. Yep, I'm old fashioned in that way, And ...I ALWAYS DO speak my mind!!
Thanks to C.C. for her very clever puzzle! FAV themer was PIE IN THE SKY. I also liked Seller of Souls; Man of steal; DOLMA (yum!); Fingers crossed/not crossed clecho; QUINCE JELLY; and GO-TO GUY.
Perhaps I'll skip my Duolingo practice tonight....
Donde esta Lucina hoy?
Thanks also to NaomiZ for her excellent recap! Sundays are a lot of work. I appreciate your time and all the information you provided. It was a perfect accompaniment to the puzzle.
I am impressed that so many did so well with the Spanglish and enjoyed it. Thanks for kind comments on my commentary. Like sumdaze, I am missing Lucina's reaction to this one!
Can I state the obvious here?
If you all didn't know the author of this puzzle beforehand, you'd all HATE it.
I would hate for Anonymous at 11:20 PM to have the last word. The folks who comment here are never afraid to voice their opinions. We share a love of crossword puzzles. Not everyone loves the same ones -- even today's by our fearless leader -- but this one was enjoyed by most. If you didn't like it, maybe you'll like tomorrow's better.
NaomiZ Thank you for your reply. I agree with your comment regarding Anon at 11:20PM. Speaking just for myself, I have criticized some of CC's puzzles in the past and that is why I made a point of praising this one for being so imaginative and well-constructed. I call it as I see it, regardless of who created it.
My criterion is "fairness". Can any reasonably intelligent person figure out the puzzle without having to resort to looking stuff up. That means no crossing of proper names and/or obscurities.
Misdirection is OK as long as it doesn't involve such obscurities or proper names. I am looking at you "Lively presence in Hollywood?" from September 14!
Anon @11:20, how 'bout having the courage of your convictions? Really petty comment.
That last comment was from me; I don't know why it posted as anon.
Doscientos por CC!
“He said Miracle-Gro, hunh-hunh, hunh-hunh” (Beavis & Butthead laugh)
Good one, @Jinx! 🤙🏽🤣
====> Darren / L.A.
Even though I didn’t hitch into the theme (and, having lived in SoCal my entire life, I’ve been around mucho Spanglish) I still really enjoyed C.C.’s latest offering here. ‘Twasn’t necessarily a walk in la parque, but enjoyable and fun, with some trickster clueing that added to the fun. And @ NaomiZ, thanks for another fine run-through.
The only tooth-gnasher for me was, once again, SYNC; in both the music and movie industries, it’s “synch” with an H…at least back in my days. Maybe now it has changed. I did get a good grin, however, from the crossing 1’s — SNOB over SLOB. Pretty snazzy!
Other’n that, this was the expected-as-usual well-crafted extravaganza we’ve come to enjoy from Ms. Burnikel. And by the way, Mr. Anonymous: I would have been pleased by it by any creator.
====> Darren / L.A.
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