Theme: There must be a way!
Each of the theme answers is a recognizable person or thing, but does not match the clue until you SHOW THE word WAY at the beginning of the answer.
Here are the theme clues and answers, all of which are Across:
18. *Pop-up shop on the edge of the road?: SIDE HUSTLE. A side hustle is a job or occupation that brings in extra money beyond one's regular job. But a WAYSIDE HUSTLE might be a business at the edge of a road.
23. *Underground market for home goods?: FAIR TRADE. Fair trade is a trading partnership based on dialogue, transparency and respect. But WAYFAIR TRADE might be taking furnishings from the online retailer Wayfair and trading them off market.
35. *Butcher's knife that's very hard to handle?: WARD CLEAVER. Ward Cleaver is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. But a WAYWARD CLEAVER might be a big knife that is difficult to control.
50. *Snuck up on a chicken coop to collect breakfast?: LAID AN EGG. Saying someone laid an egg means they failed at something. But WAYLAID AN EGG means they hid themselves and attacked an egg by surprise.
58. Give clear directions, or how to make the starred clues match their answers?: SHOW THE WAY.
Today's puzzle comes to us from Renee Thomason (our Monday blogger, known in the Corner as sumdaze) and frequent constructor Katie Hale. Allow me to SHOW THE WAY through the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:1. State that's easy to draw: UTAH.
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| Because Wyoming and Colorado wouldn't fit! |
5. South American bean: CACAO. Best bean ever. Thank you, South America!
10. Loyalty program level: TIER.
14. Post-WWII alliance: NATO.
15. Celebrity gossip source since 1991: E! NEWS. A late-night entertainment news program on the E! cable network.
16. Princess athlete in the 1976 Summer Olympics: ANNE. The Games of the XXI Olympiad took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Great Britain, competed as part of the British equestrian team.
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| Princess Anne in the 1976 Olympics |
17. Air quality factor: SMOG.
18. [Theme clue]
20. Device called a "cashpoint" in the U.K.: ATM.
21. Matching: SAME.
22. Stellar: ASTRAL.
23. [Theme clue]
26. Court tie: DEUCE. Apparently, tennis score keeping was originally done using a clock face, marking points as 15, 30, and 45 minutes, with 45 eventually being abbreviated as 40:
18. [Theme clue]
20. Device called a "cashpoint" in the U.K.: ATM.
21. Matching: SAME.
22. Stellar: ASTRAL.
23. [Theme clue]
26. Court tie: DEUCE. Apparently, tennis score keeping was originally done using a clock face, marking points as 15, 30, and 45 minutes, with 45 eventually being abbreviated as 40:
0 points = Love (Zero was "The egg" or "L'oeuf" in French, which in English became "Love.")
1 point = 15
2 points = 30
3 points = 40
Tied score = All
40-40 = Deuce
Server wins deuce point = Ad-In
Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out
27. Host: EMCEE. We used to say "Master of Ceremonies," which became MC or "emcee."
28. Forensic profiling material: DNA.
30. Solstice mo.: DEC. Also JUN, but it wouldn't work with the perpendicular entries.
31. Corp. head: CEO.
33. Ripe old __: AGE.
34. "__ we forget": LEST. This phrase was first used in an 1897 poem by Rudyard Kipling called "Recessional," written to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
35. [Theme clue]
38. Chop garlic, say: PREP. DH and I do the prep for each other, taking turns as head chef and sous chef. Assembling a recipe is easier if you prep first and get all the ingredients mise en place.
40. Address bar character: DOT. A web address includes a "dot" before the domain name, as in LATimes.com.
41. Car wheel part: RIM.
42. Coxswain's lack: OAR. A coxswain sits in the stern of a boat, facing the bow, and steering with the rudder while coordinating the efforts of the rowing team.
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| A coxswain at work. |
43. Pressure meas.: PSI. Pounds per Square Inch.
44. Justice Sotomayor: SONIA.
48. Feudal lord: LIEGE.
50. [Theme clue]
54. Bringing up the rear: IN LAST.
56. Hindu honorifics: SRIS. In South and Southeast Asia, Sri is used as a polite form of address, similar to the English "Mr.".
57. Truly regret: RUE.
58. [Theme clue]
60. __ Williams bourbon: EVAN. Evan Williams is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey distilled at the Heaven Hill distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. The product is aged for a minimum of four years (which is more than the two year minimum to be called 'straight' bourbon, but is the minimum requirement for a straight whiskey that does not have an age statement on the label). It has been ranked as one of the world's best selling whiskey brands.
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| A Kentucky bourbon distillery I visited with DH in 2016. |
61. Ale holder: CASK.
62. Thrill to bits: ELATE.
63. Stitch up: MEND.
64. Supersmall: ITTY. Not "itsy" this time! Often itty-bitty or itsy-bitsy.
65. Many a forty-niner: MINER. Participant in the California gold rush.
66. Bank for mil. families: USAA. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a bank that is only available to military members, veterans, and their families.
Down:
1. In need of a Mr. Yuk sticker: UNSAFE. Mr. Yuk is a trademarked graphic image, created by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are poisonous if ingested.
62. Thrill to bits: ELATE.
63. Stitch up: MEND.
64. Supersmall: ITTY. Not "itsy" this time! Often itty-bitty or itsy-bitsy.
65. Many a forty-niner: MINER. Participant in the California gold rush.
66. Bank for mil. families: USAA. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) is a bank that is only available to military members, veterans, and their families.
Down:
1. In need of a Mr. Yuk sticker: UNSAFE. Mr. Yuk is a trademarked graphic image, created by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and widely employed in the United States in labeling of substances that are poisonous if ingested.
2. Instrument also known as a chau gong: TAM-TAM. The Tam-Tam is a huge metal percussion instrument which makes a booming sound. When you strike the tam-tam, the sound gets louder and louder, building up to a climax before fading away.
3. Infinitesimal: ATOMIC.
4. Selfish type: HOG.
5. Labor leader Chavez: CESAR.
6. Inner self, to Jung: ANIMA.
7. Surrendered: CEDED.
8. Veneration: AWE.
9. Mae's sister on "Star Wars: The Acolyte": OSHA. "Star Wars: The Acolyte" is a television series created for the streaming service Disney+. An obscure clue! What ever happened to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration?
10. Decorator's asset: TASTE.
11. Unwelcome visitor: INTRUDER.
12. Intertwines: ENLACES.
13. Word on some campaign posters: RE-ELECT.
19. MyPlate org.: USDA. The United States Department of Agriculture produced this guideline for nutritious eating -- while supporting various types of food production that are anything but healthy.
21. Heifer's brother: STEER.
24. Summary: RECAP. A summary of what has been said; a recapitulation.
25. Polygon part: EDGE.
29. Not far: NEAR.
32. Probability calculations: ODDS.
33. Key not found on a Mac: ALT.
34. Finger bowl slice: LEMON. A finger bowl is a small bowl with water (and perhaps a slice of lemon) for rinsing fingers during a meal.
24. Summary: RECAP. A summary of what has been said; a recapitulation.
25. Polygon part: EDGE.
29. Not far: NEAR.
32. Probability calculations: ODDS.
33. Key not found on a Mac: ALT.
34. Finger bowl slice: LEMON. A finger bowl is a small bowl with water (and perhaps a slice of lemon) for rinsing fingers during a meal.
35. "Let's check the map": WE'RE LOST.
36. Spiral: COIL.
37. Exchange program papers: VISAS.
38. Future Hill worker's maj., maybe: POLI SCI. Someone who hopes to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC might study Political Science.
39. Slicker accompaniment: RAIN HAT. In this case, a slicker is a rain coat.
43. Wasp, for one: PEST. Wasps eat spiders, flies, roaches, and caterpillars. They pollinate at least 960 different plants, including 164 species that are completely dependent on them. They disperse seeds. They are responsible for the growth of figs! But sure, they're pests.
45. Jitters: NERVES.
46. Tropical lizard: IGUANA.
47. Meeting list: AGENDA.
49. Nervously clumsy: GAWKY.
51. Egyptian market city: ASWAN.
52. Furious: IRATE.
53. Person eager to tackle home improvement projects, briefly: DIYer. Do-It-Yourselfer.
55. Those folks: THEM.
59. New Haven student: ELI. Elihu Yale was the primary benefactor of Yale University, and students at Yale are called Elis in his memory.
60. Petting zoo bird: EMU. This seems to be a thing, but is it really safe to have a small child pet an emu?
36. Spiral: COIL.
37. Exchange program papers: VISAS.
38. Future Hill worker's maj., maybe: POLI SCI. Someone who hopes to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC might study Political Science.
39. Slicker accompaniment: RAIN HAT. In this case, a slicker is a rain coat.
43. Wasp, for one: PEST. Wasps eat spiders, flies, roaches, and caterpillars. They pollinate at least 960 different plants, including 164 species that are completely dependent on them. They disperse seeds. They are responsible for the growth of figs! But sure, they're pests.
45. Jitters: NERVES.
46. Tropical lizard: IGUANA.
47. Meeting list: AGENDA.
49. Nervously clumsy: GAWKY.
51. Egyptian market city: ASWAN.
52. Furious: IRATE.
53. Person eager to tackle home improvement projects, briefly: DIYer. Do-It-Yourselfer.
55. Those folks: THEM.
59. New Haven student: ELI. Elihu Yale was the primary benefactor of Yale University, and students at Yale are called Elis in his memory.
60. Petting zoo bird: EMU. This seems to be a thing, but is it really safe to have a small child pet an emu?
Here's the grid:
So, did you find THE WAY? Or WERE you LOST?
8 comments:
Sorry, but the meaning of the reveal escaped me until Naomi Z explained it. And how many people remember “Beaver” Cleaver’s dad, I wonder? Still, the puzzle was, for the most part, fair and fun. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Couldn't find the theme, even with the reveal. Perhaps that's because WAYFAIR TRADE and WAYWARD CLEAVER don't mean anything to moi. I do remember Ward Cleaver as "Beaver's" dad, though. Along the way, my trusty Wite-Out came in handy with LAIRD/LIEGE and TINY/ITTY. That OSHA clue was cruel. Still, somehow, d-o got 'er done. The theme was clever, but not my favorite. Thanx, Renee (sumdaze), Katie, and NaomiZ.
PEST: I'm not so nervous in the back yard, now that I've got the Neffy nasal spray. Wasps, bees, and fire ants are local denizens that could otherwise prove fatal.
FIR, but erased gold for TIER and lug for RIM. Some folks use RIM as a synonym for an automobile wheel, as in "nice RIMs!"
I filled POLISCI without benefit of perp.
Never heard of keeping ALE, or any other beverage with compressed CO2, in a cask.
USAA's core business is insurance, although they have added banking to their product line. They used to have a regional HQ in Norfolk, but they moved it to nearby Chesapeake. Since Tidewater is largely a military area, USAA is a big deal around here.
Thanks to sumdaze and Katie for the fun, except that I remain unconvinced about the WAY FAIR TRADE. I know of the WAYFAIR TRADE site, but not why anyone would resell their stuff on the QT, or how that would be underground. And thanks to NaomiZ for another fine recap.
I had a loose feel for the theme but mostly finished without a firm grasp.
TGIF.
FIR. The theme completely escaped me, and only after coming here did it make sense, but just a little bit. Still puzzling over it! "Laid an egg" for example doesn't seem like sneaking up on anything?
This had some bite to it, but then again it is Friday, so it's to be expected. But some of the cluing was somewhat odd. Thank heavens for perps.
Overall, it's done, so there's that.
Took 17:15 today for me to find my way.
Honestly, I had no clue what was going on with the themers, even after getting "show the way." I guess I still don't understand the wayfair trade one, though I get the others.
Unknowns to me today included: Osha and her sister; the Egyptian city; and, Enews.
Tough puzzle. Even though the theme answers weren't helpful to me, the crosses saved the day. So, good work, sumdaze.
To "waylay" is to steal/intercept. So, if one waylaid an egg, then that means they would have stolen an egg.
Another match: “liege” showed up in both the LA Times and USA Today puzzles today. Seems like an unlikely coincidence…
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