Four clechos on the
fourth planet from the Sun
Darryl Gonzales presents us with a simple theme: 4 entries clued with MARS, each filled with a different meaning for the word.
34. MARS: CANDY COMPANY. Mars Inc. is an American multinational manufacturer most famous for the confectionery items that it manufactures, such as Mars bars, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way bars, M&Ms, Skittles, Snickers, Twix, and Bounty ...
Here's the grid ...
Across:
1. Places to retire: BEDS.
5. Passage on a floor plan: HALL.
9. "Yellowstone" actor Hauser: COLE. Thank you perps. Cole Kenneth Hauser (born March 22, 1975) is an American actor. He currently stars as Rip Wheeler on the Paramount Network western drama series Yellowstone.
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| Cole Hauser |
14. Medicinal succulents: ALOES.
16. Grape shape: OVAL.
17. Pietà spot: APSE. I filled ROME for this at first, as ST. PETER'S is too long. The statue is in an APSE, the Chapel of the Pietà, one of the first things you see when you enter the Cathedral thru the right doors.
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| Pietà Michelangelo Buonarroti 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564 |
18. Gloria's "Sunset Boulevard" role: NORMA. Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 American black comedy starring William Holden as Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, and Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, a former silent-film star who draws him into her deranged fantasy world, where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen ...19. Card collection: DECK.
20. [Theme clue].
23. Many prime time offerings: DRAMAS.
24. Recent beginning: NEO.
25. Banana Boat letters: SPF. Sun Protection Factor. The clue is also a hit song by Harry Belafonte ...
28. Stall kin: STY.
29. Mary Oliver work: POEM. Mary Jane Oliver (September 10, 1935 – January 17, 2019) was an American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. She found inspiration for her work in nature and had a lifelong habit of solitary walks in the wild. Her poetry is characterized by wonderment at the natural environment, vivid imagery, and unadorned language. Here she reads her poem Wild Geese ...
32. Fail suddenly and spectacularly: CRATER. This was a toughie.
34. [Theme clue].
36. Poker buy-in: ANTE.
39. In the style of: ALA.
40. "Auld Lang __": SYNE.
41. [Theme clue].
46. Gamer's virtual persona: AVATAR. This word originated in Sanskrit and has several other meanings beside the one in gaming -- but this one is a god who likes to play games ...
 |
| Krishna The Divine Playful Boy |
48. Merit badge org.: BSA. Boy Scouts of America.
51. Thanksgiving side: YAM.
52. Part of FWIW: IT'S. For What IT'S Worth.
54. __ bar: OMELET. Here's a recipe.
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| Omelet |
60. Timeline units: ERAS.
62. Corleone brother: SONNY. Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation.
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| Sonny Corleone played by James Caan |
64. Suffix for a scandal: GATE. Originated from the 1972 Watergate scandal, but has long since gone pandemic.
65. Incan carving: TOTEM. On Peru’s central coast, an ornately carved totem was venerated across centuries of upheaval and conquest.
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| The Idol of the Painted Temple |
67. Is in debt: OWES. In danger of a REPO?
68. Brings along for the ride: TOWS. Or the result of REPOS.
69. Those in favor: AYES.
Down:
1. Consequences of lengthening shadows: BEARDS. Clever!
2. Ship out: EXPORT.
3. Appall: DISMAY.
4. Iron output: STEAM.
5. Doesn't let go: HANGS ON.
6. __ gobi: vegetarian dish: ALOO. Potatoes, cauliflower, and spices. Here's a recipe.
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| Aloo Gobi |
8. Piccata need: LEMON. Piccata sauce is made using pan drippings; lemon juice and white wine or chicken stock are added and reduced. Chopped parsley and often capers are added; sometimes also shallots or garlic. After reduction, butter is stirred in to finish the sauce. It is often garnished with slices of lemon. Here's a recipe for white fish piccata.
9. 2021 Marlee Matlin film that won Best Picture: CODA. Children of Deaf Adults. Here's the trailer ...
10. Wear out one's welcome: OVERSTAY.
11. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC. Today's French Lesson: "At the bottom of the lake", so named because of its location at the bottom (south end) of Lake Winnebago.
12. Yellowstone buglers: ELK. Here's 50 seconds of an Elk brass section (IMHO they sound more like woodwinds😀) ...
15. Seattle-based insurance giant: SAFECO. Safeco Insurance is an American insurance company based in Seattle. A subsidiary of Liberty Mutual, Safeco provides auto insurance, homeowners insurance, and liability insurance. The company name is an acronym for Selective Auto and Fire Ensurance Company of America, or SAFECO (i.e., S.A.F.E. Co.)
21. Auto parts chain that's also a NASCAR sponsor: NAPA. The National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA), also known as NAPA Auto Parts, founded in 1925, is an American retailers' cooperative distributing automotive replacement parts, accessories, and service items throughout North America.
22. Fish dinner?: WORM. Eat or be eaten? 😀
26. The Quakers of the Ivies: PENN. The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as PENN) is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The association with the Quakers derives from the founder of the original colony, the influential Quaker William Penn.
27. Leather boot brand: FRYE. Thank you perps.
30. Answer to the riddle "What cheese is made backward?": EDAM. A cute meta clue. 😀
31. Shiny balloon material: MYLAR. MYLAR is one of several trade names for BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, and electrical insulation. These balloons go for about a buck a pop on Amazon ...
33. Lhasa __: APSO. I always used to think that these creatures were just furry lizards with a ganglion. But it turns out that Lhasa Apsos are a lavishly coated, thousand-year-old breed who served as sentinels at palaces and monasteries isolated high in the Himalayas. Smart, confident, and complex, Lhasas are family comedians but regally aloof with strangers.
34. "__ magnifique!": CEST. Today's French lesson: "It's beautiful!"
35. Pet store enclosure: CAGE. Also the name of a musician: John Cage. Here's a performance of his most famous composition 4'33". Here it's played on the piano, but it can be played on any instrument or combination of instruments. It is a unique work in a unique genre -- what might be called "non-performance art". You could call it soundless, but if you listen really carefully you can hear the blood coursing through your brain 😀...
36. Robert Newton Peck's "__ No Pigs Would Die": A DAY. A Day No Pigs Would Die is a semi-autobiographical novel by Robert Newton Peck about Rob Peck, a boy coming of age in rural Vermont on an impoverished farm. Originally published in 1972, it is one of the first books to be categorized as young adult fiction, in addition to being Peck's first novel.
37. __ Scotia: NOVA.
38. Dugout sharer: TEAM MATE.
42. Speaker's platform: DAIS.
43. Top drawer?: ARTIST. We've been watching the Ken Burns' PBS documentary on Leonardo da Vinci and he is quite simply the TDOAT ("Top Drawer Of All Time). Don't miss it! ...
44. Watt and Ohm, e.g.: EPONYMS. An EPONYM is a person, place, or thing that something else is named after. Watts (symbol: W) are a measure of power -- how fast work is done or energy is given from one thing to another, e.g. the conversion of electricity to light in a light bulb. Watts are named in honor of James Watt, who developed another unit of energy transfer called horsepower -- 1 HP = 745.7 WATTS.
An Ohm is a unit of electrical resistance to current flow, as defined by Ohm's Law. The unit is named for German physicist Georg Simon Ohm who first defined it.
 |
| White fish piccata |
9. 2021 Marlee Matlin film that won Best Picture: CODA. Children of Deaf Adults. Here's the trailer ...
10. Wear out one's welcome: OVERSTAY.
11. Fond du __, Wisconsin: LAC. Today's French Lesson: "At the bottom of the lake", so named because of its location at the bottom (south end) of Lake Winnebago.
12. Yellowstone buglers: ELK. Here's 50 seconds of an Elk brass section (IMHO they sound more like woodwinds😀) ...
15. Seattle-based insurance giant: SAFECO. Safeco Insurance is an American insurance company based in Seattle. A subsidiary of Liberty Mutual, Safeco provides auto insurance, homeowners insurance, and liability insurance. The company name is an acronym for Selective Auto and Fire Ensurance Company of America, or SAFECO (i.e., S.A.F.E. Co.)
21. Auto parts chain that's also a NASCAR sponsor: NAPA. The National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA), also known as NAPA Auto Parts, founded in 1925, is an American retailers' cooperative distributing automotive replacement parts, accessories, and service items throughout North America.
22. Fish dinner?: WORM. Eat or be eaten? 😀
26. The Quakers of the Ivies: PENN. The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as PENN) is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The association with the Quakers derives from the founder of the original colony, the influential Quaker William Penn.
 |
Read Without Vain Manners |
27. Leather boot brand: FRYE. Thank you perps.
30. Answer to the riddle "What cheese is made backward?": EDAM. A cute meta clue. 😀
31. Shiny balloon material: MYLAR. MYLAR is one of several trade names for BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, and electrical insulation. These balloons go for about a buck a pop on Amazon ...
 |
| Mylar Balloons |
 |
| Lhasa Apso |
35. Pet store enclosure: CAGE. Also the name of a musician: John Cage. Here's a performance of his most famous composition 4'33". Here it's played on the piano, but it can be played on any instrument or combination of instruments. It is a unique work in a unique genre -- what might be called "non-performance art". You could call it soundless, but if you listen really carefully you can hear the blood coursing through your brain 😀...
36. Robert Newton Peck's "__ No Pigs Would Die": A DAY. A Day No Pigs Would Die is a semi-autobiographical novel by Robert Newton Peck about Rob Peck, a boy coming of age in rural Vermont on an impoverished farm. Originally published in 1972, it is one of the first books to be categorized as young adult fiction, in addition to being Peck's first novel.
38. Dugout sharer: TEAM MATE.
42. Speaker's platform: DAIS.
43. Top drawer?: ARTIST. We've been watching the Ken Burns' PBS documentary on Leonardo da Vinci and he is quite simply the TDOAT ("Top Drawer Of All Time). Don't miss it! ...
44. Watt and Ohm, e.g.: EPONYMS. An EPONYM is a person, place, or thing that something else is named after. Watts (symbol: W) are a measure of power -- how fast work is done or energy is given from one thing to another, e.g. the conversion of electricity to light in a light bulb. Watts are named in honor of James Watt, who developed another unit of energy transfer called horsepower -- 1 HP = 745.7 WATTS.
 |
| James Watt 30 January 1736 – 25 August 1819 Carl Frederik von Breda |
An Ohm is a unit of electrical resistance to current flow, as defined by Ohm's Law. The unit is named for German physicist Georg Simon Ohm who first defined it.
.jpg) |
| Georg Simon Ohm 16 March 1789 – 6 July 1854 |
 |
| Panorama of the valley, looking north |
48. Video format: BLU-RAY. Blu-ray is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-definition video (HDTV 720p and 1080p).
53. "Get!": SCOOT.
55. Writer Jong: ERICA. The author of the controversial 1973 novel Fear of Flying.
 |
| 50th Anniversary Edition |
58. Passionate about: INTO. A lot of Cornerites are really INTO crosswords.
59. Fresh: ANEW.
60. Sense of self: EGO. Today's Latin lesson: "I".
61. Like carpaccio: RAW. The carnivore's sushi.
Cheers,
Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism.
waseeley
18 comments:
An interesting “multiple meanings” puzzle that didn’t seem to throw me, not even the potential Natick of “Erica” and “Cate.” Actually, in spite of some attempts at misdirection, it was a lot of fun. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
This turned into a Wite-Out-free Thursday romp. COLE was a bit obscure, but the perps were solid. Thanx, Darryl, waseeley, and Teri. (Leonardo da Vinci was an excellent 4-hour program. It would've been even better at 2 hours.)
FIR, but scram->SCOOT.
I know COLE as a spokesman for the outstanding charity Tunnels to Towers.
My DW's BFF was the head of MARS personnel. She says it was different working in a family-owned business - sometimes great, sometimes infuriating. (After retiring she led Virginia's OSHA, separate from the federal OSHA.)
In addition to clever uses of GATE, ___aholic has made its way into the language, as in workaholic. Should logically be "workic," but that's not nearly as snappy.
Can't wait to read how Misty uses OVERSTAY and SCOOT.
I seem to remember that FRYE boots were sold at Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky tonk. (Gilley's had mechanical bull riding in the bar, but Billy Bob's has real bull riding.)
I don't feel too bad for not knowing about Sunset Boulevard, since it was released before I was born. I love being able to say that. Some days I feel that I was born before the invention of bronze.
Thanks to Darryl for the fun Thursday puzzle, albeit with a lot of showbiz names. And thanks to Bill 'n' Teri for another fine review.
Took 5:56 today, Veronica.
I knew today's actress (Cate), but not the actress's role (Norma; nor the actress in the clue, Gloria). I knew today's actor (Cole) but needed a perp for the actor's role (Sonny v. Fredo). I knew today's foreign food (aloo) but not foreign language lesson (cest). Frye was unknown.
I agree that the c/k intersection of two proper nouns (Cate & Erica) was regrettable.
Thursday puzzle….Too sweet for me….DNF
Greet the day.
FIR. Typical Thursday difficulty level. I had a tough time getting started and when I finally got some traction I stupidly threw down Greek god of war instead of Roman. Duh!
And the lower center area kept me a while because the fill showed music and Bruno and the middle of that answer eluded me for some reason.
But overall I enjoyed this puzzle.
I enjoy definition puzzles.
I knew the names of both the actress Blanchette, and the author Jong but still entered a K rather than a C. D'oh!
I didn't see a number of clues and answers until scanning Waseeley's review.
There's a borough in Pennsylvania just north of Pittsburgh named MARS. They have a Mars New Year's celebration every 687 days. Mars Culture. It will next be celebrated on April 26, 2025, so mark your calendars.
Just found out that the NFL Christmas Day football games - Chiefs at Steelers, and Ravens at Texas - are only going to be shown on Netflix (unless you live in one those 4 broadcast areas.) Bummer. I don't have Netflix. I guess I'll be forced to signup, watch the games, and then cancel.
Anyway, thank you, Darryl and Waseeley.
Big jump in difficulty from yesterday. Mais C’EST la vie…Got the theme but not sure why MARS is upper case (what we useta call “capitalized”)
Inkovers: Rome/APSE, holds/HANGSON, chum/WORM
Liked the BEARDS clue and “suffix for a scandal” as well as “top drawer” all clever but DISMAY is at the opposite end of the spectrum from “appall” with disappoint somewhere in between.
I was actually thinking of a “dugout” canoe 🙄. And I’m a Fredo but the right answer is SONNY Corleone (Lion heart or Lion hearted)
Needed perps cuz I couldn’t remember who was gonna buy Janis her Mercedes. (LIU she died 3
days later after recording the song)
“Get!” prolly shoulda been “Git!”.
Couldn’t recall that Gobi Desert dish.
Overindulge at a OMELET “bar” and you end up with egg on your face 😊
“Stall kin”: obsessed fan activity?
Don’t know where the Pièta is? Just ___ …. APSE
When’s my birthday? …. DISMAY
Lemon or honey …. TEAMMATE
One wildebeest …. ANEW
At the dentist’s waiting for the creation of my crown 👑 . I requested emeralds and rubies. You henceforth will be expected to address me as “your majesty” 🤴
Good Morning:
Like TTP, I’m also fan of definition puzzles, mainly because I find it interesting to see how each different meaning is expressed by the author and, also, because they are rare offerings and, therefore, present a nice change of pace for us solvers. Cole was the only unknown. I can see how Norma might be an unknown to younger solvers and, in a way, Sonny, as well, although The Godfather is much more current than Sunset Boulevard. CODA is very current and is presumably more widely known.
Thanks, Darryl, for a fun and satisfactory solve and thanks, Bill and Teri, for the usual brain-busting facts and interesting tidbits and the eclectic musical interludes. Favorite visual was the Imperial and Regal Lhasa Apso.
Have a great day.
Good Morning! Somewhat of a challenge today, but I made it to the finish line.
Overall the theme was good. Starting out I couldn’t imagine there were that many solutions to the clue. Nice!
Lotta WOs for trial & errors along with the aha moments. Rome -> APSE; Scram -> SCOOT then daNNY -> dONNY -> SONNY.
I liked top drawer/ARTIST but thought lengthening shadows/BEARDS was lame.
The “C” in COLE crossing CODA was a guess.
Thanks to Bill & Teri. Enjoyed your review.
Currently at Gate 24 at LGA, awaiting a noon flight to ORD after 3 whirlwind days in NYC. I enjoyed the solve this morning, creative theme and entries. Hand up for not knowing Cole and a few others, ERIKA or ERICA? Had to change the K to the C for my FIR in about 16 minutes. Thank Darryl for the puzzle, and to Bill and Teri for your well put together review and info!
Hola! I fairly well SCOOTed through the top of this opus then skidded to a stop at the bottom central until SONNY and BRUNO MARS emerged into my brain. I've seen CATE Blanchett in a few movies so that was not a problem. I do wonder though, about the spelling of her name; maybe it's short for Catherine. COLE Hauser is unknown but COLE Porter would have flown in right away.
I have a doctor's appt. today so must go now to get ready. Have a lovely day, everyone!
I enjoyed today's puzzle; nice job, Darryl. It was well-designed and -constructed, had fair clues, including the misdirections (which I love), and it boasted of a judicious use of helpful perps in potentially Natick-ridden regions.
Darryl's Mars theme induced me to have Gustav Holst's "The Planets" playing in the background while solving, the first movement of which is "Mars, the Bringer of War." "The Planets" was one of my father's favorites, and when he died we granted his request for his ashes to be buried at sea off Ocean City NJ, with his favorite pieces of music playing--and that included "The Planets."
I wish I could join those commenters who said they were born after "Sunset Boulevard" came out. Alas, I cannot; I 'm too old to be considered a Baby Boomer, as I was born during the war.
Thanks again, Darryl, for providing us with an enjoyable, doable, and satisfying solve. I look forward to your return engagement.
On the lighter side, latest pic from Mars!
On a more boring/annoying and hopefully the last time I comment on it side:
The ongoing YouTube sign in to confirm you are not a bot is a bug in a YouTube code where IP addresses are blocked in blocks of IP addresses, according to this site.. More can be found here.
Unfortunately, in the YouTube programmers infinite wisdom, they have not provided an actual way to act7ally sign in to fulfil their sign in request.
At least some people are working on it...
Musings
-Having three proper nouns and one common verb seemed to violate some sacred cwd axiom
-I was very surprised THE RED PLANET was not used at all
-Launch Pads 39 A & B had emergency EGRESS systems if there was an emergency there
-After a vandalism incident, The Pieta is now behind bullet proof glass
-Ill-fated FREDO was the wrong Corleone sibling
-Marlee was hilarious in this Seinfeld episode
-“Name the unit of electrical power.” “What?” “You are correct!”
-The SENATE has become the home of strict party-line voting.
-Thanks Bill and Teri.
Testing Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Darryl, and waseeley and Teri.
I FIRed eventually, and saw the MARS theme (I was looking for the planet to arrive). It took some parsing to see DOES DAMAGE TO.
Plenty of inkblots. The NW corner was one. Door changed to EXIT, Movies to DRAMAS. BEARDS clue was my favourite once I got it.
The central far south was another problem area. Avid changed to INTO, Adds to TOWS, Scram to SCOOT. What a mess.
Hand up for thinking of Rome before APSE perped. (Although technically the Pieta is in Vatican City).
The clue for ARTIST was a groaner. (Aside to CED- todays video for artist is an example of “the uploader has not made this video available in your country”)
Wishing you all a great day.
Scram instead of scoot messed me up for far too long. It made me put down Fredo instead of Sonny. I still enjoyed this one.
I knew all the meanings of MARS but filled in perps before the themers to figure out the wording of the definitions
I have seen the "Pieta" sculpture and I just wanted to sit with it for awhile. I learned alot about Michelangelo from "The Agony and the Ecstasy" novel - so though fictionalized it still expanded my appreciation for all his work
"Sunset Blvd" becoming a musical in 1993 revived interest in NORMA Desmond's character - Patti Lupone starred in London's West End and Glenn Close on Broadway. It had a revival on Broadway in 2017. The original Broadway production won Tonys for the production and for Glenn Close
MaryOliver is a wonderful poet
Thanks Bill & Teri for a wonderful blog and Darryl for the puzzle
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