Happy first Monday of 2025, everyone! sumdaze here. Brian Callahan has become a popular constructor on The Corner with six solo and five collaborations for the LAT since 2023. Jess Shulman has two LAT Friday collaborations. It was fun to see them team up on today's puzzle.
I'm going to give it the same title Merle Haggard gave this 1977 song,
The Running Kind
You may wonder what kind of running we talking about. A look at the three themers will answer that:
17 Across. *New job that's hardly a promotion: LATERAL MOVE. 
28 Across. *Honking collective: GAGGLE OF GEESE. 
45 Across. *Phenomenon of collective false memories: MANDELA EFFECT. This one was an interesting learning moment for me. Paranormal researcher Fiona Broome named this phenomenon after discovering that she and others possessed strong, yet false, memories about the death of Nelson Mandela. Britannica article (See 52-Down.)
Then the unifier:
1. Packs on muscle, with "up": BEEFS. I quickly threw down BulkS. What is it D-Otto likes to say? I wonder if he made the same error.
6. Aspect: FACET.
14. Super Breakout console: ATARI. Super Breakout is the sequel to a 1976 video game -- but all I really needed was "console that begins with the letter 'A'".
15. "Fame" star Cara: IRENE.
16. Three, on a sundial: III. Roman numerals (as seen in 21-A)
19. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcement
20. "Anything __?": ELSE.
21. WWII soldiers: GIs.
40. Grocery chain with a Winking Owl wine brand: ALDI. E&J Gallo produces ALDI's own, in-house brand labeled Winking Owl -- but all I really needed was "grocery chain that begins with the letter 'A'".
42. Texting titter: LOL. To titter is to laugh in a nervous, affected, or partly suppressed manner.
43. Future DA's exam: LSAT. CSO to my big bro who is a definitely amazing District Attorney who passed the Law School Admission Test on his first try!
49. Led: HELMED. "HEadED" almost fit. It took me a bit to let go of that one....
50. Constellation bear: URSA.
51. "Head over and take a look": GO SEE.
52. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA. We often see this clue, OR A version of it, on Mondays.
53. __ prep: weekend activity for some home cooks: MEAL. DH does this. Every Sunday he preps his lunches for the work week and puts them in containers, ready for the microwave.
57. Lip balm in egg-shaped containers: EOS. 
64. Gnats, flies, etc.: PESTS.
65. WNW's opposite: ESE. compass directions
66. "The Princess Bride" co-star Cary: ELWES. I should have this name memorized by now but I am still working on it.
67. Spaces: AREAS. ...as in, "Please clean up your work spaces."
Down:
1. Bundle of hay: BALE. The woman in this video does a good job of showing how to use hay hooks to move a BALE of hay (1:38 min.). It's true, one of my best birthday presents ever was my very own set of hay hooks.
2. Latin shorthand in a bibliography: ET AL. It means et alia which translates to "and others". (See 31-D.)
4. Thoroughfare without tolls: FREEWAY. I liked the without tolls clueing for FREEway.
58 Across. Vice presidential hopeful, and what the first part of the answer to each starred clue can be: RUNNING MATE.
LATE, GAG, and MAN can all be MATEd to (joined with) the word RUNNING to form these in-the-language phrases:
- RUNNING LATE is to be behind schedule.
- A RUNNING GAG is a joke that is repeated several times (often with slight tweaks) throughout a performance or literary piece. (See 14-A & 40-A.)
- The RUNNING MAN is a 1982 Stephen King Novel set in a dystopian United States in the year 2025 (This year!) In 1987 a movie version was released starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I liked how only a few letters were connected to the unifier. That helped the theme stay hidden until after I completed the grid.
Across:
1. Packs on muscle, with "up": BEEFS. I quickly threw down BulkS. What is it D-Otto likes to say? I wonder if he made the same error.
6. Aspect: FACET.
11. Q's keyboard neighbor: TAB. computer keys
14. Super Breakout console: ATARI. Super Breakout is the sequel to a 1976 video game -- but all I really needed was "console that begins with the letter 'A'".
15. "Fame" star Cara: IRENE.
16. Three, on a sundial: III. Roman numerals (as seen in 21-A)
19. Awareness-raising TV spot: PSA. Public Service Announcement
20. "Anything __?": ELSE.
21. WWII soldiers: GIs.
 |
| a WWII GI Joe toy |
22. Big, big stars: IDOLS. This NASA site will teach you about even bigger stars. 😀
24. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA.
26. Pointy tooth: CANINE.
31. Axton of country music: HOYT. (1938-1999) This is a 1 min. clip of Axton doing a guest appearance on WKRP Cincinnati:
32. Pie __ mode: A LA.
33. Reader of a quick-start guide: USER. Great clue! Most tech today comes with a quick-start guide and a website for more details. Gone are the days of thick USER manuals in eight languages.
34. Pair: DUO.
35. SofÃa of "Modern Family": VERGARA. I know who she is but always forget how she spells her last name.
39. Consumes: HAS. and 3-Down. Consumes: EATS.
24. "Mind. Blown.": WHOA.
31. Axton of country music: HOYT. (1938-1999) This is a 1 min. clip of Axton doing a guest appearance on WKRP Cincinnati:
"It was Della and the dealer and a dog named Jake and a cat named Kalamazoo."
32. Pie __ mode: A LA.
33. Reader of a quick-start guide: USER. Great clue! Most tech today comes with a quick-start guide and a website for more details. Gone are the days of thick USER manuals in eight languages.
34. Pair: DUO.
35. SofÃa of "Modern Family": VERGARA. I know who she is but always forget how she spells her last name.
39. Consumes: HAS. and 3-Down. Consumes: EATS.
...as in, "He HAS a sandwich for lunch every day."
40. Grocery chain with a Winking Owl wine brand: ALDI. E&J Gallo produces ALDI's own, in-house brand labeled Winking Owl -- but all I really needed was "grocery chain that begins with the letter 'A'".
42. Texting titter: LOL. To titter is to laugh in a nervous, affected, or partly suppressed manner.
43. Future DA's exam: LSAT. CSO to my big bro who is a definitely amazing District Attorney who passed the Law School Admission Test on his first try!
49. Led: HELMED. "HEadED" almost fit. It took me a bit to let go of that one....
50. Constellation bear: URSA.
51. "Head over and take a look": GO SEE.
52. "Let You Love Me" singer Rita: ORA. We often see this clue, OR A version of it, on Mondays.
53. __ prep: weekend activity for some home cooks: MEAL. DH does this. Every Sunday he preps his lunches for the work week and puts them in containers, ready for the microwave.
 |
| DH's lunches |
62. Spin bike meas.: RPM. In Spin class, speed is measured in Revolutions Per Minute.
63. Name with Will and Frankie in sitcom titles: GRACE. This clue refers to two separate sitcoms: Will and GRACE (1998-2020) and GRACE and Frankie (2015-2022). It took a bit for the penny to drop because I am unfamiliar with the second show. I was trying to think of a show with Will & Frankie. I finally noticed that titles was plural.
63. Name with Will and Frankie in sitcom titles: GRACE. This clue refers to two separate sitcoms: Will and GRACE (1998-2020) and GRACE and Frankie (2015-2022). It took a bit for the penny to drop because I am unfamiliar with the second show. I was trying to think of a show with Will & Frankie. I finally noticed that titles was plural.
64. Gnats, flies, etc.: PESTS.
65. WNW's opposite: ESE. compass directions
66. "The Princess Bride" co-star Cary: ELWES. I should have this name memorized by now but I am still working on it.
67. Spaces: AREAS. ...as in, "Please clean up your work spaces."
Down:
1. Bundle of hay: BALE. The woman in this video does a good job of showing how to use hay hooks to move a BALE of hay (1:38 min.). It's true, one of my best birthday presents ever was my very own set of hay hooks.
2. Latin shorthand in a bibliography: ET AL. It means et alia which translates to "and others". (See 31-D.)
4. Thoroughfare without tolls: FREEWAY. I liked the without tolls clueing for FREEway.
You have likely heard that Californians use the word "the" before a FREEWAY name, as in "The 405". This is a Southern California thing. As a native Northern Californian, I can say the only people I know who speak that way are people who have spent time in Southern California. YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).
5. Knight's title: SIR.
6. Befitting an offspring: FILIAL. Def.: (adj.) having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring.
7. Upper limbs: ARMS.
8. Corp. leader: CEO. Corporation and Chief Executive Officer
9. Pt. of SASE: ENV. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope and ENVelope
10. Enraging, with "off": TEEING. "Teed off" is an informal English expression to say one is angry. I always thought it was short for "Ticked off". I suppose one might say, "He is TEEING off the entire committee," but something feels off about this one.
11. Show respect, in a way: TIP ONE'S HAT. If the clue said "Shows", we would answer TIPS ONE'S HAT.
12. Flight selection: AISLE SEAT. This is my preference.
13. Slant: BIAS.
18. Awestruck: AGOG.
23. French deity: DIEU.
25. "Love It or List It" channel: HGTV. I like this show but I would like it more if they were not so adversarial.
26. Pepsi or Coke: COLA.
27. Way off: AFAR.
28. "Heavens to Betsy!": GOODNESS ME. Both are quaint expressions of surprise or astonishment.
29. Bird on Mexico's flag: EAGLE.
5. Knight's title: SIR.
6. Befitting an offspring: FILIAL. Def.: (adj.) having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring.
7. Upper limbs: ARMS.
8. Corp. leader: CEO. Corporation and Chief Executive Officer
9. Pt. of SASE: ENV. Self Addressed Stamped Envelope and ENVelope
10. Enraging, with "off": TEEING. "Teed off" is an informal English expression to say one is angry. I always thought it was short for "Ticked off". I suppose one might say, "He is TEEING off the entire committee," but something feels off about this one.
11. Show respect, in a way: TIP ONE'S HAT. If the clue said "Shows", we would answer TIPS ONE'S HAT.
12. Flight selection: AISLE SEAT. This is my preference.
18. Awestruck: AGOG.
23. French deity: DIEU.
25. "Love It or List It" channel: HGTV. I like this show but I would like it more if they were not so adversarial.
26. Pepsi or Coke: COLA.
27. Way off: AFAR.
28. "Heavens to Betsy!": GOODNESS ME. Both are quaint expressions of surprise or astonishment.
29. Bird on Mexico's flag: EAGLE.
 |
| Mexico's national animal is the majestic golden eagle. |
30. Triage ctrs.: ERS. centers and emergency rooms
31. Toys to play around with?: HULA HOOPS. This one is for the Cornerites who turned me on to Ted Lasso (Irish Miss, -T, ET AL.). I just finished Season 2 and am next in line for Season 3 at my library. I would not have known about this clip two weeks ago. It's the HULA HOOP scene from Season 2 with Coach Beard (Brenden Hunt) and girlfriend Jane Payne (1:40 min.):
34. Beaver's construction: DAM.
36. French fashion magazine: ELLE. A print-version subscription for 2025 (10 issues) costs $25.
37. Map line: ROAD.
38. Some beers: ALES.
41. Not doing much: IDLE.
44. Con artist: SCAMMER. This article from the FTC gives advice on recognizing phone scams. Another huge red flag is when someone tells you to not tell anyone about your conversation.
46. Come forth: EMERGE.
47. Greek goddesses of vengeance: FURIES. ESP for me. "Nemesis" also comes up on a Google search but this clue specifies more than one goddess. more info.
48. Actress Drescher: FRAN. (b. Sept. 30, 1957) In 2023, during the Hollywood writer's strike, we learned that this star of The Nanny (1993-1999) is the president of SAG-AFTRA.
51. "Chicago" actor Richard: GERE.
52. In the past: ONCE. Think, "I was a teenager ONCE." It is an interesting word because the clue, "In the future" works, too. Think, "ONCE you get to the stoplight, turn right."
31. Toys to play around with?: HULA HOOPS. This one is for the Cornerites who turned me on to Ted Lasso (Irish Miss, -T, ET AL.). I just finished Season 2 and am next in line for Season 3 at my library. I would not have known about this clip two weeks ago. It's the HULA HOOP scene from Season 2 with Coach Beard (Brenden Hunt) and girlfriend Jane Payne (1:40 min.):
This episode was quite the outlier. I'm still processing it. Your thoughts?
34. Beaver's construction: DAM.
36. French fashion magazine: ELLE. A print-version subscription for 2025 (10 issues) costs $25.
37. Map line: ROAD.
38. Some beers: ALES.
41. Not doing much: IDLE.
44. Con artist: SCAMMER. This article from the FTC gives advice on recognizing phone scams. Another huge red flag is when someone tells you to not tell anyone about your conversation.
46. Come forth: EMERGE.
47. Greek goddesses of vengeance: FURIES. ESP for me. "Nemesis" also comes up on a Google search but this clue specifies more than one goddess. more info.
48. Actress Drescher: FRAN. (b. Sept. 30, 1957) In 2023, during the Hollywood writer's strike, we learned that this star of The Nanny (1993-1999) is the president of SAG-AFTRA.
51. "Chicago" actor Richard: GERE.
52. In the past: ONCE. Think, "I was a teenager ONCE." It is an interesting word because the clue, "In the future" works, too. Think, "ONCE you get to the stoplight, turn right."
Also, Once is a 2007 movie with an awesome soundtrack.
54. Simplicity: EASE. "Simplicity" is also a brand of sewing patterns -- suggesting how EASy it can be to make your own clothes.
55. "__ boy!": "Well done!": ATTA.
56. "More or __": LESS.
59. Bookmarked link: URL.
60. "Yep" opposite: NAW.
61. Report card no.: GPA. number and Grade Point Average
If You Want Me ~ Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard
Many people think they are a real-life couple, but they are not.
Perhaps this is an example of a 17-A MANDELA EFFECT.
54. Simplicity: EASE. "Simplicity" is also a brand of sewing patterns -- suggesting how EASy it can be to make your own clothes.
56. "More or __": LESS.
59. Bookmarked link: URL.
60. "Yep" opposite: NAW.
61. Report card no.: GPA. number and Grade Point Average
Today's grid: 
How did you do today? Did you run away with this one or did your luck run out?
45 comments:
I won’t say that this was a “walk in the park,” simply because I was unfamiliar with the “Mandela effect.” Nonetheless, the perps were kind, so it wasn’t far from it. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning! (Brrrrrr -- no walkies today.)
Yup, I hate it when I need Wite-Out on 1a, especially on a Monday. D-o fell into the BulkS/BEEFS trap, too. Got MANDELA EFFECT, but it was still a mystery -- thanx for 'splainin', sumdaze. Enjoyed your effort, Brian and Jess. Nice expo, sumdaze. (Did you mean "Tips one's hand?")
HOYT: "Work your fingers to the bone...whaddya get? Boney fingers."
VERGARA: I wonder if Jinx will come up with an alternate spelling -- VIAGRA?
ELWES: He played the well-sponsored tornado hunter in Twister. Not sure which American accent he was shooting for, but he missed the mark.
BALE: D-o spent several summers in the hay fields, moving from farm to farm, getting in the hay crop. Those rectangular, 70-lb bales get heavy after a while.
A little tougher than most Monday’s as it took me the late week time of 17:17 to FIR. Wasn’t familiar with FILIAL or FURIES, had to correct nah to NAW and WAG the S in ELWES, perps helped me with VERGARA and MANDELA EFFECT. Figured out the theme after the reveal. Thanks Brian and Jess for the challenging CW to start the week.
sumdaze ~ thank you for the pleasant walk~through of today’s puzzle. Enjoyed the graphics, especially the toon at the airport gate. Also FLN, I did what you suggested, went back to Saturday’s comments and clicked on “Enter Comment”. It did as you said, put the replies back under the comments where they belonged and not in chronological order, thank you!
FIW, missing with ELhEr x NAh & FURIEr. Hand up for bulks->BEEFS and headed->HELMED, which caused me to erase, then reinstate, IDLE.
For my taste, this one had way too much A&E crapola. No idea for HOYT, VERGARA, ELWES, FURIES, or, for that matter, EOS as clued.
I guess that my favorite MANDELA EFFECT is that most folks think Carl Sagen said "...there are billions and billions of stars...". It was Johnny Carson doing a bit as Sagen who actually said it. Runner up would be Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, "I can see Russia from my house."
Yes, D-O, I thought about a VAGRA pun, but this is a rare puzzle without ERECT as fill, which limited my options.
Thanks to sumdaze for yet another fine review.
Well, it goes without saying that there was about 15 proper names. Of course, if it goes without saying, then why did I say it? (Charlie Brown reference!) Anyway, that, with a fairly obscure theme... not a Monday puzzle.
Took 4:09 today for me to get on my (running) shoes.
Thankfully, I was familiar with the Mandela Effect (or, at least I think I was...) and I didn't see the "furies" clue - I would not have known that. I didn't know Hoyt, but I knew today's actresses (Irene & Fran).
sumdaze, regarding the Ted Lasso episode you mentioned, that Coach Beard episode (hated it) and the Christmas episode (love it) were added to Season 2 simply as a result of a negotiation to take the show from 8 to ten episodes, because the rest of the story was already written into 8 episodes. I was told that episode is apparently some reference/allusion/parody of some other movie/story. The bump from 8 to 10 came once the show gained more popularity, due to Emmy wins.
Also, I think the LSAT is similar to the SAT and ACT in that there is no "passing" or "failing," just a score that schools use to determine whether to admit a candidate.
FIR. The bottom of this puzzle was a bear, starting with the Mandela effect and on down. I had to take a WAG at Elwes because 60D could have been nah, and the Greek goddess was a mystery to me.
The theme was clever but too many proper names was no help. This made this puzzle more than a little crunchy.
Overall not an enjoyable presentation.
This was a smooth Monday solve - the MANDELA EFFECT was unknown but solved by perps. If I had solved it on my own I would have thought of mandala which is a geometric design
I'm with SS - really didn't like the Coach Beard episode of "Ted Lasso" though I was a big fan of the show.
I'm also a fan of "The Princess Bride" so Cary ELWES was a gimme
Thanks Renee for the blog and Brian & Jess for the puzzle
Good Morning:
A agree that this has more crunch than a usual Monday offering, but nothing too difficult, thanks to perps. Hoyt and the Mandela Effect were new to me, but I knew all of the other references. The theme was well hidden until the reveal which is always a plus in my book, especially in an early week puzzle.
Thanks, Brian and Jess, and thanks, sumdaze, for your detailed expo and the usual personal asides. I agree with SS on that episode of Ted Lasso being a flop and I think there was another one that I wasn’t keen on, but can’t remember right now. The Aisle Seat comic was my favorite today.
I watched Juror No. 2 last night and recommend it highly. I wasn’t familiar with the lead actor but he was quite impressive, as were Toni Colette, and, in minor but key roles, J.K. Simmons and Kiefer Sutherland. I just found out that Clint Eastwood’s (the director) daughter had a minor role as well.
Have a great day.
It seems to me that a crossword puzzle should stretch one's mind in an enjoyable way. Today's was more like standing in the grocery line browsing through "National Enquirer" and Cosmopolitan." As Jinx noted earlier, "way too much A & E
crapola." And "Big, big stars" are not necessarily IDOLS.
The puzzle's structure didn't help much, with a rather farfetched and obscure theme that struck me as unsatisfactory, surrounded by many inscrutable clues.
All in all, not my cuppa.
Crunchier than the usual Monday fare. FILIAL is not a word you hear very often. MANDELA EFFECT- never heard of it. After filling RUNNING MATE I looked back and initially couldn't figure running LATERAL, GAGGLE, or MANDELA. It took a few seconds to realize it was late, gag, and man.
HULA HOOPS- the fad from the 50's. It was easy as a child but not for this adult. I brought one out at a BBQ and only the women could keep it up. Hips don't lie but they kept the hoop from falling down.
ALDI-grocery chain four letters and the first one is A.
ELWES- all perps
BALE- the woman with the hay hooks is definitely tougher than me.
TEEING off is hitting a golf ball. Ticking off- does that mean pulling ticks off your body?
HOYT Axton- very talented singer and writer. He is the actor in the movie Gremlins who brought the "bhagwan" home in the movie Gremlins, singer in the Big Mac commercial, and composer of a few songs you might have heard. "Joy to The World", No, No No (Ringo Starr), and others.
Thanks for all of the comments and added information, everyone!
YP@6:51. TY for letting me know you saw my post last night and that it worked for you.
SS@7:58. Ah, you're right. I was confusing the LSAT with the CA Bar exam. Also, thanks for the gouge on Ted Lasso. I also loved the Christmas episode! Knowing that the Coach Beard episode was added later makes me like it a bit more. The writers had to go from parting at the bus to bringing in coffee the next morning wearing striped pants and looking the worse for wear. Then they created a whole story between that, only using peripheral characters. Pretty scrappy.
IH@9:03. I was also thinking of a MANDaLA during the solve. One of my favorite yoga series is vinyasa mandala, named after the circular, geometric symbols.
“Monday, Monday can’t trust that day”, cuz today was not exactly a breeze, more latter-in-the-week type stuff. Even If you didn’t know “Richard” GERE was in “Chicago” there aren’t many “Richard” actors with 4 letter last names, Oh mon DIEU but the theme still kyna escapes me.
Almost put novas for “big big stars” but perp waited
The original meaning of FREEWAY was a highway free from any cross streets, lights, driveways etc. The New York State Thruway is a freeway but there are tolls.
“VP hopeful” first I put RUNNING LATE thinking of how Tim Walz entered the race “late”
I had a nonsense answer mosey first for GO SEE 😳
“Yep opp,” nope? NAW
That’ll ___ some time …. BIAS
Usher’s stated preference about his future assignment,”_____”…AISLE SEAT
That “French Magazine” ____ on the table unread …. LSAT.
Unemployed “big big star” ____ ____ … IDLE IDOL…
Enjoyed “Juror #2”. Nicholas Hoult former teen IDOL has come into his own as a serious mature actor
This CW left me cold this morning, way too many names I didn’t know and á theme I missed.
Thank GOODNESS for Sumdaze’s recap. I enjoyed it very much and I too loved the airport toon.
Hola! This was a bit of a challenge but nothing I couldn't finish.
CSO to my niece, IRENE and R.I.P. IRENE Cara.
"FILIAL devotion" is how I've seen that word used.
W was a lucky guess for me at NAW/ELWES. I don't recall Cary at all.
I've seen those EOS eggs but have never bought one.
Watching the "Golden Globes" I see actors with whose name I am familiar but might not have seen them otherwise.
Have a lovely Monday, everyone!
Musings
-Flawless solve? NAH, oops, NAW coupled with ELWES. Mon DIEU!
-I really like the gimmick where only part of a word is used
-The Super Bowl modern Olympics are doing its bit for keeping Roman Numerals alive. However, the latter does not list Usain Bolt’s 100m record as IX.LXIII. :-)
-George’s friend’s reaction at his very sad funeral started as a titter and wound up in cathartic laughter
-FILIAL – I escaped the alcoholism and asthma inheritance. My brother did not.
-We agree with you about Love It Or List It in your lovely write-up, Renee!
-Having no sub jobs and being IDLE for two weeks isn’t ideal for me.
Definitely a bit chewy for me, but I did have a learning moment with "filial."
Is this why certain racehorses are referred to as a filly, or fillies?
I sorta grokked the theme, or maybe not... (I'm still running with it...)
My brain assumed gaggle were suitable running mates ( if you run with geese...) and, lateral could possibly work as you need a running mate to do a lateral in football... and, then there was Mandela...?..?..?
Every time Atari breakout comes up, I try to see if I can find a way to play these fun retro games online for free. Usually the sites are dubious at best, and I avoid them. But today I found Breakout on this site, and it seems legit, and very playable. It also has a plethora of other games I have yet to investigate. I ran it thru Google URL checker for malware, but it came back no info, possibly because it is too new. Anon-T ( or anyone knowledgable) can you check it for me, or provide a better way to check that this site is safe?
Anywho,
All I can add is I may not live longer, because I don't excercise enough,
possibly because I cannot find a suitable running mate...
Hey, what happened to easy Monday? FIR but DNK MANDELA EFFECT and was unable to see the theme (GAGGLE RUNNING? GAGGLE MATE?) Glad the sumdaze had the HELM today. Thx for the lesson on hay hooks, and GOOD work to your DH for prepping his weekday EATS in advance!
A zippy FIR for a nice start to the week. Not usually a big fan of proper names, but for some reason, today I was familiar with Every. Single. One! Surprising. Knew of the Furies from, of all things, a David Webber sci-fi novel! The whole shebang was right on my frequency today, with the exception of the ugh-inducing GOODNESS ME paraphrase. GI...we were still called this in Viet Nam. "Hey, GI! You buy me Saigon Tea?" MANDELA EFFECT floated to the surface from somewhere deep and forgotten, and it was wrapped up nicely by sumdaze. Those hay hooks are enough to make Freddie Krueger and Captain Hook green with envy!
I am not a RUNNer, but I enjoyed the theme. Only got it when finished. Hand up struggled with crossed names and that NAW/NAH thing. Lucky WAG to FIR.
Here I am standing high above the 101 FREEWAY at the Gaviota Tunnel, leading a hike to that summit.
sumdaze Yes, we call it "The 101" here in SoCal. I have also lived in NorCal and many other places.
From Yesterday:
Lucina Thanks for your late comment about my photo of our belly dancer friend Beth AMINE. Lucky you. I spent almost a month in Morocco and never saw any belly dancing.
More difficult Monday than usual, with ELWES,/NAH last to fill in. To me, the opposite of yep is nope. Soda/COLA, bulk/Beef, Menu/MEAL
Nice memory TIP ONES HAT. My Father always doffed his fedora when passing someone he knew on the street. Now long gone, tipping and fedoras.
As Ray-O said, we have toll road The NYS Thruway and the toll free I-87, The Northway, from Albany to the Canadian border.
Happy day, all!
Greetings! Well, here I am in an unexpected restart to the New Year with my right arm cast up after a fall and broken wrist. Learning how to navigate essentially one-handed awkwardly. So many things one does two-handed without even thinking from putting cream cheese on a bagel and slicing an onion, etc. to an endless list. It’s going to be a long 6 weeks!
I liked this puzzle right up to the Natick in the middle south: EL_E_ crossing NA_ and FURIE_. (NAh? FURIEy?) I conceded & didn’t look it up. Otherwise, no WOs for the rest of the puzzle.
MANDELA EFFECT and Running (man) are new to me. MANDELA was all perps in this context.
Thanks, sumdaze, for your blog with truisms (35A, 40A, 66A, 25D) and humor.
Maverick Monday. Thanks for the fun, Brian and Jess, and sumdaze.
I FIWed in longer than my usual Monday time.
Hand up for NAh-ELhES error, and for not seeing the theme (taking the whole first word of the themers and not part).
Not familiar with the MANDELA EFFECT , but it perped.
I noted IDOLS crossing DIEU, and WHOA crossing AGOG.
This Canadian WAGged ALDI with only the I peeping. Ditto for HGTV.
We don’t have any roads called Freeways.(although nearly all our roads have no tolls, except for The 407). Yes, sumdaze, we call our 400 series highways, The 401, The 403, The 406, The QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way),but for some strange reason, we say Highway 400, not The 400.
FYI for future CW clues, Justin Trudeau, our Canadian Prime Minister, resigned today, effective when a new Liberal leader is chosen. No politics (but we are still not interested in becoming the 51st state).
Wishing you all a great day.
Monkey- FLN I was lurking and I think it was you who posted about our Canadian gift of cold weather to you. We are happy to help prevent global warming.
So sorry about your injury. Hope you heal fast.
Loved your LSAT clue. Ray-o!
Definitely crunchier than most Mondays but worked it thru. I guessed right with "Elwes" and "Naw". The "Mandela effect" was a learning moment. Thanks Sumdaze for the always entertaining recap.
Oh dear Rose. I assume you are right-handed which makes everything harder. Heal well.
Monkey, I'm sorry to hear of your fall. Back in my school days I broke my wrist twice in phys ed class -- not both in the same year. I can relate to the inconvenience of 6 weeks in a cast -- handling silverware, driving a car, even getting dressed can be a challenge.
RosE. I'm so sorry to hear about your broken wrist. Ouch! Have you heard of the pizza cutter trick? It's useful for cutting things with just one hand. Picard can probably share other helpful tricks for a broken wrist.
prayers for healing and good alignment with your wrist!
FIW and didn't get the theme until Sumdaze enlightened me...thanks, Sumdaze! Rose, I'm so sorry about your arm.
RosE
I'm so sorry to learn about your broken arm! That can't be easy if you are right-handed. I broke mine when I was ten but I don't remember much about it. I hope you heal quickly.
ARRRRGH!! FIW on a Monday! And that after spending a lot of time due to all the DNKs. Too many names, especially for a Monday. After a long struggle with some W/Os (BULKS/BEEFS, HEADED/HELMED) I got it filled only to find the dreaded WAG at NAh and ELhES was wrong. Rats!! I did not enjoy this CW, not only because I managed to FIW, but because of the number of names and MANDELAEFFECT, never heard of it, shouldn't be in a Monday CW. Come on, I need my Mondays to be easy! This one was not. Thanx to Sumdaze for the brilliant write-up, and explaining the theme, which I also failed to look for.
Best wishes to RosE and her broken wrist. I fell while roller-blading once and broke my right elbow, but didn't realize it was broken until I finally had it X-rayed three weeks later when it failed to quit hurting. By that time the bone had already set...wrong...and would need to be broken to re-set properly. I declined, and now have a built-in barometer in my right elbow. Anyway, best wishes, RosE.
Fun Monday puzzle, many thanks, Brian and Jess. And your commentary is always helpful, Sumdaze, thanks for that too.
Well, this puzzle made me think about traveling in an AIRLINE SEAT, on a plane HELMED by an experienced pilot. You'd hope the plane wouldn't bump into a GAGGLE OF GEESE, or an EAGLE, or any of the other PESTS that occupy the sky. Let's hope we'd have a chance to enjoy a MEAL, along with some other good EATS. Looks like we'll get a COLA, although I'd rather have a glass of wine. Still, nice to be AFAR up in the sky, and let's hope that we'll soon EMERGE safely on the ground.
Have a wonderful week coming up, everybody.
Gift! We went from á lovely high of 81 to á bitter 35 in 24 hours.
D-O. It was RosE who had the injury.
Misty @ 2:54. Your story reminded me of the time my friend was flying out of SFO to visit me but her plane hit a seagull and had to turn around. I asked her if she was aware of it happening. She said, "No, but it did smell like chicken so I thought they were heating up lunch."
Can NYS apply for Canadian province hood or at least as a new territory. Plus My mom was born just a few miles (sorry kilometers. I swear I’ll get use to the metric system) south of the St Lawrence River, real close to Ontario. Does that make me eligible for citizenship?
😌
RoseE, Ack!,!! What a pain in the butt (specifically)!
No one likes to talk about this, (except me...) but the biggest problem is wiping your butt. If you have a Bidet, your all set. If you don't, a shower head hose attachment can be your best friend. If you find it difficult to squat, (or getting up again) you might find help with those wipe your butt wands. They can be helpful, but I found them to big too big to get into delicate places.
Just to be delicate about this, the best aid I have found, is the simple pencil...
Make sure you wrap some painters tape ( or some soft tape) around the eraser and metal parts, and four sheets of TP doubled over with the pencil underneath make a perfect wipe helper. It is a certain art form that requires experience to get it right without tearing the TP, angle is everything. Repetition is required, but don't overdo it. As you get older the old spinacher muscle gets loose and you'll end up wiping the inside of your rectum. 3 times is max, then give up.
You can avoid skid marks in your shorts thusly:
4 sheets, doubled over pencil, and wipe (carefully, please!)
Unfold the doubled TP , refold it backwards to give a fresh clean side and re wipe. Lastly, fold it into one square of four sheets and place the cleanest side diamond style on the pencil of (carefully) place it where the sun don't shine, and stand up with it in place. Then carefully remove and examine your progress. If you don't have clean Tp by the third try, give up, because you are probably trying to clean your intestines...
If there is anything anyone does not want to talk about, give me an email, and I will try to help.
Rose, sumdaze Sorry to hear about your broken wrist, Rose. Do you know which bone was broken? In my case it was the scaphoid. It was not six weeks. It was four months to the day before I got the splint off.
But I had a couple of lucky breaks (!). It was my left hand and I am right-handed. And the cast and then the splint allowed me to use my fingers. I was even able to play flute in a series of Christmas concerts.
No lifting, though. Fortunately, DW helped with that. Yes, two hands are way more useful than one. But I am also grateful to realize that one hand is infinitely more useful than none.
Today was my first real bicycle ride in over four months. It hurt, but I was glad to be back on it.
Picard, RosE, Sumdaze
Many years ago a friend broke both of her wrists when she slid off a ladder. Since she was bandaged on both hands and wrists she would ask me to help her anytime she had to do anything, ANYTHING, including her private functions. As a friend, I was, not happy, but pleased that I could help her during the time of her "confinement".
We are currently -9C (16F). But we are probably more used to it than you. Plus, you had a huge drop in temperature. Get out the woollies!
We are short in doctors. You might try that route. LOL!
Just an addendum, my aim is always to either enlighten, help, or entertain. I hope no one is offended. But in retrospect, blog posts should be puzzle related. So in that vein:
I have never been able to construct a puzzle, as I am never satisfied with the fill enough to call it complete. But if you want a theme that's different, here goes:
The hardest type of puzzle (for me) is a theme reveal that requires finding the themers. Harder yet would be themers that require finding the reveal. There may be a way to clue the following if it's really needed:
(See theme reveal)
VERY SHARP
( 9 letters, vertical)
(See theme reveal)
NUMBER TWO
(9 letters vertical)
(See theme reveal)
IN YOUR EAR
(9 letters vertical)
And a whopping 15 letters horizontaL
(theme reveal)
JOHN WICKS PENCIL
There ya go, add some fill, have fun with it, and good luck getting any publication to accept it.
Post a Comment