Title: "Rank and File."
 |
| The Count on the 9th hole. |
Constructor Ricky J. Sirois returns to our favorite page of the L.A. Times for the fourth time, asking us to count in ordinal numbers from first to ninth. The theme clues and answers, symmetrically placed throughout the Across lines of the puzzle, are:
22. First place: TOP OF THE LINE.
30. Second banana: ASSISTANT MANAGER.
45. Third base: HOT CORNER. Malodorous Manatee explained this baseball reference in his blog post for Amanda Cook's puzzle on Friday, January 10, 2025.
52. Fourth Estate: PUBLIC PRESS. In the time of the French revolution, the first estate was the clergy, the second estate was the nobility, and the third estate was the commoners and bourgeois. A few years later, folks began to refer to the press as the fourth estate.
68. Fifth wheel: SPARE TIRE.
80. Sixth sense: GUT INSTINCT.
91. Seventh heaven: SHANGRI-LA. Shangri-La is a fictional place in the mountains of Tibet, described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley. Shangri-La has come to mean any earthly paradise.
106. "Eighth Grade": COMING OF AGE STORY. Eighth Grade is a 2018 American coming-of-age comedy drama film.
117. Ninth circle: CENTER OF HELL. The Inferno is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century narrative poem The Divine Comedy, followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. The Inferno describes the journey of a fictionalised version of Dante himself through Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the Earth.
No circles of hell here, though! Just a few unknowns that are solvable by perpendicular entries.
Let's wander through the rest of the clues and answers.
Across:
1. Headbanging genre: METAL. An intense sort of rock and roll music.
6. Colts and fillies: FOALS. Baby horses! Colts are male, fillies are female.
11. Kept involved via email: CC'ed. "Carbon copied" (in the days of typewriters), or copied on an email.
15. Broncos org.: AFC. American Football Conference.
18. Circumvent: EVADE.
19. Fictional teen sleuth Belden: TRIXIE. Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham; the stories were then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.
6. Colts and fillies: FOALS. Baby horses! Colts are male, fillies are female.
11. Kept involved via email: CC'ed. "Carbon copied" (in the days of typewriters), or copied on an email.
15. Broncos org.: AFC. American Football Conference.
18. Circumvent: EVADE.
19. Fictional teen sleuth Belden: TRIXIE. Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham; the stories were then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.
20. Off-color: BLUE.
21. LeBron's team, on scoreboards: LAL. Los Angeles Lakers.
22. [Theme clue]
24. River crossed by Washington's troops: DELAWARE.
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| Washington crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851 |
26. Steps in: ENTERS.
27. Frigg's husband: ODIN. In Norse mythology, Frigg is the wife of Odin, the king of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and motherhood.
29. Oscar nominee McCarthy: MELISSA.
30. [Theme clue]
34. Largest organ in the human body: SKIN.
35. Butter servings: PATS. I worry about the ones we leave uneaten on the cafe table.
27. Frigg's husband: ODIN. In Norse mythology, Frigg is the wife of Odin, the king of the gods, and the goddess of marriage and motherhood.
29. Oscar nominee McCarthy: MELISSA.
30. [Theme clue]
34. Largest organ in the human body: SKIN.
35. Butter servings: PATS. I worry about the ones we leave uneaten on the cafe table.
36. Yankees great Gehrig: LOU.
37. "Then what happened!?": GO ON.
38. Duane __: pharmacy chain: READE. Discovered this pharmacy chain in NYC.
39. Make an oopsie: ERR.
40. Skit show featuring Kenan Thompson since 2003, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
42. Pinterest pin: PIC. On Pinterest, users "pin" images they've found online -- like a virtual bulletin board.
45. [Theme clue]
47. Welcomes: SAYS HI.
49. Tibetan priests: LAMAS.
51. Exploit: FEAT. Exploit used as a noun: a striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act:
52. [Theme clue]
55. Flamboyantly showy: GARISH.
60. Teri of "Young Frankenstein": GARR. Sadly, Teri Garr died from complications of multiple sclerosis in October 2024 at the age of 79.
37. "Then what happened!?": GO ON.
38. Duane __: pharmacy chain: READE. Discovered this pharmacy chain in NYC.
39. Make an oopsie: ERR.
40. Skit show featuring Kenan Thompson since 2003, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live.
42. Pinterest pin: PIC. On Pinterest, users "pin" images they've found online -- like a virtual bulletin board.
45. [Theme clue]
47. Welcomes: SAYS HI.
49. Tibetan priests: LAMAS.
51. Exploit: FEAT. Exploit used as a noun: a striking or notable deed; feat; spirited or heroic act:
the exploits of Alexander the Great.
52. [Theme clue]
55. Flamboyantly showy: GARISH.
60. Teri of "Young Frankenstein": GARR. Sadly, Teri Garr died from complications of multiple sclerosis in October 2024 at the age of 79.
 |
| Teri Garr |
63. Sign of distress: SOS. SOS is a Morse code distress signal ( ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄▄▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ), originally established for maritime use. SOS was not an abbreviation when it was first used. Later, a backronym was created for it in popular usage, and SOS became associated with mnemonic phrases such as "Save Our Souls" and "Save Our Ship." The phrase "SOS" has entered general usage to informally indicate a crisis or the need for action.
64. Target in mini golf: PAR. This threw me off. Isn't PAR also the target in regular golf?
65. Cooling-off period: DETENTE.
66. Something to go by?: ALIAS.
68. [Theme clue]
72. Consumer: EATER.
73. Pipián verde seeds: PEPITAS. Pipián verde is a traditional Mexican green mole (sauce) that gets its color and flavor from pumpkin seeds.
 |
| Pipián verde |
75. Rolls on the dirt?: SOD. Very clever.
76. Blonde brew: ALE.
78. Search meticulously: COMB.
79. Like a drive through the mountains: SCENIC.
80. [Theme clue]
84. Pixar title fish: NEMO.
86. Abdicates: CEDES.
87. Street musician: BUSKER.
91. [Theme clue]
96. Spoil: MAR.
97. Manhattan spirit: RYE.
98. Bird that lays green eggs: EMU. Yup!
76. Blonde brew: ALE.
78. Search meticulously: COMB.
79. Like a drive through the mountains: SCENIC.
80. [Theme clue]
84. Pixar title fish: NEMO.
86. Abdicates: CEDES.
87. Street musician: BUSKER.
91. [Theme clue]
96. Spoil: MAR.
97. Manhattan spirit: RYE.
98. Bird that lays green eggs: EMU. Yup!
 |
| Emu egg |
99. Some pajama tops, casually: CAMIS. Short for camisoles.
100. Suffix that turns adjectives into nouns: NESS. If I am tardy, please excuse my tardiNESS.
102. Nest egg inits.: IRA. In a world where many workers don't have company sponsored pensions, it's important to have an Individual Retirement Account or similar plan in place.
104. Desertlike: ARID.
105. Singer India.__: ARIE. We've met Ms Arie on this page many times.
106. [Theme clue]
111. Apple AirTag, for one: TRACKER. Bad guys are dropping these in people's pockets! If you find one among your things, remove the battery and call the police.
113. Garment worn with a choli: SARI. A choli is a fitted shirt worn with a wrapped sari.
114. Pays: REMITS.
115. Ireland, in Latin: HIBERNIA. Hibernia is the Classical Latin name for Ireland.
117. [Theme clue]
121. Slithery swimmer: EEL.
122. Roti flour: ATTA. Roti is an Indian circular flatbread, made with ground whole wheat flour or “atta.”
123. Pelvic exercises: KEGELS. The life-long assignment of all women who have borne children.
124. Country singer Tucker: TANYA.
125. Pig's pad: STY.
126. "The __ of Summer": Don Henley song: BOYS.
127. Shared account?: STORY.
128. Like San Francisco's Lombard Street: STEEP. Steep and curvy.
 |
| Lombard Street |
Down:
1. Joined: MET. As in, met (or joined) for dinner ...
2. Annual gaming tournament, for short: EVO. The Evolution Championship Series, commonly known as Evo, is an annual event that focuses exclusively on fighting-style electronic games.
3. Carole King album with the song used as the "Gilmore Girls" theme: TAPESTRY.
4. Dreamboat of Greek mythology: ADONIS. In Greek mythology, Adonis was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity.
5. Some turns: LEFTS.
6. San Joaquin Valley city: FRESNO. Harder if you're not Californian.
7. Word with can or pan: OIL.
8. Saying that goes without saying: AXIOM.
9. Blair of "The Exorcist": LINDA.
10. Dating: SEEING.
11. Chem. in some calming pet treats: CBD. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple forms of epilepsy. Clinical research on CBD includes studies related to the treatment of anxiety, addiction, psychosis, movement disorders, and pain, but at this point there is insufficient evidence that CBD is effective for these conditions.
12. Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto: CLEMENTE. Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (1934 – 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In December 1972, Clemente died in the crash of a plane he had chartered to take emergency relief goods for the survivors of a massive earthquake in Nicaragua. He was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
 |
| Roberto Clemente |
13. Graph theory pioneer: EULER. Leonhard Euler (1707 – 1783) was a Swiss polymath who was active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, logician, geographer, and engineer. He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made influential discoveries in many other branches of mathematics such as analytic number theory, complex analysis, and infinitesimal calculus.
14. "I agree to those terms!": DEAL!
15. Juneau native: ALASKAN.
16. Gary Larson comic strip, with "The": FAR SIDE.
17. After-hours employee, perhaps: CLEANER.
19. In __ to: deeply engrossed in: THRALL.
23. Vietnamese New Year: TET.
25. Better informed: WISER.
28. 119-Down formula: NaOH. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a white, odorless, corrosive solid that is used in many industrial and household products. It is also known as lye or caustic soda.
30. Chimpanzees, e.g.: APES.
31. Gilbert of "The Conners": SARA. Sara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner on the ABC sitcom Roseanne.
32. Rapper Shakur: TUPAC. Tupac Shakur (1971 – 1996) was an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. His lyrics are noted for addressing social injustice, political issues, and the marginalization of African-Americans, but he was also synonymous with gangsta rap. He was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
 |
| Tupac Shakur |
33. Makes an oopsie: GOOFS.
38. Take turns: ROTATE.
40. Moo __ pork: SHU.
41. Ballpoint tips: NIBS.
43. Little hellion: IMP.
44. Latin "Seize the day": CARPE DIEM.
46. Parakeet enclosure: CAGE.
48. Graded injury: SPRAIN. A first-degree sprain is the mildest form of sprain, resulting in minimal tissue damage and quick recovery time. A second-degree sprain happens when one or more ligaments has been damaged. A third-degree sprain occurs when the ligament has torn. These are ordinal numbers through which we would prefer not to progress.
49. Challenge for a speech therapist: LISP.
50. Usher to a table: SEAT.
53. End of a hot streak: LOSS.
54. __ Lanka: SRI.
56. Doesn't keep a poker face: REACTS.
57. Call __ question: INTO.
58. Fruit holder: STEM.
59. Mint, e.g.: HERB.
60. Unaccounted-for times on a résumé: GAPS.
61. Knighted actor Guinness: ALEC.
62. Fragrant, in a bad way: RIPE. "Ripe" can be used as an adjective to describe a smell that is strong and unpleasant, similar to being stinky.
65. Shop with a meat slicer: DELI. Delicatessen: a good place to purchase sliced pastrami or corned beef, if you're into that sort of thing. DH craves the veggie Reuben sandwich at Canter's Deli in L.A.
67. Result of stirring up a hornet's nest: STINGS.
69. Sun Devils sch.: ASU. Arizona State University.
70. Source of some coll. scholarships: ROTC. Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a leadership training and development program that prepares full-time, college-enrolled students for service opportunities in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force.
71. "Shucks!": RATS.
74. Laptop giant: ACER.
77. Genderqueer identity: ENBY. "Enby" is a term used to describe someone who identifies as non-binary, or outside of the male and female gender binary. It's pronounced "en-bee." This is perfect crosswordese, as we are used to spelling out the sounds of letters in our answers.
80. Humanoid creature of Jewish folklore: GOLEM. A golem is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud.
81. Secrecy doc: NDA. Non-disclosure agreement. Promise not to tell!
82. Typographical flourish: SERIF.
83. Stick at a table: CUE. Pool table. Billiards.
85. Smaller side: MINORITY.
88. Portable stove fuel: KEROSENE. I was finally relieved of pumping kerosene stoves when I married DH. He is not a camper. DH says, if the Lord meant for us to go camping, why did he create all these fine hotels?
89. Gulf States title: EMIR.
90. Football film with the tagline "Sometimes a winner is a dreamer who just won't quit": RUDY. Rudy is a 1993 film about the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who dreamed of playing football at the University of Notre Dame, despite significant obstacles.
91. Lambastes: SCATHES.
92. Abolitionist Tubman: HARRIET.
93. In a friendly way: AMIABLY.
94. Sister's daughter: NIECE.
95. Garage sale caveat: AS IS.
97. Wild parties: RAGERS.
101. After-school treats: SNACKS.
103. Almost never: RARELY.
104. In addition: AT THAT.
106. Italian hundred: CENTO.
107. Welcome: GREET.
108. "Weird Science" band __ Boingo: OINGO. "Weird Science" is a 1985 song by American new wave band Oingo Boingo. The song reached No. 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 21 on the US Dance Club Charts, and No. 81 in Canada. It is Oingo Boingo's most successful single.
109. Punk kin: EMO. Emo is an offshoot of punk rock, according to many crossword constructors.
110. Aerates, as flour: SIFTS.
112. The Krusty __: SpongeBob's employer: KRAB.
116. Inserts for some electric toothbrushes: AAs.
118. Rx notation: TER. Terbinafine is used to treat fungal infections.
119. Caustic chemical: LYE.
120. Swimmer's unit: LAP.
Here's the grid:
C.C. had computer problems, and asked me yesterday to substitute for her today.
Because this review was hasty, please excuse any GOOFS due to my hastiNESS!
-- NaomiZ
31 comments:
I have found this week of puzzles to be an unusually “tame” one. Today’s puzzle continues along those same lines. It wasn’t terribly difficult (although it was fun seeing how all the “ranks” played out.) FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
"Word with can or pan" _I_ could'a been TIN rather than OIL. Wite-Out, please. HOT CORNER has been ubiquitous lately...even on Jeopardy!. AMIABLY, because AMICABLY was too long. In the end, d-o had never heard of KEGELS and opted for an I for that second E. That resulted in TIR for the RX notation. I've seen TID (ter in die -- three times a day) on prescriptions, but never TER. Bzzzzzt. Thanx to Ricky for the diversion, and to NaomiZ for her last minute substitution. Well done to both of you.
FIR in a little over a half hour, a rarity that I knew all of the names, EULER took a perps to get, I know of him but not by the clue. I doubt too many here on the Corner knew EVO. AT THAT didn’t really make sense to me. STORY made two appearances, don’t see that often. ENBY was new to me as was KEGELS, and NAOH was perped. I think TER in the Rx context refers to “three times”. Thank you Ricky for the Sunday fun, and to NaomiZ for the nice write-up on short notice!
FIR, but cloud nine->SHANGRILA, rot->MAR, gin->RYE, naan->ATTA, adage->AXIOM, reek->RIPE, ravers->RAGERS, and deleware->DELAWARE (UNTIE!)
I attended a wedding at Washington Crossing, PA. Nice tourist town.
I don't mind the California-centric clues and fills like FRESNO. After all, this is the Los Angeles Times crossword. But the NY/NJ pharmacy chain Duane READE should be in the NY Times crossword, not here.
I was going to mention my first thoughts about third base, but on second thought I won't.
Most(?) new cars these days don't come with SPARE TIRES. Rentals haven't had them for years.
CENTER OF HELL. That's what a buddy of mine calls Oakland.
I don't equate volume of knowledge with wisdom. Haven't you met an educated fool?
I don't get in addition->AT THAT. V8 cans, please?
I knew OINGO Boingo but not the song. I was thinking of Thomas Dolby's hit She Blinded Me with Science.
Thanks to Ricky for the fun Sunday workout. My favorite was "consumer" for EATER. And thanks to NaomiZ for pinch hitting. Although I love the personal tidbits from CC's Sunday reviews, I like the additional "meat on the bones" that you provided.
Forgot to suggest - when you are doing your KEGELS, don't drop your (ben wa) balls.
The 1-9 theme was obvious. All were fairly easy except the COMING OF AGE STORY. And that fill made it very hard to fill the "Shared account?" fill because I was hesitant to put STORY as a fill twice. KEGEL was unknown and that was my last fill. Well, I guess that's "hisTORY".
I only know India ARIE from crosswords. I guess Arie Luyendyk isn't know as well. TRIXIE, PIC, PEPITAS, EVO, FRESNO, CBD, ENBY, RUDY, OINGO-unknown. TER- I wanted TID and the unknown KEGEL above the 'second STORY' made the unknown TER a perp fill.
I didn't know SARA of "The Connors" but the Terminators (Arnold et al) were looking for Sarah Connor in the movies.
TRACKER- Baton Rouge new car facility that stores cars (with keys inside) when they are unloaded off trains. Some enterprising car thieves used equipment to scan new cars and copy the keys. AIR TAGS were put on the cars. Then waited until after somebody bought the cars from auto dealers, went to the people's homes and drove off in their new cars.
Most dad bods have SPAE TIRES.
Took 13:23 today.
I knew today's actresses (Garr, Melissa, & Sara). I, also, don't get "at that" for "in addition" or "evo."
Clever puzzle.
I resisted putting in STORY as well. Generally duplications are taboo.
Fun Sunday with a nice pinch hit from Naomi who apparently is not short. I am . Terri Garr gave us some wonderful performances and is missed. Sara Gilbert also played Johnny Galeki’s girlfriend on Big Ban Theory. Tanya Tucker dated George Lucas, she was irrepressible and not lady like, but fun. I really enjoyed the puzzle and the write up.
Happy Sunday unless you are from Detroit where the Lions have continued their streak as the only NFL team to never play in the Super Bowl
Thanks Naomi and Ricky
This is Lemonade btw
‘
FIR although it got sticky in the deep south. Knew GOLEM from Lord of the Rings, although Tolkien spelled it Gollum.
Ricky's ordinal numbers exercise today seemed pretty straightforward and not particularly challenging.
There were too many proper names--rap artist, TV sitcom actress, singers, a female teen sleuth--you name it.
By and large, Ricky and Patti avoided Natick situations, with the exception (for me) of the extreme NW, where we were faced with both a gaming tournament and a TV sitcom actress side-by-side with the name of a pop music album.
The puzzle was nicely constructed, and showed glimpses of creativity and freshness in the clues [BTW, when you add "-ing" to "clue," is the resulting word spelled "clueing" or "cluing"? I see both]. There were a few clever misdirections; I wish there had been more!
Thanks, Ricky, for a pleasant and fun Sunday morning diversion. And thanks, NaomiZ, for gallantly stepping in at the last minute to guide us.
DNF Way, way too many proper names for me.
FIR, but had to take a WAG at the crossing of enby and busker to get the win. Neither clue was in my wheelhouse. There were several off the wall clues as well, but the perps made them happen.
However, the theme was clever, and I enjoyed that part of the solve.
But overall this puzzle left me unimpressed!
Genderqueer? I thought that clue was a bit unfair
NaomiZ has become a valuable substitute Blogger on C.C.'s team, and is responsive AT THAT. Kudos to NaomiZ for quickly pulling together and posting the review!
The same technology that allows Apple AirTags to work can be used to find trackers that are surreptitiously tracking you.
Use your smartphone. The function works on both iPhones and Android phones. Google search "scan for unknown trackers" to get the instructions; it's easy to do AT THAT.
You can also download specialized apps if you are really wary.
I’m discouraged that I’ve become so bad at working CW puzzles. DNF this one. I just can’t get all those names and that discourages me. I don’t have IM☘️ P&P. I did enjoy the ordinal number theme, but not the rest.
I hope CC gets her computer fixed soon. Thank you NaomiZ for filling in at the last minute. I didn’t notice any oopsies.
Musings
-A quick tiptoe through the cwd tulips.
-Many softball players at the HOT CORNER now wear facemasks like catchers
-After decades of middle school teaching, I saw JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL fit perfectly for Eighth Grade. Uh, nope.
-To some of us, TRIXIE will always be Ed Norton’s wife
-Putt Putt mini golf has a PAR of 2 on every hole
-Set your GPS to 1099 Lombard Street but then you may have to wait in line when you get there
-The Dodger ROTATION in 1963 included Koufax, Padres and Drysdale
-Like NaomiZ today, ex-Yankee Moose Skowron was a good pinch hitter for those Dodgers.
-One winter I laid bricks inside a makeshift plastic shelter with KEROSENE heaters. :-(
-After a tough loss to KC Chiefs in KC yesterday, Houston QB C.J. Stroud AMIABLY stayed for autographs and selfies. That’s classy!
-RARELY – Do you correct people who say “not hardly”?
FIW, but largely because of stupid unforced errors. KerosIne instead of KerosEne and losE instead of losS. Those prevented me from perping some “problematic” answers.
DNK: COMING OF AGE STORY, CENTER OF HELL, TRIXIE, READE, PEPITAS, EVO, TER
Probably heard of but felt no need to remember: BUSKER, CAMIS, ARIE
DNK as clued: SARI (never heard of choli), PIC
Awkward/poorly clued (APC?): GOON, NESS, SCATHES. double entry STORY
DNK, don’t need to know, hope to never see again: ENBY
Some happy memory entries: CLEMENTE, TAPESTRY, FARSIDE, GARR, KEGELS (we’ve had three kids)
Was it Nick Foals that called the filly-filly?
Fairly straightforward puzzle, with the exception of any (and all) names. Plus one Frawnch. But please forgive my density, but is that it? 1 to 9's cute themies? Somehow, I want more out of it, there's gotta be something I'm missing here...
It has been so long, that I don't remember if it started with a link from a previous blog post. But I just watch an early film of Teri Garr on youtube that was in my list of things to watch. Every morning, i routinely do the Wordle, and pause to check youtube for notifications, then scan down to news headlines, and along the way, bookmark any videos that look interesting to watch later so I can get back to the Wordle. Well my "watch later" list is now up to 525 videos! So that Teri Garr link must have been from months ago...
Here it is again if you want now rescanned in HD!
Oops, almost forgot, silly theme pic...
Hmm, something about that pic rem8nds me of how I store my YouTube videos...
Almost forgot again,
Thank you NaomiZ for the write up, very informative, hope everything is ok (aiught?) with CC...
From previously, thank you Sumdaze! That soothing music link is absolutely perfect! Just what I was looking for!
If anyone is interested, here is the hotlink direct to the YouTube app...
Only problem now, is that right now I don't have a TV in my bedroom! That's why I'm so Alexa oriented I guess. I even put two alexa's on each of my night tables and set them up as a stereo pair. It like listening to stereo headphones while lying in bed without the headphones! Sorry t9 rant on about this, but you have to try it out. Take those beach sounds recordings, they sound so fake on one speaker. But get an upgrade app, and those waves now roll in around the entire room! It wonderful...
I resemble that remark!
Do you correct people who say “not hardly”? RARELY. I save it for folks who say "irregardless." Makes my teeth hurt.
Clever puzzle.
I believe that TER is code for the pharmacist to put Three Times A Day on your prescription label.
Husker, where I grew up, and within the family, "not hardly" wasn't used to mean rarely. Hardly (by itself) often simply meant no or not, in addition to the normal "infrequently" or rarely connotations. Not hardly has a more emphatic meaning. Then there was just hardly. Let me explain the usage by examples.
Can the field be plowed? "Hardly. It's still too wet." (Meaning no.)
Was the argument worth it? "Just hardly." (Hardly replacing barely.)
Dad, can I use the car Saturday night? "Not hardly." (Meaning absolutely not.)
It all depended on the context. And I sure as heck wasn't going to correct my dad and tell him that it was a double negative. Especially if there was a chance I might be able to use the car the next Saturday night! :-)
AT THAT -->Also
Interesting Sunday puzzle--many thanks, Ricky. And thanks too for your helpful commentary, NaomiZ--with lots of neat pictures. Enjoyed that too.
Well, I had a GUT INSTINCT from the very beginning that this puzzle was going to go in two very different directions: one POSITIVE and the other a bit NEGATIVE.
So the TOP OF THE LINE gets us ready to meet the ASSISTANT MANAGER, a WISER helper who introduces us to ADONIS, a very positive figure who AMIABLY SAYS HI to us, and gives us best wises for CARPE DIEM, a good day. She also offers us some SNACKS, and encourages us to look at some TAPESTRY that had been featured in the PUBLIC PRESS.
On the more negative side good things turn out to be a MINORITY, as we soon find ourselves in the CENTER OF HELL. This is a place where we SPRAIN our ankle, and get hurt from bee STINGS, and where our SPARE TIRE doesn't work so we get stuck on the road. There are GAPS in each of our projects, and our efforts ERR over and over again, with tons of GOOFS. On the first day we meet a bunch of GOONS, and later a bunch of RAGERS who even upset the poor APES in their STY.
I think I'm going to go back to the ASSISTANT MANAGER and have her tell me her COMING OF AGE STORY. That will be a lot more fun.
Have a beautiful Sunday, everybody.
Puzzle author here just chiming in to say the crossing on the bottom was not originally a dupe of STORY. I had STONY crossing TEN. Not sure why that editorial decision was made, but I’m not the editor.
Thanks for the comments and feedback. Love to hear what people liked and disliked. More puzzles from me to come…
Hola!
Lots of delays today. It's the Marathon Race which crosses my street and forces me to take a detour to church. Then my pew partners like to stay and chat after Mass. Finally I got to the puzzle, part of which I had filled earlier. TRIXIE was unknown and I had TRUDIE which seemed right but then the crosses didn't work. The rest of the puzzle was doable and I finished in good time.
It's not surprising that the men would not know KEGELS.
TRACKER is also my favorite Sunday night TV show with the heartthrob, Justin Hartley.
I had a Natick at ENBY/BUSKER. Both are unknown.
Hispanic people are slowly emerging from a MINORITY close to being the majority.
NESS could easily have been clued with Eliot.
CSO to my sisters-in-law, LINDA. All three of my brothers married a LINDA.
Why not ATTA girl/boy?
I hope your Sunday is going well, everyone! I'm sorry C.C. is having computer problems. Thank you, Naomi, for being a good ASSISTANT.
Great job, NaomiZ! Puzzle-wise, we solved the entire grid, pausing a few times to take a look at how the longer answers related to each other and to the puzzle title but never "groking" that the theme was in the clues.
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