Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Friday puzzle by Kelly Richardson. Kelly has had several puzzles previously published by the LA Times and made her NY Times debut in July, 2024. Today's puzzle contains many answers that we have seen before as well as quite a few proper nouns - many music-related.
While there is no reveal" in today's grid there is a theme. At four places Kelly has created punny word play employing the names of U.S. states. At three of those places she uses abbreviations for the states' names (although not the official USPS abbreviations) and for the fourth she truncates the name by dropping the word NEW.
Here are the four places where the gimmick appears:
16 Across: Play staged by Boston's Commonwealth Shakespeare Company?: MASS PRODUCTION. From Massachusetts.
23 Across: . Demand policy changes from lawmakers in Olympia?: PRESSURE WASH. From Washington. Tell those politicians what you want.
53 Across: Digits starting with 908?: JERSEY NUMBER. 908 is the (telephone calling) Area Code for New JERSEY.
62 Across:. Fortunes made in Chicago?: ILL GOTTEN GAINS. From Illinois.
This is how everything appears in the grid:
.... and here are the rest of the clues and answers:
Across:1. One of Islam's five pillars: HAJJ.
5. Avocado dip, for short: GUAC. GUACamole.
9. Truckful: LOAD.
13. Margarine: OLEO. A spread frequently slathered in (on?) our puzzles.
14. Not fooled by: ON TO.
15. General vibe: AURA. Anybody need a crystal?
20. Johnny of "Point Break": UTAH. A fictional character.
21. Audio jack abbr.: MIC. MICrophone
26. Trails: PATHS.
29. Vegetable in bamia: OKRA.
30. DOL division: OSHA.
31. "Don't Bring Me Down" gp.: ELO. Electric Light Orchestra
34. Robed ruler: EMIR. A position frequently occupied in our puzzles.
36. Steinem who co-founded Ms. magazine: GLORIA.
38. More repulsive: ICKIER.
42. Betting figures: ODDS.
I know. I know.
65. Jelly that may be added to boba tea: ALOE. How do I clue thee? Let me count the ways.
66. Tear: REND.
67. Let go of: DROP.
68. Window-rattling: LOUD. If Dan could scream very loudly how LOUD would Daniel?
69. Contributes: ADDS.
70. So small: EENY. EENY. Meeny. Miny.
1. Last word of "The Wizard of Oz": HOME.
2. Woeful cry: ALAS. My experiment of cross breeding a hen with a Slinky has failed. ALAS, I've no spring chicken!
3. Quip: JEST.
4. Soul and gospel singer Margie: JOSEPH. Great name.
6. Card game cry: UNO. Frequently played in our puzzles.
7. Just before nightfall: AT DUSK.
8. High fashion: COUTURE. From the French.
9. Woodworking tool: LATHE.
10. "Mais __!": OUI. Une autre des leçons de français d'aujourd'hui.
12. Coffee pastry: DANISH. Culinary Misnomers
17. __ meteor: many an August streaker: PERSEID.
18. Italian term of affection: CARA MIA.
24. Mop (up): SOP.
25. Stop __ order: bad news on a construction site: WORK.
26. Cribbage marker: PEG. Fifteen two, fifteen four and a pair is six.
27. More than most: ALL. ALL would, indeed be more.
28. Additionally: TOO.
33. Rueful reply: SADLY NO. Alas.
35. Glacial calving result: ICE BERG. Sometimes clued with reference to a salad.
37. "I'm Coming Out" singer: ROSS.
39. USDT division: IRS.
40. Take off the table?: EAT. Not a negotiation reference.
41. Reuben bread: RYE.
43. "Strangers in the Night" crooner: SINATRA.
46. Supplies tunes, briefly: DJS. Used here as verb . . . and what this blogger seems to be doing today.
47. Like drone footage: AERIAL.
48. Kitchen pad: BRILLO.
50. Got the ball rolling?: PUTTED. A golf reference.
52. Game point?: ARCADE. Not a tennis reference. The point (place) where one plays pinball and other games.
54. Spurred (on): EGGED.
55. Stripes: BANDS. As in BANDS of color.
59. Employ: HIRE.
60. Hip to: IN ON.
61. Athletic honor: ESPY. Frequently awarded in our puzzles.
63. "The Incredible Hulk" star Ferrigno: LOU.
4 comments:
Now THAT’S what I call a Friday-worthy puzzle! I don’t think
IM can claim it was “too easy” for a Friday, yet for the most part it was fair, and definitely doable (or, at least, I ended up being able to do it). FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
There sure were lotsa names in this one, but most were familiar. Got the state theme early on -- didn't really help with the solve. I doubt that anyone under 60 remembers Eydie GORMÉ -- you can blame it on the bossa nova. That "Dodge pickup" clue should be retired. RAM is its own brand now. Still, d-o liked this puzzle and it came into the station in good time. Thanx, Kelly and Mal-Man.
FIR, thanks to the theme. Erased tENY for EENY.
I knew COUTURE but, of course, I had no idea how to spel it. Ditto haute, but that wasn't needed today.
Took me a while for ROSS. I was thinking of I'm coming up, so you'd better Get the Party Started, recorded by Shirley Bassey and made famous by Pink.
When I saw USDT I thought of the Transportation Department. No, that's DOT. As far as I can tell, there isn't an abbreviation for the Treasury Department. But I only checked the official A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies.
Thanks to Kelly for the fun puzzle that washed away the foul taste of yesterday's offering. And thanks to our MalMan for another enjoyable review. Loved all the tunes.
way too many names and cutesy obscure garbage. titt
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