I'm Bored. Each two work theme answer can be paired with the word Board to give us two new concepts.
19-Across. Bit of sidewalk art: CHALK DRAWING. Chalk Board and Drawing Board.
25-Across. Checking account problem: OVER DRAFT. Overboard and Draft Board.
30-Across. Make one's way to a previous location: HEAD BACK. Head Board and Backboard.
48-Across. Shower gel: BODY WASH. Body Board and Washboard.
56-Across. Ballpark buy that may come with a free pencil: SCORE CARD. Score Board and Cardboard.
And the unifier:
64-Across. High-level get-together, or an apt description of the pairing found in 19-, 25-, 30-, 48-, or 56-Across?: BOARD MEETING.
Across:
1. Insta upload: PIC.
4. Rod on a cello's base: ENDPIN. An "endpin" on a cello is spoke on the bottom of the cello that supports the cello's weight and keeps it from moving around while being played.
10. Mop target: SPILL.
15. "__ minute now": ANY.
16. "Gran __": Clint Eastwood film featuring a 1972 Ford: TORINO. Gran Torino was a 2008 film about a retired auto worker and Korean War vet portrayed by Clint Eastwood (b. May 31, 1930). He is a bitter old man who spends his time drinking beer and despising the many Asian, Latino and black families in his neighborhood. Eastwood also directed the film.
17. "America's Got Talent" judge Mandel: HOWIE. Howie Mandel (b. Sept. 29, 1955) is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was one of the many actors who portrayed doctors and medical personnel on the 1980s television drama St. Elsewhere.
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| Then and now. |
18. Special pampering, for short: TLC. As in Tender Loving Care.
21. Caramel candy: ROLO. Yummers! This candy appears with some frequency in the puzzles.
23. Actress Thurman: UMA. Uma Karuna Thurman (b. Apr. 29, 1970) has appeared numerous films, but is probably best known for her role as Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction.
24. Tranquil: SERENE.
28. Apiece: PER.
29. Book that a bookkeeper keeps: LEDGER.
35. "Cozy" literary genre: MYSTERY. A cozy mystery is a lighthearted crime novel that features an amateur detective, a small community, and a crime without graphic violence. Books by Agatha Christie (Sept. 15, 1890 ~ Jan 12, 1976) are considered Cozy Mysteries.
38. After-sun balm ingredient: ALOE.
39. Partridges, turtledoves, and French hens: BIRDS. All these birds are found in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
43. Fat-heavy diet: KETO.
44. "Let's Make a Deal" host Wayne: BRADY. Before hosting Let's Make a Deal, Wayne Brady (né Wayne Alphonso Brady; b. June 2, 1972) was on the improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
45. Creative spark: IDEA.
46. Paloma of fashion: PICASSO. Paloma Picasso (né Anne Paloma Ruiz-Picasso y Gilot; b. Apr. 19, 1949) is a French jewelry designer. She designed a lot of jewelry for Tiffany. She is also known for her line of perfumes. She is the daughter of Pablo Picasso (Oct. 25, 1881 ~ Apr. 8, 1973) and Françoise Gilot (Nov. 26, 1921 ~ June 6, 2023).
50. Starbucks size: TRENTA.
55. Pt. of many long weekends: MON. I guess the "Pt." here means "part", thus, Monday sometimes constitutes a part of a long weekend. Just last week, Presidents' Day, which fell on a Monday, constituted a part of a long weekend for many workers.
59. Sacred Egyptian beetle: SCARAB. In ancient Egypt, the Scarab Beetle was a highly significant symbolic representation of the divine manifestation of the morning sun. The Egyptian god Khepri was believed to roll the sun across the sky each day at daybreak. A scarab is also known as a dung beetle.
62. Bitter beer, briefly: IPA. As in India Pale Ale.
63. Egg cell: OVUM.
67. "Is that true about me?": AM I?
68. Urge forward: IMPEL. Ever wonder about the difference between Impel and Compel? Me, either.
69. Get even for: AVENGE. Ever wonder about the difference between Avenge and Revenge?
70. Startle: JAR.
71. "Silly" honkers: GEESE.
72. Turn in for money: REDEEM.
73. Gender-neutral pronoun: ONE.
Down:
1. Walk a beat: PATROL.
2. Smitten (with): IN LOVE.
3. Rode a Peloton, say: CYCLED. Peloton is a French word that means "ball," but it is most often used with the meaning "group." The word is frequently used in the bicycling context, but it may refer to a group in a marathon or other sporting event. It's also the name brand of a very expensive exercise bike.
4. List-ending abbr.: ETC.
5. "Take your time!": NO HURRY.
6. Costume __: DRAMA. A costume drama is also known as a period piece in which the actors are dressed in costumes to represent a particular historical period. Downton Abbey is an example of a Costume Drama.
7. Rice side: PILAF. Yummers!
8. Tats: INK.
9. Agrees quietly: NODS.
10. Communal: SHARED.
11. Maker of ProteinPlus snacks: POWER BAR.
12. Triumphant shout: I WIN!
13. Queue: LINE. Ever wonder how Queue entered the English language?
14. Race segment: LEG.
20. Make good on a loan: REPAY.
22. Assn.: ORG. Association and Organization.
26. Blue state pols: DEMS. As in Democrats.
27. Eighth Greek letter: THETA.
31. Greek Cupid: EROS.
32. Pie __ mode: À LA. More of French lesson.
33. Fish sticks fish: COD. Yummers!
34. Lock unlocker: KEY.
36. Gear for Gus Kenworthy: SKIS. Hand up if you knew Gus Kenworthy (né Augustus Richard Kenworthy; b. Oct. 1, 1991). He is a British-American former freestyle skier. He competed in men's slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympics and won the silver medal. Slopestyle skiing is where skiers perform tricks on a course with obstacles like rails and jumps.
37. Help desk pros: TECHS.
39. Overalls part: BIB.
40. Groom's utterance: I DO.
41. Like Ronald McDonald's shoes: RED. // And 64-Down. Like Ronald McDonald's shoes: BIG.
42. Frightening visions: DAYMARES. A Daymare is vivid, disturbing mental image or fantasy that happens while you are awake.
44. Dullard: BORE. Add the letter D to the end of the word, and we get Bored, which fits well with today's theme.
46. Old TWA rival: PAN AM. My first trip on an airplane was on Pan Am, which is short for Pan American World Airways. It was the first airline to fly around the world. I wasn't on that flight, though.
47. Curious: STRANGE.
49. Digital game with yellow and green hints: WORDLE. I bet a lot of us here also play wordle on a daily basis.
51. Green prefix: ECO-.
52. Language spoken in Arizona: NAVAJO. Navajo, is also known as Diné Bizaad. It is a language spoken by the Navajo people of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
53. "In Cold Blood" writer Capote: TRUMAN. In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel that details the murder of the Clutter family. The murder took place in 1959 in a Kansas farming community. The murderers were capture within weeks of committing the crime. In the course of writing the book, Truman Capote (né Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 ~ August 25, 1984) met with the murderers and their story is a major component of the book, which was published in 1965.
54. Think highly of: ADMIRE.
57. Quoted: CITED.
58. Offer one's view: OPINE.
59. Not all, but not none: SOME.
60. Flowing garment: CAPE.
61. Grizzly animal: BEAR.
65. Night before: EVE.
66. Beaut: GEM.
חתולה
32 comments:
I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of the coffee size “Trente.” I don’t think so. And I didn’t know the Picasso lady, but when I had “Picas…” the rest of the answer was obvious. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Thought this was very easy for a Friday. D'oh! It's not Friday. Saw that "board" fit with the first word of the themers -- but not the second. [Sigh] Back in '68 both PAN AM and the Bell System figured prominently in the product placement of 2001, A Space Odyssey. Both gone now. Good one, Nate. Loved the expo, Hahtoolah. (Especially "Me, either.")
As I thought Monday's puzzle was a stiffer than normal, I though today's puzzle was very easy. The puzzle was done before the theme reveal.
FIR without erasure.
One of the classes I taught after I retired from the corporate world was a week-long "how to pass the certification exam" for project managers. Only folks with substantial experience leading projects qualified to sit for the exam, so they already knew how to do the job. My job was to fill in knowledge in areas they may not have needed on their jobs, and to teach them the kinds of "curve balls" to expect on the test. One of those was to surround the gist of the question with a lot of superfluous wording, and today's puzzle reminded me of that. For examples, "Ford's Gran ____" would have done for TORINO, and "Return" would have sufficed for HEAD BACK. But it all adds flavor to the puzzle.
Okay, let's get this straight. Sean Connery is 007, and Monte Hall is the host of Let's Make a Deal. Those other guys are the B team.
I remember going to Crosley Field and getting an actual score card. My mom would bring pencils, so we didn't have to fork out extra dimes. The last time I went to an MLB game, they wanted to sell me a magazine with a score card page.
I'm not a big John Lennon fan, but I did like his tune that confirmed that these are STRANGE days indeed.
Thanks to Nate for the fun, easy-ish Tuesday puzzle, and to Ha2la for explaining it all. The aloe toon never gets old. (Just to muddy the waters, ham radio operators have a list of "Q signals."
Good Morning, Crossword friends. Today's theme was apropos as I attended a Zoom meeting yesterday that went on and on and on, and after it ended, absolutely nothing was accomplished.
QOD: Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone. ~ Anthony Burgess (né John Anthony Burgess Wilson, Feb. 25, 1917 ~ Nov. 22, 1993), British author
RIP Roberta Flack. Your smooth vocals will live forever.
FIR. Again, like yesterday, this seemed to have some bite to it. Picasso and trenta were really just a WAG that paid off.
It took the reveal to see the theme, but it made sense at that point.
Overall this was a so-so puzzle.
The reveal perfectly fit the theme today, and I did see that both parts of the word or phrase were a precursor to BOARD, ten in all, very impressive and clever for the constructor to come up with this! Not real difficult today as I FIR close to yesterday’s time of a little under 10. DNK PICASSO or BRADY as clued, END PIN and TRENTA were also perped. I don’t really frequent Starbucks (but I do buy the coffee to brew at home, Pike Place and Veranda), 31oz. TRENTA must be pricey $$. KEY and BIG (NYSE) could be considered Easter eggs. Thank you Nate for your well-constructed grid. Hahtoolah ~ another impressive thing is how you come up with your entertaining blogs week after week, thank you for today’s!
Two early week puzzles solved 1-2-3.Today's was "as fast as I can write." Maybe, too fast, I had one spell error.
Cat in the box cartoon is so true! For cats and toddlers the box is more interesting than an expensive toy.
Looks like the Starbucks mystique is fading. They are cutting staff and prices to try to stay competitive, as customers seek lower priced alternatives. I've never been a fan.
Took 6:19 today for me to finish the game.
I didn't know: Paloma of fashion, the Starbucks size (the once or twice a year that I find myself in a Starbucks, I order "large" and the employees seem to understand just fine), a "cozy" mystery, and the Greek letter.
Such a clever theme that I almost feel bad that I didn't see it while solving.
Musings
-My subbing day just got longer. I am in for a guy with very few classes and due to two other missing teachers, I know have 9 periods straight. Yikes, it’s a good thing this school has great kids!
-A double gimmick I always like and kitties in Hahtoolah’s fun write-up.
-Miss Marple MYSTERIES would better fit the criteria. Poirot is a professional detective in the huge city of London that sees some very grotesque murders. :-)
-Now I heartily agree with the Downton example of costume DRAMA.
-Our BIRDS can fill a feeder with 10 or more at a time but really love our ice-free water in winter.
-I once got a $4 “regular” sized Starbucks coffee with a gift card. I’m sure the cost of a TRENTA would JAR me.
-I forgot my Mac the other day and the TECH guy here had to lend me a PC :-(
-BIBS serve as a farmer’s utility belt
-I remember the PAN AM flight that started America’s British invasion.
-I have “unfriended” people who use FaceBook to OPINE. I have no interest in their, uh, OPINES.
-Our kitty mostly ignores her “toys” but loves the box the Shark vacuum came in!
"One spelling error" Yikes. Another one in my post. My typing has gone down hill fast, but not as fast as my handwriting, which was not all that great to start with.
Good Morning:
Although I had no trouble with the solve, I felt that the theme and fill were above the normal Tuesday level of difficulty. The theme was well hidden, at least to me, which is always a plus in my book. Endpin needed perps, as did Gus Kenworthy’s Skis. And, as YP pointed out, there were two Easter Eggs with Key and Big.
Thanks, Nate, for a fun Tuesday and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the interesting commentary and, as always, the chuckle-inducing comics. Favorites were Noah and the Cats, the cardboard box Cat, and the TV-watching Bats. I never tire of seeing that scene from Pulp Fiction.
Have a great day.
This was a puzzle that in places was a lesson in obfuscation. Straightforward and recognizable answers were clued in obscure and odd ways. An example is in the center section with PICASSO, SKIS, and BRADY, easy answers. But because their clues were peculiar, it created a Natick for me there. Perhaps the intent was to be cute or clever, but it was just annoying.
Otherwise Nate's puzzle seemed Tuesday-appropriate and well-constructed. He had some clever touches I liked, such as placing identical clues near each other (like Ronald McD's shoes!).The theme was satisfying, and the puzzle was remarkably free of crosswordese touches like conversational utterances or overused vowel-rich staples spit out by Crossword Compiler.
Thanks, Nate, for providing a pleasant diversion for us solvers, and Hatoolah for many laughs and info you provided us in your recap.
Hola! I'm surprised some have not heard of Paloma PICASSO. I know of her because she occasionally makes the headlines. Thanks to Nate Cardin for this easy Tuesday puzzle and to H2La for the added entertainment. I never tire of that ALOE cartoon!
I was thinking of Idina Mendel instead of HOWIE but perps rescued me. My only write over was changing OVERDRAWN to OVERDRAFT.
Jayce, since I was gone I had not heard anything about your wife. I hope her condition has improved and she is doing better.
Have a lovely day, everyone!
This “dullard” completed the clue in record time. Clues were above mostly above BOARD but why use a mostly unknown proper name “Kenworthy” as a clue for a simple answer like SKIIS in a Tuesday puzzle? Nate: Don’t remember this many theme answers. I’m impressed! (Don’t forget KEY BOARD, IDEA BOARD) .
I knew there was a Starbucks “venti” (20) but not TRENTA (30). Is there a Quaranta (40) too? ENDPIN: so that’s what that pointy thingy at the bottom of a cello is called that keeps it from suddenly sliding to the floor 🫣
“Infamous” was a fascinating 2006 movie about TRUMAN Capote’s interaction with the jailed killers while writing “In Cold Blood”
Every winter we see ER injuries from folks who feel compelled to clear stuck snow from their snowblower IMPELler
How do you stop a DAYMARE? Fall asleep? 😴 💤
Inkovers : SwILL first before SPILL and lap for LEG
“Turn in for money” Bounty hunt? 🤠
Tantrum over what to wear on Halloween: Costume ____ …. DRAMA
Novel about a missing teapot cover: “cozy” _____ …. MYSTERY
Dis a current airline ____ PAN AMERICAN
Great toons H2LH
Oh yeah. Saw a great psychological thriller 2024 film yesterday about a severely facially disfigured man who undergoes a cure. “A Different Man” (Sebastian Stan got Golden Globe best actor)
I finished this easy puzzle wrong. For some reason I misspelled Nava-HO and left it. Dumb mistake.
DNK ENDPIN, TRENTA, PICASSO, POWERBAR.
Took a guess on SKIS.
SCORECARDs are also free. Just go into a tee shop and pick one up. It's the 18 holes that cost money.
BRADY- HALL was too short and MONTY could have been a possibility.
Fast and fun puzzle today, easier than yesterday. The few unknowns/obtusely clued entries either perped or wagged nicely. Enjoyed Ha2las Noah's Ark 'toon!
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Nate and Hahtoolah.
I FIRed in good time and saw the BOARD theme. Great catch on the Easter Eggs, YP.
Several inkblots. I WoN changed to I WIN., gRADY to BRADY.
Hand up for OVERDRAwn before OVERDRAFT.
WES re PICASSO, TRENTA, SKIS.
Pt. has a multitude of possible meanings, and should be banned from CW clues IMO.
Wishing you all a great day.
Fast and fun today. Good theme answers that helped with the solve.
Hahtoolah, I didn't know that a SCARAB is a dung beetle, and that it represents the sun god rolling the sun across the sky! Fabulous information! Thanks!
Oops, I'm Anonymous today. -- NaomiZ
Fun Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Nate. And your comments and pictures are always a pleasure, Hahtoolah, thanks for those too.
Well, this puzzle gave us a bit of DRAMA by setting up a MYSTERY about who produced a CHALK DRAWING about a troublesome OVERDRAFT. Apparently a couple were IN LOVE and got into a fight, and the man threatened to AVENGE himself by taking control of his partner's LEDGER and announcing "I WIN". She threatened to REPAY him my reporting him and CITING him for theft. This gave him a DAY-MARE, and he REDEEMED himself by HEADING BACK to tell her he ADMIRED her so much. No they're once again IN LOVE and all is okay again.
Have a pleasant sunny day, everybody!
HURRAY!! Thanx, NC, FINALLY a CW not filled with names. Only 8, 2 DNKs. Got 'er done, FIR in 18. (Did I time myself correctly? Seemed to go much faster than that). Very clever theme which I did not see until the reveal. It took a lot of work to get all those double-answers in there. Wow! I really liked this CW, thanx again NC. Great write-up, as always, Hahtoolah, thanx for all the time and effort. Jinx @ 8:28 mentions Starbucks struggles. It's because they don't listen to their customers! I love Starbucks Iced Mocha Frappuccino, but it is WAY too loaded w/ sugar. It was recently listed as one of the five most UNHEALTHY drinks on the planet. I sent a copy of the article to the then CEO and suggested he'd have a winner product if Starbucks made a SUGER FREE version. How many people are diabetic or pre-diabetic and cannot drink their sugary version? (Me included). I never heard back. I sent a second letter, enclosing a copy of my first letter ("I know you would not be so rude as to not even respond...."). Nothing. After the third letter I gave up. Also: Frappuccino. Could they make the spelling more difficult? And the SIZES: people are intimidated to go in: they don't know they vernacular exclusive to Starbucks. Then it's a $8-$10 cup of coffee? Dunkin coffee is pretty good! Even McD coffee is good. (End of rant). I thought "Pulp Fiction" was disgusting for all the gratuitous violence. Have a good week, CW fiends.
Ever wonder how kids who can't read or write cursive sign their names?
That's one of the few Hollywood movie arcs I would pay to see before it makes it to cable!
I very much enjoyed doing this puzzle, which, for the reasons you all have pointed out, I thought was well constructed. Hahtoolah, I add my thanks to you for your write-ups.
DW, son, and I have never liked Starbucks coffee. We think it tastes burned, probably over-roasted. We do like Philz coffee, though. And Peet's!
IMO, Truman Capote was a truly nasty person. Harper Lee worked very hard helping him research that book, and he totally omitted her from any acknowledgement, refusing to acknowledge that she had anything to do with it. It broke her heart and she never wrote again.
No, I have never wondered about the difference between Impel and Compel, nor have I ever wondered about the difference between Avenge and Revenge.
I can relate to that Fish Sticks cartoon, for 2 reasons: I love cod and one of my go-to orders is fish and chips, and I myself use two canes to walk. The huge disadvantage of using two canes is that both hands are occupied and I can't carry anything! DW was sweet enough to knit me a "pouch" that I hang around my neck (by a strap) to carry things in. Still can't carry anything that might SPILL, though.
Speaking of my wife, thanks for asking about her, Lucina. She is in the midst of undergoing aggressive radiation and chemotherapy, which are making her very tired and weak, which is to be expected. Since the cancer is in her neck, it, plus the therapy, have made it difficult for her to speak and to swallow (her voice box and esophagus have been getting slammed). I help her with her nutritious liquid diet and help remind her to take her meds and do the various neck, jaw, and tongue exercises prescribed by the physical therapist to keep her neck supple. Treatment will continue through the end of March and then the docs will re-evaluate her condition and the effectiveness of the treatment.
Good reading you all.
Hey Jinx, you know what? I actually have sometimes wondered how kids who can't read or write cursive sign their names. Good question!
I've learned not to trust board signs...
What really happened aboard Noah's Ark...
Unclefred, there are some dark movie and book plots I enjoy, but not Pulp Fiction
I was invited to watch it with a friend. I couldn't stand the unrelenting violence and cussing in almost every sentence. The plot was hard to.follow. The lemon was not worth the squeeze. I developed a severe "headache" begged off and returned home , where my headache instantly disappeared.
Jayce, you and your wife are in my thoughts.
My favorite board sign.
Jayce, thank you for explaining what your wife is going through; I will continue to keep her in my prayers, if not for complete recovery, then for the strength to bear her suffering. My nephew in Highland was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I'm sad that I can't be with the family at this time.
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