COVER GIRLS
Emily and Sala - more here
Today's puzzle, from veteran constructors Sala and Emily, ( they appeared just last month as a duo as well ), failed to hit the mark for me this time. The theme is kinda weak, and the 20-something names, including a crossing where I had no choice but to do an alphabet run, just sucked the life out of this one. We have two 8-letter themers, and yet two Down answers are longer; a whopping 28 4LWs, and yet only 9 TLWs. On top of that, the one musical entry that I can relate to is the first - the others are just not my thing; sorry 'bout that. On a positive note, 17A., 40A., and the theme answer are unique fills, so there's that. The themers;
17. Fleetwood Mac hit with the lyric "I'll settle for one day to believe in you": LITTLE LIES - a LIE can cover the truth . . .?
26. Taylor Swift hit that features a sweater metaphor: CARDIGAN - usually covers a shirt/blouse . . .?
40. Elvis Presley hit about someone who only looks like an angel: DEVIL IN DISGUISE - disguise as a cover up . . .?
50. Rihanna hit about friends who stick together rain or shine: UMBRELLA - under cover from the rain . . .~?
63. Musical remakes, and what 17-, 26-, 40-, and 50-Across all are, in a way: COVER SONGS - "songs" that have something that covers; I guess. As for an actual cover song, if it's a "tribute" band, then all you do is cover songs. I feel that if an artist is going to cover someone else's song, then it should have some variation on the original, i.e., Run-DMC covering Aerosmith as a rap song - I couldn't narrow it down to one great choice, but here's an example;
Flamenco Led Zeppelin - Rodrigo Y Gabriela
ACROSS:
1. Update a historic home, say: REHAB - I am in the business of updating "historic", and we would never refer to it as a 'rehab' - rehab is where I spent six weeks after detox. 'nuf said.
6. Quick look: PEEP
10. "Dream on": "AS IF."
14. Enlighten: EDIFY
15. Crooner Paul: ANKA - I know him, but name #1
16. Novela introduction?: TELE - Telenovela, a serialized drama in Latin American TV
19. Jai __: ALAI - this used to appear in lots of puzzles "back in the day" - it's only popped up once or twice in a long, long time
20. Pro vote: YEA - My yeS had to change to yeA
21. Ingrid's "Casablanca" role: ILSA - Oops, I thought it was ELSA - that's the "Frozen" girl - name #2
22. Strenuous: TIRING - Crosswords like this are not enjoyable, just TIRING
24. Prefix with tech: NANO - nanotech
28. Milwaukee team: BREWERS - Great logo - I like it when the letters/name is cleverly embedded in the image - here's another great logo
The m and b in the glove~? That to me is a well-designed logo
31. "The Daily" podcast producer, briefly: NYT - no clue, but I had _YT already; name(ish)
32. Special glow: AURA
33. Paul of "The Batman": DANO - name #3 - I looked it up; he played the Riddler. I did not see the movie
35. Venomous snake: ADDER
43. Be of __: help: USE TO
44. __ Point, California: DANA - DANO, DANA - Sheesh - name #4
45. Summer getaway: CAMP - I was never 'enrolled' camp, but from what I hear and read, it was not all that fun for many - SEND away, now that's more like it
46. Govt. intel org.: NSA - I could explain the abbr., but then I'd have to....
48. Gets to giggle: TICKLES - tickles my fancy
55. For fear that: LEST
57. Quite bright: NEON
59. Alley-__: OOP
62. Actor Alda: ALAN - crossword staple, name #5
66. Rare rocks: GEMS
67. Sinister: EVIL
68. Verdi work: OPERA - name(ish)
69. "Gotcha": "I SEE."
Dr. Venkman, @ 0:50
70. "The Voice" host Carson: DALY - name #6
71. Elevates: RISES - meh. rAises is a better match, e.g. stress from crossword solving RISES blood pressure~?
DOWN:
1. Depend (on): RELY
2. Actress Falco: EDIE - name #7
3. Touched on something touchy: HIT A NERVE - let me count the (names) ways . . . .9LW
4. Back of the boat: AFT
5. Author credit: BYLINE
6. Buds: PALS
7. Pioneering computer: ENIAC - I had ATARI until that showed up three answers later; name(ish)
8. Scrape (by): EKE
9. Danish, e.g.: PASTRY
10. Pong platform: ATARI
11. Former baseball commissioner Bud: SELIG - I could not recall this name, # 8
12. Glazer of "Broad City": ILANA - name #9
13. Pretend: FEIGN - I think this "crossname" is pretending to be a crossword
18. "Euphoria" actor Jacob: ELORDI - name # 10, 3 of the 4 previous clues - tho a unique fill
23. Pet collar attachment: ID TAG
25. Stand by for: AWAIT
27. Designate as a successor: ANOINT - meh. aPPoint fits better. Anoint to me is religious ceremony
28. Grammy winner Erykah: BADU - even if I DO know this one, ugh; name #11
29. Feels remorse: RUES - he rues the day he said he'd blog Wednesdays . . . . 😜
30. Flip-flop, e.g.: SANDAL
34. Confidentiality contract, for short: NDA - Non-Disclosure Agreement - I am seriously considering spending the money to get my board games produced - I need a patent lawyer - anyone at the Corner who can recommend one~?
36. Dodges: DUCKS - these DODGES are not DUCKS or ADDERS - they're VIPERS
37. Landline sounds: DIAL TONES - the other 9LW, 'longer than theme' fill
38. "Twilight" vampire Cullen: ESME - name #12
39. Gym count: REPS - now this is a good one - the singular count clue and the plural reps answer
41. Not a people person, say: LONER - I am definitely NOT a "people person"
42. Mariner: SAILOR
47. Prepared to serve, as pie: SLICED
49. Black out: CENSOR
50. With 56-Across, grilled eel dish: UNAGI - AND - 56. See 50-Down: NIGIRI - no clue, and when the clues are circumreferential* like this, it's even worse - and name(ish)
51. Odometer units: MILES - my car allows me to track gas prices when I fill up, but every now and then, the same buttons I use to adjust the price end up changing my MPH to KPH; I look down and I am doing "58" in a 30 - Yikes~!
52. Not one's best effort: B-GAME
53. Flush: RINSE
54. Blacksmith's block: ANVIL
58. Wriggly: EELY
60. Fantasy monster: OGRE
61. Unpaid ads: PSAs - Public Service Announcements
64. Egg cells: OVA
65. Maker of Lincoln Park After Dark nail polish: OPI - I've learned that the answer regarding makeup, etc., is either OPI or EOS these days - and name(ish)
Splynter
50 comments:
The “n” in the “grilled eel dish” was a total WAG, and it wasn’t the only one, in this surprisingly challenging puzzle (especially for a Wednesday). Somehow, I got through it. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
D-o struggled through this namefest, but hit a brick wall at the ELORDI/DANO cross. Bzzzzzzt. Like Splynter, I had to correct my YEs to YEA. I remember Paul ANKA, but wouldn't call him a "crooner." Thought of Charade with Carson DALY, but that name was Carson Dyle. Oops. Thanx, Sala and Emily. I agree with your evaluation, Splynter.
Yesterday I had to call a plumber to repair a leak. Then the power went out, and I had to call the generator people for "Error 2099." Finally decided to watch the presidential address. Made it through the first fifteen minutes, but had to turn it off when my blood pressure spiked and before my head exploded. Today it's off for the annual physical. The way things have been going, she'll probably find an incurable melanoma.
P. U. nothing but names. directly to the trash
Proper names and song titles. Not my cuppa. But I scrapped thru with perps and wags.
FIW, missing my WAG @ UmAGI x mIGIRI. But I go my WAGs at TELE x ILANA and DANO x ELORDI, so I got that goin' for me. Which is nice. Erased peek for PEEP.
Sala and Emily failed in their attempt to suck every little bit of enjoyment out of this one; I knew LITTLE LIES and DEVIL IN DISGUISE without a single perp.
Robin Cook wrote a fantastic thriller about Nanotechnology.
Our SoCal contingent all know DANA Point. When I sailed those waters (before GPS,) its radio beacon ID was, imaginatively enough, dah-dit-dit, dit-dah-dah-dit, Morse code for "DP,"
UMBRELLA was the major object in The Hollies 1966 hit Bus Stop.
Kind of an Easter egg (on this first day of Lent) was HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES'
Alley-OOP.
Another possible Easter egg was Amy Winehouse's REHAB. She wouldn't go to REHAB, so she died of alcohol poisoning.
The worst thing about CENSORship is that you can't even write a funny account of a **** whose ******* wouldn't ******** into a *******.
Thanks to Splynter for another fine Wednesday your, especially the NEON legs.
Took 6:02 today for me to find cover.
I thought I got off to a nice start by knowing today's actress (Edie), then I ran into the other actress, which I hadn't heard of her (Ilana) or her show/movie ("Broad City"). So as not to discriminate, I didn't know the actor Elordi, and though I've seen the name 'Paul Dano", I didn't know he was in "The Batman."
I'm unfamiliar with Dana Point, CA and the Elvis song.
"nigiri unagi" seems like the clue/answer that Patti enjoys, but it was interesting to see eel in that clue, when "eely" is an answer.
Not a fun puzzle.
FIW. I too like Subgenius took a WAG at the grilled eel clue, only I went with an "m" instead of an "n". I had no idea and have never even heard of this dish.
And the number of proper names was absurd. Add to that two songs I'd never heard of and this was Friday fare on a Wednesday.
Overall a most UN-enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
I know as much about pop music and its performers as I do about rocket science, therefore, this theme was Greek to me until the expo. (Elvis was in my era, but I never heard that particular song). Although I had no trouble with the solve, there were a few unknowns, i.e., Unagi Nigiri, Ilana, Elordi, and Esme, and one w/o, Peek/Peep. Bottom line: The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, IMO.
Thanks, Sala and Emily, and thanks, Splynter, for an honest and fair review, with which I totally agree. Any news on the canine search front?
Have a great day.
I agree with Splynter and everyone else's assessments. So weird to have regular clues longer than some themers.
My 2 cents on COVER SONGS: When I'm at a small venue, it's fun to see how close the local band comes to the original. If it's a tribute band in particular, then I expect them to nail it. But if a major artist is recording a cover, they need to bring something new to the version. I don't need to hear a reproduction on the radio, the original was fine, thanks.
Ditto. Not very clever construction when dependant on 12 names.
Yup! I think the worst offense was Aerosmith's cover of the Beatles classic Come Together. My favorite cover is Jimmy Buffett's take on Benny Goodman's On a Slow Boat to China.
You made it through 15 more minutes than I did!
Unrelated to today's puzzle, but thought I'd share. My puzzle froze on my phone a couple of times, so I bailed and went to the Washington Post site, which runs the LAT puzzle for free as well. For those of you who like to track your solve times, you should know that on the WAPO site, the timer doesn't start until you begin an entry.
I always liked the CSNY version of Joni Mitchell's Woodstock (how do I do italics?). Of course, I'm a rocker! But over time, I've mellowed somewhat and now appreciate her laid-back original.
Is it Friday? This name fest spoiled the fun. DNF due to ELORDI, DANA and DANO. There should not be so many names crossing each other in one big blob.
As a kid I attended camp twice, a one week stay and a two week stay. I was a happy camper. Lotsa fun. I would have gone more summers if my parents could have afforded it.
Later I was a counsellor all summer at a church camp. I loved it and so did most of the kids, Almost all of the one and two week campers seemed very happy at camp. Some of the all summer campers hated it. It seemed they felt "dumped."
Another summer I was counsellor at a camp that served inner city children with problems. It was one of my most rewarding summers. Lighting "one little candle" in a difficult life.
My grandson who became an Eagle Scout attended scout camp many summers and later returned as a counsellor. Some of us enjoy camp.
I love unagi nigiri. However this eel has become rare. That is why it is so expensive. I avoid it because it is endangered. Eel is toxic when raw. I used to like my unagi nigiri grilled.
I didn't think todays puzzle was so horrible that we should bury Thumper, but then again, I cheated my way thru it...
Anywho, on an up note, my favorite has to be the way Tim Hawkins does cover songs...
Actually, "I" do a cover song! But to save you a bad day, here's the original...
Emily and Sala, I can tell that you put considerable effort into a well-constructed puzzle. Sadly, I have to add my "it's not my cuppa" to others' similar comments.
Pop music, TV celebrities, and the like are areas that I would flunk abysmally on any quiz. But I look forward to your future efforts, especially if you lighten up a bit on pop culture (!), and more on, say, something like baseball. Hey, I nailed Bud Selig on today's crossword!
Thanks, Splynter, for for your frank and honest recap. Ditto on everything.
Easy Wednesday but didn’t know all the song titles. (Ahh, so the theme is “cover”) The “eel dish” was the last to be gobbled up for the win
Was thinking hola! for “Novela introduction”. 🙋 for peek before PEEP. Speaking of PEEPs they helped me see CARDIGAN thru the trees (like UMBRELLA). Then realized that it was not seaman but SAILOR. Can’t remember if it’s OPI or OPA. 💅 (but never Opie, Aunt Bea wouldn’t let him use her nail polish)
“Book ‘em DANA!!”, sorry I meant “DANO” (either one of you is fine)
And a censor does not CENSeR. But ISEE a CENSOR can CENSOR a CENSOR if they use the wrong incense in a CENSeR 😟
Satan masked on a plane: DEVIL IN DISGUISE
Recheck ID: CARDIGAN
Snake than can do math: ADDER
Cravat holder: TIRING
From 1962 -92 you could tune into Johnny “Carson” ____ …. DALY
Finally temps going above freezing to over 50. Just hope the ground and storm sewers can handle the rivers of melting snow.
WEES about this crossNAME puzzle. A true fun sponge. Thank you, Splynter, for pumping some enjoyment back into my morning! I waited much too long to toss in the towel on this mess.
Edward in Los Angeles:
Unagi is…DELICIOUS!!!
Easy-peasy, but I wanted anoint to have two “N”s
Did not like this CW at all. I did find some clues that were NOT names, but 24 names, 13 DNKs, (unagi nigiri is two names, in my book, since it requires two fills, both DNKs). I did complete the fill, but with no joy. It's just not fun to struggle with so many names. As I've said before, there is no amount of thought or analysis you can put into filling a name: either you know it or you don't. Sometimes perps help. But when there are several places where names cross each other...no thank you. Splynter you provided the best part of the CW experience this morning, especially with the sextet of lovely legs. Thanx for your time and effort, Splynter.
Ooh, I'd forgotten that she performed that song. I knew that she wrote it, even though her sharp-as-a-tack manager convinced her to turn down an appearance there in favor of doing The Dick Cavett Show.
You do italics by putting < i > (no spaces) before your text, and < /i > (no spaces) after your text. Please don't forget the < /i >. Due to a bug in Blogger, if you forget it, all posts after yours will be italicized.
Edward, you made me look. ANOINT does have two "N"s.
Patti must love puzzles with rare foods and was smitten with the unagi nigiri.
There were some fun aspects to this puzzle but it turned into a frustrating name fest and all the enjoyment disappeared.
Ray - O - Sunshine at 10:50 AM said "Easy Wednesday." I try to be a little sunbeam myself, but it was a woeful Wednesday for me! I hit 10 solid "Do Not Knows" includinging three of the song titles. Worse, I had PEEk at 6 Across instead of PEEP, and in the midst of the mire, could not figure out kASTR_ for Danish. So boo hoo, play your little violin for me, and I'll sing you a sad SONG about how I Did Not Finish! Splynter nailed this one.
Definitely did not like this one. Too many names. And then cross two clues with some eel dish I never heard of. I guessed "m". Splynter, love the word "circumreferential". Heh.
Thank you, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks, for playing an absorbing game last night that kept my mind off politics at just the right time.
I didn’t dislike this puzzle as much as most of you did. I know what UNAGI is and I know what NIGIRI is, and I’m sometimes dismayed that certain ethnic foods are unknown to so many well-read, erudite people.
But then, I live in diverse California, although nowhere near DANA Point (which was way too obscure for a national puzzle), and I’ve known who Paul DANO is ever since he played the dyspeptic teen in “Little Miss Sunshine.”
There was one entry in the puzzle that I (alone, apparently) absolutely despised: When did PEEP become interchangeable with “peek?” I nearly sustained an FIW because of that.
I agree the theme was meh. I know a lot of songs, but I don’t actually know any of the theme entry songs well enough to sing them. But all were perpable.
I love it when RUE and LEST appear in the same puzzle. Those words appear in a single sentence in the (rather sexist) UC Men’s Octet staple “The Princess Papuli.” The sentence: “So let this be a warning/Come early in the morning/Lest you ever rue the day.”
I would like to suggest that it's not just names per se that is the problem; it's names that we don't know. For example, in today's puzzle we had Paul Anka, Bud Selig, and Alan Alda. I happened to know those guys, but I certainly did not know, say, Erykah Badu. So let's say that thanks to WAGs and perps and so forth, I got the right answer to 28D, BADU. Well, I wouldn't have had the satisfaction of knowing that I'd gotten the right answer, having never heard of her. On the other hand, let's say I was blanking on 11D, the name of a baseball official I should know. Again, after some help from perps, I get to SELIG. Right there is the "aha" moment that is at the heart of crosswords. You perhaps applaud the constructor for a clever misdirection, or in this case slap your head for forgetting Bud Selig.
Names in themselves are not the problem; it's names that are obscure to the solver. Crosswords should be fun in the solving, and there is no fun when you solve a word and don't even know if you've really solved it or not.
Musings
-Our friend Splynter’s opening paragraph caught my assessment as well.
-If you want to be blown away with technology and Devil In Disguise, fast forward to 1:37 and be amazed!
-At least we had ANKA and Elvis in the forest of obscurity
-Book ‘im DANNO, too many “N’s”
Peep has been around since the 1500's. And then there is the Peeping Tom.
"The term "peeping Tom" comes from the legend of a man who watched Lady Godiva ride naked through Coventry. The term is used as a nickname for a voyeur, or someone who secretly watches others, especially for sexual gratification.
Origin of the term
The first known use of the term was in 1769."
On a positive note, Zhouqin has the byline in USA Today, devoid of pop culture obscurities.
Challenging but interesting Ash Wednesday puzzle, many thanks Sala and Emily. And of course your commentary is always a help, Splynter, thanks for that too.
Well, it sounds like maybe that REHAB in today's puzzle managed to EDIFY the home's neighbors who had been TIRING of watching the building's slow decline. So they threw a party, with drinks delivered by a BREWER they could RELY on along with some PASTRY and other snacks. This gave the party a lovely AURA, especially when they turned on music that delivered COVER SONGS and pieces from an OPERA they all liked. This TICKLED the guests and everybody had a good time.
I wish you all a good time on this Wednesday too.
Louis Armstrong, then later Frank Sinatra COVERing, sang "Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those PEEPers?" Can't argue with Satchmo and ol' Blue Eyes. If for no other reason than they're dead.
The Dell / Penny Press daily was good today too.
I brought my B-GAME to the corner toady. It was a DNF Wed. for me. I hamstrung myself by not giving up on PEEK or a "Quick look". Had no knowledge of the CARDIGAN COVER SONG, ILANA, DANO, or ELORDI. But I did manage to get the unknown BADU and UNAGI NIGIRI by perps. I thought at my age I should have heard every Elvis song but DEVIL IN DISGUISE wasn't one of them. Didn't finish it with the unknown ESME crossing it.
Allow me to weigh in on the peep/peek fuss. I went straight to my well-thumbed Shakespeare Lexicon, and therein lay Will's use of "peep" that ran across two columns. It looked like he used "peep" over fifty times, including this from "Merchant of Venice": "Some that will evermore peep through their eyes." And this lovely one from 2 Henry IV: "He (Falstaff) had made two holes in the alewife's new petticoat and so peeped through."
Clearly "peep" and "peek" are synonymous, and have been so for centuries.
I wonder what is the derivation of the name "Little Bo-Peep."
I was watching Jeopardy yesterday and Matt had the same problems. He won anyway. And then either he or Ken mentioned there is a "Pop Culture Jeopardy" offshoot show. I wish crosswords would do the same and remove the A&E clues. That's a show I'll never watch. I don't want to embarrass myself.
Ditto on the Elvis song. It might have been one from one of those awful movies he was in.
Nothing wrong with an artist making a remake of an old song. Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" is fabulous. Aretha did Otis' "Respect", and "Heard It Through the Grapevine" was done by 1. Gladys Knight 2. Marvin Gaye, 3. Creedence. All three were fabulous versions.
I cannot express my opinion of this puzzle better than Splynter did.
Re: names...I seem to remember in the not too distant past that constructors would give clues like "Williams and Kennedy" for TEDS, or "Serena or Andy" for WILLIAMS. At least you had a couple of chances. I'd like to see this style come back.
Big Easy, I agree, as long as the artists behind the new version leave their mark on it. If it is just new voices and players trying to sound like the original version, I don't like it. (How many versions have there been of Lotte Lenya's Mack the Knife? Bobby Darin, Der Bingle, Dean Martin, Lady Ella, a duet with Ol' Blue Eyes and Jimmy Buffett, and plenty of others - all great, and all distinctive.)
Now I'm wondering how I knew the Elvis tune. Must have been from my elder(ly) sisters - my musical era started at the Beatles and Herman's Hermits.
Hi all! I've finally caught up on the puzzles and posts. A sincere thank you to those who sent their well wishes for DH's recovery! Your thoughtfulness and empathy speak to your wonderful character.
Thanks to Sala and Emily for today's puzzle. I read the article Splynter linked. You two clearly enjoy working together. Good for you! FAV was HIT A NERVE.
I had the same problem as NaomiZ@11:56 with kASTR_.
DANA Point is named for the author Richard Henry Dana Jr. He wrote the memoir "Two Years Before the Mast" about his time as a sailor abord a merchant ship sailing from Boston to Monterey (1834-1836). It's been a minute since I read it but I remember liking the book a lot.
Oh, and I meant to thank Splynter for all the added info. I'm with you on your logo thoughts. I shared one of my favorites on 11/13/23 #11-Down.
Hi All!
Thanks Sala & Emily for the effort. I like the theme but I nearly threw the puzzle away when I got to yet another name (Y.A.N.) at 38d.
Excellent expo, Splynter. That part of my daily puzzle-play, I enjoyed.
//and I think circumreferential is a perfectly fine word.
WOs: eLSA, DEVIL aND...
ESPs: Names sans ANKA, SELIG, & ALAN
Fav: DIAL TONE
LITTLE LIES - I already had LIT by the time I read the clue; I didn't need that many perps :-)
Even if we order the chef's-pick platter, I'll order a couple of pieces of UNAGI NIGIRI to get my fix of eel sauce (it's made with crack, right? :-))
I enjoyed reading y'all!
Cheers, -T
-T@5:15. Totally agree on the UNAGI NIGIRI sauce...and those crunchy bits on top ... Oishi desu!
Great artists take a song a make it their own.
Thanks, Jinx! [experimenting with bold, we'll see] You've created a monster!
I’m late to the party after being AWOL from here for awhile. No, I have not been boycotting you Americans. (We are boycotting American products NOT people.). DH has been in the hospital, and that has been taking up my time. He is home now and doing fine.
I see that sumdaze has been dealing with similar issues, and I am glad that her DH is recovering too.
I agree that today’s CW was not worth the squeeze. Even the themers were not consistent, with the COVER sometimes being the whole themer for two of them, and only the end of the themer for the other two.
And those Natick crosses!
But C.C., our fearless leader, has given us UNAGI before, but only in an EEL clue. The November 24 2024 clue used UNAGI musubi. Using both UNAGI and NIGIRI as fill was just cruel.
Wishing you all a good evening.
Elbows up from this Canadian.
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