Happy Monday, everyone! sumdaze here. If you woke up this morning thinking, "I'm in the mood for some silly rhymes," then today is your lucky day!
Theme: 
Ready, Freddy?
20 Across. "Why should I care if the peasants are starving?," snarled the __: MEAN QUEEN.
26 Across. "Teach your kids some manners! And get better snacks," snapped the __: BITTER SITTER.
43 Across. "Don't try and tell me the route -I've been doing this job for 20 years," growled the __: CRABBY CABBIE.
54 Across. "I need this work done yesterday!," shouted the __: CROSS BOSS.
No reveal was needed today. Each themer is a two-word phrase where the first word is an adjective describing a cranky attitude and the second word is a human. All the clues are quotes. I liked this tight set!
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| Moody Foodie??? |
6. Female deer: DOE. Some other four-legged mammal whose females are called DOEs are goats, antelopes, and rabbits. But today is Monday so ....
9. Expressed disapproval: TSKED.
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| "handy" haha! |
14. Olympic swimmer Ledecky: KATIE. and 48 Across. Rio automaker: KIA.
Last Monday we had 49. Across. Where Katie Ledecky won four Olympic golds: RIO.
15. Wane: EBB.
16. Swiftly: APACE. Def.: (adverb) at a quick pace; swiftly.
1. Reads quickly: SKIMS.
2. Flamingo, for one: WADER.
3. Book of maps: ATLAS.
4. "Non, je ne regrette __": Edith Piaf song: RIEN. ESP for me but when I listened to the song, I recognized it. The title translates to, "No, I regret nothing." Edith's version came out in 1960.
5. Wood used for grilling: MESQUITE.
33. U.S. citizen: AMER. The abbreviation in the clue let us know that AMERican would be shortened.
34. Travel document: VISA.
38. Involuntary twitch: TIC.
39. Uses a towel: DRIES OFF.
41. Favorable vote: AYE. All those in favor....
42. Basics: ABCS.
44. Voices lower than tenors: BASSES. Last Monday we had 8-Down. Low opera voice: BASSO.
15. Wane: EBB.
16. Swiftly: APACE. Def.: (adverb) at a quick pace; swiftly.
If you read this one too swiftly, you might have thought it said "Swiftie".
17. Leaves the motor running: IDLES.
18. Dove's sound: COO.
19. Come up with, as an idea: HIT ON.
22. Clickable symbols: ICONS.
23. Alums-to-be: SRS. high school seniors
24. Sea urchin, on a sushi menu: UNI. (rhymes with "Moonie")
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| Taylor Swift fans call themselves Swifties. |
18. Dove's sound: COO.
19. Come up with, as an idea: HIT ON.
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| ~ another meaning for HIT ON ~ DH and I met running. He came up alongside me and said, "How you doin'?" |
22. Clickable symbols: ICONS.
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| Zits readers know that Pierce recently confused two types of seniors. |
24. Sea urchin, on a sushi menu: UNI. (rhymes with "Moonie")
Out of the 950 species of sea urchin, only 18 are edible.
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| I hear college students in The UK love UNI. |
25. Consumed: ATE. Yet when we describe people as consumers, the first thing to come to mind is not eaters.
32. Must: HAVE TO.
35. Rejections: NOs.
36. Went by skateboard: RODE.
37. Photographer's request: SMILE.
39. Goes out with: DATES.
40. Second to none: BEST.
41. Feel poorly: AIL.
42. Passionate: ARDENT.
46. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE. federation and United Arab Emirites
47. Substance that may be crushed or cubed: ICE.
51. Heroic tales: EPICS.
57. Puts in order: RANKS.
58. Ray gun sound: ZAP. Sometimes it is "pew".
59. Tests for doctoral candidates: ORALS.
60. Sock terminus, often: ANKLE.
32. Must: HAVE TO.
35. Rejections: NOs.
36. Went by skateboard: RODE.
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| Rad Dog |
37. Photographer's request: SMILE.
Peg ~ Steely Dan ~ 1977
"So won't you SMILE for the camera." 𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅯
38. Little one: TOT.39. Goes out with: DATES.
40. Second to none: BEST.
41. Feel poorly: AIL.
42. Passionate: ARDENT.
46. Abu Dhabi's fed.: UAE. federation and United Arab Emirites
47. Substance that may be crushed or cubed: ICE.
51. Heroic tales: EPICS.
57. Puts in order: RANKS.
58. Ray gun sound: ZAP. Sometimes it is "pew".
60. Sock terminus, often: ANKLE.
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| ANKLE socks |
61. Lennox of R&B: ARI. [b. Courtney Shanade Salter on March 26, 1991 in Washington, D.C.] I watched two videos and had to pass on both. Perhaps someone reading this is a fan and can suggest their favorite Ari Lennox song.
62. __ mignon: FILET.
63. Eye maladies: STYES.
64. TiVo button: REC.
65. Daring achievements: FEATS. Ultramarathoners complete FEATS with their feets.
Down:
62. __ mignon: FILET.
63. Eye maladies: STYES.
64. TiVo button: REC.
65. Daring achievements: FEATS. Ultramarathoners complete FEATS with their feets.
Down:
1. Reads quickly: SKIMS.
2. Flamingo, for one: WADER.
4. "Non, je ne regrette __": Edith Piaf song: RIEN. ESP for me but when I listened to the song, I recognized it. The title translates to, "No, I regret nothing." Edith's version came out in 1960.
5. Wood used for grilling: MESQUITE.
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| They are beautiful trees inhabiting arid and semiarid regions throughout the southwest U.S., Mexico, South America, northern Africa, and eastern Asia. |
6. Web of lies: DECEIT. 
7. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE.
8. Black, to poets: EBON. EBONy. "To poets" is a hint that the answer is somehow abbreviated.
9. Setting for many Gauguin paintings: TAHITI.
10. Silk Road enterprise: SPICE TRADE. This link takes you to a 518-word article on the Silk Road. Some of the SPICEs that were TRADEd include cloves, ginger, turmeric, nutmeg, frankincense, black pepper, cinnamon, and saffron.
11. The Green Hornet's aide: KATO. I thought he had a lamp so I first tried that. KATO was his crime-fighting sidekick.
12. Business maj.: ECON. major and ECONomics
13. Fox holes: DENS.
21. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.
25. Stubborn animal: ASS.
26. Prize at a rodeo: BELT BUCKLE.
27. Sherlock's teen sister: ENOLA.
28. Go bad: ROT.
29. Fundraiser freebie: TOTE. I have so many! I keep a TOTE full of TOTEs in my car.
30. Genesis garden: EDEN.
31. Take a breather: REST.
32. U.K.-based bank founded in Asia: HSBC. Once known as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, HSBC began in Hong Kong in 1865 to finance trade between Europe and Asia. Today they are in 58 countries and territories, including the U.S. and Canada.
8. Black, to poets: EBON. EBONy. "To poets" is a hint that the answer is somehow abbreviated.
9. Setting for many Gauguin paintings: TAHITI.
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| Parau Api. What's new?, 1892. by Paul Gauguin |
10. Silk Road enterprise: SPICE TRADE. This link takes you to a 518-word article on the Silk Road. Some of the SPICEs that were TRADEd include cloves, ginger, turmeric, nutmeg, frankincense, black pepper, cinnamon, and saffron.
11. The Green Hornet's aide: KATO. I thought he had a lamp so I first tried that. KATO was his crime-fighting sidekick.
12. Business maj.: ECON. major and ECONomics
13. Fox holes: DENS.
21. "Do __ others ... ": UNTO.
25. Stubborn animal: ASS.
26. Prize at a rodeo: BELT BUCKLE.
28. Go bad: ROT.
29. Fundraiser freebie: TOTE. I have so many! I keep a TOTE full of TOTEs in my car.
31. Take a breather: REST.
32. U.K.-based bank founded in Asia: HSBC. Once known as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, HSBC began in Hong Kong in 1865 to finance trade between Europe and Asia. Today they are in 58 countries and territories, including the U.S. and Canada.
33. U.S. citizen: AMER. The abbreviation in the clue let us know that AMERican would be shortened.
34. Travel document: VISA.
38. Involuntary twitch: TIC.
39. Uses a towel: DRIES OFF.
41. Favorable vote: AYE. All those in favor....
42. Basics: ABCS.
44. Voices lower than tenors: BASSES. Last Monday we had 8-Down. Low opera voice: BASSO.
There are detailed differences between the two; but, basically, basso is an Italian word and usually refers to opera or classical singing. Also note that this week we were looking for a plural answer because of voices.
45. Film about a real person, informally: BIOPIC. The word BIOPIC often makes the list of misles (pronounced with a long /i/). These are words that people often mispronounce in their heads while reading them because they do not match the pronunciation with the spelling. Their name comes from misled which people sometimes misread as MY-zel-ed. In the case of BIOPIC, people often read it as bi-OP-ic (rhyming with myopic). Some other misles are: awry, colonel, corps, infrared, sword, and Yosemite.
48. Fluffy-eared marsupial: KOALA.
45. Film about a real person, informally: BIOPIC. The word BIOPIC often makes the list of misles (pronounced with a long /i/). These are words that people often mispronounce in their heads while reading them because they do not match the pronunciation with the spelling. Their name comes from misled which people sometimes misread as MY-zel-ed. In the case of BIOPIC, people often read it as bi-OP-ic (rhyming with myopic). Some other misles are: awry, colonel, corps, infrared, sword, and Yosemite.
48. Fluffy-eared marsupial: KOALA.
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| today's "So cute!" moment |
49. Small part of an archipelago: ISLET. According to NOAA, an archipelago is an area that contains a chain or group of islands scattered in lakes, rivers, or the ocean. The Canadian Arctic Archipelago includes 36,563 islands.
50. Aides: Abbr.: ASSTS. ASSisTS
51. Historical spans: ERAS.
52. Huff and puff: PANT. This common nighthawk is PANTing. Read more about how birds PANT at this U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service page.
53. Deep black: INKY.
54. Policy honcho: CZAR.
55. Not medium or well: RARE. Think "meat cooking options".
56. Camembert kin: BRIE. fromage
I'll be away when today's blog posts. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly.
50. Aides: Abbr.: ASSTS. ASSisTS
51. Historical spans: ERAS.
52. Huff and puff: PANT. This common nighthawk is PANTing. Read more about how birds PANT at this U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service page.
54. Policy honcho: CZAR.
55. Not medium or well: RARE. Think "meat cooking options".
56. Camembert kin: BRIE. fromage
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| Click to enlarge. |
The grid:
Read you later, alligator!
30 comments:
In spite of “HSBC” I think
I will give this puzzle the “coveted” designation of “a walk in the park.” And I’ll also take a CSO at “koala,” if you don’t mind. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Most of my guesses were right on this morning. The Wite-Out only came into play for WONK/CZAR and to correct the O in BASSOS. Nice one, Kathy. Enjoyed your expo, sumdaze. (Hope whatever you're up to goes well today.)
FIR, but deciet->DECEIT (UNTIE!,) scans->SKIMS, and bassos->BASSES.
SMILE and sumdaze's write-up made me think about the old favorite Peg. The lyrics sound upbeat, but are really about the difficulties of striving for fame. I had forgotten what "pin shot" meant, so I found this from a Donald Fagen interview with the Wall Street Journal:
In the second verse, the ex is thinking back on their relationship. The ex kept one of her glossy photos in his drawer with a Dear John letter she sent him. But Walter and I didn’t want to use “pin-up.” It didn’t sing well. So we shortened it to “pin shot,” a neologism that was even seedier than pin-up.'
Thanks to Kathy for the fun Monday romp, and to sumdaze for the narrative.
Not very hairy as it was quickly obvious the second part of each theme answer rhymed with the first.
When is a CZAR not a tsar? When they are a “policy honcho” (is a female a “honcha” /
CZARINA?)
Inkover: isles/ISLET
Allegedly the QUEEN of MEAN was Leona Helmsley. Kept thinking of Ballet scenes but that was Dégas
Your server in a swim-up restaurant…. WADER
Place to sit while prevaricating .. DECEIT
Author’s photo in a novel jacket…BIOPIC
Came in early to bring DW to the hospital; getting zapped, cardioverted to try to shock her out of atrial fib this morning.
Took 5:02 today, said the indignant indigent.
I didn't know the French song (rien), uni, or the UK/Asian bank.
I never know which spelling of tsar, czar, tzar to use.
FIR. Well we've gone back to easy Monday puzzles. I didn't have to much trouble with this one, and the perps were certainly kind.
After the first long answer, I got the theme and that helped.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Musings
-Swiftie Dad was not totes adorbs
-UNI and that ARI, as clued, were the only unknowns. I’ve come to know that ENOLA
-Sumdaze's write-up was more fun
Amer was unfortunate, but on the upside...
R-o-S, sounds like dw may be a candidate for a pacemaker. No?
Well, that was á smooth one. My only stumble was entering BASSoS and reading stock for sock and wondering what in the world was an ANKLO. Once I reread the clue, corrected my mistake and had á chuckle at the clue.
So now tsk is á verb?
sumdaze, thanks for the recap. I loved the rolling dog.
That was me, Monkey above.
She has a pacer
The cardioversion worked.
Thanks
Thank you crafty Kathy for a craftily constructed conundrum.
And thank you sumdaze for your clever theme analysis and entertaining review.
A few favs:
16A APACE. I'm not a follower of Ms. Swift but I was reminded rather of the bon mots known as Swifties, e.g. "The thermostat is set too high," said Tom heatedly.
19A HIT ON. Cute story!
24A UNI. An acquired taste -- it sort of resembles creamed nuts.
37A SMILE. We've been watching re-runs of Northern Exposure streaming on Prime lately. Peg is name of the dry witted proprietor of the local general store who makes her customers smile. "Morty" is the name of the moose wandering around Cicely in the opening credits.
65A FEATS. Here's a little one with some friends playing Dixie Chicken.
4D RIEN. The song that put Piaf on the map.
10D SPICE TRACE. Another Silk Road enterprise is the musical group founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Cheers,
Bill
Good Morning:
I had to wait on perps for Belt Buckle and HSBC and I had to correct Scans/Skims and Rates/Ranks, but Enola, as clued, is finally etched in my brain. The theme is fitting for a Monday, as is the cluing and fill.
Thanks, Kathy, and thanks, sumdaze, for enlightening and entertaining us, as usual. I believe Edith Piaf’s signature song was La Vie en Rose, but I’m also familiar with the one you shared. Both are very beautiful melodies. Favorite cartoons were the Flamingos and the Dinosaurs. The photo of the Koala wins first prize.
Have a great day.
Your mentioning Northern Exposure brought back fun viewing memories. I loved that series.
Pretty good Monday puzzle. That corner with TSKED , APACE, and HITON. Gave me some trouble.
A few not-so-Monday entries (rien, hbsc, uni) but I agree with SubG on the park perambulation. Helpful perps, and a sparkling review by sumdaze.
A very enjoyable, clever and consistent theme from Kathy Lowden today, enhanced by Sumdaze with her "Moody Foodie" and other quips. Marvelous Monday.
Conrats to your DW. They zapped me 4 times while I was under, but it didn't work for me. The worst part for me was the severe "sunburn" around the edges of the pads. That, and the fact that it didn't work.
Nice WITP per subgenius
Took a moment with ARI Lennox - because I was think of Annie Lennox but spelling her first name Ani like Ani DiFranco a crosswordese singer
Like Ray-O I was thinking of Degas and the ballet and mixing it up with Gauguin and TAHITI
Thanks SD and Kathy for a quick but fun morning
The accented "a" gave you away.
Delightful Monday puzzle, many thanks for this treat, Kathy. And your commentary and pictures are always a great help, Sumdaze, so thanks for that too.
Well, we had a lot of mean people to work with in this puzzle, with that MEAN QUEEN and that BITTER SITTER and the CRABBY CABBIE and the CROSS BOSS. Guess they all felt they could HIT ON people to do what they HAVE TO do. But hopefully the good people in this puzzle got a VISA to take care of themselves, get a shower and DRY OFF and get dressed and tighten their BELT BUCKLE. Then it's time to get some BRIE for lunch before you have to study your ABCS and pass your ORALS, and then get music lessons so you can play your OBOE and listen to those BASSES. Who knows, after all that work you may have shown enough talent to be offered to be in a BIOPIC. Watching you in that will make us all SMILE.
Have a lovely, cheerful week coming up, everybody.
I liked this puzzle. Like inanehiker I entered ANI Lennox, confusing her with the other singer, but RARE sorted it out. And ANKLE changed BASSOS to BASSES.
Ray-O, I'm glad the cardioversion worked.
As did Vie en rose. (Sp?)
Hola! Not so easy Monday! Thank you, Kathy Lowden.
The rhyming pairs emerged quickly and, of course, that made the entire puzzle fill nicely but with a few problems for me. I missed CZAR/ZAP and ARI. I only know of Annie Lennox who frequently appears in puzzles. Drat!
It's disappointing to perform so badly on a Monday. i think maybe I'm not quite awake yet. More coffee!
Have a lovely day, everyone!
Kathy got us started off quite right.
And sumdaze put us in a good mood. (hey! why doesn't that rhyme?)
Sumdaze, you are so nice. I would have titled this one Disagreeable Leaders. Well, maybe not. That doesn't quite fit the middle two. In addition to the CABBIE and SITTER not really being leaders, my title doesn't address the rhyming pattern of the themes. Great recall and association at KATIE and RIO from last week! I liked our treatise on misles.
The solve was quick, but fun. Thank you, Kathy. The SITTER might not have been BITTER had it not been for the ANKLE biter.
MESQUITE is the bane of ranchers in Texas. It is invasive, it is thorny, it sucks up all of the water in the soil where feed grasses for the cattle might otherwise grow, and their spreading root systems are super long, sending up new starters. If you let them get large, you can't knock them down with your pickup, and they are hard to pull out of the ground with even large farm tractors. Ranchers usually bring in a bulldozer to clear their lands, then push them into a big pile and burn them. The mesquite just keeps coming back.
I sometimes use MESQUITE for grilling steaks, but more often burn the logs down for their long smoldering coals. They go from the small pit smoker to the big pit smoker when I make smoked brisket or pulled pork. The smoke from burning mesquite is highly aromatic, but it can overpower the taste buds in meats on the smoker after a few hours. The coals still produce the aromatic flavor, but not the overpowering smoke taste that you can get if you only smoke with mesquite logs. That's where post oak enters the mix. IMO, when used together, the mesquite coals and post oak logs provide the best combo for creating an authentic Central Texas smoked brisket. Some only use post oak in their smokers.
I tore up a couple of slices of stale bread and threw the pieces around and under the bird feeders this morning. Between the birds, the squirrels and the chipmunks, the pieces are usually gone pretty quickly. but this morning in broad daylight, Mr (or Mrs) Skunky was out there busy scarfing up every last bit of bread. Eventually it scurried across the street to the neighbor's house. BTW, female skunks are also called DOEs. Males are called bucks.
Your treatise, not our...
My rule of thumb in CWs is Tsar for the Russian ruler and CZAR for a business honcho.
Marvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Kathy and sumdaze.
I FIRed in good time and saw the Angry rhymes early in the solve.
Two inkblots to change Pop to ZAP, and Bassos to BASSES (hand up with a lot of you!).
RIDE for “went by skateboard” seemed a little understated.
I noted UNTO crossing HAVE TO.
PANT crossing ANKLE brought a smile
We had heroic tales and heroic spans.
Wishing you all a great day.
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