Theme: Love Of My Life
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| LOML and NaomiZ on their recent trip to Spain checking out the Alcázar in Segovia where Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon once held sway. |
Constructors Amie Walker and Amanda Rafkin team up today to give us a pleasant diversion with a puzzling theme. There are no circles, but we are asked to look at the beginning of each of the starred entries to find a secret message.
17-Across. *Elixirs that stir passion: LOVE POTIONS.
27-Across. *Steinbeck novella featuring George and Lennie: OF MICE AND MEN.
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48-Across. *Franchise whose characters have "cutie marks": MY LITTLE PONY.
63-Across. *"Appreciate every moment": LIFE IS SHORT.
62-Down. Romantic initialism spelled out by the starts of the answers to the starred clues: LOML.
I'm glad the ladies told us this was an initialism, because LOML did not look like an English spelling to me! And I'm glad they said it was romantic, too. That helped me to guess "Love Of My Life." When I went online to confirm this solution, I found that according to Yahoo News UK, "The acronym LOML is universally believed to mean 'love of my life'. It is used in messages and comments constantly." Not only that, but Taylor Swift released a song just last year titled "loml." Learning new things is good mental exercise, and not a waste of precious brain cells, right?
On to the rest of the things we knew, or didn't:
Across:1. Fire (up): REV.
4. Sound of an ungentle landing: THUD.
8. Ready to pour: ON TAP.
13. "Little Red Riding Hood" tool: AXE.
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| I had nightmares about this story for years. |
14. Grey __ vodka: GOOSE.
15. Boatload: CARGO.
16. __ reel: GAG.
17. [Theme clue]
19. Fish sauce quality: UMAMI. Umami is often described as a fifth taste sensation (not salty, sour, bitter, or sweet) that is savory and delicious. Vague enough? Oxford Languages says it corresponds to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate. Yum!
21. Takes a turn?: REVOLVES.
22. "Let's kick it up a __": NOTCH.
25. Worn-down pencil: NUB.
26. Jargon suffix: ESE. Legalese, bureaucratese, journalese, computerese ...
27. [Theme clue]
31. Not post-: PRE.
32. Hindu festival: HOLI. Holi is a major Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of spring in India and the blossoming of love. It is colorful!
33. Gave the star treatment to: RATED. Oh, that kind of star treatment!
37. Morrison who said, "The function of freedom is to free someone else": TONI. Spoken at the Barnard College commencement ceremony, 1979.
39. Like cereal sitting in milk: SOGGY.
42. Clip: PACE. Clip is usually used when speaking of a rapid pace: a good clip, a fast clip.
43. Compress: SMUSH. Informal for mash or push.
45. Warmth: HEAT.
47. Pro's opposite: CON.
48. [Theme clue]
52. Rapper __ Nas X: LIL. By now you all know him.
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| Lil Nas X |
55. Particle: BIT.
56. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIS.
57. "That was off topic ... ": I DIGRESS.
60. Cultured __: PEARL.
63. [Theme clue]
66. WC: LOO. WC (water closet) and loo are British terms for toilet or lavatory.
67. Put some chips on the table: ANTED. Not snacks! He put some chips (gaming tokens) on the table to play a round of cards. In other words, he anted (sounds like ANTEED) up.
56. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIS.
57. "That was off topic ... ": I DIGRESS.
60. Cultured __: PEARL.
63. [Theme clue]
66. WC: LOO. WC (water closet) and loo are British terms for toilet or lavatory.
67. Put some chips on the table: ANTED. Not snacks! He put some chips (gaming tokens) on the table to play a round of cards. In other words, he anted (sounds like ANTEED) up.
68. Capitol Hill staffers: AIDES.
69. Cash dispenser: ATM.
70. Wine vessels: CASKS.
71. Some "Modern Family" figures: DADS.
72. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL. The other end of "the 90" from our place. Speaking of which, save the 90! Los Angeles city planners want to repurpose this short freeway by putting apartment buildings and businesses on it. It's not continually jammed, so it must be ripe for further development.
Down:
1. Italian meat sauce: RAGÙ. Yes, ragù (with a grave accent, leaning left) is a meat sauce typically served with pasta. But RAGÚ (with an acute accent, leaning right) is a trademarked brand of bottled pasta sauces. I counted 25 varieties of RAGÚ on their website, and only one contained meat.
2. Test: EXAM.
3. List that may include black bean chili and mushroom pot pie: VEGAN MENU. Traveling in Europe can be challenging for us. We were happy to find places like Roots & Rolls in Barcelona, Mad Mad Vegan in Madrid, and Wild Food in Granada, where the menus are entirely vegan.
4. All __ well: TOO. I know all TOO well that vegetarian options are limited in some places!
5. __ lane: HOV. We can use the High Occupancy Vehicle lane in California if there are two or more people in the car -- or if it's a Clean Air Vehicle with a required decal. To qualify for a decal, the vehicle must be: 1) 100% electric or hydrogen fuel cell powered, or 2) plug-in hybrid-electric meeting certain standards, or 3) compressed natural gas meeting state and federal emission standards.
6. Tech support caller: USER.
7. Rely (on): DEPEND.
8. National Black Cat Day month: OCTOBER. Sure, but:
National Black Cat Appreciation Day is August 17th.
National Black Cat Day is October 27th.
October is Black Cat Awareness Month.
All of these events are meant to raise support for black cat adoptions and to dispel superstitions.
9. Get just right: NAIL.
10. Treasure stash: TROVE.
11. Nosy neighbor in "WandaVision": AGNES. WandaVision is a TV miniseries created for Disney+, based on Marvel Comics, featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff (whose alter ego is Scarlet Witch) and Vision. Nosy neighbor Agnes is secretly a witch herself, and an antagonist. If we are going to get into complex fictional worlds, I'd rather listen to my granddaughter describe the tribes of dragons in the Wings of Fire books: SkyWings, IceWings, NightWings, SeaWings, MudWings, SandWings, RainWings, HiveWings, LeafWings, SilkWings ....
12. Entourage: POSSE.
14. Bug: GLITCH.
18. Reproductive cell: OVUM.
20. Pronoun used in mock outrage: MOI. Made famous by Miss Piggy, it's Frawnche for "Who, ME?"
23. Co. leaders: CEOs. Company leaders are Chief Executive Officers.
24. Angel hair topper: HALO. You were thinking ragù, right? Not that kind of angel hair.
27. Elects (to): OPTS.
28. Gift tag word: FROM.
29. "See ya in the morning!": 'NIGHT.
30. __ trapped: stuck at home because of a tot's sleep schedule: NAP. The clue defines this very well. I'm not sure this phrase existed when I had little children, but I may experience the situation with the upcoming grandson.
34. Tex-Mex dish with an edible bowl: TACO SALAD. I always called the salad in a fried tortilla bowl a tostada, though I'm aware that some skimpy tostadas are built on flat, fried tortillas. Extremely brief research suggests that the meal in the yummy bowl is actually a TACO SALAD.
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| El Pollo Loco calls this a Classic Tostada. They're on my side! |
35. Nobel Prize subj.: ECON. Also phys., chem., med., lit., and peace.
36. Say no to: DENY.
38. Belief system: ISM.
40. Obtains: GETS.
41. Home of Grace Hopper College: YALE. Grace Hopper College is a residential college of Yale University, opened in 1933 as one of the original eight undergraduate residential colleges. It was originally named Calhoun College after US Vice President John C. Calhoun, but renamed in 2017 in honor of computer scientist Grace Murray Hopper. If you knew this, you just might be a Yalie, AKA Eli.
44. Some Subarus: HYBRIDS.
46. Lures: TEMPTS.
49. "Completely false!": LIES.
50. "Such a shame": IT'S SAD.
51. Food in "Sweeney Todd" and "Waitress": PIE. In the penny dreadful stories about Sweeney Todd (1846/47), the villainous barber of Fleet Street, Todd kills his customers, and his neighbor bakes their flesh into meat pies, which she sells. Waitress was a 2015 stage musical and 2023 musical comedy movie, in which a waitress who bakes pies eventually finds a way to leave her abusive husband and run her own business.
52. Lavender kin: LILAC.
53. Tony winner Menzel: IDINA. Idina Menzel is an American actress and singer. She has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence and powerful mezzo-soprano voice. Having achieved mainstream success across stage, screen, and music, her accolades include a Tony Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.
36. Say no to: DENY.
38. Belief system: ISM.
40. Obtains: GETS.
41. Home of Grace Hopper College: YALE. Grace Hopper College is a residential college of Yale University, opened in 1933 as one of the original eight undergraduate residential colleges. It was originally named Calhoun College after US Vice President John C. Calhoun, but renamed in 2017 in honor of computer scientist Grace Murray Hopper. If you knew this, you just might be a Yalie, AKA Eli.
44. Some Subarus: HYBRIDS.
46. Lures: TEMPTS.
49. "Completely false!": LIES.
50. "Such a shame": IT'S SAD.
51. Food in "Sweeney Todd" and "Waitress": PIE. In the penny dreadful stories about Sweeney Todd (1846/47), the villainous barber of Fleet Street, Todd kills his customers, and his neighbor bakes their flesh into meat pies, which she sells. Waitress was a 2015 stage musical and 2023 musical comedy movie, in which a waitress who bakes pies eventually finds a way to leave her abusive husband and run her own business.
52. Lavender kin: LILAC.
53. Tony winner Menzel: IDINA. Idina Menzel is an American actress and singer. She has been nicknamed the "Queen of Broadway" for her commanding stage presence and powerful mezzo-soprano voice. Having achieved mainstream success across stage, screen, and music, her accolades include a Tony Award and a Daytime Emmy Award.
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| Idina Menzel |
54. Elevates: LIFTS.
58. __ chic: GEEK. According to Collins English Dictionary, geek chic is a fashion style believed to be characteristic of geeks, including the wearing of heavy-rimmed glasses and T-shirts with humorous slogans.
59. Branch of Islam: SHIA.
61. Repetitive learning method: ROTE.
62. [Theme clue]
64. Out of the ordinary: ODD.
65. Hi-__ graphics: RES.
61. Repetitive learning method: ROTE.
62. [Theme clue]
64. Out of the ordinary: ODD.
65. Hi-__ graphics: RES.
Here's the grid:
One of the Loves Of My Life is solving the crossword puzzle with all of you here in the Corner ... the bloggers, the commenters, and those who read along.
So ... was this puzzle a rare PEARL? Or did it land with a THUD?
NaomiZ
A sweet cw puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAnd not too terribly tough, in the long run. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteSo the starting letters of each themer spell LOML. Big woo. Oh, there was more to it than that? D-o needed Wite-Out to correct DIET to MENU and SMASH to SMUSH (Merriam-Webster doesn't like SMUSH). Not familiar with MY LITTLE PONY. This one seemed just about right for a Thursday. Thanx, Amie, Amanda, and NaomiZ. (Great pic of you and your spousal unit in Spain.)
Black Cat: There are two covered porch areas at our house, so why did Gomer, our black cat, stomp in soaking wet this morning? It was our fault, naturally.
FIR, but rises->LIFTS and tres-?GEEK.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that no one yet has linked The Searchers big hit Love Potion Number Nine.
The Vietnam-era F-105 was nicknamed "THUD." It was known for reliability problems and difficult maintenance procedures, and its heavy weapons load and small wings produced poor glide performance, leading to the nickname that mimicked the sound they made when they hit the ground.
During our (outdoor) wedding ceremony a black cat ran across the platform where we were standing with the minister, causing much laughter from the attendees. The minister never missed a beat, saying something on the order of "all God's creations are welcome to join us on this joyful day."
Thanks to Amie and Amanda for the fun puzzle. Had no idea about WandaVison, but would have known "Endora portrayer Moorehead" immediately. Just a matter of knowing which witch is which. And thanks to NaomiZ for explaining it all.
Never heard of this Wanda thingie, but "nosy neighbor Agnes" just rang a bell about the nosy neighbor on the TV show Bewitched. And then when I read it's a Disney show about Witches, well, Coincidence? Meth8nks not...
ReplyDeleteAlso,
tell my DW it's just a joke...
I am one of those who reviews this blog - after completing the crossword - daily, but who seldom comments. I'd just like to say "thanks" to the posters who bring positivity to the blog. In my experience, there's always something positive to say, and that starts the day more pleasantly than those who cast diatribes at the crossword constructors and/or editor(s). My appreciation goes out to the former. To the latter, I say only, it's just a puzzle; not everyone has to like everything; take a chill pill. Best wishes for a great day to all!
ReplyDeleteWell said--especially your comment that "there's always something positive to say." One can still be specific about perceived shortcomings in the puzzle without being nasty or snide. The key is to offer solutions or suggestions of ways of improving in a particular area--rather than just casting diatribes.
DeleteFIR. After a run of toughies this week, finally a fairly easy puzzle, and it's Thursday to boot!
ReplyDeleteMy only snags were throwing down raved before rated, and not knowing Idina and geek chic. Perps did the trick for both.
To be honest the theme seemed lame, mostly because I've never used LOML in anything.
But overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI finished the puzzle and was bewildered as to the lack of a reveal. Upon further grid searching, I found the heretofore unseen reveal clue for LOML. I still had to Google this, as it was unknown to me. And, finally, it all made sense. I enjoyed the solve but thought it was on the easy side for a Thursday. No unknowns and only one w/o, Tres/Geek. I’ll take the CSO, but not the nosy part.
Thanks, Amie and Amanda, and thanks, Naomi, for your very informative summary. Lovely photo of you and DH.
Have a great day.
Took 5:19 today to let out my lion.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's not what LOML means?
I had watched WandaVision, but remembered the nosy neighbor as "Agatha," which isn't wrong.
I knew today's actress (Idina) and writer (Toni). "Not post-" could be mid-.
I had no idea what LOML meant until I saw Naomi’s caption under her photo with DH, then it immediately came to mind. My FIR time of 12:05 tells me it was a fairly easy puzzle for a Thursday. A few unknowns that required perps, IDINA, PIE as clued, and not familiar with the expression “NAP trapped”. Saw the CSO to IM☘️. We had RAGU a couple days ago which can also be spelled ragout. I love LILACs but the season is too short, they are already fading here after a brief couple weeks. The VEGAN MENU is countered by the TACO SALAD. Thank you Amie and Amanda for your collaboration, and to NaomiZ for the enlightenment!
ReplyDeleteEasy Thursday. My only unknown was IDINA. I got the initials of course, but needed NaomiZ’s explanation of LOML. I like that.
ReplyDeleteCSO, our Irish ☘️ Agnes.
Thank you NaomiZ for your nice review and the lovely picture of you and the LOYL.
This comment was me, Monkey. Why I was Anonymous, I have no idea.
DeleteI just recovered my identity.
DeleteQuite a BIT easier’n yesterday. Only Inkover was IrINA/IDINA but now I understand why I had no idea what the theme might be
ReplyDelete“Elixirs”, popular Donizetti opera “L’Elisir d’Amore” The Love Potion. “AGNES all Along” a spin off of “WandaVision”
If you ax me the AXE is what makes “Little Red Riding hood” a GRIMM fairy tale.
“Co. Leaders”, governors way too long.
Waiting for a bud to help me saw up a dead tree that fell on the edge of the woods: chain saw not an AXE 🪓
Musings
ReplyDelete-I’ve never had a gimmick leave me more “on the outside looking in”. I suppose we do have our own abbreviations known only to us at this site, so...
-As usual, I’ll take a “me too”, for my favorite AGNES here!!
-My daughter bought her new house this spring from a family from India and they taught her about HOLI
-Despite our age, our Thursday group plays at a very fast CLIP. Where we’re playing today
-I’m not sure how ATMs are constructed but they are not that easy to operate from a car. I have seen peeps get out of their cars to use them
-This USER got great help from two sites recently where the techs spoke great English and solved my issues
-I've always wondered how one gets a Nobel Prize for ECON
-My golf partner loves his HYBRID he got when he traded in his Cadillac
-Serious actress AGNES Moorehead hated the drivel of TV sitcoms but cashed every check
-Lovely pic and nice review, Naomi. Is there some mention at the castle about financing Columbus’ trip to the New World?
You’re my favorite Gary! 😉
DeleteI greatly enjoyed this puzzle! Nice fill and some fun and clever clues, e.g. REVOLVES, RATED, HALO.
ReplyDeleteDidn't get the theme at first, but then I noticed that it not just the first letters spelling LOML - the entire first word of each theme entry matches the reveal. That is quite a bit more satisfying.
Thanks to Amie and Amanda for the enjoyable diversion, and to NaomiZ for the wonderful review. Loved the adorable black cat picture - even though cats make me sneeze.
Great catch, Kat, which most of us missed!
DeleteKat at 9:09 AM has solved it! "The starts of the answers to the starred clues" are actually the words LOVE OF MY LIFE. I can't believe I didn't see it. Thank you, Kat!
ReplyDeleteWow! That adds another layer to the puzzle. Thank you Kat.
ReplyDeleteSorry Miss Swift. LOML is a new one for me and I really don't know any of your songs. The perps were solid for LOML and I had filled it before finishing. Then I notice the first WORD of the theme fills.
ReplyDeleteLOML, AGNES, PIE, and YALE were unknowns but I had some trouble finishing the Mid-South. I didn't realize Subaru had a HYBRID model but MY LITTLE PONY was a hard fill until I remembered there was a convention here in NOLA a few years ago. All the attendees were grown men. But we have some unusual conventions. There's a wife swapping convention every year and currently a Pikachu Tournament with over 10,000 entrants. Am I off topic? MOI? I DIGRESS.
RAGU, Prego, and 100 others. Confusing choices. We tried some RAO's yesterday on our angel hair pasta. Overpriced RAGU, IMHO.
OCTOBER was an easy guess.
I like TACO SALAD with beans and meat on the bottom. Not a low Calorie meal.
LOVE POTION #9- I don't think they are "Kissing a cop at 34th & Vine" this week.
Yeah, I thought about that cop too. In today's world, the cop might be suspended for being insensitive, then fired for destruction of the drug enforcement unit's evidence.
DeleteWeird week...today's puzzle was the easiest, and Monday's offering was the most difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteAs gimmicks and themes go, today's was pretty lame in my opinion.
A fresh and lively fill even if a bit easy for a Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI liked the “angel hair topper” clue.
Thanks Amie and Amanda for spreading a ‘lil love around our corner.
An informative recap and wonderful pic NaomiZ. Thanks.
Speaking of bank machines …. Why do drive-thru ATMs have braille on the buttons?
I saw what Kat mentioned, that the entire first word filled out the unknown acronym. Nice job Amie & Amanda, that saved the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that rides with me occasionally. When we're on the interstate and I'm driving in the regular lanes, he reminds me we can move over to the express lane because we're HOV positive.
Fun write-up Naomi. In retrospect, many fairy tales were pretty violent, and some nursey rhymes where based on terrible events.
Seemed easy for a Thursday offering, and had a lot of nice V-8 moments. LOML was new to me, nicely explained by NaomiZ. On to Friday the 13th!
ReplyDeleteHola! Charlie Echo, please don't add to my confusion! On my calendar it's Thursday, the 12th. And what a quick and easy puzzle Amie and Amanda gave us. I sailed through it but failed in the end. I had PEARS instead of PEARLS! Drat! LOML is unknown to me, but it makes sense. Sadly, the love of my life left me too soon; he was riddled with cancer and in great pain so it was a relief, but I miss him terribly. Mark has managed to fill the void and is a good companion.
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter loved MY LITTLE PONY.
I've seen IDINA Menzel on some PBS performances. She has a powerful singing voice!
I hope you are all enjoying your Thursday!
HALO!
DeleteI'm sorry, Charlie Echo. I misread your comment and thought you meant today was Friday the 13th.
ReplyDeleteI agree that today was easier than Monday's. Again I had the theme answers figured out quickly. And Jinx, I also thought of the F-105 Thud from my Air National Guard days. We had one crash while on an approach. The pilot ejected OK. It had a chute compartment behind the vertical stabilizer that you deployed at touchdown and helped slow the thing down.
ReplyDeleteI loved this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteFIR in 11, EXCELLENT Thursday time for me. 11 names, only DNK 3, which helped. I seemed to be on this wavelength, as the CW filled pretty easily. Only problem: the theme. I saw the LOML, but had no idea what it stood for. Like a name, you either know it...or you don't. Anyway, nice CW, thanx AW&AR, even tough you stumped me with the theme. "Angel hair topper" = clever clue, had me thinking pasta. Thanx too to NaomiZ for the terrific write-up.
ReplyDeleteToday’s CWPScore is 93.6%, an A. Nicely done AW and AR for not over using names in your construction !
ReplyDeleteA long, busy day. Thank you, Amie and Amanda.
ReplyDeleteThank you, NaomiZ, and welcome back.
Terrific Thursday. Thanks for the fun, Amie and Amanda, and NaomiZ (great photo of you and LOYL) (that’s Your, not Mine LOL).
ReplyDeleteI went at a good PACE through the park to the end reveal, looked back and saw LOVE OF MY LIFE. But I am unfamiliar with LOML. Maybe we should use it here instead of DH.
NOTCH crossing GLITCH brought a smile.
SMUSH always brings a smile. Great onomatopoeia.
I learned UMAMI doing CWs.
My daughter had a collection of MY LITTLE PONies.
If you listened to a granddaughter sing Let It Go from Frozen, you would know IDINA (she voiced Elsa, another CW favourite).
Wishing you all a great day.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amie & Amanda for the fun puzzle. I like how each themer started with not just the initials in the reveal, but the whole word (Kat noticed too!)
Great expo with fun sidebars, NaomiZ. Loved the picture from Spain.
ESPs: IDINA,
WOs: there's something under CASK, I think I started CArafe but ran out of squares.
Fav: I DIGRESS was fun. CSO to IM was nice too.
DADS b/f Father's Day is apt.
My LIL sisters loved their MY LITTLE PONies. Youngest introduced me to WandaVision - I only watched two episodes.
Jinx - you beat me to The Searchers. The song played in my head immediately after filling 17a.
C, Eh - I too liked NOTCH & GLITCH crossing.
Ray-O: did you think, "4 letters + pasta must be RAGU but that's too heavy for Angel Hair" ? ;-)
I enjoyed reading y'all.
Cheers, -T