Get Down! The circles are all in theDownposition and spell out a type of common type of aSystem.
4-Down. Unauthorized rock recordings: BOOTLEG ALBUMS. LegalSystem. ALegal Systemis the framework of rules, procedures, and institutions that a community uses to interpret and enforce their laws.
8-Down. "SNL" sketch featuring Christopher Walken and a percussion instrument: MORE COWBELL. Ecosystem. An Ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.
25-Down. Retail rep's quota: SALES TARGET. Star System. A Star system is a group of planets, meteors, or other objects that orbit a large star.
And the unifier:
19-Down. Grammy-winning metal band, or what can be found three times in this puzzle?: SYSTEM OF A DOWN. Hand up if you knew of this Armenian-American band. Apparently it has been active since the mid-1990s. It was unknown to me and if it wasn't for the circles, I would have had trouble with today's theme.
Here's the Grid:
Across:
1. Wound cover: SCAB.
5. Fox or ox: ANIMAL.
11. Tub: VAT.
14. Christmas pageant headwear: HALO.
15. "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" star Lombard: CAROLE. Mr. and Mrs. Smith was a 1941 film. Tragically, the following year Carole Lombard (née Jane Alice Peters; Oct. 6, 1908 ~ Jan. 16, 1942) was killed in a plane crash.
16. Australian bird: EMU.
17. Silicon Valley city Palo __: ALTO.
18. 1920s dance craze that originated in South Carolina: CHARLESTON.
20. Oregon Trail river: PLATTE. The Platte River originates in the Rocky Mountains as two main tributaries, the North Platte and the South Platte, in Colorado and Wyoming. It flows through Nebraska and eventually empties into the Missouri River near Plattsmouth, Nebraska
22. Letters that end a proof: QED. Today's Latin lesson. QED is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase Quod Erat Demonstrandum, which roughly translates to that which was to be proved.
23. Oxen harness: YOKE.
24. Aviator hat features: EARLAPS.
26. T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical __": CATS.
28. "At Last" singer James: ETTA. Our old friend Etta James (née Jamesettta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) is back to grace us with song.
29. Raw bar mollusks: OYSTERS. For a fascinating look into the history of oysters, I recommend The Big Oyster, by Mark Kurlansky.
33. Male deer: STAG. I tried Buck first, but the perps objected.
36. Reuben sammie side: SLAW.
38. Orange __ tea: PEKOE. Everything you didn't know you needed to know about Orange Pekoe Tea.
39. Like ice caps: POLAR.
41. Wane: EBB.
42. Troutlike fish in the Great Lakes: SMELT. Yummers!
43. Use TurboTax, say: E-FILE.
44. Oracle: SEER.
46. Poems of praise: ODES.
47. Give up, informally: CUT BAIT.
49. Laze: LOAF.
51. Arm bone: ULNA.
52. Celebrity chef Emeril: LAGASSE. Although Emeril Lagasse (né Emeril John Lagassé, III; b. Oct. 15, 1959) is known for Creole and Cajun cuisine, he was actually born in Fall River, Massachusetts and is of French and Portuguese descent.
56. Like some margins of victory: SLIM.
59. Globe: ORB.
61. Mellow: SEDATE.
62. The "MO" of FOMO: MISSING OUT. Fear Of Missing Out.
65. Foreboding sign: OMEN.
66. MLB official: UMP.
67. South Dakota's capital: PIERRE. Unless you are from South Dakota, this is probably more than you ever though you would know about Pierre.
68. Troubles: WOES.
69. Identity celebrated during Pride Month: GAY. June is Gay Pride Month.
70. Show up for: ATTEND.
71. __ a soul: NARY.
Down:
1. Circle or triangle: SHAPE.
2. __ lily: trumpet-shaped flower: CALLA. They are beautiful flowers.
3. Religious platform: ALTAR.
5. Says yes to: ACCEPTS.
6. "Nope": NAH.
7. Country where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet: IRAQ.
9. From sunrise to sunset: ALL DAY.
10. Olympic gymnast Suni: LEE. Her given name is Sunisa Phabsomphou Lee (b. Mar. 9, 2003). She participated in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
11. Presidential power: VETO.
12. Out of control: AMOK.
13. Melody: TUNE.
21. Tit for __: TAT.
27. Recipe amts.: TSPS. As in Teaspoons.
30. Just managed, with "out": EKED.
31. Actor's part: ROLE.
32. Production designer's creations: SETS.
33. Job detail, for short: SPEC. This is becoming a crossword staple.
34. Pad thai protein option: TOFU. Yummers! I love pad thai.
35. Landed: ALIT.
37. "The Godfather" actor Vigoda: ABE. Abraham Vigoda (Feb. 24, 1921 ~ Jan. 26, 2016) portrayed Salvadore Tessio in The Godfather and Phil Fish in the sitcom Barney Miller.
40. Not imagined: REAL.
45. Like some nuts: ROASTED.
48. Complicit: IN ON IT.
50. Life time: AGE.
53. South Pacific island group: SAMOA.
54. Take the wheel: STEER.
55. Itty-bitty: EENSY.
56. Self-satisfied: SMUG.
57. Peru's capital: LIMA.
58. Classic road trip game: I SPY. I Spy with my Little Eye ...
60. Tire through tedium: BORE.
63. Hoppy brew letters: IPA. As in India Pale Ale. Everything you ever wanted to know about IPA.
I didn’t find this to be a particularly easy puzzle. Fortunately, I HAD heard of that “metal band” before. If you haven’t, I think you might have been a little lost. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Thanks for the write-up, H, and the funny toons as always. I have heard System of a Down, but I was more of an 80s Hair-Metal band guy - that being said, I was quite pleased to see "Oyster" crossing Cowbell, as it was Blue Oyster Cult's song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" that was featured in the SNL Skit~!
Don't think I've ever heard of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and I looked sideways at it for some time. Without the circles, this theme would've been an enigma. We'd have an occasional SMELT-Feed at our house growing up -- I don't think they were available year-round. Thanx, Kelly and Hahtoolah. (Now I know there's someone other than Lizzie Borden who hailed from Fall River.)
FIW. Big problems were guessing at SYSTEM On A DOWN, and being cocksure that the '20s dance craze invented in South Carolina was what I know as the "Shag," known around these parts as "beach music." Guessed that its full name must be sHAg LiSTON, maybe after a person or band connected to its origin.
I really liked that Kelly used "Q" without a "u" in either direction. I also thought the T-T-T alliteration in the clue for BORE was cute.
Here's a link to the Carolina Shag Club. Note - this isn't a secure site (http v. https, but it seems to be innocent enough. Depending on your browser settings, it may not open.
FIR. For a Tuesday puzzle this had a little bite to it. Once again unnecessary circles. You expect them in Jumbles, but they don't belong in crosswords. This had the things I like least in a crossword. Circles, proper names, and it was a vertical puzzle as well. The reveal was of no help because I didn't know the band. Or the SNL skit for that matter. Just as well because I ignored the theme and circles throughout the solve. Overall not an enjoyable puzzle.
This CW seemed rather easy to me. SYSTEM OF Á DOWN was totally unknown and therefore rather bizarre, but that’s what came up, so to speak, therefore I kept it and was able to understand the circles.
The long down fills were simple enough, and loved MORE COWBELLS, my favorite since I’m á huge fan of Christopher Walken, thank you Hahtoolah for the SNL skit. I never tire of watching it.
I also appreciated the low number of proper names. So to quote Sub genius, I’m happy.
I never heard of the band but the circles highlighted the theme, so it made sense. I agree that there was a bit of crunch for a Tuesday, but perps were fair and the solve was uneventful.
Thanks, Kelly, and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the usual facts and fun. Favorite comics were the Em Ewes, the Steer “steering”, and the Ox hitching a ride. Fun stuff!
Well, Kudos for the the write up. If I had to write this up, it would have been summed up in one word. THUMPER!
I get 99.9 % of the puzzle, but I just can't parse in my head what "system of a down" is supposed to be. Forgive me for writing this, but typing it out helps me parse things, and for the life of me, if this constructor is using the name of an obscure and unknown by 90% of the population band to point out a system in "A Down," I would be very disappointed.
Somebody please tell me I missed something, because all I am seeing is some very bad English...
(Actually, if the band name was "system in the downs" I would have been ok with it.)
I think the only thing to do to save anything from this puzzle, is to cut bait...
Carole Lombard was not only one of the most glamorous actresses in Hollywood at the time; she is still considered the "queen of the screwball comedies." She was completing the filming of "To Be Or Not To Be," her last film, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. As soon as she could, just a month after Pearl Harbor, she flew to Indiana (her home state) for a war bond drive, one of the first such drives of World War II. Since the U.S. had barely begun mobilizing militarily for the war, her death in January 1942 during her return flight to California--along with the servicemen in her plane--are considered to be some of the first American casualties of World War II. She was 33.
Yeah...still scratching my head over SYSTEMOFADOWN. Something to do with Down Syndrome? My musical tastes were pretty much set in stone by 1979, and what I've listened to since has only reinforced that, with very few exceptions.
I’m ambivalent about circles, sometimes they are necessary for sussing the themers, even if they don’t help with the solve, and I see absolutely no difference in ease or difficulty whether the themers are answers are vertical or horizontal, why does that matter? Fairly easy today, only a few names, with my only unknown being LEE. Thanks Kelly for the puzzle, and Hahtoolah for another entertaining write-up! SMELT are delicious fish, I think they used to be more plentiful in the Great Lakes where there used to be a spring run up the river and stream tributaries, and the annual tradition of “smelt dipping”, using nets to catch them swimming upstream. Or as commonly called back in the day, “smelt drinking” 🍻
I've never heard of this group either. Name doesn't make sense but what else is new. FIR and circles were helpful. I enjoyed the recap as always Ha2la.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Kelly and Hahtoolah. I FIRed in good time and saw the SYSTEM OF A DOWN theme (although I had no idea about that band!). I had to parse correctly to see that each System in the circles was “of a Down”. (“In a Down” would have been even clearer.)
MORE COWBELL was unknown to this non-SNL devotee. And the video is not available to me in Canada. Sigh!
Parsing corrected my BOOT rEGAL BUMS to BOOTLEG ALBUMS. I call them EAR fLAPS, but there was no room for an F or a W (wraps?). L finally dawned.
My Red Rose tea is Orange PEKOE. IRAn changed to IRAQ with QED. No room for TEENSY, just EENSY. I did remember CAROLE.
“Complicit” could have been filled with just IN ON. The IT was not needed IMHO. We usually need to answer with Emeril Or BAM. It took a few perps for LAGASSE to come to mind.
Hola! I agree that SYSTEM OF A DOWN sounds bizarre as Monkey said. I suppose there is an explanation for it. CAROLE Lombard was married to Clark Gable. CHARLESTON, SC, is a lovely southern town. With the exception of shrimp, I do not care for seafood, and I suppose that is because I am a desert denizen and was not exposed to it while growing up. VAT is also "value added tax" which is charged when traveling abroad. This puzzle was easy for a Tuesday, thank you, Kelly Richardson and Hahtoolah for the interpretation. Have a grand day, veryone!
Thanks to Kelly for today's smooth solve and to Hahtoolah for explaining what the reveal meant! FAV was MORE COWBELL (I never get tired of watching Jimmy Fallon cracking up in the background.) My grandfather used to ask my grandmother if she was going to "fish or CUT BAIT" when he wanted her to stop gabbing and get a move on. I'm like my grandfather on that one. When it's time to go, just GO. Quit dawdling.
Although I managed to FIR in 15, I never heard of "System of a Down" band. Sounds like an especially goofy name for a band. Also, even after completing the CW and poring over it, did not see the theme. This is a Thursday on a Tuesday, for me. Also EARLAPS = never heard of it. They are EARFLAPS. I didn't know smelt were considered trout like, I never considered them troutlike. We used to catch them in Lake Michigan and fry 'em up, eating the whole thing except the head. Nice and crunchy, but too small to be "troutlike" in my mind. 'Nuff said. Thanx KR for this CW, even though I struggled with it, and never got the theme, still a nice CW, except again too many names at 13, DNK 3, similar to yesterday's namefest with 17, also DNK 3. Thanx too to Hahtoolah, who never disappoints in write-ups and cartoons.
When I was a kid we had an expression "whoever first SMELT it, dealt it."
Aren't you glad that back in our day all the bands had intuitively meaningful names, like The Beatles, The Monkees, Jethro Tull, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Hot Tuna, Guess Who, Mungo Jerry, The Doors, Cream, The Velvet Underground, Buffalo Springfield, and, of course, Pink Floyd? I'm probably forgetting more groups than I'm remembering.
Thanks Kelly for the fun grid. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for the entertaining comics.
WOs: Started writing COWBELL in square 8 b/f I realized I needed MORE //"I gotta fever..." ; LOLL -> LOAF ESPs: CAROLE | LEE Fav: What Splynter said - [Blue] OYSTER [Cult] xing COWBELL
Hand-up - EAR LAPS sounds like someone forgot a letter.
I've never heard of SYSTEM OF A DOWN but I never really liked "hair metal" (heavy metal, i.e. Black Sabbath, was more my jam in the "metal" genre). Someone asked about the name: "The group took its name from a poem that Malakian [one of the three founders] had written titled "Victims of a Down". The word "victims" was changed to "system" because Odadjian believed that it would appeal to a much wider audience and also because the group wanted their records to be alphabetically shelved closer to their musical heroes, Slayer."
@jamie - Wow! Someone at The Corner younger than I. //I'm an X'er ;-)
Musings -Only played 9 holes today as the heat index along the PLATTE today is off the charts. Relief tomorrow!! -The rains this spring and summer has kept the PLATTE’S sandbars at bay as the water has not EBBED -Having an UBER obscure-to-me band as a gimmick was annoying but eventually made a modicum of sense -Walking all over Fort Sumter in Charleston was a bucket list item for me, even on a frigid March morning. -ETTA and At Last - There’s no sense in anyone else singing that song! -We substitute KFC’s good SLAW for mashed potatoes in their “fill ups” -Quit agonizing over that putt, either fish or CUT BAIT! -An obscure gymnast over the 90% majority sect of Islam on a Tuesday puzzle? -As a binge-watching fan of the Raymond Burr Perry Mason shows, the same SETS keep popping up as there were over 30 episodes per year. -This line also keeps popping up, “He/She was dead before I got there!” -The Corleone’s did not cut Tessio any slack. -MORE COWBELL was an SNL return to smart, funny skits that were typical of the show before it went off the political-left deep end. -I almost bought this T-shirt
Delightful Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Kelly. And your comments and your funny pictures cracked me up, Hahtoolah--my thanks for those too.
Well, this puzzle announced early on that it was going to give us some ANIMALS. It did, but they turned out to be pretty SEDATE, beginning with that EMU, followed by a couple of CATS (that probably didn't get get along too well with the Emu). Then we also got some OYSTERS (although I guess we don't think of them as animals any more), and then a STAG and a POLAR bear and finally a STEER. I guess maybe some of them would wear a YOKE, but it looks as though not of them are going to end up at the ALTAR getting married. And I suppose we could feed them a bit of a LOAF of bread, and maybe even some Cole SLAW and some TOFU along with some PEKOE tea--no, wait, no tea for these critters, that's not on their menu. So the poor things may have some WOES today. Well, time for us to turn on the radio and listen to some TUNES and then think about planning a trip to LIMA or SAMOA. No, too expensive--let's just go to Palo ALTO.
I didn’t find this to be
ReplyDeletea particularly easy puzzle. Fortunately, I HAD heard of that “metal band” before. If you haven’t, I think you might have been a little lost. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Thanks for the write-up, H, and the funny toons as always. I have heard System of a Down, but I was more of an 80s Hair-Metal band guy - that being said, I was quite pleased to see "Oyster" crossing Cowbell, as it was Blue Oyster Cult's song "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" that was featured in the SNL Skit~!
ReplyDeleteSplynter, I think that qualifies as trivia about trivia.
DeleteExcellent observation, Splynter! Wondering if even the constructor saw that one.
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteDon't think I've ever heard of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and I looked sideways at it for some time. Without the circles, this theme would've been an enigma. We'd have an occasional SMELT-Feed at our house growing up -- I don't think they were available year-round. Thanx, Kelly and Hahtoolah. (Now I know there's someone other than Lizzie Borden who hailed from Fall River.)
FIW. Big problems were guessing at SYSTEM On A DOWN, and being cocksure that the '20s dance craze invented in South Carolina was what I know as the "Shag," known around these parts as "beach music." Guessed that its full name must be sHAg LiSTON, maybe after a person or band connected to its origin.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that Kelly used "Q" without a "u" in either direction. I also thought the T-T-T alliteration in the clue for BORE was cute.
5A reminded me of the Def Leppard hit ANIMAL.
It took me a while at "tit for ____." Couldn't make "beads" fit.
Thanks to Kelly for the stumper. I enjoyed most of it. And thanks to Ha2la for the great toons and explanations.
Here's a link to the Carolina Shag Club. Note - this isn't a secure site (http v. https, but it seems to be innocent enough. Depending on your browser settings, it may not open.
DeleteFIR. For a Tuesday puzzle this had a little bite to it.
ReplyDeleteOnce again unnecessary circles. You expect them in Jumbles, but they don't belong in crosswords. This had the things I like least in a crossword. Circles, proper names, and it was a vertical puzzle as well.
The reveal was of no help because I didn't know the band. Or the SNL skit for that matter. Just as well because I ignored the theme and circles throughout the solve.
Overall not an enjoyable puzzle.
S ped through this in 5:03 today.
ReplyDeleteO h joy, circles!
L uckily, I was familiar with the band, although I thought it was "the" not "a."
A ctress of the Day (Carole) was completely unknown.
R arely do circles add to a puzzle's enjoyment for me, and instead I find they often detract due to the gimmick.
fish or cut bait
ReplyDeleteThis CW seemed rather easy to me. SYSTEM OF Á DOWN was totally unknown and therefore rather bizarre, but that’s what came up, so to speak, therefore I kept it and was able to understand the circles.
ReplyDeleteThe long down fills were simple enough, and loved MORE COWBELLS, my favorite since I’m á huge fan of Christopher Walken, thank you Hahtoolah for the SNL skit. I never tire of watching it.
I also appreciated the low number of proper names. So to quote Sub genius, I’m happy.
Thank you Hahtoolah for all the cute funnies.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI never heard of the band but the circles highlighted the theme, so it made sense. I agree that there was a bit of crunch for a Tuesday, but perps were fair and the solve was uneventful.
Thanks, Kelly, and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the usual facts and fun. Favorite comics were the Em Ewes, the Steer “steering”, and the Ox hitching a ride. Fun stuff!
Have a great day and stay cool!
Well,
ReplyDeleteKudos for the the write up. If I had to write this up, it would have been summed up in one word. THUMPER!
I get 99.9 % of the puzzle, but I just can't parse in my head what "system of a down" is supposed to be. Forgive me for writing this, but typing it out helps me parse things, and for the life of me, if this constructor is using the name of an obscure and unknown by 90% of the population band to point out a system in "A Down," I would be very disappointed.
Somebody please tell me I missed something, because all I am seeing is some very bad English...
(Actually, if the band name was "system in the downs" I would have been ok with it.)
I think the only thing to do to save anything from this puzzle, is to cut bait...
Carole Lombard was not only one of the most glamorous actresses in Hollywood at the time; she is still considered the "queen of the screwball comedies." She was completing the filming of "To Be Or Not To Be," her last film, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. As soon as she could, just a month after Pearl Harbor, she flew to Indiana (her home state) for a war bond drive, one of the first such drives of World War II. Since the U.S. had barely begun mobilizing militarily for the war, her death in January 1942 during her return flight to California--along with the servicemen in her plane--are considered to be some of the first American casualties of World War II. She was 33.
ReplyDeleteYeah...still scratching my head over SYSTEMOFADOWN. Something to do with Down Syndrome? My musical tastes were pretty much set in stone by 1979, and what I've listened to since has only reinforced that, with very few exceptions.
ReplyDeleteI’m ambivalent about circles, sometimes they are necessary for sussing the themers, even if they don’t help with the solve, and I see absolutely no difference in ease or difficulty whether the themers are answers are vertical or horizontal, why does that matter? Fairly easy today, only a few names, with my only unknown being LEE. Thanks Kelly for the puzzle, and Hahtoolah for another entertaining write-up! SMELT are delicious fish, I think they used to be more plentiful in the Great Lakes where there used to be a spring run up the river and stream tributaries, and the annual tradition of “smelt dipping”, using nets to catch them swimming upstream. Or as commonly called back in the day, “smelt drinking” 🍻
ReplyDeleteHaving two sons born in the late 80’s who were into punk/metal, I knew SYSTEM OF A DOWN, I remember them having a tee shirt or two.
DeleteAnonymous is YP
DeleteI've never heard of this group either. Name doesn't make sense but what else is new. FIR and circles were helpful. I enjoyed the recap as always Ha2la.
ReplyDeleteTerrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Kelly and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in good time and saw the SYSTEM OF A DOWN theme (although I had no idea about that band!). I had to parse correctly to see that each System in the circles was “of a Down”. (“In a Down” would have been even clearer.)
MORE COWBELL was unknown to this non-SNL devotee. And the video is not available to me in Canada. Sigh!
Parsing corrected my BOOT rEGAL BUMS to BOOTLEG ALBUMS.
I call them EAR fLAPS, but there was no room for an F or a W (wraps?). L finally dawned.
My Red Rose tea is Orange PEKOE.
IRAn changed to IRAQ with QED.
No room for TEENSY, just EENSY.
I did remember CAROLE.
“Complicit” could have been filled with just IN ON. The IT was not needed IMHO.
We usually need to answer with Emeril Or BAM. It took a few perps for LAGASSE to come to mind.
Wishing you all a great day.
YP here ~ I mentioned in my first comment (that disappeared) that EAR LAPS sounds wrong, ear flaps makes sense.
DeleteHola! I agree that SYSTEM OF A DOWN sounds bizarre as Monkey said. I suppose there is an explanation for it.
ReplyDeleteCAROLE Lombard was married to Clark Gable.
CHARLESTON, SC, is a lovely southern town.
With the exception of shrimp, I do not care for seafood, and I suppose that is because I am a desert denizen and was not exposed to it while growing up.
VAT is also "value added tax" which is charged when traveling abroad.
This puzzle was easy for a Tuesday, thank you, Kelly Richardson and Hahtoolah for the interpretation.
Have a grand day, veryone!
Thanks to Kelly for today's smooth solve and to Hahtoolah for explaining what the reveal meant! FAV was MORE COWBELL (I never get tired of watching Jimmy Fallon cracking up in the background.)
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather used to ask my grandmother if she was going to "fish or CUT BAIT" when he wanted her to stop gabbing and get a move on. I'm like my grandfather on that one. When it's time to go, just GO. Quit dawdling.
they really did manage to get every stock filler into this one, huh. Seer, odes, orb, emu, ebb, eke(d). All that was missing was oreo and eel.
ReplyDeletealso I guess outing myself as the only millennial reader, because I was a major System of a Down enjoyer in middle and high school lol
Deletesumdaze, I have a photo you might like, but not sure how to send it to you.
ReplyDeleteMy email is snowcanyon@outlook.com
DeleteAlthough I managed to FIR in 15, I never heard of "System of a Down" band. Sounds like an especially goofy name for a band. Also, even after completing the CW and poring over it, did not see the theme. This is a Thursday on a Tuesday, for me. Also EARLAPS = never heard of it. They are EARFLAPS. I didn't know smelt were considered trout like, I never considered them troutlike. We used to catch them in Lake Michigan and fry 'em up, eating the whole thing except the head. Nice and crunchy, but too small to be "troutlike" in my mind. 'Nuff said. Thanx KR for this CW, even though I struggled with it, and never got the theme, still a nice CW, except again too many names at 13, DNK 3, similar to yesterday's namefest with 17, also DNK 3. Thanx too to Hahtoolah, who never disappoints in write-ups and cartoons.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid we had an expression "whoever first SMELT it, dealt it."
DeleteAren't you glad that back in our day all the bands had intuitively meaningful names, like The Beatles, The Monkees, Jethro Tull, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Hot Tuna, Guess Who, Mungo Jerry, The Doors, Cream, The Velvet Underground, Buffalo Springfield, and, of course, Pink Floyd? I'm probably forgetting more groups than I'm remembering.
Hi All!
ReplyDeleteA day full of meetings so I have time to post ;-)
Thanks Kelly for the fun grid. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for the entertaining comics.
WOs: Started writing COWBELL in square 8 b/f I realized I needed MORE //"I gotta fever..." ; LOLL -> LOAF
ESPs: CAROLE | LEE
Fav: What Splynter said - [Blue] OYSTER [Cult] xing COWBELL
Hand-up - EAR LAPS sounds like someone forgot a letter.
I've never heard of SYSTEM OF A DOWN but I never really liked "hair metal" (heavy metal, i.e. Black Sabbath, was more my jam in the "metal" genre). Someone asked about the name:
"The group took its name from a poem that Malakian [one of the three founders] had written titled "Victims of a Down". The word "victims" was changed to "system" because Odadjian believed that it would appeal to a much wider audience and also because the group wanted their records to be alphabetically shelved closer to their musical heroes, Slayer."
@jamie - Wow! Someone at The Corner younger than I. //I'm an X'er ;-)
Y'all have a great afternoon.
Cheers, -T
Musings
ReplyDelete-Only played 9 holes today as the heat index along the PLATTE today is off the charts. Relief tomorrow!!
-The rains this spring and summer has kept the PLATTE’S sandbars at bay as the water has not EBBED
-Having an UBER obscure-to-me band as a gimmick was annoying but eventually made a modicum of sense
-Walking all over Fort Sumter in Charleston was a bucket list item for me, even on a frigid March morning.
-ETTA and At Last - There’s no sense in anyone else singing that song!
-We substitute KFC’s good SLAW for mashed potatoes in their “fill ups”
-Quit agonizing over that putt, either fish or CUT BAIT!
-An obscure gymnast over the 90% majority sect of Islam on a Tuesday puzzle?
-As a binge-watching fan of the Raymond Burr Perry Mason shows, the same SETS keep popping up as there were over 30 episodes per year.
-This line also keeps popping up, “He/She was dead before I got there!”
-The Corleone’s did not cut Tessio any slack.
-MORE COWBELL was an SNL return to smart, funny skits that were typical of the show before it went off the political-left deep end.
-I almost bought this T-shirt
Nothing more to add because you all have said it all. The last cell I filled was the F in LOAF by doing a mental alphabet run. Good reading you all.
ReplyDeleteDelightful Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Kelly. And your comments and your funny pictures cracked me up, Hahtoolah--my thanks for those too.
ReplyDeleteWell, this puzzle announced early on that it was going to give us some ANIMALS. It did, but they turned out to be pretty SEDATE, beginning with that EMU, followed by a couple of CATS (that probably didn't get get along too well with the Emu). Then we also got some OYSTERS (although I guess we don't think of them as animals any more), and then a STAG and a POLAR bear and finally a STEER. I guess maybe some of them would wear a YOKE, but it looks as though not of them are going to end up at the ALTAR getting married. And I suppose we could feed them a bit of a LOAF of bread, and maybe even some Cole SLAW and some TOFU along with some PEKOE tea--no, wait, no tea for these critters, that's not on their menu. So the poor things may have some WOES today. Well, time for us to turn on the radio and listen to some TUNES and then think about planning a trip to LIMA or SAMOA. No, too expensive--let's just go to Palo ALTO.
Have a delightful day, everybody.