Theme: "Will it go round in Circles"
Puzzling thoughts:
First off, a big thank you to RustyBrain for taking my turns (pun intended, given today's puzzle) while Ms Margaret and I took a spin around the state of California and part of southern Oregon. 3,600 miles in 28 days. We got to check off four more National Parks (Channel Islands, Lassen Volcanic, Crater Lake, and Redwoods) and also see some of the California State Parks (Humboldt, Burney Falls, et al) during our trip. Throw in some wine tastings and a lunch visit with a smelly sea cow (aka Malodorous Manatee), and we had a glorious vacation. Every day was at least 15 degrees cooler than where we live, and when we were admiring the view from Mendocino, it was 55 degrees cooler!
But enough about my absence ... back to blogging. And, as one of the many Anonymous posters likes to say, "Oh, joy; circles!!" Yup, first puzzle back and I have to make sense out of every circled word in today's entries; of which, there were 7
Normally the circled letters in a crossword puzzle will be anagrams or maybe hints to a revealed phrase. Not today. Today they were, literally, circles and/or synonyms for a circle that helped the clue make sense. How? Let's explore:
16-across. Programming sequences that don't end, literally: INFINITE. As in infinite "LOOPS". And if you can imagine a circle as a loop, you'll "get" today's theme (the word infinite is contained within "loops"/circles on the grid)
In computer programming, an infinite loop (or endless loop) is a sequence of instructions that, as written, will continue endlessly, unless an external intervention occurs, such as turning off power via a switch or pulling a plug. It may be intentional [per Wikipedia]
22-across. Puzzling field formations, literally: CROP. As in, crop "CIRCLES" [According to Wikipedia] "The term (crop circles) was first coined in the early 1980s". Further into the article it also said that while many people (fringe theorists) believe crop circles to be linked to aliens, "there is no scientific evidence for such explanations, and all crop circles are consistent with human causation"
30-across. Containers for a comic character's internal monologue, literally: THOUGHT. As in thought "BUBBLES" - look at the cel where Charlie Brown is thinking "I'll kick it out of sight" to see the thought bubbles connecting from his brain to the statement ...
35-across. Bling for successful MLB teams, literally: WORLD SERIES. As in World Series "RINGS". Yogi Berra was the MLB player who sported the largest number of world series rings, 10
42-across. Exercise devices for pet rodents, literally: HAMSTER. As in hamster "WHEELS"
51-across. Toys that are quite hip, literally: HULA. As in hula "HOOPS". This is not an "exercise" that the Chairman can do
59-across. Weights used for strength training, literally: MEDICINE. As in medicine "BALLS".
Moe-ku #1:
You literally
Need courage to work these. Takes
A big set of balls ...
LOOPS, CIRCLES, BUBBLES, RINGS, WHEELS, HOOPS, and BALLS became the round objects that completed the clues connected to the entry words. I'm thinking, though, if Jeffrey and Patti really wanted to avoid using a phrase that contained the word "circle", could they not have used this, instead for 22-across:
22-across. "Decorative objects that depict winter scenes, literally?" SNOW
Maybe Jeffrey thought of this, or couldn't make it fit, but I digress ...
Here is the grid and then we are off to the other clues/entries:
 |
| The Grid |
1. Celebrate emphatically: DO A JIG. It's been a while since C-Moe has worked an LA Times crossword puzzle. For the record, today's puzzle took me 15:15 to solve. And it took me about 4:15:00 to write the blog. 1-across slowed me down at the start. I ultimately finished but I don't recall celebrating the way the dog in the image below did:
7. Root with red skin: RADISH. They also come in other colors
13. Gum choice: CINNAMON. Hmm - odd clue but it ended up being "Friday tough"
15. Invitation on a sealed envelope: OPEN ME.
[theme entry]
17. Moral of the story: LESSON.
18. "The Matrix" protagonist: NEO. And the first of 19 three-letter words
19. Crown material: ENAMEL. As in a tooth crown. I have both gold and enamel crowns in my mush
21. Skater Midori: ITO.
[theme entry]
24. __ sequitur: NON. Non sequitur is from the Latin: "it does not follow". One might refer to my "Moe-kus" as non sequiturs
25. Chelsea apartments: FLATS.
27. Exercise in a heated studio: HOT YOGA. The history of hot yoga
[theme entry]
32. Sigma preceder: RHO. From the Greek alphabet - more on this, later
33. Eurasian border river: URAL. Why do I always have to wait to enter the A or the U? You'd think by now that I would know the difference between ARAL and URAL ... ARAL is the dry sea; URAL is the name of the mountain range and/or river
34. Ability to see what others can't: ESP. Could those of us who solved the theme today claim to have ESP?
[theme entry]
38. Ante-: PRE. I misread the clue (thought it said "anti") and entered PRO - which really doesn't make sense
40. Together, in music: A DUE.
41. Little one: TOT.
[theme entry]
44. Instant coffee brand: NESCAFE. I entered FOLGERS first before correcting
48. Cameo shapes: OVALS. This entry would not have made sense in today's puzzle to be circled 😁
49. Many moons __: AGO. As a septuagenarian I am legally allowed to use this phrase
[theme entry]
52. NAACP co-founder __ B. Wells: IDA.
53. Tequila plants: AGAVES. One of the restaurants we dined at during our trip (in Santa Barbara) was called "Los Agaves". It was "muy bueno"
56. 'Twas, now: TIS. Somehow the line "My country, 'twas of thee ... " just doesn't sound right
57. Word with license or justice: POETIC. Moe-ku #2:
My non sequiturs
Exist because I have a
MOE-tic license
[theme entry]
61. Paying customer: CLIENT.
62. Holier-than-thou sorts: ELITISTS. SNOBS fits the clue but not the number of grid squares ...
63. Winter Paralympian apparatus: SIT SKI. Some information on this device
64. Cooks dim sum, say: STEAMS. Friday-ish clue
Down:
1. Moola: DINERO. Moe-ku #3:
8. Copycat: APE.
9. Original "Star Trek" studio: DESILU. Learning moe-ment today. I did not know this before solving the puzzle. There was even a video I found about this (FTR, Ms. Margaret knew this, but she's a Trekkie)
10. Step-by-step: IN STAGES.
11. Evens (out): SMOOTHS.
12. Barnyard mother: HEN. I tried COW. EWE, too?
13. Guaranteed victory: CINCH.
14. Verne captain: NEMO. Moe-ku #4:
29. "Fiddler on the Roof" wife: GOLDE. Chaim Topol as Tevye and Norma Crane as GOLDE [copyright United Artists]
31. Gold rush storyteller Bret: HARTE.
33. Take advantage of: USE.
35. "Success!": WE MADE IT.
36. Tight-fitting lid: DURAG. Is this the correct spelling of the tight-fitting lid? Turns out, it is
37. Scratch the surface?: ETCH. Not to be confused with "scratch the serf" which would be ITCH
38. Soup with rice noodles: PHO. Moe-ku #6:
47. Alleviates: EASES. Moe's hope is to ease/alleviate your concerns about the puzzle
50. Clue, e.g.: GAME. The name of a board game from Hasbro. "Colonel Mustard - in the Library - with a Rope"
53. Dramatic beginning: ACT I. The first lines in a dramatic play begin in Act I, Scene I
54. Revise: EDIT. As I look back to my preamble, I really wish that Patti had edited Jeffrey's 22-across entry to use a reference to GLOBES and not actually used a reference to CIRCLES. But that's why she has a paying job in the crossword business, and I am just a blogger who does this for free ...
55. Location: SITE.
57. Mac alternatives: PCS. I have always used PCS for my desktop and/or laptop computers, but I use an iPhone for my mobile device. Go figure
58. HP supply: INK. HP = Hewlett Packard. Why would it be abbreviated in the clue when the word INK is not an abbreviation?
60. Langley org.: CIA. NSA and OSS fit; fitting that this puzzle ends on a 3-letter word
[theme entry]
61. Paying customer: CLIENT.
62. Holier-than-thou sorts: ELITISTS. SNOBS fits the clue but not the number of grid squares ...
63. Winter Paralympian apparatus: SIT SKI. Some information on this device
64. Cooks dim sum, say: STEAMS. Friday-ish clue
Down:
1. Moola: DINERO. Moe-ku #3:
There's no difference
Between Robert and moola:
They're both "money"
[used Moe-tic license here ... Robert De Niro vs dinero ... get it?!]
2. Walking or running: ON FOOT.
3. Darth Vader's childhood nickname: ANI.
4. __ Doe: JANE. Why are unidentified people called John or Jane Doe?
5. "Let's do it!": I'M IN. I entered C'MON instead
6. Passed with flying colors: GOT AN A. My personal grade for solving today's puzzle was an A minus. Made a couple of errors. My grade for solving today's puzzle theme was a solid A
7. Take a turn in Yahtzee: ROLL. This has nothing to do with Yahtzee, but I thought it a worthy video when it comes to a roll of the dice ...
2. Walking or running: ON FOOT.
3. Darth Vader's childhood nickname: ANI.
4. __ Doe: JANE. Why are unidentified people called John or Jane Doe?
5. "Let's do it!": I'M IN. I entered C'MON instead
6. Passed with flying colors: GOT AN A. My personal grade for solving today's puzzle was an A minus. Made a couple of errors. My grade for solving today's puzzle theme was a solid A
7. Take a turn in Yahtzee: ROLL. This has nothing to do with Yahtzee, but I thought it a worthy video when it comes to a roll of the dice ...
8. Copycat: APE.
9. Original "Star Trek" studio: DESILU. Learning moe-ment today. I did not know this before solving the puzzle. There was even a video I found about this (FTR, Ms. Margaret knew this, but she's a Trekkie)
10. Step-by-step: IN STAGES.
11. Evens (out): SMOOTHS.
12. Barnyard mother: HEN. I tried COW. EWE, too?
13. Guaranteed victory: CINCH.
14. Verne captain: NEMO. Moe-ku #4:
Three Stooges were cast
In a Jules Verne film. Curly's
Role was to NEMO
20. Between, in Spanish: ENTRE. Two doses of Spanish today: DINERO and ENTRE
23. Fireworks prefix: PYRO. Moe-ku #5:
20. Between, in Spanish: ENTRE. Two doses of Spanish today: DINERO and ENTRE
23. Fireworks prefix: PYRO. Moe-ku #5:
Fireworks in Greece
Are set off by folks known as:
Pi-RHO maniacs
25. Large books: FOLIOS. TOMES did not fit
26. Pit stop brand: STP. I want to believe that my last blog also had the word "STP" in the grid. I asked it then, and will ask it now: does anyone other than a racecar driver use this stuff??
28. "Nuts!": OH RATS. Seems to be a "Peanuts" theme in here - one of Charlie Brown and Snoopy's favorite phrases. And this cartoon also features a reference to 23 down:
25. Large books: FOLIOS. TOMES did not fit
26. Pit stop brand: STP. I want to believe that my last blog also had the word "STP" in the grid. I asked it then, and will ask it now: does anyone other than a racecar driver use this stuff??
28. "Nuts!": OH RATS. Seems to be a "Peanuts" theme in here - one of Charlie Brown and Snoopy's favorite phrases. And this cartoon also features a reference to 23 down:
29. "Fiddler on the Roof" wife: GOLDE. Chaim Topol as Tevye and Norma Crane as GOLDE [copyright United Artists]
31. Gold rush storyteller Bret: HARTE.
33. Take advantage of: USE.
35. "Success!": WE MADE IT.
36. Tight-fitting lid: DURAG. Is this the correct spelling of the tight-fitting lid? Turns out, it is
37. Scratch the surface?: ETCH. Not to be confused with "scratch the serf" which would be ITCH
38. Soup with rice noodles: PHO. Moe-ku #6:
Vietnamese moms
Say this to their whining kids:
"PHO crying out loud!!"
39. Filled pasta: RAVIOLI.
43. Roof tiles: SLATES. Our roof has these. Very common here in the Valley of the Sun
44. Storied works: NOVELS. NOVELS tell a story
45. Condition measured on a spectrum: AUTISM. Information on this from the Mayo Clinic
46. Spark producers: FLINTS. Making fire is a critical skill for those who participate in the reality show, Survivor. Heidi was un fuego
39. Filled pasta: RAVIOLI.
43. Roof tiles: SLATES. Our roof has these. Very common here in the Valley of the Sun
44. Storied works: NOVELS. NOVELS tell a story
45. Condition measured on a spectrum: AUTISM. Information on this from the Mayo Clinic
46. Spark producers: FLINTS. Making fire is a critical skill for those who participate in the reality show, Survivor. Heidi was un fuego
47. Alleviates: EASES. Moe's hope is to ease/alleviate your concerns about the puzzle
50. Clue, e.g.: GAME. The name of a board game from Hasbro. "Colonel Mustard - in the Library - with a Rope"
53. Dramatic beginning: ACT I. The first lines in a dramatic play begin in Act I, Scene I
54. Revise: EDIT. As I look back to my preamble, I really wish that Patti had edited Jeffrey's 22-across entry to use a reference to GLOBES and not actually used a reference to CIRCLES. But that's why she has a paying job in the crossword business, and I am just a blogger who does this for free ...
55. Location: SITE.
57. Mac alternatives: PCS. I have always used PCS for my desktop and/or laptop computers, but I use an iPhone for my mobile device. Go figure
58. HP supply: INK. HP = Hewlett Packard. Why would it be abbreviated in the clue when the word INK is not an abbreviation?
60. Langley org.: CIA. NSA and OSS fit; fitting that this puzzle ends on a 3-letter word
So, how did you all manage to circumnavigate the entries? Comment below if you like ...
***A post-script from earlier in the week ... Lucina mentioned on Tuesday's blog about the haboob that engulfed much of the Phoenix valley area. I captured just a brief video of it as it approached my place (from the ESE) - in this century, Phoenix is now on a 7-year cycle of having severe haboobs (2011, 2018, and now 2025). I hope it loads properly ...
Not too tough, really.
ReplyDeleteIt didn’t take but one or two themed entries for me to discover what was going on, and after that it was pretty simple and straightforward to finish this puzzle.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteBy the time THOUGHT showed up, d-o got round to the theme, and that really helped with the solve. Tried John before JANE barged in. Otherwise, the Wite-Out got a rest. Nice one, Jeffrey. Welcome back, C-Moe. (Glad you explained De Niro. It made that whooshing sound as it flew over my head.)
As C-Moe pointed out, the circles didn’t just play a part in sussing the theme, they WERE the theme today, and even SS and KS would have to (reluctantly maybe) agree that they were absolutely essential in figuring it out, which I did after perps filled about five of the circled fills. I mistakenly thought that THOUGHT referred to balloons and not bubbles. DNK GOLDE. SMOOTHS seemed wrong, like it should be smoothes. Anyway, FIR but it took a while, 20:57. Thanks Jeffrey for the clever, Friday worthy puzzle. Welcome back C-Moe, you didn’t miss a beat after your hiatus, RB did a fine job temping for you in your absence.
ReplyDeleteI always knew them as "thought balloons" as well. Here's a detail most miss: When a person like Lucy talks, her balloon is connected to her by a pointer. When an animal like Snoopy is "speaking" his balloon is connected to him by small circles, indicating it's not actual speech.
DeleteFIR. Circles again? Double YUK! Of course, as usual, I totally ignored them and went about solving what was a somewhat easy crossword. It wasn't until I got to the bottom and saw "medicine" that I realized what the theme was.
ReplyDeleteLooking back over my finished work the circled answers became clear.
So despite the circles, overall this was a somewhat enjoyable puzzle.
FIR, but pay->PRE, and do rag->DU RAG.
ReplyDeleteNon sequitur du jour.
I don't believe that any racers use STP as an oil additive. I've heard that it's used to coat gaskets during engine assembly - not because it's good, but so they can honestly claim that all their engines use STP.
Why is INK not abbreviated? Because HP isn't. HP, Inc. was spun off from Hewlett Packard Company ten years ago.
Thanks to Jeffrey for the fun Friday that wasn't freaky at all. And thanks to our Chairman, and welcome back! (Which of the Channel islands did you visit? When I lived in SoCal, the general public wasn't allowed on any of them except Catalina. I'm glad that's changed.)
Jinx, we took a boat ride to Anacapa Island and hiked there. We saw a school of dolphins chasing our boat on the way over from Ventura harbor
DeleteThanks for clearing up the HP confusion for me. I was unaware that Hewlitt Packard spun off HP, Inc
Being able to explore Anacapa Island is (almost) enough to make me want to visit SoCal again. One of my favorite races was from Oxnard, rounding Anacapa, then finishing off Marina del Rey. That race was a feeder for the better-known MdR to San Diego race that was held the following weekend. I've placed well in both, but only got first once - a special category called "first down the coast," a trophy for combined results of the two races. The trophy is a wooden design inspired by Anacapa. If DW takes a nap this afternoon I'll go upstairs and take a picture to post.
DeleteJinx, I get what you said about "almost" wanting to visit SoCal again. We were fortunate enough to have avoided much of the greater LA area, save for the start and end of our trip. We had to navigate from Encinitas (SD area) to Ventura on a Sunday morning/afternoon, which we thought would be doable without much traffic. Boy were WE wrong! Thankfully we had Apple Maps on our GPS to help us avoid going through LA. Added a few miles to the trip but at least we were able to keep moving. I don't know how the folks who live in LA county (or in any other urban sprawl within CA) put up with the daily traffic. But once we got into the rural areas of CA we were awestruck by the beauty and diversity of how many different kinds of places and things and natural resources CA has
DeleteIt is diverse. I remember sailing in MdR one Superbowl Sunday. I was wearing a tee shirt and shorts, and coming back in I could see the snow on Mt. Baldy where the ski areas were active. And it is an incredible adventure to escape the Hades heat in Palm Springs with a trip up the Arial Tramway into an alpine climate.
DeleteAlmost no one I knew lived in LA. Lots of carpooling. Several had a serious carpool from Garden Grove, and a bunch of folks who worked at 100 Wilshire (on the shore in Santa Monica) actually had a bus that one former trucker drove every day from Pomona. The usual shift was 6:00 am - 2:30 pm. You did NOT want to be on I-405 after 3. We could always get to meetings in Oxnard quicker than we could get to ones in Long Beach, and it was a wonderful drive up the Pacific Coast Highway.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe constructor deserves an A for creativity and execution of this fun and refreshing theme. But, and there’s always a but, it is not a Friday-worthy theme, IMO, either from a theme standpoint or a level of difficulty standpoint. (Sorry to disagree, YP). Of course, that’s an editing decision and, whether we like it or not, these decisions no longer follow the long-accepted standards we were so accustomed to. That said, I enjoyed the solve and, like DO, had only one correction, John to Jane, otherwise, no issues.
Thanks, Jeffrey, and thanks, Moe, for your usual outstanding explication of a theme and the many humorous Moe-kus. Your trip sounds exhilarating but exhausting. No pictures to share of the fearsome foursome, or is the Manatee camera shy? Welcome back!
Have a great day.
I agree that it didn't seem like a Friday puzzle. The only clue that rose to the occasion was "tight fitting lid."
DeleteIrish Miss, the sea cow and I did not take a photo of our lunch date (that I recall, anyway). I took some of the views from his back yard though. His partner Val was unable to join us ☹️ so she would've been missing from the group shot
DeleteCall me old-fashioned. Mostly, I just want to enjoy solving the individual clues and completing the puzzle. Less so, do I want to get hung up on/delayed by a theme.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that.
DeleteEasiest and fastest solve of the week for me, breaking the finish line in 7:20. I didn’t care much for the theme, in fact, once sussed it made the puzzle too easy.
ReplyDeleteVery few stumbling blocks or pauses. Not a complaint, I was happy to get on with my morning.
What an enchanting puzzle! It took me a while to suss the theme, which was exceptionally clever and well executed. I appreciated the solid fill, with a relative paucity of pop culture references, and fun entries like SIT SKI and HOT YOGA.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Jeffrey for the entertainment, and to Moe for the delightful recap. Any day that starts with Snoopy is going to be a great one. Happy weekend, everyone!
Took 9:26 today for me to circumnavigate the orb.
ReplyDeleteWithout further ado: Oh joy, circles, loops, bubbles, rings, wheels, hoops, and balls!
I must admit to this being an amusing use of those otherwise dreadful circles.
Thanks for the shout-out, Mr. Chairman. More so, I'm glad you've got a chance to visit those National Parks. I was unexpectedly awed by Crater Lake. How many more National Parks do you have left to check-off?
We have lots more NP's (40) to visit; I seriously doubt that we'll see them all given the logistics. But we are going to try to check off as many of those closest to us, for sure
DeleteMr. Chairman, if my math is correct, that means you've been to 23. That's a higher amount than most people. I've been bless/fortunate to get to many of the National Parks, and I strongly encourage you - and everyone else - to visit the National Parks. They're amazing.
DeleteAnonymous, yes, having been to 23 is probably a higher number than most US citizens but we are more concerned with making sure we support them by visits and buying stuff from each/donations. We've started a tradition of sorts over the past four years of visiting them with my daughter and her family. Oddly, the most awe-inspiring parks we visited were Burney Falls and Humboldt (both CA State Parks). The car travel along the Avenue of the Giants is one I'll not forget
DeleteI admire all you cornerites who were successful solving this theme. I was not on the right wavelength. I must be too literal. LOL.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I did not GET AN Á in the NW. The rest filled pretty quickly.
How is á DU RAG á lid?
Welcome back C-Moe. Great review and Moe-kus. Thank you for the DeNiro reveal. HAHA
A DURAG is a close fitting cap to protect the hair- thus lid is another word for a hat in Friday cluing
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durag#:~:text=A%20durag%20(alternate%20spellings)%20is,cap%20for%20the%20same%20purpose.
Thanks.
DeleteIt was Monkey above.
DeleteThat was Monkey above.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that there were more circles (49) than black squares (38). That never happens, for better or worse. I didn't mind them and enjoyed figuring out what the circles became in relation to the answer. So Jeffery GOT AN A in my book.
ReplyDeleteLotsa good stuff in your review, Moe, especially your Moe-kus! I like your idea about snow "globes" replacing the more obvious CROP "circles." My pleasure filling in for one of the greats!
Very puzzling indeed, here is a GIF of me doing the puzzle...
ReplyDeleteThanks for splainin the theme, it had me going around in circles, but I just didn't know why...
Things like, ante:- (or was it ante-:). I got pre, but I don't know why. Is this :- symbol some universal language for antonym?
Another was roof tile=slate, yes, in retrospect I guess one of the many roof tiles could be called a slate, but I don't solve crossword puzzles in retrospect.
From yest, re: spirit in the sky, I can't believe you guys don't know the legend of how to get that great fuzzy guitar tone. It is said that when asked how he did it, he said he just jammed a screwdriver into the speaker cone and make a great big hole! but, there are more ways than one to skin a cat...
Dave Davies of the Kinks cut his speakers with a razor blade. I'd rather not destroy my equipment just to cover one song. Fun idea to use a cheesy clock radio speaker.
DeleteI FIR, noticed the circles, but this slow brain didn't didn't give any THOUGHT to what they referenced (didn't really care). Paraphrasing Vince Lombardi, not Grantland Rice, "it's not how you finish the puzzle", but "finishing is the only thing". Like the Chairman, I was out of town for a while, working no puzzles, and starting back was also slow for me.
ReplyDeleteTodays puzzle wasn't too hard and had some good clues.
NESCAFE- NEStles CAFE.
Having never played Yahtzee, it was either spin or ROLL.
GOLDE was all perps.
Moe and Lucina have haboobs. I've got hurricanes and today is the 20th anniversary of Katrina's date with NOLA. There was a lot of wind but the eye actually missed NOLA. But as the storm moved SW to NE and made landfall on the MS Gulf coast, the east wind pushed water into Lake Pontchartrain. There was a lot of wind damage but the flooding came from breached levees on canals. I was extremely lucky, with no damage to my house. I had a new roof installed 6 months earlier and had three trees (one a large oak tree) removed the year before.
Damage in the non-flooded areas would have been worse if a minor hurricane-Cindy- hadn't hit two months earlier. It did a lot of 'tree trimming' but not much else. But it trimmed enough trees at the TPC course, it took them a month to reopen, just in time for Katrina.
Not only were the circles necessary, but also it seemed mandatory to make a list of the seven synonyms. I got the idea with CROP circles and HAMSTER wheels. So, the theme was fine.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I’ve always heard/scene the term “thought balloons,” rather than bubbles. I’d say either is correct.
I had only one objection: I’ve seen do-rag way more often than “durag,” and it makes more sense for a hairDO. But I knew A DUE was right, so . . .
The rest was a bit meh. AGAVES, SLATES, and OVALS pluralized seemed like construction compromises; the Matrix guy isn’t among the NEDs I know; and HOT YOGA, OH, RATS, and OPEN ME were just annoying.
Thanks, CMoe, for saving me from making the MEDICINE balls joke. Now, about those bodacious haboobs . . .
I did like seeing GOLDE, a reminder that I was in one of the earliest amateur versions of Fiddler 55 years ago, playing Perchik the anarchist student.
Fun puzzle theme - I didn't get it originally on the first try for INFINITE LOOP - I knew it was LOOP but thought there were different options at the front. I tried just filling LOOP at the end but then had to take it out when perps didn't work.
ReplyDeleteSome gimmes - "Fiddler on the Roof" is a favorite musical so knew GOLDE and my grandma loved to play games and Yahtzee was a favorite of hers. She had all sorts of good luck things she would do as she shook the cup with dice in it before she would ROLL
Welcome back CM and thanks for the blog write - up
Congrats to HG for the Huskers win over Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium.
Both teams' color is red - so the stadium was full but 90% were Nebraska fans given the closer proximity for fans to come
A Mobius strip might also be considered an INFINITE loop.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the creativity of this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteA bit easy for a Friday.
Pho 🍲 is pronounced “Fa”
We have a wonderful Pho restaurant here and their soups are hearty and delicious.
Welcome back Moe and thanks for the recap and the video of the dust heading your way. Very unnerving. This one was not very hard but I enjoyed it. My favorite clue was "Crown material".
ReplyDeleteDelightful Friday puzzle, many thanks, Jeffrey. And your commentaries are always interesting and helpful, Chairman Moe, thanks for those too.
ReplyDeleteWell, RADISH and CINNAMON made me feel as if this puzzle got us started to create a lovely lunch. But before getting that ready, it seemed like it might be better to work on some HOT YOGA. Doing that made my HAMSTER laugh, so I stopped and got myself some NESCAFE. While enjoying that I realized that I should maybe consider working as a POETIC CLIENT in the field of MEDICINE, which might make me an ELITIST. Cute idea, don't you think? But it wasn't going to work. No, I'd better think about working on writing some NOVELS. I'll let you know and send you some, if that works out for me.
Meanwhile, have a delightful weekend, everybody.
Hola! I've seen several HOT YOGA studios in this area but have never tried one. It's hot enough outside!
ReplyDeleteOne of the nicest surprises when visiting the Honolulu Botanical Garden was seeing a CINNAMON tree! I didn't realize that CINNAMON is the bark of the tree.
We recently ate at a restaurant called CIEN AGAVES (one hundred AGAVES) in downtown Scottsdale. They serve excellent Mexican food and is owned by two former teachers from my former district.
Welcome back, Moe! I'm glad you had a good vacation. Have a lovely day, everyone! Mani-pedi day for me.
I very much enjoyed this puzzle. Welcome back, Chairman Moe. You visited many places that my wife and I enjoyed visiting years ago when we were young and spry and able to climb up Mt. Lassen. Loved your write-up.
ReplyDeleteGood reading you all.
Jayce, I definitely "felt" my age (70-something) when I was on the Bumpass Hell trail @ Lassen. I'm sure the elevation played a role. The closest I got to the top of Lassen Peak was a parking lot (trailhead). But yes, it is fun to keep exploring before my body and/or mind is unable to do this
DeleteSeveral comments about the CW being not too tough, for a Friday. Hmph. I struggled plenty with it, finally FIR in 22 minutes. 11 names, DNK 5. Started tough by not knowing ANYTHING in the NW, which was also the last to finish. 52A, I knew it was IrA, InA, IdA. Needed that perp. I got the theme early, but that didn't seem to help. I always thought it was called a DORAG, as in hairdo. Learning moment du jour. LOOPS, CIRCLES, BUBBLES, RINGS, WHEELS, HOOPS and BALLS. That's a lot of theme material for one CW, well done JM, and thanx for the entertainment. Thanx too to C-Moe for the fun and informative write-up. Also, thanx for 'splainin' MoeKu #3. I wouldn't have put that together.
ReplyDeleteC-Moe, I misremembered the race where the trophy I won was a stylized image of Anacapa. It was actually a San Fernando Yacht Club race series, which was held out of Channel Islands Harbor.
ReplyDeleteThe trophy for First Down the Coast was also pretty neat.
It's been a busy morning so I am finally getting ROUND to today's puzzle. Thanks, Jeffrey! I was impressed that you fit in 7 themed answers. My favorite of those was HULA hoop.
ReplyDeleteOh, that type of crown.... I wanted to squeeze in "emerald".
Welcome back and thanks to C-Moe for today's CIRCUIT. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed your trip! Learning moment: in the wild, HAMSTERS run up to 5 mi. each night.
“Oh noooo Mr. Bill!! Circles!?!” But I must appreciate Jeffrey’s ploy in this case (even though I’m not a big fan of “missing link” clueing). Pretty snazzy construct.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, we’re bangin’ around the controversy on how to “properly” spell DURAG/do-rag ad nauseum. All I can say after that alleged primer written by the Santa Durag people is that they’ve contradicted themselves in their “lesson” — to wit: “This reflects its original purpose: to protect and maintain hairstyles”.
Exactly! The homies told me that ages ago — “it’s to keep your ‘do in place”, as in “hairdo”. But what do I know, I’m just a local white boy 🤣
Vacationing does you well, Moe! You’re back in top style today, PHO crying’ out loud! Superb entertainment as usual (although the Robert Dinero one is really stretching your Moetic license, dude…). Glad you enjoyed your safari through our Golden State (and avoided Smogopolis for the most part — good move).
====> Darren / L.A.
Sigh. The price of mani-pedi keeps rising but it's my one regular luxury that I can still afford.
ReplyDeleteI had better luck in the bottom half, and eventually worked my way up to FIR. I THOUGHT it was about perfect for a Friday and found the theme very clever. Jeffrey offered us some nice, fresh fill as well.
ReplyDeleteGlad you have returned with fresh vistas stored in memory, Chairman Moe! There is always more to see in the Golden State. Meeting a Malodorous Manatee is a rare sighting, indeed.
If I have something to say in a cartoon, I'll put it in a speech balloon over my head. If I keep my ruminations to myself, they'll appear in THOUGHT bubbles.
Musings
ReplyDelete-It felt great to have the Huskers win a close one! We have lost a great many of them in the last decade.
-I subbed for my math teacher friend and she actually asked me to teach a lesson! The nerve! All right, I enjoyed revisiting y = mx + b but still… Then I came home and mowed.
-I really enjoyed this puzzle!