What?! RustyBrain is now pinch-hitting for
Hahtoolah? When will the madness end?!
If Susan
Gelfand's first born puzzle had gone to class, it would be graduating
from high school right about now. This one flowed nicely and was Tuesday
appropriate. She obviously aced her lessons!
I had to dig deep in my record collection for this one. If it had been "Five Easy Pieces," well, then we'd be sitting with Jack Nicholson in a diner trying to order toast.
17. "Easy!": PIECE OF CAKE. Finally, an answer that's a real phase, not something convoluted.
28. "Easy!": LIKE CHILD'S PLAY. And another one!
46. "Easy!": A WALK IN THE PARK. Three in a row!
60. "Easy!": NOTHING TO IT. And this makes it a home run.
Nice job, Susan, you've restored my faith in constructors. Not much else to say about these except they're all common phrases that work well with the theme. I like these kind of puzzles where a singular clue leads to multiple answers. And unlike some other crosswords I've reviewed lately, each one is something you'd actually say. Easy does it!
Across:
1. Brother of Chico, Harpo, and Groucho: ZEPPO. It was either ZEPPO or Gummo. In the early Marx Brothers movies, ZEPPO played the straight man while Chico played the piano.
6. 1965 Alabama march site: SELMA.
11. Draft animal: ASS. I worked at the Williamsburg Busch Gardens, and occasionally had to bring bales of hay to the Budweiser Clydesdales. Up close, they were huge "draft" animals with shoes the size of dinner plates.
14. Earth Day month: APRIL. "There is no PLANet B."
15. Starting 11 in soccer, e.g.: A TEAM. Although Premier League matches traditionally start at 3pm, not 11.
16. Org. for Sharks and Ducks: NHL. Organization is abbrev. so the National Hockey League is also.
17. [theme]
19. "__ willikers!": GEE. "Looks like someone's been a bat boy."
20. Obama daughter: SASHA.
21. Shirt with a button-down collar: OXFORD. An OXFORD is a casual shirt that is typically made from heavier fabric than a dress shirt. Oddly, they're rarely worn with Oxfords.
23. Scoreboard figs.: PTS. Scoreboard figures: POINTS. Scoreboard figs: SPONSOR.
25. Gold, in Mexico: ORO. So I don't confuse this with OSO (Spanish for bear) I think that ORO looks like ORE, which gold is.
27. Makes a wrong choice: ERRS. Dang, I wrote OSO instead of ORO.
28. [theme]
34. Jungian inner self: ANIMA. I should know this, but I needed an assist from perps.
35. Set up for solitaire: DEALT. My mom said I was a card and needed to be DEALT with.
36. Quick learner: NATURAL.
39. Pan-frying hazard: SPATTER.
43. Doesn't make the podium: LOSES.
45. Around about: CIRCA. "Roundabout" CIRCA 1972. Hit single from YES off their Fragile album.
46. [theme]
50. Sulky mood: SNIT.
51. London lavatory: LOO.
52. Right on __: CUE. The opposite of wrong on queue.
56. Seize by force: WREST. WREST and wrestle are related and derive from the same root meaning "to twist."
59. Museum collection: ART. Because donations wouldn't fit in the slot.
60. [theme]
65. Happy hour haunt: BAR.
66. Cedar Rapids resident: IOWAN.
67. Movie legend Greta: GARBO. Greta Garbo was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's silent and early golden eras.
68. Rainbow's backdrop: SKY. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - his band after Deep Purple.
69. Flip-flop: THONG. I was relaxing on Haulover Beach in Miami when a woman near me slipped out of her thong! I was surprised to say the least, until she kicked the other one off as well. That's when I noticed a lot of people were going around bare foot.
70. Inception: ONSET.
Down:
1. Thaw in the microwave: ZAP.
2. Prefix for a lifesaving "Pen": EPI.
3. Promotional packet released to the media: PRESS KIT. Here's a home version.
4. Printing measure: PICA. Back before word processors with their plethora of fonts, typewriters basically had two: PICA (wide) and Elite (narrow). Nowadays, printers measure how much toner is left so they can sell you more.
5. Cheers at the Bienal de Flamenco: OLES. The Flamenco Biennial (in English) is a major international flamenco festival that takes place in Seville, Spain, every two years.
6. Serengeti adventure: SAFARI.
7. "The list goes on," briefly: ETC.
8. __ & Perrins steak sauce: LEA.
9. Fastest known shark: MAKO. The "something new" I always learn from crosswords.
10. Discover or MC alternative: AMEX. A MasterCard alternative is American Express. For your convenience, I accept all of them. Send your money to me @ Crossword Corner, especially if you have an unlimited Black Card. Thanks in advance.
11. Soft sweater wool: ANGORA.
12. Fortified wine from Andalusia: SHERRY.
13. Winter coasters: SLEDS. Winter coasters: SNOWFLAKES.
18. "I got it! I got it!": OH OH. I know this one!
-
22. Soft pen type: FELT TIP.
23. Details shared before a night out: PLAN.
24. Rock legend Turner: TINA.She's timeless.
26. "I was today years __ when ... ": OLD. The “I was today years OLD” meme began on Twitter in 2015, when users posted the phrase to express surprise or humor upon learning something new or realizing it for the first time.
29. Try to equal: EMULATE.
30. "O Holy Night," for one: CAROL. As played by Carole:
31. __ Plaines, Illinois: DES.
32. Sticky stuff on a tree: SAP. It takes about 40 gallons of maple SAP to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup. I guess that's what it all boils down to.
33. Finish second in a horse race: PLACE. Win, PLACE and Show = 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
37. Inquire: ASK.
38. Hula dancer's garland: LEI.
40. Farm vehicles: TRACTORS. I have cousins who are third-generation dairy farmers in Upstate New York. They collect vintage TRACTORS. Or maybe they don't junk the old ones...
41. Light beige: ECRU.
42. Leaf gatherer: RAKE.
44. Skit show with musical guests, briefly: SNL. The show was originally known simply as NBC's Saturday Night because ABC was broadcasting a program titled Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell. The opening announcer still says "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
46. Outerwear suitable for cold, frosty, and snowy conditions: ANORAK.
47. Cold, frosty, and snowy: WINTRY. I like when two clues share common words, almost like today's theme!
48. AAA service: TOWING.
49. Car instrument: HORN. I never played the HORN, but I did play the radio.
50. Uninformed guesses: STABS.
54. Group of troops: UNIT.
55. Eeyore's pal: POOH. Whenever I see "Eeyore", my mind sees eyesore.
57. Frozen waffle brand: EGGO. EGGO experienced a resurgence in sales after the Netflix series Stranger Things became a hit. The lead character, a girl named Eleven with psychic abilities, is obsessed with them.
58. Baseball Hall of Famer Musial: STAN. "STAN the Man" is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consistent hitters in baseball history.
61. Number needed to tango: TWO.
62. "To All the Boys" series creator Jenny: HAN. One of many bestsellers that I haven't read, but I'm sure it's good. Her novels have been adapted into movies and TV series.
63. "May __ excused?": I BE.
64. Youngster: TOT. Young spuds are tater TOTs.
May I be excused now?
33 comments:
Not only was one of the
themers in this puzzle a CSO to yours truly, but the whole puzzle was, once again,
a WITP. I had a good laugh at that! Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Started off with a Wite-Out moment at 1A -- forgot ZEPPO, inked in GUMMO. (Have I ever mentioned....?) The rest of the puzzle zippoed right along. I retired my expired-in-2007 EPIpen in favor of a Neffy nasal spray this year. Hope I don't need it. OH, OH made immediately evoked Horshack for me, too. Thanx for the outing, Susan, and for a sterling sub-job, Rusty Brain. (Chuckled at the "bat boy.")
How'd that "made" get in there?
FIR without erasure.
I was today years OLD when I learned that it's SPATTER, not splatter. In any case, it's a real hazard if you cook while wearing no more than a THONG.
I remember when IBM typewriters ("Selectric" or "Executive," can't remember which) came with changeable font balls containing a single font. I nearly remember a joke from that era about a secretary applying for a job. In the "special skills" part of the application, she stated "Familiar with IBM Executives."
Thanks to Ha2la for the delightful puzzle. And thanks to the Rusty substitute Ha2la for what may be your best review yet. BTW, I've been to several Yes concerts, all of which were great. I've also been to Haulover Beach, probably to no one's surprise. But only once - they were rebuilding the main drag (US-1? US-A1A?) and the traffic was horrendous. Also, your cousins may be harboring a gold mine in those old TRACTORS- the manufactures are making the new ones impossible for owners or third-party mechanics to repair. This is not only costly, but the delay in getting factory techs out to the farm can easily destroy a crop. There's a trend to find the old, simple versions and rebuild them.
The Susan who created today's puzzle is not the same Susan who blogs on Tuesdays as Hahtoolah.
great clip from a great movie 5 easy pieces, love the way yul brynner says etcetera in the king and i
FIR. I threw down Gummo immediately and was quickly proven wrong. I forgot about Zeppo. But as SubG says, this was a 46A, "walk in the park".
This was such an appropriate puzzle for a Tuesday, nice and easy like the theme.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
I'm with you on both counts. I never get tired of Yul Brynner and his "et cetera et cetera," and how his little son copied it after his father died. And "Five Little Pieces" is one of Jack Nicholson's best performances. My son (Arizona Jim) has memorized that entire coffee shop scene.
Oops. Five EASY Pieces.
Took 4:40 today for this SubG-endorsed/CSO of a Walk In the Park.
Great review RB. I enjoyed the reference to Roundabout and Horshack.
I didn't know "Lea" or "Han," but I knew the Actress of the Day (Garbo).
Is there a faster unknown shark?
This CW was á NATURAL. Loved it. Also á Sub genius kind of puzzle. LOL.
My only erasure was MAcO/MAKO, and my only UKN name was HAN.
It’s not time for ANORAKs yet. Temps are above 90.
When I began reading the review, I thought that’s not Hahtoolah, then I thought maybe the Chairman, but no Moekus, ah! Rusty Brain. Thanks for the filling in. Enjoyed your review. This Corner is so much fun, I look forward to it every morning.
The first sentence of the review kinda gave it away.
Good Morning:
I love this type of theme and today’s was especially enjoyable with the homage to Subgenius’s daily mantra, Walk In The Park. What fun, as were the other “Easy “ peasy themers. My only unknown was Han but perps solved that in a hurry. The clean grid and lack of dreck added to a most enjoyable solve.
Thanks, Susan, well done!, and thanks, RB, for a fine overview and lots of chuckles. Thanks for being such a reliable and enjoyable sub blogger!
Have a great day.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Susan and RustyBrain.
I FIRed in good time and got the Easy theme. I LOLed when I filled the CSO to Subgenius, A WALK IN THE PARK.
Three inkblots. One to change Line to PICA.
Another area in the SW corner where Pout changed to SNIT, and Pub to BAR.
With ZEPPO (not as familiar to me as the other brothers) and OXFORD early in the solve, I thought we might have a pangram. Alas, we were lacking a J, V and Q (but we did have a CUE).
Cashmere was too expensive and wouldn’t fit the space. ANGORA won.
Deal was too short. Past tense DEALT was needed.
There is a bottle of LEA & Perkins in my fridge.
This Canadian always struggles to remember AMEX. Discover cards are not used here. VISA is the most popular.
Our SAFARI was in Masai Mara, Kenya, just across the border from the Serengeti in Tanzania. We were there in the spring and did not see the migration across the Mara River, but we saw the newborns.
Wishing you all a great day.
did not know that "To all the boys" was written by the same author who wrote "The summer I turned pretty". My gf is constantly updating me on that disaster of a tv show hahaha.
"Familiar with IBM Executives." LOL. My wife, RightBrain, is a wicked fast typist. She loved her Selectric but occasionally outpaced the spinning ball and it left a series of dashes on the page.
DNK novelist HAN, but otherwise, this puzzle was Easy! Easy! Easy! Easy! And fun to do. Many thanks to Susan Gelfand and to RustyBrain, who was in top form today.
Yup. This one was REALLY a walk in the park! Enjoyable puzzle, capped by a nice review courtesy of RustyBrain. Great way to start the day!
I missed that first sentence because it was in such small print, I couldn’t read it.
Hola! I must agree with the above, this was a fun and easy puzzle! Thank you, Susan Gelfand! The power was off when I awoke so I had to sit by a window to read. We had a strong storm last night. It did a lot of damage which is typical for this time of the year.
I hope you all are well!
Thank you, Rusty Brain! I enjoyed your review.
Just as yesterday’s puzzle was a walk in the hay, today’s was another ride on the gravy bus. Managed to ZAP through this one in a little over 8, no obscurities for me in the clues or fill. LEA & Perrins Worcestershire is the only brand I buy. SPATTER is what you don’t want if you’re welding something, ugly! THONG and ASS in the same puzzle, oh yeah, draft animal. Thanks Susan for the breezy puzzle; and to RB for the witty and informative review!
Very pleasant Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, Susan. And thanks too for your always helpful commentary, Rusty Brain--appreciated that too.
Well, going through this puzzle I figured working with the A TEAM would be easy, LIKE CHILD'S PLAY, but they still had to TONE UP and WRESTLE a bit, because it's always tough for the team that LOSES. To make up for defeat we felt we'd have to offer A PIECE OF CAKE and an ANURAK to all those who had to go home and work with their TRACTORS under a cloudy SKY. Well, let's just pray they win and have a chance to go on a SAFARI.
Have a pleasant happy day, everybody.
Misty, I always look forward to your puzzle-themed stories. Quite the imagination. Thanks!
I appreciate your sunny disposition. Thanks, and don't tell anyone, but I'm having as much fun as everyone else!
As I worked the CW I didn't even notice the 15 names, probably because I only DNK 1 (HAN). FIR in 11. Only one W/O: ZIPPO/ZEPPO. That "I" only lived for a second or two before dopey me realized ZIPPO is a lighter. So it quickly became an "E". No mess even! This CW lived up to its theme: easy! Which is NOT a complaint. Thanx SG for this Tuesday appropriate CW. I can't even come up with a nit to pick. WAIT: yes I can: too many names. Even though I knew 14/15, a CW shouldn't have 15 names (according to...ME!). Thanx to RB too for the great write-up. I do miss Susan's cartoons, but your write-up was still fun and informative.
Musings
-Golf today required a jacket with temps in the upper 50’s. Loved it.
-I had to correct two PTS on the scorecard today. Our 84-yr-old man keeping score was getting confused
-(A)Round abouts are a “love ‘em or hate ‘em” addition to our roads
-Right on CUE: When we sit at the dining room table, we always get a cute, four-legged visitor.
-A family where I teach has eight John Deere TRACTORS (from a 1930 model up to a new $250,000 model) and drive them in every local parade.
-EGGO’s boost in sales from Stranger Things reminded me of what ET did for Reese’s Pieces
D-O, I don't know how many times you have to remind me of that. Old dog, no new trick. Apologies to all.
Jinx, having lived in Florida from 2010 to 2019 I was very familiar with Haulover Beach. I remember when they were tearing up the parking lots which involved a longer walk to the beach.
I also recall a time when the city manager of North Miami Beach invited a group of blind men to visit, and he had to let the lifeguards there know about them. One of the lifeguards asked, " How will we recognize the blind guys?" The city manager said, "Oh, it won't be hard ... " [bah DUM bum]
Puzzling thoughts: I am still at a loss for why Susan had to use a 14x15 grid?
Rusty, you were in rare form today. Good job!
I loved this puzzle.
Hi All!
Thank you, Susan, for the "Candy from a Baby" [14] puzzle.
Thank you, RustyBrain, for a very amusing expo - especially your comment at 10d - I like your style.
WO: The beginning of 46a had WALKK before spilling more ink for A WALK
ESP: HAN
Fav: I'll go with AAA's TOWING - workmate needed 'em this morning for a freeway blowout.
LOL "Familiar with IBM Executives," Jinx. My step-mom was a pretty fast typist and had a Selectric II at home. She taught me the basics of typing. Funny that nobody knew then how much of my life would be behind a keyboard.
Speaking of work...
Cheers, -T
Thanks to Susan G. for a puzzle that was not rocket science! I noticed that ANGORA and ANORAK were almost symmetrical partners.
Thanks for all the work you put into today's write-up RustyBrain! Good stuff, especially "Starting 11", PRESS KIT, "Play the radio", ETC.
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