Round 2 of RustyBrain's Tour de Lundi's in lieu of sumdaze.
Robert "Everyone Loves" Morris is no stranger to the square dance here at the Corner. In this puzzle, he shows off his fancy footwork.
58A. Jukebox musical featuring Gloria Estefan songs, or where to find the ends of 17-Across and 10-, 24-, and 33-Down: ON YOUR FEET.
The end of each themer is also a part of one's foot. Simple and effective -
except I didn't know a jukebox musical was a show that uses preexisting
songs to tell a story.
17A. Architectural component of many a stained glass window: GOTHIC ARCH. The tall, pointed GOTHIC ARCH was an improvement over the round Roman ones because the steeper sides directed forces down more vertically. So, rather than having massive columns as in the Romanesque churches, the new columns could be more slender.
10D. Pencil game that often has no winner: TIC-TAC-TOE. Known as "Noughts and Crosses" in Britain, TIC-TAC-TOE's origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt where the game has been found on roofing tiles. Therefore, workers have been screwing around on the job for millennia before I came along and turned it into an art form.
24D. Billiards game: SIX-BALL. In pocket billiards (pool), SIX-BALL is a shortened form of nine-ball. But, for some oddball reason, eight-ball is a longer version of both.
33D. Flatfish native to the northern Atlantic: DOVER SOLE. DOVER SOLE is a highly-valued, sweet and mild-flavored flatfish from European waters. And eating fish is good for your soul.
I found too many proper names, including an insurance company mascot, but my only real QUIBBLE was a few wayward abbreviations (see 43A & 4D).
And now, the game is afoot:
Across:
1. Animation pioneer Disney: WALT. If WALT had lived long enough, he might have created a CGI emu.
5. CGI emu who wears sunglasses in insurance ads: LIMU. Newest Disney character: Lester LIMU.
9. Chichén __: Mayan ruins: ITZA. ITZA site to see!
13. Word of woe: ALAS.
14. Ain't right?: AREN'T. Yes it is.
16. "Carpe __!": "Seize the day!": DIEM.
17. [theme]
19. Ranch division: ACRE. The smallest division is the single-serving size.
20. Lures: ENTICES.
21. 2,240 pounds: LONG TON. The LONG TON is also known as an imperial ton, a displacement ton, or a British ton, but there's not a ton of difference between them.
23. Big name in tractors: DEERE. This old piece of farm equipment is manure spreader. Nowadays, we call it a politician.
24. Lady of Spain: SENORA.
25. Shape-fitting video game: TETRIS. I have very good spatial sense and amaze my friends with how much I can pack into a small moving van. I think of it as 3-D TETRIS.
28. Computer pros: TECHS. Computer cons: BUGS
31. Puts in: ADDS. "You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out..." I'm also available for weddings!
34. Bit of black magic: HEX.
35. Cape __ Island, Nova Scotia: BRETON.
36. Summer zodiac sign: LEO. It's LEO again. We've seen this constellation all summer long.
37. Nitpick: QUIBBLE. QUIBBLE is just like Scrabble. Well, maybe a little different...
39. Lisbon greeting: OLA. The Portuguese version of "hola," which is the Spanish version of "hallo," which is the German version of "hello," which is...
40. Scarf down: DEVOUR.
42. One seeking platonic love, informally: ARO. AROmantic is becoming a crossword staple due to its common letters.
43. Slugger Matt who led the NL in homers in 2011: KEMP. Since National League is abbreviated, so is Kempinski. Just kidding! I don't know why the clue uses NL (Matt is technically abbreviated as well).
44. Puccini work: OPERA.
45. Pester continually: PLAGUE.
47. Scamp: RASCAL.
49. Mookie of the Dodgers: BETTS. The only BETTS I know is Dickey, founding member and former guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band.
53. Stronghold: BASTION.
55. Get ready: PREPARE.
57. French for "mine": A MOI.
58. [theme]
60. Approximately 2.2 lbs.: KILO. Kilogram.
61. Marshmallow treats: PEEPS. They're not just for Easter anymore!
62. Words often said sarcastically: I BET.
63. Genesis garden: EDEN.
64. Small amount: DASH.
65. __ list: TO DO. My wife, RightBrain, calls them "honey do" lists. I sure hope she gets around to them soon.
Down:
1. Fought, as a war: WAGED.
2. Unaccompanied: ALONE.
3. Starbucks order: LATTE. Cafe LATTE is an espresso-based coffee drink from Italy. "Scusi, but why is my order taking so long?"
5. Lingerie trim: LACE.
6. Golden yrs. funds: IRAS. Individual Retirement Accounts.
7. Crème de la __: luxury skin care product made with kelp: MER. MER is French for "sea." I should try it because I need all the kelp I can get.
8. Parents' brothers: UNCLES.
9. "Can't argue with that": I'D AGREE. No complaints from me.
10. [theme]
11. Goose egg: ZERO. Because a ZERO looks like an egg, the tennis term for "no score" is love - from the French word for egg, l'oeuf.
12. Prayer ending: AMEN.
15. Suffix for a lengthy fundraising event: THON. As in teleTHON.
18. Slushy drink: ICEE.
22. __ Dame: South Bend school: NOTRE. The Fighting Irish.
24. [theme]
26. Calendar abbr.: THUR. This clue is kinda week.
27. L.L.Bean rival: REI. Recreational Equipment, Inc. In clothing, however, Bean's rival is Lands' End.
29. Ian of "The Hobbit": HOLM. He played Bilbo Baggins, Middle Earth's ringleader.
30. Break sharply: SNAP.
31. Gucci of fashion: ALDO.
32. "Take a __ breath": DEEP.
33. [theme]
35. Internet journal: BLOG. Just like the one you're reading now!
37. Somewhat: QUASI. That seems about right.
38. Lingerie item: BRA.
41. Formal speech: ORATION.
43. Stay in shape: KEEP FIT. Bent out of shape: THROW A FIT.
45. Reviewed harshly: PANNED. The term "being roasted" was a historical slang term for severe criticism (similar to today). That morphed into expressions like "on the pan."
46. Lyft rival: UBER.
48. Member-owned grocery: CO-OP. IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) supermarkets are an example of a Retailers' Cooperative. Collectively, CO-OPs give local store owners the buying power to compete with the big chains. We stopped at this one on the way to the Cascade Mountains this summer. Neat as a pin with perfect pyramids of produce and super friendly folks. Buy local!
50. 1990s fitness fad: TAE BO. The opposite of this fashion fad:
51. Trapped on a branch, as a cat: TREED. Tripped on a branch: FLOORED.
52. Minor scuffle: SET TO.
53. Make a cake, say: BAKE.A rhyming clue and answer!
54. Within: AMID.
55. Unwelcome sounds for a balloon artist: POPS. These are very prickly to make:
56. Work with haste: RUSH. Work with waste: FLUSH. More silly rhymes.
59. Affirmative vote: YEA.
Did you keep instep as we moved along?
In spite of the
ReplyDeleteintersection of “Holm” and “Kemp,” and a foreign term or two, I think this puzzle still deserves the accolade of “a walk in the park.” Perhaps others will disagree; we’ll see. Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteYay, d-o stumbled on to victory. QUArrel and SIXrAiL really slowed things down in flyover country. We visited Chichén ITZA for my 50th -- one was still allowed to climb the pyramid in those days. Even further back in time d-o lost an altercation with a manure spreader (not a DEERE) when playing bicycle tag. I flew right over the blades and into the bed of the box, which fortunately was still filled with some spreadable material. My bicycle was history, though.
Didn’t know KEMP, HOLM, or BRETON… so FIW! First time that’s happened in a very long time. I just thought this was a little crunchy for a Monday.
ReplyDeleteI meant the first time for a Monday
ReplyDeleteFIR. I'm definitely not fond of the crossing of two proper names, Holm and Kemp. That is so wrong. Where's a crossword editor when you need one?
ReplyDeleteAfter the fact I saw the theme despite not being familiar with the musical referred to in the reveal.
But overall I guess I expect easier on a Monday, so a so-so puzzle at best.
Walk in the park? I call one big DEERE bull manure spreader! FIR, thanks to my total WAGs @ HOLM x BRETON and KEMP. Also snooker->SIX BALL, aye->YEA, and erased, then reinstated, TETRIS and REI.
ReplyDeleteThe autumnal equinox happens at 1 pm Corner Daylight Time today.
To me, the crosses of a foreign island, a retired journeyman outfielder, and an actor in a movie series that I have no interest in vacuumed most of the fun out of this one. But the outstanding entertainment provided by Rusty Brain's narrative made this one a worthwhile outing.
2:19 EDT (not to be confused with the Corner’s CDT).
DeleteTook 5:51 today to bridge the gap.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know: the term "jukebox musical"; that Gloria Estefan had more than one or two songs; the Canadian island (Breton); baseball player (Kemp); "longton"; and, "Dover sole." That's a lot of crunch for a Monday.
I valiantly tried to fit "McKellen" where "Holm" was to go. Alas, the shoe didn't fit.
I also visited Chichen Itza (2002?) and was able to climb the structures. Brutally hot and humid day, but they were wonderful ruins (seems like an oxymoron).
I thought we might have a pangram here, but I'll be darned if I can find a J.
ReplyDeleteI was looking for a pangram too. Sadly, no J.
DeleteDNF. I lacked an M in the crossing of HOLM and KEMP and I lacked a T in the crossing of BETTS and TAE BO. REI, I should know from past CW, but those initials mean nothing to me among a slew of other initials in our daily lives.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know the musical, but it was easy to guess. This puzzle was super easy at first, but I started getting bogged down as I RUSHed on down.
Anyway, I must DASH. Thank you Rusty Brain for an entertaining review. I like all your word games.
Some very strange things I found looking for a silly theme link today...
ReplyDeleteexhibit A
exhibit B
And a possible reason why ghosts might have a foot fetish?
Musings
ReplyDelete-I flew through it but my personal natick at KEMP/HOLM cost me a “got ‘er done”
-FORE!
I enjoyed this puzzle. I am learning to ignore stuff that used to annoy me, unless it is so blatant it can't be ignored. Sometimes I enjoy reading your comments even more than solving the puzzle; today is one of those days.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteActually, it’s after noon, but I’m a creature of habit. My morning was filled with medical appointments which, as usual, involved much waiting and more waiting. I liked this puzzle a lot due to its simple, yet hidden and surprise theme. I agree on the crunch factor, but aside from the Kemp/Holm crossing, perps were fair. Perhaps it should have been a Wednesday offering?
Thanks, REL, don’t be a stranger! Thanks, also, RB, for the laugh a minute review. Besides your non-stop humor, you also gave us some interesting facts to digest.
Have a great day.
This is probably the first DNF for a Monday puzzle in 10 years.Sixball, mer , Kemp, Holm, and the use of plague as a verb complete unknowns. The Sons of the Allmon Bros and Dickie Betts formed their own band.
ReplyDeleteUS ton, metric ton, and long ton. They carry a lot of weight.
Typical Monday difficulty for me as I FIR in a few ticks under 10. WEES about the HOLM/KEMP cross, last fill I correctly WAGed the M without resorting to an a-run. The only MLB KEMP I remember is Steve, from a couple decades ago. Perps always decide aye or YEA. QUIBBLE must be somewhat archaic cuz I never hear it used. I’ve played a fair amount of pool and a little snooker, never billiards, and I’ve never heard of SIX BALL, everyone seems to play “eight ball”. LIMU’s company spends $850mil annually on advertising, Geico almost twice as much, maybe if they trimmed their ad budgets rates would be cheaper? I’ve never heard Gucci referred to by his first name. QUASI is kind of a cool word. Thank you Robert for your puzzle, and to RB for the info and grins!
ReplyDeleteIf you missed any of the crossings of Breton, Holm, Kemp then you didn't FIW. The constructor and/or editor FIW.
ReplyDeleteInteresting Monday puzzle, many thanks, Robert. And we always appreciate your commentary also, so thanks for that too, Rusty Brain.
ReplyDeleteWell, it looked as though the puzzle people were excited about going to the OPERA today. Maybe the stage had a GOTHIC ARCH, and as soon as the first actress appeared there, everyone jumped to their feet, clapping and cheering. Hope the singers got some LATTE before going on stage. The SENORA looked lovely in her LACE dress, and the man looked snappy in his T SHIRTS. The last actor's final ORATION was particularly impressive, and after the play was over, they all went to a nearby restaurant for some DOVER SOLE and some PEEPS and some cheerful drinks. They were all so happy not to have to be ON YOUR FEET again until tomorrow.
Have to DASH off, but have a lovely week coming up, everyone.
13 names, DNK 7, making this a tough CW for a Monday. Twice I managed to WAG the letter where two unknowns crossed, so in the end did manage to FIR in 13. I guess I should say thanx to RELM for this CW, although I am not enamored with it, it did give me some brain work. Thanx RustyBrain, your write-up was more fun than the CW. Lots of smiles along the way. Oy, all those kinds of tons, and then there is the metric ton. And the 2,000lb ton.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your puzzle, RELM. Creme de la MER was a little pricey for the average solver and should have been clued differently, IMO.
ReplyDeleteRustyBrain was on a roll. Brilliant! Feel like blogging every day? I should just quit now!
Happy Rosh Hashana to you and all other friends on the Corner of the Jewish faith! Or in my best Hebrew ~ Shana Tovah 😊
DeleteHola! Great comments from you all! I, too, found this Monday puzzle quite crunchy! And even sought help from ALEXA for BETTS; and HOLM is another unknown. Sports is never in my wheelhouse. But my daughter loved to play TETRIS so I recall that.
ReplyDeleteHave a magnificent Moday, evryone!
oops. Monday!
ReplyDelete