HEAD START
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The Running of the Bulls~? Or maybe this cartoon~?
This is my first time blogging a Michael Torch puzzle; he has two previous ones for the LA Times, the last when he paired up with constructor Kevin Christian back in March. We have no circles (yay~!), an even distribution of 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-letter words (~17), barely any names, and a mix of both Across and Down Themers with a centered reveal;
18A. *Extracts dirt from the carpet, maybe: STEAM CLEANS - I saw this on the Dan Aykroyd show "The Unbelievable" while on the elliptical at the gym this past Saturday
Crush, TX, 1896
59A. *California's "Eureka" and New York's "Excelsior": STATE MOTTOS - I knew these two mottos, the second because I lived in NY for most of my life😜. Connecticut's is "Qui Transtulit Sustinet" - the translation here
26D. *Low-carb sandwich: LETTUCE WRAP - using lettuce instead of bread
Actually looks quite tasty
And Away We Go~!
ACROSS:
1. Fireplace residue: ASH - AND - 44D. Fireplace residue: SOOT - Thank the maker this past August was colder & drier than I expected, so less A/C; I'm looking forward to the fall, football and a cozy fire
4. Laundry basket: HAMPER
10. Spice made from the husk of a nutmeg: MACE - I knew this; CT is nicknamed the "nutmeg" state due to this tale; The spice is NOT in the defensive spray - that's a brand name of pepper spray
14. Indian beach destination: GOA - Three letters and Indian~? Ektorp = GOA (name #2)
15. Moon mission program: APOLLO - The memorable 11 and 13; makes me think of HuskerG
16. Subject of a chemistry diagram: ATOM
17. Stat boosted by a home run: RBI - Runs Batted In - a clue for our hostess C.C.
20. Countesses' counterparts: EARLS
22. Adds fuel to: STOKES - this reminds me of steam locomotives, too
23. Old Ford flops: EDSELS - haven't seen this crossword staple in a while (name(ish))
25. Resolved out of court: SETTLED
29. Ensnare: TIE UP
31. Bullfighting figure: TORERO - nailed it - they'll need one in the 10K cartoon
32. Vegetarian frozen-food brand: AMY'S - the website
34. Wells Fargo competitor: CITI - financial institutions; I have two credit cards from WF beause they once held my mortgage - now it's with "Mr. Cooper" - not related to my brother's dog
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Me 'n Cooper are hangin' at the end of this month
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37. Feel a sense of belonging: FIT IN - I have always felt like I have never "fit in" - I'm just a weirdo
38. 8 pts. or 4 qts.: GALLon - I started with AMT; I did not see that they were the same measurement
41. First number in many countdowns: TEN - nine - eight - seven . . . .
42. Japanese art genre: ANIME
45. Source of inspiration: MUSE - if there is a muse of "carpentry", then . . . .
46. Overlook: IGNORE - that Muse has been doing this, lately
48. Light purple: LILAC
50. NFLer who plays at the Meadowlands: NY GIANT - as do the long-suffering NY Jets of the NFL as well; the stadium is in the swamps of New Jersey no less
52. Opt for: SELECT
55. Viewpoint: STANCE
58. Home to the Ninja Turtles: SEWER - My screen-name comes not from Splinter, the TMNT rat "sensei", but from putting lumber away sans gloves at Grossman's Lumber many moons ago . . .
The senior drafter at the Pipe Organ company started at Grossman's as well
63. Light beam: RAY - I blogged that Dan/C.C. puzzle in July
64. Junior staffer: AIDE
65. Online investment service: eTRADE - had some funny Super Bowl baby ads
Riding the dog like a horse is "frowned upon~!"
67. "Quick, before we're late!": "C'MON~!"
68. Classroom unit: LESSON - AND - 49D. Decrease: LESSEN - I am sort of 'Meh' about this . . . ?
69. Parakeet or rabbit: PET - I have had the rabbit, not the bird
DOWN:
1. Shake hands (on): AGREE
Great Album Cover Art
2. "Just awful!": "SO BAD~!"
4. Pain in the neck: HASSLE - Lately, all my home projects have turned into huge hassles
5. Perfectly suitable: APT
6. "The Simpsons" bar: MOE'S - according to this site, it's a tavern, not a bar; name(ish)
7. Community developer's map: PLAT - its etymology derived from PLOT
8. Ticklish toys that caused a frenzy at Christmas in 1996: ELMOs - name(ish) - my "generation" was obsessed with Cabbage Patch Kids, because they were oddly cute/ugly and could be "legally" adopted
9. "Guardians of the Galaxy" raccoon: ROCKET - I have not actually seen these movies - had to rely on perps; name #3
10. Opera conductors: MAESTRI - I figured it was the Latin plural, and not maestrOS
11. __ loss for words: AT A
12. Swindle: CON - Ooops, not ROB; 33% correct
13. CPR crew: EMS
19. Excuse from work: LET OFF - meh; I think of fireworks being "let off"
21. Luau loops: LEIS - alliteration
24. "I did no __ thing!": "SUCH~!"
27. Native Pennsylvanians: ERIES - This I should have figured out; Organ Supply Industries is located there - I was part of a road trip that visited the factory in ERIE, PA
28. "Death, be not proud" poet John: DONNE - name #4 - learning moment for me; more here
30. Fruit-filled desserts: PIES
32. Another time: AGAIN - not LATER
33. Unkempt: MANGY
35. Eastern philosophical path: TAO
36. Pop sensation: IDOL
39. Use a SodaStream: AERATE - this thing; I left mine back in NY
40. Big name in elevators: OTIS - crossword staple name #5
43. Lick, as an envelope: MOISTEN
45. Like peacocks: MALE - ah. I was trying to think of a four-letter word for SHOWY
47. Nail polish, e.g.: ENAMEL
51. Govt. investment option: T-NOTE - I, of course, filled in T-BOND; 40% correct
53. Stop: CEASE
54. Romantic rendezvous: TRYST
56. Middles: Abbr.: CTRs
57. Greek vowels: ETAs
59. Cul-de-__: SAC - It's a dead end....
60. "Beetlejuice" director Burton: TIM - name #6
61. Big commotion: ADO
62. Prefix with meter: ODO - Odometer, the "clock" of your car's distance traveled
Splynter
28 comments:
Well, for once, the reveal
made sense. And I didn’t find this puzzle all that difficult. FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Failed to notice the reveal; forgot to look for the theme. [Sigh] Got 'er done, though. I learned GOA from the second Jason Bourne movie. Took quite some time to parse NYGIANT -- I thought they'd moved to California. Thanx, Michael and Splynter. (Around here we set off fireworks.)
FIR, but erased emt for EMS. I blame decaf.
Ocala has two restaurants named El Toreo, "the bullfight." Today we get el TORERO, the bullfighter.
I only knew Vidal Sassoon as a purveyor of HAIR products. Not that I have use for them.
Rumor has it that when Patrick Mahomes retires from the NFL, he plans to move to the Meadowlands. He wants to get as far away from professional football as he can.
Thanks to Michael for the fun, Monday-easy puzzle. I actually liked the crossing of LESSEN and LESSON. And thanks to Splynter for your insights and the LILAC-clad lovely.
FIR. Today was definitely a speed run. Perhaps I got " ahead of myself ". The only two unknowns for me were Rocket and Amy's. The perps took care of them.
I enjoyed the crossing of homonyms, lesson and lessen. Very cleverly placed.
Half way through i saw the reveal and that helped a lot.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
Thanks! Are you talking about Grossmsn’s Lumber in Quincy MA?? Grew up in Milton just up the road if so. You?
Good Morning:
This was a well-hidden theme until the very clever reveal. The only unknown was Rocket and perps solved that quickly enough. I’ve never purchased Amy’s products but my supermarket’s frozen food section is loaded with them. The clue Let off is clunky, IMO, and, to me, a Hamper and Laundry Basket are two different things. Small nits, though, for a fun solve.
Thanks, Michael, and thanks, Splynter, for a thorough explication of the theme and interesting commentary. Always nice to see photos of Cooper. When are we going to see photos of your own canine?
Have a great day.
I enjoyed Michael's puzzle today. He clearly enjoys wordplay, such as changing "ahead" in the reveal to four uses of "a head of." And as others have noted, he is not averse to such playful touches as crossing "lessen" with "lesson."
Thanks, Michael, for providing us with a fun Wednesday challenge. And thanks, Splynter, for your usual solid recap.
Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Michael and Splynter.
I thought that I FIRed, but arrived here to find that I had not resolved my “but MAESTRO should be plural” question by changing the O to I (to give FIT IN). Ah well! I did get the A HEAD OF theme.
Hand up for liking LESSON crossing LESSEN.
Like Jinx, I had EMT before EMS.
PLAn changed to PLAT with perps.
I thought of Mauve before LILAC perped.
I smiled to see our favourite Lake pluralized, and referring to the tribe for which the Lake was named.
I had to do an alphabet run to get the M in that cross of AMYS and MANGY.
Inquiring minds wanted to know why the “countesses counterparts” weren’t counts (whew that’s too many counts!). I LIUed - EARL is the British equivalent for Count, which is the term used in other European countries.
Wishing you all a great day.
No complaints this morning. Fairly easy puzzle and á neat and clever theme. My only unknown was ROCKET and perps filled that quickly.
Over the years I’ve eaten some of Amy’s frozen dinners, particularly the bean enchiladas. Unfortunately, I’ve found the quality of her products has gone down. I’ve had to throw away á couple of her dinners, one was á burrito and another was á pad Thai. So I’ve quit buying Amy’s.
John Donne (1572-1631) was an English poet whose poem For whom the Bell Tolls inspired Ernest Hemingway’s title for his novel about the Spanish civil war.
Thank you Splynter for your nice review. Cooper is á handsome Dude.
DNK PLAT but it had to be STOKES, not SnOKES, so FIR. ROCKET was a WAG.
Thanks to Michael for a fresh and fun puzzle, and to Splynter for a fresh and fun blog post.
Musings
-I had to wear long pants and a jacket to mow this morning. We’re getting a nice fall preview.
-I enjoyed the puzzle and Splynter’s fine write-up
-NFL teams need a running back who can build up a HEAD OF STEAM quickly near the goal line
-Like the rest of the world, I watched Apollo 11 land on the Moon but like the rest of the world I also kind of lost interest in Apollo 13 until its service module blew up 200,000 miles from home. Thanks for the CSO, Splynter.
-Mustang and Edsel – Ya win some and you lose some
-I have always tried to seek out the kids who don’t seem to “FIT IN”
-More space – NASA aborted the countdown for Shuttle Mission #41 four seconds before liftoff
-Shaking hands will never really replace a written contract
-Bullwinkle’s sidekick’s full name was ROCKET J. Squirrel
-If an administrator LETS one employee OFF for an event, he’d better be prepared to do the same for others
-A midlife crisis TRYST cost our former friend his marriage and his reputation in our small town
...Meadowlands. Ba dum tss!
Took 4:41 to get ahead of schedule.
This one seemed like a themeless WITP, but I didn't know "Amys" or the Indian beach (Goa), and I hesitated at the final letter of "maestr_". I was familiar with Rocket Raccoon though.
1st man on the moon = !! 2nd man on the moon = ??
A fun and clever puzzle.
A tad on the easy side but enjoyable.
Thanks Splynter for an informative and entertaining recap.
Cool hump day puzzle for Michael. Only clue I didn't like was Ensnare = TIE UP. And my usual rant of pluralizing tribe names.
At first, I thought that pic of Vidal was a joke, then I remembered the 80's.
Nice job, Splynter! When I first bought the Wish You Were Here LP, it came in a dark blue wrapper so you couldn't see the actual cover. Was surprised when I opened it because I assumed the shrink-wrap was clear and the album was blue.
I liked this puzzle.
Fun puzzle today! I appreciated the low number of names...now, if only we could cut down on those aggravating paraphrases? Talk about your real Train Wrecks...wonder how that would have played out in todays osha-regulated, litigatios society? Probably not well. Thanks to Splynter for the nice recap.
Very nice puzzle. No complaints. Thanks for the always fun recap Splynter.
Hola! Easy one today, thank you, Michael Torch. I do not equate basket with HAMPER. However, a basket CAN BE a HAMPER, but a HAMPER is not a basket.
The University of San Diego. which is my alma mater, are TOREROs.
I know GOA from reading stories about India.
The Arizona STATE MOTTO is "Ditat Deus", God enriches.
I love LILAC or any shade of purple. At one time I had a different purple outfit for every day of the week
Me too for thinking COUNTS were the Countesses' counterparts. Learning moment. Another learning moment: Ninja Turtles live in SEWERS!
John DONNE is one of my favorite poets though I have to read each line carefully to fully understand it.
When I was teaching, I had a wonderful AIDE who herself could have been a teacher.
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
LESSEN/LESSON is a great crossing.
I forgot to time myself, but would guess 12 minutes to FIR. Only 11 names, DNK 2. MAESTRI? Really? DONNE?DUNNE?DONTE?DANTE? Needed perps.
I did see the theme early, which helped. Thanx MT for your Wednesday level creation. Well done. Thanx too to Splynter for the terrific write-up. Especially nice set of legs. "Wish You Were Here" = by my all-time FAVORITE band, Pink Floyd. Great album, but they made so many great albums. My theme song is "Comfortably Numb". Great song, especially when you get old. Listen to the lyrics.
Challenging but very interesting and pleasant Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Michael. And your commentary is always helpful, Splynter, so thanks for that too.
Well, it looks like the EARLS in this puzzle maybe got up early to make sure somebody would take care of STEAM CLEANING the place, before tossing clothes in the HAMPER to go to the laundry. After making sure all those chores would get done, they might have gotten into their EDSEL to go for a ride. Hope they also arranged to make sure the kids had their AIDE help them get ready for their LESSONS so that they'll be able to get jobs in the E-TRADE when they get older. But most of all, let's hope they also arranged for somebody to take good care of their PETS. Sounds like a pretty busy morning for a couple of EARLS, doesn't it?
Have a pleasant, and hopefully sunny, day everybody.
I noticed LETOFF hanging below nearby STEAM….
Nice catch, Prof M.
H-Gary@10:50 "We're getting a nice fall preview". Earlier today I saw that our local Jamba Juice is already offering its line of pumpkin menu items.
Thanks to Michael for his clever theme and to Splynter for his tour! That locomotive video is bananas. Who is the cat behind Cooper?
This was back in 1987 - the original business was located in Braintree, MA - so maybe~?
I believe that's "Finn"~!
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