Theme: You tell me!
Puzzling Thoughts:
As a crossword puzzle solver for umpteen years, and a blogger here for 5+ years, I have probably seen just about every kind of theme used. Wordplay; add/subtract a letter; circled letters; rebus; you name it. Today's had circles. I can just imagine an anonymous solver, jumping for joy! [not]
After seeing how the circled letters in today's puzzle spelled out the words TIME, DANGER, and DROP (all words that can precede the word "zone") I thought, well, what else is there? How does it interact with the reveal?
First, the reveal: 56-across. Focused and feeling unstoppable, or an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: IN THE ZONE.
The website [crossidiomas dot com] defines "in the zone" as:
"Being “in the zone” is a term that describes a mental state where an individual is fully immersed in their task or activity. It’s a feeling of being completely present and engaged with what they are doing, without any distractions or interruptions. When someone is in this state, they may feel like time has slowed down or even stopped altogether"
"The benefits of being “in the zone” are numerous. For athletes, it can mean improved performance and better results. For workers, it can lead to increased productivity and better quality work. Creatives may find that they produce their best work when they are in this state of mind"
So now, we unfold the entries:
17-across. *Comments: TIRE MARKS. Simply, when the circled letters TI are separated, the word "remarks" remains and defines the clue (comments)
19-across. *Seasonal malady: FLUME. Simply, when the other circled letter ME are separated, the word "flu" remains and defines the clue (seasonal malady). When you read across the grid, the words "remarks" and "flu" are "within" the time zone
26-across. *Kinda-sorta: DANISH. Remove the circled DAN from ISH you have "kinda-sorta" (ish)
29-across. *Blacken on the grill: CHARGER. Remove the circled GER and you have "char" which is term for blacken on the grill. This spanner reveals "ish" and char" in the danger zone
42-across. *Mimic's talent: DRAPERY. When I finally figured the theme out, the last two entries were easy to fill - "apery" supports the clue (mimic's talent) and 44-across. *American Girl buy: DOLLOP. "Doll" supports the clue (American Girl buy), and "apery" "doll" are in the drop zone
Interestingly, in the last pair, the word dollop is a "kinda-sorta" synonym for the word drop but that is the only entry word that even comes close to supporting the circled word in its zone. I was looking for more. It would have been way more cool if the words left within each "zone" supported the words time, danger, and drop
I dunno. Not a puzzle that I feel is Friday-worthy, nor a puzzle that gave me much of an "aha" moment. I think the constructor had an interesting theme/reveal but it was the "getting there" that left me nonplussed. Sorry, Joseph if you read this. Your "T-Square" puzzle from last December was much more enjoyable for me
Here is the grid and then the rest of the clues:
 |
| The Grid |
Across:
1. __ committee: AD HOC. Moe-ku: The committee met
To discuss making bean soup.
Decided, AD HOC [sic]
6. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP.
6. Soak (up), as gravy: SOP.
9. 34-Across lines: ROADS. (34-across. GPS display): MAP.
 |
| Old school GPS |
14. Statement of beliefs: CREDO. Rhymes with Play-doh
15. Homer's tee: TAU. Did anyone think about a Simpsons character playing golf? I did! Tau is the Greek letter for T; Homer is the Greek dude who is recognized for writing the Iliad and Odyssey. Or did he? Open this link to find out
16. Top monk: ABBOT. As opposed to the top Monk, which would be Tony Shalhoub
[theme entry]
[theme entry]
20. Resort destination: SPA.
21. Attend without an invitation: CRASH. Some of them are professionals ...
[theme entry]
[theme entry]
20. Resort destination: SPA.
21. Attend without an invitation: CRASH. Some of them are professionals ...
22. Sacred object: TOTEM. Moe-ku:
Tribe chief wants to know
If sacred object's revered.
Took a TOTEM poll
23. Full of frills: LACY. One of the more sophomoric movies that I've seen countless number of times had a character who was Judge Smails' niece; her name was Lacey
23. Full of frills: LACY. One of the more sophomoric movies that I've seen countless number of times had a character who was Judge Smails' niece; her name was Lacey
24. "Ain't it the truth!": AMEN. Listen carefully; this is a very short video clip
[theme entry]
[theme entry]
32. Happening: EVENT.
33. Plaintiffs: SUERS. Moe-ku:
Best plaintiffs work for
Sanitation Department;
Well-versed with SUERS [sic]
[see above]
36. Zero, for Aryna Sabalenka: LOVE. Tennis term for this lady
37. Bug __: SPRAY. JUICE also fits
38. Lion locks: MANE.
39. Fib: LIE.
40. Archaeologist's find: SHARD. Also known as "sherd"
41. Adjoining hotel rooms: SUITE. The same word has a musical meaning; here is a rendition of a song that contains this word in the title - CSN could still rock it as senior citizens (2012 concert) even without hitting all of the high notes
[theme entry]
[theme entry]
45. Theme park attraction: RIDE. Moe-ku:
Theme park's admission
Cost was huge. I felt I was
Taken for a RIDE
46. The "S" of NSFW: SAFE. The full acronym unveiled is: Not SAFE (Suitable) For Work. It's become an internet slang term to indicate that an email, e.g., may contain sexually explicit text and/or photos. But unbeknownst to some, it was also the name of a 2014 movie thriller
47. Home of Himeji Castle: JAPAN. Google it
50. Mocking tribute: ROAST. The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts were pretty risqué for TV back in those days (note, you might have to rewind it to the start) ... here is a 4 minute clip starring Foster Brooks
52. "Shame on you!": TSK.
55. Only coastal city in Jordan: AQABA. Despite using a word with a Q in it (as well as a J, K, W, Y, and Z) Joseph ended up being an X short of having a pangram
[reveal / theme]
58. Staff writing: MUSIC. Prose fits, too, if you use a different meaning of the word staff
59. Overalls component: BIB.
60. "In your dreams!": NO WAY. [spoiler] there's a clecho at 28-down
61. Pancake quantity: BATCH. I tried STACK and it really screwed up that section of the grid
62. Place for pigs: STY.
63. "Hello" and "Bye Bye Bye": SONGS. Moe-ku (with an extra line thrown in for good measure):
Justin Timberlake
Lost his first golf match after
A Tournament pass.
Was a "BYE, BYE” BYE
Down:
1. Does something: ACTS.
2. Faucet annoyance: DRIP. Moe-ku:
Lost his first golf match after
A Tournament pass.
Was a "BYE, BYE” BYE
Down:
1. Does something: ACTS.
2. Faucet annoyance: DRIP. Moe-ku:
An erstwhile actress
Came on set with runny nose;
Cast scorned Fawcett's DRIP
3. Goddess whose symbol is a peacock: HERA.
3. Goddess whose symbol is a peacock: HERA.
4. Poem of praise: ODE. Moe-ku:
Gave myself some props.
Wrote haiku about nothing,
Called it ODE to Moe
5. Company whose symbol is a peacock: COMCAST. Part of the NBC family
5. Company whose symbol is a peacock: COMCAST. Part of the NBC family
6. Many a shelter animal: STRAY.
7. Hardy trees: OAKS. I guess some might have chosen ELMS
8. Press on: PUSH AHEAD. Only the second use of this clue/answer as I discovered when I searched Crossword Tracker. And BTW, the certification for CrosswordTracker dot com has not been renewed, apparently, and I got all kinds of warnings about visiting their site. Hence, I am not linking it today
9. Roof supports: RAFTERS. TRUSSES also fits
10. Like plum tomatoes: OBLONG. The clue could have said like Roma tomatoes, too
11. Be up against: ABUT. "CRUNCH TIME" was not an option for this clue ... today
12. Top of many an indoor stadium: DOME. ROOF fits, as well. I am guessing the difference between them is that a dome is a permanent fixture; a roof can be retractable
 |
| State Farm Stadium - home to the AZ Cardinals |
13. Acronym on some educational toys: STEM. If anyone wants to know which educational toys are, click this link
18. __ supports: ARCH. Moe-ku:
Social nerd erred twice;
Put his foot in his mouth while
Wearing ARCH supports
23. Security checkpoint formation: LINE.
23. Security checkpoint formation: LINE.
 |
| This is why I have Global Entry and Pre-Check |
25. Steenburgen of "Parenthood": MARY. Then and now photo
26. "Hi-ho, the derry-o" setting: DELL. Or, as this version says, "hey-ho, the derry-o" ... if you watch it the lyrics "Farmer in the DELL" are sung just at the beginning of the song; nowhere else
27. Bypass: AVOID.
28. "In your dreams!": NEVER. "WHEN PIGS FLY" did not fit; that said:
28. "In your dreams!": NEVER. "WHEN PIGS FLY" did not fit; that said:
29. B-baller Steph: CURRY. Not sure why the abbreviation in the adjective (b-baller). Is it because his full name is actually Wardell Stephen Curry II and he prefers to go by Steph?
30. Common accumulation during vacation: E-MAIL. Snail mail, too, accumulates for us when we disappear for a few weeks or longer. Speaking of e-mail, does anyone else suffer from getting more email messages, even after you've unsubscribed from certain ones?
31. Cost: RAN TO. I don't use this phrase often, so I looked it to confirm it was two words, not one
33. Pork slab on the grill: SPARERIBS. Moe-ku: [warning: this has some religious context]
30. Common accumulation during vacation: E-MAIL. Snail mail, too, accumulates for us when we disappear for a few weeks or longer. Speaking of e-mail, does anyone else suffer from getting more email messages, even after you've unsubscribed from certain ones?
31. Cost: RAN TO. I don't use this phrase often, so I looked it to confirm it was two words, not one
33. Pork slab on the grill: SPARERIBS. Moe-ku: [warning: this has some religious context]
When Adam and Eve
Planned to have kids, who was it
That gave their SPARE RIBS?
35. Small sound: PEEP. Moe-l'ick:
35. Small sound: PEEP. Moe-l'ick:
Easter baskets were out, in plain view.
We peeked in because that's what we do.
Removed marshmallow treat
As the one thing we’d eat.
If we’re caught? Not one PEEP out of you!
We peeked in because that's what we do.
Removed marshmallow treat
As the one thing we’d eat.
If we’re caught? Not one PEEP out of you!
37. Garden structure: SHED. Are we over the "she shed" craze yet?
 |
| This one looks pretty posh |
38. Moscow __: ginger beer drink: MULE. Another ginger beer drink that I prefer is called a Dark 'n' Stormy
40. la Florentine green: SPINACH. Fun fact: Spinach is one of my key ingredients when I make breakfast burritos for Ms. Margaret and me
Maybe I use spinach in the recipe because this cartoon character was one of my childhood heroes. I dare you to watch the video and not continue to hum the song all day. 🤣 "I fights to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach, I'm Popeye the Sailor Man!"
41. Makes less harsh: SOFTENS.
43. Language spoken in 55-Across: ARABIC. In Aqaba, remember??
44. 100-meter race, e.g.: DASH. Technically, any race up to 400-meters in considered a dash (or SPRINT - which was too long to work). This guy set a world-record 9.58 seconds, and during the final third of the race he was clocked at running 27.1 miles per hour!
46. Didn't help: SAT BY. Not Ms. Margaret; she proof-reads my blog each time for grammatical and spelling errrors [note, she missed this one 😂]
47. Door __: JAMB. Moe-ku:
Ray Manzarek's band's
Greatest hits are played at Lowe's:
Called: Doors JAMB sessions
48. Sea blue: AQUA. This color
49. Days of yore: PAST. As opposed to a clue that read: "Days of Eeyore", in which the answer would be cloudy
51. "Right away, boss!": ON IT.
 |
| Good old Ron Burgundy |
52. 34-Across dot: TOWN. I'm guessing that if you didn't get 34-across right away you'd have some fill issues
53. Minor setback: SNAG. Did anyone find any snags in today's puzzle? As I said in the intro, my major nit was not having entry words that matched the zones
54. A minor and A major: KEYS. Musical term; as opposed to UrsA Minor and UrsA Major which are constellations
 |
| UrsA Major |
57. Where the wild things are: ZOO. WOODS didn't fit but it did inspire another Moe-ku:
To attract more guests
ZOO adds a wild golf course de-
signed by Tiger Woods
Please comment below if you'd like ...
31 comments:
After I got the reveal, I
went back and saw all the “zones” and how they were split up.
I thought it was definitely a Friday worthy puzzle, and a fun challenge.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Yay, d-o figured out early on that the circled letters had to be excluded from the answer. Needed the reveal to see them as zones, though. NOTES above STACK made SoCal unsolveable. MUSIC and BATCH finally broke things open. Thanx, Joseph and C-Moe. (Maybe it's my browser, but none of your video links made the trip -- just an empty box.)
I too was stuck on STACK for pancake Quantity. Once BATCH came to me the rest filled in the southwest. Happy to FIR on a Friday!
Judging by my FIR time of 14:34, this puzzle was easier than a typical Friday. Needed perps for the parts of the themers that had no clue, and I didn’t see the correlation between the circled letters till the reveal, my only hang-up was in SW where I had to change dash to JAMB, AQABA was all perps. Where I live, bug SPRAY is commonly called “bug dope”. I would think that most people on vacation still check their EMAIL daily, it’s that snail mail that accumulates. Thanks Joseph for the morning mental exercise, and to C-Moe for your detailed review, always like the Moe-Kus.
Fun and funky theme - I got the inside portions and then left the circles to perps at first
I also thought of Homer Simpson first before the Greek writer - but I was looking for a shirt he would wear instead of golf. My sixth grade put on a play of the ILIAD and the Odyssey after our Mythology unit - I got to portray Circe which had then fun of turning Odysseus and his men into pigs
Thanks CM for the fun blog and Joseph for the puzzle
I am supposed to fly today and my flight has been changed once - hope it won't happened again with all the cancellations!
FIR. Another day with circles, which of course I ignored.
For a Friday puzzle this seemed rather easy. Although the theme was somewhat contrived. It took the reveal to get what was going on, and it was lame.
My only stumbling block was oblong. I just couldn't come up with it until the end.
So overall a so-so puzzle. It would have been enjoyable without the circles.
DNF. Had door "bell" and not knowing Himeji or any city in Jordan except Amman, did a "check word" on the LAT site. Then I tried "knob," which was 3/4 wrong. From then it had to be JAMB, and the rest fell into place easily. Except AQABi x SPINiCH. Bad spelars of the world, UNTIE!!!
I knew that food dish names using Florentine usually contain SPINACH, so I avoid them at all cost.
Actually, COMCAST owns NBC and its peacock logo. Husker Gary could probably provide more details, but Nebraska Educational TV got about $3 million in cash and equipment (in today's money) after suing NBC.
Sounds like LACY overcame her anger regarding Caddyshack. From IMDB: "Peters informed Ramis that Morgan would do the topless scene because he threatened her saying she would never work again in Hollywood if she didn't."
Despite being beyond my reach, I really liked today's puzzle. Thanks to Joseph for the fun Friday test, and to our Chairman for another fine review.
I’ve been reading this blog for months, but this is my first post. My experience with this puzzle was pretty much the same as the other commenters until I realized the full answer for each circle answer was also a word:
TIREMARKS
FLUME
DANISH
CHARGER
DRAPERY
DOLLOP
Then I was really impressed!
I feel sorry for anyone who has to fly during this shutdown.
TWIsted and turned through this one in 7:13 today to get it done before dawn's early LIGHT.
Aqaba? Come on.
I wanted "Petra" for the Jordan city, but was pretty sure it wasn't coastal.
Puzzle was ok. Didn't seem befitting of a Friday, in my humble opinion.
Oh joy, circles!
(Thanks for the shout-out, Mr. Chairman.)
Almost a DNF until I figured out RANTO. Otherwise not a bad Friday. I musta been INTHEZONE 🤨
Thought maybe the circles would make up a phrase like puzzles of YORE. NO WAY. But they do make crosswise words when smashed together and also words that precede “zone” (DROP ZONE? Like a DROP “off” ZONE at the airport?)
I useta like the themes with circled letters that when put together spelt out a phrase. Wonder why the puzzle gods now forbid it?
Inkovers: rte/MAP, AMANN/AQABA, draping/DRAPERY, relic/SHARD, zany/LACY
“CREDO” (Lat & It “I believe”, first word of the Nicene Creed)
“Himeji” sounded Japanese ( it means “he is nervous” 😬) like that “emoji”. BTW: MARY is married to Ted Danson. Adele and Moe, I woulda put “Stack” too if I had thought of it and not perp-waited. Makes more sense than BATCH (of cookies) for “pancakes”
Moe you supplied us with a literal anthology of Moe-Ku’s. You need to find yourself a publisher
Greeting from Sanibel Island, Fl. Here till next Friday when we hopefully can fly back to my DD’s home in Boston, one of the airports where the gov has threatened to limit flights.
Musings
-I got the gimmick of ignoring the added circles but needed the reveal for the fun connection.
-Yup, I thought of Homer Simpson on the links
-These very annoying bugs are immune to BUG SPRAY
-Maybe it was a bad recording but that rendition of SUITE: Judy Blue Eyes was painful to listen to.
-Buffalo, NY built a new stadium for it Bills but for some reason chose to not put a DOME or roof on it.
-Our prime rib and filet mignon RAN TO $96 in our favorite steak house last night. BTW steak houses are in a real DANGER ZONE of disappearing Farmer Brown's in Waterloo, NE is full every night.
-Moscow MULES are drinks featured in Better Call Saul
-The constellation Ursa Major contains the asterism called the Big Dipper
It took perps for this puzzle to make sense. Starting 1A&1&2D, without knowing them TIRE MARKS from the clue made no sense. Ditto for FLUME. DANISH was puzzling me because the perps were solid.
Was I ever IN THE ZONE by guessing the theme? NO.
"COMCAST. Part of the NBC family"- it's the other way around.
Comcast owns NBC Bravo, Oxygen, Syfy, and USA Network. They got rid of USA, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel.
CRASHing big wedding receptions should be easy for the adventurous types, unless everybody runs with the same crowd. A few years ago, a friend's daughter's big reception was at a very nice place; big band, expensive catering. The groom was from Ecuador and their were more foreign guests than from NOLA.
BTW, the New Orleans SUPERDOME is capped by a true DOME; the most of rest have retractable roofs.
Good Morning:
I guess the reveal redeemed the annoyance of not really grasping the gimmick prior to reading Moe’s astute explanation. However, the juice was not worth the squeeze, at least for me. Although there were only a few cross-reference clues, I find those distracting and, sometimes confusing. My major obstacle was reading Pancake Quality instead of Quantity which held up that area far longer than necessary. Props for a clean grid and some fresh and lively fill.
Thanks, Joseph, and thanks, Moe, for your clear and definitive explanation of the theme and the review in general. Loved the many Moe-kus.
Have a great day.
FIR Friday. Thanks for the fun, Joseph and CMoe (great Moe-kus today).
I needed the reveal to get the IN THE ZONE theme.
Hand up for looking for a pangram- so close, but for an X.
Several inkblots. Trusses changed to RAFTERS, Ave to MAP.
My archeologist found a Relic before a SHARD.
Hand up for wanting Stack before BATCH perped.
It took some parsing before RANTO made sense.
I smiled at SPARERIBS crossing BIB.
We had MUSIC, KEYS and SONGS.
The Toronto Rogers Centre, where our Blue Jays play, was previously called the SkyDOME. But it has a retractable roof, and thus is not technically a DOME.
Wishing you all a great day.
Count me among the minority, but I thought the theme detracted from an otherwise decent puzzle.
This particular type of gimmick is my least favorite, but different strokes for different folks, I suppose.
Finished in 10:36.
The LA Superdome is capped by a true dome. I watched it being built. The diameter is 680 feet. No columns, no support posts, or any obstructed views from any seat.
When I write song lyrics, especially for parodies, I pay strict attention to rhyme schemes. Some of them are very complicated. Other lyricists probably can appreciate that, but I doubt most listeners ever analyze them. Today’s puzzle was kind of like that. If you really analyze the combinations of clues and circles enough to appreciate this, you’re probably a constructor yourself. Or perhaps a lyricist.
Mys last fill was RAN TO, partly because the “cost” clue turned out to be a verb in past tense but also because it’s a phrase I would never use. By then I had realized the circles helped complete not “DOLL-AR” but DOLL-OP. That delighted me, partly because it’s a word I haven’t seen in a crossword before but also because “dollop” is the key word in a jingle I admire, the catchy Daisy sour cream ad.
Earlier, FLUxx had become not “flute” but FLUME, a CSO to my favorite New Hampshire scenic attraction.
Other obstacles were the technicality that makes COMCAST, and not NBC, the Peacock company; the “tee” clue for TAU; the SHARD clue; stack/BATCH; the “adjoining” factor in the SUITE clue; and the awkward SUERS. That one reminded me of the “Green Acres” episode in which the pig Arnold Ziffel was a potential defendant in a lawsuit, which, as Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram) noted, “would make Arnold the sue-ee.”
I thought RAFTERS would have been a better answer for the top of an indoor stadium. The one time I had that sort of nosebleed seat was in June 1978, when, while I was on a then-rare vacation, my boss realized I could cover Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and they squeezed into the least prominent auxiliary press “box,” at the top of Seattle Center Coliseum. The Washington Bullets secured their only NBA title that night.
I found this puzzle very puzzling, many misleads, and I could not grok the theme at all. Thank you so much Chairman Moe for explaining how clever this was.
I went looking for something (anything) to complain about, but I found nothing that wasn't part of a very solid puzzle. Even "safe" for suitable seems to be legal... I am beginning to understand why some Anons complain a puzzle was "too clever." I have nothing to complain about except my own shortcomings in figuring it out...
HG, those STEM toys look like fun! I intend to get the foam planes and robots and give them to my Grandchild, so I can come over and play with them...
In the yesterday dept.:
YooperPhil said: "Our condo in Florida sits off a street named “Aqui Esta Drive”, meaning “here it is”, a pretty sounding phrase with a rather banal meaning. I pronounced it wrong for a year before my Spanish speaking son told me it was “uh KEY ess TAH.". I love it! Here it is! Perfect! But it did remind me that I always wanted to see a sign for a French Restaurant that read: la cuillère grasse... not remembering, I googled it again, and was surprised to find that this new A.I. is also very helpful in finding all sorts of silliness...
Now to get back to MY comfort zone....
YP here ~ drop zone refers to where skydivers attempt to land or the target area for dropping supply from an aircraft.
I am a little north of you in Punta Gorda, flying out next Wednesday from RSW, which doesn’t seem be affected by flight cancellations, our connection at ORD may be affected though.
CEh! ~ YP here ~ I was on the observation deck of the CN tower several years ago, looking down I got to watch the dome retract to reveal a Blue Jays game in progress. From that high up I could barely see the players, like ants as they say.
Ray-O-Sunshine @ 9:43 - you are not the first person to suggest that I publish my haikus (and limericks). To some degree, though, I wonder how "funny/punny" these would seem to a random reader who was unaware that most of my Moe-kus are specific to words/clues found in an LAT Crossword Puzzle? Thank you for your endorsement! I do them for my audience here and occasionally copy onto my Facebook page ... hope you are able to fly back north without many delays/cancellations
Irish Miss sometimes says a constructor was "too clever by half," which is worse than being merely "too clever."
Hola! Not much to say about this puzzle that has not already been said in the comments. JAPAN remains on my list of places to visit, but I'm afraid it's too late. However, I did go to AQABA and into the river Jordan.
SPINACH is something I NEVER buy or cook. But SPARERIBS are a favorite!
The Phoenix ZOO installs one million lights during the Christmas season, and they are a brilliant sight. It is one of their most popular and best fund raisers. My STACK also changed to BATCH then JAMB emerged.
It's too bad SONGS and MUSIC were not somehow linked.
I hope you are all having a wonderful day!
I liked this puzzle very much. I also very much like spinach.
I liked it very much, too...spinach? Not so much.
Delightful Friday puzzle, Joseph--many thanks for that. And thank you for your commentary too, Moe--always appreciate it.
Well, AD HOC always suggests that a variety of possibilities are likely to come up, but we'll have to do our best to stay in the ZONE and stay SAFE. We'll need to PUSH AHEAD and when we feel as if we've been led to STRAY, we'll need to invite some friends to stop by to share a ROAST and some SPARE RIBS along with some SPINACH (what? no dessert?). And then we can listen to some MUSIC and sing some SONGS. Sounds like a pretty pleasant day to me!
Have a good day, everybody.
Didn't Montreal build a pioneering retractable roof stadium for the Olympics, maybe 50 years ago? IIRC, the Expos inherited it after Games. It seems to me that it was nicknamed "the Big Owe."
Positive I”m in the minority here, but I just do not enjoy the “puzzle within a puzzle” element of crosswords, circles or no circles. I enjoy filling the squares “FIR-ing,” but somehow “sussing a theme” just feels unnecessary and detracts from the process. Just my opinion. Thanks for letting me rant.
Finished this one right but some of the cluing seemed obtuse to render the puzzle as a “did not enjoy” as much as I wanted to like it. Hope I don’t sound like an old curmudgeon.
Even though I fingered out the trick to the combined words on the first fill, I’m still thinkin’ Mssr. Gangi went waaay out past left field — up into the cheap seats, even — on this theme hook. Props to his out-there thinking…but wow, whotta stretch!
Besides joining the throngs that had “staCk” in place of BATCH, I also hung myself out to dry with “PersevEre” until the perps made me hunt out PUSH AHEAD; nice misdirection there!
Moe, you’ve produced yet another masterpiece with your review today; between the Moe-Ku’s and the side shows (it may have been crappy sonically, but CSN still has it!) it was almost as much fun — if not more — than the main event today. OMG, Foster Brooks’ routines were too funny, as witnessed by his ROAST putting all those other famous comics into stitches! Thanks for the cheap entertainment, Chairman.
====> Darren / L.A.
Yes, this puzzle was easier than usual Fridays, but for some reason I found it very satisfying. I too felt IN THE ZONE.
My only hiccup was stack for BATCH which had to change to fit.
Thank you C-Moe for all the fun Moe-Kus.
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