Smile and Say Cheese!
17-Across. * Belt taken with lime and salt: TEQUILA SHOT.
24-Across. * Challenge for an antsy toddler: SITTING STILL.
39-Across. * Problematic backward pass in football: BAD SNAP.
51-Across. * Spotted pattern on faux fur, say: LEOPARD PRINT.
And the unifier:
62-Across. Close call in a race, or what the answer to each starred clue has: PHOTO FINISH. The word that "Finishes" the two-word phrase in each of the theme answers is related to a photograph.
Across:
1. Blue Ribbon lager: PABST.
6. Source of some memes: IMGUR. No a clue! Apparently, Imgur is an online image-hosting and sharing community founded by Alan Schaaf (b. Oct. 21, 1987) in 2009. It allows users to upload and share photos, GIFs, and images.
11. Sandwich known by its initials: BLT.
14. Shady picnic spot: ARBOR.
15. Stop: CEASE.
16. Use oars: ROW.
19. Here, en français: ICI. Today's French lesson.
20. Slotted fastener: HASP.
21. Useful connections: INs.
22. To be, en español: ESTAR. Today's Spanish lesson. I believe there are two forms of the verb "to be" in Spanish ~ Ser and Estar. The former describes formal characteristics and the latter is used for temporary conditions and emotions. I'll let Lucina expound on these subtleties of these two verbs.
28. Mapped biological sequence: GENOME. A Genome is the complete set of genetic material in an organism.
31. Specks: IOTAS.
32. Revise, as text: AMEND.
33. Numerous: MANY.
35. Poet's "by way of": THRO.
38. Jaguar competitor: BMW. // And 67-Across. Jaguar competitor: LEXUS.
42. As __ usual: PER.
43. Simple: EASY.
45. Fix, at the vet: SPAY.
46. Piano exercise: ÉTUDE. More of today's French lesson.
48. One measurement of a rectangle: WIDTH. // And 2. Length x 48-Across, for a rectangle: AREA.
50. Owie: BOO-BOO.
55. Marketing dept. employee: AD REP.
56. [facepalm]: OOF!
57. Beers like Smooth Hoperator, briefly: IPAs. A brief history of India Pale Ale.
61. Satirist's gift: WIT.
66. Unspecified degree: NTH.
68. Inspirational word or phrase: MOTTO.
69. Reluctant to socialize: SHY.
70. Simply be: EXIST.
71. Actor/activist Davis: OSSIE. Ossie Davis (né Raiford Chatman Davis, b. Dec. 18, 1917 ~ Feb. 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. In 1948, he married fellow actress Ruby Dee (née Ruby Ann Wallace, Oct. 27, 1922 ~ June 11, 2014).
Down:
1. Off the beaten __: PATH.
3. Patio cookouts, casually: BBQs.
4. "Grub's up!": SOUPS ON!
5. Prefix with -athlon: TRI-.
6. Terse turndown: I CAN'T.
7. Soccer star Lionel: MESSI.
8. "Oh, come on!": GAH!
10. Give an exam again: RE-TEST.
11. Spot to order bangers and mash: BRITISH PUB. You can bet a pint of 57-Across to go with your bangers and mash.
12. Train that makes lots of stops: LOCAL.
13. Spin, as a baton: TWIRL.
18. With fewer calories, on a label: LITE.
23. "Pronto!": STAT.
25. Film buff's online resource: IMDB. As in the Internet Movie DataBase.
26. Doofus: NINNY.
27. Spanish painter Francisco: GOYA. This artist usually goes by just Goya, although is full name is Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Mar. 30, 1746 ~ April. 16, 1828).
28. "Welcome Back, Kotter" actor Kaplan: GABE.
29. Stone of "Poor Things": EMMA.
30. Interesting enough for the front page, say: NEWSWORTHY.
33. Hybrid grad program for physician-scientists: MD-PhD. As in a Medical Doctor and a Doctor of Philosophy.
34. Loose __ goose: AS A.
36. Start over: REDO.
37. Dunk Club cookie: OREO.
40. Subj. for Neil deGrasse Tyson: ASTR.
41. Low-level worker: PEON.
44. "Eek!": YIPE.
47. Big name in pizza snacks: TOTINOS.
49. Make a pattern using light and shade: DAPPLE.
 |
| A Dapple Dog. |
50. Punch, slangily: BIFF.
51. Mower targets: LAWNS.
52. "The Buccaneers" writer Wharton: EDITH.
53. Exec. branch head: POTUS. As in the President of the United States.
54. Hen's perch: ROOST.
58. Cherry centers: PITS.
59. Sparkling Italian wine: ASTI.
60. Croc, e.g.: SHOE.
63. Malicious spell: HEX.
64. __Clean: stain remover: OXI.
65. Texter's "I'd say": IMO. Textspeak for In My Opinion.
Here's the Grid:
חתולה
I know this was an abbreviated commentary, however, due to a family emergency, we were called out of town on short notice.
35 comments:
For the first time I can
remember, I DNF a Tuesday puzzle. I don’t know what “IMGUR” is and just could not get the “G” and the perp was no help at all. So I’m not happy about that, but I am happy to be here with the rest of you folks and see if you did better than I did! Subgenius out!
Good morning!
I don't normally call foul on a cw, but "Foul!" IMGUR/GAH is definitely foul, a natick of a natick. (Natick squared?) How did that get past the editor? I don't recall ever seeing TOTINOS; on the other hand, I don't spend a lot of time in the frozen food section. Thanx for the distraction, Robert. (Was this a debut?) And thanx for the expo, Hahtoolah. Hope your emergency turned out to be minor.
BMW: I've complained for years that the dash gauges and video displays are too dim for the human eye, which is what I'm equipped with. The dealer acknowledged the problem, but said there was no fix for it. I found a solution online -- purchased a dongle for the car's computer port, and downloaded software to reprogram it. Problem solved. Plus, I found another tweak that provides a digital speedometer in the instrument cluster. I like that, too. Wasn't cheap, but I'm glad I took the plunge.
FIW, missing my SWAG @ IMnUR x nAH. I narrowed it down to b, G, h, or n, and guessed wrong. Also ad man->AD REP, doh->OOF, and yike->YIPE. Seems like I always see both yike and YIPE appended with an "s."
Don't think I've encountered THRO, but then again, I'm not much of a poetry reader. Mostly I read those love poems that begin "there once was a girl from Nantucket."
My 80-year old sister still TWIRLs her fire batons occasionally.
If the beer says LITE, it's a Miller.
I love OXI Clean. Great for sweat stains that defy other cleaning agents.
Don't think I've ever seen BIFF for punch. But since we have SPAY and BIFF, why not link a favorite Far Side cartoon?
Thanks to Robert for the fun Tuesday puzzle, except for that unfortunate and troublesome cross. And thanks to Ha2la for the fun review, even in the face of your family emergency. Hope all turns out well.
Glad I’m not the only one with the IMGUR, GAH problem….YIPE! That was really annoying!
Ditto!
A DNF today. A couple of blanks. IMGUR & GAH intersection. I know what a BOOBOO is but what is BIFF? Oh, I Know. He was the worthless son of Willy Loman.
After TEQUILA SHOT chased by a PABST, aka PBR, in the NW, I was thinking a booze puzzle, especially after the BRITISH PUB and the LITE fill. ESTAR was the only other unknown today. But it's "Five O'clock somewhere"
IMDB is how I found The Corner years ago, trying to find an answer to a Xword fill for some obscure actor or movie.
I’m formerly known as MAGILLA Go-Rilla. Somehow I got logged out long ago and cannot find a way to sign in as such. Help is appreciated.
I too am befuddled by the Imgur/gah responses. When did this app come about?
BTW: I selected google account as my profile and that allowed me to publish my comment.
Took 7:17 today for me to photobomb at that hideous intersection of "imgur" and "gah".
Let's be clear, either one of those would be an eye sore if they were isolated. Having them intersect each other is crossword malpractice.
I went with "b", instead of "g." "Bah" I've heard before, e.g., "bah humbug."
Fitting that on this election day, which is only the fourth day of the month, we have a very strong candidate for Worst Clue of the Month.
FIW. Imgur? Really? And crossing gah which makes it doubly cruel. I took a WAG and was wrong.
The theme I understood from the reveal, but "IMO" it was lame.
So overall not an enjoyable puzzle.
Good Morning:
The Imgur (what an ugly name) Gah crossing was the most egregious problem in this puzzle, but it was far from the only one. Estar, Biff, and Yipe, aren’t exactly every day words, even if they’re legitimate. But, as some solvers have mentioned, the aforementioned crossing was impossible to even guess and this should not be the case, particularly on a Tuesday. Overall, there was a lot of squeeze but no juice, IMO.
Thanks, Hahtoolah, for the usual fun and facts. Hope your emergency wasn’t serious.
Have a good day.
WEES about AMGUR crossing GAH, about BIFF and YIPE. It’s too bad these missteps overshadowed a decent CW puzzle.
I was perplexed by THRO’ but I just found it in one of the famous lines of Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Charge of the Light Brigade”.
Thank you Hahtoolah for that review. Hope all is well. I loved the genome/gnome funny.
Overall I guess I'd give today's puzzle--despite the inexplicable IMGUR/GAH muddle--a passing grade. The reveal and theme were adequate and not difficult to parse.
I'd like to second a couple cartoons from today's blog. First, in Hahtoolah's comments for 19 Across, he includes a cartoon that is entirely in French. Just in case some folks have trouble translating this, the swimmer is asking his friend the shark, "Whatcha' doin' ?" The shark, who is taking a photo of the swimmer, responds, "I'm posting a picture of my meal in Instagram."
The other cartoon is cited by Jinx @6:19. Follow his link to one of Gary Larson's best "Far Side" cartoons, featuring a sweet but hapless pooch who confuses "tutored" with "neutered."
Thanks, Robert, for a pleasant Tuesday diversion. And thanks, Hahtoolah, for the helpful and fun recap, even though you were rushed. Hope all is well.
That was Monkey above. Google monkeying with me again.
Trying Tuesday. Thanks for the workout Robert and Hahtoolah (hope the family emergency resolves for the best).
Absolutely a FIR today, with that Natick cross of IMGUR and GAH. WEES.
But I did get the PHOTO FNISH theme.
I toyed with Perch but ROOST won out.
I had eMEND and entered GenE, but BMW corrected to AMEND and GABE.
YIkE held up LEOPARD for a while.
I have never heard of TOTINOS and was trying to enter TOsTItOS. AI says the confusion is common.
I like the word DAPPLE. I associate it with a DABBLE grey horse.
We had ESTAR and EXIST.
Wishing you all a great day.
I actually am familiar with the website imgur, but I haven't seen it, much less frequented it in probably well over a decade. Only slightly more current saying you find phone numbers in the yellow pages -- like sure, there was a time, but I'm not sure that's contemporary enough to warrant such a vague clue.
That aside, I didn't really care for this puzzle haha. Idea for the theme was fun but the execution was pretty weak, for me. Combined with a lot of awkward fill (ASTR and ASTI in the same puzzle? THRO?) and I just found myself saying GAH at pretty much the whole thing haha.
Haha! That should be DAPPLE grey horse.
I am needing too much AMENDing today. It was a FIW. And PHOTO FINISH. YIPE, More proof-reading needed.
-Nothing to add about this puzzle that I found to be unsatisfying for reasons listed above.
I knew as soon as I WAGed that pesky G for a FIR in 11:35, that the IMGUR/GAH cross would not be well received, kind of a mar on the whole picture. The only time I’ve ever seen (and never heard) the expression GAH, was in exasperation by the old comic strip character “Cathy”. Needed perps for MDPHD, and ESTAR. BIFF was a character’s name in “Back to the Future”, fitting for a bully. PABST was in a huge slump, then suddenly became a retro beer among some demographic, now basically known as PBR. I’ve had TOTINOS pizza rolls, not bad for a quick microwave snack. Nabisco sure gets a lot of free advertising as OREO appears in half of crosswords. Thanks Robert for the puzzle and to Hahtoolah for the recap, hope everything is OK with your family 😊.
Remember the verse from Simon and Garfunkel's The Fifty Ninth Street Bridge Song?
"I've got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm DAPPLEd and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy
I also took a WAG at Bah… FIW
… caused me to go gah gah gah all the way home!
Awful that the lazy editor let that one pass.
I can only respond by repeating today's clue/answer BACKWARDS: Gah = "oh c"mon..."
Imgur is an unfortunate result of today's too many products, too few words culture (imho). Just be glad new medicine names have not yet made it to crosswords... (wait! Did you hear that newer crosswords will come with singing and dancing ads!...)
I intend to do some research into the how to's of staying blue, and re-signing in. However I find myself resigned to my own technical difficulties, as this stupid iPad suddenly refuses to open anything with a "more info" button, or a down caret. I don't know why, but I aims to find out...
In the silly theme link dept:
Imagine if you will, a photo finish at a race with a more humane goal in mind..
Seems like what they charge for a BMW they could get those things right in the first place, or if not, fix it upon request. If you found a way to fix it, they could have too.
In the yesterdays blog dept:
I went looking for more info on Salvador Dali creating the Chupa Chups artwork, and it's true! (Thank you Ray-O) but it got me thinking (I know) about how he got that crazy mustache to stay up like that. It was Halloween and Linus that gave me the answer...
Also, someone mentioned some one dressed as a crossword for Halloween, with words taped to their clothes. I could not find an image, but I did find this remarkable outfit...
WEES re IMGUR/GAH. I guessed wrong with a "N"; NAH fits as well as a half dozen other guesses. But you know what? I'm gonna award myself a FIR in 10 minutes in spite of having one letter wrong...just because. Other nits with this CW: THRO? Not THRU? ASTR? Yes, I know it stands for "astronomy" but I've never seen that abbreviation. I also hate putting two foreign words right beside each other (ICI, ASTAR). DNK either. All perps. 12 names, DNK 4. I managed to fill every cell correctly EXCEPT that IMGUR/GAH cross. RSG, I liked parts of your CW, but overall, not a big fan. Great write-up, Hahtoolah, including your as always terrific selection of cartoons. I especially like the Mr. Potato head mashed potato one. What a hoot! Your write-up was the best part of today. Thanx!! I hope your family emergency turned out well.
Gah!!!
BAH humbug. Tripped up by this bit of Editor malfeasance. I also thought the theme was pretty weak, looking for answers with "matte" "glossy" or "sepia". Definitely not worth the squeeze today.
Our erstwhile editor becomes increasing tolerant or just plain interfers with the creator…..as usual too often. Gah, is not a word, plain and simple. To allow that, particularly on a Tuesday is ridiculous. It was my impression that cw entries were supposed to be in Websters or the OED to be legitimized. I guess there are new rules, at least for this puzzle. I am not amused by gah crossing with Imgur. Not cute. Let’s get back to lingo at least most of us can recognize.
There are others much more skilled to help, but because I am curious how things (don't) work, I wonder about this too. Since I forgot everything daily, I stumbled around the internet, and discovered that if you type in
Myaccount.google.com
It should respond with "your" google account.
From there, you can fall down the rabbit hole, but first, check and see if your home and personal info is correct, and how you want it. Next time you select google account to post, it should come back with the avatar and name you chose to be blue...
See my reply to Lou Ciro @ 7:42
IMGUR crossing GAH may not have been fair. But IMGUR has been around since 2009 and it is widely used and it is valuable. Notably for people who write blogs like this one.
The name is basically "Image + Your (UR)" kind of like YouTube but for images.
Imgur/gah? GAH! And Messi two days in a row?
Thanks to Robert and congratulations on your LAT debut (I think?). I liked your PHOTO FINISH idea. WEES about that troublesome crossing. I thought bAH fit the clue.
jamie@9:48. Thanks for enlightening us about IMGUR.
Thanks, also, to Hahtoolah! I did not feel like it was an abbreviated commentary but then I read your note. I hope all went well with the family emergency.
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