NOT "16"
...and not "8" - she needs better math skills
Leslie Young, née (oooh, I got to use it for real~! ) Leslie Rogers, was part of this collaboration here at the LA Times, and has been published in a few other places as well. I really liked the theme today - a solid, non-reveal type that has multiple examples of the common 4x4, "four by four" term we use day to day. All the themers are unique, cosisting of always-hard-to-use, 12-letter fills ( or, 4x3 if you like ), in a standard grid, and none of the trite trappings - NO circles (yay), just a few names, a few abbrs, and nothing vague or "meh". The FOUR themers;
19. Where to find a sturdy 4x4: THE HOME DEPOT - my "second" home; A 4x4 in this instance actually starts as lumber four inches by four inches square, but once dried and planed, measures 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" - and a judge upheld this "nominal" terminology. I used a short one for the center leg of this table I made as a Christmas present for my brother.
My first try at epoxy, too
26. Where to find a caloric 4x4: IN N' OUT BURGER - there are no locations of this west-coast franchise beyond TX ( TN is next ) as of 2025 - a 4x4 is this mouth-watering construction
My trainer would tell me this is my entire daily caloric intake in one sa'mich
42. Where to find an adventurous 4x4: OFF-ROAD TRAIL - the "classic" definition of a 4x4, which is a 'truck' with all four wheels powered; nowadays, there's also "all-wheel drive" - A.I. says this is the original four-wheel drive - the Wiki
Great sales pitch imagery
51. Where to find an athletic 4x4: RUNNING TRACK - I had to look this one up, as I am not "athletic", per se; it's the 4 x 400 meter dash - more from this website
An' A w
! a
~ y
o G eW
ACROSS:
1. Gift wrapping need: TAPE - For all those "last minute" Christmas types, of which I was once a part, you now have less than 24hrs to minimum safe distance . . .
5. Sound in "The Addams Family" theme song: SNAP - Twice, preceded by; Du-Du-Du DUM
9. Dramatic haircut: CHOP
13. Jazz legend Fitzgerald: ELLA - name #1
14. Award presented at the World Science Fiction Convention: HUGO - name #2 - I am a voracious reader, and I switch between Crime/Detective/Mystery & Sci-Fi to change it up, so I knew what a "Hugo Award" was; can anyone recommend an author from any of these genres~? I am looking to read someone new...
15. Origami bird: CRANE
16. Fortnite's company:
EPIC GAMES - Learned by doing crosswords; more
here
18. Noodle dish: RAMEN
21. "You __ to be there": "HAD"- wouldn't be Wednesday without a Monday dupe . . . .
22. Tug-of-__: WAR
23. Endless expanse: OCEAN - wouldn't be Wednesday without a Monday dupe . . . .
30. Shadowboxes: SPARS
33. Disapproving chorus: BOOs
34. Brew that may be hazy: IPA - getting to be a cliché fill now
35. Lines that are often blue:
URLs - like
this
36. Out of it: LOOPY - I have been there....
38. Glitz: GLAM - Two weeks in a row with "GLAM" for me
39. Stock quote?: MOO - cattle = stock, cows 'say' moo - clever clue/answer
40. Took a tumble: FELL
41. In one's __: emotional: FEELS - never heard this phrase; the "F" was my last "eff-in" fill
46. Drummer twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: STARR - Ringo, and I learned today the second induction was as a solo artist in 2015; name #3
And previously as the drummer for The Beatles
47. Subj. for an aspiring polyglot: ESL - polyglot = knowing or using several (English as Second) Language(s)
48. Faux __: PAS - Foe Paaah, Frawnche, "false step"
55. Baggage __: CLAIM - I have not been in an airport for over 20yrs, and I don't travel much anymore - two weeks ago, I had some questions from Cornerites; unclefred asked about the pipe organ job - I left in February as I felt I was not being given the chance to grow into the company - and then they changed owners in June, as well ... see also 31D.
58. Eight-sided solids: OCTAHEDRA - Dungeons & Dragons fans know . . . .
59. Provokes: BAITS
60. Backup camera's view: REAR
61. Send out: EMIT
62. Quick and nimble: SPRY
63. Blend together: MELD
64. Dull: FADE - the verb instead of the adjective
DOWN:
1. Pearly whites: TEETH
2. Omega opposite: ALPHA - it's all Greek to me . . . .
3. Practiced, as a trade: PLIED - I am learning much as I ply(wood) my new trade as a handyman member of Home Advisor on the Angi app; just finished this bar for a client
Home Depot 1x oak boards and 3/4" oak plywood - a learned a few "bar" things, too
4. Per person: EACH
5. Spiritual healer: SHAMAN - good WAG on my part
6. Dos, por ejemplo: NUMERO - Español, 'two', but I didn't suss the 'No.' connection
7. Like black vinegar:
AGED - I have never heard of 'black'
vinegar
8. Billy Porter
series about 1980s ball culture:
POSE - name #4, totally unknown to me; "ball" refers to ballroom culture, the
Wiki on that; here's Billy Porter's
Wiki
9. Result of a blast from the past?: CRATER
That'll leave a mark....
10. Cordon bleu meat: HAM
11. End of a countdown: ONE - Give it a week, and "Yule" understand this clue/answer
12. Write: PEN - I am still gathering ideas for my own Sci-Fi book/screenplay
15. Early spring bloomer: CROCUS - I found out ASTER "comes up", er, short
17. Met Gala garb: GOWNS - Dah~! Got suckered by the lack of 'plural' in the clue
I'm down with the gown~!
20. NOLA sandwich: PO'BOY - I am reading James Lee Burke's Robicheaux series - the main character Dave is an alcoholic cop who goes to AA, set in Lousiana. ( CSO to Big Easy & Hahtoolah ), name(ish)
24. Quick and nimble: AGILE
25. Annapurna's country: NEPAL - filled via perps
In the center
26. W-2 org.: IRS - Death & Taxes, or, phonetically, the "hearse and the irse"
27. Horseshoe-shaped fastener: U-BOLT
28. Spinner: TOP
29. Merino males: RAMS - Motorized Machines, too
I worked with a guy who liked to point out "Ram in front, Dodge behind"
30. Japan's national sport: SUMO - does make sense
31. Tenured employees, for short: PROFs - ...and Prof M asked two weeks ago why the "~"~? It started waaay back in texts - I like to see an "!" stand out from a "1", "or an "l", and it just went from there
32. Floating in the air: ALOFT
36. Get the hang of: LEARN
37. Word before some language names: OLD - Old Enlgish, Old Norse, e.g.
38. Insole option: GEL
40. Subreddits, e.g.: FORUMS - should this be forA~? Or am I being too forMAL~?
41. Sordid matter: FILTH - "I read this disgusting filth. Twice."
43. Triple play, for one:
RARITY - Did C.C. know this
fact~?
44. Vacation cottage, often: RENTAL - Ah. Not A-FRAME - but 50% correct letter-wise
45. Realm in Norse cosmology: ASGARD - that's the "A" word I could not recall; name #5
48. "Love, Loss, and What We Ate"
memoirist Lakshmi:
PADMA - no clue, filled via perps, and I WAGed the last "A", since I misunderstood what "DULL" referred to at 64A. Name #6
49. Pungent: ACRID - but I nailed this one
50. Walk on water, essentially: SKATE - har-har....
52. Convention:
NORM - here's a simply complicated
explanation
53. Slushy drink: ICEE
54. "Finding Nemo" setting: REEF - A-ha; OCEAN was in the grid already, and SEA was too short
55. Network with an eye on television:
CBS56. F1 unit: LAP - Formula One racing
57. Yoga ball filler: AIR - I think the girl in this GIF gets some air . . . .
Wednesday Splynter, Signing Off . . . . see you next year~!
Grid Flow was a low 26.0
Merry Christmas, Festivus, and Happy New Year~!
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20 comments:
“Get” 4x4….repeat 4 times.
Interesting puzzle, and
not too difficult. I solved it in good time.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Almost got retired in Florida. Finally corrected RUNNING A RACE and things came together. [Whew] Back in my ute there was the "drive" -- Four Wheel Drive and later just FWD -- company in the next town. It was a major employer in our area. Our town's fire truck was one of their products. PADMA was a WAG. The only Lakshmi I know is Lakshmi Singh, the midday news anchor at NPR. Thanx Leslie and Splynter. (How did you finish that bar top to make it "weather-proof?")
Tonight it'll be a quandary as to which DVD to watch: It's A Wonderful Life, The Sound Of Music, The Wizard Of Oz, or Die Hard. I know what my vote'll be.
DNF, doomed in Florida. I had OCTAHEDRi and ACerb, which caused me to erase EMIT, pretty much sealing my fate.
DNK IN N OUT 4x4. Don't think it was on the menu in my SoCal days.
Never heard "in one's FEELS." Please don't let it catch on.
A sexist would say "I love it when girls try to talk boxing" - I'm glad I'm not one. When one shadowboxes, it is a solo practice. When one SPARS, one must have a partner. Good clues abound for SPARS, no need to drag out a clunker.
You HAD to be THERE is a great compilation of concert music by the late Jimmy Buffett. He would have turned 79 tomorrow. A Christmas baby.
Thanks to Leslie for the mostly-fun puzzle, and to Splynter for another fine review. I heard outgoing Cardinal Dolan say that the organ at St. Patrick's needs a $20 million makeover. Maybe time to get back into that business for one last project.
Jinx, even though I think you’re a different political “bent” than I am,
I must say that I always love your commentary! Always so thorough, witty and personally engaging!
Kudos!
- SubG
If you're looking for something SciFi to read, try "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir (Author of "The Martian"). Movie adaptation coming in March.
FIR. For me this puzzle was easy at the start and I had no trouble filling in the top, but as I went down the difficulty increased. The SE was the last to fall as I didn't know Padma. When skate appeared I was able to get the win.
So overall a so-so puzzle.
I thought this was a little more difficult than an average Wednesday. Needed perps to fill about half the themers before I could figure them out, and had to work around the unknowns EPIC GAMES, ASGARD, and the never heard of OCTAHEDRA. Somehow PADMA came to mind from previous rare appearances in CWs. I liked the clue for CRATER. NUMERO would have come quicker if the reference was ‘uno’ and not ‘dos’. DW and I spend a lot of time on OFF ROAD TRAILs in our 4X4 Can-am side-by-side. Thanks Leslie for the nicely done puzzle and to Splynter for your detailed write-up. And also for putting this in my head “they’re creepy and they’re kooky……da da da dum 🫰🫰
Merry Christmas Eve to all who celebrate! 🎄
FIW, got stuck on "running a race" in SE. Grrr.
GoodvMorning:
There was some crunch this morning, e.g., Epic Games, Asgard, Octahedra, but fair perps solved those challenges. Padma was a given considering my interest in the cooking shows. She was once married to the author, Salmon Rushdie. Talk about opposites attracting. I always enjoy this type of theme because there is a certain amount of creativity necessary to define the same word four different ways, all correctly but all diversely.
Thanks, Leslie, and thanks, Splynter, for the entertaining and informative review. Thanks for sharing your woodworking talents and craftsmanship.
Hope Santa treats everyone well!🎅
Re: mystery/crime authors etc. if you haven’t read anything by Michael Connolly, highly recommend. And there’s a wonderful author - an ex-pat living in Venice Italy- Donna Leon - who has written nearly 30 novels featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti that take place there. Also Jane Harper, Australian author.
Unknowns in the NE and SE made it a little crunchier than the usual Wed. puzzle. I really didn't know the Cordon bleu meat or the hair cut and RAM and CROP filled it until the Merino males, aka RAMS filled 29D.
Just about any blooming plant blooms in the spring, so CROCUS took a few perps. My camellias and azaleas bloom in December.
In the SE, I still don't see the connection between "Dull" and FADE; never heard of dull used as a verb. Not knowing much Latin, I was torn between OCTAHEDR-"A" or "i" before SKATE took over. PADMA took perps.
The 4X4 on a RUNNING TRACK is basically the MILE RELAY, where each runner runs a 400 meter (quarter-mile) LAP. At least horse racing hasn't gone metric. It's the only place you'll ever hear the word FURLONG.
I've been to an IN N OUT BURGER once and was told to order the "Double-Double" by a friend.
AGED and POSE only came by perps and guesses. Black vinegar and Billy Porter were unknowns.
"In one's FEELS"- never heard of that either.
I really don't get the Formula-1 racing. It's almost like fixed wrestling matches. They race on city streets where it is almost impossible to pass unless there is a wreck or a car ahead has engine trouble. The pole position car usually wins. But I don't watch INDY or NASCAR either, only the idiot street racers who pass me on the expressways.
Yoga Ball filler-AIR. What a dumb clue. What else would it be filled with, marbles?
If an organ needs a $20 million makeover, it's time to go electric. Pipe organs are like expensive mechanical adding machines or Rolex or Piaget watches. Huge prices for toys that require constant maintenance to keep running.
Timex's "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" is not a accurate as a $5.00 dollar-store watch. Neither is a Rolex.
FIW, with a bit of a workout. Lots of help.from the perps, but an enjoyable outing.
Splynter, for some great sci-fi, check out David Weber.
Took 5:53 today to go four for four in the last four days.
Octahedra crossing Padma was clunky, and the "pose" clue was weird.
Otherwise, a fine, clever puzzle.
"Off road trail" is nearly an oxymoron.
Musings
-I flew across the upper tier and then had a fun struggle in the SE to earn a “got ‘er done”
-I suspect very few 4x4’s driven today actually see the challenging terrain shown in commercials.
-HUGO: I had to look up Mr. Gernsback
-Athletes and officials who get BAITED into responding to BOOING are said to have “rabbit ears”.
-Rear view cameras the best thing to happen to my driving experience in decades!
-Aha, 29, 30, 31, ONE! HNY!
-The documentary of climbing Everest on 60-min last Sunday was riveting! Climbing Annapurna, 120 miles to the west, is even more dangerous.
-I enjoyed your write-up, Splynter, and was very impressed with your woodworking. 8’ 4x4’s are $13 these days, what were they 20 years ago?
-Me too on SPAR, Jinx!
I sailed right along until I ran aground on a REEF off the coast of Florida, like several others here. Overall, it played like mid-week so nice job, Leslie.
My only nit: I'm not a fan of brand names in puzzles, but they usually serve their purpose like any other proper name. But...to have two full length themers seems like a commercial.
Splynter, your explanations were very helpful, as always. And great workmanship on that bar!
Omega opposite: TIMEX
This was kind of a dance, one step forward, two steps back to fill in the white spaces... SE was last, feel x filth x octahedra x padma required all four wheels to get out of that quagmire. (In one's feels? Nope, just don't feel it...)
Baggage claim, curious... it was just yesterday that I actually learned something new (for me) from a comic strip. Check out yesterdays Pearls b/4 Swine. I tried this, and it actually works! Much faster than going to the airline status website!
Black vinegar is not Balsamic?
Nemo location, let's see, Australia? No won't fit. Dentists Office? Dang it! I can't find him anywhere...
Funny 4x4 reminds me of The Gods Must Be Crazy. Here is a 10 minute compilation of jeep mishaps. I think it's a 4x4? I learned a lot from this movie. Rhinos stomp out fires, how to stop a jeep with no brakes, tight piston rings need to be worn in, and just now, that the jeep wound up in the tree because she has flowers on her panties!...
I thought this puzzle was more difficult than the average Wednesday offering, but still very fair in its own right.
My adolescent obsession with Norse mythology, as well as my collection of “Thor” comic books, made Asgard a no-brainer for me.
I agree with Jinx, shadowboxing is not the same as sparring any more than kata is the same as kumite.
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