Life is Short. Eat Dessert First. The circles spell out order of courses in a meal, but spelled backwards, or in Reverse. Technically, to be in reverse order, we would also start with Dessert and end with the Appetizers.
20-Across. Trousers with tool-carrying pockets and loops: CARPENTER PANTS. STARTER, or as I would say, Appetizer.
30-Across. "So glad I don't have to deal with that": BETTER YOU THAN ME. ENTRÉE.
38-Across. Goal of meditation, perhaps: STRESS REDUCTION. DESSERT.
And the unifier:
51-Across. Backpedaled, or what's found in 20-, 30-, and 38-Across: REVERSED COURSE.
What other tasty morsels are in today's puzzle?
Across:
1. Facing attack from all sides: BESET.
6. Getup: GARB.
10. Target's target, for one: LOGO.
14. "Well done!": BRAVO.
15. Double-reed woodwind: OBOE. Oboes appear often in the crossword puzzles.
16. Each, informally: A POP.
17. Uses as evidence in a research paper: CITES.
18. Run a rag over: WIPE.
19. Tuckered out: BEAT.
23. Elite squads: A-TEAMS.
24. Bubble source, maybe: GUM.
25. __ Lanka: SRI. The formal name of Sri Lanka is the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. From 1948 to May 1972, the country was known as Ceylon. The country is the tear-shaped island in the Indian Ocean, separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.
26. Give up, in an idiom: CUT BAIT.
35. Broke bread: ATE.
36. Amazement: AWE.
37. "By __ way ... ": THE. I textspeak, this would be BTW.
45. Lifestyle brand with origins in surf culture: HANG TEN.
46. "Yeah, right!": HAH!
47. Liquor in a bee's knees cocktail: GIN. The phrase "Bee's Knees" was slang in the 1920s, which means something was The Best! The cocktail came about during the Prohibition-era cocktail. It's a drink made with gin, lemon juice and honey.
48. Fitting measurement: INSEAM.
56. Desertlike: ARID.
57. Layered cookie: OREO.
58. Whirlpool subsidiary: AMANA. Amana is the "budget-friendly" line of Whirlpool appliances.
60. __ de gallo: salsa choice: PICO. Yummers! Pico de Gallo is a chunky salsa made with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime juice.
61. "Hot To Go!" singer Chappell: ROAN. Chappell Roan's given name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (b. Feb. 19, 1998). I am not familiar with her music.
62. Resonates, as a successful joke: LANDS.
63. Witnessed: SEEN.
64. IDs that never begin with 666: SSNs. As in Social Security Numbers.
65. Punctuation in a web address: SLASH.
Down:
1. "EastEnders" airer: BBC. EastEnders is a British soap opera that has been running on British television since 1985.
2. Oldest child on "The Goldbergs": ERICA. The Goldbergs was a sitcom that ran for 10 years, from 2013 to 2023.
3. Occupied, as a diner booth: SAT AT.
 |
| Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper |
4. "Into Thin Air" mountain peak: EVEREST. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer is the 1997 non-fiction book about fateful expedition climbing Mt. Everest in 1996. During the climb, a storm arise, killing 8 hikers and stranding several more. I highly recommend this book.
5. More than is needed: TO SPARE.
6. Bridal shop selections: GOWNS.
7. "You haven't changed __!": A BIT.
8. Tire swing line: ROPE.
9. Potbelly: BEER GUT.
10. Ritchie Valens hit: LA BAMBA. Ritchie Valens (né Richard Steven Valenzuela; May 13, 1941 ~ Feb. 3, 1949) was only 17 years old when he was killed in a plane crash. Although he had several hits, he is best known for La Bamba.
11. Doing business: OPEN.
12. Farm animal in some yoga classes: GOAT. This is not a form I yoga that I want to try. Where did this idea even come from?
13. Makes a choice: OPTS.
21. Dubai dignitary: EMIR.
22. "How Long" singer Charlie: PUTH. I had never heard of Charlie Puth (né Charles Otto Puth, Jr.; b. dec. 2, 1991) before his appearance in this puzzle. Strangely, however, while I was driving this week, his name popped up on my radio screen and one of his songs was playing. Apparently, he got is name out there from posting his songs on YouTube.
26. Prompted on stage: CUED.
27. Against: ANTI.
28. "If u ask me ... ": IMHO. Textspeak for In My Humble Opinion.
29. Many a promgoer: TEEN.
30. Big blast: BASH.
31. "At Last" singer James: ETTA. It's nice to see our old friend Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; Jan. 25, 1938 ~ Jan. 20, 2012) visits us again.
32. Arctic seabird: TERN. Tern or Ern? What's the difference?
 |
| Tern |
 |
| Ern |
33. Crochet need: YARN.
34. Be behind, in a way: OWE.
39. Spurred to action: EGGED ON.
40. Tend to risotto: STIR. It takes a lot of stirring, but the end result is tasty.
41. Motion detectors for automatic doors: SENSORS.
42. "Yeah, try again": UH, NO!
43. Informal clothing: CASUALS.
44. Rising current of warm air: THERMAL.
48. Significant figures: ICONS.
49. Yoga pose: ASANA. Yoga can be done without goats.
50. Fixes: MENDS.
51. Hard knocks?: RAPS.
52. Source of Buffalo's lake-effect snow: ERIE. Buffalo, New York is one of the snowiest cities in the United States.
 |
| Snow in Buffalo, New York |
53. Moral shortcoming: VICE.
54. Cupid's counterpart: EROS. Eros is the Greek god of love and Cupid is the Roman god of love.
55. Academic administrator with a list: DEAN.
59. Barbecue residue: ASH.
That's this week's meal.
חתולה
When “the circles”
ReplyDeletedidn’t make sense reading the usual way, I tried reading them backwards and got my “Aha!” moment.
So I was all primed for the reveal, and almost knew what it had to be even before filling it in!
So this puzzle was pretty easy for me, and
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteMy CARPENTER began life as CARGO -- wrong pants. PICO is mandatory with Tex-Mex fajitas; here in the southland the ingredient list must include cilantro. Ritchie Valens died shortly after releasing LA BAMBA in the plane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. D-o tried to make sense of the circled letters, but really needed the reveal to bring it home. Thanx, Dylan and Hahtoolah. (That Off The Mark cartoon was priceless.)
Don McLean referred to the plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly as the Day the Music Died.
DeleteQOD: By the time you’re 80 years old, you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it. ~ George Burns (né Nathan Birnbaum; Jan. 20, 1896 ~ Mar. 9, 1996), American comedian and actor
FIR, but not->HEH, in use->SAT AT, and veils->GOWNS.
ReplyDeleteI second the BRAVO for Into Thin Air. The author was basically left for dead on EVEREST, a bit prematurely as it turned out.
Big week for me. I'm finally getting my new patient visit with a cardiologist this morning, then my permanent crown this afternoon, then getting my Mohs stitches removed Thursday.
Thanks to Dylan for the Tuesday fun. And thanks to Ha2la for another fine tour. My favorites were OREO 51 and Frank and Ernest.
FLN - Congrats on your windfall from your FIL's collection. I had a few valuable items, but all told less than $1,000.
Frank and Ernest reminds me of this clip from Long Kiss Goodnight
DeleteYour schedule is like mine. Dentist, dermatologist, gastroenterologist (which I dread), and ophthalmologist in one week. Cardiologist was last month.
DeleteBut Miami lost last night, and that makes it a little better. They should have been called for pass interference on every play. The referees were blind.
FIR. As usual I ignored the circles. The puzzle essentially was very easy. When I got to the reveal I went back to see what those pesky circles were all about. I admit it was clever, albeit totally unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteOverall an enjoyable puzzle.
A fairly easy puzzle and clever theme.
ReplyDelete46A “yeah, right” … crossing ….42D “yeah, try again” is pure dreck and a nose wrinkler.
Chappell Roan had a catchy hit song last Spring called “Pink Pony Club”. I have it on my playlist.
I waited until the end to write out the circled letters as they didn't help the solve. But Dylan's reveal proved to be clever. And I liked that the meal was in order, at least until Hahtoolah mentioned they probably should be reversed as well.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Syracuse, NY in my youth, and we got our intense lake-effect snow from Lake Ontario. I remember sitting by the radio hoping for the announcement of another snow day. And the incredible Blizzard of '66!
Hahtoolah nailed the review, as usual. Thanks for the ern/tern pics. I've seen them forever in xwords but never bothered to look them up!
In Niagara, it is the Blizzard of 77 that is remembered!!!
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was a cute theme, executed well, with a surprise reveal. For a moment, I was expecting a directional course, not a culinary one, which added to the surprise. The circles were definitely necessary, IMO, with such long theme answers to parse. Erica and Puth were perp dependent but the rest of the fill was Tuesday straightforward. I went astray at Boom/Bash, PBS/BBC, and Rise/Garb, missing the one-word clue hint.
Thanks, Dylan, for an enjoyable solve and thanks, Hahtoolah, for a fun and factual review. Favorite comics were the Fruit Cakes, the Rotten Eggs, Changing of the Garb, the Bridal Shop, and, the winner, the closing comic of the Thanksgiving canines!
DO, did you miss my comment about Will Trent?
Have a great day.
Yes, I did miss it. I was AWOL after posting yesterday morning. I'm still watching Will Trent. Betty's had a few cameos this season. I haven't noticed any excess violence in the story arc.
DeleteMaybe it’s my super sensitivity to violence but it seemed to me that there was more than usual, and more graphic, than in past shows, at least in the first few episodes. I also found Will to be much more angry and harsh which, I suppose, is in keeping with the story development, but I miss his strong, yet vulnerable, resilience and empathy. Betty deserves more screen time, IMO, especially in times of crisis for Will.
DeleteOops, felines not canines!
ReplyDeleteREVERSED COURSEs would have been obvious if you looked at the circles, which I didn't until the puzzle was completed with three proper name unknowns-PUTH, ERICA, and ROAN and guesses for BBC and EVEREST.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, having themed puzzles where the theme fills are spelled backwards is really fishing for something new, and not necessarily better. I agree with KS.
I started with CARGO before TO SPARE changed it to CARPENTER.
ROAN's picture wouldn't entice me A BIT.
DEAN's list and A-TEAM- the way they pass out A's and everybody gets a trophy, a shorter list would be the students who didn't make the dean's list. Either make the tests harder or change the grading scale.
For once I bothered to write down the circled letters, so by ENTREE, I kind of guessed what was going on. A very neat theme.
ReplyDeleteI should have REVERSED COURSE, since in the SE I entered (blank) dASH, and fumbled the U-NO crossing -A-. Bummer.
I too began with cargo before settling with CARPENTER. ROAN and PUTH were unknowns. What a coincidence Hahtoolah, and thank you for a stellar review. I loved the rotten eggs joke.
13 names, 3 DNKs, including the never-heard-of Puth. Wait, WHO?
ReplyDeleteBut overall a fun and easy-breezy Tuesday appropriate CW. 10A first thought was SALE, but looked at perps first, so no W/O. 33D thought HOOK, HOOP, finally YARN. Again, perps avoided a W/O.
I did see the theme with the very first clue, which helped to FIR in 12. Would have been a bit faster but a couple texts interrupted.
Thanx DS for the fun, and thanx Hahtoolah for the as always terrific write-up and great cartoons.
BE @ 9:29, I agree, and Canes defenseman Scott should have been ejected from the game for targeting, launching himself and hitting Indiana QB Mendoza in the chin with the crest of his helmet, splitting Mendoza's lip, on (I think) the first play of the game. Living in SOFLO, I was rooting for the Canes, but kinda knew they would have trouble. I see the Dolphins have hired two key people away from the Packers. I wish the Packers would hire Curt Cignetti.
Uncle Fred, Just read in this morning’s paper that the new Dolphin’s coach, Jeff Hafley, is a graduate of local Siena University (formerly, College) and U of Albany where he later became a coach. Small world, isn’t it?
DeleteHola! BRAVO! Nice puzzle. Thank you, Dylan for the challenge. It went smoothly with no problems. I have to admit I did not pay too much attention to the circles as they made no sense. Thank you, Hahtoolah, for your explanation. Aha! now REVERSED COURSE makes sense.
ReplyDeletePUTH is unknown to me but the name perped.
I'll never understand the need to climb Mt. EVEREST but I guess some people need that challenge; though what a cost in money and lives!
Enjoy your day, everyone!
I forgot to say I loved watching "The Goldbergs"!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePretty decent Tuesday offering, although the paraphrase clues managed to suck some of the enjoyment out. Forgot to look for the theme again, so thanks, Ha2la! I liked the "bridal train". All aboard!
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-I was a middle school science teacher for years and was pleased to learn Dylan Schiff is also a middle school science teacher in Millsboro, Del.
-Loved it! The gimmick was a mystery for a while and then was helpful.
-My first thought of tool-carrying trousers were bib overalls which are ubiquitous in our state’s small towns
-Fleer Bubble GUM was a real blast from the past
-Crossword constructors and editors never seem to use the AMANA Colonies in Iowa. AMANA still builds appliances in Middle Amana, IA.
-The AMANA Colonies are NOT Amish but there is an Amish community 30 miles away in Kalona, IA.
-I remember in the early internet days, web addresses had to say EVERY character in a URL https://crosswordcorner.blogspot.com
-PUTH is one of those fills that I’ll bet any constructor would be glad to discover
-Retirement greatly increases my wearing of CASUALS
-Despite being adjacent to ERIE, the good people of Buffalo are building a new FB stadium without a roof
Husker, when we lived in IA my employer held training classes for distributor personnel. Twenty-or-so individuals from all over the country would come to Cedar Rapids for factory training. One evening during the week the class was always treated to a home-style dinner in the Amana Colonies.
DeleteCW
ReplyDeleteLiked the REVERSED COURSES theme (with appologies to the circle-averse crowd). With the first clue I thought we were headed for a play on CARPENTER ANTS 🐜 🐜….
If the capital of SRI Lanka is Colombo. So tCristoforo DID eventually make it to the “Indies” 😃
PUTH? ROAN? (why not a more “Tuesday-level clue for this answer HAH? “A horse of a different color?”) but I like “Pink Pony Club”
Rusty Brain @ 8:50 am … Our lake effect snow in Utica comes from Lake Ontario. Buffalo gets suddenly hammered but actually Syracuse, usually has the highest snow accumulation per year .
Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered by this clue … beleaguered (too long), besieged (still too long) BESET (just right!)
Drill won’t work cuz “you haven’t changed ___” ABIT
Lined up in London: CUED
Fate of a house refusing trick-or-treaters : EGGEDON
14 degrees with windchill = minus 6 🥶 Yikes!
I was not on this constructor’s wavelength today. I finished in 10:56, about three minutes longer than a typical Tuesday. I always run the across clues first and can typically knock out 70% of the answers, but today was closer to 40%.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the ridiculously overused OBOE/OREO/ETTA/ERIE in the same puzzle still didn’t help.
Dylan's challenge today proved enjoyable and satisfying. I felt he did not lose sight of the solvers' best interests. The circles were useful--as they generally are--and once we followed his instructions in the reveal, backpedaling led to a clever result.
ReplyDeleteSidetracking for a moment, Cornerites often report on their local weather (especially if it is foul), but rarely mention where they live. I would be interested to know that. HuskerGary has created a map of the U.S. that shows most Cornerites' locale, but I don't know how to find this map. Where is it?
Thanks, Dylan, for a well-crafted and Tuesday-appropriate outing. And thanks, Hahtoolah, for your helpful and fun recap. You have good taste in cartoons, and I'm hard-pressed to say which is my favorite today. But as a cat-lover, I guess your final cartoon, the "Off the Mark" one, is hard to beat.
At the top of the main blog page, click on "Gary's Blog Map."
DeleteOn a tablet or PC the map appears towards the top right of the blog under the heading “olio”. It may not show up on a phone. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I live is not on the map, not the first one we’ve been left off 😂
ReplyDeleteIf your area is completely missing, I should not feel bad about being relegated to the Great White North 😂😂
DeleteNo problems with this one. I'm guessing that Tom Brady and Al Davis were at the game to see Fernando Mendoza (they have the #1 pick in the draft) and maybe offer a job to Cignetti. TBD. Excellent recap and cartoons Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteNeat Tuesday puzzle, many thanks for this delightful one, Dylan. And your pictures are always a pleasure, thanks for those too, Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteWell, wearing a new GARB may have gotten the guy in today's puzzle a BRAVO!--especially if he wore some of those handsome CARPENTER PANTS. Bet that made the people with him A-TEAMS. But it looks as though he may also have had a quiet day after that, hopefully with some STRESS REDUCTION due to medication. Well, after that, he should enjoy an OREO or two, and then maybe get out and take a little cruise on Lake ERIE. Sounds like a pretty good day, doesn't it?
Have a lovely day too, everybody!
Took 4:46 today to circle back through dinner.
ReplyDeleteI ignored the circles, so another themeless puzzle was welcomed by me. I've heard of Chalie Puth, but didn't know the song title. "Roan" was the only "singer Chappell" I knew. Never heard of "casuals" before.
Oh joy, circles!
Many thanks to Dylan for a puzzle that was almost good enough to eat, and to Hahtoolah for making the experience even more delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dylan and Hahtoolah
ReplyDeleteNo complaints. The puzzle was a breeze. Cute, too!
A friend used to use the "Fish or cut bait" expression as defined in Hahtoolah's cartoon. The clue "Give up, as in an idiom" doesn't seem to me to be correct.
A couple of really good football games in the last couple of days. I feel sad for my friends who are die-hard Bears fans, but I am really happy for Indiana University and their fans. Unfortunately, I fell asleep during halftime, so I could only watch highlights this morning.
We stayed at a downtown hotel in Bloomington. As a college town, the bar was decorated in IU sports memorabilia and pictures of star players and the like. If there was much of anything besides basketball related stuff, I don't recall it. There may have been a picture of Anthony Thompson or Anton Randle El in there. IU's claim to collegiate sports fame has seemingly always been basketball. I'm sure all of that has changed now.
TK, if you are viewing the blog on a smartphone, scroll all the way down to the bottom and press the "View web version" button. You will then be able to see the rightmost columns that don't display on a smartphone.
https://ttp1blog.blogspot.com/2020/03/mobile-not-seeing-links-on-right-side.html
I dunno,
ReplyDeleteI had a very hard time reading things backwards. maybe because...
honorable mention...
And "inseam" reminds me of that infamous Friends Episode...
Hmm, maybe I should go have another cup of coffee...
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Dylan and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI finished in good time and saw the REVERSED COURSEs.
But officially a FIW, as I thought Target was having a BOGO sale, my bubble source was Gas, and BABAsBA did not bring any song to mind. LOL!
Hand up that the cross of 42D and 46A was meh.
PANTS (not the CARPENTER ones) are cut much longer now. In my younger years, I had a hard time finding a 32 inch INSEAM leg length, to avoid looking like “Floods”. I avoided wearing capris for years because they felt like floods to me.
My location gets snow from Lake Ontario and Lake ERIE. WE GOT 8 inches yesterday on top of that much on the weekend.
Wishing you all a great day.
CanadianEh!, I've heard of "high water pants," but never heard them referred to as "floods." Learning moment.
DeleteThis was a very easy Tuesday puzzle although it took me longer to solve than it should have--8:15.
ReplyDelete