Two For the Price of One.
20-Across. * Special report: NEWS BULLETIN. // News Room and Bulletin Board
27-Across. * Document for some immigrants: GREEN CARD. // Green Room and CardBoard
38-Across. * The sun, for one: DAY STAR. // Day Room and StarBoard.
46-Across. * Panic button for computer users: ESCAPE KEY. // Escape Room and KeyBoard.
And the unifier:
51-Across. Part of an au pair's compensation, or what can respectively follow the two parts of the answers to the starred clues: ROOM AND BOARD.
Here's the Grid.
Across:
1. Expect: AWAIT.
6. Honduras house: CASA. Today's Spanish lesson.
10. Portion (out): METE.
14. Seventh sign of the zodiac: LIBRA.
15. "Small world!": OH, HI!
16. Canceled abruptly: AXED.
17. "No worries": IT'S OK.
18. Volkswagen crossover SUV: TAOS.
19. Do-or-die, situationwise: DIRE.
23. When Caesar asks, "Et tu, Brute?": ACT III. Julius Caesar is the historical tragedy by Willie the Shakes. Spoiler Alert: Caesar dies in Act III, having been betrayed by his friend Brutus.
26. "Scientology: Fair Game" podcast co-host Remini: LEAH. Leah Marie Remini (b. June 15, 1970) is an American actress. When she was a child, her mother joined the Church of Scientology and she and her sister were subsequently raised in that ideology. She left the cult in 2013 and has been an outspoken advocate against the practice since.
30. Disallows: BANS.
33. Goals: AIMS.
34. Nashville-based awards org.: CMA. As in the Country Music Awards.
35. Jackal kin: COYOTE.
37. Little terror: IMP. Imps make frequent appearances in the puzzles.
40. Pickle: JAM.
41. Nobel Peace Prize winner Mandela: NELSON. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 ~ Dec. 5, 2013) South African anti-apartheid activist. In 1962, he was arrested for his political activities and was sentenced to life in prison. He was ultimately released in 1990 and went on to become the first president of South Africa. He served as President from 1994 to 1999. He was also the country's first Black head of state. In 1993, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in dismantling South Africa's apartheid system. What is not so well known, is that he shared the Peace Prize with South African President F.W. de Klerk (Mar. 18, 1936 ~ Nov. 11, 2021).
43. Bowler's target: PIN.
44. Knighted actor Ian: HOLM. I thought I knew who Sir Ian Holm (né Ian Holm Cuthbert; Sept. 12, 1931 ~ June 19, 2020) was, but when I saw his photo, I realized I must have been thinking of someone else.
45. Stitched together: SEWN.
48. Many an attribution: ANON. A possible source of its origin.
50. Greasy spoons: DINERS. We had a dinner a Tuesday or so ago.
 |
| Edward Hooper's Nighthawks. |
56. Per person, informally: A POP.
57. Musician son of Yoko and John: SEAN. Sean Taro Ono (b. Oct. 9, 1975) looks just like his father. He, too went into the music business.
58. Knight guard: ARMOR.
62. Pencil puzzle with false paths: MAZE.
63. "Slow down!": EASY.
64. Pageant crown: TIARA.
65. Responded to a charge: PLED.
66. Dino with disproportionate limbs: T REX.
67. American living abroad, familiarly: EX-PAT.
Down:
1. "__ Baba and the Forty Thieves": ALI. You can read all about Ali Baba here.
2. Clever humor: WIT.
3. Core muscles worked by crunches: ABs. As in Abdominal Muscles.
4. Life's little twists: IRONIES.
5. See, as a show: TAKE IN.
6. Rollaways for guests: COTS.
7. Melville captain: AHAB. Call me Ishmael.
8. "__ you change your mind ... ": SHOULD.
9. Bridal path: AISLE.
10. Took advantage of a situation: MADE HAY.
11. Leave: EXIT.
12. Actress Polo: TERI.
13. Garden of Genesis: EDEN.
21. Modern pagan: WICCAN.
22. Parts partner: LABOR.
23. "From the top": AGAIN.
24. Fashion faux pas, humorously: CRIMES.
25. Pennsylvania university: TEMPLE. A brief history of Temple University.
28. Meg, Beth, and Jo's sister: AMY. A reverence to Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (Nov. 29, 1832 ~ Mar. 6, 1888).
29. Speaks with a harsh voice: RASPS.
31. "Dead serious": NO JOKE.
32. Not as fresh: STALER.
35. Home of seven NHL teams: CANADA. There are 32 teams in the National Hockey League: 25 in United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL was formed in Canada in 1917 and the initial four teams were all Canadian. The Boston Bruins joined the league in 1924. The current Canadian teams are the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and the Winnipeg Jets.
36. TV awards: EMMYS.
38. Prima __: DONNA. Today's Italian lesson. A literal translation is First Lady. It originally referred to the lead female soprano in an opera. Today, it generally refers to a temperamental and spoiled person, male or female.
39. Muscle twitch: TIC.
42. Burdened with too many tasks: SWAMPED.
44. Guitar great Jimi: HENDRIX. Sadly, Jimi Hendrix (né James Marshall Hendrix; Nov. 28, 1942 ~ Sept. 18, 1970) is a member of the 27 club. His song, Purple Haze, is a great example of a mondegreen (misheard lyric). The phrase in the song, Excuse me while I kiss the sky, is often mistaken for Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
46. Make lovable: ENDEAR.
47. Halloween costume that might involve a fake parrot: PIRATE.
49. First wave: ONSET.
51. Inclined walkway: RAMP.
52. White gem: OPAL. An opal shimmers with colors. // And 55-Down. Black gem: ONYX.
 |
| Opal |
 |
| Onyx |
53. Seep: OOZE.
54. Reliable bloc of voters: BASE.
59. Flight tracker display: MAP. I usually follow the flight tracker when I fly.
60. "The Masked Singer" judge Rita: ORA. Rita Ora (née Rita Sahatçiu Ora; b. Nov. 26, 1990) makes frequent guests appearances in the puzzles. She is a British actress but was born in Yugoslavia, now known as Kosovo.
61. __ race: RAT.
That's all for today.
חתולה
Another pretty easy Tuesday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteBut I thought the reveal, and hence the themed fill, pretty clever.
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI'm always impressed when the puzzle setter finds a way to make both words fit the theme. Zipped right through this one; all my WAGs were golden. Really enjoyed the bowling pin and Day-o cartoons. Didn't understand the coyote -- maybe my brain's not awake yet. Thanx, Craig and Hahtoolah.
The trophy at Wile E.'s old folks home is vacant. He sits and thinks of all the things he could have done prior to retirement that could have landed that darn roadrunner's head on the plaque.
DeleteGood puzzle. Great cartoons. Thx
ReplyDeleteFIR, but pun->WIT. Only real unknowns were HOLM, LEAH and TERI, and I sorta knew LEAH and TERI from previous puzzles. Never watched The Masked Singer, but ORA is the new Oreo.
ReplyDeleteNELSON won the Nobel back when it was awarded for achievement. Now it has about as much prestige (at least in my so-called mind) as the Golden Globes.
While we're on the subject, EMMYS are given away like Halloween candy. Every city I've lived in has local TV newspeople who have won them.
How can someone learn English as a second language when "pickle" = JAM sometimes, but not always?
My Washington Capitals played five of the seven Canadian NHL teams this month, losing three of the five. Ouch!
My very first solo overnight road trip was to see Jimi HENDRIX in Cincinnati. IIRC, I was 17. BTW - HENDRIX was a paratrooper in the US Army (101st Airborne) before he did his music thing.
Thanks to Craig for the fun Monday-on-a-Tuesday puzzle. Clever theme. And thanks to Ha2la for another sterling review. "Call me email," the Day-O pun, and the white knight's wedding were my co-favorites.
FIR. Somewhat easy but of course it is Tuesday. I am still puzzled by crimes as clued, but the perps saw me through.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was very clever and fun to figure out once I had the reveal.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
RuPaul would say its a “crime against fashion “ if a man wears shorts and knee high dress socks with sandals on a beach.
DeleteEnjoyed the age poll yesterday. A wide range of participants covering many decades with an apparent mean around 70
ReplyDeleteWell, I did the math on the age poll, of the 22 people who revealed their age, the mean was exactly 72 (up from 70.95 when I first figured it out last night, this morning I looked at yesterday’s comments and saw that a 91yo chimed in at 11PM Corner time), the median age was also 72, four ages shared the mode with three each at 68, 70, 72, and 74. Pretty much the same demographic I hang with down here in SW Florida. 😂
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteIt’s been quite some time since we’ve seen this type of theme and Craig didn’t disappoint with his well-executed interpretation. Sometimes, there are one or two “forced” entries, but today’s were perfect and all familiar phrases. The solve was easy and quick, even though the theme remained hidden until the reveal. The fill was super clean, too, which added to the pleasure of the solve.
Thanks, Craig, and thanks, Hahtoolah, for the entertaining and informative review. Favorite comics were the 7-10 Pins Love Story, the Day-o spoof, and the T-Rex arms. I’m with you on mistaking Ian Holm for someone else; in my case, I was picturing Ian McKellen.
Have a great day.
Took 5:01 today to take a Family Photo.
ReplyDeleteAnother WITP, though "crimes" was oddly clued. I even knew the Actress of the Day (Teri).
I guess I need to go back to read yesterday's poll.
I wasn’t aware of an
ReplyDelete“age poll” yesterday. I’m 71, but I’ve been doing crossword puzzles since my mid 40’s, for what it’s worth.
Just an informal poll where people revealed their ages after ProfM was commenting on the generational differences between older solvers and young constructors and how puzzles have evolved as far as clueing and fill. ProfM figured the average age of Cornerites to be at least 65, and he was right.
DeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-I needed the reveal to see the oh so clever gimmick today.
-The board at UNL has AXED some “non-productive” degree programs and policies to mitigate a budget shortfall
-PIN reminds me of C.C.’s husband and our wonderful friend Boomer and how much we miss him.
-A TIARA!!
-EMMYS, Oscars and Golden Globes are the best awards money can buy.
-The hardest thing to suss today was Hahtoolah’s reference to “The 27 club”
-Did the ancients use RAMPS to build the pyramids?
Addendum
ReplyDelete-Today is my first day after having to drink the horrible prep stuff for the common “piece ‘o cake” out-patient procedure. I’ll wager most of you know what I’m talking about.
-With that procedure on my mind, I did not post my current age of 79.33 years. :-)
Thank you, Craig and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy these types of puzzles with a two words phrase or name in the theme answers and a reveal that fits both.
Craig, it's been a minute, eh? Over four and a half years since your last crossword puzzle was published here. I can't imagine it took that long to cook this one up. :>)
ROOM AND BOARD - Was that your inspiration for the puzzle?
Hatoolah,
Inre your first cartoon about the news - They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't. :>)
And, your gif of the penguin slipping on the ice brought to mind this video clip that has been playing on TV again lately due to the weather. It's a reporter in Portland, Oregon interviewing a couple of early morning joggers: She says, "...the perfect texture" for running..
I was ready to post my comments earlier but then remembered to look for the article that suggested that Gen Z's are more active in solving crosswords than Boomers. I don't think this was the actual article, but it may have been the source for that article: "Crazy for Crosswords: Survey Shows American Crossword Habits.
Interesting that the respondents thought that both the easiest day and second-hardest day is Monday. Not sure that survey is all that reliable. Interesting though. Wonder why they didn't include "print - from web site."
DeleteI loved this CW puzzle. Well executed theme, not too many proper names, all good.
ReplyDeleteThank you Hahtoolah for the informative and entertaining review.
Yesterday I only revealed that I’m above 65 in age, but to be more precise I’m 84 and 1/2. Where did the time go?
Thanks for the punny comics today, it helped a lot!
ReplyDeleteMy 1st thought on this puzzle was that this constructor is way off my wavelength. (Making hay?) but in reviewing the final result, I can see it is all quite legit. A fair puzzle... in retrospect, I think I got biased at the clue "white gem" = opal... (im a Libra, and all I see are the pretty colors....) x (oh, and truth and justice...). So, opal is considered a "white " gemstone. Hmm, not all learning experiences are (fill in your own blank...)
Another learning moment: The 27 Club.
Silly theme links: me doing the puzzle?
honorable mention???
I just assumed that people of a "certain age" were aware of the 27 Club. Many young talented musicians and actors died at age 27, often due to a risky lifestyle of drugs and drink. Some who died at 27 include Janis Joplin, Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
ReplyDeleteHola! Easy puzzle from Craig Stowe whose name I recognized though I didn't realize it had been so long since we've seen his work.
ReplyDeleteTAOS was a surprise. I didn't know it was a car; it's usually clued as a city in New Mexico; my sisters and I visited there some years ago.
TERI Polo is also unknown to me.
Thank you, Hahtoolah; you are in good form today; I enjoyed not only your thorough explanations but all the cartoons, too. Have a lovely day, everyone!
i learned of Jimi HENDRIX from two of my nephews who had posters of him in their bedrooms and listened to his music. I also knew he died at a young age but the exact age and did not know of the "27 Club". How sad!
ReplyDeleteA delightful puzzle today.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was perfect and fit together perfectly.
A very clean grid. A few unknown names but the perps were fair.
Thanks Craig.
The recap was fun and informative. Thanks Hahtoolah.
Craig provided us with a delightful and clever Tuesday pastime. I enjoyed it for the same reasons given in many of the previous blogs. My favorite theme answer was STARBOARD (pronounced "starb'rd").
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hahtoolah, for such a colorful romp through all those hilarious cartoons and comics. And I'm with you on those onboard flight-tracking maps. Long plane flights can be mind-numbing, so seeing where you are on those maps helps make the time go faster. They are also a reminder that our planet is a sphere, so the most direct route from, say, the West Coast to Europe is via Canada and--gasp--Greenland.
And if you have to land at Gander, Newfoundland, they will look after you!
DeleteIndeed!
DeleteThis sort of reminds me of an interesting geographical query. To wit, how many U.S. states have a portion--or all-of their area NORTH of the southernmost part of Canada?
I'll post the answer tomorrow. Everybody make a guess; this fun is not just for CanadianEh. No fair looking at an atlas.
It's almost easier to name the states which DON'T have a portion of their area NORTH of the southernmost part of Canada.
DeleteIf I remember correctly, Pt Pelee Ontario is about even with Northern California, which makes a lot of states north of it. But don’t ask me to name them.
DeleteWell, I found this puzzle simply all over the place, dealing with people who were settled and unsettled, with persons who stayed and didn't stay, a complicated and confusing world. Wish we could have gotten a NEWS BULLETIN to explain everything to us, and to help us TAKE IN all the IRONIES in this puzzle. It's not even 10 am yet this morning, and I'm already feeling tired and ready to take a nap. Maybe I'd best EXIT and do a little reading on one of my COTS before I get sleepy and need a morning nap. I wish you all a healthy and happy and cheerful morning, and a restful afternoon. Take good care of yourselves.
ReplyDeleteHave a cheerful and pleasant and healthy day, everybody.
No gripes with this one. Very straightforward. I do enjoy the cartoons Hahtoolah. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFrom Corner statistics, I'll bet that most of us remember The Righteous Brothers big hit Rock and Roll Heaven, featuring some of the 27 Club.
ReplyDeleteI like to start my day with comics and the crossword puzzle. Hahtoolah extends my enjoyment of both! Is the sun a DAY STAR? I guess so! Clever puzzle, Craig.
ReplyDeleteRE: the age poll, DH suggests that the drop in newspaper subscriptions means fewer folks being drawn to the puzzles and searching for answers. Even though many of our Cornerites play online from around the country and beyond, I think he must be right about the drop in newspaper circulation having an impact on the puzzle solver population.
To correct myself, DH's observation is about the drop in the Corner's readership (10,000 daily a decade ago to 5,000 today). Not about age.
DeleteNaomiZ, I agree that there is an impact from the overall decline in newspaper circulation - and decreased syndication across the country as papers fail, but I think the younger solvers are finding more and different crossword venues that appeal to them. And different and more (hip? hep? bussin'? ) places to get answers to the crossword questions, like Reddit when they do solve the LAT. The LAT is far from the last game in town. See my link to Daily Crossword Links below.
DeleteIn a sense, gone are the days when the same constructors names were appearing time after time in the LAT bylines. Patti has debuted many new constructors at the LAT, and many with different values and attitudes.
Perhaps she's purposely skewing towards a younger audience, and away from the stereotypical "old white man" type of constructor and puzzle audiences. Perhaps that has turned some readers off?
Or, as I was suggesting the other day specific to this blogspot, the tenor of the blog has seemed to have changed. Perhaps since Patti became editor, and as clues and answers changed to reflect a more inclusive environment, indicative of the current times. I'm not faulting her by any means.
I was just about to post my thoughts with a couple of interesting (to me) articles when I read your comments. They'll be posted below:
NaomiZ, in December I dropped my subscription to the Barnacle. I used to get home delivery, then just an on-line subscription. Even on-line-only got pricey -- $30/month. I decided it just was no longer worth it -- more than my subscriptions to the NYT or WAPO.
Delete@desper-otto What is the Barnacle?
DeleteThis is one of the theme types I most admire - coming up with words that connect to the first and second words of the theme entries
ReplyDeleteIf you're in Seattle go visit the Museum of Pop Culture (originally called the Experience Music Project) up on the hill where the Space Needle is
it has as exhibits dedicated to Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana(Kurt Cobain) - both Seattle natives and in the 27 club
https://www.mopop.org/
FLN - I come in at 66, so just under the average
Thanks Susan for the entertaining blog and to Craig Stowe for the creative puzzle
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun, Craig and Hahtoolah.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in good time, and saw the ROOM and BOARD theme.
(Are we just short a Q of having a pangram? I will check - no, we are short an F and a V also. But we do have a plethora of Xs.)
Perps were fair for any unknown-to-me names (LEAH, HOLM, TERI).
Have I mentioned that my mom loved Little Women and named us after them?
But none of us is AMY.
I balked at the plural CRIMES. But apparently faux pas is singular or plural. “The plural form of faux pas is also faux pas. However, it is pronounced differently. The singular form is pronounced /ˈfoʊˌpɑː/ and the plural form is pronounced /ˈfoʊˌpɑːz/.”
I will take a CSO with CANADA. My favourite NHL team is Toronto, but we have been waiting since 1967 for a Stanley Cup. Maybe on the 50th anniversary?
Wishing you all a great day.
And a CSO to Craig at CANADA as well!
DeleteThanks TTP. I didn’t remember that Craig was Canadian. But I found Husker Gary’s comment “December 18, 2021, Saturday Themeless by Craig Stowe
DeleteCraig is a a cook in a Toronto hotel and turns out fabulous puzzles that I have had the pleasure of blogging.”
I wonder if Craig is cheering for the Maple Leafs?
As mentioned by DO @ 5:33 and others, very impressive CW when both words in the theme fill relate to the theme. 16 names, DNK 6, but still FIR in 9, good Tuesday time for me. W/Os = WICKAM/WICCAN, PAID/PLED. Thanx CS for this really clever, fun CW. Thanx too to Hahtoolah for the great write-up and cartoons. I especially liked the day-old bread cartoon. For years I thought the lyric was, "Here I come and I wanna go home", not "Daylight come and I wanna go home". Doh! On the NHL logos, I prefer the previous logo to today's: today's looks more like a police badge than a hockey logo.
ReplyDeleteunclefred, for years I thought John Denver had written, "You fill out my census, like night in a forest..."
DeleteAnd who can forget John Fogerty's "there is the bathroom on the right."
DeleteThen there was a mariachi band in LA that used to play Anglo events frequently. When they did, they changed "Guantanamera" lyric to "one ton tomato." Got laughs and tips from the yacht club crowd.
I can't speak to the veracity of the poll, nor specifically why the respondents answered the way they did. That Monday data seemed off to me as well.
ReplyDeleteI solve a lot of puzzles, and at many different venues and constructor sites. Usually at least 5 a day, 7 on Sundays, and fewer in the summer or when I have other irons in the fire. There's probably something for everyone at Daily Crossword Links.
It does seem to me that puzzles are being increasingly skewed towards younger solvers. Perhaps crosswords are reflecting, now more than ever, the norms and realities of current culture and events. We now seem to have more texting abbreviations, more slang that may be unusual or odd to older solvers, inclusion of more technical terms, and an increased presence of names of current artists such as rap stars.
This excellent article in the Smithsonian makes the point about the continuing evolution of entries in crosswords:
"Rather than sacred scrolls, crosswords and dictionaries are mirrors held up to language that reflect how people are talking and writing at a given moment in history." .
This article speaks to the changing landscape of what was acceptable in crossword puzzles: From the perspective of Natan Last , starting with his time as an intern of Will Shortz.
Good reading. IMO.
Thanks for the great index link. I'll have to find the January Smithsonian. I thought I had it beside my comfy chair, but that's December's. (Haven't read it yet either.)
DeleteOk, my guess of states north of the most southern part of Canada is 17.
ReplyDeleteFun, clever puzzle and theme and write up!
Thank you Craig and Hahtoolah.
I very much enjoyed this puzzle and admire the constructor's skill.
ReplyDelete