Good Morning, Cruciverbalists, Malodorous Manatee here . . . and, yes, you read that correctly . . . . with a recap of a Wednesday puzzle. As C.C. mentioned late last year, I have gone from recapping on alternate Fridays to recapping the final Wednesday puzzle each month. Call it semi-retirement or a new adventure . . . or both. As the fates would have it, for this, my first Wednesday foray, we get a puzzle co-constructed by C.C. I have reviewed something like 125 puzzles here on the corner and this is first C.C. puzzle I have had the privilege to recap. To make things even more special, C.C's co-constructor is our own Brian "Rusty Brain" Russell who is making his debut. What a nice way to enter the Wonderful World of Wednesday.
Brian describes the genesis of the puzzle, and its evolution, as follows:
"My initial inspiration was the old joke, “How do you make a jam sandwich? Take two pieces of bread and jam them together!” It got me thinking about different kinds of jams, and here we are. Creating a crossword is a great learning experience. While I came up with phrases and clues, C.C. is the mastermind that pulled it together on a grid. Hope you enjoy!"
With that in mind, let's dive right in starting with the unifier:
63 Across: Impromptu jazz performance, or an apt title for this puzzle: JAM SESSION. In this case a JAM is a group of musicians playing together more or less making it up as they go along. However, at four other places in the grid, C.C. and Brian have asked us to come up with answers that riff on the word JAM in its various other forms
17 Across: Filled pastry: JELLY DONUT. Jelly, marmalade, confiture, etc. In other words - JAM.
24 Across: Office machine: LASER PRINTER. We are all familiar with printer jams. Bottleneck, congestion, stoppage. In other words - JAM.
39 Across: High-flying NBA All-Star event: SLAM DUNK CONTEST. Stuff, push, cram. In other words - JAM. A basketball reference. A slam dunk is also called a "jam" and that formed the basis of a successful electronic game:
51 Across: Rush hour gridlock: TRAFFIC SNARL. AKA a traffic jam. This one could have referenced a musical moment by Steve Winwood and Dave Mason.
This is how it all appears in the grid:
. . . . and here are the rest of the clues and answers:
Across:
5. Discussion site: FORUM. As in an online FORUM, or I suppose an ancient form of FORUM.
10. Omelet need: EGGS.
14. Potatoes, in Indian dishes: ALOO. This has become a crossword staple.
15. Remove from memory: ERASE.
19. Clarinet kin: OBOE. Frequently heard in our puzzles.
20. Promotional cost: AD FEE.
21. Field expert: REF. A REFerence to a REFeree (on, for example, a football field).
23. Night before: EVE.
29. __ Martin cognac: REMY.
44. Keep a sauce from congealing, say: STIR.
46. __ sequitur: NON
50. Attention-getting hiss: PSST. A sound often heard in our puzzles.
55. Gut punch reaction: OOF.
56. Sheridan of "Ready Player One": TYE. Unknown to this solver. Thanks, perps.
Down:
1. Mexican peninsula, informally: BAJA. Una de las lecciones de español de hoy. BAJA California.
2. Screen on some handheld games, for short: OLED. Organic Light-Emitting Diode
3. Canine in some fairy tales: WOLF.
30. Slippery swimmers: EELS. What a shocker !
31. Fundraising event where one can win a round: MEAT RAFFLE. Round as in a beef round roast. From Wiki: "A meat raffle is a tradition of raffling off meat, often in pubs and bars in Australia, in some areas of Britain and the US, and in Western Canada." New to this solver.
36. Treat with contempt: SCORN.
38. Those, in Havana: ESOS. Una de las lecciones de español de hoy. The language of Havana, Cuba is, of course, Spanish.
40. Annoy slightly: MIFF.
41. Train of thought: DRIFT. As in "Do you catch my DRIFT?"
42. __ vez: again, in Spanish: OTRA. Una de las lecciones de español de hoy. Literally, another time.
48. Home project done solo: DIY JOB. Do It Yourself
50. Blood bank supply: PLASMA.
51. Charges on roads: TOLLS.
52. Fit for a queen: ROYAL Add an E and we get:
53. Stop: CEASE.
54. Suite divs.: RMS. RooMS
58. Place to dock: PIER. I never wanted to go to the docks, but after my friends pestered me for an hour I finally gave into PIER pressure.
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| The LONE Ranger |
Well, that will wrap things up for this Wednesday. Have a great (Wednes)day, everyone.
 |
| M M OUT |
Not too tough.
ReplyDeleteAnd the reveal was a hoot.
FIR, so I’m happy.
P.S. Congratulations to Rusty Brain for his first collaboration with C.C.! May there be many more!
ReplyDeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteNice, easy romp this morning. The Wite-Out got a rest. Didn't notice the theme on my slide through the glid, but didn't need it for the solve. Dw's aunt and uncle called a TRAFFIC SNARL "auto marmalade." Nice debut, Rusty Brain. You make a good addition to C.C.'s coterie of puzzlers. Mal-Man you were at your punniest this morning. (I liked Stroganoff the best.)
Ditto, d-o
ReplyDeleteFIR, but steal->USURP, and aye->YEA.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of a MEAT RAFFLE. Figured it must be a fundraiser for the bride at a bachelorette party, where the Chippendale dancers are the entertainment.
I mostly know El Dorado as a species of fish.
Thanks to Rusty Brain and CC for the humpday fun. And thanks to our MalMan for another round of excellent pun-ishment.
I had a similar take on MEAT RAFFLE. My first thought was "bachelor auction."
DeleteThank you, Zhouqin, Brian and Malodorous Manatee
ReplyDeleteWell nuts! A quick solve for a Wednesday, but a typo for the FIW. PLASMA was PLASnA in my grid. That annoys (MIFFs) me slightly. OOFda! I really enjoyed this one except for that self inflicted error.
I never got a sense of what was happening with the theme entries. No SLAM DUNK on that today. Until I got to the reveal. I like it when a puzzle is either very hard or when I'm left wondering how the theme answers are related to one another. Today was really good for the latter.
I wasn't familiar with a MEAT RAFFLE. Turkey raffles, yes. Other types of raffles for sure. But not meat.
I noted the music and food related clues or answers. An omelet with two EGGS sounds like a good idea for breakfast.
Time to finish reading the review. It would not load completely in my regular tab, but I just loaded it in a private window. It must be a problem with one of my browser extensions.
Back later.
FIR. This was fairly easy for a Wednesday, more like Monday fare.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was clever, but I did need the reveal to get it.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
Welcome to Wednesdays, Malo Man! Very punny!
ReplyDeleteI also did not know TYE, but the answer perped in. There were a few others that needed perp help because the clues didn't help.
I wasn't aware that OLED's were used in handheld games. We have an LG OLED tv. The sharpness and contrast, as well as the depth of blacks is every bit (if not better) than our old PLASMA tv was.
That was one heck of a catch. This off season, the Dodgers are loading up again. Landing Kyle Tucker no less. As if they needed any more talent. They are the consensus favorites to win the 2026 World Series and earn a 3-peat.
Thanks for the fun.
The rich get richer, with no restraints to encourage parity. MLB needs a salary cap.
DeleteMM, I agree that you outdid yourself with your barrage of punny comments today, well done. Brian welcome to the club of those C.C. has herded into the world of published puzzle makers. Her generosity knows no bounds. My only unknown was also TYE as clued. The reference to MCA brought back memories of my time representing rock and roll band including one which signed with MCA and then president Bob Siner (no pun intended here). It allowed meet many interesting people, performers, executives, roadies and stars.
ReplyDeleteA nice Wednesday, thank you Joseph, Brian and I can never thank you enough C.C.
Due to the weather, I received my Monday and Tuesday WSJs late yesterday afternoon and the Monday puzzle was by C.C. I get today's local paper on time and today's puzzle is by C.C. and Brian. Congratulations to both of you.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle was easy to FIR, but I DNK TYE, MEAT RAFFLE, OTRA vez, SULU, or OSCAR as clued. OLED was a guess. Not a Trekkie and was thinking of the writer.
I've never heard of a meat raffle. I guess you win the whole cow or hog. You will need a big freezer if you win.
LASER PRINTER- I've gone through three at home and have rarely had a paper jam. The tough jams were from 50 years ago in our IBM 1442 CARD READER with those 80 column cards. The high humidity in NOLA created havoc, making the formerly crisp cards swell just enough to jam the printer. IBM provided tools to remove the cards.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteWhat a very pleasant surprise to see Brian’s name along side CC’s ‘this morning. And what a fun theme they concocted. The solve was pretty smooth with Tye and Meat Raffle being the only hesitations, but both perped fairly, so no complaints. I’m with TTP on the theme not being so obvious while solving. I like the Aha moment when the revealer ties it all together.
Thanks, Brian and CC, and congrats, Brian, on a very successful debut, and thanks, MalMan, for the wise and witty review and commentary. Your punny prowess was at peak performance this morning!
Have a great day.
Our own C.C. and RustyBrain provided us today with an enjoyable and clever Wednesday challenge. I appreciated the theme, and it reminded me of Jinx's observation the other day regarding how difficult it must be for people to learn English. "Jam" can mean anything from jelly to a snafu to a slam dunk in basketball to a jam session. And don't get me started on words like "run" or "set," which usually require about two pages of definitions in dictionaries.
ReplyDeleteMy only slowdown in the puzzle was in the NW where OLED crosses ALOO.
Thanks, RB (or BR) and C.C., for a satisfying and fun challenge today. And welcome, MalMan, as our (occasional) Wednesday guide.
C.C. also has today's USA Today crossword: "Clear Out".
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-What Irish said, as usual!
-I am subbing today and there was a line at the copier this morning as it was JAMMED and the teachers had not planned in advance.
-TRAFFIC SNARL – Don’t we all wonder which lane we should get in?
-ERR: Use a permanent marker on a dry erase board,
-OBOES always make me think of I Got You Babe
-AD FEE: For this year’s Super Bowl, it is 8 million dollars for a 30-second spot and they were sold out last September
-JAMS and three pointers are now 90% of basketball games and the reason I quit watching.
-That V could also be a Roman Soldier ordering 5 beers on the way to the FORUM
-Everything Everywhere At Once is rated R for intense violence, disturbing imagery and strong language. Probably not on my “gotta see” list.
-To convert a 400 METER race time to 440 Yard time, you add .3 seconds.
From The 25 Most Overrated Movies Ever: (re E E All at Once)"... there’s no accounting for the magnitudes of its massive success. A strange hodge-podge of blunt earnestness and daffy internet humour, EEAAO swept the Oscars in 2023, winning best picture, best director and three acting categories (among others). A remarkable achievement for a film that lacked the depth or sophistication of most of its rivals."
DeleteAnd the other 10% of NBA games are uncalled traveling and carrying violations.
DeleteWelcome back MM. I enjoyed your humor. CC and Brian kudos on a fun puzzle. I saw the multiple jams before the reveal.
ReplyDeleteMy former Japanese DIL calls the Phillips screws with the cross (+) plus and the screws with the slot (-) minus.
Thanks to being a waitress as a summer job and sometimes as a side job for many years I know REMY MARTIN. Those diners who ordered alcohol were the best tippers and even more so when there were no women present.
Remember LALA Linda?
HG, as a teacher I was about to remark about permanent markers on dry erase boards. Ugh! Great minds. . . . .
OLED.I knew LED but O for organic was new to me. Thanks to the perp at bows.
I didn't recall the D in RFID and didn't know the Y in TYE.
So I had ?I? JOB.I should have guessed DIY.
I used to go to school early to avoid traffic jams. I had the copier to myself and caught up on paperwork with less to take home.
Maybe I can help with the participation stats for the corner.
Took 4:15 today to spin this one like Jam Master Jay.
ReplyDeleteI refused to accept that "meat raffle" was a thing, but eventually relented.
Dear Mr. Fantasy is a favorite song of mine, and for a while years ago, NBA Jam was a favorite video game.
Nice work, Rusty Brain and C.C., though I'm not clear on how "jelly donut" is a "jam session."
I didn't notice our constructors' names before finishing, and I was prepared to say how much I enjoyed the relatively simple answers with clever clues. DNK TYR or MCA, but FIR and enjoyed it. Unlike others of you, I needed MalMan to explain the various JAMs to me. I saw JELLY, but the others were more obscure. Still a great puzzle -- thank you, C.C. and RustyBrain! Extra thanks to MalMan for a great review packed full of puns. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteYellowrocks, you are one of my heroes here. Nice to see you chiming in.
Nice walk-in-the-park today from Fearless Leader and sidekick Rusty. Zipped right through to the FIR with only a small hitch at TYE and OLED. Knew about meat raffles from time spent in rural Wisconsin. They are favorite fundraisers for small-town volunteer fire departments and service organizations, along with wild game feeds. Got to try a lot of pretty tasty old family recipes. (And an occasional not-so-tasty one.) It was a way to clean out the freezer before the start of the new hunting season. Nice recap by MM, but I always saw the "Vee sign" as "Victory!" (Through superior firepower!)
ReplyDeleteReally on the wavelength of this CW, FIR in 12. Only 8 names (a big thanx BR&CC for that) only DNK 2. 2 W/Os: STEAL/USURP, RCA/MCA. WEES, never heard of a "meatraffle". Lynyrd Skynyrd: amazing band that suffered a devastating plane crash killing some band members then came back to once again produce great music. EEAAO = this movie won so many awards I thought, "Ya gotta see it". I hated everything about it, and was baffled how it had won ANY awards. Anyway, I enjoyed this CW, thanx again BR&CC, I even got the theme! MalMan you outdid yourself with your puns today, well done, as was your entire terrific write-up. Thanx for all the time and effort you put into it.
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your puzzle debut, Brian! Great work from you and C.C.
Welcome to Wednesdays, MM. We remain "partners in crime" albeit with a dose of CED and JzB thrown in. What a quartet!
Jump to the next post if you'd like, unless you share my interest in geographical peculiarities.
ReplyDeleteHere is the answer to my question yesterday guessing how many U.S. states have all or a portion of their land area north of the southernmost part of Canada.
The answer is 27. That may seem counterintuitive, since we are talking about our "Neighbor to the NORTH." More than half our states are entirely or partly further north than a portion of Canada? Yep. The main reason for this oddity is that the province of Ontario is massive--much bigger than Texas. And as CanadianEh noted yesterday, it is Ontario that dips quite a ways south, to Pelee Island in Lake Erie.
Even some states that directly border Canada are entirely or partially north of southern Ontario: 1) Alaska, which is north of most of Canada; 2) Lake of the Woods MN, which is that odd "top hat" of Minnesota (also the most northerly point in the contiguous U.S.); 3) Lake St. Clair, whose northwestern shore is Michigan, and whose southeastern shore is Ontario.
There you have it!
A clever and fun puzzle from Rusty Brain and CC.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was well woven into the answers and provided an “AHA” moment upon figuring it out.
ALOO is becoming a crossword staple and almost auto-fills itself in the puzzle.
I like Jelly Roll the singer. His songs resonate deeply.
Thanks for the punny and informative recap MM.
Hola! Thank you, Brian and C.C. And the great reveal? Brian is Rusty Brain!
ReplyDeletei enjoyed the Wednesday level solve but I cannot remember ALOO though we've seen it many times. I had AROO which sounded close enough. OLED never made it as I am unfamiliar with many of today's unusual abbreviations.
I also missed out on LYFT as I had REGAL instead of ROYAL. If I did this badly midweek, I dread the weekend! I'll be very busy with the book club Saturday so I may not even get to the puzzle that day.
CSO to my mother, LALA, as she was known. Have a gorgeous day, everyone!
And thank you, MalMan! I appreciate your witty re-cap.
ReplyDelete