Theme: OBX.
Today's big reveal should be a gimme for our east coast crowd, or for fans of the Netflix series:
52-Across. Drama set on the North Carolina coast, and what 16-, 27-, and 39-Across have?: OUTER BANKS. I have heard of NC's Outer Banks, a 200 mile stretch of barrier islands and deposition bars separating a series of lagoons and estuaries from the Atlantic Ocean. I had not heard of the Netflix teen mystery that premiered in 2020 and will have its fifth and final season this year. What do the OUTER BANKS have to do with 16-, 27-, and 39-Across? Let's take a look.
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| Outer Banks AKA OBX (on TV and in general) |
16. Work promoted by the American Library Association every autumn: BANNED BOOK. It's been a while since I worked as a professional librarian, but this campaign still makes me proud. Note that the OUTER edges of the answer spell BANK.
27. Color associated with tutus: BALLERINA PINK. From prima ballerinas to tiny tots in tutus, pink seems popular. Note that the OUTER edges of the answer spell BANK.
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| Prima Ballerina by Edgar Degas (detail) |
39. Euphemism that conveys disapproval: BLANKETY BLANK. Why, you darned blankety blank! (You can mentally fill in the strong language of your choice when so addressed.) Note that the OUTER edges of the answer spell BANK -- and that the BANK has been shifting from one side to the other, very much like the sand BANKS of the barrier islands in North Carolina, except that those shift westward, as the mainland retreats in the same direction. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse -- the tallest in the country -- had to be moved 2,900 feet from its original location to avoid being swallowed by the ocean.
Are you feeling buoyed up by all this offshore banking? Let's see what the rest of the clues and answers do for us.
Across:1. Eisenberg of the "Now You See Me" heist films: JESSE. This seemed like a tough start for a Monday puzzle, but since Mr. Eisenberg has starred in *three* movies in this series, they are clearly popular. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010), and has played Lex Luthor in two recent DC Comics superhero films, as well as many other roles.
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| Jesse Eisenberg |
6. Disobey: DEFY.
10. Miso paste source: SOY.
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| This is the brand sitting in my fridge. |
13. Fundamental truth: AXIOM.
14. Guthrie of folk: ARLO. Son of Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie is a singer-songwriter known for songs of protest against social injustice.
14. Guthrie of folk: ARLO. Son of Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie is a singer-songwriter known for songs of protest against social injustice.
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| Arlo Guthrie in 1979 |
15. Source of ruin: BANE. BANE can mean a source of ruin, like a curse; it can mean death or destruction; or woe; or poison; or a more trivial cause of misery. "Mosquitos are the bane of my existence."
16. [Theme clue]
18. Three or four: A FEW.
19. Texting format: SMS. Short Message Service is a widely used mobile communication standard.
20. Deprives (of): ROBS.
21. "Shaqtin' a Fool" host: O'NEAL. Also a little tough for Monday, but anything "Shaq" is likely to be O'Neal. Shaqtin' a Fool is a weekly segment from the TV show Inside the NBA on ESPN. The title is a play on "actin' a fool." Shaqtin' highlights humorous and unusual basketball plays that have occurred during the past week. O'Neal is the host and presenter, while other analysts in the studio react and provide commentary.
23. Pumpkin picking time: FALL.
24. Turf: SOD.
25. Copacabana city: RIO. Copacabana beach is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There's a nightclub called the Copacabana in New York that has existed in various NYC locations since 1940.
27. [Theme clue]
30. Rice field: PADDY.
31. Narcissist's problem: EGO.
32. Foil alternative: ÉPÉE. Modern fencing uses three types of sword: foil, épée, and sabre.
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| Mind where you poke that thing! |
33. Walks in shallow water: WADES.
34. Mover's vehicle: VAN.
35. Like horror movies: SCARY.
36. Classic soft drink: NEHI. An American brand of soda pop since 1924.
37. Actor Beatty: NED. Ned Beatty (1937-2021) acted in more than 160 film and television roles. Married four times, he was a busy guy. You may have seen him in Deliverance, Nashville, All the President's Men, Network, Superman (1978), The Big Easy, etc. etc. RIP.
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| Ned Beatty |
38. Asterisks: STARS.
39. [Theme clue]
42. Wong of "Beef": ALI. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star in Beef, a Netflix comedy series in which two strangers are involved in a road rage incident that escalates into a prolonged feud. Originally broadcast in 2023, a second season is planned for 2026.
39. [Theme clue]
42. Wong of "Beef": ALI. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star in Beef, a Netflix comedy series in which two strangers are involved in a road rage incident that escalates into a prolonged feud. Originally broadcast in 2023, a second season is planned for 2026.
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| Steven Yeun and Ali Wong |
43. Google : Android :: Apple : __: iOS. Google phones run on the Android operating system. Apple phones run on the iPhone Operating System.
44. Drei minus zwei: EINS. Three minus two is one in Germany, just like here.
45. "No Time To Die" actress Ana de __: ARMAS. This beautiful lady has shown up in several puzzles I've blogged recently. She looks just like I do -- in my imagination.
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| Ana de Armas |
47. Seething: IRED. Some folks are IRED by the use of IRED as the past tense of IRE, to make angry. After all, IRE has not been used as a verb since the year 1500 or so.
48. Duracell size: AAA.
51. Off-the-neck style: UPDO.
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| Ana de Armas with an updo |
52. [Theme clue]
55. Sir counterpart: MA'AM. "Sir" and "ma'am" (short for madam) are traditional English honorifics used to show respect for men and women, respectively, especially when their names are unknown or they are in authority.
56. The "U" of CPU: UNIT. A central processing unit (CPU) is the primary processor in a computer. Its electronic circuitry executes instructions of computer programs.
57. Some high-end coolers: YETIS.
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| $300 for this one. |
58. "__ second now": ANY.
59. Defeat: LOSS.
60. Fragrance: SCENT.
Down:
1. Boxing punches: JABS.
2. Crammer's concern: EXAM.
3. Biblical don'ts: SINS.
4. Male offspring: SON.
5. Green gemstones: EMERALDS.
6. Work casually: DABBLE. Many of our Cornerites dabble in guitar playing. Others are serious rockers.
7. Deity often depicted as a winged youth: EROS. The god of love -- renamed Cupid by the Romans.
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| Eros |
8. Cheery aproned agent in Progressive Insurance ads: FLO. Flo is a fictional salesperson portrayed by comedian Stephanie Courtney in advertisements for Progressive Insurance.
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| Flo |
9. John Lennon's "Unfinished Music" series collaborator: YOKO ONO.
10. Zoolike attraction: SAFARI PARK.
11. Short jokes: ONE LINERS.
12. Evergreen with poisonous berries: YEW.
15. Sweetie: BAE.
17. "Queen of Country" Parton: DOLLY.
22. Sensitive info doc: NDA. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract that outlines confidential information that two or more parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but to which they agree to restrict other access or uses.
23. Cinematic transition: FADE IN.
24. Autograph: SIGN.
26. "__-dokey!": OKEY.
27. Reason to don a cap: BAD HAIR DAY.
28. "__, set, go!": READY.
29. Pie nuts: PECANS.
30. Spanish rice cooking vessel: PAELLA PAN. Paella is prepared in a wide, shallow pan, typically on a grill or over an open fire.
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| Paella in the pan |
33. Caitlin Clark's org.: WNBA. Caitlin Clark is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
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| Caitlin Clark |
34. Longtime players on a team: VETS.
35. Travelers not guaranteed a seat: STANDBYS. Standby passengers may have arrived early for their flight, or arrived too late to board, and they wait at the gate to see whether a seat becomes available on another flight.
37. Genre for Maxwell and D'Angelo: NEO SOUL. A couple of one-named musical artists associated with neo soul in the late 1990s. Proving that even 30 years ago, this blogger was completely un-hip.
38. Foxier: SLIER. We had this in last Monday's puzzle! As noted last week, this answer works in the USA, but Brits are slyer.
40. Sportage automaker: KIA.
41. Flat French hats: BERETS.
46. Parenting blog visitor, maybe: MOM.
47. "No kidding?": IT IS. "No kidding, the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world?" "It is!"
48. Poker buy-in: ANTE. Jinx sometimes reminds us that the buy-in happens earlier, when a player buys chips, but the ante is the buy-in for any given hand, is it not?
49. Similar (to): AKIN.
50. Exec's helper: ASST. An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.
51. Actress Thurman: UMA. Uma Thurman is an American actress. Known for her collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, she has performed in over fifty film and television productions since the 1980s.
49. Similar (to): AKIN.
50. Exec's helper: ASST. An abbreviation in the clue calls for an abbreviation in the answer.
51. Actress Thurman: UMA. Uma Thurman is an American actress. Known for her collaborations with Quentin Tarantino, she has performed in over fifty film and television productions since the 1980s.
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| Uma Thurman |
53. Draw Four card game: UNO. In UNO, the Wild Draw Four (+4) is a special action card that forces the next player to draw four cards and skip their turn.
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| UNO cards |
54. Nuclear agcy. depicted in "Oppenheimer": AEC. Atomic Energy Commission.
Here's the grid:
Solvers, did you find A FEW of today's clues to be tough for a Monday puzzle?
Were some of them SCARY?
Or did you pass this EXAM easily and get a big EGO boost from the experience?
Let us know in the comments section! It's the friendliest place on the internet.
-- NaomiZ
13 comments:
I was ready to swear the
theme was “B and B.” That’s why “ ballerina pink” threw me for a second. But once I got the reveal, I saw how it all fit together.
Good puzzle.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Today was another Wite-Out-free day. Took time out to mosey to the kitchen for a second cup of coffee, and still finished in under ten. ARLO reminds me of my Navy days at AFN Guam. I played ARLO's Alice's Restaurant on the air...but just once. STANDBYS was another reminder from the '60s. I was flying standby from Chicago to San Francisco one evening. I had no need to worry, as I was one of only four passengers on that 707. The cabin crew moved us all up to First Class and we enjoyed a wonderful flight with a great meal and free drinks. Oh, there was a puzzle. Enjoyed that too. Thanx, Zachary, Jude, NaomiZ, and the Oxford comma.
Thanks you, Zachary, Jude and NaomiZ
Cute puzzle. OUTER BANKS. And timely, given the winter storm that hammered the east coast.
It was pretty much read a clue and enter the answer day. I did have to change IS IT to IT IS. Either way could be correct for the clue. Except in this puzzle.
And, even though our blog author NaomiZ clearly pointed out last Monday that SLIER is the American English spelling and that slyer is the British English spelling, I once again entered it as slyer. EINS corrected me today.
NEOSOUL was new, and I didn't recognize the names.
BANNED BOOKS - Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451 was a page turner for me in my teens.
Character NED Ryerson is in Woodstock, IL this morning for the groundhog's prediction. I may try to watch Groundhog Day later today.
FIR, but oneil->ONEAL and aroma->SCENT.
D-O, Alice's Restaurant was a great song for a DJ to play when there was an overwhelming urge to visit the loo/wc/head/facility/potty/bathroom for more than a #1. In-A-Godda-Da-Vita was another. These days I think Alice's Restaurant is only heard on Thanksgiving.
Never heard of OUTER BANKS, but then again I don't subscribe to Netflix. The main drama this weekend was another big oceanside house tumbling into the sea. Twenty-some houses have met the same fate in the last few years.
Airlines used to offer STANDBY seats for deep discounts. I used to fly STANDBY to Las Vegas for $25 on the last flight of the day from LAX. If I did well, I would get a hotel room and return STANDBY the next evening. If I did poorly, I would return on the first flight out the next morning.
Yes, NaomiZ, I guess that logically you "buy in" to a hand with your ANTE. But using that term (as in "what's the buy-in for a hand") would brand you as a neophyte, and the sharks would immediately swarm. You would save time and disappointment by just throwing your money on the table and letting them divide it up amongst the real players.
Thanks to Messrs Brown and White for the Monday special. I wonder if you were aware that more than 20% of it was showbiz stuff. Mostly easy showbiz stuff, but still a fun sink. And thanks to NaomiZ for the interesting review. I loved the picture of the peregrine falcon. When we first retired, DW and I toyed with the idea of starting a management training shop. We even had a name picked out: The Peregrine Institute.
Jinx, after a single airing, the base commander, actually a Navy captain, ordered that Alice's Restaurant never be played again.
Are you sure Peregrine Institute would've been a good name for a business? Falcons go down very steeply and very fast.
FIR. I didn't find this to be as easy as most Mondays. There were a few names I didn't know. But the perps were there when needed.
I've seen this type of theme before but I didn't notice it as I solved and needed the reveal to fully get it.
Overall a so-so puzzle.
FIR and liked the theme, but too much of the puzzle felt more like trivial pursuit than a CW puzzle.
Thank you NaomiZ for your stellar review.
Good Morning:
I saw the Bank theme early on, but the reveal was still a nice, Aha surprise. I’ve heard of the show but have never watched it. I agree that the pop culture content is on the high side, but lots of other strong, fresh fill negates any real criticism from me: Bad Hair Day, Paella Pan, Safari Park, One Liners, Stand Bys, Neo Soul, Yoko Ono, etc. No unknowns and no w/os led to a quick, smooth, and enjoyable solve.
Thanks, Zachary and Jude, and thanks, Naomi, for the fun and facts in your informative review.
Have a great day.
Took 4:57 today for me to get up the embankment.
I knew the Actresses of the Day (Uma & Armas), and the Actors of the Day (Jesse & Ned). Seemed like a lot of names today.
I accept the fact that every LAT puzzle will have at least one name that I don’t know, but it’s usually not at 1A on a Monday, which was the case today with JESSE, but I got past that and knew all the other names which helped to get a FIR in 11+. Didn’t look for the theme till I got the reveal, and I did like the progressive spacing of BANK. Not familiar with NEO SOUL, BAE is in a lot of CWs but I’ve never used it or heard others say it. A 3 letter card game is almost always UNO, rarely war. FLO has made some entertaining commercials, but I like the current ones about “becoming your parents”. Thanks to Jude and Zach and NaomiZ for your fine work!
Just to keep the CO happy, you could have always played the late John Prine's Flag Decal.
Hola! Nice and easy today. It was a fairly quick solve. i didn't immediately know JESSE but EXAMS, SINS, SON and EMERALDS soon informed me.
Our Book Club ordered t-shirts opposing BANNED BOOKS and we are encouraged to wear them often. It's a hot topic for us as we believe books should be available for everyone with individual discretion for what to read.
I still have fond memories of eating PAELLA in Spain, made especially for us on the spot.
Most BALLERINAs wear white except when dancing for a particular role.
There were a great many names today but luckily, they were ones I know. Thanks to the constructors and to NaomiZ for entertaining us today. Have a lovely one, everyone!
Fun outing from Zachary & Jade today. Growing up in the Tidewater area of Virginia, the OUTER BANKS was a favorite go-to spot for a summer vacay. We usually rented a house in Duck on the north end, a bit away from the crowds down by Kitty Hawk and Nags Head. The TV show, however, was just a teen soap opera.
Dolly PARTON was honored (?) recently when a new snowplow in Nashville was christened "Dolly Plowton." It's really getting a work out lately.
Caitlan Clark has been on my radar for a while because my brother is a professor at U of Iowa (her alma mater) and has regaled me with stories about her "logo shots," long three-pointers from the logo painted on center court.
Naomi, I can always BANK on you to provide stellar content! And I imagine you're just a beautiful as the actress.
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