Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee, here, with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle by Mat Holmes. Mat has had puzzles published previously in other venues (The Atlantic, Universal, Defector) but I believe that this is his LAT debut. Congratulations, Mat and welcome to the asylum (er, community).
This morning's puzzle offering is perfect for those of you who are always looking for new ways to get your kicks. Now, despite the "spoiler" above, you might be thinking something along the lines of:
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks
Or, perhaps:
Asleep At The Wheel - Route 66
Or, perhaps, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes or even a couple of Nissan automobiles.
But, no. KICKS here is used in the slang connotation of athletic shoes (Silver Kicks?). Perhaps not as much fun as any/all of the above but it works very well for the puzzle. Let's start with the unifier:
59 Across: Trusted companions, or what the sets of circled letters in this puzzle literally are: SIDEKICKS.
At five places in the grid Mat has place brand names for sneakers/tennis shoes/athletic shoes. These are referred to as KICKS in contemporary slang and each name abuts a side of the puzzles. Get it? Side kicks. To help us out, or to irk those who profoundly dislike them, circles have been utilized to help us see what is fairly obvious once the theme is grokked. . . if one is familiar with the brand names involved.
Here are the places where the gimmick is employed (deployed?):
16 Across: Mark Twain lad who falls in love with Becky Thatcher: TOM SAWYER.
22 Across: Exclamation in "Tommy Boy": HOLY SCHNIKES. This solver was not familiar with this exclamation. "Tommy Boy" is a 1995 buddy flick starring Chris Farley and David Spade.
32 Across: Some family vehicles: MINIVANS.
40. Wonder Woman publisher: DC COMICS.
47 Across: Talk to: CONVERSE WITH. When this solver was in Junior High School, CONVERSE All Stars were the cool (neat, bitchen) shoe to have.
This is how everything lays out in the grid:
Here are the rest of the clues and answers:
Across:
1. Opera star Nellie with a peach dessert named for her: MELBA. Nellie MELBA (Helen Porter Mitchell) took the pseudonym Melba from her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.
6. Commercial flop: DUD. Edsel was too long. So was BOMB.
9. Outer layer: RIND. As on a watermelon.
13. Celestial hunter: ORION. The constellation.
14. Squeeze bunt result: RBI. A baseball reference. Run Batted In
15. "Same here": ME TOO. We all got this one.
18. English derby town: EPSOM. Those of you who watched Rocky & Bullwinkle might remember this:
21. Seat of power: THRONE. Both figuratively and literally. Also slang for toilet.
25. Big name in BoSox history: YAZ.
28. Chance to stand for a spell?: BEE. Spelling BEE.
29. Keep out of sight: HIDE. If you HIDE well enough then folks will find neither hide nor hair of you.
30. Cover story: ALIBI. Not as in the cover story of, say, Time Magazine. A CYA story.
36. "The Biggest Little City in the World": RENO. Self-proclaimed.
37. Umami, for one: TASTE.
39. Furry Endor denizen: EWOK. A Star Wars reference. Specifically a reference to the fictional planet Endor. EWOKs aren't meant to be left outside......they're Endor pets.
42. Japanese beer brand: ASAHI. KIRIN would also have fit the allotted space. Sapporo was too long.
43. Topple (over): KEEL. The phrase "KEEL over" originates from nautical terminology, referring to a ship capsizing or rolling so far on its side that its keel is visible.
44. Ocean Potion no.: SPF. Number is abbreviated as no. in the clue, so . . . A Sunscreen reference with a rhyming clue. Do we have a motion to salute that notion?
63. Elba of "Cats": IDRIS. A frequent visitor. Actor #2
64. In real time: LIVE.
65. Meditative discipline: ZEN. What did the ZEN master say to the hot dog vendor? Make me one with everything.
66. Connect with: TIE TO.
Down:
1. Grown-up silkworm: MOTH.
2. Greek Cupid: EROS.
3. Life partner?: LIMB. Not your soulmate. As in the expression:
4. KitchenAid alternative: BOSCH. Maybe not the first name to come to mind. Amana and Miele would both have fit the space.
5. "Blonde" star de Armas: ANA. Actor #3
6. Visine target: DRY EYE.
7. Rides with surge pricing: UBERS.
8. S, SW, or SSW: DIR. DIRection
9. Temporary stays: REPRIEVES.
10. Gentle reply to an apology: ITS OK. Several not-so-gentle replies come to mind.
11. Terrible turnout: NO ONE. The turnout cannot get much more terrible than this.
12. Geodesic structures: DOMES.
Buckminster Fuller
15. Body art that uses henna: MEHNDI. New to this solver. Thankserps.
17. Corduroy rib: WALE.
21. Yours, once: THINE. This above all....
23. __-Wan Kenobi: OBI. Another "Star Wars" reference
24. Debit slip: CHIT.
25. Football unit: YARD. An American Football reference.
26. Sir __ Guinness: ALEC. Actor #4
27. Nutrient in oysters: ZINC. The crossing YAZ helped. If y0u did not know that one then perhaps you tried IRON?
31. Car seller's concern: BOOK VALUE.
32. Ed.'s stack: MSS. Abbreviation for ManuScriptS
33. Not home: AWAY.
34. Nabe in L.A. and NYC: NOHO. Nabe = neighborhood. Abbreviated clue. Abbreviated answer. NOrth of HOuston Street in New York City. NOrth HOllywood in Los Angeles.
35. Take a little off the top: SKIM. Not a haircut reference (TRIM). A monetary (or milk) reference.
37. Ranking groups: TIERS. There can't be a TIER list for knots because they would all be tied.
38. Knee parts commonly viewed with MRIs: ACLS. Abbreviated clue . . . Plural clue . . .
41. Limo driver in the airport, e.g.: MEETER. Cute. Someone who meets someone at the airport. For some reason, MEETER made me think of greeter which led me to think of this Tim Hawkins song:
42. Astern: AFT. A nautical reference.
44. Norway neighbor: SWEDEN. It had to be either SWEDEN, Finland or Russia.
45. Evergreen tree: PINE.
47. Plotting group: CABAL. What do you call a secret CABAL of strippers who surreptitiously control the adult entertainment industry? The Illumi-naughty.
48. "SNL" alum Cheri: OTERI. Five letters, three of which are vowels. A constructor's friend. Actor #5
49. Channel for hoops fans: NBA TV. Hoops being a slang term for the game of basketball.
50. Motorized ride: E-BIKE.
51. Supermodel Klum: HEIDI. Actor #6
55. Farm unit: ACRE. 1 ACRE of land for sale, no house. That’s a lot.
56. Funny sketch: SKIT.
57. Canadian gas brand: ESSO. Derived from the initials of Standard Oil. S O
59. "__ who?": SEZ. Oh yeah?
60. Footballer's uniform: KIT. In the soccer world (or football as most of the world outside the USA calls soccer) KIT means the uniform that they players wear. So, the answer to this clue is "by definition" once one figures out the global nature of the clue.
Well, that will wrap things up for today. As it is a Wednesday, and not a Tuesday or a Thursday, I can take a day off from this:
I agree that the crossing of SCHNIKES and MEHNDI was challenging, but the circles made the theme obvious leaving only the N to filled and Nikes are very well known, ARTUR as clued was unknown to me unlike most I find names to be easier to guess than information. The pronunciation difference for Converse was also a bit tricky but the less know sneakers for me were easily perped -Tom's and DC. Joseph's write-up had just enough puns and humor to make the experience fun. I am left with two questions. Is Mat male, female or othe? and can i send another T to help. Thanks MalMan and Mat
MEHNDI? Really? Wite-Out moments: SKIN/RIND and SAC/RBI. The theme was no help at all; d-o only recognized NIKES as a brand. This one seemed tough for a Wednesday. Thanx, Mat (one T?) and Mal-Man. (Your ZEN comment was cute.)
ASAHI: I've had it at Japanese restaurants. Back in the day it was an SLR brand, repackaged as Pentax in the West.
I couldn't believe I needed a city permit to replace my aged water heater. Today an inspector is coming by to make certain it was installed according to code.
How would they even know it was being replaced? I think I would be a daring scofflaw on that one, as long as I was confident that I knew what I was doing.
I can understand the city requiring a certified plumber but needing an inspector to make sure he hooks it up correctly is ridiculous. Just adds to the cost.
Why even a plumber? Seems like calling an electrician to replace a light switch. Easy jobs that don't require a lot of theoretical or practical knowledge.
Guys, I didn't have to pay for the inspection...at least not directly. The company that installed the water heater got the permit, and notified me yesterday that the city's inspector would be coming by today. He climbed to the top of the pull-down stairway, took a photo of the water heater with his phone, and left. Inspection complete. I thought the installation fee was excessive, but I called another company for a competitive bid -- their bid was $2,000 higher. I couldn't do it myself -- I couldn't schlep that 180# water heater up into the attic. It had to be hoisted through a hatch in the garage ceiling.
Why a plumber? 1) An improperly installed gas water heater can blow up and you can kill yourself. 2) Water heater size differences may require altering the existing plumbing and gas lines. If you don't get it right, you can cause an explosion and kill yourself. 3) The temperature relief valve must be installed and tested. If it's not installed or working correctly, the water heater can blow up and you can kill yourself. 4) Soldering pipes requires the right tools and a bit of experience to do it correctly. 5) Soldering WET pipes requires a hotter torch than most homeowners would have. 6) You can flood the place if your soldered connections aren't correct. You won't know you have leaks until the system re pressurizes. 7) Water heaters have to be properly vented or you can cause a carbon monoxide issue and kill yourself. 8) They are full of water that needs to be drained. Without a nearby drain you may need a pump to get the water discharged from it. 9) They are heavy and awkward unless you have a hand truck to haul it out and haul the new one in. 10) The plumber will typically take the old one with them when they leave.
The inspection focus is for safety reasons. Are the gas and water lines properly plumbed? Is the water heater properly vented? Is the pressure relief valve properly installed?
I do most anything that needs to be done around the house. Three jobs that I always pay for: 1) Remove and Replace the Water heater 2) R&R the furnace and AC system 3) R&R the roof
Householding costs … sigh. Ours is in a “CA basement” - steep, rickety steps with no room for hand rail, and barely room to turn around - so it was pricey too when we had to replace. And, then, its 70-year-old companion - the, original-to-the-house, whole-house heater, went out too - only to discover it had asbestos — so, the added costs of abatement … OMG. And, even so, no inspector showed up 🤷♀️! And, all our temperature needs are well taken care of, for the moment.
The big problem is education. We had shop classes for wood, metal, electric, and auto. These taught the correct use of tools. Learned soldering in metal shop, also acetylene welding and arc welding, along with AP English, Math, History, and Science. I was extremely upset when my sons high school eliminated all shop classes "because they ate no longer relevant in today's education" I've installed gas stoves, dryers, repaired furnace blowers, one water heater, and every other little broken thing around the house. It isn't rocket science if you have half a brain, and can read and follow instructions! I weep for the poor education kids are getting These days.
I'm not so sure of that, Jinx! Remember Jay Leno walking around a college campus asking students questions? Acouple I remember were "who was our adversary in the cold war?" Th "e answer? "Antarctica?" The other was "Who fought in America's Civil War?" That answer? "Um, the civilians?"
Clever puzzle, creative clues, but I died on Natick hill at MENDIH and SCHNIKES. Also could not get the gimmick until MM 'sprained things. Never called footwear "kicks" in my life, and the only brand I recognized was CONVERS. (NIKE was hidden deeply in the weeds of SCNIKES,but non-the -less, I did enjoy the challenge this morning!
It was an easy puzzle until I hit the intersection of two completely unheard of unknowns-SCHNIKES & MEHNDI. Even filling the SIDE KICKS, I didn't see the connection. TOMS and DC are unknown brands and I was thinking maybe it was HOLY SCHMOKES and misspelled REPRIEVES. A DNF & FIW both.
Speaking of shoes, OC, not DC, it the in brand of overpriced sneakers.
ARTUR Schnabel was all perps. So was KIT for the soccer uniform. SOHO or NOHO- wait for the perp for the first letter.
FIR. This had more than a little bite to it, in fact the entire puzzle bites! I groaned when I saw circles, but I groaned even more when I read the clues. It was a massive WAG at the crossing of mehndi (?) and Holy what???? Schnikes???? Overall this was not even close to an enjoyable puzzle. In fact, it reeked. The only satisfying part of it is that it's done and I can permanently forget it.
FIR, thanks to the theme. It caused me to fix MEHoDI x HOLY SCHoIKES. Also DNK DC and TOMS shoes among others. Also erased ASAkI and CABoL. But I did know RENO without benefit of perps. I've played many hours of blackjack and craps in casinos there. (The Amtrack ride between RENO and Sacramento is also a beautiful trip. California Railroad Museum on one end, gambling on the other. Jinx in heaven.)
Thanks to Mat for the mostly fun humpday special, except for that gawdawful cross of MEHNDI x HOLY SCHNIKES. And thanks to our MalMan for another punny review. I loved the Kirwood Derby clip. I think I've linked that one here before, but like the succulent answering the phone "aloe," it never gets old.
I agree with Big Easy, an easy puzzle except for the theme. I had know idea that shoes were called KICKS and anyway the only one I recognized was CONVERSE. And that awful Natick MEHNDI crossing SCHNIKES hid the NIKES the only other shoe I might have known.
The rest, as I said was easy. My only unknowns were YAZ, ARTUR as clued, and ASAHI, but perps took care of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed MM’s recap. Cute little MANATEE in the shoe.
Hola! Thanks to Mat and Malman for waking me up this morning. Well, almost. I may return to bed. The puzzle was a tad challenging but I saw the shoes in the circles; however, I'm not familiar with TOMS nor have I ever heard shoes called SIDEKICKS. Having read all of Dick Francis' books, I know about EPSOM. MEHNDI is a total unknown to me. Of course, I know nothing about body art. IDRIS, though! Yes! Have a lovely day, everyone!
I enjoyed both the puzzle and the review. I hadn't heard of TOM'S or DC shoes but the other three were no brainers. I did look at both CONVERSE and VANS to understand that the missing letter would be the N in NIKES. I think I've seen MEHNDI clued as a synonym of henna in other puzzles, but couldn't recall the spelling.
Chris Farley's SIDEKICK in Tommy Boy was David Spade. HOLY SCHNIKES!
Yes, MM, CONVERSE Chuck Taylors. White only, because that's what we wore on the basketball court. The "rule" in our school was: No street shoes or boots on the gym floor!
CONVERSE WITH always seemed stiff or formal to me. We would simply talk with someone. Although converse feels stiff, it's always been easier on my ears than when I hear a young person say they conversate, had conversated with, or are/were conversating with someone.
Why does it grate? TIL from Merriam-Webster that conversate is a real word and it has been around a lot longer than we might have thought.
Paul Revere and the Raiders' hit song KICKS got a lot of the airplay on the radio. It sounded like a melodic PSA against drug abuse. I learned later that IT WAS about the dangers of abusing drugs. I still love that song. The video you linked is my favorite version of that song.
Not only peach MELBA, but also MELBA toast.
I liked "1 ACRE of land for sale, no house. That’s a lot."
Great job, Manatee. I think that the four of you rotating brings a new freshness to the blog.
TTP, back when I was in high school many decades ago, we'd have dances in the gym after Friday night basketball games. As you mentioned, no street shoes allowed. That's why we called 'em sock hops.
D-O, that makes sense. Sock hops. Before my time. I knew of them, but never knew (or questioned) why they were called sock hops. I guess I just thought that was slang for what dances were called in the 50s. I mean your generation had its own slang too.
The theme went right over my head because I didn’t have the interest or desire to parse those circled letters after being accosted by the ridiculous crossing of Mehndi and Holy Schnikes. That crossing ruined the entire puzzle and should never have been allowed, IMO.
Thanks, MalMan, for injecting some much-needed humor into this solve.
Musings -No one in my life has used kicks for footwear (nor TOMS) but HOLY SCHNIKES is familiar -Every boy in my misspent yute word CONVERSE tennis shoes and now they are fashionable for girls -Peach MELBA seems more chic than MELBA toast -A bad squeeze bunt can result in an OUT -I remember Liza Doolittle at another 4-letter horse race in ASCOT -I’m guessing Mat was glad to find the seemimngly random HSBC and perhaps MEHNDI for fill -I can remember several lame ALIBIS I have used that I should have just told the truth -The movie Casiono showed how Vegas once featured a huge SKIM for mob bosses -Does anyone else see a resemblance between this actress and Cheri O’TERI? This is a series recommended by Irish! -The plumbing company we have used for 30 years did not come with a permit or inspector. During our three-day power outage, I discovered I could not bear a cold shower!!
"A bad squeeze bunt can result in an OUT." No, a good squeeze bunt results in an OUT. A great squeeze bunt doesn't result in an OUT, and a terrible squeeze bunt results in a double play.
Enjoyed the puzzle and the recap muchly! Thanks, Mat & Manatee. I too liked the Zen joke, and the sneaker manatee pic. And the several songs❣️ Tom Lehrer always tickles me. I love Mehndi - I first saw it, on a young Cambodian bride, in Pnom Pehn in ‘74-75, when I worked there as a med tech (for world vision intl). Tried to add a pic - alas, did not work - anyway, it was beautiful - & so was she. Y’all have a great day❣️
OH❣️ also thx for Rocky&Bullwinkle & “The Kirwood Derby”❣️ Just last week I had the great pleasure of introducing R&B-et al to my 10yo & 8yo grandkids - who had to good sense to laugh along🤪 😂 w/ their Oma. ‘Twas great FUN❣️
Happy to help provide a smile or two, Sophia. R&B were a major influence on me (The Ruby Yacht, etc, etc). It provided an early exposure to puns. FWIW, Valerie's male cat is named Rocket J. Cat. He's small, gray, and flies through the air. The female is named Sophie!
Slight thread drift, but I also chuckled at Harvey Korman's Hedley Lamarr, John Hillerman's Howard Johnson and Madeline Kahn's Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles.
When they first ran Blazing Saddles on TV I got so angry at the cutting and bleeping that I called ABC to complain. A silent campfire scene. "Somebody go back and get a roll of dimes". Lili von Stuh. What they did to "stampeding women and raping cattle" was the final straw.
A different view for me. Mehndi filled in easy as my wife is Sikh. She has henna applied to her hands on special occasions such as Diwali 🪔 the Hindi festival of lights. It is a spectacular event.
However, I had 🤷 no idea who Yaz was and relied on perps to complete the clue.
Oy. Those who read my comments already know what I'm gonna pitch a fit about: 28 names; DNK 10.
AND I thought I got the theme early, but then TOMS, VANS, and DC filled. Those are shoes? Never heard of them. So I wondered if I had sussed the theme correctly.
Between all the names I DNK and just not feeling mentally on top of it this morning, I have to take a DNF: I filled all the cells, but had to go online, turn on red-letter help, and even then do several alpha runs. As soon as I hafta do an alpha run, I "award" myself a DNF. Spent almost a half hour limping to the finish line.
Overall, in spite of a few clever clues (28A, 9D, 31D), I hated this CW. FAR too many names. A few really lame clues like 41D, and the SCHNIKES/MEHNDI crossing, really sealed the coffin on this CW.
W/O: OSTER/BOSCH. Needed many perps for that, as MalMan said, lotsa names fit. I have several Oster products, but not a single Bosch. Another W/O: BEALL/BEALE. Like I said, in spite of shovels full of caffeine, I can't seem to sharpen my wits this morning.
Sorry, MH, I did not appreciate your creation. Waaaay too many names, including sneakers I'd never heard of.
MalMan your write-up was the best part of today's experience. I especially liked the "Bullwinkle" cartoon. Your illustration of Orion backs up what I posted yesterday: it takes TOO much imagination to see an archer in those stars. Learning moment: ESSO is an abbreviation for Standard Oil. Thanx, MalMan for your wit, information, and all your time and effort.
Like the current Mess ‘o potamia in the Middle East I also ended up making a mess of the Middle East of the puzzle.
“Henna” stuff unknown and didn’t get the KiCKS thing. Didn’t remember the “Tommy Boy” phrase. Had iss (issue) for MSS and trimfor SKIM, sOHO, so I missed out on MINIVAN. Had HSBE (England?) thus BOSES (headphones not really appliances) instead of BOSCH
When I ask for a trimI mean “take a little off the sides”💈but the clue was not about a haircut 🫤
Now I get BEE. Clever
Done with residency in 1984 and starting practice with enough money now to buy a new car. With 3 little kids went looking for a station wagon when the dealer shows me instead a new kind of vehicle: a “Minivan”. Perfect. Bought one of the last available in Rochester NY. That summer we drove to Disney World. Took out the middle seat to make room for the kids to play . (If you did that today you’d be rightfully arrested for child endangerment). Since 1984 DW has owned a series of Minivans ever since.
Ray-O, that's a pretty story about getting your first MINIVAN and then having one ever since. Our SUV is much more featured and more comfortable, but our minivan was much more versatile.
I knew the Actors of the Day (Ben, Alec, and Idris) and I've seen Tommy Boy a few times, so I knew "Holy Schnikes," (though unsure of the spelling), but Mehndi, the pianist, DC shoes, and a few other were unknowns.
It took a couple correct WAGs (the N in MEHNDI and the H in NOHO) to FIR in 13:39, in what I thought was a fair Wednesday puzzle. Not familiar with TOMS or DC, had many a pair of high-top Chuck Taylor CONVERSE in the past, NIKES are too narrow for me, currently have two pairs of VANS, but Skechers (which didn't make the cut here) are the most comfortable shoes I’ve found. Thank you Mat for the challenge, and to MM for the expo!
I caught part of this on the morning news earlier...
The commercial showing the CEO of McDonald's eating their new Big Arch burger spurred the internet into commentary:
I'd like to see the CEO of Duracell open a package of their batteries. I'd like to see the CEO of IKEA assemble a piece of their furniture. I'd like to see the CEO of Planet Fitness try to cancel their membership. I'd like to see the CEO of HP setup a printer. I'd like to see the CEO of Ticketmaster try to buy concert tickets during a presale. I'd like to see the CEO of Marshalls take the stickers off their products. I'd like to see the CEO of Comcast call in for customer service. I'd like to see the CEO of Nature Valley Bars eat one for lunch without getting ten billion crumbs all over his desk. I'd like to see the CEO of any airline sit in the middle seat of an economy class cross country flight.
That's the kind of list that can go on and on. Any more?
Without the theme, that MEHNDI/SCHNIKES Natick would have been a total guess, but the N in Nikes solved that issue. KIT perped, but I needed MalMan's explanation. I FIR, but I'm with those who didn't like the puzzle. And now I want to read MM's rundown more carefully to see if he addressed how it's known that "schikes" has a C in it. At least I didn't miss the ZEN/hot dog joke.
Pleasant Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Mat. And thanks for your always helpful commentary too, Mal Man.
Well, a puzzle that starts with the word DUD in the first line doesn't promise to be very positive. But it's good to see a DRY EYE attached to it, telling us IT'S OK and won't create any sad tears. An ALIBI pops up with DC COMICS, which should be cheerful and delightful, and REPRIEVES us from the worries that the yelling of HOLY SCHNIKES sent around to everybody. After all that anxiety I decided to go to SWEDEN and visit HEIDI, looking forward to a pleasant ride with her on an E BIKE. A good move in the end, don't you think?
Have a good and healthy rest of the day, everybody.
I was a little surprised that MM's star chart didn't show ORION's faithful hunting dog, Sirius (unless I missed it.) DW's first Irish Wolfhound was named ORION, and the first one we got together was named Sirius.
I did make it through the Mehndi crossing but Asahi and Noho go me. I had no idea. DC and Toms are sneakers!? I knew a lot of the names which saved me. I enjoyed reading these comments. I'm handy myself but I don't go on the roof and no HVAC units. I have done a water heater but it was electric. Big difference. I also enjoyed the recap MM. This puzzle was a little aggravating for Wednesday.
Once I realized we were looking for shoes, Nike finished up “Holy Schnikes”. The rest went smoothly. Thanks MalMan, favorite was Illumi-naughty! And thanks Mat for clever puzzle! Loved your rant, TTP!
Re: MEHNDI: Ok, we have a South Asian provenence here, between Punjab and Cambodia, using henna as a tattoo ... but Merriam-Webster has no entry for the word, leaving us gringos still wildly uninformed what it means and where it came from and why it would show up in today's Schnike-fest.
Never wasted my time on Tommy Boy so that was a bust. Finished with a minimum of “help” today in some of the same clues already mentioned above. Have had several hw heaters installed over the years. My plumber is expensive, but I’ve never had to call him back after a job ever, so I pay him. Happy trails all.
Fun puzzle - probably helped that I know that KICKS are slang for shoes. One of my partners is a big fan of having a large collection of KICKS in bright colors that match his shirts and ties. TOMS is the brand that donated a pair of shoes for every pair sold when it started in 2006, it had donated 100 million pairs when it discontinued that program in 2021 and shifted to donating 1/3 of it's profits to charitable organizations It was fun to see a few baseball clues/answers on Opening Day for MLB Thanks MalMan for the blog and congrats Mat for the debut
Ojai guy. Thought this was a pretty typical Wednesday. I don't really care about circles. I know some solvers hate them but they helped me get the ( N ) AS IN NATICK for the win.
Holy WHAT?
ReplyDeleteAnd its cross was no help whatsoever.
DNF, and Good Riddance to this very unfair puzzle!
Amazing that you were able to finish Saturday’s offering SubG but struggled with this one.
DeleteI agree that the crossing of SCHNIKES and MEHNDI was challenging, but the circles made the theme obvious leaving only the N to filled and Nikes are very well known, ARTUR as clued was unknown to me unlike most I find names to be easier to guess than information. The pronunciation difference for Converse was also a bit tricky but the less know sneakers for me were easily perped -Tom's and DC. Joseph's write-up had just enough puns and humor to make the experience fun. I am left with two questions. Is Mat male, female or othe? and can i send another T to help. Thanks MalMan and Mat
ReplyDeleteMale. No women have ever seen Tommy Boy.
DeleteMy wife and daughters beg to differ.
Delete😂
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMEHNDI? Really? Wite-Out moments: SKIN/RIND and SAC/RBI. The theme was no help at all; d-o only recognized NIKES as a brand. This one seemed tough for a Wednesday. Thanx, Mat (one T?) and Mal-Man. (Your ZEN comment was cute.)
ASAHI: I've had it at Japanese restaurants. Back in the day it was an SLR brand, repackaged as Pentax in the West.
I couldn't believe I needed a city permit to replace my aged water heater. Today an inspector is coming by to make certain it was installed according to code.
How would they even know it was being replaced? I think I would be a daring scofflaw on that one, as long as I was confident that I knew what I was doing.
DeleteI can understand the city requiring a certified plumber but needing an inspector to make sure he hooks it up correctly is ridiculous. Just adds to the cost.
DeleteWhy even a plumber? Seems like calling an electrician to replace a light switch. Easy jobs that don't require a lot of theoretical or practical knowledge.
DeleteMy grand nephew replaced his own water heater last month and he’s not a plumber, just handy around the house.
DeleteGuys, I didn't have to pay for the inspection...at least not directly. The company that installed the water heater got the permit, and notified me yesterday that the city's inspector would be coming by today. He climbed to the top of the pull-down stairway, took a photo of the water heater with his phone, and left. Inspection complete. I thought the installation fee was excessive, but I called another company for a competitive bid -- their bid was $2,000 higher. I couldn't do it myself -- I couldn't schlep that 180# water heater up into the attic. It had to be hoisted through a hatch in the garage ceiling.
DeleteWhy a plumber?
Delete1) An improperly installed gas water heater can blow up and you can kill yourself.
2) Water heater size differences may require altering the existing plumbing and gas lines. If you don't get it right, you can cause an explosion and kill yourself.
3) The temperature relief valve must be installed and tested. If it's not installed or working correctly, the water heater can blow up and you can kill yourself.
4) Soldering pipes requires the right tools and a bit of experience to do it correctly.
5) Soldering WET pipes requires a hotter torch than most homeowners would have.
6) You can flood the place if your soldered connections aren't correct. You won't know you have leaks until the system re pressurizes.
7) Water heaters have to be properly vented or you can cause a carbon monoxide issue and kill yourself.
8) They are full of water that needs to be drained. Without a nearby drain you may need a pump to get the water discharged from it.
9) They are heavy and awkward unless you have a hand truck to haul it out and haul the new one in.
10) The plumber will typically take the old one with them when they leave.
The inspection focus is for safety reasons. Are the gas and water lines properly plumbed? Is the water heater properly vented? Is the pressure relief valve properly installed?
I do most anything that needs to be done around the house. Three jobs that I always pay for:
1) Remove and Replace the Water heater
2) R&R the furnace and AC system
3) R&R the roof
Householding costs … sigh. Ours is in a “CA basement” - steep, rickety steps with no room for hand rail, and barely room to turn around - so it was pricey too when we had to replace. And, then, its 70-year-old companion - the, original-to-the-house, whole-house heater, went out too - only to discover it had asbestos — so, the added costs of abatement … OMG. And, even so, no inspector showed up 🤷♀️! And, all our temperature needs are well taken care of, for the moment.
DeleteTTP, thank you for being the voice of reason.
Delete💦👍🏻
DeleteThe big problem is education. We had shop classes for wood, metal, electric, and auto. These taught the correct use of tools. Learned soldering in metal shop, also acetylene welding and arc welding, along with AP English, Math, History, and Science. I was extremely upset when my sons high school eliminated all shop classes "because they ate no longer relevant in today's education" I've installed gas stoves, dryers, repaired furnace blowers, one water heater, and every other little broken thing around the house. It isn't rocket science if you have half a brain, and can read and follow instructions! I weep for the poor education kids are getting These days.
DeleteD-O....You.bet you.paid directly for that.inspection! That fee did not come out of the plumbers pocket!
DeleteHey Charlie Echo - at least kids these days master reading, writing, math, history and science by graduation. Right?
DeleteI'm not so sure of that, Jinx! Remember Jay Leno walking around a college campus asking students questions? Acouple I remember were "who was our adversary in the cold war?" Th "e answer? "Antarctica?" The other was "Who fought in America's Civil War?" That answer? "Um, the civilians?"
DeleteHoly Schnikes!
ReplyDeleteClever puzzle, creative clues, but I died on Natick hill at MENDIH and SCHNIKES. Also could not get the gimmick until MM 'sprained things. Never called footwear "kicks" in my life, and the only brand I recognized was CONVERS. (NIKE was hidden deeply in the weeds of SCNIKES,but non-the -less, I did enjoy the challenge this morning!
ReplyDeleteIt was an easy puzzle until I hit the intersection of two completely unheard of unknowns-SCHNIKES & MEHNDI. Even filling the SIDE KICKS, I didn't see the connection. TOMS and DC are unknown brands and I was thinking maybe it was HOLY SCHMOKES and misspelled REPRIEVES. A DNF & FIW both.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of shoes, OC, not DC, it the in brand of overpriced sneakers.
ARTUR Schnabel was all perps. So was KIT for the soccer uniform.
SOHO or NOHO- wait for the perp for the first letter.
MEHNDI and SCHNIKES, just like everybody else. As satisfying as stumbling at the finish line.
ReplyDeleteFIR. This had more than a little bite to it, in fact the entire puzzle bites! I groaned when I saw circles, but I groaned even more when I read the clues. It was a massive WAG at the crossing of mehndi (?) and Holy what???? Schnikes????
ReplyDeleteOverall this was not even close to an enjoyable puzzle. In fact, it reeked. The only satisfying part of it is that it's done and I can permanently forget it.
FIR, thanks to the theme. It caused me to fix MEHoDI x HOLY SCHoIKES. Also DNK DC and TOMS shoes among others. Also erased ASAkI and CABoL. But I did know RENO without benefit of perps. I've played many hours of blackjack and craps in casinos there. (The Amtrack ride between RENO and Sacramento is also a beautiful trip. California Railroad Museum on one end, gambling on the other. Jinx in heaven.)
ReplyDeleteThanks to Mat for the mostly fun humpday special, except for that gawdawful cross of MEHNDI x HOLY SCHNIKES. And thanks to our MalMan for another punny review. I loved the Kirwood Derby clip. I think I've linked that one here before, but like the succulent answering the phone "aloe," it never gets old.
I agree with Big Easy, an easy puzzle except for the theme. I had know idea that shoes were called KICKS and anyway the only one I recognized was CONVERSE. And that awful Natick MEHNDI crossing SCHNIKES hid the NIKES the only other shoe I might have known.
ReplyDeleteThe rest, as I said was easy. My only unknowns were YAZ, ARTUR as clued, and ASAHI, but perps took care of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed MM’s recap. Cute little MANATEE in the shoe.
That should be NO not know. Sorry.
DeleteMethinks that's a sea lion, not a manatee.
DeleteI agree now that I look at it again. It’s cute anyway.
DeleteHola! Thanks to Mat and Malman for waking me up this morning. Well, almost. I may return to bed.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle was a tad challenging but I saw the shoes in the circles; however, I'm not familiar with TOMS nor have I ever heard shoes called SIDEKICKS.
Having read all of Dick Francis' books, I know about EPSOM.
MEHNDI is a total unknown to me. Of course, I know nothing about body art.
IDRIS, though! Yes! Have a lovely day, everyone!
Thank you, Matt and Manatee
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both the puzzle and the review. I hadn't heard of TOM'S or DC shoes but the other three were no brainers. I did look at both CONVERSE and VANS to understand that the missing letter would be the N in NIKES. I think I've seen MEHNDI clued as a synonym of henna in other puzzles, but couldn't recall the spelling.
Chris Farley's SIDEKICK in Tommy Boy was David Spade. HOLY SCHNIKES!
Yes, MM, CONVERSE Chuck Taylors. White only, because that's what we wore on the basketball court. The "rule" in our school was: No street shoes or boots on the gym floor!
CONVERSE WITH always seemed stiff or formal to me. We would simply talk with someone. Although converse feels stiff, it's always been easier on my ears than when I hear a young person say they conversate, had conversated with, or are/were conversating with someone.
Why does it grate? TIL from Merriam-Webster that conversate is a real word and it has been around a lot longer than we might have thought.
Paul Revere and the Raiders' hit song KICKS got a lot of the airplay on the radio. It sounded like a melodic PSA against drug abuse. I learned later that IT WAS about the dangers of abusing drugs. I still love that song. The video you linked is my favorite version of that song.
Not only peach MELBA, but also MELBA toast.
I liked "1 ACRE of land for sale, no house. That’s a lot."
Great job, Manatee. I think that the four of you rotating brings a new freshness to the blog.
TTP, back when I was in high school many decades ago, we'd have dances in the gym after Friday night basketball games. As you mentioned, no street shoes allowed. That's why we called 'em sock hops.
DeleteSawdust not to ruin the gym floor.
DeleteD-O, that makes sense. Sock hops. Before my time. I knew of them, but never knew (or questioned) why they were called sock hops. I guess I just thought that was slang for what dances were called in the 50s. I mean your generation had its own slang too.
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe theme went right over my head because I didn’t have the interest or desire to parse those circled letters after being accosted by the ridiculous crossing of Mehndi and Holy Schnikes. That crossing ruined the entire puzzle and should never have been allowed, IMO.
Thanks, MalMan, for injecting some much-needed humor into this solve.
Have a great day.
Musings
ReplyDelete-No one in my life has used kicks for footwear (nor TOMS) but HOLY SCHNIKES is familiar
-Every boy in my misspent yute word CONVERSE tennis shoes and now they are fashionable for girls
-Peach MELBA seems more chic than MELBA toast
-A bad squeeze bunt can result in an OUT
-I remember Liza Doolittle at another 4-letter horse race in ASCOT
-I’m guessing Mat was glad to find the seemimngly random HSBC and perhaps MEHNDI for fill
-I can remember several lame ALIBIS I have used that I should have just told the truth
-The movie Casiono showed how Vegas once featured a huge SKIM for mob bosses
-Does anyone else see a resemblance between this actress and Cheri O’TERI? This is a series recommended by Irish!
-The plumbing company we have used for 30 years did not come with a permit or inspector. During our three-day power outage, I discovered I could not bear a cold shower!!
"A bad squeeze bunt can result in an OUT." No, a good squeeze bunt results in an OUT. A great squeeze bunt doesn't result in an OUT, and a terrible squeeze bunt results in a double play.
DeleteThe clue should be squeeze bunt result (abbreviation). I entered run.
DeleteEnjoyed the puzzle and the recap muchly! Thanks, Mat & Manatee. I too liked the Zen joke, and the sneaker manatee pic. And the several songs❣️ Tom Lehrer always tickles me. I love Mehndi - I first saw it, on a young Cambodian bride, in Pnom Pehn in ‘74-75, when I worked there as a med tech (for world vision intl). Tried to add a pic - alas, did not work - anyway, it was beautiful - & so was she. Y’all have a great day❣️
ReplyDelete& clever acre-no house-lot joke!
DeleteOH❣️ also thx for Rocky&Bullwinkle & “The Kirwood Derby”❣️ Just last week I had the great pleasure of introducing R&B-et al to my 10yo & 8yo grandkids - who had to good sense to laugh along🤪 😂 w/ their Oma. ‘Twas great FUN❣️
DeleteHappy to help provide a smile or two, Sophia. R&B were a major influence on me (The Ruby Yacht, etc, etc). It provided an early exposure to puns. FWIW, Valerie's male cat is named Rocket J. Cat. He's small, gray, and flies through the air. The female is named Sophie!
DeleteSlight thread drift, but I also chuckled at Harvey Korman's Hedley Lamarr, John Hillerman's Howard Johnson and Madeline Kahn's Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles.
DeleteWhen they first ran Blazing Saddles on TV I got so angry at the cutting and bleeping that I called ABC to complain. A silent campfire scene. "Somebody go back and get a roll of dimes". Lili von Stuh. What they did to "stampeding women and raping cattle" was the final straw.
DeleteA different view for me. Mehndi filled in easy as my wife is Sikh. She has henna applied to her hands on special occasions such as Diwali 🪔 the Hindi festival of lights. It is a spectacular event.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I had 🤷 no idea who Yaz was and relied on perps to complete the clue.
I’ve never heard of Tom’s or DC brand shoes.
Oy. Those who read my comments already know what I'm gonna pitch a fit about: 28 names; DNK 10.
ReplyDeleteAND I thought I got the theme early, but then TOMS, VANS, and DC filled. Those are shoes? Never heard of them. So I wondered if I had sussed the theme correctly.
Between all the names I DNK and just not feeling mentally on top of it this morning, I have to take a DNF: I filled all the cells, but had to go online, turn on red-letter help, and even then do several alpha runs. As soon as I hafta do an alpha run, I "award" myself a DNF. Spent almost a half hour limping to the finish line.
Overall, in spite of a few clever clues (28A, 9D, 31D), I hated this CW. FAR too many names. A few really lame clues like 41D, and the SCHNIKES/MEHNDI crossing, really sealed the coffin on this CW.
W/O: OSTER/BOSCH. Needed many perps for that, as MalMan said, lotsa names fit. I have several Oster products, but not a single Bosch. Another W/O: BEALL/BEALE. Like I said, in spite of shovels full of caffeine, I can't seem to sharpen my wits this morning.
Sorry, MH, I did not appreciate your creation. Waaaay too many names, including sneakers I'd never heard of.
MalMan your write-up was the best part of today's experience. I especially liked the "Bullwinkle" cartoon. Your illustration of Orion backs up what I posted yesterday: it takes TOO much imagination to see an archer in those stars. Learning moment: ESSO is an abbreviation for Standard Oil. Thanx, MalMan for your wit, information, and all your time and effort.
Like the current Mess ‘o potamia in the Middle East I also ended up making a mess of the Middle East of the puzzle.
ReplyDelete“Henna” stuff unknown and didn’t get the KiCKS thing. Didn’t remember the “Tommy Boy” phrase. Had iss (issue) for MSS and trimfor SKIM, sOHO, so I missed out on MINIVAN. Had HSBE (England?) thus BOSES (headphones not really appliances) instead of BOSCH
When I ask for a trimI mean “take a little off the sides”💈but the clue was not about a haircut 🫤
Now I get BEE. Clever
Done with residency in 1984 and starting practice with enough money now to buy a new car. With 3 little kids went looking for a station wagon when the dealer shows me instead a new kind of vehicle: a “Minivan”. Perfect. Bought one of the last available in Rochester NY. That summer we drove to Disney World. Took out the middle seat to make room for the kids to play . (If you did that today you’d be rightfully arrested for child endangerment). Since 1984 DW has owned a series of Minivans ever since.
Have a great 🐫 day 🙂
Ray-O, that's a pretty story about getting your first MINIVAN and then having one ever since. Our SUV is much more featured and more comfortable, but our minivan was much more versatile.
DeleteOur other car has been mostly been an SUV. Great for our upstate snowy winters.
DeleteTook 6:08 today to lace these up.
ReplyDeleteI knew the Actors of the Day (Ben, Alec, and Idris) and I've seen Tommy Boy a few times, so I knew "Holy Schnikes," (though unsure of the spelling), but Mehndi, the pianist, DC shoes, and a few other were unknowns.
The juice wasn't worth the squeeze (bunt).
Oh joy, circles!
It took a couple correct WAGs (the N in MEHNDI and the H in NOHO) to FIR in 13:39, in what I thought was a fair Wednesday puzzle. Not familiar with TOMS or DC, had many a pair of high-top Chuck Taylor CONVERSE in the past, NIKES are too narrow for me, currently have two pairs of VANS, but Skechers (which didn't make the cut here) are the most comfortable shoes I’ve found. Thank you Mat for the challenge, and to MM for the expo!
ReplyDeleteI try to live by the rule of Thumper, but Holy Shnikes! Ever since I finished this puzzle, I keep smelling old sneakers!...
ReplyDeleteLoved the write up! Thanks MalMan!
I caught part of this on the morning news earlier...
ReplyDeleteThe commercial showing the CEO of McDonald's eating their new Big Arch burger spurred the internet into commentary:
I'd like to see the CEO of Duracell open a package of their batteries.
I'd like to see the CEO of IKEA assemble a piece of their furniture.
I'd like to see the CEO of Planet Fitness try to cancel their membership.
I'd like to see the CEO of HP setup a printer.
I'd like to see the CEO of Ticketmaster try to buy concert tickets during a presale.
I'd like to see the CEO of Marshalls take the stickers off their products.
I'd like to see the CEO of Comcast call in for customer service.
I'd like to see the CEO of Nature Valley Bars eat one for lunch without getting ten billion crumbs all over his desk.
I'd like to see the CEO of any airline sit in the middle seat of an economy class cross country flight.
That's the kind of list that can go on and on. Any more?
I'd like to see the CEO of Spotify try to cancel their membership.
DeleteWithout the theme, that MEHNDI/SCHNIKES Natick would have been a total guess, but the N in Nikes solved that issue. KIT perped, but I needed MalMan's explanation. I FIR, but I'm with those who didn't like the puzzle. And now I want to read MM's rundown more carefully to see if he addressed how it's known that "schikes" has a C in it. At least I didn't miss the ZEN/hot dog joke.
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteMalMan - as we discussed off-line, you were quite "illumi-naughty" today! ;^)
My score for today's puzzle has, as a reference, a connection with your image of ORION and its famous "belt" ... I give this "three stars"
Pleasant Wednesday puzzle, many thanks, Mat. And thanks for your always helpful commentary too, Mal Man.
ReplyDeleteWell, a puzzle that starts with the word DUD in the first line doesn't promise to be very positive. But it's good to see a DRY EYE attached to it, telling us IT'S OK and won't create any sad tears. An ALIBI pops up with DC COMICS, which should be cheerful and delightful, and REPRIEVES us from the worries that the yelling of HOLY SCHNIKES sent around to everybody. After all that anxiety I decided to go to SWEDEN and visit HEIDI, looking forward to a pleasant ride with her on an E BIKE. A good move in the end, don't you think?
Have a good and healthy rest of the day, everybody.
I was a little surprised that MM's star chart didn't show ORION's faithful hunting dog, Sirius (unless I missed it.) DW's first Irish Wolfhound was named ORION, and the first one we got together was named Sirius.
ReplyDeleteYou can’t be Serious!! 🧐
Delete...and don't call me Shirley
DeleteI did make it through the Mehndi crossing but Asahi and Noho go me. I had no idea. DC and Toms are sneakers!? I knew a lot of the names which saved me. I enjoyed reading these comments. I'm handy myself but I don't go on the roof and no HVAC units. I have done a water heater but it was electric. Big difference. I also enjoyed the recap MM. This puzzle was a little aggravating for Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this Wednesday challenge, but was more amused by TTP’s plumbing “rant.” Lol
ReplyDeleteHands up for HOLY SCHmoKES first.
ReplyDeleteOnce I realized we were looking for shoes, Nike finished up “Holy Schnikes”. The rest went smoothly. Thanks MalMan, favorite was
ReplyDeleteIllumi-naughty! And thanks Mat for clever puzzle! Loved your rant, TTP!
Re: MEHNDI: Ok, we have a South Asian provenence here, between Punjab and Cambodia, using henna as a tattoo ... but Merriam-Webster has no entry for the word, leaving us gringos still wildly uninformed what it means and where it came from and why it would show up in today's Schnike-fest.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading all your comments.
ReplyDeleteNever wasted my time on Tommy Boy so that was a bust. Finished with a minimum of “help” today in some of the same clues already mentioned above. Have had several hw heaters installed over the years. My plumber is expensive, but I’ve never had to call him back after a job ever, so I pay him. Happy trails all.
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle - probably helped that I know that KICKS are slang for shoes. One of my partners is a big fan of having a large collection of KICKS in bright colors that match his shirts and ties.
ReplyDeleteTOMS is the brand that donated a pair of shoes for every pair sold when it started in 2006, it had donated 100 million pairs when it discontinued that program in 2021 and shifted to donating 1/3 of it's profits to charitable organizations
It was fun to see a few baseball clues/answers on Opening Day for MLB
Thanks MalMan for the blog and congrats Mat for the debut
Ojai guy. Thought this was a pretty typical Wednesday. I don't really care about circles. I know some solvers hate them but they helped me get the ( N ) AS IN NATICK for the win.
ReplyDelete