Today makes three solid Friday frolics in a row - Lynn Lempel ( see below ), a seasoned constructor who started making crosswords in the 1970s, now has a total of 104 puzzles published, the EGOT of one for each day, and a whopping 74 of those grids on Monday alone - typically the hardest ones to make, as the clues & answers need to be uncomplicated early in the week. Today we have the added, silent "W" to "R" words that completely change the definition of said words & phrases. A very clever, tight group of in-language phrases, and none of the tripe I do not care for in crosswords - nary a Twurd to be found. A standard 15 x 15 grid, no circles, a few more names than I would like, but most of them not so obscure, a 3LW count just two higher than the number of 5-letter words - and three ovine references. The four, all 11-letter themers;
17. Get-together before the holidays?: WRAP SESSION - Rap session
Goes well with 56 Across
30. Bicycles and airplanes?: WRIGHT STUFF - ( The ) Right Stuff, a movie - I had another play on the word/name 'Wright' in this crossword
45. Broken-down washing machine?: DEAD WRINGER - A washer's "rinse" cycle spins up to a speed high enough to "wring" out one's clothes. Dead Ringer - two meanings; the truth one, and the false(th) one - and a movie ( pluralized ) as well
61. "Good job on that coup you pulled off"?: WELL WRESTED - Well-rested, a slight outlier with the hyphen
But Wait, Thewre's Mowre~!
ACROSS:
1. Homes in the sticks?: NESTS - Har-har~! I reached out to sumdaze for an Eagle update; her words -
"As it turns out, the two chicks just hatched this [last] weekend so these are very exciting times on the nest! The parents are Shadow & Jackie. The two chick will not get names until they're much bigger."
6. Fabric for a fez: FELT - Alliteration
10. World Series org.: MLB - Major League Baseball - we're officially into the 2026 season
13. Puff piece?: ÈCLAIR
Nom-nom, yum-yum, win-win~!
15. Boba option: ALOE - filled via perps; #18 on the chart - see 44D. below
16. Wearable souvenir: TEE - T-shirt, like from a concert, and not "LEI" - TEE comes in at #43
19. By way of: VIA
20. Big band member?: TUBA - I think the "?" could have been left out on a Friday
21. Puss in Boots, for one: CAT - I am not having much success with finding a Schnauzer rescue, so now I am considering getting me a kitty-cat - I like the idea of a cat, and I have field mice that get into the basement on occasion ( though not this winter, and it was a cold winter ), but I need to "claw-proof" some things, and then I am going down to the shelter.
26. Gives a hoot: CARES - Our constructor is old school, like me
Woodsy says, "Give a hoot, don't pollute"
27. __-Man: PAC
34. "Killers of the Flower Moon" people: OSAGE - I do the Downs first, so I was 60% filled VIA perps
36. One who might make a ewe turn?: RAM - Sheep humor #2
37. Like avocados: OVAL
38. Peru's "City of Kings": LIMA - geo name #1
39. Brand of riding mowers: DEERE - name(ish); my tractor is a Massey Ferguson, and I got a flat last year - need to address this problem soon
41. Irk: RILE
42. Genesis plot: EDEN - a garden plot of dirt, that is . . .
43. Before, in verse: ERE - #4 on the list
44. Many a Chopin piece: ETUDE
49. Distress signal: SOS - #223
50. Word in some English place-names: SHIRE - The shire reeve came to be pronounced "sheriff"
No dagnubbit, the sheriff is a - . . .
51. College World Series org.: NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Assoc. - the Wiki
53. Hummus ingredient: TAHINI - I wanted CHICK PEA to fit, but I had two extra "beans"
55. Tower of note: AAA - Tow - er, like Flow-er = 'river'; the author got me this time - Triple A being this organization since 1902 - I did not know it was THAT old . . .
56. Ductwork sealer: TAPE - actually, it's the one thing Duct Tape is not good for - foil tape is better
60. __ Bravo: RIO - geo name #2, and slides into the top 100 at #99
64. Blow it: ERR - just misses the Top Ten at #12
65. Some long-term investments, briefly: IRAs - #27 in the singular
66. Considered: DEEMED
67. Hook's partner: EYE - in the plural, it's #439
68. Fish sought by Marlin and Dory: NEMO - name #3
69. Like voices after a loud concert: RASPY
DOWN:
1. Terrarium critter: NEWT - "I got better . . ."
2. Beige shade: ECRU
3. Chunk: SLAB
4. Spanish apps: TAPAS - Dah~! I had taCOs to start - the appetizers, that is
5. Girl of the fam: SIS - abbrs
6. Observe Ramadan, say: FAST
7. "ManningCast" co-host: ELI - name #4, one of three Manning brothers - fill #5 on the Top Ten
8. Attention hog's cry: "LOOK AT ME~!" - first 8-letter Down
9. Choral section: TENORS
10. Pompeii destroyer, for short: Mt. VESUVIUS - Dah~! Got caught up thinking "ETNA"
11. Skywalker twin: LEIA - Star Wars name #5; LUKE fit, too
12. Three __ salad: BEAN
14. Happen again: RECUR
18. Wrapped silk dress: SARI - I would have reworked the dupe "wrap" out of the clue
23. Be short with, perhaps: RETORT - and . . .
25. Be short with?: OWE - in at #354, tied with ESC, IGOR, NNE & ODD
26. Scorch: CHAR
27. Propelled, as a punt: POLED - I had OARED, so, close, but no gondola gold
28. Parenthetical remark: ASIDE - [ I told them we already got one~! ]
The Frawnche taunting the silly English Kuh-nig-its
29. Returned to dry land: CAMEASHORE - the second 10-letter Down
31. Earth-friendly: GREEN - ah. I was thinking ECO, but what~?
32. Three-time Masters winner who was knighted in 2009: FALDO - golfer Nick, name #6
Not too tough, for a Friday. The gimmick was obvious from the first themed entry, and that helped me solve this puzzle. The only thing that made it at all challenging was the number of “?” clues, like a cryptic crossword, but nowhere near as difficult. FIR, so I’m happy.
D-o entered ROWED and was ready to carp if it turned out to be OARED. Oops, POLED, so he punted. The themers were cute, This one came together quickly for a Friday (12 min.). Thanx, Lynn and Splynter.
We ordered a custom-made table for the kitchen. It arrived on Wednesday. Today I'm going to repurpose the old table as my office desk. I built the old desk years ago, and it was notoriously rickety.
FIR without erasure. Maybe my first Friday to do so.
I got stalled in San Diego County, not knowing dendrologist nor anything about hummus (except the stuff my niece made me eat wasn't very good.) But while I was walking Zoё I mulled _IR_ over in my so-called mind. Dirt isn't unsubstantial. What if it ends in "y?" AIRY! Let the V-8 cans fly!!!
I visited Pompei on a high school trip and as an over-hormoned teen, I was very impressed with the risqué images the archeologists found.
I know Sandusky only as the home of Cedar Point Amusement Park.
Thanks to Lynn for the Friday fun. My favorite was "be short with" for OWE, and my least favorite was "bodega feature" for ATM. Kinda like "hospital feature" for "fluorescent light." And thanks to Splynter for the fun review, replete with the obligatory leg shot. You're probably too young to know that washing machines used to have a pair of rollers (called the wringer) that the clothes would be put through. The wringer pressed the excess water out of the clothes, making them dry faster on the clothes line. "I was put through the wringer" means that another party got just about all a person had to give, usually physical ability or knowledge. The wringer was actually somewhat dangerous. Clothes had to be hand-fed into the wringer, and it was easy to get a finger a little too close. There's an old hillbilly expression I grew up hearing - "I got my [breast] caught in a ringer on that one," meaning that I got myself into a very uncomfortable situation that I couldn't get out of easily. Oh, and didn't understand the AAA tower until you 'splained it.
Did Lynn's puzzle WREAK havoc today? NO. Except for the SW and the newspaper's font, It was easy for a Friday. All I know about hummus is it's made from chick peas. TAHINI is a new word for me. The 'com" after Blue Mountain. was on the next line and it looked like 'corn', Perps took care of the unknown ecard.
DEERE- when I got a flat on my riding mower, I bought a new tire and had them inflate it. It's very hard to inflate a small tubeless tire.
And speaking about tires. AAA- a friend called last night to say she got her Tesla back after three days. What was WRONG? She had a flat and AAA towed it to the Tesla place. No other tire shop around stocks the tires with the acoustic foam inside and tire shops don't want to fool with patching them. Tesla also didn't have the tire in stock.
FIR. For a Friday puzzle this was a breeze, or as some would say, a walk in the park. My only confusion was the clue for aloe. That still puzzles me, pardon the pun. I got the theme early on with "wrap session", and it was clear sailing from there. So overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
I expected another Friday struggle, but happy surprise, smooth puzzle with a fun, doable theme. My one unknown was FALDO, but perps helped. I needed Splynter’s explanation for AAA.
How can Lynn Lempel keep coming up with new gimmicks after so many years. I’m impressed.
It seemed strange to see the “Queen of Monday” puzzles on a Friday offering but it’s always a treat to see her byline, no matter the day. I thought most of the cluing was very clever and a tad devious, but in a fair manner. I, personally, didn’t get the Poled answer because I was fixated on a football punt. Another one that stymied me as the AAA because I was pronouncing the Tower part of the clue as in the Eiffel Tower. My only criticism, and it’s not Lynn’s fault, is that this is far from a Friday difficulty. The theme alone is so obvious right from the get-go that the solve was a breeze and the fill was pretty obvious, also. That said, I really enjoyed everything else about the puzzle and wish we would see Lynn’s work more often.
Thanks, Lynn, for a lovely solve and thanks, Splynter, for the detailed review and personal asides. I think Cooper will be disappointed that you decided to get a Cat, rather than a dog from the shelter, but all animals need a loving home so good luck on your cat-quest. Loved the Sheep snagging its “sweater” and the photo of those scrumptious eclairs!
I also found this too easy for a Friday, even though Lynn tried to fool us with some clues. Luckily, I was on the same wavelength and was on to her tricks.
WRINGER washing machines haven't be used in 50 years, so this one very likely is "broken down."
Interesting that "Blow it" could be ERR or AIR.
Agree that Duct TAPE shouldn't be used on ducts, just as Duck TAPE shouldn't be used on ducks.
I'm with you on BOBA/ALOE. About all I can come up with is that both these are two of the most overused 4-letter staples in Crosswordese-Land, so why not just combine the two into a clue AND answer duo?
a) I'd never put air in my snowblower tires. This week I noticed one had broken its seal on the rim so air wouldn't go in. YouTube is wonderful--got a ratchet strap, cinch it tight to press the wheel to the rims, put a couple PSI in and release the strap, fill the rest of the way. Other tire had no air either but hadn't broken the seal. b) I keep a small portable air inflator in my Tesla for emergencies. Used it on the snowblower (and also my bicycles). Really useful--find on Amazon. PS..for my next tires, it seems lots of Tesla folks recommend the Michelin CrossClimate 2. No foam--seems not really needed.
Musings -I saw the gimmick early and wondered if there was going to be a reveal -Splynter’s summative paragraph works for me -I am very proud I spelled DERRIER correctly -Get a kitty, Splynter! My neighbor was walking his Corgi yesterday in the pouring rain but Lily takes care of herself. -BTS sings in Korean, Japanese and English. Their intial insistence of only singing in Korean has given way to singing 72% in English. Hmmm…I wonder why? My fav podcaster, Tony Kornheiser, says, “The answer to everything is money!” -The NCAA College World Series has been held in Omaha for the last 75 years. -The kids where I sub are mostly in the gym right now decorating for tomorrow nights prom whose theme is RIO (Carnival). So I am doing even less than usual! -Seeing apps as computer add-ons made me fail to immediately think of appetizers. Language flexibility is a key skill here. The same goes for punt and tower. -GANDHI – I really dislike the seemingly random placement of silent H’s -My tubeless snow blower tire went flat and I had to buy a very expensive new one since I couldn’t get the old tire to hold air as the wheel had a dent on the rim.
As usual, I agree with the comments from Ms. Irish Miss.
The clues for "tree" and "eye" were tricky, as I didn't know dendrologist and don't make the eye/hook association, but I guess that's some of the old-school Friday difficulty.
The theme wasn’t bad, although WELL-WRESTED was a stretch. I especially liked DEAD WRINGER. Interesting that Splynter, who is younger than many of us and certainly younger than the constructor, referenced a modern washer cycle instead of the wringer washers that still existed during our youth. I see now that Jinx has provided details, some colorful, natch.
Elsewhere, some of the misdirection worked. The NESTS in 1A were clever. The TOWER of note, the turn/SOUR verbs, and the punt/POLED entry were challenging but not ridiculous. OWE/be short with was trite. ATMS at a bodega is an overly urban entry. Sometimes it isn’t worth trying to dress up the words that appear frequently in puzzles.
Most people misplace the H in GANDHI, so I wondered what problems that caused for others. SHIRE and OSAGE were good trivia entries that I didn’t solve immediately.
Then there was the bizarre problem with the ECARD maker BlueMountain.com. In my newspaper, the clue broke between the dot and the com, and since I’m not a fan of e-cards, and com looks like corn, I needed perps. I see Big Easy beat me to that one. It’s difficult to provide fresh commentary from the Pacific Time Zone.
It was tad too easy for a Friday but I did get caught up on Tower of note. Even after it filled in I couldn’t see it as a tow truck company.
Aloe Jelly is a refreshing addition to bubble tea. 🧋 Its served with an overly wide straw that requires great effort to draw the delicious 🤤 drink. Yummy
Thanks Splynter for your detailed recap. Always enjoy your commentary.
Hola! Wow! A fairly easy Friday puzzle! I really liked the W feature and well remember our old WRINGER washing machine. Running clothes through those WRINGERS did, indeed, require deftness. Our CAT and two dogs got along very well and often cuddled up together. When I went to buy DUCT TAPE I was really surprised to see the array of colors available! The red TAPE was perfect to seal the edges of my carpet. FALDO was new for me, and I hesitated a long while on it. Thank you, Lynn and splynter! Now I have to decide on an appetizer for tomorrow's book club.
Punt was misleading, and I knew (blank) Aldo couldn't start with a vowel, and it couldn't be a "W", (Waldo?) but the perps were kind, and everything Sussed out eventually. It was nice to see the Theme appear last...
Re: tractor tires, Harbor Freight sells a cost effective repair kit for all tubeless tires. even cheaper during sales! but it is rare to get a puncture on a lawn tractor. More often the sidewalls dry rot and start leaking. Tire slime and even old motor oil can work, but can be very messy. Best to just put in an inner tube. just double check what size you need.
Re: foil tape: I only recently became familiar with this stuff. For some reason, our contractor used foil tape to seal the basement ceiling drywall. Note, this stuff does not stick to drywall, and is now falling down all over the place. But I re-used it, as the stuff is indestructible.
Enjoyable puzzle for a Friday. "Tow-er" got me even though I filled it in correctly because that's the way it had to be. My favorite clue was the "Wright Stuff". Yep, they made bicycles and decided to build an airplane. Interesting brothers. I entered "rowed" early which slowed me down. Thanks for the interesting recap Splynter especially the rankings.
Pleasant Friday puzzle, many thanks, Lynn. And your commentary and pictures are always a pleasure, Splynter, thanks for those too.
I found NESTS as a lovely way to start this puzzle, preparing us for protection and care, especially for young creatures (including human ones). They'd probably be too little to enjoy TAPAS, but they can't FAST--they have to be fed. A BEAN would be a good way to start, if they were old enough to be able to chew things, like a CAT. But we should totally avoid giving them any SOUR food.
Well, after taking are of these young ones, let's put on a SARI, or some other cool outfit, and say 'LOOK AT ME!. Then it's time to go hear a TENOR singing. Visiting MT. VESUVIUS will have to wait a bit till later. After the concert, we can go and get some TAHINI to eat, and listen to some TAPES, and then take a nap until we're WELL WRESTED. I'd say that was a pretty good morning!
I'm old enough to remember those wringer wash machines. People got their fingers caught in them often enough they put an emergency release bar on top. If you got a hand stuck in the wringer, you smashed the bar on top with your other hand and it popped open, releasing your newly flattened fingers. If you fed the clothes into the wringer with both hands, and managed to get both hands in it, you had to use your head. Literally.
You would be surprised to find you just carefully hammer that wheel rim back into shape (hammer and chisel) and with considerable putzing get it to hold air again. Then use the saved money to reward yourself with a cold beer or four!
Being a Friday, I just started right off online, since I figured I'd need red-letter help. Then discovered we have a Tuesday-on-a-Friday CW! That's fine with me.
15 names but no DNKs among them, although it took a couple perps to fill OSAGE...and I saw the movie. Great movie, I loved the ending; I shoulda thought of OSAGE immediately.
I, too, thought Blue Mountain made pet food. Needed perps.
All in all a clever CW, FIR in 12, which is a remarkable time for me for a Fri. I got the theme with the first theme fill, 17A, which helped. Funny, "W" again" Wasn't it just yesterday that "W" played a starring role?
50A I wanted to fill OLDE, but saw perps wouldn't allow it; SHIRE was not a stretch. Also DNK TAHINI = all perps. Isn't that what they call a child in Hawaii?
Thanx LL, great CW, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I coulda done it pen-on-paper had I tried. I look forward to more of your creations.
Thanx too to Splynter for the great write-up, super cartoons, and beautiful legs. Thanx too for 'splainin' AAA; I was baffled. Very naughty to put that picture of chocolate eclairs there though, too tempting.
The snag cartoon reminded me: for years I have been puzzled by the number of snags showing up in my clothes. Yesterday I examined the washer and dryer and found the culprit: a can pull tab, stuck under one of the baffles in the dryer, barely visible under the back of the baffle. Geez. Why didn't I look years ago?
I may or may not post tomorrow as I have book club. It depends on the puzzle and how puzzling it is if I have time to solve it. In any case, I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend. It's gorgeous here.
.jpg)
.jpeg)
38 comments:
Not too tough, for a
Friday. The gimmick was obvious from the first themed entry, and that helped me solve
this puzzle. The only thing that made it at all challenging was the number of “?” clues, like a cryptic crossword, but nowhere near as difficult.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
D-o entered ROWED and was ready to carp if it turned out to be OARED. Oops, POLED, so he punted. The themers were cute, This one came together quickly for a Friday (12 min.). Thanx, Lynn and Splynter.
We ordered a custom-made table for the kitchen. It arrived on Wednesday. Today I'm going to repurpose the old table as my office desk. I built the old desk years ago, and it was notoriously rickety.
FIR without erasure. Maybe my first Friday to do so.
I got stalled in San Diego County, not knowing dendrologist nor anything about hummus (except the stuff my niece made me eat wasn't very good.) But while I was walking Zoё I mulled _IR_ over in my so-called mind. Dirt isn't unsubstantial. What if it ends in "y?" AIRY! Let the V-8 cans fly!!!
I visited Pompei on a high school trip and as an over-hormoned teen, I was very impressed with the risqué images the archeologists found.
I know Sandusky only as the home of Cedar Point Amusement Park.
Thanks to Lynn for the Friday fun. My favorite was "be short with" for OWE, and my least favorite was "bodega feature" for ATM. Kinda like "hospital feature" for "fluorescent light." And thanks to Splynter for the fun review, replete with the obligatory leg shot. You're probably too young to know that washing machines used to have a pair of rollers (called the wringer) that the clothes would be put through. The wringer pressed the excess water out of the clothes, making them dry faster on the clothes line. "I was put through the wringer" means that another party got just about all a person had to give, usually physical ability or knowledge. The wringer was actually somewhat dangerous. Clothes had to be hand-fed into the wringer, and it was easy to get a finger a little too close. There's an old hillbilly expression I grew up hearing - "I got my [breast] caught in a ringer on that one," meaning that I got myself into a very uncomfortable situation that I couldn't get out of easily. Oh, and didn't understand the AAA tower until you 'splained it.
An easy Friday. Once i saw the gimmick on the first theme entry, it was easy sailing.
Did Lynn's puzzle WREAK havoc today? NO. Except for the SW and the newspaper's font, It was easy for a Friday. All I know about hummus is it's made from chick peas. TAHINI is a new word for me. The 'com" after Blue Mountain. was on the next line and it looked like 'corn', Perps took care of the unknown ecard.
DEERE- when I got a flat on my riding mower, I bought a new tire and had them inflate it. It's very hard to inflate a small tubeless tire.
And speaking about tires. AAA- a friend called last night to say she got her Tesla back after three days. What was WRONG? She had a flat and AAA towed it to the Tesla place. No other tire shop around stocks the tires with the acoustic foam inside and tire shops don't want to fool with patching them. Tesla also didn't have the tire in stock.
I'm still confused on HOOK'S PARTNER. Can someone break that one down for me?
FIR. For a Friday puzzle this was a breeze, or as some would say, a walk in the park. My only confusion was the clue for aloe. That still puzzles me, pardon the pun.
I got the theme early on with "wrap session", and it was clear sailing from there.
So overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
I expected another Friday struggle, but happy surprise, smooth puzzle with a fun, doable theme. My one unknown was FALDO, but perps helped. I needed Splynter’s explanation for AAA.
How can Lynn Lempel keep coming up with new gimmicks after so many years. I’m impressed.
Thank you Splynter for the entertaining review.
It's referring to a hook-and-eye (or eyelet) fastener.
Good Morning:
It seemed strange to see the “Queen of Monday” puzzles on a Friday offering but it’s always a treat to see her byline, no matter the day. I thought most of the cluing was very clever and a tad devious, but in a fair manner. I, personally, didn’t get the Poled answer because I was fixated on a football punt. Another one that stymied me as the AAA because I was pronouncing the Tower part of the clue as in the Eiffel Tower. My only criticism, and it’s not Lynn’s fault, is that this is far from a Friday difficulty. The theme alone is so obvious right from the get-go that the solve was a breeze and the fill was pretty obvious, also. That said, I really enjoyed everything else about the puzzle and wish we would see Lynn’s work more often.
Thanks, Lynn, for a lovely solve and thanks, Splynter, for the detailed review and personal asides. I think Cooper will be disappointed that you decided to get a Cat, rather than a dog from the shelter, but all animals need a loving home so good luck on your cat-quest. Loved the Sheep snagging its “sweater” and the photo of those scrumptious eclairs!
Have a great day.
So you've finally turned the tables!
I also found this too easy for a Friday, even though Lynn tried to fool us with some clues. Luckily, I was on the same wavelength and was on to her tricks.
WRINGER washing machines haven't be used in 50 years, so this one very likely is "broken down."
Interesting that "Blow it" could be ERR or AIR.
Agree that Duct TAPE shouldn't be used on ducts, just as Duck TAPE shouldn't be used on ducks.
Ewe nailed it, Splynter!
I'm with you on BOBA/ALOE. About all I can come up with is that both these are two of the most overused 4-letter staples in Crosswordese-Land, so why not just combine the two into a clue AND answer duo?
Just kidding; I've no idea.
Rusty, how'd you know that I once worked as a DJ, complete with turntables.
a) I'd never put air in my snowblower tires. This week I noticed one had broken its seal on the rim so air wouldn't go in. YouTube is wonderful--got a ratchet strap, cinch it tight to press the wheel to the rims, put a couple PSI in and release the strap, fill the rest of the way. Other tire had no air either but hadn't broken the seal. b) I keep a small portable air inflator in my Tesla for emergencies. Used it on the snowblower (and also my bicycles). Really useful--find on Amazon. PS..for my next tires, it seems lots of Tesla folks recommend the Michelin CrossClimate 2. No foam--seems not really needed.
Me too. I kept wanting to put in SMEE
I liked WRIGHT STUFF for bicycles/airplanes b/c Wilbur and Orville Wright started by owning a bike shop and used it to build their airplanes.
Now my head is spinning!
Musings
-I saw the gimmick early and wondered if there was going to be a reveal
-Splynter’s summative paragraph works for me
-I am very proud I spelled DERRIER correctly
-Get a kitty, Splynter! My neighbor was walking his Corgi yesterday in the pouring rain but Lily takes care of herself.
-BTS sings in Korean, Japanese and English. Their intial insistence of only singing in Korean has given way to singing 72% in English. Hmmm…I wonder why? My fav podcaster, Tony Kornheiser, says, “The answer to everything is money!”
-The NCAA College World Series has been held in Omaha for the last 75 years.
-The kids where I sub are mostly in the gym right now decorating for tomorrow nights prom whose theme is RIO (Carnival). So I am doing even less than usual!
-Seeing apps as computer add-ons made me fail to immediately think of appetizers. Language flexibility is a key skill here. The same goes for punt and tower.
-GANDHI – I really dislike the seemingly random placement of silent H’s
-My tubeless snow blower tire went flat and I had to buy a very expensive new one since I couldn’t get the old tire to hold air as the wheel had a dent on the rim.
Took 8:18 today to finish it wright.
As usual, I agree with the comments from Ms. Irish Miss.
The clues for "tree" and "eye" were tricky, as I didn't know dendrologist and don't make the eye/hook association, but I guess that's some of the old-school Friday difficulty.
Don't forget that Sandusky's lake is a great one.
The theme wasn’t bad, although WELL-WRESTED was a stretch. I especially liked DEAD WRINGER. Interesting that Splynter, who is younger than many of us and certainly younger than the constructor, referenced a modern washer cycle instead of the wringer washers that still existed during our youth. I see now that Jinx has provided details, some colorful, natch.
Elsewhere, some of the misdirection worked. The NESTS in 1A were clever. The TOWER of note, the turn/SOUR verbs, and the punt/POLED entry were challenging but not ridiculous. OWE/be short with was trite. ATMS at a bodega is an overly urban entry. Sometimes it isn’t worth trying to dress up the words that appear frequently in puzzles.
Most people misplace the H in GANDHI, so I wondered what problems that caused for others. SHIRE and OSAGE were good trivia entries that I didn’t solve immediately.
Then there was the bizarre problem with the ECARD maker BlueMountain.com. In my newspaper, the clue broke between the dot and the com, and since I’m not a fan of e-cards, and com looks like corn, I needed perps. I see Big Easy beat me to that one. It’s difficult to provide fresh commentary from the Pacific Time Zone.
Always nice to see a Lynn Lempel offering.
It was tad too easy for a Friday but I did get caught up on Tower of note.
Even after it filled in I couldn’t see it as a tow truck company.
Aloe Jelly is a refreshing addition to bubble tea. 🧋 Its served with an overly wide straw that requires great effort to draw the delicious 🤤 drink. Yummy
Thanks Splynter for your detailed recap. Always enjoy your commentary.
Hola! Wow! A fairly easy Friday puzzle! I really liked the W feature and well remember our old WRINGER washing machine. Running clothes through those WRINGERS did, indeed, require deftness.
Our CAT and two dogs got along very well and often cuddled up together.
When I went to buy DUCT TAPE I was really surprised to see the array of colors available! The red TAPE was perfect to seal the edges of my carpet.
FALDO was new for me, and I hesitated a long while on it.
Thank you, Lynn and splynter! Now I have to decide on an appetizer for tomorrow's book club.
Punt was misleading, and I knew (blank) Aldo couldn't start with a vowel, and it couldn't be a "W", (Waldo?) but the perps were kind, and everything Sussed out eventually. It was nice to see the Theme appear last...
Re: tractor tires, Harbor Freight sells a cost effective repair kit for all tubeless tires. even cheaper during sales! but it is rare to get a puncture on a lawn tractor. More often the sidewalls dry rot and start leaking. Tire slime and even old motor oil can work, but can be very messy. Best to just put in an inner tube. just double check what size you need.
Re: foil tape: I only recently became familiar with this stuff. For some reason, our contractor used foil tape to seal the basement ceiling drywall. Note, this stuff does not stick to drywall, and is now falling down all over the place. But I re-used it, as the stuff is indestructible.
Enjoyable puzzle for a Friday. "Tow-er" got me even though I filled it in correctly because that's the way it had to be. My favorite clue was the "Wright Stuff". Yep, they made bicycles and decided to build an airplane. Interesting brothers. I entered "rowed" early which slowed me down. Thanks for the interesting recap Splynter especially the rankings.
If a tubeless tire won't hold air, get an inner tube.
Pleasant Friday puzzle, many thanks, Lynn. And your commentary and pictures are always a pleasure, Splynter, thanks for those too.
I found NESTS as a lovely way to start this puzzle, preparing us for protection and care, especially for young creatures (including human ones). They'd probably be too little to enjoy TAPAS, but they can't FAST--they have to be fed. A BEAN would be a good way to start, if they were old enough to be able to chew things, like a CAT. But we should totally avoid giving them any SOUR food.
Well, after taking are of these young ones, let's put on a SARI, or some other cool outfit, and say 'LOOK AT ME!. Then it's time to go hear a TENOR singing. Visiting MT. VESUVIUS will have to wait a bit till later. After the concert, we can go and get some TAHINI to eat, and listen to some TAPES, and then take a nap until we're WELL WRESTED. I'd say that was a pretty good morning!
Enjoy the rest of your day, everybody.
I'm old enough to remember those wringer wash machines. People got their fingers caught in them often enough they put an emergency release bar on top. If you got a hand stuck in the wringer, you smashed the bar on top with your other hand and it popped open, releasing your newly flattened fingers. If you fed the clothes into the wringer with both hands, and managed to get both hands in it, you had to use your head. Literally.
I too thought that clue especially clever for the reason you mentioned.
You would be surprised to find you just carefully hammer that wheel rim back into shape (hammer and chisel) and with considerable putzing get it to hold air again. Then use the saved money to reward yourself with a cold beer or four!
That contractor was an idiot.
Being a Friday, I just started right off online, since I figured I'd need red-letter help. Then discovered we have a Tuesday-on-a-Friday CW! That's fine with me.
15 names but no DNKs among them, although it took a couple perps to fill OSAGE...and I saw the movie. Great movie, I loved the ending; I shoulda thought of OSAGE immediately.
I, too, thought Blue Mountain made pet food. Needed perps.
All in all a clever CW, FIR in 12, which is a remarkable time for me for a Fri. I got the theme with the first theme fill, 17A, which helped. Funny, "W" again" Wasn't it just yesterday that "W" played a starring role?
50A I wanted to fill OLDE, but saw perps wouldn't allow it; SHIRE was not a stretch. Also DNK TAHINI = all perps. Isn't that what they call a child in Hawaii?
Thanx LL, great CW, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I coulda done it pen-on-paper had I tried. I look forward to more of your creations.
Thanx too to Splynter for the great write-up, super cartoons, and beautiful legs. Thanx too for 'splainin' AAA; I was baffled. Very naughty to put that picture of chocolate eclairs there though, too tempting.
The snag cartoon reminded me: for years I have been puzzled by the number of snags showing up in my clothes. Yesterday I examined the washer and dryer and found the culprit: a can pull tab, stuck under one of the baffles in the dryer, barely visible under the back of the baffle. Geez. Why didn't I look years ago?
I liked this puzzle a lot. It was fun to solve.
I enjoyed this puzzle. Some clever clues, misleading at first…turn>sour…tower>a tow truck. Thanks Lynn and Splynter!
Isn't a 3D object like an avocado an OVOID not an OVAL?
Wreally fun puzzle.
The only Sandusky I have heard of is in prison now.
Never heard of this meaning of PUNT. Anyone else?
A punt is a small boat.
I may or may not post tomorrow as I have book club. It depends on the puzzle and how puzzling it is if I have time to solve it. In any case, I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend. It's gorgeous here.
Post a Comment