Here's a nice note from Greg:
Bio: I am a dad with 3 small kids and am an Assistant Controller at a hedge fund in NYC.
Notes: I'm a big fan of Amie's puzzles, so when I found myself on a mission to make a 68-word themeless with clean fill, I approached Amie who graciously joined the cause. When she suggested this fun grid layout with diagonal symmetry I knew I asked the right person! Fun fact - back in 2012 I may have bought a bunch of TWINKIES when I heard Hostess was filing for bankruptcy.Amie, who is an attorney in Chandler, AZ, added: It's always a delight making grids with Greg, one of the nicest folks in puzzles. I really enjoyed his wordplay clues in this one. Fun fact: I have never actually had a Twinkie!
Across:
1. Award for Attica Locke's "Bluebird, Bluebird": EDGAR - Attica Locke's "Bluebird, Bluebird" won the prestigious 2018 Edgar Award for Best Novel
6. Gala portion: APPLE CHIP 😀- APPLE computers contain many CHIPS but that was not relevant here
15. Duane __: NYC chain owned by Walgreens: READE.
16. Personal compass: MORAL CODE.
17. "Precision Crafted Performance" sloganeer: ACURA.
18. One who really gets people?: PRANKSTER - They might yell, Gotcha! 😀
19. Like a wise guy: SAGELY.
21. Draws: TIES - This game has ended in a draw or TIE because it is black's move and his King can not move into check
22. Apt name for a cinematographer: CAM 😀
23. Visual aids: EYEPIECES - Different EYEPIECES can give different telescope images
25. Soccer great called "O Rei": PELE - Any four-letter soccer player, hmmm...
26. Had the conn: STEERED - Captain Kirk leaves and turns STEERING over to Mr. Sulu. Derived from "conduire" (to conduct) or a "conning tower," the "conn" is not an abbreviation but a nautical term for the station controlling ship maneuvers, separate from commanding the entire vessel. You're welcome!
28. Gospel-singing sister of Aretha: ERMA - The Franklin sisters
29. Degree of difficulty?: PHD - 😀 Yes, obtaining that degree is difficult.
32. Couture letters: YSL.
33. "How fun!": OH NEAT.
35. Features of some cold cases?: EAR ACHES 😀
38. Mark up: NOTATE.
39. Fabric: CLOTH.
40. Part of a Cuban combo: BONGO.
42. Went first: LED.
43. The hills of Rome, e.g.: SEPTET.
45. Parents: FOLKS.
47. Hidden assets: SECRET WEAPONS.
52. Hostess treats: TWINKIES - If kept in their air tight wrapping, they will last 45 days, not forever.
54. First name in country pop: SHANIA.
55. Voice-activated, say: HANDS FREE - I say, "Siri, call Joann" and she does!
57. Bucks: BREAD - BREAD as slang for money is a frequent Saturday visitor
58. Chiwere speaker: OTOE.
59. Cheerful tune: LILT.
60. One bit: AT ALL.
61. __ Reader: UTNE. The Current edition
62. Serpentine fish: EELS.
63. Bounce back: RALLY - The Vikings were down by 33 points at halftime.
1. Wipe: ERASE.
2. Get on with one's half-life?: DECAY 😀
3. Get a feel for: GAUGE.
4. Campaign managers?: AD REPS.
5. Wake-up calls: REALITY CHECKS.
6. Rock blaster: AMP - I abandoned TNT after some crossers appeared
7. Billy who wore a velvet tuxedo jacket and ball gown to the Oscars in 2019:
8. Speak highly of: PRAISE.
9. Kent co-worker: LANE - In the English County of Kent, a co-worker might be a MATE, but Lois LANE worked in Metropolis with Clark Kent. Somehow Clark's (George Reeves') glasses hid his super identity from Lois Lane (Noel Neill).
10. __ Club: ELKS.
11. Loops into a chain: CCS - Much easier today rather than using Carbon CopieS
12. Breakfast option: HOT CEREAL - Mom always said they would "stick to my ribs".
13. The one, so to speak: IDEAL MATE - As we approach 60 years of marriage, I think we've got this covered.
14. Spread throughout: PERMEATED - Last year, wildfires in Canada PERMEATED the air in several states
20. "Big yikes": YEESH.
24. People person?: CELEB - CELEBS do appear in People Magazine
25. Bottled (up): PENT.
27. Useful connections for networking?: DONGLES - For some reason, Apple did not put in any USB-A or HDMI ports in my current MacBook and so I had to buy (and learn the word) a DONGLE. They have since put them back. My current MacBook with only two USB-C ports is shown on the bottom below.
29. Chest day targets, for short: PECS.
30. Lucy of "Pretty Little Liars": HALE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think Lucy is second from the left
31. Surprises with a call: DROPS IN ON - Nobody did it like Cosmo Kramer
34. Place to blow off smoke?: HOOKAH BAR - We love the Rick Steves Travelogues on PBS. While in Turkey he did visit a HOOKAH BAR but said he only "smoked" dried apples.
46. City-state documented by Herodotus: SPARTA.
48. Inducing the heebie-jeebies: EERIE - Our favorite cwd lake takes on another vowel
49. "Inside the NBA" analyst since 2011: O'NEAL - Shaq and his girlfriend at an NBA event
50. Horan of One Direction: NIALL - On the left
51. "I hate to say it ... ": SADLY.
52. The old you?: THOU 😀 How Great THOU Art might be the greatest hymn of all time
53. Inventor who coined the term "horsepower": WATT - WATT, you want more?
56. "Arrival" arrivals, briefly: ETS - This interesting movie had the ETS arriving in an upright craft.
1. Award for Attica Locke's "Bluebird, Bluebird": EDGAR - Attica Locke's "Bluebird, Bluebird" won the prestigious 2018 Edgar Award for Best Novel
6. Gala portion: APPLE CHIP 😀- APPLE computers contain many CHIPS but that was not relevant here
16. Personal compass: MORAL CODE.
17. "Precision Crafted Performance" sloganeer: ACURA.
18. One who really gets people?: PRANKSTER - They might yell, Gotcha! 😀
19. Like a wise guy: SAGELY.
21. Draws: TIES - This game has ended in a draw or TIE because it is black's move and his King can not move into check
22. Apt name for a cinematographer: CAM 😀
23. Visual aids: EYEPIECES - Different EYEPIECES can give different telescope images
25. Soccer great called "O Rei": PELE - Any four-letter soccer player, hmmm...
26. Had the conn: STEERED - Captain Kirk leaves and turns STEERING over to Mr. Sulu. Derived from "conduire" (to conduct) or a "conning tower," the "conn" is not an abbreviation but a nautical term for the station controlling ship maneuvers, separate from commanding the entire vessel. You're welcome!
28. Gospel-singing sister of Aretha: ERMA - The Franklin sisters
 |
| ERMA Aretha Carolyn |
29. Degree of difficulty?: PHD - 😀 Yes, obtaining that degree is difficult.
32. Couture letters: YSL.
33. "How fun!": OH NEAT.
35. Features of some cold cases?: EAR ACHES 😀
38. Mark up: NOTATE.
39. Fabric: CLOTH.
40. Part of a Cuban combo: BONGO.
42. Went first: LED.
43. The hills of Rome, e.g.: SEPTET.
45. Parents: FOLKS.
47. Hidden assets: SECRET WEAPONS.
52. Hostess treats: TWINKIES - If kept in their air tight wrapping, they will last 45 days, not forever.
54. First name in country pop: SHANIA.
55. Voice-activated, say: HANDS FREE - I say, "Siri, call Joann" and she does!
57. Bucks: BREAD - BREAD as slang for money is a frequent Saturday visitor
58. Chiwere speaker: OTOE.
59. Cheerful tune: LILT.
60. One bit: AT ALL.
61. __ Reader: UTNE. The Current edition
62. Serpentine fish: EELS.
63. Bounce back: RALLY - The Vikings were down by 33 points at halftime.
Down:
1. Wipe: ERASE.
2. Get on with one's half-life?: DECAY 😀
3. Get a feel for: GAUGE.
4. Campaign managers?: AD REPS.
5. Wake-up calls: REALITY CHECKS.
7. Billy who wore a velvet tuxedo jacket and ball gown to the Oscars in 2019:
PORTER ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
8. Speak highly of: PRAISE.
9. Kent co-worker: LANE - In the English County of Kent, a co-worker might be a MATE, but Lois LANE worked in Metropolis with Clark Kent. Somehow Clark's (George Reeves') glasses hid his super identity from Lois Lane (Noel Neill).
10. __ Club: ELKS.
11. Loops into a chain: CCS - Much easier today rather than using Carbon CopieS
12. Breakfast option: HOT CEREAL - Mom always said they would "stick to my ribs".
13. The one, so to speak: IDEAL MATE - As we approach 60 years of marriage, I think we've got this covered.
14. Spread throughout: PERMEATED - Last year, wildfires in Canada PERMEATED the air in several states
20. "Big yikes": YEESH.
24. People person?: CELEB - CELEBS do appear in People Magazine
25. Bottled (up): PENT.
27. Useful connections for networking?: DONGLES - For some reason, Apple did not put in any USB-A or HDMI ports in my current MacBook and so I had to buy (and learn the word) a DONGLE. They have since put them back. My current MacBook with only two USB-C ports is shown on the bottom below.
29. Chest day targets, for short: PECS.
30. Lucy of "Pretty Little Liars": HALE ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think Lucy is second from the left
31. Surprises with a call: DROPS IN ON - Nobody did it like Cosmo Kramer
34. Place to blow off smoke?: HOOKAH BAR - We love the Rick Steves Travelogues on PBS. While in Turkey he did visit a HOOKAH BAR but said he only "smoked" dried apples.
36. One who shows up: ATTENDEE.
37. Low-pressure approach: SOFT SELL - We've left dealerships when getting the hard sell
41. As we speak: NOW.
44. Layered dessert often topped with syllabub: TRIFLE - A TRIFLE is a classic English layered dessert typically composed of sponge cake shake in sherry, fruit, custard and topped with whipped cream, or, historically, a whipped cream, wine and lemon mixture know as a syllabub. You're welcome.
37. Low-pressure approach: SOFT SELL - We've left dealerships when getting the hard sell
41. As we speak: NOW.
44. Layered dessert often topped with syllabub: TRIFLE - A TRIFLE is a classic English layered dessert typically composed of sponge cake shake in sherry, fruit, custard and topped with whipped cream, or, historically, a whipped cream, wine and lemon mixture know as a syllabub. You're welcome.
46. City-state documented by Herodotus: SPARTA.
48. Inducing the heebie-jeebies: EERIE - Our favorite cwd lake takes on another vowel
49. "Inside the NBA" analyst since 2011: O'NEAL - Shaq and his girlfriend at an NBA event
50. Horan of One Direction: NIALL - On the left
51. "I hate to say it ... ": SADLY.
52. The old you?: THOU 😀 How Great THOU Art might be the greatest hymn of all time
53. Inventor who coined the term "horsepower": WATT - WATT, you want more?
56. "Arrival" arrivals, briefly: ETS - This interesting movie had the ETS arriving in an upright craft.
Notes from C.C.:
Here's a thoughtful initiative from the Minnesota-based constructors Will Eisenberg and Hannah Slovut-Einertson: Midis for Minnesota, a pack of 13 midi puzzles tied to donations supporting immigrant families in need. The puzzles are edited by Will. Contribute
to a mutual aid organization, send in proof, and the puzzles are yours.
I made the preview puzzle. Give it a solve.
After trying for about an hour, I gave up and
ReplyDeleteturned on the red letters. I got it then, but only after “swimming” through a sea of red.
Did you do better than I did?
Let me know.
I guess I now know what a dongle is. I sat on that Cuban combo clue until I gave up. I couldn’t stop thinking of food!? Got the rest, which is really good for me on a Saturday.
DeleteI fared about exactly as you did, SG, but that’s Saturday for you. The Braves won again last night, though to the delight of my dog Chipper.
ReplyDeleteFTW, but it took a whopping 36:40. The NW corner alone took 6 minutes to figure out. I was certain of READE and confident of ERASE, but my initial entries of ad pros and smarty were a blockade.
ReplyDeleteErased those mistakes and started anew. It never surprises me when it all comes together in a flash.
The SE corner fell earlier but was similar. Certain of ONEAL, but I had to remove deers and so sad. Then SHANIA, SPARTA and SADLY came easily, leading to the HOOKAH BAR.
DNK PORTER and NIALL, but they perped in. The word conn was completely new to me.
One last thing. Inre the PHILEAS / PHInEAS comments the other day. Of course it was PHILEAS FOGG. Hanna Barbera had a cartoon that was Phineas Fogg. Phineas was the grandson of Phileas. His challenge was to circumvent the world in 79 days, besting his grandfather's feat.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAlthough there were many unknowns and my solving time was much longer than TTP’s, I finally crossed the finish line without help, but with a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction, two very important requisites for me. The authors found the sweet spot in their cluing, i.e., clever but not contrived or too cutesy. The grid was whistle-clean, the fill was top-notch, and the difficulty level was Saturday appropriate. In other words, I loved everything about it!
Bravo/Brava to Greg and Amie, hope to see you collaborate again very soon. Kudos, too, to HG, for the lovely review and photos, not to mention the brief snippets of the author’s backgrounds. Coincidentally, your example of Mate for Kent co-worker was my first error and your mention of carbon copies was reminiscent of a 30-something professional recently asking me what carbon paper was. ESP?
Have a great day.
FIR but this was a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI swam around the SE for a long time before it all came together.
I almost gave up after five minutes, but then started getting some things at the bottom. My one mistake (two?) was EMMA crossing HOTCEMEAL. Seems obvious now... Never heard of Erma Franklin, though I did know Aretha has a singing sister. It took a good 45 minutes, though.
ReplyDeleteFIW. The NE did me in. Not knowing 6A I took a WAG with apple chef which I compounded with fermented instead of permeated.
ReplyDeleteThe SE gave me fits as well, but I managed to navigate it once I filled bread as the answer for bucks.
But overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Despite all the obstacles I overcame, including some weirdness in the NW corner, I had to gamble on DANGLES/AH, NEAT, vs. DONGLES/OH, NEAT, and I lost. I can’t blame TWINKIES for my FIW.
ReplyDeleteOh, well. It was still a pleasant and challenging experience.
Took 8:45 today to rally across the finish line.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the Actress of the Day (Hale) or this "Porter" (nor did I know the writer or the Edgar winning work), and I wasn't sure/confident of spelling "Reade", "Niall," and "O'Neal" (with the last two being side-by-side). "Bread" and "dongles" took the longest to get.
It was one of my fastest Saturday solves, and yet, I didn't feel it was easy. This just seemed to be one of those "on the right wavelength" experiences.
A fitting Saturday puzzle which I managed to conquer w/out help in 31:24, which would have been faster if I didn’t stall in the NE. Fair perps allowed me to get the many unknowns, notably DONGLES, PORTER, and NIALL to name a few. Changed tnt to AMP, and conga to BONGO, dictated by perps. Never heard of conn in relation to anything. As Jayce would say, I liked this puzzle, and good reading you all. Thanks Greg and Amie for the enjoyable solve, and to HG for your explication!
ReplyDeleteAfter much head scratching I FIR but I looked up two names, PORTER and NIALL. This was a very clever, fun CW. So many neat clues like the ones for AMP, BREAD, CAM, PRANKSTER, etc.
ReplyDeleteI had tnt before AMP, and for the longest time I had APPLE core for CHIP. For some strange reason I knew DONGLE, but conn was a total unknown but STEERED showed up thanks to perps.
Thank you HG for your steady hand guiding us through this puzzle and for the info about the constructors.