An Apple A Day ...
17-Across. Total hunk: STUD MUFFIN. Apple Muffins. My favorite muffins were the white chocolate apricot muffins that Central Market used to make. The store no longer makes them. What are your favorite muffins?
23-Across. Overdo and then some in the oven: BURN TO A CRISP. Apple Crisp. Yummers!
37-Across. Advantages for dealmakers: BARGAINING CHIPS. Apple Chips. Apple chips billed as a healthy snack. They are thinly sliced, dehydrated apples generally seasoned with cinnamon. Not what I typically reach for when I want a snack.
And the unifier:
48-Across. With 59-Across, rhetorical taunt, or a question answered by the ends of 17-, 23-, and 37-Across: HOW DO YOU LIKE. // And 59-Across: See 48-Across: THEM APPLES. When combined, we get the phrase: How Do You Like Them Apples? This is a a rhetorical, sarcastic phrase used to mock or taunt someone after outperforming them, delivering an unexpected surprise, or turning the tables on a situation. Did you know this phrase became popular after the 1997 movie Good Will Hunting?
You can find the apple treats in the grid.
Across:
1. Hip-hop trio that covered Aerosmith's "Walk This Way": RUN-DMC. Run-DMC is / was an American hip-hop group formed 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC was one of the most famous Hip-Hop acts of the 1980s.
14. Plenty: ENOUGH.
15. Fall Out Boy genre: EMO. A crossword staple.
16. Foot part: ARCH.
19. Greek cheese: FETA. Feta is a brined curd cheese from Greece. It has a salty, tangy flavor and crumbly texture. It is traditionally made from sheep's milk or a sheep/goat milk blend. It's a staple in Greek cuisine. Authentic Greek feta is aged in brine for weeks.
20. Weigh station unit: TON.
21. Destroy: RUIN.
22. Storm-tracking aid: RADAR.
26. "The Irishman" star Robert: DE NIRO. The Irishman is a 2019 movie set in the 1950s and portrays a Frank Sheeran, played by Robert De Niro (né Robert Anthony De Niro; b. Aug. 17, 1943), who becomes a hitman and goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Feb. 14, 1913 ~ disappeared July 30, 1975).
29. Walking pace: GAIT.
30. Chris of "Knives Out": EVANS. Knives Out was also a 2019 film, but was a comedy-mystery. Chris Evans (né Christopher Robert Evans; b. June 13, 1981) was one of many actors in the film.
31. Nothing to write home about: SO-SO.
34. Sch. whose colors are purple and gold: LSU. Geaux Tigers!
41. Camera letters: SLR. SLR stands for Single-Lens Reflex. It is a type of camera design that uses a mirror system to allow photographers to view the exact image through the lens that will be captured on film or a digital sensor.
42. FasTrak payment: TOLL.
43. Pound fraction: OUNCE.
44. Sculler's pair: OARS. // And 46. Use 44-Across: ROW.
47. Simple bookmark: DOG EAR.
53. Statutes that protect inventions and works of art, for short: IP LAW. As in Intellectual Property Law.
54. Iridescent gem: OPAL. These gems from Australia make frequent appearances in the puzzles.
55. Oral health org.: ADA. As in the American Dental Association.
58. "__ the change": KEEP.
62. QED center: ERAT. Today's Latin lesson. QED is an abbreviation the phrase quod erat demonstrandum, which translates to that which was to be demonstrated.
63. London's Big __: BEN. Did you know that Big Ben is actually the 13.7-ton Great Bell and not the tower? The bell is named after Sir Benjamin Hall (Nov. 8, 1802 ~ 1867), the politician who oversaw its installation in 1859. The tower is the Elizabeth Tower.
64. "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity" org.: THE FBI.
65. Fathers: DADS.
66. Do some sums: ADD.
67. U.S. citizens living abroad: EXPATS. Short for expatriate.
Down:
1. Take a breather: REST.
2. "And I say __ you ... ": UNTO.
3. Subject of a sentence, typically: NOUN.
4. Total bust: DUD.
5. __ Grand Las Vegas: MGM.
6. Fried cinnamon-sugar pastry: CHURRO. Yummers!
7. Are appropriate for: BEFIT.
8. __ acids: AMINO. Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. They are needed for repairing tissues, breaking down food, producing energy, and supporting immune function. There are 20 common amino acids, classified into essential (must be eaten) and non-essential (made by the body).
9. Mattingly who was the Yankees starting first baseman for 12 seasons: DON. Don Mattingly (né Donald Arthur Mattingly; b. Apr. 20, 1961) played his entire baseball career with the Yankees. He played from 1982 until 1995. I thought he was much older than he actually is.
10. Excursion in the Serengeti: SAFARI. The Serengeti is a vast, 12,000 square-mile ecosystem in East Africa, spanning northern Tanzania and southwestern Kenya. It is home the world’s largest, most spectacular wildlife migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras, along with one of the highest concentrations of large predators,
11. Borrower's limit: CREDIT LINE.
12. Stand in for: ACT AS.
13. "Movin' Out" choreographer Twyla: THARP. Twyla Tharp (b. July 1, 1941) is an American dancer and choreographer. In 1965 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance, which merged with American Ballet Theatre in 1988. Her work often uses classical, jazz, and contemporary pop music. The music for Moving' Out was by Billy Joel (né William Martin Joel; b. May 9, 1949).
18. Lots of laughs: FUN.
22. Color TV pioneer: RCA.
23. Microsoft search engine: BING.
24. Latin for "bear": URSA. You can see the Ursae (that the plural of ursa) in the sky at night if you use your imagination.
25. Eagerly excited: AGOG.
26. New socialites, familiarly: DEBS. Short for Debutants.
27. Test: Abbr.: EVAL. As in Evaluate.
28. One-point advantage, say: NARROW LEAD.
31. __-cone: icy treat: SNO. Yummers!
32. Vinaigrette ingredient: OIL.
33. Weekly sketch show, briefly: SNL. Saturday Night Live is a crossword staple.
35. "Adopt, don't shop" org.: SPCA. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals began in England in 1824. It was the world's first animal welfare organization, founded to prevent the abuse of carriage horses. The first American SPCA was began in 1866 in New York City.
36. __-friendly: USER.
38. "The __-bitsy spider ... ": ITSY.
39. Diner employee: COOK.
40. Massive: HUGE.
45. Learns to fit in: ADAPTS.
47. Enlarge, as a pupil: DILATE.
48. Walked in the woods, say: HIKED.
49. Puccini work: OPERA. Giacomo Puccini (néAntonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini; Dec. 22, 1858 ~ Nov. 29, 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. He is regarded as one of the the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera. Some of his operas include Madame Butterfly and La Bohème.
50. __ and aahed: OOHED.
51. Flip over: UPEND.
52. On the __: fleeing: LAM.
55. Letter before Bravo: ALFA. Letters of the NATO phonetic alphabet.
56. Financial liability: DEBT.
57. Yard sale tag warning: AS IS.
59. "More details soon" letters: TBA. To Be Determined.
60. The Suns, on scoreboards: PHX. The Phoenix Suns, the professional basket ball team.
61. Get-up-and-go: PEP.
חתולה
I will be taking a hiatus for the next couple of months. I know you will be in good hands during my absence.
31 comments:
It wasn’t the easiest
puzzle in the world, especially for a Tuesday, and starting with a “hip-hop trio” didn’t help things at all. But at least the perps were kind in that instance, and others.
So, in the long run, it all panned out.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
Never noticed the apples. Surprised? Still, things came together in normal Tuesday time. That CHURRO photo looks like corn cobs...among other things. Thanx for the amusement, David, and for the always fine expo, Hahtoolah. (Hope it's not serious. We'll be anxiously awaiting your return.)
FIR without erasure.
I'll have my first experience with weigh stations when I drive my rental Penske moving truck to Florida at the end of this month. But I'm told they weigh by the pound, not the TON.
I have EZ Pass and will get Sun Pass when I get settled in Florida, but I've never heard of Fas Track. Looking it up, I see it's the same thing but just for California. I don't remember toll roads when I lived there.
In Jimmy Buffett's ballad Banana Republic, he sings:
Down to the Banana Republics
Down to the tropical sun
Go the EXPATriated Americans
Hopin' to find some fun
Happy birthday to the late Sue Grafton's sleuth Kinsey Millhone, "born" May 5, 1950.
Thanks to David for the nice, gentle Tuesday offering. And thanks to Ha2la for another chucklefest. My favorite was "eating chocolate for a month." We'll certainly miss you.
Jinx, Jimmy may have recorded that song, but Steve Goodman wrote it. Here's his version.
You know you've seen "Apollo 13" too many times if you automatically filled in KEN Mattingly without thinking.
I think of Dave Mattingly whose voice can me heard almost every day on NPR's Morning Edition.
FIR. This was a little crunchy for a Tuesday. Having a hip hop group to begin was an ominous start. Also several proper names few would know added to the crunch.
Totally unfamiliar with FasTrak; we use Sun Pass here in Florida, and I believe it also works up north.
Honestly I thought the theme was quite lame. I mean apple muffin and apple chips? Really!
Overall a so-so puzzle.
When the NW didn’t yield much, I was afraid I was in for a tumble, but the rest of the CW filled quickly and easily. I soon saw the food references and the taunt showed up with no effort. So I went back to the NW and once the CHURRO fill came to me, it all fit.
I like orange MUFFINs. The only Mattingly I know, like D-O, is Dave of NPR. I had just one erasure, exam/ EVAL. I quickly recognized the purple and gold clue. People in Baton Rouge bleed those colors during football season.
Thank you Hahtoolah for the fact and fun filled review. We’ll miss you. Hope you’re going on a fun trip.
That was Monkey above.
I remember that RUN-DMC's video, but it only featured two of them so I thought they were a duo. That was the beginning of going around in circles on this one. I agree that this seemed tough for a Tuesday.
Today, I decided to solve online at the LAT website. For some reason, it didn't like the "O" at the cross of CHURRO and DENIRO. I had to enter an "A" for the win.
My simple bookmark was a DOLLAR. DOG EARs are frowned upon.
Thanks for the toons, Hatoonlah! And good luck on whatever the next few months might bring.
Terrific Tuesday. Thanks for the fun David and Hahtoolah (best wishes for a good hiatus). (LOL that DUD shirt)
I FIRed in good time and saw the APPLE theme with the reveal. One inkblot to change host to COOK ( it’s only a diner!).
DMC was among the last to perp.
Unknown-to-me names EVANS, DON and Canadian disadvantages like IP LAW, LSU, TOLL, PHX, THE FBI perped fairly.
Our SAFARI was in Kenya. Serengeti National Park is in Tanzania and Maasai Mara National Park is just across the border in Kenya. The Serengeti ecosystem spans the border and those wildebeests just ignore it during their migration. No TOLLs.
Wishing you all a great day.
First, I'm hoping your absence is a fun vacation, not a medical problem, Hahtoolah, but best wishes in either case. Also, thanx for the terrific write-up today and the great cartoons. Like Jinx, the chocolate one is also my favorite, but they are all quite good.
As to the CW, 16 names, 8 DNKs among them, I THOUGHT slowed me down. I was surprised to check the clock and see I managed to FIR in 12. Starting off at 1A with the name of a hip-hop group bode poorly, but once I had RUN from perps, RUNDMC popped into my head.
I avoided a potential W/O at PENCE/OUNCE at 43A by looking at perps.
I wanted EMIGRES at 67A but it didn't fit, so it had to be EXPATS.
Thanx DF, I had fun solving your creative CW. A challenge: create a CW with no names. I admit I never saw the theme; I didn't notice it as I filled and forgot to look afterward. It took Hahtoolah for the V-8 can to hit.
an amusing little puzzle...
Took 3:51 to solve this one as it was as easy as pie.
Seemed like a themeless until the very end, which is fine.
I knew the Actors of the Day (Deniro & Evans), but not the choreographer (Tharp).
I knew Jimmy didn't write it, but I also didn't know Steve Goodman. Now I see that Goodman also wrote City of New Orleans, and co-wrote You Never Even Called Me By My Name. Here's David Allan Coe's version of that classic. (Coe died just six days ago.)
No workie on my laptop
California has few toll roads, but FasTrack has relieved the former congestion at the Bay Area's many toll-collecting bridges.
Don Mattingly made news last week when he was named interim manager of the Phillies.
We will miss you, Hahtoolah. Take care and come back to us when you are ready!
Hola! Of course! HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES always makes me recall Matt Damon in that scene. I don't ever hear it otherwise.
We don't have TOLL roads in Arizona, but I see them when I visit my friends in the Bay area.
Last night I watched FBI on Television.
I never DOG EAR books! That's what bookmarks are for.
ADA is often clued as a name such as ADA Limon.
Nothing RUINs your CREDIT LINE like missing one payment!
Happy trails, Hahtoolah, and thank you for your cheerful review today.
Well, that's ENOUGH for now. Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Interesting Tuesday puzzle, many thanks, David. And thanks too for your always helpful commentary, Hahtoolah, and have a safe trip.
Well, seeing BAD right at the top of the puzzle had me worried that this was going to be a pretty negative production--maybe a DUD, like that fourth word down. But just a few letters later we got FUN, so I decided just to wait to see where things were going to go. Something BURNED TO A CRISP will probably turn out BAD because it's likely to RUIN a meal, and those BARGAINING CHIPS looked as though they were going to offer only a NARROW LEAD, which might explain why this puzzle's CREDIT LINE ended up with a DEBT right at the end.
But the fact that we were offered a chance to REST right at the beginning was good, though, and that delicious CHURRO may have gotten us fit for going on that SAFARI in the morning, where we pleasantly HIKED before heading off to that OPERA in the afternoon. We could have had a friendlier question than 'HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES'--but if the apples were more than SO SO and maybe even tasty we might have OOHED and AAHED for enjoying a pretty good day after all. And, after all, THE FBI protected us and our DADS and made sure we had a delightful time.
Have a great time for the rest of your day too.
Curious, it works on my iPad and iPhone... but don't worry, it's nothing important.
The smiling green apples have decided to show up! Cute
I liked this puzzle.
I also like Twyla Tharp's style. (Bob Fosse's style, too.) When I was in the Air Force we had an instructor named Robert Tharp.
I never knew Puccini's full name. Wow.
Good reading all your comments.
Great work Misty!
I’m missing Irish Miss again.
What happened to her?
Surprised nobody noticed in the writeup that 59D TBA does not stand for To Be "D"etermined
She hasn’t posted here since Saturday and she almost never misses.
CanadianEh!, FLN, here's a pic I took today of our prickly pear in Northern Illinois - also in hardiness Zone 4. As you can see, it has 12 to 14 pads now, not 4 or so as I thought. The larger ones are probably around 8 to 10 inches long.
Note also that basil looking weed in the middle. I wont be reaching in to dig it out.
All from 1 pad stuck in the dirt a year and a half or so ago! I was accustomed to this in central Texas, but not in northern Illinois.
Took longer than most Tuesday puzzles. But I FIR. Enjoyed the review, especially the chocolate one with punctuation change! Where is Irish Miss? I hope all is okay.
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