Friday, Jul 24th, 2026 ~ Kelsey Dixon & Sarah Sinclair
"MAKEUP" YOUR MIND
Generations, and as a consequnce, the Gaps
and I did NOT wear ( Grunge ) plaid
Today's puzzle comes to us from two "younger" generation constructors; their last LA Times was here, in 2024, with TTP at the helm. I did not recall solving that one, but I got a laugh from TTP's link to the "dap". As for this one, it wraps up a week of dreadful crossnames constructions, and made me feel I am either too old, or too cynical; it feels more like a Tik-Tok post than a crossword, but YMMV. Four theme answers where one needs to turn a "blind" eye to the 'blush' synonym in the common 'phrase' answers in order to make sense of the * clue; the reveal is definitely not in my wheelhouse, but I think I got the gist of it . . . an under-sized grid, 15 x 14, with more than a blush of abbrs and names, Twenty-six 3LWs, and a 21st century-speak Twurd, but I can relate to it. The themers, and the short-spanning reveal;
16. *Lesser: SECONDARYCOLOR- a 14-letter spanner, this is the 'tone / tint' definition of blush
20. *Fit for a queen: ROYALFLUSH - this is the 'verb' definition of blush
33. *Home of the Magic and the Magic Kingdom: ORLANDOBLOOM - also verb, name #1(ish)
46. *Relay rod: BATONROUGE - and last, the actual noun 'makeup' definition of blush
53. Tendency to overuse a certain cosmetic, or what has caused a mismatch between the starred clues and their answers?: BLUSHBLINDNESS
Sabrina Carpenter may be suffering from blush blindness - and perhaps
even over-doing the lipstick, too - but I still find her attractive 😁
But WaitThere'sMore~!
ACROSS:
1. 7-Eleven convenience: ATM - same fill, different clue; abbr #1
4. Bubble tea "bubbles": BOBA - becoming a popular clue/answer
8. Influencer devices, for short: MICs - I am aware that "influencer" is now a "thing", dare I say a "career" in the Social Media Digital 21st Century~? A millennials clue
12. Olympic sprinter Richardson: SHA'CARRI - name #2, no clue; filled via perps - when I Googled, her Instagram link came up before her Wiki; born in 2000, so . . . millennial (ish)
14. ID on a map: IDAHO - Dammit. Got me. I just could not get past "I Dentity" - geo name
18. Transcript fig.: GPA - abbr #2
19. Beyoncé song about the joy of human existence: BE ALIVE - millennial
24. Corp. title for Jane Fraser of Citigroup: CEO - I had C_O, so it was either F, E, I, O, or T; name AND abbr #3
25. BBC competitor that airs "Love Island": ITV - Learned about this TV channel when I watched the history of Top Gear - the Gen X series started in 2002; the orignal show dates back to 1977; abbr #4
My, how it changed; I think the 2002-Grand Tour version may have been
the best TV show ever - funny, informative, dramatic, and entertaining
26. 1980s cool: RAD - I was an 80's kid, but by no means was I "Rad"(ical) - or maybe I was - a long-haired 'headbanger nerd' . . . how's that for outcast~? The cigarette-smoking heavy metal fans hated me for being "smart" and doing well in school, and I simply terrified the geeks . . . Gen X, & abbr #5
27. Unspoken agreements?: NODS
28. "You wish!": "DREAMON~!" - Gen X would have gone with Aerosmith on this one
31. Fed. south of Iran: UAE - United Arab Emirates, abbr #6
37. With 30-Down, Paul Rudd role: ANT - AND - 30D. See 37-Across: MAN - I thought it was THE Ant, which wasn't going to work - I have seen parts of the movies
38. Pride symbol: RAINBOW
40. 1975 thriller with a two-note leitmotif: JAWS - A John Williams composition for Steven Spielberg's movie, which does sound "borrowed" from Igor Stravinsky; we saw 'leitmotif' yesterday - Gen X
EEEEE f . . . . eeeee F . . . . E F E F E F . . . .
I composed this blog days before I read RustyBrain's post -
44. Ring spot: TOE - A whole three-letter word~! EAR would work, too
45. Accessibility law, for short: ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act - 1990
50. Online friends, colloquially: MUTUALS - must be 21st century-speak, so millennial
52. Apple platform: iOS - AND - 60. Apple assistant: SIRI - clecho #2; I tend to think the younger you are, the more likely you'll be an Apple person - see the first image above. I'm Android, as all of the Apple products I ever came into contact with crapped out on me at critical moments . . .
58. Far from shore: AT SEA
59. Like farmers market produce: IN SEASON
61. Title derived from "caesar": TSAR
62. Smallest prime number: TWO - Jeez, math again on Friday~!
DOWN:
1. Donkey: ASS - How's that for a whole three-letter word . . .
2. English article: THE - THE English scored SIX goals in the World Cup, four to France - total 10, yet NOT the record
3. Jury-rig with what's on hand, informally: MACGYVER - today's Friday highlight clue/answer for me
4. Not just unoriginal: BANAL - I tried BLASÉ; 60% of the correct letters
5. Chicago airport code: ORD - I was close - I put in ORL, but that's the smaller field in the "other" Orlando - Florida - not Bloom. ORD comes from the original name of O'Hare, Orchard Place; abbr #7
6. Bandeau, e.g.: BRA
7. "Ain't no rule say the dog can't play basketball" film: AIR BUD - Didn't see this movie - IMDb
8. Parsons who was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021: MICAH - I knew this name, #4, because he was a Dallas Cowboy hold-out last season - his Wiki
9. Megastar: IDOL
10. Multicolored cat: CALICO
11. Pushed: SHOVED
13. Club in a Manilow hit: COPA - sheesh, pick a Generation already - "makeup" your mind~!
Copacabana, 1978, Barry Manilow
15. Cookies with a "design your own" option: OREOs
21. Bad Bunny's "__ Atardecer": OTRO - aaand back to millennials - Español, "Another Sunset"
22. Phony persona: FRONT - much of Social Media, IMHO
23. Touch down: LAND - Dah~! Not ALIT
27. Gas in an inner tube?: NEON - trying too hard to be witty, this one fell flat
29. "Welp!": "ALAS~!" - I learned today that "welp" is "sadly", in texts; millennial
31. German equivalent of the Tube: UBAHN - short for untergrundbahn, the subway
32. Romance novelist Hazelwood: ALI - Friday vague name #5
35. Most dense: OBTUSEST - just saying this is obtuse
36. Synthesizer pioneer: MOOG - name #6, more here
39. Atomic: WEE - ah; size-related
40. Brand that dropped "Juice" from its name in 2019: JAMBA - name(ish), and Friday vague-ish, but maybe that's on me because there's only two locations in CT - I've never heard of this "refreshment" store
Tough, as befits a Friday. ESP was needed for that name that started with “Sh…”. And a WAG or two later on was also necessary. But somehow, I got through it. FIR, so I’m happy.
Gah. The crossword world is determined to show me that I'm too old to do crosswords...and succeeding. Today was another DNF. Never saw Airbud (is it two words?). Didn't know Parson's first name. Thought it was SHACARia, which turned that BRA into a BIB. D-o had no chance on this "Flush the Blush" escapade. Before I head to the abasement, I must note OBTUSEST as candidate for the worst word of the week. Thanx, Kelsey, Sarah, and Splynter.
At my son's job, there are some 20 year olds, himself (31) and a 40-year old. He finds he has to translate between the Gens. Weirder, none of the 20's carry any cash ever, so if they go out for pizza, he pays and they Venmo the money to him. One new social habit I've picked up from the younger Gens, when going to a friend's house, I text I'm Here. You don't just go up and ring the doorbell!
FIR, getting SIX SWAGs correct: SHACARRI x MACGYVERE; OELANDO BLOOM x UBAHN and ALI; and MUTUALS x JAMBA, BAHAI, and ITS LIT.
I'm guessing that BLOOM is a WNBA team. Don't care enough to LIU.
I guess that "leitmotif" is the new OREO.
I suspect that the Department of No Fun that demoted Pluto will someday decide that TWO isn't a prime number. Maybe they'll make it a subprime number.
WATUSI brings to Wilson Picket to mind, and his big hit Land Of 1000 Dances.. Until today I never thought of his lyric "Do the WATUSI like my little Lucy" in conjunction with Luci Banes Johnson. Na, na-na na-na.
Thanks to Splynter for the fun tour and apropos leg shot.
I'm hoping that CC's and NaomiZ's Ends on a Positive Note is a lot more fun than this one.
Not my kind of puzzle, way too many names and slang/colloquial/informal expressions for my taste. I did get BATON ROUGE quickly since it’s the city where both Hahtoolah and I live. BLUSH BLINDNESS filled but didn’t sound familiar.
I missed ORLANDO because I held on to alit instead of LAND. “Welp!” ? JAMBA, never heard of. We have another original way to clue OREOS.
Thank you Splynter for a very informative review. I needed it.I beg to differ with your comment on Apple users. I’m 85 and since 1989 I have had nothing but Apple products. Our department was made up of my contemporaries and we all requested Apple computers when it came time to furnish us with one.
DNF. The NW was unsolvable for me. Way too many proper names and titles I just had no chance of knowing or guessing. In the annals of puzzles this one rates at the bottom. The theme was lame as well. Overall most definitely an unenjoyable puzzle.
So many nits to pick, so I will start with 1A...so many ways to clue ATM, and they chose "7-Eleven convenience?" Gas in a inner tube/NEON? 🤮 But the greatest sin is the inclusion of OBTUSEST. A word that has never bern uttered. The gimmick was bottom five Worst of All Time. FIR in 10:15 but the experience brought me back to when my Grandma wouldn't let me leave the table until I ate my peas...only this time there was no way to slip this crossword under the table to the dog.
Thanks, CanadianEh! Fast-forward 60 years, and I now have an Australian Cattle Dog. If I slipped a crossword to him, he would correct any errors and hand it back to me with a look of arrogance on his face.
Printed the CW, counted the names (24) and the DNKs (14), read some of the clues, and set the CW down. Ridiculous. I agree w/ Monkey @ 8:38.
Thanx for the terrific write-up, Splynter, and the great legs picture. Best part of today.
As I mentioned yesterday, I may just give up doing CWs. It's just not fun when one after another is a "crossnames" instead of a "crossword". Yeah, I know I count more things as names than most people. To me a brand name is a name, as is a city name, and a title, as 61A.
I had no idea what the theme was about, and didn't care.
I knew the Actress of the Day (Oona), but not the writer (Ali), how to spell the athlete's name (Sha'carri), the British channel (itv), the Spanish song title (otro), or the German thing (ubahn).
Crossing the British channel (pun intended) with the Spanish word was an ugly intersection. Although, I did like the "MacGyver" clue.
Given all the generational comments, I am surprised that this 80 year old had relatively little trouble. Maybe it is because of keeping up with my grandkids, but I actually enjoyed it and found it a bit easy for a Friday.
Welcome back, Kelsey and Sarah. And thank you, Splynter.
Kelsey constructs the Chicago Sun-Times "Chicago Mini Crossword" crossword puzzles and also edits The Atlantic and The Atlantic Mini crossword puzzles. After reviewing and solving Kelsey and Sarah's 4-25-2024 (that Splynter linked above), I started solving the Chicago Mini on a regular basis. She actually uses emojis as helpers or hints in some of her clues. Fun! Plus, I like the Chicagoland references in the clues and answers.
Fixing a chink in your armor, in this case, crossword solving armor, means finding a personal weakness and making it strong. The motivation was to learn the voice of younger constructors. They definitely push the boundaries, with definitions and terms that older solvers may not know or appreciate. And the initialisms. OMGNO! But srsly, give the Chicago Mini a try. Perhaps solve more crossword puzzles from other young constructors and these puzzles will be less obtuserer. erer. The least obtusest.
Splynter wrote at 22. Phony persona: FRONT "- much of Social Media, IMHO"
Yeah. A facade. A fake front. Not what's truly behind it.
Dash T captured that sentiment perfectly here years ago when he wrote something like, "On the internet, no one knows you are a dog." I don't know if that was original, a meme, or a quote, or he was riffing on a quote or a meme.
Friday fail. Thanks for the workout Kelsey and Sarah, and Splynter. Officially a DNF since I had to resort to Google too many times when I was AT SEA. This CW made me feel the age I reached on my birthday last week. But I did get the BLUSH BLINDNESS theme, so there’s that.
I’ll try C.C. And NaomiZ’s CW later. Maybe then I won’t feel like the OBTUSEST senior.
FIR - eventually! Crossing Shacarri and secondary and ITV with Macgyver took awhile to remember his clever show. Saw him once on the street in Vail. Definitely too Millennial for me. No clue about Beyoncé songs so thanx to perps although I never saw AirBud either but at least heard of it.
A challenging Friday offering from Kelsey and Sarah. I liked it. Seems that some cornerites are playing their “age gap” cards because of they didn’t get a FIR. Thats just being a poor sport IMHO.
I thought the puzzle had fresh fill, original cluing, and fair perps. Fun.
Thanks to perps and guesses I managed a FIR, but the biggest unknown was BLUSH BLINDNESS-never heard of it. Without the unifier there was no way for me to associate BLOOM and FLUSH with makeup. I 'flush' something a few times daily but it's not makeup.
Luckily, I knew SHACARRI Richardson because she went to LSU in BATON ROUGE. She wasn't too bright for the fastest female runner in the world. After winning the Olympic trials she smoked a joint, which disqualified her from competing.
Lots of unknowns today. MIC, ITV, ANT MAN, BE ALIVE, MUTUALS, BRA, MICAH, OTRO, JAMBA, IT'S LIT, AIRBUD. I've never seen any MACGYVER shows but have heard about them. Perps and guesses for all of them.
Hola! Yes, I slogged to the finish, but I did not enjoy it. Of course I'm showing my age! This puzzle challenged me more than a Friday one should, IMO. However, I consulted ALEXA for all the unknown names, MICAH, MACGYVER, SHACARRI. I'm also not a fan of modern music, so BE ALIVE again needed ALEXA and i guessed OTRO atardecer. That forced me to change REGAL to ROYAL. A puzzle should not be this much work! Thank you, splynter, for your help on it. Have a wonderful day, everyone!
Even with the glut of unknowns, SHA’CARRI, ITV, and JAMBA to name a few, this Boomer somehow worked my way to a FIR w/out help, but it took almost a half hour. I do agree that the younger constructors use of current pop culture, many names, and text speak etc make it difficult on us of the older generation, and it is frustrating to read clue after clue and draw a total blank. Well, I’m thinking we just have to get used to it. I don’t hear the word OBTUSE very often, (and never OBTUSEST), but I do recall a famous line from Shawshank Redemption where Andy calls the Warden OBTUSE, which he took great offense to and immediately put Andy in solitary for 30 days. Thanks to Sarah and Kelsey for your VERY challenging puzzle, and to Splynter for your well thought out and written expo.
NaomiZ ~ congratulations on your debut puzzle with C.C. I figured it was only a matter of time before we saw your byline, and you certainly have one of the best as your mentor! I’m having a little trouble downloading the puzzle, but I’ll keep trying, I look forward to the solve.😊
I finished it wrong with four errors. I had "blush blind" but missed 3 or the last 4 letters in the phrase. It was not a fun puzzle with the crossing of names, people I'd never heard of. I actually lucked into the answer "Ant Man", never heard of the actor before.. Plus the only reason I've ever heard of Bad Bunny is from the Super Bowl controversy, and I hadn't thought of him since. For me, it has been a tough week, with yesterday's puzzle beyond by grasp in the mid-east.
This is Jayce. I did not enjoy this puzzle much. OBTUSEST is just plain ugly to my eyes. Ha! JAWS leitmotiv! A former boss loved to MACGYVER things rather than "do it right". I totally agree with Splynter: "Gas in an inner tube?: NEON - trying too hard to be witty, this one fell flat". What is "inner" about a neon tube? Anyway, I appreciate all your comments and enjoy reading them.
I had to look up “Airbud”, but got all the theme answers and the rest. Love the MacGyver clue! Thanks Splynter for the fun review and the signature “bandeau” picture. We have Jamba Juice and lots of boba tea here. I look forward to your puzzle, CC and NaomiZ!
I am the "Stig" of minivans . . . and plagiarism, uh, imitation, is the sincerest form of flattery~!! Solved the USA Today puzzle - congrats to Naomi~!
It took me 19:19 unassisted for the LAT, while the 2 week old NY times took 28:24. In keeping with the leitmotiv, the clue at 22A there was "Terrorizer of Amity Island in a 1975 blockbuster film" (SHARK).
I liked the early Top Guns as well. They play on either Samsung or LG internet TV. Or maybe it is both now. That was funny, "Are you the Stig?"
I don't know if they ever ID'ed him. Heck of a driver, that's for sure.
Tough, as befits a
ReplyDeleteFriday. ESP was needed for that name that started with “Sh…”. And a WAG or two later on was also necessary.
But somehow, I got through it.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteGah. The crossword world is determined to show me that I'm too old to do crosswords...and succeeding. Today was another DNF. Never saw Airbud (is it two words?). Didn't know Parson's first name. Thought it was SHACARia, which turned that BRA into a BIB. D-o had no chance on this "Flush the Blush" escapade. Before I head to the abasement, I must note OBTUSEST as candidate for the worst word of the week. Thanx, Kelsey, Sarah, and Splynter.
At my son's job, there are some 20 year olds, himself (31) and a 40-year old. He finds he has to translate between the Gens. Weirder, none of the 20's carry any cash ever, so if they go out for pizza, he pays and they Venmo the money to him. One new social habit I've picked up from the younger Gens, when going to a friend's house, I text I'm Here. You don't just go up and ring the doorbell!
DeleteThanks for the tips! I need all the help I can get!
DeleteHorrible puzzle. Patti has been such a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It was pure slop.
DeleteToo many names I don’t know and could care less about. Too much Gen-whatever speak. No fun.
ReplyDeleteFIR, getting SIX SWAGs correct: SHACARRI x MACGYVERE; OELANDO BLOOM x UBAHN and ALI; and MUTUALS x JAMBA, BAHAI, and ITS LIT.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that BLOOM is a WNBA team. Don't care enough to LIU.
I guess that "leitmotif" is the new OREO.
I suspect that the Department of No Fun that demoted Pluto will someday decide that TWO isn't a prime number. Maybe they'll make it a subprime number.
WATUSI brings to Wilson Picket to mind, and his big hit Land Of 1000 Dances.. Until today I never thought of his lyric "Do the WATUSI like my little Lucy" in conjunction with Luci Banes Johnson. Na, na-na na-na.
Thanks to Splynter for the fun tour and apropos leg shot.
I'm hoping that CC's and NaomiZ's Ends on a Positive Note is a lot more fun than this one.
ORLANDO, not OELANDO.
DeleteJinx, Orlando Bloom is an English actor. He arrived on the scene as Legolas in LOTR.
DeleteThanks! No wonder I couldn't figure out how to place a wager on ORLANDO BLOOM.
DeleteI hadn't heard of BLUSH BLINDNESS - but not hard to perp. I had just been reminded of SHACARRI Richardson on a recent sports broadcast
ReplyDeleteI also did CC and Naomi's fun puzzle that was linked
Thanks to Kelsey and Sarah for an amusing puzzle
Not my kind of puzzle, way too many names and slang/colloquial/informal expressions for my taste. I did get BATON ROUGE quickly since it’s the city where both Hahtoolah and I live. BLUSH BLINDNESS filled but didn’t sound familiar.
ReplyDeleteI missed ORLANDO because I held on to alit instead of LAND. “Welp!” ? JAMBA, never heard of. We have another original way to clue OREOS.
Thank you Splynter for a very informative review. I needed it.I beg to differ with your comment on Apple users. I’m 85 and since 1989 I have had nothing but Apple products. Our department was made up of my contemporaries and we all requested Apple computers when it came time to furnish us with one.
Oops, I forgot to ID myself. The above is Monkey.
DeleteDNF. The NW was unsolvable for me. Way too many proper names and titles I just had no chance of knowing or guessing.
ReplyDeleteIn the annals of puzzles this one rates at the bottom.
The theme was lame as well.
Overall most definitely an unenjoyable puzzle.
When the preps have no mojo it’s time to TITT. BUT I love the clue about the dog being allowed to play basketball,, but I couldn’t get Hoosier to fit
ReplyDeleteSo many nits to pick, so I will start with 1A...so many ways to clue ATM, and they chose "7-Eleven convenience?"
ReplyDeleteGas in a inner tube/NEON? 🤮
But the greatest sin is the inclusion of OBTUSEST. A word that has never bern uttered.
The gimmick was bottom five Worst of All Time.
FIR in 10:15 but the experience brought me back to when my Grandma wouldn't let me leave the table until I ate my peas...only this time there was no way to slip this crossword under the table to the dog.
Your comment about slipping this CW to the dog gave me the biggest LOL of the day.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks, CanadianEh! Fast-forward 60 years, and I now have an Australian Cattle Dog. If I slipped a crossword to him, he would correct any errors and hand it back to me with a look of arrogance on his face.
DeleteI just finished CC and Naomi’s fun puzzle. Thanks for the link.
ReplyDeletePrinted the CW, counted the names (24) and the DNKs (14), read some of the clues, and set the CW down. Ridiculous. I agree w/ Monkey @ 8:38.
ReplyDeleteThanx for the terrific write-up, Splynter, and the great legs picture. Best part of today.
As I mentioned yesterday, I may just give up doing CWs. It's just not fun when one after another is a "crossnames" instead of a "crossword". Yeah, I know I count more things as names than most people. To me a brand name is a name, as is a city name, and a title, as 61A.
I'll see what Monday looks like.
Uncle Fred, Please stop second-guessing yourself about names. If the word is capitalized, it’s a proper name or noun and should be counted as such. 😉
DeleteTook 7:43 today to burn up the raceway.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea what the theme was about, and didn't care.
I knew the Actress of the Day (Oona), but not the writer (Ali), how to spell the athlete's name (Sha'carri), the British channel (itv), the Spanish song title (otro), or the German thing (ubahn).
Crossing the British channel (pun intended) with the Spanish word was an ugly intersection. Although, I did like the "MacGyver" clue.
Given all the generational comments, I am surprised that this 80 year old had relatively little trouble. Maybe it is because of keeping up with my grandkids, but I actually enjoyed it and found it a bit easy for a Friday.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Kelsey and Sarah. And thank you, Splynter.
ReplyDeleteKelsey constructs the Chicago Sun-Times "Chicago Mini Crossword" crossword puzzles and also edits The Atlantic and The Atlantic Mini crossword puzzles. After reviewing and solving Kelsey and Sarah's 4-25-2024 (that Splynter linked above), I started solving the Chicago Mini on a regular basis. She actually uses emojis as helpers or hints in some of her clues. Fun! Plus, I like the Chicagoland references in the clues and answers.
Fixing a chink in your armor, in this case, crossword solving armor, means finding a personal weakness and making it strong. The motivation was to learn the voice of younger constructors. They definitely push the boundaries, with definitions and terms that older solvers may not know or appreciate. And the initialisms. OMGNO! But srsly, give the Chicago Mini a try. Perhaps solve more crossword puzzles from other young constructors and these puzzles will be less obtuserer. erer. The least obtusest.
Splynter wrote at 22. Phony persona: FRONT "- much of Social Media, IMHO"
Yeah. A facade. A fake front. Not what's truly behind it.
Dash T captured that sentiment perfectly here years ago when he wrote something like, "On the internet, no one knows you are a dog." I don't know if that was original, a meme, or a quote, or he was riffing on a quote or a meme.
Also, thank you for the fun solve at the USA Today, C.C. and NaomiZ.
ReplyDeletePlus congrats on your debut crossword, NaomiZ! Very good!
Alas, I missed the FIR by one square of the grid. I needed to do an alphabet run in order to get OTRO and ITV. Alas…
ReplyDeleteHated this cross name. Welp!
ReplyDeleteI tried to view the C.C./NaomiZ collaboration, but it wouldn't appear.
ReplyDeleteFriday fail. Thanks for the workout Kelsey and Sarah, and Splynter.
ReplyDeleteOfficially a DNF since I had to resort to Google too many times when I was AT SEA. This CW made me feel the age I reached on my birthday last week. But I did get the BLUSH BLINDNESS theme, so there’s that.
I’ll try C.C. And NaomiZ’s CW later. Maybe then I won’t feel like the OBTUSEST senior.
Wishing you all a great day.
I did smile when I saw yesterdays “leitmotif” and immediately entered JAWS.
DeleteMe too, regarding leitmotif! Learning moment yesterday.
DeleteFIR - eventually! Crossing Shacarri and secondary and ITV with Macgyver took awhile to remember his clever show. Saw him once on the street in Vail. Definitely too Millennial for me. No clue about Beyoncé songs so thanx to perps although I never saw AirBud either but at least heard of it.
ReplyDeleteIf any puzzle ever deserved Thumper’s dictum, it’s this one.
ReplyDeleteSplynter, you deserve a medal for your explanation and restrained summary. Thank you.
Dittos
DeleteA challenging Friday offering from Kelsey and Sarah.
ReplyDeleteI liked it.
Seems that some cornerites are playing their “age gap” cards because of they didn’t get a FIR.
Thats just being a poor sport IMHO.
I thought the puzzle had fresh fill, original cluing, and fair perps. Fun.
Thanks Splynter for the informative recap.
Thanks to perps and guesses I managed a FIR, but the biggest unknown was BLUSH BLINDNESS-never heard of it. Without the unifier there was no way for me to associate BLOOM and FLUSH with makeup. I 'flush' something a few times daily but it's not makeup.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, I knew SHACARRI Richardson because she went to LSU in BATON ROUGE. She wasn't too bright for the fastest female runner in the world. After winning the Olympic trials she smoked a joint, which disqualified her from competing.
Lots of unknowns today. MIC, ITV, ANT MAN, BE ALIVE, MUTUALS, BRA, MICAH, OTRO, JAMBA, IT'S LIT, AIRBUD. I've never seen any MACGYVER shows but have heard about them. Perps and guesses for all of them.
Hola! Yes, I slogged to the finish, but I did not enjoy it. Of course I'm showing my age! This puzzle challenged me more than a Friday one should, IMO. However, I consulted ALEXA for all the unknown names, MICAH, MACGYVER, SHACARRI.
ReplyDeleteI'm also not a fan of modern music, so BE ALIVE again needed ALEXA and i guessed OTRO atardecer. That forced me to change REGAL to ROYAL.
A puzzle should not be this much work! Thank you, splynter, for your help on it. Have a wonderful day, everyone!
I don't wear a Toe ring, but I have seen them on others.
ReplyDeleteEven with the glut of unknowns, SHA’CARRI, ITV, and JAMBA to name a few, this Boomer somehow worked my way to a FIR w/out help, but it took almost a half hour. I do agree that the younger constructors use of current pop culture, many names, and text speak etc make it difficult on us of the older generation, and it is frustrating to read clue after clue and draw a total blank. Well, I’m thinking we just have to get used to it. I don’t hear the word OBTUSE very often, (and never OBTUSEST), but I do recall a famous line from Shawshank Redemption where Andy calls the Warden OBTUSE, which he took great offense to and immediately put Andy in solitary for 30 days. Thanks to Sarah and Kelsey for your VERY challenging puzzle, and to Splynter for your well thought out and written expo.
ReplyDeleteNaomiZ ~ congratulations on your debut puzzle with C.C. I figured it was only a matter of time before we saw your byline, and you certainly have one of the best as your mentor! I’m having a little trouble downloading the puzzle, but I’ll keep trying, I look forward to the solve.😊
That’s me ⬆️⬆️
DeleteI finished it wrong with four errors. I had "blush blind" but missed 3 or the last 4 letters in the phrase. It was not a fun puzzle with the crossing of names, people I'd never heard of. I actually lucked into the answer "Ant Man", never heard of the actor before.. Plus the only reason I've ever heard of Bad Bunny is from the Super Bowl controversy, and I hadn't thought of him since. For me, it has been a tough week, with yesterday's puzzle beyond by grasp in the mid-east.
DeleteThis is Jayce. I did not enjoy this puzzle much. OBTUSEST is just plain ugly to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteHa! JAWS leitmotiv!
A former boss loved to MACGYVER things rather than "do it right".
I totally agree with Splynter: "Gas in an inner tube?: NEON - trying too hard to be witty, this one fell flat". What is "inner" about a neon tube?
Anyway, I appreciate all your comments and enjoy reading them.
This is Jayce again. I enjoyed doing Zhouqin and Naomi's puzzle today.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up “Airbud”, but got all the theme answers and the rest. Love the MacGyver clue! Thanks Splynter for the fun review and the signature “bandeau” picture. We have Jamba Juice and lots of boba tea here. I look forward to your puzzle, CC and NaomiZ!
ReplyDeletePuzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteSolved both this and the USA Today puzzle. Congrats to NaomiZ for her puzzle debut! Welcome to the addictive world of puzzle construction
Echoing Irish Miss => Splynter outdid himself today
Feeding off of Splynter's head line (MAKEUP) I found this ditty from 8 years ago:
Cosmetic student
Was absent; had to make-up
Her Makeup exam
Enjoy the weekend. Hope you all stay cool. It's already 110 here and it's just a tick beyond 12 noon
Zoomed through this even though I didn't understand what was happening until the reveal. BLUSH BLINDNESS sounds like a first world problem to me.
ReplyDeleteWas Robert Moog's son "Mini-Moog" (a famous synth)?
I like reruns of Top Gear as well. Splynter, are you the Stig? And as for a leitmotif, stop copying from my paper! 😅
Forgot to congratulate Naomi on her crossword. I didn't get to do it, but with C.C.'s guiding hand, I'm sure it was great!
DeleteI am the "Stig" of minivans . . .
Deleteand plagiarism, uh, imitation, is the sincerest form of flattery~!!
Solved the USA Today puzzle - congrats to Naomi~!
It took me 19:19 unassisted for the LAT, while the 2 week old NY times took 28:24. In keeping with the leitmotiv, the clue at 22A there was "Terrorizer of Amity Island in a 1975 blockbuster film" (SHARK).
DeleteI liked the early Top Guns as well. They play on either Samsung or LG internet TV. Or maybe it is both now. That was funny, "Are you the Stig?"
I don't know if they ever ID'ed him. Heck of a driver, that's for sure.
Top Gear. D'oh!
DeleteFun crossword. Easy peasy! Congrats on your debut, NaomiZ. You have a wonderful mentor in C.C.
ReplyDelete