Saturday Themeless by Doug Peterson and Sam Donaldson
Two veteran constructors give us this very nice puzzle on this very special Fourth of July! The two song references were not in my knowledge bank but they did come to heel eventually. I will mention all the devious cluing in my write-up.
Across:
1. Scratch pads?: CAT TREES - Here's a deluxe model. Our lily has CAT TREES but none this elaborate.
9. Coastal region along the Santa Lucia Mountains: BIG SUR.
15. Backspin producer?: REAR AXLE π A car's REAR AXLE does make its back wheels spin
16. Coffee drink made with a frother: FRAPPE.
17. Coldplay hit co-produced by Avicii: A SKY FULL OF STARS ¯\_(γ)_/¯ I had to nurse this answer along as the cells filled. Avicii??
19. Low digit?: TOE.
20. Brand whose logo adorns Argentine soccer jerseys: ADIDAS.
21. Lake just south of London: ERIE - Oh, London, Ontario! An old cwd fill dressed up in fun new cluing!
22. Market openings, briefly: IPOS.
24. Heroic poetry: EPOS. - Yeah, I stayed with EPIC for a long time. The difference
25. Fig. in a background check: SSN.
26. Like Pluto, once: NINTH.
28. Hook's boatswain: SMEE.
30. Germ: SEED.
31. Series opener: GAME ONE - This 1903 World Series ticket to GAME ONE between the Boston Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates is worth $270,000 today.
33. School zone sign: SLOW.
35. For the first time: NEWLY - Some NEWLY hired teachers feel they must be very 36. No-nonsense: STERN.
39. Socket set: EYES π
41. Platform for content creators: PATREON - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ Patreon is a media and community platform where creators give their biggest fans access to exclusive work and experiences. More
49. NYC setting: EST.
50. Football coach Pederson: DOUG - Coaching has its highs and lows
52. Gouda alternative: EDAM.
53. Alexa device: ECHO.
55. Like 56-Down: FANGED and 56. "Hotel Transylvania" protagonist: DRAC.
57. Purple yam used in desserts: UBE.
58. "Seven Nation Army" band: THE WHITE STRIPES - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ Jack White has stated that the song's lyrics tell the story of a man who discovers people gossiping about him in his hometown, which forces him to leave, only to return later out of loneliness
61. "Vacancy" singer Ari: LENNOX ¯\_(γ)_/¯
62. Trattoria tubes: RIGATONI - The third item down on this Trattoria lunch menu.
63. Apples in the trash, e.g.: E-WASTE - After using Apple products for over 30 years, I'd have a big pile of E-WASTE. I wish I still had my old AppleII+
64. Fourth of July treats: SNO CONES π
Down:
1. Packing: CRATING - Packing can involve using a crate
2. Using coded language: AESOPIAN.
3. 1980s hit whose video drew a lot of attention?: TAKE ON ME - Very unique use of live performances and pencil drawings.
4. Tax: TRY - Hard times can be said to be very taxing or TRYING
5. Rival of The Djoker and Fed Express: RAFA - Tennis great Novak Djokovic has the nickname of The Joker and another great, Roger Federer has the nickname of The Fed Express. They both had great matches against Rafael Nadl whose nickname is RAFA.
6. Ooze: EXUDE.
7. Shape with minor and major axes: ELLIPSE.
8. Hardly ever: SELDOM.
9. Ride-or-dies, for short: BFFS. π
10. Org. whose first commissioner was former treasury secretary George S. Boutwell: IRS - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ He was appointed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 to establish the Office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which was renamed the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, in 1918.
11. Flight board info: GATE.
12. Few and far between: SPARSE.
13. Revolt: UPRISE.
14. Email again: RESEND.
18. Palm springs?: OASES.
23. Worried: STEWED.
27. "__ guacamole!": HOLY.
29. Queen who appears at Epcot's Royal Sommerhus: ELSA.
30. Sharp turn: SWERVE.
32. Russian refusal: NYET.
34. 2022 title role for Tom Hanks: OTTO - A premise that is very similar to Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino
37. Learn by the book?: READ UP ON - Maybe you should do some more reading.
38. Latin attention-getter: NOTA BENE - "Note well" in Italiano. abbreviated N.B. "N.B. All applications must be submitted by Friday at 5:00 PM.
40. Anwar who wrote "Revolt on the Nile": SADAT.
41. Connects: PLUGS IN.
42. Itchy, to Scratchy: NEMESIS.
43. Grown-up grub: BEETLE - Not food for adults π
44. Refrain from: ESCHEW.
45. Zeus's brain child?: ATHENA - According to the myth, she literally burst forth fully grown and armed from Zeus's forehead (or skull).
55. Prix __: FIXE - A fixed or set price for the entire meal
59. Mild alternative: HOT π
60. Olympian Midori: ITO.
1. Scratch pads?: CAT TREES - Here's a deluxe model. Our lily has CAT TREES but none this elaborate.
9. Coastal region along the Santa Lucia Mountains: BIG SUR.
15. Backspin producer?: REAR AXLE π A car's REAR AXLE does make its back wheels spin
16. Coffee drink made with a frother: FRAPPE.
17. Coldplay hit co-produced by Avicii: A SKY FULL OF STARS ¯\_(γ)_/¯ I had to nurse this answer along as the cells filled. Avicii??
19. Low digit?: TOE.
20. Brand whose logo adorns Argentine soccer jerseys: ADIDAS.
21. Lake just south of London: ERIE - Oh, London, Ontario! An old cwd fill dressed up in fun new cluing!
22. Market openings, briefly: IPOS.
24. Heroic poetry: EPOS. - Yeah, I stayed with EPIC for a long time. The difference
25. Fig. in a background check: SSN.
26. Like Pluto, once: NINTH.
28. Hook's boatswain: SMEE.
30. Germ: SEED.
31. Series opener: GAME ONE - This 1903 World Series ticket to GAME ONE between the Boston Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates is worth $270,000 today.
35. For the first time: NEWLY - Some NEWLY hired teachers feel they must be very 36. No-nonsense: STERN.
39. Socket set: EYES π
41. Platform for content creators: PATREON - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ Patreon is a media and community platform where creators give their biggest fans access to exclusive work and experiences. More
43. Bracelet component: BEAD.
46. Towering: TALL.
48. Not perfectly round: OVATE - Pluto's extremely OVATE orbit is one of the reasons it is not considered to be a true planet.
46. Towering: TALL.
48. Not perfectly round: OVATE - Pluto's extremely OVATE orbit is one of the reasons it is not considered to be a true planet.
49. NYC setting: EST.
50. Football coach Pederson: DOUG - Coaching has its highs and lows
52. Gouda alternative: EDAM.
53. Alexa device: ECHO.
55. Like 56-Down: FANGED and 56. "Hotel Transylvania" protagonist: DRAC.
57. Purple yam used in desserts: UBE.
58. "Seven Nation Army" band: THE WHITE STRIPES - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ Jack White has stated that the song's lyrics tell the story of a man who discovers people gossiping about him in his hometown, which forces him to leave, only to return later out of loneliness
61. "Vacancy" singer Ari: LENNOX ¯\_(γ)_/¯
62. Trattoria tubes: RIGATONI - The third item down on this Trattoria lunch menu.
63. Apples in the trash, e.g.: E-WASTE - After using Apple products for over 30 years, I'd have a big pile of E-WASTE. I wish I still had my old AppleII+
64. Fourth of July treats: SNO CONES π
Down:
1. Packing: CRATING - Packing can involve using a crate
2. Using coded language: AESOPIAN.
5. Rival of The Djoker and Fed Express: RAFA - Tennis great Novak Djokovic has the nickname of The Joker and another great, Roger Federer has the nickname of The Fed Express. They both had great matches against Rafael Nadl whose nickname is RAFA.
 |
| Federer Nadal Djokovic |
7. Shape with minor and major axes: ELLIPSE.
8. Hardly ever: SELDOM.
9. Ride-or-dies, for short: BFFS. π
10. Org. whose first commissioner was former treasury secretary George S. Boutwell: IRS - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ He was appointed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 to establish the Office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, which was renamed the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, in 1918.
11. Flight board info: GATE.
12. Few and far between: SPARSE.
13. Revolt: UPRISE.
14. Email again: RESEND.
18. Palm springs?: OASES.
23. Worried: STEWED.
27. "__ guacamole!": HOLY.
29. Queen who appears at Epcot's Royal Sommerhus: ELSA.
 |
| Anna ELSA |
30. Sharp turn: SWERVE.
32. Russian refusal: NYET.
34. 2022 title role for Tom Hanks: OTTO - A premise that is very similar to Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino
37. Learn by the book?: READ UP ON - Maybe you should do some more reading.
38. Latin attention-getter: NOTA BENE - "Note well" in Italiano. abbreviated N.B. "N.B. All applications must be submitted by Friday at 5:00 PM.
40. Anwar who wrote "Revolt on the Nile": SADAT.
41. Connects: PLUGS IN.
42. Itchy, to Scratchy: NEMESIS.
43. Grown-up grub: BEETLE - Not food for adults π
44. Refrain from: ESCHEW.
45. Zeus's brain child?: ATHENA - According to the myth, she literally burst forth fully grown and armed from Zeus's forehead (or skull).
47. Solitary sorts: LONERS.
51. Onset: GET GO.
54. __ up to: OWNS.
51. Onset: GET GO.
54. __ up to: OWNS.
55. Prix __: FIXE - A fixed or set price for the entire meal
59. Mild alternative: HOT π
60. Olympian Midori: ITO.
Well, I got it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I hesitated at “Patreon”.
But, on the whole, I considered this a fair puzzle, which I would expect from our friend Doug Peterson. He’s pretty consistent!
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
DNF. Filled 47, 44 correctly. I guess I had MSG on my mind because of the royal wedding that was just held there, but I Swift-ly erased that for (the untimely) EST.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is the first Saturday where none of my misses doomed a crossing fill.
I knew that Coldplay was a band but couldn't name a single title. DNK the rest of the A&E entries.
Today's Universal Crossword is by Rebecca Goldstein and Rafael Musa, so I didn't even print that one out.
I had planned to spend the next couple of days in North Carolina in my RV to avoid the legal and illegal fireworks in the city. However, ZoΡ has decided that she won't go up the stairs of the RV, so after lugging her wiggling butt up them yesterday, I've decided to go back to Norfolk today. I've ordered a ramp that I think will work for her. We'll train on that next week, then come back down to make sure that works with the motor home.
Thanks to Doug and Samuel for the challenge. Maybe some day... And thanks to H.Gary for another fun review.
I've never done the Universal Crossword, but I support your decision.
DeleteFinally a themeless with two seed entries that doesn't have horrible fill as a result. That's what you get when the constructors actually care about clean fill.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July to all Cornerites over in the States!
I think a Frappe is made with a blender rather than a frother
ReplyDeleteFIR. Happy 4th of July!
ReplyDeleteThis was a workout as is to be expected of Saturdays. Last to fall was the NW. The Coldplay hit just wouldn't show up. I kept staring at "asky" and not understanding, till I came here and realized it was "a sky", two words. Duh!
But I got the win anyway so I'm quite pleased. Patreon still baffles me, but I can live with it.
So overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Took 17:33 today to get to the gate.
ReplyDeleteLike Jinx, I am familiar with Coldplay, but couldn't think of a title. Could only think of the scandal at their concert last year.
"Take on Me" has become one of my favorite '80 songs.
"Patreon" was unknown, as was "epos" (but not ipos) and the Latin lesson.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteKudos to those who conquered this challenging offering. The NW and Upper Central areas were filled with unknowns which I just couldn’t suss out. Despite my travails, I did enjoy three quarters of the solve even though it was a mighty struggle.
Thanks, Doug and Sam, and thanks, HG, for the summary and the usual sparkling array of photos.
Happy Fourth to all and Happy Birthday U.S.A. ! πΊπΈ
The tennis pictures from left to right are Federer, Nadal, Djokovic
ReplyDeleteThank you, Doug and Samuel, and thank you HG
ReplyDeleteNope, not today. Drew too many initial blanks up top. To wit, I wasn't fooled by "Rival of The Djoker and Fed Express" but just could not come up with RAFA. Finally got it though.
Tennis clues yesterday and today. Must be the season. Yesterday it was "Navratilova rival: EVERT". Netflix just released "Chris & Martina: The Final Set" on June 26th. It's in my queue.
Then I read in yesterday's "Years Ago" column that on July 3rd, 1976 Evert edged Evonne Goolagong for the Wimbledon title. 50 years ago.
A couple of days ago, The Djoker pranked a ball girl at Wimbledon, and it went viral.
Oh, and what 9:36 said about the caption in the image at RAFA.
NIMWH. Too much to do to keep going. There’s always tomorrow when I’ll have more time.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July. Enjoy some SNO CONES or BBQ. Jinx good luck with your sweet Zoe. Personally I hate firecrackers and fireworks. I’m skittish when it comes to loud noises, and I feel sorry for all the dogs and cats who freak out.
Oh, and thank you HG.great review. This is Monkey.
ReplyDeleteTough but fair puzzle, FIR in 14:32. Several unknowns that crossed with enough friendly perps to aid the solve.
ReplyDeleteI liked that there were entries aimed at every generation, resulting in a well-balanced offering.
I'm in the minority here in that A&E is right in my wheelhouse.
Finished w/no mistakes; but it took a long while. My culture ken is subpar - didn’t know the music or sports references - BUT got ‘em all with perps! “Aesopian” - a (new-to-me) fun term! NDT sure has it right - humility to know not knowing; thx for that, HG! Thanks to all for the challenging puzzle and the informative blog.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY Fourth to all! TTFN
17:02. Weird puzzle. Thought it was very easy except for the NW which was extremely hard. Couldn't see the answer 15A for ages.
ReplyDeleteNope. Went online, first pass left mostly emptiness. Turned on red-letter help, and still had too many alpha runs to try to even claim FWH. 18 names, DNK 15. Oy. Started by trying CATPOSTS but when I turned on red-letter help...oy, what a mess.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of UBE or AESOPIAN, or a few other terms.
Congratulations to those that managed to FIR. This is a tougher-even-than-most-Saturdays CW. Just way beyond my reach.
That Neil DeGrasse Tyson quote reminded my of an Einstein quote: "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know". This CW certainly reminded my of how much I don't know, and can't even suss with clues.
Thanx HG for your nice write-up. The best part of today.
Happy 4th of July to everyone! I used to love fireworks, and go wade into the ocean to watch them here in FLL. I don't like them anymore, especially the private ones. There's a guy on the street just behind me that sets off gigantic professional-type fireworks, and this goes on until at least 2am. Not only can't I sleep, I worry that some remnants may land on either of the two large canvas awnings I have and start a fire.
Oh! Good luck Canada against Morocco today! 1:00pm match, FOX.
ReplyDeleteFrom the GET GO, I was guessing it would be a RED, WHITE, & BLUE puzzle. We got STARS and STRIPES.
ReplyDeleteIt was an almost FIR but the SE got me. I had no idea about 'Hotel Transylvania' or the protagonist and no V8 moment occurred. And with over 200 different pastas, I actually knew RIGATONI, just not how to spell it. GG, TT, NN, and I. All those pastas has double consonants and end in either A,E,I, or O. PATREON was a complete unknown but I relied on perps to get it.
I've never heard the Coldplay song A SKY FULL OF STARS and my original was ARMY FULL OF STARS. Both THE WHITE STRIPES and their song- total unknowns.
AESOPIAN, not a word I knew but 'coded'? I was thinking software.
In NOLA, it's a SNO-BALL, not CONE. Most sno-ball stands (we have at least 50) have 30 -50 flavors. My flavor is dreamsicle (not creamcicle) and Diane always gets chocolate stuffed with vanilla ice cream.
Big Easy, good catch on STARS and STRIPES.
DeleteI entered SBO ball before SNO CONE.
Midori ITO told me that ball was incorrect.
Too hard. DNF
ReplyDeleteSince when is Dracula Drac? Clue should have included the words “for short”.
ReplyDelete"Since when is Dracula Drac?"
DeleteSince the 2012 movie referenced in the clue.
From Wikipedia:
Adam Sandler as Count "Drac" Dracula, a vampire and the owner of the hotel and Mavis's overprotective father.
Happy Fourth of July 2026, everybody! This delightful puzzle opened with a lovely setting on BIG SUR at night, with a SKY FULL OF STARS and a reference to lake ERIE. How nice that this event was celebrated by THE WHITE STRIPES band, possibly with ARI LENNOX singing beautiful melody. Have a lovely, happy, delightful day everyone, celebrating our wonderful country. Cheers, Misty
ReplyDeleteI was unable to solve this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of July.