ARDHA CHAKRASANA...
THE REVEAL:
63 Across. Vacation for posers?, or what can be found in each set of circled letters: YOGA RETREAT.
17 Across. Singer known as the "Queen of Christmas": MARIAH CAREY. Name #1 The name was familiar, the clue was not... RIAHC is a retreating Chair... (or backwards, if you prefer...)
Utkatasana, or the Chair pose.
24. Oscar won by Jessie Buckley for "Hamnet": BEST ACTRESS.
Marjaryasana, or Cat Pose.
Astrasana, or Camel Pose.
54 Across. Academic field for Judith Butler: QUEER THEORY. More info here...
Vrksasana, or Tree Pose.
Take a walk with me, tip toeing around the Yoga mats, as I try to figure out where I went wrong trying to solve this puzzle.
Onward:
Across:
1. Mission by the San Antonio River Walk: ALAMO.6. Irks: VEXES.
I could have sworn he said "vexes."
But this is like me doing this puzzle...
11. IT dept. array: PCS. IT=Information Technology, PCS=Personal Computers.
(But, in a business department, are they really Personal Computers?)
14. Steel rod: REBAR.
15. Target Center, e.g.: ARENA. It may be Target Center today, but tomorrow it will be called after who ever pays the most for the name... (Can you recall the original name of your local Arena before some corporation paid to rename it?)
14. Steel rod: REBAR.
15. Target Center, e.g.: ARENA. It may be Target Center today, but tomorrow it will be called after who ever pays the most for the name... (Can you recall the original name of your local Arena before some corporation paid to rename it?)
16. "I found it!": AHA. (Then they renamed it, and I lost it again...)
17. [Theme.]
19. Like rubies and garnets: RED.
20. "Anne of Green Gables" setting: AVONLEA. Fictional, & spelling nightmare, Name #2
21. Proactive Health pet food brand: IAMS.
Name #3
Founder, Paul F. Iams.
24. [Theme.]
29. "No ifs, __, or buts": ANDS.
31. "Ambiguous Desire" singer Parks: ARLO. Name #3 (actually name #4, but it's easier to prattle on rather than change it...)
32. Mina Kimes's channel: ESPN. What does ESPN stand for? (And it is name #5) - clued by a name? So 5-1/2?
33. Doofus: OAF. (Insert political picture of your choice here...)
36. Sit next to: ABUT.
38. Feel bad: AIL.
39. [Theme.]
43. Enthusiast: FAN. Short for Fanatic, but has become a kinder, mellower name for some one who is nuts about something.
44. "Beyond the Gates," for one: SOAP. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
45. Protective layer?: HEN.😀
46. With skill: ABLY.
48. Knee parts, for short: ACLS. Anterior Cruciate Ligament
50. Hertz rentals: CARS. Note that they also rent Vans, so with this hard a puzzle, do you really believe they would go with cars?
54. [Theme.]
58. Change shades: DYE.
59. Pageant wear: SASH.
60. Gives a lecture: TEACHES.
62. Prof's deg., often: PHD. Doctor of Philosophy.
63. [Theme Reveal.]
67. Luau strings, briefly: UKE.
68. Korean dumplings: MANDU. It's still a name, so #4 (correction, 6-1/2)
69. Guitarist Steve: EARLE. Name #5 (correction, 8-1/2)
70. Billie Eilish's "__ Guy": BAD. Name of a song, so #6. Correction, but also a named clued, so name #10?)
71. Piano exercise: ETUDE.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
72. Like baklava: SWEET.
Down:
1. Fleet: ARMADA. Another name for fleet... hmm, in rereading this, I can see all these names have caused me to lose my mind... (don't say it! I know what your thinking!)
2. Get a rise out of?: LEAVEN.🙃
3. Out of the country: ABROAD.
4. Primary: MAIN.
5. Dental care brand: ORAL-B.
6. Airbnb competitor: VACASA. Name #7 (correction, and since Oral-B is a name, name #12?)
Note: this entry caused me to DNF this puzzle. (Did Not Finish,) Because I had to Google AirBnB competitors, and of the 100 or so so listed, Vacasa was not one of them...
7. Notable time: ERA.
8. '70s baby, e.g.: XER. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I was thinking Beanie Baby...)
9. Opposite of WSW: ENE. (Finally! A clue I can answer!)
10. "Just tell us!": SAY IT. Just spit it out!
11. Oft-shaved cheese: PARMESAN. Romano wouldn't fit...
12. Simple Southern dessert: CHESS PIE. This one is hard to explain... if you scroll down to "why is it called Chess Pie? You will find some curious guesses, but I think the answer is no one really knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (And an apt choice for unlucky name #13?)
13. Feeling low: SAD. Too many unknown names make me feel this way...
18. Chuckle noise: HEE. No! Don't try to cheer me up!
22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE. Here! This puzzle made me nuts!
25. Run roughshod over: TRAMPLE. Alas, what I have done to this poor puzzle review. My apologies, I'm just cranky it got the best of me. Please state in the comments that you knew everything, and this was a breeze, and an easy puzzle. I'm sure it will make me feel better...
26. "Jane the Virgin" grandmother: ALBA. The 14th name, clued by a name...
27. Spot to veg: COUCH. Believe it or not, Veg is a recognized word! (Plus, in crossword rules, it would be very hard to abbreviate "couch.")
28. Longtime NBC sketch show, casually: SNL. Saturday Night Live, and an abbreviated name, so 14-1/2?
30. Weep loudly: SOB.
34. Crunch muscles: ABS.
35. Ice cream treat: FLOAT. 5 fun float ideas for your next party!
37. Word that's trademarked in Ohio State University's official name: THE. (Really?)
39. Headscarf: BABUSHKA. Also, the Russian word for Grandmother, or elderly woman.
40. Gas station choice: UNLEADED. (It's not a choice...)
41. A pop: EACH.
42. Magazine with an annual "Female Founders" list: INC. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (plus a half a name...)
43. Web page that has all the answers: FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions, like, how many names were really in this puzzle?
47. "Absolutely!": YES. There were too many names!
49. "You said it!": SO TRUE. (Even this puzzle agrees with me, too many names!)
51. Stick: ADHERE.
52. Hearty amber beer: RYE ALE. hmm, reminds me I'm ready for an attitude adjustment...
53. Six-line poem: SESTET. 🤔
55. Sound alike: RHYME. Echo wouldn't fit...
56. Food writer Drummond: REE. Name #14? ( I thought it was Rhea...)
57. "Revolutionary Road" novelist Richard: YATES. Name #15?
61. Stick in one's __: CRAW. Other than names, I read something recently about Mourning Doves. They come to your feeder and stuff their craw with seeds for consumption later. I learned that they are the messiest nest builders, often having a nest of 2 or 3 sticks, often built on your windshield wiper, and yet it seems to work for them! They also can convert seeds in their craw (or crop) i to a kind of milk they can feed the young! More here if interested...
62. Spot for a pint: PUB. Yes, you don't have to remind me I need an attitude adjustment. Hmm, Rye Ale...
64. Vegan-friendly latte option: OAT.
65. Serengeti antelope: GNU.
66. Do the math: ADD.
And there you have it! Did this puzzle beat you up? Just bend you a little? Or smooth out your kinks...
7. Notable time: ERA.
8. '70s baby, e.g.: XER. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I was thinking Beanie Baby...)
9. Opposite of WSW: ENE. (Finally! A clue I can answer!)
10. "Just tell us!": SAY IT. Just spit it out!
11. Oft-shaved cheese: PARMESAN. Romano wouldn't fit...
12. Simple Southern dessert: CHESS PIE. This one is hard to explain... if you scroll down to "why is it called Chess Pie? You will find some curious guesses, but I think the answer is no one really knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (And an apt choice for unlucky name #13?)
13. Feeling low: SAD. Too many unknown names make me feel this way...
18. Chuckle noise: HEE. No! Don't try to cheer me up!
22. "Where the Wild Things __": ARE. Here! This puzzle made me nuts!
25. Run roughshod over: TRAMPLE. Alas, what I have done to this poor puzzle review. My apologies, I'm just cranky it got the best of me. Please state in the comments that you knew everything, and this was a breeze, and an easy puzzle. I'm sure it will make me feel better...
26. "Jane the Virgin" grandmother: ALBA. The 14th name, clued by a name...
27. Spot to veg: COUCH. Believe it or not, Veg is a recognized word! (Plus, in crossword rules, it would be very hard to abbreviate "couch.")
28. Longtime NBC sketch show, casually: SNL. Saturday Night Live, and an abbreviated name, so 14-1/2?
30. Weep loudly: SOB.
34. Crunch muscles: ABS.
35. Ice cream treat: FLOAT. 5 fun float ideas for your next party!
6 if you include this one!
37. Word that's trademarked in Ohio State University's official name: THE. (Really?)
39. Headscarf: BABUSHKA. Also, the Russian word for Grandmother, or elderly woman.
40. Gas station choice: UNLEADED. (It's not a choice...)
41. A pop: EACH.
42. Magazine with an annual "Female Founders" list: INC. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (plus a half a name...)
43. Web page that has all the answers: FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions, like, how many names were really in this puzzle?
47. "Absolutely!": YES. There were too many names!
49. "You said it!": SO TRUE. (Even this puzzle agrees with me, too many names!)
51. Stick: ADHERE.
You try reviewing a puzzle that beat you up, and stole your lunch money, ON A WEDNESDAY!
52. Hearty amber beer: RYE ALE. hmm, reminds me I'm ready for an attitude adjustment...
53. Six-line poem: SESTET. 🤔
55. Sound alike: RHYME. Echo wouldn't fit...
56. Food writer Drummond: REE. Name #14? ( I thought it was Rhea...)
57. "Revolutionary Road" novelist Richard: YATES. Name #15?
61. Stick in one's __: CRAW. Other than names, I read something recently about Mourning Doves. They come to your feeder and stuff their craw with seeds for consumption later. I learned that they are the messiest nest builders, often having a nest of 2 or 3 sticks, often built on your windshield wiper, and yet it seems to work for them! They also can convert seeds in their craw (or crop) i to a kind of milk they can feed the young! More here if interested...
62. Spot for a pint: PUB. Yes, you don't have to remind me I need an attitude adjustment. Hmm, Rye Ale...
64. Vegan-friendly latte option: OAT.
65. Serengeti antelope: GNU.
The Gnu Song.
66. Do the math: ADD.
The Grid.
And there you have it! Did this puzzle beat you up? Just bend you a little? Or smooth out your kinks...
Tell us in the comments, because I hope I am not the only one that was puzzled...
CE:D out...
≽(◉˕ ◉ ≼マ
This was tough!
ReplyDeleteEspecially for a Wednesday!
And, again, I don’t like it when proper names cross, as they did at least once in this puzzle.
But, anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
Hi there~!
ReplyDeleteI felt the cringe with you on this one, CE:D~!
Splynter
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI normally don't say it when I don't like a puzzle, but I didn't like this one. The "Food writer Drummond" beside "Novelist Richard" was just cruel. Plus I parsed Judith Butler's field as "Queer The [something]" Those last two letters remained blank when I came to the corner for my comeuppance. Bzzzzzt. Valiant effort, CE:D. Thanx, Shannon and Will, but this was just too much of a name-fest.
I agree with all of the negative comments on this puzzle. Just awful. Two creators and they couldn’t come up with a better clue for DEA?
DeleteFIW, missing both my WAGs @ dRyO x VACASt & AyBA. There are clues for ARLO and ALBA that aren't arcane.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you can no longer buy leaded at the gas station, you can buy diesel at a lot of them. I think that makes the clue for UNLEADED okay. (You can buy leaded, but you have to go to the airport to do so. Small planes with piston engines don't like unleaded.)
I do think that "sound alike" for RHYME is incorrect. Should be "sound similar." "Sound alike" is the clue for homophone.
I usually like a Shannon and Will puzzle, but not this one. But thanks to CED for sharing the pain.
Nice distinction on the rhyme clue. Thx.
DeleteHard to believe it was a Wednesday! For the record, I don’t think proper or foreign names should ever be in a crossword puzzle. I use the puzzles to keep up vocabulary and mental health. I almost never know these actors, etc.
DeleteThank you, Shannon, Will and CED
ReplyDeleteTYPOS!
I made three of them. Caught two while solving. My gas station choice was UNLEADEs.
Other than that, there were some entries that needed perps. MANDU, YATES, ALBA, VACASA, AVONLEA and ARLO. Because the latter three intersected, I really had to slow down to consider the possibilities.
LEA fell first because LEA = Meadow, and I've driven through Albert Lea, Minnesota, so I recognized LEA in place names. VACASA was then inferrable as a kind of portmanteau of vacation and casa. That third A was enough to give me a good wag with ARLO to fill the intersection of ARLO and ALBA.
But no congrats. Stupid typo.
Close but no banana.
Wednesday woes (for "whoa, this is really tough"). But the review made up for it - thx CED . Having enjoyed many a chess pie and wondered why it was called that, the theories why were interesting and gave the fabulous word "eggcorn" which Shirley should show up in a puzzle. Wanted bandana instead of the unknown meaning of babushka and Greek instead of sweet. The Gnu Song was a delight.
ReplyDeleteYuck. Several arcane clues and impossible crosses.
ReplyDeleteDid not care for this puzzle one bit
I'm still on a high from yesterday afternoon. I was in the garage when I heard a car door shut. I thought my wife parked outside instead of pulling in. I opened the garage door. She was just pulling in the driveway, and there was another unknown car in the driveway. An unknown older woman and younger woman were standing in the drive. I said hi and asked if I could help them with something.
ReplyDeleteThe older woman said she used to live here. I said, "Pam?" and she was stunned.
Here's the backstory. We are the second owners of this house that was built in 1955. I met the mother when I bought it from her in 1988. The son Mike used to live in a nearby town. I met him when he stopped one day when I was working in the front yard. Mike moved to Florida. Years later, the older daughter Kathy and her husband also pulled in the driveway when they were in Chicago for his or her high school reunion. So if this woman had lived her, it could only be Pam. Pam introduced her granddaughter.
So how did I know her name was Pam? There's a concrete retaining curb along the driveway. Kathy, Mike and Pam etched their names in the wet concrete when it was poured, along with the name of their family dog, Gretchen. I had thought that Gretchen was another daughter until a neighbor told me that was the name of their dog.
I showed Pam where her and Gretchen's name were still visible. Maybe 10 to 15 years ago, the township had cut away part of the retaining curb that they felt was too close to the street, removing Mike and Kathy's names.
Then the conversation and remembrances flowed. We talked about neighbor families we both knew, where her mother worked, the tall green shag carpet (with rake, remember those?) that was in the living room, the trees and perennials her parents had planted and on and on. It was like meeting a long lost friend. It was all over too soon. Pam and her granddaughter had flown in from Phoenix and needed to get to downtown Chicago. We exchanged addresses and phone numbers. I'm going to send her one of her father's pay stubs from the late 50s or early 60s that I found when I was building out the basement. I just have to remember where I put it.
I’ve stopped by my old house in Chicagoland many times and finally dropped off a very nice note asking if my wife and I could visit my old home to share some memories. They never responded unfortunately.
DeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteI almost fell victim to a FIW or DNF but finally saw the light at Vacasa and Vexes, thanks to finally getting Xer, a poor but key entry. Vacasa was unknown, as were Arlo, Mandu, Earle, Rye Ale, and Yates. I know little about Yoga and I’m not fond of deciphering backwords phrases, so this offering wasn’t my cup of tea, especially because of its reliance on proper names.
Thanks, Shannon and Will, and thanks to CED for the patience and restraint he summoned up to explain and analyze this theme. He is more than entitled to an attitude adjustment reward!
Have a great day.
FIR. I saw circles and groaned. And on top of that so many proper names! Even some crossing like Arlo and Alba. A definite no-no. I had to take a WAG to solve that spot.
ReplyDeleteThis was a Friday puzzle if I ever saw one, and not in a good way. Even the theme was lame and much too specific.
Overall a terrible puzzle, most unenjoyable!
FIR w/out any help in 16:22, relying on significant perp help to overcome the many unknowns, VACASA, ALBA, YATES, SOAP, CHESS PIE, and I’m guessing like the majority of solvers, MANDU. Odd mix of cluing, a Monday clue for ENE, a Saturday clue for ARLO. Never heard of Jessie Buckley either. As I write this, DW is doing YOGA in the living room, not sure what pose she’s currently doing, but it’s a little provocative. I’ve visited the ALAMO in San Antonio, and had the best fajitas ever at a restaurant on the River Walk, which is below street level. Parsed as a two syllable word, FAQ has a whole different meaning. Thanks to WW I’ll and Shannon for your creation, and to CED for your stellar recap today!
ReplyDeleteThanks to Will, not “WW I’ll”
DeleteThis puzzle was not my cup of tea. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteWell, I though the theme was clever (if you know anything about Yoga which I don't). But overall this was a struggle.
ReplyDeleteI think the theme could have been terrific, but I was not given a chance to detect it properly because of the number of unknown names either in the clues or as fills, so my mood paralleled CED’s. This puzzle was not my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteCHESS PIE doesn’t seem to have made its way down to south Louisiana. I’ve never heard of it.
Thank you CED for your valiant effort. I appreciated your review and feedback.
Took 6:10 today to stretch this out.
ReplyDeleteSo many unknowns, which include the following: Best Actress of the Day, Alba, the Korean dumplings, Arlo, vacasa, queer theory, rye ale, and Avonlea.
My grandmother regularly wore babushkas.
Not my favorite puzzle, especially the crossings of Arlo & Alba and Avonlea & vacasa.
Oh joy, circles!
Wild Wednesday. Thanks for the workout Shannon and Will, and thanks to CE:D for explaining it all.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly, I got here to discover that I FIRed. All my WAGS and perps were correct. But I agree with the rest of you about those names and Natick crosses like VACASA, ARLO and ALBA (as clued), and MANDU, EARLE and YATES.
I saw the theme only with the reveal. I don’t do YOGA.
This Canadian has never heard of CHESS PIE, but I did know AVONLEA.
I smiled at the clue for LEAVEN.
Another smile for “sit next to =ABUT “ (butt to butt).
I love baklava!
Hand up for discovering that BAndana was too short, and changing to BABUSHKA. I have a photo of DH’s great-grandmother wearing one on the Canadian prairie circa 1921.
I noted a dupe with 10D answer “SAY IT” and clue for 49D “You said it!”
Wishing you all a great day.
Shannon and Will can offer a better constructed puzzle without the obscure name fest.
ReplyDeletePatti could of cleaned this one up but it stinks of lazy editing.
I agree, too many names. I am off to my therapeutic yoga class to practice my cat cow pose. I didn’t see the yoga circles until the reveal. Namaste
ReplyDeleteSaw the yoga poses retreating -- thanks to circles and the big reveal -- but FIW where VACASx and xRxO crossed. Oh, and AxBA. DNK singer Parks, the soap, the academic theorist, the Korean dumplings, Billie Eilish's song, the Airbnb competitor, Jane the Virgin or her relatives, THE word in the university motto, nor novelist Richard. Two bad cells -- too bad! Shannon and Will, I appreciate the puzzle, but think you really need to check the perpendicular entries when you are throwing this kind of trivia into the mix. CE:D, I feel ya.
ReplyDeleteSo many unknowns, and yet FIR finally by figuring out the only two letters that made sense to finish queer Theo had to be ry! I am in total agreement with proper names as not being part of vocabulary whether in an answer or a clue and certainly not as perps or abutting one another. If I tracked constructor names, I would avoid this one despite the FIR. Vacasa? Mandu? Arlo parks? Chess pie?
ReplyDelete