Saturday Themeless by August Miller
August is a constructor we have seen very often here in the last 12 months and having a puzzle by August in August just seems right. I blogged his first LA Times themeless just last year and now this is the 8th one I've solved/blogged. He is a former physics Ph.D. candidate turned farmer who lives in Berkshire County, MA.
Here is part of a very nice interview with August:
Once upon a time I was going to be a physics PhD. I studied physics in undergrad and tried graduate school (twice), but ultimately that environment just didn’t work for me. And now I come home at night smelling of cows and hay, and it feels so much better.
As you can see by the grid below, August's puzzle is full of unique fill.
1. Camera setting with a moon icon: NIGHT MODE - Earlier this year, I used the NIGHT MODE on my iPhone which enabled me to photograph northern lights from our deck. They were not visible with the naked eye.
10. Makes a run for it: BOLTS.
15. Like rocks and minerals: INORGANIC.
16. "Farewell, mon amie": ADIEU.
17. Literary figure who rings a bell: QUASIMODO.
18. Remote spots?: SOFAS π My remote always winds up down in the cushions.
19. Finesse: ART.
20. Beach Soccer World Cup org.: FIFA.
22. Nancy Drew chum: BESS - Bess Marvin is one of Nancy Drew's closest friends and a core member of her sleuthing circle.
24. Lab infestation: FLEAS - A canine issue
26. "Foxy Brown" do: FRO.
28. Middle set: ABS π Muscles of your midsection
31. Cousin with floor-length hair: ITT.
32. Heads out: GOES.
33. "Ugh, I'm so sorry!": THAT'S THE WORST.
36. Some transformations: CHARACTER ARCS.
37. "I know, right?!": YOU'RE TELLIN' ME - An elided version of a familiar phrase
38. Mackey of "Ella McCay": EMMA.
 |
| Jamie Lee Curtis Emma Mackey |
39. "Ceci n'est pas __ pipe": UNE - Crosswords have taught me of Rene Magritte's This Is Not A Pipe but is just a picture of a pipe.
40. Confidentiality doc: NDA.
41. One bro to another?: SIB π
42. Takes to heart: HEEDS.
44. Some "Call the Midwife" figures: NUNS ¯\_(γ)_/¯
48. Exclaims: CRIES.
50. Crushed: ACED - I had finished my physics minor but had to take a class called Electricity For Industrial Arts Teachers to get my hours for my diploma. I ACED those tests.
53. Pause to catch up?: NAP.
54. Essential fatty __: ACIDS - Some of the sources
55. Avoid having to hoof it: SNAG A RIDE.
57. Things to avoid: NONOS.
58. Like some high-flying performers: ACROBATIC.
59. Point of view: ANGLE.
60. Jargon in a video game chat, maybe: LEET SPEAK - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ Substituting numbers for similarly shaped numbers
Down:
1. Muslim face covering: NIQAB.
2. Harden: INURE.
3. Nannies and kids: GOATS π
4. Work wk. units: HRS - My teacher work was for a year but my summer jobs were by the hour
5. Work wk. conclusion: TGIF.
6. Term of affection para una chica: MAMI - HarΓa cualquier cosa POR UNA CHICA como tΓΊ (I'd do anything FOR A GIRL like you)
7. Switch positions: ON OFF.
8. Celebrated, perhaps: DID A LITTLE DANCE.
9. Italian scholar Umberto: ECO.
10. "On the __ of Sex": 2018 biopic: BASIS - A bio of RBG
11. Baking soda target: ODOR.
12. Chi: LIFE FORCE.
13. Cocktail party attire: TEA DRESS.
14. Kinda sketch: SUS - ¯\_(γ)_/¯ "Kinda sus sketch" is a casual slang phrase meaning a person, place or situation feels slightly suspicious, shady or untrustworthy. It combines kinda sus (a bit suspicious) with sketch (short for sketchy), doubling down on the idea that something is off.
21. Hydrate right after planting, as seedlings: WATER IN.
23. Source of siroccos: SAHARA.
25. Journalist Payne known as the "First Lady of the Black Press": ETHEL.
27. German "east": OST.
29. Uncovered: BARE.
30. Hall of Fame figures: STATUES - Next year, Pete Rose will be eligible for the MLB Hall Of Fame (probably with an asterisk for his gambling). Until then, he has a very unique STATUE outside of the ballpark in Cincinnati.
32. First poet to perform at the Super Bowl: GORMAN ¯\_(γ)_/¯ Here she is presenting it before Super Bowl LV (1:34).
33. Comparatively large band: THUMB RING π
34. Theater section: SCENE - Seems like it's more of a play section...
35. Mascara applicator: WAND.
36. Gathering that celebrates DC icons: COMIC CON - It took me a while to abandon our national capital for Detective Comics.
37. "Love that!": YES.
42. "Siddhartha" novelist: HESSE - Siddhartha is a Sanskrit name meaning "one who has attained his goals" or "he who has accomplished his aim"
“Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else ... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom." Herman Hesse, Siddhartha
43. "We __ because we care": Monsters, Inc. motto: SCARE.
45. Bring together: UNITE.
46. "Russian Doll" protagonist: NADIA ¯\_(γ)_/¯
47. Mote: SPECK.
49. Object of reverence: IDOL.
51. Spielberg quartet: EGOT.
52. Tends to a stain, maybe: DABS.
54. De Armas of "Ballerina": ANA. ¯\_(γ)_/¯
55. Actor Mineo: SAL - His most famous role was as James Dean's best friend in Rebel Without A Cause.
 |
| Sal James |
I got it!
ReplyDeleteThe longer entries, with one exception, were normal, in-the-language phrases, so that helped. And the exception “leet speak” was easily perped.
Not that this was an easy puzzle by any means, but it was doable.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThings were going swimmingly with 1a. HIGH_____ and 1d. HIJAB. Bzzzzzzt. Thanx, August and Husker.
I finished this A&E-riddled thing. Finished it wrong, but finished. Missed with NIQAt x tESS, and MAMa x FiFA. Erased hijab for the equally wrong NIQAt, and share-gave way to SCARE.
ReplyDeleteI my experience, "love that" is frequently accompanied by "love those." (Borrowed from Allison Janney in the sitcom Mom. )
Thanks to H.Gary for the fun write-up.
A challenging August Saturday, but managed to FIR somehow. I got hung up on the missing G in YOU'RE TELLIN' ME.
ReplyDeleteRene Magritte's 1929 painting is a brilliant think piece. What is real?
Natasha Lyonne was a child actress who made a comeback in Orange is the New Black. Her series Russian Doll features an interesting time-loop conceit ala "Groundhog Day.
At first, I wanted the Spielberg quartet to be JAWS, even though he didn't direct all four.
Masterful job as usual, HG.
FIR. This was of course a workout as befits a Saturday. But persistence and a few WAG's, especially with the proper names and whatever "leet speak" is, got me the win.
ReplyDeleteOverall, although tough, it was an enjoyable puzzle.
I FIR. YES. The three center long answers were the last to fill. I needed perps or WAGS for EMMA, BASIS, as clued, ETHEL, NADIA, ANA, and LEET, which looked wrong but had to be. Oh, and SUS. I had hyper before WIRED. I laughed at remote spots: SOFAS.
ReplyDeleteOnce I finished, I DID A LITTLE DANCE.
Thank you HG for the colorful grid and the good info.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteI think there was a nice balance between difficult and easy C/As which made the solve challenging yet doable. I wasn’t keen on some of the entries, e.g. Water In, Leet Speak, That’s The Worst but, overall, the fill was fresh and lively. Several unknowns (Ethel, Emma, Mami, Nadia, Life Force, etc.) were successfully perp dependent or WAGs which resulted in a FIR In below average Saturday time.
Thanks, August, for an enjoyable solve and thanks, HG, for an enjoyable and informative review. As always, your mini bio of the author is always appreciated.
Have a great day.
Took 9:53 (and a couple lucky guesses) today.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the Actress of the Day (Emma) or the Actor of the Day (Sal), the German (ost), the French (une & adieu), the Spanish (mami), the Italian scholar (Eco), nor did I know the other ladies: Ethel, Nadia, Nancy Drew's friend (Bess), or the clue for "nuns". I did know "Gorman," which helped.
"Siroccos" was unknown, and I assumed it was the Saturday obscure food clue until seeing the picture that HG shared.
Not knowing if it was Sal or Sam, made it a guess whether it was "leetspeak" or "meetspeak." Sal sounded more right to me, even though "leet" sounded more wrong than "meetspeak". I had a similar conundrum with the unknown "niqab" crossing the unknown friend. Guessing the "B" in "Bess" was a mildly educated guess. "Tess" and "Jess" were both strong candidates.
I was surprised to cross the finish line today, but it has too many names and foreign words for me to find this one enjoyable.
You might remember "Scirocco" as a Volkswagen model '74-'92 and '08-'18. It was named for the desert wind.
DeleteWe Arizonans know those rolling dust storms as “Haboobs.” Not likely a marketable name for a car.
Delete8:49. Easiest Saturday in quite some time. Overall very good puzzle.
ReplyDeleteNo milk left in the fridge this am meant no cappuccino so made a double shot espresso instead. Figured by becoming “overly caffeinated “ musta fired off extra synapses leading to a Wednesday-like Saturday FIR. The only delay was circling the middle 3 long answers which slowly perped
ReplyDelete“On the Basis of Sex” great biopic about RBG’s early career. But never heard of “Ella McCay” π€. I enjoyed the two seasons of “Russian Doll” but there was no conclusion and a third season is up in the air π―
“MAMI must the female version of Papi
LEETSPEAK, SUS ?
Is a Teadress like an Aline skirt?
Wait wait … sadly I see I actually FIW had TESS for BESS π¦
Husker G: If Northern Lights were invisible how did you know to photograph. Wonder if there are similar conditions in upstate/central NY
Hi Ray,
DeleteA weatherman in Lincoln mentioned that the Northern Lights were up and how to photograph them. That sent my daughter to message that info of me.
Hated this CW. Obscure unknowns (leet speak?) and too many lame misdirections such as remote spots, large band, lab infestations.
ReplyDeleteI bet LEETSPEAK has been dead for at least a decade by this point. On the topic of “modern” entries, COMIC CON is very much a thing but has evolved to the point that it’s about lots more than just comics.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky to know SAL, LEETSPEAK and NIQAB, but I can see why MEETSPEAK would make sense to some, and TESS is an understandable mistake. (SAL Mineo is insta-fill crosswordese for me at this point.)
So sad that the constructor created such a good puzzle. And then ruined it with the cross of SAx and xEETSPEAK. Went for SAM/MEETSPEAK and I am sorry that the Constructor Finished It Wrong.
ReplyDeleteCan any Spanish speakers comment on MAMI? I have never heard this term. Crossing it with an abbreviation seems a bit unfair. Yes, FIFA was in the news lately. But that was not Beach Soccer. It could have been another ORG.
ReplyDeleteMami is a Spanish slang term variously used to refer to a mommy, attractive woman, female romantic partner, or close female friend.
ReplyDeleteHola! It took me way too long to finish this puzzle, but it is Saturday, after all. I finally accepted YOU'RE TELLIN ME as I really wanted a G (telling) but it was not to be. Everything else fell into place. NIQAB filled one letter at a time and I had forgotten BESS. Thanks, ALEXA.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the WORST for me on a Saturday. Just finishing is a surprise. NADIA is also a common Spanish name, and I've had students by that name.
We've had those dust storms here though, of course, not as severe as on the SAHARA.
THUMB RINGs are rare, but I have seen people wearing them.
I read "Siddhartha" by Herman HESSE many years ago and may still have a copy of it.
Monkey is correct about MAMI; it is a term of affection like honey or sugar, which was my late HB's term for me.
I hope you are all enjoying a lovely day, today!
Hesse’s novels had a a revile and cult following in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
DeleteThat sb revival!
DeleteReally appreciated this doable Saturday puzzle from August Miller, with all the unique entries as highlighted by Husker Gary. Sure, I DNK BESS, FRO, EMMA, LEETSPEAK, or ETHEL but perps were kind. I *did* fail in one of those spots, though. I guessed eST for German "east," and although I stared at "FRe" for "'Foxy Brown' do," I just couldn't find my way to FRO. Bzzzt! Still, lots of fun. I started at breakfast, left for several hours, and when I returned I suddenly understood "remote spots" and "chi." The rest filled itself, so I FIW and enjoyed it. Thanks, AM and HG!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed doing this puzzle and am impressed by its construction. I'm always impressed by stacked long entries, grid spanners, and the like, such as DID A LITTLE DANCE. Amazing stuff.
ReplyDeleteWATER IN made me do a little shoulder shrug, as did LEET SPEAK. QUASIMODO was a gimmee. I also knew NUNS, as DW and I used to watch "Call the Midwife" regularly.
Rant:
CHI (pronounced "chee") is how I spell it. Frankly, spelling it "qi" (using the letter Q to represent the CH sound, which I don't think any other language on the planet does) has not, does not, and never will make sense to me. Especially since CHU, CHA, and CHE (pronounced "choo", "chah", and "chuh") are spelled with CH, which is all the same phoneme!
End of rant.
I think my late wife was especially beautiful when she wore a TEA DRESS.
I knew OST from the name of the country Γsterreich (Austria).
Good reading all your comments.
Thank you, August! I had a one-box-FIW thinkIN" SAm crossing mEETSPEAK sounded more reasonable than LEETSPEAK. I also struggled with MAMI because "chica" was in the clue and I associate that word with a girl and MAMI with a mature female. I started with "Miha" and eventually found my way to MAMI. FAV was the "band" clue.
ReplyDeleteThank you, H-Gary for all of your additions. That color-coded grid shows us how creative August's puzzle is. Last winter a friend sent northern lights pics she took on her phone. They were stunning. She told me that she could see them but the phone made them look much better than what she could see with her naked eye.
I would like to say I FIR, but I missed one cell. Like Jinx and Ray-O-Sunshine, I put Tess instead of Bess. Had Bess first and changed it. And I read all the Nancy Drew books when I was a little girl. Still have them too! Thanks Lucina for shedding some light on Mami! Got hung up for a while on Quasimoto, then “did a little dance” changed it to a “d”. Thank you August and HG!
ReplyDelete