Jeffrey Wechsler, my old friend, we meet again. His puzzles always land on Thursdays, once a month like clockwork. This is his fourth since April! I don't know why, but I suspect he likes my reviews. 😍
No reveal today, just a bunch of hard clues.
17. Hard stuff in rings: NATURAL DIAMONDS. Not just "hard stuff", but the hardest stuff!
26. Hard stuff in school: ROCKET SCIENCE. Just as hard as brain surgery, apparently.
40. Hard stuff in a bar: ALCOHOLIC DRINKS. Made from hard liquor.
60. Hard stuff for a sweet tooth: JAWBREAKER CANDY. They're hard as a rock. I haven't had one in years, but my jaw aches just thinking about them.
Jeffrey knows how to make a puzzle. He often creates unique grid designs, like this one, with mirror symmetry and multiple grid-spanners. And some of the best cluing this side of LA.
I hope the rest aren't as hard, but I doubt it.
Across:
I hope the rest aren't as hard, but I doubt it.
1. Error: MISSTEP. I wrote MISTEAK, but that was a mistake.
8. Radio static sound: CRACKLE. Occasionally, you'll also hear a Snap or Pop.
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| Rice Krispies Treats radio! |
15. Do the same as: IMITATE.
16. Peaceful getaway spot: RETREAT.
17. [theme]
19. "You said it!": AMEN.
20. Ignited: LIT.
21. Small floral bundle: POSY.
22. Robin Hood foe: SHERIFF. As a royal officer, the SHERIFF of Nottingham viewed Robin as a threat to his authority. Robin interfered with tax collection and outwitted his attempts to capture him.
26. [theme]
32. Gets even with: REPAYS. The SHERIFF of Nottingham was frequently embarrassed by Robin's exploits, so vowed to get even with him.
33. Relativity, for one: THEORY. That's one THEORY, anyway.
35. Bucks and does: DEER.
36. Org. that oversees food recalls: FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
39. Half a sextet: TRIO.
40. [theme]
45. Utterly exhausted: BONE-TIRED. As if your fatigue has seeped deep into your skeleton, reaching your core.
46. "How amusing": HEH. A sarcastic response to something mildly interesting. Like my review.
49. __ culpa: MEA. MEA culpa is "my fault" in Latin.
50. Marina __ Rey, California: DEL. As the name implies, much of this town near Los Angeles is a marina.
51. Proper: APT.
54. Fuming: IRATE.
56. Nocturnal flapper: BAT. Could've been an OWL.
58. Word with circle and tube: INNER. An INNER tube is the INNER circle of a tire.
60. [theme]
63. Doesn't just assume: ASKS.
64. Licoricelike herb: ANISE. It is used in cooking and in health remedies, and may be distilled with natural spirits and sugar to produce Anisette.
65. Ore-rich vein: SEAM.
66. Appliance alert: BEEP.
67. Numbers for letters: RENTS. Great clue. Letters are renters, people who let an apartment.
68. Tollbooth pricing unit: AXLE.
Down:
1. Sports analyst Kimes: MINA. MINA is an award-winning journalist, NFL analyst, and senior writer for ESPN.
2. Mosque leader: IMAM.
3. Place: SITE.
4. Leave speechless: STUN.
5. Fossil-preserving gunk: TAR.
6. Unreliable stat from the fashionably late: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival. I've instructed RightBrain to wheel my coffin in a few minutes late at my funeral. Aside from that, I have no last wishes.
7. Bit of hamster food: PELLET.
8. One who always gives star treatment?: CRITIC. Another great clue.
9. Belfast-born actor Stephen: REA. The Irish Times ranked REA the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.
10. Bread machine: ATM. Fun clue for an Automated Teller machine...or a toaster.
11. Trim, as a photo: CROP.
12. Casino game: KENO.
13. Boyos: LADS. Oh, boyos. I take back what I said about great cluing.
14. Marketplace with personalized gifts: ETSY.
18. NNE, SSW, etc.: DIRS. This clue is asking for DIRections.
22. Contrail location: SKY. A contrail (short for condensation trail) is a line-shaped ice cloud that forms behind jet aircraft flying at high altitudes.
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| Busy day near an airport with planes flying in different DIRS. |
23. Bucks, but not does: HES. A pseudo-clecho of 35A.
24. In shape: FIT.
25. Dismissive syllable: FEH. FEH is a Yiddish interjection used to express disgust, contempt, disapproval, or dismissive annoyance, similar to "yuck" or "bah", which is my reaction to this answer.
26. Bit of fishing gear: REEL.
27. Well-financed gp.?: OPEC. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is financed by oil wells.
28. Chocolate substitute: CAROB.
29. Online access username within universities, briefly: NETID. This shouldn't say "briefly." NetID is the full name of this service that provides a unique digital identity to students, faculty and staff for all their campus systems.
30. Grain ground to make masa: CORN. Since masa is a dough used in Latin America, I thought this should be MAÍZ, which is Spanish for CORN.
31. "The Devil in the White City" writer Larson: ERIK. Larson's book The Devil in the White City won the 2004 Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, among other awards.
32. Nutritional amt.: RDA. Recommended Dietary Allowance.
34. Casual hellos: YOS. If you meet two people, it's a YOYO.
36. Flowering plant once believed to repel pests: FLEABANE. FLEABANE is a large group of native wildflowers in the aster family. Turns out that contrary to folklore, it doesn't repel insects but actually attracts beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Be gentle when you break this news to your grandma.
37. E, in Morse code: DIT. The sound of a DOT.
38. Rigorous evaluation: ACID TEST. Ken Kesey’s psychedelic bus, immortalized in The Electric Kool-Aid ACID TEST, was in the news recently. It will be on display for the first time since the '60s as part of a Grateful Dead show at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
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| Furthur [sic] and the Merry Pranksters |
41. Big hit at the ballpark: HOMER.
 |
| Homer Simpson |
42. Unspecified person: ONE.
43. Hip-hop pioneer Dr. __: DRE. Andre Romell Young, known professionally as Dr. DRE, is a legendary producer, billionaire entrepreneur, and cultural force in hip-hop.
44. Thing of the past: RELIC.
46. Muslim headscarf: HIJAB.
47. Create a clean slate?: ERASE. Anyone remember clapping erasers after class?
48. Ethan of the "Before" trilogy: HAWKE. Ethan is an American actor, director, and writer who has worked across film, stage, and independent productions.
 |
| He's been at this for a looong time. |
51. Secondary structure: ANNEX.
52. "Bike faster!": PEDAL.
 |
| Are you pedaling back there? |
53. Defiant response to a threat: TRY ME.
55. Ingredient meas.: TBSP. Tablespoon measure.
57. Similar (to): AKIN.
59. Mars rover org.: NASA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
61. "My conscience whispers in your __": "King John": EAR.
62. High or low follower, in graphics: RES.
Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?
Be good. RB
I like “theme” puzzles,
ReplyDeleteand JW had another good one here.
Plus, it wasn’t terribly difficult, either.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteDidn't notice JW's byline, but I did notice that I liked this one. Made a MISTAKE at 1a, but that was my only Wite-Out moment. Cute theme. Thanx, Jeffrey and Rusty.
CORN: My nextdoor neighbor has two dogs -- Maizey and Frank. I kid her that she's got a corndog and a hotdog.
FIR, but hand up for mistake->MISSTEP. Also, alcohol in drinks->ALCOHOLIC DRINKS, owl->BAT, and rae->REA.
ReplyDeleteStatic is an AM radio phenomenon. Steely Dan 'splained that in their big hit FM (No Static At All). If Bayou Tony checks in he'll probably link Spirit of Radio by his fave, Rush.
ERIK Larson is my favorite nonfiction writer. I loved The Devil in the White City, butIsaac's Storm was even better. Now that we're approaching peak hurricane season it would be a great time to read it.
Class warriors tried to keep Marina DEL Rey from being built, saying it was just a project benefiting the filthy rich, and that it would be a drain on LA County resources forever. Not only did the project pay back its construction debt years ahead of schedule, it now provides around $58 million to the LA County coffers every year.
Thanks to JeffWech for another masterpiece, and to Rusty Brain for the chuckles.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteIt’s always a treat to see JW’s byline, no matter which day of the week. This particular theme is a little different from his normal offerings but was a fun and enjoyable solve nonetheless. I, too, fell into the Mistake/Misstep trap and also needed help with the unknown Mina, NetID, and Fleabane. I agree with RB on the cleverness of the cluing, especially the clue for Rents which took a minute or two for the aha V-8 moment.
Thanks, Jeffrey W, and thanks, RB, for the fun, facts, and chuckles. BTW, Boyos and Lads are interchangeable in Ireland. Tummy rubs to Buster!
Have a great day. Lucina, a belated Welcome Back!
FIR. I'm not a fan of vertical puzzles. And add in bizarre proper names, and the fun is gone.
ReplyDeleteI started off on the wrong foot by immediately throwing down mistake before misstep. That was quickly corrected.
I got all the theme answers with no trouble. It's nice to solve a puzzle without a reveal.
But overall not an enjoyable puzzle.
Add me to the list of thise entering MIStake/MISSTEP. I bet JW is chuckling. That didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this puzzle. Neat theme, fun cluing, and few people names. I’m not familiar with “Before” trilogy, but knew HAWKE, so no problem. LADS, FEH, and YOS made me hesitate.
ReplyDeleteAnd then we have a nice review from RB, so a good way to start the day.
That should be those. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteRents fell into place but I would never have been able to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy Jeffrey’s puzzles and today’s was no exception. Fun theme and I enjoyed the aesthetics of the mirror-symmetry in the grid. Add great clueing (RENT, ATM) for an altogether enjoyable experience.
ReplyDeleteI have read several of Erik Larson’s books and always appreciate the history lessons along with compelling narratives.
Thanks to Jeffrey for the fun puzzle, and to RB for the informative review. Loved the contrail photo!)
Musings
ReplyDelete-Hard to beat/WECHSLER PUZZLE
-The THEORY that the Earth is the center of the universe seemed very logical for centuries
-At 79-years-old, BONE TIRED comes easier
-The only time I’ve seen “let” used for rent is from Roger Miller, “Trailers for sale of rent, Rooms to let, fifty cents” Name that tune!
-A BEEP from my Apple Watch reminds me that times is up or an appointment is coming up or…
-Did anyone else think of AMBER first before you saw the fossil preserver was only three letters
-Nebraska will have a bumper crop of CORN this fall. A bumper profit is another matter.
-In Morse Code our large crossword shoes would be DITDITDIT
-SAC Air Force Base has left contrails in our SKY my entire life
-HOMER
-Although King John is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known and performed plays, it fills the quota of a reference to the Bard for Jeffrey. :-)
Hate to admit it, but the first time I heard those lyrics (or something akin to them) was on "King of the Camp" by Homer & Jethro, the Old Crusty Minstrels.
DeleteI believe everyone recognizes "King of the Road"
DeleteIn junior high, my buddies and I basterized the lyrics to "I'm a man of no means by all means...." We thought we were SO clever.
ReplyDeleteWe are below the air lanes between the northeast and the southeast, so on a clear day we get contrail displays like the one in RB's entry. I think our next clear day is scheduled for mid-January.
Yes, I thought of "amber" first, then thought "sap," then solidified TAR.
Took 7:12 today to play hard ball.
ReplyDeleteI knew the Actors of the Day (Hawke & Rea), but not the writer (Erik) or "feh".
I thought the clue for "ear" was an overly long detour -- then I read HG's comment.
Personally, I don't care about grid design or symmetry, pangrams, and vertical/horizontal placement, and the typical mixed/jumbled/anagram themes are usually lost on me as I solve. I simply want an enjoyable solving experience.
Today was a good one.
Hola! I love Jeffrey Wechsler puzzles! Thank you, JW! Of course, I entered MISTAKE instead of MISSTEP but soon corrected that. Luckily it did not take ROCKET SCIENCE to complete the rest of the puzzle. HOMER, the author, would be pleased with the latest version of The Odyssey in now in theaters. We went to see it while I was in California and of course, it's bigger than life on the IMAX screen. I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI love licorice and anything with the ANISE flavor.
I don't drink many ALCOHOLIC DRINKS, but I love Margaritas!
It's so good to be back and reading your comments. Have a great day, everyone!
Seems everyone, including, made a MISTAKE very first thing. I appreciate only 9 names; DNK 4, but they perped O.K. 13 to FIR.
ReplyDeleteHeld off on DEF/RES for perps to fill RES.
"Numbers for letters" is either best clue or too cute; can't decide. Had no idea when perps filled "RENTS", I needed RB to 'splain it.
I liked this CW, thanx JW.
Very informative and fun write-up, too, RB, thanx.
When I saw Jefferey Wechsler was todays constructor I made a fresh cup of coffee and smiled. I knew an enjoyable puzzle was in the offering.
ReplyDeleteHands up 🙌 for mistake/misstep.
A unique sleek grid with fresh fill and flow.
Its been years since I had a jaw breaker.
Rents had a new spin. Thanks RB for sussing out the hidden meaning.
Jeffrey Wechsler had a bit of fun with us this morning, leading us all to make a MISTAKE at 1-Across. That was quickly corrected, and the rest wasn't HARD. Great cluing, great fill, great puzzle. Great review, too! Thank you, RustyBrain!
ReplyDeleteNice fun puzzle from JW as expected. Some answers solved themselves from perps.
ReplyDeleteMy son, who is a USAFA grad , will get a kick out learning that CONTRAILs was one of the answers today.
That is the title of a book that the cadets(Doolies) are given as they in-process for BCT (Basic Cadet Training) by the end they are supposed to have memorized all the facts contained in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oosxJPwj4IE
My dad who was a dentist always said that popcorn and JAWBREAKERs keep the practice going
Thanks RB and Jeff for an amusing solve.
Welcome back Lucina!
Puzzling thoughts:
ReplyDeleteFIW as I couldn't figure out the RENTS / FLEABANE Natick. Oh, well
I am a fan of Jeffrey Wechsler puzzles; but back in the day when I was sharing Friday blogs with @Lemonade714 I would always defer to Jason when a Wechsler puzzle fell on my date, as he was an even bigger fan
Hand up for the MISTAKE > MISSTEP
Lots of 3-letter words today. And abbreviations. The abbr I disliked the most was DIRS and the strangest TLW was FEH
RB, another excellent recap
The puzzle was a Mohs scale challenge, not ROCKETSCIENCE but actually necessary to know to complete 🚀
ReplyDeleteThe story that went around when “Craclklin’ Rosie”: the Neil Diamond song hit the charts it referred to his cheap car radio but apparently it was a cheap rosé wine.
First thought for 1A was Mistake too but didn’t perp
Inkovers: CDC/FDC, mile/AXLE, retro/RELIC, him/HES, hah/HEH
I guess someone who lets is a “letter”. Awkward but kynda clever clue, FEH!
Working the puzzle in the Ophthalmologist waiting room
See 👀 you all later
FWIW
ReplyDelete-Numbers for letters could be ETHERS FOR RENTERS
Good one, HG! I thought of that too!
DeleteI loved this puzzle, from the symmetry to the great clues. My favorites…Star treatment/critic…
ReplyDeleteBread machine/ATM. Thanks Jeffery! And thanks, RB for the great review. I needed your help to understand “Rents”. And yes, I join everyone else with “mistake” at one across! Welcome back Lucina! I’ve just been posting since Jan. 1st of this year, but I’ve read your comments for many years and have enjoyed your sashays!
I liked this puzzle.
ReplyDelete