Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee here with the recap of a Wednesday puzzle constructed by Zachary Gallardo. Zachary recently had another LAT puzzle recapped here (on 24 May 20226).
In today's puzzle, Zachary stacks the names of bands on top of types of seagoing ships. In each case, the name of the band stands alone while the letters forming the type of vessel are consecutive parts of longer answers. The reveal is both clever and playful:
59 Across: "Everyone in the water!," or when parsed differently, what can be found in each set of circled words: ABANDON SHIP. Or, in this instance, A BAND ON SHIP. To help us recognize what the constructor and editor are up to, the grid contains those ever-polarizing circles.
It is also worth noting that the reveal does double duty as part of one of the four themed (pairs of) answers.
Here are the four places where the gimmick is employed:
15 Across: Camel's watering hole: OASIS (a British rock band) and 17 Across: Programming problem: ENDLESS LOOP. SLOOP (A sloop is a single-masted sailing vessel typically rigged with a fore-and-aft configuration)
25 Across: Enclosed rhyme scheme in Petrarchan sonnets: ABBA (the Swedish pop quartet) and 30 Across: Clinton secretary of state: ALBRIGHT. BRIG (a ship with two square-rigged masts)
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| Madeline Albright |
41 Across: "Exactly right!": YES, (an English band perhaps best known for the song "Owner of A Lonely Heart) and 45 Across: Bible Belt state: ARKANSAS. ARK Ahoy, Noah!
54 Across: Yellow brick road terrier: TOTO (formed in Los Angeles in 1977) and 59 Across: "Everyone in the water!," or when parsed differently, what can be found in each set of circled words: ABANDON SHIP. SHIP (in this case, generic)
The completed grid looks like this:
Here are the other clues and answers:
22. Nove minus uno: OTTO. Lezione di italiano di oggi.
23. Suspicious: SHADY. Suspicious is used, here, as an adjective.
27. Turkish peak: ARARAT. Often visited in our puzzles . . . and where the ARK came to rest.
34. Olympic gymnast with five moves named for her: BILES.
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| Simone Biles |
36. Letters of liability?: IOU. Liability as in a debt to repay.
51. Prometheus's gift: FIRE.
53. "See ... ": WELL. Something someone might say . . . and mean.
58. Aussie hopper: ROO.
62. Nocturnal bird of prey: OWL.
63. __ Gras: MARDI.
64. Unlike the rest: OTHER. With your kind indulgence, I will pass on a Kendrick Lamar video at this point.
65. Young lady: GAL.
66. Clique: POSSE. POSSE has expanded from its context in old westerns to now indicate with whom one hangs out.
1. "Exactly right!": AMEN. Why do they say AMEN instead of awomen in church? Because they sing hymns instead of hers.
2. City north of Carson City: RENO.
3. Probabilities: ODDS.
4. Service promoter: SALES REP.
5. Cyclone center: EYE.
6. Swindled: HOSED. Either way we've been had.
7. __ bear: Southeast Asian forest dweller: MALAYAN.
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| Photo by MM |
9. Animated film about Spix's macaws: RIO.
10. Baker's shortening?: TSP. Shortened as in TSP for teaspoon.
11. Like laughter, sometimes: CONTAGIOUS.
12. 62-Across call: HOOT.
Grandkid: Who? WHO?
Me: gasp Oh no, it's worse than I thought!
13. Curly hairstyle: AFRO.
18. Bed frame board: SLAT.
22. Japanese sash: OBI. Frequently worn in our puzzles.
24. Picks up the pace: HASTENS.
25. Pokémon that ultimately evolves into Alakazam: ABRA.
27. Modest Muslim robe: ABAYA.
29. Sushi bite topped with salmon: ALASKA ROLL.
32. "Stormy Weather" singer Lena: HORNE.
33. Elephant pair: TUSKS.
35. Operatic solo: ARIA.
38. If-then-__ statement: ELSE.
53. Major conflicts: WARS.
55. "Didn't see you there!": OH HI.
56. Knots: TIES. Which country is known for manufacturing TIES? Tieland.
57. The Grand Ole __: OPRY.
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| MM Out |
Had a collision in the
ReplyDeletemiddle. Did not know “abra” “anora” or “ locs” so DNF.
How obscure can you get?
Same. Guessed Brandon; didn't know Elias or abaya and others. This was tough but fun even though I didn't get it till the review which was punny funny. Thx.
DeleteGood morning!
ReplyDeleteMost of this one was accessible, except for the perfect storm of things d-o didn't know at center right: L___ hairstyle, ___TORS singers, AN___ movie, BR__DON Jason's role, AB__ pokemon character, and ELIA_ bureau. Ufda! Never got the theme, so the circles were no help. Bzzzzzzt. Thanx for the abasement, Zachary, and for the punny amusement, Mal-Man.
Another of today's DNFs. I know little about Korean culture, nearly nothing about movies, and absolutely nothing about poke-your-man. I was surprised that I didn't know the sports stats source - I guess I've been away from Dodgers games too long (35 years.) Vinny always had interesting tidbits to offer, especially when a game got lopsided.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you see an attractive young lady in your local bar and offer her $50 to show you her chestcicles and you'll likely get slapped, yelled at, and possibly arrested. Run into her again at MARDI Gras and offer her a fifty-cent strand of plastic beads and you'll likely be rewarded with a pervy peek. Location, location, location. Timing is everything.
To be honest, I wouldn't have enjoyed this one even on a Friday, and definitely thought it was out of place today. But all the dad jokes offered by our MalMan made the overall experience worthwhile.
Wow I finished correctly but until I came here did not grasp the theme. SMH.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
DeleteIt wasn't an easy-peasy Wed puzzle for me and I had to ABANDON SHIP in the center. And though I correctly filled the bands and ships (hard to call a SLOOP a ship), I never noticed the band names. Great construction that resulted in a DNF for me. I knew ALBRIGHT, but it was a guessfest for unknowns in the center. ANORA, ABBA (as clued), LOCS, didn't know if it were C or KANTOR, ELIAS, ABRA, and BRANDON were unknowns and I couldn't get them all. Boo.
ReplyDeleteH MART, ABAYA- unknown but perps took care of it.
NOISY-"Now you can only use a low hah." How about a high tee (hee)?
OPRY- We went there this past Friday for the first show, which was closed out by Carrie Underwood. And unlike most places, there was a great band playing outside the theater for the people waiting for the doors to open. We had stopped in Nashville on the way back from the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament.
FIW. Maybe I missed something but this isn't Saturday by any chance? What a very hard puzzle. Definitely not Wednesday fare. And on top of that circles and a theme that still doesn't add up for me. Why the upper set of stupid circles?
ReplyDeleteMy downfall was the middle. The crossing of Elias, locs, and Anora did me in.
Overall NOT an enjoyable puzzle.
Seemed more like a Friday puzzle, than a Wednesday puzzle. I did a lot of guessing, but somehow, and I don’t know how, I finished it right with minimal white out. I’ve eaten dim sum in Houston’s Chinatown for twenty plus years, and have only been offered hot tea, never heard cha before. I have heard of Chai Tea as it seems to be a crossword staple. Also, Hmart and Abra? Usually, I like circles and when I was done, I noticed bands and ships, but didn’t put it together with "band on ships". I really didn’t enjoy the puzzle because I didn’t know I had it right until I came to the blog to see the answers.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to Will Shortz, who is 74 today.