REAR ADMIRAL~?
Arrgh Matey
'Talk like a Pirate' Day is next Saturday, Sep 19th
Jeff Stillman is a prolific puzzle producer - ten NYT crosswords, and today's LA Times makes sixty by my count. My last blog of his was also his last post - January of this year, where he added a "B" sound to the themers, almost in reverse of what editor Patti gave us three weeks ago. Today we have a redefining of clue words with a 'sound-alike' description in the answer using the first letter of the clue as a "homophone" - at least that's how I can try to explain it. I caught on at the centered "eye doctor", which was good, since there is no 'reveal' in this construction. ALOT of two-word/Twurds today, a handful of names; no circles, no 'outlier' squares, no expanded grid, and just 13 3LWs. The themers;
17. Copperhead?: SEA SERPENT - "C" serpent (e.g. snake), Copperhead begins with a "C"
25. Timeout?: TEA BREAK - "T" break, Timeout starts with a "T"
35. Immunologist?: EYE DOCTOR - "I" doctor, Immunologist starts with an "I"
49. Parkas?: PEACOATS - "P" coat, Peacoats starts with a "P"
58. Xylophonist?: EX-MUSICIAN - "X" musician, Xylophone starts with an "X"
But Wait, There's More;
Brodeur~? = Beekeeper ( NJ Devils goalie )
Gyroscope~? = Gee Whiz
Oh boy~? = Oliver
Quill~? = Cue stick
Umbilical~? = YouTube
Vault~? = Vee formation (OK, meh.)
Yourself~? = Why me
ACROSS:
5. Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel who said, "If a man can beat you, walk him": PAIGE - Name #1, but I knew this one
10. Rope tow successor, at some ski resorts: T-BAR - it sounds "wrong" to call it a "rope tow", and not a tow rope, but they are 'different'
Still going in VT after 85 years - the website
14. 007 foe: Dr. NO - James Bond in his first film, name #2
15. Sleep clinic study: APNEA
16. No more than: MERE - There were a "MERE" two comments last Friday - I thank the Cornerites for the FLN addtions on Saturday ( Happy B-day HuskerG~! ), and the email thread, too.
20. Official order: EDICT
21. "Rubbish!": "PISH~!" - Meh. It's "BOSH~!" in my part of the world . . . but it is a word
23. Potato-peeling GIs: KPs - Kitchen Patrol
24. Grab: SNATCH
27. Become peeved: GET SORE - Twurd #2
29. Like a wide grin: TOOTHY
30. Green Day drummer __ Cool: TRÉ - I know him too, still a name, #3
31. Tolkien forest creatures: ENTs - Lord of the Rings "Tree People" - A I calls them humanoids . . .
34. Spanish cat: GATO - Italian Gatta is for nylons . . .
. . . uh, OK, it's for "cat", too 🙄
38. 1952 Winter Olympics site: OSLO - Geo name #4
40. Trade punches: SPAR
41. Coral isle: CAY - of course, I put in KEY - at least it's derived from the same root word
44. Chip in, in a way: ANTE UP - Poker #1, two words #3
46. Squalid digs: RAT HOLE - Two words #4
52. Like some transfers: IRON-ON . . . not a Twurd due to its hyphen
53. Be decisive: OPT
54. Cap site: KNEE - not HEAD - that's a different kind of 'cap' . . .
55. Tally mark: NOTCH - "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case . . ."
Pat Benatar, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Lyric @ 3:12
56. Glorify: LAUD
61. Turkey bacon?: LIRA - didn't fool me; the moola/bread/dough in the country of Turkey
62. Put in more chips, say: RAISE - Poker #2
63. Words before a start date: AS OF - Two words #5
64. Mine finds: ORES
65. Job candidate's talking point: ASSET - I tried FORTE
66. Part of an Instagram feed: REEL
DOWN:
1. Pitches: ADs - the noun, not the verb; Friday vague
2. One who hogs the mirror: PREENER - My first thought, but hesitated
3. Looking for sparks, perhaps: ON A DATE - Thwurd, and Hahtoolah hit the mark on Tuesday~!
More like IN a date . . .
5. Short hole on a golf course: PAR THREE - Good fill, still two words, #6
Leif Olson wins a BMW
6. Android download: APP - if you're an Apple advocate, you are apt to add an app as well; 's a lotta a's
7. Bungling: INEPT - as in averse to being able . . . more of them a's
8. Disney character who is blue most of the time?: GENIE
9. Vexes: EATS AT - Two word #7
10. Protected IDs: TMs - I had no idea; did a Google search, found out it's for Trademark identification when filing for a patent . . . oof, that's Friday for you - the website
12. Great Plains people: ARAPAHO - name(ish)
13. Morning omen for sailors: RED SKY - "Red sky night, sailor's delight; red sky morning, sailor's warning" - my mother used to say it this way all the time
Still a two word, #8
18. Danish footwear brand: ECCO - I always think it's MCAN, but that's an American brand - and - when I looked on the Wiki page for those shoes, discovered the company was founded by J. Franklin McElwain along with Ward Melville - I went to the high school named after him . . . still a name, #6
22. Video-on-demand service phased out in 2020: HBO Go - Twurd, #9. The Wiki
24. Mil. rank: SGT
26. Laugh good and hard: ROAR
28. Brings to a close: ENDS
32. Best: TOP - Funny - "TOP" was the "addition" in last week's theme
33. Lasting effect: SCAR - I know it's Friday, but is it an 'effect'~?
35. Monthly util. bill: ELECtric
36. "Is everything all right?": "YOU OK~?" - Twurd #10 - we're into double digits now
37. Purchase for which it's important to consider tracking?: TRAIN SET - I still have plans to build a model railroad in my house some day . . . still two words, #11
The spectacular and tragic story of the Gorre & Daphetid model railroad
38. Paltry poker holding: ONE PAIR - Poker #3, still two words, #12, and I tried TWO PAIR to start
39. Prominence: STATURE
41. Short and sweet: CONCISE - like these last two clues/answers
42. Song written by Queen Lili'uokalani: ALOHA 'OE - Two words~? the Wiki
43. Desire: YEN - I had a desire to try playing a double-neck guitar left-handed, and it worked
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At $400, this Epiphone 6 & 12 string guitar was a no-brainer
because the bolt-on necks allowed me swap them -
the bridges are fine, the knobs, not so much . . .
send me an email LA Darren~!
44. Twin of Artemis: APOLLO - Greek gods AND Moon Missions
45. Bakery-cafe chain with Salad Stuffers: PANERA - Monday dupe, along with KEY
47. "Star Trek: TNG" counselor Deanna: TROI - name #7, but I am a Next Generation Trekkie
48. Chop shop wheels: HOT CAR - Twurd #13
50. State that joined the union in 1845: TEXAS - Duh - I could only think of MAINE as a five-letter state, and I knew IDAHO was too far west for 1845 - that state joined the union in 1890
51. Rounds in tourneys: SEMIs
57. Govt. prosecutors: DAs - Meh. I tried AGs for Attorney Generals . . .
59. Consume: USE - I used C.C.'s suggested recipe and made Kung Pao chicken . . .
. . . and then consumed some - it's got some zing~!
60. Commanders' org.: NFL - The National Football League's Washington team, né the REDskins, are now "PC" . . .
Grid Flow 19.3
9/11, 25 Years Later
9/11, 25 Years Later
I was watching on TV only sixty miles away when I saw the second plane
enter the frame, and knew that we were no longer witnessing 'an accident'
Splynter
Notes from C.C.:
Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our wonderful Saturday Sherpa! Thank you for guiding us through the Saturday puzzles with your wit, warmth and good humor. Wishing you a fantastic day and a happy, healthy year ahead!
Happy birthday to dear Husker Gary, our wonderful Saturday Sherpa! Thank you for guiding us through the Saturday puzzles with your wit, warmth and good humor. Wishing you a fantastic day and a happy, healthy year ahead!
Left to Right: Boomer, Gary, C.C. & Joann (August 2014)
I DID end up
ReplyDeleteunderstanding the reveal, but it took me a minute.
Anyway, FIR, so I’m happy.
And Happy Birthday, Husker Gary!
Your Saturday commentary is invaluable!
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteThis was a cute sounds-like-a-letter theme. Got 'er done in ten minutes -- pretty good for d-o. Thanx, Jeff and Splynter. (Are you sure Ward is the Melville that was your school's namesake?)
FIW with INaPT x SEA SERPaNT. Untie squared! Also, act->OPT, inane->INaPT, trail gps->TRAIN SET, and eat->USE. Didn't get the theme until Splynter 'splaned it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, if you drink too much alcohol, it will affect your body. The effect might be cirrhosis.
Thanks to Jeff for the Friday challenge. I'm less than gruntled about the theme, but the rest was mostly fun. And thanks to Splynter for another fun rundown. Yes, your GATTO wasn't what was required, but it was a pretty good miss. (See what I did there?)
Looks like I might be blue again, from no action by me. Blogger works in mysterious ways.