Today's Theme:
60 Across. Game division, or what can be found in 16-, 26-, and 44-Across: FIRST HALF.
The First Half:
16 Across. Star of "Ghost" and "The Substance": DEMI MOORE.
The Second Half:
26 Across. "For Whom the Bell Tolls," for one: HEMINGWAY NOVEL.
The Third Half???
44 Across. Indigenous people of Oklahoma who originated in Florida: SEMINOLE NATION.
Demi, Hemi, and Semi are all prefixes meaning "half."
Onward!
Across:1. Highly skilled: ABLE.
5. Mop (up), as gravy: SOP.
8. Valuable item: ASSET.
13. Spring: LEAP.
14. Perlman of "Cheers": RHEA.
You remember Carla...
15. "Hello," in Mandarin: NIHAO. My first guess would be to pronounce this NiH"a"-o, but I would be wrong.
16. [Theme.]
18. Believe without questioning: TRUST. Belief without questioning would be faith...
19. Former: ONE TIME. ("At" one time seems more plausible to my ears...)
20. Chemical in oven cleaners: LYE. No Lie! Why would you trust your lungs to this stuff?
22. "New" prefix: NEO.
23. "I'm __ roll!": ON A. (I think it would have to be two N's to be considered one word...)
24. Informal lingo: SLANG. (See above 23A.)
26. [Theme.]
32. Supergirl accessory: CAPE.
No Capes!
33. Actor's prompt: CUE.
34. One-named singer whose studio albums have numerical titles: ADELE.
35. Braying pack animal: ASS.
36. Thawing of diplomatic tensions: DETENTE.
39. Digital collectible: Abbr.: NFT. More info here...
40. Tale: STORY.
42. Fruit-filled pastry: PIE. Tart wouldn't fit..
43. French friends: AMIS.
44. [Theme.]
48. Stately home in the country: MANOR.
49. Wheels: CAR. Curious that you need "wheels" (plural, 4 to be exact,) for this clue to work...
Pardon my dust...
50. No. 1 pal: BFF. Best Friend Forever.
53. Cow sound: MOO.
54. French island near Sardinia: CORSICA.
58. Perp's excuse: ALIBI.
60. [Theme Reveal.]
62. Ancient artifact: RELIC.
63. "Up, up, and __!": AWAY.
Obligatory pronunciation lesson...
65. Maroon vegetables: BEETS.
66. Pig heavier than 120 pounds: HOG.Some have been known to reach 1,400 lbs...
67. __ stick: POGO.
Down:
1. Gucci of fashion: ALDO.
2. "We've all __ there": BEEN.
3. Gold fabric: LAME.
4. Perfect example: EPITOME.
5. Jimmy Choo creation: SHOE.
6. Above, poetically: OER.
7. Spanish rice dish seasoned with saffron: PAELLA. During my recent trip to Spain (CE:D here...) I eagerly awaited tasting authentic Spanish Paella. However I was disappointed at every dinner in Barcelona and Girona. Too dark, brothy, and/or fishy. It was not until our cruise tour of Valencia that I was made aware that Paella originated here, and I sampled a delicious home made Paella of my dreams...
8. Insect feelers: ANTENNAE.
Some are more extravagant than others...
9. Knight's title: SIR.
10. Exclude: SHUN.
11. Smooth sailing: EASE.
12. Dog who visits Oz: TOTO.
14. Nora Roberts genre: ROMANCE.
17. Short skirt: MINI.
For Splynter...
For the Ladies...
24. Center defender in soccer: SWEEPER. Ack!again! We had this Wednesday!
25. Immortal being: GOD.
26. Speed: HASTE.
27. __ salts: bathwater additive: EPSOM. Would you bathe in it if it were called magnesium sulphate?
28. Belly: GUT.
29. Mobile payment app: VENMO.
30. Small and pointy-eared, perhaps: ELFIN. Large and pointy-eared, perhaps: Vulcan?
31. Tennis do-overs: LETS.
32. Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas: CASS.
Best video quality I could find, song starts at 1:20.
36. Branch of mechanics: DYNAMICS.
37. Diarist Anaïs: NIN. More info here.
38. Pot insulator, in England: TEA COSY.
41. Part of a basketball hoop: RIM.
43. Blimp, for one: AIRSHIP.
45. Peace activist Yoko: ONO.
46. Exfoliating scrubber: LOOFAH.
47. Fruit-filled pastry: TART. Oho! A 42 across Clecho!
50. Spike on a dragon's tail: BARB. I don't know why Mace came to mind...
51. Make a run for it: FLEE. If you see the above!
52. Nail salon tool: FILE.
54. Jagged rock: CRAG. More info here.
55. "Aladdin" parrot named for a Shakespeare villain: IAGO.
Not to be confused with Igor...
56. Plumbing problem: CLOG.
57. Natural hairstyle: AFRO.
59. Drill insert: BIT.
61. __ Jima: IWO.
And The Grid.
7 personal names, 13 three letter words, (more if you include God.) but easy enough for a Monday to breeze through. Brian Keller is an up and coming constructor we hope to see more of, his last puzzle Was reviewed here.
I feel I went on far too long, so I have saved Demi, Hemi, and Semi for discussion on The Blog. What were your experiences with Demi's, Hemi's, and Semi's? And/or have you ever met Demi, Hemingway, or a Seminole Indian? I would love to hear your stories!
Chris Gross (Chairman Moe on our blog) made today's Universal. Click here to solve.
CE:D out...
Hi there~!
ReplyDeleteWell done, CE:D~! I appreciate the shout-out~!
Splynter
Not too tough, in spite
ReplyDeleteof some fairly long answers. And the reveal was a pleasant surprise.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteGuess who didn't read the full reveal clue? Yup. Same guy who never saw (looked for) the theme. Zipped through it, though. Wasn't aware there was an H in LOOFAH. NFT looked right, but I couldn't remember what it represented. Thanx, Brian and CE:D.
Off to the eye doc again this morning. It seems like the only entries on our wall calendar are medical appts. Wednesday it'll be the oral surgeon.
DO, our calendars have a lot in common!
DeleteI’ve recently interacted with my GP, my GI, Audiologist and Ophthalmologist. They all said, “You’re doing fine “for an 80-year-old man.”
DeleteFIR. This was easy as befits a Monday.
ReplyDeleteI picked up on the theme when Seminole showed up. The reveal merely confirmed it.
Overall a very enjoyable puzzle.
Well, that was easy. Since I was going lickety split through this CW, I didn’t notice the cute theme until the reveal.
ReplyDeleteI’ve read just about every novel and short story written by HEMINGWAY.
Thank you C-E D for a fine review. What a cute little creature with the fancy ANTENNAE. .
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThis was an easy, breezy Monday offering with a cute, well-hidden theme, at least to this solver. The fill was a nice mixture of current (Venmo) and past (Detente) references. I liked the clecho of Pie and Tart. A very nice start to the week.
Thanks, Brian, and thanks, CED, for the detailed review and asides. Thanks, also, for pinch hitting for Naomi.
Have a great day.
Super fast Monday solve - found the themers after I had solved- but appreciated the creativity by Brian
ReplyDeleteThanks to CED for subbing for Naomi, but after putting up with one pic objectifying women a week, certainly not needing another one!
Very fast to FIR, even for a Monday: 8 minutes flat. 13 names, but only 2 DNKs among them. I got the theme, but only after completing the fill and going back to look.
ReplyDeleteVery nice CW, BK, thanx. Clever theme, not too many obscure names. My only W/O was COZY/COSY.
Terrific write-up, CE:D. I especially liked your link to the 1,400 lb hog. Also liked your "equal opportunity" legs pics. Cute. Thanx for all the time and effort you put into your write-up.
Hola! Except for HIHAO, which filled completely by perps, this was an easy Monday solve. Thank you, Brian and C:ED.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I did not look for or see the theme.
I, too, have read every NOVEL and short story written by Mr. HEMINGWAY.
It's volunteer day today so I don't have much time to comment. Have a wonderful day, everyone! Every day is a gift!
oops. NIHAO
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-If “Rainy days and Mondays always get you down”, you’d be very sad in eastern Nebraska today
-Brian provided a nice diversion here in my nonfungible house
-MOO – Our daughters took us out to Casa Bovina (even I could translate that) in Lincoln for my 80th birthday. I had an $87 filet.
-COSY not COZY, them dern Brits!
-I got two nice projects done yesterday and so today I will rest a little and “listen to the rhythm of the falling rain.
-BTW, if I had to do those two projects over today, I’d be done in half the time. Same with you?
By the FIRST HALF (really first quarter after DEMI & HEMI) of the puzzle, the theme was obvious. But for a Monday puzzle, it took perps to FIR if you don't speak Mandarin, follow soccer, or use British terms in the kitchen. NINAO, SWEEPER, and TEA COSY were filled by perps. Now KOOZIES, I'm very familiar with them.
DeleteMost of the Indians in OK came from other regions, then lost a lot of property to Sooners. They are getting revenge from SCOTUS in a lot of rulings.
CORSICA- we'll be there next month on a cruise stop.
"Pigs get big; HOGs go to slaughter"
Doing the puzzle waiting to go under the knife to have the leg wound from the MVA debrided (Ouch! Under anesthesia at least) and treated with a fish skin graft , actual salmon skin. (I prefer mine broiled!)
ReplyDeleteDon’t watch DEMI MOORE “The Substance” after a full meal or if you have a weak stomach 🤢
“Smooth sailing” should be easy. ELFIN or Elvin, or Elvis (has left the building)
Guess a SWEEPER can play soccer and curling ⚽️ 🥌
Apparently COSY is BRITspell for COzY
Forgot to check out the theme
Nice, the morphine is kicking in. 🫠
See you on the other side
TRUST you will have a successful skin graft (fish skin!!) and a full recovery without too much pain.
DeleteMarvellous Monday. Thanks for the fun, Brian and CE:D.
ReplyDeleteI FIRed in good time and saw the FIRST HALF theme. (My first two themers were not completed when I got the theme, and I went back and filled in SEMI. Oh, we have DEMI and HEMI as well!)
The above inkblots were the only ones. Other unknowns like NIHAO, NFT perped.
I wanted TART at 42A but PIE fit the spot. TART was needed at 47D. (Hi IM)
I noted CASS crossing ASS.
We had a small farm theme with ASS, HOG, MOO cow, TOTO dog, BEETS and insects with ANTENNAE in the garden,
This Canadian had no problem with that tea COSY. I have several (but not like that cute knitted one). Mine cover the whole pot.
Wishing you all a great day.
Took 3:54 to bisect this one.
ReplyDeleteI knew the Actress of the Day (Demi Moore), but I didn't know how to spell the Mandarin or the British. I thought the clue for gold fabric was lame....
Seemed themeless, which is fine with me.
Just did Chairman Moe's universal puzzle, fun idea, people who hate circles will love it, and it gave me an idea for lunch!
ReplyDeleteThanks for an image for the ladies!
ReplyDeleteWhile I generally agree with Inanehiker about the weekly objectification of women, I also agree with unclefred that CE:D made the MINI into a nice equal opportunity. Very nice job, CE:D!
ReplyDeleteWhen next we meet in this space, Ray-O-Sunshine will be partially piscine. Will wonders never cease? Best of luck!
Thanks for the MINI SKIRT photo! Splynter likes legs with nylons. Glad to see these legs are bare. Glad that Splynter approves!
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle!
A fairly easy puzzle befitting of a Monday, FIR in under 10, although I did need all perps for TEA COSY, (not sure what they are called or how it’s spelled in other parts of the country, but up here we refer to a “fabric, foam, or metal sleeve designed to insulate canned, bottled, or pint glass drinks so they stay cold longer” as a ‘koozie’, which I think my be derived from the Brit ‘COSY’? I’m probably in the majority that didn’t know NFT, (thanks again perps), or what a non-fungible token is 🤷♂️. I know I’ve seen vowel heavy NIHAO in CWs but I can never remember it. Thank you Brian for the very enjoyable solve, I liked the theme. Also thanks to CrossEyedDave for subbing for Naomi. And since you asked…I once slept in the same bed as DEMI MOORE, to clarify, it was not WITH her. Several years ago I was working in Boston, my gf at the time and myself took a cruise ship 12 hours overnight from Portland ME to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for a long weekend. We checked into a hotel and the desk clerk informed us that we had the same suite as DEMI did when she filmed parts of “The Scarlet Letter” there. My brush with fame 😂. FYI, that particular cruise no longer exists, but there is now a CAT that will get you there in 3-4 hours.
ReplyDelete