Saturday Themeless by Adrian Johnson
Our Wyoming native who went to college in Minnesota is now doing greatwork for a startup group called BetterFi, a nonprofit working to end predatory lending in Tennessee.I made great progress and soon had the NW to SE swath done and then had to go in to finish off the other corners which was a fun challenge with a lot of international cuisine and filmakers.
1. Releases: EMITS.
6. Ardent supporter: MEGAFAN - This Raider fan qualifies
13. Island country that changed the shape of the International Date Line by skipping December 30, 2011: SAMOA.
14. "Anything you say": SURE SURE.
15. Guttural sound: CROAK.
16. Outermost meningeal membrane: DURA MATER.
17. Hot: IN DEMAND.
19. "Bad idea": DON'T.
20. High return: LOB.
21. 41-Across teacher: SENSEI and 41. Dojo discipline: KARATE.
23. Army __: ANTS.
24. Double-reed woodwind related to the shawm: OBOE - Adrian muddied the waters by adding a shawm in the clue
26. Seldom seen: SCARCE.
28. Racing headgear: CRASH HELMET - 76-year-old comedian Andy Huggins says at his age he worries about falling and so he wears a HELMET. To keep from looking foolish, he also carries a skateboard.
30. Tailgating area: LOT.
33. Angiogram image, perhaps: AORTA - It kinda stands out, doesn't it
34. "__ bien": MUY.
35. Durable fabric: CHINO.
37. Drug featured in the Dock Ellis biopic "No No: A Dockumentary": LSD.
38. "How's it hangin'?": WHAT'S SHAKIN'
42. Bernie Sanders' mittens, for one: MEME.
 |
| What's shakin' Bernie? |
43. Singer known as the "Goddess of Pop": CHER - Depends on who you ask.
49. PC IDs: IPS.
50. Martinican poet Césaire who helped found the Négritude movement: AIME ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
51. Dessert often made with espresso: TIRAMISU.
53. "Chocolate in every bite" cookie maker: CHIPS AHOY.
56. Sonicare rival: ORAL B.
58. Herb in fines herbes and herbes de Provence: TARRAGON - Fines Herbes (fēnz erbs - literally fine herbs): Made with a specific combination of four fresh herbs in equal parts: parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil.
59. Bring up: RAISE.
60. Welcome words?: IT'S OPEN.
61. Wrapped: ENDED.
Down:
1. Key hit in panic: ESC.
2. Platform game that debuted in 1983: MARIO BROS - I loved playing their lo-res game on my Apple IIe
3. "You sold me": I'M ON BOARD.
4. Bufotoxin source: TOAD - Bufotoxin is a milky, poisonous defense chemical secreted by the skin and parotoid glands of true toads in the genus Bufo.
5. Array at an izakaya: SAKES Izakaya (居酒屋) are casual drinking establishments, similar to tapas bars, where customers order a variety of small dishes of food that can be shared at the table.
6. Genre in which readers are clued in to the plot?: MURDER MYSTERY.
7. Time to study: ERA.
8. Beaut: GEM.
9. Taqueria option: ASADA - When you're done at the izakaya, you can drive on over to a taqueria for some carne ASADA (grilled meat) food.
11. "__ you sweet!": AREN'T.
12. "Aw, phooey": NERTS.
14. Vinyasa sequence also called Surya Namaskar: SUN SALUTATION ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - Vinyasa is the movement between poses. This slowly revealed itself.
18. Vibe well: MESH.
20. Word in many union names: LOCAL - Hormel's LOCAL 22 Union has sponsored champion softball teams here in town for years.
22. Halo-halo base: ICE - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More exotic food! This is a Filipino shaved ICE treat.
25. Part of i.e.: EST.
27. Make a lasting impression?: ETCH.
29. Skateboarding star Tony: HAWK - Tony now "hawks" Qunol products
27. Make a lasting impression?: ETCH.
29. Skateboarding star Tony: HAWK - Tony now "hawks" Qunol products
30. "This bears repeating ... ": LIKE I SAID.
31. Instinctively: ON IMPULSE - I bought a Mazda Miata on impulse many years ago and regretted it. It always needed repairs and wouldn't handle snow.
32. Hues: TONES.
36. Muffuletta ingredient: HAM ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More unknown (to me) food. The classic New Orleans sandwich combines a homemade olive salad with layers of thin-sliced Italian cold cuts. Man it looks so good!
39. Derisive laugh: HAH.
40. "Buona __": SERA.
43. Tacos de nopales need: CACTI - Our buffet continues:
44. Percussion set: HI HAT.
45. Dubai rulers: EMIRS.
46. High-quality proof, for short: REPRO - Repro stands for reprographics (or reproduction), but in publishing, printing, and design, a REPRO specifically refers to a high-quality proof of text and images. It is used as the final checkpoint to verify that everything looks perfect before the final print run.
48. Camping treat: SMORE.
52. Home country of filmmaker Asghar Farhadi: IRAN. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
54. Chump: SAP.
55. Sit in a cellar, perhaps: AGE.
57. Sack: BED.
I thought this was a
ReplyDeletevery fair puzzle. It helped that I had some familiarity with yoga, and had done the “Sun Salutation” many times in earlier years.
The rest of the puzzle then fell into place from there.
FIR, so I’m happy.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteNope. Not a chance. I would just like to add that in Husker's SUN SALUTATION illustration #3 and #10 look more like moon salutations.
Finished a Saturday! Finished it wrong, but I finished! Didn't even know I was guessing at TeRAMISU x SUNSALUTATeON, which I failed to parse. In my defense, I was pretty much over the puzzle by the time I got to that point. Also, eases->EMITS, fetus->AORTA, tre->MUY, adel->CHER (at least I didn't try Sade,) egg->HAM, and drums->HI HAT.
ReplyDeleteCornerites just finished griping about "unlocked" for "IT'S OPEN," and here it is again.
I knew Tony Hawk only from those pain reliever ads he does on TV.
I worked with an IRANian named Asghar, so that was an easy guess.
Thanks to Adrian for the Saturday special, and to H.Gary for another fine review.
A really neat triple stack, nut way too easy IMO (though I knew MARIO BROS and only needed DUR- for DURA MATER, your mileage may vary). When a Saturday hands you a bunch of easy clues like OBOE, CHER, EMIRS, KARATE/SENSEI... you know it's not going to feel very Saturdayesque. Yesterday's puzzle actually took me longer, which is very rare given the typical jump in difficulty from Friday to Saturday.
ReplyDeleteTOAD crossing CROAK was fun.
FIR. This was not as much of a workout as some Saturday puzzles, but nevertheless it had the difficulty to be expected for the day. I had such high hopes when I threw down crash helmet without a thought. I was to be soon to be disappointed at what I thought was an easy day.
ReplyDeleteThe crossing of sun salutation and dura mater required a WAG to get the win and was my very last entry.
But overall this was an enjoyable puzzle.
FIW. I had nono for DON’T. I knew ASAnA was wrong. but NERTS is not in my wheelhouse. When ICE filled, I assumed Halo halo was a base in Antarctica. 🤣
ReplyDeleteThe rest filled slowly but surely. Having done the SUN SALUTATION over the years, that filled quickly. I love TIRAMISU, muffuletta is very popular in New Orleans where it was created. Central Grocery seems to be the place to get them.
I had rATERS for critics (HAr made sense). This is the second time we see HATERS as critic in a CW. I DON’T get it.
Thank you HG. Another great review.
Only through perseverance with perps and WAGS and, was I able to FIR today in spite of many unknowns. I really DNK MARIO BROS, MURDER MYSTERY, SUN SALUTATION, CACTO, ASADA, ICE, DURAMATER, MEME, AIME, IRAN, or TARRAGON but somehow, I got 'em onto the grid.
ReplyDeleteMuffuletta- salami, ham, cheese, olive condite, and sometimes carrots on round, sliced Italian bread coated with sesame seeds. Always wrapped in multiple layers of paper, heated in an oven, and cut into fourths. Roll up your sleeves because the olive oil will drip over the paper. We always split one. Strictly NOLA because you won't find that type of Italian bread made by a French bread bakery elsewhere. Spoiler alert! All those 'French' bread loaves in NOLA are from German bakers. Leidenheimer, Reising, Bender brands.
The best description of CHIPS AHOY I ever heard was that it was a 'flavored poker chip'. OREOs also fit that description but at least, they taste good.
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteThe NE corner did me in thanks to not being able to come up with the type of fan, the mysterious membrane, the literary genre, or the salutation. I found the entire solve challenging and not in a pleasant way. There were too many obscure clues and too many foreign words, and not enough helpful perps, IMO. Kudos to those who solved successfully.
Thanks, Adrian, and thanks, HG, for the review and commentary. Apparently, you and I weren’t anywhere near the same radar this morning!
Have a great day.
After three solid weeks of traveling (2 for work sandwiching 1 week vacay), I finally got to sit back in my favorite chair and relax with a crossword. Yep, old-fashioned pencil and paper for me!
ReplyDeleteA nice challenge from Adrian. Best clue was "A time to study."
Bofo toads are nasty down here in Florida. One of our dogs (pre-Buster) bit a toad in the yard and was soon spasming and foaming at the mouth. A quick trip to the vet saved him.
Great job, HG, as always. Andy Huggins is a hoot!
Finally! An enjoyable Saturday suss fest!
ReplyDeleteEven the Naticks were sussable! Lots of unknowns and learning moments, quite the workout!
I think it was Anarkie in yesterdays late night comments questioned scout as an answer for lone ant. If you ever see a lone ant, and he finds some food, he (or it.) will leave a scent trail back to the nest, and in no time you will have hundreds of the little buggers...
down in Florida, we have fire ants, and these teeny tiny no see-em thingies they call ghost ants...
Above was CE:D
ReplyDeleteThe number of unanswered clues I pass by before reaching one I’m am reliably sure of can predict whether I’ll finish a Saturday. So today was suprised to FIR after so many blanks. Plethora of unusual clues, Adrian must have made frequent Google visits, called upon Alexa/Siri or simply has encyclopedic “Jeapardy!” like knowledge.
ReplyDeleteWithout some awareness of Neuro-cerebral anatomy DURAMATER likely perped (“hard mother” tough outer membrane as opposed to the pia mater “soft tender mother” around brain folds) as in subdural hematoma.
Inkovers: wool/MEME
IPS VRs IDS? wha? REPRO?
Almost filled “Army” BRAT…. even worse: MAGAFAN, yikes! NERTS? Tacos from CACTI?!🌵 Ouch
Just put “They Shoot Horses Don’t They” on my bucket list. Unlike a MARATHON I was in a frosh HS Twist dance contest where couples were sequentially eliminated. We were the last dancing, so won. Prize? 50 cents. Seriously, but the price of a movie ticket in 1964
Enjoy the rest of the weekend. 😀🍁🍂
Ray O, belated congratulations on your retirement. Enjoy yourself but try to behave, please! 😂
DeleteAt my age hard not to behave🤭
Delete11:52. Really enjoyed this one. Best Saturday in a while. Good clean fill and lots of nice longer answers. Thought I was super smart for plunking down "emissions test" for 16D. (That lasted about two minutes.)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Adrian and Husker Gary. I always enjoy Adrian's puzzles because they make me think.
ReplyDeleteFTW (for the win) in just under 19 minutes. I liked the international flair and all of the foods in this one. It was good to get away from my recent thoughts and mindset.
Nopales - You have to clean the CACTI very carefully. They can then be slimy, so you have to boil them well and then let them cool down. Then slice and pan fry. MUY BIEN.
Muffuletta (HAM) - I love them but my DW doesn't like the tapenade. In fact, she doesn't eat anything that has olives, and few dishes that have anchovies.
TIRAMISU - I prefer parfait style versus the traditional style. They can taste exactly the same, but there is something about seeing the layers in a glass that makes parfait style more appealing to me.
IT'S OPEN. Even if the door is shut. "C'mon in. IT's OPEN" (Unlocked)
Let me help with the IPS answer. It's a reference to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Commonly referred to as IPs. When you connect via your Internet Service Provider (ISP), your IP address is sent in the data stream so the site can send info (data, text, images, videos) back to you. The IP address is a unique IDentifier between your device and your ISP. There are various masking and obfuscation tools available, but a person in law enforcement with computer forensic skills (and a court order) can almost always determine the IP address (and owner) of the sending device. It is why and how law enforcement can retrieve the history of what people searched on before committing heinous acts. DASH T knows why I qualified it as "almost always", but I won't get into it. Anyway, that's why PC IDs are IPs.
Tailgating area (LOT) - My neighbor and league golfing buddy told me Wednesday he'd be driving out to Iowa State (in Ames) on Friday for the game today. I asked who they were playing. # 15 Utah State. I said it should be a good game. He said he wasn't going to the game. He was going to tailgate at the game. I'd forgotten that his daughter is going to school there. Ames is a 5 hour drive. I've done the drive to Des Moines multiple times and it takes me about 4.5 hours, so I said that's about 5 hours isn't it? He said he gets to Ames in 3.5 hours because he drives 80 MPH. Speed limits are 70 MPH. I did the math. He'd have to average 84 MPH and not stop anywhere along the way. I'll ask him how many speeding tickets he got when I see him next Wednesday.
Yesterday was a SUIT AND TIE day for me. Funeral for a friend. Another dear friend of nearly four decades. There was a large turnout, probably over 200 people. She had so many friends. Here's the thing. Counting the funeral director, I was one of maybe five that wore a suit and tie. As couples, we bowled together, went on golfing trips together, and just hung out together. The third of our four golfing couples drove in from Delaware. One friend came from Florida. Cousins came from Minnesota. This was a very hard loss for all of us. Like losing a close family member.
FLN - Ray-O, congratulations on your retirement.
I always wonder why, if they can trace the IP, government doesnt stop all these Spammers. (Ok, most are out of country... but can't we block them?)
DeleteCondolences on your loss, getting older sucks, everyone keeps die-ing on you.
(But I guess the alternative isn't any better...)
Ray-O, whatcha gonna do? Gotta have a hobby!
Mine are fixing anything, fishing, (I would love to go sailing.) playing music, and in a pinch, annoying TTP with stupid comments... :)
Up to now only had time for the CW and my own associated stupid comments. Have MVA injuries to deal with for awhile as well.
DeleteTOADs don't attack pets or anything else with BUFOTOXIN. They are just defending themselves when attacked.
ReplyDelete