Yijing Chen - is back again; her last LA Times puzzle was the "no notes" musical theme back on Oct 16th that we either loved or hated. I loved that one, and today's construction, too - it might well be the epitome of a crossword, at least within the context of a themed, Friday-level one. A solid concept, four answers in a pinwheel, plus a grid-spanner, with each of the matching "?" clues beginning with "Go", but interpreted as "G and O" - the letters that start the matching two-word fills. A theme that even if solvers sussed out, only gives them two cells for "free". Plenty of deceptive and/or obscure clues, with almost no dreck for fill, a high Grid Flow, and four 9-letter Downs on top of the themers. My only 'nits' ( 58D. ) were the five additional "?" clues that were non-themers, used as a hint at punny answers, and of the mere four names ( one a themer ), one could have been clued differently; perhaps a change by the editor. The five themers, no reveal; 18. Go with the flow?: GIANTOTTER - This animal "weaseled" its way into the crossword . . . 🙄
38. Go wild?: GREATOUTDOORS - An 80's movie I did not see - Dan Aykroyd, John Candy
I went as Dan Aykroyd's Ghostbusters character Ray Stantz at the gym on Halloween
59. Go vegan?: GREENONION - A.K.A. 'scallions', I liked the fact that "Go Green" was not used for any of the clues. I chop up and add the whole bunch when I make my Kung Pao Chinese chicken dish. Here's the musical version
Booker T & the M.G.s
3. Go blond?: GOLDENOREO - I liked the cute clue for this version of our beloved crossword cookie
31. Go figure?: GARYOLDMAN - One of my favorite actors, I am fascinated how his appearance and demeanor changes drastically from role to role, with hardly any makeup; here he is in the Fifth Element as Zorg, then Sirius Black from the Harry Potter movies, and again as commissioner Gordon from one of the Batman triologies - name #1
But Wait - Go On - There's More~!
ACROSS:
1. Wilts: SAGS
5. Lacking the knack: INEPT
10. Each, informally: APOP - OK, twurd(ish)
14. Monkey's fist, for one: KNOT - solid Friday obsure, if you're not into sailing - or crafts . . .
15. James of "North by Northwest": MASON - second of only four names today; didn't have to be one - he was the actor originally cast as "Drax" for the 007 movie "Moonraker"; here's more from YouTube . . .
Fact #9 @ 8:12
16. At its prime, in a way: RIPE - this is true, of fruit - B.O., not so much - see 56 Down
17. Online chat status: IDLE
20. Reduce the importance of: DEVALUE
22. Osso buco cut: SHANK
23. Early tourney rounds: PRELIMS - tournament & preliminaries both abbrs
25. Storage tower: SILO
27. German article: EIN - "a"
28. Clothes line: SEAM - We've seen this misdirection before
30. Herding breed that originated in Wales: CORGI - proper noun, not quite a 'name'
33. Sponsor, as a stretch of highway: ADOPT - Here's a link to the history, and how it works
I believe this is on a stretch of I-84
35. Exceed 21 at a casino, say: LOSE - Dah~! Not BUST
37. Legged it: RAN - my thanks to the constructor fo teeing this one up for me . . .
A leg, a run, a tragedy
41. Shrill cry: "EEK~!"
42. Part of AM: ANTE - Latin, ante meridian, before ( meri dies ) mid-day
43. Make quickly, as eggs: FRYUP - Also learned this is what Brits call a full breakfast
47. One, for two: HALF - another vague, yet great clue for Friday
49. It's mined, all mined!: ORE - Great new way to clue this old fill
"Mining" Nemo
50. Noun suffix: NESS - I read this as the suffix one puts on a noun - e.g. SOFT is an adjective - softness, however, is the noun . . . one can't put "ness" on a noun; I have never enjoyed the "deskness" of my office . . . 😜
52. Handout to a passerby: LEAFLET
54. Tempo slower than adagio: LARGO
57. Gulped down: INHALED - had this clue/answer two weeks ago
61. "Could not agree more": "AMEN~!" - two weeks in a row for Friday
67. Point of view: TAKE - as in, "what's your - - - on things~?"
68. Optional stair part: RISER - the vertical part between treads if they're NOT optional by code
Vertiginous
69. With 23-Down, stir-fry vegetable: SNOW - AND - 23. See 69-Across: PEA
. . . OR . . .
DOWN:
1. Compete in the super-G, e.g.: SKI - I start with the Down clues to give me some crossings at the themers, which was only 3/5ths effective today; I did not know what 'sport' this clue referred to
2. "Is there more to this story?": "AND . . .?"
4. __ wool: STEEL - Dah~! I shoulda known this one . . . 😖
5. "Sign me up!": "I'MGAME~!"
6. Paperless filing center?: NAILSALON - "?" clue #2, very clever, and the first of four 9-letter Down fills; the place one can go to get your fingernails filed, trimmed, painted, etc.
7. Genesis sibling: ESAU - Dah~! I went with ABEL; CAIN, SETH, and even LEVI fit; name #3
8. Southern cornmeal cakes: PONES - A bit Meh in the plural
9. Letters on red Minecraft blocks: TNT
10. Hybrid subgenre for Ari Aster and Jordan Peele: ARTHORROR - Down 9 #2, I have not heard of this type of film-making, and I only recognized ONE movie from this IMDb list; name(ish)
11. Kebab bread: PITA - Dah~! I filled in NAAN to start
12. Kick off: OPEN
13. Added benefit: PERK - I tried PLUS; 25% correct
19. Scandinavian city served by Gardermoen Airport: OSLO - Four letter yada yada Scandinavia~?
21. Far-reaching outlook: VISTA
24. Like Ruffles: RIDGED
26. Sugar-coated, in a way: ICED - another great clue, talking birthday cake, e.g.
29. Cave entrance: MOUTH - I pondered our more obscure crosswordese "ADIT"
32. Create a policy for: INSURE - spot on, but took me a while
34. Toy breed that originated in China: PEKINGESE - Down 9 #3
36. Touch base in an unusual way?: STEALHOME - "?" #3, and Down 9 #4 - baseball, but it's a bit 'meh' as home is a 'plate', not a base . . .
39. License plates: TAGS - I see this in books and hear it in movies, but most of the people I am acquainted with on the East coast do not call them "tags" - it's just "the plates". Perhaps due to my time in New York where the registration is a sticker in the lower corner of the windshield, not on a corner of the plate
40. Ingredient used by nose-to-tail chefs: OFFAL - Another learning moment; I never realized that "offal" is the word/term/definition of the edible organs of an animal. More about the cuisine - also British - here in an LA Times article
44. Caress: PET - I put in PAT
46. Inert gas: NEON - second in the Noble gases class
48. More economical: LEANER - CHEAPER didn't fit, but I left in the "E R" and waited on perps
51. Red Sea peninsula: SINAI - More Bible, Geo name #4
53. Psychoanalysis topics: FEARS - nailed it - not the fingernail kind of hammering fear, either . . . 🙄
54. Pride Month letters: LGBT
55. Side by side?: AREA - a very clever, but fourth "?" non-theme clue
56. Raise a big stink?: REEK - our last, "?" clue #5
58. Minor complaints: NITS - see above
60. Poetic contraction: O'ER - in just a couple of weeks, we will be o'er the fields jingling bells . . .
62. I, to Claudius: EGO - Dah~! I went with "ONE", for the Roman numeral
63. Still in the box: NEW - "in mint condition" - I have these two original Star Wars toys, but they're pretty banged up, as I played with them when I was a kid . . .
FIR, but bust->LOSE, mate->male->HALF, and eer->OER. DNK GARY OLDMAN, James MASON (but would have known MASON Williams of Classical Gas fame,) GIANT OTTER, and ART HORROR.
Exclaiming EAT ME might get you a visit with HR.
Practicing nose-to-tail might get you a visit with HR.
When I lived in Norfolk there was a dust up when a smart Aleck thought he could get out of parking tickets by getting the personalized license plate "NO TAG." Instead, he received bills for all of the tickets written for cars without license plates, which amounted to many thousands of dollars. After much ado including TV coverage, he settled the matter and surrendered his TAG.
Thanks to Yijing for the fun Friday challenge, and to Splynter for another fine review and RUNny leg shot.
Crunchy cereal today. Noticed the "Go" clues and got all the themers, but never noticed the G-O theme. D'oh. Great, Otto. BUST had to change to LOSE and LENTO to LARGO, but there were no other fox passes. Thanx for the fun, Yijing, and for your special TAKE on things, Splynter.
Treat the "go" in the clues as an adjective for the rest of the clue. So "go wild" just becomes "wild," and the two words in the answer start with G and O.
Same here! Go where, go how? They don’t all start with Go; just ‘G’…? Never heard of rage bait? Since she just passed I had Susan St James stuck in my head instead of James Mason so that slowed me up, inexplicably since I love the movie. FIR, so mostly happy, but I prefer at some point to have a light bulb come on so I understand the clueing!
I noticed the GO clues, the G-O fills, and FIR but had no idea how the answers matched the clues. I didn't help myself in the beginning. Monkey fist was unknown, tried bok choy for the eventual SNOW PEA, re-VALUE instead of DEVALUE, tried SAPS instead of SAGS, eventually getting GOLDEN OREO with no clue as to how it fit the GO clue.
ALT HORROR was all perps for the unknown people. OSLO always fits for so many clues, including today's airport.
"I, to Claudius"- wanted UNO and even thought ISO (wrong language) for 'one' before settling on EGO (DNK).
Definitely Friday tough today and I won't say it's OFFAL. Just 'offaly' tough to FIR.
Enjoyed the puzzle. Only quibble - rage is not a prefix; ragebait and ragequit (both terms I was unfamiliar with and which are, according to Google, often spelled as separate words) are compound words. Filled in by perps but thought it had to be wrong.
Took 11:01 today to paint this one like Georgia O'Keeffe.
Cute gimmick, but "figure" as a clue for a specific actor (Gary Oldman) isn't helpful at all, but fortunately I'm familiar with him, unlike the other Actor of the Day (Mason).
Also unhelpful are the "foreign language + part of speech" so-called clues. Today, we got "German article" for "ein". I wish someone would "insure" these would end.
FIR. Definitely a challenging puzzle as befits a Friday. There were several learning moments for me, as in art horror (?). But the perps were available to help. I completely missed the theme. However I enjoyed the long answers quite a lot. Only Gary Oldman was a mystery to me. Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Rusty- I filled Oldman correctly but had never heard of him. But I can say that about most actors, actresses, current movies and television shows. I don't spend my time trying to be entertained.
FIR, but the theme went over my head. I did see the G-O, but so what? GREAT OUTDOORS and GREEN ONIONS were the only answers that kind of made sense to me. I agree RAGE is not a prefix.
Otherwise, I found this puzzle very easy, probably because there were so few people names. ART HORROR was the only unknown.
I liked the puzzle, but GIANT OTTER for "with the flow" didn't seem to GO like the rest.
I've never had a FRY UP breakfast, but if it's as pictured, I'm glad I haven't.
Best clue: paperless filing center?
Down here in Florida, we get license plates at TAG agencies.
RE: "mint condition." Our cousin worked at HESS for years, and presented us with two of their toy trucks every Christmas, one to keep in the box and the other to play with. Another cousin collects rare dolls, and when she finds a vintage one in mint condition, there's probably a sad story behind it.
After completing the puzzle, I was just as confused as I was while solving it. IOW, I had absolutely no clue as to the theme. It didn’t help matters that I thought Gary Oldman was some sort of play on words for Gray Old Man. That tells you how far afield I was trying to decipher the gimmick. In retrospect, I understand the intent of the author and I’ll admit that there’s a certain cleverness involved in the execution. That said, the solve itself was joyless and much more of a slog than an enjoyable and rewarding exercise.
I truly miss the type of puzzles that challenged your knowledge and life experiences; that used word play humorously and effectively; that tricked and teased you, but never intentionally frustrated you; that put a smile on your face when you completed the solve. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way, either.
Thanks, Splynter, for your usual enlightening and entertaining review and analysis. You cleared up any and all questions and issues I had.
This puzzle is rage bait. I was hesitant to begin because I recalled how much I disliked this constructor’s last puzzle, but thought “maybe that one was a one-off.” It wasn’t. Worst theme and worst clue (for ORE) in many months. Several other too-cute clues sprinkled throughout. My “list” grew my one name today. Life’s too short.
I have seen Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”, “Us”, and “Nope”. Enjoyed the first maybe cuz it was something new and different. I completely misinterpreted the theme. Once I filled GARY OLDMAN I foolishly thought “Go” was likely an ART HORROR film and the answers referred to aspects of the movie. Or was this all just an elaborate scheme to find a new way to clue OREO? 🤨 (LIU there was a 1999 movie called “Go”). Managed to FIR in site of my INEPT approach to the puzzle.
Inkover: Enoc/Esau,
Clever cluing: “clothes line”, “filing center” (coulda left out “paperless”)
“Super-G” ? “Minecraft” TNT?
Wonder how an OFFAL chef would prepare “monkey fist” 👊🏾
Our Adirondack lake org. ”adopted” part of the highway, we pick up litter in the spring. Award to who finds the weirdest trash.
If it’s Scandinavian and 4 letters it’s either OSLO or Olaf(v). ‘Specially with O
Hand up I feel we are missing something important in the theme. What does a GIANT OTTER have to do with FLOW? What does GARY OLDMAN have to do with FIGURE? Hand up never heard of GARY OLDMAN.
Hope someone can help understand this theme beyond G-O?
Wees, theme was incomprehensible, until you look at it as "G" (period) "O" (period) +clue. So, acceptable, in retrospective hindsight...
Learning moment! Thank you! I had no idea all those roles were played by the same actor!
The Monkeys Fist! I learned it from SpongeBob in the episode where he learned how to tie his shoes. I have actually used it! By creating it around a steel marble, and with a long line of rope, I am able to toss it over dead branches and pull them down!
Completed it with no problems, but still can’t comprehend the theme. BTW, home might be a plate rather than a base, but if you steal it you are credited with a stolen “base.”
Musings -An amusing exercise to help take my mind off our sick kitty -The tricky cluing took some effort and then some interpretation -OREO, How shall I clue thee? Let me count the ways -DEVALUE: Wall telephones -Side by side = Take one side times the other side :-) -ART HORROR is pretty far down the Friday rabbit hole -Vintage, “new in box” status explained by Sheldon
I still do not get the clues. I see the G and O, but how is "Go with the flow" = "GIANTOTTER"? just as one example. Also, sadly, had to do an alpha run in the SE corner when for some reason "AMEN" refused to enter my head. 19 minutes to FWH.
I'm not a fan of this CW because I don't understand it, though I LOVED it having only 6 names.
So "LARGO" is slower than "Adagio". Maybe that's why Key Largo is so laid-back.
Thanx Splynter for the, as always, terrific write-up. I wouldn't want those stairs, they would soon be a scratched up and look terrible. It is funny that the Brits always have beans for breakfast. I guess they wanna make sure they don't run out of gas for the day ahead.
I got it! And I even
ReplyDeleteunderstood the “G-O” theme, eventually.
FIR, so I’m happy.
FIR, but bust->LOSE, mate->male->HALF, and eer->OER. DNK GARY OLDMAN, James MASON (but would have known MASON Williams of Classical Gas fame,) GIANT OTTER, and ART HORROR.
ReplyDeleteExclaiming EAT ME might get you a visit with HR.
Practicing nose-to-tail might get you a visit with HR.
When I lived in Norfolk there was a dust up when a smart Aleck thought he could get out of parking tickets by getting the personalized license plate "NO TAG." Instead, he received bills for all of the tickets written for cars without license plates, which amounted to many thousands of dollars. After much ado including TV coverage, he settled the matter and surrendered his TAG.
Thanks to Yijing for the fun Friday challenge, and to Splynter for another fine review and RUNny leg shot.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteCrunchy cereal today. Noticed the "Go" clues and got all the themers, but never noticed the G-O theme. D'oh. Great, Otto. BUST had to change to LOSE and LENTO to LARGO, but there were no other fox passes. Thanx for the fun, Yijing, and for your special TAKE on things, Splynter.
Not a fan of the constructer-at all! Boo! Hated the 10/16, too.
ReplyDeleteEven after you explain the theme, I still don’t get it. Not a fan.
ReplyDeleteAmen
DeleteI didn't get it either. Finished it right but still clueless on what it all means.
DeleteTreat the "go" in the clues as an adjective for the rest of the clue. So "go wild" just becomes "wild," and the two words in the answer start with G and O.
DeleteSame here! Go where, go how? They don’t all start with Go; just ‘G’…? Never heard of rage bait? Since she just passed I had Susan St James stuck in my head instead of James Mason so that slowed me up, inexplicably since I love the movie. FIR, so mostly happy, but I prefer at some point to have a light bulb come on so I understand the clueing!
DeleteI noticed the GO clues, the G-O fills, and FIR but had no idea how the answers matched the clues. I didn't help myself in the beginning. Monkey fist was unknown, tried bok choy for the eventual SNOW PEA, re-VALUE instead of DEVALUE, tried SAPS instead of SAGS, eventually getting GOLDEN OREO with no clue as to how it fit the GO clue.
ReplyDeleteALT HORROR was all perps for the unknown people.
OSLO always fits for so many clues, including today's airport.
"I, to Claudius"- wanted UNO and even thought ISO (wrong language) for 'one' before settling on EGO (DNK).
Definitely Friday tough today and I won't say it's OFFAL. Just 'offaly' tough to FIR.
I keep forgetting to start correctly on the comments. Sorry.
DeleteI filled the grid but still don't understand the theme.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the puzzle. Only quibble - rage is not a prefix; ragebait and ragequit (both terms I was unfamiliar with and which are, according to Google, often spelled as separate words) are compound words. Filled in by perps but thought it had to be wrong.
ReplyDeleteTook 11:01 today to paint this one like Georgia O'Keeffe.
ReplyDeleteCute gimmick, but "figure" as a clue for a specific actor (Gary Oldman) isn't helpful at all, but fortunately I'm familiar with him, unlike the other Actor of the Day (Mason).
Also unhelpful are the "foreign language + part of speech" so-called clues.
Today, we got "German article" for "ein". I wish someone would "insure" these would end.
FIR. Definitely a challenging puzzle as befits a Friday. There were several learning moments for me, as in art horror (?). But the perps were available to help.
ReplyDeleteI completely missed the theme. However I enjoyed the long answers quite a lot. Only Gary Oldman was a mystery to me.
Overall an enjoyable puzzle.
Gary Oldman is excellent as the slovenly, chain-smoking and brilliant head of an MI-6 agency in the Apple TV spy thriller series Slow Horses.
DeleteRusty- I filled Oldman correctly but had never heard of him. But I can say that about most actors, actresses, current movies and television shows. I don't spend my time trying to be entertained.
DeleteRB, he is tremendous on that excellent show. He hits every note.
DeleteFIR, but the theme went over my head. I did see the G-O, but so what? GREAT OUTDOORS and GREEN ONIONS were the only answers that kind of made sense to me. I agree RAGE is not a prefix.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I found this puzzle very easy, probably because there were so few people names. ART HORROR was the only unknown.
Thank you Splynter for the great review.
I liked the puzzle, but GIANT OTTER for "with the flow" didn't seem to GO like the rest.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a FRY UP breakfast, but if it's as pictured, I'm glad I haven't.
Best clue: paperless filing center?
Down here in Florida, we get license plates at TAG agencies.
RE: "mint condition." Our cousin worked at HESS for years, and presented us with two of their toy trucks every Christmas, one to keep in the box and the other to play with. Another cousin collects rare dolls, and when she finds a vintage one in mint condition, there's probably a sad story behind it.
Nice job, Splynter. I'm glad you gave it a GO!
Good Morning:
ReplyDeleteAfter completing the puzzle, I was just as confused as I was while solving it. IOW, I had absolutely no clue as to the theme. It didn’t help matters that I thought Gary Oldman was some sort of play on words for Gray Old Man. That tells you how far afield I was trying to decipher the gimmick. In retrospect, I understand the intent of the author and I’ll admit that there’s a certain cleverness involved in the execution. That said, the solve itself was joyless and much more of a slog than an enjoyable and rewarding exercise.
I truly miss the type of puzzles that challenged your knowledge and life experiences; that used word play humorously and effectively; that tricked and teased you, but never intentionally frustrated you; that put a smile on your face when you completed the solve. I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way, either.
Thanks, Splynter, for your usual enlightening and entertaining review and analysis. You cleared up any and all questions and issues I had.
Agreed wholeheartedly!
DeleteIrish Miss, I can’t find a single word of your post that I disagree with. Perfectly said, as always.
DeleteFIR, eventually. I didn't like most of the long answers as way to much of a stretch.
ReplyDeleteBUT please, Constructors, if you're going to use ? for the long answers, DON'T put them on other clues. Please!
This puzzle is rage bait. I was hesitant to begin because I recalled how much I disliked this constructor’s last puzzle, but thought “maybe that one was a one-off.”
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t.
Worst theme and worst clue (for ORE) in many months. Several other too-cute clues sprinkled throughout.
My “list” grew my one name today. Life’s too short.
(grew *by* one name)
DeleteI have seen Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”, “Us”, and “Nope”. Enjoyed the first maybe cuz it was something new and different. I completely misinterpreted the theme. Once I filled GARY OLDMAN I foolishly thought “Go” was likely an ART HORROR film and the answers referred to aspects of the movie. Or was this all just an elaborate scheme to find a new way to clue OREO? 🤨 (LIU there was a 1999 movie called “Go”). Managed to FIR in site of my INEPT approach to the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteInkover: Enoc/Esau,
Clever cluing: “clothes line”, “filing center” (coulda left out “paperless”)
“Super-G” ? “Minecraft” TNT?
Wonder how an OFFAL chef would prepare “monkey fist” 👊🏾
Our Adirondack lake org. ”adopted” part of the highway, we pick up litter in the spring. Award to who finds the weirdest trash.
If it’s Scandinavian and 4 letters it’s either OSLO or Olaf(v). ‘Specially with O
Enjoy the day 🙂
Hand up I feel we are missing something important in the theme. What does a GIANT OTTER have to do with FLOW? What does GARY OLDMAN have to do with FIGURE? Hand up never heard of GARY OLDMAN.
ReplyDeleteHope someone can help understand this theme beyond G-O?
A constructor boosting their own ego offering today.
ReplyDeleteThe GO answers were a stretch and an exercise in patience.
I FIR with a few erasures but even after Splynters explanation I still thought the solve wasn’t worth the effort.
I’m surprised at the number of cornerites who don’t know the actor Gary Oldman. It might be because he’s such a chameleon.
ReplyDeleteWees, theme was incomprehensible, until you look at it as "G" (period) "O" (period) +clue.
ReplyDeleteSo, acceptable, in retrospective hindsight...
Learning moment! Thank you! I had no idea all those roles were played by the same actor!
The Monkeys Fist! I learned it from SpongeBob in the episode where he learned how to tie his shoes.
I have actually used it! By creating it around a steel marble, and with a long line of rope, I am able to toss it over dead branches and pull them down!
Silly theme link: GO!
Completed it with no problems, but still can’t comprehend the theme. BTW, home might be a plate rather than a base, but if you steal it you are credited with a stolen “base.”
ReplyDeleteI was not doing to well, and really didn't like (or complete) the puzzle. Had more fun going outside, and going for a bike ride.
ReplyDeleteMusings
ReplyDelete-An amusing exercise to help take my mind off our sick kitty
-The tricky cluing took some effort and then some interpretation
-OREO, How shall I clue thee? Let me count the ways
-DEVALUE: Wall telephones
-Side by side = Take one side times the other side :-)
-ART HORROR is pretty far down the Friday rabbit hole
-Vintage, “new in box” status explained by Sheldon
I still do not get the clues. I see the G and O, but how is "Go with the flow" = "GIANTOTTER"? just as one example. Also, sadly, had to do an alpha run in the SE corner when for some reason "AMEN" refused to enter my head. 19 minutes to FWH.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of this CW because I don't understand it, though I LOVED it having only 6 names.
So "LARGO" is slower than "Adagio". Maybe that's why Key Largo is so laid-back.
Thanx Splynter for the, as always, terrific write-up. I wouldn't want those stairs, they would soon be a scratched up and look terrible. It is funny that the Brits always have beans for breakfast. I guess they wanna make sure they don't run out of gas for the day ahead.