Friday, January 3, 2025 - Zachary David Levy

 

Theme:  So you like solving crossword puzzles, Eh?

A CSO to our own, CanadianEh!

Puzzling thoughts: 

Today's constructor, Zachary David Levy, selected a few common phrases and adds a phonetic "long a" syllable to them.  By doing so he creates some interesting play-on-words that also use a couple of homophones

P-O-Ws have become a common "theme" of Friday puzzles. Some are better than others, and after my "intro" you'll see how this one from ZDL grades.  We'll see if he brought his "A" game ...

Which segues right to the reveal (found at 37-across, in the center of the grid): Peak performance, and an apt title for this puzzle: A GAME. 

The themers:

17-across. Therapist's questionnaire?: SELF SURVEY.  This one plays off of the more familiar term "SELF-SERVE" which refers to that which you can help yourself without any assistance.  (see image below)  In this example, the word "survey" combines the phonetic "serve" with "ey" (which sounds like a "long a"), and completes the idea

 

I'm sure a lot of salad bars were not in use during COVID

30-across. Paper model of a wrinkly dog?: CARD SHAR-PEI.  This entry was a bit more literal than the first as it uses the word "Shar-pei", a wrinkly dog (see image below), without any phonetic or homo-phonic spelling.  The term card sharp is the lesser-used term for "card shark", but as you'll see when you open the hyperlink is the original one

 

This Shar-pei is actually playing cards!

46-across. Empty cup at Starbucks?: VACANT LATTE.  I was torn on this one as one of the cup sizes used at Starbucks is called a Grande.  And that word, too has a "long a" sound at its end.  But Grande is six-letters in length and Zachary only needed five.  The term "vacant lot" is the p-o-w connector here.  I'd show an image of one but it would be "empty", no? 😉

64-across. Celebration that involves rowdy games of Twister, facetiously?: BODY PAR-TAY. This entry resembles CARD SHAR-PEI as it uses the word par-tay literally.  The phrase "body part" connects with the game of Twister as you'll see in the image below:

 

************

Here is one that I came up with. Perhaps Zachary did, too, and it ended up on the cutting room floor:

"Muscular Asian islander with a dominant personality?" ATHLETIC TAIPEI 

Despite this being a clever puzzle, the overall effect (for me) was just OAK - AY 

I rate this ⭐⭐ and 3/4⭐

The Grid - just one mistake today for C-Moe

Across:

1. Spielberg thriller based on a Benchley novel: JAWS.  "We're gonna need a bigger boat"

 

 

5. Large reference: ATLAS.  Have fun clicking on the ATLAS

10. Pal: CHUM.  Another way of cluing this would be to refer chum as a way to attract "Jaws".

 

 

14. Snack sometimes referred to as a sandwich: OREO.  How do YOU eat an Oreo? I separate the two cookies and scrape the filling off with my teeth

15. Bounded: LEAPT.

16. Mata __: HARI.

19. Homemade website?: ETSY.

20. Peaceful greetings: SALAAMS.  Moe-ku #1:

 

        Some peaceful greetings

        In an Arab-run deli:

        Salami SALAAMS

         
21. Wide body: SEA.  Where "Jaws" lives

23. Father's hermana: TIA.  Spanglish?  Shouldn't this clue be "Padre's hermana"?

24. Sultanate on Borneo: BRUNEI.  Is this pronounced Broon AY or Broon Eye?

26. Keeping in the loop: CCING.  This is also how we keep our blog-mistress, Zhoquin Burnikel "in the loop" - Moe-ku #2:

 

        Ms. Burnikel stays

        Informed, when she sees that we're

        CCING C.C.

28. Loan fig.: APR.  This kind of fitting, in a way.  Some of us may need a loan in Apr. when it's tax time.  The IRS offers these with a low Annual Percentage Rate for taxpayers who can't pony up the full amount owed

33. Smelling a rat, so to speak: LEERY. Moe-ku #3:

 

        Psychedelic guru

        Got suspicious, and now's called:

        Timothy LEERY 

35. Nursery refrain: E-I-E-I-O.  Old MacDonald's line

36. Slowly go dark: FADE.

39. Members of Gil Grissom's team, briefly: CSIS. Short for Crime Scene Investigators.  I'm not a big fan of this entry; the clue was difficult enough for those who did not know that Gil Grissom was the night shift supervisor on the CBS hit series, CSI ... it also pluralizes an abbreviation

43. Bygone airline whose first flight was from Key West to Havana: PAN AM.  Read all about it here

45. Whisky name: DEWAR.  CSO to Irish Miss who likes her Dewar's on the rocks 🥃

51. Moody genre: EMO. Moe-ku #4:

 

        New flick, created

        For moody genre fans is

        Called: "Finding EMO" 

52. Daisy variety: OX-EYE.  Also known as, Leucanthemum vulgare

53. "The Secret of Monkey Island" figure: PIRATE.  This answer would have come to me if I knew what "The Secret of Monkey Island" is.  Apparently it's a video game ... not a clue for us "Boomers"

55. Tinkering inits.: DIY.  Good Friday clue

56. Captured: WON.  As in the game of chess; I captured the King and I won

59. Helped a cause, say: DONATED.  I usually look at organizations that use at least 90% of the monies donated (to the actual cause or cure) before I do so

62. Caffeine-rich nut: KOLA. I prefer the caffeine-rich berry, also known as coffee

66. Old Testament book: AMOS.  RUTH also fits

67. Trial site: VENUE.  Never heard a courtroom called a "venue", but whatever

68. Chapeau spot: TETE.  Today's Frawnch clue/entry.  We already had Spanglish

69. 403(b) IDs: SSNS. 

70. Is really good, songwise: SLAPS.  Had to go to Urban Dictionary to find this

71. Cheek: SASS.

Down:
1. __ stick: incense: JOSS.  Joss stick or incense stick is a substance burned for fragrant scent

 

 

2. Floor plan measure: AREA. 

3. Brought up with excellent manners, say: WELL BRED.  Moe-ku #5:

 

        The Cocker Spaniel

        Had excellent manners, and

        Is clearly, WELL BRED

4. To this point: SO FAR.  AS YET also fits

5. Figure at a reunion dinner: ALUMNA.  You'll notice her wearing a dress, skirt, or pants suit, perhaps

6. More succinct: TERSER.  Not an attribute of C-Moe's blog, usually, as they often contain run-on sentences, hyperlinks, YouTube videos, random images, cartoons, and Moe-ku's

7. Head, to a Brit: LAV.  LOO also fits

8. Big lugs: APES.  Moe-ku #6:

 

        Gorilla's car's wheels

        Have unique fastener bolts:

        They are called APE nuts

9. Lid affliction: STYE.

10. "Evita" narrator: CHE.

11. Genteel gesture: HAT TIP.  Moe-ku #7:

 

        At the restaurant,

        Guest checked his fez, and left a

        Generous HAT TIP

 

12. Bearish: URSINE.  This almost became a Major problem for me, but ended up being quite Minor

13. "The Karate Kid" mentor: MIYAGI.  I literally forgot the name.  Was it Miyaga?  Miyago? Miyagu? Perps to the rescue

18. Showing a bit of cheek: SAUCY.  I once showed a bit of cheek at a nude beach.  I wasn't called "saucy"; it was almost, Gross

22. Palm berry: ACAI.  I wonder if the Palm BlackBerry phone ever considered calling itself an acai?

25. Aid for brainstorming: IDEA MAP.  Moe's informational video

 

 

27. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" singer: CROCE. A Barbershop Quartet cover:

 

 

28. ET from the planet Melmac: ALF.

29. Pod filler: PEA.

31. City-building game franchise: SIM.

32. Bit of a giggle: HEE.  I tried "TEE" first, to no delight of this solver

34. Fulfill a debt: REPAY.

37. Little pest: ANT.

38. 128 oz.: GAL.

40. Southern pitcherful: SWEET TEA.  I could've sworn I had this entry once before, recently.  As I said then, and will say now, I am not a big fan

41. "Can confirm": I AM.  "Sam" confirms this, often

 

 

42. "Sold out" sign: SRO. Standing Room, Only

44. Once again: ANEW.

45. Carter of country: DEANA.  She could've gotten a wax, instead ... shaving her legs is never mentioned, interestingly

 

 

46. Bar shelf assortment: VODKAS.  Among all of the alcoholic beverages, vodkas are my least favorite, though they are OK in a Bloody Mary

47. Old saws: AXIOMS.  Moe-ku #8:

 

        The old woodworker

        Never told old saws; prefers

        AX-ioms, instead

48. Sri Lanka, once: CEYLON.  Here is a little bit of its history

49. Get ready for guests, perhaps: TIDY UP.  Where I grew up we called it "Ret(ting) up"

50. Familiar devices: TROPES.  The dictionary definition

54. Bakery treats: TARTS.  ROLLS fit, but they aren't what I would call a "treat"

57. "Well, duh!" shorthand: OBVS.  Another dictionary definition

58. Holiday time: NOEL.  Just passed.  Hope everyone had a joyous Noel

60. Grub: EATS. I'm glad that the ride-share company didn't call this service, "Uber Grubs"

61. Highlights, e.g.: DYES.  As in adding highlights to ones coif

 

 

Achieved with a hair DYE

 

 

63. Donkey: ASS.  No one, ever, uses the phrase, "Pain in the donkey"

65. Cheek swab molecule: DNA.

 

See you in a couple of weeks ... 

Friday, December 20, 2024 - Alan Siegel

Theme:  Goonerisms, Spalore! 

Puzzling Thoughts:

Sorry for my brevity today, but the holiday season has made blogging duties take a back seat.  Today's puzzle by Alan Siegel uses an assortment of spoonerisms to add some levity to our crossword puzzle solving.  I will describe these as the puzzle unfolds

Today's puzzle was not as difficult as some Friday puzzles I've blogged, nor was it so hilarious and/or clever that I got majorly excited.  On my 5-star rating scale, I give this one a ⭐⭐and 1/2⭐

Solved grid - my one mistake @ 44-down

Across:

1. Bunches of bucks: WADS.  The dollar bills; not the stags

5. A neighbor: B FLAT.  It is right next to "A".  Don't believe me?  See the image below: 

 

 

10. Annoyance that may be tough to reach: ITCH. Nothing more satisfying than an itch being scratched

14. Hodgepodge: OLIO.  Crosswordese

15. Still kicking: ALIVE.  As in "alive, and kicking"

16. Grand Canyon carrier: MULE.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask Picard to post a picture of him on a mule, descending into the Grand Canyon ... don't let me down, Robert!!

17. Org. that works with SpaceX: NASA.  Outsourced to Elon Musk 

18. "Bridgerton" rank: BARON.  Read all about it here

19. Murky: GRAY.  Nice Friday clue

(Entry #1) 20. Au pair with a sinister sidekick: CROOK AND NANNY.  First of the Spoonerisms:  the more recognized phrase is NOOK and CRANNY

23. Big name in battery-powered lawn equipment: EGO.  Unfamiliar to me; solved with perps.  I know that many of you dislike taking a word such as ego and clueing it as a proper noun/name

25. Briny delicacy: ROE.  This:

26. Official timekeeper of the Olympic Games: OMEGA.  Dunno why I chose ROLEX first

(Entry #2) 27. Purchases for an organized gardener: SHED AND HOLDERS.  Second of the Spoonerisms:  the more recognized phrase is HEAD AND SHOULDERS

32. Danger: PERIL.

33. Lines of praise: ODES.  Cute clue

34. Thumbs-up votes: YEAS.  AYES also fit

35. Italian fashion brand: PRADA.  Didn't the devil wear Prada?

37. Slash mark: SCAR.  The most recent famous one:

Harry Potter scar

41. Symbol on a dressing room door: STAR.  Also found on a famous street in Hollywood

Walk of Fame

And another clue/entry whose word means "star" in French: (44-down. Prima ballerina:) ETOILE. 

42. Roughly: CIRCA.  Referring to a date, perhaps ... I was born circa 1950, e.g. ... rounding the actual number up or down 

(Entry #3) 43. Common sights in the Caribbean: KEYS AND PARROTS.  Third of the Spoonerisms: the more recognized phrase PEAS and CARROTS (made famous by Forrest Gump)

48. Adjust to, as a radio dial: SET AT.  Green paint?  I have a number of pre-sets on my car radio

49. Flamenco shout: OLE.

50. Wee taste: SIP.  I am having a wee sip of Scotch as I am writing my blog tonight

(Entry #4) 51. Some pieces in an avian-themed chess set: CROWS AND PAWNS.  Fourth of the Spoonerisms:  the more recognized phrase PROS AND CONS

56. Has __ with: AN IN.  

57. Lack of musical ability: NO EAR.  Moe-ku #1:

        Vincent Van Gogh was

        Tone deaf.  He had an excuse

        'Cause he had NO EAR (literally)

        

58. Naturally curly style: AFRO.  This hair style is making a comeback 

61. TV component?: TELE. As in: TELE Vision

62. Gas meter unit: THERM. "a unit of heat equivalent to 100,000 Btu or 1.055 × 10 joules" [according to Dictionary dot com]

63. Feature of some vacation homes: VIEW.  I erroneously placed LOFT in here

64. Luge, for one: SLED.  I thought that the word "luge" meant an Olympic event ... 

65. Arranges in order: SORTS.  One of the many functions of an Excel spreadsheet

66. School visible from Windsor Castle: ETON.  This was too easy for a Friday clue

Down:

1. Finished up?: WON. Huh?  As in, finished (a game, e.g.) and were the winner? Meh 

2. __ Française: A LA.  In the French manner

3. Summer's "Hot Stuff" time: DISCO ERA.  This one gave me fits, at first, as I misspelled olio as oleo and I couldn't figure out what "time" began DESC_ERE (I also had AYES instead of YEAS in 34-across).  I eventually saw the ways of my errors and corrected it.  And of course, I spent the rest of the puzzle solving with this ear worm ... 

4. Fly high: SOAR.  

5. Primate with a doglike muzzle: BABOON.  Woof!

6. Like Maldon sea salt: FLAKED.  Two thoughts about this: 

        1) Who among us even knew about the Maldon "sea" and its salt? (I didn't)

        2) And if we didn't know, how would we determine that it is flaked? 

Moe to the rescue ... this short (2 minute) video is quite the "Cliff Notes" version of this fascinating place

7. Turkish currency: LIRA.  Italy sent all of theirs to Turkey when the Euro was coined ... 

8. Bath flower?: AVON.  ROSE might have fit if:

        1) There was no ? in the clue

        2) The word "flower" meant a member of the flora family

This tricky clue plays on the word "flower" as something that "flows" (a river, perhaps?), and the word "Bath" refers to a city in England.  The River Avon flows through the city.  And now you know

9. See (to): TEND.  I tend the Crossword Corner blog every two weeks ... 

10. "Sure, let's!": I'M GAME.  A bit about its origin

11. English Romantic painter: TURNER.  A brief biography and some images of his paintings

12. Metallic sounds: CLANGS. This may be the most bizarre video that Chairman Moe has ever attached to one of his blogs ...

13. OutKast hit that asks, "What's cooler than being cool?": HEY YA.  This might be the second most bizarre video that C-Moe has shared ...

21. Administered with a spoon: ORAL.  This one almost gagged me (with a spoon) ...

22. Silent assents: NODS.  Okay

23. Award won by Caitlin Clark: ESPY.  Caitlin Clark wowed the basketball world with her gritty performance in the NCAA Tournament for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes this past March/April, and then went on to wow the WNBA with her Rookie of the Year performance for the Indiana Fever

24. Biryani butter: GHEE.  Moe-ku #2:

        What's the best butter?

        Some say Irish; I say GHEE.

        Just to clarify ...

[groan]

28. Bad-mouth: DIS. Are you in the "one S" camp, or the two?  Dis versus diss

29. Stockpile: HOARD.  After my Mom passed away, and I was left to go through her stuff, I realized just how much of a hoarder she was

30. Peculiar: ODD.  Couldn't this be "EVEN"??  The word peculiar has eight letters ... just sayin'

31. Grassy meadow: LEA.  For as many times as I've seen the word "lea" in crossword puzzles, I don't think I've ever used it (in everyday conversation) to describe a grassy meadow

35. Org. with moms, dads, and educators: PTA.

36. Operated: RAN.

37. Post-dubbing title: SIR.

38. Workout regimen with tire flipping: CROSSFIT.  Oh, to be young again ...

39. Dramatic beginning: ACT I.  This is more of a Friday clue

40. Filing tool: RASP.  

41. Bygone jets, briefly: SSTS.

42. __ cut: CREW.  BUZZ also fit

43. Essence of an idea: KERNEL.  This seems kinda corny, to me 

45. Displayed boredom: YAWNED.  I thought that you yawned to get more oxygen into your lungs ... 

46. Warhol genre: POP ART.  Why didn't I think of this???  Could've made a fortune

47. Scares: ALARMS.  The verb form

48. Sings jazzy nonsense syllables: SCATS.  She was the best

52. Farm insects: ANTS.  Some might argue that ants were the original colonists

53. L.A. nabe with an arts district: NO HO.  Short for North Hollywood

54. Animal on "XING" signs: DEER.  Have you ever seen a deer actually cross at one of these signs??

55. Cathedral area: NAVE.  APSE fits, too

59. __ Speedwagon: REO.  Last of the videos ... 

60. Cop to: OWN.  See you all in 2025 ... Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays! 

Friday, December 6, 2024, Joseph A. Gangi

Theme:  It's hip to be square

Puzzling thoughts:  Calling all nerds!   

The "reveal" today gives the solver the chance to look back and see how the symmetric quartet of "T's Squared" are the feature of today's crossword puzzle:  40-across. Drafting tool, and a feature found four times in this puzzle: T-SQUARE.  When you look below at the image of the completed grid, you'll see that I've highlighted the four "t-squares" 

I think this Joseph Gangi's debut puzzle @ LAT, but I could be mistaken

Here is a look at Joseph Gangi's NYT puzzle dates and his biography

Not sure that this was a "Friday-tough" puzzle, but it was fun to solve.  Several trite entries (ALOU, ALOE, EDIE, ODOR, EENIE, OLE, SLOE, EEN, ADO) but not a lot of proper nouns nor 3LW's.  Since there are too many word entries that intersect to form the "t-squares", I won't describe them in my intro

The Grid

Overall rating for the puzzle: ⭐⭐⭐ + 1/3 ⭐

On to the clues and other entries:

Across:

1. 2023 title role for Chalamet: WONKA. Actor Timothée Chalamet

 

 

6. Mournful sounds: WAILS.  CRIES was not mournful enough for this clue.  Odd to see that a word that is in a clue is also an entry today: 45-down. Grieve: MOURN.


11. __ of the land: LAY. Moe-ku #1:

 

        The free-range chicken

        Checked out her food source to get

        The LAY of the land

14. How zeppole are fried: IN OIL. Italian doughnut

 

 

15. Classified charge: AD FEE.

16. Fútbol cheer: OLE. Trite entry #1

17. Small brawl: SET TO. 

 

18. Folded fare: SOFT TACOS. My favorite way to order tacos is with a soft tortilla shell - nice clue

20. Glib pitch: PATTER.  Moe-ku #2: 

 

        Star hurler for Mets

        Threw an insincere fastball:

        The hitter PATTER

22. Rare-earth element whose atomic number is 39: YTTRIUM.  I was surprised to find that this word has been used quite often in crossword puzzles

23. Blackthorn: SLOE.  Trite entry #2

24. Run out of power: DIE.

27. Tree with serrated leaves: ELM.  OAK fits, too

28. "To victory!": ONWARD.

30. Activate again, as a tab: RE-OPEN. I do this often when I am blogging my recap.  A similar word was used in 38-across. Try again: REDO.

34. Western band?: POSSE.  Friday clue

36. French friar: ABBE.

39. Part of a valedictorian's address: EDU.  Cute clue.  As in their email address: valedictorian@pitt.edu

43. Clear (of): RID.

44. Average: NORM.

46. Like a schnauzer's coat: WIRY. This canine breed: 

 

 

47. Casual eateries: CAFES.

49. Cactus bump: AREOLE.  These:

 

 

51. Small lump: NODULE.

53. Federation in OPEC: UAE.

54. __-dried tomatoes: SUN.

55. Clicked pic: ICON. Moe-ku #3:

 

        A smart camera

        Uses a clickable app

        Called: Nikon ICON

58. Web-integrated den fixture: SMART TV.

62. Intermission follower, perhaps: ACT TWO.  In many puzzles we see this entry as: ACT II

64. Destined: MEANT TO BE. It is destined that in Moe's blogs there will be several "ku's"

67. Swimming mammal in Native American totems: OTTER.

68. "This is the worst!": UGH.  Glad this wasn't a five-letter entry that revealed "GROSS"

69. "__ Meenie": 2010 pop single: EENIE.  Trite entry #3

70. Narrow valleys: GLENS.  DALES also fit

71. Natural __: GAS.

72. Kept going, as a sentence: RAN ON.  I can be criticized for using many sentence that ran on but not this one ...

73. Impression: SENSE.

Down:
1. Strands of smoke: WISPS.

2. Oscar winner Tatum: O'NEAL. For her role in Paper Moon

3. On the fence: NOT TOO SURE.

4. Mini mewlers: KITTENS.

5. Lotion additive: ALOE. Trite entry #4

6. Once cost: WAS.

7. Hustle and bustle: ADO. Trite entry #5

8. Questionable: IFFY. Moe-ku #4: 

 

        Rudyard Kipling wrote

        A poem about courage. 

        It wasn't IFFY

9. Comic book writer?: LETTERER.  This was the image I saw: 

 

Stan Lee was Marvel-ous

10. Wrap up: SETTLE.  Not as a present; as an agreement

11. Centers of activity: LOCI. HUBS also fit

12. Outfielder Matty who played 15 seasons in the MLB: ALOU.  Trite entry #6

13. Quaint affirmative: YES'M.

19. Strong suit?: ARMOR.

21. Nutrition fig.: RDA.

25. Najaf native: IRAQI.

26. Writer/producer who frequently collaborates with David Simon: ED BURNS.

29. Sauced up, to a pitmaster: WET. A pitmaster is a person who oversees the barbecue.  When you "sauce up" the ribs, they're wet.  And now you know how this fits

31. Score for Comaneci and Retton: PERFECT TEN.  Olympic gymnasts

32. Actress Falco: EDIE. Trite entry #7

33. Dozes (off): NODS.

34. "Ant-Man" actor Michael: PENA.  

35. Distinctive feature of a corpse flower: ODOR. Trite entry #8

37. Ecosystem susceptible to eutrophication: BAYOU.  I wondered if SWAMP would also fit here.  Turns out that A bayou is a type of creek or river, while a swamp refers to low-lying land that is often saturated and spongy with water but can still have some species of tree growing in the area

 

  

41. Sugary Southern brew: SWEET TEA.  I'm not a true Southerner as I like my tea un-sweetened

42. Old French coin: ECU.  This could've been another trite entry, me thinks

48. Somewhat: A LITTLE.

50. Second of a pair: LATTER.  Moe-ku #5, and a pun on the entry word:

 

        Some firemen formed

        New religious cult called "Church

        Of Ladder-Day Saints"

 
52. 23andMe stuff: DNA.

56. Dana Elaine __: Queen Latifah's given name: OWENS.  Her
 

57. Like some gods: NORSE.

58. Like some gods: SMUG. Clecho

59. Huge: MEGA. 

60. Massage sighs: AAHS.

61. Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey: VONN.  Former Tiger Woods girlfriend

63. Machine parts: COGS.

65. Short life story?: BIO.  OBIT didn't fit

66. Poetic dusk: EEN. Trite entry #9

See you in a couple of weeks

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy 87th birthday to Lucina! Here's a 2011 picture of Lucina and our old California blog regulars JD, Chickie, Clear Ayes and Garlic Gal and Dodo.

L-R back row: Chickie, Clear Ayes, Garlic Gal
   Front: JD, Lucina, Dodo (June 23, 2011)

Friday, November 22, 2024, Joe Marangell

 Theme:  I'm on top of this! 

Puzzling thoughts:  

What an interesting puzzle.  Five 9-letter phrases (four entries and a reveal) and four sets of circles, all containing the letters "n" and "o".  After solving the puzzle, each of the five phrases could stand alone:  BE THE BALL; RIGHT TIME; WHO'S FIRST; GET WITH IT; and MOVIN ON UP

But the reveal (movin' on up) gives the true meaning for the circled "no":  it's not "no", it's "ON".  And since the word "ON" is only discerned if you read it going "up", it adds another dimension to these phrases:

17-across. Stay vigilant: BE [ON] THE BALL.  The word "on" is moved up (above) the phrase "be the ball" to make it fit the clue ... as opposed to this snippet from the movie "Caddyshack": 

21-across. Punctual: RIGHT [ON] TIME.  As opposed to the Beach Boys single:

39-across. Comedy routine with peculiar names: WHO'S [ON] FIRST.  "Who's first" might be a question asked of a clerk to a group of customers - especially when there is no numbered ticket system in place.  But certainly, the only video clip worthy of inserting here is the eponymous comedy routine of Abbott and Costello: 

60-across. "Pick up the pace!": GET [ON] WITH IT.  Once again, I was able to find a song with the title: "Get With It" (before my time ...) 

And of course, the reveal:  

66-across. "The Jeffersons" theme song, and an apt title for this puzzle: MOVIN' ON UP.

Today's constructor, Joe Marangell, could be celebrating his debut puzzle; perhaps not just @ the LA Times, but perhaps @ any major publication.  If so, congratulations are in order!  This one rates a solid, ⭐⭐⭐ + 1/2⭐

The Grid - note my mistakes

Here are the rest of the answers:

Across:

1. "The Raven" opening: ONCE.  Here is the text of the poem by Poe

5. Literary captain who inspired Captain Hook: AHAB.

9. App with pics: INSTA.  Short for Instagram

14. Radish, e.g.: ROOT.  Here is a fun fact about the radish capital of the world

15. Spa treatment, briefly: PEDI.  Did anyone try MANI before pedi?  I did

16. Approaches: NEARS.

  

That's about as NEAR as this guy could get!!

19. "Blonde" writer Joyce Carol __: OATES.  The only "Oates" I knew was this half of a famous performing duo

 

20. Trailing: IN TOW.  This one was kind of a drag ...

23. Balanced states: STASES.  Plural of stasis

25. Co-star of Betty, Rue, and Estelle: BEA.  Bea Arthur of The Golden Girls

26. Spoil: ROT.  Go bad

27. Gp.: ORG. Abbr. 3LW

28. Go the wrong way?: SIN. Nice clue; Joe's or Patti's?  I would guess Patti

30. Some Summer Olympians: DIVERS.  The Chinese divers won all of the gold medals at this year's Paris Olympics

33. Russian refusal: NYET.  Moe-ku #1:

        Broadway musical

        Translated into Russian:

        "Nyet Nyet, Nanette"

 
35. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" writer Anita: LOOS.  Her biography

38. Uno y uno: DOS. Uno, dos, tres, quattro ...

42. Hyundai rival: KIA.  Hyundai vs Kia

43. Rhetorical question from Caesar: ET TU.  "Really, Brutus?  You, too??"

44. God of love: EROS.

48. Small lifeboat: DINGHY.  "Hey Smails!  My dinghy is bigger than your whole boat!" 

 

 

51. "Let me think ... ": HMM.  Don't overthink this ...

53. Best of "House of the Dragon": EVE.  Ahh ... this is the actor's name, Eve Best - "Game of Thrones"

 

 

54. Altar answer: I DO.  We just attended a Catholic wedding last week, and the bride and groom responded "I will" when asked the questions by the priest ...

55. Corn unit: EAR.  Cob also fit, but I didn't err here

58. Annoy: PESTER.  And a related clue/answer: (65-across. Bother continually): EAT AT.

64. Kurosawa who received an Academy Honorary Award in 1990: AKIRA. These proper names are getting more difficult for me ...  Japanese filmmaker

68. Vessel opener: STENT. This helps to get the blood flowing

69. Slightly open: AJAR.  When is a door not a door? When it is ajar

70. Word with sugar or gold: RUSH.  My "sugar rush" is eating an apple fritter 

 

 

Publix Supermarkets (SE US chain) make the best ones, IMO

71. Stuffed bear: TEDDY. There are other clues/images for this word, but I will refrain from showing an example

72. June honorees: DADS.  And IMO, MOMS should be "honored" all the time; not just on the second Sunday in May

73. Casual tops: TEES.  "Wooden golf pegs" is not a difficult enough clue for a Friday puzzle

Down:

1. Traveling Wilburys member: ORBISON.  "Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty from 1988 to 1991" [wikipedia]

2. Sign outside a restricted area: NO ENTRY. 

 

 

3. Vrbo category: COTTAGE.  Moe-ku #2:

        In the rental world,

        Vrbo and Air BnB's

        Are COTTAGE industries

 
4. Shared culture: ETHOS.  One of my mistakes ... I tried ETHIC before ethos

5. BOLO kin: APB.  All Points Bulletin / Be On The Lookout

6. Listen to: HEAR.  I think it's time to hear (Listen to) more music! Enjoy

7. Improv technique: ADLIB. For me, I feel like my recaps are totally adlib ... no script for this blogger!!

8. Complete nonsense: BILGE. The Thesaurussaurus agrees

 

9. Playing past the fourth qtr., say: IN OT. In "Overtime"

10. "Cool!": NEAT.  My first thought when I see the word "neat": (CSO to our dear, departed Tinbeni)

 

 

My first "toast" of the evening is to you, sir

11. Some sketches: SATIRES.  Too many to choose from, but this might get a grin or two:

 

 

12. Vibration: TREMOR.  When a tremor was measured at a football game

13. Good qualities: ASSETS.  Moe-ku #3:

        What is it called, when

        Arranging donkeys? Might you

        Say, they are ASSETS?

18. Farm females: EWES.  Cows also fit

22. Possessed: HAD. As in, the devil had me??

24. Farm structure: SILO.  I kept going round and round with this one ... barn fits, too, ya know

29. Bouquet: NOSE.  CSO to yours, truly.  The resident Crossword Corner sommelier whose nose knows the difference between a Cab and a Syrah

31. Cards with pics: IDS.  My Global Entry card has proven to be well worth the $ I spent when I have to go through security at airports

32. Primary action: VOTE.  As a registered "independent", this is one action I cannot take

34. Nest element: TWIG. 

 

36. Frequently found in poems?: OFT.  Here is an example:

37. "Star Wars" antagonists: SITH. All of them

40. "Take that!": HAH.

41. Butcher's cut: RUMP.  Loin and ribs fit

42. Tangled: KNOTTED.  "Tied up", would've been a good clue, too

45. Entourage: RETINUE. Not the most popular word among the major publications

46. Possible reason for a dead phone battery: OVERUSE.  Not my first thought, but the perps helped

47. Highest-order angels: SERAPHS.  Another error as I spelt it incorrectly (had an "e" where the "a" should've been)

48. Process, in a way: DIGEST.  This could apply to both thoughts (brain) and food (stomach)

49. Brainstorm: IDEATE.  What happened when Idy consumed a meal? 

50. As of now: YET.  To date

52. Have in mind: MEAN.  Nary a mean thought in this blogger's mind

56. Sportscaster Rashad: AHMAD.  I am a sports nut, but I like this Ahmad better:

57. Dry Spanish wine: RIOJA. Well ... technically ... Rioja is a wine region in northern Spain

59. Golf garment: SKORT.  A portmanteau of "skirt" and "short".  Not to be confused with a "spork" (combination of a spoon and a fork) This:

61. Mascara applicator: WAND.  I tried "swab" at first, but that gave me a black eye ... 😉

62. __-bitty: ITTY.  It was either itty or itsy

63. Commercial spot: TV AD.  So glad that all of the political tv ads are gone

67. Agcy. that investigates tax fraud: IRS.

And that's a wrap.  But I won't leave before sending a punny shout out to my Friday partner in crime, MalMan, with this groaner:

        I have a pet manatee named Hugh.  

        I built him a house.  

        It's a habitat for Hugh manatee

See you in a couple weeks ... 

Friday, November 8, 2024, David Alfred Bywaters

 Theme: "Oh Where, Oh Where ... " 

Puzzling thoughts:

Today's play-on-words Friday-level puzzle was offered to us by none other than David Alfred, "one if by land, two if" Bywaters!  This is now three-in-a-row for me recapping some of my favorite puzzlers (Rich, Patti, and now David).  As many of you know, one of my partners-in-crime, waseeley, is also a fan of David's and regularly shares with us his fortnightly, crossword cavalcade

David often comes up with a fiendish connection in his puzzles, so I reached out via email to him to confirm (or deny) that these entries had anything more than what appears on the surface.  David was honored to think that I had uncovered a secret code, perhaps ... but as he said, "it was by mere chance" that he came up with 5 phrases that have a double-meaning, all of which were framed by a clue question beginning with the words "where to find".  Did you have the wherewithal to figure them out?

Let's explore each one and see if we can find out the meaning behind the clues:

17-across. Where to find a dogcatcher at the end of the working day?: BY THE POUND.  David's first clue/entry was to explore the whereabouts of a dogcatcher (do these even exist anymore?) when his shift is over.  By the dog POUND of course!  Would this entry have been as exciting if it had been clued: "How bananas are sold?"  Nope

But speaking of bananas, I find it interesting that Trader Joe's is a retailer who sells bananas individually as well as in a bunch.  So, which is the better deal?  Individual or by the pound? Well, if you allow that a single banana - on average (with the peel) - weighs about 8 ounces, then their selling price of 19 cents each (maybe it's now a quarter) is a pretty good deal.  The by the pound price is usually around 69 cents per

31-across. Where to find a Tyrolean shepherd?: ABOVE THE FOLD.  Normally, C-Moe uses the Thesaurus-saurus (see 70-across in the recap) to confirm synonyms.  And while Moe has heard of the word fold in reference to a flock of sheep it took a while to confirm (open the link)

The phrase, above the fold, is a newspaper reference that applies to the headline (or major news story) that appears above the folded part of the paper.  Maybe as this one so erroneously did back in 1948?

Notice how the paper is folded

38-across. Where to find an Iowa farmer in late summer?: BEHIND THE EARS.  This was by far the corniest of the crop ... 😀 

Too bad, though, that David didn't have a few extra squares in the puzzle grid to allow him to add an adjective to the phrase.  Then the clue could've been:

How to find an Iowa farmer after a late summer thunderstorm?: ___ BEHIND THE EARS 💧💧💧

46-across. Where to find a Chicago suburbanite?: OUT OF THE LOOP. Fortunately for those who regularly visit the Crossword Corner, you are never out of the loop.  Even when we are faced with trying to figure out certain actors, authors, places, or things; the bloggers here are always eager to do the googling for you and offer it in our comments ...

So why a Chicago suburbanite?  Well, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the "landscape" "The Loop" is both a geographic reference as well as a pretty famous area in downtown Chicago (see the rectangular loop in the map below)

63-across. Where to find a lumberjack at lunchtime?: ON THE STUMP.  David ends his quintet of quirky quips with a reference to political speeches and rallies.  We steer clear of discussing politics here at the Corner ... but we do like to post cartoons! 

Today's grid is brought to you by Sharpie®:

The Grid - My first time using a highlighter 😂

As an aside, there were 24 3LW's today ... again, a result of having 57 of the 225 available squares occupied by the theme entries ... we'll soon learn if Irish Miss minded these, or not ... I'm guessing, not!

As a further aside, David provided me (through our email correspondence) a couple more of the entries he had for this puzzle that didn't make the cut:

Clue: Where to find the lighthouse keeper on foggy Fridays?: BESIDE THE POINT.

Clue: Where to find the scientist who created the abbreviations for silver (Ag) and gold (Au)?: UNDER THE TABLE 

My "grade" for this puzzle is a solid, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Across:

1. Home of Minor League Baseball's Storm Chasers: OMAHA.  CSO to Husker Gary.  I did not know this and chose TULSA as my first guess

6. Oscar season oversight: SNUB.  

10. Org. concerned with lab safety?: SPCA.  Cute clue; DAB's or PV's?  In this case the "lab" is a dog; not a room for science experiments 

14. Not haram: HALAL.  Here's the difference

15. Potential London flat?: TYRE.  Lots of play-on-words today!  The London "flat" refers to an automobile tyre; not a rental unit (apartment)

16. Broccoli unit: HEAD.  My partner, Margaret, advised me last week that broccoli is a man-made vegetable - Cauliflower, too as it turns out

19. Goals: AIMS.  

20. Brief indication of flexibility: OBO.  Or Best Offer.  As in an ad (you'll see this on eBay) where an item is listed for sale for a price of, say, $50.00, OBO

21. Slender fish: EEL.  GAR also fit, and it's a pretty slender fish IIRC

24. Quaint assent: YES'M.  Contraction for yes, ma'am (also a contraction)

26. Out of harm's way: SAFE.  Which supports (5-down. Away from the wind:) ALEE

29. "__ you asked ... ": SINCE.

34. Opening stake: ANTE.

36. Pitching superstar: ACE.  Walker Buehler may have been the ACE in this year's World Series

37. Marker: IOU.  PEN also fit

43. Rx provider: DOC.  With 24 3LW's you're bound to get several that are abbrs.

44. Delighted cry: OOH.

45. In addition: ELSE.

51. Not just glance: STARE.  How good are YOU at a starting contest?? 

52. Many a Saudi: ARAB.

53. Jazzy improvisation: SCAT.  Ella was one of the best

57. Attempts: TRIES.

59. Coded plea for help: SOS.  Morse code.  Dit dit dit, dah dah dah, dit dit dit (... --- ...)

61. Nev. neighbor: ARI.  CSO to me, Lucina, Yuman, et al

62. "Despicable Me" voice actress Kristen: WIIG.  This actress pronounces her last name the same as an artificial hairpiece: "wig".  But if you look at it again, what if she pronounced it like a video game platform + the last letter, might you get this?:

Wii - G

67. Beginning for potent or present: OMNI.  A prefix meaning "all; everywhere"

68. Core supporters: BASE.  This term was used ad nauseum during the Presidential campaign

69. "Booped" body parts: NOSES.  

70. Acute: KEEN.  The Thesaurus-saurus agrees!

71. Roe source: SHAD.  I prefer mine from sturgeon

72. Down-at-the-heels: SEEDY.  Merrium-Webster agrees

Down:

1. Enthusiastic or impatient cry: OH BOY.  Enjoy this little ditty from a performer who left us way too soon

2. Perhaps: MAYBE.  Do you think maybe there'll be a Moe-ku today?  Perhaps ...

3. Some flutes: ALTOS.

        The fife producer

        Took today off; celebrates

        (the) Flutes of his labor

4. "Caught you!": HAH.  See!  There was a Moe-ku; hah!

6. Norwegian king in hagiographies: ST OLAV.  Learning moment for me, today regarding the clue

7. Greenwich Village sch.: NYU.  Right in the heart of Greenwich Village  

Washington Square Arch near NYU

8. Large container: URN.  A large-sized container (urn) is often used for coffee; a small-sized container (urn) is often used as an alternative to a coffin

9. Hotel capacity: BEDS.  Same answer applies to a hospital's capacity

10. "Doctor Zhivago" star: SHARIF.  Aka, Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub

11. Lingerie array: PEIGNOIRS.  I wondered if this word had been used before in a major crossword puzzle - apparently, yes

12. Almost had it: CAME CLOSE. For some reason, this brought to mind a quip I wrote some ten years ago (October 2014).  Not sure if those here are familiar with the racehorse I reference, so when you get to the last word click on the link ... 

Famous actress Glenn mourned the recent death of a Breeders Cup winning racehorse. She even went so far as to attend the horse's funeral. Unbeknownst to her, the horse's owners cancelled the funeral and had the horse cremated instead.  She came to the funeral, anyway.  TMZ followed her and published this headline the next day on their website: 

CLOSE, but no Cigar

13. Spots: ADS.  So here, all along, the images on a Dalmation's coat are actually ads?? 😉

18. Uruguayan coin: PESO.  We had this word entry on Tuesday; Susan gave us the list of those other countries who use the peso as their currency of choice ... 

23. Call upon: USE.

25. Class that brings problem after problem?: MATH. Why is it that I have a problem with this clue and its answer??  Maybe, because I couldn't find a Moe-ku to fit the answer ... how about a Moe-l'ick instead, that is sorta related ...

        The young mermaid showed quite a big flaw,

       While committing a fashion faux pas.

       She was kicked out of MATH

       After showing some wrath

       When she wore her see-through Algae-bra

27. Part of a boa: FEATHER.  SPLEEN and SCALE didn't fit.  And when I found this image, I couldn't see any feathers ... 

Where the heck are its feathers???

28. Inscribe with acid: ETCH.  Could've been clued: "___ a Sketch"

30. Part of a prof's address: EDU.  Only since 43-across (DOC) was already used

32. "__ mir bist du schoen": 1937 hit: BEI.  Who here remembers the Andrews Sisters?  Let's see.  In 1937 my future parents were in grade school ... 

33. Little snicker: HEE.  We gave out these little "snickers" for Halloween this year 

34. "At last!": ABOUT TIME.  This clue/entry would've been more appropriate if it were at the end of my blog!! 😂😂

35. Peach kin: NECTARINE.  Here's the difference between the two

39. "Au contraire!": NOT.  The clue was in Frawnch

40. Qatar's capital: DOHA.  Coin flip here:  If you chose the capital as in currency, then rial fits.  But in this case it refers to the government center

41. Job listing letters: EEO.  Except on Old MacDonald's farm, where jobs there are listed E-I-E-I-O

42. Italian ski destination: ALPS.  Where you just might run into that Tyrolian shepherd fellow from 31-across

43. Bobs and buns: DOS.  I hear that pre-Windows computer technicians chose MS-DOS for their haircut styles ... 

47. Root: ORIGIN.

48. Charge: FEE.  The noun; not the verb form

49. __ out at: LASHED.  My twisted brain saw this image as someone who might resemble this: 

50. Slender woodwind: OBOE.  Played by that slender fish in 21-across, maybe??

54. Make happen: CAUSE.  How did this happen?  Just 'cause

55. On, as an alarm: ARMED.  Once again, my brain went in a different direction when I saw the word armed.  I wondered if there were any cartoon images of an octopus holding 8 alarm clocks, but this one is funnier:

56. A bit buzzed: TIPSY.  I swear I was cold stone sober when I wrote this blog ... (which, FTR, was done on Monday the 4th)

58. Sounds of woe: SOBS.  "There's no crying in crossword puzzle blogging!"

60. U.S. IDs: SSNS.  See 65-down; you need one of these to apply 

62. Stir-fry need: WOK.  How about another Moe-l'ick?

        When the pastry chef went to embark

       New position, I heard him remark,

        “I’ll be good at stir-fry.”

        “Piece of cake!” I replied.

        He said, “no, just a WOK in the park.”

64. "Pass": NAH.  Oh, you don't want another Moe-l'ick or Moe-ku??

65. PreCheck org.: TSA.  PreCheck for frequent travelers is a must - I got mine as part of Global Entry

66. Foot part: TOE.  Toe, which rhymes with Moe, who is now going to bid you à bientôt! 😃