Good Morning, Cruciverbalists. Malodorous Manatee, aka MM aka OO, here with a recap of a puzzle by Will Pfadenhauer. Will has previously had puzzles published by both the LAT and NYT and the puzzles seem to evoke strong responses from the solvers. It is strongly suspected that today will not be different in that regard.
'Splainin' this one is going to take some verbal gymnastics so let's jump right in with the reveal:
70 Across. With 73-Across, insert for some water pitchers, or what has been used row-by-row on the answers to the starred clues?: BRITA. and
73 Across. See 70-Across: FILTER
Like it or loathe it, Will has executed quite a tour de force. All of the themed-answers come in pairs with each of the five pairs (ten themers in all) placed, one following the other, on the same row (once with an intervening answer the other times not) . What we solvers filled in, via perps, early on no doubt made no sense. How can ARIES, e.g., be the answer to the clue at 19 Across? Well, what our puzzle setter has done is consecutively FILTER out the letters found in BRITA ... each letter (dis)appearing twice in each of two words found on the same row. Double or even quadruple filtered, if you will.
The first pair is found at 17 and 19 Across:
17 Across. *Youthful helpers on tennis courts: ALLOYS - from BALLBOYS. If one commenced solving in the northwest, then it soon became apparent that something "tricky" was going on. BALLBOYS was not a difficult answer to suss out but it certainly was not going to fit within the allotted space. Next, we got the aforementioned ARIES. This solver moved on to something else trusting that the gimmick would become known somewhere further down the road. Later, returning to where he started, this quote came to mind:
If one removes the Bs from BALLBOYS we get the word ALLOYS. Will has removed the same letter twice from a word and drived a perfectly acceptable word as the residual. Then he goes ahead and does it again with another word focusing on the same letter!! Doing a single pair of these would be impressive enough but in pairs five freaking' times!?
But I digress. The Bs were also removed from 19 Across, on the same row:
19 Across. *Fashion toys from Mattel: ARIES - derived from BARBIES.
That takes care of filtering out the B of B R I T A. Now, on to the rest, which appear in the proper order (top to bottom within the grid), no less. I could go on and on about the gimmick but let us allow the technique to speak for itself.
For the R:
25 Across. *Restaurant freebie: BE A DOLL - from BREAD ROLL (was the BE A DOLL bit following the BARBIES bit a mere coincidence?)
28. *Weapon in Clue: EVOLVE - from REVOLVER
For the I:
34 Across. *Italian red wine: CHANT - from CHIANTI
36 Across. *Sasquatch trait: HARNESS - from HAIRINESS
For the T:
50 Across. *NCAA basketball powerhouse in Milwaukee: MARQUEE - from MARQUETTE
52 Across. *Tornado: WISER - from TWISTER
For the A:
59 Across. *Weekend part: STURDY - from SATURDAY
61 Across. *Finding the means?: VERGING - from AVERAGING Mean in this case as the companion to mode and median (methods of finding an average). We encountered mode used this way in yesterday's puzzle.
This is how it all looks in the grid:
Below are the rest of the clues and answers. It does not escape us that the puzzle setter has employed some not-too-often-seen vocabulary and has sprinkled more than a bit of tech-speak into the grid. This is befitting of a high school teacher who recently received a PHD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. (I wonder if he and his former fellow-classmates were teased about that first one):
Across:
1. Pong publisher: ATARI. A familiar bit of tech-related-ness.
6. Garden variety?: ZEN. Not as in run-of-the-mill. A place of serenity. We visited such a place this past Monday. One example:
9. Untrue: NOT SO. Well, actually in this case, yes. See also 2 Down.
14. Motto: SLOGAN. A friend was commissioned to come up with a Slogan for the year 2020 that was as catchy as, say, "click it or ticket". She came up with "mask it or casket".
15. Glass of NPR: IRA. A frequent visitor.
16. Thickset: BURLY.
18. Tit for __: TAT. Equivalent retaliation.
20. Support: AID.
21. "Assassin's Creed" game company: UBISOFT. A not-so-familiar bit of tech-related-ness. Unknown to this solver. Thanks, perps.
24. __ peeve: PET.
30. Sandwich on telera: TORTA. One had to recognize that telera is a Mexican bread. TORTA being Spanish for sandwich.
31. Furry foot: PAW. On your pet peeve, perhaps.
33. Social equal: PEER.
39. Throbbed: PULSED.
41. "Find out if they know": GO ASK. These something-that-someone-might-say type of clues provide great flexibility to constructors.
42. School in L.A.: USC.
45. Mature: AGE. Used a a verb. The adjective, AGED, was too long.
46. Obtains: GAINS.
48. Remote login protocol: TELNET. Another not-so-familiar bit of tech-related-ness. Unknown to this solver. Thanks, again, perps.
53. Snail-mail org.: USPS.
56. Feed letters: RSS. Yet another not-so-familiar bit of tech-related-ness. Unknown to this solver. Thanks, yet again, perps. An RSSfeed consolidates information sources in one place and provides updates when a site adds new content. With social media, all you see is the favorite stuff that people share.
57. Representative: AGENT.
64. Ultimate goal: AIM.
65. Drop dramatically: PLUMMET.
69. "The Matrix" hero: NEO. A motion picture reference.
72. Cha or chai: TEA. We also see Black, Green, Oolong, among others.
76. Thinking clearly: LUCID.
77. Aardvark snack: ANT. What does an aardvark order on its pizza? ANT-chovies.
78. Agree: ACCEDE. IMHO, A word not often seen in our puzzles. Do you agree?
79. Fencing blades: EPEES. Blunted weapons often found in crossword puzzles.
80. Simple structure: HUT.
Pizza The Hutt from Spaceballs
81. Flushed: RUDDY.
Down:
1. Basketball great Quigley: ALLIE. From the WNBA. Not to be confused with Immanuel Quickley of the NBA.
2. Fibbed: TOLD A TALE. See also 9 Across.
3. Many moons __: AGO.
Emma, the Yellow Wiggle, Explains
4. Writer Bradbury: RAY. When, as a child, my family lived in a section of Los Angeles, RAY was a neighbor. He drove a Corvette.
5. Dig: INSULT. Not as with a shovel. Not as a hipster would "grok" something. Used as a noun.
6. Cylindrical pasta: ZITI.
7. Notable ages: ERAS. Sometimes clued with as baseball pitching statistics.
8. Gp. joined by Sweden in 2024: NATO. Uh, Vladimir, are you familiar with the law of unintended consequences?
9. Jazz station?: NBA TV. A refence to where on TV one might watch the Utah Jazz professional basketball team. One of those clues that attmpts to mislead us because all clues, by convention, start with a capital letter. Not an abbreviated clue but an abbreviated answer this time.
10. Team's adjective: OUR.
11. Bases-clearing hit: TRIPLE. A baseball reference. All of those who had been on base are now "cleared" but there is now a runner on third.
12. Slob's napkin: SLEEVE. Or where we have now been taught to sneeze.
13. Grayish-white: OYSTER. Not the first hue that came to mind.
14. Bygone Volvo rival: SAAB. An automotive reference.
22. Uninspiring: BLAH.
23. Easiest to count, perhaps: FEWEST.
26. Puts on: DONS.
27. Taco sauce brand: ORTEGA.
29. Photo __: OPS. OPportunitieS
31. Plain text: PROSE. As contrasted with, say, to poetry.
32. Actress de Armas: ANA. The use of a minimal number of proper names in the grid is much appreciated.
34. No. pro: CPA. A pro. Not no pro. No as in the abbreviation for number. Certified Public Accountant.
35. Embrace: HUG. I like to crouch down, HUG my knees and lean forward. It's just how I roll.
37. __ Dei: AGNUS. AGNUSDei is the Latin name under which the "Lamb of God" is honoured within Christian liturgies descending from the historic Latin liturgical tradition, including those of Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism.
38. Barbecue rod: SKEWER.
40. Strawberry whose No. 18 was retired by the Mets: DARRYL. Originally from Los Angeles. A baseball reference.
42. Full-throated: UNSTINTED. Anyone recall previously seeing this in a crossword puzzle?
43. Spot: SEE. The combination of the clue and answer bring back memories from early elementary school. See Spot run. Run, Spot, run.
44. WNBA pos.: CTR. Abbreviated clue.... CenTeR. A basketball reference.
47. Mensa stats: IQS.
49. CBS News contributor Lisa: LING.
50. Brand sold at REI: MSR. Another set of abbreviations. Although both companies pretty much only use their initials these days. Recreational Equipment Inc / Mountain Safety Research.
51. Roof overhang: EAVE.
53. Fit for service: USABLE.
54. Provoke: STIR UP.
55. Exfoliation stone: PUMICE. PUMICE is also USABLE for cleaning hard water rings from toilets.
58. Make good progress: GET FAR.
60. Thumb-operated controls: D-PADS. More tech-speak.
62. Not self-sufficient: NEEDY.
63. Singer Lesley: GORE.
Nobody Knows Where Her Johnny Has Gone
66. Provo's state: UTAH.
67. Main information source?: MENU. Another bit of tech-speak?
68. Actor Damon: MATT.
Sarah Silverman Receives an Emmy for a bit of NSFW Singing
(originally aired on the Jimmy Kimmel Show)
71. __-dyeing: TIE. Far out, man!
74. Hospital dept.: ICU. Intensive Care Unit
75. Rock's __ Soundsystem: LCD. From Brooklyn, NY. This solver was not familiar with the band but we do solve these puzzles, in part, for the joy of learning new stuff.
Theme: "Work With What You've Got" - Not sure I got the theme. The second words are made up of letters that appear in the first word? (Sorry for the wrong title earlier.)
68. *Sports car introduced in 1953: CHEVROLET CORVETTE.
84. *Event for social workers?: CORPORATE RETREAT.
99. *Spot where one might find boxers?: UNDERWEAR DRAWER.
Reveal:
114. Parts used over and over again, such as the letters in the answers to the starred clues: RECYCLED MATERIALS.
OK, guys, I'm just stumped. I did notice that the second words are all "recycled" letters of the first word. Is that it?
The theme is harder to execute than it looks, as the second words are all pretty long.
Across:
1. Enter quickly: DASH IN.
7. Like many cagers: TALL. I thought Yao Ming is the tallest. Nope.
11. Cries during a Real Madrid vs. Barcelona match: OLES. And
15. "Right on!": RAD.
18. Flammable gas: ETHANE.
19. Southernmost Great Lake: ERIE.
20. Come clean?: BATHE. Great clue. I hope you can "come clean" slowly in your tub, weed-free.
22. Cards, on scoreboards: ARI.
26. Uncle, in Spanish: TIO.
27. Place to check out: TILL. Checkout counter.
28. Buckwheat noodle: SOBA. Thanks for the birthday cards and
emails. I had a long walk along the Coon Rapids Dam, then made myself a
huge bowl of birthday noodles. Similar to this, but mine had Shanghai
bok choy.
29. NorCal neighbor: ORE.
30. Forced (open), as a pistachio: PRIED.
32. Tijuana toast: SALUD.
39. Phrase on some menus: NO MSG.
41. Eclipse, to some: OMEN.
42. Slightly: A BIT.
43. Savanna tree: ACACIA.
46. Pal: BUD. And 96. Megastar: IDOL. Andrea Carla Michaels has been visiting Minnesota. Here she is with the Big Pencil along the Lake of the Isles.
47. Marches, maybe: PROTESTS.
56. Greek X: CHI. Guess what this means in Chinese?
57. Dined: ATE. Chi = Eat in Chinese.
58. Animal sidekick in "Frozen": SVEN.
59. Some tree snakes: BOAS.
60. Paintball cry: I'M HIT.
62. Lookouts: SENTRIES.
65. "I don't want to __, but ... ": BRAG.
67. Woodward of "The Long, Hot Summer": JOANNE.
72. NBA star Wade: DWYANE.
74. Charity fun run distance: ONE K.
75. Doing some lawn work: AERATING.
78. Supply with new hardware: REFIT.
79. Friendly nudge at a green light: TOOT.
81. Unreturned serves: ACES.
82. Actor Daniel __ Kim: DAE.
83. Blvd. kin: AVE.
89. Nerdy yet fashionable: GEEK CHIC.
92. Vitality: VIM.
93. Longs (for): YEARNS.
94. Christmas carol: NOEL.
95. Dead even: TIED.
97. Plague: BESET.
104. "Shrinking" star Jason: SEGEL.
108. Spindrift ingredient: PUREE. See it? Water, fruit puree.
109. __ Paulo, Brazil: SAO.
110. Like many language exams: ORAL.
112. Hello, in Oaxaca: HOLA.
113. Before, poetically: ERE.
120. Intel analyst's org.: NSA.
121. Smooth: SLEEK.
122. Superlative acronym: GOAT. Greatest of All Time.
123. Spots for bracelets: ANKLES.
124. FDR's party: DEM.
125. Many: LOTS.
126. Chromosome subsection: GENE.
127. City south of Yosemite National Park: FRESNO.
Down:
1. Arrears: DEBTS.
2. Airy lobbies: ATRIA.
3. Scammer's aide: SHILL.
4. Dined at midday: HAD LUNCH.
5. Hero's end?: INE. Heroine.
6. Loch for monster hunters: NESS.
7. Item with a steep price?: TEABAG. Ha ha. I just had my very first chai thanks to Renee.
8. Common font for important documents: ARIAL. We also had
16. Disney princess with six sisters: ARIEL.
9. Tupperware top: LID.
10. Took charge: LED.
11. Shakespeare's king of the fairies: OBERON. "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
12. __ tag: LASER.
13. UFO occupants: ETS.
14. "That's all __ wrote": SHE.
15. 9-to-5, e.g.: RATIO.
17. The "D" of LED: DIODE.
21. Vivacity: ESPRIT.
24. Swarms: MOBS.
25. Where all roads lead, proverbially: ROME.
31. Baptism, e.g.: RITE.
33. "I dare you!": DO IT.
35. String of concerts: TOUR.
36. Film trivia source: IMDB.
37. Some noblemen: EARLS.
38. Woodwind simulated in "Happy Together": OBOE.
40. Enormous: MASSIVE.
43. "Such a shame!": ALAS.
44. Reference: CITE.
45. Representative's charge: AGENCY FEE.
46. Platt of "Dear Evan Hansen": BEN.
47. "Licorice Pizza" director, to fans: PTA. Paul Thomas Anderson.
48. Landlord in the "One Day at a Time" reboot: SCHNEIDER. Did not know this guy.
49. Scanty: THIN.
50. Venue: SITE.
52. State convincingly: AVER.
53. Spanish X: BESO. Kiss.
54. Taken __: disconcerted: ABACK.
55. "For here or __?": TO GO.
60. Tiny amount: IOTA.
61. Damon of "Oppenheimer": MATT.
63. Tom yum cuisine: THAI. I should try this next time.
64. Lodger's expense: RENT.
65. __ box: BENTO. So cute.
66. Rec from GPS: RTE.
67. Some uniform tops: JERSEYS.
69. Circuit: LOOP.
70. The Boston Marathon, for one: RACE.
71. Swerve: VEER.
72. Queen's garb: DRAG.
73. "__ all been there": WE'VE.
76. Bread served with butter chicken: NAAN. Want some?
77. Appreciates: GETS.
79. Sheer fabric: TOILE.
80. Tolkien beast: ORC.
81. Bread box?: ATM.
84. Masticate: CHEW. I've never used the word "masticate".
100. Hospital worker: NURSE. I've seen so many the past week. My
sister-in-law Connie fainted and literally broke her neck. I was
surprised that the ER nurses gave her two doses of morphine the first
day.
101. Think big: DREAM.
102. To date: AS YET.
103. Wonder __: role for Lynda Carter: WOMAN.
105. Objectives: GOALS.
106. Pompeo who plays Dr. Grey: ELLEN.
107. Coach Beard's colleague: LASSO. Ted Lasso.
111. Canadian flag icon: LEAF.
115. Shape of a corner sofa: ELL.
116. Boardroom VIP: CEO.
117. Big Green __: backyard smoker: EGG. Not famliar with this brand.
Theme: HOLY TRINITY (59. Christian doctrine of divinity, and
the starts of the answers to 18-, 29-, and 45-Across?) - Holy can
precede the first word of each theme answer.
18. Age-old method of long-distance communication: SMOKE SIGNAL. Holy smoke!
29. Triple-A baseball team based in Ohio: TOLEDO MUD HENS. Holy Toledo!
45. Atmospheric patterns that resemble fish scales: MACKEREL SKIES. Holy mackerel!
Boomer here. Congrats on Will Pfadenhauer's LA Times debut!
Another
week of healthcare appointments coming up. Our round trip to the VA
medical center is about 60 miles. The Hyundai is fairly frugal on gas,
and our price at the pump is around $4.70. This week will be 5 trips
but I'll deal with it. Maybe grab lunch at the cafeteria again.
Across:
1. Sandwich made with Peter Pan and Welch's, for short: PBJ. No Welch's for me. I use strawberry J.
4. Like an unruly kid: BRATTY. My son's name is Bret, not Brat.
10. Open-handed hit: SLAP. A hockey player may use both hands.
14. Flamenco shout: OLE.
15. Nanny who may live in an in-law suite: AU PAIR.
16. "Field of Dreams" state: IOWA. I visited there once. Kevin Costner is one of my favorites.
17. Macadamia __: NUT. Sometimes you feel like a NUT. Sometimes you don't. Almond Joy.
20. Bus terminal: DEPOT. We have made a number of purchases at Home DEPOT.
22. Each: PER.
23. "Been __, done that": THERE. Here THERE and everywhere.
24. Computer that generates Bitcoin, e.g.: MINER. Bitcoin drives me nuts. Every time I go to CNBC they are constantly showing changes.
26. Younger of the NBA's Curry brothers: SETH.
28. 45-Down, e.g.: RED. 45. Dry wine choice: MERLOT. I do not care for wine.
32. __ goo gai pan: MOO.
33. Mont Blanc, e.g.: ALP. Never been there.
34. Director Roth: ELI.
35. Some summer workers: INTERNS. Quite a few at the VA.
38. Find My iPhone logon need: APPLE ID.
42. Kanga's joey: ROO.
43. Dean's list no.: GPA. Grade Point Average. I was never smart enough to figure mine out.
44. DVR forerunner: VCR. Obsolete.
49. Female sheep: EWE.
51. Lotto variant: KENO. About ten legal casinos in MN. Most do not have keno. Las Vegas seems to have deleted the game also.
52. Sends with a stamp: MAILS. We finally used up our Yogi Berra stamps.
53. Midafternoon: THREE. Blind Mice.
55. "Dear old" parent: DAD. 43. Reacted to a joke told by 55-Across, probably: GROANED. Hope all DADs had their day last Sunday.
57. Pulls hard: YANKS. I heard that Aaron Judge settled last week.
62. Grab a bite: EAT. If you grab it, it may not be edible.
63. __ vera: ALOE.
64. Route: AVENUE. We live on a street.
65. Pigpen: STY. But not in a sty.
66. Lacrosse targets: NETS.
67. Pie servings: WEDGES. Also for a shot less than 100 yards.
68. Netflix's "__ Education": SEX.
Down:
1. "On Golden __": Hepburn film: POND. A wedge can get you over it.
2. Brewer known for its Belgian White ale: BLUE MOON.
3. Many a "Top Gun" aviator: JET PILOT. I heard that Airlines are having trouble staffing pilots. Many cancellations at MSP airport recently.
4. Kept moist, as a roast turkey: BASTED.
5. __ and Coke: RUM. Away, Away with rum by gum ...
6. Each, informally: A POP.
7. Starts, as a new hobby: TAKES UP. Try baseball cards, rewarding!
8. Like tall wedding cakes: TIERED. Most baseball parks.
9. 12-mo. periods: YRS.
10. Weary sound: SIGH. I do this sometimes working a crossword.
11. Folks who keep to themselves: LONERS. Add an A and its a bank.
12. Cognizant (of): AWARE.
13. Lost some color: PALED.
19. Service provided by the Geek Squad: IT HELP. Best Buy.
21. Unspecified person: ONE. For the money, two for the show.
25. Southwest Virginia city: ROANOKE. Interesting name for a city.
27. Steakhouse chain with a skinny tree in its logo: THE PALM.
29. Texter's "Sorry, did I overshare?": TMI.
30. L.A. Galaxy's org.: MLS. Major League Soccer
31. Nada: NIL. Nothing
36. Timeline stretch: ERA. Earned Run Average.
37. Simple firework: ROCKET. Red glare, bombs bursting in air.
38. __ Escape: PlayStation game featuring monkeys: APE.
39. Depravity: EVILNESS. Losing 1-0.
40. Item of equipment for the NCAA's Frozen Four: ICE SKATE. I think every kid in Minnesota had a pair. I had mine.
41. ER staffers: DRS. Seen many. VA ER found my cancer in 2018.
46. Curly salad green: ENDIVE.
47. Verbally approve: SAY YES. Or just nod your head.
48. Korean automaker: KIA. A brother of Hyundai.
49. Actor Hawke: ETHAN.
50. Complete: WHOLE. She's got the whole world, in her hands!
54. Looks over: EYES.
56. Minor dent: DING. Minor dents are no longer cheap to fix.
58. River of Hades: STYX.
60. Like sashimi: RAW.
61. Election time: Abbr.: TUE. Coming soon for governors.
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