Nickelodean remake starring an emotionally unstable songbird and his dimwitted cat?
Wren and Stimpy
Hello Cornerites! It's Chairman Moe here recapping his second straight Bruce Haight Friday Crossword Puzzle. And this one was quite a doozy! While it didn't make me sick to my stomach, I did feel like a Wretch midway through ...
So, if you hadn't figured it out by now, Bruce looked at using a silent "W" in his four puzzle answers to offer a pun of a familiar phrase. Not an easy task, as there are precious few words that begin "WR" where the "R" word is an actual word. How do I know this? Well, as I began blogging I found this list of words beginning with wr where the w is silent. Not a lot of choices, and aside from MY punny addition, Bruce chose all of the others.
Well, maybe not ... I wonder if this one ever made the short list?
A Moe-ku:
Couple with COVID
Had to ink their vows. It was
The "Write" of Marriage
17-Across. Kitty Hawk?: WRIGHT PLACE. This one didn't strike for me immediately, although I did eventually think of the Wright Brothers. Kitty Hawk, NC was the PLACE where the brothers trialed their first airplane flight. Their Memorial there is shown below:
22-Across. Englishman Charles' ripped-up early essay attempts?: WRACK OF LAMB. Charles Lamb, aka "Elia" (a favorite crossword puzzle word) was not the first "Charles" to come to mind. Prince Charles wouldn't fit. So I "wracked" my brain trying to figure this one out, but how did Bruce know that the Chairman's most favorite meat dish is this:
38-Across. Good insurance risk?: WRECKLESS DRIVER. Very clever! I wonder if this was the "seed entry"? Regardless, it was by far MY favorite pun among the four.
47-Across. Pre-Christmas affair?: WRAP SESSION. The word "affair" threw me off. Dictionary dot com defines "Rap Session" as: a usually informal or unstructured group discussion, attended especially by people with shared interests, concerns, or problems. The pun is clever but I didn't think of how this made sense, given the clue. As far as a WRAP SESSION, I usually left the Christmas present "wrapping" to my kids or the wrapping department found at most major Department Stores . . . Maybe this couple were having a mini-wrap session. Love the sweaters!
And of course the unifier: 59-Across. Winning, in sports slang ... and what each of four puzzle answers is doing?: GETTING THE "W". And while this all makes sense NOW, my first impression of the W and R came from this erstwhile "hare hunter" (shown below), although his was replacing the R for a W, and that form of speech impediment is known as rhotacism.
On to the "Wrest" . . .
Across:
1. 3.0 and 4.0, briefly: GPAS. As in Grade Point AverageS. I think I finally graduated with a GPA slightly higher than 3.0, but not by much. Never an "A" student, I, but this song came to mind:
5. "The Fall" guy?: CAMUS. Perps filled this one for me. You? Never connected the clue to a book and its author.
10. AOL rival: MSN. I had this in, then erased it, and finally put it back in once the perps fell into place
13. James' evil golfing opponent, in a 1964 film: AURIC. I got this one straight away. And similar to the last Haight puzzle, GOLF is at the fore! AURIC Goldfinger was JAMES Bond's foil in the eponymous movie based on Ian Fleming's book. Here is a scene worth watching all the way through:
15. Up to one's neck: AWASH. Also, a 500 mile long river in Ethiopia . . . who knew? Picard maybe?
16. Subj. of a "delayed" notice: ETA. Estimated Time of Arrival or ETA: the 6th letter of the Greek Alphabet
19. Monk's title: DOM. Here is MY favorite DOM:
Famed actor starred in
A musical, and was then
Billed, as Greg KEEN EAR
21. One with all the answers?: SIRI. She may have all the answers, but don't try getting too friendly with her. Just ask Raj on TBBT:
27. Tight gp.: BFFS. Texting talk; Best FriendS Forever (BFSF) might be more grammatically correct though
31. Some voting machine parts: LEVERS. LEVERS seem so old-fashioned re voting machines, and now that many folks are voting via snail mail maybe the lever shown below is the new "retro" LEVER . . .
32. Arcade plumber: MARIO. Pac Man reference
34. 2010s White House name: MALIA. Wait a darn minute! Didn't we see her yesterday? MALIA Ann Obama, born July 4, 1998. As waseeley said, she's of legal age now. Do we feel old or what?!
35. 1860s White House name: ABE. CLecho . . . and do you "get" why I emboldened the "CL"?
41. "Didn't I tell you?": SEE. Didn't I tell you?" It will be all right!! Sing it, sister!!
42. U.S. laundry soap since 1918: RINSO. DREFT also fit, but it wasn't introduced until 1933. PUREX, too, but that was in 1923. RINSO, OTOH, was the first mass-marketed laundry detergent, so this "fit the bill"
43. Mound stats: SAVES. Mariano Rivera - whose STATUE (see 44-across) is shown below - is the Major League Baseball pitcher who has the most total SAVES in a career, and was a first ballot unanimous inductee in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
According to mlb dot com, this is what constitutes getting a SAVE: A relief pitcher recording a save must preserve his team's lead while doing one of the following: Enter the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitch at least one inning. Enter the game with the tying run in the on-deck circle, at the plate or on the bases. Pitch at least three innings.
44. It might be a bust: STATUE. I hope I won't be censored here, but does this STATUE contain two busts? Or is it three?
46. Where Ford gets an F: NYSE. "F" is the New York Stock Exchange symbol for The Ford Motor Company
52. Forgets the lyrics, maybe: HUMS. And when my belly "HUMS", sometimes I take:
53. Evil laugh: MWA HA HA. Used twice, previously, in the LA Times Crossword Puzzles; May 7, 2018 and Aug. 16, 2014
58. "59-Down" need: AMP. Well, if you "got" 59-Down. Part of a band tour: GIG, then you could've gotten 58-Across. Mine took a few perps to fill
63. Bit of online mirth: LOL. More texting talk; Laugh(ing) Out Loud may be considered a bit of "mirth"
64. Bury: INURN. Literally, when a dead person's ashes (cremation) are placed IN an URN. When this vessel is placed into a burial plot (aka "crypt" or "mausoleum") it is INURNed
65. Gooey goody: S'MORE. Moe-L'ick. This is an archived one that I don't think I posted here before. It was a limerick "smack-down" in which I answered another's (Kirk Miller). Follow along . . . mine is the second one:
There's a marshmallow salesman named Mel
Who's successful. The way to excel
Is to use a technique
That is rather unique
For his job. You should learn the soft sell.
You know, Mel sells his treats, door-to-door;
Which of course, many people, abhor.
If they’re unwilling to budge,
He’ll add Graham crackers and fudge,
And of course, then they all want S'MORE.
66. Poetic conjunction: ERE. Crossword-ese
67. Shoot for the stars: GO BIG. Yesterday's Arizona Republic newspaper had a headline on the Nation's News page (AP article by Lisa Mascaro and Josh Boak) entitled: "Biden urges House to 'go big' on aid".
But when I first saw the answer, my thoughts were, "GO BIG, or go home!"
68. Corrosive chemicals: LYES. I'll tee this one up for Ray-O-Sunshine. Don't let me down, buddy!
Down:
1. Rubberneck: GAWK. What is it about driving past an accident that makes us all want to rubberneck/GAWK?
2. Sheer: PURE. There it is! First synonym listed!
3. R&B's India.__: ARIE. According to Wikipedia: India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), also known as India. Arie (sometimes styled as india.arie), is an American singer and songwriter. She has sold over 3.3 million records in the US and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 23 nominations, including Best Rhythm and Blues Album.
4. Take the offer: SIGN. "Get them to SIGN on the line which is dotted . . . . . "
5. Three-time Best Director of the 1930s: CAPRA. Frank Russell CAPRA was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who was best known for these two films (for which he won an Oscar) in the 1930's (It Happened One Night (1934), and You Can't Take It with You (1938)); he was also the Director for "It's a Wonderful Life" which has become a classic film shown during the Christmas Holidays
6. Spiked punch?: AWL. Cartoonist Leo Cullum had this "punny" version of the word "AWL". See below:
7. Kid's cry: MAA. But I am sure that some of you parents, when your kid cried "MAA", knew it was DAD's turn to find out what was wrong . . .
8. Neil Armstrong alma mater: USC. Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) from Wapakoneta, OH, earned is BS from Purdue University and his MS from the University of Southern California; who's iconic marching band tune played often at their football games. "Fight On"!
9. __-crab soup: SHE. SHE-Crab Soup, also called She Crab Bisque, is made with female crabs. Makes sense. In addition, the roe of the female crab is added to the recipe. Unless you live in an area where crabs are regularly harvested, you will probably have a more difficult time finding “female” crabs. Click on this link for the recipe
10. Smart regarding marketing: MEDIA SAVVY. Defined as having a good understanding of the influence of the internet, newspapers, television, etc. and how to use it effectively. These people are media-savvy and they are not going to say anything on camera that makes them look stupid.
The Blog's "no politics" rule kept me from saying more!
11. Picnic spoiler: STORM. Well, ANTS didn't fit!
12. Desert along Africa's southwest coast: NAMIB. In Namibia. One picture = lot of Moe's words:
14. Mull (over): CHEW. Thesaurus +
18. Sailing moniker: TAR. CSO to Spitzboov?
21. Shooting option, briefly: SLR. Single Lens Reflex. This explains it better than can I
23. School meetings: CLASSES. I couldn't get anything with the letters "PTA" to fit. I guess in the broadest sense of the clue, school meetings could mean CLASSES. Does this clue make it fit just for a Friday puzzle?
24. "That '70s Show" role: KELSO. Ashton Kutcher as Michael KELSO was the dumb pretty boy of the group, who hopes to coast through life on his good looks. The show ran from 1998 to 2006 on Fox Network. I never watched it. Kutcher later starred in Two and a Half Men after Charlie Sheen was written out of the show
25. The "Tristia" poet: OVID. Publius Ovidius Naso known as OVID in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. One of his works was "The Metamorphoses"
26. Quake causes: FEARS. I didn't quite get this clue and answer, but I found this clip on The Weather Channel
27. Autobahn autos: BMWS. The BMW - short for Bavarian Motor Works - is one of several German Autos that can be found driving on the Autobahn. I put in AUDI first, as I drove that brand for over 17 years, and actually drove my A5 on several Autobahns, as I took the "European Delivery Option" when I bought it
28. One may be taken for a ride: FARE. Clever clue! Taxicab drivers still accept a FARE from passengers, while Uber and Lyft drivers get their $ after the passenger's "FARE" is collected by the APP. Tips are optional ...
29. Shopper's lure: FREE SAMPLE. Another great clue and fill. FREE SAMPLE? Of course! But you'll not find one at this merchant now that we are in a pandemic . . . at least not here in Arizona . . .
30. Quote qualifier: SIC. SIC is a Latin term meaning “thus.” It is used to indicate that something incorrectly written is intentionally being left as it was in the original, thus the quote qualifier. SIC is usually italicized and always surrounded by brackets to indicate that it was not part of the original. Place [sic] right after the errer [sic]
33. Gumbo pods: OKRAS. I would've bet that the plural for OKRA was OKRA (as in Deer/Deer). Word Hippo agrees, sort of, but OKRAS is/are acceptable
34. Screen lists: MENUS. Simply stated, MENUS are a set of options presented to the user of a computer application to help the user find information or execute a program function.
For my appetizer, I will have "File"/Save As
For my main course I will have "Edit"/Undo
And for dessert, "Help"/About
36. Fliers with combs: BEES. Ouch! This one hurt! If it weren't for the perps, this might have stayed in its hive. Not even sure what I considered at first . . . but this flier might need a comb (Note: Meant ONLY in good humor and spirits!)
37. Source of "clan" and "slogan": ERSE. Word origins. Clan and slogan are words that originate from Gaelic (also known as "ERSE"). All words come from somewhere, no? ERSE is also a very popular crossword answer. We probably had it earlier this week ...
39. Miller option: LITE. OK, I will admit to being a "beer snob" as I find most all LITE beers, including Miller's, to be quite watery and unappealing. But clearly I am in the minority as Miller's iconic brand sells somewhere north of 100 million cases annually
40. Evan : Welsh :: __ : Scottish: IAN. AKA, "John". Here are other names for John
45. Pranks, in a way, informally: TP'S. This one is a stretch for me, but back on June 6, 2018, the LA Times allowed it with this clue: "Pulls a Charmin shenanigan, briefly". I posted a cartoon before, regarding this. Check 46-Across
47. More than a high roller, in casino lingo: WHALE. One of two words that C Moe had to look up in order to solve the puzzle. The other was NAMIB. Interesting that the two words I "missed" were in the exact opposite corner location from each other. Critical corners though, as the other words in those corners didn't fall for me straight away.
I've been to many casinos in my lifetime but can't honestly say I've heard the term "WHALE" before. But then, I usually played Blackjack at a $5 or $10 table ... I was a minnow! Click on this link to read 5 crazy tales of Las Vegas WHALEs
48. Buzz: RUMOR.
49. Cyberchatting: I'MING. Abbr. for Instant MessagING
50. Have mastery over: OWN. Would our cat owners here agree?
51. Badgers: NAGS.
Think of an upper midwest team in the NCAA . . .
Moe-ku:
Madison athletes
Who are pesterers are called
The Wisconsin NAGS
54. Webmaster's code: HTML. HyperText Markup Language. Our blog is done this way. Had HTTP yesterday
55. Call from a bridge: AHOY. Spitz, do you have any knowledge of this; its origin perhaps? Was the phrase actually used aboard ship?
56. "__ goes!": HERE. Possibly the phrase I uttered when posting my first blog
57. Floors: AWES. Another Friday clue, perhaps. "Stuns" is a word I would use to describe AWES, but "floors" is perfectly acceptable. "To cause an unpleasant surprise for"
60. "The Realistic Joneses" playwright Will: ENO. Will ENO is an American playwright based in Brooklyn, New York. His play, Thom Pain was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2005. Total unknown to me
61. Slow boat: TUB. Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a . . .
62. TNT component?: TRI. TRI Nitro Toluene. Invented by Alfred Nobel of the Nobel Peace Prize fame. Go figure!
And with that, POOF! We're done! Here is the grid. I highlighted the "W's"; "AWL" seven of them. Did anyone else "get the Win?" Please add any thoughts and comments below . . .
C-Moe (and yes, this emoji is pretty accurate . . .)
