Friday, January 8, 2021, Dylan Schiff and Mark McClain

Theme: Are you betting the OVER or the UNDER?

Hello Cornerites! Chairman Moe here blogging his second 2021 Friday puzzle, after swapping with Lemonade last month. Beginning the 15 January, Jason and I will go back to alternating Fridays.

Adding this to my blog @ 3:00 pm EST****SPOILER ALERT****

In case it wasn’t obvious, we bloggers get our puzzles days in advance of the actual publish date. So, I had this blog prepared, edited, and ready to publish on Tuesday of this week.

In the case of today’s puzzle, the “on-line” version that I solved and recapped was different than what appeared today on other websites and in print edition, with reference to both the clues and their clue numbers. My version used the clue “ - - - “, and assigned it a number, in all of the four entries. And in my Arizona Republic print edition it did not do this. I have no idea why.

The blog recap goes live @3:00 am EST. I didn’t realize the confusion between the answers I got ahead of time (and how, actually, they were numbered) and what many of you saw today. In a lot of cases the clues and numbers didn’t match. It would take a whole lot of editing to correct this now. To no fault of the constructor nor the blogger, this occurred. All I can do is to say I wish we didn’t have this confusion.

Hope this explains it ... for those of you just now about to read the recap ...

****SPOILER ALERT OVER****

How interesting and coincidental that the collaborator of today's puzzle, Mark McClain, is someone with whom I began chatting, regarding xword puzzles, late last year. Dylan and Mark threw a doozy at us for the second of five January Friday editions. And in my best Husker Gary impression, I emailed Mark to ask him about the puzzle. I think his words capture so much more than I could offer ... and I did "resolve" to post shorter blogs in 2021!! But for what it's worth, the OVER/UNDER for reading today's blog is 30 minutes ...

Chris, Thanks very much for reaching out! Glad to chime in on this puzzle.

First and foremost, the theme idea was all Dylan's. We "met" through the Facebook "collaboration" group this past July, and I offered to collaborate with him on the puzzle because he was having a bit of trouble molding this excellent theme idea into a finished puzzle. The theme is more like a Schrödinger puzzle in that the theme entries have two possible answers which are both correct. However, unlike the traditional Schrödinger puzzle, the solver doesn't have to decide which is correct, because both answers are there. So, not quite like a rebus, which typically has something other than a single letter in a square.

I believe this may be Dylan's first published puzzle, though he told me that he had received an approval from another venue while we were working on this, but that one hasn't been published yet. Coincidentally, my first published puzzle was in LA Times, just over six years ago (this one will be number 50-something for me in LA Times).

The key to this theme is that you have a word that, if a letter somewhere near the middle is changed, becomes different word. That per se is commonplace, but the difficulty is finding such a pair of words that can have the identical clue in a crossword. That's rare, and it was really tough finding four such words.

I'm fully aware that one of the main reasons that solvers dislike a puzzle is because it turns out to be harder for them than they thought it should be. This is especially true of solvers who track their solving times (which I don't). There is also a body of solvers who just don't like really gimmicky themes, of which this puzzle is decidedly an example. So, I will not at all be surprised if there are some complaints from the crowd on this one. Most of the solo puzzles I'm doing nowadays are in the "easy" category with straightforward themes and clues. In LA Times I've had more Mondays and Tuesdays than any other day. But I have had several Fridays, mostly add/drop/switch letter themes.

Will look forward to reading your comments, and those of the "Corner" crowd.

Best,

Mark McClain

The Grid:

OK, so Chairman Moe wasn't too far off from the theme. When I sent Mark MY email, I had correctly identified the unifier: 38-Across. Sports bet based on total points scored ... or a hint to answering four puzzle clues: OVER / UNDER. And while at first the concept was not very clear, once the puzzle was completed, it was pretty obvious. The 8 circled letters were all positioned OVER/UNDER the "entries", as the following clues suggest:

20-Across. Source of some TV content: MINIS 22-Across "---": RIES. The circled "E" and "T" letters above and below the black/block square separating these two answers, can be inserted into that square to make two different meanings for the same starting clue: MINI-SERIES vs MINISTRIES. Both are the source of TV Content, as pictured below:

One of the first Mini-Series (debuted in 1977), and one of the first Ministries shown on TV (1952, I think; year before I was born):

Blogger's note: I was at first "puzzled" by the use of the clue, "- - -". So I asked Mark, what up? And he replied:

That business of the "- - -" clue is pretty standard for this theme gimmick (themer is spread across two words separated by a block, with only the first one being clued). It's a red flag to solver that something is fishy.

26-Across. Genetic connection: LIN 28-Across ---: AGE. The circled "K" and "E" make the words "LINKAGE" and "LINEAGE",, both of which are "genetic connections". Of course, when seeing the circled K I thought of:

52-Across. Impediment to walking down a hallway: CLU 53-Across ---: TER. Add the circled "T" and "S" and you get "CLUTTER" and "CLUSTER". After seeing 55-Across. Bleeping editor: CENSOR, I wondered if that person would've censored this popular military expression:

58-Across. Recommendation for better health: MEDI 61-Across.---: ATION. The circled "C" and "T" make the words "MEDICATION" and "MEDITATION" fit the clue for ways to better health. My three MEDICATIONS all fall into either Tier 1 or Tier 2, so my Medicare Advantage Plan charges me a $0.00 co-pay. My partner enjoys doing a daily MEDITATION to provide an inner calmness; I swear it's to help her live with Chairman Moe ...!

Let's see how the rest of the puzzle developed ...

Across:
1. Architectural recess: APSE. Crossword-ese #1

5. Good enough: OKAY. Crossword-ese #2; although the past tense for this could be either OKD for a 3-letter fill, or OKAYED for a 6-letter space. And sorta related to 16-Down, Green lights: YESES.

9. Grad: ALUM. Is this a spice/food additive only used by Grad's?

13. "A New Day Has Come" singer: DION.

14. Like Erté's art: DECO. Romain de Tirtoff (23 November 1892 – 21 April 1990) was a Russian-born French artist and designer known by the pseudonym Erté

15. Compensate: REPAY. Moe-ku #1:

When Popeye's buddy
Promised to REPAY, he used
A Wimpy "gif" card

17. Full of anticipation: AGOG. Word of the day!

18. Subject to being wiped out: ERADICABLE. This would've been the word of the day ... but AGOG eradicated it from my list ...

23. Kardashian matriarch: KRIS. Kristen Mary (née Houghton), born 11-5-1955; the former Mrs. Robert Kardashian and Mrs. Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn), and mother to Kourtney, Kim, Klohe, Robert, Kendall, and Kylie. How did Robert (her son) miss out on having a name beginning with the letter "K"?

24. "We __ alone": ARE NOT. Perhaps?

29. Bridge protectors: NOSE PADS. Ahh, THAT bridge! NOSE PADS are the little doo-hickeys that the opticians always have to adjust on my eyeglasses

32. Promotional giveaways: TIE-INS. This one stumped me at first; not sure what exactly I pencilled in, but I was thinking more along the lines of spiffs ... Mark, was this your or Dylan's clue, or did Rich edit it?

34. Explosive initials: TNT. Crossword-ese #3

35. "Bob's Burgers" sibling: TINA. This was "either you know it, or you don't". I didn't. Never heard of the TV animated sit-com, but after doing a brief internet check, I found that TINA is indeed one of the siblings. The show centers on the Belcher family — which consists of Bob, his wife Linda, and their children TINA, Gene, and Louise. TINA, a shy awkward "tween" is voiced by actor Dan Mintz. Here's a clip:

37. Fellows: LADS. Short for Laddies

41. Chamonix peak: ALPE. Not to be confused with a "Chow-Chow" treat --> ALPO! But Chamonix (as shortened from Chamonix-Mont Blanc) is quite spectacular

43. Retro ski resort sight: T-BAR. Ray-O-Sunshine, you're up!!

44. Inexact no.: EST. abbreviation for ESTimate. I think this was my reply when I searched how much it would cost to replace a light bulb in my car ...

47. Like a busy chimney sweep's clothes: SOOTED. Moe-ku #2:

Dick Van Dyke's role as
Bert (Mary Poppins). He was
Well-SOOTED for it

49. Collide with: SLAM INTO. One of my favorite carnival/State Fair rides

56. Hawkeye State campus town: AMES. A bit of misdirection here, as AMES is the home of Iowa State University of the Big 12 College Athletic Conference (nickname the "Cyclones"), while the University of Iowa (nickname the "Hawkeyes") play in the Big TEN Athletic Conference. Iowa - as the entire "state" - is also nicknamed "Hawkeye" ... BTW, Moe did all of that without any internet help!! ;^) But my favorite AMES reference is shown in the clip below:

62. Evil fairy played by Angelina Jolie: MALEFICENT. Including a "haunting" song from decades ago in its Soundtrack

65. Kurylenko of "Quantum of Solace": OLGA. OLGA Konstiantinivna Kurylenko born November 14, 1979. 41-yr old Ukraine born, French actor. Former "Bond" girl.

Some interesting similarities to one of C-Moe's offspring: OLGA's birthdate and my son's are exactly one day apart; she is 5'9" tall and so is he; she had COVID-19 virus in 2020 and so did he; she is single and so is he; her net worth is $18M and . . .

66. In a heap: PILED. I think it's laundry day . . .

67. Bravo preceder: ALFA. Was I the only solver who was trying to parse a four-letter word for "encore"? Oh, it's that Bravo. ALFA, BRAVO, CHARLIE, DELTA, ECHO, FOXTROT, GOLF, HOTEL, INDIA, ...

68. It's not optional: NEED. We NEED air to breathe; it's not optional. Unlike 38-Down, Go (for): OPT, where it's a choice

69. Tibetan honorific: LAMA. As in the Dalai LAMA. LAMA in this song by the Edsels is pronounced differently ...

70. Alka-Seltzer jingle word: PLOP. "PLOP PLOP, fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is ..."

71. International gas brand: ESSO. Crossword-ese #4 ... was about to give a CSO just to Canadian "Eh" until Dylan and Mark clued it "International"

Down:
1. Hardheaded: ADAMANT. I am ADAMANT about squeezing as much info into these blogs as I possibly can! So much for my New Years Resolution?!

2. Blast furnace output: PIG IRON. Not this; "fore!"

3. With the least delay: SOONEST. Another word with "EST" in it, but I guess that's acceptable

4. Word with steam or fire: ENGINE. In 1698 Thomas Savery patented a pump with hand-operated valves to raise water from mines by suction produced by condensing steam. In about 1712 another Englishman, Thomas Newcomen, developed a more efficient steam ENGINE with a piston separating the condensing steam from the water. Thomas Lote built the first fire ENGINE made in America in 1743. These earliest engines are called hand tubs because they are manually (hand) powered and the water was supplied by a bucket brigade dumping it into a tub (cistern) where the pump had a permanent intake pipe.

5. Many a poem by Sharon Olds: ODE. Sharon Olds (born November 19, 1942) is an American poet.

6. NBA coach Steve: KERR. His biography courtesy of Wikipedia

7. Amazon berry: ACAI. Crossword-ese #5

8. Alpine song: YODEL.

9. Continuing story line: ARC. OK, perps solved this for me as the clue did not immediately make me think of ARC. But the third definition listed does say this: "(in a novel, play, or movie) the development or resolution of the narrative or principal theme". Friday clue

10. Source of inside info, perhaps: LEAK. OK, this might violate our blog's "no politics" position, but it certainly fits the clue and is historical

11. Criticize severely: UPBRAID. As in, TTP might UPBRAID C Moe for posting something political! Hopefully not

12. Casts in a bad light: MALIGNS. MALIGNS after UPBRAID? Hmm ... we need some cheery clues and fill soon for Moe

19. "You sure of that?": IS IT?.

21. Soak (up): SOP. I love using a piece of bread to SOP up the gravy on my plate

25. Thames gallery: TATE. The TATE museum is located on the River Thames

27. African river to the Mediterranean: NILE. Home of Cleo's asp?

30. Topsoil: DIRT. Moe-ku #3:

To heck with the soil,
I want to know more! Please Moe,
Just give me the DIRT

31. Treats with disdain: SNUBS. Let's hope that we don't have too many SNUBS show up - in their "anonymous" posts - to pan today's puzzle or the constructors

33. Hammer home?: EAR. LOL! Brilliant clue! This hammer's home:

36. Uptight: ANAL.

39. Nair rival that originally had "N" as its first letter: VEET. If I hadn't looked up the image I would've never guessed . . . although using this product is not something with which I am too familiar! The "back story" is that VEET was the brand name internationally, and NEET was the brand name in Canada and the U.S. In 2002 the name VEET became universal

40. Horror icon, for short: DRAC. As in short for Count DRACula

41. Web service since 1993: AOL MAIL. This was one of the clues/fills that I felt was "forced". I think we are all familiar with AOL as a Web Service; the MAIL part seemed redundant. Sorry, Mark

42. Parsons of old Hollywood gossip: LOUELLA. Louella Parsons (born Louella Rose Oettinger; August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American movie columnist and a screenwriter.

44. Stores on a farm: ENSILES. As to put grains into a SILO

45. Trio in funny shorts: STOOGES. A CSO to yours truly! One of my favorite clips which uses dialog referring to the "TRIO" is in this link, and happens around the 1:00 minute mark as well as at the end. Classic Three STOOGES

46. Storm often chased: TORNADO. This 1996 movie brought the term "Storm Chasers" to the fore

47. Mischief-maker: SCAMP. Moe-ku #4:

A Disney Remake
About a mischief-maker?
Lady and the SCAMP

48. "Sorry Not Sorry" singer Lovato: DEMI. Demetria Devonne Lovato, born August 20, 1992 in Albuquerque, NM, is the daughter of a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Here is her song:

50. "Give __ break!": ME A. C'mon Moe! I can't spend a half hour reading your blog. Give ME A break!!

51. Chant: INTONE. Technically, a recitation where the pitch of ones voice neither rises nor falls

54. Summarize: RECAP. THIS! My RECAP of today's puzzle!

57. Come across as: SEEM. Does this RECAP SEEM too lengthy?

59. Inspiron maker: DELL. Moe-ku #5:

An Insurance APP
On ones laptop might be called:
"Farmer's in the DELL"

60. Lowdown: INFO. Just the facts; just the INFO, Moe

63. HHS agency: FDA. The United States Department of Health & Human Services was a re-naming of the Department of Health Education and Welfare in 1979. The The United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is one of its branches, and is headquartered in White Oak, MD

64. Touchscreen touch: TAP. TAP, TAP, TAP, are the sounds of many fingers of our readers today, as they patiently wait for this blog to end!

Thoughts? Comments? See you in a couple of weeks ...