Hello Cornerites!
One of the fun aspects about solving XWD puzzles is the connections we encounter between the puzzle and a our own life events. We have an example of that today. Perhaps many of you were thinking, "Hey, we just talked about that."
You are correct! The L.A. Times Friday, April 7 puzzle featured the clechos 25 Down. Full of beans: LYING and 30 Down. Full of beans: PHONY. Pedant the Brit commented, "To me 'Full of beans' means lively, energetic and not lying or phony." AnonT helped to explain with a link to his 3rd favorite reference**, Blazing Saddles. More fun comments followed.
Today, seasoned constructor Catherine Cetta has served up a full puzzle dedicated to this phrase. It is a good reminder of how editor Patti Varol is not only thinking about each day's puzzles, but also about how the puzzles follow each other.
Fortunately for me, I only have to think about Mondays. My title for this Monday is
Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit ♪♪♪
First, the themed clues:
17. *"Don't be a stranger!": KEEP IN TOUCH. pinto beans
27. *Vision in the mind's eye: MENTAL IMAGE. lima beans
43. *Enthusiastic compliment in the fitting room: THAT IS SO YOU. soy beans
And the reveal:
58. Completely wrong, and what the answers to the starred clues literally are?: FULL OF BEANS.
Here's the scoop: Each starred clue's answer contains a type of bean, making the phrases "FULL OF BEANS". The circles are there to help identify the beans.
I wondered if there could be an element of insincerity in the comments, adding an extra layer to the "not true" idea. However, MENTAL IMAGE does not seem to fit that idea.
Of course we want AnonT to smile, so here is his Blazing Saddles (1974) link:
Across:
1. Hornets and yellow jackets: WASPS.
6. Meghan Trainor's "All __ That Bass": ABOUT. (2014)
11. Poorly lit: DIM.
14. Change: ALTER. When saying "I do", one might ALTER her name at the altar.
15. Italian grandma: NONNA.
16. Earth-friendly prefix: ECO.
19. Word with baseball or bottle: CAP. Clues like this make for a fun solve.
20. Former flames: EXES. A good piece of trivia to know about pop star Taylor Swift is that she is known for writing songs about her high-profile EXES. Here is a list of 30 songs presumed to be about her EXES.
21. Mischievous types: IMPS.
22. Screen symbols: ICONS. There is a fun double-meaning here if you think of the Silver Screen and a computer screen.
24. "Save Your Tears" singer Grande: ARIANA.
26. Begin: START.
31. Celeb's entourage: POSSE.
35. Many moons __: AGO.
36. Resting on: ATOP. "The weathervane is perched ATOP the barn."
37. Poker buy-ins: ANTES.
38. Prez on a fiver: ABE.
39. Military unit: TROOP.
40. "Watch your __!": STEP. Mind the gap.
41. Kerfuffle: ADO.
42. Trumpets and tubas: HORNS. Last Tuesday OMK brought up John Philips Sousa so I thought I'd include this trivia for HORNS: [The sousaphone was] developed in 1893 at the direction of the American bandleader John Philip Sousa, it was designed so that it is easier to play than a regular concert tuba, whether the player is marching or standing. It was also made to carry its sound above the heads of the rest of the marching band members. Unlike the tuba, which is carried in front of the player, the sousaphone is circular and fits around the player’s body. source
47. Utopias: EDENS.
48. Familiar saying: OLD SAW. An oft-repeated saying, maxim, or proverb: a clichéd or hackneyed expression. Ex: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
52. Soul singer Baker: ANITA.
53. "Creations from la cocina" brand: GOYA. "Cocina" translates to "kitchen", a hint at "food". This brand is featured in the ethnic foods aisle in the store where I shop.
55. Ninny: TWIT. Someone who tweets? 
57. Weeding tool: HOE.
61. Curvy letter: ESS.
62. "August: __ County": Meryl Streep film: OSAGE. I have not seen this movie but after watching this trailer, I put it on my library queue. A lot of good actors appear in it.
66. Sign on many doors: ENTER.
Down:
1. Rouse from sleep: WAKE.
2. Apple : Siri :: Amazon : __: ALEXA. A lot of SAT questions take this format. Read, "Apple is to Siri as Amazon is to __."
3. Take the helm: STEER.
4. One side in the cola wars: PEPSI. the cola wars of the 1980s
5. __ Lanka: SRI.
6. Insect-sized superhero played by Paul Rudd: ANTMAN.
7. Jazz Age cartoon Betty __: BOOP.
8. Heavy burden: ONUS. My old boss, Matt, used to say this word a lot. It seeped into my lexicon.
9. Duke's ACC rival: UNC. Atlantic Coast Conference and University of North Carolina
10. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI.
11. Interior designer: DECORATOR. how much an interior decorator costs in 2023
13. Unkempt dos: MOPS.
18. Number of innings in most baseball games: NINE.
23. Chevy muscle car: CAMARO. GM has said the last of the 2024 model year will come off the assembly line in Lansing, MI next January. npr article
25. Iowa city north of Des Moines: AMES.
26. __-mo: SLO.
28. Definite no-no: TABOO. (adj.) prohibited or restricted by social custom.
29. Mature: AGE. not necessarily synonymous 😜
30. "Love & Basketball" actor Omar: EPPS. (2000) 3 1/2 stars on IMDb
46. Elsa and Anna's snowman pal: OLAF.
60. Honey-making pollinator: BEE. It is estimated that pollinators (including 1A. WASPS) are responsible for 1/3 of the food we eat.
1. Hornets and yellow jackets: WASPS.
6. Meghan Trainor's "All __ That Bass": ABOUT. (2014)
not a song about fish!
11. Poorly lit: DIM.
14. Change: ALTER. When saying "I do", one might ALTER her name at the altar.
15. Italian grandma: NONNA.
 |
| Momento di Tenerezza,(Moment of Tenderness) paining by Italian artist Gaetano Bellei (1857-1922) |
19. Word with baseball or bottle: CAP. Clues like this make for a fun solve.
20. Former flames: EXES. A good piece of trivia to know about pop star Taylor Swift is that she is known for writing songs about her high-profile EXES. Here is a list of 30 songs presumed to be about her EXES.
21. Mischievous types: IMPS.
22. Screen symbols: ICONS. There is a fun double-meaning here if you think of the Silver Screen and a computer screen.
24. "Save Your Tears" singer Grande: ARIANA.
26. Begin: START.
31. Celeb's entourage: POSSE.
36. Resting on: ATOP. "The weathervane is perched ATOP the barn."
37. Poker buy-ins: ANTES.
39. Military unit: TROOP.
40. "Watch your __!": STEP. Mind the gap.
41. Kerfuffle: ADO.
42. Trumpets and tubas: HORNS. Last Tuesday OMK brought up John Philips Sousa so I thought I'd include this trivia for HORNS: [The sousaphone was] developed in 1893 at the direction of the American bandleader John Philip Sousa, it was designed so that it is easier to play than a regular concert tuba, whether the player is marching or standing. It was also made to carry its sound above the heads of the rest of the marching band members. Unlike the tuba, which is carried in front of the player, the sousaphone is circular and fits around the player’s body. source
48. Familiar saying: OLD SAW. An oft-repeated saying, maxim, or proverb: a clichéd or hackneyed expression. Ex: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
52. Soul singer Baker: ANITA.
53. "Creations from la cocina" brand: GOYA. "Cocina" translates to "kitchen", a hint at "food". This brand is featured in the ethnic foods aisle in the store where I shop.
 |
| more beans |
57. Weeding tool: HOE.
61. Curvy letter: ESS.
62. "August: __ County": Meryl Streep film: OSAGE. I have not seen this movie but after watching this trailer, I put it on my library queue. A lot of good actors appear in it.
Trailer (2013)
63. Novelist Jong: ERICA. "Ms. Jong is most famous for her rollicking debut novel, Fear of Flying, which has sold more than 37 million copies worldwide and will have its 50th anniversary next year." (NY Times 9/24/2022)
64. Intersected: MET.
65. Lose it: GO MAD. Speaking of... last week Al Jaffee of Mad Magazine passed away at the age of 102. RIP. Rolling Stone obit
64. Intersected: MET.
 |
| These 2 circles do not intersect. Pretty trippy, huh? |
66. Sign on many doors: ENTER.
 |
| This is one of my favorite Gary Larson comics. |
Down:
1. Rouse from sleep: WAKE.
2. Apple : Siri :: Amazon : __: ALEXA. A lot of SAT questions take this format. Read, "Apple is to Siri as Amazon is to __."
3. Take the helm: STEER.
 |
| He is using his reins to STEER the Texas Longhorn STEER. |
5. __ Lanka: SRI.
 |
| SRI Lanka tourism |
6. Insect-sized superhero played by Paul Rudd: ANTMAN.
 |
| Paul Rudd seems like he would be a polite guest if you invite him over to dinner... but maybe not to a picnic. |
7. Jazz Age cartoon Betty __: BOOP.
9. Duke's ACC rival: UNC. Atlantic Coast Conference and University of North Carolina
10. Island in French Polynesia: TAHITI.
 |
| French Polynesia was made an overseas territory of France in 1946. |
11. Interior designer: DECORATOR. how much an interior decorator costs in 2023
My décor is basically books, plants, and art I like even though it does not match the couch.
12. Melodramatic cry of exhaustion: I CAN'T GO ON.
12. Melodramatic cry of exhaustion: I CAN'T GO ON.
13. Unkempt dos: MOPS.
 |
| The Beatles helped popularize the MOP top haircut in the 60's. |
23. Chevy muscle car: CAMARO. GM has said the last of the 2024 model year will come off the assembly line in Lansing, MI next January. npr article
25. Iowa city north of Des Moines: AMES.
 |
| But how far is it from AMES to Please? |
28. Definite no-no: TABOO. (adj.) prohibited or restricted by social custom.
 |
| a TABOO tattoo |
30. "Love & Basketball" actor Omar: EPPS. (2000) 3 1/2 stars on IMDb
Yesterday he was 109A. "House" actor Omar.
31. Yesteryear: PAST.
32. Precisely: ON THE NOSE.
33. Most reliable, in a way: STEADIEST.
34. Days of the week, e.g.: SEPTET. More clues like this one, please!
38. Pop-ups in many free apps: ADS.
39. Dull impact sound: THUD.
41. Braying quadruped: ASS.
44. Rather out of it: IN A FOG. The title of The Foggiest Place in the World goes to an area of the Atlantic Ocean called the Great Banks, lying off the coast of Newfoundland. source: 8 Facts about Fog
45. Fluctuated wildly: YO-YOED. After you listen to this 3 min. clip of a performance by American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, you will have YO-YOED.
31. Yesteryear: PAST.
32. Precisely: ON THE NOSE.
33. Most reliable, in a way: STEADIEST.
34. Days of the week, e.g.: SEPTET. More clues like this one, please!
38. Pop-ups in many free apps: ADS.
39. Dull impact sound: THUD.
41. Braying quadruped: ASS.
44. Rather out of it: IN A FOG. The title of The Foggiest Place in the World goes to an area of the Atlantic Ocean called the Great Banks, lying off the coast of Newfoundland. source: 8 Facts about Fog
45. Fluctuated wildly: YO-YOED. After you listen to this 3 min. clip of a performance by American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, you will have YO-YOED.
Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott - The Swan (Saint-Saëns)
 |
| Lt to Rt: OLAF, Elsa, Anna from Frozen |
49. Back of a boat: STERN.
50. Eagerly expect: AWAIT.
51. Show a bit of pain: WINCE.
52. "I can hear you, you know": AHEM. over-dramatic throat clearing noise
53. Glitzy genre: GLAM.
54. Gymnast Korbut: OLGA.
56. Bygone Russian ruler: TSAR.
59. GI entertainers: USO.
50. Eagerly expect: AWAIT.
51. Show a bit of pain: WINCE.
 |
| Tiger hits a regrettable one. |
52. "I can hear you, you know": AHEM. over-dramatic throat clearing noise
53. Glitzy genre: GLAM.
 |
| She may be a bit overdressed for her surroundings. |
56. Bygone Russian ruler: TSAR.
59. GI entertainers: USO.
USO Bob Hope Christmas show in Vietnam War archival footage (1 min.)
Here's the grid:
That's all for today. Now that I am finished, I aM UNGlued from my computer!
That's all for today. Now that I am finished, I aM UNGlued from my computer!
** AnonT's 1st favorite reference is Monty Python, 2nd is anything Rush-related, and 3rd is Blazing Saddles. Do I have that correct? 😉
