Happy Monday, everyone. Today we have a puzzle by...well...I constructed this one.
Title: There was a time...
1. Includes on a 51-Down: CCS. and 51-Down. Paperless message: EMAIL.
4. DEA agent: NARC.
8. Rowing team: CREW.
12. Quaker __: big name in cereal: OATS.
19. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.
20. Actor Danson: TED. This it the trailer for Ted Danson's new show, A Man on the Inside. Irish Miss was just recently telling us about it.
21. __ Island: The Ocean State: RHODE. Though just 37 miles (60 km.) wide and 48 miles (77 km.) long, Rhode Island boasts 400 miles (644 km.) of shoreline.
22. Iron-deficient, perhaps: ANEMIC.
26. Elphaba's broom in "Wicked," for one: PROP. Wicked (the musical) as been made into a motion picture. The movie version was released on Nov. 22 and grossed over $114 million the first weekend -- the biggest opening ever for a Broadway film adaptation. Here is the trailer:
28. __-Manuel Miranda of "Hamilton": LIN.
29. Word before down or out: WORE. WORE down and WORE out
32. 1980s president Ronald: REAGAN. (1911-2004)
41. Silver deposit: ORE. Silver is represented on the periodic table as Ag. Do you know which country is named for its silver deposits? (answer below)
42. Like radiator pipes: COILED. Here is an Industrial Products Video for anyone curious to know more:
44. Smitten Kitchen blogger Perelman: DEB. website
45. Bingo kin: KENO.
52. Sweet denial: NO, DEAR.
56. Rare Italian violin: AMATI.
57. Med. plan option: HMO. "Medical" is abbreviated, so is "Health Maintenance Organization".
59. Taco topping: SALSA. I like this one from Trader Joe's.
60. Skeleton pieces: BONES.
63. Noon nourishment: LUNCH.
64. Small, medium, or large: SIZE.
65. Pedometer unit: STEP.
66. The "E" of QED: ERAT. QED is a Latin abbreviation for quod ERAT demonstrandum or "Which was demonstrated". We wrote it at the end of our math proofs. My teacher used to joke that it means Quite Easily Done.
67. Arduous journey: SLOG. Def. (noun) a long, exhausting march or hike.
68. Some CGI beings: ETS. Computer-generated Imagery and Extraterrestrials
Down:
1. __ Rica: COSTA. Costa Rica is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire circle and has over 200 volcanic formations traced back over 65 million years. Of these formations, around 100 of them show signs of activity but only five are classified as active.
2. Source material for fan fiction: CANON. When fans talk about works of fiction or when they write spin-off stories, CANON is another way of saying the original source material. For example, CANON says that Superman came from the planet Krypton. If someone wanted to write a story about Superman, the story should not alter that fact.
3. Big-box __: STORE.
5. "Isn't this all just __ much?": A BIT. not at ALL
6. Like books on Goodreads: RATED. The book that inspired 26-Across was RATED 3.54 stars on Goodreads.
7. Guiding principle: CREDO.
17. Fan noise: WHIR. "Applause" does not fit.
23. Spanish city with Moorish architecture: CORDOBA. I love reading about the series of occupations that influenced the culture and architecture of SE Spain. Here is a 2:08 min. travel video:
25. Make happy: GLADDEN. and 53-Down. Make really happy: ELATE. 😁
27. Mani counterpart: PEDI.
29. One of a journalist's five W's: WHO.
30. Above, in verse: O'ER.
31. Pumpernickel flour: RYE. As a general rule, the RYE flour in my pumpernickel bread is 40% or less of the total flour. More than that, it is difficult to get a good rise. I also add 1/2 cup of corn meal to my pumpernickel bread.
33. 100%: ALL.
34. Many a techie or Trekkie: GEEK.
35. Do some sums: ADD.
36. __-mo replay: SLO. Be forewarned, someday I hope to construct a later-in-the-week grid where I clue SLO as "Cal Poly State Univ.'s town" as a CSO to my big bro who graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.
37. For each: PER.
39. Use a rod and reel on a frozen lake: ICE FISH. 
40. Thingamajigs: DOODADS.
44. Pick up on: DETECT. Dogs are excellent at this. DETECTion dogs are trained to DETECT and alert to the presence of certain scents for which they have been trained to recognize. Examples include medical conditions, endangered plants, explosives, narcotics, live humans, human remains, and weapons. Here's a 2:30 min. video about testing for the qualities that make a dog a good candidate to be a DETECTion dog:
46. Like a busybody: NOSY.
47. Clark of classic Hollywood: GABLE. (1901-1960)
48. Love, in French: AMOUR.
49. Heaven-sent food: MANNA.
50. "The Queen's Gambit" activity: CHESS. The Queen's Gambit was a 2020 TV miniseries based on Walter Tevis' 1983 novel of the same name. The title refers to a classic CHESS opening series of moves.
54. So far: AS YET.
55. Speaks hoarsely: RASPS.
58. Pasta that can be used to make risotto: ORZO.
62. __ of lamb: LEG.
I always like it when, on British detective shows, the boss asks how the case is going and the reply is, "Nothing yet, sir, but it's still EARLY DAYS". I was thinking about that and wondered if it might have puzzle possibilities. Next I made a list of words that could come before DAYS. When I realized HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE had 15 letters, I knew I had to make it work because HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE across the middle was just so fun.
There are four themed clues:
16 Across. Disney princess with a jealous stepmother: SNOW WHITE.
24 Across. Truly exhausted: DOG TIRED.
38 Across. First line of a nursery rhyme about the cow that jumped over the moon: HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE.
47 Across. Competitive countenance: GAME FACE.
(Note: I liked this clue much more than the one I submitted. Mine was too connected to a specific game. It is better to have more separation between the clue meaning and the reveal meaning. This clue does a better job of that.)
Then the reveal:
61 Across. Beginning stages, and what the starts of 16-, 24-, 38-, and 47-Across literally are?: EARLY DAYS.
According to Gobsmacked!: The British Invasion of American English by Ben Yagoda (2024), "(It's) early days" is an expression which describes an early stage in an event or process, often implying too early. Yagoda writes that Americans typically say "the early days of" but began using this Britishism around 1980. Yagoda has an "adoption scale" for each of the terms in his book. He places EARLY DAYS in the middle of his scale with the label "Taking Hold".
 |
| <Click to enlarge.> |
As for the gimmick, the words SNOW, DOG, HEY, and GAME can all come before (early) DAYS to create a new in-the-language phrase. We have:
SNOW DAYS ~ Kids watch the scrolling list at the bottom of the news to see if school will be closed due to inclement weather. 
DOG DAYS ~ These are the hot summer days when Sirius, known as the DOG star can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere.
 |
| Sirius is sort of like the dog's tag around its neck. |
HEYDAYS ~ Def. (noun) the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity.
Lonesome River Band ~ Heyday ~ 2022
Can you work out who "I" is in this song?
GAME DAYS ~ Simply put, GAME DAYS are the days on which a sports team plays a game. At my school, the players and cheer squads wore their jerseys to regular classes on GAME DAYS. Sometimes we had an alternate class schedule to make time for a pep rally.
It is not too late for the other clues....
Across:
1. Includes on a 51-Down: CCS. and 51-Down. Paperless message: EMAIL.
4. DEA agent: NARC.
8. Rowing team: CREW.
12. Quaker __: big name in cereal: OATS.
 |
| IMO, these OATS really are of a higher quality than the store brand. |
14. Letter-shaped ski lift: T-BAR.
15. New Zealand native: MAORI.
18. "The Maltese Falcon" actress Mary: ASTOR. (1906-1987) Née Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke from Quincy, IL, Mary played Brigid O-Shaughnessy opposite Humphry Bogart's Sam Spade in this 1941 film.
15. New Zealand native: MAORI.
18. "The Maltese Falcon" actress Mary: ASTOR. (1906-1987) Née Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke from Quincy, IL, Mary played Brigid O-Shaughnessy opposite Humphry Bogart's Sam Spade in this 1941 film.
19. Synagogue scroll: TORAH.
20. Actor Danson: TED. This it the trailer for Ted Danson's new show, A Man on the Inside. Irish Miss was just recently telling us about it.
21. __ Island: The Ocean State: RHODE. Though just 37 miles (60 km.) wide and 48 miles (77 km.) long, Rhode Island boasts 400 miles (644 km.) of shoreline.
22. Iron-deficient, perhaps: ANEMIC.
 |
| They had me at "dark chocolate". |
26. Elphaba's broom in "Wicked," for one: PROP. Wicked (the musical) as been made into a motion picture. The movie version was released on Nov. 22 and grossed over $114 million the first weekend -- the biggest opening ever for a Broadway film adaptation. Here is the trailer:
28. __-Manuel Miranda of "Hamilton": LIN.
29. Word before down or out: WORE. WORE down and WORE out
32. 1980s president Ronald: REAGAN. (1911-2004)
 |
| Before he was the 40th president of the United States, he enlisted in the 322nd Calvary Regiment in Des Moines, IA in 1937. He then transferred to a Los Angeles regiment where he served as a second lieutenant. |
35. Nile snake: ASP. While Cleopatra was out feeding her pet ass, she unfortunately missed the PSA about how some sap let an ASP loose in a pile of ash.
41. Silver deposit: ORE. Silver is represented on the periodic table as Ag. Do you know which country is named for its silver deposits? (answer below)
42. Like radiator pipes: COILED. Here is an Industrial Products Video for anyone curious to know more:
43. Scent: ODOR.
44. Smitten Kitchen blogger Perelman: DEB. website
45. Bingo kin: KENO.
52. Sweet denial: NO, DEAR.
 |
| Hobbes is Calvin's stuffed tiger toy. He becomes a real tiger when he and Calvin are alone. |
56. Rare Italian violin: AMATI.
57. Med. plan option: HMO. "Medical" is abbreviated, so is "Health Maintenance Organization".
59. Taco topping: SALSA. I like this one from Trader Joe's.
63. Noon nourishment: LUNCH.
64. Small, medium, or large: SIZE.
65. Pedometer unit: STEP.
66. The "E" of QED: ERAT. QED is a Latin abbreviation for quod ERAT demonstrandum or "Which was demonstrated". We wrote it at the end of our math proofs. My teacher used to joke that it means Quite Easily Done.
67. Arduous journey: SLOG. Def. (noun) a long, exhausting march or hike.
68. Some CGI beings: ETS. Computer-generated Imagery and Extraterrestrials
Down:
1. __ Rica: COSTA. Costa Rica is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire circle and has over 200 volcanic formations traced back over 65 million years. Of these formations, around 100 of them show signs of activity but only five are classified as active.
2. Source material for fan fiction: CANON. When fans talk about works of fiction or when they write spin-off stories, CANON is another way of saying the original source material. For example, CANON says that Superman came from the planet Krypton. If someone wanted to write a story about Superman, the story should not alter that fact.
3. Big-box __: STORE.
4. Utmost degree: NTH. Here on The Corner we love and value Hahtoolah to the NTH degree and therefore wish her the happiest of birthdays today! 
5. "Isn't this all just __ much?": A BIT. not at ALL
6. Like books on Goodreads: RATED. The book that inspired 26-Across was RATED 3.54 stars on Goodreads.
7. Guiding principle: CREDO.
8. Redeem for money: CASH IN.
9. Piece in a model helicopter kit: ROTOR. DH is a helicopter pilot but I have never ridden in one.
10. Go away gradually: ERODE.
11. Full of energy: WIRED. Think of a classroom full of seven-year-olds on a windy November 1st.
13. Up to one's eyeballs: SWAMPED.
15. "Shaken, not stirred" cocktail: MARTINI. Apparently someone counted all the drinks James Bond ordered in Ian Fleming's novels. It turns out that the book version of 007 prefers bourbon.
9. Piece in a model helicopter kit: ROTOR. DH is a helicopter pilot but I have never ridden in one.
10. Go away gradually: ERODE.
11. Full of energy: WIRED. Think of a classroom full of seven-year-olds on a windy November 1st.
13. Up to one's eyeballs: SWAMPED.
15. "Shaken, not stirred" cocktail: MARTINI. Apparently someone counted all the drinks James Bond ordered in Ian Fleming's novels. It turns out that the book version of 007 prefers bourbon.
a compilation of shaken, not stirred Bond scenes
17. Fan noise: WHIR. "Applause" does not fit.
23. Spanish city with Moorish architecture: CORDOBA. I love reading about the series of occupations that influenced the culture and architecture of SE Spain. Here is a 2:08 min. travel video:
25. Make happy: GLADDEN. and 53-Down. Make really happy: ELATE. 😁
27. Mani counterpart: PEDI.
29. One of a journalist's five W's: WHO.
30. Above, in verse: O'ER.
31. Pumpernickel flour: RYE. As a general rule, the RYE flour in my pumpernickel bread is 40% or less of the total flour. More than that, it is difficult to get a good rise. I also add 1/2 cup of corn meal to my pumpernickel bread.
33. 100%: ALL.
34. Many a techie or Trekkie: GEEK.
35. Do some sums: ADD.
36. __-mo replay: SLO. Be forewarned, someday I hope to construct a later-in-the-week grid where I clue SLO as "Cal Poly State Univ.'s town" as a CSO to my big bro who graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.
37. For each: PER.
 |
| 2 for $5 or $2.50 PER each |
40. Thingamajigs: DOODADS.
 |
| I'm not familiar with that last one. |
44. Pick up on: DETECT. Dogs are excellent at this. DETECTion dogs are trained to DETECT and alert to the presence of certain scents for which they have been trained to recognize. Examples include medical conditions, endangered plants, explosives, narcotics, live humans, human remains, and weapons. Here's a 2:30 min. video about testing for the qualities that make a dog a good candidate to be a DETECTion dog:
Don't you just love to watch a dog enjoying his work?
46. Like a busybody: NOSY.
47. Clark of classic Hollywood: GABLE. (1901-1960)
49. Heaven-sent food: MANNA.
50. "The Queen's Gambit" activity: CHESS. The Queen's Gambit was a 2020 TV miniseries based on Walter Tevis' 1983 novel of the same name. The title refers to a classic CHESS opening series of moves.
54. So far: AS YET.
55. Speaks hoarsely: RASPS.
58. Pasta that can be used to make risotto: ORZO.
 |
| It looks like grains of rice. |
Here's the grid: 
*Answer to 41-Across question: Argentina's name is derived from the Latin word for silver, argentum.
Thank you for doing my early-in-the-week EARLY DAYS puzzle!
Thank you for doing my early-in-the-week EARLY DAYS puzzle!
Thank you, also, to the LAT editors for all of their work!
Notes from C.C.:
1) How cool is this, Renee!
2)
Happy Birthday to dear Susan (Hahtoolah), our incomparable Tuesday
Sherpa. Her posts and pics always brighten our day. Her caring emails and letters sustain me in the most difficult times.
