Theme: Y me? - The letter Y is added to the start of the first word of each common phrase to create a new phrase which is quite punny. A very simple theme (add a “Y”) executed to entertain. This is only our second puzzle from Mr. Berniker, who brought us the What’s in a Name Puzzle (WOODY, ROCKY and SANDY) back in April, though this emergency room physician has had a number of NYT and other puzzles published, the theme is simple and clean.
17A. Those who outwit safecrackers?: YEGG BEATERS. The lazy man’s egg product, meets a safecracker, better known as a YEGG. YEGG has been in detective fiction from the early 1900’s, but no one is quite sure where it came from.
26A. 1945 view for Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin?: YALTA VISTA. YALTA was the site of the second of three wartime conferences between the leaders of Great Britain, Russia and the US. Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt, were present, and the meeting took place on the black sea because the powerful dictator Stalin was afraid to fly. ALTA VISTA was one of the very early search engines for the world wide web, which like LYCOS, faded away under the Google onslaught.
39A. Chronologists?: YEAR SPECIALISTS. Chronology is the study of the sequence of events, and I bet you all know what an Ear Specialist is.
50A. Core of the dark side?: YIN ESSENCE. I really like this multi level clue, as it teases us with Star Wars like reference to the dark side, while literally meaning just dark. We recently discussed YIN being the shadowy side and YANG being the bright side, and of course, the essence of something is its core.
60A. Paradise brewing aid?: YEAST OF EDEN. Okay, I cannot help it, these puzzles just seem to hone in on me and my family, especially now that they both are beer maestros, with yeast the key to fermenting combined with the John Steinbeck novel East of Eden (which was made into a motion picture with James Dean) transformed into some biblical yeast to make great beer. Since beer predates wine, I guess it all makes good sense. When CAIN was exiled, it was to the east of Eden, to the land of Nod, which I mention since the book is sort of a retelling of that story. It is rumored a remake of the movie is in the works.
Lemonade here, and I enjoyed the cluing, lots of literary references with some deception and wit, for example:
33A. Bucks: BREAD. As the old joke goes, “What is a buccaneer? A really high price for corn.”
71A. Parts of pig tales: OINKS. The tails – tales reference is cute.
My favorite, 31D. Paper cutters, briefly?: EDS. Newspaper editors, tipped off by the “?” and the briefly…
38D. Lamb piece: ESSAY. Wonderful, no baa baa, but, the writer CHARLES LAMB who wrote as Elia, and had a very tragic life.
Also, in keeping with Friday and my blogging day, there are many law related references:
15A. Accustom: ENURE. We love this word, used in describing rights which enure to the benefit of someone.
16A. Its law sch. is in Concord: UNH. University of New Hampshire Law School is in “Cahncahd.”
23A. Law school standards-setting org.: ABA. American Bar Association.
56A. Auspices: AEGIS. Like ENURE, a favorite word in legal writing.
Well, enough of that, on with the show:
Across:
1. '50s headline event: A TEST. What is it with the fascination with A bombs and H bombs lately? We also have the tie in with President Eisenhower from the 50’s.
6. Architectural style: TUDOR. One of the long lasting results of the BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY.
11. Status follower: QUO. This is an Anglicization of the Latin STATU QUO, which the state in which.
14. Princess Toadstool's rescuer: MARIO. Which was played on 65D. Old console using Game Paks: NES. My boys came along just in time for me to learn all about those wacky brothers Mario and Luigi.
19. "__ Believer": I'M A. I am sure most remember this SONG but for my fellow Connecticut followers, I remind everyone Peter Tork is the son of a UConn professor (Nee Thorkelson) and Peter now lives in Storrs.
20. Artist Matisse: HENRI. He was featured in a recent puzzle, and was a master of color and a friend and rival of Picasso.
21. Regarding: AS PER. Okay, also used by lawyers but I do not want to overdo.
29. Beef: RED MEAT. I quoted Clara Peller last week, remember?
32. Really riles: IRES. A real crossword word.
34. See 51-Down: IKE. And, 51D. With 34-Across, '50s slogan: I LIKE. My earliest memory was when Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart came to my small home town, campaigning for Adlai Stevenson, and my father met them at the train station and took them to meet the mayor etc.
35. Zap with a weapon: TASE. And this VIDEO was a proud University of Florida moment.
43. Asian wrap: SARI. Cute, made you think of food didn’t he?
44. TV world: ORK. Enough already, is Robin Williams paying the constructors?
45. Chimú conquerors: INCAS. Last week I had the Aztecs now the Incas and the CHIMU .
46. Light bites: NIPS. Why many people do not like little dogs, who are yippy and bite.
48. Botanical cavity: ALVEOLA. We also had this as the cavity in the lungs, for example, but it is the same in Botany and Zoology.
54. Miss Pym's creator: TEY. How timely, as Fermatprime brought her up Wednesday; Elizabeth MacIntosh produced only ten or twelve books under various pseudonyms, but did line into her 50s, and is said to have influenced all the great cozy writers like Agatha Christie. Martha Grimes recently paid tribute to her The Daughter of Time in two Inspector Jury novels.
55. Woman in a "Paint Your Wagon" song: ELISA. I love the version sung by CLINT EASTWOOD ; where is our author Elissa?
59. Do some bartending: MIX. Yes, a bar, that is what my oldest and my nephew want to open in Buffalo.
66. Squeeze (out): EKE. The second of this puzzles tired but needed crosswordese.
67. Ranch wanderer: STRAY. Why do I picture a loose crouton trying to escape my fork? kinda goes with 64D. Forest ranger?: ELK. Well, luckily there are not many three lettered animals in the forest.
68. Boosted: STOLE. This comes from the organized shoplifters, who used a booster box, a device with a false bottom, which would be placed on top of merchandise, which would then get taken out. The store detective never saw the perp touch the merchandise.
69. Neighbor of Homer: NED. Not the author, but the Simpson, and the religious Mr. Flanders.
70. Newbery Medal winner for "Island of the Blue Dolphins": ODELL. Never heard of the BOOK or Mr. O’Dell. Whew, we are thru the acrosses.
Down:
1. Etiquette guru Vanderbilt: AMY. With a name like Vanderbilt (you all should tour the home in Newport, R.I.) who would not read this TOME .
2. Inventing initials: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison. The wizard of Menlo Park.
3. Fraction of a joule: ERG. All you need to know about ENERGY.
4. [I give up]: SIGH. Come on, no time to quit now, we are going to finish.
5. Start of a classic question: TO BE. Or not to be, that is the question; in my all boys high school, I played Gertrude in our production of Hamlet; the rest were too insecure.
6. Claw: TEAR AT. This too is timely, if you have ever seen a rabid group of children and their presents on Christmas morning.
7. Up to: UNTIL. The punch line, “Up to now, everything was okay.” The joke?
8. Anticipated: DUE.
9. Boston sports legend: ORR. Another New England reference.
10. Back up anew: RESAVE.
11. Marx forte: QUIPS. Karl? Groucho? Both?
12. Like certain expectations: UNMET. Life unfulfilled desires, also apt at Christmas as we see bonuses dwindling, presents shrinking…
13. "Pal Joey" author: O'HARA. Another author and a contemporary of John Steinbeck. When Steinbeck won the Pulitzer prize O’Hara sent him a telegram saying, he could only think of one other author who deserved the prize. O’Hara was great with dialogue, I still read his books.
18. "A Day Without Rain" musician: ENYA. Our new age queen is back.
22. __ Chapel: SISTINE. Another ceiling reference?
23. Fast food chain known for roast beef: ARBY'S. One of many food chains that began in Ohio, the name is not RB for Roast Beef, but RB for Raffel Brothers, the founders. They were the first chain to ban smoking in their facilities.
24. First multiracial coed college in the South: BEREA. The history of this COLLEGE is amazing, but I will leave the details to our own Windhover.
25. "Be __ ...": A DEAR. And get me a beer while you are up. Or take out the garbage.
27. Kind of torch: TIKI. Very big in south Florida.
28. Gazetteer figure: AREA. Gazetteer is an atlas including information like population and area.
30. Quantico inhabitants: MARINES. A shout out to our soon to be traveling and resting Dennis.
34. Opposite of "Yum!": ICK. Recall this MOVIE ?
36. English racing town: ASCOT. Next year will be the 300th anniversary of the world’s most famous horse race course.
37. Old hat: STALE. Not a fedora, or the race track Derby.
40. Opens, as a hood: POPS. Okay buddy, pop open the hood and lets see what’s making that noise.
41. Gaelic tongue: ERSE. This is the root word for what we now call IRISH.
42. Tyler of "The Incredible Hulk": LIV. Poor CHILD started out thinking she was Liv Rundgren, Todd’s daughter.
47. Words after "Because": I SAY SO. The magic words of parenting, changed my life.
48. Like a vinegar radical: ACETYL. ACETUM is the Latin word for vinegar, which is a weak acid produced by fermentation like alcohol.
49. One of more than 245,000 in a Christmas tree at a California theme park: LEGO. TREE .
50. Oman neighbor: YEMEN. Ah back in Oman.
52. Put the kibosh on: NIXED. Pronounced KIE bosh, likely from Hebrew which oddly does not use vowels.
53. Like a cold sufferer's voice: NASAL. SOUND .
57. "Say that's true ...": IF SO. Hmm, lawyers and logicians use this…
58. "The X-Files" gp.: SETI. Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence.
61. LAX listing: ETD. If it is an airport, it is going to be ETA or ETD. A=Arrival, D= Departure.
62. Exist: ARE.
63. Tough boss: DON. The Godfather.
Answer grid.
Golly, the year is almost done, I do not expect many will have time to comment today, but I wish you a very happy holiday week, until next time.
Lemonade
17A. Those who outwit safecrackers?: YEGG BEATERS. The lazy man’s egg product, meets a safecracker, better known as a YEGG. YEGG has been in detective fiction from the early 1900’s, but no one is quite sure where it came from.
26A. 1945 view for Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin?: YALTA VISTA. YALTA was the site of the second of three wartime conferences between the leaders of Great Britain, Russia and the US. Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt, were present, and the meeting took place on the black sea because the powerful dictator Stalin was afraid to fly. ALTA VISTA was one of the very early search engines for the world wide web, which like LYCOS, faded away under the Google onslaught.
39A. Chronologists?: YEAR SPECIALISTS. Chronology is the study of the sequence of events, and I bet you all know what an Ear Specialist is.
50A. Core of the dark side?: YIN ESSENCE. I really like this multi level clue, as it teases us with Star Wars like reference to the dark side, while literally meaning just dark. We recently discussed YIN being the shadowy side and YANG being the bright side, and of course, the essence of something is its core.
60A. Paradise brewing aid?: YEAST OF EDEN. Okay, I cannot help it, these puzzles just seem to hone in on me and my family, especially now that they both are beer maestros, with yeast the key to fermenting combined with the John Steinbeck novel East of Eden (which was made into a motion picture with James Dean) transformed into some biblical yeast to make great beer. Since beer predates wine, I guess it all makes good sense. When CAIN was exiled, it was to the east of Eden, to the land of Nod, which I mention since the book is sort of a retelling of that story. It is rumored a remake of the movie is in the works.
Lemonade here, and I enjoyed the cluing, lots of literary references with some deception and wit, for example:
33A. Bucks: BREAD. As the old joke goes, “What is a buccaneer? A really high price for corn.”
71A. Parts of pig tales: OINKS. The tails – tales reference is cute.
My favorite, 31D. Paper cutters, briefly?: EDS. Newspaper editors, tipped off by the “?” and the briefly…
38D. Lamb piece: ESSAY. Wonderful, no baa baa, but, the writer CHARLES LAMB who wrote as Elia, and had a very tragic life.
Also, in keeping with Friday and my blogging day, there are many law related references:
15A. Accustom: ENURE. We love this word, used in describing rights which enure to the benefit of someone.
16A. Its law sch. is in Concord: UNH. University of New Hampshire Law School is in “Cahncahd.”
23A. Law school standards-setting org.: ABA. American Bar Association.
56A. Auspices: AEGIS. Like ENURE, a favorite word in legal writing.
Well, enough of that, on with the show:
Across:
1. '50s headline event: A TEST. What is it with the fascination with A bombs and H bombs lately? We also have the tie in with President Eisenhower from the 50’s.
6. Architectural style: TUDOR. One of the long lasting results of the BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY.
11. Status follower: QUO. This is an Anglicization of the Latin STATU QUO, which the state in which.
14. Princess Toadstool's rescuer: MARIO. Which was played on 65D. Old console using Game Paks: NES. My boys came along just in time for me to learn all about those wacky brothers Mario and Luigi.
19. "__ Believer": I'M A. I am sure most remember this SONG but for my fellow Connecticut followers, I remind everyone Peter Tork is the son of a UConn professor (Nee Thorkelson) and Peter now lives in Storrs.
20. Artist Matisse: HENRI. He was featured in a recent puzzle, and was a master of color and a friend and rival of Picasso.
21. Regarding: AS PER. Okay, also used by lawyers but I do not want to overdo.
29. Beef: RED MEAT. I quoted Clara Peller last week, remember?
32. Really riles: IRES. A real crossword word.
34. See 51-Down: IKE. And, 51D. With 34-Across, '50s slogan: I LIKE. My earliest memory was when Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart came to my small home town, campaigning for Adlai Stevenson, and my father met them at the train station and took them to meet the mayor etc.
35. Zap with a weapon: TASE. And this VIDEO was a proud University of Florida moment.
43. Asian wrap: SARI. Cute, made you think of food didn’t he?
44. TV world: ORK. Enough already, is Robin Williams paying the constructors?
45. Chimú conquerors: INCAS. Last week I had the Aztecs now the Incas and the CHIMU .
46. Light bites: NIPS. Why many people do not like little dogs, who are yippy and bite.
48. Botanical cavity: ALVEOLA. We also had this as the cavity in the lungs, for example, but it is the same in Botany and Zoology.
54. Miss Pym's creator: TEY. How timely, as Fermatprime brought her up Wednesday; Elizabeth MacIntosh produced only ten or twelve books under various pseudonyms, but did line into her 50s, and is said to have influenced all the great cozy writers like Agatha Christie. Martha Grimes recently paid tribute to her The Daughter of Time in two Inspector Jury novels.
55. Woman in a "Paint Your Wagon" song: ELISA. I love the version sung by CLINT EASTWOOD ; where is our author Elissa?
59. Do some bartending: MIX. Yes, a bar, that is what my oldest and my nephew want to open in Buffalo.
66. Squeeze (out): EKE. The second of this puzzles tired but needed crosswordese.
67. Ranch wanderer: STRAY. Why do I picture a loose crouton trying to escape my fork? kinda goes with 64D. Forest ranger?: ELK. Well, luckily there are not many three lettered animals in the forest.
68. Boosted: STOLE. This comes from the organized shoplifters, who used a booster box, a device with a false bottom, which would be placed on top of merchandise, which would then get taken out. The store detective never saw the perp touch the merchandise.
69. Neighbor of Homer: NED. Not the author, but the Simpson, and the religious Mr. Flanders.
70. Newbery Medal winner for "Island of the Blue Dolphins": ODELL. Never heard of the BOOK or Mr. O’Dell. Whew, we are thru the acrosses.
Down:
1. Etiquette guru Vanderbilt: AMY. With a name like Vanderbilt (you all should tour the home in Newport, R.I.) who would not read this TOME .
2. Inventing initials: TAE. Thomas Alva Edison. The wizard of Menlo Park.
3. Fraction of a joule: ERG. All you need to know about ENERGY.
4. [I give up]: SIGH. Come on, no time to quit now, we are going to finish.
5. Start of a classic question: TO BE. Or not to be, that is the question; in my all boys high school, I played Gertrude in our production of Hamlet; the rest were too insecure.
6. Claw: TEAR AT. This too is timely, if you have ever seen a rabid group of children and their presents on Christmas morning.
7. Up to: UNTIL. The punch line, “Up to now, everything was okay.” The joke?
8. Anticipated: DUE.
9. Boston sports legend: ORR. Another New England reference.
10. Back up anew: RESAVE.
11. Marx forte: QUIPS. Karl? Groucho? Both?
12. Like certain expectations: UNMET. Life unfulfilled desires, also apt at Christmas as we see bonuses dwindling, presents shrinking…
13. "Pal Joey" author: O'HARA. Another author and a contemporary of John Steinbeck. When Steinbeck won the Pulitzer prize O’Hara sent him a telegram saying, he could only think of one other author who deserved the prize. O’Hara was great with dialogue, I still read his books.
18. "A Day Without Rain" musician: ENYA. Our new age queen is back.
22. __ Chapel: SISTINE. Another ceiling reference?
23. Fast food chain known for roast beef: ARBY'S. One of many food chains that began in Ohio, the name is not RB for Roast Beef, but RB for Raffel Brothers, the founders. They were the first chain to ban smoking in their facilities.
24. First multiracial coed college in the South: BEREA. The history of this COLLEGE is amazing, but I will leave the details to our own Windhover.
25. "Be __ ...": A DEAR. And get me a beer while you are up. Or take out the garbage.
27. Kind of torch: TIKI. Very big in south Florida.
28. Gazetteer figure: AREA. Gazetteer is an atlas including information like population and area.
30. Quantico inhabitants: MARINES. A shout out to our soon to be traveling and resting Dennis.
34. Opposite of "Yum!": ICK. Recall this MOVIE ?
36. English racing town: ASCOT. Next year will be the 300th anniversary of the world’s most famous horse race course.
37. Old hat: STALE. Not a fedora, or the race track Derby.
40. Opens, as a hood: POPS. Okay buddy, pop open the hood and lets see what’s making that noise.
41. Gaelic tongue: ERSE. This is the root word for what we now call IRISH.
42. Tyler of "The Incredible Hulk": LIV. Poor CHILD started out thinking she was Liv Rundgren, Todd’s daughter.
47. Words after "Because": I SAY SO. The magic words of parenting, changed my life.
48. Like a vinegar radical: ACETYL. ACETUM is the Latin word for vinegar, which is a weak acid produced by fermentation like alcohol.
49. One of more than 245,000 in a Christmas tree at a California theme park: LEGO. TREE .
50. Oman neighbor: YEMEN. Ah back in Oman.
52. Put the kibosh on: NIXED. Pronounced KIE bosh, likely from Hebrew which oddly does not use vowels.
53. Like a cold sufferer's voice: NASAL. SOUND .
57. "Say that's true ...": IF SO. Hmm, lawyers and logicians use this…
58. "The X-Files" gp.: SETI. Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence.
61. LAX listing: ETD. If it is an airport, it is going to be ETA or ETD. A=Arrival, D= Departure.
62. Exist: ARE.
63. Tough boss: DON. The Godfather.
Answer grid.
Golly, the year is almost done, I do not expect many will have time to comment today, but I wish you a very happy holiday week, until next time.
Lemonade
