After last Saturday's cake walk, the karma fairy got me today as obscure names abounded. While the NW corner appears fun looking back, it caused had some real difficulty for me.
Sometimes you are on the constructors wavelength but this time I had trouble seeing where Emily (or Patti) was going in certain places until my doggedness got me to the end..
Across:
1. Groundbreaking: EDGY - I definitely think this was groundbreaking/EDGY TV. I remember thinking, "I can't believe they just said that! It'a about time somebody did."
5. Nae sayer: SCOT
9. Hosp. area: PRE-OP.
14. Do-re-mi: SIMOLEONS - Slang3. Do-re-mi is slang for dough meaning money.
SIMOLEONS is also slang for money! A blend of simon (dollar) from simon (sixpence coin) (17th century British slang), and Napoleon (“French gold coin worth 20 francs, bearing the image of Napoleon III"). Peportmanteau. 🤔
51. Monk who won the 2017 Jerry West Award: MALIK.
52. Window on the house: FREE TRIAL - A window denotes how long you get a FREE TRIAL (on the house) 🤔
53. Cut off: ALONE.
54. Seasonal salutation: DEAR SANTA - Ho, Ho, Ho!
55. Elizabeth of "Love & Death": OLSEN.
56. Extra social media accounts, casually: ALTS - Alternates
57. Likely to root around in someone else's medicine cabinet: NOSY.
Down:
1. Spanish pronoun: ESTA - Esta computadora Macbook Pro es mía
2. Soft drink option: DIET.
3. B-school entry req.: GMAT - Graduate Management Admissions Test. Used for admission in some Business Schools.
4. Bind: YOKE 😀
5. Finalize: SETTLE.
6. Part of many a linen blend: COTTON.
7. Simmering: ON LOW 😀
8. "Sweeney Agonistes" monogram: TSE.
9. Musical sentence: PHRASE - Nobody did it better.
10. Get a hold of: REACH.
11. Whole food?: ENCHILADA 😀
12. Arnold Palmer ratio: ONE TO ONE.
13. Stuff: PAD.
15. "__ in Chemistry": Bonnie Garmus novel: LESSONS.
20. Crimean resort: YALTA - The Big Three discuss the shape of the post-war world in 1945. FR died two months later.
22. Food: FARE.
23. Gran: NANA.
24. Eugene or Gary: CITY 😀
27. Low points of some performances: BASS SOLOS 😀
28. "Midsommar" filmmaker Aster: ARI.
29. Air drops?: MIST.
30. Udder part: TEAT.
31. Whooped it up: HAD A BALL.
32. Zoë who won a Pulitzer Prize for the 1935 play "The Old Maid": AKINS.
33. Mallet target: GONG.
34. Hip-strengthening exercises: THRUSTS.
39. __ tofu: SILKEN.
40. Loss: DEFEAT.
41. Gathers: INFERS.
43. Jute binder: TWINE.
44. Mushroom hunter's prize: MOREL.
47. 1979 revolution site: IRAN.
48. Critter on some pj's: DINO.
49. Brunches, say: EATS 😀 - Brunches as a verb
50. Crush it, informally: SLAY - Here George Carlin SLAYS Johnny Carson with a bit that SLAYED me
51. Eponym of a tunic suit: MAO - These Chinese Communists of the 50's all are wearing MAO suits. Fashion plate MAO is in the front row in the lightest version.
The infamous "ZHUZH" puzzle is in the hyperlink above. Remember that one?
Today, Zachary's "wordplay" used a number of synonyms to describe (clue) the five entries he squeezed into this 15x15 grid. All five entries' clues have a trio of words that reference the first part of the answer. All five of the answers are a compound word/phrase whose second half is related to a form of communication. How you ask? Well, let's examine each of them:
17-across. Ermine, polecat, mink, etc.: WEASEL WORDS. Each of these three animals are in the weasel family. Each of these three are also words. The phrase weasel words [according to Wikipedia] refers to: "a word or phrase aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague, ambiguous, or irrelevant claim has been communicated."
"Examples of weasel words include the phrases "some people say", "it is thought", and "researchers believe". Using weasel words may allow one to later deny any specific meaning if the statement is challenged, because the statement was never specific in the first place."
Unlike, I guess, the toothpaste commercial when they claimed, "4 out of 5 dentists recommend Colgate". That's pretty specific
But certainly, the ad phrase mentioned in the video below would be an example of weasel words, IMO:
24-across. Bouncing off the walls, frenzied, feverish, etc.: HYPERTEXT. Or is it HYPER TEXT? (two words). When describing the word "hyper" the synonyms you might use include those in the clue. One of those synonyms - "bouncing off the walls" - actually fits both the compound word hypertext and the compound phrase hyper text. Click this hyperlink to see how!
34-across. Sodium chloride, potassium cyanide, calcium phosphate, etc.: SALTY LANGUAGE. NaCl, KCN, and Ca3(PO4)2 are all salts. They are also words "in the language". But most of us (when confronted with salty language) have a different image in our minds:
46-across. On the house, gratis, comped, etc.: FREE VERSE. Does this need to be further explained or are y'all starting to see how today's puzzle works?? If you're still confused, I will try to 'splain it with a Moe-ku:
When I write my blog I might charge for my poems 'Cause they're not FREE VERSE
1) HYPERTEXT. Despite my discovery of a book (text) called "Bouncing off the Walls", hypertext is a compound word; all of the other entries use a compound two-word phrase
2) The phrase purple prose is defined as "excessive use of adjectives, adverbs, and metaphors". It would have been nice to have had something other than two adjectives and a noun in the clue. I wish Zachary/Patti had used "shrinking violet" instead of violaceous when he/she finalized the clue
3) Anytime a constructor uses 50 or more characters for their entries (or uses 5 entries), it usually means that the grid will be rife with the dreaded TLW (3-letter word) Sorry Irish Miss; today's puzzle has 25 of them (if I counted correctly). More on those, later
All-in-all I will rate this one: ⭐⭐ 1/2⭐'s
Here is the grid, and then a brief recap of the other clues/answers. My intro today took quite a while to write and edit ...
Note before we get started: you will notice that a couple of today's words (UTES / FOOLS) appeared earlier this week
Across:
1. Org. regulating the airwaves: FCC. (TLW #1)
4. Luxurious: UPSCALE. Can you think back to what was the most upscale item you've ever owned? For Miss Margaret and me it was an automobile. Hers, a Chrysler Sebring Convertible; mine, an Audi 2-door sports coupe
11. "The Marvels" director DaCosta: NIA. (TLW #2 - Proper name #1) - this filled via perps as I was unfamiliar with this director. Here is an interview with her:
14. Contented sigh: AHH. (TLW #3) This expression is not a contented one when the doctor sticks a tongue depressor into your mouth and asks you to say it
15. As requested: TO ORDER. What I enjoy about dining out - especially for breakfast - is being able to have my eggs, e.g., made to order. Like this, maybe?
16. Meditation syllables: OMS. (TLW #4), and the plural of an abbreviated word - one of my pet peeves
19. Tats: INK. (TLW #5) This is becoming a crossword staple (clue/entry)
20. Red shade: CERISE. When I was a kid, my crayon box had 8 colors. Period. Cerisewasn't among them. And technically, cerise is a pink shade
21. Less than zero: Abbr.: NEG. (TLW #6) I am pos. about this
22. Citrus drinks: ADES. Isn't this just another 3-letter word made plural?
29. Muse of poetry: ERATO. How does Erato even show up, anymore, in crossword puzzles? I would've thought that she was banished alongside the likes of Ott, Orr, and Alou
30. Dolts: TOM FOOLS. A better clue for our regular bloggers would be: What TTP ordesper-otto does on April 1st?
33. Bird: Pref.: AVI. (TLW #9) If Zachary or Patti had clued it as this it would have been more difficult to solve, IMO
38. Past: AGO. (TLW #10)
39. Not plugged in: WIRELESS. I so enjoy the newer models of cars these days. Wireless connection means not having to use the power cord attached to my iPhone (Apple Play)
41. Help desk staffer, briefly: IT PRO. Somewhat similar to (8-down. Seller of TV spots:) AD REP.
44. __ Cruces, New Mexico: LAS. (TLW #11)
45. Toll rd.: TPK. (TLW #12)
50. Wells race of the future: ELOI.
51. + or - particles: IONS. Isn't this just another 3-letter word made plural?
52. Fawn mama: DOE. (TLW #13)
53. "Groovy!": FAR OUT. When I saw this, I thought, "what a clever way to avoid more three-letter words. Just put two of them (TLWs) together in a space meant for six letters!!"
Same with this one: (27-down. Ending for many D.C. addresses:) DOT GOV.
Same with this one: (43-down. Preventer of some shirt stains: PEN CAP.
When former Pres. said He would dismiss his VP, Was that a MIC drop?
as an aside, I find it an interesting coincidence that the 2024 VP choice for this former Pres. has a last name that is also five letters in length, and ends in the letters "nce" ... another interesting coincidence is the first and middle initials of the party candidates: DJ and JD
58. Cover letters?: AKA. (TLW #15)
59. Nail polish remover: ACETONE. As somebody who doesn't use nail polish, this one was a bit unfamiliar to me, but it makes sense
60. Vast body: SEA. (TLW #16)
61. Sharp bark: YAP. (TLW #17)
62. Doesn't just ask for: DEMANDS.
63. The Oilers, on ESPN tickers: EDM. (TLW #18, and a CSO to CanadianEh!) A timely entry as the Edmonton Oilers were vying for the Stanley Cup just a month ago. Alas, the Oilers succumbed to the Florida Panthers in game 7
BLOG INTERMISSION ... (if you need to refill your coffee/tea mug/cup, or go to the restroom, now's a good time. When you return, I have a little "challenge" for you
Are you back? OK, here is the challenge: Please sing out only the vowels in this Canadian pop artist's name:
CELINE DION
Down:
1. Big name in 1970s Angels: FAWCETT. Who else was thinking about the Los Angeles baseball team? I was. But this woman was well-known as being one of Charlie's Angels (ABC hit TV series co-starring actress Farrah):
Back in her "big hair" days
2. General Mills staple: CHEERIOS. As an aside, how did General Mills allow Quaker Oats to come up with the Cap'n Crunch brand?? 😉
How about Moe-ku #3, instead? A bit sophomoric (sorry, Yellowrocks):
The British toddler Was weaned from tata(s), and now Prefers, CHEERIO(s)
3. Personal magnetism: CHARISMA. A must these days for political candidates
4. Heavy-duty vehicles, for short: UTES. Or how about this for a clue? Appropriate rental vehicles for fans of a Salt Lake City-based University?
5. Global extreme: POLE. Am I the only person to wonder why Santa Claus doesn't live at the SouthPole?
6. Plant: SOW. (TLW #19) Moe-l'ick #1:
Johnny Appleseed wanted to know That his fame as a planter would grow. After planting his trees He waived all of his fees: No one's yet called him, "you SOW and SOW"
7. Lifelong pal: CRONY. [dictionary dot com] shows the origin of this word as follows: "mid 17th century (originally Cambridge university slang): from Greek khronios ‘long-lasting’ (here used to mean ‘contemporary’), from khronos ‘time’."
9. High precipice: LEDGE.
10. Urgent care ctrs.: ERS. (TLW #20 - another abbr. pl.)
11. "Beats me": NO IDEA. Not today; I definitely had an idea about where this puzzle was heading as I solved the entries
12. "Wait your turn!": I'M NEXT.
13. Invites for: ASKS TO.
18. [Not my mistake]: SIC. (TLW #21) The [brackets] gave this one away
22. Related to a heart chamber: ATRIAL. Or (if you separated atrial into two words), what there would be if the A-Team was sued and taken to court? An A-TRIAL. No? How about this? What Iranian banker said to Jerry Maguire when he returned with some dollars? "You had me AT RIAL!"
24. Alternative to high water: HELL. I kind of liked this one:
Does anyone remember when they called those type of pants, high waters??
25. Variety shows: REVUES.
28. Go up and down: YO-YO. Like many fad diets
31. Solar phenomena: FLARES.
32. Spotted: SAW. (TLW #22) "Pied" (as in a spotted horse) wouldn't fit
33. Uttar Pradesh tourist site: AGRA. Uttar Pradesh is a state in N. Central India - in which the city of Agra is located (Taj Mahal is the tourist site there)
35. River fed by Lake Victoria: NILE.
36. Break out: GET LOOSE. My first thought was Cut Loose - anyone else??
37. Embraced: ESPOUSED. Moe-ku #4:
Instead of a ring Frugal guy decided to ESPOUSE his ESPOUSED
40. Group that's always looking for a lift?: SKI TEAM. Ha Ha!
41. Polite interjection: IF I MAY. Miss Margaret is at times frustrated (or maybe confused) when I ask her a favor and begin the request with "May you please ... ?"
42. Three-horse ride: TROIKA.
47. Draw out: EDUCE. Or, what is the lowest playing card in an on-line deck?
48. "Our Town" composer Ned: ROREM. On a positive note, today's puzzle did not have many proper names. Rorem adapted his opera (Our Town) from Wilder's play in 2005
49. Anatomical dividers: SEPTA. This is what Bing shows when you type the word "septa" into the browser. Hmm. Let's dig a little deeper ... when you enter the word "septa anatomy" the word septum appears. Septa is its plural (see the clue - "dividers"). Sometimes, folks, I just research these to inform myself ... and if you don't believe me, then look at this image of a lingual septum 😛
50. Fumble: ERR. (TLW #23)
53. Stave (off): FEND.
54. Parrots: APES. As in mimics; not bird-related. We had that earlier with avi. And yet another 3-letter word pluralized
56. Paw cushion: PAD. (TLW #24)
57. Chaney known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces": LON. (TLW#25) Here is just one of Lon's many faces:
And that's a [stole, scarf, boa].
On a personal note, I have a plethora of puzzles that have not been published. As a treat to anyone here who might want more crossword puzzles to solve, please send me a private email message (my email is in my profile) and I will be happy to share them. You will need to download the Across Lite software in order to solve (either on your computer, or by printing them out). The puzzles will come as an attachment (.puz). Just click on it and enjoy; no strings attached!
On another personal note, if you are interested in hearing a recent (2022) recital featuring my daughter, please click on this link as it will take you to Fred Childs' Your Classical Today on NPR
My final personal note is that yesterday (Thursday, July 18) my 95-year-old mom went home to the Lord. She was ready to die and did so peacefully. Mom was a real fan of the LA Times Crossword Puzzles, although the recent year's puzzles had been too challenging for her. She was my biggest fan for my corny haikus and limericks. She enjoyed being able to share them with her table mates at her assisted living center. As well as my crossword puzzles.
I wrote this blog over a week ago and periodically updated/edited it. I hope this is my last edit (I am typing this paragraph on Thursday afternoon), as I'm pretty well spent
C-Moe
final edit!! It was pointed out to me that the link above (Your Classical Today) did not feature the recital of my daughter. So instead, here is a link to one of her recordings if you are interested in classical bassoon music
Today's constructor is Susan Gelfand who is making her 34th appearance on
the Corner. She presents us with 5 punny theme clues all beginning
with the word "Presentation", and fills them with in the language
phrases that are trying to demonstrate something or convince us of something ...
17A.
Presentation on an organic flytrap?: WEB ADDRESS. This one
brings to mind the valiant attempts of a spider to save a pig ...
24A. Presentation on how to generate chemistry when matchmaking?:SPARK PLUG. The perfect match for generating internal combustion in your engine
...
37A. Presentation on hot dogs?: FRANK DISCUSSION. Frankly these
famous hotdogs are the greatest (but the winners of their contest are
CRAZY!) ...
50A. Presentation on recycling?: TRASH TALK. Sorry but all
the clips I viewed on TRASH TALKING were rated R, so here's a
PSA on recycling courtesy of the city of Chandler, Arizona and a CSO to
Lucina and Chairman Moe ...
61A. Presentation on the Indiana WNBA team?:FEVER PITCH. The clue
is about the
Indiana women's basketball team, but the fill is really about EXTREME FANDOM. Here's a trailer
for the film Fever Pitch, based on a book by British author
Nick Hornby, starring Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell (rated PG) ...
Here's the grid ...
Here's the rest ... Across:
1. Bread component, casually: CARB.
5. __ toast: MELBA. Named for Australian diva
Dame Nellie MelbaGBE
(née Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 1861 – 23 February
1931). Here is a 1904 recording of Caro nome ("Dearest
name") from Verdi's Rigoletto
10. Research sites: LABS. DIGS fit, but didn't perp.
14. Ingredient in some superfood smoothies: ALOE.
15. Classic cookies: OREOS. 5 letter plural cookie - Ektorp.
16. Assessment, briefly: EVAL.
17. [Theme clue]
19. Sam Cooke's "__ Little Love": TRY A.
20. Book that details the origin of Passover: EXODUS. In
EXODUS chapter 12
the Lord describes in detail the Passover -- the flight from Egypt by the
Jewish nation and the meal that the Jews consumed before departing. In
verse 14 He says "This day will be a day of remembrance for you, which your future
generations will celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD; you
will celebrate it as a statute forever." And in fact devout Jews do
observe the Passover to this day; and this celebration is also the basis for
Christianity's various communion services, e.g. the Catholic Mass.
21. Time with a therapist: SESSION. A CSO to constructor and
therapist
Trent H. Evans
who has had 6 puzzles published in the LA Times.
23. Went out with: DATED.
24. [Theme clue]
26. Postpone: DEFER.
28. Hermana del padre: TIA. Today's Spanish lesson:
AUNT.
29. Part of a one-two punch: JAB. The JAB is the first
punch, but there are apparently several types of TWO punches, as shown
in this How-to ...
32. Had a bite: ATE.
33. MSNBC host Jen: PSAKI.
Jennifer Rene Psaki
(born December 1, 1978) is an American television political analyst and former
government official. A political advisor who served under both the Obama and
Biden administrations. She served the Biden administration as the 34th White
House press secretary until May 2022.
Jen Psaki
37. [Theme clue]
42. Divided Asian peninsula: KOREA.
43. Seemingly forever: EON.
44. Lots of noise: DIN.
45. Ozs. and lbs.: WTS.
47. Sacks: LOOTS. The city of Rome had the distinction of being
sacked twice, in
410 AD
and again
in 1527 AD. However the last two times we visited the Eternal City it seemed to
have recoverecd. 😀
60. Potatoes, in South Asian cuisine: ALOO. Here's a video
showing how to make perfect Aloo parathas (flatbread stuffed with
spiced potatoes) ...
61. [Theme clue]
64. Pixar protagonist who has one small fin and one large fin:
NEMO. Here's NEMO in case anybody is still looking for
him -- although I'm not sure the clue description exactly fits - by my
count he has 7 fins ...
65. Liechtenstein currency: FRANC. The
Swiss franc
(plural: francs; in German: Frank, plural: Franken) has been the currency of
Liechtenstein since 1920. The Swiss franc is legal tender since Liechtenstein
is in a customs and monetary union with Switzerland.
66. Like Southern California skies during June Gloom: GRAY.
Understanding
localisms for Summer in SOCAL. A CSO to MalMan, NaomiZ,Picard, and
Wendybird -- how's the weather out there?
67. Wax-wrapped cheese: EDAM.
Edam is a semi-hard cheese
that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of
Edam in the province of North Holland. Edam is traditionally sold in
flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or rind, of red
paraffin wax.
Edam Cheese
68. Gets together?: SYNCS.
69. Corridor: HALL. *See the Epilogue for the Concert HALL we visited on our vacation.
Down:
1. Cried like a crow: CAWED.
2. "Five Feet of Fury" pro wrestler Bliss: ALEXA. In 2013, Alexa Bliss (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to their developmental brand Big Show. She made her main roster debut on theBig Show brand in 2016, later becoming a two-time Big Show Women's Champion and the first woman to hold the title twice.
Alexa Bliss In her Glitter Fairy persona
3. Unpaid worker: ROBOT. And they're worth every penny of it. 😀
4. Like some intricate wedding gowns: BEADED. This one can by yours for only $2,350...
Beaded wedding dress
5. Some admins: MODS. MODeratorS? Close enough I
think ...
6. Make a boo-boo: ERR.
7. "Da 5 Bloods" director: LEE. Da 5 Bloods is a 2020
American war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Spike Lee.
The film's plot follows a group of four aging Vietnam War veterans who return
to the country in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader, as well
as the treasure they buried while serving there.
8. __ nova: BOSSA. Here are Astrud Gilberto, João Gilberto, Stan Getz and "The Girl from Ipanema" performing a famous bossa nova ...
9. Stand up for (oneself): ASSERT.
10. "I vote we say no": LETS PASS. [Okay]
11. "Love Sux" singer Lavigne: AVRIL. Think of The Nanny's
Fran Drescher as a blonde pop singer on steroids ... 😀
12. Spoonbill habitat: BAYOU. A CSO to Bayou Tony? Spoonbills are a genus of large, long-legged wading birds.
The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every
continent except Antarctica. The genus name Platalea derives from
Ancient Greek and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of
the bill.
Roseate Spoonbill
13. Colloquialism: SLANG.
18. "My man!": DUDE. An example of 13D.
22. Happy hops: SKIPS.
24. Alien-seeking org.: SETI. Having despaired of finding any terrestrial intelligence, the SETI Institute
("Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence") has trained its eyes on
the skies. The institute was founded in 1984 with astrophysicist Dr. Frank Drake ( (May 28, 1930 – September 2, 2022) as its president. Dr. Drake is probably most famous for this eponymous equation, which estimates that 12,500 intelligent civilizations may currently exist in our galaxy. But to paraphrase physicist Enrico Fermi "Where are they?" -- the following article on the "Fermi Paradox" asserts that we are alone in the universe.
29. LGA alternative: JFK. Not the Ladies Golf
Association, but the
LaGuardia Airport, New York City's other air field.
30. Not prone to infatuation, for short: ARO.
AROmantic.
31. Keep out: BAR.
34. Lend a hand: AID.
35. Splash of color in a water garden: KOI. Below is a picture of the Koi pond in the H.P. Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens
in Baltimore. They have a coin-operated dispenser for food to feed to
the fish. This was a favorite place we used to take our youngest
granddaughter ...
Koi Pond
36. Lodge: INN.
38. Place where things are always breaking?: NEWSROOM. Some of
the news we're getting these days is definitely worth breaking.
39. Forensic anthropologist/writer Reichs who inspired the TV series "Bones":
KATHY. Dr. Kathleen Joan Reichs
(PhD) (née Toelle, born July 7, 1948) is an American crime writer,
forensic anthropologist and academic. She is an adjunct professor of
anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Kathy Reichs
Here's a teaser from the pilot episode of Bones ... 40. Diner staffer: COOK.
41. Game with a spinoff called Dos: UNO. Spanish lesson two:
ONE.
46. Packs: STUFFS.
48. Seasonal worker: TEMP.
49. Santa's transport: SLEIGH.
50. Old Scottish title: THANE. At beginning of Shakespeare's Macbeth there are a total of eight THANES, each a governor of a particular region of Scotland. The Thanes are all noblemen beneath an elected kingship (King Duncan). But then the plot thickens.
51. Was extremely sweet?: RULED. Let's see what the pigeons think
...
56. Window sticker: DECAL. Short for
decalcomania, a decorative technique by which engravings and prints are transferred to
pottery or other materials.
57. __ alcohol: hand sanitizer ingredient: ETHYL. AKA Ethanol.
59. Tolkien brutes: ORCS. The gray meanies ...
ORC
62. Many a shuttle: VAN.
63. Env. insert: ENC.
Cheers, Bill
And as always, thanks to Teri for proof reading and for her constructive criticism. And special thanks to Naomi for filling in for me on the 11th.
waseeley
Epilogue: What We Did on Our Summer Vacation
We began our vacation by visiting our family at Catholic Family Land,
a retreat center about 20 miles West of Steubenville, Ohio. Here we
are, lined up for the annual picture, from left to right: the 4 youngest
grandchildren, Teri and I, the 4 oldest grandchildren, our
daughter-in-law, and our son.
The
next stop was Cleveland, Ohio, about 3 hours NW of Steubenville. Why
Cleveland? Well we'd been there before for our niece's graduation from
Case-Western's Nursing School in 2017 and had a really great time. Also
it is the home of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, which came to prominence under renowned conductor George Szell
from 1946 - 1970 and is ranked as one of the top 3 orchestras in the
US. On the first visit we saw the most incredible performance of Leoš Janáček's fairy tail opera, The Cunning Little Vixen,
augmented with superb digital animation. But alas Severance Hall is
dark during the Summer so we had to look around for other musical
diversions ...
The first was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is basically a 6 story visual and auditory history of Rock and its origins, starting with the legendary guitarist Robert Johnson
who invented the blues, and continuing through hundreds of different
musicians, up to the present time. It winds up in a small theatre with
an immersive 20 minute video of past musicians celebrating their
investitures into the Hall, playing Rock the way it is meant to be
played -- LOUD. Here is Teri out front, recovering from the experience! ...
Teri
Speaking of immersive experiences, we had another one at the Cleveland Museum of Art called Into the Seven Jeweled Mountain inspired
by a 19th-century Korean folding screen. The experience uses digital
imagery overlaid on a room-size image of the screen to create the
illusion that you are ascending the legendary mountain, which has 7
jewels buried somewhere on its slopes. The Seven Jeweled Mountain
actually exists in Northern Korea, but of course the guardians of that
realm are keeping it to themselves. There is much to see in the
Cleveland Museum of Art and it is considered by some to be the second
greatest museum in the US after the Metropolitan in New York. It is
probably worth a visit to Cleveland for that purpose alone.
But we were still in search of music, and we'd done some homework. The Cleveland Symphony has a Summer series called The Blossom Festival where it hosts a series of concerts, both pop and classical.Our researches had found that one of the classical concerts happened to be on July 6th and it featured a musician named Béla Fleck, who had transcribed the piano part to George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue to banjo. If you've not heard of this musician you can just think of him as the Jascha Heifetz of the banjo ...
Béla Fleck
Conductor Brett Mitchell opened his introduction to the Rhapsody
with the words "I knew this was going to work out when I did the NY
Times crossword puzzle yesterday and it had the entry: 'Banjo player
Béla: FLECK'"! Somehow we'd managed to get front row seats and the whole concert was amazing! Here's a review. Here's Fleck's original recording conducted by Eric Jacobsen with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (may not work if your browser has ad blockers enabled - if so it is worth buying on Amazon).
And finally it seems that Béla has some fans on the Corner -- see if you recognize this one from 50 years ago ...
We would definitely recommend a visit to Cleveland anytime, but it's good to be back home!
Theme: NO SPOONERISMS! Pay attention to your initial consonants. Patience - it will all make sense sometime soon.
17 A. Part of a cross-examination: POINTED QUESTION. A pointed question goes to the heart of the matter, and is usually direct, only requiring a simple answer. Ironically, it could be part of a blunt conversation.
29 A. High school honor that may come with a tiara: PROM QUEEN. A girl who is chosen to have a special title and position at a formal party held for older high school students at the end of the school year.
46 A. Highlighted excerpt in an article: PULL QUOTE. A key phrase, quotation, or excerpt that has been pulled from an article and used as a page layout graphic element, serving to entice readers into the article or to highlight a key topic.
58 A. "Behave!," and an apt title for this puzzle: MIND YOUR PS AND QS. Mind your Ps and Qs is an English language expression meaning "mind your manners", "mind your language", "be on your best behavior", or "watch what you're doing". Despite the similarity in appearance of lower case p and q, the origin of phrase is unrelated to that fact, and remains unknown. It looks like the sense of this theme comes from the P and Q as initial letters of each 2-word theme entry. Seems a bit thin for a theme, but overall, this is good puzzle. It's well constructed, and I like the grid spanners.
Hi gang, JazzBumpa here to cautiously lead the way through today's offering. Let's proceed, but watch your steps.
Across:
1. Mazda two-seater: MIATA. Cute car since 1989.
6. Nerve centers: HUBS. The effective center of an activity or network.
10. A bit open: AJAR. Slightly agape. When is a door not a door?
14. "What a bummer!": AW MAN. Expression of sadness, disappointment or dismay.
15. Soon, quaintly: ANON. From Old English on ān ‘into one’, on āne ‘in one’. The original sense was ‘in or into one state, course, etc.’, which developed into the temporal sense ‘at once’.
16. Small bay: COVE.
20. French 10: DIX. Pronounced "deece," because - French
21. Salt Lake City college athletes: UTES. Named for an indigenous people originally ranging through Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico
22. Female sheep: EWE. Lamb's mom.
23. Mint family herb: SAGE. Salvia officinalis, the common sage or sage, is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region, though it has been naturalized in many places throughout the world.
26. Earlier than: PRIOR TO. One thing leads to another.
31. Pa. neighbor: W. VA. Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
34. Having five sharps, on a score: IN B. B Major that is. Also could be G# minor. It's all relative.
35. One of a kind: UNIT. Only maybe. It's an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete but which can also form an individual component of a larger or more complex whole.
36. Nobleman's address: MI LORD. Common folk speech from medieval times. This usage vs MY LORD was a minor plot point in a Game of Thrones episode.
39. Adjust, as wheels: REALIGN. Change or restore to a different or former position or state - in this case, the correct position..
41. __ non grata: PERSONA. An unacceptable or unwelcome person.
42. Flee: ESCAPE. Run away from a person, place or situation.
A flea and a fly in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, "let us flee!"
"Let us fly!" said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
-- Ogden Nash
43. Verdi opera set in Egypt: AIDA. A tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt. The Egyptians have captured and enslaved Aida, an Ethiopian princess. An Egyptian military commander, Radamès, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the King of Egypt. To complicate the story further, the King's daughter Amneris is in love with Radamès, although he does not return her feelings.
44. Hibernation spot: DEN. For bears.
45. Tackle the slopes: SKI. Slide down a snow covered hill on a couple of slats.
48. WNBA official: REFEREE. A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
51. Spoils: ROTS. Deteriorates over time.
52. Place for the Torah: ARK. The Ark of the Covenant is said to be the container used to carry the Ten Commandments brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses. Covenant refers to the agreement made between the Israelites—another name for the early Jewish people—and God.
55. Stella __ cookies: D'ORO. Stella D'oro is an American brand of cookies and breadsticks owned by Snyder's-Lance. Stella D'oro means "star of gold" in Italian, and the cookies are inspired by Italian baking. Its products include breadsticks, Swiss Fudge and other cookies, biscotti, and their S-shaped breakfast treats.
56. Pro vote: YEA. All in favor say it.
64. "Got it": I SEE. Expression of understanding or agreement.
65. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT. The Law School Admission Test is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.
66. Give a quick review: SUM UP. Give a brief summary of something.
67. Moist: DEWY. Slightly wet; damp or humid.
68. "Sisters" Emmy winner Ward: SELA. Sela Ann Ward (born July 11, 1956) is an American actress. Her breakthrough TV role was as Teddy Reed in the NBC drama series Sisters (1991–1996), for which she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1994. She received her second Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for the leading role of Lily Manning in the ABC drama series Once and Again (1999–2002).
69. Writing class writing assignment: ESSAY. A short piece of writing on a particular subject.
Down:
1. Waze display: MAP. Waze Mobile Ltd, doing business as Waze, formerly FreeMap Israel, is a subsidiary company of Google that provides satellite navigation software on smartphones and other computers that support the Global Positioning System.
2. __ Jima: IWO. The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the purpose of capturing the island with its two airfields: South Field and Central Field.
3. French buddy: AMI. Friend.
4. Cannondale two-seater: TANDEM. A bicycle built for 2 that is no longer being built.
5. Not voting 56-Across: ANTI. Voting against a proposition.
8. Pitcher Jim who wrote the 1970 memoir "Ball Four": BOUTON. James Alan Bouton (1939 – 2019) was an American professional baseball player. Bouton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was also a best-selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew - a brand of bubble gum made to resemble chewing tobacco.
9. Show scorn: SNEER. A facial expression showing scorn or contempt.
10. Put on a show: ACT. Behave in a particular way.
11. __ de vivre: JOIE. A French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit, and general happiness.
12. Affirm: AVOW. Assert or confess openly, aver.
13. Painter Magritte: RENE. René François Ghislain Magritte [1898- 1967] was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and boundaries of reality and representation. His imagery has influenced pop art, minimalist art, and conceptual art.
18. Strike, as from a formal record: EXPUNGE. Erase or remove completely something unwanted or unpleasant.
19. Retired fast jet, briefly: SST. A supersonic transport (SST) or a supersonic airliner is a civilian supersonic aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. To date, the only SSTs to see regular service have been Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144. The last passenger flight of the Tu-144 was in June 1978 and it was last flown in 1999 by NASA. Concorde's last commercial flight was in October 2003, with a November 26, 2003 ferry flight being its last airborne operation. Following the permanent cessation of flying by Concorde, there are no remaining SSTs in commercial service.
23. Steeple topper: SPIRE. A tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, typically a church tower.
24. James of "Gunsmoke": ARNESS. James Arness [1923 - 2011] was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke
25. Turn around: GO BACK. Return to something, retrace one's steps.
27. Bridle strap: REIN. A strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal.
28. Hooting birds: OWLS. Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight.
30. Witty remark: QUIP. A witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment
32. Louisiana religion with African roots: VOODOO. A religion practiced in parts of the Caribbean (especially Haiti) and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession.
33. Will who voices Lego Batman: ARNETT. William Emerson Arnett [b. 1970] is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. In television, Arnett played Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix series Arrested Development and the titular character in the Netflix series BoJack Horseman.
36. Musical mixtures: MEDLEYS. In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumentals.
37. Basra's country: IRAQ. Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia and in the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. With a population of over 46 million, it is the 33rd-most populous country. It is a federal parliamentary republic that consists of 18 governorates. Basra is a city in southern Iraq. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind only Baghdad and Mosul.
38. "Fleishman Is in Trouble" actress Claire: DANES. Claire Catherine Danes [b. 1979] is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
40. Hibernation spot: LAIR. Look - a clecko! A place where a wild animal, especially a fierce or dangerous one, lives.
41. Heap: PILE. A disorganized stack of things.
43. Like the northern lights: AURORAL. Pertaining to the northern or southern lights.
46. Read carefully: PERUSE. Or alternatively, to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner. This word is a contranym, i.e. its own antonym.
47. Seventh planet from the sun: URANUS. Uranus is one of two ice giants in the outer solar system (the other is Neptune). Most (80% or more) of the planet's mass is made up of a hot dense fluid of "icy" materials – water, methane, and ammonia – above a small rocky core. Near the core, it heats up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit (4,982 degrees Celsius). It is also the butt of some astronomical jokes.
49. Big name in ice cream: EDY. Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. ("Dreyer's"), is an American ice cream company, founded in 1928 in Oakland, California. The company's two signature brands, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Edy's Grand Ice Cream, are named after its founders, William Dreyer and Joseph Edy. The Dreyer's brand is sold in the Western United States and Texas, while the Edy's brand is sold in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.
50. April __ Day: FOOL'S. April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved with these pranks, which may be revealed as such the following day. The custom of setting aside a day for playing harmless pranks upon one's neighbor has been relatively common in the world historically.
52. Surrounded by: AMID. In the middle of, among.
53. Set's opposite: RISE. Referring to the extremes of the sun's apparent motion across the sky from horizon to horizon as the earth rotates on its axis.
54. Was aware of: KNEW. As defined
57. Loosen (up): EASE. Reduce the seriousness, severity or intensity of something.
59. Susan of "L.A. Law": DEY. Susan Hallock Dey [b 1952] is a retired American actress, known for her television roles as Laurie Partridge on the sitcom The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974, and as Grace Van Owen on the drama series L.A. Law from 1986 to 1992.
60. School support org.: PTA. Parent Teacher Association, a school-based organization with a mission to make the school a better place for children to learn. Parents of students work together with teachers to volunteer in classes, raise money for school supplies, and generally support the school's efforts.
61. Private chats on soc. media: DMs. “Direct Message.” A DM is a private mode of communication between social media users. When you send a direct message, only you and the recipient can see the content.
62. Sine __ non: QUA. Sine qua non can be translated literally as "Without which, not." Though this may sound like gibberish, it means more or less "Without (something), (something else) won't be possible." Sine qua non sounds slightly literary, and it shouldn't be used just anywhere.
63. Asset in a covert op: SPY. A person who secretly collects and reports information on the activities, movements, and plans of an enemy or competitor.
And so, we carefully reach the end of another Wednesday's probably quite nice adventure. Hope you didn't stumble. Extra credit for anyone who recognized Herwig's "Watch Your Steps" as a contrafact of Coltrane's "Giant Steps."
After last Saturday's cake walk, the karma fairy got me today as obscure names abounded. While the NW corner appears fun looking back, it caused had some real difficulty for me.
