The comment system really seems to be screwed up. A number of my "replies" and my stand-alone comment all appear as replies to a single comment. Also, the system wasn't allowing additional comments for extended periods.
The puzzle was very nice and fun. I loved the puns.
How nice to have a Bee where I could sit down and get to "genius" without any trouble. But once I got there, I felt I couldn't think of more words, so I'll be interested in seeing what I missed.
One final browse through today’s comments made me want to run away in despair. The comments are in a state of severe EMU-TATION.
It’s been reported, thanks.
The above comment was a result of browsing the comments on the iPhone app, where there are endless repetitions of certain comments and threads. Thankfully the NYT website is much more orderly, but the app is really quite chaotic.
The NYT website is a disaster, Andrew; I can't imagine what it looks like on the app!
I'm begging y'all's pardon.
It seems that each time I opened a comment box to reply to someone, the same comment box came up with whatever I wrote previously wrote previously, but it also looks as if all the replies are showing only on eljay's thread.
It does feel rather like Groundhog Day
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This is an original comment:
I forgot to mention in my C-i-C (if it posted), that I loved the photo with today's column.
When I was 18-19 years old, I worked as a telephone operator on the midnight-to-8 shift at an answering/message service, so had to give a lot of wake-up calls to our clients. We used a clock very much like the one pictured to alert us to the calls we were supposed to make (with an accompanying thing with time-marked slots where we kept the slilps telling us which clients were to be called when).
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Since I retired, the alarm clock has been sitting there, gathering dust, and reminding me every day that I don't have to set it at all.
And yet, my body--my bladder, mostly--tells me to get up around 6 a.m. anyway!
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This is supposed to be my C-i-C, and as such is intended to appear as an original comment, not a reply to any other place where it might show up.
I tried a workaround involving the "cancel" button, but I don't know yet if it worked. I failed to send in my complaints last night, but I promise I will do so tonight.
Loved the puzzle, despite problems.
Almost a double Natick at the crossing of 22D and 21 and 26A. I thought the shoe might be AZIA and didn't know the HOFer. Onjly getting off London Transit gave me OVUM and saved that sector.
SW was worse. I had OLE instead of OYE, which really made a mess of HOT YOGA, which I've never heard of. (And hope I never do again.) Sounds vile. Misread the clue for SOL and entered HEL. Didn't know SEGER, at least as clued, and didn't remember HOBART until I saw it. That mess took a while to get untangled.
Wonderful puzzle. Agree with Jeff Chen about the POW!
Now to see if this, or anything else I may have said, made it into print!
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Very nice Wednesday puzzle.
I’m well acquainted with the SNOOZE BUTTON since I retired. I’ll set the alarm for an early hour, then press SNOOZE a few times. It’s amazing how quickly I’ll drop back to sleep when I know I only have 9 minutes. It’s kind of a game now. SNOOZE does KILL the BUZZ, SILENCE the RADIO, and turn all the SOUND OFF. So clever Mr. Hawkins!
Had Atlanta before GEORGIA. Happily remembered Wade BOGGS, and loved the STEELERs, especially when Terry Bradshaw was QB. Used to see Victor BORGE on Ed Sullivan-type shows in black and white of course.
Love Bob SEGER. Great music.
Don’t understand the problems with the comments/replies, it seemed totally out of control today with crazy repetitions.
AND as an iPhone user for my puzzle, I’m very jealous of the spelling bee players because the system won’t let me in using my phone.
Gotta BOUNCE before I’m GHOSTED ;)
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Since I retired, the alarm clock has been sitting there, gathering dust, and reminding me every day that I don't have to set it at all.
And yet, my body--my bladder, mostly--tells me to get up around 6 a.m. anyway!
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Just Carol, try Googling "NYT spelling bee" on your iPhone. I can now do the spelling bee on the iPhone, even though my app doesn't allow me to. I believe that the link is:
https://www.nytimes.com/puzzles/spelling-bee
However, I know how impossible it is to follow links on the iPhone, so try Google.
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Thanks Andrew!
Fun, typical Wednesday-level puzzle. Liked the theme entries and the revealer (esp. all the Z's!), even though, being retired, I have little use for 49A these days. Being somewhat 28D, got TRICHIA, BORGE, SEGER, and SULU right away.
A few unknowns, e.g., GHOSTED (Like suejean, I also flinch when seeing the phrase "in modern lingo!"), OPAL, HOBART, and GOB (clue not listed in M-W, btw), but got them through the crosses (as usual).
Welcome back so soon HERS and TOOL!
GOB is indeed listed in M-W online in the second definition as
a large amount —usually used in plural gobs of money
The clue--great deal--is materially the same concept.
Thanks, Steve. I guess I didn't interpret "deal" in the intended way.
and Elke
Want to add our good wishes to Martin/Elaine on their trip ,via 101, to Seattle. It's our favourite route, both heading north and south (when speed does not mandate I-5).
Enjoy especially Yachats,Oregon and its Devil's Churn. Marvel at the huge beaches and dunes and keep an eye out for migrating whales.
And a note of caution, when north of the Columbia bridge , in Washington state, there is sometimes an eager trooper with a radargun and a notebook. We think of the result as our contribution to the state's road maintenance budget.....
It's a wonderful, scenic drive. Earlier in the season, the wild rhododendros add to the beauty.
Be safe and give a trip report, with reccos for fish restaurants, please.
As a millennial GHOSTED at 1A made me expect 14A to be HOT TAKE, as both are common phrases among people my age and younger. Consequently NW corner was the last to go for me.
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Interesting dichotomy today. 18A and 41D both involve an abbreviation in the fill, however only 41D is keyed with a period.
Whereas ST is a common abbreviation of SAINT, it appears that the city's actual name is ST. LOUIS, as that is what appears on the city seal.
I noticed that too.
MOL--MILT and TILTH aren't words I would have recognized.
Just think of the object of the game as being to guess all the words on a list of fairly common words. Otherwise, eventually an OOLITH or an AHCHOO (that strange spelling kept me from QB yesterday; I had the "normal spelling" already) will keep you out next time.
I'm also at 37 and 115 today and I'm looking for that last one. When I was at 34, I put it down and came back to see three rhyming sixers immediately, which put me at my current number. I can't see that last word for the life of me. I fear it will be something ridiculous again, and yet, Wen got there today, so it's possible.
I keep seeing the same common surnames in six letters that of course don't count: HILTON, TILTON, MILTON, TINTON, HINTON, LINTON...
Lots of fun entries today. I enjoyed the theme, in part because the snooze button is a regular part of my morning routine.
"Bounce" for leave was new to me.
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Anybody else guess DEUS instead of ZEUS? Also fell for the Atlantan/Georgia trap.
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Hesiod kept me with the Greek god. Any friend of Homer's (not the toon) is a friend of mine.
(Hope this ends up in the correct thread this time.)
Slow start though I got there in the end. Lots that I didn't know but solving the clues from my era gave me a foothold. I marvel at the misdirection of clues: TENOR with no musical angle, and the wonderful WORD LENGTH.
Off to another hot day in the Hudson Valley.
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We're heading off for Seattle via the coast route and returning via an inland route, to include Portland and who knows where else.
I've been working around the clock for a week to get a project done before we leave, so I haven't visited this fine group in a while. I trust everyone was well behaved. Except, of course, the commenting system, which must have had another bug or two introduced.
But Road Trip!
I'll check in as connectivity allows. Enjoy the summer.
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Have a great trip!
Have a great trip Martin. Are you catching Bend Oregon by chance? Don’t miss it if you are a beer drinker, Crux Fermentation Project especially.
Comments only have features, not bugs! We are working on workarounds.
Something wrong with the comments? Well, I'd asked you about 20 minutes ago to give my regards to Puget Sound, and I'm sure the post will show up -- here or on some other thread -- before you leave. Have a good time, Martin.
Hmm. Nobody has mentioned RADIO SILENCE, which leads me to believe that everyone knows what it is, and makes me feel extra ignorant for not ever coming across this phrase. I see, after research, that it can be used literally and figuratively. Well, now I know! I did love the theme of this puzzle; it was a bit out of the box in a very nice way.
I do know that there is nothing meditative about a lot of HOT YOGA, where, in many classes you are being shouted at by what sounds like a drill sergeant. There is some meditative hot yoga out there, however. If you've never done hot yoga and you try it, you will either love it or hate it -- polar reactions to this style of yoga are pretty universal.
How about a new euphemisms for someone's passing? -- "Pushed the snooze button".
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I don't know about that euphemism - snooze is sleep is something you wake from. Of course, death is often referred to as eternal sleep in verse, so maybe it can work.
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I see that you are a believer in the afterlife, Lewis!
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I enjoyed the crossword, but that was yesterday.
For the record, I reached GENIUS level on the SPELLING BEE with 12 words (including 2 pangrams) and 87 points, suggesting a total of 87*100/70 or around 125 points needed for QUEEN BEE. And there's still 3 hours before the Engand-Crotia game....
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Oooh am intrigued, NC! I needed 32 words and 85 points to get genius today--probably because most of my words were 4 letters. Will buzz on back there and try for a second pangram.
Puzzle was clever and fun as always early in the week. Not that it isn't clever and fun later in the week--it is of course-- but requires additional sweat.
Nice, If you click on your score, you will see all of the required scores for each level. Today Genius is 85, so that would make Queen Bee 121.
I am presently at 101 points with two pangrams. I have only reached Queen Bee once, and am usually quite content with Genius. Good luck!
I've reached QB today (only done it a couple of times before and also having failed to genius a couple of times before as well). I can report it's 38 words, 121 points total.
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This had everything to like in a Wednesday puzzle: lots of meaty entries, a good mix of old and new, and sparkling clues. Like Deb, I thought 30D was the cat's pajamas. Also liked BUZZKILL, HOT YOGA, EMU, and ZEUS (although RiA was right about the awkward wording). Very well done, Mr. Hawkins.
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30 Rock's Tracy Jordan used BOUNCE in that way at least once
Last letter was the E from KLEE and BORGE since I'm not familiar with either.
I had my doubts on the SW corner. Once I had SNOOZE BUTTON, HOT YOGA, STEELER, and RED, I figured something *had* to be wrong because what 6-letter entry could end with SHSR?
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Another smooth solve, pretty much top to bottom. I think I had to skip ahead on a section of the east side and work my way back up a bit, but that was the only slowdown.
Nice enough theme and I thought the theme answers themselves were very good. Some of the non-theme answers were a nice bonus.
I have re-read the clue for 'ZEUS' multiple times and still can not entirely parse it.
I suspect that Barry had the same mental response as I did to SOUNDOFF.
Did some more experimenting on 'replies' this morning. I think I can pretty much confirm that 3 replies directly to an original comment is the maximum; the next one will replace one of those. Replies to replies are a different matter. I will try sending what I've found to the e-mail that Deb supplied yesterday. And then say three Hail Mary's and an Our Father. One or the other might work.
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...bring it on down now...
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Barry's "Bring it on down now" (first reply?) and soundoff, a basic training thing?
Call and response for marching in formation, Elaine. I only did that in Basic; others' mileage may vary.
(Fall out)
Loved how this theme snuck up on me. Talk about an aha moment. This delightful puzzle was anything but a SNOOZE!
It did make me wonder how many people still use a clock radio, though, what with our phone alarms. Just wondering, this is not a negative thought.
Thank you, Michael Hawkins, for this most entertaining and well put together puzzle!
Gotta BOUNCE!
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GHOSTED, BOUNCE, PEC, GOIN', it's all pretty informal/slangy. Could've added TOOL, UNICORN, TOTES (as in adorbs) into the mix. Debbie Downer of course. And BUSH SR could've been clued as "Dubya's dad."
Had KWH before BTU.
As a habit I listen to NPR in the morning. Every time I hear someone LASH OUT at the fake media or a world leader on Twitter or LIED or other ANTICs, I wish for the SOUND OFF to go RADIO SILENCE. But it is the TENOR that has been set. The end of 2 1/2 more years can't come SOON enough.
Ok, gotta BOUNCE. As the saying goes - "I OWE, I OWE, so it's off to work I go"
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Another cute theme that I didn't see coming. One of the perks of retirement is not needing to set the alarm as often. I found this a bit easier that yesterday, knew most of the proper names. My last fill was 1A. I didn't know GNC, and as always groan when I see the words "in modern lingo". Lots in my era though, so mustn't grumble as we say here in England.
Back to Wimbledon.
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Dear Friends of WP Nation, this 56 second clip will brief everyone on today's marching orders. Disclaimer: for humor's sake only; no presumptuous assumptions are intended or implied.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2lnd0Jf9y0
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Any puzzle that includes Bob SEGER is fine with me. Still like that old-time rock and roll.
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Archy, "Even Now" Bob's ART strikes a wonderful chord.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03EML7NcCgE
Unlike me, Rock n' Roll never forgets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ_kYEDZVno
..
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That kind of music just soothes my soul.
I am not one to LASH OUT or SOUND OFF so I hope the TENOR my thoughts here are not misinterpreted...Natch! 'Tis only fitting that the clue that threw me the most would adorn the blog with a headline. I'm thinking Luchow's, Delmonicos, Tavern on the Green. I was not focused for the longest time. Again, that headline? Chalk up another one to cosmic, crucuverbal, karma...The late Les Paul, pioneering guitar man, covers "Sleepwalk" on his 'log.' The 1959 #1 chartbuster from Brooklyn brothers Santo and Johnny Farina still inspires almost 60 years on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2lnd0Jf9y0
TA-TAS All,
Bru
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Ahhh....Luchow's. That was on 14th St just east of Union Square Park. The site is now a NYU dorm building.
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As is Luchow's former neighbor, the Palladium, formerly the Academy of Music. And Zeckendorf Towers (apartment building) was S. Klein ("on the square"). And the former location of Union Square Cafe was Brownie's health foods. And Coffee Shop was actually a coffee shop. But no, I don't remember streetcars there.
You'd have to be a centenarian for those street cars.
USC on E 16th was Danny Meyer's first restaurant and when he put Mike Romano in as chef the place really took off. During one of the several wine tasting dinners they planned each year they put a charcoal grill outside at the curb and roasted a whole goat over it.
The ethnic basis for the Coffee Shop (it still serves coffee....) is currently Brazilian.
A reply to Jim, who didn't like the use of SPOOK in the puzzle:
Let's also stop saying "spic and span," "a chink in his armor," "guinea pig," and "coonskin hat." Housewives, medievalists, pet lovers and Davy Crockett will manage just fine without them.
Hardly anyone associates SPOOK with a racial slur these days. Racists will keep coming up with disparaging terms for people who are different from them until the end of time. Let's not give them the upper hand.
And "Afro" is what the hairstyle is called, like it or not. It's not in fashion the way it once was, but there's no other name for it. So why retire it? Maybe it's you, Jim, who is uncomfortable with black people?
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My best Wednesday time. I loved 15A!!! But 35D .... well, let’s just say that felt forced.
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What?
What "comment in progress" warning?
Say what? I was fine till the explanations started showing up.
........................
Not sure why the above appeared when I opened a box to reply to eljay. Thought I'd submitted that hours ago to one of those BarryA/Elaine State of the Blog addresses.
Couldn't just 'recommend' what eljay said about GOB, but it also struck me as a Wednesday clue dressing up as a Friday. Maybe the difficulty with making recos stick is a ploy to encourage more replies.
Anyway, I'm more in tune with 'A little tar' being a clue for GOBLET
I don't know, but it has to be somewhat stressful being married to Lucrezia
[I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck in a rerun of "Groundhog Day"]
.......................
What?
What "comment in progress" warning?
Say what? I was fine till the explanations started showing up.
........................
Not sure why the above appeared when I opened a box to reply to eljay. Thought I'd submitted that hours ago to one of those BarryA/Elaine State of the Blog addresses.
Couldn't just 'recommend' what eljay said about GOB, but it also struck me as a Wednesday clue dressing up as a Friday. Maybe the difficulty with making recos stick is a ploy to encourage more replies.
Anyway, I'm more in tune with 'A little tar' being a clue for GOBLET
I'm not sure, , but I'd guess that it has to be somewhat stressful being married to Lucrezia.
[I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck in a rerun of "Groundhog Day"]
.......................
What?
What "comment in progress" warning?
Say what? I was fine till the explanations started showing up.
........................
Not sure why the above appeared when I opened a box to reply to eljay. Thought I'd submitted that hours ago to one of those BarryA/Elaine State of the Blog addresses.
Couldn't just 'recommend' what eljay said about GOB, but it also struck me as a Wednesday clue dressing up as a Friday. Maybe the difficulty with making recos stick is a ploy to encourage more replies.
Anyway, I'm more in tune with 'A little tar' being a clue for GOBLET
I'm so happy! This was my first Wed. solve without a lookup. Now on to Thursday. I'm learning.
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I don’t care that’s care that 25 across is an old term for a spy. It’s also a old time racial slur that is still used today. You didn’t need to use that word for the clue. THere were plenty of others. You should really know better. And while you’re at it can we please retire “Afro” and all the ridiculous descriptions relared to one’s hair.
Let's also stop saying "spic and span," "a chink in his armor," "guinea pig," and "coonskin hat." Housewives, medievalists, pet lovers and Davy Crockett will manage just fine without them.
Hardly anyone associates SPOOK with a racial slur these days. Racists will keep coming up with disparaging terms for people who are different from them until the end of time. Let's not give them the upper hand.
And "Afro" is what the hairstyle is called, like it or not. It's not in fashion the way it once was, but there's no other name for it. So why retire it? Maybe it's you, Jim, who is uncomfortable with black people?
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Eye of the beholder, Jim. Never occurred to me.
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Liked it ... picking up slang as I went along.
FWIW ... solve time was 2 secs less than Monday
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In 1967 Victor Borge was involved in a really big income case that he lost in Tax Court. He owned a poultry company here that was losing money. For four years he tried to hide the income he earned as an entertainer by offsetting it against the losses from the poultry company. The public may have loved him but Uncle
Sam was not impressed. They forced him to pay up.
Ah, the good old days. Today, pulling a stunt like that, he'd be a respected business person, a member of Congress or pf a state legislature, a governor, or even President.
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I remember this because it happened shortly after we had seen Victor Borge (and Leonid Hambro) at a theatre on Cape Cod.
But not in TRURO, I'm sure.
Bounced is unknown to me. The entry that held me up the longest time, however, was ghosted. It's true I've heard or read it but until now it was yet to be firmly ENTRENCHED.
I also had a bit, but not much, of trouble with snooze button. I remember the first one, and what they have been forever until this puzzle, which is and was SNOOZEALARM. But Deb is just a kid so she can call it what she wants.
And for all you techies from a distance this just popped up on my screen, or at least all but its beginning, but it may indicate that I just posted rather than any indication of what might be wrong with the coding here.
&cmd=PostComment&method=post timed out
I originally entered SNOOZEALARM as well, but it didn't fit. SNOOZEBUTTON is not some new term. The clue is 100% acceptable in my opinion. A late sleeper will hear the ALARM but will use the BUTTON to use it--especially for those who use it several times.
Also, "just a kid?"
1. We tend to get ironic here, Michael (We all know that BUTTON is 100% acceptable).
2. Deb recently expressed delight at being called a youngster (and I doubt she'd mind "Here's looking at you, kid.").
It's all good. As soon as I hit submit I tried to delete it. I had not yet had my morning coffee. Also, just went through sensitivity training (regular training, not the result of any particular incident), so was a little more hypervigilant than usual.
I am not always so good at picking up on sarcasm or irony, but that will improve as I get to know the people here.
Bounced is unknown to me. The entry that held me up the longest time, however, was ghosted. It's true I've heard or read it but until now it was yet to be firmly ENTRENCHED.
I also had a bit, but not much, of trouble with snooze button. I remember the first one, and what they have been forever until this puzzle, which is and was SNOOZEALARM. But Deb is just a kid so she can call it what she wants.
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I’d say that a SNOOZE ALARM is a clock with the feature activated by the SNOOZE BUTTON. It’s typically a BUTTON with the word SNOOZE printed on it.
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Perhaps Deb needs to add a "Hi Geezers" section to her column? Luckily, I was solving with my teen daughter, who looked at 1A and immediately said GHOSTED. And while I know BOUNCE as to eject from a premises, I'm not familiar with the word for voluntary departures. And, of course, SNOOZE alarm before BUTTON.
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I just love how the comment system just posted my independent comment as a reply. I had posted a reply (the first one), then as I was posting the other comment it kept showing up as a reply, and then gave me a warning about it not posting because I'd just made a comment. But it showed up anyway! Arghhh!
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I think this happens when you have a previous post pending approval and you submit another one.
I think this may happen when you have a comment awaiting approval and you post another comment.
Posts used to disappear from the "reply" box after submission; today they're not, so if you're not careful, you'll unwittingly resubmit.
Easy for a Wednesday. Never heard BOUNCE used that way, but hey, whatever. Seeing RADIOSILENCE reminded me of the dreaded moments in the broadcasting booth when you realize there's Dead Air. BUZZKILL for sure.
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At the college radio station I worked at, such an event would trigger the SILENCE ALARM, which might sound like the opposite of a SNOOZE ALARM, but was actually much more effective at waking you up.
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The Six for dinner clue was brilliant, and more than worthy to get blog title billing tonight.
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Agreed.
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It should be noted that W.’s father is not a “Sr.”
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Perhaps not, but in general we call him Sr. If you search for "BUSH SR", his picture shows up. Informally, that's what we call him now.
1
Though he was often referred to that way.
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I have to concur with Deb's assessment of the clue for 30D - I had to get through most of the crossings before the answer clicked. For the rest of the puzzle I felt it was more like a Tuesday, as I finished it in about half of my Wed. average. Nice theme.
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According to the blog, 30D was the Debbie Downer.
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I see what you did there. :)
I'm missing something here?
Deb...Debbie?
I was confused by 15A until I realized “ride” was a noun this time. Cute theme. My only false step was ATLANTA where GEORGIA was required.
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Also had Atlanta. East was not falling so I had to think about the seven letter name for the GWTW plantation. Whoops, not it. Then I put in GEORGIA.
good puzzle. pretty quick. Wade BOGGS reminded me of the Yankees' World Series win when he rode around Yankee Stadium on a policemen's horse!
Did not know Boggs but got it with the clever clue for 22D.
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ATLANTA (Hi, Rich) before GEORGIA; otherwise this was nice and straightforward. I loved BUZZKILL. Also STARGAZING. I'm glad Mr. Hawkins' conference was productive, if possibly not in the way it was intended!
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My all time favorite clue is from an eon ago: "City of great recall (7 letters)... Detroit.
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