WOW!!! A Monday puzzle that is actually a Monday puzzle and not an exercise in author ego!!!!!!!!
Am I the only RN out here that hates the 60D Hospital VIPs …. DRS?!! So dated!
1
What’s with the “a sire call” instead of “a sure call”? 36 Across
@Judith Bassoul I think you read it as ‘as i recall’ :)
Why is the blog dated April 14?
@Susan - The puzzle, and the blog for it, are both released on the day before the printing date. The blog is always dated ahead of the print date.
Puzzles go online at 10pm eastern Mon-Fri and 6pm eastern Sat-Sun, and the blog goes up (when there are no glitches) at the same time.
@David Connell
Oh, I never noticed that. Thanks!
@Susan - you're very welcome - from another Philadelphian!
I had a similar experience to @panthergirl, who is receiving some passive-aggressive criticism for finding the puzzle too easy. I worked with both across and down clues, but after I finished, I counted *16* clues I didn't even glance at as I blazed through this puzzle.
Upon further review, I think I may have gotten GANGES RIVER entirely from the crosses, simply because I happened to be working the downs at that point. *17*
When I got to $ $ $ in 60A, I thought that the IRS reveal might appear there, but then I took a second to count that there were only five sets of bubbles, and because 3P2 = 6, I knew that the sixth permutation would have to be the 3-letter reveal. BECAUSE MATH, PEOPLE.
1
Is this Professor Donaldson?!?!
Nice job, Sam!
Phil Hayes
2
@Philip Hayes It is. Thanks!
2
Just 30 sec. off my personal best! Blazed through the top half, but slowed a tad in the bottom. (LBO?) Only error was "nil" before ZIP.
This was an impressive feat of the constructors. The thought of coming up with five *symmetrical* entries containing permutations of the triplet IRS boggles the mind. Good job, Mr. Blindauer and Mr. Donaldson!
1
After watching the devastation of Norte Dame, this puzzle-lite was just the thing.
Heads of the Pacific, indeed.
:-)
2
Loved this multi-themed puzzle that flowed like a river and made the time zip by like an Aggassi forehand.
5
I just turned on my TV to learn that Notre Dame is on fire. The fire is apparently out of control, and that major spire has already collapsed into the cathedral itself. The newscaster just said that the ceiling has in fact caved in, and the fire is still spreading.
This is such a terrible catastrophe, on so many levels.
5
It was built in the 1100s, and they had begun major renovations on account of significant structural compromise. Now they're talking about complete destruction.
There are no words.
1
@Deadline Can't recommend, because it is so awful.
2
@Deadline,
Crushing. So sad.
1
Where in the world is East Erisland?!
; )
6
In the Aegean Sea, i believe.
1
I smiled as the circled letters emerged, and loved thinking of Norma Rae or Roberta Flack's ideas about paying taxes.
All in all, it's a great Monday puzzle. Thank you, Patrick Blindauer and Samuel A. Donaldson for a wonderful time solving their puzzle.
2
Thanks to Caitlin for linking the NG video about "walking" the stone heads. I saw this or a similar program on PBS a while back and found it fascinating. These researchers wanted to test a conjecture that the heads had been walked upright using two support ropes by seeing if they could do the same. Turns out, they couldn't: it took exactly *three* ropes. Ropes on the side are pulled alternately to get the stone to waddle forward while the one in the middle keeps the stone from falling over forwards onto its face.
Really pretty cool!
:-c)€
2
A new best time for Monday, although I recently started olving on the phone app instead of the website, which I find makes my times better.
1
It wouldn't be a Monday if I didn't have a nitpick. 13D The name of the country in English is Belarus. In Russian it was Belorossiya when it was an SSR. The SSR Belorossiya ceased to exist in 1990.
Dillon,
There are numerous cites of "Byelorussia" as one of the English names of the country. Here's one:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/byelorussia
1
@Dillon - you've rather made the point against what you wrote.
The clue says Byelorussia, e.g. Byelorussia is the English name of the SSR that no longer exists. Byelorussia is the name of a former SSR - that is, it is still the name of an SSR.
Belarus is not an SSR; Белоруссия is not something to enter in an American crossord puzzle.
Capital of Yugoslavia. Prussian port city. There's nothing that says historical facts are outlawed.
2
@David Connell I’ve never seen it spelled that way. Only as- Belorussia. Not sure why it’s trying so hard to reflect the pronunciation of the Russian soft letter sound, usually the standard isn’t that high. Like we don’t spell Lenin as Lyenin or Putin as Putyin
2
In ARREARS? No, nay, never!...I hate taxes! DOLLAR SIGNS today? Yikes!...Andy Warhol painted a pair of Farrah Fawcett portraits ca 1980. A news report of Ryan O’Neil asking $$$18,000,000 for one of them from his collection appeared in the news this past week-end...This song sums up the general mood of the day, “1040 Blues” by Robert Cray.”
https://youtu.be/6zsKD22Lin4
Deductively,
Bru
2
Will he take less than $36 million if you buy both, or does he only own one of them?
I think my daughter is still sorry I didn't hold on to her Farrah Fawcett pillow after she finished college, but I suspect the value there was a different order of magnitude.
1
When I can finish the puzzle using only the across clues it's just too easy. Blargh.
3
...for you.
10
Reminds me of Señor Wences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfgj0YtVfdg
@panthergirl
You must be very good, then! My personal method, which is what works for me, is to start with 1A/1D and solve all crosses contiguously. I'm not sure I could solve using only across clues as you would need a new toe-hold each word. Congrats on your win!!
3
SPELLING BEE Grid
68/289, 1 Pangram
By 1st Letter:
Ax14, Fx13, Lx3, Nx7, Ox2, Rx8, Tx21
By Length:
4x25, 5x18, 6x14, 7x6, 8x4, 9x1
∑ 4 5 6 7 8 9
A 14 1 7 4 1 - 1
F 13 6 3 1 1 2 -
L 3 2 1 - - - -
N 7 - 1 3 1 2 -
O 2 1 - 1 - - -
R 8 4 1 1 2 - -
T 21 11 5 4 1 - -
∑ 68 25 18 14 6 4 1
23
@Evan Thank you Evan! This one is a slog but I will hobble to G.
2
@AudreyLM --
Well-put, Audrey -- I hobbled to G, and lunch (half-) hour is over.
Thank you Evan. For once I've nailed all the 4-letter words.
1
@Madeline Gunther
It would've been more appropriate if you had done that yesterday!
2
I’ve always liked the word arrears, which I first learned when I was a teenager from the Grateful Dead song Touch of Grey- the band turns into skeletons in the video (!) which was shown on mtv! (I think it was their most mainstream hit because of that.) And now I actually do have a touch of grey...
3
Off topic of this puzzle, but is anyone else bothered by how early in the evening the puzzles and Wordplay switch over to the following day? Sometimes I don’t get to the puzzle until after dinner and the last two times that happened I discovered that the changeover had already occurred and it was only 7pm Central US time. I really like to read Wordplay after I do the puzzle; it’s too much of a spoiler to read it before, so it is disappointing to want to read Saturday’s only to find it is already Sunday’s column.
2
@G L Go to nytimes.com/wordplay for the last seven columns
3
@G L
The column updates when the new puzzle is published (10 PM ET M-F and 6 PM ET on the weekend - for the Sunday and Monday puzzles).
1
G L,
Sunday and Monday puzzles and columns go live at 5 pm CT; the other days are 9 p.m.
2
Nice fast solve. Nothing too taxing. I did a 5K road race yesterday, and some of the sponsors had display tables set up. There was one for a CPA firm. Not surprisingly, the table was not staffed.
2
My five favorite clues from last week:
1. Barely communicate? (4)
2. Sparks can be seen at its edge (4)
3. Where one might go out to get a bite? (12)
4. Father figure? (6)
5. Artless nickname? (3)
SEXT
RENO
TRANSYLVANIA
DADBOD
STU
20
Perfectly appropriate tax day theme perfectly placed on the appropriate day.
Thank you, Patrick and Sam!
2
Monday easy, Monday fast, can't wait for Thursday.
NRA...yep, gun safety and marksmanship, still have my membership paper from Schofield Barracks circa 1958. Pointless to discuss the madness; in my world, The Electoral College is just as much a threat to civilization.... [ducking and running]
It wd have been more fun if the three letters had appeared as stand-alones (ISR = Israel; RIS = rice; SRI= repectful address) but oh well. We have our taxes done by a CPA since forever ago, and it's usually out of the way well before the deadline. Now that we are Of A Certain Age, we have to take RMDs from our IRAs....following recommendations from our CFP. Alphabet soup!
On with the show!
7
Happy tax day everyone.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the political arena (everyone who hasn't already done so, that is) chose today to release at least their current returns?
And think of all the good things that are done -- or at least should be being done -- with that revenue. Things like education, infrastructure care, combatting hunger and poverty, diplomacy ... and, of course, universal healthcare.
{sigh}
I was already going down the east coast, so approached 30A from the rear. Couldn't think what could end with DDLEC.
Jeff Chen's picture of the GANGES RIVER is seriously depressing.
Thank you, gentlemen, for a gentle but pleasing Monday puzzle.
7
In case anybody has forgotten what day it is today, a glance at the Letter Boxed puzzle will quickly remind them. Good one, Sam!
@Andrew
But they missed their chance to put IRS down the left side and maybe OWE on the bottom.
All this angst over the use of NRA? In a crossword puzzle? Really???
In my youth, I was a member. Having witnessed the NRA’s utter, mindless obdurate opposition to ANY form of firearms control, I have been avidly opposed to the organization for around five decades - although I remain a responsible, law-abiding owner of firearms myself - and do not spend too much energy tilting at this particular windmill.
We may as well realize that it’s TOO LATE for any effective form of firearms control in this country. There are too many firearms in private hands already (even if no more were to be made or imported). No “legislation” is going to prevent the next firearm tragedy.
I doubt that the constructors and/or the editor intended any endorsement of the NRA or its policies by the inclusion of these initials in a puzzle. (Even if they did, the endorsement was not overt.) And - in any case - this WAS just a crossword puzzle!
Let us, please, NOT get into a “He Who Must Not Be Named” mind-set over mere WORDS.
6
@PeterW
"All this angst over the use of NRA? In a crossword puzzle? Really??"
Yup, it's a dog whistle for people who would use any opportunity to make a statement about how good and decent they are.
2
@justsomeone - which is a dog whistle in itself, apparently...
4
@justsomeone
I’m taking a one-day break from not making “political” posts on here. When a major funder/backer of an American organization is a foreign regime with a main goal of destroying American democracy, I don’t think it is hysterical to suggest that said organization is antithetical to American democracy and the Constitution (including the Second Amendment) on which American democracy is based.
14
Nice puzzle and a smooth solve. My only real slowdown was at 55a. EASTERISLAND didn't dawn on me until I had almost all of the crosses filled in. Clever clue. Caught on to the trick when I read the reveal, but it didn't dawn on me what day this is until after I was finished (did my taxes a couple of months ago).
Regarding NRA. I understand the objections (to some degree). It is now an arm of the gun lobby whose sole purpose is to sell firearms, all while fomenting fear and spreading all kinds of nonsense in that regard. But when it was formed, it's purpose was to teach marksmanship and gun safety (and that was still largely its focus even when I was young). It was, in no small part, responsible for transforming the perception of the infantry from 'cannon fodder' to an effective fighting force - particularly during the first world war. So there is some honor in their past (for some of us, at least).
I went and looked up clue histories related to three mid-20th century dictators, each responsible for the death and persecution of millions of innocents. The last name of the most notorious of them hasn't appeared since 1984, but his first name still pops up. The other two continue to be quite acceptable answers and I recall no objection to any of them. Some of us are 'old enough' and I'm quite certain that some even have personal connections. So, in terms of unpleasant associations, I guess I'm just not quite seeing the balance. Maybe someone can explain.
3
@Rich in Atlanta
In my earlier comment on NRA (in a reply to another poster), I almost mentioned the current NRA's benign beginnings. I wasn't thinking (didn't know) about any connection to the infantry, but I did know that once upon a time the organization advocated responsible ownership and use of guns, not arming domestic abusers and other felons with multiple automatic weapons.
3
@Rich in Atlanta
On the latter point:
1. Perhaps the different treatment assumes that the Chinese and Soviet deaths and persecutions had many historical parallels and were politically motivated while the German were uniquely genocidal or ethniclally driven.
2. It's also possible that the Chinese and Soviets were on "our side" in WWII and are given a pass as well as their Security Council seats..
3. Fascism and Neo-Nazism are a growing problem in today's world. Maoism and Stalinism not so much.
1
@Al in Pittsburgh
And I would argue that all three were ultimately a combination of:
a) One man's desire for total power.
and...
b) The long-time historical inclination to identify one group of people to blame.
And, I would argue that both of those remain a problem in today's world.
1
Not OT but this is a day-late post for yesterday's topic.
This is for Steve L Chestnut Ridge NY who asked if I could come up with any R-L pairs with seven letters or more.
Examples with "ing" and "ed" extensions are trivial.
The "tion" extension has promise.
correction
collection
clapper
crapper
bleeding
breeding
carving
calving
arrayed
allayed
bleaker
breaker
peeling
peering
praying
playing
clowning
crowning
cranking
clanking
9
Through the app, the link to return to the puzzles page is missing for me. Anyone else?
1
Taxes completed months ago. Tax reform cost me money. Have adjusted withholding for 2019.
Fast solve and a tip of the bolt from Captain Lightning.
Thanks Gentlemen.
1
@dk - So far I haven't met human beings who saved money due to the "cuts." Although the Supremes have now defined corporations as humans, so maybe that's what it was all about?
I'm not among them except in terms of 3-dimensional space, but I know lots of wealthy people who did not do well after the current "reforms." And people like me? yeek.
This news hits close to your new home...
https://tinyurl.com/Most-Audited
Theme reveal hidden in the SE corner brought a smile, and on April 15, anything that makes me smile is most welcome.
And hooray for Tiger Woods, the prodigal son come home!
7
@archaeoprof
He does look good in green. And a comeuppance isn't so bad when it's a come-backuppance.
I appreciated the quick solve today. I’ll be spending today preparing tax returns as a volunteer for the 56D Foundation Tax-Aide program. Wishing success to all in getting those returns (or extensions) filed! :)
10
I assume you’ve been at it for a while before today - - and I admire your tenacity and dedication.
I started out to do the same thing in conjunction with our local United Way - but, upon encountering the new “simplified” return and the software disaster they call “Tax Slayer”, I decided that I didn’t need THAT much more aggravation in my life. I opted for having my fingernails removed (without anesthesia) as being a more pleasant activity.
2
@JR
Good for you! Despite not having much money, I pay the extra to have a pro do my taxes (he charges less to those of us in the not-for-profit sector). I justify that with the knowledge that my teeny-weeny freelance income makes my taxes more complicated (although I did get by with TurboTax for three or four years).
But I don't understand about the extension. If you're getting an extension on time to file the return, but still have to pay any money you owe by April 15, you still have to do all the arithmetic required by the return anyway. Seems to me the only real reason to put off filing past April 15 is to procrastinate the arithmetic. So what's the point?
(Feeling smug. Filed beginning of March, which is late for me, and already have my refund tucked cozily in my savings account. As a semi-retired person, I didn't get led astray by the withholding trick.)
Equaled my best time for a Monday today, so I thank the gentlemen for an easy start to the week. I must admit that I hate that I try to rush to a better time.... I don’t take the time to see the circles or catch the nuances as I solve. But now that I see their clever 4/15 theme I hope they’re amused that I was up early woken by a TurboTax text message that my state tax filing has been accepted. So much accomplished so early!!
1
If I was annoyed by today’s puzzle it’s not the constructors’ fault. Despite two earlier efforts, my husband & I ended up doing our taxes yesterday. After four hours with TurboTax I paid for efiling and only afterwards was told I didn’t have enough documentation to efile. Don’t know if I’ll be able to get back the $45 extra I paid. Still have to put these in the mailbox this morning.
On top of that, here’s an oft-occurring clue that irks me: 24A back-to-school mo. SEP? AUG, here. By 1 September I’ll have teaching for four weeks already.
But I liked seeing AGASSI crosses with TENNIS RACKET.
Thanks for the puzzle, gents! :-c)€
2
@Floyd
Back to school in August? A regional thing. Here in NY, it's still September. Lots of schools without AC. In the south, schools have to have AC. Not much difference between August and September. Or May and June.
Remember, it's the NEW YORK Times.
@Floyd
Schools start in August there???!!! And as if it August isn't hot enough just about everywhere (northern hemisphere), you're in one of the hotter parts of the country. How on earth are you able to manage? I remember how unbearable most of September was when I was a kid, and also May and June. And that was before summer was six months long!
@Steve L
I don't think the clue is illegitimate, because I know that SEP is the beginning of the school year for many. But it isn't for everyone.
(And we do have A/C, thank goodness!)
1
TSAR, TAR, PAR, GAR
ARREARS, ADHERES, KINNEAR(s).
PDA, NEA, NRA, IRA
ZIP, ZAP, SEP, GAP
OOH
7
@Lewis
WT ... Oops, we can't say that!
2
@Lewis
Very sticky, which is high praise for a glue poem. This really ADHERES.
5
@Lewis
Are we supposed to hum a few bars now?
1
I didn't find the crossword TAXING at all today.
8
LETTER BOXED THREAD
Not a short one for me today, but too topical to pass up:
R-T(6),T-Y(10).
Yesterday I had Pothead, Drinks.
My daughter came up with Deports Skinhead.
2
@Kevin Sparks
First, thanks for all the kind birthday wishes!
Yesterday, I went with Hardiest Topknot.
Today, I have words that go together that I got instantly at 4:00 after the Philadelphia tornado warning expired and I saw no point in trying to go back to sleep before the 5:00 shuttle to the airport. E-R (7) R-Y (9).
Now for story time. Today I learned that my local Atlanta weather warning settings follow me. When the tornado warning came to my phone at 3:30, I cursed and started to roll over. It must be at home in Atlanta. It's tornado season. We had strong storms there yesterday and my street, I hear, is still blocked as power lines are repaired. Hubby is sleeping on a friend's couch. After noticing the pelting rain and seeing the curtain moving inward, I head to the hotel room bathroom to check my phone more closely. Oops. It is for Philadelphia. I decide the 6th floor (top floor) isn't where I'd should be. I grab my clothes -- ready for my 5 am shuttle anyway - toss them on and head to the lobby. There, people are standing in front of the doors and sitting by a bank of windows watching the weather channel. I shake my head when the receptionist says the wind has died down, so the 4 am shuttle will load -during an active tornado warning! Yo, people, before the tornado, it goes dead quiet. Then the train comes. I've been through one. Luckily, the warning elapses and no one learns better, though I do explain it to a family with kids from New England. Sigh.
5
@Kevin Sparks
Mine today is T-Y(10), Y-D(6). No time to search any others.
Yesterday was Hardens, Stinkpot.
Also Orphans, Skirted.
@Kevin Sparks
Same answer today (or if I just want to be different, start with an R-T(7).
Yesterday I had Kidnap Prophets.
Cute Monday, April 15 puzzle, and I can agree that it was delightfully easy, but some nice long entries. Not a single name or place that I didn't know, makes quite a change. I liked the mini tennis theme.
I didn't get to the comments yesterday, but was really wowed by the puzzle. I did have to stare at the puzzle for almost 10 minutes to get the second part of the theme, never noticed the lack of R & L elsewhere in the puzzle.
2
I do tend to agree that other clues should be used for some abbreviations - National Recovery Act, for one. PLEASE could constructors stop using clues that may seem "easy", but that in the end just keep reinforcing negative (or even, in this case, criminal) contexts? The little extra mental effort for both puzzle-makers and -solvers is so worth it. The NYT crossword should hold to a much higher standard. Thank you.
6
@Jeremiahfrog
Mondays are supposed to be easier than the rest of the week, so National Recovery Act probably wouldn't be appropriate in an "easy clueing" sense.
The better option is for constructors to eschew the entry totally.
Having said that, I'm not a big fan of censorship in XWPs, but realizing that it's about the solver experience, I would tend to not include such entries in my grids.
1
@Steve Faiella
I think most educated people should know about the NRA and other New Deal stuff.
Looking for the day when the Other Meaning of the abbreviation will be seen as at least as obsolete.
2
I expect a lot is in the clueing. There must be ways of clueing, mentioning Maria Butina, for exemple?
1
I don't understand the ERS answer to the "CPR site" can someone fill me in?
@Mike
Emergency Rooms.
@Mike
You would be forgiven today if you took it to mean External Revenue Service.
2
@Andrew
Mercifully, a reason to laugh!!
I got slowed down to 6 min. because I thought tennis “racket” was spelled “racquet”, and I had to go through and look for the error.
@Mary seratt
It was, or perhaps is. But it is definitely the less preferred form (in terms of actual usage, not prescriptivist dictum):
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=tennis+racket%2Ctennis+racquet&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Ctennis%20racket%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Ctennis%20racquet%3B%2Cc0
As the Ngram shows, RACKET has been used more than RACQUET (after TENNIS, in order to eliminate other uses of the word) since before 1880.
@Steve L
For anyone who cares, the NYT IT people only allow the URL cited above to be a link up to a certain point, and of course as such, the link doesn't work. If you want to see the Ngram, highlight the entire link (the whole paragraph) and cut and paste into the browser.
@Steve L - for future reference - any long (complicated) url can be made more manageable and acceptable for posting here by visiting tinryurl.com, where it will be converted to a short link.
Especially helpful when foreign characters are involved.
Hal is taking the night off. Officer Krupke is in charge.
4
@HALinNY Gee, Officer Krupke, We're distoibed.
4
I set a new NYT record for myself: 3:02. Great puzzle.
4
@Marcus
Woah! And I thought that I was a fast keyboarder! Congrats!!
Steve,
I assume you're reading the "3" as minutes?
4
@Barry Ancona
ROFLOL
Yesterday we had Paul Dano and today we have Greg Kinnear with a clip from Little Miss Sunshine compliments of Caitlin. Here's another little clip.
https://youtu.be/c0lz_MGcID4
2
Easiest puzzle ever.
I only had to check IMDb once.
New PB!
Wish I could say the same about this year’s return but I’m afraid that didn’t even make top ten.
3
Same for me, on both counts. My first sub-five-minute solve, beating my previous best by about 30 seconds.
1
@Err
LOL at myself. I first read your comment "New PB!" to refer to Patrick Blindauer and wondered how he got into your personal return!
3
Note to constructors: NRA is also the initialism of the National Recovery Act, a New Deal measure passed during Roosevelt's first term. It was accompanied by a 3 cent commemorative stamp that showed four representative citizens marching together — left to right are a farmer (bearing a scythe), a banker (suit and tie, fedora), a laborer (sledgehammer over the shoulder), and a woman who appears to be holding a piece of cloth streaming out behind her (possibly a seamstress???). Philatelists have often noted that the banker is out of step.
18
@Nikallez
I like that suggestion and your vivid description of the stamp. Maybe the first 2 or 3 times NRA is clued that way most of us won’t know it without crosses, but ERE you know it we’ll write in NRA as automatically as ERE.
At least, the Downs which NRA helped prop up in this puzzle’s NW were all good ones.
1
@Puzzlemucker
When I was a much younger puzzle solver, NRA was consistently clued with reference to the National Recovery Act/Administration, the Blue Eagle. This was before the one that's used now rose to its level of notoriety.
3
@Nikallez
Cool! "In a common determination" seems to have been the NRA's the motto (those were the days...). Here's a link to the stamp's image if people are interested:
https://render.fineartamerica.com/images/rendered/default/poster/8.000/6.875/break/images-medium/old-nra-postage-stamp-howard-hershon.jpg
2
That hole in your sneakers that the lace goes through? It’s an aglet.
Actually, Chris, the aglet is the plastic or metal at the end of the lace.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aglet
20
@Barry Ancona
And the little metal or plastic ring that keeps the fabric around the hole from fraying is a grommet.
3
@Deadline
No Wallace?
Revealer (69A) could be reclued as:
Org. undergoing some "reform" in this puzzle's circled squares or "reform" of formal address in 18 A
1
@msk
It could, but how would that be better?
Re 1D - My profession, eDiscovery, was pretty much born with those Iran-Contra hearings. Oliver North thought he deleted something on the record, but we now know...everything is recoverable!!
5
SNL spoofed him as “The Mute Marine”, but that trail North left behind !!
1
Loved clue 1A of the mini. Clever!
4
Fun easy puzzle. I liked TSAR/SRTA. I’m tired of seeing NRA though (both in the puzzle and generally). REINER yes, NRA no.
12
15A is an easy clue, but it's also wrong. On the first anniversary of your birth, your age is two. So your age is actually the number of years you have lived plus one.
1
seoul cooker,
I think we have an East-West thing going on here.
7
How does that work? One year after your birth, you’ve lived for ... one year. How do you get two?
2
@Jesse
This explains it all.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning
1
I MEANT TO pay the SIR
But I paid ZIP
And now I’m in ARREARS,
CONTRA one of our LEADERS
Who never MEANT TO pay the SRI
Despite the DOLLAR SIGNS
Flashing for ALL to SEE.
The HARE didn’t win the race
AS I RECALL, that comforts me
While I GARGLE down
Another carafe of CHIANTI.
15
Morning edit:
Pass the CHIANTI (or What a RACKET)
But I paid my share, SIR,
A GAP, you say,
I’m in ARREARS?
CONTRA the LEADER
Who MEANT TO (and did)
Stiff the SRI,
Despite the DOLLAR SIGNS
We ALL can SEE,
A 0% tax RATE (ZIP!) . . .
Guess he’s just smarter than me.
2
Another reason to move to Canada. Tax day is April 30th. You get two extra weeks! (Of course that is offset by the fact that you'll probably pay much more...)
This was my fastest Monday ever. Partly because I remembered to pause when it was time for supper (Pizza and CHIANTI).
Is MIDDLEC a DOOK?
Time to watch the Columbus-Tampa Bay hockey game. Columbus has two Ottawa Senators with new shirts! ;-)
3
@Andrew
And do the post offices stay open till midnight in Canada when taxes are due like they do here?
@Andrew
Actually, overseas filers get an automatic 2-month extension. (My deadline is June 15.)
Not sure if Canada counts as overseas though.
On the topic of moving to Canada.
We spend a week in Stratford, ON in August each year. In 2016, I remarked to our host, “if the unimaginable happens in our election, we’re just going to close up the house in Michigan and buy a condo in downtown Toronto, looking out over Lake Ontario - and wait until it all ends.”
Our host said (with a perfectly straight face), “Hold on a second. That’s NOT going to work Yank!”
I asked, “Why not?”
He said, “Because we’re going to build a WALL - - - and we’re gonna make YOU pay for it!!”
I’m still not sure whether or not he was kidding - - - - but we keep going back each August.
6
Will and company missed a great opportunity for a special one for today: it should have been an 8x8 with five minis.
2
@Barry Ancona
That went over my head.
1
@Deadline
Me too. I was afraid to ask out of fear of looking stupid.
1
This year's 1040 was half the size of last year's 1040, but because it was smaller, the IRS had to create six additional schedules to capture information that no longer fit on the new 1040. I thought six minis would have been too much to add on a weekday, so I only suggested five (I "only" had to do three of the new schedules).
1
Sam is a great constructor and a delightful human being, so I’m very happy to have collaborated with him on this puzzle. We tossed around a few ideas before landing on this, which seemed particularly apt considering Sam’s day job.
Getting all 6 variations of TAX into the grid was no easy feat, and I remember the SW corner being especially tricky to fill.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go finish filing my extension.
18
@pblindauer
I have to plead ignorance here... 6 variations of TAX?
@Steve Faiella Oops--I meant IRS. We tried TAX at first, as I recall--this was actually written over a year ago.
Nice to see the other PB again. And a not bad Monday.
3
Thanks for reminding me, guys.
I wish my taxes were as easy to do as this puzzle, though. I was close to a personal best and didn't even see the revealer because the Downs in that section came so easily.
5
Steve,
You reported in the other thread that you don't do your own taxes. Isn't that easier than doing the puzzle?
1
@Barry Ancona
Actually, no. Getting my accountant to finish on time is quite an effort. And even for him, I doubt it’s as easy to do as this puzzle.
See my other link to Señor Wences. Easy for you, dee-ficult for me.