OT: took me almost the entire allotted time to come up with tonight's Final Jeopardy answer. Even if they'd given the name of the group in the clue, it'd still be a toughie.
1
Ha! I got it.
Of course my avatar is named after that Frida Kahlo painting, and it's hanging in my living room. (not the original, of course).
Of course my avatar is named after that Frida Kahlo painting, and it's hanging in my living room. (not the original, of course).
1
Hi all, This is Rob C, you constructor for the day. Thanks for all of the nice comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the puzzle. Word ladders feel a little old-timey, but I enjoy them and it's good to see others do too. I tried to "zip" it up with entries like ZIPLINES and DONT GO THERE.
5
...but still no photo?
1
A fine puzzle, a shade more challenging than a normal Tuesday.
This reminds me that there is a shorter recuperative stairway: SICK, SINK, SINE, FINE. I was also disturbed by the fact that the stairway to wellness goes down instead of up. Perhaps it refers to the patient’s temperature.
Please excuse the levity. After getting up at 3:30 AM to watch the debate, I am a bit lightheaded.
This reminds me that there is a shorter recuperative stairway: SICK, SINK, SINE, FINE. I was also disturbed by the fact that the stairway to wellness goes down instead of up. Perhaps it refers to the patient’s temperature.
Please excuse the levity. After getting up at 3:30 AM to watch the debate, I am a bit lightheaded.
I recorded the debate, and am also lightheaded.
I live in the time zone where the debate was held.
My head just hurts.
My head just hurts.
Same time zone but different planet.
A little slow off the mark today, with KOP the only gimme in the NW corner. So I jumped around to all the fill-in-the-blank clues for some extra toeholds. After correctly parsing ANAPPLEADAY, the steps of the ladder began to COALESCE. Consequently, I was able to UNLEASH my pen and wrap up in average time for a Tuesday.
In their song titles, the Ramones 'wanna' do a lot of things (be sedated, sniff some glue, live, be your boyfriend). Add to the list "I Wanna Be WELL" from their 1977 album "Rocket To Russia":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp2XnTAOHdA
In their song titles, the Ramones 'wanna' do a lot of things (be sedated, sniff some glue, live, be your boyfriend). Add to the list "I Wanna Be WELL" from their 1977 album "Rocket To Russia":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp2XnTAOHdA
Loved that the word ladder was interrupted. To me word ladders are fun for a while, then not so much, like if there are nine entries. The two theme-related answers were fun, and I hope this creates a new genre in word-ladder puzzles.
Nice innovation, Robert C!
Nice innovation, Robert C!
and Elke
After sleeping on the puzzle and other events, I conclude that all's WELL that ends WELL.
After sleeping on the puzzle and other events, I conclude that all's WELL that ends WELL.
Too stretched, and too many tired entries
Like what, Skeptical? You are new here, and one of the things I ask of commenters is to concretely (and civilly) back up their opinions.
Skeptical1 didn't say anything uncivil. As to him/her being new here, so what? They paid their $15/mo fee and should be able to comment. The comment section is not a clique. As to backing up their comments you don't ask anyone to back up their comment that this was an easy or fun puzzle. So I wonder why you single out Skeptical1 for merely stating his/her opinion. As for me I didn't like it either. I was unfamiliar with the idea of a word ladder so I kept trying to see the relationship between the words. Did the swapped letters spell another word or have a special meaning? That its just a swapping of letters is a let down for me. 'Is that all it is?' My opinion and I'm welcomed to it. Also, the clue for IDYL. I've always seen it spelled idyll. Had to google it. Its on the internet so it must be true.
I prefer, "if it's in the dictionary, it must be true."
WELL, I'll KOP to it: with "recuperative" in the clue, I also saw what my sister in Arkansaw [SIC], though I only entered the alpha and omega after checking some crosses. Knowing it was a word ladder was helpful, since my sighting in a subway station was a MAP, but the use of my solving smarts quickly showed me that SICK>SILK>SILP was an unlikely progression. Happily, the only kind of RAT I've seen around subways was bipedal, and that not often. Otoh, things stranger than Rattus rattus abound. [Martin will let me know if that term is taxonomically outdated.
Had other redos with an early NOT_PC, THOM Jefferson and ATNO, which made me proceed with a more caution than is usual for a Tuesday. Even so, I dropped (with horror) A_TAB of ACID, and tried to squeeze 2K's into DAKAR and; but for COALESCE, would have made that CENTRAL BUNK. Thought it a cute DODGE to squeeze TOW into OUTTOWIN, and always fun to remember the talented Amanda YESNOwitz. If anyone (Deb? RiA? John?) can dredge up the number she did at the ACPT a few years ago, that would be a treat for old and new WPers alike.
A little LESE UNLEASHed: I won't be able to rest till I can put the whole word ladder into a single sentence. So far, the best I can do is: WELL, WILT the Stilt was never SICK a single day, except for the WELT he got from the SILT on his SILK sheets. If anyone can run them in order, let me know.
CHICKEN SOUP for the Solver. YES!
Had other redos with an early NOT_PC, THOM Jefferson and ATNO, which made me proceed with a more caution than is usual for a Tuesday. Even so, I dropped (with horror) A_TAB of ACID, and tried to squeeze 2K's into DAKAR and; but for COALESCE, would have made that CENTRAL BUNK. Thought it a cute DODGE to squeeze TOW into OUTTOWIN, and always fun to remember the talented Amanda YESNOwitz. If anyone (Deb? RiA? John?) can dredge up the number she did at the ACPT a few years ago, that would be a treat for old and new WPers alike.
A little LESE UNLEASHed: I won't be able to rest till I can put the whole word ladder into a single sentence. So far, the best I can do is: WELL, WILT the Stilt was never SICK a single day, except for the WELT he got from the SILT on his SILK sheets. If anyone can run them in order, let me know.
CHICKEN SOUP for the Solver. YES!
I'm SICK about what happened to my SILK rope--getting SILT on it, causing it to WILT and cause a WELT on my hand--while I was using it to draw water from the WELL.
Should've known the Doyenne of Hell's Kitchen -- a finalist in the Spamalot/ Coriolanus faceoff -- would come through in style. Brava!
Wondered about your SILK robe till I reread more carefully, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to emulate your endashes.
Wondered about your SILK robe till I reread more carefully, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to emulate your endashes.
.
Need to know:
Is R. rattus a cousin of a weasel? Asking for a friend.
Need to know:
Is R. rattus a cousin of a weasel? Asking for a friend.
Pleasant, quick solve, but I always wince when I see OLIO or OREO in a NYTimes puzzle. Surely those words are more at home in the "easy" puzzles at the back of airline magazines...
Katherine, I don't think the constructors decide to have Oreo as a great entry, but end up with it in order to make the rest of the puzzle, especially a clever theme work. For me it's worth it.
2
The two long themers were a nice addition to the traditional word ladder, and lifted the puzzle to NYT-worthiness.
Needed the word ladder part of the theme to get Judge Goodman, and of course never heard of the football coach.
Off to make a tour of banks, armed with POA, photo ID, proof of address, proof of ... everything. Hope to get all of that done and get home before I AM TOO tired to do another round of phone calls trying to find out more of the stuff I need to know to straighten out my friend's finances.
Thanks, all, for an enjoyable puzzle and a pleasant break before starting all the really exhausting stuff.
Needed the word ladder part of the theme to get Judge Goodman, and of course never heard of the football coach.
Off to make a tour of banks, armed with POA, photo ID, proof of address, proof of ... everything. Hope to get all of that done and get home before I AM TOO tired to do another round of phone calls trying to find out more of the stuff I need to know to straighten out my friend's finances.
Thanks, all, for an enjoyable puzzle and a pleasant break before starting all the really exhausting stuff.
I went through about half the lyrics of the Animals' song, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" in my mind before being certain that no place was actually mentioned there, and then letting the crosses fill in enough to realize we were instead gettin' out of Dodge.
.
I know it's a city where the sun refuses to shine ...
The Animals formed in the polluted coal city Newcastle-upon-Tyne, so many presume that's the place. But the songwriters (who have been married for more than 50 years!) were based in NYC at the time.
Wikipedia says that Eric Burdon (for the unfamiliar, he was the frontman ot The Animals) recorded a special version in 1990, with Katrina & The Waves, for use in TV's "China Beach". The star of "China Beach" is a NYT crossword solver (only does the late-week puzzles because of her busy career & volunteer work), former Wordplay guest-blogger (when it was a mere blog), and co-constructor of one NYT crossword that I know of.
I'll defer to RiA & Barry A. about the song's relevance to Vietnam.
I know it's a city where the sun refuses to shine ...
The Animals formed in the polluted coal city Newcastle-upon-Tyne, so many presume that's the place. But the songwriters (who have been married for more than 50 years!) were based in NYC at the time.
Wikipedia says that Eric Burdon (for the unfamiliar, he was the frontman ot The Animals) recorded a special version in 1990, with Katrina & The Waves, for use in TV's "China Beach". The star of "China Beach" is a NYT crossword solver (only does the late-week puzzles because of her busy career & volunteer work), former Wordplay guest-blogger (when it was a mere blog), and co-constructor of one NYT crossword that I know of.
I'll defer to RiA & Barry A. about the song's relevance to Vietnam.
MTF, I never watched China Beach; I kind of wish I had.
To (sort of) tie all that together, the 101st's in-country R&R area was a place called Eagle Beach. We got to spend a little time there occasionally - typically for two days or so - between missions and usually when we were waiting for replacements. I've often told people that those were the best vacations I've ever had.
At night there would be a band. It was always a Korean band and they played a fairly predictable mix of popular songs of the era. There were two songs that they invariably played (sometimes more than once) and everyone would always sing along with the chorus of each of them. One was the one you mentioned and the other was 'Detroit City' (I want to go home). Fairly obvious why those were so popular. They also always played 'Proud Mary' though I have no idea why. I just know that I've never since been able to hear that song (which I really like) without hearing 'rullin on the reever' in the back of my head (not trying to mock anybody's accent - that's just the way it came out).
Here are a couple of pictures from Eagle Beach. I might appear in one or more of them:
http://www.alphaavengers.com/PICS/Eveleth3.jpg
http://www.alphaavengers.com/PICS/Eveleth6.jpg
..
To (sort of) tie all that together, the 101st's in-country R&R area was a place called Eagle Beach. We got to spend a little time there occasionally - typically for two days or so - between missions and usually when we were waiting for replacements. I've often told people that those were the best vacations I've ever had.
At night there would be a band. It was always a Korean band and they played a fairly predictable mix of popular songs of the era. There were two songs that they invariably played (sometimes more than once) and everyone would always sing along with the chorus of each of them. One was the one you mentioned and the other was 'Detroit City' (I want to go home). Fairly obvious why those were so popular. They also always played 'Proud Mary' though I have no idea why. I just know that I've never since been able to hear that song (which I really like) without hearing 'rullin on the reever' in the back of my head (not trying to mock anybody's accent - that's just the way it came out).
Here are a couple of pictures from Eagle Beach. I might appear in one or more of them:
http://www.alphaavengers.com/PICS/Eveleth3.jpg
http://www.alphaavengers.com/PICS/Eveleth6.jpg
..
2
I really enjoyed the puzzle. Unlike some folks here I didn't find it easy. Or "too easy"
I liked how the constructor put in related words as he went down the ladder - I don't think I've ever seen that done.
A great start to the day.
I liked how the constructor put in related words as he went down the ladder - I don't think I've ever seen that done.
A great start to the day.
As soon as I verified SICK with a couple of Downs, I knew where we were headed. Very quick solve, which made me think Monday and Tuesday got switched this week (because of the vocabulary.)
Our constructor has had a few puzzles published after his debut in 2010, and STILL no PHOTO!! Tsk and Tut.
Our constructor has had a few puzzles published after his debut in 2010, and STILL no PHOTO!! Tsk and Tut.
I'm generally not a big fan of word ladders, but this did provide a different kind of challenge in the solving process so I thought it was a nice change of pace.
I needed the ladder in more than a couple of places to finish this and I wasn't getting very far with that early on. I had none of 1, 2 or 3 down right away and had put COP at 4d, so not a great start. I did get TSETSE, HIRT and OLIO pretty quickly, which gave me SIL, but I had THOM at 5a, which left me baffled for 8d. Then I wasn't seeing any of YESNO, YEAR or RAT, so that just left me with IL as the third step in the ladder. I also had RELEASE before UNLEASH which really slowed me down up there.
Finally got going in the bottom with WILT, but didn't immediately have any of the last step. So I kind of worked back and forth, corrected some errors and gradually got more of the ladder filled in, but it was actually getting ANAPPLEADAY that finally led me to SICK, and from there I was able to work through the whole ladder step by step and then fill in some other missing answers.
So, I wouldn't want to do this every day, but it made for an interesting solve, especially for a Tuesday.
I needed the ladder in more than a couple of places to finish this and I wasn't getting very far with that early on. I had none of 1, 2 or 3 down right away and had put COP at 4d, so not a great start. I did get TSETSE, HIRT and OLIO pretty quickly, which gave me SIL, but I had THOM at 5a, which left me baffled for 8d. Then I wasn't seeing any of YESNO, YEAR or RAT, so that just left me with IL as the third step in the ladder. I also had RELEASE before UNLEASH which really slowed me down up there.
Finally got going in the bottom with WILT, but didn't immediately have any of the last step. So I kind of worked back and forth, corrected some errors and gradually got more of the ladder filled in, but it was actually getting ANAPPLEADAY that finally led me to SICK, and from there I was able to work through the whole ladder step by step and then fill in some other missing answers.
So, I wouldn't want to do this every day, but it made for an interesting solve, especially for a Tuesday.
When I get SICK I want SILK sheets and I don't want to drink anything that tastes like SILT. I want to comfortably and quietly WILT with nary a WELT until I get WELL.
Yay you, Johanna!
Don't know how I missed this earlier. TSkE TSkE, I must have been taking A NAP!
Don't know how I missed this earlier. TSkE TSkE, I must have been taking A NAP!
I hadn't seen it either when I posted my reply to Leapy's challenge. (Late in the day I read newest first because I've already read the older comments.)
My attempt is admittedly more labored than yours, Johanna, but I did manage (with creative use of em dashes) to meet the "single sentence" part of the challenge.
Tee hee.
My attempt is admittedly more labored than yours, Johanna, but I did manage (with creative use of em dashes) to meet the "single sentence" part of the challenge.
Tee hee.
Aaw. As noted elsewhere, I thought they were endashes; the resemblance is striking. Back to the books.
This puzzle made me feel better than a typical word ladder, even though I never had to pick my pencil up once. I liked the way the two themers in the middle related to the starting and ending rungs -- the first for avoiding the beginning and the second to the getting to the end. Like R and E, I thought of CO(nv)ALESCE and wished it had made it to the party. Thank you to RC for the idea -- today is a perfect day to SUBMERSE some matzoh balls in CHICKEN SOUP!
This was a fun Tuesday, and there can be no debate about that.
With family a week ago and we were reminiscing about diagraming sentences, conjugating verbs and word ladders. I, again, defended my taking a semester of Latin while in grad school. My stroll though this puzzle was a testament to childhood "games" and my Latin class.
Now if we could just work in the Palmer method of handwriting….
Thank you Robert
Now if we could just work in the Palmer method of handwriting….
Thank you Robert
My sick-to-well puzzle went from blank-to-full in a little longer than usual for Tuesday, and this is a good thing. Refreshed and jogged my brain -- thank you, Robert! Answers that appealed: OUT_TO_WIN, COALESCE, SUBMERSE, and (Andrea) DOREA, speaking of which, I like how that answer is so close to SUBMERSE. Nice cross of DODGE and DONT_GO_THERE, and EAST, indeed, is. YEAR and RAT come together, as in Year Of The Rat, and, suddenly, I'm flashing on last night's debate.
I successfully didn't look at the ads below the puzzle. You know that saying about ladders.
I successfully didn't look at the ads below the puzzle. You know that saying about ladders.
Did you really misspell DORIA, or is that a typo?
While we were swimming this summer, I asked the DHubby if he'd like to play the ANdrea DORIA and the Stockholm....but he declined. Tsk.
While we were swimming this summer, I asked the DHubby if he'd like to play the ANdrea DORIA and the Stockholm....but he declined. Tsk.
MOL -- Mean and naughty this morning?
Ahem. Does that come under the rubric of TMI, MOL?
At any rate, better than that horrible grating commercial with the children and Marco Polo. (I don't remember what it's for because I always hit the mute button the minute it comes on.)
At any rate, better than that horrible grating commercial with the children and Marco Polo. (I don't remember what it's for because I always hit the mute button the minute it comes on.)
This was fun and fast enough to solve before I have to head out for the day. It's raining this morning, and my dog does not like the rain. Instead of doing her business quickly so she can go back in, she does the opposite. I've tried to explain that this is not serving her best interests, but to no avail.
I feel your pain, Paul, which is apt with today's puzzle. It is raining here as well and my little avatar is afraid of rain so, rather than go out and go quickly, he simply does not go out at all. We have taken to calling him Jack "Bowser" because he can go 24 hours without going out.
I'm at the eye clinic, drops in, so a bit blurry.
Great Tuesday puzzle, must have been difficult to get those curative entries in, very WELL done.
Great Tuesday puzzle, must have been difficult to get those curative entries in, very WELL done.
All good news at the eye clinic.
I do so hope that we hear some good news from Mac pretty soon.
I do so hope that we hear some good news from Mac pretty soon.
Glad to hear your good news, suejean.
And I second your wishes for good news from Mac.
And I second your wishes for good news from Mac.
Glad to hear your good news, SJ.
Last Tuesday on Facebook, Mac posted that he was being released on 9/22, and moving to an extended-stay motel for 2-3 weeks. I don't think he'd mind that I share this with his WP friends.
Last Tuesday on Facebook, Mac posted that he was being released on 9/22, and moving to an extended-stay motel for 2-3 weeks. I don't think he'd mind that I share this with his WP friends.
and Elke
As John already noted, this puzzle was doable with diverted attention.
Fortunately. I felt better at the end of both.
Liked seeing AN APPLE A DAY , assuming it referred to the fruit, and CHICKEN SOUP *.
Would have been really neat if instead of COALESCE it had been
CO(nv)ALESCE....
* A yet unfound camera into my kitchen transmitted the CHICKEN SOUP bubbling on my stove. The matza spheroids were there also.
Fun puzzle .
As John already noted, this puzzle was doable with diverted attention.
Fortunately. I felt better at the end of both.
Liked seeing AN APPLE A DAY , assuming it referred to the fruit, and CHICKEN SOUP *.
Would have been really neat if instead of COALESCE it had been
CO(nv)ALESCE....
* A yet unfound camera into my kitchen transmitted the CHICKEN SOUP bubbling on my stove. The matza spheroids were there also.
Fun puzzle .
and Elke
Sorry, MTF Tobin- you are not John.
Sorry, MTF Tobin- you are not John.
.
Elke (and Martin),
I can't even think like John.
How soon can Justin Trudeau get down here?
Elke (and Martin),
I can't even think like John.
How soon can Justin Trudeau get down here?
Mmmm...matza spheroids....
pretty typical Tuesday. Went fast. no problems.
.
Martin, I've told you previously about the odd pattern last week of puzzle difficulty.
This one solved a wee bit faster than Monday's, and I did Monday's without candidates yakking in the background.
Martin, I've told you previously about the odd pattern last week of puzzle difficulty.
This one solved a wee bit faster than Monday's, and I did Monday's without candidates yakking in the background.
That word ladder rung true.
Yes, a RegEx can be built on a word ladder! With it we find 7 additional words that fit the pattern of the 6 in the puzzle.
http://tinyurl.com/z8wx5eu
http://tinyurl.com/z8wx5eu
Kiki, I went and looked up "RegEx," which didn't help at all in understanding your post! But I now do get what a RegEx IS...
"A regular expression (sometimes abbreviated to "regex") is a way for a computer user or programmer to express how a computer program should look for a specified pattern in text and then what the program is to do when each pattern match is found."
In other words, find and replace, right?
"A regular expression (sometimes abbreviated to "regex") is a way for a computer user or programmer to express how a computer program should look for a specified pattern in text and then what the program is to do when each pattern match is found."
In other words, find and replace, right?
I tried looking it up a while back too, spenyc, and even mentioned my confusion to Kiki.
The consensus is that it's above my head and is likely to stay there. You're welcome to join me in the computerese dunces' corner.
The consensus is that it's above my head and is likely to stay there. You're welcome to join me in the computerese dunces' corner.
Yes, RegEx can do replacements. I never show any examples here however, because the Xword Info database is read-only. All of my RegExes match patterns in that database. Today's matches any of the letters in each position of the six words in the ladder.
Is it really that hard to say "busy parent" instead of "busy mom?"
Agreed. Very NONPC.
Maybe just as easy to say "parent," and sometimes that's what happens {yay!}. In reality, though, I think it's still more likely that the busy mom will be the parent more likely having to take the kid along on other parts of life {sigh}.
Deadline,
I would not dispute that it is still more likely to be a mom doing it, but that's not the same thing as saying it is "what moms do."
I would not dispute that it is still more likely to be a mom doing it, but that's not the same thing as saying it is "what moms do."
Because of a temporary mis-fill on my part, I was seriously questioning for a second whether there was a car called the Hyundai Potato.
There probably will be someday soon.
French fries.
French fries.
.
Ex-mermaid Darryl Hannah gets used french-fry oil from Colorado fast-food places to fuel her car.
Taters.
Ex-mermaid Darryl Hannah gets used french-fry oil from Colorado fast-food places to fuel her car.
Taters.
Only if they relocat their production plants to Ireland - I'm Irish American so I can say that without the unpc knock...can't I?
Spud
Spud
Anyone put PUS for Switch ups (25A)?
>>PUS for Switch ups
I believe that would only fly in Puns & Anagrams or cryptics. "Switch" can be an anagram signal.
I believe that would only fly in Puns & Anagrams or cryptics. "Switch" can be an anagram signal.
.
If a Word Ladder is in the Acrosses, I solve w/ the Downs, so never read that clue.
Well water
If a Word Ladder is in the Acrosses, I solve w/ the Downs, so never read that clue.
Well water
Now, THAT'S a well-trained solver. :D
We haven't had a word ladder in a while and this one was fun, though once we had 1A and its clue, we knew what 73A would be. Putting the two related phrases in the middle made a nice change on the usual ladder structure. So good Tuesday; thanks RC.
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