I liked the "one reed" clue because the word oboe, with three vowels, is one of those common crossword words and is frequently prompted by something about having a double reed. It's time clarinet got to make an appearance instead. Excellent puzzle today with a tricky internal theme (name).
Hey Deb, is there a way to find your archived blog posts in this new set up? I'm doing some old puzzles and acrostics and I'd love to find your coordinating posts.
1
Nevermind! I found it by scrolling down. Might be great if there was a way to look up specific dates instead of scrolling, but I'm glad I found it!
Hi Kate!
I wish that there was a way, but the only other way I can think of is to use the search engine at the top of the Wordplay page. It doesn't always work properly, but it can get you pretty close.
I wish that there was a way, but the only other way I can think of is to use the search engine at the top of the Wordplay page. It doesn't always work properly, but it can get you pretty close.
Thanks!
Picking a nit here, but 62Dn, "Id's counterpart," is superego. The clue should have been, "Id's moderator" or "Id's go-between."
1
ego te absolvo.
1
I understood counterpart in this context to mean "another member of the trio whose members are id, ego and superego" and nothing more. XWP lingo, to me.
2
Exciting for me to almost make it into the top 500 for a change!!?? I had a typo in the last word entered, which took about 3 seconds to fix, which was exactly how far behind the 500th time listed it was. (But this was only about an hour after the puzzle was posted, so fewer times to reckon with.) In this puzzle there was always a way to continue so as the thinking time was minimal and the limiting factors were my reading and typing speeds.
(But really the most fun is when a puzzle is rather hard and I get seriously stuck but finally prevail anyhow.)
(But really the most fun is when a puzzle is rather hard and I get seriously stuck but finally prevail anyhow.)
1
Where do you go to see the finishing times, polymath? I'm new to this, but have seen a couple of references to such a page lately.
Martha, this is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/index.html?login=email
Scroll down to the Leaderboard, on the left, just below the Logic Puzzles. Times are recorded only for the NYT app, not for Across Lite solves, etc, as far as I know.
http://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/index.html?login=email
Scroll down to the Leaderboard, on the left, just below the Logic Puzzles. Times are recorded only for the NYT app, not for Across Lite solves, etc, as far as I know.
Thanks! Love your profile pic.
Where's Waldo? is a series of children's books created by the English illustrator Martin Handford. The books consist of a series of detailed double-page spread illustrations depicting dozens or more people doing a variety of amusing things at a given location. Readers are challenged to find a character named Waldo hidden in the group. Waldo's distinctive red-and-white-striped shirt, bobble hat, and glasses make him slightly easier to recognize, but many illustrations contain red herrings involving deceptive use of red-and-white striped objects. Later entries in the long-running book series added other targets for readers to find in each illustration. The books have also inspired a television show, comic strip and a series of video games.
1
.
The books were created as "Where's Wally?" The Waldo thing is North American.
This guy just had his 60th birthday; you were away. I'm doing my taxes too, but somehow feel they were due 3 days ago.
The books were created as "Where's Wally?" The Waldo thing is North American.
This guy just had his 60th birthday; you were away. I'm doing my taxes too, but somehow feel they were due 3 days ago.
MTF, it should not come as a surprise that I am only referring to the American version because (a) America is where I am and (2) that is the version the Boys had.
I might've finished this Tuesday puzzle faster than Monday's. Nothing to CLOG up the grid. Once again, the theme didn't register until I was finished and went back to look.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I'm the only WPer who has seen all the "Fast and Furious" movies (anyone else?), and while they feature drag racing, I don't remember seeing what one would typically consider a DRAGSTER vehicle, although I suppose the term can be extended to include a driver in such a race--depending on one's VOCAB.
Keith Richards normally sings lead on one or two songs per Rolling Stones album. From 1994's "Voodoo Lounge" LP, He sounds positively Dylanesque on this countryish ballad "The WORST":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzkbk4lSRI
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I'm the only WPer who has seen all the "Fast and Furious" movies (anyone else?), and while they feature drag racing, I don't remember seeing what one would typically consider a DRAGSTER vehicle, although I suppose the term can be extended to include a driver in such a race--depending on one's VOCAB.
Keith Richards normally sings lead on one or two songs per Rolling Stones album. From 1994's "Voodoo Lounge" LP, He sounds positively Dylanesque on this countryish ballad "The WORST":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzkbk4lSRI
1
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that I'm *not* the ony WPer who has never seen any "Fast and Furious" movie.
I gather from your post that there was more than one?
I gather from your post that there was more than one?
3
7 so far, DL. Number 8 should be in theaters sometime in 2017.
Hopefully in IMAX 3D this time.
Hopefully in IMAX 3D this time.
1
I'll mark my calendar.
4
A tickling Tuesday puzzle that covered a wide variety of topics. I give today's puzzle an A+.
3D: I didn't know ORE(s) were deposited on river banks and always thought they were extracted from places beneath the earth's surface.
9D: I looked up "villanelle" and found the 'lacking' ABA rhyme scheme associated with it. BADGIRL helped me fill the last A.
24D/25D: Mean clues, both. NAIR is a hair-removal products brand, and TROI (Deanna) is a counselor on the spaceship Enterprise in TV show Star Trek. I would never remove the lovely hair on my body and haven't really watched Star Trek too much. How was I supposed to know?
27D: I went with ABALONE, a large sea snail that also has tentacles, but figured out soon enough that it wasn't the case. Close, though.
47D: The smartest clue in today's puzzle on all counts: obscure, sports wordplay, and complimented perpendicularly by other smart clues. I filled IO____ but couldn't think of a word that would satisfy the wordplay in the clue. So, I thumbed through the OED and was surprised to find that other than IOWA and IOTA, all other words beginning with "IO" refer to some chemical substance or phenomenon. Amazing!
Rest were all easy and unremarkable.
The constructor needn't rue AVAS, IDIO, DESC, ROTI, ESME, and EMAJ; all these clues were entertaining. DESC wasn't easy and took some amount of hair-pulling to get to.
3D: I didn't know ORE(s) were deposited on river banks and always thought they were extracted from places beneath the earth's surface.
9D: I looked up "villanelle" and found the 'lacking' ABA rhyme scheme associated with it. BADGIRL helped me fill the last A.
24D/25D: Mean clues, both. NAIR is a hair-removal products brand, and TROI (Deanna) is a counselor on the spaceship Enterprise in TV show Star Trek. I would never remove the lovely hair on my body and haven't really watched Star Trek too much. How was I supposed to know?
27D: I went with ABALONE, a large sea snail that also has tentacles, but figured out soon enough that it wasn't the case. Close, though.
47D: The smartest clue in today's puzzle on all counts: obscure, sports wordplay, and complimented perpendicularly by other smart clues. I filled IO____ but couldn't think of a word that would satisfy the wordplay in the clue. So, I thumbed through the OED and was surprised to find that other than IOWA and IOTA, all other words beginning with "IO" refer to some chemical substance or phenomenon. Amazing!
Rest were all easy and unremarkable.
The constructor needn't rue AVAS, IDIO, DESC, ROTI, ESME, and EMAJ; all these clues were entertaining. DESC wasn't easy and took some amount of hair-pulling to get to.
2
24D/25D: I wasn't familiar with either of these; for me , two contiguous unknown names are par for the course. In this case, however, the four common across entries were so firm, that I didn't even bother to look them up.
Thanks for explaining them for the eventuality of my running into them again.
Incidentally, two 25D's would be three in France.
Thanks for explaining them for the eventuality of my running into them again.
Incidentally, two 25D's would be three in France.
2
I'm confused about ORE and the river banks too.
I think of people mining various OREs in mountains, and never had any idea whether said mines are near rivers or not.
I think of people mining various OREs in mountains, and never had any idea whether said mines are near rivers or not.
Mining is often done in the mountains, but as I found, some ores like alluvium and ferrous get deposited on the river banks as well.
A clarinet has one reed. An oboe has two -- bound together as a double reed.
They're usually wetted with spit.
They're usually wetted with spit.
1
Not in the bathroom?
1
Not by any reed player of my acquaintance.
1
I knew one middle-school band director who dipped the clarinet and sax reeds into a pot of thinned, melted chocolate. By the time the kids had sucked the chocolate layer off, the reeds were ready for playing...
2
Congratulations on completing the cycle, Mary Lou.
A Tuesday-easy puzzle, even though I didn't know that the BARCELONA transit system (subway?) is called the METRO and kept thinking the ARIZONA site was a MUSEUM (which of course didn't fit).
Also, since I hadn't sussed the theme yet, I had to wait for some letters before I could fill in whatever CAPTAIN was a Marvel Comics superhero. There are lots of things I know only from XWPs, but when they have to do with things that I'm not interested in I tend to forget them, or have to see them over and over before they stick. These include things to do with sports, rap music, and comic books. I definitely know Marvel publishes them, and I assume some other companies do too, but I'm at the point where I just mentally lump anything comic book-related as coming from Marvel.
A lot of today's Comments went over my musically uneducated head. I did wonder if ONE REED was a green paint though. Needed the crosses to finish EM??.
Needed all or most of the crosses to get EVAN and TROI.
Looking forward to Leapy's reaction to the clue for DNA.
Have a good day, all.
A Tuesday-easy puzzle, even though I didn't know that the BARCELONA transit system (subway?) is called the METRO and kept thinking the ARIZONA site was a MUSEUM (which of course didn't fit).
Also, since I hadn't sussed the theme yet, I had to wait for some letters before I could fill in whatever CAPTAIN was a Marvel Comics superhero. There are lots of things I know only from XWPs, but when they have to do with things that I'm not interested in I tend to forget them, or have to see them over and over before they stick. These include things to do with sports, rap music, and comic books. I definitely know Marvel publishes them, and I assume some other companies do too, but I'm at the point where I just mentally lump anything comic book-related as coming from Marvel.
A lot of today's Comments went over my musically uneducated head. I did wonder if ONE REED was a green paint though. Needed the crosses to finish EM??.
Needed all or most of the crosses to get EVAN and TROI.
Looking forward to Leapy's reaction to the clue for DNA.
Have a good day, all.
3
I already had Leapy's reaction to that clue and then forgot to mention it. I've probably told this one before too:
Teacher to class: "What did Watson and Crick discover?"
Student: "Rosalind Franklin's notes?"
Teacher to class: "What did Watson and Crick discover?"
Student: "Rosalind Franklin's notes?"
9
I thought we'd get a few comments on that, good one Rich.
I have a feeling there's a lot of real truth in that .... she should have been the third winner.
1
Don't we have a pangram too?
Anyway, neat puzzle. I would have entitled it as "What's a name in?"
Seems like we had the 49D fill recently -- last Thursday?
64A is n't-picky.
I always thought the answer to24D was "Simonize".
Anyway, neat puzzle. I would have entitled it as "What's a name in?"
Seems like we had the 49D fill recently -- last Thursday?
64A is n't-picky.
I always thought the answer to24D was "Simonize".
1
Back home, good trip but as always a lot of jet lag in this direction.
Great puzzle for geography lovers, so I loved it, needed the reveal again for the theme. I've been on the BARCELONA METRO and almost got completely lost.
No one asked and Deb didn't explain so I guess it's obvious, but I don't get JEANS as clued @67A.
Great puzzle for geography lovers, so I loved it, needed the reveal again for the theme. I've been on the BARCELONA METRO and almost got completely lost.
No one asked and Deb didn't explain so I guess it's obvious, but I don't get JEANS as clued @67A.
1
"Guess" refers to the clothing brand which is known for jeans.
1
Guess JEANS was a gimme for me, due to memories of my wife's traipsing all around Paris with our teenage daughter trying to buy a pair of them, only to learn that, although Guess jeans were made in France, they were sold only in the U.S. Meanwhile, I spent a delightful day in the Louvre, which was closed the next day due to a strike when they tried to visit it. Being fashion conscious has its cost.
5
Thanks Val and Hepcat. I've never heard of the brand, and don't actually believe in fashion. My husband did all the shopping when we traveled.
We missed the Louvre on our first trip because I hadn't read at the beginning of the guide book that Museums were closed on Tuesdays.
We missed the Louvre on our first trip because I hadn't read at the beginning of the guide book that Museums were closed on Tuesdays.
1
Congratulations, Mary Lou, you have achieved quite a feat. Brava!
I do think however that it's too bad you have to explain how you'd do things differently today as this puzzle was submitted three years ago. I know Will deals with thousands of submissions and he does a great job for sure, but this big of a lag is huge in displaying your talent --- which has grown substantially since then.
I don't have a middle name. Anybody else?
I do think however that it's too bad you have to explain how you'd do things differently today as this puzzle was submitted three years ago. I know Will deals with thousands of submissions and he does a great job for sure, but this big of a lag is huge in displaying your talent --- which has grown substantially since then.
I don't have a middle name. Anybody else?
5
Johanna, my dad would've been 96 this year and had no middle name. He served in the army during WWII and had to use 'NMI'. I often referred to him that way in a joking, loving manner.
My father had no middle name, and I don't think his brother did either. His sisters had middle names.
Some relatives in my dad's family had no middle names, and a couple only had initials rather than a complete name.
I'm a rare bird--born into a Southern family, but not given a MIDDLE NAME! (They already had a girl.) I kept trying to spot WALDO (M's are upside-down W's) in the themers.
34 seconds on the Mini because the NYT app wouldn't switch directions when I hit the space bar. I have had occasions when I got so tangled up that it took 2 minutes + to fix the mis-hits and wrong-direction entries.
Oh, the puzzle! Well, another neatly done early-week gem from M.A.G. Just about to get settled back down and rested up from our vacation. Nice to have Mac and suejean back in the fold. Watching the Cleveland team roll on!
34 seconds on the Mini because the NYT app wouldn't switch directions when I hit the space bar. I have had occasions when I got so tangled up that it took 2 minutes + to fix the mis-hits and wrong-direction entries.
Oh, the puzzle! Well, another neatly done early-week gem from M.A.G. Just about to get settled back down and rested up from our vacation. Nice to have Mac and suejean back in the fold. Watching the Cleveland team roll on!
2
Neet before NAIR was one of a few potholes today. The others were deeper ones, as I had Arizona Monument before the correct response. The 'Q' in QOM and AQABA was just a guess, & when I say guess, I ain't talking about the designer dungarees. The two 'Q' proper nouns are words I must commit to my ever expanding solving VOCAB. Those hiccoughs aside,, my pen blazed across the grid like a DRAGSTER at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ...DUE TO today's topic, I'm feeling the urge to share this: mine's Joseph; just for the record...This record is from Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE; "A Cat Named Hercules."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgo495KJsE
Sir Elton's given name at birth is Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote "Daniel" (your MIDDLE NAME?) as the VIET NAM ERA was winding down, circa 1973.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY5_CNHRqqk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgo495KJsE
Sir Elton's given name at birth is Reginald Kenneth Dwight. Lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote "Daniel" (your MIDDLE NAME?) as the VIET NAM ERA was winding down, circa 1973.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY5_CNHRqqk
3
Love "Daniel"... and "Rocket Man" ... and "Crocodile Rock". They evoke for me a whole chunk of my New Haven ERA. TY! .
My sister played the clarinet and my daughter the oboe, so I know something about reeds.
I didn't notice all the NAMEs till I got to the revealer at 57 across.
I forgot how long the VIETNAMERA lasted - a long time!
Congratulations to Ms Guizzo!
I didn't notice all the NAMEs till I got to the revealer at 57 across.
I forgot how long the VIETNAMERA lasted - a long time!
Congratulations to Ms Guizzo!
1
I played clarinet, and we called it SINGLE REED (as opposed to DOUBLE REED,) which my sister briefly played. Our folks got pretty steamed about our 'carelessness' with split reeds that needed to be replaced; (they had no clue that this was normal.)
ABAA/ABRA/BARBRA. I'M [not a] BAD GIRL. Can't help it, but every time I see WALDO I think of the boy in the striped stocking cap.
1
Oddly enough, 29a ended up being my favorite theme answer, because...
Pardon me, boy
Is that the BARCELONA METRO?
(yes, yes)
Track 29...
You're welcome for that earworm. I liked the theme and the way that NAME was divided in every possible way. Something about WALDO being the revealer also tickled my fancy. Pretty smooth for the most part with a couple of exceptions. I could actually hear things rattling around in my brain as I cleared away the debris long enough to remember AQABA and QOM, but they were both there. Tried EMIN before EMAJ and and spent a good bit of time working that out. Notable bits of junk here and there but they didn't really detract for me. Seems odd to have a puzzle published 3 years after it was submitted, which was before any of Ms. Guizzo's other puzzles were published. I wonder what the record is for that kind of delay.
Circling back - and then there's the Roy Rogers / Dale Evans joke with the punchline:
Pardon me, Roy; is that the cat that chewed your new shoes?
What the heck. One more punchline. You can supply the lead-in:
With fronds like these, who needs ANEMONEs?
Pardon me, boy
Is that the BARCELONA METRO?
(yes, yes)
Track 29...
You're welcome for that earworm. I liked the theme and the way that NAME was divided in every possible way. Something about WALDO being the revealer also tickled my fancy. Pretty smooth for the most part with a couple of exceptions. I could actually hear things rattling around in my brain as I cleared away the debris long enough to remember AQABA and QOM, but they were both there. Tried EMIN before EMAJ and and spent a good bit of time working that out. Notable bits of junk here and there but they didn't really detract for me. Seems odd to have a puzzle published 3 years after it was submitted, which was before any of Ms. Guizzo's other puzzles were published. I wonder what the record is for that kind of delay.
Circling back - and then there's the Roy Rogers / Dale Evans joke with the punchline:
Pardon me, Roy; is that the cat that chewed your new shoes?
What the heck. One more punchline. You can supply the lead-in:
With fronds like these, who needs ANEMONEs?
6
RiA, your comment is my fave for the day. .... and you can give me a shine!
1
Rich,
Were you on the midnight train to Georgia last night?
Here's yet another take on Track 29:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLPJuy9oyQ
Were you on the midnight train to Georgia last night?
Here's yet another take on Track 29:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZLPJuy9oyQ
4
Got the theme as soon as I read it here. As a bear of little brain that is how I often get the theme.
Speaking of -- Bears visited the bird feeders last night - they are a destructive lot.
BADGIRL was what we called my sisters (followed by the commands sit and stay) when they were, well... bad. Life lesson do not use that phrase when your dining companion uses the wrong fork (chapter 20 in my book: Why I live alone)
Thanks Mary Lou
Otherwise uneventful puzzle albeit a smooth solve as others have noted.
Speaking of -- Bears visited the bird feeders last night - they are a destructive lot.
BADGIRL was what we called my sisters (followed by the commands sit and stay) when they were, well... bad. Life lesson do not use that phrase when your dining companion uses the wrong fork (chapter 20 in my book: Why I live alone)
Thanks Mary Lou
Otherwise uneventful puzzle albeit a smooth solve as others have noted.
2
You really corrected your 'dining companion's table manners? That's a variety of Bad Date I hadn't conceived of until now.
Don't try that line with the bears!
Don't try that line with the bears!
2
Deb, Stewart approached "my father and me."
2
Thank you for pointing that out. Another of my pet peeves. It's amazing how often the error creeps into the published word, including TV and movies.
[Ed.] must be on vacation.
1
I did get the theme once I had the revealer. As a untalented clarinet player, I wanted ONEREED to be NEWREED. Appreciated the explanation for NICE. Don't know the Italian restaurant chain SBARRO.
1
Deborah, the 'restaurant' is more like a stand in the food court of malls. I don't think I've ever seen one anywhere else, or one that was like a real restaurant. Oops, maybe Times Square? So maybe they do have freestanding ones, but I think of them as mall food.
4
There is one in Times Square, Liz, but I think it's probably like the ones in the food courts. There's also an Olive Garden.
I've never been to either, but I think Olive Garden tends more toward the restaurant category and SBARRO more fast-food joint.
I've never been to either, but I think Olive Garden tends more toward the restaurant category and SBARRO more fast-food joint.
Airports. They're in a lot of airports.
A little behind, going back to yesterday's comments, this is for Joe, and his trip through memory lane engendered by my use of the word slumgullion earlier.
Joe, I had no idea if that was a real thing or not - I only knew it from the movie Miracle on 34th Street, when Edmund Gwenn waxed nostalgic about it. I googled it before tacking it on to my brief comment and learned it is indeed some kind of simple stew. So it made me very happy that it evoked happy memories for you.
Ah, today's puzzle: a very neat Tuesday package, very correct proportion between themers and reveal, providing a bit of mutual interaction while solving. One nit: both AQABA and QOM have alternate spellings with a K, so either letter would have served in both directions. But only the Q is accepted by AL.
Joe, I had no idea if that was a real thing or not - I only knew it from the movie Miracle on 34th Street, when Edmund Gwenn waxed nostalgic about it. I googled it before tacking it on to my brief comment and learned it is indeed some kind of simple stew. So it made me very happy that it evoked happy memories for you.
Ah, today's puzzle: a very neat Tuesday package, very correct proportion between themers and reveal, providing a bit of mutual interaction while solving. One nit: both AQABA and QOM have alternate spellings with a K, so either letter would have served in both directions. But only the Q is accepted by AL.
4
Well, now we all need a recipe for 'slumgulliion', don't you think? Sort of like the Mr. Happy Pencil cocktail....
2
Wasn't slumgullion cooked up in It Happened On Fifth Avenue, when Victor Moore made a batch for a nostalgic Charlie Ruggles? I don't recall Miracle on 34th Street mentioning it, but I do recall it in It Happened on Fifth Avenue.
1
You're probably right, Alan J. Same neighborhood, same Xmas, same nostalgia, wrong movie.
1
Very enjoyable. It did not leave me in a mean frame of mind.
1
The difficulty level was just about right for Tuesday. The NAMEs in the first two themers disclosed the theme, which was marginally helpful in filling the third and revealing the revealer. The few unknown NAMEs came out of the crosses.
There was one NAME that I would have preferred not to recognize. For the benefit of anyone who would like to know why: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sbarro_restaurant_suicide_bombing
There was one NAME that I would have preferred not to recognize. For the benefit of anyone who would like to know why: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sbarro_restaurant_suicide_bombing
3
54D - "Key with four sharps" - is answered as EMAJ (E major), when I believe the correct answer is ENAT (E natural). Musical *chords* have majors and minors (each of the 7 notes could be played as a major chord or a minor chord); musical *keys* are named after a certain note in the 15-note chromatic scale. When a musician askes what KEY a song is to be played, the answer is the name of a note (A, B flat, B, C, C sharp, etc). The KEY tells the musician whether each of the 7 notes is played sharp or flat (think of the black keys on a piano), or natural ( white keys on a piano) throughout the song. The 'sharp' keys are G (1 sharp), D (2 sharps), A, E (4 sharps...), B, F# (F sharp), and C#. When a note is not designated with a sharp or flat symbol, the note is either called by its name alone (e.g., E) or the name of the note plus the word 'natural' - as in, E natural.
But using ENAT and all that musical analysis got me nowhere in trying to crack 57A and the theme to the puzzle....
But using ENAT and all that musical analysis got me nowhere in trying to crack 57A and the theme to the puzzle....
1
ENAT should have gotten you nowhere. I've never heard of the convention in naming keys where NATural is not a given. The only two pseudo keys that show up in the Xword Info database are ANAT and GNAT, neither of which is ever clued musically.
I'm sure David will be around presently to object, but the two common tonalities with four sharps are E major and C-sharp minor.
Crossword entries may be of the form CMAJOR or CMAJ or BFLAT or CSHARP or BMIN or BMINOR, but CSHARPMINOR wouldn't cut it. So while "Key with one sharp" might be GMAJ or EMIN, four sharps is a gimme.
We're leaving out other modalities and, especially, the distinction between key signatures and keys that gets David so worked up when discussing minor keys. I feel his pain, but crossword clues simplify stuff.
Crossword entries may be of the form CMAJOR or CMAJ or BFLAT or CSHARP or BMIN or BMINOR, but CSHARPMINOR wouldn't cut it. So while "Key with one sharp" might be GMAJ or EMIN, four sharps is a gimme.
We're leaving out other modalities and, especially, the distinction between key signatures and keys that gets David so worked up when discussing minor keys. I feel his pain, but crossword clues simplify stuff.
Fact checking this one would be like fact checking a certain debater.
nuff said
nuff said
4
not too hard. had to think for a minute to find the middle name in the theme clues -- duh!
1
BARCELONA METRO is not really random, since they do call their subway system the METRO. The puzzle whizzed on by too fast for me to ever pick up on the theme. My favorite crossing was AQABA x QOM due to the lack of a U anywhere. I needed a crossing since QUM is an alternate spelling.
BAD GIRL made me think of a friend in Canada who was recently attacked by a large dog. Her mouth was severely injured and she will need reconstructive dental surgery.
Well back to MNF. Condolences Jets fans! Not really, I have a history of not liking them.
BAD GIRL made me think of a friend in Canada who was recently attacked by a large dog. Her mouth was severely injured and she will need reconstructive dental surgery.
Well back to MNF. Condolences Jets fans! Not really, I have a history of not liking them.
2
.
The Jets have reached several AFC Conference Championship games. They have lost each and every one.
Why don't they get to be "lovable losers" like the Cubs? The pre-2004 Red Sox? The Mets most years?
It's tough to be a Jets fan. When nytimes.com posts a photo of Brett Favre in a Jet uniform, people complain. It's a photo! Documented proof that the guy played for us. Not to mention we signed Tebow. We're pro-religious-freedom!
The Jets have reached several AFC Conference Championship games. They have lost each and every one.
Why don't they get to be "lovable losers" like the Cubs? The pre-2004 Red Sox? The Mets most years?
It's tough to be a Jets fan. When nytimes.com posts a photo of Brett Favre in a Jet uniform, people complain. It's a photo! Documented proof that the guy played for us. Not to mention we signed Tebow. We're pro-religious-freedom!
1
Same ol' Jets--a common plaint of Jets fans.
1
The clue for Nice tickles one of my funny bones. I taught a course on the history of southern France, so it sticks in my head.
Nice was named Nikaea to honor a victory of the Greek colonists over the neighborhood. A planned town was established on the seacoast where the battle took place, and it was named Victory. The town across the bay from it was named Antipolis Nikaeai, "the city across from Victory", which town is nowadays known by the corruption of its "first name", Antibes. Both towns were settled by the veterans of the battles involved. (Nearly all of the southern coast of France & eastern coast of Spain were once Greek colonies.)
Which is to say, Nice was named in honor of a victory, not in honor of the goddess of victory. There were towns named for patronal or matronal deities, Athens comes to mind as a good example, as there were many named for emperors (Caesarea; Alexandria).
The funny bone that got tickled is the one about how words and names shift their allegiances over time. "Cardinal" is the best example I know, but "Nice" is nice for showing the idea, too.
Nice was named Nikaea to honor a victory of the Greek colonists over the neighborhood. A planned town was established on the seacoast where the battle took place, and it was named Victory. The town across the bay from it was named Antipolis Nikaeai, "the city across from Victory", which town is nowadays known by the corruption of its "first name", Antibes. Both towns were settled by the veterans of the battles involved. (Nearly all of the southern coast of France & eastern coast of Spain were once Greek colonies.)
Which is to say, Nice was named in honor of a victory, not in honor of the goddess of victory. There were towns named for patronal or matronal deities, Athens comes to mind as a good example, as there were many named for emperors (Caesarea; Alexandria).
The funny bone that got tickled is the one about how words and names shift their allegiances over time. "Cardinal" is the best example I know, but "Nice" is nice for showing the idea, too.
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I thought of a good example for common usage - the colony, later state, of Virginia was named in honor of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen. Many plant and animal species that were found there by Bartram and other early naturalists were named with the species epithet "virginiana" and often the common name "Virginia" (as in "virginia creeper"). Those plants and animals are named for the place, not the queen.
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Interesting how the greek kappa in the name becomes the hard C then the soft C as the language usage evolved. Cybernetics came from a Greek word meaning monitor or governor and the first Greek letter there was kappa.
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That same trick of phonetic evolution is seen in Caesar (English pronunciation with "s" at the beginning), Cesare (with "tch" at the top), Kaiser (with "k") and Tsar (also spelled Czar) (with "ts" at the top) - all from the same original word.
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Martin, did the Cubs play tonight? I've lost track doing my taxes.
Where's Rizzo?
The extension comes home to roost.
The extension comes home to roost.
Martin, the Cubs are so deep they can win without Rizzo's offense, though they would be better with it. His defense is superb if you haven't noticed. Toews and Kane have troubling scoring in the post season also. This guy is looking down on them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AbvoPLo0Xo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AbvoPLo0Xo
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Clarinets and saxophones are single reed instruments. Oboes, English horns, and bassoons, on the other hand, are double reed instruments. The entry ONE REED does seem a bit arbitrary, but it likely refers (weakly, IMHO) to this distinction.
See (for clarinets and saxophones)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-reed_instrument
See also (for oboes and bassoons)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_reed
See (for clarinets and saxophones)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-reed_instrument
See also (for oboes and bassoons)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_reed
Apparently, several of us jumped on this subject before the other comments were posted. Please excuse the triplication.
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Funny to encounter ONE REED right away after the reeds discussion.
Since Deb asked...
Instruments that have reeds divide into those that use the vibrating tongue to produce multiple pitches and those that produce one pitch per reed.
The former comprise the clarinet family (clarinets of many sizes and shapes, chalumeaus, tarogatos, and more), the saxophone family, and unusual instruments like the reed flute I received as a gift just this year (ba wu). All of these instruments have ONE REED, which is a single slice of flexible but stiff material.
They are joined by the DOUBLE REEDS, which use two slices of material, bound back-to-back: the oboes, english horns, shawms, bassoons and the wonderfully odd sarrusophones.
There is a small group of instruments that use both kinds of reeds, notably the bagpipes, which often have clarinets (one reeds) for the drone pipes and oboes (double reeds) for the chanter or melody pipe.
Instruments that use a separate reed for each note include the harmonium and reed organs, the accordions and concertinas, the Chinese mouth organs sheng and lushon, and the reed pipes of pipe organs. And don't forget the harmonicas!
Since Deb asked...
Instruments that have reeds divide into those that use the vibrating tongue to produce multiple pitches and those that produce one pitch per reed.
The former comprise the clarinet family (clarinets of many sizes and shapes, chalumeaus, tarogatos, and more), the saxophone family, and unusual instruments like the reed flute I received as a gift just this year (ba wu). All of these instruments have ONE REED, which is a single slice of flexible but stiff material.
They are joined by the DOUBLE REEDS, which use two slices of material, bound back-to-back: the oboes, english horns, shawms, bassoons and the wonderfully odd sarrusophones.
There is a small group of instruments that use both kinds of reeds, notably the bagpipes, which often have clarinets (one reeds) for the drone pipes and oboes (double reeds) for the chanter or melody pipe.
Instruments that use a separate reed for each note include the harmonium and reed organs, the accordions and concertinas, the Chinese mouth organs sheng and lushon, and the reed pipes of pipe organs. And don't forget the harmonicas!
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I had several crumhorns and rauschpfeifes at NYU. Capped double reeds are so much easier to play, but they can get you kicked out of the dorm.
A friend collected sarrusphones and I loved to make rude noises on them too.
I'd call double reeds bound front to front, but I won't nit.
A friend collected sarrusphones and I loved to make rude noises on them too.
I'd call double reeds bound front to front, but I won't nit.
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I hesitated over back-to-back vs. front-to-front, Martin, but I thought that the working surfaces were on the outside of the double reed once bound, and that led me to my choice.
I attended the live HD TV broadcast of "Tristan und Isolde" yesterday afternoon - the english horn soloist Pedro Diaz (who played marvelously) was the only member of the orchestra listed in the credits. He did a little cameo interview during the intermissions. The performances were all spectacular, though the production concept was not to everyone's taste, let's say.
I attended the live HD TV broadcast of "Tristan und Isolde" yesterday afternoon - the english horn soloist Pedro Diaz (who played marvelously) was the only member of the orchestra listed in the credits. He did a little cameo interview during the intermissions. The performances were all spectacular, though the production concept was not to everyone's taste, let's say.
After posting about Mr. Diaz, I googled "Pedro Diaz english horn" (otherwise it's all baseball players) and found lots of wonderful videos of him playing and talking about playing the english horn and oboe. Worth a followup from anybody who loves that sound.
Warning. Don't read the captions, they're hilariously incorrect on all youtube videos. All. Youtube. Videos. (Bravado where vibrato should be, just for example.)
Warning. Don't read the captions, they're hilariously incorrect on all youtube videos. All. Youtube. Videos. (Bravado where vibrato should be, just for example.)
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Troy before TROI. Otherwise pretty smooth.
A clarinet uses one reed, unlike an oboe, bassoon and an English horn, which use a double reed. I hope I'm remembering this right. I was a trumpet major and piano long ago, so I'm not a reed expert in any way.
Enjoyable puzzle and congratulations on the cycle.
A clarinet uses one reed, unlike an oboe, bassoon and an English horn, which use a double reed. I hope I'm remembering this right. I was a trumpet major and piano long ago, so I'm not a reed expert in any way.
Enjoyable puzzle and congratulations on the cycle.
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I didn't so much mind the crosswordese, since the theme answers were so nice and the medium-to-longer fill was also very good. I liked the clue for BAD GIRL. I would prefer to think of the ANEMONE flower rather than the sea creature! And I remember having a ZIP DRIVE at work and thinking I was so cutting edge. Boy, that era went by quickly.
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I felt a little dense after finishing it, and the theme kept escaping me. Probably because each theme entry had the name of a place in it, and that is what I was fixated on. That was a pretty good puzzle for a Tuesday. Given the four place names, I wonder if we solvers could come up with a secondary theme that fits all four entries?
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