Occasion for Dragon Dances

Isn't there a bug that's sometimes called a MEASURING STICK?

What's the other name for a dragonfly?

I'm scared to go to Google because there might be pictures. {shudder}

While I agree that the grid-spanning triple and quad stacks do tend to make for an easier--or at least more quickly solved--puzzle, they don't at all cut down on my satisfaction. I really enjoy seeing these long entries from letter patterns; the fewer the letters, the greater the satisfaction. (I also love acrostics.)

And these were really nice. The only one that seemed a little on the light side to me was INTEREST RATE CAP, but that could be simply because I avoid reading about anything financial. The others all had that nice, solid, in-the-language feel to them.

I didn't know KANE or STAX, or for that matter 20A, but LEX was the only thing that made sense.

Didn't know ICOSA, and I'll forget it before I ever see it again. Also ALL UP doesn't ring any bells. Didn't know there was a MISHA perfume, but the other half of the clue made the entry a gimme. Didn't know there were ads that got banned from the Super Bowl, since it seems we are annually subjected to several weeks of jabber about the ones that air. I knew SEIDEL deep down, from somewhere, but it took a while to recall it.

I agree with Deb about the clue for MADD. There were plenty of places in the puzzle where wordplay would have been appropriate; this wasn't one of them.

So a very satisfying Friday. Looking forward to the weekend.

Thanks to all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Qcv3YV4aA

Some people here might think that is Charlton Heston but they would be wrong. It’s Moses who TESTED THE WATERS before leading his people across the Red Sea. The Pharaoh who looked remarkably like Yul Brynner decided to PURSUE THE MATTER, despite reading the DO NOT GO sign at the water’s edge. The result was that the Red Sea TORE TO BITS the Pharaoh’s army,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqCTq3EeDcY

I love MAS's puzzles, and they've continued to get more polished over time. I feel the joy at figuring out those grid spanners with as few letters as possible. There are a few constructors whose puzzles I come into with excitement, and MAS is one of them, and he didn't disappoint today. When I consider the difficulty of making one of these puzzles, and take a look at how this puzzle probably has less baddish fill than most, I am truly appreciative and impressed by what Martin did. But that would have all been negated if the solving experience was mezzo mezzo. It wasn't. It was primo primo. Thank you, sir!

This is a puzzle to savor on a number of levels, literally. Well done, M A-S.

Wow, there are a lot of fifteen-letter words in this puzzle! (Is 10 the record?)

This kind of puzzle is always fun since the sea of white squares looks impossible at first, but the short words (so far) make it possible to solve faster than seems reasonable. Though this one took longer than the average bear.

BOFFO before NIFTY. Did not remember SEIDEL but happy to learn it. Had not known of banned PETA SuperbOwl ads, or grasped the menace of PURSUE THE MATTER.

It would be interesting to see how many 15s could be stacked using just single 15-letter words, or without the use of Latinate words.

"...a triple stacked, double-triple with a quad stack"? Sounds like a lot of pancakes!

Impressive construction, and IAPPRECIATETHAT, but these multistack layouts no longer intimidate me. Like many other WPers, I find they solve quickly--a few crosses and the 15s often just leap of the page. This one went from the bottom up Remembered how to spell NAUSEAM because crosswords. Add SEIDEL to the "now I know" list.

The 1990 Mel Gibson/Goldie Hawn movie referenced in 44D borroed its name from a song by Leonard Cohen (which is actually titled "Bird On The WIRE," but who's counting?) The film features this sublime version of the song by the Neville Brothers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKDMiyRmbik

First quick glance put me onto the GAME, then ANN with her APRON-strings. That left me in some STRAITs, but not totally IN A MESS, as bits and pieces kept emerging and coalescing. One of the HOOTS, OMAN, was finding the WOMAN, and she wasn't nasty.

No time for more, as I have to head for the coast, but will urge MA-S to DONOTshop GO more often.

I find puzzles with stacks slightly easier and lots more fun on the themeless days. It's fun to see how few letters I need to get the answer. Today SLEEPLESS NIGHTS -and LAID IT ON THE LINE required only a couple of letters, a few more for STRAIT O MESSINA, and quite a few for the rest.

In spite of the fact that my son was born on Labor Day, it took me forever to get that. I was especially annoyed with myself that I didn't notice the lower case "d", as I've been doing better with that recently.

Keep those stacks coming, Martin. And nice to read your comment.

Hi all,

Just wanted to drop by to say how much I appreciate the intelligent, thoughtful and kind feedback. I know, in general, solvers don't want to see stacked-style crosswords every week, but it's nice to know that solvers appreciate them from time to time.

It's interesting that the most common complaint (so far!) seems to be that quite a few experienced solvers found this puzzle on the easy side. It's usually just the opposite!

On the other hand, the more unusual words such as OCULI , or the prefex for twenty, come in handy for ridding a cocktail party (or whatever) of unwelcome guests. For some unfathomable reason, they find an excuse make for your EGRESS PDQ.

-MAS

Put in ICOSA right away, buy then doubted myself with the across. Is "what SAY" really a thing?

I started with A BIRD on a wire, and the whole puzzle just opened up like a flower. This made me think, "Rather easy for a Friday," which I hope does not hurt Martin A-Smith's feelings.

I did find out that I've likely been misspelling Ad NAUSEAM (not -UM) all these years.

Does anyone actually say MEASURING STICKS instead of 'rulers' nowadays? Quilters use a lot of rulers, the occasional MEASURING *tape*, and many sharp implements (rotary cutters, scissors, stilettos, pins, needles)....in other words, don't mess with us.

A work of art! Two writeovers today: homineM/NAUSEAM and didNOT/IAMNOT. Never heard of SEIDEL before. And I have to admit that I blanched at the clue for MADD.

Loved the puzzle, though it defeated me, just barely. 22A jumped out at me, asking me for an answer. I debated between NOW and SAY. Then I forgot all about it, and went to TET/TENTH to get started in the south, and by the time I got to the north, I wrote in ICOSO too fast. Looking at .OY for 22A, I guessed HOY/HEIDEL (must have been thinking about HEIDELBERG) and now, to steal from Adlai Stevenson, I'm too old to cry and too ashamed to laugh.

So many STAX that at first I thought I would never finish, but the top stack came quickly and then the bottom, and then the middle fell into place. I never heard ALL UP or SEIDEL. My first thought for 29D was tennis and wanted 'aces' instead of TIPS.
Daughter recently appeared in a show with a wonderful dancer/actress who happens to be MISHA's daughter so, of course, I introduced mine to MISHA by way of The Turning Point. I'm sure he is still amazing.

Deb says, "a triple stacked, double-triple with a quad stack." This sounds like an extremely difficult, tricky dive to me. In that case, I say Martin gets a 10 and a gold medal.

Thank you to the Marvelous, Amazing wordSmith. Yes, this was "interesting and entertaining"and, to me, mind-boggling. Bravo!

I don't think we've seen one of these in a while (and I was kind of under the impression that they were on the outs). Different kind of solving experience - chip away at the downs - if you don't see a long answer, you at least see some likely letter patterns. Then a couple more downs; one of the long answers finally dawns on you and then, usually, not long after that the flood gates open.

I note that other than the slightly punny clue for 1a, all the stack answers were clued quite straightforwardly and all of them were reasonably in the language. Didn't mean that I got any of them without some work, but they were all workable.

I thought it was cute to have STAX at the end of one of the stacks.

Note to DL regarding my weather report. Turns out our cold front is slightly later than expected. The actual official forecast for today: Low 67. High 67. I was pretty sure that's not possible and lo and behold it's about 62 right now. I guess the official low is pegged to the temp at sunrise. Not sure I understand those rules.

As noted by Deb, experience counts when heading into the stacks. One thinks what would Martin do and how might Will edit. Then one has to check to ensure one is not overthinking the puzzle.

I recently reread 1984 so I was thinking of new speak and other themes from the book.... as opposed to the statement the author was making. I was saved by OCULI. Got that one from a neuron firing as a result of a very old copy of the Whole Earth Catalog found in a box and now sitting in my bathroom.

My solves follow ALICE's rabbit hole.

Off to get an oil change and new brake pads.

Thanks Martin

Three triples and a quadruple. That's a STAX record!

I was sure that the old hands would rate this as an easy Friday, because even I managed to solve it – pleasantly, but not easily – with nary a look-up. My failure to consult Google for unknown names (14D and 15D) cost me two wrong squares. I had THis instead of THAT at the end of 16A. If I had bothered to look up KANE, I would have heard the Happy Music.

The top stack came with relative ease, the bottom stack was filled more slowly’ and the quadruple stack in the middle gave me the most trouble, even though SLEEPLESS NIGHTS was the first long entry that I filled in.

I needed a post-solve look-up of the Superbowl contestants to figure out the clue to 65D. PETA must have been relieved that the Broncos ultimately fought off the Panthers and escaped the fate hinted at in 38A.

Very enjoyable romp, with the long ones providing a refreshing stretch.
Deb, I think you were overthinking the Take home clue. No baseball. Just taking something home, say, from a store, without paying. There's no such expression in baseball, and anyway it's home plate, not home base.

Alas, Martin, I am sorry you are not here tonight to celebrate, albeit there is still work to be done. I wish to dedicate tonight to Edward G. Robinson.

So, we have a Saturday puzzle by MA-S with a quad and two trips. Actually, it wasn't that hard. So I want to wish MA-S a Happy Thanksgiving. 10 days ago.

Now, I will retire to the Rex Blog where MA-s and Rex usually don't see eye to eye.

and Elke
I print out later week puzzles on Across Lite. So, when I saw this big empty grid with only 32 darker squares, I thought that this used very little print ink/toner-I APPRECIATE THAT.
Then I saw that it was by M A-S, fellow FNN from across the STRAIT OF Juan de FUCA, if you are on the way to SLEEPLESS NIGHTS in Seattle, or STRAIT OF Georgia if heading to Mainland and Vancouver.
I TESTED THE WATERS, starting on the bottom. Had gnu before A** and was thinking I-RATECut before -CAP.
Am curious about the phrase I COULD EAT A HORSE , since horse meat is not generally on the American diet. It is in Europe, though. But I won't PURSUE THE MATTER.
As NOTED already, the picture of TET celebrants is of lions, not dragons. Since they are made of paper, PETA probably approves.
Thanks for a fun puzzle with some NIFTY clues.

very good Saturday. In my wheelhouse was tete,Strait of Medssina MADD and steal hoe. Last thing was to correct spelling of nauseam!

It was through the STRAIT OF MESSINA that Ulysses sailed. Today there is a town on its toe side named Scilla, but no Charybdis opposite it.

The long entries make a puzzle easier but so much more fun.

All these years I've been spelling ad NAUSEAM with a U for the A.

MEASURING STICKS recalled to my mind the "meter stick" that my mother, who was also one of my 7th grade teachers, kept in her classroom as an instrument for spanking back in the days when such a punishment was commonplace. Actually a half-meter in length, it was twice as thick as a typical yardstick, somewhat narrower, hard and rigid with not a hint of flex, as if it had been designed for easy leverage to lay down stinging swats on adolescent behinds.

Needless to say, I TESTED THE WATERS in her class, and she duly LAID IT ON THE LINE. "Next time you don't have your homework, you'll get a spanking." Not long after that, I didn't, having told her the night before that I did. So she made good her warning. Just what it was that she TORE TO BITS with that meter stick (not literally, mind you)...well, I won't PURSUE THE MATTER. (Of course, there's 48a...but best we DO NOT GO there.)

Nowadays, this sort of punishment sounds a bit like TOTALITARIANISM, and I'm not advocating for the return of this type of discipline. But looking back, I APPRECIATE THAT it was appropriate in the circumstance, and in keeping with the times.

Very quick start to an easy Friday completion. A knowledge of Italian geography made 17a my second entry. ICOSO for ICOSA tripped me up. The latter as entered in the puzzle is preferred, but ICOSOhedron is a variant.

Stacks do not seem to make a crossword more difficult, but are esthetically more satisfying. By the way, the photo in the column is of LIONS, not DRAGONS. LIONS are handled with one person at the head and one at the tail. A DRAGON has dozens of people in a long line creating a slithering effect with their movement.

Fairly quick Friday for me. I loved the clue for CHILDBIRTH. That and SONAR made my wife and son groan, which is always worthwhile. Thanks.

I persisted with yesterday's palindrome RegEx until I got all 530 of them! I had to combine 1-13 letters with 14-21 letters in a single search to avoid the server timeout. I had already checked for 22 and 23 letter entries and found none. I did find two single-letter palindromes. One is a T and the other may be hidden in Jeff Chen's personal list. BTW, the T is somewhat questionable.

http://tinyurl.com/hsg4kt9

There is a button to get information on regular expressions when you reach the Xword Info Finder page with any of my RegEx tinyurls. It's near the top and called [Show Instructions]. It will give you some basic info and a couple of links. Beware that the site with the tutorial uses the Perl dialect of RegEx, not .NET that is used on Xword Info. The basic differences are few, however.

One of the fastest -- and most enjoyable -- Fridays I've ever encountered. Lots of fun with the long entries, which seemed to be sitting in my wheelhouse (as I PILOTed through the STRAIT Of MESSINA). One nit: I would have appreciated a "?" for the 60A clue, because the entry has two distinct meanings in finance, neither of which deal with legal interest rates.

O MAN, I APPRECIATE THAT.

For me the only Shirley connection to Goldfinger was Bassey. Try as I might I couldn't fit it in. Had to look it up to see if she spelled her name differently- that gave me the correct answer and from there it was off to the races.

These are such fun to do, but they usually go by way too quickly. (Or else I bog down completely in a hopeless dead end). Today I found the top and center stacks to be quite easy, but then I had to struggle a bit with the bottom one.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS and STRAIT OF MESSINA were the first long answers in place. Most of 1 through 15 down filled in quickly, although I didn't know EATON and SPAT took a while. The two long downs also took longer. I didn't notice ALL UP for hopeless and don't quite get it; I also never heard of a SEIDEL. But I'm not much of a beer drinker.

The bottom stack was slower--I started out with ALIT and A WIRE and TENTH and ENTRE and had to work from there. I had MUCH before MANY before MOST but finally got there, and that was the key to the long acrosses. But I typed in INTEREST RATE CUT, so then I had to go back and find that problem.

Maybe not quite as much fun as a washtub full of otters, but it was good.