Curious as to why Deb would have thought of "doggy" for "stray calf" (8D)? The most common spelling for a stray calf is "dogie", pronounced with a hard "g". And of course a "doge" was a Venetian ruler, long before it was a Shiba Inu....
I've been chewing on that one since reading Deb's column. I got a crick in my neck trying to follow how she got from the orphaned little DOGY to the little doggie that I'd never known had a nickname.
I wasn't disturbed by the "var." because I never knew whether DOGY or DOGIE was the preferred spelling.
I wasn't disturbed by the "var." because I never knew whether DOGY or DOGIE was the preferred spelling.
1
Don't trip over a DOGY on your trips to the lobby, Deadline.
I grew up in the UK but I remember being taught a 'cowboy' song with the hook line "Git along li'l dogies" and our (very British) music teacher trying to explain that a DOGY was a calf. I never quite believed him.
ETH filled in from the crosswords and it still took me a moment to figure out the clue. A kinder editor might have given, "Ending of the King James Bible?"
Same for MISREADS, I had no clue what the clue meant until I read the comments here!
Same for MISREADS, I had no clue what the clue meant until I read the comments here!
2
Very nice Friday puzzle. Seemed very hard at first, with ANYTHING ELSE not fitting, but then ROUGHS IT led to the upper right, then the lower right (where _HF were my first letters), then the upper left, and then the ice finally thawed when OH, SO replaced OVER, finishing sooner than expected at first. Didn't know HAMA or MEGAN or RONAN or LIEGEMAN or that loyalists settled in the BAHAMAS. Liked seeing ECOSYSTEMS and AMBULATORY and NATHAN and OH, SO and GOO. Thought HAREM was awfully close to SATYR. Not sure why "Many a large desk or sofa" is an ELL, not knowing that definition of the word.
Also, thought I'd mention that the stickler in me greatly appreciates when the word FORTE, if used to mean "strength," is pronounced with one syllable rather than two.
"Many a large desk or sofa" is L-shaped.
"'Many a large desk or sofa' is L-shaped."
True, which is why I wouldn't have flinched if the clue had been "Sofa or desk shape."
True, which is why I wouldn't have flinched if the clue had been "Sofa or desk shape."
Martin, nice puzzle.
NATHAN's is mostly an eastern U.S. (and Kazakhstan) chain, but it must be the old NYer in me because that was the first (first) name that came to mind for 25A. Its Coney Island hot dog-eating contest does make the news at times.
When I think of Oscar Mayer, I think of the jingle we grew up with: "I wish I was an Oscar Mayer weiner." It was quite a catchy tune. But the all-time winning weiner jingle has to be this one:
Hot dogs, Armour Hot Dogs,
What kind of kids eat Armour Hot Dogs?
Fat kids, skinny kids, kids that climb on rocks,
Tough kids, sissy kids, even kids with chicken pox
Love hot dogs, Armour Hot Dogs,
The dogs kids love to bite.
Yes, even 'sissy kids.' They sure don't make jingles like they used to.
BTW, here in the West there's another big name in hot dogs. I don't eat hot dogs much anymore but I'll have one when I'm at Dodger Stadium. They're made by Farmer John.
When I think of Oscar Mayer, I think of the jingle we grew up with: "I wish I was an Oscar Mayer weiner." It was quite a catchy tune. But the all-time winning weiner jingle has to be this one:
Hot dogs, Armour Hot Dogs,
What kind of kids eat Armour Hot Dogs?
Fat kids, skinny kids, kids that climb on rocks,
Tough kids, sissy kids, even kids with chicken pox
Love hot dogs, Armour Hot Dogs,
The dogs kids love to bite.
Yes, even 'sissy kids.' They sure don't make jingles like they used to.
BTW, here in the West there's another big name in hot dogs. I don't eat hot dogs much anymore but I'll have one when I'm at Dodger Stadium. They're made by Farmer John.
3
Post-solve I realized why I had been so married to the idea of OSCAR as the first name in hot dogs. It was because I was remembering the jingle, but, alas, for the wrong product:
My bologna has a first name.
It's O-S-C-A-R.
My bolognia has a second mae.
It's M-A-Y-E-R.
My bologna has a first name.
It's O-S-C-A-R.
My bolognia has a second mae.
It's M-A-Y-E-R.
1
Late to the party today. I almost finished before my French class, but got completely stuck in the SW. My first fill was Shelley, loved that clue. I'm glad MISREAD was explained so I wouldn't have to embarrass myself by saying I didn't understand it ( oh, I guess I've just done that)
It hasn't taken me 7 hours to finish the SW, I've been watching one of the best tennis matches I've seen for a long time, having recorded the Nadal/Dimitrov match.
Like others I had to look up the actresses, but no little triangles for me today, very unusual for a Friday.
Definitely a fun Friday.
It hasn't taken me 7 hours to finish the SW, I've been watching one of the best tennis matches I've seen for a long time, having recorded the Nadal/Dimitrov match.
Like others I had to look up the actresses, but no little triangles for me today, very unusual for a Friday.
Definitely a fun Friday.
5
Something is AMISS, because for the life of me I can't figure out the connection between "Flat, e.g.: Abbr." and the answer RES. Anyone?
Flat as in apt., where many urbanites and suburban citizens reside.
Try as I would, nothing was able to AMELIORATE my angst in the SW; you could say I had my head stuck in my navel. Nobleman/LIEGEMAN and in tune/ARIOSE would PERSIST and in the end despite getting PRIZE FIGHT bowled over my effort. The remaining 3/4's of the grid was relatively clean with write overs needed at 15a (made a bobble there) and overlooking BIO and accepting bwo (?), so sure was I of the errant 'bowled over.'...Syd NATHAN founded King Records, an indy label that represented a wide and varied number of artists. Syd is in Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer wing. Hoping to avoid the wrecking ball, there's a group attempting to acquire the King Records site with intentions of converting the abandoned and deteriorating structure into a museum and recording studio. For the moment the demolition plans are legally on hold...This clip only scrapes the surface of Syd's publishing activity in the music world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMpYkTL9BDA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMpYkTL9BDA
3
I'm curious about how other solvers work. I jump around the grid right from the start, looking for gimmes to get a toehold, but I have one friend who proceeds very methodically, starting at 1A and filling in all the across words she can, then moving on to the downs. Also, I mainly do the puzzle online now, but when I do one in print, I must use an erasable pen - pencil makes a mark too light for me to see clearly, and regular pen...I wouldn't dare to fill in half the squares if I didn't know I could erase when needed.
2
Kep, when I did the puzzles on paper, I'd start out by going through looking for toeholds for the top third of the puzzle or so, then work in clusters to fill in from what I'd started. Now that I usually do them online, I start with 1A and go through acrosses, sometimes looking at downs at the same time--this more usually from midweek through Saturday. Earlier in the week I'm likely to go straight through acrosses, then straight through downs, then fill in as needed. But I'm not always consistent!
I like to latch onto the gimmes when and where ever they present themselves. The rule of thumb I use is "take the answers I know and proceed from there." Regardless, I still must wield that axe with caution as trip-ups and slip-ups can occur at any given moment. My first answer today was EDYS. As a teenaged ice cream truck bell ringer, I naturally hone in on all things ice cream.
1
Dead-tree solver, in ink (switched over from pencil at some point during the last 36 years, as my confidence and skill set grew). I jump around the grid, looking for gimmes, regardless of the day of the week.
I had a fairly easy time with 9/10ths of today's puzzle. The NW came together very quickly, followed by the SE (I saw the current movie "Loving" a couple weeks ago, which made 49A a gimme). But I MADEABOOBOO in the SW, with GOFIRST sitting atop ARIOSO. That stymied me for a while, until I remembered that PIMIENTO has to 'I's, so PIMSONTO wasn't right, after all.
Oceanside was the home to the second-ever NATHAN's restaurant. We've still got one, although the location has changed.
Combine 34A and 20A (as the clues did) and we get "MOVE AWAY," which the last U.S. Top 20 hit for Boy George and Culture Club, in 1986:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrW5npr5fk8
Oceanside was the home to the second-ever NATHAN's restaurant. We've still got one, although the location has changed.
Combine 34A and 20A (as the clues did) and we get "MOVE AWAY," which the last U.S. Top 20 hit for Boy George and Culture Club, in 1986:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrW5npr5fk8
1
Interesting fact about Oceanside and Nathan's, Jimbo. Made me think of the parallel that I teach my students - it's not agreeing on the downbeat that puts us in tempo, it's agreeing on the second beat. The second Nathan's is arguably the "beginning" of the chain, since the first by itself was just another hot dog place.
1
commented before and will again. I think Friday and Saturday puzzles are, by design, getting easier. The rejoinder to this came from, I think, Barry Ancona, who said that people on this forum would complain if the puzzles were too simple. Maybe. One thing's sure: no one here would complain that they were too difficult, but this is a tiny sub-segment of puzzlers, and there are other avenues to Shortz. I can well imagine some groaning from other puzzlers about past Saturdays, many of which were, for me, virtually impenetrable.
1
I was so pleased to have thought of BIVOUACS at 10d. Oh, well. And having lived awhile in England's fen country, we thought fens and moors were very different until Martin's clarification. Had to look up all the actresses today, as well as the romance writer. A challenge, but a good one.
2
Hmmm. 42A Moors-- high, rolling hills or 'downs'--are usually dryish grasslands. FENS are marshy areas, are they not? Wetlands are usually rather low. How did this one get past the checkers? Help me out here...
My thanks to General Bradley and Mary, wife of Percy B., for their help with this solve!
Today's interesting fact: elephant seals have HAREMS--none of that 'mate for life' monogamy nonsense for them!
PIMINENTO for Red stuffing? gets my vote for best clue.
Onward!
My thanks to General Bradley and Mary, wife of Percy B., for their help with this solve!
Today's interesting fact: elephant seals have HAREMS--none of that 'mate for life' monogamy nonsense for them!
PIMINENTO for Red stuffing? gets my vote for best clue.
Onward!
2
Et tu, MOL?
In an earlier comment, I cited the two senses of "moor" per the MW11:
1: chiefly British : an expanse of open rolling infertile land
2: a boggy area; especially : one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges
"Fen" is very close to sense 2:
low land that is covered wholly or partly with water unless artificially drained and that usually has peaty alkaline soil and characteristic flora (as of sedges and reeds)
In an earlier comment, I cited the two senses of "moor" per the MW11:
1: chiefly British : an expanse of open rolling infertile land
2: a boggy area; especially : one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges
"Fen" is very close to sense 2:
low land that is covered wholly or partly with water unless artificially drained and that usually has peaty alkaline soil and characteristic flora (as of sedges and reeds)
This one played hard to get, even though I had only two writeovers: web/NET and prizeFIGHT/TITLEFIGHT. Slow and interesting all the way.
2
While solving I kept writing the answers I loved in the margin. These included all of Deb's mentions: MADEABOOBOO, OPENBORDERS, STARTERHOME, ROUGHSIT, NAVELGAZES and TITLEFIGHT plus ANYTHINGBUT, BOILEDOVER,
SOTHERE, GOFORIT, AMBULATORY and STARTERHOME. I can't remember when my margins have been so full of fun, fresh answers on a Friday!
Thank you, John Guzzetta!
SOTHERE, GOFORIT, AMBULATORY and STARTERHOME. I can't remember when my margins have been so full of fun, fresh answers on a Friday!
Thank you, John Guzzetta!
4
Loved this one! I only had to look up the two actresses.
BTW, dogy is an acceptable variant, but the original is not doggy, it's dogie.
Strictly a cowboy word.
BTW, dogy is an acceptable variant, but the original is not doggy, it's dogie.
Strictly a cowboy word.
6
ABE, then 'fin', then ABE for good. MADE An error, before A BOO BOO. 'Prize' before TITLE FIGHT and 'force' before FORTE. Great start to the day. Usually, it's 'Nothing but net' -- today we have the crossing of ANYTHING BUT NET.
1
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and that's exactly how my solve felt today. I almost never finish a Friday without at least a few failed checks, and I did hit 'check' several times today, but much to my surprise all my guesses turned out to be right. This was also one of those days when the correct answer often popped into my head with just a couple of crosses - also rare for me.
I think I had OMAR, SHELLEY and PUGET early on. That wasn't getting me anywhere so I started thinking of possibles/probables. Tentatively went with ABE and MOC and immediately thought of AMBULATORY and ECOSYSTEM (with the SHELLEY crossing below helping on both) and I was off and running.
"Stem to stern' led to the best 'aha' moment as I did completely misread it as 'stem to stem' the first time. All I could think of was 'pollinates,' which of course didn't fit and was also iffy with the clue, but I thought - well, maybe in the world of Friday. I rarely carefully reread a clue, but this time I did and finally saw it.
AMBULATORY is very common in military medical settings. I imagine it's common in the civilian medical world too - I just don't recall ever hearing it there (in person at least). I remember being completely confused the first time I heard it as I couldn't understand how that related to 'ambulance.' Maybe someday I'll go look it up.
I think I had OMAR, SHELLEY and PUGET early on. That wasn't getting me anywhere so I started thinking of possibles/probables. Tentatively went with ABE and MOC and immediately thought of AMBULATORY and ECOSYSTEM (with the SHELLEY crossing below helping on both) and I was off and running.
"Stem to stern' led to the best 'aha' moment as I did completely misread it as 'stem to stem' the first time. All I could think of was 'pollinates,' which of course didn't fit and was also iffy with the clue, but I thought - well, maybe in the world of Friday. I rarely carefully reread a clue, but this time I did and finally saw it.
AMBULATORY is very common in military medical settings. I imagine it's common in the civilian medical world too - I just don't recall ever hearing it there (in person at least). I remember being completely confused the first time I heard it as I couldn't understand how that related to 'ambulance.' Maybe someday I'll go look it up.
3
Rich,
1. It's quite popular in the civilian sector. You may know it by another name.
"Outpatient surgery, also known as ambulatory surgery, same-day surgery, day case, or day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay."
2. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ambulation
1. It's quite popular in the civilian sector. You may know it by another name.
"Outpatient surgery, also known as ambulatory surgery, same-day surgery, day case, or day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay."
2. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ambulation
2
Barry, as I said, I suspected it was not uncommon in civilian settings - I just don't recall the term ever being used within my hearing; I wonder if it's considered a bit more of a 'technical' term in that universe, whereas it was pervasive in the military. Or it could just be the vagaries of my experience.
It also dawned on me after I posted that the clue is not exactly correct. If you can get into a wheelchair, for example, you're not 'bedridden' but you're still not ambulatory.
It also dawned on me after I posted that the clue is not exactly correct. If you can get into a wheelchair, for example, you're not 'bedridden' but you're still not ambulatory.
Rich,
(1) Here is their trade association.
http://www.ascassociation.org/home
(2) I certainly don't expect end-of-the-week clues to be "exactly correct" (e.g., While it would certainly be there for a candidate or a new CEO, you are unlikely to find a BIO as "Part of a press kit" for, say, a new product introduction).
(1) Here is their trade association.
http://www.ascassociation.org/home
(2) I certainly don't expect end-of-the-week clues to be "exactly correct" (e.g., While it would certainly be there for a candidate or a new CEO, you are unlikely to find a BIO as "Part of a press kit" for, say, a new product introduction).
15A about sums it up. Two As in NAVEL (nope), correct arrangement of the letters in PIMIENTOS (nope) and vibe for VIOL even when as I entered it in I knew I had 15A.
Having lived in Boston the FEN/moors relationship was clear. The rest of the fill was solid and fun.
My 53A was in Pasadena. The two bedroom bungalow was $26,000 and sat on a tree lined street on the Altadena border. A pandemonium of parrots called the back yard's Chinese Elm home. Ahh those were the days.
Thanks John
Having lived in Boston the FEN/moors relationship was clear. The rest of the fill was solid and fun.
My 53A was in Pasadena. The two bedroom bungalow was $26,000 and sat on a tree lined street on the Altadena border. A pandemonium of parrots called the back yard's Chinese Elm home. Ahh those were the days.
Thanks John
Having lived in Boston, I found the FEN/moors relationship especially confusing! Clearly, YMMV.
A challenging and invigorating puzzle, just right for Friday. A couple of name look-ups (RONAN, HAMA); the rest were familiar. Two bad guesses slowed down the solve: In the SW, ITS ON ME before GO FOR IT; in the NE, FIN before ABE. It took a while before I figured out that the clue to 28A refers to typology.
2
Hi Peter,
Welcome to Wordplay.
I suspect that you're right. Experience with British-style crosswords will make American-style weekend misdirection, when rigor is sometime sacrificed (but never accuracy), seem a bit odd.
If you check your Collegiate, you'll see "moor" has two senses:
1: chiefly British : an expanse of open rolling infertile land
2 a boggy area; especially : one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges
Sense 2 matches "fen" pretty closely.
Welcome to Wordplay.
I suspect that you're right. Experience with British-style crosswords will make American-style weekend misdirection, when rigor is sometime sacrificed (but never accuracy), seem a bit odd.
If you check your Collegiate, you'll see "moor" has two senses:
1: chiefly British : an expanse of open rolling infertile land
2 a boggy area; especially : one that is peaty and dominated by grasses and sedges
Sense 2 matches "fen" pretty closely.
2
Missed this on the first pass. I did go to an online dictionary without finding any equal and opposite definition. I've never seen the latter usage in many years of reading.
I'm new at this, and have never done a Friday before, though I did formerly love to do cryptics. Here I had some issues with clue phrasing, which didn't always seem quite as rigorous as it should be, and a couple of definitions, which seemed off (or amiss), though perhaps this is a product of coming from a different background as a puzzler.
In particular, making caves part of the clue for 'ecosystems' felt a tad random; moors and fens should be quite distinct (heaths vs. virtual swamps); viols come in all sizes, and I at least often think of a bass viol; the 'stem to stern' wording seemed slightly self-indulgent (would probably be fairer as 'change from' or the like than 'go from').
But I loved 'Bahamas,' since I'd kept wanting it to be 'Halifax,' and enjoyed 'oh so,' and 'title fight,' which resisted me till the end, since I'd also kept wanting 'go for it' to be 'go ahead' or even 'go crazy.' But 'ariose' must be a word conventionally resorted to in these puzzles? Since it's not even in my Collegiate, which made it pretty tough one to come up with.
Anyway, I did enjoy this, and hope Saturday will be even more resistant but doable. Thanks!
In particular, making caves part of the clue for 'ecosystems' felt a tad random; moors and fens should be quite distinct (heaths vs. virtual swamps); viols come in all sizes, and I at least often think of a bass viol; the 'stem to stern' wording seemed slightly self-indulgent (would probably be fairer as 'change from' or the like than 'go from').
But I loved 'Bahamas,' since I'd kept wanting it to be 'Halifax,' and enjoyed 'oh so,' and 'title fight,' which resisted me till the end, since I'd also kept wanting 'go for it' to be 'go ahead' or even 'go crazy.' But 'ariose' must be a word conventionally resorted to in these puzzles? Since it's not even in my Collegiate, which made it pretty tough one to come up with.
Anyway, I did enjoy this, and hope Saturday will be even more resistant but doable. Thanks!
3
I really disliked ARIOSE. First time I've seen it but I've only been doing this consistently for a few years.
1
Today's is the 74th appearance of ARIOSE in the Times crossword. The first was in 1944. The 73rd was last month (Sunday, December 7.)
I'm actually surprised it didn't make the cut for the desk dictionary. It's in the M-W unabridged. But if it's crosswordese, it's one worth learning.
I'm actually surprised it didn't make the cut for the desk dictionary. It's in the M-W unabridged. But if it's crosswordese, it's one worth learning.
2
Ariose was also properly clued - this time...
good puzzle. liked misreads clue. Went to Nathan's on Coney Island for the first time this Sept on a tour of Brooklyn. Had fried clams instead of a hot dog! very good. Liked the beach too.
1
The closest Nathan's to me is in Las Vegas. There are two in Kazakhstan. Go figure.
Martin,
A lot of restaurant chains won't expand into California--too many restrictions on business.
A lot of restaurant chains won't expand into California--too many restrictions on business.
Martin,
The clue references the hot dog, not the fast food restaurant chain. You can find Nathan's Famous hot dogs at Safeway stores (and other retail outlets) in California.
The clue references the hot dog, not the fast food restaurant chain. You can find Nathan's Famous hot dogs at Safeway stores (and other retail outlets) in California.
1
and Elke
Interesting puzzle.
I suspect that there are many Europeans that now think they MADE A BOO BOO when they signed up for the Schengen Agreement which created the OPEN BORDERS, and now wished for ANYTHING BUT.
Tried, of course, "Oscar's" and then "Hebrew(National)" before NATHAN's. Would prefer some SEARED tuna with a TOSSED SALAD and some EDYS for dessert (beside this puzzle).
Are there any elephant seals and their HAREMs in PUGET SOUND ? We have seen them further south , on the Oregon Coast. They are a noisy bunch.
Glad I had a RUN AT this puzzle. Not exactly my FORTE, but OHSO fun anyway. Not too much PANE .
Interesting puzzle.
I suspect that there are many Europeans that now think they MADE A BOO BOO when they signed up for the Schengen Agreement which created the OPEN BORDERS, and now wished for ANYTHING BUT.
Tried, of course, "Oscar's" and then "Hebrew(National)" before NATHAN's. Would prefer some SEARED tuna with a TOSSED SALAD and some EDYS for dessert (beside this puzzle).
Are there any elephant seals and their HAREMs in PUGET SOUND ? We have seen them further south , on the Oregon Coast. They are a noisy bunch.
Glad I had a RUN AT this puzzle. Not exactly my FORTE, but OHSO fun anyway. Not too much PANE .
2
I wanted my tuna and scallops SAUTED.
1
Once I got OPEN BORDERS instead of ONE CURRENCY, (which wasn't accurate anyway) this one zipped along at Tuesday speed. But I enjoyed it greatly and agree with Liz about the "stem to stern" clue; very clever. I suppose this means tomorrow's will be a real bear.
3
Hand up for first wanting one currency.
1
I put my money on one currency, too.
1
Me three...or four....for CURRENCY
OMAR was my first entry too. But I got ANYTHING BUT and MADE A BOOBOO fairly quickly. I finished the north first, then the southeast. I finished with the SW corner.
Pretty fast Friday for me.
Pretty fast Friday for me.
3
Not a usual commenter here but I agree. Did this in 10 minutes instead of normal 30 min or more on Friday
2
I commented before and will again. I think Friday and Saturday puzzles are, by design, getting easier. The rejoinder to this came from, I think, Barry Ancona, who said that people on this forum would complain if the puzzles were too simple. Maybe. One thing's sure: no one here would complain that they were too difficult, but this is a tiny sub-segment of puzzlers, and there are other avenues to Shortz. I can well imagine some groaning from other puzzlers about past Saturdays, many of which were, for me, virtually impenetrable.
Do we have to pay 20% more for this crossword because it includes 22d.
6
and Elke
and what about PIMIENTO and PINAS ?
and what about PIMIENTO and PINAS ?
2
It may be used to fund the building of a firewall.
3
Bruvver -- I must have missed that day in macro to get how people in the U.S. paying a 20% tax is having Mexico pay for something.
T&E -- Not PINAS; they're from one of our colonies.
T&E -- Not PINAS; they're from one of our colonies.
2
Fridays are supposed to be themeless, but I'm pleased to see that this one is ANYTHING BUT. We've got OPEN BORDERS; answers are INTERRACIAL; we're concerned with ECOSYSTEMS, FENS and PUGET Sound (but I wonder if the TOT will use that VETO). I might have BOILED OVER, but I thought GO FOR IT, this puzzle will AMELIORATE my bad mood. Let's PERSIST. OLE!
3
Two thing two things, Deb--It's Friday, not Saturday, and a doge is the chief magistrate of Venice or Genoa. But you knew that.
1
Thanks, Steve. I will fix that Saturday.
Also, I didn't know they let dogs into court in Italy.
Also, I didn't know they let dogs into court in Italy.
2
Stem to stern is likely the reason we will never see a .corn on the internet. I often look for that deceptive suffix in what I suspect are spoofed email addresses. I haven't found one yet!
1
Also why you never saw the "FLICK" in DC comics.
1
Puzzle not downloading to iOS apps.
Many very fine clue/fill pairs in this one. Lots to love.
I especially appreciated 28A, since the inability to tell "rn" from "m" in this insane sans serif font the Times adopted a year or so ago is one of my big bugbears. (The capital "J" in the elephant titling font, as in "PROJECTORS" is by far the worst letter in any of the new Times fonts; I really enjoy the Projectors puzzles but shudder when that word appears in print.)
48A is a sad-making clue for a musician. Viols are a family of instruments that come in all sizes from quite small and high-pitched to quite large and low-pitched. The music for viols is written in all clefs, from French violin clef (G clef on the bottom line) to subbass clef (F clef on the top line) and certainly with C clefs on all lines of the staff. The modern use of the alto clef is fairly well restricted to the VIOLA, a member of the Violin family, not the Viol family. Viol is not a synonym for Viola! The only modern descendant of the Viol family is the Bass Viol (Double Bass / Contrabass), and it reads bass clef as a transposing instrument. Conclusion: the clue features alternative facts.
In earlier music, when Viols were more common, there was great flexibility about which clef was used, generally in an attempt to keep the notes on the staff as far as possible and avoid the use of more than one leger line (spell checker gave me a red underline for the correct spelling of leger, btw).
I especially appreciated 28A, since the inability to tell "rn" from "m" in this insane sans serif font the Times adopted a year or so ago is one of my big bugbears. (The capital "J" in the elephant titling font, as in "PROJECTORS" is by far the worst letter in any of the new Times fonts; I really enjoy the Projectors puzzles but shudder when that word appears in print.)
48A is a sad-making clue for a musician. Viols are a family of instruments that come in all sizes from quite small and high-pitched to quite large and low-pitched. The music for viols is written in all clefs, from French violin clef (G clef on the bottom line) to subbass clef (F clef on the top line) and certainly with C clefs on all lines of the staff. The modern use of the alto clef is fairly well restricted to the VIOLA, a member of the Violin family, not the Viol family. Viol is not a synonym for Viola! The only modern descendant of the Viol family is the Bass Viol (Double Bass / Contrabass), and it reads bass clef as a transposing instrument. Conclusion: the clue features alternative facts.
In earlier music, when Viols were more common, there was great flexibility about which clef was used, generally in an attempt to keep the notes on the staff as far as possible and avoid the use of more than one leger line (spell checker gave me a red underline for the correct spelling of leger, btw).
5
Hee hee hee
Speak of the devil - there's a Projectors puzzle this weekend!
Speak of the devil - there's a Projectors puzzle this weekend!
David, what drives me mad about this font is the inability to distinguish l's from I's. (The first is a lowercase L, the second a capital i.)
1
David,
Look out for Jerome Kern.
Look out for Jerome Kern.
Quite secondary to what I think of the puzzle, I do hope that Deadline is now fully AMBULATORY.
11
Progress is being made, Barry. Thank you.
I've been down to the lobby again. And I've taken the recycling down the hall. The pain is abating, slowly, and balance is improving. I'm hoping to be able to tackle the great outdoors maybe Sunday.
I've been down to the lobby again. And I've taken the recycling down the hall. The pain is abating, slowly, and balance is improving. I'm hoping to be able to tackle the great outdoors maybe Sunday.
2
Puzzle not downloading in iPhone app. Margaret Miller - what is happening ? I called the NYT help line, and they now have no record of my account. How about some old fashioned techniques like follow up ? This is really LOWRENT handling of problems not of the user's making. What say ye Miller ?
I really enjoyed the "stem to stern" clue, since in the typeface used in the online puzzle, it's almost impossible to tell stem from stern. I just typed that, and looking at them, I can't tell them apart at normal reading distance.
More seriously, it was nice to see Mary SHELLEY mentioned.
The NE corner solved immediately, but I had to work a little harder for the rest of it. It was fun to see NAVEL GAZING and AMELIORATE appear down the west side. I've seen many Tami HOAG books on library shelves, but have never looked at them and didn't realize they were romances. And I always think of moors as being high, open, possibly rocky places, not swampy ones. Why are moors FENS?
Git along, little DOGY!
More seriously, it was nice to see Mary SHELLEY mentioned.
The NE corner solved immediately, but I had to work a little harder for the rest of it. It was fun to see NAVEL GAZING and AMELIORATE appear down the west side. I've seen many Tami HOAG books on library shelves, but have never looked at them and didn't realize they were romances. And I always think of moors as being high, open, possibly rocky places, not swampy ones. Why are moors FENS?
Git along, little DOGY!
4
Liz,
Or you could get a dachshund.
Or you could get a dachshund.
4
Let's hear with Yosemite Sam has to say on the subject of getting a long little DOGY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1KU0BWwRvw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1KU0BWwRvw
2
Didn't know RONAN Soarise or Mie HAMA. The former was gettable from the crosses. The latter contributed to my mess.
Everything had gone so smoothly, and was all filled in -- I even remembered Tami HOAG -- until I got to 53A. The clue made me think of "money pit," and I was looking for a similar term. At first I debated between CHA and CAN, but I got both 49A and 55A, so that settled that. So 53A ended in HO?E. Must be HOLE, right?
So I looked at the remaining D crosses and entered FORCE at 42D and HEN'S at 44D. Made sense to me. But when MHP declined to appear, I didn't have much doubt where to find my problem(s): somewhere in that curious STANCER HOLE.
Finally saw the light about HERS instead of HEN'S, which reminded me of the phrase STARTER HOME. I fixed the rest of the mess and Mr. Pencil gleefully joined me.
A memory: The first wedding I attended after the Loving decision (very shortly afterward, in fact) was both INTERRACIAL *and* celebrated in Virginia.
I really loved all the long entries, and was especially chuffed by the stem/stern clue.
Thanks to all.