and Elke'
Leapy- was also hung up on SAFE HARBOR. Wanted 'SAFE HAVEN' - a book by Ruth Gruber. The book chronicles the story of the ONLY boatload of refugees to be allowed into the US during WW2. The passengers (<1000) were interned for the remainder of the War in a camp in Oswego, NY.
Leapy- was also hung up on SAFE HARBOR. Wanted 'SAFE HAVEN' - a book by Ruth Gruber. The book chronicles the story of the ONLY boatload of refugees to be allowed into the US during WW2. The passengers (<1000) were interned for the remainder of the War in a camp in Oswego, NY.
1
Not happy about "rinseout" for "de-suds" -- I am forever telling my husband how important it is to ensure grammatical alignment between clue and answer. I had "rinses" in place, and spent many long minutes trying to think of a 2-letter word that might appropriately follow.
1
Good morning Victoria (my middle name)!
I took that final S as the pluralization of SUDS, since it's odd to visualize a singular SUD.
I de-suds, you de-suds, we all de-suds together. As if.
I took that final S as the pluralization of SUDS, since it's odd to visualize a singular SUD.
I de-suds, you de-suds, we all de-suds together. As if.
5
I got the theme and actually figured out that it is a rebus puzzle which is an improvement for me. The first rebus square I filled in was post in poster child. This led to my filling all the corners with "post" since I thought it would be the same word in all of them (silly me) only to be completely stumped. My other gripe is de-suds. Added the s to Rinse. No fair. Oh, and ovaltine has never been a popular drink in my book. But I should not complain, I am learning.
1
I had house car and house seats for the upper left, close enoough, when one considers those giant vehicles that are houses on wheels.
Had to do 7 lookups for some of the arcane cluiing. Oh well.
Quiibble: regarding 9A, I do not believe goalposts get kicked, whiich is what seems to be implied. I think "Scorer's target" would have been the better clue.
Had to do 7 lookups for some of the arcane cluiing. Oh well.
Quiibble: regarding 9A, I do not believe goalposts get kicked, whiich is what seems to be implied. I think "Scorer's target" would have been the better clue.
1
Loved this!
2
me too! I was really frustrated for a few minutes but once I figured the theme out, it was doable. I liked it a lot.
1
I surprised myself by completely failing to get the #1 square. I had the other three corners well in hand, in fact the whole puzzle filled, except for that square. In desperation I tried an alphabet run and of course that was over instantly, with B giving me MHP and stopping the AL timer. And I still didn't get it! The only word I could think of was Best SEATS but that worked with neither 1A nor the office theme. A total blackout for me. So I went to one of the internet puzzle clue places - and to my chagrin, they informed me that the correct answer to 1A was BCAR! I had to come here to have my huge doh moment. I'm still reeling. Talk about thinking outside the BOX!
To add insult to injury, I didn't understand OAR until I read the comments either. The traditional meaning of rebus puzzle is now buried so deep in memory that it didn't occur to me.
And that, Zachary Spitz, is how it's done. Bravo.
To add insult to injury, I didn't understand OAR until I read the comments either. The traditional meaning of rebus puzzle is now buried so deep in memory that it didn't occur to me.
And that, Zachary Spitz, is how it's done. Bravo.
3
Well, TIL how to access the rebus key on my iPhone.
1
Well done, Alan! *Virtual high-five*
1
So fun- I am in the rebus lover group . I did not read all 118 comments as of this POSTing , but did anyone else notice there was a HOME BOX office ( ie HBO ? )
Definitely my favorite corner was ovaltine/ FDA approval .
More please :)
Definitely my favorite corner was ovaltine/ FDA approval .
More please :)
5
Now that you mentioned it...
There is also a POST OFFICE BOX.
And an OVAL OFFICE POST (a la the short-tenured mooch)
There is also a POST OFFICE BOX.
And an OVAL OFFICE POST (a la the short-tenured mooch)
2
I hate it when words get stretched way beyond their original meanings. Archetype is a word used mostly to show people how smart one is but Jung clearly coined the word to refer to and be a symbol for the various, autonomous personalities that he was able to discern that worked in our conscious and unconsciousness minds. Poster child is so far removed from that meaning as to be a crime.
Archetype was around for quite a while meaning exactly what the clue suggests before Jung decided to use it to mean something else.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/archetype
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/archetype
4
Thanks.
Having read through the comments, I am now wondering whether the OAR clue was a little gift or wink directed at the older puzzler set. It's certainly one of those things that is gettable by a small percentage of solvers. I have a vague memory of filling symbols in crosswords, but that was a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
3
I don't think it was a nod to the older set. The clue says rebus puzzle, not rebus *crossword* puzzle, and in any case I doubt a picture of an oar would have appeared in an old crossword. There are plenty of rebus puzzles online for youngsters like our constructor to solve.
1
But surely, at least as a child, you had occasion to do non-XWP rebus puzzles.
Non?
Non?
Non. Or none. I do have a vague memory of what I am pretty sure were NYT puzzles calling for symbols instead of letters in some of the squares. This is probably going back to the 1980s or early 1990s. Do you know whether the Times did anything like that? It's not something that would adapt well to online solving.
Back to Square One. Over and over again. Like Paul, I wanted a four-letter rebus, for the sheer beauty of it. But alas. Had to BOX my brain a bit before I could POST.
A real workout for a Thursday — which made it all the more enjoyable. My crossword friend and I slowly got first FUN HOME (as a fan of graphic novels, I'd recently looked at it — had no idea it had hit Broadway), then GOAL POSTS, then OVALTINE — at which point having entered an H, P, and O we entertained the possibility of some kind of P-O-S-H theme, but STARBOARD just didn't fit in the upper left corner. Oh yes, sometime during this we got CORNER OFFICE, and then finally hit on BOX OFFICE for the last corner. Phew! (Curious whether anyone found LIE to _not_ fit the clue at 61 across.)
Zachary and Will, please keep 'em coming like this!
Zachary and Will, please keep 'em coming like this!
2
Regarding LIE as clued, count me in.
3
First, thank you, thank you, thank you for an NRA clue with good rather than awful associations.
Thursday is trick day, so I'm always prepared for a rebus. Not disappointed today. (Wouldn't it be fun if trick day were moved around sometimes, so we have the added challenge of discovering the trick?)
OVALTINE/FDA APPROVAL was my favorite rebus crossing. Elegant. Actually, SW was my most difficult area, since I'd never heard of YAKITORI. (I didn't think of "teriyaki"; I try never to think of the nasty sweet stuff.) I had to run the alphabet on PE? before I figured out what the airlines were soaking travelers for. Also, didn't know DIANE Rehm.
But proud of myself for dredging up BRANDI Chastain (eventually).
I was disappointed not to have seen "FUN HOME." Everyone who did see it raved. I don't read "graphic" books, though, so I won't go that route.
Debated GRANT'S vs. LENIN'S tomb. From the same era as Jack PAAR. And MAMIE.
Would have preferred that Gavin McLEOD had been clued with reference to the wonderful "Mary Tyler Moore" show rather than the awful "Love Boat."
When do you like to go to a fish FRY?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBYHr02dM8A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gQ7nUijQc
Thanks all.
Thursday is trick day, so I'm always prepared for a rebus. Not disappointed today. (Wouldn't it be fun if trick day were moved around sometimes, so we have the added challenge of discovering the trick?)
OVALTINE/FDA APPROVAL was my favorite rebus crossing. Elegant. Actually, SW was my most difficult area, since I'd never heard of YAKITORI. (I didn't think of "teriyaki"; I try never to think of the nasty sweet stuff.) I had to run the alphabet on PE? before I figured out what the airlines were soaking travelers for. Also, didn't know DIANE Rehm.
But proud of myself for dredging up BRANDI Chastain (eventually).
I was disappointed not to have seen "FUN HOME." Everyone who did see it raved. I don't read "graphic" books, though, so I won't go that route.
Debated GRANT'S vs. LENIN'S tomb. From the same era as Jack PAAR. And MAMIE.
Would have preferred that Gavin McLEOD had been clued with reference to the wonderful "Mary Tyler Moore" show rather than the awful "Love Boat."
When do you like to go to a fish FRY?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBYHr02dM8A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gQ7nUijQc
Thanks all.
4
Deadline, the book is terrific. I liked it much more than the show--more nuanced and richer. why don't you read graphic memoirs?
"Fun Home" is the only graphic novel I've ever read, and I loved it.
I join eljay and Kristin in suggesting you read FUN HOME, Deadline.
(I'm not a big "graphic novel" reader either)
(I'm not a big "graphic novel" reader either)
Wow, 95 comments and it's not even 11AM EDT. Y'all have been busy.
I always suspect a rebus on Thursday, so I left the 1 box blank until I worked out the reveal. So BOX was my first theme fill. Also didn't know you could spell 11D as AMBIANCE and fussed a bit over the OE or EO in MACLEOD.
The SW was my real bugaboo, however. Like others, I wanted two S's (RINSES) and fixated on OFF instead of OUT. Plus the generic FEE before PET. After a short timeout, the penny dropped on the OVAL square, and done. Nothing relatively easy about it.
Two movie clips built around OVALTINE. First, "Young Frankenstein":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcgEN3CaqXs
Next, the modern holiday classic "A Christmas Story":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RxU-64P4cw
I always suspect a rebus on Thursday, so I left the 1 box blank until I worked out the reveal. So BOX was my first theme fill. Also didn't know you could spell 11D as AMBIANCE and fussed a bit over the OE or EO in MACLEOD.
The SW was my real bugaboo, however. Like others, I wanted two S's (RINSES) and fixated on OFF instead of OUT. Plus the generic FEE before PET. After a short timeout, the penny dropped on the OVAL square, and done. Nothing relatively easy about it.
Two movie clips built around OVALTINE. First, "Young Frankenstein":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcgEN3CaqXs
Next, the modern holiday classic "A Christmas Story":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RxU-64P4cw
1
OT but newsworthy. From the Mets HOME OFFICE in Flushing Queens, filed under the heading 'Too Real To Be Co-Incidence Department': Mets to play in Houston this weekend as Minute Maid Park was not affected by the storm. They are playing two on Saturday (day/night) and one on Sunday, with Friday an off day to iron out all the logistical problems. Starting pitcher for the NY NONET Saturday afternoon is expected to be Matt HARVEY!
3
Factoid: Origin of the name Ovaltine.
"Ovaltine was developed in Bern, Switzerland, where it is known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for "egg," and malt, which were originally its main ingredients)." -- Wikipedia
"Ovaltine was developed in Bern, Switzerland, where it is known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for "egg," and malt, which were originally its main ingredients)." -- Wikipedia
3
BOX SEATS at the ballpark used to go for $3.50. For that price, you got a perch not unlike the rest of the stadium seating but steel railings BOXed you off from others. Added leg room was a by-product of the design. Today's luxury BOXes start at around 2k a head with plush chairs not unlike a Castro Convertible. Some mezzanine level BOXes approach the likes of a garden apartment. The game has changed...I solved this rebus in due time but it was, no LIE, not easy. I was balky as to YAKITORI or Yakinori but I don't think airlines have mustered enough moxie to charge a fee for a pen; PETs pay...LeRoy NEIMAN was a gimme. This is a slide show featuring a few of his animal paintings. I like the two Secretariat's the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRMtuLabI8Y
Bidding August Adieu,
Bru
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRMtuLabI8Y
Bidding August Adieu,
Bru
1
The hen and I loved this puzzle, being big fans of the rebus. HOME first, CORNER OFFICE last.
Did a Thursday from 1994 yesterday afternoon and breezed right through. There was no "trick." An oddity, or are Thursday's treats a Shortz development?
Did a Thursday from 1994 yesterday afternoon and breezed right through. There was no "trick." An oddity, or are Thursday's treats a Shortz development?
Dunno about that, but the puzzles have changed remarkably in content. I did an archive puzzle from 1993 a few days ago. Right down the middle of the grid was the delicious fill GRANDILOQUENTLY.
2
I thought the rebus worked very well, but BOX gave me the most trouble. Anachronisms abounded so the OVALTINE (Was it ever a popular drink? Even in my childhood Bosco or UBet syrups were the choice) and GASOVEN (pilot lights are so 20th century) fills were a little behind the times. Trip down memory lane continued with PAAR, MAMIE, and Love Boat.
Lucky enough to see FUN HOME on Broadway. It was an exceptional production.
Lucky enough to see FUN HOME on Broadway. It was an exceptional production.
4
"More Ovaltine, Mom, PLEASE!"
(Yeah, I know: "I love Bosco...")
(Yeah, I know: "I love Bosco...")
4
Extra good puzzle today. Liked the clues for DEFOE, GAS OVEN, LIE and GROOMER. Had CORNER OFFICE before I had any of the corners. POST, then HOME, with a bit of help OVAL, and then lots of help for BOX.
FDA APPROVAL - Wow! That's awesome.
FDA APPROVAL - Wow! That's awesome.
1
Am I the only one who was bothered by "box car" and "gas oven" in the same puzzle?
7
It was so long before I got BOX, that I didn't notice, but my stomach flipped when they appeared together in one of the comments.
1
Yikes! I didn't see that when working the thing. Good grief! How could that have been missed in editing, in the NYT of all publications?
1
Hi all,
Would you believe that we also get mail from people who think that constructors deliberately arrange the black squares in grids to look like swastikas?
The fact that the two entries are in the same puzzle wasn't missed. The two words have no relation to each other, especially as clued. If this had been a puzzle theme -- which it wouldn't be -- I would say it was an issue. But it's not a theme.
Also, there are boxcars and gas ovens that were not used in conjunction with the Holocaust. They are simply two entries in the same puzzle. It's good to be sensitive, but we should be careful about attributing meaning to coincidences where no meaning exists.
Would you believe that we also get mail from people who think that constructors deliberately arrange the black squares in grids to look like swastikas?
The fact that the two entries are in the same puzzle wasn't missed. The two words have no relation to each other, especially as clued. If this had been a puzzle theme -- which it wouldn't be -- I would say it was an issue. But it's not a theme.
Also, there are boxcars and gas ovens that were not used in conjunction with the Holocaust. They are simply two entries in the same puzzle. It's good to be sensitive, but we should be careful about attributing meaning to coincidences where no meaning exists.
9
This is my third attempt at a comment today. I am trying to spell sucre à la crème with the correct diacritical marks and when I try for the accent grave on crème, my comment disappears and here by magic, the word is spelled correctly without trying to use alt 134 - go figure. Anyway I just wanted to say the puzzle was not relatively easy for me. My aha moment came with HOME in the south east corner soon followed by CORNER OFFICE. Up to that point I had been wondering why there was no trick on a Thursday. The last rebus for me was OVAL - I just don't think of OVALTINE, when I'm thinking popular drinks.
Oh yes, sucre à la crème - I just wanted to say its my go to fudge recipe. With the main ingredients being 35% cream, sugar and butter, it is delicious even if it doesn't turn out!
Oh yes, sucre à la crème - I just wanted to say its my go to fudge recipe. With the main ingredients being 35% cream, sugar and butter, it is delicious even if it doesn't turn out!
Of course I meant it's not its.
Well, wasn't this clever?! Fortunately, I don't start at 1A, so I was spared, and in fact that was the last BOX I filled in.... I caught on at STEAL [HOME] but at that point there were so many possibilities--the VIP area could have been the Skybox or some LUXURY LOUNGE, and the other corners might have been bases...
Actually the clue/entry that impressed me the most was 10D's Conjunction in a rebus puzzle: OAR. Brilliant.
Some trickery with the clues for RED CENT and POOR EXCUSE.
Digging deep for the Love Boat actor--whew, amazed that I dredged that up; also, I'm old enough to remember Jack PAAR and PELE.
Is this a debut? Is there a photo? Off to do the research! and possibly come up with some typically-pedantic comments!
Actually the clue/entry that impressed me the most was 10D's Conjunction in a rebus puzzle: OAR. Brilliant.
Some trickery with the clues for RED CENT and POOR EXCUSE.
Digging deep for the Love Boat actor--whew, amazed that I dredged that up; also, I'm old enough to remember Jack PAAR and PELE.
Is this a debut? Is there a photo? Off to do the research! and possibly come up with some typically-pedantic comments!
2
Blinded by the brilliance of OAR as clued, could you please explain?
Check the earlier comments, Brutus; several people have commented & discussed!
A drawing of an OAR would be the rebus stand-in for the word OR.... I looked askance at OAR and took it out, actually, before the nickel dropped and I got it!
I see I'm not the only one who got stuck at 1A/D. I have always loved rebus puzzles, but I've never before had the experience of having the puzzle complete EXCEPT FOR a rebus square. Then it is a most frustrating experience! I don't know why BOXSEAT, BOXCAR and BOXOFFICE were so much harder to think of than the other three corners. (And I never did think of them -- I had to look up the answer.)
1
How did you look up the answer? You can't exactly plug in SEAT, CAR, and OFFICE to get BOX, can you?
I don't mind rebus puzzles if I knew that's what they were. In late week puzzles it's sometimes maddeningly difficult to know if it is a rebus puzzle. That's the only reason I have problems with them.
I don't mind rebus puzzles if I knew that's what they were. In late week puzzles it's sometimes maddeningly difficult to know if it is a rebus puzzle. That's the only reason I have problems with them.
There are at least two ways to "look up" the answer, Wen.
1 - The complete grid (with constructor's notes and critique) is published at xwordinfo.com simultaneously with the puzzle's online release. That's where I went to confirm that my completely correct solve was completely correct despite the fact that a software glitch kept my clock running.
2 - The various software programs have "check" and "reveal" features (which I've never used, so I don't know exactly how they work), which would show whether a square were filled correctly or not.
Box was definitely my last fill, and very frustrating for a good 4-5 minutes until I thought of it.
1 - The complete grid (with constructor's notes and critique) is published at xwordinfo.com simultaneously with the puzzle's online release. That's where I went to confirm that my completely correct solve was completely correct despite the fact that a software glitch kept my clock running.
2 - The various software programs have "check" and "reveal" features (which I've never used, so I don't know exactly how they work), which would show whether a square were filled correctly or not.
Box was definitely my last fill, and very frustrating for a good 4-5 minutes until I thought of it.
Ah, yes, I knew of those but didn't think that's what Bess did - I mixed up "look up" with "search" or "google"
Very fun puzzle...but, really, when was the last time Ovaltine was a popular drink? Before I was born, surely, and I'm in my 50s.
1
Oh, sure. Throw your youth and beauty in our faces, JV....
(I agree; should have been clued as 'Once-popular')
(I agree; should have been clued as 'Once-popular')
2
They should call it Roundtine!
MOL, that JV as in junior varsity.
Lots of rebald fun! "Box" was a gimme (slid a door or two 50 years ago), but I also wanted "box" in the NE (a kick into the goal box often leads to an assist; note we had PELE today, not QB Carr), but boxer child wasn't going to do. So I looked to the SE and immediately felt at "home" (having read the book, seen the musical, and watched a few games). Having established that the corner entries were different, I quickly added "oval" and grudgingly added "post" (my older daughter was relieved when shots she couldn't reach hit the post). Hat tips for the many enjoyable observations made here EARLIER (whether that's above or below to you).
2
Not "rebuses!" Rebi! Of the clan McEntire.
1
Not rebae?
I'm good with rebae. Is that to bae again?
I like rebus puzzles! I always get a big "aha" moment when I realize it has to be a rebus, and this one provided me more aha moments when I realized it wouldn't be the same word (as it often is) and how the corners were connected. It did help that I got CORNER OFFICE before any of the corners, but didn't ruin my joy :) Nice one!
2
Unfortunately anyone who's ever played soccer will tell you the "target" is not the goal post. It's the net.... because if you target the post and hit it, guess what.... no goal. The answer was tough enough without a faulty clue.
If you think of American football, the clue works.
Think in terms of American rules football as in 'tear down the goalpost'; you know, the thingy with two upright and a crossbar. You hit your target when your kick splits the uprights resulting in a score. Rugby has a similar structure and the punter takes aim at the GOALPOST as well.
1
Pete, I read your name incorrectly at first, saw the "t"as an "l", so of course thought, "well he should know. "
1
Nice. The intersection of baseball and Alison Bechdel brought HOME the fact that we'd be dealing with a rebus here, though I probably should have figured that out from the rebus conjunction prompt. And after CORNER OFFICE surfaced (after giving up on things in the "lounge" family; I was thinking of airports and such), I figured I knew where they would go, and things started to roll. I especially admired the tricky use of OVAL in both the chocolatey drink and the FDA process. However, I got seriously stuck in the upper left corner, thinking about the posh seats installed in refurbished movie theaters (reclining seats? But what would a reclining car be?). After a short break to brush my teeth (this was all last night), during which I tried to visualize some conveyance with sliding doors but putting aside thoughts of our dear MTA, a freight train and BOXCAR finally appeared. And BOX SEATS made for a nice symmetry with the Bechdel play in the opposite corner, though another baseball-related clue would have done that as well. No LIE, though, that was fun.
3
Fun and rebus are mutually exclusive. The same might be said for the TV show Love Boat and entertainment. And, finally just because you can write more than one letter in a square - why would you.
Stared at BOX, POST and HOME and wondered what do they have to do with a CORNER OFFICE. A few synaptic firings later all became clear.
Excellent clues and fill. "Did work on Friday" is one example. Although, "This puzzle is fun" might have been a better clue for 61A.
Ahh, Obi Wan the life of a rebus curmudgeon is not an easy one.
Thank you Zachery
Stared at BOX, POST and HOME and wondered what do they have to do with a CORNER OFFICE. A few synaptic firings later all became clear.
Excellent clues and fill. "Did work on Friday" is one example. Although, "This puzzle is fun" might have been a better clue for 61A.
Ahh, Obi Wan the life of a rebus curmudgeon is not an easy one.
Thank you Zachery
Misspelled Zach's name.
Punctuation error.
You're slippin', dk!
...but then, I love a good rebus puzzle and take joy in shoe-horning the word into the tiny BOX.
Punctuation error.
You're slippin', dk!
...but then, I love a good rebus puzzle and take joy in shoe-horning the word into the tiny BOX.
Two punctuation errors (in dk's comment).
You're slipping, MOL.
Anyway, dk was unhappy, so he's allowed.
You're slipping, MOL.
Anyway, dk was unhappy, so he's allowed.
1
Yes, and there was a sentence frag, too, but I didn't want to go back and check more closely.... Still, I think it's even more important to craft a well-honed Comment when we're wanting to be Critics.
I had no idea that AMBIeNCE could be spelled differently... but it can! I love the symmetrical SALE and DEAL. Terrific clues for GAS OVEN, NCO, and PELE, and I love the answer POOR EXCUSE. Also, I'm trying to come up with other words that go before OFFICE and nothing is coming. Some suggestions, anyone?
I'm still floored that YAKITORI came out of my brain. What? How did I know that? I've never even had it!
The cluing, plus cracking the theme, required that my brain be elevated to 100% on point, where it feels it's most alive, and also nothing in the puzzle dulled that marvelous state. Excellent one, Zachary, and thank you!
I'm still floored that YAKITORI came out of my brain. What? How did I know that? I've never even had it!
The cluing, plus cracking the theme, required that my brain be elevated to 100% on point, where it feels it's most alive, and also nothing in the puzzle dulled that marvelous state. Excellent one, Zachary, and thank you!
3
Re other offices: When I had only the top left corner to go, I got fixated on "Front Office," which also worked with the down clue (front seats would be a theater goer luxury) but not really with the across.
1
Field office.
Holy office.
Mobile office.
Satellite office.
Political office.
Principal's office.
Mobile office.
Satellite office.
Political office.
Principal's office.
1
One of those 'solvitas interruptus' xwords....everything fell into place this AM...including that dastardly AA in the SW.....
2
My problem with 1A was that I couldn't get elevator out of my mind.
Of course I loved this puzzle as rebuses are my favorites. I got the POST first, then HOME; OVAL took a while, but a nice Aha when I did. Then back to the NW, and filled it all in except 1A, so went to town, did my shopping, came home took one look at the one empty square and immediately thought of BOX.
Some nice entries as well as the OFFICES, SAFE HARBOR, POOR EXCUSE, to name a couple. Great Thursday puzzle, Zachery.
Time for lunch.
Of course I loved this puzzle as rebuses are my favorites. I got the POST first, then HOME; OVAL took a while, but a nice Aha when I did. Then back to the NW, and filled it all in except 1A, so went to town, did my shopping, came home took one look at the one empty square and immediately thought of BOX.
Some nice entries as well as the OFFICES, SAFE HARBOR, POOR EXCUSE, to name a couple. Great Thursday puzzle, Zachery.
Time for lunch.
3
BOX was my last rebus fill as well. I think part of the problem was that I was looking for another 4-letter entry to match OVAL, HOME, and POST. BOX broke the pattern, which diminished the beauty of the puzzle a bit for me. Still a fine one, though.
1
Sometimes I feel like a POOREXCUSE for a crossword solver. I guessed that it was a rebus before I had the reveal filled in and got POST and HOME and then the reveal, but still didn't understand exactly what was going on (A post is a kind of office?). It wasn't until I got to OVAL that it finally dawned on me that they were words 'with' OFFICE.
Had some struggles elsewhere but managed to work it out. And then I just couldn't figure out square 1. Even took a break and thought about and it just wasn't coming to me, so ended up revealing that. Oh well. Clever idea, some weird clues and a couple of unknowns, but still ended up being a nice challenge and enjoyable solve.
Headed out shortly on my trip. As of yesterday afternoon I'm pretty sure I have a cold and I get to finish loading the car in the pouring rain. It can only get better from here.
Nice traveling song as rendered by BOXCAR Willie (no idea how he does that train whistle):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V2P4iGVNyU
I'll never hear that song without thinking of Dizzy Dean.
Had some struggles elsewhere but managed to work it out. And then I just couldn't figure out square 1. Even took a break and thought about and it just wasn't coming to me, so ended up revealing that. Oh well. Clever idea, some weird clues and a couple of unknowns, but still ended up being a nice challenge and enjoyable solve.
Headed out shortly on my trip. As of yesterday afternoon I'm pretty sure I have a cold and I get to finish loading the car in the pouring rain. It can only get better from here.
Nice traveling song as rendered by BOXCAR Willie (no idea how he does that train whistle):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V2P4iGVNyU
I'll never hear that song without thinking of Dizzy Dean.
2
Based on your comments, I knew what song you posted before I clicked on the link, Rich.
Bon voyage. Check in when you can.
Bon voyage. Check in when you can.
1
Hope this news isn't news by the time you get to Glacier but some places are closing because of the smoke from forest fires in the northwest. Could be uncomfortable especially if you already have a cold. Most of the non-coastal northwest is covered by smoke.
1
What Jimbo said.
1
I realized this was a rebus when I had CAR and SEATS and a big blank in the first square. POST was my first rebus fill in, still not knowing the theme. I got CORNER OFFICE next and the rest was relatively easy (except for 38D, which I also had as TERIYAKI). All told, this was a lot of FUN to do (at HOME).
1
Am I the only one that had "PRIVATE" in 1A? I redid every clue three times before I started looking for alternatives for the rebus answers. "Private Seats" and a "Private Car" (as a cabin on a train) both are valid replacements for BOX.
1
A private ROOM on a railroad "sleeper" or "sleeping" car might have a sliding door, but a PRIVATE "car" is one that is owned by an individual or a company, not by Amtrak or any other railroad. Most PRIVATE cars are rebuilds of much older railroad passenger cars, with exterior and interior doors that are virtually all hinged, not sliding.
2
I don't think even the cheapest theatre seats are occupied by more than one person at a time--at least I hope not--so "private" wouldn't really be a luxury.
1
The SE corner gave the game away big time, with the cross FDAAPPROVAL and OVALTINE. Before I got there I wondered whether this was a puzzle where there were intentional blanks in the corners, even though I could see no sense in that. And then I remembered it was a Thursday puzzle and we had not seen a rebus in a while, so...bingo.
The "conjunction in a rebus puzzle" clue for OAR is perhaps too obscure.
The "conjunction in a rebus puzzle" clue for OAR is perhaps too obscure.
3
I just looked a the puzzle again. The above should read SW corner, not SE. The left Coast.
1
Peaches, I was about to suggest that you consult an Atlas.
Only kidding, I knew it was a typo
Only kidding, I knew it was a typo
1
and Elke
I found 61A indeed to be a LIE . Had BOX CAR and GOALPOST , but have not heard of FUNHOME and am annoyed that I missed OVALTINE, because it was a favourite childhood treat .
With the ever continuing miniaturization of our electronic devices , CORNER OFFICES can be replaced by kitchen counters to allow for monitoring of the GAS OVEN with MAMIE's fudge in it.
Anybody else bothered by ERIC so close to the OVAL OFFICE ?
Seems Zachary S. wants to get cleaned up before heading HOME on the weekend, because I see SPOT ON and WASH and RINSE OUT.
Clever, FUN puzzle .
I found 61A indeed to be a LIE . Had BOX CAR and GOALPOST , but have not heard of FUNHOME and am annoyed that I missed OVALTINE, because it was a favourite childhood treat .
With the ever continuing miniaturization of our electronic devices , CORNER OFFICES can be replaced by kitchen counters to allow for monitoring of the GAS OVEN with MAMIE's fudge in it.
Anybody else bothered by ERIC so close to the OVAL OFFICE ?
Seems Zachary S. wants to get cleaned up before heading HOME on the weekend, because I see SPOT ON and WASH and RINSE OUT.
Clever, FUN puzzle .
2
and Elke
Just read the fudge recipes that Deb linked -MAMIE's and Julia Moskins- and neither needs baking. Now I will really give them a try.
Just read the fudge recipes that Deb linked -MAMIE's and Julia Moskins- and neither needs baking. Now I will really give them a try.
Good point about Eric!
Fudge isn't baked, at least none I've ever made.
2
This is a really clever puzzle, and it's no LIE to say it wasn't easy. I got the corner rebus idea quickly but wanted INNERCHILD and couldn't figure out how to shoehorn that into GOALLINE. Wanted CLUBCAR/SEATS before BOX. but everything eventually fell into place.
2
I've made that fudge for years. It's terrific. And a batch of it is far easier to polish off than this puzzle was. ;)
5
I had VOWEL for "Most of Maine" which I thought was a wonderful clue, but it meant that I was stuck on the SW corner for far too long. Fortunately, since VOWEL starts with V I had thought of FDAAPPROVAL for the down clue but it didn't fit with the rebus. Eventually I removed VOWEL since the clue would have had to been "Most of Maine?" with a question mark for that answer to fly. Immediately upon scrapping it I put in FDAAPPROVAL and the rest of the corner, and the puzzle, filled in right after.
3
I had the most trouble with BOX. Not sure why. I originally had VANS despite the clue being singular - because I really wanted it to be a minivan - with their dual sliding doors - so practical and appealing to me as a father.
For the longest time, 1A/D was the only blank square. I went through DINING, LOUNGE, SLEEPER, SOFA, LOVE, STADIUM (I was getting desperate - and what's wrong with stadium cars?), SOFT, etc. Then I noticed the other 3 corners all had rebuses (rebi) with 4-letter words and was trying very hard to think of a 4-letter word for 1A/D that would also come before OFFICE.
Finally BOX came through. But wait! I didn't complete it! Gong through and finally found I had NRC and MCCLEOD (I knew his name had an odd spelling and knew it was M_CLEOD - I could still picture the opening sequence of The Love Boat and I recall as a child he had an interesting last name (to me, at the time). The things that stick around in your mind...
I had no idea what NRC was but it didn't look right. So I tried MACLEOD on a hunch because the Scots certainly have funnily inconsistent ways of spelling their names. Could've been MACLEOD, MCCLEOD, MCCLOUD and all the different variants. In the end I guess MACLEOD is the most accepted form because, well, "Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod" and "there can be only one". Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs, is a very close second, though.
Ignore if you don't know what I'm on about. :)
For the longest time, 1A/D was the only blank square. I went through DINING, LOUNGE, SLEEPER, SOFA, LOVE, STADIUM (I was getting desperate - and what's wrong with stadium cars?), SOFT, etc. Then I noticed the other 3 corners all had rebuses (rebi) with 4-letter words and was trying very hard to think of a 4-letter word for 1A/D that would also come before OFFICE.
Finally BOX came through. But wait! I didn't complete it! Gong through and finally found I had NRC and MCCLEOD (I knew his name had an odd spelling and knew it was M_CLEOD - I could still picture the opening sequence of The Love Boat and I recall as a child he had an interesting last name (to me, at the time). The things that stick around in your mind...
I had no idea what NRC was but it didn't look right. So I tried MACLEOD on a hunch because the Scots certainly have funnily inconsistent ways of spelling their names. Could've been MACLEOD, MCCLEOD, MCCLOUD and all the different variants. In the end I guess MACLEOD is the most accepted form because, well, "Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod" and "there can be only one". Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs, is a very close second, though.
Ignore if you don't know what I'm on about. :)
2
Mr B has a great-great-great grandmother named Elizabeth McLean. Or McLane. Or McClane. Or MacLaine. Or McClean . . . . depending on where and by whom her name was written down.
3
I had trouble with BOX too, because I don't really think of BOX SEATS as "luxuries." They have lousy sightlines, and in my experience have more frequently been used as house seats than as "luxuries."
My mother's family was part of the Richardson subclan , no chance of misspelling.
My mother's family was part of the Richardson subclan , no chance of misspelling.
1
'Lousy', Deadline?
[teehee]
[teehee]
very clever. got FDA APPROVAL quickly and thus saw the Oval Office. Knew STEAL HOME. GOAL POST wasn't hard, but it took me awhile to come up with POSTER CHILD. I was all done and trying to think how to fill the first letter in the NW. Finally BOX occurred to me! Doh! Also thought RINSES OUT was correct for de-suds.
2
Fun puzzle. One nit: there's nothing sneaky about stealing home.
1
I thought Javier Baez of the World Series champion Chicago Cubs was pretty sneaky last night in stealing home. :-)
1
Appreciated RESIN crossing with DANK. Not sure if that was an intentional nod to stoners or what.
Yesterday a commenter wondered whether we were getting more and more puzzle content, lately, from Urban Dictionary. So that cross could very well be intentional, with HERB also in there for "cannabis". A bit too cute, if so.
2
I wonder if the rifle whacks get a "giggle" out of sharing a name with an FDR program.
3
Got stuck a bit on the de-suds thing. I thought it should be RINSES OUT, with an S. Are suds singular or plural? Or a collective noun? Is it possible to have a single sud? (This whole discussion is going south fast.)
Can someone explain the clue for OAR?
Can someone explain the clue for OAR?
8
ooh ooh, I didn't understand OAR either, and de-suds also threw me. So I'm jumping on Wags's coattail here.
Wags, I think you're right that suds is not plural - at least looking at the dictionary it seems that way.
Wags, I think you're right that suds is not plural - at least looking at the dictionary it seems that way.
see David's OAR 'planation below.
1
"see David's OAR 'planation below"
This illustrates what Deadline was talking about yesterday. She advised using "earlier" rather than "above" or "below" since some of us read the comments starting with Newest and some with Oldest.
This illustrates what Deadline was talking about yesterday. She advised using "earlier" rather than "above" or "below" since some of us read the comments starting with Newest and some with Oldest.
3
This was fun. 61A clued me in that there was going to be something tricky, and I was able to spot the rebus locations pretty quickly.
1
Once I discovered the rebus function in across lite I fell in love with rebuses. Yet another reason to do this crossword puzzle on line. However, I am confused as to why the answer to the clue "conjunction in a rebus puzzle" is "oar." Can anyone enlighten me?
3
Crosswords use the word "rebus" in an unusual way - the normal use of "rebus" is for those puzzles that might have a picture of an eye for the letter "I" and other pictures for other things, all adding up to something. A drawing of an oar would be used to mean the word "or."
10
In a picture-puzzle rebus the image of an oar would represent the conjunction "or".
I went to the wikipedia page for Rebus puzzles:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus
and learned that the crossword puzzle use of the term is completely absent from the page (and from wikipedia, it seems). So, maybe somebody from around these parts should fix that situation. Anyway, the page shows what it usually means.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus
and learned that the crossword puzzle use of the term is completely absent from the page (and from wikipedia, it seems). So, maybe somebody from around these parts should fix that situation. Anyway, the page shows what it usually means.
GOAL POST is not a kicker's target, as evidenced by the several kickers who have been cut from their teams for hitting it!
8
Isn't the kicker is supposed to avoid the GOAL POST?
9
Well, you're supposed to go between GOAL POSTS, so not exactly avoid, but generally speaking, not hit either. But the clue doesn't say anything about hitting, and you could get the point even if you hit a GOAL POST if deflects and goes between them. It's definitely iffy as a clue.
A lot of american football kickers use one of the goal posts as a target as they tend to curve the ball one way or the other. Aim for a post and let the ball drift towards the center of the goal. Three points. Or in Soccer, aim for the post and bend it like Beckham.
2
Nick, I agree — that clue was just a bit off.
I loved the whole puzzle.
Especially enjoyed the misleading "Pilot's surroundings." I thought, "Easy: COCKPIT." Boy was I wrong.
Especially enjoyed the misleading "Pilot's surroundings." I thought, "Easy: COCKPIT." Boy was I wrong.
5
I had COCKPIT too. Mr. Jobs disabused me of that. As did 6D. AM_CS is not any word I can think of. But AMASS definitely fit.
1
HERE WE GO AGAIN.
Completely filled in, completely correct rebus puzzle, and guess what?
The clock will not stop ticking and there's no credit for the solve.
When there's a rebus puzzle, could the office see fit to have somebody onsite at the time of the puzzle's release so we don't have 100 posts complaining about the lousy software? Or could we just try a little harder to make it work the first time?
My clock is paused and I hope there will be a fix within the next 24 hours or so...
Completely filled in, completely correct rebus puzzle, and guess what?
The clock will not stop ticking and there's no credit for the solve.
When there's a rebus puzzle, could the office see fit to have somebody onsite at the time of the puzzle's release so we don't have 100 posts complaining about the lousy software? Or could we just try a little harder to make it work the first time?
My clock is paused and I hope there will be a fix within the next 24 hours or so...
3
David, are you solving on-line or Across Lite? If on-line, using computer, tablet, or phone? My Across Lite didn't stop.
1
(Based on what others have posted on previous rebus puzzles, I went to the four boxes and replaced the rebus with the initial letter of each rebus word, and that stopped the timer. This is bogus, totally bogus, absolutely bogus, 100% bo-oh-oh-gus, to quote the Car Talk guys. Entering the whole rebus element should not be a losing strategy. I sent an email to the Feedback team, including screenshots, but I doubt anything will come of it. Thursday has come to mean "software glitch day" in my book.)
4
It happens to me too, I'll get the puzzle correct and it will not credit it as a correct solve. Right now that means it will kill a 52 straight streak which really ticks me off.
Count me as one of the group who likes rebuses! The first one I got here was HOME, but I had no idea for the longest time how that fit into the theme. And then when POST came next, that didn't help much. But I finally figured out CORNER and OFFICE and eventually realized what was going on.
I got the STEVE at 8D immediately but not the GAS OVEN at 21A, so I was on some wavelengths but not others. Also, I don't really think of Turkey as a peninsula but I can see how you would call it one, so ANKARA was slow to arrive.
I got the STEVE at 8D immediately but not the GAS OVEN at 21A, so I was on some wavelengths but not others. Also, I don't really think of Turkey as a peninsula but I can see how you would call it one, so ANKARA was slow to arrive.
6
I just checked. Wikipedia refers to Turkey as a peninsular country. So that settles it!
The puzzle was tough but fun.
The puzzle was tough but fun.
Headed for SAFEHAvens first, and [Collect] was EXACT before AMASS. Also had AMBIENCE which I wouldn't have doubted but for noticing WESH ... WESH?? On the upside, that was key to realizing the hidden message: If you get WAX oar a HERB OIL SPOT ON your fine PIMA table LENINS, WASH and RINSE OUT at once. Household tips always appreciated.
The EXCEL-END fill was well above PAAR, but my favourite was 39A, for its reminder of a classic bit of Ogden Nashery. He writes of a non-Gavin MACLEOD who never failed to see the sunny side of any disaster, come what may. His infuriatingly eternal optimism finally got the better of Mrs. MACLEOD, who snapped, and shoved a silver tea-tray down his throat.
"And he smiled from the floor where they found him reclining, "I'm just a MACLEOD with a silver lining"'
Hope that Will Shortz Spitz out more. Keep BRANDIshing, Zachary.