This was 'real Tintoretto'.
1
Unfortunately (many of us thought), Adlai was up against an even simpler rhyme, "I Like Ike." Elsewhere, "pancake" an active verb? In the WWE, I guess. Also wasted some time over BALLOU, thinking "Fonda was in Cats?!?"
1
William Safire had a column that cited the souce, Horace's "Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus," or "even good old Homer nods."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/02/magazine/nodding-homer.html
Maleska and Weng-era puzzles used the quotation for fill-in-the-blank clues for NODS three times, twice with "good old" included. A "bonus," if you will.
2
Nodding in general agreement, but doesn't 'dormitat' imply some airly enhanced nodding? Maybe in keeping with the theme...
Poetic license
Dormitat is a part of the verb dormito, to feel sleepy or drowsy.
How's this translations?
https://dictzone.com/latin-magyar-szotar/quandoque%20bonus%20dormitat%20...
Lost count of how many times I smiled while solving this puzzle.
But wasn’t Mary Tyler Moore totally convincing even though she was playing against type in “Ordinary People.” Powerful film.
3
I was only slowed by the lack of proportion in the improvements. Special v Ordinary isn't the same as Super v. All Right. Liked Long and Longings mapping onto YEARN and YENS. And having ILIE and its past tense ILIED in the same puzzle. A reminder in e-mail about an upcoming cardiology appointment helped explain how RACES was 'beats quickly". In a way.
3
Well, Deb, I was very sure what song you would treat us to today, but I was wrong. Alas, the clue at 58A was enough to give me an earworm (didn't remember the singer). So I won't be humming alone, here's what I expected:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx47qrH1GRs
I remember "Madly for ADLAI," but I'm not sure if it was used during both of his campaigns. I noticed several references to "campaign," singular.
NW was tough, because I couldn't think of an "upgrate" of "ordinary." When I finally did, I got PANCAKE and WITS, verifying my first thought of WHIP. I have heard of IONA college; I think someone from my high school went there.
TORN between ANNe and ANNA, but knew NAS from XWPs. Also between cONA and KONA, but knew SKA from XWPs. Pretty soon I'll turn into Jimbo.
I can't quite make the clue for RACES work in my head.
While I definitely do not hang out on Twitter (in fact, never been there), I like that kind of game where you change a word in a title or a name or a saying and come up with something clever. That's fun in itself, but I'M SAD at not having a Thursday twist.
Liked seeing "Cat BALLOU" (love that flick), ENTERPRISE, MGM LION, SEURAT. Always have trouble remembering ERNO.
Time to stop procrastinating and start defrosting the refrigerator. Ugh!
2
Late to the party. This would have been SPECIAL, SUPER, GREAT, and AWESOME if today were Monday, or even Tuesday. I did like INNOCENT over INMATE and ILIED and ILIE. Also, MGM LION belongs in a movie-themed puzzle.
Drawing a blank.
> O is POS?
Erm...wazzat?
> O is POS?
Erm...wazzat?
Greater than zero is positive.
1
< is neg.
Ohhhhh...I was thinking it was an emoticon. I was like POS? Is that the emoticon I use when i want to call someone a piece of sh...
4
Never mind the fact that I wanted the Hepburn/Harrison vehicle to be 'my winsome lady,' I withstood, un-AFRAID, the resultant anguish and was able to LIMP, not STRUT, to the finish line...The year 1967 was a couple of weeks old. Uplifting? At least not when Mick and the boys honored an ENGAGEMENT on the Ed Sullivan Show. The Stones appeared to FEIGN INNOCENT indifference, allowing the empty suits (censors) to WHIP, slice and dice the lyric of "Let's Spend The Night Together" into oblivion. Starting with a ridiculous striking of the title of the song and relentlessly aborting the art of the DEAL throughout, the performance was thoroughly pasteurized. Guaranteed not to a ruffle so much as a feather of the squeaky clean Sunday night prime time demographic, (the so-called the moral majority) the Stones played on. Standards have evolved a bit in the 50+ years since. HOT bands rock Manhattan's theater district with more freedom from the editorial scrutiny of the RAY BAN wearing BEAN counters. A caveat for NYC club patrons; please be mindful of the fact that you can still be cited if detected dancing in the aisles. Word! You could look it up, the law is still in effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg4VT0x_NMg
IREless,
Bru
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg4VT0x_NMg
IREless,
Bru
4
Nearly lost my WITS because my blender button was set to CHOP. I was finally WHIPped into shape. Thanks for a fun Thursday puzzle!
4
Fun idea. Familiar with all the movies, so a fast solve for a Thursday. Plenty of pop culture clues helped too. I wanna visit that place in the NW that serves WHIPped butter on a PANCAKE.
To my mind, Mick Jagger perfected his signature STRUT with "Honky Tonk Women" in 1969 (how can anyone sit still to that beat?) Witness this period TV appearance for confirmation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0iLSCgMjvE
To my mind, Mick Jagger perfected his signature STRUT with "Honky Tonk Women" in 1969 (how can anyone sit still to that beat?) Witness this period TV appearance for confirmation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0iLSCgMjvE
4
Spot on, Jimbo. The B side wasn't bad either!
2
Jimbo, come to England and have clotted cream and jam on a scone, even better.
4
That sounds delicious, SJ!
Barry, I have the original 45, with picture sleeve.
Barry, I have the original 45, with picture sleeve.
1
"Even Homer NODS"? Nope..... lived a long time and have never heard that idiom. But it was a fun puzzle.
3
Fun theme. For a follow-up puzzle, maybe flip the idea using watered-down titles?
Stunted Noon
The So-So Santini
The Pretty Good Earth
The Nineteen-and-a-Half Steps
The Most Mediocre Show on Earth
It's a Ho-Hum Life
The Man Who Knew Just Enough
Neuro (in which Mother Bates pulls back Marion's shower curtain and kvetches at her)
Stunted Noon
The So-So Santini
The Pretty Good Earth
The Nineteen-and-a-Half Steps
The Most Mediocre Show on Earth
It's a Ho-Hum Life
The Man Who Knew Just Enough
Neuro (in which Mother Bates pulls back Marion's shower curtain and kvetches at her)
11
Meant to include...
The Ten Suggestions
The Ten Suggestions
11
Someone even made Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey!
1
Dapper Mr. Arbesfeld always delivers. This one started badly for me as I cast about for a toehold. PANCAKE was my first entry, which gave me......CHOP!
I will have to go check my blender; it has PUREE and LIQUIFY, but I am pretty sure there is no WHIP button on there. You wanna WHIP something, use a whisk or your MixMaster.
I never watched Mick Jagger, and STRUT was the final entry when I completed the grid.
AS GRAND AS IT GETS had to be revised, and AWESOME was a clunky substitute for 'Fair' (as in Beautiful, Winsome, etc.)
Cat BALLOU--always worth another look, especially given Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye with their musical narration.
And now, on with the day!
I will have to go check my blender; it has PUREE and LIQUIFY, but I am pretty sure there is no WHIP button on there. You wanna WHIP something, use a whisk or your MixMaster.
I never watched Mick Jagger, and STRUT was the final entry when I completed the grid.
AS GRAND AS IT GETS had to be revised, and AWESOME was a clunky substitute for 'Fair' (as in Beautiful, Winsome, etc.)
Cat BALLOU--always worth another look, especially given Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye with their musical narration.
And now, on with the day!
3
Agree, MOL, I just checked my blender here (admittedly not a Cadillac among blenders) and no WHIPping mentioned. It's a kinder, gentler Oster that offers to CHP, MIX GRATE, BLEND, and LIQUIFY. And it has a PULSE.
While we, too, tend to use a whisk to whip cream, our 12-speed does have WHIP as the 5th lowest setting (one up from CHOP). I leave it to our resident rockmasters to show you a Mick Jagger STRUT, MOL; I'll just share Devo (here performing WHIP it).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM
2
Barry, can't find a Youtube of the dBs. Can you?
1
It wasn't my fastest Thursday, and I solved from the bottom up. MYAWESOMELADY was my first theme solve, since that was the only original title that I knew immediately. The others came to me gradually as I got the crosses. I now have a streak of four, which I have to admit I have not had for a while.
1
Freshman art history comes to the rescue and Sheb Wooley's hit was often found on my playlsit as a much younger dk spun the platters... actually rolled the tape on my Revox.
So happy this puz was devoid of "high wire tricks."
Smile was entering DIRECTV. Former resident installed one on my house and sad to say DIRECTV will not take it back. This week it will find a new home at Franconia Sculpture Park where art is not dotty but big.
Perhaps some RAMEN this weekend as I head to the big city.
Thank you Alan.
So happy this puz was devoid of "high wire tricks."
Smile was entering DIRECTV. Former resident installed one on my house and sad to say DIRECTV will not take it back. This week it will find a new home at Franconia Sculpture Park where art is not dotty but big.
Perhaps some RAMEN this weekend as I head to the big city.
Thank you Alan.
2
Pretty smooth solve as others have said. Seemed to be a lot of clues very much in the wheelhouse of those of a certain age. Didn't have my WITS about me in the NW corner and that was the one place I got stalled and the last area I filled in.
I've seen all four of the films but couldn't connect 26a to the clue until after the fact. Needed to fill in a couple of them before I could figure out exactly how this was supposed to work. Clever idea. At first I was a little disappointed in the resulting phrases for 45 and 51a as they seemed too distant from the original meaning (for different reasons), but on reflection I think it works quite nicely.
I've seen all four of the films but couldn't connect 26a to the clue until after the fact. Needed to fill in a couple of them before I could figure out exactly how this was supposed to work. Clever idea. At first I was a little disappointed in the resulting phrases for 45 and 51a as they seemed too distant from the original meaning (for different reasons), but on reflection I think it works quite nicely.
1
I enjoyed the fun theme and was thrilled to make it through a Thursday. (It's been a while!) The movies helped a lot. I was hung up the longest on the NW with "chop" instead of WHIP and "Iowa" instead of IONA.
2
I had CHOP too! Compounded by ORSO. Had never heard of IONA college. So that corner had me at my WITS end... nearly WHIPped me... but once I had TORN up my initial entries and OPENed it up, I could wHOOP again!
3
I believe the mini puzzle has some misinformation today. I only had two #1 hits with the Hermits and I am fairly certain the Beatles had more than that!
https://youtu.be/lv8k0VI9tBc
https://youtu.be/4cly_2pGTNw
https://youtu.be/lv8k0VI9tBc
https://youtu.be/4cly_2pGTNw
19
Comment of the year. BTW, 'Mrs. Brown' is one of my all-time favorite songs.
In the unlikely event that this really is Peter NOONE, just want to say that I really enjoy 'something good' on XM Radio.
In the unlikely event that this really is Peter NOONE, just want to say that I really enjoy 'something good' on XM Radio.
4
Ditto that
Definitely "comment of the year"!
2
The fact that I only knew one of the original films made this more Thursdayish for me. I did begin to recognize a couple when I got several letters, so ended up having a lot of fun with it.
I remember the Ike vs Adlai election very well. I'm not sure if I knew that people sat around in smoke filled rooms thinking of rhymes.
I'm afraid I thought Lily-livered was too harsh a clue for AFRAID, but just a minor nit.
I remember the Ike vs Adlai election very well. I'm not sure if I knew that people sat around in smoke filled rooms thinking of rhymes.
I'm afraid I thought Lily-livered was too harsh a clue for AFRAID, but just a minor nit.
2
I completely agree about lily-livered. As I see it, lily-livered describes a personality trait but AFRAID describes a situational response.
6
Absolutely, polymath. Well put.
I'm having a terrific week--I've never before finished a Thursday without having to go to the comments (like "go to the mats") for help. Got the theme and all.
5
Congrats. I filled it in pretty quick, but 13D/16A was a Natick for me, had to check and thus break a modest streak.
BEAN?
Yea, I don't get they either!
"that," I meant!
That's using the old bean
6
AMEBA and CUBE were my downfall. Got through quickly up to that point. I got the theme on my first theme answer.
2
Nice puzzle, but my brow furrowed a bit at ameba vs amoeba.
12
Yeah, we've had that discussion before, but the needs of the Xword constructors seem to trump proper spelling for our one-celled organisms....another case of the ends justifying the means.
I had trouble cracking that center section, and tried rumBA first and samBA second, even thought there's more 'slide' in the tango. Followed by a rueful grin to cover slip.
Anyone here ever take a class where you had to make a hay infusion?
Anyone here ever take a class where you had to make a hay infusion?
It's a little bit silly for a nation that has universally agreed on hematoma in place of haemotoma and esophagus in place of oesophagus to have qualms about amoeba vs. ameba. Just sayin'...
2
Loved learning about Homer nodding. Puzzles are great.
6
I agree with Barry. My fastest Thursday ever.
1
This morning, it struck me that this puzzle was really a small, relatively easy Sunday crossword.
1
I was around in the 60s and a child in the 50s! I do remember Madly for ADLAI. Such a contrast to OFL of today! Did like the upgrade in adjectives. Liked the movies too. Did notice the YENS and YEARNS.
1
I didn't even notice the YEARN/YENS, since YENS filled in from the crosses. Never heard "Even Homer NODS" so I was glad that filled itself in, too. In general, this felt more Wednesday-ish than Thursday. Lots of names for people who were around in the 1960s!
1
The “town of Makka” is normally called Mecca in English, and I’m pretty sure it’s a city.
3
TORN brought a little chuckle for me. Long ago, I was playing for a bride who wanted the song "Torn Between Two Lovers" at her wedding. She loved the song but thought it was about two people who had a lot of drama between them. It was tough letting her in on the "secret" of the song's lyrics.
9
Almost as bad as the bride who insisted on "Send in the Clowns." (True story. Or so I was told.)
I attended a wedding in the 80s where the couple's first dance was to "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.
By Sting's own admission, the song is about a stalker. (He should know, he wrote it.)
By Sting's own admission, the song is about a stalker. (He should know, he wrote it.)
3
"Send in the Clowns" might not be a strange choice for a second or very late first marriage...
3
Yes, a very easy Thursday, so let's have some more music. Here's 33A:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqAh1dQu_pg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqAh1dQu_pg
4
Violins, yet.
"Walk Away RENEE" returned to the Top 20 just two years later (1968), when covered by the Four Tops:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu5ynjOlnOg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu5ynjOlnOg
Except it’s pronounced “Ad-lay”, and it doesn’t rhyme with badly, sadly or madly. It rhymes with “bad lay,” which is something entirely different.
6
All the way with Adlai
vs
I like Ike
vs
I like Ike
4
Worked for LBJ
I thought of "I like Ike" when I saw that, and figured people at that time probably liked slogans that rhymed. And although it's only a close rhyme, it was close enough. Besides, I don't think I know any other presidential candidate from back then. Only know the winners.
1
Those oft are stratagems which errors seem,
Nor is it Homer nods, but we that dream.
Nor is it Homer nods, but we that dream.
11
Thank you.
4
Scores just in from Comp Lit:
Pope 1, Horace 0.
Pope 1, Horace 0.
3
Thank you, W.K.
And Barry.
And Barry.