A bit harder for me than most Mondays. I was about 5 minutes over my average. I got stuck on O'SHEA for a minute, which is where I finished.
Nice puzzle, Sam. Not make that Sunday puzzle. Thanks.
4
Not should have been now. Oops.
2
and Elke
Mac K- have been watching on Seattle TV stations that growing fissure/fracture on Rattlesnake Ridge. Looks really impressive. How far are you ?
Elaine grew up in Wapato, just on the other side of Union Gap and Rattlesnake Ridge from Yakima and Mac. If the slide gives way and buries the freeway, Wapato will be a lot harder to visit.
A late return:
Just wondered whether anyone else knew 39A as Duke LETO Atreides from Frank Herbert's Dune series?
Or noticed the CIRCA SLEIGH DEE[_]S SWOOP by in TULLe skirts on HORSE back? WII did, and I think TULL USE Lautrec painted them.
Time to GO SOFTly. Good night.
1
Hi gang! Didja miss me?
Between my computer problems (not yet fixed), and the lack of heat in my apartment freezing my fingers to the point where I couldn't type, I had to step away from the computer for a while.
This was an enjoyable Monday, with LETO the only no-know (along with "Suicide Squad." Confused by AVEDA, wanting Aveeno which didn't fit, or Nivea which didn't work.
Anyway, although I haven't been here, and I miss the chance to comment and chat, I did work on trying to do the puzzles themselves on the days I was missing. On Thursday, 01/04, for the first time I can remember, I gave up. I think I'll go back and try again and see if I can figure out what I missed.
But Sunday! Wow! That was a challenge, and a terrificly crunchy one. I had to do two sittings -- two rather lengthy sittings, and on two successive days -- but I finished. I had to work out which order to enter the double-letter boxes, and play around a whole lot, but it was enormous fun! Because I worked on it on Sunday and this morning, I wasn't able to participate in that puzzle's Wordplay, so I wasn't able to share my deep thoughts. But I'm still going to go back and read the column and Comments to see what I missed, and where I landed.
Not sure when I'll be able to come back and play, but I may be lurking.
6
P.S.: Thanks for cluing TY COBB with reference to the baseball guy and not the current guy.
3
You were missed, DL.
Just very relieved to hear from you. Stay warm.
Hi, all--
I hardly ever chime in here when my puzzles run, as I neither want to come across as fishing for compliments nor intrude on solver discussion.
However, as I just told Deb, reading every last one of your comments on Wordplay is probably the highlight of my day whenever I'm published. I mean it. Not only is your feedback invaluable to my work, but it's so lovely to see such a great community made up of people from all over the world hop on this thread daily to chat about a passion that we all share.
So cheers, everybody! Happy solving, and in the meantime, I'll have you know that a future Sunday is in the works ... stay tuned :)
24
We always like to hear from the constructors, Sam, so thanks for stopping by.
9
What suejean said.
1
With all of the discussion over ELKS, here is the most beloved ELK of all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6zWjUhfj-M
2
I correctly surmised before clicking on this link, Andrew. :)
I bet Deb did, too.
2
Oh yes. Andrew, you can stay.
2
Thanks for the welcome, Deb. And thanks for the wonderful daily column.
This one did seem a touch tougher than the typical Monday to me. I got it done in 1:20 over my average, but the answer "MALA fide" felt a bit more Wednesday-ish to me.
I got hung up in 59A for awhile by putting ZEST instead of ZING.
53A, I think I have heard some folks (Brits?) sometimes pronounce a "D" in Wednesday ("weddens-day").
A nice puzzle to start my new streak, so cruelly dashed by Sunday's killer.
BTW, dear brethren and sisteren who do these puzzles on paper and are surprised that so many of us do them electronically: we are here discussing these puzzles on the Interwebs, right? On our electronic devices?
Just sayin'...
4
I also was taken aback by the clue for 53A.
As a little kid in elementary school, I was taught that the word was pronounced "wends-dy," which doesn't come close to any possibility.
In high school, in a speech class, I was taught that the above was wrong. Besides being told that the days of the week ended in "day," not "dy," we were told that the first D was pronounced, if softly -- "wedns-day."
2
To get the nuns' goat we all made sure to pronounce it with 3 syllables: Wed-nes-day. Probably will add to our time in Purgatory.
My five favorite clues of last week:
1. Yelp alternative (3)
2. Something only I can go on (7)
3. Sticking point? (10)
4. Terminals at London Heathrow? (4)
5. Plane calculation (4)
ARF
EGO TRIP
VOODOO DOLL
ZEDS
AREA
3
No FLUBS on my part, but I agree that this was more stiff than the average Monday. Thank goodness for early gimmes like Jared LETO and Jethro TULL. Serious baseball fans know that TYCOBB has the highest career batting average. I quite liked the O--A theme, all spelled differently. Well done Sam hope to see you on an upcoming Sunday.
In the dreary 2013 "Man Of Steel" movie, Superman informs Lois Lane that "It's not an ESS" on his chest; on his world, it means 'hope'. Whatevs.
Pop music lesson for today: In 1987, UK new wave/pop group XTC released a single titled "DEAR GOD," in which the Almighty comes in for a severe ticking-off for the world's ills, followed by the singer announcing his disbelief in His existence. It became an underground hit, thanks in so small part to the controversy it generated.
Then, in 1988, former Ultravox frontman Midge Ure released his own "DEAR GOD," which was rather more hopeful and conciliatory. Despite speculation that it was an "answer record" to XTC, Ure denied any connection. This one reached the UK Top 10. Here's both videos, to compare and contrast.
XTC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDQ_WxPE4sM
Midge Ure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zYvPKQOSUs
3
Fun puzzle - I especially liked the clues for SAYS AH and FIN.
Got stuck at MILO O'SHEA (had MILa, as I've never heard of this person, and a TaRTE seemed okay) so I had to go to the pencil. Sigh.
Didn't notice the theme at all - just an enjoyable puzzle.
1
I only became aware of the theme on reading Deb's blog post. It was one of those delayed-pleasure things. Made me smile when I went back and looked at the finished product.
1
and ELKe
Woke up to a brouhaha- so will speak up for ELKS :
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/elk.htm
I don't see a problem with the clue :))
Hi Robert and ELKe,
Your link would seem to support those of us who didn't feel 100% comfortable with ELKS. Or am I missing something?
So, Sunday was a disaster. I spent so much energy re-entering the rebus squares one-by-one in many different manners, never receiving the gold star. Finally realized too late that I had a silly error somewhere else. My focus on the reported iOS glitch distracted me from the obvious.
UH-OH. I completely missed the rhymes today until reading the column. IS THAT OKAY? I appreciated them retroactively.
ELKS just sounds plain wrong for the clue. (Although it seems to me that the other day we had MO(O)SES!) I think that a better clue might have been "Certain fraternity members". If I recall from my childhood, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble were two of the original ELKS.
True that in pure French CAFEAULAIT doesn't quite have a long A - but the mispronunciation has worked its way into English to such an extent that I think we can accept it. If we started disallowing our pronunciation of foreign words and expressions, we would find ourselves in a cul-de-sac.
3
Andrew, Fred and Barney were members of the Water Buffalo Lodge. Based on the ELKS, no doubt.
3
Quite right Jimbo. I stand corrected. They were indeed members of the Water Buffalo LODGE. Anyway, it looks like the dictionary is backing up ELKS as an acceptable plural.
1
and Elke
and the plural of MOOSE is MICE ,eh?
Nice Monday. My only quibble is that CAFEAULAIT does not end with a long A sound.
Maybe things are different in the True North, proud and free, but dictionaries say it does:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/café%20au%20lait
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/cafe_au_lait
When Martin wakes up he will explain why 9A is perfectly fine. (I understand he had trouble going to sleep last night and was counting ELKS.)
1
Because the dictionary says so:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elk
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/elk
2
"I understand he had trouble going to sleep last night and was counting ELKS."
Of course he should have been counting sheeps.
7
I'll take "Potent Potables" for $1000, Alex. I mean Sam.
IS THAT A GLASS OF TOKAY?
OKAY, TOKAJ, if you insist. Had trouble with Js in the solve, what with pushing the JETS over into NJ. What happens when you TY one on.
Excellent start to the week, but ST CLAIR?
5
Refreshing Monday after a long-slog Sunday puzzle. Even two sports teams crossing didn't slow me down. Had to play around though with ST CLAIR: Clare? Clara?
Is YEAH New Yorkese for YES or is it common throughout the US? I have tried to cut down my use of YEAH to no avail.
I liked MALA FIDE which is a new one to me.
It's not unheard of in Liverpool, UK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoF-7VMMihA
1
My comment disappeared while I was typing. Another attempt:
Nice puzzle - took me at least twice as long as a typical Monday. I guess I'm the only one who filled in STMARYS initially at 46a? The curse of being a former Yooper, I guess. It's just as valid an answer.
Didn't know there was ever a film version of that Ulysses, so needed most of the crosses for the answer. I looked it up after I finished and thought, 'I bet that was never shown at my hometown theater' (I was a senior in HS that year). That ended up sending me on a brief trip down memory lane as I went and looked up that theater ('The Braumart') and discovered that it appears to be the only thing on the planet that ever had that name. Lots of fond memories of the place and environs. The pool hall where I hung out with all my 'hoodlum friends' was almost next door. Going off to look at more photos.
2
Oh, and I'll add that I also thought of an old joke involving ICBM.
Think of, say, ELK(s) in mid-winter and what they might leave behind.
2
There is another St. Mary's River that separates eastern Georgia and eastern Florida.
All told, there are nine St. Mary('s) Rivers in the world, all but one of them in the US or Canada or both. The other is in Tasmania, which probably means it flows in the opposite direction.
1
Steve, it also dawned on me that the Detroit river also fits the clue and the spaces in the answer. I already had that 'S' from SLEIGH so I never considered that one.
Kind of an interesting coincidence that there are three different rivers that are valid answers to the clue and have the same number of letters.
During my student days at Univ. of Illinois in URBANA, we listened to a lot of Jethro TULL. But we drank something other than OJ or CAFEAULAIT.
3
SHOTS OF JOSE perhaps?
SHOT OF JOSE perhaps?
Sam gets an A for effort. Pretty smooth solve, no hitches. Quite a relief after the Friday/Saturday/Sunday glitches and humiliations.
Go Dawgs!
1
If I may, I would note that the only non-theme 'ayy' sound is SLEIGH. A better than average Monday with its fun clues, ala the clue for FIN (cue the Jaws music). I hope Mr. Efron doesn't mind being relegated to a onetime teen heartthrob. (BTW, love the double T in that word.) Cool to have ORANGES with the GLASS OF OJ. Speaking of the GLASS, I love how it crossed with the TEA CADDY as it reminded me of my grandfather having a GLASS TEA - with a sugar cube in his teeth.
5
I enjoyed this one a lot. The theme is awesome. My favorite clue was "Where birds of a feather flock together". In Spanish we say "Dios los cría y ellos se juntan" (God nourishes them and they get together). I definitely prefer the English saying.
Took me an hour to solve the puzzle. I know, I know, it's only Monday, but I'll do better. :)
8
Glad to hear this was a more challenging Monday for others; I feared I was on the final glide path to senescence.
6
PS Thank you for the Urbana entry.. of out family of 4, we have 4 of our 14 degrees from U of I!
Oskeewawa!
4
Skip to my LOO, not LOU. I'm not sure which alternative timeline includes skipping to the Barber Shop ...
You should look up things before posting. Skip to my LOU is perfectly right.
4
otoh, You might SHEA "Skip to MI LOO".
1
It may be "perfectly right" but not my first spelling of the word, but thanks for giving me the chance for a deep dive into print and away from wiki to find some origins.
1
What a refreshing start to the week! Thank you, Mr Sam, for this waker-upper. Bodes well for the week. Will be looking for your Sunday.
After digging yesterday's paper out of the snow, we discovered what an advantage those of the "solve it in the paper, the old fashioned way" school enjoyed, with the Vowel Play title and fractured squares. On my android tablet, I finally caught on with I/AMBIC, whew!
2
First saw Jethro TULL at the Newport Jazz and Folk festival CIRCA 1965. As we walked toward the venue we were asked if we wanted to buy some tickets. For face value we got 4 front row seats... those were the days.
Same reaction as others to ELKS. When at Yellowstone or Glacier I rarely hear anyone shouting: Look ELKS. However, at Eastport Maine's Fourth of July parade I do hear: Look ELKS. Good fill - bad clue.
Alas my PowerBall ticket did not bring home the bacon, off to work.
Thanks Sam
6
This was more than okay; it was just ripping with fun. SILENT and SHH in the same grid, AVEDA/MALA/URBANA, lively answers like KLATCH and DEARGOD, plus IDO crossing DUO. But the most fun were the sing-song theme answers, which I started belting out to myself, using the opening of Beethoven's Fifth.
What can I say?
Hip hip hooray!
Have a nice day.
4
Actually, at the time I solved, I looked askance at the coffee KLATSCH and the way it was spelt.
1
ELKS?!?!? Seriously?
10
The puzzle is OK as Monday’s go, but I hope Sam Ezersky will not be offended if I confess that I enjoyed solving Lynn Lempel’s puzzle -- for which I thank him --
more than his. Too many of his entries were not in my wheelhouse and required reliance on the crosses, and I had a Natick at Square 50, the AVEDA/DEEDS crossing, that required a look-up.
Is no one here bothered by ELKS? The only ELKS I know of are older, often paunchy men who wear silly hats. ELK, on the other antler, are majestic beings.
13
I think them is Shriners, but OKAY, rack 'em up.
4
Not much to add as I agree with the comments so far. Really fun Monday. I was going to say that I loved the clue for FIN, but Mike beat me to it. ( well, if fact I did say it)
Just to add to the whole peculiarity of pronunciation the AYS in 12D is generally pronounced 'ez' in America.
2
Hey, Deb, unless the Fonz ever said, "Oh, ayyy!" (or "Ole"), he wouldn't be on point for today's theme, which employs a two-syllable rhyme: OKAY, OJ, OBEY, O'SHEA, AU LAIT.
Lightly crunchy for Monday, but tasty.
It's too cold for playing croquet,
And I don't know how to knit or crochet,
So let's look at some art by Monet,
While listening to Don Jose:
Monet:
https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/
Don Jose's Flower Aria from Bizet's Carmen
Sung by Jonas Kaufmann, Royal Opera
https://youtu.be/V1dafrlt10w
6
Thanks for the link to the Claude Monet Gallery. Its links to other sites is particularly rewarding. A few months ago I saw the film "I, Claude Monet" so this really appealed to me.
and Elke
Santa's SLEIGH is apparently led by ELKS, not a red-nosed reindeer. And they are mushed on by 'HORSE', 'ORTHO' and 'HIHOS '. (NB- unedited for emus benefit).
Deb notices the Fonz's 'AYYY', but as a Canadian, I hear 'eh'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El41sHXck-E
(sorry about the ad at the beginning).
I hear the hypnotist saying :'You will get sleepy...'
and I think I WILL OBEY, eh ?
4
ELKe, I enjoyed that bit of linguistic history for 'eh', eh? It led me to recall a Quebecois interjectional expression that long-time confused me, but also fits today's theme in a way. It transcribes roughly as "A-weigh, la-bas", and it was only after many years that I tentatively decided it really started life as "Ah, oui, la-bas". [Maybe] 'Hello, down there'?
Any Quebecois(e) in the room?
1
Also took me extra time. I loved that Sunday puzzle though. Mondays always feel like a pleasantry, fine enough but not really rewarding. So it was nice to have to think a few things through.
2
This was a pleasure after the torture of the Sunday puzzle this week.
3
What can I say? Sam made my day.
7
Unlike Bill Clinton--- I was completely lost Sunday...
Dry Socket, you make my teeth hurt.
I rushed to the Monday puzzle to lick my wounds from the Sunday slaughter. I’m a beginner and found this a bit tougher than other recent Mondays; 23 minutes to finish. I was stuck on “sunset shades” for six or seven minutes. That was a real change of pace for a Monday clue. Well done!!
7
Amen to the "nice Monday and a bit stiffer than usual" comments. Minor clue nit on 19A: REC letters do not *accompany* the app; they meet up with it (we hope) in the office of admission.
2
"It depends". I have had a few of my students still ask me to write a hard copy letter, seal it in an envelope, then sign the seal and give the envelope to them to include in their application "package." So the "rec" could accompany the application, or in other cases they could meet up in the office of admission.
MOST of my rec's are electronic these days.
3
MOST apps are electronic these days too, of course, and the RECs are sent separately, but give *them* the (sealed) envelope? Really? I remember giving my teachers stamped envelopes addressed to the college, and I know a few "older" teachers still prefer to do hard copy, but I've not run across an undergraduate college admission office that wanted to have a hard copy REC accompany a hard copy app.
1
I'm an early bird today, too!! Mondays I race to beat the clock, and as a result I almost always miss the theme until the puzzle is done. This one was no different, but I really liked the way the phrases sounded reading them back to myself at the end. Another downside to my little self-imposed race game is that I end up with phrases like TEAfADDY (REF at the cross) and then I cannot find the problem, thus defeating the whole purpose of beating the clock. Arrrggghhhh!!!
Anyway, thanks for another great puzzle, Mr. Ezersky, and I'm really looking forward to that Sunday!! :D
4
Joining the early birds this time. A nice breather after yesterday's grueling workout.
1
I got distracted during the puzzle because one of my settings apparently changed itself and the software was advancing automatically to the next word--and I'm used to hitting Enter for the next word. So I was constantly skipping a word and having to go back. Fixed that, but it meant I didn't notice the theme at all.
Oh well. Now to catch up on acrostics.
2
Sam is really doing great work. This was clever, very well executed, on the pleasantly challenging side (longer than Monday average but shorter than Tuesday average), and clean, clean, clean. Congratulations!
Now get busy on that Sunday gem.
4
Nice puzzle, none too easy for a Monday. Except for 22a, all the themers read as iambic dimeter, a missed opportunity perhaps? Liked the clue for FIN.
Thanks for letting us off easy today, Sam. We all need some air!
I don’t think MILO O’SHEA follows the pattern.
1
How not? The surname ends in a long A sound when I say it. The point is that we have many ways of spelling certain sounds in English.
Note the complete jingle:
i before e
Except after c
Or when sounded as A
In 'neighbor'and 'weigh.'
1
Weird spelling indeed
2
RIP Wii U. Never forget.
8
Interesting and fairly quick for me without any major gaps that couldn't be filled in by the crossings. A couple of spellings varied from what I expected , but it was still fairly easy. I'll vote with Mac—bring on a Sunday
1
For the newbies: There is value in finishing a puzzle and going back over all the words you didn't know. Some of those words show up again. Sometimes day after day or week after week. or in variation, such as ANTES/ANTE, TORTA/TORTE, etc. Some folks keep a notebook of new words. Just the effort of writing something down will help you remember it next time. For instance, MILOOSHEA sometimes shows up split, that is, MILO is the clue and OSHEA is the answer, or the other way. All in all, step by step. Always look up what you didn't know!
9
This is one of the first concepts I present in my crosswords class. Very nice to hear it from someone else!
4
Solid puzzle. A bit chewier than the normal Monday but interesting and fair.
2
Agreed. Interesting, fair, and I COMPLETELY MISSED THE RHYMES OF DIFFERENT SPELLINGS motif until I read the constructor notes. Who woulda thunk?
5
Just about the kind of puzzle you'd expect from a Monday, but judging by my time and the fact that I had to work around quite a few answers, I'm going to guess that this is going to be more challenging for beginners than most Mondays, and in general, will take people longer than average to complete.