@DebAmlen. Amen with regard to Sno-Caps. Amen.
Good thing for me it's almost dinnertime. No sandwich though. Real meal.
Quite enjoyed this puzzle. Got the theme immediately, but not that the meats in the middle were supposed to be sandwiched there. BTW, the meats in LI[VEAL]IE and STRO[BEEF]ECT were indeed in the middle. That in NORT[HAM]ERICA was as close as you can get with an odd number of leftover letters in the entry. But C[LAMB]AKE was totally lopsided. Also, VEAL and LAMB are seldom seen in sandwiches. Anyway, I'm hungry.
I have no problem with 1A or its cluing, or with other Trump references that some have complained about in the past. XWPs don't advocate or advertise (they don't even recommend the omnipresent Oreo), but rather deal with words and people and other things in the general culture. Not all of these entries are going to be pleasant, but they're facts. Not all of the people are going to be admirable, but even the most loathsome can be deemed crossworthy. Idi Amin practically lives in crossworld, along with Attila the Hun and a fearsome assortment of weapons and crimes, illnesses, etc.
In this puzzle alone, we have ANTITANK, BILE, TB TEST, plus a bunch of things/people that I personally dislike (BARR, SKORT, SPRAY CAN as clued). But I think they're all legit. I do wish that things to do with violence (e.g., NRA) not be clued in a jokey manner.
Climbing down from soapbox.
Have a great evening everyone.
6
I was happy to see that you left a late post on Monday's blog, DL. Figured your absence had to do with the weather. Thank goodness the extreme cold in NYC is over, for now, at least.
1
Thanks Jimbo.
It's been computer problems (including absolutely no access to my email), plus a major plumbing disaster, and now an electrical mishap needing the replacement of at least one fixture. But I got dropped down the Engineering Department's list because they had a flood from someone's apartment that gushed down into their management offices. You've seen the footage of Kennedy Airport's burst pipe? Like that. My need for a fixture replacement was considered less important. I agree.
As for the weather, I haven't been able to get out to make a choice and a commitment to a new computer system. The sidewalks are just too slippery for me to go out. But maybe within the next couple of days.
2
Trying again; perhaps not enough pastrami for the emus...
Hi Deadline,
I'm glad to see you've thawed out.
I start my day with a cup of coffee and pen in hand, ready for a little wordplay. "John?" Ugh. I put down the pen and couldn't finish the game. Please, you are better than that.
3
What a shame you got hung up on that and missed a delicious puzzle.
1
If EURO as Tip of France from the land of servis compris supposed to be ironic, it's a fail
AMA - Operator's Org.? nonono, it's ACS - American College of Surgeons
2
9A Cool, giant sun ... SSTAR?
Stars are classified by size and surface temperature. S stars are one such classification.
1
Tipping is far from unknown in France. As I alluded to last night, if you don't tip the usher who shows you to your seat at a show or concert, you will hear about it very loudly. Waiters are not the only recipients of tips. And most people leave a small additional tip for the waiter, above and beyond the included service charge. In fine restaurants, it's customary to tip the waiter and possibly the sommelier, if particularly helpful. Often the captain gets one as well.
Taxi drivers and hairdressers expect tips in France as well.
I have no idea why that clue would be ironic.
1
Ouch! The three-headed monster of radio wave measurement, (giga/mega/KiloHertZ) gave some static to what might have been clear solving reception...I like my steak medium-rare and my puzzles semi-tough so I wasn't about to send this one back for more fire. Thanks Mr. Collins, the solve warmed up my brain freeze that commenced at the end of last week...I surmised the gist of 58d post solve. The less than gratuitous nature of the clue was a sneaky bit of camouflage, a LULU of a clue-lu...My late post is on account of the fact that I MONKEYED around with the Sat. and Sun. puzzles most of the morning...For starters, sink your teeth into a '74 title cut, "The LAMB Lies Down On Broadway" from Genesis. Be sure not to miss 5d's lyrical cameo at 2;20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hfgQFgZHes
A Tuesday twofer? Natch and with appreciation. I'LL let this moldy oldie top IT OFF. In '51, The Swallows created some record biz ANGST with this bluesy yet controversial b-side, "It Ain't The Meat (It's The Motion)." How does one TONE that lyric down without sacrificing artistic integrity? As a result of very little air play, the song only enjoyed regional success due in large part to 50's empty suit censorship. Today, it is still a lively go to cover number for bar bands. The Jukes will attest to that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1r7KlLEPWQ
RAPTly,
Bru
3
Oops! It IS the Meat and it IS the motion and it IS Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes. Sorry folks, I AM BIcide myself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RNbiZ9Il5c
4
Love your 'I AM BIcide', Bru! Myself, I'm usually all for deathless poetry, eh?
This Tuesday was a little trickier for me than usual! Maybe because I'm sick and my brain's not working at full capacity? ;)
I thought the theme was cute, fun and easy to fill in.
Thanks for making my sick day so much better, Mr. Collins! :)
6
Feel better!
6
The string of comments that appeared within the half-hour prior to this one shows that the comment system is celebrating the New Year by being just every little bit as messed up as it was in the Old Year.
Yay?
6
I was concerned that the Rattlesnake Ridge slide had blocked our Yakking River, but I learned later from an impeachable source that the blockage was caused by a beaver dam.
2
and Elke
David C.- it looks as if comments posted last evening (i.e.mine) took a PAUSE overnight and now woke up.
It's enough to stir up one's BILE.
1
Did your impeachable source inform you of this via Twitter?
Seems there was an issue with the comments today. A whole slew of them just showed up in the last 20 minutes or so.
Anyway, I found this easier than Monday's puzzle. Besides FLAP before SLAT, a clean, quick solve. Literally, a nice meaty theme.
Back before Google, when I was the "answer man" for music questions, some people would ask me about "that "MEET Me IN THE MIDDLE of the day..." song. They were usually looking for "Romeo's Tune" by singer/songwriter Steve Forbert--the actual song title does not make an appearance in the lyrics. I'm a big Forbert fan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE79UxDu7Xc
Pass the mayo.
4
Wow! This blog is older than Google? When did it start?
Jimbo, before today, I had no idea there are so many songs that MEET IN THE MIDDLE of one thing or another. The one I was after doesn't TEST FLAT-out old, though I have to admit it was around in the NIXon years. On the plus side, it meets ME in the middle, and furthermore is a two-fer, by way of AMERICA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rxgGVIrDqY
3
Good question, Andrew. I hope someone answers it.
1
1 D suggests the following cryptic clue:
Middle Name of 45th US president in Kent (3)
1
huh?
Is that IAN? I don't normally do cryptics, so I'm not sure if I'm on the right track.
Sounds like you mean LOO.
A pleasant Tuesday puzzle after a pleasant Monday puzzle, but is the SKED for 2018 to have Tuesdays that are a bit easier than Mondays?
(JOHN = LOO)
1 down. Makes me feel ill. No thank you. I won’t start my day with that. I’m outta here.
3
May I comment quickly on the Mini? TAR as "cigarette additive" is wrong. Tar isn't added to cigarettes (even tobacco companies aren't that evil). It's the particulate residue of buying tobacco.
10
Wonder of wonders, I actually figured out the theme before I finished filling in the grid! That almost never happens. I enjoyed solving this one, but I do have one bone to pick with our esteemed Wordplay host, Deb: If you have a craving for dark chocolate at the movie theater, the superior choice is always Junior Mints!
3
I knew I'd be able to get someone to argue movie candy with me. :)
Thanks, Julia, and yes, Junior Mints are chocolate, peppermint -- delicious!
3
I was always a Raisinets guy, until they starting selling boxes of chocolate chip cookie dough bites. Now I'm hooked.
2
Props to Peter for coming up with a theme that no one has ever done before, and I like how HERO -- a sandwich with meat in the middle -- echos the theme.
After last week, still looking for that "barre", and this puzzle comes close with a BAR and BARR. Random observation: 11 of 15 columns in this puzzle have proper names.
To those complaining about the Trump reference, let me point out that beginning with the O in PORE and ending with the H in NORTH, we do have a Boggle-style OPRAH...
2
Nice quick solve. I didn't really think of the theme clues as sandwiches - more just as the middle of the word - but the sandwich analogy is a good one. That picture of the Carnegie Deli sandwich took me back some 40 years. I still remember the bowls of pickles and the endless sandwich! Sorry to hear of the demise of the Deli, but at least the hall of the same name across 7th Avenue is still going strong!
3
Oh, and excuse my redundancy. Still getting used to the emu situation on this blog.
"Still getting used to the emu situation on this blog."
Give it up, Andrew. It's a lost cause.
What is the emu situation?
Nice quick solve. I didn't really think of the theme clues as sandwiches - more just as the middle of the word - but the sandwich analogy is a good one. That picture of the Carnegie Deli sandwich took me back some 40 years. I still remember the bowls of pickles and the endless sandwich! Sorry to hear of the demise of the Deli, but at least the hall of the same name across 7th Avenue is still going strong!
Perhaps a hamburger for lunch today.
Nice one Peter
1
and Elke
this is a test post.
Was it successful?
(The post appeared, obviously, but perhaps it was also supposed to do cartwheels or sing O Canada? I meant to thank you for the wildlife link the other day from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elkes.)
3
I know we're not supposed to talk about politics and religion around here, but, as regards the revealer, from this puzzle's lips to God's ear.
3
I am resubmitting a comment I posed earlier today. I can't imagine why the emus would have blocked it, so I assume it was simply lost in cyberspace.
Any puzzle with Ebbets Field in it MEATS with my approval!
The plethora of pop cultural themes made me rely heavily on the crosses, but the theme, which vegans may find offensive, was easy to detect, so MEET IN THE MIDDLE and the four varieties of edible flesh provided enough crosses to obviate googling.
Favorite clue: “Tip of France?”
5
Very nice Tuesday puzzle. Meaty, but not too overdone.
5
An enjoyable puzzle, I like the non-gimmicky ones like this the best.
1
Deb, The tamale pie picture caption mentions "January 5, 2017" - shouldn't that be 2018?
2
Nice quick solve. I didn't really think of the theme clues as sandwiches - more just as the middle of the word - but the sandwich analogy is a good one. That picture of the Carnegie Deli sandwich took me back some 40 years. I still remember the bowls of pickles and the endless sandwich! Sorry to hear of the demise of the Deli, but at least the hall of the same name across 7th Avenue is still going strong!
1
Not to worry, Andrew; there's still plenty of pastrami to go around.
https://www.katzsdelicatessen.com/
Thanks Barry: I'll keep that in mind for my next trip to NYC. Meanwhile there is always Schwartz's in Montreal.
https://schwartzsdeli.com/ca/en
This was family run for many years. Now it is owned by Celine Dion. I kid you not!
1
The Stage Deli, just down the street from the Carnegie, is also gone.
Trying again (sorry if it dupes)...
A pleasant Tuesday puzzle after a pleasant Monday puzzle, but does the 2018 SKED call for Tuesdays to be easier than Mondays?
2
where's the BEEF? not too challenging. girls night out with STELLA ROSY and LULU!
Had to look up Falcon rocket launcher; I had the CEX but couldn't imagine what letters led up to it. I wanted a EWE rather than an ASS but ANGST got in my way, Other than this pesky corner, all went well with the puzzle.
I'm not sure I like this pre-bedtime solving but it will give me more time in the morning.
1
and Elke
Interesting- comments are being read and PAUSEd.....
Seeing that pastrami sandwich means some deli-stylE MUstard should be available. And a phone number for an ORAL surgeon....At least there is a STELLA to go with it.
Struggled with 58A- 'tips' are not that common in EUROpe , whether they be in EUROs or other MONkEYed.
Thought that the 'idiot box' is called the 'boobTUBE'.
Good thing I did this puzzle after dinner, and I will soon RETire to digest this very tasty puzzle.
Hope this passes muster.
1
"Hope this passes muster."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwOCOm9Z0YE
2
Any puzzle with Ebbets Field in it MEATS with my approval!
The plethora of pop cultural themes made me rely heavily on the crosses, but the theme, which vegans may find offensive, was easy to detect, so MEET IN THE MIDDLE and the four varieties of edible flesh provided enough crosses to obviate googling.
Favorite clue: “Tip of France?” "Tip of Italy?" would indeed have been geographically more appropriate, Steve L, but not with ITALIA ibin the grid.
3
Then the clue would have to be "Tip of 26 Down".
1
IOS and EOS, BARR and BAR, ITE and IVE jumped out at me. And crossed words that start with TB. Now, that was interesting; I'm not sure if it bothers me or not.
For once, our beauty name isn't ESTEE!
Mr B and I ate at the Carnegie Deli once upon a time. He ordered the pastrami sandwich. Seating was at long tables, very close to your fellow diners. We were seated next to a woman with a small daughter. When the sandwiches came, they looked pretty much like the photo. Mr B looked at his sandwich, put on a supremely faux-serious look, and said, "I guess I'm just going to have to put my face right down in it." The little girl looked at him with a mixture of awe and horror on her face, and we had to reassure her that no, he wasn't really going to do any such thing. But it really felt like the only way to attack the sandwich.
6
FWIW, CARAMELITE is a terrible answer.
1
CARMELITE is less terrible though.
1
I agree. Good thing it wasn't in the puzzle.
4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hgcub5mspE
(A profound moment in modern opera. The Carmelite nuns are led off one by one to the guillotine.)
A very meaty Tuesday offering. I'm with you, Deb, on the SNO cap issue. Still thinking about See's candy from the other day. Deb, if you can wait a few days, order their Dark Chocolate Butterchews. You can customize a pound of chocolate to include just that if you like. And you will!
Nice theme, though the reveal answer seemed a little forced with carmelITE, KHZ, EOS, and SDS in the crosses. That's a little too much crosswordese for me, though possibly I'm just annoyed because none of the five were in my wheelhouse.
I was really hoping "Brooding worry" was going to be ANEST, even though I knew it wouldn't be proper crossword form.
3
How about this one for 30D.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1A0p0F_iH8
2
...which spawned this classic scene from "Seinfeld," in which Elaine, spaced out on painkillers, meets Jerry's aunt STELLA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLQRKnZ2cK8
3
I have to sheepishly admit to enjoying the Seinfeld scene even more! Thanks!
1
D'ewelly noted.
I enjoyed this puzzle and for a wonder I got the theme before I finished filling the grid. However, I must correct our esteemed Wordplay host: If you're craving dark chocolate at the movie theater, Deb, the superior choice is always Junior Mints!
2
I had the same thought, Julia, but it's been so long since I've been to a movie theatre (let alone bought anything at the concession stand) that I couldn't remember for sure if the shell of Junior Mints was dark or milk chocolate. But they were always my choice, since the little white things on SNO-Caps were way too sweet.
I hope I'm remembering correctly what SNO-Caps were or are. Are they the same things we used to call nonpareils?
1
Yep, SNO-Caps and nonpareils are the same thing.
And DL, if you're ever in the mood to see a movie on a Friday afternoon, you can almost always find me at one of the two multiplexes on 42nd St. off 8th Ave. Popcorn's on me.
After watching that SLOTH video, I may not get anything done today.
4
TOME, this one was easier than yesterday's. Does the 2018 SKED call for all Tuesday puzzles to be a bit easier than Monday puzzles, or was this just deja vu all over again?
2
I am not commenting on 1-down.
you just did.
Do airplane wings really have slats? And is Arpel still around? Questions like this slowed me down more than usual for a Tuesday. But now I'm off to eat a TURKEY sandwich, because the puzzle made me hungry, too, Deb.
"Do airplane wings really have slats?"
Yes. On the leading edge.
2
As a vegetarian, I did not enjoy this puzzle...just kidding! It was a good one, despite the meaty theme. Pretty easy, but probably about right for a Tuesday. I always appreciate Zs in the grid, and ZOOT SUIT was a nice way to work one in.
That's a nice-looking TAMALE PIE, Deb. A body could probably eat that without having to head directly to the Cardiac Care Unit.
Liked the NW opener, if only for uniquely partnering Don JOHN Trump and Frederick Douglass. Thought the 23A HA_ would be HAM, and then HeY, there it was. As soon as I saw the stuffed VEAL, I leapt ahead and filled in MEAT IN THE MIDDLE. HAY, STALLA? Nope, didn't quite work, but I took it as a perk.
Liked the theme entries being like little pierogies, but I noticed the filling for the CLAMBAKE had drifted to the30-yardline. 'Sawright, I won't REBUFF A LONE holdout to the strictly centrist position.
In a more juggler vein, to think that in an alternate universe, the choice could've been TRUMP OR KASICH. A case of 'Deliver us not', eh?
3
btw, is the TAMALE PIE lady *really* named Peach Kraft? I spose a CLAMBAKE would've been better for Beach Kraft.
2
Unlike the Carnegie sandwich, the tamale pie looked delicious!
Not typically a big fan of circled letters, but today there was some nice back and forth in my solve, as seeing the embedded MEETs in a couple of answers helped me get the reveal and then filling in the other MEETs helped me with the remaining theme answers. So a thumbs up from me.
ZOOTSUIT was a nice bonus. It will always make me think of Malcolm X. I wondered if 'drape shape' or 'reat pleat' had ever appeared in a puzzle. Answer - nope, and I'm guessing it's unlikely at this point in time.
I was stunned to find out that NORTHAMERICA had never been in a puzzle before. So I checked on SOUTHAMERICA: Once, in 1951 and the clue was "7,112,000 square miles."
And I went and checked the clue history for MEETINTHEMIDDLE. It appeared only once before - in a Monday puzzle by Billie Truitt - November 24, 2008. Here's the Xword link:
https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/24/2008&g=39&d=A
When I looked at that puzzle I at first couldn't figure out what in the heck the theme was. I finally got it and after I clicked on the link to the Bruce Haight puzzle that Mr. Collins mentioned, I realized it was exactly the same theme, though Ms. Truitt used 'PINKY' instead of 'LITTLE' in her construction and none of the other theme answers were precisely the same. Interesting coincidence.
2
I found the theme very quickly so got the long reveal without many letters. Most of the puzzle went very quickly, but I got stuck in the NE corner for quite a while. Now that I PAUSE to look at it, I don't know why.
I'm a keen meat eater, but the photo of the sandwich is a little over the top IMO.
6
Suejean. At a guess, you had a Natick at Square 9. That held me up, but I guessed S correctly because no other letter seemed to fit.
Exactly what I did, Amitai.
1
I just wish I could still eat a sandwich that big. It looks like at least 4 meals for me. I love corned beef and Ruebens, but that's a bit over the top.
1
I'm taking a break from The Game which just ended regulation. So the captains now MEET IN THE MIDDLE of the field to start overtime. Very exciting.
4
Re 58D: Given that Italy actually has a tip, wouldn’t “Tip of Italy” have been a more clever clue for EURO?
https://www.travelonspot.com/en_EE/article/calabria-italy-s-fascinating-...
3
In France if your bill says "service et taxe compris" (STC) you don't need to add a tip. It has already been included.
3
But don't forget the usher's pourboire.
1
Italy would indeed have been more appropriate geographically, but then ITALIA could not have had to be excluded. ..
For 51A - impossible not to link this. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGlXvkwcEZs
11
I immediately thought of the Carousel song as well, Viv, as well as the CLAM BAKES I loved on Cape Cod.
4
I'm with you, Viv. Trying to find a time to see the revival which starts soon with Renée Fleming!
Good one Viv. My immediate thought was Elvis performing the title track to his 1967 movie "CLAMBAKE"--not one of his best songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhSSgWmfFk0
1
Paul Simon sang that there must be 50 ways to leave your lover.
There must be at least 50 better ways to clue JOHN.
26
I actually enjoyed learning what the "J" stands for. The jokes sort of write themselves.
11
..and I thought his middle name was Genius
2
and Elke
Steve L- actually 'loo' would work for me.....