Much harder puzzle than usual for a Monday. I did poorly using the reveal word clue about 10 times. Bummer. Never noticed any theme.
Tougher than average Monday for me (took almost twice my average time). Had to simply guess at intersections of DRYADS and NEAT(?), and ELOI and ELVISH. Successful guesses, thank god. What's worse than ending a long streak on a Monday!?.
Never noticed theme...
I just got around to completing yesterday’s Follow the Sun puzzle and tried to open the wordplay. I get a message that it is no longer available. What’s up?
Try again. I was able to get it.
???
I was thinking PARK for PAVE but AVON crosses with EVIL means you end up with a bizarre animal @ 20A KL_ (didn’t get ROCKCAVE for a while. Knew that CAVE had to be part of the answer but no more at that early point). The thing that really stuck me ( by Monday standards, a whole 3 min) was that I had CIVIL DUTY for 35D, and didn’t notice the nonsense that created at 52A (TEL). So I had to hunt that down after getting the almost there, and the 13 min solve became a 16, which is average for me. I was hoping to start bringing that average down, as all the other days have been moving that way for me lately. I’ll have to try again next week
I'm not a big fan of vowel progressions -- maybe I've just seen too many -- but this one was well executed, and besides, it's Monday.
I knew car drivers and other types of racers (but not horse) took VICTORY Laps, but I didn't know VICTORY LANE. In another life, and in London, I attended the Royal Premiere of "Lawrence of Arabia," so DAVID LEAN was a gimme. (The Royal in attendance was Prince Philip.)
I suppose I should be glad that THE NFL had a mildly non-sportsed clue, but I didn't know it anyway. Except that it wasn't MLS which was already used.
Thanks Andy et al.
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Standard elementary logic problem: Naddy's family is from the planet Tenalp. Her parents have five children: the first four are Laa, Lee, Lii and Lo. What is the name of the fifth child?
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Resending, cause sometimes they are just late, but sometimes they disappear
I am resending because I wanted to say that solving today was fun! . Thank you, Andy Kravis, for a gentle and amusing crossword, and for the insight on what makes a good Monday puzzle! The la le li lo lu was creative and looked effortless! Welcome back Debbie and what a delightful video. My only tiny disappointment: I wanted NAG to be BUG for PESTering.
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Can MAO please die already!? Based on the number of times he's appeared in the NYT puzzle, you'd think he some sort of hero. But he was a dictator who ruled China with an iron fist for decades and created a personality cult that lives on today.
Typically quick Monday solve. I avoided PUTTing into the hole @1D because PAVE came to mind at the same instant, so waited for a cross. Picked up the theme after LANE and LEAN. Only the slightest hesitation over 48D: is it "Throw MAMMA" or "MOMMA"?
Aren't ROCKCAVES usually just called CAVES?
"Dance By the Light of the Moon" (1960) by the doo-wop group the Olympics wasn't adapted from "CLAIRDELUNE:" rather, it traces its lineage back to the old folk song "Buffalo Gals," which itself was revived in the 1940s as "Dance With the Dolly (With the Hole in Her Stocking)." The Olympics version just dares one to sit still, especially when the sax weighs in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgTbRAPazAc
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Great clip!
Here is another oldie but goodie - the Sesame Street version of Kiko and the Lavender Moon by the fantastic Los Lobos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhzh2LHPzOo
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That's wonderful Chungclan.
Music stars from many genres have appeared on "Sesame Street" over the years. Try keeping track of all the cameos in the swinging classic "Put Down the Duckie" number from the 80s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqJjrtDFGpI
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TEC, ELOI, ACRE, ORE are all common puzzle-ese fills. Just be thankful ACRE wasn't clued as a city in Israel, ORE is a part of a krona (sans umlaut [or utan umlaut]), and TEC and/or ELOI as some obscure acronym, a trick for the truly desperate puzzle creators.
Still I'm not buying UNTIE as "loosen, as shoelaces". UNTIED laces aren't just loose, they're, well UNTIED.
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Like so many others, putt, park, PAVE...
As far as ELOI, I didn't think it was too obscure. But if necessary, it could have easily been changed to ELON (SpaceX founder Musk) with changing 29D to PETA and 42A to ANS (Reply to a ques.)
TEC looks far trickier to try to change.
Hey Dan, I was much more likely to ask my kids to untie their laces than to loosen them. If I remember so long ago.
TEC --> THC (active marijuana ingredient) crossing LUTH (Prot. denomination).
LUTH is the French word for LUTE, and since we already have OEUVRE, SORTIES, and CLAIR DE LUNE in that quadrant, why not LUTH as well?
Fresh and fun puzzle today. Nice to see a classic word ladder.
Back when I started solving the NYT puzzle, I couldn't tell that they got harder through the week. They were _all_ hard. When at last I solved one correctly, I proudly taped it on my office door. A passer-by stopped and said, "Oh, Monday. No big deal." Of course I immediately set my sights on Tuesday. And when at last I had solved a Saturday, I wanted to tape it on that passer-by's door. But years had gone by and I wasn't at that school anymore...
PS: where do I go for news of the tournament?
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The presumably penultimate tournament report is Deb's Wordplay post "Going to the Big Boards."
(See list of recent Wordplays)
Archaeoprof, you can go to the tournament website at https://crosswordtournament.com/2018/index.htm
If you click on where it says American Crossword Puzzle Tournament at the top, it'll go to a page that has links to previous tournaments and sample puzzles.
And the video of the final solve (the "Big Boards") is up on YouTube at https://youtu.be/OS-CwNniV_I
And Deb is apparently writing an article about it for Tuesday's newspaper.
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Found it! Thank you.
Enjoyable Monday puzzle. Today for the first time we did all the Across fill , then all the Down, and that just about did it.
Elvish popped right in because (due to this place) this morning I decided to fill a gap in my reading and began (the interminably prefaced) The Lord of the Rings. Sent me back to grad school and learning about variorum editions with our exercise using various drafts of "The Eve of St, Agnes." Decided then and there, No, thank you...but if you like this stuff, go for it!
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Just a caution - Elvish and Entish are both languages in the Lord of the Rings - though there is only the tiniest chance that Entish would feature in a Monday puzzle.
Entish is the language of the shepherds of the trees, the Ents, who were created (in Tolkien's cosmology) to counter the miners, diggers, and choppers who wanted to use the earth for making and thus endangered living things that couldn't speak for or defend themselves (the greenery). A significant part of why Tolkien lovers love Tolkien.
(regarding the Old Entish) "It is a lovely language, but it takes a very long time saying anything in it, because we do not say anything in it, unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to."
FWIW - the books might be worth something if you skipped the prefatory notes and addenda until after you've met the books themselves. I acknowledge that they're not everyone's cuppa tea green, but if you love language, there's something in there to love.
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FWIW - now more than ever...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp5JCrSXkJY
PS Don't miss Neil Young's mutton chops in this classic 1967 video!
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A solid Monday puzzle. I did what many did at the outset and went from 'putt' to 'park' to PAVE. I'm sure it was intended, but I did appreciate that the vowel run went in order - A E I O U.
For some reason, between yesterday's puzzle and today's, I have the Annie Get Your Gun song stuck in my head -- I Got the Sun in the Morning (and the moon at night). Now maybe it's in yours.
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Hand up for putt, park, PAVE.
Not having ever read (or had read to me) any Dr Seuss, I stumbled at the YERdLE hurdle, as was convinced it was DEC rather than TEC. Very frustrating as I’d got to what I thought was the VICTORY LANE in 12 MINs, which would’ve been a record. Hasn’t DEC been used for detective before? I seem to recall a grumble on here about it a few months back, but I’m obviously mis-remembering it. Of course I didn’t notice the vowel theme as I RACEd through but I’ll definitely be on the lookout for this type of theme from now on. Thanks Deb.
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Jess, DEC has appeared 126 times. Twice it was clued as "Ten. Comb. form."
Every other time it was an abbreviation for the month (with a large variety of clues).
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Thanks Rich, must’ve had a mind meld of two different discussions. Ho hum.
TEC (Training Enterprise Council) or simply the middle letters of deTECtive is a mainstay of Detective Comics (pre-Batman era). I like Sam Spades Continental OP (operative).
AVON involved cocktails (Manhattans not Sazeracs) and Salems (Witch cigs as my Uncle would exclaim).
Thinking of unpaving my drive to reduce runoff, erosion and eliminate the every 5-10 year expense of "resurfacing." Last estimate was 10K to cover the ground with petrochemicals and related solvents.
Fine Monday. Thanks Andy
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About five years ago, I repaved my driveway after having a virtually unpaved one for many years (i.e. it was paved when it was new, about 50 years ago, and never again, so it was basically down to the dirt).
Trust me when I say paved is better. But after five years, I can also say that it should be in better shape than it actually is, and I have taken care of it (coated it with sealant, filled in cracks).
I hope to be out of the house before it needs to be paved again.
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I thought AVON just ding-donged the doorbell and tried to sell to the stay-at-home housewife who apparently lived inside. No group, no cocktails.
Tupperware gave parties, with or without cocktails.
I once attended a dinner that was followed (unexpectedly by me) by a Tupperware-like party for what used to be called "marital aids." Instructive.
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Enjoyable puzzle and a bit on the challenging side (for me) for a Monday. MICROLOAN wasn't really familiar to me, but from other comments it's evidently in the language. I thought all the other themers were quite good.
On reviewing the grid, it dawned on me that if you're going to do a vowel progression theme (in order) you probably really, really want your long 'I' entry to be 15 letters. Would make for a challenging grid layout otherwise. I've been wanting to go back and review and categorize themes for a while now. Maybe I'll just start with Mondays (and probably with Lynn Lempel). I'll get on that. Honest.
I have jury DUTY tomorrow, though I can call after 6:00 tonight to see if I have to show up. Last time was about 35 years ago and I actually ended up on a jury. And we found the defendant not guilty, though when we retired for deliberation there were 3 or 4 jurors who initially said, "well, if he wasn't guilty, they wouldn't have charged him." The rest of us managed to convince them that that isn't the way that's supposed to work.
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Your jury seems to have had more than its fair share of jerks, RiA. I wonder how they would have behaved if they'd been on a civil jury.
Over the years, I've been voir dired but not chosen many many times because of previous experiences that could have indicated bias. I was an alternate a couple of times, but did serve and deliberate once, on a civil case in federal court. A very interesting exercise.
Also served on a grand jury once. Thirty half-days, mornings, then off to my job until into the evening. Tiring.
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Very enjoyable. But TEC for detective? I’m reasonably noir-literate and I don’t ever recall hearing that before.
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I haven’t heard it before either, P Y. But in my experience, it is an established bit of crosswordese, often clued as “gumshoe”.
A nice vowel sound run with some really interesting phrases. TOE THE PARTY LINE was especially good.
I never read or watch sci fi or fantasy but thought of ELOI and recognised ELVISH, so that seemed fair enough for a Monday.
I did my CIVIC DUTY as a jury member years ago and loved the experience.
I think you've done very well for your first Monday, Andy and I look forward to more.
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An attractive Monday puzzle, with just enough bite and a cute theme.
I approve of how they kept the vowels following L in their proper order.
The only clue that I am not happy about us the one for CHOKE.
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I'd have to disagree; I think the CHOKE clue is one of the best.
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Amitai, I'm usually on your wave length, but have to agree with Steve on thenclue for CHOKE, spot on IMO, and clever.
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Amitai,
I suspect that use of CHOKE as per Intransitive Verb Def. 4 (link below) started in the U.S. after you left the U.S. It's quite common here now, most notably in the sports pages.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke
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The sun appears yellow to us, but the moon, which shines by reflected sunlight, looks white. Why is that?
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Because - as far as I know - the surface of the moon IS largely silvery-white.
1
The moon looks white because it is viewed against the backdrop of space, which is very, very dark. The moon's surface is actually grey, not white.
Harkening back to the Savoyard theme a few months ago, W.S. Gilbert explains this precise issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2qJXT3olM
From The MIkado:
The sun, whose rays
Are all ablaze
With ever-living glory,
Does not deny
His majesty
He scorns to tell a story!
He don't exclaim,
"I blush for shame,
So kindly be indulgent."
But, fierce and bold,
In fiery gold,
He glories all effulgent!
I mean to rule the earth,
As he the sky
We really know our worth,
The sun and I!
I mean to rule the earth,
As he the sky
We really know our worth,
The sun and I!
Observe his flame,
That placid dame,
The moon's Celestial Highness;
There's not a trace
Upon her face
Of diffidence or shyness:
She borrows light
That, through the night,
Mankind may all acclaim her!
And, truth to tell,
She lights up well,
So I, for one, don't blame her!
Ah, pray make no mistake,
We are not shy;
We're very wide awake,
The moon and I!
Ah, pray make no mistake,
We are not shy;
We're very wide awake,
The moon and I!
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and ELKe
I am nearly over the moon with this NEAT puzzle (NB:'nearly').
Anybody who has been on hiking SORTIES near lakes or rivers, especially north of the 49th parallel, may have heard the haunting call of the Common LooN, and seen it in the CLAIR DE LUNE. The call definitely is not a CAW, and one won't SNORE through it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtRCCErbFJM
The Canadian dollar coin has a LooN on the back (and thusly is called a 'LooNie'. Even for a MICRO LOAN, it would be a bit too measly ,but the coins are not adverse to congregating with OTHERs.....
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and ELKe
I know somebody will point out that the scene in the video seems to be in the light of SUNSET, but the youtube with the moon light would not post (tried 4 X).
You meant over the LUNE of course R&E, n’est-ce pas ? :-D
the LOON was in today's mini!
The Eloi are in the puzzle all the time, but the Morlocks only rarerly.
I think they deserve equal time.
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Oh, Morlocks hide! And in dark, moonless nights, the hunt us for dinner!
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Thursday's are usually the FUNNEST of the week, but I don't know about hardest...
SUNDAY'S can say sometimes be hard to get started until I figure out the gimmick, but once I've got that, I usually(not ALWAYS) find them easier than Friday and Saturday.
1
Some local newspapers that carry the NYT crossword never include the theme. Sometimes this is just a fun extra puzzle. Occasionally, it can make the Sunday puzzle almost impossible to complete without checking online.
1
T Kalen: What does "not include the theme" mean?
1
Polymath, I think TK means those papers do not print the title of the Sunday puzzles.
Congratulations to Andy on breaking into Monday puzzling. His note is understated: simple is hardest.
Clair de lune - even before I saw the photo Deb posted, I was going to comment - refers (as a musical, impressionist idea) to the feeling of seeing things or people, familiar or unfamiliar, in moonlight. That is, when listening to pieces called "Clair de lune" or "Moonlight Sonata" - the mental image is not meant to be a sky scene with a shining moon, but any kind of scene bathed in the pale silvery light reflected off the moon.
https://theartstack.com/artist/henri-le-sidaner/terrase-au-clair-de-lune
http://www.mikesclark.com/genealogy/paintings/EW2_p008.jpg
and here's a lesser-known "Clair de lune", by Belgian composer Joseph Jongen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNTxhXTrDl0
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Thanks for this, David. I’ve always had the picture of the moon in my mind hearing Claire de Lune.
And Robert and Elke, as soon as I caught the theme, I was expecting the MInnesota state bird in the last themed clue. Alas, I guess the theme included the actual vowels after the “L”, and not homophones. The loons arrive back in Minnesota within hours of “ice out”on Northern lakes.
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Thanks for linking the paintings, David. I particularly liked the le Sidaner; I had never heard of him. Will listen to the Jongen music later.
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Yes, doesn't that le Sidaner painting capture an intimacy that's perfect? At the same time you are well inside yourself and yet somehow involved in the world you see under the moonlight. I do hope you'll listen to the Jongen - he's unjustly neglected as a composer.
Very nice smooth Monday. Some interesting fill, like YERTLE and CIVIC DUTY, as well as the theme entries. And we have DRYADS! I had the D from ADDAMS so I didn't need David C's memory aid, but I remembered it, so that's good.
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I loved 1D for a Monday. With 1A in but nothing else, with all the recent golf references, before PARK and PAVE, I wanted PUTT. I would not have EAGLED on the NW corner.
2
Hand up for PARK before PAVE too. I suspect many will have done the same.
Which is more obscure, ELOI or DRYADS? And MLS is probably just as obscure for the unsportsed liked Deadline...but who knows?
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ELOI can't cross DRYADS, so no Natick to fear there, Wen. And I think most solvers will get MLS from the crosses without caring whether it has to do with sports (to say nothing of which sport). Early in the week is when you can solve without knowing some meanings and learn the words for use later in the week when you will need to know them.
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Yes for Wen - as soon as a three-letter fill starts with M or N or even A and sportsyness appears - I just shrug and move right along. Luckily, there were fair crossings.
2
I was surprised by the Constructor Note suggesting that Thursdays and Saturdays are probably the hardest solves. My average times consistently increase from Monday to Sunday, though Sunday is only the longest because it's larger than the others. I generally find that Friday and Saturday are equally likely to require some metaphorical sweat. Once I get through them, I figured me current streak is almost certain to continue for another 5 days. Of course, rebuses and such like are a wildcard.
Anybody else?
1
Agreed. Sunday to Thursday near certainty, always nervous about Friday and Saturday.
What Andy Kravis wrote was: "For solvers, the hardest crosswords of the week are probably Thursdays or Saturdays." I agree with him, and I think you two do too! He wrote "hardest," not "take the most time," and he wrote "or," not "and." Do you not agree that Saturdays are almost always the hardest puzzles of the week, but once in a while a particularly wacky trick Thursday can be even harder?
2
I frequently find that the Friday puzzle is at least as hard as the Saturday puzzle, and fairly often it's more difficult for me.
3
Nicely crafted Monday puzzle. Very pleasant solve.
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