I had to do some research here: RINSO is mentioned in the song from Hair called "Ain't Go No" -- it starts out:
I'm black, I'm black
I'm pink, I'm pink
I'm Rinso white
I'm in-vi-si-ble
Ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes, ain't got no money
Ain't got no class, ain't got no scarf, ain't got no gloves
Ain't got no bed, ain't got no pot, ain't got no faith
Ain't got no mother, ain't got no culture, ain't got no friends
Ain't got no schoolin', ain't got no shine, ain't got no underwear
Ain't got no soap, ain't got no a train, ain't got no mind
Ain't got no smokes, ain't got no job, ain't got no work
Ain't got no coins, ain't got no pennies, ain't got no girl
Ain't got no ticket, ain't got no token, ain't got no God
... and so forth
Read more: Hair Cast - Ain't Got No Lyrics | MetroLyrics
2
Would the entry MANN be acceptable for the clue “Man in Mannheim” or does that break the Golden Rule?
I was a little dissapointed with today's "theme." Although it expressed skill by the constructor, it didn't really affect my solving. For example, I didn't realize BEETHOVEN because he wrote nine symphonies. As usual, I just relied on the crosses for hints. (I was amazed that Missouri really does have *eight* bordering states!
2
Very nice Thursday that treated me rather well, except for my blunder of confidently entering LETTERS instead of SQUARES. The factual knowledge used in this puzzle seemed to be in my bailiwick, outside of SNEETCHES and TO A TURN, which I'm happy to lurn.
2
SPOILER
Now I’m Bilbao should have been the Basque word for it, since it fits.
1
You're saying we should all learn Basque for the crossword puzzle???
There are Basque nationalists who are furious about this right about now!
How about the original hieroglyph for crossword puzzle?
1
The other thing that seems to have disappeared is the "Feedback" link so that anyone so inclined could report this very annoying stuff to someone who could maybe do something about it.
1
Okay, I tried to reply to a couple of people who replied to me, and nothing shows up.
I give up.
1
I use iPad and for me the replies disappear, with no option to see the other replies. Original comments mostly stay.
Today links are not working. And I wanted so much to see the maths meets linguistics offering! Is there a pattern? Or maybe it’s personal!;-D
2
Deadline, I see your replies. There must be something really weird with the commenting system.
Don't know why you're getting a different version than some of the rest of us.
Wonderfully entertaining comments thread today. Thanks, everyone.
2
Is there something I'm not getting about the new Comments format?
I tried to post a reply to RiA's "quiz" about presidential names. I got an email notification that it had posted, but when I came here and checked, it wasn't there. I went "Back to All Comments" and scrolled to where it should have been, and it still wasn't there.
So I posted another reply to RiA stating the above. Got the email notification, but no comment showing anywhere.
The only thing I can think of is that we're no longer allowed to reply to replies? If so, I can't find anything that notifies us of such.
Deadline, Both your comments appear. I can't imagine why you are not seeing them!
1
And I'm still seeing the old comment system on daily Wordplay articles like this one. But I've seen the new style on special articles like "How To Make a Crossword Puzzle." Is it being phased in? Is it a caching issue? Will it ripple its way through the nytiverse until we all have it?
(Windows 7 with Firefox.)
I wonder if DL and Robert/Elke are regular NYT online subscribers and that's why they are getting the new version? I only subscribe to the puzzles, and nothing has changed in what I see here.
I love this theme idea, connecting the "NUMBER OF letters" (my first stab at the reveal) to what they're spelling. I don't remember ever seeing this theme before and it makes each theme answer a little puzzle in itself. I cottoned to the theme trick quickly, and that's always a good feeling on Thursday.
Lovely, lovely answers: HAUGHTY, SLIMES, CROUPIER, and -- as neighbors even! -- SNEETCHES and ULULATES, plus a strong mini theme of double EEs (7).
I saw in the bookstore this week an offering by Carl Hiaasen, illustrated by Roz CHAST, "Assume The Worst: The Graduation Speech You'll Never Hear". It features Hiaasen's biting wit, and CHAST's illustrations, mostly one-panel cartoons, are hilarious.
2
HERE'S Jimbo!
Since the 4 themers were easily deduced from the crosses, I didn't COUNTTHESQUARES until I was finished. (Avoided the LETTERS trap thanks to Her Majesty.) Didn't recall RINSO specifically from "Hair," but I knew it from somewhere. Can't say the same for CHAST. ULULATES is one of my favorite words, ever since high-school Latin class--our text featured a storyline about a versipellis (i.e., werewolf). That was a fun class.
I like anything chocolate, with the following exceptions: (1) pudding; (2) breakfast cereals.
Speaking of breakfast cereals, Weird Al Yankovic's career skyrocketed in 1984 with his signature Michael Jackson parody, "EAT IT" ("don't want no Cap'n Crunch, don't want no Raisin Bran...")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJjMnHoIBI
3
Got the theme pretty quickly, confirmed by the revealer.
My first thought at 20A was ELENA, but I already had the N from KEENAN, so SONIA came right away.
Never heard POKE as clued at 1A, only "slowpoke." POKE as a noun to me is a paper bag.
Loved CROUPIER, ULULATES, and A.E. HOUSMAN, which I wanted to spell HOUSeMAN.
Despite being old and never having had children, I'm familiar-ish with most of Dr. Seuss's characters because they've become such a part of the culture. SNEETCHES, though, was a new one to me.
Don't remember the "Hair" lyric, but do recall RINSO Blue.
So, awfully easy for a Thursday, with a minimum of trickiness. But at least there was some. Thanks to all.
3
You can put the E in the name of the actor John Houseman (e.g., The Paper Chase).
2
A Spanish mini-theme today with UNO, RICO and AHORA.
I like this kind of puzzle where you look at the total package for a couple of minutes and then everything falls into place, some brainwork first, and then the solving. Nice to see CROUPIER. Thanks, Todd.
UNO in this case is Italian.
2
Obviously.
1
Obviously funny.
Not always nice to see CROUPIER. I remember some friends (a couple) who had two children. The second was much CROUPIER than the first.
Place your bets.
Just out if curiosity, I’m wondering what some folks streaks are? I’m approaching a year.
I'm at 299.
I had an out-of-town miss and a forgot-to-do-it miss. I had another 250+ streak earlier before the out-of-town miss, but I don't remember exactly. This current one is my longest streak.
1
I'm on track for 1000 at the end of next week, fingers crossed.
2
Almost three years - amazing! I would think that *something* would have come up that prevented you from doing at least one day's puzzle during that stretch. Or some double-Natick. Again, amazing!
BTW, I'm impressed that few contributors boast about their strings.
For once, I did not fall into a trap -- had the U from SUITORS, so I had SQUARES right off the bat. Some of the answers were kinda connected like SUE/SUITORS, ALE/ALEE/AILEY, and TERN and TOATURN. The last lend itself to a perfect entry in a punny ode theme!
1
ICEES/ISEEIT
1
Andrew, that reminds me of a joke in which a New Yorker is giving his cousin from the South a tour of the city. They wind up in Williamsburg, where they see some men with long beards and black coats and hats. The Southerner says, "Y'all got some strange-looking people around here? What are those men?"
The New York cousin says, "Hasidim."
His Southern cousin says, "Hasidim too, but what are they?"
1
That's enough to make a grown man groan!
2
Still getting the hand of reading clues but shouldn’t VENICE be “one stop on a grand tour, MAYBE” a-la the clue for SUITORS?
1
Depends on whether your talking about a grand tour or a Grand Tour, which was a Thing and particularly, a veddy British Thing. (Admittedly, the puzzle clue doesn't use capitals, although a Grand Tour would naturally visit many capitals!)
But what was generally considered a Grand Tour almost always included Venice. As Wikipedia states:
The British idea of Venice as the "locus of decadent Italianate allure" made it an epitome and cultural setpiece of the Grand Tour.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tour
To add my two cents, if you do go to Venice, don't waste time on the gondolas. They're just for the tourists. The vaporetti (ferries) get you to where you want to go and are very inexpensive.
2
Steve, as it happens I am going to Venice this summer (doing my own Grand Tour). I’ve been twice before and had the very same attitude as you concerning vaporetti/gondolas. This time however I am determined to do an evening gondola ride. Must be the Romantic in me finally taking over my pragmatic side. The gondola image on a quiet canal is pretty overpowering!
I caught on right away with the ARACHNID, and I had thought MARK SPITZ had only 8 medals, but oh well. I went along with it all.
I thought Bilbao was Portuguese, silly me...
And Oktoberfest.... you just pick which BIER tent you want to go to...Perhaps I am not clear (is ALE the same thing as beer? Is all beer ALE, but not all ALEs are beer? Oh dear.)
I had COUNT THE LETTERS, then SPAACES oops and finally SQU occurred to me. Fun puzzle.
All ales are beer, but not all beers are ale. A nice brewski is always good for what ALEs ya, be it a STEIN of lager or UNO Dos Equis, maybe half a pint?
1
Ale is a general category of beer, with the other category being lager. Beer at Oktoberfest in Munich would be 100% lager, not ale.
Since this is a crossword puzzlers' forum, I feel like I can get away with being a tad pedantic. I realize that in Bilbao almost all people speak Spanish as a second language, and many of them as a first, but I would think of Bilbao as a Basque city, so not necessarily a prime example of a Spanish-speaking city. Any locals who want to weigh in?
While I'm at it... Who orders ale at Oktoberfest? Any Bavarians around?
4
Yeah, German, and especially Bavarian, beer is almost exclusively lager. That clue annoyed me.
I watched a hell of a lot of television in the 60s, but I have no recollection of Here's Lucy. "Here's Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. "
I remember “Here’s Lucy”. Rather a sad, pale attempt at re-creating the classic “I love Lucy”. I don’t think it lasted long. As I recall Gale Gordon played her boss Mr. Mooney.
1
19A is AHORA, for "Now, in Bilbao", which is quite misleading, with Bilbao being in Basque Country. ("Ahora" is not "now" in Basque.)
Bilbao is also in Spain.
Hi I got inspired how to find out how to say now in Basque. First some background: Basque is Spain’s oldest living indigenous non-Indo-European language: . Ok. NOW in Basque is ORAIN. Not a bad word for crosswords!
2
I had exactly the same quibble. While about half of people in the Basque Autonomous Region (of which Bilbao is the largest city) speak only Spanish, the other half speak or understand the Basque language. Like so many minority/ancient languages, nationalist governments around the world) have historically tried to discourage their use by coercion or worse, making it a sensitive issue to many peoples. BARCELONA would of course be an even worse choice – that one might even be within the Editor's radar. At the very least, the clue might be revised to "by SOME in BILBAO".
1
Felt harder than the usual Thursday for me, but then I was out a little late last night.
Hand up here for"letters" before SQUARES.
FWIW, Mt Washington and Mt Adams are neighborhoods in my home town of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Unique theme with a lovely aha moment and some utterly beautiful entries. The HAUGHTY CROUPIER ULULATES over the lack of tips.
This wasn't a showy tricky Thursday but, to me, it was freshly different and definitely done TO A TURN. Thank you, Todd Gross!
4
Holy cows—i finished a Thursday!! Only a couple of googles and i didnt even peek at Wordplay ( if im really really stuck i start by peeking at the photo...then scroll line by line slowly to see if theres one thing that helps me get a toehold—might even be a fingernail hold...).
I figured the theme quickly: got the Olympic medal winner early, then guessed the symphony writer, and it all fell quickly from there. Had to look at a map afterwards to confirm the state for myself because i thought it might be the river.
I didnt understand 5D until reading Deb—that was an excellent curveball. I also loved the clues for 5A and 32D. Real brain-twisters.
5
Hello, everyone! I'm glad you all enjoyed this puzzle. Strangely enough, using LETTERS instead of SQUARES didn't occur to me. See my Sudoku crossword from last year, that had SQUARES as well.
@Rich in Atlanta, I did indeed know CARL LEWIS also won 9 gold medals. And, for a few months, USAIN BOLT also had 9. Until he was stripped of one because a relay teammate was disqualified for doping. I myself tried to use all those in a puzzle I sent Will. I guess I can be glad now he said no.
See you next time!
---Todd Gross
9
Todd, yes, Usain Bolt was in the mix at the time I was considering that. I actually wanted to do a puzzle where multiple proper names could be clued in the same way and was considering using two of the gold medalists as bonus down answers. I ran it by a couple of constructors and they told me the idea was a no-go.
But... if you're ever interested in pursuing something similar, check out American authors who have won the Nobel Prize in literature. Nice set of matching letter-count names and of crossword friendly lengths.
1
When I do crosswords on paper, I use capital letters for across clues and lower case letters for the downs. In acrostics I do capitals for the answers to the clues and lower case for the letters I fill in within the quotes. This is really useful when you're making changes or reviewing your thinking process. It also befuddles whoever might be looking over your shoulder.
Now, doing the puzzles on my laptop, I look back at the puzzle and have little sense of my process. Today, though, I was one of those who COUNTed the LETTERS rather than the SQUARES.
Have you read yesterday's article, "You Share Everything With Your Bestie. Even Brain Waves." Note how we happily connect with each other in this space when we've made the same misstep or shared the same thought.
6
I'm befuddled, and I'm not even looking over your shoulder.
How do you enter capital letters for As and lower-case letters for Ds when all of the letters appear in both A and D entries?
Is there a joke I'm missing? My brain isn't working too well this morning.
I had the same question - thanks for asking!
I took it to mean, across writing in upper case, downward writing in lower case. So some entries would end up mixed, because they were begun in a different direction than they were finished due to crossings. Is that the idea, Meg?
Chocolaty and breakfast are twains that can never, ever meet at my breakfast table; save maybe a square or two of finely ground 90% cocoa sprinkled on my steel cut oats. OREOOS? Thanks but no thanks...The audio is from '69, the video appears to pre-date that. THESE separate entities, completely out of STEP, are both as sharp, crisp and clean as a whistle. Don't miss Brian Jones as he takes the mallets to the xylophone. This is the ballad of the eight legged critter dealing with the PESTERing of DEBUG.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J28-RbDOKw8
CACHE Ya On The Flip Side,
Bru
5
Paris. Breakfast. Croissant au chocolat.
Et voilà.
2
So much more elegant than a bowl of Cocoa Puffs.
Hot chocolate for breakfast anyone?
2
I solved the puzzle but I don’t understand this clue/answer. Maybe I’m overthinking it.
7-down: Two in the news —— ITEM
Perhaps it’s because if two people are dating they can be called an item. Think in terms of news that’s on the weddings page or less rarified news sources.
2
Thanks. That’s it.
1
Is that term still used? I don't read gossip columns (do they still exist?), but my recollection that "ITEM" was used a lot by Walter Winchell, who no longer exists.
1
Sigh. It's too late now, but I was hoping reality would have supported the clue for a five letter answer: "He served as President this number of months".
13
That kinda, sorta works for another five letter president if you make it years instead of months.
..
6
Here's an interesting semi-related quiz:
Take a guess (no googling). 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. Which of those is the number of letters in the last name of the most presidents? Interestingly, there is a 3 way tie for second place.
And, how many presidents had more than 8 letters in their last name?
1
My guesses (and I didn't Google) are 5 and 2.
1
Easy, fun, clever! We got BEETHOVEN soon, because of the V in NOV; and we had ARE so son and I were thinking the trick is going to be numbers squared (3 squared , 4 squared etc) . No. Too large too fast- 57A: would anyone had won 36 gold medals! Maybe a simple sequence? 9,8,7 oops can we fit 8.5? And then our brains saw COUNTSQUARES and had fun.
I like the rhythm of CROUPIER, PIONEER and TOATURN. We laughed at what else (other than a tail and a fork) the devil has only one of? Two horns, etc GOATEE does not sound sinister and almost doesn’t resonate with EVIL. Of course we rookies tried forms of lord, title, aristocrat etc before UNIV for Duke. SUITORS and other romantic figures keep returning with roses!
Fun. Thank you ! I think I love Thursdays.
8
Keep Thursday Rebus Free! I thought of making a sign for my yard and putting it next to the one stating: "No One Welcome Here." I will not.
Figured out the trick and merrily solved away only to be denied Happy Pencil by Alea (a warrior and a sanctuary for Athena) as opposed to ALEE (General in the Army of the South or safe at sea).
As I filled in 2D I thought: "Those cookies sure get around."
Thanks Todd
4
I gather from your entry of ALEA, dk, that you were still FROZAN after the latest snows?
(Not yet rollin' on the river)
1
I was appalled to see OREO OS, or at least by the idea of them. Post-solve Google confirmed my worst fears.
corn flakes
I saw OREOS milkshakes last month!
1
Mostly fell surprisingly quickly for a Thursday. Got stuck on 5D for quite a while before the head slap of UNO. Had ELENA before SONIA, which slowed down the NW. Had IRAN, which was Persia until 1935 [I learn now] before SIAM. Theme clues were all pretty straightforward. Thanks!
For the Jeopardy conspiracists, Siam becoming Thailand in 1939 was on the same day's show!
4
Nice puzzle. I plunked in BEETHOVEN as soon as I read the clue and then filled in the reveal when I saw it. Problem is... I filled it in with COUNTTHELETTERS. That slowed me down for a just a bit later on.
I've actually come up with some crossword theme ideas. Without going into detail, that's why I knew that there were two Olympians with 9 gold medals and 9 letters in their name (though it never occurred to me that there are two Olympians with 9 SQUARES in their name). The other one is Carl Lewis and I wonder if Mr. Gross tried both of them at some point. Oddly enough, either one of them would cross RIA. Meta.
Anyway, got stuck in the NE for quite a while but eventually worked it all out. As usual, it doesn't look all that difficult after the fact. Enjoyable Thursday. I'm going back to bed.
4
Hand up for COUNT THE LETTERS.
4
Hand *down* for COUNT THE LETTERS. I came down the east side, and had SQUARES in place before looking at the 35A clue.
(I like your Olympians crossing RIA, Rich.)
4
Ditto.
1
This was not a Thursday theme IMO.
BEETHOVEN would have been anyone’s first choice for writer of symphonies, so how would we know whether he did or not if we didn’t COUNT THE SQUARES? Even if we weren’t sure that he wrote nine, PABST and KEENAN would have convinced us. From there I went directly to revealer, confirming it with CAB and OIL A.E. HOUSEMAN and CROUPIER confirmed MISSOURI. RIA and KLM gave me MARK and pointed to SPITZ. ARCHNID needed a few more crosses.
There was some attractive fill: e.g., ULULATES, but it did not compensate for the ultra-easy theme.
2
I like a puzzle that has a bit of a mystery to solve, although I can't claim to have solved it as quickly as most of the commenters so far. It was also a bit unfortunate that letters has the same number of letters as squares. Never mind I got there in the end, and I also managed to get enough letters in 10D to remember A.E. HOUSMAN.
That was fun, and worth waiting for, Todd.
8
My fastest Thursday yet at 39 mins! I thought the flow was nice and the puzzle definitely felt easier to me than yesterday's, which took me almost an hour to solve. A couple of words I wasn't familiar with, but I got them all from the crossings.
I squealed with happiness when I saw the clue for 5D and got it immediately. As something of a linguist and a wanna-be polyglot, I absolutely love the occasional chance I get to use my language knowledge on a puzzle.
I enjoyed this one a lot!
6
The perfect video to link to for today!
Maths meets linguistics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYKn0yUTIU4
4
and Elke
New comment set-up AND math in the puzzle ,oh well, it's Thursday...
I also wanted Elana before SONIA, and really stared at
TOAT URN- had heard of tea urns , but TOAT ?..
Settled down to counting (fortunately did not need toes ) and MARK SPITZ and BEETHOVEN fit to theme of COUNT THE SQUARES.
All that ALE ,even PABST BLUE ribbon in a STEIN, made me think that SHUSH was 'sushi' said by someone who had imbibed....
Nice to see QEII in the puzzle. The Queen of Canada turns 92 yrs. old on April 21 . She does not appear to be SENILE, and while her favourite pet corgi has just passed way, she was not heard to be ULULATing her grief.
Neat misdirect : 12D-'man in Mannheim'==HERR.
The way I SEE IT- anytime I don't have to google, makes a good puzzle.
Wish I could think of a RINSO joke (one that needs time to sink in ).
7
Glad someone else noticed the new Comments set-up.
I was roundly ridiculed last night, even accused of hallucinating!
I'm sad that the avatars are too little to make out.
2
I liked the puzzle, although not familiar with some of the answers. Got most through the crossings. BEETHOVEN was quick, as was MISSOURI. After that I looked for the themers and quickly filled them in. The revealer took a little longer, but not much. For you Durham folks, some of the 'news' on Facebook has concerned the ARACHNID sandwich at one of your local establishments.
2
All I can say is...Eww!! Not where I eat. Not gonna be where I eat.
2
The son of one of my friends ate one of the tarantula burgers!
I guessed the theme after ARACHNID and BEETHOVEN, but threw myself off for awhile because I chose COUNT THE LETTERS instead of SQUARES
3
COUNT THESE BOXES also fits. Alas. But it didn't last long...
Seeing so much white space after my first go-around, I filled in CERF instead of NASH. Looked pretty good for a short time, since it made COUNTOFFSQUARES seem perfectly reasonable. RETRO instead of LITHO held things up as well.
1
The theme was both easy and clever - two adjectives I don’t usually ascribe to the same subject.
3
Fun theme. Smooth puzzle. Happy Thursday.
I thought of:
[He was the this-manyeth U.S. President.]
There are three answers that would work (two with surname only, and one with first and last name):
JACKSON
VAN BUREN
FRANKLIN PIERCE
I see that one of our local institutions of higher learning make it into the puzzle today. It's always fun to find something close to home.
3
Grrr..."made," not "make."
(And while speaking of higher learning, no less.)
Ales are peculiar to the English-speaking world; they’re brewed at warmer temperatures than European beers. The only European country where ale has established a foothold is Belgium. Germany is notable for many things, e.g. having started the Second World War, but also the total absence of ale from the potables menu. The word “ale” has come to be synonymous with “beer” in the US, and while ale is not brewed in Scandinavia, the local “ale”-cognates (Danish/Norwegian øl, Swedish/Icelandic öl) denote beer exclusively. On the other hand, there is no “ale”-cognate in German, where “Bier” reigns in solitude. So you might be able to order an ale at an Oktoberfest in Minneapolis, but you would be out of luck in München. Clouding the picture — as yeast does a Hefeweizen — “Lager” is originally German, but it doesn’t mean “beer” in its country of origin; likewise, “Stein” means “beer mug” in English-speaking countries, but not in the land of Goethe und Schiller.
14
"It's only half due" is one of my favorite clues of all time.
Easy theme — I figured it out before I figured out almost anything else. The Z in FROZEN made MARKSPITZ come quickly, leading me to get the revealer, too. Cute puzzle with some nice fill though.
2
also caught on quickly with BEETHOVEN and MARK SPITZ and ARACHNID! clever puzzle but again quite easy. love our wonderfully smart female Justices SONIA Elena and Ruth!!
4
Good puzzle. The theme was a bit novel for me. I really liked all of the theme entries, not to mention other entries like CROUPIER, ULULATES. Never heard of OREO O'S, A.E. HOUSMAN, SNEETCHES.
One of the easier Thursdays, 2 minutes off from my best time and 30 minutes faster than my average. Not the tricky Thursday I have come to expect based on other people's expectations here.
Had ELENA before SONIA. Tried TO A TEE but wouldn't fit. I've never heard of the expression TO A TURN. Had COUNT THE LETTERS but ALE and QEII made it apparent it was COUNT THE SQUARES Pretty smooth otherwise.
1
Since you don't know Housman, I give you one of my faves.
A.E. Housman
Loveliest of Trees
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
14
Thanks! That is quite lovely.
Thanks for including that, Nick. As you know, it's from A Shropshire Lad, Houseman's most famous collection of poems. The ones that I remember most clearly from it are To An Athlete Dying Young and When I Was One and Twenty. Here's a good listing:
https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~martinh/poems/housman.html
3
I caught on to this one pretty quickly, when I had the north central block filled in, so I had -OVEN at 17A and figured it had to be BEETHOVEN. And then MISSOURI filled in. I'm always a little surprised to see exactly what states abut other states, especially in the midwest. I've always lived near a coast, so my geographical knowledge of the middle of the country is not quite as good as I think it should be. I'll have to work on that!
Was a little surprised to see 39D show up as QEII; I see the apostrophe in the clue but still wasn't expecting it. And I was just thinking of the word ULULATE the other day, so it was fun to see it here. And SNEETCHES!
1
Once I had to fly from LGA to RDU at the last minute. The only flight I could get was through Cincinnati. I was surprised to learn that the Cincinnati airport is in Covington, Kentucky. Who knew that a mid-western state could be across the river from a southern state?
5
A comment.
Hey, it said "Write a comment." Nothing wild to say about this one. Got the theme right out of the gate, and raced along through the not very difficult clues and not very inspiring entries. My most enjoyable solving moment was the brief misstep wanting 50A to be PITCHER.
SUBMIT
5
Pretty easy for a Thursday, but I thought the theme was clever and fun.
5
Extremely easy for a Thursday puzzle. Fun to solve.
3
Cute. Easy. Just over half my average time for a Thursday. Back to first grade for you though, Deb! Missouri has 8 letters and borders 8 states. Tied for the most with Tennessee, though Tennessee has 9 letters.
1
Last time I looked, MISSOURI had eight letters.
Last time you looked, which was just one sentence before and a few seconds before you read Deb say that MISSOURI had nine letters.
MISSOURI. Deb, we always appreciate your column and we are grateful for how clearly and wittily you write it, by your sensitivity, and creativity. Today, am also reassured by your eight/nine confusion because, As I often write with small mistakes, I when people I respect also makes small mistakes, I feel normal!
6
Thanks, everyone! I guess my counter was on the fritz when I wrote this ... it's fixed in the column.
5