I’m extremely annoyed because this was too difficult for me....
But I got Sophia Loren..YAY!!!!!
Am I the only one who finds the "hi kids" notation patronizing? At 36 I am certainly not a kid and find that I know plenty of things that happened before my birth but you'll forgive me, I hope, for not knowing all of the things. I understand the inclination to make the joke. I do it myself from time to time, like the other day when I had to explain a Susan Lucci reference to a 27 year old. But I try to restrain myself because I have never enjoyed being on the receiving end. I love learning the references and factoids that are older than I am but could do without the teasing.
5
Oh my God. You must have had to work really hard to be offended by this.
10
Yeah, you might be the only one. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
1
I love SPOONERISMS. And, of course, other Wordplay.
Got the theme with JERRY CELLO, and pretty much went down the puzzle. I had to go back and apply what I might call my brain to get WHINNY MEETS.
When I got to SPOONERISMS, though, I had to pause and think. Circles? Then I reread the clue, saw the second layer, and got my second Aha! moment. Joy!
Not sure which is my favorite themer: PASTY HOODING or PAY GROUPON. Both wonderful.
Only icky spot was THE WEEKND crossing b/DAD.
Okay, and also the clue for CALICO. Blobs and blotches and splotches aren't really "spots." My beloved Jessica has but one mark that could legitmately be called a "spot." It's right in the middle of her chin, just below her lip, and I call it her soul patch. My late beloved Hazel also had a spot, and she wasn't a CALICO; it was right on top of her nose, and I called it her kissy spot.
Thank you so much.
3
Heading into Friday, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to wish all my American friends a very pleasant LNG WEEKND.
1
I got the theme with JERRY CELLO -- I can recognize cherry jello every time (as long as strawberry isn't in the mix). I do love SPOONERISMs. My favorite has to be PASTYHOODING!
I found today's puzzle more fun than not. Good going guys! Great teamwork!
1
If I see anybody else post so called offensive words or tasteless words (How can a word all by itself be tasteless) with one or more asterisks, I am going to positively explode. This is the New York Times folks.
2
Mickey,
Just to be clear, this is a comments section, not editorial; it has different rules for "civility." Many of us have been amused (or not) when puzzle clues and entries are not deemed acceptable for use in comments about the puzzle.
2
Mickey, Just to follow up on Barry's reply. As I stated in my post, I wrote four posts in all this morning between 8 and 10 am. The first three did not appear. The first post had no asterisks in it and was merely repeating words that had appeared in yesterday's puzzle. I tried again with an asterisk in one of the words. (I later referred to this humorously as Bowdlerized, as Bowdler and Spooner were both 19th century Brits with words named for them.) My second post did not appear until about 6 hours later. My third post had the original post embedded in it with an asterisk, and also did not appear for 6 hours. My fourth post with no reference to the words in question or to my original thought, was posted immediately at 10:20 am. My first post with the "so-called offensive words" unabridged for all to read, still remains unpublished. As I wanted to share my theme spoonerism with the rest of you, it seems that the only way I could do so was to employ an asterisk.
Yes this is the New York Times. Go figure!
I suspect I missed your point entirely. But you didn't insert asterisks so thank you.
1
25A "Seinfeld's stringed instrument" was a fretless bass guitar, as I recall, and certainly not a CELLO (former cello player here). That misclue threw me off. No excuses for the others, though--tricky but fun.
I don't think it was that specific stringed instrument. It was just a string instrument in general and a CELLO fits that.
I'd agree if the clue suggested unrelated word pairs. But this one was specifically "Seinfeld's" (possessive) stringed instrument, which in the theme music warn't a cello.
Now off to pick other nits.
Given that the answer is JERRY CELLO, and the name of the show is not, in fact, "Jerry," one must conclude that the clue references a hypothetical instrument belonging to the person, and not the show.
1
Well, after two futile attempts to post, including one Bowdlerized (and Spoonerized) version, I have decided to embed my insidious post further down in this longer post, in the hope of pulling a fast one on the Emus. I always enjoy spoonerisms, although the thought of Jerry Seinfeld playing the cello does not excite me. I would much rather listen to this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRdIxP3e2QY
And as far as my earlier post - take 3: After yesterday's scandalous appearance of B*MS and A PAIR, it appears that someone must have called the PORN COPS, (which are much tastier than WHINNY MEETS, by the way.)
Here's hoping this appears SPOONER rather than LATER.
5
(Or should I say LUNAR rather than SPÄTER?)
1
As my original post never appeared, let me try again:
After yesterday's scandalous appearance of B*MS and A PAIR, it appears that someone must have called the PORN COPS, (which are much tastier than WHINNY MEETS, by the way.)
Thanks, Messrs. Agard and Kravis, for a terrific Thursday puzzle. I especially liked the "spoonable spoonerisms" theme and the numerous meaty entries.
1
another so so puzzle, the attempt to make it clever results in rather inane clues, and makes for a dull solve. As someone said yesterday, bring back the clever erudite puzzles, and stop these pseudo word plays.
1
Agreed that this was a fun Thursday puzzle. I certainly didn't go through it in one swell foop ( I can never resist that one)
I did need the reveal to get the theme, and my first answer was JERRY CELLO. They all took a bit of working out, so the enjoyment lasted throughout. My last one, and maybe my favorite was the mustard one. I often put a tiny SPOONful of Grey Poupon in my salad dressings.
Let's have more from Erik and Andy.
3
Fun puzzle. Just sayin' that I have a teenage son who does NOT use a spoon for his miniwheats. Given the chance, he would probably not do so for the jello or the pudding either.
2
I've been a big fan of the Canadian singer The Weeknd since seeing him for the first time on SNL.
Here is a link to "can't feel my face", with an astounding 905, 283, 233 views on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEI4qSrkPAs
Okay make that 905, 283, 234 but honestly I thought it was for Paul Anka. After the first 15 seconds of instinctive rejection I thought he is quite good but wasted on bad material. He could probably kill with Georgia On My Mind if he tried it. But that's pretty much my opinion, which in four words is, he's no James Brown. And I know the limits of my judgment. I wrote three words at first. And that's not even counting the contraction as two. Duh. Whoops. Doh.
Never heard of him. Of course, I'm over 60! I had THEWEEKN_ and thought the last letter had to be a vowel, but none would work with 43A (DAD). I just went with the latter and got the happy music!
OK. Three attempts to post this morning and none of them have appeared. I am starting to take this personally. I will omit what I presume to be the offending sentence, and just say that I enjoyed the puzzle, I enjoyed the spoonerisms, and I would not enjoy the prospect of hearing Jerry Seinfeld play the cello. I would much rather listen to this guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRdIxP3e2QY
Just for the record, it is 10:20 Eastern time.
1
No I think you are fortunately wrong about that. I tested this recently and was more than pleasantly surprised by the result. They're pretty good. Better than that in fact.
I don't quite follow you, Mickeyd.
I can only assume that Mickeyd is responding to something that has since been disappeared.
Of course, if Andrew's reply to Mickeyd's reply disappears, or if Mickeyd's first reply disappears, and this reply survives, it won't make any sense.
My dear departed Dad was the KING of Spoonerisms (although we didn't know there was a name for them, he just rattled them off whenever the mood hit him - my favorite as a kid was his Spoonerism for Knit Shirt - I'll let you figure that one out). Loved this puzzle, not only for it's theme entries but also because after a week of puzzles that seemed a bit too difficult for the day of the week they were published, this one was a Thursday classic!
2
What on earth is a ‘knirt’? ;)
2
Steve, thanks for your reminiscence. Further evidence that spoonerisms and DAD jokes are closely related.
5A: Hi, kids! Ferdinand MARCOS Jr. was president of the Philippines from 1966-86, when he fled with his wife, Imelda, and her huge collection of shoes to Hawaii, after his constituents decided that he didn’t have their best interests at heart.
Hi Deb,
(1) Fact check: that was the late Marcos Sr.; Marcos Jr. is alive and active in politics in the Philippines. Fact quibble: Sr. took office at the end of 1965.
(2) Style checks: (a) either "from...to" or neither ("from 1965 to 1986" or "1965-86"). (b) Comma after shoes, please.
Thank you!
4
While I agree with your grammatical/style point, Barry, and would have changed these things if I were editing Deb's column, I think it was a bit churlish to make an issue of it.
Same thing for many of the comments from regular posters.
5
First, why has this thread appeared for a second time?
Second, why, when I tried to ask this question and clicked on "Reply," did my original reply show up yet again?
Third, is this going to appear? Anywhere? How often?
Deadline,
If there had not been factual errors, I would have communicated privately with Deb about the style points. I thought the Fact check warranted a public comment. Having quoted the text in the comment, I did not think I should ignore the style points.
I loved the puzzle, with it's very punny clueing. However as to the bonus clue in the constructor's note . . . (Miscued Spoiler alert)
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I thought it was "Cookie butter" and I was thinking what a wonderful idea, envisioning either 1) the wonderful phase of cookie baking where you have creamed only the butter and sugar together (what a taste and texture sensation!) or 2) a stick of butter laced with chocolate chip cookie dough nuggets, for putting on toast, which sounded like a new product pitch that might have some promise. CHEERS to all! Peggy
4
Cutter! How could I forget Mariano Rivera's killer pitch? All that was coming to mind was curve and slider and slurve, none of which were working.
1
Guess my head isn't on quite straight this week. Began this last night and ground to a halt about a third of the way through. Came back to it this morning, erased RIA which eventually became ARM and DIRT which morphed into DISH. THEWEEKND left me totally flummoxed.
I looked at the filled-in themes and tried to make sense of them. I did get CHERRY JELLO and GREY POUPON but was so dim-witted I didn't think they were deliberate. Duh!
2
Best theme answer: PAYGROUPON. In fact that whole SW corner is right nicely done.
Wanted "walkMAN" before DISCMAN. It's a generational thing.
3
"Wanted 'walkMAN' before DISCMAN. It's a generational thing."
Wanted BOOMBOX.
Now *that's* a generational thing.
6
Walkman before DISCMAN here, too.
I've got a sweet little portable 45 player with a stack of hits on it.
Big, booming bravos to everybody involved in this most entertaining, creative example of wordplay at its best! The SPOONERISMS are all spot on and fun. And the extra layer of being able to actually use a SPOON with them is an added touch of genius. The cluing was off the charts excellent especially those for ODE and RIG. Wow! Just wow.
3
Sorry, everyone. I put my spoiler answer way, way, WAY down and completely out of sight at the bottom of the comment box. The NYT lifted it right back up and put it where everyone can and will see it. I truly hope I didn't spoil everyone's solving pleasure. Now I know that this technique -- which works just fine on the Rex blog -- doesn't work here. I promise not to do it again.
1
Nancy,
(1) Next time...
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...do something like this for a spoiler alert.
(2) You didn't spoil anything for people who read the comments in the order they were posted (as you will see when you read the comments posted last night).
1
Not to mention - Spoiler Alert - it's always pretty obvious who posts without reading the prior posts and blog first...spoiler...alert...
(do I owe BA a fee for covering his song?)
You guys lost me.
I always read the Comments Oldest first after I have finished the puzzle. Depending on the time of day I get here, I am often confused by what people mean by "above" and "below," when they are replying and referring to things that might be earlier or later.
If I come back later to see what has happened aafter i posted my C-i-C, I might just look at Newest first.
As of now, I have no idea what comment you are referring to. I expect to see it as I get to the more recently posted comments.
Spoiler alert: Answer to the SPOONERISM left out of the puzzle. Scroll way down for answer -- so you don't have to read it if you don't want to...
BUTTER COOKIE (Cutter bookie)
Surely the "answer" should be "bookie cutter" as clued, a spoonerism for cookie butter, which could be consumed with a spoon; but it is an ingredient for a product that is not normally eaten with a spoon.
I think that "eaten with a spoon" is a slight distortion, via Deb's column, of the original clue. According to the constructor, the spoon is "something used with the base phrases". No reference to eating at all.
Andrew-What do you suppose that guy in the Rolls in the 80s commercial is going to do with the Grey Poupon on his spoon, paint the car with it?
Took me forever and I loved it. Finished with one wrong square, which I won't fess up to (it involved one of the crossings of THEWEEKND) but I'd already lost any hope of a short streak yesterday, so no big deal. Didn't understand RIG until I got here. Very clever misdirection.
I use very bad spoonerisms and nonsense rhymes quite frequently - mostly in talking to my dogs as no one else seems to appreciate them.
Clearly some people can still recommend posts and have the reco stick. I (and at least a couple of other people) can't. I am baffled by that.
2
Oh, also thought it was quite clever that there were a couple of non-theme 'base' phrases (SARGES and GARRISON) in the puzzle.
Wonder if that was intentional.
"Clearly some people can still recommend posts and have the reco stick. I (and at least a couple of other people) can't. I am baffled by that."
Try to do a reco or two now, Rich. I find that at some times I can and at other times I can't.
E-moods?
1
FWIW, RiA, when I read your comment the line underneath said "1 Recommend." I clicked on "Recommend" and it changed to "2 Recommended." I can only assume that the "ed" part referred to my Rec.
Let's see if it sticks.
Somehow the delicious ODE as antonym for poetry slam led me to see the jokes at 43A as a detailed art movement.
2
Loved the puzzle, great wordplay, but it's very off-putting to have a controversial organization clued somewhat whimsically at a time when we are reeling from mass shootings.
3
If the entry is going to be there, would you feel better seeing it clued as "Baby killers" or "Owners of Congress?" Would cluing it as "FDR pgm." be acceptable, or should the entry be banned entirely because of its sole current usage?
I am curious (but not yellow)
6
If memory serves that 1967 film generated a fair amount of censorship controversy.
Well put, Roberta.
A New Deal act would be a fine way to clue the abbreviation for the National Recovery Adminstration even though Deb's kids would not have heard of it.
A Goldilocks Thursday! Fun, with an excellent theme that added to the solve. A couple of themers made me laugh out loud. Loved PAY GROUPON!
Clue at 68A had me going in a different direction momentarily. In my world, Pooh-pooh (and sometimes pooh-pooh-pooh) is said to ward off the old evil eye. (Also can be spelled without the "h".)
Thank you to Erik and Andy for a lovely start to my Thursday.
1
You just reminded me of my Yiddish grandmother who used to say Pooh Pooh to ward off the evil eye! Also sometimes ‘tfoo tfoo’ if it was something really big.
2
Ha. Me too in a sense. My absolutely best friend, an Israeli, would do it now and again. He was sort of from Hungary or Germany (almost all Israelis are "sort of" from somewhere, at best).
My Comments are below, as Replies to others' Comments.
'Tis a pleasant old American kisstom to cuss the bride.
1
Spelling Bee declares MAKABLE and MACKLE are not words. The anagram program I turn to after I give up lists them (and I had tried both.).
Also, the Bee won't work on my iPad unless I turn it vertically, which means it won't balance well on my Logitech keyboard. Pooh.
1
Not a day goes by without the rejection of terms used in the crosswords weekly.
Sigh.
Again, I wish it had a place for us to write (electronically) the words we _know_ are words, whether it "counts" them or no.
It treats KAME the same way.
I loved the spoonerisms, and they really helped me to get through! My last bit to get was cleaning up some errors. I had the misspelled "Ichabob" and the wrong "bark green," giving me the nonsensical answer of "bub" for DUD.
This puzzle makes my no-help streak stretch to 6.
I had gotten to a "cheating" streak of 160 puzzles in which I let myself look up proper nouns. During that time, I got to enjoy the puzzles I couldn't get through otherwise, and I think it turns out I got a lot better at solving -- or at least for the last 6 days with no look-ups.
"Owlet mites" instead of OWLET MOTHS ended my "cheating" streak, and now I am putting myself back on strict rules of no help allowed.
3
No help streaks are the way to go. Congratulations. You just know of course that streak can be broken at any moment by some sort of textual blip. Or, in my case, possibly creeping dementia.
1
Does not this warrant a mention in 16A?
https://youtu.be/y2R3FvS4xr4
4
SPOONERISMS! Splendid, slurped Tom salaciously.
Got the reveal and spent the entire time trying to recall what a SPOONERISM was. Solved so slow that Happy could not get away with its usual tricks.
Vernon Downs (race track of my youth) announcer would start the races with: "Their off and Trotting!"
Nice trick for a Thursday. Thanks gents.
Surely the announcer said, "They're", right?
Well, it's early.
1
I'm pretty sure the announcer said /ðɛɚ/.
Why did he say "Trotting" with a capital T?
"Their" and "Trotting" are both off.
Don't take it personally, dk. We've all shed some blood into these grammarian-shark infested waters.
Loved this puzzle! Wonder if Harry whispered in Meghan's ear during last WEEKND's event "Three cheers for our Queer Old Dean!"
1
And there's a set up for the latest from Bad Lip Reading: Royal Wedding Edition!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKV6h_5XFbk
5
DC that is the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life! Thank you!
I tried to look at D.C.'s link, but had a problem I have been having constantly with links in the Wordplay comments: The sound is so faint I can't make it out.
I have the volume on my computer, and the colume on YouTube, and even the funny little knob on my keyboard, turned to the max. I get the right volume on everything else. But, once again, I try to follow a YouTube link posted on Wordplay only to find it too faint to hear.
And it looked as if it might be so funny ....
{sniff}
Shel Silverstein (author of RUNNY BABBIT, as well as many others) would have approved of this puzzle. And it was only because of some exposure to that book that I was able to muddle through to the finish.
4
Brilliant wordplay second day in a row, today taking spoonerisms to another level by simply emphasizing the spoon! That's an idea that has been right in constructor's faces forever, but until now, no one has seen it.
Chuckles at the theme answers, plus:
* Cross of SNEEZE and NEZ.
* Symmetrical DUD and DAD.
* Mini theme of double E's (7).
* Some lovely cluing (RIG, ODE, a devilish non-baseball clue for MAYS).
I slurped this one up! Thanks, guys!
6
Most misleading clue: NRA just runs a firearms museum.
Not so misleading, they just didn't call it "congress.'
1
The clue did not say "just."
(Care to REROLL?)
1
Hmmm. Looks like my reply REROLLed. Either the emus are restless or the IT crew is at play.
(Care to re-REROLL?)
I don't know what dad jokes are. Are they like your mother's so fat transposed to your dad is so...thin? I don't know. Honestly can't even guess. and who ever heard of something called theweeknd? Honestly, fun puzzle, clever unlike yesterday's (IMHO and I have no idea what those letters stand for in today's puzzle) but guessing accounted for these two entries about which I suspect I'm just too uninformed. I don't snap or dab. I just know that home ec is a good place to get attention.
1
Kid: I’m tired.
Dad: Hi Tired, I’m dad.
This is probably the most basic form of the dadjoke. Basically groanworthy puns.
7
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad_joke
1
I'm with Mickeyd. If you want to use some super-current thing like DAD JOKE, don't cross it with one of the (often ridiculous or impenetrable) rapper/singer/celeb names like THE WEEK N?
I had BAD jokes, which makes more sense and which will live longer than the DAD jokes phrase.
So this means I finished with one wrong letter, and I blame Erik, Andy, AND Fagliano and Shortz. Time to update the dart board!
3
Fun puzzle! Easier for me than yesterday's. Cutter Bookie / Butter Cookie. Nice.
Like Deb, I loved 62D's clue.
3
I was wondering why you would eat a butter cookie with a spoon, but downstream someone pointed out that it actually would be BOOKIE CUTTER/COOKIE BUTTER, and cookie butter is apparently something you might eat with a spoon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_butter
I was trying to make sense of BOOKIE SLIDER. Have never heard of a pitch called a CUTTER.
1
Good morning. MOL. Here's just a bit of info on the CUTTER.
http://m.mlb.com/glossary/pitch-types/cutter
and Elke
Yesterday's HERON and today's ORIOLE reminded me of Mac Knight, who was our expert in bird watching and who would have enjoyed today's puzzle of word botching.
I miss his beautiful bird pictures and his gentle comments.
17
Here's a heron from Mac:
http://www.pbase.com/macknight/image/54089714
And an oriole:
http://www.pbase.com/macknight/image/28806161
We can explore his birds here:
http://www.pbase.com/macknight/birds
1
What a wonderful comment, Robert and Elke. On so many levels.
And thanks for the links, Martin.
1
Thank goodness for the Reverend William Archibald Spooner. Without him -- and Erik and Andy -- we wouldn't have this pun fuzzle.
9
...or this pun fuzzle...
4
IMO SRSLY s 2 rad 4 NYT Xwrds.
4
Kind of funny. Rad made its first appearance in the mid 60s but never really took root. Now it seems back. Or maybe you're still stuck back then as am I.
funny puzzle. favorite answer is ICHABOD Crane who was chased by the Headless Horseman who eventually threw his pumpkin head at poor Ichabod! Required reading in NY State schools in my day.
3
Required in Georgia, as well. Classic!
ICHABOD and Uriah Heep are the god's gifts to constructors.
1
I'm pretty sure I read one of the many flicks based on this story before I read it, perhaps before I was even in school.
But it's always been a favorite, and told me to love Washington Irving.
Started filling in here and there, then figured out the theme with 37A, then finished 25A and 18A. Finished filling in the top, then worked E to W across the bottom, with the revealer one of the first to fill in there. And I did figure out the authors' challenge, but got to the party a little late.
1
But I want to know, who eats Grey Poupon with a spoon? Oh, yeah. That guy in the 30 year old commercial.
6
Pardon me (as it were): the clue says a SPOON is "used with" the base phrases, not necessarily used to *eat* them.
7
Thanks, Barry.
I love mustard, and probably come as close as anyone does to eating it by the SPOONful, but I didn't read the revealer carefully enough.
A Thursday puzzle of Wednesday difficulty. And little or nothing to offend in the clues. Comments should be quieter.
BOOKIE CUTTER
8
Barry, I had to wonder what Cookie Butter was. Ah, Google, what would we do without you. I had never heard of it before. Now I cannot unsee or unhear it.
Cutter bookie
2
I was trying to make BOOKIE CATTER fit, since I'd never heard of the spoonable you referred to.
I liked this one a lot! It made me laugh. It did take me a while to figure it out, wondering what the heck was going on and how it was all going to make sense in the end. It took until the reveal for all to become clear. Loved the idea of SPOONing up the SPOONERISMS. The fill was interesting, and the clueing was interesting.
7
We got back our missing column from yesterday.
Does everyone get it?
2
Yes, I noticed immediately that today's puzzle was a 16-wide. And balanced yesterday's!
1
Seeing more non standard grids. Another one where I didn’t get the theme until the reveal, which was very late in the game.