Back from the back of beyond and day 1 of my new streak. I confess my mind is (ever) on vacation, so I had to read the column for hints. Sigh. Back to the real world. Posting from O'Hare.
1
Grrr. I had 44D, only skin deep, as ‘BEAUTY,’ and I just couldn’t let go. When I finally corrected the whole SE corner fell into place. It’s amazing how desperately I hang in to the wrong answer at times. That said, the streak continues.
4
This one took a long time to finish. I actually started it last night and worked it off and on all day. Looking back on it now, I think I liked it. Struggling with some of the fill, I didn’t think I did. I thought that this puzzle OWNED me, but, haha, I ATE my own LUNCH!
;-)
3
Thank you for this one Caitlin - very much enjoyed it. Fortunate that I’m a baseball fan over this side of the pond to get the Fightin’ Phils one!
1
Brava Caitlin!
I'm on board with all the other standouts cited by others -- SOB STORY, SHAM MARRIAGES, WINK WINK, EGO BOOST.
And too many wonderful clues and clue/entry pairings to mention. Repeating myself, but Brava!
Never heard of HARD PASS, but something is niggling the back of my mind, so maybe I did hear it once. I do think I've heard of ELI Manning, so tried ELIHU, which didn't fit. ELISHA took crossing help.
I'm hoping you will indeed hit for the cycle. I see some best-of-their-days puzzles from Caitlin.
1
I took the clue for SHAM MARRIAGES to mean that any one who participates in one is an actor. If you are acting at the marriage, it is a sham. Not necessarily on stage or screen.
2
There was a Spiders Alive! exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History and I MISSED IT??
Noooooooooo!
2
@Steve Faiella
Just the thought makes my skin crawl.
The NE corner had me stumped for a solid twenty minutes; “BOREUP” I just didn’t know.
I had “DISS” before “DIBS”, a typo at “EVA” and that was enough to foul up a fair start.
Of course I had Betty before Wilma, heist before beast and AATEAM didn’t make sense because I read “READING FIGHTIN’ PHILS, e.g.” as two nouns and one verb.
lol
Anyway, glad it’s over.
"BadPR" as an answer two days in a row?
1
@JoanP - The more pressing question is how many times will it appear in the comments section?
3
The next day’s puzzle is available at 4 pm the day before for those of us in Hawaii. I tried to resist but couldn’t. It was a great puzzle but this morning I’m a bit sad for it’s Friday morning in the central Pacific and I’ve no current puzzle to solve. Will have go to the archives for another Friday puzzle but for some reason it’s just not the same.
1
BAD PR 2 previous times total prior to the last 2 days back-to-back
4
Fun Friday for me! The puzzle was good but the activity of solving was made fun as Doc, our 31 y/o daughter and her 4 month old all solved together whilst hurtling down I-85 to Atlanta. That’s not as easy to do with a Friday as it is with say a Wednesday.
If you haven’t tried a group solve you have missed out on a great way to pass the time. Even a spouse who doesn’t “do” crosswords can call out the clues. Now we will have to dig back in the archives and find some we have missed over time.
4
I enjoyed this one on the whole, especially EGO BOOST, SOB STORY and SHAM MARRIAGES, which was quite a treat when I finally capisced.
I didn't like, and still don't capisce OWNED for "schooled in the field." Wha-a-a-...?
2
William R,
If you haven't seen OWNED in the P-I sports pages, Wikipedia can give you some background. I find the online and sports usage a logical extension of def. 5 here: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/owned
1
@William R
I found this explanation on the internet. Hope it helps😁
非常口语的说法，就是“被完全打败了”的意思，也表示他应该觉得一些不好意思，但他不一定会觉得丢脸。也可以把“学校”变成动词说“got schooled"，就是意味着他被打败的程度相当于打他的人好像刚在教他怎么打篮球，游戏，等，也很口语
I ended up having to cheat NW. There seemed only one possibility for H_ARDPASS, but that made no sense and left me with AATEA_ across it! Guessed PREGGY for expecting, but what kind of genre would fill E_Y? Ended up googling "Reading Fightin Phils, e.g." just to keep my new phony streak going, and that did it, but I still have no idea what is going on in this corner!
1
@kilaueabart I’m with you! Different reasons, but NW corner was a huge challenge. Fell into place many days later after I stopped READING FIGHTIN PHILS as containing a verb (great clue!—had to look that one up) and ATE LUNCH.
Really enjoyed this puzzle - thought it was such a clear expression of the constructor's personality that shone through. Also the perfect puzzle today to solve in the fog after the Raptors big win yesterday! Such a great moment to see Toronto celebrating - been a really long time, and makes me miss home, but in the best ways. Nice to see some other Torontonians/Canadians in the comments today - hope everyone has a great weekend, and thank you again Ms. Reid for this fun solve.
4
I see (Var.) and (Archaic) have been replaced by slangily and informally.
7
Actors = authentic selves? Sounds like an oxymoron to me. I thought the whole idea was pretending to be someone else.
2
Fun Friday, and I liked the pouty MOUE, despite the overhead with BADPR.
I remember, as a small kid, having those triangular Laughing Cow cheese things, and making a big production of opening the portions with that red cellophane pull-string, to peel off a perfect triangle of foil.
https://images.app.goo.gl/gKzzJcpPg9xVJ9Jh9
In France, I remember those were called La Vache Qui Rit, and I guess it's possible, when she wasn't laughing, it was La Vache Qui MOUE.
Thanks, Caitlin, for a FriPuzz WATT SPUN this OLDTIMER a SHAMMARRama Dingdong Good Time.
CAPISCE bist du schoen.
8
@Leapfinger
Laughing Cow cheese is still around. I ate a wedge five minutes ago.
2
@Leapfinger
A documentary about Benjamin Rabier, the artist who created La Vache Qui Rit, was released just last year. I had forgotten about it until now. Must circle back. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/rabier
1
@George, what a great find!
Rabier himself looks like a person who laughed, and to think he was an inspector at Les Halles!. That first part of the documentary is a fascinating collage. Thanks so much.
Getting a late start this morning. Elaine made enchiladas (tortillas from scratch!), I made the rice and beans and the pitcher of margs. I guess the puzzle subliminally called to me.
My formula for 2:
3/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 cup tequilla
3/8 cup Cointreau
3/8 cup simple syrup*
Lots of ice
*Simple syrup
Boil 5 cups sugar with 4 cups water
Cool and refrigerate to use as needed
4
@Martin
My glucose levels spiked as I read your recipe. I’d have to ANNEX an ingredient (technically substitute) in order that I might create a healthier, syrupy sweetener. Call my libation MARG & Stevia. Kinda sounds like one of those SHAM MARRIAGES.
7
@Martin
I though simple syrup was equal volumes? May I say once again that I think you're too sweet?
But my simple arithmetic, you're dividing about 1.5 cups of booze between 2 people. At what point in the libation does Elaine just fall asleep?
1
@Leapfinger
Proper simple syrup uses equal weights. 5 cups of granulated sugar is real close to the weight of a quart of water. It's actually Gaston Lenôtre's Sirop à 28° Baumé if you want to be technical, and the kilo of sugar to a liter of water formula allows you to dispense with a hydrometer. I take my bar syrup very seriously.
I suspect I have 2/3's of the pitcher. It helps with Rachel Maddow.
3
Really enjoyed this puzzle, especially along with the comments in this Wordplay column. Please, keep them coming! I felt like this one made me zero in on my understanding of certain more contemporary expressions - and I love doing that, since my great fear is becoming too obsolete for my daughters to take seriously. I've never heard of a Marg, but will probably ask for one when I next visit my NYC daughter. Thanks!
3
This took me forever and I have love/hate feelings for it. There was so much in it that was great and there some things that just made me go "Huh?"
Here's what I loved:
The skin-deep BEAUTY trap at 44D where DERMIS was meant to go. I fell right into it. I also really liked WINK WINK; SOB STORY; EGO BOOST and SUNBATHE.
Here's what I hated: REKEY. MARG. PREGGO (The slang word is preggers, I do believe). And the following (slang, I assume) made me go "Huh?": A HARD PASS is a definite No? When did that happen? And DEAD SEXY is the new way to describe a hottie? When did that happen? OWNED means "schooled on the field"? You can be thoroughly drubbed in a sports event without actually learning anything much at all -- other than the fact that you're probably not very good. And while SHAM MARRIAGES is a lot of fun, it does seem an awful lot like Green Paint.
Mao said that about WOMEN (26D)? An early feminist, obviously. Good ol' Mao!
4
@Nancy
Giant QB ELISHA Manning knows a HARD PASS when confronted with one; say third and forever?
1
@Nancy
Preggo is a close second behind preggers.
Hard pass and owned = schooled are both standard slang (though I admit I've never heard "drubbed" before which maybe speaks to our generational gap).
1
@Nancy - rekey is not only legitimate but very familiar for those who have gone through a divorce, or had a break-in, or had their house key stolen.
2
What a tangled web we weave, Caitlin Reid; provocative and hard SPUN...Right off the bat, I was hamstruck for an eternity. At long last scratching ‘beauty’ for DERMIS. That’s one SOB STORY. There was an abundance of others, not the least of which was this dandy in aspic. I got this, I got next, I got agita (I kid) then finally I GOT DIBS!...This puzzle had plenty of savvy. I am gratefully impressed...George Duke presides over the R&B body of groovin’ REGENTs with “No Rhyme NO REASON.”
https://youtu.be/bAgZ2Xgo9qo
DAT’s All Folks,
Bru
5
This puzzle was so fresh it slapped me in the face! What an invigorating way to start the day. So many unexpected and bouncy answers.
Thank you, Caitlin Reid, for all of your eye-opening entries that got my morning off in a great way. More themeless puzzles from you, please!
(I've ridden the BEAST at King's Island. It takes more than four minutes and about midway through it slows down just so you can get more terrified of what's coming next.)
9
The BEAST was my first first roller coaster ride, back when Kings Island first opened. Old school fun!
2
@archaeoprof, you couldn't get me on one of the steely, supersonically speedy, high-as-the-sky coasters of today.
2
@Johanna Last year my 14-year old godson talked me into riding the "Incredible Hulk" roller coaster at Universal Studios. That thing went up, down, upside down, sideways, and inside-out. I was hurting for the rest of the day: headache, backache, stiff neck. But I do love my godson.
Good morning fellow Wordplay commenters and cruciverbal commentators,
And Happy Flag Day!
Although I post under an alias that has been described as self-effacing, today I am all about me and a personal achievement that I feel is a giant step towards making Guy Quay/Ghee Key/Geeky great again.
As of today I have completed every Times daily crossword puzzle since Flag Day 2009, a full ten-year span of challenge, solution, frustration, illumination, annoyance, amusement and diversion reversion.
When I ask myself, "Has it been 10 years?" I answer, "No, silly, you're less than halfway through your fifth annual subscription." I am more than halfway through my fifth of tequila though. I do make a mean MARG.
The next milestone (after breaking the 5 minute barrier -- current fastest is exactly 5:00) will be to complete every puzzle since (Hi, kids!) Y2K. Then I can finally party like it's 1999!
Thanks for letting me toot my own noisemaker.
GQ
29
@Guy Quay That's quite an accomplishment. If you are on Twitter and follow @NYTimesWordplay, tweet that to me and I'll give you the gold medal I give to other solvers who let me know how they are doing.
5
@Guy Quay
What a terrific name! And what a streak - I haven't been a subscriber for long, but heading to my first 3-digit completion. My 98 bows in admiration to your..... um, many many many victories!!
5
@Guy Quay
I salute your strict-to-itiveness (no typo) but I must know if by completed, you mean with no peeking?
2
Very enjoyable! Like the clueing, the fills, and the sense of humour. Sometimes I think that a well constructed crossword is like listening to a really good lecture, you go through hard challenges and don’t even realize, because it feel effortless. If feels like the puzzle is your friend.
Italian: CAPISCE- I grew up in an Italian neighbourhood, and there ( and then) “CAPISCE?” meant simply “did you understand?” Or is this is what savvy means? Interesting that CAPISCE crossed PREGGO, a copy number version of PREGO, Italian courtesy word for all situations( please, excuse me, etc). Derived from pray!
I knew PREGGS not PREGGO for pregnant: transcontinental or transgenerational language difference?
Favorites: SOBSTORIES, SHAMMARRIAGES and SEALIONS.
And the fact that the I lift went down.
Re spiderweb, here a puzzle to identify what drugs the spiders where on when they weave these webs ( this is science):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/can-you-tell-what-drugs-these-spiders-were-on-by-looking-at-their-webs/e92b3141-7f66-480a-afc6-8290ed88ec13_quiz.html
6
@Laura Rodrigues In London
If electrons are stripped from a Seal's fur, are those SEAL IONS?
12
@Laura Rodrigues In London
SAVVY is from Spanish SABE; it was once used in slang just like CAPISCE: Stay away from the lady, savvy? But mostly it's an adjective meaning "in the know": He's one savvy dude around an auto shop. Even that way, it's very dated language.
Or were you being rhetorical?
As for PREGGS and PREGGO, I thought that in the UK, they said PREGGERS.
3
@Laura Rodrigues In London. This use of savvy as a synonym for CAPISCE reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean.
https://youtu.be/j8UbKMXZQKE
1
Compliments of M-W, CAPISCE?
capisce verb
ca·pisce | \ kə-ˈpēsh \
variants: or capiche or less commonly capeesh or capish
Definition of capisce
chiefly US slang
—used to ask if a message, warning, etc., has been understood
… you must use this knowledge for good, not evil, and never for personal gain. Capisce? [=do you understand?]
— Dutch Mandel
If you didn't want the picture to be seen on the Web, you shouldn't have put it on a Web server, capisce?
— Angela Gunn
Tony Agrazzi saw himself that way when he looked in a mirror. A guy who saw the flaws in others but forgave them their flaws. Capeesh?
— Bill Granger
First Known Use of capisce
1873, in the meaning defined above
History and Etymology for capisce
borrowed from Italian, 3rd person singular present indicative of capire "to understand," going back (with conjugation change) to Latin capere "to take, catch, comprehend" — more at HEAVE entry 1
@vaer
I was wondering what Monday through Wednesday had to do with your comments! M-W!
2
@Robert Michael PANOFF I have moments like that all the time. 🤦♀️
@RMP
Took me a while to figure it out when used by others, too.
This one was going nowhere - - as in NO where - - until I had made a full pass with across entries and got to the SE corner with the down entries. For some reason, the entire corner just tripped off my fingers - giving me all the encouragement I needed to keep trying.
Had to confirm (not look up) SNYDER but, of all things, I had to “research” ARES. All the rest submitted to my apparently enlightened state. Came out half-way between average and PB for Friday. (Not sure what that says - but I guess I’m improving some.)
Do I have to start watching every movie offering that comes out in order to stay sufficiently current for this endeavor?!? I don’t think there’s enough time in the day - - and I KNOW there’s not enough money in my assorted accounts. What about my long-term care??
P.S. Who cares whether a word or two repeats two days in a row - or weeks - or months? There are a finite number of words that will fit in a standard-size crossword puzzle. Constructors don’t all consult with one another about the words they need for a particular puzzle - - and the editors are not obliged to protect us from occasional attacks of deja vu.
2
@PeterW That's the exact opposite of my experience with this puzzle. The SE corner absolutely tripped me up; mostly because I filled in 39D ("Reply often made with a sigh") with hESDEAd, and was so married to that answer that I was making excuses for obviously wrong stuff like GUh and MASTEd.
2
@Zachary
I think our contrasting experiences with this corner of the puzzle highlight the element of “caprice” - - or whatever word one might use to indicate an amalgam of “luck”, “intuition”, “chemistry” and/or other influences which tend to influence the firing or our neurons.
This was a really easy Friday puzzle, wasn't it? Not that I mind so much. A bit more of a challenge would have made for a more engaging experience. But at least there wasn't that frustration of searching through the clue list trying to find ONE that I had an idea about.
1
Very entertaining, Caitlin. The NE corner gave me trouble because of my IGOTTHIS for "Mine!" and ORSO for Round figures. Some head scratching, and then I erased the whole corner and began again. Little ORBS (nice misdirection, Caitlin!) got me going again. My solve time was barely shorter than my unremarkable average, but this was much more fun than most Fridays.
2
@Andrew
Thank you! I was thinking exactly that and considering whether to say it! Fear of being strident etc. You go Andrew!
@Andrew & Laura
Sorry I have to withdraw my comment. When solving I was mildly bothered by OK DEAR, and DEAD SEXY, and even wondered if they could be applied to men? I had not at that time read Debbie's, had not noticed the the constructor was female, and ckearly did not read Andrews post properly. I think that does matter. There is a whole discussion on reclaiming terms: basically I can complain about my family, but if you diss them to me I get upset.
Discuss...
2
What a crisp & brisk puzzle!! Fun, fun, fun. Three entries were unfamiliar to this old guy (HARD PASS, DEAD SEXY, MARG) but they were guessable.
Got stuck for a while on 33A SHAMMA something (LAMMA DING DONG?) as well as 37A SEAL somethings. SEAL PUPS? SEAL PODS? Isn’t that just whales? Finally, I remembered a post here some weeks ago informing us that SEA LIONS, not SEALS, performed in circuses. Aha! Those word breaks! (HANDY NASTY. Ha!)
Thanks, Caitlin, for a great Friday puzzle! Well done!
& thanks, Deb, for the 53A link. (Wink, wink!). Ha!!!
Happy Friday, Everyone!
:-c)€
3
Nice puzzle...maybe a little easy for a Friday, even though I did not know some of the phrases (HARD PASS, for example) or names (SNYDER, ELISHA). Crosses are so handy!
The Big Bee from last week omitted gelee, glace, loggia, and google (which, by now, is surely A Thing?) but I missed the extra pangrams for some reason. It is hard to get back to the puzzles these days. BUSY!
1
@Mean Old Lady
WATT? A little easy? My BRAIN’s killing me! The SW corner KO’D easy to waste WILE RE-KEY reeked and, good gawd, AMENRA?...Now in MS, (Arch’s & ELISHA’s alma mater, you are gonna miss out on having the Guv’s Sara for a neighbor. I hear she’s movin’ back home. At least until the talking heads come a callin’.
2
Noice!
Just enough crunch for a challenge, but still came in around average time. Many entries that made me smile, and clues that made me think "that was just *mean*" (but in a good way!). Jeff's Pow! was well deserved today. Great job Caitlin!
3
Good puzzle, Caitlin! I had trouble spelling CAPISCHE and really needed the crosses to get it. Thanks!
7
@Kathleen Ellis
Me too. :-c)€
2
@Floyd
Gotta say "me three" because it took me three tries to get it right.
1
SPELLING BEE
27/131, 1 pangram, bingo
C: 8 words, H:3, M:6, N:4 O:1, T:1, U:4
8 4-letter words, 8 5-letters, 6 6-letters, 3 7-letters, 1 8-letter and 1 11-letter
Total 4 5 6 7 8 11
C 8 - 2 3 2 - 1
H 3 1 1 1 - - -
M 6 2 3 1 - - -
N 4 2 1 1 - - -
O 1 1 - - - - -
T 1 1 - - - - -
U 4 1 1 - 1 1 -
Surprising that there's only one "T" word today. Nothing particularly odd about today's bee; nothing that we haven't seen before. The pangram is probably the most unusual.
8
@qatburger The pangram brought my back in time to my misspent youth
1
@AudreyLM
I feel brain dead. I got to genius but still don't have the pangram. Would you please disclose a little more about your youth? :)
@Mary It's a compound word that is a type of snake.
3
LETTER BOXED THREAD
I have M-H-G (8,9).
Lots of possibilities today. This is the best I have so far.
@Kevin Sparks
I keep coming close but have not been successful thus far. Not a lot of time today so I will try with your hints.
...Mission accomplished Thanks!
@Kevin Sparks
A lot of coming close but not quite there. I finally came up with R-S(8), S-G(7)
(I think the new notation style might save the typer a couple keystrokes, but the old style is simpler and preferable to the reader, this reader, anyway)
The words "fresh" and "lively" come to mind. This wasn't a struggle like some Fridays, just challenging enough to make it interesting. A couple of expressions were new to me - HARD PASS and DEAD SEXY - but were fun to discover. I should have known I GOT DIBS, though in my childhood we just shouted DIBS! I first had I GOT thiS, but recovered pretty quickly. I got flummoxed by 32D when I put in Hades, but when OLD TIMER finally came to mind and SHAM MARRIAGES emerged, all was well.
Since I have one family member named Caitlin and my wife's last name is Reid, how could I not like this?
Cheers, Ms. Reid!
5
SPELLING BEE Grid
27/131, 1 Pangram
By 1st Letter:
Cx8, Hx3, Mx6, Nx4, Ox1, Tx1, Ux4
By Length:
4x8, 5x8, 6x6, 7x3, 8x1, 11x1
∑ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
C 8 - 2 3 2 - - - 1
H 3 1 1 1 - - - - -
M 6 2 3 1 - - - - -
N 4 2 1 1 - - - - -
O 1 1 - - - - - - -
T 1 1 - - - - - - -
U 4 1 1 - 1 1 - - -
∑ 27 8 8 6 3 1 - - 1
30
@Evan ~ thanks for the grid today!
@Evan
Thanks for the grid. My modest goal is to achieve genius before coming here to get a sense of what I missed. Today was unusual. My missing were all C’s .... a 6, both 7’s and the 11.
2
@John, think of a snake or what stage fright might cause for C11.
For the 7's: palm trees and read today's recipe on how to make a MARG.
1
I GoT this one DOWN in no time flat! Fun Friday. I understand how SHAM MARRIAGES are simply "actors' unions" but my mind took it further into old Hollywood's lavender relationships - Barbara Stanwyck & Robert Taylor, Rock Hudson & Phyllis Gates, Rudolf Valentino & Natacha Rambova. Oh, hi, kids!
12
Thanks, @Ann. I was going to mention that time in Hollywood when people could not be their authentic selves, but wasn’t sure it would come to mind for anyone else.
7
Deb,
Perhaps you could respond to my question about exactly what the editors told you about the clue and entry ... and since you had to ask them, do we assume that "lavender" came to you only after the explanation? I'm with Ann in recalling the Hollywood relationships, but I was also aware of many such cover marriages of non-actors, so while I went there, I didn't find it a valid basis for the clue-entry.
4
@Barry Ancona I remembered it, and I brought it up to them. What I was told was that there were many people who would not remember that unfortunate time, and that the clue was a pun.
1
Posted yesterday, held captive by emus:
@Dinah My word just turned upside down! This-(that Dance me to the End of Love's lyrics were written by Pable Neruda)-is something I always knew, and now you asked, and I looked it up, it looks like you are right and I am WRONG! I really hope when I wake up tomorrow the universe would have returned to its natural state and Cohen, who I know admired Neruda, will have written it. Well, with age we discover the pleasure of finding that sometimes you are wrong in your most firm beliefs.....
5
@Laura Rodrigues in London
I think Leonard Cohen would be very flattered.
“This is something I always knew [but it turns out I was wrong]”. I say that to myself at least once per day, and sometimes as many as 5 or 6 times just during the course of reading Deb or Caitlin’s column and these comments.
4
@ Laura Rodrigues in London
Well-written words are deceiving. Only acts count. Neruda was implicated in the assassination attempt on Trotsky. We are all sinners, yet . . .
Learning that, and David Alfaro Siqueiros’ involvement in the scheme, colored my feelings about the film “Frida” as well. Interesting folks, but they may kill you.
Full disclosure: Siqueiros was a distant relative of my husband.
. . . Hard not to like the totally unrelated Leonard Cohen, though!
1
@ADeNA
Thanks for that. Life is inconveniently complicated, but I always appreciate learning (I spent the last hour or so reading articles relative to your claim re Neruda, and it appears to be well supported).
“Only acts count.” Two counterpoints:
1) Making beautiful, inspiring art is an act.
2) Beyond art-making, which acts count? All acts, including the heroic and the heinous? Or do the heinous negate the heroic?
CHARGE! and the solution proceeded N to S on the W wall, then E, and back to N. I wondered quickly how many of our international solvers would know what an AA TEAM is. I've heard of the BEAST but never seen it, and doubt I would dare ride it (longest but not tallest). Using the coffee break to solve and get psyched for my talk, the last keynote of the conference. I wonder if anyone will attend? It's such a nice day in Faro I am guessing almost all will opt for the beach!!
4
@Robert Michael PANOFF
Boa sorte!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nSTWcsU91ZY
4
What a gem, PuzzleM!! Thank you.
2
@Leapfinger
For an out of body experience, Donald Trump introducing Toots and the Maytals with Ben Harper and Jack Johnson from 2004 SNL episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQGPlOPQmJw
I got WILMA and SEUSS immediately and then everything else filled in easily from there.
Oh, and I also have some swampland in Florida you might be interested in.
13
@Rich in Atlanta
AMEN RiA.
5
@Rich in Atlanta
That should have been:
“God of good-natured puzzle solvers?”
AMEN RiA
5
@Rich in Atlanta
I’ve got all the swamp land I can use at the moment. There’s been a recent turndown in the demand.
I do have a good deal on a certain bridge if you’re interested.
3
Maybe it's the jet lag, but this puzzle really tested me. Thanks to an arabic coffee here in the courtyard of the American Colony hotel, I just kept at it slow and steady, and there were several writeovers, including IGOTthis and SEALpupS. The SW struck me as especially fresh and creative, especially DEADSEXY and WINKWINK. Very nicely done, Caitlin! Thank you, shukran, and todah rabbah.
3
@archaeoprof
Also I GOT THIS before DIBS. Coffee on this side of the pond helps as I solved faster as I drank the dark brew.
5
@archaeoprof
I had IGOTthis (or maybe it was that) before DIBS.
2
As someone else pointed out, BAD PR two days in a row. Coincidence?
2
I thought that 12D was going to be "cootie," even though I wasn't sure what kind of bug a cootie actually is. It turns out that it is a "body louse." So, even though I was wrong, it wasn't a horrible guess. ;)
2
@PaulSFO
That's odd. I guess grade school kids aren't aware of the necessary distinctions, as I remember the recess taunts at Kensington Elementary making cooties out as head lice. (Poor Mary Anne!) I don't think body lice were even an awareness.
Here's the interesting part:
Apparently evolutionary genetics can estimate how long ago body* lice differentiated from head lice by looking at the differences in their current genomes. They would have begun to differentiate as they took up different habitats, and it has been proposed that the body lice found themselves restricted to a new hospitable habitat when the "naked ape" had reduced overall body hair and had commenced to don clothing. That estimates the start of the clothing industry at about 70-100,000 years ago.
PS: I wrote 'body' lice because I thought the Emus might balk at 'public' lice
4
@Leapfinger
In one of the Aubrey/Maturin novels, the doctor explains the species difference to a crew that is reluctant to disguise themselves by donning clothing infested with body lice. They were afraid that they would have to shave their heads and lose the magnificent braids grown during months at sea.
He didn't give the evolutionary details, though. Thanks for another exhibit in the "Where else but Wordplay?" gallery.
5
@Leapfinger
Agree that cooties during my childhood were head lice, for which my classmates and I were regularly inspected. (Poor Emily.)
There was also a plastic toy/game where you gained or lost points by some process I don't remember but which were demonstrated by the addition of various legs and stuff were added to the body of the player's cootie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_of_Cootie
Enjoyed the puzzle but found it pretty easy for a Friday, easier than the Wednesday and Thursday puzzles this week. No real hangups; no “Aha!” moments; just a smooth and steady solve.
I guess I should be happy that the puzzle went so quickly, but I usually expect more of a challenge in a Friday puzzle.
@Ron O.
Same here, seems to me a recent trend. Rough on Thursday, okay Friday, Sat.
1
I'm born on Cinco de Mayo and I've never ever heard a margarita called a marg. But maybe that's because I only drink my tequila neat.
15
@Paco Sorrisi
I've seen them shortened to 'ritas, but never margs. But M-W online has it as an entry, so the puzzle can use it. And there's some use of it online as well. Interesting, Collins Dictionary has it as being British slang for margarine, in which case, it's pronounced "marj."
4
@Paco Sorrisi
I would say that if you don't have enough time to call it a MARGarita, you don't have enough time to drink it.
Does neat mean 'no worm' also?
(A gave is not a given)
11
@Paco Sorrisi
I first had rita, but when MARG became apparent from the crosses I was OK with that too.. I've heard and used both with equal frequency, but it just might be the group of party fiends I used to hang out with..
1
Nice puzzle .... 42D solve aided by a visit yesterday to UChicago’s Oriental Institute (OI) with a number of Egyptian and Babylonian artifacts, amongst others,
OI inspired much of the Indiana Jones series, I also learned.
3
That was a blast!
1
@Layla
My only would-be scar today was at 27D where I had BLAST instead of BEAST. Funny you should have called the puzzle a BLAST when some found it a BEAST!
(Happily, changing an L to an E actually leaves no scar if done carefully!)
:-c)€
6
So I says to myself, should I do the Friday puzzle after a few drinks? because what if it has all the answers from yesterday's puzzle and I have a shot at a personal best? I did it anyway.
A celebrity mug shot is certainly cause for damage control. Really hot is almost a ten, and maybe eleven if the dial goes up that high. The exact value of units of power was still fresh in my mind, conversions and historical figures in physics. Also the good doctor. Why are good writers also often good doctors, like Chekhov? I guess no one ever actually said he was a good doctor, but one assumes. Someone just tweeted the pier creatures! But when my wife got home, it was my daughter who got yelled at, I just sighed and said nothing.
Man, I shoulda waited until I sobered up. My Friday best from 18 months ago will probably never fall. I can face the puzzle sober, but that's about it. "It's no use."
If anyone else out there edits code in vi, you know the key to a quick exit. Somehow, though, still trapped.
@Andrew - Someone replied, "Sea labradors." https://twitter.com/phibetakitten/status/1139185977992212480
@Andrew - um dude, the joke is that in vi you get into a mode and then you have to hit the escape key like ten times before you hit :q (which is not an emoji, it means quit). So that cannot be characterized as a quick exit by any means.
2
Ugh, vim...If you’re ever in the mood for a sadistic lark, airgap a few laptops, have a group of non-Linux users take notes in vim, and then leave the room while they try and figure out how to save and exit. There will be tears when you return
2
BAD PR two days in a row ? Hmm that’s not good publicity for the puzzle.
Yesterday 10 for SEXY received some critical feedback. I don’t know what sort of reaction the “really hot” DEAD SEXY entry will elicit today, especially so close to YES DEAR (spoken with a sigh...). I don’t think a male constructor would have gotten away with those entries somehow.
My read on SHAM MARRIAGE had nothing to do with screen actors, but rather two parties acting as though they want to get married for genuine reasons, when really it is for some nefarious purpose.
6
@Andrew - dear Ottawan Andrew, they are actors in bad faith.
When orcas get hitched it's a shamu marriage.
16
@Andrews
I agree with your “Readings”. However, SHAM MARRIAGES can also involve married couples who “stay together for the kids” — those marriages might also be called “actors’ unions”. Sadly, they often lead to EX-ALLIES. OTOH, as the movie “Green Card” demonstrated, seemingly SHAM MARRIAGES can lead to true love, at least in Hollywood.
6
"My read on SHAM MARRIAGE had nothing to do with screen actors..."
Andrew,
If Deb drops in, perhaps she will clarify whether the editors gave her a cite or two for the entry as clued, or if they simply pointed out the pun. I get the pun, but I've never seen the phrase used -- as clued -- in print or on the air.
1
Great puzzle! Dead sexy, nudge nudge, know what I mean? One of the only Friday puzzles I was able to complete without Autocheck, although I did look up a few entries online.
2
@Laurie A. - Isn't autocheck what tells you if a car was in an accident or flooded in Houston? or is it what deducts money from your bank account monthly?
Maybe it's time for crossword culture to receive the punning treatment in a puzzle.
4
GOOD PUZZLE—WOW. EVEN BETTER FEELING TO COMPLETE THIS WHILE A SYMPHONY OF CAR HORNS AND FIREWORKS WAFT THROUGH MY WINDOW :~)
14
I love coherence. Hope to be part of one someday!
Congrats. SOBSTORY here in the valley...
5
@Austin Ah, that explains the absence of fireworks in my neighborhood!
Got delayed by GLam marriages rather than SHAM MARRIAGES
5
It is Amun-ra, not Amun-ra.
2
I, too, had AMuN RA initially, though was waiting for crosses to determine whether the lesser-used, yet still acceptable, AMEN RA was correct. Was not surprised when the E fell.
3
@Irene - Amen to that. But Gerry's explanation is more Zen.
10
@Andrew
You made a funny there, but some think that the Egyptian god is the root of the word AMEN in the Abrahamic religions:
https://truththeory.com/2017/11/25/egyptian-roots-say-amen-prayer/
Ahhh. Mrs. Flintstone! Finally an answer I'm SURE of!
30
@Lorel See? There is always at least one entry that will be a gimme. :)
7
I'm an OLD TIMER at crosswords. No EGO BOOST here but still a clever puzzle!
1
Zack SNYDER and ARES were a fun combination. And yes, it was a 35D.
Fast Friday but with a lot of pizzazz: “Reading Fightin’ Phils, e.g.” / AA TEAM. Huh? Only got it was a minor league baseball team after I finished puzzle. Thrown by both Reading (as in a book) and AA (as in Alcoholics Anonymous). “Actors’ Unions” /SHAM MARRIAGES. I smiled as I filled in that clever entry. DEAD SEXY, WINK WINK, PREGGO (A theme, Wen?). I GOT DIBS, HARD PASS, EGO BOOST: Breezy, fun fill.
Except for the SW and the NE, both of which gave me some trouble (AMENRA just doesn’t roll off my iPad keyboard), this puzzle was an EGO BOOST. As Mike Myers as Linda Richman used to say on SNL (Go Toronto Raptors!), “Like buttah”.
6
@Puzzlemucker - Did we just see EGO BOOST or ECO BOOST? I think it's two steps from AA MEET to AA TEAM, a switch and a replace. FSR, Reading, CA comes up frequently in conversation, and I always think Monopoly's RR, but now it will be the Fightin' Phils, is that short for the Philharmonic Orchestra? Is their logo in fact a violin?
I've never said "DIBS" in my life, but my daughter just said it the other day for the first time, I CALL DIBS is how she put it. I've forgotten what she was dibbing upon.
2
@Andrew - FYI, Sunnyvalean Andrew, it's spelled Redding, CA. I realize you've never been, but just in case you need to find it on an old-fashioned paper map one day when you're stranded in the wilderness. Though I guess GPS will still work under those harsh conditions, which depend mostly on whom you're stranded with.
1
Andrew(s),
The Reading minor league club is owned by a nearby major league club with a similar name.
2
No PB for me tonight. Fun puzzle though!
1
New Friday PB, by 3 seconds!
-- posted at 7:08PM PDT
6
total 35D :)
1
@Morgan - Congrats! Most duels are carried out with just one second, but I guess like in the NBA finals, you use as many as you need.
If I didn't move to Canada in 2000 or 2016, I don't suppose tonight's results will move me either.
2