Funny for me, the rebus revealer was Is the POPe catholic. I did enjoy this Wednesday puzzle.
Loved the creative thought that went into constructing this rebus puzzle. Deb, you’re correct- the more we solve, the easier they become.
Note to technical department: if you solve in dark mode, you can barely make out the circles. I did not see them until I switched back to the regular mode. Please make any special markings more distinctive in dark mode. Thank you
Yea! This is the first time I actually figured out the rebus at the very beginning of the puzzle with RED(POP)PY and knew for sure when I got to TOOTSIE(POP) although I really wanted it to be TOOTSIE ROLL POP but OK, I figured out the rebus at the beginning and then figured out that they went in all of the circles. I've always been able to solve without quite getting the rebus (the compass one recently really passed me right by - I knew it was a rebus but I couldn't figure it out for anything).
So - progress!
1
I’m confused as to why I’m missing letters in my answers.
On my crossword (iOS device) the answer was “ISTHEPECATHOLIC” instead of “ISTHEPOPECATHOLIC” and I had “SOAPERA” instead of “SOAPOPERA”.
I’ve noticed oddities like this before and always thought maybe it was me. But these are quite clearly errors in the app!
@Cody Boppert It's a rebus puzzle. Each box with a circle in it should contain the letters POP. Read the Wordplay column and follow the link about rebuses for more info.
1
@Cody Boppert
There are no missing "letter slots." You have to squeeze the extra letters -- in this case those that make the BALLOONs "POP" -- into a single square. In XWP lingo, for no reason I can fathom, this is being called a "rebus," although it isn't anything like what is normally known as a rebus.
I suggest you look at the WP article on how to enter rebuses into the puzzle (somewhat different depending on whether you're using the app, or AcrossLite, or whatever).
1
@Cody Boppert
In some of the electronic puzzle formats, the first letter of the rebus is accepted as an answer - so if you've somehow filled in everything by intuiting that a "p" is the first letter to go in the rebus square, then it will counted as correct
It makes more sense, though, if you actually complete the rebus
Delayed for a while 'cause I wanted TOOTSIE(roll). Also, POrn before POSH. 🥴
This is the first puzzle I've completed without googling or checking even once. I'm getting better. Good for me!
6
I got the rebus right away with RedPoppy. WHen I was in the 8th grade, we had an art project to make posters for Memorial Day, and somehow I remember that mine included a poppy.
3
I do genealogy and come across the word "apoplexy" frequently on death certificates with frequency. I means "stroke," or "cerebral hemorrhage," although in the vernacular it could also mean something like "blind rage."
4
A little over my Wednesday average, but a puzzle I enjoyed chewing on for a while. Like others, I was a bit surprised that a rebus POPped up already, but, unlike some others, I don't mind (as long as they aren't took frequent, they're a refreshing change of pace).
Needed help on two squares, neither of which I feel guilty about: the E crossing HEP (had HiP) and ETRE, as I know very little French, and the X in SPEX/APOPLEXY (I knew the word apoplectic, and SPEc seemed to make sense). Never seen specs spelled with an x before.
Last are to fill was the E side - figured the vessel was a Sub, rather than SST, which, like the names of Nixon's daughters, I'm sure I'll never remember.
Finally - who would name a game SKAT?!? Was it invented by sailors and played on the poop deck?
Great puzzle!
10
@Ryan "who would name a game SKAT?!? Was it invented by sailors and played on the poop deck?" Haha 🤣
We don't usually see rebuses on Wednesdays, but I think this puzzle would be a little too easy for a Thursday, especially with the circles giving away where the rebuses are. IMHO, running it on a Wednesday was a good choice.
3
Thanks for the rebus warning. I always skip Thursday puzzles just in case, so will go do something else.
Does this mean I can look forward to a regular puzzle tomorrow?
3
O101101,
Was your "thanks" a stab at irony, or do you read the Wordplay column before doing each puzzle (except, of course, Thursdays)?
1
I hate rebuses. Their use seems like a lazy way to create a puzzle.
6
@John
What is lazy about including an entry which defines the rebus, and then finding crossing words that have that same word embedded in them, and including them in a symmetrical grid? To me that takes a lot more energy than creating a "normal" grid.
8
@Andrew I was thinking the same thing. I haven't constructed any puzzles (yet), but it seems like creating one with multiple rebuses might be more work.
2
Dr W, here is an example of a REMIX. I believe you queried Terpsichore in your Monday post.
https://youtu.be/2xqQgbircCM
Comparatively:
https://youtu.be/3zUUtf7gOe8
1
@brutus
Thank you! :-)
Oof, I took way too long to figure out the rebuses. When I figured out the answer "ISTHEPOPECATHOLIC", instead of concluding "oh, it's a rebus", I thought, "hmm, there must be some two-letter shorthand for 'pope' that I'm unaware of".
2
@Hayden Schiff - there actually is, the letters pp are traditionally written after the name of the pope, standing for the Latin "papa pontifex." The current pope would sign a document "Franciscus pp".
I didn’t know how to enter the POP on the app.
Help ?
@K. Meisle
Click on More and then Rebus.
1
I would have posted this yesterday, when it would have fit better with the theme, but I didn't get to the puzzle until too late to participate in WP.
But it's still a bittersweet parting:
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/events/bye-bye-bei-bei
3
Lots of fun to solve! I got the rebus with REDPOPPY,and as someone else already said, was glad I didn’t have to wait for IGGYPOP, since punk is not in my wheelhouse. I thought I had the grid all finished but the app didn’t agree, and it took me quite a while to see my mistake, which was TESTER in place of TASTER. Duh, indeed.
@Shari Coats Ugh! That's so frustrating to flyspeck for that one little mistake. Really either one could work. If HeS had fit, it could have been a Schrodinger clue.
When I got the answer to 38 Across "Obviously! (Duh!)" as Is Pope Catholic, I am reminded of my interaction with an youngster eons ago. He asked "Is Pope selected based on hereditary (like Kings)?" - My response to him was "Not Obviously! (Duh!)"
4
A poster on another site made a terrific catch -- see the ROUTE 66?
11
I was disappointed to see no constructor's notes in Wordplay. I was hoping for a confession that that the whole puzzle started with fitting "IS THE POPE CATHOLIC?" into a 15x15 grid.
2
I HAD A BLAST with this puzzle! I GLOMmed onto the rebus at TOOTSIE POP. https://youtu.be/2IA5Cv_5-g8
I appreciated the timely reference to the RED POPPY of Flanders Fields, just a couple days after Veterans Day. TOI was easy enough to guess, but I got Baied by ETRE since 39D could have been either HiP or HEP. That was my last square to fill in, so I just had to guess I before E. I feel APOPLEXY at all these foreign words.
I really enjoyed the rebuses when they POPped into my head. IS THE POPE CATHOLIC? was an especially sparkly one.
Sheesh. The saying goes, "Is a bear Catholic? Does the Pope live in the woods?" I thought the Times crossword staff knew this stuff.
This must be on the internets somewhere.
6
I am always happy to see an Ed Sessa byline, and only partly because I know I'll get to see that lovely picture of the sweet doggie over at xwordinfo.
I got the gimmick, or at least partially got it, at the crossing of RED POPPY and HIPPOPOTAMUSES. Glad I didn't have to wait for IGGY POP, since I've heard the name but haven't a clue what he (right pronoun?) is/was.
Never heard of BALLOON DARTS, but the term is self-explanatory.
Thanks to all.
5
@Deadline
Think water balloons DL.
@Deadline
Sorry DL. Combining two formats, I was envisioning a boardwalk/statefair contest where players could win, say, a replica of Rose O’Neil’s Kewpie Doll.
https://youtu.be/RRql4RJ5HOQ
That puzzle really popped!
(Hope it didn't burst your bubble.)
7
I'm cool with a rebus POPping up on hump day. This one was entertaining, but not difficult for me with one exception, spelling HIPPOPOTAMUSES out with rebus as part of it. It visually confused my brain for a bit. It reminds me of my father-in-law asking someone to pass him the cinnamonmonmon. I kept POPPOPPOPing along until I got it right.
3
The hippo entry was the last one I got. It confused me too. I had POSE instead of POSH, which totally threw me. But this was the first time I didn’t need to hunt for help on a Wednesday puzzle!
Why do I get the feeling I've just had a pop quiz?
5
POP POP POP so much POPping fun!! I suspected rebus early on but tread carefully. I actually love a good rebus and I thought this one was very good, with the acrosses and downs matching so beautifully. Unlike Bai, I love the French clueing and would love to find some easy French language crossword puzzles to do, to improve my high school French. (There was a recent puzzle where Deb talked about this sort of thing). So much more I’d like to say but Adam has just begun speaking.
2
@Elke French language puzzles are an *excellent* place for French words.
1
Once I determined the relevance of the circles in the squares, I knew I had a rebus on my hands. And the pertinence arrived perched atop this big fella, 🦛...Don Cherry, an OLD, former Bruin head coach is a non-vet. He was thrown off the Hockey Night In Canada telecast Monday. This DUE(S) to a hate fueled and sickening rant he delivered concerning certain groups he referred to as “you people” not wearing a RED POPPY to honor Veterans. One might say he was properly disciplined for tossing poison DARTS...Here’s a techno-driven song from one of the many POP BANDS from the late 70’s/early 80’s, M.
https://youtu.be/Avvh5H-EPWU
URBanely,
Bru
7
@brutus
I'm surprised you knew the Don Cherry story. It is big news up here, but I didn't think it would have made it over the border. Somehow he is #7 on the CBC top ten list of greatest ever Canadians. Go figure...
1
@Andrew
It was on the Times's website.
@Bru
That was my musical pick, too. But I was too lazy to post. So thanks.
1
POP! POPPOPPOP!!! POP! All over the place! So much fun, thank you, Ed Sessa, for waking me up this morning.
I'd never heard of BALLOON DARTS so thought that was going to be sALOON DARTS. So todayI learned that BALLOON DARTS do exist. Always good to learn from a puzzle.
LOVED having a Wednesday rebus which was just as unexpected as all the POPping!
LOVED this puzzle!
1
@Johanna
Now you've got me thinking "ballooned art"....
@Dr W
Really big POP art!
Dr. W,
Or Jeff Koons? :)
Strange synergy. NPR is embarking on an end-of-the-decade retrospective and their segment this morning featured Iggy Pop.
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/13/778766540/iggy-pop-on-mik-artistiks-ego-trip
4
@David Connell
Also a good New Yorker article a few issues back.
1
@David Connell - Not to be out-NPRed here, re: @Laszlo's earlier comment about Octopus/Hippocampus/Hippopotamus - here's another NPR link:
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/11/778266536/hungry-hungry-hippocampus-the-psychology-of-how-we-eat
Such fun! And what was so cool was that even when the POPs were filled in, it still was not a gimme. Very fun, and still challenging.
3
Re: ADMEN - Deb, I was wondering if you'd comment on this one, but in defense of Mr. Sessa, his clue does say *some* jingle writers. Others, of course, are adwomen, or all of them together are adpersons. Or maybe they're all just jingle writers. IMHO, if they all got other jobs, I wouldn't miss their products.
4
@Michael Dover
Whoever wrote this one should definitely get another job!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKp8LV0N-rY
@Andrew
Is that a remix?
The pop pop pops made this puzzle great fun! I don’t know what a balloon dart is, but the 5th November is bonfire and fireworks night here.
Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators were stopped with lots of gunpowder in of a plot to set the parliament in fire in 1605. Religious disputes, vote suppression, treason. Kids still sing “ remember remember the 5th of November /Gunpowder treason and plot/ I see no reason why gunpowder and treason/should ever be forgot “
But it was all a long time ago, so now we just enjoy the pop pop pop and lights of the firework. Almost. Because then the poppies remind us of the Great War. The futility of war, the necessity of war?
Wilfred Owen - 1893-1918
So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
and builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.
But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.
8
@Laura rodrigues In london
"Remember, remember, the fifth of November, ..."
A few years ago, on November 5th, I spent a night at a New Zealand army base, a night that included a huge bonfire, me dressing up in clothes borrowed from three different people and somewhat illicit currency exchange with an Australian general.
3
@Laura rodrigues...
Thank you for posting a poem I love and that I teach every year to my AP English Literature class. Such a powerful statement about the insanity of war.
1
Hmm..APOPLEXY is an out-moded term for a stroke--and I suppose that someone in a rage might be felled by an apoplexy, but the rage and the stroke are not necessarily the same thing. Our grandparents had a toy Manchester terrier that was hyperactive, and my sister proposed that he be named APOPLEXY....but Grandpa called him 'Deputy Dog' (after a cartoon figure)....and he pronounced it "Dep'ty."
I somewhat confused 'Carnival' with the Mardi Gras celebration, so the idea of BALLOON DARTS was a bit alarming....
1
Just loved this puzzle to death. I got the theme at RED [POP]PY where I had been toying with the idea that the LILY was the Flanders Fields flower. How stupid of me. Because I love that poem: "In Flanders Fields the poppies grow..." Except that's not the poem, which I just looked up. It's "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow..." How I hate misremembering stuff.
I must be old because I did know IS THE POPE CATHOLIC? I used it a lot when I was younger. Then I stopped. As those of you who know me know about me, I'm a liberal who despises political correctness. I believe instead in tactfulness and consideration of other people's deepest feelings. And it occurred to me one day long ago that IS THE POPE CATHOLIC might be offensive to many Catholics, so I stopped saying it. I miss it -- it's a colorful phrase that can prove highly useful. So here's my chance to find out from my Catholic friends here: Do any/some/most of you find IS THE POPE CATHOLIC? offensive? Thanks for your help. I'd love to put it back in my lexicon.
3
@Nancy This Catholic (non-practising) is not and never has been offended by that phrase - I'm always amused by it, and my husband (non-Catholic) uses it a lot!
3
@Nancy well , there are other popes (Greek Orthodox for example). Are they referred to as Catholics or Orthodox? Is the Pope of Constantinople an Orthodox?
@Nancy I can obviously not speak for anyone else, but I doubt many would find it offensive. Croatia is a *VERY* Catholic country, yet one graffiti everybody in the city of Split loved was on the walls of Hajduk (local football team) stadium. It said:
Papa Ivan Pavao Drugi
Hajduk Prvi
(Pope John Paul [the] Second
Hajduk First)
2
Sorry for the technical question, but is there any way to see what comments are new?
@Bojan
When you bring up the comment screen, you should see "Sort by: Newest". Bringing up the newest comments first is the default. If you want to flip it and see oldest comments first, click the downward arrow after the word "newest" and you can sort them so that the oldest ones are at the top.
1
Thanks. I wasn't clear enough in my question, though. I meant new as in unread, which would include the replies.
@Bojan
".. as in unread...'. Now that's existential!
My biggest fear with rebuses is that I'll hit the 'reveal' button by mistake and lose my streak.
1
@Nick Schleppend You can also use the "Insert" key to enter rebus.
@shm46234 Brilliant! Thanks.
So many tiny bubbles and no Don Ho, lamented Tom lyrically.
Robed of the gold by OESTE spelled with a U.
Thanks Ed, fun solve
2
@dk
No corn, no weasel, no up menus either . . . :)
1
Loved the puzzle and was thrilled to recognize the rebus early on (Thursday archive practice has paid off)!
However, pet peeves: SPEX and URB🥴
6
So cute, today's puzzle. And sardines in water... yes! Way to go! Crown Prince is an excellent brand, iydk.
1
Really challenging Wednesday. Great use of the rebus and a fun revealer made this a winner for me.
Iggy Pop was my foothold into the puzzle as well, so thought I would post this great clip I saw for the first time in the WP comments section:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZsAy9XuX-8
What a swell party this is!
2
I’m off to spend some time communing with Rembrandts and Vermeers and Eschers - - and canals - - i.e. in Amsterdam and den Haag.
Does that mean I’ll have MORE time - - or LESS to complete puzzles for a streak???
I’m KIDDING! Please don’t try to educate me. My body will be confused enough - as to what time it is. My brain - such as it is - has no trouble with the concept of time zones (until I cross the International Date Line).
5
@PeterW Lost my streak in Europe this summer...for the best! Enjoy!
@Kate I also lose my streaks in Europe, most every Tuesday
9
@Bojan haha...That happens to be the site of my loss
1
“Trough call” is OINK, a play on what pigs eat from, but it’s also a play on the phrase “rough call.”
Hi Deb,
That's your call; I took it as a play on "tough call."
9
Anyone else have Tootsie Roll instead of pop? I just kept figuring there was some variation of “eye roll” in the “duh” clue before I got more of the crosses. Thought “Tootsie” was a clever clue that could go either way, once I figured out the rebus pattern.
6
Amy,
With only the NW "pop" in place, I also briefly wanted Tootsie's circle to be "roll." I don't recall whether the pope or apoplexy put me on the correct ROUTE.
3
@Amy
I put in ROLL because that's what I'd say if I were on Family Feud and the question were "Fill in the blank: Tootsie ___." But within seconds, I said to myself, it's not the Tootsie Roll that has a chewy CENTER; the entire Roll is the chewy stuff. So, I popped out ROLL and popped in POP.
8
Hand up for TOOTSIE ROLL. At that point I only had the first POP, so wasn't sure where the theme was going and thought maybe it was going to be something to do with POP music and rock 'n' ROLL.
1
Caught on very early with REDPOPPY and HIPPOs, but got stuck in a few places after that and was really struggling for a bit. This was one of those where when I look back, I can't figure out why. Still a fun puzzle overall; 38a was worth it all by itself.
SO, A POP ERA was founded by Iggy Pop? Didn't really know that, but at least recalled the name and got it from the crosses.
Like others had HIP before HEP and only fixed that at the last minute when I decided I should do a quick review.
Here's one of my favorite HEP cats (1931):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGKdGov-lmA
..
1
The theme is refreshing, IMO, because it's visual rather than the usual wordplay-based. Maybe aural as well, as at some point I imagined hearing those pops I was seeing. I did miss wordplay in the cluing, however, though some vague cluing imparted some lovely resistance. And a Wednesday rebus! Overall, a fun POP quiz. Gracias, Ed.
Rhyme time sub-theme: LEDGE by the edge, STAT crossing SKAT, DORA crossing TORA. I also liked that the POP up in the northeast corner was right by AD, and in the same neighborhood, for better or worse, we have the adjoining OLD BAG (Hi, @Wen!).
Closing doggerel to be said five times quickly:
ON ME
OILY
IGGY VENI
POPPY PLEXY
Whee!
4
@Lewis -- @Wen, I wasn't implying that you were an o.b., just acknowledging your making the same finding.
1
@Lewis - good thing you clarified. I thought that was quite uncharacteristic of you. :)
2
A little something for everyone today - a pretty perfect Wednesday. Fun to solve, thanks!
2
@Ann
I hope you didn’t latch on too tightly to Lewis’ use of the word “BAG”.😜
@PeterW
Haha, I thoroughly own the fact that I'm an old BAG. I can still play a mean BAGgatelle, though, which is a great game and not a compound word at all!
GLOMMED onto this STAT with RED POPPY and HIPPO! Fun puzzle!
2
“BAM!” And “BAM!” Again! Less than half-way between my PB and my Wednesday average. NO “research” - and, in fact, only one re-typing episode. If there were any mis-directions, I didn’t go there. RED POPPY (only two days after Remembrance Day) made the theme “Obvious - DUH!” And the rest was history.
THAT was FUN!! (Insert clue from 38A here.) Clever theme that “works” in getting many of the theme answers and fill that was “springy” - - or “not too - - too”.
My only “beef” is the clue for 58D. THAT was a “Bridge too far”!! Awkwardly worded and obtuse. Without crosses, I’d have been in deep doo doo. BAD CLUE! BAD CLUE! No biscuit! Go to your cage!!
2
@PeterW I guess if we could pronounce Gaelic, the answer would POP right out.
1
Beat my 21 minute Wednesday average by 8 minutes and didn't even have to look at the comments 😂😂
5
I may be relatively 11D but I am definitely not in disuse (ah, to be an SST). That clue made me feel very 52A.
2
What fun to have a rebus on a Wednesday. I got it quickly as I thought it had to be RED(POP)PY, which also made 20 Across work, as noted by Beejay. I wasn't sure at that point if they would all be POPs, but that soon became apparent too. I thought the crossing of APOPLEXY and POPULAR was the hardest to spot, and 38 A an absolute delight.
I suppose it too much to hope for to have a Thursday rebus.
11
LETTER BOXED THREAD
Today's Solution:
M-C(8), C-S(5) ... 13!
Plenty of options today.
YESTERDAY:
MINGLES SKIPJACK (Tuna salad?)
2
@Mari
Went with G-N(8), N-E(7)
Same as you for yesterday.
@Mari
G-C (8) C-S (8) came nearly immediately and I let myself be satisfied with the fast solve. Trying hard to streamline my puzzle time.
Yesterday I had an alternate answer without realizing it because of same initial and terminal letters of second word: MINGLES SLAPJACK (a card game -- which is why my reference to "a game idea" must have induced head-scratching to those who went with SKIPJACK.
SPELLING BEE GRID
Nov 13th 2019
A C D H I N R
WORDS: 60, POINTS: 256, PANAGRAMS: 1
A x 15
C x 20
D x 4
H x 4
N x 7
R x 10
4L x 22
5L x 17
6L x 12
7L x 3
8L x 5
9L x 1
4 5 6 7 8 9 Tot
A 5 1 4 2 3 - 15
C 5 8 5 1 - 1 20
D 1 3 - - - - 4
H 3 - - - 1 - 4
N 4 2 1 - - - 7
R 4 3 2 - 1 - 10
Tot 22 17 12 3 5 1 60
56
@Mari A long slog today. Mostly well-known words. 2 currencies. ARNICA still not allowed. An R8 I never heard of - the number under the square-root symbol - a math-word. There are 2 other math (geometry) words. The Panagram concerns spiders.
11
@Mari I’m just missing a C5. I’ll keep trying but I have to get up early for a flight to Virginia. I’m surprised there are 2 adjectives related to French Canada, but they have generic meanings as well, I suppose.
3
@Kevin Davis of course the second I posted this I found the Spanish term that’s a C5, so my Queen Bee streak is safe. Not sure I’ll have time to play till next Thursday though.
7
Also, got stuck in the NE corner, after inking OFF for {In disuse}, which I can only attribute to my subconscious fear of being discarded as I continue aging.
2
First of all, what a great puzzle!
Ignorantia rebus nocet - I didn't know that one can place more than one letter in a square. That, paired with the fact that Wednesdays are still over my head, meant that I set a new record for the solving time, albeit not the kind that people usually admit to. New time to beat is 1:01:07, fellows!
Before you start feeling completely sorry for me, just think how much cheaper the crossword subscription is for me, you know, on a per-minute basis.
30
@Bojan
At the very TOP of the Word Play column - smack in the center - is an article that’s titles (approximately), “Yes, You can put more that one letter in a square.” And there are other helpful articles scattered about too.
And, if you need any encouragement, just read Deb’s words of wisdom today.
I can testify (under oath if necessary) that she’s RIGHT! One DOES get better at solving the longer one does it. If there’s a point of diminishing returns - - - i haven’t reached it after most of two years.
3
Thanks, Peter.
Yup, I now realized that there was one featured article I hadn't read. The "How to Solve The New York Times Crossword" one was what gave me the courage to try in the first place and I read the whole series on how to construct, as well as the one about getting the mentor. Missed the rebus one, though.
And yes, I definitely agree that one gets better with time. When I started, I could only do minis, then after a while perhaps a few Mondays where everything clicked. Now, I do Mondays regularly, and I started venturing into later days, as well. Soon, your weekend reposes from me will be even shorter *.*
And apart from being fun, I learn a lot. Some of it actually useful.
4
@Bojan
I’m with you on speed. The longer it lasts, the more fun it is! And as for per-minute value, with the years and years of archived puzzles, the subscription is a really great deal!
4
Oh hep, not hip. Doh...
9
I've seen several comments like this, but don't get what they refer to. Can anyone enlighten me?
Refers to 39D
If you didn’t know the French word ended in an E not an I, this would be a bit of a Natick.
2
@Bojan - hip and hep are both slang words that are dated (hep slightly older than hip, so more likely to get a "dated" hint), and that convey a sense of "knowing what's what" or "in the swing of things". The clue could be satisfied with either hip or hep, and hip is known to more solvers because it's slightly more recent.
You might have read posts here from "hepcat" = an old jazz term for a person who is a cool cat, knows how to play the game, has the moves. Same hep.
1
I didn’t see the circles while solving in dark mode for the first time on an iPhone in the middle of the night. Got the rebus at the HIPPO/POPPY cross. TESTER before TASTER held me up briefly at the end. Being the middle of the night, my sound was off, so no happy music. At any rate my bunkmate would have found it decidedly unhappy music. Back to sleep now.
3
@Deb OINK is 57D, not across as it says in your column.
I found this quite hard for a Wednesday. Maybe that’s because it took me awhile to see the rebus. Once I got that, it made it somewhat easier being able to fill in all the pops. Speaking of what a bear does in the woods, for yesterday’s clue for flip out, I started with just the “Go Ba”. For a second I thought they might have what a bat does in a cave. I guess not the NYT.
4
@BruceG Not sure exactly where you were headed with that, but you led me to look up the clue history for GUANO. The first 13 times it was some variation of 'fertilizer,' but in the most recent appearance it was 'Bat cave deposit.'
That in turn made me think about a character in one of my all time favorite films. Hint: "You'll have to answer to the Coca-Cola company!"
3
Rich,
And the character with that line was one of three he played in that [agree; fabulous] film.
@Barry Ancona
That line was actually delivered by Keenan Wynn as Col. Bat Guano, not Peter Sellers (who indeed is in that scene and played three roles).
4
The RED POPPY in John McCrae’s poem commemorating the 1918 bloodshed:
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”
A generation later, in 1944, thousands more would die on a hill in Italy, the Monte Cassino. I’m reading a book about it right now. The night that Allied troops finally planted a Polish flag on the site after retaking the hill from the Germans, a song was composed to honor the fallen. It’s called, “The Red Poppies on Monte Cassino.” It went on to become the most famous military anthem of WW2 Poland.
7
@Sam Lyons
When I was in Ireland, I was in a pub many a night at closing time and in each pub at closing time, everyone sang "The Green Fields of France". It is a song about "young Willie McBride" who died in the war on the green fields of France where the "RED POPPIES dance".
In 1980, it was sung during " the troubles" with an emphasis on "young Willie McBride, it has happened again and again and again and again"
https://youtu.be/ATq5YZLDkQI
7
@ColoradoZ
Yesterday, someone made me snort my coffee with the alternate caption for the photo.
Today, you made me cry - about the futility (and receptiveness) of war.
It is an INSULT to the honor of humanity!!
2
@PeterW
Darned auto-“correct”!!
That was REPETITIVENESS of war!!
1
I had __R_ for "Young explorer of TV," and thought I had recently learned of a character or program called "Nora the Explorer." I hadn't worried much about POPBANnS because I couldn't make any sense of its clue "One Direction and OneRepublic" either, but when I got the something-wrong message, it occurred to me POP BANDS is meaningful. So I think my streak is back up to at least three.
A slight cheat. I had two mysteries, IG_YPOP crossing _UM. I thought G sounded likely, but I googled "iggypop" before daring to fill it in.
1
Loved this puzzle. First time I hit a rebus all on my own, thank you misspent youth and IggyPop, Ramones, Ozzy, and Syd.
Guess I am about the same age as you, Deb.
8
@ashevillein -- Hi, fellow Ashevillite!
1
@Lewis and @ashevillein. Why not Ashevillain? 🦹😉
1
@Debbie. A brief Latin note. “Pes” (pedis in the genitive, which gives the combining form) is the Latin for “foot”. Medical use is simply the correct use.
3
Idle musings.
Octopus | octopi || hippocampus | hippocampi || hippopotamus | hippopotamuses. Isn't this illogical? Isn't the Pope Catholic?
BaLLOON NEED DOOmed when carnival dart game got banned
[Oops, this was Sunday's theme. Never mind.]
Hippo pot amuses: a giant joint is lots of fun.
Have lots of fun this Wednesday.
"...Pop, goes the weasel..."
8
No. Octopus (formally correct plural octopuses) and hippocampus both derive from the Greek, so do not have (formally) correct plurals ending in -i. “Hippocampus” is a Latin word for racetrack, so its (Latin) plural is “hippocampi”.
2
I too hate the French stuff. As I don’t speak it or read it. And there were two almost next to each other. Then I saw the “products made by Friedrich” and I’m thinking, great now a German clue. WTH...
I really like the clueing for SOAPOPERA. I can’t say I really know how to describe that kind of show, until now.
I was proud of myself for recognizing rebus was going on, although quite late in my solve.
4
@Newbie I know French and Spanish, so those don’t give me a problem. I solved the Friedrich clue entirely with the crosses. One I did that I realized it’s a company that makes air conditioners (ACS).
1
@Kevin Davis
I know enough of a handful of languages to order a drink, ask for the privacy, and say thanks. Handy for crosswords, too :)
2
@Ann
Apparently, every language but my own. I typed privvy but my device saw fit to correct me.
4
Enjoy rebuses. Got this theme when I realized that the hippo needed to be plural and that putting the POP in the circle would allow that and also give the flower for Flanders Field. The rest of the POPs were fun to fill in, but the POPe was my favorite.
8
This was a cute puzzle.
1
I was picturing DARTS made of BALLOONS. Clearly I should have gone to bed half an hour ago.
5
Who does a HIPPOPOTAMUS POP the question to?
A HIPPOPOTAMISS.
25
@Mike R
I thought a HIPPO POT AMISS would be a zookeeper’s vessel misappropriated by the gentle giants for an AS[h]TRAY.
2
@Mike R
And why was Mrs HIPPO in distress?
She caught Mr HIPPO with his HIPPOPOTAMISTRESS.
(That's more than enough for today...)
7
@Sam Lyons
Ooooo! If you have seen one in an irate charge, you will never again refer to them as “gentle”!!
38a. Too bad the rest of the saying wasn’t included - Does a bear....? That would have been a puzzle for the ages.
2
@Queenie
What’s wrong with “ Do bears SLEEP in the woods?”
We could even use, “Do bears S____ in the woods?”
The former would certainly get past the EMU’s.
I’m not at all sure about the latter - - but, if you’re reading this, it DID.
1
@Queenie
I always think of the mash-up of the two sayings, with the Pope doing whatever Popes do in the woods.
1
Being unaware of IGGY's status as the Godfather of Punk, TOOTSIEPOP was my way in. Not too crazy about URB for City, informally, but whatev.
10
April '07, The Stooges were playing at The Palace Theater in Washington Heights. Iggy and the boys were amazing. At one point, Iggy invited anyone who dared to come on stage and rock out with the band. I leapt at the chance and had a great time flailing in front of the drummer. The next day in my office, one of my staff asked me if I happened to be at the Iggy Pop show last night - she had seen me on stage. That was a good day.
15
Reading Rock Festival 1988 - Friday night with two alternate stages. Tough choice, but I skipped the Ramones and waited at the front of Stage 1 in a tight silk blouse and sinbad pants made by mum out of red poppy curtains.
I was seventeen, I guess Iggy was a gnarly 40. Grotesque and oily, he singled me out for some extra attention. He leapt, gibbon-like, I half caught him, and we recovered enough to manage a sweaty version of ’1970’.
It was love - ’I feel alright’.
Beautiful crossword today, by the way!
5
Got the gimmick at the center line - 5D+38A. I knew TOOTSIE POP had to be correct. And with IST__[POP], I knew it had to be IS THE POPE CATHOLIC - the puzzle just had that feel to it. That one alone was worth the price of...entry. That's almost akin to asking whether Jesus was Christian...no, wait...
Had AERIE before LEDGE. Had POSE (because ooh-la-la) before POSH. Was tempted to put JET before SST, had SPEC before SPEX, ASAP before STAT.
Something about OLD being next to BAG bothers me a bit. There was also the glut of three letter abbreviations - SST, RCA, ACS, IRA, AOL. But TORA crossing DORA was cute.
Am I the only one who put V__I before getting enough crossings to fill in VENI?
Does anyone every really say URB? I mean, we say burb or burbs, but I've never heard anyone say URB.
This was a lot of fun. I don't not expect rebus any day of the week, really, except maybe Monday and Saturday. When I run into problems with entries not fitting is when I resort to thinking about rebus, so this wasn't exactly shocking. It was a bit easy to be a Thursday, so it made for a fun surprise.
6
@Wen
I'll admit to both SPEC and V__I, but I had enough crosses in place to avoid the others. Agree with you on URB.
3
If you say URB, you are definitely a country mouse.
It’s like saying Frisco for SF. “Where are you visiting from?”
2
Had many of the same reactions and false starts. The “in disuse” clue for OLD added to the bite of the OLD BAG neighbors. Pure coincidence I’m convinced.
A fun Wednesday puzzle. A bit of a surprise to see the rebus element included, but the balloons made the placement easy once I caught on, which was not until SOA[POP]ERA. My meager knowledge of French was enough to solve the 'Bai's, and the rest filled in without too much difficulty.
It's probably too early, but I'm going to post the link to the obvious song choice for this puzzle—the original from 1953 and the first verse and chorus again in 2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvOrtcrA5c
5
@JayTee We taught our three year old granddaughter that song about two weeks ago. She loves it.
1
@JayTee
I remember that song - - - sort of.
But what a terrible job of lip-synching that video is!!!
@JayTee
I've had a Flanders and Swann earworm since I did the puzzle last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnOj9O16_I\
1
Same as Deb, I realized it had to be IGGYpop and soon after realized that all the circles were also "pop"s, which was amusing and also very helpful, especially as I wasn't familiar with the term "balloon dart". I know about balloons and about darts but not in combination.
The pops made this an easier-than-usual Wednesday for me, but not quicker. Filling in rebus squares always slows me down.
1
and Elke
Puzzle missed being perfect by being 2 days late.
1
@Robert and Elke
Before I figured out the rebus aspect, I couldn't figure out what exotic spelling of POPPY was supposed to go there.
2
@Robert and Elke
@vaer
I recently took a brief trip with my brother to Kansas City to visit relatives and see some of the sites I hadn't seen despite living there for some 20 years. One of those was the Liberty Memorial, AKA The National World War I Museum and Memorial. (I'll excuse myself for not visiting earlier because it was in poor shape and closed for repairs... it finally reopened in 2006 after I'd left the area.) The museum is definitely worth a visit, and gives information about all factions in the conflict. The entrance to the museum, once you're inside, is a glass bridge over a field of red poppies in gray turf. I was impressed, and I'd love to revisit when I had more time to explore.
Website: https://www.theworldwar.org
2
The day of Armistice was Tuesday, November 11, 1919; in the sense of observing its recurrence on the same second Tuesday in November a hundred years later, and when many of us solve in the night at the puzzle's release, it was as near as never the actual centennial when I filled in Red Poppies.
1
I was off balance for most of puzzle. A rebus theme and some great BYTE in cluing and fill. After a long day, a great way to forget everything without becoming APOPLEctic with frustration. Big payoff for a Wednesday.
4
I was excited to see my streak turn to 365 a few minutes ago – a milestone I’ve been looking forward to. Although I have enjoyed the puzzle for years with paper and a sharp pencil, I subscribed digitally exactly a year ago. I have declining vision, so I find my solve times getting a little worse. It’s had the advantage of making me no longer pay attention to time and to focus on the fun. Cheers to all in the crossword universe!
67
@Sue Koehler
Cheers to you, Sue!
3
Mazal tov, Sur!
1
@Sue Koehler
Congratulations, Sue - that's a streak to celebrate!
1
I couldn't find the clip on YouTube, but in one episode of Mary Tyler Moore, we hear this dialogue (approximate, from memory):
Murray: (agreeing with Mary about something) IS THE POPE CATHOLIC?
Ted (entering and overhearing, giving it careful thought): Yes, I believe he is. (pause for laugh) But I don't think the last one was. (exit)
12
@Alan J
It's about at the 2:10 mark here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiOzwQTj-0k
6
@JayTee Keep watching for the origin of fake news.
Got it at IGGY POP, then it almost felt too easy to go back and fill in the rest of the theme answers. I like the idea of popping the balloons. Also, the circles identifying the rebus squares made it easier than a regular Thursday rebus would have been.
I think I have a little bit of a quibble with the football field AREA clue and answer--a football field is 1.32 acres, so saying an acre is "a little under a football field" doesn't seem quite accurate. Maybe my sense of proportion is just different.
4
@Liz B
Oddly enough, I grew curious today about the measurement known as the rod, and found that it is a linear measure of five and a half yards (i.e., sixteen and a half feet). The article (Wikipedia, of course, so you know it has to be right!) went on to say that the rod is handy for surveyors, because a plot that is 40 rods long by 4 rods across equals an ACRE (i.e., 160 square rods).But then, how many parcels of land are exactly 10 times as long as they are wide?
I'm not sure whether all this made matters clearer for me or not, but if anyone wants to compare ACREs vs. football fields in terms of rods and square rods, help yourself to the math. I'm just going to leave it right there.
2
An acre is actually a furlong by a chain. A furlong being 220 yards and a chain 22 yards. A rod was (is) 1/4 of a chain. So, yes, an acre is 4 rods by 40 rods. When I learnt surveying we used actual chains with 100 links . A furlong was supposedly the length that oxen could plow in one go.
9
@Liz B the playing area of a football field, i.e. without the end zones, is 50 yds by 100 yds or 5000 sq yds. An acre is 4840 sq yds. So a football field could be said to be 1.03 acres.
5