Shouldn’t “leaves home” have been “leaves’ home”? But that would have made it obvious.
2
Could be someone's theme starter for alternative puzzle:
Multilingual parking enforcer: The Tower of Babel
3
As a tarot reader and xword solver - this was such an unexpected delight! (And I‘m having serious FOMO hearing about the Sunday size grid with this theme.)
The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been keeping that “I can’t _____!” clue for 19D
Thank you!!
2
Easi Tuesdi :-)
2
Caught on to the theme early, thank you, Ms. F! And that helped me get through the rest in less for a total of under 19 minutes; I do believe this is a record for me. I do love Mon/Tues puzzles; they make me feel as though I can conquer the rest of the week. Plz, don't anyone look at my Fri/Sat record.
I have a theme in mind, and fun answers, and no clue where to start... perhaps in ten years my first puzzle will appear! Watch this space...
4
@Marlene Heller If you’re on Facebook, try the Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory.
And this is a long read, but we have a whole series on How to Make a Crossword Puzzle: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/crosswords/how-to-make-a-crossword-puzzle-the-series.html
and Elke
Very late Annual Meeting of Strata last night- so late to party.
Know nothing about TAROT Cards, but Gustav KLIMT has a painting of a subject about which I do have some experience. No, not The Woman in Gold, but " The KISS ":
https://en,wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kiss_(Klimt)
Nice puzzle makes up for late night.
1
and Elke
Drat- sleep deprived eyes: another try:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kiss_(Klimt)
2
@Elke,
Beautiful.
2
@Elke
If TAROT cards are not your thing, you could always try reading TREE leaves.
2
Nice for a Tuesday -- missed out on understandfng 19D.
And then had to think about that .... :-)
Quibble re 62d: needs an apostrophe. or should have been written "Leafs home" perhaps? I noticed discussion of this issue elsewhere. And recalled "Eats Shoots and Leaves."
I generally write remarks to post on the paper I have the puz printed, so I'm now looking at the last one I wrote and wondering where laundry detergent is.
Two minutes later; Oh. Right. :-]
2
Leaves home=home for leaves
1
Solved this on a flight, and the theme reveal came as such a pleasant surprise that I said out loud,"Oh that's nice." Seatmate looked at me sideways and did not speak to me for the rest of the flight.
10
@archaeoprof I love this!!! #constructorgoals
2
@archaeoprof
It went you. He/she was having a FOMO moment; you were doing something pleasant and he or she was missing out.
Nice puzzle except for FOMO and GMAT. I was stuck on FOSO and GSAT. Every day I have to learn new texting slang and assorted acronyms to keep up. OK boomer.
3
Mark,
New? The GMAT has been around for more than 40 years (with that acronym; the test itself is over 60).
@BarryA, I'll bet there's a raft of 40-60 year old things I don't know, and GMAT is one of them. As luck would have it, FOMO is among the raft of current ones, so there I am, poling down Wisconsin rivers with MarkD.
soloS?
riffS?
liCKS?
NECKS!
Monday’s puzzle was harder than this one and that’s unusual.
Which means I’ll probably get blistered then by Wednesday’s puzzle.
I know it’s a nitpick, but constructors are getting lazy and keep using the clue “ham it up” for “emote.” Ham is over emoting . Every decent actor has to emote. Just change the clue.
4
Travis,
Please see def. 2.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/emote
(Exeunt, chased by a bear)
2
Online dictionaries can be wrong. Even the example used required the “for all she was worth” to fit the wrong definition. To emote is to show emotion, a requirement for acting, not overacting.
Just another high five for this puzzle and Ms. Framke. I sure love early week puzzles! :)
4
I got FOMO from the crosses but never heard of it and still don’t know what it means.
1
@Kevin Davis
Fear Of Missing Out
2
even I did not figure out the theme, I enjoyed this puzzle, very nice. Thank you
@Jean louis LONNE
The 'Reveal' was the clue for TAROT CARD READER--the card deck is composed (you probably know this) of cards with various images/names, such as THE DEVIL, THE SUN, and so on. You 'got' the theme and didn't know it.
1
@Jean louis LONNE
Your accidental omission of the word "though" (Even though), made me realize what a difference in meaning a single word can make to a sentence!
1
A breezy Tuesday - not a PB, but better than my Monday average.
Had a little trouble with all the theme answers - couldn't remember the spelling of BABEL (I blame the language app Babbel and the regular word babble for the confusion), knew the 27A phrase with EVIL rather than DEVIL, and knew 48A was a Hemingway novel, just not which one. I also read 63A a bit too literally and thought it had something to do with the definite article "THE."
Loved the misdirection of 39A (inferring "solos") and wordplay at 49D and 62D. Great puzzle!
1
@Ryan
*implying, not inferring
One more thing: today is the perfect day to try Spelling Bee if you haven't done it before. The Mini is user friendly today, too. Great puzzles all the way around today!
3
@Johanna
I did the Mini in my best time ever. Very surprised.
My TAROT CARDs predict a long and bright crossword construction future for Olivia Mitra Framke!
What a wonderful puzzle! Four fifteens! Fun, fresh down answers, too
Thank you, Olivia, for this excellent Tuesday TREAT!
( Speaking of TREATs, @Deb, my dog thinks lettuce is steak.)
9
If one develops a crippling fear of developing a fear of missing out, would that be FOMOphobia?
8
Or just MOmobia?
MOFobia?
What I know about the TAROT wouldn't fill a thimble, but the theme led to a puzzle that was lively and colorful. I was helped in the NW by immediately knowing OCHS --the NYT catchphrase being familiar to all faithful Times readers. Which reminds me of a funny, funny parody...
Back during one of the NYC newspaper strikes, I think it may have been the long one of 1962, some people, I forget who, exactly, got together to publish a satiric newspaper to fill the void. They published a mock NYT with the catchphrase:
WHO SAYS A GOOD NEWSPAPER HAS TO BE DULL? --The New York Times
And the answer came back...
WE DO! ALL THE NEWS THAT MAKES YOU SNOOZE. --The Herald Tribune
I tried to pin down the details of who did this and in precisely what format it was done but nothing came up on Google. So I'm not sure of the details, but I am sure of the wording of those two catchphrases.
2
"Not The New York Times" was published once in October 1978 during a newspaper strike. Pope Paul VI had died in August, and his successor, who took the names of his two predecessors, John Paul, had died only some 30 days after he was elected. "Not The New York Times" ran a story about the death of the next Pope, whom they named John Paul John Paul, affectionately known as JP II, after serving only 18 minutes. "Pope Dies Yet Again" was the headline.
Ah, back in the days when "fake news" could bring a smile to your face.
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/nyregion/15about.html
Greetings from Moab. Snow on the ground and in the puz grid. I guess I can not escape the white stuff. Woe is me, fretted Tom, freezingly.
Speedy and fun.
3
@dk
icily?
1
@Mean Old Lady
precipitously
4
What I remember of Moab: there was a handy laundromat.
@dk, if you don't hit the Canyonlands Needles, you aren't the man I took you for.
2
Loved it! Thanks for a fun solve, Ms. Framke. More like this, please.
5
"...High School of Performing Arts in New York City (now known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts).'"
Hey, Deb,
Let's give NYC public high schools we didn't attend a correct moment of "Fame;" Performing Arts didn't change its name. When the film was released, PA was on 46th Street (where it was founded after WWII), M&A was at 135th and Convent (where it was founded in the 30's). The schools *merged* under the "LaGuardia..." name on paper only in the early 60's, and moved into a new shared home next to Lincoln Center in 1984. Pre-1984, they had very distinct identities.
5
Wasn’t even trying and was surprised to beat my best time. For those who don’t know Klimt, do yourself a favor and google him.
4
@Roger Foley I was introduced to KILMT's works by my roommate from grad school. It's fun to see puzzle entries that make me think of certain people in my life. Just a few days ago, SHORE PATROL reminded me of a family member's Navy stories. Today RNS honored my mom's profession.
3
Fun and pretty easy. An off-spring enjoys tarot cards, so I got the bit right away. I wonder if the clue for NARC is out-dated, now that pot is legal. A bit odd to see several baseball clues post-season. But I always like the Davis’—GEENA, Angela, Bette, Ossie, Miles, Viola, and who can forget Skeeter Davis?
Tied my fastest time (they bragged). Also tied my longest streak. Tomorrow, we go for a personal record.
2
@PK
It's not legal everywhere yet, so the clue is still valid.
1
Very nice puzzle. Almost unheard for me to fill in two 15 letter theme answers (17a and 63a) with no crosses, though I admit I had to wait for some sleepy neurons to fire before each of them dawned on me. Everything else filled in quite smoothly too, except...
I ended with a Natick (which from now on I will pronounce 'nah-teek') at the crossing of FOMO and GMAT, both of which were complete unknowns. Tried GCAT and GSAT and then just ran the alphabet until I got to 'M.'
No big deal. Probably of no interest to anyone outside a small circle of friends (see 2d).
Hoping we see Ms. Framke more frequently.
10
@Rich in Atlanta
"nah-teek". Très chic!
5
@RiA that final M was where my feet were stained also. Knowing YOLO = You Only Live Once helped not at all
2
@Leapfinger There appears to be a causative relationship between YOLO and FOMO. And to think, humanity has so many religions to choose from that would take care of one believing that YOLO and could consequently free him or her from the FOMO.
I found this to be a lovely offering, with a more-than-normal-for-Tuesday number of clues that blessedly took me out of automatic, and interesting theme answers. Yet I think this was perfectly pitched for the Tuesday solver. I'm amazed that this is the first appearance of KLIMT in a NYT puzzle.
Anyway, TAROT doesn't rhyme with carrot, but I'm pretending it does, because a carrot has the same color as a pumpkin, which puts me in the right mood for the week on top of the good mood this puzzle transported me into. Olivia, thank you, and I'm adding your name to my list of puzzle makers I eagerly await.
5
A very definite “SOLVE”! No research and way closer to my Best than my Average time. A smooth and enjoyable Tuesday.
Somewhat differently than Deb, I had ASUS for 14A. That helped for DATA at 1D but the rest of the NW was a disaster until I reconsidered.
When ‘FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS’ didn’t fit at 48A, THE SUN ALSO RISES leapt to mind immediately.
THE TOWER OF BABEL was a gimmee!
Knowing absolutely bupkis about Tarot Cards, the theme was of little assistance - but READER filled in and THE DEVIL crept out gradually.
Seems to me the clue for 43A should have been “Wasn’t natural” - - not “... naturally”.
I think I’ve seen Mr. Osterburg’s sculpture somewhere - - but not the Lower East. Where could it have been?
1
@PeterW
You might be recalling the Bruegel painting on which Osterburg’s sculpture is based. In fact, per Wikipedia, Bruegel’s smaller version of that painting is at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, so maybe you saw very recently?
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/tower-of-babel-pieter-bruegel.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tower_of_Babel_(Bruegel)
1
The Rotterdam “small” version seems to more closely resemble Osterburg’s sculpture than the larger version in Vienna. What a painting! Breugel’s level of detail is amazing. He included over 1,000 people in the painting and the details of the Tower itself are incredible. Makes me want to go to Rotterdam and study the painting for a week.
https://www.boijmans.nl/en/collection/in-depth/bruegel-s-tower-of-babel
(Appropriately enough, there is a video embedded within the museum’s article which is narrated in Dutch and which I couldn’t understand, but the video’s detailed look at the painting is very cool).
1
I liked this a lot more than I usually like early week puzzles. Fast smooth solve and a theme that makes sense. Thanks ,Olivia.
4
Great to see a nod to IRENE Cara and Fame! “Fame” and “I Sing the Body Electric” (from the same movie) are both guaranteed to set me dancing whenever they come up on my playlist.
2
LETTER BOXED THREAD
TODAY:
F - L (6), L - Y (7) ... 13!
YESTERDAY:
SEPTUM MAILBOX ... 13!
2
@Mari
I had F-G(10), G-Y(4)
Yesterday EXAMPLES SUBITO.
1
@Mari
I had AUTOMOBILE EPOXIES yesterday (although in fact I was using construction adhesive).
Today, I got bupkis for a two word solution. I went down too many wrong paths before I ran out of allotted time (plus five because the crossword was so quickly demolished).
Wow, terrific Tuesday puzzle! Love the long answers, got the first with no letters, needed a few for the next but even though I've read it, struggled to remember THE SUN ALSO RISES until I had quite a few crosses.
I had nothing at first for Lenovo and still have no idea what it is. I don't think I suffer from FOMO, hate the expression "must have" used in ads.
Did Will spend time going through all the puzzles until he came to one that had OPEN WIDE as a fill ?
I'm definitely looking forward to more puzzles from Olivia.
10
@suejean, I also thought it good fun to see our friend OPEN WIDE again, and before long (if not before Longo)
1
@Leapfinger, yes, it didn't take long.
1
@suejean Thanks!!! :) btw - I do believe OPEN WIDE coming so close to Frank's puzzle was a coincidence!
1
I had a HUNCH about TAROT CARDREADER . KLIMT is one of my faves and was lucky enough to see many of his works at the Belvedere some years ago. My snag was Lenovo which I had to google.
1
SPELLING BEE GRID
Nov 26 2019
R A B C D K W
WORDS: 23, Points; 95, Panagrams: 2
A x 3
B x 6
C x 6
D x 4
R x 2
W x 2
4L x 13
5L x 4
7L x 3
8L x 2
11L x 1
4 5 7 8 11 Tot
A - 1 1 - 1 3
B 4 - 1 1 - 6
C 4 1 1 - - 6
D 3 - - 1 - 4
R 1 1 - - - 2
W 1 1 - - - 2
Tot 13 4 3 2 1 23
56
@Mari Tricky words today include: A verb meaning to shout at/jeer at, which is also a noun for soldiers' housing; a magic incantation; a Southern slangy name for a small crustacean; a noun which indicates a ruin OR seaweed. The 2 Panagrams are compound words - one starting with the 2nd letter of the alphabet, the 2nd starting with the 4th letter of the alphabet.
15
@Mari Got within two before checking the grid! A little PTSD on the A11 because last time it appeared I bemoaned its absence in the comments and was promptly (and appropriately) skewered for spoiling. Also, I tried BARACK just because I miss him.
34
First two letter list:
AB-1, AW-2
BA-5, BR-1
CA-2, CR-4
DA-1, DR-3
RA-2
WA-1, WR-1
Thanks for the grid and hints Mari. Needed both to finish. Thanks for the smile, Audrey. BARACK is apparently now working as a BARBACK at a place unrecognized by the SB.
24
FOMO: what your dog is thinking when she’s got a couple of treats already but, rather than dig in, she’s keeping a keen eye on you instead.
Because you never know: where there were two to be had, there might just be FO MO if you keep your peepers peeled.
13
@Sam Lyons
Of course FOMO at the mouth can mean something else entirely!
3
@Andrew
FO sure — or is it FO shizzle? Hard to keep up with the kids these days.
63a. Since the 15th century tarot cards have been used in parts of Europe to play real card games without any association to the occult. It’s only in English speaking countries that tarot cards are primarily used for fortune telling.
3
As soon as APOP shows up in a puzzle I wish I were doing something else. Such an annoying phrase (not as annoying as "in my wheelhouse", but still...). Unfortunately it came early in this one, so completing it was a chore.
2
@Jim
Maybe if it were clued: A delivery room supernumerary.
7
@Jim
I thought APOP crossing PAW was a nice shout out to all the Dad solvers.
4
@Andrew, you know some people will just continue to be APOP lectic
I knew it would put an end to my 67 Tuesdays in a row, as well as my current streak of 2 daily solves, but I had already spent several more minutes searching unsuccessfully for my errors, and had wasted 24 minutes, so I Revealed. I had had a problem with FOMO and GMAT. I don't remember how I researched that M, but was sure it was not the remaining problem, but everything else looked good. Well what it was, I had decided "Citi Field Team" had to be nETS because I obviously could not put an M in KLI_T. Phooey.
2
@kilaueabart Even if you don't know the METS from the Nets, you could have logicked your way out of that. Nets would have to be a basketball team, since basketball uses a net, and basketball isn't played on a field.
2
@Stephanie, not sure about the logic of it, but the easiest way for some solvers will be to know about Gustav KLIMT. I'll bet that many who don't know the name will recognize the [iconic] 'Woman in Gold'. I'll recommend the book or a reasonable article about the painting's history over the patchy movie version, btw.
This was a perfect Tuesday puzzle for me. The theme answers didn't play too coy (no fill needed to nab THE SUN ALSO RISES, uncovered the others on the second go-around), the crosswordese wasn't too esoteric (ENOS and OCHS being the only notable ones, I suppose), and a handful of answers, mostly pleasant references, TEASEd a smile out of me (KLIMT has me daydreaming about Vienna and USB had me laughing about that tough USB PORT clue from a few days ago).
6
I’d say that’s a perfect Tuesday puzzle. Interesting theme answers and several others (MRTOAD, SMARTKEY) and nary a not to pick. Great fun!
18
I would have liked to see 37A clued as Musician Brian and others (just to annoy a few people around here).
23
@Andrew That would’ve been priceless.
4
@Andrew HA! Love it.
5
@Andrew Troublemaker. 😉
4
Enjoyed this puzzle, plus it was a personal best for a Tuesday, so that was a bonus. Having recently re-read The Paris Wife, the book title filled in very quickly.
Clever theme - looked at the three entries, and the theme became apparent right away.
Thank you Olivia for a fun early-week puzzle! More please!
2
@LaurieA
Ooh! I did like that book! I forgot how fun it is to reread a fave. Good reminder!
1
@LaurieA thanks!! I have one more pending publication that I hope you’ll also enjoy. It’ll be a Monday or Tuesday (both were accepted as Mondays, but here we are! So who knows!)
4
@Olivia Mitra
Looking forward to it!
2
My daughter wakes up early. Sometimes, my son also rises.
(I write these puns in Ernest.)
33
@Mike
Do they wake up to the smell of puncakes?
7
@Mike Those are Munsterous puns.
5
@Mike, where's Ernest?
2
Shoutout to all the early solvers!!! Thanks for your time and attention tonight :D I’ll be lurking in the comments/blogs a bit over the next 24 hours. Happy Holidays!
46
A fun puzzle! Thanks, Olivia!
And it’s always a TREAT to see my name clued. ;)
7
@Olivia Mitra
Thanks Olivia, and Happy holidays to you too!
5
@Olivia Mitra
Thanks for THE REEL a-DORA-ble Tuesday puzzle that had me all verKLIMT. So nice tohave a CARD READER that wasn't after your hard, earned cash, and I'll fight the person who wants to 'leave' it out TAROT.
Kudos for the way you BABEL on
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tAb5rYRXvs
2
THE DEVIL YOU say. TIL details about TAROT cards. I don't imagine you ever bid ONE NO in
4
@ColoradoZ
... a tarot card game. (Editor, please, he pleaded)
3
To re-kindle a previous discussion, a HOBO AIN'T a bum. There is no King and Queen of bums. Hobos work, bums don't.
(it's probably acceptable as a Xword clue)
See Britt, Iowa HOBO Days
https://www.britthobodays.com/
1
I don't know from Tarot, but I ran through this puzzle like...
..................................................
(SPOILER ALERT)
......................................................
...Lamar Jackson runs right through the Rams d-line.
Sorry; we had a rough summer around here and I got roped back in to football for a minute.
Puzzle: really quick, but very lively and fun! Some cute misdirections and smiles.
@Ann
You could change "puzzle" in your last sentence to "game," the remainder of which would perfectly describe Lamar's reaction to last night!
1
@John Dietsch
He's somethin'!
Easy solve, but not knowing the nETS from the METS cost me a minute. KLInT just seemed more likely than KLEMT.
@Sarah
Read about "The Woman in Gold" or see the movie of the same title about one of the world's most famous paintings by KLIMT
6
@Sarah
Nice to have company, but it cost me several minutes and a solve.
1
@kilaueabart & Sarah
At least you weren't ferklempt.
1
Very easy and smooth puzzle, but I do have a problem with the clue for 11D. A HOBO is not a bum. A hobo travels and will work for food or shelter. A tramp travels, but avoids work unless forced. A bum won't work and stays put.
11
@JayTee
So what's a drifter?
1
@JayTee
Should have read your comment before I posted mine
@Ann
A member of a group that sang under the boardwalk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeXBGN0RmwM
3
Anyone who has ever been in a hospital knows how the importance of RNS.
16
48a. The Sun Also Rises was banned in various cities around the United States, and was burned by the Nazis in Germany in 1933, for “being a monument of modern decadence.” This is the equivalence of a rave review so you know it’s a great novel.
12
@Queenie That makes me want to read it all the more. Great tactic for creating FOMO.
2
Well executed. Nice solve. Pretty smooth. Only hiccup for me was my own poor memory. I put in A FAREWELL TO ARMS before THE SUN ALSO RISES. Doesn't fit the theme but did fit the space.
For 28D I put SENSE, but I had a SENSE....HUNCH...it was wrong).
Had BINS before PODS, EACH before A POP. Thank goodness DORA the explorer showed me the way. Had BURN before NARC showed me the straight and narrow.
I see USB port is getting more and more play - quite deservedly so. It's more widespread than previous PC accessory ports.
The solving experience, quick and fun. All of those W's, K's, and Y's made for interesting entries.
7
@Wen "I see USB port is getting more and more play - quite deservedly so. It's more widespread than previous PC accessory ports. "
It ought to be more widespread, considering the "u" is for "universal. "
2
@Stephanie - well, actually the U stands for
"Upside down no matter which way you insert it."
8
Smooth as buttah (KISSED BUTTAH?) with a nod to Sunday’s themeless (OPEN WIDE), some colorful themers, and a handful of on-point references to recent(ish) Wordplay comments: yesterday’s ALGAE/“moss”/“plant” discourse, the question about whether Monday’s Wordplay lead photo taker Caitlin OCHS is a member of the NYT OCHS family, USB ports redux, whether cheese should go on corned beef or pastrami (REUBENs), the older informative HOBO posts (by @Blue Moon?), and ARIANA Grande returning (Pete Townsend referenced her approvingly in an NYT article I just read about him).
Fast, fun, SMART. Thanks Olivia!
9
Leaves home and pot watcher were the best clues.
11
@Wags - too bad they are so early in the week they are unlikely to survive the week to make it to Lewis's top 5 next week, but I think they are good contenders.
2
@Wags Why isn't Leaves home Leave's home?
I wondered about this too. But "Leaves' home"--the plural
1
It was so easy, I didn’t even have to get out my tarot deck and scry for the answers. 
5
Very lively, indeed! The theme answers were varied and interesting, and I didn't know what they had in common until the revealer started to fill in. Very cool that by including the THE, they were all 15 letters as well, plus the revealer. It seems like it would have been difficult to come up with those? Sometimes I feel kind of blah about Tuesday puzzles, but I really liked this one.
9