I’ll admit it—I tried DADNESS.
2
I wasn’t going to laugh at BALLS until you brought it up!
(Yeah right)
1
Is a hack job a CABRIDE? Why?
1
Hi @Richie,
"Hack" is a slang name for cab drivers. It used to just refer to non-medallion/city-sanctioned drivers, but I believe it is used to refer to cabdrivers in general now.
2
@Richie
A person who drives a cab for a living can be called a hack.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hack
@Deb Amlen Thanks!
I used the rebus key to write "Fire" in and so didn't get credit for solving the puzzle. Grr. Also, since "fire" only goes in 3 squares it's not a "ring" of fire, but more like and "arc" of fire.
@Lisa it fits in all four sides - firebrand, Firestone, fireballs, firedance. It’s more of a square of fire but so it must be in the world of grids.
2
Lisa,
It's not a rebus; you must imagine FIRE.
(The four entries form the ring.)
A fun puzzle, featuring the only "Country" artist I enjoy listening listen to, other than Dolly Parton. I thought the "Ring of Fire" theme was executed rather lamely; but maybe I'm just an old codger.
I echo the disappointment of others that a Thanksgiving theme was not [and is never used]. I assume this is some form of Political Correctness [Do Native Americans eschew this celebration?]. Likewise, there never is a Christmas, Hannukah, Easter, Yom Kippur, Ramadan, Easter, Gay Pride Day, St. Pat's New Year (Western or Chinese) theme. Presumably if you start doing religious/temporal/identity themes, someone in this multi-cultural society will take offense/complain that their holiest of days is ignored, and the list will expand indefinitely. Is that the rationale? If so I think it sad. It makes for a less colorful world.
1
@NICE CUPPA I'm not sure what you mean. There have most definitely been Christmas themes, and if you look through XWordInfo, you might find other holidays celebrated. And we have been known to celebrate April Fool's Day: https://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/31/a-message-to-our-loyal-fans/
It has nothing to do with "Political Correctness," but rather what the editors have to offer on a particular day. You are taking umbrage where there is none to take.
9
Great puzzle, but they could have grayed out the four connected answers.
Done with the puzzle, I am off to the feast now. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
3
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and a belated Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbors to the North, whose harvest is a month earlier because they're curling by now.
I've been up at 5:30 AM all week, except for today when I was up at 4:30. I know Leapy asked about my prep but I was too busy prepping to pop. If she still cares I'll catch her up tomorrow. (Three turkeys, one roasted, one deep-friend and one smoked are the start.)
And thanks to the Big Clam for pointing out my conflating archea and cyanobacteria. That's what happens when I dash off a note during a one-week cooking bender.
Off to the home stretch. 30 guests in an hour. TTYL.
3
@Martin
I hope your deep friend is not part of the deep state!
I also wish I were among your invited guests. Sounds yum.
1
It took me forever to get the theme here. Actually, I had the whole puzzle filled in except for the four "no-fire-zone" squares and still didn't get it ... or any of the entries. Then [FIRE]BRAND made itself known to me, and the rest followed.
I also had a few no-knows -- notably ELI and SHOW -- but got past them.
My real stumble, and it didn't last long but did give me a giggle, was when I got to SE. I has the beginning of 59A, RINGO, and just knew the end had to be Starr. But what, I wondered, did RINGO STARR have to do with JOHNNY CASH? Then I looked at the clue and dredged up the name of that song, laughing at myself the while.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who observe, and even those who don't. I'll be having my own little self-indulgent feast tomorrow, in my favorite restaurant, with one of my very best friends in town for his annual visit.
3
I got all excited about this one when I got FIRESTONE and FIRE DANCE, thinking it was going to be a rebus day. I soon saw the error or my ways, though, and realized it was an “omit key word” theme, which sorta took the sheen off for me. I started at “ooh” but ended up at “meh.” Some days are like that.
2
Fun puzzle...but I might take issue with 48 down....codger doesn't really mean, for the most part, someone who is cantankerous. It means mostly odd or peculiar...a little stretch there. Otherwise, a fun puzzle.
3
@R
As a cantankerous sort, I wish to disagree with you. In fact the OED defines CODGER as "a mean, stingy, or miserly (old) fellow", and also "a testy or crusty (old) man".
Now get off my lawn!
6
By 12:15 I had been across and down twice, filled in asta, MACAW, SOY, ACHE, DANCE, CEO, FINI, ANTED, ANA across and ASHY, RACEFAN, tIde, ODD down.
Researched Pinochet, thinking I might recognize his first name, but no. Added possible STAGLINE bottom middle. Now 17:14.
By 28:35 I had added OJAI (thanks to the A from AUGUSTO) and pretty much finished the NE, except ?ITI, GEO based on G from STAGLINE, wild guess BEARD, LENS. Still have ten completely empty words, and 13 with only one cross guessed in.
At 54:59, after researching "the man in black" and "joaquin pho" I have filled in, much of it wild guesses, everything but 1, 20, and 26 across, and 1, 2, and 4 down. Off to bed, see what happens in the morning.
The only researchable NW item was "chocolate factory," leading to changing asta to TOTO and then filling the last square and the usual bad news. I suspected something wrong with LiCASA. What would be "Li" about Felipe's house? Went to the column and found out that some people check out in LANES instead of LiNES. 1:00:18.
Then I went back to the column and found out why "fire" and "bridge" were missing in front of STONE! I had totally forgotten to check on the "four connected answers" bit. :-(
1
I got all kinds of bogged down smack in the middle of the north portion because for some reason I’d confidently plugged in JOHNNY CAge (I know, I know...), had sLY because I was obviously not feeling hip, and LiNES for the supermarket choices clue because I grew up with a mother who was plagued with the FOMO of a LiNE moving faster in another checkout LANE, so every grocery excursion had a NASCAR finish, only with a loaded cart. Scarred for life, my dad and I are. Anyhow, all those mid-fills gave me smORA, and my sleep-deprived brain wondered under what circumstances would the s’mores plural be latinized and, more curiously, serve as a nursery display.
This FLYover country denizen knew ONEONTA right off the bat and I don’t really know why. I had spent a few summers in New Paltz back in college, but as someone pointed out, that’s a different school. Still, gift horses etc.
Happy Thanksgiving to Deb, Caitlin, Will, all our talented constructors, and the ragtag poster crew that makes my day here every day.
Now here’s hoping a snowplow comes through at some point so we can go pick up our turkey dinner that wasn’t ready as originally scheduled yesterday. If not, today will be about togetherness, watching the gorgeous winterland outside, and possibly smORA over the fire in the fireplace if the power goes out. I deserve a comeuppance for complaining about Texas heat in November and fleeing to colder climes.
4
@Sam Lyons
I don't know if you were thinking of the same JOHN(NY) CAGE as I am, but what better excuse than to play this performance of one of his most popular pieces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDgHUj8sJaQ
(I'll take JOHNNY CASH any day.)
@Andrew John Cage composed much, much more than 4' 33", his most cited and mocked piece. Both he and JOHNNY CASH were extremely influential in their respective genres. The incredible variety in American music is just one of the things that reflects the "crazy quilt" of our nation; I am thankful on this holiday for that.
2
@Tony S - I wish more people knew more Cage -
here's his incomparable "Dream" for solo piano:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilw6ZNxUfxw
4
Boo, hiss! I used the rebus feature to put FIRE in the square (it's a Thursday after all). So I had FIREB + ALL. Going down SFIRES + TONE, etc.
5
Nice puzzle! Though I wish NYT would give us holiday-themed puzzles on Thanksgiving, Christmas, July 4th, etc. It always adds to the spirit of the occasion to work a holiday-themed puzzle on the special day. Just sayin'.
3
@Francis DeBernardo
For what it's worth, this morning, in addition to the NYT, I've done the crosswords of the Atlantic, LA Times, Wall St. Journal, Vox, Newsday, Universal and USA Today. Not one of them had a Thanksgiving theme.
2
@Steve L
Can I assume you aren't doing the bulk of the cooking today?
3
@Hildy Johnson
Not the bulk of it, but I'm doing the turkey on the smoker and am helping with a lot of the prep inside as well. We're having 19 over, and we've learned to do a lot of the work in advance.* We also have our daughter and our niece helping, as well.
But I did all those puzzles this morning. Far in advance of any of the major work for dinner.
* We had a cancellation that was undone this morning, after the table had been set for 18. So we did have to remove all the settings from the table (done last night) and had to rearrange the furniture to fit one more, because the configuration we were using was maxed out at 18.
An average of five minutes or so each (they're mostly easier than the Times). And I misspoke before. There was no WSJ puzzle today.
Fun and fairly quick. Very clever theme. I too am grateful for this crossword community and wish you all a warm and happy Thanksgiving..
5
Ice wine vs. iced wine today. Ice wine, as others have already noted, is made from grapes that have been frost-bitten and thus have concentrated sugars that make for a super-sweet dessert wine.
Iced wine, on the other hand:
Combine a pound of caster sugar (superfine baker's white sugar) with 2 cups water and 1 cup sweet white wine (Sauternes, Barsac, Riesling, Tokaji) in a sauce pan on low until fully dissolved. Raise the heat and boil down for 5 minutes. Let it cool completely, then stir in strained juice of 2 lemons and 1 orange. Grate zest into the mix ad lib. Freeze in ice cream maker or freezer until solid.
5
@David Connell
[Don't use the Tokaji for Iced wine, please]
1
@David Connell , I'm with Leapy on this one, David, but toasting you with the last bottle of wine I have from St. Émilion. ( still plenty more from Bordeaux however)
Lots of excellent ice wines from Canada, by the way.
1
@Leapfinger , I shudder to think of it, Leapy.
2
Addendum: I got curious about 1d and went and looked up the clue history. It's appeared 14 times - 7 in the Shortz era and 7 times before that. Shortz has a monopoly on monopoly - it was always clued that way. Pre-Shortz it was always clued in reference to the court in London (most often just "Court of _______."
I'm just a bit surprised that it was never clued to this old favorite (wonderful video with this):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcXSbCXxGzw
..
@Rich in Atlanta
I don't like clicking links, but I hope it was "ST. JAMES Infirm'ry" !!!!
1
@Mean Old Lady It was.
Aw, man, I had the whole thing, except I thought I needed rebuses for the middle "flamers".
6
Just once I'd like to see 29A clued as:
Like one's teenage son before his first big date.
2
Johnny Cash! Country music! Yes!!
Thankful today for our digital community, and for our host Deb, and for the constructors and editors who keep us puzzled.
6
A fun, quick Thursday that would have been just a little quicker if I had realized the Nat in 51A was not a man's name, but a short form of National GEOgraphic. At the very least it would have saved me from cantankerous BADGERS and a bachelor contingent called a STUDLINE.
2
Jen,
Izmir? Enjoy your Turkey!
4
@Barry Ancona Fun fact. Turkey in Turkish is hindi.
1
For a fun read on why a turkey is called a hindi in Turkish, or, for that matter, why it's called a turkey in English...
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/why-americans-call-turkey-turkey/383225/
Well, I can tell you one thing, this puzzle sure wasn't a turkey ... I loved it!
Timothy Polin sure knows how to think outside the box ... er, make a RING OF FIRE in a box? Once I got the trick, and it took me a while, I could see the amazing blaze that Timothy built. A thing of beauty.
This is Thursday I'll remember. Timothy really can put a puzzle together. And who else has included a fire?
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
6
Thanks for the fabulous clip, Deb, and the challenging and fun puzzle, Mr. Polin. Also loved Jeff Chen's animation that really brought the theme to life.
I am thankful that I made it to 300 on my streak today, thanks to the wonders of international wi-fi.
Wishing you all a peaceful and delicious celebration wherever and however you choose to spend the holiday. Cheers!
4
STIR before STEW
SW corner was the hardest, with ANIL and ICE WINE (what?)
Had never heard of the candy (FIRE) BALLS
Decided that (Fire) IRON should be a themer, though later realized the (non)RING OF FIRE themers were grouped in the middle.
JOHNNY CASH--that was an interesting movie, and I enjoyed thinking "out of the box" about the PHOENIX rising from the ASHy ruins.
A treat for Thanksgiving. I loved this puzzle! I think rebus answers that have to be mentally supplied by the solver are even harder than ones that have to written in. And in addition to that challenge much of the rest of the fill was far from obvious.
Because I don't know my brand names, "big name in tires" when I had -TON- looked like it could be STONE but also ITONA or ITONI or just about anything. The plural above it might have ended in "I" as well as "S". In any event I never thought of [FIRE]STONE, which everyone's heard of. It was [FIRE]BRAND that gave away the trick, as no radical agitator could be created out of -RAN-. The theme answers did exactly what theme answers should always do -- they puzzled me mightily.
A really enjoyable solve and a worthy Thursday challenge.
4
I'd give big thanks today if someone (Deb?) could explain why my online puzzle archive abruptly ends in November 1993. Isn't every NYT xword archived?
1
@John Dietsch - the archive is of the puzzles edited by Will Shortz, who took up the post in Nov. 1993. Puzzles from before that can be accessed by the Pre-Shortz project. Visit xwordinfo.com for more.
2
@David Connell
David, thanks.
1
Way too easy for a Thursday. But I still dont get LASE instead of TASE...is this a new abbreviation for laser? Happy Thanksging all!
Lase is a legitimate verb meaning, "undergo the physical processes employed in a laser; function as or in a laser." (OED)
2
@Tamara
Little known verb, but common in aviation. As a pilot, “getting lased” is the term we use when some low-life decides its a good idea to shine a laser at airplanes at night. It’s highly dangerous to the pilot and causes flash blindness and (possibly) retinal burns.
1
Thanksgiving in the North Carolina mountains. A RING OF FIRE would be welcome--it's a bit chilly, although beautifully clear. Crossword done, time for prep work and cooking. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
4
@Puzzledog -- You near my home (Asheville)?
2
Lewis, about 90 minutes away, outside of Cashier's.
1
@Puzzledog -- Oh, it's gorgeous there, as you know. Have a wonderful holiday.
1
Grumble. Filled in FIRE(letter) as a rebus but it was not to B.
Thank you Mr. P.
4
This was a fast one for me, but only because I immediately knew JOHNNY CASH as the Man in Black, and also then immediately knew RING OF FIRE and JOAQUIN PHOENIX. I also knew ONEONTA, since I grew up in middle NY state. The rest was fill, fill, fill... I did see the "Fire" answers as well, since my favorite candies as a kid were always FIRE BALLS.
One minute off of a new best, but this was a total wheelhouse puzzle for me!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you puzzlers out there!
3
"I also knew ONEONTA, since I grew up in middle NY state."
Steve,
I knew it was ONEONTA because Binghamton, Cobleskill and Delhi didn't fit.
6
@Barry Ancona
My very first thought was New Paltz, where my brother went to college, but that didn't fit either! 🙂
2
@Steve Faiella
The last and only time NEW PALTZ appeared was in 1953. Maybe your next puzzle?
2
OK - - - I’m gonna claim a “Solve” on this one - even though I didn’t know how to spell PHOENIX’s (last?) name and GIGS seemed perfectly OK for 19A. And I had to look up one letter in ONEONTA. (Who the heck would name a town THAT? It’s more pronounceable spelled bassackwards.)
RING OF FIRE helped to nail 17A but that part of the theme was (on my iPad) was utterly useless re: the four “fire” answers.
Jeff Chen managed some interesting artwork on xwordinfo.com. Why can’t the NYT manage something like that🤨? Without it, the clues for those four answers were “awkward” at best.
All in all, though, this was an enjoyable puzzle.
2
@PeterW
Actually, despite the anecdote I told in a different thread, the city of ONEONTA is pronounced just as it looks:
oh-nee-ON-ta.
"And I had to look up one letter in ONEONTA. (Who the heck would name a town THAT?"...)
PeterW,
I'm sorry you're not comfortable with Native American influence in our culture. Please pass the corn.
14
@Steve L
If just as it looks, I would say won-ON-ta 😁
1
Ok, nice try, but June Carter Cash wrote Ring of Fire.
5
@Marjorie
Yes but the clue was "hit" not "written by". It was clearly a hit for the Man in Black (not Westley).
3
Marjorie,
Yes, she did. Perhaps you'll play back-up autoharp?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGEIWe0JXY
Wow - did I manage to make this one a whole lot more challenging than it needed to be. I absolutely know who the 'man in black' is, but... couldn't remember. I needed a number of crosses before it finally dawned on me. And I've seen the movie, but couldn't summon the name of the actor. I had typed in NEXT at 64d, and was immediately troubled by that putting an 'X' at the end of that name. But that was what finally made that light bulb go on. But even then I couldn't remember exactly how to spell his first name and had to (very slowly) work that out.
But the really fun part was that I also blanked on the song in the reveal and when I had enough letters to suggest STONE at 28d, the first brand that occurred to me was BRIDGESTONE. Ahh... that makes perfect sense. Four answers connected by a bridge. Let me see how I can make that work. And then I ended up completely focused on figuring that out and... well - made for a really long solve for me. But maybe there's another theme there somewhere.
And maybe there's a really weird theme possibility in this old favorite as well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRlri2UxPFY
..
3
@Rich in Atlanta
Great song, Rich. Timeless, and timely for those spending Thanksgiving with relatives of different political leanings. Maybe a good one to play as an icebreaker.
2
Occasionally when solving on an iPhone, if I am not careful letters get entered in the wrong spaces. Today at 52A ("Like many monks") I had _O_ED and entered R-B. When I looked at the grid I saw the word BORED and thought to myself, "That works too!"
Like Elke, I mis-read "Feel the burn" at 46A. I won't tell you the places where my mind went, but it was definitely a bum steer.
I liked the theme, enjoyed solving, and wish my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving!
4
Disappointingly not Thanksgiving themed. Suppose there's not a lot to be thankful for this year...
1
Alas, today’s mini is quite Christmas-themed.
I'd have finished sooner but I kept trying to make those four entries into a rebus of some sort. Overthinking the problem. Again.
1
A tribute puzzle with a side of Thursday Trickiness -- that's some lovely out-of-the-boxness! Every Thursday I find myself on a nervous high alert as I work to crack the deception, and when it comes, I'm flooded with a deep satisfying sigh of relief. I look forward to that sigh; it is a highlight of the week. Thank you for that and for an enjoyable solve, Timothy!
On a more mundane note, looking innocently at 27A, I enjoyed its cross with ON A ROLL.
I love this WordPlay gang, such a marvelous blend of disparate threads woven together by the joy of solving, and cozy as a warm blanket. Wishing all a most lovely holiday today!
15
@Lewis
And to you as well, Lewis!
5
ALAS, I briefly thought the connected answers had to do with the partly repeated clues "oaf" and the 2 "blue" clues. Once the middle section started filling in my brain started working and got the FIRE connection, what a terrific AHA moment.
I had eisWINE at first ( my idea of a perfect desert). Then I thought of the discussion of foreign words etc, in yesterday's wordplay, and changed it to ICE.
I'll be toasting everyone later with my Bordeaux wine purchased in situ in 1993.
3
@suejean
(A 1990 Figeac if I remember correctly!)
2
@suejean, a sureFIRE way to make it a Very Happy Birthday, and don't worry a bit about emberassing yourself.
Many more to come!!
3
@Andrew , Exactly right.
3
LETTER BOXED
Enjoying the THANKSGIVING TURKEY so much, any solution would just be GRAVY!
2
@Andrew
Here is one, inspired by my IT background, which popped up the first word:
T - S (6), S - Y (8)
I thought the amusing Thanksgiving-themed letter set might not yield any solution at all, but this is good enough for me!
2
@Mari
Same solution here. Hard not to be distracted by the looming TUR/KEY split. Solution is a bit of a nod to the sadder side of Thanksgiving perhaps.
@Mari
I got the same solution as well. That makes three of us, so I'm thinking there may not be many more. Like Liane I thought (think, thank, thought) that the solution evoked a darker Thanksgiving image.
SPELLING BEE GRID
Nov 28 2019 (Happy Thanksgiving!)
C A E H K N Y
WORDS: 26. POINTS: 99, PANAGRAMS: 1 (Perfect), BINGO
A x 3
C x 13
E x 2
H x 4
K x 1
N x 1
Y x 2
4L x 12
5L x 7
6L x 4
7L x 3
4 5 6 7 Tot
A 3 - - - 3
C 4 4 4 1 13
E 1 - - 1 2
H 2 1 - 1 4
K - 1 - - 1
N 1 - - - 1
Y 1 1 - - 2
Tot 12 7 4 3 26
47
@Mari
2 letter list
AC - 1
CA - 7 CH-5 CY - 1
EA -1 EN-1
HA-2 HE-2
KN-1
NE - 1
YE - 2
20
@Mari
Errant observations:
Four noun-adjective pairings in the set, two versions of the same onomatopoeic expression, and not sure why the Beekeeper chose to include both spellings of the latter non-word (I’d say they are merely utterances) but omitted the much more common, useful, and word-like HACKY
8
@Jodie Futornick
correction:
There are three AC words
8
Grouchy!
A BEARDed, ROBED, NONCOM might moralize this STEW of cantankerous OFFAL, ALAS I am ONAROLL and can’t BRAND my comment as anything but ONEIRON MADNESS.
A little hung up on the NE corner after getting EWES milk and LANES, not LINES.
ITSAWIN before ITSASIN.
Happy gobble to those who celebrate, I hope you are with friends and family.
Cheers!
5
I'm coming out of hiding just to be the first to say Happy Birthday to suejean. Now for the puzzle.
16
@Viv Many thanks, and please come back to Wordplay.
9
@suejean Happy Birthday, suejean. Yours is the only one I can remember any more because it's the day after my sister's (which i also had trouble recalling this year - I had to ask one of her daughters to be sure).
Viv, please come back. I'm very sorry - I just kept forgetting.
2
@Viv
B'va'ka'sha
3
Silly me -- tried to do the seemingly required rebuses (rebi? reba?). Live and learn. And of course the "Lola" hint sent me right to the Lola who was a dancer
at the Co-pa . . . Copacabana,
the hottest spot north of Havana
Happy turkey day.
8
Had the worst time with Lola and SOHO because I kept thinking of the Weird Al version:
Met him in swamp down in Dagobah
where the mud just bubbles like a carbonated soda.
S-O-D-A, soda.
I asked him his name and in a rusty voice he said Yoda.
Y-O-D-A, Yoda.
16
and Elke
I'll LET everyone IN ON a secret- I need new LENSes apparently. I scanned the clues first, and when I got to 46A- I read it as "Feel the bum" and I was about to RIP INTO somebody (FIRE BRAND that I am), when I decided to tilt my head a bit and, lo and behold ,it is not an "m" but a "rn". HaHa !
Looks like a campFIRE in the middle of the puzzle. I do hope that nobody is camping out in this weather. OTOH- the below freezing temperatures are ideal (and a prerequisite ) for making ICE WINE, which is a nice way to end a meal.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
5
@Robert
Must be a Canadian thing. I misread "feel the burn" as well. I was about to report this in a comment, but fortunately I read your comment first, and see that I can now avoid the embarrassment!
2
@Robert
Yeah, fonts matter:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CrappyDesign/comments/2i5wyj/had_to_do_a_doubletake/
3
Yet another chance for me to opine
how very much
I do not like the current fonts here at NYT...
most especially those in the magazine.
3
Going back to yesterday's NAN. It has 87 Shortz Era appearances. Most of those were references to the Bobbsey twins, with 26. Photographer Goldin appeared nine times. Various references to Tandoori bread were used 17 times. Division with zero (resulting in NaN, or Not A Number) was never used, further proving that people prefer eating to doing math.
3
@Bojan
“I feel like a NaN, feel like a NaN, feel like a stranger, a stranger in this land . . .” Bob Seger. Hey, wait a second. Yet another dentist misdirect opportunity: I FEEL LIKE A NUMBER.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KcN3aPvQC2w
(sign this young man to a record deal - quite a voice)
I'll admit to attempting a rebus for "fire" until i realized it wouldn't work in all 4 squares. I'm calling this puzzle an imaginary rebus.
My Long Island born husband started at ONEONTA. He was asked to leave after his 1st semester. Seems he thought traying (sliding down snowy hills on pilfered cafeteria trays) was more fun than attending classes. Luckily, he relocated south to Emory, where we met, married, and graduated (in that order), and where there was no chance to engage in winter sports.
9
@MichelleB Though probably pretty obscure for most solvers, ONEONTA was a gimme for me as an alumnus, class of '86, at the ripe age of 37 (seems the '60's had lasted longer for me than for many)
2
@MichelleB When we still lived in Clarkston (need to change my profile one of these days), our front yard was the steepest hill in the neighborhood. So in those rare years when there was actually some snow, every kid (and a number of adults) would gather in our front yard and slide down the hill on whatever device they could find - trash can lids being one popular option. We also used to have a dog who loved to slide down the hill on his tummy when there was snow.
Emory grads. People not familiar with Atlanta won't get this, but I always enjoy telling people that my wife graduated from Morehouse. Puzzled faces invariably follow. Occasionally somebody figures it out.
I always thought Joaquin Phoenix should have won the Oscar for his portrayal of Johnny Cash in Walk The Line. It is one of the all time great performances.
9
Apropos of 28D,here's a great riddle that catches everyone: What company makes more tires than anyone in the world?
(scroll down for the answer)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Lego.
1
@Wags I don’t get it.
6
Elke,
For example...
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=9241-1#T=S&O={%22iconly%22:0}
@Barry Ancona - if I read you correctly, this is a trivia stumper, rather than a riddle? Because I think Elke and I are waiting for the punch line.
3
Didn't have too much difficulty, and even managed to remember that there was a town named ONEONTA, since I haven't lived in the NY metro area (NJ burbs) in over 50 years. Briefly thought that there might be a rebus involved, till I realized that FIRE was implied, rather than being an actual entry. My last area was the north central, when I finally figured out FLORA and filled the last bits in.
1
And I was going to mention:
Hope everyone here (and elsewhere) has a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
5
All I can say is, thank goodness for the Q in AQUA. It gave me JOAQUIN which gave me the 3 related answers. Without that I probably would have had to throw in the proverbial towel. Why a towel, anyway?
5
@Millie
It's from boxing. When a fighter's support team feels that he can no longer defend himself, they throw a towel into the ring and the referee stops the fight.
For this entry it was more like throwing in a vowel.
11
@Al in Pittsburgh -- Also from boxing, the concept of a square ring, just as we have in this puzzle.
5
@Lewis, I thought it was sposed to be our job to be square ring the circle
3
I was thinking it was still Wednesday, even flashback to Tuesday. . . not complaining having an easier one heading into Tryptophan Day is not a bad thing! (Plenty of turkey in the mini, too!) Are you ready for some football? :)
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all, to all of you and each of you! I like hanging out here!
8
Neat theme, though somehow I finished it correctly without catching onto the ring in the center. I just figured that people in NYC were actually getting oral injuries from sucking on BALLS. For someone who isn't from New York, it seemed about as plausible as a town named ONEONTA.
9
@Gary
Wow! Some serious New York bashing going on today! Let's not bite the crossword hand that feeds us! :-)
As for plausible town names, what about that 87-letter town in Wales?...
3
@Andrew
You mean the quaint little burg of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
2
@Steve Faiella
That's the one. I'm wondering if any of the participants from yesterday's discussion will want to debate its pronunciation.
1
I always thought "Soy Milk" was Spanish for "My name is Milk." On another note, I have always wondered why Olga is a saint. When her husband Igor was murdered in 945 AD, she had his killers boiled to death and all of their relatives put to the sword, among other similar charitable works; she didn't get around to converting until she was 78, and although she spent the next 12 years trying to convert other Russians, she didn't get any takers. Russia was converted to Christianity by her grandson.
21
@Fact Boy
That would be "Soy Leche."
Now that's a theme with some real sizzle. Great movie, great puzzle. Thanks, Mr Polin.
6
So what kind of Thanksgiving feast have Tim, Will, and Co. served up for us today?
CRAB (Okay, good start)
STEW (Hm...)
ZITI (odd)
Whatever you like ON A ROLL (okay)
Washed down with...
ICE WINE (?...Why isn't it ICED WINE?)
And for dessert...
Sweet treats from WONKA
[FIRE]BALLS
Not your grandmother's Thanksgiving dinner, but it has its points.
Happy Day to constructors, editors, blog authors, fellow commenters, their loved ones, and anyone and everyone anywhere and everywhere who has anything for which to be thankful. (I think that covers it.) Personally, I'm thankful for all you guys...Oops! I'm forgetting my Southern...for all y'all in the NY Times puzzles and Wordplay community!!
28
@Alan J - it's ICEWINE because it's made from grapes that have frozen. You don't serve it iced, and it's sweet, so you drink it with dessert.
9
and Elke
Alan J.-- and a special thank you to you for the many musical links which add so much extra flavour. Sort of a musical umame.
Have a happy and delicious Thanksgiving.
5
This will seem quite intuitive, but the Canadian province of Ontario produces some of the world's best ICE WINE.
Personally I find them overpriced and overrated.
3
Taking a different musical cue, from 1D...
Here's Doctor House (Hugh Laurie, that is) working at the St. James Infirmary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzEBH6DZJVk
5
@David Connell
I know that song from a different source. I was a huge Tom Jones fan when he was big in the 70s, and Rhiannon Giddens is the greatest singer that no one has ever heard of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhVT0fx3rFs
3
@Steve L - Carolina Chocolate Drops!
2
@David Connell
This number is taken from a TV special with Laurie and the band led by the late Allen Toussaint. I recommend it highly. Don't know if it's available on any of those new-fangled streaming services.
3
Fun puzzle! Loved the cluing for OJAI. I grew up not far from ONEONTA, but it wasn't until I finally saw CLOD that I fixed the spelling and got my happy music.
I'm not a constructor, and don't know how hard it would be to rework the SE corner, but with two letters already in place I kinda wish the puzzle had concluded with "Reno." Y'know, just to watch him die.
12
A quirky and ultimately wonderful puzzle, like its star. In addition to the hundreds of timeless songs that JOHNNY (and June) left behind, along with his deep commitment to Native American rights, his legacy includes his daughter, Roseanne. Her recent “She Remembers Everything” is one of my favorite songs of the past decade:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lbG2uispflc
5
@Puzzlemucker @Barry
You two sent me on a long tour around youtube.
Here is one I found from the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Johnny Cash. He gets a little emotional toward the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnyQwzUts00
2
@Al in Pittsburgh
You had a different kind of FOMO: Frolic Of My Own. That is one heck of a video. Thanks for sharing it. Hard to believe I could have such nostalgia for 1996, since it seems like yesterday. But the present reality makes that time seem golden.
1
@Puzzlemucker
The present time makes October 1929 seem golden...
3
Everyone sing along...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-zNQA5Xi4Q
2
That is a gorgeous blue crab in the photo!
I read "connected answers" in the clue for 59A and thought, "But the four theme answers don't actually connect. . . . Hmmmmm." Got to the end of the puzzle and I had the four blank squares at the start of each central word, and realized that I had to imagine the FIRE to make it work, and that's what Timothy was talking about. It was a nice little celebration of JOHNNY CASH!
I waited on further information to decide whether 5A referred to a plant or baby nursery (sometimes I remember to do that!). Knew a friend of a friend who went to college in ONEONTA, so I got that one with just a few crosses.
Did I mention how gorgeous that blue crab is?
7
@Liz B
I remember being a college adviser in the 90s, and I was encouraging students in the Bronx to look into the SUNY schools, since most city kids looked at CUNY (City University) campuses, but overlooked the SUNYs (State University). I wanted them to consider the experience of leaving home and going away to school.
One day, a student came to me to express some interest in attending a SUNY. Which one, I asked?
He replied, straight-faced, "1 Onta".
10
@Liz B, I agree, GORGEOUS!
1
@Johanna
Me too. That is one pretty crab!
Solved the themers first then filled in the rest. Thursday trickery with Monday clueing. Which is fine because I have to get back to cooking. Happy Thanksgiving, fellow solvers!
8
I know there was also a lawyer named Sue.
(This puzzle could've aired in June.)
8
I was once represented by a lawyer named Sue. I suggested she should start her own firm with partners Bill and Rob. She wasn't amused.
21
@Fact Boy Brilliant. 🤣🤣
3
@Mike
Reminds me of that famous law firm, Dewey, Cheatham and Howe.
10