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Relative difficulty: Medium
THEME: BREAKABLES (59A: Fragile articles or a hint to the things named by the circled letters) — words formed by circled letters are things you can break, and those words are visually "broken," with first part occurring at beginning of theme answer and second part at the end
Word of the Day: ORSON Bean (21A: Bean on the screen) —
Orson Bean (born July 22, 1928) is an American film, television, and stage actor. He appeared frequently on televised game shows in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including being a long-time panelist on the television game show To Tell the Truth. [...] He was a regular on both Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its spin-off, Fernwood 2Nite, and also played the shrewd businessman and storekeeper Loren Bray on the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman throughout its six-year run on CBS in the 1990s. He played John Goodman's homophobic father on the sitcom Normal, Ohio. He played the main characters Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in the 1977 and 1980 Rankin/Bass animated adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, and The Return of the King. He also played Dr. Lester in Spike Jonze's 1999 film, Being John Malkovich. [...] Bean was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s for attending two Communist Party meetings, but made numerous appearances on television and in the theater. A conservative Christian, he came out in support of the Proposition 8 ballot initiative in California. He is father-in-law to Andrew Breitbart and describes his own children, who are all married, as "little communists". He was once a proponent of Orgone therapy and published a book about it titled, Me and the Orgone.
• • •
Second day in a row of puzzles without very strong concepts. Difference today is that the theme feels much looser and weaker, and the grid, overall, isn't as snazzy. Didn't like the revealer on this one: BREAKABLES. Problem for me is that Lots of things can break. Lots and lots and lots. Why these? Three literal, one figurative. With exception of MIRROR, all very short words that could have been broken across lots and lots of possible theme answers. The concept just doesn't feel very tight, and the theme answers don't pop. Grid seems smooth and solid enough, and I love ZAMBONI (39D: It's driven over the ice between periods) and CHUTZPAH (4D: Cheekiness), but the rest of it was just OK for me.Theme answers:
- 17A: In consecutive order (SEQUENTIAL)
- 25A: Just barely legit (BORDERLINE)
- 36A: What a slow person may need (HEAD START)
- 50A: Slip-up (MINOR ERROR) — the "MINOR" part of this was not at all obvious to me from the clue.
Madonna - Borderline
There was quite a bit that caused me to slow down and think—odd for a Tuesday. Cluing in NW seemed particularly ramped up, with both ESS (1D: What makes a pin spin?), TIER (5D: Auditorium balcony, e.g.), and 14A: Rolls for dinner (SUSHI) stumping me initially. The eastern section also took a bit of work— didn't know EDMOND (49A: Astronomer Halley) and couldn't get .PDF (Portable Document Format, a common file type) easily from the clue (46D: Alternative to a print version: Abbr.). Wanted BROKEN something instead of BREAKABLES at first. Had NIL instead of ZIP (39A: Nada). Had no idea ALLAH was on the Saudi flag (42A: Word written on the Saudi flag), or that ODES were features of Sophocles plays. Then again, I was solving on paper (not the norm), so maybe I wouldn't have noticed many of these as much if I'd been in computer mode.Bullets:
- 54A: Sound accompanying a cloud of smoke (POOF) — this seems more like comic book sound effect than actual sound. Is the context a magic show?
- 22D: It's smelled when something's fishy (RAT) — love the animal switch in this one.
26D: ___ by chocolate (calorie-heavy dessert) (DEATH) — I knew this, but I don't know if I've ever actually seen it on a menu ... oh, I must have. But I couldn't describe to you what it actually consists of. Chocolate something, I'd imagine.- 38D: Team that has a tankful of rays in the back of its ballpark (TAMPA BAY) — I don't like the city name as the "team." The team is the RAYS. TAMPA BAY is the home of many teams. The Rays will be in the playoffs this year, almost certainly. They're currently locked in a pretty close race for the A.L. East with the Yankees. Looks like the Rays beat them in extra innings today. That puts the Rays a half game up.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]
I would like to have seen the mirror broken into many pieces, not just two, because mirror shatter, not merely break.
ReplyDeleteI would like to have seen ZAMBONI clued simply as "It's driven between periods" because I'm juvenile.
somehow wanted "hiho silver" for 54Across.agree not a bad tuesday but doesnt stand up to mondays.still had to ask myself what does a bone,a heart,a mirror and a seal have in common? surprized Zamboni doesn't show up more-canada certainly regretted not having one
ReplyDeleteGo Tampa Bay Rays! Sock it to those Yankee Yahoo's...one down and two to go!
ReplyDeleteNot an enjoyable puzzle at all with, agreeing with Rex, the exceptions being ZAMBONI and CHUTZPAH.
ReplyDeleteBasically the opposite side of the spectrum today versus yesterday. Both tired themes but yesterdays sparkled while today's was a stinker.
Did this one in Alameda which has convinced me that speed kills...
ReplyDeleteI mean the pressure to go fast (I actually finished 7th on this one) caused me to ignore circles, not notice the theme, freak out when I couldn't get 1A or figure out what kind of rolls are _ USHI!
The whole NW freaked me out...I had to leave it blank till the end, as I tried alphabeticAL and numericAL first, and didn't even get CHUTZPAH till every letter was filled!
I agree with @Rex that BROKEN something might have been more natural to go with SEAL, BONE, HEART...and there are lots more (RECORD?) but I view that more as an opportunity to do another puzzle with that theme and 4 new breakable things.
I agree, too, with @Dek that mirrors shatter, but it's pretty impressive to split up the word MI-RROR with a pretty smooth untortured phrase. And I think the adage is if you BREAK a mirror, 7 years of bad luck...not if you shatter one.
Let's be positive:
Those 2 Zs in CHUTZPAH and ZAMBONI and the Q in SEQUENTIAL gave this puzzle some zip...
and altho I struggled with PufF for POOF, I liked the magic angle of that.
The cluing did seem all over the place but who knows what that was about!
As a sometime early=week constructor, it's fascinating that DEATH which is usually a total no-no for a puzzle (at least that has been my understanding) had the elevated, delicious chocolate covering to make it acceptable!
(Tho this puzzle was not a piece of cake!)
Oh! And that double ii in IINSIST was super cool!
Death by Chocolate used to be the name of an awesome chocolate extravaganza at Pomona. But then they felt guilty so they gave it a charity theme and renamed it Chocolate for Change.
ReplyDeleteHey Rex, would you contact me at xan.vongsathorn _AT_ gmail? thanks
I agree the cluing felt choppy, but I liked most of the individual clues. I liked that TORAH crossed CHUTZPAH, and along with ALLAH and EGYPT you've got a whole little mini-theme of sorts. I like ZAMBONIs. I like OVATE mushroom caps. I like SUSHI. And I like that ORSON Bean, who wrote a book about his Sexual Awakening and has been married three times, came out in support of Prop 8.
ReplyDelete@andrea ... I, too, was delighted by the II in IINSIST ... IIT made me stop and think, "This can't be right!"
ReplyDeleteI'll sound like a broken record here, but, I also liked ZAMBONI, CHUTZPAH and add to that, SEQUENTIAL.
Did not enjoy IDLER.
Perhaps not a perfect puzzle but still pretty enjoyable for a Tuesday. Certainly better than some we've had in the past.
I enjoyed the puzzle a great deal for all the cool reasons already mentioned by Rex. Last letter in the grid was the terminal I in SUSHI. Loved the D'oh! moment of that.
ReplyDeleteI was enjoying the comments, too, for a while, but that came to a sizzling stop at the endorsement for Prop 8. This is the part where Rex is silently thanking me for enormous restraint.
@Seth G: To be clear, I realize you are pointing out the duplicitous irony of Bean's endorsement and do not share his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteA thinking mans Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteNice new fill and as we all know everything tastes better on a RITZ... cue Young Frankenstein version of "Puttin on the Ritz" about here.
Maybe I would have dropped AV club for puzzle club and then I would have had a HEADSTART on solving... nah.
*** (3 Stars) Thank you Eshan
Smooth and unobjectionable, with some yummy answers.
ReplyDeleteAs I walk this land with broken dreams
ReplyDeleteI have visions of many things
Love's happiness is just an illusion
Filled with sadness and confusion,
What becomes of the broken hearted
Got stuck with the spelling of theatre. Had it spelled the American way, then badge wouldn't fit.
ReplyDeleteAnd what is 34D NSA???
Your love is like a tidal wave
ReplyDeleteSpinnin' over my head
Drownin' me in your promises
Better left unsaid
You're the right kind of sinner to release my inner fantasies
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be
You're a heartbreaker
Fun, easy Tuesday. Also enjoyed chutzpah, Zamboni. Did not enjoy 67A: answer is an abbreviation, so should have been clued that way. But that's a nit.
ReplyDelete@Chefb
ReplyDelete•National Security Agency: the United States cryptologic organization that coordinates and directs highly specialized activities to protect United States information systems and to produce foreign intelligence information
@Rex - as a relatively die-hard sports fanatic, I did not have much of a problem with the "Tampa Bay" answer.
ReplyDeleteI find that most everyone I know will often interchange the team name with the city when talking about "who's playing," "who's in the lead," or "who's *whatever.*"
Come baseball season, I root for Baltimore, and I root for the Orioles. For football, I root for Washington, and I root for the Redskins.
Also, look at the scoreboard in stadiums - it will show BOS vs. CLE, or JAX vs. PHI.
Pretty common to use the city, I think.
Greg
@John V
ReplyDelete"Stats" for statistics is the "indicator".
P>G>
To echo dk, a Tuesday puzzle that makes you stop and think is a good one.
ReplyDeleteI even had one write-over, EDMUND before EDMOND.
@Chefbea, and @Boris and Natasha -- Also referred to by its friends, because it used to be so hush-hush and unknown, as "No Such Agency."
@John V
ReplyDelete... as is QB
P>G>
(Should have ben in original post)
"Went 'tap tap tap' on a keyboard" makes me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteOther than that...it feels a bit sad, breaking bones and breaking hearts and all.
Nice smooth multi-cultural puzzle. Agree with "broken" vs. "breakables," but overall a fresh effort from a young constructor. Good job, Eshan. I also greatly enjoyed yesterday's puzzle - it hummed like a well tuned machine. (Too busy to post.)
ReplyDeleteHad to stop and think a few places, _USHI of course, and spelling of THEATRE. A few erasures - bOOm before POOF, EDMuND, and TWIst before TWIRL.
I am looking forward to the rest of the Brown week.
Maybe I missed an explanation, but why is this "Brown University" week?
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle. In particular because the didn't become clear until I got to the revealer.
ReplyDeleteMiddling Tuesday puzzle which translates to a remarkavle debut for the college kid.
ReplyDeleteBLT instead of a cheesesteak?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so.
"Cheekiness" is a pretty mild clue for the notion of CHUTZPAH.
ReplyDeleteGenerally liked the puzzle. Liked it even more when @Rex revealed that the circled words were visually broken. Didn't see that.
What @Andrea Iinsist said.
ReplyDeleteObviously this puzzle would have been even better if it had included some references to country music. But there just aren't many country songs about CHUTZPAH, ALLAH, or ZAMBONI.
There are country songs about dyin', but not DEATH.
There is one.
ReplyDeleteSo, how many odd lettered words were there?
@chefbea -- When I lived in Maryland, a lot of my neighbors just "worked for the government". After a while it was clearly NSA -- the giveaway is to ask if they'd ever had a tour of duty in a particular place in northern Japan! (I've forgotten the name.)
ReplyDeleteI liked this debut, but didn't know the ZAMBONI or INTS crossing in the SW -- guessed the I. Did 67A refer to interference? Loved CHUTZPAH and DEATH by chocolate!
∑;)
I've decided to join this team of "Times" x-word solvers. You probably will only catch me early to mid-week. If I solve a Thursday edition, I go gaga. I might sneak a playful peek at a Friday puzzle, & Saturday is an absolute taboo to even look at.
ReplyDeleteSo for today's puzzle:
With pride, I say I did it in perhaps 20-25 minutes. I only found the southwest corner a challenge because I spelled "THEATRE" un-British like. That left me "----R" for what an officer flashes. I originally had "NIL" rather than "ZIP." Then I remembered "ZAMBONI" but spelled it with an S. But "OMAR" and cloud "NINE" eventually fell into place, & I was home safe.
I too find baseball team names and their cities to be very interchangeable:
"I'm going to the Padres game tonight."
"Who they playin'?"
"Cincinnati."
I can't say I agree with any disappointment with the "break" theme. "SEAL," "BONE," "HEART," & "MIRROR" are all excellent breakables for me. In fact, the theme helped me in my southwest corner. The "MI" in "MIRROR" finally gave me "IDI AMIN," whom I had forgotten was featured in "The Last King of Scotland."
Let's give a "bravo" for Brown constructor Eshan, supposedly a mere 19-year-old student who came up with Bing Crosby & used
"CROONER" as an answer. Crosby goes too far back for many college students to know the name much less be aware of his style.
I also agree with those who liked "ESS" making a "pin" "spin" despite seeing this kind of clue on more than a few rare occasions. It's just that everytime it comes up, I am not ready for it. I need more conditioning!
Anytime I see a "Q" in a puzzle, I consider it a gift, if only for a free "U" to follow. I take everything I can get when it comes to a "Times" puzzle.
"ALOE" pops up so, so often that I'd love to see a clever clue accompany the word. If only I could create my own puzzle, I'd show you something spicy for "ALOE," but I recently tried my first crossword creation, & it's beyond me.
One more item: "REESE" Witherspoon. "Legally Blonde" was in the clue, but try to catch her in her very first movie: "The Man in the Moon." I've seen a host of movies in my lifetime, & seeing her in "The Man in the Moon" was special. I knew she was going to be a star. I have rarely felt that when viewing any actor new to me. It generally takes awhile for the actor's talents to capture me, but I KNEW immediately she was headed for stardom.
Good to make my first entry on this blog. I enjoy & appreciate Rex & you fellow bloggers. (My name is Bob.)
Bob
@Archaeoprof: The Highwaymen's greatest hit was about DEATH, as was their cover of "Ghost Riders in the Sky." And Cash's "25 Minutes to Go" is certainly about his imminent appointment with DEATH. Tim McGraw's "Don't Take the Girl" qualifies, too. And Buffett's "The Captain and The Kid." I gotta believe there are many, many more.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Bob. Blogger will let you create your own "identity" so we don't get you confused with all the anonymice that drop in from time to time (daily, really.)
ReplyDelete@ArtLvr, Int is a shortening for Interceptions - the bane of a QB.
I am having trouble signing in for the first time--lost all my comments when first posting. I amusing this as a test to see if I am now accepted before retyping my comments.
ReplyDeleteBOB
@Artlvr - It's Echlon. Now I have to kill myself.
ReplyDeleteDeath by Chocolate is an ice cream flavor here. I bought a tub for my mom who is a chocoholic. She loved it, but it was too much for me (chocolate ice cream with lots of choc bits, choc syrup ribbons, pieces of brownie.)
ReplyDeleteI liked the cluing of this puzzle -- there were many fresh ideas, e.g., Response to "Who wants ice cream?!" for I DO which invariably is clued with vows/marriage/altar.
Very enjoyable puzzle and theme -- nice job, Eshan!
Welcome, Bob! Your comments are there.
Agree with Rex on this one. The whole thing just seemed a little awkward. My favorites were ZAMBONI and IINSIST. I did this diagramless, so the theme clue didn't help at all. Thought that a sequence could be interrupted (broken??, a borderline could be opened (broken?), a head could be broken? and a minor error didn't make any sense, so I was extremely disappointed with the "theme". Now that I see the circles I am only mildly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I had an idea for a crossword puzzle over the weekend and tried to see if I could construct one. Egads, it was impossible for me, so I am always cautious about criticizing any puzzle.
I am joining all of you "Times" solvers for my day #1, despite feeling somewhat out of your league. I'm somewhat stretched to solve a Wednesday edition, & completion of a Thursday puzzle makes me gaga. I will sneak a peek at Friday for amusement, & I feel guilty even opening up to the page on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI am proud to say that today I did the work in perhaps 25 minutes. The only real problem I had was the southwest corner. I spelled THEATRE un-British-like, so I had ----R for what a police officer flashes. I suspected BADGE & had it confirmed with the help of ZAMBONI which I initially spelled with an "S." But OMAR & NINE took me to identifying IDI AMIN, whom I had forgotten was the king in "The Last King of Scotland." That's when ZIP hit me, & so the whole southwest opened up.
I also got some help in the difficult (for me) southwest corner with the help of the "break" theme. I think "seal," "bone," "heart," & "mirror" are all excellent breakables, despite the slight disapproval of Rex. Whenever the theme helps me to solve a puzzle, that's when it is really appreciated.
I commend author Eshan Mitra, who must be all of 19 years old, who not only used Bing Crosby in a clue, but Eshan also coupled the clue with CROONER. After all, B. Crosby goes back quite a few years. He had popularity, as I recall, during the 40's & 50's. I think few college students would be aware of the singer much less his singing style.
I always love to spot a "Q" (SEQUENTIAL)in any "Times" crossword. It's a one letter gift to follow, & I will take all the gifts I can get because I try to solve each puzzle without help, though I have no objections to those who research.
Although REESE Witherspoon was matched with "Legally Blonde," perhaps her most famous movie, I identify her most with her very first performance in "The Man in the Moon." I have seen a host of films during my years, & I must say that when I first saw her, I definitely knew she was headed for stardom. This has been an absolute rarity for me to see an actor I am not at all familiar with, & walk away knowing I have seen somebody ready for fame. No wonder critic Leonard Maltin said her 1991 debut was "unforgettable."
I have great respect for Rex's speed in posting as well as his insight & excellent format, but may I take issue again with him regarding baseball team names?
"I got tickets for the
Padres game tonight."
"Who they playin'?"
"Cincinnati."
I find both the last name of the team and its city to be very interchangeable in my circles.
ESS took me awhile to say, "Oh yeah." I've seen clues like "What makes pin spin" on more than rare occasions, but it never seems to dawn on me when I encounter it.
The clue for ALOE and clues of its ilk are becoming too old hat, even for a struggling puzzler like me. I only wish I could create my first crossword & show the world a spicy ALOE clue, but I tried to construct my first puzzle only days ago, & despite having a clever theme & good clues, I don't have the ability to construct it. Diagonally symmetrical shading of boxes on a grid---WOW!! Too much for me!
It was nice making my first post. I hope to do so again; and bravo to those of you who solve in the ten-minute-and -under-range. How can you do it???
Bob
I am joining all of you "Times" solvers for my day #1, despite feeling somewhat out of your league. I'm somewhat stretched to solve a Wednesday edition, & completion of a Thursday puzzle makes me gaga. I will sneak a peek at Friday for amusement, & I feel guilty even opening up to the page on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI am proud to say that today I did the work in perhaps 25 minutes. The only real problem I had was the southwest corner. I spelled THEATRE un-British-like, so I had ----R for what a police officer flashes. I suspected BADGE & had it confirmed with the help of ZAMBONI which I initially spelled with an "S." But OMAR & NINE took me to identifying IDI AMIN, whom I had forgotten was the king in "The Last King of Scotland." That's when ZIP hit me, & so the whole southwest opened up.
I also got some help in the difficult (for me) southwest corner with the help of the "break" theme. I think "seal," "bone," "heart," & "mirror" are all excellent breakables, despite the slight disapproval of Rex. Whenever the theme helps me to solve a puzzle, that's when it is really appreciated.
I commend author Eshan Mitra, who must be all of 19 years old, who not only used Bing Crosby in a clue, but Eshan also coupled the clue with CROONER. After all, B. Crosby goes back quite a few years. He had popularity, as I recall, during the 40's & 50's. I think few college students would be aware of the singer much less his singing style.
I always love to spot a "Q" (SEQUENTIAL)in any "Times" crossword. It's a one letter gift to follow, & I will take all the gifts I can get because I try to solve each puzzle without help, though I have no objections to those who research.
Although REESE Witherspoon was matched with "Legally Blonde," perhaps her most famous movie, I identify her most with her very first performance in "The Man in the Moon." I have seen a host of films during my years, & I must say that when I first saw her, I definitely knew she was headed for stardom. This has been an absolute rarity for me to see an actor I am not at all familiar with, & walk away knowing I have seen somebody ready for fame. No wonder critic Leonard Maltin said her 1991 debut was "unforgettable."
I have great respect for Rex's speed in posting as well as his insight & excellent format, but may I take issue again with him regarding baseball team names?
"I got tickets for the
Padres game tonight."
"Who they playin'?"
"Cincinnati."
I find both the last name of the team and its city to be very interchangeable in my circles.
ESS took me awhile to say, "Oh yeah." I've seen clues like "What makes pin spin" on more than rare occasions, but it never seems to dawn on me when I encounter it.
The clue for ALOE and clues of its ilk are becoming too old hat, even for a struggling puzzler like me. I only wish I could create my first crossword & show the world a spicy ALOE clue, but I tried to construct my first puzzle only days ago, & despite having a clever theme & good clues, I don't have the ability to construct it. Diagonally symmetrical shading of boxes on a grid---WOW!! Too much for me!
It was nice making my first post. I hope to do so again; and bravo to those of you who solve in the ten-minute-and -under-range. How can you do it???
Bob
I am joining all of you "Times" solvers for my day #1, despite feeling somewhat out of your league. I'm somewhat stretched to solve a Wednesday edition, & completion of a Thursday puzzle makes me gaga. I will sneak a peek at Friday for amusement, & I feel guilty even opening up to the page on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteI am proud to say that today I did the work in perhaps 25 minutes. The only real problem I had was the southwest corner. I spelled THEATRE un-British-like, so I had ----R for what a police officer flashes. I suspected BADGE & had it confirmed with the help of ZAMBONI which I initially spelled with an "S." But OMAR & NINE took me to identifying IDI AMIN, whom I had forgotten was the king in "The Last King of Scotland." That's when ZIP hit me, & so the whole southwest opened up.
I also got some help in the difficult (for me) southwest corner with the help of the "break" theme. I think "seal," "bone," "heart," & "mirror" are all excellent breakables, despite the slight disapproval of Rex. Whenever the theme helps me to solve a puzzle, that's when it is really appreciated.
I commend author Eshan Mitra, who must be all of 19 years old, who not only used Bing Crosby in a clue, but Eshan also coupled the clue with CROONER. After all, B. Crosby goes back quite a few years. He had popularity, as I recall, during the 40's & 50's. I think few college students would be aware of the singer much less his singing style.
I always love to spot a "Q" (SEQUENTIAL)in any "Times" crossword. It's a one letter gift to follow, & I will take all the gifts I can get because I try to solve each puzzle without help, though I have no objections to those who research.
Although REESE Witherspoon was matched with "Legally Blonde," perhaps her most famous movie, I identify her most with her very first performance in "The Man in the Moon." I have seen a host of films during my years, & I must say that when I first saw her, I definitely knew she was headed for stardom. This has been an absolute rarity for me to see an actor I am not at all familiar with, & walk away knowing I have seen somebody ready for fame. No wonder critic Leonard Maltin said her 1991 debut was "unforgettable."
I have great respect for Rex's speed in posting as well as his insight & excellent format, but may I take issue again with him regarding baseball team names?
"I got tickets for the
Padres game tonight."
"Who they playin'?"
"Cincinnati."
I find both the last name of the team and its city to be very interchangeable in my circles.
ESS took me awhile to say, "Oh yeah." I've seen clues like "What makes pin spin" on more than rare occasions, but it never seems to dawn on me when I encounter it.
The clue for ALOE and clues of its ilk are becoming too old hat, even for a struggling puzzler like me. I only wish I could create my first crossword & show the world a spicy ALOE clue, but I tried to construct my first puzzle only days ago, & despite having a clever theme & good clues, I don't have the ability to construct it. Diagonally symmetrical shading of boxes on a grid---WOW!! Too much for me!
It was nice making my first post. I hope to do so again; and bravo to those of you who solve in the ten-minute-and -under-range. How can you do it???
Bob
MY HEAVENS. I am so embarrassed to have posted the same blog FOUR different times. I kept getting apparent messages that my entry was not accepted. So sorry for hogging the space.
ReplyDeleteBob
I couldn't have had more than a third of the squares filled in when the guy on my left, Brian, shot up his hand. The alloted 15 minutes then started to impinge a little ... . Even though he had the same number of points as the guy who won the Third Place prize, I didn't catch why it wasn't a joint award. Anyone know the reason?
ReplyDeleteQuite a few in Alameda commented how we were all over the grid in gaining a solution to this one.
The one that I didn't really like was "Alternative to a Philly cheesesteak."
ReplyDeleteA better clue would have been "Alternative to a melt."
A Philly cheesesteak is a BIG sandwich. I could only think of big meals, like a t-bone steak. A BLT is usually not a large sandwich.
Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation of my method):
ReplyDeleteAll solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)
Tue 8:39, 8:53, 0.97, 49%, Medium
Top 100 solvers
Tue 4:45, 4:35, 1.04, 63%, Medium-Challenging
These metrics become even more interesting after performing competitively. Live with other humans. In the afternoon when it got to be fairly hot while we were doing Tyler's puzzle, I thought that this wasn't a sport where you're supposed to break a sweat. Mentioned that after we had finished and someone commented: Bikram crosswords.
ReplyDelete@Violent Femmes and @Jesser: yes, thanks for those good examples.
ReplyDeleteBut dyin' rhymes with cryin'...
PZZL NUT
ReplyDeleteA vanity license plate I saw the other day, after the tournament, though by then I was in north Berkeley.
Would somebody please tell me to stop putting in OVOID instead of OVATE once in awhile?
ReplyDeleteWould somebody please tell me to stop putting in OVOID instead of OVATE once in awhile?
ReplyDeleteComparing a BLT to a Philly cheesesteak was a stretch but easy enough. Both are sandwiches but that's about all they have in common.
ReplyDeleteConsecutive seemed too close to the answer. How about "one after another"?
The Last King of Scotland was a very memorable film. Forest Whitaker really nailed it. Nothing like his role in Forrest Gump.
I bought Patrick Berry's crossword construction book last week. Now that is an eye-opening experience. My respect for anyone who can do it has increased exponentially. I'm going to need a new Pink Pearl eraser.
@Two Ponies - Forest Whitaker wasn't in Forrest Gump! :-) Are you confusing him with a different actor? Or thinking of a different movie?
ReplyDelete@fergus - Wasn't me, but not surprised that my blog name is fairly common in this realm. I've never been to a tournament (the movie Word Play is the closest I've come), but I suspect it is much more intimidating than doing puzzles at home around the kitchen table.
ReplyDelete@fergus - Wasn't me, but not surprised that my blog name is fairly common in this realm. I've never been to a tournament (the movie Word Play is the closest I've come), but I suspect it is much more intimidating than doing puzzles at home around the kitchen table.
ReplyDelete@ The Big E, By golly you're right.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind's eye I was seeing him in the Bubba role.
I forgot to add that I loved the Death By Chocolate clue. Sweet way to get that dark answer into a puzzle.
@Coffee lover - I had no idea what INTS was (sports). Thanx.
ReplyDelete@Doug would you please stop putting OVoid for OVATE?
The theme with the broken up small words was weak, but the rest was fine.
When I see you guys repeating your comments, it's a sign to me that mine might load slowly. What determines that?
This was a very satisfying Tuesday puzzle: I'm agreeing with Andrea, so I won't go over the details.
ReplyDelete@Doug: drop the ovoids.
@Fergus: that was funny: Bikram crosswords!
@CoffeeLvr -- thanks! Interception(s) made more sense!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 12:26 -- Thank you for the name of the place in Japan. Please don't do away with yourself on account of that disclosure! I'm fondly reminded of a family reunion years ago where a second cousin proudly told us all about her son's having been awarded some very special honor, "working for the government"-- but unfortunately he couldn't tell us what it was or what it was for! We managed to congratulate him heartily anyway...
∑;)
p.s. We can't really say there wasn't ZIP to today's puzzle when it's sitting in plain sight at 39A. Many thanks, Eshan!
The comments section may have set a new record today for repeat posts-very annoying. Perhaps the computer gremlins are responsible; if not I'd ask all new posters to cool it on hitting the replay key.
ReplyDeleteIAC I disagree with Rex and think this was a very decent Tuesday offering. Kudos to Eshan for his/her chutzpah, a wonderful word worth celebrating. Very nice debut IMO.
Agree with Rex that, although some contexts allow the names of a sports team and its host city to be interchangeable, this clue and answer isn't one of them. Something fresh, ERECT SUSHI CHUTZPAH, with this puzzle,; but also something sort of black magic in the theme, with all its breaking of bones and seals and mirrors, probably derived from IDI AMIN in deepest darkest ZAMBONI.
ReplyDeleteIn from syndication-land:
ReplyDeleteLike Rex, I got hung up on the NW corner, and actually found it easier to start with the W and center.
TIER seemed to come more easily to me, once I had SEQUENTIAL, but I originally wanted LOGE. I didn't enter it in, though, because I prefer to make sure of my crosses first.
I thought EDMOND was EDMUND (which it can be—Halley published under both variants), but I did know Halley's first name right off. Benefit of being on the science side of the "two cultures".
Justice Anthony KENNEDY was something I should have known right off, but I needed the K in TICK to make it fall.
ALLAH was one of this puzzle's gimmes for me. The Saudi flag has the Shahada printed on it ("There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His Prophet"). Saying the Shahada is the first among the Five Pillars of Islam, and saying it in earnest is generally held to be all that's necessary to convert to Islam.
The presence of the Shahada on the Saudi flag became an issue a few years ago when our wonderful brain trust at the Pentagon decided to win hearts and minds by dropping soccer balls with the flags of the world on them, including the Saudi flag complete with the Arabic script. Anyone with an ounce of cultural knowledge of Islam could have told them how offensive this would be, like blitzing the evangelical South with doormats emblazoned with quotes from the Gospels. You simply don't put your feet on items that carry a sacred message, even if it is on the side of a soccer ball. So a spokeswoman for CENTCOM had to backpedal furiously, saying that the U.S. had no idea that this would be offensive (alas, all too true) and apologizing, but the damage was done.
All in all, I found this a little unsatisfying after the previous day's puzzle, though I did like the challenge in the cluing.
Hand way up for for what @aim said - I agree totally with her comments and analysis.
ReplyDelete@rp - it sounds like you learned a couple of new things because you solved on paper. That's not a bad thing, is it?