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French WWI general Ferdinand / MON 3-23-15 / Old Russian autocrat / Hit TV drama starring Gary Sinise / Egyptian cobra / Boat with double-bladed paddle / 1977 hard-rock hit by Ted Nugent / Hajj destination / What bracketologist is caught up in
Monday, March 23, 2015
Constructor: Michael Dewey
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium (for a Monday)
Theme answers:
- KLEPTOMANIA (17A: Compulsion to steal)
- MARCH MADNESS (23A: What a bracketologist is caught up in)
- "CAT SCRATCH FEVER" (37A: 1977 hard-rock hit by Ted Nugent)
- FASHION CRAZE (48A: Miniskirts or oversize sunglasses, once)
- MEDIA FRENZY (59A: What a major scandal results in)
Marshal Ferdinand Foch (French pronunciation: [fɔʃ]), (2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French soldier, military theorist and the Allied Généralissime during the First World War. (wikipedia)
• • •
This theme is somewhat timely, given that it's currently the season for MARCH MADNESS, and it's also (coincidentally) the day after I rewatched this 1980 classic for the first time in probably thirty years:
[This movie came out in 1980. MIT Mystery Hunt started in 1981. Coincidence? Ha.]
It's pretty straightforward, as themes go. Far more straightforward than most NYT themes. But Monday can be a good stepping-on point for tyros, so if the theme is excessively graspable, no big deal. The grid as a whole is sufficiently lively, so "easy" does not mean "dull" today. I really disliked FOCH in this grid, largely because he seems like a massive outlier, familiarity-wise (in that he lies outside my familiarity entirely, and is probably the least recognizable / generally known answer in this grid by a long shot … though ANYA Seton's fame is sustained almost entirely by crosswords, I think). But I ran my "FOCH sochs!" theory by constructor friends and no one had a problem with it, so it now seems entirely possible that I'm the one who's the outlier. Hmm. The tables are turned. Not sure I like this.
I flailed (!) a lot around the tail-end of FASHION CRAZE. FASHION didn't trigger any familiar phrases in my brain. I guess FASHION CRAZE is a thing. You gotta get to the "A" in "CRAZE" before google actually recommends the phrase FASHION CRAZE, but it seems familiar enough. Fill is a little crusty around the edges (EEK IBEAM ABATH ONA OKIE ETE USOFA CSINY MGT ANYA CZAR), but it holds up.
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98 comments:
Medium for me, but it should have been easy-medium as I spelled OZARKS with an S and TYKE with an I and erasing is a time suck.
Zippy theme and a reasonably smooth grid, liked it.
And, @Rhino I've been known to tear up during movies on occasion.
Nice Monday. Nothing wrong with straightforward themes early in the week, especially when they're composed of lively phrase/words like this. This was more interesting and engaging than most Mondays for me.
(Re: The Icehouse video. I had completely forgotten about that song. Haven't heard it in probably 25 years. Liked it at the time, but like many things from the late 80s - epic mullets and keytars, say - it hasn't aged well.)
I thought it was an excellent Monday, with theme phrases that were more than just solid - with CAT SCRATCH FEVER a great grid spanner - and nice long downs. It was more challenging for me than a usual Monday, which I liked (I didn't know JAMAL or the Ted Nugent title and needed some crosses to remind me of FOCH and guess at CSINY). I was surprised to see ANYA Seton reappear so soon.
An unlikely pair: GO GRAY and FASHION CRAZE. I liked NUDIE crossing (bump and) GRIND.
Loved it! Some crunch on a Monday is embraced by me.
Wasn't super easy, as Monday's seem to be. Perfect start to the week. Hope it continues.
Really good Monday. A Cosby show clue two days in a row. YMA and ANYA again.
CATSCRATCHFEVER has quite a colorful group of definitions in Google.
I agree with y'all – good, easy, straightforward Monday. Very Dad-friendly (FOCH you just have to overlook.)
One of my first entries was the brilliant "mimer" off the MIM of 6D. Hmm. Mimer/MIMIC. So could a "toner" be a tonic? An up-and-comer an up-and-comic? Borer/ boric?
46A may speak to, well, us of a certain age. I choose to try to hide my age with miniskirts and oversize sunglasses.
Speaking of GO GRAY, I keep seeing it parsed wrong. "Watch out, Ivan! That arch villain Ozarkayak has been spotted near Mir, and his gog ray is lethal."
Let me be the first to point out the word ladder: OARS, OURS, OUTS. Hah!
@Rhino – I cried when @Tita cried about the coffee.
My husband cries at Folgers commercials and during the animated Cinderella movie when the mice start to sew her dress.
Good job, Michael. Spot-on Monday.
ANYA Seton is still pretty famous among historical-fiction buffs. I wonder how great the overlap is between that constituency, and crossword solvers. Significant, I'd guess.
Nice Monday puzzle. A fast clean solve only requiring crosses to get FOCH and NUDIE.
All the theme answers had pop, as did FLAILS and BICKEROVER. Like last week (and all January) , a Monday that didn't insult the intelligence -- keep this new level up, Will. It's still easy enough for beginners. And thank you Michael.
The grid is clean, and we have an echo from yesterday: TUBES (The great "Is YOUTUBES a verb?" controversy.) There is a mini theme -- seven answers ending in A. Never heard of FOCH, but my brain did a double take when I saw "FOCH you" in @lms's second sentence.
Didn't read the yet-another-dramatic-tale from @Lisa above, but my eye fell on one sentence: "Ukaka is the man that you need in all rampart." This will be going through my head all day.
I hate MARCH MADNESS because I can't watch my favorite "Mike and Molly" on our local TV station.
I did like this Monday though. Seemed so fresh and GOG RAY....
NUDIE is cute and I liked the HAITI, OKIE, MECCA, US OF A sections.
Good Monday fun Michael Dewey.
Oh...@Rhino from yesterday....If you're still in the basement, please come out and make me laugh again!
This Monday was just perfect...great way to start the week. Only major misdirection I had was at 50 Down...I had SCIFI instead of NUDIE. Shows where my head's at....
I know there are at least two ways to spell CZAR/tsAR, but I could have sworn that the tsar version was the one most used for Russia/slavic countries because the C in those languages makes a ts sound. So, for us in the west Tsar is the closest phonetic spelling and Czar is the best phonetic approximation in the slavic areas. At any rate, CZAR was a hang up for a little while.
For a long time I didn't know what an ARTHI-STORY was. Some kind of Arthurian legend that those guys painted? Oh, wait...after a few large swigs of coffee, it popped out to me: ART: HIS STORY. Makes much more sense...whoever "Art" is and whatever his story might be.
There. That's my pun contribution for the week. You're welcome.
Hi. My name is John Child. Here is what I said yesterday: "I wish Rex would block anonymous comments and make everyone log in with some sort of identifiable "tag." Of course someone can fake an id, but even then they are accountable in some measure for what they said yesterday and will say tomorrow using that id. Anonymity makes it too easy for people with weak ethical standards to be uncivil."
You know my name is John Child because look, it's right there at the top of this post, in blue. So there's NO WAY I could be anyone else but John Child. The one and only John Child. I am therefore accountable (in some measure) for what I said yesterday and what I will say tomorrow, using my ID, which is John Child. Because I have a name, in blue, at the top of this post, I am NOT anonymous, and as "not anonymous," my comments should be taken VERY SERIOUSLY, at least MUCH more seriously than all of those poseurs who post anonymously. If I wanted to, I could even put a picture of a dog, or a six-pack of beer, or a celebrity's face, or a cartoon character, next to may name, in blue, and then I'd be even LESS anonymous and I'd have that much more clout on this blog. Because we should (as rex does) judge people by their name rather than by the quality of their comments. In fact, we shouldn't even read comments from people whose identity we can't verify. Posts from strangers on an obscure crossword blog are very important to me, and to the world in general. No WAY should I have "weak ethical standards" or be considered "uncivil," because I am completely identifiable by my name. John Child.
Thank you,
John Child. (That's me.)
Three trainer-ese in today's puzzle, YMA, ANYA, and FOCH. If you're new to crosswords, lock those away. You will be seeing them again.
Flew through this. My beans were dRIeD first, that took a second and a half to fix. Otherwise it felt like record setting time, except I didn't check the clock before starting.
@Steve J - I include Ted Nugent in the "hasn't aged well" category. I do recall blaring both CAT SCRATCH FEVER and Hair of the Dog (by Nazareth) out of car speakers. Nothing better than your pet rock if you need a good cry.
@fake John Child - Wow, you had me fooled.
Very pleasant easy, breezy Monday w/ a well-executed theme.
General FOCH was not a woe for me. But an alternate clue I would like to see in a future puzzle would lead to the answer Nina FOCH, who was a beautiful Dutch-born actress w/ a lengthy career/HISTORY in film and television. Roles ranging from Gene Kelly's wealthy ART patron in "An American in Paris" to Dr. (Ducky) Mallard's mother on NCIS, she was briefly married to James Lipton (CHAI, anyone?) of "Inside the Actor's Studio" fame.
'Foofaraw' is such an odd-sounding word. Looked up its etymology and found a potpourri of language backgrounds, French, Spanish mangled into English! Much ADO.
I like MEDIA circus over FRENZY, but that's just me.
Thanks, MD and WS.
Wow. I'm in illustrious company with my very own troll!
>John Child 8:08 AM
I thought MegaloMANIA, Facebook FEVER, Cha-cha-cha CRAZE and Feeding FRENZY, would have been more appropriate choices for MARCH MADNESS, but I liked this light and airy Monday puzzle the way it was just fine.
"IVAN the Terrible" is an epic movie directed by Sergei Eisenstein (1898-1948). It was planned as a massive trilogy depicting the life of CZAR IVAN IV. Part I was enthusiastically received and even approved by the Party, the megaloMANIAC Joseph Stalin identified himself with IVAN as a national hero. Part I was the recipient of the coveted Stalin Prize. The yet unreleased Part II however received heavy criticism from various state authorities who had seen it, and Stalin was personally offended by it, because it depicted state terrorism at the hands of a mad IVAN. Therefore he ordered the production of Part III to cease immediately, all footage from the film was confiscated, and it was rumored to have been destroyed, though several filmed scenes still exist today. Part II itself was released only after Stalin's death and his denunciation during the "Khrushchev Thaw", in 1958, when Eisenstein had already been deceased for 10 years. The musical score for "IVAN the Terrible" was composed by Sergei Prokofiev. Here is a brief excerpt.
In nuclear physics three types of radiation are classified: Alpha (α) radiation consists of helium nuclei and is readily stopped by a sheet of paper. Beta (β) radiation, consisting of electrons or positrons, is halted by an aluminum plate. Gamma (γ) radiation is damped by lead, and it is produced by the decay of atomic nuclei as they transition from a high energy state to a lower state known as "gamma decay". The most dangerous type however is the one in which the Greek letter omega (Ω) is inserted between a double dose of gammas, hinting at the fact that once you are hit with it, it's over, baby. It is called γ-Ω-γ radiation commonly referred to as GOG RAY.
Have a happy Monday
And avoid the GOG RAY.
Top half over easy; bottom half medium. I filled in FOCH last -- never heard of him, like Rex. A classic Monday, eh?
@8:08 Poster, I have viewed the blogger profile of @John Child. I communicate regularly with @John Child. @John Child is a friend of mine. @8:08 Poster, you're no John Child.
A very good puzzle. FOCH and ANYA were unkown (unremembered?), but this is a crossword puzzle and the crossing words were known. Because it's Monday I don't have the same issues as Rex but I guess he needs to complain about something.
@John Child (if that is your real name) - lol
I'm in the " liked it" crowd." This was a fun, easy and interesting Monday.
EEK crossing MEEK tickled me.
The only thing that jumped out at me as off was the double MAD in MADLY and MADNESS.
Which brings up the fact that "Mad Men" starts it's final season April 5th ... I can't wait!
Thank you, Michael Dewey for getting us off to a great start this week!
Fun Monday.
I know FOCH from the many Avenues, but couldn't tell you too much more about him, other than he's famous enough that he's got at least one place name in just about any French town.
(I may be in a bunch of those towns coming up soon - maybe I'll create a guided FOCH-based tour.)
I need a decision tree for the GOGRAY choice...I always said I would, but now that the first ones are appearing, coinciding with looking for a new career opportunity, I wonder if I need to succumb. I may also try miniskirts and big sunglasses, but not sure what kind of work that would get me...
Thanks for a fun start to the week, Mr. Dewey.
Fun easy puzzle. Of course I knew Ozarks and have been there many times
@Rhino..to answer your question I always check the posts from the day before in the morning when I get up so see who posted after I went to bed.
Signs you're too old: you studied FOCH in grade school. ESE I liked: IBEAM instead of -bar.
All I've got time for.
Barany, THAT cracked me up!
--John Child (or not)
After I watch a NUDIE I always get the CATSCRATCHFEVER.
--evil
Hey All !
First, no, you can't have my six pack, faux Child!😁
Also, (at the risk of getting "trolled" by an anonymeese) who really cares who's who on a basically anonymous blog? All blogs start out with anonymous posters, however, as time goes by, some people gravitate toward one another, like minds and such, and become friends, either virtual or IRL. As the blog goes on, other people join the fray, and in a perfect world, all get along and play nicely. But it's not a perfect world, so you get the occasional meanie now and again. But, like I said before, who really cares? It's not like this crossword blog will affect world history.
About the puz, nice easy MonPuz, just what the ole brain needs. Liked the themers, some good fill, a sconce high on threes. IMO :-) Only one writeover, cAnoe for KAYAK. Liked the GOG RAY explanation @Alias! How about : Souhtern st. with problems? = FL AILS.
GAFF
RooMonster
DarrinV
Afipia Felis, then Rochalimea Henselae, now Bartonella Henselae. Make up your mind!
Damn, I love this blog. Not only do we get to discuss whether JAMAL is a suitable entry for 1A, the welcome mat of the puzzle of the week's easiest puzzle on a Monday (it's not), but we also get to bear witness to the socio-political weakness of relying on civility as a saving construct for society in a microcosm, played out right before our very eyes.
People of all political leanings, left, right, moderate be warned: that's not the issue! It's a foolish belief in civilization, that a belief that a secure, comfortable society can be formed about a common sense of good behavior. It can't, never has been, never will be. Anarchy will always find the flaws in your system, throw a wrench into what you naively believe to be a safe, stable, comfortable existence, leaving you sobbing in a corner, begging someone, anyone, to restore order. Argue all you like about how if everyone just behaves well all will be well, it's a fools dream.
What is needed is one, strong, virile authority to assure order. A man who when, for example, sees someone upset the common ethos of a system as did the fake John Child, take steps to have this behavior stopped. Say like what happened to Boris Nemtsov. That's what society needs.
So... did anyone catch the answer from the puzzle that @lms hid in her post??????
Bic Kerover,second cousin once removed to Bob Kerfuffle.
@"Evil", that middle vowel is an A, not an O.
@Tita and @LMS, good choice with the giant sunglasses. They'll hide your teary eyes. The mini-skirts, not so much, unless you get busy and hide that gray and tone those thighs....your FASHIONCRAZEd Advisor.
Nice Monday. It hung together well, but who wants to follow Ellen as the Oscar host? It's not going to play well, sorry Neil. Yesterday has already moved into the mythic category for me.
I truly enjoyed this puzzle. Since my husband went to Duke, March Madness has been one of the biggest events of the year for almost 30 years. As far as "Anya"..we crossword puzzle regulars know her name without even thinking about it. Constructors who want to skew contemporary, may consider switching to "blogger Kamenetz".
Go Blue Devils!
Barany, that was so funny that it's now OK with me if you refer us to all of the Puzzles you want. In fact, the more the better.
I enjoyed getting my gold star for the week and this puzzle. Since I permit myself to cheat the rest of the week I'm not eligible for gold stars.
@ real John Child, I am MADLY jealous that you have your own troll. I merely had the collection of troll dolls when I was a kid. I did have a donke trol with blue hair. Just not the same as the real thing.
@ faux John Child, can you tell me more about when your KLEPTOMNIA of names began? Perhaps my dh could help you. He's a shrink. Hope it doesn't push you over pthe EDGE, but you aren't a very good MIMIC.
@ Coffee lovers, I must confess that I do like to add milk that is FOAMy so I suppose that is yet an additional flavor. @ Tita, sorry you cried over yours.
@ Loren Muse Smith, can I borrow your GOG RAY? Maybe my niece who writes for Marvel can incorporate it into some future Marvel movie for a battle between blue haired donkey trolls and GRAY haired crossword nerds.
Good one.
The theme answers are different enough from "kerfuffle" that I don't think I'll pursue a copyright infringement suit. Now, "BIC KEROVER," on the other hand . . . :>)
A theory I have proposed before: I notice that @jae, in the very first comment at 12:08 AM, used the word "spelled," and, by golly, there is a post from a spellcaster at 4:03 AM, after what seems to have been a significant lull. I can't help thinking the two are connected. (No, I'm not suggesting @jae is in cahoots with the witch doctors! I blame it on the bots.)
@rhino Don't feel bad. Tomorrow -- I guess that would be today -- is another day! (sniff) You'll be back. (sniff) You could still be a contender. (sniff)
Why, you could even be Speaker of the House! In more ways than one!
@fauxBillyC9:34 --
Heh, heh. I'm glad to be in the company of those admired enough to be impersonated. A living legend on this blog, and all due to the help given me by the good Professor. Thanks, George!
BTW, and FWIW, I gave his post a pass because it was not his puzzle that he referenced.
Kudos to George for his great job in channeling Lloyd Benson!
@BillyC, Ain't Barany the greatest! Welcome to the club, man!
@Airymom,
Sorry you're married to a prick.
@LMS and your confession yesterday...I too, all alone beweep my outcast state when skipped...or so I thought. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone with your all-too-perceptive description of that 'silly' thought process!
Gripped by the grid? Guilty!
Oh Vlad,
Maybe you should add rex to your inner circle and you and he can take Ukraine!
Super easy fun Monday puzzle. Lots to like, little to dislike. I'd rather ANYA turn up more often than Miss Eyre.
"Foch" is a good word if only that it is fun to say, and hear.
Good way to start the week.
Ms. Sumac seems to be popular these days in Crossworld. Or maybe that's just her troll.
Hey! Math and Science Types might find this interesting.
Schadenfreude/politics lovers might find this amusing.
The second link - apparently I messed up the first time.
Fun Monday, gotta respect a constructor who can make early week puzzles enjoyable. Totally agree with @Rex today, most unusual, right down to being an outlier on FOCH.
I had always thought YMA Sumac was Ima, and that Anya Seton was Anna - but they're endless appearances in crosswords have saved me.
@Finally, the real @John Child comes forward! Or do we have a Sybil in our midst?
Rat fudge. I don't believe any of U are who U say U are.
That's comin from an anonymous dude who's wearin a mask, tho...
Liked this MonPuz; it had some tough bark on it. Plus, if U is still climbin the walls, U can get FOCHUH, on the way back down.
M&A always reverently pauses, to admire YMA. (Young Men's non-Christian Association) Sounds like it needs its own runtpuz theme, to do that sweet lil weeject proper justice...
am startin to tear up. sniff. day-um it, @Rhino...
fave moo-cow MonPuz easy clue: {Ancient city undone by a large wooden horse}. Makes yah think. EQUS? MRED? PITT?
Splish Splash, by Bobby Darin. Rub dub, relaxin in the tub. Long about Saturday night. But I nostalgiate...
anyhoo, good save, for a partial, Mr. Dewey. **If** that is yer name...
M&A
@Mohair Sam: "they're?!!" Really?!
Factoid: Caucasions tend to GO GRAY earlier (and redheads earliest of all), then Asians, followed by African Americans; the general rule is that 50% of the population has about 50% gray hair at age 50 (what dermatologists call the 50-50-50 rule).
Quotoid: "...the Internet is not something that you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of TUBES." -- Ex-Senator Ted Stevens, (AK)
@Z: Thanks for the link. I don't know which was more surprising. That a top NFL player is an excellent mathematician or that an excellent mathematician came out of Penn State. I'd always considered Penn State to be a football factory.
I thought that the fake John Child made a pretty good stab at satirizing the point the real John Child made. And I didn't find it offensive. But the strong point made by the real John Child was not weakened by it.
As an added inducement to joining me, I also shoot self appointed grammar Nazis. Welcome to the dark side?
@ Mohair Sam, Sybil faked her multiple persona. Instead of Sybil we have the Invasion of the Name Snatcher.
@ Masked and Anonymo6Us
Cow patties. U don't really exist at all. U R merely a figment of my imagination.
I am not a robot, but I am a cyborg thanks to a snowboarding accident. Sadly I don't get the satisfaction of setting off the beepers going through TSA screening because I don't have enough titanium in my body yet.
I liked the fake John Child post and George's response. One of those guys was Quayle, but I can't remember the other. Should I youtube it?
I agree with those of you who call us anonamice and meece and similar names. After all, we are different than you are, and you should always make fun of people different than you are. That's how you show you're better.
This blog is proving really useful to me in a way I couldn't have predicted even a few months ago. For years I just skipped Monday and Tuesday (and sometimes even Wednesday) because I didn't find the puzzles challenging enough. (I like to "suffer" when I'm doing a puzzle, and there simply wasn't any suffering on those days.) Now, I no longer skip automatically. I come here, don't look at any of the answers, but skim the comments to get an impression of whether people liked the puzzle and thought there was any challenge at all. If the solvers I most admire -- people who can do Friday and Saturday -- thought the puzzle was at least interesting, I pick up the NY Times and go to it. This new approach has kept me from missing some pleasant and diverting puzzles. Today was better than most Mondays and I'm glad I did it. So thanks, Rex, for a blog that's useful in a way you may not have even thought of. Anyone else use the blog this way?
The humor on this blog is a relief from my daily GRIND.
While no MECCA for the MEEK and frequently much ADO about nothing, OFTimes this cyber FLAILing and BICKERing is entertaining to the MAX.
Right, HUH?
@nancy -- I do Mondays and Tuesdays even though they're easy. I usually learn something from them, and they still give my brain a little jog. There is an art to making a good Monday/Tuesday puzzle; they can shine as brightly as those later in the week.
It's kind of like lounging by the pool rather than swimming laps.
Oh Vlad, there is no doubt that I deserve to be summarily shot. Sadly, or not, two more grammar nazis will (goose-)step in for me as soon as I am dead.
OK, see? This is why I don't usually share my opinions on a blog (Anonymous or RooMonster). They seem to get misread and twisted. I am one of the most self-depreciating people out there (think Alan from Two &A Half Men). All I said was we are all basically "anonymeece" and who cares about others' opinions? I know that sounds harsh, and I actually like all the regular peeps here, vut you know what they say about opinions...
So, I will keep commenting here, and keep reading the others' comments. I just won't inject my personal feelings.
I know, I know, go cry in the corner! :-)
RooMonster
@Lewis - You're point is well taken, but I think Nancy's decision process was whether or not to invest in buying a copy of the Times.
@ Grammar Nazi - Seriously? You deserve to be shot summarily for splitting your infinitive (which isn't wrong in the first place).
@Roo Monster, in that corner you will be in good company especially if you bring unflavored coffee.
Was JAMAL not a gimme for anyone?
I god DiN eFfed at the tsAR/CZAR corner leaving me to think, "What the FOCH?" Anyway, I'm not going to BICKEROVER it.
I was briefly distracted by the NUDIE-Cutie showing down in the GRINDhous so I had to STARE.
All in all I'd say this was a good Monday done basically with the Across clues. Now, if I can only stay out of the sights of the GOG RAY.
@BBGN --
Respectfully, "to be summarily shot" is not a split infinitive. The infinitive in this construct is "to be."
"To summarily be shot" would be splitting the infinitive.
LOL!
Drat, I like Caramel creamer in my coffee...
Roo
YO--BBGN. I didn't split no stinkin' infinitive. You see, a split infinitive means the words in the infinitive "to [verb]" are SPLIT. As in "to boldly go where no man..." I henceforth and therefore dub thee "smaller, not-nearly-as-bad, small-town, ineffective mall cop.
har. M&A has yer grammar nazi immunity; I mean, where would the poor dude start and how would he find the time? Heckuva way to earn yer armband.
@muse: My left eyepit began to well up, when I done realized I would not be the first on my block to mention that there word ladder.
@aketi or somesuch: U have a real extra spooky weird imagination, which has begun to loop back upon itself, so that U are now talkin to Alias-U. Not a good sign. Recommend rest and cinnamon rolls, the latter to be administered intervenously.
M&A
"Real Unreal"
C'mon Roo, time to start passing out those beers. Even to us worthless mice. (Except for M&A, who I am convinced is always drunk.)
No, to be is the infinitive, shot is, in this case the past, participle of shoot. Thus [infinitive] adverb, [verb].
He's not always drunk... he's, well, off an octave, if you will! But without M&A, well, life sure would be duller. And no Runtz. And no U appreciating. And no extra-spicy commentations on wee-jects and what-nots. Hell, weove 'im!
Oh, and that six pack is purely for show, I've already drank'em! Hic!
Roo
@GN--
Gettin' dubbed an ineffective mall cop by the likes of you is an insult, up with the likes of which I cannot put!
;-)
Meant... We love 'im! Course, suppose you can Weove him if you truly wanted to...
Taken in the spirit in which it was intended, which.
My existence is composed of an endless foraging through the fields of the internet in an attempt for recognition and love. I am a pariah, a nonperson in the observable world. My exclusive respite is found within the confines of the blogosphere. I aspire to be acknowledged in these small communities of staunch rapport. Here I am heard but not seen. I can hide my hideous soul from judgmental eyes. On occasion I can invoke a rejoinder from those that I antagonize. This is all I have. Take pity upon me. Be my friend or be my enemy. Just know that I breath. I’M SO LONELY.
@DFEA
Breathe please...take another breath...and avoid grammar nazis
Now you're all just writing grammar nazi bait on purpose. Breath, indeed.
Well that was a good time! First the puzzle, then the write-up and comments.
Very good Monday puzzle, plenty of theme and good words. Just a q and a w would have made it a pangram.
Like @Tita, Maréchal Foch was known to me, also mostly because of the avenues and roads in France.
Dear Will Shortz,
Is it TSAR or CZAR? Can we pick one please?
Best, Greg (posting anonymously because I'm too lazy to open an account.)
Nina Foch Beautiful actress Fosh?
@grammar nazi. Aaaargh. You're insult is well-deserved and taken with shame. You have no idea how I hate seeing that particular mistake, now I've made it.
Well their now, I feel better.
@Zeke -- I've had Times Home Delivery for like since forever (yes, I know, grammar nazi, I know.) My decision isn't whether to buy a paper; my decision is: will it be more educational and productive to actually READ something for a change,rather than do a crossword where my mind is wandering because it's so easy? (I saw Zeke's comment and felt I had to respond immediately; thus I haven't seen anyone else's comment since then. I'll go back now and take a look.)
@Anonymous M and A Psychiatry Annex
I prefer chocolate almond croissants to cinnamon rolls and rest just activates the part of my brain that gets myself into trouble.
Off to MMA class. If I were to do anything via IV it would be beer, but since I'm training for my black belt test in June I've sworn off the stuff til June. After a more than usually vigorous double class of MMA and BJJ one night I sank myself into an Epsom Salt Lavender Foam bath I discovered that if you drink just the right amount of wine from you wine glass, it will float without sinking under the foam bubbles.
Looks like the only one with a six pack left is Vladimir Putin, albeit probably photo-shopped.
@Tita, I was having the GO GRAY discussion with the woman who cuts my hair. She said, "Don't do it"! because quitting is harder than starting. And in an article in the NY Times, a woman writing on the subject said when she asked people their estimates of her age, coloring her hair only gained her around 3 years off the actual. But then I may be rationalizing because I'm too lazy and cheap to color my hair (I'm in Lewis's 50-50-50 range) so you may want to ignore my take on the subject.
Nice Monday puzzle, Mr. Dewey. I didn't tear up once, not even from the CATSCRATCHFEVER.
Anyone watching Dancing with the Stars??? They just did a dance to .....My Sharonna!!!!!
Congratulations to @Michael Dewey for a theme-dense Monday puzzle that elicited numerous responses from this blog's commentariat, quite a bit of which was unrelated to his puzzle.
Earlier inquiries touched upon TSAR vs. CZAR. First of all, great news, even non-subscribers can access xwordinfo.com (c/o @Jim Horne and @Jeff Chen) this week, in honor of the ACPT. TSAR appears 698 times in their database, including 217 times during the @Will Shortz era. CZAR, only 117 total, 64 of which are from the Shortz era.
I suspect the reason for these relative frequencies rests in T and S being far more crossword-friendly letters than C and Z, rather than any great etymological insight. Supporting this hypothesis, a google n-gram shows that TSAR didn't even start until the late 1800's, and has at best a 2-fold advantage since 1930 or so.
@Teedmn...lol...I must be going to the wrong woman...
Mine is obviously more mercenary...she says "The time to start is now - before anyone notices...".
Like you, my cheapness and laziness will prevail - I would be the one with the 3" roots.
@Nancy - In reality I offered that as an explanation (and will someone please explain why explain is spelled the way it is, and explanation is missing the ever so important 'i'?) to forestall trolls from jumping ugly on you. They have, in the past, picked on people for saying they don't do early puzzles because they're too simple. Not to worry though, Dr. Akubu assured me that not only can he get your errant spouse back for you, he can protect you from trolls, for the very reasonable price of $500US. We've grown so close over the past few days I felt you were worth it.
@Zeke: I'm really glad I came back to this site before turning in for the night. That was so nice of you! Extremely chivalrous in an age that lacks chivalry in spades. Thank you. As is probably apparent to everyone, I'm a real babe in the woods when it comes to posting on the Internet. (I've only even had a computer since 12/08.) I have no idea what makes people angry or why. My recent hideous experience with hostility and bullying came as a result not of my discussing politics or religion or even the easiness of early week puzzles; it came from -- are you ready for this? -- soup. As in whether soup is a first course or a side dish. I kid you not. Possibly my naivete in how to post in a way that doesn't upset anyone (read completely colorless and innocuous) means I shouldn't post at all. But I was really, really touched by the way so many people came to my defense and that makes me want to hang around for a while. Which Law is it that Bad drives out Good or some such? It's not Murphy's. Is it Gresham's? It's too bad that it happens. because so many people on this site are extremely nice. You would appear to be one of them and I am grateful. Thanks, Zeke.
I'm surprised that nobody mentioned that GOG and MaGOG RAYs great armies in the final battle of Good vs Evil. That was quite a Revelation and should have been obvious given the current travails within Rex-blog.
@Aketa, so you're going for the black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu? Wow. Good luck... I mean: Boa sorte, with your Brazilian whacks!
Sorry that I missed yesterday: a spritely puzzle and a busy blog. I do like it when Earnest answers Satire.
A special Hello to LD/JHNY and I'll quite understand if nobody responds to this.
@Zeke,
'Explain-explanation' is just following the lead of 'pronounce-pronunciation'. In this case, I O U. Kind of.
@Nancy
'...an age that lacks chivalry in spades'??!!
I say!
Andiamo.
Looks like we've been HEXEd by the spellcasters again. I'm not sayin' their clients are dumb, but kindly scroll up to the last two lines of Wimberly William's entry. 'Nuff said.
On to saner (?) subjects. Or not. Is 5a supposed to be a revealer? Not sure the two MADs belong in the same grid. But you want sports MADNESS for real? Try Big Fight Week. I hear seats are going for $1,000 apiece--and that's only for the WEIGH-IN!! I will be SO glad when this is over.
Ah yes, the puzzle. Amusing. Does USOFA mean we have become a nation of couch potatoes? Did Gen. FOCH have a daughter named Nina? If he's an "outlier," what about CHAI? New to me. Splish splash, Hedy Lamarr was takin' ABATH--and that's about the last time anybody called it a NUDIE. And finally, can't we give poor YMA a break? She's been singing her tonsils off lately in grids.
I would GOGRAY--if I had any hair left. Th-thea-th-thea-th-that's all, folks.
--Daffy
The CZAR spelling makes it more like Caesar, to which it is etymologically related. My Russian wife definitely pronounces it TSAR, with a lot of T (not CHAI) in it, so that’s what it sounds like. Now, take your pick, I just always fill in the --AR and go from there, knowing the options. BTW the Russian word for “tea” is CHAI, some other languages as well.
The Motor City Madman’s song was my favorite entry today; remember it well. But what made him so right-wing? Off the scale.
Crazy, easy Monday, but nothing to BICKEROVER. Liked it fine.
Spellcasters, grammar nazis, nit-pickers, faux-witty punsters. Just a little much.
Monday-easy puzzle which was clean and theme-dense. Liked it. Perfect one to tackle after a 3-day golf trip with 11 close friends.
4648 Nope
DEMO GRIND
IBEAM as I STARE at your REAR, and IOU my duty
to say, “No JOKE, no LAI, this FASHIONCRAZE shows your beauty.”
And I MADLY wish to the MAX that DENIM were NUDIE.
--- CZAR IVAN MIR KAYAK OARS
@Burma Shave: Yours is the one regular post on this blog that I can count on for a good chuckle. Thanks.
@leftcoastTAM - thank you and @Spacey and @teedMN and the others who have acknowledged the effort. It has been +/- 90 poems in +/- 80 consecutive days as either @Burma Shave or @BS2. I wasn't keeping track at the beginning - who knew I could carry on so long? With the multiples, maybe I can get to a whole years worth within a year's time, but there will definitely be days between now and October where I won't be able to write, especially Sundays. So that's why 2 somedays. That and they're low-hanging fruit. We'll just have to see how long it goes.
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