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Relative difficulty: Easy
THEME: same answer twice (or, once, thrice) — answers are pairs of mutually cross-referential repeated-word phrases
Theme answers:
- ZOOM / ZOOM (5A: With 9-Across, an auto ad slogan) (9A: With 5-Across, quickly)
- AUTHOR / AUTHOR (24A: With 26-Across, 1982 Al Pacino film) (26A: With 24-Across, 1962, P.G. Wodehouse books)
- NEW YORK / NEW YORK (40A: With 42-Across, Frank Sinatra signature song) (42A: With 40-Across, where Broadway is)
- HEAR YE / HEAR YE (52A: With 55-Across, town crier's cry) (55A: With 52-Across, Aaron Copland ballet)
- SING / SING [ / SING] (71A: With 72-Across, noted maximum security prison) (72A: With 71- and 72-Across, classic Louis Prima tune)
Tedy Lacap Bruschi (/ˈbruːski/; born June 9, 1973) is a former professional American football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played college football for the University of Arizona, and was a two-time consensus All-American. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and played his entire professional career with the Patriots. Bruschi won three Super Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro selection. (wikipedia)
• • •
Almost all of my struggles (such as they were) came from my poor reading skills. I know very well who TEDY Bruschi is, but somehow when I read the clue I both missed the football angle and registered that the answer would be a woman. I keep looking at the clue now, trying to imagine how that is possible. And I can't. I also botched (predictably) the crosswordese 6D: County in Colorado or New Mexico. I wanted OSAGE ... but then I thought no, it's the other one (?), by which I *meant* OTERO, but what came out was OTAGO, which makes a kind of sense, as that's the University my wife attended in New Zealand, but ... not the right answer here. I had "AUTEUR / AUTEUR" at first (not a joke). Really hate the corny clue on 34D: What generals keep up their sleevies? which I'm only just now realizing says "sleevies" instead of "sleeves," making me hate it even more. Ugh. Your wacky clues should at least make *some* literal sense. At least *wave* at the meaning of the words that are in your clue. Fill is bygone-NYT standard. Normal and dull ... though I do love "CHINATOWN" (the movie, anyway), and YOU BETCHA! is not a bad answer.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Easy because what Rex said.
ReplyDeleteIs ERNO Rubik too hard for a Tues.? Because, ERNO as clued is not good. I mean ASHANTI was OK so why not ...
If you google "sleevies" you get a link to Dumb Jokes That Are Funny...not sure I agree.
Given the Lollapuzzoola context this was fine, a mild liked it.
Hey Rex -- thanks for the additional shout out to Lollapuzzoola!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to also echo that Rex is right in that our puzzles tend to break the mold a bit more than this one does. Will Shortz chose to run this (and we're super grateful for the publicity, and the opportunity to showcase Andrea's puzzle), but to anyone considering Lollapuzzoola next weekend (or in the future), you should know that if our stuff runs a "relatively straightforward theme puzzle" to "weird off-the-page make-you-question-all-life-choices" spectrum, today's puzzle is definitely at the far left end of that dial.
So join us on Saturday in NYC, or join us whenever you want from your own home. We sell the At-Home version (via emailed PDF) through August 28. www.bemoresmarter.com
The ancient city of EPHESUS was an answer several days ago, and probably her most famous son was the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus (flourished c. 500 BC). One of his most famous epigrams is:
ReplyDelete"You can't step into the same river twice."
But ACME has proved him wrong with this fun and enjoyable "double-dipping" puzzle.
Here's my Grade for Rex's write-up: C-
Had a bad feeling when I reached the clue for 1-Across (Computers that are un-PC: MACS).
ReplyDeleteDidn't notice that the second words in the theme answers were clued until I came here. Those second clues seem gratuitous.
The clues for KENO (Casino game that looks like a thou, in reverse) and TEDY (Former New England Patriot Bruschi whose name is a bear to pronounce?) felt like British cryptic crossword clues with training wheels. I wish that true cryptic clues could be sprinkled into American puzzles, i.e. "Casino game returns a thou" or "Cheered Bruschi's a bear."
The ZOOM/ZOOM as clued in 5A is exactly the ZOOM/ZOOM as clued in 9A. NY/NY address = NY/NY song. Author! Author! movie <> Author! Author! book (though both need the exclamation point). HearYe HearYe court cry = HearYe HearYe Copland ballet context, Sing Sing jail <> Sing Sing song.
ReplyDeletePick one and stick to it.
I was a teacher for many years and became obsessive about being that guy who ZIPS UP after each comfort break. I also never had more cash in my life than when I was married to the hair dresser. She quickly learned that money was in the chemicals, PERMS and colors. Get those clients addicted to the bottle!
ReplyDeleteVery easy. Fun idea. Liked it more than Rex did.
ReplyDeleteI did not complete this time, as soon as I filled in KENO I had to walk away for a while...just the worst
ReplyDeleteI'm all discombobulated. Couldn't sleep. Got up thinking for some reason it was Friday. Saw Andrea's name. Saw grid. Thursday? Oh right – Tuesday. Hey, Andrea! Why do I suddenly have this earworm?
ReplyDeleteI agree that once you see the trick, you get some freebie fill-ins. Na und? No biggie for me.
I wonder if those who don't do the fill-in-the-blanks first wanted "chop chop" for ZOOM ZOOM. And I kept thinking it was Arthur! Arthur! instead of AUTHOR AUTHOR. I get all wobbly when I have to spell either of those words.
Fun, different theme for a Tuesday. Rex – I totally missed that 72A's clue made the SING a triple. Cool.
So KAISER, a TSAR, and a PASHA walk into a bar…
CHINATOWN/NEW YORK. Nice.
@Cameron Swartzell – I loved the clue for KENO. Different strokes and all that, huh?
Oh, and I got a kick out of 51D BYE NOW – secondary themesome-ish:
Gotta go. BYE BYE.
NOW NOW – calm down, Loren. It'll all grow back. (Yeah – there's a story there.)
Ever notice how many words describing a grump begin with CR? CRANKy, crabby, cross, crotchety, crusty. Lose the R, and you still have choleric, cantankerous, combative, churlish, contentious, contrary, curmudgeonly, caustic. And don't get me started on all the bajillion car makes and models that begin with C. Think about it.
Andrea – enjoyed this one! I especially liked CYBORG, YOU BETCHA (you Minnesota girl, you), BATTY, and ZIPS UP. Zip up your input there, buddy.
How very cool of the New York Times to promote the Lollapuzzoola tournament coming up this weekend, and then to see supportive comments from @Rex as well as from tournament co-organizer @Brian Cimmet. Several of my friends will be at the tournament, though I can be with them only in spirit.
ReplyDelete@Andrea Carla Michaels' puzzle today is evocative of the place where I grew up, i.e., NEW_YORK,_NEW_YORK, but also includes a sly wink to my adopted home which doubles as the state where ACME grew up, i.e., YOU_BETCHA is vintage Minnesota-speak. Head elsewhere to read more of the puzzle's backstory.
Finally, depending on how much time you have, click here (17 seconds) or here (about 4 minutes). Forget it, Jake, that's CHINATOWN.
Andrea's Minnasootaa roots come to light with 37D YOU BETCHA! The Cheesehead in me took to that right away. Thought this was better suited for a Monday. As Rex said after ZOOM ZOOM the second word was just automatically filled in.
ReplyDeleteTwo write overs, BATTY over nuTsY at 28A and BYE NOW over BYE bye which I thought might be part of the theme.
Cute puzzle, just too easy.
That was a fun solve. Maybe it's a Minnesota thing. (I was born there.)
ReplyDeleteGreat ego booster as I'm still a relative newbie to crosswords, so hearing that this puzzle was used in competition and had a 15 minute time limit made me feel like a superstar when I finished in nine!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the puzzle, and not just because it was easy. I also enjoyed the double or repeated references in the clues, echoing the themers: "two cents", there were 2 rulers (old Russian and old German), "example for example, for example" (ok so that's a triple...) And "what generals keep up their sleevies?" was a genuine LOL moment.
I put this in "A" territory as I really did have fun with it.
There is always a brightness and spirit of fun in Acme's puzzles that give it a shine. The ARMIES clue shot my mind right back to its childhood sense of silliness. Bouncy words are sprinkled throughout -- BATTY, ZOOM, CHIT, TRIPE, ZILCH, HASH, BYE_NOW. As well as in the clues -- "bonkers", "horsefeathers", "bubkes", "toodles".
ReplyDeleteIt's a very clean grid, and it includes a HASH out. For me this was a feel-good Tuesday puzzle. Me likey.
I enjoyed today's puzzle, but perhaps I was a bit biased by reading the byline about Lollapuzzoola. Super bummed that I can't make it this year. Went last year and had a blast. At any rate, Rex's critique was valid.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely doing the home solve. I did this with the Indie 500, and realized how amazing the puzzles were. I'm sure I would've missed all the nuances, had I rushed through them at the tournament.
Cheers!
34D: What generals keep up their sleevies?
ReplyDeleteThat clue was the funniest I've seen this year, or perhaps ever. This puzzle gets an A+ for that.
Like Rex, once I got the theme, I just filled in the second part of the theme and didn't even read the clues on most of them. Five words that ranged from four to seven letters that were automatic gimmes gave up a huge amount of real estate. The only thing that slowed me down here were the TYPOs I was making because I was filling so fast. The only outlier, which was easily fixed by the crosses, was MEAGRE. Meagre? Seriously?
ReplyDeleteI have played in churches most of my adult life. I suppose I've played for 50+ Easter/Holy Week services. Not to mention the years and years of playing for churches and walking in and out of their sanctuaries where there are prints of Jesus hanging on the cross with INRI inscribed above him. But for some ungodly reason (maybe literally), I just can't remember what those letters are. If I see INRI out in the wild I know what it means...but trying to conjure it up ex nihilo, well...I needed some crosses (no pun intended because I hate puns) to get it.
The 15 minute time limit to do this puzzle seems really generous, especially given the head start of all of the double entries. But I suppose they have to cap it at some arbitrary time that still allows for puzzles, coffee, and conversation. BTW, is coffee allowed in the solving room? That would seem to be a kind of PED that gives an unfair advantage. :D
Think " I'm nailed right in". Catholic school child's acronym for INRI!
Delete@NCA -- Maybe no pun intended, but damn, that was a good one!
ReplyDeleteThanks Acme for a fun puzzle. I did see the other clues for the themers...loved them and loved armies!!!
ReplyDeleteDid not get 38down..erno..someone explain please
@chefbea - I think you've gotta read it with the same uncomfortable pause as was clued. "Er...no."
DeleteLike when my husband, last night, asked me if I wanted to drive clear across town for dinner after a long day at work. My reply? "Er...no." Replace it with, "Um...sorry" and a little head shake, you get basically the same thing.
I hope that's right. :) That's how I read it, anyway.
Sounds to me like Rex really liked it.
ReplyDeleteHand up for not noticing the second clues to the repeat answers.
ReplyDeleteFirst themer in was NEWYORK..., and I was briefly excited to think it this would be a mirror-image puzzle, so the answer would be NEWYORK KROYWEN. So, that one's still out there to be done.
I am certain I have seen the sleevies clue in a crossword before. No one here seems to recognize it, so it must have been Washington Post. Didn't like it then, either.
I'll need to look up who ASHANTI is/was, but the crosses were all straightforward.
Litmus still comes from lichens. Surprising we haven't learned to synthesize it.
@Alysia thanks..I thought that's what it was but wasn't sure
ReplyDeleteMy my.
ReplyDeleteI wish this had provided more OHMS, but, still, it's Tuesday. Did you notice, people, that I just created my very own pun? (Yes, I know it's not that kind of resistance, but still -- a pun!) Like Rex, I only noticed the first clue for the theme answers. They were ridiculously easy, whereas the 2nd clue (other than NEW YORK, NEW YORK) was much, much harder. I didn't know any of the others. Unlike yesterday, I actually had to think every once in a while -- so not bad for an early week puzzle.
ReplyDelete@NCA Prez - Just own it. No disclaimer needed.
ReplyDelete@Anon late yesterday - Nin will appear again.
KENO - ONE K - People don't like that clue? Wow. A little groaner is a good start to any day.
A little easy for a Tuesday, but, if you accept the premise, a well executed puzzle. I do get why the doubled up answers might bug people, but I find it a fun little twist on our "no repeating" expectations.
Personally, I think "Chinatown" is overrated. Would have been better without the director acting in it. Whenever I hear the phrase "Author! Author!" I think of poor Henry James who had to climb up on stage after the premiere of his play "Guy Domville," only to be booed and jeered by a section of the capacity crowd. Easy puzzle but could have used more "ZIP"!
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if @Rex could review the puzzle without knowing who the constructor is.
ReplyDeleteI heard it as: Where did Napoleon keep his armies? Knowing me, I must have laughed wildly because I find puns that sorta make fun of the English language quite amusing.....just like this puzzle. This was a perfect, fun Monday puzzle. I probably would have guessed it was an ACME because of the bounce she adds to her puzzles.
ReplyDeleteBubkes always gets me. They and babka and bubbee. I want them all to be grandma's.
So YOU BETCHA is Minnesota speak? I say it all the time...just like ER NO.
No BATTY TRIPE here...just a fun puzzle.
At first I thought the themers were going to be two different but reversible words, like "Novel by Nora Ephron"/"Good cookbook for a greens lover" -- so finding it was the same word twice was a little disappointing. More to the point, though, apparently there's a Wodehouse book I haven't read yet, so that's a bright spot to my day!
ReplyDeleteFun fact: the clue for Chinatown works for both NEW YORK, NEW YORK, and London, UK.
Before seeing the clue for 43D, I had WE_R and for some reason was expecting it to be WEiR. Is there a pun puzzle idea in that? You know, the fisherman who had nothing to WEIR? But that's the only example I can think of. @Loren?
Small quibble at 54A -- an ALIBI is proof of innocence, not an excuse. Otherwise, a fine fun puzzle.
Cute theme, but I wish the 2nd clues had actually been necessary.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Minnesota-ism of YOU BETCHA also extends to its neighboring BYE NOW. I can hear my dad concluding every phone call with, "You bet. Bye." (Wisconsinites are apparently terser.)
Did my ASHANTI research. Gotta love her middle name: Shequoiya. All five vowels plus "and sometimes y", and a q. I could live without the h, though.
ReplyDeleteHey All !
ReplyDeleteFigured out that each themer repeated, I believe it was HEARYE HEARYE that did it. Then said, "Are they all just repetitions?" and went back through the themers and saw they were. Kind of a bummer at first, but in retrospect, I appreciate it more. Five themers, spread out nicely. And relatively clean fill. So, chalk it up to a nice TuesPuz.
Usually see the Constructors name before doing puz, but somehow missed ACMEs name this time. Does seem like one of her puzs, especially the cluing.
Got ON EARTH right off, growing up Catholic and saying that prayer every Sunday. Wanted Bminor for BSHARP, and the whole "sleevies" thing was lost on the ole brain. Got it now, finally. Fun clue for TYPO.
Like @LMS, thought about ArTHuR for AUTHOR for a bit. Funny how word recognition works.
MUMBO jumbo
RooMonster
DarrinV
@GILL (9:43)-- While I found the armies/sleevies thing fairly amusing in the puzzle, I think it's much funnier when told in the way you first heard it. This must be the reason comedians spend so much time polishing their material.
ReplyDelete@kitshef, I'm likin' your lichen factoid.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, lipstick on a pig, eh? Mezzo,mezzo.
@jberg (9:48) -- I have now spent as much time and energy pondering your "reversible" Nora Ephron and cookbook/greens clue suggestions as I spent on the entire puzzle. I'm sure those suggestions will prove to be much more interesting and provocative. Since I can't for the life of me figure out WOE you're talking about, can you please explain? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHUBBA HUBBA! Fun!
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle. A. Lot. Never met an ACMe puzzle I didn't though, just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteI never do this but I'm going to today. To include a little greater opacity for some of the three letter ESEish answers:
23A. One of what can be obtained at 47A
47A. Contracted institution of higher education
That was all triggered by the answer to 45A not being a standard American spelling.
Upon reflection, I realize that the themers are actually 8, 12, and 14 letter answers that simply have a hole in the middle–reducing the word count from 78 to 73. It is some sort of bonus that they get to be clued in various ways.
I doubt there is a single one of us who came anywhere close to the 15 minute limit. I thought the cluing was very direct and pretty easy. @Martin Abresch, I've often considered cluing a standard Quick Crossword 15X with all cryptic clues. I seriously doubt Will would go for it even though it might be a nifty Thursday idea.
My go to joke with little kids is the sleevies-armies joke so I enjoyed that one a lot.
ReplyDeleteTheme concept was clever and well executed but the abundance of repetition took a lot of fun out of the solve.
ReplyDelete@NCA President, you are not alone. Though I was in Catholic schools from elementary through college, I can never remember those four letters of the cross inscription.
"I'm nailed right in"!
ReplyDeleteNow I am going to go back and read those second clues.
Superfast, supereasy, but I thought pretty good and fun.
Yay! So glad this reached such a wide audience after all these years. Congrats to Acme for the sale, and thanks to Will and Rex for plugging the tourney!
ReplyDeleteIt's always such a blast to get together and cavort at the annual crossword-themed party that is LPZ. We get some of our friends to write awesome puzzles and, hopefully, provide enough laughs and snacks that people will want to come back next year. Occasionally, some cheese balls are thrown.
See some of you in a few days!
ReplyDeleteThis was fun, fun!
My preference though is to B natural rather than SHARP. But I liked ACMe's shout-out to Michael.
Is this the first time ever that ERNO was clued not as the name? Yes it is! Of the 117 times ERNO appeared, they were all clued as the name, mostly "cubist" Rubik, but also composer Dohnányi, conductor Rapée, cosmetician Laszlo, or just the Hungarian man's name. My favorite clue was "Man from Reno" (Mel Taub, P and A, January 6, 2013).
MEAGRE -- meagre? Tsk, tsk.
She Said, She Said: "Breaker! Breaker! Mary, Mary, Sugar, Sugar: The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming to America, America." "Rachel Rachel, Buddy, Buddy, Promises... Promises! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Boeing Boeing!"
A little Bach is always good to sign off with. Here ERNŐ Balogh (1897-1989) plays a few of the two-part inventions. Why two-part? To celebrate today's theme, that's why. As for ERNŐ Balogh, to me it sounds like he was Glenn Gould's forerunner and inspiration.
Happy Tuesday!
While I found this to be a totally acceptable puzzle with a minimum of dreck, it was a speed-solve for me and therefore less enjoyable. Nothing that I had to work at, and a record Tuesday speed to show for it.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent Monday puzzle, but Tuesday should have a touch more bite, IMO.
@jberg--"nothing to WEIR"...funny! And a guilty laugh for @Mecobren's "I'm nailed right in." My kind of (bizarre) humor.
ReplyDeleteVery much enjoyed the puzzle, ACME. Thanks!
54 theme letters and some super fill like CHINA TOWN, ZIPS UP, CYBORG -- YOU BETCHA I liked it! WTG, ACME!
ReplyDeleteWell another ZOOM ZOOM solve for me today. compared to my usual snail's pace. Not even a TYPO. I got a kick out of the clue for CYBORG, since Eddie Neumeier (who wrote the screen play for Robocop with Michael Miner) went to my high school.
ReplyDeleteDang, I am NOT anonymous, So much for no TYPOS today. I must have erased my identity somehow.
ReplyDeleteWhile I noticed that the theme answers were doubled, it escaped me that they were all next to each other in the grid - I am Lollapuzzoola-bound this weekend so I treated this as if I were solving it at the tournament; namely, in panic mode. Who has time to see where the next twin answer is in the grid?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was fun that each doubled answer could be clued in two different ways - it seems the pool of themers to pick from would be limited. So I give ACME credit for a clever puzzle.
I was able to finish it well within the 15 minute time, but not as fast as I would have liked. However, I do not expect to finish anywhere near the top. I hope to meet some Rexites there!
ReplyDeleteThanks @AliasZ - always nice to learn about a classical musician, esp. any 'early' performer of Baroque music - in his case Bach and Scarlatti. Alas, there is MEAGRE info on the Web. Rah Rah two-part inventions!
Seeing the clue and answer ON_EARTH got me wondering about Renaissance musical settings. It looks as though it began to be more popular during the Baroque and became increasingly so after that. It seems that the most famed of early examples is a motet of Josquin, a piece which apparently 'occupied a place very close to [his] heart: this was the motet that, in his will, he asked to be performed posthumously before his house during all general church processions.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTKYAAJG66U
Two generations later his musical heir Willaert wrote one of his own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTKYAAJG66U
I chose this one (there are but few on YT) because it was performed by the 'group' Magdala (now VoiceChoice), which is a '..unique community-based musical organisation...it provides opportunities for adults and young people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to discover their creative and vocal ability through the power of opera and, in doing so, introduces opera to new audiences and gives pleasure to thousands of concertgoers throughout the East Midlands each year.' I heard of this a while back, and it looks absolutely terrific. Perhaps only in England.
http://www.voicechoice.org.uk/
@Mecobren - I'm trying to imagine the nuns sharing this mnemonic and failing.
ReplyDeletewhy are you such a pretentious douchebag rex?
ReplyDeleteI waitied until late in the commentary day, hoping someone would help with the 26A "With 24-Across, 1962 P.G. Wodehouse books" clue, but to no avail. I tried googlizing, but no luck there either. Did he write a book titled "Author, Author" in 1962? Or two books, each titled "Author"? The www.PGWodehouseBooks.com site doesn't even list anything for 1962. Looks like he wrote a ton of stuff, though, so maybe I'm just missing something.
ReplyDelete@Anoa Bob - Apparently it is a collection of his correspondence.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at @6:00 PM what fuels your misogynistic aggressiveness? Nothing better to do in your room?
ReplyDelete@Anoa...Does "Performing Flea" ring a bell? I believe that is what his introductions were called in England. The version in the U.S. was changed to "Author Author." I only know this because I could never get enough of Woodehouse....Such a card!
ReplyDelete@Anon 6:30 -- Your heart is in the right place, but you don't mean misogynistic. That's aggressiveness specifically directed against women. What you mean is misanthropic. That's a hatred of humanity in general and would cover antipathy to Rex.
ReplyDeleteMEAGRE APING
ReplyDeleteHEARYE, HEARYE, we need INPUT from a dork,
who DYES to MOCK SNL in NEWYORK, NEWYORK,
a BATTY AUTHOR to write TRIPE, and HASH out a SKIT,
with no need ONEARTH to BSHARP for that CHIT.
--- ASHANTI ELLIS-ASHE
PASHAS and KAISERs and TSARs, oh my! With an ABBOT thrown in for a religious boot. Also the extra NEWYORKy local stuff, not unlike what happened at the MN tourney. Saw the note, checked the clock, and took off. +/- 9 minutes depending on the digital readout rounding to the next minute; coulda been 8:01 or 9:59. Only later saw that ACME was the constructor, which probably influenced OFL’s grade.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate any puz with BOND, James BOND. I’ve seen all the movies.
I’ll pass on OPRAH and go all yeah baby on today’s SINGer ASHANTI. YOUBETCHA.
Did not read the sleevies as such (dumb), nor the second clues for the doubles as for once I was going for time. The ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM of going for time did take out some of the usual pleasure. Better than most Tuesdays, methinks, after some rumination. BYENOW.
One thing for sure you're going to have with an ACME puzzle: fun. I imagined her sending away to ACME Mfg. Co. for a whole case of immunity--which she squandered away in a single grid! It's kind of like bad science fiction: you just have to suspend disbelief. Or in this case, suspend the no-repeat rule. Others ask why; our gal asks why not?! The theme, of course, was a great time-saver for solving, but there were still some awkward sticking points in the forced fill.
ReplyDeleteITNO is a primo "exmaple." (I love this TYPO: "I used to be a sap.") Not sure where else you can find this super-awkward partial, but to clue it via an obscure album cut that never even cracked the top 40 is ludicrous. This crossing the name of a county?? ER...NO. And BTW I agree that should have been the cube guy. Also, something that @ACME will NEVER do: ERRON the side of caution!
On the way out, I was so sure it was BYEbye that I wrote it in. YOUBETCHA she tried her hardest to work that corner that way; it would have made a perfect theme lagniappe.
Never mind what's in the grid: my DOD is the irrepressible Andrea herself. Sorry I never met you in person, sweetie, that's my loss. I'm not going to give a cold critical grade on this one. Teacher takes a day off.
My, my. Wasn't that fast.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the note, the little devil of time awareness jumped on my shoulder and wouldn't leave. "Hurry, hurry!" he said. Blah, blah, blah.
That took most of the fun out of the puz. Almost missed the funniest clues. I even put the puzzle aside, sipped coffee, petted Lambo, looked around - all in an attempt to slow down and enjoy.
"Now, now," said puzzle devil. "C'mon, c'mon."
Now I'm gonna go back and enjoy what I missed. Bye, bye.
Diana, Lady-in-waiting, waiting, waiting
For those, like me, who are annoyed by cross-references in puzzles, this one came as a pleasant surprise.
ReplyDeleteAs bonuses, maybe, we have OTERO (same name, two counties) and BSHARP (C natural equivalent).
Once the trick was uncovered (after a little CRANKiness about the cross-reference feature), it was easily finished.
A Tuesday treat.
ReplyDeleteAn enjoyable,fair puzzle. Far more fun to work at than way too many others in recent weeks...
From Syndication Land:
ReplyDeleteI never time myself when I do the puzzle. The note on the top made me hurry through the puzzle. The clever clues just served to annoy me because they slowed me down! I can now understand why Rex is so cranky about so many puzzles. I for one won't try to speed solve again!
So, I never time myself, but the note at the beginning goaded me into doing just that today. Just under 8 minutes, which I realize is very slow by elite solvers' times, although I did it in ink on paper. I didn't really enjoy the experience-too concerned about speed rather than enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteQuite late to the fray today as I was babysitting my 1-yr old grandson. Took him to a restaurant for breakfast with several friends. He had a ball, although too little of his scrambled egg. And then...oh, never mind. You don't need another cute grandkid story.
Oh yeah, the puzzle. Nice to see one by ACME. She has a certain touch on the early week puzzles, and this was quite enjoyable. Liked the ONEK clue, and the ARMIES/sleevies. Sure they're silly, but kinda neat, something of which we need more.
@rain forest:
ReplyDeleteC'mon, you can end your sentence with a preposition if you want to.
Not a Grammar Nazi
Churchill (W), when chided for ending a sentence with a preposition, said, "Madam, that is something up with which I shall not put."
ReplyDeleteD,LIW
Or the reply to the senior at (insert snobbish college here) from the hillbilly freshman when told not to end an inquiry to an upperclassman in a preposition - "Where's the cafeteria at, @$$hole?"
ReplyDelete@Anonymous (7:16), and @Rondo - oops! Won't happen again. Denigration for being grammatically correct is something I don't need any more...of.
ReplyDelete"If there is anyone on earth who could decide not to die it would be Susan Sontag;....right before Christmas, she is lying in a bed in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, on the Upper East Side, doing something that very much appears to those around her to be dying.
ReplyDeleteShe and her friend Sharon DeLano stay up late listening to Beethoven’s late string quartets in her hospital room. Sontag is very doped up. She is in a good enough mood to tell Sharon one of her favorite jokes. “Where does the general keep his armies?” Sharon answers, “I don’t know.” “In his sleevies,” Sontag says, smiling" - THE VIOLET HOUR Katie Roiphe (lithub.com)
**** 72 across got my attention:
With 71- and 72-Across, classic Louis Prima tune [SING SING SING]
I'm familiar with clues that reference other clues, but I don't think I've seen a clue that references its own answer. Anyone know of any examples? Perhaps someone ambitious could create a recursive nightmare of a puzzle where all the clues make use of their own answers!