.png)
Relative difficulty: Easy
THEME: OOH! OOH! — themers open with repeated long-U syllable:
Theme answers:
- LULULEMON (17A: Big name in athletic wear)
- BOO-BOO BEAR (23A: Jellystone Park toon with a bow tie)
- PUPU PLATTER (35A: Assortment of appetizers at a Polynesian or Chinese restaurant)
- GOO-GOO EYES (49A: Amorous look)
- VUVUZELAS (58A: Noisemakers at the 2010 World Cup)
Pinochle (English pronunciation: /ˈpiːnʌkəl/) or binocle (sometimes pinocle, or penuchle) is a trick-taking card game typically for two to four players and played with a 48-card deck. It is derived from the card game bezique; players score points by trick-taking and also by forming combinations of cards into melds. It is thus considered part of a "trick-and-meld" category which also includes a cousin, belote. Each hand is played in three phases: bidding, melds, and tricks. The standard game today is called "partnership auction pinochle." (wikipedia)
• • •
I enjoy a simple semi-wacky sound theme like this on a Monday. Yes, the OO/OO thing is not exactly tight—you leave a few potential options on the table (CHOO CHO, MUUMUU, JUJU). But the answers in the chosen symmetrical set are a lively bunch, and the rest of the fill, though not sterling, is solid and inoffensive. Could've done without the no-one-says-it AMUSERS, especially after already having dealt with SNARLER (see also BUDGETER, I guess), but otherwise, nothing made me wince. I might've gotten close to my record time if I hadn't (once again) blanked, this time (at the very end) on 9A: H.S. class for a future doctor, maybe (AP BIO). Too much abbr. for my brain to handle. Had the AP in place and went to close it out ... and pfft. Had to toggle to crosses. Precious seconds! Maybe if ICE SAWS had computed as "fishing tools" earlier, things coulda been different (my honest first thought with ICE SAWS: "What ... are they doing to the fish!? ... oh, right").
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
When I got to 46D, I immediately thought of LMS.
ReplyDeleteOn the tough side for a Mon. for me. The theme answers seemed more Tues. than Mon. Really liked the goofy theme, but was not that fond of the fill. Starting off with @Rex three abbrs. didn't help. Plus, @Rex AMUSERS, BUDGETERS, SNARLER, ETDS... Still, theme trumps fill, liked it.
ReplyDeleteBlew through this in a hurry. Took 15 seconds off my previous Monday record.
ReplyDeleteTheme was okay, but just okay. What I didn't like was that the first three had the consonant three times: LLL, BBB, PPP. But the last two did not.: GGE, VVZ.
Thought it was an excellent Monday puzzle. Liked all the themers, although truly hate the infernal din the VUVUZELAS made/make in real life. LIked RAMROD and ICESAWS, although agree that BUDGETER and AMUSERS were strained. Also did not like starting with WDS.
ReplyDeleteAll in all fun solve with minimal junk.
Lots of baby talk in this nice little Monday effort. It wasn't quite a LULU, a little bit koo koo, but certainly not doo doo. Ear worm alert: remember that Police song? "De Do Do Do," is the official title according to my phone. Too too much food, family, and friends for me to attempt posting a link at this late hour. And who can forget the most inclusive of all musical instruments? Those VUVUZELAS are much easier to play than, for example, a BALALAIKA. Nuff said about that.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever really read LOLITA? I did about twenty years ago and it kinda got into my head. I thought it was about a guy's fixation on a young girl from afar. Boy, was I wrong about the distance part. Much to say, but not in this forum.
Back to baseball. I was all geared up to pick a big nit with 33A. I was convinced that any ball put into play that resulted in a runner's advancing to another base was ruled a sacrifice. So, "Sac fly result," like a sacrifice bunt, would not necessarily have to be an RBI. Au contraire, and I'm glad I checked. A fly ball that moves the runner over to scoring position, while deserving of high fives in the dugout, is still considered a time at bat. Live and learn.
I kept wanting to write zuzuvuelas. It took a few seconds to get that straightened out. I remember those horns were driving people nuts.
ReplyDeleteAt first she "ran a temperature" in American parlance, and I could not resist the exquisite caloricity of unexpected delights -Venus febriculosa- though it was a very languid LOLITA that moaned and coughed and shivered in my embrace.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed easy enough, but at 8+ minutes this was more than double my usual Monday time. I'm still not entirely sure what happened here.
ReplyDelete@JC66 - Me too, immediately!
ReplyDeleteNice to get back to Crossword land. Have had back to back houseguests for the last three weeks. Slinging hash and washing sheets and towels have occupied my life lately. Been serving a lot of PUPU PLATTERS.
Fun Monday puzzle that required a bit of thought, two thumbs up.
You know you've been reading this blog too long when your first thought after finishing the puzzle is "Oh no, another LOLITA blogfest, and another LIE(lay)LOW lesson" (hi @LMS and @JC66). On the plus side, we did get car RAMROD from Super Troopers. Now if someone could just work Johnny Chimpo into a grid...... @Roo, maybe you could ???
ReplyDeleteDonuts are not food.
ReplyDeleteJust zipped through. Didn't have to change anything except the spelling of pinochle yet still took 16 minutes. Guess I'm a slow reader or typer or both. That's why I don't time myself when, as I usually do, I work on the print version. The iPad insists on giving you your time.
ReplyDeleteI think I would have been a fan of the puzzle if I had any idea about LULULEMON. The Wikipedia article is interesting ... they are no LL Bean. Lulu Lemon would be a great name for FrOOt LOOps flavor though.
ReplyDeleteMy discourse on the donut's place at the breakfast table yesterday disappeared. Probably for the best, though I hope those lost little bytes find a good home somewhere.
Fine Mondaypuz: below average time, so easy here too. Happy year of the ROOSTER (Cogburn?).
It's been a while since I read the FAQ for this site. It's updated and worth a look even if you have been visiting the blog for ages. http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/p/frequently-asked-questions-i-get-lots.html
ReplyDeleteI associate Peter Gordon with those wicked-hard Crossfire puzzles, so it was a real surprise to see his name at the top of the gird this morning.
ReplyDeleteVUVUZELAS was my first themer, but I misspelled it as “vuvuzulas,” so I was thinking all the themers would have three long u sounds.
When I got GOO GOO EYES, I was vaguely waiting for “choo-choo train” – too long, but still. Bet lots of us were expecting that one.
I couldn’t help but notice ETHIC right over DELTA.
Liked The Crying Game’s RAE crossing OUR LADY. Yup.
Forced to name my favorite all-time word, I think I’d say DWEEB. I’m thinking it’s just fun to say that initial DW.
Knock-knock
Who’s there?
Dwayne
Dwayne who?
Dwayne the bathtub, I’m dwowning!
@JC66, @chefwen, @Moly Shu – I know, right? I’ll just give that a REST and lay low on that one for a while.
@Larry – this forum had much to say about LOLITA on this day.
@GHarris – I spelled it “Pinoccle” first.
@Robin – good catch on the first consonants.
Thanks, PITA – all good fun today.
I like the silly oo-oo sounds of this puzzle. It played fast, but I have never heard of VUVUZELAS. The animal, vegetable, mineral quandary comes to mind, but the sound of them tickles me. LULULEMON is everywhere and BOOBOO was a cutie from the past.
ReplyDeleteThe PUPUPLATTER must be Hawaiian in origin. I don't use the term but my MIL who vacationed there for months every winter and took to wearing muumuus around her home in Westchester, liked to offer PUUPUUs to all her guests.
We went to PLANB for burgers during the ACPT in Stamford. I'm still thinking about that burger, it was so good, however that's the silliest restaurant name ever.
"Sac fly" was very tricky. I was remembering the years of the gypsy moth nightmare. We awakened one morning to find them crawling up our house in massive numbers. I did figure out the sporty answer however and knew PETE and the more difficult SEAVER. It is a good day here in ESPN land.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor a Monday? Outstanding.
ReplyDeleteYou can't say the theme answers without smiling. But I especially appreciate the longish verticals: URANIUM, PINOCHLE, RELAPSE, OUR LADY, SEAVER, RAMROD, ICE SAWS--much mo' bettah than typical early week fare.
BOO BOO! Queeksdraw! Rut-roh! I hate meeces to pieces! Hanna-Barbera artwork lacked the wonderful detail of, say, early Popeye or Tom and Jerry cartoons, but the characters and dialogue helped atone for that....
Eartly morning off to the airport - first time to New York since 2012! Just enough time to say I loved this puzzle - made me laugh. BOOBOOBEAR was delightful and the VUVUZELAS wer an inspired flourish for the conclusion.
ReplyDeleteCheri Oteri! Horation creation! This was such a fun puzzle. Had ICE AXES before SAWS, duh.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI guess Ian unusual in that I enjoy taking my time with puzzles and never try to time myself
ReplyDeleteNice Monday for a change
Simple and sweet, with a couple of sub themes:
ReplyDelete* Animals (CLUCK, SNARLER, PIG, ROOSTER, BEAR, ORCAS)
* "Er" enders (SNARLER, PUPUPLATTER, ROOSTER, SEAVER, BUDGETER)
I am fond of the BABA/BOOBOO and SMURF/NERF crosses. Can you call being stuck between Otto and Bismark a VON trap? (Sorry...)
Very little junk, that is, free from frou-frou, which deserves a "woo-hoo!".
Barney Google, with the goo-goo-goo-ga-ly eyes.
ReplyDeleteBarney Google tried to enter paradise.
When Saint Peter saw his face, he said, "Go to the other place".
Barney Google, with the goo-goo-goo-ga-ly eyes
Mostly downs for me today. Theme was meh.
ReplyDeleteI had a very similar experience the other day. I played my granddaughter in floor hokey. She's short, so I played her on my knees, and I played with my left hand only (did I say I'm right handed?). Although I played a very undisciplined game, I crushed her, 26-3.
ReplyDeleteI didn't time myself today (@anon6:09 - when you solve online the temptation to time one's self is almost irresistible. When you solve with pen and paper it's just a hassle), but this felt Tuesdayish to me. Take 1A for example. Typical Mondays it is a big fat gimme. Today we get the vague and tricksy "Dict. entries." Sort of a Dict. move if you ask me. In retrospect WDS seems obvious, but Dicts. are a wealth of all kinds of information so how is a solver supposed to guess the most obvious almost never abbreviated answer? No real problems anywhere, with just some ICE axes before ICE SAWS, but definitely in the challenging for a Monday column here.
ReplyDelete@Larry Gilstrap - Regarding Sac Flies, there was a time when advancing the runner on a fly ball was counted as a "sacrifice fly," but the definition was changed to only run scoring plays decades ago. I want to say some time in the 70's but I'm not certain. Here's my question, a guy on second tags up on a deep fly in one of these big outfields, say Comerica, outfielder catches the ball, bangs into the wall, falls down, and can't get the ball in fast enough. Runner scores from second. Sac fly?
@Kitshef late yesterday - You almost, Almost, had me convinced. But then I clicked on two things, the link to the "breakfast food" where it is called "a dessert" NOT a breakfast food, and the citation, a book written by the mom from Happy Days.* Wikipedia is a fine resource as long as one reads it with a critical eye (as one should with any encyclopedia).
*Because some people have a hard time with seriousness, I am 100% certain that the TV character and the cookbook author who trained with James Beard are obviously, indubitably one in the same.
Does anyone else want to ban Cheri Oteri from crosswords, along with Alan Alda and Ed Asner?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI was hoping Rex would launch into a good LOLITA rant.
Funny, I always think of a pu-pu platter as Polynesian, but the internet says Chinese is fine.
ReplyDeleteMostly like it, though a few made me say pfft. SNARLER, BUDGETER, AMUSERS, WDS, OTERI, and a godawful SMURF. But yeah, good overall.
Was always a Jim Palmer fan, so never liked Seaver who was his main competition for best pitcher in the 70s. With the maturity that comes with time, today I can say a) they were both great b) but Seaver was better.
@Z - You will notice even on the donut as dessert page it refers specifically to breakfast food in Russia and Thailand. Also the source on donut versus doughnut is a book about breakfast foods.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm more in the camp of 'if you eat it for your first meal, it's breakfast'. So cold pizza, breakfast; leftover ribs, breakfast; rum and coke; breakfast.
Nice to have a Monday-easy puzzle with unusual words. Dweeb! APBio! Our Lady! Pinochle!
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, Vuvuzelas.
Tough puzzle. Thought the theme was what Rex said but the last word had to start with the same letter as the first word....til I got to the last one...what in the world is a vuvuzela?????
ReplyDeleteLove okra, pupu platters, baba ghanouj and bacon!!
Met Tom Seaver when I lived in Greenwich Ct. - and his wife Nancy - nice couple
Watched the tribute to the BeeGees last night...WOW..what a show!!!
Too too pwecious for me. And I never heard of 3 of the 5 theme answers: LULU LEMEN (who doesn't make any athletic wear that I've ever seen in the stores, much less worn); VUVUZELAS (surprised that so many of the rest of you have heard of this; it was a great big WOE for me); and BOOBOO BEAR, a twuly pwecious toon. In spite of all that, it was Monday-easy anyway. Now I'll say ta ta and go wash the treacle off.
ReplyDeleteWhoa. Nancy in Lululemons. There's an image I could have done without....
ReplyDeleteHow is a set of moral principles one ETHIC? - unless one is better than none.
ReplyDeleteDon't knock it until you've seen it, @Evil.
ReplyDeleteCheri Oteri appears in crossword puzzles more often that she appeared on SNL. She retired from the show 17 years ago. Can we please retire her from crosswords, at least for a little while.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'll call that bluff, Nanc. Let's see what you got....
ReplyDeleteTerrific Monday puzzle that makes me wonder about the spelling of "cuckoo". Come on, English!
ReplyDeleteHey, Kvetch in Manhattan. You are no Dorothy Parker.
ReplyDeleteSee - Monday puzzles can be fun.
ReplyDeleteHave a niece who thought of canceling a long planned South Africa vacation while watching the 2010 World Cup and listening to the hideous VUVUZELAS. She made the trip however, and never regretted it.
If the 10,000 hour theory holds water Lady Mohair and I are world class PINOCHLE players - used to play it into the wee hours with neighbors decades back. Wonder if you need to be sober for the theory to take hold?
@Rex's LOLITA complaints always go to cluing. No problem today. I'll vote to ban Sheri when you vote to ban Yoko. And yes, the cluing here seemed Tuesday/Wednesday difficult but it filled Monday fast. Odd.
@Nancy & @Evil - Get a room.
Puzzle was fun for Monday.
ReplyDeleteSince we're still talking about breakfast foods, I am compelled to add my story to illustrate how people are very specific about what they consider such.
I was in the Philippines for a month, then Hong Kong for a week on business. I will eat almost anything once, and was delightfully adventurous in both places. What gustatory fun.
I had family in Macau at the time, so took the jetfoil over for the weekend. First one in the am. Had to get up super early to go through customs, so no time for breakfast at the hotel.
Once through, and now with plenty of time to spare, I looked for breakfast. But nothing was open that early. Only thing I found was a Japanese noodle place, with washed out pictures of the various offerings. I ordered one,,,it was even more washed out in person. What a drab bowlful, that made zero dent in my breakfasty longing.
When I finally took my seat on the boat, and just as it pulled away from the dock, a local woman sat down and proceeded to unwrap an Egg McMuffin, hash browns, and coffee.
This snobby fast-food snubber immediately wondered if anyone would notice if that young lady vanished over the side. Would they trace her disappearance back to the American greedily SCARFing down that archetypal American breakfast?
I believe that breakfast is the meal we want messed with least. And aside from the occasional cold pizza, it has a much smaller set of acceptable foods than any other meal.
(And FWIW, I think Rex's comment was just one of the grenades he lobs to see how high we will jump. He hit the jackpot with this one.)
Peter, Pee-tah... do do that voo doo that you do so well. (To cite Cole Porter.) So many fun memories. The looney Barney Google toon, Boo Boo Bear (I used to own a lifesize doll of him that I carried around with me everywhere I went even though it was larger than I) and Vuvuzuelas (remember the swarming roar of them at the Olympics?) Fun Monday Romp. I had no idea there was a theme. What people forget about LOLITA is that is was a satire, a send-up of American society and culture. And a well-written one at that. And very ahead of its time.
ReplyDeleteNo International New York Times available in Paris today (Easter Monday), so no puzzle us. Sounds as if it was fun, though. Spent my morning newspaper money on a do(ugh)nut instead.
ReplyDeleteLiked it and quickly done.
ReplyDeleteVUVUZELAS and BALALAIKAS- - - Wow.
Writeover--ICE SAWS for ICE axeS.
Enjoyed cluing for E TRADE and DWEEB.
CROSSWORDease--- OTERI and ORCAS.
Thanks PG
So I start my Monday puzzle at 1A like I always do and I'm about to set the dislike button. I move on to 4A and hit that button. 9A did it for me. It gets even better with LULU LEMON. This is Monday? These days you have to be a size 2 to wear anything from them.
ReplyDeleteThe BOOBOO PUPU GOOGOO made me think of Boozehounds.
VUVUZELAS. I just see that word and I get a headache. The joy of watching the World Cup and jumping up and down when Spain won in overtime was worth drowning out that torture noise. As we were watching, we turned the volume off but as soon as Andres Iniesta had the soccer ball, the volume came back on. Oh lordy, the noise when he scored that win.....I think they are outlawed now..
Anyway, the puzzle should have AMUSEd me but it didn't. Well, maybe BABA ghanouj did because I never would have spelled it without a final SH.
@Tita...Loved your breakfast story.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Spain, my morning fare was Always a cafe con leche and a croissant. EVERY MORNING. When I came back to the States I had serious withdrawals because neither the coffee nor the croissants tasted the same. My morning fare was switched to having some cheese, rye toast, fruit and black coffee.
When I returned to Spain for a visit, we arrived very early in the morning. I RAN to the nearest open place and ordered a Cafe Con Leche y Un Croissant. I didn't want to leave the airport. It was so delicious. Some wonderful things never change - thank god.....!
@Mohair from yesterday -- you're the second person this month to claim that there's a BINGHampton on Eastern Long Island. Or was that you last time too?
ReplyDelete@Aketi from yesterday -- I'm glad you used the correct spelling of Binghamton in quoting me. Also, thanks for educating me on Cornell's rich array of academic offerings. And I thought that Animal Husbandry 101 and Corn Husking 202 were at the peak of its intellectual achievements.
@Z -- Tnx for the link to Cornell's English Lit offerings. Amazing array of junk littering the pages. I guess that Cornell, even though an Ivy, has to satisfy some of the non-academic NYState-resident students who get easier admission (and far lower tuition, BTW) with this cultural litter. Anyway, my respect for Cornell has been knocked down a few notches.
Also, these comments got me curious about Binghamton's academic ranking, so I went to a few of the "Best Colleges" sites and was somewhat surprised to find it at slot number 17 of 100 rated in NY (Columbia at the top), and second in the array of SUNY offerings, behind only SUNY Buffalo. Good for them!
As for the puzzle, I found it a bit harder than the usual Monday. No particular area of the layout, just overall.
@Evil -- Normally I shop at Athletica, which is much closer to me and evidently quite a bit cheaper (I just Googled) than LULULEMON. But a deal's a deal. I'm headed to the LULULEMON store on Madison Avenue right now. I'm bringing all my credit cards and a three-way mirror.
ReplyDelete@Mohair -- You are too funny!
When 16A is the first entry you're positive about on a Monday, you get a bit nervous. But pretty soon I was saying "oooh, oooh" as I made my way around the grid.
ReplyDeleteI know I've seen 58A before, but I let the crosses fill it in 'cause I was never going to pull VUVUZELAS out of my brain; I could expect a collapse, not a RELAPSE, if I managed that!
One of my favorite songs has the lyric as soft and discreet as URANIUM.
From the SF/Fantasy books I've read, I've come to think of court jesters more as distractors rather than AMUSERS. Anything to direct the king's attention away from his intention to lop your head off. Too much Game of Thrones, perhaps?
Nice, a Monday with a DUAL personality; thanks Peter Gordon.
@Wm C - I'll be at my nephew's wedding in East Hampton next month - staying with my sister-in-law in Water Mill (not far from where I grew up). I'll search for your BingHampton while I'm there. Maybe you're right, they moved it Upstate.
ReplyDeleteHey All !
ReplyDeleteNot a terrible theme, but nothing memorable. Agree with @Robin 12:23, disappointed with last two themers were not consecutive consonants like the first three. Also had a chuckle (and thought of @LMS) at LIELOW.
Couple of writeovers, out-RBI, Ten-TWO (brain fart on that one),fAdES-PALES.
Still, any puz with ROOSTER I'm SURE OF is OKS by me! :-)
TWO DUAL BABA
RooMonster
DarrinV
The puztheme's heart was in the right place, even tho OOs got used as U-subs in a coupla places. Enjoyed the solvequest. It was like what a MonPuz version of a FireBall would be like (yo, @muse).
ReplyDeleteDon''t exactly know why, but somehow have the feelin that if @RP had been critiquin some newbie's puz, he mightn't have been quite as generous to it. Openin line of WDS-CDROM-APBIO surely gave him plenty of ammo. But, hey -- that's the kind of fill M&A thrives on, soo … certainly no problem, at my rv [retirement villa]. Luved the double-desperate enders on AMUSERS, btw.
Didn't know BABA ghanouj. The BABA/BOOBOO crossin was precious, tho. [Reminds m&e: @RP - Nano-seconds are "precious", too. Let's stick up for the little guy.] Was powerful relieved that the BABA clue didn't suggest it was a breakfast choice, btw.
staff weeject pick: WDS. Kinda makes WILSON, DRUNKS, and SALARY cross-wds, I reckon. Honrable mention to: EDD (Hall). Replaced ED (McMahon), on the Tonite Show. Spooky … are there any EDDD's, out there? No? How'bout WDD's? But, I digress.
Thanx, Mr. Gordon. Glad @RP was so polite to U.
Masked & Anonymo9Us
**gruntz**
If jesters are AMUSERS, are their audiences AMUSEES?
ReplyDeleteOr, if mean dogs are SNARLERS, are the objects of their attention SNARLEES?
And then there's that BUDGETER and those SMURFS and NERFS and a BABA that wandered into the wrong grid.
From BOO BBOO to VUVU, this puzzle speaks a language that is foreign to me. Liked the fact that it was more challenging than the usual Monday, but it was difficult to enjoy after I hit APBIO and entered the land of OOH OOH.
Hey guys I meant the World Cup not the Olympics. It's all a blur after a while. And @mohair Sam I always wondered why there was no North Hampton on the East End. There is one in Mass of course. Quite a different kettle of fish. :)
ReplyDeleteI liked that hummus and BABA ganouj were in the puzzle together, a little middle eastern cuisine sub-theme?
ReplyDelete"Heeeey, BooBoo, let's go and find a pick a nick basket." @Evil Doug, initially, Hanna-Barbera's artwork was minimal but they were the first ever to be able to make 30 minute cartoons once a week. In working that way, they learned and developed a large number of innovations, many of which were adopted by Disney and Warner Brothers. It's easy to disparage thier earliest work and I'll agree that it was lacking the finesse of the six minute cartoons that took up to six months to make. Nevertheless they spearheaded many advances in animation. At one point they invested several years and many millions of dollars installing a huge mainframe computer to computerize the coloring process only to abandon it, tested but unused, when PC software came along that would do the job better. H&B even developed software that would do inbetweening which is making the drawings in the intermediate stages between the key position drawings made by the chief animators.
I cringed when I came to VUVUZELAS. I tried to watch soccer in 2010 but the din made it impossible. One fan brought one to a Braves game, I believe he waa escorted out of the park and they were formally banned from Turner Field. Never having heard of a PUPU PLATTER I cringed there too, thinking it sounded too much like Poo Poo PLATTER. Poo was the more polite term in Australia for what you think it might mean. I've also never heard of LULU LEMON but I'm planning to look it up in a bit.
Using my theory that there is an inverse ratio between the Mini and the main puzzle I expected this to be easier than it was, not that I found it hard, it's just that it took me longer than I thought it should, I got a kick out of Jeff, over at xwordinfo, starting his comment with, "Ooh ooh, I know what the theme is!"
I imagine there is a parallel universe somewhere where a court jester could be described as an AMUSER of kings but I doubt it might happen in this one. Still, the workd doesn't seem unfair to me. BUDGETER might describe Mrs. N, especially when it comes to food shopping. She has her eye on every item and, when there are roommates, occasionally things go astray.
@Gill I from yesterday, I'll grant you have three inches on me but do we really want to get into that conversation? [wink]
Nice Monday. Usually I sleepwalk through them out of sheer boredom, so it's good to have a theme, and this one has some fun theme answers.
ReplyDeleteI have always clung to the idea that it is tougher to make a solid Monday or Tuesday puzzle than some other days of the week because the constructor is handicapped by the virtual necessity of including a fair number of easy and/or crosswordese cliched words. Mr. Gordon did a decent job of avoiding too much of that and, although I never heard of Lulu Lemon, it was Monday easy to suss out and, since it is real thing, I applaud it. All in all, a nice little composition. The repartee between Nancy and Evil Doug over the Lulu Lemon is a fun read.
ReplyDeleteI, like Chefbea, watched the Bee Gees tribute show last night. Unfortunately, I and the Mrs. had a polar opposite take on it from Chefbea.
While there were many outstanding singers on the show, e.g., John Legend, the register of their voices did not match the Bee Gees songs. Of course, you can posit the idea that the artists were performing the Bee Gees songs with their own take on those songs.
Our feeling is/was the higher register of the Bee Gees songs was an essential part of the passion and sense of urgency that the songs communicated. The lower register, for many of the show's songs and what we perceived as a loss of the passion due to (in most cases) the slower tempo the songs were played/sung in was disappointing for us. Along those lines, we thought Celine Dion did a wonderful job of singing even if she spent a bit too much time introducing her song. The scratchy old film of the Bee Gees singing Lollipop was terrific as well.
Also, comparing it to the Neil Young tribute show, which was recently aired, made the Bee Gees tribute show seem a bit weak.
Fun Monday puz; thanks, Mr. Gordon. @kitshef: Hear, hear! Breakfast is whatever you break your fast with. @Nancy: doug throws down the glove, you take off to Mad Ave. As W.C. woulda said to Mae: Show us your Lemons!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@QuasiMojo - Quick answer: All the Hamptons are on the South Fork and it's too damned skinny to fit anything aptly named North. They do have a Bridgehampton however (birthplace of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski).
ReplyDelete@Loren - Thanks for the heads up on Olitalay. I had an inkling.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@WmC, sorry to disabuse you but the English classes that I mentioned were in the College of Arts and Sciences where my son will be going in the fall as a Physics major which is in the private, more expansive part of Cornell.. Thankfully, they offer good financial aid packages, The reason why the "public" colleges at Cornell are less expensive is because of their land grant status, not because they are any less rigorous, less academic or, as you called it, "for the non academic NY State kids". In fact, as a non NYer at that time, I chose Cornell's PhD program in International Nutrition housed in the "public" College of Human Ecology over continuing at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Heath where I did my Masters in Health Sciences because Cornell's International Nutrition program was considered the best in the world at that time. Furthermore, the Biostatistics and Matrix Algebra I took in the "public" College of Agricultural and Life Sciences were even more rigorous than my Epidrmiology courses at Hopkins. Their Veternary school is exceedingly competitive as well. SUNY Binghamton is a great school too and I would still have been proud of my son had he chosen to go there. They happen to have a strong Engineering program. Just because a school offers entertaining electives does not mean that they lack intellectual rigor.
ReplyDelete@Nancy, LULULEMON doesn't make pants that are short enough for me and if they hemmed their flared leg yoga pants to be short enough for me they'd end up cutting off all the flare.
Kitshef,
ReplyDeleteSteve Carlton over Palmer and Seaver!
Cornell's Land Grant Colleges are quite rigorous, depending upon the subject tackled. But as a relatively proud Alum one of the BEST things about Cornell is that "any person can find instruction in any study" so Physics and nutrition and interior design and hotel management and labor relations and chemistry are all available. The land grant schools tend to focus more on the practical perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI liked all the oo oo answers today, and fondly remember Boo Boo and Yogi.
My time was miserable to, and I know why. A 7+ hour drive from seeing a grandson (and his lovely mother and admirable father) wipes me out, even if I only did 1/3 of the driving. Still, I finished it, in a Wednesday time.
ReplyDeleteHow do you TYPE that fast? Even when I blow through without having to think about a single clue it takes me 5 mins (average is about 6). I can't shave time until I can type faster 😝 Amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhy all the hatred for SISSIES Rex. Too many unpleasant childhood playground memories? As LMS pointed out, SISSIES was only used because of the letter limit. It was replaced years ago by PUSSIES and followed closely by WUSSIES. Many opine that wussy is a hybrid of pussy and wimp. At any rate, both have been replaced. First by cupcake and now by snowflake. Yes they are all pejorative, but as the joke goes, "If the Foo Shits, Wear it."
ReplyDelete@Lewis: asks, "Or am I being overly sensitive?"
Ya Think! Take heart Lewis. 90% of the regulars here are overly sensitive. Many have raised virtue signaling to an art form. Evil Doug and Moly Shu usually keep them in check.
As for the puzzle, Rex nailed it. Not worth
the time to bother with.
Very nice post here and thanks for latest smartphone applications it .I always like and such a super colors of phone for these post.Excellent and very cool idea and great models and different kinds of the more information's.
ReplyDeleteDotnet Training in Chennai
Much harder than a normal Monday. LULULEMON?
ReplyDeleteMEN AMUSERS
ReplyDeleteIf OURLADY LOLITA was SUREOF her true size,
and AWARE to take the DUAL hem in,
then BOOBOOBEAR would make GOOGOOEYES
when she’d DRESS in LULULEMON.
--- WILSON VUVUZELAS
The VUVUZELA is one of those human inventions about which we all ask: WHY??? Kinda like today's offering. The acronym-fest across the entire top line should sound a warning. Geez, Will, you must be really BOTTOM-FEEDING (sorry for the bleedover) for decent Monday fare. Way too many WOEs for this day.
ReplyDelete-->LULULEMON. This is a BIG name??? Where, South America? Scotland? How about western Canada? But no place I've ever been.
-->APBIO. That sucker was all crosses. I'm trying to imagine what it might even stand for...anatomy & physiology biology?? On a MONDAY???
-->____ghanouj. Yeah, no wonder spellcheck underlined THAT 7-letter collection. And we're supposed to know what to stick in front of that emesis? Is there anything for AMERICANS in here?
-->PUPUPLATTER. I don't even have to add a comment to THAT one.
--EDD as clued. Byrnes, of 77 Sunset Strip fame, fine. Obscure TV announcers? On a Monday? No.
Yogi's sidekick is simply BOOBOO. Sure, he's a BEAR, but the "full name" is unspoken. Ever. There's a right-edge crutch with SASSED.
At least there's a good DOD: Nancy WILSON of Heart. There are some cool downs, such as PINOCHLE--though the 80-card double-deck variety is by far the better game--and URANIUM--perhaps what this puzzle should be exposed to. Enough to take double off the board: bogey.
Pretty much simply filled it in. Still have no clue as to what "APBIO" means
ReplyDeletePretty much simply filled it in. Still have no clue as to what "APBIO" means
ReplyDeleteAdvanced Placement BIOlogy. For the smart kids who earn college credit in H.S.
ReplyDeleteNo write-overs to start the week. I’ve got a TWO dollar bill in my pencil drawer, so didn’t fall for the thoughtless Ten answer. Was hoping the answer was BABA though I’m used to seeing it as ganoush. All those “ooh ooh” sounds had me thinking of Car 54.
ReplyDeleteI would like to personally shake the hand of whoever is in charge at LULULEMON. Kind of a shame they get nothing for all the knock-offs.
Did we need more in the SMURF clue past “blue toon”?
OURLADY Cheri OTERI is becoming an ever more frequent puz yeah baby.
The next time I hear VUVUZELAS will be too soon. Harder than usual Mon-puz, but I was quite SUREOF each answer.
Not hard, but harder than the usual Monday.
ReplyDeleteI remembered those ZUZU thingies, but had to wait for a cross to remember their name. Now I find there's a LULULEMON store downtown, but I never heard of them. Not paying attention...
I took A.P. History. The teacher never assigned reading from our (huge) textbook. One day, during a Ferris Bueller-type question/answer session, he caught on to the fact that we weren't just "reading the book on our own." So he gave us an exam. Pretty much, if I remember correctly, "tell me what you know about European History." I got a D+. Most students failed. I guess we were supposed to "learn a lesson."
Didn't we just see SMURF?
I'm with @Spacey on EDD Hall - on a Monday. And BOOBOO is BOOBOO.
But I'm a smiler, not a SNARLER.
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords
Whimsical AMUSERS, maybe.
ReplyDeleteCrosses exposed LULU, BOOBOO, and VUVU. PUPU and GOOGOO were gimmes.
End of story.
I've become a bit tired of all of this--not NYT crosswords and not necessarily of Rex's dissection of them, but of most comments and commenting--so I'll be signing off, at least for a while.
ReplyDeleteNot that it matters.
@Lefty - It matters greatly!!! You're an Eagle! How can you??? We Synders need to stick together, no matter how small, we are the children of earlier knowledge. Please don't go.
ReplyDeleteOther Syndies - HELP!!!
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords, a patient sort, but now...weeping
@Lefty - Totally wrong - you're our Portlander. Has the rain gotten to you this year? Please - the sun will shine again.
ReplyDeleteD, LIW
Dear @Lefty
ReplyDeleteOne more try - what about the comments is putting you off?
Lady Di
@LeftcoastTAM, I'll add my plea to @Diana's. You Syndilanders are a small club around which I enjoy lurking. It's a shame to see the pool shrink. You can avoid the comment negativity by skipping Rex and any Anon comments. I don't mean to tar (or is that asphalt? :-) ) all the anonymice with the "worthless" label but most of the trolls here are Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even do this puzzle (holiday in Canada - no paper), but:
ReplyDelete@leftcoastTAM you persuaded me to not leave once, and so I'm returning the favour. Do not go. Unless...unless...it's MY comments to which you object.
That construction was for you.
I didn't expect any responses. We're a small group, and I don't like to make it smaller. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePretty much simply filled it in. Still have no clue as to what "APBIO" means
ReplyDeletePretty much simply filled it in. Still have no clue as to what "APBIO" means
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI was sure Rex would rip this puzzle apart. That top line of WDS, CD-ROM, and APBIO is the kind of fill that usually gets him all lathered up.
ReplyDeleteAnd I figured he'd go off on one of his nit-picky rants over VUVUZELA being a single word while all of the other themers were 2 (at least - not sure if GOOGOO is one word or two. Hyphenated, maybe?)
To my surprise, he actually kind of didn't hate it.
And I agree. After that top row, the fill is pretty solid. The theme was simple but fun. A little more crunch than your average Monday, and that's a good thing.
The top things about Clixsense's Get-Paid-To Program:
ReplyDelete1. SURVEYS: 50+ 5-40 minute surveys paying $0.50-$2.50 each.
2. 12 OFFER WALLS - Earn $0.5-$20 per offer.
3. TASKS - Complete 1,000's of small tasks from tons companies.
Find out how THOUSAND of individuals like YOU are making a LIVING by staying home and are living their wildest dreams right NOW.
ReplyDeleteGET FREE ACCESS INSTANLY