OSSIE's always in the grid Nice to see RUBY DEE here for once
OK, now *here* is an example of an old-fashioned theme type that is executed perfectly. Last words reimagined. Get a nice thematic grouping, write some wacky "?" clues, and bam, there's your Tuesday. Just fine. You know what makes this work? Judicious Restraint! There are just four themers here. This is an acceptable amount, but not a showy amount. You know what showiness would've got you here. A forced JACKET answer and then a whole lot cruddier class of fill (because you put added strain on the grid with your dumb fifth themer). As is, the grid can Breeeeathe and so the fill is impressively smooth. Like ... look at your average early-week NYT; it just can't compare. It's not that the fill is terribly showy (though INCINERATE and CRAZY HORSE are solid entries); it's that there are no potholes, not groans, no ughs, no EWWs, except for EWW, which I despise, spelling-wise (you can't pronounce a double-W, come on). It's just glossy, this thing. I wish I hadn't *finished* on EWW—terrible way to end an otherwise lovely solve (also, between spelling that and hesitations around THREE-WAY TIE, that answer cost me a couple of seconds that would've put me under 3, grrrrr). My only non-EWW gripe is PBJ, which is not a thing. I see where the grid is trying to get all cute with its bookend [Three-letter sandwich] clues (see the first and the last Acrosses), but only BLT is truly three letters. It's PB *AND* J and will never be otherwise no matter what you say. More importantly, it's literally never BL *AND* T, and so the attempt at symmetry with those clues only highlights the asymmetry. Boo and hiss and EWW. Otherwise, hurray.
I think that's all I have to say about this one. I'm surprised I didn't break a speed record on this one, as the only places I remember hesitating at all were 1. right away, when I put BLT in 1-Across, like a normal human; 2. with ANN Peebles, whom I did not know was one of the Peebleseses; and 3. the multiply-aforementioned EWW. Every other answer I wrote in immediately or nearly immediately after reading the clue the first time.
Yes, I enthusiastically put in BLT in 1A before Lima straightened me out. Very cool the puzzle began and ended with the two three letter staple sandwiches.
Totally agree this was s terrific Tuesday that I completed in Monday time. Two very nice puzzles to start the week. Jeff Chen gave today POW. I would have been inclined to give it to Lynn’s puzzle yesterday. Sent that puzzle to three newbies as a perfect easy entree. But hard to quarrel with this either.
Easy Tuesday. If I solved on my laptop instead of my phone I might've gotten a PR. I put in BLT immediately, which made me think it might be a relative slog. I disagree with Rex though, PBJ is definitely a thing. I remember having my elhi (to put it in crosswordese) take-home, monthly school lunch menus often having PBJ as an option. My 15-18 year-old self is hoping they've come up with better vegetarian options.
Question for phone/tablet solvers, especially those who also do puzzles on computers; what are your best times? And, if you also solve on Across Lite or the applet, how much slower are you? I can't seem to break 5 minutes on my phone, but I might just have clumsy thumbs.
It would be interesting (?) to deconstruct one of Rex's blog posts. Like this one. I haven't analyzed but here is a puzzle he says he really likes, yet I'm betting at least 50% of the text is complaining about the few entries he objected to. Do this analysis over an extended period. over puzzles he likes and dislikes, and spot trends, gather insights, etc.
Or, not.
This puzzle was fine by me. Smooth, yes. Memorable, or otherwise remarkable, not really.
Sorry, I just can't not see that stack of SCREW-IN and THREE-WAY, pierced by BORES. CRAZY HORSE, by the way, was not just an Oglala Lakota warrior, it's also a famous Parisian cabaret known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers.
Despite these distractions, I logged my fastest Tuesday ever. I imagine that the PPP count was not low, but at least the names were spread out enough that I was never near Natick city.
Funny to see BORSCHT in today's puzzle, following all the discussion about it yesterday. I'm not a fan of that soup, but I am fond of beets and beet greens. By the way, the French do eat a lot of beets, especially in the winter. The roasted red root is featured cubed in fresh-vegetable salads (crudités), combined with blue cheese and walnuts (heavenly!), or nectarines and hazelnuts. Yum!
The first three-letter sandwich clue was a misdirect for me, too, and I slotted in BLT before seeing the PERU crossing. But I disagree with @Rex's notion that it is not an abbreviation. It is certainly one I have heard. (Mrs. 'mericans, by contrast, would say it isn't a proper sandwich!) Also, the argument that it requires an "and" (and ampersand?) doesn't hold water with me. So does BLT by that logic. When I spell out BLT, I always say "bacon, lettuce and tomato". In any case, I imagine that many now, having dispensed with conjunctions and any punctuation mark other than the "/", would say "bacon, slash, lettuce, slash, tomato". (Yuck!)
Even with having initial write overs of BLT and SAMBA in the first two crosses I was still able to correct them and finish in about the same time as yesterday's puzzle. This was a very early week solve
ANN Peebles is about all there is that needs looking into.
One other thing I just noticed, the REO clue implies that there's an actual model put out by REO called a Speed Wagon. I've always assumed it was just the name of a band. Another thing to look up.
Oops! I'm missing an antecedent. I should have written: "But I disagree with @Rex's notion that PBJ is not an abbreviation. It is certainly one I have heard. (Mrs. 'mericans, by contrast, would say that a PBJ isn't a proper sandwich!) Also, the argument that PBJ requires an 'and' (and ampersand?) doesn't hold water with me."
People watch is an appropriate theme answer for this one. Lots of names and I don't know if these guys were just trying to be clever by throwing in the lesser known folks like Issa Rae, Marc Gasol, and Ann Peebles but it seems pretty crowded. Of the things you wear I'd say cap is an outlier. Except for baseball and graduation, caps aren't so common. I figured this adequate puzzle would get a rave review as the bromance continues with Erik Agard.
I thought this was a joy start to finish! And, unlike Rex's disparagement of the "bookend" sandwiches, I thought this was a both HILARIOUS and WINKING nod from the constructors to absolutely know that 90% of us are going to start off with the proverbial BLT. I realized that error when I tried to build OHIO out of 1D: ("Lima's Home,") for some reason, having recently driven through that part of the country (it's north of Dayton). When BLT becomes the closing chapter at 69D, ("Three-letter sandwich), well, I know I had both a good chuckle and a smile there.
Small editorial mishap in the 4D cluing of "Actress in Do The Right Thing" and the "Roots" miniseries needs an "original" in front of "Roots" as it was just re-made a few years back.
Also, why o why would SHREK have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Does that really seem merited? Bugs, Lassie, maybe.................Shrek? (28D: Ogre with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame). That is one Hollywood blockbuster franchise that I find just plain weird. SHREK-sters and TREKKIES should hold their own joint convention sometime.
47D: "Groups in Westerns" and it's modern slang usage of same, POSSES, has given way in recent years, in a more urbanized, hip-hopped variant to SQUADS, as in "Beyonce and her squad made the event a lot more entertaining..........." Question: Does a Sheriff still have a POSSE at this point in time??
21D: "Unfun sorts." I originally had BOORS instead of BORES, as I always believed the former to be much more BOORISH and BORING, event PETULANT, than a simple BORE. But not sure about this and would love someone to elaborate.
Yes, the much-vaunted and ubiquitous I.M. PEI makes yet another appearance. Q: Does his family get royalty money for his many crossword appearances? LOL
I'm not usually a fan of either the "quip" puzzle or the cute-sy question-marked long across answer puzzles such as this--but well-done here, with a crisp, light, zippy aspect to all of it! WTG, Mssrs. Agard and Kravis!!!! You've delivered a sprightly, solid, enjoyable Tuesday!
The REO Speed Wagon (alternatively Reo Speedwagon) was a light motor truck manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. It is an ancestor of the pickup truck.
I also had BLT first, but quickly fixed it with the downs. My solve method is to check answers with the crosses. If I can’t confirm an answer because I don’t hit the crosses right away, I usually remove the original answer so that it doesn’t lead me astray if it is wrong. This happens often in late week puzzles.
@Will I solve on the iPhone app. My times for the early week puzzles are generally 7-8 minutes. Thursday’s through Sundays get progressively slower, with Sunday’s bigger grid counteracting the easier clues. My fat thumb always gives me trouble. I have to constantly check I typed an answer correctly and/or spend time fixing things. The worst is when I miss something and get the “keep trying” message upon placing the last clue. I have to comb back through to puzzle to find a random mid-typed letter. Definitely slows things down.
@puzzlehoarder 3:07am REO Speedwagon founding member Neal Doughty named the group after a high-speed truck he learned about in a History of Transportation class. (Source: Rolling Stone Magazine, 3/19/1981).
@TomAZ, There are about 16 sentences of value judgment in this review. Six of those are negative, so I think it's more like 37% negative. But that estimation was quickly done and I'm a math idiot so, so there's that. In any case, it borders on gushing in this forum.
This was a funny puzzle with a wide range of old and new. Pez right above Skyped is a prime example. I thought the sandwiched sandwiches as first and last answers was a nice touch. I remember as a kid lots of PSAs warning us about blasting caps. Even as a child I wondered where in the world I would ever come across one. I haven't seen any such warnings lately, as in decades ago. Crazy Horse gave me an ear worm of an 80's rock song "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Motley Crue maybe? So there @ Lewis, I'll trade you an ear worm for your eye worm! Thanks a lot!
What a great and yummy puzzle!!! Loved having PBJ at the top and BLT at the bottom. And of course I loved Borscht belt...We can discuss beets two days in a row!!!!
I say it's "PBandJ", and I should know, because it's the first part of our email address, as I am PB and my wife is J. We had to add some numbers because someone beat us to it, go figure. But in this part of the world, nobody says PBJ for the sandwich.
Post script to the hootenanny info from yesterday: another singer actually came up with "Barrett's Privateers" without any prompting. It's the first and only time this song has ever been sung at our long-running hoot. Serendipity.
I'm with everyone that gave this puzzle a gold star. Bien hecho.
I started by putting BLT in upper left, quickly corrected to PBJ, then went merrily along to my final clue, which was, wait, haha, BLT ! so that all worked well for me.
Angels don't have halos, saints do. Sheesh. (* The MLB team notwithstanding. Because, such a stupid name shouldn t be given credence.) Love that borscht showed up today. ( Hi Gill)
I would have liked a bit more playfulness. I don't mind cute-sy - especially in the cluing. This felt a tad ho hum. Everyone talking about PBJ and BLT what about the ballroom dance from Cuba? My mind jumped all over the place. Let's see.... there's MAMBO CONGA SALSA TANGO. AHA.... it's the informal spontaneous, RUMBA! Speaking of PBJ, I'm the only one I our family that has NEVER EVER enjoyed one. I do love peanut butter but I slather it on white bread with mayo and a hamburger pickle. Save the jelly for your toast. BLT, on the other hand, is just plain yummy. I'm really not a white bread type person but you can't have this one without it. Toasted of course. My favorite theme answer was PEOPLE WATCH. My mom was the queen of people watching and my sister came in a close second. We'd go out to lunch and both of them would scram to get the chairs facing the crowd. The heads would slowly start spinning around then there would be the eye rolls followed by the menu covering the mouth so that no one would know they were being talked about. We never ran out of things to say. @Barry Williams. The Hollywood Walk of Fame deemed Absolut Vodka worthy of a star as well. Go figure! INCINERATE took me the longest. I guess my mind didn't want to wander in that territory even though its been bandied about almost every day in the Sacramento Bee. What a horrible year of fires we've had and now the blame game starts. Just noticed the TOAD next to the ANGEL. UBER yesterday LYFT today. What a life!
@pabloinnh -- thanks for the reminder of a favorite song I've only heard sung by Stan Rogers (the world lost him too soon!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwzRkjn86w
A really nice Tuesday following a really nice Monday. This week is shaping up... nicely.
Only THREE WAY TIE made me laugh. But it wasn't the theme that was the strength of the puzzle; it was the un-Tuesday-like clues. Even when they weren't hard, they were fun. My favorite was the most irreverent "Halo sporter" for ANGEL. It's fun to think of ANGELS sporting their halos.
Also liked the salad clue for DRESS (67A); the interesting factoid for Perry MASON (40A); and the clue for BED (60D). I'd rather find jewelry in my jewelry cases than CDS (61D), but that's just me.* All in all, a breezy, lighthearted puzzle that was enjoyable.
*Actually, I never wear any jewelry other than a WATCH, but I thought it was a cute joke.
fortunately, I looked at 1D before writing in 1A, so I was saved from that trap. I don't like the whole PBJ acronym, just because we didn't use it when I was a lad (didn't say OJ, either), but it's OK in a puzzle.
An especially nice feature of the theme is that alternate meanings of the garment/accessory terms are so different. A BLASTING CAP is a kind of cap, but TIE is acompletely different meaning, WATCH is a different part of speech, and BELT is a related but definitely different meaning of the word. That's the way to do it.
My wife and I often go to a restaurant here in Boston for tapas; I think we enjoy them there, despite the suggestion of 25A.
So we are supposed to be thankful for a puzzle that no one had to spend more than three seconds per answer on? Why did Rex praise this cakewalk so lavishly? Two words : Erik Agard.
@GILL (9:28) -- Gee, I'm really glad I never walked by your family's table as they dished about the hapless, unsuspecting people that they were PEOPLE WATCHing. Although, since I gather you were living in NYC at one time, maybe I did and just don't know it? (If I did, please don't tell me.)
@chefbea (9:02) -- Having bought all those many, many WATCHES to go with all the variously colored clothes in your wardrobe, it's amazing you can afford a single beet for your BORSCHT.
Hey All ! Since it hasn't been asked yet (and I'll probably feel stupid when I find out the answer), what is BORSCHT BELT supposed to be? The ole brain is not grokking it.
This was an OK puz, don't think it deserves the praise Rex hoisted on it, though. Typical TuesPuz fare. B heavy today. 9 total, 5 clumped in NW-N Center. We do get one F, SE corner. Hoo-RAE. :-) Missing Q and V for the pangram.
Puz to me wasn't that much of a BIG HIT, but wasn't DEAD either. Nice EASED solve, BROS. :-)
@puzzlehoarder Lots of companies came out with cars before everyone started to combine. REO specialized in trucks. Most were bigger/commercial types, the SpeedWagon was for an individual.
@Gill I PB and mayo? With a pickle? EWW! Talk about a CLASH.
I always say PBJ. People say PBJ. Just because *you* say PB&J, doesn't mean the rest of the world does. It's perfectly acceptable and a nice start and finish with BLT.
Earth to Rex: Yes PBJ definitely is a thing. As for the and/ampersand debate, if PBJ needs one then so does BLT. I don’t do Monday puzzles but this one made me look to make sure I didn’t mistakenly print yesterday’s. Super super easy Tuesday but cute and clever theme. Well done.
@GILL I - PBJ with mayo and pickle??? “Eww” is my first response. However, I may just have to try it.
Years ago there were a number of hotels in the Catskill Mountains (North of NYC) were many city Jews would spend a week or two each summer. Many famous old time comedians got there start here. It was known as the BORSCHT BELT.
Andy’s original clue for 35A was “Article of neckware for Cerberus.” Like that one better, but maybe it’s because I have never found The Three Stooges to be anything but annoying. Something about watching people slap each other in the face that has just never seemed very funny.
Nice Tuesday fare with a pleasant theme and very little dreck. Liked CRAZY HORSE the best, though I can’t help but wonder if it is an equine slur.
OK @Nancy. You're asking for it. Just maybe mom spotted you eating dinner at some fancy shmancy place. I'd bet my pesetas that she said "ooooh, look! That woman is eating steak tartare with a raw quail egg. Finally...someone with taste!" Speaking of....: @Roo and @whatsername....If you like peanut butter, Best Food Mayo and sour pickles, then I'm pretty sure you'd like my version of a PMP. ;-).
Fun puzzle. In this part of the world, it's a PBJ. Spelled out it’s peanut butter and jelly as is bacon, lettuce and tomato. Regional differences are real.
Never heard of BORSCHT BELT before this puzzle (borscht yes but not together with belt). Seems like something you would only know if you're older and/or from the Northeast. So as a themer it definitely fell flat for me.
@Gill I, thank you for that sandwich recipe. As part of my recovery from knee surgery I've been trying to lose some excess pounds. Peanut butter with mayo and a pickle just killed my appetite for the whole day.
My Peebles knowledge begins with Melvine, ends with Mario and have a Van in the middle. No ANN, but what a loss that seems to have been. That video is pure 70s though, a bunch of polite white kids sitting with their hands folded in their laps, listening to a Black Singer. Sweater vests out the wazoo.
Roo - the BORSCTHBELT was (is) a series of resort hotels in the Catskills of New York. They had significant Jewish patronage along with entertainment featuring largely Jewish talent. The Borscht came from the association with the eastern european clientele.
I join the many here with starting out at BLT. Looking at 1D to confirm, I then tried to come up with a three letter sandwich that started with O - but today, Lima was in PERU, not Ohio.
And I also join those who set a personal record today, time-wise. I don't think I've ever had a sub-6 minute Tuesday before, but I can't say that anymore!
Sorry, @Gill I, if I'm going to eat something with mayo and pickles, I'll make it a tomato sandwich (with a little mustard too.) I was eating one of those sandwiches in front of my sister-in-law. She said, "EWW, tomatoes and mustard?" I tried to convince her that catsup and mustard have been a thing for a long time but she wasn't buying it.
@chefbea, I'll take your word for it. I'm slightly jealous! :) Someone stole my favorite watch and I've never replaced it. Maybe it's time. (Although I'll certainly avoid these new-fangled Apple ones. Not even Dick Tracy would have put up with those. The other day at the movies (yes, I succumbed due to the heat) some lady in front of me had an Apple watch that lit up every five seconds with updates and alerts. It was very annoying. I was afraid to ask her to turn it off because people get shot in movie theaters here.
I agree with comments saying it would be interesting to see a few months of reviews where Rex/Michael did not know the name of the constructors until after he'd solved and reviewed. How about it, Mr. Sharp?
Flew through this entertaining puzzle in 'record' time until I entered the last letter and was denied victory. It then took 4 minutes to find my error (IMMEI; where is SMAIN?)...ARF!
home cooking!!! Rex clearly gives this puzzle's shortcomings a pass because he likes Agard. Tech for PC fixer? he'd excoriate Bruce Haight for that. Reo speed wagon? he'd call that old or tired or junk if weren't for his pal. Not go together fashionwise? He'd say fashionwise was extraneous. hell, he'd probably take issue with blasting cap as being insensitive to people in war torn countries, or soldiers. Oh wait, Rex never praises soldiers. Anyway, his review is colored by his affection for the constructor. Wish he'd review these things blindly.
@GILL I, No, no, no and no! Mom made me a PBJ with mayo once, knowing I like Mayo, but really, NOT at the same time. I always have to put lettuce on my PB&J, makes it easier to slide down the gullet.
Seemed an odd assortment of clothing/accessory items, maybe held together more by appearing in phrases with fortuitous letter-counts than by being items that all belong in one style of ensemble or DRESS. A CAP with a TIE? Really? There are lots and lots of potential clothing/accessory items to choose from. These four struck me as a tad arbitrary.
I echo @Lewis re THREE WAY TIE. Seems like an ad hoc, fits-the-slot choice over any other TIE, such as a TWO, FOUR, TWELVE, etc., WAY TIE.
With only four themers taking up 44 squares, I was surprised to see it took 40 black squares, including 4 cheater/helper squares at the end of 13D & 34D and before the start of 35D & 60D, and heavy reliance on the S tile to get it filled. And those 3X4 micro puzzles in the NW and SE are difficult to breathe life into.
In contrast, yesterday's puzzle had five themers taking up 57 squares, with 38 black squares and a more open grid. And a much more judicious use of the S tile.
I wonder if crosswords should incorporate a DRAW A BLANK tile option for when constructors get painted into a corner. So the down letter can be different than the across letter. Wouldn't be much worse than, say, a random roman numeral, right?
@QuasiMojo: I was afraid to ask her to turn it off because people get shot in movie theaters here.
every now and again someone will serve up an 80 mile an hour fastball down the middle of the strike zone. and some of those are too juicy to let go by. so: there are still a few Blue states accepting refugees from Red states. you could move. well, so long as your of Norwegian ancestry and have very high skills. :)
I set a personal record on today's puzzle at 3:59. Getting under 5 on a Monday or Tuesday is usually my goal. To be honest, I think I could do it more often on a desktop than a phone keyboard.
@Teedmn: Hah! I'm sure I'm going to gross out some more of you Neanderthals. My dad use to sneak a sandwich or two pass my step-mom who is French. She would NEVER put mayo on bread much less anything that wasn't a baguette. His favorite was thinly sliced onions piled on a loaf of Wonder White (He'd hide the bread in the pantry when she'd go on a trip) and slathered and I mean slathered it with Best Food mayo. That was it! However.....he'd put a couple of thinly sliced tomatoes on it every once in a while just so he'd feel he was getting his vitamins. @chefwen....And you don't like poi? TSK.
My Mom buttered the bread, both sides, on any kind of sandwich she made, and I mean PBandJ's, tuna salad, bologna, you name it. Don't know if this was a leftover from growing up dirt poor in the depression or not, but it took some time to get used to the unbuttered variety.
Also, I yield to the flood of, I have to assume, perfectly reasonable and intelligent people who say PBJ, but it sure sounds funny to me. No one ever says, BLandT, I get that.
Good to remember: if you're starving in the desert, you can always eat the sand which is there. Old joke. Sorry.
Anon 11:35, fans of comics who established themselves in the borscht belt also may know the term. Examples: Jerry Lewis, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Woody Allen, Billy Crystal.
pabloninnh, My grandmother approached snadwiches the same way. It never occurred to me that it was a slap against or least response to, tne depression. She sure as hell lived tnrough it. Thanks for providing new perspective.
@Gill I - Not sure I could make (or eat) a PMP. It's PBJ at our house. Using toast for the B is a special treat, IMHO.
My three letter contribution to the culinary arts is the CBR, but it's not a sandwich. One night in a hurry I put three items from the table in a bowl with a little General Tso sauce and it was great. Now when my turn to cook (?), that's what we have. The recipe is tough: One can of French style green beans, one serving Uncle Ben's rice (I like the wild rice) and about a half cup of diced chicken. Microwave for about 3 minutes, add sauce, stir.
I know it won't get me a four-star job as a chef, but sometimes simple things turn out great!
Oh, and I really liked the puzzle. Easy but fun and I did it in about 3 Rexes - very fast for me.
Loved it. Especially the clever bookended sammies. Because I has been visiting with my 4 year old neighbor earlier in the day I tossed in PBJ first-no hesitation because when I asked my friend Parker what he wanted for lunch he shouted “PBJ, PBJ, PBJ!” So it is legit without the & to at least one young Oklahoman.
I assume no golfers here. Nines “often”? No. “Always”, at least since St Andrews switched to 18 holes a few centuries back. And in my neck of the woods it is bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.
That DEAR ANGEL was DRESSed to the NINES to the EXTENT I was HOPIN’ for wooin’, when the NYMPH TIPS me off with BASE signs she’d USEBY gropin’ and SCREWIN’.
This one was a good one - and even Rex liked it! Everything went smoothly with the exception of the centre IAGO/NYMPH area which took a little bit longer to solve than the rest. Nice cluing and clever theme. Perfect for Tuesday. Good work Andy Kravis and Erik Agard!
I did not write in BLT; rather waited to see if it was that or PBJ. A mere glance at the downs left no doubt. Nor was there any hesitation the rest of the way through the "meat," culminating in the other one. Very satisfying--as are both (if made with gluten-free bread) in real life. Just gotta take it easy on the mayo, as the bread doesn't hold too well...
So really two themes. Maybe it would have made more sense to have a theme involving actual sandwich ingredients, but the clothing idea is OK. Do people PEOPLEWATCH? I guess. Bit of a stretch there.
I'm OK with EWW; it captures the spirit of the emotion. I flew through this in a mere seven Rexes; I was a veritable REO Speedwagon. Maybe the sandwich could've used a little more meat, but what was there was good. Gotta love CRAZYHORSE. The DOD NYMPH is Issa RAE. Best thing since sliced (wheat-free) bread is LYFT. No comparison to Uber; five stars. This puz? 4 1/2, or, birdie.
Hand up for rushing in with BLT before confirming. Same with maMBo – think Tito Puente – before RUMBA. Didn’t really notice that there were 23 threes because of good crosses; ERA EAR RAE RAY REO ROD is a small sample of those.
There’s no T in BORSCH in my household. Apparently BORSCHT is for anyone west of Russia.
Most over-rated punk/post-punk rock band – The CLASH.
Have never seen a golf course that was *not* divided into NINES.
The MN State Fair is the place for PEOPLEWATCHING.
If you go to Mt. Rushmore you also need to see the nearby CRAZYHORSE monument. Maybe they’ll finish it someday.
Classic yeah baby: RUBYDEE, current: Issa RAE.
Not bad for a Tues-puz. Use your ESP to use LSD to listen to CDS. SOS.
Easy yet appealing puzzle. I balked at entering BLT at 1A to see whether 1D was either PERU or Ohio. Straight shot from there with hardly a bobble to where BLT signalled the end.
Interesting theme today including PEOPLE WATCH which my girlfriend likes to do ("nice teeth", "that's unfortunate", "I hate man buns", etc.).
I've never LYFTed nor UBERed (not allowed around here) but the taxis are just fine, though I prefer rapid transit.
The Royal and Ancient golf links does not have an outgoing nine/incoming nine, but is an absolute joy to play.
Good Tuesday following a good Monday. Nice start to the week.
A long time ago, I was solving this puzzle and got stuck at an unguessable (to me) crossing: N. C. WYETH crossing NATICK at the "N"—I knew WYETH but forgot his initials, and NATICK ... is a suburb of Boston that I had no hope of knowing. It was clued as someplace the Boston Marathon runs through (???). Anyway, NATICK— the more obscure name in that crossing—became shorthand for an unguessable cross, esp. where the cross involves two proper nouns, neither of which is exceedingly well known. NATICK took hold as crossword slang, and the term can now be both noun ("I had a NATICK in the SW corner...") or verb ("I got NATICKED by 50A / 34D!")
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95 comments:
Yes, I enthusiastically put in BLT in 1A before Lima straightened me out. Very cool the puzzle began and ended with the two three letter staple sandwiches.
Totally agree this was s terrific Tuesday that I completed in Monday time. Two very nice puzzles to start the week. Jeff Chen gave today POW. I would have been inclined to give it to Lynn’s puzzle yesterday. Sent that puzzle to three newbies as a perfect easy entree. But hard to quarrel with this either.
Easy Tuesday. If I solved on my laptop instead of my phone I might've gotten a PR. I put in BLT immediately, which made me think it might be a relative slog. I disagree with Rex though, PBJ is definitely a thing. I remember having my elhi (to put it in crosswordese) take-home, monthly school lunch menus often having PBJ as an option. My 15-18 year-old self is hoping they've come up with better vegetarian options.
Question for phone/tablet solvers, especially those who also do puzzles on computers; what are your best times? And, if you also solve on Across Lite or the applet, how much slower are you? I can't seem to break 5 minutes on my phone, but I might just have clumsy thumbs.
Rex, I’m gonna say it: in my household we say “PBJ”.
PB & J does have three letters.
EWW? Grrrrr!
There's a famous CRAZY HORSE in Paris but I remember the one on M Street in Georgetown back in the 70s.
It would be interesting (?) to deconstruct one of Rex's blog posts. Like this one. I haven't analyzed but here is a puzzle he says he really likes, yet I'm betting at least 50% of the text is complaining about the few entries he objected to. Do this analysis over an extended period. over puzzles he likes and dislikes, and spot trends, gather insights, etc.
Or, not.
This puzzle was fine by me. Smooth, yes. Memorable, or otherwise remarkable, not really.
Sorry, I just can't not see that stack of SCREW-IN and THREE-WAY, pierced by BORES. CRAZY HORSE, by the way, was not just an Oglala Lakota warrior, it's also a famous Parisian cabaret known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers.
Despite these distractions, I logged my fastest Tuesday ever. I imagine that the PPP count was not low, but at least the names were spread out enough that I was never near Natick city.
Funny to see BORSCHT in today's puzzle, following all the discussion about it yesterday. I'm not a fan of that soup, but I am fond of beets and beet greens. By the way, the French do eat a lot of beets, especially in the winter. The roasted red root is featured cubed in fresh-vegetable salads (crudités), combined with blue cheese and walnuts (heavenly!), or nectarines and hazelnuts. Yum!
The first three-letter sandwich clue was a misdirect for me, too, and I slotted in BLT before seeing the PERU crossing. But I disagree with @Rex's notion that it is not an abbreviation. It is certainly one I have heard. (Mrs. 'mericans, by contrast, would say it isn't a proper sandwich!) Also, the argument that it requires an "and" (and ampersand?) doesn't hold water with me. So does BLT by that logic. When I spell out BLT, I always say "bacon, lettuce and tomato". In any case, I imagine that many now, having dispensed with conjunctions and any punctuation mark other than the "/", would say "bacon, slash, lettuce, slash, tomato". (Yuck!)
Yep easy. Me too for BLT at 1a. Cute, liked it, or what @Rex said.
Yup, BLT right off the bat until I looked at 1D, wite out please. My only write over.
Just about every puzzle Rex dislikes, I love. This one gets a rave review and I gave it a MEH. Go figure. Different strokes.
Even with having initial write overs of BLT and SAMBA in the first two crosses I was still able to correct them and finish in about the same time as yesterday's puzzle. This was a very early week solve
ANN Peebles is about all there is that needs looking into.
One other thing I just noticed, the REO clue implies that there's an actual model put out by REO called a Speed Wagon. I've always assumed it was just the name of a band. Another thing to look up.
Oops! I'm missing an antecedent. I should have written: "But I disagree with @Rex's notion that PBJ is not an abbreviation. It is certainly one I have heard. (Mrs. 'mericans, by contrast, would say that a PBJ isn't a proper sandwich!) Also, the argument that PBJ requires an 'and' (and ampersand?) doesn't hold water with me."
I like the image of someone just wearing a cap, tie, watch, and belt. I believe that will be my eyeworm of the day.
It will be more objective if this blog is written without seeing the constructor(s)'s name.
People watch is an appropriate theme answer for this one. Lots of names and I don't know if these guys were just trying to be clever by throwing in the lesser known folks like Issa Rae, Marc Gasol, and Ann Peebles but it seems pretty crowded.
Of the things you wear I'd say cap is an outlier. Except for baseball and graduation, caps aren't so common.
I figured this adequate puzzle would get a rave review as the bromance continues with Erik Agard.
I thought this was a joy start to finish! And, unlike Rex's disparagement of the "bookend" sandwiches, I thought this was a both HILARIOUS and WINKING nod from the constructors to absolutely know that 90% of us are going to start off with the proverbial BLT. I realized that error when I tried to build OHIO out of 1D: ("Lima's Home,") for some reason, having recently driven through that part of the country (it's north of Dayton). When BLT becomes the closing chapter at 69D, ("Three-letter sandwich), well, I know I had both a good chuckle and a smile there.
Small editorial mishap in the 4D cluing of "Actress in Do The Right Thing" and the "Roots" miniseries needs an "original" in front of "Roots" as it was just re-made a few years back.
Also, why o why would SHREK have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Does that really seem merited? Bugs, Lassie, maybe.................Shrek? (28D: Ogre with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame). That is one Hollywood blockbuster franchise that I find just plain weird. SHREK-sters and TREKKIES should hold their own joint convention sometime.
47D: "Groups in Westerns" and it's modern slang usage of same, POSSES, has given way in recent years, in a more urbanized, hip-hopped variant to SQUADS, as in "Beyonce and her squad made the event a lot more entertaining..........." Question: Does a Sheriff still have a POSSE at this point in time??
21D: "Unfun sorts." I originally had BOORS instead of BORES, as I always believed the former to be much more BOORISH and BORING, event PETULANT, than a simple BORE. But not sure about this and would love someone to elaborate.
Yes, the much-vaunted and ubiquitous I.M. PEI makes yet another appearance. Q: Does his family get royalty money for his many crossword appearances? LOL
I'm not usually a fan of either the "quip" puzzle or the cute-sy question-marked long across answer puzzles such as this--but well-done here, with a crisp, light, zippy aspect to all of it! WTG, Mssrs. Agard and Kravis!!!! You've delivered a sprightly, solid, enjoyable Tuesday!
You have to love a puzzle with Ann Peebles in it. I miss that Memphis sound. So much bottom. Thanks for the clip, Rex.
The REO Speed Wagon (alternatively Reo Speedwagon) was a light motor truck manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. It is an ancestor of the pickup truck.
I also had BLT first, but quickly fixed it with the downs. My solve method is to check answers with the crosses. If I can’t confirm an answer because I don’t hit the crosses right away, I usually remove the original answer so that it doesn’t lead me astray if it is wrong. This happens often in late week puzzles.
@Will I solve on the iPhone app. My times for the early week puzzles are generally 7-8 minutes. Thursday’s through Sundays get progressively slower, with Sunday’s bigger grid counteracting the easier clues. My fat thumb always gives me trouble. I have to constantly check I typed an answer correctly and/or spend time fixing things. The worst is when I miss something and get the “keep trying” message upon placing the last clue. I have to comb back through to puzzle to find a random mid-typed letter. Definitely slows things down.
Possibly the easiest puzzle ever – surely the easiest Tuesday.
BELT/NOTCH cross is a nice touch.
Alt themer clue for 49A – Chest accessory for St. Nick?
He liked it. I wonder if he knows the constructors.
Took me a minute and initially the other HO came to mind.
Amen Anon 6:26. Transparent phony.
RIP Charlotte Rae.
@puzzlehoarder 3:07am REO Speedwagon founding member Neal Doughty named the group after a high-speed truck he learned about in a History of Transportation class. (Source: Rolling Stone Magazine, 3/19/1981).
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/reo-speedwagons-big-breakout-72328/
@TomAZ, There are about 16 sentences of value judgment in this review. Six of those are negative, so I think it's more like 37% negative. But that estimation was quickly done and I'm a math idiot so, so there's that. In any case, it borders on gushing in this forum.
This was a funny puzzle with a wide range of old and new. Pez right above Skyped is a prime example.
I thought the sandwiched sandwiches as first and last answers was a nice touch.
I remember as a kid lots of PSAs warning us about blasting caps. Even as a child I wondered where in the world I would ever come across one. I haven't seen any such warnings lately, as in decades ago.
Crazy Horse gave me an ear worm of an 80's rock song "Girls, Girls, Girls" by Motley Crue maybe? So there @ Lewis, I'll trade you an ear worm for your eye worm! Thanks a lot!
What a great and yummy puzzle!!! Loved having PBJ at the top and BLT at the bottom. And of course I loved Borscht belt...We can discuss beets two days in a row!!!!
I say it's "PBandJ", and I should know, because it's the first part of our email address, as I am PB and my wife is J. We had to add some numbers because someone beat us to it, go figure. But in this part of the world, nobody says PBJ for the sandwich.
Post script to the hootenanny info from yesterday: another singer actually came up with "Barrett's Privateers" without any prompting. It's the first and only time this song has ever been sung at our long-running hoot. Serendipity.
I'm with everyone that gave this puzzle a gold star. Bien hecho.
It was okay. I'm glad Rex is being nicer these days but he only seems to do it with people he knows and likes.
Since when is a WATCH a piece of clothing? Or even part of a wardrobe?
I've been to CRAZY HORSE, the cabaret. Not only the women performers were nude. Equal Opportunity Employer.
I’m with the BLT first crowd as well as the PBJ not PB and J. Very quick solve. Got a kick out of the BLT finish. Cute.
I started by putting BLT in upper left, quickly corrected to PBJ, then went merrily along to my final clue, which was, wait, haha, BLT !
so that all worked well for me.
He liked it! So did I.
Who said anything about clothes or wardrobe? BELT and WATCH are identified as accessories in the clues.
@Quasimojo - I have watches in all colors to match whatever outfit I am wearing...so yes..it is a piece of an outfit!!!
I did it in 2:59! This may be the first time I beat you!
Angels don't have halos, saints do. Sheesh. (* The MLB team notwithstanding. Because, such a stupid name shouldn t be given credence.)
Love that borscht showed up today. ( Hi Gill)
I would have liked a bit more playfulness. I don't mind cute-sy - especially in the cluing. This felt a tad ho hum.
Everyone talking about PBJ and BLT what about the ballroom dance from Cuba? My mind jumped all over the place. Let's see.... there's MAMBO CONGA SALSA TANGO. AHA.... it's the informal spontaneous, RUMBA!
Speaking of PBJ, I'm the only one I our family that has NEVER EVER enjoyed one. I do love peanut butter but I slather it on white bread with mayo and a hamburger pickle. Save the jelly for your toast. BLT, on the other hand, is just plain yummy. I'm really not a white bread type person but you can't have this one without it. Toasted of course.
My favorite theme answer was PEOPLE WATCH. My mom was the queen of people watching and my sister came in a close second. We'd go out to lunch and both of them would scram to get the chairs facing the crowd. The heads would slowly start spinning around then there would be the eye rolls followed by the menu covering the mouth so that no one would know they were being talked about. We never ran out of things to say.
@Barry Williams. The Hollywood Walk of Fame deemed Absolut Vodka worthy of a star as well. Go figure!
INCINERATE took me the longest. I guess my mind didn't want to wander in that territory even though its been bandied about almost every day in the Sacramento Bee. What a horrible year of fires we've had and now the blame game starts.
Just noticed the TOAD next to the ANGEL.
UBER yesterday LYFT today. What a life!
@pabloinnh -- thanks for the reminder of a favorite song I've only heard sung by Stan Rogers (the world lost him too soon!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwzRkjn86w
@Rainbow, Rex used the words I quoted in his description of the themers.
Chefbea, is the strap that matches your outfit or the watch itself?
@Quasimojo some are just straps and some are the whole watch
A really nice Tuesday following a really nice Monday. This week is shaping up... nicely.
Only THREE WAY TIE made me laugh. But it wasn't the theme that was the strength of the puzzle; it was the un-Tuesday-like clues. Even when they weren't hard, they were fun. My favorite was the most irreverent "Halo sporter" for ANGEL. It's fun to think of ANGELS sporting their halos.
Also liked the salad clue for DRESS (67A); the interesting factoid for Perry MASON (40A); and the clue for BED (60D). I'd rather find jewelry in my jewelry cases than CDS (61D), but that's just me.* All in all, a breezy, lighthearted puzzle that was enjoyable.
*Actually, I never wear any jewelry other than a WATCH, but I thought it was a cute joke.
@QuasiMojo - send me an e-mail and I will send picture of all my watches
Curious as to people's opinions on whether THREE WAY TIE is an example of green paint or not.
fortunately, I looked at 1D before writing in 1A, so I was saved from that trap. I don't like the whole PBJ acronym, just because we didn't use it when I was a lad (didn't say OJ, either), but it's OK in a puzzle.
An especially nice feature of the theme is that alternate meanings of the garment/accessory terms are so different. A BLASTING CAP is a kind of cap, but TIE is acompletely different meaning, WATCH is a different part of speech, and BELT is a related but definitely different meaning of the word. That's the way to do it.
My wife and I often go to a restaurant here in Boston for tapas; I think we enjoy them there, despite the suggestion of 25A.
So we are supposed to be thankful for a puzzle that no one had to spend more than three seconds per answer on? Why did Rex praise this cakewalk so lavishly? Two words : Erik Agard.
@GILL (9:28) -- Gee, I'm really glad I never walked by your family's table as they dished about the hapless, unsuspecting people that they were PEOPLE WATCHing. Although, since I gather you were living in NYC at one time, maybe I did and just don't know it? (If I did, please don't tell me.)
@chefbea (9:02) -- Having bought all those many, many WATCHES to go with all the variously colored clothes in your wardrobe, it's amazing you can afford a single beet for your BORSCHT.
No, @Lewis, I don't think THREE WAY TIE is green paint. The clue today that I do think is green paint is BIG HIT (10D).
Hey All !
Since it hasn't been asked yet (and I'll probably feel stupid when I find out the answer), what is BORSCHT BELT supposed to be? The ole brain is not grokking it.
This was an OK puz, don't think it deserves the praise Rex hoisted on it, though. Typical TuesPuz fare. B heavy today. 9 total, 5 clumped in NW-N Center. We do get one F, SE corner. Hoo-RAE. :-) Missing Q and V for the pangram.
Puz to me wasn't that much of a BIG HIT, but wasn't DEAD either. Nice EASED solve, BROS. :-)
@puzzlehoarder
Lots of companies came out with cars before everyone started to combine. REO specialized in trucks. Most were bigger/commercial types, the SpeedWagon was for an individual.
@Gill I
PB and mayo? With a pickle? EWW! Talk about a CLASH.
TOAD HERDS
RooMonster
DarrinV
There was, in fact, a delivery truck made by REO called the speed wagon.
I always say PBJ. People say PBJ. Just because *you* say PB&J, doesn't mean the rest of the world does. It's perfectly acceptable and a nice start and finish with BLT.
I, too, went in hard with BLT but still managed to break my Tuesday speed record after recovering. Fun, fast puzzle.
Earth to Rex: Yes PBJ definitely is a thing. As for the and/ampersand debate, if PBJ needs one then so does BLT. I don’t do Monday puzzles but this one made me look to make sure I didn’t mistakenly print yesterday’s. Super super easy Tuesday but cute and clever theme. Well done.
@GILL I - PBJ with mayo and pickle??? “Eww” is my first response. However, I may just have to try it.
@Roo
Years ago there were a number of hotels in the Catskill Mountains (North of NYC) were many city Jews would spend a week or two each summer. Many famous old time comedians got there start here. It was known as the BORSCHT BELT.
@Roo
BORSCHT BELT was a salute to their Eastern-European heritage.
Andy’s original clue for 35A was “Article of neckware for Cerberus.” Like that one better, but maybe it’s because I have never found The Three Stooges to be anything but annoying. Something about watching people slap each other in the face that has just never seemed very funny.
Nice Tuesday fare with a pleasant theme and very little dreck. Liked CRAZY HORSE the best, though I can’t help but wonder if it is an equine slur.
OK @Nancy. You're asking for it. Just maybe mom spotted you eating dinner at some fancy shmancy place. I'd bet my pesetas that she said "ooooh, look! That woman is eating steak tartare with a raw quail egg. Finally...someone with taste!"
Speaking of....:
@Roo and @whatsername....If you like peanut butter, Best Food Mayo and sour pickles, then I'm pretty sure you'd like my version of a PMP. ;-).
Fun puzzle. In this part of the world, it's a PBJ. Spelled out it’s peanut butter and jelly as is bacon, lettuce and tomato. Regional differences are real.
Never heard of BORSCHT BELT before this puzzle (borscht yes but not together with belt). Seems like something you would only know if you're older and/or from the Northeast. So as a themer it definitely fell flat for me.
THREE WAY TIE, especially as clued, is a delightful mental image.
@Gill I, thank you for that sandwich recipe. As part of my recovery from knee surgery I've been trying to lose some excess pounds. Peanut butter with mayo and a pickle just killed my appetite for the whole day.
My Peebles knowledge begins with Melvine, ends with Mario and have a Van in the middle. No ANN, but what a loss that seems to have been. That video is pure 70s though, a bunch of polite white kids sitting with their hands folded in their laps, listening to a Black Singer. Sweater vests out the wazoo.
Roo - the BORSCTHBELT was (is) a series of resort hotels in the Catskills of New York. They had significant Jewish patronage along with entertainment featuring largely Jewish talent. The Borscht came from the association with the eastern european clientele.
@Nancy - ha ha - LOL - good one!!!
@Anonymous 7:35 AM Anything to say besides ready to rumba? Hinting below the borscht belt? Consider stepping it up a notch? Let your aspirations soar!
Thanks @JC66 and @Pete, I hadn't heard of that. And I'm originally from NE PA.
@puzzlehoarder
LOL at your appetite loss!
RooMonster
I join the many here with starting out at BLT. Looking at 1D to confirm, I then tried to come up with a three letter sandwich that started with O - but today, Lima was in PERU, not Ohio.
And I also join those who set a personal record today, time-wise. I don't think I've ever had a sub-6 minute Tuesday before, but I can't say that anymore!
Sorry, @Gill I, if I'm going to eat something with mayo and pickles, I'll make it a tomato sandwich (with a little mustard too.) I was eating one of those sandwiches in front of my sister-in-law. She said, "EWW, tomatoes and mustard?" I tried to convince her that catsup and mustard have been a thing for a long time but she wasn't buying it.
@kitshef, HO PIN, good one.
Thanks, AK and EA, for the smooth Tuesday.
@chefbea, I'll take your word for it. I'm slightly jealous! :) Someone stole my favorite watch and I've never replaced it. Maybe it's time. (Although I'll certainly avoid these new-fangled Apple ones. Not even Dick Tracy would have put up with those. The other day at the movies (yes, I succumbed due to the heat) some lady in front of me had an Apple watch that lit up every five seconds with updates and alerts. It was very annoying. I was afraid to ask her to turn it off because people get shot in movie theaters here.
I agree with comments saying it would be interesting to see a few months of reviews where Rex/Michael did not know the name of the constructors until after he'd solved and reviewed. How about it, Mr. Sharp?
BLT's for everyone!
Flew through this entertaining puzzle in 'record' time until I entered the last letter and was denied victory. It then took 4 minutes to find my error (IMMEI; where is SMAIN?)...ARF!
home cooking!!! Rex clearly gives this puzzle's shortcomings a pass because he likes Agard. Tech for PC fixer? he'd excoriate Bruce Haight for that. Reo speed wagon? he'd call that old or tired or junk if weren't for his pal. Not go together fashionwise? He'd say fashionwise was extraneous. hell, he'd probably take issue with blasting cap as being insensitive to people in war torn countries, or soldiers. Oh wait, Rex never praises soldiers. Anyway, his review is colored by his affection for the constructor. Wish he'd review these things blindly.
@GILL I, No, no, no and no! Mom made me a PBJ with mayo once, knowing I like Mayo, but really, NOT at the same time. I always have to put lettuce on my PB&J, makes it easier to slide down the gullet.
Seemed an odd assortment of clothing/accessory items, maybe held together more by appearing in phrases with fortuitous letter-counts than by being items that all belong in one style of ensemble or DRESS. A CAP with a TIE? Really? There are lots and lots of potential clothing/accessory items to choose from. These four struck me as a tad arbitrary.
I echo @Lewis re THREE WAY TIE. Seems like an ad hoc, fits-the-slot choice over any other TIE, such as a TWO, FOUR, TWELVE, etc., WAY TIE.
With only four themers taking up 44 squares, I was surprised to see it took 40 black squares, including 4 cheater/helper squares at the end of 13D & 34D and before the start of 35D & 60D, and heavy reliance on the S tile to get it filled. And those 3X4 micro puzzles in the NW and SE are difficult to breathe life into.
In contrast, yesterday's puzzle had five themers taking up 57 squares, with 38 black squares and a more open grid. And a much more judicious use of the S tile.
I wonder if crosswords should incorporate a DRAW A BLANK tile option for when constructors get painted into a corner. So the down letter can be different than the across letter. Wouldn't be much worse than, say, a random roman numeral, right?
@QuasiMojo:
I was afraid to ask her to turn it off because people get shot in movie theaters here.
every now and again someone will serve up an 80 mile an hour fastball down the middle of the strike zone. and some of those are too juicy to let go by. so:
there are still a few Blue states accepting refugees from Red states. you could move. well, so long as your of Norwegian ancestry and have very high skills. :)
I set a personal record on today's puzzle at 3:59. Getting under 5 on a Monday or Tuesday is usually my goal. To be honest, I think I could do it more often on a desktop than a phone keyboard.
Yes, but the question isn’t “Three letters in the name of a sandwich.”
@Teedmn: Hah! I'm sure I'm going to gross out some more of you Neanderthals. My dad use to sneak a sandwich or two pass my step-mom who is French. She would NEVER put mayo on bread much less anything that wasn't a baguette. His favorite was thinly sliced onions piled on a loaf of Wonder White (He'd hide the bread in the pantry when she'd go on a trip) and slathered and I mean slathered it with Best Food mayo. That was it! However.....he'd put a couple of thinly sliced tomatoes on it every once in a while just so he'd feel he was getting his vitamins.
@chefwen....And you don't like poi? TSK.
@Gill I. Onion sandwich makes sense, sprinkle a little malt vinegar for added sass. Ain't that mayo just Hellman's? Duke's Real is the only way to go.
My Mom buttered the bread, both sides, on any kind of sandwich she made, and I mean PBandJ's, tuna salad, bologna, you name it. Don't know if this was a leftover from growing up dirt poor in the depression or not, but it took some time to get used to the unbuttered variety.
Also, I yield to the flood of, I have to assume, perfectly reasonable and intelligent people who say PBJ, but it sure sounds funny to me. No one ever says, BLandT, I get that.
Good to remember: if you're starving in the desert, you can always eat the sand which is there. Old joke. Sorry.
Anon 11:35, fans of comics who established themselves in the borscht belt also may know the term. Examples: Jerry Lewis, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Woody Allen, Billy Crystal.
@Jeff B
Don't forget Henny Youngman. (Take my wife...please).
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe I can accept mayo, even a pickle. But white bread?
pabloninnh,
My grandmother approached snadwiches the same way. It never occurred to me that it was a slap against or least response to, tne depression.
She sure as hell lived tnrough it. Thanks for providing new perspective.
Anon 3:12,
Come on!!!!!!!! He was tucked in for the nigHt, sleeping quietly.
@Gill I - Not sure I could make (or eat) a PMP. It's PBJ at our house. Using toast for the B is a special treat, IMHO.
My three letter contribution to the culinary arts is the CBR, but it's not a sandwich. One night in a hurry I put three items from the table in a bowl with a little General Tso sauce and it was great. Now when my turn to cook (?), that's what we have. The recipe is tough:
One can of French style green beans, one serving Uncle Ben's rice (I like the wild rice) and about a half cup of diced chicken. Microwave for about 3 minutes, add sauce, stir.
I know it won't get me a four-star job as a chef, but sometimes simple things turn out great!
Oh, and I really liked the puzzle. Easy but fun and I did it in about 3 Rexes - very fast for me.
Loved it. Especially the clever bookended sammies. Because I has been visiting with my 4 year old neighbor earlier in the day I tossed in PBJ first-no hesitation because when I asked my friend Parker what he wanted for lunch he shouted “PBJ, PBJ, PBJ!” So it is legit without the & to at least one young Oklahoman.
I assume no golfers here. Nines “often”? No. “Always”, at least since St Andrews switched to 18 holes a few centuries back. And in my neck of the woods it is bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.
GRAB TALE
That DEAR ANGEL was DRESSed to the NINES
to the EXTENT I was HOPIN’ for wooin’,
when the NYMPH TIPS me off with BASE signs
she’d USEBY gropin’ and SCREWIN’.
--- ROD MASON
This one was a good one - and even Rex liked it! Everything went smoothly with the exception of the centre IAGO/NYMPH area which took a little bit longer to solve than the rest. Nice cluing and clever theme. Perfect for Tuesday. Good work Andy Kravis and Erik Agard!
BIGHIT TIPS
WREATHS LYFT it up a NOTCH for the HEARSES’ DEAD,
but JADEd PEOPLEWATCH a THREEWAYTIE in BED.
--- REO BROS., MBAS
I did not write in BLT; rather waited to see if it was that or PBJ. A mere glance at the downs left no doubt. Nor was there any hesitation the rest of the way through the "meat," culminating in the other one. Very satisfying--as are both (if made with gluten-free bread) in real life. Just gotta take it easy on the mayo, as the bread doesn't hold too well...
So really two themes. Maybe it would have made more sense to have a theme involving actual sandwich ingredients, but the clothing idea is OK. Do people PEOPLEWATCH? I guess. Bit of a stretch there.
I'm OK with EWW; it captures the spirit of the emotion. I flew through this in a mere seven Rexes; I was a veritable REO Speedwagon. Maybe the sandwich could've used a little more meat, but what was there was good. Gotta love CRAZYHORSE. The DOD NYMPH is Issa RAE. Best thing since sliced (wheat-free) bread is LYFT. No comparison to Uber; five stars. This puz? 4 1/2, or, birdie.
Have not yet read comments, but as far as I'm concerned, the "theme" is reflected in this ode:
Answer in threes
If you please
Back later.
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords who got this puz PDQ
Hand up for rushing in with BLT before confirming. Same with maMBo – think Tito Puente – before RUMBA. Didn’t really notice that there were 23 threes because of good crosses; ERA EAR RAE RAY REO ROD is a small sample of those.
There’s no T in BORSCH in my household. Apparently BORSCHT is for anyone west of Russia.
Most over-rated punk/post-punk rock band – The CLASH.
Have never seen a golf course that was *not* divided into NINES.
The MN State Fair is the place for PEOPLEWATCHING.
If you go to Mt. Rushmore you also need to see the nearby CRAZYHORSE monument. Maybe they’ll finish it someday.
Classic yeah baby: RUBYDEE, current: Issa RAE.
Not bad for a Tues-puz. Use your ESP to use LSD to listen to CDS. SOS.
Easy yet appealing puzzle. I balked at entering BLT at 1A to see whether 1D was either PERU or Ohio. Straight shot from there with hardly a bobble to where BLT signalled the end.
Interesting theme today including PEOPLE WATCH which my girlfriend likes to do ("nice teeth", "that's unfortunate", "I hate man buns", etc.).
I've never LYFTed nor UBERed (not allowed around here) but the taxis are just fine, though I prefer rapid transit.
The Royal and Ancient golf links does not have an outgoing nine/incoming nine, but is an absolute joy to play.
Good Tuesday following a good Monday. Nice start to the week.
@Rex had only minor nits! Even with all those threes! Will miracles never...
Let's celebrate with a sandwich. Make mine a sub.
Lady Di
Does anyone remember Manwich?
A sandwich is a sandwich but a Manwich is a meal.
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