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Relative difficulty: Medium (4:38, rolling out of bed...)
Theme answers:
- UNICORN START-UP (20A: Success story like Uber or Airbnb)
- ZOMBIE BANKS (24A: Institutions propped up with government support)
- PATENT TROLL (44A: One profiting through litigation, not innovation)
noun
INFORMAL•DEROGATORY
• • •
ATTYGEN, which I keep mentally pronouncing as it is spelled, and it sounds like some compound name like Sally Mae or Billy Ray (42D: Chief law officer: Abbr.). It's sooooo long for an abbr. And you have to abbr. two words? The term "AG" already exists. I have no doubt that this abbr. has been used in writing, but it looks so awful in the grid. Abbrs. shouldn't be this long. I have "YIKES" written into the margin of the grid next to the end of this answer. It's the only "YIKES." Beyond the themers and ATTYGEN (ugh), my only struggle was self-induced. I got MINI at 4D: 1" version of a 15-Across and promptly wrote in IPOD at 15-Across, without (obviously) ever looking at the clue (15A: Black-and-white item you can consume whole = OREO). So that sucked. I also couldn't get through the HAT / EAT portion of the grid at all until I came back at it from underneath. Also, the role in hide-and-seek is called a (wait for it) SEEKER, not SEARCHER, dear lord. It's not called *&$%ing "hide-and-search." Finished up with the "C" in FOCI / CAIN, the latter of which had a toughish clue (60A: Something a complainer might raise).
One last bit of personal news. If you read this blog then you probably know that I have dogs. Well, today I have just the one. Yesterday, we said goodbye to our beautiful 16yo husky/shepherd mix, Dutchess, yesterday. She was part of our family for almost as long as we've owned this home, for almost as long as we've been married. For my daughter's entire living memory. We went to the shelter in Montrose, PA looking for an entirely different dog but when my wife stopped in front of Dutchess's cage, and especially once we took her out of the cage, it was all over. She was obviously ours. And the best dog anyone could ever have. Easy to train. Laid back. Rugged. Durable. Calm. Sweet. She's been a part of our everyday life for so long. This morning is so weird, without her. She has left a huge hole in our lives, but she has also made our lives better and richer and happier than they would've been otherwise. Caring for her, especially as she got older and frailer, was a great privilege. I miss her soft ears. OK, go kiss your pups or kitties or, I don't know, children if you got 'em. Have a beautiful day. Dutchess Forever!
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
RIP Dutchess.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss... it's so hard to lose a faithful friend.
DeleteAh Michael, it’s so tough to lose a dog. All my sympathy.
ReplyDeleteThe SEARCHER isn’t even called a Seeker in my book. They are called It. Way too short, of course.
So sorry to hear about Duchess...
ReplyDeleteAlso...
Can someone explain the complainer/Cain clue?
I came to post the same. Was my last answer, knew foci was likely right but still pleasantly surprised when the congratulations message popped up with cain
DeleteThe expression is to raise Cain, as in to raise hell, to raise a ruckus. It's a bit like complaining on steroids ... like I'm going to raise Cain if I don't get something I want. Although I know the phrase, I definitely got the answer only because I got everything else around it
Deletehttps://youtu.be/Qi2TGTIXj0s
Delete@rex -- So sorry about your loss, from one with a greatly loved dog.
ReplyDeleteI loved this puzzle despite the green paint reveal, which was hard for me to immediately pick up, and the fact that I had never heard of any of the theme answers.
Why? Not knowing these things awakened and supercharged my solving muscles, one of the finest feelings I know. Crosses unveiled the reveal, then came one of the mythical creatures, then the big aha, then came filling in the others, which were mainly empty squares. The whole process, which didn't take that long, was nonetheless So Satisfying. Thus, a terrific solve for me. I almost let out a whoop at the end.
On top of that, there's PATTY MELT, HOT TAKES, lovely clues for ROOS, ACUTE, and EAT, a mini-theme of double T's (5), and the cross of ABET and ABUT.
A grab bag of goodies this Wednesday. Thank you Sir Hawkins.!
Sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain why 49D: Hubs is FOCI? It's so weird to my eye that I wonder if the app has the wrong clue. I got it from the cross but that one is baffling me.
Lousy clue on 8D: Trips up (GETS).
Faster than average, but somewhat at sea about the themers until the reveal. Challenging, but very doable.
ReplyDeleteKid(s) goes to college and the pets leave us. Always tough. The nice thing about pets is there is a shelter near you with a pet looking for a home. We have a lab/shepherd/chow mix and a chihuahua mix at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI don’t much like finance, but I do like money, so I knew all these phrases. Being a semi-regular listener to the Freakonomics podcast doesn’t hurt. I also know enough to be concerned that we have inverted bond rates. Two more months and a recession is a near certainty. Ugh. Anyway, no real problems and I found the notion of all these FINANCIAL MYTHS amusing.
@Matt - Are you familiar with the phrase “raising CAIN”? It seems like something my mother said so maybe it’s not as in the language anymore. Basically, complaining vociferously about something is “raising CAIN.”
Lots of queries about @LMS yesterday. She probably won’t be back for a few more days at least, she is too busy at the moment. Friends who want an update are free to email me.
Pets are family members. Not replaceable. The last thing a person wants to hear after losing a beloved pet is "just go get another one."
DeleteThanks for the update on LMS.
Delete@Rob - Maybe definition 2 will help, a “hub” is a focal point.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss....
ReplyDeleteSo sorry. Thanks for the Dutchess photos. OK, off to give a little extra love to the furry and feathered ones. @Matt, guessing it's from the phrase "raising Cain." I thought it was more of a serious partying reference, but I guess if you raise a ruckus complaining?
ReplyDeleteDogs are the most worthy creatures on the planet.
ReplyDeleteNice satisfying puzzle today. The world of finance is not my realm but that didn't trip me up too badly.
The mythical trio of unicorn, zombie, and troll was fun.
My only notes were Classic role for Takei? Classic? Isn't it his only role? Maybe it's classic because it's old not because it is special from a list of his credits.
No idea what Venmo is but it seems to go with the theme.
All in all a good experience.
So sorry about Duchess. Gave an extra hug to my beautiful Quinn.
ReplyDeleteIf you aren't a dog person you won't get it.
ReplyDeleteA piece of your heart is gone.
They are special beings.
The week so far: Monday – very easy; Tuesday – historically easy. Wednesday – very, very easy. I feel a storm brewing.
ReplyDeleteLots of myths included that are not part of the theme. Yesterday’s extra felt like a bug. Today’s ODIN, ARGO, CAIN and PSYCHIC feel like Easter EGGS.
Dogs are the best
Sorry for your loss...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss, Rex. Myth clue crossing Financial Myths seemed sloppy but what do I know? Anything goes these days.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one to suspect @lms must also be @Don in Accounting? Coincidence?
ReplyDeleteI can still remember my mother strumming a ukulele, and singing
ReplyDelete"Adam and Eve were ...[missing words] ...
But still they were Abel to raise Cain."
Does anybody remember the missing words?
My wife and I have had to "say goodbye" to many cats over the years.
Fortunately, our current pair, Orca and Tiger, are 13 years old, and still frisky.
Rex, our hearts go out to your whole family.
Maybe this will be of help:
Deleten 1919, singer Eddie Cantor released You Don't Need the Wine to Have a Wonderful Time, a comic character song from the Ziegfeld Follies. The song went to number 3 on the Billboard charts on February 3, 1920 and stayed there for 7 weeks.
You don’t need the wine to have a wonderful time
While they still make a beautiful girl.
Adam and Eve never tasted Champagne
Still they were Abel to go out and raise Cain.
She was a beauty and there are no words for such a profound loss. My heart goes out to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteShould have said “might be”
ReplyDeleteRex,
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss.
Not my wheelhouse at all, so I learned something, but not something I will be using in my everyday conversation.
ReplyDeleteAh, pets. We know they won't last forever but still so hard to say good bye.
Kind of a thorny Wed., but still fun. Thanks, MH.
@Rex, I’m sorry for your loss. @main line dad & @Rob: As to FOCI: focus and hub are two ways of saying the central point. @Z, thank you for the LMS update.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the passing of Duchess! I love the bottom picture you posted of her. She looks so happy to be running in the snow. You can see her big smile! That’s a good way to remember her!
ReplyDeletecan you change that can to can't, sorry.
ReplyDeleteMichael, Our condolences to you and your family. Thanks for sharing and for the photos of Duchess. Judy and Barry S
ReplyDeletePets get you everytime. Probably done more crying over pets than anything else. I guess that means I have had an easy life or I am lousy with people.
ReplyDeleteHow about taking it easy today. Do not pick on someone who lost their dog.
The east coast fell in line fairly quickly. Everywhere else had stumbling blocks. Even OREO took time: l take at least 2 bites, but I prefer the doublestuffed. MINIs don't exist in my world. Managed to spell ISAAC with the s, not a, doubled. I know better.
LOCI before FOCI. They work about equally, l think. I persisted. Long slog. Bad me, good puzzle. TOOBIG before ZOMBIE.
Enjoyed the themes and EAT-ate. Many easy clues, and still a very tough Wednesday here.
LOVE that last picture. She was a great dog. Sorry for you loss, old friend.
ReplyDeleteThe G in GETS NiGH (as in practically) tripped me up. I’m also not into financial terminology but somehow I knew all these. Overall, points for fresh and unusual.
ReplyDeleteNot many things are worse than losing a dog.
I am sixteen going on seventeen
ReplyDeleteI know that I'm naïve.
Fellows I meet
May tell me I'm sweet
And, willingly, I believe!
I am sixteen going on seventeen
Innocent as a rose.
Bacheledandies, drinkers of brandies,
What do I know of those?
Totally unprepared, am I,
To face a world of men!
Timid and shy and scared am I
Of things beyond my kin!
I need someone older and wiser
Telling me what to do!
You are seventeen going on eighteen,
I'll depend on you!
My condolences on your loss. Like you, we are dog lovers and have had to escort some of them to their final rest. The impressions they leave on our hearts and lives is unbelievable. Sending some healing love your way.
ReplyDeleteThe clue for Oreo assumes that everyone everywhere shoves in a whole cookie. And the smaller version of countless things is a mini. So this is another example of the kind of sloppy cluing that throws off the thought process during the solve and takes it from aha to ugh. And by this I mean, it sucks.
ReplyDeleteIf the Oreo has any popular consumption ritual, it's taking it apart, licking the cream, and then eating the cookie part.
Same with "Wheels." What's with the "? Is that going to be the new misused question mark? AHA by wheels they meant car. Wah?
Sorry about your dog @rex. Their passing always seems like the end of an era. You can mark your own life and youth by them.
Lorelei 8:23 - the "sloppy cluing" you dislike is what for me makes it a challenging puzzle and not just a regurgitation of trivia. Rather than throwing off my thought process, it forces me to use my brain to figure out alternate possibilities too the first things that pop into my head. If everything fell into place with no misdirection, I would find it boring and not worth my time, which is why I often skip Mondays and Tuesdays. Sometimes part of the puzzle is figuring out how the answer relates to the clue.
DeleteThe clue says :...you CAN consume whole" So not "everyone everywhere" -- not even "anyone anywhere" -- simply a possibility. So not a 9 inch chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.
DeleteSo sorry for the loss of your beautiful pup.
ReplyDelete@Lorelei
ReplyDeleteClue only said you can consume whole.
@Rex, sympathy to you and your family on the loss of Duchess.
ReplyDeletedogs are the best, so sorry.
ReplyDeleteIn the blog goes on spirit, I liked this one, even though I went for snubs over shuns. And these are phrases I think I first heard from Elizabeth Warren’s mouth, at least zombie banks.
There's nothing like starting my morning with a sob. Every single time we've had to put our furry babies down, I vowed to never get another one. I can't stand the sadness. After mourning for ever, we run to the shelter and get another or sometime two. So sorry, @Rex.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is the puzzle..... I know nothing about the FINANCIALworld. I leave that to my penny pinching spouse. Every time I go out sopping, I come home to find him "checking" our financial status. I KID you not.
Never heard of any of these phrases but I thought they were fun. Why pick UNICORN for a success story? Why use ZOMBIE for something propped up by the government? Who makes these up? I did like PATENT TROLL. There are so many kinds of TROLLs. I'd probably TROLL Ree Drumond on her PATTY MELT recipe. She uses the wrong kind of Rye bread and the Swiss cheese she uses is that one that comes in plastic wrap.....
Our friend OREO is back. I enjoy him because I look for new cluing. My favorite so far is: It may get a good licking after dinner.
SNOG is an all-time favorite. Some Americans think it's doing the opposite of what it means. I love when that happens .
Great puzzle - thanks, MH.
Take care Rex. So sorry
ReplyDeleteI am so very sorry for your loss. They’re never with us long enough.
ReplyDeleteVery sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteLosing a longtime pet is brutal -- it's happened to us with dogs and cats. Hang in there, @Rex.
ReplyDeleteAside from the formidable Scrabbly-ness of the grid and the Saturday-hard clue for GETS, this puzzle did nothing for me. To me, a UNICORNSTARTUP is just a UNICORN, and ZOMBIEBANKS feel completely made up. This is probably due to my own lack of knowledge, but I still didn't like them. PATENTTROLL is good. @Rex is right about the revealer -- green paint if ever there was some. You can modify MYTH with just about any adjective, can't you?
ATTYGEN? Yeah, right. When your junky fill is seven letters long, go back to the drawing board.
And what the &^%@# is "myth" doing in a clue in a puzzle with this revealer??
I was justified when I was five
Raisin' CAIN, I spit in your eye...
-- "The Bitch is Back" (Elton/Bernie)
Why in the world does Mr. Smarty Pants, MacBook think the I EVER meant that I EVER go out sopping when I'm shopping? Do I look like I do that?
ReplyDelete(The ears, the ears...). There is nothing worse than saying goodbye to a beloved pet. Condolences, Rex. She looks like she had a beautiful soul.
ReplyDeleteI liked this theme a lot. A fun, breezy puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry for your family's loss. Our dog just turned double digits, and it makes me think of how much longer we have with him, especially our kids. They've hardly known life without him. Peace to all of you as you grieve.
The mythical creatures are UNICORNS, ZOMBIES, and TROLLS.
ReplyDeleteA UNICORN STARTUP is a private company funded by venture capitalists with a valuation in excess of $1 billon. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unicorn.asp
RIP Duchess. Beautiful happy dog pics.
ReplyDeleteAs my Dad said, one of tragedies in life is that dogs’ life spans are shorter than ours.
I try hard to be as good a person as my dogs think I am.
Dogs are the best. Duchess was beautiful, with a sweet, sweet face. I'm so sorry, Rex.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle made me feel old. The terms UNICORN STARTUP, ZOMBIE BANKS and PATENT TROLLS were unknown to me. I assume they're phrases invented by the New Media -- mostly online -- that I don't follow. HOT TAKES is not a phrase that springs immediately to my lips either. And I assume a PATTY MELT is what I would call a cheeseburger with onions. There's a NUDGE to oldsters with MEIR, IVAN, IAGO, ARGO and such, but basically this puzzle skews young, unlike me. I finished it anyway, but found the fill, and some of the clues as well, on the hard side for a Wednesday.
@Nancy 9:22, what differentiates a patty melt from a cheeseburger is that it has sliced bread (typically rye) rather than a bun, carmelized onions, and after it's assembled, it's grilled. Much better than a cheeseburger, in my opinion, and even worse for your health.
Delete
ReplyDelete@Rex--
So, so sad, I have misty eyes reading your post. Our dogs are members of the family, and always happy to see us when we return home!
We're on out third now, 11 years old, a small dog, so hopefully over 5 years left.
@Rex - Beautiful dog, obviously a wonderful friend. Sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteNice xword review and touching eulogy for Dutchess. The pics capture the spirit you describe. What a great dog... and apparently, she could fly! (see last pic)
ReplyDeletePeople confused about 60A should google the phrase “raising Cain.”
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor once the theme was in my wheelhouse. These aren't really financial terms but more from the tech startup world (except zombie banks, which is from finance/policy). But I have no clue what a hot take is. So that block tripped me up. I also dont understand how GETS is derived from "trips up". Seems totally unrelated or even opposite.
ReplyDeleteAs to Duchess. I am so sorry she is gone. Our furry family members always leave us too soon. It's the paradox of pet love, that pet parents almost always bury their 4 legged children. Sending loving thoughts to you and your family including Duchess'sister (brother?).
Rex, you've lost a loved one and that hurts. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI got too hung up in the center with SIB crossing SNUBS and the mess that caused for me to call this easy, but the rest fell into place pretty quickly. Well, except for that G in NIGH/GETS. I guess that really GOT me too. Didn't help that I was sure provocative comments on current events had to be a BOT something, maybe a BOTTROLL, or that Uber and AirBnB were examples of a startupCOMPANY. Too much to undue and puzzle over, but got there in the end and enjoyed it.
SNOG is one of my favorite Britishisms, being one of those Americans that's sure it refers to so much more than kissing.
@Anne - You’re right. Zeke and Lulu could could never replace Axel, Samurai, or Shadow. But they seem pretty happy to live here and not at the shelter. Just so you don’t think I’m a complete cad, if I wanted to send condolences to Rex I’d email him. I suppose he might stop by today, but I doubt it (see @anon9:31 for a good reason to stay away). My comment was addressed to the rest of us.
ReplyDelete@Giil I - Yep. It was about four months after Sam died that I got a picture texted to me by my wife. And I’m firmly in the “they’re pack animals, they’ll be happier with two” camp, so when Lulu lost her elderly owner it was automatic to take her. Watching the 11 lb chihuahua beat the 60 lb lab at biko ball tug of war is hilarious.
HOTTAKES is more a sports usage than political, but works fine for both worlds. Means talking heads making comments on breaking news, which my TV screen tells me all news is these days. And strangely, you could argue that it is redundant.
ReplyDelete>I assume a PATTY MELT is what I would call a cheeseburger with onions.
ReplyDelete@Nancy, not quite. A PATTY MELT is usually made with sliced bread instead of a hamburger bun. And the whole sandwich is griddled in butter. It's sort of a cross between a hamburger and a grilled cheese.
@Anonymous 9:31 AM - why don’t you take your own advice and zip it? Your offhand, snide and callous remarks say much about you, and it ain’t good. Losing a cherished pet invokes the same sense of sorrow and hollowness that losing a beloved human does. You misinterpret Rex’s statement entirely, and meanly. It doesn’t strike me that he was either bragging or trying to portray himself as heroic. He was simply describing his feelings for her.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I have had cats (usually two, sometimes three and for several years, four) for the past 40 years. All the cats we’ve had have either been strays or from a no-kill shelter where we worked as weekend volunteers for years. During that time we have presided over the passing of many of our feline friends, and it’s never been easy. It’s always painful. But as time goes on, we’ve found that the grief dissipates, replaced by a sense of thankfulness for the time we had together. Then, for us, it becomes time to visit the shelter again to share a forever home with yet another feline. Or two. We know the pain it causes when they pass, but we feel it’s part of the price for the wonderful and endearing time that we are together.
Anyway, I am sorry about your loss, Rex.
Please explain “gets” (8 down) as answer for clue “trips up”.
ReplyDeletePets are the best. <3 <3 <3
ReplyDeleteToo bad Duchess didn't live in the not-too-distant future where her consciousness could be uploaded into a supercomputer and she could exist in a virtual state indefinitely. That's what I'm hoping for myself, so fingers crossed!
On a less serious note, I thought the grid and the theme were fine overall, but I wish the cluing had been less straightforward. "Less than right" for ACUTE was the okayest of the bunch for me.
"Beyond one's ken." Yes, you totally just made that up and I think it's one of your absolute best. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/332889-trump-tells-economist-he-invented-the-phrase-priming-the-pump
@Rex, sorry to hear about Dutchess.
ReplyDeleteYeah, 'myth' in the clue for ARGO bothered me, too. I think maybe that rule has gone out. Too bad.
I did like the ABET/ABUT crossing; at least I liked it a bit. I wouldn't want to hit it with a bat, anyway.
All you people who don't pay attention to financial things -- I hope you have a defined-benefit pension! Or a certified financial planner who handles it all for you at a reasonable fee. Or are in such good health that you will be able to work forever.
"financial myths" are a thing -- here's an example. (By the way, I don't agree with all the points made in the linked article -- just citing it for usage.)
Am I finished now? Yes.
"Our pets are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole." Sorry for your loss, Rex.
ReplyDelete@Rex — I extend my sincere sympathy in the loss of your sweet girl. Letting them go is one of the most painful things a pet owner can experience, but it’s obvious she had a long happy life with people who loved her. We can’t ask for much more than that.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous at 9:31 - What Rex wrote was an expression of his grief over the loss of a family member. “Caring for [them] is a great privilege” is exactly the way I feel about all my pets- and that’s a fact, not a boast. I didn’t hear him asking for any medals or claiming to be a hero. He wrote a lovely dedication to a beloved companion and we don’t get to judge him for that today. Shame on you.
I wasn’t a fan of this puzzle but balancing my checkbook is the extent of my financial acumen so that could have something to do with it. The themers were pretty much foreign phrases to me, but I learned something new so there’s that. A good Wednesday effort anyway, thanks to Michael Hawkins.
I’m so sorry for your loss Rex. She was a great beauty.
ReplyDeleteHey All !
ReplyDeleteAdding my condolences to you and your family @Rex.
Interesting puz, weirdly cool that UNICORN, ZOMBIE, and TROLL could have something in common. I KID you not.
Almost like two puzs, with the black squares in the center effectively separating the top and bottom. Nice fill overall, some chuckle-inducing clues, like the OREO one. Fun to see ZIP IT. A HIP answer, one might say.
One F, but since there is ROOS, it's acceptable! Nice U count, for those of us who look for such things. :-)
ROOS FOCI
RooMonster
DarrinV
If you don't get the trips up clue it got you. If a trick question gets you, it trips you up. If a person trips up a ball carrier in football, he gets him, for that matter.
ReplyDeleteModerators, do us a favor please and delete that Anonymous post at 9:31. If ever a post deserved censure that one does.
ReplyDeleteThe dear Duchess reminded me of our huge dog, Welinuf, who earned the moniker from my daughter who at the tender age of 7, knew I was helping a friend nurse a litter of “accidental” pups that were half Rottweiler, half German Shepherd. She had visited them and desperately wanted a puppy despite the fact that we already had a spectacular mutt named Max who adored her.
ReplyDeleteMy friend trained police dogs in Schutzen and had an enormous male Shepherd who somehow (still a great mystery), communed with a very young Rottie who dropped 6 pups in the middle of an Oklahoma ice storm and then promptly died. My friend and I nursed the 6, lost 4 over the course of about two months. My young daughter was transfixed by the pup that bonded to me. We were not in the market for a second big dog, but my daughter kept insisting and asking “when will she be wellenough, when will she be wellenough?” She always elided the words well enough, thus the dog was named, Welinuf or Wellie for short. We called her the “Rottman Shepweiler.” She weighed in at 100 pounds and had an enormous chest, but the sweetest disposition. The two of them, daughter and dog could and did raise CAIN frequently. Wellie has an enormous vocabulary and Kate would tease her by saying or spelling words until I frequently used the old saw, “Leave Welinuf alone!” It became a family joke. We lost Wellie during my daughter’s freshman year of undergrad.
I now have cats, whom I adore just as much as I do dogs, but because I travel quite a bit, cats are easier to manage. My orange tabby really preferred my late husband, and she mourned his passing for months, and still sleeps on my husband’s pillow at night. RIP Duchess. I am certain you served your family well.
What a lovely pup. So sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle okay. I think "zombie bank" was coined by some of the folks on my side of the aisle who thought it would be a good idea to throw the country into a deep depression. They're among the lefties who blamed BHO and, by extension, HRC, for Bush's bank bailout.
The unicorn startup myth is that some tech company just appeared overnight (it's related to the myth of overnight success) when what really happened is people just started to notice it. Rather as how our switch over the weekend from a democratic republic with co-equal branches of government to a system ruled over by a unitary executive has been in the making for 40+ years (and oh, people still haven't noticed...).
The outlier here is the patent troll, because while the troll is mythical, the patent troll decidedly is not.
Loci before foci, Issac before Isaac, nigh on couldn't finish because of that one, but it worked out in the end.
Searchers is for John Wayne, Seeker is for Harry Potter, Hide and Seek, you're "it".
Raising Cain is a saying from back in the day when people who professed religion read Bibles and such. If someone said "stop raising Cain" it meant you were being a little hellion.
ReplyDelete@Rex, sorry you lost Duchess. I hope her passing was gentle. Our two ASPCA rescued fur balls always love snuggling when it’s crossword puzzle time. I still miss our sweet little Leslie, the guinea pig, who could outpurr our cats.
I found the FINANCIAL MYTHS to be fun. I absorbed those osmotically from my husband’s addiction to do listening to the news on the radio and the post BJJ training conversations among the young BJj guys at the dojo, who mostly seem to work in finance.
@jberg, thanks for the link destroying the coffee myth. Now I can guiltlessly indulge in my new addiction of lavender lattes after BJJ training at a cafe called Bibble and Sip. I think the word bibble deserves to end up in a crossword puzzle someday.
@Anon, 9:31am, ZIP lock IT, toss it in the toilet, and flush it down where that sort of nastiness belongs.
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ReplyDeleteRex, I got teary eyed reading your blog today and remembering the beloved dogs in my life. Dutchess was a beauty inside and out. I’m so sorry she’s gone, but happy your family had such a wonderful girl to love. You and she were so lucky.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle seems superfluous now, but I’ll say that it was a challenging Wednesday because I’d never heard of the themers before. What a hoot and I loved all three! I was saved by the PPP that never let me down.
It’s too sad to lose such a friend as Duchess...condolences to your family.
ReplyDeleteI am so very sorry for your loss. I couldn't read it all. I still cry for my Chloe. I never thought I would love again, but my Cinnamon (a rescue as was Chloe) helped me to (she snuggles in my lap as I do the puzzle).
ReplyDeleteRaising Cain is, I think, a polite way of saying “Raising hell.” If you throw a really big fit, you raise hell all the way back to Cain, likely its first resident, sent there for murdering his brother, Abel.
ReplyDelete“If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” - Will Rogers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and unforgettable quote! Never heard that before! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteSo sorry for your loss. All dogs go to heaven. Fact.
ReplyDeleteThe longer stuff gave me fewer problems than the shorties in the North. Weird clueing led to lots of head-scratching on NIGH and GETS, until OREO saved the day. As they have been known to do.
<3 Dutchess <3
ReplyDeleteHaving mourned the passing of beloved cats I deeply sympathize with your well expressed grief. It was also good to see another side of you, one that softens the impression often left by vitriolic diatribes. I’m sure, at heart, you are a good person.
ReplyDeleteGreat pic of Ducchess flying above the snow!
ReplyDelete21 D-- Obe? Help.
@Vernon's dad
ReplyDeleteOBE is a British honoUr.
Order of the British Empire
DeleteI lost my 16-3/4 year old Shih-a-poo, Buddy, in November and to this day, 4 months later, am still sad over his loss. My condolences...
ReplyDeleteRex, thank you for sharing those pics. What a great-looking, fun-loving dog. I am sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle was fine. Surprised at the extended conversation over CAIN. There's a great Springsteen song, "Adam Raised a Cain":
In the Bible Cain slew Abel
And East of Eden mama he was cast
You're born into this life paying
For the sins of somebody else's past
Well Daddy worked his whole life for nothing but the pain
Now he walks these empty rooms looking for something to blame
You inherit the sins, you inherit the flames
Adam raised a Cain
We said goodbye to Flurry in 2002 and we’re still not over it. And, to people who’ve gone through it, that will be totally unsurprising. So sorry, Rex.
ReplyDeleteTough Wednesday puzzle, but fun.
I'm glad Anon 9:31 is gone and glad I didn't see it, must have been nasty.
ReplyDeleteI don't GET the "<3" that a couple of commenters used. Is it maybe a typewriter emoji?
I join everyone in condolences to Rex. Like him and most of you I've experienced pet loss. I spend several hours a week at a Humane Society shelter (no kill) and there are great joys as well as occasional sadness. Spending time with dogs and cats and helping them along their way to a new home is gratifying. They are so giving and deserve so much. I have a dog and a cat from there.
That symbol is a sideways heart. From the time before emojis when you had to create your own.
Delete@Rex, my condolences on the loss of Dutchess.
ReplyDeleteI came in at my Wednesday time or thereabouts even with a few missteps. ZOMBIE B_sKs, when 29D's sister was sib instead of NUN, reinforced by SnUb for SHUN. 30A USA before HIP. And I briefly sowed wild OATs at both 48A and 47A.
I like the image brought to mind by CLOMPing around in big boots on a RAINY day. The angels who finance UNICORN STARTUPS try to be PSYCHIC on what will be a hit. The ATTY GEN should be going after ZOMBIE BANKS.
And was I the only one to read the clue for 41A and wonder when "tea" became a verb? D'oh.
Thanks, Mr. Hawkins, for an interesting Wednesday puzzle.
So sad about Dutchess. I love huskies and German Shepherds. I'm sure you guys had barrels of fun while she was here.
ReplyDeleteOkay puzzle, nothing grabbed me. FrankStein pointed out that the answer to the clue "Ship of myth" crosses the answer FINANCIAL MYTHS. Very sloppy editing, when ARGO could be clued umpteen different ways.
And if I see another clue like "Verb whose past tense is formed by moving the first letter to the end", I will blow my brains out. Enough with the see-what-clever-stuff-you-can-do-with-this-word? crap. Just give a straightforward clue.
Way to give Duchess a great life.
ReplyDeleteRex, My condolences on the loss of your beloved Dutchess. Pets give so much love.
ReplyDeleteThankfully the comment by anon@9:31 was removed by the time I started reading the blog. From the reactions here I would have been infuriated.
It was nice to see an IVAN who is not a Tsar/Czar.
@Michiganman - That’s a heart emoji, I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your dog Rex. Their lives are too short.
ReplyDeleteMy older son wrote a fictional story about PATENT TROLLS in high school English way back in 2006. ZOMBIE BANKS have definitely been in the news. Unicorns seem to be in the language though I've never heard of UNICORN STARTUPS. I had stories for a while there. Did like OVERSHARE.
A new clue for OREO! (But agree kind of a stupid one.)
ghthree: I erred with my earlier song title. It's Harry Belafonte's "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" that has the line about Eve raising Cain. A catchy song that celebrates how women are smarter (yet nastier?!) than men. Yeah, it was the 1950s.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTDvCLAT8hg
Third day in a row solving with only the Downs. Only two wouldn't fall without Across help at the very end, SEARCHER and ACUTE. For the themers, I was able to see MYTHS and UNICORN, and that helped me grok the other ones...ZOMBIE BANKS being the toughest. Surprised I was able to get as far as I did on a Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteUNICORN STARTUPS
ReplyDeletethis is a redundancy, at least in the finance world. if your a UNICORN, then, by definition your a STARTUP. not all STARTUPS morph into UNICORNs, of course. the Smartest Guys in the Room always claim they invest only in UNICORN STARTUPS. and they routinely sell shares in an elegant bridge over the East River.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteSo sad to hear about Duchess. My kids routinely come home to visit with our much beloved dog. One of them will be moving to Nashville soon, and came home last weekend for some quality time with Bailey. They face time us so they can see our dog.
ReplyDeleteWe too have been blessed with such great, loving, furry members of our family. It's as if they have a sign around their neck that says " What can I do to make you happy?"
All the best to your family, it's a very difficult time.
Forgot to complain about the walnut shell clue for HARD.
ReplyDeleteHere is part of the obituary my husband wrote when we lost our Alice:
ReplyDelete"Alice left no will, but was fond of the will left by Blemie, the dog who owned the playwright Eugene O'Neill. Blemie wrote:
One last request I earnestly make. I have heard my mistress say, 'When
Blemie dies we must never have another dog. I love him so much I could never love another one.' Now I would ask her, for love of me, to have another.
It would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have a dog again. What I would like is that, once having me in the family, now she cannot live without a dog.
....Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourself with regret but also
happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: 'Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved.' No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.
RIP, Sweet Alice."
@Rex, I'm sorry to hear about Duchess. I'm not a dog owner myself, but my best friend has a dear little guy that I love to visit; he's old and has gone blind but keeps on trucking.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle - I found it on the challenging side, not having heard the terms UNICORN STARTUPS or ZOMBIE BANKS. On the other hand, since my son works in intellectual property law, PATENT TROLLS went right in - lots of time and dollars get wasted on these aggravating beasts. I agree that the reveal edges into the "well, okaaay, I guess" territory, but what a collection of dynamite theme phrases otherwise.
And to think I could have gone the rest of my life and never seen that gorgeous passage from Blemie's will. I would surely have been the poorer for it. I choked up when I read it just now. Thank you, @Anon 5:36, for sharing it with the blog, and my admiration for your sensitivity in knowing it would be the perfect tribute to your own beloved Alice.
ReplyDeleteMedium. Really liked this one. Me too for not having heard of ZOMBIE BANKS or UNICORN STARTUPS but then I watch CNBC less than 6 minutes a day. HOT TAKES was also not familiar...HOT Topics on the other hand (daily on The View)...
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle!
Sad about Duchess. My grandkids recently had to say good bye to their 14 yr. old Lab Max. It’s tough.
I’m sorry tohear about Dutchess. She looks a lot like our Rocky, who is also a rescue and also getting up there in years. I feel for you.
ReplyDeleteUgh, sorry for your loss @Rex! Reminds you that no matter how terrible crossword puzzles are, you know you could always count on a best friend to make you see the important things in life: soft, fuzzy ears. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteCondolences to you for your loss.
ReplyDeleteWe lost Max about a year ago, a wonderful, smart, caring soul. Like several others have said above, we thought about not having another dog. But the house is too quiet. No one to leap for joy when we come home. Then my wife said there's a breeder with puppies - let's just go look.
Yeah, right. In about a moth we got Baxter (see avatar). His personality is much different but he has the best dog attributes: He loves you no matter what kind of day you are having. He forgives you unconditionally.
He's our sixth Sheltie - love the breed. We've also had shelter dogs and we've discovered dogs all have the same basic endearing qualities.
Oh, and I liked the puzzle a lot. Some new words, but all the crosses were fair. It still amazes me how the brain works. I see a clue and can think of several "right" answers, none with the right letter count. But with a few crosses, the real answer pops in. I should add that Friday/Saturday, the popping typically takes a much longer time for me. That's one way to learn new words/phrases.
Sincere sympathies on the passing of Duchess, Professor Sharp. I saw a saying recently, something like, "to the world, you are a shelter parent, to your shelter dog, you are the world." When my Sam left us in June 2012, I was desolate - in misery. Didn't want to get another dog - my wife insisted, I was in no shape to protest, and we welcomed Mimi and Louie into our home. My wife was right. The sadness doesn't go away, but it gets easier. Peace to you and your family. John G - Pittsburgh PA
ReplyDeleteSending consolations at the loss of Dutchess. (And thanks for this blog)
ReplyDeleteWhat a heartbreaking time for your family. So sorry for your loss....
ReplyDeleteAw! so sorry :-(
ReplyDeletedogs are just pure love
lucky you to have known her
Rex - So sorry about Dutchess. We just went through this with my dog Calla last month. It’s the worst. You gave her a wonderful, long life - may you find some comfort in knowing that.
ReplyDeleteSeven letters: Noble beast
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who may be reading this late, Loren hasn’t been around lately as she has been with her family for the last week or so. Her dear father passed away yesterday morning. She and the rest of her family were able to spend some time with him before he passed
ReplyDeleteA few years we compared our stories of getting both of our dads involved in the NYT crosswords. She was more successful than I.
So sorry for your lost, Rex. Dutchess was a beautiful pup. I grew up with a Shepherd mix and she was the best dog. It's so hard to say goodbye, but your daughter was very lucky to have her as a childhood companion.
ReplyDeleteI was in the middle of writing this comment last night when I had to rush one of dogs off to the emergency vet--luckily a false alarm, but the timing definitely ramped up my anxiety.
Your dear Dutchess was fortunate to have you. Sincerely hope the healing begins for you and the family.❤️
ReplyDeleteBeautiful dog having a wonderful romp. It was a good life!
ReplyDeleteHate the clue for "gets." Imo it doesn't work. If someone "got" you, they might have tripped you up. But if they"get"you that means they understand you. Got only works as tripped up in the past tense.
Aw gees! Of all the things I read, I'm not supposed to want to cry after reading a crossword critique.
ReplyDeleteBest thoughts--we have an older dog we love dearly so this is very close to the heart. Duchess is ruling Puppy Valhalla!
Condolences to OFL (we'll retire the title "curmudgeon" for the day). My aunt had a pug named Dutchess--yes, with the T, because they had stock in the Royal Dutch Paint Co.--who enjoyed a Delmonico steak every day of her blessed life, I kid you not. Now that's LOVE.
ReplyDeleteCan you do an entire puzzle on crosses? That's sorta what it felt like. None of those mythical sayings is even vaguely familiar to me. Nor have I ever heard of HOTTAKES. It's like I'm learning a whole new language. Yet there were enough gimmes sprinkled about that I was able to guess the rest. It actually wound up being about medium for the day.
Pretty clean fill made for an enjoyable--and informative--solve. AMY Poehler will GET the DOD. Birdie.
Thanks for the pics of your wonderful dog. They say it all. You named her well and that is a great run for a large dog. Put it in the bank of love and count yourselves blessed.
ReplyDeleteLearned some new stuff both from the puzz and about OFL. Sweet.
My reactions to this puzzle are much like @spacecraft's.
ReplyDeleteThemers and revealer are new terms to me, but nicely inferrable.
GETS as "trips up" and CASH as "alternatives to venmo" were head-scratchers. LIked NO LESS for "to boot".
Northern mini auto theme with CAR, AUDIS, CAMRY, and, yes, MINI.
Finally, must note that @RAINY makes an appearance (as do my initials).
Fun stuff
NOLESS, NOPROB
ReplyDeleteMy PSYCHIC tends to OVERSHARE
HOTTAKES of the undead in ERROR:
“At ZOMBIEBANKS they ALL EAT brain hash,
the FINANCIALMYTH’S that they need CASH.”
--- MONA PARR
I started the day with an unfortunate FINANCIALMYTH bit of local news - a well-known community member who has rehabed many historic landmarks, making him loved and respected, pled guilty of a STOOOOOPIC insurance fraud scheme. very disappointing. How to throw away 30-some years of respect for $30K or so.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of half this stuff, but the puz was still pretty easy to finish for me. Liked the puz a lot better than the news, which I guess is not uncommon.
Lady Di
PS - no idea why I was "anon"
ReplyDeleteDiana, Lady in Waiting
Nope. Never heard of any of ‘em. But NOPROB with crosses.
ReplyDeleteYep. A shout out to @RAINY at 17a.
What? That EAT/ate clue has gotta be Will.
Yep. AMY Poehler. Yeah baby. ACUTE one.
Huh? I’ve got my own FINANCIALMYTHS, but I won’t OVERSHARE.
OK. Puz.
Out here in syndicated land it's been about a month but I'd still like to send condolences on losing Duchess. Must have been a very happy dog to have lived 16 years. Very nice photos.
ReplyDeleteAlso, very nice puzzle and this one was a bit challenging but was able to finish in a reasonable time for me which would have been an unreasonable time for the elite solvers. Perhaps Mr Hawkins in an economist, or financial guru ? IMHO a lot of great clues and answers. Thank you !
I'm very sorry to Dutchess. I know how you and your family feels because I loss also my dog, a week ago and we've been for 12 years. After his pet cremation seattle I started to feel his loss and my moods changed and I think its depression already. I miss him so much!
ReplyDelete