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Relative difficulty: Medium
Theme answers:
- DRAG & DROP (1A: Reposition an icon, maybe)
- STARS & STRIPES (5A: Key inspiration?) (Francis Scott "Key," that is)
- ROCK & ROLL (10A: Genre with a Hall of Fame in Ohio)
- YIN & YANG (27A: Principle of complementary duality)
- SHORT & SWEET (42A: Pleasantly concise)
- MIX & MATCH (51A: Combine, as versatile wardrobe pieces)
- "BUTTONS & BOWS" (59A: Fashion accessories in a 1940s #1 Dinah Shore hit)
"Buttons and Bows" is a popular song with music written by Jay Livingstonand lyrics by Ray Evans. The song was published in 1947. The song was written for and appeared in the Bob Hope and Jane Russell film The Paleface and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally written with an Indian theme, but was changed when the director said that would not work in the movie. It was a vocal selection on many radio programs in late 1948. It was reprised in the sequel, Son of Paleface, by Roy Rogers, Jane Russell and Bob Hope. In 2004 it finished #87 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of the top tunes in American cinema.
The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dinah Shore in 1947 and reached the charts the following year.[3] Charting versions of the song were also recorded by The Dinning Sisters, Betty Rhodes, Evelyn Knight, and Betty Garrett the same year. In addition, the song was recorded by Gene Autry and by Geraldo and his orchestra (with vocalist Doreen Lundy). (wikipedia)
• • •
[you can skip to about the 1:34 mark if you want to get straight to the song part]
Speaking of Dinah Shore, the TV host, TV GUEST is awful. You're a TALK SHOW HOST or TALK SHOW GUEST but TV GUEST. All you have to do is consider RADIO GUEST (!?!?) to see how bad TV GUEST is. A *show* has a guest, a *medium* does not. And to make matters worse, that answer is crossing EAPOE, the nadir of name abbrevs. I have seen his name stylized that way on publications and maybe even in his signature, but it still seems clunky and it looks absolutely ridiculous in the grid, although I do enjoy imagining some small number of solver out there pronouncing it to themselves as a single word, like, "EE-po? ee-AH-po? Who the hell is this ee-AH-po guy??" It's just Edgar Allan (not Allen, don't ever do that, please). I am currently wondering what kind of TV GUEST EAPOE would've made, which is by far the most fun I've had since I started this puzzle.
Not sure there's anything worth commenting on in the grid, outside the theme. Can we get back to cluing OATS in some way that *doesn't* have to do with where they're grown as a crop. The other day, we learned that Texas was the biggest U.S. producer of OATS. Today, add Russia and Canada to the list of oat-producers. OATS are grown! All over! Not interesting! (sidenote: if you want to see how bad SEO, i.e. Search Engine Optimization, as warped the Googling environment, just search [texas is the largest u.s. producer of these] and look at how many damn clue-bot sites there are now. Page after page after page of clue farms. This was not always so). I studied medieval things during my entire time in grad school and yet still balked at GEST, a little because of GESTE (which is the Fr. spelling, which I saw more often, in phrases like "chanson de GESTE"), but a little because I thought "it's ... not JEST is it? ... no, that's wrong ... right?" I have no spelling confidence any more. Or very little. Anyway, I'd rather see a TV GEST than a TV GUEST. Enjoy your day, see you tomorrow.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Rex – for me this was never irksome and in fact enjoyable. And I was happy to learn that Russia is a big OATS producer. Oh, and a guy from Paris was my first serious beau; geste is what I think of before GEST, so I’m with ya there.
ReplyDeleteI missed the notepad and was already settled in perfectly with my printed puzzle- coffee situated just so, blanket over legs, pillows supporting my crossword clipboard, CNN playing softly. . . I was just too lazy to get up and investigate. So it took a while to figure out the trick. I rather liked sussing it out sans clipboard help and would argue that the hint wasn’t really needed.
I’m not sure SHORT is “pleasantly concise” – I guess maybe the leader of a faculty meeting could be pleasantly concise. (I’ve never experienced this, but. . .) To me if someone is SHORT, it stings a bit.
THEE – ahem. I’ve been on hiatus, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out to any newbies here that THEE is evidence that language is constantly changing. What you may see as “incorrect” (ie lay instead of lie, who instead of whom. . . ) is actually just the process of our glorious language evolving. This process is a FORCE bigger than any purist’s pointless crusade. Take a deep breath and let go. Prithee ken that it matters not whither goest thou for validation; thou canst forfend linguistic vicissitudes.
“Loud chewing, for some” – this actually is a Thing - misophonia.
“Things taken in class” – the bag of peanut butter M&Ms I had on my desk that I was saving for Friday, a cheat day. I was devastated when I realized they were gone. I had thought about them all week.
YIN/YANG – I was listening to this terrific podcast, Stuff You Should Know, about Feng Shui. I lost interest pretty quickly ‘cause it was too hard to follow the rule of the Tibetan octagon boxes and where to put your dining room table, commode, desk, blah blah, but I did learn that if you have the YIN YANG symbol, the white part should be on top.
** off-topic alert** I’m headed to school. Tough day ‘cause we’re testing, and there’s to be no instruction on testing days. Problem is – my students are not testing. So I’m faced with a bunch of teenagers with zero interest in the anemic little word searches and color pages. A few days ago, I had shown a student that she had brought her grade up from a 47 to a 78. Delighted, she bopped at me, “Turn me up, Ms. Smith!” Gamely, I stood up and asked what I was supposed to do. She said, “You have to turn me up!” This meant I was supposed to dance with her. I gave it my best but was magnificently awkward. That weekend I YouTubed “Turn Me Up dance” and tried to learn it. When I showed her, she shook her head. Nope. So on our first testing day, they got my phone and showed me a couple of dances to do. Everyone was involved, and it was mayhem. I did my best to follow along, but again, I was really awkward (which, I’m fully aware, is what I bring to the table). Boogie was up on a chair dancing. If word gets out and I get in trouble, my defense will be that it was a classroom management strategy: many of these kids are ones who are difficult to manage, but I’m hoping that I’ve made an inroad. Boogie is one who is sometimes tough, but he hugged me on the way out. Any readers here in Charlotte who know a kid who’s been sent to Turning Point – please understand that it’s a great school, a gem, and the best-kept secret in the school system. These kids are bright, delightful, and lovely.
Welcome back, ma'am. Hope you're a stranger no longer.
DeleteMissed you!! So happy to see your post! And you are a gifted teacher.
DeleteI also enjoyed this one (and your commentary)
DeleteThere is a big difference between evolution of language (thee) and sloppy and confounding change (lay/lie) lie and lay have different meanings. Conflating them muddies the language. Calling it evolution makes light of a change that makes the language less clear
DeleteDid you get my note about John McWhorter. He writes about our evolving language. Glad you’re back!
DeleteWelcome back @LMS! I have missed your humor and insight but especially your passion for language.
DeleteMy favorite quote of the say (maybe should be in the @LMS top ten) is, “What you may see as incorrect . . . Is actually just the process of our glorious language evolving.” While my grammarian mother would be whirling in her grave over the constant (and in her opinion lazy) evolution, I revel in the process. Not always a fan of the results, but the evolution helps keep our language “glorious.” So good to have you back.
Wish I had had you for a teacher Loren Muse Smith!! Even back in my day. Literate. And lithe!!
DeleteAs I solved this puzzle I thought, "Man, I'm really ripping through this Thursday gimmick puzzle." Then it dawned on me - it's a Wednesday and I'm not the solving genius I thought I was. Oh well ...
ReplyDelete@MLS Welcome back. A refreshing Spring breeze on a less than Spring day in Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteEmordnilap of NOTES (things taken in class is SETON(HALL), a school.
ReplyDeleteThe puzz ATE ROLO, OREO, STEWS, POTATO, TOMATO, PEA, OATS, TOAST, MALTS and SESAME
Way too easy, even for a Wednesday. I agree wholeheartedly with Rex. There was little fun in solving this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteNo fun? Get a life. Why bother.
DeleteI found the puzzle pretty easy but still don't understand why "[See notepad]" was used to clue the other half of the theme answers. ???
ReplyDeleteI did this on my phone last night and it took about three minutes longer than average. Themes don't appeal to me and this one was in your face from the get go. That annoying reference to a notepad was never cleared up and I had no idea what it referred to.
ReplyDeleteAll across the top and down the west side those themers sat sguarely across all the entries you'd normally rely on to open a section up. This was repeated internally by SHORT and SWEET as well as BUTTONS and BOWS. The latter I've never heard of and the more I learn about what people listened to in the 40s the more I thank jah for ROCK and ROLL.
The routine fill made working around the theme easy enough but time wise the damage was done and the blandness of the fill added nothing to the solve.
On a positive note lms is back today. Maybe when she's retired we'll see her more regularly.
yd, -0
Welcome back, LMS, genuinely happy to see you pop up right at the start. Missed you. (You know it's "short and sweet" that's pleasantly concise).
ReplyDeleteI thought this was fun. Was unfamiliar with the theme idea, didn't understand 1D's clue, and thought this was going to be a hard frustrating Wednesday, but it all clicked with ROCK and ROLL (working across) and then enjoyed it.
LOL, so we all know Russia is the world's largest produce of OATS, right? Just like Alaska is the largest producer in the US.
Thought CATWOMAN over PETPEEVE had a certain, oh, jeunuhhsayqua.
Thx Ori; great puz! I never tire of the 'this and that' type of theme. :)
ReplyDeleteEasy+
Very much on Ori's wavelength for this one.
The only unknown was PEEP; I'm sure I've had variations of this treat, but didn't know the word.
From Good Housekeeping:
• Peep Kabobs
• Peep Houses
• Peeps Marshmallow Popcorn Eggs
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Peeps Skillet S'mores
• Peeps in a Blanket Brownies
• Toasted Marshmallow Peeps Milkshake
• Layered Peeps Crispy Rice Cereal Treats
BUTTONS & BOWS ~ Dinah Shore
Delightful solve; very much enjoyed it! :)
@puzzlehoarder 👍 for 0 dbyd
___
yd 0* / W=4* (the '*' indicates the easier of the two solving options for Wordle; I'll give the easier version another two weeks, then switch to the 'hard' mode, to see if it jacks up my avg. from 4 to 5, 6 or dnf)
Peace ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🕊
I never got this one until I read Rex. I had never encountered a “uniclue” puzzle before and had no idea what the hell [see notepad] meant (I thought they were referencing a computer-related something - along with DRAG and DROP), so I pretty much solved it blind.
ReplyDeleteDidn’t get along with the clues all that well either - the little 4x5 section in the NE with LETO, CETUS, and KNOPE and OXEYE could be a suburb of Boston called Little Natick. Add in Dinah Shore (?) from the 1940s, yuk - BUTTONS and BOWS? Along with GEST, TVGUEST and EAPOE and I found myself in a state of complete WoE surrealism.
I had never heard of PEEP as it relates to Easter. Uncle Google told me afterword that they are those disgusting sugary marshmallow things that look like furry animals in Easter baskets sometimes - those things probably cause more damage to civilized society than any of the stuff that Rex rants and rages about on pretty much a daily basis. So probably a missed opportunity for me - I’m guessing I would have enjoyed it more if I understood the cluing convention coming out of the gate.
Using a puzzle word as a wordle starter I had 2 correct letters but not in the correct spot. My second word yielded 4 correct letters, one located correctly. My third word was THE ONE. I keep correct letters for my new guesses as I progress. I guess this is the "Hard Mode". It makes more sense to me than trying all new letters. How do you post your results with the colored squares? @Z? Anyone?
ReplyDeleteEasy for a Wednesday, but would have been hard for Tuesday, so it’s a tweener
ReplyDeleteNot familiar with ACES OUT as used in the puzzle.
cRasher before PREEMIE, and tRay before OREO (clearly, I misread that clue).
SESAME is my favorite of the oils. Or rather, my two favorites – light for frying and toasted for flavoring.
@SouthsideJohnny - LETO, CETUS, OXEYE and KNOPE sounds like a law firm to me.
I was also delighted to see the return of LMS. My mornings are not the same without her.
ReplyDeleteRex - Buttons and Bows was sung in “Sunset Boulevard” … bet that’s where you know it from. Or perhaps from the snack food of the same name from late 60s through mid 70s
ReplyDeleteTHIS CLIP SHOWS DINAH SINGING B&B
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a delightful puzzle except for the Natick cluster in the northeast:LETO/CETUS/KNOPE. Really guys?
ReplyDeleteMisunderstood the notepad for a bit, but not an issue. Thought this was fun. Haven't eaten a PEEP for decades, remember them as...well, not sure, but chewy isn't it.
ReplyDeleteSESAME oil is a staple in the kitchen for me, as are sesame seeds and tahini.
@This n That, there WAS a lot of food in this puzzle!
I think we saw the same gimmick fairly recently. It’s cute but I think the overall effort suffers due to the build requirements. STARS and STRIPES - SHORT and SWEET etc all solid but limiting. No idea on KNOPE - crosses were easy enough. I’m assuming we’ll get some discussion on POTATO - tuber, root, vegetable or what.
ReplyDeleteLiked to see F=ma take its rightful place dead center.
Pleasant enough Wednesday solve
The only thing I found irksome was the note, otherwise I’m with @LMS. Seems like just having a “-“ for the down clues would have been sufficient. Nothing stood out as ughsome except for EA POE. I’m with Rex, i shudder just a little bit every time this appears, and it ain’t from fright.
ReplyDeleteThanks @bocamp for the link to Dinah Shore. My familiarity with the song is slightly below Frasier’s level but I do think it is somewhere in the back of the old memory cave, covered in cobwebs and dust. I just read the movie plot of the film it is from. Alrighty then.
@LMS - Ah yes, the. YIN & YANG of “terrific podcast” and “I lost interest pretty quickly.” I get it though. My favorite podcast is a sports related podcast that loses me anytime they get too focused on football. That is, when they are talking about the stuff that surrounds football I enjoy the discussions. But the game itself, {YAWN}. Snow bound this weekend and needing a break from reading I turned on the last quarter of a football game. How anybody ever thinks the game is interesting is beyond me. 8:00 minutes of football must have taken three hours to play, the vast majority of it with people standing around (I exaggerate but only just). I stayed until the bitter end and then tweeted I’d had my fill for the next decade.
@Wordler - There is a “Share” button when your stats come up. Click on it then use the paste function wherever (Yes, I post my results to Twitter immediately). Also, there’s a settings cog in the upper right where you can set it to “hard mode.”
**Wordle Alert**
SHORT & SWEET. I don’t know why I chose the first guess I did, but it was, again, very fortunate. It wasn’t from the puzzle but was related to one of the theme answers. My guess distribution is 0,1,4,4,3,2.
Wordle 214 3/6*
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Nothing about the puzzle, but nice inclusion of the Jeff Rosenstock video today. Not to name drop, but my high school classmate (Dan Potthast) plays in his touring band. He's listed as adding pedal steel to this album, but not sure if he's on that track. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCETUS as in “cetaceans,” Jared LETO has replaced Apollo’s mom as the go to LETO clue starting in 2007, and a character named KNOPE just seemed right, so I had no problem there, but I see, now, how that section could cause people problems.
ReplyDeleteI was okay with this. TIL CETUS and GEST. Hardest part is the disorienting location of clues in the unilist.
ReplyDelete@lms - welcome back.
ReplyDeleteWhere does one find the notepad?
** Combo (Wordle + SB) Alert**
ReplyDeleteWordle 214 4/6
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I’m consistently shooting right around par on these puppies. Haven’t broken through with a birdie 3 yet - had a long putt for one today but it slid just by the pin.
Anyone else finding SB to be a bear today?
W: Using first word “adieu” (a trick I picked up here) I’ve been hitting 3 most days
DeleteWordle 214 3/6
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SB today: Agree. After 1/2 hour not even to Amazing and no PG yet. I try to stop after 1/2 hour but sometimes go back later in the day.
Today’s puzzle: Liked it except for proper names natick in NE (solved by a ‘guess the vowel’ run). In my app related clues are shaded in yellow which made it easier to see the x and y conceit. I guess “See notepad” meant “look at the puzzle notes” (select the “i” icon on my app)… although I didn’t realize this until finished.
@ southside
Delete**sb alert**
1st word pg, then 2 more, then dead in the water! I don't do 4s until after I hit Genius. Maybe I'll have to make an exception..
Think about praise...
Wordle 214 4/6
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totally agree on TVGUEST. Very annoying answer. Also Oats are grown! You always make me laugh in the morning.
ReplyDeleterex was nice last week. Now that his request for $ is over, he put the stick back up there.
ReplyDeletePerfectly fine puzzle. Interesting gimmick/theme. No disrespect warranted.
Unlike OFL, I subconsciously added an "and" right away, DRAG and DROP, ROCK and ROLL, and so on, and thought the whole thing was kind of fun but just too easy. When I get a stunt puzzle I would like a more impressive stunt please. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHad some experience with PREEMIES when our son wound up in the neonatal ICU with a beta strep infection. which was scary as hell. He was a full term healthy guy otherwise and recovered fully, but he sure looked out of place. Enormous thanks to all the folks who work in these places.
I could hum BUTTONSAND BOWS right now. Age has its advantages.
Nice little Wednesdecito, OB. You have lured LMS out of hiding, which is the Oddly Best thing about this effort, and for which I thank you.
CETUS ... surely we all learned this song when we were young?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be heavenly to know the constellations;
Scan the skies and recognize their names and their locations?
Tho' they're only figments of our own imaginations,
Wouldn't it be heavenly to know the constellations?
Hercules, Delphinus and Andromeda and Lyra,
Sagitta and Pegasus, Dorado and Lacerta,
Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, CETUS and Orion,
I could name a dozen more if I were really tryin'.
What determines what we see among the constellations?
Atmosphere, the time of year, as well as their locations.
Latitude and time of night are prime considerations.
Each of them are factors when we see the constellations
Constellation Jig, Hy Zaret and Louis Singer
A tidy puzzle that would've made Tuesday proud. Some deeply interesting things in there though. Drag Stars Rock across the top. Reap Ami Ese, Mix Gro Gest scattered about. Latin for you break it, you bought it.
ReplyDeleteFinally not taken in by Oxeye (38 times since 1994 and this is the first time I've just plunked it in there). Oxen helped. More than one Oxeye is an Oxeneye. Again, from the Latin.
Cat Woman. What would it be like if she were to marry Batman and they have a child who grows up seeing them in those outfits, wondering if that's perfectly normal? Ms. Woman, Dr. Van Pelt will see little Kitty now.
@kitshef, I've heard of your law firm! They represent people injured in county parks, and in class actions against flower seed companies. And I love the Constellation Jig.
"Jump to comment form" indeed ! What a great way to start the day ! Thanks for dropping by @LMS, I love you, even when I disagree with you, and those kids are so lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteThe newspaper note concluded, 'When two answers share a number, they also share clue, in a manner to be determined.' Unfortunately, I stopped reading after 'share a clue' so I didn't get the gimmick right away, not even with ROCK & ROLL. So I was looking for something Star Spangled Banner related for one of the answers to the 5 clue, and something that would inspire you for the other one. But the crosses eventually gave me STARS & STRIPES, and I was off an running (even though THEE/THou is a kealoa).
ReplyDeleteNever heard anyone say ACES OUT, but E.A. POE is just fine. As for the song -- I can hum the tune, I remember some of the lines: "East is East and West is West and the wrong one I have chose," "I'll love you in buckskin.." So I wrote in BangleS and BOWS without hesitation. TV GUEST took care of that, though. (Speaking of which, Rex's last comment reminded me of the famous poem by Dorothy Parker:
I'd rather flunk my Wasserman test
Than read a poem by Edgar Guest.
Wasserman tests were before my time, but look them up.)
Hi @Loren, nice to see thee! I hope you can get your students to post a video of you dancing. We'd all love it.
Hi....President Lucy Van Pelt here sitting right next to @Loren, holding hands and singing Kumbaya.....
ReplyDeleteWell...This was different for a Wed. and I was about ready to squawk. I did at first but then I did my hmmmm. Sometimes, instead of eating oatmeal for breakfast, we should all have a toad in the hole. You have to guess what goes in first: The egg or the sausage? Now I want to go eat me some spotted dick.
My favorite fandango tango , and giving me a loud AHA, was getting to ROCK & ROLL. I did some bodacious ones, dancing in a cage. You had to have been there. I wore those white boots that come up to your thighs and a little skirt that barely covered me arse. I think I'd rather eat some bubble and squeak before ever trying to replicate my days of being a total idiot.
So I get to PET PEEVE and normal Lucy began to wander her mind (again).... I had to think and it didn't take long. Mine is when someone never lets you finish a sentence or interrupts every 5 seconds. I know I have a tendency to go on and on and bore most people to tears, but I'd rather you just sneeze out loud and excuse yourself rather than open your gob when I'm right in the middle of telling everyone about Ishmael's obsession with Ahab.
Never ever heard BUTTONS & BOWS. I don't think I ever watched the Dinah Shore show. I was probably living in Shangri-La at the time. Frasier, on the other hand, I watched all the time. I loved that show.
You say POTATO I say Potata. You say TOMATO, I say Tomata.
So what are you? you ask. Are you the YIN or the YANG?
I got wrecked in the NE. Couldn't solve without Googling. For 19A (Actor Jared), I had LE--. For 12D (Constellation known as the Whale) I had CE-US. For the Parks & Recreation character, I had KN-PE. There were just too many plausible combinations of letter that could go there, that I couldn't figure it out without a lot of trial and error. KNaPE? KNiPE? KNOPE? CErUS? CEbUS? Heck, I could see almost any consonant plausibly going there. So that corner was a multiple natick for me. Sad thing is, I've seen a good number of episodes of Parks & Recreation, but had no memory of that last name.
ReplyDeleteThe rest I enjoyed, and I got the gimmick pretty quickly (on the third clue, with ROCK and ROLL.) But that NE corner did me in.
Oh well.
Welcome back @ LMS. Always enjoy your insight. Puzzle was pleasant for me. Solved without referring to the notes (as I always try to do) which adds to the challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe PEEP clue was a bit off. I do not consider them chewy. Nasty, yes. Chewy now. It made me think back to a few years ago and a wonderful post on a website about surgery to separate conjoined PEEPs - http://www.peepresearch.org/surgery.html#results (sorry I do not know how to hyperlink it on my phone)
Wordle 214 2/6
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Not sure how I pulled this one off
Rex you were on a roll today - especially the bit about someone thinking EAPOE was pronounced as a single name. Thanks for starting my morning off with a good chuckle! :)
ReplyDeleteIs this right: we see EAPOE on his birthday? That’s cool
ReplyDeleteOh, and GEST was fine. I didn't know the word, but all four crosses were straightforward and required no special knowledge, so 55A could have been left unclued, and I would have finished the puzzle. Unlike the NE where the two crosses with LE-- (LETO) left too many plausible possibilities for me, and were not easily inferable (unless you know the word "cetacean," which I don't, but that still leaves possibilities of "LEDa/KNaPE" and possibly "LEDi/KNiPE" or possibly "LEDe/KNePE." (All are actual possible surnames.)
ReplyDelete(Oh, shoot I messed that up. LETO/LETa/LETe/LETi. All of which, too, seem valid surnames.)
ReplyDeleteHey All !
ReplyDelete[See notepad] makes one search for a note somewhere surrounding the grid, most of the time on top of the grid. If I see [See notepad] and didn't originally see anything, I'll look around. Maybe that's just me. A better alternative Down clue could've been "And..."
Tough puz to create. Most Themers are locked in, you can really only move DRAG/DROP and ROCK/ROLL. So to get clean fill around them is quite difficult. The fill came out really clean here considering the constraints. So kudos, Ori.
Originally had the thought like Rex that the answers would be two separate things clued with the same clue. Something like, "Lay in the sun" leading to TAN and BATHE. This "working together" combo is a lot better.
ACES OUT is bizarre. Must be slang I'm not hip to. Har. No problem with TV GUEST, it gets the point across.
Lots of Double E's for @Lewis. Some paired in the Across and Downs. Hope everything is going well for him. There are 10 Double E's! That's not counting other Doubles, either. Sounds record-ish. GEEZ. Har.
Good WedsPuz. Crunchy week so far.
yd -8, should'ves 3
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
Old habits die hard, so filling this in was extremely annoying for everyone, right? But it didn't have to be. The exact same puzzle could have been made pleasantly familiar with just one small tweak.
ReplyDeleteHave all your Down answers in the usual Down column except for the theme Downs. Clue the affected Downs with the Acrosses in the Across column -- "1A and 1D"; "5A and 5D". Then in the Down column, clue 1D: "See 1A". Clue 5D "See 5A". Solvers will only have to look in a different spot a few times instead of every single time!
What about it, WS? Wouldn't that be a great improvement?
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did I like the play? I thought it was a cute idea. Not especially hard, but interesting. I'm glad I don't time myself, though. I was always looking for clues in the wrong place and it annoyed me muchly.
This was fun, entertaining and best of all - different. A real treat of a Wednesday. The only downside is I have a headache from trying to FORCE my eyes to find the clue I NEED. Gave a whole new meaning to DRAG and DROP.
ReplyDeleteI recall other uniclue puzzles over the years but they are rare. I also remembered that the MIX and MATCH of the combination entries is what really makes this trick pop.
Well done, Ori Brian! I wouldn’t want to do this every day but I enjoyed it.
**Reminder alert**
ReplyDeleteReminder: My Sunday puzzle with Will Nediger will appear this Sunday, January 23.
Congratulations!
DeleteAmerica loves football. Loves it. And why not, it's a hell of game. How much do they love it?
ReplyDeleteThis gives you an idea.
NFL games were 75 of the 100 most-watched TV programs in 2021, according to The Sports Business Journal.
The Top 5 most-watched programs were the Super Bowl, NFC Championship, AFC Championship, Raiders-Cowboys Thanksgiving game and the Buccaneers-Saints NFC divisional round game.
Out of the Top 100, beyond the 75 that were NFL games, 11 were events from the Tokyo Olympics, seven were college football games and two were NCAA basketball games. The NBA, MLB and NHL did not put any games in the Top 100.
The only scripted program that made the Top 100 was the episode of The Equalizer that CBS aired immediately after the Super Bowl. Only four other non-sports programs made the Top 100: President Biden’s inauguration, President Biden’s April address to Congress, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
But yeah, football is boring.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFave Jared LETO movie: Prefontaine.
ReplyDelete@LMS
Boogie on!
@puzzlehoarder 👍 for 0 yd
@Z (8:03 AM) yw :)
For a live performance see @OffTheGrid's (7:43 AM) link.
As for football, having cut the cord years ago, I get my dose by watching the hi-lites on YouTube (often at 2x speed).
@SouthsideJohnny (8:23 AM)
Yes, a bear, indeed!
___
td pg-7* (forecast: stormy) / W=4* (50/50 chance of 3; wrong guess)
Peace ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🕊
Cute puzzle enhanced by return of @lms.
ReplyDeleteWould not recognize Jared LETO if he walked into the room but delighted I knew his name because the whale was unknown to me and I am one of the few who never watched Parks and Recreation.
Sort of wish PET PEEVE was either a themer or not in the puzzle.
I liked it. Something a little different.
ReplyDeleteThe center South food plaza seemed a bit intense. POTATO TOAST PEA STEWS. No wonder POEonly had room for his first two initials. He was stuffed.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the banner headline also: DRAG STARS ROCK. Less clear is the story at the bottom: Hens (peeps or mud?) TOAST (drink to or burn?) EDDY (Fisher, Arnold, or other?).
ETNA the true volcano King of Crosslandia comes to claim his title today.
OXEN crossing OXEYE is a bit hard on the daisy. I hope the anti-dupers allow this one. Maybe Rex has learned OXEYE now or maybe he never saw the clue. He thought it unduly obscure once.
I hope @TomT closely examines the long diagonal where every space is part of a a word, some heading up, some down. Three 4 letter words going down, one 3 letter word going up. DOTE (TEA) CAVE TREY.
ACESOUT? Not tennis or poker that I know of. General term?
The innertubes suggest the usage is "aces me out" or "aces them out".
PETPEEVE (PETtywoE) ALA CATWOMAN.
OVER OUT (See notepad?).
Easy. I never saw the oft mentioned “note pad”. I finally found it when I hit the title page icon (i) in the NYT app after I finished. It would have been helpful. That said I did figure out what was going on pretty quickly and finished in the easy range for a Wednesday. Solid, liked it.
ReplyDeleteWordle 214 3/6
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You might love or hate football; you might love or hate George Will. But his insight to the game was priceless: it combines two of the worst things in American life -- violence punctuated by committee meetings.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of breakfast,did @Gill eat M&A's breakfast today? What was up with that?
ReplyDeleteNice one. I started out solving online, but I abandoned the app as soon as I got to "See Notepad' and picked up the Arts Section - for this puzzle solving in the paper made the theme much easier for me to see and the entire puzzle easier to solve. I enjoyed the array of alliterative pairs, especially the way SWEET does indeed sweeten the otherwise too curt SHORT and the unexpected our-of-the-past BUTTONS and BOWS. And I enjoyed the slight reorganization of usual solving pathways needed to negotiate the clues and grid.
ReplyDeleteI very much like the idea of a uniclue puzzle, even though it does slow me down. To those grumbling about the order, I might offer this observation. In a uniclue puzzles, the uniclues could involve unrelated words (except that the first letters must be the same). In this puzzle, each uniclue involved a common [enough] phrase in the form of X and Y. The presentation of the clues in this way should occur only to alert the solvers that the two entries are somehow related. Or something like that. Otherwise, organize the clues as normally.
ReplyDelete@10:02
ReplyDeleteNFL games were 75 of the 100 most-watched TV programs in 2021, according to The Sports Business Journal.
proof, if more were ever needed, that MAGA has led to the destruction of Western Civilization. no science, no truth, no history. just advanced cruelty, foobaw, and beer.
the MAGA folks are content to leave Earth as a burnt out cinder to their grandkids. but, why not? they gots their foobaw here and now.
Constructor stunts often lead to joyless solves, but not so in this case. I was impressed by the construction and had a good time filling in the grid. We did see a similar theme about a year ago, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment today.
ReplyDeleteCETUS and KNOPE crossing LETO was a bit of a woe and the OREO clue was uninspired (there have been some good entries lately for the Oreo English Dictionary), but all that was offset by such alliterative themers as ROCK and ROLL, STARS and STRIPES, and SHORT and SWEET. Also learned that a PEEP can be not only edible, but also chewy.
A TV GUEST is the flat screen SONY your friend loans you so you can watch Dinah Shore sing “BUTTONS and BOWS” on a big screen.
UNICLUE and EAPOE walk into a bar and…
The wording of the note confused me, so at first I thought they were looking for the same word ROCK across ROCK down, then I thought what Rex thought I had CROP and CRAG which are sort of synonyms and then finally with YIN and YANG the penny dropped. I liked the concept. It did make the puzzle much easier once I got it.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back @Loren Muse Smith!
I think it's sort of obnoxious to print Wordle results, but I'll do it anyway today, not sure I'll ever do better.
Wordle 214 2/6
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I don’t mind the Wordle comments or the bragging squares but could we please not discuss specifics of today’s puzzle? Spoiler alerts don’t necessarily keep one’s vision from inadvertently landing on that spoiler. I haven’t done it yet and it’s already been compromised.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous (10:44) “Did @Gill eat M&A's breakfast today?” No, but it’s rumored she’s a suspect in the theft of LMS’s M&Ms. she was reportedly caught with peanut butter on her breath.
ReplyDeleteOne good thing about working the NYT app is that you could see where the uniclues were right away, but it took me a couple to figure out they were —— and ——. I thought the solve was pleasant enough for a Wednesday but my time reveals it might have been more Tuesday.
ReplyDelete@LMS, I REALLY enjoy hearing about your students and I love the visual of you awkwardly doing the dances but I bet you just felt more awkward than you looked.
@Mathgent…in Wordle today I used a word that I used the one time I got it in two. I may experiment and use the word again
tomorrow.
Wordle 214 3/6
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@Whatsername
ReplyDeleteI don't read the comments of the regular posters before approving, so this one got through. I deleted it when I saw it, but too late for those who were already on the site.
@Mod/10:09
ReplyDeletedidn't think this was a hotbed of MAGA paranoia. the adoration of foobaw *is* a certain sign of the decline of sanity and rationality in American society.
Buttons and Bows, except for one note, can be played entirely on the black keys of the piano. An adult friend showed me this when I was 5 and launched my piano career.
ReplyDelete@mod/10:09
ReplyDeletemy error, I confess. the 10:09 deletion was not my contribution; time delay in my head doesn't always match the timestamps on the comments.
again. my apologies.
Frasier was also the first thing I thought of when I got to BUTTONS and BOWS. I thought the whole thing was relatively enjoyable -- a nice, quick Wednesday
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! LMS is back. All is now right in the world. I guess I sort of agree with everyone that once the fun of the trick wears off, the bloom goes off the rose, so to speak. But I still enjoyed it, mainly because I actually finished it without an error. I’ve been doing some puzzles from 2000 and they nail me every time with references to stuff I may have known 22 years ago but have died in a glass of wine. LETO reminded me of my dissertation “coach,” a fellow PhD candidate wiht whom I met once a week to report progress, get motivated, discuss thorny issues, hang out together. Victoria LETO changed her name to DiFrancisco; she wanted to honor her mother, wasn’t happy with the patriarchal naming principles of this country. I didn’t point out that DiFrancisco was her grandfather’s name; her point was to celebrate her mom, and I got that. I dedicated my dissertation to my mom.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know Knope or the star, so that section was rough for me as well. But it was nice getting the happy music.
Thanks everyone for getting me hooked on Wordle; like I need another time sink. I refuse to download one of the apps; I’d never get off the couch.
Nice morning; we’ve got a hawk hanging out five feet from our window, perched by the bird feeder. Photo op!
Wordle 214 4/6
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@Mod: Thanks. I’m sure it was unintentional.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletePEEPs in library!
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ReplyDeleteReally, didn't know anyone rated shoes. :)
DeleteI loved Frasier back in the day and remembered seeing this. I laughed hard then and laughed hard now. Thank you for that!
ReplyDeleteWait. The mods admit, openly, that they have diffferent rules for different people?!!!! That is very telling. And of course the defintion of bias.
ReplyDeleteDid not see the NYT notes, figured it out, and that was fun.
ReplyDelete🦖🦖🦖🦖
I apologize for putting a Wordle spoiler in my earlier comment. It's correctly been removed. My warning wasn't sufficient.
ReplyDeleteMy comment (without the spoiler) was that I have a very effective first word. It gave me one letter in its correct place and two others in incorrect places. It also eliminated some common letters, leaving me with two strong possibilities. I picked the wrong one on my second try and got it on my third try.
Today is EAPOE’s birthday.
ReplyDeleteA delightful day in every way! Had Rex’s abbreviated “aha” at 5a&d, had to pause at LETO/KNOPE cross as did many others but saved by CETUS, and finished quickly to arrive here where the first post was @LMS….just delightful only because @Lewis is away on compassionate leave. His successful return would make a delightful morning perfect. Thanks Ori and all👏🏼
ReplyDeleteAs I’ve heard somewhere, “ thou canst forfend linguistic vicissitudes,” so I will await another day.
I thought I liked this puzzle until I read Rex.
ReplyDeleteNow I wanna take the constructor out back and beat the crap outta him.
Instead, I race to the comments and lo and behold! Right off the top, our @LMS appears and flips the script!
And suddenly, all is right with the world. I love all of your school stories, @Loren, but today definitely ranks among my favorites. Thank you!
As for the crossword, I found it challenging for the Wednesdee theme-wise, but the rest was pretty easy-peasy. So it all averaged out to...well, average.
And the note was no help at all.
@JD 855am However did I miss DRAG STARS ROCK?? If Dr. Lucy was treating the offspring of CATWOMAN (Kitty) and Batman (Bitty), wouldn't she be Little Bitty Kitty?
Also have to admit to remembering BUTTONS & BOWS from "Frasier" (Hi, @GILL!), but as you may or may not know, all my lurnin comes from TV, movies, and comic strips.
Wish I could have a PET PEEVE, but my PEEVEs are legion and take turns at the top.
🧠🧠
🎉🎉🎉
Wordle 214 5/6
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Tried the vowel-heavy first word approach. That was a mistake. The more I play, the worse I get!
@tea73 (10:38) -- You can't do any better -- unless you're either psychic or sleeping with the Wordle editor:)
ReplyDeleteCompletely disagree with Rex. I enjoyed this one, even if there were a few problems. The theme worked and was not hard to decipher.
ReplyDeleteFor Wordle, someone mentioned going for a birdie. Is par 4 or 5?
Wordle 214 4/6
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There is little need to worry about the regulars. I reject anonymous posts at a rate of about 100 to 1 compared to regular posters, and when I have deleted regulars it is often a thread in response to anonymous posts.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite comments this morning.
ReplyDeletekitshef (8:34)
Anon (10:02)
Mod,
ReplyDeleteHiuh? what diffrence does it make who a poster is responding to if the post itself is inap[propriate?
As for your ratio of deletions. I'm unimpressed. You've drawn a Texas bullseye.
The fact is you let regualres get away with all sorts of calumny. One regualr riutinely denigates, sneers, smears and otherwise behaves boorshly but his posts survive.
@mathgent (11:43) No worries. I believe you mentioned your secret starting word the other day and it is an excellent tip.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKirst MacColl rates shoes. Well, she used to.
ReplyDelete@bocamp 1011am Fave Prefontaine movie: Without Limits 😉
ReplyDeleteQ: Why did the anonymous cross the Mod?
A: To miss the point.
I’m not sure of where the “notepad” appeared in the printed version, but on the app it was obvious that you needed to look at the “I” in the upper right, where information about the puzzle is always kept. If you read the note there, it became clear how the “uniclue” gimmick worked, and you never needed to go back to that explanation. I’m not sure how it could have been done any more simply.
ReplyDelete@LMS. Always nice to hear from you. Sounds like you’re making a difference. Keep it up!
If you ever want to really get TOMATORED, go to the La Tomatina festival in Buñol Spain. Pretty fun until you sober up.
I liked the puzzle, considering the constraints imposed by the theme. Thank you, Ori Brian.
@Mods I have a question. Would my comment be spiked if I replied to someone with "Oh, would you just shut UP?!"
ReplyDelete@Nancy. Thanks for the warning...uh, I mean reminder.
ReplyDeleteAn actor I've never heard of crossing a character in a show I've never watched, I call foul! In a middle week puzzle, that was otherwise easy peasy. I know, I know.....
ReplyDeleteCMON, this was fun. Yes, the gag made it easier but that just left more time to look around the grid afterwards. Wow, just GO SEE all the words with EE’s! And they all cross other EE words:
ReplyDeleteGO SEE/PREEMIE
THEE/THREE
PEEP/GLEE
PETPEEVE/SWEET
KEEN/NEED
Also just above LEAFLETS are the letters M, A and P, which I see as MAPLEAFLETS.
THREE Brothers Karamazov? Not in my book.
EAPOE is so bad it’s good.
I don’t know the song BUTTONS and BOWS, but I knew the phrase. And somehow I heard it to the tune of Silver and Gold. Is that a musical malapop?
Still trying to find a compelling selection by a birthday composer, so here’s an ALTERNATE. My niece is a vocalist (and we just passed her birthday), and her dad made a video of her as a toddler singing Rudolf the Red-nosed REINdeer. Last Christmas she decided to use the video from that for her arrangement of Silver and Gold. It’s not kittens, but you might say aww.
I'lm with the first commenterLMS. I thought it was fun. I liked hearing the familiar pairs as they appeared and I didn't find the rest junky, tho I cannot remember being really tickled by any other answers. Oh, yeah, I did kind of smile at preemie when I realized what that answer was.
ReplyDeleteMy first essential for Welsh rarebit was "cheese" but it obviously wouldn't fit and toast was easy to come by.
A 71-worder WedPuz! Amazin.
ReplyDelete… Well … 78-worder, if you separate the "X and Y" themers.
Kinda different to not have ACROSS & DOWN lists. M&A likes different, even if it's just kinda different (8 uni-clue NYTPuzs so far). I counted at least 10 "dohs" tho -- where M&A swept right, lookin for the Downs list, durin the solvequest.
TVGUEST has now been used 3 times in NYTPuzs. TVHOSTS has 5 uses, so it must somehow be better? [Update: Then again, TVHOST has zero usages. Sooo … never mind.]
BUTTONS & BOWS might be the weakest of the themers (even tho I knew it) -- just cuz it's a tad dated. But it still beats BUTTOCK & BOOB, I reckon. Butt in any case, yah gotta save that U, at all costs.
Sparkly vintages: POTATO & TOMATO(RED). CATWOMAN. PETPEEVE.
No-Knows: LETO crossin KNOPE. Lost precious nanoseconds, lookin em up.
Loud chewin of stolen M&M's in class would definitely hafta be a Teacher's PET PEEVE. [Yo, @Muse darlin]
staff weeject picks: AMI & ARI. Cuz is kinda sounds like "(What) Am I / Are I ?" which woulda been a cool theme revealer.
Thanx for the fun, PUZGUEST Brian dude.
Masked & Anonymo3Us
**gruntz**
@Whatsername 11:03....Peanut butter breath? Ay dios mío....Couldn't it have been Pinot Noir breath?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what @Anony 10:44 is talking about since M&A hasn't even posted yet. Maybe I was boring him to tears as well.
@Frantic 12:28. If I were a Mod I would allow "Oh, would you just shut up?!" Speaking of...I think they do a terrific job (and I'm not being a Kiss Arse....). Before they came to the rescue, this place was filled with the nasties. I almost threw in my toalla...Now, it's a lot more civilized....SOOOOOO, thank you.
I solve on my laptop via the NYT website. At the top of the puz is this:
ReplyDelete"Notes
This is a "uniclue" crossword, which combines Across and Down. When two answers share a number, they also share a clue."
@Frantic Sloth (12:21 PM)
Yes, higher rated and perhaps the better of the two. :)
___
td pg-6*
Peace ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🕊
@A – Well there's always this prettiest, singin'est, songwritin'est little blonde.
ReplyDeleteI took a long time on this one for some reason, but it was really pretty Easy. In my copy of the Times, the note was printed, and I recognized the uniclue format from some older puzzles I had done. And I have to say I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteBUTTONS AND BOWS was very much a song I heard as a young child. Not, I think, the horrible Dinah Shore cut from circa 1960, nor the version that was her big hit in the late 40's, but the version sung by a male, probably Gene Autry. Probably too on KMPC, the middle-of-the road station that Autry bought, and owned for many a year.
And, in 1948, I would have heard it on an old radio, as big as a TV cabinet, maybe 4 feet tall, that was in our living room. It had AM, and claimed to have shortwave from around the world, but not, I think, FM. Some years later, my mother acquired a table model radio that did have FM, and in 1954 or so I had a plug-in radio by my bed, which I mainly used to listen to shows like Suspense and Jack Benny, and in later years, our local AM top 40 outlet. But apparently my mother should have held on to that floor model radio, because they became huge collectors' items. I wamted to buy one for our 1908 vintage home, but my wife nixed the idea. Probably with good reason. The only TV that would have gone with it would have had rabbit ears.
I liked the theme. However note that the online version on the NYT web site did not actually have a single list of clues, which would have been very cool. I thought that being able to use features like that was one of their biggest arguments for abandoning Across Lite? Once again by using AL I have missed nothing.
ReplyDelete[Spelling Bee yd 0]
Hand up for the moderators do a great job, although I do miss the spellcasters.
ReplyDelete@A 12:40....That video is ADORABLE....Now that's something to keep forever!
ReplyDeleteAs @This ‘n’ that points out (6:41 am), the puzzle offers lots to eat for sure! A mini-theme by itself.
ReplyDeleteI just rolled through this without the hint simply because when the across and down a 1 both lit up, I assumed (correctly) that this was going to be a one clue/both ways puzzle (benefit if solving since the earth cooled, I guess). After getting the downs in the first NW cube, the rest, including the theme dual direction clues were easy.
I actually tied my Wednesday speed record (nothing approaching all you pros, but still in my humble opinion a respectable hair under 11 minutes), so my intuition and my ticket to the proverbial wheelhouse made this a quick and not irksome solve.
I disagree with @Rex today simply because I do not find a repeat use of a theme automatically objectionable. While repeats are not always my favorite , I liked this one because of the care the constructor took to have the single clue answers be connected not merely ny the clue, but as two parts of a familiar pair of words.
The phrases themselves ran quite a gamut: tech (DRAG/DROP); history (STARS/STRIPES; music (ROCK/ROLL, BUTTONS/BOWS). Artistry in my opinion, to be able to create this kind of cohesive theme with so little junk and make it an early week puzzle, accessible to many solvers.
No complaints here. Well, I think GEST should have been GESTe, but as @LMS points out, language evolves and so must I.
@CDilly52. If by "glorious" you mean Sloppy, I agree.
ReplyDeleteDear WORDLE folks:
ReplyDeleteEleven of you saw fit to post your results.
Two of you were awesome -- here's looking at you Trey@9:32 and tea73.
The rest of you? Just meh
As far as the puz? Awesome! Delightful! Fun!
Clue Bot Farms?! Rex should be the top hit... Let the world know how annoying some puzzles are, and how annoying all people are! Ha!
ReplyDelete@Gill 1:03 re:mods - AMEN!
ReplyDeleteFinally learned OXEYE over the last couple of years of crosswords, only to have it show up in a corner with LETO, KNOPE and CETUS, the famous law firm that represents only celebrity whales.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, STEWS (67A) shares its W with a diagonal STEW--so it's a double serving of that "Hearty meal option."
There was a young lady named Myrtle
ReplyDeleteWho feared that she might be infertile
But it turned out instead
That while lying in bed
She paid all her attention to WORDLE
@egs
ReplyDelete😂😂😂
Hand up for @A's 1240pm video being ridiculously adorable.
ReplyDeleteHand way up for 👏@Mods, but unlike @GILL 103pm, I am bussing butt. 😉
Wish we could have a "Mod Appreciation Day" where everyone behaves. And then I woke up.
For the record, there were 5 Bronte sisters, not 3. Maria and Elizabeth died at Cowan Bridge School, aka Lowood in Jane Eyre.
ReplyDeleteI am a Yorkshire woman. We like things like crossword clues to be accurate.
Mary Farrell, Del Mar CA.
If anyone can explain peanut butter breath or what got deleted by the mods succinctly please...........do. I wasn't sure which way I was headed there. Maybe with a warning.
ReplyDeleteFootball boring?
In athletics competitions a handful of folks running for 10 seconds in a straight line can be exciting. In golf hitting stationary balls followed by strolls on smooth grassy knolls can be exciting. World football: one or two goals in 3 hours is breathtaking.
Eye of the beholder much?
One thing for sure. Nothing is more boring than a bad football game. Outcome not much in doubt. And every big play (highlight worthy) gets called back for a penalty. Say what you want about baseball, but for the most part, what you see actually counts. If a play is called back it is often exciting. See George Brett.
Sometimes short pauses followed by maximum effort is more exciting than constant action. Choose your own poison. Even if it's Jeopardy or Wordle.
[see notepad] was ridiculous and unnecessary, as the app also highlighted the corresponding clue spot when you clicked on the other one. At the end i was still trying to figure out the significance of a notepad in all these clues, then clicked on the “note” (which is the icon i in the app), and saw it. I think editors could have more faith in us! I’ve seen plenty of puzzles where this is just clued with an Em dash.
ReplyDeleteI didnt see the note but didnt need it. I thought the theme was OK, and the puzzle not exciting but also not offensive. I was bit put off by all the names in the NE, but the crosses saved me.
ReplyDeleteBased on comments here I tried both Wordle and SB this week. Wordle is addictive and fun. But I am already tiring of SB after looking at the solutions and seeing many words that I would consider obscure but the editor doesnt.
Wordle 214 3/6
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@Albatross Shell - It seems a mod deleted a post with a Wordle Spoiler after @Whatsername pointed it out. Shockingly to some (well, to one) the mods actually seem to filter out trolls and admitted that they don't closely monitor the regulars all that much. I got a hearty chuckle out of one anon's chagrin. Unlike @kitshef I do not miss spellcasters offering to cure my herpes and get my ex-wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/boss back.
ReplyDeleteMy Name is Victoria Treasure, I'm from USA Los Angeles California, I never thought I will smile again, My husband left me with two kidMy boyfriend called me and said he was tired of our relationship and needs a breakup, he started avoiding me, His new attitude was killing me slowly so I did research on the internet seeking help. I saw testimonies of how dr IYASE helped reunite couples with his spell and how he gave lottery winning numbers to people and helped them win a lottery so I immediately sent him a text: +2347057052206 seeking help. He responded. He promised to help me get my boyfriend back with his spell, I did as he instructed and he casted the spell. It was like a dream because 16 hours after the spell was casted my boyfriend came back begging me on his knees to forgive and accept him back. I am so excited and now I believe DR IYASE is a God on Earth. Are you heart broken? Do you need help to win a lottery ? Contact DR IYASE via Call/text/whatsapp: +2347057052206 // or email: driyaseherblahome@Gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI liked the theme. Lots of Aha! moments except for 5A+D which was a head-scratcher until I read Rex’s notes about Francis Scott KEY. My PETPEEVE is the use of some crossword glue (OTOE, GRO, EAPOE etc.) I mean, CMON! But did it ruin it? KNOPE. In fact, I’d say this is the puzzle of the week (so far).
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember a snack called BUTTONS and BOWS? Like cheddar only better…
ReplyDeleteALTERNATE EGO (PETPEEVE NOTES)
ReplyDeleteCATWOMAN likes TO ROCK(AND)ROLL,
TO MIX(AND)MATCH is GEST THEE same,
she'll DRAG(AND)DROP TO one SWEET goal
(AND) TALLYUP THREE times ICAME.
--- EDDY RAE KNOPE
The week did not set a particularly high bar, but yeah, it's getting better. Nice little trick to add the "&" to the theme; an additional entry, PETPEEVE, would thus not qualify, thus preserving theme tightness.
ReplyDeleteIf we can have TOMATORED, we'll take POTATO TANS as well. ARI is a Grande DOD. I do have to agree that TVGUEST is bad, while EAPOE smacks of desperation. So there's the YIN & YANG of it. Par.
P.S. Nice Key clue, my fav.
This would be a nice Thursday trick, instead of the dreaded rebi. And it made Wednesday funner.
ReplyDelete@Foggy - never heard of B&B - was it a chip or cereal or mac & cheese or ???
The local weather lady keeps saying today will be sunny but cold, only getting to the mid fifties. I mean, look at most of the rest of the country and say that with a straight face. Think I'll take a walk.
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords
I liked the idea behind this, but spoiled my own fun in the NW and NE corners. My problem was KNOPE and CETUS in the NE and my brain fog in the NW.
ReplyDeleteYes, F.S. Key wrote about a star-spangled banner, but J.P. Sousa wrote about the STARS & STRIPES (forever).
ReplyDeleteOut of habit I still went looking for down clues.
Anyone who played CATWOMAN ACESOUT the competition.
Different is nice.
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ReplyDelete