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Amazon speakers introduced in 2014 / MON 2-28-22 / Hometown proud supermarket / Francis of old TV's "What's My Line?" / 1990s cartoon series featuring Yakko Wakko and Dot / Baby-boomer series that starred Ken Olin
Monday, February 28, 2022
Constructor: Zach Sherwin and Andrea Carla Michaels
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
Theme answers:
- OKEFENOKEE (18A: Swamp in "Pogo")
- "ANIMANIACS" (24A: 1990s cartoon series featuring Yakko, Wakko and Dot)
- "THIRTYSOMETHING" (39A: Baby-boomer series that starred Ken Olin)
- WORDSWORTH (55A: Poet William who wrote "The Prelude")
- CHINCHILLA (63A: South American rodent with soft, dense fur)
Jeannette Pickering Rankin (June 11, 1880 – May 18, 1973) was an American politician and women's rights advocate, and the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from Montana in 1916, and again in 1940. As of 2022, Rankin is still the only woman ever elected to Congress from Montana.Each of Rankin's Congressional terms coincided with initiation of U.S. military intervention in the two World Wars. A lifelong pacifist, she was one of 50 House members who opposed the declaration of war on Germany in 1917. In 1941, she was the only member of Congress to vote against the declaration of war on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A suffragist during the Progressive Era, Rankin organized and lobbied for legislation enfranchising women in several states including Montana, New York, and North Dakota. While in Congress, she introduced legislation that eventually became the 19th Constitutional Amendment, granting unrestricted voting rights to women nationwide. She championed a multitude of diverse women's rights and civil rights causes throughout a career that spanned more than six decades. (wikipedia)
• • •
The fill in this puzzle is also pretty miserable. ECHOS was the biggest wince of the day (product placement + awful brand-name alt-plural spelling) (54D: Amazon speakers introduced in 2014). But mostly the problem was the crosswordesiness. Lots and lots and lots of good (not actually good) old repeaters: ALAI and ARLENE Francis ("of old TV") and ACTI OLE ACELA ELENA etc. There's even the original kealoa*, i.e. LOA (65D: Mauna ___ (Hawaiian volcano)). AWS as a plural is AWkward (51D: "How cute!" sounds), as is TWO-HIT, which isn't really that noteworthy a thing (a "two-hitter," that is) (48D: Like some well-pitched games). A six-hit game might be "well pitched" too (better pitched than some TWO-HIT games), but you're not gonna see SIX-HIT in the grid (I hope). What else? Oh, CHI is an answer (32D: Ho ___ Minh City) even though CHI is one of the crucial repeating theme elements (see CHINCHILLA). That kind of duplication is less than ideal. It really is stunning how unready for prime time this is. I'm genuinely baffled. Andrea has crafted many delightful Monday-level themes over the years. I just don't get the appeal of this one at all.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
*kealoa = short, common answer that you can't just fill in quickly because two or more answers are viable Even With One or More Letters In Place. From the classic [Mauna ___] KEA/LOA conundrum. See also, e.g. [Heaps] ATON/ALOT, ["Git!"] "SHOO"/"SCAT," etc.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
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134 comments:
Today’s puzzle was Monday easy for me but I understand if some (younger) solvers may have found some of the entries more appropriate for a Tuesday or later. But the theme - "cephalophores" per the constructor - that’s appropriate for no day. Or maybe Doomsday.
Cephalophoric words. Alrighty then. {insert anti-letter-based themes rant here}
Easy-medium. I had no idea what was going on with this until I read Zack and Andreas’ comments at Xwordinfo and apparently Jeff had no idea either. So from those comments I learned a new word - cephalophoric - which kinda explains the theme. My first impression was “a pretty good themeless Monday”. My second impression was “interesting but a tad obscure”. Liked it.
The “reveal” is 59d.
@Bocamp - Croce’s Freestyle #685 was easy. Approximately a medium NYT Saturday. Good luck!
Oh Acme (Andrea), I've missed you. I remember when you were a regular here. So long ago.
Yes a bit of a puzzling theme. Cephalophoric?... okay if they say so. Like Rex I was hoping the 3 letter bits added up to something.
I did this looking at only the down clues, as is my Monday habit. (I heartily recommend it, if you find Mondays overly easy.) I didn't have to cheat at all; my only real write over was at 36d "Archaeologist's find" where I had BONES.
[Spelling Bee: Sat. 0; Sun.: 6:30 to reach pg, then QB at 0 later.]
Simple review for me: what @jae 1215am said. Although a more obvious revealer could have gone a long way to enlighten us mere mortal dullards.
🧠.5
🎉🎉.5
I initially filled in 53A Pinnacle with acme, and thought that it was a brazen bit of self-promotion. My bad.
Finished the puzzle and tried twisting, turning, inverting, squeezing, upping, downing and cross-tabulating the shaded boxes. I completely understood the “first three letters repeated” aspect, but didn’t understand how that could be the basis of a NYTXW. I still don’t, even after reading the notes from the constructors and Jeff Chen. This is a Monday-level themeless, but nothing more than that. The gimmick has nothing to do with the solve.
I really wanted ACME for 53A anticipating Rex’s head explosion, but she showed great restraint. Brava!
Got the deal at OKEfenOKEe and breezed right through.
There’s a nice review of today’s puzzle at Diary of a Crossword Fiend, that contrasts Rex’s (usual) dislike (if you’re looking for brighter way to start your day) 😊
Who is the happiest person today?
1)Dude, we can totally get this published!
2)Ok, there, I ran it. Now pay up.
3)Man, you're quite the up and comer! Scratch my back...
For a second I thought it might be vowel sound changes. ANIMANIACS changes the sound of both A and I. But no, that did not hold up. Rex haters, please note how he criticized the puzzle but, as always, made no derogatory comments about the constructor. In fact he praised her (just not for this one).
The cephalophoric idea was obvious in the app since the NYT, as is its wont thought solvers couldn’t see the repetition without help. The grey spaces only made the non-theme more obvious. The grey squares screaming “Theme, Theme, Theme!” at me, had me all excited to see the reveal somewhere. Alas.
Monday easy for sure. I think this is constructors being way too “in their heads” and sitting around some evening over - beverages or whatever - talking about cool words like cephalophore and saying “wow, wouldn’t that be a cool theme!” As it turns out, not so much. But an otherwise Monday solve.
LOA crossing the novelist/playwright/author/whatever is very weak, especially on a Monday. This puzzle basically has a “negative” theme in that it just clogs up the grid with junk and actually detracts from the solving experience, even if you strap yourself in, play along and talk yourself into believing the two “heads” of the words are relevant to anything.
I feel sorry for those who submitted NYT-worthy puzzles only to be passed over for this. Maybe @Lewis will add additional insight, but it looked, felt and played like a big nothing burger to me.
For everyone as confused as I was, this link explains the very, very, very obscure theme:
https://youtu.be/_K3Cy7zSiew
PS. I work in cybersecurity and would never post a malicious link.
Happy Monday
A cephalophore (from the Greek for "head-carrier") is a saint who is generally depicted carrying their own severed head." (From WIKIPEDIA)
The answer is "holding" the severed "head" of the word.
Maybe...
I believe I reached a PEAK today. (Also my first "eagle")
Daily Dordle #0035 3&2/7
⬜🟩⬜🟨🟨 🟩🟨⬜🟨🟨
⬜🟨⬜🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛
Agreed, what @jae 12:15 said. Solving, it was "just a puzzle". Noticed the repeating letter strings, tho it didn't help the solve. Had no idea what the theme was other than "repeating letters. But now I know what cephalophores are, and that the acrosses are saints carrying their own HEADS (which I guess is indeed "the reveal"). Count me intrigued, curious, and now more knowledgeable, which is pretty great for a Monday crossword.
I'll just add that I think TWOHIT is fine. Throwing a two hitter is both "a thing" and notable and, like yesterday's, just has me wishing for baseball (and getting mad at the owners).
Ugh. Ick. Oof.
Besides the many valid criticisms Rex made, there are 25 threes clogging the grid.
I just finished a wonderful book that I think that people with San Francisco roots like Gill I. and oldtimer will like. Home Baked by Alia Volz, published in 2020. The author is the daughter of the Brownie Lady, the woman who developed marijuana brownies. She sold them freely by the thousands to the gay and hippie community in the 70's and 80's. The book gives the cultural history of San Francisco during that time as experienced by people on the inside. It's remarkably well-written.
Birdie today, two in a row.
Cute enough for early week - the themers repeat the HEAD string. The app provides the shaded squares which made this clearer and an easier solve. Surprised Rex didn’t enjoy a puzzle constructed by a woman with a grid full of women. Overall fill is smooth - but agree it tends musty. Liked OKEFENOKEE and WORDSWORTH.
Evan Birnholz riffing on Rex’s Sporkle reference yesterday
Enjoyable enough Monday solve.
Many newer solvers have never heard of the concept of theme, and this puzzle serves them perfectly. Here rookies see the repeating letters in the grayed areas, and it may even help them solve. They may come away from the puzzle thinking that was pretty cool, and want to come back again. Forget the more subtle aspects of the theme; those grayed squares make for a perfect Monday trick.
Remember, veteran solvers, even a Monday puzzle can be so much more of a challenge to someone as smart as you, simply because they don’t have the advantage of experience. We see a clue like [Play opener] and throw in ACT I, while the newer solver may be totally in the dark.
Yet there are enough gimmee clues in a Monday puzzle, certainly today’s excellent one, to let a newer solver fill in enough to let the brain begin to go into crossword-think, where it sees a couple of letters in an answer and suddenly “sees” the entire answer with a blissful “Aha!” and “Whee!” They may, even as many of us are, become hooked.
Forgive my ramble, but Zach and Andrea, this was one terrific Monday, perfect for the initiate, and there was enough rub to make even a seasoned solver like me be grateful. I also liked the PACK up, the HEADS down, and the side of PASTA. Bravo and brava!
jae said "The 'reveal' is 59d."
But the second 3 letter iteration wasn't a "head" of a word.
How about 54d?
My five favorite clues from last week
(in order of appearance):
1. Handled sharp objects? (4)
2. They get what's coming to them (6)
3. Spot for a daily assembly? (4)(4)
4. Long (4)(2)(4)
5. They have massive calves (8)
AWLS
PAYEES
NEWS DESK
SLIM TO NONE
GLACIERS
Giving this ridiculous non-theme a fancy name is a classic example of putting lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.
After reading the constructors' comments in XwordInfo, I take the theme to be the following.
According to the constructors, the theme is based on "cephalophore", a saint carrying their own head, depicted in paintings and sculptures. Here, the "head" (that is, the beginning) of the theme answer is repeated later in that answer, so the answer "carries" the head. I think this conceit is echoed in answer 59D, HEADS, as well as its clue, [Two are better than one, they say].
Given Mr. T's appearance, Rex's comment about pitying the other Monday level puzzles that were rejected to make room for this one is most amusing.
A few unrelated observations.
Interesting that a popular song written in 1950 with a rich recording history and with a widely widely known adaptation for a Broadway musical is clued with a 1963 cover recording never released as a single. Beatles eclipse all!
I suspect that we will not be seeing KENTANJI in puzzles quite as often as we see ELENA
Logical Progression for the day
1. Cephalophore names a curious phenomenon found in some English words
2. Rex has no idea what a cephalophore is, and doesn't even recognize one when he sees it.
3. Therefore a puzzle that employs cephalophores in its theme is inherently bad.
Thx Zach & ACME for the 2somes; great way to start the week! :) :)
Med.
Smooth solve, but needed the crosses for ANIMANIACS & OKEFENOKEE. Also, SITUATION was hidden for a while.
Liked the puz! :)
@jae
Thx, on it! :)
@puzzlehoarder / @okanaganer 👍 for 0's
___
yd pg: 7:29 / W: 3*
Peace 🙏 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🕊
Not being aware of head-holding art as a thing, I considered 54D as the likely reveal. The head (first 3 letters) are echoed in the word as letters, not sounds. So maybe both: HEAD ECHOS?
@P. - One of the constructors will always put a Beatles clue in her puzzles.
@Son Volt - I saw that. Of course the reply I found most profound was the one that observed that Rex did not say he “plagiarized.”
Before coming here, I went to look at the constructors' notes. I was quite curious to know what their seed entry was. WORDSWORTH? THIRTY SOMETHING? OKEFENOKEE? The impulse behind a puzzle idea always interests me. But, no, it seems that the impulse came from this category of word and not any particular example of it. It's called a "ceph"-something-or-other and I've forgotten what the term is already.
The theme makes a Monday solve even easier. But because the contructors managed to avoid too much in the way of slam-dunk cluing, the puzzle retained my interest anyway. Some things I didn't know without crosses, as clued: ECHOS; SOLIDS; DEFECT; CT SCAN (Overkill? why start with an Xray if you're going to eventually do a CT SCAN?) A pleasant if unexciting Monday.
I had to come here to figure out the theme. I am leaving no better off, other than learning the theme has an interesting name. Agree with Rex - lots of crosswordese here. Wikipedia twice in a 4-day span…
Rex,
Jeanette Rankin?!! Really?!! How horribly tone deaf. The world may well be teetering on the brink of a nuclear war and you choose to feature rather than castigate the only member of congress who didn't vote for a righteous war? Wow.
Just so the board knows a little more about Rankin. The House leader begged her to change her vote or at the very least abstain. Rankin of course refused. The question is, why three days later when the vote to go to war with Germany came under the gavel she didn't vote no. She abstained. Either she lost her principles in three days or she was wrong all along. And knew it.
Of course she didn't bother running when her term expired. including Rankin in the write-up up is rank blindness to Rex's knee-jerk feminism . Does not pass breakfast test.
How true Z. Rex only implied that he plagiarized....
Well, today I learned a new word that I will never use or see again, probably. The inspiration for building a puzzle around this eludes me, alas.
Would have been fun if all the repeated trios at least made a word. CHICHI is a word, at least in Spanish.
Monday easy. Yay for Pogo. Sorry, ZS and ACM, but this one goes into the Zero Sort Aluminum Cans and Metals bin with no regrets. Thanks for your efforts.
Re: 18 across:
In 1952 Walt Kelly nominated Pogo Possum for President in his comic strip "Pogo" and "I Go Pogo" campaign pins were soon seen around the country. Kelly also wrote a campaign song and the words go like this:
As Maine Goes, oh so Pogo goes Key Largo
Oswe-goes to Frisco goes to Fargo
OKEFENOKEE playing "Possum on a Pogo"
Stick around and see the show
go over.
And so on for another dozen or so lines.
Kelly and Pogo and the Pogo cast of characters are still remembered today as
the most astute political commentary of its time.
Hey All !
OKEANITHIWORCHI (pronounced o-Keen-ith-(schwa)-war-chi) is the Ancient American Indian Burial Site found in the extreme south of North Dakota. Also the inspiration behind Stephen King's "Pet Cemetery". They do drive-by tours daily on the quarter hour from 10-3. Too scary to get out of your car, and :15 after the hour is when the spirits are not around. I have the brochure.
So maybe that's what they were going for, which also ties into the two "revealers" HEADS and ECHOS. ECHOS of the HEADS of long buried people.
Maybe it's on WIKIPEDIA.
That TWO bIT silliness aside, didn't think it a terrible puz, but can see the side of the uninspired group. Fave theme was ANIMANIACS, as that was a real funny cartoon. Beside Darkwing Duck, it was my favorite cartoon. So what I was in my 20's and still watching cartoons. 😁 I still enjoy a good cartoon if we'll written and funny. South Park, anyone? (Well, well written may be a stretch, but it's often topical and funny.)
Anyway, the NYT site always has nice light green colored squares, instead of the generic and bland light gray squares y'all seem to get. Gives the grid a little more OOMPAH.
Relatively clean fill. Even has a RODEO for @M&A. Nice easy-ish MonPuz, so the ole brain still not in NEED of a CTSCAN to see if it's still functioning. Which is always good.
yd -1 (stupid 5-letterer), should'ves 0
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
Thanks @Lewis for pointing out that 59 down is a cute revealer for the puzzle. I feel slightly better about it now. And thanks to this discussion I now know the word "cephalophore". I've seen lots of statues of those saints and taken a few art history classes, but don't remember ever running across that word before.
MarthaCatherine,
Yep. Also, those particular saints are always martyrs.
As for Rex.. I'm embarrassed for him. He's a medievalist. He earned a PhD for his study in Medieval literature, and yet, he seems not to know, or at the very least, has made no comment on cephalophore. And that's incredible given what is possibly the most stunning scene in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. I mean Gawain beheads the guy who proceeds to gather his noggin and keep on talking ( repeating the challenge that Gawin just met). I'm not gonna waste my time digging for it, but I'm pretty sure Rex has written on papers on Sir Gawian and The Green Knight. His failure to see the cephalophore connection has me gobsmacked.
PS. Rex also talks frequently about Dante and The Divine Comedy. Specifically the first book. Well in the inferno there's a cephalophore in the 8th circle-- Bertrand de Born. Sure no one can know everything. But a Medievalist who doesn't know cephalophore should turn in his vellum. and a crossword blogger who doesn't see the connection between cephalophores and this puzzle should turn in his clipboard--or however Rex is solving these days.
@ Lewis 7:21 Thank you. Thank you.
Rex has forgotten that at the end of the day, the constructors are simply trying to come up with a puzzle that pleases us/challenges us. Do they always hit it out of the park? No. (Maybe the pitcher threw a 2-hitter that day!) But is there any need to be so unrelentingly mean? Not really.
To argue that a 6-hit game might be better pitched than a 2-hitter? I suppose that that is theoretically possible, but really? If that's the level of argument, he's even more of a curmudgeon that I previously thought. Why not just point out that a 2-hitter is not the greatest of answers, and leave it at that?
In more important news: tried a new starting word, had a nice birdie attempt, and tapped in for an easy par:
Wordle 254 4/6
🟨⬜⬜🟨⬜
⬜🟨⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
After finishing the puzzle I didn’t have the slightest idea what was it was supposed to represent. So I went to Xword Info and read the constructor notes where I learned that it has something to do with Saints who carried their own heads around after they were decapitated. So then I was not only wondering (1) why anyone would celebrate such a grotesque and barbaric phenomenon, and beyond that (2) why anyone would ever consider it a good idea for a crossword.
Thankfully, underneath the nonsensical theme, there was a decent Monday puzzle. The song “Til There WAS You” was around a long time before The Beatles ever showed up in the 1960s - approximately the same era when a women’s clothing style known as pedal pushers became popular and which decades later became known as CAPRI pants. At least that’s the way it was where I grew up, which admittedly is not and never was a big center of fashion. Or the center of much of anything for that matter.
That theme though. I’m sorry but why? Why would the average Monday solver (or Tuesday or pick a day) be expected to look at those circles and say oh yeah, sure I know that - Cephalophores. You know those crazy saints who walked around carrying their own heads. To begin with, I was just baffled and willing to look for whatever I was missing. But the more I think about it, the more I simply cannot fathom why anyone would think I should get it, much less find it appealing.
I continue to find the condensension of any regular posters here toward "newer solvers" to be offensive. The idea that the self appointed crossword elite feel the need to speak for the rest of us is patronizing at best.
Just a follow-up, for those who are interested in donating worthy cause, in case anyone missed it from yesterday or the day before:
https://fund.nnaf.org/campaign/these-puzzles-fund-abortion-too/c392643
And if you're one of the few who is opposed to abortion, we get it, there's no need to comment, just move along . . . .
Whatsername,
Not really. Til There Was You debuted in 1957. That's the same year Lennon and McCartney started playing together. Harrison too ( at the end of the year).
Anyway, The Music Man and the Beatles are very much contemporaries of each other.
--Meredith Wilson
Unknown,
Thanks for the invitation, but I'll decline. And say another rosary.
And just so everyone has it, here's the website for The National right to Life Committe
https://www.nrc.org
I'll be praying for you Unknown...
Peace
I haven't read @Rex yet because I didn't want to hear any rants I knew might be coming. I'll also read the comments later; those who post are seemingly friends.
When I finished, I smiled. This has meat - specifically filet mignon.
I saw the repeats and thought this was clever and fun. You can repeat me and dance with me on any Monday.
If I had only one little nit to pick, it would've been all the names. They were easy enough and we know they are needed to make a crossword. In this case, the names were very well known, and I'm sure beginners would get them.
I smiled at OKEFENOKEE. Swamp names can be fun. My favorite - even though it isn't a theme for today- is "Limberlost Swamp. It's swamp was in the novel "Freckles" and that was my nickname.
I don't know what ANIMANIACS is/are...Sounds like a fandango tango aftereffect.
CHINCHILLAS make cute pets.... Why anyone wanted to wear one on a back baffles me.
Now to read the rest of everyone...
We miss you, Andrea. Your fun words; your sense of humor and, well, just YOU.
Tim Carey,
Amen!!!!
Normally I don’t do this but wanted to share since I used a word from today’s puzzle and it was a smashing success.
Dordle #0035 2&3/7
⬜🟩⬜🟨🟨 🟩🟨⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜🟨⬜🟨🟩
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
zaratustra.itch.io/dordle
Hi ,
The theme was to tick you off and it worked. Will did a great job.
I’m not in a twist about today’s puzzle at all. Sure the theme is slight, but it’s Monday for heaven’s sake. I liked being reminded of RANKIN. I needed the nudge of a cross to get her. I’d forgotten where CHINCILLAs originated. Any clue where the answer is WORDSWORTH or DIDION is worthy. I’m too old to know ANIMANIACS, but what a fun cartoon title. ARLENE was a throwback for the nearly aged. What’s wrong with pluralizing the Amazon ECHO? I know people who have two. I found this puzzle more interesting than the average Monday and the best part of all is that Acme is back!
YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!!!!!
Is it "Judy Collins's 'Send in the Clowns'"???? No, it's Sondheim's.
Is it "Frank Sinatra's 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered'"??? No, it's Rodgers and Hart's.
Songs do not write themselves. Songs have writers. The singers who become famous for singing those songs can't sing them until they are written.
It's NOT "The Beatles' 'Till There Was You'"!!! It's Meredith Willson's. Who has every right to be spinning in his grave right now.
Mostly the Beatles wrote and sang their own stuff. But they did not write this.
This flagrant ignoring of composers and lyricists -- which happens much too often and not only in crossword puzzles -- really sets my teeth on edge.
@Anon 9:23 If you're who I think you are, I'm astounded that you would stoop to saying "I'm embarassed for...". Do you not remember, or do you disregard, The Angelic Doctor's total take down of the Damascene's treatise on Sorrow? Do you not know that "I'm embarassed for.. " is only your avoiding saying "I'm ashamed of my glee over... ". Yes, your glee is writ large, and you should be ashamed.
cavitation,
I don't know who you think I am, but please, tell me more about Aquinas and embarrassment. Also what I'm feeling. I'm astounded by your knowledge of my emotions and heart. Your theories intrigue me. Do you have a newsletter?
Thank you, commenters, for explaining cephalophores and for pointing out ECHOS and HEADS and thus the "why" of the puzzle, which had eluded me. I had wondered, Where was Andrea Carla Michael's usual wit? - well, right in one of my blind spots. I liked learning the term for these head-carrying saints; I was familiar with depictions of saints bearing signs of their martyrdom - arrows, wheel, grill, et.al - but not their own head. I also appreciated learning that there's another South American rodent that starts with a C other than the crossword-familiar capybara; shamefully, I'd never thought about the origin of the CHINCHILLA further back than the furrier.
@Tim Carey – why do you post the same thing here practically every week? The commenteriat doesn't condescend to newer solvers; the Times itself has crammed the message down everyone's throat that Monday and early week puzzles are easier in large part to attract inexperienced solvers who want to get their feet wet. If anyone is being condescending, it's the Times. The commenters here are observing when the puzzle's difficulty level seems to be at odds with the Times's purported m.o. It's not a put-down of any solvers.
(Personally, I would love it if they mixed them all up – give me a really hard Monday puzzle and a no-brainer on Friday once in awhile. At least there'd be an element of not knowing what to expect, which it sure doesn't offer now.)
A college classmate of mine came to a Halloween party as a cephalophore, though I’m not claiming that he, or any other party goer knew that word. But he did it by taking a very tall sports coat and padding the inside of the shoulders until they were well above his head level. He then left open one or two buttons for his head to stick out, and had his girlfriend pin the arms so that they were positioned as if they were carrying his head. This was 45 years or so ago, and I can still remember how funny/creepy it was talking to Bruce the cephalophore.
Started this with a word from the puzzle.
Wordle 254 2/6*
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Okay, so now I’m thinking about beheaded people carrying around their own heads and feeling really thankful that I already had breakfast. I did learn a new word in the process but hope I will never have to say “Look who just walked in. It’s a cephalophore.”
I read Rex and there were no surprises. Sometimes I think it's a shame, other times I don't care.
I enjoyed this puzzle. I had fun with it. Ive seen the word"cephalophonic" in the wild but forgot what it meant...I wasn't looking for a particular theme....I only look for enjoyment. Today I got it.
I do not read any other blogs because I usually don't have time. Today I will hop over to Diary of a Crossword Fiend....I need another perspective.
I've been doing crosswords since my arrival in NYC and buying the Times; sitting under a big, Lucious tree in Central Park and eating my pastrami on rye from the nearby Deli. The Sunday would take me days to complete and when I did, the feeling was euphoria.
I remember meeting Rex by accident. I was flummoxed by a word, went to Google or some such and came upon Rex. I started reading him; he taught me many things on how to look at a puzzle and solve it. I was addicted.
Rex became crankier and crankier as the months/years developed in Crosslandia. I usually agreed with him but many times I wondered if he had swallowed a grumpy pill.
It took me awhile to see and understand why he thought NYT puzzles were becoming stale and repeating the same-o-same-o. I could understand his wanting the NYT to be more current; to add more female constructors; to leave out certain names and...in the end, to clean your plate with deliciousness.
Sometimes I disagree with him; sometimes he's too vitriolic, sometimes he makes perfect sense and other times, I just can't understand the anger.
Having said all that...I mainly come here to read YOU, the commenters . So many new things to learn and lots of funny posts and interesting posts.
I have done what @Nancy did many moons ago....I will skip reading Rex and then post what I and I mean I really think and feel about a puzzle. I will always read him after I've posted because I like guessing where his brilliant mind will blow. It's fun...try it
@Lewis...our friend to the rescue. Some of you say "He's always positive" and so he is. @Lewis will find the best in every puzzle and he does it with smartness....I usually agree with him.
@Mathgent 7:15..HAH! ...My Mom, Marijuana and the Stoning in San Francisco...
You bet your sweet bippy I will order it and read it. I'll let you know how much I laughed and liked it. thanks.
Moderator. Please put a stop to the abortion debate. This is not the place.
@Anonymous (10:21) My source (Wikipedia) says that Til There Was You was originally entitled "Till I Met You” and originally recorded October 25, 1950, by Meredith Willson & his Orchestra and Eileen Wilson. Then as you referenced, retitled for The Music Man in 1957. The quartet of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr became The Beatles and had their first big hit in 1962, then recorded Wilson’s song in 1963. I didn’t word it that way but the timeframe I was referring to in my comment was more along those lines, roughly 13 years from its origin to the re-recording.
@ Nancy (10:37) That one rankled me too.
Joe D,
Love, love, love the mix-it-up idea. Write a petition. I'll sign it.
Chris DiPinto and Creem Circus playing a St patty's day show if you're interested.
Two HEADS were evidently better than one, in constructin this RODEO. Plus each themer kinda has two copies of its gray weeject-head. Sooo … makes sense, to m&e. Too bad the HEADS revealer was rendered so dang subtle.
staff weeject picks: OKE-ANI-THI-WOR-CHI. Which obviously contains a hidden anagram message. Or some such. [M&A'll hafta work on that.]
fave moo-cow eazy-E MonPuz clue: {Eve's man} = ADAM. Especially cool clue wordin, since ADAM was splatzed right below MEN, in the puzgrid.
Knew everyone in the puz except for: RANKIN. DIDION [Double DI heads!]. ANIMANIACS. No extra precious nanoseconds were harmed.
Thanx for all the ECHOS and for gangin up on us, ACME & Zach dude. And congratz to Zach Sherwin on his debut. We got our words' worth, from this rodeo.
Masked & AnonymoUUs
**gruntz**
anonymoose,
Rex has used this blog to solicit funds for abortion. It's entirely proper to comment on what Rex writes. Now, why Rex would pollute this blog to bang the drum for abortion is another question altogether.
What @Nancy 10:37 means is:
🟩 (fast-forward to #2 at 1:30)
whatsername,
Yep. Two different songs with different titles and arrangements recorded seven years apart. what's your point?
So, This is really about beheaded saints? Kind of icky, no?
Nancy: Bravo for your comments on writers/composers v performers of their songs, and thanks to all who echoed your thoughts. My Mother grew up in Iowa in the era of the Music Man, and it was her favorite show ever. Meredith Willson, btw, was a flautist, who played under both Toscanini and Sousa. Not many players ever did that, I bet!
I once heard Willson sing the lyrics to Sousa's march "El Capitan." An evening to remember!
Interesting theme but an extremely poor way to use it with clues and answers. Also, the first letters of a word is not a “head.” Plus, the first 3 letters of the theme answers do not “carry” the other 3 letters. Finally, the theme could logically also have been ECHOS or REPEATS or ANSWERS THAT REPEAT THREE LETTERS, etc. Got to add that none of these things refer in any way to saints.
A crossword is not a place I go to to learn new words. It’s not a dictionary or Wikipedia. What a waste.
To Masked and Anonymous — one hidden anagram message inside OKE-ANI-THI-WOR-CHI is: Hooker in Wichita.
Oh come off it, people. Popular songs are typically associated by the public with the artist(s) whose version(s) they've heard the most. If people don't know the writers' names, well, that's the way it goes. I worked in music publishing and spoke with quite a few songwriters over the years, and trust me, they would *not* be upset by that fact, as long as they get kept getting their royalty checks.
She whose head is severed", is a self-decapitated goddess recognized by both Hindus and Buddhists. She is often depicted with (among other things) her own severed head drinking one of the jets of blood that spurts from her neck.
Did Shortz lose his head? Did he know cephalo- something before looking it up? Out of a couple of entries in a week, he picks this?
At least a crossword this awful takes our attention away from Ukraine and Trump’s pal.
@Joe D
Just curious, whose royalty payment is higher, the writer or the performing artist(s) (i.e. who's valued more)?
MFCTM.
Anonymous (9:43)
Nancy (10:37)
@Anonymoud“Two different songs with different titles and arrangements recorded seven years apart.” Not really two different songs but I’m not sure which arrangements you are referring to either. The original 1950 recording followed by the retitled version in 1957? Yep, thats seven years. But then 6 years to the Beatles’ release … so? As for my point, I really didn’t have one except to clarify my original statement since judging from your earlier comment, it seemed to be unclear to you.
p.s.
@Bark (12:39pm) - har. Better than mine: HONOR II WITH CAKE.
M&Also
@11:52
Now, why Rex would pollute this blog to bang the drum for abortion is another question altogether.
Because The Orange Sh!tgibbon (not my coinage, but I cleave) and Moscow Mitch installed 3 lying shits in the Supreme Court to shred the Constitution? If 'the right to privacy' goes along with Roe, you'd best be right friendly with your neighborhood Stasi.
@Tim Carey - I must admit that I did not see any condescending comments today. What struck a nerve? Mondays are the easiest puzzles of the week by design. That means that discussions over what is Monday appropriate, what feels more challenging than we would expect in the easiest puzzle of the week, are going to happen. We might be wrong about our opinions, but having them is hardly “condescending.” Or is it something else you’re reacting to?
@JC66 1:00 - The streaming services and recording companies.
@Mighty Masked One - 🤣😂🤣 - I wish I’d used your opening line.
@Anonymoose - Well, Rex did start it and it’s been mostly civil as this topic goes. I wonder how much is not seeing the light of day.
@Cavitation - You are wasting your breath… well, no, you’re wasting your recycled electrons.
Z,
Actually cavitation is all wet. He doesn't know Aquinas from Aqua Velva. He just doesn't like me. His bizarre claim about Aquinas and embarrassment is, frankly, silly. Absolute drivel.
If you don't believe it, just put this in your favorite search engine
will gutting roe end the 'right to privacy'
You'll get back myriad reports, going back some years, alerting readers (mostly news reports and op-ed) to this very possibility. Including from otherwise Red States.
@Z
Good point, but that's not what we were talking about.
Many newer solvers have never heard of the concept of theme, and this puzzle serves them perfectly. Here rookies see the repeating letters in the grayed areas, and it may even help them solve. They may come away from the puzzle thinking that was pretty cool, and want to come back again. Forget the more subtle aspects of the theme; those grayed squares make for a perfect Monday trick.
Remember, veteran solvers, even a Monday puzzle can be so much more of a challenge to someone as smart as you, simply because they don’t have the advantage of experience. We see a clue like [Play opener] and throw in ACT I, while the newer solver may be totally in the dark.
Yet there are enough gimmee clues in a Monday puzzle, certainly today’s excellent one, to let a newer solver fill in enough to let the brain begin to go into crossword-think, where it sees a couple of letters in an answer and suddenly “sees” the entire answer with a blissful “Aha!” and “Whee!” They may, even as many of us are, become hooked.
@JC66 – That's just not possible to say. And it's not a case of one being "valued" more, because their royalties come via different mechanisms.
For example, recording artists don't receive what are called performance royalties from societies like Ascap and BMI, which writers do receive. Those cover radio and broadcast performances essentially, and are paid according to formulas determined by the society; they would be the same for all society members across the board.
Artists have individually negotiated contracts with record labels that often include advances which are recouped by the label before any royalties are realized, so what artists net ultimately can vary.
For a film or commercial use, both the writer's publisher and the artist's record label would charge a fee for the usage, but the fees are negotiated independently and don't have to match each other. Same thing if a song gets sampled in another song. And with technology there are always new types of royalty sources to figure out how to deal with...
@Joe D
Thanks.
Let me try this again:
@Nancy has a valid point about commenting first and then reading Rex.
I first started doing NYT puzzles when I arrived in NYC. I'd buy the Sunday Times, buy a pastrami sandwich from my favorite Deli, find a green beautiful tree in Central Park, and spend the day trying to figure out what went where. I oh, so, looked forward to those Sundays.
I happened upon Rex when I was flummoxed by a particular answer. I needed to find an answer. Rex provided it and I became instantly hooked.
During Rex's first several years writing up the blog, he was smart (still is), funny and I learned a boatload of ways to solve the puzzle. I got better because of him and the people who commented with their insight.
Over the years, things changed. Unfortunately, Rex became meaner and more curmudgeon- like. He has his reasons...Not enough women constructors, names that should't appear here and, the staleness or "oldy-moldy - been there, done that - not enough contemporary; and he's right.... We all know where this is going.
Because I've been doing these a long time, I've come to expect certain things . What I look for is amusement. I don't give a fig about the politics (unless you clue Che as a hero...Hah) I just want some fun added to my day.
T today that was it. I wasn't looking for a theme, I wasn't dissecting every single word (unless it's fun and I can weave a story)...I simply want enjoyment.
Of course, everyone's mileage may vary. This is just a take on my experience.
I don't read other blogs because I usually don't have time. today I will read "Diary of a Crossword Fiend" to perhaps read some enjoyment. Ive heard of "cephalohonic" in the wild but never would I have put this with todays theme. I don't care.
Sometimes we tend to overthink and loose the ability to just smell the roses and maybe the tulips.
Just my two cents...I've been doing these puzzles for a long time and I've given up looking for any underlying rhyme or reason.
Try it...It just might work.
Oh, by the way, the people who comment here keep me coming back and back. I've learned a lot about things I dont know. The people here can be funny, smart and really enjoyable to read.
Also.....A big thank you to the moderators.
Rant over......
Joe D,
An example primer. But you and I both know it's 1000 times more complicated than that.
@Anon 11:38 – Thanks for the heads up on Creem Circus but I won't be able to make the trip that day.
Sorry. Excellent primer!
Gill,
Well observed and well said. But I think you're being a little too generous of sprit regarding Rex. He's simply getting meaner. And there's never any cause for meanness. Fact is, the reasons you cite for his rancor-- not enough distaff bylines, people and orgs. he doesn't like etc-- were all problems in Rex's early days as a blogger. They haven't changed; he has. And for the worse.
Of course the commentariat is the reason to come to the comments page. Groups have a lot of wisdom. Rex might do well to avail himself of ours.
Not a long time lurker here at T. Rex, so I can't claim historical memory of the blog, the commentariat, and the comments. But I have spent some time with puzzles in various compilations, mostly from before Y2K, and T. Rex is quite right. Back then they were 'tougher', but also more engaging. Of particular note, back then it wasn't PPP so much as obscure vocab that made for difficulty; so yes, one did learn new words. Not, of course, ones that always joined one's day to day bloviating.
Clearly, T. Rex longs for the days of crunchier puzzles. Alas, it looks like those days are gone.
@Anony 3:48. Yes...I agree with you. I should preface that at first his generous spirit was addictive. He brought on many VERY interesting people. I looked forward EVERY DAY to reading Rex and the commentariat.
His meanness began showing up around the second year of his blogging (I think it was then)...He lost lots of wonderful people....Just to name a few (and there were many: @Foodie, @joho, @ACME who was beloved beyond beloved; she was so smart and funny, and many more: Maybe @Lewis, @JC and @chefween can name others?
It's a shame in many ways.
As I mentioned...I come here now for the comments. They get me excited and happy.
Cheers...
@Anon 3:26/3:43 – Thanks, and yes. I had written more and then deleted about 2/3 because it was in danger of going on forever.
@Gill, right off, I remember @AliasZ and @Ralph Bunker -- I'll keep thinking.
... and @George Barany.
... and @evan bornholm
@Tim Carey 2:19 – you reposted @Lewis's 7:21 post; I assume you mean that is the post you found to be condescending?
You may not be aware, but @Lewis teaches a class in crossword solving (and is also a constructor), and his posts often reflect his observations on what new solvers experience working on puzzles in his class. As his post today does. He hardly would feel condescending toward new solvers.
Ay @Lewis. Of course...@Ralph Bunker was one of the first who encouraged me to post (I was shy...can you believe that?? Also @Dave . @George - he helped me write a puzzle for our Marine son on his birthday....
And how on earth could I forget @Z.....?????
@Lewis...In my first post - that disappeared - I mention you as our "guiding light." You always put the positive spin on a puzzle and it always delights me. If it weren't for you...I'd become a mean old dog..... :-)
@GILL, @Anonymous 348pm, et.al.
Nobody asked me, but I want to add:
Rex has been doing this blog for 15+years (with occasional guest bloggers, of course) without cessation. I don't know about anyone else, but I can't even do something I love for that long without veering off into Crankyland or Vitriolville every now and then. He should be admired for his tenacity at the very least, let alone for providing a well-moderated and free forum for all of us to express our whatevers.
It's been stated before that reading Rex is not a requirement. He's not asking for loyalty to, agreement with, or even mild interest in his writeups. And some long-time commenters here have adapted by skipping his writeup entirely, going right to the comments. Not the worst idea for preserving one's sanity, that.
Frankly, the worst reaction his various criticisms and/or rants evoke from me is a hardy eyeroll, while some comments made here actually infuriate me. And that's not even counting the judgey-wudgey lurkers who only deign to comment about what's wrong with all of us, shining their holy light of condescension to reveal our shortcomings. Gee. Thanks.
Furthermore, if I have to read the "it's his blog, he can do what he wants" defense one more time, I'm going to scream. Not because I disagree (I so don't!), but because it shouldn't have to be necessary to say.
My advice to anyone who cares? Check your ego, insecurities, and other baggage at the door before walking through and try to just enjoy the ride. Or don't. Your call.
Sloth out.
@Lewis -- Oh, there are so many...
Bob Kerfuffle
Tita
mac
Numinous
Quasimojo
aging soprano
And those who are ALMOST never here anymore, but do pop up occasionally:
Mohair Sam
Aketi
Leapfinger
joho
OISK
I don't know how Evan Birnholz became Evan Bornholm in my post! I must have mistyped it... I'm sorry, Evan!
Thanks @everybody for the memories.
BTW @Nancy, I wonder who you'd come up with if your memory wasn't so bad. 😂
There was a poster named Mo-T who contributed to "The Green Paint Mystery", but she (I'm pretty sure it was a she) wasn't here for very long. That was in 2019.
Of more recent vintage, I've missed Amelia and T Trimble, and John X has been scarce lately. Also Joe Bleaux, but he pops in every now and then. He had problems accessing the site for awhile. And there was Evil Doug, who was mostly before my time. He also showed up fairly recently.
Let's not forget Casco Kid! He even got verbed, as in "I Cascoed today."
I also remember someone named Shelby Glidden or something like that, who always wrote single-line posts saying "I agree!" or "Exactly!" or "Too funny!" but they were never addressed to anyone so no one could figure out who s/he was talking to. One of the Anons used to yell at him/her to stop it. LOL
I miss Anonymous
Lewis, Nancy, and Gill, okanganer, Joe D.,
Yes! Good list. Thanks.
You neophytes. What about Wade, Uhlrich, and PuzzleGirl ? There was a guy early on who was really nice, NJ Joe or something, he was the first regular to die.
ACME left because Evil Doug picked on her mercilessly and Rex didn't intervene. Akita left because she thought that Rex called Evil Doug a racist. Rex didn't call him a racist, he said that Evil Doug wouldn't recognize racism if someone weren't hanging from a tree. That made Evil Doug leave, even though his threshold for racist/not racist was black and white maximum racism. He came back after a while, then left again for the Wall St Journal.
@Lewis, et. al. - Deb, also Sparky R.I.P.
I went back to the 12/29/08 comments and found these regulars who are no longer around:
Hungry Mother
imsdave
PuzzleGirl
treedweller
Ulrich
Bob Ferfuffle
Doc John
Feregus
Doug
While scanning, I remembered @Sanfranman, too.
This is making my day. OH THE MEMORIES of some wonderful people. And yes...@leapfinger would make me laugh...everyone did.
There will be more here...This is a good crowd and in a few years we'll be thinking of you, too.
hope John X isn't a memory
Another commentor whose absence I’ve noticed of late is @Giovanni. Also @Crimson Devil hasn’t been around but I’ve been in email contact with him. All is well but he’s had issues with Blogger.
@Frantic (5:41) Eloquently stated, as always.
I've been coming by this blog and comment board for 10+ years. When I decided to try xword constructing I searched the web for anything crossword related. I found a bunch of sites and Rex's blog was one of them. I always read his writeup and agree he has changed---haven't we all!---but not as much as some of yous are saying.
He still talks about puzzle construction and what the differences are between good puzzles and not so good ones. And I appreciate his thoughtful critique of each day's offering. As for the rest, hey, it's his blog.
@GILL I. one of the reasons why you don't find Rex as helpful to you nowadays might be because you have become a seasoned, knowledgeable solver and don't need help any more. The training wheels are off!
I also was wondering if there was more to the theme and was hoping for some kind of reveal to tie it all together. I see some have suggested that 54D ECHOS and 59D HEADS are reveal-ish. Their clues, though, don't appear to have anything reveal-ish about them, to wit "Amazon speakers introduced in 2014" & "Two are better than one, they say". No help for me there.
@JC66 (6:49)-- Alas, my memory IS that bad -- I cannot tell a lie. I "jogged" my memory by going back to a couple of 2014 and 2016 Rexblogs (I first came to Rexworld in 2013 or 2014) and looking at the comments section. Once properly jogged, my memory worked quite well -- but my list would have been shorter if I hadn't, well, cheated.
@Nancy
Gee, I never would have thought of that. 😂
In case you missed it, check out my 7:48 PM post.
@Whatsername – there's been a poster lately named Gio that I thought might be Giovanni with a new shortened userid. I guess I should just ask him the next time he posts.
@Joe: Right you are. I didn’t make the connection but certainly a possibility.
I'd like to add LudyJynn to the sorely missed commentators (and I may have a letter or two off in there). Like @Lewis, a persistently positive voice.
Also Tita A, not to be confused with Tita.
SanFranMan still comments every day at Ralph Bunker's puzzlecrowd site and his posts are very illuminating. And very occasionally he still stops by to comment here.
Subwaydle isn't there right now. Maybe it's stalled "due to a sick passenger at Broadway-Lafayette" and expects "to be moving shortly."
@Pete - Rex booted both ACME and Evil Doug off for being mean to each other. They served their time and then came back then ACME left for good. Evil Doug lasted a bit longer. I liked Evil Doug, but ACME set him off.
Has anyone mentioned @chefbea? I’m pretty sure we went through a brief people complaining about recipes being shared.
I’ve journeyed back a few times lately because @Prune is going through old puzzles and commenting and I’m getting email notifications. I must say I see no difference in Rex. Here’s his opening from 10 years ago today, There is nothing to say about this puzzle. The theme "answer" says it all. I think this is a stupid gimmick that drains the puzzle of all joy. “Inscrutable” is downright complimentary in comparison.
@kitchef, I too miss LudyJynn. She became a favorite of mine and personal friend. She was so funny and irreverent. Her death was terribly sad.
Did anyone mention @Numinous? He was a lovely and kind gentleman.
Yes. I know. We don't need him to speak for us.
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Many accuse Rex of just being a negatron, but he is absolutely right about this one. I was equally stunned at how such a weak theme idea made it to print. Andrea Carla Michaels is much better than this which makes it even more baffling. Only a reveal like TWOOFAKIND, DOUBLEVISION or something like that could have saved it. Alas, there was none.
TOO TERSE
ARLENE WAS MOPING, "KISSME",
with UNEASE TOM said,"This ENDS,
your WORD'SWORTH nothing TOO me,
but for THIRTYSOMETHING MEN.
ELENA ANN RANKIN
PS - Since the repetition of letter strings depicts a cephalophore somehow, it would have made sense to use the word as the reveal. But it’s a bit tough to fit in a 12-letter word without a total overhaul of the grid.
TOO TERSE
ARLENE WAS MOPING, "KISSME",
with UNEASE TOM said,"This ENDS,
your WORD'SWORTH nothing TOO me,
but for THIRTYSOMETHING MEN.
ELENA ANN RANKIN
It took me FOREVER to track down the blog today--another case for WAKING UP THE (%@#&!! SYNDILINKER!!!!! One of the worst experiences I ever had. Oh, that comment also works for the puzzle! **other** = a crooked number. After this hole, the player really should withdraw.
I usually go back later in the day to see if anybody who posted after me had any reaction. Not so today: it's TOO DAMN MUCH TROUBLE! See you tomorrow.
I came here for the first time in a while to see what the theme is. I guess now I know, but I agree with Rex and many posters that the theme and the puzzle generally are subpar at best.
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