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Hello! It’s Clare for the final Tuesday in February (already, somehow). I kept busy the last couple of weeks by watching the Olympics, even if they were slightly disappointing (definitely not you, Nathan and Chloe and Jessie and Erin!). I’ll fight anyone who has anything negative to say about Mikaela Shiffrin, who’s absolutely perfect and is definitely the GOAT even if she didn’t get any medals this time around. With the Olympics now over and football done with, I guess I’ll go full tilt on Liverpool and my Golden State Warriors!
Anywho, on to the puzzle!
Relative difficulty: Challenging
- 13A: Near the North or South Pole, say (AT WORLD’S END) / 6D: Sign on a vintage appliance at a flea market, maybe (IT WORKS)
- 21A: Well-trodden, as a path (FOOTWORN) / 3D: "American Gothic" artist (GRANT WOOD)
- 22A: Communicated through channels (SENT WORD) / 14D: Lead-in to "Be happy" (DON’T WORRY)
- 52A: "I'm speechless!" (JUST WOW) / 43D: Foster professional connections (NETWORK)
- 54A: Bad, but better than the alternatives (LEAST WORST) / 41D: Home of the Texas Motor Speedway, with seating for more than 150,000 spectators (FORT WORTH)
Word of the Day: SEALE (32D: Bobby of the Black Panthers) —
Robert George Seale (born October 22, 1936) was an American political activist and author. In 1966, he co-founded the Black Panther Party with fellow activist Huey P. Newton. Founded as the "Black Panther Party for Self-Defense", the Party's main practice was monitoring police activities and challenging police brutality in Black communities, first in Oakland, California, and later in cities throughout the United States. (Wiki)
• • •
Well, this puzzle was just two clever! On 2/22/22 and the second day of the week, the circles are filled with twos and can be connected to form a 2. Hats off to the constructor for the ingenuity! It’s highly unusual to see a rebus on a Tuesday (last one was six years ago), but it definitely worked given that, well, it had to, because this particular puzzle couldn’t have run on a Thursday or, for that matter, on 2/24/22. I found this puzzle to be fairly challenging because of the rebus thrown in there (when I was very much not expecting it) and to a lesser extent because the fill was harder than normal for a Tuesday. I got off to a bit of a rough start because the first theme answer I tried was 13A: AT WORLD’S END, but I put in “world’s end” instead, which fit the space. I got confused again at the rebus square for 3D, because I wasn’t positive who the artist of “American Gothic” was — I had an idea, but not seeing the rebus just yet made me question myself. So, it took me a bit to figure out what was going on in the puzzle and then really get going, mainly with DON’T WORRY (14D).
The place I struggled the most was in the middle of the puzzle — I didn’t know SHIRR (32A: Bake, as eggs) at all, despite considering myself pretty experienced in the kitchen; I’ve read about SEALE (32D), but I couldn’t for the life of me remember his name in the moment; I couldn’t make out whether it was ELIDE (23D: Skip over) or maybe “elude”; and INANE (40A: Like much Three Stooges humor) just wouldn’t come to me. I also messed myself up a bit (this seems to have happened a lot to me in today’s puzzle) with 53D: Well informed about because I tried to make it “in on” instead of UP ON. If someone made that mistake and then didn’t know JODI (52D) Picoult (thankfully, I do), I could see that section being challenging. FSIX (41A: Shortcut to highlighting the address bar on most internet browsers) was hard because I’ve never once in my life used that supposed shortcut (it’s also a rather ugly answer), but I managed to puzzle it out because I knew ONYX (26D: Shade of black) coming down.
That’s all to say that I struggled here and there with the puzzle, so it took me a couple minutes over my average time for a Tuesday. But, I’ve gotta say, it was worth the slight slog for this theme on the perfect day — and for getting to see the “2” in the puzzle appear once I finished. It does kind of suck for people who solve the puzzle in the paper because they won’t get to see the nice graphic, but maybe they can find a pretty marker and draw the number themselves!
Misc.:
Misc.:
- I thought the clues/answers for 38A: Pen that’s full of oink? as STY and 64A: Third degrees, for short as PHDS to be quite clever.
- Ugh, I’m pretty tired of seeing 50D: These: Sp. in a puzzle. It could be estos or estas — there’s no way to know which of those it’ll be just from the clue.
- For some reason, my instinct when I saw the clue for 5D: TV’s “The Good __” was to not look at the number of spaces and try to make “Place” fit instead of WIFE, even though “The Good Wife” is one of my favorite TV shows! I haven’t rewatched it in a bit, though, since going to law school, so I’m wondering how accurate all the legal aspects really are (I’m suspecting not at all).
- I distinctly remember finishing JODI Picoult’s novel, “My Sister’s Keeper,” because I decided to try to finish it in school. So, there I sat in my 7th grade science class with Mrs. Davis, sitting in the back of the room and reading the book under the table and silently crying because the end of the book is SO sad.
“Eau Claire”! The Milwaukee Bucks are a much better team, even if Don Nelson was once your coach too...
ReplyDeleteFunnest Tuesday in a while. I feel like the app should have accepted '2' in addition to the "two" rebus ... it took me 30 seconds even to figure out to try that, and then another 30 seconds to do it.
ReplyDeleteI zigged when I should’ve zagged and my connect the TWOs ended up looking like a half finished house. Other than that nonsense I found this a tad bit more difficult than your average Tuesday, but I did enjoy it. Unless Liz Gorski is giving me a martini glass to draw, I’ll pass on the drawing part.
ReplyDelete1-across made my heart sink. “Not MAGS,” I thought. “Please not MAGS.” Sadly, the answer is … something no one ever calls magazines, ever. Except in a waiting room. Always MAGS in a waiting room, in limbo or hell. Then there’s SENORA, ESTAS, UNES, ERST, INT, ORE (always gotta have ORE), ARESO, OAT (hey, OAT is back!) ... Immediately filling the circles with “TWO”: good times. Seeing the program draw that odd-looking 2 over and over: priceless.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Clare about 38A and 64A being clever. Those are the highlights of the puzzle. Clare, thanks for your late night review.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI thought the rebus made the puzzle easier, not harder. Picked up on it right away with Grant Wood, and then quickly confirmed that all of the circles were TWOs. And yet... a lot of the cluing and answers still made it seem more difficult than a normal Tuesday.
Not only that, but the date is 2/22/22
ReplyDeleteVery two-sy
Tough. 2 tough days in a row. Clever and fun, liked it.
ReplyDelete...and speaking of Bobby Seale “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix is excellent. I highly recommend it!
"Just wow" brought a smile. I wasn't thinking it, it sort of appeared and seemed quite sparkly.
ReplyDeleteI caught on to the rebus with GFrant Wood and footwork and it did help a bit with the solve. Actually "least worst" was sort of amusing because silly. and I agree about the clues for Sty and pads (the latter took me a while.
Fun puzzle . I hadn't realized the date today is 2/22/22. I love dates like that. Of course that makes the puzzle even more clever.
Not just two for Tuesday, but also 2/22/22. Very two-sy
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAs @Tommy Tutone said. Mr. Wood "Granted" me the rebus, I confirmed it with I[TWO]RKS and I filled in the rest of the rebi. After that, I tried not looking at the clues for the words with circles, and that led to my only overwrite: TwoSDAY (which some folks are calling 2/22/22) for TUESDAY at 36A. Easily fixed because I'm old enough to remember Bobby SEALE. Luckily I also knew GRENDEL, because the French at 37D was beyond my meager linguistic ability.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThank you Clare for pointing out how appropriate today vis-a-vis this puzzle. I was completely unaware today was 2/22/22, although I do know it is 2sday. Of course, in the rest of the world, people won’t get the importance, since they abbreviate dates backwards.
ReplyDeleteI can’t wait to see if the world goes nuts on 2/2/2222!
I liked this puzzle. The themed answers were all legit. And it’s worth the cost of the app to get the cute animations that point out the hidden artwork that I am otherwise always blind to.
On another note, I am struggling to find the pangram in today’s sb!
Follow-up: Got the pangram; wasn’t even sure it was a word. Thank you for your interest.
ReplyDeleteThere are two.
DeleteMaybe it's an extension of Twosday
Deleteππ
Enjoyed both the puzzle and Clare's comments! Great way to start the week.
ReplyDeleteSecond entry in my grid was DON(TWO)RRY, so the theme fell almost immediately, although at that point there could have been (ONE), (THREE), etc. too. Once I got to GRAN(TWO)OD I was sure.
ReplyDeleteDid you know Joe Torre was once considered a flop as a manager? Managed the Mets for five seasons, and never won more than 67 games. From 1968 to 1992, their six worst seasons:
1980 .414 Torre
1978 .407 Torre
1982 .401 George Bamberger
1981 .398 Torre
1977 .395 Torre and Joe Frazier (not THAT Joe Frazier)
1979 .389 Torre
Nice write up, Clare, but you forgot Elana, and Shaun, among other American heros. Inspiration was sometimes hard to come by it seemed, but many to cheer, Eileen Gu among them, if not many to worry about as well.
ReplyDeleteI plugged in TWO at FOOTWORN/ GRANTWOOD but it took me a little bit to latch on to all of them being twos, this 2/22/22 twosday. The ELIDE/SHIRR cross was tough, but at least SHIRR, and yesterday's discussion, got me wondering if I can roast an egg.
I was sadly sure that aRENDEL was Beowulf's first combatant, and clearly didnt see anything wrong with QINA, but got those chimes, and that great '2' being drawn on my grid. Fun Tuesday.
Well, this is certainly the best day in forever – a 2sday, no less – for a puzzle with this theme, and props to Jacob for coming up with it. While we were all sitting around doing other things, he was thinking twice.
ReplyDeleteI was happy with the novelty of a Tuesday rebus puzzle, and this was the appropriate day for this type of rebus because it is very simple – every rebus square is circled, every rebus answer is the same. A Thursday or Sunday rebus is usually more complicated, and you have to figure out where those rebus squares are.
Did I like this? SHIRR! There was EDGE right on the edge, and that contradictory cross of IT’S NOT OKAY and IT WORKS. Then all those TWOs triggered in me the word “couple”, which engendered “odd” (remember Felix and Oscar?), which brought me right back to the grid’s WEIRDNESS answer, a lovely circle all around.
Nice to see you again, Jacob, since your last visit in 2014. Many thanks and double kudos for a fun solve, and don’t be a stranger!
Given today’s palindromic - and ambigrammic date I have no issue with the WEIRDNESS of this Twosday rebus. Agree that the rebus assisted the solve. The build complexity here is huge. I’m assuming ugly stuff like F SIX and IBN were collateral damage if the constraints.
ReplyDeleteAT WORLDS END is solid - LEAST WORST unfortunate. SHIRR is crosswardese - liked seeing GRENDEL and OPERA GOER. 49d is the ultimate result of many formal systems. Self interest is more apt I think.
Enjoyable TUESDAY solve.
I am feeling oh so very chuffed this morning. First thing I di every day as I am avoiding getting up is I look at my calendar to see what appointments I have. I noticed that today is 2/22/22 and then moved on to check the NYT and WAPO headlines. Next, I peek at the crossword to see if it looks solvable before coffee. Today, I dug right in.
ReplyDeleteEverything fell immediately in the NW corner until I hit the circle square, whereupon I checked the downs. My brain was unusually engaged this morning because with GRAN ___, I remembered GRANT WOOD, and because of the circle, I decided to check to see if just perhaps we had ourselves a rebus day on TWOsday. Sure enough.
Like @Rex, I stumbled momentarily on the rebus idea by thinking world’s end was the answer at 13A, but the circle and the down checked out for another TWO. From there, smooth sailing on the theme.
The body of the puzzle, however was certainly crunchier than the average Tuesday. A couple. Ames gave me some trouble but the crosses were fair today. Overall a very enjoyable solve and a creative construction. Thank you jacob McDermott! Early coffee appointment this morning.
Happy TWOsday!
Having the TWOs form a TWO may have been a touch too much, because the strain on the fill is obvious. Or maybe it’s the near pangram putting strain in the fill because there are two little non-theme related areas that look a whole lot like scrabblef*cking. I might accept QING as an interesting answer, but the ZITI/F SIX section should have been redone just like wherever the V had been was redone.* Actually, looking over the grid, most of the strain on the fill is not caused by the theme answers. This is a multi-layered theme, be happy with that. Don’t muddy an otherwise great solve with crap fill like F SIX if you don’t have to.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I really liked this. I wonder who first noticed that 2/22/22 was a TUESDAY. That’s a really really nice touch. And, of course, I had a Rye Moment™️ pondering if American Gothic was anywhere near as famous as Helga. I also liked OPERA GOER over DOCKYARDS. It gave me images of Brando as Siegmund singing to BrΓΌnnhilde that he coulda been a contender. Good stuff. The circles were a bit too much for my taste. Sure, it’s Tuesday, but do early week solvers really need their hands held that much? But I get it, you modify the difficulty to make this more Tuesday appropriate.
FYI - I did email our absent Sloth and she promises/threatens that her return here is imminent.
*I don’t know that an earlier draft had a V that then was edited out, but what do you think are the odds this just happened to be just a V short of a pangram.
Wow, based on the comments so far, I'm thinking I'm the only person in the room who did not know the common Tuesday level answer to "Son of, in Arabic names." IBN? IBN! And crossing the QING dynasty. Which is connected to the GRENDEL/UNES cross, which is connected to the SHIRR/SEALE cross. That series of combinations led to a rare Tuesday dnf.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the whole 2/22/22 on a "TWOS-DAY" made it worth it, but those clues/answers I just cited were for the most part not necessary for any of the theme answers, so I would have liked our constructor to have spent some time on alternatives in that middle swath of the grid.
I'll clue my Hidden Diagonal Word (HDW) for today in a way that might leave some folks as baffled as I was by IBN & UNES:
MLBer Curt who sued for free agency (5 letters, answer below):
HDW answer:
FLOOD (begins in the 7D square and moves diagonally to the SE)
This is the closest day in our lifetimes to getting a near perfect date (2/2/2022) since I suspect none of us will be alive in 2/2/2222
ReplyDelete(3/3/33 will be 3/3/2033). Fun to have this puzzle to celebrate - really fun and for me the circles made it easy with clues to keep it interesting.
Happy 2sday!
--CS
Well, the significance of today's date escaped me entirely (I find that being retired leads to ignoring the calendar), and like others I caught on at the GRANTWOOOD / FOOTWORN cross. Then I wondered if all the other circles would be TWO, and they were. Knew most of the trivia and the foreign words, except QING, and the rest was speedy enough that I was about to dismiss this as a one=trick pony until I came here and saw how tricky and clever the entire construction was. Further evidence that speed kills.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, found most of the fill to be OK. FSIX is news to me, liked ITSNOTOK and JUSTWOW, but what the hell is a TIDEWAY?
Nice job, JMD. Just My Density that overlooked you achievement. Well done you, and thanks for the fun.
I caught on that it was tougher than usual and there was something rebus-like going on as well. Struggled my way through it - actually filled in the crossword stuff correctly, so a moral victory. No clue on the QING/IBN or the GRENDEL he/she/it crossing something in French so technically a trivial-dnf. Tough grid, but ambitious effort by the constructor which I think held up pretty well.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to NORA after what I believe is a brief hiatus - it’s about time for a return visit from the lovely Ms. Garr as well.
Here's a more Tuesday friendly alternative to the west central part of the grid:
ReplyDeleteS L I D
I O N
N U T
G R E N D E L
What is lour?
DeleteAn angry facial expression. Not sure how I knew that, but confirmed it online. Thanks for your delightful part of the Rex world.
Delete@Tom T - It has been a minute (just over four years) since IBN has been in a NYTX, but it has made 101 appearances, including 4 in 2017. Looking at the list, today’s appearance ends the longest IBN-free stretch in the NYTX’s history. If past patterns repeat IBN will reappear in a puzzle near you soon. But I agree that that section would benefit from being reworked. Still, don’t forget IBN is Arabic for “son of,” or that it can be used as a partial in an Arabic name like King Fahd ___ Abdul Aziz or that there are similar versions in other languages (ben or mac).
ReplyDeleteThanks, @Z. I'll be on the lookout. I've only been doing the nyt puzzles since retirement in 2019, which explains my ignorance!
DeleteAnd at this point as I write this there are 22 comments!
ReplyDeleteSomeone must have said this but the fact that there are five TWOs is perfect for 2/22/22 (or for some of you, 22/2/22). I actually have a meeting at 2pm today and can’t wait to see what happens at 2:22!
Three Stooges humor is inane??????
ReplyDeleteWho me? I resemble that remark!
Oh, I use Across Lite and didn’t realize the five TWOs sorta kinda can be drawn as a 2. Okay, that’s cool. But I still prefer Across Lite, thank you.
ReplyDeleteHow clever! On the NYT app the "two" so many of you saw anyway was drawn by lines on the screen for those of us that didn't. A fun reward!
ReplyDeleteWhat a superb 2sday puzzle. To the constructor I say, "Thanks, and 2shay!"
ReplyDeleteI think there is some coordinating with the Letter Box puzzle. There`s a Two(s)day configuration there two (I mean too). Or just coincidence.
ReplyDeleteOh, joy, Oh happiness -- a TUESDAY rebus!!!! And such a cute little one, 2. And the revealer pun is adorable. And the embedding is so clever: GRANT WOOD; FOOTWORN; AT WORLD'S END; DON'T WORRY; FORT WORTH; LEAST WORST (my fave, it's so funny). Jacob came up with 10 of these (!) and he crossed them 5 times (!). JUST WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteThis treat today -- along with a very crunchy and entertaining Monday yesterday -- makes me think I must have been a very good little girl all last week to be gifted with 2 terrific back-to-back early week puzzles. I'm in puzzle-heaven. Best Tuesday in years.
Thx Jacob; crunchy, challenging 2sday puz! :)
ReplyDeleteGood to see you @Clare; thx for your write-up and for pointing out the significance of today's date, with all 2s. :)
Med.+
Wednes. difficulty, but the 2s weren't having it.
Loved the animation at the end. Also, didn't think of just entering 2s, rather than the rebus, TWO.
Use my 'F' keys as macros for oft visited websites, so the FSIX, LORENZO, ZITI, FORT WORTH, LEAST WORST, CRETE area was a bit tricky.
Unknowns: GRANT WOOD, LORENZO, QING, GRENDEL , JODI, TIDEWAY, UNES. Lucky guesses for GRENDEL.
A worthwhile test; enjoyed the battle. :)
@jae
Fun (and for a nice change-up), fairly easy Croce. :) Had a one cell gaff in the NE on the product name. Thot about going with the correct version, but went with the other way. Sorta tossed a coin on that one and lost. :(
@Wright-Young (2:54 PM yd) π
___
yd pg: 29:35 / W: 3*
Peace ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all π
Cool. Would never have noticed the date. Hell, if it wasn't for crosswords I wouldn't know the day of the week down here.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from Clare and get a pass from the incredible run of nit-picking from OFL. I got one, though. No one over the age of 5 should ever say "funnest".
@jae, agreed. The Trial of the Chicago Seven is an excellent movie. Great writng by AAron Sorkin.
Gee...you expect a TUESDAY to be easy peasy sit on your kneesies...Instead you get a wonderful "Well kiss a few of my grits."
ReplyDeleteI seriously had to shake the cobwebs today. I smelled a rat at GRANTWOOD but was flummoxed for a while. UNTIL...".DON'T WORRY" appeared. It had to be yoooouuuu! My husband and I use to dance to Bobby McFerrin and sing his song at the top of our lungs. Now we just do the croak rendition.
LOVED this puzzle. Loved everything about it. Did anyone else have trouble re-thinking that this is supposed to be a piece of cake? You give me a rebus? You make me work? Slap the sweat from my brow. I'll take this kind of puzzle every second day of the calendar week.
Didn't see the 2/22/22 connection until sweet Clare pointed it out. I retired at the age of 50 and since then, I don't know any dates unless it' my doctor appointment. Now they even call you to remind you...Hah!
What did you like best? you ask. I really liked all of the cluing and answers. I still had to shake the Tuesday no rebus notion out of my head. Once I got my groove in gear, the GAS CAP flew open and in went the $4.89 gallon of gas. I yelled WOW and OW and holy enchiladas with a side of black beans...that's one expensive black tea. But, I don't mind. I just cry a little in my car because no one can see me.
TWO is my favorite number and this is my favorite Tuesday. Thanks, Jacob
@Z....So good to hear my buddy, @Frantic will be here soon. I (we) certainly miss her when she doesn't post....
And JD? are you AWOL as well?
Adios amigos, companeros de mi vida......ooooooooo don't worry....be happy.
What a fun puzzle! 2 days in a row! I thought some of the clues were a little tough for a Tuesday but the overall experience was so much fun I don't care. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteDelightful. As is your write-up, Clare. Thanks for that. Hoping today does not live in infamy. π€ππΊπ¦
ReplyDelete2 for 2/22/22 2sday, very nice.
ReplyDelete30 secs over average time due to weekDAY before TUESDAY. Did not understand FSIX until here! Got the rebus at DON[TWO]RRY, went back immediately to add GRAN[TWO]OD.
The NYT app draws the lines after the puzz is complete.
Frustrating solve today. I waffled between putting "2" or "TWO" in the rebus squares...settled on writing it out because it was easier to comprehend the answers. Then after completing it I was told it was wrong and I thought "Aw, geez, do they really want 2's in there?" Go back, change them all. Nope, still wrong. Then I perform a quick Wikicheat and discover that "Bobby Weale" was a cricket player who was not involved with the Black Panthers in any way, so change that and cringe at how terrible SHIRR is. Now it's correct, right? Nope...they wanted "TWO" written out all along, so now I have to go back and change all those too. Grrr...
ReplyDeleteEven putting aside all that, the grid was just full of awkwardness. SHIRR as mentioned feels obscure as hell. SENT WORD conjures up old-timey images of tapping out Morse code on a telegraph and is not a phrase anyone born after 1930 has ever uttered. And FSIX is the first time I've ever seen the number in a keyboard shortcut written out like that. "F6" is an actual key on a computer. "FSIX" is a typo that needs to be Fsixed...er, fixed.
The app said there was an error in my puzzle. I looked at every square and compared to your ‘answer page’. Finally gave up and had the app check the puzzle. It said that one of my rebus ‘two’ was incorrect. Grr. So, I retyped in two and got my animation.
ReplyDelete@TJS - I’m not even on your lawn.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I’m a little surprised that anyone here struggled much with GRAN(T WO)OD. American Gothic is probably the only work of his that is famous famous, but boy howdy is it famous. There may be more famous/infamous 20th century American painters (Warhol comes immediately to mind), but I cannot think of a single work that has more cultural cachet than that Iowa farmer and his daughter. I know I should never be surprised when anyone doesn’t know any particular pop culture reference, but I’m still surprised.
Bobby Seale?!!!! Really?!! Bobby Seale?!!!
ReplyDeleteMy god, he is far more offensive than NRA or Trump or just about anyone who isn't a stright up murderer. does not pass teh breakfast test. Or civil society test for that matter.
---Alex Rackley
Wish Uncle Rex did the blog today, just so we could see if his PC mania is bilateral. (No offense Clare, you're great!)
DeleteLol @Z. My surprise is at how many of us are ignoring more than our calendars, retired or not. The 2/22/22 sensation, even the 22/2/22 sensation, has been covered widely - including cnn, WAPO, and nyt. I'm expecting the earth to stop spinning at 22:22 this evening.
ReplyDeleteHopper's Nighthawks has more cultural cachet Than American Gothic.
ReplyDeleteWarhol's Tomato Soup Can and (even greater) his Marilyn Diptych.
Christina's World tops A.G. of course and then it's a toss up between Gothic and Singer Sargent's Madame X.
Z messed up his apprisal of Singer Sargent not too long ago you might recall.
Hey All !
ReplyDeleteHad to mouse over to the date thing in the right-bottom corner of the screen to make sure it was Tuesday, and that somehow I mysteriously hadn't missed two days and been transported to Thursday once I realized it was a rebus. Then the ole brain decided to not connect TWO at first, seeing T-W-O as just three random letters. Life is interesting when your mind plays tricks on you. I believe I figured it out at JUS(TWO)W, and then going back to woRLDSEND (which I had like probably 98% of y'all first), and asking, "could it be a rebus on a Tuesday?" Hadn't factored in today's date. Got the Revealer, said, "Ah, TWOs Rebussed on a TUESDAY TuesPuz", but still oblivious of the date. Again, brain tricks. Upon completion, saw the second layer of the theme when the Giant 2 was drawn by the app. Tres cool. Or, JUST WOW. Har.
I agree with the V being redone/taken out, as obviously with that Z and Q and X seemingly shoved in there. (Well, the Q at least.)
@Tom T
I knew IBN, it's more popular in puzs than you might think. Remember it, it'll be back. Also, your redo of the WestCenter, what is LOUR? That part of the puz convinces me that the V got the boot.
So a cool Meta 2's puz. Notice the animated 2 cuts dead center of TUESDAY. Meta meta on a Meta? The mind boggles (and keeps tricking me.)
yd -0!!
Three F's
RooMonster
DarrinV
Thanks, RooMonster. I'll try to put IBN in the rolodex. LOUR is an angry expression, but maybe not in much usage today. Shakespeare's era may have referred to a luring (angry) sky.
DeleteI promised myself that I wouldn't inflict my Wordle results on y'all any more unless I had an eagle.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is it!
Wordle 248 2/6
π©π¨⬜⬜π©
π©π©π©π©π©
Another fact 2 be noted: At 22 minutes past 10 p.m. tonight, in military lingo it will be 2222 on 2/22/22.
ReplyDeleteI liked this puzzle as much as I disliked yesterdays. Perhaps I liked this puzzle a little bit "two" much. I really do enjoy when a rebus sneaks into a puzzle on a day you don't expect it. I would guess the circle are more to help one with the grid art than to simplify the puzzle to a Tuesday level difficulty, but maybe I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteDid my comment yesterday wind up in purgatory because of the anger with which I composed it, or was it a software glitch? Wish I knew, but I guess I never will. I don't think moderators always inform you why your comment is censored. If so, too bad. I might have been too harsh yesteday at my anger with the high percentage of PPP. So be it.
Just a cute and clever concept. Like many others, I caught on at "Gran2od" which was the first clue filled in. From then on the puzzle just flew by and, to me, today's puzzle was as easy as yesterday's. The last time we had a "perfect" calendar date was the day before my birthday. All-in-all a nice way to start this rainy day.
ReplyDeleteI adored this Twosday romp and the moving number 2 on the grid when I finished just iced this delicious morsel of cake!
ReplyDeleteAdd to the fun that I got a TWO in WORDLE this morning and I might be buying a lottery ticket of all TWOS.
Before starting to solve I noticed that the 5 circles looked like a little house with a peaked roof, but that the two on the right were not in the same column, which I attributed to the difficulty of constructing the grid. But I never thought to go back and connect the circles after I finished, nor did it occur to me that it was not only 2sday but 2/22/22.
ReplyDelete@JMS I was about to ask why you were going on about Eau Claire until I realized you were making another French pun, like those we saw a few days ago. Nice.
I'm old enough to have heard of SHIRRed eggs. Is there a similar term for roasted eggs?
The puzzle was great, but a couple of the clues bothered me a bit. If it's a myth that Zeus was born in CRETE (59A), then where was he actually born? And why is GLEAN (16A) clued as the metaphor, when it literally means "gather, as grain."
And the puzzle was clearly intended for today, but how long ago was it submitted? All the waiting rooms I frequent had the MAGS removed back in March 2020, when we still thought Covid was mainly spread by contact with surfaces. They haven't come back. (Aside to @G. Weissman: the Early Music Association (EMA) publishes a magazine titled EMAG.)
And finally, a correction to the Wiki word of the day explanation. While monitoring and confronting the police was certainly the most dramatic thing the Black Panther Party did, but the thing they did the most, and that involved the most people, was providing free breakfasts for schoolchildren.
z,
ReplyDeleteSave your breath regarding Madame X. True, it was displayed in the late 19th Century of course, but Sargent didn't finish it until many years later, revising it many time in the ensuing years. Read up about the shoulder strap in particular. The point is, the painting we all know is 20th Century not the one isplayed in 1880's. He sold the finished work to the Met in the twentieth century's first decade.
Thanks 2 2 fellow lexicographers for a 1st rate 2’s day experience. Both Jacob and Clare get 2 thumbs way up for their efforts as commentariat above ELIDE wordle to sing their praise. For that alone 1 can be happy.
ReplyDeleteheard of sheared eggs, but only sure of (of course) SH__R. in due time.
ReplyDeleteone might wonder whether Shortz commissioned this puzzle, being as how it is specific. I'll now go read the comments to find out.
jberg,
ReplyDeleteDon't forget torturing and murdering Alex Rackley (among others).
@ G. Weismann:
ReplyDeleteCould be worse: just one letter away (QWERTY keyboard) from MAGA. Both my optometrist and dentist are such. Too bad they're conveniently located.
So far through the comments: no one noted that the number of 2s is 5, which is the number of 2s in today's date.
And, to make matters worse, it turns out 2/14 isn't IDES nor ΟDAY. Boo hoo!
When I discovered that the rebus had TWO in every circle I thought @Rex might excoriate the puzzle even with The TUESDAY revealer. Then I read Clare’s write up and realize (like many of us) the 2/22/22 connection! This was a very fun puzzle with very little junk fill. @Z, hard to believe it’s been four years since In made an appearance…seems like just yesterday which indicates I’m old (check) OR I’ve been working the puzzle for awhile now (check-check).
ReplyDelete@TJS, I sure hope as you were writing out AAron Sorkin the voice in your brain pronounced the double A as a short a, and NOT like the a in air or the aa in aardvark because, well, you know…you’d be wrong! π
Glad to hear that @Frantic will be back soon. I miss her wry (or RYE?) comments AND her brain and party hat ratings!
So I thought, “Cool, an easy rebus for newer solvers!” And went merrily on my way. Then the animation gave me a laugh. Then I read Clare's write-up and realized the significance of the date! And the clue I had missed by solving for ZITI and ONYX. Pen full of oink! Fun little puzzle, and perfectly timed. And it sent me back in the Wayback Machine to Mrs. Larsen's class when she said “Today's date can be written as 6-6-66. You will all remember this day when the numbers match up again in 7-7-77, and in 8-8-88 and so on.” So, hugs to Mrs. Larsen, surely you are in heaven smiling on this puzzle in 2-2-22! I always remember.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing these puzzles exactly 2 years now. This is the first I've seen IBN so that goes on my list. Makes sense what @Z said about it has been 4 years since it has been in the NYT, which is why I didn't know it.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen MAGS in waiting rooms since Covid began. One of the safety measures is to remove all MAGS from waiting rooms.
Congrats @Nancy on Wordle. I did it in 3, which I thought was good but you put me to shame!
An instant classic. This constructor went for broke building a puzzle that could be its MOST BEST on only one date this entire century. And what extraordinary forces of fate and coincidence backed up his choice by making this 2-2-22 fall on a 2sday. McDermott came, he saw, and he conquered.
ReplyDeleteThe theme was so great that I’m more than willing to forgive FSIX and QING and other grid WEIRDNESS here and there. (I’m still trying to figure out how something can be WORST if it’s LEAST WORST.)
Whatever the prize is for Tuesday BEST in Show, this puzzle has earned it.
Cute! became Very cute! after the app drew me the 2 on the gird and Clare pointed out 2/22/22. Like others, I saw the rebus at GRAN[TWO]OD, then tested out and confirmed the repeat in I[TWO]RKS. So, smooth sailing on the rebus front, fun to see the phrases materialize. More pleasures: LORENZO, GRENDEL, OPERAGOER, DOCKYARDS AT WORLD'S END, and the parallel "shades of badness" IT'S NOT OK and LEAST WORST. Tuesday puzzles: often the objects of head-shaking disappointment if not outright scorn - it's delightful to have this Day 2 triumph.
ReplyDelete2-22-22
ReplyDeleteWell, what can I say? JUST WOW!! Had a tough time with it in places but I have to say this was pure brilliance times TWO.
ReplyDeleteBut . . . (to borrow a phrase from yesterday) having said that, I thought the difficulty level in places was NOT OK for a Tuesday. While I liked the puzzle, admire the cleverness of the theme and loved the rebus, some of the PPP seems way out there for this early in the week, the WORST of which was in that central section. I don’t speak French, never heard of a TIDEWAY, Beowulf is a distant memory and INANE is not a word that comes to mind to describe the Three Stooges so Natick City for me.
I’m assuming a decision was made to push the envelope difficulty wise because of the date which made it no less frustrating but which is also totally understandable given it’s a once-in-a-lifetime shot, so all is forgiven. Pretty awesome and certainly will go on my list of BEST efforts in recent memory.
Jberg,
ReplyDeleteand don't forget the guy who co-founded the panthers, Huey Newton. After he got done filling the bellies of those school kids with food, he found time to fill john Frey with lead, killing him. Jusy a bonus or old Huwy that Frey was a cop.
Yeah, The panthers were all about food. That's why they're rembered as beaing salt of the earth. we could ask Huey all about his chraitable endavors if only he hadn't been killed in a drug deal gone bad.
Congrats @Nancy and @Hartley70 on your eagles (2!). Today I birdied. Need an eagle on tomorrow's 36th to perfect my distribution after 2 rounds: 1 eagle, 9 birdies, 14 par, 9 bogies, 2 double bogies.
ReplyDeleteCongrats @Nancy on the eagle!
ReplyDeleteBtw…the darn autocorrect made my IBN an IN in my initial post…note to self: proof-read.
I guess today’s being Twosday is really a thing. I’ve seen several references online that have nothing to do with the NYTXW. Well, I’M A FAN of rebi, and was delighted to find one on a Tuesday. Any old time any old constructor gets the Tuesday rebus bug, that’s fine with me. I liked most of the themers: AT WORLD’s END and SENT WORD both have an evocative ring. DON’T WORRY, Be Happy brought back memories of a happy time in my life (although I’ve always thought this video too silly for words – better to close your eyes and just listen). It’s fascinating, though, how some songs are as effective as time machines. I loved the I’m-helpless-in-the-face-of-this-wonder quality of JUST WOW. And I can forgive LEAST WORST because the rest are so good, and maybe because it’s so bad that it’s good, too.
ReplyDeleteLike many, I caught the drift at GRANT WOOD and his terrific painting (see @Z’s link at 9:31). Did you know that the original idea for the work came from the house? It’s true that WOOD intended the pair to be seen as father and grown-up daughter (although the sitters were actually his sister and their dentist). There’s been lots of conjecture about layers of meaning in the work – everything from a symbolic portrait of Wood’s parents (his father had died when WOOD was 10) to a representation of Pluto and Proserpine at the gates of Hades (AT WORLD’S END?).
This was a fast solve for me because so much was in my wheelhouse. I wondered if there’d be howls about LORENZO Ghiberti on a Tuesday, but maybe you’ve all visited the Florence Baptistery. Ghiberti made two sets of doors for that highly decorated building, the second of which Michelangelo called “fit to be the Gates of Paradise.” (Hmm, another AT WORLD’S END?) The panels were revolutionary in concept and design (just compare them to Ghiberti’s first set) and incorporated many of the ideas that would come to form the essence of Renaissance art.
And then there was GRENDEL. Here’s Seamus Heaney’s rendition of Beowulf:
So times were pleasant for the people there
until finally one, a fiend out of hell,
began to work his evil in the world.
GRENDEL was the name of this grim demon
haunting the marches, marauding round the heath
and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time
in misery among the banished monsters,
Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed
and condemned as outcasts. For the killing of Abel
the Eternal Lord had exacted a price:
Cain got no good from committing that murder
because the Almighty made him anathema
and out of the curse of his exile there sprang
ogres and elves and evil phantoms
and the giants too who strove with God
time and again until He gave them their reward.
(And if you thought GRENDEL was bad, you haven’t met his mother...)
@Clare
Speaking of Olympic heroes [evil chuckle], how about that Canadian women’s hockey team! (Too soon?)
Just mentioning that the @Lewis at 9:39 is not me, the @Lewis at 7:10. I did not understand the other Lewis's comment.
ReplyDelete@jeberg 10:30
ReplyDeleteBoth shirred eggs and baked eggs are pretty much the same. I make them both. The baked eggs have some garlic, lots of herbs and you (I do) bake them in a little cast iron pan. Shirred eggs got their name from the ramekin. You really need a ramekin to make them authentic?
Shirred eggs taste a little custardy...You only need whipped cream, some butter, parmesan and smiles on your face.
Baked eggs: whipped cream, butter garlic, thyme parsley, parmesan and heavy cream...After you eat them you will sing:
DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY.....
I loved this puzzle and I found it considerably easier than yesterday’s. Being late to the comment party, I’ll just reiterate everyone’s praise of Clare’s write up, and add that I’m also big on Liverpool and Golden State Warriors.
ReplyDeleteI do want to point out the kealoa en espaΓ±ol created at 50D by the estas/estos dilemma.
I’m also slightly surprised that none of the more pedantic commenters has jumped on 13A ATWORLDSEND (Near the North or South Pole, say). I was expecting a comment like, “Since the Earth is a sphere (or, technically, an oblate spheroid) it has no ends. This is terrible editing and simply wrong. The NYT should issue a retraction and an apology, followed by termination of WS as puzzle editor.”
Anyway, great 2sday puzzle, Jacob McDermott.
Jezus @Z, why are you still going on and on about Madame X? I'm sick of it I say, sick of it. Every damned day it's Madame X this, Madame X that. If you were obsessed with Xavier Hollander I could understand. Not approve, but at least understand. But for to spend all this time posting about some stupid painting over 100 years old where there's no nudity or anything, well, I just don't get it.
ReplyDeletePlease stop!
A wonderful day and a wonderful puzzle for a man who loves numbers.
ReplyDeleteWe know that there are an infinite number of primes so there is no largest one. But the mathematics community has discovered some gigantic ones. The biggest found so far is one less than a power of 2. 2 to the p power minus 1. The p is itself a huge prime, 82,589,933.
@pmdm (10:20 AM yd)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't take it personally; seems like Blogger has been a bit flaky of late. π€
Re: @Tom T's (8:04 AM) lour
less common spelling of LOWER
• to look sullen : FROWN
• to be or become dark, gloomy, and threatening (M-W)
@RooMonster π for 0 yd
___
td g: 13:54 / pg: 19:45 / W: 3* (@Nancy π for 2)
Peace ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all π
@Barbara S (11:27) -- Thanks so much for the link to the fabulous, the incredible Ghiberti doors! Those doors, the Arno River, and our lovely pensione are the things I most loved about Florence -- a city I visited with my friend, another Barbara S., in the mid-60s. She was an art history major and I was a lot less blown away by Florence than she was. After viewing and viewing and viewing the much-of-a-much-of-a-muchness paintings that abounded everywhere, I declared: "If I see one more Madonna and Child, I'm going to scream." "Oh", she said, "I can see you prefer Late Renaissance to Early Renaissance. I bet I can find something you'll love." And she brought me to the Ghiberti doors.
ReplyDeleteI stood in front of them for more than ten minutes -- unheard of for me. I think they may be the most exciting works of art I've ever seen.
Superb puzzle review!
ReplyDelete@pmdm - I could have sworn I read your comment yesterday but now it’s not there. Weird.
ReplyDelete@9:49 - Yeah, I fudged a bit by going with (none with) more cultural cachet rather than the most. I cannot really dispute four of your nominees, all works you will see adorning backgrounds in films and in memes everywhere and all quintessentially “American.” But Sargent? C’mon man, the only thing American about the guy is his parents. Born in Italy, buried in England, made his name in France and England. There’s nothing particularly “American” about any of his work, and there’s really nothing “American” about a painting of a French socialite. I sincerely doubt that John Boy has ever been to Iowa.
I quite admired this puzzle and its two-ness
ReplyDeleteThe rebuses provided Tuesday newness
I'd recommend it to my cousin Eunice
But she's off on a cruise with Mila Kunis
And —funny you should ask— they went to...Tunis.
How much more appropriate could this puzzle be? None more appropriate, that's how much. Color me impressed. And the most amazing thing is: it just so happens that I made baked ZITI last night and I will be having leftovers today!
Loved the cute rebus, only cross that the app wouldn't take 2 which I had cleverly put in. We have a friend who always celebrated palindromic dates with a party, but we haven't had one since Covid. He did send an email. This one is an ambigram 2, if you use calculator type numbers.
ReplyDeleteGRAN2OD was a gimme for me so the rebus fell quickly.
I briefly forgot that the chING dynasty became the QING dynasty. I blame that on the fact that the last Chinese art history book I read was rather old. Luckily the cross was obvious.
I found out what IBN means from crossword puzzles, but it's a familiar set of letters. My younger son spent his entire junior year in Jordan. I'm sure we met a few IBNs there. It's a fabulous place to visit.
Blog administrator. I don't know why you pulled my 6:37 post.
ReplyDeleteTough one for a Tuesday even after getting the rebus (hi @Anoa) at GRAN2OD. Like others, didn't realize it was 2/2/22 until reading Clare.
ReplyDelete@Nancy
Mazel Tov. On my second try, I had 3 correct letters (2 located correctly) but is took me forever ton get WORDLE in three.
Wordle 248 3/6
⬛π¨⬛π¨⬛
⬛π¨π©π©⬛
π©π©π©π©π©
@Joe D
Great post.
MFCTM.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous (9:48)
Barbara S (11:27)
22222 day!
ReplyDeleteEasy, fast for me. (Either getting better π©π or getting πlucky π.)
But did think the circles meant to put the number 2 rather than rebus TWO, so it wouldn’t give me the joy of that little online toony tune. π
π€π¦π¦π¦π¦π€
@OffTheGrid - Wordle Spoiler. Listing a wrong guess is a spoiler.
ReplyDelete@pmdm - I did not delete your comment. I did check the spam folder and found some old comments from bocamp and liveprof that I have now approved, but nothing by you mixed in with the actual spam.
Z,
ReplyDeleteNo, you didn't fudge a little, you erred.
As for Singer not being American, well his American parents might disagree. So would the Grand Central Art galleries which he co-founded.
Moderator. If you are referring to where I wrote (later) that was not a wrong guess. I wrote my puzzle comment, then did Wordle. I came back to my comment (later) with my Wordle results. I can see why it was confusing.
ReplyDeleteNice, Joe!
ReplyDeleteA fine Tuesday rebus! Actually at 36a I had TWOSDAY for a while.
ReplyDeleteClare, I share your tiredness of "These: Sp." We need a circuit breaker type respite from that/those answer/s.
[Spelling Bee: yd 0, 26 min to get pg and QB simultaneously. td 11:15 to reach pg -6, will try for QB later.]
@Nancy (12:13 PM)
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted at your response to the Ghiberti. And pleased that my tribe of art historical Barbara S's has populated the world.
@Anon 1:51 - That's a pretty definitive statement for a matter, not even of judgement but of speculation. You have any documentation to support it? Do you even have any method to propose for measuring the "extent of cultural cachet"? Or, are you just an arrogant fool? Be careful here, I know the answer*?
ReplyDelete* (C)
god,
ReplyDeleteI sure do. But before I provide you with that, why aren't you asking the same question of Z. He made a pronouncement, twice actually. Why not ask him for proof?
Anyway, the measure of cultural cachet can be reeasonably gauged by popular- as opposed to scholarly-- sites. ( You'll note for example Norman Rockwell on these lists. Certainly his paintings and persona enjoy enormous cultural cachet and poularity, but he is not a favorite of art sritics or the Academy's art history cabal)
Here are two reasonably good sources that prove my point--the first two uncle google provides when asking about the most signifigant American Artists.
You'll see my guys, but not Z's guy. And for good reason. Wood is enormously important. And American Gothi his matsrepiece, but neithet he nor his famous work beats out anyone or anything on the two lists I provide ( per your snotty request).
Check out artincontext.org and learnodo.Newton.com American painters
I'll give ypu some more when I finish up some work.
Best,
A. Campbell
"Hopper's Nighthawks has more cultural cachet Than American Gothic."
ReplyDeleteI'm totally confused by what is being argued. I would say "American Gothic" is more pop culturally well-known. Both are at my local art museum (Art Institute of Chicago), both are iconic, but I'd venture to guess Grant Wood's piece is more well-known. As a kid growing up in the 80s, I was very well aware of American Gothic in pop culture (especially cartoons), but Nighthawks I didn't get into until a bit later. I prefer Hopper's work, and one of my cherished pictures of my infant daughter is a picture of her in a stroller in front of the piece at AIC, but, were I a betting man, I'd bet American Gothic is more well-known among the American populace, but it's a close one. I just Googled "most popular American paintings" and the first one was Wood's work.
Remind me, why are we arguing about this?
Pete,
ReplyDeletethe question was cultural cachet not fame per se. Hopper's works have more cultural cachet, and the sale prices of his pieces versus Wood's pieces are proof. Its not even close.
As to whether Nighthawks of American Gothic is more famous, well, frankly who cares about your opinion? Or mine?
π€£ππ€£ππ€£ - If you suggest we go look at a site to prove your point it’s usually best that it actually prove your point - π€£ππ€£ππ€£
ReplyDelete@Anon - First, @Z did not offer a pronouncement. He offered a nuanced opinion about a subject that can only be a matter of opinion. You, sir, offered a pronouncement. He said "
ReplyDeletethere may be more famous artists..., but he couldn't think of a single painting that had more cultural cache than [American Gothic]. He said there were more famous painters. I don't care if you can name 1000 painters more famous that Wood, that fact does not obviate what @Z said. Your top 10 list of American Painters contain Keith Haring and Jean-Michael Basquat. Outside the art-world, no one knows these people. They're not famous. If you asked a random set of Americans if they've know who either of these men were, if they could tell you what they did, or showed them any of their artwork and asked if they had seen it before, I'm sure the answer 90+% of the time would be no. 99+%. Your lists are curated by art-insiders, for art-insiders, and has nothing to do with anything outside of some random art clique.
And again, your stating that what you said before is true is not an argument, it's just a statement of arrogance. Night Hawks is massively famous, as is Warhol's tomato cans. I sincerely doubt you're correct about Christina's world, and would guess you're way off the mark about how many people know Madame X. I doubt any is more recognizable among the American Public that American Gothic. And I know that you haven't offered an argument rebutting this, other than "I said so! I said so!"
Oh, by the way, please go to your recommended sight . You will see the list of the top dozen American painters, among which is not Wood, upon which we all agree. Just don't stop there, scroll down a little. What's the first painting displayed under Famous American Painters? Why, what could it be, other than Frigging American Gothic. That's right, American Gothic.
@Nancy – re HEAD SCRATCH AT 40-15
ReplyDeleteCheck your email
wow. arguing about paintings. the answer is kinda clear:
ReplyDelete- American Gothic is the paean to rural Redneck white folks
- Nighthawks is the dystopian homage to The City
so, when the Right Wingnuts have control, American Gothic is The Way It Should Be, and when the Snowflakes have control, Nighthawks is the justification for removing wealth/income inequality.
I agree that I am confused with what is being argued as per @Peter P. First @ Z merely mentions that he “pondered whether American Gothic is as famous as A. Wyeth’s Helga (imho AG is WAY more famous). Then later @Z says “he couldn’t think of a cultural work with more cultural cachet”…good grief…these are OPINIONS. In MY opinion, Nighthawks is definitely culturally relevant in an urban way, while I think Warhol is pop culturally relevant. Madame X is a lovely painting but (again imho), I cannot see that on the list. I have always been absolutely taken with the desolate feeling of Christina’s World but still cannot see it as MORE culturally significant as American Gothic. Again. These are all OPINIONS. Not appropriate to whip out Google findings and specific websites because how one views ALL art is simply a matter of OPINION.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous said… 3:47
ReplyDeleteSo you’re arguing that Hopper’s works have more cachet because they’re worth more cash, eh?
Ok, the LOUR question I created today--is it or is it not a word--prompted me to do a word search of Shakespeare's works (my academic background is theatre). And lo and behold I discovered these cited passages (among others), verifying my understanding of the word as an angry facial expression or threatening sky:
ReplyDeleteRichard II, Act I, sc. 3: [King Richard to John Gaunt] Why at our justice seemest thou then to LOUR.
Romeo and Juliet, Act IV, sc. 5: [Friar to all] The heavens do lour upon you for some ill.
Richard III, Act V, sc. 3: [King Richard to Ratcliffe] The sky doth frown and lour upon our army.
Where I am mistaken is in remembering LOUR as a noun; in each of these cases, it is a verb.
So my clue for my alternative 30D would be: To frown upon, old style. (Hey, it's weird, but not any weirder than IBN!)
Ok, I'm done. I will lour upon you fellow commenting friends no more.
It should have been spelled TWOSDAY!!
ReplyDelete@Anon 3:47 The question was never about Harper's works vs Woods works, as you well know, because you previously cited specific works as alternatives. It was one specific painting compared with other specific paintings. As you well know, it was never about money, that's just a red herring you're tossing into a lost argument. It is about, yes, fame and the work's place in the American mind. Cultural cachet. To have any 'cultural' currency it has to have fame. If no one's seen it, it has affected no one.
ReplyDeleteEggs,
ReplyDeleteMost assuredly not. But cachet is another example of halfwits misunderstanding something. Cachet comes from The French meaning to hide.
Cash comes from the French Caisse—money box. Its where the word cashier comes from…. Do you see where I’m going? Cachet and the vaguely sounding word caisse which gave birth to a word which sounds very much like cachet became conflated by, well, ignoramuses.
Their argument is similar to the home in hone in argument. See, the cash box is… hidden cause it’s valuable.
Look, Hoper has more cachet—- prestige. And his works are worth more cash.
Z made a sweeping pronouncement. It was grossly overstated. That was my point. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Beezer,
ReplyDeleteNot really. There’s an industry and scores of companies devoted to determining fame. Fame is not in the realm of opinion. It’s a fact.
If someone where to argue American Gothic was better or more worthy of appreciation we’d be in the realm of opinion. But fame, that is how many people know about the object, is not only fact it’s measurable, popularly called Q rating. ( yeah, I know, I know…)
It sounds like everyone here knew GRENDEL, but GRENDAL/UNAS seemed fine to me! Really liked the puzzle nonetheless.
ReplyDeletegod,
ReplyDeleteFair enough. Here’s a simple declarative sentence: NightHawks is more famous than American Gothic.
Do you agree?
Europe is on the brink of a world war, and you farts are arguing back and forth about some old American paintings.
ReplyDeleteI'll see myself out.
Apologies to those of you who think FART should not appear in the NYTXW because it lowers us all. (Last week's much ado about nothing.)
Why don't you just skip the posts that don't interest you, @Unknown and stop being so unpleasant to everyone. I've skipped everything you mention and am still happy to see others who are involved in those posts having a good time.
ReplyDelete@Anon 6:27 I neither know nor care. What I do know, and care about, is that you somehow manage to read @Z saying "..but I cannot think of a single work that has more cultural cachet than that Iowa farmer and his daughter." with what can only be a deliberate misreading as a definitive statement about the worth of that painting across all time and space, and start an argument about it. When this fact is pointed out to you, you claim to disagree with him, or me, on another basis. When your documentation that you are right is proved laughably wrong, you move on to a third point of contention, and another, and another. There is no comity in your soul, you are an arrogant contrarian. There, that's my declarative statement. Let's take a poll here, and see.
ReplyDeleteWho's right or, God or Anon?
Only one Anon is allowed to vote.
Results announced tomorrow.
@egs--Fear not, some of us got it.
ReplyDeleteI mean, really.
Now I’m feeling churlish.
ReplyDeleteUnknown.,
Europe is on the brink of world war? Please , pick one. Either Russia invading Ukraine puts the world on the brink of a global conflict, or it puts Europe in jeopardy of war.
Do you really believe the world is on the brink of a world war? Did you think that when Russia annexed Crimea?
Do you think John Singer Sargent is American?
So many questions,,,,,
god,
ReplyDeleteRight back at you. The difference between us is that I am anonymous.You are not God.
One of is a lair.
god,
ReplyDeleteHaving reread Z’s original statement and your bizarre reading of my response to it, I say not only are you blasphemous but in need of a lesson in logic ( and art history, civility, and I’m guessing many other pursuits)
@anon 8:06
ReplyDeleteAt least @god knows how to spell. ��
anon 8:06
ReplyDeleteHuzzah.what an aspiration: good speller. ( or actually, good typist).
But you are quite the whit. Thanks!!
I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I'm with God. There's always a first.
ReplyDelete@Anon 8:26 - I don't think that word means what you think it means.
ReplyDeleteDefinition of whit: the smallest part or particle imaginable : bit
Definition of wit:
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : the ability to relate seemingly disparate things so as to illuminate or amuse
b(1) : a talent for banter or persiflage
(2) : a witty utterance or exchange
c : clever or apt humor
d : astuteness of perception or judgment : acumen
But yeah, it was a typo. You accidentally hit the "H" key as you hit the "W" key. You know, it happens, they're so close.
@Pabloinnh. I really appreciate knowing that someone out there can see the humor in things. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePete,
ReplyDeleteI can. You don’t have a conviction you have an animus.
Clare - I've been saying for years, they need to put "Masc." or "Fem." after the Spanish clues like that. Seems like an easy change. And I vaguely recall it being used from perhaps crossword books of my youth.
ReplyDeleteThis SHIRR was a tough one. ITSNOTOK to have QING cross GRENDEL Duplicate NET and NETWORK is also a no-no. The 2 shape wasn’t worth the editor’s note. Even so, this could be the LEASTWORST TUESDAY in a while. Or maybe not…
ReplyDeleteWe in Syndiville (or at least I) constantly forget the significance of a particular date when the puzzle actually first appeared. That explains the plethora of TWOs, and the appearance of rebi, and some frightfully obscure names, so early in the week.
ReplyDeleteNothing, however, can explain the INANE WIERDNESS of "LEASTWORST." There's no defending that one.
You would think our hero (?) could've found a V-word to complete the panny. Perhaps "TIGH2VEN?"
It's fortunate for Mr. McD that the date coincided with OFF's day off. "Nuff said. I most sincerely hope that this won't wind up being the LEASTWORST entry of the week. Scoring this a bogey--and I'm being kind because of 2/22/22.
Don't think I've ever said this, but..
ReplyDeleteI HATED THIS PUZZLE
Unknown places/words. Worse-than-a-rebus trick.
Just...NO
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords
I just read how the puzzle initially ran on 02/02/2022 (Twos Day). That gives it bonus points for being topical - which is lost in the syndicated reprint.
ReplyDeleteATEAM EDGES INN?
ReplyDeleteIT'S the LEASTWORSE WAY of PROMOTING BEST life,
TWO be SHIRR, IT'SNOTOK that you TWO do my WIFE.
--- LORENZO GRENDEL
Editor's Note? Not in the St. Paul paper. Figured out why TUESDAY was punny before finishing. Haha.
ReplyDeleteMichelle WIE, yeah baby.
TUESDAY rebus, ugh. BEST LEASTWORST puz ever.