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Easter starter? / THU 12-29-22 / Hayek who portrayed Frida Kahlo / Draped garment / World Cup datum / Sections of a barn / Cry of accomplishment
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Constructor: Rachel Fabi and Claire Rimkus
Relative difficulty: Easy
THEME: LATE SHIFT — In four rows of the grid, the word LATE "shifts" from one entry to the other
Word of the Day: CLAMATO (42D: Hybrid beverage in a Bloody Caesar cocktail) —
Clamato /kləˈmætoʊ/ is a commercial drink made of reconstituted tomato juice concentrate and sugar, which is flavored with spices, dried clam broth and MSG.[1] Made by Mott's, the name is a portmanteau of clam and tomato. It is also referred to colloquially as "clamato juice". It is consumed in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, to a lesser extent. It is very often mixed with alcohol to make a drink similar to a Bloody Mary.
• • •
Theme answers:
- (LATE)RALLY / TEMP(LATE)S (17A: Gathering of protesters / 19A: Models used in copying)
- CIRCU(LATE)S / EMUS (24A: Makes the rounds / 26A: Large, flightless birds)
- COLD / CLEAN S(LATE) (51A: Chilly / 54A: Fresh start, metaphorically)
- TRANS(LATE) / VENTI(LATE) (59A: Work as an interpreter / 62A: Size option at Starbucks)
- LATE SHIFT (37A: Overnight work assignment ... or a hint to understanding four rows of answers in this puzzle)
Onto the puzzle! I really enjoyed this, as expected by these two constructors I really admire! LATE SHIFT is the perfect revealer to explain what's going on with the theme answers. And the theme answers (both the "shifted" versions in the grid and the "unshifted" versions that are clued) are super solid in-the-language words and phrases. One downside of this type of theme is that you often end up with single-word answers that are maybe less "exciting" entries -- stuff like LATERALLY and COLLATED and CIRCULATES etc -- but one benefit is you get twice as many theme entries because each one has to work both with and without the LATE!
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| Big Sur! Mac OS but also very pretty! |
The theme was solid, but my absolute favorite part about this puzzle was the fun clue echoes. We had both TEN and CHI clued as [X], consecutive [Chicken king?] for PERDUE and [Chicken ___ king] for ALA, [Camper's protection] for DEET and [Camper's detritus] for ASH -- great stuff! I also loved [Euphemism for a lesbian couple] for GAL PALS, both because it's a fresh angle and because I'm a fan of Gay Things In My Puzzles.
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| If there's one thing I learned from doing crosswords, it's that the EDSEL was a flop |
Not much else to say here! The grid was super clean so there's really nothing to complain about ... maybe IN SO is a weird partial? But that's me looking really hard for something to ding. Just super solid gridwork and a delightful theme.
Bullets:
- TYVM (15D: "I really appreciate it!," in textspeak) — It's rare that a 4-letter entry is my favorite in a puzzle but this might be it for me! I'd never seen this in a puzzle before (turns out it is a NYT debut) but it's something I use all the time!
- BLAISE (49A: Good name for a firefighter?) — This seems like an apt name for a pyromaniac ... or I guess a particularly self-loathing firefighter
- SCYTHE (45D: Cutter with a curve) — This is a fun word
- ELIOT (14A: George who wrote "Romola") — I recommend everyone read "Middlemarch" if you haven't already!
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120 comments:
Sorry, no. “Gal Pals” is not a “euphemism” for a lesbian couple. It’s dated and demeaning—there’s no need for a “euphemism” unless the term itself is somehow inappropriate. I too like gay things in puzzles, but now when they’re insulting. Also, the theme here was a mess, but I’ll leave that for other commenters.
I was just reminiscing with a friend about the bygone era of "beer and CLAMATO". What were we thinking? Corona and a slice of lime is pretty great; beer + clamato, not so much. But we drank them like crazy back in the day.
Never heard of chicken PERDUE until tonight. Will undoubtedly forget it very soon. Also never seen TYVM before.
I have a way better clue for STALLS: "Loses lift before a bad landing".
[Spelling Bee: Wed 0, my last word was a pesky 4er that I often remember at the last minute.]
Easyish, although I, once again, needed to stare at the grid post solve to completely “get” the theme (this was actually a smooth mid-week themeless if you ignore the odd clues and the reveal). Clever idea, liked it and Jeff gave it POW.
Always like to see CLAMATO in a grid. It was my dads favorite mixer.
I found it easier than most Thursdays, thanks to a helpful revealer..I think the clue for BLAISE should have been "Good name for a pyromaniac." Otherwise the cluing was reasonable.
Sorry, @LMS: This is definitely NOT what a Thursday should be. This was dull, dull, dull. No fun whatsoever.
Nice little aha when I learned what was going on. Liked it a bunch.
I feel not so much an impostor in a Starbucks (hi @Loren) as I do like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, who refuses to deal with the stupid lingo. "I'll have a vanilla........... one of the vanilla bullshit things, you know, you, whatever you want, some vanilla bullshit latte cappu thing, you know, whatever you got, I don't care." Barista guy: "You got it."
Gave a side-eye at GAL PALS. Really? I would certainly not have made an inference that they're a lesbian couple based on that alone. I mean, a woman might say she's heading out to meet with her girl friend, which seems similar, but without any lesbian implication. Maybe you have to say GAL PALS a certain way, dripping with covert meaning? Thankfully, the days where you have to be all whisper-y about these things seem to be on their way out. Just say, "oh, yeah, they're a couple."
GAL PALS crossing TRANS: before I got the theme, I was like "wait a minute, what's going on?"
@okanaganer
(Beer + CLAMATO: eww.) PERDUE is probably the biggest producer of chicken in the US. No reason you should know that, just FYI.
SB: 0 yd. Took a very long time to see this 4-er (hi again @okanaganer).
Good puzzle, but man! It felt like I fell into Every. Single. Trap. Including some of my own making:
1D: zIp before NIL for Nada
20A: Twig before TOAD for the bumps on a log
30D: tenT before DEET for the camper's protection
40A: ole before GOL for the World Cup cry
42A: dna before CSI for the forensics
47D: rrS before STS for the crossings you check
50D: Boat before BELL (on me; the boat would have been spelled "Dinghy")
@LMS: Perhaps a better euphemism for used would have been "pre-owned."
I had the same reaction as @LMS and @TTrimble to GAL PALS — it seems like it should have said “onetime euphemism for a lesbian couple.” Unless perhaps it’s now been proudly reclaimed like queer or pansy. At the first newsroom I worked at in the Deep South, there were two older ladies who were GAL PALS. One was elegant and genteel but a tough-as-nails reporter, the other a kind of messy, sweatsuit-wearing copy editor. They lived together and did everything together, and everyone assumed they were a couple but it was not a time that they could have been openly so. GAL PALS, one way or another.
@LMS, I refuse to use the Starbucks size words either but I say “medium” out loud and proud - “and I’m a lesbian too!” I might shout next time. (I am a guy.)
I got the theme at CIRCUS and EMULATES. When I saw that CIRCUS had to be the answer to “makes the rounds,” I was looking for some super clever word play that would get the clue on @Lewis’ weekly list. Then EMULATES slowly came into view and I got it. I agree this was a great theme with a perfect revealer.
I liked the clues for TOAD (“what might have bumps on a log”) and TOY (“top, for instance, but not bottom”).
I liked that kealoas LOLL and LOAF were at almost opposite spots in the grid. (Add Laze and you have a kealoaulu.)
Fun Thursday!
@LMS 3:11
Regardless of whether it's too unpleasant or just too direct, I still agree with your original assertion that it's sidestepping. Why is lesbianism something so touchy, dark, embarrassing, taboo, or indelicate that one should sidestep it?
And, in the way that your example of the word "issue" softens — deceptively — the word "problem", this euphemism seems intent on trickery. The top several google hits all say the term "gal pal" means "female friend", a few of which explicitly say "non-romantic". Sex? Romance? Shhh. Nothing to see here, folks.
Besides that... wtf? GAL PALS??? It's such a cheesy female version bro-dude speak. None of the dozens of lesbian people in my life would ever want to be called that (nor would any of the non-lesbian women, for that matter). Seems like a term that would have very little use outside of referencing a film like Bridesmaids, or the members of a middle-aged suburban quilting club. Might as well call them Ladybuds.
I respect these constructors, so maybe they know something I don't. But, my feeling is that Mr. Shortz's fingerprints are on this one.
🤠
Spectacular theme execution.
An analysis of half a million games played by grandmasters showed that the English opening, 1. c4, has the second-highest winning percentage (56.3%) of any opening, behind only 1. h4 (68.7%). Anyway, it’s a lousy clue as pawns are an ‘element’ of every opening. Even something like Nf3 a) you are controlling squares some pawns can move to b) you are blocking the movement of one of your pawns.
I’ve heard GAL PALS used a ton, but never as a euphemism for a lesbian couple. I’ve generally heard it to mean a female friend with whom you (you being male or female) have a non-sexual relationship – a ‘girl friend’ but not a ‘girlfriend’.
The trickery was fine - apt revealer and the central location pushed the solve. Issue I have it that the rest of the fill was just not great. The theme fell early - liked the multiple placements of LATE and enjoyed the game. Not typical Thursday level difficulty.
I’m assuming that the theme density and restrictiveness gave us the flat fill overall? I guess SCYTHE is neat and the GAL PAL x TRANS cross is cool - but there’s nothing else in this grid - MOPIER? THEM? No thanks on the TYVM entry.
Enjoyable enough solve on the theme alone - but if filled cleaner it could have been special.
@bocamp from yesterday - Will’s Monday puzzle made me work also. He’s slowly becoming one of my favorite constructors.
Only a PAWN in Their Game
I couldn't get past LATE embedded in COLD so it took me forever to correctly parse 51/54 Across. Now that I can declare DONE, I'm happy to add my congrats to Rachel and Claire on their excellent adventure of a puzzle.
Easy. Some nice clueing. The theme didn’t impress me, but I do like when the revealer reveals something.
In what way is circus - makes the rounds? Is it a reference to a three ring circus? How does circus imply making anything?
I also enjoyed the puzzle for the reasons Rafa and others said. I loved seeing Sister HELEN Prejean (65A) mentioned, and I came here to give her a shout out. I love all three of her books. If you are not inclined to read her recent memoir, River of Fire, consider digging up her interview with Terry Gross on 8/12/2019. I am inspired by her lifelong activism to abolish the death penalty. She’s one of the most inspiring and authentic figures in contemporary religion.
Ok, I’m putting away my soapbox. Thank you for indulging me. Happy new year, all!
I'm sure all the Rachel Fabi fans will fall all over themselves raving about this, but Jeezus, this is a Thursday NYTX - I know I'm becoming a broken record around here but week after week we are lucky to get one decent puzzle.
As I solved this puzzle, I was confused for quite a while – until I wasn’t. Right, OK, LATE is shifting around. Once I cottoned on, it was fun to sort out what went where. I had no problem knowing where to put LATE, it was the rest of the row that sometimes gave me grief. I didn’t know PERDUE or TYVM, for example, which made RALLY hard to see for a minute. And I thought SCYTHE was going to be something-"saw" [Cutter with a curve]. SCYTHE begins two theme answers, so that area was schmozzly for a bit. But, in the end, it all fell into place without too much bother.
At 1A [Easter starter?] I really wanted “egg.” Egg hunts were how my Easters started when I was kid. Defensible? Anyway, I didn’t fill it in because I thought the trickiness was probably heading in a different direction and indeed it did. In the NW corner, IVE was easy but, in the early going, LATERALLY was the start of a themer with an unknown theme, so even though that corner was miniscule, it took a while to fill in.
Hey! Another kealoa! SARI or “toga” for [Draped garment]. Hmm, ELIOT. I wonder if I’m going to live my whole life with sterling intentions to read George ELIOT “some day,” and never actually do it. I have Middlemarch sitting accusingly on my shelf in all its enormous-bloody-brick splendor, silently taunting my good intentions. Funny how the mind/memory works: as I’ve said, I’d put in "saw" at the end of 45D [Cutter with a curve], which had Sister Prejean’s name starting with A. I haven’t read her book but I did see the movie back in the day (and found it devastating), so I had a very vague sense of what her name was, or might be. When I saw the initial A, I thought…Aline? It’s something like Aline. Well, not Aline after the revelation of SCYTHE, but HELEN. Aline, HELEN—they’re close. My brain was onto something but it couldn’t quite bring it home until it saw the H.
[SB: yd, 0. My last word was the same as yours, @TTrimble. What was with the devious 4-ers yesterday? Oddly, another trouble spot was this other simple 4-er with exactly the same letters!]
Love the screen name
Perdue is a brand of chicken, named for its founder, so Mr. Perdue is the chicken king referred to in the clue.
A most lovely concept, reveal, and execution. I’m guessing the execution wasn’t easy – having to find theme answer pairs that work symmetrically and to cleanly fill a grid that has a full quarter of its squares devoted to the theme. Whew! But Rachel and Claire succeeded with a beautifully CLEAN SLATE.
And with not only a brain-satisfying theme to crack, but highlights in addition. The gorgeous-to-me answers of SCYTHE and DABBLED, not to mention the lovely sing-song CLAMATO. Three palindromes (EYE, ALA, ALLA). The silly-in-the-best-way clue [Something dingy] for BELL. And a couple of riddles to untangle – the clue [Top, for instance, but not bottom], and what TYVM stands for (because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it), both riddles bringing pings of joy when their answers hit me.
To encapsulate, let me articulate: A sweet-as-chocolate outing by a pair I emulate has left me elated. Thank you, Rachel and Claire!
Ok, I’ve never met anyone named Blaise, and I’m a doctor, have met lots and lots of people. But hey, that’s a small gripe I guess. I
Now this is a Thursday that knows how to Thursday. Yay!
There's the revealer-in-the middle thing, which is the only slight deduction, but in this case I was kind of happy to have it there as it explained what I was doing before I was done, if that makes any sense.
I avoid the "ordering at Starbucks" problem by avoiding Starbucks. My disposable income is not spent on coffee, thank you.
Was reading through the analysis when it finally hit me that TYVM had to be Thank You Very Much, which indicates that my knowledge of texting is about the same as my knowledge of Starbucks.
GOL took way too long, as it is usually pronounced "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!". And I wanted to make the large flightless birds have their own descriptor, something like "ungulates". That's where the revealer came in handy.
Super Thursday, RF and CR. Really Felt like interacting with Crossword Royalty today, and thanks for all the fun.
Okay, this trans queerdo is here to defend GAL PALS as a totally awesome answer to a great clue and not at all offensive or suggesting erasure or cloaking is good or right. Over the last couple years, there’s been a swelling of critique around how academics, historians, and media seem to be wildly insistent on sticking to the Gal Pals narrative, amounting to lesbian or bisexual erasure. Ie,
“emily dickinson really wrote to sue "i tore open your letter and licked the envelope's seal for any lingering taste of you" and historians thought they were just friends
— rosé (@fairydreamys) January 12, 2022”
#GalPals or #JustGalPals is short hand for calling out and mocking that tendency. It is very much a current in millennial and Gen Z queer contemporary culture!
So yes, clearly, I enjoyed this puzzle - though as per usual it basically took me until it was done to get the theme.
That said, an interpreter does not TRANSLATE, they interpret, as interpretation refers to speech and translation refers to the written word. A common mistake but a mistake nonetheless.
It sure looks like it must have been a bear to construct this grid and get the shifts to work out - so nice job there.
Hopefully, GAL PALS was not the first choice by Rachel and Claire - it sure looks like one of those instances were the NYT tries to be hip and cool but are about 20 years late to the party. Similarly, I hope the “last pope” clue and the GOL nonsense are concessions to fill and not present because someone actually thought they are a good idea. Thursday is the day when cryptic themes are welcome, so I’ll venture that their fans got their money’s worth today.
Interesting choice for your Edsel photo, the 1960 "Ranger". Probably the least known and least associated model of the ill fated and legendary failure line up of Edsels from 1958-60. The poster child of this colossal product failure is the 1958 lineup with the "horse collar" grill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Edsel_Pacer_1958_(4922383186).jpg
Do lesbian couples refer to themselves as gal pals? This sorta suggests that they are somehow hiding their relationship. I was quite surprised by this clue. It should have been changed, I think. Nicely constructed puzzle!
Since I don't buy coffee out I wasn't sure how to spell VENTe ( and wasn't seeing VENTILATE yet); that combined with a typo (letter switch) in CLAMtaO made the SE hard to see. Also, BLAISE seems like the exactly *wrong* name for a firefighter; more like an arsonist!
I thought the theme was ok. At first, probably like many, I was thinking rebus, because LATE | RALLY seemed like a clumsy answer to the clue so when I knew we had TEMPLATES I was trying to squeeze the LATE into the last square. And I'm still confused because there's only one S, but both clues are plural...? Not the case with the other shifts.
Now to see what OFL and you all thought.
Is it bad that I had BERNIE before BLAISE?
Amy: very fine puzzle. A pleasure. As is this week between Xmas and New Year's. Anyone else enjoy the Kennedy Center Honors last night?
Agreed. I’m at the point of thinking I need to depart from NYT altogether for something I can walk away from feeling elated again. Do you (or does anyone) have suggestions for better outlets?
Love the word schmozzly by the way…
I gave up because I thought 7 down couldn't be "NO LIE" since "LIE" was used in the cluing of 37 down (lazily lie). Is that not an absolute rule of puzzle making -- REX references the "clue word can't be in the answer" rule all the time. What am I missing? Thanks.
Omg genius level!
Perdue Chicken, as opposed to chicken Perdue.
I share @Rafa's appreciation of the theme --a clever idea with LATE SHIFT and a creative way of dealing with the LATEs -- I especially liked CIRCUS and the moment when the two words LATE RALLY turned into one. Overall, not quite an "east for me": starting out, I couldn't figure out what the gathering of protesters could be or how to fit in the LATE part of TEMP[LATE]S, as a rebus didn't seem possible. So I proceeded in keep-the-faith mode, and indeed, midway all was revealed and the second half went much more quickly.
Hey All !
Odd type theme, but I did figure it out. At least the Revealer is literal.
42 Blockers today. Higher than "normal" of 38. In case ya care. 😁
Liked how all the Themers worked as real words regardless where the LATE was.
Lately, it seems as though I DABBLE in SB, as I've been missing quite a few each day. At least I try for Genius. And most misses are of the "should've" variety. Silly brain.
CLAMATO. Eek. Whoever thought putting clam juice in tomato juice was a good idea? And some people drank the hell out of it. Why not OYSTMATO? SARDIMATO?
Har.
Nice puz, but doesn't seem ThursPuz tricky enough. Think this would've worked at a WedsPuz. YMMV. TYVM. 😁
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
Breakfast Tester,
Well, for all of human history until about the last ten minutes homosexual relations have been taboo. And why not? Those relationships are intrinsically disordered. That they are enjoying some popularity currently doesn't change that fact. Besides, the three great religions of the world--Judaism, Christianity, And Islam still see homosexual acts as contravening natural law and the common good. Why on earth wouldn't that behavior be considered dark?
Nope, me too! Honestly started overwriting for a minute because I was so sure that was it.
Cute puzzle except the cluing for GALPALS. 1. My GALPALS and I use this term to refer to our circle of girlfriends, and unless I’m *really* out of the loop with my besties, the cluing is misleading at best and closer to being flat-out wrong. 2. What is this weird fascination with other people’s relationships? Why “lesbian couple” or “gay couple”? Can’t couples just be couples? When introducing Jane and Celia to friends, can’t we just say, “Meet Jane and her partner Celia”? Saying “Meet Jane and her gal pal Celia” is cringe af.
Gah. That one clue spoiled an otherwise charming Thursday.
No rhyme or reason about where LATE moves.
40D: IMHO many "gal pals" will not agree that it is a euphanism for a lesbian couple. Or is "bromance" a sexual thing?
I still don't understand how COLL is chilly
Any other Catholic school kids remember St Blaise’s Feast day (February 3rd) and the blessing of the throats?
@Weezie
Thanks very much for explaining GAL PALS and its hashtag currency. I hope I remember that.
But I really disagree with you about TRANSLATES. I'm with my wife's family, okay? They're all German. I'm trying valiantly to speak in German with Frank, and he in English with me; we're both just practicing and meeting each other halfway. His English is better than my German, but not by much, and we're struggling. At some point I call Jascha over, who is fluent in both. "Hey Jascha, can you come here a minute? Would you mind translating between us?" Never would I say "would you mind interpreting between us?" -- that's not a colloquial way of saying it.
@Barbara S.
Quite a while back I conceived the notion of trying to remember the words on Ezersky's list by grouping words together into classes where the words share the same distinct letters, and then studying those classes from time to time. For example, "aloof, falloff, foal, loaf, loofa, offal" make up a class. An advantage of this learning method is portability: if you spot a word and have learned its class well, then all the other words in that class go in right away, independent of what the highlighted letter is. But as you can see, I didn't really commit to this method, because that word you mentioned is something I got long before my problematic word.
I may spend some time assembling classes during this semester break. If you have any interest, I can send along the fruits of my labor when it's well underway (I'm sure I still have your email). Of course other SB homies like @okanaganer would also be welcome.
Never mind
What a terrific and original theme -- wonderfully well-executed. Another "Gee, I wish I'd thought of this myself" puzzle.
I was baffled until -- "Aha!!!" -- I wasn't, and I saved myself from longer-lasting befuddlement by jumping to the revealer early on. My first thought was that CIRCLED belonged where CIRCUS (for CIRCULATED) now is -- so I was looking for an LE rebus. But the beautifully clued PERDUE saved me from that red herring.
I had also misread LATERALLY as LATE RALLY which didn't fit the clue either.
Isn't it wonderful how all the switched LATE words (with and without LATE) create perfectly real, perfectly ordinary words on their own. That's not so easy to pull off.
A wonderful puzzle. Now off to see if it got Jeff Chen's POW -- which, to my mind at least, it richly deserves.
Often work bottom up (in crosswords, at least) so wanted VENTILATTE. Figured the TT square was the trick. Disabused of that theory quickly.
MOPIER also reminded me of Curb Your Enthusiasm (mentioned above for LD ordering a “vanilla bullshit”) when Leon told Jeff that Larry was upstairs moping - “he’s a Mopy Dick”. Jeff tries to explain it’s actually Moby Dick, a novel, then gives into Leon’s simpler explanation. “Let’s get his mopy ass down here.”
Hate to say the obvious but pretty, pretty, pretty good TThursday (have to get my double T in somewhere)…
Barbara, SARI/toga is not a kealoa by definition because they have no letters in common. The other day I thought I good, long kealoa is CHURCH/CHAPEL
I would change the clue for GALPALS to "Cornball euphemism for a Lesbian couple."
I needed to practically fill in the whole grid before I saw the gimmick. I saw that SIDE was involved in four across lines but the "shift" was hard for me to see. Mainly because TEMPS, CIRCUS, CLEANS, and TRANS are unclued.
I feel good about figuring out the clever gimmick, but there wasn't much else to like and it took 23 Terrible Threes.
I wondered about GOL. I found out that it is the Spanish word for "goal."
@SandyM
You may be misinterpreting how the theme works. The word is COLD, not COLL, after you shift LATE over from COL(LATE)D to the adjacent answer CLEANS to form CLEAN S(LATE). The brilliancy of the puzzle is that these theme answers don't make much sense until you mentally perform this shifting operation on these pairs of adjacent answers, and yet the answers as written are still standalone words.
I totally get and agree that almost everyone uses translate to mean what you describe. And, as someone who works with professional interpreters and translators - two related but distinct jobs with different skillsets - they’ve drilled it into us that these are two different meanings and shouldn’t be used interchangeably. It’s one of those things I know I’m shouting into the wind about, because the common usage has functionally changed the meaning of the words. But since interpreters and translators are very clear about the distinction, and I am endlessly indebted to them, continue to shout I shall. 🤷🏻
Year ago I heard GAL PAL in a gossip column refer to the female friend who everybody knew was cohabiting with a male friend of mine who was semi famous. They eventually married and weren’t pals anymore
@Weezie - thanks for the explanation of GALPAL usage - whether that is what the constructors/editors intended is another question, certainly not implied in the clue.
Per Twitter, it seems that PURDUE is the largest brand in the Eastern states. Inescapable in these parts, pun intended. I wonder if owner/spokesman Frank is still around. Ads now feature responsible farming.
Venti is Italian for 20, as in ounces, which are not used in Italy, of course - qualifies as ARTY. It has been two decades since a barista or fellow customer would bat an eye if you walked in and ordered a medium coffee, so everyone can relax now...
CLAMATO reminds me of the Simpsons scene when Homer is in NYC and is offered clam juice or Mountain Dew from a street vendor. He winces, lets out a loud EWWW and says, "I'll have a clam juice".
OLE>GOL - fun to have that appear! Like the theme that I finally worked out post solve. So obvious in retrospect, but a fun deduction. Kind of like Glass Onion, which was mentioned the other day thanks to the fabulous Janelle Monae.
The first one I got was EMULATES, so I thought the theme would be to take the end of the answer on the right and shift it around to the beginning of the one on the left. But I didn't have CIRCUS yet, so I couldn't confirm it. Then I got TEMPS, which was obviously missing LATE from its innards. I was stumped until I got the revealer, after which it was all clear, and very much appreciated.
I only go to Starbucks when there's no alternative, e.g. when I'm driving across country, feeling drowsy, and they're the only coffee vendors at the rest stop. When I do, I just ask for a "small black coffee." They always seem to know what I mean. But I guess if you're a Starbucks fan, using their terminology makes you feel like you're one of the INS. Sort of the way gamers say "noob."
Me too for having Middlemarch on my shelf, and for that matter in my Kindle, but not having plunged into it yet.
@TTrimble, I agree with you as far as colloquial speech goes. but professionally it's different. I have a friend whose brother visited Paris, fell in love with a French women, got married and stayed (old story). He makes a living doing translation, but wants to break into the more lucrative field of interpreting. Simultaneous interpreting pays even better.
@Loren, I was trying to relate your avatar to the theme, but couldn't make the Romeo part work. But I just realized it was a different answer in this puzzle. Neat!
GAL PALS??? What?! Maybe things are way different in New York City (or Peoria), but holy smokes I hope people aren't using phrases permeated with such tortured thinking.
I might have heard of PURDUE chicken, maybe, but it wasn't happening today and caused a train wreck for the northwest.
Outside of there, moving LATE awkwardly around took awhile to see and longer to understand (if I do?), but once they started going in the jig was up. Seems clever enough as an idea, but the fill ended up with too much junk as a result.
I'm debating the word SCYTHE. I can't decide if I love it or hate it. It comes with good imagery, but the spelling is atrocious. Still all those letters glopped in a jumble are amusing.
Has anybody been named BLAISE since 1623?
Do they really call it CLAMATO? It sounds gross, but I would try it anyway.
Uniclues:
1 Answers the phones for a plumbing company after answering the phones at a proctologist office.
2 Takes the dog's flea collar off.
3 Each of the red ones beginning in January.
1 LATERALLY TEMPS
2 EMULATES CIRCUS (~)
3 MOPIER SENATOR
I thought the puzzle was easy. The trick was easy to get. I don’t actually go to Starbucks, so I’m not sure about this question. Does Starbucks really call a “latte” a “late?” I hope some Starbucks patron can let me know.
POW indeed! TYVM to you two gifted gridders & kudos as well to Rafa for working the late shift for OFL. As the only person on the planet who saw NIL moments of the recent futbol something or other, I wanted WTF instead of GOL at 40a. Soccer, cage fighting and hip hop music have their fans I realize, but George ELIOT awaits.
Did you,read Bill Mahers "New Rules" re Starbucks orders.."the longer the Starbucks order the bigger the asshole"
@TTrimble (9:49)
I'd love you to send me your "word classes" work. (My email's on my profile, if you find my address has gone astray). I have a few mantras that I say to myself while working on the SB, such as "if you can spell TENT, you can spell ENTENTE" and "if you can spell DINED, you can spell INDEED," but I've never tried to systematize anything the way you're doing. Thanks!
@EdFromHackensack (9:53)
You're absolutely right and thanks for reminding me. The piece about shared letters had fallen out of my head. Here's Rex's definition:
*kealoa = short, common fill 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.
I guess we have no term for two interchangeable answers of the same length with no letters in common. And perhaps we don't need one... I'll ponder the question.
I’m inclined to think that the constructors absolutely intended that reference, given that Rachel Fabi is a regular contributor to Queer Qrosswords and her bio makes her seem very progressive across the board. And, I can absolutely agree that probably the clue should have conveyed more of the intention - if commenters on this blog are initially confused and put off by it, it means many more are!
I was underwhelmed by the theme until I finally figured out the full extent of what was going on. That didn’t occur until I realized that the TRANS at one side of the grid linked to the LATE at the other side. Then I went back and discovered that the other themers worked the same way and were each more than just LATE added to the word beside it. Brava!
So, GAL PALS are lesbians? That’s news to me, having heard that expression a number of times but never in reference to two women who were more than just friends. Seems like an odd way to describe a romance.
I agree with @LMS about ordering a coffee at Starbucks. Seems so pretentious to ask for a VENTI. “And another one for my gal
pal, please.”
Thx, Claire & Rachel for this fun Thurs. challenge! :)
Hi Rafa, good to see you back so soon. Thx for your write-up! :)
Med.
On the easy side, except for some resistance in the NE.
Still trying to fully grok the intricacies of the themer rows. I do see how LATE can be SHIFTed to form … [ok, never mind; got it; cute!] :)
Nice attempt at misdirection on PAWN, since the 'English Opening' is more than just the first move – which in this case just happens to be a PAWN, i.e., many different pieces are involved in this 'opening'.
"The English Opening is a flank opening where White advances their c-pawn two squares instead of the d- or e-pawns. The English is a highly transpositional opening, meaning that in many cases the game will reach the same position that arises from other openings and through different move orders. The English Opening is most suitable for intermediate and advanced players and demands more understanding of positional concepts." (Chess .com)
Enjoyed today's puz a lot! :)
@Son Volt (7:44 AM)
Ditto on Will 'becoming a favorite'! :)
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🙏
Perdue, the chicken conglomerate
Tried hard to like this but I grow weary of themes I have to study after the fact to figure them out. On the plus side, it was certainly easy and I didn’t have to Google a single clue. ZIP before NIL, RUPERT before ROBERT, NUMERAL before SENATOR. No idea how PERDUE relates to chicken or how to TRANS LATE the word GOL. Sounds like something Gomer Pyle would say.
I refer to my female acquaintances as girlfriends or friends. I always though GAL PALS meant women who are “just friends” in a platonic relationship with someone of the opposite sex.
@Weezer: Thanks for the clarification on interpret/translate. It occurred to me the clue was off but didn’t realize I was correct. I have a young cousin who is gifted in that area of expertise. By the time he graduated high school he was fluent in numerous languages and had taught himself “the easy ones“ (his words) like Spanish, French, German and Italian. The last I heard, he had mastered he more than a dozen. Not that anyone else would care but since you’re in the biz, I thought it might be of interest to you.
@Barbara S
I made the same mistake and was corrected a few weeks ago.
How about KELO? 😂
Shifty theme mcguffin. Like. Musta took the constructioneers many extra nanoseconds, to come up with themers with before & after shift immunity.
Took M&A probably even more extra nanoseconds to figure out this theme mcguffin. Had to peek at the revealer, after both LATERALLY & CIRCUS were splatzed in and makin no sense.
Lotsa fave fillins in this puppy, includin: OVATION. LIMITED. TYVM. HOTHEAD. DABBLED [primo dabblin list, @Muse darlin … M&A's list includes pickle ball, makin weirdo crosswords, makin computer games and board games, watercolor paintin, and National Guard]. SCYTHE. DEET & ASH clues.
Not too scrabble dabbly -- missin JKQXZ. Had yer two {X} clues, tho, sooo … ok.
staff weeject pick: III. Only entry where U can shift all its letters around, and still get the same answer.
TYVM for gangin up on us, Fabi & Rimkus darlins. Neat ThursPuz.
Masked & Anonymo3Us
**gruntz**
Saw the revealer LATESHIFT too early and thought it involved a rebus where LATE “shifts” an initial letter, as in temPLATE to tranSLATE, but then saw SLATE used again in cleanSLATE and couldn’t figure out a possible 4th “shift”. So, didn’t like the shifting LATEs. But the fill was legit, especially with no unbeknownst-to-me names of singers/actors (TYVM!)
Very, very clever and fun Thursday puzzle and I actually “hung around” after the solve to marvel at what the constructors had accomplished…great job!
I’m glad @weezie straightened out the GALPALS situation. My thoughts were initially like @LMS and others. What I DON’T get is why some people immediately blame SHORTZ for what they see as deficiencies. Ah well.
In the Midwest the two mega factory confined chicken operations are Tyson AND PERDUE. You just better hope you don’t live near one in warm weather. I try to avoid both brands.
@Barbara S. I FINALLY “read” Middlemarch when I got turned onto audiobooks. In fact, my book count has at least doubled with my new reading. I can stick my phone in my pocket when I do my walks, housework (except vacuuming), AND when I hop into my car to do errands the Bluetooth in my car kicks the book into my car speakers. I confess that these days if I attempted to SIT and read Middlemarch I would likely snooze off.
What a delightful surprise. A Crossword puzzle review and reviewer who just simply liked the puzzle and only had nice things to say about it. (I agree, by the way). Unheard of!!! And completely refreshing.
Even though I'm always glad to learn nuances of word usage, I was about to push back a little bit more on the TRANS(LATE) thing, on grounds that bending to colloquial non-technical usage is usually okay in crosswords. But now that I take a second look at the precise wording of the clue, I concede that @Weezie (and others) have a point. If "Act" had been in place of "Work", I think there would have been less ground for complaint. But to run roughshod over the ways professional workers in the area use the terms is something that should have been fixed.
I'm a chess player, and know the English Opening, and put down PAWN right away, but I'm not really clear on what the clue is trying to accomplish. Why the specificity of "English Opening"? Why that and not, say, "Sicilian Opening" -- wouldn't that work just as well? Every opening has pawns as "elements", even a Reti Nf3, otherwise you won't be able to get your pieces out or exert influence on the center. I'll ask @bocamp then: where is the misdirection you spoke of?
Re CLAMATO juice: don't knock until you've tried it. That and some Snap-E Tom work great in a Bloody Mary.
I’m not actually in the biz; my non-profit just uses their services regularly to make our programming accessible to monolingual/primarily Spanish speakers.
As for your nephew, wow! Some people are truly gifted like that, and I’m not one of them, alas. I love languages though, so I just put the work in and can gradually get to competency, but also quickly lose it without practice. I spent 6 months studying Brazilian Portuguese daily before traveling to Brazil with my ex, and my ex did no prep but had lapped me within a week. They similarly have about a dozen languages, some from totally unrelated language groups like your nephew.
Fwiw, I do think that once you’ve learned one Romance language, the rest are much easier. As someone who’s semi-fluent in Spanish, solidly conversational in French, and had basic Portuguese at one point, I can now read Italian and more or less grasp 85% of what’s being said. And of course it really comes in handy for crosswords. 🙃
Speaking of GAL PALS, yesterday's JANE ADDAMS partnered with the love of her life, Mary Rozet Smith, for 40 years. When they were apart they wrote letters to each other daily.
Thank goodness the bigotry of the day did not impede Addams in her life's work. She won the Nobel Peace prize, co-founded Hull House, did foundational work establishing the profession of Social Work as we know it today, and the discipline of Sociology, and had a postage stamp issued in her honor. Ten cents, 1940. Not too shabby.
Me, too! But what’s with collated & chilly??? Don’t get it!
@TTrimble (9:49)... Yes I would be interested in seeing your word classes. I have noticed a few myself, for instance if you can spell HEAD you can also do HEADED, DEADHEAD, and DEADHEADED which is a nice quadfecta of 4, 6, 8, and 10ers.
I'm not a Ford expert, but that's a nice picture of what looks like a 1960 Edsel Ranger. I thought all Edsels had the 'horse collar' grill but maybe that was only on certain models(?)
Both the puzzle and the write-up are fine, but it still fed one of my silly gripes: there is no “George who wrote Romola”. There is a Maryann who wrote Romola,or an Evans who wrote Romola or a George Eliot who wrote Romola, but pen names cannot be split up in this manner. They are unitary.
Here is what the constructors said about GAL PALS at Xwordinfo.
“We're delighted that our original clue for 40D made the final cut (representation matters!).”
The Arts section was missing today, so I had to print out the puzzle. Happy I did, because it was a very good concept. I guess that means I liked the puzzle.
If you are not a Catholic or not that interested in science, Blaise might be a rare name for you. Just to pipe in about it, I hired a contractor once whose first name was Blaise. So the name still is in use at this late date.
If I don't post again this week, happy new year everyone.
Hi there @okanaganer. Turns out beer and Clamato is still alive and well in areas of the south. Down on Dauphin Island and that area, it’s still a definite fave, especially in the hot humid summers!
It's Perdue chicken. Perdue = the brand
TYVM Rafa. You nailed it, and I have absolutely nothing I could add. Loved, loved, loved this Thursday (hi @LMS!) - couldn’t ask for more.
Really enjoyed this. Not very tough, but had a nice “Aha” moment when the trick revealed itself.
@TTrimble (12:03 PM) re: PAWN
'Misdirection' may not have been the best way to describe the interesting clueing. Had the answer been either 'rook' or 'king' (both of which could be part of the 'English Opening'), then 'misdirection' certainly would've been apt.
I thot it was 'misdirection' in the sense that 'opening' could possibly be construed by some – especially if one failed to notice the upper case 'O' in 'Opening' – as the 'first' or 'opening' move. Ironically, in this case, misreading would actually lead one to the correct answer, as neither the rook or king could be the first/opening move.
That being said, I especially liked the clue on various levels, but probably I'd've been better off wording it differently . 🤔
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🙏
“Some call it a scythe, I call it a Kaiser blade, mm-hmm.”
For a funny impression of Sling Blade’s Karl as he drives through a *$ (get it, Starbucks?) and orders a “big’un” (Venti) of tea, check out https://youtu.be/qYmpPkaMPEg mm-hmm.
@Alice Pollard – the Blessing of the Throats! The priest would cross two white candles under your chin. I haven't thought of that in years. Some churches must still do it.
Speaking of Blaise, "I" am out of here.
I've long had a hunch that one of the reasons that the Ford EDSEL (68A) was a failure is the similarity between the shape of the opening on the front grille and the shape of the mouth in Edvard Munch's painting The Scream. Just looking at the Edsel's grill results in a feeling of DREAD (53D) or foreboding, right?
I DABBLED (48A) in crossword construction for a few years but that turned into a dribble and nowadays it's an intermittent trickle. I think my xword muse, Lexicrucia, has moved on to more fertile fields.
Most of my family and friends know me as Anoa Bob but on official documents it's Anoa ROBERT.
@Muse et al
Modesty Blaise
Great title character in a series of comics, short stories and novels by Peter O'Donnell, starting in 1963.
VERY non-PC by modern standards, but a lot of fun if you like adventure books. She's almost like a female James Bond, but bond wouldn't stand a chance.
@JC66 (11:15)
KELO -- I laughed!
@Beezer (11:46)
I'm trying to decide if I think audiobooks are cheating. And I'm also trying to decide if I'm woefully pedantic for even considering that audiobooks might be cheating. Was the Middlemarch you listened to abridged? Surely it would have to be. Reading aloud every single word on the 838 pages of tiny print in the edition I have would take anyone but an auctioneer at least a decade. Hmm. Please advise.
@Barbara S. I can’t assure you of this BUT…I DO KNOW that many audiobooks are in the range of 23-26 hours, so I think probably NOT abridged.I kind of know what you mean BUT I look at it as experiencing something I’ve put off for reasons you described. Many times the narrator makes all the difference. Omg. Ruby Dee narrated Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and it was like being in a work of art. Juliet Stevenson narrates Middlemarch and she is considered a premier narrator of British literature. Think of this (and for me, right now, my ophthalmologist STILL thinks it is too early to remove cataracts)…if you could not see, it would NOT be cheating! So. You can always have TWO books going…one in print, and one that you can listen to. I’m telling you…if you check out the great narrators…certain books will come to life in a way you might not have imagined!
My musician friend Blaise Siwula he pronounces his first name as the clue would have it.
Just FYI.
@Andrew
Pretty funny clip! The guy had down pretty well Karl's accent and rhythm, even the set of his mouth. (For better and for worse: his wife may be listening to Karl for the next 50 years. You can ask my wife about such things, that never, ever, grow old -- nosiree.) The guy on the other end, for his part, had a good sense of humor.
I don't hear much about Billy Bob Thornton any more.
Back in the day that’s what they called us! And we called ourselves, bc I guess it was just easier sometimes. I didn’t see it so much an insult from more oppressive times, but something that was kind of embraced tongue-in-cheek. I actually found it nostalgic!
Joe D,
Under your chin? You mean your throat?
The point of the blessing is protection against problems in the throat— choking in particular.
As for some churches still doing it… um, if you mean ever Roman Catholic parish on earth, I agree.
If GALPALS is definitely lesbian now, then we need a term for female friends who are not sexually involved. The obvious choice is PALGALS.
Funny! I have a nephew named Blaise and a brother who has it as a middle name because he was born on St Blaise's day. Growing up Catholic, there was an annual blessing of the throats because St Blaise was a dr and the patron Saint of throat diseases (which now seems odd). The clue made me smile.
I'd still like to know the chilly/coll explanation, please
+1
very much agreed !!
Remove LATE from the entire word COLLATED and you get COLD.
Even with the explanation, I have no idea what this them is. Isn't it a Venti Latte with 2 T's? Moving on.
Please explain answer to Big Sur runner since 2020!
Move LATE from COLLATED to the end of CLEANS which gives you COLD for 51 across and CLEAN SLATE for 54 across 😊
I agree! They are not interchangeable despite how they are incorrectly used by many people. You read a translation of a book or other written material, not an interpretation! Interpretation is used for speech.
Tyson and Perdue started in the South and were definitely factory farms. I wouldn't buy either brand if my life depended on it! You are what you eat...
Big Sur is the IOS software run on Apple products
Insert "late" and get circulates
I just found this puzzle and found the nits of Blaise, TYVM, gal pals (it has not had the lesbian connotation for decades), all valid. I, however, found the theme awkward and disjointed.
A decent collaboration by a pair of relatively new constructors. It took a while to figure out the gimmick. The aha! moment was worth it.
How is COLLATED an answer to CHILLY? what am I missing?
How about "Bernie" for the fireman? And do not fear Clamato - a really good mixer. Try half and half with V8 juice...
I was quite creative today in the way I totally messed up the NE area. Another sports letdown, but truly, my fault.
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords
SL - the word LATE is shifted into the middle of the word COLD, which is truly chilly.
Lady Di
COLD ADIOS
GALPALS SALMA and HELEN,
on a LATESHIFT EACH would DREAD,
VENTILATE RETORTS by yellin',
"I'm SO DONE with your HOTHEAD!"
--- SENATOR ROBERT PERDUE, III
@Alice Pollard 9:47am :
I remember it. Do they still do the throat blessing? I was an altar boy beginning in 1960, until around 1968.
Not my favorite puz. For 'cutter with a curve' I was thinking a baseball pitch. Slider fit but it's not the right description. SlurvE has been used by announcers but too close to 'curve'. Finally got it.
Wordle birdie!
Not sure when I glommed onto the trick, but yeah, pretty smooth. Of course, the LATEned answers made real words in their own right; just never clued. Suitable for a Thursday. My enjoyment was somewhat LIMITED, however, by ho-hum fill. Par.
Wordle par. Full scorecard for 288 holes (four tournaments' worth) coming soon.
GOLly, the BLOODY CAESAR, Canada's national beverage (or it should be)! Made my day entering CLAMATO.
ADIEU before ADIOS and BRAISE before BLAISE slowed down the solve but really enjoyed using the LATESHIFT reveal to make sense of the four rows involved.
TYVM was Textspeak Incognita for me but was discovered from its crosses.
I'm DONE - now, where's the vodka?
And are PERDUE Chickens (never heard of them before) cooked by PURDUE Boilermakers?
@Waxy - good one!
Perdue is a major supplier of chicken to supermarkets in the U.S. Like Tyson.
There are so many people referring to Loren Muse Smith's post, but it's not here. The time was given as 3:11. Is there a reason? Can it be restored?
LMS must have deleted her own post (she is a moderator)—no other explanation, sorry
RP
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