Second day in a row where I finished the puzzle and had no idea if I properly understood the theme. Yesterday, I hadn't. There was a whole secondary element that I'd missed, one that I eventually saw, but only well after finishing. Today ... my main feeling was "Is that it? That can't be it? Wacky phrases made out of three 5-letter anagrams? That's something I'm sure I've seen, maybe a number of times, over the course of decades ... so that can't be it." I noticed that the first and last Across answers were both clued ["Furthermore ..."] and reasoned that those answers must hold the clue to some as-yet undiscovered level of themery. But that got me nowhere. Or, rather, it got me to the (admittedly shaky) idea that the PLUS and ALSO were supposed to refer to the two anagrams that follow the initial word in each theme phrase. If I've missed something, mea culpa, as they say in crosswords. But this concept feels very old-fashioned—which doesn't mean it can't yield results, but I think the results here are too forced for my taste. AIDES IDEAS ASIDE is at least clean, if not terribly exciting. But I don't know why the TRAYS would be ARTSY at a "hipster cafe" (whatever that is). And even after looking at EARLY RELAY LAYER a bunch of times, I'm still not exactly sure what is going on there. I guess the idea is that in a triathlon you swim first (yes?) so, as for your wetsuit, it's ... EARLY in the RELAY ... that you would wear ... it? So the LAYER is EARLY, not the RELAY, which probably started right on time, so I guess RELAY is also adjectival (modifying LAYER) ... wait, is EARLY-RELAY a compound adjective? That's probably your best bet for understanding this one. Sigh. It's grammatically confusing (esp. compared to that first themer). And SET ON STONE feels like a typo—a violation of the phrase everyone uses when talking setting + stone, that is, "set in stone." So these 3x5-letter anagram phrases were of varying degrees of solidity and clarity, though the basic concept was never likely to yield anything terribly exciting. But also, as I say, I may be missing something important. The one unexpected thing about this theme is that after grasping the concept, I thought getting all the themers would be way too easy, but they were somehow bizarre enough to make me work. There is something to be said for working. And bizarreness. Not a total loss.
The fill is also a little limp today—lots of overfamiliar 3-4-5 stuff (LOO ANO ITT ITOO TIARA HERR NYT IAMB SOS UNDOandREDO etc.). As usual, the long Downs add some color. I really like the clue on BOLSTERS—an unexpected yogic twist. If you've ever been to a yoga class, then you know, BOLSTERS are real (and useful). I always like remembering "Peanuts," even though the RED BARON stuff was never my favorite (6D: Snoopy's imaginary antagonist). I prefer the ordinary existentialist drama of Snoopy's everyday life, like his conversations with Woodstock. "Conversations" (Woodstock speaks only in little vertical slashes, though Snoopy seems to understand him). Weird that I wanted "IT'S A TRAP" on Monday when the answer was "IT'S A TEST," only to have "IT'S A TRAP" appear here, two days later. Is a LOIN a "body part"??? Like ... I have a reasonable understanding of where one's "loins" (plural???) are, but I don't think I know *exactly* what "part" is in question here. Is it a pig body part, like a pork LOIN? Google is telling me that the LOIN is "the part of the body on both sides of the spine between the lowest (false) ribs and the hipbones," but no one says "ow, my LOIN!" when they hurt their lower back, do they? I know this word only as a cut of meat, so "body part" really threw me. There wasn't much else here to throw me, though. The two pop culture names of less-than-universal fame were very familiar to me, though I actually never saw the clue for Michaela COEL. As for PRUE, I had this moment of "ugh not a celebrity chef, I do not know any celebr-" followed by "Oh, PRUE! From 'Great British BAKE Off'! Oh sure, I know her. She's fun."
The cluing felt thoughtful today. Liked the clues on little things like GALA (24D: Fancy-sounding apple cultivar) ("fancy-sounding" made me smile and "cultivar" is just a cool word), and STEER (33D: Use a wheelchair's push rims, for instance) (makes me think PUSH RIMS would make good fill), and SOFT (70A: Like forgiving lighting in photography). Regular words, but the clues give me vivid, specific contexts to think about. Just because the words are ordinary doesn't mean the clues have to be dull. See you all tomorrow, I hope.
Very clever idea, I thought. The long clues seemed so abstract (especially the one for STRAYARTSYTRAYS) that I was able to intuit the anagram concept.
I had ALSO for 1-Across, and assumed at first that the constructor was playing a cute trick by having ALSO at both the NW and SE corners. But I finally hit on PLUS for 1-Across, and everything fell into place.
Medium for me. I liked RED BARON, ON AND OFF, and "IT'S A TRAP!" as bonuses.
COEL feels like it's there just because they reallllly wanted to have the PLUS/ALSO and UNDO/REDO (come on...) pairings in opposite corners. Meh. Also NSA/STEAM is definitely better than NBA/BTEAM but maybe that's just me.
Well a wordplay theme is better than a PPP-based clunker, so that helps. It seems like the proper names are getting less and less mainstream, but who am I to know - I’m pretty much lost after OTT and ORR (and, of course, GARR). The one positive take away from this puzzle is that it may finally motivate me to learn what an IAMB is, so I can feel more knowledgeable the next one hundred times I enter it into a grid.
I actually found the theme silly and fun and friendly today. My nit is also also with NOTES SET ON STONE but for a different reason than Rex; I I happen to think ON works here even if iN would have flowed more easily. For me the issue is that this phrase is 4 words while the rest are all 3.
But as Rex named, the real star here is in the cluing for the fill. I learned a few new things, and the gently clever misdirects made for a sparkly experience. I loved “it’s used to walk the dog,” as just one example among many.
I also really appreciated how non Eurocentric/white-centric this puzzle was. From answers like SIERRA, CHI, ATTA, TONI, JADE, LIU, RAGA, and of course my fave Michaela COEL to the cluing for words like CROONS, ITOO, and BAKE, this puzzle is a great example of how much more inclusive crosswords can be while still being accessible to all (or most). Another fabulous example in another dimension of inclusion was cluing STEER as “Use a wheelchair’s push rims, for instance.” Seeing that casual inclusion of disabled people’s experiences - not in any kind of exceptionalizing, pitying, or “inspiration porn” way - feels like it normalized disability, much like it normalized decentering whiteness. Basically, more of this please.
[Cue OUTRO music] I absolutely adored this puzzle. Be sure to like and subscribe.
Interesting phrasing on the RED BARON clue, given that the Red Baron was a real person, while Snoopy is himself is imaginary.
Last themer – no, just no. You can’t suddenly throw SET ON in there when everything else has been single words. Up to that point, I was thinking it was just a weak theme. Then it became a weak theme that didn't even meet its own modest goals.
Super-easy, despite a pair of WoEs (PRUE, COEL). For the latter, hied/coil or hoed/cool would have sat a lot better with me.
Originally had Offandon where ONANDOFF went, which is the phrase I would use 100% of the time and hear 80%(?) of the time. This apparently makes me an outlier.
Unlike Rex, my mind is bizarre enough that the theme did help me in the solve. It seems to me as a solver that the first and last themers are the most important - in this case, I think I’d have been more forgiving of the theme if it hadn’t ended with the almost-right-but-not-quite ON STONE.
Loved the thoughtful clues Rex mentioned, and would add the clues for PTAS and BTEAM as ones that made me think about familiar answers a little differently.
I got the STRAY ARTSY TRAYS themer pretty easily. Hipster traditionally are very artsy with their clothes and personal choices so a cafe would likely have lots of stray trays (like you got in school for lunch) that are pretty artsy. Good puzzle today though messed up the fill a bit with herons. Second time in a small time frame I’ve had the egret heron debate.
I bet I'm not the only one around here who saw AIDES and then IDEAS and thought we were in for a trip to Anagram City. I found the themers mostly OK but thought the cluing was a little tortured.
PRUE and COEL were folks I met today and UNDO for REDO was a snag, and yes I forgot we had UNDO up top already. I think I had that filled in without reading the clue. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Some fun answers. The thought of a twelve-foot CRAB is a little scary but nice to see ALEX Morgan and the accursed REDBARON. The Portuguese clue for ANO is always a good idea.
Interesting enough Wednesday, OMF and BH. One Might Find some faults But Hardly anything egregious. Thanks for a goodly amount of fun.
theme helped me solve, as I knew the letters and would just have to arrange them. I thought it was adorable and fun! But I also really like Brooke Husic so maybe I was biased.
Hard for me to like a puzzle that has clues "Soccer star Morgan" (ALEX), "Celebrity chef ___ Leith" (PRUE) and "Screenwriter/actress Michaela" (COEL). I remain confused about the theme. EARLY RELAY LAYER is nice, but a triathlon is not a relay event. It's a race where the contestants swim, run and cycle - no batons needed. Despite all that I liked the puzzle.
I don't know when I last felt so on the wrong the wavelength for a puzzle. I completed it, but it was a slog.
As to the triathlon question: @Rex if you were doing a team triathlon relay, then the first member of the team would be the one in a wetsuit for the swim which is the first leg. So the way I understood the meaning was as if it said, "Early in the relay, wear this layer." It's awkward but does make sense. It's the earliest layer of clothing in the relay, and the next member of the team would wear a different layer-- a bike jersey.
This puzzle is a lovely echo of Olivia’s puzzle last August (made with Andrea Carla Michaels) where three states were mashed together (such as VERMONTANALASKA) with the reveal TRI STATE AREA. Both puzzles involved three-part theme answers and repurposed letters. But were playful, and I love playful.
Once I cracked the theme – and it took a while – the solve shifted to fast gear. But I love how it took a while, how the mystery lingered. That drama of being in the theme-not-yet-cracked state is one of Crosslandia’s great gifts.
So is a quick scan of the completed grid, where gifts often come tumbling out. Such as the nearby palindromes ATTA and SOS. The answers RAGA and REDO, which are crossword stalwarts backward. I liked the eight schwa-ending answers, three of which were trochees to balance off IAMB: RAGA / ATTA / GALA. Also, those related clues for UNDO/REDO got me thinking that there could have been related clues for YOYO and STAY with [It’s used to walk the dog] and [It’s used to halt the dog].
A lovely mix of drama and fun; a great outing for me. Thank you so much, B&O!
Hey All ! I thought the Anagrammity was neat! Four phrases that sound fine to me as clued. Wouldn't we call the Ten Commandments NOTES SET-ON STONE? Sounds quite logical to me.
And of course, a hipster cafe would have ARTSY trays! C'mon man! And they would be tossed about haphazardly, because we all know hipsters don't confirm to putting TRAYS in a neat stack.
Triathlons, yes, first you swim two miles, get out of the water, take off your wetsuit LAYER after that EARLY stage, throw on a shirt and sneakers, then bike 100 miles, followed by a 26 mile run. Those people are crazy...
All that to rebutt the Rex ON AND OFF-ness of his review. Har.
Good GRID design, only 36 Blockers, plus the four grid spanners. Works for me. Nice one, Olivia and Brooke.
Took forever the suss out the theme. Not a fan of anagrams in xwords, but wouldn't have gotten COEL without the STONE.
I was just out of it this AM. Don't recall ever feeling so off the right wavelength on a Wednes. puz, theme notwithstanding.
Nevertheless, as always, relish a good battle!
Excellent adventure! :) ___ @pablo: pretty much the same result as you on Anna's Mon. New Yorker. I knew neither of the 2 longs, but crosses bailed me out. :) Watching the film on Criterion (before my sub runs out). 🎥 ___ Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🙏
Medium, average time. Largely looking for error, thanks to Simu LIU I finally found I had SpICE for the pizza place purchase (well, *they* must buy it, yes?), but realized (a) never heard the name pIU, so how common can it be, really, and (b), oh, something *I* would purchase, yes, LIU.
Thought the anagrams were clever, though they made the puzzle easier. Saw AIDESIDEASASIDE before reading the clue, then the others were... obvious?
My inexplicable aversion to anagrams was overcome by the ingenious AIDE'S IDEAS ASIDE, and still held at bay by the humor of the STRAY ARTSY TRAYS. But then, for me, there was a progressive fizzle: since when does a triathlon have a RELAY or engravings get SET ON STONE (and with a non-parallel four word phrase)? I did like the "and in addition..." flourish of PLUS and ALSO.
Do-overs: malapop ALSO as 1A, Trek before TOUR. Help from previous puzzles: I, TOO; ATTA; OUTRO. No idea: COEL.
Regarding "loin" - Anyone notice how supermarkets are sticking that term on random cuts to make them sound like choice pieces worthy of a hefty price tag? I've seen chicken "loin," even cod "loin." Gimme a break.
This brought a bunch o' fun even though I'm not much of an anagram fan. Being all short answers usually means it flies by in a jiffy as this one did.
After a tough end to last week, things are easy going so far this week.
I've spent an hour reading up on Snoopy and the Red Baron. The baron was only 25 when he died. The idea for Snoopy was pure whimsy.
Uniclues:
1 When the improv needs to improve out east. 2 My daughter's crush (or so he thinks). 3 The little lightning bolt and turtle on the crossword congratulations screen. 4 Dive bombing waders. 5 Habit of a lost tourist. 6 Around the World afficionado who decoupages his tool with Playboy bunnies.
1 RAGA EXIT 2 STAG NOIR 3 STAT GRID DECOR 4 RED BARON EGRETS 5 BRAKES ON AND OFF 6 SEXY YOYO NUT
Weight loss evidence put forward by a reasoned believer in God. That stun gun is worth crying over. Checklist for a formal fiesta? Don’t let that guy with uncovered facial hair in.
If you worked in Information Technology and were also a viceroy to the Medean king, you’d be an ITSATRAP. And speaking of IT, is it kosher to have ITS A TRAP next to Cousin ITT?
Alright, unicluers, I’m expecting big things out of SEXY YOYO NUT!
It’s funny how this would clearly be hard to construct but the gimmick makes it super easy to solve. But I liked it lots. Thanks, Olivia Mitra Framke and Brooke Husic.
There are team triathlons that consist of three members — one swims, one bikes, and the last one runs. I believe the clue works in this context — each member of the “relay” has his/her own role.
Really enjoyed it. Always enjoy seeing one of the USA's great athletes and more soccer representation with Alex Morgan, Prue Leith made me wonder when GBBO is coming back, and I appreciated the wheelchair push rims clue.
The only thing that irked me was the clue for the Times' own podcast. Maybe "First Person" is a big podcast and I'm just unaware of it...I don't listen to The Daily, but I know it's huge. I was thinking NPR at first for "First Person". Just seemed to be a bit too self-referential and promotional for my liking.
Had tOnES before NOTES for a STONE cold closing moment, but everything else was Wednesday. Since I like PANDA grids even more than Thursday rebi, this one works for me. Thanks for putting your heads together on this one Olivia PLUS Brooke.
I love the kinds of puzzles where all the themers are mini brain ticklers to be solved. It's sort of like puzzles within puzzles within puzzles. This one wasn't very hard -- even you vociferous anagram haters out there couldn't possibly have been unduly burdened -- but I made it more interesting for myself by solving with as few crosses as possible. For the first three I had already read the clue. But I hadn't for the fourth. When I had SET ON filled in, I plopped in NOTES on the left and STONE on the right. And I was sure I had the clue nailed, too.
"The Ten Commandments." Right?
Alas, no. Cluing opportunity missed, I'd say. But a very lively and entertaining puzzle nonetheless. I especially liked EARLY RELAY LAYER -- which did leave me wondering what garments, if any, remained after it was removed?
Somewhere between @Nancy‘s [SPLAT!] from yesterday and @Lewis’ rave. Ultimately did not have to cheat but found myself highly frustrated with some of the trivia such as PRUE, COEL, OUTRO. ALSO never heard of ATTA flour. Sort of sounds like the Panko version of breadcrumbs. I like anagrams and in this one the theme definitely was an AID in the solve so that’s a big PLUS in my book.
I’m a big fan of 48 down, RAGS made from old T-shirts. I cut them in small sections and keep them in my car, purse and travel bag for cleaning spectacles.
I thought this was a fun crunchy Wednesday puzzle. Thank goodness my reading habits are eclectic because proper name NEIL was my first entry in the NE (although I ALWAYS wonder about Neil v. Neal). I WAS going to comment on how difficult it would be to come up with three anagrams using same letters in a manner that makes sense then @Sir Hillary and @egs (maybe others now) whipped some out!
I have zero problem with NOTESSETONSTONE. I guess it might be the outlier since SETON is two words (don’t care) but just because we have the idiom “set in stone” doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I’m actually more critical of the term “engraving” in the clue than the answer. Why? Because I think of stone as carved and metal as engraved.
As for proper names…and I KNOW I’m an outlier but I really do not understand why people like to watch people cook or bake! For me the experience is like watching paint dry, plus if I make it through, I just want to EAT what they’ve made and then think…hmmm….I don’t have all the ingredients even IF I felt like making it myself. Anyhoo. PRUE is a name I learned today and unless I see her again real soon it will vacate my brain’s file cabinet.
Cool tri-anagrammer theme … M&A is for sure a big FAN ( ___ HITS THIS, btw). fave themer: AIDES IDEAS ASIDE.
staff weeject pick: NBA. Has tri-anagrammer potential: {Court ruling against Trump's stealing Sixth Man of the Year Award?} = NBA NAB BAN. Or somesuch.
@GAC - I had the same reservation about the triathlon anagram, but the clue specified “TEAM triathlon.” Senor Google confirms that there is such a thing as a team triathlon, which is a true relay.
A tasty menu today... ARTSY PRUE will BAKE a SLICE of SEXY LOIN for a STAG GALA. The ARRAY on your TRAY will include STEER NUT, TOFU LIU LOO PLUS a LAYER of SOFT STONE CRAB. Pinot NOIR for the SNOB.
A fun Wed. After yesterday, I needed something tasty. This fit the bill. Anagrams play with my mind and this one did too. I didn't notice the PLUS ALSO...didn't care....Still fun!
Now OFF to read what @Gary J and @egs will BAKE up.
I love anagrams, and I loved this puzzle. It was indeed fun figuring them out, although I had at least a few crosses in place for each one. Getting the first, before I understood what was going on, was a true thrill. I could see that AIDES were involved, of maybe AIDE SIDE...then suddenly the letters just parsed themselves.
The only problem was the clue for NOTES SET ON STONE, "Engravings, e.g.?" It might have worked if it had said"Lithographs" instead -- but engravings are made by cutting INTO the stone (or other plate) and then printing from that. (I'm leaving out a few intervening steps -- I'm not a printmaker, but was once married to one, and heard all about the various methods). I know, it's just a clue, but it shouldn't be actually wrong.
@Roo, you are describing an Ironman. Ordinary triathlons are considerably shorter.
I'm wracking my brain for a way to make 64-A into 3 five-letter words. Other possible anagrams include TONES (already pointed out) and SETON (surname of the first saint to be born in what is now the USA). If she had written hymns, it could have been "Writes down saint's songs," but I don't think she did.
Been forever since I've read/seen Hamlet and I have never seen Othello, so when the crosses gave me an IA-- I just filled in IAgo and ignored the little tingle in the back of my brain that objected. That made the yoga mat cross impossible for me to get until I eventually caught my mistake.
I loved seeing the first theme entry. I like that kind of playing with words and "aides ideas aside" sounds like a real comment. I could hear someone saying.
The rest didn't work as well. Although "early relay layer was also fun, I couldn't actually hear a voice saying it the way I did with the first one. Notes set ON stone misses because etchings are set IN.
I enjoyed some of the other clues. I smiled at "former T-shirts..." and"Over-the-top sorts"
@jberg (11:46)was looking for a different set of anagrams for 63A (each one word) and, I assume, a clue to go with it. Although I'm not at all unhappy with what the constructors did here, I do have a solution for @jberg:
Clue: His ice sculptures always melt, so he's really happy about this early glimpse of a brand-new medium
Liked it, had some resistance, which I want on a Wednesday, and some fresh clueing. I enjoy anagrams so this was a pleasure. I agree with WEEZIE on the inclusiveness of this one, and I’d hope for more.
I got the theme early enough that it helped finish them and the puzzle off. Much of the puzzle very easy, then the last 3rd or so was almost late week tricky.
I learned ATTA here not long ago, it being the Indian flour, and NAAN being the palindromic bread.
Same reaction as Rex for grumbling at having to know celebrity chefs, then having it be PRUE, oh yeah, love her! Her only flaw is she wasn't the original Mary Berry on the show. She does overuse "lovely" perhaps.
I like anagrams in general; this was okay but no real sparkle. The first themer looks like random letters; like those DNA sequences in print: ...IDESIDEASASID..
I'm so used to seeing NPR that I automatically put it in for 44 down. Saw the word "podcast", ignored the rest of the clue.
I like @egs #2 suggestion: TASER RATES TEARS.
[Spelling Bee: yd 0; last 2 words a 6er and a 5er. QB streak 4 days.]
Surprised so many had trouble with this one - the trick was obvious from the first themer and gave me a leg up ON the rest. Must be a wavelength thing.
*”Horns, don’t overbalance the oboes.”
If you skipped @Rex’s Tracy Ullman clip do check it out. Ninety seconds of Ullman’s genius. And I don’t watch BAKE-off (Hi, @Beezer).
@jberg, this is pretty OUTRO-there, but it satisfies the 3-word requirement and only two letters change places from the original: “Discovers ore in Yorkshire.” The clue presupposes that we all know that the 1850 discovery of ironstone in Eston Hills saw Eston develop from a small farming settlement to a thriving mining town. The film, A Century in Stone, describes how the mines were responsible for making Teesside the iron and steel capital of the world. NOTES ESTON STONE [thudding sound here]
@Joseph M, excellent PLUSses and ALSOs.
@Weezie, done and done. Nice comments on the cluing.
Liked all the finishing O's - REDO UNDO YOYO ITOO OUTRO ANO LOO and TAROT, ALSO.
PLUS my orchestra section, The BRASS, beat out the oboes this time.
In racing, the term "relay" as I understand it means that different persons complete different "legs," or sections, of the race, working as teams, sometimes handing off something (e.g., a baton) from one team member to the next. Is there such a thing as a "relay" triathlon? The whole point of a triathlon is for ONE person to prove her/their/his stamina, etc., by completing all three parts (swim, bike, run) solo. I've never heard of a triathlon where the three legs are performed by different persons. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, I call BS on "EARLYRELAYLAYER."
FWIW COEL was an answer at least once before and ATTA has showed up occasionally as it is so useful. My guess is atta is emerging crosswordese and Coel will show up again from from Wednesday onward in the future. I do admit Coel is still quite obscure and I needed crosses even though I loved her short series on HBO.
@A… I DID check out the clip per your rec and would have had NO clue that THAT was Tracey Ullman. Omg. I’m old and it’s verified. Thank you @A! If all cooking/Baking/chef shows were like this, I’d watch!
Excellent construction. At first, I thought that this was going to be one of the puzzles that only serious constructors could love and then the light went on. Such clever work! Constructors so often “see” words in ways we mere solvers do not, and in my case (after 60+ years of daily solving) cannot. Just wow.
It took me a while to get the theme because the puzzle itself gave me quite a run for my money just to get started! I mean really started. I got a few right away, but did not get any big chunks completed. This gave me a patchy top half in which the spanners looked pretty much like gibberish. And the middle third nearly broke me. After the first pass, all I had going across was Loo, IAMB, CROON and PRUE (yes, I am a regular “British Baking” watcher). And it was as I struggled to fill in the downs that the theme became clear. And I stopped for several minutes just to admire it.
The icing on the cake is that I learned a nee word, OUTRO. I’ve heard of outtakes but OUTRO is new and doesn’t really make sense to me, like so much tech-ish lingo in these very modern days. Lovely Wednesday.
And count me among those who completely missed “double theme” yesterday. I was not impressed until I came here. Whew! I must need more of something.
Rex is being picky, but that’s his job. I thought the theme was clever and pretty well executed. Of course NOTESSETONSTONE sounds a little off, but compromises have to be made sometimes.
@anon 6:09: Rebounds is one STAT[istic] in the NBA.
This played medium-challenging for me. First of all, what is with the sudden influx of PPPs lately? You can't turn a corner anymore without running into a name--and very often, one that only a tiny percentage of solvers will know. I mean, it's only Wednesday, and ALEX has to be some soccer player instead of Trebek??
I finally got done, after trading some pizza SauCE for a SLICE. But the clues added to the difficulty. I expect this from these two constructing veterans--but not this EARLY in the week. "Furthermore," the last themer is an outlier, breaking up the middle anagram into two words unlike all the others. Bogey.
Tough for a Wednesday. I don’t fully grasp the triathlon clueing, or answer. Sometimes you swim in a wetsuit in a triathlon; more often you don’t. Some triathlons have a relay division; most don’t. Also:
It’s always swim, then bike, then run. Sometimes we change clothing between legs of the event, but much more often not. Bike shoes (with cleats) to ride, and running shoes for the run, yes. In an IronMan the swim is 2.4 miles, the bike is 112 miles, and the run is a marathon (26.2 miles). Many other distance combinations exist. In Louisiana, “sprint” triathlons were popular in the early 2000’s. They were usually a half mile swim, 20 mile bike, 5km run.
Very very easy Wednesday. I also wanted also at 1,A,but looked at 1D, and saw that it was PTAS, so 1A had to be PLUS. I had several letters on either side of 17A,and saw they were identical and said to myself, it's anagram Wednesday! Lastly, I thought, Rex's loathing is looming!
A long time ago, I was solving this puzzle and got stuck at an unguessable (to me) crossing: N. C. WYETH crossing NATICK at the "N"—I knew WYETH but forgot his initials, and NATICK ... is a suburb of Boston that I had no hope of knowing. It was clued as someplace the Boston Marathon runs through (???). Anyway, NATICK— the more obscure name in that crossing—became shorthand for an unguessable cross, esp. where the cross involves two proper nouns, neither of which is exceedingly well known. NATICK took hold as crossword slang, and the term can now be both noun ("I had a NATICK in the SW corner...") or verb ("I got NATICKED by 50A / 34D!")
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79 comments:
Bench before BTEAM for the Nonstarters at 16A
nOEL before COEL (a total WOE) for the screenwriter/actress at 60D
That led to tEnOR before DECOR at 59D, which in turn led to the nonsensical LItS before LIDS at 50D
@rex I think they ment a SET [of] NOTES [inscribed] ON STONE.
Very clever idea, I thought. The long clues seemed so abstract (especially the one for STRAYARTSYTRAYS) that I was able to intuit the anagram concept.
I had ALSO for 1-Across, and assumed at first that the constructor was playing a cute trick by having ALSO at both the NW and SE corners. But I finally hit on PLUS for 1-Across, and everything fell into place.
Found it incredibly hard for a Wednesday —played like a Saturday for me and no idea why.
Medium for me. I liked RED BARON, ON AND OFF, and "IT'S A TRAP!" as bonuses.
COEL feels like it's there just because they reallllly wanted to have the PLUS/ALSO and UNDO/REDO (come on...) pairings in opposite corners. Meh. Also NSA/STEAM is definitely better than NBA/BTEAM but maybe that's just me.
The wetsuit is the layer worn first in the team triathlon- so early relay layer works fine! Thought it was clever.
Well a wordplay theme is better than a PPP-based clunker, so that helps. It seems like the proper names are getting less and less mainstream, but who am I to know - I’m pretty much lost after OTT and ORR (and, of course, GARR). The one positive take away from this puzzle is that it may finally motivate me to learn what an IAMB is, so I can feel more knowledgeable the next one hundred times I enter it into a grid.
I actually found the theme silly and fun and friendly today. My nit is also also with NOTES SET ON STONE but for a different reason than Rex; I I happen to think ON works here even if iN would have flowed more easily. For me the issue is that this phrase is 4 words while the rest are all 3.
But as Rex named, the real star here is in the cluing for the fill. I learned a few new things, and the gently clever misdirects made for a sparkly experience. I loved “it’s used to walk the dog,” as just one example among many.
I also really appreciated how non Eurocentric/white-centric this puzzle was. From answers like SIERRA, CHI, ATTA, TONI, JADE, LIU, RAGA, and of course my fave Michaela COEL to the cluing for words like CROONS, ITOO, and BAKE, this puzzle is a great example of how much more inclusive crosswords can be while still being accessible to all (or most). Another fabulous example in another dimension of inclusion was cluing STEER as “Use a wheelchair’s push rims, for instance.” Seeing that casual inclusion of disabled people’s experiences - not in any kind of exceptionalizing, pitying, or “inspiration porn” way - feels like it normalized disability, much like it normalized decentering whiteness. Basically, more of this please.
[Cue OUTRO music] I absolutely adored this puzzle. Be sure to like and subscribe.
Interesting phrasing on the RED BARON clue, given that the Red Baron was a real person, while Snoopy is himself is imaginary.
Last themer – no, just no. You can’t suddenly throw SET ON in there when everything else has been single words. Up to that point, I was thinking it was just a weak theme. Then it became a weak theme that didn't even meet its own modest goals.
Super-easy, despite a pair of WoEs (PRUE, COEL). For the latter, hied/coil or hoed/cool would have sat a lot better with me.
Originally had Offandon where ONANDOFF went, which is the phrase I would use 100% of the time and hear 80%(?) of the time. This apparently makes me an outlier.
Unlike Rex, my mind is bizarre enough that the theme did help me in the solve. It seems to me as a solver that the first and last themers are the most important - in this case, I think I’d have been more forgiving of the theme if it hadn’t ended with the almost-right-but-not-quite ON STONE.
Loved the thoughtful clues Rex mentioned, and would add the clues for PTAS and BTEAM as ones that made me think about familiar answers a little differently.
I got the STRAY ARTSY TRAYS themer pretty easily. Hipster traditionally are very artsy with their clothes and personal choices so a cafe would likely have lots of stray trays (like you got in school for lunch) that are pretty artsy. Good puzzle today though messed up the fill a bit with herons. Second time in a small time frame I’ve had the egret heron debate.
Wow - spanning anagrams - as if one short one wasn’t enough.
Really liked the EGRETS - ON AND OFF - YO YO stack. Grid is restrictive with the overdone theme - causing that short glue Rex discussed.
Not for me.
60s bubblegum but apt today
I bet I'm not the only one around here who saw AIDES and then IDEAS and thought we were in for a trip to Anagram City. I found the themers mostly OK but thought the cluing was a little tortured.
PRUE and COEL were folks I met today and UNDO for REDO was a snag, and yes I forgot we had UNDO up top already. I think I had that filled in without reading the clue. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Some fun answers. The thought of a twelve-foot CRAB is a little scary but nice to see ALEX Morgan and the accursed REDBARON. The Portuguese clue for ANO is always a good idea.
Interesting enough Wednesday, OMF and BH. One Might Find some faults But Hardly anything egregious. Thanks for a goodly amount of fun.
theme helped me solve, as I knew the letters and would just have to arrange them. I thought it was adorable and fun! But I also really like Brooke Husic so maybe I was biased.
Hard for me to like a puzzle that has clues "Soccer star Morgan" (ALEX), "Celebrity chef ___ Leith" (PRUE) and "Screenwriter/actress Michaela" (COEL). I remain confused about the theme. EARLY RELAY LAYER is nice, but a triathlon is not a relay event. It's a race where the contestants swim, run and cycle - no batons needed. Despite all that I liked the puzzle.
Not funny.
Not fun.
Just glad
To be done.
— Burma Shave
Pretty impressive to put three anagrams of the same word together to make a phrase that makes any sense at all. These four are all pretty good.
@SouthsideJohnny: dit-DAH
Excellent cluing on this one. Loved seeing TONI and PRUE.
I had the exact same issue, and figured ‘LITS’ meant people who were over the top high… TENOR does seem to fit there, as does the name NOEL.
I don't know when I last felt so on the wrong the wavelength for a puzzle. I completed it, but it was a slog.
As to the triathlon question: @Rex if you were doing a team triathlon relay, then the first member of the team would be the one in a wetsuit for the swim which is the first leg. So the way I understood the meaning was as if it said, "Early in the relay, wear this layer." It's awkward but does make sense. It's the earliest layer of clothing in the relay, and the next member of the team would wear a different layer-- a bike jersey.
Really, really liked it! Surprised OFL didn’t rave about it.
This puzzle is a lovely echo of Olivia’s puzzle last August (made with Andrea Carla Michaels) where three states were mashed together (such as VERMONTANALASKA) with the reveal TRI STATE AREA. Both puzzles involved three-part theme answers and repurposed letters. But were playful, and I love playful.
Once I cracked the theme – and it took a while – the solve shifted to fast gear. But I love how it took a while, how the mystery lingered. That drama of being in the theme-not-yet-cracked state is one of Crosslandia’s great gifts.
So is a quick scan of the completed grid, where gifts often come tumbling out. Such as the nearby palindromes ATTA and SOS. The answers RAGA and REDO, which are crossword stalwarts backward. I liked the eight schwa-ending answers, three of which were trochees to balance off IAMB: RAGA / ATTA / GALA. Also, those related clues for UNDO/REDO got me thinking that there could have been related clues for YOYO and STAY with [It’s used to walk the dog] and [It’s used to halt the dog].
A lovely mix of drama and fun; a great outing for me. Thank you so much, B&O!
Hey All !
I thought the Anagrammity was neat! Four phrases that sound fine to me as clued. Wouldn't we call the Ten Commandments NOTES SET-ON STONE? Sounds quite logical to me.
And of course, a hipster cafe would have ARTSY trays! C'mon man! And they would be tossed about haphazardly, because we all know hipsters don't confirm to putting TRAYS in a neat stack.
Triathlons, yes, first you swim two miles, get out of the water, take off your wetsuit LAYER after that EARLY stage, throw on a shirt and sneakers, then bike 100 miles, followed by a 26 mile run. Those people are crazy...
All that to rebutt the Rex ON AND OFF-ness of his review. Har.
Good GRID design, only 36 Blockers, plus the four grid spanners. Works for me. Nice one, Olivia and Brooke.
Two F's
RooMonster
DarrinV
Not a fun solve AT ALL
Thx, Olivia & Brooke; great Wednes. workout! :)
Very hard (Fri. level).
Took forever the suss out the theme. Not a fan of anagrams in xwords, but wouldn't have gotten COEL without the STONE.
I was just out of it this AM. Don't recall ever feeling so off the right wavelength on a Wednes. puz, theme notwithstanding.
Nevertheless, as always, relish a good battle!
Excellent adventure! :)
___
@pablo: pretty much the same result as you on Anna's Mon. New Yorker. I knew neither of the 2 longs, but crosses bailed me out. :) Watching the film on Criterion (before my sub runs out). 🎥
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🙏
Clued as “…team triathlon”. That can easily imply relay. Or apparently not.
Enjoyed it overall, but usually like.Brooke’s collabs.
I agree, one of the hardest Wednesdays for me in a while
I like anagrams, but this was not really my thing. Not sure why, perhaps because the themers were too easy once I figured out what was going on.
Most original stories? LEASTSTALETALES
Medium, average time. Largely looking for error, thanks to Simu LIU I finally found I had SpICE for the pizza place purchase (well, *they* must buy it, yes?), but realized (a) never heard the name pIU, so how common can it be, really, and (b), oh, something *I* would purchase, yes, LIU.
Thought the anagrams were clever, though they made the puzzle easier. Saw AIDESIDEASASIDE before reading the clue, then the others were... obvious?
Same @Rex ITSATRAP!
Yesterday's and today's puzzles took me longer than usual. I must be going senile.
My inexplicable aversion to anagrams was overcome by the ingenious AIDE'S IDEAS ASIDE, and still held at bay by the humor of the STRAY ARTSY TRAYS. But then, for me, there was a progressive fizzle: since when does a triathlon have a RELAY or engravings get SET ON STONE (and with a non-parallel four word phrase)? I did like the "and in addition..." flourish of PLUS and ALSO.
Do-overs: malapop ALSO as 1A, Trek before TOUR. Help from previous puzzles: I, TOO; ATTA; OUTRO. No idea: COEL.
Regarding "loin" - Anyone notice how supermarkets are sticking that term on random cuts to make them sound like choice pieces worthy of a hefty price tag? I've seen chicken "loin," even cod "loin." Gimme a break.
This brought a bunch o' fun even though I'm not much of an anagram fan. Being all short answers usually means it flies by in a jiffy as this one did.
After a tough end to last week, things are easy going so far this week.
I've spent an hour reading up on Snoopy and the Red Baron. The baron was only 25 when he died. The idea for Snoopy was pure whimsy.
Uniclues:
1 When the improv needs to improve out east.
2 My daughter's crush (or so he thinks).
3 The little lightning bolt and turtle on the crossword congratulations screen.
4 Dive bombing waders.
5 Habit of a lost tourist.
6 Around the World afficionado who decoupages his tool with Playboy bunnies.
1 RAGA EXIT
2 STAG NOIR
3 STAT GRID DECOR
4 RED BARON EGRETS
5 BRAKES ON AND OFF
6 SEXY YOYO NUT
A few other possible themers (answers below):
Weight loss evidence put forward by a reasoned believer in God.
That stun gun is worth crying over.
Checklist for a formal fiesta?
Don’t let that guy with uncovered facial hair in.
If you worked in Information Technology and were also a viceroy to the Medean king, you’d be an ITSATRAP. And speaking of IT, is it kosher to have ITS A TRAP next to Cousin ITT?
Alright, unicluers, I’m expecting big things out of SEXY YOYO NUT!
It’s funny how this would clearly be hard to construct but the gimmick makes it super easy to solve. But I liked it lots. Thanks, Olivia Mitra Framke and Brooke Husic.
Answers:
DEISTSITEDDIETS
TASERRATESTEARS
ASCOTCOATSTACOS
DEBARBAREDBEARD
Agree. Very hard for a Wednesday puzzle. Clues were convoluted
There are team triathlons that consist of three members — one swims, one bikes, and the last one runs. I believe the clue works in this context — each member of the “relay” has his/her own role.
Really enjoyed it. Always enjoy seeing one of the USA's great athletes and more soccer representation with Alex Morgan, Prue Leith made me wonder when GBBO is coming back, and I appreciated the wheelchair push rims clue.
The only thing that irked me was the clue for the Times' own podcast. Maybe "First Person" is a big podcast and I'm just unaware of it...I don't listen to The Daily, but I know it's huge. I was thinking NPR at first for "First Person". Just seemed to be a bit too self-referential and promotional for my liking.
Had tOnES before NOTES for a STONE cold closing moment, but everything else was Wednesday. Since I like PANDA grids even more than Thursday rebi, this one works for me. Thanks for putting your heads together on this one Olivia PLUS Brooke.
Brooke is a smarter version of Jeff Chen. They both try too hard in themes and cluing, and it’s annoying or falls flat more often than not.
Re-sending:
Great fun and over much too soon.
I love the kinds of puzzles where all the themers are mini brain ticklers to be solved. It's sort of like puzzles within puzzles within puzzles. This one wasn't very hard -- even you vociferous anagram haters out there couldn't possibly have been unduly burdened -- but I made it more interesting for myself by solving with as few crosses as possible. For the first three I had already read the clue. But I hadn't for the fourth. When I had SET ON filled in, I plopped in NOTES on the left and STONE on the right. And I was sure I had the clue nailed, too.
"The Ten Commandments." Right?
Alas, no. Cluing opportunity missed, I'd say. But a very lively and entertaining puzzle nonetheless. I especially liked EARLY RELAY LAYER -- which did leave me wondering what garments, if any, remained after it was removed?
Somewhere between @Nancy‘s [SPLAT!] from yesterday and @Lewis’ rave. Ultimately did not have to cheat but found myself highly frustrated with some of the trivia such as PRUE, COEL, OUTRO. ALSO never heard of ATTA flour. Sort of sounds like the Panko version of breadcrumbs. I like anagrams and in this one the theme definitely was an AID in the solve so that’s a big PLUS in my book.
I’m a big fan of 48 down, RAGS made from old T-shirts. I cut them in small sections and keep them in my car, purse and travel bag for cleaning spectacles.
Tough for me. I’m not a fan of anagram puzzles and this one did nothing to dissuade me from that opinion.
Me too for PRUE, COEL, and ALEX (as clued) being WOEs.
I thought this was a fun crunchy Wednesday puzzle. Thank goodness my reading habits are eclectic because proper name NEIL was my first entry in the NE (although I ALWAYS wonder about Neil v. Neal). I WAS going to comment on how difficult it would be to come up with three anagrams using same letters in a manner that makes sense then @Sir Hillary and @egs (maybe others now) whipped some out!
I have zero problem with NOTESSETONSTONE. I guess it might be the outlier since SETON is two words (don’t care) but just because we have the idiom “set in stone” doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I’m actually more critical of the term “engraving” in the clue than the answer. Why? Because I think of stone as carved and metal as engraved.
As for proper names…and I KNOW I’m an outlier but I really do not understand why people like to watch people cook or bake! For me the experience is like watching paint dry, plus if I make it through, I just want to EAT what they’ve made and then think…hmmm….I don’t have all the ingredients even IF I felt like making it myself. Anyhoo. PRUE is a name I learned today and unless I see her again real soon it will vacate my brain’s file cabinet.
Fun puzzle. However, the constructors omitted the fact that:
* The ignored aide’s name was SADIE. Plus:
* It was a SATYR who put the trays outside the cafeteria. Also:
* The man in the wetsuit was Timothy LEARY. And:
* The notes on the stone were the work of an ancient STENO.
Thanks for the Tracey Ullman clip. She’s brilliant.
Cool tri-anagrammer theme … M&A is for sure a big FAN ( ___ HITS THIS, btw).
fave themer: AIDES IDEAS ASIDE.
staff weeject pick: NBA. Has tri-anagrammer potential: {Court ruling against Trump's stealing Sixth Man of the Year Award?} = NBA NAB BAN. Or somesuch.
fave stuff included: PLUS & ALSO. LOIN & LIDS clues. ITSATRAP. ONANDOFF. REDBARON. ARETHA.
no-knows galore: Ctrl+anything on a PC. Tempeh. ATTA/OUTRO. NEIL/ALEX. LIU. PRUE. COEL.
Thanx for gangin up on us, Framke & Husic darling. Great PEERS SPREE, PER SE.
Masked & Anonymo5Us
**gruntz**
@GAC - I had the same reservation about the triathlon anagram, but the clue specified “TEAM triathlon.” Senor Google confirms that there is such a thing as a team triathlon, which is a true relay.
A tasty menu today...
ARTSY PRUE will BAKE a SLICE of SEXY LOIN for a STAG GALA. The ARRAY on your TRAY will include STEER NUT, TOFU LIU LOO PLUS a LAYER of SOFT STONE CRAB. Pinot NOIR for the SNOB.
A fun Wed. After yesterday, I needed something tasty. This fit the bill. Anagrams play with my mind and this one did too. I didn't notice the PLUS ALSO...didn't care....Still fun!
Now OFF to read what @Gary J and @egs will BAKE up.
I love anagrams, and I loved this puzzle. It was indeed fun figuring them out, although I had at least a few crosses in place for each one. Getting the first, before I understood what was going on, was a true thrill. I could see that AIDES were involved, of maybe AIDE SIDE...then suddenly the letters just parsed themselves.
The only problem was the clue for NOTES SET ON STONE, "Engravings, e.g.?" It might have worked if it had said"Lithographs" instead -- but engravings are made by cutting INTO the stone (or other plate) and then printing from that. (I'm leaving out a few intervening steps -- I'm not a printmaker, but was once married to one, and heard all about the various methods). I know, it's just a clue, but it shouldn't be actually wrong.
@Roo, you are describing an Ironman. Ordinary triathlons are considerably shorter.
I'm wracking my brain for a way to make 64-A into 3 five-letter words. Other possible anagrams include TONES (already pointed out) and SETON (surname of the first saint to be born in what is now the USA). If she had written hymns, it could have been "Writes down saint's songs," but I don't think she did.
Been forever since I've read/seen Hamlet and I have never seen Othello, so when the crosses gave me an IA-- I just filled in IAgo and ignored the little tingle in the back of my brain that objected. That made the yoga mat cross impossible for me to get until I eventually caught my mistake.
I agree!
I loved seeing the first theme entry. I like that kind of playing with words and "aides ideas aside" sounds like a real comment. I could hear someone saying.
The rest didn't work as well. Although "early relay layer was also fun, I couldn't actually hear a voice saying it the way I did with the first one. Notes set ON stone misses because etchings are set IN.
I enjoyed some of the other clues. I smiled at "former T-shirts..." and"Over-the-top sorts"
@jberg (11:46)was looking for a different set of anagrams for 63A (each one word) and, I assume, a clue to go with it. Although I'm not at all unhappy with what the constructors did here, I do have a solution for @jberg:
Clue: His ice sculptures always melt, so he's really happy about this early glimpse of a brand-new medium
NOTES STONE ONSET
You rock! I think a puzzle lurks in your anagrams. Loved this puzzle! Kathy
@ Joseph Michael Thank for the extra fun
Liked it, had some resistance, which I want on a Wednesday, and some fresh clueing. I enjoy anagrams so this was a pleasure. I agree with WEEZIE on the inclusiveness of this one, and I’d hope for more.
I got the theme early enough that it helped finish them and the puzzle off. Much of the puzzle very easy, then the last 3rd or so was almost late week tricky.
I learned ATTA here not long ago, it being the Indian flour, and NAAN being the palindromic bread.
Same reaction as Rex for grumbling at having to know celebrity chefs, then having it be PRUE, oh yeah, love her! Her only flaw is she wasn't the original Mary Berry on the show. She does overuse "lovely" perhaps.
Love me a good OUTRO...
I like anagrams in general; this was okay but no real sparkle. The first themer looks like random letters; like those DNA sequences in print: ...IDESIDEASASID..
I'm so used to seeing NPR that I automatically put it in for 44 down. Saw the word "podcast", ignored the rest of the clue.
I like @egs #2 suggestion: TASER RATES TEARS.
[Spelling Bee: yd 0; last 2 words a 6er and a 5er. QB streak 4 days.]
Surprised so many had trouble with this one - the trick was obvious from the first themer and gave me a leg up ON the rest. Must be a wavelength thing.
*”Horns, don’t overbalance the oboes.”
If you skipped @Rex’s Tracy Ullman clip do check it out. Ninety seconds of Ullman’s genius. And I don’t watch BAKE-off (Hi, @Beezer).
@jberg, this is pretty OUTRO-there, but it satisfies the 3-word requirement and only two letters change places from the original:
“Discovers ore in Yorkshire.”
The clue presupposes that we all know that the 1850 discovery of ironstone in Eston Hills saw Eston develop from a small farming settlement to a thriving mining town. The film, A Century in Stone, describes how the mines were responsible for making Teesside the iron and steel capital of the world.
NOTES ESTON STONE
[thudding sound here]
@Joseph M, excellent PLUSses and ALSOs.
@Weezie, done and done. Nice comments on the cluing.
Liked all the finishing O's - REDO UNDO YOYO ITOO OUTRO ANO LOO and TAROT, ALSO.
PLUS my orchestra section, The BRASS, beat out the oboes this time.
*BRASS SOFT ALSO
I posted this (or something like it) earlier for @jberg but it seems not to have shown up:
"Archaeological trove of prehistoric court clerk's jottings?"
STONE STENO NOTES
In racing, the term "relay" as I understand it means that different persons complete different "legs," or sections, of the race, working as teams, sometimes handing off something (e.g., a baton) from one team member to the next. Is there such a thing as a "relay" triathlon? The whole point of a triathlon is for ONE person to prove her/their/his stamina, etc., by completing all three parts (swim, bike, run) solo. I've never heard of a triathlon where the three legs are performed by different persons. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, I call BS on "EARLYRELAYLAYER."
@Ghost
OK, you're wrong. That's why the clue says "...TEAM triathlon?"
Google it.
FWIW COEL was an answer at least once before and ATTA has showed up occasionally as it is so useful. My guess is atta is emerging crosswordese and Coel will show up again from from Wednesday onward in the future.
I do admit Coel is still quite obscure and I needed crosses even though I loved her short series on HBO.
Several people above said a relay triathlon is a thing.
Stat = Rebounds???
@A… I DID check out the clip per your rec and would have had NO clue that THAT was Tracey Ullman. Omg. I’m old and it’s verified. Thank you @A! If all cooking/Baking/chef shows were like this, I’d watch!
@My Name 6:17 AM. My take exactly.
Excellent construction. At first, I thought that this was going to be one of the puzzles that only serious constructors could love and then the light went on. Such clever work! Constructors so often “see” words in ways we mere solvers do not, and in my case (after 60+ years of daily solving) cannot. Just wow.
It took me a while to get the theme because the puzzle itself gave me quite a run for my money just to get started! I mean really started. I got a few right away, but did not get any big chunks completed. This gave me a patchy top half in which the spanners looked pretty much like gibberish. And the middle third nearly broke me. After the first pass, all I had going across was Loo, IAMB, CROON and PRUE (yes, I am a regular “British Baking” watcher). And it was as I struggled to fill in the downs that the theme became clear. And I stopped for several minutes just to admire it.
The icing on the cake is that I learned a nee word, OUTRO. I’ve heard of outtakes but OUTRO is new and doesn’t really make sense to me, like so much tech-ish lingo in these very modern days.
Lovely Wednesday.
And count me among those who completely missed “double theme” yesterday. I was not impressed until I came here. Whew! I must need more of something.
@CDilly
OUTRO (not really "techie"), opposite of INTRO (Introduction).
Thanks so much for the Tracy Ullman links! Great write up today -- I enjoyed it a lot.
Rex is being picky, but that’s his job. I thought the theme was clever and pretty well executed. Of course NOTESSETONSTONE sounds a little off, but compromises have to be made sometimes.
@anon 6:09: Rebounds is one STAT[istic] in the NBA.
This played medium-challenging for me. First of all, what is with the sudden influx of PPPs lately? You can't turn a corner anymore without running into a name--and very often, one that only a tiny percentage of solvers will know. I mean, it's only Wednesday, and ALEX has to be some soccer player instead of Trebek??
I finally got done, after trading some pizza SauCE for a SLICE. But the clues added to the difficulty. I expect this from these two constructing veterans--but not this EARLY in the week. "Furthermore," the last themer is an outlier, breaking up the middle anagram into two words unlike all the others. Bogey.
Wordle par.
Tough for a Wednesday. I don’t fully grasp the triathlon clueing, or answer. Sometimes you swim in a wetsuit in a triathlon; more often you don’t. Some triathlons have a relay division; most don’t. Also:
It’s always swim, then bike, then run.
Sometimes we change clothing between legs of the event, but much more often not. Bike shoes (with cleats) to ride, and running shoes for the run, yes.
In an IronMan the swim is 2.4 miles, the bike is 112 miles, and the run is a marathon (26.2 miles). Many other distance combinations exist. In Louisiana, “sprint” triathlons were popular in the early 2000’s. They were usually a half mile swim, 20 mile bike, 5km run.
That is all. Long time reader, first time poster.
Plagiarizes Serbian-American physicist’s stories?
STEALSTESLATALES
ONANDOFF PLUS
SEXY TONI has IDEAS -
STRAY NOTES of SOFT AND girly -
IT'S no TRAP, A chance TOO sieze,
TOO LAYER oft AND EARLY.
---NEIL "CHI CHI" LIU
Pretty easy if you ignore the contrived gimmicks.
Very very easy Wednesday. I also wanted also at 1,A,but looked at 1D, and saw that it was PTAS, so 1A had to be PLUS. I had several letters on either side of 17A,and saw they were identical and said to myself, it's anagram Wednesday! Lastly, I thought, Rex's loathing is looming!
Oh. Gee. Right. I get it.
I liked the puzzle. The theme? meh
And @Spacey - can you send a memo to the Grand Poo Bah of PPPs and tell them "enough!"
Diana, LIW
@Anonymous 2:22pm:
Did you know that every gimmick is contrived?
Who'd a thunk it!
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