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New parent's whispered admonition / THU 6-22-23 / Pioneer in atomic theory / Honesty with the volume cranked up per George Saunders / Norm longtime host of This Old House / Phony personality? / Major gold exporter / Title meaning superior one
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Constructor: Michael Baker and Jeff Chen
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
Theme answers:
- ROSH HASHANAH / MESH HAT (16A: First of the Jewish High Holy Days / 2D: Headwear with breathable fabric)
- CORNISH HEN / CRASH HELMET (20A: Kitchen game? / 9D: Bit of X Games gear)
- FRESH HERBS / HUSH-HUSH (55A: Seasonings that chefs employ / 45D: Secret)
- BRITISH HUMOR / SMASH HIT (61A: Feature of "Monty Python" and "Peep Show" / 47D: Big success)
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate dietary therapy that in conventional medicine is used mainly to treat hard-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.Normally carbohydrates in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is important in fueling brain function. However, if only a little carbohydrate remains in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies, the latter passing into the brain and replacing glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood (a state called ketosis) eventually lowers the frequency of epileptic seizures. Around half of children and young people with epilepsy who have tried some form of this diet saw the number of seizures drop by at least half, and the effect persists after discontinuing the diet. Some evidence shows that adults with epilepsy may benefit from the diet and that a less strict regimen, such as a modified Atkins diet, is similarly effective. Side effects may include constipation, high cholesterol, growth slowing, acidosis, and kidney stones. (wikipedia)
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| [Mar. 21, 2016] |
As you can see, those puzzles contained many of today’ same “SHH” answers. Now, this one is a rebus, and the others weren't, so I guess it's got that going for it—this version gives us twice the shushiness (SHH in both the Across and Down). This version also adds the whole sleeping baby concept. So it's more ambitious and elaborate than its predecessors, but then it's Thursday, so that's expected (the others were Mon. and Wed.). At its core, conceptually, this is the same. So you get to see some "SHH" words and you get a specific context for the "SHH"s, and most of you won't have seen a "SHH" theme before (last one in the NYT was in 2016). But I found this one got boring / routine very quickly, and the revealer—the only real original thing about the puzzle—felt oddly formal (something about pronouncing the full "is") and also felt badly clued. "THE BABY IS ASLEEP" is only an "admonition" in the most tenuous of ways. It's really the "SHH" that is the admonition. The elements of reprimand and/or exhortation aren't really there. "THE BABY IS ASLEEP" is just a statement. Yes, it is a "warning," in context, and "warning" is a rough synonym for "admonition," but "admonition" felt like the wrong word here. "Whispered warning" would've been better—and it's alliterative too. Who doesn't love alliteration? Still, the revealer seems fine, not completely tin-eared or inadequate, just ... superficial. This is an old theme with a "Baby On Board" bumper sticker slapped on it. "New and Improved!"? Maybe, but not by much. It looks a little different than its predecessors, but it's mostly just a routine rebus.
This puzzle gets in a couple of original "SHH" answers—CRASH HELMET and BRITISH HUMOR. I liked discovering those. I also liked that HUMAN / NATURE weren't just cross-referenced, but were literally crossing, as were NYT and IRONY, which seemed fitting given the way NYT was clued (22A: Co. that, in 1925, said of crosswords "The craze evidently is dying out fast"). There weren't that many highs or lows in this grid. The fill was maybe a bit on the dull side, but with a rebus puzzle like this, with so much thematic pressure on the grid, you're lucky just to get through the grid without wincing. So maybe the fill isn't sparkling, but it holds up fine. Plus, they've made this puzzle very, very easy, with very few obscurities and very easy clues, so that the rebus element (which always baffles a certain subset of solvers, particularly newer solvers) is relatively easy to uncover. Relatively painless. Here you can see how quickly I got the rebus. This is the moment—just 18 squares in:
The only struggles I had with this puzzle came (predictably) with the "SHH" words. What kind of humor is this? What kind of herbs are these? That sort of thing. I know the phrase as CORNISH GAME HEN, so mere CORNISH HEN took me a bit to process, but only a bit.
Other things:
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Other things:
- 27A: Major gold exporter (MALI) — I had no idea. Fun fact!
- 3D: Catch some waves? (HEAR) — so, sound waves.
- 8D: It might be on the tip of your tongue (SALIVA) — oh, right, this one slowed me down for a sec too. I wanted something like ... whatever the anatomical term for 'taste bud' is. It's not UVULA ... AXILLA is your armpit ... ah, it's PAPILLAE, which aren't the taste buds per se—the taste buds are located around them. As for SALIVA, what's this "might" business in the clue? "Might be on the tip of your tongue"? I assume some amount of SALIVA is always present on your tongue.
- 49D: Airbnb alternative (VRBO) — I was wondering when someone was gonna make VRBO happen. Too tempting for a crossword constructor to resist. And yet still no OZU, still no VARDA. These titanic figures of cinema remain locked out while a newish commercial venture with a funny spelling just jumps the line. What a world.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
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104 comments:
19A: INAREA?
Someday I’ll meet a rebus puzzle I like. Today was not that day.
Pretty easy for a Thurs NYT, but enjoyable. Jeff Chen is always good. —CP in SoCal
I guess Rex never suffers from dry mouth.
As a new parent I enjoyed this easy rebus (even though I’ve never said the baby IS asleep before, always contracted)
Can someone explain INAREA?
Re Saliva: Or it might be found somewhere else.
Cute - pleasant trick and overall solve. SHH on its own doesn’t carry weight Rex - it needs the qualifier to act as an exhort. Seeing a lot of GREEN recently. I guess KANYE is now informal for YE? or is just that was his name when he made that great record?
The NATURE Anthem
Funny, I thought, “Well, that’s original” when I finished. Then I came here to find that Rex’s main point is that it isn’t original. Ah, IRONY. Nice educational clue for that, by the way. Not sure I get how it’s truth with the volume cranked up.
I was going to object that it should be BRITISH HUMOuR, but then realized the British wouldn’t call it British humour. It’s just humour to them. To those of us who don’t live there, it’s British humor, so the lack of a U makes sense.
The hardest theme crossing for me was FRESH HERBS and HUSH HUSH. I had Hidden for the latter, then HUSHed. I had the first part of KETOGENIC but no idea about the last part. AURAs instead of the godawful AURAE and no idea about Norm’s last name. Getting FROM was the key.
Has anyone noted the ETSY / EbaY kealoa before? Probably.
Sing “Scooby Dooby Doo” perhaps - seemed like that should be something about crooning the theme song to the Saturday morning cartoon while slurping down Cocoa Puffs. But no, it was Ella Fitzgerald SCATting. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who went low culture first. HUMAN NATURE, IMHO.
Even had I seen/remembered the earlier SHH puzzles, the rebus element, the number of theme entries, and the nifty revealer elevated this one. None of the theme answers felt forced or unnatural, which is an accomplishment with that many of them.
No real trouble spots, but the hunt for the asymmetric rebus squares slowed me down in the bottom half, especially in the SW.
Are those things that the X Gamers wear really called CRASH HELMETS ? That would definitely be a new one to me (multi-sport safety helmet might be a/the generic term). Any X Game fans here that can shed some insight on this most baffling of developments ?
I’m also hoping that there is a p&c actuary around that can help us decipher “IN AREA” - it definitely doesn’t sound like it’s from the health or L&A space.
How are CIAOS informal ? Isn’t it just the Italian word for “goodbye”? Does Italian have “formal” and “informal” forms of address ? I think you can inadvertently insult someone in German if you say DU instead of SIE or something like that. Here’s a thought - why not use ENGLISH words in your ENGLISH language crossword puzzle in the ENGLISH language newspaper called the New York Times ?
I agree. I very rarely get the lightening bolt moment.. .Ahah... a rebus.
In area
I love that the clue for ROSH HASHANA – [First of the Jewish High Holy Days] – has an embedded SHH.
I also love a memory this theme triggers, one I look back on now with smiles… One of our babies fought hard against falling asleep. It was a 30- to 60-minute battle every night to put him down, involving singing, picking him up and walking, massaging, and more. If we simply laid him down and walked out of the room, nonstop wailing would ensue. When he finally, finally succumbed, we (my wife and our two other kids) had to tiptoe through the house, because if he woke up – and it didn’t take much – another 30- to 60-minute battle would ensue.
So, THE BABY IS ASLEEP holds rich meaning for me.
Oh, the puzzle. It had enough bite to satisfy my brain’s work ethic. It also triggered other memories – make-me-happy recollections of Monty Python for one, as well as the aroma of FRESH HERBS which hit me as real as if it were right in front of my nose.
So, this was an experience rather than just a fill-in, and I greatly enjoyed it. Thank you both!
That was a very nice rebus puzzle. Enlivened by the surprising reveal that the NYT in 1925 was giving up on crosswords! Glad that it didn't. For a time I had SH as the rebus, but got by that soon enough. Like others I remain puzzled by the IN AREA entry. I don't get why Rex struggles to criticize this rebus SHH puzzle because he found two prior NYT puzzles that used non-rebus SHH. Why is this even worth noting?
My thought exactly!
I’ve gone to a couple of X Games weekends and CRASHHELMETS seems totally appropriate.
Just finished bingeing Peep Show - out there but funny - so good to see a nod to Jez, Mark and Super Hans.
Had ImOUT vs. ISOUT so THEBABYImASLEEP threw me - thought maybe HUSH THE BABY, I’M ASLEEP kinda worked (if HUSH were the relevant rebus and was put outside the grid. In fairness, only had a few hours sleep - note to self, don’t stay up til 1 am when sunrise is at 5! - so sounded logical to me).
BFD that the puzzle was done (kinda) in 2007 and 2016. Rex’ memory must be like Adrian Monk’s - both a blessing and a curse.
(INAREA must mean “in coverage area” - though would be better if clued as a cellular phone concern.
Fun puzzle - now SHH! Going to try to catch some make up ZZZs…
VRBO has been around for close to 30 years -- is that "newish"?
The formal goodbye in Italian is arrivederci. Ciao is indeed informal.
First time commenting but have enjoyed this blog for a long time! Saw that no one had mentioned the fantastic inclusion of TIM the Enchanter, down there right next to Monty Python’s BRITISH HUMOR. Made me smile.
Good puzzle, not frustrating which was a nice change. But what does the TUNE/air answer/clue combo mean?
IN AREA - I'm assuming that means in network. If that's the case I call foul on cluing. I love British Humor - nice puzzle.
It's health insurance jargon. In-area coverage.
It's informal for Kanye West, I think. It was a slightly silly clue.
Thx, Michael & Jeff, for this crunchy puz; lots to chew on ! 😊
Hard (Sat. time).
Great theme; just didn't catch the 'wave' til late in the game.
Always appreciate a good Thurs. battle! :)
Had to solve on iPad app, as there was a problem with the website version on my laptop browser. :(
@Anonymous (8:41 AM)
Welcome aboard! 😊
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness, Freudenfreude, Serendipity & a DAP to all 👊 🙏
Still don’t get it.
Hey All !
"There are some who call me ... TIM?" TIM the Enchanter line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Bri'ish humour!
Nice Rebus puz. Lots of Blockers, though, 42 of 'em. Although, 42, which is the answer ... To invoke another fun movie!
Started with just the SH, for some reason. Finally the ole brain said, "You're missing another H!" and I said, "I know, brain, I was just testing you." It's a constant battle...
How many s KANYE informal? These rappers change their monikers so much, it's tough to keep up. NBA crossing NBC, neat, or sucks? Discuss.
Not grokking BANC as clued. Anyone?
Roo IS OUT. 😁
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
Fairly easy Thursday, but I have problems with two clue/answer pairs. 1) In no X-Games discipline do the participants refer to their helmets as CRASH HELMETS. It’s just not in the language within that context. 2) Nothing about IMHO implies modesty, false or otherwise.
Is anyone else mildly offended that it isn't 'briti[shh]umoUr?'
Easy, with a couple of stumbling blocks that made it more interesting. The first was at ROSH HASHANA, too long for its space and thus needing a rebus, but what should I do with the double SH's? Unsure, I moved on, and the CORNISH HEN gave me my answer: SHH. I also liked how my "Hidden" appropriately hid HUSH HUSH for a time. Nice parallel: SUAVE GUAVA.
Re:BRITISH HUMOR - In an Italian class in Rome, we were asked to write a character sketch of someone in our family. Wanting to describe my daughter-in-law's sense of humor, I was stumped at how to say "wry wit," so asked the teacher for help. Her answer was, "Umorismo inglese."
I liked it. not much PPP and some science(ketogenic). Also, I like rebus puzzles.
I guess this is like " in network" coverage for health insurance, but I have never heard of "in area" insurance coverage.
Does anyone else find crosswords created by more than one person annoying. Like they get together and forget that inside jokes don’t make any sense to anyone but the one’s on the inside? Might just be me. Easy puzzle otherwise.
TIM caught my eye so I started there. The thought of such an innocuous name for such a badass dude always makes me smile.
Saw the revealer clue early which made SHH much easier to look for, and on returning to my usual starting point in the NW, there it was. Thought MESHHAT was the weakest of the thmers. The NW also contained the mysterious INAREA, which I learn by reading comments is a thing. OK.
So KETO is short for KEOTGENIC? Either way, it doesn't sound very tempting.
Nice to see woodworking maestro Norm ABRAM. I have some rough carpentry skills and watching him for five minutes just makes me shake my head.
Theme previously done? Not in my memory bank, and I very much enjoyed this one. Many Big smiles and Just Chewy enough, so props to MB and JC, and thanks for all the fun.
I liked the revealer more than Rex; true, it should be 's instead of is, but that would be too tough, and would require a 2-letter contraction at 23D. I'll take it.
AURAE bothered me. I looked it up, and that is an acceptable plural, but only for the kind of aura that proceeds the ONSET of epilepsy or a migraine; as clued, it should be AURAs. OK, there's your pedantry for the day.
I once took an Italian class, or at least the first third of it, and there were a couple of pages in the textbook about whom you could say CIAO to without being rude.
IN AREA is a stretch, but it's a clue, not a definition. If I had my employers HMO-for-retirees plan, I could only get health care in parts of New England, not for instance in Florida. That applies even in emergencies.
I looked up SAKS to see if it, too, was now owned by Macy's, and was surprised to learn that it is owned instead by the Hudson's Bay Company, which has apparently branched out from its origins in the fur trade.
Very enjoyable once I figured out what the theme was. But a big stumbling block for me was ME?AT at 2D. I might have seen the rebus much sooner if I'd ever heard of a MESH HAT. What is it? What does it look like? Who wears one? A bee keeper? No, you'd need more than a HAT; you'd need a face and neck coverer too.
I also had a problem the rest of you didn't have. Even before I'd figured out the rebus, it sure looked as though 15A [sic] was going to be ROSHHASHANAH. "ROSHHASHANA of Titus"????? In Rome? What on earth? Well, I've told you about my declining ability to read the numbers in the NYTXW. Distinguishing "5"s from "6"s is the hardest. Had I known ROSHHASHANA was clued by the very easy 16A, I would have had the rebus eons ago.
The rebus placements are all quite clever and intricate. And rebus puzzles always make me happy.
I really, really enjoyed this Thursday rebus offering and I’ll add in what @Andrew about BFD on the 2007 and 2016 puzzles. Because I’m sadly ignorant on the order of the Jewish High Holy Days it took me a while to grok the rebus and THEBABYISASLEEP helped me crack open the puzzle (as well figuring out that macyS was SAKS and NOT a rebus). I dunno. I can TOTALLY see whispering this without a contraction in total irritation at a “noisemaker”.
Hand up for not getting insurance clue but I’ve heard that many auto insurance companies will not cover when driving your car in Mexico. Still. This is my one nit today.
Nice Talking Heads vid @Rex! Did anyone see David Byrne on 60 Minutes this past Sunday? Very creative soul.
@Southside…just relax and enjoy the ride as the NYT puzzle teaches you bits and snatches of non-English. I know one man’s trash is another’s treasure, but I figure the repetition helps me when I travel abroad. These days it seems most people in Europe speak what THEY call “a little” English…(I call it a LOT and no doubt partially due to the internet and EU job opportunities) but it seems polite to TRY and at least greet and thank people in native language.
Thanks for remembering me Rex! (2016)
@Wanderlust - I just commented yesterday on EBAY/ETSY.
@anon 9:26, meet Wanderlust 7:25 regarding humo(u)r. Kind of like French Fries in France are called frites Belges.
@anon 8:50 an AIR is a song, as is a TUNE.
@RooMonster - BANC is French for bench, and is the common usage in a courtroom for the judge's seat. When I first started crosswords, an older solver told me to think French and it stuck. You don't see it as much as you used to.
Nice Thursday puzzle, if a little easy to suss.
@jberg - Hudson's Bay Company has large fancy department stores in Canadian cities, I never knew they were related to SAKS.
Thanks
Anon at 9:25 --Isn't the H in IMHO for "humble?" That would support the modesty, no?
An air is a tune or song
Adding to what BURTONKD said - an opinion by a panel of judges is referred to as being EN BANC (for example by the entire second circuit, as opposed to by one 2nd circuit judge on his/her own).
Enjoyed the puzz. A fun SWOOSHH.
@jberg 10:02 -- I'm intrigued by your CIAO-explaining class in Italian. While I don't go around saying CIAO to "just anyone" -- in fact I don't say CIAO to anybody at all -- I'm really curious as to who it's not rude to say CIAO to? I'm even more curious who it is rude to say CIAO to? Giorgio at the tennis courts always says CIAO to me, but then he says CIAO to everyone. Is he being rude...or is he just being Giorgio?
I sold health insurance for almost 25 years. No one ever referred to coverage as being "in area." In network - yes. In area? Definitely not. The networks did encompass a specific area, but normally did not include all providers in that geographic area.
I was also mildly put out that it was not briti[shh]umoUr.
I enjoyed this puzzle and I made it more difficult. I wanted shh the baby is asleep, so I looked for a sh rebus telling us the square or rebus next to it was to be ignored going down or something like that. (Constructors feel free to use that idea!) It was a D’oh moment when I finally straightened out which squares were SHH. The fact that I didn't know what CORNISHHEN was going to be, nor FRESHHERBS, (Sriracha misspelled) or that I filled in BRITISHHUMOR as BRITISHmom didn’t help! Goofy - and fun to finally see the light!
Except for INAREA, CIAOS, and KETOGENIC, a pretty nice puzzle. Had to Go-ogle MERE because who knows what language were talking about today.
I was sure it was ROSH HASHANAH, but needed CORNISH HEN to see how the SHH was going to work. When the rebus entry is the same in each square, it makes Thursday much easier.
We call it BRITISH HUMOR, to disassociate it with real humor, on account of it not being funny.
Please constructors, we'd all be fine with KANYE showing up in puzzles exactly never.
Google ate my comment yesterday apparently. Did you miss me? Maybe I should go all @andrew and spend the week accusing the gerbils running this outlet of censoring my nuggets of wisdom from the ones and ones of us who read the comments here, but re-examining yesterday's entry to assess how edgy and censor-able it might have been, I am assured yet again there is no wisdom in anything I type. I am weeping for the lost clue for TAMED SEA MONKEYS.
Uniclues:
1 The name of my Klezmer band.
2 Caveman introduces vegetarian friend by his nickname.
3 Where all roads to jazz lead.
4 Small person strapped to your noggin in case a piano falls from the 5th floor.
1 ROSH HASHANAH LAMA
2 HIM GUAVA TIM (~)
3 THRU MANCINI
4 CRASH HELMET HUMAN
Well I got ALL messed up with ROSH HASHANAH and the HAS DIBS crossing. I thought it was going to be just SH in the rebus so I had SHASDIBS for 17 down. Whaaaaa? I continued down the west coast. When I got to the bottom, I wondered if the SH at the end of 45 down was a huuuuuge construction mistake. Took me a while to figure out the trick.
I did not think this was easy fill, either.
I'm with RickO--it's in network.
I learned papillae from Seinfeld, and axilla from birding. Whether the axillae are black are not is a good way to differentiate black bellied plovers from golden plovers.
Excellent puzzle. Jeff Chen never misses.
Rex was on full babble today.
He seldom fails to knock Chen. I wonder which of the two makes more from his blog. Chen runs ads, Rex gets contributions. I think that Chen pays a fee to NYT for getting the puzzles early.
Welp, this is a freSHHelping of fiSHHeads from the traSHHeap. Like, the rubbiSHHere needs to be cleaned out with a waSHHose. But enough about that, I need to get to my AmiSHHoedown.
Actually, I liked this fine. It was too easy for a Thursday, but also a nice debut. Thanks, Michael Baker. And thanks Jeff Chen for helping another rookie.
I love a rebus on Thursday so I enjoyed this one. Seemed a little on the tough side IMHO but easier once the theme became clear. Congratulations Michael Baker on your debut, among your other quite impressive list of accomplishments.
I HIT a snag at the ONSET because I kept trying to put Hannah in the end of HASHANAH. When I was a young woman fresh FROM the farm and just starting out in the big city, my lawyer boss - who was the first Jewish person I ever met - patiently explained to me the meanings of each holiday. I remember he said Yom Kippur was the most solemn, the Day of Atonement, and I still think of HIM every year in late September.
Finished it 100% (after checking here) but the system said "keep trying." This happened once before. Has anyone else had that experience?
Robyn Weintraub has a "beginner-friendly" gem in the New Yorker today.
IMHO = in my honest opinion
A tad tougher THAN medium for me. Not knowing how to spell ROSH HASHANAH made the NW challenging. Plus it took a while to figure out what was going on. Smooth with a bit of resistance, liked it.
@Nancy…in case @jberg doesn’t drop back by, here is a blurb about CAIO that I found:
Ciao is used in many situations, meaning both “hello” and “goodbye”, but mainly in informal settings, i.e., among family members, relatives, and friends. It sounds inappropriate in formal contexts, for instance when greeting elder people, your boss at work or someone you don't know very well.
With that in mind, I think of it being more akin to “Hey, how ya doin’”?
A fine Thursday. Not revelatory, but pleasantly chewy. I like rebus puzzles, though. I was not solving crossword puzzles in 2007, having a sleeping baby in the house, so this felt fresh to me.
@Rex -
hint
noun
an indirect, covert, or helpful suggestion; clue:
as in
… or a hint to four squares in this puzzle
Smile inducing and fun. Why do I want to hum "Hush Little Baby, Don't Say a Word?" ...And so I won't
But I'll write something.
I got you at RO(SHH) and hoped I could spell the rest of you. I did. I knew we had 3 more to go because you told me. I went looking for them and I found them. I really liked CORNI(SHH)HEN and FRE(SHH)ERBS. If you look close they are really CORNIHEN and FREERBS.
So you also give me MANCINI...Smile. Here's why:
I have a small room that it all mine. I do my paintings and reading and the NYT puzzle and listening to music in that room.
So...I bought a small Sony Boombox and after my husband goes to bed, I play it...and I like it loud.
MANCINI conducting and Pavarotti singing "Mamma" or "Volare." I LOVE Pavarotti because he's the best tenor ever to have existed. I also LOVE Andrea Bocelli because he has a sweet voice. I'll even it out by listening to Sara Brightman and Bocelli sing "Time to Say Goodbye." I like Sara as well...not sure about her husband!
OK..so my husband - he with the BRITI UMOR- will kindly tell me to HUSH because he is a BABY and he needs to SLEEP. I ignore him and play "Le Plus Grand Opera Du Monde" loudly. He falls asleep...
I'd probably rate this as easy because I finished it before the well known "Nessum Dorma" ended.
Good job, Michael and Jeff.
NORM ABRAM was never a host of This Old House
Liveprof 10.20: Yes, the H in IMHO does indeed stand for “humble”, and no, it doesn’t imply modesty. It is always used with heavy irony, or perhaps “with the volume cranked up”. See 1d. IMHO.
Looks like the NYT' website issue is fixed. I think solving on the iPad app slowed me down, so I'll upgrade my puz solving time to Fri. difficulty from Sat. Still a tough one for me, notwithstanding the rebus.
Disappointed with self for not spending more time on ROSH HASHANAH, i.e., knowing there must be some kind of SHH rebus involved. Same with CORNISH. TSK, TSK. :(
ChatGPT's take on IN AREA vs in network: [NOTE: I'd be interested to know if those in the know would agree with ChatGPT's assessment.]
Is "in area" a term used in the insurance business?
"The term "in area" is not a standard or widely used term in the insurance business. It doesn't have a specific meaning or usage within the insurance industry. However, it's possible that it could be used in a specific context or by certain insurance companies or professionals to refer to a particular geographic area or region. Without further context or information, it's difficult to provide a more specific answer. If you have a particular insurance-related question or need further clarification, please provide more details, and I'll be happy to assist you."
How about in-area health coverage? (thx @Anonymous (9:07 AM) for suggesting this possibility. :)
"In-area health coverage" is not a standard term in the insurance industry. However, based on the context you provided, it seems like you might be referring to health insurance coverage within a specific geographic area or region.
In health insurance, coverage often varies depending on the network of providers available in a particular area. Insurance plans may have different levels of coverage or cost-sharing arrangements for in-network providers within a specific geographic area.
While "in-area health coverage" is not a widely used term, it could potentially be used by some insurance companies or providers to describe the specific coverage and benefits available within a defined area. It's always best to consult the terms and conditions of your health insurance plan or contact your insurance provider directly to understand the specifics of your coverage and how it applies to providers and services within your area."
How about "in network"?
Yes, "in network" is a common term used in the insurance industry, particularly in health insurance. When referring to health insurance, "in network" generally refers to healthcare providers, such as doctors, hospitals, clinics, or specialists, that have a contract or agreement with an insurance company to provide services at pre-negotiated rates to insured individuals.
When a healthcare provider is "in network," it means they have a participating or preferred status with the insurance company. Insured individuals typically receive higher coverage and lower out-of-pocket costs when they seek care from in-network providers. On the other hand, healthcare providers who are "out of network" do not have a contract with the insurance company, and seeking services from them may result in higher costs for the insured individual.
It's important for individuals with health insurance to understand the network of providers associated with their insurance plan and to consider the coverage and costs associated with in-network and out-of-network providers when seeking healthcare services."
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness, Freudenfreude, Serendipity, & a DAP to all 👊 🙏
"Suave Guava" would be a good Henry Mancini song title. (But that's not what this is called.)
"CIAO bella" was just in the June 7 puzzle, when we had a brief discussion about its usage (@Nancy, you were involved in this).
I liked today's puzzle just fine. "The baby is asleep" sounds like a sample sentence from a language instruction textbook. Interesting to note that in the 2016 puzzle @Rex posted, HUSH HUSH was actually the revealer.
Coincidentally, on June 22, 1983, 40 years ago today, this synth-pop gem was all over the radio.
Except for getting tripped up on "In Area", "Obis" & "Mach" (for way too long) I really enjoyed this. A rebus I liked more than most. Thanks, guys.
BTW, Robyn W. has a puzzle in The New Yorker today if anyone wants their "Robyn fix."
Does anybody read the comments before posting their own?
Thanks for the CIAO explanation, @Beezer. @Joe -- the last discussion was about "CIAO BELLA," -- which is a different greeting entirely and strikes me as more of a pickup line. Although if someone were to say that to me, I wouldn't be nearly as displeased as I might feel I need to pretend to be:)
Someone on the Wordplay blog told me what a MESH HAT is and I realize I've actually been wearing one in warm and sunny weather for at least the last 20 years. I never think of it that way; I just call it my tennis hat.
I buy four at a time. They're light as a feather. Sometimes I wonder where I've put my hat and it's on my head.
Being a Thursday, I went right to the revealer and entered THE BABIES ASLEEP. But IN TIME, I got KANYE.
Had trouble with this one early, because the clues apparently were not in my wheelhouse. Was all the way to the SE before I put together enough answers to grasp the rebus (BRITI SHH UMOR). That really helped open up the rest of the grid and I finished right around my Thursday average time.
This is the closest I have to a ROSH HASHANA joke.
Two Black gentlemen are talking.
Hey, I have off tomorrow -- do you?
No, it's Tuesday -- why are you off?
My boss is a Jew and it's Yom Kippur, we're closed.
Yom Kippur? What's that?
Damn -- you don't know what Yom Kippur is?
No -- what the hell is Yom Kippur?
Well, you know what Shabbos is, right?
Sure -- I know what Shabbos is.
Well, next to Yom Kippur, Shabbos ain't shit!
Before I got the gimmick, looking at --HASHANA I thought: there must be a bunch of different Hashanas.
There is a massive name fest in the southwest. If you take an 8 x 6 rectangular area, there are only 10 white squares that are not part of a name. Fortunately I knew all of them except RENU! I only know VRBO from their annoying ads, especially on Facebook.
[Spelling Bee: Wed 0; a couple of tricky words.]
Thanks for the Bjork clip.
The desktop version of this puzzle would not accept the "SSH" boxes today. When I finished the puzzle page said at least one square was amiss. I checked and rechecked and rechecked and carefully retyped all the SSH squares and made sure I didn't type zero for any o's. Anyway, when I replaced the rebuses with just the first letter (S) the solution was accepted.
Well, call me slow on the easy uptake but my brain just didn’t engage for a while. I just couldn’t get started. I did connect with the peacock clue
Out of curiosity, looked up what nits Rex picked for the first two SHHs.
Not RUBBISHHEAP? (His argument against TRASHHEAP)SHH Rex 2016
Mistakenly answering ASSHEAP (When he meant to write ASHHEAP)SHH Rex 2007
Given his long memory, you’d think he’d be grateful there were no landfill terms in today’s puzzle!
Never mind. I think I had typed SSH in one instead of SSH into one of them. Rex, no need to publish original comment or this correction.
Did anyone else get naticked by Mancini / Tim? I had Manconi / Tom.
No likee IN AREA
I usually read it as In my honest opinion, but apparently I am wrong. It is In my humble (false modesty) opinion.
I counted 13 names {including a couple of nicknames Bo, Bri, and Og, but not including Mia (9th letter)}
[spoiler alert?] "SHH" IT's a ThursPuz rebus. I'm here late, so this could be the 100th shady comment to mention it, tho.
Took m&e waaay too long to catch on to the theme mcguffin. Many precious nanoseconds were lost. M&A blames bein punchy becuz our sprinkler system died, and I had to hand-water the lawn pretty much all day, draggin the portable hose-attached sprinkler every few minutes. And it's kinda hot out.
staff weeject pick: SHH. Thought the SHH fit in with the HUSHHUSH themer by far the best, btw.
Thanx for gangin up on us, Baker and Chen dudes. And congratz to Mr. Baker on his half-debut.
Masked & Anonymo8Us
**gruntz**
Would someone please explain 42 across “uses on?
H = Humble here in my understanding, too
My certainty about ROSH HASHANAH made getting the rebus gimmick almost instantaneous, a rare pleasure. But IN AREA crossing with HEAR had me stuck way too long. I think both were badly clued. I had HEAT for “Catch some waves?,” thinking it must refer to sunbathing or warming in the oven. No sense of “Aha, of course,” when I replaced it with HEAR. Both are a strain.
Ugly clueing for the typical ugly Thursday grid. I’m at a loss why people enjoy these.
@Ethan 2:06
That's because it's SHH. Not SSH. 😜 But probably wouldn't have accepted that either!
RooMonster Hush Your Mouth Guy
@Ethan 2:11
Har, I guess I should read further before commenting! Ah, hey, at least we all had fun.
Roo
Around but not fully monetized by whoever bought it. The VRBO of today bears little resemblance to when I could pay $450 a year to list my rental property and could vet prospective renters.
@Roo…you go guy! You are RIGHT! ‘Nuf said.
Absolutely hate this type of puzzle.
I’m with @Gary J on today’s grid. Cute idea, but I’ll keep quiet about my reservations that are definitely not IN AREA.
Believe it's now informal as he's legally changed his name to Ye, so references as Kanye are technically inapt though common (landing us on the "informally" qualifier)
“Banc” is French for “bench; it’s used in legal circles to mean where judges sit.
She has a tube of super glue that she wants to use on a broken vase. So, she
applies it to both pieces and holds them together for a moment. Done.
Ugh. I had just SH and it took me forever to figure it out. I knew the words each needed an extra H but I just assumed that was part of the trick, that the H was shared. Stupid, but true.
In my "humble" opinion. I start in the southeast (on paper} so I didn't get to Rosh Hashanah until fairly late. Had I started there, it would have been a cakewalk. Nice puzzle...I love rebuses. IMHO, if you don't enjoy them, don't do the NYT on Thursdays.
Love that Bjork video - and it's exactly what I hoped Rex would play.
I was really enjoying this - theme and fill - until I hit that PPP-fest in the south with MIA, VRBO, ABRAM and SIRI. Did not spoil my experience, but did mar it slightly.
Also ... IN AREA?
Easy after you're sure exactly what's going down. I mean, it could be SH, or SHH, or SSH (those last two a mini-kealoa). Before nailing that down, the Chennish cluing makes for a slow start.
Agreed that the WAY more popular "admonition" features a 'S rather THAN "IS." But, we do have to span the %$@*& grid, don't we?
Headwear mini-theme with MESHHAT and CRASHHELMET. Like: the too rare appearance of the brilliant Henry MANCINI, co-DODs from very different venues REBA and MIA. Writeover: AURAE over AURAs. Birdie.
Wordle par.
FRESH FROM INANE
BRITISHHUMOR breaks THE BANC,
THE 'Grail' IS a SMASHHIT with HIM:
His HELMET more THAN HUMAN rank,
THE AURAE of Enchanter TIM.
--- ABRAM MANCINI
I do remember my auto insurance agent using the term in area, but that was around 40 years ago. The agent asked for my exact address, because there was an area in the town I was living at the time that had either a very high amount of accidents or auto thefts, so they didn't offer coverage if you lived in that specific area.
I thought this one was pretty good until I came here to see the gimmick has appeared at least two other times in the NYT. Where’s the editor?
For a Thursday letteral puzzle, this turned out to be quite easy, although at first, prior to looking at the down clues, I thought the trick was going to be osh, ish, etc. using a different vowel each time. Go ahead constructors and steal thish idea, and thush, claim it as your own
Liked it ! No game of thrones clues, and I think only one rapper clue. Hope this trend holds up.
Bolt would have worked for 66A
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