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Hello, everyone! It’s Clare for the last Tuesday in July. I’m writing this after another round of Monday trivia and another pitcher of spicy hibiscus margaritas (shared, of course), but I hope this is all coherent. :) I hope everyone has been staying cool in July! I just got back from a family reunion/beach trip, and the days were either extremely hot or full of thunderstorms. I’m home now, slightly tan and only a little bit burnt. In other news, today was my first day at my new job, and it seems great! So I’ll be focusing on that for a while, along with watching the U.S. women in the World Cup, and of course, doing crossword puzzles.
Anywho, on to the puzzle…
Relative difficulty: Easy-medium (I might’ve had too many margaritas to decide)
THEME: A wacky/fun cluing of common expressions
Theme answers:
- TOSSES AND TURNS (20A: Two things associated with a game of horseshoes?)
- ROCK AND ROLLER (33A: Two things associated with the tale of Sisyphus?)
- KISS AND MAKE UP (40A: Two things associated with Gene Simmons?)
- TOWN AND COUNTRY (53A: Two things associated with the Vatican?)
The saguaro is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea that can grow to be over 40 feet tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona. Saguaros have a relatively long lifespan, often exceeding 150 years. They may grow their first side arm around 75–100 years of age, but some never grow any arms. Arms are developed to increase the plant's reproductive capacity, as more apices lead to more flowers and fruit. (Wiki)
• • •
The theme for this puzzle was fun and original — a bit kitschy and a bit clever without being too much. My favorite theme answer was definitely KISS AND MAKE UP (40A), which was an absolutely perfect clue and answer. (The answer even crossed AC/DC (34D), another hard rock band.) The rest of the theme answers didn’t quite reach that height, but I didn’t really care because I was too in love with KISS AND MAKE UP. ROCK AND ROLLER (33A) was also clever, given that Sisyphus had to keep rolling a rock up a hill in hell for all of eternity. Ha. I don’t have a ton else to say about the puzzle (and that’s truly not because of the margaritas!). The fill was mostly good. As is often the case with Tuesday puzzles, I liked some of the long downs, mainly CRISS CROSS (3D: What streets do on an urban map), CLIP ON TIES (30D: Articles of neckwear that are a snap to use?) and CAR SICK (4D: Nauseated while on the road). AMENITY (41D: Wi-Fi or room safe, at a hotel) and KIMONOS (43D: Japanese wraps) were decent answers that I haven’t seen in a while. There also weren’t too many proper names in the puzzle, which I appreciated.
Amusingly, I tried to make NERO the answer in several different places in the puzzle. With a couple of letters in place, I wanted NERO instead of NERD (7D: Person who might do the Vulcan salute). And then I wanted NERO instead of REMO (63A: San ___, Italy). When I finally filled in NERO at 62A: Detective Wolfe, I barely even realized I’d finally gotten my wish.
To find things I didn’t love, I really have to work for it. The one clue/answer that stands out to me was 47A: “Strangely…” as IT’S ODD. I think my distaste goes back to the fact that I strongly dislike clues that are so open-ended; there could have been a ton of answers to that clue. There was some blatant crosswordese like ETTU or HEN or STY or SKY, but I didn’t find that really overwhelmed the rest of the puzzle.
Misc.:
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Misc.:
- Of course, the only thing I can think of for EDNA (28D) Mode is “No capes!” EDNA Mode is an icon.
- 27D: Wee ‘uns as TOTS reminded me about my very young cousins (technically my first cousins once removed — their parents are my cousins) on our beach trip. We hung out with them a lot, and I got to bring out my inner child and dig a large hole that my three cousins loved playing in. One of my cousins was obsessed with the TV show DO, RE & MI (48D: String before fa-sol-la) and, for basically the whole vacation, talked about having watched it in the car ride to the shore. (Her mom wasn’t so amused.)
- Also on our beach trip, there were tons of people out on the sand with metal detectors, presumably looking for COINs (4A) or other valuables.
- Chicken Little being hit by an ACORN (51D) really takes me back to my Game Boy– and Nintendo DS–playing days. Man, that was the life.
- My dad, sister, and I are seeing Barbie today — we called ourselves “Two Barbies and Ken” at trivia. (We finished second among 16 teams. Who knew that Baltimore had one of the biggest aquariums in the world?) We’re prepared to dress in all pink and to cry a lot, because the movie is apparently very emotional. (Yes, that includes our dad.)
- Lastly, because it wouldn’t be a Clare write-up without mentioning BTS, here’s a song from Jungkook (a member of BTS) that just reached No. 1 on Billboard and set a ton of records in the meantime. Enjoy:)
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
Easy-medium. No real problems with this one. Solid and amusing, liked it...or what @Clare said.
ReplyDeleteClare: "The theme for this puzzle was fun and original"... exactly! I agree that "KISS AND MAKE UP" is an epic answer, but AC/DC trumps Kiss for staying power. I had absolutely no interest in those bands back in the day, but I've changed a bit, kinda into AC/DC which seems more popular today than back then (fave: "It's a long way to the top, if you wanna ROCK AND ROLL"). Funny how that works.
ReplyDeleteTypeovers: DIRTY before GERMY and PORT before PIER is about it.
[Spelling Bee: Mon currently -1, missing a 5er after a weekend off.]
I always print out my puzzle and that version has different clues for the upper left corner.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the write-up, Clare. I’ve never heard of hibiscus margaritas. Cool. Seems there are all kinds of margaritas these days: skinny, spicy, jalapeno. . . hold on…. I just googled it and found smokey watermelon-jalapeno, lavender, carrot, chocolate, kale, dandelion, frozen avocado. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteFull disclosure: Doug Peterson is one of my favorite people in all of crossworld. He’s funny, humble, clever. When his name is at the top, I always expect some kind of superhero entry. Today: EDNA Mode of The Incredibles. Hah.
I sussed out the trick pretty early (ROCK AND ROLLER) and laughed. My absolute favorite was TOWN AND COUNTRY, but I agree with Clare and @okanaganer that KISS AND MAKE UP is brilliant.
Fun to try to reimagine other __ and __ phrases:
hit and run: Hank Aaron/
cut and dry: hair salon (this Has to be the name of a bajillion of these)
pride and joy: household chores
wheels and deals: car dealership
block and tackle: the NFL
pros and cons: jail
see and say: whistle blower
STY crossing GERMY reminds me of my kids’ rooms when they were teenagers.
I had never really noticed that TACTIC is a switched tictac. So a sleazeball at a bar coming on to women has his optimistic tictac tactic.
Gary, Doug – thanks for the smiles on this muggy, hot Tuesday.
@LMS: You rise and shine…
DeleteOh, Loren, you missed a better “what links” on Pride and Joy: “Born Free”.
DeleteI don't get this:
ReplyDeleteA team of professional editors reviews a puzzle and it is sent out for testing WITH SOLVERS before publication. How then does the word "amount" appear in the clue for 58D when AMT is the answer to 51A?
@Damfino 6:21 AM
DeleteHappens regularly. Maybe a windmill unworthy of defeating?
KISS probably reached their height of popularity while I was on in Kindergarten so I never really got into them, but the KISS AND MAKE UP answer is one of my favorites of all time. I hope it has staying power with millennials and gen-z.
ReplyDeleteAh, a lovely write up from @Clare (congrats on the new job) on a day when I’m feeling extra nitpicky! To be clear, definitely agree with the overall sentiment - good theme if a bit cheesy, solid fill, a breezy, fun-ish Tuesday that I enjoyed solving.
ReplyDeleteBut. MACE is not a spice “related” to nutmeg; they are the exact same species and different parts of the same plant. Nutmeg is the seed itself while mace is the covering. In my wayward youth, I stayed with a stoner friend at a solar-powered chocolate factory on the island of Grenada, and got to taste fresh mace (as well as cacao fruit while helping restore an overgrown grove, tangy!). That was followed by a few weeks on a moored sailboat off the coast of Carriacou (a small Grenadian island). Nutmeg and mace are major exports of Grenada, so that trip left me with a nostalgic fondness for the spices. Anyway, I recognize that this nit is niche knowledge but hey a plant nerd can hope for better!
There were also a few clues that I felt like weren’t quite what most people say - ie, CORN as a noun for something that is corny, and GERMY which is maybe a neologism but strikes me as too cute by half. Sure, they’re allowable, but pushing it a bit for a Tuesday.
Will be curious to see what other folks think as the comments roll in!
I agree about the clue for CORN. I feel like the "say" at the end should have been a question mark instead.
DeleteJust could not discern SAGUARO (which I had not heard of, or if so, have long since forgotten) and CORN as clued, and GERMY escaped me as well. Rare Tues DNF, but the theme was kind of cute for a change. Nice puzzle.
ReplyDeleteWell, the star of this puzzle for me is the theme, bubbling with wit and dash. KISS AND MAKE UP, and ROCK AND ROLLER each triggered an exuberant “Hah!”
ReplyDeleteIt’s a lovely collaboration (the first time for this pair). Doug loves to pair up; about 2/3 of his 55 puzzles were made with others, including his last eight, and he’s known for his humor and wit. Gary is an inspiration, the paradigm of tenacity – even after 41 rejections by the NYT, he persisted, and, finally, his 42nd was accepted, only to have to be revised 11 times. Since then, he’s had four more published.
Nice little serendipities in this puzzle, too. There’s a SIT down. IT’S ODD is appropriately answer #47. There’s the lovely PuzzPair© of DWARF-SEPTET. And the magnificent PuzzPair© of GERMY-IRON (isn’t he an actor?).
Gary and Doug, your puzzle left me beaming. What a gift! Thank you both!
Easy except for the SAGUARO/GEAR/GNOME crosses. SEPTET for "deadly sins" was a nice idea, and the closest thing to a misdirect in the entire puzzle. Most of the fill was very straightforward.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this, thought the theme was fun, am just here to pick a nit. ET TU doesn't mean "not you, too?" It's closer to just "you, too?"
ReplyDeleteGriMY for GERMY here. Anyone else?
ReplyDeleteWonderful little puzzle - nuanced and comfortable in its own skin. Theme is a little corny - but well developed and the remaining fill is clean and slick. Liked the the PIE - SKY stack. OCEAN, desert, sky all covered.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable Tuesday solve.
California is a garden of Eden
Agree with Clare & Co. that KISSANDMAKEUP was the star entry in a solid Tuesday.
ReplyDelete(Should the upcoming Disney remake featuring Snow White and the 6 tall followers be called SEPTET And a DWARF?)
Clare: your columns are always fun. Spicy hibiscus margaritas? The puzzle answers were also cute: KISSANDMAKEUP was the best.
ReplyDeleteThx, Gary & Doug for the two-fer adventure! π
ReplyDeleteHi Clare, good to see you again; thx for your take! π
Med.
Loved the theme!
Fun trip! :)
___
Croce's 828 was Med-hard, with the NW being by far the toughest to crack. Another beaut by Tim.
___
On to Elizabeth Gorski's Mon. New Yorker. π€
___
Peace π πΊπ¦ ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude ~ Serendipity ~ & a DAP to all π π
This one seemed like an inadvertent Kiss tribute puzzle. Along with the Gene Simmons theme answer, they are ROCK AND ROLLERs, and that answer is close to their album Rock and Roll Over (and their song "Let Me Go Rock and Roll"). The drummer Peter Criss is in there with CRISS CROSS. Too bad the ultra common ACE wasn't included.
ReplyDeleteI really, really like this theme. One of the best of the year, and I really can’t imagine how this did not get puzzle of the week.
ReplyDeleteWe were in India in March of 2020, just as COVID-19 was starting to be taken seriously in the US. We would get these occasional reports from the US – fistfights over toilet paper, empty supermarket shelves and such. Our travel company kept suggesting we cut our trip off early and go back, but it sounded like a nightmare back home, and in India everything was pretty much normal.
Eventually, though, lodges in India started shutting down (as no new visitors could get in), and we pretty much had to go back. A lot of the people in our group were having absolute nightmares trying to get home – flights either cancelled or wildly overbooked, transit airports shutting down, etc. No flights into the US allowed from much of Europe, etc.
We had booked through EMIRATES Airlines and had no problems at all changing our flight on short notice (cost less than $70 per person change fee), and had lovely and comfortable flights back. They really did a great job looking after us.
Funny that DO RE MI seems fine in a puzzle, but, say, SOL LA TI would be terrible fill.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, puzzle great - agree with comment about nutmeg and mace (and yes, appreciate selective knowledge) and really just want to know if Gary Larson is THE Gary Larson.
ReplyDeleteWell, solved downs only so didn't get the theme, but all the themers were easy to fill in since they are very much in the language. Now that I've read @Clare I agree that KISS AND MAKEUP is a wonderful answer.
ReplyDeletePen and paper / jailhouse lawyer
High and low / stoned cow (cow tools anyone?)
Over and above / balloons
And I have one more but it's probably not, um, printable.
Hey All !
ReplyDeletePretty neat Theme. The Gene Simmons clue is definitely a Vaulted one. Running for Best Clue/Answer of the Year, or some other made-up award. π
Baseball player unsuccessfully sliding into second base? DOWN AND OUT
Rex must be on vacation, or something. This is four days in a row no Rex. Hey, we all need to get away once in a while.
Liked today's puz. These TuesPuzs are trying really hard to get out of the worstPuzDay catagory. Bravo!
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
This is embarrassing, but I had no idea who Gene Simmons was. I'd heard the name, and somehow thought he might have an exercise show on TV. I was a rock and roll fan once, but only until the mid 1960s, with a little bit of recurrence around the time of The Clash. No idea about Edna Mode, either. Still, I enjoyed the puzzle!
ReplyDeleteMe too for GriMY before GERMY. That said, I have heard the latter IRL -- in the early days of COVID, when we were barricaded inside our house (after a scary drive back from Florida) my son was doing our grocery shopping for us (until we discovered home delivery a little later). The supermarkets were having special old folks shopping when the stores first opened -- nobody under 65 could get in for that hour (unless he or she was pushing your wheelchair for you). I mentioned to my sister that I didn't see the point, and she replied that you got to shop after they'd sanitized everything and before the GERMY kids came in. So there, @Loren!
The trouble with IT'S ODD is that it doesn't match grammatically --
Strangely, I thought Psycho was hilarious
It's odd, BUT I thought Psycho was hilarious
@weezie -- well, the clue says the spices are related, not that they come from related plants. Like my fingernail is related to my finger, or at least that's how I read it.
Am I the only one to wonder whether one of the constructors drew that cartoon that had us all puzzled yesterday? Apparently he isn't, though.
They should have clued DOREMI by this Woody Guthrie song.
Nice basic little crossword with kind of a snoozer theme. Zippy, and over too fast. Thanks for a fun review @Clare.
ReplyDeleteMost hilarious words: GERMY & BEEFY.
And a brief thank you to the always on-duty @AModerator. You are wise.
Uniclues:
1 Secret society of people keeping pennies in their bellybuttons.
2 Location where fake pigs are kept.
3 Protester sheepishly explains his favorite part of the night.
4 Boat dock prior to the gold plated one.
5 Why residents of the eastern suburb of Denver are fat and happy.
6 Free belly rubs.
7 Gramma going with a grumbly gut.
8 Comedy chez Adam's Apple.
1 SAC COIN SECTS
2 CON OINK SPOT (~)
3 YES! MACE. IT'S ODD.
4 DUBAI IRON PIER
5 AURORA PIE TUBE
6 EPIC AMENITY
7 CARSICK NANA
8 CLIP-ON TIES CORN (~)
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Basically any sword fight loser. SABRE TIP STEW.
¯\_(γ)_/¯
This one definitely hit the sweet spot for a Tuesday: easy but so clever and fun to solve. I especially liked how the first three theme answers relied on a switch of parts of speech, verb to noun. Yay for the versatility of English! (@Weezie 6:37, if I were to pick a nit, it would be that the fourth one didn't follow suit, so to speak). I had no idea who Gene Simmons is, but I had enough crossing letters to pick out the phrase, and was helped by at least knowing the name of the band and having an image of their face paint. I liked the inclusion of the DWARF and GNOME and the nod to sweet CORN season, with many a Wisconsin ACRE finally ready to harvest,
ReplyDeleteDo-over: god AND COUNT... Nope.
@Clare, congratulations on your new job.
Not pleased with GERMY
ReplyDeleteUm...Err...I download the puzzle at 7:00...I then print it. So here's the thing. My 1,2,3 downs are different than all of you.
ReplyDeleteFor example 3D clue: "Wear clothes traditionally associated with the opposite gender." Answer: CROSS DRESS. Que pasa? Am I the only one? The themes are the same as everyone else but.....Why did it get changed? Am I imagining something?
The rest of the puzzle? You had my buddy Sisyphus in there. Many moons ago I drew a charcoal of him with bulging muscles and a boulder the size of a boulder neatly resting on his back. It never hung on anybody's wall.
My favorite? ROCK AND ROLLER...
Like @Lauren, I see Doug Peterson and Gary Larson and my heart goes pitter patter. I know I'm in for fun. I was.
I'm still confused, though.
The theme shoulda been "cow tools"...
ReplyDeleteWell, the high point for me -- and it was very high, pun intended -- was the Sisyphus clue/answer. I'm wondering if that was the initial impulse behind the theme idea. It's quite clever, in any event.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Gene Simmons KISS and I've never seen him in MAKEUP either. I've never seen Gene Simmons, period. So that one went right over my head. But the other two themers made sense to me and were cute.
This double-meaning of a phrase constitutes an interesting and playful idea for a theme and is very smoothly executed. It's also clear that a lot of thought and care was put into all the clues. Especially nice were those for CLIP-ON TIE; DEN; SPOT; IRON; DRY ROT and DOREMI. A very good Tuesday indeed.
One note: There's an SOC here (singular of convenience). I really hope that any military planners working for us have more than one TACTIC in mind.
Sailed through this one and enjoyed it. One of those rare puzzles with no real unknowns.
ReplyDeleteI used to have CLIPONTIES back before I learned how to tie the estimable half-windsor. I wonder if they even make them any more.
Favorite synonymous clue "Schoolmarmish"= PRIM . And how.
Two things associated with desperately trying to get into an occupied bathroom- TWIST AND SHOUT.
Nice writeup as usual Clare. Glad to see people are starting to spell your name properly, as it's my granddaughter's middle name and her great-grandmother's first name.
Very nice Tuesdecito, GL and DP. Getting Lots of Deserved Plaudits, mine too. Thanks for all the fun.
@bocamp-Thought yesterday's NYer was a real winner. On to the Croce.
@
Hand up for KISSANDMAKEUP bringing a big smile to my face as the PERFECT and fun answer. What can I say…I was in college when Rock and Roll Every Night came out and it was in hot competition for Arrowsmith’s Walk This Way as being the song that would send everyone at the party to the dance floor. So yeah. Perfect. Oddly, the only other Kiss song that even comes to mind for me is Beth. On balance I much preferred Alice Cooper. I’m old now so it’s kind of funny even for me to picture all this!
ReplyDelete@GILL I…that is SO odd that your answers were different! I’ll be curious to see what was up with that!
I read Gene Simmons, but I thought (Richard) Simmons . So kiss and makeup was my AHA moment! Great clue/answer. Dirty came first, but quickly was replaced with germy - more appropriate for the clue (but my auto correct just switched germy first to Gerry then to germs.
ReplyDeleteRock and roller just does not roll off the tongue as just rock and roll would, or as the other themers do. I know it is correct and symmetrical, but it felt out of step to me.
Just filled it out, mostly downs-only. Extremely quick Tuesday for me. I think I saved time by ignoring the theme.
ReplyDeleteI loved this puzzle. It was breezy, fun & I loved "Kiss and make-up"! (whatever happened to Gene Simmons?)
ReplyDeleteWell the Gene Simmons clue is truly brilliant, but I might like the Sisyphus clue even better. Was Cliponties related to Sisyphus, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, the clue for that seems to imply that the tie has a snap fastener. I get that you wanted to make a cutesy pun, but no. A clip-on tie is fastened with a clip. If it had a snap it would be a snap-on tie, and I can't quite see how that would even work.
Drawin'
Gill. I printed the puzzle at about the same time as you (SF time is the same as Sacramento time) and I had "What streets do on an urban map" at 3D. That's what the newspaper shows. I print out Standard Layout. There are other options.
ReplyDelete@Weezie, happy to learn about the 2 spices, and your fun travels. I wonder what "related" means when two spices from the same plant aren't - they seem as close as brother/sister to me, or even fraternal twins:)
ReplyDeleteFun Tuesday theme, and enough challenge not to be a fill in the blanks exercise.
@Clare; joining @Weezie (6:37 AM), & Carola (9:37 AM) to offer congrats on your new job, and wish you all the best in the position! π
ReplyDelete@pabloinnh (10:49 AM)
A belated ty for your kind words yd! π Granddaughter, mom and friend are just about to overfly Iceland on the arctic route from Amsterdam to Vancouver.
Good to hear that both you and the NYer were winners yd. I'll be on it this PM. Good luck with Croce's 828; it was a doable doozie! lol
___
Peace π πΊπ¦ ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude ~ Serendipity ~ & a DAP to all π π
Two things associated with a rich Billy goat?
ReplyDeleteTwo things associated with the diner where cops hang out?
Two things associated with a nightcap?
(Answers below)
What does someone think about automobiles after they’ve experienced being CARSICK? CARS. ICK.
If AURORA had been clued as”City in Illinois” this puzzle would have a great @Lewis PuzzPair of SECTS and the City.
Really had a good time with this solve. Thanks, Gary Larson and Doug Peterson.
Answers:
Bread and Butter
Lawn and Order
Nip and Tuck
Coriander and cilantro are "related" too, coriander being the name for the seeds of the plant and cilantro for the leaves and stems. But you probably knew that. Unlike mace and nutmeg, they don't taste remotely alike, at least not to me.
ReplyDelete@GILL I. - yep. The NYTPuz team was tryin to gaslight U.
ReplyDeleteThere were indeed two versions of this puz issued, at least online. M&A printed off one last night, and another one just a few minutes ago. The NW regions are entirely different, in the two versions. More about all this, once I and special agent Smith have gone over the evidence more thoroughly …
M&A
I'm wondering what Will and company might have tried to hide? My 2D was Punk rock "family" surname. Answer RAMONE....
ReplyDeleteI'm dying to hear what @M&A can sniff out....Was CROSS DRESS offensive? Yikes.
@GILL I.1:25 PM
DeleteI am almost gleeful at the notion the NYTXW allowed CROSS DRESS into a puzzle, ran it through testing, editing, legal, and partial deployment, and still ended up yanking it. You gotta know there was a phone call from someone rich and powerful in there somewhere. C'mon @M&A, we're counting on your sleuthery. Just when we're positive BORESOME or GERMY are problematic, we learn again there are far more sinister hands messing with our language. I play a gasping pearl clutcher because it's funny to me, but there are real forces at work ready to stab you for those pearls.
BAIT AND SWITCH!
ReplyDeleteCute theme, which had the same themer answers in both puzversions.
For completeness sake, here were the clues & answers that were different, between in the two versions:
Acrossers: 1-,13-,17-,23-,26-,36-Across.
Downers: 1-,2-,3-,5-,14-,27-Down.
Not quite sure why there were two puzversions. M&A possible theory: CROSSDRESS [3-Down] was ruled an unacceptable puz-entry in Florida, and DeSantis threatened to sue the NYTPuz. So it got changed [overnight?] to CRISSCROSS, which lead to the other necessary fill adjustments.
Hard to know which version to comment on, but I'll go with the one shown on this here blog [and at xwordinfo.chen, btw]. It is the more recent, by a few hours, of the two puzversions.
staff weeject pick: OMS. aka ENS, in the other version. Maybe this is why they switched versions? NYTPuz staff is pro-meditation fans? Doubtful.
other stuff of interest [alt versions shown in parens]: SAC (ARC). EURO (RARE). PRIM (CMON). ERS (INS). TACTIC (CEDRIC). SPOT (SPEW). SEPTET (ARCTIC). AURORA (RAMONE). CRISSCROSS (CROSSDRESS). OMS (ENS). TOTS (ROWS).
Pretty good fillins, either way, unless CEDRIC/RAMONE mighta been a no-know for some TuesPuz-level solvers.
Thanx for gangin up on us with 2 puzversions, Larson & Peterson dudes. This may be a first [and a second, of course].
Masked & Anonymo6Us
M&A will now attempt to outdo the NYTPuz, with *three* [totally different] runt emissions:
**gruntz**
**gruntz**
**gruntz**
p.s.
ReplyDeleteahar! Special agent Smith has revealed the solution unto m&e, as to why the NYTPuz hastily put out that there second, new puzversion!
.
.
(wait for it…)
.
.
New version has an extra U!
QED.
M&Also
Re: TACTIC:
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of a worthwhile discussion we had (a yr or two ago) re: TACTIC/s vs 'strategy', so thot I'd get ChatGPT's take:
User:
Compare and contrast the words, 'tactic' and 'strategy'.
ChatGPT:
"Tactic" and "strategy" are two related but distinct terms used in the context of planning, decision-making, and achieving goals. Let's compare and contrast these words:
Definition:
• Tactic: A tactic refers to a specific action or method employed to achieve a short-term goal or address a particular situation. It is a means to execute a plan or strategy effectively.
• Strategy: A strategy is a comprehensive and long-term plan designed to achieve specific objectives or goals. It involves analyzing the bigger picture and determining the best approach to achieve success.
Timeframe:
• Tactic: Tactic usually focuses on short-term goals and immediate actions that can be implemented quickly.
• Strategy: Strategy involves a more extended timeframe, considering long-term objectives and the steps needed to achieve them over time.
Scope:
• Tactic: Tactic deals with specific actions or techniques that are part of a broader strategy.
• Strategy: Strategy encompasses a holistic approach, considering multiple tactics and resources to achieve overarching objectives.
Flexibility:
• Tactic: Tactic can be flexible and adaptable, changing based on immediate needs and situations.
• Strategy: Strategy is more rigid and less prone to change, as it involves careful planning and analysis.
Hierarchy:
• Tactic: Tactic is a component of a strategy, serving as building blocks to achieve strategic goals.
• Strategy: Strategy guides the selection and implementation of various tactics to accomplish the desired outcomes.
Examples:
• Tactic: Sending personalized email reminders to customers for a limited-time offer.
• Strategy: Developing a marketing strategy that includes social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and targeted ads to increase brand awareness and sales over the next year.
In summary, a tactic is a specific action used to accomplish a short-term goal, while a strategy is a comprehensive plan guiding the overall direction and approach to achieve long-term objectives. They work together, with tactics serving as the means to execute a strategy effectively.
___
Peace π πΊπ¦ ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude ~ Serendipity ~ & a DAP to all π π
Once again I find myself standing alone over in the other corner. This one was not for me. I'm familiar with the phrases KISS AND MAKE UP and TOWN AND COUNTRY. But I did a side eye to the other two because TOSS AND TURN and ROCK AND ROLL would have sounded more in sync with KISS AND MAKE UP and TOWN AND COUNTRY.
ReplyDeleteI think the more off key TOSSES AND TURNS and ROCK AND ROLLER were there simply for the convenience of the letter count inflation (LCI) needed to make them symmetrical in length with the other two themers. That was a big ugly-ass fly in the cruciverbal ointment in my book.
I did another side eye to the game of horseshoes clue for TOSSES AND TURNS. It had an ad hoc, just for this puzzle feel to it with kind of a "Hey, we had to come up with something and this was the best we could do" vibe. Plus the tale of Sisyphus clue would have worked just as well with the uninflated ROCK AND ROLL.
Speaking of KISS,
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'
...I wanna ROCK AND ROLL all night and party every day
(keep on repeatin', keep on repeatin')
Not sure if anyone will read this given the relatively late hour...
ReplyDeleteFun, breezy puzzle. Agree with everyone who says KISSANDMAKEUP is the best answer, but -- sorry to be the ant at the picnic -- it is hardly original. In fact, it is the name of Gene Simmons's autobiography from 20+ years ago. So, great crossword entry, but not a new COINage.
Other stuff:
-- TOWNANDCOUNTRY is also fantastic -- and, as far as I am aware, original in its reference to the Vatican. Great stuff.
-- @LMS: Wonderful alternative theme ideas, and fabulous avatar.
-- I had no idea Roger EBERT won a Pulitzer. Cool.
-- @Twangster: Excellent spotting of (Peter) CRISS. I completely missed that.
-- All the time in the world for ACDC. Limited time for KISS.
Oh, and one other thing...tipsy Clare is fun to read!
ReplyDelete@M&A and @Gary J...Thanks for the hilarious sleuthing. I thought I was the only one. I didn't want to be lonely. I'm thinking @M&A is right about De Santis wanting to sue...Do you think CROSS DRESS is a virus? Any anti-vaxxers here? I can't believe I'm so curious about who and why someone yanked the puzzle....Hmmmm. Does Gary Larson and Doug Peterson know? Inquiring minds and all that....
ReplyDeleteThanks to our sleuths today! Without @Gary J and our always clever @M&A, I would still think I had fallen into a parallel universe of some kind. As it is, I guess there really is a universe in which some powerful person has so much pull that a phone call after publication can so dramatically alter something already published that didn’t even have an error! CROSSDRESS is a perfectly fine actual word with clear meaning. Sheesh. I don’t want anything to do with such a universe. Liked the puzzle- both versions. And congrats Clare! You remind me so much if my young lawyer self. So exciting.
ReplyDeleteI have been solving and reading all the comments daily, but for the last two weeks my daughter has been here from California helping me to get rid of all the stuff I don’t need anymore (after 23 years) and all the records from a 40 year marriage shredded or recycled as well as a four drawer file cabinet full of stuff I worked on during my 6 year stint on the city council here. It was cathartic and heartbreaking.
The heartbreak (and excitement) comes from my decision to move out to Cali to be nearer my kids and granddaughter. In reality though, I am starting to feel the angst. The magnitude of the change is enormous and worrisome.
I never wanted to live here and was able to drag my feet for a couple years to delay.
“Going home” though, was the one and only thing my wonderful husband ever wanted so much that it required me to scrub, delay and modify my rather grandiose “life plans” in order to accommodate him. And after 49 years, I confess not achieving all of the things I had planned to do and the life my premarital rose colored glasses had depicted in my imagination were insignificant in comparison to having a life partner who could not have loved me more or helped us build a wonderful family and and a fulfilling life. I have led such a rich life much of which was made possible because he compromised willingly and participated as needed very time in support of my need to try to save the world. But it is time to go. I need new challenges and as my daughter told me on the way to the airport to fly home, “Mom, just think of all the people who haven’t met you yet and need to because all you ever do is solve important problems and make things around you better. And I need you around so you can help me be as good a mom as you are.” I guess I can stand living across the breezeway from a kiddo who loves me that much.
So if I continue to be erratic in posting, you it’s because I am sorting, tossing and starting to pack. But ‘lll read every day to see what’s happening in the ‘hood. If you slogged through this, I sincerely thank you. Reading it and deciding to post it anyway helped me process what has been abstract even since my retirement a year ago, but reality has set in.
Peace out y’all.
@CDilly52 (7:20 PM)
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you in your next chapter of life in Cali with your daughter! And peace out back atcha! π
____
Peace π πΊπ¦ ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude ~ Serendipity ~ & a DAP to all π π
@CDilly 7:20. Your story is heartwarming. I'v started a "new" life several times....I don't regret one single one of them.
ReplyDeleteHow fantastic that you'll be meeting new people. The folks in California are really super friendly. You'll have your daughter and grandkids to spoil. The weather is wonderful... even here in Sacramento when it reached over 100, we had that lovely Delta breeze in the evening. What better way to sit outside in the early evening, drinking a mojito and thinking about nothing.
I'll always be interested in your adventures. Keep us posted in-between tossing papers you no longer need.
Happy Trails!
@CDilly52 – Wow that was eloquent (as usual). A big change is always daunting, but it sounds like you've thought the situation through with great clarity. It *is* exciting! And your daughter is aces. We'll be here should you need to vent more during the process. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was on the wrong planet today because parts of this puzzle really stumped me. I had gotSICK along with gOld (Metal detector discovery) at top center and struggled to work it out. Tried wasSICK, somehow did not infer that "on the road" was a gimme for CARSICK. Lot of stuff I didn't know - Stevedor, san REMO, NERO Wolfe, SAGUARO, AURORA,"REAR window", GriMY before GERMY, EDNA Mode... ouch, that's a lot of unknowns for a Tuesday. I felt more at home with Saturday than today. Hopefully tomorrow will be more in my wheelhouse.
ReplyDeleteAlso - isn't your Aunt's mom a great aunt? I always thought that "NANA" was a name reserved for a grandmother (mom/dad's mother), not a great aunt.
As I said, wrong planet today...
not a single comment about ROCK being in the ACDC clue? shocking. especially when it was so easily avoided. heavy metal band?
ReplyDeleteive never seen such sloppy blog commentary.
not a single comment about ROCK being in the clue? when so easily avoided? ive never seen such sloppy blog commentary
ReplyDeleteBlank AND blank. Is this the best the NYT crossword has to offer?
ReplyDeleteYou had me at KISSANDMAKEUP. Fantastic. Now, we are not talking THE Gary Larson, are we? The name is common enough to have 6 or 8 Garys strolling the streets of, say, CHI. But one does wonder...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, a lively Tuesday with only a desperate DOREMI to side-eye. Birdie.
Wordle birdie.
ODD SECTS
ReplyDeleteEDNA OWNS a PRIM COUNTRY home –
IT’S ABOUT TACTICs she’ll take UP –
she’ll TOSS ANDTURN with DWARF AND GNOME,
AND then KISS them AND MAKEUP.
--- AURORA EBERT, NPR
Breezed thru the puz unlike a Wordle phew.
ReplyDelete@TAB2TAB 9:09 PM, who wrote: "isn't your Aunt's mom a great aunt? I always thought that "NANA" was a name reserved for a grandmother (mom/dad's mother)...". Unless your auntie married your mother's brother, she is your mom's sister. She and your mom had the same mother, so her mother is your nana.
ReplyDelete