THEME: "NOT MY FIRST RODEO" (54A: "Done this before, you know!" ... or a hint to the last words of 17-, 23-, 31-, 40- and 48-Across) — last words are things one might see at a rodeo:
Theme answers:
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (17A: Tim Duncan's longtime N.B.A. team)
PORK BARREL (23A: Metaphor for some special-interest government spending)
RED BULLS (31A: Energy drinks that "give you wings")
TED LASSO (40A: Titular soccer coach on a hit Apple TV+ series)
CLASS CLOWN (48A: Attention seeker at school)
Word of the Day: "TED LASSO" (40A) —
Ted Lasso (/ˈlæsoʊ/LASS-oh) is an American sportscomedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, based on a character that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promotional media for NBC Sports's coverage of England's Premier League. The show follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English soccer team with the secret intention that his inexperience will lead it to failure, but whose folksy, optimistic leadership proves unexpectedly successful.
The first season of ten episodes premiered on Apple TV+ on August 14, 2020, with three episodes followed by weekly installments. A second season of 12 episodes premiered on July 23, 2021. In October 2020, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on March 15, 2023.
***ATTENTION: READERS AND FELLOW SOLVERS*** : Hello from the first properly snowy week of Winter 2024! It's early January, which means it's time once again for my annual week-long pitch for financial contributions to the blog. Every year I ask readers to consider what the blog is worth to them on an annual basis and give accordingly. So ... 17 years ... not bad. At this time last year, I was recovering from COVID and still dealing with the very fresh grief brought on by the untimely death of my cat, Olive. I was very grateful for the blog at that point, since it grounded me in routine and gave me a place where I could lose myself in a pastime I love, and share that love with others. OK, yes, true, I don't always *love* crosswords. Sometimes it's more hate-love or love-hate or "Why are you being like this, you stupid puzzle!?" It ain't all positive vibes, as you know. But I realized last year that part of what makes this blog so fun for me, and what makes it a solace to many readers, is the sense of commiseration it provides. Sometimes the puzzle thrills you, and maybe I agree with you, and maybe I don't; and sometimes it infuriates you, and maybe I agree with you, and maybe I don't. But either way, the blog is here; it's *always* here. You get to have your feelings validated, or you get to shake your head at my errant judgment and often breathtaking ignorance, but either way, you get to share an experience that's an important part of your daily life, and maybe you learn something new. Above all, I hope you feel that there is a real person with a real life and real emotions and (very) real human flaws who's telling you what it was *really* like for him to solve the puzzle. I never wanted to be an expert, offering some kind of bloodless know-it-all advice and analysis. I wanted blood. Blood on the page. There will be blood! ... But also, music videos. And Words of the Day. And, if you hang around long enough, cat pictures. Like this one:
This is Ida (she put herself in the bin, I swear). Ida is the happy sequel to last year's grief. At the beginning of January, I was mourning. By the end of January, I was still mourning, but now I had a new companion (as did my other cat, Alfie, who *really* needed one). Why am I talking about my cats? Because they are constant, they give shape and rhythm to my day, and I love them even if they sometimes drive me crazy. Just like crossword puzzles! (See that! Segue! This is why you should pay me the big bucks!)
However much I love writing this blog (and I do, a lot), it is, in fact, a job. This blog has covered the NYTXW every day, without fail, for 17 years, and except for two days a month (when my regular stand-ins Mali and Clare write for me), and an occasional vacation or sick day (when I hire substitutes to write for me), it's me who's doing the writing. Every day. At very ... let's say, inconvenient hours (my alarm goes off most mornings at 3:45am). Over the years, I have received all kinds of advice about "monetizing" the blog, invitations to turn it into a subscription-type deal à la Substack or Patreon. But that sort of thing has never felt right for me. I like being out here on Main, on this super old-school blogging platform, just giving it away for free and relying on conscientious addicts like yourselves to pay me what you think the blog's worth. It's just nicer that way.
How much should you give? Whatever you think the blog is worth to you on a yearly basis. Whatever that amount is is fantastic. Some people refuse to pay for what they can get for free. Others just don't have money to spare. All are welcome to read the blog—the site will always be open and free. But if you are able to express your appreciation monetarily, here are three options. First, a Paypal button (which you can also find in the blog sidebar on the homepage):
Second, a mailing address (checks can be made out to "Michael Sharp" or "Rex Parker"):
Rex Parker c/o Michael Sharp
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Binghamton, NY 13905
The third, increasingly popular option is Venmo; if that's your preferred way of moving money around, my handle is @MichaelDavidSharp (the last four digits of my phone are 4878, in case Venmo asks you, which I guess it does sometimes, when it's not trying to push crypto on you, what the hell?!)
All Paypal contributions will be gratefully acknowledged by email. All Venmo contributions will get a little heart emoji, at a minimum :) All snail mail contributions will be gratefully acknowledged with hand-written postcards. I. Love. Snail Mail. I love seeing your gorgeous handwriting and then sending you my awful handwriting. It's all so wonderful. My daughter (Ella Egan) has once again designed my annual thank-you cards, and once again those cards feature (wait for it) cats! My cats: Alfie & Ida. This year, an elegant set of five!
These really capture the combination of beauty and goofiness that I love in cats (and puzzles, frankly). I'd say "Collect All Five!" but every snail-mail contributor will get just one and (hopefully) like it! Please note: I don't keep a "mailing list" and don't share my contributor info with anyone. And if you give by snail mail and (for some reason) don't want a thank-you card, just indicate "NO CARD." Again, as ever, I'm so grateful for your readership and support. Please know that your support means a lot to me and my family. Now on to today's puzzle...
• • •
OK I get the "RODEO" part but not the "NOT MY FIRST" part so much. The way I'm explaining it to myself is that the "RODEO" parts of the answers are "not (the) first" words of the answers, but the last. As if the answers themselves were saying "the RODEO part of me is NOT MY FIRST ... part." It really seems like the constructor noticed that the (excellent and original) phrase "NOT MY FIRST RODEO" was a 15, a perfect grid-spanner, and decided to conceive a theme around it. But it's basically just the same kinds of theme answers you'd get if the revealer were simply RODEO. Which is why I like the "my last words NOT MY FIRST words" explanation that I've devised. So we've got a great revealer that really needs a lawyer (me!) to make it seem completely relevant to the themer set. Underneath that, we've got a very basic "last words"-type theme (where the last words of various phrases are all thematically related to one another in some way). It's a fine set, but none of those answers are anything to write home about. What the grid really has going for it is one stand-out answer (SHOW DOG!), and cleanness all around. The banks of 7s in the NE and SW are especially smooth. Solid, vibrant answers, no compromises in the quality of the surrounding fill. Really fine work at a granular level. No groany crosswordese. Always nice to see a grid that's been well and truly polished. It takes diligence and dedication to get the gunk out of a grid, and on an easy puzzle, smoothness like this probably won't get much notice or appreciation. So I'm noticing and appreciating.
["I wont last long without a shop that i need red bull from to get me through the day"]
From a Downs-only solving perspective, this was a snap. Went right across the top of the grid with the Downs until the NE, where the bank of 7-letter answers proved somewhat daunting ... actually, even there, there wasn't any hold-up except ERRATIC. Both POUTINE and "RESPECT" were gimmes. It was in the opposite corner that things finally got a little dicey. I didn't trust "WHAT NOW?" at all as an answer for 37D: "Where do we go from here?" so I left the pre-NOW part blank for a bit, and I couldn't get INCITED at all for a bit, and then the first thing I tried there was IGNITED (39D: Provoked). But sorting this all out really didn't take that long. Just seemed long compared to how long the rest of the puzzle took, which was not long at all. No hold-ups. Anywhere. I have no green ink on my printed-out grid, which means two things—very clean fill and no difficulty whatsoever (I use the green pen mostly to highlight trouble spots—ugliness and struggliness).
Downs-only is easy when the Downs come fairly readily *and* the long Acrosses are easy to parse and guess with just a few letters in place. Didn't need much at all to see SAN ANTONIO SPURS. Only needed the very ends of both TED LASSO and NOT MY FIRST RODEO to guess those two. My one moment of hesitation came while trying to parse RED BULLS. Not used to thinking of the beverage in the plural, so my first thought was "uh ... what are RED BALLS?" Don't answer! TMI! (man, TMI is showing up a lot these days) (51A: "I did NOT need to know that?").
Some more Holiday [Nonhuman Household Resident] i.e. Pet Pics now. I know, I know, it's not the "holidays" any more. Tell that to the pets in my Inbox!!! Here we go...
First we've got Daisy and "her nemesis" Freddie. Daisy was much older and has since passed away, but Freddie (yet another dog named for Freddie Mercury!) obviously continues to rock on!
["Daisy, Daisy, chew up that stocking, chew!"]
["What do you see, Freddie?" "I see ... I see ... I see a little silhouetto of a man!" (thanks, Richard)]
This is Marina's first Christmas! Here she is, all ready for a picnic, I think...
[Thanks, Jacob!]
This is Mona. Doesn't seem like a Holiday Pic, I know, but Mona is not normally allowed on the table. However, the no-cats-on-the-table rule has been suspended for the Holidays! (how in the world did you enforce that in the first place!? I'm laughing at the very idea that I could forbid my cats to go ... anywhere)
[Thanks, Paul]
And now our last two pets, who, while not related, do share a very similar silly doofus vibe:
[Spenser apparently lost a bet, poor Spenser (thanks, Aaron)]
[Tiller here can roll her tongue! Also, she has a Christmas fanny pack For Some Reason! (thanks, Lexi)]
Very easy, very smooth and cleverly amusing, liked it a bunch or what @Rex said.
No WOEs and no erasures.
Croce Solvers - Croce’s Freestyle #874 was pretty easy for a Croce. The SE corner was the toughest part for me, especially making sense of 56a. Good luck!
NOT MY FIRST RODEO seems to be showing up everywhere lately. Basing a theme on it seemed inevitable, and here it is! I like @RP’s lawyerly attempt to make it more impressive—wonder if that was really the constructor’s intent?
Also want to say that yesterday’s comments were a blast to read—fascinating in general how differently people experienced the puzzle.
In particular I was impressed that UPPISH was DISSed by virtually everyone, but only late in the day did it come out that the more widely known alternative UPPIty has serious racist overtones, which I could see immediately on having it pointed out. I’m pleased that point was made by several commenters in a calm and non-accusatory manner. I often find it genuinely helpful to read explication of terms that can cause offense. What I really dislike is when the user who intends no offense is not just corrected but castigated.
Also solving down clues only it went fast like Rex, in factit was my fastest down-only at just under 8 minutes. And the theme was indeed quite fine for a Monday. A really vivid and fun country-ish phrase for the revealer (like THAT DOG DON'T HUNT on Saturday... and we will see if there are any variants to argue about!)
My only typeover was COLAS before SODAS. In fact with the Coke / Pepsi clue, this is a classic KeaLoa. So may I suggest the term SodaCola for a non-proper-noun KeaLoa? Any takers?
Coincidence: when I turned on the TV this morning to see what hockey games were on, it was still on a sports channel from the night before and I was looking at a DOG SHOW. Not my cup of tea, really, and... is that a "sport"?
@boacamp, I have been wondering: solving downs only, today is fine because you just complete the puzzle and read Rex; no problem. But later in the week when you are commenting on a puzzle but haven't finished it, how can you read Rex, and any of the comments, without spoiling it?
[Spelling Bee: Sun currently -1 missing an 8er; will try again in the morning.]
ANTONIO ACTS ERRATIC when his PORK POUTINE WHIRLS in OIL. SENORA UNA PEEP, the TENURED WHAT NOT cook, would also get PSST.
You see, both ANTONIO and UNA PEEP were the FIRST to SELECT the menu at the RED TOAD Inn. UNA PEEP had to OKS the FETA ROLL, the WEDGE of BARREL PORK (which STANK) and ALSO TAP the DIET SODAS. If you didn't know how to PEEL TOAD, you might think she was like a LOOSE DOG ON A SEXT HORMONE that could LASSO your SOCK off.. She'd see RED if you didn't RESPECT her.
ANTONIO SPURS SENORA on. She TAUT him everything, and EGOS aside they would SHOW the MITE how to ONE UP the crowd at the RED TOAD Inn.
The CIA received a TMI APP about a TYPE of HORMONE in the PORK POUTINE at the RED TOAD Inn. PANIC ensued. TED, the DEAN of PORK, would SOW HOW SELECT FETA in SAX of TNT, HONES into the BARREL of POUTINE and ACTS like its OWN ORAL SPORE FLUIDS. His POET CLASS at the BORES University, knew he was APT to CLOWN around, but they had nothing but RESPECT for him because he knew HOW to POW through RED tape.
It was PAR for the course.
The CIA finally went back to SAN WHAT NOT. They couldn't SHOW any HORMONE in the PORK POUTINE that WHIRLS in OIL to the ECO PAPER. All the LOOSE ends were fixed.
Not everything STANK. The CLOWN at the RODEO was a BARREL of fun. The BULLS were chased by a DOG wearing SPURS . The LASSO dangling on the TAP TREE was a MITE LOOSE so all could swing while TED, the DEAN of PORK, would play his SAX while sipping TEA. ANTONIO and UNA PEEP had a MUG shot taken at the RED TOAD Inn and the PORK POUTINE was the talk of the town.
Wasn't that easy for me. I never heard of POUTINE, and I had "whirrs" instead of WHIRLS, and "redbells" instead of REDBULLS. Trial-and-error worked in the second case.
The theme was fine, but I didn't use it because "bells" didn't jibe with the other rodeo-related answers.
Quite possibly my fastest time since switching over to the NYT app a few years ago (it has the tiniest lag when compared with the Crosswords Plus app -- not a big deal but noticeable when I'm trying to speed solve on a Monday).
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance):
1. Cool place in a hot place (5) 2. Concern for the 1%? (4)(7) 3. Common spots for autographs (6)(5) 4. Breeze for the beach, maybe (4)(4) 5. Olympic bars? (8)(6)
OASIS DEAD BATTERY DOTTED LINES EASY READ NATIONAL ANTHEM
Agree with Rex that it’s nice to have a clean and junk-free grid, so a job well done there. The solve was almost too easy, even for a Monday. It might offer a touch of resistance if one does not know who Tim Duncan is, but the crosses are all plug and chug stuff that most of us have seen many, many times before. The theme is nice and even comes with an explanation for any newcomers who might not be familiar with the whole theme-gestalt on most weekdays. All-in-all, a fine effort.
Got through the grid with all downs, but didn't get the happy music. Recognized on my double-check that SEwT at 64a a thing, (or a doing for that matter). Turns out SAw wasn't the wailing instrument the puzzle wanted. But it seems far better suited than a SAX for a rodeo, donchathink?
Fun Monday. My experience pretty much mirrored OFL's. Most answers fell right into place. The theme was gettable without reading the clues and helped with the harder downs in the SW. Apparently, I just need a tiny bit more SEXTing in my life.
@Rex -- Regarding your interpretation of the reveal, you'll be happy to find in Nate's notes:
"Beyond the straightforward (but hopefully still fun!) theme of this puzzle, I’m hopeful solvers will see an extra level of instruction in the revealer. In my mind, NOT MY FIRST RODEO can be imagined as something the theme entries themselves might be saying to the solver — that the last (NOT MY FIRST) word of each has to do with the RODEO."
Another NYT / WaPo duplicate entry today, with virtually the identical clue. I don’t recall if that’s the first of 2024. I believe we had a few over the extended holiday season.
Downs only. nowwhat before WHATNOW slowed that corner down, because i wierdly decided that HORMONE was the error! but like @Rex I found it easy to fill the themers from just a few letters. Overall liked it, nice smooth start to the week.
Oh, gorgeous-looking and peaceful-feeling grid, so lovely that it has its own First Place sash. Its beauty is backed up by a polished junk-free grid. Top notch construction all the way around.
With some sweet serendipities. An ACTS up. Rhyming crossers SELECT and RESPECT. The OW-OW-OW angling down in the SE. WHIRLS in the same line as LASSO. And SPORE over SPUR.
What a terrific clue for POET – [Versin’ person?]! Also, I find it amazing that in its 80 years, this is the first time the NYT crossword has had SAN ANTONIO SPURS as an answer (nor has it appeared in any of the major crossword outlets!).
High RESPECT for your creation, Nate, which brought spark to my day. Thank you, sir!
Downs only was pretty easy but not a “snap” and I had to look at a few across clues here and there. Couldn’t grok the theme going downs only but then again rodeos are not my thing and I didn’t know all of those rodeo things. Didn’t know if SAN ANTONIO SPURS was a specific type of thing on a cowboy boot or a sports team. Overall this was about as far from my wheelhouse as a puzzle can get, but it did give me some Monday downs only fun.
Did the NYT Games App change its protocol for moving the “cursor” to the next word rather than returning the beginning of said word if not complete? Am I crazy? ‘Cuz it’s driving me crazy! Can someone get word to the intern who implemented this change and have them defenestrated?
Hey All ! Six Themers artfully put in the grid. Light dreck, interesting Theme. Nice way to start the week.
Not too much else to say today. Liked the diagonal W's in SE corner.
I still solve MonPuzs regularly, Downs Only just isn't appealing to me. I like to read every clue, even if the answer auto-fills, I still read the clue to see what it was. Quirky? Maybe. But to each their own, yada yada.
Appreciating fill a little more, now that I look back at the puz, and realize the top and bottom Three Themers share quite a few Downs. Tough to bunch Themers close like that and come out with non-junk fill.
Enough out of this LEO (August 12, in case you care. 😁)
I got it, I got it, I got it!!! Without looking!!! Word for word!!!! NOT MY FIRST RODEO! Yay!!!
Of course it helped that this was the only RODEO phrase I could think of. I didn't think it made the perfect revealer, especially-- I wanted something about things you find at a rodeo. But there's no such phrase.
Trying to guess the revealer gave my brain something to do during this very, very easy solve. The only other thinking I had to do was guess whether the kealoa would be WHIRLS or TWIRLS.
But even though easy, I applaud this puzzle for a smooth-as-silk grid and for two grid spanners. I guess that's enough for a Monday.
Perhaps the act of listing things associated with a rodeo suggests that the person who created the list previously became familiar with rodeos. Actually, I cannot think of an acceptable explanation of how the theme relates to the answers. What I did think of when I learned the theme was that smarmy Tom Smelleck ad about reverse mortgages. In one he prefaces his cloying remarks by saying, “This is not my first rodeo.”Nauseated me.
Zipped through this one and enjoyed the ride. NOTMYFIRSTRODEO was clever and original the first time I heard it, and boy howdy (RODEO talk) have I heard it a lot since then.
Maybe you have to live in a place that has a MUDSEASON to have experienced POUTINE. Up in Quebec they're starting to put different things on top, the classic is still gravy and cheese curds, which sounds awful but is what my Dad would have called "good duffel".
Was in SANANTONIO for a language convention and actually went to a SPURS game. The River Walk is very cool but the Alamo seems to be a little more holy than it should.
Well done you, NC. No Complaints from me, and thanks for all the fun.
@Smith-Thanks for the info on accents on a phone, but I solve on paper and comment on my laptop, which is a PC. When I was teaching Spanish I had the accents figured out, along with things like the upside down question mark and exclamation point, but that was on an Apple and the school wouldn't let me take it with me when I retired.
I knew this puzzle would be a winner with @Rex and I agree it’s a beauty for a Monday! ONE thing…I have only heard/said NOTMYFIRST-GOAT-RODEO. To me, the distinction is…”it’s not the first time I’ve had to handle THIS type of crazy situation.” Anybody, ANYBODY…?
Thanks @Rex for starting a Bohemian Rhapsody ear worm for me this morning, Scaramouche! Can you do the fandango!?
Downs-o success (not far above my regular Mon. avg).
Great start in the NW, altho STuNK before STANK; OratED before OPINED.
Dropped in POUTINE right off. Back in my meat-eating days, I'd stop in at Church's Chicken on Hastings St. in Vancouver and have me some.
Only semi-tough area was the SW.
'I'm an Old Cowhand' w/ Bing Crosby, along with a group that includes Martha Raye, Bob Burns, Louis Prima, and the Sons of the Pioneers, performing a rollicking "I'm an Old Cowhand (from the Rio Grande)" in 'Rhythm on the Range' (1936).
Thx @jae; on it!
@okanaganer (12:47 AM)
fn + ➡️ takes me directly to the 'Post a Comment' link 😉 ___ Finally packed in the Fri. downs-only ill-attempt. Much of what I had, turned out to be off the mark; it wasn't an easy solve from that point by any stretch, altho I did eventually get it right – which was some consolation. ___ Stella Zawistowski's Sat. Stumper was med-tough (6 NYT Sat). Felt so good to nail it, after a disastrous 3 day nose dive on the NYT downs-only (Fri, Sat, Sun). ___ On to Croce's 874 🤞, with Elizabeth Gorski's Mon. New Yorker soon to follow. ___ Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude & a DAP to all 👊 🙏
Re: where the cursor goes—-I think you can do this yourself in the app using the little gear icon to (re)set your preferences. If you recently reloaded or updated it may have reverted to a default not of your liking. Hope that helps.
The high - knowing we were at a RODEO after the SPURS and BARREL and thus also knowing what the reveal was likely to be. The low - being unable to remember POUTINE, because POlenta elbowed in and blocked my view. What a fine array of theme answers! I especially liked CLASS CLOWN. Overall easy but with a slowdown at the entrance to the SW.
@Rex and pet owner Paul - That's a lovely portrait of Mona.
You never hear anyone say, "This is my first rodeo." You might hear it in PeeWee Rodeo, but can't think of where else. Of course you also don't hear "That SHOWDOG won't hunt."
I like me some good ORAL SEXT. It's so ERRATIC.
A: The book of maps you've been waiting and waiting for has arrived. B: Oh, ATLAS.
13 Down reminded me that a day or 2 after Aretha passed away, huge signs saying RESPECT appeared on the walls of the Franklin Street subway station in Manhattan, and remain there today.
Nice, smoooth solvequest rodeo … about the only no-know was POUTINE. [Mighta gone with ROUTINE/PURER/SMORE.] Still was kinda shaky doin the solve, mainly due to concern about the NYTPuz recently threatenin to become a pewit sanctuary…
staff weeject pick: CAF. As in: CAF ROPIN'.
fave moo-cow eazy-E MonPuz clue: {Book of maps} = ATLAS.
fave item: Aretha's R-E-S-P-E-C-T. nit to pick: SODAS clue. Need to add Dr. Pepper [M&A fave].
Thanx for the barrel of fun, Mr. Cardin dude. Good job.
I am writing this on Tuesday and submitting it to the blog a day late where it will never be seen because I am certain I will be hit by a bus if I don't keep my crossword journal complete. It's this, or bloody death by asphalt.
I had to work on real life yesterday and I don't like it. But my finicky cat is back to eating after buying and offering one of every type of cat food on the planet, so I am happy. Current answer, the goat milk kind meets his approval.
So, RODEO, eh? Ugh. Grew up around them. Fancy fun name for an industry dedicated to animal abuse.
This was a pleasant solve. Especially for a Monday.
Tee-Hee: SEXT.
Uniclues:
1 Forgo milk. 2 Rapper. 3 What I do in my mind after surviving three onerous seasons of my wife's favorite show. 4 Be funny -> Be suspended -> Abuse substances -> End up sleeping next to a dumpster or performing a stand-up special on Comedy Central. 5 Web surfer. 6 French fries and gravy for the fluffiest Canadians.
1 SELECT REDBULLS 2 ORAL POET 3 WHIRLS TED LASSO 4 CLASS CLOWN ARCS 5 NAB URLS TYPE 6 SHOW DOG POUTINE
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: What press agents write for their politicians. NON-APOLOGY AUTOFILL.
I'm also a downs-only solver, and this is the first time I can remember that I was able to fill in the down clues in numerical order without any backtracking (using info inferrred from the acrosses of course). Longest I had to stop to think was at WHAT NOW (took a bit of time to see past WHAT NEXT).
Recently attended my first rodeo -- in San Antonio!
8 seconds of fun. OK, not that short, but it seemed to be over fast. A very easy Monday puzzle to cater to the SB hangover set. By the second themer, I knew the theme, and made a bet with myself on what the revealer would be. I won. Score: 23 down.
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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53 comments:
Very easy, very smooth and cleverly amusing, liked it a bunch or what @Rex said.
No WOEs and no erasures.
Croce Solvers - Croce’s Freestyle #874 was pretty easy for a Croce. The SE corner was the toughest part for me, especially making sense of 56a. Good luck!
NOT MY FIRST RODEO seems to be showing up everywhere lately. Basing a theme on it seemed inevitable, and here it is! I like @RP’s lawyerly attempt to make it more impressive—wonder if that was really the constructor’s intent?
Also want to say that yesterday’s comments were a blast to read—fascinating in general how differently people experienced the puzzle.
In particular I was impressed that UPPISH was DISSed by virtually everyone, but only late in the day did it come out that the more widely known alternative UPPIty has serious racist overtones, which I could see immediately on having it pointed out. I’m pleased that point was made by several commenters in a calm and non-accusatory manner. I often find it genuinely helpful to read explication of terms that can cause offense. What I really dislike is when the user who intends no offense is not just corrected but castigated.
Also solving down clues only it went fast like Rex, in factit was my fastest down-only at just under 8 minutes. And the theme was indeed quite fine for a Monday. A really vivid and fun country-ish phrase for the revealer (like THAT DOG DON'T HUNT on Saturday... and we will see if there are any variants to argue about!)
My only typeover was COLAS before SODAS. In fact with the Coke / Pepsi clue, this is a classic KeaLoa. So may I suggest the term SodaCola for a non-proper-noun KeaLoa? Any takers?
Coincidence: when I turned on the TV this morning to see what hockey games were on, it was still on a sports channel from the night before and I was looking at a DOG SHOW. Not my cup of tea, really, and... is that a "sport"?
@boacamp, I have been wondering: solving downs only, today is fine because you just complete the puzzle and read Rex; no problem. But later in the week when you are commenting on a puzzle but haven't finished it, how can you read Rex, and any of the comments, without spoiling it?
[Spelling Bee: Sun currently -1 missing an 8er; will try again in the morning.]
ANTONIO ACTS ERRATIC when his PORK POUTINE WHIRLS in OIL. SENORA UNA PEEP, the TENURED WHAT NOT cook, would also get PSST.
You see, both ANTONIO and UNA PEEP were the FIRST to SELECT the menu at the RED TOAD Inn. UNA PEEP had to OKS the FETA ROLL, the WEDGE of BARREL PORK (which STANK) and ALSO TAP the DIET SODAS. If you didn't know how to PEEL TOAD, you might think she was like a LOOSE DOG ON A SEXT HORMONE that could LASSO your SOCK off.. She'd see RED if you didn't RESPECT her.
ANTONIO SPURS SENORA on. She TAUT him everything, and EGOS aside they would SHOW the MITE how to ONE UP the crowd at the RED TOAD Inn.
The CIA received a TMI APP about a TYPE of HORMONE in the PORK POUTINE at the RED TOAD Inn. PANIC ensued. TED, the DEAN of PORK, would SOW HOW SELECT FETA in SAX of TNT, HONES into the BARREL of POUTINE and ACTS like its OWN ORAL SPORE FLUIDS. His POET CLASS at the BORES University, knew he was APT to CLOWN around, but they had nothing but RESPECT for him because he knew HOW to POW through RED tape.
It was PAR for the course.
The CIA finally went back to SAN WHAT NOT. They couldn't SHOW any HORMONE in the PORK POUTINE that WHIRLS in OIL to the ECO PAPER. All the LOOSE ends were fixed.
Not everything STANK. The CLOWN at the RODEO was a BARREL of fun. The BULLS were chased by a DOG wearing SPURS . The LASSO dangling on the TAP TREE was a MITE LOOSE so all could swing while TED, the DEAN of PORK, would play his SAX while sipping TEA. ANTONIO and UNA PEEP had a MUG shot taken at the RED TOAD Inn and the PORK POUTINE was the talk of the town.
And that's the truth......
.
One overwrite: SAN ANTONIO texaS before SPURS. Other than that, what @Rex said: an enjoyable Monday puzzle.
Wasn't that easy for me. I never heard of POUTINE, and I had "whirrs" instead of WHIRLS, and "redbells" instead of REDBULLS. Trial-and-error worked in the second case.
The theme was fine, but I didn't use it because "bells" didn't jibe with the other rodeo-related answers.
Quite possibly my fastest time since switching over to the NYT app a few years ago (it has the tiniest lag when compared with the Crosswords Plus app -- not a big deal but noticeable when I'm trying to speed solve on a Monday).
My five favorite original clues from last week
(in order of appearance):
1. Cool place in a hot place (5)
2. Concern for the 1%? (4)(7)
3. Common spots for autographs (6)(5)
4. Breeze for the beach, maybe (4)(4)
5. Olympic bars? (8)(6)
OASIS
DEAD BATTERY
DOTTED LINES
EASY READ
NATIONAL ANTHEM
Agree with Rex that it’s nice to have a clean and junk-free grid, so a job well done there. The solve was almost too easy, even for a Monday. It might offer a touch of resistance if one does not know who Tim Duncan is, but the crosses are all plug and chug stuff that most of us have seen many, many times before. The theme is nice and even comes with an explanation for any newcomers who might not be familiar with the whole theme-gestalt on most weekdays. All-in-all, a fine effort.
Got through the grid with all downs, but didn't get the happy music. Recognized on my double-check that SEwT at 64a a thing, (or a doing for that matter). Turns out SAw wasn't the wailing instrument the puzzle wanted. But it seems far better suited than a SAX for a rodeo, donchathink?
Fun Monday. My experience pretty much mirrored OFL's. Most answers fell right into place. The theme was gettable without reading the clues and helped with the harder downs in the SW. Apparently, I just need a tiny bit more SEXTing in my life.
PSST! Have you seen this marvel of a SHOWDOG, P!nk? Definitely NOT [her] FIRST RODEO.
@Rex -- Regarding your interpretation of the reveal, you'll be happy to find in Nate's notes:
"Beyond the straightforward (but hopefully still fun!) theme of this puzzle, I’m hopeful solvers will see an extra level of instruction in the revealer. In my mind, NOT MY FIRST RODEO can be imagined as something the theme entries themselves might be saying to the solver — that the last (NOT MY FIRST) word of each has to do with the RODEO."
Another NYT / WaPo duplicate entry today, with virtually the identical clue. I don’t recall if that’s the first of 2024. I believe we had a few over the extended holiday season.
For those who do the Spelling Bee, Sam Ezersky missed a 3-point word...TOTALIZATION.
Downs only. nowwhat before WHATNOW slowed that corner down, because i wierdly decided that HORMONE was the error! but like @Rex I found it easy to fill the themers from just a few letters. Overall liked it, nice smooth start to the week.
@dgd & Pablo yd re accents on phones: if you press and hold the letter, you'll get a pop up menu of accented and alternate (like ß) letters! Èâzy!
Oh, gorgeous-looking and peaceful-feeling grid, so lovely that it has its own First Place sash. Its beauty is backed up by a polished junk-free grid. Top notch construction all the way around.
With some sweet serendipities. An ACTS up. Rhyming crossers SELECT and RESPECT. The OW-OW-OW angling down in the SE. WHIRLS in the same line as LASSO. And SPORE over SPUR.
What a terrific clue for POET – [Versin’ person?]! Also, I find it amazing that in its 80 years, this is the first time the NYT crossword has had SAN ANTONIO SPURS as an answer (nor has it appeared in any of the major crossword outlets!).
High RESPECT for your creation, Nate, which brought spark to my day. Thank you, sir!
Downs only was pretty easy but not a “snap” and I had to look at a few across clues here and there. Couldn’t grok the theme going downs only but then again rodeos are not my thing and I didn’t know all of those rodeo things. Didn’t know if SAN ANTONIO SPURS was a specific type of thing on a cowboy boot or a sports team. Overall this was about as far from my wheelhouse as a puzzle can get, but it did give me some Monday downs only fun.
Did the NYT Games App change its protocol for moving the “cursor” to the next word rather than returning the beginning of said word if not complete? Am I crazy? ‘Cuz it’s driving me crazy! Can someone get word to the intern who implemented this change and have them defenestrated?
Doesn't get any better than this on a Monday - easy theme, good fill, some nice clues. Thanks and thumbs up to Nate
@Lewis, clue of the week #2 may be a candidate for annual award!
Hey All !
Six Themers artfully put in the grid. Light dreck, interesting Theme. Nice way to start the week.
Not too much else to say today. Liked the diagonal W's in SE corner.
I still solve MonPuzs regularly, Downs Only just isn't appealing to me. I like to read every clue, even if the answer auto-fills, I still read the clue to see what it was. Quirky? Maybe. But to each their own, yada yada.
Appreciating fill a little more, now that I look back at the puz, and realize the top and bottom Three Themers share quite a few Downs. Tough to bunch Themers close like that and come out with non-junk fill.
Enough out of this LEO (August 12, in case you care. 😁)
Two F's
RooMonster
DarrinV
I got it, I got it, I got it!!! Without looking!!! Word for word!!!! NOT MY FIRST RODEO! Yay!!!
Of course it helped that this was the only RODEO phrase I could think of. I didn't think it made the perfect revealer, especially-- I wanted something about things you find at a rodeo. But there's no such phrase.
Trying to guess the revealer gave my brain something to do during this very, very easy solve. The only other thinking I had to do was guess whether the kealoa would be WHIRLS or TWIRLS.
But even though easy, I applaud this puzzle for a smooth-as-silk grid and for two grid spanners. I guess that's enough for a Monday.
5:16 personal record for Monday. Easy peasy
Perhaps the act of listing things associated with a rodeo suggests that the person who created the list previously became familiar with rodeos. Actually, I cannot think of an acceptable explanation of how the theme relates to the answers.
What I did think of when I learned the theme was that smarmy Tom Smelleck ad about reverse mortgages. In one he prefaces his cloying remarks by saying, “This is not my first rodeo.”Nauseated me.
Zipped through this one and enjoyed the ride. NOTMYFIRSTRODEO was clever and original the first time I heard it, and boy howdy (RODEO talk) have I heard it a lot since then.
Maybe you have to live in a place that has a MUDSEASON to have experienced POUTINE. Up in Quebec they're starting to put different things on top, the classic is still gravy and cheese curds, which sounds awful but is what my Dad would have called "good duffel".
Was in SANANTONIO for a language convention and actually went to a SPURS game. The River Walk is very cool but the Alamo seems to be a little more holy than it should.
Well done you, NC. No Complaints from me, and thanks for all the fun.
@Smith-Thanks for the info on accents on a phone, but I solve on paper and comment on my laptop, which is a PC. When I was teaching Spanish I had the accents figured out, along with things like the upside down question mark and exclamation point, but that was on an Apple and the school wouldn't let me take it with me when I retired.
"ORAL SPORE FLUIDS"!!!
"LASSO your SOCKS off"!!!
"Know how to PEEL TOAD"!!!
"POET CLASS at the BORES University"!!!
You are too much, @GILL! You are so funny! I think we should recognize an entirely new language and call it "Gillish".
NOT MY FIRST RODEO is how I have describing my 2nd bout of Covid, since yesterday.
I knew this puzzle would be a winner with @Rex and I agree it’s a beauty for a Monday!
ONE thing…I have only heard/said NOTMYFIRST-GOAT-RODEO. To me, the distinction is…”it’s not the first time I’ve had to handle THIS type of crazy situation.” Anybody, ANYBODY…?
Thanks @Rex for starting a Bohemian Rhapsody ear worm for me this morning, Scaramouche! Can you do the fandango!?
Speaking of fandango…good one today @GILL I!
Successfully solved downs-only the first time!
Thx Nate; yippee-ki-yay pardner! Well done! 🤠
Downs-o success (not far above my regular Mon. avg).
Great start in the NW, altho STuNK before STANK; OratED before OPINED.
Dropped in POUTINE right off. Back in my meat-eating days, I'd stop in at Church's Chicken on Hastings St. in Vancouver and have me some.
Only semi-tough area was the SW.
'I'm an Old Cowhand' w/ Bing Crosby, along with a group that includes Martha Raye, Bob Burns, Louis Prima, and the Sons of the Pioneers, performing a rollicking "I'm an Old Cowhand (from the Rio Grande)" in 'Rhythm on the Range' (1936).
Thx @jae; on it!
@okanaganer (12:47 AM)
fn + ➡️ takes me directly to the 'Post a Comment' link 😉
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Finally packed in the Fri. downs-only ill-attempt. Much of what I had, turned out to be off the mark; it wasn't an easy solve from that point by any stretch, altho I did eventually get it right – which was some consolation.
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Stella Zawistowski's Sat. Stumper was med-tough (6 NYT Sat). Felt so good to nail it, after a disastrous 3 day nose dive on the NYT downs-only (Fri, Sat, Sun).
___
On to Croce's 874 🤞, with Elizabeth Gorski's Mon. New Yorker soon to follow.
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Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude & a DAP to all 👊 🙏
@Sam (9:51 AM) 👍
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Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude & a DAP to all 👊 🙏
This was an enjoyable Monday! Thank you, Nat :)
Re: where the cursor goes—-I think you can do this yourself in the app using the little gear icon to (re)set your preferences. If you recently reloaded or updated it may have reverted to a default not of your liking. Hope that helps.
A goal for 2024 was to get below the 5:00 mark on Mondays. And this puzzle helped me check it off the list a mere week into the new year!
As everyone has said: clean all around. If they were all this easy, it wouldn’t be fun. But when they’re easy, may they all be this enjoyable.
The high - knowing we were at a RODEO after the SPURS and BARREL and thus also knowing what the reveal was likely to be. The low - being unable to remember POUTINE, because POlenta elbowed in and blocked my view. What a fine array of theme answers! I especially liked CLASS CLOWN. Overall easy but with a slowdown at the entrance to the SW.
@Rex and pet owner Paul - That's a lovely portrait of Mona.
You never hear anyone say, "This is my first rodeo." You might hear it in PeeWee Rodeo, but can't think of where else. Of course you also don't hear "That SHOWDOG won't hunt."
I like me some good ORAL SEXT. It's so ERRATIC.
A: The book of maps you've been waiting and waiting for has arrived.
B: Oh, ATLAS.
Thanks for a fun Monday, Nate Cardin.
A perfect Monday. Lots of fun too. Minimal PPP and a beautiful grid. Thanx Nate.
This would have been a good theme for a Sunday, so as to offer a few more RODEO act / sports team phrases, like DENVER BRONCOS and CHICAGO BULLS.
13 Down reminded me that a day or 2 after Aretha passed away, huge signs saying RESPECT appeared on the walls of the Franklin Street subway station in Manhattan, and remain there today.
I knew "mud season" from living in the PNW, Alaska, and the northeast, so I'd say it's universal.
My biggest beef was, a "snooze alarm" is not a thing, nor is it what you hit. You hit the snooze BUTTON.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Nice, smoooth solvequest rodeo … about the only no-know was POUTINE. [Mighta gone with ROUTINE/PURER/SMORE.]
Still was kinda shaky doin the solve, mainly due to concern about the NYTPuz recently threatenin to become a pewit sanctuary…
staff weeject pick: CAF. As in: CAF ROPIN'.
fave moo-cow eazy-E MonPuz clue: {Book of maps} = ATLAS.
fave item: Aretha's R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
nit to pick: SODAS clue. Need to add Dr. Pepper [M&A fave].
Thanx for the barrel of fun, Mr. Cardin dude. Good job.
Masked & Anonymo5Us
**gruntz**
Clue for RED BULLS could have avoided the pluralized beverage: “New York soccer team named after an energy drink”
To Smith
I just tried adding a accent and even I was able to do it
Thanks for the directions!
Let the Good Times Roll is a fun little homage to the start of Mardi Gras Season!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
I am writing this on Tuesday and submitting it to the blog a day late where it will never be seen because I am certain I will be hit by a bus if I don't keep my crossword journal complete. It's this, or bloody death by asphalt.
I had to work on real life yesterday and I don't like it. But my finicky cat is back to eating after buying and offering one of every type of cat food on the planet, so I am happy. Current answer, the goat milk kind meets his approval.
So, RODEO, eh? Ugh. Grew up around them. Fancy fun name for an industry dedicated to animal abuse.
This was a pleasant solve. Especially for a Monday.
Tee-Hee: SEXT.
Uniclues:
1 Forgo milk.
2 Rapper.
3 What I do in my mind after surviving three onerous seasons of my wife's favorite show.
4 Be funny -> Be suspended -> Abuse substances -> End up sleeping next to a dumpster or performing a stand-up special on Comedy Central.
5 Web surfer.
6 French fries and gravy for the fluffiest Canadians.
1 SELECT REDBULLS
2 ORAL POET
3 WHIRLS TED LASSO
4 CLASS CLOWN ARCS
5 NAB URLS TYPE
6 SHOW DOG POUTINE
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: What press agents write for their politicians. NON-APOLOGY AUTOFILL.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm also a downs-only solver, and this is the first time I can remember that I was able to fill in the down clues in numerical order without any backtracking (using info inferrred from the acrosses of course). Longest I had to stop to think was at WHAT NOW (took a bit of time to see past WHAT NEXT).
Recently attended my first rodeo -- in San Antonio!
Downs only. Very easy. Not a fan of rodeo, but the theme is properly exectuted.
8 seconds of fun. OK, not that short, but it seemed to be over fast. A very easy Monday puzzle to cater to the SB hangover set. By the second themer, I knew the theme, and made a bet with myself on what the revealer would be. I won. Score: 23 down.
PAR also on Wordle.
"twirls" before WHIRLS. Otherwise, the usual Monday smooth sailing. Ever have POUTINE? Mmmm Give that some RESPECT
Diana, LIW
An acceptable Monday puzzle.
WHAT UP DOG?
The SENORA TAUT me HOW
she ACTS when she SELECTs
who MITE be most APT NOW
to RESPECT ERRATIC SEXTs.
--- ANTONIO POUTINE, POET
Never know whether to enter BOORS or BORES, just know it's not BOERS. WARS in the corners.
Wordle birdie.
@Burma Shave 6:27: Are you sure you're not @rondo? You seem "rondo-ish."
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