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Traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra / SUN 2-11-24 / Soldier's helmet, in old slang / Director Walsh of old Hollywood / Having knobby bumps / When the original Big Five ruled Hollywood / Ohio home to Cedar Point, the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" / You can trip on it in the desert / Metal receptacle by a fireplace / Letter-shaped groove used in framing / With [circled letters reading clockwise], American icon born 2/11/1847
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Constructor: Peter Koetters
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium (9:35)
Theme answers:
Word of the Day: GAMELAN (23A: Traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra) —
Picture puzzles ... shrug. Don't really care. This is just a list of INVENTIONS. On a completely random birthday (Happy ... 177th?). The visual is ... what it is. There it is. It's awkward to have THOMAS ALVA sitting all on its own there, and then have to go back to the "filament" in the "light bulb" to pick up EDISON. The THOMAS ALVA part just seems sad, and unnecessary. Well, unnecessary for anything except thematic symmetry (i.e. you need it to balance out PHONOGRAPH on the other side of the grid). Anyway, what you have here is a picture ... and a list. For me, this kind of thing is meh. Major rules violation, having a central grid area that has *no* connection to the rest of the grid. I guess the idea is that a. the picture is important, and b. THOMAS ALVA gives you *some* kind of connection between center grid and rest of grid. I don't really care. I was a little anxious about having no way of building my way *into* the middle—about having to jump in with nothing to help me out. And after INC., I wasn't getting much. But then I tried out ASSTS and TALISMANS and then I got SAS and whoosh, the middle went down pretty easily, ultimately. I think the EDISON = light bulb filament gag is probably the most original and interesting thematic element of this puzzle. But it wasn't enough to lift the puzzle above the ho-hum. A list of INVENTIONS just isn't ... well, it never got me to exclaim "WHAT A HOOT!" is what I'm saying.
- MOVIE CAMERA (27A: It helps you get the picture)
- MIMEOGRAPH (3D: Duplicating machine)
- PHONOGRAPH (69D: Object in the classic painting "His Master's Voice")
- STOCK TICKER (64D: Bygone tape dispenser)
- POWER PLANT (38D: Something that's big with the current generation?)
- SPIRIT PHONE (66D: Failed device meant to communicate with the dead)
- MICROPHONE (15D: The "thing" in "Is this thing on?")
Gamelan (/ˈɡæməlæn/) (Javanese: ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, Sundanese: ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, Balinese: ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. The most common instruments used are metallophones(played with mallets) and a set of hand-drums called kendang, which keep the beat. The kemanak, a banana-shaped idiophone, and the gangsa, another metallophone, are also commonly used gamelan instruments on Bali. Other notable instruments include xylophones, bamboo flutes (similar to the Indian bansuri), a bowed string instrument called a rebab (somewhat similar to the gadulka of Bulgaria), and a zither-like instrument called a siter, used in Javanese gamelan. Additionally, vocalists will be featured, being referred to as sindhen for females or gerong for males. (wikipedia)
• • •
 |
| [d. Raoul WALSH, 1949 (22D: Director Walsh of old Hollywood)] |
This took me exactly as long as the Sunday puzzle took me two weeks ago, so maybe 9:35 is average for me, but I have a hard time seeing any Sunday I can solve in under 10 minutes as anything but "Easy." I think I have to break 9 for it to be truly "Easy," though, so ... "Easy-Medium" feels right. Biggest struggle came from writing in REPENT at 57A: Feel discontented (REPINE). REPENT is a common word, whereas REPINE is most certainly not. I did think that REPENT didn't quite fit the clue, but ... I've seen answers not fit their clues plenty, so I didn't pull it. This meant that I ended up writing in and then pulling ASHCAN, which I probably had as ASHPAN at first (60A: Metal receptacle by a fireplace). As for NICOLE Miller, pfft, no idea (52D: Designer Miller). Also, IVAN the ... what? Who knows? Who cares? Some random IVAN (IVAN IV, it turns out) (51A: "The Terrible" czar). Sigh. Because of all this kerfuffle, I didn't see INVENTIONS for a long time. This hardly mattered, though, in terms of my ability to solve the theme answers. The only other mildly problematic part of the grid was the far SE, where OVERLIE does not feel like a word I know or would use or have seen anyone actually use (115A: Blanket), and where NO COVER ... well, that one's fine, but I was coming at it from the back end and assuming it was one word, so having --COVER was less helpful than it should have been.
No idea what a SPIRIT PHONE is, but it's the only "invention" that is at all interesting to me today. I love that so many rational / scientific types were obsessed with spiritualism in the 19th century, but I didn't realize that someone had actually attempted to contact the spirit world by phone! "Uh, what's the area code?" "How the hell should I know???" Or ... "It's busy." "Who the hell could they be talking to?! I'm the only one with a damned SPIRIT PHONE!" At least SPIRIT PHONE has the charm of wackiness and failure. The others, yawn, whatever. Yes yes, MIMEOGRAPH, great. Next!
Notes:
- 7A: Letter-shaped groove used in framing (T SLOT) — no idea. Makes me think of mail slots, but those aren't shaped like "T"s, are they?
- 23A: Traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra (GAMELAN) — no idea, but the word is familiar. I've heard it, or something like it, before. No idea when / where / how. Anyway, thank god the crosses were fair here.
- 6D: Acclaims (RENOWNS) — oof, this is a grim, grim plural.
- 87A: Ohio home to Cedar Point, the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" (SANDUSKY) — forgot about this. Used to be quite familiar with it, as I lived in southern Michigan and you'd see ads for Cedar Point on TV. But it seems a very, very regional answer, despite the alleged "Capital of the World" moniker.
- 77D: You can trip on it in the desert (PEYOTE) — good answer, good clue.
- 38D: Something that's big with the current generation? (POWER PLANT) — along with REPENT (for REPINE), this is where I had my only other wrong entry. In my defense, when I wrote it in, I had no idea this was a Thomas EDISON-themed puzzle. But with POWER P---T and "current generation" staring at me, I figured ... POWER POINT! And if you'd told me Edison invented POWER POINT, I'd've believed you. I mean, if SPIRIT PHONE, why not POWER POINT? Guy was clearly full of big ideas.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
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117 comments:
I’m normally a slow solver, but I flew through this one, easiest Sunday I can recall. Not bad, but I prefer more of a fight.
Easy. I didn’t hit any resistance on this one, just whooshed through it. GAMELAN was it for WOEs.
I ran across REPINE recently in another puzzle where it was a WOE so I looked it up.
Nice tribute puzzle, liked it.
GAMELAN:
The year 1889 marked the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and the nation celebrated with the Paris Exposition Universelle, an extraordinary World's Fair. The importance of the event was emphasized by the construction of the Eiffel Tower, built for the occasion. Twenty-seven year old Claude Debussy frequented the many exhibits from all over the world and was enthralled by the gamelan music and the dancing it accompanied that he witnessed in the Javanese pavilion. The experience inspired him later to capture the sounds of the gamelan in his 1903 piano composition Pagodes.
I would have liked to say that I liked this more than Rex, as it all seemed pretty workable, until I discovered I'd been naticked by GAMELAN/POL, where I had thought the familiar (get it?) "primary" figure was POp. I mean, Indonesian musical ensemble? Really? Sigh. People don't really know these things, even constructors. They're just playing Whac-a-mole with dictionaries.
...
The more Sunday puzzles I do, the more I agree with Rex.
Or, I am becoming even more like Rex than Rex.
Expect (pay) so much for a puzzle than what this one presented, I truly respect
the individual who created this tribute to Edison, but felt that this tribute would
be amazing in a kids book about the great inventor, but felt insipid and uninspiring
as the central puzzle of the week.
Staying optimistic things will improve.
tc
ERN ERNO ORTS NTWT TSLOT TECS...... Need I go on?
🤮
In Across Lite, the theme clues were wrapped in quote marks. This is weird but I guess with this format that was the only option?, it can't be in bold or something? Anyway as I keep telling myself, no one forced me to use it.
There seemed too many names in places. The OREL ADELE RAOUL in the upper right for instance.
I've heard Edison somehow got credit for many things he didn't really invent (the light bulb is one), but he was a great inventor. According to history.com: "Edison’s greatest invention may have been developing a new process for coming up with inventions". They also list his 6th greatest invention as the Alkaline battery (really?).
Hands up for cringing at REPINE... never heard that. It had to be from the crosses, but ugh!
[Spelling Bee: Sat 0; QB record streak at 17!]
An easy solve but I left ONAIR for last. The UNI thing was pretty obvious but I'm unfamiliar with the obscure music term and those infernal u-turn words can be spelled a number of ways (none of which are words.) A little thought cleared the fog.
yd -0. QB 14
Felt Natick’ed by the crossing of TOJO and RAMOS (which I want to be TOJi/RAMiS).
Yeah, kind of an unexciting puzzle, but it is an awfully nice looking light bulb, as far as crossword puzzle square art goes.
Gamelan is extremely well known - surprised at OFL blind spot there.
Was not a fan of crossing RAOUL with OREL or LORCA with BERRA. Or really the rest of the puzzle, just felt like a slot. Also, maybe after the scandal we drop SANDUSKY from our word lists, even if it’s clued as the city?
Easy-Medium sounds about right.
Not a lot of overwrites:
My patellar tendon bone was a femur before it was a TIBIA (7D)
sicS on before sETS on before LETS AT (56D)
urdu was my consonant-heavy language before THAI (80A)
But Lots of WOEs, most of which were highlighted by OFL:
T SLOT (7A)
RAOUL Walsh (22D)
GAMELAN (23A)
NICOLE Miller (52D)
REPINE(57A)
Anthony RAMOS (121A)
I submit lyre/lute as a kealoa.
I had no problem with GAMELAN, but had never heard of REPINE — put that in tentatively based on crosses.
Very easy and a bit boring for me. The most interesting feature,,, the picture,,, had nothing to do with the puzzle itself. And after I finished the puzzle, I looked for the theme answers. Usually it's an integral part of the process... I did like the Thomas Alva entry and the Edison filament. At least it was fun to look at.
I just heard a gamelan concert put on by the Cornell Gamelan Ensemble. Sound and instruments are mesmerizing with a great backstory. https://blogs.cornell.edu/gamelan/about/
Once when asked about his missteps, Edison replied, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
Guessed POp also at GAMELAN/POL. I do not think GAMELAN is "extremely well known" at all. Other than that, the puzzle was easy
I thought POC for point of contact. Seems like an unfair cross.
I enjoyed this, Peter!
Unusual answers made for an interesting grid - TSLOT, UNICODE, WHATAHOOT, REPINE (had to look that up afterwards), PITCHMEN, TALISMANS - and NICOLE (Miller) is no more obscure than many other personalities, IMO. Yes, a pretty easy puzzle.
For some reason, some folks' middle names are part of their lore. I think THOMASALVA is one of them. Yes, he can be simply Thomas Edison but more often than not, it's Thomas Alva Edison.
So the rules of construction were broken, OK. Maybe a couple of wires could've led out of the bulb, filled with THOMAS and ALVA answers. Yeah OK, you can try working out that grid... take you a century to do it!
BTW, didn't some famous actress have a line about how she was from Sandusky, in a classic movie? I thought it was Debbie Reynolds but cannot find the answer.
Rays of light emanating from bulb. Neat.
Tribute puzzles always tend to fall flat - this one doesn’t move the needle any. The oddball grid art results in a highly restrictive layout - overall fill suffers. I liked SANDUSKY, TALISMANS and SCHMEAR.
MICROPHONE Fiend
Ugly fill abounds - I don’t want to be negative so I won’t detail it. Straightforward and midweek level - ASSTS, UIES, ERENOW - this was rough in a Sunday sized grid.
Hard pass on this one.
They gave me a TIN HAT and they gave me a gun
Notta lotta fun. REPINE = feel discontented? Okay, I repined with this puzzle — is that the proper usage? Edison invented a zillion things, but most didn’t work, but he got lucky on a bunch. Too bad the SPIRIT PHONE wasn’t more of a success. I got the EDISON and a few other things in the light bulb, but after that I struggled with the bulb more than with the rest of the puzzle. Can’t wait to use REPINE sometime soon.
Easy. Solved in about half my usual time. Gamelan was a gimme.
It's a term pretty familiar to anyone who listens to classical music,
Especially Debussy, Ravel or Britten.
Thx Peter, for the 'Bright Ideas'; well done! 😊
Downs-o was a feeble attempt, as was the case for Fri. & Sat.'s. Can't win 'em all. 4/7 for the week, tho. :)
Loved the theme.
Operated a MIMEOGRAPH machine in the Navy back in the early '60s.
This puz did tweak some memories: BERRA, ASHCAN, SPYS, ASHE, ERNO, OTT, CESAR, STOCK TICKER, VHS, STUDIO ERA.
It must've been my mom or dad who encouraged me to use a modified version of Mel OTT's front leg power lift prior to the stride to meet the PITCH. I didn't lift my leg as high, but kinda swung it backwards before extending it into the stride. A coach somewhere along the line must've convinced me to get rid of this hitch.
Anyhoo, enjoyed all of the weekend puzzes, even tho the downs-only were busts.
@Roo 👍 for QB dbyd 😊, and to @okanaganer & @puzzlehoarder for the outstanding streaks!! 🌟 🌟
___
Back to Matthew Sewell's Sat. Stumper, which after one hr. has produced nada. Never had this happen before. We'll see. 🤞
David Balton & Jane Stewart's NYT acrostic is on deck.
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness ~ Freudenfreude & a dap to all 👊 🙏
Pretty easy, overall. Made the mistake of putting in EDISON line by line instead of rotating, which stymied me for a minute with the crosses, but otherwise quickly corrected the same blips that Rex had, POWER POINT, etc... Was also struck by the coincidence of GRAPH being the dominant word in both the puzzle and the Sunday Magazine Spelling Bee. Unless it was some editor's BRIGHT IDEA...
In a bit of post-solve research, I learned that Edison’s middle name ALVA was the name of a family friend and that he was called Al as a child. Also, that from age 12 on, Edison was very hard of hearing. He put a positive spin on that, saying that it allowed him to shut himself off from “all the meaningless sound that normal people hear.”
In a bit of post-solve grid gaze, I liked seeing ERN next to ERNO, OVER over OVER in the SE corner, the PuzzPair© of ADAM and EAVE, and I liked seeing how MICROPHONE is vertical, resulting in a mic drop.
Also, I believe the light bulb grid art gives this puzzle some Crosslandia immortality, as puzzledom hasn’t produced many memorable grimages (grid images). In my book, this light bulb comes in as #3 on my list, just behind the dog ( https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/17/2015 ) and my all-time favorite, the duck ( https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=3/16/2022 ).
Thus, more than just a breezy and pleasing solve for me. Thank you for creating this, Peter!
Denied. Bard’s don’t play lyres
I was more welcoming of the tribute puzzle concept than OFL today, but struggled mightily with the trivia. Once you get past Mel OTT, Ernie ELS and Yogi BERRA, I’m pretty much toast. I’m just never going to be able to pluck out a DIAN Fossey or a NICOLE Miller for example. Then you toss in stuff like OSIRIS and SANDUSKY and we’re flirting with a slog situation, which is too bad, I would have enjoyed trying to parse together the inventions without the distractions like GAMELAN, REPINE, et c.
Ironic that the clue for “phonograph” was a reference to the iconic picture of Nipper listening to a Victor phonograph! Edison’s phonograph used impractical wax cylinders, rather than flat discs.
Very familiar with GAMELAN and fascinated by EDISON, yet I found this to be another dull tribute puzzle with execrable short fill, as Anonymous 1:03 noted. Flew through this in record time, until it took me forever to track down the same Natick that tripped up Anonymous 2:14, TOJi/RAMiS. An unpleasant finish. Thought the lightbulb was a skull at first. Kinda creepy.
Easy but enjoyable Sunday puzzle. Once the theme was evident, everything fell into place.
One question for Rex Parker and all solvers..."WHY IS THE PLURAL OF TALISMAN, TALISMANS? Shouldn't it be TALISMEN? I'm eager to hear back from both mans and womans.
My mother is a native of SANDUSKY and I have visited Cedar Point innumerable times. That was a gimme that made me smile.
If a word triggers you(or hypothetical others), it’s on you(and hypothetical others) to overcome the psychological effect of hearing it. It shouldn’t be removed from usage ESPECIALLY if it can be used in a way that’s totally unrelated to the trigger.
Frustrated Krossword Karen couldn't get the manager on the spirit phone.
As much as we rip on grid art that doesn’t really look like what it’s supposed to represent, hats off to this one: a legit light bulb complete with rays of light and even a thematic filament.
Pretty easy. I’m a sports fan of an age where Fab Five will always be the Michigan basketball team of the early 90s, so that slowed me down for a second, but other than that and the Indonesian percussion group, not a lot of resistance.
Impressive, enjoyed it. Knew Hershiser as a player, not as an announcer. Favorite clue was Bygone Tape Dispenser. Pictured a sad little Tape Dispenser no longer in use. I imagine any device meant to Communicate With the Dead is going to be failed. Trip On It In The Desert, great clue. Seasonal Inflatable was a nice misdirect, wanted it to be in the pool.
There's a movie from 1940 starring Mickey Rooney, Young Tom Edison. @Lewis, it shows how Edison lost hearing in that ear. It was one of my favorites.
@anon: 2:14 - agreed about TOJ_/RAM_S. A true Natick, (which to my understanding requires both words to be obscure proper nouns, not just stuff you don't know) my 4th vowel attempt was the winner.
I only knew NICOLE MILLER because of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine was dating a department store salesman who kept dangling the prospect of a fabulous dress. It was always on order, but then she found out from another salesman eventually that they had more than they could get rid of in the back.
GAMELAN went right in, but wondering if it was too obscure.
I agree that the fill was pretty iffy (UIES)??? and found RP pretty generous today. I like the light beams emanating from the center. The filament is a pretty clever way to give some entry, a gimme head start for 6 answers seems even better than the usual entries into grid sections.
The dupe clue entries playing on "primary" worked pretty well today (2nd time in a row, time to recalibrate?)
The thing that bothered me the most, other than it being easy and boring, was that Thomas Alva Edison stole a lot of ideas from other people and didn’t invent a lot of the breakthroughs with which he is credited. If you do a deep dive, almost every one was not his idea at all.
@Colin 7:07 I think the actress was Doris Day in "That Touch of Mink." It used to be my favorite movie cuz it reminded me of a boyfriend I once had (honest!)
I'll be back later.
Other than the what-on-earth GAMELAN -- which I really, really didn't want to leave sitting there in my grid, but couldn't find any way to get rid of -- this was probably the easiest Sunday I've ever done.
But as odd an answer as GAMELAN is, I would not have made it my word of the day as Rex did. My candidate for that honor would have been SPIRIT PHONE -- surely the most eye-opening, surprising answer in the puzzle.
EDISON tried to invent a phone that would communicate with the dead??? (How right you were to put that in italics, Peter!) A true genius like EDISON really believed that such a thing is possible??? Enough to work on inventing some sort of gadget for it??? That may be the most interesting piece of information I've gotten from any puzzle in a very long time.
This easy puzzle didn't consume much of my time -- so I think I'll meander off to Google right now to find out more about the SPIRIT PHONE.
Almost a record time. I was helped along because today is my birthday and I very much know that Thomas Alva Edison (and Jennifer Aniston, probably) are the two most famous people that share it!
Repine/nicole (though Nicole became the only possible answer) and Ntwt/erenow (wanted ntrt or ntrl for some form of nutritional?) were the only real holdups.
Edison was a genius and a great American, deserving of a tribute puzzle. An excellent book about his life is “Edison” by Edmund Morris, although the author oddly tells his story in reverse chronological order.
Though famed for the bulb and kinetoscope,
Edison's afterlife brought little hope.
His "Spirit phone" failed,
His temper unveiled,
"Just static!" he cried, as his spirit repined.
Hey All!
It's strange to think that EDISON was alive for a good chunk of the 1900's. He always seemed like he was further back than that.
Anyway, nice tribute puz. Like the Lightbulb in the middle. Thanks to Rex for pointing out that the EDISON is where the filament is. Missed that extra step. Remember, he didn't invent the Lightbulb, he invented a way to keep it steadily glowing.
Lots of threes and fours, which I'm surprised Rex didn't mention. I got 34 Threes and 26 Fours on a quick count.
Anyway, I did enjoy this SunPuz, although a DNF with GAMEpAN/POp and RAMiS/TOJi. Ah, me.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday!
Two F's
RooMonster
DarrinV
The Edison House in Ft Myers, Florida, helps one to really appreciate what and how Edison created his inventions. His equipment was so basic, so crude, for lack of a better word, that it is astounding he achieved so much.
@Colin 7:07 – You might be remembering Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane in "Some Like It Hot":
"Oh, Josephine, just imagine me – Sugar Kowalczyk from Sandusky, Ohio, on a millionaire's yacht..."
Easiest Sunday in memory. Looking at the grid, I didn’t realize Edison invented the nut cup!
Edison has a troubling past with "borrowing" ideas. Would prefer Nikola Telsla, but whatever. Pretty easy solve.
Just as soon not see unrepentant convicted and executed war criminals in the puzzle.
Easy Sunday, few hesitations in NW but otherwise sailed through. Impressive construction and mostly nice themers. A few new words for my vocabulary, some reminiscence of the marvelous inventions of late 1800s and early 1900s - all in all a pleasant Sunday solve. Thanks to Peter
Point of note: Tesla was the genius of that era. Edison was a tinkerer & a successful businessman.
If it was up to Edison we would have a ‘power station’ on every corner & he electrocuted an elephant to prove it. (OK, some dispute the correlation of those 2 things but Edison did electrocuted an elephant and there was a “Battle of the Currents” between Edison’s direct current system and the Westinghouse-Tesla alternating current system.)
Thought this was going to be an Abe Lincoln birthday EVE (or EAVE, as I’m sure it’s spelled somewhere) - all it needed was a stovepipe TINHAT).
Once it became clear it was a tribute to THOM A. SALiVA (as 19th century school bullies undoubtedly called him), pretty easy.
As usual, my inordinate watching of TV sitcoms pays off!
Knew Tojo from McHale’s Navy references.
And who can forget Elaine’s promised discount on the amazing sleeveless Nicole Miller?
Dangling the dress discount
Do you ever like a puzzle. Seems odd that your like ratio is so incredibly low?
The clue for 10D in my (printed) puzzle is this exactly:
Talk”show host nominated for an Academy Award
What’s with the random quote marks between Talk and show? A typo? Something else?
How enLIGHTening. Littered with proper nouns and an ocean of crosswordese, but I still had fun. It's really nice grid art, but not a good puzzle. I'm also just now seeing TOJO is in the grid. Great way to make casual Sunday solvers give up.
We thankfully have a GAMELAN ensemble at the university I attend so that was a wheelhouse word. REPINE was rough since it looks like a forestry word.
Gary 1:05:27 🦖 9:35: I win again. He's gonna need to slow way down if he ever hopes to catch me.
Uniclues:
1 News Alert! The privileged are having fun.
2 Make a blue copy of a blues machine.
3 Action figures from the north pole for Christians.
4 Everyone with these contraptions is rich, white, male, fat, and wearing a suit in a high-rise office.
5 Egyptian god in love with senoritas (and who isn't?).
6 Electrical problem during conversation with dead gramma.
7 Ahi tail travail.
1 PRO-AM QUOTE: WHAT A HOOT (~)
2 MIMEOGRAPH PHONOGRAPH
3 SANTA ADAM INVENTIONS (~)
4 STOCK TICKER RENOWNS (~)
5 OSIRIS TEAMO STATES (~)
6 SHORT OF SPIRIT PHONE
7 TUNA POWER PLANT HAVOC
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Fear of Polynesian pricks. SAMOA APIPHOBIA.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm with @JD 8:41 on this one: "Impressive, enjoyed it," and the rest of the paragraph. I'm a fan of grid art, so I loved the lightbulb with EDISON as its filament; I'd missed the rays emanating from it, though, so thank you, @Anonymous 7:08 for pointing them out. I also enjoyed reviewing the INVENTIONS, happy for the obsolescence of the MIMEOGRAPH (memories of ink-stained fingers and clothes), interested to learn about the STOCK TICKER, and delighted with the SPIRIT PHONE.
Benefit of living in a university town with a music school: GAMELAN (they hosted an orchestra from Indonesia).
On REPINE. I learned the word decades ago when reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books to my kids. Laura's sister Mary is afflicted with blindness but bears her infirmity without complaint, and Laura's Ma says, "She has never repined." I thought it was a lovely word, but not one easily used in everyday conversation. I'm not sure I've seen it again before today.
Also “ERENOW on Fargo” - how the TV series quaintly introduced the weekly recap. Television viewing => KNOWLEDGE! (And they say it only produces NiTWiTs!)
Another wonderful GAMELAN vid ~ Gamelan Semara Ratih of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
From ChatGPT:
"Indonesian gamelan music is a traditional ensemble music of Indonesia, particularly prominent in Java and Bali. It is characterized by intricate rhythmic patterns, interlocking melodies, and a rich array of percussion instruments.
Ensemble and Instruments:
A gamelan ensemble typically consists of various percussion instruments, including metallophones, gongs, drums, and xylophones. The instruments are made predominantly of bronze or brass and are meticulously crafted by skilled artisans.
Some of the key instruments in a gamelan ensemble include:
• Saron: A bronze xylophone with wooden resonators.
• Gambang: Similar to the saron but with a different tuning and playing technique.
• Gong: Large hanging gongs that serve as the focal point of the ensemble.
• Bonang: A set of small gongs placed horizontally and played with mallets.
• Kenong: Large gongs with a deep, resonant sound.
• Kendang: Double-headed drums that provide rhythmic accompaniment and cues for the ensemble.
Music and Performance:
Gamelan music is highly structured, with specific compositions and arrangements that have been passed down through generations. The music is often cyclical, with repeating patterns and motifs that create a sense of continuity and flow.
In performance, gamelan music is often accompanied by traditional dance, shadow puppetry (wayang kulit), or ceremonial rituals. The music serves various functions in Indonesian society, including entertainment, religious worship, and social gatherings.
Regional Variations:
While gamelan music is most closely associated with Java and Bali, there are regional variations throughout Indonesia, each with its own unique instruments, repertoire, and performance styles. These variations reflect the diverse cultural heritage of the archipelago and contribute to the richness and complexity of Indonesian music as a whole.
Cultural Significance:
Gamelan music plays a central role in Indonesian culture and society, serving as a symbol of national identity and cultural heritage. It is deeply ingrained in traditional rituals, ceremonies, and artistic expressions, and continues to thrive as a living tradition in both rural and urban communities.
Overall, Indonesian gamelan music is celebrated for its beauty, complexity, and cultural significance, and it remains a vibrant and integral part of Indonesian life and identity."
___
Peace 🕊 🇺🇦 ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness & Freudenfreude to all 🙏
I suppose people who say "I'm not a big fan of X" feel that it's rude to say "I don't like X." God bless you.
T-slots are used for building structures you mount equipment on. Framing is done with 2x4s and nails or screws.
Once I saw the light bulb with the filament shape, I suspected Edison, a couple of the downs confirmed it.
Mimeograph machines - how many are able to remember the odor when they came out fresh?
Didn’t know gamelan, but got it from the crosses. Toris/Ramis was my mistake at the finish but recognized once I rescanned the grid. Embarrassing since conversations in my family often turn into Hamilton quotes. I’m in my 60s, I’ve seen Hamilton more times than I’ve seen the Grateful Dead!
@tc Anonymous 12:54 AM
As a reminder, you paid 14¢.
Nonstop natick. About 15 foreign languages. An absurd number of proper nouns. I hated this puzzle.
@jb129, 9:03AM and Joe DiPinto, 9:48AM:
Ah-h-h, thank you both! I was thinking of Doris Day in That Touch of Mink! :)
(And she was raised in Upper Sandusky, which is not the same thing...)
Well, maybe I’m basic because I liked this one! Sailed through the western half, had fun with all the inventions. Loved the lightbulb grid!
I’ve got to admit that “renowns” as an answer bothered me. Now, I have a bad head cold and am full of cold meds, so perhaps am not firing on all cylinders but I have never heard renown used as a plural. “They won renowns”? Nope. I am sure someone will correct me if I am mistaken, though lol! And it was a really beautiful grid.
What does ORTS means? the ‘table scraps’ clue.
WHATAHOOT SIDENOTES:
Whither Athlete Arthur remain? ASHECAN (also accepted, a tasteful ERN).
Actress Yvette takes lie detector test: MIMIEUXGRAPH (also accepted, Actor Sal MINEOGRAPH)
Wrestler Randy OARTON OTTTOAnnihilate all comers.
I once took PEYOTE and experienced SCHMEAR ECSTASY!
How bad is the athlete relegated to TEAM O?
Ok, enough TOMmyROT, got TOJO to a Stupor Bore party (sure hope 49ers have a good GAMELAN or OOP, NOCOVER the spread!)
(And upon further review, it still looks more like Abe than a lightbulb!)
Do you suppose the Russian people refer to IVANIV as "Old 4 + 4"?
Egyptian Doorman to the Gods: May I help you?
Visitor: O SIR IS OSIRIS in?
I always like a fable or a puzzle to have AMORAL.
Surprised that no pearl clutching has gone on regarding the other SANDUSKY - - Jerry the football coach/child molester.
Adding to the notion that Edison was a businessman first, he was determined not to let anyone use the SPIRITPHONE without paying. "I'm not a free spirit kinda guy" said TAE. Turned out in the end that PEYOTE and ECSTASY were better ways to reach out to the spirits.
Kinda meh on this one.
This was my sticky point too. I had POv as the primary person.. lots of valid options for that box if you don’t know GAMELAN
Ok, one more (who put the NICOLE in me today?)
Great name for ADELE-i or bagel shop? SCHMEAR ECSTASY!
Whether I ERN or ERNO laughs from all these wacky SIDENOTES, I’ll PIPETTE down now.
Do we really need to continue to elevate the myth of Edison, when many of "his" inventions were in fact created by others whose genius he exploited? Plus, his public animal electrocutions turn my stomach. Ugh.
A real stinkeroo of a Sunday puzzle, but most of them are, these days. A vanishingly obscure word, REPINE, with an initial cross of the vanishingly obscure first name, MIRA, of a vanishingly obscure singer, Sorvino. Indecent. We deserve better than this -- lots better.
It means exactly what the clue says, however, just between you and me, I am sure this word was coined to help crossword puzzle constructors, because I've never heard or seen it used anywhere else...
@Andrew, I like your side notes.
For me, since I started doing the puzzle again (I stopped when the NYT locked out Puzzazz, which I’m still whining about), I’ve noticed my old friends are there in the grids, even inhabiting Friday and Saturday: Mel OTT, ERN (masquerading this time as a suffix, but still a “sea eagle” or “marine raptor”), and all that nonsense that was old when I was young. I bet that Google word usage thing (that I can never remember the name of — something like that SPIRIT PHONE that Scientologists use on their recruits?) would show that nobody has actually used “REPINE” since Jane Austen was writing.
I knew the kneecap was connected to the TIBIA because my daughter’s puppy had inherited patellar luxation from his Chihuahua great-grandparents. The vet explained that there is a groove in the tibia that the tendon is supposed to ride in, and she could feel it slipping in and out. Hey, would that be a T-SLOT?
Anyway, a long time ago I think I remember attending a class on memory loss at Kaiser. There were all kinds of activities that keep the brain going; about crossword puzzles, they said those could be useful if they weren’t too full of fill-in-the-blanks. ERN, OREL, OTT, etc, I’m looking at you!
I confidently threw down nirvana for 122A. When I realized, sadly, that I had not reached the heaven that comes after the sixth, I entered ECSTAcY which again left me sad. Finally used my SPIRIT PHONE to call the great beyond to see if any of the residents could help me. They were so benevolent.
Thought the figure in the middle was some SIGN of a skull. Until I grokked EDISON. Then, something went off over my head that is a traditional symbol for an idea...
Same...
I was turned on by this far more than was Rex. I flew through it, working counter-clockwise around the lightbulb (or lamp, as my GE physicist father would have called it, and finishing by flicking the lamp on.
Nice E/W symmetry puzgrid with cool lightbulb art. Apt lightbulb theme, altho it ain't exactly the Super Bowl of humor-filled SunPuz themes.
staff weeject pick [of a mere 34 choices]: TOM. Kinda speaks for itself, theme-wise. Cool lightbulb weeject stack, btw.
fave themer: SPIRITPHONE. Schlocky. And neat to learn about.
Thanx, Mr. Koetters dude. Mighty inventive.
Masked & Anonymo10Us
Might be a biter, but it does give U a sportin chance:
**gruntz**
Aside from GAMELAN & REPINE this was the easiest Sunday ever. That's not to say it was a bad thing. I enjoyed it (even though "your wife hates when you wall yourself off for days working on these things" - per WS notes in magazine section). Thank you, Peter :)
Without even checking yet, I know some of youse are going to complain about how easy this puzzle is. I was sailing along until finding some bits on the east side that left me groping for crosses. Found 'em, all's well.
Pet peeve:when are constructors and editors going to learn that non-count nouns do not permit plurals? RENOWNS, indeed!
When I first saw this grid design I was sure it was a dragon face.
ALVA and EDISON have appeared 51 and 49 times, respectively, during the Shortz era. When EDISON was asked if personality, like the body, was composed of tiny physical particles that remained after death he apparently said I HOPE so and tried to build an instrument to detect these. I think SPIRIT PHONE was the name media came up with, not EDISON's.
PEYOTE is legal in Mexico. Not sure about ECSTASY.
I have a CD (remember those?) of Balinese GAMELAN music so I enjoyed seeing that in the grid and clicking on Rex's YouTube link. The CD also has a lot of singing and chanting to accompany the music. Wild stuff.
“I don’t want to be negative so I won’t detail it“
You’re a better person than I. When I got to the end of the puzzle I stopped to wonder whether it’s the worst puzzle I’ve ever solved. I eventually concluded that it probably isn’t and I’ve just blocked out the worse examples. But bad fill, bad theme, and very few redeeming characteristics. Didn’t care for this *at all*
Can we be done with “uies” (or “ueys”)? People may say this by no one on earth writes it.
Agree with the denial.
C’mon now. Edison may have stolen a few ideas, but he wasn’t a war criminal
Uh, do you read the posts before you comment? Much pearl clutching
Late again, because Sunday. Had the same unknowns as many here, however...
My heart leapt up when I read the clue "Traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra", not because I knew it but because this is exactly the kind of clue that used to appear years ago that made reference to something I had never heard of, something I was sure only appeared in crosswords and was needed fill. Thanks to all who have enlightened me on this one.
But wait there's more! ORTS! Welcome back ORTS, and how have you been? I was pretty sure I'd never see you again, and here you are. Hello old friend, and thanks for a nice reminder of all those crosswords past.
I thought your Sunday tribute was Perfectly Kosher, PK. Thanks for all the fun of a trip down Memory Lane.
@johnk 12:33 pm: when I was working as an architect, I learned that in the lighting profession:
- what actually creates the light is a LAMP; normal people call it a "bulb".
- the gadget that contains the LAMP is a LIGHT FIXTURE or LUMINAIRE; normal people call it a "lamp" or a "light".
And don't get me started on I-BEAM or PLATE GLASS WINDOW...
Really liked this one except for some awkward clues ( renowns?). Unlike Rex I like theme puzzles especially ones with visuals . Great Sunday puzzle . Might have preferred a Super Bowl themed puzzle . Go Chiefs!
Christopher L. Verlinde
Thanks for the info about gamelan music at the 1889 Paris Exposition and the connection to Debussy. I had never heard of it He was open to non European cultural influences like the cubists were in painting
I mean, I guess I knew that there was a town called SANDUSKY - but that word's been coopted by the monster from Penn State. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky
RENOWNS is a verb (6-D)? Really?
About the only point where I agreed with Rex was "renowns" is a terrible , highly suspect plural. I mean is it really an existing plural? Cn't imagine it infuse.
I thought she of the clues were quite clever and added to the enjoyment - 38d. Something that's big with the current geneqton. At first I tried to think of something that would be related to Edison, but bi currently.. then I thought it was royally the other kind of current, but since I had o idea he had invented the power plant I had to wait until it half filled in.
Had no idea he'd tried a spirit phone and did not know reinvented the stock ticker so there were a number of "aha" moment of enlightenment.
I Liked seeing the lightbulb in the middle and cannot see why Rex was cranky about it.
Enjoyed the link to the gamelan performance.
DIAN Fosse is (or should be) well known for her pathfinding research into the social organization of primates, along with her righteous activism on behalf of the animals in scientific research. Same for her colleague Jane Goodall.
I honestly thought GAMELANS were pretty well known, but I'm a diehard music aficionado so maybe that's just me. REPINE and NTWT, though, flummox'd me completely
It was pretty easy for me except for the tiny northwest corner. That alone used up about half the time (25 min.) I spent on this puzzle, and I got so frustrated, that I had the final square revealed to me-the "l" in pol/gamelan.
I won't repine much over the review, given that the crossword community RENOWNS Rex Parker for being a curmudgeon.
See what I did there? Yes, it's also a verb.
Dropped GAMELAN and SANDUSKY in with no crosses. Long ago I dropped out of a college in northeast Ohio, for several very good reasons that were none of anybody's business. But certain adults always asked. I remember a friend's uncle, who was a medical doctor with I'm sure a terrible bedside manner, found it necessary to tell me at a dinner party that "Thomas Edison didn't get a college degree, but HE was a GENIUS!" I've hated him ever since, that Edison guy.
There is a Javanese gamelan at Wesleyan University. Pretty well-known in that corner of the college world and fantastic to listen to.
Checking in late to say how much I loved the Acrostic today, with its (by my count) nine, arguably ten, theme-connected answers. Great job by David Balton & Jane Stewart!
And I liked the INVENTIONS main event as well.
@Joe D
I enjoyed it too, but I'm not surprised you loved it, considering the theme.
The TOJO/RAMOS crossing is an inexcusable natick. The only way I can describe the rest of the puzzle is grim.
I'm a little disappointed by Rex. You had plenty of opportunity to learn about gamelan while at Pomona. https://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/music/ensembles/balinese-gamelan. Chirp chirp.
The only time I have ever seen “repine”… at least that I remember:
A day or two passed before Jane had courage to speak of her feelings to
Elizabeth; but at last, on Mrs. Bennet’s leaving them together, after a
longer irritation than usual about Netherfield and its master, she could
not help saying,--
“O that my dear mother had more command over herself! she can have no
idea of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him. But I
will not repine. It cannot last long. He will be forgot, and we shall
all be as we were before.”
Once, maybe twice per year I'll finish a puzzle and think 'well, that was an unpleasant waste of time'. This puzzle was one of those. Apart from the uninspired cluing and terrible fill, we get a dull-as-dishwater theme and grid art that is particularly shoddy.
Nicely expressed!
Just for reinforcement of the theme, there's a Tom standing by at 114 Down lol
One thing's for sure: I'd never invite OFNP to a party. If I served him DOM Perignon, he'd probably complain about the glass!
Art: On seeing the grid, I thought the central figure was a u--now please understand, I've been trained medically. Let's leave it at that. But a minute later, when I saw the single black squares on diagonals shooting away from the center, they looked like rays of light, and the bulb turned on. Marvelous!
Theme: WOW! Ten- and eleven-letter INVENTIONS, plus the name, and he did it all with nothing worse than RENOWNS (how many of those would you need?). To pull that off is a major feat, in my book. It was a pleasure to do, and at the very least a birdie.
Wordle par.
Edison patented the light bulb, not invented it. Several people were working on that very same thing at the very same time. He got the patent, because he was the first one to make one that worked for longer than a few hours or a few days. He had nothing to do with the electrocution of that elephant. He was a genius, as was Tesla, who was right about the type of electricity that should be used to power things like plants and homes. But Tesla, like many geniuses before him, and after him, was nuts.
@ Masked and Anonymous 12:53pm :
I have a mnemonic just for you for last month's tingling sensation answer "ASMR". Automatic Schlock Movie Reaction.
You're welcome.
SHORTOF LACE - NOCOVER, IHOPE
TO the STUDIO HURRIED NICOLE,
not ONE MOVIECAMERA CAN wait,
and WHO OAR WHAT was ONCE her role
is NOW WHAT she TRIES TO IMITATE.
--- RAOUL RAMOS
From yesterday:
NO HATE
Is IT FIREWATER or CIDER,
makes PORE CATE ACRID and bitter?
TOBEHONEST, ART denied her,
don't CRY, she's a NOHITTER.
--- BART SHAW
Not too hard, kinda dull, NO ECSTASY. Noticed: KEPTON ONAIR; LACEUP DUGUP; NOPULP NOCOVER. DAYS in the corners.
Wordle par.
Clue for 102 across threw me. What does 270° from sur mean? Answer ESTE didn't help explain it at all.
@Anonymous 9:47pm :
Spanish directions. Sur is South. Este is East.
I 100% thought it was a skull and crossbones, and my eye lit early on the revealer clue, Ivan the Terrible, and Che Guevara. I was wondering what doom involving real life people was breaking ground as a Sunday theme. I wish I'd seen it the way spacecraft did.
I laughed at ORT. Just the other day when I was doing some mending I opened my sewing case and the word ETUI came unbidden to my mind. I was rejoicing that that generation of crosswords was gone.
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