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Relative difficulty: Pretty Easy
Word of the Day: TELOS (65D: Final purpose, to Aristotle) —
Telos (/ˈtɛ.lɒs/; Greek: τέλος, translit. télos, lit. "end, 'purpose', or 'goal'")[1] is a term used by philosopher Aristotle to refer to the final cause of a natural organ or entity, or of human art. Telos is the root of the modern term teleology, the study of purposiveness or of objects with a view to their aims, purposes, or intentions. Teleology is central in Aristotle's work on plant and animal biology, and human ethics, through his theory of the four causes. Aristotle's notion that everything has a telos also gave rise to epistemology.[2]
• • •
Hello one more time, Rexacateers, it's Eli! I believe this is the last day of Rexplacements for now since Rex is back from vacation tomorrow. His vacation is going great. How do I know? Because yesterday it included lunch with me and my wife followed by a screening of The Godfather: Part II at the New Beverly Cinema! We had a fantastic time, and I'd love to share pictures, but nobody took anyway. Oh well, plenty of memories. On to the puzzle!Theme answers:
- EXCHANGE WEDDING VOWELS (23A: Say "O di" instead of "I do"?)
- PACK YOUR BAGELS AND GO (38A: Eviction notice sent to a New York deli owner?)
- PEELER REVIEW (50A: "This thing is SHARP! It handles potatoes and carrots with ease," e.g.)
- WHAT'S PASTEL IS PAST (69A: Interior decorator's assertion that bold colors are back in style?)
- NOEL FLY ZONES (87A: Santa's routes on Christmas Eve?)
- DON'T GET MAD, GET ELEVEN (96A: Advice after one's rival scores a perfect ten?)
- YOUR DELAYS ARE NUMBERED (117A: Airline's promise to improve its timeliness?)
Despite the simplicity of the theme, I thought it worked pretty well. Both the original and modified phrases all worked well, and some of the cluing made me giggle. Don't Get Mad, Get Eleven sounds like Nigel Tufnel found a second career as a revenge coach.
The only holdup I had was determining where to put the "EL" in What's Pastel is Past. The phrase would have worked as well as "What's past is pastel." Not a complaint, just something that made me think twice. Other than that, once I figured out the theme it was off to the races.
The theme density didn't leave much room for sparkle in the fill. Looking over the grid, not much is standing out to me. I really don't like SNARL UPS (35D: Traffic jams). I mean, I hate cars and traffic more than most people, but in this case I mean I don't like the phrase. I can see it is a valid dictionary definition, but it doesn't sound like something I actually hear people say. And I live in LA; I've heard a LOT of traffic jam descriptors. I'm also a runner and cyclist who does a lot of metric races, and I have never seen kilometer abbreviated as KIL (26A: Le Mans race unit: Abbr.). I've seen "K" and "KM" which are too short to be crossword answers. If you needed a longer answer, I've heard people (military types, mostly) use "Click" or "Klik." But never KIL. There is a surprising lack of proper names in this one, but the one that really stands out is WELBY (24D: Dr. Marcus of old TV). The appearance of Marcus Welby, MD immediately makes the whole grid feel 20 years older. I knew it immediately because I know a lot of TV stuff, but I turn 42 this week and this show is an ancient reference to me.
What kind of nerd am I?
So, I was going to do my normal highlights, but I realized there were a lot of examples of the kind of nerd I am (in addition to being a crossword nerd, naturally).
Ok, I think that's all I've got for you today. I hope you've had as much fun solving and reading as I have blogging for you all. Enjoy your Sunday!
Signed, Eli Selzer, False Dauphin of CrossWorld
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
- ALE (1D: Stuff served in a horn at a Renaissance faire, perhaps) — Not only am I the kind of nerd who brews his own beer, I'm also the type to go to a Ren Faire and drink ale out of my horn.
 |
| Sorry ladies, I'm married |
- SPEEDO (16D: Maker of tiny trunks)— I am a triathlon nerd and also a word nerd. So, while I typically wear TYR swimwear (named for the Norse god of war; also a mythology nerd), Speedo has become a proprietary eponym, like Band-Aid or Kleenex. I'll spare you a swimwear picture.
- SEGA (7D: Company whose name is derived from "Service Games") — I enjoyed learning this trivia, but I'm including it here because I'm a classic video game nerd. I don't think there's many gamers my age who can't hear this logo just from looking at the picture:
- DUNE (115D: Sea turtle nesting site) — I'm the kind of sci-fi/fantasy nerd who just read all 900 or so pages of the original book Dune. Not the kind who had read it as a kid, but I did read the Lord of the Rings trilogy in elementary school. I should probably read that again; I can't imagine I really got it at that age.
- PICK A CARD (3D: Magician's request) — Finally, I'm the kind of nerd who tried his hand at magic. I unfortunately lack any kind of manual dexterity, so I could never hack it. I still enjoy a good magician, though, especially close-up/slight of hand stuff.
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
ReplyDeleteEasy Sunday. No overwrites or WOEs. My only comment is, @Eli, you look like a young @Rex.
I had KPH in for quite a while, considered KMS, but resisted KIL even after I’d thought of it until the downs made it impossible to avoid. Poor clue.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it’s passable as an early week theme - but in a Sunday sized grid it becomes one large mess. The singular OILER is brutal.
ReplyDeleteThanks for filling in Eli. Reading Dune again is not nerdy - I’ve done it a few times. If you’re really nerdy - you’ve read the complete works of Heinlein and LeGuin - I know all too well.
Sun KIL Moon
ReplyDeleteI think I may have dnf'd on expertiSE/ESE before. With GAiA and GAEA both being accepted in the past, the down did not help.
A solid execution of the theme with all the phrases being in the language. And speaking of language, not a great clue for URDU.
Resisted SNARLUPS for as long as I could, but eventually it could not be resisted.
Re: 22A Have we sunk this low that NYTimes puzzle can't even get Ancient Greek 101 straight? UTOPIA literally means "no place," i.e., an unattainable place beyond possibility. It is not, then, the best of all possible worlds, since by definition, it is not possible. The clue is clueless.
ReplyDeleteBut the best of all possible worlds is unattainable, so…
Delete@Jack: if it is possible, then it is attainable - by definition.
Delete@Arch I. Medes 7:22 AM and @Jack Stefano8:30 AM - I agree with Arch that the clue and the entry for 22A don't match. Not only does UTOPIA refer to an imaginary place of unattainable perfection, but also the term "best of all possible worlds" refers to Leibniz's thesis that the world we live in is the best world that God could have created.
DeleteEli’s write up was much more enjoyable than this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI was basically holding my breath and hoping I would get the happy music as I was entering things like GAIA, LOLA, IONE, TELOS, KIL, ARNO, IZZE, UTA, ORO and (apparently) a mule named SAL. So much short fill that I basically don’t recognize - it would have taken me forever to find my mistake (or even a simple TYPO).
ReplyDeleteBtw, I don’t see the connection between TYPO and embarrassing - thoughts, anyone?
Take a closer look: "Embarrassing" is spelled wrong! :)
Delete“Embarrassing” in the clue is missing an “r” hence a TYPO.
Delete"Embarrassing" is misspelled in the clue, via a typo, I guess.
DeleteYou answered the query in your comment by spelling embarrassing correctly (unlike the spelling in the clue)
DeleteThe clue (in the online version at least) is "Embarassing mistake?" complete with typo!
DeleteBut clearly the misspelling is an intentional part of the clue, and therefore not a typo.
DeleteI do not think that that word means what you think it means
DeleteI liked this a lot for a Sunday, which I usually find to be a bit of a slog. TELOS! USURP! WIPED!
ReplyDeleteYou turn 42 this week, I turn 70. So I don’t think of WELBY as old TV, just because it was 50 years ago. To me, old TV is the ‘50s and actress Gale Storm (not to be confused with GALEFORCE, though I do love her meteorological professional name more than her real name, Josephine Cottle). Perceptions may vary at the significance of the passage of time, or something.
ReplyDeleteMostly fun puzzle and writeup. Especially “Sorry ladies, I’m married” caption to your nerding out…
Exactly my thought. But why do we not think a 50 year old show is old.
DeleteRidiculously easy, boring theme, another bad Sunday. Okay just stuff an “el” into phrases. What did it take? Live 12 second to figure out the theme and then just fill in the blanks. I’d love to have had Rex’s comments. Pretty sure they would not have been as kind. Has all creativity in themes and cluing been lost forever?
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassing is misspelled in the clue....
ReplyDeleteHey All !
ReplyDeleteNeat theme idea. My two faves are the bottom two. Although the Santa one and the BAGEL ones are fun too.
Seemed like a lot of threes and fours, not up to counting them at this moment, however. Nice Themer selection, mostly grid or almost grid spanners. Seven Themers. 80 Blockers, with 78 normal max on a SunPuz, so not too bad. Themers are 21, 19, 12, 17, 12, 19, 21. It's the 19's and the center 17 that caused the extra Blockers.
A decently quick solve for me. Overall good puz.
Happy Sunday.
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
Also laughed at DONT GET MAD GET ELEVEN. That is very funny.
ReplyDeleteWhat are GDS?
Please someone explain GDS! I don’t get it either!
DeleteGoods
DeleteAnother cute and breezy Sunday, thank you Caryn. My wife and I enjoyed this. Some impressive themers, spanning the entire width of the puzzle. Agree these left the fill with a boatload of short and easy answers. Held up (very) briefly when I wrote WAVE for 69D, but ARV at 77A didn't work (duh!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, Eli!
Another slog of a Sunday who’s only resemblance to a good old Sunday solve of (dare I say) yore is the large grid. It only takes as long to complete as it does to type letters. Nothing thought-provoking or particularly original.
ReplyDeleteAnd loved Eli’s write-up but I’m the kind of nerd who (albeit sheepishly) feels the need to point out that sleight-of-hand needs an “e”.
@Nancy Please come back. The new comment system apparently stinks as lots of others have mentioned (it's still the same as viewed on the phone), but this blog is much MUCH better with you. Google corporation is the one responsible for messing up Blogger. Why anybody uses it is beyond me. And yes, Rex didn't handle his correspondence with you well, but as you know, his contribution to our daily discussion is hardly the most important thing here. And, I guess the nicest way we can put it is, "you know how he is." Your role here is super important, super funny, and unique in ways only you can contribute.
ReplyDeleteYes, this.
DeleteBeautiful comment. Amen!
DeleteDitto Nancy!
DeleteI rarely feel a reason to get mad at NYTXW, but 47A scatterbrain = AIRHEAD? Fuck that. While all people/situations aren’t the same, this is the exact language that has reinforced decades of abuse and loss of workplace talent, and undermines so much work that has been done to train people to realize that neurodivergency does NOT equal idiocy. I’ll gladly offer as evidence my current 6-figure salary that cost me years and years of self-hatred and lost income, settling for lesser opportunities and regularly hemorrhaging thousands of dollars on things as “easy” as parking tickets and penalties any normal person could avoid but I couldn’t seem to fix, and didn’t think I was an idiot, but I couldn’t understand why my logical brain couldn’t seem to fix the scatter…at least not any more than the next person could, who would inevitably say, “geez, what’s wrong with you?” Even though I really felt I was smarter and worth so more than I was, I was so scatterbrained I must actually just an airhead, right? Who else would set themselves back that much…? Until I finally/luckily got the right opportunity that worked with my needs, and realized what I was actually worth. And learned that it’s actually okay to see and acknowledge if you have neurodivergent deficits, and find ways to work through but also around them.
ReplyDeleteI don’t take too many things too seriously, but this kind of microaggression nonsense slander just ignores the headway that has been made in understanding neurodivergence, and doubles down on casual/ignorant generational smothering of real talent for no good reason other than stereotype tropes. Just because you might feel “scatterbrained” does NOT mean you are an airhead.
Hear, hear!
DeleteI hear you. For a group of people who seem to truly care about discrimination of any kind, we seem to at times drop the ball on any type of mental health issue. I sometimes cringe since we recently lost our schizoaffective son who never left home until the day he passed. I chalk it up to good people not understanding that calling a puzzle schizophrenic is truly painful as when the issue is race or age, sex or any other label.
DeleteI don’t mean to be insensitive, but surely the word “scatterbrain” does not exclusively refer to someone who struggles with ADHD or a similar neurodivergence. I really feel that you could call someone a scatterbrain, IE saying they are a little bit disorganized, unreliable, etc. without it either implying or explicitly stating that they may have ADHD and/or be neurodivergent. In which case, AIRHEAD is a reasonable solution to the clue. But again, maybe I am unaware. Is “scatterbrain” really coded language for ADHD? If so, it is news to me (and frankly, surprising since it seems a relatively innocuous term).
Delete1) it's a puzzle
Delete2) yes, your group warps whatever at any time to fit your needs
KIL… Sigh. With something as monotonous as a Sunday puzzle—and knowing from the first themer that this is just going to be phrases with “EL” inserted (ground breaking stuff!)—no thanks. Starting the NW with fill that desperate bodes so poorly for the rest that I can’t be bothered to move on. Constructor software makes everything so easy (and the theme is so undemanding) that there’s really no excuse for fill like that.
ReplyDeleteSee you next week, NYT.
Thanks for the write-up, Eli (or should we simply refer to you today as “I” based on the puzzle’s theme?). You should absolutely re-read Dune; you’ll be glad you did.
ReplyDeleteI live in Connecticut and can assure you we never refer to our copious traffic jams as SNARLUPS. How we refer to them is unprintable in a NYT crossword.
@Southside Johnny: the word “embarrassing” is spelled incorrectly in the clue, lol.
Having Cha before CAN held me up for an eternity in the MW. Also had SNARe UPS before SNARL UPS (hate that term), and food before DIET for the caterpillar. Loved the clue for TYPO, super clever and subtle, and hated the clue for ISNT. Needlessly obtuse and makes that section tough to get into.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I MOPED at 81A, but let out AGEE when I got 95A. And I guess 109A shows that there ARNO rivers through Florence.
ReplyDeleteBTW, does anyone know why we aren't seeing @Nancy here lately?
Cute, easy Sunday. Thanks, Caryn Robbins.
Hi @egs - Look at last Wednesday. She wrote @Rex about the new format and apparently didn't care for his response. I just wrote a post with some helpful info for her, I think. I don't have her email or I'd let her know.
DeleteDon’t understand the kerfuffle about the new blogging format. Actually like it, as you can reply to comments rather than have to manually type in a time stamp to what you are referring. There’s no need to collapse/uncollapse either - at least on my iPad (YMMV, of course, depending on what device you use).
ReplyDeleteLeft to MY devices, think it’s an upgrade.
Andrew, I kind of see your point but one thing that happens to me is that the new format often results in my iPad popup keyboard covering up my comment as I write it. NOT when I’m replying to others but when I am writing my own separate comment. I can’t seem to type without TYPOs if I can’t see what I’m typing! I know, first world problem, but if you’ve figured out a fix on that, let me know!
DeleteAndrew, THANK YOU. The whining in this comments section has been embarrassing
DeleteBeezer, I have the same issue. Annoying but minor. Another issue - I want to respond to you but can’t directly so have to respond to myself. But at least it’s in the same conversation,
DeleteAs for typos from no longer seeing what I tap, skswwsksosjwbsgbsjw. Ooh, I sww what u ,meen. 🙈
I thought it must be a feature to encourage brevity
DeleteI had that issue on my iPhone but hitting “done” enabled me to see while typing.
Delete@anonymous 1:04
DeleteYes. This method of replies is pretty much how it’s done on all sites with comment sections. Adapt, people.
Same method amazingly used by the NYT Wordplay site.
DeleteAim High for 1A gummed up the works for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThose big ole long theme answers were fun to grok. They didn't come easily for me.
ReplyDeletePICK A CARD always makes me laugh. I like the phrase SNARL UPS. I love STARLETS in all the possible ways. And I have never thought of an EAR as a barber's obstacle, but it's hilarious.
😫 KIL, ANIL, GDS, NOMS, EMEERS.
Propers: 10
Places: 3
Products: 16
Partials: 14
Foreignisms: 6
--
Gary's Grid Gunk Gauge: 49 of 140 (35%)
Funnyisms: 10 😄
Tee-Hee: [Mean spirited] [Word with hose or line.]
Uniclues:
1 Japanese gas station.
2 "See all this blood everywhere? Well, let's thank this Ronco product and my inattentiveness."
3 Imaginary accessory for a sweet ride on the moon.
4 Unlikely fashion item to bring peace in the Middle East.
1 BENTO LOITERER UTOPIA
2 AIRHEAD PEELER REVIEW
3 SPACE HUBCAP IN A DREAM
4 SPEEDO ISN'T OLIVE TREE
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Listening to Bruce while waking and baking. E-STREET DAY TRIP.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I thought today’s set of wacky themer puns was the best in a long long time, especially for a Sunday. Bravo, Caryn!
ReplyDeletewebwinger
Agreed! Nary a stinker in the bunch.
DeleteOn Eli's brewing his own beer: I'm jealous. My son and his wife brewed their own for a while and won a brewing contest sponsored by a brewery in Detroit. The prize was that the brewery brewed a giant batch of it and put it on their menu for a few weeks. I was visiting out there while it was up. It was delicious and real kick.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I toyed with the idea, and visited a brewing supply shop in NYC with a friend who made his own wine. He described his first batch. "You pour a little into a cup and take a sip. Then, after a few moments, no matter how horrible it tastes, you say 'It's not bad.'"
I ended up with a DNF because I just couldn't get past that a jet skier's hazard was a wave - which I guess was the point of the tricky clue. I knew ARv didn't look right but I didn't know how to fix it given my certainty. So there ya go. Otherwise pretty easy and enjoyable except for a few suspect answers (EMEERS? SNARL UPS?). Love the new comments system.
ReplyDeleteWAKE is the waves a boat creates, which is a peril (also a thrill for Jet skiers. Also for water skiers - I used to jump both wakes slalom skiing back in my hey day - many many MANY moons ago!)
DeleteI posted about the same problem (WAVE). But I was able to talk myself into the play being about a Recreational Vehicle (“A RV”), and the wacky couple who lived in it.
DeleteIt being the large Sunday grid, there are Hidden Diagonal Words (HDW) galore, including the 5-letter DEBIT (which includes the 3-letter options BED and BIT and DEB) and several 4-letter charmers (IOTA, AEON, NEIN, NENE, IDLE, AREA, etc.).
ReplyDeleteBut I'll offer only one clue for today, in keeping with the theme today:
Tree that becomes a Judi Dench role if you follow the pattern of today's themers
(Answer below)
Also, it looks like my comment yesterday did not get published; perhaps I ran afoul of the new posting system. Anyhoo, I offered a take on the horrid BREATH MINTS clue from Friday (Apt anagram for TINS BEAR THEM minus an E). My point was, taken to the next level (or two or three levels beyond), we could get SILT (a HDW from yesterday) clued as "Apt anagram for Miss. Delta, minus meads." And nobody needs that!
Answer to today's clue: ELM (begins with the 2nd E in 95A, AGEE, and becomes "M," a character Dench played in 007's Goldeneye.
Oh Eli, be fair. For many of us Marcus WELBY is a gimme, so seared into the memory is 60s and 70s TV. It's the super-up-to-date stuff that is a breeze for you, and mystery to many of us.
ReplyDeleteEasy "Schmeasy" I loved this puzzle & it was a delight (even if easy) on a Sunday. Thanks, Caryn :)
ReplyDeletePretty easy sound right. I didn’t hit any serious snags as I moseyed through this one.
ReplyDeleteIZZE was a WOE and looked odd but the crosses were solid.
Smooth grid with a well done “add some letters and wackiness ensues” theme, liked it.
In the “how about that for coincidence department” I just finished a Paula Gamache Thursday puzzle from June 2004 with the same theme.
@Arch I. Medes, Screw it.
ReplyDeleteI had more fun with this Sunday puzzle than I have had in a long time. I thought the themers were humorous (enough) and I like it when I can figure out the gimmick and it helps me solve the puzzle. I REALLY enjoyed Eli’s write-up. I’ll take upbeat and self-effacing over negativity and narcissism every time.
ReplyDeleteHand up for SNARLUPS as not so good. I mean I’ve heard people say “the traffic is all snarled up” but I’ve never heard the individual idiom.
Haha Eli…you mentioned WELBY as making the puzzle twenty years older but how much older does the mule SAL of song make the puzzle?
Abbreviation for kilometer is km, period. End. Full stop. I hate these fake crossword abbreviations almost as much as the fake "slang" or "modern lingo." The Times is using them more and more and more, so I'll just dump out now.
ReplyDeleteBuh-bye NYTXword.
CHA for CAN held me up quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteDNF as had “A RV” as in “oh look, there goes a Recreational Vehicle”, thinking that any puzzle that would include EMEER might easily mangle that clue. (Had no idea what the play 2x2 was about. Don’t RV’S have 2 axels?!)
It crossed nicely with that threat to jet skis, the almighty WAVE (v WAKE). Oh well.
I agree with the others - come on back, Nancy! I don't like the new format either but it's only a game & we miss you :)
ReplyDeleteNancys gone? Didn't notice
DeleteA peril? The whole point is riding and jumping the wake.
ReplyDeleteI thought the theme clues were funny! Medium for me.
ReplyDeleteBagels are served at a bagel shop, not at a Deli. Why you may ask? Because bagels are served a schmeer (dairy), and you can't mix dairy with meat, which defines a deli.
ReplyDeleteIt's GA[E]A not GAIA, unless you're a native Gallic speaker. The GA[E}A / ESE cross is inexcusable.
KIL is 100 different kinds of wrong.
Well, a kosher deli can't mix dairy and meat, but that's a small percentage of them. Sure, bagels are sold in a bagel shop, but that couldn't be used in the clue, for obvious reasons. I think deli is okay here. Many will have bagels on hand, and it's close enough for crosswords, IMHO.
DeleteI was wondering yesterday what happened to Nancy, and it looks like there was some kind of kerfuffle with the new format. Also, now wondering about the TEA with a Rex response to her?? Can anyone point out a day to look at or how to search the blog archives?
ReplyDeleteHi @burtonkd, welcome back! See my reply to @egsforbreakfast.
DeleteAt least we know Nancy is well. She is posting on NYT blog.
ReplyDelete@andrew 10:48 am: but remember the reply does not appear below the original in the regular web page anyway, so one still should type the "@" thing or a lot of us won't get it.
ReplyDeleteTypeovers: I misread the 16 down clue as "Maker of tiny trucks" and couldn't think of anything but TONKA. The "Looney Tunes bunny" had to be BUGS. Of course, CHA before CAN.
Lots of nits to pick. Jet skiers love a WAKE so they are an attraction, not a hazard; trust me I just spent a week watching them. KIL is indeed atrocious, as awful as KMS.
Okanager 1:32 ok, if the reply doesn’t work on computers, all is lost with whatever benefits the format offers! I am pretty much exclusively on ipad now so my view is skewed to iOS.
DeleteReminds me when my ad agency did websites on Mac - and the pages were GORGEOUS for the time. Then the client on a PC would ask what I was going for when all she saw were images in a line running off the screen. Got Parallels, I think the software was called, so I could beta test it in Windows World.
By the way, made all the mistakes you did - Trucks, Bugs and Cha. Sounds like a remake of Trains, Planes and, well, Cha.
Better Sunday than a lot we’ve seen. Favorite themers - EXCHANGE WEDDING VOWELS and NOEL FLY ZONES. Least fav - PEELER REVIEW. I couldn’t tell at first if it was even a themer because it was so much shorter than the first two.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about the TYPO clue, too, @Southside. When everyone said there were three esses I asssumed I had missed something. But no, my printout used the correct spelling. Hope my printer hasn’t started autocorrecting.
I wish GDS and KIL were TYPOs.
PANTY
Re the new blogger format, it has pros and cons, as @Anoa Bob and @jberg, among others, have noted. For those still asking here’s a recap with one additional con:
Con:
1. The additional con first - there is no longer an indication of the number of comments after opening blogger. Yes, if you refresh the rexword page you’ll see an update, but that wasn’t necessary before.
2. The ability to preview before posting is gone. This was helpful when posting links as a means to check for errors.
3. Smaller avatars.
4. Expand/collapse instead of Jump to comment box. Would be nice to have both options.
Neutral, or both pro and con:
1. FONT is different - pro or con depending on personal preference.
2. Replies are displayed immediately below the original comment, which is a pro and a con. Seeing the OP and reply together is a pro. Not being able to come back later and find newer comments is a con. (A comment by @jberg led me to a workaround for this which I’ll post elsewhere with hopes @Nancy will see it.)
spent too long on this because i overthought it. i thought "taking the el" would mean following EL somewhere into another clue, like when we've had those rollercoaster or whatever puzzles where you have to read something up and over to make sense. the two hair removal brands i know are vEET and Nair and nothing else. wtf is NEET? so having what i was sure had to be some kind of GOWN ending in V for a long, long time, i was certain there must be some convoluted EL-taking. kept trying to see something about velvet over there. ended up going from the bottom up and fixing that last.
ReplyDeletedespite my overthinking and product WOEs, i agree with some others that the set of themers was actually pretty good, esp compared to any in recent memory. the ELEVEN and DELAYS ones were my favorite.
and yes, i can hear the SEGA logo :) [even though my parents forbid me to have any video game consoles at all, and the closest i ever got was my video painter.]
thank you to Nit.Picker for bringing up the bagel thing - i had also thought the place where you buy bagels and a deli were two distinct places, but not living in NYC i'm open to being wrong. they could have at least said bodega instead of deli, where i understand the BEC is king. (and yes i know the B doesn't stand for bagel.)
-stephanie.
Phooey bagels are sold at bakeries, bagel stores and dozens of other food shops. Lord, what nitpicking!!!!!
DeleteSee, any time the puzzle is doable, I do it. No complaints. (And on days like Friday or Saturday when I only half-do it, I don't complain either. Does that make me a scatterbrain or an airhead? Absolutely not!)
ReplyDeleteIn the far-off days when I had leg hair, I used Nair or Veet - never encountered Neet. Now, of course, people go to the SPA and get waxed all over.
Dislikes:
ReplyDeleteSTARLETS. Is this term still used, or even acceptable?
GDS. NO! Clued as "Travel industry service, for short", i.e. Global Distribution System, it would be accurate, but no one would get it.
KIL.
SNARLUPS.
NOMS. NODS, sure, but NOMS? Who says that unless perhaps their mouth is full?
Overwrites: BUGS before LOLA, CHA BEFORE CAN, NAIR before NEET.
All the theme clues have a "?" at the end except for 50A. That would, and did, lead one to assume that this is not a theme clue. Wake up Editor!
Now that's a nit that truly needs picking!
Delete@Nancy, what @Gary Jugert said! Your voice is unique and irreplaceable. Besides, what ever will I do without your wall?
ReplyDeleteA comment by @jberg led me to discover that readers can actually choose between chronological and threaded replies, or both!
To read the comments in chronological form, without the replies right under the original posts, look on the right side of @Rex’s home page where it says "Blog Archive." Click on any date ***including the current day*** and that day’s posts appear chronologically.*
To see the new format, go to the bottom of each day’s post and click on the “x comments” link.
Thanks, @jberg - your comment describing the home page, and comments from others about seeing the blog comments with a yellow background, prompted me to have a good look at the home page. I’d never noticed that the “Blog Archive” included the current day.
*The “Blog Archive” format also allows a way to “jump to comment form.” At leaast on my MacBook, I can hit “command + down arrow” to go to the bottom of the page to the “Post a Comment” link. From there it’s easy to scroll up to see newer posts. (If you post a comment, though, it does that in the new format.)
Clarification - the above information is how things appear on the web version using MacBook. Is there a way to get to the Blog Archive using the mobile version? I haven't found it. I did appreciate the post a few days ago by an Anon (-stephanie) on how to get the mobile version on the laptop. Nice to have options.
DeleteHow disappointing! Not the theme by any means... it was well designed and well executed. My fave was DON'TGETMADGETELEVEN which was ROFL hilarious. But all of the theme answers were pretty clever. No, it's just that once again the editor lets a natick slip through, the fly in the ointment: BENTO/IONE. I guessed correctly, but would not have been at all surprised if the correct solution was BENTa/IaNE. You either know this obscure stuff or you don't.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone would explain to me what the puzzle editor does to earn his keep if it is not to assure that obscure terms do not cross each other and reduce the solving experience to guesswork and coin flipping. IONE AND IANE are equally plausible names for this person, and BENTO and BENTA for the Japanese cuisine item. C'mon, editor... save us from this kind of stuff. Make the NYT Sunday puzzle a test of our vocabulary and wit, not of our luck in divination! LOLA is a cartoon bunny?
I don't consider bento box obscure at all.
DeleteBento box is not obscure
DeleteBento box is one of those things I've seen a dozen times in crosswords, but never outside of crosswords. IONE I've seen scores of times in crosswords, but never outside of crosswords. So I'd agree it's a bad cross for some solvers.
DeleteDid this in stages, about half before a two-hour break to go sing, come home and finish it in a hurry, out to hear more music, then back to read the comments.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I thought the themers were above average and that the constructor found some good phrases for the extra EL. A couple of acts at our local music festival have taken the GETELEVEN advice seriously as far as volume is concerned. Somehow I don't think it enhances the listening experience.
Nice write up from Eli, but I think he holds the record for self-identified types of nerdiness. I'm the type of nerd who notices stuff like this.
Played like a good old-fashioned Sunday for me, CR, right down to Dr. Welby. Clearly Required some ingenuity, and thanks for all the fun.
Selling Sunset is NOT on Bravo!
ReplyDeleteYes! I came here to see if anyone mentioned this. They posted this on line last night and they couldn't have fixed it by now? Just a blatant factual mistake.
ReplyDeleteLoved this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteDot-gov is for government agencies and members of Congress. Political parties use dot-com. (DoD uses dot-gov while branches of the armed forces use dot-mil.)
ReplyDeleteMembers of Congress, who are presumably engaged in politics and give political addresses? This is not a nit that can be picked, in my opinion. I thought it was a fantastic clue.
DeleteThe general idea for websites of members of Congress is to call attention to their efforts on behalf of constituents, although there is some fundraising on their sites.
DeleteI'm 65 and from Canada and have never heard of vEET. I used NEET a few times as a teenager before deciding that smearing chemicals on my legs was a bad idea when i could just use a razor.
ReplyDelete@kitshef, looking back I see you had told @Nancy about the BAS (Blog Archive Solution) but for some reason it didn't help her. Could it be a mac vs pc thing? Or maybe she didn't scroll down far enough to see the comments? I hate to think she'd lose something she enjoyed so much if a solution were at hand.
ReplyDeleteI realized I forgot to pursue the Joseph Joubert quote, “SPACE is to place as eternity is to time.” It’s from his work, Pensées. Here are more lovely quotes worth sharing:
ReplyDelete-Words, like glass, obscure when they do not aid vision.
-The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.
-When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees.
-Never cut what you can untie.
-Be charitable and indulge to everyone, but thyself.
-Those who never retract their opinions love themselves more than they love the truth.
For 40 Down first Bugs, then Logo before finally remembering Bugs’ very rarely appearing gal pal Lola. Would have preferred either a Copacabana or Mott the Hoople clue.
ReplyDeleteTook me a moment to realize my mistake that two by two doesn’t take place on an ATV, but an ARK! It’s Wake, not Wave! ha, ha.
ReplyDeleteWas I the only one who read 87 across as NO ELFLY ZONES?
ReplyDeletei liked the puzzle. well done Caryn! i didn't like Oiler- should be plural. Embarassing Mistake=typo was cute!
ReplyDeleteThe wacky phrases were funny. Particularly PACKYOURBAGELSANDGO: I musically added "That's right, hit the road, Jack..." I did notice the "AND" duped above, but that's minor.
ReplyDeleteWith letter add-on themes, you better stick the landing, and mostly, she did. I had one kerfuffle: went with WEARY for exhausted and NOISY for the street vs. alley thing, meeting at the Y. Soon fixed.
BTW: I like OILER, and will start tomorrow's Wordle with it. Birdie.
Neet and Very are one and the same. Original name was Neet, but in the UK it was called Veet, while in the US and Canada it was called Neet until 2002.
ReplyDeleteNow the nits are getting really silly. Delis are not Jewish by definition, even if a Jewish deli is the first thing you think of. The word delicattessen comes from Italian, and if you parse it further, Latin. And the two delis I frequent the most, are both Italian. I also go to another at least once a year, usually around St. Paddy's Day, that is an Irish deli.
ReplyDeleteI was stuck with the word cha for the longest time, until I got hot in the head by a can!
ReplyDeleteI must watch Otto Korrupt more closely. It changed Veet to very. The other typo is all my own: hot instead of hit.
ReplyDeleteNAMED IN PANTY RAIDS
ReplyDeleteSTARLETS SAY IT'SALIE,
WHAT ITHINK URDU,
those DEERES SAY IT DON'T FLY,
I'll DELAY A REVIEW.
--- LEO WELBY
Hand up for Cha before CAN. Saw CAN CAN live at Moulin Rouge.
ReplyDeleteWordle par with the fourth shot at ??ATE.