Sunday, November 17, 2024

Glass artist Chihuly / SUN 11-17-24 / Breanna of the W.N.B.A., to fans / One of Mario's catchphrases / Participant in the annual "S.N.L." Christmas joke swap / Seminal protest song written at a Greenwich Village cafe / Coupon clipper's acronym / HOMES component / James for whom a NASA telescope is named / Pasted pasta

Constructor: Rebecca Goldstein and Ariela Perlman

Relative difficulty: Easy


THEME: "Nothing But Blue Skies" — a puzzle that visually depicts a HOT AIR BALLOON (with its black square configurations) and then contains a series of diminutive things (clued as if they were diminutive because seen from said HOT AIR BALLOON), and then a few more vaguely related answers:

Theme answers:
  • UP UP AND AWAY (23A: Line before takeoff)
  • "BLOWIN' IN THE WIND" (4D: Seminal protest song written at a Greenwich Village cafe)
  • TAKE THE HIGH ROAD (14D: Refuse to sully oneself)
The small things:
  • SMALL TOWN (39A: Neighborhood seen from a 93-Across?)
  • TINY HOUSE (65A: Dwelling seen from a 93-Across?)
  • WEE LASS (104A: Girl seen from a 93-Across?)
  • MINIVAN (108A: Vehicle seen from a 93-Across?)
Word of the Day: DALE Chihuly (91A: Glass artist Chihuly) —

Dale Chihuly
 (/ɪˈhli/ chih-HOO-lee; born September 20, 1941) is an American glass artist and entrepreneur. He is well known in the field of blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture". [...] In 1971, with the support of John Hauberg and Anne Gould Hauberg, Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School near Stanwood, Washington. Chihuly also founded the HillTop Artists program in Tacoma, Washington at Hilltop Heritage Middle School and Wilson High School. // In 1976, while Chihuly was in England, he was involved in a head-on car accident that propelled him through the windshield. His face was severely cut by glass and he was blinded in his left eye. After recovering, he continued to blow glass until he dislocated his right shoulder in 1979 while bodysurfing. // In 1983, Chihuly returned to his native Pacific Northwest where he continued to develop his own work at the Pilchuck Glass School, which he had helped to found in 1971. No longer able to hold the glassblowing pipe, he hired others to do the work. Chihuly explained the change in a 2006 interview, saying "Once I stepped back, I liked the view", and said that it allowed him to see the work from more perspectives, enabling him to anticipate problems earlier. Chihuly's role has been described as "more choreographer than dancer, more supervisor than participant, more director than actor". San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Erin Glass wrote that she "wonders at the vision of not just the artist Chihuly, but the very successful entrepreneur Chihuly, whose estimated sales by 2004 was reported by The Seattle Times as $29 million." (wikipedia)
• • •

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... a HOT AIR BALLOON. Is a HOT AIR BALLOON a "whimsical" method of transportation? Why? I think of it as just ...  a method of transportation? Whimsy not required. Where is the inherent whimsy? I don't get it. The HOT AIR BALLOON the first successful method of human flight. I guess you can make it whimsical by turning the balloon into various novelty shapes, or by using it to race around the world in 80 days, but "Whimsical method of transportation" seems odd, or oddly narrow, as a description here. But cluing aside, this puzzle seemed ... I dunno. Whimsical, probably. It's doing three different things (black-square visuals, small things, vaguely balloonish things). That's a lot of things. Why it's doing any of these things, I don't know? Is it balloon month? Are HOT AIR BALLOONs in the news? Making a comeback? The theme is harmless enough, but whatever whimsy or romance or fun was supposed to accompany a HOT AIR BALLOON-based puzzle was simply lost on me. Kind of the way the appeal of the annual balloon rally at Spiedie Fest here in Binghamton is lost on me. It's obviously a big deal to lots of people—there are even balloons in the city's iconography, including some that are carved into the supports of freeway overpasses. But balloon fever, I somehow never caught. I don't feel any kind of way about this topic. 

["It's a word, it's a plan..."]

I do think it's somewhat clever to take familiar diminutive things (SMALL TOWN etc.) and clue them as if they were regular-sized things seen from a great distance (specifically from the distance of a HOT AIR BALLOON in flight)—this is the one truly innovative and clever thing about the theme. Making a vague balloon shape out of black squares, shrug, OK, but pictures in the grid don't tend to interest me much on their own. And as for the three "bonus" answers ... I guess you had to do something. There are only four "small" things, so you gotta cram some more theme material in there somehow. Otherwise the theme would feel too slight. As is, the whole thing seemed a little scattershot. But it's probably loaded with whimsy, and my whimsy meter is just down. I'm no whimsy aficionado, and even on my most whimsical day, I think the general population tends to appreciate whimsy more than I do. There's definitely a cuteness to all of this. It just didn't make for a very interesting solve. The balloon element is obvious, and the theme answers are both sparse and fairly easy to get. More trickiness, more cleverness, more bite, that's what I tend to want in a Sunday (or any) puzzle. For all its pictorial splashiness, at the actual puzzle level, it's a bit too plain for me.


And the proper nouns just keep coming. The puzzle has, of late (specifically, this weekend) been inundated with names, making trivia rather than wordplay the basis for so much of its clues. Playing around with our common language, with vocabulary, with the funny way words work in English ... we still get that, but the puzzle really seems to be leaning hard in the pure trivia direction of late. I had to stop and take a deep breath after getting not one but two proper nouns, right out of the gate. 1-Across and 1-Down—name and name. And again, one of them didn't even have to be a name. WARD is just a regular-old English word. I think it's fine to clue WARD via Jesmyn (1D: Jesmyn ___, first woman to win two National Book Awards for Fiction) (I actually know her name, and she's certainly puzzleworthy)—I'm just pointing out that the puzzle often makes the choice to lean into names, in a way that often seems excessive. When your puzzle is already rife with names, steer ... away. ILENE is tough (I've seen her name a few times over the decades, but always forget how it's spelled) (32D: "The L Word" creator Chaiken). ERIVO (despite being 3/4 of the way to an EGOT) was tough for me, despite the fact that I've seen trailers for that Wicked movie about a dozen times now (71D: Cynthia of 2024's "Wicked"). You know, it's weird: those trailers do not even make it clear that the movie is a musical (which, I'm told, it is) and they never mention the names of the actors. ERIVO, Grande, Goldblum ... no mention. If only they had just put ERIVO's name on the damned screen in those trailers, maybe I'd've had a shot here (side note: the Wicked movie hasn't yet been released—always weird to clue an actor via a movie no one's seen yet). 


Crossing JOST and J-LO felt slightly cruel. I barely heard about that J-LO documentary (90D: Singer in the '24 documentary "The Greatest Love Story Never Told"), and I haven't watched a single episode of SNL (or any late-night comedy anything) since 2016, so I don't even know what an "annual 'S.N.L.' Christmas joke swap" is (90A: Participant in the annual "S.N.L." Christmas joke swap). I do know who Colin JOST is, but ... I just think that clue could use a "Colin." Would've helped me, for sure. And then there's BOMER (51D: Matt of "Magic Mike").. OK, BOMER. As with yesterday's puzzle, there are So Many Recent Movie clues—three of them today that mention the year "2024" by name (the JLO, ERIVO, and IDEA clues). Relying overly heavily on one cluing niche is, I will continue to contend, bad editorial practice. DALE the glass guy was maybe the hardest name in the puzzle for me, but at least there I feel like I learned something. Would be hard to argue that there are too many glassblowers in the damned puzzle, that's for sure.


The one good, or at least interesting, thing about having a picture puzzle today is that the white-square configurations are unconventional, leading to interesting stack formations through the middle of the (mirror symmetry) grid. You get these little isolated pockets of answers, all in strange shapes. Those were kind of an adventure, especially the ones inside the balloon itself. There are only very narrow passageways in and out of those sections, so they are slightly hard to get at, and they feel like areas where it would be easy to get stuck. Having RAMA (as clued) (31D: Hindu god of rights and responsibilities) alongside ILENE in one of those pockets seems like a feature that might create difficulty for some solvers. But all the crosses seem fair, in the end. So I'm weirdly enjoying negative whimsy today. The balloon picture itself, I don't care that much about, but the resulting white-square configurations, those are at least making the shape of my solving journey ... different. And as Bill Murray says in the non-2024 movie Groundhog Day, "different is good."


Notes:
  • 27A: Detector of lies, informally (B.S. METER) — debuted in 2022 and has now been used four times. I'm tired of seeing it. Its originality has worn off. I know, I know, "it's whimsical!," right? It's too showy and long a term to be repeating so often. Feels like stale whimsy, now. 
  • 29A: Apt rhyme for "fling" (SLING) — there has to be someone besides me who thought the "fling" was sexual and put SWING here. Swingers are more associated with group sex and swapping than "flings" (or, uh, so I hear), but still, it feels like the words arguably live in the same linguistic universe.
[from my own personal collection of trashy paperbacks]
  • 43A: Movie in which the Wet Bandits get "scammed by a kindygartner" (HOME ALONE) — still have never seen this movie. Maybe I'll see it someday and think "wow, why did it take me so long, this movie is wonderful." But then again maybe (probably) not. I know the premise of the movie, and I know the stars of the movie, but "Wet Bandits"? Ew. (So named because they leave the water running at every house they rob, like a calling card—but if you wanted notoriety, you'd think you'd adopt a cool name and not one that made you sound like you'd peed your pants)
  • 63A: Feline hybrid (LIGER) — wouldn't know this beast existed were it not for crosswords. See also the TIGON (which has made just one NYTXW appearance, to the LIGER's thirteen).
  • 70A: Breanna of the W.N.B.A., to fans (STEWIE) — last name Stewart. One of the most famous WNBA players. I knew her name. I did not know she shared a nickname with the baby from Family Guy. Slightly weird to get Breanna Stewart in nickname form before we've ever seen her in BREANNA form (that's a name that's dying to be in crosswords, but so far ... nothin').
  • 77A: Coupon clipper's acronym (BOGO) — Do people still clip coupons? The demise of the local newspaper seems like it would put a damper on the popularity of literal coupon "clipping." "BOGO" = acronym, from "Buy One Get One (free)."
  • 112A: Concerning "speck" in a sugar bowl (ANT) — is this whimsical? If you just have one (dead?) ant in your sugar bowl, consider yourself lucky. They don't tend to travel solo. Things could be much worse.
  • 54A: HOMES component (ERIE) — I'm in the middle of a Great Lakes summer vacation extravaganza with my best friends—we've stayed on (directly on) Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Erie so far. Next year it's Ontario, and then the following year we'll end up on Huron, probably somewhere near the top of Michigan (roughly the dead center of Great Lakesdom). When we're done hitting all the Great Lakes, we're all getting Great Lakes tattoos. This Is My Midlife Crisis! As midlife crises go, it's pretty fun.
  • 79D: One of Mario's catchphrases ("HERE WE GO") — "catchphrase." This banal thing. It's just a phrase. A regular old phrase. Did you need to drag (and I mean draaagggg) Mario into this? Why "Mario" a clue when you don't have to? The things you think are whimsy, I can't understand.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

P.S. you can now pre-order a physical copy of the NYT's big Puzzle Mania special edition (which comes out two weeks from today: Dec. 1, 2024)—more than 50 puzzles including (if it's like past years) a super giant jumbo crossword. All for $7. Go get it.

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]

128 comments:

  1. @Rex -- "OK, BOMER" -- Hah!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Easy-to-Super-Easy. I didn't know all the proper names, but was able to get them from crosses. It was all read clue, fill in answer, lather, rinse repeat.

    Except for 30Ax32D. I misremembered ARIGATO as ARoGATO and had no idea about the Chaiken person so (somehow) oLENE looked okay to me.

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  3. Anonymous6:41 AM

    I was working at an art expo and got a bad case of vertigo for the first time. Staggered through the Chihuly exhibit to get to the restroom. Luckily made it through without smashing into any sculptures

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous6:44 AM

    The number of proper nouns in the puzzles has grown tiresome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Areawoman9:08 AM

      I concur. I find myself having to google check myself a lot when I haven't previously had to do so. I don't mind learning new names and people but I would much rather do so by fair crosses then feeling like I have to cheat to finish a puzzle.

      Delete
    2. Agreed. Time for a change.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous5:21 PM

      Could not possibly agree more.

      Delete
  5. STEWIE crossing ERIVO was a Natick for me--I'm not a women's basketball fan and I thought that crossing was worse than JOST and J-LO--mostly because I watch SNL/Weekend Update, but also because there aren't many people who could fill _LO, which is what I had. Otherwise I agree with @Rex--I enjoyed the conceit of cluing things like WEE LASS and SMALL TOWN as if they were seen from a HOT AIR BALLOON, and the shape did help me with the primary theme answer, but the area inside the BALLOON was rough to get to, and while I got through it I didn't love it.

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  6. Anonymous6:54 AM

    I had the opposite complaint about the hot air balloon clue. They’re much more whimsical than methods of transportation. You can’t steer them and someone else has to pick you up and return you from wherever you end up

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This. Came to say this. They're whimsical as heck, because you do NOT know where you will land!

      Delete
    2. Keith9:32 AM

      Exactly. I think pretty much anytime you’re riding something for the sake of riding it rather than to get anywhere, it’s probably whimsical. Hot air balloons, horse-drawn carriages, old-timey trains, swan boats…

      Delete
  7. Anonymous7:02 AM

    I do not get Erie for HOMES component. Huh?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:56 AM

      Why do you think Rex talked about the Great Lakes? Huron Ontario Michigan Erie Superior. HOMES.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:58 AM

      Huron, Ontario, Michigan, ERIE, Superior.

      Delete
  8. UGLI is apt - given the Sunday sized grid this one really had limited appeal. The graphics I guess? A thematic fail - some of the mid-length fill tried to save it but in the end HELL no.

    fireHOSE

    The grid layout resulted in loads of short gluey stuff that became bothersome halfway through the solve. I did like the long downs - BODY LANGUAGE, I GET THAT A LOT etc are really nice but not enough to save this.

    A fine LASS you are

    I appreciate the effort and I can see the potential - but this was never fully realized and should have been sent back for revisions.

    @jberg from yesterday - thanks for posting the down-verse America lyrics - I’ve always loved them.

    Kevin Kinney

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7:17 AM

    Love the world's best donuts in Grand Marais. We've gone to the Radio Waves music festival in GM for several years and it's a hoot.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I’ve never taken a hot air balloon ride, but I imagine it to be peaceful, lilting above the fray below, quiet, nothing to disturb you – relaxing, like tubing down a lazy river.

    Solving this puzzle had a similar calm feel to me – a theme that required no mental gyrations, a theme that unfolded gently. When I finished, I thought, “That was sweet” and sat in reverie for a moment imagining a hot air balloon ride, a blissful escape that left me feeling wonderful.

    Ahhh. Puzzles can do that too. Ain’t Crosslandia wonderful?

    Not that my riddle-loving brain felt left out. There was figuring out what the grid art was (looked like light bulb at first glance), and lovely wordplay to untangle in some clues, such as [Everyone in Georgia] for Y’ALL, [Ice belt] for SLAP SHOT, and [Kennedy for American, e.g.] for HUB.

    There were also sparks along the way:
    • Things people wear not clued as things people wear (CAP, HOSE, SLING).
    • Lovely answers (PLAY GOD, I GET THAT A LOT).
    • Splendid PuzzPair© (ABUT and BUMS).
    • Abutting trio of long-O enders (BESO, BOGO, MOTTO).

    All told, a fun and satisfying great escape, for which I’m eminently grateful. Thank you, Rebecca and Ariela!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Visho8:43 AM

      Hot air balloon rides are peaceful except for the horrendously loud noise made every time the pilot fires up the gas jets to keep it aloft. Took one in Kenya last fall and every 30 seconds or so had to cover our ears!!

      Delete
    2. @Visho -- As someone with with a lifelong fear of falling from a high or even a not-so-high place (it's not acrophobia, exactly), HOT AIR BALLOON rides have never been on my bucket list of things to do before I die. In fact I'm sure I'll die quite a bit later if I avoid HOT AIR BALLOON rides. But now you've given me another good reason to avoid them. If possible, I hate loud noises even more than I hate being in precarious high places and, like Lewis, I've always thought that HOT AIR BALLOON rides were peaceful. Thanks for the heads-up about the awful noise involved.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:46 AM

      We took a hot air balloon ride in Kenya years ago. We freaked out the elephants, which are not used to seeing something bigger than they are!

      Delete
  11. A lot of running commentary all weekend regarding the recent spike in PPP - which of course I believe is going over like a lead BALLOON. I rarely see anyone complaining that we need more popular culture in the grids - I’ve never had a puzzle published so I can’t speak to why constructors include so much (and, as Rex said, also choose to clue things like WARD, WILD and MEN as PPP). I sometimes suspect that it might be a useful technique for amping up the difficulty level - but that seems kind of lazy (and somewhat cynical).

    There has got to be a better reason - so, constructors out there - give us the low down - do people rely enjoy things like STEWIE crossing ERIVO ?

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  12. Anonymous8:02 AM

    Not sure I have ever had a more unpleasant solve. There are some puzzles I dislike, but very few I actually loathe. Those very few just increased their number by one.. A puzzle in total servitude to a "cute" visual on the grid and a tedious over-reliance on proper names.

    Re 116A: Just once I would like a clue to read "What you say to yourself when this activist singer/artist/activist is once again clued in the Puzzle" O No!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:22 PM

      One hundred percent. Add to your complaints some of the worst cluing ever.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous8:05 AM

    Im really wishing I hadn't bought the year subscription. I wanted crossword puzzles, not trivia. This is starting to ruin my morning routine in a big way. I'm begging you Joel, enough of the proper nouns and obscure trivia!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:07 AM

    Probably my quickest Sunday time but didn’t feel accomplished it was such a dud.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous8:08 AM

    JOST/JLO/BESO

    Can we possibly squeeze more nonsense into one area? Can we possibly get more PPP shoehorned into the puzzles lately? I use the term "puzzle" loosely, as it implies something that can be solved. Trivia can't be "solved".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:22 PM

      I figured out JLO easily enough but had nothing for J_ST / BE_O

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:22 PM

      (I meant the S of course. Tired brain today)

      Delete
    3. Anonymous6:03 PM

      JLO/JOST/BESO
      I see the complaints about about this area. But JLO isn’t exactly obscure. I rarely listened to her music, seen her movies. I didn’t even see the Super Bowl halftime show that caused such a scandal.
      If you get the gimmick with the L who else is there. JOST is not obscure. I never watch SNL yet people mention him all the time. Beso is not an obscure Spanish word. That area might be annoying, but not a natick. I. do agree that this weekend the names really piled up

      Delete
    4. Anonymous7:52 PM

      J-Lo was not Justin’s Super Bowl duet partner.

      Delete
  16. Well, I thought it was a big heart at first. UPUPANDAWAY hinted this was not a heart! I do think taking a hot air balloon ride is whimsical; I certainly would not use this as a regular mode of transportation (plus, I'm deathly afraid of heights - this would not be peaceful or relaxing for me!).

    I didn't understand COGNATE at first. I thought it meant something like intellectual or thinking -- nope. Well, I'd rather have a COGNAC to accompany my French learning.

    Lots of PPP, agreed. Including at crosses.

    We visited the Chihuly museum (Chihuly Garden and Glass) while we were in Seattle visiting our son a few months ago... and I still didn't know his first name! Beautiful, just beautiful.
    ------------------------------------
    Blue skies
    Smiling at me
    Nothing but blue skies
    Do I see

    Bluebirds
    Singing a song
    Nothing but bluebirds
    All day long

    Never saw the sun shining so bright
    Never saw things going so right
    Noticing the days hurrying by
    When you're in love, my how they fly

    Blue days
    All of them gone
    Nothing but blue skies
    From now on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deathly afraid of heights – yes! I have flown from coast to coast with my dear departed BAE in various small aircraft but you couldn’t pay me to get in a balloon.

      Delete
  17. Funny... unlike Rex, of all the names in the puzzle, DALE was the only one I knew. I guess I've heard of J-LO, but didn't know her from the clue. Everyone else? Never heard of them.

    But as annoying as all these obscure proper nouns are, this isn't something new. Shortz was notorious for this. I just did a puzzle from 2005 that had MORENO valley, Robert DONAT, LES ASPIN, and Igor IVANOV all crossing each other. Give me a break.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous8:31 AM

    Never got off the ground.

    ReplyDelete

  19. Ridiculously easy for most of the solve, then a little bit of bogging down, then a Natick finish at _LO/_OST, where I mentally ran the alphabet THREE times before trying HLO/HOST. Shouldn't JLO have had some indicator it was a nickname or shortened name?

    I could have looked at that grid for a week and not come up with hot air balloon.
    But I did think perhaps it was an ANT - and it's a pretty good ANT. But a terrible hot air balloon.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Andy Freude8:44 AM

    Haven’t watched SNL in decades, but I do know it has a hOST, and hLO looked kinda plausible as the stage name of any of the zillions of singers I’ve never heard of.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I guessed correctly at STEWI_/_RIVO, but thought the SNL participant would be the hOST. No happy music, so hit check puzzle, and got to that letter; an alphabet run got me to J along with a SMH - those 2 are about as pop culture famous as you could ask for.

    The rest of the puzzle had a lot of clues that did make the brain stretch just enough for a quick Sunday solve. Also, the theme didn’t come into view until fairly late (plus lots of themers at the bottom, so a nice synthesis there).

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous8:47 AM

    LIGERs have been in my brain since reading about them in the Weekly Reader in my 70s grade school classroom, reinforced by Napoleon Dynamite (bred for its skills in magic).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. D. Brady11:09 AM

      Sadly, Scholastic, having made a fortune on the Harry Potter Books, bought the Weekly Reader in 2012 for the sole purpose of putting it to death in order to eliminate competition with its own digital current events products - which it did within six months of purchase. It didn't even bother to digitize the archive it inherited, leaving the rats to feed on the collection of paper copies, I suppose.

      I credit my ongoing interest in current events and culture in part to the habits formed in elementary school reading the Weekly Reader - a publication that treated children with respect for their intelligence and curiosity, and never condescendingly.

      Delete
  23. Today’s lesson in politeness: always text the “Magic” (Mike) “words” - PLS + TYSM.

    Have received the lazy TY message before (from those who think THANK YOU would take an AEON to type out), never TYSM.

    This slog didn’t pass the BSMETER, thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I didn't realize until I was scrolling down through Rex's analysis and glimpsed the word JOST that I had neglected to fill in 3 letters in the -O-T/-OGO/-E-O/-LO section. I guess those answers couldn't have been too important to me, right?

    I'll tell you what else wasn't important to me. The grid art. First of all, it doesn't look anything like a HOT AIR BALLOON to me and secondly I wouldn't care even if it did.

    So it's interesting that my first answer in at the "Perish the thought" clue was "I cARE NOT." IcEA is not a word, so I changed to I DARE NOT. But my first thought was how I was really feeling.

    I did very much like the clever double meanings of the WEE LASS; SMALL TOWN; MINIVAN et al themers. I think they would have stood out much more and played a much more important role without the (Notice me! Notice me! Notice me!) grid art. Grid art has never meant a damn thing to me in crossword puzzles -- and it never will.

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  25. Oh, Professor, you're so full of whimsy.

    Groucho: Can you tell from down there? It happens whenever I eat radishes.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous9:09 AM

    Each to their own but I can hardly think of a *more* whimsical method of transport than a hot air balloon. A penny-farthing maybe?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Finally looked at a grid looking for grid art and was congratulating myself on seeing the big smiley face, which meant it took forever to see the HOTAIRBALLOON. Back to just solving the puzzle for me.

    There was a small airport upwind from our summer resort place in NH from which balloon rides were launched and they landed on our property more than once. This thrilled my young son no end who loved them and always informed everyone when he saw one by yelling HOTAIRBALLOON ! A novice pilot misjudged his landing one morning and wound up in the lake. He was towed to shore by a motorboat-exciting times.

    My solving experience was like a HOTAIRBALLOON ride, in that it was punctuated by spells of nothing followed by bursts of answers, the effect you get when you fire up the burner in the balloon to produce more hot air. So not much flow to this one for me. See names, proper, for the reason for that.

    Nice stunt puzzle with some good theme answers and cross references, liked the long downs, but not my favorite Sunday ever. Impressive feat of construction, AG and RP Attractive Grid and Really Pushed some memory buttons, so thanks for a decent amount of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Why is a long rant about whimsy necessary? It doesn't affect the puzzle. If you don't appreciate whimsy we don't need to know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:06 PM

      Why are you reading the blog if you don’t want to know what his thoughts were on the puzzle?
      Also- both ‘liger’ and ‘wet bandits’ were gimmes, and I haven’t seen either movie in 20 years.

      Delete
  29. Anonymous9:15 AM

    As a southerner, I just have to point out that the preferred way to refer to ‘everyone’ (clue: everyone in Georgia) is ‘all ya’ll’, not just y’all. As in ‘I know all y’all can hear that tornader siren so you best git in this house’. This ensures that everyone present knows they are not exempted from the ‘y’all’ group.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to see someone else annoyed about that clue. When I saw it, I thought, “Surely this can’t be YALL since that would be incorrect.” “Y’all” is just second person plural; there is no implied “all” in it (e.g. it can be used for two people, when English does not use “all”). The answer to the clue would have to be ALLYALL.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:53 AM

      There’s a subtle difference between y’all all and all a y’all. The first is a command: yall all HUSH. The second is just a grouping: I’m sick of all a y’all.

      Delete
  30. Man, feel badly for constructors the past 3 days. Deserve way more editorial support. Me at 1A/1D “Good Lord. Welp, thanks for the warning”

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hey All !
    Pretty neat Theme idea. Liked the big BALLOON in the grid. The resulting run of threes in the North Center will make @M&A happy. Tough to stack long answers like the ones there, with resulting actual things.

    Didn't consider the three longie "Themers" Rex pointed out, but an argument can be made that yes, they are part of the Theme. Just wish they would've been clued as related.

    Ended up at 82 Blockers, not too shabby. Normal max is 78, so a couple extra never hurt nobody.

    Pretty good fill, considering the wide open spaces in a few spots, and stacking of Longs. Plus, having to get your BALLOON ART in there.

    DNFed, with PLAuGeD/BuRNE/hLe (thinking some singer with their initials I hadn't heard of)/hOST. Oh well.

    No ASS today, but we do get BUMS. Close enough. 😁

    LOL at Rex's OK BOMER. Classic stuff.

    Did ya notice that GETS A TAN looks like GET SATAN? At least it's counterbalanced by PLAY GOD...

    Happy Sunday!

    No F's (My BSMETER is going crazy!!)
    RooMonster
    DarrinV

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:44 PM

      Was just going to comment on the GET SATAN near PLAY GOD. Doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.

      Delete
  32. Azzurro10:06 AM

    That “Letterman” video made me cringe. Why does the villain have to be a brown-skinned guy in a turban? I know it was a different time, but a lot of what we grew up with in the 70s didn’t age well.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous10:12 AM

    I’m sure I’m just being an idiot, but can someone explain what the word ALLINONE is? Is it ALL INONE? What’s an INONE?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:12 AM

      all in one. Either that, or inone is the masculine form of inane.

      Delete
  34. I don't watch the WNBA or particularly care for musicals (The Blues Brothers being a notable exception), so STEWIE/ERIVO was definitely a natick trap. Yikes.

    But then going back through the puzzle looking for my error, I laughed at GETSATAN. What do you yell after the devil robs a bank? Get Satan! So, all in all, worth it for the chuckles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:18 PM

      Good one! I didn’t notice. Get Satan! lol!

      Delete
  35. as queen victoria was alleged to say " we are not amused".. As said by many- too many ppp and trivia. who calls brenna stewart "stewie"? for example

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous10:29 AM

    Anyone else like to EAT A SANDWICH at the beach as their partner GETS A TAN?

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous10:30 AM

    Total Natick at STEWI_/_RIVO. I tried any number of letters, then pulled the J from JLO/JOST. Frustrating DNF solve.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Crushed Sun best by over 2 min, dropping, e.g., TAKE THE HIGH HIGH ROAD, 14d, off the initial T (just as JAZZ ORCHESTRAS, 29a y'day, off lone first Z, what else could it be? 'ensembles,' too short), and I GET THAT A LOT, 15d, BODY LANGUAGE, 3d, BLOWIN' IN THE WIND, 4d, etc., off little more. 70a X 71d, the E, last letter to drop, a potential ELHI for some.

    Neglected to read game title again, theme did not resonate, not feelin' the montgolfier/lilliput-scape theme or pixelated art, but 👍👍 for the way a Sun should come together, in time to metronome at 250 BPM, evenly through to finish.

    @Hoarder, 1 hr 46 min y'day, did Rip read that rightly?! Embryonic spasms at NYT daily, not long ago, Rip frittered nigh onto 6 (six) hrs, mult. days, on a Wed (2023-08-16), but now, Rip's sure as shite not spending 2 hours on a Saturday. TY for sharing that.

    Fellow neophytes, don't despair, this sedentary game is 80% practice, coming to know the inane ELHIs, then you too will solve every day (no consultation/so-called 'cheating,' ever) as these 30+ yr multi-daily-game dweebs do, to finish, with ease.

    Yes, exploring outside your cave, so that you recognize TAIOSEACH (though you may not spell it at first go) and APIA, SAMOA (not akin to "Natick, Massachusetts" in general familiarity, what nonsense), reading, questioning, exploring.. absorbing.. IRL (not via jaw dislocation to gorge an ocean of game-driven bootless flotsam, easily forgotten).. assists in sussing the game highlights, but the scrawny, the contemptible, the ELHIs, and their kissing cousins.. that's 80% practice.

    ReplyDelete
  39. EasyEd10:49 AM

    In retrospect, a fun puzzle, but I had same trouble as Rex getting into the “whimsical” vibe. At first I was searching for answers along the lines of ET and his flying bicycle. Thought maybe the grid art was ET’s head—ah well, HOTAIRBALLOON fits the bill a lot easier. I wonder how many bloggers are fans of the annual Albuquerque balloon festival. JLO is now crosswordese for me, but had no idea who JOST was/is. Enjoyed the “MINI” clues.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I finished the puzzle with a fair amount of enjoyment today, BUT I’ve learned that I’m NOT good at grid art and it took me forever to figure out we were looking at a HOTAIRBALLOON. (Hi, @kitshef) With what looked like a “smiley” did anyone else think of looking head-on at Thomas the Tank Engine? He would certainly be “whimsical.” But yeah…no complaint about balloon “travel” being whimsical.
    One nit. Maybe in the US we are time-wise far removed from a large war, but I don’t think of AWOL being even remotely similar to MIA. In fact, it seems a bit callous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andy Freude11:04 AM

      Yes, I had the same reaction to MIA = AWOL. Bad taste.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:19 AM

      Tea. I viscerally reacted to that. AWOL is being away from your post without permission - its dereliction. MIA is being unaccounted for as a result of battle - the most common causes being that one has been captured, killed, or holed up injured somewhere - you know, all the soldiers that Donald Trump has expressed contempt for. I would be loathe to think that that contempt has seeped into this puzzle, but why was this not caught?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:41 PM

      If memory serves, a previous puzzle made the same mistake, and people commented on it here. I assume NYT doesn't look at these comments, so I wonder what the best way would be to try to inform them that they are being very disrespectful..

      Delete
    4. Anonymous6:20 PM

      AWOL vs MIA
      In terms of the military, they have very different meanings.
      I don’t know the intent of the constructors and/or editors but the fact is these terms have long since gone into popular usage and they have have similar meanings in that context. The US is far enough from a major war that a lot of people don’t know the original meanings. Language is like that.
      dgd

      Delete
    5. Anonymous7:12 PM

      I fifth this. Insulting and terribly disrespectful to equate MIA with. AWOL.

      Delete
  41. Anonymous10:58 AM

    Is SLAPSHOT a hockey term? The only word I could see was SNAPSHOT and I didn't know ERIVO or VOLT as clued, though VOLT seems obvious in hindsight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:22 AM

      See the Paul Newman movie titled "Slapshot" for a full, complete and colorful explanation of the term. Its a fun movie, eh.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:19 PM

      Yep, has been for, like, forever

      Delete
  42. Anonymous11:02 AM

    I found the connection between AWOL and MIA jarring. One abandons their post, the other is missing in combat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:40 PM

      Thank you. Surprised no one else noticed

      Delete
  43. Appcilpperable11:07 AM

    Yes Rex folks still 'clip' coupons. You download the app for your go-to grocery store. There you will find steals and deals for various products. You click on the coupons that you want. After you shop, you scan the app or your 'token' for that store....and viola' (see 46 across)....you just saved $8.46!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous11:10 AM

    A slapshot is a powerful, high-speed shot in ice hockey where the player winds up their stick and then swings it down to hit the puck:

    ReplyDelete
  45. I have that coffee mug! And they really are great donuts.

    I was convinced that Small Town was some kids cartoon franchise I’d never heard of. Happy to discover I didn’t miss anything.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous11:31 AM

    Chevy has both a VOLT and a Bolt. To me, Eribo seemed just as likely as ERIVO. Doesn't seem like a fair cross

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:25 PM

      The Chevy Bolt is not a hybrid; it is all electric. The Volt is/was a hybrid. The clue asked for a hybrid.

      Delete
    2. Actually the volt is not technically a hybrid--it's gas engine only charges the battery, doesn't drive the wheels. So the clue is not correct. But Bolt isn't a hybrid either--I got fooled by that spot.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous3:07 PM

      @Rick Sacra I used to make that same point about the Volt being technically not a hybrid when it was inevitably referred to as a hybrid - even in publications. The best I got in response were eyes glazed over and "but, but, but...," so I finally gave up. In common usage it has become known as a hybrid, even though it technically is not. File it with "cashews are nuts" and (they are not) and buckwheat is a grain (also not) labeled "Eyes will glaze over if you try to correct this"

      Delete
    4. Anonymous6:23 PM

      Rick Sacra
      Volt/ Bolt hybrid etc
      Sometimes it pays not to know too much.
      Crosswords rely on popular usage, not technical accuracy. Close enough for crosswords!

      Delete
  47. Easy. The only iffy square was the STEWIE/ERVIO cross but only E made sense.

    A delightful, fun and breezy Sunday, liked it, made me smile…i.e. the whimsy worked for me!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Arriba, arriba y lejos en un globo aerostático.

    I was delightfully engaged by this entire puzzle. Here in Albuquerque they host a big balloon fiesta every October and hundreds of balloons participate. I'm afraid of heights, so I won't be looking for any WEE LASSES from above, but in theory, I like HOT AIR BALLOONS and wee lasses seem fine too.

    Remember the MACARONI ART puzzle a few weeks ago that created so much angst? I miss that day.

    They've really taken the guardrails off the proper nouns for the last three days. I'm not a fan.

    In the funnyism department, I almost awarded two happy faces for the Amazon streaming clue. Epic.

    ❤️ PLAY GOD.

    😫 SHE CAT.

    Propers: 19
    Places: 5
    Products: 9
    Partials: 12
    Foreignisms: 7
    --
    Gary's Grid Gunk Gauge: 52 of 141 (37%)

    Funnyisms: 7 🙂

    Tee-Hee: BRA. BS METER. GET SATAN {moves aside; cue @egs}. HELL YEAH. [Tushies.]

    Uniclues:

    1 "It tastes good."
    2 Memo on staff reductions from Santa on Dec. 26.
    3 Dirty fingers.
    4 Went to the lawn and garden section at Lowes.
    5 Mental gymnastics required every time somebody says, "I read what you wrote and..."

    1 DRY WINE BS METER
    2 IN RE ELVES: BOGO
    3 INKWELL BODY LANGUAGE (~)
    4 SAW OWN-HOSE GOLDMINE
    5 I GET THAT A LOT TAP DANCE

    My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Sign you're about to stick your fingers in your mouth. CHEETO DUST OMEN.

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous11:44 AM

    Fun puzzle! Too much PPP tho. Natick at Stewie/EriBo. (Yes, I thought the car was a Bolt.)

    ReplyDelete
  50. Pretty beige. Nothing wrong with it. Easy. But bland.

    ReplyDelete
  51. @Nancy, @Whatsername - We took a hot air balloon ride with a friend of ours who is very afraid of heights, and she had no problems with it. Something about the subtle movement made it so her acrophobia did not kick in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm quite sure, @kitshef, that I would have a problem with it. I'll explain:

      My fear of falling -- which isn't, at least not exactly, a fear of heights -- is extremely pragmatic. If I CAN fall, I'm afraid and if I CAN'T fall, I'm not afraid. Therefore, I can stand at the top of the Grand Canyon, and if you place a long solid, sturdy barrier that goes from the ground to my chin between me and the abyss, I can stand there and look down 9000 feet at it until the cows come home. But you cannot possibly coax me onto a "balance beam" that's only six inches off the ground.

      The HOT AIR BALLOON falls into the 2nd category -- only much, much higher. You CAN fall and I'd be sure that I WOULD fall -- and therefore I would never, ever do it.

      Delete
  52. My random solve today had me BLOWIN' IN THE WIND. I eventually saw the tiny aspect of some of the theme clues but never really connected the grid art until HOT AIR BALLOON showed up.

    "Pasted pasta" is about as whimsical a clue as I've seen. I GET THAT A LOT is a fun phrase.

    I liked this puzzle, thanks Rebecca and Ariela!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Niallhost12:07 PM

    I'm surprised there's no mention that HBO is now MAX, which I confidently entered before realizing that the crosses didn't work. The NYT must not have gotten the memo. I am right about that, aren't I? Not saying it was a good move to tank the HBO brand, but I'm pretty sure it's a move.

    I was not getting the theme at all. I thought at first that there was some Wizard of Oz thing going on (which would have worked nicely with ERIVO) and then I thought of the movie Up - but, no, just small things being viewed from high places. Fine by me. Wish I had figured it out sooner, but at least I figured it out.

    Speaking of ERIVO - I know the movie is not out yet but you cannot escape the Ariana Grand/Cynthia Erivo roadshow that's been going on for weeks. They're everywhere, and they're super annoying together. I hear the movie's good though!

    The middle North section was the biggest hurdle for me today. Those short downs could have been a lot of different things, so it took finally getting VICE VERSA to break through there.

    Proud of myself for getting TAKE THE HIGH ROAD and I GET THAT A LOT from minimal crosses. Happening to me more and more nowadays - not sure if that's because I'm getting better or the clues are more in my wheelhouse. Either way yay me. Finished in 28:26.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Niallhost12:35 PM

      Ariana GrandE. She may be annoying plugging the movie but she deserves to have her name written correctly

      Delete
    2. Bill P.1:47 PM

      Re your HBO/MAX comment. MAX is simply the name of HBO's subscription on-demand streaming service (nee HBO MAX) - only one of the means HBO uses for product distribution. The cable company and the cable channel are still HBO. The name change was not just branding. Through recent mergers involving the Discovery Channel, the Discovery Streaming Service was folded into HBO MAX as a single streaming service now know as simply MAX. To confuse further, the parent company is "Warner Bros. Discovery" which wholly owns Home Box Office, Inc., which operates HBO Cable channel, MAX and other distribution means. So, yeah, you were not quite right about this - but understandably, since keeping up to date in these things is absolutely headache inducing!

      Delete
  54. Anonymous12:19 PM

    In addition to its amorous meaning, "fling" also means to throw, hence the tie to "sling" with also means to toss, i.e. "sling hash"

    ReplyDelete
  55. Andrew Z.12:21 PM

    RAMA crossing ARIGATO “seems fair.”??? I can’t believe I’m the only one who had to run the alphabet at that R.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Anonymous12:23 PM

    Never liked MIA/AWOL one is a hero in a battle and the other a coward who runs from a battle I never connect them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous1:50 PM

      But let's not forget that we have elected a president that has only contempt for the former and is sympathetic to the latter (his words on more than one occasion, not mine)

      Delete
  57. So how many knew 51D BOMER - be honest - !
    I loved this puzzle. I DARE NOT took me a while, didn't know STEWIE, ARIGATO but they worked themselves out quickly.
    One thing though - I HATE the term for mixed breeds - MUTT. No dog is a mutt!
    Otherwise, I almost didn't want this to end. I enjoyed it a lot. Haven't read the comments yet but I'm sure some will say it was too easy. But I thought it was fun.
    Thank you as usual, Rebecca your signature was all over this puzzle) & congrats on your debut,
    Ariela :)

    ReplyDelete
  58. 100% agree about the names being very annoying the last few days. The constructor and/or editor seem to go out of their way to clue regular English words as if they were names, and also to clue regular English words using names even when it is completely unnecessary.

    At JOST crossing JLO all I could think of was: SNL always has a HOST, right? But who's HLO?

    As much as I'm sick to death of names, it was a delight to see DALE Chihuly today. For the last house I did in Vancouver (1993), we actually designed the dining room around a huge glass bowl of his that the client owned. Special lighting and everything. The result was so beautiful that it made the front page of the Homes section of the Vancouver Sun, in color. (It didn't hurt that the minister of defense was in the picture.)

    Typeover: I'VE HEARD THAT before I GET THAT A LOT. And yes GET SATAN is funny.

    ReplyDelete
  59. The BOGO-BESO crossing was a Natick for me. Never heard of BOGO and while I’ve heard of BESO, I don’t know what “un abrazo” is. It could have been easily fixed by changing the B to a P.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Anonymous12:51 PM

    I chuckled to see ANS(wer) crossing BLOWININTHEWIND.

    Also, the running joke about “wet bandits” is that it is a bad nickname, and (spoiler) in the end that’s how the cops connect them to all the houses they had robbed.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Cool puzzle! Brought back great memories of my time on a chase crew for several years for a HOT AIR BALLOON festival. What fun riding in the pickup bed with the others, all of us not letting that balloon out of our sight and calling directions to the driver, the tricky goal being to get to the landing site, wherever it might end up, before the balloon. After my first chase, the pilot took me and another first-timer up in his balloon (a pink elephant!) and on landing we each got initiated with the traditional champagne on our head (DRY WINE, brut of course) and a recital of some version of the balloonist’s prayer: “The winds welcomed you with softness. The sun blessed you with its warm hands and set you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth.”

    It’s an incredible feeling to rise ever so gently above the earth and float along gazing down from the open-air gondola at the scenes below, which do include TINY HOUSEs, very WEE LASSes, and many MINI vehicles. The only sounds are the wind and the occasional flame from the burner pushing hot air into the balloon to make it rise. It’s an incomparable and awe-inspiring way to travel. Almost like being a bird.

    Favorite non-up-in-the-air answer: MACARONI ART.

    Thanks, Rebecca and Ariela!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:45 PM

      I couldn’t agree more! Took my first hot air balloon ride for my 75th bday this May and loved every minute of it! even the 4:30 a.m. rising time! 👏👏👏

      Delete
  62. M and A1:14 PM

    TYSM? - har. Textin has really been a boon to constructioneers, for gettin a puzgrid filled.

    Always hope for a slightly more humorous SunPuz, to entertain us during a looong solvequest. But did like the E/W puzgrid symmetry and the grid art balloon.

    staff weeject pick: ANS. Like that they are gearin up them "articles of impeachment" [= ANs], already.

    least fave thing: STEWIE/ERIVO no/know crossin.
    fave thing: COGNATE. Really wanted COGNACS to be the ans.
    other fave thing: record-smashin 7-stack of weejects, in the top center. Long live the Baron von Runtiness!

    THXYSM for gangin up on us, Ms. Goldstein & Perlman darlins. And CRATZ [congratz] to Ms. Ariela on her half-debut.

    Masked & Anonymo9Us

    no spam. just runt puzzle:
    **gruntz**

    ReplyDelete
  63. SharonAK1:50 PM

    Half way through Rex's commentary I blew up in surprise.
    More names recently?? aNo Way! For at least the past 15 years there have been just as many (too many) names. Granted some in this puzzle were especially obscure. But I think Rex's problem was that they were not ballplayers or rock musicians.
    91A "Dale" was the one I knew immediately











    91A Dale was the one name I knew immediately .

    ReplyDelete
  64. IDARENOT go in a bar where IDARENOT required.

    WEELASS BRA MINIVAN in one row! Takes me back to my first date with Mrs.Egs and watching the submarine races.

    Where lower legs are housed? SHINDIGS

    TIL that TILL and TIL could appear in the same grid.

    I liked GETSATAN ok, but I thought Get Shorty was the better movie. I wish the editors would Get Smart about this.

    What did the Japanese tourist order in Italy? ARIGATOni!

    I liked this whimsical puzzle and think that the critics are full of hot air. Thanks, Rebecca Goldstein and Ariela Perlman .

    ReplyDelete
  65. One of the first things we learn very early in life is what might be called size constancy. For example, even though the visual image of a door at the end of a long hallway is much smaller than the image of a door right next to us, they will be perceived as the same size.

    Likewise, a TOWN, HOUSE, LASS or VAN will be perceived as the same size whether from nearby or from a HOT AIR BALLOON (or top of a Ferris wheel, an airplane, etc.).

    So the SMALL, TINY, WEE and MINI parts of the themers didn't ring true for me. They aren't SMALL, etc., they are just farther away.

    It wasn't a total bust because this did remind me of one of my favorite visual illusions. Since an object in the distance will be perceived as bigger than a nearby object with the same size visual image, this can be used to produce a whimsical example of that kind of illusion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:39 PM

      Anoa Bob
      The illusion you refer to has always fascinated me
      But from a great height I have had no trouble looking down and perceiving everything as being tiny. I remember thinking that when I was around 7 in the late fifties looking down from the Empire State Building. Viewing platform.
      I think the the illusion occurs in certain contexts but not in others.
      dgd

      Delete
  66. A few of the theme answers gave this puzzle enjoyable moments, as did IGETTHATALOT - but by the time I was down to the STEWIE, ERIVO, JLO, BOGO, JOST mess I didn’t care.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Anonymous3:17 PM

    Love the Reelinʻ in the Years reference!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Anonymous4:04 PM

    “Up, Up and Away” was written by Jimmy Webb. Kind of can’t believe that wasn’t used somehow to clue 1A. Other than that, enjoyed it just fine…and concur with other commenters that hot air balloons are whimsical as all get out.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Greg B4:21 PM

    Surprised no one picked up on the inaccurate clue and answer, which was 56a. HBO doesn’t exist. It’s called Max now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:43 PM

      Greg B
      See above
      The long explanation for why the answer is fine
      I watch HBO ( and it is listed as such ) all the time via my cable box. Max is strictly a streaming service ( which I also occasionally use).

      Delete
  70. Anonymous4:27 PM

    I finished but am I the only one that feels there were an unusual number of female references? Ward, Keri, Leah, Liger, Stewie, Ono, Ilene, Erivo, JLo, Byrne. A bit of a grind.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Anonymous4:54 PM

    Anyone else discover by mistake that We Shall Overcome and Blowin in the Wind have the same number of letters?

    ReplyDelete
  72. Rex is right about a lot today, but particularly about the ever-increasing PPP ratio. And he's right about the cruelty of the JLO/JOST natick... on the part of the constructor for putting it there and on the part of the editor for leaving it in. This kind of thing just completely ruins the puzzle!

    ReplyDelete
  73. Anonymous5:06 PM

    So, Rex, have you ever heard of/attended the annual Albuquerque Ballon Fiesta with +/-800 hot air balloons? The Special Shapes rodeo includes MANY very whimsical balloons: Carmen Miranda’s head, Nemo the fish, Mr. Peanut, Darth Vader’s helmet, Felix the cat…After you finish the HOMES you must travel to ABQ the first two weekends of October…it’s a true spectacle of whimsy!

    ReplyDelete
  74. MetroGnome5:29 PM

    EASY??! Names, names, more names, and brand names everywhere, some crossing each other, others crossed with obscure words/phrases in foreign languages . . . more like a trivia/ Natick Fest from Hell!

    ReplyDelete
  75. Anonymous6:27 PM

    Hi there. Just fyi for non-NYers, there's an error at 34 down. The Atlas sculpture is at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, not 30. Enjoy your blog a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Anonymous7:06 PM

    I do agree that this weekend has had TOO MANY NAMES.
    Z, a former commenter, used to say, anything over 30% is too much. I always agreed Gary Jugert adds “foreign” words to the total but they don’t bother me But subtracting foreignisms from his total, this weekend is over the top!
    Other than that gripe, I generally liked the puzzle. The grid art I ignored
    Rex rant about hot air balloons being just a form transportation and therefore not whimsical was so far off it was funny.
    I think everyone else agrees with that!

    I was helped in the name department because a friend just mentioned at lunch that a routine by Jody he saw online. Never watch SNL never look at it online. I have seen the name in the Times art section so I immediately tried it here and it worked. But again too many names.

    Many people were offended by MIA being the answer for AWOL. I believe the puzzle constructor is relying on the popular usage of the terms, where they are used to mean about the same thing. Nothing to do with the military meaning.
    As I said before, that is the way language works. Words and terms have a life of their own. You can’t stop popular usage.
    dgd

    ReplyDelete
  77. Anonymous8:45 PM

    When I saw hot air balloon my mind completely went to The Wizard of Oz and I spent far too much time trying to figure out if “small town” was where Dorothy from lol. So the answers felt like kind of a downer when they were just small things!

    ReplyDelete
  78. Anonymous10:46 PM

    Thank you for the call out on the number of proper nouns of late! I was beginning to think it was just me.

    ReplyDelete
  79. gotta love jimmy Somerville and the bronski beat!

    ReplyDelete
  80. Anonymous10:47 PM

    Didn't like equating MIA with AWOL.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Anonymous12:17 AM

    I got a kick out of NEW DO and HELL YEAH.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Anonymous12:53 PM

    Up up and away, song by the 5th Dimension. Has the line wouldn’t you like to fly in my beautiful balloon.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Anonymous2:15 PM

    I really enjoyed this puzzle. And just as a sidebar, I've seen some of Dale Chihuly's work in person, and it's magnificent. There's a gigantic one at the V&E museum in London that is absolutely breathtaking.

    ReplyDelete