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Troopers, on a CB radio / WED 5-28-25 / New Jersey city with a bridge to Staten Island / Sholem ___, author of "Children of Abraham" / Question while pointing / Like many a Swiftie / Philosopher known for paradoxes / Pixar character who has trouble saying "anemone" / Rare blood type, in brief
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Constructor: Peter A. Collins
Relative difficulty: Easy-Medium
Theme answers:
- "GOOD MORNING" (13D: First words of the day, perhaps)
- "NIGHTY-NIGHT" (15D: Last words of the day, perhaps)
Bayonne (/beɪˈ(j)oʊn/ bay-(Y)OHN) is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the Gateway Region on Bergen Neck, a peninsula between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east. At the 2020 United States census, it was the state's 15th-most-populous municipality, surpassing Passaic, with a population of 71,686, an increase of 8,662 (+13.7%) from the 2010 census count of 63,024, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,182 (+1.9%) from the 61,842 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 74,532 for 2024, making it the 517th-most populous municipality in the nation.
Bayonne was formed as a township in 1861, from portions of Bergen Township, and reincorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1869. At the time it was formed, Bayonne included the communities of Bergen Point, Constable Hook, Centreville, Pamrapo and Saltersville.
While somewhat diminished, traditional manufacturing, distribution, and maritime activities remain a driving force of the economy of the city. A portion of the Port of New York and New Jersey is located there, as is the Cape Liberty Cruise Port.
• • •
No real tricky spots today. I needed most every cross to get BAYONNE, and some more crosses to get the ARMY part of ARMY VET (nothing in the clue that is Army-specific). I had TOKE before VAPE (6D: Puff on an e-cig). I wrote in "NO LIE" but then remembered the phrase "NO CAP" exists, so pulled the "LIE" part and waited for crosses ("LIE" was correct, as you know). I thought the [Eur. alliance] was the G-TEN. Isn't there also a G-TWELVE? And a G-SEVEN? And a G-TWENTY?! Is this the same group and it just keeps changing numbers? (Answer: No—all different groups ... really hard to remember what any of them mean when the naming system is so unimaginative).
 |
| [G-SIX = six largest E.U. members, but since Brexit, it's back to just being the G5 (which is what it was originally, before Poland joined), so today's answer is ... dated] |
I don't think of SIT-UPS as something one does at the "gym" (45D: Some gym reps). I mean, of course one might, but there's nothing gym-specific about SIT-UPS, so that answer didn't come to me immediately. But overall, no serious sticking points. If you are familiar with FIDDLER, then maybe you liked this. If you're not familiar with FIDDLER, then I have no idea what you made of this. I maybe saw the movie version of FIDDLER once. I know the song only because it's ... just ... in the air, somehow. Not sure if the song is still similarly "in the air," esp. for younger solvers.
Lightning round:
- 19A: "Sharp Dressed Man" band (ZZTOP) — speaking of "in the air," the NYTXW is single-handedly keeping ZZTOP in the air. They're the go-to band in clues for TRIO (very recently, in fact), and now here they are, an answer in their own right—for the 20th time (though the first time in almost seven years).
- 38A: Like many a Swiftie (TEENAGE) — because MIDDLE-AGED wouldn't fit (Swift is 35 and a huge chunk of her fandom is 40+ so ... [Like many a Swiftie] could've been anything, honestly. It's not that she doesn't have teen fans, obviously, just that this clue feels like a caricature of fandom. Her actual fandom is mmaassiivvee.)
- 9D: Question while pointing ("HERE?") — cluing this as a question is semi-perverse. I mean, any one word can be a question if you want it to be. "HIM?" "ME?" "BUTTER?"
- 32D: Hosp. diagnostic (EEG) — seems to be a thing today, leaving off any specificity in the clue. Nothing Army-specific in ARMY VET clue, and nothing brain-specific in this EEG clue (which means you had to leave that middle letter blank and wait for the cross ... or you didn't leave it blank and got lucky ... or you didn't leave it blank and made the EKG mistake. Or you just went nuts and recklessly wrote in MRI. One of those things happened, for sure.
See you next time.
[Follow Rex Parker on BlueSky and Facebook]
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106 comments:
I'm no physicist, and l love "FIDDLER" but as Copernicus pointed out the sun doesn't "rise" and it doesn't it "set." It just stays where it is (at least in relation to the revolving and orbiting earth).
I’m 51 and I knew most of the references, but most were from before my time. Not that that’s bad, necessarily, as long as it’s not every puzzle. But younger solvers shouldn’t feel bad if they struggle with it.
About Irene Dunne: people might be more familiar with screwball comedies that pair Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, like Philadelphia Story or Bringing Up Baby. If you liked those, you should check out Grant and Irene Dunne in The Awful Truth. Hilarious and charming.
Not to be picky, but the G6 (dated or not) is not an alliance. Never has been.
Complaining about SUNRISE, SUNSET going "the wrong way" is a pretty piece of pedantry even by the local standards. It misconstrues the implied directions: the top of the puzzle is "up", not North; the left and right are left and right, not West and East. Sun-lovers in the Northern hemisphere face South and apricate watching the light go left to right every day. A nice piece of puzzle architecture, particularly with the symmetrical and time-specific greetings. It seems the competing should in any case be taken up with Sheldon Harnick, who titled the song "the wrong way" around sixty years ago.
I thought the black squares in the middle were supposed to represent a roof … with a cross on it? Hmmm, maybe not. It’s an odd image for a puzzle about the very Jewish FIDDLER. Still, I liked it pretty well,
Maybe the graphic of the circled letters is also meant to resemble a Top Hat? (Fred and Ginger clues ...............)
Not surprisingly, I enjoyed the puzzle more than Rex did. FIDDLER was the last answer I got, after which the circled squares confirmed it with the song title. Complaining about sunrise and sunset from an astronomical perspective seems silly to me.
Funnily I breezed through NW and got stuck in NE! Agree that the "tada" moment of the circle letters was a let down. I travel to NYC regularly and needed the crosses for Bayonne. Also agree that overall it felt dated even though I'm in my 50s - and not a Swiftie but I know many my age who are! Slow going for a Wednesday but I haven't had my tea yet.
So very many things could have been used to clue the word teenage. To use it to describe part of Taylor Swift’s fan base just points to the flippant biases of the constructor and editor.
This idea the Swift fans are mostly “teenagers” is an idea held by many an old person, I have observed. This clue would have been true 20 years ago. NYT crossword setters need to get with the times.
Well, have spent a lot of time in the NYC/Philadelphia area, so BAYONNE came easily, and how many band names start with ZZ? So the NE went easily for me. In the SE plunked in MRI, but the crosses fixed that right away. The two long downs were familiar and not deceptive in cluing and that helped in getting other needed crosses. Similarly, didn’t know the clue for the show, but once I had -IDDL-R, the answer was kinda obvious. Never got the theme but this was probably my quickest Wednesday ever…
My Libra BENT toward balance found sweet fulfillment in the complementary phrases SUNRISE / SUNSET and GOODMORNING / NIGHTYNIGHT, not to mention the lovely symmetry of the circles, and in the rising and falling of the sun. Any aberrant vibes nagging my inner sensibilities have instantly vanished, and I am one. NO LIE. Om, namaste, and l’chaim.
Can it get better? Yes it can. I am also charmed by beauty in the box, with GURGLED and ACUMEN.
More moments like this, please.
A couplet from “Sunrise, Sunset” that I love:
“One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears”.
File today’s puzzle under “happiness”. Thank you, Peter, for making this!
Easy. I'm old enough to have grokked most of the references.
Overwrites:
22A: AGENT isn't the only "Special" one; there's also a special evENT.
32D: Hospitals do mri's, sometimes to accompany an EEG
44A: My Eur. alliance was nato before it was G-SIX. Good point, @Anon 6:23, G-SIX isn't an alliance but nato is.
Only one WOE, Sholem ASCH at 25A
I’ll double down on my typical critique of circles in a grid - a theme do not make. They’re only relevant post-solve.
GOOD MORNING from Pigpen
Agree with the big guy that the fill was disjoint and all over the place for the most part - although BAYONNE should be highly recognizable for a large percentage of the NYT readers. Fun to watch the backlash from the Swifties.
TEENAGE Kicks
Played as a themeless - a flat Wednesday morning solve.
JAZZ on the Autobahn
I ignored the theme (poor eyesight and no interest in trying to trace your circles together for another “hint” at the answer), and dropped in FIDDLER after a few crosses.
The rest of it was pretty standard fare - I really only struggled with the trivia (the kids author, the actresses, the cartoon character, the French test, the FDR/New Deal annoyance of the week).
I did get BAYONNE off of just the B, I if I recall correctly. I’m familiar with the bridge though, being a Jersey boy.
No mention of Chuck Wepner ... the Bayonne Bleeder?
EKG is actually the German abbreviation. ECG is English and ought to be added to the KEA/LOA.
FYI, Us News ranks Bayonne as number 4 in best cities to live in New Jersey. That’s just below Jersey City , and above Elizabeth. Just sayin’
I was solving away, ignoring the theme as usual, appreciated the ASTAIRE / ROGERS pairing, then hit the revealer with the first letter in place. Without reading the clue carefully, I racked my brains trying to remember a Fred & Ginger movie that starts with an F. In vain, of course.
FIDDLER is a good show, but “Top Hat” is a work of sublime genius, IMHO.
In "Fiddler on the Roof," the song "Sunrise, Sunset" was a metaphor for the passage of time ("swiftly go the days"), not a provocation for arguments involving geography or physics.
What a trivafest! Awash in initials crossing propers. Thumbs down.
I’ve never heard of the musical “Fiddler”. Last time I checked it was called “Fiddler on the Roof”.
I did like it, and FIDDLER was definitely part of my growing up, actually saw it a few years ago in La Jolla, this song is beautiful and I thought the whole theme was super cute. Fill was meh, but good enough not to ruin it. Easy and adorable.
Started out thinking meh, wound up loving it
The structure, the long downs, the FIDDLER theme discovered late-- all fun.
Also fastest Wednesday in a while, flirted with the 4:00 mark despite watching the circled letters as I progressed. Only mistake SMOKIES, easily fixed
I don't have access to constructor notes , wonder if anyone knows what the black structure is intended to be? Assume there is a Jewish reference there, but it looks more like a Christian symbol and even vaguely like a pagoda.
Good job Mr Collins, let's see another one
It was nice to see Sholem ASCH in the puzzle, a great Yiddish writer who lived from 1880 to 1957. It was a different Sholem, tho, Sholem Aleichem (1859-1961), also a Yiddish writer, who wrote the stories of Tevye the Milkman upon which Fiddler was based. A warm memory of my youth was seeing Fiddler on Broadway with my mom. My brother used to call it "Fiddler on a Hot Tin Roof." I catch it now from time to time in High School productions in North Jersey and it never fails to reach me.
How does “decrease” (18A) yield “iron”?
I know FIDDLER and also “Sunrise, Sunset”, but didn’t remember that that song came from that show. And I had a terrible time coming up with FIDDLER at all because I was so thoroughly misled by having ROGERS and ASTAIRE there - racking my brains for a ROGERS - ASTAIRE show. All complicated by the fact that I didn’t know ALFAS and had a hard time with DAK.
Yes, I saw the roof, too.
Did I go back and do the dreary task of putting together all the ignorable tiny little circles to see what they were all about? You betcha that I didn't.
When I saw the FIDDLER revealer, I thought to myself: "You know that score very well. Make sure you don't inadvertently see which song it's about in either the column or the comments and try to guess which one it is."
Let's see. What are my choices? TRADITION. IF I WERE A RICH MAN. SUNRISE, SUNSET. DO I LOVE YOU. But the problem is: if you haven't once looked at what's in the ignorable tiny little circles, you won't have any way to guess.
So I'll go and find out now from Rex and the rest of y'all. This better be good!
In the meantime: a duller, more boring puzzle it's almost impossible to imagine.
It's not good.
Just sayin’ what, exactly?
Hey All !
Looking to be a NEW HIRE someplace, as I just lost my job yesterday. Tough for a 55 year old (turning 56 in August) to find a job with all the younguns out there. Any suggestions?
Puz was pretty good. Don't know FIDDLER (is that a separate thing from the ON THE ROOF one? Or just a shortening of said one?) Too bad ROGERS and ASTAIRE weren't in it, could've been a cross-reference Theme contender.
Saw the arced circles, saw the Revealer clue, wanted to put SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW in, obvs too long. Would the sun rise in the West and set in the East if you stood on your head all day? Or stared into a mirror all day? Or stood on your head whilst looking in a mirror all day? The mind boggles.
44 Blockers today, yikes. 38 is normal max. Still, a funky looking grid.
Of course, spelled EMERY wrong first as EMORY. I need a mnemonic to remember which is which. Had babbLED for GURGLED first. So, streams GURGLE and people Gargle. What Gergles? Gorgles?
Welp, have a good Wednesday. Job search commence!
One F
RooMonster
DarrinV
Because by ironing you remove the creases (wrinkles).
The theme seemed murky and was neither a help nor a hindrance to the solve. I know the FIDDLER film, but not the musical. Know the song, but only as a random tune, so it was a themeless for me. Agree BAYONNE was tough and wondered why SIT-UPS would be done at a gym. I try not to do them at all.
O CANADA. We’re so sorry.
Iron creases out of clothing.
Agreed, Sholem Asch *complements* this puzzle's them nicely.
Iron out the creases … de crease.
I’d say 15, her first album isn’t 20 years old yet!
I didn't see the SUNRISE/SUNSET until the very end, at which point I wished the rest of the uzzle had more to do with Fiddler on the Roof. But it was a nice, somewhat chewy Wednesday, although I don't love the clue for COMPLEMENT (ADD TO). I wouldn't have known Zeno or Bayonne but got them from the crosses.
Well that’s why the clue was “familiarly.” People talking about musical theater definitely refer to it that way. Like saying “Les miz”
I’m 44 and many of the references were too old for me. I love Fiddler on the Roof but didn’t try hard enough to unscramble the letters, I guess, because I didn’t see what the song was. Oops. I agree that this wasn’t a very fun puzzle to fill out.
"Fiddler" to its friends.
Your complaint is clearly incorrect! After placing RISESUN, I plopped in SUN and SET--and the S and T in SET were helpful. Furthermore, it would be tricky to guess FIDDLER without those circles.
"familiarly"
Ask people to name a few great serial killers and, as to Bundy, some AVERTED and some OMITTED.
If, as is currently the case in my locale, the sun rises around 6:00 am and sets around 9:00, you can read the puzzle as a typical day for the constructor as follows:
10:00 am. GOODMORNING
11:00 am. Check blood. Uh oh, ANEMIA.
11:30 am. Take meds in the right DOSE.
12:00 pm. VAPE
1:00 - 2:00 pm. Shopping SPREE. Buy new PUTTER.
4:00 pm. NIGHTYNIGHT
6:00 pm. Oh s**t! Forgot to do SITUPS
9:00 pm. XEDOUT
Throw in two hours of pickleball and you've pretty much nailed my day. A remarkable and subtle aspect of this puzzle that even @Rex seems to have missed.
@Roo. Very sorry to read about the job loss. But Vegas seems to be booming, so I'll bet you find a new job soon.
I sussed out the theme very quickly and filled in all the circles when most of them were surrounded by expanses of white (the Milky Way?). Liked this theme and its execution. Thanks, Peter A. Collins.
Amanecer atardecer.
Nice looking grid and challenging but awfully gunky probably owing to the golden arch. I felt certain the digital department would add a sun going up and a moon going down along the sun's pathway.
Someday I need to learn more about boats. You'd think Melville would've been more help in 135 chapters than he was. Chapter 136: Things on a boat landlubbers of the future will need to know to solve crosswords.
I thought brooks babbled, now I learn they gurgle. Do oceans still roar? And what exactly are rivers doing other than rushing? We have a fountain that gets water all over the patio.
People: 12 {eek}
Places: 2
Products: 5
Partials: 10 {oh my}
Foreignisms: 2
--
Gary's Grid Gunk Gauge: 31 of 75 (42%) {This is not the puzzle you are looking for.}
Funnyisms: 1 🤨
Uniclues:
1 Grew up too fast.
2 My one thought on Mark Carney.
3 Served as kingpin in a caper to fix guitarists' fingernails.
1 AVERTED TEEN AGE
2 O! CANADA! NEW HIRE
3 LED EMERY SPREE
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Holiday pairing with roasted Steve. CANNIBAL EGGNOG.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@RooMonster 8:52 AM
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your job, but in my experience and hopefully yours will be similar, leaving one situation and going into a new situation has been a great source of joy and opportunity throughout my life. I recently took a full-time job and I am working with a lot of young people, many of whom are 1/3 my age! They are smarter than I was at that age, they are more open than I was at that age, they work harder than I did at their age, and once they figure out how to be as funny as me (ehem), they'll be the complete package.
I will mention that I live in a crap hole of a city, the gap between wages and housing prices is criminal, the education is laughable and expensive, the country is on fire, and in my estimation these kids are going to have a tough life if they stay here, and yet they are all optimistic about their futures. I hope they're right and I'm wrong.
"Or you just went nuts and recklessly wrote in MRI. One of those things happened, for sure."
My variation:
1. Recklessly wrote in "VETERAN" (because that's the correct answer on a Wedneday, darnitall).
2. Allowed my certainty that it should be MRI to make me very nervous about VETERAN.
3. Got SPREE.
4. Got ARMYVET.
5. Considered PET [scan] for 32D.
6. Went to another area of the puzzle and returned to this one later.
Now I need a nap, after a Wednesday?
I dont get why there is a big cross in the middle of the puzzle? what does that have to do w FIDDLER on the roof? anybody?
Easiest Wednesday (it IS Wednesday, isn't it?) ever. Solved as a themeless & came here to see what the circles were all about. It was over before I knew it - not complaining, just saying.
@Roo Good luck. I'm sure you'll end up fine.
Thanks for the Wepner memories. He lasted into the 15th round in his title fight with Ali, and scored a knockdown in the ninth round.
Extremely easy as a themeless. Just started in the NW, headed south and continued counter-clockwise without stopping to figure out what those annoying little circles were about.
Don't know the musical or the song, but FIDDLER was easily surmisable.
@Roo - I'm sorry about your job. That really sucks :(
@Gary - what a nice comment. Thank you for making it & sharing it :)
I thought it was charming, with the visual of the course of the sun from SUNRISE to SUNSET paralleling GOOD MORNING and NIGHTY-NIGHT and the circled letters being symmetrically placed. I only wished that AWAKE at the peak of sunrise had also been complemented by something sleep-related at the bottom. But sleep at least got into the AWAKE clue in the form of the arms of Morpheus.
Seems like I had to sign in. I looked at the comment & thought "Gee, THAT sounds familiar" So do I have to sign in daily now? Anyway, FYI - I'm not "Anonymous" Replied to @Roo 8:52 "I'm sorry you lost your job. That sucks" & @GaryJugert 10:36 saying what a nice comment, Gary & thanks for sharing." I hope it doesn't come up as anonymous again :(
PSA for parents of kids 6 and under in relation to BAYONNE. When our kids were younger, we stumbled across the little-known Two Bad Bears (https://www.amazon.com/Irving-Muktuk-Two-Bad-Bears/dp/0618093346) series by Daniel Pinkwater, about two polar bears obsessed with stealing blueberry muffins. It became one of our favorite family series - my kids are now 17 and 15 and still enjoy Irving and Muktuk jokes.
There is some chance this is a spoof but the first book also has one of the best missing the point one star reviews I've ever seen on Amazon: "LOL, I was searching for news for black bear sightings in Bayonne (where I currently reside), and came across this in the search results. I'm not reviewing the item, but just wanted to set the record straight: there is no zoo in Bayonne, NJ, and to the best of my knowledge, it is *not* the muffin capital of anyplace, let alone the world!"
Not sure what to think of this puppy. Would maybe like it better, if I could figure out what that giant black thingy in the middle of the puzgrid is supposed to be. Can't just be an airplane comin in for a sharp landin, right?
It's just so B.I.G. ... must mean somethin.
Puz has every letter except Q. Also has The Circles and the E/W symmetry. So, that's all kinda neat. Lotsa Z's and a J in that there little NW corner. So that's kinda some cool scrabble-twerkin badassery.
staff weeject pick: PEU. Part of a nice weeject stack, with twin U's, in the SE. M&A can relate, as he makes mostly Peu Puzs.
some fave fillins: ZZTOP. Taylor Swift. ROGERS and ASTAIRE.
Thanx for fiddlin around with us, with that grid art of mystery, Mr. Collins dude. It ain't yer famous pewit, surely ...?
Masked & Anonymo4Us
... the followin is NOT really spam, blog monitor folks ...
"Spamalot" - 7x7 12 min. themed runt puzzle:
**gruntz**
M&A
I'll always remember Port of Call, BAYONNE NJ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_D52TPXjNA&list=PLxF1_ahGRvZndCyUX5TaL_riLOvaAPaME&index=2
really old farty puzzle with the actors and asch
I was really confident that it would be a “babbling brook”. Babies gurgle.
We don’t need to know how many members are in ZZTOP today, just that they’ve appeared twice recently. I always thought Sharp Dressed Man was not really representative of that band; more their attempt at making the charts than their usual blues-based southern rock sound.
After drawing a total blank on ADU (not relevant to coop dwellings), it was nice to have a homer clue for BAYONNE be a gimme.
3 letter issues across the middle: I can never keep EEG, ECG, and EKG straight. Also one too many GPS answers with NAV and RTE on the same row.
VENI/VIDI/VICI is an interesting kealoa in that you put in the first and last letters, then wait for the rest.
And My Favorite Wife!
That! Exactly.
DAK stands for "Dakota (Territory)." It ended in 1889 when it was dived into the new states of North and South Dakota.
Why the dis on Bayonne? I always think of this SNL short from 1979(!). https://youtu.be/jhioeOeOHsA?si=mNDMnNxeIGuAMplN
Satirized a contemporaneous US Navy recruitment ad featuring "Port of call: Bayonne, Spain!" with the tag line "The Navy -- Not just a job, an adventure!"
I am old. I didn't join but it made an impression on my 17 year-old self. Obviously.
Easy and easier than yesterday’s for me. No WOEs and no costly erasures.
I’ve never seen the musical but the song is familiar.
Impressive construction and a reasonably smooth grid given the theme constraints. Liked it quite a bit more than @Rex did.
Good luck, Roo
SUNRISE, GOOD MORNING reflected by SUNSET, NIGHTY-NIGHT is a nice touch, but it made the puzzle too easy; as soon as you saw what was going on -- for me, with FIDDLER from the F -- you could fill in all the circles. And the ROGERS-ASTAIRE cross reference filled in some squares, since one answer gave you the other. On the other hand I had to dredge up BAYONNE from deep memory. I've driven over that bridge, from New Jersey to Staten Island, but in that part of New Jersey, especially along a major highway, it's hard to tell what city you are in.
So you've got Rice-a-RONI for people who have rice but want it to feel like pasta, and orzo for people who have pasta and want it to feel like rice. Why don't they just switch their plates?
GSIX was the worst answer in the grid, IMO. The G-SIX is a) defunct, and b) not a European alliance.
Had to look up what "TVA" was short for. The Tennessee Valley Authority. Today I learned! Thank goodness for crosses.
At least BAYONNE wasn't clued as "NJ city with a marina."
So, Moses went up the mountain and came up with a (23-A) DOSE?
It did occur to me while solving that Zero MOSTEL would fit in the same space as ROGERS, but I don't know the musical well-enough to know if there was a good cross-reference.
As for the central structure, does it make it easier to get the circled letters in?
@Roo, you have my sympathy, and my wishes for a successful job hunt.
Liked the theme. But too many abbreviations today:
RTE, EEG, TVA, SRA, ALFAS, SST, DAK, ABA, NAV, ATV.
Obviously, but everyone still calls it the sunrise and sunset...
Just heard on the radio the NH is desperate need of workers, don't know if they're looking for crossword answer eponyms.
Good luck.
Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older
When did they?
From "Sunrise, Sunset".
Boy, does that ever strike a chord with me. Beautiful song.
I went straight down the left coast in this one, saw SUNRISE rising, looked for SUNSET going down the other side, and there it was. And FIDDLER too. Thought that was pretty neat.
Way easy, recognized GSIX when I had it all filled in, didn't know Mr. ASCH, and for those of you that knew NARITA, good for you. For me it was a TIL.
Also TIL that driving into or out of Boston during rush hour is a terrible idea, and today was a one-off for me. Had some luck using the HOV lane, zipping past thousands of cars, who yes, were only occupied by a driver. Some people go through this every day, how I don't know.
I liked your Wednesdecito just fine, PAC. Pretty Abundant Crosswordese but the rest of it made it all worthwhile. Thanks for all the fun.
Loved the clue for OCANADA. Please try to keep it in mind.
As an NYC resident whose local paper is the NYTimes, I like when they use NYC-area-related clues, but I see Rex’s point about Bayonne—which, btw, is forgettable for good reason.
Overall, no major disagreement with OFL's take on this one. But I have no problem with BAYONNE in a puzzle in the New York Times. Nothing wrong with expecting solvers to be familiar with the NY area.
I thought the theme was okay, but then Rex pointed out GOOD MORNING and NIGHTY NIGHT which somehow I completely missed, and are a really nice touch. And that song really hits the mark at this time of life.
I finished with a really silly error at square 17... looking at the almost finished grid, but not checking the clues, I thought: that should be NAV crossing VAPED, so I changed it to a V. Of course, NAV and VAPE are correct answers, nearby but elsewhere. Dummy! Read the clues!
I was excited to see your link, but then it wasn't the video I was looking for: this Navy recruiting advertisement from SNL, "Port of Call, Bayonne, NJ"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhioeOeOHsA
BAYONNE is fair game! Yes - it is the NEW YORK TIMES, get used to it. Ever hear of Chuck Wepner the Bayonne Bleeder? I'd say it's the equivalent of asking about Yonkers .
36A - Nov 11 is Veterans Day so Army Vet as andwer is a gimmee for some of us who care.
The Ali/Wepner fight was also where Stallone drew inspiration for Rocky!
My FIDDLER is missing a roof! Where is Tevye or maybe some Hodel when you need them...... Instead we get some ROGERS and ASTAIRE? I do like the SUNRISE/SUNSET thingie though. Is this what you call a stunt puzzle?
@Roo. Given your talents I'm betting you'll find a job pronto. I'm crossing fingers and plenty of F's for you.
@Gary J. Our son and family are just now moving from Albuquerque to Kansas City Missouri where they just purchased a brand new affordable (for them) house on 5 acres. They are thrilled to be leaving NM where they lived for a long time. I, personally, loved Albuquerque when we visited. I found the people very friendly; the food delicious and the State to be beautiful. We visited Santa Fe and Taosand all the surrounding desert areas and loved it. I'm sure, given some time and using you lovely Spanish, you will too!
Grew up in Jersey City, so of course knew Bayonne! And how else would an 18-yr old from Jersey get alcohol except via the Bridge?
Bayonne may not be worthy of that much interest but the Bayonne Bridge is. It looks weird now that they raised it to accommodate Panamax freighters but it (and its former twin, the Sydney Harbor Bridge) are remarkable bridges.
And by the way, back before all kinds of government archives were posted on the internet, the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne is where you went to look up the rolls of passenger ships that arrived in NYC.
Villager
Yeah, I hate to say it but before I worked on the SE quandrant, I put in the letters for three circles. Let’s just say…I kinda get what your saying, but not totally, since I usually only get a little help over part of a puzzle with “revealers.”
Roo. It’s late, and you may not see this. Gary J gave a great response…I can’t measure up. You don’t have an email in your profile. I would personally be reluctant to give you personal advice on jobs (or your book, which I bought) on this blog. I don’t know whether you are willing to leave Vegas and other things that are critical. You do have online friends on this blog. So MY advice is to create put an email address on your blog profile. I have one on mine and you are welcome to contact me on that. If I don’t answer right away…don’t think I’m ignoring you…I created the email address for the blog!
A few days ago we had the ADU that seemed to be a WOE for @Rex, and today we have BAYONNE that seems similarly objectionable to him. But anyone who watched (ok, maybe was at least a bit of fan of, more likely) The Sopranos has heard of BAYONNE NJ. I dropped it right in and never watched the show at all until it was streaming in 2013 when my daughter was taking care of me until my body cast came off. Crosswords, tv and my “workouts” just getting out of bed to sit in a chair and do Theraband PT were highlights. Anyway, as medicated as I was for a couple weeks I remember there was a wedding shop in BAYONNE that was featured in one episode. That answer is at least as fair as ADU.
All the Zs in the NW didn’t bother me. In fact, I was hoping for some kind of a Z theme. A grid full of as many Zs as possible would look kind of cool.
Today’s theme was light on the interesting or challenging fill, full of predictable answers and a the that’s been done and done and done in many different iterations. Nothing exciting. Actually, I do love Fred and Ginger and wanted them to be the theme. I never even saw the circles until the reveal asked me to. I did think that some of the crunchier clues - especially down through the middle gave the solve some good energy.
All I can say today is meh. I may just be getting old and jaded. As I was writing my opening sentence of this graph, pretty much panning the puzzle, I could literally feel Gran sitting there doing Thumper the rabbit (Bambi-the original) saying “If you can’t say something nice . . . don’t say anything at all.”
Actually she rarely said that, she would just give me “the look,” and ask, “What did you enjoy about this one?” World’s greatest teacher, role model and life guide, my Gran.
Now that we have an American Pope, perhaps beatification isn’t out of the question. It’s been mentioned. The young priest who taught me enough catechism to at least get me through First Communion (oh the battle over that idiotic white dress!!!), mentioned it once. As an aside to Father Quinn the Parish Priest (when he thought I was out if ear shot) after Father Liam’s “counseling session” with me (read he had lost his last scintilla of patience with me and my incessant questions) “Have you met her grandmother? She will be the first American saint if she lives to that child’s graduation.” If anyone deserves it, Gran does but when it happens, the Germans are going to claim her. Do countries have dibs on such important things like that?
I apologize to all of you for this weird stream of consciousness blather. At least it’s Hump Day 🐪!
Anonymous 6:46
Many things could be used to clue the word teenager We agree on that But I completely disagree with the rest of your post. This is Wednesday so the constructor or editor chose to toughen the clue a bit. Otherwise you get choruses of “ This is a Monday puzzle”. There is no social commentary, flippancy or biases shown by the choice of clue. In fact it is very ordinary standard style clue which refers to part of whole. It is also correct. I noticed no criticism of Swift in any way shape or form implied by this choice
Anonymous 6:51 AM
Ahem you misquoted the clue
MANY not most. Perfectly valid clue.
But clue signaled an abbreviation.
Thanks everybody! @pablo, got a good chuckle out of your post! @Beezer, thanks for the book buy! Was it any good? I do have an email listed in my profile, although it's not the one I normally use for regular type emails. I don't want to change it, though, because I just got a new phone, and everything didn't transfer yet, I need to go to the phone store tomorrow to straighten it out. I got a new phone, because my old phone didn't have facial recognition, which is required to file for unemployment benefits. But they make you jump through so many hoops, that I'm still not able! Argh!
Roo
Maybe too late for anyone to see this.
Good luck to Roo.
Easy puzzle A misread of a clue delayed me a bit Knew the Musical. Eyes too tired ( see comment above ) to bother figuring out the song. At almost 73 the song does hit home to me. Surprised to see Fed & Ginger appear.
There were only 2 Swiftie posts . One’s post made no sense at all ( but did read the clue right) and the other misquoted the clue.
Liked the puzzle more than Rex did
Found this to be easier than yesterday's but I couldn't put into words exactly how I felt about this until I came here and saw @Rex's write-up. I didn't dislike the solve, nor did I find it terribly difficult, but having a whole bunch of answers that maybe were themers (??) was a bit odious. @Rex nailed my impression with "messy". Was it a an ASTAIRE/ROGERS theme? A bridge theme?? It was all a little taxing.
GOODMORNING and NIGHTYNIGHT were nifty additions but I think that was my only smile today.
Great respect for the construction, but just not on my wavelength. And that is a Hugh problem, not the constructor's.
Hey @Roo
FYI, when I click on your profile, there's no email address.
@Les: I liked the clue as well. Not sure what you are referring to?
Oh, Roo. I am so sorry you lost your job. I have a bunch of “Older American” friends similarly situated - suddenly. In fact, had I not retired, I too would have been “retired” by now.
Persevere! What I know about the decade before I retired is that our newest generation of employees is by far the most challenging to adapt to the workplace. I learned techniques to improve my senior supervisory skills. These days the best employers see the value of “seniority” of years on the planet and are actively seeking diversity in age as well as ethnicity and gender. As a supervisor, I always tried to help my folks understand that the beauty of working together with a variety of age ranges. This allows us to use and share our strengths to maximum value while learning new ideas from one another’s differences. And occasionally - it worked to balance the hubris of age with the enthusiastic narcissism of youth. Best wishes and please keep us posted.
I forgot to cheer O CANADA for our neighbors to the north and a special cheer for the Canadians among us here. Hi @Les S More et al.
I enjoy this blog because it helps me understand why I am wrong to like this puzzle.
I think as a Canadian looking geographically but absolutely not critically or pejoratively down at us, he is perhaps observing that our very foundation is in jeopardy and therefore advising us to be hyper vigilant (standing on guard) and ready to - as Michelle Obama said at the 2024 Democratic Convention “Do something!” to preserve the very rights in jeopardy for us and our children. But I could be wrong.
Hi @Gary J - a digital sun/moon artsy trick would have been the highlight of this one. Fabulous idea!
Don’t forget the Bayonne Brawler, Chuck Wepner, the inspiration for Rocky Balboa.
The vast majority of her fanbase are not teenage. I think it's only like 5%, which makes sense for someone who's been in the industry for 20 years. So it's a strangely arbitrary clue to use when there are plenty of other ones that actually work and are Wednesday worthy.
I’m coming back a day later to day I meant the Bayonne Bleeder. 😂🤦♂️
BAYONNE seems more crossworthy to me than scores of place names we've had in the puzzle.
Brooks iconically BABBLE. Occasionally, they burble. They never gurgle.
Best puzzle in a month of Sundays! Though I went down the EtsY rabbit hole I eventually found my way out... impressive theme!
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