Theme: "Sticks and Stones ...." — The last word of each theme answer is a name you might call a stupid person.Theme answers:
- 20A: Weightlifting event (CLEAN AND JERK).
- 30A: Golf course pest (CANADA GOOSE).
- 39A: Spinning toy manipulated with sticks (CHINESE YOYO).
- 49A: Honest info (STRAIGHT DOPE).
I'm not a big fan of this theme. To me, the four theme words don't hang together very well. When I looked the words up in the dictionary, however, every definition contained the word stupid, so I guess that works. It just seems to me that JERK encompasses a sense of annoyance and dislike that the others don't. I also don't love the inclusion of GOOSE because that seems a very old-fashioned term, but if the fourth answer word had been a better fit than JERK, I don't think GOOSE would have bothered me. So there you have it. My opinion on the theme. And if you don't agree with me, you're obviously a big dummy. Of course I'm kidding.
I did get a kick out of some of the fill. HYANNIS and HYSTERIA look cool in the grid (9D: Cape Cod site of a JFK museum / 37D: Common crowd reaction in monster films). I was pretty sure the answer to 40D: Some heroes was going to be a sandwich, but there are an awful lot of sandwich words, so I had to wait for the crosses to get HOAGIE. And I love the clever clue for ELOPING — 42D: Like lovers skipping church?What else:
- 10A: Ending with slug or gab (FEST). Both slugfest and gabfest are fun to say.
- 23A: Ben-Gurion, e.g. (ISRAELI). I can't believe I'm going to admit this publicly, but the first thing that came to my mind was airport.
- 58A: Like some vaccines (ORAL). PuzzleDaughter got the nasal H1N1 vaccine yesterday.
- 63A: Gothic house feature (GABLE). I would have preferred a clue like "Iowa wrestling legend Dan." But that's probably just me.
- 4D: 200 milligrams, to a jeweler (ONE CARAT). I know someone explained the different between carat and karat the other day, but I got this one from the crosses faster than my memory would work. Carat-with-a-c is a weight and karat-with-a-k is a size. Right?
- 7D: __ Bator, Mongolia (ULAN). Runner-up for today's Crosswordese 101 lesson. You should remember this one is what I'm saying.
28D: Carried (BORNE).- 32D: British actor Robert, the original Colonel Pickering in "My Fair Lady" (COOTE). Um ... who?
- 51D: Very big wind (TUBA). It's hard for me to remember that (some?) brass instruments are also wind instruments. It just doesn't make sense to me. I think I'm going to have to get over it though.
Crosswordese 101: Knowing how much you all love rap, I thought we'd talk about Dr. DRE today. Just kidding. I know a lot of you don't like rap. But it's going to be very helpful for you to recognize DRE anyway! Words you're looking for in clues for DRE are rap, hip-hop, and gangsta. You should also be familiar with "The Chronic" (his 1992 solo debut album) and the songs "Still Dre," "Forgot About Dre," and "Dre Day." Dr. Dre co-founded Death Row Records and is often associated with other rap stars Eminem, Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, and 50 Cent. Oh, and he apparently created the G-funk sound. Whatever that is.[Follow PuzzleGirl on Twitter.]
Everything Else — 1A: Choir member (TENOR); 6A: Quite (SUCH); 14A: Make amends (ATONE); 15A: Faulkner's "As __ Dying" (I LAY); 16A: Pearl Harbor site (OAHU); 17A: Blazed furiously (RAGED); 18A: Common nickname for a doter (NANA); 19A: 66 and others: Abbr. (RTES.); 26A: "It's __ business" (NO ONE'S); 27A: Kind of biological network (NEURAL); 28A: Sea (BRINY); 32A: Corp. money manager (CFO); 35A: Fighting (AT IT); 36A: Gallery hanging (ART); 37A: Hang onto (HOLD); 38A: ID with hyphens (SSN); 43A: River in Lyons (SAONE); 44A: Belfast's province (ULSTER); 45A: Early Ford success (MODEL A); 48A: Actors, often (EMOTERS); 52A: Road sign silhouette (DEER); 53A: Debt indicators (IOUS); 54A: Ticked off (IRKED); 59A: Dresden's river (ELBE); 60A: Landlocked African country (NIGER); 61A: A handful of (SOME); 62A: Navy commando (SEAL); 1D: La Brea goo (TAR); 2D: Seventh Greek letter (ETA); 3D: Christmas quaff (NOG); 5D: Original primer used to paint the Golden Gate Bridge (RED LEAD); 6D: Source of the Law (SINAI); 8D: Where Jesus turned water to wine (CANA); 10D: How some jump? (FOR JOY); 11D: Corroded (EATEN); 12D: Sex researcher Hite (SHERE); 13D: Mammoth features (TUSKS); 21D: Contemporary of Dizzy and Billie (ELLA); 22D: Finished (DONE); 23D: Early Peruvians (INCAS); 24D: Senate posts (SEATS); 25D: Confrontation (RUN-IN); 29D: Classroom drilling (ROTE); 31D: Come out ahead (GAIN); 33D: Candidate's handout (FLYER); 34D: Trash emanations (ODORS); 39D: Colombian city (CALI); 41D: Sport for 300-pounders (SUMO); 43D: Pharmaceutical giant that developed Celebrex (SEARLE); 45D: Windows predecessor (MS-DOS); 46D: Alamogordo's county (OTERO); 47D: Nightmare, e.g. (DREAM); 48D: Ill-fated Ford (EDSEL); 50D: Putter's target (HOLE); 55D: Soviet spy org. (KGB); 56D: Snakelike fish (EEL); 57D: Hip-hop Dr. (DRE).
32 comments:
Thanks PG, nice write-up.
This would been clear sailing for me if I hadn't run in to trouble in the SW corner.
I entered Seine instead of SAONE "river in Lyons and Model T instead of MODEL A "early Ford success," which pretty much insured that I wouldn't guess the tricky "some heros" clue for HOAGIES. I was also unfamiliar with the term CLEAN AND JERK and always thought a CHINESE YOYO was this thing, which doesn't spin at all, but can poke someone's eye out if you're not careful. Some clues I liked: "road sign silhouette" DEER, and "very big wind" TUBA (although it is really a very big brass).
I jump FOR JOY! Got through this one before finishing my first cup of coffee!
Easy and breezy for a Thursday, but it was a goodie also. Thanks, Jack, for reminding me of all the stupid people in my life with this theme.
The fact that he used RTES (66 and others) made big points with me (Mister Route 66). I’m also glad that he didn’t use “Canadian Goose”… there’s no such creature. Most people don’t say CANADA GOOSE. Well, most people on the golf course call them a “%&@\!*g Goose.” Actually, if you study the features and habits of Canada Geese, you will have a great amount of respect for them. In many respects, their behavior is much more moral than humans. If you ever get the time, it’s quite enlightening to study them.
From my experiences with the La Brea TAR pits last year (the big Route 66 trip):
LA BREA TAR PITS
I loved how Jack put MODEL A (a winner) and EDSEL (a loser) in the same puzzle… but they say, “you never cross a loser with a winner.” Also I loved TUBA for “Big wind”. I was thinking that it had something to do with Chicago (that “Toddlin’ Town”).
Nice writeup, Puzzlegirl, but I missed your nice vid clips.
Have a super weekend y’all and don‘t let the JERKS get you down!
@docmoreau
My son, the trumpeter, used to play in the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and he said that both the woods and the brass are referred to as "Winds".
CARAT is the word for a unit of weight (200 milligrams)for measuring the weight of precious stones; Karat is the pureness of gold...24K being the highest.
Geese have morals now?
They didn't develop ethics by watching your average golfer, I bet. Must be something else [thinking] ... nope, got nothin.
And why are they 'Canada' geese? They don't seem hardly polite enough.
Right off the 'get-go' I thought this was a puzzle requiring a knowledge of geography (at least 10 direct, and some other's subtle).
But then the theme appeared and I was DONE before finishing my first cup-of-joe.
LOL when I came upon clue 19A '66 and others:abbr.'(RTES)... just knew that @JNH was grinning from "ear to ear" about his beloved Route 66 and his 24,000 photo's from his travels.
Canada Goose aren't much of a problem on our golf courses here in Florida, but the fill came easily. Even got the CW101: Dr.Dre (57-D), and I do Hate Rap (music?)!
All-in-all, nice LAT Thursday puzzle & cluing.
PG, Great write-up. But I'm a jerk, I missed your clips, too !!!(they inevitably make me smile).
I had two problem crssings I had MUCH for SUCH and was looking at MI_AI crossing NANA and didn't know CANA. My other problem area was DEER crossing OTERO and SEARLE. I spent almost as much time mucking with those as I did on the rest of the puzzle, not enough OJ.
Not a fan of this one. Never heard GOOSE w/o "SILLY" in front of it, and then (as you say) it's in an Entirely different register from the other "stupid" words.
Never heard of a CHINESE YO-YO, sadly.
COOTE! FTW!?
rp
a chinese yo-yo is also called a DIABOLO, which is a word that i've seen in a tough saturday NYT. (wikipedia claims they are slightly different, but whatever.)
Very enjoyable puzzle with a few twists and turns to keep the brain in gear. I was stumped initially at 20a) weightlifting event, trying to remember terms I might have picked up while watching the Olympic competition. Press and jerk? catch and jerk? knew it was something and jerk.
Didn't know the SAONE river, had Seine for a while. Checked google after finishing the puzzle to verify it and also COOTE. Thought that the clue for 46d) Alamogordo's county (OTERO) seemed pretty obscure.
@JNH: Thanks for the clarification of CANADA vs. 'Canadian' GOOSE. I see lots of geese flying over in their perfect V formations. Our local airport (Sacramento International) ranks very high in bird strikes as we lie in the Pacific Flyway bird migration path. The airport abuts farms whose crops draw birds. Dealing with these birds is a daily, dawn to dusk job. Airport personnel fire air cannons, use screech boxes, "Bird Banger" firecrackers, and drive around in trucks honking horns. A state law has just been passed allowing airports to use lethal means of removing birds as a last resort.
Heh, @PG, I'll top your 'airport' first guess with my 'canada moose' first guess. Made me laugh thinking about a moose terrorizing golfers.
Good writeup today. I appreciate the effort on this blog to make each daily puzzle an interesting read.
Another three letter hip-hop artist that all should be acquainted with is Nas, typically clued as 'Illmatic rapper'
Trouble in the South. Did not know COOTE HOAGIES OTERO SAONE CHINESEYOYO as concepts or words. Looked at image and have never seen a Chinese yoyo. In the 40s, Filipinos sold regular yoyos on the playgrounds. Hoagie is apparently the name for a submarine in Philadelphia, and the Hero is NYC.
As far as the theme, after JERK and GOOSE, well...
Other sports for the heavy are Channel swimming and pearl diving. The layers keep a person alive.
We recently watched the CANADAGeeSE leave. First they gather. This year I saw them gather over the Utica Marsh, parallel to the Thruway, Mohawk and Amtrack. When I see them going North, I now know they're going to a meeting place first before heading to the Southern states. In the Spring they come back - mostly to Canada. They don't need a passport.
The Big Noise Blew Right in from Winnetka. The Big Noise Blew Right out Again. AKA Big WInd. TUBA.
@Joon - Thanx.
Not a total washout.
@Sfingir
My NANA was from Winnetka. Summered there as a kid. So your reference to the tune by two members of the Bobcats, covered by yesterday's Divine Miss-M in '79, made me smile. It's a great song.
I thought the Yoyo Dope got Goosed by a Jerk !
The picture of a 300 lb. pearl diver is scary, though your point is well made ...
I have come to realize your Philosophy on Life is very well placed. I look forward to seeing your comments and observations.
Me too, Puzzle Girl. Me too. I wanted AIRPORT instead of ISRAELI. And congrats on scoring some primo blow (H1N1 vaccine, nasal mist form) for your daughter! If the vaccine were available on the black market, I daresay vaccine profiteers would be making money hand over fist.
@Rex
Surely you've seen these guys in the park and didn't know that the Diabolo is indeed the same as a CHINESEYOYO. Looks like fun!
CHINESE YO-YO (DIABOLO)
Although the theme wasn't all that exciting I enjoyed this puzzle because it had some new and refreshing fill such as HYSTERIA, GABLE (love houses with GABLES, etc. After our cheese steak Gab FEST earlier this week, I thought FOR JOY when I saw HOAGIES another wonderful Philadelphia culinary treat. I go to San Francisco a lot because my son lives there, but never knew why the Golden Gate is red. Now I know it's RED LEAD. As Far as CANADAGOOSE/Geese go, there is a very nice film called FLY AWAY HOME with Anna Paquin who raises a family of CANADA geese and then has to train them how to migrate. I think they are beautiful birds as long as you don't have to walk through their remains of the day or they get in your flight path. I won't tell you what came to mind when I read Big Wind! Knew JNH would be happy with RTES. Never heard of SOANE. I also had SEINE so that messed me up. What a silly GOOSE I am.
How can a Crazy Cat be a Silly Goose?
Now I'm going to admit something: I too filled in AIRPORT instead of Israeli for Ben Gurion, but I was too embarrassed to mention that. Now that I see that two world-class crossworders (Orange & Puzzlegirl) made the same blunder, I feel much better. Now, if only Rex did the same, I'd really feel honored to be a member of the elite fool's brotherhood.
Carat with a c is weight, karat with a k is purity.
@Croc ...
Thanks for the clarity ... esp. since @JNH stated the same thing at 7:24 am ...
HOAGIE is great fill. Hoagie types of sandwiches have many regional variations, including the synonymous "HERO" that is in the clue. Zeppelin, or "Zep", Submarine, or "Sub", are all the same food item. The word Hoagie comes from Hog Island in South Philadelphia.
@wilsch I grew up in suburban Philly, but never heard of Hog Island. Where in S. Philly is that? The only Hog Isand I know is the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Let's also remember the infamous Grinder..also found in the Philadelphia area - usually with meatballs. Damn, Philly has good comfort food!
crazycatlady - I had to research it, but Hog Island is (was) where the Philadelphia Airport is now. Apparently, Italians working at the shipyard that used to be there developed the Hoagie. I think Grinders are toasted Hoagies. I also grew up in Phila., and you're right, there is great food there, much of it isn't very healthy. Think soft pretzels from guy on the medial strip.
@Johnsneverhome
Crazy Cat, Silly Goose are about the same, but after spending the last 5 weeks with my terrorist terrier pup, I'm about to change my name to Insane Dog Woman!
Hoagie was a refreshing fill.
Its what subs were called here in the '60's.
Living a couple miles south of Tarpon Springs,FL ; By percentage, the largest Greek-American city in the US, we also have their version: the GYRO sandwich.
But whatever it is called, we do have great sandwiches here in NY, Philly, Chicago etc. A nice alternative from just "another burger!!!"
@ wilsch Thanks for that interesting info. I think the airport was there my entire life and it's always been under construction, even to this day. You're right about grinders being toasted. No the food isn't healthy at all, but it brings back great memories. Do you remember Ginos the first drive through hamburger place, before MacDonalds? - 25 cents for a burger!
Sometimes you can't beat street meat and sidewalk sausage. There is actually a very expensive restaurant in LA called Street that features street food from all over the world.
had so-so reaction...pretty good fill, but the British actor, NANA clued as nickname for doter, use of MODELA again this week (or was that in the nyt?) also-one CANADAGOOSE is NOT a golf course pest. Fifty CANADIANGEESE are
tinbeni: thanks for the good Lyme wishes. I wince when I see a clue like "ticked off" and tried LYMED; also sorry to hear about your friend in FLA--that's scary, first direct confirm I've heard of this awful thing getting to FL
Are Canada Geese more moral because they mate for life, like several other birds. I think scientists have determined why: They don't have lawyers.
@JNH Good picture of the Tar Pits. Love those TUSKS.
Anon @ 2:52. Oops. Sorry, I thought the question hadn't been answered. Mea culpa.
@Chas.Bogle
Re: "Ticked-off" and tried LYME.
Well you and @JNH would know best about the effects of Lyme Disease.
BUT that attempted entry of LYME will probably surpplant 'irked' or 'pissed' from me for a while.
As to my friend, she's fine, NOW, but because she was in the city, not in the woods, it took the doctors a while to put it together.
We do have a whole lot of deer here in FLA. Saw one the other day as I got my paper. And Pinellas County is the most Urban & densely populated county in the state.
Kind-of a Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) moment ... and that "ticked me off." (I actually check now ... before I would have thought it was a skeeter bite).
And it just stays and re-appears every now and then ... that is really the scary thing !!!
@Tinbeni - 11:27 gee whiz.
4:28 Not for anything, but the gyro is so much better. Minimal carbofill. In Utica, the Lebanese/Syrians create them.
@crazycatlady
Your comment: "Damn, Philly has good comfort food!"
My comment: "yeah, but Philly has some UNCOMFORT food too!"
I went to Bookbinders because I heard so much about their wonderful crab cakes, but left there with an uncomfortable wallet!
That place is totally over-rated.
FYI, in Connecticut, a hero/sub/hoagy is a GRINDER. Why, I don't know ;)
I also wanted AIRPORT. Oh well ;)
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