February 22, 2011
John Lampkin
Theme: Fooded Things — Verbs based on words that can be words for food are used to describe random things. In the past tense. (What am I missing?)
Theme answers:
- 20A: Arborist's handiwork (PRUNED TREE).
- 26A: Windshield nuisance (SQUASHED BUGS).
- 44A: Result of an errant brushback pitch (BEANED BATTER).
- 55A: Deli sandwich filler (CORNED BEEF).
Can't say this theme did anything for me except cause me to ask a lot of questions. For example, why? And what? Also huh? Yes, I get it. The first word of each theme answer is a word that can be a type of food. But the phrase itself is just … random. Except for the last one. Yes, trees can be pruned; that doesn't mean that PRUNED TREE is a good phrase. Yes, bugs can be (and frequently are) squashed. Is SQUASHED BUGS a phrase people use? I suppose it might be. A batter might get beaned by an "errant brushback pitch" but in what circumstance would someone ever use the phrase BEANED BATTER? Then there's CORNED BEEF. Perfectly legitimate phrase all on its own. I've never really thought about what the CORNED part means — turns out it has to do with salt curing — so to me this answer also stood apart from the rest because I couldn't picture corning the way I can picture pruning, squashing, and beaning. So. Yeah. That's what I think of the theme.
I always feel bad when I start out negative like that. You know what I'm gonna need to turn this write-up around? A really, really awesome entry. Like … maybe, HIFAULTIN?! Yes that should do it! What a great word. Love seeing it in the puzzle. Other highlights for me include:- 35A: Older woman's young lover, facetiously (BOY TOY).
- 8D: "Jeez Louise!" ("SHEESH!").
- 42D: Hack's service (CAB RIDE).
- 45D: One taking bets (BOOKIE).
- 5A: Go badly together (CLASH). Great clue.
- 18A: Time __ time: repeatedly (AFTER).
- 42A: Monopoly token (CAR). I think we've over this before here at LACC. Or maybe it was over at Rex's. It's not a CAR, it's a racecar. Similarly, there is not HAT token, it's a tophat. Says PuzzleGirl.
- 48A: Out of use, as words: Abbr. (OBS.). OBSolete.
- 53A: World dodo population (ZERO). I don't know if it was the "dodo" or the Z or what, but this one made me laugh.
- 59A: Pier gp. (ILWU). International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
- 7D: Helen Hunt or Holly Hunter, e.g. (ACTRESS WITH THE INITIALS HH).
- 21D: ABA member's title (ESQ.). Members of the American Bar Association are attorneys, who for some reasons are allowed to put "Esq." after their names.
- 50D: Yo-Yo Ma's instrument (CELLO). A friend from my childhood randomly posted on Facebook this picture of me playing the cello in 5th grade. For me, it's a cool picture in and of itself, but the really crazy part is that several people that know me literally thought this was a picture of PuzzleDaughter and not me.
- 25A: Shocking swimmer (EEL).
- 47A: HDTV brand (RCA).
- 60A: Religious recess (APSE).
- 32D: Siouan tribe (OTOE).
Everything Else — 1A: Raise, as produce (GROW); 10A: Stylish (CHIC); 14A: Instant, in product names (REDI); 15A: Madre's milk (LECHE); 16A: Bride's ride (LIMO); 17A: Busy, busy, busy (AT IT); 19A: "The Wizard __": comic strip (OF ID); 22A: All there (SANE); 23A: Development developments (HOMES); 24A: Jazz guitarist Montgomery (WES); 31A: Average guys (JOES); 34A: H.S. elite (SRS.); 36A: Place to make deposits, briefly (ATM); 37A: Bouquet delivery letters (FTD); 38A: Dream letters (REM); 39A: Novelist Fleming (IAN); 40A: Alabama's only seaport (MOBILE); 43A: Chip in a pot, maybe (ANTE); 49A: Chip in a bowl (NACHO); 57A: Blue book filler (EXAM); 58A: Dust Bowl refugees (OKIES); 61A: Center (MIDST); 62A: Amber brews (ALES); 63A: Dieter's goal (LOSS); 64A: Care for (SEE TO); 65A: Branching point (NODE); 1D: Boardroom diagram (GRAPH); 2D: Fashionably dated (RETRO); 3D: Intense dislike (ODIUM); 4D: One sitting on the stand (WITNESS); 5D: Attired (CLAD); 6D: How liberals lean (LEFTWARD); 9D: Not there (HERE); 10D: Quite near (CLOSE BY); 11D: Pretentious, informally (HIFALUTIN); 12D: Chip-tossing declaration (I'M IN); 13D: Programmers' writing (CODE); 25D: Ancient kingdom near the Dead Sea (EDOM); 27D: You, in Yucatán (USTED); 28D: Longtime "At the Movies" co-host Roger (EBERT); 29D: Capricorn's animal (GOAT); 30D: Holiday song closer (SYNE); 31D: Doorway side (JAMB); 33D: Humiliate (EMBARRASS); 37D: Pet pest (FLEA); 38D: Disorderly place (RAT'S NEST); 41D: Salaries, wages, etc. (INCOMES); 43D: Graceful steed (ARABIAN); 46D: Conclusion (END); 51D: Hacked (HEWED); 52D: Worth having (OF USE); 53D: Zest (ZEAL); 54D: Trade show (EXPO); 55D: Dot-__: e-businesses (COMS); 56D: This, to Pablo (ESTO).
23 comments:
The theme was as you described, and ILWU is the second ugliest entry I've ever seen.
We've been over the token at LACC and at Rex's. Some day I'm going as an older woman's shy-seeming vegetarian non-Jewish lover for Halloween. A soy coy boy toy goy.
Nice bow!
Always a huge fan of John Lampkin… this puzzle sure didn’t let me down. Not difficult, but well above average for a Tuesday in terms of stimulating entries (sparkle) and clever cluing. I thought the “produce” theme was quite original.
Of course John had to put in a classical music clue… one of my favorites, Yo-Yo Ma… here’s a nice vid clip of
Yo-Yo Ma with Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays Elgar’s CELLO Concerto, 1st movement.
The other thing I liked was PRUNED TREE. I’ve been AT IT outside the last few days pruning my trees and shrubs before sapping starts… hey, it’s almost March and we need to see winter go bye-bye. More snow this morning… ugh!
Some politically incorrect stuff: ACTRESS, BOYTOY, and OKIE. SHEESH! None of these offend me though.
Favorite word today: HIFALUTIN
I really must use that word on someone today!
@Seth - OK, what's the ugliest. Cute rhyme.
I rather goofed this one. I didn't see the theme, so had walkED BATTER, then wEANED BATTER (who am I to ask about sports?) Actually Googled for RCA to make sure it wasn't JVC. Had ceES before JOES, so a mess in the West center.
Mini-theme: Chips.
I remember ILGU - International Ladies Garment Worker's Union, so took a chance on ILWU. Soon will be back to child labor and locked exits.
Yesterday's USA Today had both FLEA and CLASH, and NYT had SYNE. No conspiracy, of course.
I always love HIFALUTIN.
HIFALUTIN was certainly the best word today.
I agree with the comment about CAR/RACECAR - I was thinking the same thing as I filled in the answer.
Not a big fan of ATIT and OFID - the 2x2 to make a four which doesn't stand on it's own feels like cheating to me.
Pretty much everything you said, PG. The theme is.....pallid. But other than that it does have a few bright spots. I do like HIFALUTIN, really enjoyed the Dodo clue for ZERO, and even liked seeing MIDST. On the flip side, ILWU was a clunker. But hey, any puzzle that mentions me and my brethren can't be all bad.
I enjoyed the clip by Eva Cassidy. That sent me to Google to find out how many times the song has been covered....this may be a record for something not in the public domain. They estimate no fewer than 120 different covers. If nothing else, it speaks to the popularity of the song.
@SethG, how long have you been saving that joke:-)
I concur with the above.
Didn't know that about MOBILE.
In addition to HIGHFALUTIN, enjoyed RATSNEST.
Good puzzle.
Didn't like the theme but was able to easily complete the puzzle.
Thank you for the Eva Cassidy clip. She's one of my favorite artists. She died before her albums were put together from videos like this.
Lampy gets an A in my book, this was the most fun I've had with a Tuesday puzzle in a long while. Who doesn't like SQUASHED BUGS, and I'd love to know from those of you who have the tools to scan previous puzzles if LEFTWARD has ever been used before. I've certainly never seen it. And like PG, "Worldwide dodo population" made me laugh aloud.
Love the words NODE and ODIUM. Solid, clever cluing like "One sitting on the stand" for WITNESS.
I'll agree that ILWU was too obscure for a Tuesday, but that to me doesn't earn it full clunker status.
Don't forget the fiber connection to the food terms...all are great sources of fiber!
As long as you don't go too deep into the theme, this was a fun puzzle. HIFALUTIN is cool, LEFTWARD is fun, ILWU is not but it's OK. ILWU just makes the other clues look that much better.
PRUNE, SQUASH, BEAN, CORN!
"Sufferin' Succotash!" (SHEESH!)
Filled most of the theme answers from nearly all blanks. Sorta fun that happened, and pretty rare for me.
Hand up for futzing around for a while with the last two letters of IGWU.
Was some subliminal message going on about the economy and joblessness with the cross packing of EMBARRASS and INCOME with ZERO and LOSS? Forced by inflated prices for meat and fish into theme Veganism?
Mini gambling theme? I'M IN, ANTE, BOOKIE a comment on Wall Street?
Loved the write up, @PG. When PuzzleDaughter's friend saw that pic, did she say: "Yo! Yo' Ma?"
milla: Is it that time yet?
Did this while waiting for my doctor. Have to say it lowered my stress level several notches. SQUASHED BUG, HIFALUTIN and BOY TOY made laugh. BEANED BATTER reminded me of my son's Little League pitching career.
@PG- Thanks for the Eva Cassidy. Too bad her life was cut short by melanoma. You and Puzzledaughter are definitely look-alikes.
@John Wolfenden - retrieved Friday's Times from the recyclables. Great letter!
The concept of soy coy boy toy goy was invented in 2002. For Halloween, not for when boy toy was in a puzzle.
The ugliest entry I've ever seen is OGPU.
I have no pictures of me playing the clarinet.
Thanks CCL! The Letters Editor cut it literally in half (from 150 words to 75), but I'm happy any time I get published.
. . .named Roy?
@Nighthawk, re Milla time.
I find it very useful to know that at any given time it is 2 1/2 hours later in Newfoundland than it is in the central time zone. (Not sure if there is any disparity on when DST starts or stops). Armed with that knowledge, I can always lay claim to it being after 5 o'clock somewhere on the continent any time it is post 2:30 PM where I am. It may be a weak argument, but it works for me. BTW, it's after 5:00 right now.
My captcha? hanessn = what you mark on your briefs with a sharpie to discourage theft. (not recommended)
BEANED BATTER is much worse than ILWU, OGPU, or anything else I've seen in a puzzle. Ack!
Very good puzzle!
What's up with midst? It keeps on showing up. Odd to have hack and hacked in the clues. The dodo populations = zero was very funny.
Who sang that song first, Eva Cassidy or Cyndi Lauper?
@SethG: LOL
@PG: I also thought it was Pdaughter!
@mac - "Time After Time" was Cyndi Lauper's song. Eva Cassidy died very young. I think her most beautiful song is "Songbird" which was featured in "Love Actually."
Songbird Eva Cassidy
PG, Enjoyed the writeup. Since I've not yet met you or Puzzle Daughter, it's nice to have the visual.
@Anon 10:36, the fiber connection helps a lot with the theme, which other than that, as most have said, seems pretty random.
@Avg Joe, thought of you immediately when I got to 13A.
@RUBE, I also enjoyed HIFULATIN and RATS NEST.
Re: OKIES. Per my 85 year-old mom, that's accurate clueing. All of my family save me were born in Oklahoma. (I was born in Louisiana.) When I once said to my Mom that we were OKIES, she said certainly not, that referred to those who left during the Dust Bowl - same as the puzzle. Yes, no doubt un-PC, then or now.
And speaking of being born, my captcha is bomar, and I am indeed a baby boomer, as many of y'all probably are also.
I thought the theme was given at 1a produce.
I've been lurking for a long time now and seldom post - I have enough google accounts already - but I would like to thank PG and the regular crowd for all their comments and insight. Thanks!
From warm Houston...
Thank you @CCL
That Songbird clip really touched me. Eva Cassidy's untimely death is a huge loss... what a beautiful singer and a beautiful person. I'd like to see the movie of her life.
@CCL, thanks ever so much for the link to Songbird. Hearing Eva Cassidy revives my all but extinct hope for current pop music. I may, (gasp), just download some of her music if I can figure out how without using iTunes.
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