Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Matt Jones’s Jonesin’ Crossword, “Duct and Cover” — there’s a way out. – Erin’s write-up

Jonesin’ solution 9/10/24

Hello lovelies! It’s time to release all your frustrations courtesy of this Jonesin’ grid.

• 17a. [Aerosmith lead singer who announced his retirement from touring this year] STEVEN TYLER. Tyler fractured his larynx last year during a fall.
• 21a. [Made-up big number in Hobbit lore] ELEVENTY
• 27a. [Bitten by the acting bug, maybe] DRIVEN TO PERFORM
• 44a. [Heat sensor on the range?] OVEN THERMOMETER
• 53a. [Like ungulates such as pigs, hippos, and giraffes (but who’s counting?)] EVEN-TOED
• And the revealer at 60a. [“Let me blow off some steam,” or the reason for five other Across theme answers?] I NEED TO VENT

Other things:

• 33a. [Where funambulists walk] ON A WIRE. The word for tightrope walker stems from the Latin funis, “rope,” and ambulare, “to walk.”
• 36d. [54, in Roman numerals] LIV. This could have been clued as the daughter of 17a. STEVEN TYLER who portrayed Arwen the 22a. (ELF) in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Until next week!

Dominic Grillo’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Don’t Squeal!”—Jim’s review

Theme answers are familiar phrases that all start with a swine-related word though they aren’t swine-related as used.

Wall St Journal crossword solution · “Don’t Squeal!” · Dominic Grillo · Tue., 9.10.24

• 22a. [Broadcast with Q codes] HAM RADIO. I found multiple arguments as to where this term came from, none of which involve the food product.
• 24a. [Pet with a frank appearance?] SAUSAGE DOG. Referring to the dog’s shape of course.
• 37a. [Degree earned by many actors?] BACON NUMBER. As Weird Al sings, “I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy
  who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows Kevin Bacon.”
• 51a. [Federal budget bloater] PORK BARREL.
• 54a. [Ashtray for trash, e.g.] PIG LATIN. Good, tricksy clue.

Very straightforward but nicely done. The solve seemed quicker than yesterday’s (though I got slowed down by a typo), and for a time it seemed like this puzzle and yesterday’s should’ve been swapped. But a few entries today are tough for a Tuesday, let alone a Monday.

I’m speaking of course of EPARCH, AMEBAE, and possibly AGITA. But by the time I got to those, I had already uncovered GOBSMACKED [Rendered dumbstruck] which hands-down won me over, so I’m looking the other way when it comes to those former entries. Other goodies: EYE OF RA, COSTA RICAN, and BESMIRCH.

Clues of note: 28a. [Bad date in Britain?]. EXPIRY. As someone who used to live in the UK, this doesn’t look weird to me. But I guess we use “expiration” instead.

3.5 stars.

Daniel Bodily’s New York Times crossword—Amy’s recap

NY Times crossword solution, 9/10/24 – no. 0910

We’ve got the CONSONANTS-only version of a pangram within the theme entries here: each of the consonants is used just once in HEMINGWAYESQUE, EXECUTIVE BOARD, and JFK PLAZA. *shrug*

I think the puzzle was easier than my solving time suggests. I’m getting accustomed to a new keyboard and didn’t have the grid navigation settings where I like them at first. The puzzle’s also got some hard-for-a-Tuesday business, though. SEISM at 1-Across! ELBA clued as Napoleon’s isle of exile rather than actor Idris. ICHOR, the [Blood of the gods, in Greek mythology].

Fave fill: KAMALA (debate Tuesday night!), WASABI, DJ BOOTHS, LAST WISH.

3.25 stars from me.

Lisa Senzel & Katie Hale’s Los Angeles Times crossword — Jenni’s write-up

The week has gotten away from me and it’s only Tuesday. Here’s the deal.

Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2024, Lisa Senzel & Katie Hale, solution grid

• 13d [Hunter’s lure for a game bird] is a TURKEY CALL. My father-in-law, on seeing turkeys in our back yard: Huh. I’ve heard them in the woods but never seen them. Me: I have no idea what they sound like. F-I-L: They go “gobble, gobble.”
• 19a [*Shortened version of a book] is ABRIDGED TEXT.
• 24d [Narrative art form that’s often read right to left] is a HAND SCROLL.

And the revealer at 57a [Mouthed words that can also be said while doing the ends of the answers to the starred clues?] is I‘M ON THE PHONE. The clue for this is awkward and that’s all I can carp about. I like it when the theme shows up in both Across and Down entries.

What I didn’t know when I did this puzzle: that ENDIVE is related to radicchio.

Adam Simpson’s Universal Crossword, “Numerical Figures” (ed. Taylor Johnson) — Matt F’s Review

Perfect example today of how math is all around you, whether you choose to see it or not! We have 4 theme answers that describe certain “figures,” from religious leaders to reality TV stars. The first word in the figure’s title is a type of number.

• 19A – [Like 7, 11 or 13 + church leader?] = PRIME MINISTER
• 26A – [Like 3, 4 or 5+ university official?] = CARDINAL DEAN
• 42A – [Like 9, 16 or 25 + teammate of Dasher and Rudolph?] = SQUARE DANCER
• 51A – [Like 0, -5 or pi + married woman in charge of the home?] = REAL HOUSEWIFE

I think this theme works ok on its face, but I was not too thrilled by the construction of the theme clues. The clues lack a natural grammatical structure which makes them feel incredibly forced. The “number” portion is fine, but clunky. I think the number sets would look better in curly brackets (more mathy), a la {7, 11, 13}. The list format looks off. And the “figure” portion is too literal to warrant a ? at the end. I get that the clues are written as two halves coming together to make a whole… the result just feels awkward. I’m also not too sure about CARDINAL DEAN as an entry. From my brief research it appears this person is more commonly known as the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

The fill is serviceable but not too sparkly – the longest non-theme words are RETRIEVER, ESTUARIES, CAMERAS, and MEMENTO. I do like BARQS, which avoids the common Q-U in both directions. I did not love CTS for “cents” (what??), but I do have fond memories visiting TUSCANY and I think GREMLIN is a fun entry. THE END.

Thanks for the puzzle, Adam!

Mollie Cowger’s New Yorker crossword — pannonica’s write-up

New Yorker • 9/10/24 • Tue • Cowger • solution • 20240910

A themed offering today.

• 17a/21a. [… go to pieces] FALL APART | AT THE SEAMS.
• 33a. [Make amends] PATCH THINGS UP.
• 43a. [Be at imminent risk of catastrophe] HANG BY A THREAD. The excellent adjective for this is filipendulous.
• 59a/66a. [… fundamentally similar] CUT FROM THE | SAME CLOTH. I embedded Katell Keineg’s perfectly apt song too recently in these pages, so today I’ll merely provide a link.

So it’s … a textile theme, but in parts feels like a tailoring theme. All good.

• 3d [“Diner Lobster” or “More Cowbell”] SNL SKETCH. Sketch didn’t occur to me and for a long while I was flummoxed about how skit doesn’t work.
• 4d. [Less caramelized, as onions] PALER, not RAWER.
• 7d [Summery denim attire] JORTS, jean shorts. Also the name of an erstwhile internet celebrity cat/labor activist.
• 28d [Commuting option] CAR. The least environmentally friendly one, short of planes and helicopters.
• 37d [Like loan sharks (and actual sharks)] PREDATORY. Pretty sure that behavior is responsible for the appellation.
• 46d [“Leaves of __, let it be”] THREE. Poison ivy, no doubt, but my first thought was about someone searching for four-leaf clovers.
• 51d [Had a part (in)] ACTED. 19a [Word in a stage direction] ENTER.
• 60d [Alternatives to protective hair styles, familiarly] FROS. In my ignorance, I don’t know what protective hairstyles are, at least not by that name.
• 15a [Post-__ era (period that begin with the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision] ROE. History will not look kindly on those responsible.

Elizabeth C. Gorski’s Cr♥ssw♥rd Nation puzzle (Week 694), “The Rest is Herstory!”—Ade’s take

Crossword Nation puzzle solution, Week 694: “The Rest is Herstory”

Hello there, everybody! Hope all of you are doing well and that, if you have them (and if they’re of age), that you’ve sent all your kiddos off to school and you have a little bit more free time during the day! 

Today’s puzzle includes puns that are created when the letters “HER” are added to common phrases. Given the first two answers, I thought all of them were going to tie in to authors in some way, which would have been real cool. That said, two out of four ain’t bad. Sorry, Meat Loaf. 

• • • • CATHER BURGLAR (15A: [Library thief who steals books by Willa?]) – Cat burglar
      • ISLE OF HERMAN (29A: [Melville’s vacation spot in the Irish Sea?]) – Isle of Man
      • GLOOMY GUSHER (37A: [Old Faithful’s nickname, on a dreary day?]) – Gloomy Gus
      • BOXING HERRING (54A: [Saltwater fish that puts up a good fight?]) – Boxing ring

A couple of entries stood out for me, with ALARMIST (2D: [Scaremonger]) being good fill and SHOP RITE being a supermarket where I spent a whole lot of time at growing up (34D: [East Coast grocery chain headquartered in New Jersey]). Always remember the “Shop-Rite Can Can” commercials with animated dancers doing the “can-can” and a guy sating “ooh la la” at the end of the commercial. If you’re not from the Northeast, all of what I just said just flew right over your head, I’m sure!

“Sports will make you smarter” moment of the day: HELMS (26A: [Posts for sea captains]) – If you’re old enough, you remember this name being associated with the awarding of college sports national champions. Paul Helms, an executive who founded a namesake bakery (Helms Bakery), also cofounded the Helms Athletic Foundation, an Los Angeles-based organization that promoted amateur athletics. The other cofounder, Bill Schroeder, used the foundation to release his annual college football and basketball national champions starting in 1943, and the Helms Athletic Foundation named a national champion at the conclusion of those sports every year until 1982.

Thank you so much for the time, everybody! Have a wonderful and safe rest of your day and, as always, keep solving!

Take care!

Ade/AOK