Note: Fireball is a contest this week. Look for our review after the contest closes.
Hal Moore’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Fusion”—Jim’s review
Theme answers are “fused” pairs of nationalities that share two letters. Each entry gets a clue that features a dish from each country. The revealer is DUAL CITIZENSHIP (58a, [Status held by the three theme answers]).
Wall St Journal crossword solution · “Fusion” · Hal Moore · Thu., 11.7.24
- 17a. [Adobo + fårikål] FILIPINORWEGIAN.
- 29a. [Falafel + cepelinai] ISRAELITHUANIAN.
- 44a. [Pho + pljeskavica] VIETNAMESERBIAN.
I caught on to the theme while working my way across the top of the grid. As I went along I wondered if there would in fact be a revealer because it felt weak without one. So I was glad to find the revealer and have it make sense.
I wanted the shared letters to cumulatively spell something out. These letters are NOLISE which is almost “NO LIES” but obviously isn’t. It does however spell NO LISE, so I wonder if sometime Fiend commenter Lise did something to upset today’s constructor.
Fill highlights include SHIBA INU, STEP BACK, and SHAZAM! Rare but definitely crossword-worthy entry UFFIZI is a tough entry to start with a 1d (“Is it one F and two Zs, or vice versa?”), but it was fun sorting it out.
Clue of note: 22a. [Katharine Hepburn’s acting gamut, in a Dorothy Parker quip]. A TO B. A crummy entry, but it’s rescued by an interesting clue.
3.25 stars.
Joe Deeney’s New York Times crossword — Zachary David Levy’s write-up
Difficulty: Easy (7m57s)
Today’s theme: TO the letter
- BRING (up to) SPEED
- NOTHING (left to) LOSE
- GET (right to) THE POINT
- COME (down to) THE WIRE
Edit — the reelection of Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho was so jarring, I forgot about the strike.
Cracking: ERSATZ, which in my mind is more “cheap imitation” than (Not genuine)(don’t give me your “more than one definition” spiel)
Slacking: IV BAG, because no one calls it that; it’s one small step above “syringe plunger” or “hospital gown sleeve”
Sidetracking: scab
Brendan Emmett Quigley’s #1729: What The Red Devils?—Eric’s review
Brendan Emmett Quigley’s Crossword #1729 11-7-24
I needed Google to fully comprehend this theme. Two 14-letter answers and one 15-letter answer include the letter string MANU, which, parsed differently, is MAN U, a/k/a Manchester United F. C., the “Red Devils” of the English Premier League:
- 20A [Words about coffee?] JAVA MANUSCRIPT JAVA SCRIPT
- 37A [Juiced-up former Chicago mayor Rahm?] ELECTRIC EMANUEL ELECTRIC EEL
- 57A [Smearing shit on a President?] MANURING LEADER RINGLEADER
Most of the fill came fairly easy to me and I zoomed through without noticing the MAN U strings. I don’t follow the Premier League, and the nickname “Red Devils” is only vaguely familiar.
What did catch my eye while solving was a plethora of V’s, especially in the NW corner. V is my absolute least favorite tile to draw in Scrabble.
The base phrases for the theme answers are all solid, but none of the wacky theme answers truly amused me. I expect it wasn’t easy to find words that incorporate the MAN U string and that could be spun into credibly wacky theme answers. Unfortunately, the end result was a theme that didn’t do a lot for me.
There are a few nice clue/answer pairs in the non-theme answers:
- 36A [Rice on a shelf] ANNE We’re currently watching A Discovery of Witches, and my husband is constantly noting how much that series’ depiction of vampires owes to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.
- 4d [Utah ski resort that prohibits snowboarding (plan accordingly)] ALTA I believe that’s technically not true; Alta is on US Forest Service land. You can ride a snowboard there, but you can’t take it up on the lifts.
- 11D [Drop down on the right] HELP MENU I assume that the hyphen in “drop-down” was deliberately omitted to mislead solvers or at least confuse them momentarily.
- 34D [Loud speaker] ORATOR
- 38D [“I need to know if anything changes”] LOOP ME IN
- 39D [Spot for some lamps] END TABLE We have two nice oak end tables that we have no room for. All reasonable offers accepted.
New to me:
- 65A [Capital with the boroughs Grünerløkka and Østensjø] OSLO Luckily, Copenhagen and Stockholm don’t fit.
- 41D [Sculpted by ___ (cosmetics brand)] AIMEE I just visited the company’s website, and I don’t remember the last time I saw that much pink. It’s a nice reminder that I still haven’t seen Barbie or Oppenheimer.
Simon Marotte & Trenton Lee Stewart’s LA Times Crossword– Gareth’s theme summary
Messrs Marotte & Stewart present us with a puzzle theme that is fairly uncomplicated, but narrowly defined and quite elegant. Four answers follow the pattern {OCCUPATIONAL NOUN}’S {NOUN}. They are reinterpreted to be {PLURAL OCCUPATIONAL NOUN} {VERBS associated with a different occupation} instead. So…
- [Earnhardt & Andretti work as ushers], DRIVERSSEAT
- [Gerwig & DuVernay work at a barbershop], DIRECTORSCUT
- [Austen & Morrison choreograph a play], WRITERSBLOCK
- [Hook & Kirk haul timber], CAPTAINSLOG
Gareth
Kapil Mehta’s USA Today Crossword, “Open Door” — Emily’s write-up
Let me grab that for you!
USA Today, November 07, 2024, “Open Door” by Kapil Mehta
Theme: each themer is contained within DO—OR
Themers:
- 17a. [“I could use an assist”], DOMEAFAVOR
- 37a. [Grad student’s supervisor, sometimes], DOCTORALADVISOR
- 59a. [Pursue two college degrees], DOUBLEMAJOR
A great themer set today with DOMEAFAVOR, DOCTORALADVISOR, and DOUBLEMAJOR. The first themer took me a couple of crossings but the next two filled in smoothly.
Favorite fill: CRAFTY, SERENE, DRESSCODE, and STREAKED
Stumpers: AJA (new to me), RUIN (only “rot” and “decay” came to mind), and REVEL (needed crossings)
A quick solve for me today, with great flow and cluing that just clicked with me. The bottom half took a bit more breaking into but nothing tricky with lots of fair crossings so easy to fill overall.
4.0 stars
~Emily
NYT: I thought this was a fun theme.
Didn’t care for that block in the south-central – WAP, PETA (I’m supposed to know their logo?) and MR. BILL (this must be at least 40 years old, and Claymation characters always, ALWAYS creep me out – ugh!).
I get what you’re saying about Claymation characters. But… I have always loved Wallace and Gromit! It’s Claymation done well, IMO.
I had to watch A Grand Day Out just now, to see if I still feel the same way. Still fun. But then I watched a Mr. Bill video and, well, there’s clay, yes, but -mation, not so much. I have to admit, he reads high on the clown-and-doll creepiness meter. Plus, according to Wikipedia, his dog dies in every episode, which is a dealbreaker for me. I feel for you.
My aversion goes all the way back to Davy & Goliath and Gumby & Poky.
I seem to recall reading an article – maybe in the NYT – around the time “Polar Express” came out, that talked about a “tipping point” between traditional animation and “real enough to be creepy” animation. I’m perhaps a little more sensitive than most to the “creepy” vibe.
The term generally used for that is “uncanny valley” for when it’s too close to real but eerily off.
Too much trivia, and I mean trivia. A couple of bits would have been OK.
So every clue has to be written pertaining to your “era”?
I guess this was directed at me. The answer is “no,” every clue doesn’t have to pertain to my “era,” whatever that might be. I’m 68, so my “era” stretches from the early 60’s to today. If you’re referring to my comment about Mr. Bill, that was a thing when I was a senior in high school or freshman in college. I remember Mr. Bill – just not my cup of tea.
If you’re referring to my comment about WAP, yes – that’s a little outside my sweet spot. I know of both Cardi B and Meghan Thee Stallion as artists, but don’t know a lot of their work – and an answer like “WAP” isn’t exactly inferable from a cross or two.
No pun intended, I assume.
Is the strike over?
I’ve been checking multiple times each day. As far as I can tell, the strike isn’t settled yet.
The Guild has provided a few guilt-free games.
Does the Black Ink interface cross the picket line to fetch the puzzle?
WSJ: I am honored to have been called out in your review, Jim. It is (so far) the highlight of my day and gave me a reason to smile.
Hal Moore’s puzzle was not only creative, but made me think geographically, always a good thing. Thanks to all the constructors who work so hard to bring us amusing and satisfying puzzles. I don’t say that enough.
NYT 3d should be per Kris Kristofferson
I thought Janis sang it as “Nothin’ left to lose.” Have to go find that old cassette and somethin’ to play it on.
Definitely nothin’ the way Janis sang it. Clue should have used different singer.
Many versions out there. Kristofferson wrote it, but I think Roger Miller was the first to record it.
I can see that nothin’ is a better lyric
My favorite collection of his songs is “Willie Nelson Sings Kristofferson” It’s peak Willie and KK sings background vocals
Of course you can always listen to his albums, too
I’ve now listened to Roger Miller and Kris (know Janis without having to listen) and each one says “nothin'” (or nuthin’ ;D)… find one that actually says “nothing”. Possibly there in someone’s written lyrics. There is no point to the objection, it is the same word pronounced country-style or however you call it , by the singers. Not a different word.
NYT: Forgot to mention earlier – I’ve seen many different definitions of “Midwest,” but I don’t think I’ve seen one that includes Oklahoma.
https://www.reddit.com/r/tulsa/comments/5mxv2d/is_tulsa_considered_apart_of_the_midwest_or_the/
Slightly more authoritative than Reddit, the US Census Bureau :)
“The U.S. Census Bureau’s definition consists of 12 states in the north central United States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. ”
So, I too was surprised.
I didn’t cite the reddit thread to “prove” anything, but to show that the label has been questioned for ever.
Yes, the Census Bureau calls Oklahoma the South, but the reddit discussion is interesting because it makes clear that the residents don’t see themselves easily pigeon-holed. I would argue that cities like Amarillo, Texas and Tulsa feel more like the Midwest than the South, but labels have limitations.
Both dictionaries I rely on have the Midwest ending with the southern border of Kansas, but I’d let it go. Oklahoma does, after all, have a Midwest City. I myself tend to think of it as the Midwest because it just doesn’t feel Southern, Texan, or Southwestern, and you gotta put it somewhere.
Anyway, we still have a picket line not to cross, but I guess we can always weigh in on comments, and I have a hard time quibbling over whether Janis is singing “nothing” or “nothin’.” The latter is just a vocalizing of the first, not a new word.
I’ve used probably every lyrics website out there. They are almost all wikis, and an error on one site will be repeated on other sites.
And as you note, John, dropping the G from a word endin’ in ING is immaterial. It’s simply somethin’ some people sometimes do.
The WSJ eluded me. I discovered after a bit the overlap between one language and the other, but the second of the pair in each clue was so weirdly unmotivated. I did at last notice that the first word was always food, and I guessed the second was, too, but who knew? Maybe the revealer should have mentioned it.
The puzzle title”Fusion” seems like an adequate reference to food to me, at least in hindsight. (I recognized the first dish in each clue but not the second.)
BEQ: Theme completely lost on me, even after the write up. I just have no interest in whatever sport the theme and Red Devils are. But it was a pleasant fairly easy themeless puzzle for me.
I’ve tried to watch futbol but it hasn’t grabbed me. In like 30 years of off and on trying. That given, I like the theme and execution.
I thought an AWL was used with leather, not wood
I had the same thought about awl, but looking it up after the fact, there are woodworking awls and leatherworking awls.
Thanks! Live and learn!
Awl’s well that ends well.
🤣😂🤣
I do the xword in the dead tree paper, so I grew free to comment. IVBAG is for sure what it’s called. The nurse hangs an IV bag.