Theme: WILL ROGERS QUOTE
17A: Start of Will Rogers quote: IT IS GREAT
24A: Part 2 of quote: TO BE GREAT
40A: Part 3 of quote: BUT IT
52A: Part 4 of quote: IS GREATER
63A: End of quote: TO BE HUMAN
Gone! I belted another one out of the ball park this morning. Unbelievable! I think I've entered this home run zone now.
There are probably 2 reasons for my smooth sailing today: 1) The puzzle is very easy. Lots of repetitive theme entries (esp "GREAT"). No obscure word. No MOSSY or dead actors or actress. 2) I am getting smarter. It's probably the former, though I prefer to think it's the latter.
I had a rather shaky start, having never heard of "fiddler crab". But I was able to string together the answers from the down clues. Then I zipped through the upper right corner and continued on effortlessly to the heart of the puzzle. Nabbed the theme very quickly. That allowed me to fill in a bunch of blank squares without even consulting the down clues.
My only pause today was 28A: TEE (Couples' pedestal"). I got the words, but was baffled a bit by the clue. Then I realized the "Couples" here is Fred Couples (PGA golfer). What a great trap! I am not sure I like "pedestal" part of the clue though, too fancy and heavy for a TEE. "Couples' Peg" would be a good one, but "peg' might be too self-revealing. What do you think? Alex of PGA (I presume you are a scratch golfer) will probably come up with a better clue.
As usual, I was IRED by 2 clues today: 49D: Single grain: OAT. 54D: Silo filler: GRAIN. I loathed seeing GRAIN twice. There has to be a way to circumvent this kind of avoidable double appearances. Once (CODE on Monday) in a week is already too much, twice (ORAL on Tuesday) is unbearable, three times in a week? I am speechless! I do like today's AFAR and AFIRE though.
Grid: Total letters filled: 189. Including 17 Rs, 15 Ss, and 18 Ts, which account for more than 1/4 of the total fills. Total blank squares: 36
OK, Let's tee off! Front nine:
1A: Fiddler in the sand: CRAB. What, their average lifespan is only 1.5 years?
5A: Tarry: BIDE
14A: In good health: HALE. If this constructor really wants to go for a Golf sub-theme, he will clue HALE as Erwin of Sr. PGA. He is a great golfer by the way, personality aside.
16A: Kind of eagle?: LEGAL Why is that? I don't get it. Is it because US Justice Department has an eagle on its seal? (Update later. From Dennis: "Legal Eagle" is a slang term that's been around for a long time, applied mostly to attorneys, paralegals, etc.).
20A: Lassos: RIATAS. Sometimes it's REATAS: "re" is the prefix for "again" of course, "atar" is "to fit, to tie", What about LARIAT? OK, "la" means "the" in Latin (from illa), "riat" comes from "Reatar". Interesting. What's the differences among RIATA, LARIAT and LASSO?
21A: Cherubic or seraphic: ANGELIC. The clue is a bit redundant, don't you think so?
34A: Search deeply (into): DELVE
38A: Fuss: TO-DO. ADO.
42A: Smoke deposit: SOOT
43A: Some Eastern Europeans: SLAVS. OK, so Russians belong to Eastern Slavs; the Bulgars, Serbs, Croats, Slavonians, Slovenes belong to Southern Slavs; And the Poles, Czechs, Moravians, Slovaks belong to Western Slavs. This is a ethnic term not a racial term I gather???
45A: Abs exercise: SIT-UP
48A: DDE's arena: ETO (European Theater of Operations). Is there a special theater name for our current involvement in Iraq?
56A: Essence of roses: ATTAR
60A: Tell the tale: NARRATE
61A: Professional copyist: SCRIBE
67A: __ avis: RARA. Rare bird.
71A: Expanded: GREW. I did not fell into the "ED" trap.
Back Nine:
1D: Bird sound: CHIRP
2D: Relation in degree: RATIO
3D: Police blotter entry: ALIAS. Oh, by the way, when you opine at the Comments section, please adopt a name. You can still remain anonymous, it's just easier for others to identify you.
4D: Rouse: BESTIR. Hmm, wouldn't "Arouse" make a better clue? Esp since the prefix of "be" in BESTIR? Or does "arouse" have too much sexual connotation?
5D: Obstacles: BARS. I've never used "BAR" as a barrier. Sometimes simple English words slip my grasp very easily.
7D: Narc org.: DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration, not Agency)
9D: Marked with a tab: FLAGGED
10D: Sports officials: REFEREES
12D: "West Side Story" tune: MARIA. Not familiar to me. I sewed together the word from the across clues.
33D: Indian instrument: SITAR. That's the playing instrument for Norah Jones' father (Ravi Shankar)
36D: Solemn promise: VOW. I put I DO first, but quickly discarded it.
37D: Hot time in Le Havre: ÉTÉ (Summer in French)
44D: Kind of clam: STEAMER
46D: Georgia fruit: PEACH. Ty Cobb is "the Georgia Peach".
49D: Single grain: OAT. How so? Can you also clue rice, corn, wheat this way?
51D: Like guitars and tennis racquets: STRUNG. Why "racquet" instead of "racket"?
52D:Peruvians of yore: INCAS
55D: Colorful fish: TETRA. If it's 4 letter, then it's OPAH.
57D: Lesser Sundas island: TIMOR. It's BALI on Sunday March 30's puzzle. OK, if it's Greater Sundas island, the answers could be Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Sulawisi.
61D: Brown quickly: SEAR. The first image that popped to my mind is the UPS Brown guy. They come and go quickly.
Ready for tomorrow? Let me give you a clue, his surname is _ _ _ _ man.
C.C.
17A: Start of Will Rogers quote: IT IS GREAT
24A: Part 2 of quote: TO BE GREAT
40A: Part 3 of quote: BUT IT
52A: Part 4 of quote: IS GREATER
63A: End of quote: TO BE HUMAN
Gone! I belted another one out of the ball park this morning. Unbelievable! I think I've entered this home run zone now.
There are probably 2 reasons for my smooth sailing today: 1) The puzzle is very easy. Lots of repetitive theme entries (esp "GREAT"). No obscure word. No MOSSY or dead actors or actress. 2) I am getting smarter. It's probably the former, though I prefer to think it's the latter.
I had a rather shaky start, having never heard of "fiddler crab". But I was able to string together the answers from the down clues. Then I zipped through the upper right corner and continued on effortlessly to the heart of the puzzle. Nabbed the theme very quickly. That allowed me to fill in a bunch of blank squares without even consulting the down clues.
My only pause today was 28A: TEE (Couples' pedestal"). I got the words, but was baffled a bit by the clue. Then I realized the "Couples" here is Fred Couples (PGA golfer). What a great trap! I am not sure I like "pedestal" part of the clue though, too fancy and heavy for a TEE. "Couples' Peg" would be a good one, but "peg' might be too self-revealing. What do you think? Alex of PGA (I presume you are a scratch golfer) will probably come up with a better clue.
As usual, I was IRED by 2 clues today: 49D: Single grain: OAT. 54D: Silo filler: GRAIN. I loathed seeing GRAIN twice. There has to be a way to circumvent this kind of avoidable double appearances. Once (CODE on Monday) in a week is already too much, twice (ORAL on Tuesday) is unbearable, three times in a week? I am speechless! I do like today's AFAR and AFIRE though.
Grid: Total letters filled: 189. Including 17 Rs, 15 Ss, and 18 Ts, which account for more than 1/4 of the total fills. Total blank squares: 36
OK, Let's tee off! Front nine:
1A: Fiddler in the sand: CRAB. What, their average lifespan is only 1.5 years?
5A: Tarry: BIDE
14A: In good health: HALE. If this constructor really wants to go for a Golf sub-theme, he will clue HALE as Erwin of Sr. PGA. He is a great golfer by the way, personality aside.
16A: Kind of eagle?: LEGAL Why is that? I don't get it. Is it because US Justice Department has an eagle on its seal? (Update later. From Dennis: "Legal Eagle" is a slang term that's been around for a long time, applied mostly to attorneys, paralegals, etc.).
20A: Lassos: RIATAS. Sometimes it's REATAS: "re" is the prefix for "again" of course, "atar" is "to fit, to tie", What about LARIAT? OK, "la" means "the" in Latin (from illa), "riat" comes from "Reatar". Interesting. What's the differences among RIATA, LARIAT and LASSO?
21A: Cherubic or seraphic: ANGELIC. The clue is a bit redundant, don't you think so?
34A: Search deeply (into): DELVE
38A: Fuss: TO-DO. ADO.
42A: Smoke deposit: SOOT
43A: Some Eastern Europeans: SLAVS. OK, so Russians belong to Eastern Slavs; the Bulgars, Serbs, Croats, Slavonians, Slovenes belong to Southern Slavs; And the Poles, Czechs, Moravians, Slovaks belong to Western Slavs. This is a ethnic term not a racial term I gather???
45A: Abs exercise: SIT-UP
48A: DDE's arena: ETO (European Theater of Operations). Is there a special theater name for our current involvement in Iraq?
56A: Essence of roses: ATTAR
60A: Tell the tale: NARRATE
61A: Professional copyist: SCRIBE
67A: __ avis: RARA. Rare bird.
71A: Expanded: GREW. I did not fell into the "ED" trap.
Back Nine:
1D: Bird sound: CHIRP
2D: Relation in degree: RATIO
3D: Police blotter entry: ALIAS. Oh, by the way, when you opine at the Comments section, please adopt a name. You can still remain anonymous, it's just easier for others to identify you.
4D: Rouse: BESTIR. Hmm, wouldn't "Arouse" make a better clue? Esp since the prefix of "be" in BESTIR? Or does "arouse" have too much sexual connotation?
5D: Obstacles: BARS. I've never used "BAR" as a barrier. Sometimes simple English words slip my grasp very easily.
7D: Narc org.: DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration, not Agency)
9D: Marked with a tab: FLAGGED
10D: Sports officials: REFEREES
12D: "West Side Story" tune: MARIA. Not familiar to me. I sewed together the word from the across clues.
33D: Indian instrument: SITAR. That's the playing instrument for Norah Jones' father (Ravi Shankar)
36D: Solemn promise: VOW. I put I DO first, but quickly discarded it.
37D: Hot time in Le Havre: ÉTÉ (Summer in French)
44D: Kind of clam: STEAMER
46D: Georgia fruit: PEACH. Ty Cobb is "the Georgia Peach".
49D: Single grain: OAT. How so? Can you also clue rice, corn, wheat this way?
51D: Like guitars and tennis racquets: STRUNG. Why "racquet" instead of "racket"?
52D:Peruvians of yore: INCAS
55D: Colorful fish: TETRA. If it's 4 letter, then it's OPAH.
57D: Lesser Sundas island: TIMOR. It's BALI on Sunday March 30's puzzle. OK, if it's Greater Sundas island, the answers could be Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Sulawisi.
61D: Brown quickly: SEAR. The first image that popped to my mind is the UPS Brown guy. They come and go quickly.
Ready for tomorrow? Let me give you a clue, his surname is _ _ _ _ man.
C.C.
28 comments:
Good morning, C.C. - wow, this has been an unbelievable week so far - and I know I'm not getting any smarter.
"Legal Eagle" is a slang term that's been around for a long time, applied mostly to attorneys, paralegals, etc.
Anybody else itching for a real challenge?
Dennis,
I've updated the blog re LEGAL entry. Thank you. How about the 21A? You don't feel the clue is redundant?
Hi, C.C. - I'm not sure why you think so - it looked ok to me. What are your thoughts?
Cherubic alone is enough, or Seraphic alone. Why stack both together?
It's like Tuesday's DINAH clue (Singer Shore or Washington). It's just unnecessary.
Now if the answer is DINAHS, then of course Singer Shore and Washington will be a OK clue.
Another easy one for me too, unlike yesterday's. Makes you feel smart in the morning to get all the clues with no checking.
I like the Will Rodgers quotes !
Good morning, CC and Dennis. I'm pumped! What a fun puzzle and what a week! Being from OK (Will Rogers territory), I liked the quote and the reference 31D. Also, 21 A was redundant but it helped me zero in on the answer. There were no foreign or obscure words, (like you said) no dead or old actors, and no strange animals. My first thought when I saw Olschwang was "Oh, no. CC's going to have a fit!" But we all enjoyed it. whew! Have a "great" day! PS How's FL, Dennis?
Good Morning C.C.
Re: 48A - I think they call it Operation Iraq Freedom as opposed to Operation Iraq Liberation. Didn't know about the crab's lifespan. And why do you?!?..:)
I think that SLAVS can be used as a racial slur or ethnic term depending upon the context.
Racket is a scheme (related to crime) or an unwanted sound. For sports the correct spelling is racquet.
9 minutes today. I would guess that Couples Pedestal has to be that way so as to trap people into not thinking Fred.
Easy ones all week. Tomorrow? Maybe a brain burner.
21A looked okay to me also.
1soni - Not to put too fine a point on it, but the correct name is "Operation Iraqi Freedom".
Hi Lois - Thanks for asking; Florida's been great...too much food, wine, etc. Back to the real world Sunday. Hope it's been a great week for everyone.
Good morning CC,
Well, you called it yesterday with the quote-theme making an appearance. Not too terrible today for me. Thankfully there were no roman numerals! I like to think I am getting smarter, but I am not necessarily sure that is true. Your blog helps tremendously!
I was reading the string of posts re: 21A. Though I agree that it is redundant, with what I had filled already for the down clues, the redundancy helped me be completely sure of my answer.
Wonder what tomorrow's puzzle will be like . . .
Have a great day!
Lois, I don't have much problem with QUOTE, it's the QUIP that throws me off all the time. So many nuanced words/idioms. Tough to get.
1soni, aren't you curious about crab's short life? :-) I wonder when this "Theater" idea died, after WWII?
drdad, I always thought that Rackets = racquets when referring to the bats .
"Couples' pedestal" is probably the best clue I've seen in TMS puzzle. Too bad it's easily inferable from down clues. Spoiled part of my fun.
mkat, I'm 3 for 3 in the calls I've made so far. Not sure of tomorrow though.
C.C. - I'm still involved in a few military circles, and you'll frequently see the use of "theater of operations"; not so much in the public, but it's still widely used in the military.
I checked Encyclopedia Brittanica and found that racket = racquets but that spelling is used infrequently when referring to sports items.
Good morning cc et al. Another easy one today. Took about 9 or 10 minutes. Dennis when is the brain buster coming? 21A clue was ok with me as it was quite definitive with the two words given. It looks like another golf day in the Berg. Hope you all have a great day.
Dick - given my track record as a somewhat less than stellar prognosticator, I wouldn't even venture a guess. Should the trend continue, this would be a very unique week without a hammer. I'm feeling like an unused nail...
I was a little worried about this one-- I had some blanks that I was going to come back to-- but once I got the quote, it was a snap.
I picked up a book of quick crosswords for $5.00 at the bookstore. I think I'm getting addicted to crosswords! It runs in my family; my dad is a fiend for them. The ones in the book aren't as fun as the TMS ones, though.
Good morning
In response to your query -- while at an Elderhostel program in Texas, a local cowboy gave a talk on how the Mexican cowboys "taught" the Texas cowboys how to be cowboys. The Mexican term for the rope was "la riatta" which the Texans adapted to "lariat." While "lasso" is a synonym for lariat, it is also the verb form ("to lasso" something) whereas you wouldn't "lariat" something.
Here is some interesting info onWill Rogers with a slightly different version of today's crossword quote. I flew through the puzzle today too-didn't even notice the "Couples" clue until you pointed it out c.c..
I've been out of town this week and when I tried to get the puzzle earlier in the week (using the same link as I did to get today's puzzle) I got a completely different puzzle than what you did that day-strange!
Tried to find additional info on the term legal beagle and it was not easy. But besides the above site which refers to a legal beagle as a lawyer there is another slang definition of "A girl who legally is considered an adult, therefore legally able to consent to sex with other adults." Also found the term used synonymously with lawyer and legal eagle here. Dictionary.com says "Often Disparaging. a lawyer". I'd say either definition is rather disparaging but a lot of businesses seem to be using the term.
This was another 'gimme' and I was still ready for more so I went to the LA Times X word, where I confirmed that I wasn't as smart as I thought.
Even after I got 28A (TEE) I still didn't had to read the clue again. Geeze!
re. 70A - - This is the first word I always think of and immediately reject for clues like this and so far I've always been wrong.
Its been a while since there has been a real tough one, so let's have it. Saturday works for me.
I think "legal eagle" came about just because it rhymes, like "drunk as a skunk".
I have a vague memory of 'Legal Beagle' from an old Peanuts cartoon, where Snoopy became an attorney. (If it wasn't for vague memories, I wouldn't have any!)
This was your typical unexciting puzzle by That Guy.
To give him some credit, I did like "Couples' pedestal" for 'tee'. Even after I got the word, it took a while to realize he meant golf pro Fred Couples.
c.c., I'm so happy you put this one out of the park. As I filled it in, I thought you might do so. I fully expected the comment about GRAIN. Yes, 21A is redundant. drdad, 28A had me thinking "spouses" at first, so the mis-direction worked on me. Have a great day, everyone!
Dick & Dennis,
What makes this TMS puzzle so frustrating & yet oddly appealing is its unpredictability. No pattern to discern all. You never know what comes up next. Maybe a hammer tomorrow, or a velveted hammer, who knows?
ellie,
I think it's the sharing of the solving experiences (joy, agonies, whining)that makes TMS puzzle more fun to solve than your book.
chuck,
Thanks for the information. I've never paid attention to the noun/verb form of those words. Good to know.
nytanonimo,
Welcome back. Hope all is fine. Thanks for the links. Love the "Everybody is ignorant. Only on different subjects!" quote.
Jim & johnboy,
I think I am in love with this "Couples' pedestal" clue. I've been thinking about it non-stop this morning. Only wish it were structured differently and unobtainable from down clues.
Crockett1947,
I am so happy to SEE you finally. That's one seriously focused solver!
Your puzzle seems to be on the different section than ours. Ours is always on the lower right corner, inside Source Section (odd page number).
Unlike you, I have to fold the paper. I want the crossword puzzle to be the only thing in front of my eyes.
I was a little Crab-by this morning but I Bide-ed my time and eventually ran through the puzzle like a house Afire. As an Aside, a Couple of words made me Situp and take notice: Attar and Bestir. My faith in my puzzle solving ability, which had Flagged, is now Renew-ed, but probably just for this Onetime.
AlohaSpirit, Seattle here! This week has been a great booster for me after last week! Hooray!
I put down the puzzle for a few minutes when I put 'pears' for 46D instead of 'peach'...though it was a 'no brainer' my brain 'blipped' for a minute. The top left corner also baffled me until I left it alone. Overall, took me 25 min. with no help.
See you folks next week...we're off to the ocean in Oregon for some much needed R&R. Thanks everyone for being here and thanks muchly to CC for blogging. ~AS
P.S. after last week, I started using pencil again, hopefully to return to pen in the future after this week!
I'd like to preface my query with this is where I steer myself when I'm stuck; however, how is "West Side Story" unfamiliar to you? It was well before my time, but it is a staple of any theater production from high school to community to Broadway. Plus the musical itself won 10 Oscars (checked IMDB); a definite icon of the 20th Century.
Anyways, your comment struck me as odd considering the clue's frequency in the crossword arena.
On a positive note, I learn something new everyday with your explanations to more obscure references, poets, singers, operas, artists (all usually dead), and the like. I'm happy to have stumbled upon your blog spot. Cheers... and keep 'em coming.
This was an easy one... Wow... four in a row... tomorrow or Sat should be a beaut. Sorry I missed the blogging earlier... I had a Tee time .... should have stayed home and puzzled... played lousy. I never saw the Couples clue since I solved the downs. Til tomorrow....CC... BTW the Google/Blogger never recognizes my Username/Password. How come? I have to sign-up each time... What's that all about?
AlohaSpirit, Seattle,
Ha ha, I am more daring (and a bit reckless sometimes). Only pen! But I have to have Liquid Paper closer by. See you next week. Have a great trip!
sojuman,
I've never attended high school or received any education here in the US. And I have absolutely no interest in any theater or Broadway stuff. The fact that it won 10 Oscar does not mean that every American (or any immigrant like myself who spent the bulk of their life in another country with completely different language and culture) should be acquainted with it.
I am sorry, but I am playing on a different crossword arena than you are. And I am still a rookie (little over 2 months' blogging). You cannot possibly judge my ignorance by your standards.
This is the LAST time I address this kind of question.
superfrey,
I don't know, but I've heard from quite a few readers who have encountered similar problems.
Any idea Dennis?
CC I also have problems logging onto your site at times.
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