dannmann's NYT crossword puzzle ramblings

wednesday, november 21, 2007
kelsey blakley / will shortz
ny times online premium crossword puzzle















difficulty factor: no bad at all, especially for a wednesday!



theme: military ranks are abbreviated in three answers that have to do with movie-going

21A PVT SCREENING
41A MAJ MOTION PICTURE
59A GEN ADMISSION


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in the "notes of record" category
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i don't know whether my anticipation for a cool wednesday puzzle led to my disappointment with this puzzle... it was okay but not very inspiring... i can't quite put my finger on it, and perhaps more hindsight will allow refinement of my opinion... stay tuned...

btw, i loved the veritable plethera of usually under-used "k's"...

i think i'm unsettled with this puzzle because two 9-letter and two 11-letter chances at themed answers just weren't realized... perhaps the movie connection limited possibilities... i dunno... i'm still not exactly sure...


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in the "not necessarily explained just by the answer" category
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5A presidential middle name ABRAM (republican james abram garfield was the twentieth [20th] president of the united states, he was the second to be assassinated [lincoln was first] and he had the second shortest presidency in U.S. history, [after william henry harrison's thirty-one day term] he was mortally wounded by charles j. guiteau, disgruntled by failed efforts to secure a federal post, less than four months after taking office. his official time in office is accredited to six months and fifteen days - the latter part while he lingered to die from his gun shot wounds)

15A priest in an ogden nash verse LAMA (as in the dalai lama... i love ogden nash... i'm pretty sure he's who the late, great shel silverstein wanted to be if he hadn't grown up!)









17A it may include a cc or bcc list E*MAIL (cc : carbon copy; bcc : blind [hidden] carbon copy)

18A "little shop of horrors" dentist ORIN (for 2 1/2 min. video see... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On3mrKW-Nk0)

19A consumer reports offering BUYER'S GUIDE

23A ludd, the original luddite NED (okay, how far y' wanna take this one?! ned lud, or ned ludd, or ned ludlam, or ned luddle?... by none of these names has he ever been proven to have existed... captain, commander, general, or king? ain't folklore great?! well, by his here-to-fore unequaled courageous actions in the late 1770's [knocking over a sock-making loom] this character is said to have inspired a social movement by british textile artisans a generation later. these 'luddites' were protesting the changes brought on by the industrial revolution and its cheaper mass production - specifically the introduction of new wide-framed looms that could be operated by relatively unskilled labor - which seriously threatened their ability to earn wages, and way of life. in ned's name - and largely in vain - many english craftspeople were beaten, jailed, exiled and even executed. since then, the term 'luddite' has been used to derogatorily describe anyone opposed to technological progress and technological change. atta boy, ned... whoever... wherever you are!)

24A doctor's request SAY, "AH"

25A _____ de jouy (fabric) TOILE (toile de jouy : 'cloth from jouy-en-josas' a small communal town in north-central france two miles south east of versailles, right in the middle of the valley of the bièvre river ['jouy' is a direct translation of latin gaudium, both meaning joy, so it can be said that we have 'cloth of the joy region') the fabric itself is an inexpensive type of decorating pattern consisting of a white or off-white background on which a pattern depicting a fairly complex pastoral theme such as a couple having a picnic by a lake and is repeated in a single-color - most often black, dark red, or blue, although deep greens and magenta are not unheard of, and produced since the early nineteenth century for use such as curtains and upholstery. in the states we might know it better as muslin)

27A carte blanche offer NAME IT

35A "chances _" ARE (this ain't your mother's johnny mathis classic... no, no... this is the one bob seger wrote and sings with the stunning martina mcbride here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7LdevJ71c or if you prefer bad boy robert downey, jr with the incredible vonda shepard try this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWpkFcx_nus )

38A use the h.o.v. lane, say CARPOOL (a high-occupancy vehicle lane is reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers... they are also known as carpool lanes, commuter lanes, diamond lanes, and transit lanes)

40A driver's warning FORE (as in driving... off the golf tee!)

44A fit to serve ONE-A

45A gary's home INDIANA

46A med. unit TSP (medicine... teaspoon)
47A add to the kitty KICK IN
53A oktoberfest music POLKA (don't even get me started!)

64A means of visual communication SMOKE SIGNAL
66A foam HEAD (as in beer!)
67A queen _____ lace ANNE'S (queen anne's lace or bishop's lace is a flowering wild carrot very similar in appearance to the deadly water hemlock)
70A quaint denial 'T ISN'T

6D smurf-colored BLUE
12D postponed, in a way RAINED OUT

14D inuit's ride SLED
20D demarcation affected by warming SNOW LINE
22D _____ canyon (pueblo cultural area) CHACO







29D yeats's land, poetically ERIN (william butler yeats (YATES) was an irish poet, dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature)

30D popular mp3 players IPODS

31D "pagliacci" clown TONIO
36D sari-clad royal RANI
39D nevada gemstone OPAL
42D cousin of a hammerhead MAKO
50D standby's salvation NO SHOW

55D "bear" that's not a bear KOALA (the koala is a smallish, chubby marsupial which spends most of its time in the fleshy leaved eucalyptus trees upon which feeds in the southern and eastern coastal regions of its native australia. marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch - called the marsupium - in which it rears its young through early infancy. [truly odd factoid of the day: the female marsupial has two vaginas, both of which open externally through one orifice but lead to different compartments within the uterus. males usually have a two-pronged penis which corresponds to the females' two vaginas... who knew?!])
56D florida congressman crenshaw ANDER (florida-born, -raised and -educated, ander crenshaw, jd, is a native son all the way to his northern florida 4th congressional district constituents and has spent since 1972 serving them in one political capacity or another)

57D jr.'s exam PSAT (preliminary scholastic aptitude test, generally taken late in the 11th grade [junior year] in the u.s.)

58D _____ hotels (luxury chain) OMNI (omni hotels is a privately owned upscale hotel company based in irving, texas and comprised of 36 properties including 4 are resorts)

60D indian tourist city AGRA (home of one of the most famous... mausoleums... in the world)

61D double-helix molecules DNA'S
62D lippizaner's locks MANE (the lipizzan, or lipizzaner [LIP-is-HONor] - note correct spelling: single 'p', and double 'z' - is a "royal" breed of horse that dates back to the 16th century, and is closely associated with vienna, austria where the best horses demonstrate the arduous, refined movements of classical dressage, they are named after one of the earliest stud farms established, located near the kras village of lipica (spelled "lipizza" in italian), in modern-day slovenia... see: http://www.lipizzaner.com/)
65D classic mattel doll KEN (that dapper devil in a papparazzi shot at the "friday night dream date bar" on santa monica boulevard... an' you jus' know he gettin' da ladies dressed like dat!)

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in the "your mileage may vary" category:
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best clue(S) of the day: 5D e.g., e.g.... does it get any better than that?! and 40A driver's warning... i loved it!
best answer of the day: 24A SAY, "AH"... i don't even know why... it just hits me!
worst clue of the day: 57A islands fare... c'mon, i realize it's a staple on some/many pacific islands, but i spend my summers on an island and we don't have poi!
worst answer of the day (or at least the biggest stretch): 70A 'T ISN'T... 'tis, too the worst!

keep on keepin' on...


dann
all elements of the puzzle (grid layout, clues, and answers), NYT, NY Times, and The New York Times logo are ©2007 The New York Times
1A harsh criticism5A presidential middle name10A active vocabulary?15A priest in an ogden nash verse16A point a finger at17A it may include a cc or bcc list18A "little shop of horrors" dentist19A consumer reports offering21A film showing for v.i.p.'s, in the army?23A ludd, the original luddite24A doctor's request25A _____ de jouy (fabric)27A carte blanche offer32A worked the garden35A "chances _"38A use the h.o.v. lane, say40A driver's warning41A big studio release, in the army?44A fit to serve45A gary's home46A med. unit47A add to the kitty49A like many oaths51A shapes up53A oktoberfest music57A islands fare59A common ticket category, in the army?64A means of visual communication66A foam67A queen _____ lace68A bit of monkey business69A give a come-hither look70A quaint denial71A lets up72A get tiresome1D lays an egg2D maggot, e.g.3D cordial quality4D bob dole, by birth5D e.g., e.g.6D smurf-colored7D comic martha8D final word9D scholarship criterion10D meatless, informally11D outback runner12D postponed, in a way13D patiently wait14D inuit's ride20D demarcation affected by warming22D _____ canyon (pueblo cultural area) 26. not right28D shows with lower-priced seats, usually29D yeats's land, poetically30D popular mp3 players31D "pagliacci" clown33D slips up34D tough to fathom35D in a frenzied way36D sari-clad royal37D bouncers'tasks 39. nevada gemstone42D cousin of a hammerhead43D roughs it48D consume50D standby's salvation52D take potshots54D feudal lord55D "bear" that's not a bear56D florida congressman crenshaw57D jr.'s exam58D _____ hotels (luxury chain)60D indian tourist city61D double-helix molecules62D lippizaner's locks63D kinds65D classic mattel doll