While much of the country has been dealing with winter storms, it was nice to have a change of seasons today.
17A: Upstate New York city and spa (Saratoga Springs).
24A: Honeymooners' destination (Niagara Falls). My parents went there for their honeymoon in 1948...they were married in Hartford, so it wasn't a long trip. I've never known anyone else who went there, but it looks beautiful.42A: Former president of Harvard (Larry Summers).
54A: Comic who played Robin Williams's son in "Mork & Mindy" (Jonathan Winters). I totally forgot that...but once I read the clue, I could see him in my mind. I wasn't able to find a picture of him in that role...picture him in shorts on a trike.The tough stuff:
14A: Elementary particle (muon). I know very little about any of the sciences. When I had all of the crosses, Don confirmed the answer. I don't know how he remembers things like that.
13D: Swiss city on the Rhine, old-style (Basle). Never heard of it.
18D: Dwellers along the Volga (Tatars). Or them.
19D: Working stiff (prole). Proletariat, sure. Prole, no. According to my dictionary, it's somewhat derogatory.
23D: French city where Jules Verne was born (Nantes).
Multiword answers worth noting including 9A: Lesser-played half of a 45 (Side B)...the clue's too easy, even for a Monday, 56A: Auto route from Me. to F
la. (U. S. One)...we made that trip many times before the interstates, 58A: Smell __ (be suspicious) (a rat), 5D: Shipment to a steel miller (iron ore)...a little tough when I couldn't remember the appropriate letter for 5A: Letter-shaped structural piece (I-bar), 10D: Isle of Man's locale (Irish Sea), and 31D: Time before talkies (silent era).Favorite answers include 50A: Mythical island that sank into the sea (Atlantis), 61A: Without: Fr. (sans)...one of the few French words I know, 3D: Homeowners' burdens (mortgages), 4D: Like clocks with hands (analog), 9D: Spread out ungracefully (sprawl), 27D: Passionate (fiery), 35D: Broad-minded (tolerant), 37D: Pago Pago resident (Samoan), 43D: Mountain ridges (aretes)...a recurring answer, and 40D: Besmirches (sullies)...love both the clue and the answer.
My favorite clue...44D: Powerful rays for mantas.
That's it for tonight. Here's the grid...
...and I'll see you tomorrow.
Linda G
8 comments:
Linda,
I too find this tough for a Monday.
Linda, I would argue that 9A is deceptively easy because I put in BSIDE which threw everything in that corner off for a short time. I could be wrong, but Side B is by far the less common usage in my experience.
Perhaps my mind was on the same wave length as Mr. Chisholm as I solved the puzzle fairly quickly.
Linda, I was suprised that you did not make mention of LUAU as you always comment on things Hawaiian!
I have been to Nigara Falls twice, not for a honeymoon, and it is beautiful.
Bob
Guess I was on Mr. Chisolm's wave length, too, because I thought this one was easy. I briefly fell into the B side instead of SIDE B trap that Wendy mentioned, but after that it went quickly.
Linda, my eldest sister and her husband went to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon in 1953. Before you mentioned your parents, they were the only two I knew who had. I've been there a few times, but never as a honeymooner. The Falls are awesome, but the surrounding area has grown very commercialized.
Linda,
We recently found your blog and find it fun and helpful. Today 25 down proved to be a problem becasuse best we can tell ire does not have a plural nor is it a verb.
Thanks for blogging!
I never thought about it, but you're right...B SIDE is more often used. I think I had glanced at the clue for 9D, though, so I knew it would start with S.
Bob, I thought it was time to give you all a break from the references to Hawaii ; )
postoo, welcome...and thanks for your comments. IRE isn't a verb in my dictionary, either, but it comes from a word meaning to move quickly or violently.
Does anyone remember the Three Stooges episode about Niagara Falls? When Moe heard the words, he'd go crazy. "Niagara Falls. Slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch." That's all I remember, but I remember it distinctly. And I can't believe I didn't comment on it last night!
Tricky Monday puzzle... remember the TATARS, they will appear from time to time. Don't confuse them with the tastier TATERS. Although I guess their kids could be Tatar Tots. You can stop throwing those tomatoes now, I'll stop.
Prole is used pretty often in Orwell's 1984 to refer to the working class peons, although I don't know if it originated there.
My uncle used to do the 'Niagara Falls' skit, until it became a running joke around our house... to this day, if someone randomly mentions Niagara (or any tourist mecca or far-off place), he's apt to break into "[Place name]! Slooowly I turn...".
You really had to be there, I suppose.
Hi There...GREAT to find you Linda! I'm in Seattle, WA and The Seattle Times just started the NY Times Daily crossword as of January 1 so we are almost a month behind your posts. (It's Monday, January 28 today).
Anyhow, look forward to reading your crossword 'blog' after trying to complete the NY crosswords daily.
Ciao, ~ Aloha Spirit ~
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