I love to put this thick creamy sauce on all my sandwiches, but my friend's a mayo cynic. (I get kind of emulsional about it.)
@Mike This really doesn’t cut the mustard, I think you need to ketchup
@Mike Sometimes I add garlic to it; aioli eat it if I'm going to be alone. Adding this to curry favor with the emus.
So, after the thread I started on Sunday about what counts as cheating, I'd like to note that I've now done two (granted, a Monday and a Tuesday) without any outside help...
Oh, I did like the cluing today, which kept my brain engaged rather than on autopilot. Just one example – ODE, which early in the week may be clued with [Poem of adoration], or [“___ to Billy Joe], or something similar, but today is clued [One might be Horatian]. I had to stop for an instant – but what a sweet instant – to connect that clue to my knowledge base. This happened enough to elevate this puzzle for me from routine to sweet. I’ve loved Billy’s witty cluing in his themeless puzzles, and even though the clues are dialed down for this early-week puzzle, they were made with care and intelligence. Today's cluing wasn't a collection of retreads. Bravo, sir! BTW, if anyone’s solving time is a touch longer than usual, it could be because we were given an extra column to solve. Some lovely serendipities today. The clue to the last answer being [Checks out]. The fam feel, with DAD, KIN, and NANA. A backward ETTAL to echo ET AL. Another plus: Three of the four theme answers (all except MAYO CLINIC) are NYT answer debuts, giving the puzzle pop. BB, thank you for such a high-quality and enjoyable session in the box today. I loved this!
@Lewis "ODE, which early in the week may be clued with [Poem of adoration], or [“___ to Billy Joe], or something similar, but today is clued [One might be Horatian]" I was happy to see ol' Q. Horatius Flaccus referenced in the clues. Although many of Horace's odes are [Poems of adoration]--of his patron Maecenas, or the watersource on his Sabine farm near Bandusia--many are wistful meditations on the passing of time: the destruction of Italy's farmland to make way for the construction of exurban McMansions (II:15); the folly of Roman matrons posing as cougars (IV:13). Here's a favorite, IV:7, in A. E. Housman's excellent translation:
Nice synchronicities in this puzzle and the NCAA women's basketball game tonight: Angel Reese, the LSU's star player, had a tiara with her, but alas, heavy is the head that doesn't wear the crown: Iowa's Caitlin Clark put on an unbelievable floor routine, a record 9 three-point shots along with great passing and leadership, a greatness that augurs an career that will place her in the pantheon of all time greats, just as Ali and Ruth are talked of as the GOATS in their sports. Unfortunately the matchup with Angel Reese was marred by an ankle injury that hobbled her, just after she had almost singlehandedly put the Tigers in the lead early in the game. Though she showed her mettle and stayed in the game she was never the same. And no matter how much icy hot you apply or numbing agents ending in --caine, you can't go against Clark with a bum ankle. Anyway, I'm now a convert and am now ready to endorse Caitlin Clark to be the next president of the United States. Trump with his pitiful "I'm Jesus, etc." wouldn't stand a chance. She would be like, "Ixnay, amigo: go take that oral exam again at the Mayo Clinic where they ask you to repeat these five words ten minutes later. I bet you can't do it. Here, I'll test you right now: LADY EYES NAKED DAD SAG BLAB SWELL."
@john ezra Golly, John. I have paid no attention whatsoever to college basketball, but your passionate endorsement of Ms. Clark, not to mention the drama surrounding Ms. Reese's injury, may very well draw my neglected attention. Thanks for the heads up. I feel sure that the bloated obscenity would fail your test. "Ixnay on the insay" any pig Latin teacher would say.
@john ezra Her State Farm ad with Jimmy Butler and Reggie Miller is cute, too.
Wow, this took me twice as long as Tuesdays usually do. I was watching television at the same time, so I'm going to blame it on that. Although this did feel delightfully chewy. Come back again sooner, Billy!
So glad you're back, Mr. Bratton! We would have missed out on a terrific Tuesday if you'd abandoned us. This puzzle took me straight back to Toto's first hit, Hold The Line. I still love it after all these years: <a href="https://youtu.be/htgr3pvBr-I?feature=shared" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/htgr3pvBr-I?feature=shared</a> As for the MAYO CLINIC... I went to Rochester once and met up there with my parents, on a visit to my then 2-year-old niece whose mother worked at the clinic. My parents and I proceeded to try and get to know the town. Seeing a sign for the subway, we headed on down the stairs to see where the train would take us. But we found ourselves walking through empty narrow corridors, completely baffled. Finally, we crossed paths with someone. "Excuse me, sir, how do we get to the train platform?" "What train?" he asked. "The subway," I said. "This is it," he said as he waved his arm up to the ceiling, down to the floor, and across the walls. "You're in it." And so, my fellow New Yorkers, I embarrassed myself in Rochester so you won't have to. You're most welcome. ;-)
@sotto voce As children living near my father's hospital, we would play in its subway on weekends, when we weren't otherwise engaged tearing through the downtown Minneapolis skyways. Hah!
@sotto voce LOL!!! UCSF (a sprawling medical center on "Pill Hill") has a network of tunnels under the streets there. I quickly learned to use the "system" to avoid the hazards of traffic and weather, so I could get PhysDau to appointments, the orthotics lab, and to and from the parking garage in record time. It was great. It never occurred to me that it could have been called a SUBWAY!
This took a little longer than the average Tuesday for me- the bottom half of the puzzle was tricky! I really liked NAKED and ORALEXAM. METTLE, SWELL, and ATOLL are some of my favorite words (they're just satisfying to say!) Neat puzzle and fun solve.
I guess I needed more sleep... I've been getting up at 6 to hike around the lake with a walking buddy, and this morning (after a wakeful spell from 2 to 4--which is when I do the Spelling Bee, Connections, Letter-Box, Strands, and check late Comments on the puzzle)....anyway, I really didn't want to get on up....but I did. Mr. Bratton's list has only one thing I'd want to HOLD (or would ask you to HOLD)--i.e., the DOOR. In case you're wondering: my coat, the baby, a conference, your nose, or (most likely) your horses! I knew I recognized this constructor's name...but he and I definitely diverge when it comes to things like music. Those clues were "Oooof!"--non-starters for me. Is there really a 'Melting Face' EMOJI? Ewww. Fave clue: 16A It also reminded me of the April Fool's trick when I stitched the leg-holes closed on DHubby's briefs. Frustrated, he tossed the first one aside, but (heh heh) I had done the same with the next pair, too. Ah, memories!
@Mean Old Lady The graphic in question somewhat represents the Halloween mask inspired by a horror movie. I think the emoji represents shock; or awe, mixed with surprise or disgust, perhaps. Maybe someone else has a different opinion.
@Mean Old Lady Ha ha, great April fool's trick! One of my favorites was when I happened to have an appointment with a new dentist on 4/1. Before coming into the house, I blacked out my 2 front teeth and told my husband I had to have them pulled. I still remember the look on his face.
The Monday New Yorker, which had no theme at all and no connection to April Fool's Day, did have the clue "Debriefs?" for a similar answer. And that, my ARHAT-conspiracy friends, is what you call, in technical terms, a coincidence.
@Steve L I respectfully must respond that this is more an example of Synchronizität, a basic Jungian concept, referred to in English as “synchronicity”. Sometimes, especially in xwords, there is more there than you might think. Perhaps not, but worth a thought. — — — — — — — —
Appreciated the diversity of the music Billy chose to clue ETC, RADIO EDIT and SIDE B. I’ll add another. “A female founder of rock and roll, ___ Brown” for RUTH. I first learned of her through Bonnie Raitt, who inducted her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where they performed “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” a song Ruth first recorded back in 1952: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADIumYD4Tw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADIumYD4Tw</a>
In case you are unfamiliar with "Jesus, Etc." by Wilco, it's a beautiful, sad song off their watershed album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". It's truly a masterclass in songwriting by Jeff Tweedy. Here's a link if you'd like to listen: <a href="https://youtu.be/efq95Pfqt5U?si=jM728agDxjaxVvvV" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/efq95Pfqt5U?si=jM728agDxjaxVvvV</a>
Sad to end my streak on Sunday... the crossings of KNEX, TONEME, and NOMEGUSTA got me all flummoxed, and I didn't finish the puzzle until tonight, which was too late for a gold star. The April 1st puzzle had me laughing, and E M D E R E E H C Start of a fresh streak, and a fun Tuesday! (I will not hold the mayo, it's the best!)
@Janine That knot of KNEX, TONEME, and HOLT nearly did me in. NO ME GUSTA? I have four children, none of whom took to their parents’ fondness for learning other languages, but all of whom learned the dozen or so phrases in Spanish it took for them to barely meet their high school foreign language requirement—all while insisting that refusing to eat asparagus or eggplant was the only way though could internalize NO ME GUSTA.
Here's my debrief, but I'll remain fully dressed, thank you very much! There was a lot I enjoyed here, though the SW corner was a sticky mess for me. I had nod AT in 64A, and since I didn't know what AFTRA is, I didn't know SAG, which I know but not in association with AFTRA. I had RADIOE but didn't know the EDIT part. SIDE B wasn't coming to me because of all of the above. I know "Wouldn't it be Nice," but didn't know the album name so I didn't connect it. I'm really not good with music clues that aren't about 80s hair bands! Ha! Although by now I'm used to the rapper names that I never got at first. So all that was correct down there was EMO, AMIGO, and OMEGA. I had to Google after I didn't get happy music. I mean, I had nonsensical answers down there so it wasn't a surprise. It's been a while since I had to do a look-up on an early week puzzle. Not a melting face emoji but not heart hands either. 😉 Really liked the clues for SEE ME, ORAL EXAM, EYES, and DAD (nice to see a nod to stay-at-home dads, instead of moms). Maybe DAD has been clued that way before but I don't recall it in my short time doing the crosswords. And I thought the theme was cute, especially the MAYO part. That was a nice closer for the theme! Despite my own shortcomings, I thought it was SWELL!
This was the hardest Tuesday puzzle since the day I accidentally cut my finger on the edge of an "I Voted" sticker. The U-turn thing probably needs to just go away, doncha think? I like the frequent mention of emus down thead. I also wish I'd seen yesterday's arguments about homo sapiens. Tis a shame... I wanted popcorn.
Good puzzle but if you’re new to solving let me assure you that Tuesdays are not usually this tricky.
"Uies"? Why not 'Four letters that are not a word' for the clue?
R.J., What do *you* call a U-turn (other than a U-turn)? Three point emu
@Barry Ancona for what it's worth I have never called it anything besides a U-turn and I have never heard someone call it a Uie. If someone said that out loud to me I would probably have asked them what they were talking about. I thought it was a made up word when I first saw it as well. Maybe it's slang from a bygone era but I too consider this as crosswordese.
Couldn’t tell you why, but 43A, “ominous words on a flunked test” is my favorite crossword clue. Lots of things it could be but I immediately know the answer. It evokes such a strong feeling of dread.
Never ever have I heard "Okiedokie artichokie" here in the Pacific NW.
@v I’ve heard the “okiedokie” part in the Midwest, but never paired with artichokie.” Does anyone actually say this? Maybe just emus?
@Cherry Yes, kids and their caregivers and others who spend time with them say it all the time. I'm actually surprised that anyone hasn't heard it. It goes along with "See ya' later, alligator" and "After while, crocodile." Understand, rubberband?
@v I, too, have never heard the phrase "Okie-dokie, Artichokie", but I hear--and use--"Okey-dokey, Artichokey" all the time, especially when reassuring the Chef that I will prepare the antipasti platters by service.
I found this a little crunchier than your average Tuesday, but still fun. Got the theme with the revealer but still had to work to get DOOR BUSTER, not a phrase I’ve come across. But then, the whole Black Friday thing hasn’t really taken off over here. Sure, certain US based online retailers and the larger chain stores have tried to generate a sense of excitement over huge savings, but we’re frankly too polite for all that pushing and shoving. Love the clue for NANA, it’s refreshing to see a different take on the title. I got myself into a bit of a tizzy with the pig Latin. I knew how it sounded, sort of, but not how to spell it. My first attempt, ipnai, gave me dies for 66a. Sounded ok to me. I spluttered into my (now herbal) tea once I realised my error. In the words of one of British comedian Catherine Tate’s characters, ‘what am I like?’
@Helen Wright I don't know if the supposed politeness of the British is the primary factor in the absence of much Black Friday excitement over there. You see, here in the States, the day before Black Friday is a little holiday we call Thanksgiving, when everyone except those in critical infrastructure jobs like hospital and emergency workers are off. Many businesses, including schools and a lot of offices, give their workers the next day off as well because people like to travel for Thanksgiving, and even if they don't, they like to gorge themselves and not worry about work the next day. So with Friday a semi-holiday already, Black Friday developed organically as the "first official shopping day of the Christmas season" before anything was planned for the day. That couldn't happen anywhere else because everywhere else, that day is a regular work day. With the rise of e-commerce, Black Friday isn't the thing it was in the States just a few year ago, anyway. Plus, people got tired of going for an item "available in limited quantities" that was gone by 7 a.m. And since those were always TVs, how many TVs do you really need?
@Helen Wright Doorbusters precede Black Friday by decades, and not all Black Friday deals are door busters. Traditionally, they were extremely low prices offered on certain items for the first hour or two that the store was open, usually in limited amounts. They were meant to get women -- nearly all shoppers were women in those days -- in to the stores as soon as they opened. They were such great deals that women were "busting down the doors" to get to them.
@Helen Wright I’ve seen the “Peter Pan” clue for NANA many times in the archives—that’s the only reason I knew that answer. I enjoy seeing NANA clued as a grandmother, because that’s what we called my beloved (and long gone) maternal grandmother.
HOLDTHEAPPLAUSE (15 letters). Cute theme and another long workout for me. More than a few answers in this one that were never going to come to me from the clues, so just had to work the crosses in multiple places. Just made for a number of nice 'aha' moments and in the end an enjoyable solve. 21 letter answer that dawned on me today: ITSFUNTOSTAYATTHEYMCA Nope - never been in a puzzle, but the lead in was the clue for YMCA several times. And then, a search for HOLDTHE... phrases led me to a clever puzzle. I'll put that in a reply. ..
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: A Monday puzzle from March 23, 2020 by Edward Sessa. I must have done this one, but of course had completely forgotten it. Anyway... Three theme answers in that one - all of them appearing for the first and only time in any puzzle: One 13 letter: 20a. HOPELESSCAUSE And two fifteen letters: 25a. HOLDTHEAPPLAUSE 47a. HOWCOULDIREFUSE And then the 13 letter reveal: "It 'cannot stand' ... or a hint to 20-, 25- and 47-Across." AHOUSEDIVIDED Just thought that was an amazing piece of construction. I'm done. ..
Welcome back, Billy Bratton! Thanks for a chewier than usual Tuesday with a clever theme. I hope to see you back soon.
I was pretty ho-hum about this theme, even for a Tuesday, until I got to the end—Mayo Clinic really made this puzzle!
And now, Back to our regular programming, Already in progress. Note: The instructions below the comment box say: No comments yet. Be the first to comment. I've tried. Twice already. Here's the third attempt. Thanks, emus.
@Steve L Hey, TMD Sonoma Somewhere Where are you now? Emus got your tongue? — — — — — — — —
The Monday New Yorker, which had no theme at all and no connection to April Fool's Day, did have the clue "Debriefs?" for a similar answer. And that, my ARHAT-conspiracy friends, is what you call, in technical terms, a coincidence. (Second attempt here...the emus are working overtime tonight. Here's some extra filler:) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer gravida turpis sed orci laoreet, a pretium sapien pulvinar. Phasellus et ornare massa. Vivamus placerat sapien nec nisi bibendum laoreet. Sed non tellus at lacus tempus ullamcorper at eu libero. Fusce sodales sem quis blandit fermentum. Curabitur sem metus, luctus vel scelerisque in, fermentum vel magna. Nulla volutpat dolor vitae massa pulvinar, eget gravida enim congue. Quisque efficitur blandit nibh vel accumsan. Donec non nibh egestas, malesuada arcu laoreet, porta nisl.
Well, to quote Steve L, that’s a coincidence — or, in the words of dutchiris, a co-inky-dinky. Just one day after I suggested an idea for an April Fool’s Day Xword consisting entirely of Pig Latin answers, we get 51D. Hmm. Don’t know how to say “Emus Begone!” In Pig Latin. Anyone?
@Strudel Dad I remembered your comment when I read the clue! Any numbers coming to you today so I can play the lottery tomorrow? BTW, I had to google "no in pig latin" because I never understood the mechanics of it, or maybe just wasn't interested enough. That cross with Peter Pan's dog was my bane and last to fall.
The SW corner almost got me, since I took "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to be IDIOMs rather than song titles. (Of course, the fact that each word is capitalized is only apparent to me now.) So SIDEB meeting RADIOEDIT and MRROBOT did not come easily. Got this solved without help, but took me almost 15 minutes. Have never heard---and hope to never hear---"OKIEDOKIE artichokie." Cute enough theme, with "Hold the MAYO(CLINIC)" being my favorite.
@Xword Junkie Took me forever to get the B. Sneaky choice having it intersect CeeLo's song.
Loved the 'debriefed' clue. I was puzzled by the theme even after I had door, line, floor because 'Hold the mayo!' is a foreign concept to me. I still have no clue what a 'radio edit' is but I shall look it up.
@Andrew As a mayo-phobe this clue resonated with me!
So far both puzzles this week have been harder than usual (for me), with today's taking me four minutes above my Tuesday average. ELsA seemed pretty good to me for something I'd never heard of for 14A, I stuck with BSIDE for 57A, and also never heard of MRROBOT, so those all cost me time. At least I didn't have to contend with pictures in today's Connections!
A fun puzzle, I solved it without knowing what the theme was. Thank you, Sam, for revealing what I'd missed. I hope we don't have to wait so long for another puzzle by Bratton! Five stars!
Pretty much the only place "uey" is ever spelled "uei" is in the New York Times Crossword. Maybe it's time for constructors to give up on that spelling? I wouldn't have found it except by getting all the other words anyway, but at least I could have googled what it meant once I got it.
Multiple dictionaries show "U-ie", which would be written into a crossword as UIE. <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/u-ie" target="_blank">https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/u-ie</a> <a href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/u-ie" target="_blank">https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/u-ie</a>
Here in Detroit, Uies are often not No-nos but Must-musts; I can't even exit my apartment building without making one. Granted, that is onto a street, not a highway, but traveling along Woodward Ave. (M-1), or 8 Mile* (M-102) will often require one. Uies on *freeways* (such as I-375** or the Lodge [M-10]) are still verboten. *properly styled with the digit, not written out, as TIL. **America's shortest numbered interstate.
@Bill I'd agree. My wife grew up in Walled Lake, so when visiting her folks I got used to "Michigan lefts" on the major roads. For those unfamiliar, you turn right, then there's a road through the median to turn you around and send you back the other direction, usually all traffic light controlled. Orlando/Kissimmee as well, and besides Uies being allowed at traffic lights, there are cuts through the medians so you can get back to businesses on the opposite side of the street.
@Bill I live just off a four-lane state road, which requires me to pull a uey to enter or leave my development. I can always spot the Maryland drivers, because they tend to pull to the close side, rather than to the far side of the crossover, which gives an unrestricted view of oncoming traffic. It's a wonder there aren't more accidents.
Busy travel weekend concluded with the inevitable sleep deficit made this one a bit chewier than usual but a satisfying solve in the end. Many thanks. The 2D in today's Mini should be rewritten as "Difficult college chemistry class, bafflingly"
Fun theme for a Tuesday, here's my contribution: "Works the rope line." PRESSES THE FLESH Alternate clue for Wednesday: "Prepares Wiener schnitzel.'
Monday and Tuesday crossword puzzles are too difficult for those days
Very nice puzzle! I laughed when I got debriefed. All the holdems were great. Clues were clever. Lower right corner gave me the most trouble. When my brain finally wrapped around 55A...the rest all fell into place. Thank you Steve L and Linda for the explanation of CeeLo's song. I got the solve but didn't know the story of the song or the artist. So nice to learn new things! I had fun today. Ready for Wednesday, my favorite NYT puzzle day.
I got a chuckle when I was reading out the theme and got to "Hold the MAYO" lmao
The timing of 43A was particularly apt, as I was just writing these very words on some of the exams I am returning to my students today. Fun puzzle!
Got stuck at one wrong letter. As a foreigner, I always forget the rules to Pig Latin - But IXNIX sounded vaguely Latin. Would've made for Checks out: EXES. But I guess that's more aptly described as "Checks off" Very pleasurable solve, nonetheless
@Bruno Seja bem-vindo! ;-) I made exactly the same mistake, not knowing pig latin and also thinking "exes" could relate to check marks. I had to google "no in pig latin," all the while thinking, "Really? I'm googling 'no in pig latin'" ??? How low can you go? LOL.
@Bruno ok, basic rules of Pig Latin. Move the first letter (or letter cluster) to the end Add "ay" So my name become Amesjay Urrancay. However, the clue is a special case, since to only times I've hear people use "nix" to mean "no" is when it's translated into Pig Latin.
I'm terrible at pig latin. That was my last fill.
Great puzzle. I pictured Michael CAINE, but my brain mixed him up with Michael pAlin, which slowed down that corner for a long time 🤦🏼♂️
Fun theme and nice AHA moment when I saw how “HOLD THE” worked, but I agree with most of the comments that it was not a Tuesday puzzle.
I found this to be fairly quick and fun early morning (1 a.m.) solve, even after struggling with finishing my partial-year Wisconsin tax return (ouch). Some brief challenges, overcome by crosses made things interesting, and the revealer made the theme clear. Thanks, Billy, and nice to see your work again.
Not my favorite theme type, though HOLD THE MAYO was cute. But you needn't pay any attention to the theme, and for a Tuesday, it was fine. You won't find me anywhere near a store on Black Friday, so I really don't know what a DOOR BUSTER is. I imagine that I'd be more far likely to be busted than the door which is why I stay away. Some puzzles give rise to interesting comments. This isn't one of them -- at least not for me. I have nothing else to say about it.
The appreciation of a crossword's cluing is highly subjective, but for me, this one worked. It was tricky enough that I had to leave the puzzle and come back to it later (the Deb Amlen approach), but well within my sphere of familiarity to complete without lookups. In the middle of the night with insomnia (even the caffeine in one small cup of decaf tea is too much for me after 2pm) I had filled 16A with asKED. Just now I smiled when the NAKED truth of 16A was revealed to me after I completed 9D.
I was stuck at the end with SEES instead of EYES in the bottom. Nothing actually felt wrong with the downs, the only difference being IXNAE for IXNAY and EINS for EINE, which both felt like they could be alternate spellings.
@Brynn I know very little German, but one thing I have learned from crosswords is that EINS is the counting number one, and EINE is the indefinite article. Also, Mozart’s EINE kleine Nachtmusik is translated A Little Night Music. Hope this helps for next time!
@Steve L As I understand it, Germans don't distinguish between "a" and "one". The difference is among gender and case (Masc, Nominative: ein, Genitive:eines: Feminine, Nom: eine, Gen: einer)
Can we have some standard on how UIES is going to be spelled? Emus prefer to spell UMES.
@Joe I doubt it, but it does always throw me for a loop.
@Joe I vote for UEE being the most common spelling (but it’s still a made up word) That said, if it’s going to keep making the rounds and be spelled however one feels like spelling it, then I’m going to push for EWEE or EWEY.. which would at least make me smile about it :) 🌼🍄 🐑🐏🐑🐏🐑🐏
Finally finished Saturdays puzzle! Love the hard stuff occasionally - which might explain why it took three days.