Northwest was a struggle for me, but I was delighted when I came up with maestro. I'm still absolutely terrible at crosswords but the question mark clues are starting to come to me more easily.
When I eat chocolate in math class, I fudge the numbers. (I'll have to fix them on sundae.)
@Mike I suspect that in spelling class you are a catrastoffee
@Mike There could be a split decision on whether you should be top banana or in a jam—it's a nutty situation. You don't need to by syruptitious about it, but you needn't get saucy.
It took 4 minutes to solve most of the puzzle, and another 4 minutes for the NW corner alone. I mean MILKSOP and ARCTICS crossing CROCE and SOPOR? C'mon! 90 percent Monday level 10 per cent Saturday level
I've never encountered SOPOR as a noun before, only soporific as an adjective. Apparently, in addition to being a regular noun, it was also a brand name for methaqualone, also known as Quaalude.
The title of the wife of a Russian sovereign or a female sovereign was Tsaritsa until 1721, when it was changed to Imperatritsa (“empress”). Catherine was on the throne from 1762-1796. Tsarina is an English portmanteau word cobbled together from Russian tsar and Latin regina.
@Fact Boy I'd heard a different story for the origin of the English word "tsarina": that it was a double-feminization via German. That is: the Germans used the feminine form "tsarin" for a Russian empress just as they would have used the word "kaiserin" for their own empress, and then English speakers took that German word and tacked on the English feminine ending "-a". I wonder which of those etymologies is correct.
@Fact Boy Wherever it comes from it's a spectacular word and I'm so pleased that I now know it!
Not american so it may be a more common term in America. But ARTICS? Even searching the term doesn't really come up with much, apart from cold weather boots. Seems like an odd clue.
@Allan agreed, the closest thing I could find was a model name for an insulated cycling shoe. Which is sort of related but doesn’t seem to quite fit.
@Allan 70-year-old American here. I had never heard of Arctics. Figured the answer was "rubbers"
@Allan galoshes yes, arctics no. Never heard this even once. Weird clue.
Even after solving crosswords for the greater part of five decades now, I still learn new things every day. Today I learned, for example, that there's a famous bassist named EDGAR Mayer, but I didn't know whether it was a Paul McCartney type bass (guitar) or a bluegrass/rockabilly/classical bass (violin) (it was the latter). But apparently, some others knew who he was and were fans of his music. I also learned the word ARCTICS as a type of overshoe. However, 17 hours after the puzzle dropped and 165 comments made, I don't see one person claiming to have known that word before this puzzle. And there were a lot of people who specifically pointed out they didn't. And of course, someone provided a dictionary definition, which makes it legit, although that person didn't claim to have known the word beforehand. But the crosses were all easy (assuming you knew CROCE, who was big when I was little, and SOPOR, which you could infer from "soporific" if you didn't know it already). And face it, even if you had trouble with those two, what else was ARCTI-- going to be? Still, I found it telling that no one seems to have professed to knowing ARCTICS before the puzzle. Telling what, I'm still not sure.
@Steve L Count me in the camp of never having heard of ARCTICS before this puzzle. As well as of having attempted "rubbers" in there when "galoshes" didn't fit. And I certainly haven't read most of the comments here! But your note "17 hours after the puzzle dropped ... I don't see one person claiming to have known that word before this puzzle" caught my eye. I must give credit to Gary K., who noted that his grandmother used the term! His comment was very early on, when I read through about 80 posts last night: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/3usme6?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/3usme6?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share</a>
@Steve L You missed the person who said their grandmother called them that (pronounced as ARTICS), though maybe even they only remembered after getting it from the crosses. Hands up for THEY as a neuter singular pronoun. It only took about a century for singular YOU to catch on. (See Abigail Adams writing "you was..." in a letter.)
Someone cited an elderly aunt from upstate NY having used the word for winter overshoes. I'll see if I can track that down. But, as you'se say, that may have been the only cite.
I found the northwest corner to be quite challenging, and almost dropped an “F” bomb. Luckily there were sweeter alternatives at play today. A fun and fast paced Wednesday!
@ESB when I got the O in 1D, I figured it had to be oreO. I mean, what else would you stockpile? :) Submitted 4/7 @07:31pm pdt - just tracking how long this'll take to show up.
@ESB I also found the northwest to be oddly challenging compared to the ease of the rest of the puzzle. I had never heard of ARCTICS or MILKSOP and I had a hard time remembering SOPOR. Plus I had elEcTRO for a long time, thinking it was a reference to a Marvel character. Once ODS finally came to mind the rest started to fall into place. But yes, challenging!
For those like me worried about a missing, crucial ingredient, not to worry: 24A. (first letter) 47A. (last letter) 48A. (last letter) 54A. (third letter) 61A. (last letter) 66A. (middle letter) Like any good fudge, WALNUT is had in every block.
A couple of those Northwest entries made me smile. My grandmother — born in Buffalo in the 1890s — always used the word "arctics," but I'm pretty sure she didn't know it had two c's. As for "milksop," I once played a tiny part in "Much Ado," whose best line was "Boys, apes, braggarts, jacks, milksops!"
@Gary K Thinking that the word is "ARTIC" would definitely cause problems guessing that puzzle answer! I hear people say "artic" and "antartic" all the time. Drives me crazy!
Just once, I’d like to finish a puzzle in record time (as I did today), and see other puzzlers commenting how hard it was. :) Fun puzzle today. Like others, never heard of Arctics but pretty easy to solve around it.
What are ARCTICS? Otherwise, super easy (but still enjoyable) Wednesday puzzle! Alert 🚨 REUTERS: I’m going to be a Glamma for the first time! My son, who did his graduate studies at GEORGEMASON, and his wife are expecting a baby! She’s PREGGO and they are expecting me to leave Europe to take care of the tot. Mixed feelings. Maybe I can whip up some FUDGE and eat my feelings. Seems like only yesterday when my son was doing SATPREP. This puzzle was definitely an EASYA — LATER! ✌🏾
@Pani Korunova Congratulations! When our youngest moved far away for grad school, my husband got a credit card that gives us airplane miles and uses it to pay for everything, pretty much. So we can pop over and see him without having a to pay for a flight. It’s made him feel so much closer, and he loves that he can fly home on a whim, as well! I know it’s not “news” but we were surprised what a difference it made. When is baby due?
@Pani Korunova A Glamma, now, really? Amazing how many alternatives have popped up in recent years to permit people with two generations after them to avoid using the word Grandma (and perhaps Grandpa)! Congrats anyway! If we're waiting for our children to give us grandkids, we're going to need a lot of patience!
@Steve L It’s a working title because I think I’m too cool for the moniker of Grandma! Thanks 😊
"Only, he didn't say FUDGE"! It's the Lifebuoy for you Ralphie! Cute puzzle. Thanks.
@John TEEHEE! Our mom preferred a switch from the hedge, or one of dad's belts. Ralphie got off lightly!
@John @MOL Poor Schwartz gets the blame and the beating! Of course, poor Ralphie could have gone blind from the Lifebuoy! It it... it was... soap poisoning... 😭😎😭
HeathieJ and MOL, Our daughters have 2 favorite lines from the movie. "Soap Poisoning" is #2. The favorite line is when Ralphie's mother (does she have a name?) inquires of Mrs. Schwartz where Ralphie could possibly have picked up such a nasty word. Mrs. Schwartz replies, quite assuredly, "From his father!" At that point everyone in the room looks at me. Could not possibly say why. :)
Some awkward stuff (sopor, soli?), but it’s nice to see an “easy a” Wednesday every now and then.
Apparently, I think there's a city in Florida called COCOA BEAns. Full disclosure: I'd totally go there on our next vacation if it existed. Mmmm, cocoaaaa!! That and CZARIst instead of CZARINA briefly slowed me down but otherwise a smooth solve. Figuring the theme early helped, especially with VANILLA ICE... I may not know my rappers but I know my fudge! And with two LYES in two days (I think, or at least in one week), I'm just glad the revealer wasn't, "Oh, lutefisk!" I will never be Minnesotan enough for that jazz! Sweet puzzle! As enjoyable as a sliver of fudge... Only add walnuts to mine, please! It's raining fudge, hallelujah!!
As someone from Alaska I can confirm that nobody calls overshoes ARCTICS. That is a new term for me, and most it seems. If one does wear those rubber coverings for shoes they would call them galoshes.
Like many, I was feeling pretty impressed with myself until I got stuck in the NW corner. It felt good to get outta there with no lookups.
@Swift We got stuck in the NE..
Never cared much for fudge, its oiliness and sludgy texture, even a good rich deeply chocolate slab, a bit too rich and heavy for me. I'm always tempted to reach for my mason jar and sprinkle in some stuff to make the dessert a little less inert, give it more "oof," if you will, and will help you sleep better, if not in a stupor at least in a sopor. But in this puzzle's landscape, it's best to be a little paranoid and stick to the recipe. The NSA is about, and if not them, then NASA, or maybe the FBI (represented here by "Edgar" as in J. Edgar Hoover), too. "I see you" is more a threat and a warning than a statement from them. Or they may simply raid you. And at that point you better A) have plenty of ammo or better yet, B) Boo-gee. As in, "I see you...later!" Sooner or later you'll be forced to fess up. And don't start with that "I thought I was growing fiddlehead ferns" line. They've heard the soli from that opera. Those lyes will only make them loch you up quicker, and in one of the uglier prewar hulking jails, not some modern facility where you could do SAT prep for the younger inmates. So I guess that means your fudge will be PG rated here in this. Oh fudge! On a related note, in November 2019 Reuters reported that Trump appointed Kellyanne Conway as "Drug Czarina" to oversee government response to the opioid crisis. Or is that an alternative fact?
Weird puzzle. Super easy aside from the northwest corner, which was just silly. SOPOR crossing with ARCTICS and MILKSOP? Come on. I just had to try random letters until it hit.
Cody, Some Wednesdays are even-tempered, some are not. From field reports, this one seems to have been mostly Tuesday with a touch of Friday. And for the weekend outlook...
I am not normally a member of the grammar police as it is obvious that languages change and I do appreciate some new idiomatic usages. But….Sam’s column is the second time this week that I have encountered a reference to “acceding to a throne”. To accede to something is to yield, as to a point of view, or to accept, as to correction but has nothing to do with rising in rank. The correct term would be either “ascend to the throne” as a rise in stature by your own effort or “succeed to the throne” because you are next in the hereditary line of succession. Since in this case, Catherine held the rank of Tsarina as the wife of a Tsar and not as a part of the regular line of succession, the correct term would be ascended. Especially since she ascended to the throne as a result of a coup which she headed.
Not sure why the emus are holding up my first reply. There may be errors in the column from time to time, but Sam is correct here. Accede has more than one meaning. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accede" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accede</a> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
@Barry Ancona. Notice how every variation cited by Miriam-Webster includes the sense of a passive yielding to circumstance. Now this might be the case for some when due to inherit a heavy load, but it certainly is inappropriate to Catherine who seized control of an empire and ruled with zest for almost 35 years. She definitely ascended!
Sweet theme, pretty quick solve. I didn’t have to fudge any of the answers. Never heard of ARCTICS before. Live and learn. It’s nice to see Edgar Meyer grace the puzzle with his presence. Although I generally associate him with bluegrass or newgrass music, he’s very versatile and plays seamlessly in a variety of genres.
@Marshall Walthew Thanks for mentioning that. I saw that clue and had no idea what the answer was. I ended up with the crosses filling it in. But I do know of Mr. Meyer from his work with Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, et al.
@Marshall Walthew I, too, was thrilled to see EDGAR Meyer in the puzzle! I went to school with his wife and have played with him several times. What he is able to do on the bass leaves me awestruck! He plays the bass with a facility that makes one imagine he's actually playing a violin. Also loved seeing MAESTRO, OPERA, and SOLI in the puzzle. Ha! At first I tried Karajan for superconductor... but I realized that was a bit too obscure for a Wednesday. The concept of MAESTRO as a superconductor made chuckle, because in rehearsal we tend to address all conductors as "Maestro" whether they are "super" or not. And ARCTICS??? That definitely left me scratching my head!
Weirdly, the blue bar that normally links me to the comments section no longer shows up on my phone (since Sunday). I thought maybe the comments section was closed for some reason. Today I realized if I click on the tiny speech bubble at the top of the column it will bring me here. Huh. I had a little trouble in the NW corner... put in "rubbers" first and then "dickies". It wasn't until I got the revealer (OH.... FUDGE!) and all the other ingredients that I realized milk was missing, which enabled me to finish under my average Wed time. MILKSOP, ARTICS, and CROCE were all unknowns to me. I'm not a fan of fudge, but I am a fan of this puzzle! 😊
@Janine I had a very similar experience to yours, except I do know very well who Jim Croce is, and I really wanted to squeeze in galoches. But, yes, it was the missing MILK that broke the NW open for me, and TIL ARCTICS and MILKSOP. OOF!
@Janine I hadn’t noticed it until you mentioned it, but I also am missing the blue bar on my phone as well. Collateral damage of a software update? No comment.
@Janine i am also missing the blue comment bar. I thought you had all disappeared! 😮 I think the emus did it.
Catching on to the theme got me VANILLA ICE right away. Sweet puzzle. Half expected a themer like WEED WACKER or BUD ABBOTT. Confidential to Sotto Voce: Your tutelage paid off--I solved it on my own. Now I know how Alan Turing felt when he created computer games!
@ad absurdum Oh, that's wonderful news! It's formulaic, isn't it? And once you crack it, you're on a roll. (Now watch Sam throw us a wicked curveball, he he...) P.S. I wonder if Turing felt anything... I imagine him as an intellectual machine, propelled by genius, with a constant clicking of the mind that would leave little room for emotion? At least that's the impression the movie gave me, but it's possible it's just how he was portrayed and not at all true to life.
Ah yes, MILKSOP! I think I remember hearing my 300 yr old British friend use that in a sentence once. Side note: isn’t it odd how we attribute value to new words learned based on their potential usefulness to us in the future? Quite often I’ll be confronted with a new bit of trivia and think “oh that’s good, I’ll have to remember this!” Whereas I see milksop and think “I will never see this word again.” The irony is that it’s left such a strong impression, I know I’ll never forget it now!
I enjoyed the puzzle! Today's Strands is a challenge.
@Call Me Al It is. And one word really threw me. Didn’t seem to fit the theme. Can you covertly explain it for me? It was 5 letters… …
COCOA BEACH! Years of watching “I Dream of Jeannie” pays off at last. Sweet puzzle! (I’m more partial to the peanut butter variety.) A little more on the Tuesday-ish level, no?
This was a Wednesday for the people who thought Tuesday was Wednesday-ish. Did the emus eat the blue links?
@James Morgan I was born there, then didn’t return for 40 years. Fun to see it here! Strangely, despite watching I Dream of Jeannie every chance I got growing up and having maybe my first crush ever on Barbara Eden, I never realized it was set in my place of origin.
@James Morgan For me, it was having read The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe. Those astronauts had a pretty good time down there.
With apologies - late post unrelated to today's puzzle or even puzzles in general, but I thought it might be of interest to those of us fascinated by words and spelling. Just some odd rhyme/ non-rhyme sequences of words that dawned on me. Here goes: term, firm, worm, form, warm, farm. All the words begin with a consonant and then have the same pattern - Three different vowels in the first three, all ending in RM, but they all rhyme. And then the same vowel in worm and form, but they don't rhyme. And then... two different vowels in form and warm, but they rhyme. And then... the same syllable in warm and farm, but... they don't rhyme. Might do some more pondering about this kind of thing. Feel free to join in if you're so inclined. Sorry for this if it's not of interest to anyone. I'm done. ..
@Rich in Atlanta I enjoyed this! And read the words out loud. I spent a lot of time last week thinking about how colonel has no R thanks to the bee.
I see we're going to the dark side today… I thought we were supposed to do that last Saturday. I miss getting the free samples at the Jelly Belly warehouse back in Kenosha (they sold it and moved to someplace in TN). Second favorite spot was Mackinac Island when visiting the Upper Peninsula. Oh well, I kinda have to stay off of that stuff these days. The puzzle was sweet (literally). Except for a couple of BUTTERFINGERS moments I didn't have to redo anything. Was going to go outside my apartment to see the flame from the rocket launch today, but it got scrubbed until at least Friday—maybe I'll drive the hour over to COCOA BEACH and watch one from there one of these days. Thanks for the sugar high, Michael!
@JayTee Mackinac Island fudge is the best! I never made it to the Jelly Belly factory (though I’m from WI). I miss the Albanese Candy Factory in Merrillvillle, IN. Best gummies in the world and when you buy them fresh … Yum! 😋
@JayTee I used to be a yooper (Iron Mountain). I was just thinking about Mackinac island a couple of days ago and hoping I could get back up there one of these days. Nice coincidence. ..
As a 30 year Cocoa Beach resident I was thrilled to see my town in the puzzle today. I’m wondering if this is its debut. Oh and there is a launch at 11 am today.
@John M Have enjoyed a few visits to Cocoa Beach, though sadly not recently. My late best friend and his wife took a flat there every winter and my GF and I would go down to visit. She and I stayed a few nights at a quirky hotel there called Fawlty Towers. A unique experience.
@John M Seems it has only appeared one other time since you moved there, that was 6/2/1997. Prior to that only three other times in the early sixties. Enjoy its appearance today, it may be a wait before it appears again… — — — — — — — — — — — —
@John M As a resident of Palo Alto, I know how you feel. My town was in the puzzle yesterday!
Another PB making this the second one this week. Not expecting that as PBs are infrequent these days. A nice surprise.
@Jim Even more surprising since I had to rip out “rubbers” and had never heard of ARCTICS. Or MILKSOP. Emu repellent.
Lots of complaints about arctic and I agree since I never have seen that usage in my long life. But still, praise for the crossword since the crosses made it possible for there to be only one anwer. In my mind, that's the way it's supposed to work - if there's a word usage that very few people have encountered, make it possible for the learning to happen. As an aside, if it indeed a description of a boot used in arctic climates, waterproof is a real clunker. There's little if no water there, only snow and ice.
@festy - Have you been to the arctic only in the winter? It is very, very wet in the summer. Horrendous swarms of black flies, mosquitos, and other biting things whose larvae thrive in the ever-present water. It would be best to wear your arctics if you go there in summer.
Just this morning I learned of Jim CROCE after one of his songs came on my “Dad’s Favourites” playlist. I asked him, how’s that pronounced? Craw-chi? Crotch? Cross? Thanks to Baader-Meinhof for that timing.
@Julia I’ve always heard it as “Crow-chee,” with the stress on the first syllable. His records were among the first albums I ever bought.
@Julia I've always heard it like Eric posted: Crow-chee. Here's a fun one that doesn't get as much airplay as some of his others: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx0B6wEM82s" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx0B6wEM82s</a>
I'm pretty sure Wednesday's puzzle has a PB time for me. Three great puzzles in a row! And nearly cheatless! (I had 'Wally Loman' instead of Willy Loman on Tuesdays.) I also want to report an odd problem. The comments sections don't load right away. I have to hit refresh, which then brings the comments up. I noticed others were complaining of irregularities, some update might need a fix? Anyway, great puzzles of late!
@Joan Record Wednesday solve time for me, too! Congrats! (Click on Statistics in the top left menu to see your best, most recent, and average Crossword scores for each day.)
A cry from under a sheet had so much potential. I found boo to be something of a let down.
@kevin So, sometimes a fast solve (when the crosses fill in so much) means we miss some of the fun. Now that I have checked the clue for BOO, I have a case of the TEEHEEs. How right you are!
@kevin Yessssssss, when I first saw that I thought: Oh boy! There's going to be some pearl clutching in the comments today! 😁 Turns out, not so much! But what a provocative clue! BOO emus, BOO!
@kevin I wanted it to be BYE, as in, "Have a good day at work, honey, I'm going back to sleep."
I've never heard of 1A's....GALOSHES, yes. Maybe it is regional? You don't hear 17A very much any more; I'm at a loss to tell how I knew it--or Jim CROCE, either. But having lived near CLE for so long, of course I knew Warren of undying fame! "EMIL and the Detectives"--1929 novel...SRSLY? I have read more than my share of Mary Roberts Rinehart, for example--but i've never heard of this book. (BTW, the "Tish" stories are really fun.) Now I see it was a children's book, so.... We don't get SHO. I spell the giggle TEEHEE; hate seeing TEHEE. OOF! Didn't know the bassist (still don't) but EDGAR Rice Burroughs, now....ah, yes. _Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar_ was his best, IMHO. Isn't URIAH Heep just The Best Name for a wormy MILKSOP? Dickens sure knew how to name his characters.. Mr. PalaceFortress delivers another good one!
@Mean Old Lady SHO is the usual abbreviation for the cable channel Showtime in most program listings. It has appeared 105 times, with the first reference to the network in 1997, before which it was clued with the cringeworthy "___ nuff" most of the time. Since that first network reference, it has only been clued the other way 10 times (out of 73), but amazingly, the "nuff" way was last used in 2020!
Like many here, Arctics was the last to fall for me. When I first moved to Florida, I soon learned that hiking here almost always includes some wading. Bought a pair of rubber hunting boots from Bass Pro Shops, soon found out that they were not the answer. Too hot and often water is deeper than the boot. Shifted to low-cut non-waterproof, breathable trail shoes. Your feet are going to get wet here. But it's not like you are wading in an icy stream. Relax and air out your feet at night or on the drive home.
Fun puzzle! I love it when there is a recipe. I think a previous one was for guacamole. Thanks
Sam, you were nice to provide us a link to a dictionary definition of ARCTICS, but, sorry, I'm still not buying it. ARTICBOOTCOVERS are a thing, and ARCTICSSHIELD is a brand that makes 'em, but of course neither of these fits the available space. Maybe somebody somewhere a long time ago used the term ARCTICS to refer to overshoes or galoshes or rubbers; if so, the clue should have indicated a colloquial or archaic usage. As it is, the opening salvo is needlessly obscure, and spoils what was otherwise sweet little puzzle. But then I never could make good fudge -- mine always turns out grainy. Sad!
Anna, I have never heard ARCTIC used as a noun either, but since the M-W cite Sam provided in the link does not call it colloquial or archaic, I don't see any reason the puzzle clue should. It is, it seems, a real word you and I never met before. And how does one answer not known from the clue but easily filled from crosses spoil a crossword puzzle? Isn't that the essence of a crossword puzzle?
ARCTI _ _ crossing _ ROCE and _ OPOR looked for a moment like a Natick, until the only reasonable pair of possible letters leapt out. Always gives me a sense of satisfaction when that happens.
Fun !!! & funny!!! Definitely a Creative puzzle. Thanks
Where did the blue comment bar go … and why? Despite not knowing several answers in this one … ARCTICS, MILKSOP, SOPOR, URIAH, or SPAHN, I somehow managed to create a four-day streak and solved in 8:29 faster than my average! Whoo-hoo! In fact, all of my puzzles have been below my average this week! That makes me nervous for tomorrow! 😬
I know that this isn't a forum for Strands, but how is that wonderful fried pork strip that we eat a number?
Joe, Not sure whether it would be a spoiler to be more specific, so I'll just say "look it up." The first hit will explain it. .....
@Joe I think it's referring to your Kevin Bacon number or however many people are between a person and Kevin Bacon. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon is a little game where you try to connect two celebrities/actors through media they've been in together. The Bacon number is the shortest possible route. I assume it's named for him because he's particularly ubiquitous.
@Joe <a href="https://oracleofbacon.org" target="_blank">https://oracleofbacon.org</a>/ I actually use this quite a lot when I’m trying to remember the name of a movie and I can recall two members of the cast. I even have it bookmarked.
When I started playing bass (over 30 years ago 👨🦳), I somehow acquired, along with my baseball cards, comic book character cards, and Garbage Pail Kids, a (bass) playing card featuring Edgar Meyer. It didn't seem as exciting at the time as a ninja turtle or Jose Conseco, but while most of those other cards are long gone, I still have Meyer's.
A bunch of guys from my Army unit were sent to Fort Richardson, Alaska, for winter warfare training. Among the gear they were issued was a pair of big, white, overboots, that had a valve on the side to accept an air hose. Naturally, they were called Mickey Mouse boots, but I'm sure ARCTIC is in the official nomenclature. I therefore declare 1A valid. MILKSOP, on the other hand, strikes me more as a mama's boy than a coward. Unlikely ti be snowshoeing across the frozen tundra towing a sled full of gear.
@Grant Your interesting comment about these military boots and particularly the air valves in them sent me down a bit of a snowshoe hare hole. The big white ones were nicknamed “Bunny Boots” (after that exact hare) but had the official name Extreme Cold Vapor Barrier Boots Type-II and rated to -65 F. The cousin of these boots are black, not quite as cold resistant (only -20 F) and were nicknamed “Mickey Mouse Boots “ for obvious reasons. And the air valves? Not at all for introducing air, but rather to be opened “only when airborne” on unpressurized cargo planes to keep them from exploding! Saw nothing about ARCTICS, though. See: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y4npzd6j" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/y4npzd6j</a>
New Wednesday record for me! Never heard the term ARCTICS for overshoes, but easy enough to figure out from the crossings. I saw EDGAR Meyer perform in a wonderful concert with Yo-Yo Ma and Marc O'Connor about 25 years ago in Berkeley. They played selections from "Appalachian Journey". My favorite from that album is "Indecision". A string on Ma's cello broke near the end of that piece; I saw it catch the light as it snapped. He kept right on playing, only leaving the stage to replace it at the end of the piece. Great moment to experience.
@Pax Ahimsa Gethen I definitely only got Edgar because of the neighboring clues. I’ve never heard of them mostly because I know few classical bassists - I’m more a pop / rock bass lover (Roger waters, guy Pratt, Kim deal, Adam Clayton, Michael Dempsey, Peter hook, Kathy Valentine, sting, wyman, entwhistle, George…)
A fun and approachable Monday puzzle! I am pleased that there are not several hundred postings objecting to INERT as clued. Progress may be being made! EMUs know puzzles are not textbooks.