Okay, I guess it's been too long a day. When I read the clue [How many TV hosts are dressed], my first thought was, "All of them, I think." Of course, we never know what the situation is under the anchor desk.
@Pezhead Crack me up!! 😆😆🤣🤣 Mark
@Pezhead I used to work at a tv news station. In the summer months, the male anchors would be wearing suit jackets on top, and shorts underneath. A technique office workers everywhere would become familiar with when Covid hit. You don't need to wear pants! TRALALA!
@Pezhead A perfectly suitable assumption, given the phrasing.
@Pezhead wins the internet today! Well played.
NYT keeps clueing “nae” as some variety of “Scottish denial”, today it’s “Dundee denial”. In Scots, “nae” is only used in place of no where it’s used to express a quantity. When used as a denial the word is “naw”. As in “huv ye goat ony bananas in the day?” [have you got any bananas in today?] “Naw, we’ve goat nae bananas at aw” [no, we’ve got no bananas at all]. While in English the two versions are the same word, in Scots, and by extension in the hybrid Scots/English spoken in Dundee and other places, they are two different words and nobody would respond to a yes/no question with “nae”.
@Dougie Here's one for you from this side of the pond. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QqkrIDeTeA" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QqkrIDeTeA</a>
@Dougie On our first trip to Scotland, we learned a phrase that has become a favorite of ours: "He has nae patter." (No small talk)
I knew the subject of 40D when he was still Second Lieutenant Underpants. I hear he was short-listed for Defense Secretary.
@ad absurdum Too bad he didn't make it
Creating a flag is a banner achievement. (Especially when it's in pole position.)
@Mike High fashion in the flapper era. Old T-shirts became the cat's pajamas.
@Mike I’m glad to see you keeping up your standards (and not flagging), I salute you!
Mike, For a pun so off colors, you should do pennants.
An Art of the State puzzle! Great fun, with clues that were all a little tilted to keep us guessing enough to make it challenging. Thanks, Todd Gross. Now that you're back on track, don't stay away so long.
@dutchiris I’m sure you’re watching the Warriors game. Hope you caught the Klay tribute 🥲
I instantly thought of these other one star reviews: <a href="https://mymodernmet.com/national-park-review-posters-amber-share" target="_blank">https://mymodernmet.com/national-park-review-posters-amber-share</a>/
@Cat Lady Margaret I did not know of these, so thanks for the link. They are terrific.
@Cat Lady Margaret Yes! We are staying at Zion NP this week and I was just leaving thru our copy of Sub Par Parks!
@Cat Lady Margaret I’d seen those before and thought I had shown them to my husband, but he didn’t remember them. But he absolutely howled over them (we’ve been to about half those parks, maybe more). Thanks!
Cat Lady Margaret, What Vaer said, with an additional “still laughing.”
@Cat Lady Margaret Oh amazing! Reminds me of when I was at the North Shore of Lake Superior, and a couple of yuppies had rented the cabin next to us. Upon arrival, they asked us for the password to the wi-fi. We simply had no idea what to say to them. They ended up leaving early because they saw a mouse. (This was at the lovely Lamb's Resort in Schroeder MN, which has small comfy cabins, some of which are almost 100 years old and made of actual logs. No cell service. Five stars.)
@Cat Lady Margaret This was my first thought, too! I'm sorry; I didn't see your post until someone else pointed it out! I love these!
I can reassure Sam that a lot of her foreign solvership will be aware of the Grand Canyon, that Alaska's in the north and Georgia's always on my mind. Philadelphia-based snack brands not so much...
@Steve Hanover, PA-based snack brand. And excellent potato chips. I think you guys call them crisps?
@Steve it’s all about the Utz extra dark “Specials” which are sourdough pretzels that are baked just short of burnt. Addicting.
While I’m usually the first one to complain about a puzzle being inaccessible for us non-US solvers, I found this one to be absolutely lovely, with clues being, at least in my opinion, general knowledge also globally. Only when I solved the first part of the revealer did I realise the puzzle has yet another level to it, and I love it all the more for that. A pleasure,overall!
@Sonja Right? I'm sooo with you on this! This is what a perfect foreigner-friendly American crossword looks like 👍🏾
An important day for the world! Or, you know, just me. I finally got to a 200-day streak. I needed an alphabet run for the SAGUARO/NYRO crossing, but that doesn't count as cheating in my version of the game. The next big goal: a 365-day streak. Interestingly, I've been to all the states mentioned today (my ratings of them would be quite different though).
I’m reminded of a fun fact we learned from a crossword puzzle a few years back. The state flag of ALASKA, which has eight gold STARS in the shape of the Big Dipper, was designed by a 13-year old living in an orphanage. Fun with flags! I get why Sheldon Cooper was so fascinated. I will probably go down a rabbit hole later today reading about state flags. And this is why I love crossword puzzles. You learn so much. Thanks, Todd.
Six years ago, Todd came up with one of my favorite grid designs of all times – one that feels to me like it’s floating – worth a look, IMO: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/daily/2016/06/18" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/daily/2016/06/18</a> . I love his creativity in coming up with today’s theme, equating state flag stars with review stars. That is one wacky brilliant leap. Regarding the fill-in, getting the states from their clues seemed easy to me, but there were plenty of answers that took plenty of crosses as well, and it took a while for me to crack what the theme was – and when I finally did, it was a sweet moment of “Hah!” and “Oh how clever!” Clues for the task of ironing often are punny (playing on words like “pressing” and “decrease”), but Todd, with [Working on a board, perhaps], came up with a terrific never-done-before one. Bravo on that! I also liked the PuzzPair© of SAGUARO and a backward ALIG, because both can be found in the Sonoran Desert. This puzzle drew me right in and when I was through I had that “This is why I love doing crosswords” feeling. Thank you so much for making this, Todd!
BTW, I noticed that long-time constructor/editor Ian Livengood made recent mini puzzles, then researched a bit more and found out that he is now on the Times crossword editing staff. This was news to me. I don't know when he joined the team, but what a quality addition. Glad to see you and welcome aboard, Ian!
"That's so mean and so unfair, Todd," I'm thinking. "What did ARIZONA ever do to you?" Then it occurred to me: "But what if it's flag has only one star?" And there it was right next door. The revealer. FLAGS. Hey, how many stars does the flag of GEORGIA have anyway? Too many to count -- at least for lazy ol' me. This is a very cute idea for a puzzle and the cluing is quite playful. It's also very clean with a minimum of names. It's a puzzle I'd give to a newbie solver who I wanted to come back for more puzzles in the future. It's not hard and it gets even easier once you catch on. But it's breezy and a lot of fun. Nice job.
Well, I hope we don’t have to wait another 5 years for a puzzle from Todd. This was a lot of fun and just right for a Wednesday.
I couldn’t be gladder. After weeks in the nadirs, during which they made no sense, I attained a longed for goal. I glommed on to a puzzle theme! Oh my stars, what a state I’m in! Hoo-Rah! I am the Altair, the prima donna, the Ramses I of puzzledom. Ok sure, zip it, enough tralala already, the emu implies. It was an easy one. Let it rest. Methinks the lady, she fusses too much. The beastie is now giving me the Silent T(reatment). But even Cruella couldn’t ruin my day today.
As I was filling in 2D, I got the thought that maybe a better clue might have been [Change one's Waze?]. Recalculating...
Just came here to see if anyone else was unfamiliar with "Sydneysider". It's legit; I'd just never heard it before. And as an Arizona resident, I have to issue an "harrumph!" about the single star rating. But thanks for mentioning the saguaro!
@S Godwin Yep, never heard of a Sydneysider. Must be an Australian thing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@S Godwin Thank you for that. I do my best to avoid googling and you saved the day Godwin. Good luck tomorrow!
@S Godwin Sydney Sider was new to me too. I’ve been reading all the Phryne Fisher novels (by the Australian writer Kerry Greenwood), and I’ve come across SO many interesting Aussie terms, but so far not Sydney Sider. Still have 5 more to go though, so it will be interesting if it comes up
I picked up on the stately theme easily enough, although, having no great familiarity with STATE FLAGS, I wasn’t aided by the number of stars in the ratings. I did eventually guess that the ratings corresponded to the number of stars on the respective flags, but by then the puzzle was all but solved. Once again, time spent with my grandson proved immensely helpful as he is a fan of Captain Underpants, and I have spent quite a bit of time reading books in that series to him. I was also happy to get MOE right away. My knowledge of rappers derives almost exclusively from crosswords. Knowledge comes from unlikely sources sometimes, although I do wonder how much valuable information I’ve lost to make room for the vast amount of ephemera I’ve amassed over the years.
I forgot to mention my pleasure at seeing a reference to the wonderful songwriter Laura NYRO. Like many I got to know her songs through cover versions, particularly some great ones by The Fifth Dimension. It was great to discover her own versions when I was a little older. Pity she died at 50.
@Marshall Walthew Eli's Comin'... a big hit for Three Dog Night.
I was slightly too old for Captain Underpants when he hit the scene, so I didn't get TRALALA for quite a while. Give me a clue about Animorphs or Goosebumps! Cater specifically to my cultural knowledge, and no one else's, please! Fun puzzle, five stars.
@Katie I finally decided to look up that character with a rather bizarre name. His books started two years before I retired, but in a totally different field, so I hadn't noticed him until now. Oh well, I probably wouldn't have been much of a fan anyway. Maybe I should look at one of the books (or a movie?), just to see what makes TRA LA LA a catch phrase.
For someone reason after reading the first three themed clues my brain went to “ah yes the theme is reviews of national parks as if by bears”
"ARIZONA’s state flag features only one star," but it's a very BIG star! This puzzle was great fun! Thank you, Todd Gross, for such a fun puzzle!
Dude, please get back to Xword creating. This was excellent! I loved the Silent T and Ironing clues and as someone who often can't complete Wednesday's this was doable and great fun! Thank you for starting off my vacation with 4 stars!
Loved it! Great theme. Fun and unique clues answers all across the grid. Hope to see more, Todd!
It wasn’t until I made it to Georgia that I realized the answers were just state names. Up to that point I was making it way too complicated trying to think of plays on film titles. (Like, is there a movie called Grand Canyon, and this answer will be Mediocre Canyon with a rebus?)
not to be pedantic but an amp is part of a speaker system but not a speaker itself.
@Andrew Regan It helps to remember that they are crossword clues, not dictionary definitions.
@Andrew Regan I agree, and did some research to back myself up. All I found were articles and posts treating amps and speakers as if they are the same thing. So, the clue is more than fine I reluctantly admit.
Let’s see if this comment A) gets posted, and B) stays posted. I’ve either been getting blocked or removed recently despite having done nothing offensive. I liked the puzzle. Got a little hung up in the NE. Is “sider” truly a suffix? Is it not just one half of a compound noun?
@Byron I never heard that term before, actually. I await the experts weighing in!
@Byron I would definitely say suffix - “sider” adjusts the “Sydney” to indicate someone who lives there, and can’t be used by itself, which to me feels suffix and not compound noun. As a former Sydneysider I did instantly come here to see how many people had heard of it before, and I am unsure whether I’m surprised by the frequency !
@Bryony Respectfully, I think “sider” is the noun “side” with the modifying suffix “er” to make it a description of a person or actor. So I’d analogize it more to the construction of “downtown” (which is clearly a compound noun) which can be modified to mean somebody who’s from there by adding that “er” suffix — downtowner (or uptowner or midtowner). So, for me, the suffix is the “er”(or “or”) which is a very common suffix in English. I also presume one could grammatically say, “I was born Sydneyside” in the same way Americans refer to “Stateside” to refer to America when they’re elsewhere.
Anybody wanna help me understand 29A? I got from the crossing clues, but I have no idea what it means.
@Joe Horton A Sydneysider is a native or inhabitant of Sydney, Australia.
The clueing was a bit trickier than usual for a Wednesday. AMP (really?)held up the start until I figured out the theme. Had DEO before ALTAIR changed it. I didn’t remember the star but given enough letters I knew which one it was. Having lived in that spectacular city, I knew Sydneysider but was surprised to see it in a Wednesday difficulty answer. It must be quite obscure to American solvers. I thought initially that this would be about funny Yelp reviews of National Parks.
The clue about salmon and scenery? I immediately tried to fit in Scotland/Speyside/Highlands somehow! Sadly much of Scottish salmon is farmed nowadays and they're not doing very well. As a child in Scotland, tinned salmon sandwiches were the absolute most luxurious treat for Hogmanay (NY Eve). Crossword a little harder than Mon/Tues but not bad. Didn't know the snack company or the rapper and got everything else through the crossers again. What do people call 'cheating'? Revealing to me is cheating, but what about looking up eg names of sport stars? Anything US sports based I allow myself to reveal because just too many and too obscure.
@Jane Wheelaghan Everybody has their own definition of cheating here as there are no officially binding rules of solving puzzles - taking a shortcut or using an engine during the Tour de France would be cheating per cycling's rules, but there is nothing of the sort here, is there? It's all in our heads. Looking up trivia and the meaning of words I did not know before is not cheating in my book. In the end what is the difference between instantly knowing an actor's name and looking it up? The crosses you get from it are exactly the same, and remembering a name is not a matter of skill or ability, linguistic or otherwise. Looking up tricky non-trivia clues I do personally consider cheating: when I see I would have to resort to that, I just turn on auto check and forego my gold star. But that's me. I would never judge another person's standards of solving puzzles by my own.
@Jane Wheelaghan I agree with Andrzej's assessment. I'll add that the crossword world does have the equivalent to the Tour de France: the annual tournament, usually held in Stamford, Connecticut in the spring. There, the only aid you have in solving is a pencil. I've never been, but I keep meaning to go, and then I come back to the notion that crossword solving shouldn't be a competition. (Although the tournament serves as somewhat of a convention, and a lot of the participants on this forum do get to meet IRL.) That being said, any other time you're solving, you set the rules. Beginners should think nothing of using whatever aids they need to finish or to enjoy the puzzles to their best ability. But as you get better, you might choose to set higher goals for solving. Eventually, you might be good enough to say that anything other than tournament conditions is cheating--for you, that is! I cut my teeth on crosswords back when the only way you could substantially cheat on crosswords was to do them in a library. So I never used outside help, and if I couldn't finish a puzzle, I just looked at the answers the next day. But you do learn more by so-called "cheating", and probably get better faster. Participating here also helps you improve. For example, you might read that UTZ has appeared 13 times, all but one since 2010, so you should commit that one to memory... (I didn't know the rapper, either, but neither did I see him.)
@Jane Wheelaghan I occasionally reveal a few letters in archive puzzles when I have no idea who Jimmy Carter's Secretary of Whatnot may have been, or any basketball player not named Michael Jordan. But never in a current-day puzzle - must gut it out for the gold star.
@Jane Wheelaghan - a librarian would never call it “cheating” … we call it “research” 😊
@Jane Wheelaghan I am reminded of former NYT Puzzle Editor Will Weng's words, often quoted in part by Will Shortz: " Don't be conscience‐stricken if you use dictionaries, atlases and such in doing a puzzle. It's your puzzle and you can do it any way you please."
That was pretty hard for a little old Wednesday! I took a while to catch the theme but enjoyed it when I did. Things I did not know and/or like: "rah" - seems really forced "sider" - still have no idea about this; maybe some sports thing "pome" - made an informed guess based on French apple "olio" - have never seen that meaning I knew Altair as an early home computer so that was fun to see. Fun, tough puzzle, nice theme. Three stars. ;) ____________________ Jesse Goldberg 8/28/2024 for Puzzle of the Decade (emu filler)
@B Yes, I agree. Really sweet theme, but I found some of the clueing to be a bit weird.
@B OLIO has been in NYT crosswords over 150 times since Will Shortz took over, always clued along these lines. The [Mishmash] clue has been used 26 previous times, but not in the last four years. It’s only from crosswords that I know that meaning.
Of all the state flags I personally think Alaska is the most classy, designed by a 13 (or 14?) year-old Native American boy living in an orphanage to add!
Silent 'T'...oh my gosh...the ah ha moment took some time for that one even though I've seen those types of clues before. My kitty was at the vet having tests done today, so maybe I can blame it on that...I guess I'm grateful it took so long to figure out the SW corner, it kept my mind occupied. To lovely furry friends everywhere...♡
I found this puzzle to be about average difficulty for a Wednesday but, is it just me, or were the state clues painfully easy? Kinda stole the theme’s thunder, in my mind. I live in a one star state but it’s my favorite place on earth. Especially the Northern part. From Big Sur on up. Thanks for the fun puzzle, Todd Gross!
An amp and a speaker are two different things. I don't really get that one.
@Jonathan agreed, just outright incorrect.
@Jonathan @Jonathan I also agree. Amps and speakers are different things. However, many "amps" on stage also have a speaker in the same case. One example from a well-known company: <a href="https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/contemporary-digital/frontman-10g/2311000000.html" target="_blank">https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amplifiers/contemporary-digital/frontman-10g/2311000000.html</a> I'm still not happy about it, but to be fair, the clue did say 'maybe'.
@Jonathan Agreed. Flat out wrong. How deep do the EMUs go?
@Jonathan The beauty of the clue, i.e. the misdirect created by using the word speaker in reference to stage, would have been lost if it was worded differently. And as B pointed out, the clue did include "maybe", and it is pretty common to allow some leeway in the clue wording in service of wordplay or misdirect.
I plug my electric guitar into a Fender Champ. Most people would call that an amp. I turn it on and strum the strings. Sound comes out. Out of what, you ask? I would say, using common language, out of the speaker. Not sure why this is so complicated.
Once I got to Georgia, it was pretty smooth traveling, although that NW corner did slow me down a bit. It took me a few to realize that calling a state a “big ditch” was not an insult, but rather a reference to the Grand Canyon. And that speaker clue… I was trying to come up with a 3-letter brand (JBL?), but never considered AMP because, um, no. While I do feel for non-US solvers, I think US-centric puzzles like this are to be expected, given the publisher’s location. There are NYC-based clues all the time that I don’t know, but that’s also fair. At least people in Australia got one up on (many of) the US folks tonight! I appreciated the Laura Nyro reference, as well as the nod to The Thin Man and Asta. Right now, I’m feeling a strong urge to go listen to “Poverty Train”, followed by a fun mystery caper with the Charleses. Thanks, Todd!
Maybe this is just me but today felt tough... And yet I solved it without having to go back and check for mistakes once the grid was filled. Challenging but enjoyable!
SIDER looked weird, but a post-solve looked taught this Michigander that Sydneysider is the accepted demonym, and has been since 1865. Stars are "members" of constellations, I suppose, but the clue to ALTAIR looked weird, too: did Mr. Gross not want to use the word "star" in a (non-themed) clue? OLIO is one of those old-timey fill words which remind me of my childhood, working the Pee-Dee's Daily crossword--it ran opposite the comics page, just under "Goren on Bridge"--at my Mother's knee. Happy memories! So put that ort in your olla for safekeeping! A happy morning reading about Roman numerals, and the taxonomy of fruiting bodies.
Bill, A reflexive reply: assuming you were reading about POMEs and other fruits mostly occurring on flowering plants, I instinctively thought: it is curious that the term “fruiting body” is (in my limited experience studying botany) usually used to refer to the spore-producing parts of fungi, mosses, and other “lower” non-flowering plants. Those dang botanists, and their confusing, flowery language.
"Amp" is short for "amplifier". An amp is not a speaker, but it may contain one or more.
@Colby Hawkins Thus the "maybe" in the clue, aligning with your own "may contain". So you and the constructor are in perfect agreement and the clue was valid. :) ____________________ Jesse Goldberg 8/28/2024 for Puzzle of the Decade (emu filler)
I never noticed the variety and number of stars on state flags before, thanks! Alaska’s 8 are gold like the 5 on the flag of China, and most of Alaska’s stars have Arabic names… Alioth, Dubhe, Alkaid, Mizar, Merak, Phecda, and Megrez. Polaris is a kinda modern adaptation from navigation. Arkansas has 4 blue stars, one representing the Confederacy (!), as well as 25 white ones. California has one red star, originating in an 1836 attempt at independence from Mexico. Sheldon Cooper would be proud of me!
Easy...except ok...true confessions. I filled in "Deo" without hesitation for 23 across, and it took me quite a while to suss out that error. ⭐ Tralala! Now I am gladder.
I haven't started on the Wednesday puzzle yet, but I wanted to give a shout out to.... I'm pretty sure it was Aaron in Iowa for recommending the Halloween day 2013 puzzle. That was so so cool!! I don't want to give away any spoilers on it but I will second the recommendation. I was just a little bit blown away!!
@HeathieJ Yes, it was Aaron from Iowa, and I'll 3rd that recommendation.
@HeathieJ I just finished it on your recommendation and loved it! Sneaky, sneaky 😄
I’ll never look at state flags the same way again!
I haven’t finished yet. Just came here to say: I love it when I get the theme halfway through and it helps with other answers. Thank you so much for this fun one.
An AMP is not a speaker. It is something that provides the power to drive a speaker. Very poor cluing.
@Allen colloquially, and as a person that has played in several bands, we would always refer to it as an "AMP" as in, "who's amp is this?" Or "can I borrow your practice amp". Or "Troy spilled beer on his amp."
Allen, You might want to scroll down to see what a sound engineer has to say about the AMP clue... ...or you might not.
@Allen Don't worry, every musician who chimed in today agrees with you. One sound engineer said otherwise, and the editorial fan club jumped on that. @Barry Is a rifle magazine a clip?
@Chloe - Sorry…🍁 It seems that Nunavut with its single blue star is the only Canadian state/provincial/territorial flag with any stars.
@Chloe I highly doubt too many USonian solvers even knew what many of these state flags vaguely look like (unless they actually happen to live in that particular state), let alone how many stars are on them; that part is just to make you say, “Oh, that’s sort of clever” when you finish the puzzle and read the column. The actual meat of the clues that solve to the state names are all for features that are fairly well known, even for people who don’t live anywhere near the answers, so I don’t see how this should be particularly more challenging for an Anglophone living on the same continent. How about: “The forests are so pretty, but I keep getting a sense of déjà vu, as if the whole place were a movie set that’s been reused countless times. Still quite enjoyable.” “Yawn, another mountain. And why is everyone so obsessed with oil? Would not recommend.” “This place has everything, from vast lakes to a huge metropolis. Those interested in an educational trip to learn about government will need to prepare to head a bit out of the way, but at least the climate isn’t so muggy.” “I couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying. Some very nice architecture, though. Also be sure to give the bagels a try.”
@Andrzej fully agreed! As someone who's frequently sensitive to the US centric clues, these were all common knowledge except for the outfield wall.
Chloe, Ok, first, heh heh, but what is a Canadian sigh? And second, what is up with Canadians reacting “as Canadians” to the puzzle today? Every single day it’s an American (New Yorkian) puzzle. If anything, at one point today I was thinking it was made by an Aussie. Anyway, just seems your post started a bit of a trend in the comments…
That was fun. Bit of a workout for me as I wasn't catching on to a number of things just from the clues, but that just made for a nice challenge and a bunch of good 'aha' moments when I finally had enough crosses to work those out. And... will confess that I wasn't entirely catching on to what the stars had to do with it until after I was done and went back and reviewed. That just made for one nice last 'doh!' moment. And... I've been to every state except Hawaii in my lifetime, though Alaska was just a brief stop-over on a flight. My dad took us on long driving trips every summer when I was growing up. And lastly - a brief answer history search led me to a Frances Hansen puzzle and the realization that... GEORGIAONMYMIND and HOAGYCARMICHAEL Are both 15 letters. I'm done. ..
"... Alaska was just a brief stop-over on a flight." Rich, Me too. What a coincidence. Short.
@Rich in Atlanta I'm on a quest to touch all 50 states and am only missing Montana! You and Barry A need to go to wonderful Hawaii 😊
This puzzle was amusing as all getout! Couple of points: 1D: Can anyone parse this so that an amp is a speaker? I don't think that's a great clue. Also, 18A: Surprised that Sam was surprised by this one, as to me it seems to be a Crossword Cliché. Like, it's one of those filler words that I've *never* seen outside of puzzles. But, yeah, I loved the theme.
@Splat I knew AMP would be an issue. I guess you could have an amp-and-speaker combination in the same cabinet, like you see some musicians use when they're busking, but still. One of those familiar shrug-and-move-on moments. I didn't know OLIO either, and I've done a couple of thousand NYT puzzles. No doubt I've seen it before, but it didn't stick (not meant as a margarine reference). I read the clue for 39-down, "Ballet ending?" and drew a blank. By the time I came back to it I was thinking about opera instead of ballet, so I had SILENce there. Wrong, of course, but I kind of liked it.
@Splat I find OLIO to be among the crosswordesiest of the crosswordese, and was also surprised by Sam's comment. (Does anyone know the last time we got an ETUI?)