Loved the puzzle — smooth and perfect for a Monday! But what kind of monster puts KALE in a Caesar salad?
@Adam Maybe Gaius Cassius Longinus? the instigator of the plot to murder Caesar? Consider Shakespeare's line, "Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look...."
@Dutchiris Or was it CLEO, thinking back to her (Caesar) salad days…when she was green in judgment?
@Adam Maybe we should be glad it was not sauerkraut or half a pound of nails...
@Adam OK, OK, I know some people have negative feelings about kale, from when it used to be used only as a garnish atop the ice on a salad bar (remember those?). But it can be really yummy in a Caesar salad. I was surprised too! In my middle age, I am committed to Trying New Things - and Kale Caesar Salad is one of those that I wasn't sorry to have tried. YMMV.
@Adam The café chain Le Pain Quotidien does. Much to my dismay!! *Le Pain Quotidien originated in Belgium, came to NYC over 20 years ago and quickly proliferated. I adored it as a solid lunch choice with no bad items on the menu... until the one and only time I ordered the Caesar salad. Everything about it was perfect -- except the BRILLO PAD of chopped raw KALE throughout! Gah.
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. Morel support? (4) 2. Sticky treats, in more ways than one? (9) 3. Harsh sentences? (6)(8) 4. Vineyard eponym (6) 5. It's a little shady (6)(4) STEM POPSICLES TONGUE TWISTERS MARTHA BONSAI TREE Note: #4 and #5 come from a puzzle that I co-constructed, but these clues were not made by me.
@Lewis Lewis, today I watched CBS Sunday Morning and they had a piece on Ashville regarding the annual gingerbread competition. The resilience and comraderie and determination of your "neighbors" are a testament to what people can achieve with open minds, loving hearts and helping hands. Best wishes to you and the folks of Ashville.
Detroiters remember CBC as our fourth broadcast network in the pre-cable days. I miss curling and CBC international news, which gave an objective view of the Viet Nam war, including a war protest at University of Windsor attended by officials from North Viet Nam. Wayne and Shuster (sp.?) were great comics. Public schools in Detroit used to start the class week with The Star Spangled Banner and O, Canada! We learned and sang both anthems. During my undergraduate years at Trinity College, CT I would stay up late to listen to CKLW AM, Windsor to cure homesickness. Trinity offered an elective to history majors, History of Canada. My college fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, has chapters at McGill and UBC. When we had curbside boxes downtown for selling newspapers, we had boxes for the Windsor Star and the Toronto Globe and Mail. On June 6, Detroit students are expected to know of the heroic sacrifices of Canadian troops at Gold, Sword and Juno beaches.
@jrrg1 Hockey Night in Canada. Ward Cornell.
Fun debut! Some entries in the “take the theme and mess with it” (a genre I enjoy): MIDNIGHT SNACK MIX: whatever you can find that has no crinkly wrapper to give you away. MIDNIGHT MASS TRANSIT: in some rural areas, sorry, there isn’t any. MIDNIGHT COWBOY BOOTS : “Hey, I’m walkin’ here!” MIDNIGHT OIL PAINT: for insomniacs who don’t do the crosswords.
When Hermey fixes the clock at midnight, it's an elf on the twelve. (Probably should workshop these.)
Loved this puzzle! It was one of those that, even though it's only 4 p.m. here, makes me wish it went on and on until after midnight. Bonus points for the musical score. :-) Mr. Eric Clapton with "After Midnight" <a href="https://youtu.be/MkrA-gSG-vE?feature=shared" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/MkrA-gSG-vE?feature=shared</a> Thank you, Mr. Cook, for a really great puzzle – and the ear worm. Congratulations on this applause-worthy debut!
A tale about KALE. For most of my life it was a nonentity; it’s not that I avoided it, but rather, I never considered it. No attraction for me at all. Then I started hearing about it as a nutritional powerhouse, and started eating it every now and then. It was okay tasting, so, for my own good, I soldiered through it. Then, suddenly, I grew to really like it, especially if cooked and dressed with olive oil and maybe a touch of salt. And now I’ve become one of those people that actually seeks it out, drools at the thought of it. Give. Me. Kale. End of a tale about KALE.
Okay, it still isn't midnight SNACK material... Et tu, emu.
@Lewis My dad grew KALE when I was a kid, and I still make a version of my mothers Tuscan bean stew, along with dozens of other recipes with this star ingredient. I think most people would love KALE if they had it properly prepared.
@Lewis Grocery store kale is strong tasting and stinky. I seek out Tuscan kale at the local farmer's market and it tastes wonderful, although I would never, ever consider adding it to a Caesar salad.
Ah, my old friend Stelmo. Only when he showed up did I realize that needed Sallie and not Fannie.
@Justin But unlike Elmo, STELMO is blue, like the Mini's SMURF.
A very clever and fun debut from Glenn Cook. Glad to see so many of my favorite commenters weighing in with love for this one despite the inevitable posts regarding clue issues and day-of-week remarks. (Yawn.) At least nobody has continued the drama over Art Heist Sunday. (Yet.) It feels like years from now if I enter the forum someone will still be throwing shade at that puzzle (which I loved). One of the things I enjoy nabout this community is that every day is fresh. The puzzle is always the star, but the content and scope of comments varies in a way that creates a different mood. I feel I am among friends. Sam, Deb, and Caitlin definitely factor in for those who read the columns. (If you don’t, you should.) So far today’s mood is quite positive and fun. As it should be. Happy holidays to all! And to all a good (mid)night!
@M. Biggen “(If you don’t, you should.) So far today’s mood is quite positive and fun.” …and a bit preachy.
Boy, am I always glad when another Monday comes along. (I should stress, this is for crossword reasons only) 😆
I’m out of sync with the puzzles over the last few days as we celebrated Christmas on Saturday, it being the only time all the family could be together. I’m now in this weird but pleasant post Christmas chill mode. Dec 25th is going to be a bit of a shock. I’ll catch up with the missed puzzles anon, but today’s debut was a delight. I admit it took a while to grasp the theme, even though the fill was smooth. It felt Mondayish with a little bite; HALFSIES and ORONO were new to me. Enjoy the final, mad rush up to Christmas everyone. I’m going to be all smug and that. Turkey eaten, most presents open, house decorated to within an inch of its life. We’re having roast beef for Christmas lunch; the last lovely joint from Erin, last year’s cow. (With apologies to the vegetarians out there; she had a splendid life eating luscious grass, with the sun warming her back)
@Helen Wright I'm hardly a vegetarian, but I draw the line at naming my food.
@Helen Wright My brother-in-law harvested an elk a few years ago, and promptly named him Eli. They had Eli burgers in the freezer for a good long time.
I remember hearing a story about a little girl naming their two pigs being raised for meat, and someone tactfully asked her if she knew what was in store for them. Her reply was something to the effect of, “Oh, I know. Right now that one’s Daisy, and the other one is Maizey. This fall that one’s Pork Chops and the other one’s Bacon.” I’d probably starve if I had to do the work myself, but it’s good to know where your food comes from.
Hmm. I did post a comment about this puzzle, singing its praises, but it didn't show up. I tried again, still with no result. I can't see anything in the comment that would disqualify it. So, hopefully, it will show up later. Anyway, Glenn, I had a great time with your puzzle, and congratulations on your debut!
@Lewis My comment from Sunday morning was released from emu-bargo 10 minutes ago. Was SCHNOODLE objectionable? Snugglebunnies!
63A as clued is GEARS in a crossword, but will our auto enthusiasts deem P and N to be GEARS in real life? (Home, James.)
@Barry Ancona one can probably argue that Park is a gear since basically it’s a pin which pops into a gear looking wheel to stop the wheels from moving. As for Neutral… that’s the null set…so hard to find a way that it’s actually a gear. Perhaps if the phrase is “gear position” which could encapsulate all of the positions in an automatic transmission.
@Barry Ancona Close enough for a crossword. This isn’t the SAE.
@Barry Ancona similar quibble with 7D “Rowing crew captains, informally” answer COXES. I get why this would be acceptable in a crossword for the general population, but no rower would say the coxswain is the captain of the team automatically. If the crew team has a captain, they may have elected the cox as captain, but it’s not a title for them by default. COXES steer the boat and get the voice box when the team is on the water, but they are not automatically the captain of a crew team. Similar to how any other team elects their captain, who may be a leader from any position.
Congratulations on a fun debut, Mr. Cook! I’m glad you found a way to work in “Midnight Cowboy.” It’s got some unforgettable scenes in it.
A nice light theme and a quick Monday before I start the Christmas preparations. I must also join the chorus of those who consider KALE to be an abomination and utterly unacceptable ingredient in the classic Caesar salad. KALE has its place in many dishes, but when it becomes the green of choice in a salad with egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and anchovy, it is no longer a Caesar salad!
@Ken S I LOVE kale in a Caesar salad! I don't think it makes the salad any less of a classic ... but, if you insist, I'm willing to call it Kaesar salad to make the distinction clear.
A very enjoyable puzzle, although I shudder at the thought of putting kale in a Caesar salad - just NO!
@Puzzled Brit Reminds me of the quip: It's knowledge if you know that a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. It's wisdom if you know not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.
Seeing the 9D clue reminded me of a recent concert I saw at Walt Disney Concert Hall by the San Francisco-based choral group Chanticleer. (They've made an annual LA appearance during the holiday season for several decades now.) One of the numbers always included on the program is "Ave Maria." Here's a performance of the piece (recorded in a different venue a few years ago): - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7C-VXZVSTw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7C-VXZVSTw</a> It's a sublime performance sung in a beautiful arrangement.
@RichardZ thank you for that link—that is my favorite arrangement and indeed a beautiful performance!
The universe is trying to tell me something. This is, by total coincidence, I believe the first time I have ever done a “next-day’s” puzzle before midnight. (I thought you don’t tell secrets on the farm, cuz corns talk.)
Now I’m even finding that I need help for a Monday puzzle, and only a couple of others felt the same. Never mind, it was a fun theme. I like lots of theme fills and enjoyed this one, so looking forward to more from Glenn.
Oh... one more late puzzle find. A Wednesday from January 16, 2019 by Bruce Haight. Just thought this one was kind of cute. Theme clues and answers: "___, do these jeans make me look fat?" BUTTWEIGHT "___! The flight attendant just swatted a bug!" AISLEBEE "___, would you like to purchase some religious music?" BUYCHANTS "___ and those crazy sheep costumes!" EWEGUISE "___! Petr, I'm begging you again to let me get this!" CZECHPLEAS I'm done. ...
For the last week or so, I’ve started doing the Crossword Puzzle after finishing Wordle, Spelling Bee, The Mini Crossword, Letter Box, Tiles, and Strands. Today I actually finished it in less than an hour! I know it’s probably not a big deal to others who complete it a lot faster, but I’ve completed The Mini in less than a minute at times. I LOVE when there is a theme/code in the puzzle and I really enjoyed it too! Thanks again and Happy Christmas!! Namaste.
@Lady Morgan Kelly Diana I’m impressed! If I made that a rule I’d rarely get to the Crossword at all. Though I do try to at least get Wordle for my ongoing war with the Bot that chalks my skill up to luck.
Hear is some theme music for today's puzzle: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGVGFfj7POA" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGVGFfj7POA</a>
N.B. The homophone was ringing, so I answered it.
10D “Like yesterday” EXPRESS CHECKOUT Congratulations, Glenn, on a fine debut.
If I respond directly to Lewis's paean to KALE this morning, it will be buried under at least 7 other Replies, never to be seen again -- in what passes for a scrolling "system" at the NYTXW. So it's time for a reprise of my erstwhile KALE ditty: To be sung to the tune of "I Hate Men" by Cole Porter Oh, I hate KALE! And anyone who cooks with it will fail! You put it in a salad and the salad you diminish. You put it in a casserole -- your family won't finish. And then you know what others know: You should have cooked with spinash! Oh, I hate KALE!
Not a Monday level puzzle.
@Jules Lee Based on solver input, the statistics site xwstats.com calls it Average (for a Monday), with the medial solver 6% faster than average, well within the range of an "Average" puzzle.
@Steve L obscure cultural references made it too hard.
Neither P nor N are gears. Neutral is specifically the disengagement of the gears. In other words, it’s “taking it out of” gear. And park is the physical blocking of the gears from turning.
K. H., We missed you in the thread!
@K. H. They are still letters on a gearbox.
Fun puzzle and a clever theme. Just some nice 'aha' moments when things dawned on me. Glad to see our new constructor - looking forward to more from Mr. Cook. Stumbled across a really unusual puzzle today. I'll put that in a reply. ...
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: A Sunday from December 15, 2019 by Christina Iverson and Jeff Chen with the title: "Doing a double take." Hard to describe this one. First of all - a pair of 'reveal' answers. Two downs near each other at the bottom of the puzzle: "Weather phenomenon whose double lights were said to represent this puzzle's subjects :" STELMOSFIRE "Baseball double play, in slang ... or a hint to understanding the 12 Across answers that have circles :" TWINKILLING And then... there were two scattered sets of circled letters down the left and right sides. One of which was C A S T O R and the other P O L L U X. And then.. all of the across answers that crossed those circled letters only worked if you omitted those circled letters. And... on each across row the two answers were exactly the same if you included the circled letters. A couple of examples: 22a. "Concise and to the point :" PIT(C)HY 24a. "Desirous :" (P)ITCHY and 54a. "Hitting close to home? :" (S)TRIPLING 57a. "Pattern on a barber pole :" STRIP(L)ING and 76a. "Duties imposed :" LEVI(T)ES 79a. "Party notifications sent with a click :" (L)EVITES Never, ever seen another one anything like that. I remain puzzled to some extent. Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/15/2019&g=72&d=D" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/15/2019&g=72&d=D</a> ....
And yet they still haven't canonized Kermit! Explain that. I never would've guessed the theme without the revealer. And on a Monday? Good job, Mr. Cook! It's not easy being green.
Oof. This felt more like a Tuesday or a Wednesday to me. Real Natick with the ARREARS/STELMO/ORONO corner. My slowest time in awhile. Emus don't eat
@Sarah ORONO is more the kind of thing you’d see in other crosswords. ST ELMO has become very popular in the past few years in NYT crosswords, and many others. Both answers give you a “gimme” in the more challenging puzzles, for what it’s worth.
a rare, for me, night-before puzzle solve. And a fun one. I'm not gonna make it 'til midnight, tho. Sam, the puzzles seem to like terms from tennis and crew, too. Yow on YAO. I'd wanted Mao, of course.
@Linda Jo Good point! LOVE, LET, DEUCE and so on. (Incidentally, this puzzle has really riled those solvers who LOVE LET-DEUCE vs. kale in their Caesar salads.)
Congratulations on your NYT debut, Glenn. Alternate clue for 50D: [What the governor of Maryland mistook for dozens of large drones, proving he had never looked up in the sky before] ... and from J.J. Cale: <a href="https://youtu.be/2x0JK8vhmcc?si=BJEUmC3kF4duB9Rz" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/2x0JK8vhmcc?si=BJEUmC3kF4duB9Rz</a>
@Nancy J. At least it wasn't J.J. KALE. I'll see your Cale and raise you one Barbara Mandrell: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ufvY0YonY" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ufvY0YonY</a> and one Harry Nilsson: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zHVFXorF38" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zHVFXorF38</a> (from MIDNIGHT COWBOY)
@Nancy J. Thanks for the link to the fantastic JJ, who wrote the song and influenced Clapton, Knopfler, and many other greats. Here’s a video I’ve always enjoyed, with Clapton, JJ, and Christine Lakeland. I love the juxtaposition of Clapton’s picking and JJ’s finger style. Also, Christine’s obvious delight in the moment. <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5WUeOEkl270&pp=QAFIAQ" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5WUeOEkl270&pp=QAFIAQ</a>%3D%3D
Glad to see others are also affronted by the idea of putting kale in a Caesar salad 😅 Nice puzzle, congrats on the debut
Under 10 minutes but felt trickier than a Monday during the acrosses. HALFSIES, CAROMS, and SECEDE were fun!
As another Canadian agree that CBC is the Canadian Broadcasting Com[any.. the Ontario based one would be TVO something like PBS in content!! As far as Orono is concerned....Sam you need to drive to PEI this summer to see Anne of Green Gables! ! Once you pass Bangor on i95 you will see the sign for for Orono... then you are only about 5 hours from the Confederation bridge to PEI...At 8 miles in length it is the longest bridge in the world to span water that ices over!! Merry Christmas..Jim Mcdougalll
gym, CBCorporation - just for future reference. And I would say it is based in Ontario based on where both its English-language head offices are located - not on where its audience lives or regional stations exist. Like many Anne of Green Gables movies, series or plays, though the story may be based in (written about and describing) PEI, the productions are often based (headquartered) and filmed or performed live elsewhere.
Nice start Mr. Cook. Please keep them coming. As usual, I failed to note the theme till Ms. Corbin pointed it out.
Excellent debut puzzle! Congrats to our constructor. Almost the perfect Monday puzzle, with a fine theme and good fill. Having ORONO and ORION running parallel to one another is a nice visual bonus. Never heard of Taylor Tomlinson or the CBS program. I'd have referenced Eric Clapton's hit cover in the revealer instead. But that's just me.
@Xword Junkie You might be old….
@Xword Junkie - You are forgiven for not knowing AFTER MIDNIGHT. It's less than a year old and I only checked it out once; it is flogged every night on Stephen Colbert's show, which I DVR every night. I don't think age has anything to do with it.
A late puzzle find, appropriate for this time of year, and I don't recall seeing one quite like this before. Anyway - a Sunday from December 22, 1996 by Frances Hansen with the title: "Taking off for the holidays." As far as I can tell that was the only hint to the trick in this one. Four 21 letter theme answers. Note that the last answer is exactly as it appears. SOFARIHAVENTMADEITFIT IMPOSITIVEITCANBEDONE AHNOWIVEGOTITTHISISIT MERRYCHRISTMASEVERYON Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/22/1996&g=106&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/22/1996&g=106&d=A</a> .....
A terrific and very smooth debut but must confess the reveal took a second or two to register. Well done and thanks. STRANDS THREAD, Please no spoilers until after the view all replies button: Strands #295 “Pass the eggnog” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵 Another seasonal offering with an interesting twist. At 5, lowest word count possible?
@John Carson The Strands contents today made me realize how different our cultures are. Out of the words in today's puzzle, only one has Polish relevance. Can't say more without spoilers for now.
@John Carson I found my first word (southeast) quickly, and the yellow right after. Yes, I think it probably is the lowest possible. A couple of words I thought could be there were immediately discounted, and then zoom, done. Fun, though!
@John Carson Strands #295 “Pass the eggnog” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵 But where is the fruitcake??? I have to confess, I love love love all the seasonal treats that get faint praise from most people I know: eggnog, fruitcake, peppermint... I've always chalked it up to being a Christmas baby: must come with the territory somehow! I'd count gingerbread as another Christmas classic, of course. But cranberries, like turkey, belong to the previous holiday, IMHO. This was a fun puzzle! Very happy to have found the spangram first: I don't think I've seen a configuration like that before. Nice long words, and that low wordcount!
Who the heck puts kale in a Caesar salad???
Mmm, this puzzle was full of treats! MOUSSE-topped TORTES sound perfectly appropriate at this time of year. (And indeed the one is over the other in the grid!) Even AFTER MIDNIGHT had me thinking of After Eight mints... December is all about the peppermint for me. CYMBAL was an easy gimme after avidly listening to this fascinating piece on-AIR RECENTly: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/14/nx-s1-5220127/zildjian-brand-cymbals-are-everywhere-but-how-theyre-made-is-a-400-year-secret" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/2024/12/14/nx-s1-5220127/zildjian-brand-cymbals-are-everywhere-but-how-theyre-made-is-a-400-year-secret</a> But really I'm just here to correct the glaring gap in mentions of the iconic Aussie band MIDNIGHT OIL! Sam talked about "burning the midnight oil", so perhaps I should link to one of their most famous tracks, Beds Are Burning. Instead here is my favorite: <a href="https://youtu.be/Ofrqm6-LCqs?si=l-Vu-Hq1n1BiOuyn" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/Ofrqm6-LCqs?si=l-Vu-Hq1n1BiOuyn</a> Thanks, Glen Cook! Looking forward to more: seconds, please! :)
@G - I've posted about this before -- buy my father's company used to supply the brass from which Zildjian crafted their CYMBALs. He visited their factory many times. Zildjian had very stringent specifications for the alloy. My memory is that it was supplied to Zildjian in hockey-puck shaped/sized disks. I thought they rolled and hammered the pucks into the CYMBALs but that's not what it sounds like from the NPR podcast you provided. (Thank you!) I believe when I posted this before some other regular commenter's father had supplied equipment to them. There's a possibility that person's father and mine knew each other. Was that you, Grant from Delaware?
@G I was thinking of MIDNIGHT OIL, myself. I think "Warakurna" is my favorite track by them - I even looked up who Lasseter was, back when that came out.
Fun puzzle! I stumbled across @fter midnight when I added an extra 60 minutes to the recording of the Steven Colbert show on CBS. (I added extra time to ensure I captured all of his show after missing some of it with some event - probably football or conventions or debates - I forget). It's a fun comedy game show. Thanks to the constructor!
Re: CBC. Yeah, it’s not a good clue. Like other Canadians here, I read that and thought, “that isn’t right.”
@Jeremy Since it's Monday, I assume the editor(s) included "Ontario" as a pointer to "Canada". I suppose "Routine medical test, for short" would have been worse.
@Xword Junkie I went with TVO first. Ontario is a province and Canada is a country. CBC serves all of Canada so it isn’t a great clue. As a Monday puzzle, something like “news channel in Nunavut” would be better.
@Jeremy Yes, I was thinking TVO as well. But ya, I guess CBC is headquartered in Ottawa.
I’m surprised to be the first person to mention it, (or maybe they’re all in emu jail) but COXES are not necessarily captains of rowing crews. They might be default captains if there isn’t another one appointed but it’s not a given. I suppose they captain the boat in that they are responsible for steering it in the correct direction, but it’s quite normal for a crew to have a captain and a coxswain. (I guess this is a long way to say this clue tripped me up for quite a while!)
Rebecca, Surprise! You are not the first person to mention it. (Not surprised you missed it. The earlier mention was in a reply on a thread on another subject.)
@Rebecca I had trouble with the Heavenly protector of sailors (46 Down) and the A in AD (52 Across). I thought it was St. Christopher and I obviously thought the A was After (meaning After Death). Glad we figured it out though! Happy Christmas and Namaste!!
@Rebecca This one tripped me up, as well. I was thinking that if anything, the person in the stroke position would be the 'captain' of the scull, as they set the pace. Thanks for commenting! And thanks for the link to the previous comment, Barry. (I was a coxswain for a community rowing club for one semester...that is my entire experience with rowing...I most definitely was NOT the captain! 😆)
No snoozing on this Monday puzzle. You cooked up a classic beginner's crossword, Glenn. Bravo!
@MFSTEVE this sent me down a Caeser Salad rabbit hole. Did you know the original Caesar Salad was invented in Tijuana and it did not contain anchovies?
Clearly it's a controversial recommendation, but for anyone in the Kansas City area, I recommend this offering from Red Door (I still miss their jalapeño fried chicken as well): HAIL CAESAR Hearts of romaine, kale, avocado, crispy capers, parmesan, herbed croutons, creamy anchovy dressing
great debut, glenn, and i really appreciate your constructor notes. next time, i would LOVE to see a curling-themed puzzle! 🥌🙃
Something of a nit-pick for me, but 5A (CBC) feels like it's poorly described. The CBC is national in scope, and while it's true that their HQ is in Ottawa, they have facilities all over Canada. "Ontario-based" feels inapposite.
@Andrew Reid Doesn’t “Ottawa-based” literally mean “headquartered in Ottawa”?
Andrew Reid, The clue did strike me as a bit odd, I think because it had me imagining (mostly American) people (not) thinking “Oh, wait, which of the many Canadian television networks I know is based in Ontario, and which are based elsewhere in Canada?” Maybe that’s just me. Otherwise, no disputing the CBC is based in Ontario. Maybe saying based in Canada would be too easy for a Monday - more like a themeless Sunday clue?
@Andrew Reid Actually, CBC Television's headquarters are in Toronto, not Ottawa, but yeah, not the best cluing. I was all set to fill in TVO (TV Ontario, for the rest of the world), till I remembered they had nothing to do with Schitt's Creek. Then I had to wait for a crossing to remind me whether it was CBC or CTV, both of which are headquartered in Ontario. (Obviously GLOBAL TV wasn't going to fit, but also an Ontario based TV network).
What a blast having so many heavy hitters before midnight!
This is the only Monday puzzle ever where I didn't understand the answer to a clue until after getting the "completion jingle" (P, R, N, D, or L... very nice!).