I have never heard anyone refer to a recording studio as a STU.
@Selective Walrus, me either, and I have been in a lot of STUS.
@Selective Walrus “Kinda sus that the fam didn’t order any apps before heading over to the stu for a sesh” said someone somewhere, maybe.
@Selective Walrus Well, at least it’s a break from “apt name for a cook” or “alphabet run.”
@Selective Walrus Wasn’t there a Phil Collins song lyric “Stu Stu studio”?
@Selective Walrus Yeah, I stuck AVS in there for "audio video studio," and suffered through a long detour..
@Selective Walrus it’s very common and decades-old in the context of hip-hop
STU the cocktail is new at the zoo. <a href="https://youtu.be/o0h0qZCjR_k?si=AkB62MXYDtokn4Ct" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/o0h0qZCjR_k?si=AkB62MXYDtokn4Ct</a>
@Selective Walrus I've recorded and worked in them. Literally no one does. Anyone who did would be mercilessly ridiculed
@Selective Walrus it’s a real slang term! <a href="https://recordingbusiness.com/dictionary/prefix:stu" target="_blank">https://recordingbusiness.com/dictionary/prefix:stu</a>/ <a href="https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/f5vymky" target="_blank">https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/f5vymky</a>
@Selective Walrus Disco Stu does all of his recording at the STU.
This puzzle was saturated with way too many proper names and other trivia to be enjoyable for me. I still almost managed to do it on my own, but the NW corner was just too much. TRE is a name?! Olympic medalist in *golf*? I love me some summer Olympic games, but *golf*? I just don't get how that's even a spectator sport. Why would anybody want to watch people walk around a lawn and occasionally swing a stick? RANEE? We're supposed to know random train names now? Ok then. Next week: iconic train from Warsaw to Zakopane!* Speaking of random, [IN A] WORLD felt incredibly so. I wanted [the] there 🤷🏽 Given all my difficulties, I'm proud of being able to resolve that heIIish corner with just two lookups (the train name and what "nuclide" means). Elsewhere I struggled, too, but my guesses crossed well enough and they turned out to be correct, in the end. Now, I liked much of the clueing, but all the trivia spoiled the puzzle for me. * It's Tatry (The Tatras, a mountain range)
@Andrzej The INAWORLD thing has become such a movie-trailer meme it's been routine fodder for comedy generators from SNL's Lonely Island to Will Arnett for decades. Check it and rabbit hole thence if you like: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=08v&sca_esv=68276fde3d1424a8&sxsrf=ANbL-n7SzEEFOfyCJDdXTsXBvGyoWFbMkA:1780117077806&udm=7&fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKpmAsnXCN5UBx17opt8eaTX5ijYCyJdSZFM4mewRGuivaHuHursf-soOk0JbfkgzOIi1ZPsNSh18l54qW-c2NyuZ_Q8DPZnUuFyioJW7j9ei4zvJRBn8rQUwbZP6aoSSCYta5Ouoyrs9EwrNLb7CF6selkST45US3WSfGVSgVm4v_qvdMhNizMY_j5Y-Goo7IyDpO8_g&q=in+a+world+trailers&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_8tLwnOCUAxWrdUEAHTByMbIQtKgLegQIFRAB&biw=1634&bih=797&dpr=0.75#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:58f2a046,vid:wYT2lAN64K0,st:0" target="_blank">https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=08v&sca_esv=68276fde3d1424a8&sxsrf=ANbL-n7SzEEFOfyCJDdXTsXBvGyoWFbMkA:1780117077806&udm=7&fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKpmAsnXCN5UBx17opt8eaTX5ijYCyJdSZFM4mewRGuivaHuHursf-soOk0JbfkgzOIi1ZPsNSh18l54qW-c2NyuZ_Q8DPZnUuFyioJW7j9ei4zvJRBn8rQUwbZP6aoSSCYta5Ouoyrs9EwrNLb7CF6selkST45US3WSfGVSgVm4v_qvdMhNizMY_j5Y-Goo7IyDpO8_g&q=in+a+world+trailers&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_8tLwnOCUAxWrdUEAHTByMbIQtKgLegQIFRAB&biw=1634&bih=797&dpr=0.75#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:58f2a046,vid:wYT2lAN64K0,st:0</a> BTW, everyone knows about the Tatry so you'd never see it on a Saturday, duh.
@Andrzej lol agree with you about golf. For RANEE I didn’t know it either, but it is Indian and figured it was an alternate spelling for Rani
@Andrzej Are those the same TATRAS/TETRAS that continue into what used to be Czechoslovakia? if so I camped out in them once when as an impecunious 20-something I found that hitchhiking in Eastern Europe in 1972 did not work well. Had to break down and shell out $ for train tickets. 😢
@Andrzej I get it about golf. I can see why a lot of people wouldn't have any interest in watching it. Thus, the slogan, "Golf, a good walk spoiled." But, millions and millions of people do enjoy watching it, many of them love it, and some are addicted. Name me what you like to watch (sports, types of movies, etc.) and I'm betting we can find plenty of people who would say, "How could anyone want to watch that?!" And yet, that wouldn't detract one iota from your right to enjoy it. To each his own; live and let live.
@Andrzej I've more often seen it spelled TREY, but it's a common name/nickname for someone with a III after their name, or a third child. RANEE was new to me but got it from crosses. [Nuclide] also required crosses. And thanks, I'll keep both TATRY and TATRAS in my hip pocket; you never know!
@Andrzej I'm so sorry to your enjoyment was spoiled. Sounds like it was a really tough day. I really hope you can get through this hardship. Thank you so much for sharing.
I've traveled on the Flying Ranee train before- some interesting trivia about this train service- around 90% of the world's diamonds are processed in Surat and trains like the Flying Ranee are used by a network of couriers called 'Angadiyas' who typically board 'second-class' compartments and blend in with everyday commuters to transport diamonds from Surat to Mumbai. Angadiyas travel in teams, often buying multiple train seats, taking turns to sleep, and carrying bags containing diamonds and cash worth hundreds of millions of $ disguised as simple, unassuming luggage. Everything is completely based on the honour system.
@Rahul I wonder what happens to dishonorable Angadiyas. Maybe there’s something besides honor supporting the system?
Rahul — sounds roughly like the 47th Street diamond market in Manhattan.
As someone who grew up in Gujarat, never would I have expected to see FLYING RANEE clue in NYT Crossword of all places. So thank you constructors for this childhood throwback.
IN A WORLD where PLAYTIME'S OVER and popcorn comes in TINS, a PRUDISH MINISTER, a ZEN TEAMSTER, and a SWAMP RAT go AWOL, go PRO, go for BROKE, and go BOOM. With an ICONIC TWIST you won't see coming, PROTEIN SHAKES this summer and so will you. WAR STORY, coming soon to a theater near you.
@Katie i only wish you had posted this hours earlier, when more would have seen it. ;)
@Katie I heard the movie trailer guy’s voice in my head.
I enjoyed the puzzle, but don’t think of popcorn being in tins.
@Bob Montgomery Christmas packaging.
@Bob Montgomery I had EARS for a while...
@Bob Montgomery Boy Scouts sell tinned popcorn
@Bob Montgomery Yeah, I had TubS for a while, thinking of movie theatres. But it's definitely sold in fairly large tall tins, sometimes with a three-way divider so you can get three different flavors in one tin.
A little protein powder goes a long whey. ("I'm really full!" "Casein point.")
@Charles Don't know about STU but what's wrong with OVENBAGS? They've been around for ages. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/oven-bags-cooking/s?k=oven+bags+for+cooking" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/oven-bags-cooking/s?k=oven+bags+for+cooking</a>
@Charles came to say: stu? In decades of studio work I have never heard anyone ever say that. Like the ever-present "TEC" for detective instead of dick. I've only ever seen it in crosswords.
I’ve solved enough solo and collaborative puzzles by Erik Agard to say: • Junk in the grid will be rare or nonexistent. • There will be wit and humor. • The puns will be the good kind that make you nod with respect. • There will be recognition of minority groups. • The construction will be seamless. • There will be over-arching quality, the kind that makes you feel, “Dang, he’s good!” Grateful to you, Erik! Your 83 Times puzzles (and puzzles elsewhere) consistently showcase the art and science of crosswords. Malaika, your puzzles shine too – you are off to a terrific start in your nine Times creations, with your skilled grids that gleam with personality. Today’s puzzle was rife with colorful answers, clever clues, and sweet areas of bite – and I knew it would be a highlight of my day when I saw the names atop it. Of course, it delivered. Thank you, Erik and Malaika!
@Lewis I don't want to hit this too hard, but... One notes that Malaika is the primary author/constructor on the byline...but your post addresses Erik first, and then there is the "too"...
@MOL - Based on my experience, I respectfully disagree with your assertion that Malaika is the primary constructor because she is listed first in the byline. In the collaborative puzzles I've done for the Times, neither I nor my co-constructor were ever asked by the Times team who was the primary constructor.
I would have done did this puzzle a whole lot faster had if everyone just accepted that popcorn comes in TUBS, not TINS. (Hope you like my Eddie from Kentucky homage. Eddie, if you're out there, I hope your coffee is as good as mine. Hell, I hope it's better.)
@Francis That's the second shout out to Eddie from Kentucky I've clocked here in a week. Sounds like a gone-but-very-much-not-forgotten voice in this community. An odd feeling, this, missing something or someone you never knew.
@Francis In movie theaters it comes in tubs. In cheap corporate Christmas parties it comes in tins. Even though that's a misnomer anyway. So irritating when people born after 1940 (let alone 2000) keep calling aluminum foil tin foil... I get it, 4 syllables, so very hard. (5 if you're British and mistaken :) )
The five stages of Solving Out West on a lonely Saturday eve: Denial - "Do they expect me to know about 1910 slogans, condiments, grains, politicians, and parlor socials?" Anger - "GETME! a SNAIL would have better ATBATS on this grid!" OK, Malaika Handa and Erik Agard, looking at CHU, PLAYTIMESOVER! It's up and ATOM. You're lookin' at the PRO TEEM now. Bargaining - (NODSAT at half-empty grid). OK. Pearl-clutching . . . Priggish? Starchy? Prissy? Puritan? Genteel? Ain't it funny how you're willing to try anything when you got nothing but stacks of white squares to fill? Maybe if I knew a spell . . .Hey presto, open SESAMEOIL! Depression - "Ugh. There ain't any OVENBAGS big enough to crawl into when you ERASE more than ya fill!" Acceptance "INAWORLD where anything is possible, you OTTER be ready for anything. . .and I accept this gold star on behalf of anyone else who ran the alphabet for that one letter that got you to the happy music. And for those of you who missed the last blood moon, here's a fine ditty about our good Ole yellow orb. Sheesh, now I'm stuck on songs about the moon. Goodnight, amigos! <a href="https://youtu.be/L1Y6W1FaSVQ?si=mM0wXRlYDZhEMOtr" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/L1Y6W1FaSVQ?si=mM0wXRlYDZhEMOtr</a> Next BLOODMOON: 31st of Dec, 2028.
@Whoa Nellie 😵 Thats me. Dead. From laughing. I hope you're pleased with yourself.
@Whoa Nellie -- Kubler Ross would be proud of you! Glad to know that I'll be celebrating the next blood moon while preparing with glee for president-elect ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛
As a Scot I puzzled for a while over why 'whisky' didn't work for 58A. No-one orders a SCOTCH in Scotland. It's only ever whisky. I didn't even think of SCOTCH.
@Jane Wheelaghan Right? I entered "whisky" first, too, obviously.
@Jane Wheelaghan "Scotch" (pronounced "scatch") is American for "the good kind of whisky". Commonly seen in US films and crosswords.
@Jane Wheelaghan "SCOTCH rocks" is one of my go-to drinks at open bar events where they have Dewar's or similar. A good single malt SCOTCH (perhaps from Islay?) is best drunk neat, with maybe a small chip of ice to open it up.
I have been a musician all my life and played and recorded professionally for years and never once in all that time have I ever, nor heard anyone else, call a studio a "stu." Also, yet again we have a Saturday that is just littered with obscure proper nouns to make up for lazy construction and clueing. Just an awful puzzle.
@JNLA which proper noun was too obscure for you even to get on crosses? Why do you have to describe the creators' work as lazy just because you didn't like the puzzle? Don't you think there's a bit of a contradiction at hand there? On the one hand you found it too difficult (reflecting one level of crossword experience) but on the other hand you're in a position to comment broadly on a work by some very well regarded constructors (which suggests a different level)?
@JNLA I think you’re missing the point. Saturday puzzles are meant to be the hardest of the week, and they are specifically supposed to have things in there that only the most well-read and well-informed (or at least, the most experienced) solvers can do easily. Some things, like AUNTS and RANEE, are expected to be unknown by many, but underage via the crosses. Critical thinking is essential to the solve. I did this puzzle in almost exactly my Saturday average, and found nothing out of the ordinary for a Saturday puzzle. And the fact that you are accusing two of the best constructors we have of being lazy because of your shortcomings says more about you than about them. It’s like saying Shohei Ohtani is a bad hitter because you can’t get him out.
@JNLA The puzzle was hard for you, so it's a bad puzzle? Okay.
@JNLA And to all of those who see the responses here as an example of how "the regulars don't tolerate any dissent", the critical part of the post was the accusation of "laziness" on the part of the people who made the puzzle. How much I enjoy something has absolutely nothing to do with how energetic or "lazy" the person who made it. And anybody who infers that is itching for a response to the contrary.
@JNLA I absolutely agree that this puzzle had way too much obscure trivia and almost gratuitously difficult solves for clues that still had less common/challenging answers of the same length. I don't mind learning but I don't do the nyt crossword to primarily educate myself, for me it's a form of engaging entertainment. When I find myself needing to look up almost half the clues for information whose practical application is only to solve a crossword puzzle, it becomes a slog; as was today's for me. That said, I absolutely disagree with the puzzle maker being lazy. The act of making any puzzle (crossword or otherwise) requires time, patience and ingenuity. I feel your frustration, I had it too (including STU), but using dismissive words like "lazy" without any real substantive feedback is not fair to the puzzle maker or nyt puzzle editors and just sounds like sour grapes as pointed out by others; and realize this is coming from someone who empathizes with you.
Today I learned that Myers and Briggs are mother-daughter! I thought surely the answer here isn't Myers because surely Myers and Briggs had to be two separate people, but no Myers turned out to be Briggs' daughter
Delightful Delightful DELIGHTFUL Saturday! These are the types of puzzles that make me look forward to the weekend! It was that perfect level of crunchy that really massages your brain!
So I finished this in a very fast Saturday time for me but I don’t think it was very easy—there was a ton of trivia and tangential clues that I wouldn’t ordinarily get quickly. But I had a Slum Dog Millionaire solve where I can pinpoint the stuff I did know. Thanks to my wife for introducing me to LABNEH. My son for his brief obsession with PROTEINSHAKES. Michael Connelly for his great BLOODMOON novel. BOWEN Yang who solved my first NYT crossword in a celebrity solving challenge back when that was a thing. The movie INAWORLD which I never saw but remember the trailer for (ironically). TAILGATE parties for the Brewers at Miller Park. More than enough to make inroads into the crevices of the rest of the puzzle. So thanks Malaika and Erik for this trip down memory lane, and also for the brilliant cross of Fresh Rolls and Semi Professional, adored both those clues!
@SP Oops just realized I was conflating two Michael Connelly novels: Void MOON and BLOOD Work. But my misremembering still helped me get the clue, lol.
@SP Miller Park? Not County Stadium? (Meaning when it was County Stadium.)
Joan Didion's daughter was named after 38A. It made the fill easy, but made me sad to think of her.
@dutchiris Ditto. I only have to see a photo of her mom these days to make me all wistful and even snurfle sometimes. Reading her as a young 'un helped me learn to write.
@dutchiris Mind filling me in? I'm not following and this sounds poignant.
The same former mother-in-law who brought me back the genuine armadillo charango also brought back a beautiful Nutria jacket from the same trip. (I still have it here in Las Vegas, though I've gotten to wear it exactly once. It does get cold in the desert, but usually not that cold.) Strange, because we detested each other. It was only recently from the puzzle that I learned that armadillos can transmit leprosy. Then from Google I learned that Nutria isn't a luxury fur, but a rodent. And it was just tonight that I learned it's a SWAMP RAT. Maybe she was signaling all along. But I did ask her for the charango.
@Times Rita LOL! I think I remember you posting about the charango, and even before I read the responses I thought "That woman is trying to give poor Times Rita leprosy!" As for the jacket... rodents aren't necessarily a bad fur. Beavers and chinchillas are rodents, although I'm not advocating making clothing from them. But I seem to remember that nutria fur was prone to falling apart pretty quickly; people would buy items of clothing sold as mink, but they would not last as long as mink usually does. [btw the internet does not support this memory; it says nutria fur is "highly regarded for its exceptional warmth, lightweight feel, and water-resistance."]
No one else's mind went into the, er, gutter when confronted with P_ _ for [Whiz]? Or will admit it here?
I desperately wanted 51D to be RICk. <a href="https://youtu.be/oHg5SJYRHA0?si=1X7TGemCPfiDCHdt" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/oHg5SJYRHA0?si=1X7TGemCPfiDCHdt</a> What can I say, the heart wants what it wants.
Statement. This was not an easy puzzle for me. That's an understatement. I'll leave it at that. Puzzle find today - a Sunday from March 22, 1992 by Bernard Meren with the title: "Oscars Across." This one was all in the clues. Some examples: "Cal's cabana" CASABLANCA "Heed that frog." THEGODFATHER "Fly army aid." MYFAIRLADY "It's Roy's tweeds." WESTSIDESTORY "Need truth here." THEDEERHUNTER "A Ten P.M. threat." THEAPARTMENT "Ma ran in." RAINMAN Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/PS?date=3/22/1992&h=47a" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/PS?date=3/22/1992&h=47a</a> ....
Re: 57A - We had the good fortune to be in Rome last fall, and during our tour of the Colosseum, our Italian guide told us how the Empire's aristocrats would buy sections of seats to accommodate both the family and their servants, who would bring in small grills and prepare food. "Ah, the origin of tailgating," we joked. Our guide looked blankly at us and asked, "What is 'tailgating'?" So we explained, and his expression went from polite amusement to disbelief. "Really? People do this for sporting events?" he asked. We just gestured to the Colosseum. He shrugged and said, "Well, we don't have that here anymore."
@CrispyShot They may not have that in Rome's Colosseum, but Verona has their own coliseum that still puts on concerts, operas, and more - maybe they do tailgating there!
@Ruby They may still have an active coliseum, but does it have a parking lot?
A sign, I think, of maturing as a crossword solver, is to be willing to take an answer you know is right and reconsider it. I am quite confident that a year ago I would never have given up on TubS for what popcorn comes in, and I wouldn't have gotten the gold star. Those times that I've failed recently, not being able to find the error, it almost always comes down to an entry that I was so sure of I never gave it a second thought.
@Francis I think TINS was the last spot I had to fix, and I was happy to finish this really tough puzzle, but I had to scratch my head about popcorn in tins. Has anyone out there ever had popcorn in a tin? I'm not being snarky but I'd love to know where that might happen.
That felt challenging but I completed it in 2/3 of my average time. What does that mean?
@Agent86 I had the same experience but was able to break out the reasons in my post above. YMMV.
@Agent86 Me,too ! Maybe we're just getting better at this ?
@Agent86 I think it just means it was well crafted by a good constructor but still WAY too easy for a NYT Saturday slot... In my opinion. :( /Great Easening(TM)
For the last month, I’ve been completing the Daily Puzzle, then going to the archive and completing the puzzle for the same calendar day in 2015. They both happen to land on the same day of the week (5/30/15 is also a Saturday). Strangely, the May 30 puzzle from 2015 has 4 answers — ICONIC, TWISTS, OTTERS, and DON’T ERASE — that correlate with answers from today’s puzzle: 55A, 1D, 48D, 3D. Weird, huh? I wonder how that happens.
@UE That's an uncanny coincidence!
@UE Spoiler Alert! but seriously, I am working my way backwards through the archives, and had I realized you were going to give away four answers I would have paged down. I'm sure I'll forget by the time I get to that puzzle.
As an audio engineer, who also plays a good amount of baseball, I might gently take issue with two upper right clues: No one has ever called a recording studio a “Stu.” Like, ever in the history of recording studios :) And, a person has to time up (verb) the ball during an at bat (noun). But I don’t follow the line between “times up” and “at bats.” Especially since one of those is a plural noun and the other is a third person present tense verb. A baseball specific option could be: plate appearances
@Ess When you are at bat, you're up - it's your time up.
@Ess I'm pretty green about baseball (and about sports in general) but doesn't "You're up" mean you're "at bat?"
@Ess Agreed about STU. I've worked in broadcast media for more than 15 years and I have never heard someone call a studio a STU. Booth, yes. STU, no.
@Ess I spent all of my 20s and half of my 30s recording, touring, and such. I’ve played on dozens and dozens of albums. I concur. Never once heard the term STU. This is a really dumb clue / solve.
@Ess Didn't Phil Collins sing Stustustudio? ;)
@Ess Haven’t we learned yet about saying “no one has ever called/said…”?
@Ess (Number of) at bats = (number of) times up
@Ess. A minute with Google turned up many examples of STU referring to studio. I had never encountered that shortening either, but new words take hold without anybody checking in with me.
@Ess As someone who’s recorded music in a studio I’ve also never heard it called a stu. But apparently this is a thing stufinder.com 🤷♂️ “Stop trying to the make stu happen. It’s not going to happen.” - Regina George
Everyone's world revolves around themselves. Still, is it that hard to make the logical leap that because one has never heard of a word/phrase does not mean that some have?
This was generally fun for me, but the south west definitely wasn't in my wheelhouse. The crossing of Prosecco, Honshu, and Chu led to me having to run the alphabet on three different locations. There were other tough spots for me to be sure, but I was able to eventually suss them out using logic and a bit of luck. Took me 35:47 unaided, but if felt like a slog at times. I think the proper nouns/labels/terms combined with some awkward cluing stole some of the joy for me. I see that others loved it. Just goes to show that different strokes for different folks ain't a lie.
@Renegator I always confuse Jon CHU (a director) and John Cho (an actor). I was also briefly delayed by not realizing it was HONSHU, not -o, even though it’s “(head) honcho.” I mean, I really knew it was HONSHU, but for a split second, “Honsho” looked fine. After I CHUed it over for a few seconds, I saw the problem.
@Renegator I gave you a rec because while I really liked it I also totally agree with the different strokes opinion. 35:47 is a good time, especially for a puzzle where you felt a bit at sea. If you circle back, I'd love to know which clues you thought were awkward.
Super easy when I relented and used Wikipedia.
Some people may be judgey about this, but I always maintain that it is better to get unblocked by a look-up than sit there frustrated! Less wasted time in the day… (fortunately I didn’t need to for this puzzle, though)
@MFSTEVE what @KK said! it's a puzzle, it's a game, it's an amusement; you make the rules! it's always interesting to hear what people's rules are, and I truly believe they change as we get better. One of my main ones from early on was I wouldn't use any of the sites that gave the answer to a specific clue. For example, if I needed to know what island Osaka was on and I was stuck, I would have gone to Maps and looked up Osaka to find its island name. I rarely use such crutches these days, but when I do I always do a search with -crossword in it so it immediately filters out all the sites that merely want to give me the answer in return for some eyeballs on their ads. Carry on!
These comments indicate a particularly...homogenous population here, who consider their lived experience fact. People named TRE exist, and I'd imagine at least one has used a STU to make music, in a genre that is perhaps less familiar to the commenters here. Hm. Good Saturday puzzle!
@Scott Their lived experience (ugh) is fact. If one has never heard STU or TRE used (*raises hand*), then...one hasn't. The problem comes in egotistically assuming that one's experience is all- encompassing. [I learned a lesson in my very first comment in this forum, in which I questioned a phrase that (I learned) was common among hip-hop types. Lesson learned: Google before ridiculing or complaining.]
@Scott "homogenous population" Yup, a lot of people here think if they don't know something, it must be made up. Having two things in common with milk is no excuse.
@Scott I had a lot of cof this morning and just got back from the toi. See, anybody can come up with jargon like this.
@Scott For people who are "homogenous", we sure do fight a lot.
For a while I thought it was BlooDANDROSES, and I thought, boy howdy, those suffragettes knew how to throw down.
@Francis Sort of right. Bread and Roses was the name of an important strike/rally in Lawrence MA. The labor events back then, especially if run by the IWW (Wobblies), had participants and speakers from dozens of cultures. They probably did get boisterous.
@Francis Their enemies would have been blown to smithereens!
Synchronicity alert! I solved this with my swamp rat purring in my lap!
Okay, fine, SWAMPRAT, but I really really wanted 15D to be CAPYBARA.... in honour of which, I give you Bonnie and Clyde, who were on the lam from their capybara enclosure at Toronto's gorgeous High Park for weeks a few years back: <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/capybara-case-closed-with-bonnie-and-clyde-safely-back-home-at-high-park-zoo-1.3655886" target="_blank">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/capybara-case-closed-with-bonnie-and-clyde-safely-back-home-at-high-park-zoo-1.3655886</a> (Fear not, this story ends with them all safe, along with Toronto's waterways...)
@Sian Samba, a capybara missing from Marwell Zoo in southern England since March. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wq50qr98vo?app-referrer=webv" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wq50qr98vo?app-referrer=webv</a>
I've been a professional musician for almost 25 years, have recorded in, worked in, and even owned studios, and I've never once heard a studio referred to as a "stu". Just to be clear, I enjoyed the puzzle and I found it challenging but fun. But that's not an industry term pros (or even amateurs) use whatsoever.
@Adam C Apparently it's not uncommon in the hip hop community. A good reminder that one's experience, even when extensive, is not universal.
The South East more corner doubled my time. OVENPANS OVENBARS OVENBAYS OVEN … BAGS? Cho before CHU. Cheers.
@Michael stuck for a while there as well. OVENracks? OVENspits? both too long. Answer was fair; I've heard of them even if I've never used one.
Just home from eight glorious days in Scotland, visiting my daughter and grandson in Glasgow, sampling the culinary delights of the Edinburgh dining scene, and birding in the Kingdom of Fife, this bright puzzle was harder than usual for my jet lagged brain. I bamboozled myself into plunking down capybara instead of SWAMPRAT, which caused no end of confusion on the left side. Once I got that sorted the rest fell into place, and I enjoyed the lovely coincidence of a Scotland related clue. The way the answers line up, it seems as if the NEOPET is riding on a NEWCAR, and that the TAILGATE doubles as a RENTPARTY. Off topic, but Natick (the town) appeared in a Jeopardy clue last night. Perhaps its days of obscurity are over.
@Marshall Walthew Wonderful! I was born and raised in Scotland, including several years at school in the Kingdom of Fife. Glad you had a great time. I also had capybara (nice Peru-related answer to go with the scotch). That plus my "do not ENTER" mistake locked me out of the top left until the very end - although I was pretty sure of IN A WORLD so I had my suspicions something was awry up there.
@Marshall Walthew My wife was disappointed to the point of being sad when it turned out the answer there would not in fact be the delightful capybara...
@Marshall Walthew Yes, Jeopardy is getting fun. There's a new mega-champion who is also following another mega-champion (both since Jamie Ding). I'm proud to say that I knew the answers to two questions on last night's Jeopardy that none of the contestants got right. They both involved U.S. places that I've been to--one East, one West!!
@Marshall Walthew I was watching and NATICK made me so happy!! (I wonder if you-know-who saw it and gnashed his teeth?!)
@Marshall Walthew fun fact: the SWAMP RAT a.k.a nutria also has 48D [...webbed feet]--at least the hind ones!
In regard to a number of comments about the clue for STU - 320 appearances and that is the ONLY time it's ever been clued like that. Various references to 'consecutive letters of the alphabet' is one common clue - something like "R-V connector" being one clue. And... variations on "Apt name for a chef" is another common clue. And other than that, it's just mostly referenced to some celebrity with the nickname STU. ....
@Rich in Atlanta Many people report that they’re in the industry and claim they’ve never heard it called that, but it’s in several slang dictionaries, so someone must call it that. But the most important thing is that it’s inferable.
@Rich in Atlanta Not all that amazingly, I agree with @Steve L.
BOWEN/NAST, HONSHU/CHU, TRE/RENEE killed me. One day I'll get a Saturday gold. Cheers, folks!
I found this puzzle to be extremely hard! Did not know TRE is a man's name (it is? Then anything can be), or that BREAD AND ROSES was an old political slogan (only that it was a slogan), or the name of the personality test co-inventor (so Myers's middle name is the last name of her co-inventor?), or the term OVEN BAGS, or the name REYEZ, or that AUNTS are high-ranking in The Handmaid's Tale, or that the Forest Service is with the USDA. Found the use of the word "made" in the phrase "cabinet that's made" in clue 59A for MINISTER to be strange. And I do not find "Pearl-clutching" a good clue for PRUDISH, because prudish means uncomfortable with sexual references while pearl-clutching means unduly sensitive to all manner of perceived offenses. This was a terrific challenge and I thoroughly enjoyed the long time it took me to solve it!
@Dan Tre is a pretty common name for someone whose birth name is ____ ____ III.
@Dan In theory, almost anything can be a man's name - the late musical genius sometimes known as Prince made it a point to pick something pretty far out of the norm to be his name, and I'm just glad no one has made us enter that as a rebus yet. But Tre is not so uncommon a first name; Wikipedia has a whole list of notable people named Tre: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tre_(given_name" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tre_(given_name</a>)
@Dan I've known a TRE. And it was not a nickname, but his stand-alone first name.
@Dan The funny thing is that your comment sounds like a litany of complaints, and then it ends with "I thoroughly enjoyed..." Kudos to you! I truly love this. Sounds like maybe you learned a bunch of stuff too. perhaps you'll find yourself cooking some poultry in an OVEN BAG while you listen to some Jesse REYEZ or Judy Collins' BREAD AND ROSES or catch up on one of the many iterations of Handmaid's Tale. ;)
Sorry - no time to comment here. I have to go to the STU to do some recording, because STU is a real thing that people say when they talk about STUs.
It's nice when a puzzle is just within my reach, giving me a proper challenge and enjoyable solve.
Before I scroll down to check the answers, I'd just like to say that I hope this inspires some folks to stop complaining about the degree of simplicity, the lack of challenge, blah blah blah. And I would like to see Erik Agard charged with Aiding and Abetting. Unfortunately (for me) 32A had just the right nimber of spaces for TOGETHER WE CAN !! And I thiink it would be a better entry, as I've never heard of the one I ended up with after a laborious Eraser-fest.
@Mean Old Lady Oh please do track down the song that comes from (was written for?) the slogan.
@Mean Old Lady Xwstats says it was "Easy." The complaining will continue.
@Mean Old Lady I agree with @RozzieGrandma. to make it easy I'll direct you to the version I heard first, and listened to again today after the solve: Judy Collins (Collins'?) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsvGPj0LH0M" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsvGPj0LH0M</a>
Excellent puzzle today, lots of great clues that were difficult but for the most part fair. I got it with just three lookups (ones I had never heard of -- NEOPET, RANEE, LABDEH and wasn't getting quite enough cross-clues). The one I don't understand (and I'm not sure I've seen anyone else saying they had trouble with it, so maybe it's just me), was, why is a minister a part of a cabinet that's made overseas? (Oh wait, I'm getting it just as I type this -- cabinet members in some other countries are called ministers; although, question mark, are there also ministers in cabinets in any North, Central, or South American countries, ones that are not "overseas"; and if so, doesn't that de-legitimize 59A?)
@Mark Yes, there are South American ministers. Still, if even SOME ministers are "overseas", the clue is valid. For example, if the clue were [House overseas], the answer could be CASA because some Spanish-speaking countries (Spain and the Philippines, for example) are overseas, even though many are not.
@Mark I love this comment and it's late enough that maybe no one else will see it or respond, so... 1) I love LABNEH and I'm sure you can find it in PHX. Reddit and Yelp list multiple places, but I don't know your neighborhood so you do you. Then walk it off hiking up Piestewa Peak, and take some pix. 2) your mid-posting revelation about MINISTER is classic; not so long ago there was a thread about how simply asking a question explicitly or explaining a problem to a co-worker allowed you to see the answer. It led to a poster saying that a co-worker once said something like "What we need in this office is an intelligent-looking mannequin." 3) regarding the MINISTER question mark: even if MINISTERs exist in the western hemisphere, "overseas" isn't exclusive; if they exist overseas, the clue stands.
Perfectly balanced crossword with some clues falling into place so easily as to stroke my ego and some clues obscure enough to cause some head scratching. Thanks for the journey
I haven’t done today’s crossword yet but suddenly realized I want to nominate John Kugelman’s from Thursday May 28 for a Thursday POY. I liked MAYORMAYNOT and PASTORPRESENT. a lot!
Just occurred to me that using "Quintana ___, easternmost of Mexico's 31 states" rather than "Small hopper" to clue 38A was a real switcheROO, i.e., a TWIST.
Extremely hard for me with a few lookups but very enjoyable nonetheless. A true Saturday puzzle – well done!
Not too difficult for a Saturday puzzle.
VN, Nothing’s too easy for Monday, and nothing’s too hard for Saturday. It’s like baseball - in theory, the foul lines go on forever. (Today, I smashed into the left-field wall while playing in Mexico, and got no sparkling wine to celebrate the big catch.)
@VN Certainly easier than Friday's, which I am still struggling with (internet having been down in our neighborhood most of yesterday).
@VN compared to what? Compared to the vast majority of Saturday puzzles of the last couple years, this was much more fun because it was a lot harder.
Hard one today. I needed to jump around and around to complete and needed a couple of look ups (Lydia). Finishing northwest felt accomplished. Favorite clues/ answers were for war stories (vet's reports), play times over (no more games) and tail gate party (gathering of grills and grilles).
Another streak bites the dust. Defeated by a small hopper disguised as un estado de México. Never imagined that ROO could follow Quintana, so entered RIO and never noticed that I had misspelled the wine. Filled in the Z shared by ZEN and REYEZ to finish the puzzle, and ... no happy music for me. Will need to start a new streak tomorrow. Found this one very difficult. Well, more accurately, found the NW corner very difficult. This was almost entirely caused by my sticking with DO NOT ENTER for much too long---despite having written DO NOT ERASE hundreds of times on blackboards. A lot of obscure (to me) proper nouns today, and I'm still not seeing much of a link between "Switcheroo" and TWIST. But it's Saturday, so all is fair.
@Xword Junkie Those who have visited Cancún would have a better chance of knowing that it's in the state of Quintana Roo. Which is pronounced Row, as in Row Your Boat.
@Xword Junkie My occasional flirtations with triathlons (where Quintana Roo is a popular bike brand) made that one a gimme for me.