Ok, here's the deal. I needed some real flyspecking to do this puzzle. But that doesn't bother me. It was the longest I've taken for a Tuesday in over a year. But that doesn't bother me. I finally, finally limped to the gold when I realized it's SELA Ward, not SELe Ward. (How could I forget--I've been in love with her for decades.) But that doesn't bother me, either. I got to see my grandson hit a home run in Little League tonight, so nothing, really, is bothering me.
@Francis I can only imagine how exceedingly cool that last bit must have been. Will probably confer crossword self-laceration immunity for at least a day or two, eh?
@Francis That's very sweet, I love that for you!! ☺️ And you are going to get the most recommendations for the day!! Hee hee! Well deserved!! Obviously, not your objective, but I have predicted it and I'm so seldom wrong about such matters. ☺️ Our granddaughter and her moms have moved to a different country very recently... We miss them so very much, especially the 3-year-old. And it's another reason to be oh so angry at certain powers that be these days. Enjoy your high!! Seriously very happy for you!! ❤️
@Francis Go, Francis’s grandson! Woot woot! Hold on to that good feeling. You deserve it. And I believe that every recommendation for your post is a recommendation for that boy. He deserves it, too. ⚾️ 😀
Follow-up set at Aspen: "The Cold Man and the Skis" (But the plot went downhill fast.)
@Mike Well, it'snow wonder, the story was meant for a slope ace. He was, after all, a mogul.
@Mike What’s a follow-up set? Is this a series of fateful novels by Ernest Lemmingway? (Dive right in! No cliff-hangers!)
@Mike Thanks, Mike. I was feeling slalom, but that really gave me a lift.
@Mike I thought with the Pope and all we might have “The Old Man and the See”.
The first time I get the double play of finishing the puzzle much quicker than my average and the early comments being complimentary. Not a comment that is insightful or doing anything for others, but I am going to enjoy the moment.
I really liked this one, fun theme. Low on trivia. Some funny clues that made me smile.
I knew from the first themer we were in for a Dad Joke. Speaking of Old Man and the C, I had a tough English teacher in 10th grade who gave me my first C on a paper for that report—but ultimately she made me a better writer. Anyway this was a quality Tuesday, with a unique clever theme, and a solid grid with some good accessory fill. Thumbs up for a great PAPA Hemingway day!
@SP My first college English teacher was who jarred me with a deflating grade. I think every writer (or, like me, who does it just for fun) needs someone along the way to point out that they're not already writing perfectly. Not yet, anyway.
@SP My 10th Grade English teacher gave me a D for a paper on Poe because it "read like a book" and he suspected plagiarism. When I finally cooled off I was able to recognize the unintended compliment. I wrote every damn sentence of that thing.
I was entertained time and again by this puzzle. Learning that CENTS is on the nickel and dime, but not the quarter. Uncovering cousins TAPAS and APPS as well as the lovely sing-song rhyming cross of WHO and HUGH. Coming across zing in the longs: MEMEWORTHY, HAULED you-know-what, POP THE CORK, then afterward amazed to learn that the latter is appearing for the first time in the 80+ years of the Times puzzle. Liking the Spanish vibe that permeated the box, anchored by the Cuban-set OLD MAN AND THE SEA, bolstered by TAPAS, PADRE, SEÑOR, DORA, and I’ll add the dook-y IPLANTO, which looks like a standalone Spanish word (but isn’t). Thus, not a ho-hum fill-in-the-squares-then-go-on-with-the-day. Very nice to see you just three weeks after your last puzzle, Brad, and thank you for this day brightener!
@Lewis I absolutely forbid you to take this in any wrong way, as I enjoy reading your posts. But I have a question: When you do not particularly enjoy a puzzle, do you just not comment on it? Or do you always try to find and write about something good you find in every one?
@Lewis I'm just glad that IPLANTO isn't an Apple product for gardeners.
@Lewis You say: "Learning that CENTS is on the nickel and dime, but not the quarter." But the clue says: 29D [Word appearing on the nickel but not the dime or quarter, surprisingly] Good thing there's a wanna-be proofreader among us: me!
@Lewis I noted the LSAT and the GRE, which crossed HURDLE...a frequent part of clues for those exams.
@Lewis @and everyone else in this thread Lewis' post are must reads for me, and it reminds me of being in High School English class. We'd read a poem. I would have no clue as to what it meant. Then others in the class would point out delightful little moments or plays on words, or profound impact that I had completely missed. I called those the "Wow, I missed that" classes, because that's about the only response I'd have. So with Lewis and his puzzle comments--beautiful little points sitting right there, and he could see and I could not. I'm glad he's there to see it and point it out to me.
As many of you know, I am normally completely uninterested in randomly-placed tiny little circles that I don't have to figure out or manipulate in any way in order to solve. And while I noticed "P"s and "C"s in some of the answers and thought that the theme might have had something to do with either Personal Computers or Political Correctness, I didn't give it any particular thought. Then, when I saw THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, I was suddenly curious. The SEA was the "C". Would I also find an OLD MAN in all the theme answers? Yes, I did. A very nice -- if belated -- surprise. I am always interested in Puzzle-mind -- the kind of quirky mind that thinks of the title THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA and comes up with a funny, punny, slightly off-the-wall theme like this. This is the sort of thing that AI will never be able to imitate -- to which I say "Hurray!" The grid is also first-rate with real words and no junk. A delightful Tuesday.
@Nancy Isn't it such a relief to know there is something AI can't touch? Or...can it? Stay tuned...
I did not solve in a particularly impressive time. In fact I didn't know most of the answers because I am functionally illiterate, and I quickly got irritable and sleepy. However, I don't like admitting any weakness so I instead promoted my worth by posting nonexistent accomplishments and extravagant bragging online. Then I hosted a UFC fight on my lawn, which I'm told went well, but I fell asleep. I think I might or might not have signed an agreement with some people in the Middle East about something at some point but I don't know what it was about.
Cute theme for an early Father's day. Years ago on a bike ride in NH we came across a field of CRAWfish crossing the road. The road was just covered with them. Worried that a car would come, we pitched in and one by one, ferried as many as we could to the other side. Cars came, some were crushed, they kept crossing, we kept helping, trying to avoid those little pincers. It must have been an unusual event because despite spending many hundreds of hours cycling, running and walking the back roads of NH, we never saw anything like that again.
@Nancy J. Very, very interesting. I think if I were faced with the same situation I would probably do the same as you, or try to fill a pot for a crawfish boil. As far as the puzzle, I finished it late last night, but even after seeing the revealer the theme did not dawn on me until reading the column. Nice job for Fathers’ Day.
@Nancy J. Good for y'all! We came across a CRAWDAD in the gutter when we were out for a walk...but it looked so odd! Almost fuzzy! When we got closer, we saw that the crawdad had her babies on its back. Who knew? Crawdad's are attentive parents! (I admit we both assumed it was a female adult; the "nurturing father" is somewhat rare across the spectra of fauna...
@Nancy J. "The mass movement of crayfish, often called "crawfish migration," typically occurs during the spring or periods of heavy rainfall. Thousands of crayfish may simultaneously leave their ponds or rivers to travel overland. This behavior is primarily triggered by drops in water oxygen levels, extreme water fluctuations, or searches for better breeding grounds." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/882N1cXYAUw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/shorts/882N1cXYAUw</a>
At first I read PAPA C in the PAPAL CROSS entry as "papacy", an extra level of punnery. So I was expecting more congruence between the dad names and the entries they're in. Still, a fun puzzle, gently leading us to Sunday, which is Father's Day here in the US. Thanks, Brad, you Lively old sea dog.
Petty, I know but as an Irish person, a Gael, annoyed by the Ancient Brit clue
@David Devaney The Gaels settled in Scotland as well as Ireland. Last time I looked, Scotland was British.
Ah shur what would you expect from a Canadian newspaper.
What another entertaining theme. Some might see this as a corny dad joke, but I saw it as very clever after I solved the revealer. I struggled with the top-right corner of the grid, but after studying what I wrote down and realized I was wrong, the rest was a breeze. Normally I haven't been able to fill in a Tuesday grid on my own. Is it possible that I am getting better at crosswords?
@Frank Sartori CornyDADjoke could have been a themer!
Before I post about this puzzle, I have to share: Just solved an archive Friday puzzle from 2016 with the most Naticks or potential Naticks I think I’ve ever seen in one puzzle. “Jungle Book wolf” AKELA crossing “Fleck on a banjo” BELA at the L. Almond ROCA crossing “author Chinue Achebe at birth” IBO at the O. The same corner had “Kate Plus 8 airer” TLC, Pope John Paul II’s first name (KAROL) and Philadelphia train system SEPTA. And Atlanta train system (MARTA) in another corner. Then Old Testament Kingdom EDOM crossing Churchill conference site ADANA (I did know EDOM, thankfully) and Master (SAHIB) crossing New Deal org (FHA) at the H—I knew SAHIB but I know from recent puzzles not everyone does. Finally Sophia LOREN and Al JOLSON crossing Kareem ABDULJABBAR at the L and J (all of whom I did know but that can’t be easy for an nonsports fan, and LOREN and JOLSON were clued obscurely and didn’t even have their first names for a hint.) Oh, and JABBAR also crossed AKELA at the A. Wow. Even I would question that grid, though I solved it without look ups and a bunch of guesses. Just saying, sometimes you don’t know how good you have it. Last coincidence— that puzzle also had two clues for “the end of a Hemingway title” THE/SEA.
@SP Copilot says: In Cub Scouting, the phrase “The Cub Scout follows Akela” is part of the Law of the Pack, a pledge that symbolizes the relationship between a Cub Scout and their leader. My memory says that the Wolf badge was the first to be earned. A quick search finds that things are different today with much younger starting ages.
@SP - Funny. I'll have to check out the puzzle to see if I would have gotten them as clued, but many of the answers you cite are things I know.
So, we're spending a week of vacation in Northern Lower Michigan, not in--but not far from--Hemingway Country: his parents owned a cottage on nearby Walloon Lake, and Ernest spent summers there during his teens and early twenties, as well as honeymooning there with his first wife; the cottage is still owned by a great-nephew. Tomorrow, we plan to make a day trip to Petoskey. When there, we often eat at the City Park Grill, whose claim to fame is that Hemingway was a patron during those years. (They don't mention that they were probably serving alcohol to a minor.) Hanging above the bar is a big photo of H., bearded and wearing his iconic fisherman's sweater, neither of which he had during his Walloon Lake days. Several of his short stories--the ones featuring the protagonist Nick Adams--are set in Northern Michigan. The best known of those, "The Big Two-Hearted River," is set in the Upper Peninsula--although the Two-Hearted is a genuine river up there, it is probably set on the Fox River, near Seney. Frankly I don't get it: the theme is usually summarized as "the healing power of nature on a war-damaged veteran," but unless you knew that already, or something of H.'s biography, there's no way you could glean it from the text alone. Otherwise, it's a rather boring account of an uneventful fishing trip--I'd rather read Edwin Way Teale. Sorry, that iceberg remains submerged. The City Park Grill has good biscuits.
@Bill I'm a combat veteran, and... I'm from the Upper Peninsula. Will just say that I actually do grasp the theme of that short story. I'll leave it at that. ...
@Bill Thanks! TIL the inspiration for the name of one of my favorite beers, Bell's Two-Hearted Ale (brewed in...Michigan)! Did not know that Hemingway story. Delicious beer.
@Bill - Teale fan here. I was even writing a book about retracing his travels when writing his American Seasons series. I've been most everywhere he traveled, and have taken extensive notes, etc. I think I've been to every site he visited in North With the Spring, my favorite of the series. Alas, I could not attract a publisher, and to add insult to injury, my extensive notes were lost in a disaster that happened to me a few years back. If you get a chance, you should visit Trail Wood in Hampton, CT. That is the farm he retired to. It's a lovely place, and is now owned by CT Audubon, so it's probably protected forever.
Got my Tuesday started with a smile when I understood why there were apparently random “C”s in the circles. This was a fun puzzle. Thanks!
Clever theme and a good Tuesday workout. Just a couple of places where I really had to work the crosses before something dawned on me. And then finally catching on to the trick at the end was just a nice point. Thumbs up. And... of course a puzzle find. A Tuesday from December 21, 1993 by Janie Lyons. Four theme answers in that one, all straightforwardly clued: PAPADOCDUVALIER UNCLEREMUS AUNTIEMAME DRJOYCEBROTHERS Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/21/1993&h=17a" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/21/1993&h=17a</a> ....
This might be the nitpickiest of nits ever picked, but it actually threw me: The name of the band (55D) is The Who, not the Who. The “The” is part of the band's name, which is a proper noun.
I didn't even notice the lower case t, but you're right: it's wrong. (I wouldn't expect to see a published correction.)
@Michael G If you read this column often enough, you will soon find out that this is not the nitpickiest of nits ever picked. Many nits have been picked here that are ten times more nitpicky. I say good call! The Who!
@Michael G agreed. It might have been intended as a misdirection ("The" would have made the answer even more obvious) but I'd have preferred the capital T. Maybe reword the clue so that The is the first word, as a veiled capital?
@Michael G, When you’re right, you’re right. Good catch.
Third in comments! Never happens but it was a faster than normal and fun Tuesday for me. Got stuck on CRAYFISH until everything made sense.
I wasn't understanding the circled "C"s even after solving the puzzle, I had to read the article. Another thing, I'm not a prude but I've been bothered over the years by the word @ss showing up in puzzles. I feel it's just a little crude. But that's just me.
@Charlie Fuchs----Just think of it as another word for "donkey."
@Charlie Fuchs---I know my pearls were clutched to the breaking point.
@Charlie Fuchs---I know my pearls were clutched to the breaking point.
@Charlie Fuchs It's not just you, several people have expressed disapproval over it and a few other words that seem to show up more than rarely. They don't bother me, but you're not alone.
@Charlie Fuchs Anyone who says “I’m not a prude, but…” is one.
@Charlie Fuchs Not just you. But after being accused of attempted censorship and mind control, I got tired of having my teeth kicked in. Still, I'm glad to see you take up the cause. It is a pollutant and lowers our collective vocabulary level. Ptah!
Didn't "C" it 'till I read Sam's column; thought it was more of a congenial form of address: Popsy, Dadsy, Flopsy, Mopsy, etc. Maybe I didn't cotton to the tale of it???
Fed only TAPAS, APPS, and a small plate of JELLO, this puzzle left me hungry for more.
So..... Other words for "father" (with Fathers' Day in the offing) plus a random other letter that happens to coincide (if you get the homophone that is pointed out in no uncertain manner) with a literary reference to elevate the content... I had to take the GRE when I applied to grad school (with a PLAN TO get a Master's degree--and no intention of pursuing a PhD because then you end up in administration, and how dreadful THAT job is!) My M.Ed. Is in Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders ... and not because I have one, okay? I was THE special ed teacher in the school, so I got any student with any issues, regardless of the focus of my undergrad degree, which was mental retardation. I thought the additional coursework would be helpful. Oh, well. Oh, the puzzle. Hmm, well, I thought BADGER might be good for Minnesota mascot, but instead it was a GOPHER. My trigger finger was itchy... The only other question was CRAW--FISH or DAD? ...but the circles took the mystery out of that one. Always nice to see Brad Lively's byline. Onward!
@Mean Old Lady BADGER would be better for Wisconsin.
@Mean Old Lady Interesting! I used to run competitively (on a completely amateur level); my favorite distance was a 10K. I ran lots of 5Ks too, and a couple halfs, but I had zero interest--less than that--in ever running a full marathon. This is how I feel about PhDs. So much pain, such little gain. With one master's degree too many, I teach writing and write proposals and reentry guides. My spouse, however, has her MLIS and has worked in libraries her whole career, but she just took the plunge and is working on her PhD in conflict resolution and peace studies. Her hope is not to move higher up in admin but to move into an adjacent student-services field. Needless to say, my hopes are as high as hers, but the academic job market is not kind these days. Either way, PhD or no, thank you for being THE special ed teacher at your school. My spouse and I both seek out work that benefits underserved people, but for all our combined education, I think that on a daily, you probably made a much greater impact in the lives of the students you served. And yeah--good puzzle. Filling in a five-word spanner across the middle of the grid was quite satisfying!
@Mean Old Lady The GOPHERS play the BADGERS every season for the Paul Bunyan Ax trophy. Minnesota are the current holders. So you were close. @Josh My sister got her PhD in Engineering, so she could teach and inspire STEM girls. (Most of her professors had been men.) But she also does triathlons, so maybe she's just a glutton for punishment?
Not just a fun puzzle and clever theme, but a reminder that Father's Day is upon us. This year, for the first time in many, both of my kids, sans spouses, and both of my grands, will be here to celebrate my hubs. This makes me happy beyond belief. We have not seen our son in over a year, when we cruised with him and his wife, and it is always extremely fun to see both of our kids together as adults. Plus, daughter's kids adore him. So this will be an extremely lovely day. Now, off to enjoy a beautiful day. Solve well!
Today's poem made from words found in today's puzzle<br> lake fishing a/ the line at the bottom wiggles where mudbugs move scratches letters in ancient language a tale, i think for whom this maple throws d/ fingers of light sweet as a hand that gently put the world down gently down and sung to 100 times a/ alas the crawdads
What the heck is that picture at the top of the column?
Cute and fun theme. I was curious about the picture Sam chose. Looks like an Ag spray rig using silly string as a row marker. The glove is a nice touch.
I worked with Ahab one summer in New Bedford in the 1830s. He wasn’t a captain yet, still had both legs, and operated a small crab shack down on the marina called “Ahab’s House Of Snuggles.” He needed a dishwasher and I, being of little money and even less direction in life, was happy to oblige. The first day I asked him if I should use a certain dish rag and he roared, “ARRRRR matey, have ye seen the WHITE WHALE?!” I had no idea what he was talking about so just continued about my business in the kitchen. Later that day a customer came in and ordered boiled crab, our house specialty. I couldn’t see the front counter from the kitchen, but I heard Ahab roar back, “Have ye seen the WHITE WHALE, mate? I’m talkin about a WHITE whale, ya hear? It’s a WHITE whale I be seekin’!” And so was his habit day in, day out. Just incessantly asking people about a white whale, which is really strange in hindsight, since Ahab had never seen, met, or even heard of Moby Dick at that point.
@Ace 🤣. Just curious…is 13 a prime number in your world?
@Ace, Welcome back! We’ve missed you!
Oh, very cute. Hemingway famously eschewed "ten dollar words", or words that might "send the reader to the dictionary." So I'm not sure I really would have like the NYT crossword. Mind you, he apparently socialized with JAI ALAI players before any of us knew that was a thing, so there's that...
@Richard ("I" should be "he"... gotta proofread next time....)
So wait...the theme is four words for father and a randomly placed "C?" We're calling this a theme? It's a brilliant idea, according to Mr. Ezersky, says Sam. When did he get here? Alrighty then.
@Matt Each one is the old man and the C
@Matt How's life not in Maine? Anyhow, I'm not sure about brilliant, but I did think it was a pretty cute Tuesday. I know some would think it's silly too to describe a puzzle theme as cute, but I'm okay with that! I mean, it's not Brad Pitt cute, but what are you going to do!? ☺️
@Matt You may not be impressed with the theme, but it’s a fairly standard type of early-week theme. Not every painting can be a Picasso.
@Matt Alrighty, indeed. Just be glad Sam didn’t construct the puzzle. And stop moving around. It’s getting too hard to find you.
Is there anyone out there who can explain to me what that photo is all about?
@sandi If I were to hazard a guess I'd say it's a flower which looks like a hand, a play on the column title which was drawn from the clue for 33D. Google Lens could not identify it.
@sandi The farm equipment depicted is a fertilizer sprayer. The pink foam is to mark where you've already sprayed, so you don't miss a spot. Farmer Ted has apparently broken the original nozzle, and jerry-rigged a replacement.
I would have circled only the C. The father words were complete and very clearly clued. I wasted some of my youth reading Hemingway. I should have saved him for later when possibly it would not have been a waste.
@Ιασων So you'd recommend Hemingway to someone who knows of him but is barely acquainted with his writing and is also old? Cuz that's me. I'm not sure how I'll react to his writing, knowing that his personality was the polar opposite of mine.
I’ve noticed lots of father or fatherly references in this puzzle, in addition to the main theme. First of all, Hemingway was, of course, well known as “Papa Hemingway.” Then there’s 45A SENOR (and its anagram 47D SNORE). 10A Captain AHAB was a father; he had a son. 59A HUGH Jackman plays a great father or father type in “Song Sung Blue” and “Australia.” I haven’t seen “Logan” but—per IMDB—I don’t think it’s my cup of tea. There’s also 5D JACKED up. JACK could be someone’s Dad. 32A tells us about and [Ancient Brit for whom a language was named]. I’m not sure who that Brit is, but it could be someone’s father. The Beatles of 41A all had children. According to Britannica, 63A SATYRs were seen “As mischievous nature spirits in classical mythology, they symbolize untamed passion, music, dancing, and revelry.” Could be somebody’s Dad. Plenty of dads in the 37D NBA, including the many [...Bulls and Bucks]. Do you see a pattern here?. It takes a PAIR 16A [Two minus one] to make a child! Not such a great dad depicted in the film “Where the (42A) CRAWDADS Sing.” Roger Daltrey of 55D The WHO has eight children, three of whom were surprises. You can read about that here: Roger Daltrey - Wikipedia Let’s not forget about 47A [Maple tree harvest] because some dads may also, at times, be SAPs. continued in reply...
@lucky13 By the way, my favorite Hemingway book from my double Hemingway class at university is a work of non-fiction: “Death in the Afternoon” about bullfighting in Spain. Hemingway started off as a journalist. Also wrote poetry, short stories, etc. I did this puzzle without lookups except had to “check puzzle” for two little letters. I’m still not sure why the place for a golf pro is 8D LAST. I guess it has something to do with par. If the golf pro is Tiger Woods, he learned a lot from his dad!
@lucky13 "First of all, Hemingway was, of course, well known as “Papa Hemingway.” " There's a fun short story by Ray--or rather Raimundo--Bradbury titled "The Parrot who Met Papa." It's a playful literary pastiche. I found the entire text (bootlegged, which seems somehow fitting) here: <a href="https://thephilosopher.net/bredberi/wp-content/uploads/sites/429/2025/03/The-Parrot-Who-Met-Papa-Ray-Bradbury.pdf" target="_blank">https://thephilosopher.net/bredberi/wp-content/uploads/sites/429/2025/03/The-Parrot-Who-Met-Papa-Ray-Bradbury.pdf</a> Shelley Capon!:-)
@lucky13 As a matter of fact, JACK is my dad! (Not a nick for John, either; Jack right on the birth certificate.) Thanks for the smile!
I've often wondered - more so around Father's Day - why CRAWDADS, CRAWFISH, and CRAYFISH would all be legitimate answers to 42A, but not CRAYDADS.
@Glenn Larratt You're cray cray.
@Glenn Larratt I didn't even think about CRAYfish because nobody in MS calls them that..."Mud Bug" is actually prevalent, especially for team names.
Yay! The crossword is back at the top in the android app.
Fantastic Tuesday! First puzzle in about a year I've been able to complete on my own with no lookups or comment-checking. Thought the theme was clever.
@Julia, Congratulations!!! 🎉🍾🎈🎊
e-C-ier than yesterday’s *grand pa* -laver. (C what i did there?)
First Tuesday I can remember completing in just one pass of the across and downs. I'm always attempting this on Mondays but it was a nice surprise to be able to do it on an, albeit easy, Tuesday.
There's always room for J-E-L-L-O! Nice Tuesday puzzle, although I was sure that a "Pontiff's emblem" would be a CReSt. Surprisingly, while those emblems feature the tiara and the crossed keys, they don't typically show a CROSS. And I was thinking of John Paul II's crucifix, which does not have three bars. Totally different regalia.
@Me Update I: John Paul II's coat of arms does, in fact, feature a big, yellow cross, just to prove me wrong. There's also an M for Mary, kneeling at the base of it. Update II: Leo XIV's coat of arms does *not* show a Chicago White Sox logo. The shield does bear a silver fleur-de-lis to represent the purity of the Virgin Mary, and a red heart pierced with an arrow, a nod to St Augustine. Heraldic geeking out done for the day.
@Grant Our mom thought JELL-O was a vegetable, I believe. A staple. I have not made any in....lemme think....53 years, or possibly more. And yet it's still in grocery stores.
@MOL Did college students make Jell-O shots in your day? We certainly did in mine.
Call it what you like, but if you sing it, it's CRAWDAD. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cpu9Z3z6pU" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cpu9Z3z6pU</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBKv7F32ohQ" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBKv7F32ohQ</a>
@Barry Ancona haven't heard that one in ages. Thx for the Petersens' version.
Bob T., We marched to a variant of it in Basic...
@Barry Ancona. When I was about 3 years old, at Lake Tahoe, my older brother tricked me into putting my hand and arm into a bucket of crawdads he and his friends had caught. With my eyes closed. I opened my eyes and saw my tiny arm buried in crawdads. Screamed and ran to our mom, and my brother and friends roared with laughter. Good old older brother torture.
My personal favorite: <a href="https://youtu.be/NQHMUz-vYBQ" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/NQHMUz-vYBQ</a>
@Barry Ancona, Thanks for these links, love both of them. Have not heard of the Petersens before. What talented singers and musicians! Their voices blend so well. I especially loved the outro!
I flew through this solve so didn’t pause to consider the puzzle until the end. The Old Man and the C. Let out a little puff of air—pretty dang clever. With tougher cluing could’ve been a fun Wednesday I would’ve savoured but that’s my own experience and your speed may very. Regardless, am impressed with the device.
Lovely Serendipitous theme echo in the grid with SENOR / SEE.
Only reason I went with CRAWDADS instead of CRAWfish was because of the theme, I had OLDMANANDTHESEA by that point. But duet for PAIR almost tricked me if it wasn't for the cross of 13D being BRO. Was a cute, and apt, theme.
Monday and Tuesday were transposed for me this week. Yesterday's puzzle took me several minutes more than today's. The fill here was solid, and the first and last thematic entries worked well. The middle two seemed weaker, especially since their pattern fit The Sea and the Old Man. Yes, written English has a left-to-right orientation. Liked the puzzle, all in all, but felt that the theme was hanging on just barely.
Super cute theme - perfect Tuesday puzzle!