Friday, February 14, 2020

Retail sales and Eagles’ tales; Penny lopes across the globe; Devisers of ways to stargaze; Tough-love cross words beat sweet nothings; “Shine on harvest moon, new in the sky”

PUZZLERIA! SLICES: OVER 8!/20 SERVED

Schpuzzle Of The Week:
Devisers of ways to stargaze

Describe either “Galileo Galilei” or “Kepler” with the same two-word phrase. 
Switch the words in that phrase to name what sounds like magnification devices that are used indoors to view the stars. 
What are these devices?
What is the two-word phrase that describes “Galileo Galilei” or “Kepler”? 


Appetizer Menu

Cryptic Cupid FebFourteen Appetizer:
Tough-love cross words beat sweet nothings

Some people like to have sweet nothings whispered to them on St. Valentine’s Day. 
Puzzle people, however, prefer to have tough-love cross words shouted out to them. Shouted out to them, for example, in the form of this twelfth cryptic crossword puzzle created for Puzzleria! by Patrick J. Berry (screen name, “cranberry”). 
Think of it as Patrick’s loving Valentine’s Day card to us!
(Open this link if you wish to access Patrick’s eleventh cryptic crossword, and also to link to his ten previous crosswords.)
If you are unfamiliar with cryptic crossword puzzles, here are a few basic cryptic crossword puzzle instructions:
Regarding the Across and Down clues and their format...
The number in parentheses at the end of each clue tells how many letters are in the answer. Multiple numbers in parentheses indicate how letters are distributed in multiple-word answers.
For example, (6) indicates a six-letter answer like “jalopy,” (5,3) indicates a five-and-three-letter answer like “cargo van,” and (5-5) indicates a five-and-five-letter hyphenated answer like “Rolls-Royce.”
(For further insight about how to decipher these numbered cryptic clues, see Patrick’s “Cryptic Crossword Tutorial” in this link to his November 17, 2017 cryptic crossword. The Tutorial appears below the grid that contains the answers in that edition of Puzzleria!)
Now, let’s get to the heart of Patrick’s Valentine card:  

ACROSS
1. Top director – what he shot is in film(5,4)
6. Letter as it was written, a few notes stuck together(5)
9. Corrupt President’s rage getting old – a bad time in 2(5,10)
10. Mailman heading off, running from dog, for example(6)
11. Noticed spot in grass(8)
13. Could be accepted as NASA trainee?(5,5)
14. Country recording includes two cuts from Haggard(4)
16. Drink in sunshine, hippies!(4)
17. In my opinion, no time for sassy girl to carry on(10)
19. God – Dicky is on dope!(8)
20. Seal or swan, by the sound of it(6)
23. Promises no fails, supposedly having expertise?(15)
24. Or any manufactured fabric?(5)
25. Vulture in ghastly scene, with grave, cut short(9)
DOWN
1. Follow mother’s teachings(5)
2. Our past machinery sorta improved with start of industrialism(8,7)
3. Stack he prepared with love for breakfast(8)
4. Couple having sex upset me(4)
5. What a “stable genius” should have from the start, therefore, according to Rev. Spooner?(5,5)
6. Problem with a shrimp cocktail right off?(6)
7. Late night, curled up with Dickens – not having energy to make it?(5,3,7)
8. A pop singer goes outside for a drink(6,3)
12. Hear scores broadcast – they do go by fast!(10)
13. Sadly, Dapper Dan’s date never showed – it must be rough(9)
15. Prisoner holds it up close(8)
18. Singer has terrible opening – heart not in it(6) 
21. Watch headmaster in class(5)
22. Baseball player needs help reaching second base(4)



MENU

Nuts And Bolts Slice:
Retail sales and Eagles’ tales

Divide the name of a U.S.-based retail company into two equal parts. 
Spell the second part backward. The result is a two-word place the Eagles sang about. 
What is the name of this company?
Hint: It is a “nuts and bolts” industrial supply company. 

Riffing Off Shortz And Collins Slices:
Penny lopes across the globe

Will Shortz’s February 9th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Peter Collins of Ann Arbor, Michigan, reads:
My friend Penelope, who is from La Jolla, went on a world vacation. She stopped in Santa Rosa, Toronto and Casablanca. What European capital did she also visit?


Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Collins Slices read:
ENTREE #1
A 1970’s supergroup from Los Angeles embarked on a world tour, making seven stops. Flying westward, they performed in Peking, Indochina, Dubravica, Barcelona, Georgia, Nantucket and... 
In what other eastern U.S. state did they perform?
ENTREE #2
Peter Collins’ friend Penelope, who is from La Jolla, went on a world vacation. 
She stopped in Santa Rosa, Toronto, Casablanca and Amsterdam. Penelope, La Jolla, Santa Rosa, Toronto, Casablanca and Amsterdam all end with the same two letters that they begin with, in the same order.
Find the following words that all end with the same three letters that they begin with, in the same order. 
You will be provided with a clue for each word, followed (in parentheses) with the interior letters that are flanked by the trios of letters at the beginning and end of the word.
A. Sycophantic, intended to curry favor; (ratiat)
B. Capable of being whitened, ideally without ruining the garment, or perhaps hair; (acha)
C. Word following “That’s” or preceding “Tonight”; (ertainm)
D. Harasser, heckler; (men)
E. Word following “Weather” or preceding “Railroad”; (ergro)
ENTREE #3
Find the following words that all end with the same four letters that they begin with, in the same order. You will be provided with a clue for each word, followed (in parentheses) with the interior letters that are flanked by the quartets of letters at the beginning and end of the word.
Note: Most, if not all, of these words are somewhat contrived. They cannot be found in many (and, in some cases, any) dictionaries. Word C includes a hyphen.
A. A pursuit plied by Machiavelli, Neville, Farley and Murdoch; (ma)
B. Like Lynette, who tried to kill a one-time King; (akye)
C. What many yacht club members can claim; 
(-owner)
D. Like unprepared teachers, perhaps; (on)
E. Quality possessed by a Scottish lake monster; (ie)


Dessert Menu

Shiny Happy Dessert:
Shine on harvest moon, new in the sky”

Take an adverb one might use in a phrase describing a shiny new object. 
Remove from the middle a four-letter noun for one such shiny new object, leaving a four-letter synonym of a verb that appears on the object. 
What are this adverb, noun and two verbs?


Every Friday at Joseph Young’s Puzzleria! we publish a new menu of fresh word puzzles, number puzzles, logic puzzles, puzzles of all varieties and flavors. We cater to cravers of scrumptious puzzles!


Our master chef, Grecian gourmet puzzle-creator Lego Lambda, blends and bakes up mysterious (and sometimes questionable) toppings and spices (such as alphabet soup, Mobius bacon strips, diced snake eyes, cubed radishes, “hominym” grits, anagraham crackers, rhyme thyme and sage sprinklings.)

Please post your comments below. Feel free also to post clever and subtle hints that do not give the puzzle answers away. Please wait until after 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesdays to post your answers and explain your hints about the puzzles. We serve up at least one fresh puzzle every Friday.

We invite you to make it a habit to “Meet at Joe’s!” If you enjoy our weekly puzzle party, please tell your friends about Joseph Young’s Puzzleria! Thank you.


86 comments:

  1. We are just about ready to pass a quarter-million total pageviews on Puzzleria!
    Thanks to all of you who have made this happen, including the many brilliant contributors, insightful commenters and loyal followers over the past nearly six years.

    LegoWhoNotesThatPuzzleria!IsOurBlogAndIsATeamEffort

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    1. I never quite know WHAT that means, exactly, Lego. If I check P! three times in a day, does that register as three separate views, or just ONE due to their being from the same ISP? What about the next day? And so forth?

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    2. Very good question, ViolinTeddy. Because I am a "Luddite blog administrator," I must admit being somewhat unsure what a "pageview" entails. But I think it means "any time a person (or robot, I suppose) opens a web page.

      LegoNotesThatThisIsWhatMerriamWebsterSays

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  2. Each access counts as a viewing. You can easily verify this by opening the page several times in rapid succession and observing the change in the listed number of page views.

    As to progress from this side, so far I have all the Entrées except #1, the Dessert, and about 40 % of pjb's Cryptic crossword.

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    1. That's a great start on Patrick's quite clever and challenging cryptic crossword puzzle, geofan.
      As I noted over on Blaine's blog, the Schpuzzle and the ROSS Entree #1 are two of the toughest puzzles I've concocted lately.
      There will be hints in due time, perhaps a bit earlier than usual.

      LegoWhoNotesHoweverThatInTheSchpuzzleThereIsAGoodReasonThat"GalileoGalilie's"FullNameAppearsInItsEntiretyButThatJohannesKeplerAppearsAsJust"Kepler"

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    2. My report card is having managed to do Entrees 2, 3 and 4 last night, along with the DESSERT. But #1, and the Schpuzzle and the Slice about the Eagles I gave up on.

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    3. I just had an "epiphany" about the Schpuzzle. I now have an answer, but the only thing that worries me is that I am not sure one would describe my 'indoor device' as one of magnification. Hmmm...otherwise, I love it.

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    4. Congrats, VT. I suspected you might enjoy an advantage in solving this Schpuzzle. The definition of "Magnify" is sufficiently broad, I believe, to encompass the device in question. I love this Schpuzzle too.
      The company in the "Eagle Slice" is Minnesota-based... which makes it tricky for me, a Minnesotan, to know how nationally well-known the name of the company is.
      (There is no Entree #4 this week, incidentally.)

      LegoWhoWondersIfViolinTeddyHadASimilarEpiphanyAboutChrismas's"GiftOfTheMagi"Puzzle(AndWhoNotesThatTheEtymologyOf"Epiphany"IsRelatedToThatOfTheWord"Fancy")

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    5. Oops! Don't know WHAT I was looking at the #4 sneaked into my post above.

      As with sdb's puzzle last week, i am NOT at all sure that the Schpuzzle answer I've come up with IS your answer....especially with that comment you made above about how *I* might 'enjoy an advantage'. I can't see any reason (re my answer) why I should....so I guess I'll keep trying...

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    6. I finally found the answer to the Eagles slice...having never heard of either the company OR the song, I'm not surprised it was so difficult. Without the Minnesota hint, I'd never have come up with an answer.

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    7. With the MN hint, I also found the answer to the Eagles Slice.
      Also found an alternate (but with first-half splitting): ANOZIRA Door Systems (garage-door company in Tucson, AZ) => (Winslow) ARIZONA. Presumably they sell fasteners for garage doors...

      For the Schpuzzle, I have a "non-inverted" answer, but so far none with inversion as stated. Will have to scope further.

      Delete
  3. Happy Valentine's Day everybody(and lovers everywhere)!
    Bryan and Renae are spending a quiet V-Day together in FL tonight(moving furniture at the condo, actually), so Mom and I had food from Subway for supper. Great chipotle steak and cheese wrap, BTW. Just got through with Picaroon's Prize Crossword on the Guardian website, and now I'm checking in here. Late last night I managed to solve everything except the Schpuzzle and Entree #1(and of course my own puzzle, for obvious reasons). Lego, any hints for those other two will surely help me along. But I think it would actually help a lot to know who the supergroup in #1 really is. Is it really Derek and the Dominoes? If so, that doesn't really help at all. Have looked over a list of eastern US states, and have found a possible connection between the other places, but can't quite figure out which state has the same property as the other places. Nothing really jumped out at me. Will need some clarification on that one. BTW good job, geofan! With any luck you'll get the other 60% in no time! And Lego, I'm not surprised this site gets so many pageviews. I know I certainly do my part, and besides, it is a great website! It's obvious why people keep coming back here time after time! Lego, you do great work as a puzzlemaker, even rivaling WS himself(there I said it!), and it feels great to contribute to something worthwhile like this! Sure, it can be hard work at times, but the payoff is great(even if we're not actually getting paid)! Some people never get a chance to exercise their true talent on their own terms like you do, Lego, and I'm especially grateful to you for showcasing my puzzle work as well! In fact, I'll say it right here and now: Puzzleria! is crushing it! Big time! Will Shortz, eat your heart out! Everyone here has been so nice to me as a fellow blogger here these past few years, and been so patient with me when I couldn't quite get the answers right away, and I'd just like to take this opportunity right here on Valentine's Day to say I love you all! I feel like I've made a bunch of new friends here, which I actually find much harder to do in person. I'm rather shy, I know I'm probably not the first shy person here, but I'll certainly admit it. I just wish I knew what y'all look like! I know the Blaine's Blog people are planning some kind of get-together later this summer, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make that one. Maybe all of us here will get together someday. I'd really like to especially meet Dowager Empress, since she's my biggest cryptic fan! Maybe soon, DE! If you're ever in West Alabama, be sure to stop by! I'll probably post my address ahead of time if I know you're coming! Good luck to all this week!

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    1. Thank you for those kind and lovely sentiments, cranberry. My feeling is mutual, as is my friendship.
      As for a Puzzleria! get-together, who knows? I do know, however, that our regular posters hail from time zones galore, so the logistics might be dicey.
      As for Entree #1, I have no specific supergroup in mind. The word "supergroup" and "Los Angeles" in my riff-off puzzle function as do, respectively, the words "Penelope" and "La Jolla" in Will's puzzle that it is riffing off.
      Also, the only reason I made it a 1970's supergroup was because a 1970's supergroup would have performed in Peking, whereas a post-1970's supergroup would have performed in Beijing.

      LegogoThunderClaptonNewman

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  4. cranberry -- what a lovely tribute to lego! I'm sure all the legovillains (deliberate spelling) will agree with you. And for your nice comments to me, I'm claiming you for my own Valentine this year.

    Happy VDay to all. xxxoo

    D.E.

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    1. "legovillians..." Love it, Dowager Empress. Very Empressive coinage. I'm taking it to the Piggy Bank.

      LegoWhoSensesThatThe"SomethingInTheAir"ThatThunderclapSangAboutMightHaveBeenWhatThisYoungGuySangAbout

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  5. Saturday Evening Hints:

    Schpuzzle:
    Franny and Zooey... and Buddy and BooBoo... and Ira, I guess.

    Nuts And Bolts Slice:
    The place the Eagles sang about is usually visible in mirrors mounted on certain doors.

    Riffing Off Shortz Slices:
    ENTREE #1
    When first EMBARKING on the world tour, the SUPERGROUP thought it would be TORTUOUS. But it turned out instead to be WONDERFULLY lucrative, with EXEMPLARY venues and fans throughout. They almost added an eighth tour stop venue in BAMBERG, a German town famous (as is Rome) for its seven hills.
    ENTREE #2
    Hints available upon request
    ENTREE #3
    Hints available upon request

    Shiny Happy Dessert:
    Some thin mints look sorta shiny...

    LegoWhoWasAFanOfGeorgeBambergerAndHis"Bambi'sBombers"

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  6. I understand the connection in Entree #1(wasn't sure before, now I am), and I know the last name of all mentioned in the Schpuzzle hint. What I really need help with there is the phrase to describe Galileo and Kepler. Then I'd probably know the term for the magnifying devices. Any help there, Lego?

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    1. When I commented to VT that I suspected she might enjoy an advantage in solving this Schpuzzle, it was because there is a musical element involved. Think of someone like Grieg or Gershwin, but someone still living.

      Legould

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    2. A bit more research, and indeed, a schmear of advantage -- in that I have actually PLAYED an orchestra piece by the person in question (UGH, it was HORRIBLE and BORING), and I am now convinced I've arrived at the intended answer. Hurrah! Clever indeed!

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  7. After several false starts, FINALLY got the intended solution to the Schpuzzle!

    Zur Aufklärung dieses äußerst kniffligen Rätsels gibt es tatsächlich einen mit Violinteddy eng verbundenen Zusammenhang. Dieser erzielt jedoch mit einer ganz kleinen Erweiterung die gesuchte Lösung.

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    1. Danke, geoventilator. I did the translation but there may have been something lost in it.
      Congratulations on solving it. I know it was tough.

      BienoLammThere!

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    2. Didn't get your signature at first - was reading it as if French/Spanish (as in très bien / muy bien). Should read Beino(Bein = leg). Other parts are now clear. geofan

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  8. Lego, I also have a more generic solution, but the "sounds like" connection is not as good; also there is no musical connection. I had not heard of the brand name, so was handicapped in that regard.
    The German is original (i.e., not translated from English) and uses some "tricks" that might confuse some machine translators. That said, Google Translate delivers a decent English rendering of what I intended. The fact that it is in German is itself a hint.

    Still struggling with Entrée #1, otherwise done.

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    1. Me, too, geo [re your last sentence above].... und ich liebte dein Deutsch!

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    2. My conjecture (see below) could not have been more wrong. In fact, it relates to the "other half" of the hinted-at oxymoron. All the hints relate to this crustacean. How these relate to the supergroup, the originating city (LA), or to the stops (or the other word-hints) is still up in the air (or in the ocean, as fhe case may be ...).
      Thanks for compliment.
      geofan

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  9. Thanks, guys, for your head-scratching conversation. Basically all I've come away with now is it may or may not have something to do with Philip Glass, and the brand name is in German. In short, I'm no closer to the answer than when I started. Any chance you could give me a hint that was actually germane to the Schpuzzle and I might actually succeed in finding SOMETHING upon looking up said hint?! Also, another hint for the eastern state in #1 would also be helpful. Know what to look for, just haven't found the state.

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    1. [link corrected]
      cranberry -
      My solution (which possibly is not the intended one - though it fits) has nothing to do with Philip Glass (other than that he matches up with the other characters Lego stated above).
      Hint: As the German text stated, there is a close link with ViolinTeddy. Translate the first part of her name into German.

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    2. Does it have something to do with a Geiger counter? I still don't get the connection.

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    3. You are getting very hot (and not only in terms of radioactivity). Flip the phrase two ways and don't't b-be af-fraid of a b-bit of st-tut-tering.

      I was not aware of the brand name and had to search (as I often have to do for hours for sitcoms and rock bands I have never heard of, for other P! puzzles).

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    4. How does one flip it TWO WAYS?! Spell it backwards? You're not helping. You'll note at no time there was I stuttering. Can we get Lego back here please?

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    5. You need two words. You have one - GEIGER.
      The other word comes from the characters as outlined below:
      Franny/Zooey GLASS
      Buddy and BooBoo GLASS
      Ira GLASS (not Gershwin)
      If I have a GLASS and a GLASS and a GLASS, I have three what? That is the second word of the phrase.

      Now combine these two words to make the second (inside) phrase. The bit of stuttering I referred to in the inside version is already done in the word GEIGER (G-G). The astronomers require deletion of the second syllable ("elimination of the stuttering")syllable to get the first phrase.

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. I don't know much, but here is what I do know: There are going to be more answers this week than there are puzzle questions!
    The following hints pertain only to my intended answers:
    Nuts And Bolts Slice:
    Retail sales and Eagles’ tales
    The Eagles sang about this place on their Hotel Califoria album... but it is NOT the Hotel California! (This song has a great guitar riff by Joe Walsh.)
    As for the Schpuzzle, it has everything to do with Philip Glass... and his compositions. What compositions, you may ask? Well, stuff like symphonies, tone poems, concertos, fugues, etc.
    In regard to Entree #1, if you know what to look for and just haven't found the state, 99% of your solving is done:
    Hint: White, pink, rock, brown, royal red, tiger... and the ever-popular and oxymoronic "jumbo."

    LegoWhoIsOnlyAPrawnInThePuzzlerians!Game

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    1. Indeed, Lego, I was reading through the conversation above between geo and pjb, and going "what on earth?" And myself was thinking, "it has everything to do with Philip Glass", which is exactly what you wrote! [I had indeed been about to compose a post essentially saying as much, but you already did it.]

      Delete
  12. Finally got 'em! Thanks, Lego, and nice try, geofan! Now I know your alternative answer is wrong, because I just looked up Philip Glass compositions, and the state puzzle finally came to me just now! Hope everyone is enjoying my latest puzzle, BTW! See y'all on Hump Day!

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    1. It is not wrong, it is an alternate one.

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    2. My alternate answer is:
      GLASSES GUY (Galileo or Kepler)
      GEIGER GLASSES (indoor magnifiers)

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    3. I have a completely different, totally off-the-wall alternate Schpuzzle answer, geo. (The one I'd originally come up with before all the glasses hints)....I trust it will amuse when Wednesday comes along!

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    4. Lego and VT and other Puzzlerian!s:
      It seems that at least three "answers" to the Schpuzzle are making the rounds. Actually, four (as an "alternate alternate" I had GLASSES GUY / EYEGLASSES, but this has no musical link, as required in Lego's hints, and a poorer "sounds like" correlation).
      I have no compunctions about listing these alternates prior to the Wed deadline, as neither one hints at Lego's intended answer.
      If you (Lego) feel that such publication of these alternates is unwarranted, I will delete the relevant posts and hints.
      Also I will look into Philip Glass tomorrow - I am too tired now as it is 3:35 AM. Plus I am up to my ears in shrimp (not elephants)!

      Delete
    5. geo,
      Don't delete any posts. It's all good.

      LegoNotesThatJumboWasAnElephantAndJumboShrimpAreDelicious(AlbeitOxymoronic!)ButWondersIfThereIsSuchAnAnimalAsDumboShrimp?

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    6. I had not heard of KURT GEIGER. Apparently they make glasses (in addition to footwear and accessories).

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    7. Kurt ought to start making counter tops.

      LegoWhoNotesThatWillShortzIsActiveONTheTableTennisCircuitAndIsAlsoActiveOnTheRadio

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  13. To all Puzzlerian!s:
    It seems that my answer to the Schpuzzle is an alternate one. It has no direct relation to Philip Glass. But it does fulfill all the criteria of the puzzle (including a musical link to ViolinTeddy). I will admit that the astronomers' phrase is a bit pop-cultury-sounding, but other P! puzzles have been similarly so (the "megavolt amplifier" of a few weeks ago comes to mind), so that my alternate answer would seem to be acceptable.
    Of course, all my hints refer to my alternate answer.

    Now as to Entrée #1, it seems that all the hints relate to elephants, but so far I see no links to the stops. Could these be GOP elephants?

    Also, is there a comma between "royal" and "red" in your last hint, or is it "royal red"?

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    1. geofan.
      It is "royal red," not "royal, red..."
      I th-th-think your GLASSES GUY/GEIGER GLASSES alternative answer to the Schpuzzle is inspired and excellent!
      And yes, Puzzlerians!, alternate/alternative solutions are not only welcomed here... they are encouraged.
      I look ahead with relish to VT's Schupuzzle alternative answer. Right/wrong pales in comparison to fun/creative!
      I am a bit baffled, geofan, by your "elephant" comment regarding Entree #1. (But perhaps you are just employing cleverness that I am not understanding. That happens to me often, usually with Paul's cryptic comments!)
      A hint for this tricky Entree #1 puzzle (a hint I meant to give earlier) is that it is just a very fishy puzzle. But I suspect you and others may be beyond needing that hint.

      LegoWhoMaintainsThatAlternativeAnsersAreCreativeAnswers

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    2. 1. white elephants
      2. pink elephants
      3. Elephant Rock (had confused this with Elephanta Island near Mumbai - was there in 1998).
      4. royal elephants (think Thailand or - I believe - Laos)
      5. red elephants (think Republicans) [if "royal" and "red" were separate items, hence my above question]
      5. tiger elephant (no real correlation here, just large Asian mammals)
      6. Jumbo (famous elephant).

      All these were WRONG - think shrimp!

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    3. OK, finally got the link between all the words (including the hints) for Entrée #1. I had been led astray, hook line and sinker, by expecting a closer analogy to the NPR puzzle.

      But I get conforming answers for at least three states.

      HOWEVER, with the latest hint, I can narrow it down (so to speak) to a single US state. So there IS a unique answer (but not a unique creature for that state).

      Hint: If one uses the ENTIRE legal name of this state, one could certainly find a whole school of such creatures. This problem is left to the student as an exercise.

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    4. Geo, I had only JUST figured out about 'shrimp', before coming back to P! and seeing your last post. Now to just deduce how shrimp relate to the places named.,,,

      Incidentally, it has been bothering me that IF the Georgia mentioned is our peach state, then Nantucket is further EAST, so this doesn't seem like the correct order, if the 'band' is traveling westward. If it's the COUNtRY of Georgia, then it is already further east of Barcelona. Lego?

      Delete
    5. VT, I noticed the Nantucket/Georgia issue the first night. I attributed it to minor lack of attention in the puzzle writing and (correctly) assumed that this minor oversight was not critical to the solution of the puzzle.

      If the Georgia mentioned is the former Грузинская CCP, then, of course, the geographic error is of far greater magnitude. But methinks [aside: I briefly considered 'methinks' as a solution to 17A in pjb's Cryptic] even this would not be of critical importance in solving the present puzzle.

      Delete
    6. You are a tough crowd, ViolinTeddy! Yes, it is the peachy U.S. state of Georgia that the supergroup stopped at (not the Soviet Social Republic of Georgia, which is what it was called in the 1970s, although I did consider having the group stop off there instead of at the Peach state).
      Indeed, I did not even refer to a U.S. map to determine which was further east, Nantucket or Georgia. Given the location of the answer to the puzzle, it made more sense to the group to visit Georgia and then Nantucket, not vice-versa. That was my determining rationale. Besides, I figured that any longitude along "Eastern seaboard" was close enough for either jazz or government work... or for Puzzleria!
      I agree, therefore, with geofan that the placement of Georgia and Nantucket on the itinerary is "not critical to the solution of the puzzle." But is was no "oversight," not even a minor one. I actually did weigh options and "consternate" over them a bit!

      LegoWhoThanksgeofan(InHisFinalCommentBelow)ForProvidingAPossibleSloganForThisBlog:"Puzzleria:AnOrchardOfCerebralTorture!"

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    7. In USSR times, the Georgian SSR was called the "Grusinian SSR" (see above reference in Russian). Now it is called Грузия (Gruziya), which makes it easier to distinguish from the state of Georgia (Джорджия) in Russian than in English.

      A question on Entrée #1: How did you (Lego) think that solvers would be able to narrow the solution to a single state before the hints? Or did I miss something?

      Final question, for pjb (or others if they know): In pjb's Cryptic puzzles, what is the significance (if any) of the use of ? or ! at the end of a clue? Also, is there significance to the use of – in place of a comma in a clue? Thanks - geofan

      Delete
    8. Good info on Georgia and questions, geofan.
      I encourage Patrick to respond to your cryptic crossword queries. All I know that in crossword puzzles generally, a question mark indicates some kind of pun or other wordplay in the clue.
      As for Entree #1, consider the puzzle it was riffing off:
      My friend Penelope, who is from La Jolla, went on a world vacation. She stopped in Santa Rosa, Toronto and Casablanca. What European capital did she also visit?
      When we solved that puzzle, we first discovered the pattern (identical letter pairs in the same order at the beginning and end of the places PEneloPE visited), then searched for an European nation with that same property.
      In my supergroup riff-off, solvers must first discover the "fishy element" in each place. That is the hard part, knowing what the places have in common. The easy part is then to find a second eastern state with the same element. (Had I not specified a Eastern U.S. state, Oregon could have been an alternative answer.)

      LegoFingillian!

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    9. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    10. For a perfect explanation of question marks, exclamation points, etc. in cryptic crosswords, I refer you to crosswordunclued.com(Monday, 30 August 2010, "How To Interpret Punctuation In Clues", subsection "The Special Role Of ? and !"). The very first line in the entire article probably sums it up best:
      'The standard advice for punctuation in cryptic clues is "Ignore it."'

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    11. Usually the ? or ! is for a pun, or for a double entendre within the clue - the 2nd clue can be contained within the first clue or part of the clue, or some other hijinks. Hyphens don't have much meaning, sometimes puzzlers use them to separate clauses when the clauses wouldn't otherwise make sense.

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  14. Monday morning got the intended answer for Entrée #1 (after 1 hour sleep overnight). It is a nice puzzle, but the Glass works are rather obscure. Only way I found them is from the Wikipedia article.

    Finally the torture is over.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, geofan.
      I was happy the titles of the "Glassworks" differed (one a full name, the other a surname) because I figured this would make the puzzle a tad more fair.

      LegoTortureMaster

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    2. Lego: For the Schpuzzle I get conforming "fishy" answers for at least two other Eastern states (in addition to my answer). I did not look too hard -- there may be others.
      Only the hint allowed these two to be rejected, leving only the third Eastern state to be left as the answer.
      Is thie yet another case of an alternate answer?
      More Wednesday.

      pjb/cranberry - thanks for the reply. I was wondering whether you personally (pjb) had rules different from the "standard."

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    3. Geo, I have just now (at long last) come up with no less than SIX states that seem to meet the Entree #1 requirements of being 'fishy.' I am at a loss to know WHICH 'hint' you are referring to somewhere above (of Lego's) that pinned your answer down as unique. I like three of the states better than the other three, and ONE in particular that picks up on the shrimp theme. Is that the uniqueness that you meant?

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    4. VT: Think shrimp. Think small.

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    5. I am unsure how many Entree#1 answers will be in concord with mine come Wednesday.

      LegoWhoHadNoClueThatTheseUnitedStatesWereSooooooOFishy!

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    6. I shall include all six, putting my favorite (and the one I suspect is the intended state) first. Thanks, guys....

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  15. Cranberry's cryptic is quite good, I finished it over the weekend - though members of STRAP thought parts of anagrams bordered on prats, one of the inevitable traps in constructing a cryptic. At least there wasn't a P-star.

    Phillip Glass conversation confused me, though I've been a fan for > 40 years (of Glass, not the conversation). Slice is done (though Lego that is a more locally-known company, I just have a built-in system for that. Entrees are mostly done, I shouldn't try dessert.

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    1. Thanks, eco! But what is a P-star? Is that anything like a P-stain? Forget it, I don't want to know.

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    2. A P-star is a horrid reality show character who was filmed in compromising positions and is now Putin his place.

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. NEHI
    POSEIDON
    RAYON
    AMERICANHISTORY
    PROFESSIONALISM

    FASTENAL > FAST LANE

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  18. Schpuzzle: Intended answer: GLASS'S OPERA => OPERA GLASSES (post-Mon-early-AM-hints)
    Alternate #1: GLASSES GUY => GUY GLASSES => GEIGER GLASSES (post-Sat-hint; Geige = violin in German, hence musical link to ViolinTeddy). Or: GLASSES GUY => GUY GLASSES => EYEGLASSES (but poorer “sounds like”).
    Alternate #2 (pre-hint): SKY OBSERVER => SKYPE SERVER (but there is no phrase reversal)

    Cryptic crossword
    1A:
    6A:
    9A:
    10A:
    11A:
    13A: SPACE CADET
    14A:
    16A: NEHI
    17A:
    19A: POSEIDON
    20A: SIGNET
    23A: PROFESSIONALISM
    24A: RAYON
    25A: SCAVENGER

    1D:
    2D: AMERICAN HISTORY
    3D:
    4D: HELP
    5D:
    6D:
    7D:
    8D: GINGER ALE
    12D: RACEHORSES
    13D: SANDPAPER
    15D: INTIMATE
    18D:
    21D: TIMER
    22D: SOSA

    Nuts and Bolts Slice: FASTENAL => FAST LANE (Eagles song)
    Close fit alternate: ANOZIRA Door Systems (garage-door company in Tucson, AZ) => (Winslow) ARIZONA

    Entrées
    #1: Link between the SUPERGROUP and each of its stops is that each word includes an edible seafood, mostly fish. RHODE ISLAND (SARDINE, SHAD, ROE) [Shrimp hint => smallest state]. For its full name [STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS], more such creatures or dishes are possible (e.g. CRAPPIE, CARP).
    Otherwise NH (SHRIMP); NC, SC (CHAR, COHO); GA (ROE, GAR); NY, VT (ROE) are also answers. I prefer RI as the “best” answer, as it “includes” more types of fish.
    A useful fact learned from this search: GAR and ROE are each edible, but GAR ROE are highly toxic to humans.
    #2A: INGRATIATING
    #2B: BLEACHABLE
    #2C: ENTERTAINMENT
    #2D: TORMENTOR
    #2E: UNDERGROUND
    #3A: KINGMAKING
    #3B: SQUEAKYESQUE
    #3C: SHIP-OWNERSHIP
    #3D: LESSONLESS
    #3E: NESSINESS

    Dessert: RECENTLY, CENT, RELY (TRUST)

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    Replies
    1. General observation for pjb: I found the bottom half of the Cryptic crossword to be much easier than the top half. got almost none of the top half but most of the bottom.

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  19. You were also off on some of your answers, that probably didn't help.

    Complete Answers:
    1A: Death Wish - d + what he (anagram) + is (inside).
    6A: Music - greek letter mu + sic (syntax in context)
    9A: Great Depression - President's rage (anagram) + o(ld)
    10A: Animal - (M)ailman (anagram)
    11A: Remarked - reed (grass) with mark (spot) inside.
    13A: SPACE CADET
    14A: Chad - CD with first 2 letters of Ha ggard.
    16A: NEHI
    17A: Personally - Per(t)Sally carrying ON.
    19A: POSEIDON
    20A: SIGNET
    23A: PROFESSIONALISM
    24A: RAYON
    25A: SCAVENGER

    1D: Dogma - dog (follow) ma.
    2D: AMERICAN HISTORY
    3D: Hotcakes - Stack he (anagram) + o (love).
    4D: HELP Correct answer is Item - "It" = sex, with me backwards (upset).
    5D: Horse Sense - at least I think this is right, spoonerize to Source Hence?
    6D: Mishap - a sh(r)imp (anagram with R removed.
    7D: Stick the landing - anagram of late night dickens with E removed.
    8D: GINGER ALE Close, but should be Canada Dry - Canary with DAD inside.
    12D: RACEHORSES
    13D: SANDPAPER
    15D: INTIMATE
    18D: Pigeon - Ope(n)ing anagram, using singer as in rat fink.
    21D: TIMER
    22D: SOSA

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    Replies
    1. Rationales for my wrong answers:
      4D CouPLEHaving sex upset me ("couple having" backwards container)
      8D A pop sINGERGoes outside for a drink (anagram of sINGER + g "outside" and drink = ALE)
      Of course, the lack of a valid intersection would rule these out, but I didn't get that far.

      Other notes:
      I suspected 3D = HOTCAKES also.
      I would have gotten 14A = CHAD (knew I was looking for a 4-letter country. CUBA - also suspected - but wrong) would have fit.
      What does a "singer" have to do with a rat fink?
      For 7D I was looking for 15-letter anagrams. I took "not having energy to make IT" to mean that IT was to be excluded ("not enough energy").
      After explanation, I like the answer to 10A (ANIMAL)!

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    2. I never noticed the HELP in backwards, but then the "me" would be extraneous, and a good cryptic crafter never has anything left over. And I see your Ginger Ale, the multiple interpretations are both maddening and funnening.

      A "singer" and "pigeon" are synonymous in gangster slang, as is rat fink. Given who is in the White House we need to learn this new (old) lingo. I suggest watching Edward G. Robinson movies, perhaps Little Caesar from Blaine's World.

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  20. Schpuzzle
    "Galileo Galilei" and "Kepler" are both operas by Philip Glass, so either one would be a GLASS OPERA. The magnifying device would be OPERA GLASSES.
    Appetizer Menu
    For the official cryptic answers, check back with Lego later tonight.
    Menu
    FASTENAL, ("Life in the)FAST LANE"
    Entrees
    1. All the pertinent words in this puzzle had anagrams of the names of seafood in them:
    SUPERGROUP(GROUPER)
    PEKING(PIKE)
    INDOCHINA(COD)
    DUBRAVICA(CAVIAR)
    BARCELONA(CRAB)
    GEORGIA(ROE)
    NANTUCKET(TUNA)
    So the Eastern state would be NEW HAMPSHIRE(SHRIMP).
    2. A. INGRATIATING
    B. BLEACHABLE
    C. ENTERTAINMENT
    D. TORMENTOR
    E. UNDERGROUND
    3. A. KINGMAKING
    B. SQUEAKYESQUE
    C. SHIP-OWNERSHIP
    D. LESSONLESS
    E. NESSIENESS
    Dessert
    RECENTLY, CENT, RELY(synonym of TRUST, as in "In God We Trust", printed on coins)
    I didn't realize I'd made one part of my puzzle harder than the other. I do figure there would have to be varying degrees of difficulty from clue to clue, though. My next puzzle will most likely be sometime next month, but I'll probably send it off to Lego earlier than that, so be ready!-pjb

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  21. BTW great work explaining the clues, eco! I think you saved Lego the trouble of doing it later! Do you do cryptic crosswords a lot, too?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Nation magazine has one each week (30 something times a year) and I always do those. They are usually relatively easy, and I can't remember one without the 15 x 15 grid, about half have some hidden theme or relationship.

      Harper's Magazine also has one in each of the monthly magazines. They range from relatively easy to moderately difficult, and have a variety of formats.

      Once in a while I do the NYT cryptic, and even more rarely I attempt the Times of London or The Guardian's cryptics, but those are tremendously difficult. I have books of those, some I can get about 1/2 to 3/4, others I get less. Rarely I complete them.

      Yours rate somewhere in the Harper's range, not as easy as The Nation, not as hard as the Brits.

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  22. SCHPUZZLE: My initial, now infamous, alternate answer: VISIONS TELLER => TELLERVISIONS => TELEVISIONS [upon which one sees 'stars' all the time!]

    But, clearly, since the hint was "GLASS" [Ira Glass, Philip Glass--they're second cousins], I went partially back to my original thought which had been SPYGLASS:

    But finally realized that the intended answer is: [Philip} GLASS'S OPERA => OPERA GLASSES

    NUTS AND BOLTS SLICE: FASTENAL => FAST LANE

    ENTREE #1: Supergroup = GROUPER; Los Angeles = SOLE; Barcelona = ABALONE; Peking = PIKE; Indochina = COD; Dubravica = CAVIAR; Nantucket = TUNA; Georgia = ROE;
    The State is: NEW HAMPSHIRE (PRAWN); or SOUTH CAROLINA (COHO); or RHODE ISLAND (SHAD); or VIRGINIA (Gar); or DELAWARE (Eel) or NEW YORK (Roe)

    ENTREE #2: A. INGRATIATING; B. BLEACHABLE; C. ENTERTAINMENT; D. TORMENTOR; E. UNDERGROUND

    ENTREE #3: A. KINGMAKING; B. SQUEAKYESQUE; C. SHIP-OWNERSHIP; D. LESSONLESS; E. NESSIENESS

    DESSERT: RECENTLY (minted) => CENT & RELY / TRUST

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Didn't see ABALONE in Barcelona or PRAWN in New Hampshire, but had alternates of CRAB and SHRIMP for these, respectively.
      What this goes to show is that this puzzle is very fishy :-) .

      Delete
    2. Also noticed BREAM in both EMBARKING [hint] and BAMBERG

      Delete
    3. Yeah, geo, abalone was my favorite one, although prawn came in second, imho. *I* missed that New Hampshire was ALSO "shrimp"....which I see below turned out to be Lego's intended answer. This was some 'kettle of fish', eh?

      Delete
  23. This week's official answers for the record, part 1:

    Schpuzzle Of The Week:
    Devisers of ways to stargaze
    Describe either “Galileo Galilei” or “Kepler” with the same two-word phrase.
    Switch the words in that phrase to name what sounds like magnification devices that are used indoors to view the stars.
    What are these devices?
    What is the two-word phrase that describes “Galileo Galilei” or “Kepler”?
    Answer:
    Opera glasses;
    "Galileo Galilei" or "Kepler" can be described as (Philip) "Glass's opera"
    (Glass's opera-->opera Glass's-->opera glasses. Opera-goers use opera glasses to better view the opera stars on stage.)

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  24. This week's official answers for the record, part 2:

    Appetizer Menu

    NOTE: The CRYPTIC CROSSWORD ANSWER GRID can be found above this week's Comments Section.

    Cryptic Cupid FebFourteen Appetizer:
    Tough-love cross words beat sweet nothings
    ACROSS
    1. Top director – what he shot is in film(5,4) DEATH WISH
    D+WHATHE anagram containing IS
    6. Letter as it was written, a few notes stuck together(5) MUSIC
    MU+SIC
    9. Corrupt President’s rage getting old – a bad time in 2(5,10) GREAT DEPRESSION
    PRESIDENTSRAGE anagram containing O
    10. Mailman heading off, running from dog, for example(6) ANIMAL
    MAILMAN anagram minus M
    11. Noticed spot in grass(8) REMARKED
    MARK inside REED
    13. Could be accepted as NASA trainee?(5,5) SPACE CADET
    ACCEPTEDAS anagram
    14. Country recording includes two cuts from Haggard(4) CHAD
    CD(compact disc)containing HAggard
    16. Drink in sunshine, hippies!(4) NEHI
    hidden inside sunshiNEHIppies
    17. In my opinion, no time for sassy girl to carry on(10) PERSONALLY
    PERT-T+SALLY containing ON
    19. God – Dicky is on dope!(8) POISEIDON
    ISONDOPE anagram
    20. Seal or swan, by the sound of it(6) SIGNET
    sounds like CYGNET
    23. Promises no fails, supposedly having expertise?(15) PROFESSIONALISM
    PROMISESNOFAILS anagram
    24. Or any manufactured fabric?(5) RAYON
    ORANY anagram
    25. Vulture in ghastly scene, with grave, cut short(9) SCAVENGER
    SCENEGRAVE anagram minus E
    DOWN
    1. Follow mother’s teachings(5) DOGMA
    DOG+MA
    2. Our past machinery sorta improved with start of industrialism(8,7) AMERICAN HISTORY
    MACHINERYSORTA anagram containing I
    3. Stack he prepared with love for breakfast(8) HOTCAKES
    STACKHE anagram containing O
    4. Couple having sex upset me(4) ITEM
    IT+ME reversed
    5. What a “stable genius” should have from the start, therefore, according to Rev. Spooner?(5,5) HORSE SENSE
    spoonerism of SOURCE HENCE
    6. Problem with a shrimp cocktail right off?(6) MISHAP
    ASHRIMP anagram minus R
    7. Late night, curled up with Dickens – not having energy to make it?(5,3,7) STICK THE LANDING
    LATENIGHTDICKENS anagram minus E
    8. A pop singer goes outside for a drink(6,3) CANADA DRY
    A DAD inside CANARY
    12. Hear scores broadcast – they do go by fast!(10) RACEHORSES
    HEARSCORES anagram
    13. Sadly, Dapper Dan’s date never showed – it must be rough(9) SANDPAPER
    DAPPERDANS anagram minus D
    15. Prisoner holds it up close(8) INTIMATE
    INMATE containing IT reversed
    18. Singer has terrible opening – heart not in it(6) PIGEON
    OPENING anagram minus N(PIGEON in this case means "informer")
    21. Watch headmaster in class(5) TIMER
    M inside TIER
    22. Baseball player needs help reaching second base(4) SOSA
    SOS+bAse

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  25. This week's official answers for the record, part 3:

    MENU

    Nuts And Bolts Slice:
    Retail sales and Eagles’ tales
    Divide the name of a U.S.-based retail company into two equal parts.
    Spell the second part backward. The result is a two-word place the Eagles sang about.
    What is the name of this company?
    Hint: It is a “nuts and bolts” industrial supply company.
    Answer:
    Fastenal; "(Life in the) Fast Lane"

    Riffing Off Shortz Slices:
    Penny lopes across the globe
    ENTREE #1
    A 1970’s supergroup from Los Angeles went on a world tour. Flying west, they performed in Peking, Indochina, Dubravica, Barcelona, Georgia and Nantucket. At what other eastern U.S. state did they perform?
    Answer:
    New Hampshire;
    (Consecutive letters of the eight key words, and in "New Hampshire," are anagrams of tasty seafood.)
    sUPERGROup (rearranged) = GROUPER
    los angELEs = EEL
    PEKIng = PIKE
    inDOChina = COD
    dubRAVICA = CAVIAR
    BARCelona = CRAB
    gEORgia = ROE
    nANTUcket = TUNA, and
    new haMPSHIRe = SHRIMP
    ENTREE #2
    Penelope, who is from La Jolla, went on a world vacation. She stopped in Santa Rosa, Toronto, Casablanca and Amsterdam. The words Penelope, La Jolla, Santa Rosa, Toronto, Casablanca and Amsterdam all end with the same two letters that they begin with, in the same order.
    Find the following words that all end with the same THREE letters that they begin with, in the same order. You will be provided with a clue for each word, followed (in parentheses) with the interior letters that are flanked by the trios of letters at the beginning and end of the word.
    Answer:
    A. Sycophantic, intended to curry favor; (ratiat): Ingratiating
    B. Capable of being whitened, ideally without ruining the garment, or hair; (acha): Bleachable
    C. Word following “That’s” or preceding “Tonight”; (ertainm): Entertainment
    D. Harasser, heckler; (men): Tormentor
    E. Word following “Weather” or preceding “Railroad”; (ergro): Underground
    ENTREE #3
    Find the following words that all end with the same FOUR letters that they begin with, in the same order. You will be provided with a clue for each word, followed (in parentheses) with the interior letters that are flanked by the quartetss of letters at the beginning and end of the word.
    Note: Most, if not all, of these words are somewhat contrived. They cannot be found in many (and, in some cases, any) dictionaries. Word C includes a hyphen.
    Answer:
    A. A pursuit plied by Machiavelli, Neville, Farley and Murdoch; (ma): Kingmaking https://www.thefreedictionary.com/kingmaking
    B. Like Lynette, who tried to kill a one-time King; (akye): Squeakyesque
    C. What many yacht club members can claim; (-owner): Ship-ownership
    D. Like unprepared teachers, perhaps; (on): Lessonless
    E. Quality possessed by a Scottish lake monster; (ie): Nessieness

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  26. This week's official answers for the record, part 4:

    Dessert Menu

    Shiny Happy Dessert:
    “Shine on harvest moon, new in the sky”
    Take an adverb one might use in a phrase describing a shiny new object.
    Remove from the middle a four-letter noun for one such shiny new object, leaving a four-letter synonym of a verb that appears on the object.
    What are this adverb, noun and two verbs?
    Answer:
    Recently; cent, rely, trust ("IN GOD WE TRUST"; For example, "This shiny cent was recently minted.")

    Lego!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I understand the Great Depression was a bad time, but what's "in 2" about?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "in 2" refers to 2 Down, in this case American History. Cryptics often try to refer to another clue in the puzzle, sometimes they have to add the A or D, but not here.

      Delete