PUZZLERIA! SLICES: OVER 8!/20 SERVED
Schpuzzle Of TheWeek:
“Are you smarter than a rocket scientist?”
Take an informal word for a person who is smart enough to solve this puzzle.
Think of someone like rocket scientist, for example, or a character on “The Big Bang Theory” television sitcom.
Five consecutive letters within this word spell an adjective for a body part. If you remove three consecutive letters from within the word the remaining letters spell another adjective for the same body part. What are these three words?
Hint: The informal word comes from the name of a past fictional television character.
Non-quarantined Crossword Appetizer:
Cryptically Quinquagenarian
Looking for a great way to occupy your time while you’re cooped up indoors, awaiting the end of quarantining and social-distancing?
How about working on... no, not working on, playing on (!) a clever Cryptic Crossword created by Patrick J. Berry! Patrick (screen name, “cranberry”), has just recently celebrated his 50th birthday.
But, instead of getting gifts from us, he is instead giving us a priceless gift – another one of his original 15-by-15 grids of wonderful wordplay!
This is the 14th cryptic crossword with which Patrick has graced Puzzleria!
Here are the links to Patrick’s thirteen previous cryptic crosswords on Puzzleria!
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN
EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN
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!
But now, it’s time to open your “cryptic gift” from our “birthday boy.” We guarantee it to be virus-free... although it well may be cryptically “contageous!”
ACROSS
1. Those who fly sorta having trouble getting through(8)
5. Rain sometimes – how erratic!(6)
9. Generation having say in worsening of our gap?(3,5)
10. Demanding, like family gatherings, primarily(6)
12. Unconventional children’s entertainer’s last laugh(7)
13. Savage to cook chicken?(7)
14. Lob used in game of 24(5,7)
17. Funny quotes in book?(8,4)
22. President has a mind so twisted(7)
23. Speech habit, take notice(7)
24. Wrong to make comeback in sport?(6)
25. Erin greeting former Presidential hopeful with some hesitation, we hear(8)
26. Prescription from top doctor, old and wise(6)
27. Pinch from pervert bugged ’er(8)
DOWN
1. Different combinations of different animals in a scientific first?(8)
2. Obsession with one former lover? I give up!(4,4)
3. Visited rising singer on wild ride(7)
4. Poorly made case for horseplay?(12)
6. Strip show on Broadway? Security!(7)
7. Importance of some wrong number?(6)
8. Old Yeller’s last appearance before going mad(6)
11. Actress going topless is dazzling in current film(3, 5, 4)
15. Took a swipe at lead guitarist in band(quoted by humor magazine)(8)
16. Con man on board, in uniform(4,4)
18. Boom! Ready to rock!(7)
19. Familiar with obscure name brought up?(7)
20. Journalist has least little thing exaggerated(6)
21. Looker, scantily clad on island(6)
Eventful Slice:
An unhidden hint to history
Write a man’s first name (in one syllable).
Replace its second letter with a duplicate of the first letter.
The result will resemble a short way of writing a significant event in world history.
What is this first name?
What is the event?
Hint: A good hint is not hidden within the text of this puzzle.
Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices:
“Wobble was I ere I saw Elbbow”
Will Shortz’s April 19th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Greg Lewis of Columbus, Indiana, reads:
Name part of the human body in seven letters. The first four letters, in order, spell a familiar boy’s name. The second through fifth letters, in order, also spell a familiar boy’s name. What body part is it?
Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices read:
ENTREE #1
Name an interior part of the human body in five letters. Reverse the order of the first two letters and move them to the end. Change the first letter of this result to the letter that is two places earlier in the alphabet to form the last name of a puzzle-maker.
Now take the first name of this puzzle-maker. Take the mean average of the alphanumeric values of its first two letters and round down to form a third alphanumeric value. Replace the first two letters of the first name with the letter associated with this average value to form a three-letter body part.
For example, the average of alphanumeric value of the first two letters in the name JOseph is 12.5 (10+15=25, which divided by 2=12.5, which, rounded down, is 12=L).
Who is this puzzle-maker?
What are the two body parts.
ENTREE #2
Name a body part usually associated with insects.
The first four letters, in order, spell a familiar boy’s name associated with mythology.
The second through fifth letters, in order, spell a dance associated with the Middle East.
What body part is it?
ENTREE #3
Name part of the human body in ten letters.
The first, fifth, sixth and seventh letters, in order, spell a somewhat familiar girl’s name. The fourth, eighth, ninth and tenth letters, in order, spell a second somewhat familiar girl’s name. The second, third, fourth and eighth letters, in order, spell a third somewhat familiar girl’s name. The fourth, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth letters, in order, spell a fourth somewhat familiar girl’s name.
What body part is it?
ENTREE #4
Name a familiar girl’s name in six letters.
Four consecutive letters, in order, spell a word in a Bob Dylan song title. The second, third and fifth letters, in order, spell another word in that same Bob Dylan song title.
Four other consecutive letters in the girl’s name, in order, spell a word in a Dave Clark Five or Traffic song title.
The second, third, fourth and sixth letters, in order, spell the last word in the name of a vocal group that was once called The Otnorots (taken from the name of their hometown, “Toronto,” spelled backwards).
What girl’s name is this?
ENTREE #5
Name part of the human body in five letters. Add a letter to the beginning to spell a familiar boy’s name.
Remove the last letter of this boy’s name to spell a familiar girl’s name. What body part is it?
Hint: The girl’s name is also something you can eat.
Stars Still Ascending Heavenward Dessert:
Music of the astral spheres
Countless stars coruscate across the evening heavens above – rising stars that fell from the sky, then rose even further into space heavenward.
Listen closely and you can hear the music of these astral spheres as they spin in constant harmony within their constellations.
These stars have names: Croce, Denver, Nelson, Vaughan, Van Zant, Gaines, Richardson, Valens, Holly, Cline, Redding, Miller, Aaliyah, Rhoads, Reeves, Rivera, Martin...
One particular asterism of these stars also has a name, in two words. Replace the first two letters of the second word. The altered two-word result is the stage name of one of its stars
What is this asterism and what is the stage name of the star?
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.
Schpuzzle Of TheWeek:
“Are you smarter than a rocket scientist?”
Take an informal word for a person who is smart enough to solve this puzzle.
Think of someone like rocket scientist, for example, or a character on “The Big Bang Theory” television sitcom. Five consecutive letters within this word spell an adjective for a body part. If you remove three consecutive letters from within the word the remaining letters spell another adjective for the same body part. What are these three words?
Hint: The informal word comes from the name of a past fictional television character.
Appetizer Menu
Non-quarantined Crossword Appetizer:
Cryptically Quinquagenarian
Looking for a great way to occupy your time while you’re cooped up indoors, awaiting the end of quarantining and social-distancing?How about working on... no, not working on, playing on (!) a clever Cryptic Crossword created by Patrick J. Berry! Patrick (screen name, “cranberry”), has just recently celebrated his 50th birthday.
But, instead of getting gifts from us, he is instead giving us a priceless gift – another one of his original 15-by-15 grids of wonderful wordplay!This is the 14th cryptic crossword with which Patrick has graced Puzzleria!
Here are the links to Patrick’s thirteen previous cryptic crosswords on Puzzleria!
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVENEIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE THIRTEEN
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!
But now, it’s time to open your “cryptic gift” from our “birthday boy.” We guarantee it to be virus-free... although it well may be cryptically “contageous!”
ACROSS
1. Those who fly sorta having trouble getting through(8)
5. Rain sometimes – how erratic!(6)9. Generation having say in worsening of our gap?(3,5)
10. Demanding, like family gatherings, primarily(6)
12. Unconventional children’s entertainer’s last laugh(7)13. Savage to cook chicken?(7)
14. Lob used in game of 24(5,7)
17. Funny quotes in book?(8,4)
22. President has a mind so twisted(7)
23. Speech habit, take notice(7)
24. Wrong to make comeback in sport?(6)25. Erin greeting former Presidential hopeful with some hesitation, we hear(8)
26. Prescription from top doctor, old and wise(6)
27. Pinch from pervert bugged ’er(8)
DOWN
1. Different combinations of different animals in a scientific first?(8)
2. Obsession with one former lover? I give up!(4,4)3. Visited rising singer on wild ride(7)
4. Poorly made case for horseplay?(12)
6. Strip show on Broadway? Security!(7)
7. Importance of some wrong number?(6)
8. Old Yeller’s last appearance before going mad(6)11. Actress going topless is dazzling in current film(3, 5, 4)
15. Took a swipe at lead guitarist in band(quoted by humor magazine)(8)
16. Con man on board, in uniform(4,4)
18. Boom! Ready to rock!(7)19. Familiar with obscure name brought up?(7)
20. Journalist has least little thing exaggerated(6)
21. Looker, scantily clad on island(6)
MENU
Eventful Slice:
An unhidden hint to history
Write a man’s first name (in one syllable).
Replace its second letter with a duplicate of the first letter.
The result will resemble a short way of writing a significant event in world history.
What is this first name?
What is the event?
Hint: A good hint is not hidden within the text of this puzzle.
Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices:
“Wobble was I ere I saw Elbbow”
Will Shortz’s April 19th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Greg Lewis of Columbus, Indiana, reads:
Name part of the human body in seven letters. The first four letters, in order, spell a familiar boy’s name. The second through fifth letters, in order, also spell a familiar boy’s name. What body part is it?
Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices read:
ENTREE #1
Name an interior part of the human body in five letters. Reverse the order of the first two letters and move them to the end. Change the first letter of this result to the letter that is two places earlier in the alphabet to form the last name of a puzzle-maker.
Now take the first name of this puzzle-maker. Take the mean average of the alphanumeric values of its first two letters and round down to form a third alphanumeric value. Replace the first two letters of the first name with the letter associated with this average value to form a three-letter body part. For example, the average of alphanumeric value of the first two letters in the name JOseph is 12.5 (10+15=25, which divided by 2=12.5, which, rounded down, is 12=L).
Who is this puzzle-maker?
What are the two body parts.
ENTREE #2
Name a body part usually associated with insects. The first four letters, in order, spell a familiar boy’s name associated with mythology.
The second through fifth letters, in order, spell a dance associated with the Middle East.
What body part is it?
ENTREE #3
Name part of the human body in ten letters.
The first, fifth, sixth and seventh letters, in order, spell a somewhat familiar girl’s name. The fourth, eighth, ninth and tenth letters, in order, spell a second somewhat familiar girl’s name. The second, third, fourth and eighth letters, in order, spell a third somewhat familiar girl’s name. The fourth, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth letters, in order, spell a fourth somewhat familiar girl’s name. What body part is it?
ENTREE #4
Name a familiar girl’s name in six letters.
Four consecutive letters, in order, spell a word in a Bob Dylan song title. The second, third and fifth letters, in order, spell another word in that same Bob Dylan song title.
Four other consecutive letters in the girl’s name, in order, spell a word in a Dave Clark Five or Traffic song title. The second, third, fourth and sixth letters, in order, spell the last word in the name of a vocal group that was once called The Otnorots (taken from the name of their hometown, “Toronto,” spelled backwards).
What girl’s name is this?
ENTREE #5
Name part of the human body in five letters. Add a letter to the beginning to spell a familiar boy’s name.
Remove the last letter of this boy’s name to spell a familiar girl’s name. What body part is it?Hint: The girl’s name is also something you can eat.
Dessert Menu
Stars Still Ascending Heavenward Dessert:
Music of the astral spheres
Countless stars coruscate across the evening heavens above – rising stars that fell from the sky, then rose even further into space heavenward.
Listen closely and you can hear the music of these astral spheres as they spin in constant harmony within their constellations. These stars have names: Croce, Denver, Nelson, Vaughan, Van Zant, Gaines, Richardson, Valens, Holly, Cline, Redding, Miller, Aaliyah, Rhoads, Reeves, Rivera, Martin...
One particular asterism of these stars also has a name, in two words. Replace the first two letters of the second word. The altered two-word result is the stage name of one of its stars
What is this asterism and what is the stage name of the star?
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.
Here we are in the last days of April, how time doth fly!
ReplyDeleteThe Entrees were delightfully easy this time, and I believe I have the Eventful Slice, too.
But I don't even understand the Dessert, and got nowhere, despite diligent effort, on yon Schpuzzle.
VT,
DeleteIn the Dessert, the "rising stars that fell from the sky, then rose even further into space heavenward" are musicians who perished in airplane crashes.
The stage name of the star is likely less well-known than the name of the asterism. This star is not pictured in the Dessert image but two other stars associated with her/him are.
LegoWhoAddsThat"Teeny"IsAnAntonymOfPartOfTheStar'sStageNameYetIsAlsoAssociatedWithTheOtherPartOfTheStageName
I am confused wrt the Dessert. From the hint, I get the musicians and knew the nickname hinted at (plus, the signature fixes it definitively). But the asterism that would be connected with it per the word-alteration is an familiar astronomical asterism, not one of singers.
DeleteStevie Ray Vaughan, referenced in the Dessert, actually died in a HELICOPTER crash.
DeleteHint for Entrée #5: Take the organ in question and change its first vowel to another vowel. Add an S to give what the two individuals might (in principle) be.
ReplyDeleteI have a solution to the Schpuzzle, but it may be an alternate one, as the first adjective is in reality a noun modifier, and the second adjective is not a familiar one.
ReplyDeleteI have attempted to tweak the confusing text of this week's Dessert:
ReplyDeleteOriginal Dessert text:
One particular asterism of these stars also has a name, in two words. Replace the first two letters of the second word to form the stage name of one of its stars.
What is this asterism and what is the stage name of the star?
Edited Dessert text:
One particular asterism of these stars also has a name, in two words. Replace the first two letters of the second word. The altered two-word result is the stage name of one of its stars.
What is this asterism and what is the stage name of the star?
LegoTryingToClarify
RE what geo wrote above, I too now know what both the astronomical asterism and the nickname are. I STILL fail to see how all the musicians (other than the one with the nickname and his bandmates) have any bearing on this entire puzzle. Thus, the edited new text for the Dessert doesn't really answer my confusion.
DeleteViolinTeddy,
DeleteThe 17 musicians listed in the puzzle text and the nine pictured in the image really have nothing to do with the musician who is the answer, except that all died in aircraft crashes. (cranberry is correct about Stevie Ray Vaughn, who perished in a whirlybird.)
I just kind of liked the idea of these "fallen stars" metaphorically "rising" into the heavens and taking their places alongside all the other souls shining in the firmament.
Anyway, that's what I was attempting.
LegoPretentiously
The way it is written, it sounds as if the asterism that is meant is an "asterism" of singers. However, what is presumably meant (as I cannot find any evidence of any group of the mentioned singers - did a search of each of the 17 singers + name of asterism) is that the asterism is of astronomic stars, not of (a subset of the named) singers, as is implied (taking the antecedent of "these stars" as the preceding instance of "these stars."). My interpretation is only valid if the antecedent of "these stars" is not the singers but "countless stars" at the beginning of the text.
DeleteIMHO a clearer rework of the penultimate paragraph of the puzzle would be:
Delete"A particular astronomical asterism has a name, in two words. Replace the first two letters of the second word. The altered two-word result is the stage name of one of these human stars, who metaphorically went up to join it in the heavens."
As an aside to the Dessert, it would seem that singers are particularly prone to dying in plane (or helicopter, as cranberry correctly noted for Vaughan) crashes. A likely explanation is that singers make use of small chartered (general aviation) aircraft. These are much more prone to crashes than commercial flights.
DeleteOf course, this was back in the olden times, back when singers took part in mass events called "concerts."
I do believe you've hit all the nails squarely on the heads, geo!
DeleteI concur, VT. His reworking of my penultimate paragraph in the Dessert is a vast improvement.
DeleteLegoWhoNowRealizesThatPuzzlemakingAnd"Poetry"DoNotMixSoWell(AtLeastNotInHisHands)
Greetings to one and all on the blog this evening! I hope everyone enjoys my latest cryptic offering. I already have another puzzle plotted out on my Scrabble board for next month, and I look forward to getting all the clues straight for that one before I send it along. You'll also be happy to know after working on this week's puzzles(sans mine, of course), I've actually solved everything(I think)! If I need a hint for anything, it'll be for the Eventful Slice. I've sort of figured out what's required there, but my answer doesn't necessarily constitute an "event" so much as a certain "time". I won't give anything away about how duplicating the first letter will automatically give you the supposed answer, but from my point of view, it definitely limits the possibilities of what it could be. On the homefront, I went for a walk earlier today, and we haven't had supper yet, and I've already listened to "Ask Me Another" and done my other crosswords. The P! puzzles were quite easy ones, though I still have my doubts about the Eventful Slice. Getting back to AMA, they had a game involving anagrams of famous leaders, and one they came up with for MARIE ANTOINETTE was quite interesting, I thought. As you know, she allegedly said, "Let them eat cake!", so it's funny her anagram comes out to this:
ReplyDeleteTREAT? NO, I ATE MINE!
After that, I began thinking about whether there might be any other strange phrases you could get from her name. Here are two others I happened to come up with. See what you think:
EAT IT, MERE NATION!
NOT A TRITE MEANIE?
I also realized, since they had another game involving DOLLY PARTON, that her name can be rearranged to spell OPRYLAND LOT.
So in case I end up creating a puzzle in the future that uses either name, remember you read it here first. And Lego, please remember any clarification of the Eventful Slice will prove most helpful, but that'll be the only thing I'll need help with this week. Also, I've been fortunate enough to talk to my therapist and another doctor yesterday afternoon, and my therapist has taken care of some of my prescriptions that were in bad need of being refilled, and now I won't have to worry about getting a good night's sleep during the pandemic because I finally have more Xanax, and that helps me sleep better than anything else. ZZZQuil doesn't even work as well! So in closing, I will say good luck and good solving to all, stay safe, and sleep tight!
My hint at the end of the "Eventful Slice" reads:
ReplyDeleteHint: A good hint is not hidden within the text of this puzzle.
The "good hint" is not hidden within the text of the puzzle... Oh, the hint is there all right. But it is not hidden.
It is in plain sight!
LegoAnObviousHinter
THe Eventful Slice was the first puzzle I got (followed by the Entrées).
DeleteWell, now I got it! A little tricky, but I got it! The PuzzleMaster himself would approve!
DeleteThink of a familiar phrase in three words, verb, article, and plural noun, pertaining to expertise. The verb and the singular form of the noun are four letters each. Rearrange those eight letters to form a compound word (four letters in each part) that is somehow relevant to one of this week's puzzles.
ReplyDeleteSince I know the answers to this week's puzzles, you might think your puzzle would be a walk in the park for me. But I cannot make my phrase that pertains to expertise work. I only come up with a compound word beginning with a vowel that relates to arts and crafts.
DeleteMy hunch though is that the puzzle that your compound word is "somehow relevant to" is the Schpuzzle.
LegoFitToBeTied
Your hunch is way off!
Delete[I'm nowhere near solving the Schpuzzle]
I get the same word that Lego does. See no relation to puzzles, except possibly (in a sense) the Dessert.
DeleteI think geofan has my intended answer.
DeleteI've solved the Schpuzzle now.
I hadn't noticed it before, but the Schpuzzle and the Dessert are "somehow" related, even before solving either one.
Of course, everything in the universe (multiverse?) is related "somehow".
Auxiliary puzzle (cryptic clue):
DeleteSocial bug in cold French commune (9)
Cranberry: I've almost finished your cryptic, 14 is terrific!
ReplyDeleteI might have used a slightly different wording for 6 and changed the word order for 8, but we can discuss after Wednesday.
I'd also suggest (hoping it doesn't give away too much - I will delete if you say) that for 21 "partially" would have been a better word than "scantily."
This seems harder than your usual fare, but clever throughout.
okay, finished, and I won't 27 your choices, even as I was 10, I was feeling 15. No more 17.
DeleteAgreed, eco.
DeleteClue #14 is terrific. So is "Cryptic Crossword #14!" The generosity of Patrick J. Berry and of all Puzzlerian!s who share their genius on this blog is truly heartening.
LegoWhoCravescranberry'sCrypticCreations
Lego, high praise indeed! And eco, I welcome your input as well. Lego had pointed out via email that he too found 8 Down a little confusing, and I actually had to question my own choice of words in that clue. My second choice for the wording is as follows(and I hope, not as troublesome):
DeleteOld Yeller last seen before going mad(6)
Also, I had heard or read the phrase "scantily clad" before, and I did even go so far as to look up "scanty" to see if it would still work in this context, but if you think "partially" would've worked better, that's fine with me. Constructive criticism is always better than just finding fault, I say. As for this one being harder than the others, it's completely unintentional. It took me a few years to get to my current level of "difficulty".
I meant no offense in the scanty/ partial issue, it's always a challenge to find that right word.
DeleteYou make terrific puzzles, I regularly do Richard Maltby's puzzles in Harper's (which range from moderately easy to fairly hard), Kosman and Picciotto's that until recently were in The Nation, now found at http://www.leftfieldcryptics.com/, which are usually pretty easy. Occasionally I try the British cryptics, but rarely get more than halfway through. Yours, in my opinion, fall in between leftfield's and a hard Maltby, please don't emulate the Brits.
Anyone know where Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon are these days? I liked their Atlantic cryptics.
And now, another song parody:
ReplyDeleteAN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP
(Sung to the tune of "Reelin' In The Years" by Steely Dan)
This everlasting virus,
Don't know how long it'll last.
Still you want to end the lockdown,
Start it all back up and fast!
When you first met Dr. Fauci,
Did you try to shake his hand?
Your being "Presidential"
I can't understand.
Ain't there nothin' 'tween your ears?
Stupid this whole damn time.
You confirm all our worst fears
Sayin' stuff that's asinine!
Ain't there nothin' 'tween your ears?
Stupid this whole damn time.
You confirm all our worst fears.
You must be out of your mind!
You called yourself a "stable genius"
Before COVID-19.
In all the time I've heard you,
I still don't know what you mean.
This thing Coronavirus
Has just gotten out of hand.
Your re-election campaign,
It ain't like you planned.
Ain't there nothin' 'tween your ears?
Stupid this whole damn time.
You confirm all our worst fears
Sayin' stuff that's asinine!
Ain't there nothin' 'tween your ears?
Stupid this whole damn time.
You confirm all our worst fears.
You must be out of your mind!
It isn't even funny
How you're so preoccupied.
The 2020 Election
Is etched upon your mind.
When we're finally out of quarantine,
We'll choose another man.
Then you will ne'er again be
Leader of this land!
Ain't there nothin' 'tween your ears?
Stupid this whole damn time.
You confirm all our worst fears
Sayin' stuff that's asinine!
Ain't there nothin' 'tween your ears?
Stupid this whole damn time.
You confirm all our worst fears.
You must be out of your mind!
(Apologies to Mr. Fagen and the late Mr. Becker)
Now that's poetry!
DeleteLegoAdds"AndThat'sEntertainment!"
1A SORTA anagrammed containing VIA = AVIATORS
ReplyDelete5A sometimeS HOW ERratic
9A OUR GAP anagrammed containing E.G. = AGE GROUP
4D ROUGH+HOUSING
24A SIN NET(as in make a profit) reverses to TENNIS
14A MIXED DOUBLES [???]
3D RAT reversed atop RIDE anagrammed = TARRIED
1D A+NAG+RAM+S(cientific) = ANAGRAMS
PO(INDEX)TER / POIN(DEX)TER
Will > WW II
(THOR)AX / T(HORA)X
GLADYS: LADY, LAY, GLAD, LADS
BIG DIPPER > BIG BOPPER
Congratulations to lego and geofan for seeing OPENWORK in "KNOW the ROPEs". I was thinking of LACE, which is "an openwork fabric"; and I don't really know anything about the temperature or insect population in CH(ANT)ILLY.
Final thoughts: Isaiah 40:22, Psalm 104:2
Paul:
DeleteIn German, "the arch of the heavens" is often (poetically) referred to as the Himmelszelt = tent of the heavens.
... and the apostle Paul was a tentmaker.
Delete...any correlation is intented.
DeletePaul and geofan,
DeleteWords cannot express how grateful I am that both of you are willing to contribute your creativity and wisdom to this blog.
LegoWithGratitude
Schpuzzle: BRAINIAC, BRAIN (as a noun modifier), INIAC (= of the rear of the cranium) [Alternate answer]
ReplyDeleteCryptic crossword
1A: AVIATORS
5A: SHOWER
9A:
10A: MAINLY (?)
Eventful Slice: Will – i +W => WWll (World War II)
Entrées
#1: GREG – G(9), R(16) + L(12) => LEG; SINEW => NEWIS => LEWIS
#2: THORAX => THOR, HORA
#3: FINGERNAIL => FENA, GAIL, 1INA, GINGER
#4: GLADYS, LADY, LAY (Lay, Lady, Lay), GLAD (All Over)
#5: LIVER, OLIVER, OLIVE
Dessert: RICHARDSON, HOLLY, VALENS, (The) BIG BOPPER, BIG DIPPER (post-Fri-hint)
Schpuzzle
ReplyDeletePOINDEXTER, INDEX, POINTER(fingers)
See Lego's answer and explanations for the cryptic crossword.
Menu
Eventful Slice
Will=WWII(World War 2)
Entrees
1. GREG LEWIS, LEG, SINEW
2. THORAX, THOR, HORA
3. FINGERNAIL, FERN, GAIL, INGA, GINGER
4. GLADYS, LAY, LADY(Lay, Lady, Lay), GLAD(All Over)
5. LIVER, OLIVER, OLIVE
Dessert
BIG DIPPER, BIG BOPPER(J. P. Richardson. He and Buddy Holly and Richie Valens all died in the same plane crash.)
"The Masked Singer" in three minutes! See y'all next week!-pjb
Cranberry,
ReplyDeleteFor 6D I thought "Strip show on Broadway captivated one" would have been a good double definition. I still haven't figured out the "Security" party.
For 8D the word order was a bit off, "Senior's last appearance before growing old and getting mad" might have been clearer.
For the others:
1A aVIAtors (sorta anagram)
5 SHOWERS (hidden)
9 aGE group (our gap anagram)
10 AS+KIN+G
12 RAFFI'S + H
13 HEAT + HEN
14 MIXED DOUBLES (lob used anagram, or, "mixed")
17 QUESTION MARK (not sure of the mark, unless it's related to book)
22 MADISON (a mind so anagram)
23 DICTION (I think, don't really follow the clue)
24 TENNIS (sin + net reverse)
25 HIBERNIA (another word for Ireland, Hi Berni + a(h)
26 D + O + SAGE
27 BEGRUDGE (bugged er anagram)
1D A + NAG + RAM + S
2 IDEE FIXE (I + ex I feed (reverse))
3 TARRIED (rat reversed + ride anagram, rat as in stool pigeon)
4 ROUGHHOUSING (double definition)
6 HOSTAGE (show - sw + stage)
7 W + EIGHT
8 R (from Yeller) + aging
11 THE BLIND SIDE (I think, can't match to clue)
15 MALIGNED (G from guitarist inside LINE in side MAD - greatest magazine ever!)
16 sKIN Game (KING from a chess board)
18 UPSWING (again, I can't make out the "Ready to Rock" part)
19 NUCLEAR (obscure = unclear, bring N(ame) up)
20 EMOTED (Was journalist Ed supposed to be Murrow or Bradley?)
21 ADONIS (hidden in clad on island)
OOPs, I was nervously making a rare shopping excursion to the next town 17 miles away, then got home and completely FORGOT about this. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteSCHPUZZLE: QUICKDRAW? [I went through every list of genius synonyms, and lists of 'smart TV characters" and still came up empty.]
EVENTFUL SLICE: Will => WWII
ENTREES:
1. SINEW => NEWIS => LEWIS; GREG => LEG
2. THORAX => THOR & HORA
3. FINGERNAIL => FERN; GAIL; INGA; GINGER
4. GLADYS => LADY; LAY ; LADS; GLAD
5. LIVER => OLIVER => OLIVE
DESSERT: BIG DIPPER => BIG BOPPER
Oh phooey!! I had even TRIED Pointdexter, and failed to see the 'index' and 'pointer' in it. Nuts
ReplyDeleteThis week's official answers for the record, part 1:
ReplyDeleteSchpuzzle Of TheWeek:
“Are you smarter than a rocket scientist?”
Take an informal word for a person who is smart enough to solve this puzzle.
Think of someone like rocket scientist, for example, or a character on “The Big Bang Theory” television sitcom.
Five consecutive letters within this word spell an adjective for a body part. If you remove three consecutive letters from within the word the remaining letters spell another adjective for the same body part. What are these three words?
Hint: The informal word comes from the name of a past fictional television character.
Answer:
POINDEXTER; INDEX; POINTER (INDEX finger, POINTER finger)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poindexter
Appetizer Menu
Non-quarantined Crossword Appetizer
Cryptically Quinquagenarian
NOTE: The CRYPTIC CROSSWORD ANSWER GRID can be found above this week's Comments Section.
ACROSS
1. Those who fly sorta having trouble getting through(8)
SORTA anagram containing VIA
5. Rain sometimes – how erratic!(6)
hidden inside timeSHOWERratic
9. Generation having say in worsening of our gap?(3,5)
E.G. inside OURGAP anagram
10. Demanding, like family gatherings, primarily(6)
AS+KIN+G
12. Unconventional children’s entertainer’s last laugh(7)
RAFFI'S+H
13. Savage to cook chicken?(7)
HEAT+HEN
14. Lob used in game of 24(5,7)
LOBUSED anagram("mixed" doubles)
17. Funny quotes in book?(8,4)
QUOTESIN anagram+MARK(from the Bible)
22. President has a mind so twisted(7)
AMINDSO anagram
23. Speech habit, take notice(7)
ADDICTION-AD
24. Wrong to make comeback in sport?(6)
SIN+NET reversed
25. Erin greeting former Presidential hopeful with some hesitation, we hear(8)
sounds like HI+BERNIE+UH
26. Prescription from top doctor, old and wise(6)
D+O+SAGE
27. Pinch from pervert bugged ’er(8)
BUGGEDER anagram
DOWN
1. Different combinations of different animals in a scientific first?(8)
NAG+RAM inside A S
2. Obsession with one former lover? I give up!(4,4)
I(one)+EX I FEED reversed
3. Visited rising singer on wild ride(7)
RAT reversed+RIDE anagram
4. Poorly made case for horseplay?(12)
ROUGH+HOUSING
6. Strip show on Broadway? Security!(7)
SHOW-SW+STAGE
7. Importance of some wrong number?(6)
W+EIGHT
8. Old Yeller’s last appearance before going mad(6)
R+AGING
11. Actress going topless is dazzling in current film(3, 5, 4)
SHE-S+BLINDS inside TIDE
15. Took a swipe at lead guitarist in band(quoted by humor magazine)(8)
G inside LINE inside MAD
16. Con man on board, in uniform(4,4)
KING inside SAME
18. Boom! Ready to rock!(7)
UP+SWING
19. Familiar with obscure name brought up?(7)
UNCLEAR with the N moved up one
20. Journalist has least little thing exaggerated(6)
ED(editor)containing MOTE
21. Looker, scantily clad on island(6)
hidden inside clADONISland
Lego...
This week's official answers for the record, part 2:
ReplyDeleteMENU
Eventful Slice:
An unhidden hint to history
Write a man’s first name (in one syllable).
Replace its second letter with a duplicate of the first letter.
The result will resemble a short way of writing a significant event in world history.
What is this first name?
What is the event?
Hint: A good hint is not hidden within the text of this puzzle.
Answer:
Will; World War Two
(WWll resembles WWII, or World War Two)
Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices:
“Wobble was I ere I saw Elbbow”
Will Shortz’s April 19th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Greg Lewis of Columbus, Indiana, reads:
Name part of the human body in seven letters. The first four letters, in order, spell a familiar boy’s name. The second through fifth letters, in order, also spell a familiar boy’s name. What body part is it?
Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices read:
ENTREE #1
Name an interior part of the human body in five letters. Reverse the order of the first two letters and move them to the end. Change the first letter of this result to the letter that is two places earlier in the alphabet to for the last name of a puzzle-maker.
Now take the first name of this puzzle-maker. Take the average of the alphanumeric values of its first two letters and round down to form a third alphanumeric value. Replace the first two letters of the first name with the letter associated with this average value to form a three-letter body part.
Italics: For example, the average of alphanumeric value of the first two letters in the name JOseph is 12.5 (10+15=25, which divided by 2=12.5, which, rounded down, is 12=L).
Who is this puzzle-maker?
What are the two body parts.
Answer:
Greg Lewis; sinew, leg
ENTREE #2
Name a body part usually associated with insects. The first four letters, in order, spell a familiar boy’s name associated with mythology. The second through fifth letters, in order, spell a dance associated with the Middle East. What body part is it?
Answer:
Thorax (Thor, hora)
ENTREE #3
Name part of the human body in ten letters. The first, fifth, sixth and seventh letters, in order, spell a somewhat familiar girl’s name. The fourth, eighth, ninth and tenth letters, in order, spell a second somewhat familiar girl’s name. The second, third, fourth and eighth letters, in order, spell a third somewhat familiar girl’s name. The fourth, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth letters, in order, spell a fourth somewhat familiar girl’s name. What body part is it?
Answer:
FINGERNAIL; Fern, Gail, Inga, Ginger
Lego...
This week's official answers for the record, part 3:
ReplyDelete(Riffing Off Shortz And Lewis Slices, continued)
ENTREE #4
Name a familiar girl’s name in six letters.
Four consecutive letters, in order, spell a word in a Bob Dylan song title. The second, third and fifth letters, in order, spell another word in that same Bob Dylan song title.
Four other consecutive letters, in order, spell a word in a Dave Clark Five or Traffic song title.
The second, third, fourth and sixth letters, in order, spell the last word in the name of a vocal group that was once called The Otnorots (taken from the name of their hometown, “Toronto,” spelled backwards).
What girl’s name is this?
Answer:
Gladys;
"Lay Lady Lay";
"Glad" (Traffic); "Glad All Over" (Dave Clark Five;
The Four Lads
ENTREE #5
Name part of the human body in five letters. Add a letter to the beginning to spell a familiar boy’s name. Remove the last letter of this boy’s name to spell a familiar girl’s name. What body part is it?
Hint: The girl’s name is also something you can eat.
Answer:
Liver (Oliver; Olive)
Dessert Menu
Stars Still Ascending Dessert:
Music of the astral spheres
Countless stars coruscate across the evening heavens above – rising stars that fell from the sky, then rose even further into space. Listen closely and you can hear the music of these astral spheres as they spin in constant harmony within their constellations.
These stars have names: Croce, Denver, Nelson, Vaughan, Van Zant, Gaines, Richardson, Valens, Holly, Cline, Redding, Miller, Aaliyah, Rhoads, Reeves, Rivera, Martin...
One particular asterism of these stars also has a name, in two words. Replace the first two letters of the second word to form the stage name of one of its stars.
What is this asterism and what is the stage name of the star?
"asterism": https://www.coursehero.com/file/p5artsf/Earths-Perihelion-the-point-in-the-orbit-of-a-celestial-body-where-it-is/
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asterism
Answer:
Big Dipper; Big Bopper
Lego!
cranberry -- you've done it again! a superb puzzle! My favorite clue was the Ol'Yeller one because that book was written right here in my little town by a somewhat cousin. We have an Ol'Yeller celebration every year.Keep it up, my dear, because you get better & better every time! D.E.
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ReplyDelete