Wednesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 5:36, just seconds from the record! 

Theme: FOUL LANGUAGE — in other words, phrases that start with words that are synonyms of foul.  RANK AMATEUR, STINKING RICH, RIPE OLD AGE, and FUNKY CHICKEN.

A sura, or surah, is a chapter of the Quran.  In ISLAM, surahs are recited during the standing portions of prayers. Surah Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran, is recited in every unit of prayer, and some units of prayer also involve recitation of all or part of any other surah.  

Continuing with the Middle East theme, Qom is the seventh largest city in Iran and the capital of Qom province.  Its IRANIAN inhabitants consider it a holy city.

Despite never having seen any of "American Idol," and being only vaguely aware of his existence, I somehow pulled the name of judge LUKE Bryan out of the zeitgeist.

For "neighbor of Oahu" I put *LANAI but it's KAUAI.  As I wrote on October 9, 2018, it goes Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molkokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, Hawaii. 

Cable channel TRU TV was last seen November 13, 2017.  I got it solely from the crossfill. 

Clever clue: "Some buns" is UPDOS.

The theme gave me a chuckle after the fact, but I didn't pay much attention to it while solving.  This was short and sweet Wednesday.  I'LL SAY!

Tuesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 29, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 4:44, missing Tuesday's record by about thirty seconds. 

Theme: BREAKS CHARACTER, or "can't hold back laughter while performing."  Also, in eight Across answers, four characters, as in non-alphanumeric signs, are written out, broken by black squares.  For example, tilde is found in UNTIL / DENSE.  Asterisk is found in HASTE and RISKY.  And so on.

Here's what a COLONIAL house generally is:  They’re rectangular, typically two stories, and fairly symmetrical. They have steep, side-gabled roofs, which means the triangular portion of the roof is only visible from the sides. Traditionally built with wood or stone, these homes were only one room deep and two or three rooms wide, with either one massive, central fireplace or fireplaces at both ends of the house. They have a centered front door and the same number of small, multi-paned windows on either side of and above the door.

Korean-born New Zealander LYDIA Ko is an LPGA golfer, the youngest #1 in professional golf history at just under 18 years of age.  Since turning professional in 2014, Ko has won over ten million dollars in tournaments.  That's crazy money!

OAHU has come up a lot in the puzzle.  Today it's clued as "most populous Hawaiian island."  The population, according to estimates in 2012, was 976,372. This is about two-thirds of the total population of the state.  You sure learn a lot of OAHU trivia from the New York Times puzzle.

I remembered ELIAS Howe from 2018!

Clever clues: "Alternative to truth?" is DARE.  "Devices relied upon to a high degree?" is OVENS.

I thought this was a VERY well done puzzle.  I'm not AVERSE to a little wordplay!

Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 28, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 3:42, very good!

Theme: five words are reclued as if they were to be read as [verb] a [noun].  So METAPHYSICIAN is clued as "was introduced to the doctor?" as in met a physician.  And PANASONIC is clued as "criticize Sega's hedgehog design?" or pan a Sonic.

There were two clues that struck me as poorly written and/or edited.  PROPAGATE is clued as "support the pasture entrance?"  That's a little odd.  Is a gate only a pasture entrance?  Are there no other gates?  And CARDAMOM, an Indian spice, is clued as "check someone's parent to make sure she's of drinking age?"  That is, card a mom. But it's so wordy; why not just "check a parent's ID?"

I've heard of JOAN Didion but not her 1970 book Play It as It Lays, a grim novel about a self-destructive woman who is drawn to the seedy sides of 1960s Los Angeles and New York.

The Egyptian-set opera "Aida" is a crossword mainstay, but usually it's the opera found in the grid, not the composer VERDI.

I really should learn more capitals.  RIGA, the largest city in the Baltic states, is the capital of Latvia.

"Corsage flower" is ORCHID. I don't think I ever would have guessed that.  I think I only know carnation corsages.

This was a quick and easy Monday, with a fun theme that made me smile, despite my MINOR quibble with a couple of the clues.  I think on the whole this one is ON A PAR with some of the best Mondays.

Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 27, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 16:53, only two and a half minutes short of the record!

Theme: "Playing with Food." Four Across answers have circled squares that contain, in some way, the name of a food, and four corresponding clues ask questions about that food.

For example. The first one I got was the clue "1985 thriller with the tagline: A federal agent is dead.  A killer is on the loose.  And the City of Angels is about to explode."  I've never seen this movie.  And frankly, it sounds dreadful.  But with a few of the letters in, I managed to interpolate the die in LA part.  Therefore the circled letter had to contain olive, which I realized because I read the puzzle title.  So it's T[O LIVE] OR DIE IN LA.  And then the corresponding clue asks how this food is "depicted cryptically."  It's STUFFED OLIVE.  

Since the other clues had more than one circled square, I knew they couldn't all be rebuses, and in fact, there were no other rebuses.  This theme helped a lot with the solving, because first, I knew the circled squares would have food items spelled out in them, and second the corresponding clues always ended with those food names at the end of the answer.  So when I got BANANA SPLIT, I knew banana was depicted "split" in the joke clue, so I got BANK OF GUYANA easily that way.  Otherwise I would not have been able to fill in "South American financial institution since 1965" quite so quickly.

Similarly, BASEBALL CARD contains the word salad, so I knew the corresponding clue about its depiction would end in salad, and so it does — CHOPPED SALAD. 

The currency of Laos is the KIP.  The term derives from a Lao word meaning "ingot." Currently one Laotian Kip equals 0.00011 United States Dollar.

I had to use crosses to ascertain if Nancy Reagan's book was called I Love You, *RONALD or I Love You, RONNIE.

I'm sure that AMY Sherman-Palladino is a household word in the Sherman-Palladino household, but I know very few television show creators.  She made "Gilmore Girls" and another show I quite like, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."  She seems to wear a top hat a lot? 

Herbert ZEPPO Marx was the youngest Marx brother and the last one to die, in 1979.

"Love, in Lucca" is AMORE.  I would have known that if I had known that Lucca is a city in Tuscany.  It is famous for its intact Renaissance-era city walls.

Kirsten Gillibrand, current New York Senator, was once Hillary Clinton's PROTEGE in that she worked on Clinton's 2000 U.S. Senate campaign.  Sort of a DINO, she called for Al Franken's resignation and  became the first high-profile Democrat to say that Bill Clinton should have resigned when his affair with Monica Lewinsky was revealed.  

I have never heard of ANNA LEE, a British actress mainly active from the 1930s to 1960s.  She's clued as having the nickname "The British Bombshell."

Omar EPPS has come up before in the puzzle, but today it's a different EPPS — stand-up comedian and actor Mike EPPS.  Never heard of him.

"Many musical chords" are TRIADS.  All triads are chords, but not all chords are triads. A triad is a chord with only three notes, and is built on thirds. To make a triad, we take a note, add the note a third higher, and then add another note a third higher again. A chord contains at least two notes; it can have three or more.

"Bony projection found just behind the ear" is MASTOID.

ILOILO City is a port city in the Philippines.  It's the capital of ILOILO Province.

The Orlando Magic's home arena is AMWAY Center!  But do the Orlando Solar Bears get any love?  It's their home too.

Anne Frank's father was OTTO Frank.  He was the sole member of his family to survive the Holocaust. He inherited Anne's manuscripts after her death and arranged for the publication of her diary, and oversaw its adaptation to both theater and film. He died in 1980.

"QB's stat" is ATT, for attempted passes, as revealed on April 25, 2018.

California's Point REYES Peninsula was last explored on November 30, 2018.

I don't know why I can't remember this stupid nail polish brand, OPI.  It was in the puzzle last week!

Connective tissue running along the outer thigh is IT BAND, short for iliotibial band, as discussed February 13, 2019.

Caffeinated aspirin brand ANACIN came up way back on December 9, 2017.

Clever clues: "Org. with both left- and right-wingers" is THE NFL.  (Although it seems from my quick search that these terms apply to soccer and Australian football, whereas THE NFL calls them receivers?)  "Part of a return address?" is IRS.  "Parlor pics" is TATS.  "Layer of farmland?" is HEN.

This was a particularly fun and admirably executed puzzle.  I love it when the theme is tricky, but helps you with the solve when it clicks.  I was not all in a FUDDLE.  I S'POSE they can't all be gems, but this was one of the best Sundays in a while.

Saturday's New York Times crossword puzzle soved: September 26, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 12:57, seven minutes faster than average.

Although I did this one fairly quickly, I thought it was pretty hard.  There were a lot of answers that I only filled in by making reasonable guesses.  Getting things from the context has always been a skill I've had since very young childhood.  That's NERD CRED for you.

I only filled in SAC from crossfill, because "alveolus" isn't in my word bank.  It means a cavity, pit, or cell in anatomy.

I knew there was a SALK Institute, but I didn't know it was in San Diego.  Technically, the Salk Institute is located in La Jolla, California, "just minutes away from the Torrey Pines State Reserve, an internationally renowned glider port, sparkling beaches, and a world class golf course."

"Pro Bowl team that wears blue jerseys" is NFC.  I would never have guessed that.  It sounds like a sports league.  In fact, I still have no idea what that means.  Isn't that the National Football Conference?

Soccer player Megan RAPINOE has come up before.  Today she's clued as "Sports Illustrated's 2019 Sportsperson of the Year."

"Asheville-to-Knoxville dir." is WNW.  It would have helped had I known that Asheville is in North Carolina.

Meghan Markle played Rachel ZANE for seven seasons on "Suits," a show I have never seen.  Also, I don't pay attention to royals and their weddings.

"Construction sight" is DIGGER?  Who calls an excavator a DIGGER?  Kids. 

I thought "ink saver" was *PENCIL but it's PEN CAP.

The ISOTONES are a smooth do-wop group from the '50s who had their first hit, "I'm Positively Attracted To You," in... No, I'm just kidding.  Isotone refers to any two atoms that have the same number of neutrons.

Apparently AKRON is the home to Minor League Baseball's RubberDucks.  It's Quakron, Ohio!  There's a lot of sports in this puzzle!

I didn't know who was in the movie 17 Again, one of the many Freaky Friday kid-parent switcheroo films made by Hollywood, but how many Zacs are there, really?  Zac EFRON is the only one I know.

GYMNASIA is and always will be an ugh answer, unless clued as "thing no one ever says."

I forgot about the Knights of REN from Star Wars.  Actually I think I missed that movie.

Finance reporter Ron INSANA came up on May 18, 2018, when I said "he seems relatively unknown for inclusion in a New York Times puzzle." 

"Flammable compound with two carbons," or ETHANE, has come up often.  It's C2H6.

Clever clues: "Unbiased opinion, e.g." is OXYMORON.  "Collection of seeds?' is BRACKET; that's a  good one.  "Music of the night?" is TAPS.

This was another well-constructed puzzle with some good fill (GLAMPING, RAGE-QUIT, DUCT TAPE, CORNHOLE) and a little bit not so good (PURGATION, GYMNASIA).  Cleverly-written clues kept me guessing.  I did not UNLIKE it.

Friday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 25, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 8:26, a new record!  I beat the old record by 28 seconds, wow!

Lots of good cluing and interesting fill on this themeless Friday.   EXPERIMENTAL is admirably placed, and TURING TEST is unusual as well.  The internet's favorite show, "THE MANDALORIAN," is name-checked.  And "how a mysterious figure may disappear" is a fun clue for INTO THE NIGHT, but I kind of wish it had said Batman instead of mysterious figure.  But maybe, DON'T GET CUTE.

D-LIST is the lowest rating in showbiz generally, but the Ulmer Scale is a new one on me.  The Ulmer Scale is the film industry's premier method for tracking, measuring and ranking the star power of celebrated actors worldwide. 

RED BEAN paste, also called anko, is a paste made of boiled, sometimes sweetened, beans in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisine.

I remembered, vaguely, reading in some book or other that someone described something in science as having a "plum-pudding model," but I had long forgotten what.  J.J. Thomson used it to describe the ATOM.

ETON is a crossword mainstay, but this is the first time it's ever been clued as "'Chariots of Fire' filming locale."

"Queen MAB" is a scherzo (a lively piece) from Hector Berlioz's choral symphony Romeo and Juliet.

I misread "ill" as "li'l" in a clue and wondered, "what the hell is a li'l OMEN?"  I need glasses.

Did you know the little toe is called the MINIMUS?  I'm going to try to use this as often as I can.

"Fantasy Focus" is a sports talk podcast show focusing on fantasy football, airing on ESPN radio.

The basketball term alley-OOP came up in July 2018, but this is the first time it's been referred to as an OOP, by itself.

Milan's Teatro alla SCALA last appeared in August 2018.

Clever clues:  "Keeps track of a count, maybe" is a rather roundabout way to get to UMPS.  "Deal breaker?" is NARC.  "High anxiety?" is ACROPHOBIA.  "Force feed" is RATIONS, as in what feeds a force.

And that closes a fun Friday puzzle!  I did it very quickly.  Time for a PRIDE PARADE!  Whoops, wrong kind.

Thursday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 24, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 10:59, four minutes faster than average.

Theme: four clues are SPELLED OUT.  So "Kay, e.g." is actually K-E-G and is thus BEER BARREL.  "Elle, e.g." is L-E-G and so it's DRUMSTICK.  Then we have "Pea, e.g." which is a synonym CRIBBAGE MARKER and "Bee, e.g." which spells out a word that means PANHANDLE.

I had some wrong answers that held me back a lot in the north.  For "[Just... disappeared!]" I put *POOF but it's PFFT, which while sometimes used to mean "gone, just like that," usually means an expression of disdain, so PFFT to that!  And for "part of a necklace" I put *PEARL and stubbornly stuck with it for way too long, even though nothing made sense; it's CLASP.

Also, I wasn't sure how to spell LOOIE ("one whose charges are sarges").

DEB Fischer is a Republican senator from Nebraska.  She seems like that rare thing, a decent enough Republican.

ALTIPLANO is Spanish for "high plain," and refers to the Andean Plateau of Bolivia and Peru.

Never heard of body-positive plus-sized supermodel EMME, born Melissa Miller.  The name "Eminem" was already taken. 

The WNBA team the Minnesota LYNX have a record ten consecutive playoff appearances and won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.

PRO-KEDS are a kind of sneaker.  I didn't know about the "pro" part.

I thought Provençal was a good guess for the language in which "hi, how are you" is "Salu, ce mei faci," but it didn't fit.  ROMANIAN was going to be my next guess!  Maybe.

I got GAUSS from the letters, but I would not have been able to come up with it from "magnetic induction unit" on a science test.

"Dry Spanish wine" RIOJA came up on June 16, 2018.

A lot of Spanish today.  Cabo has come up often in the puzzle, but today it's the peninsula it is located on, BAJA, that gets the spotlight.

Second-longest-serving Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court Roger TANEY was explained on October 5, 2018.

"Dancing with the Stars" judge LEN Goodman came up on April 16, 2018, but I had totally forgotten his existence.

Clever clues: "Land of Opportunity?" is MARS.  "Shake, as one's tail" is ELUDE.

Well, this puzzle deserves a ROBUST hooray!  The clues had me pleasantly stumped until that magic aha moment hit (it was when I was tutting, "What does PANHANDLE have to do with the letter B?  B, e.g.?  Oh, wait...").  No BAD VIBE from this puzzle for me.  And any puzzle that has Patrick O'BRIAN and LES PAUL is ay-oh-kay in my book.

Wednesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 23, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 5:59, just 42 seconds slower than my record!

Theme: PAPER TRAIL.  Each of the grey themed answers are clued as if they were preceded by the word paper.  So, for example, "kitchen item on a roll" is [paper] TOWEL.  "Minor injury for an office clerk" is [paper] CUT.  And so on.

Thing to learn today: the number printed on a yarn skein's label is the DYE LOT, an important consideration when crocheting.

Three songs, all starting with the same word: "ONLY Sixteen" was a 1959 hit by Sam Cooke.  "ONLY Time" is a 2000 song by Enya.  "ONLY You" is the title of lots of songs, but the 1955 Platters song is the best.

This one's new to me: MEZE, also spelled mezze or mazza, is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in parts of the Middle East, the Balkans, Greece, and North Africa. 

We've had the rial a few times, but today it's the RIEL, currency of Cambodia since 1953.  The dollar is also in wide use there.  Currently, one Cambodian riel equals 0.00024 United States Dollar.

"University of New Mexico mascot" LOBO last showed up on May 18, 2018.  Maybe one day I'll remember.

Clever clue: "Tongue ties?" is LACES.

This was pretty easy for a Wednesday.  The theme wasn't tricky, and there were a lot of very straightforward definition clues, like "focal point of an earthquake" for EPICENTER.  So it went quickly.  I might have broken my record if I hadn't put *OAT instead of NUT for "granola bit" and stuck with it.  Of course, I'M NOT complaining. 

Tuesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 22, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 5:46, quite good for me!

Of course, once the theme became apparent, the multiple answers came quickly, what with me being a big comic book nerd and all.  The only thing I hesitated on about BLACK PANTHER was the HEART-SHAPED HERB that gives him his SUPERHUMAN POWER.

What a wonderful tribute to the late, great CHADWICK BOSEMAN, a true inspiration.  May we all face death with such dignity.  AMEN TO THAT.

There's one last semi-relevant theme answer, TEAM, clued as "The Avengers, e.g."  Cute.

For "same here," I put *ME TOO, thinking it was somewhat tone-deaf to put that phrase outside of its sexual harassment awareness context.  It turns out I was right, because it's the crossword-friendly AS DO I, which no one says.

For "taboos" I put *NO-NOS but it was DON'TS.

Never heard of women's soccer star Carli LLOYD.  She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, and two-time FIFA Player of the Year.  But then, I don't pay attention to any sports.

I think I have mentioned how lousy I am with geography.  Apparently Calgary is in ALB.  It is Alberta's largest city, and Canada's wealthiest.

Clever clue: "X amount" is TEN.

Wakanda forever!  Well, I'M OFF.

Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 21, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 4:44, about a minute faster than average.  I wrote *AGOG for KEEN and, unthinkingly, put in *BABY rather than MAMA for bear whose bed was too soft.

Theme: two-word phrases that end in -ight -ight.  A simple theme for Monday, and although I like to have a bit of a twist or a capper at the end, this theme does give the solver a lot of help in the fill, once you see the pattern.

I can't say I've watched a lot of "Desperate Housewives," so I needed fill to give me the character BREE Mason Weston Van de Kamp Hodge, neurotic perfectionist, played by flame-haired hottie Marcia Cross.

Also never heard of rightfielder Tony OLIVA, who played for 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins.  His birth name is Antonio Oliva Lopez Hernandes Javique, so he's really a rival for old Bree up there.

I remembered the Liberty Mutual EMU from July 26!

Well, this was an EVER SO fun puzzle.  And DAT ain't no lie!  Night night!

Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 20, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 17:49, about seven minutes faster than average!

Theme: word ladders.  Not only does the puzzle feature a four-letter word ladder, found in the circled Down letters, from RISE, RILE, FILE, FILL, and then FALL, but also the solver must "climb" or "descend" the ladders when filling out Across answers, so they start on one level and end on another.  

For example, the two Across answers that share the word RISE are surprise party and undesirable; but when these answers touch the top or bottom of the word ladder they must fall or rise to the next level.  So "reason for people to hide" comes out as SURPRABLE and 'not wanted" comes out as UNDEPARTY.  You must follow the word ladder up or down, to read SURP[R-I-S-E] / PARTY and UND[E-S-I-R] / ABLE.

It's a pretty clever theme, made doubly clever by the use of RISE and FALL as the ends of the word ladder.

It's maybe unnecessarily tricky, though, to use joke clues within the theme.  "Pressing need on the go?" is travel iron, read as TRAV[E-L-I-R] / ON, and that was a tough one to get.  (My immediate thought was gas pedal.)

The EDO River has been in the puzzle before, but this is the first time that I know of that EDO was clued as the former Tokyo. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 the Meiji government renamed Edo as Tokyo ("Eastern Capital") and relocated the Emperor from the historic capital of Kyoto to the city. The era of Tokugawa rule in Japan from 1603 to 1868 is known eponymously as the Edo period. 

Philosopher who tutored Nero is SENECA. He became an advisor to him in later life, and then killed himself when Nero ordered it during a terrible purge that included the murder of his own mother. 

I used to play DARTS, badly, and even read a book on darts once, and I still didn't know that you start with 501 points.  I guess I forgot.

I didn't know the name of any kind of quartz, but it makes sense that a yellow variety would be called CITRINE. 

For "parts of ziggurats" I put *STEPS but it's TIERS.  That slowed me up a bit.

I've never heard of LESTOIL ("Clorox cleanser") and it looked like a misprint even after I filled it in.  Maybe they don't have it where I live, or maybe I just keep my house in a state of filth. 

PETER IV was king of Aragon 1336-1387 and was called The Ceremonious.  His main achievement was the conquest of Majorca in 1344.

I've heard of ALLEN IVERSON (although I misspelled his first name as *ALLAN), but didn't know his nickname, "The Answer."  As nicknames go, it's a bit better than "The Ceremonious," but not by much.

I enjoyed "like a fox" as two separate intersecting clues for SEXY and SLY.

Apparently there's a musical duo called ICONA Pop and they had a hit called "I Love It."  They're Swedish and they formed in 2009.  I am not hip to the musics of today.

"When repeated, king of Siam's refrain in 'The King and I'" is ETC.  That doesn't sound every musical.

I haven't heard of celebrity chef Eddie HUANG, but I'm aware of his autobiography (later turned sitcom) Fresh Off the Boat.

Child-care expert EDA LeShan last appeared October 20, 2018.

"Brand of nail polish" OPI has come up a few times, and was last seen August 16.

San Francisco neighborhood NOE Valley appeared on July 12.

Clever clues: "One who has a lot to offer?" is REALTOR.  "Certain sneak" is NIKE.  "Amazon worker" is ANT.

I did this pretty quickly, considering the mess the theme made of the grid.  There were a few mess-ups (MY B!), but on the whole I did well.  I enjoyed the theme, but I wonder if this sort of thing isn't too clever by half for everyday solvers, who tend to resort to looking stuff up.  Okay, that's it.  I SHALL return Monday.

Saturday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 19, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 14:19, six minutes faster than average.

I did about three-quarters of this puzzle in about seven minutes; the three long Across answers were particularly easy for a Saturday.  But then I spent about the same amount of time on a small section, mostly the southeast corner.

I had no memory of what Emperor Zurg or his ION blaster might be.  I saw Toy Story 2 but I forgot about Zurg. The ION blaster seems to shoot small green Nerf balls.

I put ELMS pretty quickly for "symbols of hope during the American and French Revolutions" because the same answer was clued as "Liberty Tree and others" yesterday.

RES publica is a Latin phrase basically meaning "the republic" or "the state," literally "the thing that is the people."

I paused a bit on ICEES, clued as being sold in pouches — we always got them in cups. Apparently this is a new phenomenon.

I was also surprised to find BATH HOUSES as the answer to "historic sites in Hot Springs, Ark."  I didn't know they actually had those.  I thought it was just a name, like Meadowcrest or something.

"Something avoided by a person with teleophobia" is PLAN.  It's a made-up fear of making definite plans or religious ceremonies!  This is what we call a distaste for, not a true phobia.

Frederick LOEWE has come up before as the composer to "Gigi."  Today he's clued as the composer of "Camelot."

For "unlikely serving as a Michelin-starred restaurant" I put *SLOP but it's the much worse GLOP, and this held me up for some time.

KONA has come up quite a few times in the puzzle, clued in various ways indicating a Big Island coffee bean.

HEME, the red pigment in blood, was seen in the puzzle on January 27, 2018.

I had completely forgotten her, but Georgia ENGEL, who played Georgette on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," has come up a couple of times in the past.

And OLGA, the eldest sister in "Three Sisters," has come up several times.

Clever clues: "Smart relative?" is ACHE.  "Wedding ring" is HORA, which really stymied me for a while; I put *BAND and wondered why nothing was fitting.  "Classic couples' retreat?" is ARK.  "Some quotes" is a pretty cagey clue for ESTS.

And there you have it!  BOOM.

Friday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 18, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 11:48, about four minutes faster than average.

I've never heard of the Liberty Tree, a famous elm tree that stood in Boston near Boston Common, in the years before the American Revolution. In 1765, colonists in Boston staged the first act of defiance against the British government at the tree. The tree became a rallying point for the growing resistance to the rule of Britain over the American colonies, and the ground surrounding it became known as Liberty Hall. The Liberty Tree was felled by Loyalist Nathaniel Coffin Jr. in August 1775.  "Liberty Tree and others" is thus ELMS.

Apparently Gerald Ford liked to vacation in VAIL?  What's wrong with Camp David?  Gerald Ford brought the "winter White House" to Vail and placed the then-developing ski town on the map by regularly schussing down the slopes. He was considered a friend and regular guy by many in the community, even while lending his name to innumerable local causes.

For "actress Elisabeth" I put *MOSS but it's the other one, Elisabeth SHUE.  She was in The Karate Kid, Leaving Las Vegas, and "CSI."

Apparently I live in the RICE BELT and didn't know it!

The "capital of the onetime Republic of the Rio Grande" is LAREDO.  The Republic was an independent nation fighting against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, that lasted from 17 January to 6 November 1840. 

"Windflower" refers to an ANEMONE.  The word is derived from the Greek word anemoi, which in English means "winds."

"Subject of a classic black, white, and red poster" is CHE GUEVARA. 

Dons Pedro and Pasquale are opera BASSI.  Don Pedro, Anna's father in Don Giovanni, appeared on February 15, 2019.  Don Pasquale is the title role of a comic opera by Gaetano Donizetti, about a foolish bachelor who tries to marry in old age.

Kofi ATTA Annan's middle name appeared on October 15. 2017.

"Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" is on TBS, as clued on November 3, 2018.

Sportscaster ERIN Andrews last came up on July 21.

DESI, the term for South Asian people living abroad, came up on July 17 and January 4, 2019.

I DARE SAY there was NOT A HOPE of saying "I'M DONE" any quicker today; this was a somewhat tough one, with lots of new concepts!

Thursday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 17, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 9:37, five minutes faster than average.

Theme: AND.  The two plus symbols made of black squares in the grid stand for and inside four answers — two Down, two Across.  The themed answers are SHEN[and]OAH RIVER ("tributary of the Potomac"), DAGWOOD S[and]WICH, THE GR[and] OLD OPRY, and GOLDEN H[and]CUFFS ("financial incentive for an executive to stay at a company").

And that explains the theme.

I don't think I have ever heard of a savings bank called simply a THRIFT. 

"About 600 million viewers watched its pilot in 1969" is a sly way to reference not the pilot of a TV show, but Neil Armstrong, the actual pilot of APOLLO XI, as he walked on the moon.

SERUM in blood refers to all the proteins that are not involved in clotting.  It may be defined as blood plasma without fibrinogens, which I think you'll agree clears it up nicely.

LYME disease has a classic "bull's-eye" rash, but it also can cause rashes of other shapes. 

SOBA noodles and HODA Kotb are familiar old friends by now.

The SI unit for measuring angles is the radian, abbreviated RAD, and it's equal to 180 divided by π, or about 57.3 degrees.

I see "Scottish isle," I guess SKYE, but I didn't know it was connected by a road bridge to the mainland in 1995.  It's known as the Skye Bridge.  Ha ha!  Skybridge.

We all know the artist Salvador DALI.  Apparently he has been called "Avida Dollars" by André Breton and the other surrealists for becoming too commercial, and also for staying apolitical.  People who cry "sell-out" are so tedious.

I didn't know that Elizabeth Warren was NEE Herring.  But does one need to?

Clever clue: "in-flight announcement, for short?" is APB.

This was a fun puzzle.  I like it when the grid plays a part and when there's that aha moment when you catch on that something isn't exactly right.  FEEL ME?

Wednesday's New York Times crossord puzzle solved: September 16, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 7:10, not too bad.

Theme: "Negative fast-food review?" or three phrases that could be taken that way: WEAK SAUCE, NOTHINGBURGER, and NO GREAT SHAKES.  The final clue, HAPPY MEAL, is clued as "what [the themed answers] certainly don't add up to."  (The online version used the wrong clue and highlighted the wrong answer.)

A-ROD has been in the puzzle a few times, but today it's as "youngest MLB player to hit 500 homers." He did it in 2007 and had just turned 32.

Mount Carmel is a range of mountains in northern ISR.  The town of Haifa is situated there.

I didn't know that in France, the equivalent of inc. is CIE, which is not an initialism but an abbreviation of compagnie.

TACET is a musical directions indicating that the instrument does not play.  It means "it is silent." 

The clue "inbox label counterpart of new" is... READ?  No it's not.  That's not what counterpart means.  The inbox label that has the same function, or means the same, as new is unread.

The TABLA is a pair of twin hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since 18th century, tabla has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as accompaniment with other instrument and vocals, and as a part of larger ensembles.

I would not have guessed that OSLO was the answer to "city called a kommune by its inhabitants."  The word seems to mean, basically, municipality.

Pete Buttigieg's father was born and raised in MALTA.  Now that you know that, you're set.

RENO, the seat of Washoe County and home to the minor league baseball team the Aces, has been a crossword answer many times, but I believe that this is the first time it's been clued as "home of the National Automobile Museum."

The Portuguese archipelago the AZORES have come up several times before.  Sao Miguel is the largest of the islands! 

ERMA Franklin, Aretha's older sister, was featured on January 31, 2018.

Clever clues: "print sources, maybe" is PAWS.  "Rock around the Christmas tree?" is COAL.

The was a pretty difficult puzzle for a Wednesday, so I'm impressed with my middling time.  I didn't think much of the theme; it just seems like it's reaching.  Well, SEE YOU.

Tuesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 15, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 4:11, a new record by four seconds!

Theme: KEEP YOUR PANTS ON ("be patient"), advice not followed by the four animal characters found in the Across clues.  'Cause they wear clothes on their torso, but don't wear pants!  Pervs.

I was not familiar off the top of my head with the law care company SCOTTS.

I know ALLISON Janney from her role in "The West Wing" (et ALIA), but I didn't know she won an Oscar for I, Tonya.  She played Tonya's mother LaVona.

"Brand of shoes or handbags" is ALDO, a Canadian company founded in 1972 by namesake Aldo Bensadoun.

The tiresomely-written clue "Ocean, e.g. in Santa Monica, Calif: abbr." refers to Ocean AVE, a street that runs parallel to Palisades Park.

ASTERS, often white or lavender fall blooms that are known for attracting butterflies, have appeared in the puzzle a few times before.

Clever clue: "Pill... or reason to take a pill" is PAIN.

A fun puzzle.  The theme made me smile.  And because I wasted my life watching cartoons, I got my best Tuesday time ever!  It's win-win.

Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 14, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 3:30, a tie for the record of 12/17/18!  If only I'd typed a few letters correctly the first time.

Theme: HAS "IT" BOTH WAYS.  The four themed Across answers feature the letter combination ITTI. or it forwards and then backwards.

I don't think I've ever stopped to find out the actual meaning of the word SHILL, a word I use and thought I was familiar with.  It doesn't mean a hawker or swindler, but rather the accomplice of a conman or swindler.  I did know the verb meaning, to praise or act as a face for.

The main thing that slowed me down was the Italian word for seven.  Since I don't parlo Italiano, I put in *SIETE as a placeholder and then had to change it from the crosses to SETTE.

I do not remember a jeans brand called SASSON being popular in the '80s, although I was alive in the '80s, albeit not popular.  They are not related to Vidal Sassoon, although the similarity is intentional.

"Three-time Pro Bowler" ODELL Beckham Jr. was featured, and clued exactly the same way, on January 21, 2019.  I had forgotten him and once again thought he was a bowler.

A fun and easy Monday, with the kind of theme I like, one that plays on spellings of words.  Of course, at this rate of solving, the theme doesn't help because it's finished by the time you put everything together, but it's a well constructed puzzle.

Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 13, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 19:57. six minutes faster than average.

I had answered very few answers before I cottoned on to the theme.  The clue "Quit snickering, Damon!" was pretty obviously NO LAUGHING, MATT, and of course this was clearly a riff on no laughing matter.  Checking with the puzzle's title — Final Offer — I instantly realized that the final er of a phrase would be left off: final off "er."

Not that all this quick connecting helped me much.  I still struggled over the wording of things like HAPPILY EVER AFT ("always glad to be seated in the back of the boat?") and BRAIN TEAS ("afternoon gatherings of Mensa?").

My favorite one is "soup served at the church social:" AMEN BROTH.

I didn't know that Laos was the LAO People's Democratic Republic.  A child born in the LPDR has a 47% chance of dying before five years of age.  Not good, Lao People.

Apparently "behind the line of scrimmage" means ONSIDE.  So many sports terms.

I have never heard of writer Walter Lord or his 1955 nonfiction history of the TITANIC, "A Night to Remember." It has never been out of print since its publication!

"California in San Fransisco, e.g." refers to a STREET!  ha!  Wasn't that confusing??  California STREET is one of the longest streets in San Francisco, and includes a number of important landmarks, including Chiantown, Nob Hill, and Grace cathedral. 

We've all heard of DANTE, but we didn't know that he is one-third of the "three crowns of Florence," along with Petrarch and Boccaccio. My research indicates that this is not at all a widely-used epithet, and possibly just the title of a book.

I'm not familiar with the FENESTRA, an anatomical cavity, but it's easy to fill in if you're familiar with terms like fenestration. 

Did you know ARAB-American Heritage Month is in April?  Did you know there was an ARAB-American Heritage Month?

NAGOYA is the Japanese city where Lexus is headquartered.  It is Japan's third most populous urban area. Located on the Pacific coast on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, and Chiba.   It also boasts the oldest TV tower in Japan.

I didn't know that FERMIS were units of length in physics.  A unit of length used to measure nuclear distances, equal to 10⁻¹⁵ meter, or one quadrillionth.  Now replaced by the femtometer.  The radius of a gold nucleus is approximately 8.45 fermis or femtometers.  That's pretty small!

I was displeased to see a spoiler for "Game of Thrones" in the puzzle.  I know it's been ten years since it aired but dammit, I just got into it and am only on season six.

The PIPIT is a ground-dwelling songbird that nests in both Arctic tundra and alpine meadows.

"State you'll never get to" is UTOPIA.  Now that's just needlessly pessimistic, NYT puzzle.

Clever clues: "Foul rulers" is REFS.  "Order by the border" is TACO.

This was a great puzzle, with a fun theme, though I would have liked a capper, like "where nurses work, or what the themed answers are missing."  Something like that.  I'm a little disappointed that my time wasn't faster, because there really wasn't too much new for a Sunday.  I'm on a slow streak lately.

Saturday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 12, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 21:08, one minute slower than average.  This was not a good showing!  There was quite a lot that I didn't know in today's puzzle, and some clues that just pointed me in the wrong direction.  And I certainly never expected the clue "behind" to turn out to be ASS in the New York Times puzzle!  My word!

"Cut along the grain" is RIPSAW.  Is RIPSAW a verb?  Or is "cut" a noun here, and a synonym of RIPSAW?  It seems like it's the former, but does anyone really say, "Okay, let's ripsaw this bad boy?"  I hate this already.

ZAPOTECAN is the language family they're looking for here.   According to Wikipedia, the 2010 Mexican census reports 425,000 speakers, with the majority inhabiting the state of Oaxaca.

It took me quite a while to get to SANTA HATS for "carolers' wear."  My mind was simply not firing on all cylinders today.

The airer of "Music City Tonight" is TNN, which makes perfect sense once you see it, but sense was eluding me.

I have never in my life heard of an OTTAVA.  It's a musical direction meaning "at an octave higher or lower than written."  Which is weird.  Why write it in the way you don't want it performed?

"One pile of laundry" is WHITES, which, again, seems kind of obvious.  My mind went to hamper.  It went to armful.  I just didn't think about the sorting part.  Maybe I ought to sort my laundry.

I wanted "What are you waiting for?!" to be *GET TO IT, but it's GET ON IT, which also slowed me down.

The WOMEN'S March, an annual event since 2017, is a grassroots left-wing movement empowering women of all colors, creeds, and sexual orientation.  You go, sister!  Throw out all the old white men.

"Come and Get Your Love" was a 1974 hit by REDBONE, a Native American band.  I've heard that song on classic rock radio a few times.  They also had a hit called "The Witch Queen of New Orleans."

I've never heard of AIMEE Bender, a modern author.  I have a vague memory of seeing her title The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake somewhere.

I have heard of ZENER Cards, the ESP testing set of shapes and symbols, but I just couldn't recall the name.  If you are skeptical of ESP, you're zener than those who believe.

For "strike that's barely struck" I was thinking light jab or something, but it's FOUL TIP, some damn sports term.  In baseball,a  FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes directly from the bat to the catcher’s hands and is legally caught. A foul tip is considered a strike and the ball remains in play.

Not being a Potterhead, I had no idea what ANTONIN Dolohov's name was, nor had I heard of his last name.  It's one of the Death Eaters.  He's a bad one, according to his bio.

I was not familiar with early movie mogul Marcus LOEW, but of course I know his legacy.  He was one of the early founders of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The bumpy green fruit the OSAGE orange came up on December 4, 2017. 

Political commentator and former White House Press Secretary DANA Perino was in the puzzle on May 29, 2018.

Clever clues: "Collection of offers?" turns out to be THE MOB.  That's tricky.  At first I thought it was a terrible clue because I was thinking offer like "an offer you can't refuse," but it's a collection of offers, like people who off you, like whacking a guy.  "Flash setting" is DC COMICS, and that took me way longer to get than it should have.  I have to grudgingly give credit to "non-nons?" for OUIS, even though it's kind of dumb as well as clever.  "Student body activity?" is P.E. CLASS. 

Whew, tough puzzle today!  As the time clicked by I was ready to GO BERSERK.

Friday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 11, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 15:02, only one minute faster than average.

This was a challenging, fun puzzle.  The fill contains some interesting and fresh entries, like SUCKED FACE, FASHIONABLY LATE, BLACK MAGIC, MANGO LASSI, and OH, FORGET IT.

For "Auntie, on the telly" I put *BEE, from the Andy Griffith Show, but it's BBC.  The use of the Britishism "telly" should have given it away.  "Auntie" was a familiar nickname for the channel, evoking an image of a kindly, reliable, but stern authority figure.  It's still used today.

I recalled the name CICELY Tyson and put it down fairly quickly, but I didn't know anything about her.  She was in The Help, Fried Green Tomatoes, and "House of Cards." She was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2020 at the age of 95.

I hate these "seventh of 24" clues for Greek letters.  The seventh letter is ETA.  That's just a boring clue.

Rock or Bust is the 2014 album, and so far last album, by AC/DC.  It's not clear if there will be another, with so many band members dead or sidelined.

FRESCA is a pretty crappy substitute for 7Up.

"Something that might be sacrificed at the altar?" is MAIDEN NAME.  With several letters already filled in, I was horrified/excited to see the possibility that it might be *MAIDENHEAD.  I was thinking, that's rather risqué for the Old Gray Lady.

It's an easy guess that espresso machines were invented in ITALY (by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, in 1884).  Eyeglasses are a bit more of a surprise, but of course, the history of Italy is one of learning and erudition.  There were "reading stones" that acted as magnifying glasses for many years, but two were joined and worn across the nose in the late 1200s in Italy.

The TARSAL or ankle bone has come up a few times before.

Clever clues: "Fans of the Bible?" is PALM FRONDS.  "One who's about ready to go out?" is SLEEPYHEAD.   "Bobs and weaves" is (hair) DOS.  "Right columns?" is EDIT.  "Liquid paper?" is CASH ON HAND.

I really enjoy it when a puzzle doesn't have a lot of new or obscure information.  I knew most of these; it's the cleverly worded clues that made it a challenge.  Caitlin Reid and Erik Agard have some clue writing CHOPS!

Thursday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 10, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 13:32, not great but still faster than the average.

Theme: VAN / BEETHOVEN, from whose oeuvre three SYMPHONIC works are hidden in circled letters: the Eroica in PUERTO RICAN, Pastoral in SPANISH TUTORIAL, and Choral in SCHOOL RALLY.  Finally, we have the famous G-G-G-[E FLAT] / F-F-F-D, the "dramatic opening" of his Fifth.

That's a lotta Beethoven!  Is it his birthday or something?  That single rebus square just about did me in.  Tricky stuff.  I could not figure out how D[EFLAT]ED could be written out in only four squares.

The theme did help me out, because once I knew it was BEETHOVEN works, I filled in the circled letters quickly enough, which in turn served as a big step to the full answers.

I had a lot of mistakes in the fill.  For "randy look" I had *LEER instead of OGLE, and for "shells you can eat" I confidently put *TACOS when it was PASTA.  That kept me confused for quite a while in that center north.  For the three-letter "choose" I obviously put *OPT but it was TAP this time.

"Jewish month of 30 days" I put *SHABAT but they wanted SHEBAT (sometimes written shevat).  That's the fifth month.  The assumed Akkadian origin of the month is Šabātu meaning strike that refers to the heavy rains of the season.  I guess I was confusing it with shabbat, the Jewish sabbath.

SLUE is a new word on me.  A variant of slew, meaning to turn or skid.

Brooklyn and Cleveland are both neighborhoods called Heights, or as here, HTS.  One is in New York and the other is, strangely enough, in Ohio.

For the hymn "____ So Sweet To Trust in Jesus" I put *IT'S but the title starts with 'TIS.

For "Prince ___ Khan" I put *ALI but it turns out to be ALY Khan.  He was a son of the Pakistani Sultan Mahommed Shah.  A socialite, racehorse owner and jockey, he was the third husband of actress Rita Hayworth.  He served as the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations from 1958 to 1960.  Though also known as Ali, his first name was typically spelled "Aly" in the press.

The pelvic bones, or ILIA, last came up in 2017.

I've gotten OGEE before, but today I initially put *AGEE for some reason, and couldn't understand why it didn't work.  It was featured here in November 2017.

Clever clues: "Grumpy coworker" is DOC.  "Class struggle?" is TEST.

Lots of tough stuff in this Thursday!  Hard going until the PENNY dropped.  This puzzle TAUT me a few things!

Wednesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 9, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 6:35, pretty good!

Theme: 99, clued four times.  "In chemistry," that's the atomic number of EINSTEINIUM, a radioactive metal used in research.  "In Islam," that's the number of the NAMES OF ALLAH.  Among them are al-mu'izz, the honorer, and al-muzil, the dishonorer and humiliator.  "In hockey," 99 is the number of WAYNE GRETZSKY.  And in pop music, it's LUFTBALLONS.  I only knew the last one off the bat, but they were pretty easy to get once a few letters were filled in.

 "What fire poppies do after a wildfire" is BLOOM.  I didn't know that was a real flower.  Smoke acts as a trigger for the seeds to germinate. 

I know director Louis MALLE, but needed some crossfill to spell his name.

The DFC is the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded to any member of the US Armed Forces, not just the air force, as long as the achievement was done during a flight. 

I keep forgetting that "good" cholesterol.  It's HDL, which stands for high-density lipoproteins. It is sometimes called the good cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver.  The higher density the lipids, the better.  LDL is low density and bad.

Apparently the ELM has oval-shaped saw-toothed leaves.  Its leaves were described as "serrated leaves that taper to a point" on January 3, 2018. 

Never heard of jazz pianist EARL Hines. Apparently this is a major lacuna on my part, because he's regarded as one of the best piano players of all time and one who shaped the history of jazz.  I'm getting into old "Fatha," as he was sometimes called, now.  Fun fact: In 1974, when he was in his seventies, Hines recorded sixteen LPs, usually tossing one out in a day.

Clever clue: "Most likely to be picked, say" had me thinking about picking kids for sports teams.  It's RIPEST.

I loved this puzzle!  It has a fun theme and some interesting fill, like COUNT ME IN and CRAZY IDEA.  And hopefully I'll remember that Einsteinium is atomic number 99.  Hey, they rhyme! 

Tuesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 8, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 6:11, better than average, even though I found this to be pretty difficult for a Tuesday.

Theme: PSY / CHO, the movie, directed by ALFRED HITCHCOCK, starring ANTHONY / PERKINS as NORMAL BATES, who said "A BOY'S BEST FRIEND / IS HIS MOTHER."  It sounds a lot creepier when he says it.

I started badly right out the gate when I had no idea where Busch Gardens is.  It's in TAMPA.  It's an animal theme park, with a Bier Fest, and a Howl-O-Scream event.

Crossing this was "skier's aid," and I had a hard time getting to T-BAR, which last appeared in 2017. 

The second cross for TAMPA was "Duchess of _____ (Goya subject)," which is ALBA, also was last seen in the puzzle in 2017.

"Birthstone for many Libras" is OPAL.  I don't I'll ever know these stones, mostly because it's a bunch of crap.

Third clue, still no solves: "react in astonishment."  I tried *GAPE, *GAWK, and then GASP.

Crossing this was "Trigonometry's law of ____," for which I had no idea what to put.  It's the Law of SINES, which helps find triangle side lengths when given the angles.

There's pretty much an infinite number of clues you can use to lead to ARIA.  This time it's a Stravinksy ARIA called "Fair lady, gracious gentlemen," sung by Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress.

"Fraternity letter" is such a crap clue.  It could be any number of Greek letters.  Why not clue TAU as the lepton or the math constant?

I did not know that NITRIC acid is called aqua fortis.   Used to dissolve silver and etch brass, the "strong water" was made of saltpeter and sand in the Middle Agles.

IONA College in New Rochelle, NY has come up very often.  Go Gaels!

The Camaro IROC-Z came up on June 12, 2018, but I still didn't put it in properly today.  I tried *IROD.

I liked this puzzle; I'm a sucker for themes that show up in multiple answers.  Cram all the references that you can in the grid, I say.  Well, TOOTLEs.

Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 7, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 4:18, pretty okay.  I thought this was pretty hard for a Monday!  There were a couple of somewhat opaque clues, like "something that may be bitten or busted" for LIP.

Theme: phrases that are ABOUT A FOOT (clued as "how tall Barbie is").  TIC TAC TOE, TAR HEEL, LEMON SOLE.  Parts of a foot!  Clever.

I did not know that the entrance to Hyde Park is called the MARBLE ARCH.  It has an interesting history.  The original architect was dismissed for overspending, and the project was completed without his cooperation.  It was intended as a celebration of British victories in the Napoleonic Wars.

Apparently a LEMON SOLE is actually a flounder.  And apparently it's called a LEMON SOLE and that's not just its flavoring when cooked. 

More animal fun!  The VIREO can be black-capped or yellow-throated. 

If BEALE Street Could Talk is a 2018 film starring Regina King.  She plays the mother of a young pregnant girl who tries to prove her lover is innocent of rape.

The LIONS is the civic club whose motto is "we serve." 

"Home to St. Mark's Basilica" is VENICE; the home was the clue and the name of the basilica was the answer back on December 5, 2018.

The name TAR HEEL for a North Carolinian came up just a couple of weeks ago.

I thought this one had some pretty obscure stuff for a Monday.  It was a bit of WORK!

Sunday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 6, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time: 18:07, pretty respectable for Sunday.

The title is "Could You Repeat That Number?" so I was looking for some trick such as a rebus or if the numbers in long answers were written out twice or something.  But no, it was straightforward.  I figured there was no theme.  But I realized later, only in reviewing the puzzle after it was completed, that the theme is in the clues.  YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE is clued as "07 film" (without thinking, I assumed that meant a year, and didn't look again — it's actually meant to be read double-O-7 film).  And "Day competitor" is meant to be Doubleday competitor.  I'm not sure what the purpose of this is, as it isn't particularly clever and doesn't help with the solve.  I put in INTERCONTINENTAL for [Double]tree alternative without even thinking about the clue; it just fit.

And "play combo of old" TINKER TO EVANS TO CHANCE?  I saw nothing wrong with that clue.  It's a baseball play.  Apparently a [double]play, but I remain unaware of the distinction.

For "shape formed by an extended thumb and index fingers" I put *GUN but it's the very pedestrian ELL.

Chief Chirpa and others are apparently EWOKS.  Yes!  It's the Star War superfan's time to shine!

"QB's pass" is ATT, which stands for attempt.

Big Sur novelist is Jack KEROUAC.  The book recounts how Jack Duluoz (standing in for the author) grapples with growing fame and his alcoholism. He seeks respite first in solitude in the cabin at Big Sur, on the California coast, and later in a relationship with Billie, the mistress of his long-time friend Cody Pomeray (a stand-in for Neal Cassady).

NAS is back, baby!  And he's never going away!  Did you know he had a 2003 hit "I Can?"  Did you know that was seventeen years ago?!

Toyota PASEOS are a new one to me, although the word in singular has appeared a couple of times clued as a leisurely evening stroll.

"Equity valuation stat" is P/E RATIO, or price-to-earnings ratio.

Film director John CHU directed Crazy Rich Asians and some G.I. Joe movies and some Justin Bieber documentary.

Truman CAPOTE was born Truman Streckfus Persons.  It was very simple to get this, since he kept his birth first name; I just wanted to write that out.  Streckfus!

"Pig in a poke" or "pigeon drop."  Apparently these are types of CON GAME.  Sort of.  The phrase "pig in a poke" refers to something sold without being inspected, and thus of dubious quality.  The pigeon drop is when two confederates trick a man into giving over some money in order to get something they claim is of value but is actually worthless.

IRINA, one of Chekhov's "Three Sisters," was discussed on April 24, 2018.  The other two are Olga, the eldest, and Masha.  That same day, Patti Page's weepy hit "I CRIED" was also featured.

Muckraker who took on Standard Oil is IDA Tarbell, who has appeared in the puzzle a couple of times before.

Winner of the 1998 Masters Mark O'MEARA came up on December 30, 2017, so I forgot him.  But this was a tough patch because of two crosses I also didn't know: Yeah Yeah Yeah singer KAREN O, whom I only just now realize I have heard of, vaguely; and Spanish muralist José Maria SERT, who last appeared on July 1, 2018. 

ORA pro nobis, Latin for "pray for us," has been featured before. 

I remembered SESTET from a couple of weeks ago!

I wrote more than anyone wanted to know about turn of the century soap RINSO way back on April 19, 2018.

Clever clues: "Dutch requirements" is ROPES, as in double-Dutch.  I was thinking, Edams?  Do the Dutch have a cheese requirement? "Tower over the field" is SILO.

Overall, this was pretty blah Sunday puzzle.  The nature of solving, for me, is usually such that I don't notice nuances in the clues.  And with only four themed clues with "double" missing, there isn't much of a payoff here.  I think the puzzle makers need to EXERT a little more effort on a Sunday.