My time: 17:25, seven minutes faster than average.
Theme: "Product Displacement." In several well-known phrases, one word has been replaced by a brand name of that word, and the phrase is clued as it is them read.
Probably the easiest example to understand is NATURE ABHORS A HOOVER, where the word vacuum has been replaced with the vacuum brand Hoover. The clue is decidedly prolix: "Reason that the prestigious scientific journal refuses articles from President Herbert's relatives?" Man, I see that and I just glaze over catch, catch "President Herbert" and think of phrases with "vacuum" in them.
I also like WORKED FOR PLANTERS. I wonder how many people who know nothing about boxing are confused by TALE OF THE SCOTCH? In case you haven't grown up watching boxing like me, tale of the tape is a phrase meaning the comparison of the two fighters' measurements before the fight.
The funniest one is MY SOLO RUNNETH OVER, mostly because of the clue: "apology from a musician to the other band members?" Seems like it could be a "New Yorker" cartoon.
And now, the fill. There's A TON to go over.
I was surprised, but I guess I shouldn't have been, that the PESO is the currency of the Philippines. Also called a piso, one Philippine peso currently equals 0.021 United States Dollar.
I had *GROAN for "sound of exertion" instead of GRUNT, and that cost me no little time. I also foolishly put *AYE for "Senate support" when it's YEA. Also, I put *SEAL for "state symbol" instead of STAR.
Never heard of the 1957 Jimmy Dorsey hit "SO RARE." It was composed in 1937 by composer Jerry Herst and lyricist Jack Sharpe. Jimmy Dorsey's version, which had a decidedly rhythm and blues feel unlike the earlier versions, became the highest charting song by a big band during the first decade of the rock and roll era.
Apparently the PARSLEY on a Seder dinner plate represents the arrival of springtime. They also use celery; the fresh vegetable that symbolizes the arrival of springtime and new life is called karpas. It is often dipped in salt water to symbolize the salty tears that the Jews shed in their slavery in Egypt. Other items on the Seder plate are roasted bone, bitter herb, "clay" (a fruit and nut mixture), and egg.
Because "one up" was in the puzzle on January 20 to mean "tied," I immediately put *TIE and thought I was so clever. But it's TOP.
For "one temporarily entrusting property to another," I hazarded a guess, *LIENEE, that turned out to be wrong. It's BAILOR.
"Supergiant in Orion" is RIGEL. It is about 870 light-years from the sun, 80 times the diameter, and 47,000 times as luminous.
I have heard of Johnny UNITAS, but could not have told you he was a quarterback for the Colts.
"Cloth woven from flax fibre" is IRISH LINEN. The Irish Linen Guild has defined Irish linen as yarn which is spun in Ireland from 100% flax fibres. Fabric which is woven outside Ireland and brought to Ireland to be bleached/dyed and finished cannot carry the Irish Linen Guild logo, which is the Guild trademark, and signifies the genuine Irish Linen brand.
RPI just keeps coming up, the last time only a few days ago. So, again, it's the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located in Troy, New York, established in 1824 for the "application of science to the common purposes of life," and is described as the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world.
I didn't know about STU Lou Who of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I only know the book, which has Cindy Lou Who. The movie has all sorts of Whos.
Haydn's "The Creation" is one of his ORATORIOS. It tells, in German, the Judeo-Christian Creation story as related in John Milton’s 1667 poem Paradise Lost. An oratorio is a (usually) sacred work for soloists, chorus and orchestra intended for concert performance.
I really should have quickly put down PAMPA for "prairie east of the Andes." I thoughtlessly put *PLAYA instead.
"Common call on a 3rd and 1" is QB SNEAK. This term came up on August 5, 2020. I have no idea what "3rd and 1" means.
Lena OLIN has also appeared quite a few times. Today is clued for her role in Chocolat.
Paul ANKA is another frequent flier in the NYT crossword. Today he's clued for his song "Lonely Boy," as he was on December 17, 2017.
The KONA Coast, a coffee-growing region of Hawaii, is also a repeat customer.
Clever clues: "Power symbol" is CARET, as in exponents. "General practice?" is WAR. "Place to surf" is WEB (I put *SEA, like some n00b).
This was a nice Sunday puzzle! I got a smile out of the theme. However, the rest of the fill was pretty straightforward, without the usual late-week punnery. HEY! (Does hey mean "stop right there?" According to this puzzle it does.)
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