How is it that we end up letting these misquotes get into our systems? They're so deep that when I started thinking about this review, I was sure I could start by saying that FLYMYPRETTIESFLY was very close, in that only the last "fly" had been added, but even that is wrong. All she says is "Now fly! Fly!" And as for the Dragnet quote, some think that the actual line - "All we want are the facts, ma'am." was changed by the popularity of two parodies by Stan Freberg called "St. George and the Dragonet" and "Little Blue Riding Hood," but even those didn't use the exact line in this puzzle! Well, who knows how it happened, but happen it did, and now we find four such quotes along with their non-utterers in a Sunday puzzle.
Things started out well today with MACHISMO (Exaggerated virility) over ABLATION (Surgical removal procedure). Neither is particularly attractive in reality, but both are somewhat unusual words at least. OSMOSIS (Effortless assimilation) and TORNADO (What might raise the roof?) (funny. ish.) are better. But also up in the North we get ITY, ABLUR (see also: AHUM down below), MRE, SOIN, GEDS, SOYS, IUD, FRA, and PEES. Not ideal.
NIH (Medical research org.) reminds me that I saw a wonderful high school performance of Spamalot a couple weeks ago, and AVOCADO reminds me that I got one of those yesterday and should probably have it today at lunch. :)
"Rest of the afternoon" is a fun clue for SIESTA, and "Small boat, maybe" is tricky for BATHTOY. I liked the "obviousness" of "How paint is usually sold" (INACAN) (Not so much artists' oil paints though), and "Exercise done while sitting" is clever for ETUDE.
So there were things to enjoy here, but the compromises were many. When's the last time you heard someone call a joke a GASSER, or put you on hold by saying STAYON? For me, it was never ago. I guess I like that the theme is pointing out the error of our collective memories... and I learned that KARATE will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo next year... so that's nice. Oh, you know how I am with Sunday puzzles. Let's just say it was fine. :)
- Horace
DNF
ReplyDeleteEARLwadlEYSTOKE? Wasn't there such a person? I so so wanted "Basingstoke," but that wasn't on the cards either. I got off track with HOwlS (HOOTS), and alA (FRA), and never saw Anastasia, so DIMIllo seems a possibility (DIMITRI). Anyway, that's way too many errors to back out of. Sad tweet.
In other news, I agree with the above review. Fun finding four misquotes and their speakers and placing them symmetrically in the grid. Otherwise not so much.
39:37 FW2E
ReplyDeleteWell, I loved it! How exactly does one get 4 authors plus their 4 fractured phrases into one grid! Amazing! And, the 4 are all so ingrained into our collective memories and culture! Just yesterday, I was reading a mystery book where the hero/detective said "just the facts, ma'am"!
I didn't know that German artist...and one other place I didn't fix a typo, but this was a pretty smooth solve for me.
Thanks - great picture of a bitmap!
~MLou
Am I the only one pedantic enough to say that image is a pixelmap not a bitmap?
ReplyDelete32:44
ReplyDeleteRight where I like a Sunday time, and I agree that it was a fine theme. It's a shame that Carl Sagan wasn't included, though: he never said "billions and billions." METARZANYOUJANE is the best-looking entry of the themers. IDIGIT.