Until I hit the second theme answer, I thought today's puzzle might be that rarest of rarities, a themeless Thursday. (Has there ever been one?) But no.
So the first themer, "TV talent show?" seems innocent enough. THEVOICE is a TV talent show, but why the question mark, we wonder... Then we hit the second one, "FM band on the radio?" Slowly the crosses reveal FLEETWOODMAC, and we see that Mr. Barkin - all-around nice guy that he is - is giving us a clue within a clue - the initials of the answer! But even with that knowledge, I still needed plenty of crosses for "Academy Awards, M.C.?" (MICHAELCAINE). I thought it was interesting that M.C. and U.S. still require periods, but TV and FM do not. I guess I agree with that. TV isn't really the initials for television, and FM does stand for frequency modulation, but no one ever says the whole thing.
Anywho, it's a nice little theme. Not as tricky as one sometimes hopes for on a Thursday, but still fun.
The fill starts out strong with a solid 1-Across - "It counts on your movements" (FITBIT), and also in that quadrant is the fun clue "Side Hyde tried to hide" (JEKYLL). Heh. Crossing those two was the answer that ended up including my final square today. "Where Silicon Valley is" seems so easy in retrospect, but even when I had BAYA_EA, I had a very hard time parsing it correctly. I briefly wondered if there was an inland sea that I was not aware of (that famous "Baya Sea"), and "Ocho ____, Jamaica" was not helping. Finally, I realized that it was the BAYAREA. Whew! What's even more shocking, to me, is that my brother and both of his sons recently moved to the Bay Area, so it's been on my mind a lot! What happens in the mind when one does a crossword, I'll never quite understand, I don't think.
It's interesting to learn that the Raven's mascot is named POE, but I think they missed an opportunity by making it a bird costume. Can you imagine how great it would be to have an Edgar Allan Poe costumed mascot instead? Kind of like the Patriots' mascot ("Pat Patriot," created by a cartoonist from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette!), but dressed in black and stumbling around with a flask in his hand? Or he could have over-sized plush "papers" with poems written on them that he could hand out to fans. "Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December, when each separate wheezing Steeler, fell exhausted on the field..."
Right, where was I? I loved the clue "Programming language named for a beverage named for an island" (JAVA), but why is VISA a "Collectible stamp?"
Not a rebus, but still fun.
- Horace
I think a VISA is what you collect in your passport when you travel out of the country. Remember travelling? I found this fun and my "aha" theme moment happened almost at the end. 5:36 today
ReplyDeleteYou got me today, as usual (7:05). :)
DeleteThanks for the writeup - hope all is well with you :).
ReplyDeleteAs far as the raven, your request has been heard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe_(mascot)
Hi Howard! Thanks for checking in. And I'm hoping for a humanoid mascot, not one (or even three) birds.
DeleteHope to see you in early April, if the ACPT goes forward in real life.
fingers crossed (and vaccinated)!
DeleteMine too!
DeleteSweet puzzle! I enjoyed it even before I got the theme because words like MAHOGANY et al are fun. And I didn't get the theme until I was almost finished, which is always satisfying. Thanks, Howard!
ReplyDeleteMy comment today is dedicated to Mr. Abbiz Field, F.W.O.E. (a fine title which none of us should be reluctant to take on as it is bestowed on a select group of crossword solvers).
ReplyDeleteDADJOKES are bad jokes! And I like the F.W.O.E. as a title. Kind of like an O.B.E. And what if you were also a member of the B.P.O.E.?!
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