I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving last weekend, and for those of us with Thanksgiving in the future, that you had a nice weekend. We had beautiful weather, so I got some yard work done and was able to fire up the grill a couple of times. The air is starting to get a crispness that I love, and it may be cool enough to get the fireplace going in the next week or so. Yay! On to this weeks puzzle.
- Name: Split Four Ways
- Grid size: 15×15
- Entries: 74
- Difficulty: Medium (my solve time: 7:18)
I had no idea what to expect with the title “Split Four Ways” and didn’t think much about it during the solve. On review, I was quickly able to see that the starred clues were paired on one line of the grid and separated by a single black box. Looking a little closer you can see that the black box separates a word for a dance, which is explained by the revealer “break dance:”
- 1A: [*Formal finger pointing]: ACCUSAL – paired with 8A: [*”Ha, ha, very funny,” say]: SARCASM – put them together and you get salsa, a style of dance that has a rich history which began in the Caribbean and evolved through the influence of many cultures. Salsa’s roots can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Cuba and Puerto Rico. There is a lively salsa scene in Canada as well.
- 17A: [*Compliment to a snowbird in October, maybe]: NICE TAN – paired with 18A: [*”Can I talk to you quickly?”]: GOT A SEC – we get tango, a dance originating from the immigrant culture of Argentina’s dockside slums. The tango fuses New World, African, and European dance styles and is accompanied first by violin and harp and later by an accordion-like German import, the bandoneon. It is also a letter in the NATO alphabet.
- 34A: [*Floating wreckage]: FLOTSAM – is paired with 38A: [Grumpy coworker in a fairy tale]: BASHFUL – gets us samba. The word “samba” may be derived from the Angolan semba, meaning an “invitation to dance;” it also became a name for the dance parties held by enslaved people in the rural areas of Brazil. At first I thought 38A was mis-clued – Bashful, the character in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is not grumpy. However, he is Grumpy‘s coworker…
- 55A: [*Most willing to speak frankly]: OPENEST – paired with 58A: [Pining for the good old days]: WISTFUL – and we’re doin’ the twist. The dance is rightfully primarily associated with Chubby Checker and his iconic version of “The Twist.” But I always think about this scene in one of my favorite movies, with “Twist and Shout” by the Beatles.
- 66A: [With 67-Across, head-spinning move, or what the blocks between the starred clues’ answers do]: BREAK DANCE – the revealer.
This puzzle hit my sweet spot for difficulty and the theme was executed without torturing the grid – it’s actually a very interesting grid with vertical symmetry and a nice balance between open space/longer entries and shorter fill. I worked steadily but not quickly, hitting a couple of snags where I needed to circle back. While I didn’t really see the theme during the solve, it was fun to explore it in more depth upon review.
Canadian content:
- 6D: [Former NHL coach Vigneault]: ALAIN – Alain Vigneault (love the last 5 letters of his name) was born in Quebec City and coached the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers over 19 seasons in the NHL.
- 28D: [Many CARP members: Abbr.]: SRS – The Canadian Association of Retired Persons is “Canada’s largest advocacy association for older Canadians promoting equitable access to health care, financial security, and freedom from ageism.”
Other stuff:
- 7D: [“Woman” songwriter]: LENNON – John Lennon wrote and performed this beautiful song for his 1980 album “Double Fantasy.” If I’d known he was going to be in the puzzle this week, I probably would not have used him for the quote last week. But he’s pretty quotable, so he gets the quote this week as well.
- 17A: [*Compliment to a snowbird in October, maybe]: NICE TAN – Maybe that’s what you’d say to a snowbird in the Southern Hemisphere in October – up here a tan would be more likely to be noticed in February.
- 43A: [Anchor-to-live-reporter feature]: DELAY – I remember in the days when satellite communications were new, there would be substantial delay between the newsroom in North America and the reporter halfway around the world. More of a bug than a feature.
- 30D: [___ Dash (seasoning brand)]: MRS – I definitely recall Mrs. Dash seasoning, but don’t think I have any on my shelf. Which is too bad, because it would be a collectors item, as it’s just “Dash” now.
- 47A: [Early 1900s two-wheeled auto]: GYROCAR – I got this relatively quickly, but can’t say I was familiar with this type of vehicle. Seems like more trouble than it’s worth…
Quote of the week:
“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.”
– John Lennon