It’s a reference to our shoulders, elbows, knees and hips, and the answer is what we apply to them: that evilly smelly liniment that always had a spot in my parents’ medicine cabinet, BEN GAY. It has no connection to cannabis or to the kind of joint you might use in a plumbing project. I’ll wrap up with my personal favorite clue, 39D, “Joint application?” This one needs a half-twist of perspective, as the STP clue did. I learn something new every time I write Wordplay. I know he was a complex being shrouded in intrigue, but I think I was barking up the wrong nomenclature. “Darth Vader’s childhood nickname” worked out to be “Ann” or “Ana” on my first go-round. But don’t forget to have the pit crew check that STP.ġ0D. Hint: Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. “500 letters?” A ream? A really long alphabet? If you’re a Hoosier, you’ll soon grasp which 500 this is. Anderson, for this gimme, an especially timely clue after the Nobel Peace Prize recently went to journalists defending global freedom of the press.ĨD. “What breaks as it first comes out.” NEWS! Thank you, Mr.
#Quick look over the shoulder crossword clue series#
Could there be a connection between Moroni and the History Channel’s series on earthly religions that might be of alien origin? The alien ambassadors supposedly appeared to mortals in dazzling forms that humans could most closely apprehend as angels.īut moving on, here are some of my favorite quick hits from Mr. No wings are in evidence just robes and a trumpet. These days fiberglass Moroni statues clad in gold leaf rise triumphant from Mormon towers. Whichever you choose, you’ll agree Moroni was striking. Going down this particular rabbit hole, I found some amateurish animations of the young man’s encounter with Moroni, and some more standardized images. MORONI also appeared way back in 1988 in the Maleska-lithic period, clued as “Capital of the Comoros,” and therein lies another mystery. To my surprise, however, its sole appearance in the Times puzzle during the current Reign of Shortz was in 2016, clued essentially as it was today. With its strategically placed vowels, MORONI looks like an excellent crossword entry.
“Angel said to have visited Joseph Smith.” Easy, right? That would be MORONI, who, various accounts say, inspired the young Smith, an American, to found the Mormon Church in 1830. “Throw on the couch.” Throw on the couch? As in ravish? Or maybe toss pillows? A subtle deception, this clue was a reference to an AFGHAN, an actual throw one might drape over the sofa, or wrap up in to watch “Wayne’s World.”ĢD. To see what I mean, take 30A: “Cutesy ‘I beg your pardon?,’” with the question mark signifying that the answer will not be straightforward.ġD.
When I returned with a more Zenlike attitude, the clues and I came to a harmonious understanding. After easily filling those 15 spaces with the Cartman-esque SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE, one of a stunning eight (count ’em) debut phrases in this puzzle, I let it rest overnight. I kept running into brick walls, but magically, I quickly got to the crux of the longest answer, 7D, “Put a sock in it,” which split the grid vertically down the middle.
In this relaxed, but far from easy, themeless crossword, the stacks initially appeared formidable, in part because the answers incorporated such casual, laid-back language when my radar was set for something completely different. 13 for Ashton Anderson, who gravitates to Friday and Saturday submissions, whether he is working solo or collaborating with another constructor.