Holy smokes the pangram for this one! I tried all sorts of stuff before getting it. HELLOKID, KILLEDHO, LIKEDHO, HIKELODE. Ultimately, I got it. Huge relief.
Also the countdown is to
Meatier Misses
Today’s summary
Letters: ODEIKLH
Final score: 31 words for 119 points.
Genius minimum: 105 points.
First word: LOOKED.
Pangram: LIKELIHOOD.
Last word: LIKELIHOOD.
Tweets:
53 seconds for a Saturday and at a computer. Rareties abound!
Yesterday I missed LEVEL, LIEU (Sorry, Ted), and UNLEVEL.
Meatier Misses
JEJUNE: (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
1610s, “dull in the mind, flat, insipid, wanting in interest,” from Latin ieiunus “empty, dry, barren,” literally “fasting, hungry,” a word of obscure origin. De Vaan finds it to be from a PIE root meaning “to worship, reverence,” hence “to sacrifice” (with cognates including Sanskrit yajati “to honor, worship, sacrifice,” Avestan yaza- “to worship,” Greek agios, agnos “holy;” see hagio-), and writes that the Latin word and its relatives “would be based on the habit to perform the first sacrifice of the day on an empty stomach.” Related: jejunal; jejunally.
JULIENNE:A portion of food cut into short, thin strips.
VENULE: Anatomy A very small vein, especially one collecting blood from the capillaries.
Today’s summary
Final score: 24 words for 113 points.
Genius minimum: 108 points.
First word: CRUNCHY.
Pangram: RAUNCHY.
Tweets:
I pulled out 4D Japanese watch brand: SEIKO because I have picked up watch repair as a hobby. I have been gravitating toward Citizen and Seiko that I can get for not that much and then work on them. Recently I bought two used Seiko watches that looked great in the pictures. They were described as not functioning, though that can just mean needs a battery. I opened one of them up and saw that the battery had leaked.
The leak got into the movement, so it seized. Yes, it turned a Seiko into a seizedko. I researched the Seiko 8123 movement (coincidentally I finished this puzzle in 18:32) to see how I could do a straight swap. But they no longer make the 8123 movement. I kept looking and found two possible replacements. The Seiko 7N43 movement is the same size and has one jewel, compared to the 8123’s five jewels. The 7N43 also has SAB/SAT in blue like the 8123 has. But then there’s the Hattori VX43 that has zero jewels and doesn’t have the SAB/SAT in blue. For cheaper the 7N43, I got a busted watch that has a 7N43 movement. There was an inscription on the back of the watch: “CHARLES STANLEY MARSHALL GOD’S SAINTLEY [sic] GIFT TO ALL HE MEETS.” I’m waiting for the battery to arrive, but if it doesn’t, I’ll replace the movement with a VX43.
No theme for this Friday puzzle.
Finished this one in 18:32.
A tad slow at 43 seconds.
I hate the clue too much to look up if there’s any merit to it.
Finished this one in 25 seconds.
I pulled out 29A One in peak singing condition?: YODELER because I actually think that was pretty good.
Also here’s Jewel yodeling:
Theme!
18A With 20-Across, goes to great lengths: BENDS
20A BACKWARDS to make BENDS over BACKWARDS.
35A With 39-Across, superior: ACUT
39A THEREST to make A CUT above THE REST.
36A THEBELT
41A With 36-Across, plays dirty: HITS to make HITS below THE BELT.
55A THE BRIDGE
60A With 55-Across, no longer an issue: WATER to make WATER under THE BRIDGE.
Finished this one in 12:49.
What is a grebe?
This is a grebe!
Got this Wednesday in 27 seconds.
Yeesh is right. A 50-second finish for a Tuesday.