A dandy Friday Feb 1 head scratcher from Doug Peterson (answers.) The long clues are all too good to give away easily although you can click to reveal but here are some of my favorite shorter ones.
"Playboy's plea" is RENEW. As soon as I saw that I knew this puzzle would be good. Then I got "Prepare for a shower, maybe" as GIFT WRAP and I was hooked. I also liked both clues along the bottom: "Without much wind" is TERSELY and "Tickled the most" becomes PINKEST.
"Domesticates" as GENTLES struck me as odd, but at least I could wrap my brain around it. Could someone please explain why "Ape wrestlers" is GRAPPLE? I know I'm going to feel stupid when the answer arrives, but I don't get it.
In other news, I should have realized that I'm only an amateur when it comes to trying to be offensive. The Times raves today about Jerry Springer: The Opera which had only two performances at Carnegie Hall. Ben Brantley opines that it could be the great American musical of the 21st century. Wow.
Update: I love the Internet. I ask a question and the answer comes just a few minutes later. Profphil explains the grappling apes in his comment below.
Doug Peterson had another winning puzzle a couple of years ago. What might CONDOLEEZZA RICE and DOESN'T KNOW BEANS be? Click here for the answer.
To imitate (ape) wrestlers is to grapple. It took me forever to figure it out.
Profphil
Posted by: Profphil | January 31, 2008 at 08:38 PM
I had the same trouble with "Ape wrestlers" and spent more time in that corner than the rest of the puzzle combined. "Ape" is a verb here, and to imitate wrestlers is to GRAPPLE. Rather fiendish.
Nice blog you have here, Jim.
- John
Posted by: JJF | January 31, 2008 at 09:25 PM
I somehow missed Profphil's post. Now you have the answer twice.
Posted by: JJF | January 31, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Thanks for clearing that up! I got the word by solving the downs, but couln't figure out the connection.
Posted by: lululamb | January 31, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Dude, your "put the rough clue in my post title" strategy is cutthroat. I think I will steal said strategy if my traffic ever drops considerably.
I'm getting more q's about [Ape wrestlers] than any clue in a Long time, and the day is still young, AND I've already explained it in Comments. That clue had me flummoxed for a bit, too.
Take care, and thanks for your always magnanimous attitude toward my own site.
RP
Posted by: Rex Parker | February 01, 2008 at 06:59 AM
Jim... I love your statistical information. I'm a closet stat geek with no time for said pastime. If someone had told me a year ago I'd be a regular blogger I would have huffed in defiance. But here I am. The beauty of blogs is that someone else does the work and I get to reap the benefit. Thanks. BTW I found Rex, as most people do, by googling a difficult clue. I found you from Rex and Linda. Your readership will grow quickly, I'm sure. I like the fact that my four favorite NYT bloggers (Rex, Orange, Linda and you) support each other's efforts.
Posted by: Rikki | February 01, 2008 at 08:44 AM
Ape wrestlers...OMG! Like many others, I got the answer but didn't GET it. I haven't tracked the Google hits today, but I can only imagine.
It's possible that your post title wasn't intended as a ploy to steal hits from self-professed Google whores...but it was clever ; )
I love your blog, Jim. I can just sit and do the magic clue thing for hours (well, maybe minutes) on end.
Posted by: Linda G | February 01, 2008 at 05:31 PM
i'd love to read about the constructors. what is their background, how they got into it, etc, etc.
i just discovered your site. will return often.
Posted by: david faulkner | March 18, 2008 at 02:21 PM
I feel the same.
Posted by: best | September 16, 2008 at 01:32 AM