These are the saddest days at Owl Chatter, when our intrepid photographer Phil is off on some distant assignment. We miss combing the local streets with the cops in a police cruiser each morning, looking for his drunk, half-dressed body snoring it off in a gutter somewhere. “I think I see his other shoe up there, Officer.” How often that little delight falls to me!
Anyway, as soon as we let him know that the town of Grindavik in Iceland was evacuated due to the threat of a nearby volcano’s erupting, he jumped on a plane to get over there. “I lava good volcano,” he punned. “Bring your camera this time!,” we yelled after him, recalling many of his previous jaunts.
Anyway, he got some good shots for us. Here’s the dump, I mean hotel, he stayed at.
On his way to the scene.
Watch your feet, buddy!!
Yikes!
And here he is back in Grindavik, regretting where he left the rental car. ”You waived the extra insurance!!?? Oh, no!!”
Hey, Georgie! — Frank Bruni used a great line about you in his “For the love of sentences” feature. It’s by Herb Scribner and Anne Branigin in WAPO. “If we’ve learned anything about Santos . . . it’s that when life hands him lemons, he stuffs them into a Hermès bag filled with cash, or something.” Ha! I think they nailed you, buddy.
Hey Puzzlers — it’s the 110th anniversary of the first published crossword puzzle. It was by Arthur Wynne, an Englishman who moved to NY, and it appeared in the New York World.
Here’s a prettified copy:
There are differences between it and modern puzzles, e.g., both the first and last squares of each answer are numbered. If you want to try your hand at it, jump into the grid and travel back in time.
(The answers appear below).
It was originally called a Word-Cross, but a typo turned it into Cross-Word and it stuck. The NYT scoffed at them for years and only published its first on February 15, 1942, with respected cruciverbalist Margaret Petherbridge Farrar the first editor.
Puzzles have become very popular over the years. Even the brightest stars of Hollywood turn to them often for amusement and edification. (Sorry about this photo — I’m winging it while Phil’s off in Iceland.)
Today’s puzzle’s theme is “Go Down in Flames,” and the constructor (David Steinberg) must be a Swiftie because he’s aware of her line in her song “Blank Space:” ”So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames” because he refers to her in a clue at 42D: “Taylor Swift’s record-setting ___ Tour.” Rex thought it was pretty brilliant because the answer (ERAS) does fill in “blank spaces.” But now my brain is starting to hurt.
The song and video (says Taylor) are take-offs on the image some in the media created for her as an insane man-eater. NPR ranked it the #43rd greatest song by a female (or nonbinary artist) in the 21st century. The lyrics are sharp, IMO.
Oh my god — look at that face: You look like my next mistake.
I get drunk on jealousy
But you’ll come back each time you leave
‘Cause, darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream
Got a long list of ex-lovers: They’ll tell you I’m insane
But I’ve got a blank space, baby, — And I’ll write your name.
Take a look (and listen):
Constructor Steinberg is only 27 but he’s had over 100 puzzles in the Times. He says he’s retiring from crosswords, though, and the commentariat was loudly bemoaning its loss today.
Here’s one of his neat, if macabre, clue/answers today: 40A: ”Socket inserts.” Answer: GLASS EYES.
And PAM from The Office was in the grid. What a wonderful character and actress. It’s Jenna Fischer. She’ll be 50 in March. Ouch.
Hey, Norrie — get this — Fischer is passionate about animal rescue, and she is involved with the LA organizations Kitten Rescue and Rescue Rover. Before The Office, she worked for three years doing hands-on rescue work for the organizations. She regularly fosters cats and hosted Kitten Rescue’s annual “Fur Ball Gala” for three years.
Speaking of cats, here’s a cutie Rex posted today. It’s Bean! Say good night, Bean. Good night everybody.
The Wellington Files 