Here are two headlines. The first is from The Onion:
Christian Pornographer Refuses To Film Sex Tape For Gay Couple
The next is from Reuters, their chutzpah division. It’s funnier than the first.
Trump’s Justice Department examining pardons issued by Biden
You won’t see Hitler in a NYTXW. Even if clued with something like “Monster of historic proportions.” But it wasn’t always that way: he last appeared on 10/12/1984. It was at 13D and the clue was “Schicklgruber, allegedly.” That was his original name, he changed it to Hitler.
Today, Rex reminded us that exactly 80 years ago, on June 3, 1945, Hitler appeared in the puzzle with the clue: “Man with glowing future.” He had died two months before and the clue is referring to his future (eternity) in hell.
I’m not sure what other monsters are banned. There is a petition going around Crossworld to ban Harry Potter references because of Rowling’s anti-trans activities. I can’t see that going anywhere.
Yuck, let’s switch to OREOS quickly. There are dunkers, of course, and there are twisters. A twister separates the two cookie parts by twisting them apart. Some twisters seek to have the creme separate equally onto the two cookies. And that’s what the clue at 71D yesterday was referring to: “It’s nearly impossible to split their creme equally, per M.I.T.”
The answer was OREOS, but Rex did not like the clue, to put it mildly. Here’s his take on it: “Per M.I.T.”?? What the hell does that mean? What an incredibly stupid and meaningless and awkwardly worded way to clue OREOS. “Nearly impossible”? Is it impossible or isn’t it? I’m gonna say that if you get down to the atomic level, it’s absolutely impossible, but What The Hell Are We Even Talking About Here? Who is trying to split the “creme” (ugly word)? You don’t split the creme. You twist OREOS apart, OK, but inevitably the creme goes mostly one way, and that’s how it is and who cares? M.I.T.?
Yes, in fact, MIT does care. In April of 2022, MIT engineers conducted research on Oreo twisting. https://meche.mit.edu/news-media/mit-scientists-twist-apart-more-1000-oreos-search-perfect-method
Upon separating over 1,000 Oreos, they discovered that 80% of the time the creme stays on one half. Their theory is that the creme bonds more strongly to the half it’s applied to first, because it spends more time on that half.
A Dutch team conducted research as well, using Dutch Oreos. They found the creme was split pretty evenly between the two halves in most cases. Crystal Owens, who led the MIT team, believes the results were different because the cookies are produced differently in the two countries. She plans to move on to study ice cream sandwiches and Nutter Butter cookies next. (Not kidding.)
Here’s Crystal, followed by, well, you’ll see.
Hey, the Boss was in yesterday’s puzzle. Way up at 4D, the clue was “Bruce Springsteen, to his fans.” (THE BOSS)
This cover of this song is by Everything But The Girl. Bruce released the song in 1987 and EBTG covered it in ’92.
Alan Seaton of the Dull Men’s Club (UK) shared this with the membership: So fancied a tangerine tonight. Peeled it in one go. Is it a bear, is it a dog, or is it just orange peel?!!
Jill Clark: It’s a bear.
Phil Adams: It’s Donald Trump.
Darren Steele: It’s the United Kingdom.
Avi Liveson: You should glue it back together and offer it to someone.
John David Salt: Looks to me like a rhino on its hind legs wearing a catcher’s mitt. I find this interesting, because I did not know that rhinos played baseball.
Avi Liveson: There is a minor league baseball team in Texarkana (Texas) called the Texarkana Rhinos.
If that’s not a sign that it’s time to go, I don’t know what is. See you next time!
The Wellington Files 