I’m back from my eclipse/family reunion road trip. I see nobody took my bait last week to guess where I was going to watch the eclipse, so I’ll tell you: Toledo, Ohio. It was on the edge of the path of totality, and the weather threatened to be cloudy, but it turned out to be just some thin clouds and we had a great view. My cousin hosted a party in his yard and I got to see a lot of family members and friends, as well as watch the rare celestial event. I got back mid afternoon yesterday and had to work today, so I nearly forgot it was Wednesday which is ClassiCanadian puzzle day! So I just solved this weeks puzzle while watching the Orioles game, and read on to see how I found it.

  • Name: Do Not Eat
  • Size: 15×15
  • Entries: 74
  • Difficulty: Very Easy (my solve time: 5:55)

Filled in crossword grid for ClassiCanadian Crosswords 10 April 2024

Once again, the title wasn’t much help in the solve. The only thing that came to mind is that “Do Not Eat” is what you see printed on those little packets placed in packages to absorb moisture. It was even more baffling when the themers all appeared to be things you do eat. It took the revealer to figure it out: the themers are all things that a vegan wouldn’t buy, and certainly would not eat:

  • 17A: [Ingredient in hamburger patties]: GROUND BEEF – This was easy enough to get, but started the head scratching – I definitely would eat ground beef.
  • 25A: [Ingredient in Greek salad]: FETA CHEESE – More head scratching – I like Greek salad and feta cheese definitely makes the dish. Maybe the themers are ingredients in another dish?
  • 35A: [Ingredient in sushi]: SALMON ROE – Ok – while I like salmon roe, not sure it really goes with hamburger and feta cheese, so maybe the theme is ingredients you do not eat together?
  • 49A: [Ingredient in fluffy pancakes]: BUTTERMILK – I’m not a big pancake maker or eater, so this was new to me. Still no idea.
  • 58A: [Words from a disbeliever, or from a vegan grocery shopper regarding 17-, 25-, 35- and 49-Across]: I DON’T BUY IT – Ah – OK , I see, I guess.

Another Very Easy solve this week, though just barely (I have a calculation based on solve time to determine the difficulty, and if I was a couple of seconds slower, it would have scored as an Easy solve). Smooth solve all the way, though there was a lot of longer fill in each of the corners, so I relied on the shorter crossing entries to get many of those. A few in the NW corner around 20A and 23A I didn’t know so waited to the end, made a guess and lucked out.

Canadian content:

  • 10D: [Marshland of Canada’s north]: MUSKEG – I’d heard this term used before, probably when I lived in Alaska, but didn’t know exactly what it was other than another word for swamp or marsh. However, muskeg is more specific than that – it’s like a swamp but at high latitudes, and often where peat forms.
  • 23A: [Canadian comedian Decker]: IVAN – I’m not familiar with Ivan Decker‘s work but will have to check it out as he seems pretty popular and has earned several accolades.
  • 43D: [Calgary ___ (beer/tomato juice quaffs)]: REDEYES – I don’t like mixing anything with my beer, but I’ll have to try one of these sometime.
  • 47D: [The Keg specialties]: STEAKS – While I’ve been to The Keg restaurant in the Seattle area in the US, I know this is primarily a Canadian steakhouse chain.

Other stuff:

  • 1D: [Teens, to tots]: BIG KIDS – I had BIG__DS and was drawing a blank because I had no idea on 20A and 23A. A lucky guess got me the happy pop up.
  • 6D: [Tiny piece of forensic evidence]: FIBRE – I remembered the non-American spelling – which I had to reverse to get 45D.
  • 30A: [Popular ’70s floor covering]: SHAG RUG – I kept trying to think of something like Pergo (more 1990’s) or linoleum (way before the ’70s) and needed a few crosses to get this bad idea in floor coverings.
  • 54A: [Sci-fi girl with side rolls]: LEIA – Took me a little bit to get this – was thinking that “side rolls” were some sort of sci-fi trope – a weapon, or clothing accessory – for a character I wasn’t familiar with. But, no – it’s Princess General Leia.
  • 27D: [French letter opener]: CHER – Tried to remember the French term for “letter opener” for a while before I realized I needed the French term for “Dear.”

Quote of the week:
“For every complex problem there is an easy answer, and it is wrong.”
– H. L. Mencken