The month of May can go three different ways around here: (1) it can be lovely, clear and mild, without the humidity we get most of the summer, (2) it can jump straight into the summer heat and humidity, or (3) it can not decide which way to go and do a little of both. So far it’s been looking like #3, with thunderstorms thrown in – we’ve had a few gorgeous days but we’ve also had some chilly nights and several gullywashers. It looks like this weekend is going to be more like #1, so let’s hope we get more of that as we head into summer.
- Name: Here Comes Trouble
- Grid size: 15×15
- Entries: 76
- Difficulty: Very Hard (my solve time: 9:47)
“Here Comes Trouble” indeed. There were a couple of naticks that nearly cost me a clean solve – details on that below. As for the “trouble” in the theme, the themers are all common phrases, clued straight, where the final word is a synonym for “trouble” particularly when “in a” is put in front of it:
- 17A: [Strong family connections, idiomatically]: THE TIES THAT BIND – “The Ties That Bind” is a classic Bruce Springsteen song that appears to be less about family ties than romantic ones. Whether family or romance, either can leave you in a bind if you feel trapped.
- 21A: [Purplish fruit spread]: BLUEBERRY JAM – This one took me a little while because I blanked on the type of berry – raspberry, strawberry, even blackberry all came to me before blueberry jam. If you really like fruit spread on your breakfast toast, but can’t decide what flavor to go with, you may be in a jam.
- 40A: [Simple remedy]: EASY FIX – If you can easily repair something, than it’s an easy fix. If you can’t, and it’s something you really need, you may be in a fix.
- 52A: [What Jimmy Buffett likes with his “cheeseburger in paradise”]: KOSHER PICKLE – In addition to “a big kosher pickle,” he also famously likes them with: an onion slice, lettuce and tomato, Heinz Fifty-seven, French fried potatoes, and a cold draft beer. Man, now I’m hungry and I just ate lunch. I’d be in a pickle with my wife if I made myself a cheeseburger right now, so I’ll just have to wait for another time.
- 60A: [He’s right there when a job needs done]: JOHNNY ON THE SPOT – You can get a good reputation for helpfulness and reliability if you’re a johnny on the spot. The Johnny on the Spot company can help you out of certain binds/jams/fixes/pickles as well…
As I was looking into the origins of each of these idioms, it was interesting to see how they are all used slightly differently. e.g., getting into a jam is usually when circumstances line up against you, but if you’re in a pickle, it’s often of your own doing. I most often hear “in a pickle” when watching baseball and a baserunner is caught between the bases (also known as a rundown) – and usually it’s the baserunner’s fault. I had a relatively smooth but slightly tougher-then-usual solve, except for the area around 22D which definitely bumped this into the Very Hard realm and nearly cost me a clean solve. I have never read “A Wrinkle in Time” and I had the first three letters, but all I could think of was LENORE. To add to the jam (ha!) I was in, all I could think of for 39A was SEX (yeah, I know) and I had no idea about the cleaner sought for 43A. So I kind of cheated – I had to look up the author of the book and glad I did, as I never would have got L’Engle in a million years.
Canadian content:
- 5D: [Blue Jays pitching great Dave]: STIEB – Dave Stieb was born in California, but spent most of his MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays.
- 11A: [TSN interviewee: Abbr.]: TSN – The Total Sports Network is “Canada’s Source for Sports News, Scores & Live Games.”
- 15A: [Prime Minister dubbed “the boy from Baie-Comeau”]: MULRONEY – Martin Brian Mulroney was born in Baie-Comeau, QC and served as Prime Minister from 1984 – 1993.
Other stuff:
- 1A: [During which, in Britain]: WHILST – I have always wondered what the difference was between whilst and while. Well, there really isn’t any, except while can also be used as a noun (e.g., “in a little while”) and a verb (“to while away time”), and whilst can’t.
- 24D: [Use a blue bin]: RECYCLE – I’d add a “perhaps” to the clue, as I have been issued black, green, and yellow bins in the various municipalities I have lived. However, my current recycling bin is blue.
- 38A: [Area of a circle = ___ -squared]: PI R – “No they’re not, pie are round!” – my uncle Reynold’s favorite joke (he was a math teacher, of course).
- 42A: [Top for a tot]: TOY – I was totally thrown by this one – I persisted in trying to think of 3-letter names for a baby’s hat or the upper part of a onesie.
- 43A: [3-in-1 cleanser]: CLR – I had no idea on this one, and strongly suspected it was a Canadian brand. However, as soon as I looked it up, I recognized the label, though I don’t think I’ve ever used that cleanser myself.
Quote of the week:
“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”
― Bill Nye