OK – now spring has really sprung. I’m sitting out on my deck in the sunshine, listening to the birds call each other (or maybe insisting I refill the feeder), and contemplating getting myself a cool drink. Maybe as a reward after I complete solving the puzzle and get this blog entry posted. So, onward!
- Name: How Insulting!
- Grid size: 15×15
- Entries: 72
- Difficulty: Very Easy (my solve time: 5:25)
I didn’t know what to expect with the title “How Insulting!” Maybe Barb had a bad week and really lit into someone? Luckily, nothing so harsh – the themers are all two-word phrases, but the second word has “dis-” added to it, and the resulting new phrase is clued punnily:
- 17A: [Shipment of jack-o-lanterns?]: PUMPKIN DISPATCH – A pumpkin patch is a fun place to visit in the fall. For folks who can’t get there in person, maybe the growers can use a professional pumpkin dispatch to send out their produce.
- 27A: [Mayhem at a mixer?]: SOCIAL DISORDER – Social order refers to how all the components of a society work together to move forward rather than fall apart. It also means the behavior of individuals to abide by the shared social contracts that entail laws, rules, values, standards, and norms. It enables stability in a society. Social disorder… well, let’s not get into current events.
- 44A: [Hugging and kissing in public?]: PASSION DISPLAY – A passion play usually refers to a dramatic production dealing with the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Passion display is often found as PDA in crossword puzzles.
- 55A: [Stunning loss of respect?]: AMAZING DISGRACE – “Amazing Grace” is a Christian hymn published in 1779, written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton. It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world. An amazing disgrace would entail a spectacular fall from grace.
I never really felt like I had a handle on this one – I was unsure of several answers until I got the “Congratulations” pop-up, which pleasantly surprised me and gave me a solve time in the top 10 percent of my speediest solves. It also took me a while to get the theme – I think I got the first word of all the themers before I get the rest of the answer. The clue for 55A is almost straight, so once I got that, I went back and added “DIS” after the initial word, and then worked the crosses to get the remainder. No major road bump, but I guess I could have solved a few seconds quicker had I sussed out the theme earlier.
Canadian content:
- 2D: [Ship on a dime]: BLUENOSE – I love to see reference to Bluenose in here.
- 3D: [Sunday, in Saguenay]: DIMANCHE – I reached way back to my high-school French and got this with no crosses. Saguenay is about 110 km up the Rivière Saguenay from the St. Lawrence River.
- 34A: [“Wasn’t That ___]: A PARTY – The Irish Rovers formed in Toronto in the early 1960’s. “Wasn’t That a Party” became something of a hit in 1981. The song was written by Tom Paxton, supposedly after attending one of the Rovers’ (apparently epic) post-show parties.
- 57D: [Buyer’s 5% levy]: GST – The Goods and Services Tax is imposed by the Canada Revenue Agency on the sale of certain goods and services. On March 21, 2025, the Government of Canada announced actions to support workers and businesses in response to tariffs.
- 63A: [Cheech’s partner]: CHONG – Tommy Chong was born in Edmonton and lived in Calgary. He’s best known for his movies with his comic partner “Cheech” Marin that spoofed (and probably inspired) stoner culture.
Other stuff:
- 4D: [They might call a strike]: UMPS – This one hung me up for far longer than it should have. I had the lead U, but my mind went to labor actions and UNION, and I briefly thought there might be a rebus or missing letter gimmick to the puzzle. I left it and moved on to other parts of the puzzle and got it from the crosses later.
- 21A: [Contacted on Bluesky]: DMED – You can direct message me on Bluesky if you like – you may have to follow me first.
- 44D: [Builder’s document]: PERMIT – I was thinking blueprints, or plans, or specs, but obviously none of those work. That reminds me – I put in a permit request for some minor work on my house a few weeks ago and still haven’t heard back from the city…
Quote of the week:
“She was struck by the discrepancy in meaning the belongings presented. That death meant not only the cessation of a life, but vast worlds of significance. A candle that might have once provided comfort in the winter darkness, a shawl gifted by an erstwhile suitor, a pheasant that recalled her poor lost grandfather. Old brass, old rag, old bird.”
– Daniel Mason, from “North Woods”