"Three Little Words" - August 6, 2021

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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Flying_Burrito
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#401

Post by Flying_Burrito »

Shout out to Freddy Mercury and Queen (6D and 6A ==> Bohemian Rhapsody reference), the best piercing falsetto rock singer of all times.
Senor Guaca Mole :mrgreen:
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TeaJenny
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#402

Post by TeaJenny »

I have a nit to pick with 32A: "Not for the hoi polloi." Hoi polloi means "the people," so saying "the hoi polloi" is saying "the the people." I realize there is linguistical debate on this topic, but it made my eye twitch when I read it.
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis
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RPardoe
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#403

Post by RPardoe »

TeaJenny wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:10 am I have a nit to pick with 32A: "Not for the hoi polloi." Hoi polloi means "the people," so saying "the hoi polloi" is saying "the the people." I realize there is linguistical debate on this topic, but it made my eye twitch when I read it.
English tends to repeat foreign words in English when they have no native meaning in English. La Brea Tar Pits are literally The Tar Tar Pits as an example.

I had a same thought when reading the clues, but upon reading online usage comments by various dictionaries have come to accept the hoi polloi as acceptable if not preferred usage as hoi has no native meaning in English. For example Merriam-Webster.
Last edited by RPardoe on Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jace54
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#404

Post by Jace54 »

This meta reminded me of one a few years ago where four-letter words were only included in the clues and not the grid. Those words formed a clue that led to the answer with 4-letter words: Name That Tune.
Chantellebeal
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#405

Post by Chantellebeal »

Bob cruise director wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 8:50 pm
Chantellebeal wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 5:22 pm On shore earlier today. Fairly new at this so it was nice to solve one of these easily.
CHANTELLEBEAL - CONGRATULATIONS.

YOU ARE OUR 1000TH MUGGLE.

OUR GROUP HAS BEEN INCHING TOWARD THIS MILESTONE EACH WEEK AND YOU ARE THE LUCKY ONE WHO HIT THE MARK

GREAT TO HAVE YOU AND ALL THE OTHER MUGGLES HERE.
Thank you, Cruise Director Bob! That is cool!
EmilyW
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#406

Post by EmilyW »

JordanianTomlinson wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 12:25 am I paused a bit before submission thinking “I’m pretty sure that was ‘90s.” Janet Jackson. Not Sister Hazel.
Same! I could have sworn the Janet Jackson song was 90s. I didn't even think of Sister Hazel but that was the first to show up on my google search of the song tiltle.
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whimsy
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#407

Post by whimsy »

TeaJenny wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 12:21 am
LadyBird wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:59 pm
TeaJenny wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:38 pm

Cheeburger! Cheeburger!
Considering our location, we should probably be wary of Land Sharks! Anyone for a Candygram?
I'm going to pick up something from the Samurai Delicatessen. You want anything?
I still like to karate chop at my shoulder and knee as i head out for my contact lens appointment.
https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... ptometrist
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SReh26
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#408

Post by SReh26 »

I wasn’t seeing anything on Thursday so I checked the clues. I wrote down all the three word, three letter clues and their grid answers and settled in, expecting it would be a long haul for Sunday as usual. But All for you was right there!!

It was my first true solo solve that wasn’t a WAG or INTJ hail mary pass. Very satisfying. It also helped that our nudgor in chief told me I could get this one.
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Bird Lives
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#409

Post by Bird Lives »

Laura M wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 12:46 am
(For some reason, the actual first song I thought of was "All of Me" - the jazz standard, not the John Legend song, although that's a good song too. But two of the wrong title words, either way...)
Also Cole Porter's "All of You." Two out of three ain't bad, though it's also not the meta.
Jay
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hunkra
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#410

Post by hunkra »

mntlblok wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:18 am
TeaJenny wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:38 pm
DrTom wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:31 pm

90's. 90's - huh late comer!!! No Coke, Pepsi darn it!
Cheeburger! Cheeburger!
Some fun trivia. Most probably know that the title of the show *isn't* "Saturday Night Live", in spite of "SNL" being universally understood. But, I suspect that few remember that a different show came out in the fall of 1975 that *did* have that name. :-) Rather post a spoiler, I'll ask how many here remember or know about it. Suspect this group would would have a much greater percentage who (that?) knows, but bet it's still a pretty small percentage.
Is football a game or a religion? 😁
Channeling Molly Weasley on a good day.
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mntlblok
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#411

Post by mntlblok »

hunkra wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:05 am
mntlblok wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:18 am
TeaJenny wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:38 pm

Cheeburger! Cheeburger!
Some fun trivia. Most probably know that the title of the show *isn't* "Saturday Night Live", in spite of "SNL" being universally understood. But, I suspect that few remember that a different show came out in the fall of 1975 that *did* have that name. :-) Rather post a spoiler, I'll ask how many here remember or know about it. Suspect this group would would have a much greater percentage who (that?) knows, but bet it's still a pretty small percentage.
Is football a game or a religion? 😁
Was so stumped by that response that I had to resort to google. The hint helped. :-)
MikeMillerwsj
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#412

Post by MikeMillerwsj »

A very nice summer turnout and success rate this week: 1636 entries, about 87% correct, well above our usual rate around 75% so congrats, solvers. Lots of 3-word titles out there to guess incorrectly, including SAY MY NAME (19), LET IT GO (9), IN DA CLUB (7), I GOTTA FEELING (4), TAKE A BOW (4), and many many others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Dan Robey of Falls Church, Va.!
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mntlblok
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#413

Post by mntlblok »

whimsy wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:57 am
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 12:21 am
LadyBird wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:59 pm
Considering our location, we should probably be wary of Land Sharks! Anyone for a Candygram?
I'm going to pick up something from the Samurai Delicatessen. You want anything?
I still like to karate chop at my shoulder and knee as i head out for my contact lens appointment.
https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... ptometrist
Some of Belushi's best stuff. :-) Buck ended up with a Bandaid on his forehead during one episode. :-)
michaelm
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#414

Post by michaelm »

MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 12:02 pm A very nice summer turnout and success rate this week: 1636 entries, about 87% correct, well above our usual rate around 75% so congrats, solvers. Lots of 3-word titles out there to guess incorrectly, including SAY MY NAME (19), LET IT GO (9), IN DA CLUB (7), I GOTTA FEELING (4), TAKE A BOW (4), and many many others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Dan Robey of Falls Church, Va.!
Mike didn't SAY MY NAME this week
I'll just have to LET IT GO
Cause I'm not yet in IN DA CLUB (of Mug Winners)
But I GOTTA FEELING
Someday, I'll get to TAKE A BOW
Franklin.Bluth
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#415

Post by Franklin.Bluth »

RPardoe wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:22 am
TeaJenny wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:10 am I have a nit to pick with 32A: "Not for the hoi polloi." Hoi polloi means "the people," so saying "the hoi polloi" is saying "the the people." I realize there is linguistical debate on this topic, but it made my eye twitch when I read it.
English tends to repeat foreign words in English when they have no native meaning in English. La Brea Tar Pits are literally The Tar Tar Pits as an example.

I had a same thought when reading the clues, but upon reading online usage comments by various dictionaries have come to accept the hoi polloi as acceptable if not preferred usage as hoi has no native meaning in English. For example Merriam-Webster.
We see hidden articles in many words derived from Arabic. Think of your mathematic or scientific "al" words, where "al" is the Arabic definite article:

Algebra
Almanac
Alchemy
Alcohol
Algorithm
Alkali
Albacore
Alcatraz
Alcove

There's also a sneaky article in "azimuth", a transliteration of Arabic's "as-samt", 'the ways'.

The phrase "the hoi polloi" is, in my opinion, less organic and likely satirical in origin, but I think it's unlikely that the majority of users are even aware that "hoi" is a Greek article.
PHOFER
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#416

Post by PHOFER »

mntlblok wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:18 am
TeaJenny wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:38 pm
DrTom wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:31 pm

90's. 90's - huh late comer!!! No Coke, Pepsi darn it!
Cheeburger! Cheeburger!
Some fun trivia. Most probably know that the title of the show *isn't* "Saturday Night Live", in spite of "SNL" being universally understood. But, I suspect that few remember that a different show came out in the fall of 1975 that *did* have that name. :-) Rather post a spoiler, I'll ask how many here remember or know about it. Suspect this group would would have a much greater percentage who (that?) knows, but bet it's still a pretty small percentage.
I remember. It wasn’t on NBC. It’s host was not (intentionally) funny. And the fact that it was live was a big deal at the time but the show was quickly forgotten.
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boharr
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#417

Post by boharr »

PHOFER wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:26 pm
mntlblok wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:18 am
TeaJenny wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:38 pm

Cheeburger! Cheeburger!
Some fun trivia. Most probably know that the title of the show *isn't* "Saturday Night Live", in spite of "SNL" being universally understood. But, I suspect that few remember that a different show came out in the fall of 1975 that *did* have that name. :-) Rather post a spoiler, I'll ask how many here remember or know about it. Suspect this group would would have a much greater percentage who (that?) knows, but bet it's still a pretty small percentage.
I remember. It wasn’t on NBC. It’s host was not (intentionally) funny. And the fact that it was live was a big deal at the time but the show was quickly forgotten.
ABC. Earlier time slot.
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sharkicicles
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#418

Post by sharkicicles »

Well I got this from my alderman today… I think he’s on to me…

Image
JetStream
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#419

Post by JetStream »

RPardoe wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:22 am English tends to repeat foreign words in English when they have no native meaning in English. La Brea Tar Pits are literally The Tar Tar Pits as an example.
My favorite is 'Table Mesa'. Here in Boulder we used to call it 'table table'.
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KayW
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#420

Post by KayW »

sharkicicles wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 4:50 pm Well I got this from my alderman today… I think he’s on to me…

Image
So you can get a shot and a beer :)
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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