" I Made You a Pair of Shorts" September 9, 2022

[Don S.]

Indeed, the quibble I mentioned last week when I said I took issue with the answer, was that I knew that Charles Schulz was Sparky, never a Chip. But then, I doubted anyone ever called Asimov "Ike", and I only knew one cartoonist "Charles S", so went with it. Ironically, there is a multiple Eisner / Harvey Award-winning cartoonist "Chip", Steve "Chip Zdarsky" Murray famous for Howard The Duck and other comics...

[dpl11]

My first approach, given the title, was to look for nicknames in the grid (I thought the fact that the themers were all full first names seemed significant and they were just sort of crying out to be shortened). Found AWE for Abe and thought -- cool, just find the shortened names, and the changed letter will spell out the answer. Easy peasy. Except, not. Couldn't find anything else. Then realized it was a Gaffney and so I looked at the clues as well. And the one that jumped out at me was IKEA. Then found TONYA and it was pretty straightforward from there. Got CHIPS, and Googled, and found a couple of cartoonists named CHIP, but that didn't seem right. Then realized it was a Gaffney, and so there had to be one final step. Googled "what is Chip a nickname of" and there it was. To me, at least, it was a 100% lock. I certainly understand the questions people seem to have about this one, but I thought it was entirely fair and gettable, if difficult. But a darn sight more clear (again, to me at least) than the square root puzzle of a couple of weeks ago. But, I'll also allow for the possibility that I just got lucky.

Filling in the puzzle I thought the clue for POP was odd -- could have just used The Weeknd and not needed ABEL, no? Seemed telling. Then I noticed Abe Lincoln and figured that was no coincidence, so went looking for the others and saw IKEA pretty quickly. I had already assumed the answer would be Charles Schulz or one of a handful of others (I would add Bill Watterson to Hunter's list), so the Chip S was more confirming than unnerving.

[The XWord Rabbit]

The XWord Rabbit asks for your understanding this week as he chooses to editorialize rather than critique and comment upon your responses to Mr. Gaffney’s “I Made You a Pair of Shorts” puzzle.

The use of the name “Chip” in the final application has caused considerable consternation. Before rushing to nod in agreement, please consider this:

During his employ at a large Midwestern greeting card company, The XWord Rabbit got to meet Charles Schulz on multiple occasions. Those who were lucky enough to know him called him “Sparky”, a great nickname but clearly an impossible word with which to construct this meta. Broadly speaking, this was a tribute puzzle, created by a master of what some might argue is an arcane art form. His subject, however, was not. Sparky was a creative genius of the highest order – a man who was loved and appreciated by most of the people on this planet. Your faithful Rabbit was blessed to have known him personally.

Both Mr. Schulz and Mr. Gaffney chose creative careers that demand a weekly output most of us can’t imagine. It is especially grueling to those who have set the bar so high for themselves -- the funniest, the cleverest, the most surprising. Two other brilliant comic strip writers, Bill Watterson of “Calvin and Hobbes” and Gary Larson of “The Far Side” walked away from their creations after 10 and 15 years, respectively. Charles Schulz gave us “Peanuts” for nearly 50 years.

This seems like a good time to cheer Mr. Gaffney for how much his skill is appreciated each week -- even those weeks that frustrate us for one reason or another. He has given us a most unusual entertainment and we’ve created a great community to share it with. May they both live long and prosper.

[Kas]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

...which is to say, "No. No, no, a million times no. Never, ever, nope, fahgettabouddit."

Ergo: Kas 5

(With a heartfelt, respectful tip o' the old dunce cap to the Muggles who pulled this one off.)

[Kas]

rsz_plainrabbit.jpg

The XWord Rabbit asks for your understanding this week as he chooses to editorialize rather than critique and comment upon your responses to Mr. Gaffney’s “I Made You a Pair of Shorts” puzzle.

The use of the name “Chip” in the final application has caused considerable consternation. Before rushing to nod in agreement, please consider this:

During his employ at a large Midwest greeting card company, The XWord Rabbit got to meet Charles Schulz on multiple occasions. Those who were lucky enough to know him called him “Sparky”, a great nickname but clearly an impossible word with which to construct this meta. Broadly speaking, this was a tribute puzzle, created by a master of what some might argue is an arcane art form. His subject, however, was not. Sparky was a creative genius of the highest order – a man who was loved and appreciated by most of the people on this planet. Your faithful Rabbit was blessed to have known him personally.

Both Mr. Schulz and Mr. Gaffney chose creative careers that demand a weekly output most of us can’t imagine. It is especially grueling to those who have set the bar so high for themselves -- the funniest, the cleverest, the most surprising. Two other brilliant comic strip writers, Bill Watterson of “Calvin and Hobbes” and Gary Larson of “The Far Side” walked away from their creations after 10 and 15 years, respectively. Charles Schulz gave us “Peanuts” for nearly 50 years.

This seems like a good time to cheer Mr. Gaffney for how much his skill is appreciated each week -- even those weeks that frustrate us for one reason or another. He has given us a most unusual entertainment and we’ve created a great community to share it with. May they both live long and prosper.


peanuts.jpg

I'd give my eyeteeth for a personally inscribed piece of the inimitable Mr. Schulz' art. That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

[woozy]

Well, no. I admit I missed the first letters of last names which *does* make this a lot fairer.

But still that only gives us a cartoonist whose last name beginning with S and whose first names is one of three doze or so names Chip can be a nickname for. But even if it was clear this was a Charles S, that's not enough. This is a Betty White issue in that sure Charles Schultz is the most famous Charles S he is be no means the only Charles S.

[Bonnibel]

rsz_plainrabbit.jpg

The XWord Rabbit asks for your understanding this week as he chooses to editorialize rather than critique and comment upon your responses to Mr. Gaffney’s “I Made You a Pair of Shorts” puzzle.

The use of the name “Chip” in the final application has caused considerable consternation. Before rushing to nod in agreement, please consider this:

During his employ at a large Midwest greeting card company, The XWord Rabbit got to meet Charles Schulz on multiple occasions. Those who were lucky enough to know him called him “Sparky”, a great nickname but clearly an impossible word with which to construct this meta. Broadly speaking, this was a tribute puzzle, created by a master of what some might argue is an arcane art form. His subject, however, was not. Sparky was a creative genius of the highest order – a man who was loved and appreciated by most of the people on this planet. Your faithful Rabbit was blessed to have known him personally.

Both Mr. Schulz and Mr. Gaffney chose creative careers that demand a weekly output most of us can’t imagine. It is especially grueling to those who have set the bar so high for themselves -- the funniest, the cleverest, the most surprising. Two other brilliant comic strip writers, Bill Watterson of “Calvin and Hobbes” and Gary Larson of “The Far Side” walked away from their creations after 10 and 15 years, respectively. Charles Schulz gave us “Peanuts” for nearly 50 years.

This seems like a good time to cheer Mr. Gaffney for how much his skill is appreciated each week -- even those weeks that frustrate us for one reason or another. He has given us a most unusual entertainment and we’ve created a great community to share it with. May they both live long and prosper.


peanuts.jpg

I'd give my eyeteeth for a personally inscribed piece of the inimitable Mr. Schulz' art. That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

GREAT post, thank you.

[oldjudge]

Been on this spinning orb for almost 71 years and never heard Chip as being short for Charles. Chuck, yeah...

Surely you’ve heard of Charles Munk. All his friends call him Chip.

Chip Kelly the UCLA football coach is a Charles.

[whimsy]

I must be the only one who didn't see at least the first step -- my brain just never translated "shorts" to nicknames. Instead, I fixated on all the 3 letter words (the "short" ones) -- the solo ones in relationship to those that could be found in the longs. I also wanted to do something with U's (..make you..) -- something that would relate to "short" vowel sounds in the longs.

Admittedly, I didn't spend much time on the puzzle for one reason or another after Friday, although I did pop back to glance at it and the forum a few times. I doubt I would have gotten it even with more time spent, so I'm glad I practiced my zen and "let it go."

I was very glad to see that the solution is Charles Schulz because that's who I wanted it to be from the get-go.

[vandono]

I didn't have much time this week for this one, but I don't think it would've mattered as I wasn't going to get Chip or Ike. (Turns out sweet wife knew about Chip for Charles.) On the bright side, I'm glad that I did at least think about nicknames for the given names on the grid and I did look for a way for the answer to be Shulz. And also I learned new nicknames for some people so I have that working for me. Congrats to all the solvers!

[DBMiller]

First thought on seeing the puzzle was Charles Schulz.

My rathole was shortening the names to initial pairs. And found IA leading to IPA, AA leading to ATA and JS leading to JUS.

I now had PTU, and thought it might somehow lead to PEANUTS, but it took the zoom meeting to tell me I had the right answer for the wrong reasons.

For all the people stuck on nicknames, treat short as diminutive, and look up the difference between a nickname and a diminutive one. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same.

As to which is being used here, I'm not really sure. Just throwing more out there for your mental consumption.my brain hurt enough trying to solve this one.

[flyingMoose]

To absolutely no one’s surprise, there are a far more than normal number of posts on Fiend - some by Matt even.

[DrTom]

I think all of the problems I had with this one people have mentioned. I should have gone with my gut here because "I made you a pair of shorts" and famous cartoonist instantly evoked a picture of Charlie Brown in his famous shorts. Shoulda, coulda, didn't. I then searched for nicknames (IKE was not the best choice for Isaac but OK) and ended up in the IPA, JUS hole others have mentioned. I saw, but did not see, the IKEA, TONYA, etc. and tried to make a word out of the "extra" letter to no avail of course. Someone had to hit me alongside the head for me to realize the A was the other part of the pair.

Well constructed, well tied together, but not a favorite because of some of the things already talked about. But hey, lord knows this is not an easy thing to do.

[Inca]

So exactly what was it about this meta that made it classic Matt Gaffney?

[Joe Ross]

So exactly what was it about this meta that made it classic Matt Gaffney?

Relate the title to the meta clue, then both to what the grid *and* the clues offer, finding the metanism. Relate those results back to other grid entries, then reverse the metanism to find the (Is that your) final answer (?).

YMMV

[ky-mike]

So exactly what was it about this meta that made it classic Matt Gaffney?

Relate the title to the meta clue, then both to what the grid *and* the clues offer, finding the metanism. Relate those results back to other grid entries, then reverse the metanism to find the (Is that your) final answer (?).

YMMV

Obfuscation?

[CPJohnson]

So exactly what was it about this meta that made it classic Matt Gaffney?

Relate the title to the meta clue, then both to what the grid *and* the clues offer, finding the metanism. Relate those results back to other grid entries, then reverse the metanism to find the (Is that your) final answer (?).

YMMV

Obfuscation?

For me, it's the "reverse the metanism" part that makes it classic Gaffney.

[Dplass]

I must be the only one who didn't see at least the first step -- my brain just never translated "shorts" to nicknames. Instead, I fixated on all the 3 letter words (the "short" ones) -- the solo ones in relationship to those that could be found in the longs. I also wanted to do something with U's (..make you..) -- something that would relate to "short" vowel sounds in the longs.

Admittedly, I didn't spend much time on the puzzle for one reason or another after Friday, although I did pop back to glance at it and the forum a few times. I doubt I would have gotten it even with more time spent, so I'm glad I practiced my zen and "let it go."

I was very glad to see that the solution is Charles Schulz because that's who I wanted it to be from the get-go.

It took 3 of us 45 minutes to see the first step, so don't feel bad.

I also guessed that it was going to be Charles Schulz from the beginning but thought, "Nah, it couldn't be THAT obvious"...

[Barney]

This just in:

The new head of the British monarchy shall be referred to as

King Chip.

[ky-mike]

This just in:

The new head of the British monarchy shall be referred to as

King Chip.

The 3rd!