It was just a small outburst. A "ha." But it was huge, because I've gotten so many clues over the years that went for humor and not one thing had burst through my steely exterior until yesterday.
I don't want to spoil the puzzle for you, and frankly, I don't want to have to explain the theme, which is a tad complicated. I'll just say: 88 Across. Finally, a crossword answer that made me laugh.
Do the puzzle yourself, or read Rex Parker's write up, here.
A little music to puzzle over:
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7 comments:
It reminded me of a Howard Stern stunt from back in the days when Howard was still Howard.
I found the writeup from 1992 with a 2002 “update”.
https://ew.com/article/2002/08/27/howard-sterns-wild-vma-moment/
Heh, heh, heh ... she said ass.
Apologies to Beavis.
Cute.
Lots of barely visible hotels out there.
I got bored with the NYT crossword after 30 years or so. (Probably would have been better to go to church on Sunday morning).
Is Will Shortz still around? He was so much better than Eugene Maleska.
88 Across
We can have a new Althouse inside humor meme.
Reminds me of a joke.
A commits some crimes and is sentence to hard time in a state Pen. One day he is sitting in his cell and someone calls out: "43!" The whole cell block bursts out in laughter. "Strange" he thought to himself.
Later that day someone calls out: "128!" Again, more laughter and guffaws from the block.
The next day it was: "91!"
Curious, he askes the guy in the cell next to him. "What\s with the numbers and why s everyone laughing? Is that some joke about the length of their sentence?"
"Oh, no. Nothing like that. You see, we have a limited library, as you know, and there is only one joke book. Everybody here has read it dozens of times, so we have all the jokes memorized by number. Just say the number and we all get the joke."
The guy thought about that for a while and then decided as the newbie he would get in with the local crown by joining in with the joke. He waited a couple of days and then decided to throw out a number. "16!" he shouted.
Nothing. Not a sicker, even.
Maybe he was telling the wrong joke. Maybe 16 isn't funny. He would wait a couple of more days than then shout out one everyone laughed to, but not one that was too recent. When the time came he shouted out "43!"
Dead. Silence. He dis not understand. that joke got lots of laughs before. Why didn't it this time.
So he asks the guy in the next cell, "I don't understand. When someone else yelled out 43, they got lots of laughs. But when I did it, no one laughed. Is 43 not funny anymore?"
"Oh, no. It is probably the best joke in the book. Always good for a laugh."
"Then why didn't anyone laugh just a few minutes ago?"
"Well," the neighbor mused, "maybe some people just can't tell a joke."
88 Across!
Steely exterior: Yes! I knew it! But a warm heart. Yep.
OMG Althouse! So I didn't snicker at the actual clue, but then I played your song clip - and there it was. I LOLed out loud. Thanx!
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