I didn't think crossword puzzles did this
We subscribe to the Sunday Post-Dispatch. They send out the comics, coupons, and other non-time-sensitive sections on Saturday and the rest on Sunday. They also have the puzzles and a few columns (read: Joe Holleman) in with the comics.
So this morning I glanced at the NY Times crossword, just to see what wacky theme they're up to, and 49 Down caught my eye:
49 "Star Trek" role
Redshirt, I thought. Certainly that has to be the role we see most often. Then I saw the clue before that:
48 Stereotypical starting job assignment at a corporation
Well how about that! "Redshirt" matches that description, too! Groups of all kinds, from starship crews to armies to corporations to fraternities, are notorious for giving the most menial, most despised, and most fatal (whether literally or figuratively) jobs to the newbies. Retroactively, if need be. ("I'm sorry, Mr. Stevens. No, I can't understand how we screwed up your shipment so badly either. It must have been one of the new people we hired last month. Yes, you can be sure heads will roll for this." [to his secretary] "Gertrude, tell the foreman in Shipping to fire one of the new kids. Yes, again.")
Anyway, I'm curious now. Is this going to be a pattern?
44 Untagged
"Redshirt" again! Although many redshirts do have names, if only in the script, the quintessential redshirt needs no meaningful identification beyond "that guy" or "that gal".
43 __ Romeo
While Romeo would be a great name for a redshirt, if only as an excuse to say "Redshirt Romeo", I don't think this one fits the pattern. Let's try back in the other direction.
51 Blessing preceder?
"Go investigate that noise, Ensign Redshirt. And may God have mercy on your soul."
Yep, it works.
52 Kind of cartridge
Hmmm . . . no, I don't think "redshirt" fits that one.
Still, that's four clues in a row for which the correct answer is clearly "redshirt". I thought crossword makers avoided having a given answer appear more than once in any given puzzle?
There are two more clues for which "redshirt" might almost be the answer. 61 Down is "This isn't good!" While redshirts do spend much of their time thinking this, and would probably say it more often if they were given chances more often to have proper Last Words, I think that the clue is referring to the phrase itself, not the sort of person who would say it. 46 Across is "What some bombs lead to, for short". I'm sure that many redshirts have found themselves on the receiving ends of what might as well be called bombs, but I know of no shortened version of "redshirt" or "redshirts".
KJ brought from the library a book titled The Character of Cats. She was reading parts of it to me last evening. Some interesting and even helpful stuff in there.
Also, we started on The Silmarillion the night before last, just because. Since KJ doesn't have a copy of that, we're borrowing Dad's hardcover. (And being very careful with it.)
So this morning I glanced at the NY Times crossword, just to see what wacky theme they're up to, and 49 Down caught my eye:
49 "Star Trek" role
Redshirt, I thought. Certainly that has to be the role we see most often. Then I saw the clue before that:
48 Stereotypical starting job assignment at a corporation
Well how about that! "Redshirt" matches that description, too! Groups of all kinds, from starship crews to armies to corporations to fraternities, are notorious for giving the most menial, most despised, and most fatal (whether literally or figuratively) jobs to the newbies. Retroactively, if need be. ("I'm sorry, Mr. Stevens. No, I can't understand how we screwed up your shipment so badly either. It must have been one of the new people we hired last month. Yes, you can be sure heads will roll for this." [to his secretary] "Gertrude, tell the foreman in Shipping to fire one of the new kids. Yes, again.")
Anyway, I'm curious now. Is this going to be a pattern?
44 Untagged
"Redshirt" again! Although many redshirts do have names, if only in the script, the quintessential redshirt needs no meaningful identification beyond "that guy" or "that gal".
43 __ Romeo
While Romeo would be a great name for a redshirt, if only as an excuse to say "Redshirt Romeo", I don't think this one fits the pattern. Let's try back in the other direction.
51 Blessing preceder?
"Go investigate that noise, Ensign Redshirt. And may God have mercy on your soul."
Yep, it works.
52 Kind of cartridge
Hmmm . . . no, I don't think "redshirt" fits that one.
Still, that's four clues in a row for which the correct answer is clearly "redshirt". I thought crossword makers avoided having a given answer appear more than once in any given puzzle?
There are two more clues for which "redshirt" might almost be the answer. 61 Down is "This isn't good!" While redshirts do spend much of their time thinking this, and would probably say it more often if they were given chances more often to have proper Last Words, I think that the clue is referring to the phrase itself, not the sort of person who would say it. 46 Across is "What some bombs lead to, for short". I'm sure that many redshirts have found themselves on the receiving ends of what might as well be called bombs, but I know of no shortened version of "redshirt" or "redshirts".
KJ brought from the library a book titled The Character of Cats. She was reading parts of it to me last evening. Some interesting and even helpful stuff in there.
Also, we started on The Silmarillion the night before last, just because. Since KJ doesn't have a copy of that, we're borrowing Dad's hardcover. (And being very careful with it.)