Dinner and a Show
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Dinner and a Show

· By Mikey G

Meta Prompt
[Level 2.5] The answer to the meta is a well-known TV show.
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Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • oldjudge solved 2024-06-01T17:02:33.876Z
  • KayW solved 2024-06-01T17:20:24.533Z
  • hoover solved 2024-06-01T18:00:55.915Z
  • markhr solved 2024-06-01T18:16:12.235Z
  • Meg solved 2024-06-01T20:11:06.160Z
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  • LarsCaine solved 2024-06-01T21:30:58.033Z
  • Darth solved 2024-06-01T22:03:46.901Z
  • I K Snamhcok solved 2024-06-01T23:19:36.463Z
  • Abide solved 2024-06-02T00:03:13.737Z
  • CPJohnson solved 2024-06-02T00:08:52.781Z
  • BarbaraK solved 2024-06-02T00:19:11.133Z
  • Hector solved 2024-06-02T01:46:39.567Z
  • woozy solved 2024-06-02T02:20:48.159Z
  • HeadinHome solved 2024-06-02T03:04:53.153Z
  • whimsy solved 2024-06-02T03:09:45.314Z
  • JHSeeman solved 2024-06-02T03:12:29.583Z
  • DrTom solved 2024-06-02T03:23:43.176Z
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  • Qmark solved 2024-06-02T12:51:57.096Z
  • Pair O Ducks solved 2024-06-02T13:47:10.048Z
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  • Berto solved 2024-06-02T15:45:00.791Z
  • MatthewL solved 2024-06-02T16:50:25.000Z
  • DJB solved 2024-06-02T22:49:27.222Z
  • andeux solved 2024-06-02T23:17:00.991Z
  • benchen71 solved 2024-06-03T00:14:09.461Z
  • Cindy Heisler solved 2024-06-03T12:08:31.993Z
  • Philip Chow solved 2024-06-03T15:15:15.636Z
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  • Alvibu67 solved 2024-06-06T20:33:28.789Z
  • Sanna solved 2024-06-07T22:19:41.215Z
  • Meta World Peace solved 2024-06-07T23:04:25.134Z
  • DCBilly solved 2024-06-08T13:44:58.185Z
  • edestlin solved 2024-06-09T18:07:49.168Z

Comments

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  • Mikey G constructor · 2024-06-01T17:00:29.773Z
    Answer: SEINFELD
    Explanation: Nine entries are either food items themselves - or, in the case of NONFAT and ARBYS - reference food within the clue. (Some do both!). The initial letters of these entries, in standard top-down fashion, spell out MONK'S CAFE, the name of the local coffee shop on "Seinfeld," the answer to our meta and one of the iconic TV shows of the '90s, reaching #1 in the year-end Nielsen ratings for the first time in '95 (numeric tie-in!). Though the show was pitched as a show about NOTHING, it's wild how much of the plots did revolve around food in some way. I clued most of the themers alluding to their appearance in the show and, if you caught any of them, you would've gotten this one rather swiftly!
    • DrTom 🤓17:22 · 2024-06-02T03:39:26.516Z
      I did not even see the Monk's Cafe. I knew it as its real, and MUCH more appealing name, Tom's Restaurant.
    • oldjudge 2s · 2024-06-01T17:16:39.606Z
      By George I've got it!
      • KayW 🤓7:10 · 2024-06-01T17:26:41.348Z
        Nice! I confess I might have short-cut to the answer... I recognized the references of MUTTON, SOUP, FLOUNDER, ECLAIR as elements in that show that could be subtitled MU(L)CH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. I am going to go back now and see if there was something more explicit that I missed. Are you running a NOTHING theme these first few weeks?
        • oldjudge 2s · 2024-06-01T19:16:45.966Z
          Kay--Also KIT KAT. Remember the episode at Putty's auto dealership where George gets his KIT KAT stuck in the vending machine.
          • boharr 3s · 2024-06-01T20:34:16.544Z
            Thanks, Mikey
            • Abide 2s · 2024-06-02T00:05:38.304Z
              Welp, my first answer (The Office) fits the 9-to-5 number better
              • Mikey G constructor · 2024-06-02T01:25:13.879Z
                Oooh, that is good.
              • Darth 🤓12:33 · 2024-06-02T00:16:55.669Z
                I was seeing a four-course meal: MUTTON (in lieu of salad?) and SOUP as starters, FLOUNDER as the entree and ECLAIR as dessert. Then OREOS seemed like a good alternate to 72A = a dessert that must be "served properly" (i.e. twisted!) and FLOUNDER kinda fit with ERR... but that's where that all ended. ;) Thanks, Mikey.
                • woozy 🤓13:02 · 2024-06-02T02:27:40.680Z
                  I spelled out the entries but I got Mionkscfae (I included IVY and transposed the f and a) and didn't recognize it. I do not remember the flounder episode but I was remembering the mutton episode but I had forgotten it was in lieu of salad. That bugged me for a long time and I kept have have Shari Lewis Lambchop sing-a-long that never worked.
                  • HeadinHome 🤓4:32 · 2024-06-02T03:07:36.363Z
                    Definitely was making this harder than it was! I was just sure those tortured clues were acronyms or pointing to a total of words (numbers), or flagging odd words (supremely delicious? Served properly? In lieu of salad??). I’m guessing maybe those are Kramerisms? Had to google Monkafe finally (I missed the C because that clue was too normal) and Monk Cafe came up, thankfully!
                    • Pair O Ducks 1:18 · 2024-06-02T13:49:49.216Z
                      The Google gods were much kinder to you, I also found MONKAFE but all my search turned up was some coffee shop in Spain! 😂
                      • HeadinHome 🤓4:32 · 2024-06-03T22:20:37.305Z
                        I may have googled it as 2 words: "monk afe", which gave me several Monk's Cafes, so I changed that to Monk Cafe and tried that. Also, pretty sure I tried "The Monk" as the TV show...
                    • whimsy 15:19 · 2024-06-02T03:24:26.949Z
                      Wasn't really watching Seinfeld or much else in the 90's (Imagine that?!) Probably because kids were born in the mid/late 80's. But I googled what I got, and ta-dah.
                      Thanks, Mikey!
                      • DrTom 🤓17:22 · 2024-06-02T04:44:18.073Z
                        Mulligatawny SOUP, well I know it as stew (what I entered and had a terrible time with the grid,) and the only time I've ever heard it referred to as soup was on...HEY, wait a minute; Supreme Flounder, Puddy's Arby's Night, "Salad aint got nuttin on this mutton"...had to be one of my favorite shows. I laughed so hard at the meta that I needed a sponge to clean up the tears of joy...but this was definitely sponge worthy. I suppose I should have known from the soup vs stew because after I entered stew I did not have a square to spare.... Now if you'll excuse me I am going ot get my Snicker's bar and enjoy it. Oh. Delores, did you see my knife and fork.
                        On an unrelated note, was Mairzy Doats in Seinfeld anywhere? I do not remember it, but your IVY clue seems to call it to the fore.
                        • Qmark 3s · 2024-06-02T12:54:39.773Z
                          Loved your puzzle, Mikey! I had watched the show each week when it first aired, but not many reruns so I had forgotten a lot of these food references. Enjoyed finding the clips on Youtube. Loved how you brought in Monk's. Kudos!
                          • MatthewL 🤓7:51 · 2024-06-02T16:53:18.155Z
                            Took me a day and some serious pondering, but finally saw the light. Very nice one, Mikey!
                            • benchen71 8s · 2024-06-03T00:18:33.543Z
                              Only with a nudge, and a blatant one at that! And I've watched the show!! That said, I don't think I've seen every ep, and with a memory like a sieve the details of the ones I have seen have been quickly forgotten. No SOUP for me!
                              • Philip Chow 9:15 · 2024-06-03T15:27:55.936Z
                                i got stuck with spotting "Flo" in FLOUNDER, "Mel" in MELTDOWN, and "Vera" in OVERALLS... characters from "Alice" that work at Mel's Diner!!... the symmetric entry PYRENEES contain the name RENEE but google came up empty for associating that name with the show...
                                needed a nudge to get out of that rabbit hole - great puzzle thanks :)
                                • rjy 6s · 2024-06-04T15:06:32.272Z
                                  Got it strictly from the all about NOTHING notion, with a SOUP and CEREAL clincher. That's all I needed!
                                  • kurtalert 🤓4:57 · 2024-06-05T19:20:18.001Z
                                    Fun as always, thanks Mikey!
                                    • FrankieHeck 12:41 · 2024-06-06T02:24:10.252Z
                                      Maybe I would have gotten this without hints if "Junior Mint" had been in there somewhere! I was concentrating only on the food entries that had the long-winded clues, and wasn't getting anywhere. I've probably seen all the episodes, but my memory for tv (and movies and books) ridiculously bad.
                                      • Joe 🤓7:43 · 2024-06-06T02:40:25.244Z
                                        Yeesh. I totally get why you thought that was a 1.5. But, wow, did it take me forever. Brilliant, as usual, Mikey!
                                        • Meta World Peace 3s · 2024-06-07T23:06:19.987Z
                                          And do-nut think for one moment that I missed the NOTHING in the center that this puzzle was "about"! Love those diner scenes.
                                          1A
                                          Type of meat you could have in lieu of a salad
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                                          69
                                          70
                                          71
                                          72
                                          Across
                                          1. 1A
                                            Type of meat you could have in lieu of a salad
                                          2. 7A
                                            Record, in a way
                                          3. 11A
                                            Balancing pro, briefly
                                          4. 14A
                                            Like some job training
                                          5. 15A
                                            Mario or Luigi's garb
                                          6. 17A
                                            Advance surreptitiously
                                          7. 18A
                                            Mountain range in which Andorra is located
                                          8. 19A
                                            Some TVs
                                          9. 21A
                                            Like some yogurt (strawberry, please!)
                                          10. 22A
                                            Said Harry Callahan to the farmer, "Go ahead, ___ my hay"
                                          11. 25A
                                            Breed of cat in "Lady and the Tramp"
                                          12. 28A
                                            Off
                                          13. 30A
                                            Genetic helix
                                          14. 31A
                                            Mulligatawny, e.g.
                                          15. 35A
                                            "You should know better!"
                                          16. 36A
                                            The people's choice
                                          17. 40A
                                            Sign seen more often in crosswords than in the theater
                                          18. 41A
                                            "You should know better!"
                                          19. 42A
                                            "Thanks for ___!"
                                          20. 43A
                                            "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" airer
                                          21. 44A
                                            Pasture (and if you stay up late there, it's pasture bedtime)
                                          22. 45A
                                            The marathoner jogged to Canada because it'd be a nice place ___
                                          23. 46A
                                            Rizzo the Muppet, e.g.
                                          24. 47A
                                            Cornerstone abbr.
                                          25. 49A
                                            Choler
                                          26. 50A
                                            The prolific director has ___ it all
                                          27. 52A
                                            Passes
                                          28. 56A
                                            Watched warily (like Ginger Cat does with the birds)
                                          29. 57A
                                            Feels like a night to order roast beef sandwiches and curly fries at this place
                                          30. 59A
                                            The best astronomy students are ___ pupils (can't I ever be Sirius?)
                                          31. 61A
                                            Supremely delicious fish often served with scallions and soy sauce
                                          32. 64A
                                            Enthusiastic soccer chant
                                          33. 68A
                                            When the weather gets warmer, Frosty has a ___
                                          34. 69A
                                            Less remote
                                          35. 70A
                                            "What did I tell you??"
                                          36. 71A
                                            Sony subsidiary
                                          37. 72A
                                            Filled chocolate dessert that you should only devour if served properly
                                          Down
                                          1. 1D
                                            Witty saying (okay, so I don't have to worry about it then)
                                          2. 2D
                                            Begin to form?
                                          3. 3D
                                            1/6 fl. oz.
                                          4. 4D
                                            King and Queen, e.g.
                                          5. 5D
                                            Chiwere speaker
                                          6. 6D
                                            I have to have them!
                                          7. 7D
                                            Zenith
                                          8. 8D
                                            Plant that sounds like two letters of the alphabet (but don't eat it!)
                                          9. 9D
                                            Author of "Five Weeks in a Balloon," "Around the World in 80 Days," and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
                                          10. 10D
                                            Black-and-white cookies that should be consumed with gusto
                                          11. 11D
                                            If you're singing and you know it, ___ your staff! (Ooof.)
                                          12. 12D
                                            Entreaty
                                          13. 13D
                                            Helper: Abbr.
                                          14. 16D
                                            Queen ___ lace
                                          15. 20D
                                            Itinerant detour
                                          16. 22D
                                            Dueling maraca users participate in the ___ of the bands
                                          17. 23D
                                            Diverts
                                          18. 24D
                                            Candy my students love as much as Twix, which has more of a cookie crunch
                                          19. 26D
                                            Holt and Muir, e.g.
                                          20. 27D
                                            Daytime dramas, maybe
                                          21. 29D
                                            Nostalgic postmen get ___-imental (this one gets my stamp of approval LOL)
                                          22. 32D
                                            Aquatic avian
                                          23. 33D
                                            Cultivated, in a way
                                          24. 34D
                                            Shared a cat meme on a forum, perhaps
                                          25. 37D
                                            Old card game
                                          26. 38D
                                            A confused tree creature is at its wits' ___
                                          27. 39D
                                            They might be inflated
                                          28. 48D
                                            Well, that's a first
                                          29. 51D
                                            Big bowl of Kix, e.g.
                                          30. 53D
                                            Carter of "Wonder Woman"
                                          31. 54D
                                            "Ditto"
                                          32. 55D
                                            224 ounces
                                          33. 57D
                                            Sheltered, at sea
                                          34. 58D
                                            The actor playing a boxer has a ___ with the punches
                                          35. 60D
                                            Smart fellow?
                                          36. 61D
                                            Some radios
                                          37. 62D
                                            "Get that horrible meta away from me!"
                                          38. 63D
                                            The other genetic helix
                                          39. 65D
                                            Most common Rita in crosswords, probably
                                          40. 66D
                                            Island ring
                                          41. 67D
                                            Drop a fly, for instance
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