Explanation: Four zany themers each contain SCORE within them; the central spanner, from this puzzle's date of publication, was seven years ago. Thus, the five main themers point to "four score and seven years ago," the famed opening line of the classic GETTYSBURG ADDRESS, the answer to our meta. Note the numeric connection (a score is 20 years, so "four score and seven" is 87) as well as the man of the hour indicated in symmetric entries in the first and last rows: ABRA, HAM, LIN, COLN.
oldjudge 6s · 2024-03-09T18:28:46.745Z
The man says to the bartender, "I bet you $100 bucks my parrot can recite the Gettysburg Address!" The parrot squawks a bit and flaps its wings. Furious, the man pays the bartender and returns home.
When they get home the man berates the parrot for failing to perform and the parrot responds, "You fool! Just think of the odds we can get next time!"
Fun, thank you! (Excited that I solved a Level 2.)
Fun fact: we saw 67A's famous Hamilton a day after the historic Game 7 in 39A!
Thanks also for the explanation — I got the metanism accurately but missed the corner easter eggs entirely. (With speed solving habits, I guess I don't always look at all the entries if they're complete on crosses.) And where is the (other) 87?
Julie bookworm 🤓22:33 · 2024-03-09T19:35:15.451Z
So clever! I am amazed at how many Easter eggs you manage to work into your constructions!
my history teacher would be so mad at me... i submitted emancipation proclamation and was so confused why it was wrong and thought i spelled it wrong ... missed the bonus easter egg of abraham lincoln that was cool and the wacky themers were fun (especially BOSCOREOS)
I was confused for a moment because 4 SCORE and Twenty Seven added up to 107, but with this being puzzle 87 it could be no other number. THEN I saw ABRA, HAM, LIN, COLN after the fact. Nice tie in Mikey! Definitely a 2 at the most...and believe me I am not complaining, I like it when I can solve.
Meta World Peace 5s · 2024-03-16T00:07:53.835Z
Hadn't realized how close DESPERADO is to Despacito (in letters and length) before now!
Tyrpmom 2s · 2024-03-16T05:21:00.362Z
Glad to know I’m not the only one who missed Abraham Lincoln. Such a nice touch.
Bird Lives 8s · 2024-03-16T15:39:36.991Z
Mikey G's prescience: The day after this puzzle was posted, The Gettysburg Address figured prominently in the episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The dueling maracas combos compete at "___ of the Bands"
16A
Man-mouse link (we'll give singer Rita the day off)
17A
Jar of shortening from an ancient civilization?
19A
"Isle of Dogs" director Anderson
20A
Forwarded
21A
Knock
22A
Crux
23A
Cable modem alternative
24A
Certain pear-flavored cookies? (There have been weirder...)
26A
Orthodontists' org.
28A
Kerfuffle or foofaraw
30A
Bull, in Barcelona
31A
While previously in London and Paris, its current HQ sprouted in Brussels (har har) in 1967
33A
Counterpart to a cone
35A
See 59-Down
39A
First time after the Cubs last won the World Series (not relevant, except to say I hope they win this year's 2024 World Series!) that President's Day (more relevant) was held on February 20
42A
Clothes line?
43A
"My dog can bring back my toy Hot Wheels when I throw it!" "That's so ___-fetched"
44A
Trip from Norway to Beijing: "___ Boat to China"
45A
Shrinking inland sea
47A
1040 ID
49A
"thx" partner
50A
What a nightclub has to pay every month?
54A
Sight in the Seine
56A
Exclude
57A
General on menus
58A
Like some prints (Cinderella ordered a few recently: some day, her prints will come)
61A
Typist's stat (I was going to act in a movie about keyboarding, but I don't want to be type-cast)
62A
Italian herb manufactured in the Badger state, briefly?
64A
Fair-hiring inits.
65A
Surreptitious
66A
Peculiar beginning?
67A
"Hamilton" creator ___-Manuel Miranda
68A
Handles
69A
Small river in Gloucestershire
Verticales
1D
The basics
2D
"Want to hear about how to drill holes into pieces of wood?" "Ugh, you're such a ___"
3D
What the loving couple of meteorologists liked to go on
4D
Seconds, in a way, for short
5D
1982 Disney film
6D
___ es Salaam (Tanzanian city)
7D
Wing (as seen in the name of a dinosaur): Abbr.
8D
"It's about time!"
9D
What Marie Barone removed from her couch on an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" (to disastrous results, haha)
10D
Product of csc and tan (the geometry teacher played a trig on me)
11D
Mandel who hosted "Deal or No Deal"
12D
Some random playground taunt
13D
"These nautical poles are so flexible!" "They're the ___ of least resistance"
18D
Pop
22D
"You're the owner of a picturesque cave now?" "Yep, I'm a ___ winner!"
24D
Bleacher catcalls, maybe
25D
Algerian port whose name is the first four letters of a secondary color
26D
Against from the start?
27D
It breaks regularly
29D
Bond order
32D
Common type of play for amateur theater
34D
12/
36D
Eagles song that captivated Elaine's boyfriend Brett on "Seinfeld"
37D
Vociferate
38D
Slaughter who batted .336 with the Cardinals in 1949
40D
The starchy plant grower always walked the straight and ___
41D
Gargantuan
46D
He might pay someone a flat fee
48D
Egyptian flower
50D
Request on "Wheel of Carpentry": "I'd like to buy a ___"
51D
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame architect
52D
Classic memory game with four flashing lights
53D
Ultra-lite
55D
My favorite genre of puzzles outside meta crosswords
58D
Fish ___ (some common Friday-night events during Lent)
59D
35-Across often seen in crosswords
60D
Bird in the affectionate name for a Canadian one-dollar coin
62D
Compass dir. far less common in crosswords than ENE (probably)