The source of today's cryptoquote is Louise Nevelson (1900-1988): "Most of us have to be transplanted, like a tree, before we blossom." Louise Nevelson was born to a Jewish family in the Ukriane and immigrated to Rockland, Maine at the age of 5. Nevelson is know for her abstract expressionist sculptures. Here is one of her sculptures. Most her sculptures were wooden and used lots of found objects. I found her work very interesting. Stanley Newman, Newsday's own crossword guru, is the author of today's crossword puzzle. I was able to get the answer grid today; please see below:
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| Muhammed Ali |
39A: Punching bags, mouthguards, etc.: BOXING EQUIPMENT. I don't know why anyone would want to take up boxing. Don't get me wrong . . . I love kickboxing and using the punching bag at the gym. However, I've seen too many fighters get hurt or brain-damaged in the ring. The saddest case has to be Muhammed Ali (born Cassius Clay). A descendant of pre-Civil War slaves, he was so handsome when he was younger and had such a colorful personality. For four years, he was unable to fight because he joined Islam and opposed the Vietnam War. He was arrested for draft dodging. However, he developed Parkinson's as a result of severe head trauma. Ali remains a beloved figure in American sports.
59A: NFL Backups: TAXI SQUAD. I hardly know anything about football, so I had to find out what a taxi squad does. Basically, they're benchwarmers and hardly ever get action in a game. The term originated in the 1940s and referred to a Cleveland Browns' list of reserve players who were paid by a taxi company. This was their way of skirting around the 33-person squad limit. A popular misconception was that these reserve players drove taxicabs for a living!
Today I worked from home, had lunch at Panera, took a walk to the mall, bought some sleepwear for our upcoming trip to the Midwest, and ate dinner. A pretty quiet day overall.
It's almost time for the Saturday Stumper! Till tomorrow. . . .
Signing off,
The Puzzlechick
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