Gained in Translation

[CPJohnson]

I got it. Thanks, DrTom!

[Dplass]

Submitted what I think is the answer after a course correction by Capt Tom. Thanks for the puzzle!

[Dplass]

The only 45 I know is (more or less) my age. I am unfamiliar with the various doohickeys posted above. I have no idea what 59A is referring to. It probably does not help that I've been living on another continent for the past 40 or so years.
That being said, I did solve the meta.
Thanks for the puzzle @DrTom!

@Schmeel You are on the wrong continent. @benchen71 has lived in Australia his whole life and he knew the song.

I've lived in North America for all my 52 11/12 years (similar to benchen71) and never heard of the song or the singer.

[minimuggle]

Its frustrating when you think you know the answer but can't prove it. This hasn't happened to me before. And just clarifying..... I usually go through the solving with no idea where I'm going. And often never make it ashore (or off the couch). I'll keep working on gaining in translation.

[Cinny]

Needed a nudge, but got there in the end. Interesting and fun puzzle. Thanks!

[minimuggle]

Off the couch with a nudge. Really creative puzzle.

[DrTom]

Some more folks sneaked off the couch in the last day - it seems you are enjoying the puzzle and of course that makes me happier than anything. I am sure this is how Herman Melville felt when they said, "Hey Hermie, people are loving your South Seas adventure story!" To which he replied, "Omoo God!!!" (OUCH!) Anyway, the current board:
1 Mme
2 Tom Wilson
3 Woozy
4 Laura M
5 Madhatter5
6 Dannyvee
7 Rpardoe
8 oldjudge
9 boharr
10 hcbirker
11 Meg
12 ky-mike
13 Wendy Walker
14 Bird Lives
15 ChrisKochmanski
16 dudeski
17 Bob cruise director
18 Darth
19 MarkWoychick
20 Dow Jones
21 Carolyn
22 Abide
23 MaineMarge
24 cbarbee002
25 Thurmander
26 lbray53
27 CPJohnson
28 Schmeel
29 dplass
30 Kayw
31 Cinny
32 benchen71
33 minimuggle

[DrTom]

Ah, Wednesday morning and the beginning of December. Perhaps it is time for an early Holiday gift? Let's see if we can add to the growing list of solvers with some "nudges"

Nudge 1: You know how sometimes you cannot see the forest for the trees? Well look within the trees, or Arbres as the case may be.

Nudge 2: The title, as is often the case, tells you how to gain your 5 “letters”, and the location of the attraction tells you the language.

Nudge 3: The second letter you need has proven tricky! Some people have gotten two different letters. However, if you have gotten that far you know the mechanism and there is justification for only one of those letters.

Backhanded Nudge: Although certainly not the desired mechanism, if you catch my bit of subterfuge, with a little Googling you’ll be able to figure out the attraction.

[Beth Tyrpin]

Solved. I was hoping to post pre-spoiler so I didn’t need to proclaim that I solved without spoilers.

[MamaE]

59 across - I got it, and I am 10 years younger than the Barbie doll!

[hoover]

OK, I think I'm off the couch now. Turns out I was sliding off and just needed another look at things to fall the rest of the way.

[JeanneC]

Waiting to hear if I am off this couch. (Hope so. My butt hurts!)
I also don’t like having the Monday meta overhang the “Thursday but really Friday” meta puzzle.

[JeanneC]

Confirmed! My couch and butt thank me!!

[DrTom]

The solvers faucet has decreased to a trickle - here are a few more world travelers!

34 Beth Tyrpin
35 MamaE
36 BrennerTJ
37 Hoover
38 BarbaraK
39 JeanneC
40 eisense

[DrTom]

Last two to scurry off the couch:

41 Hidden in 3D
42 Cindy N

Thank you to all the solvers who "artfully" found the answer!

[DrTom]

What WAS the answer and how were you supposed to get it?

There were 5 starred clues indicating the theme answers and a prompt that contained just a bit of subterfuge:
The meta answer is a Paris attraction that has been a center for training and art since the 1900s

That was very true, but we were not talking about training anyone, at least not in the educational sense.

I had a couple of solvers who got confused by the ROI that could also be found in ADROIT. That is a fair comment, but each word had its translation in the grid and ROI translates to KING. People felt that SIRE, clued as "Your majesty" was an acceptable alternative and thus their confusion. However, the French word for Sire is, as it turns out, Sire. So sorry for any confusion, or as the French would say, Désolé!

Thank you one and all who took the time to solve "Gained in Translation". Your kind comments and our PM exchanges are often the high point of my day. The reason I have not gone to a Crosshare reveal is that I like talking to you all via PM.

Tom

[Dplass]

Slaps head. "Center for TRAINing, and art" oh DrTom you are too much, in the good way.

[MamaE]

Frustrating - I figured it had to be musee d’orsay (such an amazing museum) but couldn’t get there was down a deep rabbit hole.