google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Jerome Gunderson

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Mar 16, 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Jerome Gunderson

Theme: # TIC TAC TOE (57A: Pencil game that hints at this puzzle's theme, found in the first and last letters of 18-, 25- and 43-Across) - Each familiar phrase is bookended by O and X.

18A: Rival of Staples: OFFICEMAX.

25A: Red Cloud's tribe: OGLALA SIOUX.
Chief Jack Red Cloud. As a warrior and a statesman, Red Cloud's success in confrontations with the United States government marked him as one of the most important Lakota SIOUX leaders.

43A: Jane, to Dick, e.g.: OPPOSITE SEX.

Argyle here (a lot more here than yesterday).

How long did you play tic tac toe before discovering how to always win or at least, draw? I'm afraid I didn't get it until I was nine or ten.

It's a little harder than our usual Tuesday and a Pangram, to boot.
Four Xs.

Across:

1A: Roaring group: CROWD. Bad start for me; had PRIDE. (lions)

6A: Bridge coup: SLAM. The card game. I'm more familiar with Denny's
Grand Slam

10A: Boston NBAer: CELT. (basketball)

14A: Act like a doting grandma, perhaps: HOVER.

15A: Hawaiian port: HILO. (on the Big Island)

16A: Healthy: HALE.

17A: Musical narrated by Che: "EVITA".

20A: '40s-'50s paranoia that led to blacklisting: RED SCARE. Anti-communist fears played up by people like Senator McCarthy resulted in hearings where people were forced to name names and state, under oath, if you or anyone you knew, were communists. To stick to your constitutional right to not do so, got a person blacklisted.

22A: "For Your Eyes Only" singer Easton: SHEENA. The song was from the James Bond movie of the
same name.

23A: Island strings: UKE.

24A: Rides roughshod over: STEPS ON.

30A: Board with eerie messages: OUIJA.

31A: Neither's partner: NOR.

32A: Microwaves: ZAPS.

36A: Not guilty, for example: PLEA.

37A: Make one of two?: UNITE.

39A: Came down to earth: ALIT.

40A: Cowpoke's prod: SPUR.

41A: Petunia, e.g.: PIG.

42A: Serpentine: SNAKY.

46A: Fillies and foals: EQUINES. (horses)

50A: __ la la: TRA.

51A: Track athlete: RUNNER.

52A: "The Breakfast Club" actors are part of it: BRAT PACK. Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy

59A: Conservative front?: ULTRA. Front of the word ultraconservative.

60A: Perry's creator: ERLE. ERLE Stanley Gardner created Perry Mason.

61A: "Major" constellation: URSA.

62A: Grand __ National Park: TETON. You latecomers to the blog have missed some epic comments about the Grand Tetons.

63A: Futurist: SEER.

64A: Seamstress's fold: TUCK.

65A: Not approximate: EXACT.

Down

1D: "Believe" singer: CHER.
Official Music Video. "Believe" is noted for its use of the Auto-Tune pitch-correction software on the singer's vocals to create a peculiar sound effect, sometimes referred to as the "Cher effect". An interesting read at Wikipedia.

2D: Wander: ROVE. When do we go back to ROAM(which I enter every time).

3D: "Ars amatoria" poet: OVID. A Roman poet who authored Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria, three major collections of erotic poetry.

4D: Antiprohibitionists: WETS. WETS vs. DRYS

5D: Count with a cape: DRACULA. Count Dracula.

6D: Coastlines: SHORES.

7D: Family board game: LIFE. When was the last time you played LIFE, or any board game, for that matter?

8D: TV E.T.: "ALF". A television sitcom that originally ran on NBC from 1986 to 1990 and was created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF (for Alien Life Form) and he was very fond of cats.

9D: Defogging target: MOISTURE.

10D: Nest noise: CHEEP. (alliteration) Not a good sound if it's from starlings in your eaves.

11D: Chair maker Charles: EAMES With his wife, Ray, they were both
designers

12D: South American plain: LLANO.

13D: Houston pro since 2002: TEXAN. The Houston Texans is football team currently a member of the Southern Division of the AFC in the NFL. The Texans joined the NFL in 2002 as an expansion team after Houston's previous franchise, the Oilers moved to Nashville and became the Tennessee Titans.

19D: Whole grain cereal brand: CHEX.

21D: Dossier letters: AKA. (also known as)

24D: Flue filth: SOOT.

25D: "How clumsy of me!": "OOPS!".

26D: Big swig: GULP.

27D: Stead: LIEU.

28D: Slightly open: AJAR.

29D: Jones of English architecture: INIGO. This is NOT a Tuesday word.

32D: Author Grey: ZANE. This is a Tuesday word.

33D: Quaint word of regret: "ALAS!".

34D: High-speed highway: PIKE.

35D: Underworld river: STYX.

37D: Pugilist's punch: UPPERCUT. Alliteration, A fighter's fist to the face of his foe.

38D: Puppy bites: NIPS.

42D: Legislative act: STATUTE.

43D: Military service designation: ONE-A.

44D: Windex target: STREAK.
Commercial.

45D: Lyricist Gershwin: IRA.

46D: Art works by Romain de Tirtoff: ERTES. Our old friend, "R.T.", with his full name.

47D: Paper measure: QUIRE. A set of 24 uniform sheets of paper.

48D: "I surrender!": "UNCLE!".

49D: Bury: INTER.

52D: Pear choice: BOSC.

53D: Suffix with cine: PLEX. The term was coined by Philip Taylor of Toronto in 1978 and is the registered trademark "Cineplex Odeon Cinemas"

54D: "__ boy!": ATTA.

55D: Gator's kin: CROC.

56D: "Critique of Pure Reason" philosopher: KANT. Immanuel KANT(1724 – 1804) was an 18th-century German philosopher.

58D: Capote, on the stage: "TRU". In 1990, Robert Morse received both a Tony and a Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of Capote in the one-man show, "TRU".

Answer grid.

Argyle

72 comments:

Harold said...

5 x's i count

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, CC and all. I loved this puzzle. Like Argyle, my first response to Roaring Group was Pride. I think because we had that word recently. After making that correction, I was on the right path.

I even got the O and X clue to help me with TIC TAC TOE!

We've seen EAMES before, as well as ERTE. Thanks, Argyle for noting that Ray Eames deserves as much notice as Charles.

QOD: Art resides in the quality of doing, process is not magic. ~ Charles Eames

Lemonade714 said...

Good morning Argyle and C.C. and the rest:
Jerome, and I thought you liked us! This was almost your typical Tuesday fun puzzle, the theme was cute, some new twists on old fill, but then BAM! INIGO Jones, Charles EAMES, LLANO, QUIRE and OGLALA SIOUX.

Loved Petunia, e.g.: PIG, had not heard of her in years. Liked the new look at ERTE and very interesting information Argyle.

This woke me up!

Argyle said...

Harold, I count only 4 X's but 13 O's. O's win!

Dick said...

Good morning Argyle, C.C. and All, a great puzzle for Tuesday. Today Jerome and I were on the same wavelength. I managed to complete the entire puzzle with no outside help except for 52A "brat pack" which I did not know and could not get the “P” in plex. Oh well almost a total fill.

I liked the theme and was noticing all of the X’s and O's before the theme was revealed. I think this was a good Tuesday puzzle, but with a few difficult names like Charles Eames, Inigo Jones and quire. These were all doable with the crosses.

Nice sunny weather here today, but I have to meet with my tax accountant so that will take away some of the niceness of the day.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday.

Mainiac said...

Good Morning Argyle, CC and All,

I fell for Pride also. Had some other Oops' as well. Titan instead of Texan (should have know better) and I couldn't for the life of me spell Ouija right. I had trouble with the LLano, Hale cross. (Healthy, Hale? new to me) Inigo was also problematic but Pig filled it in for me. Hover and Evita were a struggle to pop into my brain. I got the theme which was a tremendous help. Very nice puzzle Jerome.

Great write up Argyle.

Have a great day!

Anonymous said...

Bravo Jerome. Another great puzzle.

I was able to complete the entire puzzle, no erasures or mistakes, except one letter, the cross between PIG and INIGO:-( It was such a pretty grid when done.

I caught on with the x's and o's and that helped. Looking back, there were so many unknowns, which I am sure will not sear their mark into my brain either. EAMES, INIGO, OGLALA SIOUX - heavens where did that one come from. Outstanding fills, all of which I could get with the perps. How about OUIJA and SEER in the same grid. Fun, fun, fun.

Great writeup Argyle. A fun day planned today. Lunch with friends and a swim banquet.

tfrank said...

Good morning, C.C., Argyle, Jerome:

Excellent puzzle, Jerome, and writeup, Argyle. No unknowns, no problems, 18 online. Good way to start a Tuesday.

Have a great day.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning all. Good Tuesday level difficulty. No outside help needed NOR erasures. Did not know ERTES or INIGO, but obtained from the perps. Got the theme early (for a change), and the theme words were gimmes. Wanted 'sots' at first for WETS.

QUIRE- Nice fill. 1/20th of a ream.

@Jerome - Fun puzzle. Thanks.

Nice sunny day here.

kazie said...

Great fun puzzle, Jerome.
And Argyle's writeup flowed smoothly.

I also fell for PRIDE, wanted ADORE for the granny until I got DRACULA, and I have never heard either of Petunia the PIG or Jones the architect, so g'ed his name for my last fill, iniGo.

Otherwise a smooth run, though it did feel a bit harder than a normal Tuesday.

BTW, today was the first time I was stopped completely from using my old blogger password and had to set a new one. I know others have had this problem before, so I hope setting the new one fixes it for good.

This will probably be my last chance for access to either puzzle or blog for a week. We leave this pm. See you next Wednesday.

Spitzboov said...

Kazie

Gute Reise!

Andrea said...

Good morning all -

Jerome - what a nice fun puzzle to start a sunny Tuesday!

I was able to complete all but the cross of Erle/Quire. I was momentarily in the Pride camp, but checked the downs, and realized right away I needed a C. That, and several unknowns, led me to solve by quadrant, rather than across and then down. Because of that, I had two x's and one o, so immeditely thought of tic tac toe, and the rest fell in nicely. It also led me to quickly change Roam to Rove. Very enjoyable!

Knew Brat Pack right away, as I grew up on those movies. It was fun to see them on the Oscars paying tribute to John Hughes; I can't believe how much older some of them look - I can't imagine I look any older... :) I also just finished reading You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried about John Hughes and the Brat Pack - if you're a fan of their collective work, and pop culture from the time, this is a great read.

Enjoy the day. We're sunny and nearly 60 here today! Bring on spring!!

MJ said...

Good morning Argyle,C.C., and friends,
Hand up for Pride at 1A. Agree that some of the fill did not seem like a Tuesday, but that did not detract from a great puzzle. Thank you, Jerome. Favorite clue was 37A "Make one of two?". Had to laugh at 24A, because as I looked over the puzzle before coming to the blog I read it as "Step-son", and thought to myself, "I don't remember reading the clue for that one." All in all, an enjoyable ride to begin the day.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Belle said...

Good morning all. I'm usually a lurker but couldn't resist pointing out that there are 8 responses containing an "X:" max, sioux, sex, exact, Texan, Chex, Styx, and plex.

Fun theme for a Tuesday.

Tinbeni said...

Arygle thanks for the clips and the extra info.

Did the pride thing also, easy fix.
Oglala and Inigo were learning moments, always a plus.

Liked that on St.Patrick Day EVE this WETS can have some NIPS and a GULP. (I celebrate a lot of extra Eve's).

Jerome great Tuesday LAT with some bite.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Good job, Jerome!

PRIDE went before the fall for me, too. Lots of trouble followed. With the words already mentioned, this is at least a Wednesday puzzle. Sixteen minutes for me.

Just took another look at the grid, and read 24A as STEP-SON. I'm having lunch with one today, and will be visiting the other in FLA in a few weeks.

The way to remember the spelling of OUIJA is that it is built up from yes, in French and German. OUI + JA.

Bon Voyage, Kazie.

Buckeye - you out there?

Auto Tune is an abomination. Or maybe I'm thinking of the would-be singers who need to use it. Is SHEENA one of them?

The trombone has the potential to play every note in correct pitch. In my better dreams, it actually happens. My ear is tuned sharp. Odd thing about pitch is that sometimes being right on is really critical and other times you have a lot of leeway. I don't know what in the musical context determines that difference.

Also, the pitch of a note is not really constant (except for the 440 tuning A, I suppose.) An F as tonic, fifth of Bb, or minor 7th of G will all be slightly different.

One correction: In bridge, a SLAM is not a COUP. A coup any of several well known sophisticated techniques in the play of the hand. One may execute a coup in making a slam contract.

Enough of my ramblings.

Cheers!
JzB the alternately HI-LO trombonist

Hahtoolah said...

Petunia = pig was sort of an "aha" moment for me. I very vaguely recalled the cartoon character, but only after filling in -ig. Does anyone recall the song "I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch"? That kept running through my head when I came to the clue.

I expected a different type of dramatic photo for your illustration of the Grand Tetons, Argyle!

windhover said...

Hahtool @9:48,
So did I, but that would be deux Tetons rather than trois.

Spitzboov said...

Hahtool; this is for you: Petunia

Jeannie said...

Jerome, I OXOXOX’d this puzzle. Very clever theme. I did have to visit the G-spot for Oglala Sioux (had the Sioux part) and Inigo. I got lots of perp help with Erle, ovid, Eames, and quire was a new word for me today. I wanted a clue that had something to do with the band STYX and my favorite clue was “make one of two” – unite. Argyle nice write up today and I love to play board games. My favorite as a kid was Clue.

Bill G. said...

We had a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in the area at about 4am. I had gone back to sleep and forgotten about it until I just read about it on MSNBC. If it had been a little stronger, it would have been scary!

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning everyone.

Hand up for PRIDE. Had to re-spell OGLALA, change ROAM to ROVE, didn't have a clue on INIGO. Nice puzzle, Jerome!

@harold Where's the fifth? The three theme ones and PLEX are all I can find..

@kazie Have a great trip. Your input will be missed.

Have a great Tuesday!

Hahtoolah said...

Thanks, Spitzboov and Argyle for finding the Petunia song. I remember it from Captain Kangaroo.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, A special shout-out to Jerome. It's always a pleasure to see a blog friend's name on the marquee.

I liked this puzzle a lot. The clues "Dossier letters" for AKA and "Petunia" for PIG made the three letters more fun.

MOISTURE, BRAT PACK AND INIGO were favorite fill.

Lots of fun today.

Anonymous said...

Good morning everyone.

Jerome, great puzzle. It strained my brain a bit, but I did get it all without any help. Also PRIDE made it take longer, plus ROAM. The others mentioned were lurking somewhere in my neurons.

As they say in Vienna, Kazie, gute fahrt. (Not sure of the spelling, but I once had an autoclub card with that message.)

Cheers

WM said...

Just wanted to congratulate Jerome for an extremely fun puzzle. Really enjoyed it and some of the fills just popped into my head. OGLALA SIOUX was creative and I can't say I've seen INIGO Jones in a xword before. I was so impressed at all the X's and then finally caught on to the theme...clever, clever fellow.:o)

Argyle...as a family, we love board games but are just, as a whole, too competitive...no one will play Clue with me anymore. :o(

Carlos del Oeste said...

Hello CC and all. Back from an hiatus for a visit. Fun puzzle today. My favorite clue was 24A which I read as "step son." Reason? I had a step father who ran roughshod over me until I got old enough & big enough to make him stop.

Also, Oglala Sioux came easy as I have wondered for some time why Ogalala, NE is not spelled as the Oglala Sioux.

43A Jane to Dick was a curious choice of names, and of course, 40A Cowpokes prod came easily as I have several pairs of spurs jingling around the house. 46A's fill Equines also came easy although we have sold ours down the road.

I didn't fall for the 1A trap. I just didn't think of pride and went to work on the downs which brought crowd into the grid.

Have a nice Tuesday.

Carlos del Oeste

Lucina said...

Good morning, Argyle, C.C. and fellow solvers.

Jerome, this was a good, quick, fun puzzle. Just right for a Tuesday. No look ups. Nice job.

I remember Inigo Jones because I like the Spanish-English combo; normally the "n" has a tilde (~) over it and is pronounced "ny".

Since I look over the puzzle before starting, I saw "dracula" as 5D or I would have been tempted toward pride.

This was a clever use of "x" and cute theme. I haven't played tic tac toe since my granddaughter was aout ten.

My family loves Scrabble so anytime we can, that's what we play. In my family I am the Scrabble queen although some of the nieces and nephews are closing in on me.

I love "Evita" so enjoyed seeing it here and have seen Charles Eames work at our local art museum.

Nice western flavor with Tetons and Zane.

Kazie:
Adios for now. Have a wonderful trip. You shall be missed.

Have a delightful Tuesday everyone.

Clear Ayes said...

The only board game we've played recently is Sequence. It's fun, easy and not particularly competitive, although I suppose that is just my take on it.

If there is a competition gene, I didn't inherit it. My mother and I used to play Scrabble, which she usually won, although I always gave it my best shot. She'd say something like "It really was close..etc...etc...". I"d reply "It's OK, I really don't mind." and I didn't and don't.

At my monthly cribbage games, I play as well as I can and win often. But it doesn't bother me one bit if I lose.

Games have always been an enjoyable, but secondary, diversion to me. I love spending the time with friends or family, whether it is playing a game, or just gabbing over coffee and rolls.

Jerome said...

Good late morning Crucigangsters!
I'm thrilled and honored that so many of you enjoyed the puzzle!
From my point of view the first letters of the theme entries amount to OOO. The last letters XXX. Tic Tac Toe, either way.

I have no idea why, but this puzzle is one of my favorites. I liked GULP, DRACULA, BRATPACK, REDSCARE, and UPPERCUT.

Not so favorite- ERTES. It can burn in hell for eternity for all I care. Alas, it served its purpose though. Besides, Jazz, we need the Navajo blanket flaw, don't we.

I'm a western history buff/fanatic.
I was happy to get OGLALA SIOUX in a puzzle. They are one of many tribes of the LAKOTA nation. Along with their allies, the Cheyenne, they were the ones who defeated Lt. Colonel Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

This puzzle was an attempt at creating something a tad different for an early week puzzle. It looks as if all of you have made it so.

JD said...

Good morning Argyle, CC, and all,

At 1st I wondered if today was Tues as the 1st 6 A's didn't jump right out. I do admit I just skim on the initial round. After Evita it was smooth sailing, although I worked both A &D's together. Fun puzzle Jerome.Can U use quire in a sentence?

I had spelling issues with Oglala, and Ouija. JzB gave the goods on "yes/yes".Shall never forget now.

Favorite board game was Scrabble, but it is now impossible to play, as Truman would love to play with the a-b-c's. He and I play one of those memory games where you remember where the matching picture is.No where near as fun as CLUE!

I get the hovering Grandma. T. used to scare me by jumping off steps, and the curb when he 1st learned to walk.

Today's task: trim the dead wood and extra shoots off of the bougainvillaea which has draped itself over the length of the fence. It has brutal thorns so it's not enjoyable.Blooms are spectacular though.

Jayce said...

Hi all,

I too immediatley wrote PRIDE for 1A, then, like Lucina, saw DRACULA which made me realize the error of my ways.

Having grown up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, I had heard of Oglala Sioux and Chief Red Cloud, so that was an easy one for me. I speculate that Ogalala Nebraska got spelled that way because of the way they pronounced it there. I'm not sure, but I think the main branch of the Sioux nation that lived in the Black hills were the Lakota, hence the name of the "Dakota" territories. Dialects abound!

Loved this puzzle, as I do most of them, and love this blog.

Best regards.

Jayce said...

I happily yield to Jerome's knowledge regarding the Lakota.

Wasn't Petunia Pig Porky Pig's girlfriend or something?

That's all, folks.

Doug said...

Good morning.Still AM in AZ. I hate not being in sync with the rest of the country, but back to MN next month. I'm a class A minor league player at this, but I may move up. This is the 1st puzzle that I got the theme B4 reading it here.It will be awhile B4 I measure my completion time in minutes, but I have ample time in my day.

Buckeye said...

Guday, folkeses. Jerome, a really fun and great puzzle. Thank you. Jayce mentioned the Black Hills, but you can also throw in anybody in Montana and Wyoming re: Oglala Sioux. Having lived in Billings, we were only about 60 Miles from the "Little Bighorn" site and heard all about the Oglala.

Had the same speed bumps as most of you starting with "pride" for 1a. but got smoothed out with the perps.

I used to be too competitive about board games but I've "chilled out" since I've gotten older. I used to say, "Let's play Clue." Everybody would respond, "We already know who done it! Buckeye in the Game Room with the Baseball Bat! And they even a Baseball Bat in the friggin' game!"

Or - "Somebody call Ratchet! Buckeye wants to play Battleship! Hide the fire hose!"

My Tread Mill Stress Test came back with some "abnormalities. Contact your Doctor for a review of your results" at my earliest convenience.

I could not get an appointment with him until late next week, so I'll see his assistant tomorrow at 1:30. ( This is bad timing since I have 12 people coming to my home - yes they let me out on St. Patrick's Day- for my annual corned beef and cabbage dinner. Bummer!!!

Posted too long! See ya Thursday! Over and out!

I must be off!

Buckeye said...

Ooops! That should read, "And they ain't even a Baseball Bat...."

IMBO

Jerome said...

JD- Since you have inQUIREd about using QUIRE in a sentence, I'd like to know if I'm reQUIREd to?

carol said...

Hi all -

Great puzzle Jerome, even I had minimal problems and a whole lot of fun with it.

I did not know the Oglala but got Sioux.
We lived in Wyoming for a short time and visited the Little Big Horn battlefield and surrounding areas.

For the life of me and who knows who else, I could not think of 32D (ZANE), got smacked good and hard with the V-8 can when I saw the answer through the perps.

Did not know 46 and 47D. QUIRE??? I could only think of REAM. Once again, the perps saved me.

We used to play board games and I still would like to play checkers, but no one will play with me. I used to play chess but it has been too long ago and I would have to really brush up on the strategy.

Buckeye, so good to see a comment from you... glad nurse Ratchett is letting you out for St.Patty's day. Enjoy a bottle or several of Irish Beer/whiskey or both!

Kazie, safe travels!! We will miss you.

It is shuffleboard day for me...off to kick some butt in about 2 hours. We have searched around, but so far have only found one place with a decent shuffleboard. There are several others in the area, but the boards are warped to a degree...your weight/puck slides off to either side about 3 feet from the end of the board. I know, I know you think it is the player, and I'd say yes except we have been playing long enough to know better. Too bad those old boards could not have been kept in better condition. There seems to be an increased interest in the game lately, especially among younger people.

Buckeye said...

Jeannie. You don't have an e-mail listed. Please send me one, as I am listed, re: Carl's illness. Thanx!
IMBO

Lucina said...

But, Doug, aren't you enjoying this great weather? 75 today!

Which ballparks do you like?

Welcome back, Buckeye, and I hope the abnormalities are only glitches and nothing serious.

Bob said...

Another easy puzzle. Not much of a challenge, but after a long day, that's OK. Didn't have a chance to do it until after work. 12 minutes.

Annette said...

I made a couple OOPS in the puzzle… I couldn’t remember CELT, so I blindly accepted CapT for 10a. And wrote in PULL instead of GULP for 26d – since SLUR (40a) was a word, I just couldn’t connect the meaning. I guess there was a meaning for that - D-oh! Initially, I misread the theme clue and thought each theme word would end in TIC, TAC, or TOE.

Jerome: Great puzzle! Seeing a familiar name as constructor just makes it even better.

JD: Good luck with the thorns! I need to prune my bougainvillea this coming weekend too. I always get stuck a few times, no matter how careful I am. For some reason, it is the one gardening job I like though.

Am I the only person who has never played Clue? I’ve heard of it, but we didn’t have it. We played other games, but were very non-competitive. When playing Trouble, we’d actually feel bad and try to avoid sending the other player back Home.

Jazzbumpa said...

Jerome -

The Navajo Blanket flaw (or its equivalents in other endeavors) is not so much a necessity as an inevitable consequence of being human.

Besides - what a crossword puzzle without some crosswordese?

Cheers!
JzB the imperfect tombonist

Chickie said...

Hello All--I had to swallow my PRIDE today as I had crossed it with ROAM instead of ROVE, so the NW corner was the last to fall, along with a lot of the hair I pulled out!!.

I did get the XOXO theme, though and gave myself a pat on the back for that. Great puzzle, Jerome. Is this the one you said would be coming down the pike?

I enjoyed the clues, Conservative front, Island strings, and Petunia, e.g.

If you do crosswords long enough quire will come up every once in a while. If you see the paper reference with 5 spaces rather than 4, you know that it is not ream, but quire. A fun word anyhow.

KZ-Enjoy your trip. We'll be waiting to hear all about it.

I'm afraid I've never heard the term Wets, for those who were antiprohibitionists. It filled in with the crosses, and did make sense after I had put it in.

Have a great evening everyone. Another really busy day tomorrow and I have to be out of the house by 7:00 A.M. Too early for me!

eddyB said...

Gute Tag mein Herr und Herrin.

I would like a few things. I'm 70
and in poor health. Am also a proud and stubborn German with ancestors from what was East Prussa. I don't suffer fools, slurs and snide comments. I also
say things that I probably shouldn't.
I also criticize "Rome" for a lot of reasons. If I have a lot of
Maccallan in me, I might tell you
if you really want to know.
I wore the red and white vestments
as an acolyte for many years. Really wanted to go to St. Vincent's.
Plan on getting VR software because
my fingers don't want to work anymore. And they really hurt when I try to type.
Really meant Bye but, someone open open their mouth and said something.
Will stay "blue" and kept the gmail account active if you want to talk. Otherwise, we can play TfT all day long.
Will use Guiden's spicy brown if I have to and don't have Hengstenberg"s Bavarian style mustard an sauerkraut.

enough. happy blogging . EddyB

Fred said...

Jerome:
Wow, Jerome, this is the best puzzle you've ever done! Great theme, great fill, great clues, lotsa rare letters, what more could one ask for?
You done good, son.
Fred

dodo said...

Hi, everybody, from another member of the PRIDE. Rove worked so I was a mess until Evita showed up and I was able to straighten things out. I knew Inigo Jones from references in British novels and when Lakota didn't work it had to be Oglala.Bratpack didn't mean a thing to me. I got the theme and it HELPED. I'm getting ewith it at last.

"The story I'm writing shouldn't be any longer than a quire of paper."

Buckeye, so glad to hear from you. I was really concerned. But what are a few more abnormalities? Nobody's perfect! Just take it easy tomorrow and let someone else do the work.

Good Trip, Kazie

Oberhasli said...

Hi all - it has been awhile but I just had to come out of lurkerdom today with the "Petunia the Pig" clue. I played the role of Petunia in my elementary school second grade play (about 400 years ago)! Then I played a ground hog the next year in 3rd grade. Hmmmm - I wonder if someone was trying to tell me something. I enjoy reading your comments every day!

Spitzboov said...

EddyB

KANT, 56D, is from your ancestors' neck of the woods, the former Prussian city of Königsberg.

dodo said...

Is the Navajo rug flaw comparable to the required 'mistake' in a patchwork quilt?

Jerome said...

Chickie- I've got a couple of puzzles comin' down the pike. Don't know the publication date yet.

Fred- I wish you could have seen the giant smile on my big mug when I read your words.

dodo- Many Navajo rug weavers weave a tiny flaw in the rug as an offering of humbleness to their gods. When I have a clunker word in a puzzle I refer to it as my "Navajo weave". I can't come up with a better excuse.

Chickie said...

Jerome, no excuse needed for cross word words if the puzzle is as much fun as today's was.

Buckeye, glad to see you were back today. Take care.

Oberhasli, Being a pig and then a groundhog isn't so bad! Some of my first graders had to be carrots, and radishes and lettuces when we did Peter Rabbit. We had too many children for each to have an animal role! All put together, they made a beautiful garden.

eddyB said...

Spitzboov.

A little south of there near the lakes and Olsztyn.

Tried for a long time to solve the Seven Bridge Problem of Konigsberg.

eddyB

Jeannie said...

EddyB, as mentioned earlier I am just now getting some arthritis in my finger joints and with my profession I am on the ten-key or keyboard all day long. Are you taking any medication? I have just read that golden raisins seem to be an organic alternative. Melissabee?

As promised BillG, here is your Talapia recipe:
3-4 tilapia fillets
1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (make sure it's the good stuff you have to grate)
1 tbspn Italian seasoning
I use my own that I grow and dry through the winter. Make sure the one you buy includes basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme.
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tbspn lemon juice
salt (very little as parmesan cheese is pretty salty)
1 tspn fresh ground black pepper
olive oil
Directions:
Thaw and wash tilapia fillets if frozen. Pat dry on paper towels.
Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, italian seasoning mixing well. On a different plate, pour 1 tbsp lemon juice. Working 1 at a time, place a fillet on the plate in the lemon juice. On still another plate combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle those seasonings on the side up. Turn the fillet over in the lemon juice and sprinkle seasoning on the other side. Dredge fillets in the parmesan mixture patting it all over to coat.
Place fillets in an olive oiled baking dish (I use a glass 9x13).
Sprinkle a little lemon juice over fillets and drizzle or spray them lightly with olive oil right before you bake them.
Bake at 425ºF for about 20 minutes or until they easily flake with a fork and edges are browning (you can sprinkle some more parmesan on top if desired). The last five minutes I take the oven up to 450 to "crust" the top a little.

HUTCH said...

Jerome! Since you are a Western-Indian "fanatic" let me run this by you for your comment. The Sioux were not named Sioux.When Lewis or Clark asked some Indians about them, these indians[enemies of La Dakotas]responded "Sioux" which meant "snakes" in their dialect. Their proper name is "La Dakota"as in North Dakota.La Dakota means "The People".

Lemonade714 said...

Jerome and Fred, our two favorite people in one day, awesome! Buckeye, good to see you still have IT!

For all the arthritis sufferers; there are many different kinds, but for the basic osteoarthritis, a massage with warm olive oil, followed by wrapping the joints gently overnight helps. The herbalists also suggest cooking nettle tops.

Really busy, but nice to see some lurkers, and some old timers popping in; maybe one day soon we will here from everybody and try and beat last years 217 posts in a day.
H., you really mixed your cartoon metaphors, my favorite has to Flower and I do not mean London river.

Frenchie said...

I'm having trouble posting...it says failed 404? Anybody have any ideas?

eddyB said...

Jeannie.

The short answer to your question is yes I do. Besides the 26 pills/ day that I take, I also take 4x injections of insulin.
The pill bottles are all lined up like sailors manning the rails for inspection. (German mind set again).
I remember when they couldn't give
that fish away for free.

eddyB

Jerome said...

Hutch- Because I'm not Sioux I have no authority or right to answer your question or give my opinion publicly. The Sioux will speak for the Sioux.
It is true that many tribal names translate as "The People". But that's true of all cultures. Who does not define themselves as "Human"?

Hahtoolah said...

Lemonade: What I meant was, that when I saw the clue "Petunia", I thought of the song and had a hard time going in the other (PIG) direction. It wasn't until I had filled in -IG, that the cartoon pig dawned on me.

Bill G. said...

Jeannie, thanks for the great-sounding recipe. I first had Tilapia about five years ago. It's a mild-tasting boneless white fish fillet that should blend in very well with Jeannie's ingredients. I am looking forward to it. EddyB, I wish I could find a place where they would give it away for free. Have you tried it?

Another favorite of mine that I've gotten at a local restaurant is sand dabs in lemon-caper sauce. Delicious.

No more earthquakes. The Lakers come on in two minutes.

Tinbeni said...

Jeannie:
Here they tested 20 restaurants that sold Grouper dishes.
In Florida the grouper is a local relished item, but with the fishing limits way more expensive

What they found at 13 of the 20 waw the fish used was Talapia.

That is like charging Filet Mignon price for hamburger.

Personally, if it is prepared correctly I like Talapia.

Linda said...

Buckeye: Glad to see you back...keep us posted about you and the "home."

Jeannie: Message received and yes...it`s ongoing!

Jerome said...

My last post. "Thank goodness!" says the choir.

Petunia pig. Have we, in our collective memory and lore, forgot that Petunia is Porky Pig's sweetheart? Say it isn't so.

Lemonade714 said...

Frenchie

Since your post posted; just do that again.

Jerome
of course we remember Porky and Petunia walking paw in paw

Jeannie said...

I had no idea Petunia the pig was a skunk. They are coming out in roves...poor SOB's, not a good thing for me or those rodents this morning. RIP, sorry you didn't get to procreate.

Jeannie, the rural motorist....

Annette said...

Jerome: I knew Petunia as Porky Pig's girlfriend, immediately! I think that was my favorite clue, since it brought back an old memory and a smile!

Jeannie said...

All types of critters are showing their little, tired faces. I just wish they would stay out of my way. My car doesn't smell very good...Just gotta nab it.

Jeannie said...

Missed it by "this_much....attempting sleep now, and am sure I am out of posts. Carol, did you happen to copy the wet burrito recipe? I posted it late last night. I hope you and Joe cleaned up at the shuffleboard comp tonight.

Dennis when are you home, or are you home and can't get there?

JD said...

wow, old home day...fun..love to hear from those who just lurk.

Jerome, silly boy, you weren't reQUIREd to give me a sentence.I had not heard it used ,and like Carol, all I could think of was ream. I have learned that quire is 24 pieces of paper. Dodo, THANK YOU!!
Here's another:It was common Anglo-Saxon practice to form a quire from four sheets of parchment - folded to make eight leaves.

Annette, it took 2 hours and luckily I only got stabbed with one nasty thorn. Those pole loppers/pruners are heavy suckers. I prefer weeding and planting.The aphids have arrived, so tomorrow it's the roses.

Jeannie, I used your marinade for my pork loin ...delicious...very similar to one I have, but that brown sugar was a tewrrific addition.(think I'll keep that misspelling as y'all are talking about Petunia Pig.)

dodo said...

L714 I don't think pigs' feet are called paws. I think they're hooves and they're cloven. Of course if you buy them at the market, they're pigs' feet, or in a jar, where they're often pickled..

Lemonade714 said...

wow are you are such literal people

AN ODE TO YOU

sleep well all while I alone toil
under the flickering midnight oil

now atlast the words must be right
before abed for me this night

i do not want moans and sighs
but to please WM, clear ayes

buckeye, tinbeni. maniac too
of course C.C and Dennis who

both inspired me with their work
so Eddy B and Bill G, I am no jerk

here for embien, crockett and more
Hahtool, Jeannie. all at the core

To name you all will take a while
must include Windhover and Argyle

KQ, Robin,Aimee Aye I am not lazy
I add Dick, MJ, TFrank and Kazie

Andrea, Annette, Bob and Sallie
Jazzbumpa, so late, cannot dally

Oh Lucina and Carlos de Oeste
and Spitzboov, one of the best

JD, Jaycee and Fred and Jerome
Carol and Lois, almost home

I guess I end while barely startin
adding Linda, PMT, and Martin

Warren, Chickie, dear Dodo
Where did sweet Doreen go

Who else is left, let me see
Of course Al and Barry G.

There may still be time
For Harold, and Fermatprime

Mr. Ed and new Arbaon
And all who sign Anon

IPO, Frenchie, now I see a Belle
I'll not get you all, oh hell

I am sorry if I forgot your name
tomorrow we can play another game