google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday, March 12, 2012 Donna S. Levin

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Mar 12, 2012

Monday, March 12, 2012 Donna S. Levin

Theme: American Girl Guides - Happy Anniversary, for today's theme. The first meeting was held 100 years ago today. Bio for Juliette Gordon Low.


17A. Motto of 50-Across : "BE PREPARED". Used by Boy and Girl Scouts around the world.

50A. Organization that held its first troop meeting 3/12/1912 : GIRL SCOUTS. The name was adopted a year later.

11D. Founder of 50-Across : JULIETTE LOW

25D. Popular funding source for 50-Across : COOKIE SALES.

Argyle here but it should be Dennis; he likes his Girl Scouts' cookies. What's your opinion of them?

Donna delivered a decent puzzle despite the constraints of the theme and a grid divided into three parts, or five parts, depending on how you view the one square connections between them.

Across:

1. Professional org. : ASSOC. I paused thinking it meant a particular org.

6. Like bachelor parties : STAG

10. Slightly open : AJAR

14. Gift from an oyster : PEARL. (apocryphal Dorothy Parker witticism) "The two ladies were trying to get out of a doorway at the same time. Clare drew back and cracked, “Age before beauty, Miss Parker.” As Dotty swept out, she turned to the other guests and said. “Pearls before swine.”"

15. Old El Paso product : TACO

16. General principle : RULE

19. Whodunit hint : CLUE

20. Org. for mature audiences only? : AARP

21. "Small" allegations : CLAIMS. Small claims court but the "small" varies greatly from state to state. Site.

23. Climbs : ASCENDS

27. Common takeout cuisine : CHINESE

28. Seats at the bar : STOOLS

29. Hot-platter stand : TRIVET

30. State flower of Indiana : PEONY

31. Argentina neighbor : CHILE

32. Sunbather's goal : TAN

35. Invisible or indelible fluids : INKs

36. Practiced, as a trade : PLIED

37. Video game giant : SEGA

38. Show with regional spinoffs : CSI

39. Epic : GRAND

40. Pastrami peddlers : DELIs

41. Donkey of kiddie lit : EEYORE

43. Giant among Giants : MEL OTT. Wow, full name. And 4D. Bobby of hockey : ORR. Full name between the clue and the answer.

44. Actor Armand : ASSANTE. This gentleman.

46. Clean up, as one's toys : PUT AWAY

47. Pure as the driven snow : CHASTE

48. Capitol topper : DOME. That's Capitol with an 'O'.

49. Easter bloom : LILY

56. Vicinity : AREA

57. Airline that serves only kosher meals : EL AL

58. Patty Hearst's nom de guerre : TANIA. (For desper-otto.)

59. Pigsty, so to speak : MESS

60. Hardwood trees : ELMS

61. Enjoyed Aspen : SKIED. (For Marti.)

Down:

1. Police dept.'s "Be on the lookout!" alert : APB. (All Points Bulletin)

2. Observe : SEE

3. Sticky trunk stuff : SAP. From what I hear, it's running good but the syrup is on dark side this year.

5. With no mistakes : CLEANLY

6. Red carpet interviewees : STARS

7. Rain delay roll-out : TARP

8. Expert : ACE

9. Baby sponsored at a baptism : GODCHILD

10. Mysterious : ARCANE. Can be confused with archaic.

12. Reunion attendees, for short : ALUMS

13. Witherspoon of "Walk the Line" : REESE. As June Carter.

18. Walks on little cat feet : PADS. "The fog comes on little cat feet."

22. In real time : LIVE

23. Fancy-shmancy jelly : ASPIC

24. British submachine guns : STENS. A crossword staple but the Bren is used sometimes.

26. Eternities, seemingly : EONS

27. Shed some tears : CRIED

29. Yours of yore : THINE

31. Saint of Assisi : CLARE. (Beware, sometimes spelled Clair, Claire, etc.)

33. High anxiety : AGITA. (Agitation)

34. Objectionable, as a habit : NASTY

36. Eliza Doolittle, to Henry Higgins : PROTÉGÉE

37. "The Fugitive" actress Ward : SELA

39. Ibsen's "Peer __" : GYNT

40. Picks up on : DETECTS

42. Courses taken to boost one's GPA : EASY A's

43. Many-petaled flowers, familiarly : MUMS

44. Happy as __ : A CLAM

45. British county : SHIRE

46. Surveys : POLLS

48. Wee bit o' Scotch, say : DRAM


51. Under the weather : ILL

52. Tree on the Connecticut quarter : OAK

53. Prefix with verse : UNI

54. Deadlock : TIE

55. Unhappy : SAD


Argyle

Note from C.C.:

1) Here is a picture of Husker Gary's wife (right) and her twin sister (Greek dad and Bohemian mother) at the Nebraska Boy's State Basketball Championship in Lincoln. He said "Many people say they look identical but I have never seen it."

2) To make the Preview button work, please click the Restore Down button (between Minimize & Close on the upper right corner of your computer). Thanks for figuring it out, Argyle. And D-otto for the reminder this morning.

89 comments:

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Bit of a challenge today, but not too bad. I didn't realize that BE PREPARED was the Girl Scout's "marching song" as well as the Boy Scouts and had no idea who JULIET TELLOW (or JULIETTE LOW, as the case may be) was.

Elsewhere, I had trouble remembering the spelling of EEYORE, forgot that female PROTÉGÉEs have two Es on the end, couldn't remember the "other" saint of Assisi and thought that OAK was an ELM at 52D. Which was odd, since ELM then showed up later in the puzzle anyway.

And I'll just be nit picky and point out that Old El Paso makes TACO shells and salsa, but not TACOs as far as I am aware...

Barry G. said...

Man, I really hate the new "preview" function.

Make that "JULIET TELOW" (which ended up really being JULIETTE LOW).

HeartRx said...

Good morning Argyle, C.C. et al.

Thanks Argyle, for the nice write-up on this tribute puzzle to the GIRL SCOUTS. But like Avg. Joe, I have never skied at Aspen! I thought of Tinbeni when the DRAM of scotch was poured. Nice of you to post his avatar!

After the discussion about Girl Scout cookie sales a few weeks ago, I’m not sure if I would ever buy them. Dudley mentioned that it was starting to become big business, and the troops never see most of the revenues from all their hard work.

I could only think of St. Francis of Assisi….CLARE had to appear from perps, I’m afraid. She was one of his first followers. Poor Clare, never get’s the limelight.

My one nit is the abbr. for association. Shouldn’t it be assn.? Other than that, I thought the fill was put together CLEANLY!

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Donna Levin, for a swell puzzle this Monday. Thank you, Argyle, for the swell review.

This seemed more of a Tuesday level to me. But, that's fine. I liked it.

Great theme. We had Girls Scouts in uniform at church yesterday. My mother and one of my sisters are life Girl Scouts. My mother will be 88 next month. My wife was also active as a Girl Scout and a leader in years past. And, I love Girls Scout Cookies, especially the mints.

My good friend and his wife had PEONYs all over their yards in Elgin, IL. They were from Indiana. Now I know why.

I had forgotten Patty Hearst's "name", TANIA, but I remember the incident. Also saw the house she grew up in below the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. That Castle was quite a place.

Did not know there was a second "Saint" of Assisi. Got CLARE with perps.

Now I am off to finishing my book and enter my NCAA picks.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

Middletown Bomber said...

This was a speed run for me. By far the easiest puzzle I have seen in a long time. Any difficulties I had on the accross were resolved by the downs, and vice versa. Learned that the motto for the girl scouts is the same as the motto for the boy scouts. Recently had Old El Paso Tacos for dinner (I prefer Ortega)

The picture of Husker gary's wife and sister in law they look like sisters to me but I have never seen either of them before.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Argyle and friends. Donna Levin's puzzles are always fun, and this was especially so since I was a Girl Scout for years and years. Hated selling those cookies, though.

I misread 14-Across to be Girl From an Oyster, instead of Gift from a Oyster.

Like the others, Professional Org = Assoc, seems a bit off.

Having visited Assisi, I knew there were multiple, well two, Saints hailing from there.

QOD: A smile is the shortest distance between two people. ~ Victor Borge

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

WBS, except for the OAK/ELM swap. Connecticut honors the Charter Oak, a famous old Hartford tree.

Marti - Thanks for reminding me about that earlier cookie post, I had forgotten.

According to various articles I found online, both the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts have come under public suspicion in recent years for their executives' salaries, among other costs. There is a lot of pressure to sell cookies.

Thin Mints are among the biggest sellers; my wife and I recently did a side by side test of Thin Mints against Keebler Grasshoppers, a nearly identical style, and found the latter better. Plus you get six more per package.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Thought I had a good solution, but turns out there was one "boo boo." Spelled ASSANTE ASSANTI which had me wondering who CLARI was! Really believed Armands last name ended with an I.

Anyways, another enjoyable Donna Levin offering.

I'm going on record by saying AARP does not convert one into a mature person, at least not this one. I'll wait a little longer if you don't mind.

Being a lifelong Giant fan I'm hoping that some constructor will eventually realize there was another GIANT among GIANTS. HE was the "Say Hey Kid", AKA Willie Mays and w/o looking it up, Willie probably had a better career.

CrossEyedDave said...

Just finished reading last nights posts.

Spitzboov@7:18pm
Hilarious Australian Senator, a little disturbing that he thinks the open ocean is not an environment though. Loved the owl& the pussycat, never seen anything like it.

PK@9:44pm

Jesses,,, Thanks, i thought the owl had some kind of food in it's talons that the cat was after. Remarkable!

Bill G: i am forwarding auroras,

Off to do today's puzzle...L8r

SouthernBelle said...

Mornin' to all,

Glad I was a Girl Scout Leader. Note was! Hated the sale of cookies and haven't bought one since those days.

Also glad it was an easy puzzle ...brain is still an hour behind.

Darn, I hate to miss 1 across; but had to fill in the perps to get ASSOC.

Mari said...

An EASY A(s) for me. As I was working the puzzle my eyes skipped ahead to the clue for 50A and I had to groan. I knew this was the 100 anniversary of GSA, so seeing that clue gave me the theme. It was all easy fill from there.

I liked the clue for AARP, funny to see "Org. for mature audiences only" along with STAG.

I also didn't know the Scouts shared the same mottow. I thought the GSA motto was "Courage, Confidence, Character." But what do I know? I never made it past The Brownies.

DH loves the peanut butter Tag-A-Longs. He can eat a box in one sitting. I used to enjoy them until I read the calorie content.

Mari said...

HeartRX @ 6:24 am: Funny you mentioned "poor Clare" because her order is called the Poor Clares.

Tinbeni said...

Argyle: Nice write-up! Avatar loved it.
(Made him fell like a "big-boy" since the new format put "our avatars" on a diet).

Donna, Thank you for a FUN Tuesday.
(oops, I mean Monday)

Husker: I think they look like twins.
This weeks PGA is about 2 miles from "Villa Incognito".

CLARE being an Assisi Saint was a learning moment.

I often wondered, how does anyone know if A CLAM is Happy?

Cheers to all with a DRAM of Pinch at Sunset.

Anony-Mouse said...

Thank you, Donna Levin for a lovely puzzle and Argyle for a spirited and interesting commentary. It was an enjoyable Monday puzzle.

Did not know that Girl Scouts also had the motto,"Be Prepared". (I have had 2 in the family - not that they followed any motto, as far as I can tell ...). I thought the Girl Scout motto was,'React, in a lady-like manner and play nice'.

This is not to detract from the great achievements of Mrs. J. Low or from the notable and admirable contributions from her esteemed organisation.

"Cookie Sales" was the dead giveaway. No Boy Scout would be caught dead selling cookies ( horrors ! ) - A boy scout would rather hand-fight a bear and slay a mountain lion than do THAT ! ( with or without their mother's assistance ....)


Alt QOD:- Of course America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up. ~ Oscar Wilde.

Have a good week, you all.

desper-otto said...

Good morning, Puzzlers.

Today was a nice romp. I enjoyed the "breather."

Argyle, thanks for the shout-out. I notice that Donna spelled TANIA correctly -- I had spelled it TANYA in my post. And to straighten out those saints, CLARE is from Assisi, whereas CLAIR is from DE LUNE (Or DU LUTE as they say in Minnesoda.)

Dorothy Parker was quite the wit. I think my favorite quote of hers involved horticulture.

Barry G, Preview isn't so bad if you reduce your browser window size. I think it was Argyle who discovered that.

Time to walk the 'hood and see what changed over the weekend...

kazie said...

My one hangup today was having DELA/SELA and wondering what JULIE T?LOW was missing.

The rest was as smooth as silk, though I also wondered at the ASSOC. abbrev. There were some nice words: unusual for a Monday to see PROTÉGÉE or ASCENDS. But Donna never fails to please.

Husker Gary said...

Donna’s lovely puzzle was a great way to relax after driving 600 miles from Thursday to last night!

Musings
-I loves my thin mints
-I have to expand my Chinese takeout from my fav Chicken and Broccoli. Man, that broccoli holds its heat!
-My org. was a GUILD until I saw the .
-We have a TRIVET for makin’ bacon in the microwave. Yum!
-Woe unto him who took Norm’s STOOL
-Peonies = Memorial Day here
-I am going to PLY my trade from 11:30 – 3:30 today in an English class
-Don’t we all have fatalistic friends like EEYORE?
-My grandkids excel at GET OUT, we’re still working on PUT AWAY
-Every year someone on the grounds crew slips in the rain and falls under the TARP as they roll it out (1:55)
-The cross before which St. Francis was praying when he received a vision from God hangs in St. CLARE’s church in Assisi. We were told not to cross the rope to get nearer or take pictures but the wife of the President of Spain was allowed to do both as we watched.

Grumpy 1 said...

Good morning, Argyle and all.

Donna Levin puzzles are usually an enjoyable solve and this was no exception.

Desper-otto, I THINK I've heard that Dorothy Parker quote.

I had no problem with the ASSOC abbreviation. It is the abbreviation used for associates, as in 'The firm of Dimwitty and Associates, a professional organization'.

Definitely needed CLARE to get the 'E' in ASSANTE.

I may have known that the Girl Scouts also used the BE PREPARED motto, but had forgotten that. My sister opted for 4H instead, so I didn't have much reason to learn about the organization other than to bemoan the fact that they seemed to teach the girls how to spot boys like me that had less than honorable intentions.

Nice shoutout to Tin's Avatar quantity.

Cookie Monster said...

mmmmm cookies

Irish Miss said...

Good morning all:

Cheers to Ms. Levin for a fun romp and to Argyle for a fun expo.

Only write-over was angst instead of agita for 33D, high anxiety. Otherwise, smooth sailing.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the temps are going to be in the 60's all this week, maybe 70 tomorrow. Are we really going to get through the rest of the winter season with no more cold weather and no more snow?

Happy Monday everyone.

Irish Miss said...

BTW, thanks, Spitzboov for the clip of the owl and the pussy cat. It reminded me of the poem The Owl and the Pussycat which I then googled so I could read in its entirety. The video was fascinating.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Barry G et al,
To make the Preview button work, please click the "Restore Down" button (between Minimize & Close on the upper right corner of your computer).

Thanks for figuring it out, Argyle. And D-otto for the reminder @8:33am.

Avg Joe said...

Tuesday level difficulty for me. But it was fun and had a few learning moments. Like most, I didn't know of a 2nd Assisi Saint, and did need that final E in Clare to get Assante, but the I just didn't look plausible. (IIRC, Armand's last letter is pronounced A not I).

Loved the Dorthy Parker quote and had never heard her referred to as Dotty. She was my mother's favorite author and my mothers nickname was also Dotty. Who knew!

My 2nd favorite quote is the horticulture pun. First favorite is the telegram response to her editor while on her honeymoon.

Ron Worden said...

Good morning to all and happy Mon. Thanks Donna L. enjoyed it as always,and to Argyle for the write-up. My DW likes the thin mints and buys a case every year. Not really on my diet but I sneak one once in a while. They had or have a shortbread one that was my favorite,but must refrain from now. To HuskerG they definately look a lot a like,but my mom and her two sisters looked very much alike and their was about 5 yrs between oldest to younger. Have a great day to all RJW.

Lucina said...

Happy day, friends. Thank you, Argyle, for a super expo.

And thank you, Donna, for today's entertainment! Our newspaper had a story about the GS so I immediately wrote in 50A though like others didn't realize they had the same motto as the BS.

JULIETTE LOW'S home in Savannah, GA is open to tours and the day we visited, lines of girls were waiting to enter.

I really liked the clue for AARP though Armand ASSANTE makes me swoon like a teenager. What a man!

As Mari noted, St. CLARE founded the Poor Clares for women and St. Francis the Franciscan priests.

Since GS COOKIES are now $4 and are drastically reduced in size, I no longer buy them though I love Samoas.

Have a fabulous Monday, everyone!

Lucina said...

HG:
What beautiful women are your wife and her sister.

Misty said...

Fun Monday puzzle, Donna--many thanks! And great write-up Argyle, with the Dorothy Parker hoot! What a wit!

Years of parochial school mean I sure know my Saints, and I don't mean the ones from New Orleans. So once again got an Assisi clue. Everything else just fell into place. Lots of difficult issues to deal with on e-mail this morning, so this happy start to the week will serve me well.

Have a good one, everybody.

tawnya said...

morning all!!

fun puzzle this morning! favorite clue: patty hearst, of course. my name was inspired by hers but my mom changed the spelling so people wouldn't pronounce it like "Tan-ya" (i.e., Tanya Tucker.) it's Tawn-ya, like the color Tawny. but people still get it wrong. and no one can spell it. definitely unique tho.

thanx for the Dorothy Parker quote. i have often joked "Age before beauty..." to my older friends. never again! don't want anyway calling me swine!

been busy lately and have missed a few days...hoping all is well in your UNIVERSE. record setting heat today - in the 70's, whoohoo!

t.

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. I liked this puzzle a lot, as I usually do. Its structure seemed very elegant to me, and I think it's admirable that Ms. Levin managed to have relatively few 3-letter entries. And the 3-leter entries that are in there are, thankfully, mostly not the same old abbreviations.

Hand up for writing in ANGST and then having to erase it. Also hand up for spelling Armand's name ASSANTI at first. My wife thinks he's dishy as all getout.

Do you think a bar stool salesman would give away free samples? (Sorry.)

Old El Paso makes me think of that old Marty Robbins song.

Best wishes to you all.

Jayce said...

Husker Gary, thanks for the photo of your wife and her sister. To me they look like sisters but they do not look identical.

Hahtoolah, thanks for the QOD.

Mari, interesting about the Poor Clare sisters.

Had to move the right edge of my browser window WAY in to make the window narrow enough for the Preview to format itself correctly. It works, but it sure seems a step backwards to make us users have to take that extra step just to make it work right.

Jayce said...

Geez, you guys are getting the nice weather now. It's your turn, that's for sure. It is forecast to be rainy all week here, and maybe even snow at the higher elevations. Goodness knows we need the rain and the snowpack, though, so all is good.

eddyB said...

Hello.

Can't remember ever buying a GS cookie. Didn't know how to say this with out sounding DF.

Almost time to say, "Wait untill next year". Sharks dropped to 11th.

Jill off to Sacro.

Brian off to Reno this weeekend.

Feel like getting on a plane myself. Maybe St Pete? Have been invited to Hernando to see frat brother.

Great photos JD. Liked the one and music of the bridge.

Take care. eddy

Miss Parker said...

For average joe: You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think.

Anonymous said...

d.o 8:33 Re Dorothy parker quote ..

"You can lead a horticulture,but
you can't make her think"

Lucina said...

Jayce:
I'm totally in agreement with your wife about Armand ASSANTE. He is a dish!

LaLaLinda said...

Hi Everyone ~~

I always enjoy Donna Levin's puzzles ... this one was fast and fun! I had no real problems but wasn't sure of the spelling of PROTEGEE. CLARE of Assisi was a learning moment and I, too, fell into the 'Angst' / AGITA trap.

I'm often amazed at how the brain functions - or doesn't. At 3D, 'Sticky trunk stuff' I was thinking of car trunks and elephant trunks. Never once did I think of trees. Strange!

Husker Gary ~ Lovely photo of your wife and her sister! They do look a lot alike but not really identical.

It's sunny and up to 70 here in CT and it's supposed to be this way all week. We seem to have skipped winter this year. I guess that's OK but I'm not really looking forward to 100+ degree days!

Spitzboov said...

Hello, Everyone.

Between wanting "angst' and not sussing SEGA, or knowing LOW, I ended up with a Natick in the East. Only hangup, the rest was easy enough for a Monday.

Irish Miss and C E Dave; You're Welcome. Sunday is a good day to post that stuff as the Blog is not as busy.

Thanks to Bill G for the Yosemite HD link. Awesome. I got a kick out of seeing the heavens' apparent rotation against the Earth in the night shots.

66ºF here this afternoon and sunny.

Mari said...

Husker Gary @ 8:59 am:

I am very interested in saint relics and shrines. Why, may I ask, were you not allowed to photograph St. Francis' cross?

HeartRx said...

Mari @ 8:13, I made the “Poor Clare” comment tongue-in-cheek. I gg’d her after I finished the puzzle, so I would remember her name next time!

Husker G. @8:59, I’m not sure I have ever seen a peony on a lapel on Memorial day – we always use red poppies…
I think your wife and her sister are both equally beautiful!

Virginia C said...

Good morning! away from home for a couple of months so opportunity to do the puzzle is spotty. Loved today's, almost a speed run for me. We toured Juliette Low's house in Savannah, GA seceral years ago. Very nice!

Did the AARP thing for a while, then I looked into what they support - no more AARP for me!

Hahtoolah said...

Jayce: you made my day!

There is no "restore down" button on my iPad.

Anonymous said...

Virginai C this is a crossword blog not political

Spitzboov said...

Virginia C - We are letting our membership in AARP lapse, also.

Husker Gary said...

Thanks for all the kind comments about my lovely bride. She and her sister were born in a small house in the dinky town of Primrose, NE and the doctor said they were identical.

Mari, the guide told us not to take pictures or cross the rope as we went into the room with the cross that it is said St. Frances was praying to when he had his vision and received stigmata.

We all saw this elegant woman having free run of the area with her big camera and when we asked our guide who she was, she responded, "That is the wife of the King of Spain." Oh.

A similar prohibition on pictures exists in The Sistine Chapel so the Japanese who paid to restore the ceiling can sell you pix in the gift shop, but everyone ignores the signs and flashes away anyhow.

Husker Gary said...

Marti, a peony would make quite a boutonnière but they are a bloom that is taken to cemeteries on Memorial Day if the spring weather has been kind enough and the ants climbing on the buds have done their job. Also, thanks for the lovely comment.

Mari, I don't remember the exact reason for no pictures but I know a lot of the museums and cathedrals in Italy don't allow flash pix as they feel the bright lights degrade the artifacts.

Art Historian said...

Mari: flash photos are rarely permitted in museums, castles, old churches and in ancient caves with cave painting because the flash degrades the paintings. Husker's explanation seem both cynical and racist. The no photography restrictions are not intended solely so someone can make money by selling postcards, as he seems to suggest.

Husker Gary said...

AH, I was simply telling you what our guide told us. He said a Japanese company ponied up the money for the cleaning of the ceiling with the proviso that pictures be restricted for both aesthetic and financial reasons. I didn't call him cynical or a racist because I didn't have enough info to make an such an inference.

CrossEyedDave said...

Loved the Dorothy Parker quotes, it made me look her up on Google.
(by the way, every quote i found re: "horticulture" used quite different words)

I don't know, i think these clams look happy & apparently they like salt! (the 1st clip i found used foul language, so it took a while to find this one) The idea is you sprinkle salt around live clams, and this is what happens.

PK said...

Hi y'all,

Enjoyed the puzzle and write-up, thanks!

I was a GS just long enough to know all the answers to this puzzle with help from a newspaper calendar which marked the date of the first meeting. Thought LOW had an "e" on the end though.

Had a Catholic cousin named after Clare.

ASSANTE: the face was familiar, but not the name.

Husker: if your wife is the one on the right, as she looks to be from your avatar, she looks like happiness is a habit. Would you have anything to do with that? I'd bet on it!

Anonymous: glad you returned from India safe and sound. Missed your posts.

Bill G. said...

I always enjoy a Donna Levin puzzle. Easy and fun today. Thanks for the writeup.

Hands up for having no use for AARP. I am beginning to think their main purpose is to make money for themselves.

Spitz and others, I'm glad you enjoyed the aurora video. I've seen it once at Cornell in upstate New York but it wasn't nearly as dramatic as in the video. I think it's cool to be able to see Orion through the aurora. I too enjoyed the star trails.

I know Girl Scout cookies aren't a good buy 'cause you pay too much for cookies with so much packaging that there isn't room for many cookies. So I just viewed it as a kind, charitable contribution. However, since the money goes to the national organization and not the local girls, I have become more cynical.

Any pretensions I might have had of being perceived as a macho poseur are now gone. I stopped on the way to the supermarket and got a manicure and a pedicure. It was time and I didn't feel like doing it myself. I felt insecure in a strange environment but all went well and I'm lighter and well-trimmed.

Mari said...

Art Historian and Husker Gary: That makes perfect sense. I'd love to travel to such shrines. It may sound odd, but I have on my bucket list that I want to see an incorruptible saint. St. Bernadette is perhaps the best well preserved, but there are many. I would be in such awe in their presence!

Avg Joe said...

The funnies can provide teaching moments too. Just yesterday, I learned a new phrase.

BillG made me remember it.

Sherman's Lagoon.

PK said...

BillG: chuckling over your mani-pedi since I've been contemplating going in for a professional do. Anymore I can't fold up long enough to do more than one foot in a session and sometimes rest between toes.

Papa Cass said...

For Hondo @ 7:20: I agree, Mel Ott is getting way too much Xword ink. I saw Willie Mays dive for a short fly ball, catch it, do a roll and come up on his feet. The amazing part was it was during an old timers game and he was, I'm guessing, in his 60s.

As far as AARP; they are just looking for old people who'll buy their insurance, maturity is not required or desired.

You are only young once, you can be immature forever. I think it was Dave Barry who said something like that.

Bye all

Marge said...

Hi all,
Enjoyed this puzzle and had to look up very little. For me that's unusual.

I was a Girl Scout in Jr. High, not when I was younger. I did get 50A soon so the theme came early. We went past J. Low's home in Savannah but didn't stop. I spelled her name wrong at first as I thought Low had an E on the end. I don't think she was a Mrs.

I do like Girl Scout cookies.

I don't know why people don't like AARP. I guess it must be political so I won't say anymore.

We are leaving for Ga. tomorrow A.M.I hope to do the puzzle in the Atlanta paper, may blog now and then.
Good day to all!
Marge

Papa Cass said...

My favorite Dorothy Parker quote is:
If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

If that offends you, she also said:
A little bad taste is like a nice dash of paprika.

Bye again.

CrazyCat said...

Hi everyone. Thanks Argyle!

I only had time to briefly read the other comments today. I will come back and enjoy them later on.

This breezy puzzle by Donna Levin had me as happy as A CLAM. Maybe they are happy because they don't have brains, so to speak. They also probably don't have ANGST which I wrote in before AGITA - or maybe they do when they sense a big bowl of linguini is nearby.

Nice theme. Happy 100th to the GIRL SCOUTS.

Liked the Little Cat Feet clue and the mention of Tinbeni's DRAM.

One year our COOKIE mom had an ant infestation in her MacMansion, but didn't tell anyone. It led to several hundred boxes of cookies being recalled when customers found critters in their Thin Mints, Somoas and Do-si-Dos. Ugh!

HG - cute pic of the twins!

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Nice puzzle today.

We have granddaughters in the GS, so we buy the cookies. What are you going to do about corporations? They control everything.

Clare was a saint. Francis was Assissi.

Gary - lovely pic of your wife and her sis. My wife has no sister, and I am delighted that she does not resemble either of her brothers.

Clams look happy because they are always smiling, but I think it is just an act.

Too bad A CLAM didn't cross EEYORE.

I have the 2nd worst cold I've had in 15 years. Skipping rehearsal tonight - which I NEVER do.

60 deg here, but rainy and gloomy.

Re: AARP, my motto is - what I lack in youth I make up for with immaturity.

Cool regards!
JzB

Avg Joe said...

Jimmy Buffet on growing older.

Tinbeni said...

Avg.Joe:
I really like that term from Sherman's Lagoon.

OVERSHARE gets a lol and Cheers!

Susan said...

Fun, easy puzzle today. Thanks Donna and Argyle.

My sister and I look a lot alike although she's thirteen years older. When I was little, she used to love it when people would ask if I was her daughter. She doesn't love it anymore.

The clams really do look happy! Before I looked at the other pic, I thought maybe they were going to shrivel up like snails do when salt is put on them.

Thanks, PK, for sharing your first date memory last night. What a "magical" evening and wonderful memory for you to have.

HeartRx said...

Avg Joe, OVERSHARE - a new texting abbr., OS? Could that be confused with "Oh, s**t"? LOL. (DH thought that one meant "Lots of love", and it didn't go down too well with me today when he called and said, "I was thinking of you. LOL"...)

CrazyCat said...

Yes, PK that was a wonderful memory to share. Much better than tuna noodle casserole. LOL!

Thanks Avg Joe for some fine Parrothead music.

LA CW Addict said...

Hello All:

This was a speed-run for me until I got to the middle-east. I did not know SEGA nor SELA, nor AGITA, and so did not have enough perps for MELOTT (shame on me).

Does anybody have a a Sega Ward link they can send? Not too familiar with "The Fugitive" - just a tad before my time.

Yes, I still love girlscout cookies. At our local K-Mart, they were encouraging people to buy two boxes. One box would be sent overseas to the troops. I thought that was a nice gesture.

I agree with the AARP comments. Org is no longer what it used to be.

Husker G's wife and sister-in-law look alike, but would not call them identical by any means. Afraid that doctor goofed!

Favorite clue: Tinbeni's dram.

Have a great evening - we get to do it all over again tomorrow.

LA CW Addict said...

I meant a SELA WARD clip, pardon moi.

Argyle said...

"The Fugitive" was 1993. Just how young are you?

Avg Joe said...

I've been remiss and for that I apologize profusely. This little corner got a very nice mention in our local paper today in the "What we're into" column, and I totally missed it. My lovely bride had to point it out.
It's about the 3rd one down in THIS article.

Thank you for the recognition Cory. It is a nice place.

Hahtoolah said...

How nice that C. C. 's blog was mentioned in your paper, AJ. And thanks for sharing that with us.

Jayce said...

Avg Joe, very cool. Thanks.

LA CW Addict said...

Hi Argyle:

Wasn't there a "Fugitive" show back in the 50's? I am trying to remember who the star of it was. I can still see his face but cannot remember his name. I am not familiar with the version from 1993. I am quite sure this would have been a remake of the show. If I am wrong, please correct me. I am 55 YOA for your information! Thanks, as always.

Argyle said...

I'll take a shot and not Google. The TV show starred David Jansson as Dr. Richard Kimball and the series was in black and white when it started. I beleive it was in color by the time he finally caught the one-armed man.

The movie Dr. was Harrison Ford and Sela Ward was Mrs. Kimball.

LA CW Addict said...

David Jansson - that's the one! So what occurred is they made a movie out of the series, not a remake.

Thanks so much for clearing that up. No wonder I didn't know it, as unfortunately, I am a classic movie buff and have not paid too much attention to the newer flicks.

Thanks again Argyle. Onto Man~ana.

CrazyCat said...

Argyle 7:22
I'm old enough to remember The Fugitive with David Jannson. I just can't remember what it was about - maybe a fugitive?

LA CW Addict said...

Has this Sela Ward appeared in any other movies? She does not seem to be a high profile actress - but again, I could be wrong since I am so out of touch with the mod scene.

All I remember about "The Fugitive" series is that David Jansson was constantly running in every show, and yes, it was in B&W; I never saw the color version of it. By then I was busy with other things!

LA CW Addict said...

Final posting: I think the name is spelled Janssen!

HeartRx said...

Avg Joe @ 6:48, what a great tribute to this corner! Thanks for sharing. I wonder if Cory Matteson is a contributor here?

Argyle said...

Opening for the show

Final Episode Epilogue.

CrazyCat said...

AvgJoe Thanks for that tidbit! That's Great!

LA CW Addict - Sela Ward has been in many, many TV shows. I just can't remember what they are. She is a "high" profile actor.

Argyle said...

Sela Ward.

I did get the two esses in Janssen at least.

Avg Joe said...

Hearti, I have no idea about Cory, but I doubt it.

Argyle et al, Yes, it was spelled Janssen. Great series. My Dad was a huge fan. I never saw it in color, cuz they or I didn't have a color TV until '75. I didn't even realize they'd switched mid stream.

Sela Ward has had a lot of air time. She started in "Sisters" as Teddy and is now in CSI-NY. She's from Jackson, MS and is quite an accomplished actor and philanthropist as well as being very nice to look at. Her name shows up in CW's a lot.

CrazyCat said...

Let me google that for you

Irish Miss said...

LA CW Addict-I believe Sela Ward plays opposite Gary Senise in CSI-NY. She was also on a show several years ago called Sisters, with Swoozie Kurtz (sp?).

CrazyCat said...

Oops that google was our friend SELA.

Lucina said...

AVGJoe:
Awesome! How very nice to have C.C.'s corner mentioned in your newspaper.

I also enjoyed his humor. The Scandinavian capitals! We know it could be Oslo or Krona, don't we?

JD said...

sela Ward in Sisters

Loved Donna's puzzle today.Protegee- great word!Agita not so much.

Gary, lovely picture of your wife.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Fun puzzle, Donna; fine write-up, Argyle.

Years and years ago, when I spent an enormous amount of time mending rambunctious boys' clothes, and much time ironing and such, I used to watch The Doctors , a 1 PM soap. This is where I first encountered Armand ASSANTE. He played a handsome, idealistic young doctor. A rather different role from the baddies he has played in other things
that I have seen in he intervening years. He certainly has developed a knack for playing evil since then!

Puzzle more of a Tuesday level but still pretty easy.

Cheers!

fermatprime said...

PS IMHO, Sela Ward has been a terrific replacement for Melina Kanakaredes on CSI NY. More mature, not displaying pulchritude in every scene. Think her character would make a great mate for that of Gary Sinese's.

Bill G. said...

Do you remember that Armand Assante played a suave bad guy on NCIS a year or two ago? He was an arms dealer as I recall.

Re. the manicure, do your fingers feel odd when you get your nails cut significantly shorter?

Lucina said...

BillG:
Very admirable to admit having a mani & pedi. Some men at the salon where I go are regular costumers. It seems very natural.

As to your question about the length and how it feels, I can't say because mine are not cut that short and then the acrylics are applied on them.