google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, March 22, 2012 Ed Sessa

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Mar 22, 2012

Thursday, March 22, 2012 Ed Sessa

Theme: A ring of fire. You'll understand in a minute...



17A. A falsehood in every respect : PURE FICTION. I had almost filled in "pulp fiction", but no. That was a great movie, though!

24A. Chuck Connors title role : THE RIFLEMAN. I never watched the show much.

49A. "Scream" or "Halloween" : SLASHER FILM. I can't watch those, either, without having nightmares!

61A. Actor's liability : STAGE FRIGHT. Not very good for politicians or teachers, either, I would think.

And the unifier:

39. Risky activity, and what certain four-letter sequences in 17-, 24-, 49- and 61-Across are doing? : PLAYING WITH FIRE. You can see the anagrams of "FIRE" highlighted in the theme entries, above.

Marti here, playing with another interesting Ed Sessa offering.

Across:

1. Altar vestments : ALBS. Have not seen these for awhile.

5. Not back down : INSIST

11. Screw up : ERR. I made plenty of these today.

14. Boor : LOUT

15. Shortening name : CRISCO. I could not for the life of me suss this one without every single perp!

16. __ Paulo : SAO. Brazil.

19. Basinger of "Batman" : KIM. Here she is with the hero.

20. Congo River beast : HIPPO

21. Arson-investigating org. : ATF. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, part of the US Department of Treasury. (Correction: It was shifted to the US Department of Justice in 2002. Thanks, Tinbeni!)

22. Three-time WNBA MVP __ Leslie : LISA. "Women's National Basketball Association", "Most Valuable Player". Also, a four-time Olympic gold medal winner.

23. Beast of burden : ASS

28. Condemn : DOOM

29. Passable : SO-SO

30. Common crossword clue ending : ABBR eviation.

33. Piper's followers : RATS. And Charlie Brown epithet.

36. D.C. hearings broadcaster : C-SPAN

42. Badly cooked : BURNT

43. Reasonable : SANE

44. Pilot's prefix : AERO

45. Summoning gesture : BECK. I would have rather seen this clued as "One-named American alternative rock musician". Then I would be able to link this song. Oh, wait! I can link it anyway! 3:54.

47. Plenty : A LOT

53. Sis, say : SIB

56. They're mostly fours : PARS. Occasionally there is a three or five thrown into a round of golf. But par fours are typical. How many do you get, Husker?

57. Tijuana relative : TIA. Aunt, in Spanish.

58. "Three inches is such a wretched height to be" speaker : ALICE. in Wonderland.

60. Sí, in Paris : OUI. Yes, in Boston.

64. __ pro nobis: pray for us : ORA. Latin.

65. Mid-size Nissan : ALTIMA

66. Latin 101 verb : AMAT. Latin.

67. Athlete's supporter : FAN

68. Have it in mind : MEAN TO

69. Ad amount : RATE

Down:

1. Top dog : ALPHA

2. Joe the boxer : LOUIS

3. Baby's achievements? : BURPS. I laughed out loud when this appeared from perps.

4. Baby book first : STEP. Also, BURPS.

5. Here, on the Seine : ICI. 8D: IS IT I, or are there a lot of foreign words today?

6. Atomic energy org. : NRC

7. Solo instrument in "Norwegian Wood" : SITAR. Another musical interlude. 2:03

9. Jeers (at) : SCOFFS

10. Heavy weight : TON

11. Ice cream treat since the 1920s : ESKIMO PIE. Yumm!


12. Mrs. Gorbachev : RAISA. She and First Lady Barbara Bush spoke at the Wellesley College commencement in 1990.

13. __ numeral : ROMAN

18. Snapshot, commercially : FOTO

22. Heart-healthy food claim : LESS FAT

25. Rhino feature : HORN

26. Webzines : E-MAGS

27. Scot's sailing site : LOCH

28. Wine quality : DRYNESS. No, that's the quality I have when I need a glass of wine...

30. LAPD alert : APB.All Points Bulletin.

31. Primary colore : BLU. "Colore" is the hint that we need an answer in Italian. Another foreign word.

32. Neanderthal type : BARBARIAN

34. Former carrier with a JFK hub : TWA. Merged with American Airlines in 2001.

35. Historic peninsula : SINAI. This oft-disputed piece of land.

37. JFK posting : ARR. Arrivals at JFK airport in Queens, N.Y.

38. "The Matrix" hero : NEO. He is "The One", and will end the war. Whatever.

40. Reason to scratch : ITCH

41. Archer of note : TELL. William with the apple.

46. Boiling point? : KETTLE. Fun clue.

48. Bridge master Sharif : OMAR. Probably better-known for his role in "Dr Zhivago".

49. Parody : SPOOF

50. Dr. with advice : LAURA

51. Cowboy's rope : RIATA

52. "Oliver Twist" villain : FAGIN

53. S, as in Socrates : SIGMA

54. Mac messaging program : I-CHAT

55. Actress Davis : BETTE

59. One to whom you might say, "I doubt that" : LIAR

61. Wanted poster uncle? : SAM.




62. CPR expert : EMT. Emergency Medical Technician, helpful when you need Cardiopulmonary resuscitation!

63. __ Schwarz : FAO

Answer grid.

Signing off to go to the beach!

Hugs,
Marti

67 comments:

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Marti and friends. I thought this was a tad easier than the usual Thursday fare, but then I caught on to the theme on my first pass. For a brief second, though, I thought the Risky Business might be ReFinancing, since the REFI appeared in PULP FICTION.

My favorite clues included:
Archer of Note = TELL

Boiling Point = KETTLE.

The storm that went through southern Louisiana yesterday caused lots of damage and brought lots of heavy rain. It's a mess here.

QOD: Television is a medium because it is neither rare nor well-done. ~ Ernie Kovacs

Hungry Mother said...

For some reason, I put a "Y" in the SE corner - DOH!

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Fun puzzle today. Didn't know who LISA Leslie was, but after getting _ISA from the perps it was pretty easy to guess. I wasn't thrilled with the cluing for AMAT since I was expecting the infinitive instead of a conjugated form, but whatever.

The clue for PARS kept me guessing until the perps revealed the answer and then I had a great "aha!" moment. I thought it was going to be be PADS or PAWS and somehow related to a four-footed animal.

Is the word BECK ever used without "and call"? I believe it is a shortened form of "beckon," no?

Oofa! Another scorcher today here in Boston. I refuse to out the air conditioners in the window on general principle, though...

Hahtoolah said...

NPR had a story about a C-SPAN co-founder yesterday. C-SPANN first began broadcasting on March 19, 1979, so today's answer was almost on its anniversary.

PK said...

Hi Y'all,

Easy but challenging puzzle. Liked it. I knew all the names for once. Good write-up, Marti.

Never heard of "Norwegian Wood". Amazed by how many Beatle songs are posted here that I never heard before. I was too busy with babies during that era.

Didn't know ATF investigated arson.

Neanderthals and barbarians don't seem synonymous to me, thinking of the original peoples.

Today is my birthday. Nothing planned unless it stops raining so I can go to the grocery store. Each set of my local kids is taking me out to individual Sunday dinners with two done and one this coming weekend. Everybody had other commitments today. The big all-together party was last year so it's fine.

PK said...

Hahtoolah: What is going on in your current avatar? I thought it was something in a shark's mouth. Now it looks like two cats in a donut pillow. What's the black thing?

desper-otto said...

Morning, all.

Thought this puzzle was quite a bit easier than yesterday's -- faster too. Only one overwrite today: FAGAN to FAGIN.

Happy BDay, PK.

Barry, do you have gay air conditioners?

Off to prepare some taxes...

Lemonade714 said...

Marti, appreciate your dedication, blogging while swimming is pretty cool. Fun, easy puzzle filled with Latin. What more could I ask.

Ciao

Hahtoolah said...

Happy Birthday, PK. I hope you do something fun on your special day. (My avatar is just one cat. I was playing with the special feature that come with my iPad camera. The cat is sitting on the sofa in her favorite pink pillow.)

Dudley said...

D-Otto - that's funny! I know my air conditioners are all still closeted.

:-)

Middletown Bomber said...

Tough thursday eye opener today got the theme answer via the downs then saw the theme with in the theme clues.


Looking at a hot day where I am and like Barry I am not installing or plugging in the AC units yet. but maybe I will bring out the fans.

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Pretty much WBS, including the obstinacy about putting in air conditioners so early. It could still snow, after all - remember the April Fool's Storm?

Norwegian Wood is a nice example of the Beatles' creativity. The sitar made for an interesting addition to so many tracks. Over the years I've tried to improve my weak knowledge of Beatles history; to that end I have the five-disc Beatles Anthology in my Netflix queue. It's supposed to be the most comprehensive video compilation of the Beatles story in existence.

First, however, we will finish re-watching Downton Abbey via the discs so generously loaned to us by Lucina (thanks L!). You'll all no doubt be relieved to hear that Lady Mary is still lovely. Hee hee

PK, Happy Birthday! Pamper yourself silly today.

thehondohurricane said...

Good day folks,

Nice puzzle with lots of clues that reminded me of "back in the day". Eskimo Pie, Crisco, Joe Louis, The Rifleman (A favorite), TWA, & Bette Davis. Took me back a ways.

This went too easy because a lot of my Down Clues were answered by filling in the across and I never bothered to check them. So for 5A I ended up with ASSIST instead of INSIST. Dumb mistakes on my part.

Marti, thanks for taking the time from your vacation to do the write up.

Mari said...

Happy Birthday PK!

Another record breaking temp in Chicago today, but I too will shun the AC. I enjoy the breezes coming in through my open windows. And so do my cats!

I tried Horror Movie for SLASHER FILM, which caused me some trouble. Ironically, 30A (Common Crossword Clue Ending) was among my last to fill.

I found my Jr. year HS yearbook online. My avatar is my photo when I was 16. Egad! Part of me wishes I could go back to those days. But life is so much better now so I'm still debating if I want to have that midlife crisis.

kazie said...

Marti,
Thanks for the blog and Norwegian Wood--one of my faves. Not sure I could ever say the same of your Beck!

I enjoyed this CW more than most Thursdays, but still couldn't see ALICE because I've never heard of I-CHAT, and was thinking more of the Geiko gecko for the speaker. So the C was missing in my final offering.

I also didn't know Omar played bridge, or several of the names, and I still get brain farts trying to remember all the three letter abbrs. for things like NRC, ATF and others.

'Si' can also mean 'yes' in French if it contradicts an expected negative answer.

Wisconsin is SIGMA state in the Delta Kappa Gamma organization of women educators, none of whom ever get STAGE FRIGHT, I'm sure.

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Ed Sessa, for a great Thursday puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for the review.

Got started on the wrong foot in the NW with LEWIS for the boxer Joe, instead of LOUIS. Finally figured that out.

Got the theme answers quite easily, but never figured out the theme until I read this Blog. I am still tired from last night.

Amazingly, all the foreign words came easily to me. Maybe I am finally a man of the world!

Had no idea that ESKIMO PIE was almost 100 years old.

IS IT I fits for the season, as The Last Supper is approaching.

Happy Birthday, PK. Hope you have many more.

Well, now I do the dishes from my mega-cooking experience from earlier this week.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

Spitzboov said...

Good morning Marti and all.

Fun challenge today, but ultimately got it done without help. Sticking points were in the SW; finally settled on SLASHER FILM; saw DRYNESS, got BECK, and the rest of the perps helped get the somewhat vaguely clued BARBARIAN. I didn't know ORA either. Favorite clue was for PARS. Also liked FAO Schwarz. We used to have a cat named FAGIN. He was an excellent mouser and loved to roam the hayfields at some distance from the farmstead.

Off to try to emulate OMAR with some bridge.

Grumpy 1 said...

Good morning. Thanks for the great blog, Marti. Happy, happy birthday, PK.

I made a couuple of goofs that slowed me down, LewIS before LOUIS and FAGaN before FAGIN, but both easily corrected.

We've seen the 'Latin 101 verb' clue so many times and it's almost always amo, amas or amat. Four letters? Put in the AMA and wait for the cross.

I spotted the scrambled FIRE thing at the unifier and it did help straighten out PURE FICTION and get the correct spelling of LOUIS.

I liked seeing EMAGS crossing THE RIFLEMAN. I no longer receive the print version of NRA's American Rifleman magazine. I get the online version. Now, instead of a pile of dead trees stacked in the corner of my den, I have a pile of pdf files stacked in a folder in my computer.

BECK is usually a noun. Beckon is the verb form. So I don't consider BECK to be a shortened form of Beckon. Agree that it is usually found with its partner Call, but to my knowledge, Marti's BECK never teamed up with The Call.

Anony-Mouse said...

Thanks Ed Sessa for a very challenging puzzle - got all but Alice, Sigma and Ichat. Marti, you've done well - Loved your commentary - you have such a nice chatty style.

ATF gets 'involved', in an arson case, only after the State Fire Marshall has done his (her) preliminary work ...

Barbarians, were by their own choice ... Neanderthals did what they did to survive.

Thanks, ARBAON for the Civil War pics yesterday,.... America was not always a rich and prosperous country.

Oops, nearby missed the -


ALT QOD;- I asked people, "What should I paint ?" A lady asked, "What do you love most ? " That's when I started painting money. ~ Andy Warhol.

Have a good day, you all.

xyz said...

Got all my total unknowns (both) from crossings so I agree kinda easy for a Thursday.

Aren't these anagrams supposed to be legit words? Don't really care, I just enjoy doing the puzzles and the LAT has a high fun factor and I always seem to learn something.

Cheers,

Tinbeni said...

Marti: Nice write-up & links.
OK, a nit.
ATF was shifted to the Dept. of Justice (from the Dept. of Treasury) in 2002.

Kind of a slog today. Maybe due to solving while watching the original Gozilla movie on AMC.

Enjoyed the FIRE letters being 'mixed-up' theme.
Redanman: I wouldn't call them 'anagrams' either.

Took me all the perps to get that 3 inch speaker ALICE.
(The V-8 can now has a major dent!)

Fave today was "They're mostly fours" PARS. Fore!

A toast to all at Sunset!

Irish Miss said...

Good morning all:

Thanks for the fine expo, Marti, and the same to Ed Sessa for a fun puzzle. Didn't have any real problems-one write-over with Raina before Raisa. Like clues for kettle and Tell.

Hahtoolah @ 5:43-loved you QOD. How true!

D-Otto @ 6:48-had I had any liquid in my mouth when I read your post, my iPad and I would be soaking wet! Usually, only The Big Bang Theory elicits such laughter on my part, but you got me this am. Too funny.

Mari @ 8:21-Your new avatar is lovely but I prefer your previous one with your beloved books.

Happy Thursday to all.

BTW, I agree with those who are refusing to put their air-conditioners in. As Yogi would say, "It ain't over until it's over" or was it "It ain't over until the fat lady sings"? Either way, with the crazy weather pattern of the last six months or so, who knows what's coming next?

Irish Miss said...

So sorry, I forgot to wish PK a Happy Birthday. Have a great day, PK!

Lemonade714 said...

HBDTY PK, and cute pic Mari; many of us have used old pics as avatars here, lots of fun. As a Chicagoan, did you read The Devil in the White City? If so, your thoughts....

Tuttle said...

"THE RIFLEMAN is a man a peace."

"So why does he carry a rifle?"

"More room for notches."

Husker Gary said...

I am working all week and have had family obligations afterwards. Stop the world! Granddaughter was in the play Faustus last night and we drove to Lincoln to see it. The kids could not carry it off and it was hard to hear/understand them and made for a long hour and a half. We complimented her and drove the hour back home. It's what you do!

Musings
-Fun puzzle Ed, but NW made for a slow start but finished there
-Par 4’s are most common Marti and if they are over 400 yds, you feel good getting to them in 2 strokes!
-I read CONGO but kept thinking AMAZON but got it eventually
-The compliant girl usually gets home in the OUI hours
-Oops, kids coming in

Mimi said...

Enjoyed todays workout. Actually recognized Alice and Omar! This 80 yr old brain can now face the day and the sunshine finally.

Abejo said...

To: Lemonade and Mari:

Sorry to butt in, but I read Lemonade's question about "Devil in the White City." Our Book Club read that book several years ago, when it first came out. We all thought it was excellent, especially the details of the constructing of the World's Fair, the Columbian Exposition, in Chicago, in 1893. An interesting piece of history and interesting about the logistics of the fair. The Ferris Wheel was a big part of that interest.

The serial killer part of the book was OK, but the Fair was the better part.

A friend of mine has a slide show on the Columbian Exposition. We invited him to our Book Club and he showed the slides. Outstanding. We had a good dinner as well.

Sorry if I intruded, but that is my two cents.

Abejo

Jerome said...

ROMAN- Coxswain's emphatic order

SOSO- Sammy's minor league brother

ESKIMO PIE- 3.14 below zero

Abejo said...

To: Lemonade and Mari:

As a follow-up. We just read a book by the same author as "Devil in the White City," Erik Larson. The new book is "In the Garden of Beasts." It is also non-fiction and details the life of William Dodd, while Ambassador to Germany in the 1930's. A large part of the book was about the escapades of his daughter, Martha, while in Berlin. Very interesting. Good history of part of the rise of Nazi Germany.

Abejo

CrossEyedDave said...

I got the theme right away, but parts were challenging.

I could not remember "Albs", and how often do you hear the word "lout?" Beast to me evokes something more sinister than a Hippo.

5A not back down, i had resist/desist, i knew "here" in French had to start with a vowel, but i could not make it work with that "E" for energy in there.

If 45A had been clued "single German beer i would have got it right away...

Happy Birthday PK, i found a cute card online, but i don't think its appropriate here. So here are some Roses. (forgive me, its lunchtime, & i'm getting hungry.)

Lemonade714 said...

Abejo:

I am pleased you entered your comments on the book and his recent offering which I have not yet read. I also loved the parts about the fair, and thought the serial killer part was nothing special, more like a real life James Patterson novel. I never get any sense of these characters or the people who are drawn into their webs.

Will now read the next one, thanks.

Hungry Mother: Are you related to the Hunger Games?

eddyB said...

Hello.

CA is Chi state for DKG. They paid for Jill's trip to DC. She is now in Lancaster,PA.

Boston is in SJ tonight. Can also probably forget about this one.

Civil War photos brought back
memories of my '96 trip to the battle fields. Behind Drucker's
Church is an area called The North Woods. Reb soldiers were waiting for the union soldiers to march in.

Take care. eddy

HeartRx said...

Happy, Happy Birthday, PK !! I can't top CrossEyedDave's "roses"!!

PK said...

Thank you for all the great birthday wishes! Brightens my day. Bacon roses! I let out a hoot of laughter they probably heard a block away. They look delicious.

I did turn on my AC one night when it was hot and stuffy enough I couldn't sleep. However, nothing happened. So probably next week I'll arrange a visit from my friendly technician. I put in a new good brand of furnace/AC in 2006. The compressor has had to be replaced twice--at no charge. Good company.

Anonymous said...

Good afternoon everyone.

DNF. I am not as good with puzzles as so many of you are. But hey! I did get 32 correct answers.
I've never heard BECK nor read it in my life. And I had lasso and refused to rethink it. And I still don't understand KETTLE for boiling point.

A very happy birthday, PK. Glad you're getting taken to dinner many times. Triples the fun.

Many laughs at desper-otto's remark about air conditioners. One of the reasons this blog is so wonderful.

Cheers

Lucina said...

Good day, puzzle people. Marti, as usual you are on FIRE! Thanks.

PK, happiest of birthdays!

And thank you, Ed Sessa. I was on his wave length immediately as I see ALBS every Sunday. Then it was great sashaying through the rest feeling like a SLASHER cutting across the reeds.

So much to like in this puzzle, BURNT under PLAYING WITH FIRE and boiling point, KETTLE, and the foreign words, SIGMA, OUI, AMAT, SAO, ORA, and TIA gave it a global feeling.

Have a grand Thursday, everyone!

Rube said...

I agree with others that today's puzz is much easier than yesterday's bear. Rich must have gotten them mixed up. Actually, yesterday's should have been a Fri or Sat, IMO.

Started to write in PUREFantasy, but decided to wait for the crosses. Only writeover was RIATA/lasso. Had trouble with BECK. Don't really think of it as a "summoning gesture". It's probably too obscure, but Beck makes me think of Dave BECK, long-time West Coast teamsters leader.

Good puzzle.

Steve said...

Thanks for the write-up Marti! For no good reason, I thought Beck was British, so thanks for clearing that up for me!

Liked the puzzle, loved the SIGMA clue. @Kazie mentioned this, but I got all discombobulated over the "Si in Paris" clue. My brain immediately made the connection of "si" being the emphatic form of "yes" in French, so I wanted the answer to be "YES(!)". When the crosses started to show me "OUI" I was getting grumpy, until I realized we were talking Spanish and French.

Pars - on a "classic" par-72 18-hole golf course, there are 12 par 4's, and 4 each of 5's and 3's.

Have a great Thursday!

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. Enjoyable puzzle today, and cheerful writeup. Thanks.

Had RAINA instead of RAISA and accepted LINA since I didn't know who she was anyway.

Like several of you, I had to change FAGAN to FAGIN. We test drove an Altima about 5 years ago and were not at all impressed.

Hi Susan. Saw your reply to the question about your real estate career. Thank you for replying. Didn't get an opportunity to post here yesterday.

I noticed we had ALPHA and SIGMA today. Tomorrow GAMMA and EPSILON maybe?

Funny to see TELL in the puzzle today, so soon after that terrific joke about Herr Tell's bowling the other day.

Happy birthday, PK, and best wishes to you all.

Lemonade714 said...

Steve:

I always knew the metric system was beyond us Yanks, but if we have an 18 hole golf course with 12 4's, 4 5's and 4 3's, in my world that would be 20 holes. Maybe there are only 10 4's, maybe not.

Why did the golfer get rid of his new golf shoes? Because he got a hole in one!

eddyB said...

Don't know about your golf course.
Our muni has 5-4s, 2-5s and 2-3s
per side.

eddy

dodo1925 said...

Hello, everybody,

Wow, I've made it two days in a row! Must be getting back on track again. Nice puzzle, Ed Sessa, thanks. And Marti, your usual masterful report. But I still don't get how 'primary colors' can be 'blu'. Of course I don't know Italian, but how does ;
blu' cover red, yellow, and blue?

Oh, and I called Mrs. Gorbachev Raisa instead of Raina until I found 'Lisa' wasn't 'Lina".

Gotta go, but I'll try to get back.

Ron Worden said...

Good afternoon to all and happy birthday PK. Thanks for the write-up Marti. Nice smooth puzzle for a thursday. No sweat for me and that's no surprise I've had A.C. on for two weeks already. I'm sure Tin and our newest floridian Dennis are probably running their's too. A great Day to all RJW.

Mona Grudt said...

I remember Norwegian wood. I always liked it. Its been a while though.

Jayce said...

Man oh man, you guys are getting all the warmth. It's freaking 50 degrees outside here in our back yard.

Tinbeni said...

Ron:
No A/C yet. The high 80's feels just fine.
I prefer the fresh air.


As for my favorite Golf Course;
I can't remember if that Windmill hole is a par 3 or par 4.

Cheers!

PS Ron, did you get the "perfect-fit" yet?

Yellowrocks said...

I agree that this seemed easier than yesterday’s puzzle, more like a Tues. or Wed. I liked your chatty blog, Marti.

I got BECK right away, but the thought of a cold one, Beck's, followed right on its heels.

At 12 I had a camp counselor called CRISCO. I asked why, and she said, "Because I'm fat in the can." LOL It didn't seem to bother her at all. I think we grew up in a kinder gentler time. She wouldn't dare use that nick name today.

Lemonade, months ago I read Devil in the White City upon your recommendation. Thank you. The building of the fair was fascinating.

Happy Birthday, PK. We, too, like to stretch out our celebrations over a long period of time.

Bill G. said...

Fun puzzle and writeup. Thanks for both.

Happy birthday PK! Have a great day!

We are probably some of the few folks on this blog who don't have A/C. There are probably between 10 to 20 days a year when I wish we did. Our newish middle school was build without A/C to save money. Some of the rooms without much cross ventilation can get really stifling. It is a hassle for the teachers and the kids but the school board didn't have to worry about it very much.

Warren said...

Ruth & I finished today's puzzle working as a team, she's had a sore back and working from home...

Here's Johnny Cash "Ring of Fire"

Yellowrocks said...

We are having perfect weather here. The highs are in the high 60's and low70"s. It sprinkles a little only at night and very early in the morning. This is heaven. Some years we go from very cold to very hot with no pleasant temperatures in between.
We have had no need for AC yet. We have central air. This house is quite energy efficient. Even when temperatures are in the 80's I usually only need the AC from about 4 to 8 PM and the house stays comfortably cool all day. I use AC a lot when the temperature is in the 90's or 100's. I hate humidity.
My only criterion for AC use is comfort. If we had an uncomfortably warm spell in January, I would gladly use it. It is on a par with going coatless these warm March days. And if we should have a blizzard in April or May, I will wear my big warm coat.

Lucina said...

Lemonade@1:40:
You do make me laugh!

It's a gorgeous day here in the high desert and no need for A/C in the house yet. I have used it in the car a few times. So far the temp has remained below 81 degs.

kazie said...

PK,
I'm sorry i forgot to wish you a great birthday earlier. I hope it's not too late.

Lemonade,
I don't know if metrics are really your problem, but I do know there were a lot of relieved school children in Oz when we switched to dollars and cents after pounds shillings and pence. I remember in 5th and 6th grade learning how to multiply, divide, add and subtract our money, given that there were 20 shillings in a pound, and 12 pence in a shilling. Try figuring that out!

Lemonade714 said...

KZ: When I was little I went to a private grammar school run by Anglophiles who loved metrics. I was most confused by England using food as currency, as I related to pounds of butter or meat, not a monetary unit. For a while i thought I was getting rich gaining 9 pounds each year.

Marge said...

Hi all,
Yesterday's puzzle was hard and I couldn't get many answers. The computers in this house were down so I couldn't read the blog.

I also likes this puzzle.Got most of the answers with perps.I had red for color but then saw the E on the end of color so knew it was a foreign word.

I recently saw "Oliver" again on TV but in the movie Fagin was a crook but he wasn't mean to his boys. The real villian was Bill.

We've been in Ga. since its been so warm. My daughter turned the air on part of the day because of the pollen. It is so bad when the trees shed the pollen at this time of year it gets everything yellow. Our car turned yellow. SIL was home sick one day-he coughed all day.
Marge

HeartRx said...

Dodo @ 2:22
The hint in the clue was the word "colorE" (not "colorS"). "Colore" is the italian word for "color" (singular). So the answer is also in Italian. BLU is one of the primary colors.

Argyle said...

The Master's course.

4 par 3
10 par 4
4 par 5

par 72

Marge said...

PS

Happy birthday PK. Are those letters you initials or are you a PK?

Thanks to C.C., Marti and Ed S. for this blog and this puzzle.

Thanks Susan for your info. I lived about 25 miles N of Santa Fe. I was a Nurse at the hospital in Espanola. I met my DH there. He was a volunteer one summer between his last 2 years of seminary.
Good evening all!
Marge

PK said...

RJW, I'll second Tinbeni in hoping you have begun the journey of becoming acquainted with a new limb. I recently read a book about a veteran's experiences. I thought of you and have been beaming good wishes your way. Sounds like frustrating hard work but worth it in the end.

Warren, "Ring of Fire" very apt with today's puzzle. My husband was a huge Cash fan. We heard him in concert twice with his June. They put on a good show. Fun to hear this again.

Susan said...

Happy Birthday PK! Great puzzle and write-up. Thanks Marti.

I really envy you who need AC now. It's still really cool here. I've lived in NM for over twenty years now and never even turned our AC on. I don't even know if it works. This house is always cool.

It's also too cool in the winter for me. Hundreds of dollars a month for propane and I still need to wear layers. I hate this radiant heat. It takes days to get warm. I much prefer being able to play with the thermostat and get instant gratification.

dodo1925 said...

I'm glad I got back in time to wish you a happy birthday, PK. I hadn't read the comments before I posted my first one.

And I guess I mixed up the Raisa/Raina comment: Raina before it became correct:Raisa, Maybe it makes sense now. I see there were a number of us who did the same t hing.

I'm reading Elizabeth George's new one (well, her latest, anyway) and the word 'beck' appears in it pretty often but not having to do with beckoning. Apparently 'beck' is a name for a river or stream. I have know people whose surname is 'Beck', also. 'Beck and call' gave me the answer for the puzzle, tho. In the book the towns also have 'beck' in their names: Bryanbeck;Beckbarrow; etc. It's a pretty good book but it's a long one, if you're used to Robert B. Parker, or even John Lescroart. It's long even for George: 600 pages.

dodo1925 said...

P.S. Thank you Marti,for 'splaining 31D. I would have sworn that was an "S"! These old eyes may need a tune up.

Warren said...

Following the music theme today...Betty Davis Eyes

GarlicGal said...

My comment is for Marge. I just finished a book that took place in Santa Fe and Espanola - one character even spent a night in the Espanola Hospital! "A Dangerous Talent" by Aaron & Charlotte Elkins...a quick and fun read.

Anonymous said...

hated todays puzzle finished in record time for a thursday. wasnt fun. to many abbr like nrc, cspan, tia, emt, fao, twa and atf, wtf. did like omar, I heard jill st john is better than him in bridge. see ya all.

HUTCH said...

Would like some corection here.Some years ago I said 'tiajuana'meant'aunt jane'and I was corrected as Tiajuana is Tijuana and means a Mexican lizard!

Argyle said...

Do you have a question?