THEME:
A rhyme for Clear AYES. Each of the four themes answers are two word phrases which are sound alikes for a word ending with IZE. What makes this even more special, hearti accomplishes this feat with each second word a different spelling of the sound of "IZE." The two word phrases also end and begin with the same letter to preserve the sound. This is another wonderful glimpse into the punny, funny mind of our dear marti. Naturally she begins with a ski reference. let's start on our downhill run.....
17A. Trendy ski area? : POPULAR RISE.(11) (POPULARIZE) We all wanted a particular resort, until the perps cleared that hurdle.
26A. Monogrammed neckwear? : ALPHABET TIES. (12) (ALPHABETIZE). I have some shirts, but no ties with initials.
45A. Red, blue and green food colors? : STANDARD DYES. (12) (STANDARDIZE) My favorite.
61A. Indicators of royal contentment? : QUEENS SIGHS. (11) (QUEENSIZE). I cannot decide if this really one word or two, but you should have the theme by now anyway.
no unifier so we are going to go....
Across:
1. Where a canary sings : PERCH. We're off.
6. Loser's catchphrase : NO FAT. Ah, that kind of loser, a dieter.
11. Blackjack variable : ACE. This word has so many meanings, from military fighter pilots, to a golfer's hole in one, a test well taken...
14. Last Olds model : ALERO.
15. Living proof : PULSE. Love this clue, it is literal but very tricky as they do check the pulse to see if the victim is still living.
16. Test to the max : TAX. Did this puzzle TAX your brain?
19. Front-end protector : BRA. Like THIS?
20. Assumed name: ANONYM. The less famous Pseudonym.
21. Diamond offense: SPITBALL. Baseball diamond; a pitch outlawed in the 30's.
23. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM.
25. Tried to hit : SHOT AT.
31. Levi alternative : LEE. I love this AD. (1:00)
32. Mini successors? : NANOS.
33. Henhouse : COOP.
37. Scout's honor : AWARD. Cute boy scout pun.
39. Pub. with more than 100 Pulitzers. : NYT. Home to Will Shortz and others.
40. Serengeti heavyweight : RHINOceros.
41. Nonproductive : IDLE. Not around here, too much to do.
42. More than strange : EERIE.
44. Watch faces, briefly : LCD. Liquid Crystal Display.
49. Lesser partner : JUNIOR. A law firm staple.
52. Southern cuisine staple : PONE. See, made from corn.
53. Trucker's view : OPEN ROAD. A shout out no doubt to my recent exploits in the 26' Penske for 1991 miles, thanks m.
56. "Same old, same old": NO NEWS. Is good news?
60. Airport 100+ miles NW of PIT: CLE
63. Tease: KID. I am serious, I like this clue.
64. GI's home : U.S. OF A. My home too.
65. Ready and then some : EAGER. I am getting excited about the Down clues now, I can smell them
66. Mud bath site : STY. Not a SPA, devious.
67. Itty-bitty : EENSY. This is from the SIMS (2:26) video game.
68. Impedes : SLOWS. I hope all these tricks have not slowed anyone down too much.
Down:
1. Literary nickname : PAPA. Hemingway; since I grew my beard one of my lawyer friends want me to go to Key West and enter the contest.
2. The Phoenix of the NCAA's Southern Conference : ELON. My very first comment on this blog was about schools whose mascots did not end in "S." I also worked closely with a graduate of this fine institution.
3. Forfeited wheels : REPO.
4. Exercise unit : CRUNCH. The word makes my abs hurt; personally I would rather have a candy bar.
5. Pilgrimage destination : HOLY LAND.
6. "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" airer : NPR. Wonderful show; let's go BEHIND THE SCENES.(8:00)
7. Relative of mine : OURS. Really well done, misdirection, not a relative hers, well sort of...
8. Yes-or-no decision method : FLIP. The coin.
9. Original home of the Poor Clares : ASSISI. We have had this information a few times.
10. Raise canines? : TEETHE. Not in kennel but in your young child's mouth; also a pun on raising Cain.
11. Ready to swing : AT BAT. Baseball for C.C.
12. Sarkozy's wife ___ Bruni : CARLA. A FIRST LADY?
13. Put on a pedestal : EXALT. As I am sure Mr. Sarkozy does for Carla.
18. Low life? : AMEBA. I LOVE THIS! I am abandoning douche bag as my favorite insult and going to AMEBA (var.).
22. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" artist : BOSCH. I knew this because I read books by MICHAEL CONNELLY.he also appears often on CASTLE.
A rhyme for Clear AYES. Each of the four themes answers are two word phrases which are sound alikes for a word ending with IZE. What makes this even more special, hearti accomplishes this feat with each second word a different spelling of the sound of "IZE." The two word phrases also end and begin with the same letter to preserve the sound. This is another wonderful glimpse into the punny, funny mind of our dear marti. Naturally she begins with a ski reference. let's start on our downhill run.....
17A. Trendy ski area? : POPULAR RISE.(11) (POPULARIZE) We all wanted a particular resort, until the perps cleared that hurdle.
26A. Monogrammed neckwear? : ALPHABET TIES. (12) (ALPHABETIZE). I have some shirts, but no ties with initials.
45A. Red, blue and green food colors? : STANDARD DYES. (12) (STANDARDIZE) My favorite.
61A. Indicators of royal contentment? : QUEENS SIGHS. (11) (QUEENSIZE). I cannot decide if this really one word or two, but you should have the theme by now anyway.
no unifier so we are going to go....
Across:
1. Where a canary sings : PERCH. We're off.
6. Loser's catchphrase : NO FAT. Ah, that kind of loser, a dieter.
11. Blackjack variable : ACE. This word has so many meanings, from military fighter pilots, to a golfer's hole in one, a test well taken...
14. Last Olds model : ALERO.
15. Living proof : PULSE. Love this clue, it is literal but very tricky as they do check the pulse to see if the victim is still living.
16. Test to the max : TAX. Did this puzzle TAX your brain?
19. Front-end protector : BRA. Like THIS?
20. Assumed name: ANONYM. The less famous Pseudonym.
21. Diamond offense: SPITBALL. Baseball diamond; a pitch outlawed in the 30's.
23. Skelton's Kadiddlehopper : CLEM.
25. Tried to hit : SHOT AT.
31. Levi alternative : LEE. I love this AD. (1:00)
32. Mini successors? : NANOS.
33. Henhouse : COOP.
37. Scout's honor : AWARD. Cute boy scout pun.
39. Pub. with more than 100 Pulitzers. : NYT. Home to Will Shortz and others.
40. Serengeti heavyweight : RHINOceros.
41. Nonproductive : IDLE. Not around here, too much to do.
42. More than strange : EERIE.
44. Watch faces, briefly : LCD. Liquid Crystal Display.
49. Lesser partner : JUNIOR. A law firm staple.
52. Southern cuisine staple : PONE. See, made from corn.
53. Trucker's view : OPEN ROAD. A shout out no doubt to my recent exploits in the 26' Penske for 1991 miles, thanks m.
56. "Same old, same old": NO NEWS. Is good news?
60. Airport 100+ miles NW of PIT: CLE
63. Tease: KID. I am serious, I like this clue.
64. GI's home : U.S. OF A. My home too.
65. Ready and then some : EAGER. I am getting excited about the Down clues now, I can smell them
66. Mud bath site : STY. Not a SPA, devious.
67. Itty-bitty : EENSY. This is from the SIMS (2:26) video game.
68. Impedes : SLOWS. I hope all these tricks have not slowed anyone down too much.
Down:
1. Literary nickname : PAPA. Hemingway; since I grew my beard one of my lawyer friends want me to go to Key West and enter the contest.
2. The Phoenix of the NCAA's Southern Conference : ELON. My very first comment on this blog was about schools whose mascots did not end in "S." I also worked closely with a graduate of this fine institution.
3. Forfeited wheels : REPO.
4. Exercise unit : CRUNCH. The word makes my abs hurt; personally I would rather have a candy bar.
5. Pilgrimage destination : HOLY LAND.
6. "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" airer : NPR. Wonderful show; let's go BEHIND THE SCENES.(8:00)
7. Relative of mine : OURS. Really well done, misdirection, not a relative hers, well sort of...
8. Yes-or-no decision method : FLIP. The coin.
9. Original home of the Poor Clares : ASSISI. We have had this information a few times.
10. Raise canines? : TEETHE. Not in kennel but in your young child's mouth; also a pun on raising Cain.
11. Ready to swing : AT BAT. Baseball for C.C.
12. Sarkozy's wife ___ Bruni : CARLA. A FIRST LADY?
13. Put on a pedestal : EXALT. As I am sure Mr. Sarkozy does for Carla.
18. Low life? : AMEBA. I LOVE THIS! I am abandoning douche bag as my favorite insult and going to AMEBA (var.).
22. "The Garden of Earthly Delights" artist : BOSCH. I knew this because I read books by MICHAEL CONNELLY.he also appears often on CASTLE.
24. Teen Spirit deoderant brand : MENNEN. Never heard of this PRODUCT.
26. Kyrgyzstan border range : ALAI. I am so glad we saw this alternative to JAI___ recently.
27. Bawdy : LEWD. My kind of clue!
28. Series of rings : PEAL. Not like Mari, but in the bell tower.
29. Played around (with) : TOYED. Marti clearly was toying with us with these clues.
30. Letter shaped shoe fastener : T-STRAP. Like Mary Janes; not to be confused with G-strings.
34. Like some garage floors : OILY.
35. Almost never, maybe : ONCE. Oddly, this reminded me of the Rock Hudson line from a movie with Doris Day, where he explains to Tony Randall that Ms. Day's character is a Demi-virgin: tried it once and did not like it.
36. Pea jackets : PODS. Another nice misdirection if you know what a Pea Coat is.
38. Amber, for one : RESIN. made famous in the Jurassic Park movie and book.
40. Caroling consequences : RED NOSES. Nice visual.
43. Pressing needs? : IRONS. Again, a double clue.
46. Twisting force : TORQUE.
47. Stimulate : AROUSE. Did my BRA pic arouse anyone?
48. First stage of grief : DENIAL. Or are you all from Egypt and swim in the river.
49. Serious players : JOCKS. Also a strap word; hmm a mini theme maybe.
50. Like Mount Rushmore at night : UPLIT. Nothing to do with UPSKIRT, but like this
51. High maintenance : NEEDY. Five letters, hell, it had to be PEGGY, my first wife!
54. Many ages : AEON.
55. Dict. entries : DEFS. Definitions.
57. Food fought over in old food ads : EGGO. Leggo my eggo.
58. "Man, it's hot!" : WHEW. Yes, it is but we are almost done.
59. Red gp. : SSRS. Okay enough of this clue!
62. Rejection : NAY. Please do not go away mad, just time to go away.
Answer grid.
Once again a fun Friday romp in Marti's world; watch out for Isaac and get ready for Monday's party.
Until next time I leave you with this SONG. (2:38)
Lemonade
Note from C.C.:
Here are a few wonderful pictures from Spitzboov's Navy reunion trip last week to Groton, CT. I just love the third picture of him and his lovely wife Betty.
62 comments:
Good Morning, Lemonade and friends. Marti, you nearly killed me with this puzzle! I loved the "Double Letter" puns.
The Garden of Earthly Delights warrants a close inspection. There are so many interesting and weird depictions in that piece.
So many misdirections that really made me laugh. Hand up for wanting Spa instead of Sty for the Mud Bath Site.
I KID you not, but I tried Rib for Tease.
I tried Toss then Coin before settling on FLIP for the Yes-or-No Decision Method.
I thought Mount Rushmore was Lit Up instead of UPLIT.
I love "Wait, Wait ..." I listen to it every week on my iPad.
Pea Jacket = PODS was a great clue, as was Raise Canines = TEETHE.
For any of you in the path of Isaac, please take care. Today marks the 20th anniversary of when Hurricane Andrew hit Florida.
QOD: It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path. ~ Paulo Coelho
Marti, great puzzle. I loved the clever theme and all the witty misdirections, especially pea jacket = POD. My only hang up was in the NE because I was looking for a theme answer for 21A. When I noticed its counterpart, 53A, was non theme I finsihed quickly.
Lemonade, great expo and links, especially your title.
Hahtool, we need to send your QOD to Washington.
Wow, what an effort, Marti! I felt I was tail-spinning toward a dreaded DNF, but I managed to pull up at the last second.
Things started to go badly when I confidently penned in URAL as the 4-letter Russian mountain range. That lasted until I finally figured out ALPHABET TIES.
I didn't understand NO FAT until Lemon 'splained it. D'oh! I'm still not sure about NANOS. Is that an IPOD reference? I'm not into Apple thingies.
Hello, puzzlers. Great seeing you on your PERCH, Lemonade, and a nice shoutout to Clear Ayes! She is still very much in our hearts.
Marti, Marti! I sense that misdirection must be your middle name. This at first seemed daunting but I had to laugh when some of the answers were so literal, like PULSE and TAX.
The SW gave me fits though because no way would JUNIOR surface for me. and I certainly had no idea about an airport 100+ miles NW of PIT though PIT seemed like Pittsburgh.
So I finished 95% but that corner caused a DNF!! I KID you not.
Loved the cluing for STY, mud bath site and yes I originally had SPA but the question mark alerted me.
Great job, Marti. Thank you.
Have a lovely Friday, everyone!
Good morning, folks. Thank you, Marti, for an excellent puzzle, albeit very tough! Thank you, Lemonade for the swell review.
Lemonade: Michael Connelly is my favorite author. I have read all his books. Harry Bosch is the hero, named Hieronymous Bosch officially, just like the painter. As I am sure you know. Therefore, 22D, BOSCH, came easily.
The only thing I got up North on the first pass was ACE for 11A. Then REPO appeared for 3D.
Then I put in KLEM instead of CLEM for 23A.
However, MENNEN came easily once I had a couple letters.
In the East, COOP, OILY, RHINO, and LCD jumped out at me. Therefore, PODS became obvious. That was an excellent clue/answer.
STANDARD DYES was my first theme answer. Did not help much until I was able to get ALPHABET TIES.
My big hangup was the SW. I had LIT UP for 50D. Then DTW (Detroit) for the airport. Also SPA for 66A. Needless to say I was stuck. I thought CLE would be the best answer for the airport, so I put that in. That gave me KID, fixed SPA to STY. NEEDY appeared as well as JOCKS. OPEN ROAD, TORQUE, etc. All finished. That was a tough one.
Lots to do today. Off to PA tonight.
See you tomorrow.
Abejo
Now Marti, When you are perched somewhere atop the 6th standard deviation...
Some very tough and original clues for a number of common crossword-ese answers. This type of cluing is what I thought I would see with the online "Master Level" and that the same puzzle could be made so much easier with a different set of clues for "Regular Level." Thank goodness for Red-Letter help. WHEW !
3rd day in a row that required reverting to regular. This time that wasn't quite enough to get the A++. The top third was the last to fall after getting RISE from the theme. So many favorite clues/answers in this one Marti. Thank you very much.
Didn't even get time to read the write up and comments because this enigma took so long. Am now late to work so have to run, but will check back in later.
Good morning all,
Wow - you guys outdid yourselves on this one. Great QWP and a great write-up.
So many great clues, I don't know where to begin! Like previous posters, I liked:
- 6A: Loser's Catchphrase: NO FAT (I thought, could it be NO FAIR? No - that won't fit.)
- 15A Living Proof: PULSE. (Genius)
- 36D: Pea Jackets: PODS
43D: Pressing Needs? IRONS
Somehow I remembered CLEM. You do enough of these puzzles and it starts to stick.
I just heard there was a shooting outside of the Empire State Building. Be careful everybody, it's getting really rough out there.
Have a great weekend!
PS: I also went with LIT UP and SPA.
Wow, only 7 comments so far, its 10am EST, people must be stumped!
Busy Fridays mean red letter days for me, (i just do not have the time) but this was still hard! I knew it wasn't "spa", but i am kinda mad because sty came from perps & i did not see it till the write up. Finished the south 1st, but the north gave me fits...
16A test 2 the max, i had T-- (try?) hey i'm tryin'
19A front end protector, i had B-- (it has to be Bib!)
21a diamond offense, i had ----ball (foul???)
42a more than strange ( i wanted weird, maybe its just me...)
Pone? WTF is Pone? i wanted Grits!!!
i read 60A as N"E" of Pit, so i was trying to get Logan in that eensy space!
Bosch was more than a WAg,,, it was an accident!
Hands up for "K"lem
anyway, really busy today, Manac! can you link something for "arouse" for me!
Thank you Marti for a very clever, fiendish puzzle. I normally avoid Fridays but come in to read Lemon's blog, but today I saw your byline and did attempt it... even got a few answers.
Lemon, thanks for your humor and wit ... I did watch 'Wait, wait ...' and I learnt about what I should avoid. Curiously I have 2 clients, important enough that I have to visit them. One of them listens to NPR, all the time. I take a Tums tablet before I visit him, and stick to business ... no politics ... and bill him the straight rate. The other insists on watching Fox and listening to Rush L. .... I don't like that either ... but with him, I chat with a little bit, and then give a discount off of my fees.
BTW, HBTY, (coming up) and the coincidence is uncanny, even the year.
Ooops, an appropriate one today -
ALT QOD:- Adam and Eve had many advantages. I think the principal one was that they escaped teething. ~ Mark Twain.
Good morning:
Wow, Miss Marti, you outdid yourself with this mind- boggler! WEES regarding cluing and misdirections. I also had spa, and lit up and for amber, I had alert! Kudos, Marti, although I think you are now even with Bill G and his math puzzles for making my head hurt! Great write- up, Lemonade.
Anyone out there who lives in Shop Rite supermarkets territory? One just recently opened in Albany and they offer home delivery, no delivery charge if your order is $100.00 or more. My sister and I put an order together and it arrived within the promised time frame. One small problem, though. Half the order was missing! They did re-deliver but it was well after 5:00 pm which meant we ate dinner at 8:30. It's a great service so I hope next time there are no snags.
Happy Friday to all.
WBWHS
A serious workout for me this morning. Very few gimme's: Ace, At bat, Coop, Lee and Repo. I remember Clem Kaddidlehopper well, but always insist on spelling it Klem.
But, it all came together in the end and was a lot of fun.
Forgot two things:
Spitz, great pictures of you and your wife.
Also, I not get the full theme until coming here. Duh!
What Betty White Has Said? no...wait...what Barry would have said...
Hoorah! I did a Marti Friday puzzle and got it all right with only 2 hrs. sleep! Revs up my PULSE! Think I must have done it on auto-pilot. Didn't need your help today, Lemon, but enjoyed the commentary. Thanks.
STANDARD DYES was my first big discovery. TORQUE gave me QUEENS to go with my SIGHS. Aha happened and I was off and running.
I'm also a Connelly fan so BOSCH was a gimmee as was CLEM. I wanted "cages" before PERCH which slowed me down there. Finally came up with REPO and got the rest of the NW in a rush.
Had to get STY after talking about 4-H hogs the other night. Saw the mud baths personally.
Raining here today! Another cause to celebrate!
Great pix, Spitzboov! Thanks for sharing.
Irish Miss: Is your grocery store delivery done with an online order? My daughter told me about a HI-VEE store here that does online order deliveries. She orders work supplies there. I was sick and tried to do an order, but couldn't make it work. Being sick probably didn't help. I just can't seem to make any online orders work except books from Amazon. Need to get my daughter over to troubleshoot I guess.
Good morning all!
I just wanted to pop to tell Spitzboov that I loved your pictures. Groton is in my backyard, and I have been on a tour of the Nautilus. Great to see you and Betty having such a great time!
Regarding the puzzle, I finished it in just under an hour this morning....
(just kidding!!!!)
I'll admit that some of the difficult clues were mine:
"Living proof" for PULSE
"Test to the max" for TAX
"Pea jackets" for PODS
"Pressing needs" for IRONS
But Rich made some great editing choices with
"Front end protector" for BRA
"Mud bath site" for STY
and
"Raise canines" for TEETHE
D'otto, yes the iPod NANO succeeded the iPod mini. And Irish Miss, sorry to make your head hurt...just take two aspirins and try a Saturday Stumper in the morning, LOL!!
Do constructors steal my clues?
Pea jackets?
Pressing needs?
Marti, how long did it take you to ideate those theme answers? This cwp was your most entertaining and amusing feat to date IMHO. Used red-letter help gladly. Thanks Lemonade for your write-up. WHEW!!
PERCH should have been a fairly easy fill, but my mind kept wondering back to the dead canary in the coal mine not singing anymore. As manac says, "hey don't judge me."
Loved REDNOSES, PULSE, STY, and TEETHE. LOL
NANOS reminds me of those computerized pets the kids brought to school, in the late 80s, and wanted to spend time keeping the dog/cat alive.
My son arrived home from Iraq on Christmas Eve a few years ago. It was around midnight. He wasn't under my roof, but he was in the US OF A and that was home!!!
Alt QOD- You tell me whar a man gits his corn PONE, en I'll tell you what his 'pinions is." Mark Twain
We see pressing needs quite often. Isn't it the public domain or something?
Anon @ 11:06, I meant that those were the original clues that were submitted with the puzzle, and Rich did not change them.
Every constructor tries hard to think up truly "original" clues. For example, my clue for ASS: "Biblical mount" that was published in January of 2011 has been used several times since then by other constructors. Do I mind? Not! I am delighted that they thought it was clever enough to use again.
Good afternoon and happy Friday. Fun puzzle thanks Marti and Lemon for your thoughts. I got the bottom half first then when I got 45A the play on words came. Nice and sunny here today unlike it has been lately,but Isaac is on the way so we will wait and see.
Have a great weekend to all.RJW.
To Anon @ 11:06 ALTQOD Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. RJW.
Hi gang -
Tough, clever, and very entertaining puzzle from Mari today.
I had a couple of flubs. Mis-spelling PEAL kept me from getting an AWARD. (SIGH)
QUEEN'S SIGHS made me think of Cersei Lannister.
Was surprised to see NANOS in the write up. Got it entirely from perps.
Re: an ersatz-quasi-hemi-semi-demi virgin: For the hundredth time she tried it, and for the hundredth time she didn't like it.
Argyl @ yesterday. That's good advice, but as of now, the MiL isn't on any meds.
Sfingi @ yesterday. She was using her walker. She might have gotten it tangled up with a chair leg; or possibly her legs gave out. There might be some circulation/oxygen transport issues.
Gloria hit the OPEN ROAD to T-town today, and hoped to be there when the cardiac specialist visits.
Cool regards! (Was W.C. Fields a caroler?)
JzB
Clues can be stolen? Awesome! If someone copyrights "Needle case" and "Sewing kit", then we'll never see ETUI again.
What a wonderful, tricky puzzle! Marti, you have my admiration! I was stuck, and had to get my car in for an OIL change. When I got home the rest of the puzzle just clicked.
Lemon, I was really wondering which kind of link you would use for BRA. We had one on our first car, until DH decided it was easier to scrub the bugs off the paint instead of the bra. (Interesting that you kept the underwear theme going with that add for the jeans.)
WEES for spa for STY, cages for PERCH, and Klem for Clem. Raising canines really had me going, since I had SWATAT for "tried to hit", which gave me BASCH.
I got DH a mug from the PBS store that says "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me...
NPR without the dignity"
Good afternoon everyone. Thanks Lemonade for the intro comments.
A little late today; first company, then a visit to the doctor.
A real challenge from Marti today. Had to revisit the solve several times to complete it. Had to come here to fully appreciate the theme. Learned ALAI; usually want Altai for mountains in central Asia. Liked the PODS clue. Learned ANONYM the noun. Thought the SSRS clue 'Red Gp.' might have something to do with our own political landscape, but the perps solved it.
Thanks to C. C. and others for the compliments on the linked pictures.
JzB @ 11:54 am RE: WC Fields - Too Funny!
Great morning of golf and a Marti puzzle! I’d like to say it was easy but I soldiered on with the refrain, “I think I can, I think I can…” and got ‘er done despite being TAXed to the MAX!
Musings
-I thought ALPHA BETTIES were aggressive women married to Barney Rubble.
-A wonderful new Mexican restaurant opened in town last night and it is run by lovely Hispanic people. Man, did I see a lot of QUEEN SIZED peeps (King too!)
-PERCH not A CAGE, UPLIT not LIT UP (we’ll be there next Wednesday), Oh, protecting THOSE front ends , SPITBALL not BEANBALL (I’m glad to see facemasks on batting helmets), ALAI not URAL,
-TSA agent test – PULSE? Yes. You’re hired.
-NY Times and other newspapers are fighting to keep head above financial waters
-Cars 2 line adapted by grandson, “Wasabi Papa?”, “Same old same old, Huddie”.
-The HOLY LAND is high on my bucket list but…
-After all the many tie breaker criteria, the last resort in the NFL is a coin FLIP
-I can tolerate a lot as long as I get my turn AT BAT
-What is the punch line to the old joke, “Why do men put women up on a pedestal?”
-IRONing frustrates me and I try to wear clothes Joann does not have to IRON
-Researching our Black Hills trip, I learned that Jefferson’s face was first to Washington’s right (our left) but bad rock made them dynamite the face away.
Thanks Marti for a fun puzzle. However, it was a struggle for me. I feel sure you're getting back at me for some of the math puzzles. I think the Thursday/Friday puzzles this week were both at my limit.
Spitz, great photos.
A shooting in New York, a hurricane looms, two conventions on the way; Geez, there's no letup of difficult news.
Lovely pictures, Spitz and Betty, especially the third one. Spitz, that is almost excactly how I imagined you all this time.
I often try to find funny links based on the theme, or words in the puzzle, but no such luck today.
I tried rise, ties, dyes & sighs, & every combination thereof, but what struck me most was the repeating images of "The Bridge of Sighs."
Apparently, there is more than one.
& when i look up ties & dies, i get weird colored shirts & shorts...
However, i just might be able to get away with an educational film (7:48) under the guise
Rise
After the 1st 2 minutes i could not shut it off as i was frozen in fear, but it is at the 7:00 mark that i really wanted to jump off!
QOD story - My neighbor’s daughter who had the tonsil problem last week came over to thank me for helping her out by comforting her until her mother got home. She also gave me a copy of the Minneapolis GLBT Magazine where she had an article printed. She seems to take great comfort that she is still highly thought of here although she has taken a “different path.” BTW, the magazine was a hoot.
CED, it's also a great tune by Robin Trower: Bridge of Sighs
Turn it up!
Hello everybody. Wow, what an impressive puzzle! Had tons 'o' fun solving it. I liked everything about it, the same things that you all have already mentioned. "The Mind of Marti" is a profound and amazing thing.
Had some difficulties of my own making in several places. Wanted HIPPO instead of RHINO at first, and thought it was interesting that 34D and 35D would both be 4-letter words starting with OP. Mr. Bosch fixed that right up. I like his art; in fact I'm fascinated by it. As Hahtoolah said, it is worth taking a long close look at.
Wanted OKRA for Southern cuisine staple, and when that wouldn't work, I wanted ROUX. It took 3 perps to steer me straight on that, and then I laughed.
I thought of CLE as the airport NW of PIT, and then rejected it because I thought Cleveland was way too far away. Unfortunately I didn't know the airport designations for Cincinnati, Youngstown, or Erie, so I waited for the perps.
Hand up for thinking of SPA instead of STY and RIB instead of KID.
EENSY is such a cool word, as is ANONYM, for different reasons.
Thanks ever so much for the terrifically terrific puzzle!
PK @ 10:09 - Yes, you place the order on line. I first tried using my IPad but this wouldn't work, so I used my laptop. It's very easy but time consuming. It will be easier, I'm sure, the next time I do it. Also, the delivery people are not allowed to accept tips.
CED @ 1:40 - My acrophobia kicked in at about 7 seconds into that RISE clip. I just couldn't watch any more.
JzB - what does T-Town stand for?
Just got back from the farm stand with lucious corn, tomatoes, and Spitz's favorite veggie, Waxed Beans!
Marti, I can't imagine tomorrow's puzzle being more difficult than the one you conjured up today.
Lucina, "but the question mark alerted me" -- well said!
Loved the clue for OILY!
RED NOSES was an image that made me laugh. Been there, done that!
Loved seeing the photos of you and your wife and the scenery, Spitzboov. Thank you for posting them, C.C.
We've seen that tower climbing video before. I believe that is what Grumpy1 did at some point in his career.
Hello All, It isn't that I haven't been missing you, but personal stuff has pretty much taken over. Thank you Lemonade for mentioning me and thanks to everyone else who has dropped me an e-mail. Even though I haven't have much time for puzzling, I think about you all often. Great puzzle Marti. It is fun to see how the resident constructors just keep on improving and getting more and more clever.
GAH is doing as well as can be expected, as am I. The idea is to keep on feeling as well as we can for as long as we can. So far, so good, but it is time-consuming. I will try to stop by and and maybe even do an easier early in the week puzzle.
Yippee, I did find I had a puzzle related poem (43D: Pressing needs?: IRONS) tucked away, so here it is. Pablo Neruda is a favorite for me, so I'd probably use it anyway.
AN ODE FOR IRONING
Poetry is white
it comes dripping out of the water
it gets wrinkled and piles up
We have to stretch out the skin of this planet
We have to iron the sea in its whiteness
The hands go on and on
and so things are made
the hands make the world every day
fire unites with steel
linen, canvas and calico come back
from combat in the laundry
and from the light a dove is born
purity comes back from the soap suds.
CA, it's so good to hear from you and get a poem again. Best wishes for you and GAH.
Wow what a brain crunch this puzzle was. I was amazed at all the clever clues. You constructors are on your wittiest days. For southern food I wanted the old standard, okra. But glad to see the absence of ONO. That word had a lot of miles. Lennon's assassin was denied parole for the 7th time. As for storm Isaac, we'll have enough hot air in Tampa without Isaac. Enjoyed the pictures of Spitzboov and Betty. Good to put a face on a name. TGIF Puzzler friends.
CA, it's just outstanding to see your name back on here - it's been way too long. I hope you can make it a habit again.
Continued best wishes and good thoughts to both of you; you have my utmost admiration for the positive spirit you maintain.
I thought that this was the hardest Friday puzzle of this year.
Clear Ayes, I am so happy you honored us with a poem today. The next time I am ironing, I will think of you, and it won't seem like such an onerous task!! Keep up the great attitude!
I had a nice unexpected visit from Dudley today...he regaled us with stories of his job, and the afternoon passed all too quickly! (He also got a glimpse of the latest puzzle I am working on, but I made him promise not to give anything away, LOL!)
Evening all,
Marti, You little devil! You almost had me today. That SW corner and alai nearly did me in. Put teethe in without thinking then took it out by over thinking. I swore it was pome and stared at redmoses for the longest time. All the while thinking NOT FAIR! She knows our thought processes while we solve these. Nice Job! Haven't read the posts yet so this may not be the last of me tonight.
YR, I'm glad it was that simple.
Clear Ayes, your visit was a ray of sunshine! Thanks so much for stopping in.
On a similar bright note, it's raining here (I know it's not actually bright, but work with me here). Barely measurable at the moment, but it's a start. With less than an inch of rain in the past 2 months, we are desperate.
Clear Ayes: How wonderful to "see" you. So glad you stopped by. You have such a positive attitude, which is so refreshing. I think of you and GAH often.
Spitzboov: Nice photos. Thanks for sharing.
CA:
I am so glad my mini-homage brought you back and with a poem! Thank you.
SB, what wonderful pics. Only 47.58 miles from "home."
Sadly had to work so I missed most fo the day.
A-M
So tell me where and when; 7;40am in Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam.
Hurricanes (probably not on this anniversary of andrew) and a dolphins game, woo weeeee
Lemonade 714,I appreciated your light hearted remarks about CA, snarky ANON not withstanding. CA, I was happy to hear from you and be treated to your poem. I wish you and your hubby all the best.
CA and Dennis - Good to hear from you.
Here are some things you shouldn't do while fishing. Out-takes. (click on the fishing bloopers clip)
Hola Everyone, Just to let you know, Marti, I wouldn't give up spa for Mud bath site? so the whole SW corner came to no good end. However, I loved the theme and I was able to get those answers before I gave up and came here. Rib for tease didn't add to anything, either!!
By the way a trucker up in his cab looks down the High Road. I couldn't have had more mistakes if I had tried. Oh! wait! I did try. LOL.
I knew that Mount Rushmore was lit at night, but uplit just wouldn't come. Oh well, it is Friday after all.
I loved the misdirections on some of the other clues (and I actually got them). Pea Jackets, Pressing needs?, raise canines? and low life? were my favorites.
Spitzboov, I loved seeing the reunion pictures of you and your wife.
Take care all of you Floridians. I'll keep my fingers crossed that none of you are in the path of Isaac.
Have to run. I'm having 20 people for dinner tomorrow night and still have things to do before then.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Clear Ayes! How lovely to see you again! I think of you and GAH so often and miss your poems. And I'm glad to see that your positive attitude is unabated. That's admirable and inspiring. Positive thoughts going your way, every day.
I was running an errand at Target. I was very impressed with two young girls holding onto their mother's hands. Very bright. They could both speak better Spanish than I can. :>)
Spitz, that clip was both funny and painful.
I got a cold call from a local contractor trying to drum up some business. I get one or two of them a day. I started to be rude but then I reconsidered and just said no thank you. He is probably suffering from this bad economy like everybody else and if he get some business, maybe he will be hiring some people who need the work too. So, I cut him some slack.
C.A.!!!!
What a delight to see you.
Loved the poem, too.
Irish Miss -
T-town is my home town, farther than CLE from Pitt., at the opposite end of Lake Erie, contiguous with Maumee and Ottawa Hills - aka TOLEDO.
Ohio fun fact - It's round at both ends, and HI in the middle.
Cheers!
JzB
Greetings!
You got me, Marti! Had to use red letters. (Am very, very tired.) Swell write-up, Lemon!
WEES.
Thanks for photos, Spitboov!
Belated happy natal day to Tinbeni!
Great to hear from Clear Ayes! Nice poem! Keep hanging in there!
Fantastic air and heat unit installed today! (Of course, now it has become a bit cooler.) Construction guys included this in cost of other bathroom and knocked the price down by $4K too.
Cheers!
Chickie:
What's for dinner tomorrow?
Abejo
So wonderful to hear from both CA and Dennis. I dom't post much, but read every day.
Love the puzzle today,but it did kick my butt!
So wonderful to hear from both CA and Dennis. I dom't post much, but read every day.
Love the puzzle today,but it did kick my butt!
I think I'm allowed out of my time out now. I apologize if i offended anyone by my last post EXCEPT the Anon.
Fermatprime, Good to here from you.
Is that AC and heating unit one of those Mitsubishi type where the condenser and heat pump is outside and the fan unit is hung on the wall?
Those are some of the best in my experience. You can't even hear them, and the heat pump is efficient to about 0 degrees outside temp.
Chickie: You are a brave soul to do a dinner party for 20 people. What is the menu?
JzB-Thanks for the geography lesson.
Bill G- your math puzzles leave me cold but your obvious kindness and insights into human nature warms my heart.
Another beautiful day in the Northeast. And tomorrow at Saratoga, the biggest race of the year: The Travers.
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