google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Thursday, November 22, 2012 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

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Nov 22, 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012 Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel

Theme:

Walking around the perimeter of the grid are various types of cats. Let's go clock-wise:

1-Across. Float on a wave : BOB. Bobcats are native to North America.

4-Across. Provide with shelter : HOUSE. House cats allow people to live in their house.

9-Across. Child seat? : LAP. Lap cats lap up a lot of milk.

11-Down. Valuable carpet : PERSIAN. My first cat was a white Persian cat.

51-Down. Passageway : ALLEY. Alley cat - subject of my July 10th puzzle  (^0^)

65-Across. Wander off course : STRAY. Anony-Mouse has adopted a DFAC (Darn Feral Attack Cat.) And now another one has joined in on the fun, named "Clooney." I wonder if they will be feasting on turkey today?

64-Across. Pitcher Seaver : TOM. I bet this was C.C.'s clue! (From C.C.: This is Rich's clue.)

63-Across. Pool : KITTY. I named one of my cats KC for "Kitty Cat."

48-Down. Coffee preference : BLACK. Why yes, I do drink my coffee black. How did you know?

1-Down. Language spoken in Yangon : BURMESE. Not to be confused with the "Sacred Cat of Burma."

And the unifier:

38. Fashion runway, or, in a way, what this puzzle's 10 perimeter answers comprise : CATWALK.

Typical of Don G.-C.C. offerings, this one is packed with theme entries. A total of fifty-five theme letters, which must have made this one a real bear to construct. Each one is a literal type of cat, with no figurative entries like "hep cat," "cool cat" or "fat cat." In addition to that, the grid itself is unique.  It has left-to-right symmetry, but not top-to-bottom.  If you squint, can you see the cat in the grid, with his arms outstretched?

Marti here, blogging before I start cooking my favorite meal of the year. But let's dig in to this feast first.

Across:

12. Colorful card game : UNO.

13. Sales tools : SAMPLES.

15. Ginger ___ : ALE.

16. Early initials in American cars : REO. REO Speedwagon band took their name from the automobile designed by Ransom Eli Olds.

17. Longtime pop group with mostly self-named albums : CHICAGO. 19 of their 22 studio albums have "Chicago" in the title. I always associate them with this song. 3:50

18. La Méditerranée, e.g. : MER. French clue "The Mediterranean" for "sea" in French.

19. El cheapo : MISER.

21. Med. amount : TSP. Just a teaspoon of sugar helps the medicine go down.

22. NV might be one : REBUS. I stared at this answer for the longest time, before I realized that it was not talking about the abbreviation for Nevada, but the word "envy." I love rebus license plates like "AU H20" for Goldwater.  Anyone else have some good ones?

24. Lure into lawbreaking : ENTRAP.

26. Rich ice creams : GELATI. Italian word for "ice creams." Update: The singular would be GELATO.

27. Make foggy : STEAM UP.

29. North African country : TUNISIA. Map.

30. Plural suffix with slogan : EERS. Sloganeers. They are the ones who bring us phrases like "Finger lickin' good," "Think outside the bun" and "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands."

31. Classification between family and species : GENUS.

33. "South Park" kid : STAN. This weird looking kid.

34. Tiny amt. of time : NSEC. Nano-second. A billionth of a second.

36. Heir, often : SON.

37. In the public eye : SEEN. And a shout-out to one of our regulars.

41. "Holberg Suite" composer : GRIEG. Nailed it. Here is the prelude (2:57), in keeping with 62-Across. Prelude or étude : PIECE.

44. Deep bell tones : BONGS. HaHa, I bet some of our regulars weren't thinking of bells when this answer appeared...

48. Like some whiskey : BLENDED. and crossing it at 39-Down. Like some whiskey : AGED. Tinbeni can fill us all in.

50. Sun porches : SOLARIA. Husker Gary, did you nail it?

52. Blockheads : LUGS. That's the way I felt yesterday when I had a DNF.  Fermatprime, this one was right up my alley, so it was a speed run for a Thursday. I feel vindicated!

53. Some garage-made CDs : DEMOS.

55. Hood's honey : MOLL.

56. Brought something home, perhaps : ATE IN. I was off on the "income" tangent.

58. eBay action : BID.

59. Someone not to deal with : DEVIL.

60. Perfume with myrrh, say : CENSE.

61. Canteen gp. : USO. United Service Organizations. CBS launched a weekly radio show called "Stage Door Canteen" shortly after the beginning of WWII.  The following year, a film by the same name was released, and was a "reality" type movie about the USO.

Down:

2. Not much of a chance : ONE IN TEN.

3. Second shots : BOOSTERS. Like tetanus shots, not Jello shots!

4. "Told ya!" : HAH.

5. Forget to say : OMIT.

6. Bars on many bottles : UPCS. Universal Product Codes.

7. High-five, e.g. : SLAP.

8. Neurologist's printout, briefly : EEG. Electroencephalogram.

9. Excoriate : LAMBASTE.

10. Like Attu or Unalaska : ALEUTIAN. Both part of the Aleutian Island chain. Map.

13. "Buzz off!" : SCRAM. What you might say to a 28-Down. Nuisance : PEST.

14. Deep thinker Kierkegaard : SOREN. "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."

20. Remove evidence : ERASE. Like certain presidential tapes?

23. Dedicatee of Beethoven's "Bagatelle in A Minor" : ELISE. Nailed it! 3:35.

25. Wrinkly faced canine : PUG.

26. Gloomy fellow : GUS.

29. Fish in a can : TUNA. A mouth-watering entry for all our feline friends in this puzzle!

32. Demanding word : NOW. "Do it, NOW!"

35. Used an email option : CC'ED. Carbon Copied.  When I copy C.C. on an email, I C.C. C.C!

37. Vodka brand : SKOL. Hands up for all those who tried SKyy vodka first?

40. Wall St. deals : LBOS. Leveraged buyouts. "Leveraged" because they are debt-heavy acquisitions.

41. Seat cushions? : GLUTEI. Plural of gluteus. Check out these glutei...

42. University officer : REGENT.

43. Demand : INSIST.

45. "Whatever you want" : NAME IT.

46. President between Chester and Benjamin : GROVER. I did not know that fact.  He was a president?

47. Glassmaker's material : SILICA.

49. Coming-out : DEBUT.

50. City destroyed by fire and brimstone : SODOM. Forever linked to Gomorrah as a symbol of impenitent sin.

54. Soybean soup : MISO. I just had MISO last week. (In the puzzle, not for lunch.)

57. Napoleonic Wars marshal : NEY. His troops called him "Le Rougeaud" (Ruddy-faced one), and Napoleon called him "le Brave des Braves" (the Bravest of the Brave.)

59. Unassisted MLB coups : DPS. Double Plays. Needed every perp for this one, but at least I knew what it meant when it appeared, for once!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I do hope all our regulars and Anons who follow this blog will drop by today to thank C.C. for creating this wonderful community for cruciverbalists!

Marti



Notes from C.C.:

1) When I first proposed "Catwalk" to Don, the word CAT simply moves from left to right. Don elevated into an art. If you black out square 13 & 14, you'll see the original grid design Don had in mind. Thank you, Don, for teaching me by example on how to make a good crossword.

Don & his wife Barbara, Summer 2009
 
2) I also want to thank LA Times editor Rich Norris, his assistant Patti Varol, his test solvers and all LA Times constructors for giving us the top-notch puzzle every day.

Rich Norris & his wife Kim, ACPT, 2008
 3) And special thanks to my dedicated blogging team. The workhorse Argyle, always the first person I turn to whenever I experience a blog glitch.

Baby Argyle  (Scott) & His Four Sisters

The beautiful Melissa, who never fails to bring us the delightful wrap-up despite busy school life & unstable internet connection.


The avid Fighting Irish fan Steve, who knows everything about food, the really good food.


The super intelligent and cool guy Jazzbumpa (Ron), whose knowledge range & interests often astonish me.


The always cheerful and witty Marti, who brightens my every Thursday morning.

Marti & Pickles, Austria, 2011
The passionate & humorous Lemonade, who brings so much warmth and spot-on puzzle analysis to us every Friday.

Proud Grandpa Lemonade & Granddaughter Charlotte, Nov 21, 2012

The cool & hard-working Splynter, who has never missed a Saturday write-up since May 21, 2011.

Baby Splynter, So Curious
And the irreplaceable Dennis, who has been bombarded by me in the past few years with daily questions like "Does this theme work for you?" "Can I put this word on a Monday grid?" He's always been patient and always gives me the brutally honest answers.

Dennis the Altar Boy

4) I also want to thank those who donated, commented and wrote us emails. I really appreciate your kindness and generosity.

77 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, Marti, C.C. and gang, and a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone. I hope everyone finds much to be thankful for.

At first, I wasn't too thankful for this offering from our Dynamic Duo (can we call them the DD? I just like that term...), because it was quite a slog for me today, but I eventually made it through. Had some ink blots, though, particularly with the vodka brand, 37D. Had 'Skye' first, then when I got 'solaria', I thought it must be 'Stol' without the 'i', then finally 'Bongs' got me 'Skol', which I still don't know.

I skipped over the NW because nothing came quickly, and returned at the end. I didn't know they still called it 'Burmese' (did you see Obama's goof in Myanmar?), but I did get 'steam up', which took me back to high school back seat days. Had some trouble in the SW too, mostly because I'd never seen gluteus pluralized before.

Overall, a tough puzzle, for me anyway, but very enjoyable. Fun cluing, such as 'Brought something home, perhaps', and an outstanding theme, which I didn't catch until the unifier. Nicely done, DD.

Again, I hope it's a most enjoyable, relaxing day for everyone, but do take a moment to think about our troops over in 'the sandbox' whose Thanksgiving dinner may be turkey MRIs. We owe them a lot.

Dennis said...

And C.C.'s right, we owe a special thank you to our team of bloggers. If you've ever tried it, you know it's not an easy job, especially when you're trying to stay awake at o-dark-thirty. Many thanks to all of you.

Also, great pictures, although we could've done without the last one...

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

What a purr-fectly delightful puzzle! What can I say? I'm a cat lover...

Blew through most of this one, but struggled in the SW corner for awhile. I reflexively threw down a final S for 41D, which wasn't such a good idea. I'm familiar with GRIEG, but never heard of his "Holberg Suite." Not a whiskey drinker, so didn't think of AGED or BLENDED for awhile. And I certainly couldn't come up with REGENT or CENSE (not to mention GLUTEI) based solely on the clues.

What saved my bacon in the end was knowing the theme and figuring out what the edges of that section were. That gave me enough of a foothold to guess my way through the rest.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! You guys have made this place an integral part of my day, and I'm definitely thankful for that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some cooking to do...

[P.S., loved the self-referential answer at 35D!]

Al Cyone said...

A few stumbles but no roadblocks. I, too, had SKYE first and the SE corner was last to fall but, for once, the theme helped and the ALLEY and STRAY cats took me home. [10:37]

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Marti and friends. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this Parade of Cats. What's not to love about this STRAY Cat Strut? I found this to be an easy Thursday puzzle, but getting the CATWALK in the middle made the perimeter answers virtually fill themselves.

Don G and C.C. sure know there are a lot of Cat Lovers on this blog. Both of my cats would be STRAYS had they not decided to adopt us. One of my cats is BLACK. The other is a grey Tuxedo cat that is definitely a LAP cat.

Hand up for wanting Skyy. I learned of that brand from doing crossword puzzles, so I confidently wrote it in.

NEY makes frequent crossword guest appearances, too, but this time my answer was correct.

My sister lived in TUNSIA in the 1980A

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you can spend the day with family and friends.

QOD: We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. ~ Frederick Koenig

desper-otto said...

Happy Turkey Day, all!

This was a fine offering from DG/CC. I noticed CC even gave herself a shoutout!

Thanks, Marti, for your always humorous take on the days puzzle. Perhaps Muppet GROVER would have made a better president. (And thanks for explaining DPS.)

Thanks, CC, for creating a one-of-a-kind blog community.

Have a great day, everyone!

Avg Joe said...

Good morning Corner on this best of the holidays. Very fun puzzle this morning, C.C. and Don. No speed run, but pretty much what Dennis said.

Speaking of erasures, I had the pleasure of seeing the FarmAid concert that was in Lincoln in 87. Arlo Guthrie was one of the acts, and he mentioned that the 18:16 gap in the Nixon tapes was no coincidence. With that in mind, no Thanksgiving seems quite complete without Alice's Restaurant.

LaLaLinda said...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Could there be a better puzzle than this one?? I don't think so! =^.^= =^.^= =^.^= (thanks from my three cats) You started my day with a smile, Don & C.C. ~ a wonderful construction! I really enjoyed your write-up, Marti - much info, links and humor ~ loved the "C.C. ing of C.C!"

For some reason I was able to zip through this. Must be my cat brain. My only write-overs were 'Skyy'/SKOL and I wanted an 'unassisted Triple play' before a DP, so that SE corner was the last to fill.

Favorites were 22A NV - REBUS (Like Marti, I was thinking of Nevada) 41D - Seat cushions/ GLUTEI. So many other things to like in this gem but no time this morning.

I'll add my thanks to C.C.'s to all involved in bringing us the joy of puzzles each day - nice to see all the pics!

Enjoy this special day, everyone!

Argyle said...

G'mornin' all,

What am I thankful for? After reading these comments about Skol vodka, I am thankful I don't have to drink the stuff.

"Purchased primarily for its very low price, one doesn't expect much with Skol Vodka. This assumption is well-founded."

"The quality is considered to be terrible."

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Really, really liked today's DGCC puzz! The Perimeter of Cats just tickles my fancy.

Morning, Marti, so glad you connected NV and Rebus for me...I wasn't able to figure it out on my own. I couldn't see past Nevada.

Heartfelt thanks to you, C.C., the tireless founder of our digital home, and to all you guest bloggers who keep the home fires burning. Happy Thankgiving, everybody!

:-)

HeartRx said...

Good morning C.C. et al.

The turkey is in the oven, all the veggies are prepped, and my mouth is already watering...

Have a wonderful day, all you cool cats out there!

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Tough fun puzzle today. If it gives Dennis a hard time, I can feel pretty good about the half hour I spent with it.

I felt CCed and DGed for a while.

We had all 11 grandchildren at the HOUSE yesterday, and will again later today.

C.C. - thanks for the call out and the sweet words. You're the best.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving, everyone. It's time to start the turkey.

Cool regards!
JzB (actual jazz cat)

Tinbeni said...

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
If you're driving today, be extra safe out there.

UNO I was expecting a Holiday theme today, but with all the CAT lover's here, in a CENSE it was ...

Yup, hand-up for SKYY before SKOL.

And my head still hurts from the V-8 can SLAP from the NV (envy) REBUS. Great clue!

When I think of BONGS, I'm usually thinkin' about something else.
(Smoke'em if you got'em!)

My BLENDED Scotch whiskey, Pinch, is AGED 15 years.
There aren't enough "O's" in smooooooooooth to describe it.

Plus, it's 5 o'clock somewhere ...
Soooooooo, A "toast" to one-and-all.
Cheers !!!

Lemonade714 said...

thank you C.C.,fellow bloggers and all who read and comment. Have a wonderful holiday. I cannot think of a better way to start the celebration than with the Dynamic Duo written up by marti and cats. My best to all new and old, silent and not.w

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the intro comments, Marti.

Thanks to C.C. and all who make this such a nice spot to visit and interact with..

Got the CAT theme easily enough after getting the reveal at 38a. The east side filled in rather easily. Had to pause at the SW and scratch my head over 41a. Since I had the 'G' frpm AGED, I finally thought of GRIEG. That broke the dam and the SW and puzzle came home. No searches were needed. Thanks C.C. and Don for the good mental exercise.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving Day.

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Mostly what Dennis said!

(You got me, Marti!)

Found this blog when I really needed it! Thanks so much CC!

Went to hairdresser's yesterday and perspired like the dickens. Everyone else cool as a cucumber. Don't know what caused fever, but realized I had had it for a few days. Better now, and finally had more than 1.5 hours sleep at one go! 5 whole hours! Am actually going out for dinner, wonder of wonders. By a friend I haven't seen in a year. Fibromyalgia not too bad at present. Hooray!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

desper-otto said...

Avg Joe, thanks for the Alice's Restaurant link. I forgot that it's a thanksgiving song. We played in once on AFN Guam back in the day; the brass(es?) were not amused.

I think I may have mentioned this before. REBUS licence plate that belonged to a co-worker: RMADLO

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, C.C and Don G., for a great puzzle. Thank you, Marti, for a great review.

After I got home from church last night, I tried the IPad and , lo and behold, it worked this time. I got today's puzzle. So, I started after the news. Then my wife informed me that the kitchen sink was backed up. (Oh great)

I finished the puzzle and then started on the sink. Had to open up the line in the basement and wound up using my power snake to clear the line. Who knows what it was. At one in the morning we hit the hay.

Got REO easily for 16A. Then put in PIKER for 19A. I could not get 1A or 12A early on. So, that corner was screwed up for a while.

The NE filled in easily. Had ALASKIAN at first for 10D, but fixed that with REBUS. I did not know that MAR was wrong and should have been MER. Anyhow that corner was done.

Got CATWALK for 38A, but never really looked for the theme answers until I was done. I think the late hour may have been a cause.

Thought GLUTEI was was great.

Marshal NEY is a favorite.

To Marti: I remember the AU H20 64 Campaign Buttons back then. I had one. And I still may have one somewhere. Barry Goldwater was a hero of mine.

To Ave Joe: I listened to your link to Alice's Restaurant, the entire thing. That was pretty good. I had never heard that before. Thank you.

Well, I am going to fry a turkey outside today for the first time. Wish me luck. Then tonight I am heading to Pennsylvania for six days. It is the only time I have. The rest of the winter is pretty much committed.

Happy Thanks giving everyone. Special thanks to CC and Don G for a great puzzle.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo



Husker Gary said...

A fabulous theme for us cat people, beyond-clever cluing, a Marti write-up (who better after being adopted by her stray cat KC) and wonderful pix of our bloggers! More things for which to be grateful on this beautiful day along with family (all right, grandkids), turkey and football! Happy Thanksgiving to all my electronic friends!

Musings
-After devastating loss of two dear cats that were part of our family for 17 years each, we are now catless.
-Great line about BLACK coffee from “funniest movie ever”.
-I wonder if Tin ever met a Pinch salesman who gave out samples.
-HJH (Henry James Ford) gave way to Mr. Olds
-I never liked CHICAGO’S music but I love this GRIEG concerto
-Being an El Cheapo is just one thing characteristic of a former friend we no longer see
-Gelati stands in Italia seem to be on every block.
-Did you ever STEAM UP windows at the Drive-In? Me too!
-Yup, I’m sitting in my SOLARIUM, Marti, amid the smell of roasting turkey!
-I was thinking Sheltering (like KC) for “Brought something home” and not income or take-out.
-North Platte, NE did not have the USO but dozens of small towns around it provided this unbelievable Canteen for soldiers passing through. This is well worth the 7 minute viewing time.
-There is an iPhone app you can use to scan the UPC and it will find the best price for you
-My ELISE will be here today! She’s 7.

TTP said...

Not a speed run by any means. Did the center, top to bottom and had both Burmese and Persian. Had CATWALK. Thought I should be looking for formal names around the perimeter, but also already had HOUSE and TOM. SW was last to fall.

Unalaska and Onalaska. Onalaska is in La Crosse County, WI and is a very pretty area. According to WIKI, it was named for a poem, "The Pleasures of Hope' by Thomas Campbell.

Thanks CC and Don. Great puzzle. Great write up Marti. No sure if it was a REBUS or not, but once saw IBEZ RUEZ somewhere.

Java Mama said...

Good morning everyone! What a Thanksgiving treat from C.C. and Don G. The cat theme was fun, fun, fun. Thanks, Marti, for pointing out the bonus goodie of the cat in the grid – never would have seen it on my own.

Just wanted to add my thank-you to C.C. for providing this wonderful place for all us puzzle lovers to get together. And thanks to our hard-working bloggers for their fun, entertaining and enlightening commentary. (Great photo of Grandpa Lemonade!)

All the men and women in the military and away from their families this holiday are in my thoughts and prayers – you have my most heartfelt thanks.

Splynter said...

Hi there ~!

Thanks for the compliment, C.C., and hello to all at the blog on this Thanksgiving; sort of an unpleasant one, as my dad is now in a nursing home. We will see how mom does.

As for the puzzle, took me a while, hand up for SKYY....also needed the theme for the SW, as my first fill was "MOCHA" for 48D, and "ARRAY" at 63A, neither of which I think is a kind of cat (well, maybe mocha....)

Thanks, Husker G, for one of the perpetually funny lines from a perpetually funny movie ~!

-oh- and thanks Marti, for that wonderful "seat cushion" selection~!

Splynter

creature said...

Loved everything about today's puzzle! What a super Thanksgiving treat- not too hard and not too easy.

Nice write-up, Marti and thanks for the NV-rebus. I would have never understood it.

CC the pictures and remarks were perfect and I'm grateful for them all, as well as all my fellow 'corner' pals.

Happy Thanksgiving and please make it safe.

Irish Miss said...

Good morning:

Happy Thanksgiving to all; hope everyone has a peaceful, contented day, filled with family, friendship, love, and thanks for all of our blessings.

A big thank you to Don and CC for today's "Fancy Feast". Our Dynamic Duo never ceases to amaze me with the level of creatiivity and craftsmanship that is consistenly displayed in their puzzles. Finished w/o help but it was no speed run, but a lot of fun. Thanks, Marti, for your "Cat's Meow" expo.

Another glorious day; temp to be 54 degrees and it's sunny and calm. Perfect day for eating lots of turkey!

BTW, CC, thank you for the "Rogue's Gallery" of your fellow bloggers; what great pictures of everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Marge said...

Hi all,

Fun puzzle but hard. I worked at it awhile on the site that is on this blog. No paper yet,

Nice and sunny here today. Our grandson, who goes to college in S.Florida got here last evening.We hadn't seen him for a year or so, it's nice to have him here.

I also want to say thank you to all the people who make this crossword corner possible-CC, all the constructors,Marti and all of you who do the posts that explain the puzzle, etc.

Have a nice Thanksgiving tp all.

Marge

chin said...

Fun puzzle today. Had "dongs" instead of bongs. Thinking Ding-Dong and since I cannot afford Wall Street stuff, LDO is as good as LBO.

As for the Au H2O, I remember it as Ba H2O which yields Barry M. Goldwater more fully.

Lucina said...

Happy Thanksgiving Day! Thanks, Marti, for your insight and wit.

What a brilliant CATWALK this was from the Dynamic Duo! They just get better and better. I didn't look for the theme as I must soon go in to the kitchen and start cooking. Loved it, though.

I'm ever so thankful for you, C.C. and for being able to come here every day and mingle with other passionate puzzlers.

I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Dennis said...

Marti, I forgot to mention what a fun read your write-up was, as always. And nice picture of you lurkin' in the gherkins; did you take one home?

creature, great to see you back.

Marge said...

TTP
I also thought of Onalaska Wi. when I saw Unalaska, My first roommate when I started nursing school was from there. I had never heard of it and thought she meant the state of Ak. I grew up in Baraboo and at that time didn't know much about that part of the state. It is beautiful there.

Marge

Anonymous said...

Thot there'd be some JFK reference
in puzzle or blog

TSE said...

Nice shout-out to The Theatre Cat, CC!

Steady 80 said...

So sure of REBOUNDS for 2nd shot, caused great pains for awhile. Actually, I amazed myself for doing so well on a Thursday. STEAM UP reminds me of wonderful high school dates at the drive-ins and also reminds me of a favorite Ole/Lena joke. Lena: "Would you like to go in the backseat Ole?" "No" said Ole, "I'd rather stay in the front with you."
Happy Thanksgiving to all. How do I get my name in BLUE?

Zcarguy said...

Morning all ,

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday

Tunisia is a big exporter of canned Tuna

The clue to 22A was a G81

Enjoyed all the pics , thanks to all of you , I learned alot

Y'all have a nice day !

mtnest995 said...

Happy Thanksgiving to all on this fabulous blog, including the chronic lurkers like me.

Loved this puzzle, but it was no cake walk for me. Wanted "do overs" for second shots, but it didn't fit in more ways than one, if you catch my drift.

I got rebus thanks to the perps but didn't "get it" until Marti's eloquent explanation.

Thanks C.C. and Don for another DD masterpiece.

I add my thanks to the troops for keeping us safe.

Have a blessed day, all. Those of tackling the turkey fryer, please be careful.

I'm off to get up and close to the bird!

Don G. said...

That's a beautiful thank-you page, C.C. It really does take a village.

I would like to thank all the wonderful people who write in to give us useful feedback, and ultimately help us in our quest to make enjoyable puzzles. Also many thanks to all the constructors. There are many highly creative people out there.

GarlicGal said...

Let the Food Porn begin... Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

The only thing I couldn't find in today's puzzle was a "Hard G" clue/answer! And I have come to expect it when I see Don's name.

Loved the theme. Top corner almost did me in. I just couldn't let go of SIAMESE. Which made 1A impossible to parse. Duh!

Thank you for posting all the photos of this intrepid group that keeps the blog going. Yay Team!!!

Enjoy the day.

Steven J. St. John said...

I'm confused by the clue for DPs. While DPs can be unassisted, they rarely are. The clue would be like cluing ALLIGATOR as "White reptile." Sure, one in every 2000 alligators are albino, but that makes it a weird clue!

Liked the theme and the implementation. The black squares kind of look cat-like. Getting the central entry helped a lot on the theme entries, which is how the best themes work.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

desper-otto said...

You can also find Onalaska in TX and WA. The one in TX isn't far from me.

Anon, thanks for reminding us that today's the anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination. I guess next year will be the "biggie" for all the assassination buffs -- 50 years. It doesn't seem that long ago, does it?

momnature said...

A Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am incredibly thankful for:
All our folks in uniforms who have served or are serving at home and away...
This blog, such a wondrous place to lurk and learn...
And Husker Gary's link to Grieg, that was just so cool...
Thank you one and all...
Momnature

Zcarguy said...

I always remember Kennedy's assassination , it happens to be the same as Lebanon's independence day .

Lucina said...

I forgot to mention the pics. Thank you, C.C.! It's really nice to actually see those industrious ELVES who keep us entertained throughout the week. Dennis as an altar boy is too ironic!!

Well,l my cooking is done and so now I'm off to my niece's home for turkey, sides, and Scrabble.

And yes, thanks a million times to the troops who sacrifice so much for us.

Believe me, I remember that November day as clearly as yesterday and maybe more so.

Bill G. said...

Happy Thanksgiving to all. WEES. I can't think of a better group to spend part of Thanksgiving with. Thanks to Don, C.C., Marti and all of the bloggers.

~ A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

Hahtoolah said...

It's a warm sunny day - just perfect for having a Thanksgiving feast outside with lots of people and lots of food. I wish you all a joyous Thanksgiving Day.

HeartRx said...

WDGS ("What Don G. said"!!!)

Steady 80, just click on this link to go to "Google Accounts." You need to sign up for a blogger account (it's free) and enter some minimal information for your profile. Let us know some basic information about yourself - it's always nice to "meet" new people!

HeartRx said...

SJSJ, and I thought I was clever to figure out that DPS meant "double plays!" Wouldn't the fact that they are rare make them "coups?"

Anonymous said...

A lurker here
WEES about everyone that makes this site so wonderful. I have learnef so much just by lurking. Thanks to all
Scott in H town

Anonymous said...

This was a real challenge in the more obvious responses perhaps, that being 2 and 3 down. Funny how the more obscure, the Grieg and Beethoven invade memory like a person's name you haven't spoken in years but seeing that person the name just slips off the tongue.

Such an enjoyable puzzle. Thank you!

Montana said...

Hope you all are enjoying a Thanksgiving Day.

I did the puzzle last night. I was able to complete a Thursday puzzle w/o help. That is becoming more common. I give this Corner the credit for increasing my crossword knowledge. Thankful to find an Internet connection at my daughter's. Hers randomly doesn't work.
Thanks to the person who explained how to get the puzzle on an iPad, and to the person who explained how to make it more paper-like by turning off the red letters.

Loved the write-up and all the pictures of the work crew.
I found this blog one year ago, lurked for a month, then went blue in January. I rarely miss reading the daily posts, although just recently started reading the later-in-the-day posts from the previous day before reading the new one. I have learned lots.

Thanks, CC for creating this wonderful digital community!

Montana

Bill G. said...

Montana, I just read your profile. Thanks for the input. Wow, a retired math and science teacher! Our areas that we live in are way different but otherwise, ... I'll bet I would like Montana, though by the second winter there I would probably be ready to move back. How are the summers?

I just read that "Dirty Jobs" has been canceled. Geez, I'm really bummed. I enjoyed that show a lot. It gave me insight into jobs that are definitely important but off our radar, plus Mike Rowe is a really smart, funny guy. Rats!

I don't take a lot of photos these days but I noticed what looks like a really nice little camera. It's a pocket-sized Canon with 20x zoom including optical image stabilization and lots of other features. Geez, what an improvement over point-and-shoot digital cameras of only a few years ago.

~ A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."

River Doc said...

Gobble Gobble, everyone.

Really enjoyed the cat theme today. My last cat, Spooky, was featured in the October 1996 Feline Friends column of Cat Fancy magazine. I could always count on him to be underfoot whenever opening a can of tuna….

Ever since high school biology, I use the mnemonic “Kings Play Chess On Fine Golden Silk” to recall the “order” of biological classifications….

Single malt is much better than blended whiskey, imho….

Does anyone else remember the rebus puzzle inside the bottle cap of Lucky Lager beer? This was the only beer we could afford in college, not that we were misers or anything….

WEES about being thankful for the men and women of our armed forces….

My friend Brian has this to say about feasting on Turkey Day: “My stomach is so happy because it knows it’s about to get laid….”

Enjoy! – Vegas Doc

Anonymous said...

Bill G., the joke was funny the first time.

Argyle said...

Oh man, am I stuffed!

M. Scott said...

That's what she said.

Argyle said...

At the company picnic.

chefwen said...

What a fun puzzle, my favorite animal all over the place.

Husker Gary - Sounds like a trip to the Humane Society is in order for you. No cat lover should ever be cat-less. There is someone just waiting for you.

Avg Joe - Looks like your preference is white meat. Hah!

Thank you C.C. and Don for this wonderful puzzle and thank you c.c. and fellow bloggers for this great community. Loved the pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Manac said...

Bar jokes, OK
A priest, a rabbi, and a pastor are sitting in a bar, across the street from a brothel. They are sipping their drinks when they see a rabbi walk in to the brothel. "Oy! It's awful to see a man of the cloth give into temptation", says the rabbi.
A short while later, they see a pastor walk into the brothel. "Damn! It's terrible to see a man of the cloth give into such temptation", says the pastor.
In a little bit, they see a priest enter the brothel.
"It's nice to see the ladies, who have been used so poorly, have time to confess their sins", says the priest.


Hope all enjoyed your thanksgiving!

Husker Gary said...

Hi Chefwen (Chef Wendy?),

I appreciate what you are saying about adopting another kitty as the animal shelter is within walking distance but when Emily died, it about tore my wife's heart out. Emily had urinary problems and we tried every trick we could think of and got expert help but I wound up calling the vet, catching her and having her euthanized that night. Man that was hard and we spent $3,000 on new carpeting.

We also like to travel and that wouldn't be fair to a new kitty and Joann would not appreciate getting to the sound of a feline at 6 am demanding to be fed. One daughter has 2 cats and the other has 1.

What is (was) your trade on Kaui?

Gary

Manac said...

Bill.G
You started this!
A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Irishman are sitting in a bar in New York reminiscing about home.

"Back in me pub in Glasgow," brags the Scotsman, "fer every four pints of stout I order, they give me one fer free!"

"In me pub in London," says the Englishman,"I pay fer two pint's o' Guiness and they give me a third one free!"

"That's nuthin'" says the Irishman, "Im my pub back in Dublin, you walk up to the bar, they give the first pint fer free, the second pint fer free, the third pint fer free -- and then they take you upstairs and you have sex for FREE!"

"Is that true?" asks the Scotsman. "Has that really happened to you?"

"Well, no," says the Irishman, "but it happens to me sister all the time!"

S. Malone said...

A priest, a rabbi, and a pastor walk into a bar. The bartender looks at them, and says, "What is this, some kind of joke?"

Abejo said...

Well, a priest, a teenage boy, and the smartest man in the world were on a chartered plane flight. The pilot announces that there is an engine problem and the plane is going down. The good news is there are parachutes, but only two. You three passengers will have to decide who gets them.

The smartest man in the world grabs a pack, opens the door, says "good luck guys" and jumps out.

The priest says "well, son, I have had a long and good life. You a still young. You take the remaining chute"

The teenage boy says "we are OK, father, the smartest man in the world just jumped out with my back pack."

Abejo

Abejo said...

Hey, folks. I liked all the pictures thatbwere in today's blog. Excellent.

Abejo

Bill G. said...

Heh heh. Good ones all.

A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says, "A beer please, and one for the road."

River Doc said...

So, a dyslexic walks into a bra….

CrossEyedDave said...

Well thank you Dynamic Duo. When i got up this am, i thought i would do a red letter rush through before the guests came. But you forced me to go paper & ink! I had 60% of it done, & was about to give up & go red letter, (i even had the PC warmed up) when i reread 38A & realized being a cat lover i could not give up on this puzzle!

Well, it took a while. But i managed to clean the house b/4 the troops arrived while DW cooked up a masterpiece! I had just filled in the last "i" on 60D when the doorbell rang!

It was 4 hours later that i realized i DNF because i used 2 "i"s in Glutii! (rats!)

Still looking for that Siamese!

Tx 4 Alices Restaurant!

Tx 4 North Platte Canteen!

Tx 4 Being here!

CED

River Doc said...

For those who are into cats, this is my cat Spooky playing fetch with me....

Manac said...

A guy walks into a bar
ouch!

Manac said...

Two men are sitting at a bar, slowly sipping their drinks.

After a while, the first man approaches the other man, and sits next to him. "This place is great, isn't it?" he asks.

The second man, somewhat surprised at the stranger's remark, replies, "Why do you say that?"

The first man, in a low tone of voice, responds, "Follow me." The two of them walk over to a large window at the end of the room. The window faces out onto the street, 12 floors below.

"Here's why." The first man throws open the window, and boldly steps out into thin air. But he remains aloft!

"The air currents are great here!" he exclaims. "It's very relaxing."

He floats back into the room. As his feet return to the bar-room floor, he invites the second man to try it.

The second man, skeptical, peers out through the window - down to the pavement twelve stories below. He looks to either side, and finally up above, to see if there was anything holding the first man up.

Convinced that it was no trickery, the second man swallows, closes his eyes, and steps out into thin air. He promptly falls twelve stories to the pavement below.

The first man grins and returns to the bar. Looking rather irritated, the barkeep comes over to the place where the man sits.

"You know," he says, disgusted. "You're a real jerk when you're drunk, Superman."

Andrea said...

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day! I started the puzzle bright and early, and figured out the theme, but didn't get too much farther before all the festivities got started here. We hosted at our house this year - one of my favorite days of the year. Now that guests are gone, dishwasher is unloaded and turkey stock is simmering, finally had a chance to get back to it. Quite a puzzle - thanks Marti for the great write up, and all the help!!

Thanks also to CC and all the bloggers. I do still follow nearly every day, and wish I could interact more regularly... This really is a special community.

kazie said...

Very late to the party here tonight. Just quickly, WDS with the addition of not getting REO and hence ON-INTE- remained unfinished until I gave up and hit the blog tonight. We were at DH's sister and b-i-l's today, since our kids are not in the area, and so I was gone all day.

I also need to add my thanks to all who contribute to this blog, especially CC and the blogging team--great choice of pix BTW.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

aka thelma said...

Happy Thanksgiving to all....

I am always late here so rarely say anything....but I always enjoy the puzzles and the blog even more...

I too thank CC for creating this great place to escape to... and so many thanx to everyone involved...

My blessings to each and every one of you...

T

Andrea said...

btw, wish I had some jokes to contribute. We are heavy on the Knock Knock Jokes for Six Year Olds at our house. I can never remember them on command.

JD said...

a tad late, but not too late to pay my respects to all of you who tirelessly put out a creative write up for our Corner Cronies each day.

I had no time today to even try the cw, and was bummed when I saw it was from our DD. I will save it for a later date.

Bill, thanks so much for the quick directions for roasting an upside down turkey. Delicious!

Misty said...

Rough morning for a Thanksgiving day--one of our doxies woke us up squealing in pain. Spent much of the middle of the day at Veterinary Urgent Care--the dog apparently had a wire in his colon. Still not clear if it's all removed.

Then rushed home to get Thanksgiving dinner on, grateful for supportive family. But spent more time praying for good results than just being thankful, which is what I really wanted to do today.

But I am grateful for this blog and hope you all had a wonderful day.

Dudley said...

What a good holiday. We had lots of laughs.

Bill G. said...

Misty, good luck wishes for your doggie. An emergency vet visit is not much fun anytime, especially on Thanksgiving.

chefwen said...

Misty - Hope all is well with your Doxie, keep us posted.

aka thelma said...

Misty....

My heart goes out to you.... I lost two cats this year and I will be saying my prayers for you and your puppy...

T