google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, Jun 12 2013, Jack McInturff

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Jun 12, 2013

Wednesday, Jun 12 2013, Jack McInturff

theme: FATHER FIGURES - each theme entry is an actor in a film with "Father" in its title.  timely theme, with father's day just around the corner. couldn't have been easy to fit all these full names in one grid. 

18a. "Father of the Bride" co-star : STEVE MARTIN. recently became a father, at 67.



26a. "Father Dowling Mysteries" star : TOM BOSLEY

34a. "Father Knows Best" star : ROBERT YOUNG



41a. "Father Goose" co-star : CARY GRANT

55a. "Father Murphy" star : MERLIN OLSEN

and a beautifully placed vertical crossing the center theme answer:

24d. Father's Day "award" : BEST DAD



melissa here. don't know if jack is a dad or not, but he deserves a relaxing day off for this one. (From C.C.: Jack is a 83-year-old grandpa.)

across

1. Bank offerings, briefly : CD'S. certificates of deposit.

4. Emmy winner Edie : FALCO

9. Stockholm native : SWEDE

14. Pewter with 80% tin : LEY. did not know that. wikipedia says it was used for items that did not come into contact with food or drink.

15. First husband of Bathsheba : URIAH

16. Hermit : LONER

17. Ques. response : ANS

20. Star on the stand : WITNESS. courtroom.

22. Mean : NOT NICE

23. It's uncertain when it's gray : AREA. nice clue.

24. Rite performed by a mohel : BRIS

25. USSR successor : CIS. commonwealth of independent states.

30. Force : DINT. not a word you hear often.

31. Cardinal and carmine : REDS. pretty.

32. "In that case, scram!" : THEN GO

37. Belief in one god : THEISM

39. Put in stitches : DARN. nice.

40. Disapproving sound : HISS. as in boo, hiss!

46. Freud's "The __ and the Id" : EGO

47. Cattle unit : HEAD

49. Out of the wind : ALEE

50. Brouhaha : RHUBARB. i didn't know these were synonyms, must start using this word.

52. One settling a score : AVENGER

57. Keats opus : ODE

58. First name in wieners : OSCAR. anthony wouldn't fit.

59. Carried : TOTED

60. Legal thing : RES. another obscure one for me. "An object, a subject matter, or a status against which legal proceedings have been instituted."

61. Marks on a manuscript : STETS

62. Reaches great heights : SOARS. like this.

63. LeShan who wrote "It's Better to Be Over the Hill Than Under It" : EDA

down

1. Use for scratching : CLAW AT

2. "GoodFellas" actor : DE NIRO

3. One may be used to pick Powerball numbers : SYSTEM. not my favorite clue.

4. Oft-blown circuit component : FUSE

5. Crafts partner : ARTS

6. Alibis, sometimes : LIES

7. Cleveland NBAer : CAValier.

8. Storywriter known for twists : O HENRY

9. Mattress supports : SLATS

10. Tattered : WORN

11. Like a Greek siren : ENTICING

12. Cold weather wing maintenance : DE-ICING. dig the rhyming.

13. Che, at birth : ERNESTO. guevara.

19. "Who, me?" : MOI



21. Arrest : NAB

27. Globes : ORBS

28. Appear : SEEM

29. Pres. or CEO : LDR. leader.

30. __ of iniquity : DEN

32. British Conservative's ancestor : TORY. political faction.

33. Unable to reach a verdict : HUNG

34. Natural or renewable supply : RESOURCE

35. Grafton's "__ for Outlaw" : O IS

36. Pirate's cry : YAR

37. Insulated container : THERMOS

38. Like Mount Everest : HIGHEST

41. Explorers John and Sebastian : CABOTS

42. Sought a seat : RAN. tricky.

43. Dan Quayle's successor : AL GORE

44. Had to have : NEEDED

45. Saintly Mother : TERESA

47. What hagglers split : HAIRS

48. Sea eagle : ERN

51. Sheep's sound : BLAT

52. Hammett hound : ASTA. dashiell hammet, author of the thin man series.

53. Swerve : VEER

54. Extremes : ENDS

56. Head of Hastings? : LOO. great.

melissa

 

69 comments:

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

I slogged through this one thinking I must have stumbled upon a TV Guide or People Magazine puzzle by mistake. Oh, it's a Father's Day tribute puzzle? YAR... Have I mentioned I'm not fond of lots of proper names in puzzles?

THEISM is the belief in one or more gods, btw. Monotheism is the belief in just one god.

I'm in a grouchy mood this morning, I guess. Excuse me while I crawl back under my rock...

[utualsi]

thehondohurricane said...


Good morning everyone,

What started out as a breeze turned into a storm when I reached the SW corner. Some minor errors earlier, but all were easily corrected. For 2D I had Liotta, but that wasn't working when I had an aha moment, remembering Robert DENIRO was in the film too.

For 29D had Cdr before LDR and 14A LEY was all perps.

The SW was 80% blank until MERLIN OLSEN was uncovered. Merlin died before his tme and you have to wonder how much his football career contributed to it. 47A, HEAD messed me up for a time because Ihad Herd and never thought of it as an error.

56D LOO was my favorite. Head of Hastings..... funny.

Crownb

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Jack MnInturff, for a fine puzzle. Thank you, Melissa Bee, for a swell write-up.

Theme was easy. Got them all. Just needed a few starter letters (perps).

DENIRO was my last entry. Messed around in the NW for a while. LEY was a new word for me.

On my way to Johnsonburg. See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(colfth)

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, MelissaBee and friends. I enjoyed this Father's Day special. I knew of most of the "Father" movies or TV shows and I had certainly heard of all the actors.

I'm with Barry G on the Monotheism vs. THEISM.

Technically, the word Bris means "covenant". The formal rite is actually the Bris Milah, which means Covenant of Circumcision.

King David had URIAH sent to the war front knowing he would be killed, hence leaving Bathsheba free to remarry.

QOD: Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy. ~ Anne Frank (June 12, 1929 ~ Mar. 1945)

[msentryn]

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I recognized the names, but not the roles they played. I guess I never watched many "Father" movies with the exception of Father Goose. Hard-drinking Cary Grant was hilarious.

CIS and LEY were learning moments. And STETS was long in coming. I was thinking movie script rather than manuscript.

TORY reminded me of this line from Beyond The Fringe: You have your Republican party, which is the equivalent of our Conservative party, and the Democratic party, which is the equivalent of our Conservative party.

Another hand up for Barry's observation on THEISM.

Gotta go march...

Lemonade714 said...

So the process of mixing the pewter and the tin is getting leyed? Never heard of it, but as with all Jack Mac puzzles and mb write ups a fun Wednesday. The gobs of theme and the center crossing outweigh the nits. As for BRIS clearly in American culture it is the rite, while H. is obviously correct in the religion.

The theism monotheism debate sounds like more religion, so I am off. Enjoy all.

TTP said...

Good morning all. Thank you Mr McInturff and thank you Ms Bee.

STEVE MARTIN was easy. Loved the movie and the sequel. Then looked for the other them answers. Filled in ROBERT YOUNG and CARY GRANT without having any supporting letters. TOM BOSLEY and MERLIN OLSEN needed support. 19:56.

Unknowns filled by dint of perps were LEY, BRIS, CIS, EDA.

Did not get the TA DA. Had no idea on 'Head of Hastings' but had the LO_. And 'Reaches great heights' was S_ARS. I figgerd if someone is the headliner on the stage or in a movie, why den dey would be StARS. Didn't make total sense to me that Moab's dad was a ruler of Hastings, so I thought perhaps there was another LOT I wasn't aware off. LOO indeed.

Anthony wouldn't fit. Ha ! LOL. The guy is a real dick. Also, Great pics again ! Thanks Melissa.

See all y'all later.

Mari said...

Good morning everybody, we're half way through the week.

I knew about half of the "Fathers", the others were before my time. But I was able to PERP or guess them.

I just looked up Father Murphy and the Wiki said most of the show was filmed at Old Tucson Studios. I was there a few years ago - it's a theme park now. Fun place.

I'm with y'all on LEY, BRIS, CIS, EDA and DINT.

Hahtoolah - I was going to ask you about BRIS. Thanks for the explanation.

Abejo: Where is Johnsonburg?

First game of the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins hockey playoffs tonight. About every other person in downtown Chicago today is wearing a Hawks jersey.

Have a great day everybody.

Anonymous said...

According to Merriam Webster, the definition of "Theism" is:

"belief in the existence of a god or gods; specifically: belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world"

kazie said...

A real struggle for me today. As if all the names weren't enough, there were a lot of complete unheard-ofs: LEY, BRIS (and mohel), CIS, O IS (I puzzled over what an OIS is), CABOTS (Never studied American explorations), and EDA.

Of those, the only one that remained mysterious and unperped was CABOTS, since I also had HERD for HEAD, and couldn't figure out how CRB-TS could be a pronounceable word.

I agree with others on THEISM. I think of RHUBARB more as a way of rubbishing an idea than a brouhaha.

CLAW AT seems verbal, whereas the clue suggests a noun, or at least something to be used rather than the action itself. If I claw at something, I'm scratching, not using for scratching.

Yellowrocks said...

This puzzle was easy for an "over the hill" nostalgic watcher of old TV and films. I loved Tom Bosley's Father Dowling series. He played Mr. C. in Happy days. In the Eyes episode Of Night Gallery he played as a down and outer who sold his eyes to a blind, totally self centered millionaires played by Joan Crawford. The story left a lasting impression.
I love O Henry's short stories, especially his Christmas story, The Gift. He was the master of irony.
I read several of Eda La Shan's books. She wopte that modern children are not allowed to be children and are too pressured.. "Our children are being led to believe that they are doomed to failure in a world which has room only for those at the top ... in all our efforts to provide "advantages" we have actually produced the busiest, most competitive, highly pressured and over-organized generation of youngsters in our history and possibly the unhappiest."
WITNESS for the Prosecution with Marlene Dietrich is one of my all time favorite movies.

Anonymous said...

Methinks Barry is indeed in a bit of a grouchy mood this morning. Theism may be defined as the belief in only one god, particularly when distinguishing from deism. See here:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theism?s=t

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with Kazie on the Claw at cluing.

Fun as all the shows/movies were knowns for me. Although, since it was the one at the top, I put in Diane Keaton at first for "Father of the Bride" since I think of Steve Martin as the star not the co-star of the movie.

Yellowrocks said...

There are far too many memorires to name them all.
CIS and LEY were the only unknowns but they were doable.
The clue for THEISM bothered me , too. I agree.
I have always thought of rhubarb as a heated argument. This link tells the origin of the word. Skip to the fourth paragraph to read about how it came to mean brouhaha.
Link text
The cat uses the sofa for scratching. The cat CLAWS AT the sofa.
I often hear or read "by DINT of hard work."

Vidwan827 said...

Thank you Mr. McInturff for a wonderful puzzle - really enjoyed it. I surprised myself by finishing it - which was originally in doubt. The names were mostly unknown to me, except for Steve Martin and of course, Teresa.

Thank you melissa b. for a wonderful commentary, and sweet, lovely pictures.

I was confounded by 'ley'. I generally know my alloys - I MUST read that up ! I didn't know 'Tory' originally meant 'Irish Robber/ Highwayman / rogue'. Ha-ha. BTW, I had 'Whig' before Tory - shows my ignorance on UK politics.

The latest sequel of the Avengers, or Capt. America, or SOMETHING, is being filmed all over Cleveland, for the last 2 weeks, - leading to massive traffic jams and what not. How would the movie producers reimburse ordinary people who get docked a day's pay for arriving horribly late to work ?

I was once invited to a Bris Milah, but discreetly stayed on the sidelines. There has been some heated ongoing discussion within the community, as to whether the operation should be performed by Mohels or MD's .... and as to whether general anesthesia should be administered.

As for 'theism', others have already opined, - personally, Monotheism would be my preference .... but I don't want to make a 'rhubarb' about it .....

Have a nice day, you all.

Yellowrocks said...

ANON @8:14 I stand corrected. Thanks.

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

Seems like a crunchy Wed, though I might just be foggy from sleep deprivation.

Excellent write-up MB.

Took a swag at the LEY - DENIRO cross with I instead of E. Could have been - right?

I agree with all the nits. Still, a fun, well executed puzzle with a nice patriarchal theme. and great long verticals.

Politics and religion today. I'll just add that I love Otto's Tory comment, and pray that there is no controversy.

Cool Regards!
JzB

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

I agree with Barry about THEISM.
I liked Jack's puzzle. At least all the Father figures (actors) were in my wheelhouse. Favorite clue was Head of Hastings - LOO. Have always liked the RHUBARB expression. Old time baseball radio announcers used it Learned LEY today. URIAH is the Hittite. Also liked the AREA clue.

Have a great day

GarlicGal said...

Guessed at "L"EY/C"L"AWAT. WES about clawat. Spitzboov, I like the rhubarb expression, too.

I disagree about Steve Martin/Father of the Bride and the sequel. Spencer Tracy will always be my favorite "Father". Just watched he and Katherine Hepburn in "Woman of the Year" on TCM last night. Did you see it, BillG? What a pair!

Happy Hump Day. BTW have you all seen the latest Geico commercial with the camel walking around the office asking "What day is this"? I laugh every single time!

Anonymous said...

Talk about damning with faint praise!

Irish Miss said...

Good Morning:

A lovely, early Father's Day tribute. A little bit of a crunch, but very doable. Thanks, Mr. Mac, and thanks MB for a neat expo.

We have a day of respite from the rain (although it looks iffy to me) but forecast for Thursday and Friday calls for more. The Erie Canal is closed from Lock 6 to Lock 19 because of the high water level and swift currents.

Dudley, on the local news last night, they showed all of the boats that were stranded at the Waterford docks because of the closure. That is where you went last year for the Tugboat Parade.

Happy Wednesday.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! This great Jack Mac father puzzle must set some kind of record for names. I count 16, including the dog. I had a doozie of a time trying to count them off the puzzle last night. Easier today from Melissa's great expo.

I had trouble in the NW getting started, but rolled along pretty well with perps in the rest of the puzzle.

14a I think early pewter was an alloy of lead & tin they used for tankards and plates for eating until they realized it caused lead poisoning. I'm not sure what LEY would be.

BLAT? Not baas, bahs, or bleat? New one to me.

I was out early this morning at 6 a.m. working with my flowers. 80 degrees already then. My cat had had an early bird breakfast--small black feathers scattered just off my porch. Then he curled up in the periwinkle for a nap. A CARDINAL sat on a limb above him and called him a "dirty name" over and over the whole time I was out there. I'm sure the bird was warning the feathered kingdom about that dastardly cat.

Lucina said...

Hello, MelissaBee and all midweek puzzlers. I loved the links to those gorgeous mountains.

All those fathers were familiar to me and slipped right onto the puzzle. TOM BOSLEY was the last to fall as was the entire NW. I thought PACINO was in the movie so looked it up to find DE NIRO and then it all fell in place.

The story of URIAH, Bathsheba, David, et al, is beautifully recounted by India Edghill in Queenmaker.

Head of Hastings, LOO is brilliant!

Thank you, Jack McInturff for yet another fun to fill puzzle.

GarlicGal:
That Geico commercial with the camel makes me laugh, too.

Have a beautiful Wednesday, everyone!

Bumppo said...

38D "Like Mount Everest" = HIGHEST cannot be. "Highest" is a superlative, and there is nothing like a superlative; it is unique. . . .

The dictionary says "ley" is "leu," and then it says "leu" is "a coin and monetary unit of Rumania" (sic: dictionaries and atlases both disagree on the spelling of Rumania / Romania). . . .

Thanks, Barry G., for the criticism of "theism"; and thanks, a bunch, re "blat."

Jack Mc Inturff said...

I have 4 Great-granddaughters also

Jazzbumpa said...

lemon admirer

Actually, religion is a forbidden topic on the blog - as is politics.

As the story goes, "rhubarb" for a heated altercation comes from the old movie trick of having all the extras say "rhubarb" randomly and repeatedly to simulate restless hostility. True? Beats me.

But I really love strawberry-brouhaha pie.

Cheers!
JzB

Argyle said...

FYI: Robin Stears left a post on Tuesday's comments.

Anonymous said...

Rhubarb is an old carnival term. If you are at a traveling carny and you hear someone yell Rhubarb, you might want to get out of the way because that means a brawl is starting.

Misty said...

My goodness, a lot of grumbling this morning over what was finally a sweet, delightful puzzle by Jack McInturff. Guess doing a puzzle every day for years does make us all a little picky about word precision. But I loved having all those actors emerge--though not without thinking "Why no women?" It wasn't until I was trying to figure out the theme that the FATHER thing hit me: Tada! Wish my Dad did crossword puzzles. I'd send him a copy.

Melissa, where did you ever find that adorable BEST DAD basket of cookies? And thank you for reminding us of our favorite French teacher, MISS PIGGY.

We just watched EDIE FALCO on "Nurse Jackie" last night. She is a totally terrific actress.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everybody!

Anonymous said...

Rhubarb is a species of plant in the family Polygonaceae. They are herbaceous perennials growing from short, thick rhizomes. They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular, with long fleshy petioles. Wikipedia

Bill G. said...

I always enjoy Jack Mc's CW puzzles. This one was no exception.

I saw Steve Martin in "Father of the Bride" years ago. It was a movie I could admire though I didn't enjoy it at all. It was too painful. My youngest child is a girl so I knew my time was coming as FOTB. He was left out of everything, even at the end when his daughter was departing after the marriage ceremony. He was clearly feeling empty and alone. Very sad.

I think Steve Martin is under-appreciated as an actor. Another excellent movie of his was on cable this morning, "Parenthood." Like parenting itself, the movie is in turns, both joyous and heartbreaking. I highly recommend it.

Maverick said...

Not difficult, but weird! I'll give you the unusual LEY and DINT. But BLAT, not BLEAT; YAR not ARR or ARG; RHUBARB (a vegetable) not HUBBUB or BROUHAHA. Weird! And a belief in ONE God is MONOTHEISM; THEISM is a belief in a god or gods, including monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, etc.

Anonymous said...

Rhubarb is a fruit in the US

Wiki said...

Rhubarb has been used for medical purposes by the Chinese for thousands of years.

Wiki also said...

Rhubarb can be used as a strong laxative.
Its roots have been used as a laxative for at least 5,000 years

Pookie said...

SW corner was tough, finally got it.
YR, I remeber now that you posted "by dint of hard work" before, but I DINT remember it. :~)
Sought out the Geico "hump day" commercial. Funny!

Friend sent me this awhile ago.

BABY EVIAN COMMERCIAL

Pookie said...

And one more (:36)

PAPER IS NOT DEAD

Bill G. said...

A few folks are getting their knickers in a twist about the clue for THEISM. I just copied this from my desktop dictionary. Theism: Belief in the existence of a god or gods, esp. belief in one god as creator of the universe, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relation to his creatures. Compare with deism.

I can see that the clue might have been a little less controversial if it read "Belief in a god" instead of "Belief in one god" but I think it is OK as it stands.

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-STEVE MARTIN’s father role in Parenthood was much better! “Do I have to? My whole life is ‘have to’”.
-CARY GRANT is my all-time favorite leading man
-I’ve heard lawyers say that EYE WITNESSES can be very wrong
-A BRIS seems barbaric to me
-Feed lots here can thousands of HEAD of cattle. It’s not good to live north of them.
-If there’s a RHUBARB in the NFL or NBA, players are fined big time for coming off the bench. Not so much in baseball.
-DE NIRO has been in some good movies and some schlock
-Didn’t you read O”HENRY’S Ransom of Red Chief in school?
-Will the Zimmerman/Martin jury be HUNG?
-If Weiner (not Oscar) RAN, would anyone vote for him?
-Read y’all later, gotta go see a lady about this thing…

PK said...

Pas de chat: The paper commercial is a hoot! Really a belly laugh from me.

All this RHUBARB stuff is making me very hungry for RHUBARB-Mulberry pie which I used to make on the farm. Nevermore!

Hands up for trying Pacino before De Niro. I always get those two mixed up for some reason. When I see a picture of one of them, I'm never sure which it is.

CrossEyedDave said...

Well this is disappointing, how can I post silly links about Dads? Besides, it's already been done.

Ok, ok, I saw this film last nite, & it is totally wacko,,, I give it 3 stars. (I would have given it 4 stars if it had a happier ending with the Dad getting famous for being a wacko & getting rich,..)

Anyway, watch this film, It keeps getting better as you go along, but do not expect too much. ( remember, it was recommended by CED...)

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, All the father's in today's puzzle were familiar. Must be my age. Thanks MB for all the great pictures in your write up!

Claw at was elusive for the longest time. I couldn't figure out how a use for scratching could be a cla wat! Duh! I have to agree with Kazie on this one.

Have a great rest of the day, everyone.

Chickie said...

Oh! Don't eat the leaves of the rhubarb plant. They are poisonous. The firm stalks are for cooking. We have rhubarb growing in the garden and I make a sauce from it--much like apple sauce.

Our summer treat Rhubarb and Strawberry pie!

Lucina said...

CED:
I love Little Miss Sunshine! It is hilarious movie which kept me laughing until I almost had an "accident."

Chickie and Garlic Gal:
How is your weather right now? I checked the 10 day forecast and those 70s and 60s look really good to me.

It's hard to believe that Joan Rivers is 80!!

Yellowrocks said...

Use for scratching is a verb in this sense, not a noun. I can't understand the problem.
Unfortunately my cat would USE (my sofa) FOR SCRATCHING.
My cat would CLAW AT (the sofa)Almost synonymous.

Such a rhubarb today over THEISM. Take a look at ANON's reference at 8:14.
Link theism
One meaning of theism is belief in one God. Live and learn.

PK very funny paper commercial!

desper-otto said...

Whew! Back from the periodontist...look ma, no cavities! Not much in the way of gums, though.

I thought maybe Ley had to do with the Leyden jar -- the original capacitor. Nope, that was named for the city of Leiden (Leyden).

Anon@11:22 -- I thought the carnies yelled, "Hey, Rube!", not "Hey, Rhubarb!" I guess in baseball, if you participate in a rhubarb you could wind up with a strawberry.

Pas de Chat, loved your links.

Why is it that the jury is hung, but the culprit is hanged?

CED (from yesterday), we bought a new Mr. Coffee and discovered the very first morning that it proudly went beep-beep-beep-beep-BEEP after excreting a pot of coffee. That was an outrage, up with which we would not put. I pulled out my set of Torqs, unscrewed the bottom, located the offending component, and twisted it off it's little circuit board. We've had coffee every morning, beep-free, since then.

Ol' Man Keith said...

I'm with Kazie and others. CLAW AT kept this a DNF for me, and unfairly so, as it was the only reason for an incomplete Weds puzzle. No matter how one bends the rules for verbs and nouns, or comes up with some defensive sophistry, the clue doesn't fit.

As it was I took a chance on finishing with CLAW AT. But because I did not know the perp LEY for sure (and gratefully acknowledge learning it here), I was just taking a gamble-- so I do not count this as a finish.

My first fill was O'HENRY. I remember first hearing his name as a kid when he was credited as the creator of the "Cisco Kid," my favorite evening radio show. I loved how Cisco and Pancho always ended each adventure with a joke. What cool cabelleros! Only years later, reading O'Henry stories, did I learn that the original Cisco wasn't quite the hero we were led to think. Life in Old California wasn't quite so sweet spirited.

Spitzboov said...

We always had lots of rhubarb, so my mother would make Rhabarber Grütze or rhubarb pudding, frequently, each summer, served with milk. It is very common in Northern Germany and Denmark.

Anonymous said...

Rhubarb leaves contain about .5% oxalic acid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_acid#Content_in_food_items

Maverick said...

I don't believe that any of the FATHER FIGURES won an OSCAR (though CARY GRANT did receive an honorary one).

Maverick said...

I had a strawberry-RHUBARB Noosa yoghurt at lunch today. Mmmmm...tastes like strawberry cheesecake.

Goose said...

Are you the same Maverick that killed me?

Point of order said...

maverick/2:43
Since three of the "theme" Father Figures were TV shows, they weren't up for an Oscar.

CrossEyedDave said...

Desper-otto@2:11

LOL! You will have to show me where that circuit board is. DW went to MAcy's & bought a Cuisinart coffee maker that listed for $100- but on sale for $69-, but after a coupon & her membership card, she only paid $25-??? I will not buy anything at Macy's as list is too expensive, & when I try coupons, they never work. I don't know how DW does it!

The only thing wrong with this coffee maker is that the thermostat is set to high, & it actually boils the finished coffee every minute or so, & of Course, it goes beep, beep, beep, beep BEEP when it thinks it's done...

Jayce said...

Hello everybody. BLAT as a sound a sheep makes? More like the sound someone learning the trumpet or trombone makes! Bye everybody.

TTP said...

The big storm is just about to hit Chicago Derecho From Chicago to Columbus

Ol' Man Keith said...

Jayce,
I was all set to agree with you - that BLAT is a noise emanating from a brass band or a dysfunctional car horn. But Merriam-Webster says that "to blat" is to "utter a cry like a calf or a sheep," in other words, to bleat.
Shouldn't be, I say! But it is.

CrossEyedDave said...

All this bleating about blat made me look it it up.

But you really need to go to the source for the best explanation...

TTP said...

There was a big rhubarb in the Dodgers Diamondbacks game last night. "I went to a baseball game and a hockey game broke out !"

Fortunately, the Stanley Cup Series starts tonight, so there will be some respite from all of the brouhaha. HA !

Mari, I wish I could have seen all of the Hawks regalia downtown. The Loop was doing a triple play today, and no songs from any Boston area band was played. No Aerosmith, no Boston, no James Taylor, no Donna Summer, no Cars. Of course the Loop hardly ever plays James Taylor and has never played Donna Summer...

Jayce said...

Keith Fowler, I saw that definition of BLAT, too, when I looked it up, and thought exactly as you did: that it shouldn't be but it is. My thoughts would be of Jazzbumpa, maybe, but not of a farm animal, but we all know Jazzbumpa doesn't blat.

Speaking of Jazzbumpa, I love strawberry-rhubarb pie, as well as just rhubarb pie. Another one of my favorites is the sour cream apple pie from Marie Callender's.

Speaking of calendars, LW and I are planning a few days in Santa Barbara with our son and his family. Should be fun! We're going to rent a house for a week.

Manac said...

Mari @7:58
So I guess the rest of the people there are wearing THIS? ( I'm gonna catch hell for this one) :)

PK said...

Well, we heard all those ovine cries, but I didn't hear any "L's" in there--maybe a few "T's". BLAT? Nope. I guess those woollies (with 2 "L's") know better what they really say than do the writers of dictionaries. LOL! Oh, the things one learns on this blog. Since I don't intend to converse with any sheep very soon, probably just another RHUBARB anyway. And I started it. Sorry!

Bill G. said...

I watched the Dodgers game last night and saw the brawl. I don't condone throwing at someone's head but I'm hoping this will wake up the lethargic Dodgers.

I have been enjoying America's Got Talent so far this season. The bad acts are sometimes funny and sometimes just awful. The good acts are very entertaining. It's much more interesting to me than American Idol or the like. I get tired of popular singing wannabes quickly.

fermatprime said...

Hi, all!

Nice puzzle and write-up today! Thanks Jack and melissa!

Struggled with LEY, but perps finally got it. No cheats.

Wanted Spencer Tracy!

Loved Father Goose and just about anything else with Cary Grant! I remember that the studio had to change the ending to Suspicion to keep CG from being the baddie!

Direct TV came today! So glad to get rid of Time Warner Cable. Should never have dumped DTV! (But the prices were terrible. Now, at least, they won't be for awhile!)

Turns out the pool won't be ready for another week! (Will croak from lack of exercise.)

I bought a new TENS unit that was recommended to me, called WiTouch. No wires. Difficult to put on by myself, though. Caregiver split before doing it today. Sigh!

Cheers!

Bill G. said...

Here's another really cute video; a mouse cuddling with a kitten. Mouse and kitten.

Anonymous said...

I`m rather enjoying Steve Martin`s second career as a banjo player! He`s quite good.

JD said...

Good evening Melissa, C.C., et al,

Enjoyed Jack'e puzzle. Hand up for ley, cis, dint, bris, eda, and I'll add stets, since I must live in a box that only knows def. #1 for rhubarb. :-) Had tsks for hiss for awhile too.

Best clue- head of Hastings!!!

Great theme. Knew all the dads, but took awhile for Merlin Olson. Honestly...he's right below rhubarb!!

Melissa, always enjoy your "thoughts" on Wednesdays.

Have to say the coven did enjoy our time together yesterday, and we're looking forward to seeing Dodo and Lucina next week. Melissa, email me if you are free next Thursday.

Sfingi said...

I rather liked the clue for SYSTEM. If you know "degenerate" gamblers, you know they always have a SYSTEM.

Once more, I never noticed the theme.

@Barry G - on THEISM. Wondered if he was thinking Deism, in the Masonic sense.

Prefer BLeAT to BLAT.

Easyish. Makes me fear tomorrow.

Bumppo said...

As TTP and others suggested, "rhubarb" as "brouhaha" is a baseball term. A rhubarb is an argument on a baseball field. It does not have to result in a brawl to be a rhubarb, but sometimes it does. . . .

I agree with all those who said "use for scratching" is not a proper clue for "claw at." To use another baseball term, that's a foul.