google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 Joel D. Lafargue

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Jul 10, 2013

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 Joel D. Lafargue

Theme: CUES AND CUDGELS.  Each theme entry ends in a synonym for a round stave or pole.

20A. Member of a "joint" military group : CHIEF OF STAFF. A decision maker with a walking stick.  Two disparate meanings of the word STAFF.



28A. Franklin invention : LIGHTNING ROD. A conductive metal pole fixed to the top of a building and grounded to deflect the energy of a lightning strike.  In slang, a person or thing that draws a lot of criticism.



46A. Make a relay race connection : PASS THE BATON.  A relay is a race run in segments by a team of runners.  Passing the BATON, which is just French for stick, from runner to runner is the connection between the race segments. 




 55A. Cocktail accessory : SWIZZLE STICK.  A small skewer used to hold garnishes and stir a drink, so named for the Rum Swizzle, the national drink of Bermuda. Bottoms up!

Hi gang, JazzBumpa here. I didn't recognize Joel's byline, but a quick Google search indicates he's been at it since at least 1988.  It looks like this is his 5th LA Times entry since this blog started.  Let's see if he passes the baton smoothly, or uses it to beat us up.

Across:

1. Urban rails : ELS.   Elevated trains.

4. "__ life!" : THAT'SSinatra.

9. Self-satisfied : PROUD.

14. 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year __ Gasol : PAU.  He played with Memphis until 2008, and since then with the Lakers.

15. Put back to zero : RESET.  Back to square 1.

16. Total : RUN TO.  Kind of an odd phrase, but legit.

17. " ... book by __ cover" : ITS.   It's what's inside that makes the difference.

18. Author Jong : ERICA.  Is she still afraid of flying?

19. Many times : OFTEN

23. "__ evil ..." : SEE NO.  At least when I cover my eyes.

24. Time of one's life : ERA.  Nice word play.  An ERA is a notable time span. The time of one's life is a notable event.

25. Pub. of an oft-quoted journal : AMAAmerican Medical Association.

33. Full of mischief : DEVILISH.  But not usually in a malicious way.

36. Like much of King's work : EERIE.  I wonder if Stephen King ever wrote a weird story about an eagle's nest near the shore of a Great Lake?

37. Verbalized sigh : ALAS.  Woe is me.

38. Buddhist shrine : STUPA.  Here is where Joel got out the cudgel and gave me a sharp rap between the eyes.  The word comes from Sanskrit and literally means "a heap."  The shrine is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics and used as a place of meditation.

41. Injured, in a way : TORE.  A muscle or ligament.  Sounds awful.

42. Jazzman Jackson and cartoonist Gross : MILTS.  MILT Gross was a popular American cartoonist from the 20's through the 40's.  MILT Jackson was a vibes player discovered by Dizzy Gillespie in 1946 who was an original member of the modern jazz quartet in 1952, and went on to record well into the 80's. Milt.

44. More easygoing : MELLOWER.

49. Kalamazoo-to-Cincinnati dir. : SSE. South by South East. Wouldn't be a very good movie title.

50. Billion-year span : EON.  A bit more than the time of your life

51. Waits : BIDES.  I can't BIDE my time that long.

59. Traditional Islamic garment : BURQA. It's like wearing tent.  The "Q" threw me.

62. Dough raiser : YEAST. Not a fund raiser, though both involve bread.

63. One of the Khans : ALY.  Not AGA.  Needed perp help.

64. Words before "Gave proof through the night" : IN AIR.  I hope we all know what song this is.

65. Clerical residence : MANSE.

66. Short snooze : NAP.  I haven't had one in a while.

67. Incessantly : NO END.  Sometimes ON END, and that never seems right.

68. Like one's big brother : ELDER.  I wonder if this is how my little sister thinks of me.  I don't think I'll ask.

69. Chowed down : ATE.  Or, perhaps, devoured.

Down:

 1. "Lawrence of Arabia" and others : EPICS.  The story, not the man.

2. Bat maker's tool : LATHE.  A small theme echo, perhaps.
 
3. "Wake Up, Little __" : SUSIEThe Everly Brothers, from back when I was a pre-teen
 
4. Girl Scouts emblem : TREFOIL.  French for three leaves, it's a stylized clover image with three profiles superimposed.  Also a cookie.

 



5. Protagonist : HERO.  Is a protagonist sandwich made with provolone?
 
6. "Yeah, like that'll happen!" : AS IF. Sarcasm.
 
7. Sleuths, briefly : TECS
 
8. New York's __ Island : STATEN
 
9. Hardly G-rated : PROFANE.
 
10. Win by trumping, in bridge : RUFF.  That is the correct word.  If you say, "I trumped it," some stuffy bridge player will look at you funny.
 
11. Que. neighbor : ONT.  Quebec and Ontario, Canadian provinces.
 
12. Beehive State native language : UTE.  And eponym for the state.  Nice cluster of Native American words.
 
13. Put on : DON.  As in, gay apparel.
 
21. Doesn't need to be drafted : ENLISTS.  Two ways to get into the armed forces.
 
22. Bush spokesman Fleischer : ARI.
 
25. One-way sign shape : ARROW.
 
26. Wavy pattern : MOIRE.  Looks MOIRE less like this.



 
27. "Doe, ___ ..." : A DEER.  I still hate that awful song.
 
29. APO mail recipients : GI'S.  American military service personnel.
 
30. FDR's successor : HST. Harry S. Truman was president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  The S didn't stand for anything.  It's true, man.
 
31. Opposable digit : THUMB.  But I've never been opposed to THUMBS.
 
32. Start the assignment : GET ON IT.  I associate these words with "right away."
 
33. Moistens : DAMPS. Dampens - sure; DAMPS - I dunno.  Looks like gratuitous verberization.
 
34. Inventor Howe : ELIAS. He invented the sewing machine.  HOWE 'bout dat!
 
35. Ballroom dance, in Burgundy : VALSE.  Waltz, in Brooklyn.  Ravel.
 
39. Green veggie : PEA. Comes in a pod.
 
40. Flight stat. : ALT.  Altitude.  Not the usual 3 letter flight abbrv.
 
43. Wine list presenter : STEWARD.   Why did I want sommelier?
 
45. Maine dish : LOBSTER.  Another nice word play. I've never been to Maine, but I did have LOBSTER in Rhode Island.
 
47. __ polloi : HOI.  Greek to me, meaning "the many," and used in English to insultingly denote the unwashed masses comprising about 47% of the population.
 
48. Digestive protein : ENZYME. A protein molecule that acts as a catalyst in digestive processes.
 
52. Rigg who played Mrs. Peel : DIANA.  Of course. Now Lady Olenna Tyrell, as you can see at the photo source link.

 

53. Brilliance : ECLAT. A learning moment.  It comes into English via Old French.
 
54. Internet calling service : SKYPE.  The next best thing to being there.
 
55. One of 16 in a 4x4 tile: Abbr. : SQ. IN.  Square Inch - simple - no?  But here is where Joel beat me severely about the head and shoulders with a sheleighly.  Having missing the "Q" in BURQA there was no way I could make sense of SKIN for this fill, no matter how hard I SQINted.
 
56. Enthusiasm : ZEAL. But my ZEAL did not wane.
 
57. Catch, as a fish : LAND.  Can you LAND a fish if you're in a boat?
 
58. Being, to Brutus : ESSE.  Latin.
 
59. Storage receptacle : BIN.  As, the dust bin of history.
 
60. Colorful card game : UNO.  Good game to play with the grand kiddies.
 
61. Actress Charlotte : RAE.  Edna Garrett, from  the TV sitcoms "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life", which I never watched.

Well, I'm a bit bruised, but survived.  Time to take some acetaminophen and head for bed. How did you do?

Cool Regards!
JzB 


Note from C.C.:

Happy Birthday to Don "Hard G", my very gifted, patient and generous mentor & friend!


Don & his lovely wife Barbie

73 comments:

Barry G. said...

Morning, all (and a very Happy Birthday do Don)!

I thought this was going to be a speed run at first, but then things started to get a bit weird...

RUFF? TREFOIL? MILTS? STUPA?

All right, so I should have known TREFOIL since I'm pretty sure I've seen it before, but seriously... RUFF??? That just looked so wrong that I had to keep checking and double-checking the perps to see where I had made a mistake. I finally just decided to ignore it until later and was therefore very surprised to actually get the *TADA* at the end.

[aredneyo]

HeartRx said...

Good morning JazzBumpa, C.C. et al.

And Happy, Happy Birthday to Don G. You are my idol!
.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:.

Argh – a DNF for me today. I had BURkA instead of BURQA in the SW, and scratched my head wondering how a SkIN is one of 16 anything. Somehow I have the feeling that I am not the only one who will make that same mistake today! We’ll see…

Another mistake that did correct itself in the north was putting “wHAT a” instead of THAT’S life. But the NY island and the Girl Scout emblem looked a little suspicious before I changed it.

I didn’t even look for the theme as I was solving, but the theme entries almost filled themselves. I filled in SWIZZLE STICK with only the –ST- in place. Crazy.

I did enjoy seeing some unusual entries like STUPA and MOIRÉ. All in all, it was a pleasant romp for hump day…

…except for that stupid burqa.

River Doc said...

Happy Wednesday everybody!

Technical DNF today. Didn’t know the “Q” of BURQA, so I spelled it with a “K” which gave me SKIN instead of SQ IN….. Seems like this Waterloo is a common one for the Corner Crew today….

I’ll be utilizing SKYPE tomorrow night for a video interview with the client for my next job…. Isn’t technology wonderful…?

Wasn’t RUFF the name of Dennis Mitchell’s dog…?

Didja notice that EON and ERA mirror each other in the puzzle…?

Strangely enough, the Beatles’ film HELP! is dedicated to ELIAS Howe, but you have to stay until the end of the credits to catch it….

IT’S positively EERIE how the once PROUD Giants franchise seems to have lost the ZEAL to win lately. A lot of the pundits SEE NO END in sight to their recent EPIC Slump. They need to ENLIST a HERO, a LIGHTNING ROD they can RUN TO when they need one. It’s AS IF there is something DEVILISH IN the AIR at the ballpark. All of which leads to some pretty PROFANE language on my part as I THUMB my nose at the standings every morning. ALAS, THAT’S baseball. Maybe it’s time to PASS THE BATON to another team, just as long as it’s not the Dodgers (sorry, Bill G…..)

Hahtoolah said...

Good Morning, Jazzbumpa and friends. After getting the LIGHTNING ROD, I was off an running. BATON is also the first word in a city in Louisiana.

Having been a Girl Scout, TREFOIL came easily.

Anyone else go for Older instead of that ELDER brother?

I would not do well if I had to wear a burqa

Happy Birthday, Don G!

QOD: One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation. ~ Arthur Ashe (July 10, 1943 ~ Feb 3, 1993)

[tepenhe]

Abejo said...

Good morning, folks. Thank you, Joel, for a swell puzzle. Thank you, JZB, for a swell review.

As others said, started easily, then got tough.

I also had BURKA. My cruciverb puzzle would not tell me I had it all done. Started with the alphabet putting in letters for the K. When I got to Q it gave me the finish sign. Then I remembered how people in the Mideast spell some words and how we anglicize them. OK.

Theme came easily. I do not use SWIZZLE STICKs. No mixed drinks for me. No booze.

Can never remember if it is ERICA or ERIKA. Today I lucked out.

Took five perps for STUPA. But, it is Wednesday.

Same for MOIRE.

Lots to do today in Johnsonburg. Heading out tonight.

See you tomorrow.

Abejo

(omhoush)

Abejo said...

Happy Birthday, Don G. Many more.

Abejo

(purpolon)

thehondohurricane said...

Good day everyone,

This was a SOB today. Only the theme fills came easily, a lot of the remaining fills were a grind. SQIN was not one of them though. but BURQA had me scratching the dome. RUFF, RUNTO, TORE, MILTS & DAMPS (Hated it) were taken on faith. Had Emirs before EPICS, & Zest before ZEAL.

STATEN Island was a gimme.... my better half was raised there. Was a nice place in the early '60's, now it is a legit NYC borough.

It all came down to 25 A, 41A, & 26D . Wagged an L & a R giving me Ala, TORE. & Loire. Half right so another DNF.

Have a nice Hump day

[nitudd]

thehondohurricane said...

Forgot before.....


Happy Birthday Don G. Always lopok forward to your offerings.

desper-otto said...

Good morning!

I didn't recognize Joel's name, but I was sure on his wavelength. This one turned into a speed run for me, even though I didn't get the theme until after I'd finished.

RUFF was a learning moment. I thought perhaps it could be RIFF, but RUN TO was solid. I try not to burn my bridges until I come to them.

I ENLISTed. Nothing to be PROUD about, though. I'd already received my "report for physical" notice.

JzB, I can just hear you singin', "I've never been to Maine, but I kinda like the music..."

Speaking of music, it's march time...

Lemonade714 said...

Happy birthday Don and many more.

WEES.

PK said...

Hi Y'all! I was PROUD to finish this puzzle just one second over yesterday which left me MELLOWER than with puzzles over the weekend. Thanks, Joel.

HBD to one of our DEVILISH constructors Don! (Meant only in the nicest way.)

Learning moments: STUPA, which sounds like how I feel after some puzzles because they are so RUFF. I too remembered Dennis the menace's dog.

PAU Gasol is one of my two favorite Lakers, partly because he looks like my ELDERest brother although about 8" taller.

TREFOIL remembered from a short stint as Girl Scout.

Backed into BURQA, having already entered SQ IN, a gimmee from my remodeling days. The only way they'd keep me in a BURQA is with a sewn-in A/C.
Why do those people who live in the hottest countries wear the most clothes?

We'll soon be using APO or SKYPE for contact with my AF son, who is scheduled to be deployed to one of the coolest hot spots. Or maybe he can take his IPad.

JD said...

Good morning all,
Thanks for the write up, Bumpa.
All of the same stumpers as all of you.. And more. Had all of for total and scary for eerie. ETA to ARR to ALT. Hand off Baton to pass the baton, but in the end it all worked out with some Google advice.

Happy birthday Don! We always look forward to your CC collaborations . YOu are the best mentor ever!

LaLaLinda said...

Hi All ~~

Pretty much WEES ~ Burka/Skin instead of BURQA/SQIN ~ yep. Caught the theme early - most everything flowed smoothly. Thanks, Joel and thanks, JazzB, for an enjoyable/informative write-up.

~ Write-over: On end/NO END. All perps: STUPA, MILTS, and MOIRE.

~ Last to fill: NE - wasn't sure of RUFF and UTE.

~ We had LOBSTER here at home last night instead of in RI. For the past 30 years during July, we'd be taking in the salt air at the cottage we rented. It was swept off its foundation, and then demolished during Hurricane Sandy and the new one won't be in place until next summer. It seems so strange. We're planning a few day trips to the beach in the same area during the next few weeks.

~ Happy Birthday, Don G ~ hope you have a wonderful day!

Dudley said...

Hello Puzzlers -

Zoomed right through, somehow. Already had Sq. In. filled in, so the alternate Burqa spelling was no problem. Stupa was all perps. Theme fills were a breeze.

Moiré was already familiar - as a kid I liked posters and such containing Moiré patterns. I later came to like Lissajous patterns, which are similar; they are often features of laser light shows.

So, for those keeping score: Wicked is an excellent musical. The Broadway production was spectacular!

HeartRx said...

Hahtoolah, your QOD is from a person that I deeply admire. Arthur Ashe was a loving father and husband, and was devoted to his wife Jeanne Moutoussamy. He contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion during heart surgery, and spoke openly to educate others about the disease.

Not only was he one of the world's greatest tennis players, he was an incredible human being. He was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

More people should read his biography, instead of trying to tarnish his name.

Yellowrocks said...

Fun puzzle, Joel. Just right for a Wed. I was on your wave length. JzB, I like your style. Very entertaining.
-The only hiccup was spelling BURQA with a K. I have seen it written many times and should have known better. I could not accept SKIN. As I was driving Alan to work I was musing 4x4, what unit? Feet, no inches. I pictured a grid ruled off in four rows of four. 4 times 4. OHH, square inches!!
-I have long known moire or moiré as a wavy patterned fabric, so that was easy. JzB expanded my knowledge of the word, but his image of the pattern made me cross-eyed.
Link moire fabric
-All bridge players know RUFF. If you read the bridge experts’ columns you see it all the time.
-I needed auto repairs on Monday and was told it could RUN TO $1000. It totaled $987. Today the motor in one of my power windows died with the window down The car’s in the shop and I have a free loaner. This time it could RUN TO $500. With 172,000 miles, I guess it is time for a new car.
-According to the dictionary DAMPS for moistens is okay, but dampens is more common.
-Have a very happy birthday, Don G. I love your puzzles and your duos with CC.

Spitzboov said...

Good morning everyone.

Realized we were dealing with cudgels and so got SWIZZLE STICK easily. STUPA was new. Hung up briefly on the Q in BURQA; guess it's an Arabic transliteration thing. SQ IN made sense, although 4x4 (inches) had to be assumed.
Good breezy write-up, JzB, and nice puzzle, Joel. Thank you.

Dudley said...

Yellowrocks reminded me of a discussion that sometimes pops up in aviation circles, about damp vs. dampen.

Most airplanes with tricycle landing gear have a device called a "shimmy damper". It is designed to arrest the natural tendency of the (steerable) nose wheel to shimmy, or oscillate, at higher speeds on the ground. Some pilots get to wondering whether it ought to be called a "dampener" instead, but this notion overlooks the engineering use of the word damp, which means suppress, especially of vibration. I don't think that "dampen" ever has this meaning.

Lucina said...

Hello, Jazzbumpa and all. I, too, like your style, Jazz.

Your blog was more amusing than the puzzle, IMHO. Though it was a speed run at the top, WEES about the unknown STUPA, RUFF, and, of course BURQA beat me up. I left BURKA without a second glance. That was a big mistake.

Like Yellowrocks, I know MOIRE from my sewing days. It's beautiful fabric.

DAMPS as a verb just sounds wrong.

Marti, thank you for setting the record straight on Arthur Ashe. Some people seem to thrive on spreading gossip although it has been well publicized that Mr. Ashe received a contaminated blood transfusion.

Happiest of birthdays to you, Don G.!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! As if to mock me my captcha is ctsQun

Spitzboov said...

Dudley - I once used a shopping cart whose front wheels shimmied.
Seriously, re Damp - Dampen; Merriam Webster defines them interchangeably for both meanings.

In German a Dampfer is a steam vessel

Montana said...

Drats! I thought I was going to complete a Wednesday puzzle, but the Q did me in, so a DNF.
I correctly WAGed the M in AMA and MOIRE; I couldn't think past New England Journal of Medicine and no initials from it would fit. But my guess was right.

Happy birthday, Don G.

Montana (still in Colorado)

Anonymous said...

Awkward, and no fun. Puzzles that have no flow are simply no fun to do. Too daunting for a Wed IMHO. Hate puzzles where the constructor has to prove how clever they are, save it for your boorish friends.

Just a headache.

CrossEyedDave said...

Hmm, I am having a bad W.A.G. day!
While I am p"r"oud to get "r"uff, & never wavered at "M"oire/A"M"A, I totally messed up @ 35D va"t"ze thinking 42A was mi"t"ts. (Ack! just noticed I missed yr link Jzb, I bookmarked it to watch Milt later.)

&, of course, I got skinned by burka. (rats!) (how could I not question tiles with skin???)

JD, I was watching "Ferdinand" from yr link yesterday (tx) when I noticed this 2 down in the YouTube playlist. I thought it would be appropriate for a Jzb Wednesday!

Oh, & JD, while I hesitate to link Ray Willaim Johnsons' =3 due to profanity, this clip is quite mild & has an amazing swimming baby! In perusing yest, I cannot help but be reminded of teaching 3 girls to ride a bike. (what a nightmare! But that was before I had to teach them to drive...) But I remember training wheels to be great if you slowly increase their height, making the bike wobbly. They learn balance while gaining confidence. However handbrakes are a must! (pedal brakes are just too hard when you are learning!)

Lastly,,, This is too heartwarming to pass up! Can you hear me now?

CrossEyedDave said...

Hmm, I may have gone over 20 lines on that last post (Sorry) But can you blame me?!

& I forgot to wish Don G. a Happy Birthday~(keep those puzzles coming pls!)

But I wanted to add, Yellowrocks,,, the moire pattern made you Cross-Eyed? (I didn't notice anything at all...)

desper-otto said...

Spitz@10:31 -- Only once? You must not shop at Wally-World. That's our nearest dept. store (the next is 10 miles further), so we're there quite often. I think they specify "front wheels must shimmy" when they order new carts.

Happy Birthday, Don Hard G. I do enjoy your collaborations with C.C.

Lucina said...

BillG:
Did you know that today is also Sofia Vergara's 41st birthday? Flowers might be nice . . .

PK said...

Oh, JzB, how could I miss thanking you for your very witty commentary & links? I had some good chuckles.
You never disappoint me.

windhover said...

Anon @ 9:12:
Everyone else is too nice, so I'll ask: What do you wear when you shove your head up your ass? Can you see in there?

And Anon @ 10:34:
I agree totally. Cleverness should have no place in puzzle construction. We much prefer banal and boring, like our shabby little anonymous lives, don't we?

And finally, Yellowrocks:
I don't know what the $987 repair entailed, but replacing a window motor shouldn't run over $125, $150 tops. Get a 2nd opinion.

Irish Miss said...

Hi Everyone:

A few bumps but a solid finish w/o help. Fresh fill and a clever theme made for a satisfying Wednesday challenge.

Kudos to Joel and bravo to JazzB for a snazzy expo.

A very Happy Birthday to Don G.

Marti, I also thank you for your comments about Arthur Ashe. Your kind and sincere words helped to counter- act the disgust I felt reading what the cowardly troll wrote.

Happy Wednesday.

Hahtoolah said...

Marti: you are so right about Arthur Ashe. He showed true courage. One of the New Orleans public schools that survived Katrina is named after Arthur Ashe. He is a role model for the students.

Ol' Man Keith said...

My learning moment today was RUFF. I don't play bridge (one of my few regrets) and only got this word through perps.

I wonder, do cool bridge players underplay the moment? Do they smile slyly as "Ruff" slides off their lips? Or, invoking onomatopoeia, do they bark it out dog-like to be sure the table knows who the alpha critter is?

All in all, an easy one today. I hesitated between SKIN and SQIN, but noticed again that the answer was to be an abbreviation. STUPA made me think twice. I know the word, but it struck me for a moment as somewhat insulting, close to STUPE.

Ol' Man Keith said...

And thanks to Hahtoolah and all who set the record straight re Arthur Ashe. You don't have to be a great tennis fan to appreciate what a gentleman he was. I have a particular admiration for him after spending many early career years in the south, just post segregation, and forming a sense of what an unjust system that was and how even its legacy continued to harm.


As for AIDs, I wonder that anyone needs to "explain" its source to insure sympathy for any victim.

Tinbeni said...

Jazz: Thank you for a very informative write-up & links.

The themes fell easily enough, but (for a Wednesday) my "perps" had to work overtime.
MOIRE, STUPA, VALSE were all 100% via perps.

Hand up for 'K' in BURQA ... so, ALAS a DNF.

Happy Birthday Don G. my "first toast" at Sunset is to you.
Cheers!!!

Misty said...

Fun puzzle, Joel, except for that rotten Q in BURQA. Helpful expo, JazzB, thanks to you too. I have to admit though that the MOIRE image makes me dizzy just looking at it.

Marti, and others--I very much appreciated your tributes to Arthur Ashe.

Happy Birthday, Don. What a great looking couple you are!

Hoped to get an estimate on getting a furnace/air conditioning unit installed in our almost 50 year old home. So many complexities, it's probably not going to happen.

Have a great Wednesday, everybody!

Chickie said...

Hola Everyone, Hands up for Burka instead of Burqa. I also didn't know ruff, stupa, or Milts. so much for the don't knows. I did know Moire, Éclat, and Bides, so I guess that evens it out.

I thought that Time of one's life was a great clue, and Maine dish was clever, too.

I misread One of 16 in a 4x4 tile as 4x4 title. I scratched my head, especially since I had misspelled Burqa and had skin for the answer to the clue. So this was a DNF for me today.

I did get the theme and that helped me get the last answer of staff.

I'm making bread and butter pickles today so I've got to run. I'll read the blog when I had a little bit of down time.

A very happy birthday to Don. Such a nice picture that C.C. put on today.

Have a great day everyone.

Thanks Jazz for clearing everything up for us.

Anonymous said...

G'Afternoon All!

Total DNF all over the grid - 1d Erics? Not knowing 14a either, why not? Moire was somewhere in the mind's cobwebs, but at 42a I dropped matts w/ 34d and 35d unknown. Also had Trifoil leaving Irica (16a).

Theme, however, was solid. 28a didn't need a single perp, and after ENZYME, I could SWIZZLE a STICK.

Happy B-Day Don - I do enjoy your puzzles. Hopefully you don't spend your's like I did mine yesterday at the DMV to stay legal on the road.

Abejo - no booze? I assumed your avatar opened beer bottles!

Well, with a Wednesday DNF, I'm going to DON my BUR(K/Q)A and hide in shame...

Cheers,

-T

Husker Gary said...

Musings
-A 9 iron in a storm can become a LIGHTNING ROD for an idiot
-BATON PASS in slo mo. It’s dang hard at a full sprint (nice uniforms!)
-“Ernie, you’re out. Overhead railroads, you’re in.”
-Computer beating you? Just hit RESET
-Great example of DON”T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
-A lotta women ain’t happy with the BURQA any more
-The Heat is PROFANE but that’s part of our ERA
-Do, Re, Mi may be a terrible song, but how ‘bout the background?
-The Asiana pilot misjudged his ALT and lost his tail section
-QOD corollary, the more I practice the luckier I get
-Count me in as an Arthur Ashe fan.
-Anyone remember a famous Oriole (et al) pitcher named MILT?

Husker Gary said...

For no particular reason
-Some shows Joann watches have men with this look. Is that attractive to some of you women? How do you achieve it? Are there razors you can set for 2 day old beard?

Tinbeni said...

Husker: I believe Milt Pappas was the Oriole pitcher.
He was traded (with others) to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson.

Anonymous said...

Husker Gary:

Yes they do. The nice lady that cut my hair pulled out a Andis trimmer to tame my 4 week growth. She said she doesn't use it often (because it is heavy), but trimmed me up enough to please my wife. [No, still I'm not "Ben hot"].

-T

Jazzbumpa said...

Hi gang -

This puzzle was fun to review.

HBD DON [who did get a call-out in the puzzle] G!

Kieth - At party bridge someone might give a DEVILISH smile as they say "RUFF," but serious bridge is played in almost total stony silence, and without dogs.

Dave - What a great cartoon. I've never seen it before.

BTW, I'm cross-eyed, too, and cross dominant.

Gary - Can't come up with the pitcher, but the old Cleveland Brown had a QB named Milt Plum, who, IIRC was also a Dentist.

Cool regards!
JzB

Pookie said...

JazzB, Thanks for Milt Jackson. Sheesh, how could anything be better than the RIFF composition Bag's Groove, or Cedar Walton, Billy Higgins and Buster Williams?
Everyone, this is how a jazz bassist
should play. What a GROOVE.

Could one of the powers that be remove the offensive and outrageous Anon comment @ 9:15?
That should never have made it through. Please?

Pookie said...

Sorry, 9:12

Argyle said...

Once an offensive comment receives feedback, it just makes people wonder what it was. To leave it up places the shame on the anon.

Yellowrocks said...

Windover, thank you for your concern. It is a power window and manufacturers sell only the entire assembly whether you need it or not. The same with many exhaust system repairs. You used to be able to replace small parts and now you need to buy an entire exhaust assembly which is unnecessary.
I will probably get away with spending about $425. I am hoping for a $75 discount. I have been a regular customer for 15 years.
This article leads me to believe I was not ripped off.
Link power window

Windy, thank you for your two ANON comments. My thoughts exactly.
Chickie, bread and butter pickles? YUM! Save some for me!
Cross Eyed Dave, HA HA. I thought of you when I commented. What a precious baby in Can you hear me now. A delightful heart warming miracle.

Hahtoolah said...

Argyle: I don't think it is possible to shame an Anon.

Lucina said...

HG@2:01
I'm glad you asked about that because ever since it has become popular I absolutely detest it! I don't know who started the trend but IMO he should be examined for serious problems.

Even my sensible son-in-law had the look for a time. I'm glad he finally shaved it clean though I never said anything.

Pookie said...

Argyle @ 2:27
I disagree.
Many snarky anon comments were removed defaming Lemonade. Yes, bloggers who checked in later were confused, but confusion pales in comparison to a PERSONAL ATTACK aimed at a deceased person of great character and accomplishment.
The comment offends me and others, I suspect, as well.
C.C.?

Yellowrocks said...

HG 2:01 Not my cuppa joe. I like clean shaven men or men with neatly trimmed beards. Further more, I find young men to be great eye candy, but I find men over 50 to be sexier. Don't be insulted, you young eye candy guys. I'm too old for you.
I misspoke. I am not getting a motor but a power window regulator assembly. Before they took the door apart I fixated on needing a motor.
I loved Diana Rigg in Mission Impossible. I can't conceive of her as old. I always picture her as young and sexy.
My older son says he doesn't conceive of me as old because I have a young attitude. Thanks, Dave. I'm usually in denial until, as happened last night someone snaps a candid shot of me. OMG
Even in Lemony's case the ANONs look ridiculous and shoot themselves in the foot.

Bill G. said...

Happy birthday Hard G!

The intersection of BURQA and SQIN did me in. Also, MILTS and STUPA.

Ooh ooh! Sofia Vergara's birthday! Thanks Lucina. Maybe I'll get her a present. Flowers? Do you know her address? Actually, I'm guessing it's no more than 15 miles from here.

Another good slide show from NBC. Animal Tracks.

Bill G. said...

I've always liked courtroom dramas. The Good Wife being the latest example. Boston Legal was another favorite. Of course, the courtroom scenes were often secondary to the character interactions. It's interesting how the writers have had to take the idea of courtroom dramas and change the real thing extensively to make it interesting. The Trevon Martin/George Zimmerman trial is a perfect example. The lawyers' interactions with the witnesses are repetitive and often annoying. Thank goodness, the one time I served on a jury wasn't too tedious.

Two quiz questions:
1) Which same three-letter word can be placed in front of each of the following words to make a new word?
SIGN, DONE, DUCT, FOUND, FIRM, TRACT, DENSE
2) A rectangle has two and a hexagon has nine. How many does a triangle have? An octagon?

Anonymous said...

Con

Don G. said...

Hello, Everyone

I am sorry that I cannot comment on today's puzzle. I worked on my birthday. That usually does not happen. I'll have to correct that when I turn 60 next year.

Many thanks to a very talented C.C. for honoring me today. She's teaching me now just as much as I ever taught her. I would not be doing much puzzling if it were not for her inspiration. She pulls stuff out of me that I did not know was there. And very many thanks to all of you who cared enough to express your greetings today. I am glad you all are keeping the puzzle interest alive.

Yellowrocks said...

Bill G. CON occurred to me instantaneously. Too bad ANON gave it away. The second question was not fair. You neglected to say that the polygons were regular. For example. a scalene triangle has no lines of symmetry, unlike an isosceles triangle or an equilateral triangle.

Yellowrocks said...

Bill G. I found the answer to #1 instantaneously. Too bad ANON gave it away. Your #2 is not fair. Although, I assumed so, you did not state that the polygons had to be regular. A scalene triangle has NO lines of symmetry, unlike an isosceles or equilateral triangle.

Spitzboov said...

I forgot earlier. Happy Birthday to Don G.

Lucina @ 1049 - LMAO

Bill G. - Triangle 0; Octagon 20.

Let's Dance

Anonymous said...

WHY are all the nasty anon posts (and windhover's profane one)being left up? Has CC changed the policy here?

Pookie said...

Here we go AGAIN.
STOP IT!

Bill G. said...

Spitz, excellent! YR, I always try to be fair though I may sometimes screw up. Your thought about lines of symmetry is a good one though not quite what I had in mind this time. A regular hexagon has six lines of symmetry, not nine. Anyway, the idea of lines of symmetry is close. Any other ideas?

Abejo said...

Anon. 1:49

I like and drink beer only. No hard liquor or mixed drinks. I especially like the microbrews and craft beer. While in PA it is Yuengling Lager and Porter.

Abejo

(ulposed)

Anonymous said...

Not from any of the anons above but TO one, maybe two of them; "Let he who is perfect cast the first hateful, hurtful comment."

Anonymous said...

Folks:

Internet 101 teaches "Don't Feed the Trolls." I don't _know_ anyone on this list, so if anyone knows Lemonade enough to actually _know_ if he/she is a Con, then Lem knows who it is and will cap Anon if it's true...

I do know personalities and love hearing about everyone's day an troubles with the x-word. For that, it's worth a Troll or two.

Cheers,

-T

HeartRx said...

Bill G., I found some great x-word entries in the Animal Tracks pix today:
Addax
Onager
Meishan (pigs)
Nyala
….Awww, and who wouldn’t like to see a “MADCAP MONKEY” in their grid??

Spitzboov @ 4:03, interesting musical interpretation of “Swan Lake”?!?!

Argyle said...

Google found no connection between "Charles Horn" and "Jason Chapnick". Hence the deletion of the previous post.

PK said...

Spitz, Loved the dance medley. Dancing can be such a
joyous thing.

BillG, loved the animal tracks, although I wait with anxiety to learn how Marti will use her new words.

Why, when we here on the blog have repeatedly shown that we are not interested in old scandals, does some anon continue to bombard us with his poison? It's done, get over it! Who cares all these years later? This is cyberspace, not reality. Your crap doesn't belong here.

Anonymous said...

CH - I'm sure you have a windmill to tilt against and feel harmed, but this is not the forum. Unless it crosses 55a we don't really care - kinda like Franklin and his "air baths" and whores - he's still a father of our country and great inventor (28a). See how I did that?

Cheers,

-T

Argyle said...

Ok, Charles Horn, are you happy now. From now on I will delete anything related to this. You had your say, now go away.

Jeffery Skilling said...

I agree. Let's move on.

Irish Miss said...

What PK says: AMEN,,,

fermatprime said...

Greetings!

Happy birthday, Don G!

Swell puzzle, Joel! Great expo, Jazzbumpa!

Had no trouble with SQ IN. No cheats. A nice Wednesday effort.

Where did all of the snarky anon posts come from, CC!

Cheers!

PK said...

I don't care if someone stole money from your retirement account. You should have known better! And don't whine to us if your kids college fund was stolen. Hey, he was ordered to pay restitution, right? So you may get your money back one day.

JD said...

Pk, I think you would care, but that isn't the point. It has no place on this blog. It is none of our business.

CED, that clip was heartwarming.Aren't you continually amazed at the inventions that pop up almost daily that make life better for many... not the ones that are shown on ONLY SEEN ON TV.

@ pedal breaks. We got old new cruisers ( or new old cruisers) last summer to go biking. EEE-gads Pedal brakes are not for old people either. Luckily, we just cruise around the neighborhood.

Hahtoola and Marti, Arthur Ashe was an inspiration to so many, and Keith, you are so right, he was a true gentleman on and off the court.

Spitzboov, great video!

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

I deleted the attacking posts.

However, this will happen again, because this anonymous who

1) Keeps changing his names, even his email name is fake;

2) Keeps changing his stories, either on the blog or to me via emails some time ago

will do the same thing again. It's impossible to stop him, unless I click the button which will disallow posters like PK and Misty from commenting.

You'll help me greatly if you just ignore rather than engage and provoke more venom from them.

Thanks.