Puzzling thoughts:
This appears to be the second collaboration between Gary (not the comic strip artist/author) Larson and Amy Ensz. We saw their first one on Sunday, March 27, of this year. That puzzle used some familar Star Trek (CSO to Picard) terms and names, and the title was "The Final Frontier". Today's puzzle has a few familar phrases/names that were punned when the letters "EL" were omitted
As I alluded to on Monday, this puzzle was not as difficult; perhaps because most of Gary Larson's puzzles are "tight" and contain easy-to-suss entries. Let's see how the 'EL they came up with them!
17-across. *Genetically engineered retriever?: DESIGNER LAB. If you add the letters "EL" to "LAB", the phrase "DESIGNER LABEL" is one we all know and maybe own, despite their being grossly overpriced
24-across. *Colleague of an Idaho farmer?: POTATO PEER. Cute. Add the "EL" and you get "POTATO PEELER
36-across. *Advice to someone who doesn't want more kittens?: FIX THE CAT. Another brilliant play-on-words! The "EL" provides us with "FELIX THE CAT". Remember this cartoon movie?
52-across. *Teaches tricks to circus animals?: LION TRAINS. Tack on an "EL" to LION, and you get: "LIONEL TRAINS". I'm pretty sure I got a set of these back in my youth
And last, but not least: 57-across. *Food and water supplied during a marathon?: RACE RATIONS. Here, the "EL" goes after the second "R" and forms "RACE RELATIONS"
And of course the reveal: 67. Holiday song, and, phonetically, an apt description of the answers to the starred clues: NOEL. No "EL"
Maybe Gary and/or Amy will stop by and offer their comments as to how this one formed. On to the rest of the clues and fill!
Across:
1. __-relief: BAS. I always like it when I can begin filling in a crossword puzzle with 1-across. Given the three-letter entry, "BAS" immediately came to mind. What does it mean? [according to Pigmentti dot com] "Pronounced bah-relief, the term originally stems from the Italian phrase basso-relievo which directly translates to low relief. Artists create a bas-relief by sculpting onto a 2D plane to create and accentuate figures and objects, producing a 3D appearance which can be viewed from all angles with little distortion"
4. Sacks: BAGS. Which crossed with the singular, "4-down. Sack: BED.
8. Loose strands of hair: WISPS.
13. Tonsillectomy doc: ENT. Also, a treebeard in Lord of the Rings
14. Class struggle?: EXAM. TEST also fits
15. Point of contention: ISSUE.
16. Binary pronoun: HER. Along with its "clecho" in 34-down. Binary pronoun: SHE. Now that we have two female editors on the LA Times Crossword Puzzle staff I am guessing that we'll see more "HER's" and "SHE's".
Most people think of pronouns as they fall within the gender binary– with men using he/him/his and women using she/her/hers. However, gender neutral pronouns such as they, ze, xe, and others exist and are often used by non-binary people, who do not associate themselves with genders of man or woman
Of course, I couldn't pass this one without a haiku:
Do women in Penn-
Sylvania prefer drinking
At a HER-SHE bar?
20. Many a Riyadh resident: ARAB.
22. Family chart: TREE.
23. NYC airport near Citi Field: LGA. Citi Field is the home of the NY Mets; LGA is the airport code for LaGuardia
28. Care follower: BEAR. These plush toys
29. Relatively small upright: PIANINO. According to Merrium-Webster dot com: "Definition of pianino:
1 : a small upright piano especially : a 19th-century upright piano of limited range
2 : a coin-operated player piano
This:
30. Tammy of country: WYNETTE.
32. NFL stats: YDS.
33. Socket set: EYES. I initially thought of tools. You?
35. Let up: EASED.
39. Star in astronomy: SAGAN. As in "Carl" SAGAN: Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator
42. Of all time: EVER.
43. Hr. to go: ETD.
46. __ knot: WINDSOR. Does anyone still wear a tie anymore? I used to tie mine in a half WINDSOR, and made sure that the "dimple" was nice and straight! Here are the two WINDSOR knots, along with a four-in-hand:
And for those wanting a refresher course on how to tie them, a video:
49. Successful candidate: ELECTEE.
51. God with good aim: EROS. Cute clue
54. "Better Call Saul" network: AMC. I've not watched this but I hear it's quite good
55. Interminable time: AEON.
56. Nevada city: RENO.
62. Future louse: NIT.
63. Clip: SHEAR.
64. Draft category: ONE-A. I'm sure that a few of us guys who were of age back in the Vietnam War days had this category. I was ONE-A; then TWO-S; then ONE-H
65. New prefix: NEO.
66. Nonsensical: SILLY. I resemble this comment!
68. Start to sneeze?: ESS. The phonetic spelling of the letter "S"
Down:
1. "You should smile more": BE HAPPY. Or an erstwhile Bob Marley "hit" song; try to get THIS tune out of your head today!!
2. Barometer type: ANEROID. Dictionary dot com describes it as: "a device for measuring atmospheric pressure, often specially calibrated for use as an altimeter, consisting of a box or chamber partially exhausted of air, having an elastic top and a pointer to indicate the degree of compression of the top caused by the external air"
3. Soprano Teresa known for her recording of Berg's "Lulu": STRATAS. Another proper name with which I was unfamiliar; a CSO to CanadianEh! Here is a brief biography
5. Body spray brand: AXE. Popular among the younger crowd. I still have a bottle of the "original" Old Spice
6. Beetle juice?: GAS. Say it three times and the price per gallon will increase another thirty cents
7. Clobber, biblically: SMITE.
8. Port producer: WINERY. A CSO to Chairman Moe, I guess ... Port wine is made similar to "regular" wine, but goes through a shorter fermentation period to allow a greater amount of RS (residual sugar) to remain in the must. The wine is then "fortified" by adding distilled alcohol (usually brandy) to add more "proof" to the finished wine. This enables the wine to retain a sweeter flavor as well as to allow it to preserve longer. "Regular" wine is about 13.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), whereas Port is at or near 20%
9. "Amazing Grace" ending: I SEE. Copied from its lyrics:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I SEE
10. Abbreviation on old maps: SSR.
11. Young hens: PULLETS. In my early days of crossword puzzle construction I tried coming up with a puzzle that had punned phrases about fowl. This was one of my entries: PULLET SURPRISE (clue:*what a young hen got when she won an award for literature). The puzzle was rejected ...
12. Data storage company: SEAGATE. Read all about them
18. Got bigger: GREW.
19. Exposed: BARED. One of my limericks from the past:
In the nudist camp's recent enclosure,
If you join there, requires exposure
Of your BARED naked bod.
That is not really odd.
They are just giving you full "dis-clothesure"
21. Shut out: BAN. Also a brand name of a body spray - or deodorant
25. Promotional links: TIE-INS. Do you think there's one for WINDSOR Castle, or knot??!
26. Chalcedony with black and white bands: ONYX. Hard to solve this if you didn't know what the word Chalcedony means
27. One who's well-versed: POET. A CSO to many here at the CC Blog
28. Exhausted: BEAT. What I sometimes am after creating my recaps
31. Not as far: NEARER. CLOSER also fit
36. In things: FADS. Hula Hoop was the first FAD that came to mind
37. Square: EVEN. "Are we square?"
38. Hibernian, e.g.: CELT. If a CELT sleeps for a long period of time, do they Hibernian-ate?
39. __ jar: SWEAR. In the Apple TV show "Ted Lasso", one of the main characters, Roy Kent, has a 6-year old niece Phoebe who maintains a SWEAR tracking notebook for her uncle. Each time her uncle SWEARs, it costs him one quid. At the end of Season 1, Roy's SWEAR "jar" had a value of £1,236 (expletive below)
40. Meteorological concern: AIR MASS. I am leaving this blank for Ray-O-Sunshine to quip!
41. Ristorante dumplings: GNOCCHI. If Anonymous_T is lurking, maybe he can further enlighten us on this Italian dumpling
43. __ Aigner: fashion house known for accessories: ETIENNE. A DESIGNER LABel, for sure
44. Sneaks on the court?: TENNIES. A British term I think - short for Tennis Shoes - and the clue "sneaks" is short for sneakers
45. Classic autos advertised with the Cole Porter song "It's De-Lovely": DESOTOS. I was just a little tot in 1956 so I don't remember this ad
47. Cow owner in a Rockwell painting: O'LEARY. O'LEARY and 19th Century Immigrants in Chicago. There's a common myth that pops up anytime the Chicago Fire of 1871 comes up in conversation: that a woman named Catherine O'Leary was milking her cow when the cow kicked over a lantern, igniting the barn and starting the fire that would destroy much of the city
48. Real hoot: RIOT. A more positive way of clueing this word
50. Caboose, e.g.: CAR. BUTT didn't fit
53. Salad topper: ONION. They'll take your (good) breath away
55. Shrinking Asian sea: ARAL. Crossword-ese
58. Caterpillar roll fish: EEL. Ingredients: What is Caterpillar sushi made of? Known for its unique insect like appearance, the common caterpillar roll contains rice, nori sheets (nori = seaweed), cucumber, EEL (Unagi), and avocado. The interior of the roll includes eel and cucumber and the exterior is rice with the layers of avocado
59. Peace activist Yoko: ONO.
60. Word that indicates a name change: NEE.
61. ESPN reporter Paolantonio: SAL. This guy
Here is the grid:
On a personal note, today marks the 2nd Birthday of my grandson, Elliot. Kinda fitting that the puzzle involves the letters "EL", though I don't think I will call him by that nickname (unless his mom and dad do). Here is a picture of him a week before his birthday. Your Gramps loves you, Elliot!
Sorry, I had to include this as well ... aren't the laughs of little kids contagious??!!
65 comments:
I had a little trouble coming up with the first " binary pronoun" ( thinking it might refer to a male in some way) but other than that, this puzzle WAS easier than many in the week leading up to it. FIR, so I'm happy.
Good morning!
Wasn't familiar with the term PIANINO. Looking at STRAT_S and BA_ (N or R) wasn't helpful. That conundrum and putting OPAL where ONYX needed to go really slowed things down. Got 'er done in the end, but it probably ran at least four minutes longer than it could have. Thanx, Gary, Amy and C-Moe. (Pullet surprise, indeed.)
O'LEARY : Everyone's heard of the Great Chicago Fire, but few remember the Great Peshtigo Fire of that same date. Nobody knows for sure, but it's estimated between 1500 and 2500 perished in the Peshtigo fire -- at least five times more than in Chicago.
TIE IN : When I was old enough to wear one, my father taught me how to tie a necktie. I had to lie on my back during the lesson. He was an undertaker.
Enjoyed the amusing theme which I picked up from the POTATO PEER, but they were all fun.
Always a challenge when much of the NW was filled by perps, but very few write-0vers because I just left answers open until the perps helped me fill in the less/unknown.
I love GNOCCHI - but I have never tried to make them at home.
I had TYSON (for Neil DeGrasse Tyson) before SAGAN and tried to use the T for some kind of tip jar but it was not to be.
Thanks CM (cute grandson) and Gary & Amy!
DNF. Once again the NW corner did me in. Pianino, aneroid, and Stratas were totally unknown to me. Got the theme tho, very clever.
Took 13:43.
I need to voice my objection over the use of the phrase "known for" in the clues (e.g., Soprano someone known for..., and fashion house someone known for ...). Known to whom? Certainly not to this anonymous solver who does not like circles.
I never saw the clue for "noel" (thank you perps), so I didn't realize there was a reveal until coming here (thank you Elliot's grandpa).
Also, the theme answers just seemed pretty dull. "Fix the cat" seemed obvious, so did "lion trains".
I've complained about the use of all the proper nouns lately (and today is no exception), but in fairness, I guess I should acknowledge the two pronouns (her, she) today.
Good morning. I noticed NO EL after DESIGNER(EL) LAB & POTATO PE(EL)ER but it was a DNF today.
The NW was not finished. I took multiple meteorology classes in college and grew up in a house with a piano and organ but didn't know the terms ANEROID or PIANINO. ANEROBE fit but I know it was wrong. SPINETTE had too many letters; SPINET too few. STRATAS was one letter off a low cloud, complete unknown. SILLY me; KS, now I SEE I'm not the only one who didn't know those.
SEAGATE- I had one of their backup drives before I started backing up everything on the cloud using both Google and Microsoft.
ETIENNE- all perps for that unknown.
DESOTOS- my friend restored a 1957 DESOTO; painted pink
FADS- we have a couple of Hula Hoops and when everybody's over for bbq or crawfish boil we have contests. I'm no good.
Anon@ 7:25- BE HAPPY, it's just a puzzle
Good Morning:
This was a cute theme and an angst-free solve. The only unknowns were Aneroid, Seagate, and Sal and Onyx, as clued. Some fun pairings were Even/Ever, She/Her, Bear/Bare(d), and the eye-catching One/Neo/Noel/Reno. My favorite C/A was Beetle Juice=Gas. Another treat was the creature colony with Cat, Bear, Lion, Pullets, Eel, and Lab. CSOs to Moe (Winery), Ray O and Anon T (Gnocchi), Academics (Exam), and Owen and Moe (Poet).
Thanks, Gary and Amy, for some Friday fun and thanks, Moe, for the very entertaining and informative expo. Half of the visuals didn’t show up but I enjoyed the ones that did and will make a return trip to catch the others. Chuckled at your Her She Bar quip. Elliot is a handsome little guy and his laugh is indeed contagious! Just what the doctor ordered!
RIP Ray Liotta. He was terrific in Goodfellas and, in recent years, was outstanding in the TV series, Shades of Blue, playing a dirty cop.
Have a great day.
FIR, faster and easier than the usual Friday, The cute theme helped. Stratas, SEAGATE and SAL were new to me, but perps led to good wags. Much easier than yesterday's for me.
KNOWN FOR was okay by me, not known by everyone, but famous for. There are many well known and famous people whom I do not know.
Amazing Grace has more than one verse, so "I see" is not the end, but just the end of the first verse, but I quickly saw what was asked for.
Yesterday I viewed my nephew's streaming funeral from the Chicago area. Many years ago Tim was badly beaten by a gang who entered his college apartment at night. He was brain damaged and had to leave college. He was functional, but mentally disabled and needed a metal plate to cover a gap in his skull. A few years ago he had a stroke and has been one step above a coma ever since then. So sad.
I will get my second booster today. I was scheduled for it a month ago, but was in the ER at the appointed time.
FIW. I erased ANEROID for ANiROID because I thought the other binary was Him, and ST. mATAS seemed better than ST. RATAS or STRATAS.
Memorial Day is at hand, and with it comes the start of beach season. So I first thought "loose strands" would be "pubes", but thought better of penciling it in.
The proctologist left an AIR MASS up my, er, body when he performed my recent colonoscopy. When it expelled itself I thought he had left a trombone up there.
I thought of Owen first for 'well versed".
I can't be misdirected anymore by those "start to" clues.
Actually, it was bobby McFerrin that made "Don't Worry, BE HAPPY" a hit. Marley covered it.
Thanks to Gary and Amy for the fun puzzle. I liked it even if I erred. And thanks to C-Moe for the heads up that today's puzzle would be a good one. Oh yeah, and for the fun review too.
How did I turn on italics? I didn't include any html in my comments. Does my post appear italicized to other Cornerites?
Musings
-What a delightful puzzle. My final chore wasn’t with the fill or getting the gimmick, it was sussing F__IX THE CAT.
-I wonder if Gary or Amy knew of STRATAS before constructing this or was it “any port in a storm”
-Lincoln has a master brick maker who made this amazing BAS Relief sculpture
-On 1/5/09 US Airways flight 1529 took off from LGA. 4 minutes later, Sully Sullivan had to land it in the Hudson River
-Speaking of water disasters, the band was playing NEARER My God To Thee when what happened?
-GORDIAN knot would have fit very nicely at _ _ _ D _ _ _
-I loved the cluing for I SEE. I had to sing it all the way through first but…
-These EOT’s (End Of Train) devices have phased out CABOOSES
-Loved seeing cute Elliot bumping Grandpa in his CABOOSE. :-)
Knowing AMC for Saul was a big help. But I had climate/AIR MASS and that created a mess
2,3 Downs were complete perps. Friendly perps though
That's a great clue, C-Moe, I call fowl on that editor.
There's one(Nudist colony)* north of Tampa that even had an AA mtg. No luck, though. Instead of identifying everyone just compared
Newest FAD is Wordle.
Hmm. DESOTO isn't driven recklessly. Who'd want to buy ?(according to the Mad Men)
Emperor Nero probably concocted a similar story to blame the Christians
Obvious? F(el)IX THE CAT wasn't but extremely clever. I new (E)L had to be added but I thought it was just the sound
That trombone quip was ROTFL, Jinx
FIR for Wilbur, at last
WC
** I just can't think of the name. Jinx have you been there?
Gary, that was Elliot's dad in the video
Finished the puzzle, sort of...
Scratching my head at designer lab, (never saw label...)
And was sure I finished with "fix the cattle..."
Anywho,,,
I gotta get tuxed up for the wedding!
YR, actually the words "I SEE" follow each refrain in Amazing Grace. Google the lyrics. I was surprised by that as well, but didn't want to publish the entire song on my blog CM
No italics on my end, Jinx. Very funny comment about the "Air Mass"!! CM
Well I BARRED through this one in 19:34 (SO to DNLC SS 👊🏼). FIR so I’m happy (SO to Sub)
Thank you Gary L and Amy E for the Friday challenge, very clever theme, and I liked the four letter reveal kind of hidden away on the bottom. Also to Patti whom I’m sure had a hand in the clueing. Unknowns were STRATAS, ANEROID and SEAGATE, so they were resolved by perps.
Thanks C-Moe for another humorous and informative synopses, always enjoy your Friday offerings! I too was classified ONE A till the draft lottery, after drawing #199 I was reclassified as ONE H and they only drafted to # 35 my year I believe.
D-Otto ~ I’m very familiar with the Peshtigo Fire as I’ve been through the town on many occasions. There was a much greater loss of life than the Great Chicago Fire which occurred at the same time, but being a small town in Northern Wisconsin, Peshtigo didn’t get nearly the publicity.
WC, the nudist community north of Tampa is in Lutz, FL. There are actual neighborhoods there of single family homes that are connected through the backyards to a nudist area. Florida has several legal nudist spots. Haulover Beach (north of Miami) is perhaps the most well-known CM
MC@ , now "I see." The first verse and the last verse, but not those in the middle.
Like others, I was a HAPPY puzzler today with an easier FIR. Is it really Friday? Definitely no complaints from me today. I even got the NO EL theme with the second themer like inanehiker. The NW was slower but the perps started helping out. Thanks, Gary and Amy.
There were the usual WOs since I don't wait patiently before entering fill: DESIGNER dog, PIANolo, frEE/I SEE and dEAd/BEAT. Lots of interesting fill today, explained and added to by C Moe with much appreciated humor. Thanks!
Liked seeing Beatle today. Bought one new in 1965 and filled it with GAS for years. Actually it was the only car I have picked out and purchased by myself.
Hope everyone has a good Friday!
Jinx@9:36 a.m. - Everything is appearing on my screen in italics, too. It's still possible to read it, though, so I'm not complaining too much, even though it IS a little annoying.
The italics started with RayOSunshine Guessing he forgot to close his italics. We have seen this blog bug before.
I loved the NO-EL theme! Last one to figure out was FELIX -> FIX
Here I was with my LIONEL TRAINS as a kid!
I was stumped for awhile with the BINARY clue, mistakenly thinking it was looking for a NON-binary pronoun. My mistake. FIR.
Favorite clue was SOCKET SET for EYES. Yes, I fell for the tools misdirection.
From Yesterday:
Thanks for all of the Kent State OHIO stories. It was a transformative moment for our country. My brother's friend Laurel Krause in his wedding photo yesterday will never get over losing her sister there. Understandable, since there was never any official acknowledgement by those responsible.
What a fun puzzle. The hardest for me was designer lab, I didn’t think of label.
What a cute grandson. Going into the terrible 2s period.
Everyone is now in italics. So elegant.
Sorry gang about the italics..I no longer have a preview option that would prevent me from from publishing an open < >. Any one know how to get this option back let me know .
Fabulous, fabulous Friday. Thanks for the fun, Gary and Amy, and CMoe (HBD to your grandson).
This is how a CW should be! There should be no Thumpers today.
Any obscure names were filled by perps. This Canadian had an “almost Natick” not being sure of AMC and SAGAN, but SWEAR jar seemed to fit (although I thought of Mason jar first).
The theme reveal was not until the end (hello IM), and even then, it required some work to find the varied location of the missing ELs in all the themers. What can I say except “Patti take note!). No FADS. Lots of fun.
There was some great clueing too - TENNIES, EYES (not wrenches), EXAM, HER and SHE, Sacks clue crossing Sack clue.
No NITs today.
We had a LAB, CAT, BEAR ( crossing BARED), LION, PULLETS, EEL for our critters today.
Time for lunch. I’ll read you all later.
Wishing you all a great day. BE HAPPY.
Hola!
What is going on with all the Italics above?
Thanks to Gary and Amy for the Friday fun! It took very little time to TIE this together.
I liked the clue for EXAM, class struggle?
Not familiar with SEAGATE.
Not only FIX THE CAT, but all our pets were fixed. We did not want any surprises. Not including the snake but that's another story. Sigh.
As children we always called them TENNIES.
God with good aim. Changed THOR to EROS.
ETIENNE filled with all seven perps. Never heard of it.
Now, at my advanced age, my hair settles in WISPS but in my youth it was thick and coarse.
I took a chance at spelling WYNETTE and got it!
I've never eaten GNOCCHI or EEL.
My writing is not in Italics but I'll see what happens when it's published.
Have a fantastic Friday, everyone!
It all switched to Italics! That is surprising.
Lucina, as with you, Etienne took ESP for me. And speaking of acronyms, what is a "NIT"? I'm pretty sure it's not in the Comments Section Abbrs, unless I just didn't look hard enough.
Well, no italics yet--will they come on when I post this message?
Fun Friday toughie--many thanks, Gary and Amy. And you too, Moe.
Of course, EXAM for class struggle made me laugh.
Got PIANINO even though I've never heard of one, and my spelling-checker just underlined it as a mistake.
Liked getting ELECTEE--another spell-checker mistake under-liner.
"Amazing Grace" will be in my head all day. Is that what they call an "ear-worm"?
Have a great weekend coming up, everybody.
Yep, italics came on.
Husker, in these parts the EOT (end of train) device is usually another diesel engine pointed in the opposite direction.
Anonymous@10:17, is it called HaulOver beach because the bathers are nekked all-over?
SubGenius, a "nit" is a baby louse. But in this case it's just a minor point that some nitpicker is pickin'.
Lets see if italics on appears as normal type.
Nope. Doesn't work.
I haven't see any italics so far other than what Ray-O and DO intended. I'm feeling a bit left out but we'll see what happens when I post this.
Ray-O, assuming you created and copied your 9:28 comments elsewhere and didn't create it in the comments field of blogger, and assuming you still have them, then edit and add the closing tag after the words, What was that
ie, it should be, < i > What was that < /i >
Spaces added. Remove the spaces in the tags.
Nope, still none.
Felix the Cat and a Her She bar. A great start to a very busy next few days. Have a great long weekend, everyone!
I do the puzzle and compose comments during brief breaks at work outside the blog then, copy and paste them and "preview" before attempting to publish. If I didn't notice that those symbols weren't closed when I "previewed" I would be blocked from publishing comments until I made the corrections. Now without the "preview" option the comments are published even with those mistakes. My blog publishing site suddenly changed a couple months ago, among other things, the preview button disappeared. Again sorry about screwing up everyone else's comments
Yay! A lovely puzzle! Nice theme, beautifully executed, fine clues. Thank you, Gary and Amy and thanks to the Chairman. Happy Birthday, Elliot!
WC - I have never been to a naturist (not nudist) resort (not even our nearby White Tails), but I have a funny story about a pal who has. He and his wife used to go to one somewhere near Tampa (don't remember the name). They are very fit, participating in sports year around. He told me that one year his wife spent some extra time getting toned for the trip, because she wanted to look her best for their vacation. They had a great time and got great tans. The next year he asked her if she was ready to make reservations for their customary vacation. She said no, that last year a lot of people stared at her, and that made her uncomfortable. He replied "duh", and slept on the couch that night.
I have been to a lot of nude beaches, including Haulover. Many in California (before I moved to Phoenix and met my DW), and Orient Beach in St. Martin. We went to St. Martin for ten days, and my wife agreed to go to Orient. She told me that she might go topless, but there was no way she would get completely nekkid. On the way to the beach we stopped in a beachside bar for a drink. I went to the men's room, and when I got back she was sipping her beer with her top in her tote. We finished and went to the sand, and while I was arranging our site, her suit bottom joined the top. A good time was had by all. (We also visited the Sunset Bar, where topless women drink free, but she didn't like the cameras. We also didn't go to the adjacent beach to get sandblasted by departing jets, but it was fun to watch the young adults who were into it.)
The only other clothing-optional place we went to together was the Garden of Eden in Key West, above The Bull and Whistle bar. Neither of us felt comfortable undressing, since other heterosexual couples were remaining clothed. Except the cute bartender, who was topless.
Ray, it's not your fault even if you caused it. Software facing the general public has to be more robust than that.
My bad. Bob Marley didn't cover "Don't Worry, BE HAPPY". He had been dead for 7 years when the song was written.
I liked this puzzle. "Beetle juice" is clever. I, too, tried to make SPINET fit and thought of TOOL before EYES. INANE changed to SILLY. As kids we used to tell a really SILLY joke about a PULLET. I stumbled a little about ONION being a salad "topper" since I have only seen onions in a salad.
It's Friday. BE HAPPY.
Husker G @ 9:47: These EOT’s (End Of Train) devices have phased out CABOOSES'
That they have ... I've seen them also called FREDs, for Flashing Rear End Devices.
Jinx is correct -- the bug is system-wide. I just tried italicizing and then deitalicizing FREDs to see if that would work, with no luck. Ah, computers! (You all know that, aptly, in Spanish the word is "computadores," whose inner structure I leave for your discernment.)
It's computadoras, feminine. I looked it up to make sure.
Now the Italics are gone in my posting but let's see what happens when it's published.
I just went to see the movie, The Duke, which is supposed to be based on a true event, the theft of a painting. Outstanding cast headed by Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. Good show.
Does this appear in italics?
I wrote the first sentence in Word and cut and pasted. Now I am writing directly in the comments section.
Did no one note how sick my nephew was for all these years?
Yes, it was regular in the comments section, but I see it published in italics.
Tough but do-able, for sure, my friends.
I am happy to see our Chairman Moe's samples of his poetry. I must add, however--speaking as one who has been exploring the art of haiku--that the second line is a bit controversial.
Poetry is notorious for requiring the sounding out of otherwise slurred syllables. (Unless, of course, a specific level of "folksiness" is indicated.)
"Sylvania" is often spoken with three syllables, but it is actually comprised of four.
A fine-tuned reading of the line yields eight syllables.
O, the Horror!
~ OMK
____________
DR: Just one diagonal, near end.
With just two vowels, the line offers only limited anagram possibilities. I will opt for this one (8 of 15 letters):
"BRETHREN.
But we can add two more letters by borrowing vowels from the half diagonal in the adjacent upper line.
And this will enlist my courageous XWD PEERs, among those willing to gird for battle, my...
L(oi)N BRETHREN"!
Why has the world turned to italics? For emphasis of course.
I do not believe Moe, OKL or any poet here truly feels bound by conventional rules...but then what do I know?
OMK - I lived in the Keystone State for 17 years. I think nearly everyone there called it (phonetically) PEN SILL VANE YAH, not PEN SILL VANE EE AH. But then again one side of the state called long sandwiches subs, and the other hoagies. Eastern PA folks said soda; W PA folks said pop.
And here I thought you were going to sing me because I hyphenated the word to fit the 5-7-5 pattern! Technically, too, my Moe-ku's are actually a senryu ...
Lemony: I actually DO pay attention to meter and syllables in my ku's and l'icks. I'm a bit OCD if it didn't already show! 😀
Ding me; not sing me. Doh! C-Moe
My favorite local pronunciation is for the city and county of San Bernardino, CA. Everyone that isn't from around there says "SAN burn are DEE no". Folks from there say san burr DEE no". Some use a compromise of "san burrDEW".
Certainly more like a front-end-of-the-week challenge, definitely a reversal of the usual Monday to Friday grading difficulty. Nary an inkover or false start to a quick FIR.
No offense honestly but when did a good old fashioned mutt (often rescued) become a designer pooch costing an arm and a paw. 🐕 + 🐩 = 🌭
SEAGATE (with some perpaid) came outta nowhere... means I somehow remembered something from a previous puzzle. "Better Call Saul" a fave. I love GNOCCHI but choose to avoid them in a restaurant when the server refers to them as ga NOCKY 🙄 and any food made with caterpiller.🤢
ANEROID, my colo-rectal surgeon took care of mine.😚. And if you're a POTATO PEER, see a urologist ASAP. (That's gotta hurt!😖)
PIANINO?...wha?.. figured a spinet piano is kyna like a sawed-off "upright". TENNIES? STRATUS? Took 2 beats and a head slap to parse GAS for the VW Beetle...cleverrr! "Real hoot" (not an implant?🤭🤭). Does FELIX THE CAT know about your plans to FIX him? (He says he ain't broke 🙀)
Place for complainers....WINERY.
Little lass complainer...WYNETTE
British afternoon inaugural "gala"....ELECTEE
Scrap the building addition...NOEL
What was that?....SAGAN
C Moe: ...Loved HER-SHE Bar and Pullet Surprise 😄
Everyone enjoy the long weekend. 🌤
The elegant (per Tante Nique) italics disappeared while I was composing my sequel.. TTP’s magic.
Now I get a second round of LOL’s with Ray-o’s comments (especially about fixing Felix).
But it was Jinx who took up CMoe’s challenge re AIR MASS.
Thanks C Moe for PULLET surprise.
Then there was d’o’s tie-tying lessons on his back.
What a HAPPY day.
Now I know why STRATAS came to mind with just a few letters perped. Canadian advantage (even if I didn’t recognize Lulu).
I have a SEAGATE external hard drive.
IM beat me to the creatures.
A waiter at an Italian restaurant in Toronto told me long ago that GNOCCHI was pronounced no-key. I hope he was correct because I have remembered it all these years.
YR and Anon@10:07- only the first verse of the hymn version of Amazing Grace ends in I SEE. The last verse ends in Begun. The Pentatonix modern version that comes up when you Google has musical bridges and an added ending using the first verse.
YR- what a sad story re your nephew Tim - a promising life changed by violence, and then years of hospitalization, pain, and endurance for him and the family. Condolences to you and the family. May that last verse of Amazing Grace bring some comfort.
CED- congratulations to the HAPPY couple. Trust that your daughter’s wedding day is great.
Picard- loved the photo of you as a kid with your trains. I inherited my uncle’s Lionel train, which was a Christmas present in the early 1940’s. The grandkids love it!
Good evening all.
I rarely post, but..
Yellowrocks, I noticed. That must have been very difficult for your nephew, as well as his family. And those last years, with probably no real hope of improvement, must have been excruciating for you all. I never have had to endure such a waiting period, and my fondest hope is that my family never has to on my behalf.
Canadian and Sandy, thanks for the comfort. It was especially hard for my IL sister when she could no longer drive to Ohio to see him.
I see the italics have all been removed from this afternoon. What's up with that?
We repeat the first verse of Amazing Grace and use it as the last verse, too.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see.
Was Grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace will lead us home
And Grace will lead us home.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
Was blind, but now I see
YR- yes, there are many variations and verses (up to 13 by some reports). There is some question as to which verses were actually written by John Newton or were added by others later.
I am familiar with these other two verses.
The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Moe, why are you anonymous?
Yes I did use bold italics intentionally. Life can be fun
Lemonade @ 8:26
I was too lazy to switch back to the web version. My phone allows me to reply directly to a post but won't identify me as C Moe
This blog is weird
These new puzzles are weird
Weird is the new normal
The Caliente(Hot stuff?*) Club is the Lutz Nudist Colony
Picard, I missed the explanation for EYES. Great clue.
** Lucina is that a fair translation
Hi Y'all! Enjoyed the puzzle which took over 15 minutes fewer than Thurs. Thanks, GaryL. & Amy Enz. Fine funny, thanks C-Moe.
Never saw the clue for NOEL. Didn't get the theme.
I think my grandparents may have had a PIANINO, but never heard the word. They moved into a house in the early 50's which had a little nook with a smaller than normal upright "piano" sitting in it. It also was a player piano with a metal roll and four wooden pedals two of which had to be pumped after pulling out a "stop" to make the music. My little sister and I spent many hours plinking away at the thing when we were too young to actually play piano. I had long enough legs to pump the thing but she didn't at first. When we sold the house, mother left the "piano" there because we didn't have room for it.
YR: so sad about your nephew.
Hi All!
Late to the party 'cuz we closed on a house and all that. Then we went to the Dr. Strange Multiverse movie - not bad.
Thanks Gary & Amy. I enjoyed the puzzle - fun theme that was hard to spot.
Fun expo, C. Moe. Elliot's a 'giggle-box.'
Most pasta is water, flour, salt OR egg, flour salt. GNOCCHI adds potato, with optional pepper or ricotta (or both).
WOs: frEE -> ISEE (Hi ATLGranny!), ONeX, nIX THE CAT, clip was SpEEd -> SHEAR
ESPs: ANEROID, STRATAS, ETIENNE, PULLETS (I know I've seen it before...)
Fav: c/a for SAGAN
Cute DR, OMK.
C, Eh! - I also thought mason jars - AMC saved me from myself.
Misty - yep, Amazing Grace was your ear-worm for the day.
ATLGranny - re: not seeing the whole blog in italics after Ray-O's post (before TTP fixed it) - what browser are you using / how do you read the blog?
Cheers, -T
Wilbur Charles:
I don't know how to answer your question about it being a "fair translation". It's a literal translation and that's all I can say about it.
Now the Italics are gone!
YR: I am so sorry about your nephew. My faulty memory did not recall the history of how he was injured.
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