google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday July 11, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

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Jul 11, 2008

Friday July 11, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

Theme: ROOM (59A: Word that can follow 18A, 39A, 60A, 3D and 31D)

18A: Seasonal theater: SUMMER STOCK

39A: Foul-shooter's miss: AIR BALL

60A: City near Norfolk: NEWPORT NEWS

3D: Forecaster, of sorts: OUIJA BOARD

31D: Non-swimmer's hangout: WADING POOL

Hmm, room, MUSHroom... Is MOREL season over yet? Hard, hard puzzle! The letter "Z" of HERZOG and METZ intersection simply refused to crumble, the same with the K from ONKP/KAYE crossing.

Sub-theme: "I am Woman"

28A: "Hedda__": GABLER. Ibsen's play. New to me.

38A: Ms. Thurman: UMA

42A: "Ninotchka" star: GARBO (Greta)

66A: Lennon's love: ONO

4D: Glasgow girl: LASSIE

6D: "La ___ Nikita": FEMME. I like Peta Wilson's "La FEMME Nikita".

7D: Salinger girl: ESME. "For ESME with Love and Squalor" heroine.

45D: Caron title role: GIGI. Colette's work. Pretty good. "Love, my dear GIGI, is a thing of beauty like a work of art, and like a work of art it is created by ARTISTS (10D: Monet and Manet)."

53D: Deborah of "Quo Vadis": KERR. Not familiar with this film at all. "Quo Vadis" is Latin for "Where are you going". Japanese probably know this move movie very well.

54D: Org. founded in 1858: YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association)

I suppose A-LINE (48A: Dress shapes) should be added to the above list too. The clue for DEGAS (33D: "Women Drying Her Feet") is a very interesting & deliberate choice. Is there any hidden BATHroom concept here?

Feels like this constructor likes impressionist painting. I wonder why he did not clue "Mary Cassatt, e.g." for ARTISTS (18A), it would add more feminine touch to the puzzle.

Boy, it would be so easy for him (if he has not) to create another similiar *ROOM themed puzzle with some simple yet sensual words like BED, ELBOW, LEG & WIGGLE. All he needs to do is to spend 10 minutes looking at Renoir's various "After BATH" paintings.

Across:

1A: Blood-typing letters: ABO

8A: Acted as a leader: HEADED

16A: Nobelist Fermi: ENRICO. Nuclear Physicist. Nobel winner 1938. Been clued 2 since Jan 21.

17A: Israeli gun: UZI

20A: Voodoo charms: MOJOS. Do you carry a lucky charm? If so, what is it?

22A: City near Nancy: METZ. Here is a map. I see METZ, but Bill, where is Nancy?

26A: "Bonanza" role: HOSS. No idea. Which one is HOSS?

30A: Pennypincher: TIGHTWAD. New word to me.

45A: Sphinx location: GIZA. The Great Sphinx of GIZA.

51A: Coach Amos Alonzo ___: STAGG. Foreign to me. I am not into college football at all. Sounds like a very accomplished renaissance sports man, a perfect model for Twins' catcher Joe Mauer.

52A: Terrier breed: SKYE. It's clued as "Scottish terrier" on March 25.

55A: Per unit: A POP

57A: Pickled-peppers picker Peter: PIPER. Pure guess. I thought PIPER has something to do with rats.

65A: Comic Danny: KAYE. No idea. Wikipedia says he was the original owner of Seattle Mariners.

67A: Talked to God: PRAYED. And 11D: God of Spain: DIOS. And 27D: Synagogue: SHUL. A slight undercurrent of religiosity here.

69A: Quick getaway: LAM. And meet Karena LAM, the incredibly talented actress from Hongkong. FYI, LAM is a very common surname in Cantonese speaking regions. It's a variant of Mandarin Chinese LIN meaning forest.

DOWN:

2D: Knucklehead: BOZO

8D: Director Werner: HERZOG. No, no, I've never heard of this "German New Wave Movement" director. HERZOG means "duke" in German, according to Wikipedia.

9D: Nixon has two: ENS. 2 letter N's in his name.

12D: Behold, Nero!: ECCE. I like how ECCE intersects I SEE (23A: Got it).

13D: Okey-_: DOKE. I always thought it's "Okey-DOKEY".

19D: Part of PETA: ETHICAL

21D: Capital on the Aker: OSLO. And 29D: Capital on the Jabbok: AMMAN. Wild guess. I have no idea that Jabbok is a river in Jordan. I like the consistent cluing pattern of these 2 answers.

28D: Overcharge: GOUGE. One of these days, the crude oil will drop $25/barrel.

30D: Roman river: TIBER

32D: Transfixed: AGAZE

36D: Prevent by anticipatory action: PREEMPT

43D: Standard salary: BASE PAY

47D: Equipped: GEARED

49D: Ran out: LAPSED

56D: Working in a mess?: ON KP (Kitchen Police). Toughie for me. Not familiar with this GI term.

58D: Old lab burner: ETNA. I've never heard of it. Does it look like this?

C.C.

59 comments:

  1. Good morning, C.C. & fellow DF's - thought this was a good Friday puzzle - not too easy, but gettable without Mr. G. Never heard of 'Hedda Gabler' or Werner Herzog, but the perps took care of them.

    C.C., Hoss is the big guy standing on the left in the picture. And like you, I also thought it was "okey-dokey".

    Sunday, I'm going back down to Boca Raton for a week, so I'll be doing the online version. I hope everyone has an outstanding weekend.

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  2. Dennis,
    Are METZ (22A) & ON KP (56D) gimmes to you?

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  3. Morning all,
    Not a bad puzzle today. Needed two cups of coffee since I have been awake since 4:00 a.m. EST.

    Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, etc. is a Mother Goose rhyme. Pied Piper is the story of young boy playing music to remove town of rats.

    Lois's hometown is in the puzzle today. Been to Williamsburg several times but never NN. I will have to visit Lois on my next visit to W-burg. Would love to laugh with her for an hour or so.

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  4. C.C., I think anyone who's been in the military would find 'on kp' a gimme for 'working in a mess'. And I knew Metz, but have no idea why.

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  5. I am in Manhattan for the week, and wonder how to get the puzzles. On line? In a newspaper other than the NYT Times? Thanks for any help.

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  6. Wow, Jeanne...you're up early today!

    Good morning. c.c. and company.

    While there were several I didn't know (ANMAN, METZ), everything fell into place except HERZOG.

    I wanted "Dolt" for BOZO, but that didn't work for UZI.

    This puzzle was a little harder than the rest of the week, but not too bad.

    Lotsa liquid sunshine here. Once the sun is up, it will still be dark, methinks. Have a good day, all!

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  7. An easy one for Friday, C.C. and fellow DF's.
    A Pop is back after a long time for "each".
    Enrico Fermi built the first nuclear "pile" and achieved the first sustaining chain reaction beneath the stands of Amos Alonzo Stagg Field in Chicago. Nice to see them in the same puzzle.
    Lou Costello (and Abbot) instead of Stan (Laurel) and Ollie (Hardy) for once.
    Never heard of Shul but got it from the perps.

    Does anyone know Hoss Cartwright's (played by the late Dan Blocker) first name? For that matter, what are all of their names.?
    As an aside on Bonanza, remember the ranch hand Candy? He was played by David Canary (who now plays Adam on "One Life to Live). David Canary is a direct descendant of Martha Jane Canary, aka "Calamity Jane." Another piece of trivia I have locked in my head.

    Mojos - Jim Morrison and Mr. Mojo Risin'.

    I kept wanting okey-dokey as well.

    Why not "famous collie" for 4D?

    How did Degas catch Lois in the bathroom? Also, I'm pretty much all done after the "After Bath" painting.

    Today is Cheer Up The Lonely Day. I bet Lois doesn't need cheering up because I can't see her as ever being lonely.

    It's also "Day of the Five Billion." On July 11, 1987 Matej Gaspar was born in Yugoslavia becoming the 5,000,000,000th person on Planet Earth.

    Have a great day!

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  8. Dr. Dad,
    Your comment @6:39am yesterday "the chemist in me likes this one - "nuclear fission diagram" Answer = Mae West". I don't get it.

    Lois,
    Why "wood" at 9:14am response to Melissa? What's behind this "wood"?

    Melissa,
    Your comment 9:09am: "I wonder if a violation of 20A would produce a 52A?". Pourquoi ça?

    KittyB,
    Yes, indeed, this puzzle was tougher due to those scrabbly Z & Q & J, a signature of this constructor's puzzle.

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  9. drdad, I like the new picture; thanks for not using ones of Uranus.

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  10. Good morning CC & DF's: Just wanted to read the comments. No time to play today. Surprised to see NN & Okey (Okie) in the same puzzle.

    Jeanne: come on over...just up the street from Wmsbg. It'd be fun. Guess your bro is safely tucked away by now. Fair warning: GPS has nothing on me.

    CC: morel season for me is NEVER over.

    Off to Richmond. Enjoy this gorgeous day.

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  11. C.C., As of now my Nancy is on the way home from work. But the one in France (at least on that map, appears to be AWOL).
    Me,too! Okey-dokey! Used that term for years and was sure it was spelled this way. SURPRISE!!!
    Had a hard time with ONKP. Wanted to put COOK but it just didn't work.
    25a- Never heard of it, Wanted GABBER because Hedda Hopper was a GOSSIP column writer and GABBED about everyone's business. Guess what? That didn't work either.
    51a- Once I looked up STAGG I was ok with the rest of the SE corner.
    Could have been better but could have been a lot worse. After all, it is TGIF day!!!

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  12. Lois, We have some very good friends just west of Richmond (in Powhatan). Every year (except this year) we meet them and proceed to Amelia for the large bluegrass festival there.

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  13. A diagram that shows the radionuclide decay pattern is called a "Mae West."

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  14. C.C. - I chose the diagram because you had asked about another clue for Mae West.

    The "wood" is difficult to explain nicely on the blog site.

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  15. DrDad, are you trying to say that some things are better left UNSAID?
    Sometimes the unexpla is better!ned

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  16. Uh, Well, Let's See - - -
    How to say it - - -
    No! Can't bring myself to do it.

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  17. Good morning CC etal,
    Great puzzle this morning - I really enjoyed the theme & sub-themes and didn't have to rely on google too much. Figured most of the challenges out from the perps.
    Hope everyone has a TGIF day!

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  18. Morning, all!

    This one was a total breeze, right until the very end, at which point I stumbled a bit. My knowledge of geography is a bit iffy, so I didn't know METZ or AMMAN, but fortunately my knowledge of pop culture is quite good and I was able to get these from the perps.

    I'm surprised more people don't know who Werner HERZOG is, to be honest. He's a very well-known director, and he's got a very well-reviewed movie out at the moment ("Encounters at the End of the World").

    Anyway, my only stumbling block was in the bottom center section. Didn't have a clue who STAGG was, initially put LAPPED instead of LAPSED, and didn't know that NEWPORT NEWS was actually the name of a city (sounds like the name of a paper to me). Fortunately, I knew who Danny KAYE was right away and eventually figured out that the neighbor of "Colo." had to be WYO[ming] (did I mention that geography was not my strong point?). And then I finally realized that it was more likely for a city to be named NEWPORT NEWS rather than NEWPORT NEWP, which gave me the correct LAPSED for 49D.

    Overall, I thought the puzzle was a bit on the bland side, but I did really like the clue for 56D (since I knew the slang words "mess" and "KP").

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  19. I'm not sure what happened to the last post (or three) I published once and it all went somewhere (and not even in the right order!!!
    Maybe a stuck key!!

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  20. I was trying to fit Hedda Hopper where Hedda GABLER needed to go. Think there is a connection between GABLER, FEMME fatale and OSLO. Liked the way OUIJABOARD crossed MOJOS. Didn't know the JABBOK either or that it flows into the Jordan River.

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  21. Did anyone notice that I wrote about nursery rhymes and drdad wrote about Enrico Fermi who built the first nuclear "pile" and radionuclide decay pattern? I'm so deep!!!

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  22. Dr. Dad,
    Does that decay pattern have curves also? Is it a special chemist's lingo? Or Are there any other Mae West jargon in physics/philosophy fields?

    Barry,
    I also like 56D, though it's hard for me to get.

    Bill,
    I think it's blogger glitch. Does Nancy get a new puzzle to solve?

    Dennis et al,
    What's your answer to my 20A comment?

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  23. What's your answer to my 20A comment?

    The closest thing to a lucky charm I carry with me is my wedding ring, which I wear on a chain around my neck. For some reason, I could just never handle wearing rings on my fingers.

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  24. C.C. - I only saw one of the diagrams back in physics class in college. There are some curves involved. No other jargon in science that I know includes "Mae West."

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  25. Jeanne, made me laugh out loud - great comment.

    C.C., yes I take mine with me everywhere; it's attached.

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  26. It's not blogger glitch, C.C. Bill was getting excited thinking about an answer to the wood question.

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  27. Good morning all. Not a bad puzzle today. Needed one Google to get 6D and I did not know town near NANCY otherwise a complete fill. The perps were helpful in solving this Xword allowing me to get the ones I didn't know.

    The weather hes is for sunshine and low humidity and that means a good golf day.

    Have a great weekend all!

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  28. Dr. Dad,
    Woody is not Woody any more, nor is Buzz Lightyear, my poor "Toy Story"!

    Lois,
    You are a bad bad bad girl. But I am incorruptible!

    Dennis,
    What is attached?

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  29. C.C., it's my lucky charm that's attached.
    And "incorruptible"?? I don't think so - you're already sliding toward the dark side...

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  30. Good morning everyone. I had a hard time with this one today. I didn't have enough time.
    Have a good day. I gotta runnnnnnnn

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  31. Dennis,
    Re: Your comment @6:25am. What does it mean? Any Mae Westized double entendre here? What is your lucky charm? A ring like Barry's?

    Katherine,
    Beautiful picture!

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  32. Katherine, I'll second C.C.'s comment - great picture!

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  33. C.C.,

    I think Dennis's "lucky charm" is the portion of his anatomy that he hopes to "get lucky" with. As for not wanting to see pictures of Uranus, as a general rule I don't want to see pictures of anybody's anus.... ^_^

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  34. Yes, this was a tough one but (patting myself on the back) I got it. I've certainly heard and said "okey doke" so I think it's okey doke. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers is a tongue twister I think it goes: "If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many peppers did Peter Piper pick?" You have to say it quickly 3 times in a row.

    It's finally cooled a bit out here on the left coast but we got a lot of wild fires burning, 320 according to the paper this morning.

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  35. Lucky charm: don't have one. Maybe need one.

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  36. Sallie, you can also find this puzzle in "AMNY." It's a free newspaper that's distributed near subways during rush hour and you can also pick one up on the street from one of the red newspaper bins marked "AM NY"

    Can anyone explain '12D ecce'? Is it a line from 53D "Quo Vadis"?

    Lucky charm = Random bracelet. Somehow public speaking doesn't go as badly when I wear my bracelet.

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  37. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

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  38. lala @ 8:53 am - ecce is latin for "behold"

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  39. Can anyone explain '12D ecce'? Is it a line from 53D "Quo Vadis"?

    I think the famous line from that movie is "Ecce Homo" ("Behold the Man" in Latin). Ecce is just Latin for "behold," though, so I guess you could behold any famous ancient Roman.

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  40. I worked at the college radio station years ago, and the station manager was always and forever giving the on-air help tongue twisters to practice. This is one of them:

    She slit a sheet, a sheet she slit, and on that slitted sheet she sits.

    I was wrong....the Chicago area has gorgeous sunshine now. Have a good day, all.

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  41. I am not the pheasant plucker
    I am the pheasant plucker's son
    I am only plucking pheasants
    Until the pheasant plucker comes.

    Try saying that one out loud a time or two! ^_^

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  42. Lala @ 8:53am,
    Very very interesting question on ECCE & "Qua Vadis"! I had no idea that "Quo Vadis: A Tale of the Time of Nero" is a book title also.

    Barry,
    Now I SEE Dennis' attached "lucky charm". My goodness, and goodness had nothing to do with it. I sure have difficulty understanding the multivalent value of certain words.
    Did you score high on 40D?

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  43. Dennis,
    "I am Woman", how can I slide toward or through "the dark side"? I climb to the edge of the cliff occasionally just to see how tall it is, I am NOT going to jump. I am utterly incorruptible!

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  44. Did you score high on 40D?

    As a matter of fact, I did, although they have since changed the scoring on the LSAT so my "high" score (mid 40's out of a possible 48) seems pathetically low now. I think the new top score is over 100.

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  45. Good morning everybody! Not a problem today -- only new name was HERZOG. OOPS -- spoke too soon. The Great Sphinx of GIPA? Never heard of AGAZE, so this one is down the tubes, LOL! Hoss is the big guy on the left. He was cast as a bit slow on the take-up. I think 13D should have a variant indicator. Don't know what an ETNA looks like, but it is a really common clue/answer combination in crosswords, or so I thought. Jeanne, we all have our areas of expertise; don't fret!

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  46. Does anyone know Hoss Cartwright's (played by the late Dan Blocker) first name? For that matter, what are all of their names?

    Didn't see this question before, sorry.

    Hoss's first name was actually Eric. Little Joe's first name was Joseph. As for Adam, I'm pretty sure his first name was, well, Adam...

    Oh -- and the dad's first name was Ben!

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  47. kittyb - if you visit today the answer to your question from yesterday is that Telstar was a radio communications satellite. It no longer works but is still in orbit.

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  48. Barry you are correct. Eric is not well known as Hoss' first name but that's what it is nonetheless. What did you think of the "old west" connection between Candy (David Canary) and Calamity Jane?

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  49. sallie said...
    CC and Dennis, thanks for your directions to doing the puzzles online. Pain not to be able to print tho.

    July 11, 2008 10:30 AM

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  50. What did you think of the "old west" connection between Candy (David Canary) and Calamity Jane?

    Interesting, but I'll admit to only having a vague notion of who Calamity Jane was.

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  51. mark - Buenos Aires

    No, The guy was a pheasant plucker´s mate, and he was only plucking pheasants "because the pheasant pluckers late"

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  52. Thanks guys! You like that one better than Keith Urban? LOL

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  53. Katherine, a definite upgrade.

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  54. Good afternoon,

    sallie, my paper, PostStar. com, prints a PDF version you can print.

    Today I had more words in the clues that I didn't know than in the answers.
    Aker
    Jabbok
    "Woman Drying her Feet"
    Nancy
    "Ninotchka"

    The answer I didn't recognize was Hedda Gabler. I also wanted Hedda Hopper.

    Bonanza Lyrics
    We got a right to pick a little fight
    Bonanza!
    If anyone fights anyone of us
    He's gotta fight with me!

    We're not a one to saddle up and run,
    Bonanza!
    Anyone of us who starts a little fuss
    knows he can count on me!

    One for four
    Four for one,
    This we guarantee.

    We got a right to pick a little fight
    Bonanza!
    If anyone fights anyone of us
    He's gotta fight with me!

    The four actors actually made a recording of this.

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  55. Nice puzzle today--my only problem is AGAZE for 32d Transfixed. I just don't think that is 100% correct (AGAPE is a better answer, but then you are left with GIPA for the sphinx location--obviously wrong). Still, 11:19 to solve today, which I guess is about average (I don't keep stats and I don't attempt to solve for speed).

    59d should more accurately be clued as Word that can follow the last word of ..., no? Otherwise you get Summer Stock Room, etc., which isn't right.

    METZ/HERZOG were gimmes for me, and Amos Alonzo STAGG is one of the most famous coaches in football history, but he is a bit dated.

    c.c.: Thanks for the info on Lin meaning "forest" in Mandarin. "Lin" is the "forest town" in an online game I play, Asheron's Call, and it's fun to know the likely source of the name.

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  56. Thanks for the info on Telstar, dr.dad.

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  57. HI Everyone (with a special nod to c.c. for her great work)
    Happy Friday To All!

    AT barry: Barry if you substitute FIG for PHEASENT, that tounge twister of yours, really gets outta hand! Just F Y I ,

    Have a great weekend everyone I love comming here to unwind.
    The Whoo

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