Theme: Equines
17A: Root of bitterness?: HORSERADISH
24A: 1966 Wilson Pickett hit: MUSTANG SALLY
36A: Sobriquet for Stallone: ITALIAN STALLION
48A: Colorado pro: DENVER BRONCO
58A: Mail system. 1860-61: PONY EXPRESS
Hmm, where are the MOUNT, STEED, COLT, FILLY & STUD?
I should not NAG.
This is a beautiful puzzle. The first pangram grid I've ever solved - all letters of the alphabets are used. I wonder if anyone has constructed an "HORSE" rebus puzzle before. Wouldn't that be interesting to decode?
The only flaw I saw is the clue for ROAN (29D: Motley horse), since HORSE is part of the theme answer (17A).
Figured out the theme very earlier on, which helped me fill in several otherwise unobtainable fills.
Had a few absent-minded flirting with Google. I still can not believe SCHISGAL (10D) is an actual name.
Across:
1A: Woody Allen movie: ZELIG. Not familiar with this mockumentary. I had ZEL?G for a long time. I like Woody Allan's "Annie Hall" & "Hannah and Her Sisters".
11A: Parts of gals: QTS
15A: Swiss canton: URI. Have not seen the "Mentalist Geller" clue for a long time.
21A: Laptop surfer's connection: WIFI. I've never used WIFI connection. Is it very quick?
22A: "The White Album" track: I WILL. Here is Paul McCartney's "I WILL". Not a familiar song to me.
27A: Color bands: STRIPES. This word and the EQUINES theme brings a Zebra to my mind.
30A: Safecracker: YEGG. Where did we get this strange word "YEGG" for a burglar?
32A: Elizabeth of "Lone Star": PENA. I don't know her. I do know this PENA. I own this card.
33A: Sch. in Lexington: VMI (Virginia Military Institute). Unknown to me. My answer was VMU until the very end.
43A: __ de vie (clear brandies): EAUX. An educated guess. I had EAU? in place, and letter "X" is the only choice since the clue is in plural form (EAUX is the plural of EAU).
45A: Steals, as livestock: RUSTLES. I like this answer and the clue. Could picture someone stealing a HORSE in the middle of the night.
53A: Exchange fee: AGIO. It appeared on last Sunday's puzzle.
67A: Nixon's Agnew: SPIRO. He got a good speech writer in William Safire. I don't think he himself would have come up with this alliterative term "Nattering nabobs of negativism".
Down:
1D: TV journalist Paula: ZAHN. I kind of like her replacement Campbell Brown at CNN. Paula ZAHN is also a great cellist (played at Carnegie Hall before.)
2D: Smack addition: EROO. or "Switch addtion". AROO is "Buck addition".
3D: Front-runners: LDRS (Leaders). Still have difficulty accepting this abbreviation.
4D: Island near Naxos: IOS. Big stumper for me. Wikipedia says Homer is said to be buried on IOS Island.
10D: "Luv" dramatist: SCHISGAL (Murray). Unknown to me. Wikipedia says Mike Nichols directed the Broadway play and ALAN Arkin & ELI Wallach were in the original cast.
11D: Chickenlike bird: QUAIL. This California QUAIL looks fearless.
12D: Fairy-tale toll collector: TROLL. Why "toll collector"? Wow, look at this amazing TROLL Doll collection. Some of the original Norweigian TROLLS are so beautifully ugly, with real wood.
13D: Half-baked: SILLY. New to me. I always thought of "Half-baked" as in "Not well cooked".
24D: Pepper grinder: MILL. See this antique MILL machinery, very different from my childhood MILL memory.
25D: Putin's refusal: NYET. DADA means "Yes, yes" in Russian. "Ya tebya lyublyu" is "I love you". So complicated. Vodka sounds much better. I vodka you.
26D: Actress Rowlands: GENA. I've never heard of her before.
32D: Ltr. addenda: PSS. Quite a few abbreviations in today's grid.
33D: Perfume holder: VIAL. Beautiful enamelled perfume VIALS. In great condition. I like the rosebuds & the butterfly in the middle. Very pretty.
34D: Pouting face: MOUE. Clear Ayes' "Self-depreciating/deprecating MOUE" really made me laugh last time.
35D: "Devil Inside" group: INXS (pronounced as In Excess). Had never heard of them before.
37D: Worldwide police grp.: INTERPOL. It's headquartered in Lyon, France. I feel sad for their finanical woes.
38D: Violinist Leopold: AUER. The Hungarian violinist. Have seen this clue 2 times before.
39D: Plane-crash grp.: NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board). Here is what Dennis said last time: "The FAA establishes the safety guidelines/rules, and the NTSB comes into play when something goes wrong. If you're a pilot, you never wanna hear from the NTSB."
40D: Apollo's mother: LETO. Gimme!
46D: Trademark DOS: UNIX. Developed by the Bell Labs.
48D: French mustard: DIJON. Here is a jar of HORSERADISH DIJON for you. Sounds good for potato salad.
51D: Spoked: RAYED. Had no idea that "spoke" can also be a verb.
54D: Lucie's dad: DESI (Arnaz). This "Job Switching"(Chocolate factory) Barbie is a probably one of the most sought-after Mattel dolls.
C.C.
PS: Barry Silk's original clue for ROAN is "Multicolored equine". Our editor also made 2 big changes on the grid: the upper middle part and the lower right. See here for the grid and the clues.
17A: Root of bitterness?: HORSERADISH
24A: 1966 Wilson Pickett hit: MUSTANG SALLY
36A: Sobriquet for Stallone: ITALIAN STALLION
48A: Colorado pro: DENVER BRONCO
58A: Mail system. 1860-61: PONY EXPRESS
Hmm, where are the MOUNT, STEED, COLT, FILLY & STUD?
I should not NAG.
This is a beautiful puzzle. The first pangram grid I've ever solved - all letters of the alphabets are used. I wonder if anyone has constructed an "HORSE" rebus puzzle before. Wouldn't that be interesting to decode?
The only flaw I saw is the clue for ROAN (29D: Motley horse), since HORSE is part of the theme answer (17A).
Figured out the theme very earlier on, which helped me fill in several otherwise unobtainable fills.
Had a few absent-minded flirting with Google. I still can not believe SCHISGAL (10D) is an actual name.
Across:
1A: Woody Allen movie: ZELIG. Not familiar with this mockumentary. I had ZEL?G for a long time. I like Woody Allan's "Annie Hall" & "Hannah and Her Sisters".
11A: Parts of gals: QTS
15A: Swiss canton: URI. Have not seen the "Mentalist Geller" clue for a long time.
21A: Laptop surfer's connection: WIFI. I've never used WIFI connection. Is it very quick?
22A: "The White Album" track: I WILL. Here is Paul McCartney's "I WILL". Not a familiar song to me.
27A: Color bands: STRIPES. This word and the EQUINES theme brings a Zebra to my mind.
30A: Safecracker: YEGG. Where did we get this strange word "YEGG" for a burglar?
32A: Elizabeth of "Lone Star": PENA. I don't know her. I do know this PENA. I own this card.
33A: Sch. in Lexington: VMI (Virginia Military Institute). Unknown to me. My answer was VMU until the very end.
43A: __ de vie (clear brandies): EAUX. An educated guess. I had EAU? in place, and letter "X" is the only choice since the clue is in plural form (EAUX is the plural of EAU).
45A: Steals, as livestock: RUSTLES. I like this answer and the clue. Could picture someone stealing a HORSE in the middle of the night.
53A: Exchange fee: AGIO. It appeared on last Sunday's puzzle.
67A: Nixon's Agnew: SPIRO. He got a good speech writer in William Safire. I don't think he himself would have come up with this alliterative term "Nattering nabobs of negativism".
Down:
1D: TV journalist Paula: ZAHN. I kind of like her replacement Campbell Brown at CNN. Paula ZAHN is also a great cellist (played at Carnegie Hall before.)
2D: Smack addition: EROO. or "Switch addtion". AROO is "Buck addition".
3D: Front-runners: LDRS (Leaders). Still have difficulty accepting this abbreviation.
4D: Island near Naxos: IOS. Big stumper for me. Wikipedia says Homer is said to be buried on IOS Island.
10D: "Luv" dramatist: SCHISGAL (Murray). Unknown to me. Wikipedia says Mike Nichols directed the Broadway play and ALAN Arkin & ELI Wallach were in the original cast.
11D: Chickenlike bird: QUAIL. This California QUAIL looks fearless.
12D: Fairy-tale toll collector: TROLL. Why "toll collector"? Wow, look at this amazing TROLL Doll collection. Some of the original Norweigian TROLLS are so beautifully ugly, with real wood.
13D: Half-baked: SILLY. New to me. I always thought of "Half-baked" as in "Not well cooked".
24D: Pepper grinder: MILL. See this antique MILL machinery, very different from my childhood MILL memory.
25D: Putin's refusal: NYET. DADA means "Yes, yes" in Russian. "Ya tebya lyublyu" is "I love you". So complicated. Vodka sounds much better. I vodka you.
26D: Actress Rowlands: GENA. I've never heard of her before.
32D: Ltr. addenda: PSS. Quite a few abbreviations in today's grid.
33D: Perfume holder: VIAL. Beautiful enamelled perfume VIALS. In great condition. I like the rosebuds & the butterfly in the middle. Very pretty.
34D: Pouting face: MOUE. Clear Ayes' "Self-depreciating/deprecating MOUE" really made me laugh last time.
35D: "Devil Inside" group: INXS (pronounced as In Excess). Had never heard of them before.
37D: Worldwide police grp.: INTERPOL. It's headquartered in Lyon, France. I feel sad for their finanical woes.
38D: Violinist Leopold: AUER. The Hungarian violinist. Have seen this clue 2 times before.
39D: Plane-crash grp.: NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board). Here is what Dennis said last time: "The FAA establishes the safety guidelines/rules, and the NTSB comes into play when something goes wrong. If you're a pilot, you never wanna hear from the NTSB."
40D: Apollo's mother: LETO. Gimme!
46D: Trademark DOS: UNIX. Developed by the Bell Labs.
48D: French mustard: DIJON. Here is a jar of HORSERADISH DIJON for you. Sounds good for potato salad.
51D: Spoked: RAYED. Had no idea that "spoke" can also be a verb.
54D: Lucie's dad: DESI (Arnaz). This "Job Switching"(Chocolate factory) Barbie is a probably one of the most sought-after Mattel dolls.
C.C.
PS: Barry Silk's original clue for ROAN is "Multicolored equine". Our editor also made 2 big changes on the grid: the upper middle part and the lower right. See here for the grid and the clues.
232 comments:
1 – 200 of 232 Newer› Newest»Good morning, C.C. & gang - got through this one fairly quickly, with perp help, once the equine theme revealed itself. Didn't know 'Schisgal' or 'Auer', didn't know Elizabeth Pena of "Lone Star", so it was a SWAG on the 'a' in Pena. Also, isn't this our first pangram?
Have an outstanding day - and hopefully we'll get our blog back to normal; things just don't feel the same.
Dennis,
What exactly is "AGIO"? I don't remember ever seeing this term when I changed various currencies. Yes, I believe this is our first pangram. Have to say a special "Thank you" to Barry Silk.
C.C., sorry, I don't know anything about the word other than that it's an automatic for the clue 'exchange fee'. I've never seen it used otherwise.
Dennis,
What does the word "toll collector" mean in 12D: TROLL? I really dislike the clue. TROLL, to me, is a toy, a DOLL.
C.C., I'm not sure which kids' books it comes from, but trolls are commonly known as the toll collectors at bridges. I'm sure someone can elaborate further on this.
good morning c.c. and all,
we finally got our pangram. i had a feeling as soon as i filled in zelig, havoc and qts. needed perps for yegg and pena. thanks to recent puzzles i remembered moue and agio.
other than that .. it was all horse sense.
@c.c. and dennis: the three billy goats gruff.
Good morning everyone.
There were quite a few I did not get today. 1A, 10D, 32D, 4D....
I don't know where they got the name "yegg". I am sure someone will come up with it today.
Paula Zahn is beautiful. I did not know she was a cellist. How talented.
I did know Gena Rowlands and the Paul McCartney song.
INXS is (was) a GREAT band. I think you would like them. I will send you a couple of songs since I can't figure out how to put a link here.
Have a great day....we have rain here today.
Several I didn't know:
1a, 30a, 53a, 35d, 38d, and 51d.
Still don't understand 51d. Must refer to a pattern of rays looking like spokes on a wheel?? Oh, well. Had to come here to finish. Just didn't have my head in it today. Some of those I didn't know came together with the surounding clues but there were some that didn't.
The only thing I could find on 'yegg' is that it goes back to early in the 20th century, and is of unknown derivation.
Bill, you're right, the spokes in a wheel are said to be 'rayed'.
Good morning, all!
Good thing I knew yegg, pena and I will. Schisgal??? Never heard of him.
Quail was here today. Better than that "nide" of pheasants a long time ago.
Also never heard of Ios. Needed perps for that as well. Liked 55D going along with 46D and 21A.
Didn't we just have agio? Here is the Wikipedia definition of agio. I never heard of it either until I saw it in puzzles.
Who likes Kool-Aid?
The only thing with Wifi is that sometimes finding the wireless connection is a pain.
I remember those fuzzy little trolls. Glad my daughter took them when she moved out.
I think half-baked (clue for 13D) goes well with nuts (answer for 42A).
Moue, dijon, etes plus interpol = a lot of French today.
"The Three Billy Goats Gruff" is the story I remember that had a troll hiding under the bridge. I don't think he was a toll collector in that story because he ate the unwary travelers. Three goats crossing prove to be his undoing. Here is something else on Trolls & Bridges"
Today is National Cheesecake Day.
Have a great Wednesday/Hump Day!!
drdad, how did we miss "Take your Pants for a Walk Day" on the 27th? Would've been a day's worth of material all by itself.
Morning, all!
Tough puzzle, but I managed to eventually get through it unassisted. SCHISGAL was completely unknown to me a well, although I was able to pull AGIO, YEGG, URI, IOS and AUER from the deep recesses of my brain, having seen them all before in crossword puzzles.
I really thought 40D was LEDA instead of LETO. Definitely not a gimme for me, but I eventually got it via the crosses.
The tollkeeper troll comes from the classic children's story. "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" about three goats who want to cross a bridge under which a hungry troll lives. They have to pay a fee or be eaten, until the biggest goat butts the bejeezus out of the troll.
Oh, and C.C. -- since you asked, your sentence is a bit ungrammatical. It should read simply, "which helped me fill in several otherwise unobtainable fills." No need for the "would be."
Hello c.c. and df's,
"I should not NAG." Good one, c.c.
Barry Silk did us good today. Hope he stops by to say whether or not the editor messed with it.
Buckeye - here is the answer to your soap bubble question from yesterday.
Technicaly, the bubbles are clear. They diffuse the light, making it look as though the bubbles are white. There is actually very little of the bubble bath coloring material in each bubble, not enough to affect the coloring of the individual bubbles. In addition, it also has to do with the way light reflects from the surface of the bubbles. Technically, they reflect all colors of the light spectrum, meaning so long as the light on them is white they'll be white (with some rainbow patterns, just like rainbows after it rains). However, shine blue, red, green or any other solid color and the bubbles with turn the same color.
Xchefwalt asked about something I posted yesterday to lighten the mood. It was a bit long so I deleted it. But he asked to put it back so here it is. A bit early but something to think about on Dec. 25th. I got it a long time ago so I will not comment on the correctness of the children Santa visits. Personally, I think he visits all children who want him to. Hope no minds the length.
An Engineer's View of Christmas
There are approximately 2 billion children (persons under age 14) in the world. However, since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist (except maybe in Japan ) religions, this reduces the workload for Christmas night to 19% of the total, or 378 million (according to the population reference bureau). At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming there is at least one good child in each.
Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 967.7 visits per second. This is to say that, for each Christian household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stocking, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left for him, get back up the chimney, jump into the sleigh and get onto the next house.
Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks.
This means Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second -- 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run (at best) 15 miles per hour.
The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized LEGO set (two pounds), the sleigh is carrying over 500 thousands tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that the "flying" reindeer can pull 10 times the normal amount, the job can't be done with eight or even nine of them -- Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth (the ship, not the monarch).
600,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance. This would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip.
Not that it matters, however; since Santa, as a result of accelerating from a dead stop to 650 m.p.s. in .001 seconds, would be subjected to acceleration forces of 17,000 g's. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo . Therefore, if Santa did exist, he's dead now.
Good morning, c.c. and all.
I realized that we were going for a pangram (a word I've learned here), when I plugged in a Z and a Q in the top line. I'm on the fuzzy side today. It took me about twice as long to finish the puzzle as usual, and I needed help to finish 'Schisgal.'
I wanted 'poaches' for RUSTLES, and didn't know ZELIG OR YEGG.
Is a roan horse really motley? I thought it was a deep burnished red color.
c.c., try leaving out the words "would be" in that sentence, and see if it reads a little better.
We got some much needed rain last night, and could use more, but it looks like we'll be in the nineties and humid for the rest of the week. We have a baby shower here on Saturday, so I'd best get to work on the house.
Have a good day, all!
WOW! DrDad, bust my bubble about Santa, why don'tcha! And while all that may be true from an engineers standpoint, answer me this.....
Where the h*** did all that coal in my stocking come from???
I KNOW my parents would never do that to me!!! or.........would they???
How'd he do all that other stuff, man
Like, how'd he make himself small, man
And how'd he, like, how'd he get
The reindeer off the ground, man
Oh, well, man
He had some magic dust, man
Some magic dust
Yeah, magic dust, you know
He used to give a little bit to the reindeer
A little bit to Santa Claus
A little bit more for Santa Claus
A little bit more for Santa Claus
And this would get the reindeer off, man
Aw, got 'em off, man
Are you kidding, man
They flew all the way
Around the world, man
Found this RE: YEGG
yegg \YEG\ noun
: safecracker; also : robber
Example sentence:
"[Her] attorney does admit that his client had developed 'platonic'
relationships with two cons, a couple of yeggs named Ollie and Marvin, but only
to gather information." (_Fort Collins Coloradoan_, December 6, 2002)
Did you know?
"Safecracker" first appeared in print in English around 1825, but English
speakers evidently felt that they needed a more colorful word for this rather colorful profession. No one is quite sure where "yegg" came from. It first appeared in the _New York Evening Post_ on June 23, 1903, in an article about
"the prompt breaking up of the organized gangs of professional beggars and yeggs." By 1905, it had acquired the variant "yeggmen," which was printed in the _New York Times_ in reference to unsavory characters captured in the Bowery
District. "Yegg" has always been, and continues to be, less common than "safecracker," but it still turns up once in a while.
Melissa & Katherine,
Thank you for the explanation on TROLL & the songs. I VODKA both of you. Bisoux!
Dr.Dad,
Good UNIX/WIFI/USER connections. I like your SILLY NUTS. What's the difference between "dye" and "Pigment"?
Barry & KittyB,
Thank you. Please always feel free to let me know if you spot a wrongly constructed sentence or any grammatical mistake.
Argyle,
Thank you for the "nag" comment. I think ROAN clue might not be Barry Silk's original.
Bill,
Where is Nancy?
I would use one those whats from yesterday.
Figured out the theme very earlier on, which helped me fill in several, WHAT otherwise would be unobtainable, fills.
CC, Nancy has been working the midnight shift (11pm to 7am), She stops at the nursing home to see mom on the way home and by the time she gets her (literally) hundreds of emails out of the way it's time for bed!
It's been hectic this month. Maybe Aug will slow a little and we can rest.
Way to go drdad,,,,,,enjoyed your "commentary"........
C.C. - a dye is a compound that colors things, usually cloth, that is entirely soluble (will dissolve)in water or a solvent that is used for the dye bath solution. A pigment is also a compound that colors things but is entirely insoluble (will not dissolve) in water or a solvent. Rather the colored particles are dispersed in the water or solvent. Because of the insolubility, the particle size also affects the way the pigment looks on the article. Large particles make the paint or ink look opaque while small particles make the paint or ink look transparent.
Dennis, AHHHH, rayed - because they eminate from a central point, outward ie: sunrays!
Boy, you're good!!!
Made me see the LIGHT!
Bill,
"Platonic relationship"?? Sounds so romantic. Here is some information from the Online Etymology: "YEGG": "thief, burglar," especially "safecracker," 1903, underworld slang, of unknown origin, said to be from John Yegg, a Swedish tramp, or from Ger. Jäger "huntsman." I like the John YEGG origin (Don't be offended, Thomas).
Dennis et al,
The INXS songs Katherine emailed me earlier are : "New Sensation"; "Need You Tonight" and "What You Need". Please YouTube them if you are interested.
Good morning CC etal,
Not too tough today - googles similar to those previously mentioned. Did notice with interest that the INXS video that crosses "Italian Stallion" was shot at a club named "Balboa", which we'll all recall was "Rocky's last name" clue from a few days ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luobOzreRq4
Hope all have a great hump day!
c.c. I can take grammar lessons right along with you. I no longer remember what the heck a gerund is. I'm scared to death that I might be the author of a dangling participle one day, and have to hang my head in shame.
You are an amazing woman, and I have a lot to learn from you, and with you. Thanks for a great blog!
I did the USA Today puzzle on-line, and they almost made it to a pangram today, all but the Z. TRIB RULES, TRIB RULES! *G*
A VMI alum was a friend of mine. He flew with the Thunderbirds, the flight precision team sponsored by the USAF, Major Brian Farrar, who was the # 5 lead solo flier in year 2004. He was a classmate of my son in high school in Virginia Beach, VA. We went to Langley AFB, Hampton, VA, to see one of the team shows and Brian and his wife, also a classmate, were so glad to see us. I'm sure he IS a proud USAF pilot...
BARRY SILK had a ball with his "choice" words today... Thank you, Google. Thank you, Wikipedia. Thank you, dictionary. It was a fun puzzle. I don't mind searching outside the puzzle as I can learn some stuff. I hope he pays us a visit today. He should know that C.C.'s sit had over 200 hits in a single day last week. I believe Dennis counted the hits.
Bubbles do have a prism effect as drdad mentioned. I believe that white breaks down into the rainbow coloring when hit by light. drdad may be more into this matter than I.
Aren't gerund words those ending in "ING"? singing, walking, etc. I remember something like that, which in fact, I learned after school doing X/W puzzles...
Well, I thought I had an interesting read for you but my copy and paste overlapped the box and only half of it showed up. And since the link instructions are gibberish to me I guess i'll leave it alone.
It seems that Gates' crew would have figured a way to copy an address and "post as a link" but I guess they have better things to do.
flyingears-pretty close. White light breaks up into the rainbow colors when it hits a prism. The bubbles act as prisms.
Argyle, Chris et al,
Barry Silk just sent me his original grid in Across-Lite. He said he has to work today and he might respond to our comments later tonight. Two major grid changes: the upper middle part and the lower right corner. See here. What a pity! The "Footnote abbr: ETSEQ" looks so appealing to me. His original clue for ROAN is "Multicolored equine".
Well, I did the html thing and it still won't let the whole address show up in the post. So, I give up!!!
C.C., I used to collect BASEBALL CARDS in the early 50s and I wish I still had 'em... My brother and some of my youth years friends collected cards and used to play with them. They might still be a my mom's house. I would have to check 'em out and IF I find them I'll let you know.
Dennis et al,
Below are some of Barry Silk's original clues. I like how he clued EVE, TROLL and RISE. Let me know how guys think of them.
1A: 1983 Woody Allen pseudo-documentary (ZELIG)
16A: Sch. wit a Providence Campus (URI)
27A: Aardwolf features (STRIPES)
48A: John Elway was one (DENVER BRONCO)
53A: Where Sikkim is (ASIA)
64A: Footnote abbr. (ET SEQ)
66A: British textile center (LEEDS)
67A: Hockey moves (DEKES)
4D: One of the Cyclades (IOS)
6D: Transplants (GRAFTS)
7D: TV, radio, magazines, etc (MEDIA)
8D: Clay, after transformation (ALI)
9D: Frank McCourt novel ('TIS)
11D: California's state bird (QUAIL)
12D: Creature under a bridge (TROLL)
13D: Cuckoo (SILLY)
18D: Soufflé do it (RISE)
25D: Duma denial (NYET)
34D: Grimace (MOUE)
44D: Second person (EVE)
45D: Firefighters, at times (HOSERS)
47D: Flew the coop, old style (SCAPED)
49D: __ Lodge (motel chain): (ECONO)
50D: Country west of Chad (NIGER)
51D: Sent to beams (RAYED)
54D: Schoolroom sight (DESK)
55D: "Aha" (I SEE)
56D: A.B.A. members' titles (ESQS)
60D: Dir. from Oklahoma City to Kansas City (NNE)
61D: AAA recommendation (RTE)
C.C., Barry's clues are clearly better. For instance, the clue that always gets me is "compass dir." or similar - those you can only get from the perps. With actual cities, you get to think.
Also, I liked 'deked' for hockey moves. Not an everyday crossword word.
Flyingears,
I am so excited to learn about your baseball cards. You might have a 1955 Killebrew rookie card. Or perhaps a Mickey Mantle Topps 1952? A Bowman will be great too.
Dennis,
DEKES is a new word to me. I know nothing about hockey, but it's very gettable. I don't mind Williams' grid change on the upper middle part. But Barry's original lower right is so sparkling. And Williams totally botched the ROAN clue.
flyingears, my hobby store is probably 50% sports cards & memorabilia - if you have any questions that C.C. can't answer, feel free to email me. I was collecting back in the early 50s, and all my cards and comics were thrown out the week I joined the Marines. I still have a passion for the older stuff.
Dennis,
What's your most prized collection? Do/Did you own the 1952 Topps full set?
For kittyb: A gerund is a noun formed from a verb, while a gerundive is an adjective formed from a verb.
Hi C.C. and D.F.'s: Sort of troublesome today - just in spots.
Did not know 4D,8D (still don't get that - avi "fauna"..does that have something to do with avian?
10D was a total mystery as was 53A. Of course, I could have googled these but didn't want to take the time.
Melissa b, thanks for remembering the title to the fairy tale "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". I remember being afraid of bridges for years after that was read to me. I thought for sure a troll would get me.
drdad, thanks for the Santa story!
kittyb, I thought a roan was dark reddish too. Isn't it?
Also I am ashamed to admit I would not know a dangling participle if it bit me! I would appreciate an example.
Loved the "horsey" theme today - we should all get a good "ride" out of it, I just need more coffee..I got up way too early today! My cat wouldn't hush up til I got up and then she jumped in bed and went to sleep!! Figures.
Had a good time with Google this morning. I got the theme and theme answers but still struggled. The troll is under the bridge in the fairy tale "The Three Billy Goats Gruff". I never heard of AGIO. Good day all.
I too struggled with YEGG, ZELIG and SCHISGAL. Had to come here to finish it.
C.C. my sister since the early seventies has asked for a full set of Topps cards for Christmas. They are all still in the cellophane boxes unopened. Wonder what they are worth now?
I liked Barry Silk's original clue for URI because that is School with a Providence Campus - University of Rhode Island.
For anyone interested, I changed format on my blog from Hubble Space Telescope Images to things about towns/cities in the U.S. I started with my home town in Nebraska, then did a town in Wyoming, followed by West Warwick and Coventry, RI (where I now live). I also put the jumble answers and some things about the day in history. I know some have visited it but never left comments. Anyway, if you click on "drdad" you can get to my profile where my e-mail address is listed. If you e-mail me and let me know what town/city you are from, I can put something in the blog regarding those places and reference your blog name that you use here.
Dr. Dad
Nobody seems to have noticed that the clue for 67a leafes one wondering. I think it should have been "Richard's Agnew." That would have indicated that you were looking for a first name. I did know the answer, but the clue was off a bit. Otherwise, I thought an excellent puzzle.
Drdad, you may have to do some adjustment to your Santa equation. Christmas gifts for Swedish children are usually brought by the Jultomte (Christmas elf), not Santa Claus. That may also be true in other Scandinavian countries. Tomten in general are usually helpful little guys who live hidden in the house or barn. I think the popular perception of a gnome in a red peaked hat is based on the tomten.
Roan: "Any horse with a mixture of white and dark hairs of any color may be called "roan". I remember the Gene Autry movie, "The Strawberry Roan". I wasn't a big Autry fan. I was stuck on Roy Rogers, I think it was mainly because I loved his palamino horse Trigger. At 7 or 8 years of age, I was planning on marrying Roy. I just had to figure out a way to get rid of his wife Dale Evans. Sadly Roy and I were not meant to be and I eventually had to move on.
carol, I'll bet lois can spot a dangling participle.
Clear Ayes, Thanks for clearing up the "roan" question:) I too was stuck on Roy Rogers..never mind that he was old enough to be my father at the time..kids don't think of that, he was just my hero for quite a few of my young years
cokato, email me the years, and I'll be glad to tell you the value.
I have some customers who have collected sets since the 50s.
Jeez, Roy Rogers -- I had his whole outfit, complete with pearl-handled six-shooters, ten-gallon hat; used to wear it constantly.
Stopped wearing it about a year ago.
dennis, I was trying to be "polite", and yes I too am very good with "dangling" things...it's just this participle dangler that has me confused. I love to learn about new ones.
dennis, who caught you in the "outfit", Mustang Sally? It's all so much easier if you take the gun belt off.
Then I'd be left with just a dangling participle; I really only wore the gunbelt and the hat.
carol ---- this blog 'polite'?? What time did that start?
Oh - I remember....
@carol: wouldn't know a dangling participle if it bit you .. i know you know better than that.
melissab, you are right! I do love things that nibble (rather than bite).
@dennis: don't lie. i remember that outfit from a few weeks ago.
What Carl, no six shooter?
ok all you studs and fillies, I am going to do some serious yard work now - back later (If my fingers will still function) :) As if that would ever be a problem!
cokato, he has to have a 6-shooter, he's such a morel guy, remember???
jeez, melissa, see if I share a picture with you again. And please don't mention the spurs...
@fellow sirens: anyone else notice the proximity of men, nuts, and italian stallion? holy horse feathers!
considering the theme, i'm glad it was unix, and not eunichs.
cokato, did you mean 'carol'?
Lois could spot anything dangling.
@dennis: really? i can't mention them? aw .. i did so like how they jingle-jangle-jingled ...
Just remember what squirrels say: "It's all fun and games until someone loses a nut."
Folks,
Please dial back on your non-crossword related chats. You are hurting the credibility C.C. has established in the crossword community.
Dennis and C.C., if I find my cards I'll surely let you both know. I already called my mom and asked if she remembers where they are. She remembers we had them both that's as far as she recalls... They may not be available any longer... We'll see...
Good morning C.C. & all
Tough one for me this morning... took much longer than I wanted but finally worked it out.
I remember yegg from some movie.. The Sting perhaps... went through several words that were used in connection to thieves ie pickpockets, safecrackers, & etc.
26D Gena Rowlands - who can forget Thelma and Louise and she was on a T.V. show a couple of years ago where she played the first woman president... stepped up from V.P.
52A a gimme
@C.C. Your question about WIFI speed... It depends on where you are and how many others are also using the same location. The more users, the more bandwidth used, the slower it becomes. Range of usage is the big downfall of Wifi because it doesn't do well through concrete and steel building materials.
Had to smile at moue.
btw... loved 24A... knew a girl who had a '65 Mustang convert... called her Sally even though her name was Gertrude or something I can't remember.
Y'all have nice day.
Dennis that post was meant for you...got all flustered.
Drdad, one nut still does the job. Kind of like the kidneys.
anon 2:26
All I did was mention Roy Rogers and look what happened! ;o)
Here goes another comment. Has anyone seen the 1991 motion picture "The Commitments"? A terrific movie about an Irish R & B band. The songs in the movie were actually sung by the cast. I don't think I've heard a better version of "Mustang Sally", or "Take Me To The River". Not that the onsite Sirens need any helpful hints, but the female backup singers in this movie add a huge amount of sizzle to the already sexy songs. If you're a Netflix-er, give it a look.
Anonymous at 11:15 - you nameless individual. We have gone through this before with others just like you. When C.C. tells us to stop we will do so. If you don't like it, just click your mouse and move on.
anon@11:15 - you have no credibility on here unless you show your cowardly ass. If not, back under the rock
@'anonymous:' .. it suggests a gigantic ego that someone feels it is their place to be the self-appointed security guard of someone else's playground.
the owner's name here is c.c.
If we acknowledge the sourpuss Anons, they get what they want. They get to annoy and stir up an otherwise fun site. I'm still a newbie around here, but I already know that c.c. is fully capable of telling people what she likes and doesn't like.
I suggest a couple of deep breaths, ignore the "downers" and keep laughing.
clear ayes, but it's so much fun to 'tweak' them. Your point's well taken, but I'm always bothered by someone with the audacity to tell a large group to behave how 'they' want them to, and always with the flimsiest of rationales.
oh hey ... there was a enuich after all.
Dennis, I see your point too. It's tough to ignore the Lone Stranger (Who was that masked man?)
Back to more fun stuff; I still want to know if anybody has seen The "Commitments"
a eunich too.
@clear ayes: (breathing deep, thx).. have not seen the commitments. tell me.
CC:
Pretty cool that Barry sent the original - would be nice if he could do so someday before publications as many of his clues are much more challenging than those that we wind up with - not sure how the rules work in that game, but I think it would be neat.
@ ClearAyes - The Commitments was a terrific film - one of my favorites - and I agree that their version of Mustang Sally was & is the all-time best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQKmrQfxRHQ
Re: Anon - identify or go away!
mark - Buenos Aires
There is a saying
the angle of dangle is equal to the thrust of the lust
but sadly, I dont know a dangling participle
Greek Islands reminds me of Cos lettuce, could the name simple be derived from Cos? like Mussleburgh leeks and Chinese gooseberries? (OK I am joking on the latter)
maybe you guys can help me understand Avi, agio, and Pss
Its a shame Barry Silk has to work, I thought such a star would be at home contriving word connections and red herrings. I like that he exposes his thoughts to us, it makes the puzzle more personal.
God Bless to all
Melissa B, re: The Commitments, see my comment of 11:18. As one of the Sirens,(again, not that you ladies need it) it never hurts to pick up a few "sizzle tips". If you like R & B soul music, this is a movie you'll enjoy.
@ Mark Buenos Aires:
PSS refers to a second post-script added to a letter (the first is PS) - an afterthought, as it were.
For those of you trying to figure out "dangling paticiples"
(except you, Lois, we all know you are already knowing):
A present participle is a verb ending in -ing, and is called dangling when the subject of the -ing verb and the subject of the sentence do not agree. An example is "Rushing to finish the paper, Bob's printer broke." Here the subject is Bob's printer, but the printer isn't doing the rushing. Better would be "While Bob was rushing to finish the paper, his printer broke." (Pay close attention to sentences beginning with When ——ing.)
One way to tell whether the participle is dangling is to put the phrase with the participle right after the subject of the sentence: "Bob's printer, rushing to finish the paper, broke" doesn't sound right.
Not all words ending in -ing are participles: in the sentence "Answering the questions in chapter four is your next assignment," the word answering functions as a noun, not a verb. (These nouns in -ing are called gerunds.)
@mark: angle of dangle = thrust of lust... lol. i never knew a mathematical equation could be so fascinating.
@clear ayes: i see your comment now, thanks .. i will definitely check it out.
PSS,
I don't want to be the language police, but thought I'd share as it seems several had questionings.
;)
Please!!! It's EUNUCH. No such thing as a enuich, eunich. Did the sirens know that they were highly sought after in ancient times (I think Egypt) because of their ability to last a really long time (like the Energizer Bunny)?
Clear Eyes: I watch & listen to & tap my feet to "The Commitments" every time it's on the tube. Great music and a compelling story. Have you seen "Once" from 2006? Glen Hansard, who played guitar in The Commitments, wrote the music and starred in this Oscar-winning film made in Dublin.
CC: Silly could be a synonym for half-baked as in "That's a half-baked idea," meaning silly or stupid, not well thought through.
Chris, I just read the same thing - straight out of "Lynch - Guide to Grammar and Style". Good stuff.
Dennis,
That's where I copied it from - thought I'd save everyone the time.
I always thought it was PPS for a note written after the note that was written after the signature of a letter. It stands for Post Post Scriptum. Post Scriptum Scriptum has been used but I think it is done much less frequently. Ladies/sirens - don't read anything else into that word scriptum which is dangerously close to another word ending in "um" that also dangles.
Drdad, I looked up eunuch and it said a castrated male. When looking up castrate is said a male that is unable to attain a woody. Not my idea of something I wood seek.
cokato, that's funny, i looked up eunuch and it said "see anon@11:15"
cokato - that is not true! Eunuchs can and often do. They may have decreased libido but this does not mean that they cannot get one.
Bea: "Have you seen "Once" from 2006? Glen Hansard, who played guitar in The Commitments, wrote the music and starred in this Oscar-winning film made in Dublin."
We recently Netflixed "Once" and really enjoyed it. I knew I recognized that guy from somewhere.
I love so much about Ireland. It is one of the places I'd love to return. I know Anglophile is a lover of England, Francophile is a lover of France. Is there a word for lover of Ireland..."Eireophile", maybe??
Time to get ready for my monthly cribbage game. Ain't retirement wonderful?
@drdad: how do you know so much about EUNUCHs?
Cowboy’s true love is how I look at the theme, since cowboys notoriously loved their horse more than their women.
So many words I didn’t know – eroo, Schisgal, yegg, pena, vmi, inxs, yegg.
But still it was fun, not work. I love Barry Silk puzzles; the answers are often unexpectedly zany and humorous, as in fairy tail toll collector, (3 Billy Goats Gruff, one of my favorites) half baked (silly), can’t help but smile when I see them.
I think multicolored equine is more ‘spot-on’ than motley for roan.
The chocolate factory is my all time favorite episode of the I Love Lucy series.
Bill, I’m with you – the html iinstructions are gibberish to me – I do everything they say, can see it work in the test page, and then it doesn’t work on the blog. Bah!
C.C. As always, I love the links you provide.
As to Barry Silk’s original clues, they’re a little more difficult for a beginner like me. I see my two favorite clues – troll and silly – are the editors creation. Who woulda thunk?
I like 45D (hosers) 47D (scaped)and 49D Econo-lodge.
Clear ayes – Have you seen Trigger on display in the Roy Rogers museum?
Hello c.c., Df’s and all!
Another steaming day here in SW Florida. Bravo Mr. Silk, another winner. Nice theme, nothing too obscure, but just enough new words to make it slightly maddening. 33a drove me crazy as I kept on thinking Lexington KY, not VA. VMI has a long history of producing great military minds like Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Also liked all the food/ French references. I used to julienne root vegetables, shape them in a nest, batter and fry them, and put balsamic and DIJON brushed QUAIL in the nests. Big yumm.
@drdad- thank you for the reprint. I’m sure everyone is enjoying that as much as I did.
Too bad they didn’t use DEKES, term used in hockey to refer a fake move. Ice hockey is the best sporting event to attend live- it’s fast, furious and violent. You have to use your brain as much as your brawn, and the speed, constant changes and flow of the game make it most interesting. Too bad the NHL is run by an idiot.
I just saw that another anon has reared its ugly head. I’ll comment later, suffice to say that c.c. is a big girl who is more than capable of taking care of herself (and us when we get out of line). We afford her the utmost admiration and respect and I think I speak for the regulars when I say that I would gladly take a bullet for her or leave without protest if she asked. ‘Nuff said.
Hi, gang. Had trouble with the proper nouns again. Feel that some of these clues should be limited to movie/tv magazines, but managed thru with the perps and a lucky guess or two. Just took awhile. Knew agio , yegg and uri from doing years of x/ws. Pangrams are fun once you realize that's the goal.
drdad, thanks for the bubble explanation. One less thing to keep me awake. Now one of you engineers can help me with this one. If your knee cap was placed on the back of the leg and the knee joint placed on the front of the leg-where they are currently located-what would a chair look like? Another sleepless night until I get some help.
Also, children. Heed not drdad's Santa story. While he is technically correct, what drdad didn't tell you is Santa's best friend is H. G. Wells. Puzzle solved!!!
I must be off.
Drdad, decreased libido. You just said a naughty word...I'll stick with the "danglies"
Anonymous @ 11:15am,
Would you please retreat to your Lurker's Status? Emerge ONLY when you are ready. Without these chatting folks, this blog would have had no credibility.
@c.c.: i vodka you.
Hi all, Been reading your blogs for a week now and decided to join.
Had trouble signing up for this Blog and then posted on the wrong day. Geez! Had trouble with Schisgal (never heard of him), Yegg (Had Ye_g), Ios (guessed on the I). Loved today's theme! Drdad so loved your Christmas story and read it to my husband who also loved it! By the Way Drdad we live in Port Charlotte, FL and history you know on this city? Have a great day everyone!
g8rmomx2, great to have you with us. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
g8rmomx2, I assume you haven't found our comments offensive if you've read them for a week and are still joining us. Is that a safe assumption?
clear eyes: can't find a word for lover of Ireland. Maybe we should make one? My husband's grandfather came from County Wexford which we visited some years ago. We also collect Celtic music and attend Celtic music festivals. So I really need that word!
C.C. hooray for you!! the nerve of some people!(you know who you are).
Mark: Gee maybe I'm good at math afterall! :)
drdad: a post scro--m to you, we love whatever dangles.
Clear Ayes: Yes, we have "The Commitments" and have watched it several times over the years. Great flick!
I love cribbage too.
g8rmomx2: Welcome to our wild world, where learning is fun, even math! Hope you stay and play.
Clear Ayes & Bea,
It's "hibernophile". I am a mild one.
melissa bee - my insatiable thirst for knowledge leads me to know some things that I probably shouldn't know anything about, including eunuchs.
g8tormomx2 - Welcome! As Scotty of Star Trek said, "Hang on lassie. It gets bumpy from here."
(from ST-II "The Voyage Home.")
Regarding INXS, the lead singer Michael Hutchence died under unusual circumstances...sexual asphyxiation was the concensus; however it was ruled a suicide.
In 2004 there was a reality show where contestants competed to become the new lead singer. JD Fortune won the lead. (very hot).
CC: thanks for the great word. That's one reason I enjoy this blog; we're always learning from each other.
@C.C. I don't need to post this but "Thank You" for your clear position on anonymous censorship.
In the meantime, RAVE ON DFs. There's not much debauchee could add so I'll just sit back and LMAO.
I take it back.....
@cokato
sexual asphyxiation?????? What a picture...
Carl I know, kind of chokes you up. Sorry.
@cokato: good one.
Melissa bee, he must have had one helluva "good one".
I’m back (on WIFI). Being the traveling sales guy that I am, I use it often and explains the reason for my long posts and frequent absences. I lurk the streets to find a non-secure signal, then appear here.
The Commitments was a great movie directed by Alan Parker (Mississippi Burning). I was there in the summer of 1990 during World Cup and the country was mad. I would think that “stoutophile” would fit better, as I did more than my share of consuming “The Guinness” while there. No bus tours, just a small car and lots of B&B’s to stay in, the only way to see a country. My favorite sights were the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary and the Gap of Dunloe near Cork
I may be totally wrong about this, but I thought “castrate” was the term used for a male in the 17th and 18th centuries who was castrated to keep his singing voice high (a practice most common to Italy). And c.c.- didn’t the Emperors of the Forbidden City use eunuchs as house workers?
Also c.c.- thank you for your 12:35- we all vodka you and thank you for this forum where we can all be ourselves, sans the judgmental anons.
Back to work…..
This is to anon@11:15 and 2:26 previously:
I now know who you are - the email you sent to someone on here and your post are identical in phrasing and choice of words.
So here's your choice, big man - you can either cease with the anon crap and I'll tell no one else, or I'll be more than happy to show the group your email to the another member and let them compare for themselves. And this is a very smart group.
Your call - you have my email address.
Cokato: way to go.... or should I say what a way to go:) LOL
I'll bet he was a morel guy too.
Dennis, I like your use of words!
Carol you guys keep using morel. Where can I see this awe inspiring shroom?
wow...116 and counting!
c.c. - I enjoyed having the chance to see what Barry Silk originally planned for this puzzle. Without the perps or crosses, I would have missed DEKES, IOS, ET SEQ, NIGER and ZELIG. I knew ASIA, URI, DENVERBRONCOS, and NYET, but might not have gotten them from clues only. What a joy it is to hear from the creator of the puzzle!
Mark...yes, you're on the right track. The Greek island, KOS, is thought to be the birthplace of COS (romaine).
Thanks, Kazie.
Carol and Clear Ayes, one of the seven definitions for "roan" at dictionary.com is "reddish brown." I see that the preferred definition is "of the color sorrel, chestnut or bay sprinkled with gray or white." Too bad...I have this lovely image of a deep reddish brown horse running across the plains.
ChrisinLA, bless you for the examples. Thanks to you and Dennis, I'll be adding "Lynch - Guide to Grammar and Style" to my reference shelf. Somewhere, in storage most likely, I have the gold standard for writing papers from my college days. We called it by the author's last name, but it won't come to me.
Dr.Dad, I'll be sending your post on Christmas to the engineers in my family. Thanks for sharing.
Clear Ayes, I followed ChrisinLA's link to Mustang Sally and really enjoyed it. I'll pick up "The Commitments" the next time I'm at the store. Thanks for the recommendation.
Welcome to this wacky, dysfunctional world, g8ormomx2!
Walt, you're close. "Castrati" (plural) or "Castrato" (singular), were the terms for boys who were castrated prior to puberty to preserve a beautiful voice in the treble clef range.
cokato - is sexual asphyxiation that new thing they do where they hang themselves until they pass out? It also causes - um - well you know that thing that happens when aroused? I think it happens just before passing out or, in some cases, death.
Dennis - Way to go!!!! I kind of hope the "big man" makes the wrong choice and keeps up the anon crap. I wouldn't mind putting a name to the commenter. But, like you said, if he makes the correct choice and ceases, his identity remains none of my business.
Drdad, not that I have any expertise on the subject, but I believe you nailed it right on the head. It is supposed to enhance your "finish".
cokato, In some cases it sure DID enhance their "finish" ie they died!!
So stupid.
Would one of you dear "D's", or whoever did it last time, post the picture of the now imfamous MOREL again for cokato...I wouldn't want her to be deprived (depraved will be more like it when she see the "thing") :)
Good afternoon CC & DF's: What a great puzzle!!! It has all my loves in it...OKC,VA (VMI),horses, and pena's nuts!! Great dangles and places for horsing around! Way to go, Mr. Silk!!!
Barb b: cowboys do love their horses, but it's the bucking women that capture their hearts.
Dennis: LOL comment 12:23. Excellent! So, let me get this straight...only a gun belt and hat? No Trigger to pull? Come with me. I'll explain the pony express. Plus I'll help you with your outfit and that dangling participle.
Chef: you are such a noble guy. Well said.
drdad: thanks for the vote of confidence in my ability to identify dangling things. I'd be happy to prove you right, but as hard as it is to admit this, it'd be difficult on this rare occasion to identify anything of that nature on Anon 11:15. Wonder what his voice range is.
Carol: serious yard work? All my men say that...don't believe 'em. They do exaggerate. Nothing over a foot! Ever heard of square foot gardening? Great way to get more bang out of your buck!
carol, I believe Melissa sent it previously; I'm sure parting with even a copy was difficult.
@cokato: here.
@dennis: i'd like to keep it to myself but some things beg to be shared.
Good Grief! 121 comments when I first signed on at 2:17 p.m. It's going to take a while to get through all of those!
Did not know ZELIG, PENA, EAUX, IOS, AVI, SCHISGAL, or ROGERS. Got them all from the perps. I was surprised that this was a Barry Silk puzzle. I've found his prior puzzles to be friendlier to me!
C.C., I didn't realize it was a pangram. Great! How did you get the original grid? Is that you on June 28?
Dennis, you must be an early solver as well as a rapid one. You are usually the first to post a comment. Do you solve and then go to the blog and keep re-checking until C.C. posts?
I believe the troll as a collector of a bridge toll is from "The Three Billie Goats Gruff" in Grimm's Fairy Tales. I see Melissa Bee beat me to that.
Bill, in math, a ray is a line that starts at a point and continues on in a direction to infinity. A collection of rays all from the same central point will give you spokes, so spoked is the verb form.
Drdad, thanks for the bubble information. Glad to see the Santa back up. I had read it and then went back and you'd deleted it. The dye/pigment explanation was educational.
Argyle, Cheech and Chong?
C.C., I like Barry Silk's clues a lot. Some very clever ones there. Thanks for explaining where you got the original grid.
Carol, does your cat know my cat? Describes what he does most mornings.
Mark, PSS is the second postscript added to a letter. The first one is just PS. I think AGIO has been covered fairly thoroughly. Google avifauna for a discussion. Looks like Chris already answered the PSS question.
C.C. at 12:35 p.m. You go, girl! (Said with the utmost respect)
Walt, I believe the term was "castrato."
Cokato, I'm sure someone will give you the link soon.
Kittyb, it was "Someone's Manual of Style," right? Now who was that?
OK, here I am an hour later and finally ready to post. Sorry for the length.
@dennis 2:14- you’re my hero! That was a well worded blast to someone who doesn’t know when to say when. You’re warning and punishment are appropriate, and (if you’re still lurking there dude) one that should be taken seriously.
@cukato 2:23- melissabee showed me the link like 2 or 3 days ago (I want to say this past Friday or Saturday). If you go back you should be able to find it. It’s not a mushroom, but a registered weapon of mass destruction.
@kittyb- thank you for the clarification. I’m glad to live in these times rather than then. I’ve read that they were pampered beyond belief, but they were angry (you think?!) miserable (no, really?!) people who often die very young (THAT I understand).
@drdad 2:39- sexual asphyxiation is not that new, and it’s not limited to men or ropes. I remember that in NYC in the late 70’s or early 80’s there was a big murder case (the perpetrators name escapes me) where a rich, preppy kid killed a girl in Central Park by strangulation and used sexual asphyxiation as his defense. If memory serves, he was convicted of manslaughter (instead of murder), served his time, was released and I think is dead now. Perhaps someone can help fill in the details.
Dennis: You are so right about who anon 11:15 is. I thought the very same thing and challenge his Assness to take his troll mentality back under the bridge of misery and stay there.
@kittyb @ crockett: strunk and white.
Melissa bee, you are right, some things just beg to be shared. Thanks for the link. Imagination running wild....
Melissa bee, thank you. You are a font of information.
Tell you what - if I'm gonna die of sexual asphyxiation, there's on ly one way it's gonna happen, and there ain't no ropes involved.
Dennis are you talking about "the girls?"
cokato, close.
Lois, Melissa bee, Cokato: What can we do to (for)Dennis to show our appreciation??? Hmmmm..?
Dennis, is there a phrase that involves a chicken in your version of S.A.? The lyrics to an old Rockabilly song came to mind.
@dennis: i'd say you let the cat out of the bag ...
carol, no, it really doesn't have anything to do with MY anatomy...
Melissa bee, I remember using Strunk and White, but I think there was a book on writing research papers, with an author's name that began with "P." It's driving me crazy... and I don't have far to go! I've boxed up my school books, and I couldn't find what I wanted at Amazon.
Thanks for the help.
@kittyb: hmm .. well i got these all in a set years ago:
the elements of editing: a modern guide for editors and journalists by arthur plotnic
the elements of grammar by margaret shertzer
the elements of style by strunk and white
kittyb, i think i have that book at home; if no one gives it to you by then, i'll let you know.
test
ok are you all ready for my picture??
Are you sure? Here it is. aghhhhhhh!!
Carol, beautiful! Thank you. How can you be retired at your age?
Dennis, you are sweet!!! You just don't know how old I am! Thank god!
@dennis 3:49& 4:07- MAN- you're killing me! That was so funny I'm STILL laughing. What's even better is that the Sirens don't get it...
xchefwalt: Ohhhh now I understand.
whew! that's all I'm going to say for now.
@xchefwalt: uh... i'm pretty sure i got it.
dennis?
maam?
Good afternoon Cc and others. Nice puzzle today. Challenging but able to complete without help.
Cc I will not address your question relative to grammar as it has already been answered.
We installed a WIFI in our home and it is wonderful as we can access the internet from anywhere in the house from our lap tops. Only one caution be sure to secure it as any one of the neighbors (or anyone driving thru the neighborhood) can access it if you don't.
I will be gone for the next 14 days as I will be going to Germany. So Cc let me be the first to say congrats to you for your 500,000th hit on your site. It seems like only yesterday that I first logged on and you were less than 100,000 hits. Great site regardless of anon's feelings and comments.
Drdad Wonderful story about Santa. Never thought about Santa in such scientific terms but it all seems to make sense. The g loads sure are terrific!!
@dennis: my 4:07 ... accurate?
Absolutely right - you certainly don't beat around the bush.
Dennis: can I volunteer?
Carol: what I would suggest to thank Dennis? How much do you think he could take from the 3 of us?
Chris in LA,
How did you notice that "Balboa"? It was so dim inside that club. I forgot to write down Barry's original clue for INXS earlier: Band with the 1997 album "Elegantly Wasted".
Bill @ 10:07am,
As you can see, Barry Silk's original fill for 67A is DEKES, not SPIRO. But I don't have problem with the Nixon clue, though grammatically you are correct. Richard is just too general a name for the clue.
Flyingears,
The average daily hits for this blog is 4,000.
Anonymous @ 11:15am,
If you really care about me and the credibility of this blog, please can you come forward?
Crockett1947,
Yes, it's me. Are you surprised?
Xchefwalt,
FYI, the original clue for SKIM is "Not whole, as milk". But I am glad you had fun with "Take off the top". Yes to your question on eunuchs, who often held enormous power in backdoor decision-making. Thanks for the vodka.
Dick,
Have a wonderful trip! I will be missing you.
CC,
Balboa is in an exterior shot right at the beginning of the video - just caught my eye.
Hope all is well?
Dick, What a coincidence--I'm headed to Germany tomorrow for two weeks too--our son's wedding ing Chemnitz. Where will you be?
C.C., I don't wanna know any more about 'backdoor decision-making'.
Chris,
I missed that fleeting second of the exterior shot. I was too focused on the inside and could not understand how you could catch that sign.
Dennis,
I thought you were a very curious person...
Dick: Safe travels. You will be missed. I hope you can find some way of logging on.
Carol: Great picture!
C.C., certain areas hold little interest for me...
Dennis,
I forgot that a guy with high MOREL only knocks on the front door.
175 and counting- can 200 be far away??
The jokes I could make about Spartians and back-door decision making....
Greetings c.c. & all,
Found this blog two weeks ago doing a Google search on a puzzle, and have been checking back every day -- it's fun & educational! Thanks!
AGIO, Schisgal & Auer were new to me. I'd never heard of a pangram
grid but I enjoy the X, Z, QU words in puzzles, probably from playing Scrabble as a child and loving those high scorers!
Back to my original 11:16am
Not that it really matters but the fog finally cleared in my brain and the light bulb dimly glowed...
The antique terminology for safecrackers, thieves and pickpockets I had flashed on for yegg came from (my favorite author) Michael Crichton's "The Great Train Robbery". He used the names extensively in ways you could understand what they meant. Here it is only six hours later. A little sloooowww today.
Wow, I was just gone for a few hours and the blog exploded, not in a bad way though. It looks like the Sirens and their gentlemen callers are back on track again :0)
Cribbage afternoon was as enjoyable as usual. Is it because my partner and I won 3 games out of 4? It may be an "old-fashioned" game, but it's a perfect combination of skill and luck.
c.c. Thanks for "hibernophile". "The Guinness" is mentioned prominently in my profile. I think it may be partially responsible for my affection for things Irish. I have no Irish roots myself, but my daughter does. Found out while visiting Ireland that, even though it doesn't sound Irish, my ex's/her maiden name is from an old and honored Galway family. Probably one of the luckless, less talented younger sons emigrated to the U.S. during the Potato Famine. (That would explain the lucklessness and talentlessness of my ex.)
c.c. I was going to ask the same as Crockett1947. June 28 is very nice, just as I would have imagined.
Lexi2,
Hey! Another Xword solver from FL. Welcome. Barry Silk is very well known for his pangram puzzles.
Clear Ayes,
I love Irish music. Bought a pair of very unique Celtic dragonfly earrings at the flea market several weeks ago. Very pretty.
Carol, nice picture.
C.C., not surprised, just pleased to finally see you!
@carol: nice to see you!!
@gr8rmomx2 & lexi2: welcome.
@c.c. & dennis: i supppose the back door guy would also go instead of come, as c.c. suggested recently.
Geez: I agree with you Clear Ayes, go away for a few and look what explodes! oops
dennis, as I mentioned earlier, I am good at yard work, I trimmed the bush in front and now every thing is neat and tidy.
Lois, we really should try to give
Dennis what he wants without harming him, he's so good to have around!
Dick, Wow, Germany, you lucky guy! Enjoy and stay safe, we will miss you.
Lexi2: welcome, we sure hope you enjoy our crazy antics and stay with us.
Melissa bee, there is a cute limerick about your last remark. I won't put it all here but the gist is instead of coming, he went. LOL My bad
c.c I love making recommendations. The group "Leahy" is a very large and very musical Canadian family that is firmly grounded in Celtic tradition. They fiddle, sing, dance, play various other instruments and lull you into a dream before they raise the roof. They do have several CD's, but it is their in-person concerts that will make a believer out of anyone. They have a website where their tour schedule is available. So worth it!
carol, your yard work comment put me on the floor.
And Lois, for God's sake, listen to Carol.
mark - Buenos Aires
Clear Ayes, your put down of your ex was perfect phrasing - it made me laugh out loud as I could envisage the aside you made when you said it.
Have a good night everybody
That was funny. My wife and I were doing the crossword in the New Orleans Times-Picayune today and we were stumped by one clue, so we googled Luv dramatist and your blog came up as the third entry. That's a mighty fast piece of archiving by Google.Thanks for your help - though it always feels like an admission of defeat to use the internet.
clear ayes: Another Leahy fan-yay! They are terrific. Donnell Leahy is married to another huge Canadian talent, fiddler Natalie McMaster. Amazing performer. She played in Fargo in 2005, 6 mos. pregnant, didn't slow her down a bit. Definitely another one to see live.
Bea; Natalie McMaster popped in for a couple of numbers at the Leahy concert I attended. That was in Modesto CA, February 2008. It may be a while until they are back in our neighborhood.
My idea of great Irish music (in no particular order): U2, Boomtown Rats, Thin Lizzy, Cranberries, Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison and guitarist Gary Moore. Any others?
C’ mon guys- 200- let’s go!
Dennis, did you get the e-mail I sent you regarding "nature"? I don't know how to link those things here (not too computer savvy) I thought most would be appreciated pictures here. I think the redwood tree would send Lois over the top. Carol what a beautiful woman to be retired...I'm jealous, not just because of your beauty but because you are retired. Dennis, ooh, ahh, on your asphysiation choice.
cokato, I did email you back about them using my likeness.
Glad you got an ooh and an aah out of the other...
okay Dennis....what was the book??
book?
Dennis, I aim to please, I'm sure you do too.:)
cokato, what a nice compliment, thank you! (I did retire early, but that was awhile ago) The pic is from today and thanks to my hubby, I could get it on here finally :)
Dennis, ooh, aah, ooh, ahh, ooh, ahh...still like my first idea anyway (my preference)....seriously, share via e-mail that e-mail to Lois, Melissa bee and Carol (all the sirens) I'm sure C.C. could handle it too. I am also sure that Drdad, Dick, Walt and Carl would appreciate it as well. Like I said, I don't even know how to post my picture.
carol, target recognition is everything
Holy sh*t, a new page! Cool!
c.c. Congratulations! 200 + posts
This is where we toss confetti and set off the fireworks. What a success your site has become.
Dennis: if I listen to Carol then there go the chains, hand cuffs, and that fabulous whip. But it's good either way. But I will listen to Carol if you insist.
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