google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday, August 29, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

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Aug 29, 2008

Friday, August 29, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

Theme: Let's Say

18A: July 14th in France: BASTILLE DAY

59A: Spendable salary: TAKE HOME PAY

3D: Crosby movie: GOING MY WAY

24D: First Chief Justice: JOHN JAY

29D: Bobby Bloom hit: MONTEGO BAY

And CAY, FAY, GAY, HAY, LAY and MAY. What else?

I've never heard of JOHN JAY before, very interesting name. With Sheryl CROW, Christopher WREN and Peter FINCH, you can create a "Bird Spotting" themed puzzle. That will elate Larry BIRD.

A tough puzzle for me today. I got up late, and was stumped immediately by 1A. I wanted SIR and I knew it's not right. Somehow my mind was fixed on the physicist Newton. Never really gained any momentum, and struggled on various spots.

Across:

1A: Newton's first name ?: Why is it called FIG Newton Cake instead of Cookie/Bar?

4A: Chevy model: CAMARO. Here is the first ever Chevy CAMARO commercial.

14A: English privy: LOO. I think I really like "Elton's john" clue.

15A: Sandy or Roberto of baseball: ALOMAR. A rare gimme. I like how ALOMAR intersects MOST (6D: Part of MVP) because both of them were All-STAR Game MVPs (1997 & 1998). This is their father Sandy ALOMAR Sr (1966 Topps).

16A: 1997 Peter Fonda title role: ULEE. "ULEE's Gold". I've never seen it, have you?

24A: Actress Leigh: JANET. I don't like "Psycho", too scary.

25A: Man in Metz: HOMME. French for man. Here is Picasso's "Vieil HOMME Assis, Mougins". Another French word is OUI (49D: Nice assent).

28A: Hardly hemen: WIMPS. Are you OK with this clue?

32A: Poet Lowell: AMY. Unknown to me. What poem is she famous for?

38A: Alphrazolam brand name: XANAX. I simply forgot. Identical clue in a May TMS puzzle. It's an anti-anxiety drug.

43A: Digital image format: JPEG. I can never rememer its full name: Joint Photographic Experts Group.

48A: Fertile loam: LOESS. I sure have difficuty commmitting this word to my memory.

52A: QB Flutie: DOUG. No, I've never heard of him. A cover on Sports Illustrated? He must be very good during his college years then.

53A: Long Island institution: ADELPHI. New to me also. Is it very famous?

63A: Northern Illinois University city: DEKALB. Another unknown. WP says supermodel Cindy Crawford was born and grew up here. Here is the map.

66A: "___ Fideles": ADESTE. I don't understand a word Enya is singing, but it's beautiful.

Down:

2D: Actress Skye: IONE. No idea, even though I just watched her movie "Say Anything..." (with John Cusack) a few weeks ago.

4D: Minnelli film: CABARET. "Why Should I Wake Up?"

8D: Vituperate: RAIL AT

9D: Wrinkle-free fabric: ORLON. I had no idea that ORLON is a Du Pont trademark.

10D: Pool hall item: CUE STICK. Paul Newman's "The Hustler" is pretty good.

13D: Tunisian ruler: BEYS. Alwayst thought BEYS were Turkish rulers.

19D: Cinema-chain name: LOEWS

25D: Sister's clothing: HABIT

27D: Media bus. grp.: MCA. What is it?

35D: Devon river: EXE. It appeared in a Feb TMS puzzle, and of course I forgot. Here is the map. It flows to the English Channel.

42D: Infection type: STAPH

44D: Good gracious!: GLORY BE. I've never heard anyone say "GLORY BE!" alone as an exclamation. Is it like "Man Alive"?

54D: Confront boldly: DARE. "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and dreams that you DARE to dream really do come true..." Now, tell me, do you DARE? " 'Cause if you do, I'll take you there...."

55D: Med. tests for the heart: EKGS. I forgot which one is more commonly used, EKG or ECG?

57D: Pakistan tongue: URDU. Nailed it this time.

C.C.

94 comments:

  1. Good morning, c.c. and gang - no major snags with this one, but I needed the perps for 'adelphi', 'dekalb', 'mca' and 'omarr'.

    c.c., thanks for the Enya clip; anything she does is great. I also think "The Hustler" is beyond 'pretty good' - one of Newman's best roles.

    What's everyone's's plans for this weekend? Whatever they are, I hope it's a spectacular one.

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  2. Good Morning c.c. and Dennis and all that follow.

    I've had more fun coming up with different *ay's than doing the puzzle.

    Ray Charles. ... tell me what'd I SAY,

    Bob Dylan... Lay Lady LAY

    first cutting HAY - most hay fields are cut 3 times

    making HAY - while the sun shines

    roll in the HAY - that's where I lost my virginity

    let them eat HAY - what the farmer said when told the cows were out of grain?

    Mary KAY - beauty cosmetics

    Rachael RAY - daytime TV cooking show host

    heat RAY - Martian weapon used in "War of the Worlds"

    oy vay!

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  3. I just watched the Camaro commercial - very funny. It was 2 minutes long...when on earth would they show that? Were commercials more than 30 seconds long in the 60's? I especially liked the "hide-away headlights" and "special instrumentation".

    Have a safe weekend, everyone.

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  4. Good morning cc and dfs. This one really tried my intelligence, in fact so much that by the time I was done I was not sure if I had any intelligence at all. I absolutely hat puzzles with movies, actors, actresses and performers. (Clear eyes you should have an easy time with this one). I had so much trouble today that I will not comment any further.

    @ Dennis it is going to be another fine day in the Berg so it is off to the links today. Hope you all have a great long weekend.

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  5. Dennis,
    I completely forgot about MCA (27D). What is it anyway? I forgot to link Cindy Crawford picture for you earlier. It's now there.

    Argyle,
    You just brightened up my DAY, let me add Daisy FAY, what a PLAY!

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  6. Good morning CC and DF's: Slow going this AM, but a couple of visits to my G-spot for names got me thru. Love the pool reference.

    Good job, Argyle.

    3 day wknd. Party on! I'll comb the wimps out and find me a bon homme with bon mots and have a serious tryst in a camaro...would rather mh's cobra, but my cue stick probably wouldn't fit.

    Enjoy this gray-t day. A little liquid sunshine here.

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  7. c.c., MCA (Music Corp. of America) was one of the giants in the entertainment industry for many years. I know they went back into the Roaring 20s, and that they owned Universal at one point. I'm sure there's a ton online about the company.

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  8. Good morning and Happy Friday!!
    Loews and Loess. Exe and Axe. Then the intersection of Pat and Apt. Kept thinking how to say yes nicely as opposed to in French. I liked 1A because it misleads - you could think of sir being Sir Isaac Newton's first name (or at least I did). That really hangs you up for a short bit. Other rhyming words with the theme answers (Bastille Day, Montego Bay, Take Home Pay, Going My Way) = Janet Leigh, John Jay, Cabaret, Bey.
    Not a bad puzzle. Had to visit that "G" spot a couple of times.
    Those who are not He-Men can be such wimps so I am okay with the clue.
    Speaking of Doug Flutie here is what made him famous.
    The title Bey could be maintained as a similar office within Arab states that broke away from the High Porte (the Divan (court) of the Ottoman Empire).
    I said my piece on EKG's and ECG's some time ago and will not comment further today.

    Today in history - Beatles last public concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, 1966.
    Chop Suey invented, 1896,
    First Scout Camp Opened 1934,
    The Fugitive TV Series - final episode aired August 29, 1967.
    Goodyear Tire Company founded, 1898. Itis "More Herbs, Less Salt Day" so our herbalists will have a great time today. And Speedy Gonzales birthday was on this day in 1953.

    Have a great day and Happy Labor Day! Enjoy the weekend.

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  9. bloom in MAY - What flowers April showers bring

    Why is it called FIG Newton Cake instead of Cookie/Bar?
    Good question but no good answer.

    I've never seen Ulee's Gold

    28A: Hardly hemen: WIMPS. Are you OK with this clue?
    Wimps is what came first to mind.

    "GLORY BE!" as an exclamation
    Yes and Little Orphan Annie said, "Gloryosky, Sandy, Punjab saved us again!" "Arf!" ...

    IMBO II

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  10. Can't wait for tomorrow's puzzle. We've had too many easy ones this week.

    Did anyone else dislike FLAP for Flutter?

    Ulee's Gold was filmed in this area and my husband was one of the extras.....but we had to see it 5 or 6 times to see him....extremely small part!

    We can relax about Gustav but are now worried about the next one....always the next one!

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  11. Clear Ayes - your comment on Kilarney yesterday brought back a song that I remember from when I was a kid. Don't know if it's for the same place because the spelling is different (two L's):
    Xmas in Killarney

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  12. southern belle, I give you credit -- most women would never talk about their husband's 'very small part'...

    c.c., great Cindy Crawford picture; thanks.

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  13. Morning, folks!

    Another puzzle that started out super easy and got more challenging the farther I got into it.

    Both FIG Newton and DOUG Flutie were total gimmes to me, since both have Massachusetts connections. The FIG Newton was named after the city of Newton, MA (which is just a few towns over from where I grew up), and DOUG Flutie went to high school with my older brother (I went to school with DOUG's younger brother, Darren). And JOHN JAY was a gimme from my law school days.

    There was plenty of stuff I didn't know, however:

    AMY Lowell
    ALOMAR
    ADELPHI
    GOINGMYWAY
    MCA
    MONTEGOBAY (actually, I think we had this in another puzzle recently)
    EXE

    Some of those unknowns crossed, but I was able to make some educated guesses. And thank heavens I'd heard of XANAX, or the whole center section would have been a total loss.

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  14. Southern Belle,
    Yes, I should have said earlier that I object FLAP being clued as "Flutter". I've never liked the repetition of letter(s) in the clue & the answer. How would you have clued FLAP?

    Dennis @ 7:12am,
    Regarding this MOREL standard, tell me exactly what are your MOREL philosophy and values? And just on what kind of MOREL ground do you stand?

    Argyle,
    The more I think about your "Let them eat HAY", the more I like it. Why not "FLOWER in May"? Is "Gloryosky" a very popular exclamation word?

    Dr.Dad,
    JOHN JAY is part of the theme answers.

    Barry,
    MONTEGO BAY, yes, and I know you are not fond of Bob Marley.

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  15. Hmmm...morel philosophy and values, huh?

    I suppose my philosophy would be 'use it or lose it', or maybe 'sharing is caring'. As far as values, well, that's not for me to say.

    Oh, and I stand on firm morel ground.

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  16. Kazie,
    Ah, now I remember your B.A.G.S. mnemonic. Actually, I did respond to you once. If you go back to the July 24 blog entry and read the last post, you will notice my short "Thank you" written on the early morning of July 25 (as I do not comment on the blog in the evening time).

    And KittyB also responded to you on your gerund explanation before you left for Germany. But now I do feel so bad that I've not responded to you on your very educating information on vowel circumflex ("âne") and other posts. My bad! Please accept my apology.

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  17. Good morning cc and df folks...puzzle was pretty easy for me today, I am learning so much from you, the clues I used to trip over I now get quite quickly...thanks !!!
    I have a great weekend and beyond planned !!! To start the weekend ...the 'girls' are coming for dinner Friday night before we head to McMenamins for Sheryl Crow and James Blunt. All my favorite things...my three good friends, great food...( Of Course the man will cook )and outdoor summer concerts!!! Then the next big TTD is to pack.... We are off to St Louis Sunday !! Golf starts officially Thursday so we have a few days to chill. My family gets to golf in the pro-am.... they don't know who their pro is yet.... I am hoping we can go watch at least for a bit !!....that's Monday ... From there the BMW classic starts Thursday and we will be there for all four rounds and other fun St Louis activity. See ya when I am back in the NW.

    PS for those two wh seem to want to battle about Ohio vs Michigan.... its called the BIG TEN not the big TWO.... Go Badgers !!! :) Ciao

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  18. Good morning, c.c. and all. It's a gray day in Indiana, where we are waiting for a little liquid sunshine. I'm visiting with family, and went to the Ball State Football game last night. They beat Northeastern (whoever they are...) by 48 to 14. (Don't hold me on that score....Northeastern might have had 7. No matter what, it was a rout!) My niece marched in her first college halftime show and I wanted to be there for her.

    This puzzle went astonishingly fast. I needed to do both the across and downs to complete it, but I finished in almost record time for me (which isn't saying much).

    I have had one class at NIU in DeKalb, the home of Tom & Jerry's Gyros King. It was a gimme, simply due to proximity.

    ADELPHI, MCA, OMARR, and EXE might have given me difficulty had they not been completed by the fills.

    As always, it's a pleasure to check out the links provided by c.c. and the DFs. I had forgotten Speedy GOnzalez. His name stayed with me, as a phrase occasionally used, but I'd forgotten the cartoon.

    I have two more days with Indiana family before I make the drive home. I hope you all have great plans for our last fling of the summer.

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  19. Dennis,
    Just what is your definition of a MOREL guy? Who has the say on your MOREL values? And how firm is your MOREL ground?

    Doesitinink,
    Was it you who remarked on the plural ASYLUMS/ASYLA yesterday?

    Clear Ayes,
    Thanks for the Byron "She walks in beauty, like the night" poem, very beautiful.

    Embien,
    What kind of on-line seminar did you attend yesterday? Is it on regular basis?

    Xchefwalt,
    How can I punish you when you are so many miles away? I do, however, trust you to have the intelligence and MOREL capacity to discipline yourself.

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  20. C. C. said@7:45 AM

    Why not "FLOWER in May"?

    It is a line from an Al Jolson song: "Though April showers May come your way, They bring the flowers That bloom in May.


    Is "Gloryosky" a very popular exclamation word?

    I think it was only popular with Little Annie; Sandy only said, "Arf".

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  21. Good morning, C.C., et al. No googles today for a change, but I did scratch my head a couple. I knew 63A from a woman I used to date, and some of the obscure blanks fell in from the perps.
    C.C. Adeste Fideles is Latin for "O Come All Ye Faithful", a Christmas carol popular both in English and Latin. It is primarily a Catholic song; I learned it as a child. It is pretty common crossword answer.

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  22. c.c., if anyone had any doubts as to your FIRM standing as a DF, your last questions to me should certainly erase them. And as HARD as it is for me to do so, I'm taking the high road and deferring for now.

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  23. Ken,
    Thank you so much for the detailed line by line analysis last night. I would never have appreciated the romanticism in the poem without your explanation.

    Dennis,
    You can not stand my MOREL scrutiny? You have a MOREL obligation to explain to me just how deep your MOREL conviction and MOREL certainty are.

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  24. C.C. - "how deep"?? I'm gonna start calling you D.F. instead of C.C.

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  25. kazie, I am woefully less learned than you, and I appreciate the explanations you have posted. I hope to take French lessons one day, but I would be content to be able to converse in French.

    I envy your fluency in three languages.

    And for those of you focusing on football, could I interrupt here to say...."GO CUBS!!!" I can only hope the curse has been lifted.

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  26. ken, I'd like to quibble with you. I don't think 'Adeste Fideles' is primarily a Catholic carol. I've sung it in several Protestant churches over the years.
    This is one that is fairly universal in it's use.

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  27. kittyb - I'm with you. Go Cubs!!

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  28. Dennis,
    Well, today I happen to be interested in this MOREL issue, since we've been in a MOREL quandary for some time. I am curious about your MOREL principals because you seem to be an authority on MOREL conduct.

    So you don't want to let me know about the depth of your MOREL certainty, do you then have the MOREL courage to tell me how wide is your MOREL latitude and what precisely are your MOREL codes?

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  29. C.C. You are most welcome for my comments on "Believe me if all those endearing young charms." That is the full title, btw. Very often, song writers and poets use rare expressions or coin new ones and non-native English speakers have difficulty with them. You can hear the melody at http://www.contemplator.com/ireland/believe.html. I suppose if I dug around on the web, there is a version that is sung. It is a very beautiful melody, played in waltz tempo. I play it on my fiddle.
    PS If you liked Paul Newman in "The Hustler", you might also enjoy "Cool Hand Luke", a story of him as a convict who just won't fit in to the warden's expectations of him. Btw, you may know that Paul Newman markets a variety of salad dressings etc, that are in almost every supermarket. All the proceeds are donated to needy children.

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  30. C.C. One more thing about Adeste Fidelis. You'll also see Semper Fideles (Always Faithful), motto of the US Marine Corp, in crosswords. Semper Paratus (Always Ready) is the motto of the US Coast Guard. Enough Latin for today. *S*

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  31. Hi to all--On anniversary of Katrina we're piling all our furniture atop the pool table- emptying all bottom cabinets-trying to raise everything above the 3 foot level of where we got flood water last time.
    Yes we have flood insurance but all the mental anguish of throwing away treasured things is too sad. Unfortunately not so many photographs to save.
    Meanwhile it's a beautiful day here and I just had to have my familiar routine of xword and checking all your comments. Hope Gustav won't be too SERIOUS and we won't have KNEE deep water cuz then I'll BAWL. (trying to mention xwords here)
    Hope I don't break out in shingles like last time--caring for my 91 yr. old Mother and dealing with this stress--talk about df!! ! I'm there & not in a good way.
    OK my pity party is over--duty calls.
    We're going to evacuate and I will miss ya'll.

    Sandra

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  32. Had to use the computer on this one for a few answers, some were obvious, had fun!

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  33. Kittyb & Drdad. Go Cubbies. I was in Reno in July and got $20 on them at 9-1 odds to win it all. I couldv'e gotten them to win the pennant at 7 - 1 but thought I'd go for the whole thing.
    Kitty, I yield to you on Adeste Fidelis. I grew up with the tune but I've heard it sung by many choirs and singers.

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  34. dennis, On a morel note, I should have said "very small role".

    c.c. FLAP, part of aircraft wing??

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  35. Marie, let us not forget the rest of the Big Ten. Go Gophers!!

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  36. This wasn't a particularly difficult one but I still struggled. Is "hemen" actually a word? I would think it would be at least hyphenated or two words. I didn't get it at all plus I had LOEWS misspelled as LOWES so it came out EIMPS. And JANET had a ??NWT which was impossible. Anyway I needed help on that entire section of the puzzle. Had to look up the definition for vituperate and once I got that everything fell into place.

    It's HOT here in Silicon Valley - over 100 yesterday and more expected today. High fire danger as well. Hope the weekend is a little cooler.

    Hooray for Obama and Biden. Good show this week, now let's see what the republicans can do. This will be the most interesting election since - well I don't know since when - maybe Kennedy/Nixon?

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  37. 1980s, Nabisco slogan:
    "A cookie is just a cookie, but a Newton is fruit and cake." Cake, cookie, or bar, I love Fig Newtons. Haven't yet tried Fig Newmans

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  38. The puzzle looked to be difficult at first glace…I had problems with the upper, left corner, but in the end it all fell into place except XANAX (had xinan). The answer FIG to clue Newton’s first name was a real groaner, and the clue ‘Hardly hemen’ should have properly been written ‘Hardly he-men’.

    Cc: Adestes Fideles is Latin for “Faithful Be Present”. The hymn I was required to memorize in Latin class was sung to the music of the Christmas song “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful”.

    Ulee’s Gold has often been a crossword answer, but I only learned recently on NPR that Ulee was a beekeeper. So now that I am anticipating next year raising my own bees, I want to see this movie.

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  39. CC - my clue for Flap would be:
    Long John's back door.

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  40. c.c., clear ayes and kittyb, I thank you all for remembering earlier comments I've made. Now I feel included! But boy, some of you are up late at night. anyone on the night shift?

    I started off thinking it was going to be a franglophone puzzle today, but then got hung up on omarr, xanax and apt. I didn't like the clue for apt--sounds more like "suitable for" than "really likely". What do you think?

    Also, does der Katze know he should be der Kater? Or if it's a she, die Katze? I often wonder if the reason most people unknowingly assign female gender to cats and male to dogs is a hang-up from our germanic roots. Katze is the more common term in German for a cat.

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  41. Good morning everyone! Lots of new words/names today: ULEE, ALOMAR, ANI, AMY, XANAX, ADELPHI, IONE, OMARR, MCA.

    C.C., I also had SIR for 1A. I wanted 24A to be VIVIAN, but of course that didn't work. Also had YEP for YUP. Gues I was thinking of Bill's post the other day. Thanks for the Cindy Crawford link!!

    @kazie Nice picture and smile!

    How about "envelope part" for FLAP?

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  42. Hi all,

    Had "Sir" for Newton's first name like Drdad (but, not for a short bit) and was very stubborn about it. Then I googled Actress Skye and got Ione, so now I was positive I was right on "Sir". I had "skip" for flutter, as in your heart skips or can flutter. Then I changed English privy to "Tea". I finally googled Newton and when it came up with Fig I got the rest. I had yep instead of yup, so Urde instead of Urdu. The rest of the puzzle went well.

    Razzberry: loved your clue for "flap"

    Anon/Sandra: Good luck to you and stay safe. I hope you don't get the flooding and that everything will go well for you.

    Marie: Sounds like a blast!

    I might add: GO GATORS! For those interested, UF/Hawaii game on Saturday at 12:30pm!

    Have a wonderful day everyone!

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  43. Good Morning All, Oh yes, I liked this puzzle. It was chock full of famous and some not so famous names.

    I also noticed quite a few words with a French slant: HOMMES, MOT, BASTILLE DAY, CABARET and OUI. Kazie must have liked that. BTW, Thank goodness C.C. has such a good memory. I had jotted down Kazie’s “B.A.G.S” mnemonic, filed it in my “Things to Remember” drawer and then promptly forgot it. Shame on me. Now I’ve got it written on a small sticker on the top of my desk.

    Dr. Dad, You’re right. I misspelled Killarney last night, but it was late and I was trying to watch an historic speech on TV at the same time. I also remember the Christmas song. It was a peppy little number.

    I can’t seem to get away from Ireland. GOING MY WAY was a great old “feel good” movie that won the Academy Award in 1944. Another star of G.M.W. was Barry Fitzgerald, the ultimate Irish-accented actor of the time. He also starred in my favorite Ireland movie, “The Quiet Man” with John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald and even Fitzgerald’s brother Arthur Shields.

    I posted my latest photo last night in homage to “The Guinness”. Xchefwalt and I were reminiscing about Irish pubs.

    Ken, Kittyb and Doesitinink, ADESTE Fideles also made an appearance in my Junior year Latin class. Our teacher made sure we pronounced the “V’s” as “W’s”and “mus“ as “moos“…..Venite Adoramus….etc. I’ve forgotten most of the Latin I learned, but I do remember the carol.

    Ken, Favorite line from Cool Hand Luke was by Strother Martin as “Captain”. I still use it in discussions with G.A.H. "What we've got here is failure to communicate." It’s even better with the deep South accent Strother Martin used.

    For you who are being rained on today, try the Irish phrase, "The weather is soft". It sounds so much more pleasant.

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  44. Kazie: We just returned from a cruise to Alaska. I don't know if you've visited your son there, but it is truly an enchanted land. We just did the Inland Passage, but even that was worth it. Two authors who write mysteries about Alaska are Sue Henry (the heroine is a dog raiser/trainer/musher))and Dana Stabenow (the heroine/detective is an Alaskan native.) Both are full of Alaskan lore, history and geography.

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  45. You didn't give an answer to 26D.

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  46. clear ayes, I thought later about adding an "n" to the mnemonic to make it "BANGS" to include NUMBERS as well, which of course also come before nouns. Maybe that will give rise to some thoughts in this group. Sorry if you have to use a new post-it note!

    Thanks to Ken for the book suggestions. I must look those up. We actually visited our son there in June, and toured the whole Kenai peninsula by car with him. When in Homer, we visited the Howling Huskies farm run by Dr. Linda Chamberlain, a biologist by trade, who has been training huslies for years. She gives lectures in the lower 48 on using team psychology based on the huskies. Here's her website if you're interested:
    http://www.howlinghuskyhomestead.com/
    Also took some mini cruises and saw plenty of sea wildlife on one out of Seward. Fantastic mountain scenery too, especially around Valdez. Great two week trip!

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  47. I don't like figs, even if they are NEWTONS. I have tried figs several times, and to me, they are just too gooey and seedy. I do like (M)ALOMARs though. Anything with marshmallow is high on my list of tasties.

    ULEE's Gold is a very good movie. I'm sure it's available on Netfix.

    Kazie, Time zones account for what appears to be late posting last night. 1:00 AM on the Blog is only 11:00 PM for me. Actually, it was rather late for me. I had just come home from our local chorus rehearsal and I wanted to watch a rerun of "The" speech. While I was waiting, I logged in to respond to Xchefwalt, Ken and you.

    New post-it and BANGS it is!

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  48. C.C., Here's is a truism...
    "Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own tail. It won't fatten the dog."
    - Mark Twain Speech, 11/23/1900

    On the puzzle, I believe that 8D should ask for a 2-word answer. Also 28A should have had a hyphen between he-men...

    26D is Sydney Omarr, whoever he is or was...

    Nice puzzle, but not easy for a Friday. I did like it even if I felt like an inane idiot in some areas...

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  49. Time zones can be a real pain--trying to figure out what time an email was really sent from Europe to my hotmail account when they do strange things with pluses and minus to GMT. Or when you lose a day crossing the dateline. I wondered if the postings here gave the same times for everyone, or if it magically converts to whatever is your local time. I noticed though that c.c. is in MN, so maybe that puts us all in central time?

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  50. An Amy Lowell poem
    A London Thoroughfare 2am

    They have watered the street,
    It shines in the glare of lamps,
    Cold, white lamps,
    And lies
    Like a slow-moving river,
    Barred with silver and black.
    Cabs go down it,
    One,
    And then another,
    Between them I hear the shuffling of feet.
    Tramps doze on the window-ledges,
    Night-walkers pass along the sidewalks.
    The city is squalid and sinister,
    With the silver-barred street in the midst,
    Slow moving,
    A river leading nowhere.

    Opposite my window,
    The moon cuts,
    Clear and round,
    Through the plum-coloured night.
    She cannot light the city:
    It is too bright.
    It has white lamps,
    And glitters coldly.

    I stand in the window and watch the moon.
    She is thin and lustreless,
    But I love her.
    I know the moon,
    And this is an alien city.

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  51. Kazie: You stumped me with franglophone, which my dictionary defines as a person with a French surname but has English as a native language. I love the word, but did I understand the meaning? If not, I don't get your usage. Pardon my denseness. Btw, if you are interested in dogs, Patricia McConnell is a dog psychiatrist/trainer not far from Madison who's written some fine books.

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  52. Doesitinink: Thanks for the correction on my Latin translation of Adeste. I've not studied the language(which I had), so the precison in translation is helpful. Thx.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hi alBeen away for awhile. No excuses at least not publicly.

    Not too bad of a c/w I had to use the G-spot a couple of times. Didn't know ani, ione, amy. never heard mot used anywhere. I too think he-man shoud have been hyphenated. I did not remember
    Cosby's film going my way. there were others that gave me trouble but most filled in with the perps

    I think every thing Newman has ever done in film is good even some the later ones where he was the supporting actor like message in a bottle.

    Boy it's been hot here in the SF bay area, 106 in my backyard yeaterday, hope it coools by the weekend. Monday is opening day of dove season, lola aand I can't wait.

    I just noticed McCain picked the lady governer from Alaska to be his running mate. The political season heats up too.

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  54. mark - Buenos Aires

    I agree, hemen should be hyphenated. I was thinking some sort of medical thing like hymen.

    loo is very southern England. Us northerners use toilet or lavatory. Isnt there an American song about "skip to the loo my darling"?

    spendable pay is a bit naff. To me this is disposable income ie you have an option how you spend it. From take home pay comes the mortgage, utilities, HP payments etc

    This Skye actress is a gimme for me because Iona is a small island in the same group.

    Glory be its a beautiful day here -best wishes to all.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Mark, LOL for the day. "Skip To My Lou" is an old dance song, apparently from frontier days. I "G'd" it and Wikipedia says, "Lou" is apparently a corruption of "loo," the Scottish word for love." I like your interpretation much better.

    "Hemen" should definitely have been hyphenated. I got confused when I first saw it. It reminded me of the Swedish word "hem". I only know a few Swedish words and I thought it might be the plural. Here's a little phrase I learned, "Bort är god, hem är bättre." which I was told is "Away is good, home is better." Thomas, is that right?

    ReplyDelete
  56. Good afternoon c.c., DF’s and all. A nice, easy puzzle that was a lot of fun for me. Some different clueing, some different words, and some items that were right in my wheelhouse.

    I will brag that I got 1a right away. There is a Nabisco factory located in Oakdale, LI that I used to have a janitors job at. 4a was nice and reminded me of a great lyric from a Pearl Jam song called ‘Wish List’. “I wish I was the full moon shining/Off a Camaros hood”. One of the original muscle cars, it’s my second favorite classic, next to the 1965 rag top Mustang.

    Adelphi University is one of the many fine private institutions on Long Island (we also have C.W. Post, Hofstra, Dowling and St. Joe’s). I initially tried to fit “Riverhead lock-up”, not that I have any experience there or anything, but soon figured they were speaking of a fine institution.

    @c.c.- I’m trying to think of an adequate punishment, but all the ideas I come up with are too enjoyable.

    Everyone have a safe and enjoyable weekend. I have no hockey until Sunday night, so I think I’m going to take the kids to Busch Gardens tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  57. xchefwalt, being that it is more herbs less salt day, what other uses are there for fresh mint besides beverages. I must admit I did grow it just for mojitos though and enjoy them about every weekend!

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  58. Ken, sorry to have confused you. To the French, the term franglais means an anglicism used in French--something the purists there (most of the French) object to, since they want their French unadulterated by any foreign words.

    I simply used my own adaptation, which I love to do--what is language if you can't play with it? What I meant was that the puzzle had a lot of French words mixed in for an English puzzle. And clear ayes was right, I was happy about that. But I was unaware that a dictionary would even list franglophone.

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  59. Good morning C.C & all

    Just another quick two-cents-worth... I had problems with the NW and midwest part of this one but with two exceptions, worked it all out from the crosses. Tach and MCA nearly stopped me cold and I had no clue who John Jay was. JPEG, Xanax, axe, Exe... all no problem. I wanted "glory me" in place of "glory be" but Dekalb was a gimme. Don't ask why... duh! I finally worked out 3D, 17A, and 20A but it was a struggle. One other stumble was on 67A... yup. Wanted yes or yep.. maybe even yea... Seems kind of "Larry
    The Cable Guy" ish.

    Re: Newtons being cake rather than cookie... It's called marketing! It's a cute gimmick to make you remember the product. It's their product and they could call it a fig sandwich if it made you remember the name. And, apparently it has worked very well because ya'll remember the name!

    Long weekend... have fun wherever it takes you. Be safe!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Just a quick ps

    Without getting into politics... Sarah Palin could be my running mate anytime. Sharp lady! Beauty, brains, and talent. I have family in Alaska. Most people up there worship the ground she walks on.

    ciao

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  61. I agree with a hyphen for hemen as well. I kept seeing hymen and semen.

    Clear Ayes is back to marshmallows which get "hot and sticky" when subjected to the right "fire."

    ReplyDelete
  62. drdad, just where are you that you keep seeing hymens and semen???

    ReplyDelete
  63. Dennis, let's just leave it that I am seeing them. One of those DF moments, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  64. I can see the morel guys are out and about...hot and sticky marshmallows, hymen, semen. I think you guys better head over to Walts B&B. Here I was trying to be good today by just posting a poem by Amy Lowell.

    So looking forward to three days of sailing and sunning. Last chance to add to those tan lines! Supposed to be sunny and in the mid eighties all weekend long.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Oh oh, Sirens, Drdad is in 'The Mood" today. Watch out!

    ReplyDelete
  66. I knew drdad would have the right "take" to the hymen/semen thing, I mean, he-men and see-women...

    ReplyDelete
  67. Marie @ 8:19am,
    "the next big TTD is to pack.". What is TTD? Enjoy your holidays!

    KittyB,
    My questions of yesterday remain unanswered: Why do you like Shostakovitch's music? What is fingerwork? Did you make up the word?

    Sandra,
    Maybe you should move to Minnesota? We have gorgeous weather here, right now.

    Southern belle, Razzberry & Crockett,
    I was rather surprised that all of you picked up a noun clue for FLAP. Don't you like action? I am partial to verb.

    ReplyDelete
  68. C.C. in case Marie has left. TTD is thing to do. How did you like the poem?

    ReplyDelete
  69. Der katze,
    What do you think of Kazie's take on "Der Kater"? Thank you for the FIG Newmans. I've never tried it either.

    Kazie,
    Great to see you! I have no objection to APT being clued as "really likely", though "suitable for " is the primary meaning of the word. BANGS sounds fantastic. Regarding franglophone, I always thought it's either Franglais or Frenglish.

    Doesitinink,
    Are you joking about raising bees next year?

    Cokato,
    Thank you for TTD and the poem earlier, though I don't understand why the moon is "thin and lustreless". I like beautiful & lustrous & full moon.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Mark,
    Wow, I had no idea that both IONA & Skye are islands. Hardly know Scotland.

    Xchefwalt,
    I've never heard of "enjoyable" punishments before. What are they?

    Dennis,
    No answer to my "MOREL latitude" question? I thought you are a man of MOREL clarity. I guess I was wrong. Can I then claim MOREL victory today?

    ReplyDelete
  71. 7:34 today Pretty easy puzzle. Did not know poet AMY Lowell or astrologer Sydney OMARR (why would I know an astrologer's name anyway?), but otherwise all was known to me. (Never saw the clue for IONE as by the time I got there it was all filled in)

    @c.c.: "Embien,
    What kind of on-line seminar did you attend yesterday? Is it on regular basis?"

    It was a Ray Lucia financial/retirement planning seminar. This is the first one he has done online, as he's mainly known for his "Ray Lucia On the Money" radio program (heard on many business news stations). It was OK, not great.

    @clear ayes: I see where they are having special "sing along" showings of Mamma Mia in some theaters. You and your friends would probably enjoy that!

    ReplyDelete
  72. @cokato Thank you for the Amy Lowell poem. Really brought images and emotions to my mind.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Okay CC you beat me. Wait Beat - Flap...yep that will work. Don't know why the ado about flap. Oops wait again...Ado/Flap yep that works too! Could go on but my arms are tired, flapped and flapped but couldn't attain lift-off ;~p

    ReplyDelete
  74. @c.c.- it kind of depends who is administering the punishment. I’ve been known to enjoy a good spanking or two (I’ve also given a good spanking or two) and enjoyed it immensely.

    @cokato- Thank you for a great poem. Please steer me towards more of her poetry and more about her. And BTW- “tan lines?! We don’t need no stinking tan lines!!”

    Have a great weekend y’all!

    ReplyDelete
  75. c.c. I guess after I thought about it, APT is used in phrases like "he's apt to go bonkers over that", meaning "likely to". Also, it was funny to read it as you had it with caps just now, because the theater I mentioned earlier goes by that acronym around here: A.P.T. for American Players Theatre. We all just say APT.
    Thanks too for reminding me of frenglish. That may have been more apt for describing today's frenglish clues.

    ReplyDelete
  76. drdad, where are you keeping the marshmallows????? ewwwww!

    Good Afternoon C.C. and all, late start today...

    Not much more to add that everyone has not already touched upon.

    Argyle at 5:53am "WAY" to go!! :)

    Kazie, great picture, thanks for sharing...do you have a baby picture?

    Mark and Clear Ayes: "Skip to my loo" could also be about a visit after drinking too much Guinness (sp)! I know that'd get me skipping to a loo.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Razzberry @ 4:19pm,
    Great post! Man, you are so good when you want to be.

    Carol,
    Saw your husband's pony picture, what a handsome little boy!

    Xchefwalt,
    Oh, I did not know that spanking can be pleasurable.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Carol, thanks for the compliment. I don't have a digital baby picky. Maybe I can scan one from an old album somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  79. I am not familiar with Amy Lowell and G'd to find out a little more about her. She was quite an unconventional character for a 19th century woman, smoking cigars and writing a lot of poetry with lesbian themes.

    She also often personalized inanimate objects; in the case of this poem, the moon is a thin, lustreless female entity.

    The poem Cokato posted is somewhat discomfiting . Words like "glare", "cold", "cut", "silver-barred", "glitters" and "thin" don't allow the reader room to get up close and personal with the poet.

    That doesn't mean I didn't appreciate it, I did. Ms. Lowell certainly got me to be not too crazy about London, for the time it took to read the poem….and I love London. Under any circumstances, I liked her phrase, “plum-colored night”. It reminded me of Homer’s “wine-dark sea”, in the Iliad and Odyssey.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Ken @ 11:53am,
    RE: Franglophone. Which dictionary did you use?

    Kazie,
    All post times are in Central Standard Time.

    Clear Ayes,
    The poem: "Like a slow-moving river, Barred with silver and black". What are those silver and black things and "silver-barred street". Why "plum-coloured night"? Does it suggest a glum/gloomy tone? The plum in "plum job" means very desirable, doesn't it?

    Steve @ 12:05pm,
    "I think every thing Newman has ever done in film is good even some the later ones where he was the supporting actor like message in a bottle." What does "like message in a bottle" mean?

    ReplyDelete
  81. C.C., just in case Steve is not around, it should read, "like 'Message In A Bottle.'" "Message In A Bottle" is a film where Paul Newman had a supporting role, and was not the star.

    ReplyDelete
  82. C.C. Street lights spaced out along the street would reflect as silvery bars on the wet black pavement.
    “Plum-colored” in this instance could definitely suggest a tone of gloom. Just my thought, but bruises are plum colored. Ms. Lowell calls the city “alien”. She is feeling estranged in an unfriendly place. and possibly emotionally “bruised”.

    I thought the placement of the words “And lies” on a separate line might have another meaning than indicating the layout of the street. Did someone lie to her and were those lies “like a slow moving river”? Who know? Not me. We can’t ask Amy Lowell, so it is all speculation.

    That’s the fascinating thing about poetry. A hundred people can read it and get a totally different slant on the meaning and hidden meanings.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Crockett,
    Thank you. I was thinking that Steve's "like a message in a bottle" might be idiom. See, this kind of innocent grammar mistake from others can be very confusing to me, just like Argyle's "thill"/"thrill" was yesterday. I can not think outside the box. What kind of images/emotions did you go through when you read AMY Lowell's poem? It's so depressing to me.

    Clear Ayes,
    Interesting take on "lies". I thought it corresponds with "the street". When was the new picture taken? You look great!

    ReplyDelete
  84. Hi, c.c. and fellow df's. Maybe too much sun this morning on the links, but when I got to this "thing" this afternoon and found 14 Proper Nouns, I screamed. Didn't know Ione Skye, Singer DiFranco, Amy Lowell, Bobby Bloom and xanax. Again, with the "yes", "yep", "yup", "yea". Got "yup' because of Urdu. Agree with hyphen on he-men and had to drag MCA (27d) out of the clouds. Finally got it "puzzled" out w/o help but I'm frazzled.

    Tent door? Flap. I liked crockett1947's "envelope part."

    Got messed up when I read "Fertile Loin" instead of "Fertile Loam". (Guess where my mind was.)

    I have a new picture and story to post, but will wait to see how many others need to get posted tonight.

    I noticed we have another S.E.C. slug; this one from Ga. Pre-ranked #1. Enjoy it 'til you become Gator meat. Isn't the S.E.C. and Florida State the only Universities that promise their football recruites that they can have the same number on their football jerseys as they had on their prison shirts?

    Maybe will check ya later.

    I must be off.

    ReplyDelete
  85. @ Sandra (9:27am) - I'm in Hammond - if you and mom need someplace to land, email me as I have room & would be happy to help. Hit my link & you should see an address - if that fails, christophjmiller@yahoo.com - send me your cell phone & I'll call

    ReplyDelete
  86. Back from a great steak and wine dinner w/friends -- clear ayes, great new picture; must be all the good living.

    And c.c., nope, not taking the bait - but I think your descent into the depths of DFdom has now been well-documented. Welcome.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Good evening C.C. and all,

    Was too tired today to google all that I did not know, so I came running to you. Steve, Carl, Crockett, and Barry all had my lists of duhs.I will add that I had no idea what vituperate and alprazolam were.I subbed this week and our schools have no air conditioning; it's been in the 90's and was 103 yesterday.

    C.C.--I loved loved loved the Van Gogh clip; he's my favorite artist, and such a tragic one.I continue to be amazed at how he captured the poverty and sadness in his " Potato Eaters"Such beautiful faces
    Today's Adeste Fidelis was magical; Enya is another favorite.Hadn't heard this version. We sang everything in Latin in the Catholic church years ago, except "Long live the Pope" LOL
    I know I am behind a few days, but did anyone read Odd Thomas? Melissa, thanks for the link. My favorite novel of Dean Koontz is Watchers . It was written in 1987 before his books got so scary weird.Those of you who are dog lovers would like it.

    I just heard, while in Kauai last week ,that eating a T. of taro every day is excellent for people with digestion problems.Ever heard of that C.C.?

    Lastly,the hyrax..I learned of this strange zoological hodgepodge when I was teaching a unit on early hominids.This rabbit-like animal is sometimes called the nearest relative of the ELEPHANT!!!There are conies mentioned in the Bible and They lived in Ethiopia, and other parts of Africa 1000's of yrs ago. There are a dozen species, but none are larger than 18 in. Their forefeet have 4 functional toes, while the hind feet only have 3, the inner toe having a carved claw.The other toes have short hoof-like nails. TMI?

    I am so tired that I laughed when Kittyb said she needed to do the perps to do the puzzle today. Goooo Kitty... I taro you .

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  88. somebody STOP ME


    PAYDAY nutty candybar

    BLUE JAY WAY Beatles song

    SAY HEY Willie Mayes inner kid? (He was known as the Say Hey Kid)

    WAYLAY unexpectedly accost

    ReplyDelete
  89. C.C., on the first stanza, I could visualize that wet street with the lights, cabs, and night people. At 2 a.m., I could see the author sitting in a dark room forlorn, looking out onto the bleakness.

    In the second stanza, I can see that moon shining cold and bright through the very dark night.

    In the last stanza, the moon is the author's friend and centering point. It is something known while the city is still unknown and somewhat frightening.

    ReplyDelete
  90. thank you, everyone for ruining the trib crossword puzzle for me. if you are really as smart as you boast you would not use google to complete your mornings. c'mon.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Anonymous @ 4:15pm,
    Thank you for ruining my Sunday. Get lost! You are not welcome here.

    ReplyDelete
  92. My name is Wendy Angus and i would like to show you my personal experience with Xanax.

    I am 45 years old. Have been on Xanax for 2 years now. In working with a wonderful doctor and therapist, I have learned Meniere's Disease is an anxiety=provoked condition, and is the worst thing I have ever suffered in my life. To manage this, I take a low dose of Wellbutrin everyday and have a 1mg Rx for Xanax, which I am supposed to take 3x-a-day, but to be honest, I usually only take about 3-1mg a week, so only taking it when I honestly feel "too anxious". I also take Meclizine for the Meniere's attacks and those are only as needed as well. I feel the Xanax is better to have around than not, for my personal conditions. It took me a long time to balance out my meds, and taking too much xanax feels as horrible as the withdrawl can be, as I've experienced both. Now, after much time in getting to know what my body needs and how I am feeling (like with anxiety), and removing the 'stigma' of having to take a drug to manage my conditions is now over, taking just a few pills a week seems to work beautifully.

    I have experienced some of these side effects -
    It makes me very thirsty (dry mouth) but seems to work well in combination with other drugs for my conditions with no ill effects.

    I hope this information will be useful to others,
    Wendy Angus

    ReplyDelete

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