Theme: None
Total blocks: 26
I hope you found beautiful red, red roses in this thorny puzzle. It's way too tough for me. Felt like climbing Mountain Everest without a shirpa. I definitely need a theme to guide me.
Too many unknowns and strange cluings. I was stumped immediately by KAMPALA (1A). Letter K was simply impossible for me as I was not familiar with crossing KIWANIS (1D) at all. And I got bogged down in MENOTTI area for a long time. Had to ask Google for help.
Across:
1A: Capital city of 15A: KAMPALA. Here is the map. It's located on Lake Victoria.
8A: "The Consul" composer: MENOTTI (Gian Carlo). I forgot. Vaguely remembered seeing his name somewhere before. Wikipedia says he won Pulitzer (1950) for The Consul". He wrote both the music and the libretto for the opera. Amazing. He must love Wagner.
15A: Infamous dictator: IDI AMIN. I still don't understand why he is called "The Last King of Scotland".
16A: Protein in cereal grains: ALEURON. No idea. I could only think of GLUTEN. Dictionary says it's a "granular protein found in the endosperm of many seeds or forming the outermost layer in cereal grains." ALEURON is Greek for "meal".
17A: Rhode Island city: WARWICK. We get quite a few TMS solvers there.
18A: 3-D miniature scene: DIORAMA. New word to me. Beautifully done.
22A: Hindu sect member: SIKH. Literally, "disciple" in Sanskrit. I always confuse this word with ANKH, the Egyptian cross.
23A: City in NE France: NANCY. METZ was clued as "City near NANCY" on a July puzzle. I wonder why the editor has never considered cluing RANCY Reagan.
25A: Death rattles: RALES. This word should really be mothballed.
28A: Subcontinent leader?: INDO. INDOCHINA. Trickey clue.
29A: Adriatic seaport: BARI. It's here in Italy. Unknown to me.
30A: Seed covering: TESTA. Also, "head" in Italian.
34A: Up to the patellae: KNEE DEEP. Interesting clue, so literal.
36A: Omnispective: All -SEEING. "Omnispective" is a new word to me.
38A: Paginated: FOLIATED. No idea. I always thought FOLIATE is an adjective. I've never heard of "paginate" before.
45A: Cricket segments: OVERS. No. Dictionary defines OVER as "the number of balls, usually six, delivered between successive changes of bowlers". I originally thought OVERS might be like our "innings" in baseball.
48A: "The Lion King" character: NALA. "Can you feel the love tonight?...". Beautiful song from "The Lion King".
53A: One-tenth of MDXL: CLIV. I cannot think of any other non-Roman numberal way to clue this "CLIV", can you?
55A: Lumberjack's two-man tool: PIT SAW. Hard work!
58A: Otological problem: EAR ACHE. Be prepared, the answer might be OTALGIA next time.
60A: Bereft: SO ALONE. I disagree, they are not synonymous.
62A: Commonplace: PROSAIC
63A: Cutting tooth: INCISOR
64A: Nerve connection: SYNAPSE. This puzzle should please our fellow solver Flyingear.
65A: Suppurates: FESTERS. I did not know the meaning of "Suppurates".
Down:
1D: Worldwide service club: KIWANIS. Unknown to me once again. It's "an organization founded in 1915 for the promulgation of higher ideals in business, industrial, and professional life".
3D: "Right to remain silent" warning: MIRANDA. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
6D: Tiny insects: LICE. I penned in NITS.
8D: Kahn of "Blazing Saddles": MADELINE. I googled her name. I've never heard of "Blazing Saddles".
12D: Gad about: TRAIPSE
13D: 1992 U.S. Open winner: TOM KITE. Know him, but had no idea he was the 1992 Open champion. I was thinking of Lehman. That ball did land in the hole.
14D: Randomly piled: IN A HEAP. I got this after cheating with the across fills.
21D: Delineated: MARKED OUT
24D: 1997 Nicolas Cage movie: CON AIR. Good movie, good song too.
26D: Gregg user: STENO. Did not know what "Gregg" is.
29D: Wallop: BELT. Nice BELT.
31D: Abutting: EDGING. No need to clue *ING answer with an *ING. "Border" is just fine.
37D: Carefully planned and executed performance: SET PIECE. New phrase to me also.
38D: Medical implement: FORCEPS. Completely foreign to me. Here are some surgical FORCEPS.
39D: Of plant seeds: OVULARY. Sigh... no, no.
40D: Shackle: LEG IRON. Techincially it's "lower shackle".
42D: California city: SAN JOSE. "Do You Know the Way to SAN JOSE?"
43D: Rigby of song: ELEANOR. Not familiar with this Beatles' song. Only know ELEANOR Roosevelt.
44D: Lumberyard employs: SAWYERS. I always thought it was SAWERS.
47D: Isolated mountain: MASSIF. New to me also. It's defined as "A large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range". Behind them is the Himalayan Annapurna MASSIF.
51D: Plant pest: APHIS. I forgot. Saw this clue before. Strange plural form APHIDES.
52D: Aircraft surveillance acronym: AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System). Nope, too sophisticated for me to undertand and remember.
54D: Swedish ship that sank on maiden voyage: VASA. No idea. I like the bright colors on this VASA model.
C.C.
Total blocks: 26
I hope you found beautiful red, red roses in this thorny puzzle. It's way too tough for me. Felt like climbing Mountain Everest without a shirpa. I definitely need a theme to guide me.
Too many unknowns and strange cluings. I was stumped immediately by KAMPALA (1A). Letter K was simply impossible for me as I was not familiar with crossing KIWANIS (1D) at all. And I got bogged down in MENOTTI area for a long time. Had to ask Google for help.
Across:
1A: Capital city of 15A: KAMPALA. Here is the map. It's located on Lake Victoria.
8A: "The Consul" composer: MENOTTI (Gian Carlo). I forgot. Vaguely remembered seeing his name somewhere before. Wikipedia says he won Pulitzer (1950) for The Consul". He wrote both the music and the libretto for the opera. Amazing. He must love Wagner.
15A: Infamous dictator: IDI AMIN. I still don't understand why he is called "The Last King of Scotland".
16A: Protein in cereal grains: ALEURON. No idea. I could only think of GLUTEN. Dictionary says it's a "granular protein found in the endosperm of many seeds or forming the outermost layer in cereal grains." ALEURON is Greek for "meal".
17A: Rhode Island city: WARWICK. We get quite a few TMS solvers there.
18A: 3-D miniature scene: DIORAMA. New word to me. Beautifully done.
22A: Hindu sect member: SIKH. Literally, "disciple" in Sanskrit. I always confuse this word with ANKH, the Egyptian cross.
23A: City in NE France: NANCY. METZ was clued as "City near NANCY" on a July puzzle. I wonder why the editor has never considered cluing RANCY Reagan.
25A: Death rattles: RALES. This word should really be mothballed.
28A: Subcontinent leader?: INDO. INDOCHINA. Trickey clue.
29A: Adriatic seaport: BARI. It's here in Italy. Unknown to me.
30A: Seed covering: TESTA. Also, "head" in Italian.
34A: Up to the patellae: KNEE DEEP. Interesting clue, so literal.
36A: Omnispective: All -SEEING. "Omnispective" is a new word to me.
38A: Paginated: FOLIATED. No idea. I always thought FOLIATE is an adjective. I've never heard of "paginate" before.
45A: Cricket segments: OVERS. No. Dictionary defines OVER as "the number of balls, usually six, delivered between successive changes of bowlers". I originally thought OVERS might be like our "innings" in baseball.
48A: "The Lion King" character: NALA. "Can you feel the love tonight?...". Beautiful song from "The Lion King".
53A: One-tenth of MDXL: CLIV. I cannot think of any other non-Roman numberal way to clue this "CLIV", can you?
55A: Lumberjack's two-man tool: PIT SAW. Hard work!
58A: Otological problem: EAR ACHE. Be prepared, the answer might be OTALGIA next time.
60A: Bereft: SO ALONE. I disagree, they are not synonymous.
62A: Commonplace: PROSAIC
63A: Cutting tooth: INCISOR
64A: Nerve connection: SYNAPSE. This puzzle should please our fellow solver Flyingear.
65A: Suppurates: FESTERS. I did not know the meaning of "Suppurates".
Down:
1D: Worldwide service club: KIWANIS. Unknown to me once again. It's "an organization founded in 1915 for the promulgation of higher ideals in business, industrial, and professional life".
3D: "Right to remain silent" warning: MIRANDA. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
6D: Tiny insects: LICE. I penned in NITS.
8D: Kahn of "Blazing Saddles": MADELINE. I googled her name. I've never heard of "Blazing Saddles".
12D: Gad about: TRAIPSE
13D: 1992 U.S. Open winner: TOM KITE. Know him, but had no idea he was the 1992 Open champion. I was thinking of Lehman. That ball did land in the hole.
14D: Randomly piled: IN A HEAP. I got this after cheating with the across fills.
21D: Delineated: MARKED OUT
24D: 1997 Nicolas Cage movie: CON AIR. Good movie, good song too.
26D: Gregg user: STENO. Did not know what "Gregg" is.
29D: Wallop: BELT. Nice BELT.
31D: Abutting: EDGING. No need to clue *ING answer with an *ING. "Border" is just fine.
37D: Carefully planned and executed performance: SET PIECE. New phrase to me also.
38D: Medical implement: FORCEPS. Completely foreign to me. Here are some surgical FORCEPS.
39D: Of plant seeds: OVULARY. Sigh... no, no.
40D: Shackle: LEG IRON. Techincially it's "lower shackle".
42D: California city: SAN JOSE. "Do You Know the Way to SAN JOSE?"
43D: Rigby of song: ELEANOR. Not familiar with this Beatles' song. Only know ELEANOR Roosevelt.
44D: Lumberyard employs: SAWYERS. I always thought it was SAWERS.
47D: Isolated mountain: MASSIF. New to me also. It's defined as "A large mountain mass or compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range". Behind them is the Himalayan Annapurna MASSIF.
51D: Plant pest: APHIS. I forgot. Saw this clue before. Strange plural form APHIDES.
52D: Aircraft surveillance acronym: AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System). Nope, too sophisticated for me to undertand and remember.
54D: Swedish ship that sank on maiden voyage: VASA. No idea. I like the bright colors on this VASA model.
C.C.
Good morning all.
ReplyDeleteWhew! I cried Uncle on this one.
I'll just enjoy all the comments ya'll will have.
Enjoy the day!
Sandra
Kept Mr G. busy today!! RALES again? No matter what Barry S. says, I still think they copy each others work! 52a was a gimme, as we have some from Nebraska stationed at Griffiss International Airport (Oneida County Airport till last week), abuot 5 miles from here.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the answer to 38a. If I read the definition correctly, paginate means to number EVERY page, both sides. Foliate means to number the FRONT of each page.
Maybe I misunderstood what I read??
Too many other unknowns to list. I'd be here all day at the rate that I type.
No time for that nonsense. Suffice it to say that this was a terrible Xword day!!
CYA
Bad day here - called "no joy" very early and relied on google & oneacross for the majority. Maybe tomorrow wsill be better?
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday to all!
What a way to start a beautiful weekend! I'm not going to let this puzzle ruin it for me. It has been a long time since I just gave up on a puzzle but today's the day.
ReplyDeletePaginated in word processing means to set a page break other than where the program will break for you. Again, with my weak scientific background, I had trouble with that one.
Did anyone post "the perfect Margarita" recipe? They are one of my favorite summer drinks.
Re: pagination
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, C.C. and all.
ReplyDeleteOuch! This was tough! I had to Google for OVERS, and I guessed on VASA and CLIV.
ALEURON and TOM KITE and OVULARY came from fills.
Dear Husband would have wanted KNEE DEEP clued as 'frog call' *G*
GOtta run, lots to squeeze into a short morning. I hope you all have a good day!
kittyb: tell dear husband that was very funny!
ReplyDeleteMorning, folks!
ReplyDeleteI would have posted earlier, but damn! I just finally finished the puzzle...
I'd say that this is, without a doubt, the most challenging Tribune puzzle that I've ever been able to actually finish (not to be confused with those that I couldn't complete and gave up on). Some of it was luck, some of it was educated guesses, and some of it was, well, modesty prevents me... ^_^
The biggest stroke of luck was right at the beginning. Had you asked me a week ago, I would have said I had never heard of KAMPALA in my life and wouldn't be able to guess it in a million years. In fact, that's what I did say when I saw it in a NYT puzzle the other day that ended up defeating me as a result. So this time I was prepared and was able to enter it right away.
There were a whole bunch of words I had never heard of in this puzzle, that's for sure:
ALEURON
OVERS (I eventually guessed it had something to do with the sport and not the insect, but that didn't help)
MASSIF
VASA
OVULARY
BARI
But there were also some words that were just vaguely familiar enough that I was able to guess them after getting some letters:
MENOTTI
TOM KITE
AWACS
APHIS (I always want to put APHID here, but I remember seeing this before)
TESTA (I actually put TESLA at first)
And then, of course, there were the wonderful vocabulary words that I just happened to actually know:
FOLIATED
PAPUA
PROSAIC
SYNAPSE
FESTERS
KIWANIS
TRAIPSES
So, all in all, a good challenging puzzle. I thought there were way too many geography clues, personally, but I can't really complain all that much. But man, this one was HARD!
good morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeletei had to walk away from this one, let it FESTER, and come back later. kampala and menotti started things off badly. bari, testa, ovulary, vasa and aphis (only knew aphid) didn't help matters. again with rales, and .. so alone for bereft?? i don't think so.
a few red roses that helped with the thorns .. and finally got it done.
looks like you could watch t.v. on that belt buckle.
Tough, tough puzzle today. Earache, synapse and forceps OK, but got stuck with 34A as "KNEE HIGH" and couldn't get off my head or my puzzle, so had to cheat so many times...
ReplyDeleteAt least I enjoyed the Olympiads as I taped the prime time in NBC and while working on the puzzle so I spent mostly watching the tube as I couldn't get the puzzle finished...
As Sandra said I also cried UNCLE!!!
Looks like we're all in this boat together and the ocean is raging. This was so difficult it was not fun at all. When I got Kampala and Idi Amin I thought the hard part was over. Ha!!! I agree that so alone does not equate to bereft. Too much geography for me too. Not my best subject. Rales, Agnew,Jay, pie, and AMA were about the only gimmes, the rest were googles and luck. Here's to a better Monday. Have a good weekend all.
ReplyDelete26D
ReplyDeleteWas one of the few that was a gimme for me. Tough puzzle today. ;(
Gregg steno is a 6x9 spiral bound book used for shorthand - guess secretaries still use them. I used them in the 60s. The unique thing about it is that there is a center line on each page. I think it helps with the speed to not go across a full page when taking dictation.
Good Morning Fellow Sufferers,
ReplyDeleteYup, it was a toughie. I was jumping around...up, down, right, left, looking for words...any words that would get me started.
I did know MIRANDA, PAW and LICE. That got me going. Although there are a lot of dictators out there, the letters I had, I A - I gave me a boost. Luckily, G.A.H. and I had seen "The Last King of Scotland" a week or so ago, so both IDI AMIN and KAMPALA finally kicked in.
C.C. According to imbd.com, "The "King of Scotland" was an unofficial title that Amin gave himself. He saw the Ugandans and the Scots as spiritual brothers, both struggling throughout history to throw off the yoke of English rule."... or maybe he just liked kilts and going regimental.
I got lucky again with MADELINE Kahn. She was a beautiful comedic actress who appeared in just about all of Mel Brooks' movies. Her so funny imitation of Marlene Dietrich Lily von Shtupp in "Blazing Saddles" was a classic.
It was slow going and I finally had to Google to get MENOTTI. Even Google didn't help with ALEURON, but the perps got me through.
I didn't know BARI, TESTA, PITSAW, OVERS, AWACS, MASSIF or OVULARY, but finally got them from the surrounds....Phew!!
I was familiar with VASA, having visited the Stockholm museum several years ago. Vasa In 1628 King Gustav Adolphus was in such a hurry to get his new ship into the water, he ignored the fact that the VASA was top heavy and with too little ballast. It sunk on its maiden voyage, right outside Stockholm harbor. Talk about embarrassing moments! The VASA was raised in 1961, was found to be in excellent condition and has been on display in its own museum since 1987.
Hello C.C. and all, I'm with the rest of you! This really was a BEAR.
ReplyDeleteI almost thought I had the NY Times puzzle, which is really tough on Sat.
I just gave up on this one. I like a challenge but this went beyond that for me.
Hope you all enjoy the day!
C.C. thanks for the picture of the
ReplyDeleteVasa! Beautiful.
Clear Ayes, thanks for the extra info on the ship...I wondered about the year when seeing how ornate the ship was. It looks very top heavy!
Good morning everyone. I had to make numerous adjustments, but finally got everything before heading here.
ReplyDeleteNew words today were BARI, ALEURON, TESTA, OVERS, PITSAW and VASA.
It was not an easy start, and I actually begain in the south and worked my way up and around. I had KNEEHIGH first, but finally figured that out. CLAMP instead of CLASP, but couldn't make sense of OVERM. Had EINS instead of EINE, but TOME set me straight. APHID instead of APHIS, and LINKED instead of TEAMED. Had problems linking 1A and 15A, but was finally able to see that it was possible.
C.C., if you ever get to Victoria BC, be sure to visit Miniature World. They have an incredible diorama display! You should see Blazing Saddles! It is a riot!
Gregg is the shorthand authority. Don't know is s/he was the originator of the system, but was definitely the shorthand that was taught in the 50s and 60s.
The third RALE/S this week! Yikes!
@kittyb -- I'm with Dear Husband, LOL!
Have a fantastic weekend -- see you all on Monday.
Ridiculously difficult and obscure. Nothing else to say.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one that enjoyed this Saturday challenge? I used to teach geography so I never complain about geography clues. Sports clues are another matter entirely. Learned Gregg shorthand many years ago and still use it occasionally. My husband builds military dioramas, so enjoyed the picture, CC. New to me: elide, foliated & overs. Aone & rales can go away. Happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh Yuk!!! Happy weekend C.C. and all. RIght from the start I thought, Elks Club, Rotary and then blank. Diorama was a gimmie because every young student has to make one for class. Different subjects might be, first settlers or pioneer days.
ReplyDeleteEnough of the death rattles please.
Batting stance makes me think of the difference between Derek Jeter and ARod. Watch a Yankee game and see.
Like Roman numerals, happy to see one today.
Suppurates and paginated were new to me.
Cordiality, one of my daughters lives in Amityville, Long Island.
Clench, clasp and clamp ugh!
Forcep baby used to be a term used for a type of birth, haven't heard it in a while..
Didn't like set peice for 37d its not right to me.
47d massif new also and pitsaw might come back as ripsaw some day, more common. Bye for now.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteI read your link. I suppose "Paginated" = FOLIATED in a broad sense. You meant 52D??
KittyB,
What is "Frog call"?
Barry,
You are right. APHID was clued as "Pest pest" last time. Isn't strange that the plural form of APHIS is APHIDES?
Melissa,
Home run for your BELT comment! I am sure Dennis would love watching TV there.
Clear Ayes,
The VASA picture I linked is from the Stockholm museum. Were the colors really that striking when you saw the ship in person?
Bea & Crockett,
ReplyDeleteThis RALE/RALES reminds me of the ET AL answer we had a couple of months ago.
Jojo,
So whose STANCE do you like then?
good afternoon, c.c. and gang - first, thanks for all thoughts; yesterday for some reason hit me particularly hard, and the thoughts and toasts to J.J. Burns were just extremely nice. You guys are great.
ReplyDeleteAs to the puzzle, for some reason, I muddled my way through without consulting our know-it-all pal, Mr. G, and actually enjoyed the puzzle. I sometimes build dioramas, mostly for customers, so that was a gimme, and 'massif' and 'bari', well, all the synapses were firing today. Perps helped with a couple others.
I agree that 'so alone' is not a good answer for 'bereft'; bereft of companionship, maybe.
If I see 'rale' one more time in the next week, our editor may experience one.
jojo, I was a forceps baby, which meant I probably looked like a conehead. My mother used to tell me that my father would sneak in and push my head gently against the end of the crib to try to 'straighten things out'.
Hope it's an outstanding weekend for everyone, and thanks again.
melissa, that's a terrible idea for a tv; focus, focus, focus.
ReplyDeleteHi ya'll,
ReplyDeleteon need to show my ignorance. Only got about half and that with dictionary and maps. Even my dictionary was'nt much help. Some of the words sound "made up". No, it just proves what little "word power" I possess.
Dennis, My condolences also. I (As a WWII vet) lost some friends too. It ain't easy.
Vaya con Dios
C.C. After 300 years of being underwater, the paint on Vasa is mostly gone. I believe the colorful model's paint is a combination of what paint was left and the artist's knowledge of similar ship painting.
ReplyDeleteThe Vasa itself is kept in continuous "twilight", so that there won't be more damage. The adjacent displays are well lighted and show various models, the kind of supplies that were on board and historical DIORAMAs.
BTW, I ran across a photo online showing Queen Elizabeth II seated next to a "regimental" kilt-wearing soldier. I thought it was pretty funny. It leaves nothing to the imagination, so I hesitated to include the link. But with that caveat...don't look if you will be offended, here it is Going regimental
Re: clear ayes' regimental pic -- Lois, what time's your flight?
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, if someone had told me that clear ayes would be the first one on here to give us a picture of a guy's package, I'd have asked whomever it was for one of their special cigarettes. clear ayes, no turning back now!
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteFunny how we have different focuses. My eyes were on the word CHANEL on the BELT. Not sure where your eyes traveled.
Xchefwalt,
I am still confused about your FLOWER. Is this
Morning Glory the one in your mind?
Jimbo,
Except FOLIATED, I did not feel that other words were made up.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteWhy did you capitalize FLOUR yesterday?
Dennis, Of course it was strictly educational. C.C. asked about "The Last King of Scotland" meaning. I mentioned the possibility of IDI AMIN liking kilts and the "freedom" that goes with them.
ReplyDeleteBesides that, there was the "Lily von Shtupp" MADELINE Kahn video. I thought the Sirens would appreciate that one. It seemed like the last photo was the logical conclusion to that sequence.
Besides all that, it's Saturday. Things seem to loosen up on the weekend!
clear ayes; Thanks for the help. It took all morning and I haven't gotten to the x/w yet so I still have a lot to do today before Kenny Loggins tonight. But, thanks to you I have a bio posted. Will try to check in later.
ReplyDeleteI must be off.
Hi to all:
ReplyDeleteMr. Google was my friend today and I needed him for Kampala, Menotti, Aleuron (I had albumin), Nancy. Did know Madeline Kahn, Idi Amin, Massif. I had numbered instead of Foliated, but when I saw Forceps I changed it. Had Aphid instead of Aphis, but changed it. Steno was a gimme as I learned Gregg Shorthand back in '73. Every once in a while I still use it. "So Alone" for bereft, that's a stretch!
My daughter's friend just named her kitten "Nala" so thought of that one right away.
Anyways, sure taxed my brain.
Dennis: Hope you are doing better today and my thoughts are with you.
Have a wonderful day to all!
Buckeye, Hubba Hubba!! We should have known you would be a handsome gent. Nice to see you are a fan of "To Kill A Mockingbird"; one of the best books AND movies ever. Good luck with the other links.
ReplyDeleteHave to turn on the TV to see the rally in Springfield. I know we aren't political here, but I'm a happy camper today.
Lois and Clear Ayes, Dear Husband will be delighted to know you enjoyed his sense of hummor.
ReplyDeletec.c., by 'frog call,' I meant the sound a frog makes. Sometimes we say 'gribbet,' to imitate that sound.
bea, I'm with you on geography versus sports clues, but I'd be happy with fewer geography clues, too! I got Papua because one of my nieces lived there for several years.
Dennis, we'll tip one to Mr. Burns tonight. He had a good friend in you.
Crockett, I think there is (or was) a Miniature World in or near Amsterdam, too.
Clear Ayes, thanks for the link to 'Lily von Shtupp.' Madeline Kahn was a brilliant comedienne, and she had an incredible voice. I haven't seen all her work, but I love those pieces I know. It was tough to see her on the last Bill Cosby show, while she was fighting cancer.
ReplyDeleteOh my! I guess I'm in the definite minority here. I found the puzzle to be fun and relatively easy for a Saturday. (No time, but it had to be under 10 minutes as I did it at breakfast between bites of waffle. My Saturday breakfast waitress is a crossword fan.)
ReplyDeleteUnknowns:
BARI
APHIS (wanted APHID)
NALA (never saw Lion King and had NARA at first)
ALEURON (I'm not very good at proteins)
All easily gotten from the crosses.
I love these Saturday puzzles that don't resort to extended endings, etc. just to make the words longer.
Embien,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on the constructional beauty of this themeless. No irksome affixes. I only wish I were at your level. Is your Saturday waitress very good at Xword too?
theme could have been 'idiotic'
ReplyDeleteBuckeye,
ReplyDeleteWhat are the words on your cap?
Anonymous @ 2:56pm,
It's indeed a hard puzzle, but you were too harsh with your choice of word.
c.c., Hat says Ohio State. It was clearer before it was transposed.
ReplyDeleteIMBO
@clear ayes: gotta love that pic. he certainly looks happy and ... relaxed.
ReplyDelete@dennis: well .. you could adjust the horizontal hold and stay awhile. but if one can focus without it, so much the better.
@c.c.: the FLOUR was just a reference to the flour/flower comments. i was exercising some flower power.
Clear Ayes: Thanks for that photo. Now we know what they wear under their kilts!
ReplyDeleteDennis, I just read yesterday's comments. Please accept my condolences as well.
Wow Clear Ayes, I'll be on the next plane with Lois! What a "hoot" mon!
ReplyDeleteHe sure looks pleased with himself.
It was late before I could get to the puzzle because of having to drive my oldest daughter to her college today. And when I finally did get to it...it took forever! However, I did manage to complete it unaided and in ink, erring only on TOM KITE (had Tim Kile). Not bad for what was a rather difficult puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThe upper left came easily. Once I filled in PAW, I could figure out KAMPALA, and knowing that, IDI AMIN was a slam dunk. I knew MASSIF from the mountain range in France, Massif Central and know someone who worked in PAPUA New Guinea for awhile. I agree with all who thought "SO ALONE" was a stretch for bereft. Who could forget AGNEW...he couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time!
Anyway it was the lower left portion that was almost my undoing. I struggled for a long time with this section. When RUG did not seem to work, I tried "ria" which I though I remembered as being a type of Swedish rug? For a long time all I could fill in was CLIV and EAR ACHE. Finally though my SYNAPSEs fired, and I filled in 64A. And gradually I completed that portion of the puzzle. I was pretty pleased!
Clear Ayes: Thank you so much for the Madeline Kahn link. I saw Blazing Saddles soooo long ago that I remember almost nothing except "We don't need no stinking badges!" This clip was a real joy!
KittyB: I also enjoyed your husband's frog joke!
AND YES, PLEASE DO PUBLISH FOR ALL THE MARGARITA RECIPE!
Dennis: that guy is not quite a geoduck (which has me wanting to expand my culinary horizons, play with my food, and stretch my food budget)but rather has piqued my interst in just hanging around. I would take him on a plane with me so we could both go up. Gotta love that picture! Thanks Clear ayes. What a hoot! B/c of where he's sitting, he must be the Queen's right hand man, her man Friday, man for all seasons and reasons. He'd be mine & on command 24/7.
ReplyDeleteThere really are such things as video belt buckles.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else see the funny video of a girl with buckle like that-(she was scantily clad) and what was being shown on the video belt buckle was the picture of them looking at her crotch?
Hello c.c.. DF’s and all!
ReplyDeleteBad puzzle, bad. I completed Oregon and Florida, with the entire middle US blank. When my eyes rolled into my skull and I started babbling in Aramaic, my kids pulled me away.
It’s late, I’m tired, I have beer and football and intend to enjoy both.
@c.c.- here is my FLOWER to you.
c.c.'s flower
I was incorrect about the Swedish rugs...the term is RYA, not RIA.
ReplyDeleteLong day of clinicals, didn't get to do my puzzle till lunch break and... spilled apple juice all over it... try completing a wet puzzle. Just got home sorry for commenting so late
ReplyDeleteA lot of the words I saw I easily associated with their medical uses.
RALES: a sound heard over lung segments on auscultation
I remember making shoebox DIORAMA's in 3rd grade... was so fun
Patella, lol its like one of the few bones in the body not attacked to any other bone... the second I can think of is the hyoid in the throat
Paginated is like giving page numbers to books and foliate is numbering the leaves of paper in the book... so I kinda got that right off the bat
I think bereft is a great synonym cause it means lonely or abandoned but i think its usually associated by like the death or departure of someone I want to assume is has the same origin as bereave
suppurates is another medical term to me its like when a wound forms pus
That picture was a picture of hemostats and tweasers.... When i think of forceps I think of what doctors use to yanks the baby out.... I always wonder if those hurt
C.C, Gregg was the author of a system of shorthand that secretaries all used to take dictation in days of yore. There are very few secretaries left who have the ability to take shorthand. The "steno notebooks" with the spiral tops and narrow pages were designed for shorthand. They have survived.
ReplyDelete@aluciddreamundreamt: i had the same thought about the forceps link, but google returned: 'An instrument resembling a pair of pincers or tongs, used for grasping, manipulating, or extracting,' and google images showed anything from very small tweezers to the instrument used for assisting in delivering a baby. now i'm confused. i was told that when forceps are used for delivering babies, they are used, not to grasp and pull on the baby, but to open the birth canal.
ReplyDeletebut either way, yeah .. they hurt.
The Capital District Scottish Games Altamont Fair Grounds. Rte 146. Altamont, NY, Aug 30 & 31.
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't get this information posted sooner but I started the puzzle at 3am this morning and I am just catching up with all of you now.
WOW! Did this author have a bad case of "stretches" or what. Bad xword. I don't want to belabor what everyone has observed but this author made gigantic leaps. Case in point 38A foliated refers to striated rocks (as in geology) and is probably as far as you can get from paginated as is commonly used regarding text layout. I suppose they're both layers but so is a chicken... sometimes.
ReplyDeleteCase in point #2 would be 55A pitsaw. Lumberjacks do not use pitsaws!!! Lumberjacks fall timber (trees). Sawyers cut trees (logs) into boards and in the old days of logging that was done with a pitsaw but never at a logging site. It was at a millsite. What a bad clue!
33D - another poor excuse for a clue. Clasp is about as far as you can reach and still be in the same time-zone as clench. You clench your fist.. or teeth... a clasp holds something closed... Oh well...
I could go on but I think you all get the drift of my feelings about this day's xword.
@Jeanne & all
I'll do the ultimate margarita recipe in a separate post in a few minutes. Sorry to be so late with this posting but having been gone for three weeks, I'm up to my neck in life.
ciao
Ultimate Margarita
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate margarita is basically a formula of sixes:
6 oz beer
6 oz tequila
6 oz triple sec
6 oz lime concentrate(frozen)
I personally prefer to use 5 oz of the frozen lime concentrate and 1 oz of lime juice. The lime juice has no sugar added and the substitution makes the margarita less sweet.
Gently blend the above. Give it only one or two short bumps on the blender. If you over blend, the beer really foams so be gentle.
Then, pour over crushed ice. (Use the salted rim if desired and be sure to add a wedge of lime for decoration).
If you are serving lightweights, add 3 oz of lime aid to the mix before blending. It cuts down the amount of alcohol without sacrificing the taste. I personally use Santa Cruz organic but any bottled limeaid will work.
I use regular beer brands and avoid anything harsh because it affects the taste. I usually go for Michelob, Bud, Miller, etc. I use nothing but Cuervo Gold for the tequila. Avoid the cheap brands because, in computer lingo; garbage in = garbage out! The recipe seems to like the basic sixes balance and any change affects the final taste.
I've tried blending it with the ice but it doesn't work. The ice requires considerable blending and that over agitates the beer. You end up with foamy slush... I've also tried blending ice, tequila, triple sec, and lime first and then adding the beer for a quickie finish. But, that didn't work very well either since the ice is slushy and the beer doesn't mix in very well without more agitation than it likes. So, I've come to the conclusion that this is an "on the rocks" drink.
After you give it a test drive, let me know how you rate it.
ciao
Carl, The Margarita recipe with beer is a new one on me. I just happen to have Cuervo Gold and Triple Sec in the cupboard, and Miller in the refrigerator. I don't have frozen lime concentrate, but I can remedy that the next time we do some shopping. It is an intriguing recipe and I am anxious to try it out.
ReplyDeleteToo bad I didn't have the recipe earlier. We just finished up a very nice dinner with two other couples. The tri-tip was perfect, as were the twice baked potatoes and salad, and we had some nice wine to go with it. A pre-dinner Margarita would have been a great addition.....next time.
Argyle, The Scottish Games look like a lot of fun. We have a similar Scottish festival in our area every year. I think they have a rule that anyone wearing a kilt has to wear appropriate underwear. :o) I liked the band name "Enter The Haggis". When we visited Scotland, they made a big deal of carrying in the haggis Haggis. I don't know why; it tasted awful. But, at least I can say that I've tried it.
Hope everyone had a fine Saturday.
clear ayes
ReplyDeleteBe sure to pick up some lime juice. Almost all stores carry it in the little lime shaped plastic bottle(container). You won't be sorry as it really cuts the sweetness.
The basic recipe serves four or five drinks. I've tried doubling the recipe and it doesn't work as well as it takes more blender time to get a good mix on the larger volume. And, that creates more of a head of foam. So, it works better in small batches.
Ya gotta trust me on the beer... yep, I know it seems strange. I haven't tried the new lime-flavored beers yet(Coors & Bud) but I will do that in the near future.
ciao
That is right about the forceps melissa bee... I remember the ones we use in chem lab to pick up hot test tubes... I'd always get upset when the professor called them forceps I'd be like aren't these tongs, and he'd say 'same thing'
ReplyDelete