google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Friday September 5, 2008 Barry Silk

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Sep 5, 2008

Friday September 5, 2008 Barry Silk

Theme: CRACKER (40A: 17A, 24A, 51A and 64A follower)

17A: Cow or chicken: FARM ANIMAL

24A: Float: ICE CREAM SODA

51A: Fastener with wings: BUTTERFLY NUT

64A: Large gun barrage: CANNON FIRE

And Graham CRACKER, Oyster CRACKER & Saltine CRACKER. What else can you think of?

I hate the clue for 40A. It's inaccurate. CRACKER only follows the last word of those theme answers. I also dislike the clue for TSE (10D: Half a fly), not only because the clue needs a "?" mark, but also because of BUTTERFLY in 51A. Besides, why obsessed with this terrible fly all the time? What's wrong with cluing TSE as "China's Mao __-tung"?

I am also not fond of the below three clues:

45A: Bog: QUAG. Is QUAG a commonly accepted shortened word?

52D: Phillies all-star 2nd-baseman Chase: UTLEY. An apostrophe should be added to Phillies, right?

65D: Sugary suffix: OSE. I suppose it's OK, though I prefer the clue to be "Sugar suffix".

Other than those, it's a great puzzle, very enjoyable. I love seeing TGIF (10A: End-of-week cry) & Barry Silk on a Friday. I also like this kind of theme type very much.

Still needed Google's help though. It will probably take me a few more months before I can crack this Silk code. He is a very wise man. Ha, WISECRACKER.

Across:

14A: Actress Sofer: RENA. It's clued as "Sofer of soaps' in an earlier TMS puzzle. I like the flowers on her shirt. FYI, RENA means "Joy" in Hebrew.

15A: Lickety-split: APACE

21A: Sealy rival: SERTA. Identical clue in his July "main squeeze" puzzle.

27A: Money set aside: ESCROW. Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that George Washter, the specialist for the old-masters at Sotheby's, is the father of the 13-year old boy who spent $5,000 on this Rembrandt's etching "Agony in the Garden".

36A: Disunit a fly?: UNZIP. Interesting clue. I wonder if this is Barry Silk's original. It certainly has our editor's fingerprint.

39A: Actress Charlotte: RAE. Legends of what?

43A: Madrid museum: PRADO. A heaven for those Goya fans. Beautiful "The Clothed Maya". Dennis probably loves "The Nude Maya".

49A: Starting lineups: A-TEAMS

56A: Env. contents: LTR. Shouldn't the clue be in singular form?

57A: "Ecologues" sheperdess: DELIA. Would not have got it without the surrounds. It's clued as "Shepherdess in Virgil's "Eclogues" 2 weeks ago. This is Argyle's comment: "DELIA seems to be very obscure. Vigil only mentions the name in passing, "insomuch that now our dogs know not Delia better. The character was saying his boyfriend came around so much that the dogs knew him as well as they knew the shepherdess, I think."

62A: Et __ (and others): ALII. Masculine plural. "Et ALIAE" is femine plural. And "Et ALIA" is neutral plural. And another Latin word is IDEM (37D: Footnote word).

68A: Declare frankly: AVOW. I am always confused about AVOW and AVER, so similiar in meaning.

Down:

1D: Pound sounds: ARFS. I like the rhyme in the clue.

2D:Osso buco meat: VEAL. I would add a few apricots to this dish. I want my meat to be firm, juicy and sweet.

4D: Bloodsucking evil spirit: VAMPIRE

6D: Prot. denom.: EPISC. No need to abbreviate both words in the clue.

8D: Words of concern: I CARE. 4 U.

9D: River ends: DELTAS

11D: Italian cheese: GORGONZOLA. I've never had this cheese before. What does it taste like?

13D: Jane of "Klute": FONDA. I've never seen this movie. That's a daring skirt. Jane FONDA is an awful mother in "Monster-in-Law".

18D: Label for Sonny & Cher: ATCO. No, have never heard of ATCO label before. Here is their "I Got You Babe".

22D: Love in Lyon: AMOUR. "My Cherie AMOUR, lovely as a summer's day...... How I wish that you were mine."

27D: Holliday partner: EARP (Wyatt). Got it from the across clues. I had no idea who Holliday was.

29D: "I Want You to Want Me" band: CHEAP TRICK. New to me. I do love the song title.

33D: Help-page acronym: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Gimme.

34D: Fort Worth sch.: TCU (Texas Christian University). Strange logo.

35D: Jamaican music: SKA. Every time I see this clue, I think of Bob Marley and "The Wailers".

38D: Holding areas: PENS. "Holding areas" for whom?

41D: "Magnet and Steel" singer Walter: EGAN. Nope, he is new to me. Here is the song. I like this fresh new clue, don't you? I am tired of "Alaska's first governor".

46D: Puts on pounds: GETS FAT

59D: Bounty competition: VIVA. I've never paid attention to this brand. I use Bounty at home.

63D: Resident's suffix: ITE. Xchefwalt & Lois probably want the clue to be "Manhattan chaser?".

C.C.

93 comments:

  1. Good morning, c.c. and gang - enjoyable puzzle today, with a couple unknowns, but all gettable from the perps. Unlike a previous puzzle this week, the theme answer's in the middle instead of the end, which I think is much more preferrable.

    I never knew 'quag' was a word, obviously short for quagmire, never heard of 'Delia' or Walter 'Egan'. I hate even typing the word 'Fonda' for 'Jane of Klute'. I disagree that 'puts on pounds' necessarily means 'gets fat'; if you work out to gain weight, you'll put on muscle. All in all, a very good puzzle though.

    c.c., Safecracker would be another one. Pens typically are holding areas for farm animals.

    Hope everyone has a great weekend; Hanna's gonna visit here tonight/tomorrow, so we'll have some interesting weather in this area. Go Eagles!

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  2. Club and Ritz crackers. Just off by one letter-had ALIA instead of ALII. Just read about that in Michelle Arnot's book Four-Letter Words And Other Secrets of a Crossword Insider too. You might enjoy that book cc. And Barry Silk's just off by a J and X from having a pangram if I didn't miss anything.

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  3. Good morning cc and DFs. To all of our friends on the east coast good luck with Hanna. Stay safe and God bless.

    First Dennis I could not agree more with your comment about Jane Fonda. She should have been thrown in jail for treason. Enough said!

    There are a few words today to get our sirens going. Unzip, fly, amour, nuts and cracker are a few that jump out.

    I will check in later as the sun is up and it is to be a nice day so off to the links. After today we will get residual rain from the east coast storms and there will be no golf for awhile.

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  4. cc shouldn't 18D be ATCO in lieu of ACTO??

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  5. Good Morning, C.C. and all.

    I flew through this puzzle until I hit dead center and crashed and burned. My brain didn't want to come up with CRACKER, QUAG (I've never heard it used without 'mire'), EGAN or FAQ (I was thinking 'want-ads' not 'help page').

    I tried 'aver' for AVOW and 'flash' for FLARE, but those righted themselves with the fills.

    The theme answers were easy to get, so the puzzle was a breeze except for the center.

    I best get this show on the road. If I don't get my filing done, I'm never going to see my desk again!

    Have a good day, everyone.

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  6. Dennis,
    Solid point on the GET FAT clue. I thought PENS refers to jails where bad guys are being held. Sorry FONDA brought back bad memories to you.

    Dick,
    Yes, COMB is the answer for "Toothed Strip". I've corrected my ATCO mistake.

    NYTanonimo,
    Nice Ritz & Club. I did notice the absence of J & X. I've never read that book.

    Bill,
    Can you also send your "How to Link" instruction to Katherine?

    Xchefwalt,
    Since you stood on high MOREL ground and refused to take a mulligan, I could not tell whether you hit the fairway or the water with your further FLOWER explanation. The shot did look beautiful from the tee box.

    Sallie,
    IMBO stands for "I Must Be Off". It's just Buckeye's quirky way to express his OFF personality and "ciao" in the same time.

    Argyle & JVJ24601
    Thank you for the GOA picture & EAMES. Very helpful information.

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  7. Good morning! Not a bad one today. A bit of trouble in the middle but setting aside for a few minutes and coming back solved those.
    I found where quag is acceptable for quagmire.
    I have Walter Egan's album with the song Magnet and Steel.
    Dennis - I think I can guess at the hate for the word Fonda. Could be wrong though.
    Dennis is not the only one who likes The Nude Maya.
    I see where C.C. likes her meat firm, juicy, and sweet. Wow!!
    Atco Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. Sonny & Cher recorded with them for a bit.
    I agree with Dick on the words that will get our beloved Sirens aroused.


    Today is National Cheese Pizza Day. Most people enjoy their pizza with a beer. I know!! We can have a pizza party! It will even be okay if you're late for the party because it is also ---
    Be Late For Something Day.

    Have a great Friday.

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  8. Good morning C.C. and all. Not a bad puzzle for me today. Anytime I can finish it with a just little help from google I am happy. Had the same problem with quag and had to look up Jamaican music, after that everything seemed to fall in place. Finally getting some much need rain here but not enough to do much good. Have a great day all.

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  9. Good morning everyone. I had a hard time with the lower half of this puzzle.
    CC, there are animal crackers. Little animal cookies for kids.
    I never heard of Rena Sofer, and I also get Aver and Avow confused.
    The Gorgonzola does not look good to me....yuck.....
    I saw the movie Klute, back in the day, but don't remember a thing about it.
    Thanks for asking Bill to send me those instructions. I am having a hard time "getting" it. I was going to send him an email asking him to send me the instructions, because Clear Eyes tried to help me, but I just don't quite get it. I was able to do it once, but couldn't do it again.
    I am going to be gone until Tuesday. We are going up north to Traverse City. It is very pretty up there.
    I hope you all have a great weekend.

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  10. Morning, folks!

    I was breezing through this puzzle and happened to look up midway through to see who the constructor was. I was surprised to see that it was a Barry Silk puzzle, since his usually pose much more of a challenge for me. There was a high number of unknown proper names in this puzzle, but they were mostly easy to get via the perps.

    Here's my list of unknowns for the day:

    RENA Sofer
    ATCO
    Walter EGAN
    Chase Utley

    I only got DELIA because I remembered seeing it recently in another puzzle (either here or over at the NYT).

    EARP almost threw me for a loop until I noticed the spelling of Holliday. Doc Holliday and Wyatt EARP were key figures in the legendary western tale of "The Gunfight at OK Corral." There have been numerous books and movies about this historical event.

    Overall, I liked the theme, and I got it early on, but I've never heard of a NUT Cracker before. Oh, wait. Never mind -- I just got it. I was thinking of a type of cracker that looked like a peanut or something. D'OH!

    And now for the responses to C. C.'s questions:

    QUAG isn't what I would call a common word, but it is a real word and I've seen it in crossword puzzles before.

    "Phillies" doesn't require an apostrophe. Just like you wouldn't write "Red Sox's 2nd-baseman."

    I just had Chicken GORGONZOLA for the first time the other night. I'm not sure I could describe exactly how the cheese itself tasted, since it was covered with sauce and vegetables. But it was very tasty!

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  11. Oh -- and QUAG isn't actually short for quagmire, according to my dictionary. It's a separate word, although both originated at about the same time (back in the 1580s).

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  12. Good except for the "G" in QUAG and EGAN. Didn't know him and didn't like QUAG. It seems like half a word to me.
    Kath.. I'll send it a little later today. I have several errands to get done this AM and some GADding to do.
    cya all later.
    BTW, yearbook picture. Boy, I just don't look good naked anymore!!!
    Or, dressed either!!

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  13. Dennis et al,
    Our editor changed the bottom center of Barry Silk's original grid and made quite a few changes on his clues:

    36A: Decompress, as a computer UNZIP

    40A: Theme of this puzzle: CRACKER

    43A: Place to view a Goya PRADO

    45A: Boggy area, for short QUAG

    67A: Burton's role in "Roots": KINTE

    70A: More clever: SLYER

    71A: Super Bowl XXXIV champs: RAMS

    4D: Kind of bat: VAMPIRE

    6D: Protestant denom: EPISC

    10D: "The Waste Land" monogram: TSE

    13D: Henry of "Fail-Safe": FONDA

    38D: Confident puzzlers' tools: PENS

    46D: Progresses: GETS FAR

    53D: Hardly robust: FRAIL

    54D: Comedian Bruce: LENNY

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  14. Wow, I'd say the editor butchered Barry's offering!
    That must be very frustrating when you work so hard on a creation and have someone tear it all to pieces!!!

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  15. Geez, I can understand an editor changing the clues, but that's rewriting the puzzle!

    I guess that's what happens when you have an editor who is also a puzzle constructor himself, but it's still a shame that he has to let his ego get in the way of doing his job.

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  16. Dr. Dad,
    OK, "The Naked Maya" is for you too. I hope it's not too late. I am enjoying this "Be Late for Something" day!

    Katherine,
    Great to finally see Gary. What a nice-looking drummer he is. I am just so happy for you. Omnia vincit Amor! Have a nice weekend!

    Barry G,
    You saw DELIA here. Thanks for the "Phillies" explanation. Dictionary.com says QUAG is short for "quagmire". I think I've grasped our editor's mindset a bit. I felt that CRACKER, UNZIP & TSE were not Barry Silk's originals when I solved the puzzle earlier.

    Bill,
    Wow, I am stunned. You must have had lots of dates and a wild time in schools.

    Argyle et al,
    I forgot to write down earlier that Barry Silk had SAREE (Delhi wrap) for 57A instead of DELIA ("Eclogues" shepherdese).

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  17. That much change is excessive. If the editor didn't care for the puzzle, he should have returned it to Mr. Silk for revision. I can't see that the level of difficulty changed much, so what was the reasoning for the changes?

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  18. I finished the puzzle without any help today! Yeah for me. I think Barry Silk writes these puzzles just for us sirens here...nuts, erect, unzip, fly, amour...whew.

    Loved Cheap Trick in the day. I actually have one of Zanders guitar pics from one of their concerts. He would flick them out to the crowd and I was lucky enough to catch one.

    Gorganzola is very similar to bleu cheese. Love it! Here is my favorite way to eat it. Slice a baguette, top with gorganzola and roasted red peppers. Wash it down with a nice chianti or merlot. It just doesn't get any better than that!

    Enjoy your Friday and the upcoming weekend. Those on the east coast, batten down the hatches.
    cheap trick

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  19. I thought I finally made a link, but I can't open it. Can anyone else?

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  20. "Why I Hate Crossword Puzzles"
    by Randy Ooney

    A fastener with wings is a butterfly clip. Anyone who works in an office for more than a day has seen those black metal shaped things with the metal handles you squeeze to open and then flap over the stack of paper you fastened. I googled "butterfly nut" and the thesaurus defined and pictured a screw! I have heard of a wing nut. The only butterfly nut I could think of is someone who eats, drinks, and sleeps butterflies.
    Was Doc Holliday a "partner" of Wyatt Earp? I thought they were adversaries. Maybe I accepted the Hugh O'Brien series as fact rather than oater fiction.
    Friday Bowling league starts tonight. It's been a long summer of rotten golf.

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  21. Hi,
    What were the original 48D and 55D?
    From what you gave us, I have ERACKS and YENTE. Yente is the Yiddish spelling of yenta, but I can't find eracks anywhere.

    An editor can change a clue easily but changing one word must lead to changing many words.

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  22. boomer @ 8:22 - Wikipedia article that states they were friends:
    Doc Holliday

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  23. "Laughter is like changing a baby's diaper. It doesn't permanently solve any problems, but it makes things more acceptable for a while.”
    -Anonymous diaper quote

    Again, when I'm asked about groups names, etc, I'm finished!!! I may like a song, but it doesn't I HAVE to know the group... although it helps.

    I thought 27D was a very good clue. I was into Billie Holliday stuff...

    I believe 36A was meant to be the pants fly... I tried to "undo" an insect fly, but just didn't work... Maybe the puzzle editor had to go... The reason for the chosen quote...

    My perps are usually called Google, dictionary, Thesaurus, etc...

    Jane Fonda, boy, what a case of treason, especially when we had POWs there in North Viet Nam!!! She should be in a pen. Good for dennis' comment.

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  24. Talking of flies reminded me of this: Anyone here ever smelled mothballs?

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  25. cokato - the link directed me to a page that said the web page was unavailable.

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  26. drdad
    How do you get a moth to hold still long enough to smell them?

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  27. drdad, I've never gotten that close to one; you?

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  28. Good Morning C.C. and Gang - not too bad I did need a little help from the online cheater - could not come up with FAQ (I know it like I know my own name) and Quag I had never heard of without mire.

    Barry - nutcracker - There is the famous Christmas time Russian Ballet "The Nutcracker" also there is the nut cracker tool used to crack open nuts with hard shells like walnuts, pecans etc.

    Creating a link on here: I had typed out a long but explanatory description on how to create a link and tried to post and it would not accept my html it said the tag was not closed...well duh...I was not creating a tag just demonstrating oh well...I tried

    I had to show Bill how to do it...once he saw how easy it was, there is just no stopping him now!!!

    C.C. yes Bill was and is still a looker but he will not admit it.

    Well, it has been a long night for me, I am off to get a nap as I am off work for the next 3 nights
    C'Ya'll Later
    Nancy (I still need to change my picture too)

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  29. Occasionally but, like mariposa, they wouldn't hold still and my nose was too big anyway.

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  30. nancy - I like my nuts and don't want to hear about nutcrackers.

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  31. It is sooooo fun talking with all you crackers...especially the NUTS!!!

    Gotch drdad

    I'm out of her for today

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  32. "Happy Friday" C.C.and D.F.'s:
    Fun puzzle today-only a few toughies:
    47A,57A,41D,52D,62A.

    Loved all the unzipping of flys. Also erect, cannon (large gun) (not to mention 55A)oops. Then we have bloodsuckers and air blowers. Ouch.
    Guess I will just go suck up an ice cream soda and cool off.

    Bill, very nice picture - you were a cutie.

    Nancy D, same for you, very sweet!

    Katherine, thanks for sharing a picture of your hubby, very nice.

    Hope you all have a great weekend

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  33. @Nancy D:

    Yes, I know all about "The Nutcracker" ballet and my mother has a house full of wooden nutcrackers. Hence my "Never mind -- I just got it" comment. ^_^

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  34. Good morning c.c.,DF’s and all! A great puzzle to close the week with- lots of references and names I’m familiar with (Italian food, great bands). I feel for Mr. Silk- as a former magazine writer and chef, I have felt the sharp point of the editors pen many a-time, to the limit where I have just asked why they didn’t just write the article/menu themselves.

    OSSO BUCCO is a wonderful dish of slow cooked (usually braised) veal shank. I never get it out anymore because no one cooks it anywhere as well as I do. If anyone is interested, I’ll post my recipe. The risotto in the background of c.c.’s fine picture is the proper side dish, although artichoke hearts would be a more proper garnish.

    GORGANZOLA is Italian Bleu cheese. True Gorgonzola had an ivory tint to it. All of the bleu cheese family (Danibleu from Denmark, Stilton from England and Roquefort from southern France) are awesome in salads, as a topping for steaks and burgers, and melted in demi glace for sauce.

    CHEAP TRICK was one of my favorite bands growing up. From Wisconsin, Robin Zander, Tom Peterson, Rick Neilson and Bun E. Carlos were punk and pop, pretty boys and grungers, stars and cult figures all at once. The trilogy of ‘Heaven Tonight’, ‘Live at Boudakon’ (c.c’s clip) and ‘Dream Police’ are the staple of a great body of work. I still have a copy of ‘Boudakon’ as an original import, all in Japanese, no English. They still tour today, and appeared in Eddie Murphy’s “Daddy Day Care”.

    TCU’s mascot is the HORNED TOAD (is that any better that South Carolina’s??). It’s San Diego RB L. Tomlinson’s alma matter.

    @cokato- I also could not open your link. I always thought that Hobbs was the bad one, setting Calvin up for trouble, then going mute when it arrived. Here’s a great link I found to get you daily Calvin fix.
    Calvin and Hobbs

    @c.c.- answer to 63d-yes. Are you sure no one saw my drive?? If not, can I get some help finding my ball??

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  35. Barry, Apparently I'm not the only one who is a bit slow before coffee!!
    Cokato, Can't display page error.
    CC et al: I didn't get away with much in high school as my Dad was on the school board through all of my HS time. If I misbehaved, he and my Mother knew it before I got home!!!!
    Talk about PRESSURE!!!

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  36. Good Morning All, Even though I had EPISC filled in, I still couldn't figure out what "Prot. denom" meant. The light bulb finally went on, but it took awhile.

    I've never watched soap operas, so I didn't know RENA. EGAN was a lucky guess, since I had never heard QUAG used, but I figured it had to be related to "quagmire".

    I really admire Barry Silk's skills. It must be very difficult to come up with 10 letter words that satisfactorily intersect. I really liked GORGONZOLA and CHEAP TRICK.

    I'd like to see (Henry) FONDA clued as "The Oxbow Incident star". Maybe one day we'll see OXBOW clued as "The ____Incident"

    Alexander POPE was one of the greatest social satirists and poets of the early 18th century. He wrote his mocking poem, "The Rape of the Locke" when he was only 24 years old. Among some of his most famous quotes are:

    "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

    "To err is human, to forgive, divine"

    "A little learning is a dang'rous thing;
    Drink deep, or taste not the Peirian spring.
    There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
    And drinking largely sobers us again."

    ....From the sublime to the ridiculous. Even though Walter EGAN was pretty much a one-hit wonder, "Magnet and Steel" was featured in the movie "Boogie Nights". It was the first starring part for Mark Walberg. It is about a young guy getting into the porn film industry. It is very graphic, but is not a porn film itself.

    Mark Walberg was a singer/rapper and did a few Calvin Klein ads before he became an actor. So, I say, why should the guys get The Nude Maja and the Sirens get nothing? Mark's Calvins

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  37. and, besides, If I was such a LOOKER what the hell happened between then and now???? OH, I know, I know. Pick, pick me!!!

    I got rode hard and put up wet!!!
    Old, too!!!!

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  38. Also, TCU is the Horned Frogs, not Toads.

    Frogs:
    Need to live near water
    Have smooth, moist skin that makes them look “slimy”.
    Have a narrow body
    Have higher, rounder, bulgier eyes
    Have longer hind legs
    Take long high jumps
    Have many predators

    Toads:
    Do not need to live near water to survive
    Have rough, dry, bumpy skin
    Have a wider body
    Have lower, football shaped eyes
    Have shorter, less powerful hind legs
    Will run or take small hops rather than jump
    Do not have many predators. Toad’s skin lets out a bitter taste and smell that burns the eyes and nostrils of its predators, much like a skunk does.

    And, neither frogs nor toads, will give you warts! That is just a myth.

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  39. Don't want to put too many consecutive posts here but it struck me as interesting that just this minute someone at my work has a radio going and it is playing Walter Egan's "Magnet and Steel."

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  40. Argyle,
    Sorry for the omission earlier.
    47A: Dessert Wine: PORT
    48D: Follows: TRACKS
    55D: "Fiddler on the Roof" meddler: YENTE

    Bill (and Nancy),
    Exactly! What the hell happened? Maybe you need to ride a pony to find it out!

    Clear Ayes,
    I like your FONDA clue & Pope's "Drink Deep" quote.

    Xchefwalt,
    Why "artichoke heart" as garnish? Isn't parsley more proper? I am sorry, but I did not pay attention to your drive. Have you checked the H_ _ _ (Swiss cheese feature)? Or possibly the flower bed?

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  41. "Doc" Holliday was a gun fighter in the OLD WEST. He, Wyatt Earp, along with Earps' brothers Morgan and Virgil fought the Clanton brothers at the O.K. Corral, Tombstone Az.
    I use your blog extensively.

    Jim R

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  42. I discovered Ska music after going to a live performance of a local Massachusetts group called Bim Skala Bim. I liked it so much I bought a couple of their CDs.

    I've always thought that the sound was sort of a cross between Reggae and Big Band/Swing.

    [Hmmmmm.... I was posting this in response to Carl's last post, which I see he has now deleted for some reason. Oh well...]

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  43. I had to smile when I saw today's puzzle was authored by Barry Silk. It immediately put me in the proper frame of mind to fly through it. 45A quag - a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot - a familiar term to me that is indeed a shortened form of quagmire. Quags tend to be less "wet and sucky". 51A - never heard that type of fastener called a butterfly nut. It's usually a wingnut. I went for the present tense sleep for 20A but the crosses straightened my thinking. 11D - knew the term but have never tried the cheese. Back in time, I knew someone who used the word as a replacement for swearing as in "holy gorgonzola". The only word I could substitute for that was four letters so I was never brave enough to taste the cheese. 57A Delia popped out of the page due to recent clues. 22D & 36A stuck me through a second cup of coffee but finally the "duh" light came on & wrapped it up. I agree that the 56A clue should have been singular.

    I'm not surprised that this puzzle was editorially "butchered". I've stated my opinion on the matter previously and won't belabor my point. Mumble, mumble, mumble... dirty rotten rakenfratzen editors anyway!

    Bob Marley is better known for reggae. Ska's originator was Cluet Johnson and from what I've learned, it is a unique sound very distinct from reggae. Ska was a word Johnson used for "love" in his act. The music features guitar in tandem with rim clicks on the snare along with a fast tempo and pronounced offbeat. Ziggy Marley & the Melodians and Toots & The Maytals are a couple of groups who do Ska. Ziggy is Bob Marley's son and has carried on the island music tradition but crosses to both sides. The difference between reggae and ska is simply the instrumentation, beat, and tempo.

    TGIF! I'm so ready for this weekend! Although, being retired, everything is very much like a weekend I guess.

    Looks like the East Coast is due for a drenching from Hal. Stay dry!

    I think I need another cup of coffee. I accidently hit publish when I meant to edit a mistake and so I deleted & corrected. As I said... T.G.I.F!!!! Y'all have a good weekend!



    ciao

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  44. @c.c.- The ____ (Black one in space) is too far away (slight dog-leg left) to see, so I still need help- fairway or water?

    Artichoke heart and fresh chopped tomato are the traditional Tuscan garnishes for Osso Bucco; parsley or an edible flower may also be added.

    @drdad- I’ll print the recipe later today as time allows. We have a mother of a storm headed this way and preparations have already started.

    Can anyone even see that picture??

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  45. drdad, As far as I'm concerned, you may use this blog (as long as C.C. doesn't mind) as frequently as you wish. You are a fun professor and we are fun students...

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  46. cracker jacks
    cracker barrel
    Florida cracker-I'm a Georgia peach :-)

    Good morning C.C. and all
    It's another scorcher here in the Bay area,so have to garden early

    Loved Barry's puzzle. I had some minor faux pas. Because I didn't know ewer or ATCO, I couldn't complete escrow, therefore leaving me to go thru the alpha.(skipping the vowels!!!!) to fill in earp. The only real word that came up was harp. LOL It was a great clue. I never saw the double l.
    Google taught me all about young newts and Rena Sofia. I did not realize that a trek was considered arduous, but as I get older some jaunts have become treks.Am not looking forward to when it becomes a pilgrimage to walk upstairs.

    I know many of you have bitter feelings about Jane, but I loved the movie "Barefoot in the Park" with Robert Redford.I didn't go to her later movies, or buy her exercise tapes.

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  47. Kazie,
    What's the meaning of "wax on"? You said the other day that " Sorry to wax on so long, but better to share it all at once."

    Crockett,
    "Now when someone addresses her as "Mrs. Crockett" you can be certain that that person doesn't know her from Eve!" What is the meaning of "doesn't know her from Eve"?

    Carol,
    What does "Ka-Bump, Ka-Bump" mean?

    Clear Ayes,
    I am still a bit confused about expensive cars as the phallic symbols. I guess I don't understand what exactly are phallic symbols. I thought they solely refer to men's ORG_ _ (Eye or Ear)? Or are there any female phallic symbols as well?

    Xchefwalt,
    Out of bounds I am afraid. When was that photo taken?

    JD,
    Interesting, all your clues started with CRACKERS. That should be another great theme idea.

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  48. Hi again, here is a picture of me and my Joe...taken just after we were married.

    chefwalt: you were a seventies kind of guy too!! Nice hair!

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  49. Hello c.c. df's and kh's. Same problems as most had with the center of this puzzle. Got "quag' and "egan" on a SWAG (of the "g"). Thought the editor played around with Mr. Silk's writing and c.c. confirmed it. I, too xchefwalt, have felt the sting of the editor's pen. When I was writing sports my editor rejected a quote I made; "As the great Yogi Berra once said,'The game ain't over 'til it's over'". She omitted it from the published story and told me she wanted me to strictly use and AP style of writing. "Besides," she said, "I doubt if anyone knows who YOGI BERRY is." I'm surprised she didn't say that a bear in Jellystone Park has no relevance to sports.

    @drdad; Smell mothballs? How'd you hold them; by the wings or by the feet?

    @ Carl; Holy gorgonzola? Did she attend the church of Holy Moly? Did she say "Cripes, Son of Gosh, whose mother was Jeeze Louise?"

    I always love to quote mark Twain. "I will not attend the funeral but I will write a passionate letter stating my approval of it". Anybody have any others?

    Poser: Is alphabet soup wasted on the illiterate?

    I must be off.

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  50. good morning c.c. and all,

    this was a fun puzzle .. definitely liked barry silk's original version better than the editor's.

    'contents' seems okay to me .. i often see boxes and bags labeled 'contents:_______' regardless of whether it contains one or more item.

    gorgonzola, yum. the barefoot contessa (ina garten) has a fantastic recipe for gorgonzola cream to serve with fillet of beef.

    and speaking of yumm .. i'll never forget val kilmer as doc holliday in tombstone. he can be my huckleberry any day.

    @carol: beautiful 'just married' pic .. just like a blonde 'that girl.'

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  51. @c.c.- I guess I need a new club (and some practice).

    The summer of 1979. I graduated June 1980.

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  52. I keep coming back to movies. Val Kilmer did a whiz-bang job of portraying Doc Holliday in 1993's "Tombstone" Doc Holliday.

    G.A.H. and I took a vacation side trip to Tombstone AZ a couple of years after seeing the movie. We probably wouldn't have, until the movie peaked our interest. It's a really interesting and historic town.

    C.C. A phallic symbol doesn't have to look like a penis, although they often do Smokestack in Germany, or maybe a cigar, or a morel.

    From Wikipedia: according to French psychoanalyst, Jacques Lacan, "The symbolic phallus is the concept of being the ultimate man, and having this is compared to having the divine gift of God."

    A guy can't (even if he would like to) have intercourse constantly, so acceptable social alternatives have been devised to express sexual energy, potency and domination. In modern times, fast cars, extreme sports, or just about anything that gets adrenalin pumping can be seen as ultimate manly activity and thus phallic symbolism.

    Phallic symbolism refers to the male, so I had to search to find the female equivalent.

    "YONIC (from Sanskrit yoni, "vagina"): A yonic symbol is a sexualized representation of femininity and reproductive power--particularly through some object vaguely reminiscent of the vagina. Common yonic symbols include cups, cauldrons, chalices, goblets, wells, caves, tunnels, circles, hoops, pots, and other containers."

    Let's not forget C.C.'s peonies!

    Females don't seem to have a social alternative to "guy things". I guess being the baby makers is enough sexual identity.

    Mark Twain: "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read."

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  53. @ all

    Not to belabor the issue of ska but here are examples of ska vs reggae - both by Toots & the Maytals. I never picked up on the difference until a couple of months ago thanks to an xword clue that got me curious.

    If you listen to the beat, you can tell the difference.

    Ska


    Reggae

    The lines between Reggae, Ska, & Rasta, are subtle but distinct. Calypso & others tend to be more separated. So much for Ska 101!(at least as I learned it)

    @buckeye - He, not she. He had kids & didn't want them to hear "####"! He told me that gorgonzola was so far removed... yada, yada, yada! They were his kids. Probably figured they were "dumb enough" to not ask. He also used "styx" for the same reason. I'd have just let the children hear the real word and get over it. As a kid, I did and look how warped I turned out!

    Yup... I'm outta here!

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  54. Melissa bee, Val Kilmer is terrific. We don't see him in many movies nowadays.

    By the way, I found out that he doesn't say "huckleberry". When I was looking up a "Tombstone" scene, several people said that "hucklebearer" is a 19th century term for "pallbearer". With Doc's southern accent, it sounds like "huckleberry". Makes sense, huh? "I'm your hucklebearer", when he confronts Ringo.

    Still don't know what "You're no daisy", means.

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  55. c.c., that just leves out the clue for 40D - cores.

    If Mr. Editor wanted to remove yente because it doesn't show up in the standard dictionaries (I went to One Look and Dictionary.com and neither listed it.) then I think he did a good job of replacing it. IMHO

    Could have changed the clue to: Yiddish matchmaker, var.

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  56. Oh yes, 65D, also.

    Or am I just being crackers?
    [syn: balmy]

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  57. Clear Ayes: are you sure you are not Dr. Ruth's daughter??? :) You are so good at explaining the names, conditions, social perceptions,causes,etc..very good!!
    I always heard the guy who drives one of those trucks that are up on HUGE wheels are under-endowed, maybe that is a true statement!!

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  58. Blogger erased my comment, so I'll only say it was 7:43 today. (I'm not going to type it all in again, lol.)

    Always nice to see a Barry Silk puzzle. It brightens up my day.

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  59. @clear ayes: yes, that does seem to make sense. but i surfed and found this:

    "However, that whole thing about “huckleberry” supposedly being “hucklebearer” is utter hogwash (ol’ Frank out at Mescal should know better!).
    Kevin Jarre (who wrote the script–and is a friend of mine) took the line from old newspaper accounts quoting Holliday himself. There are plenty of examples of the use of “I’m your huckleberry” as in the context of the film (meaning: “I’m your man”).
    There are absolutely NO historical records of anyone, anywhere ever using the words “huckle-bearer” in any context. In fact, this myth of the term “huckle-bearer” has been traced all the way back to about 2000 when some cranky old re-enactors created it because they felt saying “I’m your huckleberry” just didn’t sound manly enough. The script says: huckleberry. When Val Kilmer (who actually uttered the line!) signed a photo for me he wrote: “I’m your huckleberry” (not huckle-bearer). And, heck, even the DVD’s subtitles read: “I’m your huckleberry”. Please do not propigate this ridiculous “huckle-bearer” story any further."

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  60. @Carl etal: I sincerely hope you and, all reading this, understand that I have a weird sense of humor and NEVER mean to offend anyone. "Holy Moly" and "Jeeze Louis" were used often by my grandparents around the children. My hard headed German and thick skinned Irish ancestors made it so that no matter what was said to me, I took it with a grain of salt. I, personally, CANNOT be offended. Those who seriously try are to be pitied. I was reared believing, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me". Today it's. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names are a class-action law suit". Please forgive me my blue-collar upbringin' and understand what Dr. Bernard Mehl, head of the Education Department at OSU, said about me to a friend of ours, in my presence, "Jon, there's nothing more unpredictable or dangerous as a well educated Hillbilly".

    This is a "proof" of my H.S. grad. pic. I'll see if I can find the real one. It's different from this one.

    IMBO

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  61. OK, Melissa bee, "huckleberry" it is. Today was the first time I had seen anything about "hucklebearer", so there is zero chance I'll pass it on. We love the movie and there are so many quotable lines; your friend is an excellent screen writer.

    Carol, All I know is that when my grandson was 2 years old, he was transfixed by the big paving trucks on the side of the freeway. He also loved our truck. It was "Grandpa's big car", never Grandma's. I wonder what he knew that we didn't.

    All the men on this blog....I definitely wasn't referring to any of you!! I'm certain you don't need any symbolism....except maybe for Buckeye (I'm testing your stick's and stones premise ;o)

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  62. Anonymous,
    Yes, you've passed all the 3 tests! But you misplaced them on yesterday's Comments section.

    Carol,
    Thank you for the email replies.

    Xchefwalt,
    Practice does not always make perfect in golf! And that's undeniable!

    Clear Ayes,
    Glory Be! Holy hotwick smokestack! Thank you a million times for the YONIC symbols. I've been confused ever since we had the Irish Crowning Stone (LIA Fail) in our puzzle in March.

    Argyle,
    40D: Nuclei: CORES
    65D: "__ the ramparts": O'ER
    As for YENTE, you were wrong. The matchmaker is indeed called YENTE in "Fiddler on the Roof".

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  63. @clear ayes: those were not my words, i was quoting something i found online.

    anyway, no matter. val kilmer can be my holy hotwick huckle-anything! it's ALL good.

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  64. @clear ayes; I don't need no stinkin' symbolism!!!!! One look at me in my Ohio State cap and you know I get all I can handle.(That depends on what "all" means. Hell, if it's gud enuff for one Bill (Clinton), it's gud enuff for this Bill (Me).)

    "The problem is not that there are too many fools. The problem is lightning isn't distributed properly". Mark Twain

    IMBO

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  65. Re the phallic symbol discussion, the old Jaguar XKE from the 60s is now considered the ultimate phallic symbol among cars due to its shape.
    clear ayes, thanks for the education on yonic symbols; was not familiar with the term. And 'cauldron' I'll buy, but 'tunnel' and 'cave'?? Jeez. Not the most flattering description...

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  66. I see we're xing postings. Xchef and c.c.; Not just golf but everything - Practice does NOT make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

    IMBO

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  67. melissa bee: Could you please redo your link to the gorgonzola sauce? When I click it, I just get a green screen!

    I am very late getting to my post today...the newspaper was late in arriving, and I had a terribly busy morning at work. I did NOT finish this puzzle, being unable to get the Q where FAQ and QUAG intersect. And there was nothing I could google! I did Google to get the F and T in EFTS. So one blank square and two in red (needed help).

    Other than the middle, the puzzle was fairly tame.

    The Prado is one of my favorite museums. Picasso's powerful Guernica was hanging there when I visited the Prado. In 1992 it was moved to the Arte Reina Sofia museum against the expressed terms of Picasso's will.

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  68. Buckeye @ 2:42pm,
    "Not just golf but everything - Practice does NOT make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

    Awesome quote! Nothing OFF. I like it.

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  69. @doesitinink: hm, it works for me so i don't think re-posting the link would change anything on your end. my email addy is posted in my profile .. if you want to email me i'd be happy to send it to you.

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  70. @c.c.- I was always taught that practice makes PERMANENT. It’s all in the hands of the teacher.

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  71. Melissa bee, LOL, I thought it was you who were bothered about "huckleberry". I looked up the same article you did and saw that is was "Chris Casey" and you were quoting him(her?). I'm still staying away from "hucklebearer".....you never know who's reading the blog!

    Here's G.A.H. and well-traveled Charley at Tombstone's OK Corral

    C.C., glad to help clear things up.

    Buckeye, the Ohio State cap merely enhances the noggin underneath. You've got me convinced that is the "real you".

    Mark Twain: "Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place."

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  72. I wasn't going to comment but I can't resist...
    Carol let me just say this...
    I'll take a "BIG RIG" driver any day over someone that "needs" to "show off" his masculinity.

    From experience - your statement is just NOT TRUE!

    LOL

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  73. nancy d, very true. Whenever I see some middle-aged or older guy in a Corvette, I always think, "sorry about your (penis).

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  74. @dennis: i think that applies to young guys too.

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  75. Mothballs are Naphthalene balls, aren't they?

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  76. ok, I was misunderstood. When I said trucks on huge wheels, I didn't mean a regular large truck, I meant the "monster trucks" seen in shows and sometimes on the streets. The regular sized pick-ups mounted on extreme frames, and on over-sized tires.

    Dennis, I never heard that about a middle-age or older guy in a Corvette or Jag or whatever kind of sports car. I thought they all looked like they had big ego's and I would never look twice at them! Especially when they are in a convertable and it's 45 outside :)

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  77. @ Clear ayes you are a looker in your photo.

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  78. Hello, all! Been a busy couple of days around here and I haven't taken the time to post. Look out, here we go.

    New names today were RENA and EGAN. Had to revise AVOW and IDEM, and totally blew ALII. Bummer! That ruined a long streak for me. Nytanomino, I feel your pain.

    I may be too late, but the naked Maya looks good to me!

    @dick at 5:56 You missed ERECTS! I thought that would get the ladies going.

    @Cokato, your link is pointing back to the blogger site (https://www.blogger.com/" Looks like your href isn't correct.

    @boomer Nice Andy Rooney spoof!

    @nancyd at 10:01 Do you have any "him" in stock? (Just a poke in the ribs on your typo. It's one of the most frequent ones I make. It would have been funnier if was dennis who made the error, though)

    @xchef at 12:14 What picture? (It is a wee thing)

    @jd cracker jack. The second word is not plural.

    C.C. I used "doesn't know her from Eve" to change the gender of a phrase used when someone is unknown -- "doesn't know him from Adam," referencing the Biblical Adam.

    @clear ayes at 1:22 Another very educational post. Thank you so much!

    All -- I'd always heard that practice makes permanent. (I see that xchef also had that understanding)

    @carol You mean a "Jackass" truck, LOL.

    @dick at 3:49 -- Couldn't agree more!

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  79. @Dennis I am an older guy that drives a Corvette convertible and I assure you I have no problem with my penis.

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  80. lol, carol, that'd be me. I've had convertibles almost all my life and I've always made it a rule to have the top down at least one day every month of the year, no matter how cold. I don't care if anybody sees me, I just love the feeling of fast open-air driving.

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  81. dick, no offense meant; there's exceptions to every rule.
    By the way, in my younger days, at different times I had a '64 327/365 and a '66 327/350. Prices on the '63-'67 model have gone through the roof, in some cases over $100K.

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  82. @ buckeye

    I certainly am not offended by your humor. But, one thing I've learned from this site is that humor is often imperceptible. I personally consider myself "white trash" with money and enough education to enable me to laugh at the silliness around me. Dennis used the term "self depricating" a few weeks ago. I liked it!!! For me, it fits.

    @ Dennis - I assume it was the convertible top you had down and not a passenger's.... ???

    @all In an earlier post, I referred to Hanna as Hal. Oh well! What the "H". Does the term "blowhards" work for both???

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  83. Geez guys, I am SORRY!! Hope you and your "members" can forgive me. I started out by referring to Monster trucks and look what happened.
    I see certain men in Corvettes etc and I know from the gold chains, large rings, and flashy silk-looking shirts and think they are either pimps or middle-age crazy. I am sure the above description does not fit the "morel" men on this blog.

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  84. C.C. you really get us going with your questions! LOL

    Since we were talking about grown-up stuff, I changed my photo from 16 year old innocent to 18 year old "got that out of the way". Maybe it is the knowing look in my eyes you fellas liked ??

    On that note, here's another Mark Twain quote:

    "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."

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  85. carol, no, no gold chains, no extra rings or flashy shirts, unless you count the floral polyester one I wear under my powder-blue leisure suit. You should see how those big collars flap in the breeze!

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  86. clear ayes, DAMN sexy picture; you had to be a real heartbreaker.

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  87. I would like to add a few comments to those about the editorial changes. 10D: "The Waste Land" monogram for TSE is a good change and better than all those flies. And I think that using Henry Fonda rather than Jane is a good idea in that she offends so many, especially any around for the Vietnam years.
    The rest of the changes are just silly in my opinion.

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  88. clear ayes; WOW!!! Great pic.

    Dennis; I loved the leisure suit/ shirt comment. I once heard someone say to a guy wearing one of those big collared, loud shirts, "Great shirt. I see you shot your couch".

    Melissa bee, Got the gorgonzola sauce recipe. Can't wait to try it.

    Also, thanks for the pesto recipe. I didn't write down who sent it, but keep them coming!

    Monster trucks, Corvettes, convertibles and "bling". All we need now are sequins on our jackets.

    IMBO

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  89. c.c., "Sorry to wax on" --I meant it as in waxing and waning--the comments just kept growing, getting longer, like the flame of a candle which gets bigger. I was probably thinking of the phrase "waxing poetic".

    I had a day out of town today, so am only checking in late.

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  90. c.c. said@2:26pm
    As for YENTE, you were wrong. The matchmaker is indeed called YENTE in "Fiddler on the Roof".


    yente and yenta both mean the same thing and are pronounced the same; yen-tuh.
    But wait, the character's name is Yente. THAT is why it can't be found in dictionaries.
    So Yente was a yenta and the clue, "Fiddler on the Roof" meddler wanted her proper name and not what she was. I see

    So why would Mr. Editer go to all that trouble, I wonder.

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  91. 56A CONTENTS is correct. Just one of those odd words where the plural form is usually used.

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