Theme: Be Brief
17A: Start of quip: I DON'T CARE
26A: Part 2 of quip: HOW MUCH A
33A: Part 3 of quip: MAN TALKS
46A: Part 4 of quip: IF ONLY HE
52A: Part 5 of quip: SAYS IT IN
66A: End of quip: A FEW WORDS
Yes indeed, brevity is the soul of wit after all. But don't be so brief that your comment is incomprehensible to others.
It's a Josh Billings quip. He also said: "Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done." It reminds me of Bill Clinton's eulogy for Jackie: "God gave her very great gifts and imposed upon her great burdens. She bore them all with dignity and grace and uncommon common sense."
I don't understand this quote though: "The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease. " Does he think that complaining is a good thing?
The clue for ABC (5D: Opening letters) is very jarring to my eyes. LETTER is the answer for 36A: Epistle. So many ways to clue ABC. In China, we call American-born Chinese as ABC.
Across:
5A: Takes steps: ACTS. I like verbs in a puzzle. A noun "Play parts" bores me.
9A: Donna lead-in: PRIMA. PRIMA Donna is the same as "Diva", isn't it?
15A: Record spoiler: BLOT
20A: Remove the rime: DE-ICE. And ICINESS (45D: Frigidity).
21A: Break down, as a sentence: PARSE. I don't understand the grammatical structure of the italicized part: "Who could Jenny be talking to that was worth appropriating moments set aside for a date with me? Some musical wonk?” ("Love Story")
32A: Reclined: LAIN. Lie's past tense LAY and past participle LAIN often confuse me.
40A: Isinglass: MICA
44A: White-collar worker?: CLERIC
56A: Long or hot finish?: SHOT. Nice clue. My instinctive thought was "Double eagle", which is actually long AND hot.
68A: Tapestry in "Hamlet": ARRAS. The Scandinavian rug rug RYA seems to be on exile now.
73A: Those, to Jose: ESAS. And BANCO (4D: Barcelona bank).
Down:
2D: Boggs of baseball: WADE. Nice HOF induction photo. The guy on the left is RYNE Sandberg, who often appears in our puzzle. WADE Boggs spent most of his career with the Red Sox. But I think he will root for the Rays tonight. I really like Matt Garza.
3D: Shunning: AVOIDANCE. I am not fond of the ING clue. "Dodger's goal" is better. Sorry about your loss last night, Carl V and all your Dodgers fans, but Phillies are a better team.
6D: Sound of thunder: CLAP. I thought of PEAL.
7D: Pentateuch: TORAH. "Pentateuch" is a new word to me.
8D: Unsaturated alcohol: STEROL. No idea.
9D: Early neonate: PREEMIE. New word to me also.
18D: Colorful tropical fish: TETRA. It's also prefix for four.
22D: Ingests: SWALLOWS. I don't quite grok this Plautus quote: "To blow and swallow at the same moment is not easy." Blow what?
25D: Pilgrimage destination: HOLY CITY
34D: "___ Bulba": TARAS. I forgot. I actually linked this TARAS Bulba clip last time when we had COSSACK ("Russian horseman") in our puzzle. Taras Bulba is an Urkraine COSSACK.
35D: Snow runner: SKI. So many Polish name end with SKI. White Sox's A. J. Pierzynski is of Polish descent.
39D: Dawn Chong and Carruth: RAES. We had Charlotte RAE before.
47D: Not by any means: NO HOW. Is it a slang? I've never heard of this before.
54D: ___ for the taking: YOURS. "... You are mine and I'm YOURS for the taking ... Lay Your Hands on Me..."
57D: Milton of Uganda: OBOTE. Unknown to me. I only knew Idi Amin. OBOTE is both Amin's predecessor and successor.
65D: Gun in old slang: GAT. Have not seen GAM for a long time. Alessandra has very long legs. She is my favorite Victoria's Secret model.
C.C.
17A: Start of quip: I DON'T CARE
26A: Part 2 of quip: HOW MUCH A
33A: Part 3 of quip: MAN TALKS
46A: Part 4 of quip: IF ONLY HE
52A: Part 5 of quip: SAYS IT IN
66A: End of quip: A FEW WORDS
Yes indeed, brevity is the soul of wit after all. But don't be so brief that your comment is incomprehensible to others.
It's a Josh Billings quip. He also said: "Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done." It reminds me of Bill Clinton's eulogy for Jackie: "God gave her very great gifts and imposed upon her great burdens. She bore them all with dignity and grace and uncommon common sense."
I don't understand this quote though: "The wheel that squeaks the loudest is the one that gets the grease. " Does he think that complaining is a good thing?
The clue for ABC (5D: Opening letters) is very jarring to my eyes. LETTER is the answer for 36A: Epistle. So many ways to clue ABC. In China, we call American-born Chinese as ABC.
Across:
5A: Takes steps: ACTS. I like verbs in a puzzle. A noun "Play parts" bores me.
9A: Donna lead-in: PRIMA. PRIMA Donna is the same as "Diva", isn't it?
15A: Record spoiler: BLOT
20A: Remove the rime: DE-ICE. And ICINESS (45D: Frigidity).
21A: Break down, as a sentence: PARSE. I don't understand the grammatical structure of the italicized part: "Who could Jenny be talking to that was worth appropriating moments set aside for a date with me? Some musical wonk?” ("Love Story")
32A: Reclined: LAIN. Lie's past tense LAY and past participle LAIN often confuse me.
40A: Isinglass: MICA
44A: White-collar worker?: CLERIC
56A: Long or hot finish?: SHOT. Nice clue. My instinctive thought was "Double eagle", which is actually long AND hot.
68A: Tapestry in "Hamlet": ARRAS. The Scandinavian rug rug RYA seems to be on exile now.
73A: Those, to Jose: ESAS. And BANCO (4D: Barcelona bank).
Down:
2D: Boggs of baseball: WADE. Nice HOF induction photo. The guy on the left is RYNE Sandberg, who often appears in our puzzle. WADE Boggs spent most of his career with the Red Sox. But I think he will root for the Rays tonight. I really like Matt Garza.
3D: Shunning: AVOIDANCE. I am not fond of the ING clue. "Dodger's goal" is better. Sorry about your loss last night, Carl V and all your Dodgers fans, but Phillies are a better team.
6D: Sound of thunder: CLAP. I thought of PEAL.
7D: Pentateuch: TORAH. "Pentateuch" is a new word to me.
8D: Unsaturated alcohol: STEROL. No idea.
9D: Early neonate: PREEMIE. New word to me also.
18D: Colorful tropical fish: TETRA. It's also prefix for four.
22D: Ingests: SWALLOWS. I don't quite grok this Plautus quote: "To blow and swallow at the same moment is not easy." Blow what?
25D: Pilgrimage destination: HOLY CITY
34D: "___ Bulba": TARAS. I forgot. I actually linked this TARAS Bulba clip last time when we had COSSACK ("Russian horseman") in our puzzle. Taras Bulba is an Urkraine COSSACK.
35D: Snow runner: SKI. So many Polish name end with SKI. White Sox's A. J. Pierzynski is of Polish descent.
39D: Dawn Chong and Carruth: RAES. We had Charlotte RAE before.
47D: Not by any means: NO HOW. Is it a slang? I've never heard of this before.
54D: ___ for the taking: YOURS. "... You are mine and I'm YOURS for the taking ... Lay Your Hands on Me..."
57D: Milton of Uganda: OBOTE. Unknown to me. I only knew Idi Amin. OBOTE is both Amin's predecessor and successor.
65D: Gun in old slang: GAT. Have not seen GAM for a long time. Alessandra has very long legs. She is my favorite Victoria's Secret model.
C.C.
Good morning CC etal:
ReplyDeleteNot too bad this morning - only needed to google "banco", "taras", and "obote" - all other unknowns presented on the perps.
CC:
The saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" does not necessarily encourage complaining, per se, but rather refers to circumstances, particularly in business, where one needs to keep his/her issue at the forefront in order to effect whatever change is necessary to the status quo. For example - my boss is a busy man, dealing with a ton of different issues at any given time, so if there's an issue that's particularly important to me or my team, I will bring it up regularly in order to keep it on his "front burner", i.e., toward the top of his priority list to insure that it gets addressed if for no other reason than to shut me up about it.
Re: 9D - "preemie" - google March of Dimes to learn more about efforts made to eliminate premature births. It is truly a noble effort. Almost everyone has either been personally impacted, or knows someone who has, by this scourge - it can be heart-breaking.
Hope all have a terrific day!
Chris,
ReplyDeleteBut "The Squeaky wheel gets the grease" does have some negative connotation, doesn't it?
Barb B,
Is LANTANA really used for perfume?
Razzberry,
Regarding Charlie Russel "A Tight Dally and a Loose Latigo", what is a "tight dally"?
I was doing the puzzle on line and was almost finished when I accidentally clicked too far to the left and I must have hit the word "entertainment" because I was sent to the Chicago Tribune entertainment page. I then had to start over again. Doing so I finished in only five minutes and forty two seconds. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteI wanted BELLA for PRIMA (at first), PhD for MBA (at first), DOST for DOTH and LAID for LAIN. I penned in BETA for 43A but I knew ZETA and IOTA were also possibilities. I didn't know how to spell YOKEL so the E in YOKEL was the last letter I got. (EFT means nothing to me.)
C.C., all alchols end in *OL (and all sugars end in *OSE). Knowing this helped me figure out the quip.
Oh and NO HOW is short for "no way no how" which is an emphatic way of saying "NO!"
Martin
CC: re "squeaky wheel" - it can be negative, especially if the issues being raised are truly trivial from a "big picture" standpoint - which is where the saying "choose your battles carefully" comes from. It all relates to credibility. If you're the person who "cries wolf" too often, you're more likely to be ignored, in which case your issues are less likely to be solved, regardless of their significance. Sometimes it's all politics, and sometimes it's really important to have your issues solved. It is the successful manager who is able to discern the difference and so have his/her issues solved when it really matters.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, of course.
Good morning, C.C., et.al.
ReplyDeleteWell, the other day we had Cossack in the puzzle and I mentioned the movie "Taras Bulba" and today he shows up.
A struggle in a couple of places until I got enough perps to see the answers.
Not all sterols are unsaturated alcohols so I guess I have an issue with 8D's clue and answer. The answer implies that one calls an unsaturated alcohol a sterol, which is not true.
C.C. is showing some DFness with her "long and hot" comment.
The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible.
Preemie - term for premature babies.
That will not be accomplished - No way, nohow.
Thank you for the Alesandra photo, C.C. Much better than the Paris Hilton link you had before.
Today is National Bosses Day, Dictionary Day (apropo for Xword solvers), and World Food Day.
Have a great Thursday.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I wonder who originated this "squeaky wheels".
Martin,
That's cheating! Can you help me parsing 21A "Love Story" quote? I can't understand it.
Dr. Dad,
Do you know why Lady Godiva is the patron saint for engineers?
Good morniing Cc, DFs and DFettes...pretty easy puzzle today but I had to do it on line as the paper carrier opted not to deliver today. I really dislike doing the puzzle on line!
ReplyDeleteCc as to "The Squeaky Wheel" it can be negative and can also be positive as Chris explained. As an example one of my ex bosses was a master at the squeaky wheel method and "squeaked" at the appropriate times and got oiled recently by being named President and CEO of a major company. He also was a master of "choose your battles carefully". As Chris has posted the two terms sort of go together.
Good morning, c.c. and gang - a bit late posting this morning; had a crowd over for the Phillies game last night and the celebration ended what seems like minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteNo problems with the puzzle - the only word I didn't know (Obote)filled in with the perps.
And I don't know anything about Plautus, but I can tell you he never travelled in my circles...
Have an outstanding Thursday - it's certainly gonna be a great one here in the Philly area today.
CC:
ReplyDeleteLooks like it goes clear back to Ben Franklin in "Poor Richard's Almanac" - hit this link as there are a bunch of other good quip/quotes:
http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/quotable/singlehtml.htm
Have a great day!
Morning, folks!
ReplyDeleteNot a bad puzzle. Took me a little while to really get going (for a change, the top half of the puzzle was more difficult than the bottom half), but I managed to get through unassisted.
The only unknown for me today was OBOTE. And the only cluing that really bugged me today was "Barcelona Bank" for BANCO. Maybe it's just because I'm fluent in Spanish, but Bank and BANCO are cognates that share three of the same letters and sound similar, so I dislike seeing them together like that. I know the editor likes alliteration, but still...
Oh -- and some words should just never be pluralized, and ETH is one of them! ^_^
Good morning, C.C. and all.
ReplyDeleteChris, nice explanation of "the squeaky wheel." I didn't realize the March of Dimes was working on the problem of premature birth. I'll have to surf their site.
No, Martin, that doesn't count! *G* I had the same problem today. I think we should take ourselves out of the speed race when that happens. I had the same errors in 'bella,' 'phd,' and 'lain' as you. We must think alike.
This was an odd puzzle for me. The quip fell into place fairly easily, and helped to get perps that I didn't know. BLOT was slow to come. Although I've heard of Isinglass, I didn't know it was made of MICA.
WADE, STEROL, and OBOTE came from the fills. I had the PRE of PREEMIE early on, and just couldn't get past that sound to hear or visualize the entire word. I must have needed more tea. *S* I finished the puzzle without Googling, but I had help when the on-line grid told me I'd misspelled.
I could use more rack time, but I think I need to face the day. I hope you all have a good one!
Lady Godiva rode through Coventry in England to ease the suffering caused by her husband, Leofric III and his oppressive taxation. She did so only after issuing a proclamation that all persons should keep within doors or shut their windows. One person disobeyed her proclamation and became known as Peeping Tom. He bored a hole in his shutters that he might see Godiva pass. Her husband kept his word and abolished the onerous taxes.
ReplyDeleteThe story is a legend and there is doubt that it ever took place. Nonetheless, her story captures the essence of selfless dedication to the betterment of society, which all engineers are bound to.
Incidentally, I live in Coventry, Rhode Island. I wouldn't mind seeing Lady Godiva ride down my street. I can assure you that my windows would be wide open as she passed. Might even be out in the front yard.
Sorry, first link to Franklin didn't copy/paste properly - try this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ushistory.org/franklin/quotable/singlehtml.htm
I tried to repost, but system is cutting off ".htm" at the end of the website address, so if it doesn't work again, add the .htm to the end & it should connect - I apologize for the extra posts, but there really are some great quotes here.
Ian (pictured with me to the right) was a preemie: he was born over two months early and spent two weeks in an incubator. There were Cabbage Patch Dolls called "preemies" that were smaller than the regular dolls.
ReplyDelete"Who could Jenny be talking to that was worth appropriating moments set aside for a date with me?" makes more sense if you break it down into two or more sentences.
"Who could Jenny be talking to?" you understand, right? It means you don't know who Jenny is talking to and you're wondering who it is. "that was worth appropriating moments set aside for a date with me?" means he indignantly wonders why she'll on the phone at all when she's supposed to be on a date with him. The full sentence means, therefore, "Why is this phone call so important that she's talking to this person while on a date with me?"
Martin
Good Morning, C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteWagons use to have wooden axles and wooden hubs in the wheels. To keep them turning easily was the purpose of axle grease; there were no bearings as such. When they dried out, they would squeek.
The negative connotation is from the fact that wheels that may have had more serious problems, would be ignored while the wheel that squeeked would get the grease.
In modern usage, the person who complains the loudest, gets serviced first, even though their problem may be trivial.
From clear ayes at 11:22 last night:
ReplyDeleteKittyb, You are quite the teacher! I now know more about triple-tonguing than I ever thought I would LOL
And more than you probably needed to know! *G* They say that you should write about what you know. That information was tucked into the back of my brain for more than two decades. I had to really dust it off before I wrote!
Thanks for the comment, clear ayes. I'm glad that you and dick enjoyed the information. I'll put it to rest now.
I liked this one--only unknown was OBOTE, which fell in easily.
ReplyDeletec.c., The verbs LIE and LAY give all sorts of problems to a lot of people:
lie, intransitive verb: past tense = lay, past participle = lain.
lay, transitive verb: past tense and past participle = laid
We can blame the German heritage for these. The "strong" (irregular) past participle ends in "n", the "weak", or regular one ends in "d", like all the other "-ed" endings. In German most weak verbs are transitive, (are able to have a direct object). Hence the one that means you can lay SOMETHING down is LAY, and when you yourself lie down, it's LIE.
I have to go out and get a doughnut for my cat. I shall return in a couple of hours.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, C.C. Et al. I had no problems todays as the fills told me what I didn't know. I figured out the quip after a few perps which made the rest pretty straightforward to me.
ReplyDeleteWord-of-the-day: Castigate, to subject to extreme punishment, to reprove, to criticize.
The film director castigated the young actress for not knowing her lines.
I'm off to a full day. Have fun, all.
Good Morning C.C. and everyone,
ReplyDeleteThis was an easy quip puzzle. I said yesterday that the names didn't give me problems, then, wham, Obote. But otherwise, an easy day. This is a good thing since my grandkids are coming for the week-end, starting today, and I needed an easy start to the day.
Everyone take care!
Good Morning All!
ReplyDeleteNot too bad this morning.
As for the squeeky wheel getting the grease, I was always taught that while you have a the grease out you may as well grease them all-saving a little work in the future!
Have a good day!
Good Morning All, "Quip Thursday" is usually not too difficult. On other days of the week I attempt to solve Across clues and then come back to fill in the Downs. But on Thursdays, I start with the "Downs". The quip looks a little like a picket fence, but it is usually easy to figure it out and fill in the missing letters.
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't anything difficult today, except OBATE and, non-scientist that I am, STEROL and MICA. I only knew "Isinglass" from the song, "Surrey With The Fringe On The Top".
C.C. I hope there was enough discussion for you yesterday about "Food and Creative Love". Argyle's interpretation was interesting and thought provoking, to say the least. LOL
About Plautus' quote, it is impossible to blow/exhale and swallow at the same time. (Try it.) At a less literal level, "to blow" can mean to boast about one's accomplishments. A braggart will find it difficult to "swallow" and accept criticism.
The musical "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" is based on several Plautus comedies. Comedy Tonight is Zero Mostel's wonderful introduction to the movie version.
G'day C.C. & all
ReplyDeleteJust a quick check-in to say I'm fine. Omar was fairly small in size(50 mile radius) and missed almost everything with its eye. It dumped about 6 inches of rain here but only had 60-70 mph winds when it went between the islands. A couple of boats capsized at their moorage in the harbor but I haven't seen any other major damage. We have more powerful storms hit Oregon every year but without as much rain and they don't assign names to them. Power was out for quite a bit but its back now. Overall, not too bad. I considered trying to out-run it but decided there was nowhere safer than where I already was.
@C.C. - I'm fascinated with your question of yesterday morning(and the responses) but I'm going to actually listen to some of Rusted Root's music before I give you an answer.
Hi Y'ALL,
ReplyDeleteEven ole Jimbo finished this one. (Not in record time) But needed to "G" "Tetra, Parse and Sterol" to see if they were correct answers.
"Obote" came with the surrounds as did "Arras" and "Taras".
C.C., you and I are learning new things every day from a group of very able teachers. We can't point to any one individual either as being the most talented. I think all of them must be PHD's.
Keep on with it-----and
Vaya con Dios
I didn't have a particular poem in mind, but I heard this song on the radio yesterday. Van Morrison is one of those rare songwriter-poets. We're just a day or two past the full moon and since it is October, this fit very well.
ReplyDeleteMoondance
It's a marvelous night for a Moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I'm trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low
And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush.
Can I just have one more Moondance with you, my love?
- Van Morrison
I couldn't find a version of the song on You Tube that wasn't a "Cover" by somebody else. Van Morrison's original is the best and I didn't want to give you a less than good version.
These things always take longer than you think they will. I replaced the doughnut exhaust gasket inline before the catalytic convertor and now my car is purring like a kitten instead of roaring like a lion.
ReplyDeleteDairygal: oh yeah, you're right and probably got told that you should have greased it before it started to squeaked.
Rainy day here...and lunch time. Bye
I thoroughly enjoyed today's puzzle.I liked Josh Billings quote, esp. the one you added, C.C., about common sense.
ReplyDeleteI made one error; I put laid instead of lain, and could not figure out 27D, so part 4 of the quip was not complete.
C.C., in life a "squeaky wheel",meaning a person who complains a lot,is heard over others. Sometimes this is good; sometimes not so good.We have a column in our daily paper called "Mr. Roadshow". He takes all of the complaints about streets,pot holes, traffic signals,etc. Writing in and being a squeaky wheel in this case is beneficial.
We got a new modem yesterday, so now I can listen to all of the links everybody has been sending.
@clearayes
ReplyDeleteI think this is what you were looking for. Forget the choreography... and the title on top! The music is Van Morrison.
Moondance
Argyle, I'm glad you explained the doughnut for your cat in the later post. I was afraid you were abusing your kittycat by giving it junk food!
ReplyDeleteThe weather here in WI is beautiful today--sunny, 50's and the last of the leaves still hanging on.
jd, My 8:24 post would have helped you with LAIN.
ReplyDelete"NO HOW"
ReplyDeleteWhen Dorothy, the lion, scarecrow, and tin man went to the Emerald City they were denied entry. The disguised wizard said ""Nobody gets to see the wizard, not no way, not no how!", he then talks about the witch.
I remembered Taras Bulba from your previous clip. Thanks.
Kazie, I work the puzzle out before I read any of the posts.Your 8:24 is 6:24 here. I do know the difference between lain and laid, but lain is very rarely used correctly and it was not the word that popped into my head.Your explanation that I am reading now at 10:30, our time, is great.
ReplyDeleteThanks jd. I guess I didn't know if it was confusion or just picking out the wrong one accidentally, and wanted to show you where it was, in case you hadn't seen it after coming here. I see a lot of repetition in the posts and assume that people don't always have time to read them all first.
ReplyDeletePretty easy today, and the quote isn’t too lame. Not very exciting though. My small moments of appreciation came with oboes crossing Obote, and just seeing the word mirth made me smile. What can I say, I’m easy to please.
ReplyDeleteMartin, lol. It’s one of the hazards of working the puzzle online.
C.C.
you asked "Is LANTANA really used for perfume?
I’ve never found any; the closest I’ve found is pomegranate, which I uses both as a room spray and body lotion. But since you asked, I googled, and found a lantana room fragrance, and the essential oil. Thank you so much for sending me on a that search. I can't wait to buy some essential oil.
Lantana is one of those fragrances that is associated with very good memories for me, and every time I smell it (very rarely), I feel bliss. Do you have good ‘memory smells' like that? Another one for me is night blooming jasmine.
@C.C. This is a catch up for your question of October 15th 6:12AM
ReplyDeleteRe: “Food and Creative Love”
You only asked for interpretation of the words but I don’t believe any “song” can be analyzed correctly in that manner. I offer you the wide-ranging interpretations that you got as some proof of that statement. I credit Calef and Dick for most closely hitting the answer, IMHO, to your question as asked. The song seems to be a message to a deity, “Lord, I’ve been knocked down and I am in your hands. All I ask is your care and love”. El Salvador is Spanish for “The Savior”. Having made that statement however, only the author really knows what it means. It is a “musical” composition and not a literary work. If it strikes a chord in your psyche, it has reached you! The words seem to be very religiously simplistic but what caught my attention is the band work I heard with the song. That fascination led me to check out the cd it came from as well as other stuff the group has performed.
If taken in the context of the whole cd, it is a continuation of a varying musical styling with a very simple message that doesn’t require a whole lot of thought to enjoy. But, there are so many musical nuances on that cd… variations in style, tempo, rhythm, & etc. Their music is a weave of percussion and musical styles. I can hear multiple influences (Latin, Eastern, Amerind, and African) although none of them dominate. It seems to be melodic and like something from the ‘60s but I can’t place it. I think they are trying to be mystical in a way that transcends individual cultural (i.e. religious) beliefs. They are very talented but I’m not into spiritual mysticism… and I’m not a nineteen-year-old (high on grass) contemplating my navel and wondering why it’s located where it is. And yes, I’ve been there and done that!
And, with that, my boat had some damage afterall. It's nothing really serious but it's not going anywhere 'til its fixed. Right now, there's no way of telling when that will be so maybe I'll check in later.
Dr. Dad & Martin,
ReplyDeleteSTEROL is not the liquid alcohol we consume, is it? Otherwise how can plant contains STEROL?
Dennis,
Why "To blow and swallow at the same moment" is easy for you? Is there anything I am missing?
Night Owl,
Phillies, though I adore Matt Garza!
WAIT!!! I didn't mean me! Lol, I meant that it's been my experience that it's not tough to do.
ReplyDeleteJeez. this is gonna be a tough one.......oh, you know what? I'm sure drdad has a much better answer than I could possibly provide...
Clear Ayes, Argyle and Carl,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your views on "All I Want is Food and Creative Love". Fascinating interpretations.
Barb B,
My memory smell is fresh-cut watermelon. It always brings back my childhood memories.
Dennis,
Well, can you share with me your experience then? You can't go to Dr. Dad for MOREL support. I am asking you.
Barb b, I definitely have a good "memory smell" for orange blossoms. Not the room freshener spray, but the real thing. When I was much younger we lived in a southern California town that was a well known orange growing area. At night, in the spring and early summer, the smell of orange blossoms in the air was so strong and delicious. Nowadays, the area is more or less a suburb of Los Angeles.
ReplyDelete(Smile) I just went outside on our front porch to smell our potted lantanas. Not too sweet and just a touch of "bitter". A very pleasant and distinctive smell.
Carl, Thanks for the Moondance link. I am a big Van Morrison fan.
This puzzle was a snap for me. No googling today.
ReplyDeleteC.C. a colleague at work had a "preemie" baby at 5 months. The little girl was no bigger than a dollar bill. The baby spent 2 months in the hospital and all is well now. Amazing what they can do in the medical field.
Clearayes, I have moondance playing over and over in my head now.
Barb b, my favorite memory smells were Wednesdays when my mom would bake bread.
Dennis, I can assure you it is impossible to blow and swallow at the same time.
Kazie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the educating information @ 8:24am. Do you speak Italian also?
Kittyb,
Who are "lower brass players"?
Cokato,
Plautus said it's not easy. Dennis said it's not tough to do. You said it's impossible. I am confused.
Good Lord, this is a bad one....I may be about to self-immolate.
ReplyDeletecokato, you're kidding, right?
10:13 today. I pondered over STEROL, and I had DOST instead of DOTH for 24a: Accomplishes, Biblical-style for a while (that was my last fill).
ReplyDeleteI felt that the clue for 9d: Early neonate (PREEMIE) should have had a "slang" or "abbreviation" appended. Isn't PREEMIE a shortened version of the actual term (which I think is Premature Infant, though I could be wrong)?
I played blackjack with Charlotte RAE some years ago. She was doing stand-up comedy at the Hilton's comedy club in Reno at the time (that hotel is now the High Sierra). I still have an ace of spades that she autographed for me. It was nice to see the photos of her--brought back pleasant memories.
The farmer who plants our land here is "ripping" today (they don't plow this area because the slope would erode too readily), so we have four giant tractors and all kinds of equipment running around the hillside. Makes for a noisy morning, but we are rewarded later with the sight of green fields coming up in crops.
C.C. try blowing out and swallowing at the same time. I can't do it. I think it is physically impossible. You can suck and swallow at the same time though.
ReplyDeleteDennis, there is no blowing that I know of as to what you are alluding to. Now off to the woodshed for you!
Cokato & Dennis,
ReplyDeleteDefine "blow" for me. You two seem to have different views.
Embien,
What is "ripping"? I googled and found out that PREEMIE is a well-accepted term, so I don't think any abbr. is needed.
Clear Ayes,
Buckeye said: ""Halloween in nearing, so here is the start of a few Halloween jokes.
A skeleton walks into a bar and said, "Give me a beer and a mop."
I don't understand his joke.
cokato, it appears to be an issue of semantics, no? I think we're both saying the same thing; I was just using the slang term.
ReplyDeleteI feel a sigh of relief coming on...
C.C. Blow like you are blowing out candles on a birthday cake. Also the skeleton wants a beer and a mop because the beer will go right through him and land on the floor because he is just bones.
ReplyDeleteDennis, your definition of blow?
Dennis, I am not going to cover for you like I did xchefwalt last week. You are on your own this time!
ReplyDeleteGreetings C.C and all –
ReplyDeleteToday’s puzzle was not bad. I wanted No Way for No How but that was soon corrected with the crosses. Did not know Obote.
KittyB and Clear Ayes - Thank you for your kind comments. It is definitely a disadvantage not being able to check all the links. I can check some of them, but when it comes to the ones with music or a clip from a movie, it just takes waaay too long. One e-mail that I received not too long ago had an attachment that took an hour for it to load.
C.C. Your Phillies won! Hooray! It was a good game. I’m looking forward to tonight’s Rays vs. Sox game. Go Rays!
Night Owl
I may have just had a stroke - I can't remember what we were talking about. Damn the luck.
ReplyDeletec.c., just when did the Phillies become "your" team??
c.c., No, I don't speak Italian. I did try to learn it with a "teach yourself" book once when I was still at school, but gave up out of laziness. I've retained just a few minor points, such as the plural endings I mentioned here once quite a while ago. I should take it up again now--they so much better stuff to use these days, and the French and Latin I know would certainly help.
ReplyDeleteDennis, I could see you heading for the quicksand right away. I tried to cover with a straight on explanation for Plautus' quote. You should have jumped on the bandwagon right away. "Yeah, that's the ticket!". Too late. C.C. is not to be dissuaded. LOL
ReplyDeleteGudday c.c., DFers, and KH's. No real problems today.
ReplyDeleteGot "doth" because of "Tetra" instead of "dost" and struggled with "Arras" until the perps cleared that up. Kept trying "avoiding" (3D) but settled on "avoidance". Uncomfortable for me. All in all an O.K. quip puzzle.
@kittb and melissabee; In my trumpet days, I tried the too-ku-too triple tonguing but found it better and faster to use too-too-ku. No complaints from those involved.
ClearAyes, Argyle's interpretation would never clear the censors.
Also, thank's Carl for "Moondance" but DO NOT FORGET THE CHOREOGRAPHY. The dancing is from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats". (Taken from T. S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats" and a fantastic achievement in music and dance).
Thanks Cokato for explaining my skeleton joke.
Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? He had no guts! What's a vampire's favorite drink? BLOOD LITE!! Ta Boom (Rim Shot).Corny, right?? Oh, well. They all can't be gems.
I must be off!
buckeye,
ReplyDeletePearl Jam clears the censors everyday. Anything gets through if you "lay it between the lines".
@ buckeye
ReplyDeleteNo slur intended on "Cats". I loved the musical. The choreography and music were fabulous both times I attended. And, in case you missed it, I adore the animals with the same name which is why I probably enjoyed "Cats"(the musical)so much. I was only indicating that the clip was not labled "Moondance" or "Van Morrison"; which is why clearayes probably couldn't find it.
C.C. The lower brass instruments are the baritone or euphonium, trombone, and tuba (sousaphone). "Lower brass players" are the people who play these instruments. There wasn't anything DFette about that phrase, I swear!
ReplyDeleteI have a hot date for dinner, but I plan to return to see how Dennis gets himself out of his quandary! *G*
It's Soooooooo entertaining around here, not to mention educational! lol
Good day c.c., DF’s and all!! A crappy quip puzzle today that I had to rush as I’m taking a long weekend tomorrow and taking 2 of my 3 kids to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights, so I had to check in before I left.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering when someone was going to pick up c.c.’s comment about ‘blowing and swallowing’ (since I have fallen into that bear trap before, I stayed far away, and yes Cokato, I still owe you big time) and I’ve been laughing out loud all afternoon. Dennis- as of yet you are strangely silent; all that Philly rooting give you sticky fingers?
@Carl- I must complement you on your Rusted Root post. As a long time (first heard their demo in 93 and saw them with Page & Plant in 95) and avid fan, I agree that their music defies categorization. Their first album “When I Woke” resembles Santana of 1969 with all the twists you described. As far as lyrics, most are written by the lead singer/guitarist Mike Galbricki with this caveat: The songs on the first album were written music first, with vocal melody just being grunts and whoops. The words added later were words that sounded like the noises they made when the song was written, and sometimes are completely nonsensical. Not bad for a group of kids from Pittsburgh.
@c.c.: Embien,
ReplyDeleteWhat is "ripping"? I googled and found out that PREEMIE is a well-accepted term, so I don't think any abbr. is needed.
OK, if PREEMIE is an established word and not just slang, I'll withdraw my objection.
As for "ripping", you may not use it much in the flatland midwest, you probably plow all the fields there (a plow physically turns over the soil as it does its job). The problem is in areas, like hillsides, that are susceptible to erosion. The plow causes too much damage to the physical soil profile (think back to photos of the dust bowl days).
A ripper is a combination of disks and fixed steel spikes that loosens the soil without actually turning it over. The effect is similar to plowing, but with much less soil disturbance. After "ripping" other normal machinery (like harrows and rakes) are used to ready the field for planting seeds.
A picture may help. Here is a view from the back of a ripper (the actual "rippers" are the things at the back that dig into the soil to loosen it): ripper rear view
front view
Clear Ayes,
ReplyDeleteIs "Grass of Parnassus" your high school or college freshman text book?
Dennis,
When did Phillies become your team only? It's my belief that you are a Dodgers fan at heart. You dodge most of my questions.
Xchefwalt,
I suggest you give Cokato your ear muffin recipe as a thank-you gesture.
Good evening CC & DF's: Dreading today's puzzle was unnecessary as I finally got to finish and enjoy it, thanks to the perps.
ReplyDeleteClear Ayes and Carl: thank you for Moondance. I have that on my iPod and am a fan of V.M. Can't get enough of him or that song in particular.
Kazie: thank you for the lie/lay explanation. That gives me trouble all the time. Maybe I'll catch on this time.
Argyle: your doughnut/cat comment had my mind racing. What kind of pussycat must you have? Thanks for clearing that up. A sleepless night is once again avoided...
well, maybe.
Kittyb: thanks for the tip. A lower bass player is on my list.
As for the blow/swallow issue... why would anyone want to do that simultaneously anyway? I want to enjoy every exquisite moment of each event.
Barb b: memory smell? Honeysuckle...go figure.
Enjoy your night.
Embien,
ReplyDeleteI think I've seen those rippers somewhere before. I just had no idea of their real usage.
Lois,
Are you familiar with the cowboy term "Dally" (Charlie Russel "A Tight Dally and a Loose Latigo")? What is it?
Well, well, here we go again, I leave to run errands, etc and what happens? We are having a discussion about blowing, sucking, and swallowing!!! Geez, can't leave you kids on your own for a minute! :)
ReplyDeleteDennis, don't you have a store in your area with the name BJ? I always thought that was a mis-nomer anyway, cause you are not really being "blown",unless it's your mind while it's going on.
embien, Are ripping and disking the same thing? I've heard of disking here in SW WI, where it is unglaciated and we do have hillsides that have to be contoured.
ReplyDeleteIt's my belief that you are a Dodgers fan at heart. You dodge most of my questions.
ReplyDeletec.c., that's a great line.
Ok, for the amusement of others, who obviously enjoy someone twisting in the wind (and you know who you are), and to answer your question:
"Blowing" is a slang term for fellatio, which of course is really sucking - the perfect culmination of said fellatio (from a man's standpoint, anyway) would involve swallowing. And while it's impossible to blow and swallow at the same time, I have a feeling that I can get some expert testimony on here that sucking and swallowing can be done simultaneously.
And with that, I'll start digging a hole under the woodshed. See y'all in the spring.
Kittyb & Martin,
ReplyDeleteI forgot to ask earlier why both of you wrote down BELLA for "Donna lead-in" clue. What is BELLA DONNA?
Barry,
I think you have valid points on BANCO and ETHS.
J.D,
How does Dennis' 6:15pm comment sound to you? OENOMEL, KYKEON or what?
Bravo, Dennis, bravo!! You are the MAN!
ReplyDelete"She Blew my nose and then she blew my mind"- Mick Jagger 'Honkey Tonk Woman'
This may be radical but to get back to c/w...
ReplyDeleteFor C.C., in The Chronicle this past week, the theme, First in Line was pretty straight forward. It was things like first Cy Young winner, and winner of first Tony.
One of the best clues was cups with no saucers..three letters...answer - bra.
"The Chronicle"
Oct, 9, 2008
Robert Zimmerman
United Feature Syndicate
argyle, my apologies - sorry to range so far off target, but she's a persistent little thing. And I already know I'm gonna get the old "I still don't understand" bit; c.c. is a true closet DFette.
ReplyDeletehi everyone! :] i had a very long day with class and i am camping out in a tent by the stadium for the football game saturday with about one hundred other people, very exciting! this was my first chance to look at the crossword. not a good day for me with that :[ im hoping for better luck tomorrow!
ReplyDeletechris in la - my brother was a preemie, but i think only about a month to six weeks early, though he did have to spend some time in the incubator. he was the biggest preemie the hospital had ever had! he just turned 18 this past monday and is healthy as can be :]
dennis - my home is in philly and i heard reports of massive crowds gathering in the streets after the win. it must be really exciting there! and i think just about everyone has jumped on the phils bandwagon for this, including cc!!
buckeye - tell your buckeyes to prepare themselves! my nittany lions are coming for you next saturday after we get michigan! :]
Argyle,
ReplyDeleteThat's a very uplifting & sexy BRA clue. Does "The Chronicle" puzzle always give the theme title? Can I find it on line somewhere?
Dennis,
I am not a closet DFette. Culture shock! Culture shock!
C.C. RE: DALLY, a tight dally refers to a rope that is wound tightly around the saddle horn. I lived in Colorado for a couple of years and heard quite a few roping terms.
ReplyDeleteHere's some information from the internet. "Team roping or dally roping, also known as "heading and heeling", is a rodeo event rooted in the everyday work of range cowboys and cowgirls, who often have to catch cattle in order to treat their bovine injuries, to brand, or to re-brand them. In an arena setting, a 450- to 500-pound steer rampages from the chute when the cowboy on the left of the steer, or the “header,” nods his head. Any premature breaking of the barrier by the header requires a 10 second penalty assessed against the team. The “heeler,” the cowboy on the right is a hand back of his partner. Once the header has roped the steer around both horns, around half of the head, or around the neck, he “dallies” (wraps) his rope around the saddle horn and turns his horse to the left, also turning the steer so that it is in position for the heeler, to rope the two hind legs and to dally his rope. Both horses must then be turned so that they face each other to “shape the steer.”"
A good team can accomplish this in less than four seconds.
CC: yes, I'm very familiar with the term 'dally' in reference to cowboys, but not in the sense of equipment...well, yes I am...well, not in the sense of riding...well, dang! ...not as a noun. Latigo is a strap that apparently is like a billet strap, but nobody I've talked to since this came up is familiar with it, Western or English, but I haven't canvassed all the riders I know either. I'll keep asking around, but the horse whisperer I know uses the term just as a strap. I'll ask him about a 'dally'.
ReplyDeleteDennis: well done! You win the prize...a booby prize! You are one silver 'tongued' devil!
Yes. they are themed, and usually by Robert Zimmerman. The last two were just lists; N'tl Parks and then "First In Line" but this week's theme is "Left to Right". I've just started it (it comes out on Thursday) but it appeares the theme is changing the letter "L" in the answer to the letter "R".
ReplyDeleteI don't know about online but I'll check.
Turtle Blues for Barb B. I had this all typed out before and my connection broke when I tried to proof it. Anyhow, Barb B's totem is the turtle so I linked the Turtle Blues by Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin recorded at Barney's Beanery. It doesn't need interpeting but it does need an "R" rating.
c.c.: I am not a closet DFette.
ReplyDeletec.c., I agree - you're definitely OUT.
lois, I accept my prize - when's the award ceremony?
ReplyDeleteC.C., Dennis is not referring to swallowing and sucking wine and honey drinks, although we could create a metaphor, but holy moley, this is not my area of expertise. Ask me next year....I'm learning new things every day
ReplyDeleteDennis: Next month, in D.C. where the competition was very 'stiff' and of all things, BJ's has offered to sponsor the event. I thought that was a 'capitol' idea! Hope you can make it. I think what you get is called the 'Dally Pardon' Award.
ReplyDeletelois, a great idea - I'm sure I'd have mammaries to last a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteDennis: I bet you would and if you're lucky you might even get a 'Bush' or two.
ReplyDeleteDennis, Great "job" explaining a "delicate situation"! Now that you have won the "booby" prize and have the "mammaries" of it, when do we get a "mustache ride"?
ReplyDeletecarol, I don't know what that is -- you'll have to explain it.
ReplyDeleteWork was again very hectic, and my commute was horrid. Only now do I have a few moment to read comments and post.
ReplyDeletecc: Thank you for your information about Milton Obote. I did not know that he also preceded Idi Amin in Uganda.
I have three daughters, all adopted. My oldest daughter is from India and was both low-birth weight and premature, weighing just 1 lb 4 oz the day after birth. There was no hi-tech equipment to help her along, just loving and attentive ayahs. When she arrived in the US at 4 ½ months, she weighed 7 lb 1 oz, which is more the weight of an average newborn here, and could not lift up her head. We had frequent checkups during the first year. On the wall of the doctor's office was a chart of what infants should be doing at 3 mos, 6 mos, etc. My daughter was never anywhere near to being on mark. But I never worried, because I could always see that she was making progress against herself, and by 2 years of age, she had caught up. Now she is graduating from college in the spring and plans to enter the teaching field. I am so proud of her! Her picture is the one next to this blog.
You all witnessed it. C.C. is trying to lead me astray
ReplyDeleteJust a thought for tonight
Judging Others...
An elephant asked a camel,
'Why are your breasts on your back?
'Well,' says the camel,
'I think that's a strange question
from somebody whose wiener is on his face.
Doesit: Your daughter is beautiful and such a heart warming story. I'm so happy for you...all of you.
ReplyDeleteCarol: LOL! Great explanation! I think Dennis is the master baiter on this one! I don't believe him for a second!
jd: welcome to the dark side. Your DFette status is fully accredited! Cute joke!
ReplyDeleteJd, I knew you would get to the dark side with us, welcome!!! Loved the joke!
ReplyDeleteladies, come on in. Have a seat.
ReplyDeleteDennis, you sure know how to SLIDE by. Maybe you can hire me as your publicist. I seem to be pretty good about keeping you guys out of too much trouble. I was trying to back pedal and try to remain non-DF; please read back around my 3pm post that I said it was possible to suck and swallow but not blow and swallow at the same time. That is the reason we have gotten to the place we are now.
ReplyDeletexchefwalt, I will take that earmuffin recipe that C.C. suggests as a payback. Top Ten!
Had no idea what Taras Bulba was until I read your blog cc-thanks for the links and your commentary. Much appreciated. Did not know OBOTE either, nor ESAS. Only missed the E at the end of OBOTE and the start of ESAS though. TGIF soon!
ReplyDeletecokato, believe me, i saw your post; you had my undivided attention with that one.
ReplyDeleteC.C., "Belladonna," which is also known as "deadly nightshade," is one of the most toxic plants in the world. We get atropine from the leaves of belladonna.
ReplyDeleteBella Donna means "Beautiful woman" in Italian.
"Bella Donna" is the name of a Stevie Nicks album.
There are a couple of bands named "Bella Donna."
It seemed like a logical choice at the time, until the fills indicated the word needed to start with a "P."
Embien, we're very conscious of topsoil loss in the Midwest. For the past 30 years or so farmers have been very gradually moving toward low-till, and no till farming, so I wouldn't be surprised to see rippers here.
buckeye, I wondered if some of the brass players in the group would speak up about the other possible syllable combinations that can be used to double and triple tongue. I played clarinet and I can barely get through two repetitions of the syllables before my tongue locks up. I figure whatever works for you is fine.
Kazie and Lois, I was taught that hens LAY and people LIE.
Nice explanation, Dennis, and great avoidance of Carol's trap! *G*
C.C. "Is "Grass of Parnassus" your high school or college freshman textbook? "
ReplyDeleteTurns out it was a textbook from my sophomore year of high school. I discovered that detail when I Googled "Grass of Parnassus" last week. I don't know why I did it. After all, why would an inexpensive 50 year old high school textbook be referenced on the interenet? I didn't really expect anything to show up.
Do you believe in fate? I didn't think I did, but now I'm not so sure. Amazingly, when I Googled the book, a 2004 reunion website for the Canadian high school I attended 50 years ago popped up. What is weird is that smack dab in the middle of a bunch of candid photos, there was one of my 15 year old self with a group of friends. Even stranger was that the only person whose was listed as a website contact was a very good friend of mine from those days.
I had lost touch with my old friends and I emailed her, not thinking that she would remember me. Was I wrong! Not only did she remember me, she said she had been looking for me for years. Over the past week, she has put me back in touch with many old friends. We have been exchanging emails and photos like crazy.
Now, if anybody tells me that they don't see any value in the internet or in email I will have a pretty unbelievable story for them.
BTW, several of my old classmates still had their copies of the "Grass of Parnassus" textbook of poems. A photo of it was on the reunion website. That is why I got a "hit" when I Googled.
Life sure is strange sometimes.