Theme: Space Music (All Song Titles)
17A: Wernher von Braun?: ROCKET MAN
21A: Cageless canary? FREE BIRD
37A: Pilot's request?: COME FLY WITH ME
56A: Elevens, not ones, in blackjack?: ACES HIGH
61A: British flyer?: AEROPLANE
Wow, Michael T. Williams sure loves space science. Remember his Celestial Cinema (Sciene Fiction Films) puzzle?
I am not familiar with any of above songs. In fact, I was thinking of "HOME SWEET HOME" for 37D, so many similar letters with COME FLY WITH ME.
Several obscure clues/answers for me. Had to google. I did love seeing ETS (43A: UFO pilots) in the grid, so fitting to the theme. And I thought "Cockpit communication device" would be a better clue for RADIO (19A: Brit's wireless) today.
Had to admire the symmetry of TOO (2D: Also) and NOR (64D: And also not). Very well done!
But "Cut sheep" for SHEAR (54D)? I think EWE are wrong.
Across:
1A: Alone: STAG. I penned in SOLO first.
5A: Acronym before World Series: NLCS (National League Championship Series). Whom are rooting for this year, Dodgers or Phillies? Very interesting, ORIOLES (42A: Ripken's team) won the World Series in 1966 (against Dodgers), and won it again in 1983 (against Phillies).
9A: African fever: LASSA. I've never heard of this disease. It's first discovered in a town called LASSA in Nigeria. Sade was born in Nigeria.
14A: Unhinged: LOCO. Are they really interchangeable?
30A: Sacred river of India: GANGES. See this map. It flows into the Bay of Bengal.
34A: San ___, CA: ANSELMO. Here is the map. New to me. What is it famous for? What's the origin of its name?
45A: Geisha garb: KIMONO. And NOH (32D: Japanese drama). This masked NOH character doll in KIMONO costs $295. Too much.
48A: Card poets: RHYMERS. Are you OK with this clue?
59A: Letters for 1051: MLI
60A: Strong, cotton thread: LISLE. It's named after the French city Lille (formerly Lisle), where it was first made.
66A: God of Assyria: ASHUR. Also spelled as ASSUR. I wanted ALLAH, thinking "Assyria" a Muslim name. See this map. Assyria is an ancient empire in northern Mesopotamia (Iraq). So confusing: ASHUR was not only one of the capitals of Assyria, but also its highest God. I don't understand this information. Is ASHUR the "Silly Hunter" Nimrod ( Noah's great-grandson) then?
71A: Blow-gun ammo: DART. I did not know what a blow-gun is.
Down:
1D: Camera letters: SLR. What a boring clue.
3D: Coll. sports. grp.: ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)
4D: Mini-racer: GO KART
6D: Hasty retreat: LAM. Somehow "Retreat'' brought SPA to my mind.
7D: Cause friction: CHAFE. I tend to confuse CHAFE with CHAFF.
8D: Composer of "The Nubians of Plutonia": SUN RA. Nope, I've never heard of him. What a cool name he picked for himself. RA is Egyptian God of Sun.
11D: Short section of a track: SIDING. What track?
22D: Pool spin: ENGLISH. Lois can probably provide us with her expert opinion on sidespin, topspin and backspin.
24D: Weakly colored: pref.: LEUC. Or LEUCO, LEUKO. As in "leukemia". Completely unknown to me.
26D: __ Park, NJ: MENLO. EDISON is often clued as "The Wizard of Menlo Park".
29D: Group in "The Godfather": MAFIOSI. The singular form is MAFIOSO. Their code of silence is OMERTA, which is also the title of a Mario Puzo book. I've also read his "The Last Don".
35D: Part of a wd.: SYL (Syllable)
44D: Old pol. unit: SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic)
45D: Furry marsupials: KOALAS. Time to get up! Crossword has arrived.
46D: Carve: INCISE
47D: Brandy's sitcom: MOESHA. I have never heard of MOESHA. Brandy used to date Kobe Bryant, right?
59D: City near Essen: MORS. Also spelled as MOERS. Here is the map. Absolutely no idea. Dictionary says it's "a city of west-central Germany west of Essen. Chartered in 1300, it is a market center. In Ruhr district."
C.C.
17A: Wernher von Braun?: ROCKET MAN
21A: Cageless canary? FREE BIRD
37A: Pilot's request?: COME FLY WITH ME
56A: Elevens, not ones, in blackjack?: ACES HIGH
61A: British flyer?: AEROPLANE
Wow, Michael T. Williams sure loves space science. Remember his Celestial Cinema (Sciene Fiction Films) puzzle?
I am not familiar with any of above songs. In fact, I was thinking of "HOME SWEET HOME" for 37D, so many similar letters with COME FLY WITH ME.
Several obscure clues/answers for me. Had to google. I did love seeing ETS (43A: UFO pilots) in the grid, so fitting to the theme. And I thought "Cockpit communication device" would be a better clue for RADIO (19A: Brit's wireless) today.
Had to admire the symmetry of TOO (2D: Also) and NOR (64D: And also not). Very well done!
But "Cut sheep" for SHEAR (54D)? I think EWE are wrong.
Across:
1A: Alone: STAG. I penned in SOLO first.
5A: Acronym before World Series: NLCS (National League Championship Series). Whom are rooting for this year, Dodgers or Phillies? Very interesting, ORIOLES (42A: Ripken's team) won the World Series in 1966 (against Dodgers), and won it again in 1983 (against Phillies).
9A: African fever: LASSA. I've never heard of this disease. It's first discovered in a town called LASSA in Nigeria. Sade was born in Nigeria.
14A: Unhinged: LOCO. Are they really interchangeable?
30A: Sacred river of India: GANGES. See this map. It flows into the Bay of Bengal.
34A: San ___, CA: ANSELMO. Here is the map. New to me. What is it famous for? What's the origin of its name?
45A: Geisha garb: KIMONO. And NOH (32D: Japanese drama). This masked NOH character doll in KIMONO costs $295. Too much.
48A: Card poets: RHYMERS. Are you OK with this clue?
59A: Letters for 1051: MLI
60A: Strong, cotton thread: LISLE. It's named after the French city Lille (formerly Lisle), where it was first made.
66A: God of Assyria: ASHUR. Also spelled as ASSUR. I wanted ALLAH, thinking "Assyria" a Muslim name. See this map. Assyria is an ancient empire in northern Mesopotamia (Iraq). So confusing: ASHUR was not only one of the capitals of Assyria, but also its highest God. I don't understand this information. Is ASHUR the "Silly Hunter" Nimrod ( Noah's great-grandson) then?
71A: Blow-gun ammo: DART. I did not know what a blow-gun is.
Down:
1D: Camera letters: SLR. What a boring clue.
3D: Coll. sports. grp.: ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)
4D: Mini-racer: GO KART
6D: Hasty retreat: LAM. Somehow "Retreat'' brought SPA to my mind.
7D: Cause friction: CHAFE. I tend to confuse CHAFE with CHAFF.
8D: Composer of "The Nubians of Plutonia": SUN RA. Nope, I've never heard of him. What a cool name he picked for himself. RA is Egyptian God of Sun.
11D: Short section of a track: SIDING. What track?
22D: Pool spin: ENGLISH. Lois can probably provide us with her expert opinion on sidespin, topspin and backspin.
24D: Weakly colored: pref.: LEUC. Or LEUCO, LEUKO. As in "leukemia". Completely unknown to me.
26D: __ Park, NJ: MENLO. EDISON is often clued as "The Wizard of Menlo Park".
29D: Group in "The Godfather": MAFIOSI. The singular form is MAFIOSO. Their code of silence is OMERTA, which is also the title of a Mario Puzo book. I've also read his "The Last Don".
35D: Part of a wd.: SYL (Syllable)
44D: Old pol. unit: SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic)
45D: Furry marsupials: KOALAS. Time to get up! Crossword has arrived.
46D: Carve: INCISE
47D: Brandy's sitcom: MOESHA. I have never heard of MOESHA. Brandy used to date Kobe Bryant, right?
59D: City near Essen: MORS. Also spelled as MOERS. Here is the map. Absolutely no idea. Dictionary says it's "a city of west-central Germany west of Essen. Chartered in 1300, it is a market center. In Ruhr district."
C.C.
83 comments:
Good morning, c.c. and fellow DFs, DFettes --Took me 2 seconds to make a mistake (solo for 1a), but after that it was pretty simple, with some perp help. I always like anything with a flying theme.
Today is National Bald & Free Day for those of you so equipped; a wonderful thing. Hope everyone has an outstanding day.
Wait -- were they talking about on your head???
c.c., the short section of track (siding) is part of railroad tracks.
Why didn't you like 'shear' for 'cut sheep'; you do shear their wool off.
Dennis,
Thanks for the railroad track. As for SHEAR, I thought you cut the wool off the sheep, you don't cut the sheep.
OK, What’s up? No obscure stuff (Except, maybe LASSA). This was somewhat of a thinker, but I still have all my hair! Only had one (8d)I really didn’t know but 26A made it all right. Here’s a Steam Powered Aeroplane.
CY’all Later.
And a little Freebird, if you've got time.
And here's FRANK
Good morning, C.C. and DF's.
Not too bad except for the SW corner. Couldn't remember lisle. "G"'d for Ashur and in the Assyrina gods list I saw "Ishtar." What a horrible movie that was. Poor Dustin and Warren!!
Cut sheep for shear was okay with me.
It is also National Frappe Day (frappe = the New England name for a milkshake so why it is "national" is beyond me). American Bandstand premiered on this day in 1957.
Off to Montville, NJ (by Morristown) today. Still a bit north of Dennis.
Have a great Tuesday.
To avoid confusion, American Bandstand debuted on RADIO in 1952. The first TV premier was in 1957.
Morning all,
I wonder how many of us put solo in to start off the puzzle. Had some difficulty with SW corner and needed help. Dennis thanks for the explanation of siding; just didn't get that one. Also Dennis, thanks for the exercise inspiration. I'm up to almost two miles 4x/week. Feeling better already.
Drdad brought back many memories of rushing home from school and turning on American Bandstand. Love that Dick Clark. Have a good one everyone.
I did this one online and I feel much better! Not only did I save having to buy a paper but I didn't have to google (because I opted for being told when a letter was wrong). I finished in only 24 minutes, which is fast for me.
I wanted FIBRE for LISLE, DENGE for LASSA, JOCKEY for GO KART and AND or ETC for TOO. I typed in HIGH ACES for ACES HIGH and was immediately told that it was wrong. I like that.
Dr Dad, to think when people hear the name Ishtar they think of a bad movie! Ishtar was, according to ancient Babylonian legend, a queen who ruled Babylon (then Sumer and now Iraq) before the time of the great flood (which either inundated the Tigris and Euphrates valley or the whole world, depending on what you believe). Many people believe that she was the inspiration for the Egyptian goddess Isis: the Pharoahs of Egypt were said to be her descendents so if Isis were Ishtar then, yep, they would have been. Ishtar was worshipped all over Europe and the Middle East in one form or another: the holiday Easter, which is now the day when Christians mark the resurrection of Christ, was originally the day when she was worshipped; amongst other things, Ishtar was a fertility goddess, hence the rabbits and eggs.
Martin
Bill,
"And a back cracker session to align all the little bones so I could get home and paint a ceiling and put up all my molding." What is "a back cracker session"?
Dr. Dad,
What's the difference between IMIDE and AMIDE?
Lois,
What is a guttersnipe?
Clear Ayes,
What does "seek a cosmic bargain" mean?
Martin,
"I think I'd bETNA EDNA because ICH getting late". I don't get "I'd bETNA EDNA"? I'd better what?
C.C., Dennis, Jeanne,
Really, it's too bad SOLO couldn't have been worked into the puzzle: pilots may fly solo but they never fly stag.
Martin
C.C.,
"I'd better end now". Sorry. There were a lot of funny sounding words in yesterday's puzzle (ETNA, EDNA, URAL, ENOL, ECOL, IMIDE) that when I read them out loud they sounded like somebody with a funny accent or a speech impediment!
Anyway, it's nice to know you're still reading my posts! I thought you were angry with me again!
Martin
CC, Chiropractor! I really messed up my back in 1990 and, thanks to him, avoided surgery, and was able to make it to retirement!
About once a month seems to keep everything reasonably aligned so I can get on with life.
I won't quit, because to do so would be admitting defeat!!!
C.C. - an amide is a carbon doubly bonded to an oxygen atom. That same carbon atom is also bonded to a nitrogen atom. Amide linkages constitute a defining molecular feature of proteins.
An imide is a nitrogen atom that is bound to two carbon atoms and each of those carbon atoms is doubly bonded to an oxygen atom. An important imide is phthalimide, the heterocyclic imide of phthalic acid. It is an intermediate in the preparation of phthalocyanine dyes.
The imide functionality is present in the RNA nucleotide uracil and the DNA nucleotide thymine (since we see RNA and DNA frequently in xwords)>
Jeanne,
I am so inspired that you are inspired by Dennis the right way.
Dennis,
Where else could be bald? I can't catch your drifting thought.
Martin,
Nice comment on Solo/STAG! I read every word you've written, including every "a" and every "the".
Embien,
Thank you for pointing out the position of EDU on Barry Silk's puzzle last week. Thank you also for highlighting the emphasis on the ENIAC pronunciation.
Sallie,
Your cribbage board is of Antique Roadshow quality.
Morning, folks!
I guess I found this one to be more challenging than others did. I managed to get through it unassisted, but only after making an educated guess at the intersection of LASSA (never heard of it) and SIDINGS (vaguely rang a bell, but it could have been RIDINGS for all I knew).
Other unknowns for me today were ACC (my sports ignorance is showing again), ANSELMO, ASHUR, SUNRA (I've actually seen his name in puzzles before, but had no idea what he wrote) and MORS.
Oh -- and I couldn't decide at first whether 1A would be SOLO or SOLE, so I just put SOL_ to begin with. Fortunately, I saw the error of my ways before TOO long... ^_^
As for the theme, I've heard of ROCKETMAN, FREEBIRD and COME FLY WITH ME, but had no idea that AEROPLANE and ACES HIGH were song titles.
As for the questionable clues, I wasn't crazy about "cut sheep" for SHEARS, but I could at least figure it out and it did make sense. Also, I suppose "Card poets" is an OK clue for RHYMERS since not all poets employ rhyme in their verse, whereas rhymes are pretty much a given for poems found on greeting cards.
I will check later to see Dennis' answer to C.C.' baldness question. Should be a good one. As Leslie Nielsen (Airplane) would say - "Good Luck. We're all counting on you."
Good morning Cc, DFs and DFettes..I liked thiis puzzle and was able to complete it with one trip to Mr G. I just could not get the cross between ASHUR and ANCISE. I guessed the "E" but had to Google to confirm.
Dennis I made the same mistake when I put solo for 1A but it soon became obvious that I was off to a wrong start when I looked at the perps.
I did not like the clue for 19A as the answer seemed too obvious to be correct.
For 48A I was looking to make TAROT fir but no way as the number of letters did not match.
Cc the railroads use the term siding to signify the places where they locate the rail cars for loading or unloading. It a term as old as railroading.
Barry,
Here's how to Shear a sheep
Baa, Baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full!
Dick,
Did you mean INCISE by any chance? If not, I can see why you might have needed to Google...
And Bill -- I saw sheep shearing done at the fair I went to over the weekend. I just agree with C. C. that it's technically not cutting the sheep. Well, not unless it's done badly, I suppose...
@ Barry yes you are right I did mean incise but I did have the A in Kimono at first which is what made me a Google necessary. Yikes I wish I coud spell early in the morning.
Lois,
You told Dennis last Saturday that "if you ever feel like the last leaf on the tree, we'll plant more trees for you." I don't understand your thinking. Why?
Barry,
Argyle mentioned "Council Fire" in a Lakota/Dakota comment the other day, what is a "Council Fire"?
Crazy horse,
Welcome! I know I am terribly late to say so, but I hope you understand. I do read your posts with interest.
Buckeye,
"Jeepers Creepers"! Your Ol' Blue Eyes is here today. I have "High Hope" that you will "COME FLY WITH ME" today.
Good Morning, C.C. and all.
This c/w was tougher for me than those of the past week. I needed help to get SLR and ACC, and the S in SUN RA. I didn't know ANSELMO or ASHUR but they came from the fills. I got NOH because of the link last week.
C.C., thanks for explaining that Lisle is now known as LILLE.
I doubt seriously that I would have ever gotten the theme on this one.
Why is it that Blogger almost always rejects my first attempt at leaving a comment??
C.C., I thought "if you ever feel like the last leaf on the tree, we'll plant more trees for you." was one of the loveliest comments I'd ever read. Lois is my hero!
It can be very hard to watch friends and family pass away as we get older. You begin to feel like that last leaf on the tree that hangs on through the winter.
Lois was reassuring Dennis that he would always have friends when she said "we'll plant more trees." Each of us who interacts with Dennis and Lois will be leaves on those new trees. So, when Lois lures us in to chat with her, and encourages Dennis to be DF....she is planting trees of friendship.
How'd I do, clear ayes? Was that too obscure?
C. C.: Got this from a quick Google search:
Inside each tribe, there existed a loose form of democracy, with each adult having an equal say in decisions of all sorts, including selection of the tribal chief. These meetings were usually held in the Council House around a central fire.
Does that help?
kittyb, that was a great explanation, and was exactly how I took it.
And thank you for mentioning how lois took away my innocence and lured me into DFdom.
Barry,
Here is Argyle's original:
"Crazy Horse, for one - Oglala / The principal division of the Teton Sioux (contr. of Titonwan, 'dwellers on the prairie'). The western and principal division of the Dakota or Sioux.
The Sioux are seven related tribes or seven council fires. The Lakota or Titonwan(one of the seven) are also split into seven groups, of which, the Oglala is one."
It seems that "council fires" refer to some kind of clan structures, don't they?
I thought Lois was talking about a fig leaf that might drop. Dennis you have my sympathy for being lured into DFdom by that siren Lois. I know you must have put up a grand struggle. Hope you can survive!
Kittyb,
Logically I could not comprehend what Lois wrote. Wouldn't be too late to plant more trees if Dennis were the last leaf on the tree? I would pick him up and use him as my bookmark.
Dennis,
It's U, EWE, YEW who actually planted the first seed of DF here. You've led so many innocent people astray, including Kittyb. Now what's your answer to my 6:45am question?
Alright, c.c., look at this picture. Is that someone who lures others in DFdom? Noooo. The DFettes (Lois, Melissa, Carol, Cokato, etc.) and even YOU are the ones that corrupted me.
Dennis,
Yes, I believe so. And I believe every single leaf/flower behind you feels the drops of your unrestrained MOREL audacity. Remember what Barb B said yesterday? Eschew obfuscation! I want answer for my 6:45am question!
Mark,
I forgot to tell you that I liked your ATHLETES and LOEB clues yesterday. I agree with Doesitinink, it's LATER. How long have you been Buenos Aires? Why did you move there?
jeanne, thanks for the kind words - I'm glad you're enjoying the exercise. Two miles four times a week already, is outstanding. You feel so much better all day, don't you? Endorphins are wonderful things.
My first theme answer being ROCKET MAN, I thought perhaps the theme was Elton John songs. Then COME FLY WITH ME, a John Denver song, pointed me in the direction of popular music. This guess was bolstered next by FREE BIRD. Then AEROPLANE and ACES HIGH appeared. I thought AEROPLANE was a group, not a song, and I had never heard of ACES HIGH as anything but a card game term. When I finished the puzzle and checked for several of these themes on youtube, I found I was wrong…ACES HIGH and AEROPLANE are both songs, though not of a genre I would every voluntarily listen to. Remember the end of 1984 when Winston betrayed Julia when he was threatened with rats? Well, you could get me to break easily by forcing me to listen either of these songs! In the end I really liked this puzzle and completed it with only one red square, the “S” in SUN RA.
Ok, at the risk of overposting -- the 'bald' comment was, of course, a reference to women shaving their armpits. As opposed to, say, the French. Hope this clears it up; what did your DF mind think I meant?
Dennis, it's too scary how our DF minds travel in the same direction!
Nice try Dennis.
Shhhhh.
I jumped SOLO into the pool as well, but then found myself STAG. I didn't know LASSA but the fills helped. I didn't know LISLE or forgot, NOR did I know ASHUR. They would have come from the fills, but ELIDE eluded me. It is a common musical notation which I knew.
C.C. Saint Anselm(1033-1109) was the leading philosopher/theologian of the 11th centure. He wrote ably of the nature and relations of being, which is the field of ontology(I didn't know this.)
The Spanish form San Anselmo was given to a creek in Northern California in a Mexican land grant and eventually became the town name.
Word of the day. Puissant(PWISSunt,adj): strong, vigorous, powerful as in "The senator made a puissant argument for passing the bail-out bill."
@doesitinink: Re you comment on "Come Fly with Me" being a John Denver song? Were you thinking of "Leaving on a Jet Plane."?
Come Fly with Me was written by Sammy Kahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. The team wrote several of the tunes that Frank Sinatra made famous, or rather, songs that made him famous. He often credited them for his success.
ken: You are right, I was thinking of I'm Leaving on A Jet Plane. Thanks.
G'morning all!
I'm late today because we just saw our younger son off on the rest of his way to AR from AK. He drove down to WI in four days and hopes to finish the trip in 12 hours. He's changing jobs, so had to bring everything with him, and during the week he was here had it all spread out all over the basement guest area. Amazingly, all is back to normal already!
Anyway,,,now to the puzzle...
I too began with solo, but corrected it quickly. Got stuck on the s of NLCS and didn't know sun ra so was still missing the s when I came here. The rest went easily enough.
c.c., thanks for the cute koala.
And bill, the sheep shearing brought back memories of home. I had friends from the outback who talked of going to "woolshed dances"--apparently often the only place big enough in those communities to cater to a crowd.
In the old days they used hand clippers, and it might have meant the sheep getting cut sometimes, though a skillful shearer would not be guilty of this, or need the "tar boy". For a song about this, go to (music and written lyrics is all I could find): click go the shears The site also features some stamps showing famous paintings of the era.
Also, if it makes you feel better, I'd never heard of Mörs either--it's very close to the Dutch border, in an area I'm not familiar with.
Ken: NO! The song I was really thinking of is Fly Away. Double oops! ;-o
C.C.
The fleece is the hair which the sheep grows on its body. It is part of the animal. So when the sheep is sheared part of the sheep's body, the hair, is cut off.
Railroad sidings are off to the side of the main railroad track so the freight cars can sit there to be loaded or unloaded while other trains go by.
Calef.
Hi c.c. and all,
I guess I am one of the few that did not put solo in first because I put 2D Too and then 1A Stag became clear. I never heard of Lassa, Anselmo, or Leuc and only got them from the perps. I only knew two of the songs, Rocketman and Come Fly With Me. I just figured the theme was Aviation.
Kittyb: The blogger does that to me also everyday, weird!
Dennis, Jeanne and fellow exercisers: I really don't like to run, probably due to the heat and humidity in Florida. I am a member of a gym though and usually do a combination of elliptical trainer, treadmill, stationary bike and machines. Usually 45 minutes to an hour on cardio, and 20 minutes on machines, 5 to 6 days per week. Great workout!
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Good Morning All, How depressing is it, when you have SOLO for 1A and don't know NLCS or LASSA? I usually go for the horizontal fills first, but I switched gears and began with the perps. That didn't last too long though. I didn't know SLR, ACC, SUNRA or LEUC. So it was back and forth, up and down.
Fortunately, I am a fan of both Elton John (ROCKET MAN)and Lynyrd Skynyrd (FREE BIRD). Once I got those everything else started to fall into place. My only google was SUNRA because of the cross with NLCS.
I thought of Kazie when I saw KOALA and SHEAR.
C.C. "seeking a cosmic bargain", means that the poet was was trying to make a deal with the Universe to avoid the problems that everyone faces in their life.
Kittyb, Nice explanation of Lois' comment.
Dennis, Dennis, Dennis (sigh)....nice feint. I'm a 66 year old grandma and even I knew you meant a full Brazilian wax. Don't pretend you didn't! We know you too well now.
Time for "Poem of the Day".
Pretty Words
Poets make pets of pretty, docile words:
I love smooth words, like gold-enamelled fish
Which circle slowly with a silken swish,
And tender ones, like downy-feathered birds:
Words shy and dappled, deep-eyed deer in herds,
Come to my hand, and playful if I wish,
Or purring softly at a silver dish,
Blue Persian kittens fed on cream and curds.
I love bright words, words up and singing early;
Words that are luminous in the dark, and sing;
Warm lazy words, white cattle under trees;
I love words opalescent, cool, and pearly,
Like midsummer moths, and honied words like bees,
Gilded and sticky, with a little sting.
- Elinor Wylie
Hey all,
Just FYI, Moesha was a t.v. show in the 90's on I believe UPN. Ah that classic channel that helped Launch Jaimie Foxx's career. I believe they merged with the WB recently. Anyway, good puzzle today, although I always despise French words (took Spanish and German in High school and College, respectively)so even the words that are gimmees like "Etre" and "NEE" frustrated me. Other than that, I agree that "Rhymers" was weird, and I maybe it was just the printing in my paper (The Post Star, Glens Falls NY) but 38d the clue was "Bossy's Bellow" but I'm sure it was supposed to be "Bessy's."
Anyone else get that problem?
big bear, I think cows are often called bossy.
I loved this puzzle. Everything fit together so well. I missed only one letter, ‘s’ in NCLS and SUNRA. I feel foolish about not knowing NCLS, but what can I say? I was never a sports fan. Never heard of Sun Ra.
I got ASHUR from the crosses – I only knew Ashtaroth, the Caanite god.
As for Nimrod and Ashur, I haven’t been able to sort it out. I think it would take a lot of study to understand it; I spent an hour going though my few reference books and only got more confused. One thing is clear. The Nimrod of Assyria was not a silly hunter. He was unbelievably cruel. Silly Nimrod is an invention of modern times.
I also put stag before solo.
Shear is familiar to me; I have 2 labradoodles, and if I don’t keep them well groomed, they have to be sheared, like sheep.
Hi C.C. and all, difficult for me today. I had to look up a lot of words and haven't had that experience for awhile.
I never have heard of San Anselmo, Ca. guess it's because the last time we tried taking Hwy 1 to enjoy the spectacular views, I got car sick! I thought I was through with that but that winding road was too much for me,and we had to go back to Hwy 101.
C.C., the picture of the Koala (45D) was soooo cute! I wanted to give him a hug, but I'm sure I'd be scratched to pieces!
Kittyb at 7:34, way to go! That was beautifully explained.
Dennis, what are we to do with you! (ooops, don't answer that! :)) Armpit indeed, as Clear ayes said - we know what you had in mind...unless it some part of YOUR anatomy you were referring to. Perhaps the part that was "blowin' in the wind"?
Dennis, you are too cute, and so good at obfuscation. You remind me of my late husband, (St. Thomas) who could tell ribald jokes with such an air of innocence. He was an altar boy too, and if the priest who officiated at his funeral is to be believed, you are completely safe. He said that all altar boys go to heaven.
But that doesn’t mean we can take all you say at face value. rotfl
All:
I've noticed that many are having problems maintaining their Google ID from day-to-day (or even every now and again). I humbly suggest that most of you are running some sort of anti-spy software (probably in the background) which will delete unknown "cookies" (the internal markers that remember things like IDs, credit card numbers, passwords, etc.) and so I suspect that may be the root of your problems. Best suggestion is to remember your ID & password and re-enter them prior to trying to post. If you have created a comment that is particularly "pithy" and therefore difficult to replicate, follow Dennis' advice - copy & paste your comments to a word file first so that you can copy/paste them back if your original attempt to post fails.
Happy Tuesday to all - raining here.
Hi CC and all;
Not a bad puzzle at all. I, too, started out with solo and a few other unknowns but they mostly filled in with the perps. I got the theme right off and I knew San Anselmo which all helped with Menlo Park, NJ. I am not too familiar with east coast cities so I looked in the atlas and it is Menlo Park Terrace. Hum. I think Menlo Park, CA would have been better
Hi again, I found a cute poem for October:
Theme in Yellow
I spot the hills
With yellow balls in autumn.
I light the prairie cornfields
Orange and tawny gold clusters
And I am called pumpkins.
On the last of October
When dusk is fallen
Children join hands
And circle round me
Singing ghost songs
And love to the harvest moon;
I am a jack-o-lantern
With terrible teeth
And the children know
I am fooling.
Carl Sandburg
Good afternoon CC and DF's:
CC: a guttersnipe is what Henry Higgins called Liza Doolittle in My Fair Lady....a woman from the dregs of society...but I like to think of her as a diamond in the rough....the very rough...thus a ditch witch.
Kittyb: Great explanation!! Exactly what I meant...except for the part about me luring Dennis into DFdom. Made me ROTF LMAO. I take that as a high compliment, however, that's like me luring him into breathing. He is a very 'moral' marine with a very 'morel' character. He may look like an altar boy, but I can see the devil sticking out of both of those eyes.
And Dick, I like how you think with the 'dropping', but a fig 'leaf'? Not for him! The word would've been 'Branch', baby ...out of necessity, from what I've gathered. As for the struggle? Not a problem. It all comes down to who's on top 'at the end'. Either way, it's all good.
Dennis: You do make me laugh! That is a darling picture, but for some reason, when I first saw it, my eyes started burning. How was the wine in the sacristy?
The 5 across answer is not NLCS, but MLCS, because it's a MAJOR League, not a National League game. It's for the World Series not the National League playoff. Also, Mota in Italian means Very! Look for the Dodgers to go all the way!
Anonymous...Thank you for setting that straight. I definitely learned something from you today. Mota bene! ;-)
anon@4:13, you're wrong. The clue was 'acronym before the World Series', which is the National League Championship Series. Nota bene means note well.
Had my first broken bone today - crushed my little toe into a door jamb. Spent the day in various doctors' offices. Bottom line is a dislocated fracture (it was great fun when they pulled it straight), I have to wear a funny shoe for a month, and I'm supposed to keep my foot above my freaking head for 3 days. DFettes, how do I do that?
carol, clear ayes, cokato, hey, it was worth a shot.
barb b, I take that as high praise; thank you.
lois, I'm glad your eyes were the only thing burning...
Dennis: Wow! So sorry about your luck! Know that had to hurt! Leave it to you to have a dislocated DF boner!
Hate to be the 1st one to respond to this situation, but pillows, pillows, and more pillows...under your knees too. I have found that to be the most comfortable...for a variety of reasons. And if the dr didn't give you a shot or pills, I'd be takin' my own shots of something...or percoset (sp?), personally. I'm so sorry for you. Hope you mend quickly.
lol, lois, I knew you'd have the pillow solution. And yes, they do work.
No pain pills - I hate taking anything - but a little sipping SoCo is in order. It'll be fine in no time.
Dennis: It just occurred to me that you'll be going limp for a while. What a sad state of affairs for a true DF as yourself! SoCo is a great choice!
Dennis,
Thanks for setting anonymous straight. I could not get logged in and then saw that you had responsed. NLCS stands for National League Conference Series and ALCS is for American League Conference Series. Winners of these series go to the World Series. Also, I lived on a street named Notabene in Alexandria Va many years ago.
Sorry to hear about the foot. Must be very painful.
richshif, actually it's National & American League Championship Series, and the toe's not so bad, thanks.
Dennis,
Thanks
Carol, Very nice Halloween poem. You can't go wrong with Carl Sandburg As I said yesterday, if the spirit moves you, go ahead and post a poem.
Too bad you missed the scenic route on Hwy 1. It really is spectacular.
San ANSELMO is about 20 north of San Francisco in Marin County. Marin is one of the most expensive place in the country to live. My youngest sister and her family live another 30 more miles to the north in Sebastopol, which is less expensive. Too bad for the people who have to make a living, but anything within a hour's commute to San Francisco is very costly.
Dennis, So sorry about your toe. I have had similar breaks three different times...foot goes one direction, little toe goes another. That's what comes from going barefoot indoors all the time. There isn't much to be done about it, except straighten it and tape around all the toes. Take it easy and don't try to get back to your exercises until you are ready.
After watching Kazie's clip on sheep shearing, I wonder if shearers need Bill's chiropractor. Their backs must ache like crazy after a day of bending over and shearing all day long.
Drdad, Believe it or not "Ishtar" has become quite a cult movie favorite. My daughter and I saw it together and immediately fell in love with the pathetically lousy and ever-hopeful lounge singers played by Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty. So many people have told us we are nuts for liking it, but there are others who have loved those poor saps too.
Chris in LA and Dennis are right. It is better to be safe and copy/paste your comments, so they don't disappear. It always seems to happen when we have a long post that we are sure will fascinate and delight the other bloggers. LOL
Actually clear ayes, the shearing video was from bill.
--Mine was the song about the old timers with hand shears. Did anyone understand all the words?
Hooray
I'm one of the few that did "Stag". Can't say much for the rest though.
But I did finish with only a couple of changes.
I'm sorry about your toe
Dennis, but if I remember what soco is, it will take your mind off the hurt.
Vaya con Dios
Dennis, So very sorry about your toe!! I plead ignorance yet again, what is soco? Do I lose my DF'ette standing by not knowing? I know how to lay on my back and put my feet up, does that count?
Lois at 5:59 LOL - did you really mean it how you typed it???? We know he's going to limp for awhile, but let's not ruin the man's fun altogether by having him "go limp" ROTFL!
carol, SoCo = Southern Comfort. And lois, why exactly am I going limp??
good evening c.c. and all,
love any puzzle with a musical bent, really enjoyed this one. and you guys are killing me today .. i finally found a free moment to read the blog and was lol'ing all by myself in my office.
john mellencamp also does a song called my aeroplane.
if i would have known it was national bald and free day, i'd have run a special at work .. 50% off .. or something like that.
@lois: it just looks wrong to use dennis and l*mp in the same sentence. i'm sure he's got morel to spare in all his other appendages.
Hi C.C. and all,
always seem to be a little late..busy day. I liked the puzzle except for those abbrev.: ACC,SLR,ACC,SYL, and what are ETS? Didn't know leuc either, and even though I didn't know the theme, they were familiar enough.So, does mota bene mean very good, or note well, and what does note well mean?? San Anselmo came easily as that is where my high school campus is; the old campus is in near by San Rafael, a beautiful area just no. of San Francisco.
C.C.---a bookmark? How cruel, unless you cherish and keep all of your bookmarks. Mine get a little ratty so I don't become attached.
Kittb @ 7:34 WOW!!!! Such lovely thoughts, and you too lois. :-)
Oh, it almost always takes me 2 tries to get on the blog, but I don't lose my message.
jeanne- I AM trying to get those endorphins too, but it hasn't become a habit yet. Did I miss an announcement? Has your grandchild arrived yet?
Dennis-ouch! I know how much that hurts.Hope it heals quickly. You are tredding water throwing out that altar boy saint act.Many of us are (were) married to excommunicated altar boys. My Bob used to trip the priest, and he would not stop pouring that wine when the priest lifted the chalice.
Martin- great lesson on the Earth goddess Ishtar. She was sometimes very evil, as stated in the first epic GILGAMESH, and in a Babylonian myth of the seasons she became very jealous of her semi-devine shepherd-king lover or husband , Tammuz, and had him killed and sent to the underworld.
Sorry about the toe, Dennis.
I'm not very good with poetry, but I had to see if I could find one for you about a toe.
Shel Silverstein seemed appropriate. It makes a good story, but I hope you heal much more quickly than the guy in the poem!
The Yipiyuk
In the swamplands long ago,
Where the weeds and mudglumps grow,
A Yipiyuk bit on my toe…
Exactly why I do not know.
I kicked and cried
And hollered “Oh”—
The Yipiyuk would not let go.
I whispered to him soft and low—
The Yipiyuk would not let go.
I shouted “Stop,” “Desist” and “Whoa”—
The Yipiyuk would not let go.
Yes, it was sixteen years ago,
The Yipiyuk still won’t let go.
The snow may fall,
The winds may blow—
The Yipiyuk will not let go.
The snow may melt,
The grass may grow—
The Yipiyuk will not let go.
I drag him ‘round each place I go.
This Yipiyuk that won’t let go.
And now my child at last you know
Exactly why I walk so slow.
Melissa: I'm sure Dennis is a master at 'adjustment', given his morelity.
Dennis: I was just thinkin' it might be a little difficult to 'get up', let alone to stand erect and maintain any semblance of what I'm sure would be your normal, rhythmic and steady forward or backward movement with such a severely broken appendage. I would classify that as a true DF limp. However, I could be wrong. It is afterall, your smallest appendage and you are a very 'morel' man, as Melissa pointed out. Enough SoCo and I'm sure a contortionist would envy your abilities to 'adjust'.
barb b, thanks very much for that -- I guess it wasn't my fault after all. Damn yipiyuks.
jd, yeah, I didn't last very long as an altar boy.
lois, you forget I'm older than amoebas.
I'm turning in, guys - gonna see if I can tie my foot to the overhead fan. Thanks for all the well wishes.
Barry,
Your remaining songs titles are "In An Aeroplane Over The Sea" and simply "Aces High" (a single by Iron Maiden).
Proven wrong by Google already... Red Hot Chili Peppers has a song entitled "Aeroplane".
barb b:
Great poem!!
Barb b, I loved the poem about the Yipiyuk. Anything that makes people laugh when they are hurting is a good thing.
Kazie and Bill, Sorry I got the shearing clip mixed up with the shearing song. The words to the "Click Go the Shears" song are posted on the site too. Both go to show that sheep shearing isn't for anybody who isn't in top physical shape. I wonder why nobody has invented a ramp so that the sheep can get up to knee level with the shearer? The shearer wouldn't have to spend the whole time crouched over the sheep.
Always nice to see Jimbo post. I wish he would tell us more about his earlier life. Jimbo, you should post more often!
Speaking of posting more often...the line in "Dances With Wolves" is, ""Now why don't he write?" Hey, Buckeye, where have you been?
jd,
Sorry this is so late, but no one has answered your question yet.
ETs are Extra Terrestrials. Remember the movie ET? "ET phone home"
Jd,
Did the old Babylonian myths actually say she killed Tammuz? Ishtar had just returned from a long illness (or "a trip to the underworld" as the legend says) and found that her husband had not been waiting by her side. She tracked him down and told him to go to Hell... and he did. :)
Martin
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