google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Wednesday October 1, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

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Oct 1, 2008

Wednesday October 1, 2008 Allan E. Parrish

Theme: CUFF links

18A: "Felony Squad" star: HOWARD DUFF

61A: Refuse baloney: TAKE NO GUFF

3D: Weakling: CREAM PUFF

26D: Half a pair of warmers: EAR MUFF

37D: Unclothed: IN THE BUFF

HUFF and LUFF are two other ?UFF rhymes. I've never heard of the wader RUFF before. Dennis probably loves this RUFF.

There is also a car related sub-theme:

9A: 1986 Indy winner Bobby: RAHAL

40A: ___ Romeo (Italian car): ALFA

39D: Miniature racer: KART

57D: Classic Brit. sports cars: MGBS

59D: Sporty Camaro: IROC

Great to see both ZSA ZSA (20A: One Gabor) and EVA (62D: Sister of 20A) in one puzzle. Magda's name has 2 vowels too. I wonder why her name does not appear on Xword often.

I had another hard time this morning. Too many proper names for me. Besides, I was so sad. Twins lost their one-night stand. All of the sudden, this season is over. But I don't really hate the White Sox or A. J. Pierzynski. A.J. might drive many players and fans crazy, but he was my favorite Twins before he was traded to the Giants (then White Sox). Then Johan Santana became my favorite, but he was traded away too.

Never mind, it's still a great season for Justin Morneau and the Twins.

Across:

1A: Opening letters: ABCD. I like how ABCD intersects A TO Z (1D: All-inclusive breadth).

5A: Richie's mom, to the Fonz: MRS. C. Big stumper for me. She is played by Marion Ross. Everybody is so happy in that picture.

14A: One-thrid of a WWII movie?: TORA. It's pretty good movie. But "Pearl Harbor" is better.

16A: Garlic sauce: AIOLI. Ai (garlic) + Oli (oil). This AIOLI looks so green, too much herb I think.

24A: Oceanic: MARINE. I would prefer the clue to be "Devil dog" related to tie in with PFCS (71A: Military E-3s). What is E-3s?

31A: Public funds: TREASURY. Are you OK with this clue?

33A: Legendary drummer Gene: KRUPA. An unknown legend to me. I don't understand this "Drum Boogie" clip, which one is KRUPA?

36A: Moo juice: MILK. Is this a play for word or is "Moo juice" a well-accepted slang for MILK?

41A: Irish patriot Robert: EMMET. I really like "Bold Robert EMMET" folksong: "... A hero I lived, a hero I'll die..."

42A: One-named Irish singer: ENYA. "Believe, and you will find your way..."

46A: Sitcom about nothing: SEINFELD. This is my favorite SEINFELD moment.

50A: Breakfast fare: CEREAL. I am curious, what do you normally have for breakfast? Do you solve crossword puzzle before or after breakfast?

53A: Hold it right there: FREEZE

66A: Parisian pupil: ELEVE. Have not seen École for a long time.

67A: Runny cheese: BRIE. Nuts with runny cheese?

69A: Valuable fiddle: STRAD. Joshua Bell bought one for $3.5 million.

Down:

2D: Ribbon knots: BOWS. Or "Joshua Bell's needs".

4D: "Taxi" co-star: DANZA. I would not have got his name without the across clues.

5D: Goat coat: MOHAIR. Angora goat to be exact.

9D: Josh of "How I met Your Mother": RADNOR. Unknown to me. Did he have a fling with Britney Spears?

11D: Julianne of "Dancing with the Stars": HOUGH. Another unknown. She looks very pretty.

12D: Actress Woodard: ALFRE. I forgot. Her face looks very familiar, so I must have seen her somewhere before.

13D: Full-term con: LIFER

25D: __-Marcus: NEIMAN. Have you read "Bergdorf Blondes"? Plum Sykes used to work for Anna Wintour (Vogue).

28D: "So Much in Love" group: TYMES. Here is the song. I've never heard of "The TYMES" before. I like the title. It reminds me of Buttercup and her farm boy. They are "So Much in Love".

41D: Actor Estevez: EMILIO. Can never remember his name. Wish he would change his name into Sheen.

45D: Biographer of Henry James: EDEL (Leon). Learned his name from doing Xword. He wrote a five-volumn biography of Henry James.

54D: Fasten a fly: ZIP UP

64D: By gone expletive: FIE. I vaguely remember someone uttered FIE on a comment not long ago.

C.C.

92 comments:

  1. Good mmorning Cc, DFs and DFettes.

    Today's puzzle is the type that I absolutely detest. There are so many TV and movie actor/actress clues and to me they are all obscure because I dislike movies and TV. I might come back later and work on this puzzle but for now A am too damn disgusted.

    @Cc thanks for your 9:06 am compliment yesterday. HOT ROD indeed!!

    Hope you all have a fine day.

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  2. Good morning, c.c. and gang - unlike Dick, I thought this was a decent puzzle. Required thought, but didn't have to visit the G-spot. Couple items for the DFettes too - one good (in the buff), one bad (zip up).

    I liked seeing Gene Krupa mentioned - he was one of my favorites when I was younger and taking drum lessons. c.c., he's the drummer in the spotlight in your link. Also, I assume a PFC is an E-3 in the Army; in the Marines, a PFC is an E-2. c.c., E-1 through E-9 is the enlisted rank structure, with an E-1 being a Private and E-9 a Sergeant Major. The officer ranks are O-1 through O-9, with O-1 being a Second Lieutenant and O-9 a four-star General.

    A beautiful day here in the NE; hope it's an outstanding one for everyone.

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  3. Actually, today's was better for me: I prefer names of people to names of places because, frankly, I haven't been to many places in the U.S. (Rochester, New York City and Ohare airport. That's it.) I only had to google DANZA, OWEN, RAHAL, RADNOR, HOUGH, TYMES, EMMET, MAUD and SKAT. When I say "better for me" I mean "better than yesterday": I was able to get all the theme fills today with very little help from the perps; it helped knowing (after getting the first two) that they all ended in UFF.

    Martin

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  4. My bad: I never got 15A or 8D: I had AHOY for "Anticipatory cry" ("Ahoy" is what sailors say when they see land) but if 5D is MOHAIR (and not MAHAIR) then AHOY must be wrong.

    My first guess for MOHAIR was FLEECE as in The Golden Fleece from Greek mythology. The fact that the directly below it was for "Greek letter" probably made me think of that. I also wanted OAF instead of SAO and COOPS instead of COTES.

    Martin

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  5. Dick,
    Yes, indeed, HOT ROD. Both you and Dennis, Dr. Dad as well.

    Dennis,
    Is the KRUPA "Drum Bogie" clip I linked part of a movie?

    Clear Ayes,
    I got KIROV by inference, which is completely different than gimme.

    Anonymous @7:50pm Tuesday,
    That's the most idiotic comment I've ever read. You "stink, stank, stunk". Get lost!

    Mark,
    Once again I was stumped. Is it gas related?

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  6. Hi CC and gang....I didn't do so good on the puzzle today. I only had about 10 minutes to work on it.
    Gene Krupa was the drummer as Dennis already mentioned. Gary used to listen to him when he was young and learned a lot from him about drumming.
    I wish I had more time to look at all your clips you have today, but I have to get ready for work. It's cold here today. I would like to put the heat on, but I dare not!
    Have a great day everyone.....

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  7. Nevermind. It looks like it's OH OH. It doesn't make sense but I googled CHAW and that's the answer for 8D. "Anticipatory cry" is a very weak clue for OH OH. How about "Oops!"

    Martin

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  8. Good morning, C.C. and all.

    I made it thorough this puzzle without assistance, but I needed to work across and down several times before everything fell into place.

    ALFRE Woodard is gorgeous! She was in "How To Make An American Quilt," and "Star Trek: First Contact," among other movies, and she was a "Desperate Housewife" for a season.

    I loved your links today, especially "Drum Boogie." I've forgotten the movie's name, but it was made a second time with Danny Kaye.

    RADNOR, HOUGH, ENYA, ELEVE and MAUD all came through the fills. I might have gotten ENYA eventually. The names from entertainment can be irritating, but I'm more aggravated by clues that require an answer in a language other than English.

    The cover of the Chicago Trib proclaims the SOX have made it! Is it possible that both Chicago teams will be in the playoffs?? They say, "This Is The Year!" *G*
    We can only hope.

    Have a good day, everyone.

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  9. martin, 'oh oh' is appropriate for an anticipatory cry - people say it when they know something's about to happen, usually something bad. 'Oops' is usually a post-event cry, after you've done something.

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  10. Good Morning, but not for my crosswording; I stunk up thr NE corner. Google, Google, Google! And one more google to finish the puzzle. I looked up 12 words all together, although a couple were just to check my spelling. And some were ones I had forgotten. I hope looking them up will embed them in my mind.

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  11. I also considered WHOA for "Anticipitary cry". I wasn't thinking "cry" as in "boo hoo hoo" but "cry" as in "cry out".

    Martin

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  12. I'm back. Not in my make up to quit so I reverted to Mr G and was able to finish all of the fills, but I still dislike entertainment clues. Now I wish you all a great day and mine will be better now that I completed the damn puzzle.

    Cc your picture of Julianne Hough helped to cheer me up after this disaster.

    Enough complaining I am going golfing between the rain showers.

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  13. Morning, folks!

    Well, this puzzle brutalized me for the same reason already mentioned by C. C. and others. Too damn many proper names! Some of them, I knew (ZSA ZSA, EVA, KRUPA, ENYA, DANZA, ALFRE, ARLO, EMILIO, ROKER and SEINFELD). Some, I didn't know, but was able to get via the perps (EMMET, OWEN, EDEL, MAUD and TYMES).

    And then there was that ^%$#!@ NE corner...

    To my credit, I guessed HOWARD DUFF after figuring out the rhyming theme and actually knew both AIOLI and ALFRE. But RADNOR and HOUGH were complete mysteries to me. Add to that the fact that I simply couldn't remember Bobby RAHAL, despite the fact that I've seen him in this puzzle before, and I simply couldn't complete that section. Whenever I see a racing clue with the name "Bobby" in it, my brain just seizes up and all I can think of is Bobby Unser. It doesn't help that RAHAL and Unser both have 5 letters. Ah well, maybe next time....

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  14. Good morning, all.

    Another easy one. Perps assisted with ones I didn't know.

    Howard Duff of "Felony Squad" (costar was Dennis Cole) also played Sam Spade on radio. Another Duff is Hillary.

    The sirens should get off to a good start with "In The Buff."

    I remember when "Happy Days" jumped the shark.

    Alfre Woodard played Lily Sloane in "Star Trek - First Contact." She was Zefram Cochrane's (played by James Cromwell) assistant and helped him to invent "warp drive."

    Dennis - wouldn't the DFettes be more concerned with "unzipping the fly?"

    I just went back and read the "anonymous" person's comments and all the responses. What an idiot. Everyone else said what needed to be said about him/her. They should stay off of this sight and stick to their "Funk and Wagnalls" (which can be pronounced a different way if you catch my drift) for their answers.

    Today is (I hope this is correct, C.C.) National Day of the People's Republic of China. It's also Homemade Cookies Day, World Vegetarian Day and International Day for the Elderly.

    Have a great "Hump Day!!!!"

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  15. Had no idea what GRE was, so I had to "G".
    GRE
    I really need to broaden my TV and movie skills. Although some of the older stuff comes to mind, anything after the 80s is lost on me! And, since my musical knowledge is a rather narrow field, clues like 28a are lost on me.
    I do, however, take issue with the clue for 71a! MILITARY covers too broad a spectrum. Should have been clued to a particular branch of the service. 'Cause I know for a fact that an E-3 pay grade in the Air Force is NOT a PFC! Check this.
    Military Ranks

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  16. HOWARDDUFF, INTHEBUFF, will TAKENOGUFF from a CREAMPUFF!!!

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  17. HOWARDDUFF, INTHEBUFF, will TAKENOGUFF from a CREAMPUFF!!!

    Was that an off the cuff comment, or just a bit of fluff? Where you taking a pinch of snuff when you wrote it, perhaps? Or was it all just a bluff? I don't want you to go off in a huff or anything -- it's just some stuff I wanted to ask you.

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  18. You all forgot the most important one - MUFF.

    'nuff said.

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  19. Thanks for Hillary Duff Drdad!!

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  20. Right on, Dennis. Not the kind you wear on your ears.

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  21. You're right, guys. I definitely muffed that one...

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  22. I noticed the flaw in the last clue, as Dennis has pointed out. The clue is "Military E-3", however an E-3 is a PFC in the Army only. A Marine Corps PFC is an E-2, while an E-3 is a Lance Corporal. The clue should have read "Army" E-3s, which would have been Perfect For CC.

    All I can say after lamenting another 1-0 final for the Twins is "Uff Da".

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  23. Dennis, I didn't really forget MUFF. I just couldn't find a way to work it in without EAR so that it would be more PC. 'Cause I would never want to cause someone to go off on the wrong track!!
    (But, then, when have we ever worried about PC here?)


    OK, Barry, here we go!
    My STUFF is never off the CUFF. I always think ahead and try to avoid FLUFF. (Unless it's with peanut butter)
    I seldom get in a HUFF, have never done SNUFF and won't call your BLUFF. Because, ya see, at heart, I'm just a big CREAMPUFF!!!
    And, if Hilary DUFF wore only one EARMUFF she could never be truly INTHEBUFF!

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  24. Morning! Nuff's nuff with the uffs. :)

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  25. The NE corner was my downfall as well, though the whole puzzle was painful. I don't like proper name puzzles, especially when the references are entertainers. Not my forte. That being said, I managed to complete all but Rahal, Hough and Alfre. Though badly bruised, I live to puzzle another day.

    Have a wicked Wednesday all.

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  26. Good morning, et al. Had to google all three names in the NE corner, 9D, 11D & 12D. Pretty easy to guess Hough tho'.
    C.C Moo juice is pretty common slang for milk, but probably more used by the youngsters.
    Any more UFF words and I'll handcuff the lot of you.

    I filled in the rest of the many names by the perps, but didn't know RAHAL, EDEL, RODER, TYMES, & EMMET.

    In the Navy, an E-3 is a Seaman, Airman or Fireman. The E-2 would be a Seaman Apprentice, etc. and all E-1s are Seaman Recruits(picture boot camp). The different names for E-3s indicate which branch of Navy life the sailor is in. A Seaman is connected to the armor and navigation/communication of the ship while the Airman works in the air arm. Fireman is not a firefighter, but a person who works with the engines, pumps and piping that make the ship run.
    In an emergency situation, all hands are firefighters.

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  27. G'morning all.
    An aussie friend of mine has the last name Hough, and was givien the nickname Huffy--just another uff connection perhaps. I'm always amazed at the number of pronunciations English has for ough.
    I struggled with all those names too. I only knew ZSA ZSA, EVA, DANZA, ALFRE, ARLO, EMILIO and SEINFELD). The others (and some of those, due to senior moments) only fell in with the crosses, except for Hough. I didn't know GRE, not having gone to school here myself, though I guessed the E for exam because of lifer.
    The uff theme helped tremendously.

    c.c., For breakfast I usually eat an egg on wheat toast, and half a tomato, at least while we have them from the garden. Cereal rarely for a change. But despite all the scares I can't live without eggs. We get ours locally, organic.

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  28. Good morning, everyone. Too many names in this one for my taste. RAHAL (I first put in UNSER), HOWARD DUFF, EMMET, ALFRE, TYMES, EMILIO, EDEL.

    It was nice to see ZSA ZSA in the puzzle for a change.

    C.C., you theme answer for IN THE BUFF needs changing. KRUPA is the drummer in the spotlight. I think moo-juice is widely accepted as a slang term for MILK. Breakfast is either oatmeal with dried cranberries and flax seed or scrambled eggs with cheese mixed with cubed has browns. I sometimes eat breakfast with the crossword puzzle or after the crossword puzzle. Some mornings are too rushed and I may not get to do the puzzle, or have the opportunity to make a blog entry. Thanks for the TYMES link. Didn't recognize the name, but sure recognized the song.

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  29. I ditto crockett on the tymes, and I usually start the puzzle over breakfast, making it hard to time my efforts.

    I didn't want the board up for too long. This photo is of me with my son at his wedding.

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  30. Morning gang,
    Sorry, Chris in la, that I didn't get back to you yesterday. I had to take my husband to the hospital to wait...wait...wait. He is fine now, just a bad infection. I did have time to read yesterdays posts, this morning. I'll be back after I finish my puzzle.

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  31. Good Morning All, It looks like Dick said, "FIE" on this morning's puzzle. I was glad to see he came back to finish up.

    I do like movies (Duh, surprise!) and some TV, so I sailed along quite nicely, even though I grimaced at "one-third of a WWII movie". How about "____Bora region of Afghanistan" for TORA one of these days?

    I wasn't familiar with RADNOR, TYMES, EMMET, EDEL or IROC, but they still filled easily with help from the surrounds.

    My "learn something" moment of the day was with a post-puzzle "G". I found out that EMMET was sentenced in 1803, to be hanged, drawn and quartered in Dublin for treason. He was the last person to receive this barbaric sentence from a British court. Out of deference to his aristocratic background, Emmet was hanged and beheaded but was not subsequently disemboweled....what a lucky guy!

    HOWARD DUFF was a pretty good actor who wound up in a lot of B movies in the '50's. He was married for a long time to actress/director Ida Lupino.

    ALFRE Woodard is an excellent actress. One of G.A.H.'s favorite movies is "Cross Creek", which starred Woodard, Mary Steenburgen and Rip Torn.

    C.C. Twasn't me....I think it was Argyle who questioned KIROV as a gimme yesterday.

    No clues about London or the Thames today, but it is October 1st, so an autumn poem is in order.

    Symphony in Yellow

    An omnibus across the bridge
    Crawls like a yellow butterfly,
    And, here and there, a passer-by
    Shows like a little restless midge.

    Big barges full of yellow hay
    Are moored against the shadowy wharf,
    And, like a yellow silken scarf,
    The thick fog hangs along the quay.

    The yellow leaves begin to fade
    And flutter from the Temple elms,
    And at my feet the pale green Thames
    Lies like a rod of rippled jade.

    -- Oscar Wilde

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  32. Ahh, Clear Ayes, your taste is impecable. Not too many come near Oscar Wilde nor will I try. I do have a humble offeriing to Autumn however.

    Autumn’s chore

    “Under the spreading chestnut-tree”
    Said Longfellow to the ages
    “I think that I shall never see”
    Has been added to the pages.

    ”A tree at my window, window tree,”
    Was given to us by Robert Frost.
    ”A dream tree, Polly's tree:”
    Said Sylvia, now forever lost.

    ”She slept beneath a tree”
    is offered up by Emily
    ”About thee, as wild vines, about a tree,”
    Ms. Browning offers on a spree.

    Immortal bards these all are known
    In fact, there may be trees they’ve sown
    For me, my friend, their trees please take
    For none, I’ll bet, ever touched a rake!!

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  33. Mark - Buenos Aires

    Somebody referred to Paul Mc Cartney´s "and I love her" as a tribute to his first wife. To be pedantic, it was for his fiance Jane Asher, a Brit actress famous for her red hair.
    I think his first wife was his soulmate Linda Eastman?, who must have had a big influence on him for him to become a vegetarian. Linda Mc Cartney´s ready veggie meals were (perhaps still are) quite popular in UK.
    What a disaster for a second wife eh?
    I wish him luck with his current belle.

    "use it after breakdown to power convertible"
    As I clued, "convertible" indicates an anagram -
    "to power" is an anagram of "towrope"
    Hence "use it after a breakdown".

    Another? or does this bore contributors?

    "colonist appearing in Barnet occasionally"
    (3 letters)

    A grey day here, I hope yours is better.

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  34. Ken, No matter about spelling. Thanks for the nice words and a double thanks for the very funny (and so true) poem.

    Kazie, Very good photo. Where was your son married?

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  35. clear ayes, that isn't a poem I'd have expected from Oscar Wilde, but I can't explain why. It's lovely. We're just beginning to see some of the red in our trees now. We haven't had first frost yet.

    Breakfast... If I had my druthers, and I was a 6'5" stevedore, I'd have crispy corned beef hash, two eggs scrambled (a little on the dry side), hash browns and rye toast. Since I'm much shorter, and don't get that much exercise, the reality of breakfast is oatmeal with cinnamon and a little brown sugar. This morning it was ready about 5:45 and I ate it as I worked on the puzzle. I like the idea of adding dried cranberries to it. Thanks for the tip, crockett.

    Kazie, that's a lovely picture of you and your son.

    c.c., "Drum Boogie" was in the 1941 movie "Ball of Fire," with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The movie was remade with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in 1948, and the remake was called "A Song Is Born."

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  36. Good morning C.C. and everyone, I am with Dick on this puzzle, way to many actress/actor/music group clues for me. I don't watch much TV and almost never go to the movies(unless it's with our grandkids). I am very good at all things Disney by now :)

    I did not know 59D: Iroc, when did that model come out? Also, 16A. I forgot to write that in my notebook the last time we had it, so I got punished today!

    I usually do the crossword after my breakfast. Sometimes I have eggs (scrambled or boiled) with a piece of wheat toast..sometimes cereal. I like my home canned pears too. Of course, there has to be coffee. I like fried potatoes too and fix them ahead of time.
    I usually peel and slice to desired width, rinse well to get the starch off, and boil for about 10 minutes (until just done). Drain. While potatoes are boiling, I fry cut up onions and then add the potatoes to the pan, salt,pepper and let brown.
    This is probably more than you wanted to know :)

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  37. Good day c.c., DF’s and all!! I have returned from the grave to join you all again, even if the time may be short. Last week was our big food show (three days in Tampa), and that basically sets up my year, and I’m just getting done with all the follow up involved. As our busy tourist season hits (from Thanksgiving through Easter) and the new hockey season starts (I’m coaching high school roller and ice, plus trying to start a travel organization that will have teams from 8 year olds through 18) my posts will be few and far, but I’ll still read every day to make sure everybody’s good.

    This puzzle was good for me, although I got jammed up in the SW corner. I knew most of the proper names (Gene Krupa was great to see, made me think of Buddy Rich) and Tony Danza and Taxi was one of my favorite shows.

    @c.c.- I agree with you on the look of that aioli. Classically, all aioli is is mayonnaise with garlic. I have always used it as a condiment (served on the side); if it was prepared fresh and used like the picture, it would break and be a greasy, oily mess (and the color is off, too). The only time I don’t put it on the side is when serving ‘bourride’, a stew similar to bouillabaisse (the aioli is incorporated in the broth at serving).

    The DANZA clue brought back this memory, one of the funniest TV moments ever.
    Taxi

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  38. Carol, the Camaro IROC came out in '84.

    As to breakfast, during the week it's usually a couple bowls of cereal, glass of apple or orange juice.
    On weekends, I love big breakfasts: scrambled eggs w/cheese, home fries, bacon, english muffin, and anything else nearby.

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  39. He might not have had the rep or been in Krupa's or Buddy Rich's class, but I recall Cozy Cole. His "Topsy, Part II" circa '58 - '59 was one fine drum solo.

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  40. Welcome back xchefwalt, and I loved the taxi clip!
    clear ayes and kittyb, thanks for the compliment on the photo. He was married in the Augustusburg castle, just outside Chemnitz (formerly Karl Marx Stadt during GDR times) in the eastern German state of Saxony. A lot of castles are used for weddings these days, and it was a beautiful venue.

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  41. @Ken- don’t even get me started on great drummers! I’m 46, so my taste in drummers goes to Ian Pace, John Bonham, Cozy Powell, Bun E. Carlos and the great Neil Peart.

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  42. Mamap, glad your hubby is ok.

    Kazie, Very nice picture of you and your son!

    Dennis, thanks for the Camaro info. :)

    Ken, Don't forget Topsy Part I was also good. Also Sandy Nelson had huge hits, among them: "Let there be Drums" and "Teen Beat".

    Oh "Boys", isn't there a certain "dive" that has to do with a part of 26D? LOL

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  43. I intensely disliked this puzzle. There were so many references to popular culture that were very obscure to me. Gene KRUPA? Bobby RAHAL? ALFRE Woodard? Josh RADNOR? Julianne HOUGH? I have heard of none of these people. Since three of these names are in the upper, right corner, one can guess that I had a fair amount of trouble in that area of the puzzle! In all I had 7 red squares today.

    I did like the clue “valuable fiddle”. Fiddle is used as a slang term for violin, so STRAD as a slang for Stradivarius seemed clever. With ERA I first thought of the Equal Rights Amendment. Obviously I am not a sports fan even though I live in Chicago where both the Cubs and White Sox have made the playoffs. I seldom shop, so NEIMAN did not pop immediately to mind with seeing the clue ending with “Marcus”. I did manage SEINFELD with only a few of the crosses, though sometimes I think I am the only person in the US never to have seen even one episode of that show. I do not even know what the character SEINFELD looks like!

    AIOLI sounds wonderful though I do not think I have ever heard of it. The recipe I found in Epicurious.com did not contain an herb, so I wonder what the green stuff is in cc’s link. Moldy aioli? Here is the recipe I found:
    2 garlic cloves
    1 large egg yolk
    2 t fresh lemon juice
    1/2 t Dijon mustard
    1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
    3 T vegetable oil
    Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Whisk together yolk, lemon juice, and mustard in a bowl. Combine oils and add, a few drops at a time, to yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until all oil is incorporated and mixture is emulsified. (If mixture separates, stop adding oil and continue whisking until mixture comes together, then resume adding oil.)
    Whisk in garlic paste and season with salt and pepper. If aĂ¯oli is too thick, whisk in 1 or 2 drops of water. Chill, covered, until ready to use.
    Perhaps xchefwalt has a recipe for aioli he can recommend?

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  44. Doesitinink, you are not the only one who has never seen an episode of Seinfeld. I am right there with you! There are LOTS of those type of shows I have never watched. We had to go to bed sooooo early in the years those were on, we never watched anything. Got to be a habit, so even though we stay up later, we still do not watch "prime-time" shows. Lots more interesting things to do.

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  45. MamaP....you must have been frantic, having to make a trip to the hospital. A bad infection is serious, but it's good to know it wasn't anything worse. I hope his recovery is swift. Isn't something like the crossword, or this blog, comforting, when you have to wait things out? A familiar distraction can make the wait easier.

    I hope your life is a little calmer now.

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  46. Carol, you are correct about 26D. I explained that some time ago with a picture and am not going there again.

    Xchef - good to hear from you. Great Taxi clip. I remember it well.

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  47. @Xchefwalt: I doff my hat, (hi-hat?) to you drum-wise. I'm more of a blue grass/classical soul, so most drummers of the last few decades are strangers to me. Thanks for filling me in on your favorites.

    @Carol: I'd forgotten "Teen Beat", but don't remember the others. It must be that CRS kicking in again.
    PS Cribbage tonight if you'd like to peek in. *S*

    In 2001, seeking a personal message to the new millenium, I turned off my TV for that January. I found so many other places for that time, I've not turned it on since, except rental vcrs or dvds. There are probably a few times something of particular interest has drawn me, but I could count them all on both hands.
    Seinfeld?? Who's he?

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  48. Speaking of Seinfeld, I rarely watched the show but I did see "The Contest." Sorry, but I was only able to find a video clip for Part 1. I loved how Kramer came up first in Part 2 and said "Well - - - I'm out."

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  49. CC, you must not have lived in Minnesota long enough to have thought of the other theme that comes to mind for today's puzzle: UFF-da!

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  50. Kazie, I noticed you like tomatoes for breakfast. When I read novels by British authors, there is usually a breakfast described and it almost always includes tomatoes (in season, of course). I also worked for an Australian company (here in the States) and they spoke of having tomatoes with their breakfasts. Why is that a British and Australian breakfast food? Is it done in Canada, or elsewhere? I wonder if it is done in any part of this Country? Of course, we don't eat kidney's for breakfast either. :)

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  51. All this talk about tomatoes for breakfast reminds me of one of my favorites. It's a Swiss cheese and tomato omelet accompanied by fresh orange juice and hot black coffee. This was a Sunday morning staple when I was in my twenties. It made me feel like a grown up to produce a real cooked breakfast. TTFN

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  52. I too, had to visit my "g" spot more than I like to admit. I just am not too up on the tv/movie trivia. Liked the uff theme though. How can you not like "in the buff" as an answer? I've had a lot of fun in that state. I am a really bad breakfast eater. I just can't eat first thing in the morning, and am on the road everyday by 6am. I usually grab an apple on my way out the door and eat it around 9ish. Luff is the only other uff word I could think of. You don't want to luff in a sailboat. That usually means you have lost the wind and the sails make a horrible sound.

    xchefwalt, so good to see you here again. You sound like you have been living a life of a crazy person being pulled in too many directions. I too am 46 and have a lot of your same music tastes from the era. Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath and let's not forget Cheap Trick. I have in my possession a guitar pick from Rick Nielsen that he threw out in a concert I was at in 1979. Brought back some memories. Some hazy, some not. I was into herbs back then too!

    It's homemade cookies day. Mine are snickerdoodles. How about you all?

    Carol, what is an earmuff dive??

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  53. That's my favorite homemade cookies are snickerdoodles. How about you all. I even previewed this post before I sent it. Geez.

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  54. Dr. Dad,
    Today is indeed our National Holiday. My Grandma used to make sweet persimmon balls for me during this period of time. It's a great vinegar source too. Do you like persimmons?

    Bill,
    Nice ?UFF play today. As for the Tree Poem yesterday: "A tree whose hungry mouth is prest/Against the sweet earth's flowing breast". What does "flowing breast" refer to? River?

    Barry,
    Is "Funk & Wagnalls" a hardcopy dictionary or an online resource?

    Crockett,
    Do you grind your own flax seed? "Not sure, but I think a Piccadilly dilly refers to one of those alternate reality types one can see in Piccadilly Square." What is "alternate reality types"?

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  55. Carol,
    I remember my Dad used to broil halved tomatoes and get them really crispy on the cut side, and then we'd always have them with broiled lamb chops or steak. I am not that fussy in the mornings, but I do cut a tomato in half and heat it a little in the pan with eggs. Hubby always complains if they get too sloppy, but it warms them a little and provides extra vitamins to balance the protein of the eggs. Brings out more flavor too.
    Regional food preferences are interesting. I always associate cheese and onion sandwiches with New Zealand, because we saw that a lot while we were there. The English eat fish--kippers, whatever they are, for breakfast, which I couldn't come at so early in the day.
    I remember when the first American burger place opened in Sydney, we all went to try it out and were sorely disapointed to find a hamburger consisted of only the meat, bun and a pickle slice. An aussie burger typically used to have the meat, lettuce, a slice each of tomato, sauteed onion, pickled beet and cheese included in the base price--"with the works". Well worth trying BTW, if you can get your mouth around it all!

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  56. @doesitinink- my aioli recipe is very similar:

    6-8 peeled garlic cloves, pressed
    1 large egg yolk- room temperature
    1 cup olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
    1 tsp lemon juice
    Salt
    White pepper

    Place pressed garlic and room temperature egg yolk in a bowl, whip well so yolk and garlic are well mixed and almost frothy.

    While continuing to whip, SLOWLY add olive oil to yolk mixture, waiting to incorporate one pour before adding another one. Add all olive oil that way. Add lemon juice.

    Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

    @drdad- I was hoping to learn something new today….

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  57. 8:19 today. Too many pop culture names for me so it took longer than it otherwise might.

    c.c.: I can't believe you prefer Pearl Harbor to Tora! Tora! Tora!. The latter is generally considered one of the classic all-time WWII movies, but everyone likes different things in movies.

    Julianne Hough is pretty well known, not only for Dancing With the Stars but for her country music. You can see her big hit here: That Song In My Head. I highly recommend her CD entitled (get ready for this): Julianne Hough

    As for my breakfast, I eat out every day (I haven't cooked at home in a couple of years), usually at the same place. Stuff like an omelet, hash browns, toast (with orange marmalade) and coffee. Good hash browns are essential for my breakfast experience, and I rarely return to a restaurant if they don't do decent hash browns.

    I used to solve the puzzle at breakfast, but now prefer to do it online, for timing purposes (I don't "speed solve", but use the time as a rough gauge for day-to-day.) Weekends are the exception, my Saturday waitress is also a crossword fan, so I do the puzzle at breakfast to help her out if she needs a hint. Sundays my paper does the NY Times (syndicated) puzzle, and that takes me too long to do at breakfast, so I just read the paper on that day.

    I never Google, I'd rather leave the space blank if I can't make an educated guess. Of course I always come to your blog to check out where I may have erred.

    dennis: Thanks for the explanations of the ranks in the military.

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  58. Kazie,
    You must be very proud of your son. How long has he been in the military? What's your favorite way to prepare eggs? Thank you for posting the metal board picture last night. What an unique item!

    Mark,
    I am not bored at all. On the contrary, I am very intrigued. ANT?

    KittyB,
    Thanks for "Ball of Fire". I was very confused about Gary Cooper's role in the clip this morning.

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  59. Dennis,
    "On weekends, I love big breakfasts: scrambled eggs w/cheese, home fries, bacon, english muffin, and anything else nearby." What anything else?

    Xchefwalt,
    Great to have you back. I liked your "Taxi" clip. I've never seen it before. So what do you normally have for breakfast? And what is your favorite breakfast item?

    Dougl,
    I actually thought of "Uff da". But it does not rhyme with the theme entries, does it?

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  60. NEIMAN Marcus is (in)famous for its Christmas catalog items. In 2007, a $1.44 million submarine, a special edition Lexus IS-F, a $73 thousand cell phone and a $1.59 million private concert for 400 people by the KIROV orchestra, were among the super-luxury items offered.

    It is amazing to me that there are people who can afford (and want) these baubles. Paul Newman knew how to really put his money to use.

    We watch much less network TV than we used to. We do like cable channels, such as A&E, the History Channel, the Travel Channel, Nat'l Geo, AMC and BBC.

    Network TV may not often have a lot to offer, but we loved Seinfeld in its day, as well as Taxi, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Barney Miller and All In The Family.

    There were some common threads running through these sitcoms, in addition to their being very funny. All the best ones had some serious subtopics, for Cheers it was subject of alcoholism, for M*A*S*H it was the horrors of war, for All In The Family, it was bigotry and racism, and Seinfeld often made jokes about the stupidity of anti-semitism.

    Added to that, they all had hugely talented ensemble casts.

    For the past couple of years I've watched The Office, which touches on all of the topics mentioned and LOL skewers every one of them.

    Kazie and Carol, B&B breakfasts in England and Scotland always seemed to include tomatoes AND canned baked beans. Then there was the blood sausage. Is that worse than kidneys? Pretty hard to choose between those two delicacies.

    My breakfast is usually a slice of whole grain toast with a wisp of butter (I can't pass on the butter.) a piece of fruit and two cups of coffee. I envy all of your cheese omelets, bacon and hash browns, but when my eyes say, "Yes, yes", my hips reply, "Better not!"

    Kazie, pickled beet on a burger? Sounds delicious. I'm definitely going to try that one.

    Xchefwalt, Just about everything tastes better with garlic! Well, maybe not C.C.'s favorite crème brûlée, but anything that isn't dessert.

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  61. Argyle,
    What is Titonwan?

    Sallie,
    Why "Tri-Cities Opera" is called "Tri-Cities"?

    Clear Ayes,
    Your TORA clue is much better. John Underwood told me yesterday that he found our SKILLET discussions very interesting, he said he "had no idea it was a controversial item! Always fun when that happens." As for your poem yesterday: "Remember the bathtub in Belfast?'/ We'll prod each other." Does it mean that "We" used to live in "Belfast" before? What's the Irish connection here?

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  62. Cokato, remove the first word from 26D and add "dive"...or ask drdad (the renown expert in these delicate matters) LOL

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  63. Carol, just giving you grief. I think we girls all know and enjoy what you were referring to!

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  64. What does "flowing breast" refer to? River?
    CC, The tree roots take
    nourishment from the earth, as an infant takes nourishment from its Mothers "brest".

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  65. Clear ayes, not everything tastes better with garlic..it seems to have a way of "announcing" itself to others, long after it has been enjoyed by the diner. Pheeww! Makes it difficult to be "up close and personal" with the garlic lover. I does help if both parties indulge but not if one doesn't care for garlic.

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  66. Carol,
    I am going to try your fried potato tomorrow. Sounds very simple.

    Cokato,
    I seldom eat cookies. Have you tried frozen banana for dessert?

    Barb B,
    I've never used a SKILLET made of cast-iron. That's I doubted the clue yesterday. I liked your comment about Tours, Dijon and Bordeaux on the map. Foodie, foodie, you are a sweet foodie!

    Ken,
    Did you mean that SUPE is a well-accepted word in Navy talk? Can you tell me more about "4 hours on, 8 hours off"?

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  67. Cokato, kinda thought you were kidding me but since I "dumbed up" on the story Dennis told about his local BJ Store, I wasn't sure. I didn't want you to lose your Siren status. (I made an error in telling you to remove the 1st word in 26D, I meant the one in your question to me,glad you understood) :)
    Are we all having fun yet??

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  68. C.C. I hope you enjoy the fried potatoes. They are easy to prepare, and can be done in any amount desired. I usually do several potatoes so I can have left-overs.

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  69. c.c., Sorry to disappoint, but our sons have never been in the military. The older one works as an engineer for a company which has a branch in Saxony as well as WI, Taiwan and China. He's worked for them almost five years--three of those in Germany. But I'm still extremely proud of them both, military or no. He got that assignment through knowing German before he went. Of course he knows it a lot better now.

    clear ayes, I don't like either Blutwurst or kidneys, though their flavor is good in a meat pie--kidneys affect me the same way as cheese curds (squelchy). Blood sausage I have experienced on the continent, but don't remember it in England. However, they say the English will eat anything. Here's another strange food thing: canned spaghetti sandwiches, loved by many aussies--but not by me!

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  70. I forgot to mention that Julianne HOUGH is pronounced "huff", so another theme-related entry.

    I loved having broiled tomatoes with breakfast when I was in the U.K. That's one side dish I'd like to see adapted here in the US. Slice the tomato in half, sprinkle a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and maybe some breadcrumbs on the cut side and broil until golden brown.

    Broiled tomatoes, eggs and what we Americans call "Canadian bacon" (just "bacon" in the UK)--now there's a nice breakfast!

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  71. C.C. I see the couple in yesterday's poem as two young lovers who are backpacking their way around Europe. They could be from anywhere. Since I'm an American, I envision them the same way. Perhaps, you can picture them as a young Chinese couple. While visiting Belfast, they treat themselves to a night in what is probably an inexpensive hotel. Unlike the hostels in which they have previously stayed, the hotel does has a private bathroom and a huge old tub. The couple is delighted to share a bath and, of course, sex. This memory stays with them through the years of their obviously good relationship. They "prod each other" at the memory. It is left unsaid, but the reader knows, they smile.

    The location doesn't really matter. It could be any city where young people travel and where the bathtubs might be particularly large and inviting.

    That's my take on it, but like most poetry, it is open to interpretation.

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  72. Carol, LOL,, "not everything tastes better with garlic."

    I didn't say it is good for the bystanders, only for the eater himself! Luckily, both G.A.H. and I enjoy garlic and keep Altoids breath mints around if company drops in.

    Kazie, I think the blood sausage was in Scotland. Spaghetti sandwiches....hmmm, interesting. Well, I used to eat potato chip and catsup sandwiches when I was a kid. There's those different strokes again.

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  73. @c.c.- glad to be back. Breakfast kind of depends on the situation; when hung over I like cold pizza or a true NY bagel plain and lightly toasted. Usually breakfast is a power bar, Mountain Dew and a little cream (no sugar) coffee (when I was a chef I used to call my coffee ‘Halley Berry’ because I like my coffee the same color as her- I got all the wait staff used to the term so whenever I wanted coffee, I just called her name). Sometimes a “pull on my ear” muffin (the breakfast of champions) is good, but lately I’ve been craving coddled eggs and strawberries. On Sundays I make a big batch of shredded potatoes, sausage, mushrooms, cheese and over easy eggs and mix them together. Big Yum.

    @cokato- nice taste in music! I also have a ‘Rick Pick’ from 1978- white with his face on the front and ‘cheap trick’ on the back. It’s for show only; I never use it to play with.

    I used to make great black brownies, and a mushroom tea that wouldn’t make you sick- my foray into herbology…

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  74. Is "Funk & Wagnalls" a hardcopy dictionary or an online resource?

    I don't know if it's available on-line, but I have it on a CD-ROM with a bunch of other reference books. I'm pretty sure it started out as a hardcopy encyclopedia, however (not a dictionary).

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  75. Ken and Crockett, please check your e-mails.

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  76. embien, did you see my 9:07 today? However, that friend's name was pronounced "how".

    A whole dish of tomatoes prepared the way you suggest, but done in the oven alongside a roast, is good too.

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  77. c.c. asked:
    Dennis,
    "On weekends, I love big breakfasts: scrambled eggs w/cheese, home fries, bacon, english muffin, and anything else nearby." What anything else?


    Nearby food, condiments, waitresses...

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  78. @kazie. I saw your 9:07 but I totally missed that you tied it to the puzzle ("huff" pronunciation). My bad--didn't mean to replow old ground.

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  79. Cc and Ken,

    If I ever had four hours on I would need more than eight hours off!! LOL

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  80. Could have been an easy puzzle, but with a 7:30am meeting and just getting back in tonight, not much time for the puzzle today. Really enjoyed the uffs. But, public funds...I was thinkin' taxes. Didn't see any comments along that line. Even though I may not be able to complete the puzzle during the work-week, I enjoy reading everyone's comments!

    Martin! Now I know where to go for my English questions. I work @ a university and am constantly amazed at students. I wonder how they made it through high school!

    Will be in the 40's here in Savannah tonight. We are looking forward to some cooler weather.

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  81. C.C.: Tri-Cities refers to Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott, NY. Endicott was the headquarters of IBM for many years before it moved. The area is referred to as Tri-Cities around there. The opera company had professionals for the leads and volunteers for the spear carriers, chorus, etc. Placido Domingo once sang there, with my late husband in the chorus (just before Domingo made it big).

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  82. Hi folks. Have been watching this site for a few weeks and have made some comments as anonymous but after seeing the latest post by someone using anonymous figured it was time to register so any future comments would not be confused with the evil anonymous. Fond this blog while using g to find an answer and bookmarked it. Did not know that these puzzles had a theme as our paper does not print the theme. I usually do not have time in the morning to do the puzzle but take it to work to do at lunch. Enjoy checking answers in the evening with this site. Much more fun than just waiting for the next day solution. BTW, I live in Portsmouth VA. and get the puzzle thru the Virginian-Pilot.

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  83. On tomatoes...

    Dear Husband sailed in the south Pacific for three weeks a few years ago. His flight from Vanuatu came into Fiji just as his flight back to L.A. was taking off, so he had an extra couple of days in paradise. Since his stay was the airline's fault, they put him up for the duration and gave him a voucher for meals. He had to wear a name tag to the restaurant, to be sure they would deduct from the voucher.

    He was finishing breakfast when the waitress sauntered by. She eyed his plate, with the uneaten broiled tomato, and said in a drawn out English accent, "Eat your to-mah-toes, Freddie."

    He came home and shared the story of the tomato and the waitress, and that line, complete with the broad English accent crops up every time tomatoes are served in our house. Most of the summer tomatoes here are served raw. We save cooked to-mah-toes for the winter, when our gardens have long since been shut down.

    xchef, it's nice to see you back, if for a short visit. Thanks for the aioli recipe.

    c.c., I actually have a two volume Funk and Wagnals dictionary that is roughly 25 years old. There are several other dictionaries scattered through out the house but that set is in the office.

    Kazie, I was right with you until you got to the pickled beets on the hamburger. I'll eat them, just not on the burger.

    Carol, we skip the boiling step on the potatoes, and layer sliced potatoes and diced onions in a skillet (a cast iron skillet would be wonderful for this), and cook them in a little safflower oil, until the potatoes are browned. I add salt and pepper to each layer as they go into the pan. My mother has always called these potatoes "American fries." When the potato slices came from pre-cooked potatoes (leftovers), she called them "Potatoes Anna." No matter what you call them, or whether you boil, or cook raw potatoes, I love 'em!

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  84. Welcome, richshif.

    I'm sure you'll get several responses to your post, all telling you that the newspapers do not provide a theme for the puzzles. C.C., our host on this blog chooses the theme when she provides the answers. You may see some discussion occasionally when one of the bloggers has an alternate theme to suggest.

    It's nice of you to post a name, rather than continuing to lurk. Now, fill in your profile for us! *S*

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  85. Profile updated. Will add more as I become more accustomed to doing this.

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  86. Kittyb: I have tried both methods: raw potatoes and boiled before frying and prefer using the boiled potatoes prior to frying them. The raw ones tend to "shrink" in the process, and take forever to be "done".

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  87. Welcome Richshif, you'll have to tell us a little about those Virginia wines.

    Kittyb, more things in common. G.A.H.'s first name is Fred.

    Sallie, my parents once had a post-concert conversation with Placido Domingo. They said he was a very entertaining and delightful man.

    Carol, We love pan fried potatoes and onions too. I par-boil them beforehand. It seems to cut down on the starchiness.

    Kit, Thanks for the nice comments last night.

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  88. C.C., you asked "Do you grind your own flax seed? "Not sure, but I think a Piccadilly dilly refers to one of those alternate reality types one can see in Piccadilly Square." What is "alternate reality types"?"

    I know that the flax seed would be more beneficial if it were ground, but I just use it whole.

    There are people who exist in their own worlds that have little or no relationship to what most of the worlds considers "normal." Some people believe that aliens have landed and are on Earth at this time. Some people believe that hobbits and all their ilk are real. Some people get lost in the Goth world. There are many avenues for people who want to check out of traditional society. That's what I mean by "alternate reality types."

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  89. Crockett, Am I hallucinating, or is your new photo of Ken, Carol and you? It's late and my clear eyes might be a little blurry.

    Then I might be in one of those alternate realities you were talking about.

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  90. Not only clear ayes but good eyes. I made an oops and posted without changing the photo.

    Sweet dreams.

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  91. Crockett: Great picture! How is it that a rose can be between two thorns and still look so good? I know you guys had fun!

    Richshif: welcome! You live near Flyingears (sometimes) and me. I think our area is up to 4 reps now. We're gaining on the OR group. What is your picture? Luray?

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