google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Monday November 10, 2008 Michael T. Williams

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Nov 10, 2008

Monday November 10, 2008 Michael T. Williams

Theme: Shape Up

17A: Starting all over again: BACK TO SQUARE ONE

38A: Prepare to be surrounded: CIRCLE THE WAGONS

59A: Geometric arrangement of binomial coefficients: PASCAL'S TRIANGLE

I've heard of PASCAL'S TRIANGLE, but I have no clue what it is. CIRCLE THE WAGON is a new idiom to me. Is "Katy bar the door" a well-known phrase?

I like this puzzle. Nice theme and straightforward cluing. And a gentle spa-coddling for my raisin-in-the-sun like brain.

Across:

14A: Panache: BRIO. Are you familiar with the musical term "con BRIO"?

15A: Ostriches' kin: RHEAS. RHEA is also the mother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter in Greek mythology.

21A: Abalone opener: OTTER. Wikipedia says some OTTERS are expert in opening shellfish.

27A: Assassinated Israeli leader: RABIN. Nobel peace winner 1994. He was assassinated in 1995. President Clinton called RABIN "a martyr for peace". I wonder if the constructor thought of BEGIN & Sadat & Camp David when he worked on this grid.

31A: Money plant?: MINT. I like this clue.

42A: Sicilian volcano: ETNA. Literally "I burn" in Greek. The Sicilian resort is called ENNA. See ETNA and ENNA?

44A: Granter of wishes: GENIE. Is there a "Granter of dreams" in any lore/myth?

68A: Palm fruits: DATES. Inaccurate clue. Chinese DATES are not "Palm fruits". I really miss the fresh dates and the tree-ripe persimmons in Xi'An.

Down:

3D: Guitar run: LICK. No idea. What is "LICK"? I don't understand the clue either. What does "run" mean?

7D: Next in a series: abbr.: SEQ (Sequel). I would not have got this one without the across fills.

9D: NASA's partner: ESA (European Space Agency). I am tired of this clue.

12D: Use a diapason: TUNE. Is "diapason" a special musical term?

18D: Holland or Lincoln, e.g.: TUNNEL. Not familiar with Holland TUNNEL.

24D: Small-time gambler: TINHORN. New word to me.

25D: International accord: ENTENTE. So close to détente.

26D: Goulash or slumgullion: STEW. Not familiar with slumgullion. It does not sound or look appealing to me.

40D: Island near Corsica: ELBA. I had no idea that ELBA belongs to Italy.

51D: Beaver Cleaver's dad: WARD. I guessed. Have never watched "Leave it to Beaver".

C.C.

52 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, c.c. and gang - one of the fastest puzzles I've ever done - absolutely blew through it without a pause. Nice way to start the week.

Today's the Marine Corps birthday, so I won't be around much today. Starts at 7:30 this morning with a group breakfast of about 20 of us, then over to Philadelphia to join 10,000 or so of our closest friends who come into town to celebrate. Probably about 30% current Marines and the rest former Marines. A local bar there has been hosting this party for a couple decades now and it literally takes over 10 square city blocks in south Philly. One whole block is just mess tents serving hot food, one block has Bud beer tractor-trailers with taps lining the sides, and it's just one big party that lasts until oh-dark-thirty. It's a great day of camaraderie, reflection, and a lot of laughs. If past years are any indication, I should be back with you all sometime Wednesday.

Have a great Monday.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Dennis,
It sounds fun. I do hope to see you tomorrow.

Barry,
I forgot to tell you that I liked your ASTRONAUT clue (Visitor to ISS) last Friday. Clever!

Crazyhorse,
Wow, you are a SHE! Where did I get the idea that you are a man?

Maryellen,
Welcome! I hope to hear more from you.

Clear Aye,
I've never had goat meat before. FYI, Argyle's inspiration is Euterpe.

Dick said...

Dennis enjoy your reunion and see if you can drink the Bud trailer dry.

Chris in LA said...

Good morning CC etal,

Easy one for me today as well. Only needed to google "diapason" - it's a tuning fork.

CC: "Circle the Wagons" referes to the days when the settlers were moving west in wagon trains - they would form a circle to fight off the Indians who objected to their presence. It was a defensive maneuver intended to protect the women & children who would remain in the center of the circle for protection.

@ Dennis - sounds like fun, hope you have a great time!

Great week everyone!

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Dick,
I don't think Dennis drinks beer.

Chris,
How about "Katy bar the door"? Do you use it in your daily conversation? I finally read the whole "Theatre of the Absurd" this morning. Phew, hard stuff, I think I prefer reading what you summarized on CAMUS yesterday.

Sallie,
I know Dennis = Sinned. Just had no idea this kind of special anagram is called semordnilap. Thanks.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Argyle,
I had fun imagining you dancing like a man crossing hot concrete barefoot. Thanks for pisgah. You are a great Santa taking care of my daily question list.

Embien,
Yes, I saw that coddling egg clip before, but I decided that it's too complicated for me. Why don't you cook any more?

Martin,
Where have you been? Experiencing weightless G somewhere?

Dick said...

Good morning CC, DFs and DFettes...a really easy one today and like Dennis I flew through this one. Nothing obscure and no actors/actresses.

CC "A guitar lick is an improvised solo, a musical phrase, or a part of a melody".

Martin said...

Yes, it took me about fifteen minutes (before my Chinese class). I don't think I can complete a puzzle faster than that: I simply can't write that fast. The unknowns (BRIO, RHEAS, TUNE, OTTER, RICES, TINHORN and LEON) were easily gettable from the perps (LEON is a common Russian name and the E in TUNE and OTTER was easy enough to guess.)

PASCAL'S TRIANGLE was a gimme for me. The idea is that (x+y)^2 = x^2+2xy+y^2 and (x+y)^3 = x^3 + 3x^2y + 3xy^2 + y^3 so Pascal's triangle looks like this

1
11
121
1331
14641
and so on

Binominal coeeficients are used in calculating probabilities. For example: if your sock drawer has equal numbers of red and black socks all mixed together and you picked out four socks at random then what are the odds that you'll get two red socks and two black socks? I didn't tell you how many socks are in the drawer but I said there were "equal numbers" of each so the odds of pulling out a red or a black on each try is going to be about the same. Thus we estimate the probability to be 6/16 = 37.5% where 16=2^4 is the total number of combinations. Math is fun. :)

Martin

NYTAnonimo said...

circle the wagons
to stop communicating with people not in your group to avoid their ideas or beliefs. Americans are feeling it is an especially good time to spend time with family, to circle the wagons.
Etymology: based on the custom of bringing wagons (= vehicles pulled by horses) into a circle when they are being attacked

A guitar lick is an improvised solo, a musical phrase, or a part of a melody. from here

Diapasons or principals represent the characteristic sound of the pipe organ. They are not intended to imitate any other instrument or sound. from here

I enjoyed this puzzle too. Enjoy your celebration Dennis.

NYTAnonimo said...

"Katy bar the door"meaning a'take precautions; there's trouble ahead' is new to me.

Dr. Dad said...

Good morning, C.C. and DF's.

Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps.

Only hang up for a bit was 31A but then I should have known that money doesn't grow on "trees." Other than that, this was a < 10 minute puzzle.

Pascal's Triangle is a useful tool for predicting the size of the peaks that are split in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. This spectroscopic method for determining molecular structure eveolved into what you all know as Magnetic Resonance Imaging. They ended up changing the name somewhat because people were afraid of the term (even though it had nothing to do with ionizing radiation like X-rays) "nuclear." BTW that is pronounced new-clee-er, not the Palin/Bush version of nuke-ya-ler.

I liked how Sheriff Bart's (played by Cleavon Little) family had to form their own circle with one wagon (when Bart was little) in the movie "Blazing Saddles."

Nothing more be said about today. Remember the Marines who sacrifice and protect us so that we can enjoy our freedom.

Chris in LA said...

CC:

nytanonimo sent a link - personally the only time I've ever used this phrase is in securing the house during hurricane preparations - my front door faces east and doesn't have the sturdiest latch so I actually prop a 2x6 against the door with the other end wedged against the opposite wall to keep the door from blowing open in the event of big winds from that direction.

Barry G. said...

Morning, folks!

Very easy puzzle for me as well. Unlike C. C., I knew CIRCLE THE WAGON but had never heard of PASCAL'S TRIANGLE. That was the only unknown for me, though, and it was easily gettable via the perps.

I'm also familiar with the phrase, "Katy bar the door," but have never actually used it and have only seen it used as a humorous anachronism -- basically, when somebody is trying to sound old fashioned.

Bill said...

Good way to start the week. Even eith only one eye this was really easy. No stopping to "G" and no hesitations. I must admit that, even though I had heard and seen PASCALS TRIANGLE before I didn't know for sure what it was till I saw Martin's explanation.

Who the h*** amm I kidding? I still don't know, BUT I've seen the explanation before, too!!
Won't be long now. 11 AM at the Dr's office (So he can blind me with those bright lights, again)
Then 2:30 hospital so I can take a drug induced nap. I kinda like the sound of that, I think.
And when I come to maybe I'll be able to use my eye again for something other than something to make my face pretty!!!
I'll let you know later this eve,
CY'All Later

DoesItinInk said...

This puzzle was a breeze! I had heard of neither wide-receiver Jerry RICE nor Elmer RICE, though the latter was a playwright “as famous as Eugene O’Neille”. DIAPSON also was an unknown. Wiki says it is “a just interval in Pythagorean tuning”, so I suppose it could be considered a part of the puzzle theme.

EARNEST reminded me of the Oscar Wilde play The Importance of Being Earnest. Have you seen the 2002 remake of the movie starring Colin Firth? How does it compare to the 1952 version staring Michael Redgrave?

Leave It to Beaver was an early television program about the idealized nuclear 1950’s family. I preferred The Donna Reed Show, in part perhaps because the show shares my first name?

Argyle said...

C.C.,
Making a list, checking it twice is something I do best.

It will be "Katie, bar the door" in Philadelphia today. Semper Fi.

Tun Tavern in Philadelphia is the birthplace of the Corps. (Tun comes up in crosswords sometimes; it is a large brewing cask.) And Dennis, remember there are no former Marines, they're just taking a break. Once a Marine-Always a Marine.

Anonymous said...

Here is an example of a guitar lick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4xH7TkvTB0

Ken said...

Good morning, C.C. et al. No problems to report on the puzzle today; everything fell into place.

C.C. Here is little more on "Circle the wagons." In the cowboy and indian movies that many of us grew up on, there was often a wagon train of settlers moving on to new territory. When the indians attacked the wagons, the wagon master would have the settlers "circle the wagons", thus providing the best defensive configuration. It has come into 20th (and 21st) century usage as a strategy to protect a group from such corporate activities such budget cuts, lay-offs, etc. I hope that gives you the idea of contemporary usage.

Sadly for the settlers and today's office worker, the strategy doesn't always work.

In guitar and banjo jargon, a lick is a defined series of notes that are used so often, they have names. Here are a few examples from guitarist's point of view. The "G run" is the sequence of notes that include some, but perhaps not all of the notes in the key of G scale. Some licks are a series of bass notes used to change the chord the player is on, eg from C chord to G chord and back again.
For the banjo player, two tunes come to mind. One is Earl Scruggs' (father of contemporary bluegrass banjo playing) starting notes to "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"; another is a particular sequence in the tune "Cripple Creek."

WOTD SANGUINE SANG-qwin adjective

1. bloodred
2. of the complexion, ruddy
*3. confident, optimistic

The team remained sanquine about their chances to win the big game despite losing a star player to injuries.

This is a delightful word, sharing the root sanguis Latin for blood. Examples are
sangfroid - self-possession, esp. under strain
sanguinary - murderous
sanquineous - bloodthirsty
consanguineous - descended from the same ancestor
consanguination
sanguinolent - tinged with blood
and my favorite
Sangria, a fruit punch of red wine, fruit juice and soda water

Hope you all have a great day.

Ken said...

@C.C. Oops, consanguination, a term I learned as part of the Catholic mass, is not listed on Merriam-Webster's article on sanguine.

@Dennis. Your gathering sounds like a hoot; Remind this rust picking swab jockey to stay out of South Philly on this date. lol

kazie said...

I also had an extremely easy time with today's puzzle--no googles, didn't know the Rices, but it fell in easily.

As noted earlier, the day in Oz for the kind of get-togethers Dennis is headed for today is April 25th. I remember as a little girl, going to the city to see the parade with my parents, and then Dad would always go off with his army mates, and Mum and I would head back home afterwards.

Late Saturday, I posted the following, and am repeating here since Martin and Judi probably haven't seen it.

Martin,
You could explain to your students the difference between "themselves" and "each other" and suggest that it's clearer if they say "each other". I find a lot of Germans make the same mistake, because their reflexive pronoun is the same for both (e.g. When will we see us again?)

Judi,
I live 65 miles west of Madison--so not too far away. In fact that is where we were all day today, visiting our son and d-i-l. Good to know someone of this group is so close!

Buckeye,
I love your humor!

carol said...

Good morning C.C. and everyone: Very easy - no google. I got 'pascal' from the perps since I had no idea (and still don't) what it was. Martin at 5:59am gave me a headache with his explanation. Math is NOT fun (for me). :)

Bill, all the best today - you'll be back with us before you know it.

Dennis, Have a blast! I'll raise a glass to you and all Marines.

Anonymous said...

3D Guitar run Lick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2MBN-RYN4c

Anonymous said...

3 down Guitar Run

Eric Clapton After Midnight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szRNqPBmqDw

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, This morning's puzzle was "once across and once down" and then a quick fill for a few missing letters. There were a few unfamiliar words, such as "diapason" and PASCAL'S TRIANGLE. I had heard of Jerry Rice, but the only Elmers I knew were Fudd and Bernstein.

Ken, What is the difference between a "lick" and a "riff"?

Argyle, LOL at your description of your dancing abilities...sounds like my husband. I've wondered why most teenage boys don't learn how to dance. It is a sure way to get up close and personal with girls, and girls (still) love guys who are good dancers. I remember some very ordinary guys who were very popular because they were in-demand dancing partners.

Doesitinink, I did see 2002 version of The Importance of Being Earnest. I really like both Rupert Evert and Colin Firth and I enjoyed the movie very much. I didn't see the 1952 version, so I have no comparison. Sometime in the 1960's, I saw a live theatre (Ha, I've got the spelling down now) production. It was good enough, so that when the 2002 movie came out, I wanted to see it.

I admire Martin and Drdad's interest in mathematics. This poem about Pi is some appreciation and a little bit "enough, already".

Pi
(3.141592653589793238462643....)

The admirable number pi:
three point one four one.
All the following digits are also initial,
five nine two because it never ends.
It can't be comprehended six five three five at a glance.
eight nine by calculation,
seven nine or imagination,
not even three two three eight by wit, that is, by comparison
four six to anything else
two six four three in the world.
The longest snake on earth calls it quits at about forty feet.

-Wislawa Szymborska

Anonymous said...

lick (n.) Look up lick at Dictionary.com
"an act of licking," 1603, from lick (v.). Meaning "small portion" is 1814, originally Scottish; hence U.S. colloquial sense. Sense of "place where an animal goes to lick salt" is from 1747. Lickety-split is 1859 in Amer.Eng. (earlier lickety-cut, lickety-click, and simply licketie, 1817) from dial. meaning of lick "very fast sprint in a race" (1809). The jazz music sense of "short figure or solo" is from 1920s.

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning everyone! No problems today. I didn't know about a "diapason" and note that "tuning fork" was the fifth definition. Liked the clue for 31A. Thanks for the links, c.c. I spent way too much time with the Beav today!

@dennis Thank you for your service. May you have a fabulous day! My barbershop group will be singing at the Veterans' Hospital here in Portland tomorrow up in the wards.

Have a nice Monday, everyone!

carol said...

Clear ayes, I'd get rid of the guy who didn't know a lick from a riff :)

DoesItinInk said...

@cc: You asked yesterday about my favorite composers, and I replied with some classical composers whose work I enjoy. I neglected to mention a contemporary composer-pianist by the name of Keith Jarret. I cannot speak of all his works, but I love all the pieces from his Koln Concert, especially this first magical piece. It is a long, but I never tire of lisening to it.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Anonymous @9:43, Democrat in a red state & Lickety-split,
Nice to hear from all of you. Thanks for the posts.

Ken, Chris & Clear Ayes,
I don't think I fully I understand the extended meaning of CIRCLE THE WAGONS. Can you give me an example?

Doesitinink,
I am now listening to the piano piece. I think I like it. Do you know why CULTS is clued as "Groups with fringe benefits?" I don't get it.

Kazie,
What's the French word for "Gesundheit"?

kazie said...

c.c.,
"Gesundheit" is "santé" in French--they both mean "health", but are both used the same way when someone sneezes too. I guess because it's assumed you're sneezing out your germs and getting healthier in the process--not so the people near you though!

Clear Ayes said...

C.C. The extended meaning of "circle the wagons' is to look for protection, get defensive, get ready for an attack. It means for a group to present a united front to your enemies. In politics, the Democrats always circle the wagons when attacked by the Republicans, and vice versa. Everybody gets their stories straight and sticks to the same one.

Two examples - when it was discovered that there were no WMD's in Iraq, the Republican Party circled the wagons and the party line was that they thought there were and there could have been. When there was a scandal about Jeremiah Wright, the Democratic Party circled the wagons and said neither they nor Obama had been aware of Wright's racially divisive sermons.

Truth has little to do with "circling the wagons".

Carol @ 12:36 LOL, you're undoubtedly right.

Ken said...

@Clear Ayes: I think riff is a jazz term rather than a guitar or banjo term. Having said that, I'll opine that both are simply a series of notes that are played so repetitively that all those who play or listen to lots of music will say, oh...I've heard that before. I've never heard "riff" used in blue grass circles.

PS I just spoke with my banjo teacher; he's played for 40 years and hasn't ever heard riff in connection with bluegrass nor lick in connection with jazz. Hope this helps.

@C.C. Concerning "circle the wagons" in today's parlance, it is a term used when some group knows something bad is happening and they cannot change that it will happen but perhaps can mitigate it. Right now the banks and big 3 from Detroit are circling the wagons, that is, fighting to survive.

KittyB said...

Good afternoon, all!

I am constantly amazed at what I learn here about music. You are all my personal tutors on an incredible range of musical information.

I did not know that one of the definitions for DIAPASON was "tuning fork." I was familiar with DIAPASON being a series of keys on an organ keyboard.

Thanks for all the links to licks. I had a good idea what a "lick" is, and enjoyed the examples.

PASCALS TRIANGLE was an answer I didn't know that came from the fills. Carol, I'm with you, math gives me a headache.

Clear ayes, we had about the same solving experience again. I didn't know the RICES either.

Bill, I hope everything has gone well for you, and that you'll be back with us in good eye health tomorrow!

Doesit, I have not seen either of the movies, but now you have me interested. I'll look for the remake, and maybe even the original version of "The Importance of Being Ernest."

Kazie, I think we live about two, perhaps two and a half hours SE of you. We've got a nice little Midwest group going here.

Dennis....have a blast! Thanks to our Marines for standing fast on our behalf.

That'll do it for me today. Have a good evening, all!

DoesItinInk said...

@cc: My apologies for the Keith Jarret link. Only after posting did I listen to it myself. It was then that I discovered that the piece stopped abruptly at 11 minutes. The original piece was 26:02 minutes long. I'll try to find a link with the entire piece.

DoesItinInk said...

@cc: Do you know why CULTS is clued as "Groups with fringe benefits?" I don't get it.

Hmmm...I had to think about this for a few minutes. CULTS are considered to be "fringe groups" (on the fringes of the primary group). For example, Jim Jones' Peoples Temple would be a fringe group, far from the mainstream of christianity. "Fringe benefits" refers to compensation or "perks". Employer-provided health care is referred to a "fringe benefit". I suppose that in this clue the creator is trying to be clever, suggesting that CULTS are groups that benefit from being on the fringes?

crazyhorse said...

Hi CCand all

no trouble with the puzzle today. Did not know pascal's triangle, but anything to do with math is beyond me!HATED it in school. My dad and my oldest sister were whizzes. My oldest son cleped out of calculus at Northwestern.

Martin and Drdad
I admire your knowledge,but I just glazed over at your explanations. Sorry!

Doesit and Cleareyes
I have seen both versions of Earnest and both are well done and funny.

CC
I don't know why you thought I am male?

kazie said...

Kittyb,
Maybe you're right--we are about 3.5 hours from O'Hare if we drive direct from here. You must be in the northern Chicago suburbs?

Crockett1947 said...

@crazyhorse What is "cleped?"

JIMBO said...

"Circle the wagons". We are leading by one run in the bottom of the nineth with two outs and a count of 3-2 on the batter. "Babe Ruth" is on deck. If we walk that batter it will be "Katie bar the door" (We will probably lose the game)

Pretty crude illustration, but you get the idea don't you C.C.?

crazyhorse said...

crockett1947
As usual, I can't spell. It means he tested out of calculus as an incoming freshman.Clepped?

Ken said...

Clear Ayes: Thank you for the introduction to Wislava Szymborska. I just read some of her poems and background. She sounds like a very interesting soul.

lois said...

Good evening CC & DF's: What a way to start the week! This 'otter' be a law for Mondays. The only mistake I had was DOA for lethal letters, but the perps fixed it. Had 'tinhorn' wrong all these years. Thought it was a cowboy wannabe. Never put it to gambling. Learn something new every day here.

Carol: funny! You crack me up, and I agree as well.

Bill: can't wait to hear how you are doing. Thought about you all day.

Dennis: here's to you and all the other marines who have done so much for all of us. Know you're having a good time tonight.

Argyle: here's a special toast to you, first of all for your service as a Marine and secondly for being such a great Santa, baby. Dare I even send you my list?

drdad: thank you for the explanation on Pascal's Triangle.

Bill said...

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!!
Well, Still can't use right eye. Some damn Dr decided it needed a protective eye cup and affixed it with about 3 rolls of tape. I get the distinct impression that they want me to leave it there till tomorrow.
But, on the serious side, Dr said surgery went well and I should be good to go. A couple weeks of taking it easy and all will be back to normal. Thanks yo all for the well wishes. I'm pretty sure they helped immensely.
CY'All tomorrow

carol said...

Hey Bill, so very glad to hear from you, and so soon :) I am sure you will be in fighting form in no time. Please keep us up to date and try to enjoy your 'quiet' time.

Lois, I had the same thought regarding 'tinhorn'. Ya just never know, right?

I was 'eyed' in 'earnest' today and I 'await' the 'mania' that 'stirs' in me when I get that 'lick' and in the 'acts' that follow. I do try to accommodate, as I don't want him 'blue'

kazie said...

Bill,
So glad to hear all went well! You certainly sound to be in top form, despite being cyclopic for a day. Great news!

Crockett1947 said...

@crazyhorse Thanks for the clarification. I think you probably spelled it right -- I just didn't catch it as an acronym for College Level Educational Program.

@bill Way to go! Hope everything heals nicely. Leave that tape alone, LOL!

@carol I hope you and hubby have a nice evening. I understand that there is an inviting TUNNEL just below that TRIANGLE that OTTER be ABLY explored con BRIO. I imagine there will be ample AHS expressed. Enjoy!

Clear Ayes said...

Bill, glad to hear that you came through your surgery without any complications.

Ken, I've read several of Wislawa Szymborska's poems in the past and I just happened to stumble on "Pi" this morning. I usually try to find poetic contributions that have something in common with the blog postings. Love and memory poems also strike a chord with all of us and humorous poems are always enjoyable.

I don't post poems touching on more serious subjects too often. Death, war, destruction are all interesting poetic topics, but I don't think this blog is the place for more than just a few and only once in a while. As I go through my books and search the internet, I often find poems that I save for a significant date. (I have a good one for Sherlock Holmes birthday, LOL)

I had "greenhorn" (an untested newcomer) mixed up with TINHORN. I didn't say anything until Lois and Carol chimed in too. Here's an explanation I found on the internet.

"The original "tinhorns" were "tinhorn gamblers" in the Old West, addicted to a low-stakes game called "Chuck-a-luck," in which dice were tumbled in a small metal contraption known as a "tinhorn." Serious gamblers looked down on such "tinhorn gamblers," and by the end of the 19th century "tinhorn" had come into general usage as an
adjective meaning "cheap" and "contemptible."

carol said...

Crockett, you devil you, a man after my own heart...hope your evening is as nice!
Thanks!

lois said...

Crockett: You gave a whole new dimension to Pascal's triangle! LOL Carol might be cicling the wagons as we speak...for other reasons! She's not one to 'waste' an opportunity. That's all she 'wrote' for Joe. She'll have him singing a fine 'tune' before too long, I'm sure.

Clear Ayes: thank you for the tinhorn explanation. My head started spinning around with the idea of a tinhorn being a metal contraption of any sort. What a concept! Wonder if the Tin Man had one. Actually, he did. It was on top of his head...his funnel cap. Man, he was all messed up. He couldn't tell his head from his tinhorn! No wonder he stayed lubricated.

Bill: So glad to see you back and to know you're done, it's over, and you're going to be fine. I'm so relieved, as I'm sure we all are. Take the pills before you start hurting. Hope you have a good night. See you tomorrow.

carol said...

Lois LOL - LOL. No wonder the Wizard wondered about the Tin Man! I'm sure he could hit a high octave with that equipment!!

KittyB said...

Bill, I'm glad to see that you're home and recuperating. I'll check in and see how you're doing tomorrow.

kazie, we're in the western suburbs.

crocket, you are definitely DF! *G*

Crockett1947 said...

@kittyb Was there ever any doubt?