Theme: None
Total block: 27
Ah, only if I had a hammer! I wound pound SORRIEST (16A: Superlatively wretched), REDDEST (40D: Most embarrassed), SNAPPINESS (25A: Brisk quality) and MADNESS (37D: Lunacy) out of this grid.
Did you count the ER's are in this puzzle? Dizzying! Not to mention RE, ED, S'es.
I cannot even find one sparkling clue, can you? I know I keep complaining about Alan P. Olschwang's Quip/Quote puzzles, but there have never been an excess of annoying affixes in any of his work.
Across:
1A: Puget Sound port: TACOMA. Bing Crosby was born here. TACOMA is from "Tocobet", Indian name for Mount Rainier.
18A: Psychosomatic crucifixion wounds: STIGMATA. I had no idea that the plural form of stigma is STIGMATA.
19A: Founds: CONSTITUTES. New definition to me.
23A: Lesser Sundas island: TIMOR. See this map. I only know East TIMOR. I also forgot where "Lesser Sundas island" is.
28A: Highland dance: REEL. Or "Virginia dance".
29A: Orthodox Jewish schools: YESHIVAS. Was this a gimme to you? It's a new word to me.
32A: Distinct mus. tones: STAC (Staccato). Is this a common abbrevation? How do you shorten "Legato" then? "Leg"?
37A: Pillager: MARAUDER. I just learned "maraud" a few days ago.
42A: Chemical sedimentary rock: TRAVERTINE. Another new word. Dictionary says these rocks exist extensivly in Italian city Tivoli, hence the name TRAVERTINE, which is "a form of limestone deposited by springs, esp. hot springs, used in Italy for building."
45A: Land of the dead: HADES. Or the underworld god himself. Brother of Zeus and Poseidon. Husband of Persephone.
46A: Part of PST: STD. PST is Pacific Standard Time.
47A: Cyclades island: KEA. See this map. I don't know how Mr. Higgins found this obscure island. Why not Mauna ____?
48A: Examined again: REINSPECTED
51A: Barbeau of "The Fog": ADRIENNE. Wow, gorgeous photo. Are those real?
53A: No difference: ALL ONE. You would not believe it, but I really did not know that ALL ONE is the same as "No difference". "All the same", yes. Also ONE (22A: Undivided). I don't like seeing two ONE's in one grid.
55A: Misses narrowly: SKIRTS. Are you OK with "Misses" in the clue?
57A: Group of seven: SEPTET. Or HEPTAD.
Down:
1D: Pot cover: TEA COSY. Nice strawberry TEA COSY.
2D: WWI battle site: ARGONNE. See ARGONNE Forest? Not a familiar name to me.
3D: Parts of eyes: CORNEAS
6D: Extra something: ADDITIVE
7D: Takes on: ASSUMES
8D: Nocturnal arboreal African primates: POTTOS. No idea. His eyes look like glasses.
9D: People who snoop: PRIERS
12D: More sordid: SEAMIER. Mine was SEEDIER.
26DL Seven Wonders lighthouse: PHAROS. See this drawing of 1909.
33D: Infringement: TRESPASS
36D: Ancient fertility goddess: ASTARTE. I forgot. It appeared in our puzzle before. "God of fertility" is BAAL.
42D: From that location: THENCE. I only knew whence.
43D: Fassbinder or Rilke: RAINER. A gimme for Melissa I am sure. She mentioned Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" sometimes ago. I've never heard of RAINER Fassbinder. He was a German film director.
49D: Actress Sommer: ELKE. I googled her name. Great picture.
50D: Football infraction: CLIP. Not a football fan. What is a CLIP?
C.C.
Total block: 27
Ah, only if I had a hammer! I wound pound SORRIEST (16A: Superlatively wretched), REDDEST (40D: Most embarrassed), SNAPPINESS (25A: Brisk quality) and MADNESS (37D: Lunacy) out of this grid.
Did you count the ER's are in this puzzle? Dizzying! Not to mention RE, ED, S'es.
I cannot even find one sparkling clue, can you? I know I keep complaining about Alan P. Olschwang's Quip/Quote puzzles, but there have never been an excess of annoying affixes in any of his work.
Across:
1A: Puget Sound port: TACOMA. Bing Crosby was born here. TACOMA is from "Tocobet", Indian name for Mount Rainier.
18A: Psychosomatic crucifixion wounds: STIGMATA. I had no idea that the plural form of stigma is STIGMATA.
19A: Founds: CONSTITUTES. New definition to me.
23A: Lesser Sundas island: TIMOR. See this map. I only know East TIMOR. I also forgot where "Lesser Sundas island" is.
28A: Highland dance: REEL. Or "Virginia dance".
29A: Orthodox Jewish schools: YESHIVAS. Was this a gimme to you? It's a new word to me.
32A: Distinct mus. tones: STAC (Staccato). Is this a common abbrevation? How do you shorten "Legato" then? "Leg"?
37A: Pillager: MARAUDER. I just learned "maraud" a few days ago.
42A: Chemical sedimentary rock: TRAVERTINE. Another new word. Dictionary says these rocks exist extensivly in Italian city Tivoli, hence the name TRAVERTINE, which is "a form of limestone deposited by springs, esp. hot springs, used in Italy for building."
45A: Land of the dead: HADES. Or the underworld god himself. Brother of Zeus and Poseidon. Husband of Persephone.
46A: Part of PST: STD. PST is Pacific Standard Time.
47A: Cyclades island: KEA. See this map. I don't know how Mr. Higgins found this obscure island. Why not Mauna ____?
48A: Examined again: REINSPECTED
51A: Barbeau of "The Fog": ADRIENNE. Wow, gorgeous photo. Are those real?
53A: No difference: ALL ONE. You would not believe it, but I really did not know that ALL ONE is the same as "No difference". "All the same", yes. Also ONE (22A: Undivided). I don't like seeing two ONE's in one grid.
55A: Misses narrowly: SKIRTS. Are you OK with "Misses" in the clue?
57A: Group of seven: SEPTET. Or HEPTAD.
Down:
1D: Pot cover: TEA COSY. Nice strawberry TEA COSY.
2D: WWI battle site: ARGONNE. See ARGONNE Forest? Not a familiar name to me.
3D: Parts of eyes: CORNEAS
6D: Extra something: ADDITIVE
7D: Takes on: ASSUMES
8D: Nocturnal arboreal African primates: POTTOS. No idea. His eyes look like glasses.
9D: People who snoop: PRIERS
12D: More sordid: SEAMIER. Mine was SEEDIER.
26DL Seven Wonders lighthouse: PHAROS. See this drawing of 1909.
33D: Infringement: TRESPASS
36D: Ancient fertility goddess: ASTARTE. I forgot. It appeared in our puzzle before. "God of fertility" is BAAL.
42D: From that location: THENCE. I only knew whence.
43D: Fassbinder or Rilke: RAINER. A gimme for Melissa I am sure. She mentioned Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" sometimes ago. I've never heard of RAINER Fassbinder. He was a German film director.
49D: Actress Sommer: ELKE. I googled her name. Great picture.
50D: Football infraction: CLIP. Not a football fan. What is a CLIP?
C.C.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteRemember in "Good Morning, Vietnam", Robin Williams fell in love with a local Vietnamese girl? Did this kind of relationship ever happen to you or your buddies? Also, please explain to Anonymous @12:32pm yesterday "What is a hammer" since you first used this word.
Martin,
Is this HONEY girl pretty? Do you like her?
Dick,
Interesting BAL and ballerina connection yesterday.
Kazie,
ReplyDeleteI am glad all went well with your doctor's visit. I think ABASH is a verb. Are you familiar with the concept of Übermensch?
Doesitinink,
I would not have revealed myself if I were Mark Felt. I would have stayed deep.
Richshif,
I can understand "bouquet" being used to describe wine, but food aroma? New to me.
Calef,
I am sure glad I have "met" you on this blog. You've made so many thorny words/phrases easier to digest.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI wish our editor had some flexibility/forethought in his puzzle publishing. As for VOC, it's my opinion that the abbreviated and variant word should be used as a last resort, only after every alternative is exhausted. In yesterday's case, the constructor has other choices. REST & ROC are there waiting for him to explore.
Embien,
We eat rutabaga on every Thanksgiving Day. It's our family tradition.
Clear Ayes,
What's your take on bodice rippers?
Is this HONEY girl pretty? Do you like her?
ReplyDeleteNow, now, C.C., I like most of my students but I won't comment publicly about their appearance!
My my my, I sometimes miss the days when on a long bus ride I could spend a long time on a crossword. These last tow puzzles I had "finished" fairly quickly. Now, mind you, I was only "finished" in the sense that I was satisfied with my fills, not that I knew for certain they were correct: for example, yesterday I wanted CLASH for ABASH, NONI (a kind of seaweed, right?) for TUNA, ROC for VOC, SCAVENGER for SCROUNGER, TAR for DEE and ABOVE and today I wanted ALLIEVES for APPEASES, SEEDIER for SEAMIER, WHENCE for THENCE and for SAVES I tried GAINS and EARNS and finally settled on MAKES. In many cases the perps told me I was wrong but I didn't know which was wrong, those guesses or the ones I had made for the perps.
C.C., you also said that the Michael Phelps tribute was "late". It probably takes a few weeks to a few months for constructors to complete one puzzle: they probably work on many puzzles at the same time and it only looks as though they can do a brand new puzzle every week. I'm sure they get writer's block just like any other creative type. Then there's the delay due to the editor reading all the puzzles and picking the one for each day and then making his own clues. The only puzzles that are "on time" are the ones for special occasions such as Christmas, Halloween or the last election.
Martin
Martin
That should be TAY for DEE and ABOVE for ALOFT.
ReplyDeleteMartin
Martin,
ReplyDeleteNORI is the seaweed for sushi wrap.
NY Times published a Michael Phelps puzzle much much earlier than TMS did. Also, I've seen a Paul Newman Tribute puzzle a month ago in another newspaper.
I thought puzzle editors should have the foresight to have ready-to-go puzzles in their pipeline. For example, Mr. Williams should have a Watergate themed puzzle in his desk by now. Deep Throat is getting very very old.
A clip is a block from behind when the guy running the ball is in front of the guy blocking. The clip would be called on the guy blocking and trying to keep the defense from tackling the runner.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how one picks up tidbits of knowledge. My first acquaintance with YESHIVA was from my work connections with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. First ran into ASTARTE reading The Source by James Michener. Learned about PHAROS in Astronomy class and the ARGONNE from family genealogy-my grandfather and great uncle were there.
ReplyDeleteI did not know TRAVERTINE either but was able to get it from the surrounding words. I agree about all the ERS-boring fill. I really enjoyed the election puzzle, even more than the one in the NYT and it was very timely cc. But I do understand some of your beefs with this editor. He should learn from Will Shortz who has embraced the bloggers of his puzzles, making one of them (Jim Horne) the official NYT puzzle blogger and two others (Amy Reynaldo and Michael Sharp aka Rex) puzzle proof readers. Obama is reading a book that I put on reserve and am hoping to pick up at the library today. It is Team of rivals : the political genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Maybe the editor might like to give it a shot.
Though I cna't read or comment on your column everyday cc I do enjoy and appreciate it. Hope you don't hold my absences against me.
Well, maybe everyone else likes this but, this, to me, was the worst xword I've ever seen. So much so that I made a few fills, glared intensively at the clues, and promptly pushed the paper to the other side of the table.
ReplyDeleteI do not like this constructor or his ambiguous clues. SO, that being said; Good morning, all. Hope it's a nice day in the neighborhood for everyone.
Good morning CC, DFs and DFettes...not a hammer for me but very difficult. I did not like all of the RE's, ED's, S'es and ER's.
ReplyDeleteI did not know yeshivas but my bride walked by, looked down and gave me the answer. No problem!!
At best I will say interesting puzzle but certainly not a favorite of mine.
Will be gone until Sunday evening. See you then and to all have a great weekend.
C.C., about the TMS Michael Phelps puzzle, did it mention that he won eight gold medals? The Star Tribune puzzle in honour of Michael Phelps was obviously written after the Olympics, the TMS puzzle probably before: it was probably "in the pipeline" as you said.
ReplyDeleteMartin
Good morning, c.c. and gang - this was a pretty decent hammer for me today. My biggest errors were insisting on 'use' for 'purpose' and 'whence' for 'from that location' - I could only remember "from whence it cometh" and don't think I've heard 'thence' before. Also, I knew neither 'yeshivas' or 'pharos', so the 'h' was just a guess because it looked right.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for 'all one' for 'no difference' - I think it could've been better clued with something like 'unified'.
c.c., to answer your first post, our outfit really didn't have the time or opportunity to develop 'relationships' - we spent most of the time in the field or on remote bases. The two-week R&Rs led to a different type of 'relationship' with the locals...
A hammer is just an expression I used to describe a particularly tough puzzle.
Sorry for the long post - I know they're a pain in the ass to read.
Hope it's a good weekend for everyone.
Oh, and to answer your question, c.c. - yes, they're real.
ReplyDeleteDennis, No doubt in my mind!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning CC et al, Not an easy puzzle but not the 'sorriest' I've seen either. Took a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteIts'snappiness' eluded me in the SE'travertine' area. The perps and lucky guesses took care of everything else I wasn't sure of. I 'agree' CC, 53A 'all one' for 'no difference' is strange. It's been 'ages' since I've danced the 'reel' 'per se'...prefer these days to 'reel' in 'dreamers' chasing 'skirts'. It's all good.
Great links, CC. Those are a different kind of 'real' and ought to have the DF 'corneas' bulging, if nothing else, for the guys this morning.
Enjoy this 'gray-t' day.
C.C.,
ReplyDeleteBOB WOODWARD
(Carl) BERNSTEIN
WATERGATE
WILLIAM FELT (Clue: "Deep Throat")
Are we okay?
Martin
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteNot a bad puzzle or me, although there were some thorny areas to be sure. I had to guess at the crossing of TIMOR and POTTOS, neither of which meant anything whatsoever to me. Fortunately, though, I guessed correctly. The only other complete unknown was TRAVERTINE, but I was able to get it via the perps.
I got STAC via the perps as well and had no clue what it meant until I came here. I am very familiar with the word stacatto, but have never seen it clued or abbreviated that way.
Overall, I liked the puzzle. There were plenty of nice semi-obscure words that I actually knew (like YESHIVAS, PHAROS, ARGONNE, ASTARTE, ADRIENNE, KEA and PER SE), which always makes me feel intelligent.
Good morning all.
ReplyDeletec.c. et al.,
Thanks for the kind thought on yesterday.
A lot of guessing for me today, but with only two g's (ASTARTE and YESHIVAS, so not too bad.
I agree "skirts" is a bit of a stretch for "misses narrowly".
The whence thence thing is like a German equivalent so no problem there. Thence = from there (literally), whence = from which (place)/from where. It depends how it fits in the sentence:
He stopped at the oasis and continued thence to his destination. vs.
He stopped at the oasis, whence he went on to his destination.
Not sure if that makes it clear enough, but in the "whence" one there is no additional conjunction.
Hope this helps.
c.c., Yes, Übermensch literally translates as superhuman.
Good Morning, C.C.; one and all,
ReplyDeleteThe Argonne Forest and Belleau Wood should be gimme's for Marines. The term "Devil Dogs" for Marines had its origins at Belleau Wood. WWI The Meuse-Argonne battle was what opened the road to Berlin and ended the war. The Meuse is the river associated with the battle.
Thence was very common in early deeds; starting at point A, thence to point B, thence to.... The funniest one I researched was one, that in succeeding deeds, had a point listed as 1) a hemlock sapling, 2) a hemlock tree, 3) a stump, and finally, 4) an iron pipe.
ReplyDeleteGood Day C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteHad a few problems today. Had teacosy spelled teacozy and surliest for sorriest. Had no problem with skirts for narrowly misses as " The candidate skirts the issues when talking with reporters." I have used that before. Loved the photos of Adrienne and Elke. Have issue with all one for no difference. Wasn't thinking of musicial direction staccato for musicial tones, I was thinking of chds (chords).
Good morning, my friends. Barry, your mind is too good. I had the same problems as you (except "stac") but HATED this thing. Nineteen plurals, eight Proper Nouns, six total obscurities, "ed's", "er's" and "est's" - out of 66 clues -too much for Ol' Dad. Had to "A to Z" "Pottos" and "Astarte" because "Kea and "Timor" were not in my dictionary.
ReplyDeleteWould have posted earlier but took some "personal" time after the Elke and Adrienne pictures.
c.c. Adrenne Barbeau played Bea Arther's daughter on the T.V. show "Maude". She reputedly started as a porno star. I CANNOT confirm that - unfortunately.
Also, did you get my friend Cliff's recipe for rutabaga on yesterday's posting. Funny, I had the last post at 4:?? pm yesterday. I think Martin posted at 4:?? AM after me. Where was everybody?
Dennis. Like your "Unified" clue for "all one" better than "no difference". Kept trying to put in "alike". Dent work. Also, misread "Fassbinder" as "fastbinDer" and "super glue" dent work either. Got "travertine" from perps, but wouldn't recognize a piece of it if you hit me in the gourd with it.
So, for today's puzzle - stick out tongue, close your lips gently around it and blow. RAZZBERRIES!!!!
Football to watch! Bucks vs Fightin' Illini. I don't feel good about this game, but GO BUCKS!!
I must be off.
Good Morning All, It is a good thing the rest of the NE corner wasn't difficult; otherwise I would never have figures out POTTOS. I "g'd" the little critters post-puzzle and got my "Whaddya know about that" for the morning.
ReplyDeleteI had to guess that the third letter of 47A was an "A". The second "A" in ASTARTE could just as easily have been any other vowel. I had to come here to make sure it was correct.
It is fortunate we have TRAVERTINE tile in our entry, because the 42A clue was geological (Eek, science!).
Buckeye, "Where was everybody?"
ReplyDeleteYesterday, after a second post about the etymology of the word "foole" and a quick post praising a rutabaga blog, I took my own advice and "got a life" for the rest of the day. I had a nice newsy phone conversation with my sister about our Thanksgiving plans. I took Charley the schipperke for a long walk. After G.A.H. got home from the monthly golf tournament (he and his team members each won $50), we went back to the club for dinner. I had a couple of nice tall vodka and tonics, which mellowed me out marvelously and I slept like a baby.
Dennis, I'll try to keep the posts shorter...no guarantee LOL
Kazie, Hope you're back on top of your game today.
What about the expression "all one and the same"? Would that explain 53A?
ReplyDeletethanks clear ayes, yes, we're getting ready for a nice lamb roast with son and d-i-l at noon. It's good to be back on food again!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @6:44am,
ReplyDeleteThanks for CLIP.
NYTanonimo,
Please drop a line anytime you feel so, I enjoy your posts and links.
Barry,
I agree with Buckeye, your mood is too good.
Argyle,
What are "early deeds"?
Dennis & Bill & Lois,
ReplyDeleteHow do you know they are real? I find it so hard to believe that those actresses can have a voluptuous cleavage while maintaining such a tiny waist.
Kazie,
I was reading this Übermensch article earlier.
Martin,
Yes, EIGHT GOLD MEDALS is one of the theme entries in a NYT puzzle. Nobody calls "Deep Throat" William Felt. I'd like to have Richard Nixon, Plumbers, Leaks, Dirty Tricks, "I am not a crook" & Washington Post in a 21*21 grid. Oh, Ben Bradlee too. I like him.
C.C., I read a couple of romance novels about 20 years ago and haven’t revisited the genre. I understand that the hero is generally a swashbuckling type, or a sensitive poet and the heroine is usually a feisty virgin. I don’t put much stock in piratey sensitivity, or feisty virginity. A “fade to black” as the hero finally ravishes his willing virginal bride completed both of my B.R. excursions. After that, I “Ho Hummed” and didn’t try another. “Bodice rippers” are not my cup of tea. (Sensitive poetry is quite another matter. *smile*)
ReplyDeleteI like factual histories. I enjoyed Team of Rival (nytanonimo mentioned it) and 1776 by David McCullough, and I read historical biographies as well. Currently I’m reading Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. I like a lot of fiction too, but it has to have an interesting “hook”. A few favorite current authors are Cormac McCarthy, Salman Rushdie and E.Annie Proulx.
Sorry, C.C., I mean property deeds, the ones I was refering to date from 1800's through 1900's.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne Barbeau's assets were there long before cosmetic enhancement.
This is Berthold Brecht's comment on a few men who have probably been the hero in at least one bodice ripper.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying anything against Alexander
Timur, I hear, took the trouble to conquer the earth.
I don't understand him.
With a bit of hard liquor you can forget the earth.
I'm not saying anything against Alexander,
Only I have seen people who were remarkable,
Highly deserving of your admiration
For the fact that they were alive at all.
Great men generate too much sweat.
In all of this I see just a proof that
They couldn't stand being on their own
And smoking and drinking and the like.
And they must be too mean-spirited to get
Contentment from sitting by a woman.
- Bertolt Brecht
BTW, G.A.H. has affectionately called her "Adrienne Barboob" for many years.
At first glance today’s puzzle looked to be the “hammer” which we have all been expecting. But no. I found a few easy fills at the bottom of the grid, allowing me to easily complete the lower half, and from there I worked my way up. In the end I completed it all correctly and with no help.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to write “lemurs” for 8D, and as it happens POTTOS are a type of lemur found in dense tropical forests of the Ethiopian Region of Africa. I am familiar with the 20A term YESHIVAS but could not recall it. Have you seen the Bertolucci film The DREAMERS? It makes a tidy bookend with his 1972 film Last Tango in Paris starring Marlon Brando and the lovely Maria Schneider. Both are remarkable films.
As to "misses narrowly" I first thought of Misses as the plural for young women, but then realized that "narrowly" is an adverb and "misses" had to be a verb. Then "skirt the issue" came to mind quickly.
ReplyDeleteAnother comment: "It's all one and the same" is a phrase I've heard and used frequently in the past.
Calef
Clear Ayes et al,
ReplyDeleteXillus Xavier, the author who wrote the Crossword poem and "88 Ways to say Goodbye", just left a comment on the blog. Thought you might be interested to know. He says he solves USA Today puzzle every day.
for Clear Ayes,
ReplyDeleteThunderstruck by AC/DC
I just wanted to toss in my "two cents worth"...
ReplyDeleteThis was an awful puzzle and I have to agree with you completely about the quality of the clues. I really think that an over use of RE, ER, EST,IEST, NESS, is sloppy and lazy. The "staccato" clue was poor. Coming from a musical background, you just never see an abbreviation like that. Although I loved your comment about the abbreviation of Legat! Some of the clues were really pushing it, and I found it interesting that though most of the answers were one word, the two 2-word answers, PER SE and ALL ONE were very poorly realized.
I really prefer puzzles that I can pretty work without a lot of research. I think there is an assumption among puzzle designers that everyone is sitting near a computer. I keep thinking about people who may be commuting by train, or as a passenger in a car, that are trying to work a puzzle on the way to work. There is no joy in these ultra-obscure clues...
The fact that I have been speaking and reading American English for almost 60 years and still have difficulties with a puzzle like this, makes it all the more impressive that you have such an incredible grasp of this, often, very contradictary and confusing language.
We don't get these puzzles on Sundays, they print a NYT crossword.
Cheers, Kathleen (SF Bay Area)
Good morning C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteFinished up too late last night to say hey. Yesterday I worked all the "downs" 1st and it worked like a charm.Did it while the kids were doing their 20 min of SSR (sustained silent reading). Bless you Barry for explaining "contract in wrinkles."
Haven't read the comments yet, but this puzzle had way too many unknowns for me to complete it; Argonne, pottos,priers, thence,perse,yeshives,travertine...
While researching highland dances, I found that special shoes, called ghillies, are used in Scotland. Sounds like a good c/w to add to my notebook.
Jeanne and Crockett, I love your new photos. Richshif, that is a beautiful dog.Our 1st dog, Shiloh, was a white German Shepherd. We miss him. It's kind of like your 1st love that you never forget.
Kazie, I'm so happy that youare polyp-free. What a relief it always is to get the A-OK,plus you are left with a squeaky clean colon and those fabulous photos!
Hope you all have a great weekend. Can't believe it is Nov; it's in the upper 70's here, but finally our Liquid Ambers are gorgeous!
14:51 today. Had a bit of an interruption midway as wife needed a fire built (sunny, but chilly day here in Oregon). My last fill was the "O" at the cross of PHAROS and APSO (I always think the dog breed is LHASA APSA for some reason.)
ReplyDelete@c.c.: Bing Crosby is not from Tacoma--he is from Spokane, Washington. We discussed him a while back when there was confusion between his name and Bill Cosby's.
Adrienne Barbeau has been well-known for her "Dolly Parton-esque" attributes for many years. @buckeye: she wasn't a porno star--she appeared in an off-Broadway play with a topless scene before becoming better-known as Rizzo in "Grease". Her big breakthrough was as a scantily-clad character in various horror movies (including "The Fog").
@carol: JAMIE OLIVER, who appeared in our puzzle the other day, called rutabagas "Swedes", so I'm guessing that that is what they are called in the U.K. (i.e., "Swedish potatoes").
ReplyDeleteEmbien,
ReplyDeleteI said Bing Crosby was born in TACOMA.
cc: Where is the post from Xillus Xavier? I do not know how to locate it.
ReplyDelete@embien. Thanks for clearing up Adrienne's background for me. I never knew the real story.
ReplyDeleteKazie; glad your test was clean. I went for a colonoscopy a while back. The Doctor said, "Undress, and get on the examination table."
I said, "Where should I put my clothes?"
He replied, "Over there, on top of mine".
I left and never went back.
IMBO
buckeye, damn, now you're stealing my material from my colonoscopy.
ReplyDeleteI'm truly honored.
C.C.,
ReplyDeleteVanity Fair magazine revealed that William Felt was indeed Deep Throat.
RICHARD NIXON
BOB WOODWARD
(Carl) BERNSTEIN
WATERGATE (Clue: "WashingtonHotel")
WILLIAM FELT
"I AM NOT A CROOK"
Martin
C.C. I remember how much we liked Xillus Xavier's clever crossword poem. How nice that you heard from him directly.
ReplyDeleteEmbien, Thanks for AC/DC. Talk about guitar LICKS! Their "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is one of my husband's favorite's.
Does anyone remember the early 1950's TV puppet show Time For Beany? AC/DC titled "Dirty Deeds..." after the motto of the show's villain, Dishonest John's motto. I've had this photo of Beany and his Pals since I sent away for it in 1951. I think I got my Ovaltine Secret Decoder pin the same week!
I'm not surprised that rutabagas are called "Swedes" in England. In the past, Swedes (the people, not the vegetable) have proven their determination to survive long miserable winters with their willingness to eat just about anything. I love pickled herring now and can even tolerate lutefisk (barely). But I couldn't get surströmming down. That's a canned rotten fish that has to be eated outside because of the odor. It is definitely an acquired taste.
Just farewelled the kids after our wonderful time together today, and had to check in again.
ReplyDeletejd and buckeye, thanks for those kind thoughts. Sure glad my doctor isn't like yours though, buckeye!
c.c., Thanks for the article on Übermensch and Nietsche. I had forgotten about that. Never was into the German philosophers as much as perhaps I should be.
richshif,
I was admiring your dog too. we had a shepherd a few years ago, but now we have a golden retriever. All dogs are nice, but some are just more regal that others.
As an aside on boobs, do any of you remember the old joke about Jane Mansfield (I think--or was it some other well endowed young actress?) Anyway it goes like this:
Why is her waist so small?
Answer: Because nothing grows in the shade!
Clear ayes, I loved "Time for Beany" We did not have a TV in our home until the late 50's and my 3 sisters and I could choose 1 program a week to watch, so we watched 4 programs and a few my parents chose. But, my Grandma let me(I'm the youngest) watch all those silly kids programs with her when I was at her home.We sat on her bed in the bedroom. She smoked Lucky Strikes and she saved the cellophane wrappers and put pennies in them for me.
ReplyDeleteOvaltine didn't enter my world until college. Many nights my 4 roommates and I would make ovaltine. Then we pounded on our ceiling with a broomstick, and our handsome SAE neigbors came down to have ovaltine.
Kazie, very funny! Remember all of the Dolly Parton jokes?
ReplyDeleteI was hoping somebody else had read "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" because I wondered how others felt about the end of the book. It is about a boy who was born mute, and his family raised dogs;it's a beautiful piece of literature.
@c.c., thanks for the VOC explanation. love the idea of a watergate themed puzzle. and i agree, i have only heard deep throat referred to as either mark felt, or w. mark felt, never william felt.
ReplyDeletei would love to see puzzles with substantial themes like that, instead of the superficial ones we typically see.
rainer was a gimme, i liked seeing the reference again. your memory amazes me.
@kazie: glad everything came out okay.
Clear ayes, you brought back some very hazy memories... Cecil, the seasick sea serpent - so primitive, mostly sock puppets, but we didn't care. Such was TV back then. Shoot, we were happy to eat cereal and watch the test pattern on Sat. morning (very, very early). What a hoot.
ReplyDeleteI thought Ovaltine tasted like "paste" with chocolate overtones..it was Nestle's Quick, or nothing. Especially good when combined with toast and bacon 'sandwiches' to dunk. Heaven!
for DoesItinInk
ReplyDeleteWhere is the post from Xillus Xavier?
C. C. posted today at 1:12 PM a link to the Crossword poem and Xillus Xavier left a comment there.
Clear ayes, forgot to mention that when you referred to lutefisk, more memories were jarred. I heard about the horrible smell of it from everyone on my Dad's side of the family..(all Swedes and Norwegians) Needless to say, my Mom (being 100% German) did not want her Mother-in-law to make it. Mom won, so we never had to endure the smell. I thought Mom's sauerkraut was bad enough though. I never could eat that stuff.
ReplyDeleteWell. Thought my rutabaga stuff (on Friday) would have brought more comments, particularly, from "Cheers" fans. I guess I'm not on everyone's wavelength. (Imagine that!) I'll "lurk" for a while -but- "I vvvilll bee
ReplyDeletebaaaack!
Adios amoebas,
IMBO
Just got in, and thought I'd check the blog before turning in.
ReplyDeleteClear ayes, jd, carol, great memories of "Time for Beany". Carol, I'm with you on Ovaltine; I preferred the kids' paste over it.
Do you all remember the Howdy Doody Show? I had a crush on Princess SummerFallWinterSpring. Clarabell used to honk his horn a lot whenever he saw her. As I recall, I honked my horn a lot when I saw her too...
Have a good night, for those of you still having a conscious night.
Dennis; I pale in your shadow. If I stepped on your line - may my foot be severed from my mouth. You are among the few (actually ALL) that are those I care to recognize returnationalism. (See Fred). Keep me HONEST! Thank you, my friend.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on "Phillies".
IMBO
buckeye, thanks for the congrats - and to you as well on the OSU win. They needed that one.
ReplyDeleteNow Nurse Ratchet says I must go. I told her, "I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotany." She said, "Tell it to your buddies c.c. and clearayes. They probably need one, too"
ReplyDeleteI'll be "lurking". Love, Bill
IMBO
50D: Football infraction: CLIP. Not a football fan. What is a CLIP?
ReplyDeleteDefinition: An illegal block in which a player hits an opponent from behind, typically at leg level.
Examples: Clipping is a foul that results in a 15-yard penalty.
http://www.football.about.com/cs/football101/g/gl_clipping.htm
:S: In Music = Presa
ReplyDelete"a mark, as :S:, +, or §, used in a canon, round, etc., to indicate where the successive voice parts are to take up the theme."
Dictionary.com
Anonymous @ 7:31am,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the CLIP.
Peter,
Thanks. You misplaced your comment on Saturday's blog. I've copied and pasted on Sunday's.