Theme: Awakening
17A: Part 1 of a quip: IT'S NEVER TOO
27A: Part 2 of quip: LATE TO GET UP IN
40A: Part 3 of quip: THE
48A: Part 4 of quip: MORNING - UNLESS
64A: End of quip: IT'S PAST NOON
I like getting up earlier and watching the sun rise, with a cup of hot tea in my hands. It's the most beautiful moment of the day.
Some minor flaws with this puzzle:
59A: Haste result: WASTE. There should be a "?" mark for the clue.
37A: Covergirl Cheryl: TIEGS. Should be "Cover girl". CoverGirl is a cosmetic brand. I love their Lash Blast.
49D: Latin being: IN ESSE. The clue is asking for ESSE. IN ESSE is "Actually existing" in Latin.
Otherwise, just a typical Olschwang Thursday puzzle. Nothing exciting. I am really tired of this endless Evan Esar quip.
Across:
1A: Kind of crazy?: STIR. Yawner clue.
19A: Kingston trio: MTA. Another yawner.
22A: Email attack?: SPAM. Do you think Cyberspace will explode some day? So many traffics and junks.
25A: Fridge raiders: NOSHERS
43A: Singer Emmylou: HARRIS. Such a sad "For No One".
45A: Old Turkish title: AGA. Does "Old" here refer to "Not any more" or "Has been existing for a long time"? I am always confused about the exact definition of "Old".
52A: Strands, in a way: SNOWS IN
56A: Power input point: FEED. I don't understand this clue.
70A: Betel nut sources: ARECAS. See this picture. I always thought betel nuts grow on betel plants. Chewing tobacco is very addictive and so bad for your teeth.
Down:
1DL Finished a steal: SLID. I like this clue.
3D: Part of VMI: INST. George Marshall graduated from Virginia Military Institute. If our editor is not strict with partial fills, I bet many constuctors will go for a "Meet Me IN ST. Louis" clue.
4D: Play an improper card: RENEGE
5D: Off-roader, for short: ATV
8D: Packing a punch: POTENT
11D: Pay: COMPENSATE. It's symmetrical partner is THERMOSTAT (29D: A/C controller).
31D: Hawke or Coen: ETHAN. Have not seen "__ Frome" for a long time
36D: Brit. decorations: DSOS (Distinguished Service Orders). What is the equivalent for US military decoration?
38D: Matures: GROWS. I wrote down RIPES first.
44D: Brandy balloon: SNIFTER. New word to me. I also did not know that balloon can be "a large, globular wineglass".
50D: Politico Gingrich: NEWT. Or "Small salamander".
58D: Point of California: DANA. Not familiar with this city. What is it famous for?
61D: Enameled metalware: TOLE
C.C.
17A: Part 1 of a quip: IT'S NEVER TOO
27A: Part 2 of quip: LATE TO GET UP IN
40A: Part 3 of quip: THE
48A: Part 4 of quip: MORNING - UNLESS
64A: End of quip: IT'S PAST NOON
I like getting up earlier and watching the sun rise, with a cup of hot tea in my hands. It's the most beautiful moment of the day.
Some minor flaws with this puzzle:
59A: Haste result: WASTE. There should be a "?" mark for the clue.
37A: Covergirl Cheryl: TIEGS. Should be "Cover girl". CoverGirl is a cosmetic brand. I love their Lash Blast.
49D: Latin being: IN ESSE. The clue is asking for ESSE. IN ESSE is "Actually existing" in Latin.
Otherwise, just a typical Olschwang Thursday puzzle. Nothing exciting. I am really tired of this endless Evan Esar quip.
Across:
1A: Kind of crazy?: STIR. Yawner clue.
19A: Kingston trio: MTA. Another yawner.
22A: Email attack?: SPAM. Do you think Cyberspace will explode some day? So many traffics and junks.
25A: Fridge raiders: NOSHERS
43A: Singer Emmylou: HARRIS. Such a sad "For No One".
45A: Old Turkish title: AGA. Does "Old" here refer to "Not any more" or "Has been existing for a long time"? I am always confused about the exact definition of "Old".
52A: Strands, in a way: SNOWS IN
56A: Power input point: FEED. I don't understand this clue.
70A: Betel nut sources: ARECAS. See this picture. I always thought betel nuts grow on betel plants. Chewing tobacco is very addictive and so bad for your teeth.
Down:
1DL Finished a steal: SLID. I like this clue.
3D: Part of VMI: INST. George Marshall graduated from Virginia Military Institute. If our editor is not strict with partial fills, I bet many constuctors will go for a "Meet Me IN ST. Louis" clue.
4D: Play an improper card: RENEGE
5D: Off-roader, for short: ATV
8D: Packing a punch: POTENT
11D: Pay: COMPENSATE. It's symmetrical partner is THERMOSTAT (29D: A/C controller).
31D: Hawke or Coen: ETHAN. Have not seen "__ Frome" for a long time
36D: Brit. decorations: DSOS (Distinguished Service Orders). What is the equivalent for US military decoration?
38D: Matures: GROWS. I wrote down RIPES first.
44D: Brandy balloon: SNIFTER. New word to me. I also did not know that balloon can be "a large, globular wineglass".
50D: Politico Gingrich: NEWT. Or "Small salamander".
58D: Point of California: DANA. Not familiar with this city. What is it famous for?
61D: Enameled metalware: TOLE
C.C.
69 comments:
Good morning, c.c. and gang -- well, certainly 180 degrees from yesterday. The only problem I had with this was in the SW, where I wanted 'DST' for 'Summer hours at MIT'. The areca/betel nut connection was a gimme; in Vietnam, it was obvious who was chewing the betel nut by their blackened teeth.
For some reason, today is Wear Brown Shoes Day.
Have a great day; by the way, great discussions yesterday - I see we bumped right up to 100.
c.c., Covergirl is correct, because Cheryl Tiegs was also a spokesperson for the makeup.
16 minutes 28 seconds. I was well on my way to a personal best when I got caught by SNIFTER / ARECAS / DANA / FEED. For 70 across I wanted XISHIS or KIOSKS and I just couldn't get my mind thinking about anything else.
C.C., a FEED (noun) is anything that is used to feed, in this case a plug feeding electricity to an appliance.
"Haste result" is an acceptable clue for WASTE as Haste literally results in waste.
Martin
Dennis,
Thanks for the CoverGirl. I was not aware of that TIEGS was a spokeperson for the cosmetics line.
Yes, indeed, great posts yesterday. I read them with fascination. Those gums, ice chips, paper route stories certainly were not in my childhood memories. Where did you find those nik-l-nips bottles?
Martin,
Thank you for the FEED.
I didn't struggle today. Which is a first for a Thursday puzzle that I was able to solve it so quickly.
I enjoyed today's puzzle.
Nate, KW & Seattle John,
I think yesterday is an exception. Most of Verna Suit's puzzles are quite enjoyable.
Mark @ 1:49pm,
Thanks for the FLANK information. Did you serve in the Navy before?
Crockett
Who else are in your autograph book?
Clear Ayes,
"Tough" for "Neato"? That's neat!
c.c., my candy distributor carries them as well as some of the other old-style candies, but they pale in comparison to that web site I gave yesterday. I already placed an order with them for an assortment.
Richshif,
I'd like to hear your interpretation on the song "Sledgehammer", esp the fruitcage.
Doreen,
I thought you wrote tips about self-discipline on your books.
Anonymous @ 2:00pm/Tuesday,
Thank you so much for the Bourgeois Maman link. Very interesting. I've never associated spiders with positive traits.
Argyle,
Great point on "at sea" for AMAIN. I was actually thinking of RODIN for "Bourgeois sculptor" yesterday.
Dennis,
Those are real old candies, not reproduction, right? If so, are they still edible?
Good morning CC and all. Talk about a complete turn around in puzzles. Today I completed all the fills as fast as I could write. I did slow down slightly at the intersections of snifters, feed and Dana but they were gettable.
Hope you all have a great day. I am off to the gym for a bit of exercise.
Good Morning, C.C. and all,
Re: 52A: Strands, in a way: SNOW IN
SNOWS IN
Re:52A: 37A: Covergirl Cheryl:
Dictionary.com aggrees that is cover girl, not covergirl.
Dennis, what IS the US equivalent of DSO?
Argyle, I would think both cover girl and covergirl are correct since she was, after all, the spokesperson for the makeup line too.
I don't believe there is a direct equivalent for the DSO. It's awarded for "distinguished service, typically in combat", and we have several that would fit that category.
Morning, all!
Like Martin, I was breezing along until I got to the lower central portion of the puzzle. I finally got SNIFTER simply because I associate the word with brandy, despite having no clue what it had to do with a balloon. And that was enough to get me FEED, although it was hard for me to get my brain around the connection to the clue.
That left me with the crossing of DANA and ARECAS. I have never heard of DANA point. I started at it awhile and thought about DANK point or DANE point, but I was finally able to pull ARECAS out of the musty cobwebs inhabiting my cerebellum this morning.
Let's see... The only other semi-unknown word for me today was DSOS. I've seen this in the puzzle twice before but can never remember it. I guess the older I get, the more my brain gets coated with Teflon -- nothing sticks.
I thought the quip, while easy to get, was pretty pointless. I mean, it's certainly true, but where's the humor?
And lastly, I am trying very hard to forgive C. C. for not posting a picture of Cheryl Tiegs this morning. What has happened to this blog? Did I miss the memo? Has the day of the DF come and gone?
Dennis, sorry, misunderstood, my bad.
DSO is not for bravery, as such. Much lower than our Medal of Honor, right?
Guten Morgen!
After yesterday, this one was a snap.
The Internet is indeed in danger of overload and going down the tubes in the near future. The original designers never planned for all the surfing and junk mail, etc. that is taking place. It could happen by 2010.
Today is National Cookie Day, Wear Brown Shoes Day, and Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day.
It's almost Friday. And here is a swimsuit montage of Cheryl for Barry.
Have a good one.
Good morning C.C. and all.
Much better puzzle for me today,Brandy balloon did have me confused for a while. I work for a welding supply company that has a sister company that sells balloons. Needless to say all I could picture this early in the morning was some poor fool trying to put brandy in a balloon to drink.
Dick my cat is all white with one green eye and one blue eye. Lilimae is just over a year old. This year I might try putting up a Christmas tree, even though I'm sure to have a white cat ornament in it most of the time.
Thanks, Dr. Dad! ^_^
Yesterday was grad school. Today it's back to grade school. Since I have always loved school, yesterday's Verna Suit challenge gave me lots of great new stuff.
In the early years, prior to Google, my mate would ask if I was writing a term paper . . . surrounded by a dictionary & encyclopedias next to the morning crossword!
Cute quip! It was a lot of pun.
Verse of the day:
Clad in peace and I will sing the songs
The Creator gave to me when I and the
Tree and the stone were one.
@clearayes..here is a poem I received today. It is not as good as the ones you publish but it says a lot.
Senior citizen poem
A little poem for you
Another year has passed
and we're all a little older.
Last summer felt hotter
and winter seems much colder.
There was a time not long ago
when life was quite a blast.
Now I fully understand
about 'Living in the Past'
We used to go to weddings,
football games and lunches.
Now we go to funeral homes,
and after-funeral brunches
We used to have hangovers,
from parties that were gay.
Now we suffer body aches
and wile the night away
We used to go out dining,
and couldn't get our fill.
Now we ask for doggie bags,
come home and take a pill
We used to often travel
to places near and far.
Now we get sore asses
from riding in the car
We used to go to nightclubs
and drink a little booze.
Now we stay home at night
and watch the evening news
That, my friend is how life is,
and now my tale is told
So, en joy each day and live it up...
before you're too damned old!
Dick, great poem! You'll hit a lot of nerves with that one.
Argyle, if I had to guess, I'd put it around the Bronze Star level, which can be awarded for 'meritorious service'.
Easy street for me too today. went straight through without having to even read some clues. Didn't know ARECAS or DANA, but had all of arecas except the last A of dana, and just guessed it. Also never heard of and didn't have a clue about VMI and got it from crosses. Got the quip early on and that helped a lot.
As an aside, last week we had a Barry Silk puzzle where he once again used the word AQI (Air Quality Index) and I mused whether anybody other than Barry Silk ever uses this word in puzzles.
Well, I was doing today's NYT puzzle and notes that AQI was one of the answers, and I thought, "Aha! Somebody else does use it!"
And then, of course, I looked at who created the puzzle and saw it was Barry Silk... ^_^
Clear ayes,
Just checked to see the last posts of yesterday. I guess I'd forgotten the Dame part and misspelled Everage, so maybe between us we got it?
http://www.armyawards.com/ddsm.shtml
36D: Brit. decorations: DSOS (Distinguished Service Orders). What is the equivalent for US military decoration?
The Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM), the highest Defense decoration, was established by Executive Order 11545 on 9 July 1970 and implemented by DOD 1348.33–M.
The DDSM shall only be awarded by the Secretary of Defense to officers of the Armed Forces of the United States whose exceptional performance of duty and contributions to national security or defense have been at the highest levels. Such officers have direct and ultimate responsibility for a major activity or program that significantly influences the policies of the US Government. Only under the most unusual circumstances will the DDSM be awarded as an impact award for outstanding *TDY achievement. The DDSM is specifically intended to recognize exceptionally distinguished service and to honor an individual's accomplishments over a sustained period.
* TDY= Temporary Duty Assignment
I see no mention of " award only for those serving under fire. DSO" in your description of DDSM.
Good Morning All, I don't think we will get into a discussion of the pros and cons of this puzzle like we did yesterday. It was a standard Quipday. The only non-quip answer I hadn't seen before was DSOS.
Kazie, we'll have to wait for Martin to see if you were right. Yes, you...I never would have connected Dame Edna Everage unless you had come so very close.
Well-versed, Re: stanza from Inaugural Poem 1993. I see you are a Maya Angelou fan. Not too long along we added her to the blog list of Grande Dames I don't think President-elect Obama will ask her to compose a poem for his inaugural, because of this one that she wrote for President Clinton. Obama will probably give someone else a chance. Too bad, because Ms. Angelou is a wonderful poet.
Good morning, all!
This was a quick one, with an uninspiring quote. DSOS, DANA and ARECAS slowed me down for a bit, but everything came from the fills.
I'll have to take a look at yesterday's puzzle. It sounds like a whopper. Well-versed, I like your description of today's puzzle: "grade school" compared to yesterday's: "Grad school."
Have a good day.
Today’s puzzle was very easy, though honestly, after yesterday’s, almost anything would have seemed easy!
The clue “changes to fit” seems more appropriate to “alters” while “changes to survive” might be a better clue for ADAPTS. I am still confused by the 44D clue “brandy balloon”. Though a brandy SNIFTER might have a balloon shape, it is not a balloon. And hoping not to offend, have you ever tried to imagine the type of parent who might name their child NEWT? Gotta’ wonder!
@Dennis…oops! I goofed and wore black shoes!
mark Buenos Aires
I had to get shine from the other letters, for some reason I couldnt get my mind off women´s waxing - "silky" "hairless"
cryptic:
Yes it was an anagram of Dame Edna Everage, the alter ego of Barry Humphries.
The other answer: a long time is "yonks" (Americans - yanks, replace a with nothing)
Its common in UK as in "Hi, I havent seen you for yonks" but obviously not common in US.
@jd: We also had a 4 square painted in the middle of our street. I do not understand what a 4 square is. Can you explain?
@dick: Nazca Lines are a series of geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert, Peru. They are often cited as evidence that aliens once visited earth.
And thanks to everyone who shared memories of their childhoods! They were so nice to read.
Dick, Your poem was not only funny, but so very true!
DANA Point is famous (as far as I'm concerned) for having a great beach and for being the location of some of the best parties of 1959 through 1961. A little farther to the north is Balboa Island which was the location of some of the best parties my mother never knew about during Spring Break of 1960 and 1961.
I've posted a few rather sad poems lately. Here's one that is on the erotic side. Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet. Maybe his poems rhyme in Spanish, I don't know. This one is still pretty "hot" in English.
Love Sonnet XI
I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.
Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.
Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day
I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.
I hunger for your sleek laugh,
your hands the color of a savage harvest,
hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,
I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.
I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,
the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,
I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,
and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight,
hunting for you, for your hot heart,
like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue.
- Pablo Neruda
doesitinink thanks for the Nacza link and all I can say is DAH! I knew that damn I feel so stupid sometimes.
Hello, friends hale and hearty. Today is "Take a pirate to work day", so go buy an eye patch, a cutlass, a "dambanna" and a stuffed parrot and tag along with a friend to their workplace. (It really isn't, but - what the hell - it sounds like fun).
As for yesterday's puzzle, I really enjoyed the JUMBLE, the QUIPTOQUOTE and the SUDOKU. (I think Verna Suit has a streak of SADISM lurking in her dark soul. We asked for a hammer, but it didn't need to be administered by Thor).
But, we got a break today - unusual for a Thursday. I breezed until I reached the lower/center; then I bogged down for a moment. I saw 70a "Betel nut source" and all I could think of was that movie where the old lady named "Auntie Mame" was always chewin' betel nuts. I think the it was "South Side Story". Her beautiful Polynesian niece sang a song to a guy who was a Naval flier, (pilot was played by Deborah Kerr) and used her hands to do the "hands only" "gator chop". It was called, as I remember, "Hap-Hap-Hap-Hap-Happy Pillow Talk". (Doris Day was nowhere in sight). But I finally got "arecas" thru the perps. All-in-all, a good start to the day.
I remember everything on Inks list yesterday. My phone # was GArden 1432. Blackjack gum could be place over your front teeth and from a distance it looked like they were missing. I could comment on all of them, but another memory is of a candy called "Banana Split". Tasted just like bananas and cost -are you ready for this- 2 for a penny.
If you tell a joke in a forest, and nobody laughs, is it still a joke? (Steven Wright)
Already too long.
I must be off.
Martin.
"Haste makes waste" is an old phrase that is used to indicate that one should not rush through a task which needs careful attention, lest it be ruined.
Doesitinink.
Could the name Newt be a shortened form of Newton?
Calef
Hi C.C. and everyone, Fast one today with a small hiccup in the SE corner. It took me awhile to get ARECAS, TOLE and DANA. 68A had me thinking of a relative so that took longer but I did get them all finally.
JD (from your comment yesterday) what does IMAO mean?
I see we have "GOO" again, that should make Jeannie happy and maybe some of the morel men here too.
Also saw 'TA TA' again, that should 'stir' up the morels too.
Barry, I sure hope the DF'ness has not left this blog!!! Step up to the plate and show your stuff ;0
Buckeye, I always laugh. Wish you would pop in more regularly.
"Auntie Mame" in "South Side Story"?.... I know that you know that I know that you know better.
AKA Bloody Mary
Steven Wright, the smart weird people's comedian. I'm not surprised. "I used to have an open mind but my brains kept falling out."....sound familiar?
This puzzle was a fairly easy one. Only place I got stuck was the answer to 58 down which was DANA. I had never heard of it.
Barry,
Do you miss those old DF days? Maybe we should call Silk Dr. AQI.
Dennis,
What kind of medals did you earn? You still have not answered my 5:57am question.
Argyle,
Have you been to a combat zone? Were you awarded medals?
Well-versed,
You are not an American, are you? Please keep up with your verse. I like it a lot.
Anonymous @ 8:55am,
Thanks for the information on DDSM.
Kittyb,
Nice to see you. Feel like haven't seen you in yonks (Thanks, Mark).
Clear Ayes,
"I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps". What is "liquid measure"?
Buckeye,
"We asked for a hammer, but it didn't need to be administered by Thor". Nice line.
C.C. Did you have any thoughts on the correctness of 52D? I didn't see anything on this in your answers but it seems to me DISPATCHED (sent) and SMOTE (hit) don't go together.
Does anyone else have a question about that? Or an explanation?
@anonymous aka Calef 11:04 am - You are correct. Newt is short for Newton. I feel so much better about his parents now!
@clearayes. OK, I made a few mistakes. I always get John and Deborah Kerr mixed up but the rest is kinda' right on, maybe; at least SOME of it was sorta' ABOUT right.
Re: your submitted "Poem of the day". That fella' is a ghoulish predator. The dude'll eat ANYTHING!! I love him!! I, however, will pass on the fingernails. I'd rather have them "digging into the muscle taut sinews of my bronze, granite-like, glistening back". PHEW!!
My vet told me to walk my dog. I did; from Ohio to Tampa and back. That should last him the rest of his life.
IMBO
Good morning C.C. & all - for once I have nothing negative to say about an Olschwang xword. This was doable in a reasonable amount of time and still challenging. And, the blackout came rather quickly despite interruptions. I will always maintain that the quip should be clued but that's my opinion. I just don't have time to spend trying to figure out a clueless portion of the puzzle.
Yesterday's puzzle - I don't do xwords to be tortured. If I want that level of xw, I'll go somewhere other than my daily paper. That one got recycled after an hour!
Y'all have a nice day!
ttfn
Carol,
Dispatch can mean "slay" too. Do you bike every day?
Calef,
Thanks for Newt/Newton. I did not know that.
Jimbo,
No comment on those candies/chipped ices, etc? How are you doing?
C.C. I bike 10 miles and walk 2 to 4 miles 6 days a week..usually take Sat. off.
Thanks for the info on dispatch-I guess that would be a nice euphemism for 'slay' or 'kill'. "We didn't kill the idiot, we dispatched him" :)
c.c., some of those candies are still being made, maybe just regionally, and some are reproductions that taste identical.
As to the medals, not something I talk about.
Carol,
Bike AND walk every day? That's lots of exercises.
Dennis,
I suppose bubblegum is still edible, even after 30 years, right? As for the medals, I am sorry you don't want to discuss about them.
Ink,
Dictionary explains "balloon" as "a large, globular wineglass". SNIFTER is also called a balloon.
C.C. yep, gotta keep my 'girlish' figure!
Some people do a lot more..it's good to stay as active as possible.
Good morning C.C. and all,
The s.w. corner slowed me down at the end.. couldn't finish the quote.I've never heard of noshers.
Slang dictionary:" He always liked a little nosh between meals.(Fr. Yiddish)"
Dana Point, known for snazzy resorts, sport fishing, surfing, sunglasses,sailing (Catalina is close by), and they have an Ocean Institute that does research on ocean preservation.
oops, correction..s.east corner was the bugger. Haste result is a perfect clue, just didn't remember the quote, "Haste makes waste."
good afternoon c.c. and all,
just getting a moment to check in. looked at yesterday's comments this morning before doing the puzzle to see the late comments, and saw today's quip answer there before i realized what i was reading .. was i the only one? did the puzzle anyway but the challenge was lost.
have some fond memories of dana point .. a beautiful spot. didn't love the snifter clue .. and didn't know inesse.
sun is out again on the west coast, lovely day for brown sandals.
@ Carol, I was "laughing my ass off" (LMAO) because Dennis said he had lost his mind.
@clear ayes, I knew you's come up with "South Pacific".Do any of the palm trees in Hawaii produce betel nuts?By the way, taht was one hot love sonnet!
@doesitinink, 4 Square is a game played with a bouncy red ball.4 kids play at a time. There is one big square divided into 4 squares,A,B,C, and D. The goal is to reign in square A. If you miss the ball that is bounced to you, you either go down a square (A to B or B to C, C to D) or, if you are in D, you are out and a new player enters. You try to make the guy in the higher square miss the bounced ball so you can be top dog. Sorry, I'm a little wordy.
I'm off to see Australia!!I'll be thinking of that sonnet.
8:03 today. Another quip, this one maybe not as bad as others, at least I'd not heard this one before.
c.c.: 58D: Point of California: DANA. Not familiar with this city. What is it famous for?
Dana Point is known for beautiful views and the oddly-named streets. They are all "Street of the Green Lantern", "Street of the Purple Lantern", etc.
I remember spending many an afternoon in the bar of the Quiet Cannon restaurant sipping vodka tonics with friends. This is now called Cannons Restaurant, but I think the view probably hasn't changed.
Dana Point restaurant
A little travelogue of Dana Point is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-UkJcZ57cA
@jd: Thank you for the explanation of 4-Square. You must have lived in a very small town if children were encouraged to play in the middle of the street...or in a town that did not like children!
...let me know what you think about Australia.
J.D. & Embien,
Thanks for the information/link on DANA Point. Hope I will remember it next time.
Melissa,
Sorry the fun was spoiled. That's why I read comments and emails only after I finish blogging.
C.C.,
I retired from the Navy a few years ago.
@11:46 AM C. C. said...
Argyle,Have you been to a combat zone? Were you awarded medals?
Administratively, I was. There was an arbitrary line drawn that indicated what was "war zone". If you were inside that line, you received combat pay and could wear a Vietnam Service metal. The carrier I was on was in the Tonkin Gulf and inside the zone though we never even saw land. I was never what they called "in country".
JD.. thanks I know what LMAO is but you had typed an "I" or so I thought, so I thought it was something new :)
JD..I forgot to wish you all the best on your trip "Down Under"..I wish I were going too. You'll love the weather and the people. Are you going to Tasmania too?
Hi C.C. and all,
Puzzle was a lot easier today. Did not know DSOS and couldn't remember "tio" for uncle, all I could do was lust after my favorite TIA. I also did not know arecas and Dana. I thought snifter was actually sniffer. For feed I wanted plug or wire but of course neither would work. Maybe a better clue would have been power supply.
C.C., I have not given much thought as to an interpretation for Sledgehammer. I did not care for the song when it first came out but have grown fonder of it with time. The video itself was quirky at its time with the stop motion camera work. Some of the images are bizarre such as the dancing turkeys. As far as song meaning I think that Peter Gabreil is saying that he is there to fill all of your needs and act as shall we say "knight in shining armour"? As far as fruitcage, I believe it is a metaphor for a womsn's sexual center. Of course other people may have a different take on this.
carol, I think JD is talking about the movie "Australia".
melissa, I saw that late-night comment too.
Democrat in a Red State, if you would be so kind, please don't publish any answers in the previous day's blog; lots of us check that before we start on the current day's puzzle.
Argyle, you definitely earned it - you were "in harm's way".
Hi C.C.
Thanks for asking. I'm OK in spite of a broken rib. Can't go bowling for a while.
This puzzle was fairly easy for me, except for the same area that others had trouble with. (Snifter, Arecas and Dana).
Oh yes, I remember all those things of yesteryear except for the "Blackjack Gum". Maybe regional?
I remember the silent movie days and was a projectionest for a "Drive-in Theatre" at one time.
Some of my favorite radio programs were "Lum and Abner", "Amos and Andy", "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy", "Red Skelton", "Fibber McGee and Molly" and "Oxydol's own Ma Perkins", just to name a few. Anyone remember "Jack Armstrong--The All American Boy"?
Oh and mom used to skim the cream off the top of those glass milk bottles into a mason jar for me to churn into butter.
Those may be the "good ole days" and I have many fond memories, But I would'nt want to go back.
Nuff said.
Vaya con Dios
@ Carol, it looks as if I've made quite a few errors with my typing. I will be more careful.
"Australia" was a lovely movie, slow at times, and even though it was long, I never got bored.I am now going to delve into some Australian history.
"You must have lived in a very small town if children were encouraged to play in the middle of the street...or in a town that did not like children!"
I grew up in Los Angeles(1946-1952 or so) and there weren't many cars on our residential streets except for the people who lived there.We also played "Hide and Seek" in everyone's yards, even if they didn't have kids.
Dennis and JD, I feel sort of foolish. I don't go to movies and pay no attention to what is out. Sorry.
C.C., I don't have the autograph book(s) readily available, but I do remember a lot of aunts, uncles, neighbors, cousins, and classmates, as well as a few Cincinnati Reds baseball players.
I have a trio of other autographs that I cherish, though, and they were personally collected. One is the legendary Andres Segovia. I went backstage during intermission of a concert he was giving in Cincinnati's venerable Music Hall, shook his hand and got his autograph on the cover of the concert program.
The other two are Christopher Dean and Jane Torvill, the fantastic ice dancing duo from Great Britain. They were covering the World Championships in Cincinnati and I was able to track them down and get their autographs.
@carl Interesting new picture. Taken on your recent travels?
@crockett - She was a stray so I adopted her. Just a couple of reasons I like the tropics...
Hi C.C., still enjoying the blog. Today's was really easy after the difficulty of yesterday.
Dennis, please check out helmscandy.com. Wonderful old fashioned candies I remember from my childhood. My favorites are the braided horehound sticks, absolutely wonderful taste and good for sore throats, and the pure sugar sticks in many flavors.
Calef, are you still in the Dayton, Ohio area? I've been here for nearly 40 years.
TGIF to all.
Kit
JD, My family lived on Micheltorena St in the Silver Lake-Echo Park areaof Los Angeles in 1946 & 1947. I loved living there. It was very quiet and residential back then. I didn't play 4 Square, but I do remember that there weren't many cars on our side streets. You lived to tell the tale, so it must not have been very busy.
I agree with you about Australia. The scenery was gorgeous, the lead actors were gorgeous and it was a fun movie. It really has sparked an interest in learning more about Oz history.
C.C. "What is the liquid measure"? The poet has taken on an animal persona and is hunting for his lover as a puma would hunt his prey. I think the "liquid measure of your steps" is the scent she leaves. I can picture him almost sniffing the pavement in his effort to track her down. That's kind of a gross image, but this man is down to the animal core of his being with his obsession for his lover.
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