google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday December 2, 2008 Barry Silk

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Dec 2, 2008

Tuesday December 2, 2008 Barry Silk

Theme: CANYONS (40A: Copper or Snake River) (Note: The clue should be "and".)

17A: Evidence weigher: GRAND JUROR

24A: Manhattan neighborhood: HELL'S KITCHEN

51A: Part of Cambridge University: KING'S COLLEGE

64A: Family pariah: BLACK SHEEP

Boy, did the theme come to you immediately? I spent a long time staring at the theme answers. I've never heard of HELLS CANYON, KINGS CANYON or BLACK CANYON before.

So close to a pangram puzzle. Only letter X is missing.

I really like the clues for BRAND NAMES (29D: Trade words?) and SPUR (61D: Stud poker?), very clever. I also like the position of CANYONS.

The clue for YOST (69A: MLB Manager Ned) is inaccurate. "Former", yes. Ned YOST was fired by Brewers after his team was swept by the Phillies in September.

Across:

1A: McAn of shoes: THOM. I just learned this morning that the brand THOM McAn was named after some obscure Scottish golfer Thomas McCann.

10A: Protest-singer Phil: OCHS. Is OCHS a popular Scottish surname? Och is a Scottish for "Gee", like German "Ach" I suppose?

14A: Dynamic opening?: AERO

15A: Red Sea gulf: AQABA. I was so proud I that I finally got this gulf name.

20A: Conductor George: SOLTI. I forgot. SOLTI appeared in a Sunday puzzle before. Wikipedia says he won 31 Grammys in his life time. And he spent over 20 years with the Chicago Symphony.

21A: American chameleon: ANOLE. His throat looks so strange.

23A: Leaky PA reactor: TMI. I don't recall being informed of this accident when I was China. Maybe I was too young to remember.

27A: #1 hit by the Fleetwoods: MR. BLUE. Here is the song. It's #1 hit in 1959, ages ago.

36A: Italian epic poet: TASSO. I forgot. TASSO wrote the epic "Jerusalem Delivered", an account of the capture of the city during the First Crusade. What does he wear on his head?

46A: Generic poodle name: FIFI

47A: Corsica's neighbor: ELBA. Notice those Italian/French place names? So many end in a vowel. Greek language is unique, with so many words end in letter S.

47A: Cologne trio: DREI. And ZWEI (66A: Two, to a Teuton). "Teuton" is so close to "Teton". Grand Teton, what a DF name.

49A: One equinox: VERNAL. This is Dennis' favorite time.

57A: Edison's rival: TESLA. Our editor sometimes clues it as "Unit of magnetic flux". I was stumped last time when the clue was "Electric-coil creator".

67A: Mann of music: AIMEE. Here is her "I Should've Known". I've never heard of this singer before.

71A: Belgian river: YSER

Down:

4D: 12 times a year: MONTHLY. I wanted MONTHS.

5D: Uris novel, with "The": HAJ. Has anyone read this book?

6D: Peer: EQUAL

8D: Amazon download: E-BOOK

9D: Hit by the Beach Boys: DARLIN. I got it from the across clues. Not a familiar song to me. Barry Silk is a Beach Boys fan. Remember his "Good Vibrations" puzzle last time? Well, it sure helped Phillies win the World Series.

18D: God of France: DIEU. And more French words: ETATS (22D: Les __ - Unis) and OEIL (38D: Eye in Aix).

11D: Laundry clipper: CLOTHESPIN

25D: Queen of Sparta: LEDA. The Swan lady. She is Helen's mother.

28D: White Rose __-Tea: REDI. What kind of tea is this? I have no familiarity with it at all.

40D: Pirate's storage: CHEST

50D: Breastplate of Zeus: EGIS. Needs a "var" hint.

51D: Cartoon Kat: KRAZY

52D: Down in the middle: IN TWO

53D: Singer K. T. __: OSLIN. I forgot her name. Nice song.

55D: Corset tightener: LACER. Is this even a word?

65D: Kenan's comedy partner: KEL. Was this a gimme to you? "Kenan & KEL" is completely foreign to me.

C.C.

68 comments:

  1. Good morning, c.c. and gang - damn, I really look forward to Barry Silk's puzzles, and this is a good example why. Lots of fresh words, clever cluing, some thought required, and doable without the G-spot.

    c.c., I agree about the cluing on Yost. Also, although the Beach Boys were my favorite group of the past 40-some years, I wasn't familiar with 'Darlin'.

    Today is National Fritters Day - don't fritter it away.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lots of fresh words... doable without the G-spot.

    Unknowns for me today were THOM, HAJ, OCHS, SOLTI, ANOLE, TMI, MR BLUE, TASSO, NAVE, DINAH, ELBA, DREI, EGIS, OSLIN, ZSEI, KEL, YOST and YSER. I also couldn't remember LEDA. There were other words that I knew but I didn't get because I couldn't figure out the clues, namely NAPEm DOOM, POE, DARLIN, CPA and ARG (simply because there are plenty of countries that border Uruguay and I didn't think of Argentina). I wanted FELIX for "Cartoon Cat". 35 minutes 25 seconds.

    Martin

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  3. Dennis,
    When did you realize the theme is CANYONS? Have you ever called someone or been called DARLIN before? "National Fritters Day"? I am hungry for some apple fritters.

    Are you aware that Dionysus is also the God of fertility? No wonder you name ends in letter S. How unique! What is Mitch Miller-ish?

    Martin,
    Yes, 面对面 is a common phrase. It's adjective & adverb. 看一看 is a verb meaning "Have a look" to me. You were right, lots of S'es in the middle part of yesterday's puzzle. I did not pay attention to it. Uru.only has ARG and BRA as its neighbors.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barry,
    Thanks for pointing out the punning of "A Little Night Music" yesterday. I completely missed the beauty of the clue.

    Democrat,
    Are you talking about your own name or Obama's name?

    Mark,
    "dashing president first to finish. It makes the papers" = "printing press". How can pres be abbreviated? There is no hint for it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Doh! I just got SPUR and TMI (Three Mile Island) too! But REDI I still don't get.

    I remember now that ELBA was previously clued as "Napolean's exile island". Didn't know AIMEE Mann either but I think I've seen her name before in crosswords. Alas, I've already had dinner: no more room for worms tonight.

    Does anybody find it odd that today "Peer" is the clue for EQUAL but yesterday PEER was the answer for "British nobleman"?

    Martin

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  6. 23A: Leaky PA reactor: TMI.

    28 March 1979 in Pennsylvania

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/28/newsid_2734000/2734499.stm


    Nuclear leak causes alarm in U.S.

    Radioactive steam has leaked into the atmosphere in Pennsylvania.

    The accident happened when a water pump broke down at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, 10 miles (16km) south-east of the state capital Harrisburg.

    There are fears some of the plant's 500 workers have been contaminated.

    The authorities have declared a "general emergency" but did not inform the public until five hours after the gas escaped at 0400 local time.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good morning CC and others..not one of my best efforts particularly the upper middle. I just could not get the mind operating in that area. I had equal for 6D and kept trying to force a "U" after the "Q" for 15A. I finally remembered a short comment some time ago about middle eastern names that had "A" after "Q". This finally allowed me to complete that area.

    I did not know Tasso, Aimee and Mr Blue. I got 40A early on and this allowed me to get the theme which helped with a lot of the fills.

    BTW where is Buckeye??

    ReplyDelete
  8. C.C.,

    I'm referring to my own name. I can only guess that Matthew comes from the first book of the new testament. My friends call me Matt though.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Martin,
    When did you catch the theme?

    Dick,
    Buckeye is lurking. I can feel him.

    Ink & Crockett,
    I borrowed the theme title "Tutti Frutti" from John Understood. He told me it's his original submitted theme title for the "Fruity Places" puzzle.

    Clear Ayes,
    Good point on the TICS clue. That's a very exotic fruit poem. I love those pineapple & durian lines. It reminds me of the street fruits in Bangkok.

    ReplyDelete
  10. c.c., I didn't catch on to the clue until I was done. 40A finally turned the light on.

    I agree, apple fritters are amazingly good.

    What does my name ending in 's' have to do with fertility?

    Mitch Miller hosted sing-a-longs. Argyle reminded me of him when he said "everybody SING!"

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dennis,
    I was thinking of the plural-forming function of letter S. Then I connected with God of fertility Dionysus & Sinned.

    Argyle,
    I liked all your theme-related song titles yesterday. The songs are weird though.

    Kazie @ 9:01am,
    I agree with Crockett. Your knowledge on languages is encyclopedic. I am in awe.

    Lois,
    Thanks for Popeye & "Well blow me down" connection last night. Holy hotwick cherry bomb! I was not aware of that.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good morning. Only a couple of bad spots. There was that trompe l'oeil for 38D and then the bottom middle part.

    I got the theme when I filled in 40A. Even though 40A is the theme, why isn't the clue Copper AND Snake River? With the clue written as Copper OR Snake River the implication is a single "canyon", not "canyons".

    Two German numbers (47A and 66A) in the same puzzle.

    White Rose Redi-Tea was the world's first instant iced tea powder, introduced in 1953. People today are probably more familiar with Nestea or Lipton.

    I would guess that the person who tightens one's corset is called a lacer. Maybe, maybe not.

    C.C. is going down that "Grand Teton" road again. Remember the conversation over that one way back when?

    The anole is back. The real chameleon is the one with the really long (DF) tongue.

    Today is National Fritters Day, Special Education Day, and The International Abolition of Slavery Day. For those who care about Britney (ugh! I don't) Spears, she was born on this day in 1981. The safety razor was patented in 1901, and Dezi Arnaz died on December 2, 1986.

    Have a nice Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  13. drdad, the Grand Tetons discussion of yore was one of the best - I remember it well.
    Ah, those were the days, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dr. Dad,
    Nice catch on CANYONS clue. Yes, I remember the Grand Teton fun we had several months ago. In fact, Kazie was talking about it yesterday. So now I know that the slang for "ta-ta" is "lolas" in Spanish, "tetas" in French, "tittens" in German, "mantou 馒头" in Chinese.

    Razzberry,
    Nice to see you again. I was wondering where you had been.

    Embien,
    What's your record time for a weekday TMS puzzle?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Richshif,
    I think Barry's take on TABS is more accurate. "A little night music?" is punny play on Mozart "A Little Night Music".

    Retreat38 & Ken,
    Thanks for the PICA/Elite information.

    Doreen,
    No, never too much information. I read your comments with interest. Thanks for sharing with us your knowledge and experiences.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Morning, all!

    Hammer time, anyone? I did manage to finish it unassisted. Eventually. But I had to make a lot of guesses (educated and wild ass) in order to do so. And I kept looking for that "X" to appear somewhere....

    My list of unknowns today is long and includes MR BLUE, DINAH (Washington), YOST, DARLIN, RIDI, OSLIN and KEL. On the other hand, I was pleased to have remembered TASSO, OCHS, OEIL, YSER, GNARL and AQABA from previous puzzles. It was also a good day to know how to count in German. And thank heavens I remembered LEDA, or else I would have met my DOOM in the center of the puzzle. ^_^

    Are you guys sure that there is actually a theme to today's puzzle? I mean, GRAND Canyon, sure. But HELL'S Canyon, KING'S Canyon and BLACK Canyon? I dunno, I think you may be reading too much into it. Assuming those are even real canyons, they seem awfully obscure to be theme answers....

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good Morning,
    I haven't got the paper yet but I know online 40A clue is Bryce and Glenwood, e.g. Yes, I was wondering about the theme when I looked at the center and the answer was staring me in the face. Hey, it's good to start the day with a laugh; now I have to leave for work.
    Later.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think you may be reading too much into it. Assuming those are even real canyons, they seem awfully obscure to be theme answers....

    They're all in National Parks or National Recreation Areas; I don't know that I'd consider that obscure.

    ReplyDelete
  19. They're all in National Parks or National Recreation Areas; I don't know that I'd consider that obscure.

    Well, you would if you'd never actually, you know, been to a National Park or Recreation Area...

    *hangs my head in shame*

    ReplyDelete
  20. Good morning C.C. and solvers,

    Yes, today's theme was intended to be CANYONS. As a matter of fact, before the editorial changes, my clue for 40-Across was "Theme of this puzzle."

    There were also several changes to the answer grid. Here's my original clues for those who would like to try and solve for the original answers:

    21-Across: Maldives phenomenon
    30-Across: Wall St. landmark
    32-Across: What gangs fight for
    36-Across: Dreadlocks wearer, informally
    42-Across: La ___, Bolivia
    45-Across: Prefix with -gon
    46-Across: Paycheck deduction
    49-Across: Mount ___
    7-Down: Unattractive aspects
    22-Down: Long distances: Abbr.
    25-Down: "__ Smile Be Your Umbrella"
    26-Down: Civil War side: Abbr.
    33-Down: New Eng. school
    34-Down: Pastrami holder
    35-Down: Mature kit
    37-Down: Tex-Mex menu item
    38-Down: Islamic call to prayer

    The Beach Boys happen to be one of my favorite groups of all time. DARLIN was a top 20 hit in 1967.

    Hope everyone has a great day!
    Barry Silk

    ReplyDelete
  21. Well, you would if you'd never actually, you know, been to a National Park or Recreation Area...

    *hangs my head in shame*


    At least you weren't trying to squeeze Uruguay in between Bolivia and Paraguay.

    Martin

    ReplyDelete
  22. Barry, got them. Never heard of Azan, but the rest fell into place.

    Ever see the Beach Boys live? I think I've seen them about two dozen times over the years.

    ReplyDelete
  23. OK, this is just waaay too confusing. I'm officially changing my name on this blog. Slightly.

    ReplyDelete
  24. BTW, for those who want them, it's (in Barry's order):

    Atoll
    NYSE
    Turf
    Rasta
    Paz
    Hexa
    FICA
    Vernon
    Warts
    Lt. Yrs.
    Let A
    CSA
    UNH
    Rye
    Fox
    Taco
    Azan

    ReplyDelete
  25. Aaaaah -- there's the missing X! ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  26. Barry Silk's originals were a bit more challenging (or so I thought). Lt. Yrs. and Azan threw me and I kept thinking of mature kit as some kind of DIY kit for old age (dumb, so dumb!).

    ReplyDelete
  27. c.c.,
    The German is Titten--which is already plural, not tittens.

    And now I'm confused--I thought the TA-TA we were translating was already foreign. Where did I get the idea it was slang for boobs? If it was meant to be a slangy farewell, then I'd have to start all over again.

    Thanks again for the compliment. You people are much more appreciative than my administrators ever were!

    Much of my language knowledge other than French and German is through inference from those and from my high school Latin. Growing up in Oz with both British and American influences also helps. After so many years of teaching, I've become aware of a lot of connections between languages and can see similarities sometimes only after years of familiarity with a word without having noticed it before.

    It didn't help much with this puzzle however. I had to google MR. BLUE, REDI, LEDA, ANOLE, and OSLIN. Some others fell into place from crosses too. Never thought about the theme until I got it here.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I had to google a little too much for my liking this morning. Speaking of this morning...the windchill here hit me in the chest like an ice bag and maid my Grand Tetons come to attention!

    ReplyDelete
  29. mark - Buenos Aires

    c.c. Good point about "pres". I suppose you have to answer the clue "it makes the papers" - "printing press" and work backwards to see if it is right. Blame the Daily Mail!

    I always think of Aix as Aix La Chapelle from Browning´s "How they brought the good news from Ghent to Aix", In which case as it is now a German town (Aachen) the answer would be "auge". However it could also be Aix les Bains or Aix en Provence - rats, I thought I´d found an error!

    chau

    ReplyDelete
  30. Dennis,
    Barry's original clue for YOST is "Baseball's Eddie, 1952 All-Star for the Senators". That's an equally hard if not harder clue, isn't it? Who remember those Senators?

    Barry Silk,
    Thanks for checking in. The RASTA/AZAN/LTYRS part would be very difficult for me. I rather like your original clue for DREI (Cologue crowd).

    Mark,
    No more cryptic?

    ReplyDelete
  31. Good morning C.C. and all...this was a hammer for me, I'm still smarting!! I couldn't even get the ones I really should have known: 9D DARLIN, but I'd never heard of it. 27A MR BLUE had me 'blue' too..even though I had the M---UE, I still didn't get it. There were several others: OSLIN,YOST,ZWEE,RIDI,IN TWO,SOLTI.
    I still like Barry Silk's puzzles though, they make me stretch what little gray matter I have left and that is all good.
    I was familiar with Grand and Hell's Canyon(s) but not Black or Kings. Thanks Razz for the links :)

    I have never had an apple fritter...is it "fried"? What does it compare to?

    ReplyDelete
  32. Razzberry,
    Thanks for the links. You are not a very talkative person, are you? I picture you to be a man of few words.

    Kazie,
    I forgot how German pluralize their nouns. Add S also? Is "titten" a special word like our "deer" (the singular and the plural are the same)? Dennis told me "ta ta" is an English slang for boobs. "Nice ta ta". Also, do you have any knowledge on Arabic? How come AQABA can also be spelled as AKABA and Qur'an can also be spelled as Koran. Why is K interchangeable with Q?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Dr. Dad,
    Did you have mantou (steamed bun) when you were in China? Did anyone tell you it's a slang for "ta ta"?

    Carol,
    Yes, apple fritters are fried. They are the closest thing to heaven: the smell, the taste, the texture... You will moan with pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Just wanted everyone to know
    in Oregon Idaho border we
    have a Hells Canyon
    North West corner of Oregon

    B E

    ReplyDelete
  35. c.c., I said "ta-tas" is American slang, not English. And it's almost always plural, as are the ta-tas themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Steamed buns and ta-tas? Sounds like it could turn to leis. I'm redi!

    ReplyDelete
  37. C.C. Ooooh good, I LOVE to moan with pleasure!! ;0

    ReplyDelete
  38. Back from the store - had to pick up some fritter-flavored underwear...

    ReplyDelete
  39. Good Morning All, I wasn't sure I was going to take the time for this morning's puzzle. When I saw Barry Silk's name, I had to sit down and start puzzling. I did puzzle over several words. ANOLE, REDI, EGIS and YOST were unfamiliar. I had to work with the perps to get GRAND JUROR from the clue "evidence weigher". The CANYONS theme came to me after HELL'S KITCHEN. That made the last two theme answers easier.

    As usual, even when the editor has fiddled around with his clues, Barry Silk's puzzles are always satisfying.

    Carol, Here's a platter of apple fritters.

    G.A.H. and I are headed to Sonora for some shopping and some Hugh Jackman. He thinks we're interested in Australian history. We are, but Hugh Jackman's presence can't hurt!

    Maybe we'll stop at the local bakery and have a fritter to make the day even better.

    ReplyDelete
  40. C.C.,"How come AQABA can also be spelled as AKABA and Qur'an can also be spelled as Koran. Why is K interchangeable with Q?"
    I have no knowledge of Arabic, but I surmise that the Q and K are like Peking and Beijing, Bombay and Mumbai. In other words, going to the "Roman" spelling more closely echoes the sound in the original language. Is that true for Beijing?

    ReplyDelete
  41. C.C. You asked about what was on TASSO's head. It is a laurel wreath. They were worn in ancient Greece as an emblem of victory.

    A.E. Housman used the laurel wreath image in Sonnet XIX from A Shropshire Lad. The poem was beautifully read by Meryl Streep in the movie Out of Africa.

    To An Athlete Dying Young

    The time you won your town the race
    We chaired you through the market-place;
    Man and boy stood cheering by,
    And home we brought you shoulder-high.

    Today, the road all runners come,
    Shoulder-high we bring you home,
    And set you at your threshold down,
    Townsman of a stiller town.

    Smart lad, to slip betimes away
    From fields where glory does not stay,
    And early though the laurel grows
    It withers quicker than the rose.

    Eyes the shady night has shut
    Cannot see the record cut,
    And silence sounds no worse than cheers
    After earth has stopped the ears:

    Now you will not swell the rout
    Of lads that wore their honours out,
    Runners whom renown outran
    And the name died before the man.

    So set, before its echoes fade,
    The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
    And hold to the low lintel up
    The still-defended challenge-cup.

    And round that early-laurelled head
    Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
    And find unwithered on its curls
    The garland briefer than a girl's.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Clearayes the apple fritters look delectable. I was wondering if anyone besides me have eaten corn fritters.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Oops, RE: Housman's A Shropshire Lad poems. For anybody who is interested. They are not sonnets, they are all quatrain stanzas. My fingers got in a hurry and didn't pay any attention to my brain. That happens fairly often.

    Dick, how about these? Hush Puppies? Made with corn meal and can contain whole corn. Deep fried and totally yummy. They are delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Dennis, well, we can now fritter the time away in grand style! Wouldn't want you to turn into Mr Blue.

    ReplyDelete
  45. There is not much I can add to the comments about this puzzle. I was familiar with all but REDI-tea and MR BLUE. Everything else came easily. And BTB, I loved the clue “stud poker?”

    @cc: Thanks for supplying the clue today. The GRAND CANYON is the only one with which I am familiar!

    @Barry Silk: How exciting that you visited us again. I wish your clues had been used. It would have made the puzzle a bit more challenging!

    @Clear Ayes: Don’t bother to shower before you go out today. You will need (a cold) one when you return Australia.

    ReplyDelete
  46. C.C. - I had to google mantou to see what it looked like and, yes, I did have that when I was in Penglai. I thought it was a bit bland tasting.

    ReplyDelete
  47. "Lacer" made sense to me because when I was a kid I used to help tighten the laces on the back of my grandmother's corset. So I was a lacer.
    Also, she made corn fritters that were delicious.
    Yes, I have been called Darlin, but it was a long time ago.
    I was aware that the noblemen of England are peers to each other. Commoners are not their peers.
    Calef

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  48. Good morning, everyone!

    Wow, I had to struggle through this one and hit the G spot for the intersection of 27A and 28D. Did not know MRBLUE, TASSO, AIMEE, YOST, DARLIN, REDI, EGIS, OSLIN, and KEL. C.C., Hell's Canyon is on the OR/ID border and is very impressive. It is billed as the deepest canyon in North America, being over a mile in depth. I know it affected my fear of heights mightily the couple of times I've been there! I'm sure I left fingerprints in the railing at the Hat Point observation tower. I was so shook up I froze on the first landing and had to carefully inch my way back down to terra firma.

    That's a dewlap on the anole. He's showing off for the females.

    According to Wiki, White Rose Redi-Tea was the first powdered instant iced tea.

    @martin at 7:35 LOL!

    @jeannie at 10:23 Now, that would be a sight to behold. Probably a canyon around there somewhere I would think.

    @carol Never seen an apple fritter? Go up to Annie's Donuts on Sandy and 72nd. They have raspberry and apple -- both very yummy. And yes, they are deep-fried.

    Have an outstanding Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Doreen,
    What kind of stuff do you write?

    Sallie,
    Beijing is Mandarin spelling. Peking is Cantonese. Chiang Kai-shek is spelled as Jiang Jie-Shi in Mandarin Chinese. Very different, maddeningly different.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Clear ayes and Crockett, thanks for the fritter info :)
    Crockett, hard as it is to believe, I have never seen a fritter - apple or otherwise until Clear ayes sent a picture. I don't eat donuts or related things but they sure look good. I know right where Annie's Donuts is, I get my hair done about a block west of there.

    ReplyDelete
  51. 14:41 today. A tough workout, indeed.

    I had AIRY for 31a: Ethereal for a long time, so was slow getting the "congratulations" message in the online applet. AIRY seemed OK for the clue and it took the longest time to find where my problem was. (The tea was totally unknown to me.)

    I thought the "canyons" theme was a lot of fun. I think Barry is in the Boston area so he may not have heard of these canyons that are familiar to those of us in the West.

    @c.c.:
    Embien,
    What's your record time for a weekday TMS puzzle?


    I don't keep track of my times, actually, but I imagine it's around four minutes--I don't often get below five minutes, but then I don't attempt to "speed solve" as some do. Most of my times are in the six to nine minute range, I'd think.

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  52. @c.c.: I think the slang term for breasts is "ta tas" (plural)--I've heard it often. Accent is on the first "ta". "Boobs" is probably the more common slang term.

    The slangy goodbye is "ta ta" (singular), accent on the second "ta".

    At least that's what I've heard in my experience.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Much better at an occasional zinger than full blown discourse.
    So...for a different slant on Darlin' - here's one from David Allen Coe - You Never Even Call Me By My Name

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  54. Hi everybody,
    Just had to join the frittering. The apple fritter donuts are very common in our area and in my house until I started eating healthier. But the picture reminded me of what I'm missing. PA Dutch cooking also has apple fritters as a side dish. They are not glazed, but are fried in a batter similar to corn fritters and taste delicious.

    Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had our 6-week old grandson around for several days and loved every minute of it. Need to catch up on my sleep now.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Hell's Canyon is also famous as the site where Evel Knievel (a somewhat frequent crossword answer)did his biggest motorcycle jump.

    The Black Canyon in CO is usually refered to as the "Black Canyon of the Gunnison" making me wonder if there's another more famous one out there.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Guday, all. Lurking a lot.

    Had the same roadblocks as the rest but the lower center gave me the most trouble Didn't know Aimee (67a) or Oslin ((54d) so SWAGed it and was right. Took a while. A tough Silk puzzle for me. Also, had Akaba at first but knew EKUAL (6d)was in err so figured, all by myself, that it must be a "Q". Smart, ain't I?

    Ta-tas and hot buns and Grand Tetons and canyons - the only thing missing is a cucumber.

    Welcome big eddie, but I won't ever ask you for directions. Hell's Canyon in NW Oregon? I think the people of Portland (NW Oregon)would be shaking their heads when I asked, "How far is Hell's Canyon?" I can hear it now. "FLATLANDER!"

    @Carl. Your Ducks stuck it in the Beavers. Sorry for the Rose Bowl loss, but maybe UCLA can pull off a miracle and you can still go.

    Well I'm off to the weeds to lurk some more. Don't bring a lot of new stuff by the time I get to the blog - most problems have already been explored.

    Last night I dreamt I had insomnia. When I woke, up I was completely exhausted but too well rested to go back to sleep.

    I must be off.

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  57. C.C.

    Thank you for asking about my writing. After having taught high school English, French (and occasionally math and typing) for 33 years in Los Angeles, I realized I knew much about how to engage the students in their learning that the newer teachers didn't know. Since "No Child Left Behind," the new teachers are taught how to teach to the state standards, but that's about all.

    My book shares various teaching techniques, involving active student participation that work while cutting down on the paperwork load at the same time.

    Other miscellaneous tips about grading, discipline, etc., are included. I'm almost ready to self publish it.

    For my next book I will learn how to write a novel by writing a novel.

    Doreen

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  58. Tasso is wearing a laurel wreath.

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  59. @dougl Evel tried to jump the Snake River near Twin Falls ID -- nowhere near Hell's Canyon. Hell's Canyon is not only a mile deep, it's 10 miles across -- even ol' Evel couldn't be crazy enough to try that!!

    @buckeye Good to see you, paisiano. Yes, Hell's Canyon is in NE Oregon, not NW. The Ducks just stomped the Beavers. What a wild, wild game.

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  60. Hi C. C. and all,

    Well I ask for it and I got it. I must have been brain dead today. Had to come to the blog site to complete the puzzle.

    Apple fritters are tasty. In our area we had some Johhny Appleseed Restuarants and they served apple fritters. Great warm with vanilla ice cream.

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  61. Good evening CC et al,
    This puzzle 'hit me' pretty hard and I hit the g-spot so much 'Ida' sworn I was having a 'vernal' flashback. I got a lot of satisfaction from it though. 'Yser-eeee' we're back to having 'leis' and that's enough to 'spur' me into staying 'anole' 'maid', esp. when 5A clue is 'cut down' and the answer I thought at first was 'he wed'. Man, if THAT'S not the voice of 'doom'! Then I thought Mr. Silk was 'aimee'-ng at my 'poe' house and culinary skills with 'hell's kitchen' where the 'dinah's here feast on 'zwie'-back and freshly 'drei'd
    'chest'nuts. 'Fifi' is lookin' pretty scared these days. 'Sofa' she's safe.

    Got to go 'leda' 'monthly' meeting and 'sit' in on a 'krazy' session with my CPA. 'One' of us better wear some protection. I'm thinkin' an 'ice bag' for him (Mr. Blue) and a 'clothes pin' for me (you figure it out).

    Enjoy your night.

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  62. Dennis: BTW, I'm crazy about the taste of apple fritters...just eat them slam up!

    Buckeye: good to see you! Lurk less, talk more.

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  63. Good evening C.C. and all,

    It seems that most of you discovered the theme while doing the puzzle. I always thank you C.C. for providing that information to those of us that are clueless. As always, Mr Silk's puzzles are fun, and when I have to G, it is about something interesting.I knew Mr Blue and Darlin, and all the canyons, even if I didn't know they were canyons.
    Like Embien, I had airy( looked fine to me) but ridi looked odd.So I checked "ridi" tea, and you all know what it said," Do you mean...?"
    I filled in "a book", instead of "ebook", giving me another unknown:hewad.

    Kings Canyon is part of Sequoia Nat. Park, known for its giant Sequoias (duh). Like Yosemite, the canyon was carved out by glaciers. I used to live in a VERY small town, Three Rivers, which is just below the entrance to these parks. We were just below the snow line, in the chaparell.Now I live by their cousins, the Redwoods.

    I also have never had an apple fritter, but I think Starbucks has them.

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  64. Embien,
    Thanks for clearing up my doubts about the ta-ta we were talking about. Incidentally, I think the good-bye one is pronounced differently here from in Oz. I grew up saying "tatt" (as in tit-for-tat) + "tah"--so two different "a" sounds, and the stress about equal on each syllable. I'm totally unfamiliar with the boob usage--hence my confusion earlier.

    c.c.,
    Titten is a (vulgar) feminine plural, the singular is Titte. The only German words that take an "-s" for the plural are those borrowed from French or English, and words ending in -i, -a, -o, or -u, including abbreviations like Kuli, short for Kugelscreiber =(literally: ball writer--no DF'ing intended--it's a ballpoint pen)

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  65. Re: 12-3-08 puzzle by Verna Suit
    If you log on to www.sculpture.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/558, Bourgeois explains why she sculpted and named "Maman"

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  66. Barry, I have only recently started reading your "corner site". I find it very interesting. I love crosswords. It is my favorite hobby. I feel however ,after reading other comments from your fans, very un-with-it. I take as much time as I have to solve the puzzle but, sometimes it takes after work hours. sometimes I can't solve it entirely. That's when I get upset. Then I go to your site and most times say, "oh,now I get it. I guess I'm out of touch. Anyway thanks for the challenge and, the fun. TJ in ohio

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  67. TJ,
    Barry Silk is the constructor of the puzzle. I am the blogger. I am glad you find it interesting and of help. Hope to hear from you often.

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