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.
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.
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.
ReplyDeletec.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.
Lots of fresh words... doable without the G-spot.
ReplyDeleteUnknowns 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
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteWhen 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.
Barry,
ReplyDeleteThanks 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.
Doh! I just got SPUR and TMI (Three Mile Island) too! But REDI I still don't get.
ReplyDeleteI 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
23A: Leaky PA reactor: TMI.
ReplyDelete28 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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??
C.C.,
ReplyDeleteI'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.
Martin,
ReplyDeleteWhen 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.
c.c., I didn't catch on to the clue until I was done. 40A finally turned the light on.
ReplyDeleteI 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!"
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI 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.
Good morning. Only a couple of bad spots. There was that trompe l'oeil for 38D and then the bottom middle part.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
drdad, the Grand Tetons discussion of yore was one of the best - I remember it well.
ReplyDeleteAh, those were the days, huh?
Dr. Dad,
ReplyDeleteNice 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?
Richshif,
ReplyDeleteI 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.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteHammer 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....
Good Morning,
ReplyDeleteI 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.
I think you may be reading too much into it. Assuming those are even real canyons, they seem awfully obscure to be theme answers....
ReplyDeleteThey're all in National Parks or National Recreation Areas; I don't know that I'd consider that obscure.
They're all in National Parks or National Recreation Areas; I don't know that I'd consider that obscure.
ReplyDeleteWell, you would if you'd never actually, you know, been to a National Park or Recreation Area...
*hangs my head in shame*
Good morning C.C. and solvers,
ReplyDeleteYes, 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
Well, you would if you'd never actually, you know, been to a National Park or Recreation Area...
ReplyDelete*hangs my head in shame*
At least you weren't trying to squeeze Uruguay in between Bolivia and Paraguay.
Martin
Barry, got them. Never heard of Azan, but the rest fell into place.
ReplyDeleteEver see the Beach Boys live? I think I've seen them about two dozen times over the years.
OK, this is just waaay too confusing. I'm officially changing my name on this blog. Slightly.
ReplyDeleteBTW, for those who want them, it's (in Barry's order):
ReplyDeleteAtoll
NYSE
Turf
Rasta
Paz
Hexa
FICA
Vernon
Warts
Lt. Yrs.
Let A
CSA
UNH
Rye
Fox
Taco
Azan
Aaaaah -- there's the missing X! ^_^
ReplyDeleteBarry 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!).
ReplyDeletec.c.,
ReplyDeleteThe 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.
Some Canyon Pics...
ReplyDeleteKings Canyon
Hells Canyon
Black Canyon
Grand Canyon
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!
ReplyDeletemark - Buenos Aires
ReplyDeletec.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
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteBarry'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?
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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?
Razzberry,
ReplyDeleteThanks 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?
Dr. Dad,
ReplyDeleteDid 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.
Just wanted everyone to know
ReplyDeletein Oregon Idaho border we
have a Hells Canyon
North West corner of Oregon
B E
c.c., I said "ta-tas" is American slang, not English. And it's almost always plural, as are the ta-tas themselves.
ReplyDeleteSteamed buns and ta-tas? Sounds like it could turn to leis. I'm redi!
ReplyDeleteC.C. Ooooh good, I LOVE to moan with pleasure!! ;0
ReplyDeleteBack from the store - had to pick up some fritter-flavored underwear...
ReplyDeleteGood 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.
ReplyDeleteAs 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.
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?"
ReplyDeleteI 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?
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.
ReplyDeleteA.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.
Clearayes the apple fritters look delectable. I was wondering if anyone besides me have eaten corn fritters.
ReplyDeleteOops, 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.
ReplyDeleteDick, how about these? Hush Puppies? Made with corn meal and can contain whole corn. Deep fried and totally yummy. They are delicious!
Dennis, well, we can now fritter the time away in grand style! Wouldn't want you to turn into Mr Blue.
ReplyDeleteThere 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?”
ReplyDelete@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.
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"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.
ReplyDeleteAlso, 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
Good morning, everyone!
ReplyDeleteWow, 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.
Doreen,
ReplyDeleteWhat 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.
Clear ayes and Crockett, thanks for the fritter info :)
ReplyDeleteCrockett, 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.
14:41 today. A tough workout, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
@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.
ReplyDeleteThe slangy goodbye is "ta ta" (singular), accent on the second "ta".
At least that's what I've heard in my experience.
Much better at an occasional zinger than full blown discourse.
ReplyDeleteSo...for a different slant on Darlin' - here's one from David Allen Coe - You Never Even Call Me By My Name
Hi everybody,
ReplyDeleteJust 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.
Hell's Canyon is also famous as the site where Evel Knievel (a somewhat frequent crossword answer)did his biggest motorcycle jump.
ReplyDeleteThe 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.
Guday, all. Lurking a lot.
ReplyDeleteHad 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.
C.C.
ReplyDeleteThank 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
Tasso is wearing a laurel wreath.
ReplyDelete@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!!
ReplyDelete@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.
Hi C. C. and all,
ReplyDeleteWell 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.
Good evening CC et al,
ReplyDeleteThis 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.
Dennis: BTW, I'm crazy about the taste of apple fritters...just eat them slam up!
ReplyDeleteBuckeye: good to see you! Lurk less, talk more.
Good evening C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteIt 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.
Embien,
ReplyDeleteThanks 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)
Re: 12-3-08 puzzle by Verna Suit
ReplyDeleteIf you log on to www.sculpture.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/558, Bourgeois explains why she sculpted and named "Maman"
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
ReplyDeleteTJ,
ReplyDeleteBarry 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.