google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Saturday January 17, 2009 Matthew Higgins

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Jan 17, 2009

Saturday January 17, 2009 Matthew Higgins

Theme: None

Total blocks: 26

Total words: 68

Now I start to admire Higgins' tenacity in coming up with themeless after themeless on Saturdays. He is obviously undaunted by the challenges of constructing a low word /block count grid.

He also seems to like 27 black square grids. I am so curious to know how he started this puzzle and which was the first word he filled in.

As usual, most of his clues are impeccably correct, straight from the dictionary. But certain liveliness is missing. And too many S and ED suffixes for my taste. LACKER (13D: One in want) sounds like a made-up word. So does BASSNESS (36D: Low quality of music?), which is nowhere to be found when I googled earlier.

Across:

1A: Louisiana county: PARISH. Is Louisiana the only state where county is called PARISH?

7A: Microscopic layer: THIN FILM. Science lab term?

15A: Hardy shrub of the honeysuckle family: ABELIA. See this photo. It's named after the British botanist Clarke Abel. Not a familiar shrub to me. Honeysuckle is too fragrant.

16A: Source of agar: RED ALGAE. Good to know. Is RED ALGAE edible?

23A: Squash pigment: CAROTENE. Also "Carrot/Sweet potato pigment". Source for Vitamin A. Good for your eyes.

26A: Wins by charms: ENDEARS. This reminds me a clue for END: Kind of ear? Very tough clue, isn't it? It took me a long time to figure out why the answer is ENDEAR.

31A: But, to Brutus: SED. Nope. My first encounter with this Latin "But". I am sure I won't remember it tomorrow morning when I wake up.

37A: Skulls: CRANIA

39A: Redhead duck: POCHARD. No idea. This POCHARD looks angry.

42A: Museum guides: DOCENTS

46A: Plants with funnel-shaped flowers: PETUNIAS. Nice picture. Do you know that PETUNIAS belong to the nightshade family?

47A: In the rigging: ALOFT. Opposite of alow. New nautical term to me. I always associate ALOFT with "High in the sky".

50A: Have a ball: LIVE IT UP. Reminded me of yesterday's NATURAL GAS (Teetotalers' bash). I could not find "It's a GAS" being referred as "Have a blast" anywhere on line. If you find the source, please let me know.

54A: Sap of energy: ENERVATE

55A: Moves in and out: WEAVES. What is moved "in and out"? Shuttle?

56A: Final courses: DESSERTS. What is this dessert? Looks like corn flour.

57A: "Gunsmoke" star: ARNESS (James). Uh-uh, nope. Strange name. Feels like letter H is missing from ARNESS. This girl looks very pretty.

Down:

1D: Cure-alls: PANACEAS. Sad to hear about Steve Jobs' health problem. Maybe he should have continued his vegan lifestyle rather than eating meat again. Who knows.

2D: Act of enduring without yielding: ABIDANCE. Such an exact definition.

10D: Prattled: NATTERED. And GAB (34A: Shoot the breeze)

11D: Batted one's eyes, for example: FLIRTED. I was thinking of the idiom "Not bat an eye".

12D: Start burning: IGNITE. Very rigid clue.

24D: Massive ref. work: OED (Oxford English Dictionary). Massive indeed, 20 volumes.

32D: Serving to pull: TRACTIVE. I thought the answer would end in *ING.

34D: Possessive case: GENITIVE

35D: Fred and Adele: ASTAIRES. Probably the most famous dancing siblings.

37D: Large slow moving beetles: CHAFERS. Here is a CHAFER. Unknown to me. Too small to move slowly.

38D: Generic game pieces: MEN. This clue is getting stale. Oscar Wilde once said "MEN marry because they are tired; women because they are curious; both are disappointed."

44D: Loser at Little Bighorn: CUSTER. If the clue is "Winner at Little Bighorn", whom would you think of? Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse?

53D: Author of "Saving Fish from Drowning": TAN (Amy). I've not read this book yet. "The Joy Luck Club" is fascinating read.

C.C.

64 comments:

Argyle said...

What a gas!

Anonymous said...

What is a grid?



FORKLESS

Martin said...

I didn't do it online: my wife had her hair done and I bought the paper and did the puzzle while I waited. I certainly got my money's worth! Unknowns were PARISH, ABELIA, RED ALGAE*, SED*, POCHARD, DOCENTS*, PANACEAS, HALTER and CHAFERS. The words marked with a * I got from the perps: I also wasn't able to get ABIDANCE, RECORDED, UNSOUND or CRANIA; I just didn't have enough help from the perps. I wanted SEDUCES for ENDEARS, STREETS for CAREERS ("Walk of life"), MALLARD for POCHARD, REMEDIES or MEDICINE for PANACEAS, PICKED UP for RECORDED, USELESS for UNSOUND and TOLLED for PEALED. What a mess!

7A: Microscopic layer: THIN FILM. Science lab term?

Check out this link from way back in 1989. It was the result of a summer job I did back then.

I was born in OTTAWA.

Am I the only one who thought ENERVATE meant the same thing as energize? Apparently it means the exact opposite. Live and learn.

Martin

Argyle said...

What is a grid?


A series of intersecting lines.
13 by 13 grid

Argyle said...

Hi, Martin, I'm with you; what I wanted wouldn't work. NW corner beat me up bad. I didn't even get 19A because I was thinking of bother as a verb and not a noun.

I am always thankful when I get what I want and don't get what I deserve.

Martin said...

I didn't even get 19A because I was thinking of bother as a verb and not a noun.

Me too. I wanted IRK for ADO.

Martin

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

Argyle,
Thanks for the visual. Nice "change" comment last night. However, I don't think any woman wants to change a man's positive characters.

Forkless,
Most of the puzzles have 15*15 grid. Sunday's is 21*21.

Martin,
SEDUCES? Just what were you thinking? As for your comment yesterday, remember I did not know the slang meaning of bird? Have a great holiday in Manila.

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

Chris,
Re: Clue Length. You might be right. But I felt so bad last time when John Underwood's OPERA clues were completely discarded. They are long but so creative.

Barry G,
Your knowledge on musical terms often surprises me.

Seattle John & Buckeye,
Thanks for the German encryption machine ENIGMA information.

Embien,
XI'AN: Your post brought a smile to my face. Thanks.

Chris in LA said...

Good morning CC etal,

SW corner held me up the most - struggled with TRACTIVE, CHAFERS & POCHARD, otherwise the rest went smoothly.

CC: Yes, Louisiana is the only state that refers to its "counties" as PARISHes. Not exactly sure why, but suspect it has something to do with Napoleonic Code - am not a legal mind, though, perhaps a lawyer will weigh in and explain.

I'm OK with WEAVES for "moves in and out" - someone who switches lanes aggressively during rush-hour can be said to be "weaving in and out of traffic".

Hope all have a great Saturday!

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

Bill & Clear Ayes,
The omission of 37A yesterday is a mistake in my opinion. The position of the answer in the grid indicates it's a theme answer.

Jim Gives & Chris O & Pete Ford,
Welcome.

Linda,
Yes. Too DF does mean "too blue".

Thea,
The "Surfboard Mishap" link is fantastic!

Chris in LA said...

CC:

Re: clue length - perhaps Barry Silk might be enticed to weigh in?

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

Chris,
I hope so. He is giving his crossword presentation today in DC.

Winfield,
Wonderful information on Thomas NAST. I had no idea he was so prolific and creative.

Vern,
I like your ABES clue.

Democrat,
Oh, no wonder I could not get Annika's card yesterday morning. It's Alfa, not AGFA. Thanks. I think Nick ZITO probably has less name recognition than Barry ZITO.

Martin said...

Martin, SEDUCES? Just what were you thinking?

You don't want to know. I know you don't want to know and you know you don't want to know. And yet you ask anyway.

Martin

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

Luxor,
In addition to what Martin said last night, every city in China has its own dialect. Our Xi'An dialect is very distinct and can be hard for outsiders to understand too.

Kazie,
In Mainland China, we all write in Simplied Chinese Characters. So I think Chinese dialects are more like your "Lancashire, Leicestershire, Yorkshire" English comparison rather than Martin's "French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese" one. In Hongkong/Macau/Taiwan, Traditional Chinese Characters are used in writing.

Doreen,
What does ll and pp refers to in literary footnotes?

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

Martin,
Mine is a rhetorial question.

Melissa,
Ha ha. I had "Blueprint hangout" on the blog the whole day yesterday.

PromiseMe,
Your USS clue is rather creative.

Kay,
Maybe some constructor can use "The Surrender of Breda" as a clue for BREDA next time. I was not aware of the painting at all. Thanks.

Martin said...

In Mainland China, we all write in Simplied Chinese Characters. So I think Chinese dialects are more like your "Lancashire, Leicestershire, Yorkshire" English comparison rather than Martin's "French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese" one.

Except that the way the characters are pronounced is so different that when people are speaking (as opposed to writing) there is no way they can understand each other.

Martin, Mine is a rhetorial question.

A rhetorical question is a question for which no answer is required. That was a question whose answer could put me in the doghouse permanently.

Martin

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

Dot,
Thanks for EZER. Very helpful.

Dennis,
Your comment yesterday brought to mind Peggy Noonan's "When Character is the King". I think we have different opinions on what real characters are. Change of certain behaviors does not necessarily imply that you have to bend your characters.

NYTAnonimo said...

Innervate means
1. To supply (an organ or a body part) with nerves.
2. To stimulate (a nerve, muscle, or body part) to action.

I think this is the word I was initially thinking of for 54A and so was Martin.

Eventually finished the puzzle without help but not a quick solve. I have not read that Amy Tan novel either cc though I've read several of her other books. Was surprised to see Amazon editorial review that panned it. Thought they never did that. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Anonymous said...

Some real thinking needed today to finish the x/w. Seemed more like a NYTimes Wednesday puzzle. Enjoyed!

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - had to deal with a frozen pipe first thing this morning -- all's well now, fortunately.

I had trouble finding any traction when I started at the traditional NW corner, finally found some in the NE, needed some perp help for 53D and 37D, then spent a fair amount of time looking at the blank space at the intersection of 'A_elia' and 'A_idance before finally getting it. I liked this puzzle - decently challenging.

Argyle, great closing comment last night.

C.C. said, Change of certain behaviors does not necessarily imply that you have to bend your characters.

No, that's true. Quitting smoking, for one, would be changing a behavior. Learning to open the car door for a woman would be changing a behavior if you haven't done it before. Your implication is that they should be willing to change who they are, and with that I disagree.

Today is 'Ditch your New Year's Resolutions Day' - is it too late for some of us?

Today's Words of Wisdom: "There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second." -- Writer Logan Pearsall Smith

Have a great weekend - off to the casinos later this afternoon, then an enormous Eagles game tomorrow; winner goes to the Super Bowl.

Anonymous said...

That pretty girl is Amanda Blake who played Kitty on "Gunsmoke"

Barry G. said...

Morning, all!

Hammer time, anyone? I don't remember the last time I just stared at one of these puzzles going, "Huh?" I eventually skipped past the top half of the puzzle and was able to make headway further down, but it was tough.

I was very proud of myself for getting ENERVATE, HALTER CAROTENE, DOCENTS, GENITIVE and (eventually) RED ALGAE, PARISH and PANACEAS. I didn't know that SED meant "but" in Latin, but (SED?) I've seen it enough in the various Latin music I've sung over the years to at least recognize it as a valid Latin word.

Two parts of the puzzle defeated me in the end, however. In the NW corner, the crossing of ABELIA with ABIDANCE was just insane. Neither word meant anything to me, and there were too many plausible letters for the intersection to make a guess. I thought that maybe (just maybe) 15A was AZELIA, but that's just because I didn't know how to spell azalea.

Then, in the SW corner, there was another brutal crossing where CHAFERS intersected with POCHARD. Again, neither word meant anything to me. I did think that H was more likely than any other letter for the intersection, but once again it would have just been a complete guess and so I left it blank.

Other unknowns today were TRACTIVE (which was easy to guess after getting some of the perps) and TAN (AMY, I presume). Not too bad, but it was the aforementioned 4 unknowns that really killed me. I don't mind a few obscure words, but for heavens sake, don't have them intersecting like that!

Other than that, my only minor quibble today was seeing TRIKE clued without an "abbrev." notation (since it's short for tricycle). I was going to complain about CLOVE being clued as "Sections of garlic," since everybody knows that the clove is the entire thing and not just the section. But then I looked it up and realized I'm an idiot, so never mind.... ^_^

Barry G. said...

Barry G,
Your knowledge on musical terms often surprises me.


Oh -- don't be surprised! I'm actually a classically trained singer and have been singing semi-professionally with small groups for many, many years. For the last 9 or so years I've been singing with a small ensemble called Vox Lucens (we just released our second CD). I never had quite enough confidence in myself to try singing for a living, but it certainly is something I enjoy doing on the side.

Argyle said...

56A: Final courses: DESSERTS. What is this dessert? Looks like corn flour.

I'm thinking almond cheescake.

kazie said...

c.c.,
On the dessert, cheesecake was my guess too. Thanks for justifying my off the cuff comment late last night.

I actually got everything today with no g'spotting, and only a few guesses and perp help. After getting LACKER, I decided it would probably involve a few more crosswordese answers, and that helped tremendously with ABIDANCE.

ALOFT is logical I think--if you were up in the rigging on those old ships, you WERE up in the sky!

POCHARD and CHAFER were guesses, but the "H" was all that made sense to fill that blank. SED was a gimme--five years of Latin 46 years ago now.

ENERVATE is another example of the E(X) prefix meaning "out of" or "away from"--removing the nerve or energy from.

Vern said...

My aged mind still cannot figure out 17 Across (Small change) or 6 Down (reins attachment). Can you help me out? I got stuck on Abelia, abidance, thinfilm, chafers, pochard & enervate.

Argyle said...

17A Small change - cent, penny, nickel, dime...

6D Reins attachment - halter

Personaly, I feel the answer is bridle but it didn't fit.

Argyle said...

You can see from the pictures, a halter takes a lead and a bridle takes the reins.

Anonymous said...

26:22 for me today what a sledge hammer. I'm sure glad you were here today CC. Thanks!

Louisiana county I put Monroe first thinking of a specific county but I realized later they meant Parish.

It should have been clued as fmr Boston Celtics star Robert


According to Wikipedia Louisiana is only state to a parish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana

Alaska is administratively divided into "boroughs", as opposed to "counties" or "parishes." The function is the same, but whereas some states use a three-tiered system of decentralization—state/county/township—most of Alaska uses only two tiers—state/borough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska

In the picture of James Arness (Marshall Matt Dillon) is Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) she operated a saloon and had a thing for Dillon.

daily dose of Metallica

All Nightmare long

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF_oAXS65bg

Argyle said...

Is RED ALGAE edible?
Yes but then, there seems to be a lot of different kinds called red algae but it isn't related to the algal Red Tide.

Do you know that PETUNIAS belong to the nightshade family?
I do now. :~0

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning, everyone! ABELIA/ABIDANCE and POCHARD/CHAFERS were G spots today. Needed that crossing letter to get them, and couldn't come up with it on my own. SED was also an unknown.

@barryg Once more I am amazed at the similarity of our solving experience.

James Arness was also a very tall man. Casting for Gunsmoke was a challenge.

Anonymous said...

CC

Do you work the USA TODAY crosswords? They only publish M-F and don't publish on holidays either.

yesterdays puzzle was Sense this by Alan Olschwang.

Anonymous said...

http://puzzles.usatoday.com/

How stupid of me not to include the link for the puzzle!

Vern said...

I really appreciate the help from your folks. Before I found this page I had to wait til Monday & then I'd forgotten most of my problems.

My confusion with "nickel" was the clue "small change" which I assumed was plural and thus put an "s" at the end. This totally screwed up "halter" (which I know, more commonly, from personal experience is a part of a woman's clothing)

g8rmomx2 said...

Hi c.c. and all,

Well like others I did not know Abelia or Abidance. I googled Abelia which gave me Abidance. I originally had irk for ado which messed me up, but finally got Panaceas and then ado. Also did not know Pochard or Chafers although I had Pealed coming down, but was missing the "h" in Pochard so I googled it to make sure. I also originally had elaters instead of chafers, but finally saw crania. The rest came easy. As BarryG said I don't mind obscure words, but do they have to intersect?

I agree with Argyle and Kazie, my guess was cheesecake and most likely almond cheesecake because of the garnish. Looks yummy!

c.c.: Merriam-Webster's 6th Dictionary meaning for gas is as follows:
6. slang : something that gives pleasure : delight, the party was a gas

I have a neighborhood party tonight so cooking up some Burgandy meatballs. Last time I made them they were gone in 15 minutes. Delicious.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Unknown said...

6D: Reins attachment.

The answer does not match the clue. Halter is wrong, Bridle is correct.
See the definitions below

Halter: A halter, headcollar, or, less often, headstall, is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears (behind the poll), and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope or lead shank is attached.
Bridle: A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a , and the reins that are attached to the bit.

DoesItinInk said...

This was a much easier puzzle than yesterday’s. I missed only one letter, having filled in “azelia” for ABELIA, showing if nothing else that I do not know how to spell “azalea”.

OED: A few years ago a book about the making of the OED titled The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester was published. It was an interesting read while falling far short of mesmerizing. In searching Amazon for the author’s name, I ran across a newly published book titled Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages by Ammon Shea. It is now on my wish list. I have $125 in Amazon rewards that are just itching to be used!

My two years of high school Latin came in handy with for filling in SED and GENITIVE. While I was educated at a time when grammar was still being taught in the schools, I learned more about English grammar from my study of Latin than anywhere else.

cc: The dessert you show looks to be cheesecake. As for THIN FILM, I do not think it is a science lab term, but in order to view something under a microscope, the sample needs to be thin enough for light to pass through it for veiwing.

WM said...

Hammered, just hammered. I couldn't get my brain in gear this morning so came here to get a few fills as a starter. That worked fairly well, but had pretty much the same problems as everyone else.
So many obscure words.

Trivia...James Arness' brother was Peter Graves of Mission Impossible(the TV Show)

I love the way Argyle always gets in the last word...and always appropriate.

Having a cooking evening with friends tonite, so off to shop.

C.C. Looking forward to the Barry Silk answers next week...fun puzzle even though I am not a huge sports fan.

DoesItinInk said...

cc: Argyle Your laughing gas link was a hoot…and much funnier than my association of laughing gas with Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet.

Barry G. said...

Merriam-Webster's 6th Dictionary meaning for gas is as follows:
6. slang : something that gives pleasure : delight, the party was a gas


True, but that doesn't mean that gas is actually a synonym for party (or "bash," for that matter). A party may be a gas, and a bash may be a gas, but that doesn't mean a gas is ever a party or a bash.

I dunno, I still think that NATURAL GAS was just clued wrong....

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, Not an easy puzzle today, but worth the ABIDANCE. I guess a person in need who avoids working would be a Slacker LACKER. I had the same problems as others with ABELIA, POCHARD and CHAFER.

My husband is a big Gunsmoke fan. He has a collection of DVDs, and watches reruns on TV whenever he has the time. We have a running argument about "Miss Kitty". He takes the high road and says Kitty was just a saloon owner. I say the Long Branch Saloon was the downstairs section of a more profitable business upstairs. Matt seemed to know the way to Kitty's room, pretty durn well. BTW, Matt Dillon was shot 60 times and had many other wounds from knives, arrows,clubs and various ambushes. He kept Doc in business all by himself.

Thanks to Argyle and HayHoHarry for clearing up the difference between a HALTER and a bridle.

C.C. "The position of the answer in the grid indicates it's a theme answer." Is that an immutable crossword rule, or could Alan Parrish have been trying to mess with puzzlers minds? Although Chris in LA had an explanation for BAR STATION, it seemed like a pretty far reach to me and I couldn't find anything online. I'm still not convinced.

"What kind of fruit salsa goes well with grilled salmon? Salmon lends itself to just about any kind of fruit mixture. Pineapple or mango salsas are particularly good.

Barry G., I agree. How about Methane-rich fossil fuel for NATURAL GAS?

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I enjoy your blog so very much because of what I learn in the process of checking my crossword answers daily in the Chicago Tribune. I love your insights into themes
and the links you insert to "enlarge the mind" as well pique the interest. Keep it up!

I don't believe you will find anything in the dictionary that will refer to "it's a gas"
or find a link to "have a ball" (live it up). In my generation "it's a gas" always meant
something you saw that was very, very funny; or something you experienced or saw someone else experience that "tickled your funny bone"--hilarious.

J.P.

Clear Ayes said...

Martin, "The effect of substrate bias on the growth of PbTe films deposited onto BaF2 by r.f. magnetron sputtering". I think I should congratulate you on your 1989 work, even though I have absolutely no idea what any any of of it means., except for "the", "of", "growth" and "onto"....No, no....please, don't explain.

Anonymous said...

C.C. ll and pp are footnote and bibliography abbreviations in research papers. l = line (on the page) ll = lines. A number obviously follows each. The same goes for p. p = page and pp = pages. When referencing a certain page, one would cite the volume and other pertinant publishing information and then the pp. 13-7, for example.

Doreen

This is what I remember from writing numerous research pages.

Doreen

Buckeye said...

Guday, all. As you, c.c., too many "s" and "ed" for my taste.

I got hung up in the NE corner and had to come here for "red algae" and "nattered". And wanted "seduces" for "endears".

Chris in LA; RE Parishes in La. It relates to "Bayous". St. John was fishing one day when a man came up to him and said' "Can I sit By-you, St. John?" He replied, "I'm going back to my Parish". The rest is history.

I know some people think I'm weird and my sense of humor is sometimes "off" or "dark", but I can't help it. I inherited from my Mother. She was "dark", also. I came home one time and my Mom said, "Bill, I'm having an affair and you can't tell your Father".
I inquired, "Why not?"
She replied, "He passed away this morning".

I must be off

Buckeye said...

Clear Ayes. Where is are pomes at? I need my daily dose of gud readin'. I need to broaden my brain, and "broad" don't mean womens.

IMBO

Chris in LA said...

@ Red Demo,

Monroe is a city in Ouachita ("wah-chi-ta") Parish. Just thought I'd share ;)

melissa bee said...

good morning c.c. and all,

don't love themeless, but i enjoyed this one, really got my brain engaged. couldn't get a grip until 17a nickel, then just kept circling around until i got some momentum. did this online, would have taken alot longer on paper.

i agree about LACKER and BASSNESS.. didn't like the clues or the answers. did like ENDEARS. didn't know POCHARD, what a beautiful bird.

interesting the 'small change' clue in light of the recent comments about changing for someone else. i'm too old to believe that a man would actually change for me - and if he did, i wouldn't have him.

off to ditch some resolutions ...

Clear Ayes said...

When Buckeye calls, people listen. Or is it more like the feeling the Michael Douglas character gets in Fatal Attraction, when Glenn Close says, "I'm not gonna be ignored, Dan!"??

Dark, skewed and funny, this should fill the bill, brother.

An Infinite Number of Monkeys

After all the Shakespeare, the book
of poems they type is the saddest
in history.

But before they can finish it,
they have to wait for that Someone
who is always

looking to look away. Only then
can they strike the million
keys that spell

humiliation and grief, which are
the great subjects of Monkey
Literature

and not, as some people still
believe, the banana
and the tire.

- Ronald Koertge

Unknown said...

Argyle appears to be correct about the origins of "What a gas." For information sake though, the term is also used by jazz musicians. I recall my fraternity brothers from the early 60's using the term also as an expression of pleasure over something that had been experienced.

Dick said...

Good afternoon CC and all. This was a ba** buster for me today. I stared at the top half of the puzzle and did not seem to know anything.

I moved to the lower half and seemed to get all of the fills, with perp help. Then I moved back to the top half and stared some more. Once I got thinfilm for 7A that corner fell rapidly. I, like others, stared at the crossing of 2D and 15A for a very long time. I finally guessed at the B which you confirmed.

Really liked this puzzle. Made me think a bit.

@ democrat, Dillon isn't the only thing Miss Kitty had a big case of!!

Buckeye your humor goes straight to my funny bone. Your nuts but I love it !!!! LOL.

Anonymous said...

mark - Buenos Aires

I´ve never heard the word "docents" for museum guides, but the word "docentes" is the Spanish word for teachers.

I agree, in UK, a halter may have a lead rein, but a bridle has reins.

Anonymous said...

36D. Maybe not bassness (an invented word) but--baseness? If a question mark following the clue indicates a play on words, this is a clever one by Higgins. That would result in 46A. being "petuniae" an acceptable plural form. We'll find out Monday, I suppose.

Barry G. said...

36D. Maybe not bassness (an invented word) but--baseness? If a question mark following the clue indicates a play on words, this is a clever one by Higgins. That would result in 46A. being "petuniae" an acceptable plural form. We'll find out Monday, I suppose.

Interesting idea, but no. It's definitely bassness/petunias. I don't have to wait until Monday, since I do the puzzle in the paper and the answers are printed on the next page....

Argyle said...

Good Afternoon,

Chris in LA said... @ January 16, 2009 7:20 AM

A bar station is that section of the bar where the waitresses place their table orders with the bartender, typically segregated from the rest of the bar by curved rails - it's a major "faux-pas" to sit within that space.

Clear Ayes said... @ January 17, 2009 12:19 PM

Although Chris in LA had an explanation for BAR STATION, it seemed like a pretty far reach to me and I couldn't find anything online. I'm still not convinced.

Argyle said... @ now

I originally agreed with Chris in LA but further searching shows what I should have remembered from taking a bartender's course. What Chris in LA referred to is the bar waitress service station and where the bartender makes the fancy drinks is the bar station.

Show me the way to the next whiskey bar...I gotta' do more research!

Clear Ayes said...

Argyle, When in doubt, ask a bartender. Isn't that true for so many of life's troubling questions? BAR STATION? OK, I bow to those who have been there, done that. How about writing an entry in Wikipedia, so it will be "look-up-able" in the future? In the meantime, keep up that all-important research.

Anonymous said...

Some of the answers in this puzzle are still a puzzle to me but I guess it has served to teach me something. I have to take my hat off to guys who make up these puzzles. There is NO way on earth I could ever do it but it serves to help keep the mind sharp and when you finish one you feel satisfied.

Auntie Naomi said...

Good Evening C.C. and All,

18:34 today. I got PANACEAS right off, PARISH, too. I never get ABELIA. I opted for ARELIA. So, of course, I got ABIDANCE wrong. I also opted for TRACTILE. Boy, do I feel smart. Like others, I got POCHARD or CHAFERS from the fills. POCHARDS, however, are clearly orange-headed. Their eyes are red.

Argyle, Many years ago, in my wayward youth, I purchased a soda siphon and headed off to the local head shop. Once there, I told the clerk I wished to purchased the NO2 cartridges. I was then informed that I most certainly did not want NO2 cartridges, that NO2 caused slow painful death. He told me that what I wanted was N2O cartridges. Needless to say, I am very grateful to him.

CUSTER was a gimme being from Montana. C.C., Neither Crazy Horse or Sitting Bull comes to mind first. It could be either. I do hope that they will one day finish the Crazy Horse Memorial.

If I remember correctly, my grandfather told me he once met the guy who played 'Doc' on Gunsmoke. It was likely at a gun show. I know he met Waylon Jennings at one of those shows.

"I have $125 in Amazon rewards that are just itching to be used!"
DoesItInk, If you don't have one already, you could apply your $125 to an Amazon Kindle. I have one and I think it is wonderful. It is great for traveling and it comes with the Oxford New American Dictionary. it is certainly not as extensive as the full OED, but it sure is lighter.

'Pineapple or mango salsas are particularly good." ClearEyes, I think mango chutney is a wonderful choice. I like Patak's.

Argyle, It is a Quark Torte. It is apparently, a cake made from bread and creme fraiche. Also, good catch on HALTER. I, too, wanted 'bridle', but soon saw that would not work.

Herman, Being a jazz buff, I think this comic is a gas.

Can you eat Red Algae? Not if it is Dinoflagellate. You can eat
Red Seaweed
, though. I have a package of this Dulse in my cupboard now.

Sorry for such a long post.

Martin said...

As for THIN FILM, I do not think it is a science lab term, but in order to view something under a microscope, the sample needs to be thin enough for light to pass through it for veiwing.

Actually, no, Doesitinink, a thin film is exactly what it sounds like: it could be a semiconducting thin film used in an electronic device, an optical film designed to reflect sunlight -say for example on a windshield or sunglasses- or it could be a solar cell.

Quitting smoking, for one, would be changing a behavior. Learning to open the car door for a woman would be changing a behavior if you haven't done it before. Your implication is that they should be willing to change who they are, and with that I disagree.

Dennis, C.C.'s perspective may differ because, as her profile implies, she left behind her life in China to get married in the U.S. I had a similar experience when I got married and lived in the Philippines.

Martin

Argyle said...

PromiseMeThis said...@ 6:25 PM

Argyle, It is a Quark Torte. It is apparently, a cake made from bread and creme fraiche.


No, not really. It is more like a German-style cheesecake. Here is the original site that the picture came from.

Can you eat Red Algae? Not if it is Dinoflagellate.

Since dinoflagellates are microscopic algae you aren't likely to be able to buy any but you can get red algae.(see my original post at 10:33 AM)

Anonymous said...

clear ayes,

I agree with you Miss Kitty ran both businesses and your right Dillon knew his way to her door.

Festus sure liked the beer!

Chris in LA,

I had found Monroe when googling good to know that it's a city and not a Parish. Thanks for the info.

Anonymous said...

buckeye should be comedian!

Dennis said...

Back from the casinos - my plan is to let them get a big head, and so far it's working just fine. Then, when their guard's down, I'll clean 'em out. Right.

Have a great night, and GO EAGLES tomorrow.

WM said...

THe oldest form of cheese in Europe,more versatile than yogurt and not as sour. There are 3 varieties Sahnequark, or Cream Quark made with heavy cream and milk( ratio 1 c cream to 4 c milk)Quark, made with whole milk, and Magerquark(low-fat or, Schichkase), made with 1-2% milk.

There are actually quite a number of artisan cheesemakers in the US that are producing good quality Quark. It really isn't Creme Fraiche, but more like a thick yogurt/cheese.

Argyle...Thanks for the link to the recipe.

The dinner was fabulous and the wine awesome.