Theme: None
Total blocks: 31
Total words: 70
Do you know the shortcut to calculate the total words? You add the number of upper-left corners (the numbered squares that form the starts of two entries), and then add that to the grid's highest number. So, in today's grid, the number of those upper-left corners is 7: BRIGADES/BLACKLIST, RIBALD/RESPECTERS, WEBER/WOODSHED, RSO/RATIONALES, SAUK/SOLAN, CGI/CEDER and CMDR/COOGAN. And the grid's highest number is 63 (Across). Therefore, the total word count is 70. Learned this trick from Patrick Berry.
I struggled with this puzzle. Felt like a snowflake falling into Hades. So many abbreviations. I would prefer "Gesture of obeisance" over "Gesture of respect" for CURTSY (19A), as RESPECTERS (9D: Those showing deferential esteem) is an answer in the grid. But is RESPECTER even a word?
I think I've had enough Josiah Breward/Willy A Wiseman (aka Wayne Williams, our editor) puzzles.
Across:
1A: Military units: BRIGADES. So their commanders are called Brigadier Generals, I presume?
17A: Suffered anguish: AGONIZED. And ATE CROW (33A: Suffered humiliation). One painful puzzle.
23A: Beer buys: KEGS. I wrote down ALES, which are not really beer, right? I've never had ale before.
24A: Unit of magnetic flux: WEBER. Named after German physicist Wilhelm Eduard WEBER, a total stranger to me. I was thinking of TESLA, which is surprisingly related to WEBER. It equals to one WEBER per square meter.
25A: Sides of a cube: SIX. OK, a cube does have SIX sides. Why did I think it should have eight sides?
27A: Brit. quartermaster: RSO. Regimental Signals Officer? Not sure of this answer. (Addendum: RSO stands for Regimental Supply Officer).
29A: B.C. fuzz: RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). I did not know that "fuzz" is slang for cop.
32A: Letters on a GI's letter: APO
37A: Like peekaboo fashions: SLITTED. Like this ?
39A: Source of hyoscyamine: HENBANE. No idea. Maybe hens know. Dictionary says HENBANE is of the nightshade family, having sticky, hairy fetid foliage and greenish-yellow flowers, and possessing narcotic and poisonous properties esp. destructive to domestic fowls." This word 'hyoscyamine" does sound very toxic.
40A: Computer mavens: TECHIES. I was shocked to see Microsoft/Intel laying off such a high percentage of their employees, very spooky.
43A: Hebrew letter: YODH. No idea. It's the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I only know the first letter Aleph. The first letter of Arabic alphabet is Alif.
44A: Pub. submissions: MSS (Manuscripts)
45A: Karachi's nat.: PAK. Have never seen Pakistan abbreviated this way before. She is my favorite PAK, a young LPGA Hall of Famer. Her name is acturally (Se Ri) PARK, a very common Korean surname meaning "simple". Baseball fans probably know Chan Ho PARK, a new Philly.
46A: PC pic: CGI. Computer-Generated Imagery? I got this from the down fills.
53A: Singer Gibb: ANDY. Here is his "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything". Not a familiar ANDY to me. I like him.
54A: "The Kid" star Jackie: COOGAN. I googled this kid. He looks intelligent.
58A: Canonical hour: COMPLINE. Stumper. It's "the last of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, originally occurring after the evening meal but now usually following immediately upon vespers."
Down:
1D: Exclude: BLACKLIST. Ostracize has 9-letter as well.
2D: Household novel: ROGUE MALE. Here is the book cover. I've never heard of the book or the author. I thought "Household" is just a "household", and ROMANCE does not fit.
3D: Like noncarbon-based compounds: INORGANIC. I found the best organic whole cashew (raw) in a SuperTarget store a couple of months ago. So sweet and fresh. Much better than the Trader Joe's ones.
7D: Suffix in linguistics: EME. As in morpheme. I misread the clue as "Suffix in language", so my answer was ESE.
8D: Grasslike plant: SEDGE. I can never commit this swamp SEDGE into my memory. I think my brain is full.
13D: The king of France: LE ROI. Louis XIV is called LE ROI Soleil. Why would he want to dress that way?
14D: Start of a rehab program: DETOX. "Start"? I thought the whole process is called DETOX.
27D: Fundamental grounds: RATIONALES. I was thinking of PRINCIPALS (I always confuse principal with principle), which also has 10 letters.
28D: Haste: SPEEDINESS. They are not the same to me. Haste has a negative understone.
30D:Dangerous insulation mtl.: PCB. Learned from doing Xword. I don't know why they are "Dangerous".
34D: Out of control: RAMPAGING. Reminds me of those RAMPAGING looters in Baghdad after the invasion. I wonder how many valuable piceces are missing from their National Museum.
35D: All in all: ON BALANCE
36D: About to swoon: WEAK-KNEED. When? When you see this?
47D: Gannet goose: SOLAN. SOLAN goose, yes, but not "Gannet goose".
50D: Spandex brand: LYCRA. I wonder why DuPont named it LYCRA. It's not a Greek/Roman/Egyptian goddess or anything, right?
54D: Letters for Spock or Riker: CMDR (Commander). Not a familiar abbreviation to me.
55D: Eye defect: suff.: OPIA. As in myopia. New suffix to me also.
C.C.
Total blocks: 31
Total words: 70
Do you know the shortcut to calculate the total words? You add the number of upper-left corners (the numbered squares that form the starts of two entries), and then add that to the grid's highest number. So, in today's grid, the number of those upper-left corners is 7: BRIGADES/BLACKLIST, RIBALD/RESPECTERS, WEBER/WOODSHED, RSO/RATIONALES, SAUK/SOLAN, CGI/CEDER and CMDR/COOGAN. And the grid's highest number is 63 (Across). Therefore, the total word count is 70. Learned this trick from Patrick Berry.
I struggled with this puzzle. Felt like a snowflake falling into Hades. So many abbreviations. I would prefer "Gesture of obeisance" over "Gesture of respect" for CURTSY (19A), as RESPECTERS (9D: Those showing deferential esteem) is an answer in the grid. But is RESPECTER even a word?
I think I've had enough Josiah Breward/Willy A Wiseman (aka Wayne Williams, our editor) puzzles.
Across:
1A: Military units: BRIGADES. So their commanders are called Brigadier Generals, I presume?
17A: Suffered anguish: AGONIZED. And ATE CROW (33A: Suffered humiliation). One painful puzzle.
23A: Beer buys: KEGS. I wrote down ALES, which are not really beer, right? I've never had ale before.
24A: Unit of magnetic flux: WEBER. Named after German physicist Wilhelm Eduard WEBER, a total stranger to me. I was thinking of TESLA, which is surprisingly related to WEBER. It equals to one WEBER per square meter.
25A: Sides of a cube: SIX. OK, a cube does have SIX sides. Why did I think it should have eight sides?
27A: Brit. quartermaster: RSO. Regimental Signals Officer? Not sure of this answer. (Addendum: RSO stands for Regimental Supply Officer).
29A: B.C. fuzz: RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). I did not know that "fuzz" is slang for cop.
32A: Letters on a GI's letter: APO
37A: Like peekaboo fashions: SLITTED. Like this ?
39A: Source of hyoscyamine: HENBANE. No idea. Maybe hens know. Dictionary says HENBANE is of the nightshade family, having sticky, hairy fetid foliage and greenish-yellow flowers, and possessing narcotic and poisonous properties esp. destructive to domestic fowls." This word 'hyoscyamine" does sound very toxic.
40A: Computer mavens: TECHIES. I was shocked to see Microsoft/Intel laying off such a high percentage of their employees, very spooky.
43A: Hebrew letter: YODH. No idea. It's the 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I only know the first letter Aleph. The first letter of Arabic alphabet is Alif.
44A: Pub. submissions: MSS (Manuscripts)
45A: Karachi's nat.: PAK. Have never seen Pakistan abbreviated this way before. She is my favorite PAK, a young LPGA Hall of Famer. Her name is acturally (Se Ri) PARK, a very common Korean surname meaning "simple". Baseball fans probably know Chan Ho PARK, a new Philly.
46A: PC pic: CGI. Computer-Generated Imagery? I got this from the down fills.
53A: Singer Gibb: ANDY. Here is his "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything". Not a familiar ANDY to me. I like him.
54A: "The Kid" star Jackie: COOGAN. I googled this kid. He looks intelligent.
58A: Canonical hour: COMPLINE. Stumper. It's "the last of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, originally occurring after the evening meal but now usually following immediately upon vespers."
Down:
1D: Exclude: BLACKLIST. Ostracize has 9-letter as well.
2D: Household novel: ROGUE MALE. Here is the book cover. I've never heard of the book or the author. I thought "Household" is just a "household", and ROMANCE does not fit.
3D: Like noncarbon-based compounds: INORGANIC. I found the best organic whole cashew (raw) in a SuperTarget store a couple of months ago. So sweet and fresh. Much better than the Trader Joe's ones.
7D: Suffix in linguistics: EME. As in morpheme. I misread the clue as "Suffix in language", so my answer was ESE.
8D: Grasslike plant: SEDGE. I can never commit this swamp SEDGE into my memory. I think my brain is full.
13D: The king of France: LE ROI. Louis XIV is called LE ROI Soleil. Why would he want to dress that way?
14D: Start of a rehab program: DETOX. "Start"? I thought the whole process is called DETOX.
27D: Fundamental grounds: RATIONALES. I was thinking of PRINCIPALS (I always confuse principal with principle), which also has 10 letters.
28D: Haste: SPEEDINESS. They are not the same to me. Haste has a negative understone.
30D:Dangerous insulation mtl.: PCB. Learned from doing Xword. I don't know why they are "Dangerous".
34D: Out of control: RAMPAGING. Reminds me of those RAMPAGING looters in Baghdad after the invasion. I wonder how many valuable piceces are missing from their National Museum.
35D: All in all: ON BALANCE
36D: About to swoon: WEAK-KNEED. When? When you see this?
47D: Gannet goose: SOLAN. SOLAN goose, yes, but not "Gannet goose".
50D: Spandex brand: LYCRA. I wonder why DuPont named it LYCRA. It's not a Greek/Roman/Egyptian goddess or anything, right?
54D: Letters for Spock or Riker: CMDR (Commander). Not a familiar abbreviation to me.
55D: Eye defect: suff.: OPIA. As in myopia. New suffix to me also.
C.C.
good morning c.c.,
ReplyDeletei struggled a bit with this one, too. interesting about calculating total words in a puzzle, i had no idea it was so mathmatically precise.
ale is indeed a type of beer, you've probably had it without realizing.
did not know henbane, rso, yodh, sedge, or compline.
would never become weak kneed at the sight of a diamond. does very little for me.
much needed rain here on the west coast, perfect snuggle weather.
Good morning, C.C., et.al.
ReplyDeleteNice shortcut to the word count, C.C. I will try to remember that.
I had a bit of a struggle today. Some googling involved.
Coogan reminds me of the movie "Coogan's Bluff" that starred Clint Eastwood and was the basis for the TV series "McCloud" starring Dennis Weaver (who also played Chester on "Gunsmoke").
Never heard of "Weber."
Got them from the perps but still don't know what APO and RSO stand for. Didn't look them up, either.
A good place to see the word "fuzz" in use is in the Dirty Harry/Clint Eastwood movie, "The Enforcer" (the one where the mayor is held hostage in Alcatraz). when Dirty Harry and Inspector Moore (Tyne Daly) go to Big Ed Mustafa's shop to get information, one of the black guys says, "Look here. If it isn't the 'Fuzz."
Wasn't there a 'blacklist' of actors/directors back in the Joe McCarthy era for the 'Communist Scare/Red Menace'?
Detox is the process to get you "dried out" so that you can then get going with the rehab so you don't go back to drugs and/or alcohol.
PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls) cause significant health effects in humans (rashes, lesions, fatigue, etc.) and are suspected to cause poor cognitive development in children. Their big hazard is that they do not break down easily and are persistent organic pollutants. They also bioaccumulate in animals.
Today is Beer Can Appreciation Day and National Peanut Butter Day. I don't think I would try peanut butter with beer. But you can share a beer with a friend and pay them a compliment because it is also Compliment Day.
It was good to be able to get here today and post early. I haven't been able to do that and probably won't during the week. Sorry my comment was a bit lengthy but I thought I would make up for lost space this past week.
Have a great Saturday.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteWhat will make you WEAK-KNEED then?
Dr. Dad,
So the DETOX clue is correct?
PromiseMe,
Are you going to attend "Music and the Brain" discussions? Sounds interesting. The Times (London) does hold an annual Xword Championship.
Johnboy & Seattle John,
ReplyDeleteInteresting information on those PAPUAN languages. Thanks.
Linda,
The braid, or rather the "queue" is a symbol of repression and regression to us. The Manchu imposed this hairstyle upon Han Chinese when they took over China in 1604.
The Hayraker,
Thanks for the SPHINX information. I was wondering what happened to his nose.
Calef & Martin,
ReplyDeleteBlackmarketeer is a verb. Marketeer is a noun.
Kazie,
Re: IN REM. Can you explain to me what's the difference between dative and ablative again? Would appreciate examples as well. Thanks.
Argyle,
What's the difference between the two TARE links? FYI, the man on the two YUAN pictures you linked is Sun YAT-SEN.
C-word Prodigy,
ReplyDeleteWhere are you based?
BobR,
Thanks for the National Pi Day information. I think we will celebrate it on March 14.
JD,
Thanks for the Greek female version of the SPHINX. I was unaware of that.
C.C. - yes, I believe so. Detox gets you off the drugs/alcohol at the beginning of the rehab program. It can involve the use of other drugs to fight the withdrawal symptoms you encounter (delirium, violent behavior, shaking, etc.) The remainder of the program is designed to keep you from returning to the addictive drugs/alcohol.
ReplyDeleteSuperfrey,
ReplyDeleteChina also had a horrendous book burning during Qin Dynasty (221BC -207BC). Most western literature were also burned during Mao's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
Clear Ayes,
Google! Always be curious and google!
Good morning CC et al., The word count shortcut is interesting, CC. Thanks for sharing that. As for King Louis XIV's reason for dressing that way? To show off his 'manly' gams, tights and heels. He's a little conflicted.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing good about this puzzle is that Melissa and Drdad are both here. Good to see you two.
'Agonized' over this too long and finally tossed and 'retoss'ed this not 'doable' one. I've got more enjoyable things to do -like get my fingernails ripped off one at a time. I'm just going to go appreciate the beer cans from last night and compliment a friend. Ever see a dog eat peanut butter? Hysterical!
Good Morning Jeannie CC and others,
ReplyDelete30:23 for me today lots of help from one across dot com.
I guess without hammers nails would be lonesome.
did not know henbane, yodh, sedge, compline, PCB , solan & pak.
59 Dinghy mover I wanted tug as in tugboat.
Fuzz is 70's urban slang for policeman.
Fuzz- A term for the cops used by people who have no respect for them.
As in.........
~Hurry Maria, lets hide I hear the fuzz is after us!
Enjoy some smooth jazz this Saturday morning........
Dave Stewart with Candy Dulfer Lilly Was here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhSx8uKdD5o
Lois,
ReplyDeleteHmmm, is Dennis conflicted as well? See his gams every morning.
Wolfmom/Argyle,
Thank you for the SPHINX/Griffin explanation yesterday. I am confused, but happily so.
Here's some background on the youtube posted by Democrat.......
ReplyDelete"Lily Was Here" is a single, released in November 1989, from the soundtrack of the Dutch movie De Kassière.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Was_Here
I wanted to rent the movie but neither blockbuster or netflix have it.
Red Smitty
Good morning CC and all, this is two days in a row that I needed help to complete the puzzle. I see that we have "Gannet Goose" again. It's funny Wikipedia always spells Gannet with another "T" at the end. I had no idea what hyoscyamine is, was or ever will be. I think this clue stinks. I have not completed the cw yet so I will get off before I see any answers. Be back later.
ReplyDeleteMorning, all!
ReplyDeleteBoy, what a slog! I wore my pencil's eraser down to a stub on this one before finally finishing it unassisted. Like C. C., I initially had TESLA for WEBER (never heard of him/it) and ESE for EME. Plus, I had IN BALANCE instead of ON BALANCE and RETORT for RETOSS. I put in INTERMENTS early on, but then erased it when I saw that it didn't work with TESLA and then put it back in.
Other unknowns today were HENBANE, RSO, YODH, ROGUE MALE, PAK (Well, I know it stands for Pakistan, but I had no idea what "Karachi" was) and COMPLINE (thank heavens we just saw SOLAN and I was able to remember it, otherwise my goose would have really been cooked). I'm familiar with NIELS Bohr, but didn't know his first name was actually Aage, so that threw me for a loop.
Some of the clues also through me for a loop on account of their "trickiness." It took me a looong time to realize that "sides of a cube" was asking for the number of sides and not their name (I really wanted FACES, but it just wouldn't fit). And I had no clue that "Household" was an author's last name (although that probably wouldn't have helped any had I known, since I'd never heard of his book, either).
Not really a bad puzzle, actually, but the NW corner (where I normally begin) totally stumped me at first and I finally had to give up and come back to it later. I started off with ASIS, ESE (incorrectly, as it turned out) and SEDGES, and just couldn't get anywhere else in that section. It wasn't until I guessed GENTS that I was able to get BRIGADES, after which things started to fall into place.
Oh -- and in closing, I just have to say...
DOZY? DOZY??? What the $^#@! kind of word is DOZY?
CC-
ReplyDeleteI believe that the clue for 'detox' says "start" because it is the beginning of detoxification.
Carol: The only conflict associated w/Dennis' great gams would be the envy they create in the viewer...IMHO. Of course, I miss the tights and heels, but it's a casual picture.
ReplyDeleteBarry: Love your closing comment. Amen!
Good morning, C.C. and gang - finally got around the the puzzle this morning, and I should've just gone to the shed, gotten a ballpeen hammer, and given myself a shot between the eyes; would've been much faster. Problems abounded for me with unknowns, and clue/answers which weren't totally accurate (friendless & lonesome are not synonymous).
ReplyDeleteI had the same unknowns as most have mentioned already, plus I was thinking of something more commercial for the 24D, not backyard storage.
C.C., APO is Army Post Office, FPO is Fleet Post Office. Being in the Marines, all my overseas mail came via FPO.
Good to see drdad back, covering "Today is" -- you've been missed.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Be careful of reading health books. You may die of a misprint." -- Mark Twain
Dick, I agree, it's always better to get off before you see the answers...
Today's puzzle was a tough one for sure. It is true that the ones on Saturdays are always more difficult than the rest of the week for some reason. Maybe they think you have more time on a Saturday.Some of the answers were pretty hard to take and some I never heard of. they can lose the one who did this puzzle and no one would be upset by it. Ha.
ReplyDeleteDrdad "APO" stands for Army Post Office. With the problems they are having with peanut butter it is probably better not to have peanut butter with anything.
ReplyDeleteI had some really bad errors today that caused me many problems. I had mates for 4D, ese for 7D and mugs for 23A.
I did like the clue/answer for 24D and it acted as a reminder that my woodshed is getting empty.
I did not know Household was someones name so I had no clue as to the answer.
Finally, 33A became the aha moment for me. I like the answer "Ate crow".
Barry, I completely agree with your comment on dozy. I missed this as I had doze in for 6D and never realized that it was a "Z".
Hope you all have a great Saturday and a better weekend. Cold and windy here today.
CC this is not c/w related, but I just had to share this with the blog. It is a true story.
ReplyDeleteA Violinist in the Metro
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the
violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about
45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that
thousand of people went through the station, most
of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed
there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few
seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall
to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk
again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old
boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the
violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk
turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.
All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people
stopped and stayed
for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence
took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any
recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell,
one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most
intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell
sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was
organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about
perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were:
in a commonplace environment at an
inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop
to appreciate it?
Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience
could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one
of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how
many other things are we missing?
I had a real struggle with this xw. To make things worse, hubby had very kindly started for me, in ink, with PLATOONS instead of BRIGADES, which I was loathe to change until it was obvious it wouldn't work with any of the perps.
ReplyDeleteThen all those abbreviations I had no idea about. I had JPG for CGI but it was revealed by perps, had to relent and google NIELS and COMPLINE. After putting RESPECTER--a non-word IMO, I misread my "c" as "o" and thought 29A would be ROMA, as in B.C. versus A.D. and Rome was the fuzz for most of the then known world. This gave me ASB instead of PCB, which I thought was just another abbreviation for ASBESTOS. When I finally thought of ATE CROW, this was resolved, but what a painful experience it all was today! There was so much I didn't know.
c.c.,
Ablative basically is for indirect objects, often implying (or including) the prepositions "by", "with" or "from". Dative is also indirect objects, but impying "to", or "for". Accusative is direct objects, and Vocative is used when addressing someone directly. So six cases in all, including Nominative and Genitive. German only has four--Nominative, Accusative, Genitive and Dative, where Dative covers both the Latin Dative and Ablative, but doesn't include the prepositions which are expressed separately.
Thanks too for the shortcut to count words--interesting.
Louis XIV was just following fashion, since the sun rose and set with him, he had to be "le dernier cri", and "cut a fine leg", didn't he? Gentlemen all wore tights in that era.
Hi, C.C.,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was hard, too.
RSO is Regimental Supply Officer.
I love your blog and impressed with your crossword skills, seeing as how English must be your second (or more) language.
Good morning, everyone! A tough one for me this morning. Had to Google to finish the center. Wanted ALES for KEGS, and had TESLA for WEBER, which was an unknown. RSO was unknown, and had to struggle for TECHIES and HENBANE. COMPLINE came from perps, and RATIONALES was so difficult to get. I almost threw in the towel on this one, something I haven't done in many a day.
ReplyDeleteDidn't like the clue "Gannet goose" since GOOSE was the answer for 47D. I don't think the link for peekaboo fashions showed the SLITTED look. Maybe this is a better link?
C.C., I think BLACKMARKETER or BLACKMARKETEER are nouns -- BLACKMARKET is the verb form. So says Merriam-Webster Online.
@baryg Unassisted! Good for you.
@camelsahara Welcome, and thanks for the RSO explanation. I just couldn't come up with that one!
Jackie Coogan also played Uncle Fester in the Addams Family TV show in the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning All, Guess, Google, Across, Down, Give up, Come back...I tried them all this morning. I started out with PLATOONS and RISQUE for 1A and 9A and it was downhill from there. I wanted SALUTE for 19A, ALES for 23A and wrongly thought of Jackie COOPER for 54A.
ReplyDeleteI think my problem was that there were good alternative choices to a lot of clues. It's a good thing I'm an online solver. Otherwise, I would have worn holes in the newspaper from multiple erasures and crossouts.
I didn't so much feel satisfied when this one was completed, as feel relief that I could finally come here and complain.
C.C. If I were a swooning kind of gal, George is the one who would do it for me. Not only is he gorgeous, he has a great self deprecating sense of humor and I appreciate his social and political views.
The BLACKLIST era of the 1950's was a shameful period in American history. People, particularly those in the entertainment industry, were put in fear for their own careers if they refused to testify against their colleagues to the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Dozens of actors, screenwriters, directors and producers were denied employment because of the HUAC and its chairman, Senator McCarthy.
I had an aunt, living in Hollywood, who was an accountant for several people who wound up being blacklisted, so my parents got a first hand account of the pressure people were put under to "rat" on their friends and co-workers.
good morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeletethanks for the info on calculating total words in a puzzle
Dick,
that hyoscyamine didn't do a thing for me either nor did " dozy "
and i thought 46D ceder was a stretch for giver
Argyle
you made my day with the whole Sphinx construction , lol
I'm with Clear Eyes on the George photo...thanks for that, it improved my day immensely after this horrible puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHad all of the the same problems and came here to get a head start, at which point I could fill in most of it. I think that besides being challenging a puzzle should also be fun to work out. This one certainly didn't give a sense of accomplishment.
Everything else I was going to comment on has been answered. Since it is dark and dreary and we are getting much needed rain, I think I will try to get caught up on much more pleasant things...a good day to you all.
Good Afternoon C.C. amd Company,
ReplyDeleteC.C., I would like to attend the lecture On 'Music and the Brain'. We'll see. I have always been interested in the subject. I have made the trip down to Miami in the past to see the Cleveland Orchestra and I intend to do it again this year. In addition to that lecture, they are also throwing in another extra event this year. Next Thursday, they will be teaming up with the Miami City Ballet to perform a pair of George Balanchine classics: Symphony in Three Movements by Igor Stravinsky and Symphony in C by Georges Bizet. As with the lecture I would like to go, but I am not sure if I will make it.
Dick, I have had the pleasure of seeing Joshua Bell twice. Thank you for sharing that story. The video of it is on YouTube.
Actually, I thought that RESPECTER was a perfectly cromulent word. I've never heard or seen it used by itself, but I've often heard it used in the phrase "RESPECTER of persons" (as in, "God is no RESPECTER of persons"). The phrase as a whole means "someone who treats people according to their rank, status or importance."
ReplyDeleteToday's puzzle took me a lonnnnnng time to finish: 44:27. I am happy that I finally was able to get it done, though. My definition of a 'hammer' is a puzzle that either I cannot finish (I don't google) or one that takes me well over a half hour. The NW corner and the section with RATIONALES hung me up. Even after getting BLACKLISTED it took a while to get BRIGADES. Eventually it all came to me, though, so I am pretty happy.
ReplyDeleteA creative clue for WOODSHED might have been "practice a musical instrument"
Barry G., your choice of RETORT is interesting given the clue 'Flip do-over?' Retort would seem correct if the clue had been 'Flippant verbal work-over?' Heh.
Barry G. LOL, you have embiggened our vocabulary!
ReplyDeletePlease don't take offense folks, but in regard to God is no respecter of persons. Isn't it interesting that most religions expect God to give them preferential treatment?
Dick, Thanks for the story about Joshua Bell. Here's a little Debussey.
This isn't about a violinist, but it certainly could be. Interestingly this poem was written by the granddaughter of Charles Darwin.
The Guitarist Tunes Up
With what attentive courtesy he bent
Over his instrument;
Not as a lordly conqueror who could
Command both wire and wood,
But as a man with a loved woman might,
Inquiring with delight
What slight essential things she had to say
Before they started, he and she, to play.
-Frances Cornford
I was about to post that the Beach Boys had a song where they mentioned Karachi sandals. However, upon Googling in an attempt to figure out which song, I discovered that I have been mistaken about that for many years. It turns out the song is 'Surfin'USA' and they were talking about Haurache Sandals, which are apparently Mexican. Boy do I feel intellajunt.
ReplyDeleteDennis, I felt the same as you about friendless and LONESOME until it occurred to me that it might be possible to differentiate LONESOME and LONELY. According to Mirriam-Webster Online Dictionary ALONE is a synonym for LONESOME. Therefore, just as one could be alone and yet not feel lonely, one could likewise be lonesome and not feel lonely. As I said, though, my initial take on it was the same as yours. I am pretty sure most people equate lonesome with lonely. Ultimately, you are correct that friendless and lonesome are not synonymous. Even if one equates lonesome to alone rather than to lonely, one can be friendless and not be alone. It is possible to be surrounded by people who hate you.
Mark - Buenos Aires
ReplyDeleteTo me, although nyou can have a doze, dozy means stupid. Drowsy is half asleep.
There are two meanings of fuzz
eg one girl student to another "Have you ever been picked up by the fuzz"
Response "No, but I bet it hurts"
UGH! Some of you were yearning for a hammer and I think you got it! I, for one, will probably never attempt a Breward c/w again.
ReplyDeleteHappy to see you Melissa bee! I was so impressed that your unknown list was 5 words.My list, inc. the abbrev., is 16 unknowns!! The other 110 did not pop into my head, such as eat crow. sigh
Now I will enjoy "listening" to what all of you.. I'm not fond of diamonds either.
Here's a bit of trivia that has nothing to do with anything. Spain literally means "the land of rabbits."
Hi, C. C.
ReplyDeleteFirst, thank you for giving my wife and me a lifeline when we can't complete a crossword puzzle on our own.
A quartermaster is a supply sergeant or officer in the American military. So R S O must mean Regimental Supply Officer.
A PCB is a carcinogen. It is known to cause cancer. PCB's are in the oil that serves as the coolant in electrical transformers either on the pole or in electrical substations. That is why PCB's are dangerous.
Thanks, again.
Steve
Clear ayes, I agree with you about George. I also remember the 50's and the conversations my parents had about blacklisting. We lived in Beverly Hills at the time, and had many acquaintances in the movie industry. In a sense BL is still going on today. Look what was done to The Dixie Chicks. True, there is no real list, but no one would play their records.
ReplyDeleteDick, I loved the Joshua Bell story, and Promise, thanks for the video. I guess we all need to stop and smell the roses.
This was a challenging puzzle but entirely workable for me. I was slowed down a bit when I kept reading the clue for 15A as “friendliness” rather than “friendless”, and it took me awhile to realize that the clue for 48A “Aage ____ Bohr” was not a place-name but the name of physicist NIELS Bohr. Does anyone know how to pronounce his first name? It took me a bit to picture “The Kid”s face, and a bit longer to recall Jackie COOGAN’s name. And though we had SOLAN a few days ago, I could not remember “Gannet goose” and had to wait for some crosses to trigger the name.
ReplyDeleteThe choral group Stile Antico recorded a CD recently of compline music, and I listen to it sometimes at work when I need to shut out the noise around me in order to focus on solving a problem. Here is a Greek Orthodox Compline that I find to be quite beautiful too.
I finally made it to see Revolutionary Road last night. I do not understand why Kate Winslet was nominated as best actress for The Reader instead of this film. Has anyone else seen it? And having finally seen Frozen River recently, I was delighted to see that Melissa Leo received a best picture nomination too. I was aso happy that Slumdog Millionaire received a best picture nomination.
"Does anyone know how to pronounce his first name? "
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's 'Argh'.
JD, the origin of the name 'Spain' is, according to Wikipedia, a source of dispute. One possible meaning is 'island of Rabbits', which makes no sense. Anyone can see it is not a darn island. Glad you enjoyed the Joshua Bell video.
@Dick...thank you for the interesting piece on Joshua Bell. It is something to consider.
ReplyDelete@barryg Nice word. Where did you learn it?
ReplyDelete@barryg Nice word. Where did you learn it?
ReplyDeleteWhich word? I use a lot of them... ^_^
If you mean "cromulent," I got it off "The Simpsons" years ago.
Crockett, cromulent, embiggens and snacktacular are all in the Simpsonary
ReplyDeleteDoesitinink, We've been fortunate in that a small theater playing mostly independent movies has opened not too far from home. In the past month or so, we've seen Slumdog Millionaire, Revolutionary Road, The Reader and Frozen River.
"I do not understand why Kate Winslet was nominated as best actress for The Reader instead of this film." Maybe it's because she spent a lot more time naked....fewer period costumes to aid in making her portrayal more believable. Seriously, I liked her performance in The Reader better. I sure didn't want to be sympathetic to her character, but she pulled it off. In either case, she is quite an actress. I think she will probably win, but I'm hoping that Melissa Leo sneaks in there unexpectedly, kind of like Marion Cotillard did for La Vie En Rose.
I'm rooting for either Sean Penn or Frank Langella for Best Actor. I really enjoy movies that are based on history. Recent history is really tough to get right. Both of these guys' performances were right on target.
Aage would probably have the final "e" pronounced too, since it sounds like a Germanic type language. Just a neutral sort of "ugh" at the end: aaagugh with the first syllable stressed.
ReplyDeleteKazie, thanks for clearing that up. I am sure next time I see it I will still say 'Argh!'
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of 'clear' ...
ClearEyes, you sure seem to see a lot of movies. Good for you. I have not seen the movie about Harvey Milk, but I have no doubt that Sean Penn's performance is very good. Years ago I saw 'Carlito's Way' and, despite knowing ahead of time that he was in it, I was shocked at the end to see his name listed amongst the credits. He is truly a GREAT character actor.
PromiseMeThis, Yes, we do see quite a few movies. We live out in the sticks and when we make our weekly shopping trip, we like to toss in a movie matinee and lunch. At this time of year there are lots of good movies that came out in November and December...just in time for Oscar consideration. June, July and August are usually slim pickings, movie-wise. That's when the theaters are full of kiddy and teen movies.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a family that loved books, movies, live theater and music. I've seen no reason to change, so I've dragged my husband, who had never seen a live theater production before he met me, into the mix. Now he is as big a fan of the arts as I am.
We occasionally drive to San Francisco to see a concert or play. We also have a couple of excellent repertory theater companies in our area, so we have a very nice selection of entertainment. We've been ODing on our new movie theater because with the state of the economy it may not be around long. We have our fingers crossed for them.
Ouch - Got to this puzzle late, and really struggled.
ReplyDeleteAage Niels Bohr is(was?) the son of Niels Bohr. Both father and son were Nobel prizewinners, I think. His name is pronounced Oh-weh, according to my husband, who studied under him in Denmark, and actually babysat for him (impoverished student).
I have been a fan of your daily crossword "solving" for over a year. It has taken me a year to even try to get on the wave length of these puzzle authors!
ReplyDeleteToday's puzzle was difficult, even with help from my Engineer husband. Sometimes he gets one right!!
Thank you, C.C. - because of you I do not go nuts until the next day to find out the complete puzzles solved! I can do the small crosswords and jumbles very easily. This second LARGE crossword in the St. Petersburg Times baffles me many days.
Good morning (my time).
ReplyDelete24 minutes, 33 seconds (online). Gimmes were WEBER, NIELS (Bohr), (Jonas) SALK and CMDRs Spock and Riker. I wanted PAPERBACK for ROGUE MALE, TUG (boat) for OAR and SEE THRU for SLITTED. I wonder if C.C. would have provided a picture had SEE THRU been correct.
Besides ROGUE MALE, RIBALD, STUART, GAPE, LMA, RSO, HENBANE, YODH, PAK, COMPLINE, SEDGE, SOLAN and OPIA were all unknowns. The clue for COOGAN had me thinking of Jackie GLEASON but that's one letter too many.
As for King Louis XIV's choice of dress, well, apparently he thought he had a nice pair of legs.
Martin
Darn. I forgot to make a witty remark about how this puzzle was DOABLE.
ReplyDeleteC.C., are you still angry at me for posting links to "Confucius say" jokes?
Martin
Well, Crockett provided his own link for SLITTED so I will provide
ReplyDeleteone which is far less DF. It is also my answer to C.C.'s question as to what makes me swoon.
Martin
Hi c.c. and all,
ReplyDeleteWell, I was pretty much brain dead yesterday and today. I was blaming it on that my husband had surgery yesterday and that I am way out of focus, with not much sleep,but I see that others had problems also. Didn't know Henbane, yodh,compline RCMP, Niels. Anyways, just didn't enjoy today's puzzle or yesterdays for that matter.
I am exhausted, so going to relax and then early bed.
Take care everyone!
Martin, Prior to your post, I had not seen Crockett1947's linked picture. Having seen it, I figured I would try to find a picture of a girl in a monokini similar to the one sported by the stunning Brazilian girl whose company I shared the first time I visited Cozumel. I figured he (and others here) would appreciate it. Unfortunately, I could not find a picture of a girl in that particular swim suit. I did, however, find this :)
ReplyDeleteC.C. said...@ 6:44 AM...Argyle, what's the difference between the two TARE links?
ReplyDeleteTare is the name sometimes used as a synonym for any vetch(your link), most frequently for the common vetch. The tare of the Scriptures, a weed of grainfields and considered a seed of evil, is thought to have been the unrelated darnel(my link), a rye grass.
Vetch and rye are two separate unrelated plants. Darnel, while non-fatal, can produce a reaction that mimics drunkeness. (I wonder if it produces a hangover.) It is also known as false wheat because it resembles it so much, until ready for harvest. The wheat heads are heavy and bend over on their stalks. The darnel heads are light and stand up straight. Hence, the parable of the tares. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
I am still here C.C.
ReplyDeleteJust don't feel like I have anything to add. I am overwhelmed and so inferior to the rest of you. So I am content to stay in the background and continue to read and learn from the "elite". They constantly amaze me by the way they analyze the different languages. Latin, French and even English. I know a few Spanish words, but not enough to carry on a conversation.
As for today's xword, The hammer weighed at least 16 pounds. Did'nt do half before seeking lots of help. Oh well, its still fun trying and I will keep trying.
I love you C.C. and congratulations on your anniversary. You are the Best of the best.
Just one comment...The lack of friends has nothing to do with loneliness. I have a few REALLY good friends, but am lonely most of the time. So, I agree with Dennis; friendless, and lonesome are not the same. You can be someone that doesn't covet a friend and be completely happy in your own skin. On the other hand, you can have the greatest friends in the world and still be lonely.
ReplyDeleteDOZY? DOZY??? What the $^#@! kind of word is DOZY? Barry G
ReplyDeleteMy father would call punky, soft, or rotted wood dozy. Does anybody else remember that usage? Most loggers around here would know it.
Clear Ayes' The Guitarist tunes Up reminded me of this gem.
'If you appreciate the tuning so much, I hope you will like the playing more,' Ravi Shankar at 1971 Concert for Bangladesh.
39A) Source of hyoscyamine - henbane / Hyoscyamine is used to provide symptomatic relief to various gastrointestinal disorders including spasms, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, colic and cystitis. It has also been used to relieve some heart problems, control some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, as well as for control of respiratory secretions in palliative care.
The seven canonical hours are matins and lauds, prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline. There will be a test so memorize them.
Argyle,
ReplyDeleteMy familiarity with Henbane harkens back to my early teen years. Being fascinated with the 'Teachings of Don Juan', I was familiar with Jimson Weed (not to suggest that I ever used it). As a result, I have been aware for some time that Jimson Seed, like Henbane, belongs to the family of Atropines. Being potentially deadly, it derives its name from Atropos, one of the three Fates who, according to Greek mythology, chose how a person was to die. Atropine is a core medicine in the World Health Organization's "Essential Drugs List", which is a list of minimum medical needs for a basic health care system.
A common plant around here is the beautiful and unassuming Belladonna. Occasionally, adventurous people make a tea, or some other concoction, from their flowers and wind up in the ICU needing a new liver.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000HH8RJW.01-AEQUBR67DCF10._SCLZZZZZZZ_V61475548_.jpg
ReplyDeleteSexy lycra/mesh slip with matching g-string.
392 x 500 - 28k
Red Smitty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa6aYfJf-qo
ReplyDeleteTHE BEE GEES Tragedy