google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday January 4, 2009 Ed Voile

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Jan 4, 2009

Sunday January 4, 2009 Ed Voile

Theme: Old/New Things

23A: Any date in 2008? OLD YEAR'S DAY (New Year's Day)

25A: Replacement dog?: NEW YELLER (Old Yeller)

40A: City in ancient France?: OLD ORLEANS (New Orleans)

53A: Recently made?: NEW FASHIONED (Old Fashioned)

83A: Past eras in a city near Leeds?: OLD YORK TIMES (New York Times)

98A: Ebonics, e.g.?: NEW ENGLISH (Old English)

111A: Pink slip of a former GM Car?: OLDS PAPER (Newspaper)

116A: Waterway named for Paul?: NEWMAN RIVER (Ol' Man River)

"Ol' Man River" is a new song to me. As for 98A, Wikipedia says Ebonics refers to "Black English" or "African American Vernacular English". Why is it called NEW ENGLISH then? And How is it related to Old English? I guess I don't understand the rationale for his clue buildup.

Very nice and timely theme. Of those 8 theme answers, OLD YORK TIMES is my favorite.

Sunday's puzzle is always intimidating to me. The sheer size is overwhelming. And it often contains a few strange medical/chemical terms and obscure people' names. The difficulty level of NY Times Sunday puzzle is the same as their Thursday's. But our puzzle does not follow their pattern. I would say TMS Sunday is the most difficult, at least for me. I hope I can finish a 21*21 without cheating by the end of 2009.

Across:

11A: Playful troublemakers: SCALAWAGS. A new rascal word to me. Dictionary says that SCALAWAG also refers to "a native white Southerner who collaborated with the occupying forces during Reconstruction, often for personal gain."

20A: Unit of loudness: SONE. About 40 decibels.

21A: Civil War battle site: SHILOH. I was not familiar with Battle of SHILOH. What's so siginificant about it?

26A: Rocket launcher: BAZOOKA. OK, here is a picture. It's a portable. Topps also manufactures BAZOOKA baseball card.

27A: School in Sandhurst. Eng.: RMA (Royal Military Academy)

31A: Spaces between leaf veins: AREOLES. Can also be spelled AREOLAS, AREOLAE. The singular form is AREOLA. This is the only diagram I could find. And obviously they are not "Spaces between leaf veins".

35A: Chloroform discoverer: LIEBIG. OK, I checked, it's not a BIG LIE. This guy LIEBIG is indeed the discoverer of Chloroform, whatever it is. Wikipedia also says that he is known as the "father of the fertilizer industry" for his discovery of nitrogen as an essenitial plant nutrient.

45A: Wilson and Mulroney: BRIANS. Wilson is the lead singer for The Beach Boys. And Mulroney was the Canadian Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993. I knew neither of them. Easy guess though.

52A: Gust of wind: SCUD. I always associate SCUD with ballistic missile.

63A: Arlene or Roald: DAHL. Arlene DAHL is an actress. Roald DAHL is the author of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Both unknown to me.

67A: Isl. of Australia: TAS. I wish it were clued as "Prof's aides".

69A: Current flow restrictors: DIODES. No idea. This is too complicated for me to understand.

75A: "The Conformist" writer Moravia: ALBERTO. I googled his name.

79A: Destitute class: HAVE-NOTS

86A: Climb (a rope): SHINNY. New to me. Looks like an adjective.

96A: Mutation: FREAK. How so?

102A: Capital of ancient Lydia: SARDIS. See this map. Way obscure to me.

104A: "Roberta" star: ASTAIRE. Alright, here is the clip. I've never heard of "Roberta".

109A: Cooking sticks: SKEWERS

120A: Seaport in the Philippines: ILOILO. I forgot. Saw this clue before. Here is the map again. The spelling reminds of the African fly TSETSE.

124A: Scott of a famous case: DRED. Was he a gimme to you? I could only picture Scott Peterson in my mind. What a awful man he is.

Down:

4D: Milne character: EEYORE. Learned from doing Xword. How to pronounce EEYORE again?

6D: Racing org.: NHRA (National Hot Rod Association)

10D: Aromatic fungicide: THYMOL. THYME & OL (suffix for alcohol). Unknown to me. How can fungicide be "Aromatic"?

19D: Old pol. unit: SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic). Pre-1991 obviously.

31D: Slow musical passages: ADAGIOS

34D: Sergeant fish: SNOOK. Had zero familiarity with this giant fish.

36D: Italian bowling: BOCCI. Or BOCCE. Yet another unknown. Looks like they are having fun.

37D: Pelvic bone: ILIUM. Also the Latin name for ancient Troy.

45D: Actor De Wilde: BRANDON. Another google. Which movie is he famous for?

47D: Mountain nymph: OREAD. Echo is an OREAD in Greek mythology.

50D: FDR or JFK: DEM. BHO is a DEM too. Weird, isn't it? Obama sounds so much better.

52D: Blues or Cardinals: ST. LOUIS

53D: Pres. advisory grp.: NSC (National Security Council). James Jones will be Obama's National Security Advisor.

59D: Love potion, in Britain: PHILTRE. Holy smoke. Really? How come I've never heard of this word? It's rooted in Greek philos, love. I suppose PHILTER is "Love potion, in America". Maybe I need to learn how to brew PHILTER.

68D: Ratfink: STOOLIE

77D: Mass calendars: ORDOS. Latin for "order". I have no doubt that I won't be able to remember this word next time the clue comes up.

80D: Director Kurosawa: AKIRA. I recognized his Japanese name when I googled. What a brilliant career!

84D: Hebrew letter: KOPH. 19th letter of Hebrew alphabet. I got it from the across fills. It's pronounced the same as cough.

90d: Master of a ship SKIPPER. I always thought Joe DiMaggio's nickname is Yankee SKIPPER rather than Yankee Clipper.

93D: "Falconer" writer: CHEEVER (John). Here is the bookcover. Is it worth reading? Have never heard of this writer.

94D: Earthly: TERRENE. Only knew terrain.

95D: Blows a gasket: SEES RED. And HUFFS (79D: Blows hard). Someone is mad.

97D: "__ Fideles": ADESTE. Semper came up first.

105D: Austrian article: DER. Never know when to put DER, when to put DAS.

110D: Macrame feature: KNOT. I did not know the meaning of Macrame.

111D: Archaic: abbr.: OBS (Obsolete). Where can you find this abbreviation?

118D:Wire measure: MIL. It's about .001 inch. Saw this clue before.

C.C.

51 comments:

  1. I've been lurking here for a while, though I think I've maybe left a few comments at one point or another. I generally only do the crosswords when there's an old paper laying around at work, which is more often than not, and I'm amazed to find myself becoming less reliant on your blog =) Apparently I'm getting smarter.

    I learned of aril's when I was making pomegranate juice, as aril's are where the fruit is.

    I had a really hard time with 19A as I had ZIP instead of ZIG and google showed me that WAPED is an actual word. Weird.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Morning everyone
    I enjoyed today's theme; really helped with the rest of the x/word puzzle. New English for Ebonics was a stretch for me, however. Think I'll stick with the Old English. My favorite answer was Newman River; of course I love anything Paul Newman. Will really miss him.

    Actor Brandon DeWilde was a gimme. Remember him from some TV shows and also "Hud". He was very handsome.

    @Dick-Happy Birthday and love your picture.

    @CC-your one-year anniversary is coming up. Congratulations and thank you for all you do.

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  3. Useless Organ,
    I've been snacking on pomegranate in the past several weeks. Had no idea that the seed cover is called ARIL. Thanks.

    Jeanne,
    "New English for Ebonics was a stretch for me". How so? I don't get the New/Old connection at all.

    Jimbo,
    Nice to hear your team is #1. Is it a senior league or a mixed league? Have you heard of the Italian bowling BOCCI?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dick,
    生日快乐! (Happy Birthday!)

    Barb B,
    Thanks for the note on symbol of inverted cross. I was quite curious about it.

    Sallie,
    I am so happy (and jealous) that you now have a new iMac. Look forward to seeing your comments more often on the blog.

    Doreen,
    Maybe we should have planted a few instead a big plot of GLADIOLAS in our garden last year. They looked so wildly out of control when they all bloomed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tobylee,
    Thanks for the trivia. And welcome!

    Carol,
    Are you aware of olive oil and lemon juice for colon cleansing?

    JD,
    Enjoyed your additional "schleppable information" & "Thought of the Day".

    Dougl,
    I was a bit surprised by your information on EYESHOT. Good to know though.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Clear Ayes,
    What a good example on "circling the wagons"! Great poem. I want to see "thornbush full of roses" in 2009.

    Argyle,
    Now I am spoiled. Can I get more visual links to the puzzles from now on?

    Seattle John,
    I rather like the grid layout yesterday. I thought it's simple, clean & elegant.

    Bethann,
    I just can't get used to the smell of olive oil. Someone told me to try coconut oil for wrinkles yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. PromiseMe,
    Barry Silk told me later that he indeed uses Crossword Compiler, for fill only. I've never prepared cassoulet myself. Love the TR quote. Thanks.

    Martin,
    "A good sudoku has a unique solution but some of the ones labelled "tough" end up with multiple possible solutions." Really? How could that be? Maybe Barry can create a Z, Q, X laden puzzle, then clue SCRABBLIEST as "Like this puzzle"? Klingon GACH? Eeek. Are you a Trekkers member?

    ReplyDelete
  8. where do i find the puzzle?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous,
    Tribune Sunday puzzle is not available online anywhere. You will have to skip it. Sorry.

    Kazie,
    Aren't you bothered by the smell of Royal Jelly? It gives me headache. Is Jean-LUC a popular French name? "SCHLEPP, btw would be a German spelling--always need two or more consonants at the end of a short syllable, otherwise it's long." What do you mean by "otherwise it's long"? You've cleared up so many of the language confusions I had accumulated over the years and I am deeply appreciative.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wolfmom,
    Good observation on "subplot" of disease and poisons in yesterday's puzzle. I like your Fleur-de-SEL idea too. Enjoyed "A Year in Provence" also. I made the decision to limit each poster's comments to 5/day in late Oct/early Nov to encourage more varied (and silent) voices to speak out. I hope my decision to be respected. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good morning CC etal,

    Fairly good success this morning - a few googles previously mentioned on the main page (ALBERTO, ASTAIRE, LUISE).

    Thought TOTEMIC was a bit of a stretch, didn't understand (still don't) "pink slip" reference = PAPER, "love potion" was way to obscure for my simple mind and will also be forgotten, didn't get "blurry" = DIM, and think that 100D NANNIE should be clued with (var.) as that's what the dictionary says - normal spelling is "nanny".

    Hope all have a great Sunday! Nice to see so many new names attributed to previous "lurkers".

    PS - re: post limits - please don't forget that CC gets an email copy of each response, as she indicated a few months ago, so another reason to place limits is to respect the fact that she has to open a ton of email as well.

    ReplyDelete
  12. CC:... "otherwise it is long"(per Kazie)...Long vowels say their names.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I had several Oldsmobiles when I was a kid. Great cars. I think the pink slip is the registration paper required in some states, to be in the vehicle at all times. I recall Jim Rockford (James Garner) using his Camaro "pink slip" as collateral so I know it is mandatory in California. Not sure about other states. In Minnesota we only need to have proof of insurance. I guess they don't care if you own the vehicle, as long as it's insured.

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  14. tough puzzle!!! It took some getting up, getting another cup of coffe, and then coming back to the puzzle. In fact, i just put it down for a whole and read the paper. I had trouble(as always) with the proper names of various people. I think that we should pass a rule that says that a cross word maker can not use an proper name of some unknown living person who no one knows. I agree that the best words were the one dealing with old new york!! Who are all of these unknown people ???????

    Any way the UTES beat Alabama in the Sugar bowl. In fact, they beat us in the first six minutes of the game. I did know about utes, otoes, and other indian tribes.

    have a bless new( old) year

    abogato in Alabama

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  15. CC: It occurred to me in the night that my use of non-standard English could have been offensive to a non-native speaker. My intent was to soothe your hurt feelings. If the opposite is the case, you should remove me from your blog. I`m truly sorry for being insensitive.

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  16. Linda,
    Thanks for the "long vowel" answer. I was so puzzled by your 9:12am post. Then I realized my response to you on your "schlep" & "Llama" attrition explanation & the great poem you wrote for me failed to appear on the comment this morning. I am so sorry. I should have double-checked. Why would I remove you from the blog? I find your posts to be very fascinating and I've been enjoying them tremendously.

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  17. Good Morning All,

    C.C. Brandon DeWilde was probably most famous for the role of the little boy, "Joey" in the 1953 classic western Shane. Alan Ladd was the oh-so-good Shane, and Jack Palance was the ever-so-evil Jack Wilson.

    The Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee was fought on April 6 and 7, 1862. It was a surprise attack by Confederate forces against the Union Army. As in so many Civil War battles, there were enormous casualties on both sides. 13,000 Union soldiers were killed or wounded and 10,000 Confederates, up to that time, more men than in all previous American wars combined. The Confederates were forced to retreat, ending their hopes that they could block the Union advance into northern Mississippi. The War continued for three more devastating years.

    I am definitely not an expert on the Civil War, but I have had the opportunity to visit some Civil War battle sites, including Gettysburg, Antietem, Chickamauga and Shiloh . Not only are they of great historical significance, they are all beautifully maintained National Parks. If you have the chance to visit any of the battle sites, don't hesitant. Not only is it educational, it is also a deeply touching experience.

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  18. c.c.,
    Linda was half right. The long vowels in German don't necessarily sound like the names of those letters in English. If a German syllable ends with a single consonant, the vowel sound is long, but that means the following: -e- sounds like English -ay-; -a- is like -ah-; -i- is like -ee-; -o- is like -o- in "hope"; -u- is like -oo- in "school".

    The short versions would be: -a- like in a cross between cut and cat; -e- like in egg; -i- like in hit; -o- like in hot (British rather than American pronunciation); -u- like in foot. All the short sounds need two or more consonants to show that they are short. So "schlepp" rather than "schlayp" (as it would sound with only one "p").

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  19. CC- you are correct in saying areola is most commonly used for the space around the breast, but it also has other meanings-
    1. areole
    a. Biology A small space or interstice in a tissue or part, such as the area bounded by small veins in a leaf or the wing of an insect.
    b. A small, specialized, cushionlike area on a cactus from which hairs, glochids, spines, branches, or flowers may arise.
    2. Anatomy A small ring of color around a center portion, as about the nipple of the breast or the part of the iris surrounding the pupil of the eye.

    The clue- "spaces bewteen leaves" has been used before in this puzzle.

    Re- Saturday's puzzle- the crosses in the puzzle probably refer to the couple of biblical questions in the puzzle.

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  20. Just another lurker adding her two cents.
    A pink slip is the termination paper you get when you lose your job, or the title of a vehicle when it is paid off.

    Also the German article DER is either masculine or neutral, DAS is the feminine.

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  21. C.C. I apologize for my "outburst" yesterday. Really, I was just being silly. Sorry it didn't come across that way. I have a rather bizarre sense of the absurd.

    I thank all of you for the update on the 5-post limit as it was previously unknown to me. I will most certainly abide by the rules.

    Oh...and a Very Happy Birthday to Dick today.

    KW

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  22. C.C. no I was not aware of those for colon cleansing, I know that people used to take (and give their children) caster oil for constipation. Almost any oil, if used without food on an empty stomach will produce those results; more in some, less in others.
    The "Colon Blow" I was referring to yesterday, came from an old Saturday Night Live show and referred to a box of cereal they had in a skit.
    I think my comments on that and oil were miss-understood by some.

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  23. Hey, hey! Finally got a reply to why oast cowls are white. The man had been on vacation but did send me the following.

    " Back in the 17 hundreds most agricultural buildings had rendering and then were white washed/ lime wash the same thing happened with the oast cowls.
    white wash/ lime wash was a cost effective way of preserving timber as the local rock formations in Kent and Sussex were chalk the price of pigment was expensive.
    still to this day most of our house hold appliances are painted white it's the cheapest option. the only advantage of white paint is in the original use of the cowl it would of reflected some of the heat from the kiln fire."
    (sic)

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  24. Before you ask...whitewash noun
    A mixture of lime and water, often with whiting, size, or glue added, that is used to whiten walls, fences, or other structures.

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  25. Carol, I remember the funny Colon Blow commercial from SNL. Can you believe that there is actually a real "Colonblow" colon cleanser on the market?....Don't some of the most unusual topics come up on C.C.'s blog? LOL

    C.C. I think Wolfmom and I were just a little surprised by being singled out (ambushed?) yesterday by one of the thorns on the rosebush. All I can say, is if someone doesn't like what I post, skip over my "five or less" entries. I won't be offended.

    Argyle, "white wash/ lime wash was a cost effective way of preserving timber as the local rock formations in Kent and Sussex were chalk the price of pigment was expensive." Thanks for all the interesting information.

    Similarly, "Falun Red" paint has been used since the 16th century to preserve the wood on the traditional Swedish house.

    The paint is made from the red ocre at the copper mine at Falun in Dalarna, Sweden. Falun was an operating mine from (at least) 1000 to 1992. It is still a big tourist attraction and the the tour, which takes you down to almost 700 feet, is amazing.....if you don't suffer from claustrophobia!

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  26. Good morning C.C. and all,

    When I was a kid Bazooka was a bubble gum that came in a package of baseball cards. That is how kids collected them back then.

    We have indoor Bocci Ball here in my town. I have only played there 3 or 4 times, but it's fun, probably the same rules as lawn bocci.We socialize more than worry about the rules, and divide into 2 groups. Each team has 4 balls, either red or green. A small metal ball is rolled out 1st and the goal is to get as close to this "pallino" as possible. One team rolls their ball from one end, and the other team plays from the other end.( We all crowd into one end!!) After balls are rolled the pts are counted ( only 1 team gets the point or points, and MANY times we need to use a tape measure).The teams switch sides , roll again, count points. A game is whoever gets to 12 pts 1st, and must win by 2 points. I'm sorry I'm so wordy.

    Arlene Dahl was married to Fernando Lamas.She was an actress also, started out in soaps also, but was in many movies. I only remember "Journey to the Center of the Earth".Their son, Lorenzo, was a hot guy in the 80's . He was on that evening soap, Falcon Crest. Then, I think, he was on "the Bold and the Beautiful".Later on Ms Dahl wrote a few books.

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  27. To Ed Voile,
    I have been doing the trib crossword for years and just found your site while looking up clues.
    I'm starting to enjoy your comments and help just as much as doing the crossword.
    THANKS and keep it up,
    MFMZ from Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    ReplyDelete
  28. Stewie,
    Thanks for areola. Yeah, I later found out that answer/clue indeed appeared in TMS puzzle before. I just keep forgetting things. I like your take on Saturday's grid structure too. You sound like a very interesting person. Drop a line whenever you visits us.

    Thea,
    I like your name. It's goddess of what?

    Argyle,
    Thanks for following through on the white oast cowls. No puzzle today? What does "Hebe jeebes" mean?

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  29. @MFMZ in Canada Welcome to the blog. The brains/owner of this blog is C.C., who lives in the Twin Cities area of MN. Check out her profile information for the rest of the story. She has given us a valuable place to share and learn for almost a year now. Thank you, C.C.

    Welcome also to all of the recent lurkers who have broken their maiden and posted. You'll find that commenting makes the STCC experience even better.

    Have a great Sunday!!

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  30. MFMZ from Montreal, Quebec
    I am glad that you are enjoying the comments. As Crockett just explained, I happened to blog about Ed Voile's TMS Sunday puzzle, which appears in your Montreal Gazette Saturday I presume?

    JD,
    I was not ware that BOCCI is actually played by some in the US. Thanks.

    Clear Ayes, Wolfmom, Kazie et al,
    Re: Anonymous Ambush: I am not interested in any further discussion of this topic. Collapse Comment button appears at the top of this page for a reason. We really should not let one or two sour notes ruin the symphony here.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Clear Ayes...Thank you for the SNL clip...I always liked Phil Hartman.
    Also the Falun Red paint info was very interesting.
    Argyll...enjoyed your OAST info. I will not forget that word now.

    Had to settle for the NYTimes xword today. Very clever, but I had to "cheat" for about 10% of the words. We only get that one on Sunday.

    Cheers

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  32. Brandon DeWilde is famous for his role in the movie "SHANE" starring Alan Ladd & Jack Palance.

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  33. Crockett,
    Any special event yesterday?

    Kazie et al,
    Forgot to thank you for the answers to my question earlier. Will read and digest later.

    ReplyDelete
  34. c.c. and Thea,
    The German articles: der is masculine, die is for feminine or plural, das is neuter, except when the word has a "diminutive" ending, when the grammatical gender might be irrelevant, as with das Mädchen, the most common word for girl. A diminutive is a pet name for something, implying small or cute. Mädchen is derived from the old fashioned word "die Magd" (maiden).

    Actually, c.c., I also have to wait until I see what other letters are in the cross fill for these clues. Sometimes it's asking for ein (masc./neut.) or eine (fem.)=(a/an)

    c.c.,
    I never noticed a strong smell of royal jelly in the cream I used, maybe it didn't have that much in it after all.

    Jean Luc is only one of many combinations. Many French names are doubled up like that. I think it has something to do with the tradition of "name days" where children are given one of the saints' names as well as a more modern name. They then celebrate the day of their name saint as well as their own birthday each year. There are more than enough saints to go around for the whole year.

    Sorry I forgot to answer this question before.

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  35. C.C., no, no special events. I just didn't have anything special to add to the discussion. I stuck my nose in mystery books, and read three Marcia Muller ones yesterday.

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  36. C.C. I loved your choice of poetry. The last two lines:
    "The raspberries in your white bowl
    are bright and firm and very, very cold."
    reminded me very much of the imagery poetry of William Carlos Williams. I haven't read Tom Sexton poems before, but I'll be sure to look for more of them.

    I recently received the following uncredited poem from a friend in Canada...no deep meaning, just for fun. I think that quite a few of you who are living below the border will be able to relate. It could just as easily have been titled Winter In Minnesota or Winter In Wisconsin LOL

    Winter In Canada

    It's winter in Canada
    And the gentle breezes blow
    Seventy miles an hour
    At thirty-five below.

    Oh, how I love Canada
    When the snow's up to your butt
    You take a breath of winter
    And your nose gets frozen shut.

    Yes, the weather here is wonderful
    So I guess I'll hang around
    I could never leave Canada
    I'm frozen to the ground!

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  37. WolfMom, Take the oast house challenge.

    All the pictures of oast houses show white cowls and CC wondered why. The question was back around Christmas?

    CC, I don't belive it but I found a visual for the theme.
    Also,I don't belive in ghosts but they give me the heebie-jeebies.

    Clear Ayes, great poem for the season.

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  38. Argyll...what a neat, interactive website. I bookmarked and will "play" the game this evening after painting. I read through all of it! I've seen whiskey distilleries in Scotland, but never an oast house.

    If you are ever near DC, stop in at the George Washington Whiskey Distillery near Mt. Vernon. It is now up and running and making whiskey, just like in Washington's time...historically accurate, very interesting and in a beautiful setting.

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  39. CC (and anybody else that hasn't had enough) here is my Sunday puzzle. I've just started it but it looks pretty good so far.

    Glens Falls Post-Star
    Tribune Media Services
    State by State 1/4/09
    Click

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  40. CC: The poem was lovely...thank you.
    Ode to first, a husband and then a grandchild:

    Tis all I can do to wait for you.
    My patience is growing thin.
    I`ve sung an I`ve danced, I`ve been in a trance,.
    My face wears a silly grin.
    But then you appear and you are so dear.
    The waiting has been worthwhile.
    I hold you so tight through day and through night
    And bask in your wonderful smile.

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  41. ..I`ve sung AND I`ve danced...PROOF READ!

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  42. @ CC & Argyle,

    TMS publishes 2 different 21x21 Sunday puzzles?

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  43. Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.
    Rita Dove

    Great poems today.. thank you

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  44. Chris in LA said to CC & Argyle, at 7:12 PM
    TMS publishes 2 different 21x21 Sunday puzzles?


    Thanks, Chris, I've been meaning to look into that and the answer is yes and more. TMS site

    Observer Crossword by Charles Preston (This is the one I have.)

    Year after year, this mind-twisting puzzle earns its reputation as one of the most challenging crosswords available. Together with 20 top constructors, Preston creates a crossword with one goal in mind-to baffle sophisticated puzzlers. The puzzle delights gamers with its mix of highbrow clues, tricky wordplay and obscure terms. (Level of Difficulty: 5 on a scale of 1-5)

    THE Sunday Crossword Package by Wayne Robert Williams and Myles Mellor (This is the one CC has.)

    A conventional crossword: The centerpiece of the week, this puzzle, by Wayne Williams, focuses on a fun theme, using several longer words related to that theme, mixed with a couple of wordplay tricks. (Level of Difficulty: 3.5 on a scale of 1-5)

    Oh boy...they claim that an interactive version of THE Sunday Crossword is under construction. There wasn't anymore than that, unfortunately.

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  45. @argyle Thanks for sharing the Observer puzzle. It was a bit of a challenge, but doable. Hope they get an interactive Sunday puzzle soon!

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  46. Hi CC,
    Dang, my post yesterday was on my answer "eyeshed," not the real one "eyeshot." Shows how off base one can get!

    And now that I think of it, the word I was describing is "viewshed" -- perhaps it will show up as an answer one of these days. Sorry for the confusion!

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  47. The Dred Scott case was a key Supreme Court decision a bit before the Civil War that held up slave owners' rights. A dark time in our history, and well known by all of us who still remember high school history.

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  48. A better clue for Diodes (69A)would be "light emitting electronics" (they are the "D" in "LEDs" -- light emitting diodes).

    Someday these may replace our light bulbs, as they are even more efficient than the new compact flourescent bulbs, and don't have the mercury pollution problem. Currently they're too expensive to manufacture though.

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  49. "A good sudoku has a unique solution but some of the ones labelled "tough" end up with multiple possible solutions." Really? How could that be?

    Ah, well, that's hard to explain. Suppose sudokus had only 1s and 2s and you had an empty 2x2 square. Then the solution would be

    12
    21

    or

    21
    12

    In practice if you've filled in all the 3s etc then you're left with only the 1s and 2s and this is exactly what can happen.

    Klingon GACH? Eeek.

    I'm sure it would be no worse than day old kimchi or stinky tofu.

    Are you a Trekkers member?

    The really geeky trekkies call themselves "trekkers" now because "trekkie" had become an insult ever since William Shatner himself suggested at a Star Trek convention that some of its fans needed to "get a life".

    I haven't seen anything Star Trek related in a long long time. The new movie looks to be either just okay or really really bad. I did like Enterprise though.

    Martin

    ReplyDelete
  50. Tribune Readers: There were two puzzles last Sunday (Dec. 28th) and the magazine was not published this past week. There was a small notice in a side box on Page 2 on the 28th that I also originally missed.

    P.S. "Obs." is used in dictionaries to indicate a word that is not often used now.

    ReplyDelete

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