Theme: None
Total blocks: 29
Total words: 68
I often have millet soup. It's gluten free and safe for me to eat. But the finger millet RAGI (11D: Asian cereal grass) is an exotic new grain to me. Have never seen ONAGERS (62D: Wild asses of Asia) in my life, after living in Asia for over 30 years. They are native to desert areas of Asia like Syria, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, etc.
A bit of Scottish flavor in this grid:
27A: Possess like a Scot: HAE. Guessed this one. Then I remembered I linked Burns "Some HAE meat and canna eat" poem sometime last year.
28A: Scot's negative: NAE
12D: Scott hero: IVANHOE. I wanted ROB ROY. Last time IVANHOE was clued as "Sir Walter Scott hero".
Not a difficult puzzle. Most of the short words are clued very straightforwardly. So that makes the long words obtainable. I filled in lots of blanks before I googled. I think I will struggle mightily with LA Times Saturday themeless. I was only able to fill in a few words last time when Argyle blogged Barry Silk's puzzle. Rich Norris (editor for LA Times crossword) has accepted a few of Barry's puzzles, and they are all themeless. So, be prepared for the struggle.
Oh by the way, Barry's puzzle appeared in NT Times today. Read this interesting interview (Spoiler alert: It contains some answers to the puzzle) conducted by Jim Horne, the official NY Times crossword blogger. "Dr. Pangram" sounds so APT. Want to see how Barry looks like?
Additionally, Mary Elson, the Manging Director for Tribune Media Service, told me yesterday that they have informed all the papers about the puzzle change. I don't know why our local papers have not relayed this important news to us the solvers.
For those who don't have access to TMS Sunday puzzle, have a look at LA Times March 12 Thursday puzzle, Argyle will blog it tomorrow morning.
Across:
1A: Primitive believer: ANIMIST. How is it different from Shamanism?
8A: Land named for Vespucci: AMERICA. The feminized Latin version of his given name Amerigo. Here is how AMERICA is called in Chinese, "the beautiful country".
15A: Puerto Rican boxer Hector: CAMACHO. Googled his name. He looks quite gentle. Is KO a boxing magazine?
17A: Oodles: UMPTEEN
16A: Exquisite: ELEGANT. Anna Wintour is icily ELEGANT.
23A: Byrnes or Roush: EDD. Have never heard of the baseball player EDD Rouse. A HOFer. Wikipedia says he "used a massive 48-ounce Louisville Slugger (the heaviest bat used in baseball)" and he claimed that he never broke a bat in his big league career. Is that a record?
24A: Surveying instrument: ALIDADE. I forgot. This instrument appeared in our puzzle 2 months ago.
29A: Having a harmful effect: DELETERIOUS. I know the meaning of this long word. But it sure was not a gimme to me.
31A: Greenstreet and Pollack: SYDNEYS. Did not know the British actor SYDNEY Greenstreet. He is the bad club owner Signor Ferrari in "Casablanca". The big guy on the right.
36A: Roman transportation: CHARIOT. Driven by two horses. I like this Roman CHARIOT, so finely sculpted.
44A: Explore ahead: RECONNOITER. This is another long word that I can't spell it out without surrounds.
47A: Mdse. identifier: UPC
49A: J. Hancocked?: SGD. My initial answer was OK'D. Look at his autograph. Very clear indeed. No wonder "John Hancock" became an synonym for signature.
53A: Two-headed: DUAL. I don't understand this clue. "Two-headed" conjured up a very unpleasant Greek mythical animal.
57A: Separate metals by melting: LIQUATE. New word to me. I was thinking of ABLATE, which actually means "to remove or dissipate by melting, vaporization, erosion".
Down:
1D: Tapering points: ACUMENS. Not a familiar definition to me.
2D: Date to celebrate: NAME DAY. Hey, Congress just passed a National Pi Day (March 14) resolution.
4D: Groening or Dillon: MATT. Knew MATT Dillon. Loved his "Crash". Have never heard of MATT Groening, the creator of "The Simpsons". Is his named pronounced the same as "groaning"?
5D: Hard water?: ICE
6D: "Cheers" co-star: SHELLEY LONG. Dennis pointed her name last time when I linked this picture.
7D: Uvula neighbors: TONSILS
8D: Film material: ACETATE. Would not have got this material without the crossing help.
10D: Dutch commune: EDE. No idea. This is the best map I could find. The temperature is in C of course.
13D: Horse-man?: CENTAUR. No idea. Holy moly. Horse-man indeed. Reminds me of the part bull, part man Minotaur. Both end in TAUR, prefix for "bull". Those Greek mythology figures can be very absurd.
24D: Operatic soprano Patti: ADELINA. Another google. Italian soprano. Died in 1919. She looks pretty. Verdi called her the greatest vocalist that he ever heard.
25D: Vivid verbal description: DELINEATIONS
37D: Solvent from petroleum: HEPTANE. Its molecule has seven carbon atoms, hence prefix HEPT. I got the answer from across fills.
38D: Stresses: ACCENTS
40D: The Moor of Venice: OTHELLO. His betrayer is IAGO.
41D: Make less severe: ASSUAGE
51D: DCCLI doubled: MDII. 751X2=1502
58D: Sine __ non: QUA. Can you make a sentence for me? I know the meaning of this Latin phrase. Have never used it in conversation or writing.
C.C.
Total blocks: 29
Total words: 68
I often have millet soup. It's gluten free and safe for me to eat. But the finger millet RAGI (11D: Asian cereal grass) is an exotic new grain to me. Have never seen ONAGERS (62D: Wild asses of Asia) in my life, after living in Asia for over 30 years. They are native to desert areas of Asia like Syria, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, etc.
A bit of Scottish flavor in this grid:
27A: Possess like a Scot: HAE. Guessed this one. Then I remembered I linked Burns "Some HAE meat and canna eat" poem sometime last year.
28A: Scot's negative: NAE
12D: Scott hero: IVANHOE. I wanted ROB ROY. Last time IVANHOE was clued as "Sir Walter Scott hero".
Not a difficult puzzle. Most of the short words are clued very straightforwardly. So that makes the long words obtainable. I filled in lots of blanks before I googled. I think I will struggle mightily with LA Times Saturday themeless. I was only able to fill in a few words last time when Argyle blogged Barry Silk's puzzle. Rich Norris (editor for LA Times crossword) has accepted a few of Barry's puzzles, and they are all themeless. So, be prepared for the struggle.
Oh by the way, Barry's puzzle appeared in NT Times today. Read this interesting interview (Spoiler alert: It contains some answers to the puzzle) conducted by Jim Horne, the official NY Times crossword blogger. "Dr. Pangram" sounds so APT. Want to see how Barry looks like?
Additionally, Mary Elson, the Manging Director for Tribune Media Service, told me yesterday that they have informed all the papers about the puzzle change. I don't know why our local papers have not relayed this important news to us the solvers.
For those who don't have access to TMS Sunday puzzle, have a look at LA Times March 12 Thursday puzzle, Argyle will blog it tomorrow morning.
Across:
1A: Primitive believer: ANIMIST. How is it different from Shamanism?
8A: Land named for Vespucci: AMERICA. The feminized Latin version of his given name Amerigo. Here is how AMERICA is called in Chinese, "the beautiful country".
15A: Puerto Rican boxer Hector: CAMACHO. Googled his name. He looks quite gentle. Is KO a boxing magazine?
17A: Oodles: UMPTEEN
16A: Exquisite: ELEGANT. Anna Wintour is icily ELEGANT.
23A: Byrnes or Roush: EDD. Have never heard of the baseball player EDD Rouse. A HOFer. Wikipedia says he "used a massive 48-ounce Louisville Slugger (the heaviest bat used in baseball)" and he claimed that he never broke a bat in his big league career. Is that a record?
24A: Surveying instrument: ALIDADE. I forgot. This instrument appeared in our puzzle 2 months ago.
29A: Having a harmful effect: DELETERIOUS. I know the meaning of this long word. But it sure was not a gimme to me.
31A: Greenstreet and Pollack: SYDNEYS. Did not know the British actor SYDNEY Greenstreet. He is the bad club owner Signor Ferrari in "Casablanca". The big guy on the right.
36A: Roman transportation: CHARIOT. Driven by two horses. I like this Roman CHARIOT, so finely sculpted.
44A: Explore ahead: RECONNOITER. This is another long word that I can't spell it out without surrounds.
47A: Mdse. identifier: UPC
49A: J. Hancocked?: SGD. My initial answer was OK'D. Look at his autograph. Very clear indeed. No wonder "John Hancock" became an synonym for signature.
53A: Two-headed: DUAL. I don't understand this clue. "Two-headed" conjured up a very unpleasant Greek mythical animal.
57A: Separate metals by melting: LIQUATE. New word to me. I was thinking of ABLATE, which actually means "to remove or dissipate by melting, vaporization, erosion".
Down:
1D: Tapering points: ACUMENS. Not a familiar definition to me.
2D: Date to celebrate: NAME DAY. Hey, Congress just passed a National Pi Day (March 14) resolution.
4D: Groening or Dillon: MATT. Knew MATT Dillon. Loved his "Crash". Have never heard of MATT Groening, the creator of "The Simpsons". Is his named pronounced the same as "groaning"?
5D: Hard water?: ICE
6D: "Cheers" co-star: SHELLEY LONG. Dennis pointed her name last time when I linked this picture.
7D: Uvula neighbors: TONSILS
8D: Film material: ACETATE. Would not have got this material without the crossing help.
10D: Dutch commune: EDE. No idea. This is the best map I could find. The temperature is in C of course.
13D: Horse-man?: CENTAUR. No idea. Holy moly. Horse-man indeed. Reminds me of the part bull, part man Minotaur. Both end in TAUR, prefix for "bull". Those Greek mythology figures can be very absurd.
24D: Operatic soprano Patti: ADELINA. Another google. Italian soprano. Died in 1919. She looks pretty. Verdi called her the greatest vocalist that he ever heard.
25D: Vivid verbal description: DELINEATIONS
37D: Solvent from petroleum: HEPTANE. Its molecule has seven carbon atoms, hence prefix HEPT. I got the answer from across fills.
38D: Stresses: ACCENTS
40D: The Moor of Venice: OTHELLO. His betrayer is IAGO.
41D: Make less severe: ASSUAGE
51D: DCCLI doubled: MDII. 751X2=1502
58D: Sine __ non: QUA. Can you make a sentence for me? I know the meaning of this Latin phrase. Have never used it in conversation or writing.
C.C.
Frey,
ReplyDeleteHave a look at your LA Times Sunday puzzle tomorrow and see who is the editor. I suspect it's Sylvia Bursztyn. LA Times Sunday is a special weekend puzzle, completely different than Rich Norris' LA Times Daily Sunday.
Lemonade,
Wayne R. Williams puzzles are not getting progressively more difficult as NY Times or LA Times are, that's why sometimes our Friday puzzle is easier than Monday's.
Barry G,
Happy to hear that you tried LA Times. We sure don't want to lose you.
Doh! I too had SHAMIST instead of ANIMIST but I was hesitant because I suspect Shamanism is belief practiced to this day so there would have been the risk of offending people. Didn't Sarah Palin consult a shaman at one point or was that just a nasty rumour?
ReplyDeleteI had RICE for RAGI but got RAGI from the perps. For CADAVER, I wanted corpus DELICTI which fit with RICE but with nothing else. I also wanted HOLIDAY for NAME DAY, ACETONE for ACETOTE and DEGENERIOUS for DELETERIOUS.
Complete unknowns for me were CAMACHO and ALIDODE. I guessed TISSUES for TENSILS and TITRATE for LIQUATE which gave me a few letters. (I wasn't working online but the strategy of wildly guessing sometimes helps as long as I don't press too hard.)
ONAGERS was a gimme for me. I remember when it was clued as "Wild Asian asses."
Martin
Martin,
ReplyDeleteI do remember your DF comment on ONAGER last time when it appeared in our puzzle. Thanks for the SANO & sanitize connection. Can't even tell "My" from "Your"? No wonder your brain is so warped!
Dick,
But Marilyn Monroe got her Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1952 when IKE was the president. Her affairs with the JFK/RFK happened much later.
Kazie,
Lemonade is right. AUTOMATA is the plural of automaton, not automatum.
Redsmitty,
ReplyDeleteAs Ink said yesterday, your friend might say "Uncle Junior's in the rough". However, you often hear people say "Oh shucks, I muffed the shot", meaning he mis-hits the ball.
Elissa,
You were right about AGAMA. Its symmetrical partner AT SEA (1A) is a theme answer too. I failed to notice that. Thanks for pointing it out.
TJ,
Yes, china teacups for hot tea. And loose leaf, not tea bag. No milk or sugar either. Tea should be drunk alone.
Doug Peterson,
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise! Look forward to solving your puzzles in the future.
D.P. Johnson,
Are you a doctor?
Ink,
Thanks for the declension links. Very helpful!
Crockett,
I believe we can, esp since puzzles are available on line and printable.
PromiseMe This,
ReplyDeleteOne more intentional post limit violation like yesterday, you are gone. I promise you that.
Southernbelle,
Yes, you will be able to download LA Times Sunday. You should comment here often. I always enjoy your sense of humor.
C.C.,
ReplyDeleteI believe the comment concerning the clue for ONAGERS last time was that I looked it up on google images with "SafeSearch" set to off and just left it up to your imagination as to what I saw.
Yes, I do think 我的 and 你的 look a lot alike.
Martin
Didn't know CAMACHO and spelled DELETERIOUS and QUA incorrectly. Had not heard of RAGI before either.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this picture of a dual-headed binocular teaching scope will help you to understand the term C.C..
Working on the LATimes now and it is a challenge!
Good morning CC and all,..sort of a stickler today but doable. I had to do the puzzle on line as I no longer get a paper on Saturday. Animist was an unknown for me and I hate getting stumped on the first word out of the gate. Alidade was a gimme as I remembered it from the last time and I do have an instrument that looks the same as the one in your photograph.
ReplyDeleteI was able to fill in the entire SW corner with the horizontal clues and completely missed the clue for 51D.
Ah yes, CC you are right about Marlyn Monroe and the Metal of Freedom. It was a good attempt at a poor joke on my part.
I hope you all have a great Saturday.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - boy, did I enjoy this puzzle. I liked the use of 'deleterious' and 'reconnoiter', words we don't see very often in any medium.
ReplyDeleteCouple things: I thought there should be some indication of an abbreviation for 49A; never knew acumen had another meaning; never heard of 'liquate'. And 'Name Day'?? Never heard of it, although I now know that mine is 1 November.
Martin, it's 'alidAde' and 'tOnsils'. We saw 'alidade' not that long ago; the only reason I knew it.
Today is Pi Day (I suppose because it's 3.14), National Quilting Day, and National Potato Chip Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "When young, beware of fighting; when strong, beware of sex; and when old, beware of possession." -- Confucius (I personally disagree with all of them)
Mr. Fun Fact is back for an encore. Here's a sampling of things that happen every 60 seconds on Earth:
2,000 thunderstorms occur.
45 million gallons of water go over Niagra Falls.
2,271 working satellites orbit Earth.
A hair grows 0.00027 inch.
954 camera phones are sold.
15,000 gallons of air are inhaled by a blue whale.
21,000 pizzas are baked.
180 Barbies are sold.
115 soccer balls are made -- and 61 of them are in Pakistan.
Oh -- and Lois thinks about sex.
Do something fun this weekend. Remember - life is fleeting.
C.C. Will try the LA TIMES one tomorrow... I get the NYTIMES on Sundays and will give that a go too.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle required some thought ! I kept trying to force ETERNAL in where ENDLESS should have been, otherwise I was able to fill the grids.
How about SYRACUSE the last two nights.... I love'm but Louisville will have their number tonight.
Here's where to find your own Name Day.
ReplyDeleteReally had trouble in the NW corner, but not like the trouble I had with the LA Times...45 minutes so far....and not even half through!
ReplyDeleteA real toughie.
Morning, all!
ReplyDeleteNot much time today -- the weather is supposed to be nice and I promised to take my son to the zoo in a few minutes.
The puzzle was a disaster for me. I totally crashed and burned in the NW section. I had HOLIDAY instead of NAME DAY for 2D and SHAMIST (is that even a word?) instead of ANIMIST for 1A, and as a result simply couldn't get 1D or 17A. I guessed that 15A was COMACHO (instead of CAMACHO), which didn't help any.
I also struggled in the center where ALIDADE crossed ADELINA, both unknowns to me. I did guess the "A" correctly, though.
Other unknowns today were LIQUATE, RAGI, EDE and HEPTANE, although I was able to get them via the perps. But that NW corner just totally destroyed me.
In closing, let me just say how much I really hate SGD as an abbreviation of "signed".
See y'all Monday!
GM all: Loved all the "$2" words...although a "fity(sic) cent" one...53d...had be worried for about 10 seconds until I solved "dual".
ReplyDeleteGot another (step) granddaughter`s BD today...We must endure Chucky Cheese...ahhh, what we do for GRAND children...
Dennis: Perhaps the "J." in 49 across was meant to alert you to an abbreviation...
Good morning, all,
ReplyDeleteI liked today,s puzzle; no Googling required! I have always like his Saturday efforts because of the long words, which seem to come more easily to me than some of the short ones.
Liquate was a new word for me, and I remembered onagers from earlier clues. Thought umpteen was a clever answer to 17a.
I am looking forward to tackling the LA Times tomorrow.
After a week in the 80s, our Spring breakers arrived in Corpus Christi along with a cold front. 48 and rainy is hardly beach weather, but some of you snow birds would probably like it.
Frank
Just did NYT's Saturday Silk puzzle -- what a ball-breaker! Took me almost an hour, even though I knew all the Philly-related answers. Great puzzle.
ReplyDeleteGood morning:
ReplyDeleteI too liked some of the rarely used long words, and have never heard of NAMEDAY (mine is July 12, another excuse for presents?). ANIMISM is the basis of Native American religion, which incorporates the use of Shamans. I think it would have to be SHAMANISM, which did not fit.
I had the hardest time with ONELANE/DELINEATION cross, not liking that definition, though after I finished I looked it up, so...live and learn.
SHELLEY LONG is another in the LONG line of TV stars who quit hit series, thinking they will become movie stars, and fail.
I remembered ACETATES, because much of early television was lost because the ACETATES broke down, so we do not have all the TONIGHT SHOWS or ED SULLIVANS.
Hector "MACHO" CAMACHO was a remarkably fey man to make his living through violence. Have a good week end, and I guess I will go try the LA Times now.
Haven't done the NYTimes yet Dennis but the LATimes required a lot of googling and OneAcross.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I call it a successful Saturday as I completed more than half the puzzle without help.
ReplyDeleteNameday? Never heard of it. Thanks for the link. Does anything special happen on your nameday? Special food maybe?
CC -Are you a celiac? I've heard of ragi and have probably eaten it. I have relatives galore with the disease.
Pretty good puzzle for me today, started off hard but finished soft: I only googled Camacho. Back in the Day, my Dad always watched the Friday Night Fights on TV. I really haven't cared much since the decline of M. Ali.
ReplyDeleteI probably wouldn't have completed this puzzle a few months ago, like others, this blog has improved my skills as well as my motivation. I usually don't even try the NYT on Friday or Saturday. May have to start. Have a good weekend all; see you Monday.
Democrat, where are you? Georgetown?
Windhover
CC: One more "Dad-ism" before we leave. A gimongous ( a local, made-up word) amount would be "humpteegillion."
ReplyDeleteC.C.,
ReplyDeleteThat word "reconnoiter" is the G.I.'d "recon" version we kicked around recently. Puzzle makers should stick with the G.I. version.
Everybody can spell recon.
Kudos for your message to PromiseMe today. Very well put.
Hayrake
Hi CC and gang,
ReplyDeleteGood evening from India, reasonably easy CW today not much of googling.
Ragi porridge is my wife's favourite breakfast which she gulps down before leaving for school in the mornings
A good morning to everyone...I actually finished this with one error, had QUO instead of QUA, but actually managed with no G-ing at all. I agree with Larry that a few months back this would have been un-doable. This blog has been such an incredible learning experience. I guess I will have to ramp things up another notch to manage the LATimes puzzles...have been printing them out and practicing.
ReplyDeleteHere is a silly poem from my Scottish friend...I'll leave the rest of the poetry to ClearAyes.
A Scottish Love Poem
A' coorse ah love ye darlin'
Ye're a bloody tap notch burd.
An' when ah say ye're gorgeous
Ah mean iv'ry single word.
So yer bum is oan the big side
Ah don't mind a bit o flab.
It means that whin ah'm ready
There's somethin' therr tae grab.
So yer belly isny flat nae merr
Ah tell ye, ah don't cerr.
So long as when ah cuddle ye
I cin get mah erms roon' therr.
Nae wummin wha is your age
Hiz nice roon' perky breasts.
They jist gave in tae gravity
Bit ah know ye did yer best.
Ah'm tellin ye the truth noo
Ah nivir tell ye lies.
Ah think its very sexy
Thit ye've goat dimples oan yer thighs.
Ah swerr oan mah grannies grave noo
The moment thit we met.
Ah thocht ye wiz as guid as
Ah wiz ivir goanie get.
Nae maitter whit ye look like
Ah'll aywiz love ye dear.
Noo shut up while the fitba's oan
An' fetch me anither beer
Who says Scottish men aren't romantic?
Today’s was an easy puzzle. I made a bit of a mess when I initially wrote “corpses” for CADAVER, but MAL straightened that out for me. CAMACHO was a bit of a guess that ultimately was worked out through the crosses. ALIDADE was obtainable only through the crosses.
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity I Googled Hector Camacho Sr. One bio said he grew up in “Spanish Harlem, one of New York’s more demanding neighborhoods”. LOL! A bit of sugar-coating, that.
Edd Byrnes co-starred in the 1958-1964 television series 77 Sunset Strip. Edd Byrnes was the “hip” car park at Dino’s and was quite the heart-throb for many. But in keeping with my dark, handsome, mysterious attraction it was Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. that caught my eye! (And still does.) This series replays a 9 pm on Saturday nights on channel 26-3. BTB…here is a photo of Edd Byrnes today.
@cc…Here is the original Matt Dillion…Marshall, that is! And it is this Matt Dillon I thought of when I saw the clue.
@Martin…Animism is also still practiced today in many parts of the world. I know that certain groups in the south of Ethiopia are ANIMISTs. Kazie…would the Aborigines of Australia be considered ANIMISTs?
@Barry G…you almost always say at least one thing that gives me a chuckle! (Thanks, btw.) Today it was “In closing, let me just say how much I really hate SGD as an abbreviation of "signed".” Right on!
As for the picture of Barry Silk…am I the only one to notice this looked very much like a mug shot? Thanks, cc, for the interview link. I enjoyed reading it.
IMBO…to the garden. So much to do….
Good Morning All. "perpetrator" A person who is only able to solve crossword answers by filling in the adjacent right-angle clues.
ReplyDeleteI was definitely a "perpetrator" this morning. I jumped all over the grid, trying to fill in a few letters here and there with the easier perps. I had a problem with the cross of ADELINA and ALIDADE. That first A wasn't helped by the perp. I finally G'd Ms. Patti to finish the center area. HEPTANE is another of those chemistry words I can never remember. Perps got that one, but HEPTANE is still a mystery to me.
No problem with Hector CAMACHO. G.A.H. is a boxing fan and Camacho, a very flamboyant guy, was an interesting boxer to watch.
I've been checking the LA Times daily puzzle for a couple of days. I'm looking forward to a new surge of enthusiasm and interesting comments.
Wolfmom, LOL, how can I come up with a poem to beat that?
In RE: 58D. Sine qua non, loosely translated as 'non-negotiable demand'.
ReplyDeletec.c. and all:
ReplyDeleteI did not know the word Animist, so I had Agimist because I thought 2D was Gameday instead of Nameday! Makes more sense to me to have Gameday because I never heard of Nameday for a date to celebrate! Otherwise, there were no other problems for me.
Hi C.C.
ReplyDeleteFor another look at a centaur try this one?
J.K. Rowling included the centaur as a character in the Harry Potter book
series.
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Firenze
Guday c.c. and all of my great friends. No real problems today but, altho I love opera, I did not know "Adelina" nor "Aladade". Got that through my "A to Z" c/w dictionary.
ReplyDeleteIt took me just under 2 hours to do the Sat. L.A. Times x/w. Of course, that was LAST Sat.'s puzzle, and I had the answers in front of me. It took me that long to copy the answers to the blank page. However, I got it correctly.
My new 'puter, well, new to me, is really cool. The guy who sold it to me said the old Windows 95 is passe and I'd really like this new Windows 98 thing. It was only $1400but it is quicker. He even threw in this thing called Adobe Reader 2. I don't know what that is but it has a cute icon on my desktop.
I still can't figure out the demographics of this blog's commenters. Tho not nearly complete, Oregon leads, followed by Florida, then a tie with Calif. and Virginia. I find that rather......areaoddiostemorphic. (See Fred).
Nurse Ratchet says it's time for my medication. They are a blue pill and a white pill, which makes me aroused and sleepy at the same time. When I wake up, my private parts feel funny and Nurse Ratchet SEEMS to be nicer to me.
I must be off
Well! We're always claiming that we learn a lot here. Today I learned (after reading comments and Googling) that I may well be a bit of an animist. Who knew? As Condi said (9/12), there was no reason to suspect that. And now Clear Ayes has nailed me as a perpetrator. If I learn anything else today, I'm going to have to forget something first.
ReplyDeleteC.C., please don't ban PMT. As far as I know, we don't have anyone else who hits from that side of the plate. And unlike Clemons, Bonds, et al, he won't have any asterisks by his name in the record books.
Got to go, Dolly's calling.
Windhover
Interesting WoW. I think Confucius must have been an older man when he wrote them. He may have "been there, done that". I tend to agree with him. Young men are often all too eager to engage in a fight. Sometimes it may be necessary but, beware..think about it..is it worth it?
ReplyDeleteThe same thing goes for sex. Strength and youth go hand in hand. I don't know about anybody else, but I made a few regrettable sexual decisions when I was younger. I should have been more wary. The consequences of poorly thought out choices that can be problems. .....so...Beware!
As far as the possession warning goes, G.A.H. and I have taken George Carlin's Stuff to heart. We are discovering that we need and desire fewer possessions as we get older. We are eagerly anticipating our grandchildren needing furniture, dishes, glassware, etc, so we can pass our stuff on to another generation. If they don't want it, we don't care. There are plenty of charities to take it off our hands.
Hmmmm, I wonder. Buckeye, would the nursing home be interested in charitable donations like collections of toothpick holders that once belonged to Kiss, an incomplete set of State teaspoons, and thimbles from around the world?
CC, I didn't realize that you have celiac. My sister and my granddaughter have it. When we started cooking with them in mind we were very surprised that they could not have most condiments because of the white vinegar which is made of wheat. Unfortunately we found out the hard way. In the end we all eat healthier because of it.
ReplyDeleteOn the puzzle I was surprised what nameday meant to the rest of you. I always thought it applied to your birthday or your saint's feast day. I didn't know there was a site to find your name day.Learn some thing new all the time from you folks.
I am solving on line these days and got all but 2 letters. A for alidade/adelina and p for upc/heptane. I kept seeing a "french lady" not a product in 47A. Duh.
I haven't done the LA times yet today. I have been trying to do both each day. (cause I don't want to be left out) :0)
Have an errand to do I will check in later.
Toby
Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,
ReplyDeleteC.C., Please forgive me. As someone said recently, "The devil made me do it!"
I am sorry to hear that you have a gluten intolerance. I am sure that is very inconvenient, since wheat is in so many things. My understanding is that millet is the reason why the Chinese in the North have historically been bigger than their Southern counterparts. Never-the-less, I had never heard of RAGI. I got it from the hoz.
Do ONAGERS live in the Gobi?
Perhaps, ClearAyes will post Burn's To A Louse
As a kid, I loved Sir Walter Scott's writing. Today, I am not sure I agree with his negative portrayal of the Knights Templar. I also loved Alexander Dumas, Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, A.A. Milne, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe and so on and so forth. I still love them, but these days I am more into Gabriel García Márquez, Umberto Eco, Salman Rushdie, Paulo Coelho and, atm, Chris Bohjalian. While I have some issues with Bohjalian's writing style, the story he tells in Skeletons at the Feast is an important and powerful one.
Thank you for the Barry Silk interview.
The things I didn't know crossed each other in the puzzle, leaving me with blanks which I could only fill by consulting the Oracle of Google.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of Name Day and was surprised to find my name on the Name Day sight, since I never find it on the racks with key chains and magnets, other than at the gift shop for the Texas Tall Ship Elissa in Galveston. My name day is 11/19, which includes my lucky number '9'. (And in a weird coincidence, the Elissa is No. 19 on the Galveston Historical Foundation Places to visit map)
Good afternoon CC et al., Liked this puzzle for the freshness and change. Enjoy the long words. Had the same troubles in NW as Barry and disliked SGD as well.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle reminded me Las Vegas a lot. "I'v an hoe" is probably a LV 'item' that stays in LV. Just a guess. I wouldn't know :). I just played w/the 'umpteen' 'wild asses of Asia' and other continents
in the 'lounges' there. Am finally feeling less like 'dung' or a 'toasted''cadaver' and ready to board my 'chariot' to 'meet' and greet the 'intl' scene again. It's a family bday wkend again and the party is on, hopefully with 'ltd'
'deleterious' effects..or not. Those 'onagers' seem to find me wherever I go. Not complaining at all however. Party on!
Dennis: LMAO with your Mr. Fun Facts comment. At least I'm not wishing my fleeting life away. And thank you for the Name day link. Mine is Mar 29, a Sunday. Will celebrate appropriately...a rest...
not 'arrest'.
Enjoy your wkend.
Good afternoon, c.c. and all
ReplyDeleteJust under 2 and a 1/2 hrs. today
That NW corner gave me an umpteen amount of grief !
I wasn't going to embarass myself , but what the hey, I put Eremist for Animist , hah
could not remember Alidade , wanted Detrimental for Deleterious and still don't know what UPC stands for ?
Wolfmom, i can see why Clear Ayes might have a problem topping your "Scottish Love poem" lol
See you all tomorrow, ta, taa
PromiseMeThis, To A Louse is a little long for this blog, but I found a nice internet site for the Poem with a little explanatory foreword and a very helpful standard English version for those who can't (don't wanna) negotiate Burn's vernacular writing.
ReplyDeleteFun for the weekend; G.A.H. and I are having an international evening. Dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant and then we're going to see Jil Aigrot. She is the French singer who dubbed for Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose. I just wish we didn't have a 2 hour round trip. Well, we wanted to live in "the country", so we have to put up with the inconveniences.
Buckeye: You are hilarious!
ReplyDeleteDennis: Thanks for the name day link. Mine is April 5th. My one daughter's name Jillene, however Jill is.
UPC = universal product code
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of KO magazine. As a boy, I read Ring and Karate magazines. Bruce Lee was one of my biggest heroes and I was sure he could kick the snot out of Ali, given the chance. I guess it's no surprise that these days I am more into MMA than standard boxing.
ReplyDeleteHas it really been two months already since we had ALIDADE? I must need to get out more.
That CHARIOT is beautiful. We had to make way for the Italian president's motorcade as we made our way to the little church that houses this gorgeous Bernini sculpture.
Yes, John Hancock's penmanship was flawless.
"Hey, Congress just passed a National Pi Day (March 14) resolution." Ah yes, our tax dollars at work. Apparently nationalizing banks is not a full time job.
Matt Dillon was so sinister in A Kiss Before Dying.
I don't believe that I have ever heard of EDE before. There is a communal part of Copenhagen that was, until very recently, more or less autonomous. Apparently, it is a very Bohemian enclave. Does anyone know the name of it?
I agree that putting milk in tea is abominable. I do add a bit of honey and lemon to Earl Grey, and I often throw some tisane in with my Dragonwell green tea.
ClearAyes, have you seen Ma Vie En Rose? It is a charming film that shows how childish some adults can be at times.
@ Maria:
ReplyDeleteTo clarify & add to Elissa's explanation of UPC - the Universal Product Code is the bar code that appears on just about everything that allows the scanners & computers to charge you for the item as well as keep track of inventory internally to aid in the re-ordering process for retail establishments.
Clearayes. I wouldn't mind having a tooth pick holder to kiss (it's an odd suggestion, but I'm willing to give it a shot), but for God's sake, do NOT send these maniacs spoons and thimbles. Lord only knows WHERE they'd put those things.
ReplyDeleteIMBO
ClearAyes, you were right, C.C spanked me hard. It's good that I enjoy that sort of thing. I also enjoyed your definition for 'perpetrator'.
ReplyDeleteMartin, 'degenerious' sounds like it might be one for the Mensa Challenge.
Dennis, That's an awful lot of satellites. It is amazing that they don't run into each other. Then again, space is a big place.
Southern Belle, I see you're blue. Good for you :)
Lemonade, To add to DoesItInInk's comments regarding ANIMISM: African vodun and it's American counterparts (Candomblé, Voodoo and Santeria) are also 'animist'. In fact, I believe that, prior to the advent of organized religion, animism was spread world-wide.
Also, while I was aware that SHELLEY LONG made a few movies, I was not aware that she quit Cheers for that express purpose. Thanks.
Very funny poem, WM.
Perhaps an alternative to the tiresome references to PDT as 'Pacific Daylight Time' might be, 'Device used to scan UPC's' ... Portable Data Terminals.
Here's one for the Colonel-
Jodhpurse: A secret pocket in the lower inseam of one's riding pants
Jeannie,
Here's hoping your 'rack' remains a part of your 'thorax'.
Perhaps, the only thing worse than mispelling Edgar Allan Poe's middle name, is knowing that I did and failing to correct my mistake.
Buckeye, you don't need to worry about us, Windhover and I have our sheep.
With that I ask, "Is three long ones better than five short ones?" My answer is YES!!!
BTW, Clearayes. My daughter in Issaquah, Wa. collects toothpick holders and if you want to get rid of yours I'm sure she would give them a good home. However, I would check on E-Bay or someplace about their worth. Some of the cut-glass holders can be worth some money. I don't think you could get rich on them, but you might be able to buy the gas for one of your and GAH's two hour trips.
ReplyDeletep.s. Tell GAH I'm a boxing fan, too. Us Cincy guys have to stick together.
IMBO
Promisemethis. I lived in Billings for 15 years. What part of Montana did you terrorize?
ReplyDeleteIMBO
Hello C.C. & all.
ReplyDeleteGood puzzle today. Nice grid, good clues, some fresh answers. Fun solve.
Dennis @8:00,
Thanks for the link to 'Name Day'.
2D/1A had me completely stumped. Kept thinking 'game day', but 'agimist' just would not fly. Had a blank till I came here. The 'A' in adeline/alidade was a WAG, but slapped head when I googled to confirm & remembered we had alidade not too long ago.
I'm with Barry in hating 49A.
WM @12:22,
Funny poem!
C.C.,
I'm with you on the tea.
Jeannie,
Love to sail, too! Are you looking for some deck'hands'?? Maybe a man to take you away from the buoys??
TJ the Perpetrator in Osseo
Buckeye, the Montana part.
ReplyDeleteHi C.C. and gang, very late today.Fun puzzle with a few hang ups but most of you have covered them nicely.
ReplyDeleteDennis, great fun facts! especially the last one, I know Lois loved it!
Wolfmom, loved the Scottish poem!!
Buckeye, you are a piece of work for sure. About those pills, especially the blue ones, be careful...nurse Ratchet may be having too much fun at your expense. I'll bet your dreams are great though.
To all you who get the Oregonian and anyone else that got the LA Times puzzle for today-I am totally stuck for the SE corner and could use just a few answers: 44A, 30D or 26D. I could use a lot more but don't want to spoil it for anyone else.
Buckeye, I'm amazed that you remembered G.A.H.'s Cincy metal sculpture. And yes, it is still in the garage. I see that you and G.A.H. have more than boxing and baseball in common (think blue).
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I was (almost) kidding about the collections. I only have three toothpick holders, they weren't previously owned by members of Kiss (at least I don't think so) and they aren't very collectible. I understand your reticence for the inmates...oops, I mean patients have spoons and thimbles at their disposal. The game of "Hide the Thimble" might take on some distasteful aspects.
The eight spoons and ten thimbles are tossed in a drawer someplace. If I can find them, I'm planning on dumping them at the next neighborhood garage sale.
We know C.C. as well as others collect baseball cards. We found out that JD collects Cinderella books and Life magazines.
Weather321, I'm curious, do you use your collectible pots and pans or display them?
Does anyone else have a collecting hobby?
I tried collecting diamond jewelry, but wealthy boyfriends were few and far between, so that hobby dried up after only a couple of rings and some earrings. Beside which, after some lowlife tried to pass off some common cubic zirconia as genuine Diamondique, I was pretty suspicious of future gifts. Now I just collect coffee mugs from places we have visited. So much less is expected in return :o) I actually use them, so I expect they will all be history by the time I have no more use for them.
T.J., please don't separate Jeannie from her buoys!
ReplyDeletePromiseMe, just so you know, repeated links to a personal blog are considered rude on another's blog.
Buckeye, did your computer come with WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3?
ClearAyes, 'perpetrator' might be the best one yet. Outstanding.
And I, being in the collectibles
business, get to enjoy having them and occasionally make some money from them as well.
I'm still missing a bunch of birthdays if anyone wants to add theirs.
15:45 for me today nothing unusual or out of place for me today.
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteMy b-day is June 29.
I was born in 1966, so my birth month is 6/66. Make of that what you will...
Barry, are the horns under the hair?
ReplyDeleteClearAyes: I collect old kettles...have some enamel, some cast iron and several aluminum...have only one "water dipper"...but would like to collect them also. And don`t get me started on shoes! When we married, my husband had to buy a utility trailer just for my shoes and hats! (and my "sit-under" hair dryer!)
ReplyDeleteDennis: seriously...I do have an inherited, cut-glass, vase shaped tooth pick holder with a polished chrome rim. It`s about 3 " tall...is it valuable?
Am hoarse from shouting over the din in Chuckee Cheese but June had fun...and the pizza was pretty good, too!
Dennis, beware of sex when you're strong? WTF? I like 'em when they are strong enough to handle me. Buckeye...put my eyecon on your laptop my friend, your 'puter will always have a hard drive. I also LOVE Pi day. BTW my name day is June 24th. Hopefully, I'll be sailing....
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteMy DF mind was more along the line of a play on buoys as 'boys'. I can see where your DF mind is coming from, and would never do anything to harm her buoys on her 'thorax'!
TJ [full DF mode] in Osseo
Linda, no, sorry, it's worthless. Send it to me.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I've seen adults come out of Chuckee Cheese after a party - not a pretty sight.
Jeannie, agreed.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't done Saturday's LATimes puzzle, skip the rest of this.
ReplyDeleteCarol, 44A is 'amour', 26D is 'disk images', and 30D is 'tactility'.
promise me, I can guarantee that my "rack" is just fine and in place on my thorax. TJ from Osseo, I can also just sail away from the bouy anytime I want. I just raise the sail as S-L-O-W-L-Y as possible. It's kind of hard sometimes.
ReplyDeleteJeannie, Glad to hear it. God knows I don't want to wake up 20 years from now and trip over my b@LL$!
ReplyDelete"PromiseMe, just so you know, repeated links to a personal blog are considered rude on another's blog."
Given that the entire raison d'etre for my Blogger site is to pay homage to C.C. and her impressive knowledge of English, I fail to see how this applies.
promisme, if that ever happens, to quote a line from Elaine on Seinfeld, "I don't know how you guys walk around with those things."
ReplyDeleteI for one am glad you guys do.
Hoo-boy!
ReplyDeleteI just finished today's LA Times puzzle. What a bear! It was easier than today's NYT puzzle, to be sure (that one was so bad I had to Google multiple times and still couldn't finish it due to extremely obscure cluing), but still a real slog. I somehow managed to finish it unassisted, but it took a lot longer than I'm used to for a non-NYT Saturday puzzle.
I'm not sure I can handle two puzzles that both get progressively harder as the week goes on...
PromiseMe, I'll just say this and then that's it from me: Creating a blog for "those who care to elaborate upon any discussions that take place on the Star Tribune Crossword Corner" does not exactly strike me as "paying homage to C.C. and her impressive knowledge of English". Having your own successful blog is, I'm sure, a very self-satisfying thing, and no doubt that's what you're looking for, but calling attention to it on another's blog is just bad taste.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe it's been C.C.'s policy to allow 1 plug of someone's own blog. If I'm wrong about that, I'm sure she'll correct me...
You're welcome to the last word; it's Saturday night, and time to go play. Have a great night, everyone.
Dennis, my fine friend, thanks so much for the c/w help! I'll see where this leads.(I actually did get 44A :)) That is one tough puzzle but very good to expand brain cells.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I missed a lot today being gone. Nice puzzle though, quite enjoyable.
ReplyDeletec.c. & Lemonade,
Thanks for the Greek Automaton, I guess I was thinking in Latin.
Doesit,
I think the Aborigines would be animists, since they believe there is a spirit in everything.
Dennis: @ 7:11: It`ll be on the next schooner east!
ReplyDeleteAbout the Chucke Cheese thing: I angrily "resemble" that!
dp.johnson@comcast.net said...
ReplyDeleteIn RE: 58D. Sine qua non, loosely translated as 'non-negotiable demand'.
Literally it actually means: "without which not"--in other words, without whatever the thing is, you have nothing. So it's a very indispensable, essential thing.
Dennis,
Thanks for the name days. In France they're more important than birthdays, but I guess I pointed that out before.
I did the LAT March 12 in 19 minutes--first time solving online but with regular skill level since it was so late. But only a few gave trouble really. I'm definitely no speed solver though.
ReplyDeleteThat's it for me tonight. Good night.
The LA Times took me 23 minutes, and I was sorely tempted to quit, but I mucked through to the end. This blog is bringing back my stubborn streak. Past my bedtime, but I went to the casino for a while, figuring if I could finish the puzzle maybe I was in a lucky phase.
ReplyDeleteKZ you what they say about Latin, "It's all Greek to me."
C.C.,
ReplyDeleteMy mom had a tea party for a cousin of hers lately with her daughter. Her daughter's comment [and not a tea drinker ] was that tea tastes better from a pretty cup!
Jeannie,
Don't you think that setting sail is better with a deck'hand'? Slow is great, but you never want to be caught on a lee shore!
Fair winds and following seas..
TJ in Osseo