Theme: Cards for Two
23A: Blackjack: POLICEMAN'S CLUB
36A: War: OPEN HOSTILITIES
73A: Scatter: CUT AND RUN
108A: Casino: TRUMP PLAZA OR RIO
126A: Gin: COTTON SHUFFLER
17D: Nautically nauseous: CAPTAIN'S DECK
64D: Solitaire: A DIAMOND RING
I hope I got the theme answers correct. I am a dummy when it comes to card games. Why "Card for Two" as the theme title?
I don't know. HAND PICK (8D: Select personally) might be part of the theme answers too. But there is nothing hidden in its symmetrical partner SAL MINEO (93D: "Exodus" co-star). Or am I missing something here?
Struggled with this puzzle. Too many proper names. Our editor is on a name binge today. He could easily clue KEENER (107D: Catherine of "Full Frontal") as "More acute". "Single Sra" for SRTA (66A) is such a lazy cluing.
I have never seen a word number indicator like 67D: Time qualifier: __ about (2 words): AT OR. Normally Williams would go with "End of comment?" (commentator). He hates partials.
See here for Argyle's post on Rich Norris' Thursday SPAGHETTI puzzle.
Across:
1A: Simpson's songwriting partner: ASHFORD (Nickolas). Stumped immediately. Have never heard of him or his wife Valerie Simpson. They wrote "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
8A: Seize a vehicle in transit: HIJACK. I had this wrong notion that HIJACK means "Seize a plane in transit" and CARJACK is the answer the clue is looking for.
20A: Put away one's sword: SHEATHE
21A: Comparable thing: ANALOG. Not analogy?
22A: Chilly period: ICE AGE. I wrote WINTER first. It's indeed the "Chilly period" here in MN.
30A: Memory unit: BIT. Know nothing about computer. BIT, byte. Which is bigger?
33A: Tom Sawyer's sweetheart: BECKY. Guessed. His love for her is unrequited, right?
48A: Hitters: BATSMEN. My inital answer is BATTERS.
70A: Senior members: DOYENS. Female is called doyenne. Helen Thomas is often referred to as the doyenne of the White House press corps.
71A: Diameter halves: RADII. Probably only math geeks celebrated the National Pi Day yesterday.
76A: Mother-of-pearl: NACRE. Here is a picture. I don't know why NACRE is precious. Some drums have very nicely encircled NACRE around its body.
77A: With hands on hips: AKIMBO. I can never remember this position. Sounds like a Japanese word.
79A: Iditarod terminus: NOME
87A: S.F. underground: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Oh, I did not know it's underground.
89A: Bookkeeping abbr.: EOM. Glory be! I am not familar with this abbreviation at all. It's just "End of Month".
105A: Flasks: PHIALS. Only knew vial.
106A: No-good-__: NIK. I need to use this word. I've never used ne'er-do-well in my conversation either.
112A: Grasslike wetland plant: SEDGE. The leaves looks cutting.
114A Asian range: ALTAI. It's called 阿尔泰山脉 in Chinese. Wikipedia said the ALTAI mountains are known as the Turkic people's birthplace. Originated in the word Altau. AL means "gold", TAU means "mount". So ALTAI means the "Mountains of Gold" in their language.
117A: Gifts bestowed: LARGESS
122A: Blood: pref.: HEMA. Or hemo. As in hemophilia, the disease Byron Nelson died of.
130A: Guy of "Factory Girl": PEARCE. I googled. Here is a picture of him and Sienna Miller who starred in the "Factory Girl". He is an Aussi also.
131A: Military decoration: EPAULET. I used to remember this word.
133A: Arialike solo: ARIOSO. Forgot again.
134A: Schedules anew: RESLOTS
Down:
2D: Brogue or wingtip: SHOE. Did not know brogue and wingtip means the same thing.
3D: Recklessly determined: HELLBENT
5D: Stock-market abbr.: OTC. Over-the-Counter. I don't know anything about stock market, except my GE stock keeps dropping. How is OTC different from NYSE trading? Also, if most of us are losing money in this market, who is winning? If no one, where did the money disappear to?
10D: Actor Derek: JACOBI. Googled him, then realized that I had googled him before. An illustrous career.
11D: Completely wrong: ALL WET
12D: Administrative body: COUNCIL. Can't believe I struggled with this one.
24D: Having wings: ALATE. I only knew ALAR, which actually means "Winglike".
29D: Cicely and Mike: TYSONS. Cicely is Miles Davis' wife.
31D: Essay: THEME. New definition to me.
34D: Largo and Longboat: KEYS. Both KEYS are in FL. Here is my favorite KEYS.
37D: "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS. Another google. Is ODETS very famous? Very odd picture. What are they trying to achieve?
46D: William Sydney Porter: O HENRY. Easy guess. I did not know O HENRY's original name. What does O stand for? Why not O'HENRY?
49D: DEA type: NARC. It's always "D.E.A. agent". I don't know why it's "type".
59D: Rail: SORA. The Carolina rail.
61D: Unfledged bird: EYAS. Would not got this weird word without the surrounds. The British spelling is Eyass.
81D: Legendary drummer Gene: KRUPA. He was played by SAL MINEO (93D: "Exodus" co-star) in the 1959 biopic "The Gene KRUPA story".
91D: Black bird: MERL. Also MERLE. Not fully black. I learned the meaning of this word a few months ago when someone talked about MERL Reagle, the genius crossword constructor for Dennis's "Philadelphia Inquirer".
96D: Actor Mastroianni: MARCELLO. Another google. Found his mug to be very familiar, then I remember I saw his movie "A Very Private Affair" with Brigitte Bardot.
98D: Brit. quartermaster: RSO (Regimental Supply Officer).
100D: Hunting trophy: BIG GAME. New phrase to me. I thought there is a special trophy for hunters.
102D: Surpasser: OUTDOER. Made-up "er" word.
109D: Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. Nice to see its full name. Wikipedia says MAI TAI means "good" in Tahitian. What is that flower besides the mint leaves?
110D: Poet Metastasio: PIETRO. No idea. He was "an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti", whatever that is. And he is known as an "emotional, lyrical, and romantic poet". His hands look like a lady's . Wonder how long his thumbs are.
111D: "The Third Man" instrument: ZITHER. Got the Z from the intersecting PLAZA. So the only viable answer is ZITHER.
113D: Having auricles: EARED. AURI/OTO is prefix for ear.
121D: "Little Latin __ Lu": LUPE. Have never heard of this song before.
126D: Bks balancer: CPA. This "er" word really annoys me. "Balancing pro" is better.
127D: Mil. training course: OCS. Officer Candidate School. New to me. Why "course" then?
C.C.
23A: Blackjack: POLICEMAN'S CLUB
36A: War: OPEN HOSTILITIES
73A: Scatter: CUT AND RUN
108A: Casino: TRUMP PLAZA OR RIO
126A: Gin: COTTON SHUFFLER
17D: Nautically nauseous: CAPTAIN'S DECK
64D: Solitaire: A DIAMOND RING
I hope I got the theme answers correct. I am a dummy when it comes to card games. Why "Card for Two" as the theme title?
I don't know. HAND PICK (8D: Select personally) might be part of the theme answers too. But there is nothing hidden in its symmetrical partner SAL MINEO (93D: "Exodus" co-star). Or am I missing something here?
Struggled with this puzzle. Too many proper names. Our editor is on a name binge today. He could easily clue KEENER (107D: Catherine of "Full Frontal") as "More acute". "Single Sra" for SRTA (66A) is such a lazy cluing.
I have never seen a word number indicator like 67D: Time qualifier: __ about (2 words): AT OR. Normally Williams would go with "End of comment?" (commentator). He hates partials.
See here for Argyle's post on Rich Norris' Thursday SPAGHETTI puzzle.
Across:
1A: Simpson's songwriting partner: ASHFORD (Nickolas). Stumped immediately. Have never heard of him or his wife Valerie Simpson. They wrote "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".
8A: Seize a vehicle in transit: HIJACK. I had this wrong notion that HIJACK means "Seize a plane in transit" and CARJACK is the answer the clue is looking for.
20A: Put away one's sword: SHEATHE
21A: Comparable thing: ANALOG. Not analogy?
22A: Chilly period: ICE AGE. I wrote WINTER first. It's indeed the "Chilly period" here in MN.
30A: Memory unit: BIT. Know nothing about computer. BIT, byte. Which is bigger?
33A: Tom Sawyer's sweetheart: BECKY. Guessed. His love for her is unrequited, right?
48A: Hitters: BATSMEN. My inital answer is BATTERS.
70A: Senior members: DOYENS. Female is called doyenne. Helen Thomas is often referred to as the doyenne of the White House press corps.
71A: Diameter halves: RADII. Probably only math geeks celebrated the National Pi Day yesterday.
76A: Mother-of-pearl: NACRE. Here is a picture. I don't know why NACRE is precious. Some drums have very nicely encircled NACRE around its body.
77A: With hands on hips: AKIMBO. I can never remember this position. Sounds like a Japanese word.
79A: Iditarod terminus: NOME
87A: S.F. underground: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Oh, I did not know it's underground.
89A: Bookkeeping abbr.: EOM. Glory be! I am not familar with this abbreviation at all. It's just "End of Month".
105A: Flasks: PHIALS. Only knew vial.
106A: No-good-__: NIK. I need to use this word. I've never used ne'er-do-well in my conversation either.
112A: Grasslike wetland plant: SEDGE. The leaves looks cutting.
114A Asian range: ALTAI. It's called 阿尔泰山脉 in Chinese. Wikipedia said the ALTAI mountains are known as the Turkic people's birthplace. Originated in the word Altau. AL means "gold", TAU means "mount". So ALTAI means the "Mountains of Gold" in their language.
117A: Gifts bestowed: LARGESS
122A: Blood: pref.: HEMA. Or hemo. As in hemophilia, the disease Byron Nelson died of.
130A: Guy of "Factory Girl": PEARCE. I googled. Here is a picture of him and Sienna Miller who starred in the "Factory Girl". He is an Aussi also.
131A: Military decoration: EPAULET. I used to remember this word.
133A: Arialike solo: ARIOSO. Forgot again.
134A: Schedules anew: RESLOTS
Down:
2D: Brogue or wingtip: SHOE. Did not know brogue and wingtip means the same thing.
3D: Recklessly determined: HELLBENT
5D: Stock-market abbr.: OTC. Over-the-Counter. I don't know anything about stock market, except my GE stock keeps dropping. How is OTC different from NYSE trading? Also, if most of us are losing money in this market, who is winning? If no one, where did the money disappear to?
10D: Actor Derek: JACOBI. Googled him, then realized that I had googled him before. An illustrous career.
11D: Completely wrong: ALL WET
12D: Administrative body: COUNCIL. Can't believe I struggled with this one.
24D: Having wings: ALATE. I only knew ALAR, which actually means "Winglike".
29D: Cicely and Mike: TYSONS. Cicely is Miles Davis' wife.
31D: Essay: THEME. New definition to me.
34D: Largo and Longboat: KEYS. Both KEYS are in FL. Here is my favorite KEYS.
37D: "Waiting for Lefty" playwright: ODETS. Another google. Is ODETS very famous? Very odd picture. What are they trying to achieve?
46D: William Sydney Porter: O HENRY. Easy guess. I did not know O HENRY's original name. What does O stand for? Why not O'HENRY?
49D: DEA type: NARC. It's always "D.E.A. agent". I don't know why it's "type".
59D: Rail: SORA. The Carolina rail.
61D: Unfledged bird: EYAS. Would not got this weird word without the surrounds. The British spelling is Eyass.
81D: Legendary drummer Gene: KRUPA. He was played by SAL MINEO (93D: "Exodus" co-star) in the 1959 biopic "The Gene KRUPA story".
91D: Black bird: MERL. Also MERLE. Not fully black. I learned the meaning of this word a few months ago when someone talked about MERL Reagle, the genius crossword constructor for Dennis's "Philadelphia Inquirer".
96D: Actor Mastroianni: MARCELLO. Another google. Found his mug to be very familiar, then I remember I saw his movie "A Very Private Affair" with Brigitte Bardot.
98D: Brit. quartermaster: RSO (Regimental Supply Officer).
100D: Hunting trophy: BIG GAME. New phrase to me. I thought there is a special trophy for hunters.
102D: Surpasser: OUTDOER. Made-up "er" word.
109D: Rum cocktail: MAI TAI. Nice to see its full name. Wikipedia says MAI TAI means "good" in Tahitian. What is that flower besides the mint leaves?
110D: Poet Metastasio: PIETRO. No idea. He was "an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti", whatever that is. And he is known as an "emotional, lyrical, and romantic poet". His hands look like a lady's . Wonder how long his thumbs are.
111D: "The Third Man" instrument: ZITHER. Got the Z from the intersecting PLAZA. So the only viable answer is ZITHER.
113D: Having auricles: EARED. AURI/OTO is prefix for ear.
121D: "Little Latin __ Lu": LUPE. Have never heard of this song before.
126D: Bks balancer: CPA. This "er" word really annoys me. "Balancing pro" is better.
127D: Mil. training course: OCS. Officer Candidate School. New to me. Why "course" then?
C.C.
60 comments:
Good Morning, CC
Re: theme
It could be a reference to card games where you need a partner, such as bridge. Is there anything about slams or other bridge terms in the puzzle?
I will be glad if we can all get the same puzzle.
Argyle,
Good morning. I don't know anything about bridge. So I don't know which ones I should be looking for. There is no SLAM, only a SALM in SAL MINEO. Is HAND PICK a theme answer?
BobR & Tobylee,
I am not Celiac. Only gluten sensitive. A very small percentage of gluten sensitive/intolerant people tests positive for Celiac. Toby, the abbreviation for Mademoiselle is Mlle.
Linda,
What are "$2" words?
Lemonade,
What is your definition of a "fey" man? You used it to describe CAMACHO yesterday.
Col G,
How does your wife cook her RAGI porridge? Doe she put any dried fruits/nuts? Or Indian spices?
Hayrake,
I thought "recon" is a noun meaning reconnaissance.
Elissa,
Interesting for me to learn that Dido was called Elissa before.
Kazie,
Yes! You did point out the NAME DAY before. That's how I remembered it yesterday. I've learned tremendous amount of knowledge from reading what you say every day. Thanks.
HAND is a card game term but not HAND PICK.
I don't see anything in SAL MINEO either.
Argyle,
Maybe Wiseman made a mistake in SALM (SAL MINEO)? He might be thinking of SLAM? PICK HAND and SAL MINEO are structured in the grid like theme entries.
ALL GRAVY NO GRIEF,
I don't think Anon reads your replies. I am the only one who reads new post to an old blog entry.
Kazie,
Forgot to ask you earlier. What does it mean when someone said his decisions are made with applied knowledge?
C.C., 'recon' can be used as a verb as well - "we're going to go recon the area", for example.
I couldn't figure out why cards "for two" either, but then, I don't have the puzzle.
Good morning CC and all,...a great puzzle until the SE corner and then I tanked. The remainder of the puzzle was very doable with the perps completing the fills that I did not know0.
CC I think you want outdoer for 102D and not overdoer.
Looks like a nice day coming, at least the am, so I will get outside while I can. See you all later.
I hope you all have a great Sunday.
CC I also have a problem with "Cards for Two". I can't see the connection.
@ Buckeye from yesterday regarding the little blue pills. My friend went on a cruise and met a guy in the bar. After many drinks the fellow managed to convince my friend that he should try two blue pills. The man provided my friend with two pill which my friend took. He left immediately for his cabin and his wife. His wife was not in the cabin so he prepared himself by lying on the bed naked. When his wife came into the cabin, she took one look at him on the bed and replied "My god Lenny your ankles are swollen." Guess you never know what parts swell with the little blue pills.
Of course, we all know Willy A. Wiseman is an anagram for Wayne Williams.
Good morning:
Hmm, FEY; I was trying to say CAMACHO was not the typical one-dimensional, tough guy Boxer, but appeared a little unreal, artificial, too cultured and polished to fight for a living; someone who worried about his manicure as much as his left hook. I guess the other word that comes to mind is CAMPY, but that may not help. I do not know the man, just my impression of him. I did get to know Donovan "Razor" Ruddock Razor Ruddock , a huge, powerful heavyweight who had some brutal fights, especially the two against Mike Tyson, but was a very pleasant gentle man out of the ring.
You would think if you were going to put CLUB and DIAMOND in a puzzle, you could also work in something like "pulp fiction detective" SAM SPADE, Pulp Fiction or even "myocardial infarction" HEART ATTACK.
AWFUL PUZZLE WITH A VAGUE THEME AND TOO MANY PROPER NAMES. I WORKED IT ,BUT IT WAS NOT MUCH FUN WITH ALL THE GOOFY CLUES AND UNKNOWN PEOPLE. pLUS IT HAD TOOMANY TWO WORK ANSWERS AND ABBREVIATIONS. i AM STILL NOTSURE ABOUT "CASINO" WHAT DOES RIO HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?? aND UNLESS YOUHAVE HAPPENED TO BE IN SAN FRANCISO YOU WOULD NOT KNOW ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND. HECK!!! I NEED TO GET OFF MY SOAPBOX AND JUST ENJOY THE PUZZLE. IT WAS NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITY MR. WISEMAN AKA MR WILLIAMS.
ABOGATO IN ALABAMA
Good morning all - Surprised this morning when I went to Google the Chi Trib and only Saturday's was posted......soooo...tried the LA Times.
Really enjoyed the Times. Took a while, the constructor didn't use a lot of obscure words, but those little gray cells got a thorough workout!
It would help a lot if I could also read from top to bottom!
Argyle, your Thursday answers were great....except I had already thrown my copy away...so couldn't double check my answers.
My newspaper just arrived (they are always late on Sunday) so don't have time to work the TMS.
Southern Belle, what a wonderful picture! That could be straight off the set of 'Gone With the Wind'.
What did you do in the WACs? Were you in Korea? Are you aware of the WAC VA organization?
C.C.:
No puzzle for me today, so I'll take advantage of a slow day to ask a question I've held for a while. When we see the message "This post removed by author" does "author" refer to the poster or to you?
One more: could you state (or restate) some
Comments policies? I for one have been guilty of giving some recent and less than memorable puzzles short shrift in favor of tete-a-tete with other posters. I plan to limit that, or at least defer it until later in the day, but I (and I believe others), need some occasional guidance and correction when necessary. I respect your eminence, which, come to think of it, would be a nice title for you. Try it on. (my effort at a lame joke).
Windhover
Windhover, I can answer the first question. It refers to the author him/herself. Sometimes we'll catch an error in a post, and kill it and repost. I believe if C.C. does it, it says 'removed by administrator'.
Hope this helps.
c.c.,
Thanks--for all you do.
I'm not sure about your question though. Just as a plain gut reaction, I'd say the decisions are made with knowledge acquired in a different sphere, but made to apply to the new situation. "Apply" just means to "use", so you'd be using old knowledge in a new way.
Hi,
My local newspaper carries the Tribune Crossword on Sat, but we have recently been advised that TMS will no longer be distributing this particular crossword. Do you know where I may be able to find it online? We have a large network of puzzlelers all over Montreal, and even in Florida. I even scan this puzzle weekly so others can enjoy it.
I enjoy your comments and answers to the puzzle.
I hope you can help.
S.S.
Hi CC,
Re your question of where all the investment value has gone, that's the major downside of so-called paper profits. The value of stocks goes up simply because others are willing to pay more for them, not because someone somewhere lost money for it to happen. And it can go the other way as well -- when people don't want to buy it, the value ("on paper") goes down, but no one is gaining from that loss. Not sure if it would make me feel better if someone was benefitting, but it is odd to think of all the value that has disappeared.
But enough of that -- Happy Spring later this week, and until then "beware the ides of March" (today).
CC: "$2 words" just means that the words are longer, and with more syllables than usual. It`s another of those colloquialisms...
Dennis,
Thanks for the nice compliment on my pic. Our church has a "Tour of Historic Homes" every May and that is my special day to get dressed up as a "Southern Belle".
I was in the Signal Corps, but stayed away from Korea. WACs took the jobs that GIs were doing...so they could go to Korea. We were not well liked!
Didn't know about a WAC VA org. Do you have any details?
To Anon in Montreal:
This particular crossword puzzle edited by Wayne Willians is being discontinued EVERYWHERE and is being replaced by The Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle in most of the same newspapers.
C.C. BART only goes underground under Market Street in SF as far as I know. There is also an underground section in Oakland(where that shooting took place a while back). Otherwise, I believe most of it is above ground. I have taken it from Fremont(where it currently ends) to Berkeley where my favorite Gourmet Store and some really great restaurants are. Never taken it into SF.
Dennis: My birthday is July 12, which I see is Lemonade's name day. It is of interest to some that July 12 is Orangemen's day, or Irish protestants' day. I make it a point to wear orange on St. Pat's day as well as, of course, July 12. My mother's b'day was March 17, which we all thought was funny (we're not Irish).
dHi C.C.
Thanks for the help again. Especially enjoy your comments and explanations.
Don
Good Afternoon All,
I was curious about the definition of fey.
a. Having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or quality:
b. Having visionary power; clairvoyant.
c. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.
Perhaps Lemonade714 was thinking of definition "c". Hector Camacho was certainly a quirky character.
Of course, fey reminded me of this poem which was written in the late 1800's when a lot of people did believe in fairies in the garden. Thank goodness children can still see the world as one of possibilities.
Fairies
You can't see fairies unless you're good.
That's what Nurse said to me.
They live in the smoke of the chimney,
Or down in the roots of a tree;
They brush their wings on a tulip,
Or hide behind a pea.
But you can't see fairies unless you're good,
So they aren't much use to me.
- Marchette Gaylord Chute
Southern Belle...I second Dennis...what an absolutely gorgeous photo and the whole setting and dress are incredible...That must be so much fun to get all dressed for the Tour!
ClearAyes...what a cute poem...and on really good days I CAN see the fairies!
Still working off and on on the LATimes Sunday puzzle. I think I will be able to handle the Mon-Thurs...but I really needed help with the Sat and Sunday...
C.C.
The BART system runs mostly on the surface, as wolfman accurately described it. But it also runs underwater. It crosses from San Fran to the East Bay through a tunnel laying on the bottom of the bay. I (Zoecon,Inc.) once had the pleasure of providing a quote to BART for cleaning the exterior of the tunnel. That was without a doubt the dirtiest, grimiest, oiliest water I have ever been in, including the once badly polluted Mendecino bay a little further up the coast.
I'm not sure I know why you wanted to know that.
Hayrake
Dick,
Is your blue pill story real?
Fred,
Hey! Hope to hear from you regularly once we have LA Times puzzles.
Clear Ayes,
I've always associated FEY with fairies. JFK described Jackie as being "FEY".
Abogato in Alabama,
Boy, you were angry today. But please don't capitalize all your words again. So harsh on my eyes. In case you have not heard, next week's Sunday will be your last Wayne R Williams puzzle.
Having finally finished the puzzle, I do have a comment: 16D is a poor example of our language. Nauseous refers to something that makes one nauseated. Sea sick is being nauseated. Of course, seeing someone exhibit sea sickness is a nauseous happening.
"USAGE A distinction has traditionally been drawn between nauseated, meaning ‘affected with nausea,’ and nauseous, meaning ‘causing nausea.’ Today, however, the use of nauseous to mean ‘affected with nausea’ is so common that it is generally considered to be standard."
This is why I say the dictionary cannot be used a a judge of language. It simply reports on how people use it.
I still don't know what 112D is (inclined surface) so I can't perp writers (129A) or border cutters (132A). Nor can I grok 51D (sycophants).
Thank you, anyone.
Windover.
Some simple guideline: 5 posts per day per person (including responses to my or others' questions). The #1 can be detailed and preferably include that day's crossword solving experience. #2 to #5 should be short and crisp. Comments should be spell-checked before publishing. By the way, in addition to what Dennis said earlier, you can't delete your own post if you do not sign in with your Google account.
Wolfmom & Hayrake,
I stayed in San Francisco for a week. Don't remember seeing any underground BART system.
Southern Belle,
Nice to see the beautiful dress back again.
Sallie,
112D: Inclined surface: SLOPE
129A: Writers: PENMEN
132A: Border cutters: EDGERS
51D: Sycophants: FAWNERS (ones who FAWN)
CC: RE Dido/Elissa - and a princess to boot. Need to get myself a crown.
My father does both the NYT and LAT puzzles everyday and says LAT puzzle is often more difficult than the NYT. OMG. I'm glad for Google, on-line "Regular" level and this blog.
I have collected turtles for about 35 years. They come from all over the world, made from a wide variety of materials - ceramics, glass, wood, cloth, plastic (Teenage Mutant Ninja), gem stone, ivory. Most are inexpensive, but some are antiques or otherwise of value. Friends and family get them for me when they travel. And then someone gave me a stuffed dead turtle. It is very startling the first time someone peruses the collection.
This was an easy puzzle. I had two blank squares in this puzzle too. One blank was the final L in 91D MERL where I was trying to work in ANI, the only black bird I know. My other blank square was the final O in TRUMP PLAZA OR RIO, which I could not get or even understand until I came here. The few unknowns like ASHFORD could be easily deciphered from the crosses.
I did not recognize the name Guy PEARCE though I knew him from the movie Momento, which made quite a splash when it came out. According to imdb, he was born in England.
I initially wrote “carnap” for 8A. It was 13D with KGB that set me straight.
@cc…O in O. Henry was the initial of the first name of his pen name. This is my favorite of his short stories. I think this comes close to my definition of true love.
The Third Man with its haunting music is one of the earliest films I can remember seeing. It came out in 1949, so I must have been just 4 or 5 when I saw it, but it is still a vivid memory!
Well, I do not read the dictionaries very often any longer, and perhaps my usage was wrong, but here are two -additional definitions.
fey /feɪ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fey] Show IPA
–adjective 1. British Dialect. doomed; fated to die.
2. Chiefly Scot. appearing to be under a spell; marked by an apprehension of death, calamity, or evil.
3. supernatural; unreal; enchanted: elves, fairies, and other fey creatures.
4. being in unnaturally high spirits, as were formerly thought to precede death.
5. whimsical; strange; otherworldly: a strange child with a mysterious smile and a fey manner.
or
Main Entry: fey !fA
Pronunciation: \ ˈfā \
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English feye, from Old English fǣge; akin to Old High German feigi doomed and perhaps to Old English fāh hostile, outlawed - More at - foe
Date: before 12th century
Results
1 a. 1 a chiefly Scottish fated to die : doomed b. b marked by a foreboding of death or calamity
2 a. 2 a able to see into the future : visionary b. b marked by an otherworldly air or attitude c. c crazy touched
3 a. 3 a excessively refined : precious b. b quaintly unconventional : campy
Maybe I should have just stuck with quirky, though I wanted to say more....He just seemed very ill suited to be a boxer.
Elissa, Your turtle collection sounds wonderful. I can't fault you for the dead turtle, I have a stuffed chinchilla that looks down from its perch in our family room.
Dennis is fortunate that he can have the fun of collections and sell them too!
I'm heading over to the online LAT site and try my luck at a Saturday or Sunday puzzle. If you don't hear from me again until Monday, you'll know I am still puzzled and puzzling.
C.C. So many interesting comments that call out for a response sometimes make it difficult to keep 2 through 5 short. I do vow not go over the limit though and as time goes by I will try to be a littler "crisper".
C.C.:
I just discovered this site and since I love LA Times puzzles I expect you'll hear from me from time to time.
I've just sold a couple of puzzles to the LA Times but they haven't been scheduled yet.
Fred, will they be published under your name?
C.C., The local transit system for San Francisco is called the Muni. I assume that the name is simply short for 'municipal transit'. You may have ridden it while there. It is, in my experience, one of the best transit systems in the world. It connects to BART. BART is an acronym for Bay Area Rapid Transit. The BART system runs beneath San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco with both Oakland and Berkley.
Doesitinink, Memento was a fascinating movie. I had to watch it twice to get all the little nuances. I had pretty much the same Third Man experience as you did. At the time I didn't understand the story, but I loved the music (and the ferris wheel).
Lemonade714, I asked my husband what he thought of "Macho" Camacho. He said he had the talent, and even though he won several championships, he didn't seem to take boxing as seriously as he might have. "It was all showbiz to him."
Now...on to LAT.
Ok, just finished the LATimes Sunday puzzle. I won't reveal any answers since I'm sure many haven't done it yet, but it is doable without g-spotting, especially when you get the theme. I think, so far, that we'll enjoy this change of pace. Anything's better than "half a fly" etc., repeated ad nauseam.
C.C. Thank you for filling in my empty or incorrect spots.
I had slant rather than slope, and it didn't help at all.
C.C.
I forgot to mention that I think Derek JACOBI is the most wonderful actor of his generation. His performance as Claudius in "I Claudius" on BBC and PBS is still wonderful to watch after more than 30 years. I bought it for my oldest son one year, and it cemented his desire to study ancient Roman culture as a career. Now we wait to learn where he will go to get his PhD in classiacal archaeology.
PMT:4:21 Department of Redundancy Department.
Berkeley
I personally like the London Underground for getting places. I always take my car into SF because it is much easier to get where you need to be, even though the parking is usually awful.
The D.C. Metro is great, NYC subway coupled with taxis is fabulous and I think I even prefer the Paris Metro to SF Public transit.
I am a Bay Area native(3rd generation) and I am definitely not fond of our public transportation system...you can't get anywhere from here, not with out driving halfway there to start with.
Really...I like you, and BTW the Greek Shepherd's Pie turn out terrific.
I have a problem; I can't download the LAT puzzle. I can't use the regular skill level and get red letters as soon as I make a mistake.
The odd thing is that I can still get the TMS puzzle and it works just fine and with both skill levels. They use the same Flash Player.
I can get the LAT but I have to use a link at Cruciverb.com and use the Across Lite software. Since I wanted access to the archives, I also had to register. Across Lite doesn't tell you immediately if your right or not.
Ooops... my bad. Please accept my apologetic apology :)
The DC Metro and the Paris Metro are two others that I was thinking of as ranking near the top. I don't think so highly of the New York subway. It is dirty and very noisy. One of the nice things about the SF Muni is that much of it is electric and, therefore, quiet.
I like you, too, WM. I am glad you enjoyed the Shepherd's Pie. I plan to make a modified version soon, a Caribbean Shepherd's Pie topped with saffron rice and Chévre. First, though, comes the Irish Stew with Guiness.
@ CC, yes my blue pill story is absolutely 100% true. When my friend told me the story I LMAO.
Also, back in the 70's, when I had my business, I bid and won a very large contract for a section of the breaking system for the BART cars.
I don't understand "for two" either. The card games in the clues are not all 2 player games and the answers are not all 2 words.
I am in Canada and 17D is clued as
Bridge. That makes all the theme answers clued with the name of a card game, with the possible exception of Scatter. Is that a card game?
Oh, and TRUMP PLAZA OR RIO doesn't make sense to me either.
I collect U.S. Mint Proof coin sets. I have a goal of getting two for every year from 1947 forward.
@C.C. I read late-evening/early-morning additions to the prior day's comments.
@southern belle That is a gorgeous dress!
I was very impressed by the public transportation system in Munich. With the combination of trams, buses and trains (both underground in town and above ground out of town), there was no problem navigating the area.
I need a Guinness right now, preferably with a little dash of black currant syrup. I have just come reeling back from LAT online for Saturday and Sunday.
Doabl? Really? I managed to get through the Saturday puzzle, but I gave up half way through the Sunday puzzle. Maybe I had just enough crosswording for the day, but I suspect we will have our hands full in a couple of weeks.
Dick, LOL, you shouldn't pull C.C.'s ankles like that.
I love the Tube in London, but I was so disappointed that the cost had risen so much in the past few years.
Crockett1947,
I also read the late/early posts.
Do you feel that those coins are worth what you have spent on them?
Sadly, I have to confess that, just about anywhere one might care to mention has a better mass transit system than the one we 'supposedly' have here in SoFL. A good transit system is one of those yardsticks by which communities are judged for their livability.
Argyle @ 6:49 Pm...I just went back to the LATimes website and it seemed to be ok, it let me in to play at the regular level with the red letters for mistakes. I did have problems the other day trying to print previous puzzles, it would only allow me to see Sunday puzzles. The next day it was fine. If anyone can muck up computer stuff it would be me. Maybe it will, hopefully, sort itself out.
PMT: Okey-dokey then. Please let me know how the Caribbean Shepherd's turns out. I've never ridden the Els in Chigago and spent very little time on the NYC subway. I was working at the food shows most days, same in Chicago, so we usually took taxis.
In SF there are very specific areas like along the Embarcadero with the old time electric muni buses, the cable cars and getting into downtown with BART that aren't too bad. The main isuue that I have is with all the hills it is often difficult to get from one part of the city to another as your way is often cut off. So driving is still the best option.
Crockett: Was Munich lovely? I think I could eat my way through that city...I bet the food was awesome. Was it a vacation?
If I collect anything it would have to be copper cookware and cookbooks...both of which get used pretty much daily.
I really have never experienced mass transit in this country, but in Europe, I love the Paris Métro, and the ones in Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich and London are all very efficient.
I was pleasantly surprised in 2006 to find London had become much more efficient than in 1970. The German ones are great because you can get off a plane and access the subway right from their airports, to take you right into the city centers. But I have a special nostalgia for the Métro, even though it's older, hotter and smellier than the more modern ones.
Then there's Moscow and what was Leningrad when I was there in 1970, now St. Petersburg. I've never been so deep into the earth, as you go down into them. Escalators so long you can't see the end of them when you hop on. And then the decor--in Moscow it's like being in the Winter Palace, with chandeliers and arches everywhere. I'm glad I didn't know how fast the trains were going either!
When it comes to mass transit in the USA, we're definitely like the third world! Who knows how long it will be before we have any in the Midwest worth discussing.
I did the LA Times puzzles by Sylvia Bursztyn this Sunday and last and they had very clever themes. This week's theme was CHIN GAME, adding CH to common terms.
TMS used to have good themes for their Sunday puzzles as well, but that was some time ago. I did not like today's Wayne Williams puzzle at all.
@wolfmom Munich was very nice. We had an apartment in Nord Lehel, so we could walk all over and really got to know the city. Weather was very nice in early October. We enjoyed the food, the beer, the sights, but mostly the people. I even was able to go sing a bit of barbershop with the local group. Yes, it was a vacation that my wife purchased at a fund-raising auction for the school at the parish where she works.
@promismethis I enjoy the coins, and don't feel that the price is too bad. A set currently runs around $28.
Val,
I had the same thought as you did. But Scatter is not a card game. As for 108A, it refers to RIO CASINO in Las Vegas.
Tommy,
Never mind. We only have one more Wayne R Williams Sunday left.
I am copying the above messages from Monday's post because I am not sure if both of you solve the weekday puzzles.
When I die I would like to be buried next to Marilyn Monroe so I can spend eternity next to a pretty girl!
ALL GRAVY NO GRIEF
Dennis:
The LA Times always publishes the constructor's name along with the puzzle. Some local papers remove the name, although most don't.
One thing you will find out about The LA Times is that the puzzles are always well crafted. Rich Norris is an excellent editor.
Fred,
Thanks for getting back to Dennis. I've copied and pasted your reply to today's (Monday) comment. Solvers normally do not come back to an old post to check. Look forward to solving your puzzle some day.
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