Theme: In Other Words
20A: Railroad employee: TRAIN TRACKER (Train = Track ???)
28A: 9-to-5 worker: CLOCK - WATCHER (Clock = Watch)
45A: Certain cash machine: MONEY CHANGER (Money = Change)
55A: Garden company: PLANT FACTORY (Plant = Factory)
This is the strangest puzzle I've ever solved. The last theme answer simply does not fit the ER ending pattern. PLANT PRODUCER makes more sence.
Or am I missing something here? I am completely at sea! (Note: Thanks to Mrs. BC, now I got the theme, though the Train & Track connection is still confounding.)
My nitpicks today:
25A: Money player: PRO. MONEY is part of the theme answer. So it should not be allowed to appear as clue. Would be a great tie-in if the clue were "Not 4D" ("Opposing position": ANTI).
64A: Splitsville: RENO. The clue definitely need "?" mark.
23A: P. Goss grp.: CIA. I got the answer because I happen to be very interested in CIA stuff. But I dislike the abbreviation of Porter Goss's name. It's unnessary. "grp." is sufficient to indicate to the solvers that the answer is shortened. I don't know when this puzzle was submitted. But we've got 2 CIA directors after Goss: Michael Hayden and the current Leon Panetta. However, Peter Goss did have a distinguished career with CIA. So I suppose the clue is OK.
Thank you for the great responses yesterday. Very enjoyable reading. Some of your breakfast sound strange to me though. Now you've taken the first step, I really hope you can stop at the Comments box often.
Across:
5A: Econ. agcy.: FTC (Federal Trade Commission). They investigate the price-fixing, fraudulent advertising and other illegal practices. The National Do Not Call Registry was established by them as well. Stumper for me. I wanted CDC as I initially thought of COTERIES for the intersecting 5D: Cliques: FACTIONS.
8A: Of singers: CHORAL
16A: Inspirational discourse: HOMILY. How is it different from a sermon? Every time I see this word, I think of the HOMINY grit.
17A: Covered walkways: PORTICOS. Have you visited the White House before?
35A: 1945 conference site: YALTA. I often confuse this Big Three meeting with MALTA Conference, which also happened in 1945, between Churchill and FDR.
49A: Gerund maker: ING. The new CEO of ING Group should rethink their advertising strategy. Won't cost much to bribe our editor to put their name in crossword grid.
50A: "All over the World" grp.: ELO. Would not have got this group without the down fills. I thought "All over the World" might be a slogan for some organization like ILO (International Labor Union).
52A: Gangster's gun: GAT. "Mobster's gun" might be a better clue due to letter G repetition. "Gangster's girl" is MOLL.
58A: Social occasion: AFFAIR. Hmmm, to me, AFFAIR is a secretive, illicit, extramarital, "Unfaithful" fling.
61A: Rodent burrows: RATHOLES. Not RAT HOLES?
62A: Wagner heroine: ISOLDE. From his "Tristan und ISOLDE". From what I gleaned in Wikipedia, the story resembles the romances between Guinevere and Lancelot. What "a brief shining moment" Camelot is.
63A: Here, in Le Havre: ICI. See this map. Nothing special about this city. The constructor picked up "Le Havre" simply because of its alliteration with "Here".
66A: Mo: SEC. Moment. Second.
Down:
1D: Out of gas: EMPTY
3D: "Happy Days" co-star Erin: MORAN. Guessed. Have never seen "Happy Days". It doesn't look like her autograph. The most precious autograph I've got is from Johan Santana. Does he look handsome to you? He pitched the very first baseball game I saw when I arrived in the US.
6D: Of the chest: THORACIC. No idea. Thorax is Latin for chest. That's a very strange diagram, isn't it?
7D: Spanish house: CASA. "Italian house" as well. "Casa room" is SALA.
8D: Division of a polo match: CHUKKA. Obtained from across fills. I know nothing about polo. Kind of like baseball "inning" I presume? How many CHUKKAS are there in a polo match?
9D: Best policy?: HONESTY
10D:__ Khayyam: OMAR. The "Tentmaker" poet. His surname Khayyam means "Tentmaker", so his ancestor might be tentmakers. Like our Smith. I like his "A jug of Wine / A Loaf of Bread / And Thou..." poem. Very simple and beautiful.
13D: Sodium hydroxide: LYE. Sophisticated clue, but I was not intimidated. Whatever lipstick you put it on, LYE is still LYE still the "Soap ingredient" to me.
18D: Contents abbr.: INCL. Included? I don't know. I wanted ENCL (31A: Bus. letter abbr.).
25D: Flower of Texas: PHLOX. Pronounced as "flocks". Literally "flame" in Latin. Why "Texas"? We have this flower in Minnestoa too.
29D: Shrine at Mecca: KAABA. No idea. It's considered the very center of the Muslim world. KAABA is a "cube-shaped building in the Great Mosque of Mecca, containing the Black Stone". The word KAABA is from from Arabic ka'bah meaning "cubic structure". Muslims face towards the KAABA when they pray, regardless of where they are. Also, those pilgrims walk several times around the KAABA in a counter-clockwise direction during Hajj.
31D: Bursera resin: ELEMI. It's clued as "Varnish ingredient" several times before. I forgot what "Burser" is.
32D: Cynthia of "Sex and City": NIXON. What's wrong with her dress?
38D: Sign of sadness: LONG FACE. This is a happy "Sex and City" LONG FACE. Another one, happy too.
39D: Inflexible: DOGMATIC
46D: Red Bordeaux: CLARET
48D: Incise deeply: ETCH. I like this word ETCH, 3 consonants. KVETCH is great too. OREO is boring.
52D: Automation of Jewish legend: GOLEM. Absolutely no idea. It's literally "cocoon" in modern Hebrew. Might derive from the word gelem, meaning "raw material". Looks so clumy and ugly. Scary too. Wikipedia says "Frankstein" was inspired by GOLEM legends.
54D: Cicely or Mike: TYSON. Did not know Cicely TYSON, Miles Davis' wife.
56D: Speaker of baseball: TRIS. I don't think I own any of his card. Learned his name from doing Xword. He was inducted into HOFin 1937, together with Cy Young (the guy on the left).
57D: Lawnmower brand: TORO. Who is their major competitor? Deere?
58D: Some sloths: AIS. This has become a gimme to me. Here is a great picture, see their three toes? If anyone finds a picture clearly showing the two toes of the UNAU sloth, please come to the Comments section and share with us.
59D: Tallahassee sch.: FSU. The sports team name is The Seminoles.
60D: In place of: FOR. I thought of CUM, which is actually "with". Normally the answer for "In place of " is LIEU.
C.C.
20A: Railroad employee: TRAIN TRACKER (Train = Track ???)
28A: 9-to-5 worker: CLOCK - WATCHER (Clock = Watch)
45A: Certain cash machine: MONEY CHANGER (Money = Change)
55A: Garden company: PLANT FACTORY (Plant = Factory)
This is the strangest puzzle I've ever solved. The last theme answer simply does not fit the ER ending pattern. PLANT PRODUCER makes more sence.
Or am I missing something here? I am completely at sea! (Note: Thanks to Mrs. BC, now I got the theme, though the Train & Track connection is still confounding.)
My nitpicks today:
25A: Money player: PRO. MONEY is part of the theme answer. So it should not be allowed to appear as clue. Would be a great tie-in if the clue were "Not 4D" ("Opposing position": ANTI).
64A: Splitsville: RENO. The clue definitely need "?" mark.
23A: P. Goss grp.: CIA. I got the answer because I happen to be very interested in CIA stuff. But I dislike the abbreviation of Porter Goss's name. It's unnessary. "grp." is sufficient to indicate to the solvers that the answer is shortened. I don't know when this puzzle was submitted. But we've got 2 CIA directors after Goss: Michael Hayden and the current Leon Panetta. However, Peter Goss did have a distinguished career with CIA. So I suppose the clue is OK.
Thank you for the great responses yesterday. Very enjoyable reading. Some of your breakfast sound strange to me though. Now you've taken the first step, I really hope you can stop at the Comments box often.
Across:
5A: Econ. agcy.: FTC (Federal Trade Commission). They investigate the price-fixing, fraudulent advertising and other illegal practices. The National Do Not Call Registry was established by them as well. Stumper for me. I wanted CDC as I initially thought of COTERIES for the intersecting 5D: Cliques: FACTIONS.
8A: Of singers: CHORAL
16A: Inspirational discourse: HOMILY. How is it different from a sermon? Every time I see this word, I think of the HOMINY grit.
17A: Covered walkways: PORTICOS. Have you visited the White House before?
35A: 1945 conference site: YALTA. I often confuse this Big Three meeting with MALTA Conference, which also happened in 1945, between Churchill and FDR.
49A: Gerund maker: ING. The new CEO of ING Group should rethink their advertising strategy. Won't cost much to bribe our editor to put their name in crossword grid.
50A: "All over the World" grp.: ELO. Would not have got this group without the down fills. I thought "All over the World" might be a slogan for some organization like ILO (International Labor Union).
52A: Gangster's gun: GAT. "Mobster's gun" might be a better clue due to letter G repetition. "Gangster's girl" is MOLL.
58A: Social occasion: AFFAIR. Hmmm, to me, AFFAIR is a secretive, illicit, extramarital, "Unfaithful" fling.
61A: Rodent burrows: RATHOLES. Not RAT HOLES?
62A: Wagner heroine: ISOLDE. From his "Tristan und ISOLDE". From what I gleaned in Wikipedia, the story resembles the romances between Guinevere and Lancelot. What "a brief shining moment" Camelot is.
63A: Here, in Le Havre: ICI. See this map. Nothing special about this city. The constructor picked up "Le Havre" simply because of its alliteration with "Here".
66A: Mo: SEC. Moment. Second.
Down:
1D: Out of gas: EMPTY
3D: "Happy Days" co-star Erin: MORAN. Guessed. Have never seen "Happy Days". It doesn't look like her autograph. The most precious autograph I've got is from Johan Santana. Does he look handsome to you? He pitched the very first baseball game I saw when I arrived in the US.
6D: Of the chest: THORACIC. No idea. Thorax is Latin for chest. That's a very strange diagram, isn't it?
7D: Spanish house: CASA. "Italian house" as well. "Casa room" is SALA.
8D: Division of a polo match: CHUKKA. Obtained from across fills. I know nothing about polo. Kind of like baseball "inning" I presume? How many CHUKKAS are there in a polo match?
9D: Best policy?: HONESTY
10D:__ Khayyam: OMAR. The "Tentmaker" poet. His surname Khayyam means "Tentmaker", so his ancestor might be tentmakers. Like our Smith. I like his "A jug of Wine / A Loaf of Bread / And Thou..." poem. Very simple and beautiful.
13D: Sodium hydroxide: LYE. Sophisticated clue, but I was not intimidated. Whatever lipstick you put it on, LYE is still LYE still the "Soap ingredient" to me.
18D: Contents abbr.: INCL. Included? I don't know. I wanted ENCL (31A: Bus. letter abbr.).
25D: Flower of Texas: PHLOX. Pronounced as "flocks". Literally "flame" in Latin. Why "Texas"? We have this flower in Minnestoa too.
29D: Shrine at Mecca: KAABA. No idea. It's considered the very center of the Muslim world. KAABA is a "cube-shaped building in the Great Mosque of Mecca, containing the Black Stone". The word KAABA is from from Arabic ka'bah meaning "cubic structure". Muslims face towards the KAABA when they pray, regardless of where they are. Also, those pilgrims walk several times around the KAABA in a counter-clockwise direction during Hajj.
31D: Bursera resin: ELEMI. It's clued as "Varnish ingredient" several times before. I forgot what "Burser" is.
32D: Cynthia of "Sex and City": NIXON. What's wrong with her dress?
38D: Sign of sadness: LONG FACE. This is a happy "Sex and City" LONG FACE. Another one, happy too.
39D: Inflexible: DOGMATIC
46D: Red Bordeaux: CLARET
48D: Incise deeply: ETCH. I like this word ETCH, 3 consonants. KVETCH is great too. OREO is boring.
52D: Automation of Jewish legend: GOLEM. Absolutely no idea. It's literally "cocoon" in modern Hebrew. Might derive from the word gelem, meaning "raw material". Looks so clumy and ugly. Scary too. Wikipedia says "Frankstein" was inspired by GOLEM legends.
54D: Cicely or Mike: TYSON. Did not know Cicely TYSON, Miles Davis' wife.
56D: Speaker of baseball: TRIS. I don't think I own any of his card. Learned his name from doing Xword. He was inducted into HOFin 1937, together with Cy Young (the guy on the left).
57D: Lawnmower brand: TORO. Who is their major competitor? Deere?
58D: Some sloths: AIS. This has become a gimme to me. Here is a great picture, see their three toes? If anyone finds a picture clearly showing the two toes of the UNAU sloth, please come to the Comments section and share with us.
59D: Tallahassee sch.: FSU. The sports team name is The Seminoles.
60D: In place of: FOR. I thought of CUM, which is actually "with". Normally the answer for "In place of " is LIEU.
C.C.
106 comments:
Good morning, C.C. & gang - an enjoyable but strange puzzle today, had to really dredge the memory for some of the answers. I got through this one without g-spotting, but I needed perp help for a couple, such as phlox and chukka. Couldn't come up with the theme, though, if there is one. And was I the only one that thought immediately of John Kerry with 38D?
Today is.....ready for this?.....I Want You to be Happy Day, If Pets Had Thumbs Day (I'm not making this stuff up), National Anthem Day and Peach Blossom Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "You have to be at peace with yourself. I love to laugh. I think laughter can cure. You can see it in a person's face. Around age 40, when your face has lost the glow of youth, what you are inside starts to form on the outside. Either the lines go up or they go down. If they go up, that's a good sign." -- Elizabeth Taylor
And today's Fun Fact: Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.
Great posts yesterday by everybody - it was a lot of fun.
Dennis,
Yes indeed. Finally I thought as you did for a change. I thought of John Kerry. Also thought of Sara Jessica Parker for LONG FACE. Several readers mentioned DF and Perp yesterday, maybe you can explain once more those terms you coined. Peach Blossom right now? Impossible!
Greetings from Fort Pierce, Florida. I've been a daily reader/stalker (and occasional contributor) for many months. I always look forward to all of your comments, especially C.C. & Barry G.
Hope this blog lives on longer than the seemingly precarious future of the papers that print our beloved puzzle.
I love a good BMC omellete. i live in Portland, Oregon. I use your site when I get stuck or if I can't figure out the clue. I find it humorous that you know the word but have not experienced the clue. For me I have experienced the clue but can't come up with all the words. I guess I's older.
Thanks for all the help. I'm from Soda Springs, Idaho. I love crossword puzzles.
'DF' came about because at one time I thought our group was quite DysFunctional; since then, we've returned to some degree of normalcy. With exceptions. Several exceptions.
'Perp' is short for perpendicular. I have a habit of shortening words. Oftentimes, the only way you get an answer is by filling in the crossing perpendicular answers. Hence, 'perp help'. Stupid, yes, but you get the idea.
Oh, and 'the g-spot' was my nickname for Google. A nod to our DF days.
Good evening CC and gang,
Managed to get through the crossword with two or three assists from google,
Polo is quite popular in India within the army and amongst certain Royals from the state of Rajasthan. Each game has a max of 8 Chukkas of 7 min each, the short duration is keeping in mind the stamina of the horses who are galloping most of the time in the game.
Yesterdays list in the comments wase really amazing, all credit to you CC for starting of this Blog
Ciao
Wolfmom,
Congratulations on solving your first NY Times Sunday puzzle! I tried to click on your photo for a closer look, but it's unavailable.
Barry G,
In Argyle's puzzle last weekend, LIB is clued as "Prog". Does LIB stand for Liberal (Prog: Progressive) or Libretto (and Prog: Program)?
Kazie,
Very pretty flower! The color is so delicate, fragile & refreshing.
Good morning CC and all,...a bit late this am as the day did not start off too well. The feed line from the wall valve to the toilet ruptured and filled the bathroom with water. Fortunately we were home and minimized the damage. The same thing happened several years ago, in the upstairs bathroom. We were away at the time and the water ran for about 14 hours. This ruined all of the plaster, rugs, flooring etc. beneath and dropped the dry wall in the garage onto our cars. That turned out to be a very expensive event. Guess I should consider myself lucky today.
I will work the puzzle now and check in later.
Hope you all have a great
Tuesday.
Dennis,
Now add WoW (Words of Wisdom) and FF (Fun Facts). Brevity is indeed the soul of wit. But it can also be source of confusion.
Col G,
How long does a polo game last normally?
Papajim,
It's the various opinions like negative g's that makes this blog fun. Honestly, I did not understand what you guys talked about. But I sure missed your comments.Come back! And congratulations on being a new papa.
Mrs B.C.,
I don't normally list entries that pose no problem to me or I've blogged before. Please feel free to post your questions in the Comments section. Dennis or someone else will respond to you quickly.
Karen Q & all the newcomers,
I've not finished reading yesterday's comments. Will respond once I am done.
I do not check it every day, however, some days I just cannot get through the puzzle alone. And I thank you for your help...
sunshinegrlpdx@yahoo.com
Oy!
Another bizarre puzzle that couldn't make up its mind whether to be easy or challenging. And I am so relieved that C. C. couldn't figure out the theme, either. It made me feel slightly less stupid...
Two problem areas today. The first, which I eventually was able to resolve, was the crossing of CIA and INCL. I had no idea who "P. Goss" was and had trouble thinking of an abbreviation related to "contents." I was very close to putting INTL and TIA, thinking that Mr. Gross was perhaps the CEO of TIAA-CREF (which I obviously didn't know how to spell) and that "International" somehow had something to do with contents. I finally started going through the alphabet in my mind, however, and it didn't take long for INCL (short for "included," I suppose) to become apparent.
The second trouble spot, which unfortunately didn't get resolved, was the crossing of TRIS and SEC. I didn't know who TRIS Speaker was and simply couldn't parse the clue "Mo." I finally guessed TRIT and TEC, thinking that, well, I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking, to be honest.
Asa for the rest of the puzzle, I was thrilled to get AIS and CHUKKA, although I've only heard of CHUKKA in reference to a particular type of boot used in polo and not a division of a polo match. I did not know KAABA, however, and wasn't at all comfortable with RENO. I'm assuming "Splitsville" means people go there to get divorced?
And then there was the weirdness...
WTF is a PLANT FACTORY? A "factory" is a place whether things are manufactured, and you don't manufacture plants. You grow them. In a nursery.
WTF is a TRAIN TRACKER? Somebody who keeps track of the trains? Somebody who lays the tracks for the trains?
And finally, a joke: A horse walks into a bar. The bartender takes one look at him and says, "Why the LONG FACE?" Thank you, I'll be here all week, try the steak...
------
Barry G,
In Argyle's puzzle last weekend, LIB is clued as "Prog". Does LIB stand for Liberal (Prog: Progressive) or Libretto (and Prog: Program)?
Liberal and Progressive.
Good morning:
I guess RENO is splitsville because it was where people used to go to get quickie divorces, back before no-fault divorce.
I think the TRIS SPEAKER may have been one of the best baseball players of all time, though way before any of us were around.
Go SEMINOLES; my oldest graduates May 1 from FSU. Of course I went to law school in Gainesville, so I have to whisper about FSU lest I be excommunicated from the Gator nation.
Well, I didn't know FTC, PORTICOS, ISOLDE, CHUKKA, PHLOX, ELEMI, GOLEM or AIS and I wanted ATTN or ASAP for ENCL, SLIME for EXUDE, MIRE for ROIL, STAB for ETCH, GONE for RENO and IRAN for OMAN. As a result, the mid left hand side and the bottom right hand side gave me problems and I ended up googling.
From Friday:Martin,
Glad you are back. I thought my comment last time turned you into a pillar of salt.
Wouldn't a pillar of coffee make more sense? I mean, salt is salty and coffee is bitter. I'm just saying.
Speaking of coffee, my favorite breakfast is an egg McMuffin and orange juice. Back in Canada, I used to fry my own sausage patties and stick them in my own English muffins and pour my own orange juice but I can't find sausage patties or muffins in stores here in Taiwan. Oh and I can also buy egg and ham in a muffin at a 7-11 here too. With my wife here I usually have leftover soup and rice for breakfast or rice, eggs and bacon if she feels like cooking again. Or I can grab a toasted ham and egg sandwich on the way to class. If I'm in the Philippines, I'm happy with a Filipino breakfast: spicy sausage, eggs and rice.
164 posts yesterday, huh? Don't blame me: I had nothing to do with it. :)
Michael's watching cartoons but I think he'll want the computer back as soon as I finish typing this.
Martin
CC
If all 8 chukka's are played then it would last for about almost an hour and a half considering time for stoppages and fouls etc
Good Morning All!
top half was really fast. Slowed some in the middle and then crawled to the finish.
Somebody's gotta clear up 31a and 31d. Neither is clearly defined (ILEMI or ELEMI) and I really want ENCL for 31a.
66a; MO ?? Took me awhile to figure out what was wanted. Another Three Stooges name, maybe? OH, MO is short for MOMENT! Imagine that!!
I must say NY State still isn't represented very well here but our time will come.
Welcome to all the new faces. Don't stop now! Stay around and make yourselves known.
We missed all the weather yesterday. Everything was just far enough east that it went right by. I'm glad someone else had to remove S*** besides me!!!
CY'All Later
Hmmmm...
According to my handy desk reference dictionary, a CHUKKA is "a usu. ankle-length leather boot with two or three pairs of eyelets or a buckle and strap."
A chukker, on the other hand, is "a playing period of a polo game." Not a CHUKKA.
Of course, my handy desk reference dictionary has been wrong (or incomplete) before...
Barry, I knew I had heard CHUKKA used before, and, it was footwear. Now that I see CHUKKER, it also sounds familiar. And, it seems I've heard it used in regards to polo.
But, alas, I've never seen much polo. The idea of someone swinging long sticks around my body, trying to hit a ball, underneath a horses (and my) body, somehow scares the devil out of me. Maybe that's why they wear helmets!
Guess they are interchangable!
I should have looked it up FIRST
I think I get the theme....
a clock can be a watch...
money can be change...
a plant can be a factory...
trains can be tracked?
Good Morning all,
Can you believe I am commenting in the morning? It is a rarity for me to not be running out the door early.
I totally agree on the theme. I first thought it was going to be vehicles. I put in plane instead of plant thinking it went with train, then when I got money changer I was stumped for a while. Hmmm. And the mo thing was really strange. I have never seen that before, and would never clue moment as mo - it should most certainly be clued as an abbreviation.
I have fun reading everyone's blogs .
Dennis, my paper says it is "Square Root Day" 03/03/09, which apparently only comes nine times each century.
Hope everyone has a great day.
OK, I feel better now. It is ENCL.
I was confused because CC referenced both and I wasn't sure which was correct.
ELEMI
Didn't understand GERUND. This helps
Also thought INCL clue was more appropriate for ENCL. See definition for INCL.
Off by one letter today-Had an A instead of and E in CLARET and ISOLDE.
I don't get the theme either.
Wonderful turnout in the comments section of your blog yesterday. Congratulations C.C.!
Thanks for solving the DF and perp mysteries! My best guess was that DF was something risque. I never was able to come up with a guess for perp.
I was able to get close to chukka based on a vague memory from the polo scene in "Pretty Woman". Figured it out the rest of the way from the perps. :) (Although, based on the chukker/chukka discussion, maybe it's not really right?)
Good morning, CC,
Chinese seems to be an impenetrable
Language to me. Of my English-as-a-second-language friends and acquaintaces, the Chinese seem to pick it up quicker and more completely than others. I learned some French in college in the nineties, and went to France twice, but have mostly lost it since I returned to hermitage.
Not much to say about the puzzle today, except another one without a lot of overused, repetitive clues. WRW must be listening. Clever comment of the day award must go to MrsBC for figuring out the obscure multiple play on words theme. It seems our constructors can also be clever when they choose.
Great day on the blog yesterday.
Windhover
Hi Barry,
Both Chukker and Chukka are correct either Chukker is the Indianised version of Chukka or Chukka is the anglicised version of Chukker, this is more logical as the origins of the game is from Manipur state in India. See the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polo
In Hindi which is spoken in most of North India 'Chukker' literally means going around
Crockett,
I was unable to get your map inspite of following all your instructions, the search of google maps did not through up anything for The Star Tribune Crossword Corner Blog ?
I meant throw not through
Martin,
Don't be bitter, be better!
Mrs. BC,
Superb! Thank you a bunch! I've changed the theme title.
Karen Q,
Hey, nice to see you so early!
Ellen Stimler,
I want to eat what you have for breakfast now and hopefully I can do 4 crosswords a day when I am 90 years old. Where are you originally from?
g'morning all! At least I made it here before night today.
I agree on the theme--each answer is doubled up--railroads are traintracks, clocks and watches, money - change, plant is used for factory. Maybe we could call it double trouble?
I g'spotted several and used a lot of perp help today, especially in the south. For some reason couldn't think of Isolde and so that corner didn't fall in for a while.
c.c.,
The orchid was photographed at Olbrich Gardens in Madison 3 years ago.
Last night when I finally got here, I suggested newbies contact Crockett if they'd like to be added to our map. Does anyone remember how to find Clear Ayes' directions for getting to it as a first time user? They might like to see what they're getting into before being included.
Back in the day...when divorce was uncommon...one could stay in RENO, NV for 6 weeks or so, and then get a quickie divorce. Popular with movie stars of the era.
Yesterday, I forgot to mention MY favorite breakfast - French toast with coffee, made by my husband.
Jeannette
I found this puzzle to be "just right" as Goldilocks would say. I had never seen CHUKKA written out, so I thought it was CHUKER for awhile. I wanted PHLOX to be PHLAX and I wanted social occasion to be SOIREE (one of the first words I missed on my French 101 quiz - I was really bad at French). But I guessed at TRIS/SEC intersection and didn't get the MO = moment until I was reading the comments.
66.A was also my nemesis. Ala Barry G., I went with my first guess that mo stood for month, thus Dec was a shoe in, giving me Trid Speaker, which made as much sense to me as Tris Speaker. Other than that the puzzle was very doable.
Are all of the regular puzzle constructors now too expensive for the struggling newspapers to use? It makes me kind of sorry that we gave them such a bad time. You never know what you've got til it's gone. See ya' mañana
Dennis - all I can say to the Navy/Marine rivalry is SEMPER FI. When my niece first chose the Air Force over the Navy we tried to reason with her. She saw the light and is in boot camp at Great Lakes.
Good morning, C.C. et al--Wow, 164 comments. Is that a record? Again, thanks for the opportunity. I may become more regular as the CW is now an OC (obsessive compulsive) routine for me.
Lois-sorry I mixed up your location with Submaster. You're NN, he's Ches., right? Anyway, Tidewater was well represented. Hey, we even heard from a caucasian in VB!
Wolfmom, I enjoyed seeing your website. Tres chic. You have a distinctive style and I love your use of color. My website is outdated, but a new one is in the works. The holdup is that I have to wait on my webmaster who is also my spouse, a retired IBMer, whom I obviously don't pay enough. But I'll announce when it's up and running.
Cathy in Highland Beach--I love the smell of cayenne in the morning! Not really--while I was born in New Orleans, I still couldn't eat anything as spicy as crawfish etouffe first thing in the morning--unless perhaps I'd been up all night! More power to you, though!
This morning's puzzle was one I needed your help to finish. I like Mrs. BC's wind-up on the theme.
Dennis, I'll try not to taunt my Sheltie today, as I've been known to do in the past, by saying,"Don't you wish you had thumbs?"
Good day to all ya'll.
I said, earlier:
"OK, I feel better now. It is ENCL.
I was confused because CC referenced both and I wasn't sure which was correct."
I misread CC's comment. She was referencing 2 different clues and I wasn't smart enough to dee that till I reread the original post. DUH!!!
Crockett,
I plead guilty--of not reading the last few comments from last night before asking for the map instructions again. Those you posted last night seem as if they should work.
TJ in Osseo,
Are you from Oz too? I see you mentioned steak and eggs aussie style. Do you know what baked necks are?
Col_Gopinath,
We do have Martin in Taiwan on the map, so you will fit too!
Morning all, no news on the impending arrival of # 1 grandchild. I'll keep you advised.
Worked hard on chukka. I wanted chukker in the worst way, (even tho I had chucker at 1st). Then I thought it might be a New England thing like Cuba/Cuber (JFK, we hardly new ya). Anyway, had to google Goss.
Thanks to all the well wishers out there!!
Jim
Enjoyed today's puzzle. Like others got off to a slow start and really bogged down at Tris and sec. I liked Mrs.BC's theme, nothing came to me. Off for that omelet. PR
In response to your request for feedback from viewers I submit this. My husband picks up our morning paper and takes it off to work so I get to do the puzzle the next morning with breakfast (usually hot oat bran or peanut butter toast). I always read your posts to check my work or to get a hard clue to let me finish a knotty spot. Our paper is the Concord Monitor from Concord, NH, and it publishes the same daily puzzle. We have a son who is a constructor and just came home from the New York annual contest. He did better than last year. Now that he sells a few puzzles he can deduct his expenses for this. I enjoy your comments and I am amazed at your grasp of English quirks. Way to go! Thanks for publishing it.
Sheila Mitchell
New London, NH
This puzzle was quick-going until I arrived at the lower left. Filling in 46D with “merlot” instead of CLARET caused me a few problems, but eventually I was able to work everything out.
My only “miss” was the cross of TRIS and SEC where I had a “D” instead of “S”. I thought the clue 66A “Mo” was “month” (with the period missing), so “dec” for December seemed sensible. Now that I know 66A is SEC, I have no clue what the clue/answer for 66A mean! Can anyone illuminate this for me?
@cc: Another possible theme for this puzzle…Two of a Kind.
@Barry G…31A is ENCL for “enclosure”. 31D is ELEMI.
My oldest daughter e-mailed me a link to a video yesterday. As many will recall some time ago Anita Renfroe had this very popular video on Youtube. Now she has a new one in response to Dads who felt they were not represented by her first song. Here is the Dad Sense video.
Maybe this is why I can't remember it all-LOL (and have trouble getting through the NYT every day)!
Oops...I posted before I had the chance to read all the comments. Now I understand that "Mo" is MOment and "sec" is SECond. In my opinion, this was a bad clue all around as "Mo" with or without a period is not used. Who would say "can you wait just a mo"? And if someone said it, who would understand what was meant?
Good Morning All...and I do mean ALL!! Yesterday was amazing. We heard from so many of the "Previously Quiet".
I did save the how-to-find-Crockett's-map instructions. I posted it originally on Dec. 24th and it was exactly what Crockett posted yesterday. It worked then but, as I found out this morning, doesn't work anymore. I had saved the location to "My Maps" and sure enough, it came up as "Star Tribune Crossword Corner Blog". I don't have any idea how to access it from scratch, now that the original instructions don't work. Anybody else have an idea?
Now back to today's puzzle. It was a real toughie for me. Barry G.@7:02 voiced just about all of my problems..that'll save some typing!
In addition to Barry's points, I had CHUKER to begin with. When we lived in So. Cal., we sometimes went to the polo club in Santa Barbara to watch the Sunday matches. (Santa Barbara is a very poshy town!) Anyway, I heard the term CHUKER (or maybe it was CHUKKER) there.
I know it's a joke..but My two cents on Sarah Jessica Parker...It is true, she is not a traditional beauty. I admire that she long ago refused to have her nose "fixed". Other than the fact that it elongates the lineament (There's that word again!!)of her face, there is nothing that needs to be fixed.
Today's WofW, well taken from a great beauty.
Doesitinink, Great tattoo from a college girl's viewpoint. From a mother's viewpoint?? :o)
I missed an Ogden Nash poem yesterday. I didn't want to take space away from the new posters. But today does call for some of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The translation we usually read is by 19th century writer Edward FitzGerald. There are many other translations that differ significantly from FitzGerald's.
Omar Khayyám's was a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher as well as a poet. He wrote about a thousand four-line verses or quatrains. He had little use for religion and wrote of living "in the here and now", rather than waiting for reward in Paradise.
FitzGerald's translation:
"A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"
Whinfield's translation:
In the sweet spring a grassy bank I sought
And thither wine and a fair Houri brought;
And, though the people called me graceless dog,
Gave not to Paradise another thought!
Justin McCarthy translation:
In Spring time I love to sit in the meadow with a paramour
perfect as a Houri and a goodly jar of wine, and though
I may be blamed for this, yet hold me lower
than a dog if ever I dream of Paradise.
All a little different, but all interesting.
CC,
I love your blog. I just found it a few weeks ago and check it every day, you are very clever and funny. I eat oatmeal for breakfast and live in Oregon. Keep it up!
See if this works. Couldn't make a link.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=105514968576638483007.
00045ea56f0afe8d6a831&z=2
Once more, then I;m done! This isn't current but at least we're there.
Or could I?
I was on way too late last night to comment on yesterday’s puzzle. I have been lurking for months after finding the blog when googling for an answer. The help is much appreciated on the days that I struggle with the puzzle. I started doing both the daily Crossword puzzle and Jumble after watching my mom do them as I was growing up. A couple years ago I added the daily Sudoku into my routine. Unfortunately I often feel guilt over how much time I spend with the newspaper. Does anyone else? Last year at Lent I stayed away from any puzzles for 40 days and was pretty impressed that I managed to do it. But lately I have no motivation to fight the pull of the puzzles. I don’t feel as bad early in the week when I am usually able to breeze through them. I am a Buckeye – born in northeast Ohio and now living in southwest Ohio. I have oatmeal almost every morning. Thanks for the help and the entertainment with the blog. Neen
PR, I take it you flew Eagles? Which model (if you did)?
Karen Q, thanks for the heads-up on Square Root Day. There's probably many more I'm missing.
Elissa, Semper Fi indeed. What's your niece want to do in the Navy? By the way, regarding the rivalry, we still had each other's back in any kind of outside conflict.
Sea-She Sheila, I used to taunt my dog about not being able to do things too, but then he'd just lick himself and look at me, grinning.
I spend too much time online and with puzzles too Neen. Welcome to the group!
Trying to figure out how to add my location to the link Bill listed. Anyone know how?
Good morning all. Great day yesterday. Today's weather in southwestern Oregon ( Medford ), is more like Portland's weather, cloudy, drizzlely a.m. becoming partly cloudy. For the western part of Oregon, we are very dry, under 19 inches of precipitation and hot dry summers. Most people outside of Oregon think of it as cool and wet. That is just a small part, the Williamette Valley. Two-thirds of the state is desert and very unsettled. But beautiful, no matter where you are at. Our coastline is very rugged and over 90 % public access, unlike a few other unmentioned states. As a former governor once said, "Come visit, but don't stay". In parting, I would like to know how to post one's picture and to post links.
Good morning C.C. and all,
Bogged down does not express my lack of expertise on today's puzzle. Wish I could say mo was my only hitch.LOL! Could someone re- explain the "to a man"/"ALL" thing. I do not grok it. Are we all considered man or does man always get it all??? And I had a big chuckle over ratholes.Who would have thought...?
Doesit, I loved the Anita Renfroe link and howled thru her rendition of Breathe and You Raise me up!!
NYTAnonimo, I'd like one of those future computers to replace my brain.
Clear ayes, a great poem; enjoyed the translations. Anyone else want to translate the feelin' like a dog part?
Elissa, your scarves are so beautiful!!!Both you and Kathleen are so creatively talented.
Dennis, I liked your quote today, and Liz's incite "what you are inside starts to form on the outside." I had never thought of that.
Question for the Colonel.What is a Chukka Uppa?
Ferd77
Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,
C.C., Congratulations!!! Yesterday's 'survey' was, obviously, a smashing success. If you plan to respond to all of the newcomers you are going to have your work cut out for you. Good luck!
Regarding the theme's TRAIN/TRACK, Reference.com's thesaurus site shows the first entry for train as being synonymous with track; both meaning a 'series.
Since you like Johan Santana, you may wish to choose a different photo of him, should you want to post his picture again. The person who put that one on the web must have a problem with him, since they gave the photo a rather unpleasant filename.
Yes, Cicely Tyson was married to Miles. Bill Cosby was his best man at their wedding.
Here is a pretty clear picture of a Two-Toed Sloth. Here is one dressed.
kazie, Pretty orchid. Orchids grow outside here and I would love to grow some, but I am afraid the iguanas would just eat them.
Col_Gopinath, In American English we would not say that Google did not 'throw up' anything. We would say 'turn up'. Throw up is what I did after eating in a restaurant in Taipei. No offense, Martin. I am sure there are perfectly good restaurants in Taipei... just not that one.
ClearAyes, I, too, enjoyed the interesting Omar Khayyám translations.
Thanks for the link, Bill.
JD, One might say, "To a man, the assembly was in agreement." It means there were no exceptions, no one was left out, all were included.
"I used to taunt my dog about not being able to do things too, but then he'd just lick himself and look at me, grinning." ROFL.
I think Ferd77 is being funny, too. Not sure, though.
@jd...thanks for mentioning Anita Renfroe's version of "You Raise Me Up". What a blast!
I finally had a chance to do a puzzle on my lunch hour. I have been extremely busy the last couple of months getting ready for our big foodshow in St. Paul. I didn't have too much trouble with the puzzle but had to g-spot a couple of times.
This scenario played through my head...she's having an "affair" and he doesn't know it until "aha" he catches her. So because of the lack of "honesty" they head to "Reno" and soon become "exes".
Morning to C.C. and all, especially all the new people who have jumped in with both feet and photos...way to go.
C.C. I changed out the photo and will keep it up for today. I am not nearly as photogenic as all the lovely ladies(and gents) who post pictures...
I could never have completed that NYT puzzle without all the things I have learned here. I am also reading the Amy Reynaldo book you recommended...very interesting and instructive.
I seem to be hot-wired into BarryG's brain...he always nails every issue I have with a puzzle. I really had to work hard at this one and wanted NCR(National Regulatory Commission) for 5A, but held off until I had more fills. I never did understand Mo-Sec connection until I came here...DUH? I guessed CIA but didn't know why...it just looked good.
I still don't get the Railroad employee clue, although I got the answer...maybe someone who sits in a control booth and tracks the locations of trains? I'm with C.C. on the plantfactory clue...PLANT and PRODUCE(ER)(as in fruits and vegetables) would be a more accurate clue. I definitely was challenged today, but successful over all...that's a good thing.I am generally having fewer blank spaces these days.
Elissa...My web guy is my son-in-law who became a daddy for the first time last Feb so we have been planning this website for over a year. It was a great relief to finally have it up. Thank you to everyone for your input.
Dennis...my last remaining cat(rescued by my husband on our property in OR) has the closest thing to thumbs I have ever seen on cat...and she picks things up and moves them around in her paws. Also loved the Liz Tayor WoW today.
Bill,
The second one works fine.
NYTAnonimo,
Just email Crockett and tell him where to put you. Make sure you save the linked site to "my maps", and then you can get there each time from the generic google map site.
Thanks for the info kazie!
I guess I've been sneaking around this page long enough. I use this page when my brain quits. I've been doing puzzles for about five years and am still only average. It helps my spelling and vocab.
Dennis, if pets had thumbs they could do dishes......though I'm struggling getting the kids to do them.
Cleaning up from another Monday Nor'easter. I love winter but I am getting a bit tired of plowing and shoveling. Good exercise though.
Thanks for the insight and helpful comments!!!
CPR
Shron,
There is no clear pattern. But most of the regulars here seem to solve the puzzle in the morning time.
Wolfmom,
What does 80) mean? Still can't see your picture clearly. Are you wearing glasses?
Elissa,
How long have you been doing crossword?
Karen Q,
About 91% of the solvers here found my blog by googling clues.
I think that the constructor should have clued 55A as, 'Garden Company?', thereby indicating the humorous/iffy nature of the clue and its answer. This would still leave the conspicuously missing 'er' from the final clue. However, all things considered, it would have been the best way.
Mrs.BC said:
I think I get the theme....
a clock can be a watch...
money can be change...
a plant can be a factory...
trains can be tracked?
I think it might help to say that:
a clock is a watch
change is money
a plant is a factory
and
a train is a track (ex. "Her train of thought was the track her thoughts took to help her arrive at her conclusion.")
Does that help?
Kazie,
What kind of tax disadvantage I will have if I don't get the US citizenship? Do you agree with PromiseMe on Train & Track? Also, what are baked necks? TJ (Osseo) is an American.
Martz,
What is BMC omelet? What does BMC stand for?
Bill,
We have visitors from over 6,000 cities. The top 10 are: NY City, Mpls, Portland, LA, Madison, Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, Little Rock & Seattle.
Sheila Mitchell,
Is your son Pete?
Lemonade & Jeannette,
But the word "Splitville" itself refers to the "condition of being divorced or separated", not the city. That's why I feel a ? mark is needed for the clue.
Sea-She Sheila,
No, 164 is not the record. Had over 200 one night last summer.
OK...here goes! I'm Valerie and I live in the Texas panhandle. After the invitation to comment, I've been anxious to give my one cent (I'm pretty broke!). I have been stalking this blog for about 3 months. I stumbled on it doing a Google search for something only Google himself would know! I look forward to the cw and this blog every day. I seldom fill every square, but at least I'm honest about it (LOL). After complete frustration takes over, I make a visit to C.C and friends and get all happy again. I really enjoy the learning of new things and words and love the banter of the 'regulars'. As for breakfast fav, it would be biscuits and gravy with ham and scrambled eggs, but usually have yogurt with Kashi stirred in or oatmeal.
Enough about me. I just want to let everyone here know how much I enjoy visiting this site. It never fails to put a smile on my face!
Thank you so much for the invite!
Have a fab day!
V
Clear Ayes,
I like Justin McCarthy's translations, esp "paramour perfect as a Houri", though I thought Houri exists only in Muslim culture. For the Persians, the beautiful girl is Peri, right?
Weather321,
I enjoy your daily weather report and the extra information on Oregon. You can read Wolfmom's 8:56pm comment yesterday for the instructions on how to post a picture.
PromiseMe,
I've never paid attention to the file name before. It's such a nice picture. Thanks for the UNAU links.
Ferd 77,
Are you in the UK now?
Jeannie,
That's an expensive AFFAIR. I finally got my UGLI today. It's pretty tasty.
Valeri,
Hi! Every cent counts!
I'm usually one of the late posters because I don't do the puzzle until I get back home from breakfast and errands (usually after noon Pacific time).
Speaking of breakfast, I usually have a healthy breakfast of hamburger patty fried in grease (euphemistically called "ground sirloin" at the restaurant), hash browns fried in grease, eggs (over medium) fried in grease and white toast with whatever that stuff is that greasy spoons use in place of real butter and orange marmalade.
I generally eat breakfast at the same greasy spoon restaurant every day. I work the NY Times syndicated puzzle at breakfast (of course I don't usually finish the Friday or Saturday NY Times), then do the TMS puzzle (this one) online when I get home.
"Home" is a rural area west of Banks, OR, about 40 miles west of Portland.
It is so nice to see all the new posters--welcome.
I love the definition of "perp" it makes much more sense that mine. (perpetrator)
I think a sermon is on a particular subject: like salvation, charity, marriage and family, etc. A homily takes in all the readings of the day from the old and new testament and ties them all together.
I love this site and check in once a day. I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
Toby
@cc: Doesitinink, Great tattoo from a college girl's viewpoint. From a mother's viewpoint?? :o)
Actually I don't mind about the tattoo itself. Or her body piercings...ears, ear cartlidge, nose, belly button. It's her body, and generally whatever she has done has been tasteful. My thoughts are of a more practical nature...like "don't you have better things to spend your money on????" Or wondering how she will feel about these things in 30 years.
Actually I met a woman recently where I work out. She is in her early 80s and would put many a 60 yo to shame with her energy and enthusiasm. When I mentioned my daughter's new tattoo, she said she gotten some tattoos about 8 years ago...her eyeliner is a permanent tattoo! She has another tattoo but would not mention what or where it was. So I guess tattoos are not just for the youngins!
Oops! I meant Clear Ayes! Sorry.
"It's such a nice picture. Thanks for the UNAU links.
I am not sure if you meant the Johan picture or the first sloth picture. Were you being facetious?
Embien, Given the breakfast you have every morning, I hope you do 200 situps everyday, like Dennis. I hope there are no hard feelings from the other night. It was not Mr. Paisley's song, rather his per-song banter that I didn't appreciate. I fear I over-reacted. What happened to your picture?
10:49 today. No special problems.
I did have a slight problem with calling FTC an 5a: Econ. agcy.. To me, the Federal Reserve is an economic agency and the FTC has more to do with consumer protection, trade and the like, not economics.
perp is a term (short for "perpendicular") coined by Dennis. It means the exact same thing as crosses that you see on the other crossword blogs. I still use the term "crosses" here, though many others seem to prefer "perps".
@c.c.: 58A: Social occasion: AFFAIR. Hmmm, to me, AFFAIR is a secretive, illicit, extramarital, "Unfaithful" fling.
Unfaithful is a great movie, including some steamy scenes featuring one of my favorite stars, Diane Lane. Definitely worth putting on your Netflix list (I got it from my local library and liked it so much I bought the DVD).
See my last post on Monday's blog for my breakfast.
C.C. Here you go...I'll try another photo of me with Lucy on Halloween. There are few photos of me because the whole family knows how much I hate pictures of me. And yes...in the first photo I have glasses on.
The little 80) is a little smiley face if you tip your head sideways.
I am so glad to see how may people are back and joining in. That was such a terrific idea yesterday. New brains and thoughts and ideas will enrich us all.
PromiseMe...I like the clothed and unclothed sloth photos...they always look so placid.
PMT and Ferd,
I agree--I think a chucker upper would be a more accurate spelling. I would understand it to mean someone was up-chucking, barfing, technicolor yawning, chundering, (Men at Work, 4th verse 2nd line) or doing what PMT did in Taipei. I couldn't find a U-tube version of the song, only lyrics.
c.c.,
In the sense PMT used it, train and track are the same--one track mind/train of thought. But in transportation, trains run on tracks.
"To a man" harks back to a time when only men's opinions were considered worth noting. Many expressions in English suffer from this disability.
c.c.,
Check the IRS website on the tax question. I know my husband became quite concerned when he discovered that non citizen surviving spouses would have their inheritance taxed more heavily than citizens. You/your husband should call the IRS if you can't find anything on the website--I just looked and couldn't find any reference to it.
I only wondered about TJ Osseo because of the mention of "steak and eggs Australian style"--I know a lot of Aussies used to have that for breakfast, but I didn't know of it being a special style.
Anyway, the reference reminded me of the "baked necks". It's a joke, derived from a book about "strine" the (Au)str(al)i(a)n way of talking. Baked necks = bacon and eggs.
@Kazie 10:07 No, I'm not from OZ, born & raised in MN, tho I spent 15 yrs in FL. That's when/where I discovered "aussie style". Have no idea what baked necks are.. Care to elaborate?
@NYTAnonimo 11:32 Great link! Thnx.
As to the puzzle, incl & encl in the same grid!?! Biggest problem came from misspelling thoracic as thorasic, and staring at the double a's in kaaba for way too long! Figured it out tho, in the end. Phlox was a head scratcher and can never remember ais..
Good puzzle, made me think. Finished w/no gspot.
@C.C. How did you know I'm American?
Thanks to everyone for welcoming us newbies to the blog!
TJ in Osseo
Kazie I was composing while you were posting, thanks for the baked necks! As for "style", I used it as a way to train my local greasy spoon's fry guy to serve it out of the kitchen.
TJ in Osseo
I believe a Homily historically was related to a short dissertation on the scripture reading for the day, but now it means any short inspirational message, such as the priest's advice at a wedding. Speaking of priests, one of the most entertaining authors I read is a catholic priest, Andrew Greeley, who has written many and varied novels, among which are the Bishop Blackie Ryan books, which are combinations of mystery story and philosphy and religion.
I think the constructor's thought about Reno was enough of us would remember it as the place (the ville) where people went for their divorces. The law was the same in all of Nevada, but it was Reno that did the booming divorce business.
It is interesting how much additional commentary and perspective we are getting from the quiet ones.
I am particularly impressed by anyone who writes and publishes a novel. I have edited for some people, and written chapters for others, but the patience and focus of giving birth to the entire novel is out of my reach, at least so far. Speaking of authors, another of my favorites, who often writes about characters who are authors, and their different approaches to writing, is Martha Grimes, who is from Baltimore, has a home in New Mexico, and writes about a New Scotland Yard superintendent.
AFFAIR is a word my parents used for get together of a non-prurient nature, but we also all know balck tie affairs.
NYT that is one interesting but scary link.
kazie, You've got me all fired up. Now I want some 'Strine Baked Necks' . I hope they don't make me chunder.
Lemonade714, Why does it not surprise me that a jew would find the writings of a Catholic priest 'entertaining'?
Lemonade: If you like Martha Grimes, a particular favorite of mine...then you might also like the Peter Robinson Inspector Banks mysteries set in Yorkshire, P.D. James...amazing and often complex British Mysteries...and my particular favorite, Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus mysteries set in Edinburgh. Rankin retired the aging Inspector last year and I am hoping that he hasn't quite finished with him. The books are bit NOIR, but very interesting, especially if you have every been to Edinburgh.
NYT: I had seen that particular piece on YouTube before, but incredibly fascinating to view again. I think that it really helps to put things into perspective on a global scale. Amazing.
@ Neen,
Born and raised in Cleveland (St. Ignatius & John Carroll), moved to Columbus (Upper Arlington) in my 20's, kids live in Cleveland, Athens & now Gallipolis (grandkids, too). I'm in Louisiana now (don't have to shovel 24" of humidity out of the driveway anymore). Welcome, glad to see yet another Buckeye on the blog!
Dennis- We squids definitely appreciate you jar-heads having our back. As for my niece, she only arrived in Great Lakes 5 weeks ago and for now she just wants to survive boot camp (and the cold). I think she joined the military to find some direction.
CC-I have worked xwords off and on for years, but have been doing the Star Tribune puzzle almost everyday (with varying levels of success) for about a year.
Lemonade-writing my novel wasn't all that hard (took about 4 months), but rewriting it so that someone other than me would find it readable was hard (and took another 4 years).
Elissa, I can't imagine going to boot camp in the Great Lakes in the middle of winter; of course, I was stupid enough to go to Parris Island in the middle of summer, but I'll take heat over cold any day.
Your book cover got my attention, so I checked it out, enjoyed the exerpts, and bought it. I'll let you know what I think, from a jarhead perspective.
Hello C.C. and pals,
I wanted to let everyone know that I created a user name. So I guess that means I will be commenting as much as I can. I am a 31 year old from Providence, RI. I am 3 months pregnant with my first child, my husband and I are very excited! If it's a girl we decided to name her Ruby Adele (it was cool to see it is the name of the author of the puzzle) Hello to DR.Dad and Stewie, my fellow Rhode Islanders!!! XW was slightly difficult today, had trouble with NW section. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!
Hi C.C. and everyone! Late today, lots of stuff to get done.
Interesting day today, and so nice to see so many new (and returning) people.
NYT..at 11:32am, thanks for the link, that was eye-opening to say the least! We, as a country, should be able to have a population that excels in more scholarly pursuits, but we, as a society, don't put enough emphasis on those things and instead reward the athletic efforts of our children. That in itself is not wrong, but just incomplete. We rank so low in comparison to other countries that it is an embarrassment.
All the discussion yesterday about breakfasts was so interesting! Embien, I worry about you! Do you ever eat at home? LOL.
If I could, I would have eggs over medium, hash browns, bacon, wheat toast with marionberry jam and coffee every morning. Since I don't want to grow out of my breakfast nook, I have grapefruit, cereal or toast and Simply Fruit,and 1 cup of coffee made from freshly ground beans.
Dennis, Sorry for the late response just in from work. I flew the F-15E Strike Eagle last and before that every model of the F-15 then before that the F-106. Fond memories.
C.C. I like Justin McCarthy's translations, esp "paramour perfect as a Houri", though I thought Houri exists only in Muslim culture. For the Persians, the beautiful girl is Peri, right?.
The houri does exist, as far as I know, only in Muslim culture. She is a beautiful maiden who will await the devout Muslim when he enters Paradise. The current number of awaiting houris is 72, but the number seems to vary according to the story being told.
Justin McCarthy was translating the writing of Omar Khayyám, who was a Persian Muslim, although he obviously wasn't very observant. Khayyám seemed to be in favor of drinking wine and didn't mind "putting the make" on a pretty girl.
In Persian mythology, the peri is a beautiful and benevolent supernatural being.
How nice it has been to see all the new posters. So many new names to remember and people to visit with. Don't stop with just one or two posts. If you must have an addiction, this blog is one of the more enjoyable ones.
Hmmm....Dennis' dog's personal hygiene habits could bring new meaning to some of the translations of the Rubaiyat.
Yes, another long day, finally home;
PMT: I am unsure of the Father Greeley comment on my comment, but the books are very entertaining on many levels, and for of you who live in Chicago, are set there.
WM:
Thank you for the suggestions, I have read all the PD James books, I like Grimes' because of the familiarity and fun characters she has built her series around. My semi-adult (not sure if I will ever make it all the way) introduction to mysteries was Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin and the rest of Rex Stout's cast of characters. I will try the two new ones and let you know. I have maybe 7 or 8 authors who are still writing mysteries that I read all their works, many different styles.
Poor Sarah Jessica Parker, they made her a star, rich, married to Matthew Broderick (I liked him in "The Road to Wellville")and we pick on her because she is not pretty.
Speaking of pretty and obscure movies, has anyone ever seen "Shalako" starring Brigitte Bardot and Sean Connery in a Louis Lamour Western! They were young and beautiful, but what an odd casting of a movie.
To complete the circle my brain works in, I always have also had soft spot for the Fonda women, Jane and Bridget, who was Broderick's wife in "Wellville." The movie was based in part on the true story of the works of Mr. Kellogg, who gave us corn flakes and lots of "ideas" for a healthy body.
Lemonade,
Don't talk about Jane in front of Dennis!
Carol,
I agree fully about our education system. Sport seems to take precedence over academics every time. It's the only thing that's important to many parents. If you ask a neighbor how their kid is doing in college, they'll tell you what sport they play before anything else occurs to them.
NYT,
I really enjoyed the u-tube too--very eye-opening!
C C.
Do not believe there are any tax disadvantages to not being a citizen. I had a green card before becoming a citizen and cant recall any difference when filing my taxes.
Jimmy, S Carolina
Lemonade...I like the abbr. of my moniker "WM" works for me.
There ya go Dennis...another abbreviation for you.
Karen Q...what exactly do you do on Square Root Day?
So glad to see so many people returning today...keep joining in.
Tomorrow morning I am back to a painting photo.
"what exactly do you do on Square Root Day?" Practice multiplying?
@bill Nice that you got a link to the map to work. Remember that I am the only one who can place new markers, so you need to send me an e-mail and I'll put you on the map.
@carol I remember embien saying that he eats out for all his meals. That's why I was worried about him when we had our snow event around Christmastime.
I always have enjoyed certain multiplication practice, but there I go again with my DF mind...
By the way, C.C., while I hate tax law, it was the only course I did not do well on in law school, I do know they changed inheritance and gift tax laws in a way that negatively impacts a non-citizen spouse. I have a cousin who is married to a non-citizen (coincidentally Chinese) and they have hired a tax lawyer.
I will just attach this link for you to read.
www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1204195.html
WM, enjoy, nicknames are a form of creative expression in my family.
Lemonade: Apparently they are a really big thing in Scotland. My Scottish friend has nick names for everyone...a friend that used to have a pony-tail and cut it off went from being called Pony-tail Wullie to Nae Pony-tail Wullie(Willie) and for emails she would address me as VSF or SF...Very Special or Special Friend...as a result, her husband now calls me SF...but I like the WM(is that pronounced WUM d'ya think?)...might even change it in the profile...C.C. be forewarned.
This is 5 for me I think so G'nite.
WM:
Yes, that is exactly the correct sound.
I see you did not wait until tomorrow to put a painting up as your avatar. Pretty colors.
c.c.,
Lemonade's tax link might be helpful if you follow it through, but at first glance, I think it looks confusing. At least it's a starting point for your research. Good luck! And good night --this is my 6th for today.
NYATAnonimo: The "Did you know" is absolutely wonderful. I have sent the link to my kids, grandkids, and husband's kid. Thank you.
And I agree that all the former quiet ones are fun to see expose themselves. And yes, this blog is addictive. And great fun.
Good night all.
Erin Moran
http://www.popcornnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/joanieandchacchi.jpg
Happy Days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptP6snCIndk
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC. The show presents an idealized vision of life in 1950s and early 1960s America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Days
My mother used to grow phlox, so I've always known that floral name. I used to be borderline obsessed with ph words.
Kaaba, homily, and chukka took me forever to get.
Oh oh oh, and...
The Reno clue really bugs me. I got married in Reno and am (hopefully soon) getting divorced in PDX.
I wish my cat had thumbs, then he could clean his own litter box.
I stumbled on your crossword puzzle blog a few months ago and enjoy it very much. Although I'm not one for commenting and/or especially criticizing, I wanted to let you know that I too was taken aback by the March 3 puzzle and found it most disconcerting. Keep up the good work.
The singer you asked about at :58 of the Stevie Wonder video is Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
ah I'm a little suprised but happy to see that these crosswords are syndicated....I get them daily in the AMNY....always figured wayne robert williams was a fellow new yorker but i guess he's affiliated mainly with your chicago paper!
I was stuck on the "of the chest" (throracic) and stumbled upon your website...
Cheers, Sarah
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