Theme: What a Slugger!
17A: One who's at home on the range: COWPUNCHER
57A: Noisy eater: LIP SMACKER
10D: Oater villain who attacks from hiding: BUSHWHACKER
25A: Girl idolizing a pop star, perhaps: TEENYBOPPER
I did not know BOP can mean "strike/hit" too. TEENYBOPPER was not a familiar phrase to me. Nor did I know COWPUNCHER is simply a slang for cowboy.
Read a few pages of Molly Irvins's "Bushwhacked" several summers' ago. But I had never bothered to check what's the exact meaning of bushwhack. Wikipedia says one the most famous men who fought as a BUSHWHACKER was Jesse James. LIP SMACKER is a lip gloss brand too.
Plus BOOT HILL (28A: Gunfighters' graveyard) and NRA (55A: Org. that sticks to its guns?), this puzzle has some force!
Several affixes in today's grid: RESOD (64: Patch the lawn, in a way), USER (16A: Manipulative sort), SUER (54A: Litigant), and WRESTLER (38D: Andre the Giant, e.g.). Andre the Giant is also the nickname of Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, the adviser on fashion to the Obama's. He introduced Jason Wu to Michelle Obama.
Just found out earlier that Pancho in Pancho Harrison means "free man" in Spanish. Not an easy Monday for me at all. I think I am in a slump.
Across:
1A: Big name in copiers: MITA. Xerox, Canon & Ricoh are big to me. I've never heard of MITA copier.
5A: Improvise on stage: AD-LIB. Always thought Obama is good at AD-LIB. Had no idea that he relies on teleprompter heavily.
10A: Yawn-inducing speaker: BORE. And its anagram BOER (21A: Transvaal settler). Transvaal means "beyond the Vaal River" in Afrikaans. Is two a's spelling also common in Dutch language?
15A: Gaucho's rope: RIATA. Or REATA, often clued as "Giant" ranch.
19A: Venetian blind part: SLAT. Once Williams clued SLAT as "Louvre part" and confused the hell out of me. I did not know louver can be spelled as louvre, so I kept thinking of the museum.
20A: Make haste: HIE. Used to mix HIE with FIE.
22A: Words after "Hi, honey!": I'M HOME
24A:Counting everything: ALL TOLD
26A: Crock-Pot potful: STEW. Winter is over, no more STEW or chili.
27A: Antiquity, once: ELD. Oh, I had the wrong notion that ELD is an old adjective meaning "old".
35A: Jean Auel's "The __ of the Cave Bear": CLAN. Sigh! I totally forgot about this book. Someone mentioned the Daryl Hannah (Ayla) movie before. I bet it's a gimme for Crockett. Jean Auel lives in Oregon.
36A: 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA. Here is the clip. I used to confuse the song with Verdi's AIDA.
40A: 1960s Cosby/Culp espionage series: I SPY. Learned the title I SPY from doing Xword. Sounds fun.
41A: Roger of "Cheers": REES. Nope. Not a familiar actor to me. He is a Welsh-American. He looks very cold.
42A: Do axels and lutzes: SKATE. Did not know the plural form of lutz is lutzes. What's the plural for Pez then? Pezes?
43A: Corned beef is usually ordered on it: RYE BREAD. What's the difference between RYE BREAD and Pumpernickel again? I am not fond of caraway seeds.
47A: Take back, as a public statement: RETRACT
51A: Fozzie Bear, e.g.: MUPPET. Fozzie Bear is new to me.
60A: Doily material: LACE. "Lingerie material" too.
62A: Queen played by Liz: CLEO. Have you tried Cleopatra's milk and honey bath?
63A: Norse thunder god: THOR. Thursday is named after him.
Down:
1D: Coffee-chocolate mix: MOCHA. Named after the Yemen port.
2D: How some tuna is packed: IN OIL
3D: Beach drier: TOWEL
4D: Dada pioneer Jean: ARP
8D: Suffix with Canaan: ITE. Suffix with Israel also.
9D: Voice between bass and tenor: BARITONE. Is Michael Bublé a BARITONE?
13D: Art Deco designer: ERTE. French pronunciation of his initials R. T. (Romain de Tirtoff).
18D: Horseshoe-shaped hardware: U-BOLT. I forgot what a U-BOLT is.
26D: Uses a hang glider: SOARS. Did not know what a hang glider is.
28D: Run, as colors in the wash: BLEED
32D: Light-skinned: FAIR. Filled in PALE first.
34D: Easy gait: LOPE. Wanted TROT.
35D: Use crib notes: CHEAT. Not familiar with "crib notes". I pictured notes written on baby's crib.
42D: Kama __: SUTRA. Kama is Hindu god of erotic desire. SUTRA is Hindu aphorism.
47D: Rene of "Tin Cup": RUSSO. She is an Italian-American. I thought she has Russian roots. "Tin Cup" is a good movie.
48D: Bracelet site: ANKLE. Not WRIST? What about anklet then?
51D: Ice cream drink: MALT. What's your daily beverage for dinner? I have a friend who drinks milk with his meal. Weird.
53D: Somewhat, in music: POCO. New word to me. ASSAI is "Very, in music". Both Italian are origins.
69D: IV amounts: CCS. Just had CCED the other day. Now I am waiting for CCING.
Answer Grid.
C.C.
17A: One who's at home on the range: COWPUNCHER
57A: Noisy eater: LIP SMACKER
10D: Oater villain who attacks from hiding: BUSHWHACKER
25A: Girl idolizing a pop star, perhaps: TEENYBOPPER
I did not know BOP can mean "strike/hit" too. TEENYBOPPER was not a familiar phrase to me. Nor did I know COWPUNCHER is simply a slang for cowboy.
Read a few pages of Molly Irvins's "Bushwhacked" several summers' ago. But I had never bothered to check what's the exact meaning of bushwhack. Wikipedia says one the most famous men who fought as a BUSHWHACKER was Jesse James. LIP SMACKER is a lip gloss brand too.
Plus BOOT HILL (28A: Gunfighters' graveyard) and NRA (55A: Org. that sticks to its guns?), this puzzle has some force!
Several affixes in today's grid: RESOD (64: Patch the lawn, in a way), USER (16A: Manipulative sort), SUER (54A: Litigant), and WRESTLER (38D: Andre the Giant, e.g.). Andre the Giant is also the nickname of Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, the adviser on fashion to the Obama's. He introduced Jason Wu to Michelle Obama.
Just found out earlier that Pancho in Pancho Harrison means "free man" in Spanish. Not an easy Monday for me at all. I think I am in a slump.
Across:
1A: Big name in copiers: MITA. Xerox, Canon & Ricoh are big to me. I've never heard of MITA copier.
5A: Improvise on stage: AD-LIB. Always thought Obama is good at AD-LIB. Had no idea that he relies on teleprompter heavily.
10A: Yawn-inducing speaker: BORE. And its anagram BOER (21A: Transvaal settler). Transvaal means "beyond the Vaal River" in Afrikaans. Is two a's spelling also common in Dutch language?
15A: Gaucho's rope: RIATA. Or REATA, often clued as "Giant" ranch.
19A: Venetian blind part: SLAT. Once Williams clued SLAT as "Louvre part" and confused the hell out of me. I did not know louver can be spelled as louvre, so I kept thinking of the museum.
20A: Make haste: HIE. Used to mix HIE with FIE.
22A: Words after "Hi, honey!": I'M HOME
24A:Counting everything: ALL TOLD
26A: Crock-Pot potful: STEW. Winter is over, no more STEW or chili.
27A: Antiquity, once: ELD. Oh, I had the wrong notion that ELD is an old adjective meaning "old".
35A: Jean Auel's "The __ of the Cave Bear": CLAN. Sigh! I totally forgot about this book. Someone mentioned the Daryl Hannah (Ayla) movie before. I bet it's a gimme for Crockett. Jean Auel lives in Oregon.
36A: 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit: ADIA. Here is the clip. I used to confuse the song with Verdi's AIDA.
40A: 1960s Cosby/Culp espionage series: I SPY. Learned the title I SPY from doing Xword. Sounds fun.
41A: Roger of "Cheers": REES. Nope. Not a familiar actor to me. He is a Welsh-American. He looks very cold.
42A: Do axels and lutzes: SKATE. Did not know the plural form of lutz is lutzes. What's the plural for Pez then? Pezes?
43A: Corned beef is usually ordered on it: RYE BREAD. What's the difference between RYE BREAD and Pumpernickel again? I am not fond of caraway seeds.
47A: Take back, as a public statement: RETRACT
51A: Fozzie Bear, e.g.: MUPPET. Fozzie Bear is new to me.
60A: Doily material: LACE. "Lingerie material" too.
62A: Queen played by Liz: CLEO. Have you tried Cleopatra's milk and honey bath?
63A: Norse thunder god: THOR. Thursday is named after him.
Down:
1D: Coffee-chocolate mix: MOCHA. Named after the Yemen port.
2D: How some tuna is packed: IN OIL
3D: Beach drier: TOWEL
4D: Dada pioneer Jean: ARP
8D: Suffix with Canaan: ITE. Suffix with Israel also.
9D: Voice between bass and tenor: BARITONE. Is Michael Bublé a BARITONE?
13D: Art Deco designer: ERTE. French pronunciation of his initials R. T. (Romain de Tirtoff).
18D: Horseshoe-shaped hardware: U-BOLT. I forgot what a U-BOLT is.
26D: Uses a hang glider: SOARS. Did not know what a hang glider is.
28D: Run, as colors in the wash: BLEED
32D: Light-skinned: FAIR. Filled in PALE first.
34D: Easy gait: LOPE. Wanted TROT.
35D: Use crib notes: CHEAT. Not familiar with "crib notes". I pictured notes written on baby's crib.
42D: Kama __: SUTRA. Kama is Hindu god of erotic desire. SUTRA is Hindu aphorism.
47D: Rene of "Tin Cup": RUSSO. She is an Italian-American. I thought she has Russian roots. "Tin Cup" is a good movie.
48D: Bracelet site: ANKLE. Not WRIST? What about anklet then?
51D: Ice cream drink: MALT. What's your daily beverage for dinner? I have a friend who drinks milk with his meal. Weird.
53D: Somewhat, in music: POCO. New word to me. ASSAI is "Very, in music". Both Italian are origins.
69D: IV amounts: CCS. Just had CCED the other day. Now I am waiting for CCING.
Answer Grid.
C.C.
98 comments:
Ooh. Almost. I had COW RANCHER instead of COW PUNCHER and BLEND instead of BLEED. I had also wanted COIN instead of CENT, LATTE instead of MOCHA, PALE instead of FAIR and HEEDED instead of DEEMED. Was I the only one who thought that "Yawn-inducing speaker" might have refered to GORE?
Obviously ARP, U BOLT and REES were unknowns for me. So were LOPE, POCO and BOOT HILL.
Martin
I have a friend who drinks milk with his meal. Weird."Whoa! What's wrong with that?", said the farm boy.
Martin,
I had PALE initially also. ARP should have been a gimme to you. We've seen it so many times. GORE is an inspired wrong guess. Does today's theme STRIKE you as clever?
Clear Ayes,
Is PromiseMe right in saying "there must be sexual activity for two people to be called lovers?"
Linda,
What is Shalähj?
Jeannie,
Stop playing this victim game with me. What you've done behind this blog is deplorable and sad. I target issue, never person. I criticized Martin & PromiseMe in public before. And I happen to like them a lot. Leave or respect my decision.
Argyle,
What's your preferred beverage for dinner then? Milk also? How do you feel about today's puzzle? As easy as last Monday's or a bit more difficult?
Luxor,
No. I am a dummy. As Anon @ 7:35pm said, I often cheat. Since we shifted to LAT a month ago, I've only finished 2 puzzles unassisted.
Geri,
Thanks. I marvel at your strength and courage as well. You often speak what's in your mind.
Hayrake,
Oh, well, what can I say? I've been living under a rock. Great to see you back.
The whoo,
What I won't discuss with you here on the blog, I won't discuss with you in private. I did what I did to Jeannie (or anyone) with a reason and a purpose. I have no intention/time to be diplomatic on certain issues. I am who I am because who we are all.
C.C.& all,
Easy trip today for me, although I have not trained my mind yet to look for themes.
I liked the play between bore and boer.
Has anyone heard from Dennis? I miss his early morning comments.
C.C., stick to your guns. It seems to me the controversy arose from late night posts. Could alcohol be involved?
WRESTLER and BOOT fit in with the theme too.
T. Frank, alcohol or drug.
Argyle,
What's your preferred beverage for dinner then? Milk also? How do you feel about today's puzzle? As easy as last Monday's or a bit more difficult?
Oh yes, milk all the time, not just milk and cookies one day a year, you know.
I thouhgt today's puzzle was a little harder than last Monday's. I was thinking; can it be just as hard sometimes to keep all the answers easy? Maybe a constructor(Fred?) could weigh in on this.
I had teen groupie for teeny bopper before I got the theme.
Good morning C.C. and all,..another walk in the park today. I am glad because yesterday was a real killer for me and I needed the boost. I was able to complete the LAT puzzle today without any outside help, but did have a couple of erasures. In addition I completed the local puzzle and the NYT without any help except in the NYT I could not get one cross fill. Maybe I will take the remainder of the week off after today's puzzles.
I did not think today's puzzle was more difficult than last Mondays.
Off to the links again this am. Hope you all have a great Monday.
MITA copier? Never heard of this copier, so just how big can it be?
Morning all,
I also put in cow rancher in place of cow puncher and that messed me up for a short time. I was going to start timing myself on Monday and Tuesday puzzles in order to make them more challenging but then I start talking with my husband or pouring another cup of coffee, or looking out the window and enjoying all the blooming trees and totally forget the time element. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
During the colder months, we often have a glass of wine with our meals; but during the summer months, we usually have unsweetened iced tea, water, or lemonade. Don’t know why we downplay the amount of wine we drink in the summer but we do. Then switch to gin and tonics, margaritas, rum and coke; but that is usually before meals, not during the meal. Raising children watching Sesame Street, the Muppets are usually a gimme. Guess there are some newer Muppets I’m not familiar with.
Crib notes for cheating have been surpassed by all the new electronic devices that students can use to cheat. Even though they are probably not allowed in the classroom doesn’t mean they aren’t used. I can’t imagine the vigilance needed by today’s teachers when giving a test. Constant supervision, walking around the room, and eyes in the back of their heads are all needed. As much as I love computers and loved teaching the software, you had to be on constant alert. Hard to believe that high school students would get off task with emailing, chatting, etc. and not listen to their inspiring teacher!!! Have a good day all--love, love, love the warmer weather. In a much better mood.
Good morning CC et al.,
CC: you are so awesome! Thank you for all you do.
Well,the blows just keep on coming! I'm 'thor' just thinking about it all. Holy knockout, but what a story! First, creep(y) omen (tarot), then ire, spying, family pblms (clan), cheating, using, money due, followed by violence & bloodshed ending at Boot Hill. In the last scene we have kama sutra in the spa fading to an advertisement by the NRA plugging its cause...even earning a 'cleo' award!...Got milk? This puzzle is just 'ankle' deep in drama..that would be 'a-ton' of it!
Kazie, hope your bday was wonderful. Wish you many more.
Thank you for the compliments for Fri's comment. Buckeye, you're the one who needs to be writing for hire. You're the 'king' in my book.
Argyle: meant to say how much I loved your comment on Fri as well. That was adorable...just like you.
Looks like Dennis is cleverly not available. Hope he's ok and soaking up the sun.
Enjoy your Monday.
Wow 30 minutes for me is fast and did not have to g anything. A nice change.
Good morning:
After BORE and BOER, USER and SUER, I was looking for TIARA, SALT and WEST.
BUSHWHACKER and TEENYBOPPER are both words that were in common usage in the 50s and 60s, but not lately. Along with COWPUNCHER, they made the puzzle trickier than our other Mondays. We have come full cycle, back to our first LAT constructor.
FOZZIE BEAR is the comedian of the MUPPETS, Wakka Wakka.
Good morning, all!
Today was a relief after doing the Saturday and Sunday puzzles last night. Even though this was infinitely easier, there were still a few stumbling blocks.
I can not fix in my mind ARP (Dada pioneer Jean). I miss this clue again and again. It didn't help that the A was the final letter of a copier brand that was totally unfamiliar to me. ERTE is also a word that I need to commit to memory. Thanks for the explanation, C.C.
RIATA, REES and ELD all came from the perps. I tried to fit "Odin" in where THOR obviously belongs, but that corrected itself as I worked that corner.
I've missed most of the controversy that's going on, but it comes down to this: C.C. owns this blog, and she gets to make the rules.
Thanks for all you do to help us become better puzzlers, C.C.!
Enjoyed the construction of today's puzzle - some interesting words - nothing terribly obscure but all those 'puncher' 'bopper' 'whacker' 'smacker' answers seem strong for a gentle Monday morning.
I thought this was a tad more difficult than a usual Monday puzzle. Pretty much flew thru it once I decided not to start in the NW corner. That 'mita' copier thing threw me off (I agree - how big a name can it be - would have liked name in copiers as the clue instead) so I worked this one differently than I usually do and finished up okay. Haven't heard the words 'teenybopper' in ages - are we dating ourselves if we get that one? Had to laugh at seeing filet - last nite's dinner - yum!
Enjoy the day all and play nice.
Good Morning All!
Lois, thank you, --my whole weekend was wonderful. And thanks especially to Sallie, who sent me a darling e-card, which I got on my return last night.
My conference Saturday went well, but the real surprise was when I got back to my son and d-i-l's place that night, and they had secretly gone and picked up my husband (65 miles each way) so we could all be together to celebrate. He'd had to work Saturday, so hadn't gone with me Friday, and they thought it would be too obvious if his car was there when I pulled in. So when I went up to the bedroom to change, he was hiding there. So we all had a jolly time together the rest of the evening and yesterday, despite heavy rain all weekend.
Last night I skimmed the comments here, but decided to leave the two XWs I'd missed. Today's went OK except MITA, which I've never heard of either, and I also had COW RANCHER and ORR because I'd forgotten ARP. The rest was correct.
In Oz, we call anyone from the country, backblocks or beyond the black stump, a bushwhacker. I'd always thought it just meant they had to "whack" the "bush" to get around out there.
It's good to be back, but I feel I must have missed something in regard to Jeannie.
C.C.
Good Morning. Just as I am getting the hang of the LA Times puzzle, my paper has decided to experiment with some other puzzle distributed by the TMS. Guess I will just need to go directly to the on-line version.
Have a great day!
A.R.E.
MITA (now a division of KYOCERA) is huge. The fact that you haven't heard of something (as I know all too well) means just about nothing.
Loved this puzzle.
And C.C. et al. - when you get trolls or creeps or weirdos or other kinds of inappropriate commenting ... DNR (Do Not Reply). "Don't Feed the Trolls" is a useful rule to remember.
rp
Hi C.C. & ..., we got back late last night from our pottery sale which wasn't a big success probably due to the current state of the economy. However since it was so slow during Sunday afternoons I printed out a copy of the LAT puzzle and had several other bored potters helping me finish it. I liked MASH HYSTERIA the best.
RE: Monday's puzzle? We had Cow Rancher too and never heard of MITA as a copier. I finally found the correct answer with a Google "do you mean" Jean Arp? and that gave me U-Bolt and Cow Puncher.
Whew! Was it a little harder than a normal Monday or is Rich ramping the puzzle level back up to normal?
BTW, today is Samuel Morse's birthday and Google has a special graphic of dot's and dashes to celebrate.
;-)
CC: I guess it`s all in expectations. I expected today to be a breeze and it was. What I didn`t know (mita, onor, ite, which should have been a gimme for me) came with other fills. Same with NYT. Monday and Tuesday are the only days I can almost finish both with no help. Good for the ego and the patience, or lack thereof.
"Sha länhj" is just a "pseudo-French" way of saying "challenge". We also say "Tar zháy" for "Target."
I thought this was a bit more difficult than the last couple of Mondays. I had lots of missteps (already highlighted by others), all of which were easily corrected with the perps. But the NW corner MITA/ARP was my Waterloo. I can't seem to get ARP to stay in my head and MITA was an unknown.
The requirement for "sexual activity for two people to be called lovers" I think is a modern notion and not entirely accurate. If you watch older films and read older books you will often see references to a man "making love" to a woman that didn't have anything to do with the sex act. And in this day and age with "phone sex" and "on line sex", maybe the idea of 'lovers' without physical sexual contact is making a come back.
Mornin' C.C.
One of the reasons why I enjoy this blog is the folksy nature of it. There appears to be a whole lot of just regular people here chiming in with a heartfelt opinion about a puzzle. Most everyone who participates here has a genuine affection for puzzles that shows up in their comments. I hope today's bit of bickering is a rarity.
Pancho's puzzle is everything a Monday puzzle should be. It is a nice example of a crafter at work.
Hello C.C. and Gang--Today's puzzle was a welcome "breeze" for me. Since our paper switched to LA Times puzzles, I'm not able to do them everyday (many of you may be members of Mensa, but I;m a member of Densa); so I look forward to the easier Monday and Tuesday versions. And while I'm laid up from knee surgery, it's a good way to pass the time!
I didn't get wrestler--not familiar with Andre the Giant. I also had there instead of where. Duh. But the rest came together fairly easily. Yay!
Sheila R.
Sheila,
Where can I get an app for the Densa Club? I would like to join!
C.C. As to anklet, that was always used to refer to socks that were just above the ankles. We used to turn down the tops. I see the online dictionary has anklet also as an ankle bracelet.
What was strange about this nice and easy puzzle is that two of the words were also in the Commuter xword that the Naples News is also printing for us to vote on. "Cow" and "on or".
Really enjoyed two easy puzzles to start the week. (In the Commuter, I have not groked "Tries to lose" I have DIE blank S. Anyone? It crosses "Falsely humble response to praise", and I have I blank RY.
Morning all...just skimmed the comments for now...have to get the kitty to the vet for some surgery this am...a bit foggy-brained because she woke me up all night because there was no food available...difficult when you can't explain why. She is not a happy camper this morning.
I really like this puzzle but tried to be too clever and put in Cowboy Chef for 17A then immediately erased it (this is why I use pencil). Had heard of MITA copiers but only remembered after the first 2 letters were in. I also totally missed BOPPERS as part of the theme...DOH!
C.C. Thank you for the Starry Starry Night link yesterday. I must have missed the first time around...really enjoyed it.
It is always nice to give my brain a rest after the Fri-Sun puzzles.
Gotta go for now...as our Governator says...I'll be back.
There are actually densa tests online at Densa TestThere are many other Densa test sites if you google them. Some of the tests reinforce my Densa mentality.
@Sallie, how about DIETS for "tries to lose" in your commuter puzzle?
Another answer might be DIVES (takes a dive as in boxing), but that doesn't fit your other letters.
Good lord, I missed the theme.
I thought it was wild west, then the author went to lunch and forgot what he was doing.
(slowly banging head on desk)
Also missed the 1A - 4D cross. Never heard of Mita or Arp.
I think Fozzie might have been the original Muppet, going back to playing piano and telling corny jokes on the Jimmy Dean show.
Got a concert tonight. Will be doing 5A.
Cheers.
Sallie: I was thinking 'diets' also. let us know if that works.
Embien: Please be patient with me and post how to include a link, yet again. I wrote it all down but I must have copied wrong. If the parenthesis aren`t to be written into the equation...probably should say so. I`m a 'configuration' reader, also.
To hahtool, judi (not yet blue), see-she-shelia, jazzbumpa and jerome, Welcome. And Jerome, we are an opinionated and diverse group...we have our clashes but always seem to resolve them amicably. I have also learned not to push any hot buttons (except in jest). All of us are valuable in God`s eyes and should be treated as such. (Ah oh! That may have been a hot button issue...but I stand on the statement)
@Linda
I saved this link that PMT posted earlier and used it for the first time today. Hope it works for you. How to Make a Link
Good Morning All, MITA copier? I had to "G" this post puzzle. The Kyocera Mita site looks like they manufacture copiers for businesses, rather than the home. I suppose if I were still gainfully employed, MITA would be a piece of office equipment I would have checked out.
There weren't any other words that gave me any difficulty.
I did like the crossing of BUSHWHACKER with BOOT HILL. G.A.H. and I were in Tombstone AZ a few vacations ago and visited the cemetery...quite a few miser'ble, low-down, bushwhackin' sons-a-guns buried there.
Sea-She Sheila, Sorry about the knee surgery. Was it a replacement? G.A.H. has had his right knee replaced twice. His doctor assured him it will last for 20 years. G.A.H. is pretty sure he will expire before the knee does.
C.C. I have good news . . People who live under rocks hardly ever have trouble with ice dams.
Thank you for the welcome.
Hayrake
This was easy enough, but harder for me than the last couple of Monday puzzles. I enjoyed it, and it’s nice to start the week with a do-able puzzle.
A bit of a cowboy theme threw me off a little; I expected LIPSMAKER and TEENYBOOPPER to be a cowboy terms. I always love the cowboy clues.
I liked the crossing of ITSY and I SPY.
When I was a kid, we always drank milk at meals. I still love it, and weight-watchers recommends 3 glasses a day. Still, I often drink water of tea with meals.
CC, I’ve seen your picture, and in addition to being awesomely intelligent, I think you are very pretty. Looks, brains, and class, all in one small package. You da best.
Jazzbumpa...LOL...I was on the same page with the cowboy theme and couldn't figure out how LIPSMACKER fit in and that's most likely why I also didn't see the TEENYBOOPER connection, even though its position in the puzzle should have been a clue...I think I will go look for that Densa test.
I have several books on Erte and even once drew some of his fashionable ladies on a wrist cast that I had...the nurse that removed it cut around the drawings and saved it, said they were going to hang it on the wall...after I got chewed out for gessoing the cast before I drew on it. I was much younger then.
Lois...another great "story"...LOL
Fozzie Bear was one of my most favorite Muppets...never missed that show...
C.C., I agree with Elissa that sexual activity is not a necessity for lovers, although in most cases they do go hand in hand (or other body parts :o)
But, both "phone sex" and "on line sex" don't preclude sexual activity. As a matter of fact, I think they almost demand it. It is just self-administered, rather that face to face. However, I wouldn't call these people "lovers", even if one participant isn't being paid.
But, going a little further, do we stop being lovers when the beloved isn't around? I have a box filled with love letters to and from my mother and father during the three years he was in the Navy during WWII. They never wrote about sex, but during that time, they were definitely lovers in the deepest sense of the word.
We have all seen couples, usually in their later years who no longer have sex for a variety of reasons, but are still deeply in love. Perhaps their love is even deeper because they are not "distracted" by the physical. I would certainly call these people lovers.
Now if you ask, "is romance necessary for people to be called lovers?", my answer to that one is a definite Yes. Romance doesn't have to be flowers and poetry, but can be as simple as a touch on the cheek, an embrace when one wasn't expected, or a smile and look that says "I know what you're thinking."
I leave for a few days and miss all the fun. Drama with the bloggers and a Barry Silk puzzle. I was too busy to even know that a swine flu scare is going around.
Today's puzzle was definitely harder than last Monday, but not difficult by any stretch. My only real problem was knowing it was a U-bolt, then COW RANCHER not fitting. I eventually got it, but like Kitty, I can never remember ARP. Some day I will see a documentary and then it will click. I always find it interesting that I will get some clue through perps as it is something I have never before heard of, and very soon after I will be introduced to that answer via something else, such as a news story on them. Keeps me learning.
We had a super busy weekend, lots of time on the golf course watching our daughter play in brutal gusting winds on a links style course. The numbers were high, the winds sometimes gusting to 40MPH. Thank goodness it was warm. Our daughter probably played her best round ever with lots of heart attack moments that came out well in the end, and her final round of college golf ever. I cried on 18 - an era being over for us.
Back to reality and dealing with the teenage brothers who were being "not so good" while we were away. Ah, the drama of being a parent too.
Has anyone every heard of Jim Kelly? He does announcing for he Big Ten Network and many other sporting events. We had a lovely chat with him in the airport. A super nice guy and quite the talker. Lots of stories. Such fun.
Good morning CC et alia,
It's always fun when you get 'er done! I also had cow rancher, and I didn't know Mita either.The perps were great for figuring out unknowns like Poco, Rees, Adia, and u-bolt.I am relearning all about Muppets, esp. Elmo, Bernie and Bert! BTW, I put a recipe for Play Doh on last night's blog if any grandmas are interested.
"Honey, I'm home" reminded me of Lucy/Desi, such a fun show.
I read the Clan of the Cave Bear and her next 2 novels. In CA they had just added an "Early Man" unit in our 6th gr. S.S. curriculum, so I learned so much from that series.Unfortunately, she took so much time between novels that I lost interest in Ayla and her kin.
Must run. The kids are having SSR now, and they "sound" done.
Kazie, I'm glad you had a nice birthday. Cheers!
YIPPEE! I finally completed a puzzle withouit looking-up a single answer. 1A gave me a tussle. I had MIT- but I guessed at the A 'cause I never heard of that brand copier.
I remeber the terns cowpuncher,bushwhacker and boothill from my boyhood days reading comic books where these terms were used quite extensively.
During the '40's and '50's we had to entertain ourselves without T-V or computers. All the kids in the neighborhood had comic books. We used to trade with each other for the ones we didn't read. New, they cost 10 cents and used , 5 cents with the top of the cover cut off. If the cover was missing, 3 cents. We bought the used books at the hobby shop. I have a lot of original 1st editions e.g.,Adventure comics, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, Red Ryder and a few lesser known titles.
I also learned some French & Spanish words from the comic books.
The comic books known as 'Classics Illustrated" were also popular. Stories such as: The Man in the Iron Mask, Count of Monte Cristo, Tale of Two Cities and many more were popular but not as plentiful. They cost 15 cents and you never found any used. You didn't trade them either. We read these for book-reports in hi-school.
Sallie:
DIETS fits "tries to lose" and
the humble reply is I TRY
We have a Mita copier at our office, so I breezed through today.
I put There for Where, but it went away with the Giant clue.
The Bushwackers were tag team wrestlers, too. from Australia
(supposedly).
cc: thanks for the ERTE explanation- I didn't know that! Buble is definitely in the baritone range
and
I drink milk with every meal.
Thanks again for the daily uplift.
Guday, all. I had no problems today. I think this puzzle was "age group" sensitive. To we older folks, "bushwhacker", "teenybopper", "cowpuncher" and even "lipsmacker" came easily. Us "youngins' used to come home from school and watch "Six Gun Theater" on channel 9 in Cinci and get our fill of bushwhackin', cowpunchers, lipsmackin' some beans out on the prairie, knowin' that if they crossed the law they would end up on boothill. Zane Gray (MASH's Colonel Potter's favorite author (Gray was from Zanesville, Ohio)), and Louis L'Amour I've read extensively and those expressions are use often in their texts.
We'd also watch the "teenyboppers" on American Grandstand, back when Dick Clark was in his early 80's. (I can't believe that he's 122 years old.)
"Arp" and "Erte" are mainstays in x/ws today.
Elissa. You are so correct. "Making love" USED to mean "Sweet-talking" years ago. Words have new meanings today. I remember when "Gay" meant happy, "Ayds" was an appetite suppressor and freeways were actually free.
Here's an interesting fact for all my fellow golfers out there (Clearayes, pass this on to GAH) if you are playing golf in Rome and hit an errant shot, you do NOT yell "FORE"!! You yell "IV".
I told Dr. Feelgood the other day, "I used to think I was indecisive".
"How do you feel about that, today," he asked.
"I'm not so sure".
I must be off
Good Afternoon CC and All,
That work thing is messing with my morning routine again......
The NW corner cave me trouble because I had Cow Rancher as well as never hearing of Mita. Once the plopping sound occurred on the theme Arp and Hie fell. A nice puzzle after getting no where on Saturday's grid. I would use the blog if I had to patience to wait for the dial up at home. It ain't happening.
We had a busy weekend. After the Karate tournament on Saturday my two boys tested for their black belts successfully. They made their old man proud. Its quite a feat in this organization. It takes a minimum of five years to be considered for testing and that doesn't always happen.
The weather has finally turned the corner up here. The buds have started to pop and the lawns are greening up. Its close to shorts temps.
Hope everyone is having a good Monday!
Here is poem by a woman who "wants it all". What is surprising about it, is that the poet, Christina Walsh (1750- 1800) wrote it sometime in the later 1700's. We have the impression that women of that time were not so outspoken.
The woman in the poem has had a proposal of marriage and she questions his motives. She calls him "lover", but it most probably didn't mean they were sexually intimate. What she means by "lover" is that he has been a serious suitor and has been wooing her over a period of time.
A Woman to her LoverDo you come to me to bend me to your will
as conqueror to the vanquished
to make of me a bondslave
to bear you children, wearing out my life
in drudgery and silence
no servant will i be
if that be what you ask. O lover i refuse you!
Or if you think to wed with one from heaven sent
whose every deed and word and wish is golden
a wingless angel who can do no wrong
go! - i am no doll to dress and sit for feeble worship
if that be what you ask, fool, i refuse you!
Or if you think in me to find
a creature who will have no greater joy
than gratify your clamorous desire,
my skin soft only for your fond caresses
my body supple only for your sense delight.
Oh shame, and pity and abasement.
Not for you the hand of any wakened woman of our time.
But lover, if you ask of me
that i shall be your comrade, friend, and mate,
to live and work, to love and die with you,
that so together we may know the purity and height
of passion, and of joy and sorrow,
then o husband, i am yours forever
and our co-equal love will make the stars to laugh with joy
and to its circling fugue pass, hand holding hand
until we reach the very heart of god.
- Christina Walsh
For Andre the Giant, I wanted to put "Peanut Offerer", but that didn't fit...
Argyle:
Some editors have said that creating a Monday puzzle is harder to do than a puzzle later in the week because your vocabulary is so limited. Later in the week you can use almost any word you want, but on a Monday you have fewer words to work with.And they all have to be easy. I know I have to throw out words that I would normally use.
Some editors have also said they have trouble getting enough usuable Mondays from constructors and always need some. I don't think the shortage is because they are so hard to do, but because they are not as much fun to create. They can be as boring to create as to solve. I find a later week puzzle more fun to create because you can really play with the clues. Monday puzzles tend to have boring clues by necessity. You CAN creatively clue a Monday puzzle, you just can't get too tricky.
Movie Factoid for the day: André the Giant played Fezzik the Giant in the wonderful 1987 movie the Princess Bride...not a real stretch for him acting-wise.;o)Actually, the movie is about true love...fits right in with today's discussion. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommed it! Great fun.
BarbB: Absolutely love your kitty avatar...new addition to the household?
CA...I really like that poem, it could have been recently written.
Buckeye...as always LOL! This is # III for me.
5:21 today. I thought this was a skosh harder than last Monday's puzzle, but not by much.
I had PUPPET filled in for 51a: Fozzie Bear, e.g. (MUPPET) Let me tell you that took a lot of hunting to find why I didn't get the "ta-da" screen after filling in the grid.
Hmmm, I filled in MITA for the copier brand immediately. I'm not sure how anyone who has worked in an office could have avoided encountering it, but maybe it's more a west coast thing?
@c.c.: Jean Auel lives in Oregon.I wonder if she still has her gorgeous home in a very dramatic setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean (name of the cape it's situated on withheld to protect her privacy)?
@linda: Embien: Please be patient with me and post how to include a link, yet again. I wrote it all down but I must have copied wrong. If the parenthesis aren`t to be written into the equation...probably should say so. I`m a 'configuration' reader, also.
You may have me confused with someone else. I don't recall posting on this topic. That said, c.c. has posted a helpful link for those wanting to learn how to put links in the comments: how to make a link
Lemonade714 - I'm just catching up with your post of 4/26, 10:34P. I lived in and near San Fran a few years and loved watching the Giants in those days - would have sworn there was an Alou brother catching for somebody then. I guess I must bow to your superior knowledge of the Alou brother's baseball credentials. So I gladly do so.
I need one more comment, if I may. I watched Moises Alou play baseball when he had a large hand in leading the Florida (Miami) Marlins to a world series win. Moises was a great hitter and a fine left fielder. Never saw him put on the catching gear tho. Do you really think he was a catcher?
Straighten me out please.
Hayrake
Thank you Al, Lois, and James. You all are correct on diets. I surely didn't see that one. And after I put it in, and pondered, I could see that the across was I try. This is some great blog. One can even get answers to puzzles we aren't discussing.
Buckeye, Is it possible that Christina Walsh had you in mind when she wrote the last verse of her poem?
I'll definitely pass your golf advice on to GAH. He may not be needing it though. Lately, he has been winning more than losing. He and his team won $60 apiece last Saturday at the local high school fund raiser tournament. (No cheapskates out here where we live!) He is really ticking off some of the old geezers he regularly golfs with. I think I've mentioned that at 67 he is "the kid".
Luxor, I was also a comics nut. My parents, apparently appalled at my collection of "Archie and Jughead" comic books (I wanted to be just like Veronica), got me a subscription to "Classics Illustrated". Yes, I also admit to using them for book reports, since CliffsNotes weren't around back then. I really did love to read, but was soooo lazy.
Congratulations to both your boys and you, Mainiac. AND to KQ and your daughter.
Tarrajo, your "test" seems to have worked. Now come back and visit.
Buckeye: you are hilarious. I take my first golf lesson this Sat. I'm looking forward to the 19th hole the most.
Clear Ayes, I love that poem! Thank you.
WM 11:59 - thank you.
Mainiac: Congratulations on the black belt accomplishment of each son. That's really something big! We've been the same route and it's always a comfort to me to know that my son can take care of himself if need be. It hasn't happened, but ya never know.
I believe Pumpernickle is a type of rye bread but I could be wrong. It's usually very dark too. Rye bread always reminds me of my grandma, as we had it for dinner whenver we visited. Never really ate it at any other time though.
Growing up in the midwest, we had milk at every meal, including a nice tall glass of milk at dinner. Now I usually drink water. I don't drink as much milk as I used to (college broke me of that habit, it's too expensive) but I do love a good bowl of milk and cereal.
I had the stumbles that most everyone had (MITA???) and the puzzle did seem a bit more difficult. I didn't like the clue for 48D "Bracelet site" as I thought wrist first. It just seems like a strange clue.
~puzzled_in_pdx
Oh and the Princess Bride is a FANTASTIC move. See it if you haven't! There are a lot of great quote-ables from that move. :)
~puzzled_in_pdx
C.C.:
Michael Buble sounds more like a tenor, but I'm not sure. We don't have any baritones in either chorus I'm in, only tenors and basses.
U-bolt, because of the way the "u" is pronounced, is preceded by "a" not "an." I only tell you this because I know you like to learn. I have to admit my French is not as good as your English, and I've been at it for a lifetime. You are amazing with your language abilities.
Did any of you take the Densa Test? I got only 9 right, so I guess I'm normal. That's good.
Doreen
Thanks for the congrats!!
We can't keep enough milk around. It is drank morning, noon and night. My wife's brother-in-law owns a dairy farm further south in the state so we drink Uncle Larry's milk (the company he sells to). Last we spoke, he wasn't making much money. I prefer beer with dinner though.
Speaking of which, time for me to head home and start fixing supper. Might even toss back a cold one. Helps clear the cooks pallet!
WM, are you saying that the positioning of a word in the puzzle helps you figure it out?? I've never been able to figure out the theme as I'm working a puzzle. I'm definitely Densa material! Here's proof: Little Lulu was my favorite comic.Ha! Ha! Many years went by before I graduated to Archie and Veronica.Most people were reading "something Barton, Registered Nurse".. whatever. I read the little house series.
Lois, another great post. Don't ever leave!
Buckeye,..IV...LMAO! Remember when TV was free? I remember my parents saying we would probably pay for it one day, and I pictured a coin box on top of the TV, like paying for "Magic Fingers."
The bell ringeth!
Jeanne and Embien: Thanks for your help...still working on getting it to work.
It`s "In-con-thee-able"
that so many of us enjoy "Princess Bride". It was my first exposure to Manny Patinkin who was terrific as the Spaniard. I was glad that the "Mah-widge" finally took place between the right two people, in spite of the rodents of unusual size, the fire swamp and the Dread Pirate, "Roberts."
I think I may have to watch it again tonight!
Frank,
I don't know. Sun and sea are obviously more appealing to Dennis.
Lois,
Love your CLEO Award comment. You should be very proud of Kenny yourself.
Rex,
Thanks. I am going to adopt your DNR policy, immediately.
Warren,
Thanks for the explanation on Morse birthday. I was wondering about Google's strange logo this morning.
Rex - appreciate the trolls comment - when I first heard it from a 'techie' friend of mine the other year, I immediately loved it. Was going to add it to my a.m. post but ran out of time. Timely reminder.
Sheila and Jeanne - enjoyed DENSA. I was about ask Sheila for more info when Jeanne provided it - I'm going to see how normal or unnormal it says I am. I'm sure I'm more DENSA than MENSA.
Also am a huge fan of "The Princess Bride". Linda your spelling was 'right on' - really enjoyed your post - thanks!!! The more I see that movie the more I appreciate its wit, dialog and clever construction. Just like a good xword.
Go CC - love your DNR plan!! Thanks.
Barb B,
You are always so nice to me.
Elissa ,
In my views, lovers are just two people who truly love each other. Romance, as Clear Ayes said, is essential. But sex is not necessary. Like what Chopin and George Sand had.
Clear Ayes,
Very moving poem. I hope I won't be wearing out my life in drudgery and silence. What does "circling fugue pass" mean?
WM & puzzled_in_pdx & Linda & SandbridgeKaren,
Re: "The Princess Bride". As you wish!
Kazie,
I missed your input in the past several days.
Al,
No cryptic? I'd love to have 1 or 2 every day. It's fun.
Mainiac,
Congratulations on your boys.
Fred,
Interesting to know your views on Monday puzzles. Thanks for sharing.
Tarrajo,
Hi. You passed the test. Very pretty picture.
Judi, Jazzbumpa, Luxor, James
Nice to hear from you guys regularly now.
Jerome,
Will we be seeing your puzzle in LAT soon?
Embien,
Just checked. Your last Monday's time is 4:16. So today's is more difficult.
Hi C C AND ALL.
This FOR K Q.
Congrats to your daughter. Quite a good score in the wind. you must be so proud. Have been watching the Mich web site for scores. Is there another daughter or relative on the team named Meagan.
R e Jim Kelly. If its the same one, he was a hall of fame Q B for the Buffalo Bills. He tragically lost a son at aged 7 to a rare disease.
Not a great fan of the Thur-Sat W/E X words but am hanging hoping for improvement.
Jimmy S Carolina
To all you Princess Bride fans...wouldn't R.O.U.S(rodents of unusal size) be a great xword answer?
Yes, JD...Through C.C.'s tuteledge,I have made a point of finding the theme answer locations even if I don't always get the theme itself...they are usually the longest answers and equally balanced against each other in the puzzle...I wasn't paying attention today...
Lois...as always your creativity with the puzzles is fabulous...I always look forward to the story you create...It reminds me of those assignments in elementary school when you had to use all your spelling words in a paragraph...our youngest daughter once wrote one sentence, then followed it with the sentence..."And the rest of my spelling words were...and she listed all the rest of the words. The teacher thought it was really funny, but told her not to ever do it again...that's about my speed with wordsmithing...my hat is off to you.
#IV for me
C.C., almost forgot about those cryptics today. Here are a couple of trickier ones, of I type I haven't introduced here yet. This kind of clue gives me fits trying to figure them out. For the first, I have the answer and see where it comes from, but not how it is indicated. Maybe anon-hp can explain it later... I do have the answer to, and understand the second one, but it is pretty tough to see the why of it.
1) School tales about tiles (6)
2) Pasty friend gets the point (4)
Hi all!
The discussion about milk reminds me of my childhood in SoCal. I was never a fan of the stuff, but Engineer Bill could get me to down at least one glass each weekday evening. He was the host of a show with cartoons. During one of the segments he would play red light green light. When he said green light you had to start drinking the milk and not stop until he said red light. I was young enough that it never occurred to me to substitute water or something more palatable for the dreaded milk. Does anyone else remember this program?
The puzzle had no stumblers for me today. I'm looking forward to more of the same tomorrow. It's nice to kick the week off with a good boost to the ego. Adios
C.C. et al: Generally when Google has their logo displayed as some kind of picture or something other than the usual lettering, you can find out why or what it represents by positioning your cursor over the picture and pausing for a moment until you get a small box with the theme.
Good afternoon, everyone! Had a very busy morning, and this is the first chance I've had. 74 comments already. Wow!
No real problems with this one. The names I didn't know fell before the perps, and I was finished in good time.
C.C., it's been a while since you've had so much new slang in a puzzle, or so it seems to me. Sure, milk with any meal is good. Yes, CLAN was a gimmee.
Pumpernickel is originally a German bread. Basically it is a rye with molasses and brown sugar for the sweetener, but you can find Americanized versions with the addition of coffee and chocolate to make it darker, and some vinegar to add zest. A fairly decent looking more authentic pumpernickel recipe is here.
C.C., Doreen, and anyone else who is interested: the rule for a or an before a u is if the u is pronounced like a y. Examples: an unimaginable idea or a useful idea.
I liked this puzzle; I didn't know all the words, but the perps nicely told me most of the others. I missed just two letters: the TA of MITA. the T was a blunder -- I should have re-checked my work, as I had the OWEL of 3D Beach drier. Shame on me! I used my movie book to get 47D Rene of "Tin Cup" RUSSO. I'm very weak or movie, TV, and sports people.
I had no trouble with COWPUNCHER, ANKLET, et.al., because I do the crosses and downs together. So when I came to 17A (for instance) I already had some perps. I'm old enough to remember various older word usages.
I would rather have 4D ARP clued to refer to astronomer Halton Arp, but his work is rather esoteric for a Monday puzzle.
18D UBOLT was a gimme for me; my Father and my uncles were all skilled handymen and mechanics. I knew how to repair a bicycle before I learned to ride one.
Favorite clues:
55A: Sticks to its guns: NRA
62A: Queen played by Liz: CLEO
With a sister named Elizabeth who dislikes being called Liz, I was mentally objecting to "Liz" in the clue. I knew the answer, Cleopatra, but the grid wanted just four letters. AHA! Short form of Ms.Taylor's name == short form of Her Majesty's name. Neat!
C.C. --
BOP can also refer to a kind of jazz; the longer term is be-bop.
Clear Ayes --
Loved and appreciated the poem! My wife was one of the latter group, and I greatly appreciated her!
To several regular Anonymous-es --
I suggest that you click on Name/URL. The prompts will change to Name and URL, but the latter is optional. Fill in your handle (Hayrake, HP, A.R.E. etc.). That's what I'm doing.
Why The JVN? I've used those initials for computer logon IDs since 1971, and came to be referred to by the initials. Eventually someone put "the" in front.
Clear Ayes: Thanks for that terrific poem. It should be required reading and study for every couple contemplating marriage.
Densa test: normal but distracted. What fun. Didn't need a test to tell me that!
It's Sheep shearing day here in kestrel land, thus tonight will be sound sleep night, for us and the sheep.
Linda@11:27:
Of course it's a hot button issue, but one that can be approached without animosity, as you and I demonstrated shortly after I first came here. All that's required to maintain "Internet friends{hip}" to use your phrase from that time, is mutual respect.
I understand your "troll" policy, but you must agree that Whack-a-mole can be fun and entertaining (for a while). So while you can maintain your style (and your authority), is it OK if we whack one now and then, just for fun?
ClearAyes:
I tend to side with PMT on the "lovers" issue, notwithstanding the example of Abelard and Heloise, and the concept of Platonic love. But if we limit the term to it's more modern connotation, to say that people are "lovers" usually refers to some physical relationship, accompanied, one would hope, by the emotional bond of romantic love. On the other hand, I would resist describing two (or more) people engaged in a physical coupling devoid of romance as "lovers". My two cents worth, like free advice, worth at least what you pay for it.
Windhover, worn out.
OMG! I just took the Densa test, and I'm a GENIUS!!!
Actually, I've seen a lot of these questions before. I seem to be a magnet for e-mail with "A plane crashes on an island between the U.S. and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?" kinds of questions. Usually the answer requires that you read what's printed, rather than what you THINK is going to be there.
Clear Ayes, who would have thought that a woman would have been so forward thinking at the end of the 1700s? And, don't we all wish for the very same thing now? Great poem!
Crockett, thanks for adding me to the blog map on C.C.'s sidebar. It's nice to be a part of the gang.
Maniac, congrats to you and your boys.
Embien, It's very possible that MITA is a west coast thing. I don't recall seeing any advertising for it in the Chicago area.
KQ, what's a "links style course?"
WM, how's the kitty doing?
I love all the cat avatars on this blog. I have one of my black cat walking down the sidewalk that I should post.
I agree with those of you who are Princess Bride aficionados. There are dozens of lines that pop into my mind from that movie, "To blathe" (True love) being the most frequent.
Well, Dear Husband is ready for dinner. I've got to be on my way.
Good evening, all.
Worn out, but not too much to return and point out that my Troll comment and question was directed to the "Boss", CC. The Iphone screen does not allow me to proofread very easily, and the review option in blogger often involves "losing" my laboriously typed comment. I only see my "Densa" result after it's posted.
Windhover, corrected, and puzzleless.
PS: the requested Daily Commuter words were Diets, as pointed out earlier and I try, or itry.
The JVN 5:31P
I'm giving your suggestion a try.
If my "handle" appears at the top of this instead of "Anonymous" - a) I did it right surprisingly and, b) it works! Much better and thanks for the suggestion. Why didn't anyone tell me that before? Geesch!
Hayrake
The golf announcer that you spoke with is Jim Kelly not the old Buffalo quarterback. C. C., you remember him, a very competent announcer, not a commentator like Miller or Faldo.
Clearayes. Christina Walsh was my first wife. It's obvious which verse I picked.
Densa. Genius. I, as KittyB, had seen some of these questions before and two that weren't there.
"How far can a bear run into the woods?"
"You build a square house with all four sides having a southern exposure and a bear comes up. What color is the bear?"
I want to brag on myself. I found Waldo in today's paper and also all six things that were different in the two side-by-side pictures. I'm starting to think maybe, like Dennis, I could join Mensus, but then comes the week-end puzzles and I realize I'm just a common "dummy". (Besides, do I really want to go through those nose bleeds every 28 days?)
I'll hang up now and listen to your responses.
IMBO
Hi C.C. and everyone, late today - too many errands plus an appt with the eye Doctor to say nothing of having 85 comments to read.
Fun Monday puzzle, no g-spot for once, not that I expected to have to go there on a Monday.
T.Frank (6:16a) I think it's booze and a lot of it.
Barb B, cute new picture!
Clear Ayes, great poem...I am reading Anya Seton's books and the language is familiar. I love her books for the historical correctness.
I grew up eating Rye Crisp, but I don't care so much for the dark rye bread because of the caraway seeds, so I buy Swedish rye.
I like milk with cereal but not to drink anymore..and we use skim. Like iced tea for lunch - water with dinner.
Beer is good any afternoon/evening.
JD, I agree with you on the Clan of the Cave Bear and the following novels, they were wonderful but I wish they were written closer together. I do understand her research though, and very much enjoyed reading about life would have like in those times.
I am with you on the Little Lulu too :)
Maniac, offer my congrats to your boys too. That is not an easy thing to achieve!
Lemonade,
Thanks for the memory jog. I remember Jim Kelly from ESPN. He was once described as "folksy" which I think fits. Funny I was thinking about recently him wondering where he went.
Jimmy, S Carolina
C.C. What does "circling fugue pass" mean. I had to check on the definition of fugue to be sure.
1 a: a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts
2: a disturbed state of consciousness in which the one affected seems to perform acts in full awareness but upon recovery cannot recollect the acts performed
I'm sure today's poet didn't mean "a disturbed state of consciousness", although some of us with previous marriages can relate to the notion. :o)
Christina Walsh was comparing their co-equal love to a musical composition that circles, is repeated, imitated and continuously interweaving. In that manner they will "pass" through life, hand-in-hand.
I'm glad that Christina Walsh's poem was so well received today. It looks like both men and women want a partner and friend as well as a "lover", however you define it.
That's all for tonight folks. Have a good one.
JVN,
OK.
Buckeye, I'm right there with you, babe! I may be able to answer trick questions that I've seen dozens of times, but I sure can't complete the Saturday and Sunday puzzles unaided. (sigh) It was very kind of you not to chide me for lack of modesty, but then, you understood that I was surprised to be called a genius.
Kazie...a happy birthday to you, just a bit late. I'm glad you had a good time celebrating.
I'm not terribly fond of milk. You can get it past me with a lot of chocolate in it. When I was a freshman in college I drank milk with every meal, but it was served from one of those Norris dispensers where you lift a tap to fill your glass. The milk was really cold, and more palatable. Now, iced tea or hot tea is my preference with meals.
Kitty and JD,
Thank you both for the b'day wishes.
CA,
As always, a wonderfully appropriate and sensitive poetry choice. Thank you!
What did I miss that we have all these judgmental and divisive comments? I started commenting here for fun, and sharing the varied life experiences that made the comments section so varied and entertaining. I hope I have made a few of you laugh, a few say "oh yeah" and maybe a few, "wow." I also have said dumb things, which if noted, were noted gently, and read dumb things, which I ignored. I guess I have never done speed solving, because surviving in life is sufficient competition for me; and I enjoy each point of view because it is the diversity that makes it interesting. The beauty of the internet, is that it brings all kinds of people together instantaneously, from all over the world (where is our Indian correspondent?) and we can each learn something from that experience. It is Monday, the puzzle was fine, and I am proud to be with a bunch of Densa members. So lighten up on the name calling, and relax please.
Lemonade:
I second that emotion.
I just took the densa test and got 10 out of 12. One was wrong because I didn't exaggerate when I said I know NOTHING about baseball. The other was because we weren't told that the doctor said to take a pill right away to start off with.
Took the Densa test(couldn't resist)...Kazie, I beat you by 1 because I do have a teensy bit of baseball knowledge but crashed and burned on the ark one...DOH...Oh and very late Happy Birthday, sounds like it was surprising and fun.
KittyB...Thanks for asking...apparently they didn't pull the teeth but cleaned them...her blood pressure dropped and they couldn't get it back up( she's about 16 1/2 yrs and weighs about 6.5 lbs). She is home now, a bit wobbly and bitching at me...I was taking my mom to a Dr.'s appointment and shopping and wasn't here to go get her, hubby did the honors...I will probably be in the dog house for the next day or so. Would also love to see your kitty...we have a thing for black cats in this family.
Maniac...major congrats on the black belts...I took Tai Kwon Do for about a year when I was a roller hockey goalie...was in great shape but I left after I punched a brown belt who should have known to move and bloodied his nose...I am such a wimp. ;o)That is an awesome accomplishment..
Also a big hi to all the new people turning BLUE...Woot!
Well...this is it for me...#V...thanks Buckeye...you are a cheeky fellow.
Its so late now, I don't know if anyone will read this but I wanted to say that this puzzle was my favorite since we started LAT. No googling, no erasures, but required some thinking. Words that others stumbled over were no problem for me. Maybe it is a generational thing!
On the question about lovers, there is more to being lovers than sex - thank goodness, since, after cancer, diabetes and old age set in life isn't the same as it used to be! But my husband is still my lover.
I quit drinking milk with my meals because water doesn't have as many calories as milk. However, at church dinners we still serve coffee, ice tea or milk. Maybe its a Wisconsin thing!
Belated happy birthday, Kazie.
Dot
Name calling? Seriously? How did I miss that?
Well, I did call CC awesomely intelligent, pretty and classy. But surely that wasn't offensive.
If there were other names called, I completely missed them.
Drat.
Al: definitely tougher cryptics today. Here are my answers:
1) School tales about tiles (6)
SLATES: Here the term works both as the antique writing tablet once used by schoolkids and an upscale stone tiled roofing material. Note that tales is an anagram of slate.
2) Pasty friend gets the point (4)
PALE: This is a stretch, but a Pale Pal (friend) could be the pasty (light colored) friend. PALE might also take on a meaning of a pointy stick or spear (get the point?) in the sense of being a strip of paling (the fence term we saw in the LAT xword not long ago). You might also think of PALE in the sense of Vlad the imPALEr. Or think of its use in the phrase beyond the PALE, which originally meant being outside a primitive fort wall of presumably protective and pointy tipped timbers.
I figured out SLATES without too much trouble, but PALE took some serious thought.
Best,
anon-hp
Expected answers to my Densa questions. Maybe too easy.
A bear can only run half way into the woods. After that he is running OUT of the woods.
The square house with all side facing south would have to be on the north pole; hence a white polar bear.
Nighty night, all!!!
IMBO
WM and Dot,
Thanks to you both for the b'day wishes, and congrats to WM for doing one better on the densa.
Pailing fences don't suggest pointed wood to me. I think of them as plain unfinished rectangular wood slats, about six or seven feet tall, about half an inch thick and about 5 inches wide, without spaces between, unlike a picket fence, which has shorter, spaced out and not as wide "pickets", usually painted white, and pointed at the top. Despite the name, I can't picture anyone impaling with a paling. But maybe in the past, paling was the term for something different.
The pumpernickel recipe I linked has no caraway seeds in it, but I would add them--they add a nice kick to it. Most real German ryes use sourdough instead of yeast, but I've never had as much luck with that. Rye is sticky and hard to work with too. I prefer to make whole wheat.
Good night all!
Very clever, Buckeye.
I guess we all thought you were just being your funny self instead of the mensa guy you really are.
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