Theme: They R Different
17A: 11:00a.m. restaurant patrons?: BRUNCH BUNCH
29A: Fraternity nerd?: GREEK GEEK
39A: Advice from the auto club?: TRIP TIP
48A: Whimsical Barbie?: DROLL DOLL
63A: Quite small-minded?: PRETTY PETTY
The first three pairs rhyme. The last two don't. Adding one letter R is like adding a stroke to a Chinese character, the meaning and the pronunciation of the word can change dramatically. The same with letter L: FLAIR, FAIR; FLOUR, FOUR; GLUT, GUT, etc.
I like seeing REAR (23A: Caboose's place) & END (36A: Caboose's place) with the same clue. The same with EVEN (37A: Deadlocked) and TIED (52A: Deadlocked). Nice pair.
My favorite clue today is TAR (66A: Seasoned salt?). Of all the slang for sailor, gob is the strangest. But I learned yesterday that gob is actually short for gobshite, old English for wad of spit chewing tobacco or tobacco juice. I don't know, maybe sailors like chewing tobacco?
The STUD clue (58D: It may be ear-piercing) is cute too. I used to think all STUD earrings are penetrative, then Argyle found some clip-on STUD earrings on internet. So "may be" here is quite accurate.
Oh I got several questions regarding Dan Feyer's best time. Dan said his paper record is 1:56 for Monday March 9, 2009 NYT puzzle. And his online record (Across Lite) is 1:17 for an old NYT. Do you think he will break 1 minute threshold?
Across:
1A: E-junk: SPAM. Wikipedia says Rolex and Viagra-type drugs are two common products advertised in SPAM e-mail.
5A: Honshu port: OSAKA. Literally "large hill" or "large slope". Its Japanese Kanji and Chinese characters are the same, both are 大阪市. I did not know it's so close to Kyoto.
10A: No.-crunching pro: CPA
13A: Shakespearean betrayer: IAGO. The villain in "Othello".
14A: Fancy calligraphy strokes: SERIFS. I would not call SERIFS fancy. These calligraphy strokes are fancy. Does Chinese word "love" look complicated to you?
20A: Ocean color: SEA GREEN
21A: Em and Bee: AUNTS. Another famous one is Aunt Jemima.
34A: Ace the exam: NAIL IT
38A: Banned bug killer: DDT. Banned in the US in 1972. I think we still used it on apple orchard in 1980's.
45A: Big oaf: APE. This reminds me of my babu (baboo) and baboon confusion. I always thought Seinfeld calls the Indian immigrant Baboon.
46A: Crocodile hunter of film: DUNDEE. Learned this film from doing Xword.
58A: Answer: SOLUTION
62A: "__ said it": YOU. I wanted I'VE.
67A: Patriot Adams: SAMUEL. Why emphasizes "Patriot" here?
68A: Organ knob: STOP
Down:
3D: Juanita's water: AGUA. Shui, in Chinese. Like Feng Shui. Feng is literally "wind".
4D: Mutt: MONGREL
5D: __Jackson: rapper Ice Cube's birth name: O'SHEA. No idea. Only know him as Ice Cube. O'SHEA is often clued as "Actor Milo". Ice-T's original name is Tracy Marrow, which appeared in our TMS Daily before.
6D: Jean of "Saint Joan": SEBERG. Unknown to me also. Wikipedia says Jean SEBERG had an affair with Clint Eastwood while shooting "Paint Your Wagon".
7D: Make __ for it: A RUN
9D: Org. with Patriots and Jets: AFC. The answer emerged after I filled in the across. I don't know which teams are AFC, which are NFC. Most of the time I just fill in NFL.
11D: Animal hide: PELT
15D: Predatory lender: SHARK. Hmm, no California hockey reference here. Too bad, JD, maybe Rich Norries does not like San Jose Sharks.
18D: Plastic, so to speak: CREDIT. Good clue.
24D: Out of shape?: BENT. I like this clue too.
26D: Like most movie rentals: ON DVD
28D: Explosive stuff, briefly: NITRO (Nitroglycerin). Always thought NITRO is a complete word itself.
32D: Went sniggling: EELED. Koreans men eat eels for "stamina". Vietnamese men drink snake blood for "stamina". Weird, isnt it? Snakes and eels actually look quite similiar.
33D: Patched pants parts: KNEES. I like the alliteration in the clue.
35D: Livelihood: TRADE
40D: Product with earbuds: iPOD. Use mine mainly for NPR podcast.
41D: Upper body strengthener: PUSH-UP
44D: Crunchy sandwiches: BLTS. Have never had a BLT in my life. Can't get used to the mayonnaise taste.
49D: Speaks like Daffy: LISPS
60D: Plains native: OTOE. The "Plains" here refers to "The Great Plains", right?
61D: Big Apple enforcement org.: NYPD. Reminds me of "NYPD Blue" and crossword stalwart ESAI Morales.
64D: It's used for battering: RAM. The long pole in the middle? Vaguely remember someone explained battering RAM to me before.
65D: Flightless bird: EMU. Dennis just mentioned at the Comments section that EMU can't walk backward. Nor can kangaroo. Both are in Australia's coat of arms. They signify Australia's "Forward with Pride" spirit.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A: 11:00a.m. restaurant patrons?: BRUNCH BUNCH
29A: Fraternity nerd?: GREEK GEEK
39A: Advice from the auto club?: TRIP TIP
48A: Whimsical Barbie?: DROLL DOLL
63A: Quite small-minded?: PRETTY PETTY
The first three pairs rhyme. The last two don't. Adding one letter R is like adding a stroke to a Chinese character, the meaning and the pronunciation of the word can change dramatically. The same with letter L: FLAIR, FAIR; FLOUR, FOUR; GLUT, GUT, etc.
I like seeing REAR (23A: Caboose's place) & END (36A: Caboose's place) with the same clue. The same with EVEN (37A: Deadlocked) and TIED (52A: Deadlocked). Nice pair.
My favorite clue today is TAR (66A: Seasoned salt?). Of all the slang for sailor, gob is the strangest. But I learned yesterday that gob is actually short for gobshite, old English for wad of spit chewing tobacco or tobacco juice. I don't know, maybe sailors like chewing tobacco?
The STUD clue (58D: It may be ear-piercing) is cute too. I used to think all STUD earrings are penetrative, then Argyle found some clip-on STUD earrings on internet. So "may be" here is quite accurate.
Oh I got several questions regarding Dan Feyer's best time. Dan said his paper record is 1:56 for Monday March 9, 2009 NYT puzzle. And his online record (Across Lite) is 1:17 for an old NYT. Do you think he will break 1 minute threshold?
Across:
1A: E-junk: SPAM. Wikipedia says Rolex and Viagra-type drugs are two common products advertised in SPAM e-mail.
5A: Honshu port: OSAKA. Literally "large hill" or "large slope". Its Japanese Kanji and Chinese characters are the same, both are 大阪市. I did not know it's so close to Kyoto.
10A: No.-crunching pro: CPA
13A: Shakespearean betrayer: IAGO. The villain in "Othello".
14A: Fancy calligraphy strokes: SERIFS. I would not call SERIFS fancy. These calligraphy strokes are fancy. Does Chinese word "love" look complicated to you?
20A: Ocean color: SEA GREEN
21A: Em and Bee: AUNTS. Another famous one is Aunt Jemima.
34A: Ace the exam: NAIL IT
38A: Banned bug killer: DDT. Banned in the US in 1972. I think we still used it on apple orchard in 1980's.
45A: Big oaf: APE. This reminds me of my babu (baboo) and baboon confusion. I always thought Seinfeld calls the Indian immigrant Baboon.
46A: Crocodile hunter of film: DUNDEE. Learned this film from doing Xword.
58A: Answer: SOLUTION
62A: "__ said it": YOU. I wanted I'VE.
67A: Patriot Adams: SAMUEL. Why emphasizes "Patriot" here?
68A: Organ knob: STOP
Down:
3D: Juanita's water: AGUA. Shui, in Chinese. Like Feng Shui. Feng is literally "wind".
4D: Mutt: MONGREL
5D: __Jackson: rapper Ice Cube's birth name: O'SHEA. No idea. Only know him as Ice Cube. O'SHEA is often clued as "Actor Milo". Ice-T's original name is Tracy Marrow, which appeared in our TMS Daily before.
6D: Jean of "Saint Joan": SEBERG. Unknown to me also. Wikipedia says Jean SEBERG had an affair with Clint Eastwood while shooting "Paint Your Wagon".
7D: Make __ for it: A RUN
9D: Org. with Patriots and Jets: AFC. The answer emerged after I filled in the across. I don't know which teams are AFC, which are NFC. Most of the time I just fill in NFL.
11D: Animal hide: PELT
15D: Predatory lender: SHARK. Hmm, no California hockey reference here. Too bad, JD, maybe Rich Norries does not like San Jose Sharks.
18D: Plastic, so to speak: CREDIT. Good clue.
24D: Out of shape?: BENT. I like this clue too.
26D: Like most movie rentals: ON DVD
28D: Explosive stuff, briefly: NITRO (Nitroglycerin). Always thought NITRO is a complete word itself.
32D: Went sniggling: EELED. Koreans men eat eels for "stamina". Vietnamese men drink snake blood for "stamina". Weird, isnt it? Snakes and eels actually look quite similiar.
33D: Patched pants parts: KNEES. I like the alliteration in the clue.
35D: Livelihood: TRADE
40D: Product with earbuds: iPOD. Use mine mainly for NPR podcast.
41D: Upper body strengthener: PUSH-UP
44D: Crunchy sandwiches: BLTS. Have never had a BLT in my life. Can't get used to the mayonnaise taste.
49D: Speaks like Daffy: LISPS
60D: Plains native: OTOE. The "Plains" here refers to "The Great Plains", right?
61D: Big Apple enforcement org.: NYPD. Reminds me of "NYPD Blue" and crossword stalwart ESAI Morales.
64D: It's used for battering: RAM. The long pole in the middle? Vaguely remember someone explained battering RAM to me before.
65D: Flightless bird: EMU. Dennis just mentioned at the Comments section that EMU can't walk backward. Nor can kangaroo. Both are in Australia's coat of arms. They signify Australia's "Forward with Pride" spirit.
Answer grid.
C.C.
69 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - today's puzzle was almost identical in time to yesterday; 4:18. I hesitated for a second when I saw 'caboose's place' twice, thinking I was seeing things wrong, but then when 'deadlocked' appeared twice, I knew it was intentional. Still, it's unusual to see that repetitive cluing when it's not the theme. No unknowns in this one, and I thought 'plastic, so to speak' and 'seasoned salt' were the best clues.
Today is Ex-Spouse Day, Look Up at the Sky Day, International Moment of Laughter Day, AND Reach as High as You Can Day. Jeezus, by the time you figure out what to do, the day'll be over.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Don't ever underestimate the importance of money. I know it's often been said that money won't make you happy, and this is undeniably true, but everything else being equal, it's a lovely thing to have around the house." -- Groucho Marx
Couple Fun Facts:
- It is estimated that the Pentagon spent $50 million on Viagra for American troops and veterans in 1999.
Which may have led to the following.....
- About 3.9 percent of all American women say they never wear underwear.
Dennis,
Yes, indeed, those are intentional. I wonder how much CIA spent on Viagra for Afghan warlords. Such an effective tool to fight terrorism.
Karen Q,
Skanky is a new word to me. I hope you smooth out your credit card problem soon.
Crockett,
The first thing I did yesterday morning was go to the The Oregonian website. Very disappointing result.
Fred,
Thanks. Look forward to your next LAT puzzle. Best of luck with NYT.
Frank et al,
Thanks for all the answers yesterday.
Yay! I finished it today! I didn't know SEBERG or SERIFS but I guessed that their intersection was an E. OTOE and STOP also sounded plausible so I went with them. I did have some trouble along the way though: I wanted HOLE for TOED, GOAD for URGE, QTIP for IPOD and ROBBEd for LOOTED but the perps cleared up any confusion.
C.C., as you probably realise the character for love in Chinese is a picture of somebody (literally a friend) holding up a heart under a roof while some claw is scratching away at it.
Martin
Not too bad today. Problem with top center. Used NFC for 9d and the whole OSAKA thing was then messed up. Should have known that because it's been repeated a lot but so goes the memory. I was pretty sure that 5d was going to be OSHEA had no idea who SEBERG was. But at least I got most of it.
Dennis, if today is ex-spouse day, what exactly do those of us with ex-spouses do to honor it (or dis-honor)? Depending on the answer I may have a busy day, 'cause I've got two of them!!!!
CY'All Later
Two of them--------Ex-Spouses, that is!
C.C. How old are children before they can write using the whole Chinese alphabet? Or do you just learn some of it gradually, like learning vocabulary in a language? It looks incredibly complicated to properly draw those characters (words?) Can you even do it properly without using a brush?
Good morning CC and all,...a nice easy puzzle today except for the top center. I had no idea who oshea or seberg are/were nor did I know serifs until I saw the answer. I did know osaka, but just could not get the crosses.
Bill, I was curious as to what you were refering to with your comment "I have two of them." Sure glad you cleared that up.
How old are children before they can write using the whole Chinese alphabet?I'm not C.C. but I've heard it said that Chinese people know only about 3000 characters by the time they start university. A typical dictionary will have about 5000 characters, a good dictionary 10000 and there are more than 30000 Chinese characters in all, including archaic characters that are no longer in use. Taiwan and Hong Kong use a larger character set than Mainland China.
Or do you just learn some of it gradually, like learning vocabulary in a language?Unlike English which is mostly phonetic, Chinese uses a combination of meaning and sound to construct most of its characters. Unfortunately, as C.C. said, a single stroke can change both the meaning and sound of the character so you can't always guess at the meaning or sound of new characters: a lot of memorisation is required.
It looks incredibly complicated to properly draw those characters (words?)Most characters used in Mainland China are simplified so they are easier to write than traditional characters. Traditional characters are made up of individual parts that have their own meaning: in the character for love you can see parts that mean "claw", "roof", "heart" and "friend". Most Chinese characters have a part that hints at the character's pronunciation.
A word in Chinese typically consists of two characters: when you read a sentence in Chinese the first trick is to be able to determine which characters are individual words and which characters are pairs forming words. I don't know about in Mainland China but in Taiwan they will often take the first character in every word in the name of an institution and form the equivalent of an acronym: for example Taiwan Daxue (Taiwan University) is often called Taida for short.
Can you even do it properly without using a brush?Truth be told, young people in Taiwan often write Chinese using simplified characters as a form of shorthand. Simplified characters are easier to write because there are fewer strokes: it's becoming analogous to cursive writing here.
Martin
Hi C.C. and gang,
Pretty easy puzzle. I too used NFC and struggled a bit as a result. Don't understand the clue for whimsical Barbie?? I think the new puzzles are too easy on Mon and Tues and way too hard later on in the week. Would like them to be a little more consistent. Dennis, for you and other super solvers these early week puzzles can't be much fun.
@ Martin, thanks for your explanation of Chinese figures. I found it interesting.
Happy Tuesday,
I like Tuesday's as they are the only morning where I consistently can get up, have coffee and do the crossword right away. I timed it today and it took about 9 minutes. My only mistake was to put TIED in 37 across,then immediately figured out my mistake when I looked at the clue for KNEED. Otherwise it was very smooth sailing. Once I got the first theme clue, I filled in some of the others without even reading the clue.
I too liked the clues Seasoned Salt? and Plastic, so to speak. How could I not get that with my latest problems. Good news is that there was not fraud on the account. The card company said someone probably tried to mistakenly log in with my id thinking it was theirs, but using their own password. He said it happens all the time. Just took a while to get it done as their system was really slow yesterday.
I also like the REAR & END for Caboose's place, and I was not familiar with OSHEA and SEBERG, but got them through the perps. The last answer I filled in was ONDVD - I kept thinking I did something wrong their until all the other words filled in. I have seen R AND B as an answer before too, and that one always stumps me for a while before I get it.
Wikipedia says Samuel Adams is a Patriot of the American Revolution and was part of the movement opposed to British Parliament taxation. I suppose you could clue him regarding the beer that we associate with him now. That would be fun too.
I hope everyone has a good day. It is supposed to be a lovely afternoon - sunny and around 60.
Dennis - I like the 3.9% figure for lack of undies - if it had been 4% I would have questioned it as made up but 3.9% must be accurate. Not wearing them all the time, though - not sure I could handle that - wonder if they survey was done in warm climates? Can't wait to hear from Lois.
So many possibilities about today - I also have two of those exes but really am not interested in even thinking of either - way ancient history. Rather I'll look at the sky, which by the way is pouring rain again in Virginia Beach, and laugh a lot.
Straight forward puzzle - didn't know O'shea and Seberg but got from perps. Liked the ear-piercing and seasoned salt clues the best. Still can't figure out how people do these in the one minute range - it would take me that long just to write in random letters but then again I like neatness in my xwords. I'm more for style than speed.
Good morning, all,
I finished in record time for me, 17 minutes using pencil and paper. I did not hesitate over many clues, and only skipped a few to get perp help, and honestly don't see how I could have done it faster. I am therefore greatly impressed with the speed of the pros like Dennis and others. I guess I will just have to work harder. The other problem I have with speed is that the enjoyment is over too soon. (No double- entendre intended.)
I liked the same clues mentioned by others; in fact, I never got to tar to read the clue, having completed it by perps.
Looking forward to tomorrow. Adios, amigos.
KarenQ - good news on your credit thing. I had something similar happen last year for no reason - the credit card company called saying someone was attempting fraud on my account so we closed that one out and reopened with a new number and card only to find out it really wasn't a problem. Some bank thing. I had memorized that account number after using it for years and now am confused by the new one which is only a few digits off. It's just such a hassle and takes forever to get this stuff straightened out - hope you're over the worst of it.
The credit card fraud thing is really reaching epic proportions, especially in these hard economic times when people are getting desperate.
I was checking my Paypal account last week, and noticed a $15 pending charge for an AutoTrader ad. I called, and sure enough, someone had tried to use my card, but got the security code wrong. They're reissuing a new card, but all I could think of was, some idiot tries to use someone else's card and only charges $15, PLUS places an ad that would lead back to him. Brain surgeon.
Hi to all!
KarenQ,
Glad to hear the problem was a non-problem after all.
I didn't know AFC or O'SHEA, but did remember SEBERG's name, and was onto the theme right away for once, so that helped. This was a very fast solve for me, but I never time it. I liked the clue for TAR too.
GOB is a derogatory British slang term for mouth (as in "Shut your gob!"), and SHITE is an old version for shit, so c.c.'s explanation of its origin really can be interpreted to mean that spitting tobacco is like shit coming out of the mouth, a definition I agree with. There isn't much more disgusting than "gobs" of "chew" on the sidewalk.
DUNDEE star, Paul Hogan, was "discovered" when he was a painter on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The first show business job he had was doing cigarette ads on TV. He was so funny and so well liked, he eventually started doing TV specials and then movies. He was cute in his youth, but I didn't think he was so good in the movies.
Dennis:
Re: Skanks
Back in the day, (our day) I had some friends who attended a small private college in Ky. Named Lindsey Wilson. There was a local hauler there named Skanks' Trucking. Every time one of their trucks went by, one of the guys would say, "There goes another load of LW coeds".
Re: Pentagon &Viagra:
They must have passed it around the White House, too. That would explain why there wasn't enough blood in their brains to think clearly. They should have read the warning, "If this condition persists for more than four hours........". Come to think of it, it might explain that smirk, too.
PMT:
I know, I know, but...........
Windhover, maybe just once
I also paused at two "caboose" and "deadlocked". After I got TIED for the second deadlocked, EVEN no longer eluded me. Didn't like ON DVD. Got DROLL DOLL, even though I don't think of DROLL as whimsical. Clue for CREDIT was clever.
Since my ex-spouse is Dutch, it goes perfectly with International Moment of Laughter Day. I often laugh at myself for marrying him. I was young and foolish when we met on a cruise ship.
In my family we have long said "Rich or poor, it's nice to have money." It's another Groucho quote.
Dennis: Maybe the person who tried to use your credit card number just misremembered his credit card number.
I decided to change my name to KQ vs. KarenQ. I think it rolls better and I like the shorter stuff.
SandbridgeKaren, this is the second time my husband has lost his credit card. As a former CPA, I remember numbers well, so it is the third time I have to remember a 16 digit number. We use this one card for almost every purchase, and it is very handy to have it memorized for online and phone transactions so I get a little annoyed at having to do it again. Small concern though in light of the other potential problems with the loss. We have gotten many frequent flier miles off of it though, taking the entire family to Switzerland and the two of us to South Africa at no cost - as well as many other nice vacations.
As I did not get on late yesterday, I will comment on some items today. I don't know how everyone can keep all the players, questions and comments straight. I had to use a pad of paper and write some things down.
PMT - thanks for your version of Tasteful vs. Skanky yesterday.
Jeannie - I too saw Donny Osmond in Joseph in Minneapolis. Maybe we were at the same showing? I agree, Minneapolis has some great venues and performances. My husband went to high school with one of the former actors in Les Mis. We saw him play Jean ValJean twice, the first time in New York where he took us backstage to see the set, the second time in Minneapolis at the Ordway. It really is just as spectacular to see it here. The touring groups are fantastic, and there is little difference between the shows that travel and the ones in New York. That said, there is something electric about actually being on Broadway when you see the shows.
Lemonade - I don't know what your conversation about golf commentators was all about, but did you know that Johnny Miller can actually just hear how a ball was hit and tell you what happened to it? He does not even have to see the shot, and he is almost always accurate. That is amazing. He is so blunt that he is fun to listen too.
Hmm - I changed my picture on my blog, it doesn't seem to change here though. I will have to work on that one. First, I must finish printing off all that tax stuff - nothing like waiting until the last minute.
Oh, guess I forgot to save it.
I was a little early for work today so thought I’d attempt the puzzle this morning rather than during my lunch break. I really enjoyed the clever cluing and wasn’t hung up in the least. I finished in a little under 9 minutes.
C.C. this sailor does NOT chew tobacco…YUK. I do however partake in rum :)
Dennis, $50 million in Viagra for troops and veterans? I guess I can buy the veteran part, but troops? Also, why would that lead to 3.9% of women not wearing underwear?
The definition of skank to me always meant women who were loose and not really up on personal hygiene. Perhaps they didn’t wear underwear.
Speaking of which…organ knob took on a whole different meaning to me.
"Paint Your Wagon" is one of my husband's favorite movies. It includes a song he likes to sing - "Hand Me Down That Can of Beans". Neither Clint Eastwood nor Lee Marvin were very good singers. But Jean Seberg was quite beautiful and the scene with the preacher falling through the underdug street and encountering Lee Marvin saying "Welcome to Hell." is just classic.
CC et al: Enjoyed NYT and LAT again today...kinda dread tomorrow. "Tar" made no sense until I came here...even though I got it from the other fills. I wanted something about "early birds" for 11:00 restaurant patrons...can`t go to any restaurant in FL, in middle morning or middle afternoon without it looking like the Senior Citizen`s bus just emptied out front. We fit right in! :)
Re: Ex wives...my youngest son has two...one, the mother of two of my grandchildren. I have counseled him over and over that, until he can forgive the first two, which doesn`t mean he has to condone anything, he won`t be able to move on with the third. She will always have to "pay" for the wrongs of the first two. He is learning that, finally. Forgiving someone breaks the "hold" they have on your life. He has asked me..."How can I do that?" (I`ve had stuff to forgive, too..) I tell him forgiveness is an act of your will...then, you "walk it out" and eventually, the feelings will come.
Good morning all.
c.c., the term for a predatory lender is loan shark, back when it was illegal to charge 25+ percent interest on loans.
Knew AFC, Seahawks used to be in the AFC but changed to the NFC.
Hi C.C. & gang,
Another easy puzzle for us Tuesday. I wouldn't have known the answer for 58D: STUD -- but my wife did.
Several years back I was in the Boston area and remember seeing a large poster ad for Sam Adams beer titled (I think) "Samuel Adams, brewer & patriot"
I found another Wikipedia link for
Samuel Adams beer
Good Morning All, I am beginning to recognize the daily progression of puzzle difficulty. Yesterday was a breeze, today had only one unknown for me. I did know SEBERG, but as with most solvers, I was stopped by O'SHEA and had to go the perps. I expect tomorrow's puzzle will make a try for a half dozen more obscure answers. I'm going to try to time myself for a while to see how my solve time relates to the day of the week.
PMT, Who was the lucky man in the Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightly photo? Ms. Johansson is quite a voluptuous woman, but both G.A.H. and I think Ms. Knightly is way too thin.
I tend to agree with Jeannie about "skanky" being light on hygiene, or at least look like it. If that was the look Britney Spears was going for in yesterday's photo, she did a fine job of achieving it.
Dennis, Thanks for the WoW. I always love to start of the day with a Groucho quote.
Shopping trip this morning. See you all later.
Good morning C.C. and all -
Got this one in record time and only stumbled on OSHEA and SEBERG but did get them eventually. Liked the 'PLASTIC' clue best.
Bill (6:43a) LOL - good thing you explained that!
Short true story - Joe (my hubby) went to a store, made a purchase using his credit card, came home, couldn't find the card. He went back to the store to ask the clerk that waited on him if she had seen it. No one had. We cancelled the card, got a new one and 5 days later Joe went back to the same store to purchase a sale item, looked down at the magazines displayed right below the check-out counter and there was his 'old' credit card...in plain sight!! We couldn't believe it, it must have dropped when he was leaving and he didn't notice...if it had been me, I would have put it back in my wallet immediately but he waited until he was home to put it away...guess he thought it was with his receipt in the bag. We still have trouble believing that 5 days could go by with that card just sitting there in plain sight, and no one picking it up!!!
PromiseMe This
Re my reply to Dennis asking what airplanes I flew in Navy flight training - thank you very much for your thoughtful message about me getting back home in one piece. Much appreciated. Regarding that 600HP 'monster' (SNJ advanced trainer) the one thing that scared me the most - which I shined mentioning before - on the far left side of the panel there was a permanant placard reading
"Welcome.
I am an SNJ advanced trainer.
Treat me like a lady and I will be nice to you.
F*** with me and I will kill you."
Believe me - those ladylike words were firmly on my mind every time I strapped that beast on.
My final flight training before graduation was the 2000 HP F4U-2 Corsair - a much more intiminating airplane. But by then I figured "what the heck - I can handle anything." Ah, youth!
Hayrake
@Martin: Ta muchly for the enlightenment.
@SandbridgeKaren: Did you know 85.3% of people are more likely to believe that a statistic with a decimal point in it isn't just something that someone made up on the spot?
Amazing how the military has changed perscriptions over the years. It used to be saltpeter they put in the food, or so I've heard. Now, I suppose they just don't want the troops to accidentally roll over and fall out of bed in the middle of the night.
Per dictionary.com
skank (skāngk)
n.
1. A rhythmic dance performed to reggae or ska music, characterized by bending forward, raising the knees, and extending the hands.
2. Disgusting or vulgar matter; filth.
3. One who is disgustingly foul or filthy and often considered sexually promiscuous. Used especially of a woman or girl.
I think Brittany might fall into all these categories.
Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,
C.C.,
I think that PRETTY and PETTY rhyme.
Perhaps complex is a better way to describe the Chinese word for 'love'. Complicated has a negative connotation. The Chinese word looks graceful and elegant.
This ocean is definitely not SEA GREEN.
I think you are confusing DDT with Alar.
I can only imagine what Michael Richards might call Indian immigrants.
I am not sure I had ever heard of Jean SEBERG.
I have seen many, many eels while scuba diving. Yet, it was not until this time last year that I finally saw a banded-sea snake. I saw it while diving in the same part of the world where this guy hunts.
Yes, 'Plains native' does refer to the Great Plains of the American west.
I think that the term battering RAM can refer to simply the pole or to the whole machine.
Are kangaroos endangered?
Martin,
Thanks for the Chinese language lesson.
KQ,
I am happy to hear that your credit problem is not too big of a problem.
I would find things much more difficult without good old Notepad.
What kind of parrots are those?
Elissa,
You've made me want to see Paint Your Wagon.
Clear Ayes,
That was designer Tom Ford.
PMT,
Great piece on the eagles and sea snakes, and hilarious bit on the kangaroo!
No, in fact in Canberra right now kangaroos have become a menace, leaping across the roof of Parliament House as well as being hit on the roads a lot more than usual too. They are talking about having an open season on them there, but conservationists are against it.
PMT - this must be my last post I guess. They are lorikeets. We were at the Brevard County Zoo in Melbourne, FL. Does it look like I am enjoying myself? Their claws were poking in my scalp, but the boys made me feed them also. It is a gem of a zoo. We also kayaked through the African area, where you could see the animals from the water, and we fed the giraffes. Long tongues they have. But they did not like for you to pet them.
Sad but true story. Years ago my husband had his wallet fall out of his jacket pocket at the movie theater (ah yes, another lost wallet of my husband's). He called and asked the employee to look for it, who told him it was not there. Later, he received a call from the police that someone was trying to charge on his credit card (long before the days of instant denial of cards) at a drug store. Turns out, it was the employee that spoke with him on the telephone. We just pointed out the way for him to steal a wallet. Sad but true. My husband had to appear in court for the boys trial, and the employee at the drug store was savvy enough to ask the boys birthdate, as she recognized that at the time credit cards were not issued to minors, and she felt he was too young. How times have changed.
@ PMT, I really enjoyed your links to the sea snake and kangaroos.
Hey:
Uninspired today, the puzzle was fine, some good cluing, but I feel punk.
PMT said: "C.C.,
I think that PRETTY and PETTY rhyme." You should audition for the remake of My Fair Lady.
Johnny Miller is a great golf announcer, but so is Nick Faldo. Golf has had the most entertaining announcers for years, from Jimmy Demaret, Ken Venturi, Gary McCord to David Feherty, Frank Nobilo and the Florida Gator contingent, Steve Melnyk, Bob Murphy, Andy North and Gary Koch. As far as the sound of a good shot telling the quality of the shot, when you hit them correctly, which most of us do infrequently, and you hear the sound, you know it too.
Knob was a very popular word when my sons were teenagers; terms change, but the game is always the same.
I feel like you guys have discussed this before, but I can't remember: why is TAR "Seasoned Salt"? Tar (the sticky black stuff) is organic, and salts aren't. I'm obviously missing something...
@orangie In this case, "seasoned" refers to being experienced. So an experienced sailor is a "tar." It has nothing to do with food seasoning.
Morning all(still). Had an easy time with the puzzle even though I was only half awake. Early morning phone call so I was chugging down caffeine to wake up my brain which doesn't normally surface until around noon regardless of when I get up.
Ditto on the clues and I was so pleased to get the theme all on my own, even before coming here. Seasoned salt was fun and I liked the theme answers.
Shite is still very much in use in Scotland and you often hear it more often than the other version. Gobshite is also used there as a descriptive word.
Martin, what awesome information on the Chinese language. I had a Chinese friend in college who wrote 90 miles an hour with a ballpoint pen and it was just lovely. I have always thought that the written Chinese and Japanese language is an artform all on it's own and when I was taking some brush painting classes, I tried my hand at the "words"...They were so beautiful to form, but trying to remember everything was exceedingly difficult.
Dennis...loved the Groucho quote, only have 1 ex(a 6-month error in my life path), and every day is Look at the Sky Day for me...my studio is a glass roofed sunroom and I can spend hours watching clouds. None today as it is achingly clear and seriously windy.
A great day to you all.
OrAngie, you'll see 'tar', 'salt' and 'gob' frequently being used as nicknames for sailors. They're old nicknames, but still in use. I can't mention the ones we Marines used, but they were a bit more colorful, as were theirs for us.
Bill, as far as honoring the 'ex-spouse day', I'd think that a simple moment of giving thanks would suffice for most.
Crossedlover, the early puzzles are still fun, albeit for a different reason; I love competition, even if it's competing with myself. I keep trying to better my times on the easier ones. I'll never be in that elite class that solves in under 2 minutes, or even 3 minutes, but it certainly presents a target.
Windhover, it's hard (sorry) for me to believe that Viagra was the only drug those people were on.
Elissa, evidently the person trying to use my card had my name as well.
KQ, great new picture.
Jeannie, I was wondering who'd be the first to latch onto 'organ knob'; nice going.
Hayrake, I always considered the Corsair to be the most beautiful of the WWII fighters, even though it was capable of quickly ruining a pilot's day. You guys were true 'stick and rudder' men' of the first order.
Al, I think 100% of your statement is true.
PMT, I don't know about kangaroos in general, but THAT one certainly would have been close if he/she were mine. Strange how WILD animals act when we try to bend them to our wills!
Dennis, I give thanks every day that I finally woke up, mended my ways, and met Nancy. She's been my ROCK for 24 years and the best thing that ever happened to me!
Good morning CC and all,
Another successful cw with no help.Perps filled in all unknowns, like droll doll..whimsical? I'm familiar with most Plains Indians, but Otoe was a new one.Blts was my last fill in, and seeing it, I wondered why it took me so long.Plastic clue took awhile too, very clever though.
Jean Seberg was a gimme. My older sister was an actress and very melodramatic. She loved all things French, and although Jean Seberg was American, she was in many French films which I was dragged to, and then we watched the same movie all day.Good memories... Also, Otto Preminger was producing many other great films at that time,like Exodus, and later, M*A*S*H.
Can't really celebrate Ex-Spouse Day as I've been married to Bob for almost 40 yrs. But, I did look up at the sky this morning while walking Truman; the stroller puts him right to sleep.
a poem:
Gentle giants rolling through the sky
They pull at my desires
Make me want to shoot up in the air and fly so high
Tiny droplets of water creating such a beautiful sight Reflecting luminescence off the sun And scattering into a magnificent white
Fantastic shapes are strolling by
I see rabbits and princesses
Occurring way up high
Oh what I would give to be a cloud
To be lovely and puffy
To be oh so proud
Parading my beauty each and every day
Omitting wonder and awe
All along the way.
© Victoria Bell. 2009
KQ - my s.o. refers to me as K.Q. - Kissing Queen - if the shoe fits??????????
JD...that pretty much says it. I just love clouds...have loads of photos because everyday is so different. We have some interesting wind patterns and thermals here because we back up against the hills and we sat outside during the summer last year and actually watched clouds "blooming", being born then fading away as they moved toward the hills...absolutely awesome and worth an hour or more of cloud watching.
I don't have much time today, but to me it seems that today was easier than yesterday. Perhaps it's just my Monday slump, I'll have to keep an eye on it.
~puzzled_in_pdx
Good Afternoon,
Busy day so I'm just getting to lunch. Nice puzzle. As with others a bit of trouble with the middle. I had Sleekgeek and didn't know Saberg. Once I got Repel I guessed and filled it in. It was nice to roll this one along.
Dennis, My bet was on Lois grabbing the Organ Knob! Its all Jeannie's fault. Oops, I Redid yesterday.
Have a great evening.
As far as the sound of a good shot telling the quality of the shot, when you hit them correctly, which most of us do infrequently, and you hear the sound, you know it too. Lemonade, you got that right!
Maniac, Lois can't have ALL the fun. Lo-li-ta.
Thanks jeannie, for the heads up on "AS IS" from yesterday!
I wanted "ROBBED" instead of "LOOTED" at first (three common letters).
Okay, one last post. Johnny Miller doesn't just know when they are hit correctly. He knows when he hears a specific sound if it will be a slice, a good shot, a shank, or a pull. He really is amazing. He can just about tell you where it is going to land with the sound of the club hitting the ball. I agree that the good ones sound different, but I certainly couldn't differentiate all the bad ones.
7:44 today. A bit longer than Monday's time, but still pretty good for me.
@martin: Thanks for the explanation of writing Chinese characters. It's fascinating.
I loved the placard on the flight trainer, Hayrake. Thanks.
Hi PromiseMeThis
Look at this URL
Sea Green and search for Sea Green.
;-)
--Warren
Warren and others,
Here is the true sea green as I remember it.
The color seen depends on the angle of the sun and of your point of view, the weather and the depth where you are looking.
The first difference between the regular golfers like me, who play for years, and have streaks of hitting the ball well, but really are never in control and Johnny Miller or the others, is the dedication. I have never hit a thousand balls a day for weeks. I have never gone and hit 300, 8 irons. When I learned to play, and I watched the Florida golf team members practice, I knew I would never be a real golfer. Sure talent has a place, but in addition to talent, the one thing that makes a difference is working at something. My friends who are professional musicians, and who have played for years, selling millions of albums, still practice every day. I wish there had been something in my life that got that much attention. Crossword puzzles are not quite enough. Of course Grandma Moses did not begin painting until she was in her 70's, Burt Mustin, did not appear on film until he was 67, so I guess there is time. I am under the weather today, so forgive my meanderings. So my conclusion is simple, if you have heard millions of good shots, and bad shots, and you pay attention, you probably learn much from the sound, and it does feel great when you hear it after your own swing.
Warren,
I am not really certain of the intent of your post. If it was to help me understand what 'Sea Green' is, then I appreciate your good intentions. However, I have been aware of the color ever since my first box of Crayola crayons. Do they still include that color? I was merely attempting to point out that the sea (a place that, for all its vastness, is no stranger to me) is not always 'Sea Green'. In some places it nears the color of the purple turquoise that I mentioned the other day. I linked that particular picture of the beach in Cancun not only because it is clearly quite blue, but also because I will never forget my first visit to the place. I was aboard a small bus bound for the Zona Hotelera and, as we rounded a particular corner, a collective gasp went up as the seashore came into full view. It is truly one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and Cancun is a comparatively cheap destination. While it's true that Cancun itself is a makeshift tourist town, is does occupy an ideal spot on the globe and it lies within close proximity to the amazing Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza and Tulum. It also is possible to use it as a base for overnight trips to Cozumel (fantastic scuba diving) and the well preserved and charming colonial city of Mérida. I strongly recommend it as a vacation destination, particularly in these uncertain economic times.
My stolen wallet story took place in 1978. "It was a dark and stormy night"...really! My sister and I were on the night train from Heidelberg to Vienna.
We seemed to have our passports checked frequently, so a third time didn't seem very unusually. I shoved my passport into my bag that was with my purse at the end of my berth. There were only two of us in the compartment, so we both had bottom berths. Usually, I slept with my bag/purse as a pillow. but it had been a long day and I fell asleep before I arranged my belongings.
I woke up the next morning with my bag in the middle of the compartment. My wallet was gone. Apparently the last "inspector" was a crook, who had sneaked back into our compartment, carefully extricated my bag and slipped out the wallet. I lost about $100 in cash, driver's license and my sole credit card. He was a thoughtful thief and kindly left my passport and he didn't find the travelers checks (remember those?) that were at the bottom of the bag.
I couldn't get anybody to admit to speaking English and my little phrase book was of little use. I finally gave up, and when we got to Vienna I telegraphed (remember those?) my mother to cancel my credit card and went on with the trip.
I learned to be much less trusting on subsequent trips.
Hi PromiseMeThis,
Just wanted to give you a definition of Sea Green, I agree that the Ocean color looks different depending on several things and I liked Kazie's URL picture too.
;-)
On this day, April 14th..
1828 The first edition of Noah Webster's "American Dictionary of the English Language" was published.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how definition of words has changed or at least the “phrasing” of the definition?
1902 J.C. Penney opened his first store, in Kemmerer, Wyo
I had no idea they have been around that long..
1912 The British liner Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic and began to sink.
1956 Ampex Corp. demonstrated its first commercial videotape recorder.
I remember I paid about $400 for my first VCR and never could learn how to record with it!
2002 Tiger Woods became only the third golfer in history to win back-to-back Masters titles.
2007 Singer Don Ho died in Honolulu, Hawaii, at age 76.
Anyone ever see him in Hawaii?
@lemonade...you totally had a "whiff" when it came to my comment on hitting the sweet spot and hearing the sound of it, but I'll give you a Mulligan. Saucily, Lo-li-ta.
Good evening CC et al., This was some 'explosive stuff'! What a fun puzzle! Holy Hotwick! Spent the day on my 'knees'...hold the phone now, I was just laughing at most of these clues/answers.
'Rear''end' about did me in until 'stud' came through. What really 'nail'(ed) it for me was 'organ knob'. I 'bent' over double on that one! And then to add what the Pentagon spent on Viagra for the troops in '99. It's a wonder anything got done at all since they all must've been standing at attention most of the time. Wonder if they marched with 'lisps'. What a hoot! It was certainly more than a 'Moment of Laughter Day' for me.
I can relate to not wearing underwear real well. Why bother! I was told as a young girl in a boy-only neighborhood that it wasn't lady-like to turn cartwheels in a dress b/c the boys could see my underwear. Sure got over on them!
Off to the jim, I mean gym. Enjoy your night.
Dennis @ 1:25 P
I enjoyed your words about the Corsair being the most beautiful WWII fighter. I would agree with a big proud smile. I can still wake myself up at night hearing the drone of that huge engine that covered 15' between me and the propeller. The 2250 horsepower generated by the Pratt Double Wasp 18 cylinder radial engine turning the 15' 4 blade prop is what generated the ungodly torque that gave this great fighter the undeserved name of "Ensign Killer". If the pilot neglected to feed in the 8 degrees of right rudder prior to take-off and landing (in case of a wave-off) he would find himself in an unwelcome inverted position, much too low to recover from. We who survived training never forgot that step.
And you never saw a Corsair pilot with the fancy salutes and waves prior to taking off. Left hand on the throttle and right hand holding the stick back in your belly to keep that prop from chewing up the deck. So, young man - you are very insightful to call this an airplane for 'the true stick and rudder men'.
You make me think you are knowledgable in the ways of the airplane Dennis. Do you fly them?
Hayrake
Sorry Lo-Li-Ta, I told you I was under the weather, and I shanked it badly.
There is a great episode on Biography , that tells the story of J.C.Penney and how he ended up in New York. His middle name was Cash. He used to be a popular fill on NYT puzzles.
There do seem to be many ex-spouses scattered about our universe. Mine moved 1000 miles away and we are getting along great.
PMT is so right. Cancun is a fantastic vacation destination. If Chichen Itza and Tulum aren't enough (I can't imagine), the Yucatan Peninsula is chock full, or is it Chac Mool (a little Mayan play on words) of smaller, but also less crowded Mayan ruins. Don't forget Xel-Ha for the most gorgeous diving anywhere, and the unspoiled Isla Mujeres to just get away. Valladolid is also a beautiful colonial city about halfway between Cancun and Mérida, a great place to have lunch.
Before you buy your tickets, you should be aware that there are travel warnings for Mexico issued by the State Department. Check this out before you travel to Mexico, so you'll be safe and not sorry.
Bill, that's wonderful - I feel the same way. I went from seeing how many women I could juggle back in the 80s, to finding the perfect woman. Twelve years younger, but the perfect soulmate.
Kazie, that's the sea green I know and love as well.
Lois, just perfect - as always. You always paint a great word picture.
Hayrake, yes, I'm very "knowledgable in the ways of the airplane", and I've always had the greatest admiration for you guys who flew those big-ass radials.
Although the Gulf of Mexico is technically a gulf...it is part of the Atlantic ocean...and just off Clearwater Beach, the water is a lovely shade of light, sea green!
(seagreen)
WoooHooo! my first try at putting in a link!!!
Lemonade in your defense there might have been "abnormal ground conditions" which might stand in the way of "your approach shot". That should have nothing to do with your "back swing". I personally don't like the "back nine" as it is not a "ball maker" for me. I am pretty much a "bump and run" kind of gal. I kind of do a "dog leg" and then I'll be darned if the "cupped left breast...oh, I mean "wrist" comes into play. Then the "dimples" come out in my smile and hopefully, they cause the "explosion shot". In the hole, so to speak. I have been studying golf terms to try to keep up with you guys. How am I doing? Lo-li-ta, pondering....
Linda, HURRAY!
Kazie, a perfect seagreen; what a lovely place.@ Paul Hogan ..Linda Kozlowski must have liked his Dundee. Was anyone else surprised when they got married? Evidentally he owes AU$300 million in taxes, so he now lives in CA.Lucky us!
KQ, liked your skanky defs. They are definitely all about Brittany. She said "Hello Sacramento" to the San Jose crowd on Easter. It's not like CA is a foreign place to her.
Clear Ayes, I'll add cenotes , the underwater caves to your great list. They are amazing! Also, it seems that people are not allowed to climb to the top of Chichen Itza anymore. And, as you said, it has gotten pretty rough in some areas. At all of our stops in Mexico (Panama Canal cruise in Oct.) there were troops with automatic weapons.They were also in Cancun when our daughter honeymooned in Dec.
Crossedlover @7:42, I agree with you about the puzzle not being fun for our smarties on Mon and Tues, but then, it's sooo hard for us on Thurs and Fri. Guess it balances out.
Wolfmom, your clouds are the best!!!!
Crockett, I did link on Easter, the funny Hallelujah chorus, but then you Tube said it wasn't available.. and everyone came to my rescue and found it. Yes, I will practice.
seasoned salt:____:: viagra:_____
You still up Lo-Li-Ta? Well, I know you are up, I mean awake...here I 68
I think everyone forgets that these Monday, Tuesday Puzzles are only easy because of the benefit of learning how to do puzzles, achieved from this blog. By not only seeing the correct answer, but discussing how to get there, we all are much better at this before. I have done puzzles for years and often figured out where I went wrong, but here I always KNOW what was intended. Plus we have a very interesting bunch of coconuts, and some of the constructive criticism from the constructors.
Lemonade...good lob into the ruff...Jeannie is still up...how did I do with my golf terms? I am still polishing up...trying to learn how those ball polishers work. FORE....
@jd My bad for not recognizing your link accomplishment.
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