Theme: And Keep the Wolf (from the door)
20A: Talk aimlessly: SHOOT THE BULL
31A: Blame someone else: PASS THE BUCK
41A: Dress to impress: PUT ON THE DOG
55A: Pass its peak, slangily, as a TV series: JUMP THE SHARK
I hope I got the theme right. They all seem to be idioms consisting of verb + the + animal name. I've never heard of PUT ON THE DOG. It's the only theme entry with a verb phrase.
Is PUT ON a basketball term as well? SHOOT, PASS & JUMP are.
I can't think of another verb + the + animal name common saying, can you? Wikipedia does "Hold the horses" is an alternative of "Hold your horses" though.
Shouldn't the SOOT clue (47A: chimney sweep's sweepings) be in singular form?
Felt today's puzzle is easier than yesterday's.
Across:
9A: Succeed: GO FAR. Multiple word answer still gives me trouble.
14A: Widespread: RIFE. Always clued as "Teeming (with)" in our old puzzle.
15A: Made fun of, in a way: APED. Only in crossword.
16A: Prefix meaning "vinegar": ACETO. Dictionary gives acetometer as an example. It's an instrument for measuring the amount of acetic acid present in a solution. I wanted acid? something. The bitter word ACRID is rooted in acid.
17A: Where the steeple is, vis-a-vis the church: ATOP. This simple word stumped me, as I had CRUDE rather than CRASS for 1D: Boorish.
18A: Composer Édouard: LALO. Got his name from the down fills. Found out that LALO is boy name meaning "To sing a lullaby". No wonder this guy was a composer.
19A: In-your-face challenge: SUE ME. Intersects FEE (11D: Lawyer's charge).
24A: Opposite of "All rise": BE SEATED
28A: Snowfall unit: INCH. One blank short for my FLAKE. I like the clue. "Rainfall unit" too.
30A: Ex-quarterback Dan: MARINO. Learned this guy's name from the Nutrisystem weight loss commercial. Oh, Wikipedia says he spent his whole career with the Dolphins, holding or having holding all kinds of records. Is MARINO pronounced the same as the sheep merino?
37A: MD's calendar listing: APPT
38A: Traveler's choice: AIR. Not BY AIR?
39A: Fluids in shots: SERA. Reminds me of Swine Flu. I suppose there is no such epidemic in those Arab countries?
40A: Brazilian port: RIO. Do you think the Brazil supermodel Adriana Lima is beautiful?
45A: Space along the page border: MARGIN
48A: Old things: ANTIQUES. Have to be at least 100 years old. Between 20 to 100, they are called vintage I think.
57A: Margaret Mead subject: SAMOA. I forgot who Margaret MEAD is. It's clued as "Mead's milieu" in Argyle's puzzle. She wrote "Coming of Age in SAMOA". Those girls remind me of Bloody Mary of "South Pacific".
66A: Where Homer drinks Duff Beer: MOE'S. Learned this name from doing Xword.
67A: Insect repellent ingredient: DEET. Oh, it actually stands for DT (Diethyl Toluamide). I did not know that.
Down:
2D: Supple: LITHE. Thought of limber.
3D: What the game is, to Holmes: AFOOT. No idea. "The game is AFOOT" originally came from Shakespeare's "King Henry IV".
4D: One hiring relatives: NEPOTIST. Had difficulty obtaining this word. I actually knew the meaning of nepotism.
5D: Pasadena science institute, familiarly: CALTECH
6D: Colorful fish: OPAH. Also called moonfish.
7D: Fanzine focus: CELEB. This word appears so often in Xword. Have only seen CALEB the Biblical spy once.
8D: Hacienda brick: ADOBE. You won't find ADOBE in tropical area, right? Since they are built of clay.
9D: Dangerous pipe problem: GAS LEAK. I was thinking of water pipe.
10D: Of the eye: OCULAR. Got it with adjacent help.
12D: Place to get bucks fast, briefly: ATM. Good clue.
22D: "Semper fi" military org.: USMC. Once a Marine, Always a Marine. I read somewhere that Army actually has the best equipment.
26A: Año starter: ENERO. Had no idea that ano and año are vastly different.
27D: Rapper's cap: DO-RAG. Learned from doing Xword as well. Wikipedia says a popular folk etymology claims that the term derives from Drive-On RAG, a term first used by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War to refer to amuslin bandage often used as a head covering.
29D: Oven output: HEAT. I was picturing fresh bread.
31D: Italian city known for its cheese: PARMA. Ham too.
32D: Like beehives: APIAN. Wanted HOLED.
33D: Baseball or golf: SPORTS. Is this clue written for me?
34D: Much of an obit: BIO
35D: Java holders: URNS. Thought of Java Island. Can Java be clued as "Jakarta holder"?
39D: Adjust for daylight saving time: SET AHEAD. No daylight saving time in China. We only have one time zone. Beijing Time is the standard time.
41D: Pleasingly pungent: PIQUANT. Ha ha, I filled in this word immediately and surprised that it's actually correct.
43D: Bullfighters: TOREROS. Same as matador, correct?
46D: Military action toys: G.I. JOES. Manufactured by Hasbro. The original 1964 figures must cost a lot of money now, like the original 1959 barbie.
49D: English Derby site: EPSOM. Why most of the major horse races are for 3-year-old?
50D: Dictator's aid: STENO
52D: Mexico meat: CARNE. Same root as carnal?
53D: Cliched: TRITE
54D: Shooting contest with traps: SKEET. Got the answer from across fills. I did not know what kind of equipment is involved in SKEET shooting. It's actually an Olympic event.
57D: "By the way...": SAY
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A: Talk aimlessly: SHOOT THE BULL
31A: Blame someone else: PASS THE BUCK
41A: Dress to impress: PUT ON THE DOG
55A: Pass its peak, slangily, as a TV series: JUMP THE SHARK
I hope I got the theme right. They all seem to be idioms consisting of verb + the + animal name. I've never heard of PUT ON THE DOG. It's the only theme entry with a verb phrase.
Is PUT ON a basketball term as well? SHOOT, PASS & JUMP are.
I can't think of another verb + the + animal name common saying, can you? Wikipedia does "Hold the horses" is an alternative of "Hold your horses" though.
Shouldn't the SOOT clue (47A: chimney sweep's sweepings) be in singular form?
Felt today's puzzle is easier than yesterday's.
Across:
9A: Succeed: GO FAR. Multiple word answer still gives me trouble.
14A: Widespread: RIFE. Always clued as "Teeming (with)" in our old puzzle.
15A: Made fun of, in a way: APED. Only in crossword.
16A: Prefix meaning "vinegar": ACETO. Dictionary gives acetometer as an example. It's an instrument for measuring the amount of acetic acid present in a solution. I wanted acid? something. The bitter word ACRID is rooted in acid.
17A: Where the steeple is, vis-a-vis the church: ATOP. This simple word stumped me, as I had CRUDE rather than CRASS for 1D: Boorish.
18A: Composer Édouard: LALO. Got his name from the down fills. Found out that LALO is boy name meaning "To sing a lullaby". No wonder this guy was a composer.
19A: In-your-face challenge: SUE ME. Intersects FEE (11D: Lawyer's charge).
24A: Opposite of "All rise": BE SEATED
28A: Snowfall unit: INCH. One blank short for my FLAKE. I like the clue. "Rainfall unit" too.
30A: Ex-quarterback Dan: MARINO. Learned this guy's name from the Nutrisystem weight loss commercial. Oh, Wikipedia says he spent his whole career with the Dolphins, holding or having holding all kinds of records. Is MARINO pronounced the same as the sheep merino?
37A: MD's calendar listing: APPT
38A: Traveler's choice: AIR. Not BY AIR?
39A: Fluids in shots: SERA. Reminds me of Swine Flu. I suppose there is no such epidemic in those Arab countries?
40A: Brazilian port: RIO. Do you think the Brazil supermodel Adriana Lima is beautiful?
45A: Space along the page border: MARGIN
48A: Old things: ANTIQUES. Have to be at least 100 years old. Between 20 to 100, they are called vintage I think.
57A: Margaret Mead subject: SAMOA. I forgot who Margaret MEAD is. It's clued as "Mead's milieu" in Argyle's puzzle. She wrote "Coming of Age in SAMOA". Those girls remind me of Bloody Mary of "South Pacific".
66A: Where Homer drinks Duff Beer: MOE'S. Learned this name from doing Xword.
67A: Insect repellent ingredient: DEET. Oh, it actually stands for DT (Diethyl Toluamide). I did not know that.
Down:
2D: Supple: LITHE. Thought of limber.
3D: What the game is, to Holmes: AFOOT. No idea. "The game is AFOOT" originally came from Shakespeare's "King Henry IV".
4D: One hiring relatives: NEPOTIST. Had difficulty obtaining this word. I actually knew the meaning of nepotism.
5D: Pasadena science institute, familiarly: CALTECH
6D: Colorful fish: OPAH. Also called moonfish.
7D: Fanzine focus: CELEB. This word appears so often in Xword. Have only seen CALEB the Biblical spy once.
8D: Hacienda brick: ADOBE. You won't find ADOBE in tropical area, right? Since they are built of clay.
9D: Dangerous pipe problem: GAS LEAK. I was thinking of water pipe.
10D: Of the eye: OCULAR. Got it with adjacent help.
12D: Place to get bucks fast, briefly: ATM. Good clue.
22D: "Semper fi" military org.: USMC. Once a Marine, Always a Marine. I read somewhere that Army actually has the best equipment.
26A: Año starter: ENERO. Had no idea that ano and año are vastly different.
27D: Rapper's cap: DO-RAG. Learned from doing Xword as well. Wikipedia says a popular folk etymology claims that the term derives from Drive-On RAG, a term first used by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War to refer to amuslin bandage often used as a head covering.
29D: Oven output: HEAT. I was picturing fresh bread.
31D: Italian city known for its cheese: PARMA. Ham too.
32D: Like beehives: APIAN. Wanted HOLED.
33D: Baseball or golf: SPORTS. Is this clue written for me?
34D: Much of an obit: BIO
35D: Java holders: URNS. Thought of Java Island. Can Java be clued as "Jakarta holder"?
39D: Adjust for daylight saving time: SET AHEAD. No daylight saving time in China. We only have one time zone. Beijing Time is the standard time.
41D: Pleasingly pungent: PIQUANT. Ha ha, I filled in this word immediately and surprised that it's actually correct.
43D: Bullfighters: TOREROS. Same as matador, correct?
46D: Military action toys: G.I. JOES. Manufactured by Hasbro. The original 1964 figures must cost a lot of money now, like the original 1959 barbie.
49D: English Derby site: EPSOM. Why most of the major horse races are for 3-year-old?
50D: Dictator's aid: STENO
52D: Mexico meat: CARNE. Same root as carnal?
53D: Cliched: TRITE
54D: Shooting contest with traps: SKEET. Got the answer from across fills. I did not know what kind of equipment is involved in SKEET shooting. It's actually an Olympic event.
57D: "By the way...": SAY
Answer grid.
C.C.
95 comments:
Ew. COCA is an unknown. I thought of COCO Lee and COCO Chanel. OPAH and LALO were unknowns. LILO is also a name, right? I also wanted BOLEROS for TOLEROS. BOLERO is a kind of music. I also had GOUDA for PARMA and CRASS for TRITE. PUT ON THE DOG, ENERO, DO RAG and DEET were also unknowns. Wow. I thought Tuesdays puzzles were supposed to be easy. Too much Spanish for my taste. I guess that's because it's from LA.
Martin
Doreen & Sallie,
Thanks for the "a" & U-BOLT correction yesterday. You are terrific teachers.
Elissa,
Thanks for the Google logo tip. Someone (maybe it's you) mentioned on the blog before, but I forgot.
Lemonade,
I found Jim Kelly's voice to be very sexy. I enjoy and encourage varied & lighthearted banters. Senseless, childish, clearly alcohol-influenced "balls"- obsessed posts do not interest me. And the behind the scene personal attacks anger me.
JVN,
Yes, that's the BOP I was familiar with. I did not know it can mean "strike" too.
Good Morning All,
Nice Tuesday puzzle. It took a little head scratching and erasing in the NW and SE corners. I had Roof for 17A which made that messy. I've never hear of Jump the Shark and Reacts and trite didn't jump out at me. Some eraser marks and got it in about 20 minutes.
CC, I'm not familiar with Put On as a basketball term but Game On definitely is. I was thinking some sort of sport theme. Sharks, Bucks, Bulls but the only Dogs team I know is a AA baseball team that plays in Portland, the Seadogs.
Speaking of baseball, Red Sox beat the Yankees all weekend and Wakefield's knuckler was bouncing last night against Cleveland. Go Sox!!!!!!
It's suppose to hit 80 hear today. We'll see what the sea breeze does. I'm making it a priority to get a ride in.
Have a great Tuesday!
Good morning, C.C. and gang - having a wonderful time, wish you were here. Well, most of you.
A very simple puzzle this morning, with not a lot to comment on. C.C., your theme is as good as any. And 'soot' for 'sweepings' is correct. Regarding the picture of Adriana Lima, I'm sure she's beautiful - you'll have to publish a picture with her face in it.
Nice to see a reference to the Marines; and you're right, C.C., the Army is the first to get new equipment - the Marines get the equipment the Army's replacing.
Florida's been absolutely perfect; the only problem are these damn 24-hour days, and the occasional need to fall over and sleep. Had a great time yesterday on South Beach (topless); 80+ and sunny. Did I mention it's topless? Today we head for Key West and if all goes well, a seaplane trip. Probably should've planned in advance, but what fun is that? Anyway, we've had great weather, great restaurants (thanks, Lemonade) and a great time. Gonna be tough to come back.
Today's Fun Fact:
- If you try too many tropical drinks in one night, your head will actually try to evert itself...
Hope all's well with everybody.
Martin,
Come on, I just asked on the blog the day before yesterday why "Zany Imogene" clue for COCA all the time. Yes, "LILO & Stitch" is a Disney animated film. Watched Bo Derek's "10" last Sunday. Kind of disappointed by Ravel "Bolero" bed scene.
Mainiac,
Initially I was thinking of a sport team too. Nice to see you so early.
Dennis,
What a surprise! I thought we were forgotten. Why not SOOTS? It has plural form. If the Marines get second hand equipment, why do so many young people want to join the Marines?
C.C., I've never heard anyone use 'soots' - it would have to mean different types of soot. If you have a pile of soot, it's just that - not a pile of soots.
Re the Marines - for me, I wanted to see if I could make it through what I perceived to be the toughest training of the 4 services (plus the dress blues were a babe magnet). I think the Marines do a great job of selling their image as the best. And as to the equipment, there's a certain pride in making do with less.
Good morning CC etal,
Been lurking for a few weeks - thought I'd leave space for all the new posters. Wanted to chime in on JUMP THE SHARK, though. It is, indeed, a TV industry term for a show that has gone past its prime and is a reference to the old show "Happy Days" where (in one of the last season's episodes)the character Fonzie actually jumped his motorcycle over a shark tank.
Just thought I'd share - hope all have a pleasant Tuesday & that Dennis had the foresight to bring a big bottle of aspirin ;)
I wanted "putting on the ritz". Was not familiar with PUT ON THE DOG either. Origin explained here. (Eventually got it without too much trouble though.)JUMP THE SHARK was also new to me and I had more trouble "getting" that one.
Morning all.
For the cryptics yesterday, Anon-HP had the correct answers last night as usual. School tales about tiles (6)
Tales + s anagram = slates. I'm somewhat unsatisfied with where the extra "S" comes from though. I think it is from the initial letter of School, as I've seen many clues where they use initial letters like that, also others where they will combine an answer mixing initial letters and definitions. Oh, well. This is an example of getting the answer and not being completely sure how it is indicated. In a cryptic clue, there should be a complete surity of the answer and no wasted words (apart from the order) that are there to try to confuse the solver.
For Pasty friend gets the point, yes PAL (friend) + E (the point of a compass, like common NNE, SSW clues in regular puzzles) = PALE. This one I can see the complete reason afterwards, but it's tough to parse at first.
For today, can you spot which one of these clues is somewhat similar to one of yesterday's?
1) Paradoxical odds (5)
2) Point out dire bird (5)
Got through most of this while the coffee was brewing. Most trouble with middle top and upper right. Had a couple of false starts on 39 D.
Something seems not quite right about 16A. I'll have to ponder it. Not fond of the two word answers for 9A and 19A. Other than that, an enjoyable puzzle.
You got the theme right, C.C.
When we were in college in the '60s, we found the writings of Margaret Meadand her encouraging of relaxed social attitudes, a justification for our behavior.
Holmes telling Watson, "The game's afoot!" is the companion to "Elementary my dear Watson." Those phrases serialized in the Strand, surely fueled the rise of the detective stories, and gave me much pleasure.
Speaking of which, ADRIAN LIMA has really great features, both body and face, so I would put her in the beautiful pile.
Thanks for the information on the DO-RAG, which I always assumed came from HAIR-DO.
I thought Dictator's aid, was the best clue today, trying to decide what FIDEL used, slowed me down.
Dennis, glad to hear you are having fun, which reminds me, I must go to work; DRAT!
APIAN has appeared a few times lately; you commented on the nearness to AVIAN, I believe, C.C.
Good morning all on this bright and sunny day -
Every time we see Imogene Coca I think of the Brady Bunch and crazy Aunt Jenny. One of my favorite Brady Bunch episodes.
My favorite clues today were Rising Agent - Yeast and Dictator's Aide - Steno. Was thinking of the wrong kind of agent and dictator, so was thrown until the fills helped out.
Nice to hear from Dennis - kind of like getting a postcard! Does anyone send postcards anymore?
Enjoy the day.
Greetings, all,
Today was a stroll in the park for me. The only clues I did not know were jump...and Lalo, both of which I got from the perps. Aceto I got fom the pain reliever, which is an acid. Put on the dog has been a common expression in my milieu.
Yes,C.C., Marino is pronounced the same.
Best clue: for steno.
Glad to see you have come up for air, Dennis. We have missed your pithy comments. If you are driving to the Keys, wave to my son when you go through Tavernier. This town got its name from laborers working on laying the Florida-East Coast Railroad. They supposedly asked one of the townspeople, "Is there a tavern here?".
I have great respect for the USMC, Dennis. After finishing active duty in the Navy, I joined an ANGLICO unit in Chicago which had billets for a few Navy officers. We did our Summer training in Coronado for a few years, then they started sending us to the base in Twenty-Nine Palms, which is in the Mojave Desert. In August!
Their Esprit de Corps was unlike anything I had ever experienced as a Navy guy. What made the experience of being attached to this unit more enjoyable was that it was located on Chicago's South side, near Comiskey Park. It's membership was about 80% African-American. Those guys were a hoot!
Fair winds and following seas.
CC I thought of you while I was doing this xword - very 'slangy' and idiomatic all over. And lots of 'twofers'. I've never heard of 'jump the shark' but got from the perps. Took me longer than I thought - it was hard getting focused but I think it was more the beautiful sunny day outside than the xword itself. Found it to be an interesting puzzle.
andrea1263 and others - agree on best clues being those for yeast and steno. 'Put on the dog' was used a lot when I was growing up; haven't heard it much lately.
Glad you are enjoying yourself Dennis - you can always sleep when you're dead. I have only major respect for Marines. My s.o.'s daughter was a Marine for 7 years - I can't even imagine. Said she wanted to do the hardest thing she could think of and the Marines definitely fit that bill. Living in an area with an intense Military focus we have all branches represented here and hopefully appreciate them as much as we can. It's an incredibly tough life.
Since Dennis only had time for one fun fact today, I thought I'd add another I just heard this morning.
In Australia, cowboy's lassoes (riatas) twirl around in the opposite direction.
Spanish content has zero to do with L.A. Constructors are from all over and put in words that work. On any day, a puzzle can feel Spanish, French, Latin, etc.
I need to know when was the last time anyone said "put on the dog." I know it must be pre-1969, because I've never seen or heard the phrase in my entire life.
rp
Good puzzle today - never heard the expression "jump the shark"
Mel
Good morning CC et al., Another great puzzle in record time. At least I don't feel like I've been sitting too close to a 'gas leak' for too long. Never heard 'jump the shark', but all the others were familiar.
Love skeet shooting-(in all forms)
-do that in OK, inbetween bull doggin', cow punchin' and saving the horses by ridin' the cowboys. And 'deet' is in Deep Woods 'Off' which works really well. I should buy stock in that company...seems like I'm always in the thick of something and needing all the protection I can get. Looking forward to June for that very reason.
Dennis: good to hear from you and to learn all is well. I agree about too much planning...where's the adventure in that?
Enjoy your day.
I can think of another "verb the animal" phrase that involves strangulation and a barnyard fowl, but it wouldn't really be appropriate for printing. Odd that it would use the female form of the animal though...
Good morning, C.C. and all.
Most of you have already commented on the things which caught my attention. I was much more familiar with "Putting on the Ritz," which comes from an Irving Berlin song, but PUT ON THE DOG appears to have been a forerunner of the phrase. This link confirms what Anon 6:38 had to say.
I agree with Andrea1263, T.Frank and others about "Rising Agent" and "Dictator's Aide" being great clues. I was thinking along the lines of Hollywood, when I filled in PIQUANT and GIJOES, and YEAST fell into place.
Were it not for the fills, I might not have gotten OPAH or APIAN. I know the word APIAN, but it's certainly not a word I use frequently.
C.C., like you, I wanted "flake" for "snowfall unit," but it wouldn't fit.
As for Andriana Lima, I suspect that if you were to remove her makeup and ditch the provocative pose, she might not be someone you consider beautiful. I think she makes incredible use of her assets. To me, a beautiful woman is one who is beautiful with or without makeup and special lighting, and I think surface beauty is outweighed by inner beauty. I hope you don't construe these comments as being catty. They are not intended in that manner.
It's a rainy spring day here, so I'm off to do office work. Have a good day!
Good morning everyone,
Hoping today goes a little better than yesterday. Coming back into town always is busy. I get 2 new crowns put on today and my temporary goes out, so that is good news.
I had more trouble with this puzzle than yesterday. I wasn't familiar with JUMP THE SHARK at all, and was stumped by the LALO and OPAH cross. I am sure I have had OPAH before in a xwd, but just don't remember it. I also had some trouble with EPSOM and MOES. I am not a Simpson's fan, so I always have trouble with those clues. I am beginning to learn some of them though. I thought STENO was the best clue too, thinking of another type of dictator for too long of a time.
KittyB - You asked about links style courses yesterday. They tend to be very open, few trees and surrounded by bunkers, marshlands or just very coarse grass. In windy conditions, they are very difficult as there is no block for the wind. The golf was quite challenging last week.
Dennis, glad you are enjoying Florida. Were there lots of topless on South Beach? We were there several years ago with our boys. Only one topless on the beach with her toddler son. My boys were hanging in the ocean, and drifted south a ways. When they came back to join us, my 13 year old at the time walked right up to this topless woman. I am sure he got an eyeful. My husband and I just laughed. He never mentioned it.
Good to hear from Dennis, and see that he didn't forget us entirely.
Maybe I've been on another planet, but I g'ed COCA and LALO because I'd never heard of them, or a fanzine, and didn't remember OPAH. That middle north section had me stumped. The rest went pretty well without too many pauses. I also liked the STENO clue. Torero is not the same as the matador, who just comes in to do the final kill. The toreros are (I think) the ones on horseback who start the process off, and if all goes well, avoid getting the horse gored.
My experience of "putting on the dawg" always referred to using a posh put-on accent rather than clothing. Maybe that was an Oz thing though. We always tried to shed that broad Aussie drawl that Paul Hogan and others have made famous here. We aspired to a more "international accent" to sound more educated.
I remember my Anthropology lecturer in 1964 acting out the way a Samoan mother would pretend not to know what her daughter was doing with a boy, and then seem to be shocked and dismayed at the resulting pregnancy, when really it was what they wanted to happen. Cooking for a man was what signified marriage, not having sex. It was also said that the Samoans embellished what they told Margaret Mead because they thought it was what she wanted to hear.
Al,
I don't believe that about lassos in Oz. It would depend rather on the user being left or right handed, wouldn't it? I know I twirl in different directions for each hand.
I found this site when googling for an answer. I have been doing crosswords since I was a teenager. I am not sure what I can add to this eclectic group, but thought I’d pop in and at least say “hi” and let you know I enjoy reading this blog every day.
Dictator's aid/STENO was my favorite clue. Off to DC in a minute. Ciao
Hey CC
GO FOR is an idiom--Texans speak in idioms constantly. For folks learning Texanese it's rightly tough!
AIR implies BY AIR.
HEAT precedes baking and bread.
DATA and SOOT singular or plural.
Yeah, it doesn't sound right to me either, i.e, DATA IS is correct in my thinking, but DATA ARE rubs me the wrong way. Texans don't talk SOOT though.
Keep up the good work CC!
Ok, this might be nit-pickey, but IMHO, the match between the clue and the answer has to be precise. There are a few ways this can go wrong: too many valid answers, as with yesterday's "hydrocarbon"; factual error, as in relating "anneal" to "temper" (which I've seen more than once in the last year or so) when they are actually antithetical concepts; or imprecision, as in today's "aceto." This kind of flaw indicates the puzzle author is unfair, unwilling to do his homework, or careless.
But first a couple of fun facts. "aceto" means vinegar in italian. "Vinegar" is derived from "vin egre" French for sour wine.
This is what is wrong with 16A: aceto is a prefix used in chemistry to indicate a molecule that has been chemically combined with acetic acid to yield a new chemical, called aceto-whatever. It does not mean vinegar at all. in fact, can anyone think of any instance where prefix meaning vinegar would have any use?
Acetic acid is an oxidation product of fruit juice sugars, and can form when wine or cider gets old. Commercial vinegar is a distilled product, reconstituted to contain 3% acetic acid. So - there is a connection between vinegar and actic acid, but not with the prefix "aceto-"
Yeah, more than anyone wanted to know. Just call me Norm.
Cheers,
JzB
Welcome Terrajo,
I found the site googling too. Anything you add is a plus. Just have fun and say what you like. It certainly is eclectic and you can add to the flavor.
Old Tex -
Data is plural. The singular is datum.
Aint language wunnaful?
This was still do-able, although I had a little trouble with Opah - I wasn’t very confident about Lalo, so I had to guess. Never heard Jumptheshark befoe, but doubt I’ll forget now, Thanks, ChrisinLA for the image.
Thanks to the ones who noticed my cat picture. I shamelessly copied it from one of those mass mail letters we all get with loads of pictures. I need to take one of my girls, I guess. Girls being my doodle dogs (as in labradoodles.)
Anonymous @ 6:38 dog shoes! Ewwww.
I never realized that do-rag originated in Viet Nam either. The ability of humans to rise above horrendous trauma and make something positive and strong absolutely amazes me.
Hi C.C. & gang, We thought it was an easy puzzle today also but we had never heard of "Jump the Shark"
The link I found:Fonzie jumps the shark on Happy Days - shows Fonzie on water ski's in his leather jacket going over a ski jump. (not on a motorcycle).
On the same page there is a TV guide interview with Henry Winkler that is interesting.
I think I stopped watching this show long before its end so I missed this.
;-)
Again, IMHO -- with that hair and those eyes (yeah, and the rest of the face, etc, etc) Adriana Lima is a serious contender for second most beautiful woman in the world.
……..We aspired to a more "international accent" to sound more educated.educated.
Kazie, I see your point. I think it’s kinda sad that people work so hard at being alike. It reminds me of a news article sent to me by my sister in Texas, lamenting the loss of colorful language. The author (Steve Blow) quoted from “A Treasure of Texas Sayings” by Bill Cannon.
Worn tires were called ‘maypops’ the trunk of the car was called the ‘turtle.’ It brought back wonderful memories for me. My father in law used to sell cars occasionally and said he had a regular customer named good ol. Harry BE Back.
Do you think our language today is more bland, or are we just not noticing the new terms?
Fun puzzle. Also liked the dictator's aide clue because it sent me off in the wrong direction.
My favorite Imogene Coca role was as Aunt Edna in National Lampoon's Family Vacation.
Jump the shark can also refer to a TV series ending when the male/female leads finally sleep together, thereby ending the sexual tension and flirting that made their relationship interesting in the first place. After that happens, nobody cares anymore.
@Kazie, the lassos "fact" was truly made with tongue firmly implanted in cheek. Reference the misconception about Australia, coriolis forces and toilet flow... I just thought it was a funny reference to that when I heard it. Now that I explained it, it isn't funny anymore, right?
KQ, thanks for the explanation of the term "links course." I can envision several in the area that fit your definition. Is there a term for those courses that have lots of trees or windbreaks of some kind? We have a lot of courses in the western Chicago area that have been built in the midst of subdivisions. Do the houses help to break up the wind?
Welcome to the group, tarrajo. Everyone shares what they know, so you're likely to learn a lot here.
Jazzbumpa, thanks for giving us the skinny on ACETO. I have very little science background, so I appreciate information of this sort.
Hi Dennis. I enjoyed reading your note this morning about all your fun and gleeful reverie in South Beach last night. My old stomping grounds. If you get plowed in the neighborhood again, go about 5 miles up Alton Rd and you will see St. Patrick's on the right. That's where I went to high school. Drop in and see if you can find Sister Mary Aurelia, principle, and give her a hug and a smart whack on the ass for me. That is the meanest woman I have ever known in my life.
CC: Will bask in the knowledge that LAT and NYT were, again, quite do-able today...
What about "Animal Clichés" as a possible theme?
Locally, a "dew-rag" (how they spell it) is what people wear to keep their hair from "going back" due to humidity. Viet Nam was very humid, too. Others wear it to keep perspiration from running into the eyes. Have done that myself while
doing yard work (not "gardening".)
Dennis: POI: when you go across the long bridge, look for the railroad bridge. During the late `30`s, a trainload of CCC Camp workers got caught on it during a hurricane. When they got to them...most of them were sand blasted down to the bone in many places. Found this out doing research for local CCC Camps. The President`s "Public Service" program is sounding more like CCC and WPA all the time.
Be sure to visit Papa Hemingway`s and count the cats for us.
tarrajo: Lovely picture...what is the medallion you`re wearing?
"Soot" (like "silt") is like "ash" or "sheep"
in that they are both singular and plural and can denote a "whole (amount) or part...depending on how they are used in a sentence.
Jimbo: Chime in on the "Texas talk." Don`t ya`ll swim in and water the herd in a "tank?"
Kazzie; I wisht yew a "Happy 29th", too.
"Finicky": A dirty swamp.
Martin:
I'm pretty sure we are back to normal difficulty level puzzles. This feels like a normal Tuesday, harder than a Monday with a few difficult spots. LA Times Tuesday are not supposed to be as easy as they have been the last several weeks. They are supposed to be: not that hard, but not that easy.
A very straightforward xword today. Knew the "putting on the dog/dawg" from the lyrics of some old jazz or early rock tune I have in my collection. It's about some fellow lusting after his own take on the high life, akin to Joe Williams' rendition of Smack Dab in the Middle. I'll see if I can hunt it down and post the title and artist later.
Al: Regarding yesterday's cryptic clues. The missing "s" in the first answer didn't bother me, since both key words tales and tiles indicated the answer was likely plural as well.
Interesting point on E being the point as in East. I also noticed it a rather pointy-shaped letter, much like a trident (or even part of a fence) on its side.
Kazie: As for your thoughts on pales being flat-topped and not fit for impaling, I've seen the word used in that sense myself. I think that's one reason the word didn't immediately jump out to me as being the definitive answer at first, although "pal/pale" had been one of my first guesses. I suspect that pale's original meaning has blurred over time. It's a term derived from a Latin word for stake, which suggests that it should feature at least one pointy end. Dictionary.com backs up that idea with this entry: PALE: a stake or picket, as of a fence. Further down they offer an alternative definition: PALE: A stake or pointed stick; a picket.
Best,
anon-hp
Old Tex,
Grammatically speaking, DATA is actually the plural of DATUM, the Latin singular.
Jazzbumpa,
Sour in French is aigre--same sound, different spelling from yours. Vinaigre is vinegar, as in the combination with oil and herbs to form vinaigrette, literally "a little vinegar". I see you helped Old Tex too. Interesting expansion of aceto, at least to this linguist.
Al,
Thanks for the coriolis effect. For years people have been asking me about the direction of swirling toilets, and I have never known what to say. For one thing, they don't swirl in Oz--they are more like the new water-saver suction ones here that just go whoosh! And I've never really watched the bathtub drain either, since I usually only shower.
Tarrajo,
Welcome! We can definitely use some more youthful talent here. I ditto what's been said already. But we all just add our two cents worth when the mood takes us there, and benefit from all that others offer as well. I think we all originally found this site the same way.
Linda,
Thanks for the b'day wish. After I've counted backwards for so long, I might just about be at 29 again!
Anon-hp,
Thanks for affirming my thoughts on palings. That is emminently logical!
good morning c.c. and all,
i agree with those who found today's easier than yesterday's. had heard all the phrases before, so that made it easier.
I've never heard of PUT ON THE DOG. It's the only theme entry with a verb phrase.aren't all the theme entries verb phrases?
loved the clues for STENO and ENERO, never heard of TORERO, and thought the clue for REACTS was a little weak, although i don't have a better one.
@c.c.: carne/carnal, i never made that connection but that seems right, since carn- is latin for flesh. interesting DO-rag info.
lemonade beat me to the sherlock holmes 'the game is afoot' quote. i had a little thing for sherlock when i was in high school. him and agatha christie. never read mysteries anymore.
@kazie: a belated happy bday to you.
@tarrajo: welcome.
@dennis: if the seaplane thing doesn't work out, i suppose you could go back to the beach. aw.
and now i'm off to the redwoods for a little vacation of my own.
KittyB:
A links course IMO generally means a seaside course with few trees and a lot of wind. Usually the British Open ("The Open" to diehards) is played on this type of course.
Arnold Palmer recently completed one in my area that is supposed to be magnificent.
Welcome Tarrajo:
Another Minnesotan, who also likes mysteries. How long ago did you find this puzzle oasis? I too, came by way of a desperate Google search, and have not left. What mysteries do you enjoy? Do you think there is a correlation between solving a puzzle and reading a mystery? What skill level are you? Do you do other puzzles? Well enough thrid degree, this is not an old Mike Hammer novel.
The Mexican meat 'carne' made me think of: carne-asada-recipeDescription
To most Americans, a taco is a corn tortilla that is bent in half to form u-shape, fried crisp, and stuffed with a ground beef mixture topped with cheese. But in Mexico, tacos are made with fresh, hot soft tortillas that are rolled around meat, beans, or even fish. Consumed daily by millions south of the border, they are usually eaten as a snack, as a light meal with a bowl of soup, or as an appetizer. Nothing could be simpler than this carne asada taco which is filled with a marinated skirt steak that has been grilled and served with hot, soft corn tortillas and your choice of condiments.
Good Morning CC and gang;
Did yesterday and today in about the same time. Only problem today was local paper's computer printed some clues wrong. 18A was a italic f douard, 26D was a-o starter, 53D was ClichZd with a tilde? over the Z and 57D was "By the way ..., shouldn't this had been "... by the way"? Another typical northern Oregon weather day, cloudy and cold.
Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. I must say I like the LA Times crosswords better than the TMS we were solving in the past. I find the clues a lot more clever. I especially liked “pleasingly pungent”. I think just saying “piquant” is fun and brings all kinds of piquant odors to mind especially as we head out of this horribly long winter into spring. Odors like freshly mowed grass and lilacs in bloom.
Linda, the medallion is actually an old piece of costume jewelry I found when going through a box of stuff I inherited from my Grandmother. I guess you could call it a “sun spray”.
All together I thought this puzzle was easier than yesterday. Any time I don’t have to hit the g-spot (did I get that right?) is a good day for me!
Hi C.C.and all - Great puzzle today, I got all but 66A (MOES)(have never watched the Simpson's),38A(AIR) and 34D(BIO)..they finally fell into place.
I loved the clue 'DICTATOR'S AIDE' but I had the worst time with it as all I thought of was the dictator of a country.
"Put on the Dog" is an old expression and not heard much today. I had no idea that it originated from actual dogs skins...ewww! But we didn't go ewww when our mother,grandmother, or any other female worn a dead fox around their shoulders did we? Funny how times and attitudes change. Guess it's a good thing though.
Al (8:32a) LOL...yes, we have discussed said chicken and it's 'throat problems' before.
Also thanks you for the Coriolis Force explanation...cleared up what I have been told for years!
Terrajo, welcome - we are a diverse group and will enjoy your input!
c.c. and all:
No problems today with the puzzle.
About the same today as yesterday's for me.
Kasie: Happy Belated B'day!
How about: It's the cat's meow (Somthing that is fantastic)
Dennis: Not sure what restaurants Lemonade suggested, but read my comments on Friday. Definitely go to Aruba's Cafe on the beach and La Bamba II. Glad you are having fun.
TWIMC (to whom it may concern):
That last "Mensa-ism" is technically incorrect...since it`s spelled "fen" and not "fin"...but you get the "pernt, Edith."
tarrajo: Old jewelry, even costume, is sometimes very valuable...and not just for the sentiment. Check it out.
I love basic, black dresses too...you can do so much with them: scarves, jackets, vests, shawls, collars, even medallions! "They" always told me that "winters" were the only ones who could "successfully" wear black...
but I "successfully' wore it regularly!
slip-shod: underwear in the shape of a horse-shoe (OK! It was a stretch!)
Some more ramblings from an old geezer. In my previous post I mentioned the northern Oregon weather, I am in southern Oregon and we usually do not get this cold, cloudy weather this late in the year, ours is more like the Sacromento valley of CA.
After reading JD's comments of 3:02pm yesterday, I remember when young, the salesmen selling TVs giving coin banks to buyers and telling them to put a dime a day into it and at end of the month they would have they TV payment. They sold alot of TVs with this gimmick.
While on the old time kick, does anybody remember a cartoon serial called, Crusader Rabbit, it was my favorite. I have found it on VHS in both English and Spanish.
My favorite and sexyest (IMHO) actress was Lauren Bacall.
I do not time my working the xword because I cross out the clues as I work the puzzle, IN INK.
Good morning CC and all,
Welcome tarrajo, hope you enjoy our group.
I got the theme today, for a change, but had never heard of Jump the shark. Thanks chrisinla and anon@ 10:25 for enlightening us.Still, it is a strange phrase.
I sailed along until I got to the SE corner and could not fill in shark, ante,or deet. I had AAA for air, thinking of those maps we get before a trip.Also missed the F in rife and afoot.
Why is rio a port; doesn't it mean river? Also I read obit as orbit for awhile, so that slowed me down.
Speaking of gas leaks, the airlines are considering charging an extra fee for those individuals with excessive flatulence.LOL!
Duff Beer, "the beer that makes the days fly by." The seven mascots of Duff beer are: Sleazy, Queasy, Edgy, Surly, Tipsy, Remorseful, and Dizzy.
While we are on the subject(somewhat) of data, let's not forget Lt. Commander Data, the android science officer from TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Still morning...hi all!
Really enjoyed this puzzle although I was back to habit of doubting myself and erased a few things and then put them back in. I only really got hung up in the NE corner with GO FAR because I started out with BAD LEAK...and I had definitely never heard of JUMP THE SHARK...I was still puzzling over it when all I had left to fill was the H...
I liked the Dictator's aide clue and was mentally running every "dictator" I could think of to see what they had in common...it took having everything but the O filled before the lightbulb went on.
On ACETO...the only place I have really seen it, which would fit with the Italian thing...is on a bottle of Balsamico...as in Aceto Balsamico, which I just take to mean Balsamic Vinegar.
Well...out of here again today...lots of stuff to take care of. Dropping off paintings for a juried show...
Hiya Dennis! and so good to "see" you Terrajo. I think it is always so great when we get new brains and personalities to keep us on our toes.
TTFN...#1
Skin the Cat is a gymnastics move, and while it is easy on the bar, it is much harder on the rings. Not that I could do either anymore.
Hi C.C. et al. This morning's puzzle wasn't as easy for me as yesterdays and I admit to using your help. I was proud that I got all the phrases, including "jump the shark." But only because I had seen a Ron Howard interview recently when he told about the Fonz waterskiing scenario that was used to pique viewers' interest in a effort to boost their ratings. By then, the show had been on for a while and they thought they were on the downward slope (or ski jump). But the term came to be used in TV as "it's time to jump the shark" (do something to shake up the viewers). There was probably a shorter way to explain that...sorry.
Clear Ayes: It was just arthroscopic to repair a tear and a few other anomalies. Recovery has taken longer that I thought it would, but I've decided I'll be much better soon.
And as for Densa vs. Mensa, I thought I was just being funny--I had no idea there was such a thing, much less a test for it. So the joke was on me. And, yes, I took the test. The joke was on me....
Sandbridge Karen: I'm very envious of you living right there at my favorite beach. My daughter was going down today with her two little ones to hang out with her girlfriend who lives there. So I'm jealous. I'll just hobble out with my crutches to the chaise in the backyard.
And Mainiac: If it's 80 in Maine (it was in the 90's here), we all should start moving to higher ground! Isn't it early for those temps there?
Enjoying everyone's input.
JD -
Not just any old rio, but RIO!
6:26 today> JUMP THE SHARK was new to me (see below for comment). CLAN makes another appearance (was CLAN of the Cave Bear yesterday).
I had CHAR instead of SEAR (with ASCOT for the English race instead of EPSOM) for the longest time, and correcting those errors was my last fill (made more difficult by my not knowing JUMP THE SHARK).
@c.c.: (leftover from Monday) Embien,
Just checked. Your last Monday's time is 4:16. So today's is more difficult.For me, time to solve isn't much of an indication of relative difficulty (I don't "speed solve"). In this case, I had PUPPET instead of MUPPET and it probably took me two minutes to find why there was no "ta-da" screen at the end. I still say this week's Monday puzzle was easier than last week's (for me).
@Chris in LA: It is, indeed, a TV industry term for a show that has gone past its prime and is a reference to the old show "Happy Days" where (in one of the last season's episodes)the character Fonzie actually jumped his motorcycle over a shark tank.
It was a new term for me (JUMP THE SHARK), and I've never seen "Happy Days". It's very nice to see the origin of the phrase, thanks!
Back from a wet bike ride..good 'ol Spring in Oregon!!
Weather 321 (12:47) I remember the NAME Crusader Rabbit but did not watch the shows as I was too old for them by the time my Dad purchased a TV. It wasn't until my son was old enough for cartoons on TV that I saw Fractured Fairytales, Rocky and Bullwinkle etc. I enjoyed them too, as they were cleverly written - kids were entertained and so were the adults.
Dennis...glad you hear you are enjoying the warm, sunny beaches of Fl.
Apparently it is very 'scenic'! LOL
What does your lady fair think of that, or is she a participant??
Sheila (1:25) re Densa, LOL...am I to assume that you did not make genius level?? The test said I was either slow or drunk!! :)
Tarrajo, Didn't realize you were a fellow Minnesotan. You do look stunning in that dress.
Barb B, You must be a cat lover. Have you read about Dewey the library cat? I am just finishing and it is a sweet book. I was just as interested in the Iowa facts if presents also. You might enjoy it.
Al, We just had a conversation about the coriolis effect this weekend, as my one of my daughters competitors was from Australia. When we were in South Africa I could find no evidence of this as all drains and toilets didn't swirl - they swooshed. I was looking for it too. The Australian golfer confirmed that it was the same in their country. We all thought it comical to be even talking about it.
Jazzbumpa - Such a wealth of information on vinegar. That was an incredibly detailed explanation. It is amazing the things we learn from a simple (or many days not so simple) crossword puzzle. When I do them with my mother-in-law we often say what a stretch the clue is for the answer. However, I find that less common with the LAT puzzle.
KittyB, TFrank is accurate. Links courses are the oldest course that originated in Scotland and they are seaside. I referred to the course being "links style" as it tries to replicate this style. As for those with trees, I don't believe they have a specific name. Those with homes do not generally benefit from wind breaks because of the homes. I believe they are built that way because people want to live on the course. In addition, the homes and courses are built in conjunction with each other. The community helps to make the building of the course feasible. Unless the homes are far enough away, I generally prefer to not play them. I don't like to see condos lining the fairways.
Sheila - hobble and crutches? What did I miss? I just today got rid of a brace that I had for 2 months stabilizing a stress fracture in my leg - gave up the crutches a month ago - they were way more trouble than helpful. Longest month of my life. So I really do feel your pain.
Tarrajo, Welcome to the Blog. We can use all the youth and beauty we can get! I am fairly new myself, and find this to be a friendly and highly intelligent group; also very forgiving.
Sheila, I took the Densa test and was tripped up by Moses; otherwise perfect. I really felt like a Densa.
For those having access, the NYT puzzle was excellent today.
SandbridgeKaren,
Dr. Dad, one of our fellow TMS Daily solvers, explained JUMP THE SHARK on the blog in detail several months ago. That's how I learned the phrase.
Chris,
Why lurking? You know we all enjoy your informative posts. You've been missed.
Tarrajo,
So happy to hear a positive voice on LAT puzzle switch.
Elissa,
Have a good trip.
Warren - thanks for that mouth watering description of how true Mexicans eat tacos; brought back some great vaka memories. Was in P.V. in January and took some tours that got us way off the beaten path. Best one was way out into the country to ride horses, ATV's and do zip lines. They fed us tacos with eggs and beans and condiments for breakfast - yummy. And then tacos with grilled steak, peppers, onions and fixins for lunch - the best local cooking we had on the trip. I'd eat those breakfast tacos any day of the week and I don't like eggs.
KittyB,
In addition to what KQ & Frank said, I always associate links courses with strong wind, endless bunkers. Very few trees and very few water hazards. Sandy & undulating. It's originated in Scotland. Pure links are devils.
Anon HP,
Thanks for the wonderful cryptic decoding every day. You are awesome!
Old Tex,
Nice to hear from you again.
Jazzbumpa,
You have valid points on hydrocarbon & ACETO. Rich Norris and his constructors are not expert on everything. But I do believe they do a thorough research on all their work. Dictionary.com actually shows that ACETO is prefix for "vinegar". I am curious, who's the most beautiful woman in your view then?
Linda,
The title "Animal Cliché" sounds pretty good, but it applies to idioms like "Smell a Rat" which has a different pattern.
Kazie,
Thanks for the aigre & vinaigre & vinaigrette connection.
Melissa,
My bad. I did not express myself clearly. I meant every other theme phrase has one verb, but PUT ON THE DOG has "PUT ON", one more proposition. I wish "Wear the Dog" is an idiom. Have a good vacation.
Argyle,
Thanks for Skin the Cat. Have never heard of the expression before.
Warren,
You are definitely an expert in links.
Al,
I am stumped.
Gator Mom,
Dennis might have overlooked your recommendations. He's never been a good reader/poster while on vacation.
Sheila,
Thanks for the further explanation on JUMP THE SHARK. Hope you heal quickly.
Weather321,
Nice to see you again!
Just wondering how this one fits the golf links description. It's one of the most expensive and exclusive in Sydney, and is on the shore, undulating, but seems to have lots of trees as well. Being a non-golfer, I didn't realize the word "links" had a meaning different from "course".
Melissa Bee and g8rmomx2, thanks for your wishes too.
kazie, Too many trees, too well manicured to be a links course. But it makes me want to play it anyway. Much of the fun of playing is enjoying the beauty of the surroundings. Especially if you can avoid the hazards.
Sheila, Hope your knee gets better sooner! Joe had that type of surgery a few years ago, and although painful, he did get back to normal and is even running again.
Melissa bee, Enjoy those Redwoods, they are SO beautiful. Some people that visit them from the mid-west or prairie-like areas find them spooky. They do tend to take the breath away, it's difficult to believe they are soooo tall!
Elissa - Hope you have fun in D.C., it's on my list of places to visit in the near future. Unless the swine flu thingy changes everyone's plans. Let's hope for the best but prepare for the worse
Yes KQ, I am a fellow Minnesotan. I have heard you talk often about your daughter’s golf tournaments. She’s in college right? Does she go to the U of M? I must admit I haven’t ever played the game except for putt-putt golf! Oh, and thank you for the nice comment on my dress.
T. Frank thanks for your kind sentiments as well. I am sure I will like this group once I get more acclimated.
JD, that possibly can’t be true about gas leaks and airplanes, but on second thought maybe there should be a fee for such a malady. I just wonder how that would be measured?? Also, is there really a Duff beer?
Linda, I don’t believe that this particular piece of jewelry is worth anything but sentiment to me. It’s fun to see some of the vintage looking costume jewelry making a comeback in the stores.
Argyle, skin the cat sounds downright cruel!
C.C. do you ever do the crossword in the Star Tribune anymore. It’s so easy it’s a joke, and I can usually do it in Dennis time!!
Weather321, I remember Crusader Rabbit very well; it was one of my favorites too. We've sure come a long way in animation!
Jazzbumps, thanks! didn't see in the clue where it was shortened. I guess it is understood.
Hayrake @ 10:41.LMAO great visual!
Any of you familiar with The Story of Ferdinand? Am not familiar with the term torero, and thought it would be there.The Banderilleros come out with sharp pins to stick in the bull and make him mad.Next come the Picadores who had long spears to stick in the bull and make him madder. Then comes the matador who is the torero, the killer(L. matare). Before they are considered to be a matador they may kill only young bulls(novillos), and are called novilleros. After a special match called the Alternative, they can fight mature bulls. I am so NOT a lover of this sport, so Ferdinand is right up my alley. When he entered the ring, he saw all of the flowers and so he just sat down and smelled them.
Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,
"Not BY AIR?"
As Old Tex said, the preposition is implied. It is no different than when the preposition 'to' is implied in a clue containing a verb of the infinitive form.
I was going to say that Adriana Lima looks flawless and then I noticed that there is something odd in the area of her navel. Is that some kind of jewelry or something?
"You won't find ADOBE in tropical area, right? Since they are built of clay"
That makes sense. I had never heard of this place, Bam, before. Apparently, it is the largest adobe building in the world. It really sucks that the US is at odds with so much of the world. I would love to go to Iran.
"Can Java be clued as "Jakarta holder"?"
That's pretty iffy. I would clue it as 'Island with the world's largest Buddhist shrine'. I was visiting Borobudur at this time last year.
"Same as matador, correct?"
Not exactly. A matador is a type of torero. There are three types.
Kazie, a matador is one of the three types of toreros. It appears that you are thinking of a picador, one of the other types. Happy belated birthday:)
"CARNE. Same root as carnal?" Melissa Bee is right. It is the same root. Thanks for the recipe Warren. I like Lechón Asado a lot.
Here's some more information on jumping the shark from Wikipedia...
I never realized that this was such a common term. It was even used on a Simpson's cartoon.
;-)
I am with Rex on PUT ON THE DOG. I had never heard that in my life until this afternoon.
Al,
Another form of you're 'verb+the+animal' offering, as I'm sure you know, involves corporal punishment and a simian.
Weather321,
"By the way ..., shouldn't this had been "... by the way"?
It seems to me that it was clued correctly.
Tarrajo, it's nice of you to join us. Welcome:)
JD,
You are putting us on about the airlines, right?
C.C.,
I assumed that Jazzbumpa was being a gentleman and ranking Ms. Lima behind his wife.
KQ,
Is this one a links course?
Back, briefly...Memories...grew up watching Crusader Rabbit, a huge fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Boris and Natasha..."Get moose and squirrel, dahlink".
Also re: MARGIN...does anyone remember those really funny cartoons drawn in the margin of the MAD Magazines called Marginal Marvin...I used to love those. Read every Mad I could get my hands on.
C.C. Even though I am not a golfer(except we used to play killer minature golf, a very competitve family) I really enjoyed a trip to a number of the big Open links courses in Scotland. It was my nephew's dream to play some of them and so, for a graduation present my mom gave him money towards a trip. His whole family went and I got to be the driver for my mom and her companion, who also wanted to play the courses. I know they played Turnberry, Troon, Hill Barn and eventually St. Andrew's...which was stunning...I think there was one more, but, as usual, my brain defeats me...they are all on the coast, open, windy and exceedingly difficult, but lovely locations for the non-golfers...at Troon and Turnberry women were still not allowed on the main courses at the time. I think it is all changed now.
Thanks to all who waken those old memories and thank for the JUMP THE SHARK info...now, if we every get that again, that, I will remember.
Oh...and Sheila... hope you are up and around and are using some of your down time to paint more of those fabulous landscapes.
Hi PromiseMeThis,
I found another interesting recipe while looking at the Google common search results for 'carne'
Have you ever heard of Carne Mechada ?
This is a traditional Venezuelan dish and a variant of the Spanish Ropa Vieja (now become a classic Cuban dish) but with the inclusion of black beans.
CC and PromiseMeThis -
Promise is correct, of course. And, while it's true that I'm a gentleman, I was only stating the facts.
Got this thing for green eyes . . .
PMT,
You're right, thank you. I researched it after JD's explanation showed me I was wrong, and I was thinking of the picador. Torero must be more generic for all the different types. Thanks for the b'day wish too.
Sheila,
Take your time on that knee. If you get off the crutches too soon it might do damage. My broken ankle surgery from four years ago made a "complete recovery", but I still know it's there.
The golf link I provided has a neat little side bar where you can link to many courses throughout the world. Might be worth trying for those interested in playing here and there.
I'm suprised no one mentioned the website dedicated to the phrase "Jump the shark". I spent many hours there voting on when different shows jumped the shark.
Other than the clue for Java holder (which I still don't understand, I was thinking of coffee which makes no sense) it was a fun puzzle.
~puzzled_in_pdx
Okay, my last post on this. Enough with the golf courses. Here is an aerial photo of Turnberry, where the British Open is being played this year. This is the true meaning of links. Pretty barren, not very manicured. Hard fast ground, open and windy. TurnberryTerrajo, she is not a Gopher, she is a Hawkeye and only for another 3 weeks. She loved every minute of it, sometimes too much.
PDX, an urn is the large metal coffee pot you might see at banquets. They have a spout on the bottom to pour from.
Sorry, my link didn't work so well. When you click on it, go to the picture next to Ailsa Course at Turnberry and click on it. It will show an aerial view.
C.C.
Put on the dog, in my opinion, does have a verb. The verb is "TO PUT', meaning to place something on or at a location. In the phrase the thing being PUT on is the attitude of superiority or excellence. I can put on the attitude of higher knowledge, or greater beauty, or any number of things. This is the sense in which I heard the phrase in the Chicago area in the 1930's and later.
Although I think Jazzbumpa's take on RIO is superior, I had another way to reach the answer. Any large river with a mouth able to accomodate ships is likely to provide location for a port to be built. Hence, in Brazil that would be a RIO.
Calef.
Warren,
I visited Venezuela for three weeks just before Chávez came into power. Though I might have seen Carne Mechada on a menu whilst there, I do not recall it. The only culinary items that come to mind from my visit there are having arepas every morning and buying buckets of Polar beer on ice. They were selling for six bottles for two dollars. I thought it was a steal but they were probably making a dollar profit.
KQ,
While the Greg Norman course in Bali looks very pretty and well-landscaped, it was your description of a 'links' course that made me think of it. It is located atop the very dramatically rocky cliffs on Bali's SE coast. It also seems quite unique in the way that it uses simulated rice terraces as traps. If I was a golfer, I would want to golf there.
Warren:
Thanks for the link to Fonzie jumping the shark. I watched that and got side tracked to many other Fonz videos.
Doreen
For puzzled_in_pdx:
My last (I hope) quote about Jumping the Shark from the same link as before not read"The first public use[2] of the phrase as a direct metaphor is reported to have been on December 24, 1997, when the jumptheshark.com website was launched by Jon Hein. According to the site, the phrase was coined by Hein's college roommate, Sean J. Connolly, in 1985. The term first appeared in print in the April 9, 1998, Los Angeles Times Calendar Weekend section. The site was sold to Gemstar (owners of TV Guide) on June 20, 2006 in 2006 for "over $1 million". Some Howard Stern staff have speculated that the site sold closer to $5–$10 million, however."
C.C.:
Yes, I see Dennis might not be reading all of his posts lately, can't blame him. I just really think he would absolutely enjoy both of the restaurants I suggested. I lived over there for about 9 years, now over the other coast for the last 5 years.
Good Afternoon All, I am really too late to discuss puzzle problems. GAH and I had a full day of shopping, with seven stops and lists in hand. Our newspaper was, surprising, delivered before we left, so I did my solving today in the car, on paper. After so many months of online solving it felt a little odd, but it was fun to get back to puzzle roots.
Dot, your last night comment, "But my husband is still my lover." is exactly what I was trying to say earlier in the day. You said it much better.
Buckeye, I so wanted to raise my hand and say, "Ooh, ooh. I know, I know", in answer to your Densa questions, but I had used up my daily five. In the future I'll try to save my fifth for a "just in case".
BarbB@10:13 "are we just not noticing the new terms?" Well, there is the term back in the day. (I guess it is cooler than saying, back in the old(en) days.) Don't forget my bad and bling. Even those are pretty old now. There are dozens of words and phrases that are popping up every day. I eavesdrop on my grandkids once in a while to try to keep up. I'm losing.
Tarrajo, no such thing as Duff beer, but I think it's funny about those 7 mascots. I googled the info this a.m.because I don't watch the Simpsons.
And this is what happens when you speed read... you miss other's links. Apologies Warren!
~puzzled_in_pdx
Hi, all.
How about one more very boring comment relative to the Coriolis effect, or the Coriolis acceleration effect (named after the scientist who discovered it?).
I have always heard that climbing vines will always grow up and around a tree in the clockwise direction (looking from the ground upward toward the sky) in the northern hemisphere (north of the equator) and in a counterclockwise direction in the southern hemisphere (south of the equator). Never been south of the equator, so do not know for sure. My Mama was always very emphatic about that when I was helping her "train" the string bean runners up the pole when I was a kid back in NC. They had to go only in one direction. If I ever get that far south, that is one thing I intend to observe. That is, unless the beaches there are topless, then I might forget to check. Sincerely hope that I did not interupt anybody's 99, or what ever.
Old Sage in Virginia Beach
Thank you all for your input on the "links courses" issue. KQ, I doubt I'd choose to live in one of the golf course subdivisions. We did the masonry on one of those houses and the gorgeous bay window in the kitchen eating area was always in danger from errant golf balls.
Weather 321, I loved Crusader Rabbit! Then I graduated to Fractured Fairy Tales and haven't been the same since!
Lauren Bacall....Sophia Loren...Audry Hepburn....Grace Kelly. A young Liz Taylor. Just some thoughts on beauty.
JD, 3:16 P
Oh, my! You're a school teacher aren't you? I didn't mean it. I was joking. When Sister Aurelia made me stand facing the wall in front of the whole morning assembly, she was always completely justified. I was lucky she didn't throw me out of school a couple of times. Anyway, that was in the late 40's and she is looking down and laughing now.
RP: Quoting you:
"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."
(from Monday)
Quoting you again:
"I need to know when was the last time anyone said "put on the dog." I know it must be pre-1969, because I've never seen or heard the phrase in my entire life."
(from Tuesday)
C.C. et Al,: my answers to the cryptic clues today:
1) Paradoxical odds (5)
EVENS: As in odds and evens. Even numbers are not odd. But odds may be even in the betting sense, which paradoxically evens ones chances.
2) Point out dire bird (5)
EIDER: A kind of bird/duck that includes the letters for dire. The answer includes an extra E, which I suppose refers to EAST as a compass POINT, like the one in PALE from yesterday's cryptics. Sneaky. Al's direction earlier helped.
I'd like to confess that I bumped into a blank xword grid online today that appears the source of many of the cryptic clues to date. The place I uncovered does NOT offer free answers to the cryptic clues. So it is not really a cheat IMHO, but a way of seeing the cryptic clues in their original puzzling context. I'm noting this because some of you may find working the grid and getting some cross fill action going very helpful in their decoding.
Best,
anon-hp
KQ said
....Barb B, You must be a cat lover. Have you read about Dewey the library cat?
Yes, I’m a cat lover, but I love dogs even more. I loved that book. Since I work in a library, I was really interested in comparing that library to ours. . In January, the library clerk went to empty the drop box and found a cardboard box next to it. He was a little afraid to look inside, but he did, and found two cats. He brought them into the workroom. I wasn’t working that day, or I would have argued for keeping them But this is a different time and place, and we have to consider insurance liabilities and allergies, etc. A patron found them a home and has reported back that they are very happy. Sigh.
Clear Ayes
I think you are right about colorful language. As soon as I posted, I realized that do-rag is a good example. My granddaughter says someone was ‘talking smack’ meaning putting someone down. And that, too is a little old by now. I’m sooooo out of touch.
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