Theme: Slabber's Pals
17A: Astound: FLABBERGAST
39A: Gossipy types: BLABBERMOUTHS
62A: Classic baking powder brand: CLABBER GIRL
Wish CLABBER GIRL were one word, then the theme answers would be more consistent.
My favorite clue today is AB CRUNCH (11D: Six-pack enhancer?"), so many consonants. I also like seeing OBAMA (6A: 44th president) crossing OPRAH (6D: Talk's Winfrey). I wonder if he would have gained that much momentum without OPRAH's earlier endorsement. Do you know that Barack means "peach" in Hungarian?
I am surprised by our poll result so far. I was also surprised to read this piece in Naples Daily News. One reader wrote: “We do not like the L.A. Times daily crossword puzzle that you’ve started to use. We find it to be very ‘gimmicky’ and difficult to solve as many of the answers aren’t logical or able to be found through a reference manual...".
That's exactly what makes Rich Norris puzzles entertaining. He works hard to be "illogical" and gives us the twisted V-8 moment "gimmicks".
It takes time to adjust to a new editor and his cluing style. I hope you all have patience. If you don't understand the clue or the answer, just go to the Comments section and ask. Don't be shy or feel intimidated by the regulars there. We were all strangers once. And remember, no question is stupid in this blog. I am not afraid to ask question, nor should you be.
Across:
1A: Working on, as homework: DOING. We did not have light in our house until 1979. So I had to do my homework under the candle.
14A: The blahs: ENNUI. I am glad I did not know what ENNUI was when I was a child.
16A: "Big" London clock: BEN. From Dr. Dad: Big BEN is not the clock. It's not the tower. It's the BELL inside the tower. A common mistake to say it is the clock.
20A: Pickle holder: JAR. Gingers turn pink naturally when pickled.
21A: Oater actor Jack: ELAM. I can never remember this guy's name. Rich Norris clued ELAM as "Placekicker Jason" last time.
24A: Cyclotron particle: ATOM. Easy guess. I don't know what "Cyclotron" is. Sounds nuclear and dangerous.
30A: Litter cries: MEWING. No plural for MEWING? I penned in S at the end of blanks immediately, and had trouble with the ING.
32A: "Married ... With Children" dad: AL BUNDY. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says the show was notable for being the first prime time TV series to air on Fox, debuted on April 5, 1987. Oh, I just found out that Rupert Murdock's Fox was launched only in 1986.
35A: One hanging around: LOITERER. Only know the verb loiter.
38A: Suffix with web: CAM. Looks so high-tech to me.
42A: Letter after sigma: TAU. I know the letter, ignorant of the exact order though. It's before upsilon.
43A: Refined grace: ELEGANCE. Did Grace Kelly pop into your mind also? She is the epitome of ELEGANCE. I really like her in "To Catch a Thief".
44A: Kate of "The Reader": WINSLET. Another elegant actress. She won Oscar for "The Reader".
46A: Sarge's order: TEN HUT. Nope. I could only think of AT EASE. Wikipedia says TEN HUT is an American military term meaning "Come to attention!" It was shortened from "a-ten-hut" and came into use because it is easier to say at full shout than "attention." I feel "attention" is easier to shout, don't you?
50A: "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" brand word: ALKA. I guessed. I've never heard of the song.
51A: Hard to recall: HAZY
54A: "Don't __ me, bro!": TASE. Here is the clip again. You will hear "Don't TASE me, bro!" around 1:58. It's played and replayed and replayed on various stations ad nauseam.
58A: Darn with thread: MEND
61A: Saturn SUV: VUE. French for "sight" as well.
66A: Hang in midair: HOVER. Thought of the kestrel the windhover immediately.
67A: Kate's sitcom pal: ALLIE
68A: '60 "trip" drug: LSD
69A: 33-Down's field: OPERA. And LEONTYNE (33D: Price known for Verdi roles), who was a completely unknown to me. Wikipedia says she was the the first African-American to become a leading prima donna at the Mets and best known for her title role "Aida".
70A: Like really old bread: MOLDY. STALE came to me first.
Down:
1D: Hip-hop record label: DEF JAM. Here is their logo. New name to me. Not into hip-hop or rap or their bling-blings.
2D: Airing after midnight, say: ON LATE. I wanted ON TAPE.
3D: Way to organize all your ducks?: IN A ROW. Lovely clue.
4D: Pencil remnant: NUB. I wonder why pencils instead pens are provided at the golf course. Easy to cheat?
5D: Scoff at: GIBE. I keep forgetting this taunting meaning of GIBE. Vaguely remember we had some GIBE & jibe discussions several weeks ago.
7D: USS Missouri nickname: BIG MO. New to me also. Wikipedia says it's also called "Mighty Mo".
10D: Aptly named shaving lotion: AFTA. After? Holy moley! No idea. I've never paid attention to what brand my husband is using. I don't like the bottle.
12D: Open porches: VERANDAS
18D: Qualified: ELIGIBLE
23D: Like "algae" or "termini": Abbr. PLU. Chinese nouns have no plural form.
27D: Italian cheese city: PARMA. Oh, is that how we get Parmesan cheese?
31D: Prize founder: NOBEL. Harsh words on Geithner's BAILOUTS (39D: Large-scale financial rescues) from Paul Krugman, NOBEL economics winner.
34D: "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People" author Lenny: BRUCE. Have never heard of the book, a parody of Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
37D: Bit of work: ERG. Both ERG and JOULE are often clued as "Work unit". JOULE is ten million ERGS.
40D: Bozo: LUNKHEAD. Know blockhead. LUNKHEAD is new to me.
41D: Revival structure: TENT. Thought of yesterday's earthquake in L'Aquila. So many landmark buildings are destroyed.
42D: "Up, up and away" defunct flier: TWA. Owned by Howard Huges from 1939 to 1966.
47D: Skating gold medalist Dorothy: HAMILL. 1976 Olympics champion. She looks very pretty.
48D: Log-in requirement: USER ID
49D: Lipton rival: TETLEY. Owned by Ratan Tata's Tata Group. He was actually educated in the US (Cornell & Harvard). He probably should not have gobbled up Jaguar and Land Rover.
52D: "Waves of grain" color: AMBER. I guessed. I had no idea that it's from "America the Beautiful".
59D: Apothecary's weight: DRAM. One eight of an ounce, or sixty grains, according to Dictionary.
64D: Mop & __: floor cleaner: GLO. I don't know what's the brand in our house, but it's definitely not Mop & GLO.
Answer Grid.
C.C.
17A: Astound: FLABBERGAST
39A: Gossipy types: BLABBERMOUTHS
62A: Classic baking powder brand: CLABBER GIRL
Wish CLABBER GIRL were one word, then the theme answers would be more consistent.
My favorite clue today is AB CRUNCH (11D: Six-pack enhancer?"), so many consonants. I also like seeing OBAMA (6A: 44th president) crossing OPRAH (6D: Talk's Winfrey). I wonder if he would have gained that much momentum without OPRAH's earlier endorsement. Do you know that Barack means "peach" in Hungarian?
I am surprised by our poll result so far. I was also surprised to read this piece in Naples Daily News. One reader wrote: “We do not like the L.A. Times daily crossword puzzle that you’ve started to use. We find it to be very ‘gimmicky’ and difficult to solve as many of the answers aren’t logical or able to be found through a reference manual...".
That's exactly what makes Rich Norris puzzles entertaining. He works hard to be "illogical" and gives us the twisted V-8 moment "gimmicks".
It takes time to adjust to a new editor and his cluing style. I hope you all have patience. If you don't understand the clue or the answer, just go to the Comments section and ask. Don't be shy or feel intimidated by the regulars there. We were all strangers once. And remember, no question is stupid in this blog. I am not afraid to ask question, nor should you be.
Across:
1A: Working on, as homework: DOING. We did not have light in our house until 1979. So I had to do my homework under the candle.
14A: The blahs: ENNUI. I am glad I did not know what ENNUI was when I was a child.
16A: "Big" London clock: BEN. From Dr. Dad: Big BEN is not the clock. It's not the tower. It's the BELL inside the tower. A common mistake to say it is the clock.
20A: Pickle holder: JAR. Gingers turn pink naturally when pickled.
21A: Oater actor Jack: ELAM. I can never remember this guy's name. Rich Norris clued ELAM as "Placekicker Jason" last time.
24A: Cyclotron particle: ATOM. Easy guess. I don't know what "Cyclotron" is. Sounds nuclear and dangerous.
30A: Litter cries: MEWING. No plural for MEWING? I penned in S at the end of blanks immediately, and had trouble with the ING.
32A: "Married ... With Children" dad: AL BUNDY. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says the show was notable for being the first prime time TV series to air on Fox, debuted on April 5, 1987. Oh, I just found out that Rupert Murdock's Fox was launched only in 1986.
35A: One hanging around: LOITERER. Only know the verb loiter.
38A: Suffix with web: CAM. Looks so high-tech to me.
42A: Letter after sigma: TAU. I know the letter, ignorant of the exact order though. It's before upsilon.
43A: Refined grace: ELEGANCE. Did Grace Kelly pop into your mind also? She is the epitome of ELEGANCE. I really like her in "To Catch a Thief".
44A: Kate of "The Reader": WINSLET. Another elegant actress. She won Oscar for "The Reader".
46A: Sarge's order: TEN HUT. Nope. I could only think of AT EASE. Wikipedia says TEN HUT is an American military term meaning "Come to attention!" It was shortened from "a-ten-hut" and came into use because it is easier to say at full shout than "attention." I feel "attention" is easier to shout, don't you?
50A: "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" brand word: ALKA. I guessed. I've never heard of the song.
51A: Hard to recall: HAZY
54A: "Don't __ me, bro!": TASE. Here is the clip again. You will hear "Don't TASE me, bro!" around 1:58. It's played and replayed and replayed on various stations ad nauseam.
58A: Darn with thread: MEND
61A: Saturn SUV: VUE. French for "sight" as well.
66A: Hang in midair: HOVER. Thought of the kestrel the windhover immediately.
67A: Kate's sitcom pal: ALLIE
68A: '60 "trip" drug: LSD
69A: 33-Down's field: OPERA. And LEONTYNE (33D: Price known for Verdi roles), who was a completely unknown to me. Wikipedia says she was the the first African-American to become a leading prima donna at the Mets and best known for her title role "Aida".
70A: Like really old bread: MOLDY. STALE came to me first.
Down:
1D: Hip-hop record label: DEF JAM. Here is their logo. New name to me. Not into hip-hop or rap or their bling-blings.
2D: Airing after midnight, say: ON LATE. I wanted ON TAPE.
3D: Way to organize all your ducks?: IN A ROW. Lovely clue.
4D: Pencil remnant: NUB. I wonder why pencils instead pens are provided at the golf course. Easy to cheat?
5D: Scoff at: GIBE. I keep forgetting this taunting meaning of GIBE. Vaguely remember we had some GIBE & jibe discussions several weeks ago.
7D: USS Missouri nickname: BIG MO. New to me also. Wikipedia says it's also called "Mighty Mo".
10D: Aptly named shaving lotion: AFTA. After? Holy moley! No idea. I've never paid attention to what brand my husband is using. I don't like the bottle.
12D: Open porches: VERANDAS
18D: Qualified: ELIGIBLE
23D: Like "algae" or "termini": Abbr. PLU. Chinese nouns have no plural form.
27D: Italian cheese city: PARMA. Oh, is that how we get Parmesan cheese?
31D: Prize founder: NOBEL. Harsh words on Geithner's BAILOUTS (39D: Large-scale financial rescues) from Paul Krugman, NOBEL economics winner.
34D: "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People" author Lenny: BRUCE. Have never heard of the book, a parody of Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
37D: Bit of work: ERG. Both ERG and JOULE are often clued as "Work unit". JOULE is ten million ERGS.
40D: Bozo: LUNKHEAD. Know blockhead. LUNKHEAD is new to me.
41D: Revival structure: TENT. Thought of yesterday's earthquake in L'Aquila. So many landmark buildings are destroyed.
42D: "Up, up and away" defunct flier: TWA. Owned by Howard Huges from 1939 to 1966.
47D: Skating gold medalist Dorothy: HAMILL. 1976 Olympics champion. She looks very pretty.
48D: Log-in requirement: USER ID
49D: Lipton rival: TETLEY. Owned by Ratan Tata's Tata Group. He was actually educated in the US (Cornell & Harvard). He probably should not have gobbled up Jaguar and Land Rover.
52D: "Waves of grain" color: AMBER. I guessed. I had no idea that it's from "America the Beautiful".
59D: Apothecary's weight: DRAM. One eight of an ounce, or sixty grains, according to Dictionary.
64D: Mop & __: floor cleaner: GLO. I don't know what's the brand in our house, but it's definitely not Mop & GLO.
Answer Grid.
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - an enjoyable puzzle today - doable without help, but not a speed run either. Unknowns for me were Clabber Girl and Leon Tyne.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very timely having 'bailouts' clued. 'Ten-hut!' is a command given to call troops to attention. Also, I never actually realized that 'Afta' could mean 'after' - just thought it was a randomly made-up brand name.
Today's Words of Wisdom: INTERVIEWER: "To what do you attribute your longevity?" CHEF JULIA CHILD: "Red meat and gin."
C.C., I was running late and posted without reading your write-up first. If Afta is meant as 'after', then why do they sell a PRE-electric shave?
ReplyDeleteAlso, as a sergeant who hollered it many times, I can tell you that 'ten-hut' is much easier to put emphasis behind than 'attention'.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteLongevity secret varies. For Sam Snead, it's steak and potato. For my grandma, it's probably picked ginger. As for AFTA, I've got no idea. Marketing gimmick? Can you think of anything catchy for "before"?
Crossedlover,
When I first started blogging, I got all kinds of negative emails/comments. Dennis has never once scorned at my ignorance. He can be self-assertive occasionally, but "pompous", no. Thanks for pointing out my mistakes. I hope you contribute often. Very cool name, Crossedlover.
Frank,
Yes, you are right. I object "Biblical spy" only because SPY is also the answer. It's against crossword construction rules.
Terry @9:04am,
ReplyDeleteThanks for JETHRO TULL.
Anonymous @12:51pm,
You need a name for yourself so others can address you properly.
Linda & PromiseMe,
Re: My Pinkerton Days. Too bad. I can't tell you things I remember. And I don't remember things I can tell you. But it's a dangerous & exciting job.
TJ,
Silly idea to have a roofless new stadium. I want the old Liriano back! So quiet last night.
Argyle,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the help this morning.
Chris,
Your Playboy GROTTO visit surprised me. Was the Playboy Bunny attentive to you? If so, how?
Razzberry,
Where have you been? I missed your posts.
PromiseMe,
Can you explain to me your clues for CALEB ('Dean's role' or 'Corporate swindler')? I don't understand. What if I am a man?
Good morning, C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteThis was a smooth ride for me this morning. I hesitated for a while over "doing" because defjam was unknown to me. My time was 24 minutes online. I thought I was moving right along, but compared to some of you, I am a tortoise.
I was surprised, C.C., at your poll results. I thought the positive response would be much higher.
BIGMO, AFTA, PILAF, ELAM, MILA, PARMA and LEONTYNE were unknowns. I also crossed AL BUNDY with Ted BUNDY and write ED BUNDY. I didn't finish it today either.
ReplyDeleteMartin
Good morning CC:
ReplyDeleteWe were dating at the time and so were "attentive" to each other as often as possible ;)
No troubles with the puzzle today - was even able to pull LEONTYNE from the HAZY recesses of my brain, remembered ELAM, and have a can of CLABBERGIRL in my cupboard - did go look at it, though, but that doesn't count as cheating does it?
Happy Tuesday all!
I think this new puzzle is very good. It is cleverly done and today's 4/7/09 I did not need any help.
ReplyDeleteI like the mix of "trivia"
and politics.
I try always to do it in the least amount of time and it's the first thing I do every morning and I look forward to it.
Gladys
I think this new puzzle is very good. It is cleverly done and today's 4/7/09 I did not need any help.
ReplyDeleteI like the mix of "trivia"
and politics.
I try always to do it in the least amount of time and it's the first thing I do every morning and I look forward to it.
Gladys
Good morning all,
ReplyDeleteCC, I never heard of lunkhead either. I’m sure others have, but it wasn’t used in our neck of the woods. Web cams are wonderful for new grandparents who don’t live close enough to their grandchild. Our son gave us one for Christmas and it’s been a joy seeing the baby. Easy to set up and use. Great way to stay in touch.
I was surprised at your polling results. Most of the comments on the blog have been positive about the change. However, I’m with the 64% that miss the TMS puzzle. The Monday, Tuesday puzzles are way too easy, Wednesday, too. I like Thursday’s puzzle but by Friday and Saturday the difficulty level really jumps for me. One of the things I liked about the TMS puzzle that everyday difficulty stayed pretty consistent. None too easy and usually none to difficult. The multiple word answers, especially last Saturday prevent me from getting a grip on a section of the puzzle. I may get used to the cutsy? clues but a crossword puzzle is a source of entertainment for me, a learning experience, and a way to enjoy my second cup of coffee in the a.m. So far my enjoyment level is way down. By the end of the week, I’m doing the x/word online (yes, so I can cheat). I’m hoping to get the hang of it by doing so. Another small complaint, I prefer the online puzzles that skip to the next blank spot when filling in the answers. Newsday and NYT puzzles do that; LAT does not. By the way, I only do the NYT the early part of the week. Trying to improve on those, also. I will keep plugging away for awhile, but if the end of the week puzzles get more difficult as promised by Norris, then I will be writing my swan song instead of answers.
Thanks again CC for all you do and do so well. I am in awe of your ability. And Dennis, don’t change a thing--we love you just the way you are. Have a good day all. Waiting for spring here in eastern PA and getting very impatient.
Good morning CC and all,...I struggled a bit with this one. I did not know director Frank Capra, defjam and Leontyme and this made a 100% help free puzzle impossible.
ReplyDeleteI am also surprised with the comments from the Naples newspaper. For me I have founf the change to LAT to be a welcomed change. The cluing/answers are mostly new and challenging which is good for this old brain.
Look out Dennis and Jeanne, it snowed about an inch last night and it is on the way to see you next.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday. Off top the gym.
Good morning all -
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle went pretty well for me today. I liked how Obama and Oprah crossed and thought the ducks in a row clue was nice. Won't dwell on bailouts, or I'll get the blahs...
Didn't have a clue about Leontyne, but fortunately, it sorted itself out. Clabbergirl must be a regional brand. Like Chris in LA, I went to my pantry for a peek, but we have Calumet here. I still have an ancient red metal can that it used to come in. Keep it in my pantry for some reason, even though it's been empty for years. My mother's influence, I'm sure. :)
CC, has blog traffic increased since the puzzle switch? I like how you've addressed any newcomers to welcome them in. You are a terrific blog hostess!
c.c. As I've said before, I'm enjoying the change of puzzles. The new style of cluing keeps me on my toes. The title "Busy B's" popped into my head when I realized the theme. Even though I'm not very strong with entertainment trivia, I've been able to come up with most of the answers without resorting to Google. Thanks for all of your background info. It makes the puzzles even more enjoyable TTFN
ReplyDeleteGood morning everyone,
ReplyDeleteI was able to complete most of the puzzle relatively easily this am. Didn't know LEONTYNE, or BIGMO, but they made sense with the perps today.
Loved the reference to "plop, plop, fizz, fizz - oh what a relief it is". Takes me back in time.
Elegance also brings to mind Audrey Hepburn. She was my absolute favorite actress. I loved watching her perform "I Could Have Danced All Night" even if she wasn't singing.
Like you CC, AB CRUNCH was my favorite clue.
I am amazed by all of your posts daily. You are all so adept with your use of language, how you pick up on the innuendos of the puzzles and your witty responses. I have fun reading, but cannot keep up with you at all.
I am still on the side of liking these puzzles. Much more fun that answering boring and obvious clues, or ones that are too obscure for the common person to figure out. I do not like when a puzzle has too many foreign terms, or references to names that are relatively unknown.
Another morning spent watching golf scores on the computer and finishing taxes. Hope everyone has a good day.
ENNUI I learned that word from an episode of LAW & ORDER entitled "By hooker by crook" 1990 Season I Episode VII
ReplyDeleteA murder investigation leads detectives to a madam accused of running a prostitution ring disguised as a catering service.
During the trial phase the defense attorney asked questions of the witnesses and one person testified that he used the service to alleviate ennui due to the fact that his wife was an invalid.
What's amazing is the show has been on 19 years!
Tuesday must be my day - easy puzzle for me again as was last week Tuesday's. I just knew the stuff - not sure how but clabber girl, leontyne, al bundy were in the old memory banks and popped right out. Not record time for me but close. Makes up for my poor performance Saturday.
ReplyDeletecc - I agree that Grace Kelly was elegance personified but I would also put Audrey Hepburn in that category, although she didn't marry a Prince which does count for something. Do little girls today still grow up wanting to marry a prince? Do they even know what princes are (or are supposed to be)? Do princes even exist?
chris - loved your comment about the 'attentiveness' of the bunny you were dating - vague enough to really get my mind going early. Another good day.
dennis - you gotta love that Julia; sure worked for her. I'm all for red meat, chocolate and red wine, not so much on the gin thing. And not real sure I want to live as long as she did, but then again she had it going!
I also like the change in puzzles. Yes, some are a tad easy and some a real nightmare but I like clever and a lot of the cluing is now clever and not the same old same old. Nice to see both new words and new cluing. I may have gotten jaded by some of the stuff in the Tribune since we saw it so frequently or else I'm just enthralled by the change in general.
Top O' the Mornin' to Ya'
ReplyDeleteJeanne, you can get the LAT in the Across Lite form by going to Cruciverb.com site.
As far as those that liked the old puzzle, did they really know some of the singers and actors that died before even my parents were born(1910)? We use to get them every week!
You can put more oomph on HUT than you can 'tion'
Karen Q - sorry about my Audrey Hepburn comment. You were posting about the same time as I was.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we could have a "Crunch Theme" or have we? AB crunch, Captain Crunch, Nestle's crunch, - there must be lots more.
Leontyne Price
ReplyDeleteI wanted to put a face with the name...and what a name. The name Leontyne is the feminine of Leon: Shining light.
Good Morning All, Another good puzzle day for me. I had to get DOING and ENNUI before DEFJAM clicked in. I'm definitely not a hip-hop fan, but I must have heard it somewhere.
ReplyDeleteLEONTYNE Price was a very famous soprano during the 1950's, 60's and 70's. She was the first black American to become a lead at the Metropolitan Opera. Her most famous role was as Aida. If you aren't an opera fan, Summertime is a little more accessible.
I was also surprised at the poll results so far. A lot of people still don't realize that there is no going back. I wouldn't want to anyway. I like the feeling of being able to ace the first couple of puzzles of the week. I'm also enjoying the later in the week challenges of the LAT puzzles. I don't do the puzzles so I can go back to sleep, I do them so I can wake up.
Good morning c.c. and others,
ReplyDeleteThis one went more easily than yesterday. My only g'spot was for CLABBER GIRL, which I've never seen or heard of.
My reaction to these puzzles is that I enjoy the challenge of something a bit harder, but I don't enjoy it when it becomes so much of a chore that I have to spend more time researching than filling in answers, like the end of the week. I'm getting used to the new clueing style, but have to admit, the criticisms about the amount of trivia seem justified. Doing XWs is a way to broaden my vocabulary and geographic knowledge, not that of brand names or entertainment/sports hasbeens. If it weren't for c.c. and her excellent comments filling out this information, I wouldn't be able to remember many of these clues when they recur.
They were close to having every letter, missing only Q and X. Whats the term for a puzzle that has every letter?
ReplyDeleteThe Clabbergirl answer took me back to my childhood. I grew up in Mississippi, and every barn or abandoned building you passed on the highway had a Clabbergirl ad pasted on it. It was use in my house as a leaven for biscuits or cornbread.
ReplyDeleteWe seldom ate toast in the morning. My mother, who worked in the Post Office, got up before dawn to make hot biscuits for five kids and two adults. These were eaten with fried eggs, sausage, or bacon, and after that was finished, a biscuit topped with home-made molasses.
While we lived in a small town, our lot was big enough to support a milk cow, a couple of hogs, chickens for eggs and a vegetable garden. Or Dad milked the cow in the morning, and my brother and I milked her in the evening. She gave about a gallon and a half at each milking. We churned our own butter, which was slathered on the hot biscuits.
We did not have much money, but we ate like kings! Cornbread was eaten at the noon meal, which was dinner for us.
Anonymous @9:02, it's called a pangram.
ReplyDeleteT. Frank, that just sounds so appealing, even though I'm sure it was very hard work. How long did you live there?
Not quite as easy for me as yesterday, but after a couple of times through the clues, anything I didn't know off the top came to me. I knew of LEONTYNE and HAMILL, but didn't know the spelling, so I put in some letters and made adjustments with fills. I started with FLOAT for HOVER and an "s" on the end of litter cries and AT EASE for TEN HUT. PLU was a mystery to me. The "S" in TASE was my last fill and still had no idea what it was until I got here.
ReplyDeleteC.C. Since there is no eraser on most golf pencils it doesn't make it any easier to cheat.
SBK: Little girls today certainly know about princesses from the Disney folks. But I don't think they think so much about marrying princes. My single girlfriend once said she didn't need a prince but, living in San Francisco, she was just happy when she met a guy who wasn't a queen.
I was surprised when I learned that Julie Child took up cooking because her husband had a job in Paris and she was bored and took a cooking class to fill her time. Amazing how you can stumbling into something life changing.
CC,
ReplyDeleteI have come up with a Steve Earle- type "brand new plan". ( Could someone link the lyrics to "Copperhead Road"). My wife works away from the farm two days a week. She is going to try to print the puzzle for me. Here is the plan. I will: (a) Pretend that I live on the west coast. (b) Pretend that I have a job and cannot do the puzzle until after work. (c) Pretend that after spending the day at my imaginary job, I would still have enough active brain cells to do the puzzle. Maybe Dennis (Mr. WoW) knows who said, "There is no deception as effective as self-deception.". If that's true, I will check in this evening. If it's not, I may be toast.
PS:
When you print the puzzle, do the clues print with it, or do you have to read them from the screen. If the latter, I'm (insert past-tense form of common four letter word).
Windhover, striving.
Good Morning,
ReplyDeleteNot too bad for me this morning once I got Flabbergast and Blabbermouths. Clabbergirl was a new one that perps and guessing gave me. I never watched Married with Children and Leon Tyne was an unknown so I had a lucky guess at the L.
"Aftah" is how we pronounce after in this neck of the woods. That was my first guess so Afta fell easily. Real Downeasters also have a tendency to add Rs where ever they want. "Aftah suppah we'll start the meetin' and work down the aggender items". Catch myself doing it also.
I'm beginning to get used to the cluing. Monday and Tuesday I've been able to work right through. I usually get stuck 85% to 90% complete on Wednesdays and Thursdays and have been struggling Fridays and Saturdays. Overall I like the change and will persevere to complete the Sat. grid!!
Well, being pet free didn't last long. Last weekend the wife and kids went and rescued three kittens at the SPCA. They are being picked up today so let the mewing begin. So much for sleep! Thelma, Louise and Babe will be raising hell for sure.
Bid opening today. Work calls.
Have a good one!
Good morning:
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at the negative reaction to the new puzzles, as I find them to be witty and interesting, with every puzzle having some nice touch. Yesterday's BE SILENT with all the silent Bs was really great, and while the clues were not hard, there was some thought in them. I also like the variety from the very current, like my poor fellow University of Florida boy's "Don't TASE me bro'", the Geitner reference, and the recent movie, "The Reader" to the old TV of KATE & ALLIE (Susan St. James and Jane Curtain) AL BUNDY, pioneers in their field, LEONTYNE PRICE and LENNY BRUCE and then ALKA SELTZER, MOP & GLO and CLABBER GIRL. These are a diverse, yet fair group of clues, which are not too easy.
The complaint that you cannot find all your answers by GOOGLING is one of the pleasures of a well put together puzzle.
Did anyone learn the word ENNUI (on-wee) with today's puzzle?
JACK ELAM was a great western villain for many years, with eyes that did not quite seem to work together. He later appeared in many comic roles parodying his own tough guy persona. Jack Elam
It was short and sweet, but enjoyable.
Hi C.C. & gang;
ReplyDeleteIt was a very enjoyable puzzle this morning; We finished it before my wife left for work in 10 minutes or so...but Tuesday is still a level 1 puzzle yes?
It was hard to remember how to spell 47D:Hamile, we tried both HEMMILE & HEMILE but 62A: clabber girl pulled it together.
My wife thought 30A should have been "mew mew" instead of mewing.
I've never heard 54A "don't tase me bro!"? Sounds like don't tease me? then I found
this example.
BTW, it turns out that Afta also makes after shave products. Go figure.
Lemonade, you're right - Elam definitely had a different processor for each eye. And yes, I learned ennui from crosswords, albeit many years ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm also amazed at the response to the new puzzles. What a breath of fresh air they've been! People are always averse to change, especially older people, but I hope over time opinions will change.
Windhover, the clues print with the puzzle. As to who said the comment about self-deception, that's the first I've heard it.
Elissa, I never knew that about Julia Child - good stuff.
Dennis and Mainiac: It isn't 'Leon Tyne'. It is Leontyne and here is what she looks like.
ReplyDeleteThe two puzzles the Naples News is now running are silly. The LATimes is, as noted, a progressive one. The Other is too easy for anybody. And it has many fewer words. So many fewer that the paper prints it much larger than any other puzzle I've seen.
ReplyDeleteI do like the early LATimes ones, but the later in the week ones are not fun. I agree that a more even tone is preferable. IMHO.
Thanks, Argyle, for showing that Leontyne is a woman and her name is not two words. Her voice is wonderful.
Hi C.C. and Gang,
ReplyDeleteWell, I field like an old "lunkhead" relating to the insensitive and inappropriate comment I made about Dennis yesterday. I should not have been so judgmental and I apologize. I was "flabbergasted" at the number of responses to my initial post.
Thanks C.C. for your nice comments. I love all the good work you do.
DOROTHY HAMILL is as famous for her famous hairdo, as she is for her Olympic skating gold medal. HAMILL WEDGE CUT.
ReplyDeleteCrossedlover, no apology needed. Opinions flow freely here, and I always try to acknowledge the little people.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, stick around - it's a great blog.
@c.c.
ReplyDelete"PARMA. Oh, is that how we get Parmesan cheese?"
Sort of, parmesan is French and means "from Parma", in Italian it's pronounced parmigiano.
Actually parmesan cheese can come from several regions in Italy. Parma is more specificaly the origin of "parma ham" a very thinly sliced dried ham usually served with cantaloupe. Delicious by the way.
For what it's worth, I like the LA Times puzzles better than the old one. As an Aussie the previous TMS crossword used too many obscure sports clues. This one is more cerebral.
Cheers everyone.
A little bit late for Epitaph Day, but if I were going to be a buryin' kind of woman, I could do worse that this. Besides that, G.A.H. is coming home later today from his visit with his mom. I'm feeling a little romantic and this is a very romantic sonnet. If there are those of you who suspect that this was written by Bacon or Marlowe or deVere, go ahead and enjoy anyway.
ReplyDeleteShall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day? (Sonnets XVIII)
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
- William Shakespeare
Crossedlover, Welcome back and "jump right in, the water's fine!"
Thanks Terry, next time I draw cantaloupes, I'll put them on a platter with some parma ham...yummy!
Terry,
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know there's another Aussie in the group. Welcome!
I checked to see if you had any more info on your profile and was disappointed not to find any. Where are you from, and how long have you been here? Check me out if you wish. I grew up in Sydney and have been here since 1974.
Elissa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction. I couldn't get your link to work so I googled.
Ms. Price is certainly a great talent. Great versions of a great song too!!
ClearAyes, Thanks for the poetry. I especially liked yesterday's. School night. Don't stay up too late!
Thomas: @ 3:20 AM...Don`t understand your post...enlighten me...had family over night again...always stay up late and "older" brains need more rest to function properly :)
ReplyDeleteCC:Loved "lunkhead". Look in the dictionary by it and you`ll find :"Linda from ages 16-21!"
"Ennui" came easily...my son does a cartoon character called "Skeet" who wears a Tee with "ennui" on it.
I wanted "mewmew" instead of "mewing". Had to come here to get "bigmo" and then "flabbergast" fell in place. All in all...even easier than yesterday for me!
The schwa sound of the "a" in "attention" would make it hard to shout...
My vote about the puzzle: Bring it!
Another smooth sail for me today with the exception of Leontyne. My only g-spot.
ReplyDeleteC.C. I have never had pickled ginger but cook with fresh ginger root all the time. What are it’s uses? Do you just eat it as is?
Dennis, you didn’t tell us what day is today. I am kind of lost without knowing.
Jibe is a sailing term. It basically means to shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side
of the vessel to the other while sailing before the wind so you can sail on the opposite
tack. It is my favorite part of sailing scurrying from one side to loosen the lines on
that side and scurrying to the other side to secure the line again. All this while watching
that your head doesn’t get taken off by the boom. I just got my juices flowing….can you
tell it’s been a long winter?
Some day I hope to get to Parma, Italy and bring home a big wheel of parmigiano reggiano. Actually I hope to get to Italy to just eat and drink good wine all the way across the country. Some day I am going to make that dream reality.
Clabber Girl was a gimme to as well. I can still picture the can sitting on my Mom’s pantry.
It was a must for good biscuits. T. Frank, did your mom bake the biscuits in a big cast iron
skillet?
Lemonade, being a young teen in 1976 everyone was getting the Dorothy Hamill wedge cut.
Mine was too curly to pull it off, and that was before the hair straightening tools came out.
At least I didn’t have one.
SandbridgeKaren - Don't apologize. Glad to have someone agree. I guess great Karen's think alike.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone read the "Julie & Julia Project"? About a woman who took Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and made every single recipe during a one year time span then blogged about the experience. Fun to read as she weaves her life into Julia's. The blog is still online to review. The movie version is due out this year and stars Meryl Streep as Julia, and Amy Adams as Julie. They are both interesting characters.
So if Parma is really known for ham, why was the clue about cheese?
And I am waiting for someone to tell me hot to convert something to italics or bold when posting comments.
direct quote from Dennis at 10:53: "I always try to acknowledge the little people." Dennis, you are a pompous and arrogant jerk!
ReplyDeleteKaren Q,
ReplyDeleteUse < > with i enclosed before what is to be italicised and < > with /i enclosed after it--no spaces.
Minnesota Fats,
I think Dennis was just fishing for more flack. He's not normally like that.
Jeannie,
Is it pickled ginger that's used in sushi? Little pink slices?
Karen Q,
ReplyDeleteSorry, I was in too big a hurry. For bold do the same only with b instead of i.
Hi C.C. and all,
ReplyDeleteI actually got all but 64A (TASE) and 7D BIGMO but they filled in finally, so no G spot for me. Yea!
30A MEWING had me putting an 's' at the end too. I was thinking of puppies rather than kittens.
38A CAM - reminded me of Joe's (hubby) man-cave (office). A few years ago I hated to go in there in the mornings because I just knew my picture (in robe and slippers with hair all goofy) would be all over cyberspace. The good thing was that no one knew me anyway! Thankfully he has turned if off.
Dennis - LOL at W.O.W. - Loved Julia Child.
T.Frank at 9:21a, Now I am hungry!
Mainiac at 10:04a, Good for you and your family for adopting the kittens. You'll love them for years.
Crossedlover - nice of you to apologize.
Minn.Fats - Wow, never heard of tongue in cheek? How harsh!
Good morning, all. C.C. said "We were all strangers once." And some of us are still stranger than the other, LOL! Sometimes when I get to the computer in the morning the comments are all made, so I may not post for a day or two. Then I'll find something to comment on and be back in the fray. I've gotten into the habit of doing the puzzle the night before (it's usually available after 11:00 p.m.), but then I don't get up too early!
ReplyDelete@minnesotafats You missed that dennis' comment was tres sarcastic!
@karenq I think your question was answered twice in yesterday's postings. You need to do some html coding: Do a left caret (<) type in "i" for italics or "b" for bold, then type a right carat (>). Type the text you want to use for your link. Type another left carat (<) and then a slash (/) followed by the "i" or "b" and then a right carat. That will give you the result you're after. I see kazie also answered while I was typing this out.
Good morning CC and all,
ReplyDeleteAnother fun one! Of course it is only Tues.Too bad the Naple-ites aren't willing to give this new cw a chance.
The hardest spot for me was the U in ten hut; I'm vertically challenged with the longer words, so user id took some thought. Am not familiar with Vue, Def Jam, Tetley or dram, but easy to get with fills. I had ocher for amber at 1st. Is that even close?
@pencils: pens tend to dry up after awhile; no erasers to cheat. I used to hand these shorties out to students who continally came to school with no supplies. For the first few months I would supply good pencils, but they kept disappearing.
Knew nothing about baking powder, so just looked it up its history: invented by Alfred Bird in 1843 . His wife was allegic to eggs and yeast, and with b. powder he could create a yeast free bread for her. Awwwww, what a guy!
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/BakingPowderHistory.htm
Dennis said...@ 10:53 AM
ReplyDeleteCrossedlover, no apology needed. Opinions flow freely here, and I always try to acknowledge the little people.
Seriously, stick around - it's a great blog.
-------------------------------
Minnesota Fats said...@ 12:00 PM
direct quote from Dennis at 10:53: "I always try to acknowledge the little people." Dennis, you are a pompous and arrogant jerk!
--------------------------------
So Fats, are you a politician; you're pretty good at taking something out of context and trying to make something of it?
CC: Et Al, "taser"...learned on Hist. Ch. that it stands for "Thomas A. S wift`s Electric Rifle"...some more useless but fascinating trivia...
ReplyDeleteCC: Re: Being a Pinkerton Agent. Need we be concerned that you are gathering information on the brightest minds available to do horrific experiments on us? If so, I volunteer Dennis...he`s way far the brightest...(run, Dennis!)
Off and on over the years since Dorothy Hamill was in the Olympics I've had a wedge cut (except for delusional moments when I decide to get a perm). Great wash and wear cut.
ReplyDeleteJD: The colors amber and ocher are pretty close, but I would say ocher is more brownish yellow and amber is more orange-ish yellow. Boy, colors sure can be hard to describe!
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteUntil I enrolled at U. of Alabama at the tender age of sixteen; then in my freshman year, I qualified for an NROTC scholarship and transferred to Brown as there was no NROTC unit at Alabama.
Jeannie,
Yes, in a cast iron skillet and baked in an oil burning stove.
Where does the clabber in Clabbergirl come from? Clabber is what sweet milk turns into when it sours. My mother used it to make biscuits with. The baking powder needed something acidic to react to and make bubbles.
Kazie and Crockett1947 - Thanks for the info. I looked at yesterdays posts but didn't see it. Sorry. I knew it would be an HTML code but have little experience doing this. When told I can usually follow directions pretty well (as you can see by this post). I am told that it is a Germanic trait (reading directions and following them). Someone said we are not very friendly though:)
ReplyDeleteWe tried using the webcam when my sister-in-law was adopting a child in Ukraine and we were taking care of her 5 year old. Unfortunately, they have extremely poor internet service there. She could not even get a connection to update her blog or type an email. She ended up typing her blog update daily in a blackberry for me to post online. It worked but I am sure it was not very efficient for her. We never did get to see each other across the ocean. They work well here though. It is kind of fun when you are not busted for still being in your jammies and a bedhead.
I think CC should reference her posting rules again. It is one thing to dis someone in fun that you have bantered with for a long time, but these random barbs are really not what the online community is about. It shouldn't be too hard to keep it civil.
Maybe this will help with Big Mo USS Missouri (BB-63)
ReplyDeleteI know I said I wasn't coming back till evening, but I just hate to see a troll go hungry.
ReplyDeleteFats: is your head fat, too? Don't you recognize a F-----g joke when you see it? If you hang around here long enough, you will find that this weird collection of people who are only connected by a crossword grid very quickly circle the wagons when any one is attacked. When one of us crosses a line, usually unintentionally, and offends another, we quickly make amends, repent and are forgiven. When an outsider or newbie does so, the wrath of god (Zeus, that is) is mild in comparison. We do have a few lawyers, diplomats, and liberals who are quick to forgive, but most will just spank your cyber ass.
I would advise you to see the error of your ways, beg for mercy, and enjoy the blog. It is, as the pompous one says, a great one, and a lot of fun. We can be vicious when taunted, though.
Windhover, asst. dir., troll relations.
You gotta say this has been an interesting week blog-wise so far. And it's only Tuesday. New folks jumping right in creating consternation, conflict and comments. Where else can you find such drama?!
ReplyDeletecrossedlover - nicely done apology. Probably not necessary (easy for me to say since your comments weren't directed at me) but generous of you to acknowledge the uproar. Welcome to the blog.
lemonade714 - agree on the over use of googling. I'd much rather think thru some really clever clue (or maybe not get it and then have a 'doh' moment when I read cc's answers) than just g everything that's so obscure I can't imagine anyone knowing it. If all I'm doing is googling for answers then I'm not much interested in doing the puzzle. Would rather either learn something new or have to really think it thru.
Dennis - what happened to the FF's?
Miss 'em.
And all those biscuit and cooking stories today made my mouth water. Fascinating info on Julia Child - who knew she was so interesting??
From the URL I posted that no one seems to look at?
ReplyDeletetase
tay-z (v) 1. To apply a disabling electric shock to an unruly, loud, overprivileged college student who may be disrupting an otherwise peaceful seminar with a political figure.
"Don't tase me, Bro!"
from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tase
Warren - did look at your URL. Can think of a million other people I'd like to tase - gonna add that word to my lingo.
ReplyDelete???should we apply it to nasty blog comments????????
Argyle,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to Big Mo.
I guess this is nostalgia day for me. I had the good fortune to make a midshipman cruise on her across the Atlantic and back in the Summer of 1948. Two years later, I made a comparable cruise on her sister ship, the USS Wisconsin.
Those beautiful teak decks you see forward of the 16" guns had to be holy-stoned for hours every Friday.
Holy back-ache!
Welcome crossedlover, you have potential!
ReplyDeleteDennis @ 10:53 LOL
MinniFats:Hope you were just kidding around!At the moment no one wants to be your best friend.
Elissa, thanks!
Jeannie, it is Woman's Day in Mozambique, and World Health Day.I have no cute comments like Dennis.. best I could do.
Minnesota Fats.....I'm gonna type this real slow, so you can follow.
ReplyDeleteIt (with me so far?) was a joke. Partly self-deprecating (means making fun of yourself) and partly at Crossedlover because I thought he'd get a kick out of it. I can retype any of this if it's too much for you.
Do stick around, though - your use of 'pompous' and 'arrogant' shows that you're intelligent and we need more of them there big words.
Karen Q, I think C.C. can restate the rules every day, and you'll still get the yahoos. Just a given on any blog.
SandbridgeKaren, Mr. Fun Facts got spanked by Mrs. C.C. over some rather lewd and lascivious FFs that Mr. Fun Facts attempted to publish, so Mr. Fun Facts was pouting for a while. Now that someone's asked, they shall return.
Jeannie, I completely forgot; today is No Housework Day, and now it's probably too late to observe it. Sorry.
T. Frank, college at 16? Most impressive.
I have to go now; I must tend to the peasants.
In regards to your poll, I'd just like to chime in that as a rookie solver, I like the LA Times puzzle a lot more. I was rarely able to solve a TMS puzzle completely, so it's a nice feeling to be able to solve (or at least mostly solve) Mon-Wed's LA puzzles by myself. I think the themed clues are a lot more entertaining, and Norris' witty clues definitely put a smile on my face when I get them! I struggled with TMS because so many of clues seemed to come from a different generation. Old TV shows and movie stars and what-not... I'm a college student, so you can see why I might struggle with those. Then again, I watch you guys struggle with the clues I think are gimmes (e.g. FOO Fighters from last week), so they might balance those sorts of clues better than I realize.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my one qualm with today's puzzle is the ATOM/cyclotron clue. Cyclotrons accelerate charged particles, and atoms are not charged... ions are! I eventually got it, but it's still a mistake. Oh well.
Back to lurking.
Cheers,
Orangie
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI have followed your website for some time now as I needed assistance on puzzles. However, recently, my paper – The Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader – began carrying THE Daily Commuter Puzzle by Jacqueline E. Matthews. Is there a site that I can find for solutions to this one?
Thanks.
B.B.
@ Kazie
ReplyDeleteG'day mate!
I'm actually living in Taiwan, same as Martin, and have been here since '86. I'm originally from Adelaide.
I'm sorry to say I haven't gotten around to filling in my profile info as yet, I work long hours, I run my own restaurant seven days a week. I shall get around to it eventually though.
@c.c 我國語會通
On this day April 7th....
ReplyDelete1927 An audience in New York saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover in the first successful long-distance demonstration of television.
Look how far we’ve come in 82 years with all the technology on tv’s today!
1947 Auto pioneer Henry Ford died at age 83.
What is your favorite ford car you have ever owned?
1948 The World Health Organization was founded.
1949 The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific" opened on Broadway.
This is my Mom’s favorite musical. I can’t tell you how many times I listened to this LP. Anyone every see in theatre?
1957 New York City's last electric trolley completed its final run from Queens to Manhattan.
They still have electric trolleys in Vancouver. At least they did three years ago when I was there.
1969 The Supreme Court unanimously struck down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material.
Well, at least my porn collection is legal.
1976 China's leadership deposed Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping.
1990 Former national security adviser John M. Poindexter was convicted of five counts at his Iran-Contra trial. (A federal appeals court later reversed the convictions.)
1990 A display of Robert Mapplethorpe photographs opened at Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center; the center and its director were indicted on obscenity charges.
Is anyone familiar with his art?
1994 Civil war erupted in Rwanda, a day after a plane crash claimed the lives of the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi.
2001 NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft took off on a six-month, 286-million-mile journey to the red planet.
2001 An unarmed black man wanted on 14 misdemeanor warrants was fatally shot by a white police officer in Cincinnati, sparking three days of riots.
2003 U.S. troops in more than 100 U.S. armored vehicles rumbled through downtown Baghdad and seized one of Saddam Hussein's opulent palaces.
2003 The Supreme Court voted 6-3 to uphold a 50-year-old Virginia law making it a crime to burn a cross as an act of intimidation.
2007 A Russian rocket carrying American billionaire Charles Simonyi roared into the night skies over Kazakhstan, sending its three occupants on a trip to the international space station.
I don't care how much money I had, I have no desire to be hurled into space. How about you?
Went for "66" today.
Dennis
ReplyDeleteFor being pompous and arrogant, you are pretty self deprecating. Right you are on getting the yahoo's. As for being No Housework Day, that would be almost every day in my household. Although I did polish some furniture today because there were just too many fingerprints all over the drawers. That is a big step for me some days.
My favorite clue today was ‘way to organize your ducks.” And because of clues like that, I vote – again - for the L A Times puzzles.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been using Clabber Girl baking power for years, but recently started buying generic from the bins. Appreciate T.Frank’s reference to clabbered milk – my Mom used to love it. I never had the courage to try it because it looks icky.
Warren, Your link to tase is a good one. And CC posted a link that was very graphic – it sure jogged my memory.
……..54A: "Don't __ me, bro!": TASE. Here is the clip again. You will hear "Don't TASE me, bro!" around 1:58. It's played and replayed and replayed on various stations ad nauseam.
Crossedlover, I’m glad you came back. I don’t think you are a troll, and you’re quite welcome here, as far as I’m concerned.
Minnesota Fats,
Dennis, of course, can speak for himself. If that wasn’t clear enough, I can only refer you to Windhover, asst. dir., troll relations. Do you plan to stick around? Many of us have put our foot in our mouths at one time or another.
Dennis,
………I have to go now; I must tend to the peasants.
LOL I am definitely a peasant by choice (much more fun) though I sometimes daydream that I’m a princess.
CC – Yaks & Loons + Noodges & Lunkheads
ReplyDeleteCC – I’ve been traveling around Texas for my job. Sometimes it doesn’t allow me a lot of time to post. Usually try to XW and read posts on my B’Berry.
Just a few to go with lunkhead – any other regional “heads” out there?
addlehead, beefhead, blockhead, blubberhead, blunderhead, bonehead, bufflehead, cabbagehead, chowderhead, chucklehead, clodhead, dolthead, dullhead, dumbhead, dunderhead, fathead, hame-head, jolterhead, jughead, knucklehead, meathead, muddlehead, mushhead, muttonhead, noodlehead, pinhead, puddinghead, pumpkin head, puzzlehead, stupidhead, thickhead, tottyhead
Oh HRH Dennis ;~P – This poor waif begs that the FFs continue but don’t pis*-off the boss!
Things that make you go Hmmm!?!?
+ Why do banks leave the door wide open but the pens chained to the counter?
+ Why do toasters always have a setting on them which burns your toast to a horrible crisp no one would eat?
Truism to live by…
Don’t mess with Dennis – else all of us little people will rise up in revolt!
This was my easiest LAT thus far. To bad, hoped that after all of the grotto talk yesterday I would a least need to tug on a G-string.
Isn’t it interesting all of the moaning and groaning that went on when the TMS started going “south” and now a lot of us miss it! Not me, I like the change. Good Greif Charlie Brown – What kind of world would this be if nothing ever changed.
BarbB: In your profile photo...are you being invested, divested, digested, molested, retested, degreed or what?
ReplyDeleteDennis - glad Mr. Fun Facts will stop pouting and rejoin us. I happen to like lewd & lascivious (but am willing to readily concede to cc's objections). However after all the 77 comments from yesterday I find it hard to take issue with anything you've said that's l & l.
ReplyDeleteOrAngie - don't lurk - join in. You are right on with the generational thing which is why some puzzles resonate better than others - very much your frame of reference. Nice to have 'young'ins' join - fresh perspective (speaking from one who will soon be getting those social security checks).
On the subject of housework: who does the housework in your house? Split responsibilities?
ReplyDeleteI do a lot of the little stuff - make the bed, take out trash, vacuum (being pompous, we have cleaning people, but I do it in between), clear the table after meals, and iron. I love ironing. My wife does everything else, including the cooking, which is still a black art to me.
Cooking is almost always mine. Generally picking up too. Saturday is cleaning day, and I have two teenage boys that must do their pieces (most of the work) as I have a bad back. Then I end up redoing lots of it as they cannot see dirt to save their lives.
ReplyDeleteI am a firm believer that they must learn to clean themselves. My daughter was aghast when her roommate (only child princess) didn't know that you had to put water in the bucket to mop the floors. She promptly thanked me for years of chores - as a sophomore in college - imagine that insight already.
Hey Fats! (AKA addlehead, beefhead, blockhead, blubberhead, blunderhead, bonehead, bufflehead, cabbagehead, chowderhead, chucklehead, clodhead, dolthead, dullhead, dumbhead, dunderhead, fathead, hame-head, jolterhead, jughead, knucklehead, meathead, muddlehead, mushhead, muttonhead, noodlehead, pinhead, puddinghead, pumpkin head, puzzlehead, stupidhead, thickhead, tottyhead)
ReplyDeleteSet the ego aside and have some fun with us!
Razz, Here its "chowdahead".
Jeannie, a bit ironic that in '69 the Supreme Court allowed the possession of obscene materials?? I wonder what case made it's way to that level?
And speaking of ginger.....
I bought a pork loin on sale and diced it up for the freezer. What I left out was cut for the grill and marinating in dumpling sauce, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper. Should be perfect by tomorrow night!!
Drum lessons (ow my head!)
Linda said...
ReplyDeleteBarbB: In your profile photo...are you being invested, divested, digested, molested, retested, degreed or what?
LOL That's a poor snapshot (but the only one available) of a 'hooding' ceremony at my graduation last December. And to anticipate the next queston, (she said hopefully) it was a Masters in Spiritual Formation. Newly popular degree in seminaries, at least here on the west coast.
Does anyone else like candied ginger? I love it, and it's really good for you. I need to buy large quantities, because it's a popular snack at the library.
9:06 today. I got stuck with Jack ELAM
ReplyDeleteAny puzzle with BAILOUTS and LUNKHEAD side-by-side is a good one in my book!
@jeanne: Another small complaint, I prefer the online puzzles that skip to the next blank spot when filling in the answers. Newsday and NYT puzzles do that; LAT does not.
Actually, if you do the AcrosLite version (link is always at cruciverb.com) you'll get the behavior you're looking for (skipping to the next blank spot instead of the next letter).
@karen q: Loved the reference to "plop, plop, fizz, fizz - oh what a relief it is". Takes me back in time.
Here's a spicy meatball for you (outtakes).
Attention those who get the puzzle in The Oregonian.
ReplyDeletePlease take the survey and let the paper know which puzzle you prefer. www.oregonlive.com/crosswordsurvey
Dennis:
ReplyDeleteI also started college at 16 and think it was one of the many mistakes in my life.
Jeannie: while the Supreme Court may have legalized the private possession of pornography (love alliteration) I am willing to bet YOUR collection is not legal!
MAPPLETHORPE was much more than a photographer who used homoerotic themes, but the combination of ongoing Homophobia and MAPPLETHORPE's death from AIDS, followed by the cancellation of an exhibition of his works, left the controversy ahead of the work. MAPPLETHORPE.
this is the same puzzle as Chicago Tribune's but with a different author.
ReplyDeleteKazie - Thought of you when I saw Jack Elam's name in today's XW. He was co-star in Support Your Local Sheriff (starring James Garner)Where Garner reluctantly agrees to “clean up the town but is basically on his way to Australia. Fun western comedy if you haven’t seen it. Here is a short clip…Support Your Local Sheriff
ReplyDeleteSBK at 2:05, I agree, that link to 77 was 'hard to beat' - oooops;)
ReplyDeleteEmbien - I answered that Oregonian survey last week. I voted for the LAT. I noticed yesterday's and today's puzzles were by our old friends from the Tribune: Ed Voile and Adele Mann. Do you know when they will make the decision on what puzzle to run?
@Mainiac, I make a similar marinade using the juice of a fresh orange, soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic. It is good on pork and really good on salmon.
ReplyDeleteDon't look at me regarding whose case came up in '69 having posession of obscene material. I was only seven for crying out loud!
@Lemonade, I can assure you my collection is vast and legal esq. Hey, aren't you my attorney? Didn't I ever pay that retainer?
Wasn`t Maplethorp the "one" who sparked the controversy with the National Endowment for the Arts over the Crucifix submerged in urine?
ReplyDeletehaùs werk: What is that?
@Razzberry,
ReplyDelete+ Why do toasters always have a setting on them which burns your toast to a horrible crisp no one would eat?
I think it's because different breads toast differently. My home made whole wheat is much slower to brown than any bought bread.
Terry,
I only ever met a couple of people from Adelaide, and the last time I was there in '73, it probably looked a lot diferent from what it does now.
Dennis and Lemonade,
I also started university at 16, only a couple of months before my 17th birthday though. But that was when in N.S.W. high school only went through 11th grade, or 5th year as it was called. Primary School went K-6, High School was 1st-5th year (7th -11th grade). My senior year the new system was being ushered in with the 1st year being called year 7, and they would have to stay through year 12, which is what they still have today.
Kazie - think it's because different breads toast differently. My home made whole wheat is much slower to brown than any bought bread. Nope, I don't buy it. I'm pretty sure every toaster ever made has a charcoal setting regardless of bread type. I think that setting is one micro-movement past light!
ReplyDeleteLinda, no that was not Mapplethorpe, whose controversy with the National Endowment for the Arts, arose because of the sexual nature of his photographs, for example a self-portrait with a bull whip inserted in his anus, and the general anti-homosexual fervor which was increased by the AIDS epidemic. The other controversy was for a different photographer, Andres Serrano. Serrano.
ReplyDeleteI see occasional weather for various areas - here in west Texas today we started at 26 F. and ended this afternoon at 77 F. That is a 51 degree spread. How do you dress for that? Oh and tomorrow we are supposed to get up to 92 F. (probably hotter)with wind gusts over 25 mph. Today is the second time this winter/spring we have had the 50+ degree spread. Guess the old timers were right, in Texas if you don't like the weather, wait a minute and it will change.
ReplyDeleteKaren Q - males do not see dust. Nor do they see dirt. You have to accept that fact.
ReplyDeleteRazzberry, I've always liked a 50+ degree spread...
Dennis – (as I genuflect) – you indeed are the master of innuendo!
ReplyDeleteThat is 5 – see y’all in tomorrow’s funny pages!
T. Frank said...@ 1:14 PM
ReplyDeleteThose beautiful teak decks you see forward of the 16" guns had to be holy-stoned for hours every Friday.
Holy back-ache!
Well, I'll use my last comment for this. I never heard of holy stones, so I had to look it up. It may be in a puzzle next week! One site I found claimed the Navy did away with holy stones in 1931 because it wore the teak away to fast but many of the images belay that message. Here is a pic of midshipmen on the deck of the USS Wisconsin, hard at work.
HOLY STONE
–noun 1. a block of soft sandstone used in scrubbing the decks of a ship.
–verb (used with object) 2. to scrub with a holystone.
...from Dictionary.com Unabridged
Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,
ReplyDeleteI think the theme is - 'LAKER'
As in ... LA BB'er
C.C.,
"Can you explain to me your clues for CALEB ('Dean's role' or 'Corporate swindler')?"
I thought for sure that you would get the 'corporate swindler' clue since you had recently referenced Ayn Rand's Fountainhead. In that story, a man named Caleb Bradley is a corporate swindler.
The other clue, which I prefer, refers to the role that James Dean played in the movie East of Eden, which was based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck's novel is a modern day adaptation of the story of Adam and Eve and their descendants. James Dean played Caleb.
As for you being a man ...
Well, if you are, then you have really peaked my interest.
"Do you know that Barack means "peach" in Hungarian?"
No. I did not.
"I don't know what "Cyclotron" is. Sounds nuclear and dangerous."
A Cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator. You may recall hearing about the latest and greatest variety of particle accelerator on the news last September. Some were concerned about how safe it was and were asking the question, "Will the super collider cause a black hole?" It never happened. Or did it? Maybe it did. Maybe we entered an alternate universe. That would help explain how we wound up having a black man for President of the United States.
"No plural for MEWING?"
No 'S', because you would say something like, "The mewing of the kittens was a sign that they were hungry."
""Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" I guessed. I've never heard of the song."
Lucky you!
Like "algae" or "termini": Abbr. PLU.
This one totally threw me. I got it from the fills, but I just kept thinking that termini must be the Latin name for some kind of plankton or something.
Revival structure: TENT. Like one might find at a Down South Camp Meeting.
Today's puzzle took me 17:35.
I, too, am surprised by the poll results.
'Working on, as homework' was lame. Why homework? Why not the dishes? It could have been anything.
I also feel that LEONTYNE would have been better clued as 'Price of Verdi roles'.
Windhover,
Here you go!
JD,
"I had ocher for amber at 1st. Is that even close?"
I was originally planning to say that, "Ocher is much redder than amber, which has more of a yellowish color."
As it turns out, ochre can range from yellow to orange to red. I had only thought it was red because that is the color of the ochre that they used to mine at a little town in the south of France where I once had dinner.
Thanks for the website.
KarenQ,
"I am told that it is a Germanic trait (reading directions and following them)."
That explains a lot. I am much better at learning by reading. It must be the German part of me. If someone teaches me something orally (don't even go there!), it is likely to go in one ear and out the other.
Jeannie,
"1990 A display of Robert Mapplethorpe photographs opened at Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center; the center and its director were indicted on obscenity charges. Is anyone familiar with his art?"
I trust you will not be surprised to find that a very good friend of mine was the subject of one of Mr. Mapplethorpe's photographs in that particular exhibit :D
... and, oh yes!
Housework is shared by all in my home. The kids have a chores list that rotates (to make everything even) which they have to complete every weekend. Vacuuming, bathrooms and washing french door windows are among the items listed. It also includes a check off by a parent to insure quality. My wife does the laundry and makes the bed. I get the dishes and sweep in the kitchen and vacuum the living room. I am granted a reprieve from the dishes on weekends as long as I'm trimming out the windows and doors. I do a lot of the cooking and my wife has quite a hand at it also.
ReplyDeleteHence my freaking weight!!!!! I was loosing the battle this winter so I decided to hit the free weights to firm up. It worked but man I'm heavy. Cycling season is coming which will drop off the winter layer. Bike just got tuned up!!
Meeting tonight.
Have a good night.
@carol: Do you know when they will make the decision on what puzzle to run?
ReplyDeleteI think The Oregonian said April 10 was the end of the survey, but I could be wrong.
@promisemethis: A Cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator. You may recall hearing about the latest and greatest variety of particle accelerator on the news last September. Some were concerned about how safe it was and were asking the question, "Will the super collider cause a black hole?" It never happened.
I guess it's time for me to trot out alpinekat's stunning
Large Hadron Rap
It occurred to me that since we don't seem to have much clabbered milk these days, that buttermilk has taken its place in activating the baking powder. Just a surmise, perhaps a real chef can confirm?
test
ReplyDeleteI learned the meaning of "ennui" when I learned French. "S'ennuyer" is a reflexive verb meaning to bore oneself. It's an inside job. "Je m'ennui" means "I bore myself." I loved pointing this out to my French students.
ReplyDeleteKazie:
Thanks for instructions for italics. I hate to use quotation marks for titles that really need to be italicized. Newspapers and magazines do it all the time, and it makes me crazy because that's what's being taught to the public who read it.
Jeannie:
My favorite Ford car was a 1953 black convertable with black leather tuck-and-roll interior. My husband and I bought it used in 1955. He lowered, nosed and decked it, and changed the tail lights, putting bullet-shaped Oldsmobile ones instead. He was quite the teenage custom car guy. Oh yeah--the mufflers were illegal also, nice and loud. We got married in 1954 when I was 15 and he was 18. Boy did we have fun with our independence. He was the Fonz, and I don't know who I was. I still have a picture of me standing (sexily, I thought) in front of it at the beach. Thanks for the bringing back some memories.
CC:
I missed the survey because I've been in the hospital. This is my first day out. I would have voted for the "L.A. Times." (Still haven't figured out the italics, Kazie. Sorry.) I've been subscribing to the "Times" for many years but have always avoided that puzzle because of its difficulty.
After having practiced the "Tribune" with you all for a period of time now, I'm improving my puzzle-solving skills and am enjoying the change.
I missed the intellectual banter when I was gone.
Doreen
P.S. I think I proofread correctly this time.
@Crossedlover, you are blue! Hence your name?
ReplyDelete@Promisemethis, your friend has a nice set of.....shoulders.
@mainiac, good for you for teaching your kids the discipline of cleaning and chores. I too, was taught that valuable lesson so my house is nice and clean. I can't believe how so many women I work with that have kids in their early teens that don't lift a GD finger around the house. As far as the winter weight goes, somehow I managed to keep that off this past winter. What helped me was watching my carbs. I pretty much just ate protein and veges/fruits. I will probably drop about 5-10lbs when sailing season opens again. Believe it or not, it's a lot of work!
Dennis, not only do males not see dust or dirt, they (bless them) can never find elementary thing like keys, glasses, wallet - it's a good thing their 'jewels' are attached!
ReplyDeleteLOL on the 50+ degree spread.
Doreen, you've gotta show us that picture! Also, hopefully your hospital stays are all behind you.
ReplyDeleteMainiac, you're right - free weights are absolutely the best way to build muscle. Machines are fine, but they don't utilize the corresponding 'balancing' muscles.
Lemonade, I never did hear from you regarding whether you received my retainer. I had a silly knock on the door tonight but ignored it. Anyway, here is your 99th post if you have any left.
ReplyDeleteOh, on a positive note. I just found out our little city has free garded plots. I am now planning my garden as my city lot and a lot of landscaping doesn't call for one. Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Squash, squash, squash, and herbs galore. My night has been made. I used to plant my tomatoes in whiskey barrels but end up with bottom rot on most of them. I am thinking their is some sort of mold in the wood. Hate when that happens. Windhover, know anything about that my farmer buddy?
Good Evenin' all, (you too, Fats.)
ReplyDeleteDennis, get your tongue out of that cheek and say what you mean!!!!
Not a bad day (today and yesterday)
Finished both with help from the other fills and even knew what some of the small words meant!
Been dealing with grandkids (3) for the last week or so. That means my time is not always mine.I've been trying the Thursday x word and getting few results and have given up on Fri and Sat. They're a total loss to me so I leave it to the perseverance of the superior minds here to keep up the good work.
Won't be around much next week as Nancy D. is going out to a Syracuse hospital for surgery. That happens Fri and she probably won't be home till late Sun or Mon.
Y'All have a Happy Easter and don't forget what the day is all about.
BTW, Fats; Try to smile. Most everything here is meant to be fun and if you really want to take offense at the content, be assured that none was intended. And if you really believe that there might be people here that will offend you then TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE!!!!!
Sorry about taking #100 but I've been trying to publish for the last 1/2 hour and finally had to use IE instead of Firefox. Don't know why yet, but I'll figger it out>
ReplyDeleteWoW! No, not Dennis' WoW, just wow this feels strange, almost wrong, doing the puzzle this late in the day. It was really easy, though. So easy I'm smiling like a dog with a big bone in his mouth. If you don't know why, please don't ask.
ReplyDeletePMT:
Once again YouTube has failed to fire on the Iphone. Give me a hint?
Not sure about your 'mater problem. There's a disease called "blossom end rot" caused mostly by too much moisture after a dry spell (had that problem myself, only not in the tomatoes) and sometimes by too much fertilizer. I'll consult some experts and get back to you. Don't think the barrels are your problem, unless they weren't Ky. Whiskey filled. If they didn't allow water to drain the plants could have been waterlogged. Better to plant directly into that good Mn. Dirt anyway.
Dennis:
Looking forward to tomorrow and a brand new troll? Do they all live under bridges?
Windhover, better late than never.
Razz: Sounds like a quote of Mark Twain about New England - If you don't like the weather in New England, wait a minute. It was definitely true when I was there in the Navy. 50 degree swings were not unusual. I can remember one day when it started out warm , was above 70 at lunch time and snowed right after dinner.
ReplyDeleteJeannie: I didn't see South Pacific on the Broadway stage, but I was in a production of it when I was stationed in the Philippines. I still know all of the dialog and all the songs. My husband requests that you not get me started
Jeannie my dear, I told you I waived the fee based on your acts of contrition and your infinite promise for the future. We had not discussed a retainer against future indiscretions, which might be a steep one. If you want to come down to the sunny south and drop a retainer off, I will leave the light on.
ReplyDeleteI too have lost weight this winter, having dieted for the first time in my life. Protein and veggies did it all. I have had bread twice in the last two months.
PMT, while you provided the picture, you did not comment on Mapplethorpe, do you like his work? He was already dead by the time of the Cincinnati exhibit. When I was first working as a lawyer, my firm represented Jerry Ulesman, a photographer who did some amazing work with nudes. ULESMAN.
No comments on Serrano? I did not link to offend, but to fill out the discussion. I personally was disgusted by what purports to be art, but do not believe in censorship. I also find many types of art and music unmoving, but I am not so arrogant as to think that it is not special to others. Like beauty, art in the eye of the beholder.
Windhover and Jeannie...re- blossom end rot, I used to have that problem too but when I asked the local nursery, they suggested adding garden lime to the soil. It has ascorbic acid and prevents the end rot. Never over water tomatoes...just water at the base of them and let the soil dry before watering again.
ReplyDeleteArgyle,
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow! I had to look closely at the picture of midshipmen holy-stoning decks. One of them could
have been me. I had forgotten that we used sand to help clean and polish the teak.
Thanks for finding that link.
Lemonade,
ReplyDelete"PMT, while you provided the picture, you did not comment on Mapplethorpe, do you like his work?"
Yes.
"No comments on Serrano? I did not link to offend, but to fill out the discussion. I personally was disgusted by what purports to be art, but do not believe in censorship. I also find many types of art and music unmoving, but I am not so arrogant as to think that it is not special to others. Like beauty, art in the eye of the beholder."
So what is art?
First and foremost, one must distinguish between crude art and 'High Art'. The litmus test, the question one must ask is, "Is the purported truth of the work, in fact, the 'actual truth'?"
A couple of examples are in order:
One of the most famous Baroque paintings is Peter Paul Rubens' The Disembarkation at Marseilles">. This painting while exhibiting a degree of craftsmanship is, never-the-less, nothing more than commercial art. The painting serves exactly the same purpose as television commercials do today .. to sell us something. It was commissioned by the Medici's to cause the average schmuck (in this case, many of them being supposedly educated nobleman) to swoon when they saw it and to welcome Catherine d'Medici with open arms as the new, semi-divine Queen of France. Either Rubens was a complete idiot, or he was a whore who took the job for the money.
Contrast that to Picasso's Guernica, an UGLY painting. Guernica is that quintessential picture that Ma and Pa Kettle inevitably encounter upon their arrival at the Prado. Upon which, old Pa turns to old Ma and says, "Wood ya look at that monstrosidy, Myrna! Li'l Jimmie cooda paintud sump'n better'n that." Picasso's work, unlike Ruben's, was not primarily economically determined. The man was expressing his outrage over the
atrocities committed during the Spanish Civil War. He was not being commissioned to sell a lie. He was sincere, and that is what differentiates him from Paul Ruben.
So, is Mapplethorpe a whore?
Before you answer ... ask yourself, "Which does more harm, the image of someone willingly inserting something into there rectum, or someone shedding somebody else's blood, as is so often depicted on TV?
How pretty a work of art is, how well it adorns one's accoutrements is meaningless. The only question is whether or not the artist was sincere or merely a whore.
Razzberry,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to Support Your Local Sheriff. I always loved James Garner, and I vaguely remember that movie, but it looks like one I wouldn't mind seeing again. I'm sure he never made it to Oz.
Doreen,
Some of those French reflexive verbs are comical when translated literally. S'ennuyer is probably better translated as to get bored. Others like se rappeler de(to remember) may literally be to remind oneself of. If you think of the literal meaning, it often can help you remember why they are reflexive.
PMT, So...An artist accepts a commission to paint a specific subject. He is not emotionally moved by the subject. He still sincerely does the best technical rendition he can because he owes it to the patron.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that no matter how beautiful his execution might be, the product is merely "crude art"? Is what you call high art only to be determined by motive? Is the Sistine Chapel "crude" because an unwilling Michelangelo was waylaid by Pope Julius into the painting? Or did it become "high art" because of his personal religious convictions? What if that motive or sincerity cannot be determined? Are centuries of Church and royal commissions to be tossed aside as crude simply because we cannot know the mindset of the artist?
Well, all I have are questions and not an answer in the bunch.
Good Day!!! crosswordcorner.blogspot.com is one of the most excellent informational websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. All the best.
ReplyDeleteHello..
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