Theme: CAPE (66A: Action hero's garb, and what each first word in this puzzle's four longest answers is.)
20A: Cornucopia: HORN OF PLENTY
34A: Supplement that some claim eases arthritis: COD LIVER OIL
43A: Texas governor before George W. Bush: ANN RICHARDS
56A: 1973 Erica Jong novel: FEAR OF FLYING
I used to confuse CAPE HORN with CAPE of Good Hope, which is in the southern tip of Africa. Learned CAPE COD from reading various JFK biographies. Saw CAPE ANN in a puzzle before. CAPE Fear (bottom) is new to me. It's on the coast of North Carolina, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. Why Fear? Prone to shipwrecks?
Easy solving this morning. This puzzle makes me feel smart. All of the theme entries were gimmes to me. COD LIVER OIL has concentrated amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. Good for arthris, good for heart too. ANN RICHARDS once described President Bush as "born with a silver foot in his mouth".
Here is a list of Clever Clues of the Month from Crosswordese.com. You can also click here for the complete list of Word of Day. They are in alphabetical order. Every one of them has a great picture and lots of other interesting information. Send Paul an email if you want his free word-of-the day delivery. Today his word is ORT (70A: Morsel).
Across:
1A: Aquanaut's workplace: SEALAB. First time I met aquanaut. Whom does he work for? US Navy?
7A: Arabic for "son of": IBN. Like the former Saudi king IBN Saud. Same as the Scottish Mac. BIN is also "son of", right? Like Osama BIN Laden.
10A: Software prototype: BETA. Alpha is for the internal software testers.
14A: "1984" author: ORWELL. Just realized this morning that George ORWELL is his penname. His real name is Eric Arther Blair. Do you know what Cary Grant's real surname is? Leach! Archibald Alec Leach.
16A: Campground arrival, briefly: RVER. Many PGA golfers travel in RV. I've never seen them called as RVer though.
17A: Pleasure dome site of verse: XANADU. From Coleridge's poem "Kublai Khan". Xanadu is a very exotic way to spell Shangdu, the summer palace of Kublain Khan. It's located in current Inner Mongolia in north China. China has the shape of a rooster. Our administrative division is called PROV (47A: Ont. or Que.) too.
18A: Most energetic: PEPPIEST. And LOOSER (23D: Not as tight). I bet we won't see more than two Er, est suffixes in a Rich Norris puzzle.
25A: Via: BY WAY OF
29A: Poivre partner: SEL. French for salt. Poivre is French for pepper.
38A: "Bali __": HAI. Here is the clip. Bloody Mary sang it to Lieutenant Cable to lure him to into Bali HAI to become her son-in-law. Her daughter Liat is very pretty.
39A: Italian cheese: ASIAGO. Named after the Italian region where the cheese originated.
40A: Tender poultry: CAPONS. I don't think I've had CAPON before. Sounds cruel to castrate chickens just for their meat.
42A: Stereotypical pirate leg: PEG. I suppose this refers to Long John Silver of "Treasure Island".
50A: Former big name on "The View": ROSIE (O'Donnell). She is too much for me. I only like her in "Sleepless in Seattle".
55A: Mag. employees: EDS. I think Anna Wintour is the coolest editor of any magazine.
61A: Crooner Julio: IGLESIAS. Father of Enrique IGLESIAS, who is married to Anna Kournikova.
62A: What pupils do in the dark: DILATE
67A: Lunes, por ejemplo: DIA. Lunes is Spanish for Monday. French Monday is lundi.
69A: Prolific autho.?: ANON. Yes, indeed. I like this clue.
71A: Grand Prix site: LE MANS. Learned where LE MANS is last time when MLLES was clued as "Le Mans lasses". Quite close to Paris.
Down:
1D: White __: SOX. And ERA (2D: Pitching stat). I like how they parallel.
3D: Barley bristle: AWN
4D: Sister of Rachel: LEAH. Both are Jacob's wives. LABAN was often clued as "Father of Leah and Rachel" in our old puzzle.
6D: Book jacket promo: BLURB. Crossword sub-title is also called a BLURB. Right, Fred?
7D: Running the country: IN POWER
8D: Hybrid meat: BEEFALO. Beef & buffalo. Also called cattalo (cattle & buffalo). Completely new to me.
9D: Dover diaper: NAPPY. The answer reviewed itself. I don't know British call diaper as NAPPY. The constructor picked up the seaport Dover for alliteration purpose.
10D: Boxer's alternatives: BRIEFS
21D: Org. at 11 Wall St.: NYSE. Oh well, what else could it be?
22D: Daisy Mae's creator: AL CAPP
24D: Spectrum color: INDIGO. Reminds me of the INDIGO Girls. They love crossword also. You should see "Wordplay" if you have not.
27D: She, in Lisbon: ELA. Ha ha, no more "Guido's high note" any more.
28D: Latvian capital: RIGA. The Latvian chess master Mikhail TAL is called "The Magician from RIGA".
31D: First words of the "Mr. Ed" theme: A HORSE. Anther easy guess. I've never seen "Mr. Ed".
32D: "___ Camera": CANDID
35D: From, in German names: VON. Same as French de and Italian da. How about Greta VAN Susteren? Hers is VAN.
36D: Former transp. regulator: ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission). 1887-1996. Learned from doing Xword.
37D: Cowardly lion portrayer: LAHR. Just found out this morning that Bert LAHR's original name is Irving Lahrheim.
45D: Lays into: RAILS AT. "Lay into" is a new phrase to me.
48D: "Pippin" Tony winner Ben: VEREEN. He looks awfully familiar. I must have googled him before.
53D: "Don't mind __": IF I DO. I got the answer. Have no idea what it means. Sounds self-conflictory.
56D: Pay stub abbr.: FICA
57: Alaska's first governor: EGAN. Gimme. Learned this fact long time ago. William Allen Egan was the first (1959 to 1966) and 4th governor (1970-1974) of Alaska.
58D: Brand for Fido: ALPO
60D: Get hold of, with "onto": GLOM. The past tense is GLOMMED. A new word I learned from T. Frank.
63D: Altar in the sky: ARA. See this diagram. ARA is Latin for Altar.
64D: Former Opry network: TNN. Another easy guess. Wikipedia says TNN changed into Spike in 2003. Owned by Viacom.
65D: Alpine curve: ESS. Not much wordplay today.
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A: Cornucopia: HORN OF PLENTY
34A: Supplement that some claim eases arthritis: COD LIVER OIL
43A: Texas governor before George W. Bush: ANN RICHARDS
56A: 1973 Erica Jong novel: FEAR OF FLYING
I used to confuse CAPE HORN with CAPE of Good Hope, which is in the southern tip of Africa. Learned CAPE COD from reading various JFK biographies. Saw CAPE ANN in a puzzle before. CAPE Fear (bottom) is new to me. It's on the coast of North Carolina, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. Why Fear? Prone to shipwrecks?
Easy solving this morning. This puzzle makes me feel smart. All of the theme entries were gimmes to me. COD LIVER OIL has concentrated amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. Good for arthris, good for heart too. ANN RICHARDS once described President Bush as "born with a silver foot in his mouth".
Here is a list of Clever Clues of the Month from Crosswordese.com. You can also click here for the complete list of Word of Day. They are in alphabetical order. Every one of them has a great picture and lots of other interesting information. Send Paul an email if you want his free word-of-the day delivery. Today his word is ORT (70A: Morsel).
Across:
1A: Aquanaut's workplace: SEALAB. First time I met aquanaut. Whom does he work for? US Navy?
7A: Arabic for "son of": IBN. Like the former Saudi king IBN Saud. Same as the Scottish Mac. BIN is also "son of", right? Like Osama BIN Laden.
10A: Software prototype: BETA. Alpha is for the internal software testers.
14A: "1984" author: ORWELL. Just realized this morning that George ORWELL is his penname. His real name is Eric Arther Blair. Do you know what Cary Grant's real surname is? Leach! Archibald Alec Leach.
16A: Campground arrival, briefly: RVER. Many PGA golfers travel in RV. I've never seen them called as RVer though.
17A: Pleasure dome site of verse: XANADU. From Coleridge's poem "Kublai Khan". Xanadu is a very exotic way to spell Shangdu, the summer palace of Kublain Khan. It's located in current Inner Mongolia in north China. China has the shape of a rooster. Our administrative division is called PROV (47A: Ont. or Que.) too.
18A: Most energetic: PEPPIEST. And LOOSER (23D: Not as tight). I bet we won't see more than two Er, est suffixes in a Rich Norris puzzle.
25A: Via: BY WAY OF
29A: Poivre partner: SEL. French for salt. Poivre is French for pepper.
38A: "Bali __": HAI. Here is the clip. Bloody Mary sang it to Lieutenant Cable to lure him to into Bali HAI to become her son-in-law. Her daughter Liat is very pretty.
39A: Italian cheese: ASIAGO. Named after the Italian region where the cheese originated.
40A: Tender poultry: CAPONS. I don't think I've had CAPON before. Sounds cruel to castrate chickens just for their meat.
42A: Stereotypical pirate leg: PEG. I suppose this refers to Long John Silver of "Treasure Island".
50A: Former big name on "The View": ROSIE (O'Donnell). She is too much for me. I only like her in "Sleepless in Seattle".
55A: Mag. employees: EDS. I think Anna Wintour is the coolest editor of any magazine.
61A: Crooner Julio: IGLESIAS. Father of Enrique IGLESIAS, who is married to Anna Kournikova.
62A: What pupils do in the dark: DILATE
67A: Lunes, por ejemplo: DIA. Lunes is Spanish for Monday. French Monday is lundi.
69A: Prolific autho.?: ANON. Yes, indeed. I like this clue.
71A: Grand Prix site: LE MANS. Learned where LE MANS is last time when MLLES was clued as "Le Mans lasses". Quite close to Paris.
Down:
1D: White __: SOX. And ERA (2D: Pitching stat). I like how they parallel.
3D: Barley bristle: AWN
4D: Sister of Rachel: LEAH. Both are Jacob's wives. LABAN was often clued as "Father of Leah and Rachel" in our old puzzle.
6D: Book jacket promo: BLURB. Crossword sub-title is also called a BLURB. Right, Fred?
7D: Running the country: IN POWER
8D: Hybrid meat: BEEFALO. Beef & buffalo. Also called cattalo (cattle & buffalo). Completely new to me.
9D: Dover diaper: NAPPY. The answer reviewed itself. I don't know British call diaper as NAPPY. The constructor picked up the seaport Dover for alliteration purpose.
10D: Boxer's alternatives: BRIEFS
21D: Org. at 11 Wall St.: NYSE. Oh well, what else could it be?
22D: Daisy Mae's creator: AL CAPP
24D: Spectrum color: INDIGO. Reminds me of the INDIGO Girls. They love crossword also. You should see "Wordplay" if you have not.
27D: She, in Lisbon: ELA. Ha ha, no more "Guido's high note" any more.
28D: Latvian capital: RIGA. The Latvian chess master Mikhail TAL is called "The Magician from RIGA".
31D: First words of the "Mr. Ed" theme: A HORSE. Anther easy guess. I've never seen "Mr. Ed".
32D: "___ Camera": CANDID
35D: From, in German names: VON. Same as French de and Italian da. How about Greta VAN Susteren? Hers is VAN.
36D: Former transp. regulator: ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission). 1887-1996. Learned from doing Xword.
37D: Cowardly lion portrayer: LAHR. Just found out this morning that Bert LAHR's original name is Irving Lahrheim.
45D: Lays into: RAILS AT. "Lay into" is a new phrase to me.
48D: "Pippin" Tony winner Ben: VEREEN. He looks awfully familiar. I must have googled him before.
53D: "Don't mind __": IF I DO. I got the answer. Have no idea what it means. Sounds self-conflictory.
56D: Pay stub abbr.: FICA
57: Alaska's first governor: EGAN. Gimme. Learned this fact long time ago. William Allen Egan was the first (1959 to 1966) and 4th governor (1970-1974) of Alaska.
58D: Brand for Fido: ALPO
60D: Get hold of, with "onto": GLOM. The past tense is GLOMMED. A new word I learned from T. Frank.
63D: Altar in the sky: ARA. See this diagram. ARA is Latin for Altar.
64D: Former Opry network: TNN. Another easy guess. Wikipedia says TNN changed into Spike in 2003. Owned by Viacom.
65D: Alpine curve: ESS. Not much wordplay today.
Answer grid.
C.C.
93 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - I was surprised, and a bit disappointed, to get through this one almost as quickly as the previous two; it was done before I knew it. The only perp help was on 'Lunes, por ejemplo'.
'Glom' was a repeat from the not-too-distant past, and 'Candid Camera' was a blast from the past (remember Allen Funt?), as was the 'Mr. Ed' theme, which I now can't get out of my head. I won't say who I immediately thought of with 'elitist', but I'll bet I'm not alone...
Today is National Jelly Bean Day, and Girl Scout Leader Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "I'm incredibly lucky to still be around, doing all the things I want to do, and getting extremely well paid for it. There's a parallel with golf - a lot of it is in the mind, and the moment you start to lose the enthusiasm or appetite, it affects your judgements and decisions. And then you stop performing well. I think enthusiasm and appetite are more important than anything." -- Actor Sean Connery
Daily dose of Fun Facts:
- Snakes have two sex organs.
- Sheep snore. (Windhover?)
- In 2006, a British hen laid what might be the world's largest chicken egg, weighing approximately 7 ounces. (the scream was heard in France)
1 and a wakeup
Dennis,
Re: ELITIST. Who? Obama? What's the average weight for an egg? Stunning FF about snakes. I did not know that. No wonder Vietnamese men drink snake blood for stamina. Sean Connery is so right. Enthusiasm is more important.
Lemonade,
Thanks for the college link.
Linda,
Tell your grand kid about Dan Feyer. Good to see you back.
PromiseMe,
No, I was not the geek kid. I did try, but Go was simply too complicated for me. I am not sure about Yuannan, but pineapples are grown in Guangxi and other provinces in south China. Yuannan is a famous for its wild mushroom, tobacco and tourism.
C.C., I believe an egg weighs around 2 ounces.
Re: ELITIST. Who? Obama?No, no one noteworthy, except in his/her own mind.
Sean Connery is so right. Enthusiasm is more important.
One thing I've always been blessed with is unbridled enthusiasm in anything I get into, and you're right - it can make all the difference.
Crockett,
United Feature Online Puzzles. Tell me which one is yours. (Thanks, Danny)
Razzberry,
Boy, you are "so ugly". What a yak!
Anon HP,
Thanks for the explanation. Made lots of sense. Awesome.
Good morning CC and all,..I did not start off very well as the NW corner was a total blank until the very last. Once I skipped that section and worked on the remainder of the puzzle it started falling in place. I did not know 67A dia and had to get it from the perps. There were no other hang-ups and I returned to the NW corner.
Almost at once I saw 1A sealab and the rest fell into place.
I liked the puzzle as I found the difficulty level challenging, but doable.
Dennis more rain coming your way unless you have already left for Florida.
Guess the Pens got even for the beating they took in Philadelphia the other night.
Starting tomorrow we are in for some great weather right thru the weekend. Finally!!
Hope you all have a great Wednesday.
Another easy puzzle. For me the Monday through Wednesday puzzles are a breeze and by Friday you are tied in a knot.
C.C. It seems that many many Naples Daily News Xworders were upset with the change to the LA Times. The paper is testing a variety of puzzles. It seems like they will pick one and dump the LA Times. Right now they are featuring the Commuter Crossword. A week ago it was another one.
C.C. I have been away and not able to do the blog lately so I don't know if other papers are contemplating a change away from the LA Times. Anyone?
Good morning:
C.C., you remember Ben Vereen from his work on Roots which has been our puzzles often.
Liat is very pretty, but I am not familiar with the story you are referencing.
This puzzle took me less time than yesterday.
In the never ending world of coincidence, have you seen the news reports on the correcting the spelling of Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, which I had just metioned a few days ago? Webster, Massachusetts does not get on television often.
Happy hump day to all.
Good morning and good explanations last night anon-HP. That's what I meant when I first talked about these. I often get the answer, and know it's right, but have a tough time figuring out why it is right.
Only have time for one this morning:
1)Well, I keep having a preference (4)
Good Morning All,
I had a good time with this one. I had trouble on the upper section and had to work a bit to get it filled in. I like how the constructor tied the theme into the longer answers (66A). Once Fear of Flying fell the rest of the themes went.
Dennis, Connery nails it. The kids and I have been learning the Martial Arts and I can't seem to get enough of it. I never thought I would enjoy it so much. Tonight's Karate night, tomorrow will be a good day!
I can't stand snakes and now have another reason to dislike them. Lucky bastards!!
Good Morning All,
I liked this puzzle, but it was pretty easy. Has anyone ever heard of "atsy" for pseudo-sophisticated? I'm not familiar with beefalo either C.C. By the way C.C., Cape Fear is a great movie staring Robert Dinero and other notables, I can't remember right now. A real thriller - you should check it out.
Agree with Dick - couldn't get traction in the NW corner so started from the bottom and worked up and finally filled in the blanks. The theme came immediately; I think I made this tougher than it was. Nice Wednesday puzzle; helped to know who Ann Richards, Erica Jong and Mr. Ed are.
Congrats Dick on the Pens big win - my Flyboys just don't seem interested. Might as well get this series over so they can rest up for the next round.
Sean Connery - now there's a man!! Knew the snakes fact - just can't figure out why snakes of all creatures got so lucky! What a waste of sex organs.
Morning all,
This seemed like a pretty easy puzzle-same caliber as a Mon. or Tues. Are Wednesday's puzzle a 2 on the difficulty level? I'm playing an old Elton John CD to get the "Mr. Ed" theme out of my head. I love Asiago cheese on lots of different meats and also on roasted vegetables.
Now we are to get temps in the 80's by week's end. I think are spring was two days so far. Does anyone actually get a spring? Good day to all.
I really enjoyed this XW. Only thing I didn't know was AWN, and that fell in with perps. There were a few educated guesses too, and it took a while before I changed BIN to IBN and could fit NEA in, which I knew had to be right.
c.c.,
VAN is Dutch. And in 71A you meant to say Mlles, not Milles.
crossedlover,
13D was ARTY, not ATSY. 16A is RVER.
Sunny and 60'ish here today.
Pretty easy for a Wednesday. I originally had BIN for IBN and ZIPPIEST for PEPPIEST but fixed it on my second time through and finished in about 17 minutes (great time for me). Got unknowns ARA and AWN from the perps.
Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz. I sat next to him in a bar in Hawaii about 20 years ago. He looked pretty good for an old guy, even though he was too drunk to stand up without help. This was my third brush with celebs on that same trip. On the red eye over to Hawaii I woke to hear live music on the plane. Julio Iglesias and his band were on the plane and decided to hold practice in the middle of the night. I also walked out of my hotel to see Tom Selleck drive up in his Magnum P.I. red Ferrari 308 (they were filming an MPI episode).
Sean Connery is a handsome man and a terrific actor, but I was disappointed when I learned he is also a misogynist.
Buenos dias, all,
My solution mirrored that of Dick and Sandbridgekaren. I wanted to spell xanadu with a Z, couldn't remember Orwell's name, did not know awn, etc. Also, did not know sel and had forgotten the ending of beefalo.
Other than that, the rest was a breeze.
I also did the NYT puzzle today. I liked the dropped g theme.
I hope you all have a glorious day!
Just a quick question for those of you who do the NYT puzzle. Do you have a subscription to the online puzzle or do you do archived ones from other papers. I do the archived ones from the Seattle Times and do not want to pay for a subscription until I get better in working them. Just curious if there are other sites to get the puzzle? Thanks in advance for any responses.
Good morning, everyone. This one flowed really well for a Wednesday puzzle. I see we'll have to expand our foreign language vocabulary. Did not know SEL, DIA, ELA -- thanks for the explanations, C.C. I was surprised that you had no comment on CANDID Camera. Was it a show you knew? Did not know that EGAN was Alaska governor twice. The things you can learn here!
C.C., can't tell from the link which one we have since they only have a sample from Nov 2008, not the current date's puzzle. Maybe the second TODAY'S CROSSWORD PUZZLE, but I'm not positive.
@frey We Oregonians have Today's Crossword, purportedly from United Features syndicate, but we're having trouble pinning it down.
@lemonade "South Pacific"
@crossedlover I think your answer should be ARTY.
@kazie A plate of worms for you! AWN is a staple. I see you also helped out crossedlover. You too, t.frank!
Have a great Wednesday!!
And on the unfinished business front, PMT, I am sorry if my response last night seemed strained, I was not intending to express anything other than silliness, both with my original comment on sending something to C.C. at the LA Times (when she takes over, before it goes out of business, because of the marketing skills she has developed promoting her blog, as well as her innovative plan for the conversion of the entire newspaper to crossword puzzles, so the reader, will actually have to solve clues in order to understand the headlines and the stories-e.g. the weather today will be " victim von Bulow _ _ _ _ _") and my reaction to your statement. I do try and get the puzzle done early while I have my coffee (decaf for years now) and my breakfast; I am not sure why. Okay back to work. It is all good.
Jeannie: Google "Rex Parker does the NYT puzzle" and see if it helps...have only looked up the solves...don`t know if there is a link for the grid...worth a try.
Enjoyable puzzle today. Translation: Doable with no helps.
Hi C.C. & gang,
My wife and I finished today's puzzle without needing to look up anything. She said Wednesday is a happy medium between Monday (too easy) and Friday (too hard).
The Mr. Ed song does get stuck in your head. My solution is to replace it with Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA'
C.C., I found a online book that is about the origin of the name 'Cape Fear' see: fear or fair?;-)
Dennis:
Can't say about that. Never had a sheep go to sleep in my presence. That would be embarrasing and ego-deflating.
Enjoy your trip. I don't know what the damn trolls will do to pass the time, though. Guess I could loan 'em a ewe.
See you in the funny papers.
Windhover
@Jeanne,
No need to Google me. I'm right here. There is nowhere to get the NYT for free online. They are very proprietary. I would suggest that you not wait until you get better to subscribe - subscribe now and dive in. You'll get better very quickly, and there are blogs aplenty to help you out. I would recommend one, but ... I'm probably biased.
Best,
RP
good morning c.c. and all,
a little easier than i expected today. we are starting to see some of the same words, but i like how they're clued differently. saw ROSIE in a clue recently with riveter.
once again, dark words the left, ANON, FEAR, NOT FAIR, and LONER and happy words on the right, KISSES, SACK, NICE and BRIEFS.
i tend to see through my own musical filter, and was reminded of this cape horn.
also, there's a line in the john mayer tune 'comfortable,'
Life of the party
and she swears that she's artsy
but you could distinguish
Miles from Coltranestrange he says 'artsy' when 'arty' rhymes better with 'party.'
Al, re:
1)Well, I keep having a preference (4)
I'll post my solution this evening again if I don't see it here first.
Re the xword today: Thought it straightforward for the most part.
I'd never heard of beefalo either. I was delighted to see Xanadu as an answer today; Coleridge is one of my favorite poets. A minor pet peeve: Dislike the way crossword editors usually clue arty as pretentious in some fashion.
anon-hp
RP: I thought your avatar looked like Yule Brenner...hence "Mr. etc, etc, etc". when I enlarged it...I saw that it wasn`t.
BTW, my paper always carried the current edition of your puzzle...then yesterday, they carried one from March 17th? Are they cheaper as they get older? :)
MB:
Good to see you back. Rhyming is just not very important to modern songwriters, and has not been for most of my life.
Oh, my "South Paciifc." Well talk about a V-8 moment, the brain is dying.
Mr. Parker, I agree, the NY Times is still just a puzzle, and all of them improve with practice. It is like the London Times and their cryptics, if you solve enough of them, you get better without knowing all the inside information gleaned from living in England. And with the insights provided by the wonderful blogs, like C.C.'s and yours, a neophyte can develop rapidly. When I first did the NYT, there were too many instances where I had no idea why the answer was the answer.
Thanks Kazie and Crockett. No wonder I've never heard of the word! Duh. I used Rves.
Good Morning All, What a fun puzzle this morning! I know a lot of x-worders don't like proper names, particularly show-biz references. Not me..no ELITIST here, I'm a big movie/TV fan. Well, not so much TV anymore, but I still remember names.
In a movie discussion, not long ago, we compared Robert DeNiro's version of CAPE FEAR to Robert Mitchum's version. Both were very scary! I'm not a fan of stalker movies. I don't know why I managed to see both of them.
It's a little too long to post here, but here's a link to Coleridge's XANADU poem Kubla Khan. It has some nice background information on the site too.
Snakes: It has been so warm around here that the rattlesnakes are coming out to warm themselves. We had a little start over the weekend when I almost stepped on one that was sunning himself on our front steps. ...It is amazing how fast and high a 66 year old grandmother can jump backwards! It was only about two feet long, so I don't think this little guy had much opportunity to use even one sex organ. (G.A.H. sent him to snake heaven.)
Elissa, I was disappointed to read about Sean Connery. I've liked most of his movies. But then, I used to like Mel Gibson too. I don't go to his movies anymore.
Greetings all. I too misspelled Xanadu as Zanadu. Was so pleased that I remembered it that it never occurred to me that the misspelling was the reason I couldn't figure out White ____. My husband, who used to be a catcher in college, even told me ERA, but because I had Skylab, I didn't listen.
My other problem was I could think only of "I Am a Camera", which is what "Caberet" is made from. Finally got Candid, which I used to enjoy. My brain gets stuck sometimes. But today's was doable except for the NW corner.
BTW, the word for a song stuck in your head is earworm.
Cheers.
Good afternoon,
Busy, busy, busy working on digital scrapbook for Mother's Day presents. It is such a fun gift, I do them every year. Always think it will take less time than it does though. Too much of a perfectionist.
Fairly easy puzzle today. I too had trouble with the NW corner at first, then flew through it when I came back to it. The only word I had trouble with in the end was BEEFALO - couldn't get it through the perps (not having any idea what French word they are looking for) and took a while to add the L and realize what it was. Have never heard of it, and don't have a great desire to try it.
I think Rosie is a little off the deep end, but I really liked her in A League of Their Own as well as Sleepless in Seattle. She should stick with the cute movies.
Loved the Mr. Ed and Candid Camera references. Those were the good old days of television.
Jeanne, I have never done the NYT puzzle online. Our paper carries it a few weeks late I believe. I can usually do it through Wednesday, sometimes Thursday. Once in a great while I can do a Friday/Saturday puzzle, but they really ramp up later in the week. It is fun if you can get the really obscure ones where they have a word instead of a letter in the corners. Challenging though.
Have a great day.
A horse is a horse of course of course...ARGH...earworm begone!
Great puzzle...had to think a bit, but very do-able. I got ORWELL right off the bat but was stumped at the other fills for a while, so, like several others, started working from the bottom up. I initially thought that the first word in each phrase was supposed to CAPE but realized quite quickly that it was CAPE____ for each of them. Did managed to remember how to spell Xanadu and then the SOX came into play.
In college (and a bit after) we used to use the term "artsy-fartsy" for pretentious people. We also used to say "if you can't do it good, do it big" ...still seems to be in play today with a lot of paintings/scuptures...
The reality on completion was that I actually knew all the answers even though they didn't come immediately. A letter here, a letter there and it all comes together...I think it was around 20+ minutes or so.
I do agree with the Sean Connery quote... enthusiasm for new things and continuing to learn keep your brain young, which helps with all the rest.
Elissa...my mom would be SO jealous of the Tom Selleck encounter...she is still a huge fan. Years ago, when I did PR work, I contacted his agent and asked for an autographed photo for mom who was turning 75 or something. About a week later it showed up with a short note addressed to her. I don't know if he actually signed it, but it is still framed and hanging in her house...along with the signed Tiger Woods photo that my Sportswriter Brother got for her. Tiger now trumps Tom in pride of place.
Good day to you all. It is supposed to be down into the low 80's today...bless that Sea Breeze!
Hi C.C.,Loons and DF's:
I liked this puzzle, everything just fell into place and the only ones I didn't know were 39A ASIAGO and 27D ELA.
Elissa (9:12) What a hoot seeing several stars 'being themselves'.. I admit I had to look up MISOGYNIST and was surprised at the meaning. Ol'Connery must be a hell of an actor as he romanced the women quite well in his films. ;)
Dennis, I know you will enjoy your vacation! I would love to see Florida too. What is the best time of year to do that? I hear so many reports of humidity and hurricanes - is this the best time? I know the whole South steams in summer.
Lemonade, cute picture..who is it?
As said before, doable puzzle. Never heard of GLOM before and did not think it was right, until I came here. Weather is teasing the NW, been in the low 90s past two days and will be in low 80s today. Back to near 60 through the weekend, so I still have alot of outside work to catchup on. Have a good week.
Carol:
The new picture is Winston, my first grandchild, a lab/boxer mix who joined the family on Sunday in Orlando. I confess his parents are not married, but you know these modern kids....thanks for asking.
It took me until almost the end of the puzzle to get the theme of this very workable puzzle. The Scorsese remake of Cape Fear starring Robert DeNiro is the only film involving these two icons that I have not like. And in fact, I loathed it...in large part because it was a film entirely populated with unlikable, unsympathetic characters.
Clear Ayes: Thank you for your kind words yesterday. As for your link to Xanadu…I knew we could count on you to include it in today’s posting. I found myself reciting it in the car on the way to work as I worked through the top half of the puzzle.
I didn’t have all that much time to do the puzzle over lunch and almost threw in the towel when I started in the top left corner and had to automatically hit the g-spot for Leah and Aldo. I would not have gotten awn if I hadn’t. I stuck in there though and the rest just flowed freely.
Being the “foodie” that I am, I have tried both beefalo and capons. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t tell that much difference in the beefalo compared to just beef. Perhaps it was a little leaner. A capon would remind you of a Cornish game hen.
It’s a beautiful sunny spring day in MN with the temps in the upper 60’s.
Good afternoon, CC
Thanks for another plug for my site (crosswordese.com). I always apreciate the many visitors from this blog.
Regarding paying for puzzles - some puzzles are just worth it. The NYT puzzle is the gold standard. Will Shortz does an amazing job of editing.
Another puzzle which is every bit as good as the NYT is the Sun Crossword. Since the NY Sun newspaper went out of business recently, Peter Gordon will not be able to resume publishing until he gets 1776 subscribers. A mere 20 cents a day will give you a great puzzling experience.
Oops, I forgot to leave a link to subscribe to the Sun:
http://www.suncrossword.com/Sunrise/
Jeanne @ 9:41
My local paper, The Caller Times, carries only one crossword, and it is the NYT. It used to carry the TMS one until it went kaput.
C.C.: I guess it's left up to me to link Xanadu and ELO together. Can't believe someone else hasn't done it already, so I don't mind if I do.
Terry 313 said.. Great puzzle today. I am really getting the hang of the new cluing.
C.C. Bev is an avid follower of your blog. I'm hoping she will join in someday.
Well back to work.
Carol @12:29. Connery undoubtedly liked romancing all those women in his films, but he also thought is was okay to smack women around in real life.
Good Afternoon C.C. and Co.,
C.C.,
The SeaLab Marine Science Foundation, located on Catalina Island in California, derives its name from the original SeaLab created by the US Navy. Their website offers a page with a good, concise history of the SeaLab program. The Navy's SeaLab men who actually went underwater were the original aquanauts. While the term properly belongs to people who participate in either military or academic activities involving saturation diving, the term has been used loosely to refer to SCUBA divers, as well. One well known E-mag devoted to SCUBA diving is called Aquanaut.
Oh AL, you didn't (I can't believe you did!)
Here is XANADU. Call me ELITIST, I am OK with that.
Although I got Bali HAI right off, I have never seen or heard South Pacific. I was surprised to hear that there is a character named Bloody Mary. The only Bloody Marys I knew of were the cocktail and Mary I of England.
The use of the word 'stereotypical' in the PEG clue indicates that it does not refer to any particular pirate. It has become a general depiction of a pirate showing him having a patch over his eye, a hook instead of a hand, a parrot on his shoulder and a peg leg.
I think Rosie O'Donnell is terrific. If I had any kids, I would definitely take them on one of those cruises she does for gay parents/children.
Re: EDS,
J.J. Abrams is guest editor this month for W:I:R:E:D magazine. I was going to post about this before. The issue is deemed the Mystery Issue and features a lot of puzzles, games,card tricks, clues, Easter eggs, codes, magic, illusions, mazes, etc.. I figured it might be of interest to cruciverbalists.
Lemonade, ah yes, young love...we'll the result sure is cute! I know you will enjoy him.
Elissa, ohhhh I didn't even think about that part of the meaning! Geez, too bad no one pressed charges against him, but I know how money can get people off of hooks. Can we say O.J.?
Frey,
Great to see you back. Did you travel to somewhere? I think there are a few other newspapers that are doing more testing with TMS Daily Commuter/United Feature/Newsday/Universal crossword.
Lemonade,
I forgot to ask you. Is the picture before Winston you? Do you like "Happy Talk"?
Jeanne,
Yes, Wednesday is 2. I felt today's is an eased-up puzzle though.
Kazie,
Thanks for Dutch van. Totally forgot about van Gogh.
Al & Anon HP,
Nice, i before e except after c.
Crockett,
We had Candid Camera before, either as a clue or answer. The Features Editor of The Oregonian sends the United Features information to Danny several days ago.
Clear Ayes,
Re: CAPE FEAR. I am getting so forgetful now.
Elissa,
What a shock. I did not know Sean Connery is a misogynist.
More on Saturation Diving.....
I trained to be a commercial diver in Houston, Texas in the early 80s. Pretty fun but I didn't have any luck finding work. It was more who you know rather than what, and the fact off shore oil rigs were being pulled ashore then.
Anyway, Saturation diving is when the divers actually live under pressure. This cuts down on decompression time which allows more bottom (work) time. They usually are breathing heliox (helium and oxygen) which cuts down on nitrogen build up, which is what gives you "the bends". Very painful experience for me when I was training. Having a "bubble" (nitrogen bubble) is no fun.
There is a big Sat Dive going on in upstate New York in on of the big aqua-ducts that supplies NYC drinking water. Years ago, rather than replacing a valve they decided to encase it in concrete. Now they need to turn the valve so the divers are chipping the concrete away in 300 feet of water. Once the shift is done a diving bell transports the divers to the pressurized living quarters on the surface. Divers work 7 days on, 14 days off. Takes 18 hours using oxygen decompression tables to decompress.
Sorry to ramble. I now run a water utility as well. Cool stuff to me!!
Have a great night!
I did not realize that Enrique Iglesias is married to Ms. Kournikova. There are persistent rumors that he is gay. Maybe she is his beard. I wonder how that all works. A whole lotta of hush, hush and even more money passed under the table, presumably.
My favorite clue:.'Boxers' alternatives?'
I got AL CAPP via the perps. That was another pop culture reference that was before my time.
I have the Tivo set to automatically record Wordplay.
I only learned, very recently, that the ICC no longer exists. Doh!
"He looks awfully familiar. I must have googled him before."
Re: Bali Hai...I believe the character was called Bloody Mary because her teeth were stained red from chewing Beetle Nuts. I grew up with all those musicals...I think that in the original stage play that Mary Martin was lead. Mitzy Gaynor played that same part in the movie.
Lemonade...what a cute grandchild...hey, its a starting place.
Warren,
Will we see Ruth someday? She sounds like a fun person. Wise too.
KQ,
I changed my opinion about Rosie O'Donnell after she started to have short hair. She looks so man and intimidating.
Paul,
What a surprise!
WM,
Bloody Mary reminds me of myself.
I hereby make a motion that the word Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg be forever banned from all languages. Terrible word!
Lemonade,
It's all good. You never did reply to my email, though. Did you get the LUCID information?
Rex,
Won't Jeanne also get better by just doing the syndicated NYT puzzles? She likely has money concerns, too, in this economy. Are the solutions to the syndicated puzzles referenceable on your blog's archives?
Melissa,
The "Ghosts of Gay Porn" ... hahahahahaha
Mainiac,
Are you familiar with Underwater magazine?
C.C.,
Yes. As I recall, the name CAPE Fear is attributed to the dangerous nature of the coastline there. It is a ship graveyard.
Dick, I'm afraid the Pens are too talented for us. And Fleury's just getting better and better; I think he's the next Brodeur.
Mainiac, you're right about enthusiasm in karate - I practiced Shotokan karate for several years before I moved on to something a little more 'spirited'. If you don't have enthusiasm, you tend to be on your ass a lot.
Crossedlover, you're right, Cape Fear was outstanding (either one).
Jeanne, it figures - I leave Friday, and the next several days are gonna be hotter here than in Florida. I'll bet is snows when I get back.
Windhover, I have no doubt the trolls will wait.
Carol, thanks. And I'd ask g8rmomx2 or lemonade about the best time go visit Florida; they'd know more than I would. I just go when the urge hits.
WM, you threw me with "beetle nuts". I knew about betel nuts, as it seemed everyone in Vietnam chewed them at one time or another, but I was trying to figure out why anyone would take the time to pick the nuts off a beetle.
@PromiseMe
Well, sure, Jeanne will get better either way, but she indicated that she planned to subscribe and was putting it off only bec. she was concerned about not yet being good enough. I was simply saying that she shouldn't let that hold her back.
All puzzle commentaries are archived, but the *conversation* about the puzzle is dead the time the syndi solvers get around to it. Far better to be a same-day solver, if you can afford it.
rp
Rex,
Thanks for your input. Your blog would be one reason why I would like to do the current NYT puzzle. It really isn't a matter of money (I was out all afternoon helping the economy-sales only); it's just the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday puzzles are beyond my capabilities at this point. I'm still getting used to the LAT Friday and Saturday puzzles. But I will get better, I will get better, I will get better.
Our other puzzle is the NEA published by United Features and I do not enjoy that puzzle. Not that difficult-just not fun.
Have a good evening all. Looking forward to watching "Lost"-very creative series.
Dennis @3:21 and WM,
I also was contemplating commenting on Bloody Mary's name and the reason. But I hesitated because I couldn't remember the spelling of betel nuts. I'm glad I held back and let someone else make the mistake!
Looking back at the first part of Connery's quote, I bet he's glad "to still be around"--I wonder how many women were tempted to get back at him for whatever he did to them?
Hi C.C.
Here you go:
Ruth in our Endless Pool.
Maniac, Really interesting information about saturation diving. It never ceases to amaze me how varied the backgrounds are for our bloggers.
PMT....Shock!! No South Pacific? The story is rather outdated now, inter-racial romance and prejudice in the midst of WWII. But when it opened in 1949 it was one of the first musicals to have a serious social theme. Then there are the wonderful songs. Some Enchanted Evening", "There Is Nothing Like A Dame", "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and on and on. Yup, I know them all and sing along with the CD when I'm driving. I'm no Mary Martin (I know, most of you under 50's don't know who she was either), but I'm loud and can carry a tune.
C.C. Re: CAPONS "Sounds cruel to castrate chickens just for their meat." Isn't that exactly what the cattle/beef industry does to bull calves?
@Clear Ayes: I grew up watching the Mary Martin stage version of Peter Pan, so she is firmly etched in my brain forever. I may be one of the few under 25 to know that.
Not much to add here, other than I started signing Bali Hai as well when I filled in the clue. When I was in HS (2002) I went to see a production of it with Robert Goule as the star. (I'm a bit of a drama nerd...) It was a bit surreal, as the audience clapped everytime he appeared on stage. The man could still sing though, even if it was creepy seeing him with a 20 something on stage.
~puzzled_in_pdx
C.C.,
The funny thing is that we used to listen to the album of the musical all the time, but I have never watched the movie or play. It is even odder, because both of my sons were Florida Thespians, doing american musical theater, and performing regularly in musicals. I enjoyed all of the music in SP, I guess I will have watch it, if only to see a red toothed woman.
Yes, the picture before Winston was me at a birthday party for a friend, most of the pictures I take are of the boys, so I figured if I had one of me, even if I had to crop the rest out, I should use it, but the puppy is pretty damn cute. Thank you for the kind words, all who have noticed him.
I think the other advantage of doing the NYT as well, is the more you do, the more you know. Constructors will always be able to trick you some, other than dumb luck, nobody could know if it was going to be IBN, or BIN, today. As Mr. Parker said, he was fooled momentarily by some clues as well, only his moments take seconds to correct.
PMT, sorry; I am a baaaaaaaad boy.
Lo-li-ta, your on your own tonight, so I hope you don't have a BAD LIE, or get tangled up with any HYBRIDS. (Just don't pick on my sweet thespian boys).
If you read the Ian Rankin books, which I recently started, his portrayal of Scotland and the effect on its citizens of the poverty and climate, I am not surprised Connery is a hater. Too many macho men are actually insecure, alcoholic creeps.
You all need to go to Disney World, there is a Xanadu in the neighborhood, and all kinds of information that pops up in our puzzles. Florida is best in January through May, when things are dryer; except if you are on the ocean, it is fun year round.
I am V, so I am over and out....
Gee Dennis and Kazie...thanks...spelling error or no the info is basically correct.I haven't seen or used that word for probably 40 years or more.
Betel
Beetle
Beatle...
I'm so glad that you didn't get a chance to make a public mistake...I'll take the heat because it really isn't important and I'm not an elitist in the least bit.
Also on the capons, its also not nearly as bad as cutting off the tips of their beaks so they can't peck at each other in those little tiny boxes...the life of a chicken isn't a good one...
WM, I wasn't taking a shot - it can be spelled both ways. Merely having some fun with beetle nuts.
7:48 today. An easy, breezy walk in the park. PEPPIEST was my last fill (I had ZIPPIEST initially)
@al Thanks for the link to Xanadu. They just don't make great roller disco nightclub movies like that anymore, do they? XanaduI saw Olivia Newton-John at one of the Reno casinos years ago (was it The Flamingo Hilton?) and was blown away by her performance. She's a breast cancer survivor.
PromiseMeThis: Embien,
That link to the Chinese 'Middle Name Dilemma' just dropped me to the main page for that blog. Can you provide a more specific link?It was in the post, the second link. Here it is again:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/world/asia/21china.html
WM,
I appreciate your taking the heat for me. Thanks for understanding! Of course I could have looked it up, but was too busy for any research today.
I agree about the treatment of all commercially raised animals, but I'm a meat freak, and they are raised as food anyway, so who are we to question...I know, we should all become vegans. But all things in moderation, right?
We get our chickens and eggs from local people we know, so they at least are free-range, and most of our meat comes from the locker plant in town and is locally produced too, so I don't feel too guilty.
Okay guys...thanks...at least I didn't spell it BEATLE...Dennis...haven't you ever eaten beetles? I once had fried grasshoppers(not technically a beetle)...I usually try anything once...but that would have had to have been an aquired taste.;o)
Kazie...w/o getting on a soapbox about it, I just think that as natural omnivores we just need to be aware of how animals are raised whether for food or not. There are healthier and safer ways, for us and them, for food animals to be raised. Calif is starting to move that direction legally and as a confirmed meat eater I can feel better if I know where my food comes from and that it at least had a decent life. We used to get free-range beef from my husband's dad every year and I had to know exactly how to have it cut up...I learned a lot and I also had more respect for the whole process. Plus, the meat tasted much better.
Just sayin' ya know?
C.C....re: Bloody Mary...now you're messing with my head...I remember that I thought she was a really lovely character in the movie...I'm assuming that's what you meant...? Not that you have red teeth? ;o)
#4
C.C. and Al:
Nice. Hmmm. Good, well thought out answer, C.C. I came up with a different one, which I'll post around 7pm PST if it doesn't appear here sooner.
anon-hp
I couldn't get to the puzzle until I cleaned the barn today. It wasn't a bad puzzle, but I got stuck on cod liver oil and the beefalo didn't come very easily either.
We've had the big melt down from the two feet of snow we had last weekend. Everything is squishy and muddy.
Got to go feed baby goat and fix myself a drink!
On this day April 22nd...
1952 An atomic test conducted in Nevada became the first nuclear explosion shown on live network TV.
1954 The televised Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began.
1993 The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, D.C.
1994 Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, died at age 81 in New York City, four days after suffering a stroke.
2004 Pro football player Pat Tillman, who'd traded in a multimillion-dollar contract to serve as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, was killed by friendly fire; he was 27.
Elitist is Obama? Are you from a red state or what?
Agree with all...an easy puzzle.
CC: (Old Joke) When asked if he wore boxers or briefs, Walter Mondale replied,
"Depends." bah DUMP bump!
Elissa,
Have you read Tony Curtis' latest book? I listened to it on tape one day while I was painting the bathroom. Only slightly interesting read, but he sure is full of himself. I had a hard time even listening to the book. I can see why he and his daughter have a cool relationship.
I would love to run into Tom Selleck someday. I was never a fan when he was originally on Magnum, but my daughter got hooked on old reruns when she was recovering from a tonsillectomy her senior year in high school. We would watch them together, and they were so campy we had a blast. Now it is tradition if either of us is sick, and I am hooked on his Jesse Stone series.
It is always fun to have celebrity sightings.
WM, I hate all types of bugs. I have been known to chased into my house if I see a June bug. If some of you folks are not familiar with them, they are like big beetles. If one happens to make it into my house I will barricade myself in a separate room. I was once enticed to try a chocolate covered cricket. Hey, it's covered in chocolate...it was kind of like eating a chocolate covered "cruchy" thing. I drew the line when offered a chocolate covered cock roach (shiver).
Dennis, it would take great tenacity to pluck those nuts off a beetle. Not gonna try THAT either. Enjoy your trip.
Lemonade, no worries as I ran out of the alphabet on golf terminology. I might have to switch to baseball after the trashing I got the other day not knowing who Ted Williams was.
Hey you men out there...why are there two kinds of "shorts" boxers and briefs and what is the reason to choose one or the other. Inquiring minds want to know.
CC – Yakkers and Loonies
I enjoyed today’s XW. Lots of fun words and clues. Beefalo – cross between cattle and bison. Very lean meat very enjoyable.
Clear Ayes – nothing goes to waste – Rocky Mountain Oysters – quite the delicacy! However, Dennis, I might have to draw the line at beetle oysters – LOL
Being as it is earth day (duh! Which one isn’t) here are a couple of recently spotted bumper stickers (I’ll never be accused of being pc):
Vegetarian – Sioux word for poor hunter
People Eating Tasty Animals
Speaking of RMOs:
Delicacy
An American touring Spain stopped at a local restaurant following a day of sightseeing. While sipping his sangria, he noticed a sizzling, scrumptious looking platter being served at the next table. Not only did it look good, the smell was wonderful. He asked the waiter, "What is that you just served?" The waiter replied, " Ah senor, you have excellent taste! Those are bulls testicles from the bull fight this morning. A delicacy!" The American, though momentarily daunted, said, "What the hell, I'm on vacation! Bring me an order!" The waiter replied, "I am so sorry senor.
There is only one serving per day because there is only one bull fight each morning. If you come early tomorrow and place your order, we will be sure to save you this delicacy!" The next morning, the American returned, placed his order, and then that evening he was served the one and only special delicacy of the day. After a few bites, and inspecting the contents of his platter, he called to the waiter and said, "These are delicious, but they are much, much smaller than the ones I saw you serve yesterday!" The waiter shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Si senor. Sometimes the bull wins."
Good evening CC and all,
The blog was a fun read today, lots of new facts, like Sean Connery and misogynist( I looked it up too, Carol).
Loved the grandpup, Lemonade. We had 2 also, before Truman was born.It was a real shock to those dogs who had had the run of the house and had been taken everywhere.They are still decked out for Halloween though.
The theme went over my head, even though it is very clear NOW.You always amaze me, CC. More unknowns for me today so I had to move around a few times.sel/poivre?
The bottom part of the c/w gave me the most grief.
I put e's instead of i's for elitist and Iglesias, so "if I do" was my last fill.
Love the word, blurb, but I don't think I've ever seen it written.blurb,blurb,blurb ...fun
Dennis and Crossedlover, Cape Fear may have been full of excellent actors, BUT it was damned scarey, especially if you had a teen aged daughter at the time. I would never recommend it; too real for me.
Al, thanks for that version of Xanadu. I thought the movie was silly at the time, but my girls loved it and we listened to all of Olivia's music, almost as fun as Donny and Marie.LOL
Promiseme, the hush hush of gay actors in the 50's was huge. My sister was paid to go out with Sal Mineo, who was gay. She was in the movie Rock Pretty Baby at he time. It was set up and photographed by a movie magazine. Those magazines could make or break a budding movie career back then.
Carol, most of the "snowbirds" have gone back home by mid April, so April/May are good months. It can get crowded when Hurricane season ends(Nov?) and when it is cold up north.
Lemonade, Winston is a very handsome grand-puppy. Please post future photos of him as he grows up.
Now I must wash that Mr. Ed theme right outa my hair.
Razz--great story. Beefalo is quite popular up here in Minnesnowta. A local butcher also grinds bacon into beefalo burgers for very moist and flavorable grilled burgers. Grilled them for some East Coast cousins last summer and they loved them. Had never heard of them before.
Razz, LOL, great joke.
Jeannie, Interesting days in history. Atomic bombs on TV and the McCarthy hearings...the 1950's weren't as idyllic as we might want to remember them.
JD, I'm with you. G.A.H. also loved DeNiro's Cape Fear, same thing with a movie titled Dead Calm with Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane. Anytime the insane killer pops up again, and then AGAIN, after seemingly being done away with is too much for me.
I'm surprised that nobody has asked, after seeing my "rattler on the porch" photo, if we skinned and ate it. The popular saying is, "tastes like chicken". This particular snake went into the gully behind our house to be swooped up for lunch by a low-flying buzzard. But I have had rattlesnake meat and it does taste quite a bit like chicken.
Jeannie...Woot for Dennis gotcha...LOL...you too Razz.Kind of like the moth balls joke.:o)
I'm not a fan of bugs either but have learned to deal with them...now a June bug or a big cockroach would probably set me off too...my first reaction is squishing or swatting...I have a much bigger issue with slimy things...especially those nasty banana slugs they have up in the Santa Cruz Mountains...GAK!
Now non-poisonous snakes, and other lizardy things I don't have a problem with at all...I am surprised that no-one came up with the idea that maybe a lot of the 2-sex creatures got that way as compensation for the no hands and feet thing...just a thought.
ANON@7:43 come back, go blue and join us...welcome...
#5 and outta here...
Warren, the endless pool looks great. Can you vary the speed of the water?
WM, yes, I've eaten beetles, as well as grubs, frog, snake and some weird animal we never did identify. Never again.
Razz, I draw the line at any kind of oysters. And I loved the PETA bit.
Jimbo, Hayrake, still with us?
Regarding Al's cryptic clue today, here's my solution, as promised:
Drop the punctuation, and take note of the 4 letter word meaning having a preference embedded in the clue.
E.g.
Wel *L I KE* ep having a preference
C.C., your nice answer isn't at all bad, but I think this the more likely solution. ;)
anon-HP
WM, funny that you mentioned those yellow banana slugs which are the official mascot for the Univ. of CA at Santa Cruz.These slugs are L A R G E! If I hadn't been so tired from that blasted heat, I was going to try to link a picture of one of those beauties.
Yesterday's puzzle had slug and I wasn't familiar with that definition, but knew the answer right away. When we were kids we used to pick up little round pieces of metal, about the size of a quarter, around houses that were being built. We called them slugs, but never knew what they really were. Does anyone know?
Razz,
Great story!
WM,
I agree about the inhumane treatment of the mass produced meat animals--it's why we like to buy locally grown meat.
Lemonade,
Winston is a very cute pup. We've had a black lab in the past. Now we have a golden retriever. Both breeds have wonderful temperaments, though I know nothing about boxers.
In Oz, the nearest thing to June bugs I remember were something we called Christmas beetles. Remember, December is the first summer month there, so roughly the same seasonal time of year as for June bugs. The Germans have one called a Maikäfer (May beetle), so they get them a month earlier. I've never wanted to eat any of them.
I think I've seen beefalos in fields around here some time ago. But the most exotic meat I've had in the USA was bear meat my son gave us from Alaska.
#4
Hello C.C. & all
JD,
Those metal discs are the punch outs to an electrical outlet box that is mounted inside the wall. They are how the wires get in out, I believe they're 4 to a box.
jeannie,
There's more than boxers and briefs. I prefer boxer-briefs, myself. Not so much fabric as boxers, and no brief "lines".
Grand Prix site? Le Mans? Don't think so. 24 hours at Le Mans is a sports car race. Not Grand Prix, which is Formula 1.
anon@9:49, the official name of the Le Mans 24-hour race is Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance.
Thomas, Thanks for confusing the boxer brief thing even more. I think that is what I recently purchased for my husband and he loves them.
Jeannie, Really, the guys have nothing over the women when it comes to underwear. We have briefs, bikinis, french cut, thongs, and the list goes on and on. And that isn't even going into the really racy stuff that we could put on.
I disagree with all you women out there...we don't have one pair of underwear that just "float" around our thighs and another pair that just "hold" everyting in. Most of our lingerie to an extent just covers our "womanhood" one way or another. To my knowledge there isn't a pair of "boxer" type shorts out there for us to purchase. I for one, couldn't wear them under dress slacks. Wouldn't they bunch up? Still curious why a man chooses what he chooses...nothing DF here (okay just a little), but wondering....
jeannie,
Did you know that wearing briefs results in a lower sperm count?
TJ
Thanks Thomas, so would it be correct to call them slugs?
Jeannie,
"nothing DF here" Are you kidding?????????
Ahhhhh, the fog just rolled in over the hills...goodnight sun
It's taken me all day to get to the puzzle, and there were 92 comments by the time I got to the blog. It's already tomorrow, and I should be in bed.
I was pleasantly surprised to find this puzzle was fairly easy. I thought it might be considerably more difficult than yesterday's. I didn't know a lot of short words: AWN, DIA, SEL, ELA, and ARA, but they came through the perps.
I needed a little perp help to jog my memory on ORWELL, XANADU and ANN RICHARDS, but I managed to get all the answers without assistance.
Cute pup, Lemonade!
Have a great trip, Dennis.
Nite, all.
Good evening all,
Just a quick note to Jeanne before I go to work. You can go on-line to Seattle Times and get the current NYT puzzle with out a sub.
JD,
You're welcome!
I think anything that imitates a US coin can be called a 'slug', so yes, your punch-outs can be called slugs, but they're probably not the same weight as a legitimate coin. If I'm wrong, I'm sure the blog will correct me!
TJ
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