Theme: Miss Mid-ler's Favorite Things
20A: Social butterfly's flower pot?: MINGLER'S VASE (Ming Vase)
36A: Breakfast for a cuddly person?: NESTLER'S EGG (Nest Egg)
43A: Adam's tavern?: SANDLER'S BAR (Sandbar)
57A: Old West outlaw's accessory?: RUSTLER'S BELT (Rust Belt)
If you have a better theme title, please come to the Comments section.
I've never understood the western fascination with certain Ming vases. Some can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auctions. NESTLER'S EGG is my favorite theme entry. I just learned the other day that water is also called "Adam's Ale", so I was thinking of the Biblical Adam. Adam SANDLER did not even come across my mind. RUSTLER as "cattle thief" is new to me.
Since I've been in a tie-in/pair-up/cross-referenced clues mood lately, the following clues caught my eyes immediately:
14A: End of a dash: TAPE. And KNEE (42A: End of a lap).
61A: Practice for the main event: SPAR. And ARENA (64A: Main event venue). Nice sequential order.
11D: Parisian Mrs.: MME (Madame). And SRA (61D: Arg. title).
37D: Some attys.' degrees: LLBS (Latin Legum Baccalaureus, Bachelor of Laws). And LSATS ( 51D: Hurdles for seekers of 37-Down). Both in plural form.
To me, the above clues are exhibitive of the constructor's complete awareness of all the answers he puts into his grid. And they show his effort in bringing a cohesiveness to several sets of his clues. I really like that.
I had better luck with Mike Peluso's "Galary" puzzle last time. Struggled today. Fell victim to his tricky clues.
Across:
1A: Jack-in-the-pulpit family: ARUM. Look at the little guy under the leaf-hood. Can you believe he turns into a she after 2 years?
5A: __ nova: BOSSA. The dance in the 1960s.
10A: Like most radios: AM/FM
15A: Adidas founder Dassler: ADOLF. No idea. Wikipedia says both he and his brother Rudolf joined Nazi Party in the 1930s.
16A: Barrie pirate: SMEE. Of "Peter Pan". Often clued as "Captain Hook's cohort". Johnny Depp's "Finding Neverland" is about Barrie.
17A: Took too much: ODED
18A: Damage badly: TOTAL
19A: Gadgets used in drivers' education?: TEES. Golf. You can't fool me.
23A: Exodus landmark: SINAI
24A: Sacred Egyptian symbols: SCARABS. The sacred beetle, symbol of soul. I could only think of ASPS. They were sacred to the Egyptians also, right?
28A: Puzzle page feature: REBUS
32A: "A Man and a Woman" actress: AIMEE (Anouk). Have heard of the movie. Did not know who were the stars though.
33A: Accent in the pantry?: MSG. I don't understand the clue. Why "Accent"? Chinese dumplings are tastier with a tiny bit of MSG.
39A: Slurpee alternative: ICEE. Have never had either of them. Water & tea, that's all I drink.
41A: What matters: BE ALL. Can you give me an example? I've never heard of BE ALL.
46A: Bering, e.g.: Abbr.: STR (Strait). I wrote down SEA immediately. Totally oblivious of the Abbr. hint.
47A: Nobelist Root: ELIHU. He won 1912 Nobel Peace in 1912. Another ELIHU is the founder of Yale, ELIHU Yale.
48A: Keys: ISLES. Are they really the same?
50A: Manufacturers' headaches: RECALLS. Way overboard with those toy RECALLS.
53A: Copies, briefly: DUPES
65A: Aged wheel?: BRIE. The cheese is shaped like a wheel. Wicked clue.
66A: Mortgage holder's offer, for short: REFI (Refinance). Not a familiar abbreviation to me.
67A: Pick-me-up: TONIC
68A: Artist's pseudonym formed from the French pronunciation of his initials: ERTE. His original name is Romain de Rirtoff. ERTE is the French pronunciation of his initials R.T.
69A: It follows the last Gospel: ACTS
70A: One in black suit: SPADE. The card. I was picturing a secret agent.
71A: Not natural: DYED. Oh, hair. Are these natural? I mean, her boobs.
Down:
1A: Energy sources: ATOMS
2D: Spokes, say: RADII
3D: Southernmost Ivy League sch.: UPENN. OK, of all the IVY Leagues schools, it's indeed the southernmost.
4D: Civil rights activist Evers: MEDGAR. No idea. Have never heard of this guy.
5D: Decrease: BATE. What's the difference between BATE and abate?
6D: It might be a clue: ODOR. I would have got the answer immediately if I were a dog.
7D: Frequent reelers: SOTS. They TOPE.
8D: Serbs and Croats: SLAVS
9D: Company with fowl-mouthed ads?: AFLAC
10D: Little star: ASTERISK. Want a nice little star in front of your record, Roger Clemens?
13D: Julio, por ejemplo: MES. Spanish for months. Julio is July, not Julio the singer or any guy's name.
21D: Bank holding: LIEN
22D: German coal region: SAAR. Lower left. I forgot. Could only think of RUHR.
25D: Answers from a flock: AMENS. Nice play on "flock".
26D: Sire: BEGET
27D: Rock Bob with the Silver Bullet band: SEGER. Oh, I did not know his band name. Somehow I thought he is the singer for the double entendres-filled "Sledgehammer".
31D: East German secret police: STASI. I just can't remember this secret STASI. Maybe I need to see "The Lives of Others", which is about the STASI (short for Staatssicherheit, German for "State Security").
33D: Philanthropist's antithesis: MISER. Really? Not recession?
34D: Do to do: SCALE. I like this clue.
35D: Photo finish?: GENIC. Photogenic. I want MATTE.
38D: Matmid Frequent Flyer Club airline: EL AL. Easy guess. Four letter airline, what else could it be? Matmid is "is a shortcut of the old name - "Hanose'aa Hamatmid- which means - the constant (or persistent) traveller. Matmid itself is a verb for persistent behaviour", according to this source.
40D: "Apollo 13" costar: ED HARRIS. Could only think of Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon. I did like ED HARRIS in "Stepmom".
44D: Corker: LULU. Did not know slangy meaning of "corker".
45D: Sommelier's array: REDS. Sommelier is new to me.
49D: Filled in: SUBBED
52D: Sharpen: STROP. I really liked the STROP clue ("Work on the cutting edge?) last time.
54D: Designer Ellis: PERRY
56D: Mount: STEED. By the way, can you call a woman a stud? Lance Armstrong described ex-wife as a stud in his biography.
58D: Yakutsk's river: LENA. No idea. It's in Siberia. See Yakutsk? It's to the right of SAKHA, along the LENA River.
59D: City west of Tulsa: ENID. What is ENID famous for?
60D: Beat fast: RACE. Hmm, I think red hot chili peppers can make some guy's heart "Beat fast". No? In case you wonder, the girl is Maggie Q (Quigley), a huge star in Asia.
62D: Chest muscle: PEC. I don't want chest muscle. Just want a smaller waist.
63D: Near the tail: AFT. Boat?
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A: Social butterfly's flower pot?: MINGLER'S VASE (Ming Vase)
36A: Breakfast for a cuddly person?: NESTLER'S EGG (Nest Egg)
43A: Adam's tavern?: SANDLER'S BAR (Sandbar)
57A: Old West outlaw's accessory?: RUSTLER'S BELT (Rust Belt)
If you have a better theme title, please come to the Comments section.
I've never understood the western fascination with certain Ming vases. Some can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auctions. NESTLER'S EGG is my favorite theme entry. I just learned the other day that water is also called "Adam's Ale", so I was thinking of the Biblical Adam. Adam SANDLER did not even come across my mind. RUSTLER as "cattle thief" is new to me.
Since I've been in a tie-in/pair-up/cross-referenced clues mood lately, the following clues caught my eyes immediately:
14A: End of a dash: TAPE. And KNEE (42A: End of a lap).
61A: Practice for the main event: SPAR. And ARENA (64A: Main event venue). Nice sequential order.
11D: Parisian Mrs.: MME (Madame). And SRA (61D: Arg. title).
37D: Some attys.' degrees: LLBS (Latin Legum Baccalaureus, Bachelor of Laws). And LSATS ( 51D: Hurdles for seekers of 37-Down). Both in plural form.
To me, the above clues are exhibitive of the constructor's complete awareness of all the answers he puts into his grid. And they show his effort in bringing a cohesiveness to several sets of his clues. I really like that.
I had better luck with Mike Peluso's "Galary" puzzle last time. Struggled today. Fell victim to his tricky clues.
Across:
1A: Jack-in-the-pulpit family: ARUM. Look at the little guy under the leaf-hood. Can you believe he turns into a she after 2 years?
5A: __ nova: BOSSA. The dance in the 1960s.
10A: Like most radios: AM/FM
15A: Adidas founder Dassler: ADOLF. No idea. Wikipedia says both he and his brother Rudolf joined Nazi Party in the 1930s.
16A: Barrie pirate: SMEE. Of "Peter Pan". Often clued as "Captain Hook's cohort". Johnny Depp's "Finding Neverland" is about Barrie.
17A: Took too much: ODED
18A: Damage badly: TOTAL
19A: Gadgets used in drivers' education?: TEES. Golf. You can't fool me.
23A: Exodus landmark: SINAI
24A: Sacred Egyptian symbols: SCARABS. The sacred beetle, symbol of soul. I could only think of ASPS. They were sacred to the Egyptians also, right?
28A: Puzzle page feature: REBUS
32A: "A Man and a Woman" actress: AIMEE (Anouk). Have heard of the movie. Did not know who were the stars though.
33A: Accent in the pantry?: MSG. I don't understand the clue. Why "Accent"? Chinese dumplings are tastier with a tiny bit of MSG.
39A: Slurpee alternative: ICEE. Have never had either of them. Water & tea, that's all I drink.
41A: What matters: BE ALL. Can you give me an example? I've never heard of BE ALL.
46A: Bering, e.g.: Abbr.: STR (Strait). I wrote down SEA immediately. Totally oblivious of the Abbr. hint.
47A: Nobelist Root: ELIHU. He won 1912 Nobel Peace in 1912. Another ELIHU is the founder of Yale, ELIHU Yale.
48A: Keys: ISLES. Are they really the same?
50A: Manufacturers' headaches: RECALLS. Way overboard with those toy RECALLS.
53A: Copies, briefly: DUPES
65A: Aged wheel?: BRIE. The cheese is shaped like a wheel. Wicked clue.
66A: Mortgage holder's offer, for short: REFI (Refinance). Not a familiar abbreviation to me.
67A: Pick-me-up: TONIC
68A: Artist's pseudonym formed from the French pronunciation of his initials: ERTE. His original name is Romain de Rirtoff. ERTE is the French pronunciation of his initials R.T.
69A: It follows the last Gospel: ACTS
70A: One in black suit: SPADE. The card. I was picturing a secret agent.
71A: Not natural: DYED. Oh, hair. Are these natural? I mean, her boobs.
Down:
1A: Energy sources: ATOMS
2D: Spokes, say: RADII
3D: Southernmost Ivy League sch.: UPENN. OK, of all the IVY Leagues schools, it's indeed the southernmost.
4D: Civil rights activist Evers: MEDGAR. No idea. Have never heard of this guy.
5D: Decrease: BATE. What's the difference between BATE and abate?
6D: It might be a clue: ODOR. I would have got the answer immediately if I were a dog.
7D: Frequent reelers: SOTS. They TOPE.
8D: Serbs and Croats: SLAVS
9D: Company with fowl-mouthed ads?: AFLAC
10D: Little star: ASTERISK. Want a nice little star in front of your record, Roger Clemens?
13D: Julio, por ejemplo: MES. Spanish for months. Julio is July, not Julio the singer or any guy's name.
21D: Bank holding: LIEN
22D: German coal region: SAAR. Lower left. I forgot. Could only think of RUHR.
25D: Answers from a flock: AMENS. Nice play on "flock".
26D: Sire: BEGET
27D: Rock Bob with the Silver Bullet band: SEGER. Oh, I did not know his band name. Somehow I thought he is the singer for the double entendres-filled "Sledgehammer".
31D: East German secret police: STASI. I just can't remember this secret STASI. Maybe I need to see "The Lives of Others", which is about the STASI (short for Staatssicherheit, German for "State Security").
33D: Philanthropist's antithesis: MISER. Really? Not recession?
34D: Do to do: SCALE. I like this clue.
35D: Photo finish?: GENIC. Photogenic. I want MATTE.
38D: Matmid Frequent Flyer Club airline: EL AL. Easy guess. Four letter airline, what else could it be? Matmid is "is a shortcut of the old name - "Hanose'aa Hamatmid- which means - the constant (or persistent) traveller. Matmid itself is a verb for persistent behaviour", according to this source.
40D: "Apollo 13" costar: ED HARRIS. Could only think of Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon. I did like ED HARRIS in "Stepmom".
44D: Corker: LULU. Did not know slangy meaning of "corker".
45D: Sommelier's array: REDS. Sommelier is new to me.
49D: Filled in: SUBBED
52D: Sharpen: STROP. I really liked the STROP clue ("Work on the cutting edge?) last time.
54D: Designer Ellis: PERRY
56D: Mount: STEED. By the way, can you call a woman a stud? Lance Armstrong described ex-wife as a stud in his biography.
58D: Yakutsk's river: LENA. No idea. It's in Siberia. See Yakutsk? It's to the right of SAKHA, along the LENA River.
59D: City west of Tulsa: ENID. What is ENID famous for?
60D: Beat fast: RACE. Hmm, I think red hot chili peppers can make some guy's heart "Beat fast". No? In case you wonder, the girl is Maggie Q (Quigley), a huge star in Asia.
62D: Chest muscle: PEC. I don't want chest muscle. Just want a smaller waist.
63D: Near the tail: AFT. Boat?
Answer grid.
C.C.
72 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - well, I had a great start with this one before I ran into trouble. I somehow dredged up the fact that Jack-in-the-Pulpits were in the Arum family, and that made the NW downs easy. After that, it got a bit sketchy. I went through the whole puzzle filling in the obvious ones, then went back after the remaining empty spaces, which were numerous. Once the first theme answer was apparent, the remaining ones were pretty easy.
I didn't have to hit the g-spot, but without the perps I wouldn't have had a prayer. Never heard of the Matmid club, didn't remember Elihu Root even though we saw it somewhat recently, didn't have a clue for 'Julio, por ejemplo'. I also didn't realize that's how Erte took his name. And 'be all' for 'what matters'?
Some very clever clues today: 'Gadgets used in drivers' education', 'photo finish', 'aged wheel'. Excellent puzzle.
Today is Buy a Musical Instrument Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom, and I absolutely love this one: "Last night I had a typical cholesterol-free dinner: baked squash, skim milk, and gelatin. I'm sure this will not make me live any longer, but I know it's going to seem longer." -- Groucho Marx
Friday Fun Facts:
- Every single possible three-character .com domain name (more than 50,000) has long since been registered.
- The cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II burns a gallon of diesel for every six inches that it moves.
Dennis,
I am disappointed. I explained at least twice how ERTE got his name in the past several weeks. No low-fat or no-fat meals in our house. Only real food.
Barb B,
If Balaam's donkey is a she, shouldn't the answer be JENNY rather than ASS?
Clear Ayes,
I often cook with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Habanero is too strong. It also smells funny.
Luxor,
Re: BRA & red peppers. No connection. Just a whimsical link. Your hot pants made me laugh though.
Doreen,
Thanks for the great a/an explanation.
WM,
Don't stress out. You need to take care of yourself too.
Andee & Jodi,
Hey, nice to hear from you guys.
Crockett,
Welcome back!
C.C., how can you expect me to remember, if it was before yesterday?
Off to the gym.
Balaam and his ass refers to a story in the Bible (Numbers 22:22 ~ 25). It is a fable in which the donkey speaks. God is angry with Balaam, who is a prophet, and has the donkey as the actual visionary. Talking animals were not uncommon in ancient Near East stories.
Hi CC
I have recently stumbled on to your blog - thanks for it. It is a great resource for me, as I get instant feedback on my crossword skills... Background: I work in India, and the local newspaper here carries the Star Tribune crossword from a few months back. So I do it offline, and hop over to your blog to get answers instantly. The only problem is that I can't take part in the discussions :(
I had one question which you might know, or at least folks who are regular on your blog might. Many years back, I did a crossword which struck me as one of the best ones I had done. It took me hours to figure out what was wrong, as nothing was making sense. This only fixed itself when I took a second look at the central clue, which indicated that all the 'F's were replaced by 'PH's (or was it vice versa)?
I am reasonably certain that it was one of the Star Tribune / NYT puzzles. I have tried hard to find that puzzle again, but no luck. Any chance you or someone on your blog might know?
Sameer B
ps. I work in the same company as Tyler Hinman, hope to meet him when I go to the US office sometime.
Dennis:
"be all and end all - the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim; 'profit is the be-all and end-all of business'"
I really do not admire these themes, though the clues were interesting; lers is just not special to me.
Why is KNEE the end of a LAP?
The puzzle does have lots of interesting consistency, which I needed, as parts were very difficult. DOH to DOH was very tricky as it looked like DUE TO DUE.
I met DOLLY PARTON a few years ago, and she was very nice, tiny and her cleavage seemed real; not too far apart, and not too perky. I do not have any tactile data, however.
I am surprised you have not across any SOMMELIERS in your time in the US, but if you went on a cruise, like many of our group are doing, you would certainly know one.
Many of us are allergic to MSG, so it can be a problem with many Asian dishes. Speaking of which, looking at the red peppers does not make we me want to be a vegetarian, but I might fake it for a while.
I am constantly amazed at the number of discussion we have that are so quickly forgotten.
Happy Friday.
Lemonade714, thanks for jogging my memory on who a SOMMELIER is; clears up that REDS answer.
In return, when you sit, you form a lap with a knee at one end and your torso at the other.
Accent is a MSG product found on grocery shelves everywhere and pantrys not so much.
Good Morning, C.C. and sundries from around the world.
They got me with Julio, I was thinking man's name.
Sameer B, that puzzle sounds familar but I doubt I'll remember it(but stranger things have happened.)
63D: Near the tail: AFT. Boat? Yes
I would never call a woman a stud, that much I know. But Lance knows his wife better than I do. Oops, it is ex-wife now. Hmmmm.
Good morning CC et al., This puzzle was a hammer for me - no foothold anywhere. Loved how 'sots'is here again and with 'tonic'. For 42A, end of lap, I wanted dance, but it didn't fit. And for 59D, city west of Tulsa, I wanted Beaver, but that sure didn't fit, but it is west of Tulsa. Enid has an AF Base. I went there in H.S. for a Choral Competition. Nice little town.
Am off campus today to do testing. Have a wonderful 3 day wkend and enjoy this gorgeous day.
Good morning!
I look forward to the Friday puzzles because they tend to stretch us all. My favorite today was 10D, Little star. A real 'Ah ha' moment.
I'm still reeling from toping tonics Wednesday night. Not a sot yet, but I'm working on it.
Barb B - thanks for the Balaam story. I had forgotten that one.
WM - You and your Mom are in my prayers.
CC - Thanks for all your time and effort on this blog. I can't start my day without it! I usually end my day with it as well to catch up.
Rains heading back in to Alabama today. Just in time for the weekend, of course.
I hope everyone has a great Friday!!
Hi Gang!
Surprisingly I finished a Friday puzzle unassisted. Admittedly there was a lot of hunt and peck and leaps of faith guess work.
Though radii was my first fill, the N/W corner was the last one I finished. I loved genic for photo finish. I too wanted matte or at least graph. Once I saw the theme it really helped. This is unusual for me, as I usually don't even see the theme until I finish or come here.
I'm off to see what The Oregonian has to offer today. TTFN
Good morning, all.
This is the first puzzle I've had to walk away from unfinished. I simply don't have the time to keep banging away at it. I have everything filled in with the exception of four across clues anchoring the NW corner.
I should know ARUM, I have a wild jack-in-the-pulpit at the wood's edge. ODED wouldn't come, for 'took too much,' and MIN to start MINGLERSVASE eluded me.
'Do to do' only came through the fills, much to my disgust. The sound in my head as I read the clue was "due to due." If I had thought of it as "doe to doe" I would have made the connection to music immediately. Clever clue.
'Sommelier's array' took a long time to fill. I was thinking about the things he wears around his neck to sample wines, and wasn't sure what they were called. I finally thought about wines, but that didn't fit.
SOTS and AFLAC were gimmies from previous puzzles.
WM, I hope things have improved for your mother. I'm going through something similar right now, so you have my empathy, positive thoughts, and prayers.
Dennis, I'll go right out and buy that baby grand piano I've always wanted!
Have a good day
Welcome, Sameer. I remember that puzzle, but I can't remember if it was a Trib one or not. Actually, it sounds like a Merle Reagle puzzle.
Lemonade, I thought Dolly Parton said she was 'enhanced'. Just curious - what color eyes did she have?
Argyle, you're right, I didn't know they even still made Accent.
Lois, I'm almost afraid to ask - what exactly are you testing?
Lola, extremely satisfying to finish a Friday puzzle unassisted, isn't it?
KittyB, the thing around a sommelier's neck that looks like a silver ashtray is called a Tastevin.
Thought I would be hammered today, but got through it. Had to g'spot MEDGAR, ELIHU, SINAI, LENA and ENID though but had most of the rest before I did that.
I also had RUHR at first for SAAR, also WINE, then VINS before REDS, was thinking cars for drivers' ed, had no clue about MES when that fell in, had MSG and erased it before deciding that had to be it. I don't use manufactured spices, so had no idea that was what it had in it. I couldn't get my head around GENIC either until here, and I've never heard of an ICEE. Is that the same as a slush(ee)?
I got the them early again but also thought of Adam and Eve before Sandler came to mind. There were so many smart clues to like today, but I think I liked ASTERISK best.
Welcome Danabw, Hahtoolah and Sameer B!
Elisa,
Did you see my post @9:12 last night? I offered some sightseeing ideas.
Dennis,
LOL Groucho's comment. And I wonder if cruise ships could be made more efficient like the road vehicles will have to be?
Hahtoolah,
Barb B gave a good explanation of the ass story earlier yesterday. It's a good idea to at least scan the previous comments before jumping in. c.c. even mentioned it before you re-posted today.
Lemonade,
I guffawed at your tactile evidence--I should hope not!
kazie, you liked ASTERISK best and so did I, so here is Little Star by The Elegants.
If Balaam's donkey is a she, shouldn't the answer be JENNY rather than ASS?The male ass is a Jack and the female ass is a Jenny, so the answer is ok.
I hit the g-spot so many times today it should be very satisfied. Too many to mention so I will just leave it at that. I find if I have to “cheat” so much that I usually just give up as was the case today. There were some very clever clues though. My favorites were “gadgets used in driver’s education” – tee and “one in a black suit” – spade. I had never heard the word oded for “took too much.” I also have never heard of a “rust belt.” Accent is a horrible flaky salty substance that should be banned. I’m with Kazie, I don’t use manufactured spices….you won’t find McCormick in my cupboard.
@Dennis I find it hard to believe it takes a gallon to move six inches.
UH-OH
@Dennis I find it hard to believe it takes a gallon to move six inches.Excellent point -- it's usually just a breeze.
Morning ! Not a lot of time so I came here for what did not come quickly...having "rebates" for "recall" didn`t help.
CC: MSG is not good for heart patients (of which my husband is one). We don`t often eat Chinese because of it. :(
Have a wonderful, long weekend, ya`ll. "Put another shrimp on the barbie" for Kaz. (We will do ribs and get out the ice cream freezer for the first time.)
Dennis: I already have a comb and tissue paper and a kazoo...is that enough? (plus a refinished with cheery stain upright, a synthesizer , my recorder from "Music for teachers"'course, and my Dad`s guitar.) Watching the early music shows with Porter and Dolly (with my Dad), it`s quite evident that Dolly has had much" work." In an interview she mentioned all the "fake" stuff...she`s very open about it.
Avatar is all my grandbabies..(sounds like a good title for a Soap starring Lucci!)
Linda et al,
Hit the refresh button. I just published my interview with today's constructor Mike Peluso.
Kazie,
I thought of you when I read Mike's background. Get the itch to construct a puzzle yourself?
This puzzle really kicked my butt from the start. I had LILY for ARUM and TERRA for BOSSA, and it was downhill from there. Too many unknowns and g-spots to mention. My 'duh' moments included TEES, SCALE, KNEE and ODED. (Tarrajo: 'took too much' = O.D.ed - get it now?)
I object to UPENN - the short name for the school is U of P.
Kazie: I did see your sightseeing suggestions last night. Thanks.
I just had to sign in again after my internet window inexplicably closed down while I was trying to order the Ballyhoo book from Amazon. So I found the interview on the way back in.
I posted a comment about my sharing three of his languages after reading the interview. But no, I don't really feel the urge to construct. I have a long way to go before I'd be capable.
Linda,
Thanks for thinking of me. We'll be grilling steaks rather than shrimp though!
Sameer: You story reminds me of a NY Times Sunday puzzle I tried to do many years ago (what was I thinking?!). The title was "It's not the same without you". I worked my way around the grid and couldn't fit in any answers when I was sure I know what the clues were asking for. Finally I realized that all of the U's were removed from the answers. I was disgusted and didn't even attempt a crossword for at least a decade.
Oh, my goodness, that was hard! I looked up almost everything. Once I start looking things up, I sorta get psyched out and can’t think of the things I actually know. Kinda like freezing on a test.
I did figure out the theme, and that helped. And maybe I’ll remember some of these clues for future reference. It really is a good puzzle with clever clueing. Now that it’s over, I can appreciate things like ASTERISK and GENIC. Knee was a gimme.
CC, thankfully Argyle answered the question about Balaam’s lady ass. All I could think of was that in translating Hebrew into English, Jack and jenny would have been confusing.
I keep Accent in my medicine chest for bee stings. It’s absolutely amazing. Heard about it in a travel book about Hawaii. It’s used for stings from I can’t remember what kind of critter underwater.
KittyB, tell us about the avatar. If you’ve explained it before, I apologize; must have missed it. It looks like a prom pic.
Dennis – I have a pvc pipe saved for making a didjeridu, Kind of hard to get the hang of blowing those.
Good morning, everyone! I was excited that I knew ARUM right out of the box. The north third came together with some deep thought, and I got the SW corner, but then had to really knuckle down. It took two theme answers before I caught on to the pattern. Had to G-spot EDHARRIS and BEBE. Got SEGER from the perps. Had heard of ELIHU before. I KNEW ERTE from prior discussions here. Lots of clever clues. Really liked "One in a black suit." My sister-in-law recently purchased some new "green" decks of cards, and the diamonds and hearts are green, not red! It made playing very difficult.
ACCENT is a brand name for MSG. Thanks for the Julio explanation. I thought it was some guy's name. I don't understand how "Do to do" is SCALE. Just got it as I was typing this out, and I'm a singer! Very clever. AFT also works on planes. Thanks for the welcome back.
@lemonade714 When you're sitting down, where does the far point of your lap end? Your KNEE. Before my above AHA I thought Do to do referred to doing something to a hair-do.
@argyle Thanks for the Accent link.
@dennis Are you pulling our leg with tastevin? Nope, not according to wiki.
@kaxie Yes, an ICEE and a SLURPEE are the same.
@tarrajo Think OverDosED for ODED. The RUST BELT is the area back east where salt is put on the roads to combat ice formation. Cars from that area look like they have leprosy.
Have a great long weekend, everyone.
Good Morning All, Ouch! I had a heck of a time with this one, starting in the NW corner. I had ARUM as ARAM (duh) and I had no idea about U PENN.
I didn't know MES, but the perps were filled and it looked OK to me.
"Do to do" had me thinking of "To Do List", so I filled in CHORE at first. Since sommelier is French, I sensibly (I thought) filled in VINS.
I spent a lot of time jumping around and filling in random squares. When I got MING LERS VASE, I went to the other theme answers and filled in LERS. That helped quite a bit with the perps.
This was definitely a red letter day. I usually start the puzzles later in the week on the Master Level, but so far with LAT, I've had to switch to Regular Skill about 2/3rds through to finish up. I never would have completed this one without the online help.
C.C. MEDGAR Evers was a well-known civil rights attorney and activist. He was murdered in front of his home in 1963. It was a terrible miscarriage of justice that his murderer, Ku Klux Kan member, Byron De La Beckwith, although tried twice before, was not convicted of Ever's murder until 30 years later. There is an interesting 1996 movie Ghosts of Mississippi that tells the story of the final De La Beckwith trial.
It's Friday - tough puzzle for me but perfect weekend coming up. Somehow I doubt if I'll look at tomorrow's - I hear the beach calling already. Clever cluing but I didn't latch onto the theme and it went downhill from there. Finished with a ton of help.
WM - let me add that my thoughts and prayers are also with you and your mom. I lost mine 3 years ago and still miss her a lot.
KQ - Cold Play was terrific; I'd go again in a New York minute and I'm not their typical demographic: I think we raised the age average of concert attenders a tad. Our seats were supposed to be in the orchestra section but the band wanted the chairs removed so people could stand thruout the concert. The ushers took a good look at us and made space in a special area for handicapped people so we had leg room plus great views. Guess 'old age' does carry some bennies.
@Dennis, I knew I was right. It probably doesn’t even take a stiff breeze.
@BarbB, blowing the didjeridu just takes a lot of practice. I have become pretty good at it.
I would add my concern to that already expressed by @Terrajo about Accent(MSG). If you do any research about it at all, you will find a whole shopping list of problems it causes, obesity, cancer, adverse reactions for asthmatics and autistics, etc. It is an excitotoxin along with Aspartame. There is a review of a book by Dr. Forrest Blaylock about it here that should at least get you to start reading the ingredients on grocery labels.
SandbridgeKaren,
I'm with you on stand-up-only concerts. I only experienced it once--Bob Dylan at the old opera house in Frankfurt. Our German host had got the tickets, and I was amused at the idea of Dylan in such a place, but it was in a special hall where there were no seats. I'm not very tall, so it was very frustrating and in the end I sat on the floor and just listened.
Crockett,
Thanks for ICEE.
Elissa,
Hope the ideas are helpful. I would definitely make a point to go to Cologne if you can. There's a huge pedestrian shopping district just south of the cathedral, and a chocolate museum if the antiquities and art museums don't do it for you.
In addition to the Accent discussion, I'm rather angry that if they add tax to all sugared drinks, they won't include those sweetened with aspertame, which is definitely not as good for one's health as natural sugar.
Also, re bee and wasp stings, I heard recently that putting a penny on the bite for 15 minutes afterwards cures it. This sounds silly, and I haven't had a chance to test it out, but it may be worth a try. Supposedly the copper reacts against it.
Argyle,
Thanks for Little Star--I'd forgotten about the Elegants.
Its roasting up here! Two days in a row in the 80's. Its nice but my thermostat doesn't adjust that quickly. I was riding fairly bundled up with temps in the 50's on Monday. I've lost a lot of water the last two days. I'll guess I'll have to force fluids tonight!
This puzzle sucked! No offense CC but I didn't even read your blog. I came straight here to whine. The only one that made sense to me was KNEE. When I hung my head, I saw my knees and my crotch so I went with what fit.
I'm going home to mow the lawn. I'll attempt this beast tonight and check back on Tuesday.
Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!
Good morning CC and all,
Ouch! Like Elissa, I started out with lily and terra and spelled Adolf wrong. Had Hook for Smee..but I was able to G a few before I subbed.
Too bad "answers from a flock" wasn't in yesterday's. Cute clue.Liked little star, black suit and gadgets used.Unfortunately, I did not get them all.
Bell rang... be all that you can be
Later...
good morning c.c. and all,
i guess i'm the only one who found today's easier than yesterday's. got off to a false start, wanted FUELS for energy sources, but it was soon clear that wouldn't work. mostly smooth sailing after that.
medgar was a gimme - his widow myrlie evers was the first woman to chair the NAACP. whoopie goldberg played her in the movie clear ayes mentioned, 'ghosts of mississippi.'
c.c. now you've got me thinking like you, i thought the ODED and USER clues could have been linked. speaking of which, shouldn't the clue for ODED have indicated an abbreviation? i thought your 'mid-ler' quite clever.
i think ENID is most famous for being a frequent answer in crossword puzzles.
ed harris is divine.
good lord my mom is talking about blowing pipes. i suppose DF is inherited.
Dennis: I was invigilating
'biology'. We all enjoyed it! Whoo Hoo!
In line w/Today is... I am still in the market for a banjo.
Barb b: Accent is good for jellyfish stings as well.
tarrajo: blowing any instrument takes a lot of practice, esp the mouth organ.
Tough one today, but now that I know the answers, I like the cleverness of the clues. Especially clues like do to do, where we were all pronouncing it in our minds like a to do list. Very clever.
Scarabs was one of the few gimmes today. My dad rode in the Shrine's miniature car unit for years - mini vw beetles - which was named the Scarab unit. Of course, he wore a Fez, so I always know that one too when it appears.
Barb B: Thanks for the Accent as bee sting remover reminder. My mom always had either Accent or tobacco on hand to make a paste and remove the stinger. As I recall, it would pull the stinger right out. Fortunately, tobacco isn't a prevalent as it was back in the 70's. Of course, neither is Accent, given all the health concerns listed by others, so maybe I'll give a penny a try if we have any run-ins with bees.
Happy and safe holiday weekend, all.
Lois said: tarrajo: blowing any instrument takes a lot of practice, esp the mouth organ.Ladies, feel free to discuss this in depth...
@Lois, I know what you mean regarding practice makes perfect. I have great tenacity though. I have good breathing control and I find it helps if you set your mouth just right. I can really make that didjeridu hum.
Oh boy, definitely a red letter day, as gg-ing didn't help much.
Keys was the only gimme, as in Fla. Keys
Very good puzzle, many clever clues.
Let's just say i came away with one new word, Sommelier, i always thought a wine taster was a "Connoisseur" . Aha .
Barb B,
by critters under water, did you by any chance mean, Men of war ?
I would be very interested to know, as they have a powerful sting, very painful, and you don't see them when walking along the shore.
I may have just had a stroke...
Lois and Maria- I'm not sure. I think it was jellyfish, but Man of War has great DF implications.
When my grand-niece visited me one summer, she walked over a ground-bee's nest. My brother in law beat the bees off with his hat as he carried her to the house, and my sister followed, already praying out loud, as she does in any emergency.
We were so scared to see all the welts that covered her body. We lost count around 40. I remembered the advice about jellyfish and grabbed the Accent to make a paste. I applied paste while my sister cuddled her in the rocking chair and prayed. When her mother came home 3 hours later she thought we were exaggerating because she had only a few marks left, and no swelling or pain at all. Accent? Prayer? Love? All of the above? Any way you look at it, I consider it a miracle. And I always keep Accent around, though I would never eat it.
MelissaBee - Thanks. I believe it is (inherited), and you do me proud.
Tarrajo, you sound like a master of your art. Kudos to you. Guess I just need to be more tenacious.
@dennis: a stroke of genis?
Only reference I ever heard of Enid,OK was in crossword puzzles.
41A; Idiom:
The phrase 'The be all and end all' means that a something is the final, or ultimate outcome or result of a situation or event.
News item in CNN that relates to our CW --
James Young was elected this week as the first black mayor of Philadelphia, Mississippi, a town best known for three civil rights killings.
Barb B,
sorry, don't get the DF implication, this is the best i can do
Men of war, http://criticalmiami.com/images/402.jpg
Apparently, from your post, Accent would be a remedy.
You silly people, here I go off to work and what do I find when I get back, but a discussion of aboriginal musical instruments. I believe culturally, it the man who blows the DIDGERIDOO, clearly more than mouthful. Tarrajo, I would say that having to deal with an instrument that big might be what injured your hip. Size really does matter. Melissa Bee, good to see you back in the fray.
WM, you know all my prayers are with you and your mother, and if there is anything we can do, let us know. You know my background, but I also know a little bit about a lot.
Why do people not read the posts? I appreciate all of you educating me about the KNEE/LAP continuum, but once is probably all it takes. There is much really good information here from our own PEANUT GALLERY, but I have a strong sense people are really not reading the comments.
Morning all...first off thank you all so much for your concern. She is still in the ER observation out at Stanford, though much recovered. Waiting for a call from a Dr. out there. diagnosis: Severe and dangerous dehydration. And this from a perfectly sane woman who argues with her caregiver and famliy about how much water she drinks! :oP
KittyB...positive thoughts to you also.
On the puzzle...first fill ERTE because of C.C.'s explanation a bit ago...Dennis...you get to eat worms on this.
Since I was rather unfocused today I went round and round and round. I came here to check that a few things were correct before proceeding and eventual got it all. ARUM, MEDGAR, ELIHU, ICEE, REBUS( also my fovorite Scottish Detective) and a number of others were easy but it took a good long while to get all the little boxes filled in.
I actually have a Tastevin that is quite nice with different sized "dimples" for the red side and white side...it was given to us at a wine tasting in Beaune, FR.
Maria..a Sommelier is more a wine expert and the person in charge of ordering, caring for, selecting and serving the wines in a restaurant. He is also a connisseur, the reverse isn't always true.
Lovely day here...hoping to go bottle some wine in the Livermore Valley at the cellar of a winemaker friend this weekend.
Happy Memorial Day to everyone.
Tough puzzle today, and really, really good. Hats off to Mr. Peluso. Great theme, clever clues. Fav was "social butterfly."
Took a long time to get any traction on this one.
Went to IMDB for the actors. I was certain Catherine Deneuve (serious candidate for the most beautiful woman EVAH) was in aM&aW. Just shows how one can be 100% certain and 100% wrong, all at the same time. It took me hours to realize I was thinking of Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Two movies from long ago, and IIRC, both were ghastly.
Had WANE in 5D, which put an A in 15A, so Adolf was easy, since I already had 8&9D. One of my better mistakes.
The only clue I didn't like was 35D. "Start of" and "end of" clues for pre- and suffixes strike me as being somehow phony. It was especially striking today, with the other "end of" clues meaning what they said. OTOH, what else can you do with "genic?"
Saw quite a few lady bugs in the yard today, and carpenter bees for the first time ever, but no scarabs.
Also did the commuter puzzle, because it was there. Very bland plug and chug - third rate next to the LAT. "All comparisons are invidious." (Great quote that I don't know who to attribute to.)
Could somebody please explain Julio Mes? I googled and found this. Really!
22:19 today. It took a while to get the theme, but it really did help fill in the vast sea of white spaces once I did. Still not too sure what LERS in the midst of all the theme entries really means. SANDLER and RUSTLER are OK, but MINGLER and NESTLER? Seems a bit gimmicky to me.
Otherwise, an excellent puzzle with lots of really, really clever cluing. I laughed out loud when I finally got the answer to "Do to do". ADOLF, STASI, and AIMEE were my primary unknowns (again, the names are my weak point).
I, too, have a tastevin, which I've owned for years and years (I did a lot of wine stuff back in the early seventies--not so much anymore, though I do enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner each and every night).
Food Network did an episode on MSG on their Food Detectives program. The bottom line was that MSG is not as bad as most people assume it to be (though heart patients should, of course, avoid the sodium), and, interestingly, most people in their test sample couldn't really tell the difference between a Chinese dish prepared with MSG and one without! (Sample was only about 50 people, however.)
Dennis, I always love a morning started off with a Grouchoism. Thanks.
Jazzbumpa, You are right on the money with Catherine Deneuve. She was and is gorgeous. I have to disagree about The Umbrellas of Cherbourg though. Of course, I was only 22 when it first came out and I thought the story was was sooooo sad and romantic. The sets were surprising and the songs were lyrical, although nobody ever said Catherine Deneuve was a singer. It was nominated for lots of awards and won at the Cannes Film Festival.
Americans were shocked and fascinated by U. of C. and A Man and A Woman and the frank depiction of sexual relationships between people who weren't married, or weren't married to each other.
It's true they seem old fashioned now, but in their time, they were real eye openers and very hot. Oh yes :o) IMHO and IIRC
Dennis: "in depth" is exactly what I'm talkin' about! Practice makes perfect and perfect practice makes one even better.
I love putting 'accent' on a man of war. There's just something about a man in uniform -so irresistable!
@jazzbumpa See C.C.'s discussion. for Julio/Mes. 13D
I know that I sometimes duplicate others' responses, but in my first post of the day, if I've made a good explanation, I won't go back and delete it. For us west coasters, lots of discussion has happened before we get here, and if we didn't chime in, there wouldn't be much point in being here at all. So, if my explanations are dupes of other posts, mea culpa.
@clearayes Loved the music from Man & a Woman.
Well, well, well, lots of trouble today. Did finally complete with some red letter help. Had no idea what the law degree was even though I have an attorney husband.
Yes, CC, keys are isles. Definition:
A low offshore island or reef, especially in the Gulf of Mexico; a cay.
I think I looked that one up when we traveled there. But I of course was looking for the key that opens the door so was stumped.
Lots of good answers today, KNEE, SPADE, AFLAC, ODOR to name a few. Cannot believe I was stumped by TEE. However, in my defense I have one in driver's ed just waiting to take his permit test on Tuesday, so I am in that mindset. I did get the "lers" theme, but didn't put together that you take that out to get a commonly known pair.
I was incredibly annoyed that I knew Gary Senise, Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Kathleen Quindlen, but still couldn't figure out the co-star in Apollo 13. I never remember that many actors in one movie. Of course I finally figured it out when I got enough of the perps.
As for Dolly's boobs being natural, no they are not. However, she does claim they are hers - "Bought and paid for." She apparently suffers excruciating back pain from them.
Beautiful weekend forecast here and I for one am very excited to be home and relaxing. Have a good weekend everyone.
Crockett1947:
Touche.
From another west coaster.
Geri
According to Dolly, the hair is fake, the boobs are real.
Doreen
Kazie: A chocolate museum! I'm there.
Dennis: Is defense of some redundant posts - timing is everything. Sometimes I'll read all the posts, start typing my post and by the time I publish it another 10 posts have been published. Sometimes it is tough to read every post thoroughly, especially when the posts are really long and you might skim and miss something. And sometimes, being older, by the time I get to the bottom of all the posts I forget that I read it here. (My husband often reminds me that I'm repeating myself.)
Elissa, I think you got the wrong guy; Lemonade was commenting on the duplicate posts.
See how quickly I forget things?
Barb B, thank you for asking about my new avatar. I meant to comment on it earlier, but it's been one of those days.
I have 17 nieces and nephews. This is a picture of my youngest niece (and God-daughter), who is being lifted by her friends during one of the school proms. I hope my mother will be well enough to go with me to Indiana next weekend, to be present for this young woman's high school graduation. She actually completed high school last December, and has finished a semester in college. Her school holds commencement just once a year, and I'm glad she's planning to attend. I have another prom picture of her, from last year's prom that I want to post, just as soon as I find it. She's a beauty!
Crockett, I am so relieved that you had difficulty with 'do to do' for SCALE. It's a 'misery loves company' sort of response. Thanks!
Lemonade, I SWEAR that I read the comments and saw something about the Rust Belt there, but I can't find the comment now. It led me to post this:
There is also another definition for Rust Belt. To paraphrase Wiki: it's an area from the western shores of Lake Michigan, along the Great Lakes eastward to New Jersey, including most of Michigan, where the heavy industry and manufacturing sector of the USA economy was located. the term 'Rust Belt' signified the collapse of the steel industry and restructuring of industry, complete with the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs across the entire area.
Jimbo, you've made such progress, don't let this set you back. I loved your comment! :-)
Dennis, thanks for the info on 'tastevin.' I knew it had a name, but couldn't think how to surf for it.
Melissa bee, I second your comment about Ed Harris!
Thanks, WM. Mom wouldn't eat these past two days, so I went to visit today to see if I could break that trend. She's really weak, and I think we need to resume physical therapy, and encourage her to eat many small meals through out the day. It's awful to watch such a vibrant woman fail.
Crockett, You're absolutely right about the theme from A Man & A Woman. Even now I can hum it, although I haven't heard it for 40 years..."Da da da dadadada" On second thought, let's go with the real thing. And, while we're at it, how about a little bit of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg? Some of you may like this sappy romantic walk down memory lane...others (Jazzbumpa?) not so much.
Melissa bee, LOL, I remember our "genis" conversation a while back.
kittyb: We went through this 4 years ago with my husband`s mother. We had a counselor to tell us that not eating or drinking isn`t unusual. When a person can`t control any other part of his/her life, they can control whether or not they eat. She would get very angry at her son and say, "I can`t eat...it makes me sick!." She would even gag on water and that led to them giving her "thickened" water which she really refused. Being dehydrated led to terrifying hallucinations that she would get so upset and angry with us about ,because we did not see the things she saw.
My heart goes out to you. My Dad fell off a ladder while cleaning his gutters (at 82) and the paramedics said he was probably dead before he hit the ground, from heart failure. I`ve decided that that`s the way I want to go...quickly and "'cleanly".
@elissa (and many others too numerous to list) This problem with remembering is widely recognized as the CRS syndrome -- CAN'T REMEMBER S--T! Have to write down everything or it just goes away.
@kittyb I'll share a boat with you anytime! I made a rust belt comment earlier in my first post (I think, or was it the second? Oh well, CRS!)
My heavens! Stephen Kent is VERY impressive. I really needed a good laugh this evening. I was gonna go for a kazoo, but what the hay- get me a didjeridu!!
Elissa,
It's on the river. If you access that google satellite view you can see it, looks like a ship-shaped island hooked onto the bank by a footbridge.
Lemonade,
I watched several of the didgeridoo videos and thought the funky one was different and interesting.
Kitty B and Linda,
We went through the same thing with my mother-in-law. She was having hallucinations for a long time and refusing sustenance. We had to cover the wall mirror in her room because she kept seeing someone in there.
CA, I loved the music from A Man and a Woman, very soothing. Isn't it funny that it was a shocking movie in 1966? About a year later, Hairopened and shocked everyone.Besides the nudity, it had a racially integrated cast! Bob's dear father would not let us play our new album at his house on Christmas. LOL!
@Dennis, I am really happy to see you post again this evening as I thought you might really had suffered a malady. Now I can go back to limbering up and practice blowing my didjeridu with a clear conscience. Whew...
I am pleased if anyone enjoyed the didgideroo video link, and I want to clarify my comment about people not reading comments. I understand about timing, and was not focusing on duplication, as much as on how much good information is presented which seems to be ignored at times. How I became a "blogger" (heaven forfend!) is a product of all the great things you all do for my mind. There are so many occasions when my mind will not wrap around a clue and answer, even though I know by the perps, what the answer is. Then, boom, I am given an immediate eye opener, like with KNEE/LAP. I am encouraging you all to slow down and read what the comments say. It is like tasting a wine, before you gulp, take it slowly, let it roll around in your mouth, savor the flavor. As far as duplicates, if they are within 30 minutes of each other, NBD, but when they are hours apart, someone is not trying
It is like tasting a wine, before you gulp, take it slowly, let it roll around in your mouth, savor the flavor. Lemonade, I can only second your opinion. Lois?
@tarrajo Fun comment. I think lois might just second that opinion, LOL!
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