google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday May 19, 2009 David W. Cromer

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May 19, 2009

Tuesday May 19, 2009 David W. Cromer

Theme: SHOW ME THE MONEY (55A: "Jerry Maguire" catchphrase, and this puzzle's title)

20A: NBA team that drafted Lew Alcindor (Kareem) in 1969: MILWAUKEE BUCKS

33A: Joaquin Phoenix's "Walk the Line" role: JOHNNY CASH

43A: Dine: BREAK BREAD

"Jerry Maguire" is a very noisy film, lots of yelling, esp the "SHOW ME THE MONEY" part. I don't understand why Joaquin Phoenix wants to be a rapper. He was so good in "Walk the Line". The bracketed Kareen is sure a help for those who are not aware of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's original name Lew Alcindor. He changed it in 1971.

Very nice puzzle. Only five 3-letter words. Besides basketball, we also have other sports fills:

47A: 1977 Cy Young Award winner Sparky: LYLE. Dennis mentioned his "The Bronx Zoo" a few times on the blog. But I forgot all about this pitcher. He won Cy Young when he was with the Yankees.

48A: Hockey great Bobby: ORR

66A: Slamin' Sammy of golf: SNEAD

Quite a few letter C's & K's. My favorite entry is KLEENEX (44D: Sniffler's need). Always neat to see scrabbly letter like X at the bottom/right edge.

"I dreamed a dream" where every theme entry was a gimme to me. And the dream came true this morning. I really felt like Susan Boyle.

Across:

1A: Work detail, briefly: SPEC. Top row entries tend to have more consonants. So are those in the first column, like STAMP (1D: Snail-mail need), as most words start with consonants.

5A: Italian-American singer Jerry: VALE. Why specify "Italian-American"? You don't clue SINATRA as "Italian-American singer Frank", do you?

9A: Man with many fables: AESOP. Wish HARE (56D: Long-eared leaper) were cross-referenced here.

15A: Basic Latin word: AMAT

16A: Whale feature: SPOUT. Have no idea why whale spouts.

17A: Golden Fleece ship: ARGO. Jason and the Argonauts.

18A: Subculturist in black clothes and makeup: GOTH. Funny how word evolves. The original Goths people probably did wear lots of black clothes. Definitely no dark makeups. I kind of like Gwyneth Paltrow's Gothic look.

23A: Classroom recitation: PLEDGE

24A: Oft-smelled rodent?: RAT. Smell a RAT.

38A: Leprechaun's land: EIRE

39A: WWII threat: U-BOAT. Last time E-BOAT was clued as "WWII torpedo vessel". E stood for "Enemy".

40A: Nile reptile: ASP. Rhyming clue.

41A: Safe place: HAVEN

42A: Boodles and Beefeater: GINS. The answer revealed itself. I've never heard of Boodles GIN or Beefeater GIN.

50A: Patronizes, as a restaurant: EATS AT

61A: Crazy bird?: LOON. Crazy as a LOON. I wonder how the phrase got started. Poor LOON. It's our state bird.

62A: Rain delay covering: TARP. Poor Twins. They just could not escape the Yankee ghosts, new stadium or not.

67A: Cajole: COAX

Down:

3D: Great Seal bird: EAGLE. And AERIE (53D: 3-Down abode)

4D: Three, so they say: CROWD. Two's Company, three's CROWD.

5D: In an unspecific way: VAGUELY

6D: Wild way to run: AMOK. Run AMOK.

9D: Quick on the uptake: ASTUTE

10D: DeMille movie, e.g.: EPIC. Nice clue. I liked "The Ten Commandments".

11D: Loll in a tub: SOAK. I "loll in tub" every night.

22D: "The Art of Fugue": BACH. "I believe in BACH, the Father, Beethoven, the Son, and Brahms, the Holy Ghost of music." Interesting line on the origins of the Three B's.

33D: Moonshine vessels: JUGS

34D: Cousin of a Tony Award: OBIE

36D: Condé _ Publications: NAST. They own Vogue, Glamour, GQ, Vanity Fair, New Yorker, The Golf Digest, Gourmet, etc. Do you read any of those?

37D: Fix, vet-style: SPAY

41D: Construction support piece: H-BEAM. New to me. How are they different from I-BEAM?

43D: Earthen wall adjacent to a ditch: BERM. No idea. Like this? Shouldn't they be called banks?

46D: "That's a shame": HOW SAD. Indeed. HOW SAD! A brilliant career was cut short.

52D: Watchdog's warning: SNARL. Alliteration again.

54D: Used the Selectric: TYPED. Easy guess. I've never heard of IBM Selectric typewriter.

59D: Guatemala greeting: HOLA. "Ni Hao" in Chinese. Or "Wei" when you greet people on the phone. Different intonation from the dynasty Wei though. The former is rising, the latter is falling.

Grid answer.

C.C.

71 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - extremely easy one today - 3:40. It was a fun puzzle though, with a clever theme that was apparent after the second theme clue. The only pause was with 'fix, vet-style' because my first thought was 'veteran' and I thought it must be a slang word, but the perps quickly took care of that.

So now that we've been doing the LAT puzzles for a while now, what's everybody think? Starting to 'sync up' with them, or still miss the old Trib ones?

Today is Boys' Club Day.

Today's Words of Wisdom, or rather something to ask yourself: "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?" -- Baseball star Satchel Paige (I'd be pushing 40)

More Fun Facts:

- Sound carries so well in the arctic that, on a calm day, a conversation can be heard from 1.8 miles away.

- The Eiffel Tower shrinks 6 inches in winter. (For some reason, I feel better knowing this)

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Dennis,
I've slowly synced up to Rich Norris's wordplay and multiple word fills. What I like LAT puzzles the most is the themes. Some are very clever. I'd like to be 16. I've lost so much of the idealism I once had. Why does Eiffel Tower shrink in winter? Too cold? 6 inches sound so DF.

SandbridgeKaren,
Dan Naddor does not like and does not construct themeless puzzles. Otherwise, we've had his work from Monday to Sunday. More often they fall on Thursdays.

Jazzbumpa,
Can you write down the fill answers instead of the Across or Down numbers in your post? It's easier to read.

RosedaleCottage said...

Great Seal (On the dollar bill) as opposed to the Great Sea...

Dennis said...

C.C., the question wasn't how old you'd like to be, but how old you'd think you were if you didn't know how old you were. And you'd really want to be 16 again? Was that idealism, or were you just naive?

Steel shrinks when cold just like, uh, other things.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

RosedaleCottage,
D'oh! Thank you so much. And welcome to our corner.

Kazie,
I thought the "ahead" in "Be ahead" is an adjective, like "Be nice", "Be friendly". No? Can you give me another example of "Be + something" while the something is an adverb?

WM,
Oh, I thought Dan Naddor has never constructed a puzzle for NY Times.

Tobylee & Southern Bell,
I am glad you enjoyed your trip/festival. Sound fun. Great to see both of you back.

Al,
No idea. We need Anon HP.

Submaster said...

H-Beam or I-Beam...It's all how you look at it. With it straight up and down it's and "I", turn it sideways it's a "H".

Anonymous said...

Thought you might find this interesting. The Detroit Free Press has taken the LAT crossword out for awhile because of so many people objecting to it. They are trying the Commuter puzzle. K

Martin said...

Another puzzle I finished in 15 minutes. That's two in a row. I got MILWAUKEE BUCKS after I got JOHNNY CASH and realized the theme was about money. The hint "Kareem" was no help to me because I don't follow basketball.

For "WWII threat" my first thoughts were NAZIS and A-BOMB. A-BOMB makes sense because the Americans originally started developing the bomb so that they could have a bomb before the Germans did. It also makes sense if you're Japanese. :)

C.C., concrete and steel are elastic materials: they can bend stretch and, yes, expand on hot days. This enables concrete and steel buildings to survive earthqaukes up to a point.

Martin

Dennis said...

Submaster, welcome to the corner. Still active duty?

Anon @5:55, very interesting. I wonder how many other papers have backed off the LAT puzzles due to complaints. Isn't the Commuter puzzle very simple?

KittyB said...

Good morning, all.

C.C., I remember when Lew Alcindor changed his name. I wonder if you need to be as old as I am to also know what a 'Selectric" was/is?

This was another easy day. I'll never finish in 'Dennis time,' but it went fairly fast. The only clue I didn't know was for Sparky LYLE, but it came from the perps.

I haven't a clue about the difference between H and I beams. I wonder if an H-beam has wider cross bars?

Busy day, today. I have the first part of my annual physical, a visit to the Growing Place nursery, and then hours and hours of paperwork. I hope y'all have more fun today than I will.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A woman unsatisfied must have luxuries. But a woman who loves a man would sleep on a board.
D. H. Lawrence

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Submaster,
Thanks. How do you like the puzzle switch so far?

Dennis,
I don't know. Depends on my mood. Sometimes I feel very old. I had my first kiss at 16, then all my trouble started. I used to be a very very good student before then.

Martin,
But why 6 inches? Is the shrinking proportionate to their original length? I solved mine in 25 minutes I think. That's the quickest I can get.

KittyB,
Define "a woman unsatisfied" for me please!

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, I didn't think I'd have time for the puzzle today, but since I got up at 3:30 (UGH!), I checked it out and found that it was nice and easy. The only first time around wrong fill I had was for 18A/"Subculturist in black clothes and makeup". The first thing that came to my early morning mind was MIME. Silly, I know, but it is very early here in California.

I also remember when an IBM Selectric was THE typewriter to have. Can you even buy a new typewriter anymore?

I think I stopped my self-image aging at about 45. I'm always surprised when I look in the mirror and see a woman who is 20 years older than that.

C.C. That first kiss was the start of distraction for many of us.

Have a great day everyone. Californians, get out and vote.

Dick said...

Good morning C.C. and all,...a very easy puzzle today. I guess the last two days is just a warm up for what is coming. Dennis your FF is the reason I do not go out on cold days.

@ C.C. I can't wait to see KittyB's answer to your 6:07AM question.

I, for one, do not want to see the puzzles any easier than they are. In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette they have a very easy puzzle and the NYT puzzle and there are days that the local puzzle is so easy it is not fun to do.

Heavy frost here last night, but I had my garden plants covered. I hope they are safe.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday. For me it is off to the links as soon as the frost is gone.

Lemonade714 said...

A nice puzzle, I slipped for a moment putting JARS for JUGS for moonshine. My ex-wife's grandfather was a moonshiner in Tennessee, and they drink their white lightening out of mason jars, the same ones they use for canning. That led to ABOMB for a second, but Conde NAST got me back on track.

Speaking of HOW SAD, I cannot believe the IBM selectric is so passe. When it came out with memory in the 70's, everyone in the law business thought it was the greatest thing, because we would no longer need to pay to have all the standard stuff retyped, but could just add the names and legal descriptions, for example. The thought was stuff like real estate and mortgages would be done much faster. Instead, everything got more complicated and now what used to be a three page document is now 20+ pages. I am involved in a coal purchase and the draft is 84 pages long- ridiculous.

Farmers often geld their horses to make them more cooperative, which makes you wonder about the training vets go through to neuter animals. The concept seems so odd, but then we have castrated humans, as did the castrati (our recent discussion) and apparently an ancient practice for prurient reasons Eunuchs.

Well, enough of that; ladies save the day, and make this an interesting day.

lois said...

'Hola' CC et al., Faster
'Dennis time' than yesterday even -'circa' 5 mins. After the gelding conversation yesterday, found it interesting that 'spay' was here and that it is close to 'snarl'. Be my reaction.

I got excited when I saw 'jugs' and 'totes', but it didn't meet the 'spec's. However, there is an 'epic' theme inside that is heart rending and ya gotta wonder if it's intentional. It starts w/pledge, hone, ours, peril, amok, snarl, rat, late, tear, kleenex, scar, gins, soak, how sad. Aesop's morel: you can let it 'eat(s) at' you and seethe in the 'cellar' w/'jugs' becoming a 'loon' Orr
'else' live and soar w/the
'eagle', do not become 'idle', create a 'to do' and enjoy the PTA (pits, tits, ass). Do I need to 'coax' you? You scratch my 'Bach' and I'll scratch yours.

Note to self: never gossip in the Arctic and keep your man away from the Eiffel Tower in the winter.

I agree w/you, Dennis. The 30's were my favorite decade, but I gotta tell ya, I'm loving the peawaddin' out of the beginning of this decade.

I love the LAT puzzles. They are much more creative and enjoyable to me.

Enjoy your day.

KQ said...

Good morning everyone, and it is especially lovely weather here. Minnesota is so great because when you get these really nice days, you appreciate them all the more.

A very quick puzzle today. I worked all around it, and knew the theme answer earlier than all the others. You could not miss the Jerry McGuire clue could you? I liked having GOTH in there, and I agree with CC on having an answer ending with an X. Very fun indeed. I lived in Milwaukee in the 70's so the Lew Alcindor clue could not stump me, and prior to my CPA days I was a secretary. We loved the Selectric models. I was quite the typist, and even took shorthand. No real stumpers today, or at least nothing that didn't come easily with the perps.

Dennis, I can hardly believe you brought up that can of worms about missing the old Trib puzzles. You dog. I for one have been having fun with these. We have Newsday in our paper, and they are pretty bland indeed.

Trying to get back into a routine after too many months of too much travel. I am a little overwhelmed by the amount of "spring" work needing to be done. Off to get started.

Anonymous said...

Morning CC and everyone
So glad I joined you all here and you are so bright and the comments so interesting!

I finish this one quickly although I was supicious of the ease so I went slowly. Started with "aesop" and never looked back.

Saw Kareen play in Milwaukee as a Buck...in 1969, in the same arena where I saw Jimi Hendrix play. That makes me old KittyB! Of course I had no idea or appreciation of what I was seeing as I was 18 yrs old!
Have a wonderful day and Illinois is finally warming up to 80 deg today

Enjoy the day! Joan

Andrea said...

Very easy puzzle today. Makes feel good on the one hand - it's fun to be able to solve a puzzle! But, I know the hammer is coming...

Two clues took me back in time. I grew up in the Milwaukee area, and once went to a church luncheon at a house that had been owned by Lew/Kareem. (A family at our church bought the house from him.) I was playing hide and seek with the other kids, hiding behind the enormous front door, when someone shut that door. Right on my fingers. Ouch!

In college, I used a selectric to type my dad's resume when he was interviewing for a new job. Time after time, I typed flawlessly until the very bottom of the page, and then would have to start over... and over, and over...

We've had rummage sales where friends have tried to sell typewriters. The typewriters sit unnoticed, until we tag them as "label makers" and then they sell! It's all about marketing.

Dennis - I always wonder if all of your FF's are true, or if you throw one in to keep us on our toes? They're a fun way to start the day either way.

Andrea

Jeanne said...

Morning all,
This one seemed super easy this a.m. Didn’t time myself, but it had to be one of my fastest times ever. @cc, I think they used Italian for singer Jerry, is because Vale is not usually considered an Italian name and it is a rated one puzzle. His birth name was Gennaro Luigi Vitaliano, which I kind of like.

I taught a number of Goth students and it was usually a lesson in “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Many were quite shy, polite and even good students. I usually contributed it to a phase of trying to find themselves and fitting in somewhere. As a former business ed. Teacher, Selectric typewriters were heaven sent in those days. Thank God for computers today.

As for the puzzles, it was never a feeling of missing the old TMS puzzles; rather not liking the easy to difficult transition of the LAT puzzles. Some days doing the puzzle is boring and other days impossible. I am getting the hang of some of the cluing and repetition of certain clues (like ush). I need more practice on thinking outside the box when reading the clues later in the week. I agree, they are a lot more creative on the whole.

Okay, May 19 and we had frost this a.m. Glad I didn’t plant my annuals yet. Seems we will finally be warming up for the rest of the week. Have a good day all.

boomermomma said...

Sorry everyone that my comment signed as Anonymous- I am having a little trouble figuring out the sign in process. Just doesn't seem to want to accept my password and I have to re-set everytime..oh well
Thanks for you patience with a newbie/Joan

Vern said...

Greetings all. In my "early" years (1955 - 1967) I taught shorthand & typing. (Jobs were hard to get but I had an edge over the women applicants--the school also needed a wrestling coach!) The IBM Selectric was a real innovation as the type was set on a round ball as opposed to the typical typewriter where the keys individually struck the paper. Back then, we did not have copy machines. We needed to type on dittos (remember the smell) or stencils and legal papers needed to be typed with mulitiple pieces of carbon paper. When an error was made, the typist faced a nightmare of corrections. Thank goodness for copy machines. P.S. on a totally different matter, what would crossword puzzle constructors do without "Bobby Orr"?

Argyle said...

Theme music:
Money, Money, Money by Abba

kazie said...

Good morning all!
I agree that this was nice and easy. As always, the sports names were guesses for me, but the Bucks was a team I've heard of so that helped get the first theme answer. But I solved a lot of downs first and pecked around, so didn't think about the theme until I got the Jerry Maguire one.

I never really regretted losing the TMS ones either, but I'd like the end of week LATs to rely less on proper nouns and more on word definitions.

c.c.,
What about "to be there"? I too was at first thinking of "ahead" as an adjective, so it was only when I reacted to Jazzbumpa's new thought yesterday that I wondered if it was an adverb. Adverbs tell when where or why, so that works.

I had to guess on TYPED, since I never learned to type until coming here in '74, and was not familiar with the brand names. I took an adult course so I could type résumés when we were searching for jobs. In college, a friend's mother, who was a secretary, had typed all my papers for me.

First kiss was at 14, coming home from a church fellowship meeting.

Boomermomma,
When I sign in, I just keep clicking the "sign in" or "sign up" links until I get a box to put my password in. My email address always is displayed above it.

Joyce said...

Good morning everyone.
Dennis - I love the LAT puzzles and let the Trib puzzles editor know. I used to do the sudoku first everyday but now those seem so boring. I would like to see a diagramless puzzle once in a while. Some paper here used to have one every Thurs. and I did those on the train when I was a working commuter.

Vern - The smell of dittos! I remember those. When the teacher ran off a fresh batch and passed them out when they were still slightly damp we would wrap them around our faces . . . Wow, almost sounds like drug abuse. That teacher would be in real trouble today.

On the subject of U-Boats, if you live near Chicago or are ever visiting, be sure to go to the Museum of Science and Industry and see the U-505. It used to be outside but was moved to its own "room" a number of years ago. When you wind your way through the first part of the exhibit and get to the submarine it will take your breath away. My favorite exhibit of all time.

Argyle said...

Another money song you might find interesrting: Got My Mind Set On You(but it's gonna take money)
This by James Ray, long before George Harrison did it. IMHO, this is the better version.

Southern Belle said...

Good morning to all - The LAT puzzles are really great....the Trib seemed to be 'just fill in the blanks'...no thought required to finish in 2 min.

KittyB: Got a physical scheduled today also..first of 3. First a look see & questions, then blood tests, then talk over the blood tests. Oh, well, could live in another country and not even have a doctor to keep us alive and well.
Mine is doing pretty good, I'm getting older!

Geez, is everyone younger then me? After pounding a Royal typewriter for years the Selectric was a godsend (or is the God send?) I love my computer! And the Internet, And being a Blogger on this site of yours, C.C.

kazie said...

Joyce,
I went through that U-boat when it was still outside. What amazed me was how small it was inside, trying to imagine it with all those men surviving in such a small space for months on end. Especially after seeing the movie "Das Boot".

Vern,
I remember using dittos and those stencil copies (can't remember the name of them) early in my teahing career too. They were so messy if you got the ink on your fingers. The dittos would fade if left exposed, but the stencils lasted well--I still have some of those copies in my old school files.

Linda said...

CC: You sound so down about life...I`m still praying for you.
I was 15 and the guy who kissed me said, "Your`re supposed to breathe through your nose..." after I nearly suffocated :)

Got all of LAT and 9 tenths of NYT in half an hour. Take that, Jimbo!

Kazie: Made your whole wheat griddle cakes this AM. They were the lightest, most delicious I`ve ever made! I made 1/3 of recipe too, and it still made six cakes...more than enough for two.

CA: About looking in the mirror...I have actually looked in a store-window reflection and thought, 'That old lady is wearing clothes just like mine" before I realized...
Thanks for noticing my beautiful granddaughters.

Southernbelle: Best wishes on your exams. I asked my gyn (Dennis told us to liven it up!) when I could stop coming for one of the ones we hate and he said, "When you turn your toes up!"

About that tower (made of metal) shrinking (and expanding): When you cross a major bridge, like the Sunshine Skyway, the center arch will be made of metal grates for just that reason.

Anonymous said...

Easy one today. I'm definitely old enough to know Selectric. Along with Vale! The ones I didn't know filled themselves.
Don't know how old I think I am today. I do know my husband still sees the 18 year old he married!! When all the parts were still perky.
So OR is cloudy and windy today, a welcome change from the mid 90's
of the last few days.
I give up on the Google sign in. The darn thing never accepts my password.
Treefrog

Anonymous said...

Another easy puzzle for me. I timed myself this morning and though I can’t hit the 3:40 Dennis mark I finished it in just under 8 minutes. I really didn’t have a favorite clue today though. I would have had to hit the g-spot for Conde’ _____Publications (Nast) had I not gotten it by the fills. I have never heard of Boodle gin, but am very familiar with Tangueray. There’s nothing better on a hot MN day than to enjoy a nice cold gin and tonic sitting on your deck. Maybe this weekend. When I think of “Goth” what springs to my mind is Winona Ryder’s character in Beetlejuice.

I guess most of the time I feel like I am still 25. Problem is the little guy I nurture and try to keep up with every day reminds me differently.

What do we do with Boy’s club day? Hmmmm. Dennis, 6 inches of shrinkage??

Warren said...

Hi C.C. & ...

It was an enjoyable puzzle today, slightly harder than Monday's but still easy enough to do without any outside help.

I found a good link of Whale Spouts
for you C.C.
"All whales have to surface to breath and when they exhale they produce a "spout" of moist, warm air from blowholes on the top of their heads."

Elissa said...

I finished this today as fast as I could read the clues and type - sub 10 minutes. I obviously can't read and type as fast as the power solvers. I did the As and Ds at the same time today, and was done when I got to the SE corner and hadn't even read all of the clues until I read C.C.s blog. I got the theme right away.

Dennis: For years I was 22. Then I was 35 for a while. Now I'm 42 (the answer to "life, the universe, and everything").

I learned to type in high school in 1966, on an IBM Selectric just after this new typewriter was first introduced. The interchangeable type ball was truly revolutionary. Speed typists no longer were limited by those letter arms getting in each others ways. On the keyboards on our school Selectrics, the letter keys were blank, but the number/symbol showed on the top row of keys. So for twenty years I could touch type letters, but had to look at the number/symbols.

Elissa said...

Whales are mammals (they have lungs), which is the reason that whales have to surface to breathe.

kazie said...

I just thought of th ebrand of those stencil copies: Gestettner.

Linda,
Glad the pancakes turned out so well. I need to make some again soon too.

Treefrog,
I'm not sure what my husband sees me as, but I always think of myself as I looked at 20, and then the mirror destroys that illusion very fast. What I'm seeing more and more in the mirror is my mother's face. I always felt I looked a bit younger than my years until I hit 41, and then reality set in.

We used to get Condé Nast Traveler magazine, until we realized we could never see spending what their featured destinations cost. Now we get Sherman's, but they have headed in the same direction. I can always find more reasonable prices online, but they're good for info on some places we'd still like to visit.

KQ said...

Welcome boomermama. Sometimes I have to log in twice before it takes my name. Don't know why, but kind of frustrating. Just keep trying. It will get easier with time.

Terrajo, you think like me. Tangueray tonics are one of my favorites. I have heard of Boodles and Beefeater being a former bartender, but you are best left paying for the pricier ones when doing the martini. When you mix with tonic, the Tangueray (which isn't too bad itself) is just fine.

Joyce, I too went to the u-boat exhibit in Chicago. Fascinating. I could never do the submarine living myself. Too confined. The film showing how they got it in the museum is as fascinating as the exhibit itself. There is an awesome aircraft carrier in San Diego to tour if you ever get there. I would highly recommend that also.

As for my age, it all depends on the day. Some days I arise feeling in my 60's, others I swear I am still 40. I guess it all averages out to about what I really am doesn't it.

Al said...

Well, if we're listing Money vids, you need to include the Pink Floyd one originally on the Dark Side of the Moon album. One in every 20 people under the age of 50 in the United States owns a copy of this album. (some of us over 50, too...) Dark Side remained on Billboard's 200 album chart for 15 years straight.

Cryptic answers from yesterday:
Drunken horse that's swallowed a bit of whisky(6):
STEWED (slang for drunken)
steed (a horse) with W (a little bit of whisky) inserted

Winter sports enthusiasts taking part in riskier sport(6) SKIERS
A container clue (taking part in)

carol said...

Hi everyone! Fast (not Dennis fast tho') for me today.. I like the clue for 54D best. The Selectric was quite the thing in it's day. I learned (in high school) to type on a manual but when I went for a job interview not too long after graduation, there was the Selectric staring up at me. It seemed to me I had only to LOOK at the keys to make them type the wrong letter. Needless to say, I failed that test quickly!

Tarajo...about the 6 inches of shrinkage..we ARE talking about a very Morel Dennis, after all.

Embien (from late last night). In the mornings, I always go back and read what has been posted after I call it a night.

If I didn't know how old I really was, and there were no mirrors to peek into, I would say about 40+.

Lot's cooler in Portland today and it feels good after our mini heat wave.

I like the LAT puzzles for the most part, I am starting to get in tune with them. I wish the Oregonian had selected them instead of the pap it has now.

Lois, you've done it again girl!! Bravo. I still say you missed your calling. oops, well, you know what I mean!

Linda said...

CC; I think Jazz was making a "point" with all the number/directional clues...(noted but probably won`t comply, Jazz :)

L714: I think I gave Dennis credit for your "make it interesting" quote...it just sounded like him...no offense? :) (although the thing(s) I mentioned is/ are far from "interesting!!!"

SandbridgeKaren said...

CC - thanks so much for the info on Dan Naddor. Didn't realize his preferences and thought I usually saw him later in the week. Warren answered your question about whale 'spouts' but if you'd like any more info I work with a local stranding team and have worked some with stranded whales. When whale watching you always look for the 'blow' and then can glimpse the whale.

POC puzzle for me today - didn't time myself and I'm not at Dennis' level but I did finish as fast as I could read and write. CC - congrats on your dream coming true!!!

Vern and SouthernBelle- thanks for bringing back memories (not necessarily good) of the 'old days' with typewriters,stencils, dittos and carbon copies. I guess we are dating ourselves if we even know what a typewriter (aka label maker) is, let alone a selectric. For Christmas when I was a senior in high school my dad gave me a Royal typewriter and I thought I was the cat's meow.

Linda - that 'old lady' also appears in my bathroom mirror. Cannot for the life of me figure out where she hides when I'm not around. I'd like to go back to about 42, providing I'd still be living where I do and retired. Otherwise, I'll stay here.

My favorite clue was 'Fix, vet style' which I got immediately. My s.o. is a vet and he tells great stories about vet school and animal exams and the whole neutering process. Makes you feel sorry for the animal (the vet doesn't care so much) but apparently male dogs don't miss their parts (but then again they can't really tell us).

Dennis - the old Trib ones are such a distant memory - I cannot imagine going back, even if we could.

jimbo said...

Way to go Linda.

I made it also, but not that fast. I seem to do alright on the MTW puzzles then the dam breaks. Still go for the LAT's though.
On the age question; I think I'm 40 til I have to do something physical. When I look in the mirror, I think I'm 100. Guess I better just stay with 84.
Vaya con Dios

KQ said...

Tobylee, Did they do lots of the hand sanitizer on your cruise? At my daughters graduation on Saturday, they had a hand sanitizing stand. Each student was required to use it before shaking hands to get their diploma. I guess in Illinois, they weren't even shaking hands.

There were 1,500 students that walked for CLA at U of Iowa on Saturday. It took about 1 hr 20 min to get them all through. My daughter and I were texting madly throughout. My stepdad starting counting at the beginning, and figured it was about 100 each 15 minutes. He nailed the ceremony's length to within 5 minutes at the beginning. My daughter said all her friends were cracking up that we figured that out. But what else did we have to do?

melissa bee said...

good morning c.c. and all,

a walk in the park this morning, just over six minutes. fun theme .. liked seeing our bird mascot LOON swoop in. i am probably the only living person who has never seen jerry maguire all the way through (i know, i know). c.c., great idea about cross-referencing HARE and AESOP.

i enjoyed the switch from the beginning. did not have a big beef with the old puzzles, but would not want to go back.

ah, the selectric, pre-cursor to the word processor. i typed several high school term papers on one. remember the ones that had the little key with the x on it that would back up and white out a stroke?

didn't know what a BERM was until one girls weekend when we went tubing in idaho. there was a giant wall of snow that bordered the line to get towed back up, and people would climb over it for a short-cut. the guys that worked there would shout out 'go around the BERM!' not knowing how to spell it, we decided it was an acronym for Big Ugly Round Mound.

@lois: i have copied your 'note to self.'

absolutely perfect day in the west, off to enjoy it.

Lemonade714 said...

Linda,

I certainly do not mind being confused with Dennis.

Melissa B., I have not sat all the way through a Tom Cruise movie since Losin' It, so you are not alone. He and Richard Gere are not my cup of tea. They may be cute, but I find them both irritating.

lois said...

SandbKaren: I had to laugh at what your s.o. said about the male dogs not missing their removed private parts. It's really not funny, but I just have to wonder what they think when they go to lick themselves. "Oops! Forgot! Dang! Now I have to grow 4 before I can walk to first base." I think they have to miss them to some extent.

KQ: That's the dangedest story about graduation I've ever heard. Why didn't they just hand out towelettes or something? Congrats to your genius mathematician stepdad. We have graduation in 2 wks. Wonder if they're planning something like that for us. What a hoot!

Carol: Funny! I think of my 'calling' frequently. One's in VaBeach, one in Wmsbg, another one in NN, and lots in OK.

WM said...

Morning all. Whipped through this one at a steady pace from top to bottom without any stalling...only one change...JARS for JUGS...it was a toss-up and if I had read the surrounding clues I would have gotten it correct the first time. Actually got the theme right off.

C.C. you are correct...my bad...it was Rich Norris puzzles that I have been doing not Naddor...Congrats on achieving your dream

Never had a Selectric but my mom was a teacher and we always had dittos around the house. Strange, but attractive smell...kind of like that pepperminty white library paste, always so tempting.

Conde Nast...took the Travel mag for a year as I had a free subcription...then let it go. Do read and cook out of Gourmet. also read about 5 other cooking mags but I am letting subscriptions run out on some.

I agree with the HOW SAD on Elliot Spitzer...saw him interviewed about the financial situation in this country and he is quite brilliant and could be a huge asset to this administration and Mr. Geitner...too bad for his slippery zipper. This country has no tolerance at all for politicians who stray. But lies are ok????

On the age thing...I am most likely still in my late 40's although, like others, there is this gray-haired old lady hiding behind my mirror to startle me in the mornings...the eyes I look out of are much younger.

To those having password troubles, just a suggestion: 1. make sure under Choose an identity you have clicked on Google(Blogger). 2. type in email and then password. I find that if I have been typing for a bit it requires me to re-enter my password and re-click on publish. It never takes it the first time.

The fog arrived yesterday so I have a lot to catch up on...cooler...AHHHH

JD said...

Good morning CC and all,

I just got rejected as a juror this morning. Very puzzling, as I would have been great!! LOL! It may be that the crime took place in my neighborhood.

The puzzle went as quickly as I could write, but I seem to have slower synapses, so it was about 20 min. Erased fluke for spout when I started doing A & D's together.Bob gave me Lyle, gins and M. Bucks, although, like obie, I could have filled them in with perps.
Relics brought back memories of my Catholic schooling and all the saintly books we had to read. The Vatican must be filled with millions of relics.

I like these puzzles, but Mon and Tues go so quickly and Fri/Sat are still VERY hard.In the Trib, I had to G constantly. I liked when we did those "special" puzzles on Sundays and we had a few days to do them.

Linda, cute stories @9:24, and I adore the picture of your delightful grand daughters!

Joyce, those dittos came with those dirty ditto masters. I can still see the blue smudges all over my clothes and hands.

Life goes on, and I too felt like I was in my 30's for years, until my baby turned 35.Gardening isn't as quick and easy as it used to be, so maybe I'm 40 now.The mirror is NOT my friend, or the me I feel.

CA, Best Buy does sell new typewriters. Odd, eh?

We just went thru a U boat in Pearl Harbor. Can't imagine living on one.Very tight quarters.

Dennis, love your FF! and the comments

SandbridgeKaren said...

JD - so sorry about your rejection - hope you don't take it personally. Haven't been on a jury for a while (cross fingers) but the last one I did was a hoot; belonged on the 'dumbest criminals in the world show'. Bunch of guys who couldn't get pot across the country without messing up. Assume they are still part of our huge prison population.

Mainiac said...

Good Afternoon All,

We're doing our water disinfection change today so I just got lunch and did the puzzle. It was a nice break. Couple snags in the NW corner because I wrote STEP instead of SPEC. The popping sound occurred and a couple erasers later had it solved. Nice puzzle.

I am still acclimating to the LAT. Wednesday is still the favorite and I am gaining more footing on Thursday and Friday. The Town is making a deal with a wireless company so I am in hopes of gaining internet access at home to attempt Saturday and Sunday. That will keep me humble for sure!

CC, the picture on the blog was of a ditch. The berm could be the pile of of excavation on the left side of the photo. We use berms to divert water or sound in these parts. I liked the construction answers in today's. I have no idea why anyone would use an H-beam. the strength of the member is in the web, which is in the I shape. I could go on but I don't want Lois to get excited.

Lois, a big LOL!! Thanks so much. I really needed that today.

Nineteen to about 25 or 26 was prime time for me. The freedom, innocence led to many crazy adventures. Ran into some trouble in my late twenties and then decided pounding nails wasn't much fun in the winter and went to college. Met my wife in my early thirties because I mellowed?? NOT!!
She's crazier than I am. Now I am very happy in the hectic routine of family and work. Looking back, I'm very fortunate to have been truly happy for most of my life! Why the retrospection you may ask. Tomorrow I am 19 for the 27th time!!

Speaking of hectic....Work Calls.

Have a great day!

embien said...

5:19 today. (Actually, solved last night online about 10PM when the Tuesday puzzle came up when I was expecting Monday.)

Selectrics were a big deal because for really fast typists (such as myself--high school typing champ), there is no possibility of a key jam since the rotating ball can't jam.

I was west coast editor in a radio club for years. People would mail their observations to me, I'd type them up on a stencil, then mail the completed stencil to the guys in Riverside, CA who printed the newsletter. Now that's old school... I had a Royal typewriter as the Selectric cost like $400 and I couldn't afford it.

Those stencils were pretty durable--it's amazing that they'd survive being rolled up and make it (most of the time) through the mails (you'd have to have them hand canceled, though).

Put me in the camp of those who've never seen Jerry Maguire. I DVRed it once, but then never got around to watching it and eventually deleted it to free up hard drive space (only 100 hours of video storage on my DISH network DVR).

KittyB said...

Joan/boomermomma....I think I have you by two years. When the sign-in tells you that it hasn't accepted your password, check to be sure your e-mail address is typed correctly, and then type your password in again. The sign-in almost always refuses my password the first time around.

Here ya go, Dick:

C.C., since the quote was from D. H. Lawrence, I assume that 'A woman unsatisfied' refers to a woman who is not fortunate to be the recipient of, or partner in great sex! I think a woman who has an exceptional relationship, who regularly experiences incredible sex, can overlook a lot of problems in life. Have I got it right, Lois?? *G*

Jeanne, we had frost Monday. Luckily, I haven't finished my spring planting. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 80s! Big change from the 50s and 60s we've been having.

Southern Belle, I second those good wishes from Linda. Like you, I have two more sessions scheduled, one of which is the one we all hate. I was pleased and surprised to find that my numbers were really good. I need to work on triglycerides, but the rest was well within acceptable parameters.

Jimbo, you said it for me! I feel like I'm somewhere between 39 and 45 until I have to do something physical. I can't do the heavy gardening I once did. I wonder what 84 will be like.

Office work calls (shouts, actually).

WM said...

JD...yes, there are quite a few relics in the Vatican and they are all walking around wearing red robes. Crime?...in LG? Who knew? Are ya lovin' the fog...Yea!

Dennis...so in the winter does it take less time to actually climb up the Eiffel Tower...HMMMMM?

Would absolutely not want to go back to the TMS puzzles...this is a fun ride! :o)

#2

tobylee said...

Hello all, Thanks for all the comments about my cruise. I have to say Lemonade714 that if it had been a honeymoon for me I sure would have felt much younger! The last 5 years have taken some of my zest so I work on attitude corection. As you all prove, attitude is very important. My goal is an attitude of gratitude for the life I have had. I really have been blessed.

Yes, KQ, there was sanitizer as you came back on board, at the entrance to the restaurants and many other spots on the ship. Even messages on the TV about how to properly use the sanitizer!

Argyle, I loved the twist of giraffes, really touching and ABBA's Momey, Money, Money was a treat.

Now about the puzzle which went smootly. I do agree with Jeanne that the very easy to impossible has been frustrating, but it is getting better. (Remember Senor Wences from the Ed Sullivan Show,"Easy for you, difficult for me".)Today I tried to put in 'charm' for 'crowd'. I got 'spec' from the downs. I couldn't believe the Milw. Bucks came to me off the top of my head. Where was THAT stored. I was surprised with 'eire' and 'erie' in the same puzzle. I finally had to 'G' the '77 Cy Young award to finish that section because I didn't get the easel clue. That was clever, but the best was, sniffler's need.
I really liked the movie, Walk the Line. I thought that Jauquin Phoenix did a good job. Anyone know what is going on with him? He looks pretty strange these days.

Treefrog, I have been gone and do you mean Oregon when you say OR? Where?

Have a great day whereever you are.

Jazzbumpa said...

Actually, my number-direction references was just a way of being silly. No point to be made at all.

Pleasant puzzle today. Liked the theme.

Spent most of the day doing yard work. Planted three red-twig dogwood shrubs along the patio. Named them Boomer, Remo, and Peanut after the kids' deceased pets.

Cheers!

Lemonade714 said...

JD:

There never is anything personal in jury selection. All trial lawyers have a philosophy as to who they want on their panel, based on what type of case it might be. Certainly there are influences from old fahioned stereotypes, but most of the selection is intuition. The ones who are challenged for cause are obvious, and peremptorys are just educated guess work. I often used the old Perry Mason line, and not excuse anyone saying, "I have no challenges your honor, I am sure these six, or any six of our citizens will give my client a fair trial." It made the prosecutor look like a nit picker, who did not trust people.

Linda said...

For all you duffers: Do any of you remember a semi-pro golfer named Rick Bezzett from Louisianna (circa 90`s)? He is Kris Allen`s pastor and will be with the family on AI tonight at 8 EDT on Fox. I don`t ordinarily watch AI but we have family on staff at Kris` church and have gotten "hooked."

Dooglesmack: That`s why I asked if you knew him, since Kris is a praise/worship leader at New Life Church in Conway, AR.

JD: Yours is adorable, too (the grandchild...that is!)

Kazie; We had breakfast around 8 AM and have been working off and on, in the yard since. I couldn`t believe it was nearly 2 when we came in and neither of us were very hungry..,whole wheat lasts!Watched Mr. Phoenix in "Walk the Line" and said, "That`s an Academy Award performance". (grew up watching Johnny Cash with my late Dad a lot.) Could hardly believe they gave it to Witherspoon when she basically played herself...she was nothing like June. Phoenix has had some killer roles and always aced them...perhaps that is what "ails him."

carol said...

Mainiac (2:02) LOL A member always looks better in a web!!!

Anonymous said...

Ahh! The Selectric. Bought one for my sec'y. in '80 and she thought she was the cat's meow.

Vern said...

Here's a few more insignificant facts: (1) Olden-time secretaries were called "Typewriters." (2) Typists used the 2-finger approach until someone came along with the touch typing system--a contest proved the latter much faster; (3) The system we use is heavily weighted for the left hand (the army developed a better system but no one had a desire to change); (4) Famous shorthand writers include Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, Julius Caesar, Broadway's Billie Rose, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Pepys, and Thomas Jefferson. I believe the first Mayor Daly was a Gregg shorthand writer and worked as a male secretary.

Anonymous said...

Dennis,
When it is cold out, the air molecules are closer together thereby increasing the conductivity of the air.

The same with the metal molecules,they get closer together in the cold

Anonymous said...

Hi C.C and gang,
I usually do my paper then print this one out. LAT was very easy today.
I found ours a bit harder so "walked away" to come here to get my daily smile.

I must remark on how sweet the little ones all look . I have a plethora of grandkids and another on the way. Lots of fun.

Dennis:
I find the LAT extremely hard on the weekend. I do try but, often do not finish. We have 5 in our paper every Sunday soooo as you can imagine I have lots of options.

As for age:
I have 4 adult children so I kinda like where I'm at now.

Welcome to all you new folks out there!
All the best,
Geri

kazie said...

I just came in from spending three hours vacuuming the winter muck and our Golden Retriever's hair out of my car--mostly the hair. She's a darling dog, but I don't think I'd ever get another long-haired dog.

Luxor,
Getting closer together in cold weather works for humans too!

Vern,
Being left handed I appreciate that the system is weighted in that direction--it makes me just a bit faster than I'd be otherwise--I'm still slow. But I read somewhere that it was done that way to keep right handers just a bit slower, since it was thought they'd be too fast otherwise.

Elissa said...

Kazie: The whole QWERTY keyboard was designed to slow down typists to avoid the keys from jamming if you typed too fast, as mentioned by embien@2:03.

JD said...

Sandbridge Karen and Lemonade,
Thanks! I know it wasn't personal, but I was somewhat disappointed because I do have time and was ready to serve. After listening to yesterday's whiners who gave fake excuses to get off, I really thought I was a shoe in.Turned out good: saw "Angels and Demons" today and am available to sub on Friday.

Argyle, loved Abba's "Money..."

BTW, it sounds like many of us have to continually put our password in twice. Anyone know why? I'm used to it at this point.

The word TARP in today's c/w conjured up a great memory. My favorite C'mas ever is when our family had no money at all for gifts. My 3 sisters and I opened up one huge box, then a smaller, and so on until we found a note. It told us to get ready to go camping, and we did! We had no tent, just sleeping bags and a couple of tarps. We pushed together a bunch of logs and put layers of pine needles in the middle to make it soft, threw a tarp over that, layed out all our bedding and threw a tarp over all. And yes, it snowed! I was the happiest kid ever!

whoo said...

Hi C.C. and everyone else.
I have not been checking in lately
because our paper quit carrying the L A T puzzle. Now we have a puzzle that is in the 6 to 12 year old range. I looked thru the blog and just can't find the L A T online spot, so at the risk of asking that damn question one more time, can you help? I so need so serious mind exercises and miss comming here. It just is no fun If I can't relate to the theme.

Missed all of you WHOO

Elissa said...

WHOO: there is a link to the LA Times Daily Crossword Online on the main blog page in the upper right hand area

Anonymous said...

Kazie,
that's how come I know.

WHOO said...

Ellisa:
Thank you. I don't know how I missed that. Wow what an easy puzzle. Now I am ready for a tough one. I must confess I used the beginner's mode.
So what is new here? Anybody married recently? pregnant? married because of pregnacy?
Divorced because of pregnancy?
None of the above?
We had a good one in the shop today, (for those that don't know, I am a locksmith) a guy came in and wanted to know how to take out his lock, because he needed it changed. His wife had left him and she had a key. We told him how to take it out and he came back a little later with it. Suprise! He had his 24 year old "fiancee" with him. (did I mention he was 50 or so?) Kinda makes one draw a few conclusions. Not that I would ever gossip. L O L
The human race never ceases to amaze me Later WHOO

SandbridgeKaren said...

Luxor - I'm with Kazie - my molecules get ever so much closer to others' molecules in the cold!

The JVN said...

Treefrog and other anons --

Rather than post anonymously, click on Name/URL. It will accept a name, but it does not require a URL. No password to remember.

This is probably the first time I finished the puzzle without help from my reference books. Fun! I found it easier than Monday's, in which I had two unfilled squares.

Now, I must admit that I tried to get help from my movie book, seeking a DeMille movie that started with ENI. Eventually I realized that whales do not have a snout, but that they 1A SPOUT. That made my partial 10D EPI, and EPIC instantly leaped to mind.


I'm old enough to remember the Selectric being introduced while I was in college. Since I graduated in 1962, it was a year or two before that. One of the better features was that it was impossible to jam the type bars.

I also remember the smelly duplicating process. It was a big improvement on the previous thing, the hectograph. It used a sheet of gelatin, and could make about 20 copies before the typed master got too blurry to use.

kazie said...

Elissa,
Thanks, I'd forgotten the reason for the left-handed qwerty slow-down thing, but the previous discussion of the jamming bars should have reminded me.

May our molecules all stay warm tonight!

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