Theme: My Fair Ladies in Broadway
26A: 1948 Porter musical inspired by "The Taming of the Shrew": KISS ME, KATE
26A: 1925 musical that spawned the unsuccessful "Yes, Yes, Yvette": NO, NO, NANETTE
44A: 1953 musical with the song "No Other Love": ME AND JULIET
56A: 1964 musical starring Carol Channing: HELLO, DOLLY!
All above theme answers are musicals with lady's name at the end. Tight theme indeed.
I've never heard of "ME AND JULIET", and I always associated "HELLO, DOLLY" with Barbara Streisand.
I liked how ELFIN (29D: Fairylike) is centered in the middle of the grid, connecting two of the theme answers. Also loved how A ONE (59A: Excellent) crosses BEST (55D: Cream of the crop). The clue for LOCO (53D: Nuts or crackers?) drove me bananas. I just could not get snack out of my mind! Very clever.
This puzzle is quite scrabbly: 1 Z, 2 J's and 6 K's.
Across:
1A: Puzzle with blind alleys: MAZE. The most famous one is probably King Minos' huge MAZE to contain the monster Minotaur.
5A: Prepared, as hash: DICED
10A: Some blue birds: JAYS. Good morning. Any Blue JAYS fans? I just learned that no one has been inducted into Hall-of Fame in Blue JAYS uniform. How sad!
14A: "Tosca" tune: ARIA
15A: __ worse than death: A FATE. I did not know this euphemism phrase for rape. I wonder why Titian did not pick up another name for his "The rape of Europa" then (King Minos is the son of Zeus and Europa).
16A: Beekeeper played by Peter Fonda: ULEE
20A: Hose reaching to the patella: KNEE SOCK. I can't read her uniform. What does it say?
22A: Race of Norse gods: AESIR. They live in Asgard.
24A: 007 et al: Abbr.: AGTS. My favorite Bond movie is Casino Royale. What's yours?
30A: Auto speed letters: MPH. And GTOS (25D: Pontiac muscle car).
33A: One way to read: ALOUD. Wrote down SPEED first.
34A: Maned Oz visitor: LION. The Cowardly LION. Have not seen LAHR for a while.
35A: It's often framed: ART. Thought of PIX/PIC first.
36A: Make cents: MINT. I like this clue. Play on "Make sense".
37A: Lifts with effort: HEFTS
39A: Casanova: ROUE. Nailed it immediately. Dennis mentioned last time that Casanova wore condoms made of linen. RAKE anyone?
40A: First mother?: EVE. "First lady?", "First grandmother?", etc. You can't fool me any more.
41A: Atmospheric prefix: AERI
42A: Christmas song leapers: LORDS. From "The Twelve Days of Christmas". I got the answer from Down fills.
43A: Stage scenery: SET. Alliteration.
48A: Eye, in Paris: OEIL. Have to show Julian Beever's Trompe l'OEIL again. Amazing pavement work. No "Eye, in Aix" alliteration today.
49A: comparably large: AS BIG
52A: Fraternal group, familiarly: ELKS CLUB. Or is it ELKS' CLUB/ELK'S CLUB? I don't know how to spell it out.
60A: Furry "Star Wars" critter: EWOK
61A: Typeface type: ARIAL. Like this instead of this.
62A: Some watch faces: LCDS. What's the difference between LCD and plasma?
63A: Texting exchanges.: Abbr. : MSGS
64A: Wisdom unit?: PEARL. PEARLS of wisdom.
65A: Ill-gotten gains: LOOT
Down:
1D: Identity hider: MASK
3D: Fan mag. e.g.: ZINE. ZINE is short for fanzine. But now ZINE refers to any e-ZINE, right?
4D: Let go tactfully: EASED OUT. Have to be careful about the tense of Let.
5D: 1860s-'80s territory on the Canadian border: DAKOTA. Oh, I was not aware of this fact. They were admitted as two states in 1889.
6D: "...assuming it's doable": IF I CAN
7D: Port container: CASK. Port wine. Nice clue.
9D: Obama or FDR: DEM. The initial BHO simply just does not have the FDR/JFK feel, does it?
10D: Football feints: JUKES. No idea. What is a JUKE? Just learned several months ago that "Hockey feints" is DEKES.
11D: "Unhappily ...": ALAS
12D: Rumored Himalayan: YETI. Exactly. "Rumored".
13D: One dealing in futures?: SEER. Not the commodity futures. OK, here is the famous Rick Santalli "Rant of the Year". He is the "One dealing in futures" too, from the Chicago Board of Trade floor.
24D: Bickering: AT IT. I kept reading it as A TIT. Can you make a sentence for me?
26D: Tom, Dick and Harry, e.g.: NAMES
28D: Sextet plus three: NONET. Octet plus one. Whatever.
30D: Native New Zealander: MAORI. Literally "ordinary people".
31D: Fuddy-duddy: PRUDE
32D: Explosive '50s trial: H-TEST. At Bikini Atoll. I was stumped, thinking of some espionage trial. Funny how they named bikini swimsuit after this island.
37D: Obey: HEED. Are they really synonymous?
39D: Attendance check: ROLL CALL
41D: Cisco, to Pancho: AMIGO. I liked this new clue. "The Cisco Kid".
42D: Hall of Famer Aparicio: LUIS. He was inducted in 1984, in White Sox uniform. Any of you collect baseball cards?
45D: Register single: DOLLAR. D'oh! Cash register.
46D: Stevenson's ill-fated doctor: JEKYLL. What a perfect fill. Lots of consonants.
47D: Swindles: BILKS
50D: Puts in stitches: SEWS. So simple. I was thinking of the other "in stitches" meaning.
51D: Online journal: BLOG
54D: Reverse, on an edit menu: UNDO. You wouldn't believe it, but I wrote down STET first. What can I say? I am LOCO.
57D: Skip, as stones: DAP. Stumped last time when it's clued as "Fly-fishing action".
58D: Miners dig it: ORE. I dig this clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
26A: 1948 Porter musical inspired by "The Taming of the Shrew": KISS ME, KATE
26A: 1925 musical that spawned the unsuccessful "Yes, Yes, Yvette": NO, NO, NANETTE
44A: 1953 musical with the song "No Other Love": ME AND JULIET
56A: 1964 musical starring Carol Channing: HELLO, DOLLY!
All above theme answers are musicals with lady's name at the end. Tight theme indeed.
I've never heard of "ME AND JULIET", and I always associated "HELLO, DOLLY" with Barbara Streisand.
I liked how ELFIN (29D: Fairylike) is centered in the middle of the grid, connecting two of the theme answers. Also loved how A ONE (59A: Excellent) crosses BEST (55D: Cream of the crop). The clue for LOCO (53D: Nuts or crackers?) drove me bananas. I just could not get snack out of my mind! Very clever.
This puzzle is quite scrabbly: 1 Z, 2 J's and 6 K's.
Across:
1A: Puzzle with blind alleys: MAZE. The most famous one is probably King Minos' huge MAZE to contain the monster Minotaur.
5A: Prepared, as hash: DICED
10A: Some blue birds: JAYS. Good morning. Any Blue JAYS fans? I just learned that no one has been inducted into Hall-of Fame in Blue JAYS uniform. How sad!
14A: "Tosca" tune: ARIA
15A: __ worse than death: A FATE. I did not know this euphemism phrase for rape. I wonder why Titian did not pick up another name for his "The rape of Europa" then (King Minos is the son of Zeus and Europa).
16A: Beekeeper played by Peter Fonda: ULEE
20A: Hose reaching to the patella: KNEE SOCK. I can't read her uniform. What does it say?
22A: Race of Norse gods: AESIR. They live in Asgard.
24A: 007 et al: Abbr.: AGTS. My favorite Bond movie is Casino Royale. What's yours?
30A: Auto speed letters: MPH. And GTOS (25D: Pontiac muscle car).
33A: One way to read: ALOUD. Wrote down SPEED first.
34A: Maned Oz visitor: LION. The Cowardly LION. Have not seen LAHR for a while.
35A: It's often framed: ART. Thought of PIX/PIC first.
36A: Make cents: MINT. I like this clue. Play on "Make sense".
37A: Lifts with effort: HEFTS
39A: Casanova: ROUE. Nailed it immediately. Dennis mentioned last time that Casanova wore condoms made of linen. RAKE anyone?
40A: First mother?: EVE. "First lady?", "First grandmother?", etc. You can't fool me any more.
41A: Atmospheric prefix: AERI
42A: Christmas song leapers: LORDS. From "The Twelve Days of Christmas". I got the answer from Down fills.
43A: Stage scenery: SET. Alliteration.
48A: Eye, in Paris: OEIL. Have to show Julian Beever's Trompe l'OEIL again. Amazing pavement work. No "Eye, in Aix" alliteration today.
49A: comparably large: AS BIG
52A: Fraternal group, familiarly: ELKS CLUB. Or is it ELKS' CLUB/ELK'S CLUB? I don't know how to spell it out.
60A: Furry "Star Wars" critter: EWOK
61A: Typeface type: ARIAL. Like this instead of this.
62A: Some watch faces: LCDS. What's the difference between LCD and plasma?
63A: Texting exchanges.: Abbr. : MSGS
64A: Wisdom unit?: PEARL. PEARLS of wisdom.
65A: Ill-gotten gains: LOOT
Down:
1D: Identity hider: MASK
3D: Fan mag. e.g.: ZINE. ZINE is short for fanzine. But now ZINE refers to any e-ZINE, right?
4D: Let go tactfully: EASED OUT. Have to be careful about the tense of Let.
5D: 1860s-'80s territory on the Canadian border: DAKOTA. Oh, I was not aware of this fact. They were admitted as two states in 1889.
6D: "...assuming it's doable": IF I CAN
7D: Port container: CASK. Port wine. Nice clue.
9D: Obama or FDR: DEM. The initial BHO simply just does not have the FDR/JFK feel, does it?
10D: Football feints: JUKES. No idea. What is a JUKE? Just learned several months ago that "Hockey feints" is DEKES.
11D: "Unhappily ...": ALAS
12D: Rumored Himalayan: YETI. Exactly. "Rumored".
13D: One dealing in futures?: SEER. Not the commodity futures. OK, here is the famous Rick Santalli "Rant of the Year". He is the "One dealing in futures" too, from the Chicago Board of Trade floor.
24D: Bickering: AT IT. I kept reading it as A TIT. Can you make a sentence for me?
26D: Tom, Dick and Harry, e.g.: NAMES
28D: Sextet plus three: NONET. Octet plus one. Whatever.
30D: Native New Zealander: MAORI. Literally "ordinary people".
31D: Fuddy-duddy: PRUDE
32D: Explosive '50s trial: H-TEST. At Bikini Atoll. I was stumped, thinking of some espionage trial. Funny how they named bikini swimsuit after this island.
37D: Obey: HEED. Are they really synonymous?
39D: Attendance check: ROLL CALL
41D: Cisco, to Pancho: AMIGO. I liked this new clue. "The Cisco Kid".
42D: Hall of Famer Aparicio: LUIS. He was inducted in 1984, in White Sox uniform. Any of you collect baseball cards?
45D: Register single: DOLLAR. D'oh! Cash register.
46D: Stevenson's ill-fated doctor: JEKYLL. What a perfect fill. Lots of consonants.
47D: Swindles: BILKS
50D: Puts in stitches: SEWS. So simple. I was thinking of the other "in stitches" meaning.
51D: Online journal: BLOG
54D: Reverse, on an edit menu: UNDO. You wouldn't believe it, but I wrote down STET first. What can I say? I am LOCO.
57D: Skip, as stones: DAP. Stumped last time when it's clued as "Fly-fishing action".
58D: Miners dig it: ORE. I dig this clue.
Answer grid.
C.C.
Good morning, C.C. and gang - fun puzzle today, even with my attempt to screw it up. I confidently put 'knee high' for 20A, which made that area difficult until I realized 'hourglass flow' could only be 'sand'. Enjoyed seeing one of my favorite all-time cars, the GTO, sadly gone forever now with the demise of Pontiac. I thought 'Nuts, or crackers' was the cleverest clue.
ReplyDeleteToday is Ride Sally Day. Oh wait, damn, it's actually Sally Ride Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "If you knew that you were going to die tonight, or merely that you would have to go away and never return, would you, looking upon men and things for the last time, see them in the same light that you have hitherto seen them? Would you not love as you never yet have loved?" -- Writer Maurice Maeterlinck
More Fun Facts:
- Saunas outnumber cars in Finland.
- The per capita use of soap in Great Britain is 40 ounces per year. In France, it is 22.6 ounces per year.
C.C., the jersey on the girl you referenced in 20A says 'PLAYER' - quite nicely, I might add.
ReplyDeleteA 'juke' in football is simply a feint, designed to leave a defender without shoes or jock.
A sentence using 'at it': The couple fought all the time; sometimes they'd go at it for hours.
Good morning C.C. and all,...had some difficulty with this one in the SE corner. Once roll call fell the remainder of the section was completed. For some reason when I got to that corner the mind went blank and I spent more time there than on the remainder of the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteOther than the above this was a very interesting puzzle with some new and creative cluing, IE: "Nuts and Crackers."
Dennis my neighbor has a GTO convertible restored to original. It is a beauty and quick.
Much needed rain here today and a lot cooler. Guess the links is out for today.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI did not see the P. I thought it might be just LAYER. What's the word that popped into your mind when you read "Nuts, or crackers?". Mine was NOSH. Soap? Hmmm, I think you are telling the truth today. French men. My goodness. They are good at picking (and talking) lingerie though.
Windhover,
No, I am not familiar with the song. But I understand what you mean. Real, hard news do not bother me. Gratuitous sax and violins do.
Sallie & Windhover,
Re: TMS Commuter Daily. You get them from Monday to Saturday, correct? What is the puzzle for Sunday then? The TV Crossword? I understand that Jackie Mathews edits both.
I ended up having to google NO, NO, NANETTE and ME AND JULIET. I was able to guess KISS ME, KATE and, I'm sorry but, everybody thinks of Carol Channing being in HELLO DOLLY. The only other unknowns were DAP, ROUE, LUIS, ULEE and JUKES, the latter two which, unfortunately, crossed. C.C., don't feel bad about AT IT because I got it from the perps _after_ googling. And H-TEST is obviously a crosswordese abreviation for H-BOMB TEST.
ReplyDeleteC.C., you asked how I did on my Chinese test. Well, I got the results today. I got 77.5% on the listening portion and 90% on the reading portion. I thought I had done better on the reading portion but I think I was lucky to get 77.5% on the listening portion because there were times when I had no idea what was being said on the CD. Anyway, I passed both tests.
Martin
@ all, I thought you might enjoy a little play on words that I received a few days ago. It is a bit slow reading, but funny.
ReplyDeleteThe European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as 'Euro-English'.
In the first year, 's' will replace the soft 'c'. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard 'c' will be dropped in favour of 'k'. This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome 'ph' will be replaced with 'f'. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where! more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent 'e' in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as
replasing 'th' with 'z' and 'w' with 'v'.
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary 'o' kan be dropd from vords kontaining 'ou' and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.
Good Morning All,
ReplyDeleteThis was a good challenge for a Tuesday (Even though I keep thinking its Monday). Old Broadway shows only came with the perps. I got hung up Maori and Roue which made Me and Juliet a wag. Thanks for the blog info.
CC, My kids were going at it all weekend so I took it to them on the lawn yesterday. Boy and I going to have my hands full when they are teenagers!
How about this oldie speaking of Sally.
Work calls.
Have a great day!
Dick,
ReplyDeleteI loved the language changes. I think I've seen it before, but it's worth sharing all over again.
Today was a fun and fairly easy puzzle for me. I ended up with no g'spots, but had to guess the E in JUKES/AESIR, and attempted LORDS with DUKES and EARLS before it fell in. I don't usually remember song words very well.
We used to see blue jays around here all winter, but lately they haven't been around. I wonder why?
Dennis,
I knew a Finnish family in Oz who built a sauna in their back yard--they just didn't feel right not having one, so I believe that FF. Also, the French use a lot more perfume for a reason!
Wasn't there a song "Ride Sally, Ride"?
Dick - agree on the SE corner. I was blowing thru this one and then screwed up this area - none of the words were hard or unknown - just could not get them to work properly on paper. CC - I too wanted snacks for nuts, or crackers and went loco figuring out my mistake.
ReplyDeleteVery enjoyable puzzle - liked the execution of Fred's theme and clueing - made me think.
CC - suspect all the guys will enjoy your kneesock link - guys if you haven't checked it out, please do so. I'm getting me some of those sock.
Dick - still LOL at your word play - thanks for sharing. And Maniac, thanks for 'Sally'.
Good Morning, C.C. & all:
ReplyDeleteI got stuck in the NE corner, having trouble with Ulee and Aesir, because I did not yet have alas. After Jean woke up, she gave me Ulee and the rest fell into place. I also wrestled for a while with the heed, hefts and aeri crossings. I wanted to make aeri aero.
All in all, it was a very good puzzle. I enjoyed your interview with Fred, C.C. Question: can constructors make a living at this, or is it more like a hobby or part time work?
Kazie, yes, 'Ride, Sally, Ride' was done by Lou Reed, I think in the '70s.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I found you all. No more time wasted trying to work it out alone and I especially like having the explanations for words that have popped up- for example, "jukes". I knew it was right but had no idea what it was. I'm afraid the fact that I knew all the ladies in question is a reflection of my age- 72 now. How did I get so old? Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteA TIT. Can you make a sentence for me?We had A TIT at the feeder this morning.
ReplyDeleteDennis:
ReplyDeleteWe probably all have one car we would like to have back. Mine would be the first new car I ever bought. Picture this:
'66 GTO convertible, Black with black top and interior. 389 tri-power (three dueces back in the day), 4-speed, 3.89 gear in the rear. 13.90 @102mph with street tires at the Mountain Park Dragway in Clay City, Ky. All I have left is a few pictures and a couple of trophies. This car cost exactly $3300 (no trade) in September, 1965. I ordered it sight unseen because I liked the '65, but it changed a lot. Do you remember the small pinstripe that ran down the side?
It was a dealer applied decal. I told my dealer that if that pinstripe was on the car or if they drilled holes in the trunk lid to put his name on the car I wouldn't take it. I spent a couple of years looking for that car in the early nineties, but
It's probably long since been crushed.
Dennis, everthing is context, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteA sentence using 'at it': The couple fought all the time; sometimes they'd go at it for hours, but when they made up, they'd be in the bedroom and go at it for hours.
Argyle, that's exactly the thought that was in my head when I typed that post. GMTA.
ReplyDeleteWindhover, '65 GTO convertible, red/white top and interior, 389 w/tri-power, 360HP, rally-pac II instrumentation and wheels, and yes, a stupid thin white pinstripe down the side. I absolutely loved that car, and I'll tell you what, the moan from those trips when you opened them up was almost as arousing as any other moan I heard back then.
Ok, never mind that last part. It's all coming back to me now...
Brief interruption
ReplyDeleteDennis:
Liked your example of "at it" and the fun fact about cars v. saunas. I bet it's easier to "fight" in a sauna, but I myself have fought in a car, though not recently.
As for the soap statistic, it's possible the Brits just get dirtier than their Chunnel neighbors. And of course that whole bidet thing kind of skews the numbers. Sometimes if you just clean the tires it makes the whole car look (and smell) better. Just sayin'.
CC:
The H-L carries the NYT puzzle seven days a week, the Daily Commuter six days. Will Shortz is excellent, of course, although I like the LAT when I get it. I'm sure JEM is an able constructor, but producing a challenging puzzle is evidently not in her DC job description.
Kazie:
I believe the song you meant is Mustang Sally by "Wicked"
Wilson Pickett. Great song, cool girl, lousy car.
BTW, I always enjoy ready your posts, especially the language-related ones and your comparisons of Aussie life and your life here. BTW, I think you and I drive alike. I can see my kids or my wife taking my keys some day when I'm 93 and still want to get it on with the car in the next lane. Or, as Dennis says, go "at it".
Sunny here this morning, rain later they say. Got to get in the garden if I plan to eat next Winter
Hi, Melissa B. How you bee?
Windhover,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the appreciation. I sometimes wonder if I give too much info, but I know c.c. likes to know those things too.
Your mention of the bidet reminds me, after living in France for a year, I liked them so much, we had one installed in the first house we built in '76, but after people kept asking what it was for, and hubby (embarrassed) always said to soak flowers in while looking for a vase, I didn't bother in our new house in '97. I kind of miss it. Saved a lot of water when I didn't need a whole shower.
Mary Anne,
Welcome to the blog. You'll find a lot more than XW information here if you stick around!
Dennis,
What is it about men and cars? I always thought their cars were their phallic extentions, but now it sounds as if they are substitutes for other sexual outlets. My first new car was a 1968 Mazda 4/4/4 (speed/door/cylinder)--my terminology, not the manufacturer. I don't think they had so many different models then. I paid AU$2,400 for it and thought it looked "cute". Even then though I had a friend who said I drove with a lead foot.
Good Morning All, Give My Regards To Broadway! I liked this puzzle a lot. After I got KISS ME KATE, I hurried up and filled in all the theme answers. The only one I haven't seen on stage is ME AND JULIET, but I had heard the music.
ReplyDeleteThere were a couple of sticky places. I had never heard of JUKES and I also read the answer as A TIT. It fit, but it sure looked weird.
It's going to be a very busy day. Appointments in town(s) this morning and an evening of dinner and a musical (what else) with my girlfriends this evening. I'll try to check back in during the break.
Windhover, I thought of the french bidet connection too.
C.C. LOL at your reference to sax and violins.
Kazie, for me, it was more about speed. Yes, I always want a good-looking car, but I've also owned 'sleeper' cars, cars with no external markings as to the horsepower within. I just love speed - I've said it before, my favorite place in the universe is 'the edge'.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning all.
ReplyDeleteLucked out on Me and Juliet. What the H is DAP? Never heard of it. Got Dakota on the cross.
I could read the paper online for free, but I much prefer the real version. I drink coffee, read and fight off the cats. Can also watch whatever on TV at the same time.
Embien-I will continue to slog through the Sunday NYT puzzle. Just remember, from Thursday on I fight the puzzles:{
Dick-Loved your play on words. Haven't seen that for awhile.
If I sign in to my Google account before I come here, I have no trouble posting under that account. Go figure.
As always, enjoy the comments about everything!
Good morning, everyone!
ReplyDeleteThe uniform says "PLAYER." I think it's not baseball that she's playing, though! I wanted KNEE HIGH, but that obviously didn't work out. @dennis, I did the same.
Since the full name is the Benevolent and Protection Order of Elks, I'd go with ELKS CLUB.
Here's a fun quote from our food section today. "Part of the secret to success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." -- Mark Twain
@sandbridgekaren Don't forget to get the shoes and skirt to complete the ensemble!
@argyle LOL!
Have a great Tuesday!
C.C., The Naples News prints both the LA Times and the NY Times puzzles on Sundays. So for yesterday and today it's fun to have two puzzles I can do easily. Although I had trouble with loco and Elks Club, as well as pitchers' stats being ERAs. I don't think my baseball playing husband would accept it. (Unless I got something wrong, which is always possible.)
ReplyDeleteDick, I enjoyed the spelling bit. Have sent it on to my sons.
Kazie & Dennis:
ReplyDeleteDennis is, as usual, right it was Lou Reed. Different song.
Re: Speed
I can't stand Tom Cruise, but that "I have a need for speed"
line still gives me the same feeling I got a few minutes ago when Dennis called up that memory of three carburetors moaning as they sucked in about 850 CFM's of air and turned it into raw power. And Dennis; what I like about the Edge: there's never a crowd. We must have somehow been separated at birth.
One last thing about speed: one who has never experienced it would not believe how slowly the world moves when you are doing 135. I love to see things shrink in that rear view mirror.
Three for me and starvation looms. Back to the garden. (CSNY ?)
WM: when it rains.
Crockett1947 - thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteDennis and Argyle - you dogs!!!
treefrog - agree on the paper. There's just something about sitting on the deck in the morning, drinking tea and doing the xword. Online just doesn't compare. Guess I could take my laptop out but then I'd probably spill tea in it........
Welcome Mary Anne - you're gonna love it here. And age is only a number!
Sallie, I know the end of the week puzzles are tough for you, but I hope you'll keep at them. Try the Thursday LAT puzzles for a few weeks, and see if you don't find that they become easier when you get used to the style of cluing. I thought the weekend puzzles were a lot harder than those in the Trib, too, but they've grown on me. You've got what it takes.
ReplyDeleteDot, melissa bee, Geri and WM, perhaps one of our biggest concerns about loosing newspapers is the verification of the information published. Not all on-line sources of news wait to verify what they print.
I have a question that our science guys might be able to answer. I understand that a low atmospheric detonation of a nuclear device would take out communications such as phone, radio, internet and TV. Would it also take out power plants? If not, newspapers might be our only way to communicate. Where will we be if those who know how to put out a newspaper are gone?
This is just little ole Doomsday Girl, signing off.
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteClever puzzle today. This week seems a little harder than the last few Monday/Tuesday puzzles. I wasn't familiar with ME AND JULIET either, but knew the other three musicals.
Loved the interview. I have always aspired to writing a crossword someday, but realize that would never come until retirement. Sounds like fun, but I do not think I have the knack of all the intricacies that are necessary. Nice job Fred.
I was able get everything either with the clues or the perps except OEIL and LUIS. Unfortunately, they crossed. Too bad. Wasn't familiar with DAP or ZINE, but they seemed to work. I couldn't figure out if it was going to be LION or LAHR - LION seemed to obvious. Like Dennis, I wanted KNEE HIGH also, until I got to SAND. I also wanted the hash to be SLUNG not DICED, but ALAS it was not to be.
I liked a lot of the clues, and I liked how BLOG and MSGS crossed too, being like forms of communication, both of which I use quite a bit. I was checking cellphone use online yesterday, and my daughter had almost 12,000 text messages last month. That is absurd. I wonder what the record is. I am so glad that I am not witnessing that constant action, it would drive me crazy.
Dick, I loved the play on words. Has anyone ever received the email where none of the words have vowels, but you can still read it anyway? I couldn't find a reference to it online, but it is very cool. It is super easy to read, and you don't even realize the vowels are missing until you get all done.
As for speed, it is very energizing isn't it. I love roller coasters too, mostly for the speed effect. Post college I did a 5 week Europe trip and drove all over the autobahns when there was often no speed limit. What fun we had. My personal favorite was when we visited an acquaintance in Germany and he let me drive his fathers Mercedes - we hit 125 on that day and it was smooth as silk.
What is with all your fixations on A TIT? I guess I shouldn't be surprised should I.
Good day to all.
Good Afternoon (here anyway),
ReplyDeleteLiked this one. No major problems. I did the xword like I type.....hunt and peck!! Half hour or so. Liked LOCO. It's been said about me before, so I identify with terms like that!!!Got a lot of outside stuff done this long weekend and there's still more. I'll be ready for summer by October, I hope!
Gotta go eat weeds now. It's lunch time.
CY'All Later
If you like girls in uniform, and knee socks, then I recommend JENNIE FINCH, a star on our olympic softball team.
ReplyDeletePuzzle was fun, and I think the last two days are more indicative of the trickiness level, ME AND JULIET was not an easy fill and as obscure as any Tuesday clue; and like everyone else, it took a while to get crackers and nuts to be anything but food.
I never heard of it, but it supposedly has been used in puzzles before: DAP (dp)
intr.v. dapped, dap·ping, daps
1. To fish by letting a baited hook fall gently onto the water.
2. To dip lightly or quickly into water, as a bird does.
3. To skip or bounce, especially over the surface of water.
4. To bump fists as a greeting.
Before I forget...
ReplyDeleteMartin,gong xi!
Good morning all:
ReplyDelete"Wisdom unit" gave me fits...still wanted to tie it to teeth when "Pearl" finally fell.
Favorite car: 58 Impala convertible...Our dating through first three years of marriage car. 4-barrel, big engine...when we bought our new VW, I was dangerous after throwing that tank around.
KittyB: You might enjoy "Last Light" by Terry Blackstock. It`s about the effects similar to a neutron bomb.
What bothers me more than BO about some French women is their lack of shaving where they should!Dennis: Re; Words of wisdom...none of us know that we`re not going to die tonight...so those are good words to heed all the time.
CC: Excellent interview, as always.
MaryAnn; You are most welcome.
Once when my grandson and I were in the same go-kart, he couldn`t reach the gas...so he steered and I pedaled. When we cornered, he`d scream, "GM! Slow down! I can`t hold it! I can`t hold it!"
The road to the campus where I took my Master`s is winding and two lane...when I was alone, I drove it like a go-kart track...(and spun off the road more than once!) God is good, even when we aren`t!
KQ, Dennis and Windhover,
ReplyDeleteI had intended to mention that the Autobahn is a perfect way to test your speed limits. As KQ said, your own would be the only limit in most places. Most of the people I know there cruise at 200kph or more, which is about 125mph. If you're overtaking it gets quite a bit higher. This is possible because the quality of their road surfaces is so much better than here, and there's hardly ever an uneven spot or a bump, and if there is, it's signposted ahead of time.
I also forgot to mention that I listened to a few of the Sally versions I found after accessing Mainiac's link. They are all different, but I think "Mustang Sally" and "Ride Sally, Ride" are basically the same song.
Sallie,
(Speaking of Sally), do have a go at LAT Thursday. I agree that you will get past the frustration if you stick with it. Sometimes just the first letter of a word helps me guess the whole thing if I try hard to "think outside the box". It helps to sit back and look at the grid sometimes without the clues, and things suggest themselves from what you have in already.
Good Morning, all.
ReplyDeleteC.C., my first response for 'One way to read' was IN BED.
I wanted 'aero' rather than AERI.
The map of the Dakota territory shows a lot of territory swapping in that era. I'd love to know the reason for all the reassignments.
It's good that DAP was filled in by other answers. I had no idea what stone skipping was called.
I had a mental left turn on No Other Love. In my head I could hear the music from "Victory at Sea." I managed to get the answer MEANDJULIET, but I can tell that I'll need to see what Clear Ayes has to say about this clue.
Kazie, I think our blue jays and other large birds are falling prey to tick borne diseases.
treefrog, my cat would MUCH rather sit on a paper I was reading, but since I do the crossword on-line, he has to settle for sitting between me and the keyboard. My Siamese cat could figure out the word I was going to read next and plop his butt on it.
For those of you who have trouble with Blogger requesting that we re-enter our password, I have a little news. Today I received a screen that told me to clean out the cookies and temporary files, and to check to make sure the setting for security was at medium or medium-high, and be sure that Java was enabled at 'scripting.' Then, they suggested closing down the browser and restarting it. It seems to have helped. I found all those things under Tools: Internet Options: Security, General and Privacy tabs.
Thanks for all the laughs from the play by play today.
Hi C.C. & ...
ReplyDeleteMy new method is to print out the online puzzle since it was dropped by the San Jose Mercury News 5.25.09. There were a few unknown words for me like DAP, JUKE, & OEIL but they were all doable from guessing in the online red version.
Here's a link for Zine
"Zine" is short for fanzine. For all intensive purposes, a zine is a cheaply-made, cheaply-priced publication, often in black and white, which is mass-produced via photocopier and bound with staples.
I would have said intents and purposes but I guess 'intensive purposes' is a new slang word?
Good morning CC and all,
ReplyDeleteLike Warren, I now have to print a copy of the c/w as our paper has gone back to the Trib. with no input from the readers. I wrote last night, but.. actually, I like the large version of the puzzle.
Had a slow start and a slow finish. I could hear CA humming as she easily filled in the musicals.Could not fill in the e on roue and the D in LCDS.NOW I know dap.It sometimes amazes me that some answers come out of nowhere like oeil,aron,loco, but I had a tough time with "register single"; should have been easy.
Dennis, Your WOW really made me stop (really) and think. I suspect that most of us would see people in a different light, giving many forgiveness over very petty things.
Dick, your "Euro-English" was a very fun read.
Argle, loved your tit. Tee hee.
CC, here's another: "I'll have a go at it", meaning I'll try it.
WELCOME MARY ANNE!
I wonder how the rest of the world felt about our H Test. Did we (and Russia) defy international sanctions like No. Korea, or did we just make them up as needed for us?
It's time to escape to my garden once more.
good morning c.c. and all,
ReplyDeleteanother quick one today, knew of all the theme answers except ME AND JULIET. only wag was the I crossing of OEIL and LUIS. perps gave me DAP, ROUE and AESIR.
great WOW today, as usual. a favorite philospher of mine suggests a spiritual practice of feeling into your death, and puts it this way: 'you're already dead.'
my first car was a mustang (cobra). WH, you're right, it was a lousy car. but it sure made dragging main fun every friday night.
wilson pickett's cover of mustang sally is classic, also love jonny lang's, but there appears to be no video to link.
@kazie: the chorus of mustang sally includes the lyrics 'ride, sally, ride,' but lou reed's ride sally ride is a totally different tune. i only know that because i'm a little obssessive about music.
@jd: jaja again today!
10:13 today. Oh my. I can't remember struggling so hard on a Tuesday puzzle before. But then Broadway shows are not exactly my forte.
ReplyDeleteME AND JULIET gave me the most problem as I kept parsing it as MEAN? JULIET (I didn't have the DOLLAR cross yet) and just couldn't make sense of it. ME AND is no better because I think of that as bad English usage (I'd want "Juliet and I" instead). I'm not a teacher, so that could be wrong, but that's how I think of it.
kazie, when I read your "Ride Sally, Ride", I started humming this song but when the words came to me, it turned out to be "Fly, Robin, Fly". So to get the darn earworm out of my head, I had to download it. Thanks a lot.
ReplyDeleteJ.D., you can look but no touching! and no 'intensive purposes'.
Fun puzzle, Fred. I think the names coming at the end of the titles makes for a much tighter puzzle. I also enjoyed the fill as much as the theme... JEKYLL, IF I CAN, JUKES, KNEE SOCK, ELKS CLUB, EASED OUT, and ROLL CALL. Theme is always primary, but fill like this really jazzes up the grid. Nice work... Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of musicals, here is the lovely Susan Boyle singing her latest for Britain's Got Talent. Another fine rendition. I had a feeling this is what she would sing next. It is one of my favorite tunes from a musical. So moving.
ReplyDeleteSusan Boyle Sings Memory
Well...our paper, the San Jose Mercury has gone over to the dark side...I am taking WH's advice and am going to do like the knights in Monty Python's Holy Grail and run away, run away. I am going to email or call the editor because apparently when we like something we don't let them know and I am sure a few complainers hastened the change.
ReplyDeleteTougher puzzle for a Tues than usual, and I was a bit distracted by some other things this morning. But it was ultimately very do-able and I thank you Fred for a creative puzzle...
I did know all the musicals except ME AND JULIET, and I liked Cisco, to Poncho...definitely wanted NOSH for LOCO and I did put in KNEESOCK to start. Had no clue on 42D LUIS but then sports figures are not my forte. Once I got more focused it was great fun and a bit of a challenge.
From yesterday...KittyB thanks on the avatar...I just finished it and put it into the County Fair juried show...will find out if it made it toward the end of the month.
Dick...loved the word play, very funny and surprisingly still readable.
Cars...love to drive fast, but have learned over the years to take a deep breath, listen to classical music and curb my impatience with stupid drivers. We have a left turn/3 car rule here in Milpitas...when the light turns red...3 more cars get to go through. Its pretty consistent. My favorite car was a bug-eye Sprite, but being Brittish, the electrical system was problematic...traded it in for a VW bug, which I drove for years.
WH...waiting for rain.
Good puzzle today. A bit tough for a Tuesday, but I plugged through.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about alternate cluing, so here is a selection for today's puzzle. A couple refer to yesterday's theme and several others reveal a hidden theme that I'm sure Fred Jackson never intended.
1A Corset ties, perhaps
10A The 28D from Toronto
18A What one might say to Corset Lady
20A Hose that would be an unlikely ensemble with a corset.
23A Cocrset Lady's stats
37A What the corset does
43A 24D doubled
49D Corset Lady comparator
52A Alternative to moose's shillelagh
56A Greeting to Corset Lady
59A Corset Lady's rating
4D Removed from the corset
6D I'll get myself into this corset _____________________
13D One who observes Corset Lady
21D True grit that should never be found in a corset (though I do like the hourglass connection)
24D One of Corset Lady's prominent assets (since C.C blazed this trail . . .)
28D Cardinals or Orioles, perhaps
31D One who does not approve of Corset Lady (or these clues)
50D repairs a corset
54D Remove corset laces
55D Corset Lady's bust is the _______
Cheers, and I hope you'll let me back in
OOPS- Forgot to add this in my post- tfrank, very few constructors can make a living creating crosswords. There's just not enough pay for the work. It would be very rare, but let's say you were able to sell 4 weekday puzzles to the LAT every month. At $85 a pop that's $340 for the month. By the way, starting this May 1st Rich was able to give constructors a raise from $60 to $85 for a weekday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHey guys...I just got an email from a Bay Area blog lurker who is upset about our puzzle change, along with the rest of us. I encouraged her to join us here, and, for all those other Bay Area lurkers is contact info for the paper (pardon me C.C. for doing this, but we need to take action on this)
ReplyDeleteDavid J. Butler, Editor and Vice President for News.
dbutler@mercurynews.com
408.920.5456
Let our protests be heard!
Stepping down off my soapbox again...
Melissa Bee,
ReplyDeleteThat Lou Reed version in the first link sounds terrible IMHO. I was referring to the Wilson Pickett song as reprised by CCR and others with the "Ride Sally, Ride" background refrain. When I listened to Mainiac's link I found myself supplying the refrain where it was missing.
Jazzbumpa,
I suppose you want different answers to go with those clues?
Argyle,
I'd never heard Fly Robin, Fly before.
Jerome @2:20
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I suspected that was the case. I guess it is better to have a hobby that pays something rather than nothing at all.
This will make me appreciate constructors all the more. Are you one, BTW?
Linda, thanks for the tip on "Last Light" by terry Blackstock. I'll look into it. I don't make a habit of reading Doomsday stuff, but have you read "Lucifer's Hammer." THAT'S a scary book!
ReplyDeleteMartin, congratulations on your test scores!
Welcome, Mary Anne!
Argyle, you have us all a-titter at your comments! *G*
Jazzbumpa, it must be a slow day for you. *G*
KittyB and Kazie, thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate hearing from you bloggers.
ReplyDeleteAbout Sally (or Sallie): many don't know it's the nickname for Sarah. My mother named me Sallie, but the clerk at the bureau said, "You can't name a child a nickname." And on my birth certificate Sallie is crossed out and Sarah is written in. So Sarah is my legal name, but I never use it except for legal things.
My big thrill in H.S. was that Rita Hayworth played Sal in "My Gal Sal".
Kazie -
ReplyDeleteNope. Same answers.
Kitty -
I've actually been quite busy today. This is just the way my fevered little brain works.
Cheers!
kazie, not to beat a dead horse (snort), but i was responding to your comment:
ReplyDeleteThey are all different, but I think "Mustang Sally" and "Ride Sally, Ride" are basically the same song.my point was only that they are two different songs.
Melissa Bee,
That Lou Reed version in the first link sounds terrible IMHO. I was referring to the Wilson Pickett song as reprised by CCR and others with the "Ride Sally, Ride" background refrain.yes, that's called 'mustang sally.' lou reed's song isn't a version of 'mustang sally.' it's a completely different song.
and i agree with you a hundred percent, 'mustang sally' is the better song.
tfrank- Yup. Still pretty much a rookie though. Half dozen puzzles in the LAT and a couple in the pipeline. One coming in the July edition of Games Magazine. With that exception, I submit to the LAT only. That's just a personal quirk.
ReplyDeleteJerome,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on what xword constructors get paid. I thought that was the case. It really is a hobby, and we should appreciate them greatly for giving us such fun each and every day.
WM - good luck on getting a change to your puzzle. A bunch of us emailed the Star Tribune here to no avail. I didn't even get a response. Hope if works for you. I do the puzzle online now as our newsday puzzle is quite the bore most days.
My 15 year old just got his driving permit this afternoon. Pray for me. This is round three and thankfully the last one. He is quite excited though.
I've been playing at the computer all afternoon trying to track down something I should know.
ReplyDeleteI did some research, and discovered that the song "No Other Love" was in fact written first for "Victory at Sea" under the title "Beneath the Southern Cross." Rogers later used it in "Me and Juliet."
What I SHOULD know, and can't remember is what form of music it is. It's Spanish....but I can't recall just which form.
Jazzbumpa, I know you're busy...but can you answer this mystery for me? I'll be awake all night trying to run it down!
KQ...I don't think it will help either, but like we always say...you can't complain if you don't vote. And Re: the learner's permit...Oh dear...I push multiple positve thoughts your way...and perhaps a case of wine?
ReplyDeleteI add my welcome to MaryAnne...stay tuned for more fun...;o)
#3
C,C.,
ReplyDeleteA juke is a fake as in a fake handoff or the statue of liberty play.
Hi C.C. and all:
ReplyDeleteFun puzzle with small exceptions. I am another that did not know JUKES...except for jukeboxes. Wanted KNEEHIGH as did a lot of you. I was surprised that I actually got the titles to those musical clues (all except 44A and I made a lucky guess at that).
SB Karen, notice how Crockett told you to not forget the shoes and skirt for the outfit??? Guess you don't need the shirt, huh? Wow.
Kinda reminds me of the sign in front of some restaurants: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service. Does that mean you can come in naked from your waist to your ankles?? LOL
Kazie - from last night at 9:45. Re the driving comment I made. I was referring to Portland, Or drivers only. I am sure Mid-west drivers are fine but never having been there, I will certainly take your word for it.
Dick (6:27a) Good One! That was great.
Mary Anne, welcome. Age is creeping up on quite a few of us here but somehow we don't seem to mind. I know many of us like things creeping up on them as long as it is not their underwear.
Didn't we have 'DAP' in a previous puzzle not too long ago? Seems I remember because I thought it was such an odd word for skipping stones. I used Dap for patching small nail holes around the house.
I thought "Wisdom unit?" was "years" as in "wise beyond his years" and because I had no idea what skipping a stone was "day" seemed as plausable as anything else. Once I started down with "Jekkyll" I knew I was in trouble.
ReplyDeleteBack from appointments and on to dinnah and the theatah.
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed out on so much good stuff to day. Props to Dick@6:27 and again to Jazzbumpa@2:11.
What? You folks have never heard of ME AND JULIET? It is the show that proved not everything written by Rodgers and Hammerstein was a blockbuster. The only reason I know about it is that Ray Walston, who was a good friend of one of my aunts, played in the show on Broadway. My aunt had an original cast recording that I listened to and thought No Other Love was very romantic.
Have you forgotten Gogo Yubari the KNEE SOCKs wearing teenage bodyguard in Kill Bill, Vol.1?
Windhover, Yesterday "A lot of people die on TV and in the movies." That is true, but it is not a reason to not watch movies or TV (well, maybe most TV). Viewers simply must be a little more discerning. The same thing goes for books. We wouldn't stop reading books because Carver Doone played catch with the baby ("Ooops") in Lorna Doone or tossed away Lord Of The Flies (poor Piggy!). I've read lots of books that depict some pretty gruesome scenes and I'm not a horror genre fan, whether in books or movies.
I doubt if I would have read anything about T.H. Lawrence if I hadn't seen Lawrence of Arabia first. I saw Member Of The Wedding before I read everything of Carson McCullers I could lay my hands on.
Mary Anne, Welcome.
My favorite version of Mustang Sally is by The Commitments.
My daughter was Miss Totally Cool in 1985 when she was driving her red 1974 280Z. She had the "big hair" and size 4 jeans topped with a Member's Only jacket. That was three kids and several minivans ago. She does have her memories...I'm sure I don't want to know about some of them!
Windhover, from that same movie, my wife always tells people I'm not happy unless I'm 'going Mach II with my hair on fire.' And you're on point: the faster you go, the more things slow down.
ReplyDeleteSandbridgeKaren, all men are dogs - some just hide it better than others.
KQ said, "what is with all your fixations on 'a tit'? " The thing I find fascinating is that something that great actually comes in pairs! You can amuse yourself endlessly with one, and then, Oh Look!! - there's another one!
Linda, it's always in my mind that any day could be the last; my experiences have embedded that in me. Sure makes you appreciate even the little things.
Kazie, I really hope to drive the Autobahn one day. It's increasingly difficult to find empty stretches of road to 'air out' one's vehicle.
Mustang Mel, you had the Cobra option? Nice.
Luxor, asked and answered at 5:40 this morning.
Mary Anne, welcome, and please keep joining the conversation.
KittyB
ReplyDeleteGo here to hear the song sample from "Me And Juliet" of "No Other Love". Scroll down the page and locate the song title from the list and click on listen. I hope the link works, I never did this before.
Thanks everyone for the kind words about my crossword puzzle.
For all of you San Jose Murky News readers: If you are in San Mateo County, the Daily Journal carries the LAT Daily puzzle. And it's free!
ReplyDeleteGlen, Redwood City
@kq: my son tests for his permit this week also. i somehow lived through my daughter learning. it was absolutely terrifying.
ReplyDelete@jazzbumpa: i see you're warming up to corset woman.
@mary anne: welcome.
@dennis: yeah, she was rebuilt for me and painted charcoal, with the signature wide stripes silver. she was beautiful but overheated alot. hm.
Dick, thanks for your play on words. Very funny.
ReplyDeleteIs "dap" the origin of "dapple" as in "sun-dappled lake"? It would make sense.
Returned from Paris a month ago. Read that 83% of French women wear perfume and a high percentage of men also. As I'm allergic to fragrances I was sneezing in closed spaces, such as the Metro, etc. Almost prefer the alternative!
Liz
@kq and mb, I thought teaching kids to drive was the worst part of parenthood. And then the first time you let them go it alone!!! A real nightmare.
ReplyDeleteJust to pass along a technique I used when teaching my sons to drive, I would have them tell me everything they see on the road that they would have to react to. When teaching them I kept telling them there is a stop sign ahead, light, etc. Then I realized I was giving them the answers to the test. So then I made them tell me as soon as they saw something they would have to react to. Brake lights on the car ahead, child playing with a ball on side of road, someone on a bicycle on the road, well you get the idea. It really made my time in the passenger seat alot more relaxing. Good luck and try to enjoy the experience. BTW, kids in PA must be 16 for a learner's permit.
Jazzbumpa @ 2:11
ReplyDeleteLMAO!!!!
WM, how are you able to part with such a beautiful painting?? Oh, good luck with the editor. He has not given me a reply.
Hey...first chance to check in here today. I had a day all to myself, which is rare. I had a couple of snafus today. such as ships as stones-daf. Hey, C.C. where did you dig up that pic of me in uniform? I hated those knee socks. I kinda thought Dennis might decipher my team name...and of course he did.
ReplyDeleteKazie, I know you are from WI and I from MI and am not saddened by the lack of bluejays. They are a destructive bird that always went after wren's nests and yellow finches. Come to think of it, I don't have any yellow fiches in my yard this year.
As to you guys with your favorite vehicles....thank you as one or more of your sons did inherite them...as to put in Argyle's word...They were known to go "at it" given the nod...
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteBe advised that I DO NOT care for your sarcasm at all.
(your post 5/26/09 @5:38 pm)
Fred, keep 'em coming. A very nice puzzle.
ReplyDeleteMustang Mel, 'beautiful, but overheated a lot'? My kinda woman.
tarrajo, the blue jays here even intimidate the squirrels. And I didn't understand your last paragraph.
Luxor, wasn't sarcasm; I was pointing out that it'd already been answered. Lighten up.
Dennis - your dogginess just showed more than usual today.....
ReplyDeleteSandbridgeKaren, my apologies. Anyway, it's C.C.'s fault - she keeps finding provocative pictures.
ReplyDeleteDave Butler asked me to get back to you. Thanks very much for your note. You’re right, we did respond to many of our readers who wrote and called to say they were unhappy with the LA Times puzzle – specifically with the increasing level of difficulty through the week that made the late-week puzzles almost un-doable. Quite a few of these folks stressed that they were longtime puzzlers who were not dumb, but they did not like and/or could not solve the puzzles.
ReplyDeleteWe discussed the problem with the puzzle vendor (Tribune Media Services); TMS has apparently received a lot of feedback about the LA Times puzzle and is addressing some of the issues. A “new and improved” version of the LA Times puzzle by Rich Norris will be available in mid-June, and we expect to try that out. Meanwhile, we are running The Daily Commuter puzzle for a few weeks.
Unfortunately, with our space and budget constraints, we cannot publish two levels of puzzles.
You’re also correct that we have not communicated all these changes to readers, and we should be better about that. TMS supplies us with our word games and puzzles, and when the Daily Crossword puzzle by Wayne Williams ended a few months ago, we simply took the TMS substitute (the LA Times puzzle). That is when we began to hear from readers, all of it negative. We did not hear anything from readers who liked the switch.
We’re always happy to know what readers think and want, and appreciate your opinion. Please look for the LA Times crossword puzzle in a few weeks and let us know what you think. You can email me at kfong@mercurynews.com or call 408 278 3448. Thanks.
Katharine Fong
Deputy Managing Editor
The above is the email I received from the Mercury News...so it does pay to correspond and let your feelings be known. As I suspected, the squeaky wheels got the grease, or in this instance, the change.
Should be interesting to see the new and "improved" version...
So all you Bay Area lurkers out there who like the puzzles, now is the time to be heard.
Dang, I'm spending a lot of time on that soapbox. ;o)
Fred! How cool that you did a link for me! Yes....the song you had in mind for the clue is the same music as Rogers' "Beneath the Southern Cross."
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of degrees in music, but my memory has abandoned me, and I can't remember the form of the music. It's a Spanish dance form. That syncopated three-note figure that goes "Tah-dat daahh" (a technical term) right before the chorus, is the give away, but my brain is mush today, and I can't remember the genre.
I'm SO glad you didn't make the clue harder! *G*
Thanks for a fun puzzle, Fred.
@Dennis, let me just try to clarify that statement...my friend's dad's back in the 60's-70's gave their hot rods to their sons...I am just saying I appreciate all those guys efforts. Hot cars. Hotter...um nights. Those cars didn't have air conditioning then did they? I was just reminiscing with you and Lemondade. Thats all. One tries to fit in.
ReplyDeleteDennis,
ReplyDeleteNice try, but you're an open book.
I am a lurker here now, but Luxor...you are way off when it comes to Dennis. You will never quite "understand" his nuances if you haven't by now and can't even get to bat trying to better him at it.
ReplyDeleteLuxor, that I am. I appreciate the compliment.
ReplyDeletetarrajo, got it now. Nope, few had a/c. Wouldn't have mattered.
luxor said... C,C., A juke is a fake as in a fake handoff or the statue of liberty play. May 26, 2009 4:34 PMWhat a juke looks like: After the kid catches the ball, he gets the defender(the guy in the orange shoes) to lean the wrong way and he goes around him. Handoffs and trick plays are not jukes.
ReplyDeleteKitty -
ReplyDeleteWe played a "Victory at Sea" Suite when I was in High School Band - some time around 1962. It had "Beneath the Southern Cross" in it. I couldn't say what the Spanish dance form is. Might be a beguine, but that's French. Pleasant enough piece of music. I watched the V at S TV show when I was a kid, but have no specific recollections.
C.C. Her uniform says PLAYER
ReplyDeleteLooks like ARGYLE was cut from the same mold as Dennis. Oh well, it takes all kinds.
ReplyDelete