Theme: Extra! Extra! (two letter X'es in each theme answer)
17A: One some roads, it might be several miles after the last one: NEXT EXIT
20A: Like interest on some bonds: TAX EXEMPT
36A: She may oversee an estate: EXECUTRIX
57A: Halo 2 and Project Gotham Racing, notably: XBOX GAMES
63A: Route on which to "get your kicks," in a pop standard: SIXTY-SIX
8D: Fajitas, for one: TEX-MEX DISH
29D: Product of a major 1999 merger: EXXONMOBIL
Holy cow! Total 14 letter X'es in the grid. NY Times' record is 13.
Typical Dan Naddor puzzle. Heavy themage. Perfectly placed EXECUTRIX. I like how it intersects the other two Down theme entries. New word to me though. But -TRIX is common feminine suffix, so the answer came to me rather quickly.
So sweet to see XI'AN (39D: Central Chinese provincial capital) in the grid, though the clue is inaccurate, to a nitpicking native Xi'Anese like me. XI'AN is the capital of Shaanxi Province, which is actually classified as Northwestern China. And XI'AN is often regarded as the most important city in Northwestern China. XI'AN (西安), literally "Western Peace".
But I totally understand Dan Daddor's "Central Chinese provincial capital". XI'AN, one of the oldest cities in China, is most famous for its terra-cotta soldiers. Chairmao and the Communist Party picked Beijing over XI'AN in 1949 to be the capital of China. And of course, I grew up there and I just mentioned it yesterday.
Across:
1A: Words spoken with glass raised: A TOAST
7A: Bellicose declaration: IT'S A WAR. And PAX (35A: Peaceful period). Roman goddess of peace.
13A: Disciplines: CHASTENS
16A: Snookums: DEARIE. Snookum does not sound sweet to me at all.
18A: Run out, as a subscription: EXPIRE
19A: Pitching start: ERA. Poor Johan Santana, he is losing steam now.
22A: HMO workers: DOCS
25A: They're just looking: EYERS. How many millihelens? Whom do you like better, Alessandra Ambrosio or Andriana Lima?
30A: Tic-tac-toe loser: OOX
32A: Colorful card game: UNO
33A: Building toy with apostrophe in its name: K'NEX. I only know LEGO.
34A: Campus hangout: QUAD. What exactly is a QUAD? We hung out at DORM.
40A: Delivery person?: MOM. Nice clue.
43A: Gumbo pod: OKRA. So sticky!
44A: Jedi adversary: SITH. No idea. Not a "Star Wars" fan. Wanted EWOK.
48A: PBS benefactor: NEA
49A: Sounds of hearty laugh: HA HA HA
51A: Rattler's threat: VENOM
53A: __ to a one's neck: IN UP. I am familiar with "up to one's neck", not with "in".
55A: Some House votes: NAYS. Some "State Duma votes" would be NYETS.
60A: Otto minus cinque: TRE. Italian for three. Otto (8) minus cinque (5). French five is cinq.
61A: "__ & Mrs. Miller": 1971 Beatty/Christie film: MCCABE. New film to me. Juliet Christie is a beautiful woman.
65A: Begin successor: SHAMIR. I got the answer from Down clues. SHAMIR is of Likud party, so is the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
66A: South Australia's capital: ADELAIDE. See this map. The city is named after Queen Adelaide, a Germanic name meaning “nobility.”
67A: Bottom lines: TOTALS
68A: In folders, say: SORTED
Down:
1D: Broken out in blemishes: ACNED. I only know the noun ACNE.
2D: Alcatraz, familiarly: THE ROCK. Movie title as well.
3D: Southern Mexican: OAXACAN
4D: 49th-state police gp.: AST. I suppose it's Alaska State Troopers?
6D: Gas company with a star logo: TEXACO
7D: Bordeaux brainstorm: IDEE. French for "idea".
10D: News article: WRITE-UP
11D: Go public with: AIR. Hmmm, Senator John Ensign was forced to AIR his extramarital affair yesterday. The forbidden fruit is always tempting. Sweeter too, yes?
12D: R & B artist Des'__: REE. Nope. Have never heard of this singer. Her original name is Desiree Weeks.
14D: His Western White House was dubbed La Casa Pacifica: NIXON
21D: Deletes: X'S OUT
23D: Portly pirate: SMEE. "Peter Pan" pirate.
27D: Chicago team, briefly: SOX. CUB as well.
31D: It fits in a lock: OAR. Oarlock. Of course I thought of KEY.
34D: In the capacity of: QUA. Sometimes it's clued as Sine QUA non.
38D: Guy with a helpful online list: CRAIG. Nice clue. I bought a few bobbleheads from CRAIG's List.
40D: Dallas NBAer: MAV. Mark Cuban is a colorful character.
41D: __ Miss: OLE. University of Mississippi.
42D: Often tailless feline: MANX CAT
45D: "We're done here": THAT'S IT
46D: Halloween jaunt: HAYRIDE. No idea. I've never seen anyone takes HAYRIDE during Halloween.
49D: Sticky: HUMID. Like the weather in Guangzhou, so HUMID. Takes days to dry my clothes in the raining season. Most Chinese do not have dryer at home.
50D: High points: APEXES. The plural of apex can also be apices. So close to apiece.
54D: Apollo's creator: NASA. Very timely fill. NASA is going to launch an unmanned rocket to the moon today. I wonder if anyone thought of Zeus, who is the father of Apollo.
56D: H.S. health course: SEX ED
58D: Much of the MTV Generation: X'ERS. I am one.
59D: 1944 battle site: ST LO. Close to Caen.
61D: Cheyenne hrs.: MST. I wonder if we have any fellow LAT solvers in Cheyenne.
62D: Comic Margaret: CHO. Korean-American. Chinese for CHO is Zhao or Cao.
64D: "Babi __": Shostakovich symphony: YAR. No idea. I suppose it's related to the Babi Yar massacre.
Answer grid.
C.C.
17A: One some roads, it might be several miles after the last one: NEXT EXIT
20A: Like interest on some bonds: TAX EXEMPT
36A: She may oversee an estate: EXECUTRIX
57A: Halo 2 and Project Gotham Racing, notably: XBOX GAMES
63A: Route on which to "get your kicks," in a pop standard: SIXTY-SIX
8D: Fajitas, for one: TEX-MEX DISH
29D: Product of a major 1999 merger: EXXONMOBIL
Holy cow! Total 14 letter X'es in the grid. NY Times' record is 13.
Typical Dan Naddor puzzle. Heavy themage. Perfectly placed EXECUTRIX. I like how it intersects the other two Down theme entries. New word to me though. But -TRIX is common feminine suffix, so the answer came to me rather quickly.
So sweet to see XI'AN (39D: Central Chinese provincial capital) in the grid, though the clue is inaccurate, to a nitpicking native Xi'Anese like me. XI'AN is the capital of Shaanxi Province, which is actually classified as Northwestern China. And XI'AN is often regarded as the most important city in Northwestern China. XI'AN (西安), literally "Western Peace".
But I totally understand Dan Daddor's "Central Chinese provincial capital". XI'AN, one of the oldest cities in China, is most famous for its terra-cotta soldiers. Chairmao and the Communist Party picked Beijing over XI'AN in 1949 to be the capital of China. And of course, I grew up there and I just mentioned it yesterday.
Across:
1A: Words spoken with glass raised: A TOAST
7A: Bellicose declaration: IT'S A WAR. And PAX (35A: Peaceful period). Roman goddess of peace.
13A: Disciplines: CHASTENS
16A: Snookums: DEARIE. Snookum does not sound sweet to me at all.
18A: Run out, as a subscription: EXPIRE
19A: Pitching start: ERA. Poor Johan Santana, he is losing steam now.
22A: HMO workers: DOCS
25A: They're just looking: EYERS. How many millihelens? Whom do you like better, Alessandra Ambrosio or Andriana Lima?
30A: Tic-tac-toe loser: OOX
32A: Colorful card game: UNO
33A: Building toy with apostrophe in its name: K'NEX. I only know LEGO.
34A: Campus hangout: QUAD. What exactly is a QUAD? We hung out at DORM.
40A: Delivery person?: MOM. Nice clue.
43A: Gumbo pod: OKRA. So sticky!
44A: Jedi adversary: SITH. No idea. Not a "Star Wars" fan. Wanted EWOK.
48A: PBS benefactor: NEA
49A: Sounds of hearty laugh: HA HA HA
51A: Rattler's threat: VENOM
53A: __ to a one's neck: IN UP. I am familiar with "up to one's neck", not with "in".
55A: Some House votes: NAYS. Some "State Duma votes" would be NYETS.
60A: Otto minus cinque: TRE. Italian for three. Otto (8) minus cinque (5). French five is cinq.
61A: "__ & Mrs. Miller": 1971 Beatty/Christie film: MCCABE. New film to me. Juliet Christie is a beautiful woman.
65A: Begin successor: SHAMIR. I got the answer from Down clues. SHAMIR is of Likud party, so is the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
66A: South Australia's capital: ADELAIDE. See this map. The city is named after Queen Adelaide, a Germanic name meaning “nobility.”
67A: Bottom lines: TOTALS
68A: In folders, say: SORTED
Down:
1D: Broken out in blemishes: ACNED. I only know the noun ACNE.
2D: Alcatraz, familiarly: THE ROCK. Movie title as well.
3D: Southern Mexican: OAXACAN
4D: 49th-state police gp.: AST. I suppose it's Alaska State Troopers?
6D: Gas company with a star logo: TEXACO
7D: Bordeaux brainstorm: IDEE. French for "idea".
10D: News article: WRITE-UP
11D: Go public with: AIR. Hmmm, Senator John Ensign was forced to AIR his extramarital affair yesterday. The forbidden fruit is always tempting. Sweeter too, yes?
12D: R & B artist Des'__: REE. Nope. Have never heard of this singer. Her original name is Desiree Weeks.
14D: His Western White House was dubbed La Casa Pacifica: NIXON
21D: Deletes: X'S OUT
23D: Portly pirate: SMEE. "Peter Pan" pirate.
27D: Chicago team, briefly: SOX. CUB as well.
31D: It fits in a lock: OAR. Oarlock. Of course I thought of KEY.
34D: In the capacity of: QUA. Sometimes it's clued as Sine QUA non.
38D: Guy with a helpful online list: CRAIG. Nice clue. I bought a few bobbleheads from CRAIG's List.
40D: Dallas NBAer: MAV. Mark Cuban is a colorful character.
41D: __ Miss: OLE. University of Mississippi.
42D: Often tailless feline: MANX CAT
45D: "We're done here": THAT'S IT
46D: Halloween jaunt: HAYRIDE. No idea. I've never seen anyone takes HAYRIDE during Halloween.
49D: Sticky: HUMID. Like the weather in Guangzhou, so HUMID. Takes days to dry my clothes in the raining season. Most Chinese do not have dryer at home.
50D: High points: APEXES. The plural of apex can also be apices. So close to apiece.
54D: Apollo's creator: NASA. Very timely fill. NASA is going to launch an unmanned rocket to the moon today. I wonder if anyone thought of Zeus, who is the father of Apollo.
56D: H.S. health course: SEX ED
58D: Much of the MTV Generation: X'ERS. I am one.
59D: 1944 battle site: ST LO. Close to Caen.
61D: Cheyenne hrs.: MST. I wonder if we have any fellow LAT solvers in Cheyenne.
62D: Comic Margaret: CHO. Korean-American. Chinese for CHO is Zhao or Cao.
64D: "Babi __": Shostakovich symphony: YAR. No idea. I suppose it's related to the Babi Yar massacre.
Answer grid.
C.C.
65 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - Lois should definitely love this one, as it's clearly X-rated. I counted 14 of them, which has gotta be a record for a puzzle this size. Very enjoyable today, with lots of fresh cluing.
Needed perp help for 'Oaxacan', 'Babi Yar', 'Des'ree' and 'Xi'an'. Favorite clue was 'It fits in a lock'.
Yet another day of rain here, with a rainy forecast for the weekend. I've got freaking mushrooms growing in the front and back yards.
Today is Go Fishing Day, International Panic Day, and best of all......National Splurge Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "Live your life and forget your age." -- Pastor/Writer Norman Vincent Peale
Today's Fun Facts:
- The name Intel stems from the company's former name, Integrated Electronics.
- Approximately 1,314 phone calls are misplaced by telecom services every minute.
C.C., in the same vein as my yard comment, thank you for the pics of Alessandra Ambrosio and Andriana Lima. And who the hell could make that decision?
Dennis,
Nice observation on the 14 X'es. It's indeed a record. Did you think of me after you filled in XI'AN? I've been splurging on cherries since I got up this morning. Cisco is just added to Dow 30. I hope my GE won't be kicked out someday. Pathetic! No, you have to make a choice between Alessandra Ambrosio and Andriana Lima. Those two have totally different style. I want to see your preference.
Luxor,
Thanks for the CAROB bean and carat connection. Also for explaining the carat/karat difference. Which Pope Leo? I googled and found the "vicious" guy is Pope Alexander VI. I was surprised to find a married pope.
Jimbo,
Great photo! Dr. Dad does not have access to our blog at his work. Mark's (Buenos Ariesz) paper does not carry LAT puzzle. Bethann is probably back to school. Not sure what have happened to Democrat and Richshif. People just come and go.
KQ et al,
Thanks for CAROB & LAZY River.
C.C., yes, immediately thought of you once I had 'Xi'an'. And Cisco's a great addition, isn't it?
After prolonged study, I'll go with Alessandra's face and Andriana's body.
Dennis,
I don't know. I don't understand Cisco's products. I am a computer idiot. Hmmm, you are picky! In case you wonder why I chose them, both are Victoria's Secret models.
SandbridgeKaren,
Re: Chastity Bono. Like Clear Ayes said, I read on the paper that she plans to have surgery and become a real man.
WM,
Thanks for the effort. Editors need to hear positive responses. I sense such a strong "The Way We Were" idealism in you.
Good morning C.C. and all,..a really neat puzzle today. I had no problems until I reached the dastardly SE corner again. I could not get the cross of adelaide and yar. This required a G-spot. I also had trouble with "Xian", "Oaxacan", "Des'ree, but these were doable from the perps. Originally I had "Darlin" for 16A, but it did not fit with the crosses.
Dennis, I also liked the "It fits in a lock" clue and it took awhile for the answer to reveal itself. Also, Dennis I do not have any good news on the weather going your way. We had some really nasty weather here last night with one reported and confirmed sighting of a tornado. You better hang onto your mushroom(s). I would be willing to share either Alessandra Ambrosio or Andriana Lima with Dennis, his choice.
Hope you all have a great Thursday.
Good morning all - I am completely xx'ed out!
Thought clue for sticky (humid) was timely for my section of the country. No rain in sight and heat index up to 103. My garden is crying (and wilting). Tomatoes have stopped producing, because the blossoms drop when the temp goes up in the high 90s.
Since I am not in the MTV Generation, what is XERS?
Good morning All,
This was a really fun puzzle. I liked all of the Xes and the clues were just enough. I had to work a bit but I kept pecking away. I didn't know MCCABE or DES REE.
Have a great day!!
Oops, weather.com says it will be a heat index of 106 today. Whew!
Morning all,
I have told myself all along that Thursday’s puzzles are my favorite and today’s puzzle was no exception. In fact, I had a lot less difficulty today than I did on Wednesday’s puzzle. The power of positive thinking. Never heard of K’nex building toy, been an executrix too many times in my life, Halo is my favorite Xbox game (yes, I’m a 63 yr. old “gamer”), read “The Audacity of Hope”, and did you know that they have road tours on motor coaches that run the entire length of Rte. 66. Not one of my vacation must-dos.
Would love some warmth and humidity sent our way. My younger son lives in Houston and they are really hot there-he tells me to be careful what I wish for. But I would like to exchange my hot chocolate for some margaritas. Where is summer? One nice day and then 5 rainy, cloudy days.
Must admit that I don't think I am getting much better on Friday or Saturday puzzles. My positive thinking doesn't seem to work for those days. I think I should be improving but unhappily I'm not. Not giving up--just frustrated. Dick, send us some sunshine.
G'morning all!
I'm just delighted to be able to say I got all this out, except CHo/mCcabe without any outside help! I misspelled MACABE and didn't know CHO or SHAMIR, so wrote in the CH after coming here. I loved how all the x's were used!
Have to leave now but will be back later with more to say.
Not as bad as I thought when I first glimpsed the puzzle. The X's started coming; worked from the bottom up - first answer was Obama and moved on from there. Some individual words didn't thrill me but the puzzle as a whole did - nicely executed. Liked 'guy with helpfulonline list' and 'it fits in a lock'. All in all a very satisfactory puzzle experience for a Thursday - Dan Naddor is quite clever.
Dennis - how does one misplace a phone call and where do they go? Is there a 'lost phone call' site where they sit patiently, waiting to be answered?
CC- typical Dennis - pick and choose the best of each and combine them. No fair - I think he needs to decide on just one. And no matter how much surgery Chastity has, she/he still won't be a 'real man'.
Jeanne - be glad to send you all the humidity and warmth you desire - we've got plenty coming this weekend and it's the annual Boardwalk Art Show obviously held outdoors on the oceanfront boardwalk. Not a great forecast. My godson is coming to visit next week and crappy weather is in the forecast. Last year he came in August and chose the absolutely worst week of the summer; this year we decided on June and it looks no better. Wonder what's up with that?
Mornin` CC and tax-payers (my contribution to the puzzle.)
Had to come here for "chastens" and "oaxacan" because i had 'comeon" instead of "cameon." Otherwise, it would have been a 20 min. job. Had "cat' for tictactoe loser, at first. Favorite clue: "nextexit" having burned many a gallon of gas looking for one!
Luxor: "Uncle Sam=U S" as in "US beef"
Jimbo: So good to hear from you...stay cool!
Lots to do today...to borrow from Jimbo "Go with God."
I liked this puzzle, although I had all kinds of trouble. The "x" answers were mostly no problem. Delivery person? MOM was my favorite clue. Apollo/NASA was the one that had me fooled for awhile. I don't associate HAYRIDEs with Halloween. And I've never heard of KNEX and couldn't get it from the cross with OAXACAN.
I wanted CHEERS for ATOAST and GAFFAW for HAHAHA. And I'm still having trouble with multi-word answers (ATOAST, ITSWAR, INUP, WRITEUP, THATSIT, HAHAHA,etc.)
C.C. The Quad, at many schools, is the quadrangle courtyard which is surrounded by the various school buildings, usually centrally located on the campus, and is, therefore, a natural meeting place.
Make that "tax faxers..." and I did think of you, CC, with the "Xian" fill.
In our area we have traditionally had hayrides at Halloween. It is a right of passage when you are a teen.
That was an amazing puzzle. I needed help on a few items, but overall was very doable. What fun with all those x's. Once you caught the gist, it got your mind working on what could the answer be with an x in it. My favorite clue was Guys with a helpful online list. I have used Craig's list to sell various items very successfully. Will only have people come look at them when my husband is home though.
Last night Ryan Reynolds was on Letterman - he is Scarlett Johansson's husband. He looks kind of plain in a suit but this pic is amazing. Yes ladies, we need some links to eye also don't you think? He was hysterical too.
SouthernBelle, Xers are the baby "bust" generation. That which follows the boomers where we had our lowest birth rate ever. Generally those born from 1961 to about 1981 (I miss it by a year). Per Wikipedia, This generation saw the inception of the home computer, the rise of videogames, and the Internet as a tool for social and commercial purposes. Dot.com businesses, MTV, Grunge music, Hip hop culture, AIDS and Security moms are associated with this generation.
Elissa, We have spooky Halloween hayrides around here. K'nex are buildable toys similar to Legos, but they do some amazing construction. We had a roller coaster one. Your fingers hurt after working with them for a while.
It is my son's 17th birthday today. He is all excited about being able to watch R rated movies. Don't know why he thinks that turning 17 is the only precursor to watching them, but we will have that discussion another day. Guess I should be an x'er with that protective mom trait.
Good morning C.C., Dennis, Linda et al.
Definitely thought of you C.C. while filling in Xian. I think Mr. Naddor had you in mind also.
Caught the X's theme pretty quick which helped a lot with the rest. I thought Thursday's puzzles were supposed to be harder, but did as well with it as the previous ones. No I had to have help to finish. (These worms are beginning to taste good).
Dennis, I was just a toddler during my circus days and only remember what my parents relayed to me. I do have a vague recollection of being tied to a tent stake (with a monkey for a playmate) in order to keep me out of the menagrie where the wild animals were. My parents were too busy to watch me all the time.
Most of my young life was spent with a "Traveling Tent Theatre". Dad started with silent pictures with one projector and later upgraded to "sound on film" with two projectors.
In the Pacific: As an infantryman, I joined the 43d Division in New Zealand. From there to New Guinea where I was transferred to 43d Signal Co. Next stop was Phillipines then on to Japan. Discharged Jan. 17th
1946 in San Antonio, Tx.
Nuf for now
Vaya con Dios
14 more X's...
Rush - Xanadu
Olivia Newton John & ELO - Xanadu
Xena
X-wing Fighter
George Strait - All My Ex's Live In Texas
The X-Files Theme Song
“Madame X” by John Singer
X marks the spot
X-acto knife
X-men
1960's Jaguar XKE
ESPN X Games
...and a twofer...
xanax
And there's always Xenia OH.
This is the second week in a row that the Thursday puzzle was easier for me than Wednesday’s. I loved the X-rated theme. Perhaps that is why it was easier for me. There are only so many words with X’s in them. Of course my favorite clue today was “delivery person” Mom. I knew K’nex as LGJ played with them when he was younger. I had never heard of executrix only executor. I did have to hit the g-spot for McCabe. Who knew I knew how to speak Italian with otto minus cinque? I got Yar from the perps. Overall, it was a very enjoyable puzzle. In up to one’s neck reminds me of sinking in quick sand.
C.C. we usually take a hayride every year right around Halloween at a place called Spooky World where ghosts and goblins hide around the fields and pop out to scare you. LGJ loves it…the scarier the better.
Also in college I lived in a dorm that was called a quad as it was four different dorms all connected by a common area.
Dennis, I think today I will go fishing for something to splurge on.
Good Morning All, I expected to have Thursday morning problems, but it went very easily. Perhaps it was because I did it last night with Cruciverb. The unknowns like REE, KNEX and YAR weren't a problem with perp help. My brain seems to work better later in the day. I'm definitely more of an evening person than a morning person. How about you?
Californians do have an advantage on Mexican locations. GAH and I have been to Mexico a half dozen times, although we've never been to OAXACAn. I do love the way it is pronounced - wä-ˈhä-kä. So many places have names from the indigenous languages, rather than Spanish.
I really enjoyed XI'AN. Seeing the terra-cotta warriors was in the top ten of my "bucket list". It was a wonderful day when we visited the site a few years ago.
I disagree with "Rattler's threat" being VENOM. The threat IS their rattle. VENOM is what you get if you don't pay attention to the threat. I think I showed you this rattler that showed up on our front porch a few weeks ago. He definitely threatened GAH with his rattle.
I liked today's WOW. Simple, straightforward, and right on the button.
Thank you KQ. I agree that the guys usually get more eye candy than the ladies. LOL, it sounds like your son is a typical 17 year old. Happy birthday to him.
Morning...will make this quick as I will be up Napa all day.
did the puzzle last night and erroneously put in CHEERS for 1A( I had typed it in while printing the puzzle and with no red letters, thought it correct, not realizing that the Cruciverb site doesn't use red letters)...so...I was pretty much screwed for the whole top west corner for a very long time, thinking it was correct and nothing fit...
I completed the whole bottom half...figured out the double x's and at 11 pm went to the LATimes sight for help, but ended up trying it online first with all the answers I had...Lo and behold, when I typed in CHEERS...all red letters...so I took it out and tried the answers that I thought should have fit and filled in the rest a was hugely surprised at the noisy TA DA...lesson learned.
I will read the blog and the posts on my return this evening...gorgeous weather here and a great day to you all.
Filled
Good morning C.C.and solvers - Not so difficult as I expected for a Thursday puzzle...but I did get stalled in a few places, mostly due to my ignorance.
I have never heard of Knex and didn't know Pax. I have also never heard of anyone being 'Acned'. I looked at the 57A clue with dismay, but then I filled in 42D (Manx cat)and it became clearer. I have never played a video game.
Favorite clue was Delivery person. Clever.
Jimbo, great new picture!! Hope your B/P is better. Most people worry about theirs being too high, but too low can be a problem too. My Dad passed out from that, and he had to have a pace-maker...that straightened out the problem, but lot's of people can manage nicely with the proper meds.
CA, good explanation of the rattler's threat...you are correct. Do you get many of those critters around your house? I'd be terrified, thinking one might have slithered inside. ARGGGGHHH!
Good morning CC and all,
Excellent c/w today! Lots of fun, although I did my share of erasing: cat for oox,zeus for nasa,and at last for a toast. I had trouble ending many of the words, even with perps, like the ending on eyers, and the d on acned.Oar took forever!
CC, fondly thought of you when filling in Xi'an. I've never been there, but I saw a display of terra cotta soldiers while in Tokyo.Impressive!
We've had dearie before, but to me it's not at all endearing. :-0
Never have heard of Knex,shamir,ree,qua or yar, but knew Manx. I had one named Cleopatra.Also read "Audacity of Hope" and we live close to "the rock", which has swarms of Monarch Butterflies there in the fall.
Love both Julie Christie and Warren Beatty; Dr. Zhivago and Splendor in the Grass are in my Top 10.
I think these Wed/Thurs c/w are perfect for me, just hard enough to keep me on my toes.
Hey gang -
Near-great, semi-awesome puzzle today. All those X's give me a hankerin' for some moonshine.
Not easy, but I plugged on through, without my usual errors. Yay, hooray!
C.C - I did think of you as I filled in XIAN. Now, you must think of me if you ever see TOLEDO in a X-word (which I have seen, once.)
Is anyone else troubled by A TOAST? Two word answers are OK, but simply throwing an indefinite article in front of a noun does not seem right.
While Alessandra Ambrosio might have the coolest name EVAH, I am compelled to cast my vote for Adriana, the 2nd most beautiful woman in the world. (Julie Christie is in the top 10! Even now, at her age.) Actually, I can easily make that choice, no contest -- for some reason I find Alessanda to be annoying. Please do not try to make any sense of this.
Dennis - the Solomon approach is for babies, not BABES!
C.A. -
Good point on VENOM. I did feel threatened today when a really ugly black spider skittered out from under the laundry room door. I squashed him with a paper towel and felt rather heroic for a minute, until I saw your post. Remind me never to play "Can you top this?" with you.
KQ -
For some reason I found your eye candy to be uninteresting. Different strokes, I guess.
Instead of fishing or splurging today, we had a plumbing repair on the guest room shower. At least it involved water and lots of $$$.
Cheers!
Hello everyone.
did anybody ever hear of k-nex? what'd it look like?
never heard of quad at penn state.
i would expect 'cinque' to be a french word having the ue ending.
the word 'thule' comes to mind for oar holder.
When I saw the references to 'Uno', 'Oaxaca', and 'Tex-Mex' in the puzzle, I thought for sure the theme would be 'Dos Equis'.
My 4 yr old granddaughter always gets a kick out of helping me with answers and today she 'helped' with Smee. We had to tie her to a tree in Wisconsin 2 years ago while we cut down another tree. Didn't want her near the chainsaw or running in the path of the falling tree.
ClearAyes, do you get those snakes often? My mom used to get garden snakes in her house in the summer. They were harmless, but scary. My son saw one when he was 4 and ran back to me and jumped in my lap shaking like a leaf. She finally had someone come in and fill in some holes in the foundation to rid herself of them. How do you get your picture to come up in a link like that? Do you load it on the web somewhere?
Luxor, here is the K'nex website. Similar to Legos but a little more you can do with them. They snap tighter too.
C.C., yes, picky, but everyone should be picky in constructing a fantasy, right?
Dick, thanks for the heads-up about guarding my mushroom(s). And with apologies, sorry, but both Alessandra and Andriana will be joining me in my fantasty. For a sandwich. So to speak.
Speaking of beautiful women, Southern Belle, so good to see you again.
SandbridgeKaren, yes, there's a large warehouse in Topeka, KS, where they store the misplaced calls in lockboxes. You give them your phone number and they check your lockbox for any 'waiting' calls. I think there's a small charge involved.
Jimbo, I like how you so casually mention being tied to a tent stake with a monkey. No, nothing unusual about that. 43rd Infantry Division - were you in on the Luzon campaign?
tarrajo, your story about the ghosts and goblins popping out reminds me of summers at the shore in my early teens - my buddy and I (always dressed in dark clothes) used to go to the fun houses, pay to get in, then find a curtain or something to hide behind in any of the totally black areas, and when girls would go by, we'd 'cop a feel' as they passed. They, of course, just thought it was part of the fun house package that something would attempt to grab them, and they'd scream and just keep going. Such fond memories of my wayward youth.....and no, before anyone asks, this wasn't just last week.
ClearAyes, I agree about 'venom' - I knew what it had to be once I had a couple letters, but it didn't ring quite accurate.
Joyce, that's pretty neat that your granddaughter helped with 'smee' - she'll be posting here in no time.
Joyce, Clever thought on Dos Equis theme. Too bad Dan Naddor couldn't fit it in. I had to laugh about you tying up your granddaughter, but it is totally understandable. You just can't trust two year olds to stay where they are told. When my daughter was two or three years old, I had a halter and leash for her. She was a runner! It was invaluable in big parking lots and when we were mall shopping. Jimbo has us both easily beat with his tent stake and monkey story!
Carol and KQ, we usually get rattlesnakes in the spring when they like to come out on the roads, or anyplace else they can warm up in the sun. Later on in the summer, it gets too warm and they stay in the rocks where it is cooler. The one on the porch was young and stupid. It didn't have enough sense to have an escape route. It paid the ultimate price. That one was the closest to the house I've seen. I'd say GAH usually has to dispose of two or three a year. Usually he finds them in back of our tool shed. He always wears boots and gloves when he is working there.
This is "critter country", so we just have to be aware of the snakes, coyotes and scorpions. BTW, three or four coyotes were having a yodeling contest last night. It is kind of neat to hear them calling to each other....as long as Charley, the Schipperke is safe inside.
Dennis, LOL, why are we not surprised at your wayward youth story?
Another stellar piece of work from Mr. Naddor. 7 theme entries and all of them fun. Packing this amount of theme in a 15x puzzle tends to limit your fill possibilities. This never seems to daunt or hinder Dan. He still managed to come up with some very nice stuff. HAHAHA, ITSWAR, SEXED, HAYRIDE, THATSIT, SAPPY, THEROCK, WRITEUP, OAXACAN and MANXCAT.
Jazzbumpa- A lawyer gets his bill from the plumber and says " I'm a lawyer and I don't even make this kind of money!" The plumber says "When I was a lawyer I didn't either."
I've been back over 2 hours, but it took this long to have lunch, read the original blog properly and read all the posts thus far.
Southern Belle,
I think x-ers are the group also often referred to as "gen-X".
c.c.,
I definitely thought of you immediately with Xi'an too. My favorite clues today were for MOM and OAR. I'm always amazed by how many I don't even look at until I see what you say about them, NASA was one today.
PAX is Latin for peace.
Jazzbumpa,
I liked your take on Dennis acting like Solomon.
Luxor,
In French, five is cinq, oddly enough, no -ue added. But you're right the cinque has a French look to it.
KQ,
I too liked Ryan Reynolds as a guest last night. He was funny and entertaining, and not simply self-promoting like many guests. I hope he's on again.
Around here we also get hayrides at Halloween. When our kids were small, a neighbor with a hitched pair of Belgian horses used to take the kids around his field.
I also didn't know about KNEX, got it from perps. When I first started taking students to Europe in the 80's, I used to buy my own boys Lego toys over there because I never saw it here, and then it started appearing later on.
Jimbo,
I had an uncle who was on the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea with the Australian Army, and was released from service early with malaria he caught there.
Dennis,
Yes---January 9th, 1945--made the landing at "Lingayen Gulf", followed the troops past "Clark Air Base" on to Manila and up to Cabanatuan. Set up shop in an old rice mill just south of Cabanatuan. Our job was "Radio Repair".
Stayed there until Sept.4th
and left Manila to unload at Yokahama, Japan on Sept 13th.
Thats the thumbnail account of the Luzon Campaign.
Vaya con Dios
Dennis, We must have grown up in the same neighborhood in different Towns. We didn't have to pay to get in because it was at a neighbors house.
I needed that laugh because today was the last day of school and guess what........Both of my kids have shut down their brains already. ARRRG! Its going to be a long summer!
Its all good!
Luxor: When I was at Penn State in the 69 to 73 time frame we had a quad in the middle of the dorms in the East Halls area.
Joyce -
XXelect catch.
Jerome -
Einstein is supposed to have said, "If I had it all to do ever, I'd be a plumber." (Or something close.)
Best Einstein quote is: "Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."
Cheers!
Kazie,
Didn't run into any "Aussies" in New Guinea, but I also contacted malaria by trekking through jungle and wading in swamps. Didn't show up though until I was on the high seas heading for home.
I was in the infantry at that time. We were camped at "Aitape".
VCD
@C.C. I immediately thought of you last night when XIAN came up.
@luxor I think it's actually spelled thole, but you sure had the right idea. It's been in our puzzles before.
Jazzbumpa, I completely missed your Solomon comment. Just perfect.
Jimbo, I have a feeling there's a lot more to that story.
Jerome, great joke - hope you don't mind if I steal it - I've got a few lawyer friends.
Mainiac, better get used to the brain shutdown - it's in full force here too, judging from the kids that have been coming into the store.
Crockett, you're correct about 'thole'. Thule Co. makes great bike and ski racks.
Clearayes, just looking at that rattler freaks me out. I wouldn’t have been close enough to it to even take a picture. Once LGJ caught a gardener snake in the yard and chased good ‘ole Mom with it. He had no idea I could run that fast. His simple logic is “how can you put a worm on a hook?” “They are just smaller versions of snakes. “ Yeah, right.
Dennis, so you were one of those boys that would cop a feel. Since you were in the dark did you ever “cop a feel” of something else you didn’t mean to? Would have served you right.
Hi All:
With 4 kids and 14 grandkids, how did I ever miss the popular "K'nex" toys. Never heard of this brand-- Lego was financially supported by us.
Hayrides were almost always in mid to the end of October in Illinois. Early on, the wagon used country roads with a lantern in the back. A few horrendous accidents led to staying off the highway and on
farm land.
Thursday's puzzle was great and much easier than Wednesday's.
Dennis - ha ha; very funny.
KQ - thanx for the eye candy/beefcake. Made my afternoon more enjoyable.
Jerome - thanks for the laugh.
WM@10:51, At cruciverb.com, click on "Preferences" and then "Solve Preferences". Check 'Indicate incorrect letter immediately", click on OK and you'll have their "X" equivalent of red letters.
A last comment on rattlesnakes - by one of our favorites, Ogden Nash.
Experiment Degustatory
A gourmet once challenged me to eat
A tiny bit of rattlesnake meat.
Remarking, "don't look horror-stricken
You'll find it tastes a lot like chicken".
It did.
Now chicken I cannot eat
Because it tastes like rattlesnake meat.
Jerome, Jazzbumpa, Dennis, Some very funny stuff today.
JIMBO!!! Just read your posts and I have the perfect title for those memoirs I know you will write:
"Tied to a Stake With a Monkey For Company"
The title alone will sell thousands! Thank you, Jimbo, for all you went through for us so that we can do xws and blog and all the other things free people can do.
My Dad would always rather have gag gifts than real BD gifts...I once gave him a can of "Gen- U- wine Rattlesnake Meat", but his all time favorite was a can of "RoadKill!."
I`ve always said, if it tastes just like chicken, I`ll just have chicken, thank you very much!
Hi All,
Been sooo busy the last few days. Haven't had time to check in.
I only needed help on about 5 answers on today's puzzle, and only missed 2 yesterday.
Think it's time to write my local paper and bitch about how hard the new xword is. I do it right after the LAT and have been struggling.
KQ-my kids sell on Craigslist. My DIL meets up with folks at the neighborhood market. Unless it's a big item. Then she makes sure hubby is home. She feels safer not having people come to her house.
Jimbo-was reading your entry about the military. My dad joined the Navy in 1942 at age 16. He was in the South Pacific. Was involved in the battle at Peleliu. Still gives him nightmares.
Been goofing off long enough. Stuff to do.
Later
treefrog, what's the 'new puzzle'?
tarrajo, no, no mistaken genders. Our eyes would get accustomed to the dark to the point where we could see fairly well.
That was you??
This was a great puzzle. I loved all the X's. I was concerned at first that this was a Dan Naddor puzzle, but it was a lot of fun to solve.
I didn't know KNEX or XBOXGAMES. I knew what OAXACAN should be, but was unsure of the spelling. Those and SHAMIR were all completed by the fills.
Thank you, all for the entertaining by-play today. It's like sitting back and listening to my family when they are all together.
Jimbo, I love your new picture!
Have a good evening.
Sandbridgekaren,
maybe if she watches 'Pinocchio', Chastity might....
Elissa, thanks for the 'quad' explanation. Oh, by the way, nice legs, nice hat too!
Lux
Elissa, thanks for the 'quad' explanation. Oh, by the way, nice legs, nice hat too!
Lux
KittyB, you have a dysfunctional family??
KQ,
Thanks for the k-net info. Looks like they are/were quite popular.
Is that your graduation pic? what school?
Dennis, no that wasn't me, as I am thinking that would have been chronologically impossible. Probably a Denniswannabe though. Somehow I didn't mind the "grope." I think Littleguyjo might be heading that way too. It seems he and his "little girlfriend" have already played the "you show me yours and I'll show you mine" scenario. Sigh....
Just got back from soccer. LGJ got goal and two assists and they won 4-2. Gotta love a team player even though one assist was to his little girlfriend. Go figure...Hey, I did teach him a little chivalry goes a long way, but in her defense she is a good player.
tarrajo,
If you don't mind me asking, how old are the two playing doctor? I think I was 4 when I began practicing. Still doing it too!
:)
Luxor - I guess you are pretty darn good by now, aren't you????!!!!!! Feel free to brag.
Dennis-not sure of the puzzle in the Medford paper. It was Universal something, I think. I even checked my emails, but that one was permanently deleted. Just like the rest of the junk now!
Jimbo,
Re low BP. I had that problem 4 or 5 years ago, and had to have a pacemaker put it. It is a fairly simple operation; I was conscious throughout
They place the pacemaker just below the clavicle on the side away from your dominant arm. Your arm on that side is immobilized with a sling for a few days to make sure the electrical leads implant themselves in the heart chamber properly. After that, it's smooth sailing.
I go to the pacemaker clinic every three months for a checkup, which usually takes only ten minutes or so.
This is a late post. Found the puzzle to be easy for a Thursday, and very enjoyable. Thanks, Dan.
Luxor, they are eight going on nine. Funny story about you being four...I felt somewhat comfortable about leaving him alone during bath times with Mom peaking in every now and then. One night I walk in there to tell him he's had enough of a soak and find him pulling on "you know what." I asked LGJ what are you doing, and his answer..."It just feels good Mom." How do you answer that?
Dennis???
tarrajo, probably time for the "talk". It might help him understand his reaction to his 'girlfriend' being pushed down was more than just standing up for women. Oh, I shouldn't have put it quite that way. ;~)
Argyle, he was four when he noticed "pulling" on his penis felt good. I am sure it did, and I didn't admonish him for it. As far as the "talk" I am sure that can wait awhile. CAN'T IT? Am I the only one that played "show me yours and I'll show you mine" at age 8-9? Do I need to add another concern to my over-concerned mind?
LOIS...SOS, you had at least one son I know of.
Don't worry about it. By 11 he will probably know all about it anyway.
Yes, it's late--but I do want to
add some "snaky verse" learned in 6th grade---it's by Ogden Nash:
"The python has, and I fib no fibs;
318 pairs of ribs. In stating this, I place reliance;
On a seance with one who died for science.
This figure is sworn to, and attested;
He counted them while being digested."
This still makes me giggle, some thirty-odd years later; maybe I still have some of that sixth-grader's
love of wordplay due to
that teacher?
I promise to officially de-lurk soon, (meaning I'll no longer be just a cross "eyer"!)
Cheers,
PJ-(Chicago)
KQ, So sorry I didn't answer you earlier about linking personal photos. I use Picasa. I'm sure there are many other photo downloading/sharing sites. I'll repost this in the morning, in case you don't check the late evening posts. Sleep well, everyone.
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