Theme: Different Strokes
18A: *Dangerous snake of the Southwest: SIDEWINDER
24A: *Fortification about four feet high: BREASTWORK
39A: *Chaos theory principle: BUTTERFLY EFFECT
53A: *Road less traveled: BACK STREET
61A: *Area where electricians can't stand to work?: CRAWL SPACE
The BREASTWORK fortification is new to me. 61A is the only theme answer with a question mark.
Nice tie-in fills at the very beginning and the end of the grid:
1A: With 71-Across, extracurricular group concerned with the starts of the answers: SWIM
71A: See 1-Across: TEAM
And two more sets of cross-references in the grid:
43A: With 10-Down: "Collages" author: ANAIS
10D: See 43-Across: NIN
35D: See 55-Down: ELS
55D: With 35-Down, two-time U.S. Open winner: ERNIE
I got ERNIE ELS immediately. Struggled with ANAIS NIN. I only knew and read a few pages of her "Delta of Venus" (too erotic and exotic for my mind). We don't see those two full names and ESO BESO (21D: Paul Anka love song with a Spanish title) in the grid often. Refreshing!
Neat pangram as well, all the 26 letters are used.
Across:
9A: Split up: END IT. And DIVVY (16A: Split (up) & FLEE (51A: Split). I totally dig these "split" clues. Awesome!
14A: "Voilà!" relative: TADA
15A: What, in Tours: QUOI. Tours is French city. On the Loire River.
17A: "Terrible" tsar: IVAN. OK, IVAN the Terrible. Peter the Great. Dennis the Menace.
20A: Surreal: EERIE
22A: Home run pace: TROT. The best feeling in the world is probably the incredible high baseball players experience immediately after they hit a home run. Then the lazy TROT.
27A: Swear: CUSS
28A: Silver salmon: COHO
29A: Altair, for one: A STAR. The bright star in constellation Aquila. V-8 moment for me.
31A: CD players: DJS. My favorite clue.
36A: Arm bones: ULNAE
44A: Shore pounder: SURF. Thought of WAVE.
45A: Stutz contemporary: REO. Learned about Stutz from doing Xword.
46A: Rub it in: GLOAT. Are they really exchangeable?
49A: For men and women, in a way: COED
58A: Awed response: OOH. My awed response is always "WOW".
59A: __ -McGee, energy company that employed Karen Silkwood: KERR. Know the company, not Karen Silkwood.
60A: Tennis opening: SERVE. Wimbledon: strawberry & cream & Roger Federer.
65A: Have __: know someone: AN IN
66A: Warbuck's favorite: ANNIE. "The sun'll come out, Tomorrow..."
67A: Reptilian logo brand, once: IZOD. What does IZOD mean?
68A: Copier company: MITA
69A: Projecting shelf: LEDGE. Window LEDGE I suppose.
70A: Scriptural passage: TEXT
Down:
1D: '80s-'90s Toronto pitcher Dave: STIEB. Uh oh, I've never heard of this pitcher. Wiki says he was a seven-time All-Star and his autobiography was titled "Tomorrow I'll Be Perfect". How would you title yours?
2D: Vacillate: WAVER
4D: Stark raving type: MANIAC
5D: Mensa concerns: IQS. Mensa means "stupid" in Spanish.
6D: Rapa __: Easter Island: NUI. Nailed it this time.
7D: Bob one's head at: NOD TO
8D: Mountain chain: SIERRA
9D: Rewrite, maybe: EDIT. Or "Emulate Rich Norris".
11D: CPU drive: DVD BURNER. Had difficulty obtaining the answer.
12D: "Riverdance" fiddler Eileen: IVERS. She is foreign to me. That's a very rare surname, isn't it?
13D: Novices: TYROS. Also TIROS.
19D: Chinese cookware: WOKS
26D: Fairy tale meany: WOLF. From the "Little Red Riding Hood".
27D: Pasture arrival: CALF. "Arrival" stymied me. I need "newborn".
30D: Low stools: TUFFETS
31D: Corp. alias letters: DBA (Doing Business As). I forgot. It's clued as "AKA's commerce cousin" in our old puzzle once.
32D: Flag Day mo.: JUN
33D: Theater worker: STAGEHAND. So simple in retrospect.
37D: Snoopy, in his WWI fantasies: ACE. Love the clue.
40D: Mah-jongg piece: TILE. My neighbors in Guangzhou used to drive me nuts by playing mah-jongg in the evenings.
42D: Fertility god: EROS. Thought of ISIS, who is an Egyptian fertility goddess. I couldn't even tell a he from a she, for Pete's sake.
48D: La Brea attraction: TAR PIT. Nice to see La Brea as clue rather than answer.
50D: Imagined: DREAMT. We had discussions about DREAMT being the only English word ending in mt.
51D: The "f" in f-stop: FOCAL
52D: "SNL" producer Michaels: LORNE
56D: "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" singer: EVITA. Hmmm, shouldn't it be Governor Sanford? Romantic, impossible, forbidden love!
57D: Common break hr.: TEN AM
59D: Kandinsky friend: KLEE (Paul). I am not familiar with the Russian painter Kandinsky, who is credited with painting the first modern abstract works, according to Wiki. He and his buddy KLEE both taught at Bauhaus (Germany), which is perhaps most famous for having our crossword stalwart Mies van der Rohe as their director of architecture in 1930's.
63D: "Friends" costar Courteney: COX. She played Monica.
Answer grid.
C.C.
18A: *Dangerous snake of the Southwest: SIDEWINDER
24A: *Fortification about four feet high: BREASTWORK
39A: *Chaos theory principle: BUTTERFLY EFFECT
53A: *Road less traveled: BACK STREET
61A: *Area where electricians can't stand to work?: CRAWL SPACE
The BREASTWORK fortification is new to me. 61A is the only theme answer with a question mark.
Nice tie-in fills at the very beginning and the end of the grid:
1A: With 71-Across, extracurricular group concerned with the starts of the answers: SWIM
71A: See 1-Across: TEAM
And two more sets of cross-references in the grid:
43A: With 10-Down: "Collages" author: ANAIS
10D: See 43-Across: NIN
35D: See 55-Down: ELS
55D: With 35-Down, two-time U.S. Open winner: ERNIE
I got ERNIE ELS immediately. Struggled with ANAIS NIN. I only knew and read a few pages of her "Delta of Venus" (too erotic and exotic for my mind). We don't see those two full names and ESO BESO (21D: Paul Anka love song with a Spanish title) in the grid often. Refreshing!
Neat pangram as well, all the 26 letters are used.
Across:
9A: Split up: END IT. And DIVVY (16A: Split (up) & FLEE (51A: Split). I totally dig these "split" clues. Awesome!
14A: "Voilà!" relative: TADA
15A: What, in Tours: QUOI. Tours is French city. On the Loire River.
17A: "Terrible" tsar: IVAN. OK, IVAN the Terrible. Peter the Great. Dennis the Menace.
20A: Surreal: EERIE
22A: Home run pace: TROT. The best feeling in the world is probably the incredible high baseball players experience immediately after they hit a home run. Then the lazy TROT.
27A: Swear: CUSS
28A: Silver salmon: COHO
29A: Altair, for one: A STAR. The bright star in constellation Aquila. V-8 moment for me.
31A: CD players: DJS. My favorite clue.
36A: Arm bones: ULNAE
44A: Shore pounder: SURF. Thought of WAVE.
45A: Stutz contemporary: REO. Learned about Stutz from doing Xword.
46A: Rub it in: GLOAT. Are they really exchangeable?
49A: For men and women, in a way: COED
58A: Awed response: OOH. My awed response is always "WOW".
59A: __ -McGee, energy company that employed Karen Silkwood: KERR. Know the company, not Karen Silkwood.
60A: Tennis opening: SERVE. Wimbledon: strawberry & cream & Roger Federer.
65A: Have __: know someone: AN IN
66A: Warbuck's favorite: ANNIE. "The sun'll come out, Tomorrow..."
67A: Reptilian logo brand, once: IZOD. What does IZOD mean?
68A: Copier company: MITA
69A: Projecting shelf: LEDGE. Window LEDGE I suppose.
70A: Scriptural passage: TEXT
Down:
1D: '80s-'90s Toronto pitcher Dave: STIEB. Uh oh, I've never heard of this pitcher. Wiki says he was a seven-time All-Star and his autobiography was titled "Tomorrow I'll Be Perfect". How would you title yours?
2D: Vacillate: WAVER
4D: Stark raving type: MANIAC
5D: Mensa concerns: IQS. Mensa means "stupid" in Spanish.
6D: Rapa __: Easter Island: NUI. Nailed it this time.
7D: Bob one's head at: NOD TO
8D: Mountain chain: SIERRA
9D: Rewrite, maybe: EDIT. Or "Emulate Rich Norris".
11D: CPU drive: DVD BURNER. Had difficulty obtaining the answer.
12D: "Riverdance" fiddler Eileen: IVERS. She is foreign to me. That's a very rare surname, isn't it?
13D: Novices: TYROS. Also TIROS.
19D: Chinese cookware: WOKS
26D: Fairy tale meany: WOLF. From the "Little Red Riding Hood".
27D: Pasture arrival: CALF. "Arrival" stymied me. I need "newborn".
30D: Low stools: TUFFETS
31D: Corp. alias letters: DBA (Doing Business As). I forgot. It's clued as "AKA's commerce cousin" in our old puzzle once.
32D: Flag Day mo.: JUN
33D: Theater worker: STAGEHAND. So simple in retrospect.
37D: Snoopy, in his WWI fantasies: ACE. Love the clue.
40D: Mah-jongg piece: TILE. My neighbors in Guangzhou used to drive me nuts by playing mah-jongg in the evenings.
42D: Fertility god: EROS. Thought of ISIS, who is an Egyptian fertility goddess. I couldn't even tell a he from a she, for Pete's sake.
48D: La Brea attraction: TAR PIT. Nice to see La Brea as clue rather than answer.
50D: Imagined: DREAMT. We had discussions about DREAMT being the only English word ending in mt.
51D: The "f" in f-stop: FOCAL
52D: "SNL" producer Michaels: LORNE
56D: "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" singer: EVITA. Hmmm, shouldn't it be Governor Sanford? Romantic, impossible, forbidden love!
57D: Common break hr.: TEN AM
59D: Kandinsky friend: KLEE (Paul). I am not familiar with the Russian painter Kandinsky, who is credited with painting the first modern abstract works, according to Wiki. He and his buddy KLEE both taught at Bauhaus (Germany), which is perhaps most famous for having our crossword stalwart Mies van der Rohe as their director of architecture in 1930's.
63D: "Friends" costar Courteney: COX. She played Monica.
Answer grid.
C.C.
86 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - a very interesting and challenging puzzle today. I liked having the tip-off for the theme at the beginning for a change.
Needed perp help with several, including Eileen Ivers, 'butterfly effect' 'altair's classification' and a couple others. Couldn't for the life of me remember Paul Anka's song. All in all, I really enjoyed this one, and a pangram to boot.
Today is Log Cabin Day, and National Catfish Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "To be astonished is one of the surest ways of not growing old too quickly." -- Writer Colette
Fun Facts for today:
- An experiment in Canada determined that chickens lay more eggs when pop music is played.
- It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body.
Dennis,
Yes, indeed, SWIM & TEAM, nice bookends to the puzzle. Someone mentioned BUTTERFLY EFFECT on the blog before. LAT website clue for A STAR is "Altair, for one". I bet chicken won't lay many eggs when operas are played.
Al,
Wow, I was surprised as JD was, NRA was not even listed in the Top Ten Lobbying Group.
Kazie et al,
Thanks for JAMB and other answers.
Good morning C.C. and all,..a nice challenging puzzle today. I managed to complete all of the fills, but needed a lot of perp help.
I remember the Kerr-McGee/Karen Silkworm case from the 70's. It was never confirmed if she was intentionally forced off the road or really fell asleep at the wheel. I have always favored the theory that she was killed to shut her up.
I immediately put ogre for 26D which stalled me in that area for awhile. Overall I really liked the puzzle as it was difficult, but doable with some thought.
Hope you all have a great Thursday. I must finish the last 1-1/2 acres of mowing this am.
Will have to do the puzzle later if I have time, but wanted to thank everyone for their well wishes to my son yesterday. After a long sleep, he seemed fine yesterday afternoon. Lots of talk about what happened. Unfortunately, it hasn't stopped his determination for another midnight movie at a future date. He just said he needs to be closer to home, and eat and drink during the movie. Alas.
Chickie, the first thing the police thought of was a diabetic reaction. Blood sugar was normal, but thanks for the suggestion.
Kazie, no he did not pull over. He was entering the highway on a ramp. He has a stick shift, and I think the car killed as he passed out and didn't put any pressure on the gas. He remembers very little of the incident.
Tarrajo, best to you with the neighbor. Neighbors can be a godsend or really tough as you are experiencing. Unfortunately, I doubt that Mom will gain anything from suggestions you make to her. She seems to have her mind set on her little boy being an angel.
Hope to do the puzzle later on. Busy day ahead. To San Diego to move hubby in to the apartment tomorrow.
Good Morning,
Definitely a challenge for me. The NW corner drove me on line to see red. No TADA feeling when I finally got ENDIT and DIVVY. Uhg! I did enjoy it. Favorite clue was Stark Raving Type of course.
I am amazed that it only takes 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the body. How could anything clog up with that type of circulation?
Have a great day!
Morning, folks!
A mostly straightforward puzzle for me this morning except for two spots where I got bogged down. The first was the crossing of STIEB and EERIE. I had never heard of STIEB and I looked at _ERIE for an embarrassingly long time before it clicked. But click it eventually did!
The other, worse, spot was the crossing of KERR with KLEE. I've heard of KLEE, vaguely, but the clue didn't help. And I've NEVER heard of KERR-McGee. I finally guessed the K simply because I had heard the name KLEE before.
Other than that, I think IVERS was the only total unknown, and I got it easily enough from the perps.
Overall, a fine puzzle with a good theme and a minimum of crappy fill. The only answer that made me wrinkle my nose a bit was ASTAR.
Great puzzle today, didn't have to 'log' too much time. 2 days in a row without G help, but enough head scratching to make it fun.
I went to school with Courteney Cox, so it was good to see her make the CW! She was called CeCe growing up and I just learned that she has her own lipstick 'Cece'. I find it strange that so many celebrities have cosmetic and hygiene products named after them.
Great WOW today! My mother taught me to appreciate all the wonders that God has given us on a daily basis.
Tarrajo: Is the bully's mother a single mom by any chance? If so, it's interesting to see the contrast in the way each of you is raising their son. I think Brady will grow up to be an outstanding young man. A real tribute to you.
I enjoyed today's puzzle. Not too easy but not too hard either. The only totally unknowns for me were "Kerr" McGee & Kandinsky friend "Klee". A lot just worked themselves out from perps. I did have 2 wrong, I found out after reading C C's post. I had ID's for Mensa concerns & didn't know Rapa ???. I had N?I so I just stuck an R in there. Thought Droi sounded like a good French word....lol. I got the theme early on when I filled in CRAWLspace & BACKstreet.
Good Morning, all!
KQ, safe travels. I hope the set up of the new apartment goes smoothly.
Dennis, I think that some of my blood cells may need a boost to circulate in 20 seconds! *G*
I finished the puzzle without resorting to Google. I didn't know STIEB, IVERS, ERNIE ELS, COX or MITA, but they all came as I worked the fills.
I didn't care for A STAR as the answer for "Altair for one."
My favorite clue and answer was 'Area where electricians can't stand to work:' CRAWLSPACE. I started out thinking that it would have something to do with water.
KERR-McGee has four Super fund sites in West Chicago/Du Page county, Illinois. They had a devastating effect on that small town.
As usual, I needed to come to your blog, C.C., to learn the theme of the puzzle. I'm 'astonished' at the number of theme entries, and the fact that it's a pangram as well.
Today is the quietest day of my week. I have office work this morning, but I hope to dabble in fabric this afternoon. I'm working on an old fashioned four patch scrap quilt.
A good day to you all!
CC and friends:
It was great fun to see a blog name in the puzzle! Favorite clue: "Voilà" relative...
Had to google the fiddler, the author and the pitcher...a bit more challenging for me.
Tarrojo: The very best way to raise a child is on your knees...I know that from bitter experience...
Dennis: Do fertility clinics know about the pop music?
BTW: Erin Brockovich is "pitching" a law firm now. "How the mighty have fallen."
About the NRA: All many people know about them is what they hear from the "alphabet networks." How many of us know they also have an agenda.
KQ: Nothing ever showed/shows up in the blood work for my relatives who "pass out", either...but they`ve learned to eat at least every four hours...and then, protein. So many "what if`s" in the scenario...I`m thankful for each of them!
Lemonade714: "Hain`t cha got them youngins hitched up yet?"
Just out of curiosity, how many of you (guys, imagine the reverse gender situation), would take Gov. Mark Sandford back after he publicly announced his affair?
I also wonder if announcing an affair, or letting it "slip" that you have a mistress, is a man's way of intentionally short-circuiting a campaign, when you decide you are in over your head, or you've changed your mind. Would being known for cheating on your wife be easier to bear than simply withdrawing from a run for a high elected office??
Sorry, C.C. I know this is not c/w related, but he was mentioned today, and has been on my mind.
I thoroughly admire those who did no g'ing today. I hit it for STUTZ, and still don't have a clue--is it a brand or model of car? I assume REO is a model?
I got the theme after a few of them were there, and that helped with BUTTERFLY and BACK. I knew none of the people except ANNIE and KLEE, and took a wild guess at the others. I wanted Madonna for EVITA, but of course it didn't fit and I finally got that one.
I had no clue about the CPU thing, and started with DVD RUNNER, then TURNER, having no luck with the 23A pal clue or TYRO, which I now realize we've had before, but I have never heard the term other than here.
BALE took me a lot longer than it should have. I don't know what the song title means and I had MIO at the beginning until EERIE hit me. BESO is kiss, isn't it? I also know nothing of Mah Jong, thought of tile at first and then didn't use it until much later because I had FLED for FLEE. Also had to guess KERR and TARPIT. Why is La Brea famous enough to make it into CWs? A tar pit isn't too interesting, is it?
Altogether a disaster!
Another WoW for today--another take on little Josh, perhaps?--Looking for love?
If you wish to be loved, show more of your faults than your virtues. -Edward Bulwer-Lytton, author (1803-1873)
Kazie: Those tarpits were/are dinosour fossil-find sites...tarpits are around oil reserves, often...and oil reserves are often rife :) with dinosaur findings...that`s why these tarpits have an upper-case name...
I must be greatly loved, judging by the quote...I blab my faults all the time!
I’m with you Kazie, I had trouble all over the place. I had to hit the g-spot for Stieb, Anais Nin, and Kandinsky/Klee. I have never heard the word “tyros” for novice, and don’t understand at all the clue , the
“f” in f-stop-focal. Can someone explain that to me? I got nur and ivers from the perps. I liked seeing tuffet; Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet. My favorite clues were “pasture arrival”-calf and “home run pace”-trot. IZOD shirts were the thing to have when I grew up. The good thing about having a twin is you had double the wardrobe! We still borrow from each other if we need something to wear on a special occasion.
Danabw, she is a divorced mom. Josh’s dad gets him every other weekend and I don’t even know him so am not sure how much guidance he is getting from his dad.
KQ, I know you live in MN…I can’t remember now why your husband is in need of an apartment in San Diego. I am glad your son is back to himself.
KittyB your quilts are beautiful. Do you hand stitch them all?
Dennis good fun facts today. I wonder how those chickens would produce to heavy metal?
What a great puzzle. I can say that because of red letter help. I thought it would be impossible, but one perp led to another… it was fun, and took a little over 20 minutes, which is phenomenal for me.
It must be all the positive energy generated by all the birthday greetings yesterday. Thanks again.
I initially felt a little frustrated at the split cluing -- split and split up, Anais Nin and Ernie Els, not to mention swim team, which was great; but when I discovered they were not obscure words or names, I had fun with it. A most excellent puzzle. John Lampkin, I look forward to your next puzzle.
TADA! Went pretty quick today. I got the theme right away,that's a shock! Had wave for surf, slowed me down for a sec. Needed perps for Collages author and the Riverdance clue. Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet!! I liked that one.
Catfish Day huh? Guess I know what's for dinner tonight. One of the few fish I will eat. Trout is another. I really don't like Salmon.
Dennis-no ice cave shrinkage. Small cave lined with straw. Shouldn't metion the melting ice:}
KQ-glad your son is ok. Cops brought our youngest home once. He and a friend snuck out and the friend got caught with his hand up inside a pop machine. Of course as far as his mom was concerned it was our son's fault. They were 14 or 15. Scared the crap out of them!!
JD-the first time I met my father in law was when we went to pick him up at the airport. Yep, I had on a mini skirt. He wondered where the h his son picked me up! We had a great laugh over that at our 25th anniversary. Going on 42 years now.
Cloudy today. Hope it doesn't rain. Had 5 new windows installed and we haven't started the outside trim yet. That's a weekend projedt.
Have a great day all.
Hi C.C. & gang, a little harder puzzle (as expected) for Thursday, I think we finished ~1/2 of it before my wife had to leave. She remembered the butterfly effect, that was a term used in the 1st Jurassic Park movie.
RE: Stutz? I had forgotten about the Stutz Bearcat car but my wife remembered 'stutz' and I remembered the 'bearcat' part. I saw this car in a museum in Rhode Island several years ago.
For @Tarrajo, an F stop
"the f-number is the focal length...
The new picture is my husband Tim and me in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, getting ready to bargain for a gift for my mother-in-law.
This puzzle completely flummoxed me. Needed lots of red letter help.
Lots to do today. No time to read the comments now. See you later.
I enjoyed the puzzle once I got over my fear of proper names. The only one I had to "G" was Ivers.
I too enjoyed the theme. The placement of swim team in opposite corners was fun to see.
Kazie: Eso beso is not proper usage, but I think they liked it because it rhymes. That kiss should be ese beso. Oh well, artistic license and all. Hmm!
Hast luego!
Good morning CC et al., online puzzle working was a godsend today. Love the theme - and to swim - but the clues were tough. Tyros? new word and 44D Shore pounder was an eyebrow raiser - sent me thinking of Dinah Shore... hmmmm. It's 'eerie' how a lot of this puzzle is my itinerary and life out here: 69A ledge took me to the 40 ft jumps into Quannah Parker Lake in the mtns Tues. Loads of fun and 'I dare'ya (3D) was our mantra. 66A Annie had me w/Annie Oakley sharp shooting-
skeet for me though... and 'bale's of hay are everywhere. Just glad I don't have to collect them. 18A is certainly a concern here. Sidewinders aren't the typical rattler out here but we're always on alert. Today we will 'trot' and run full gallop over the plains but before we 'flee' we will 'end it' w/a campfire where we will 'serve' buffalo burgers. Fun times.
Hated to see the ref to Kerr-McGee, who was in OK w/Karen Silkwood. Tragic beyond words. Like Dick, I remember it very well.
Just trying to catch up on the events:
KQ: scarey about your son. Glad he's safe and ok. Wish you all well. Good luck w/the move too.
Tarrajo: geeze! LGJ (Brady) is a great kid. danabw said it perfectly..it's a tribute to you.
Off to saddle up and I'll bet 20 secs for my blood cells to circulate once is going to be equivalent to a snail's pace today. Enjoy this gorgeous, glorious day.
Linda,
Thanks for the tarpits info--that makes sense, since oil is the result of vegetation remains, and dinos would have been around their food source.
Warren,
Thanks for Stutz--probably more than I needed, but puts it nicely into context.
Forgot: BarbB: Happy belated birthday. I wish you many, many more. I will toast to you today... many, many times.
Good Morning All, Another fine Thursday puzzle. It took a while to dig in, particularly when STIEB was a complete unknown. IVERS was also new and I'd never heard of ESO BESO.
A little learning is a dangerous thing. I had QUEL instead of QUOI for quite a while. That made the top section impossible until the end.
KERR was OK. I'd seen the movie Silkwood years ago and it led me to read a book about her. When I was younger, I didn't believe in conspiracies like that, but now I'm not so sure.
BTW, since when is June abbreviated at all, much less as JUN? That's like saying the abbreviation for May is MA. According to Yale University and other sites May, June and July are not abbreviated.
KittyB et al, I have no sympathy for men or women who cheat on their spouses. Tired or bored with being married? Get a divorce! Whether it is Sanford or Clinton makes no difference. It is a disappointment and I can't help but think less of them. Would I forgive him? I might stay married, for a variety of reasons, but I'd never have the same respect and trust.
Hi, The alligator logo belongs to
LACOSTE. It became associated with
IZOD when they were marketing partners. IZOD is a sponcer of the IRL.
So, in doing a vanity search on my cwp, I just found this blog. Wish I'd seen it Tuesday.
I wanted to let you know I've taken "Nitery" out of my word list, and to belatedly say thanks for the candid feedback.
Sorry for the OT interruption, we now return to regular programming ...
Just saw on CNN that Farrah Fawcett died. Hers was a valiant and inspirational fight.
Gary, good of you to stop in. I think you saw, from the Tuesday blog, that we were all impressed with your puzzle, and look forward to more from you. C.C. hasn't gotten you into the interview booth yet, huh?
Good morning CC and all,
I so enjoyed the c/w today even though I left a few holes, like the D in DJs/DBA, and the O in ETO/REO. I had no clue about tyros, anin, mita or kerr.I used the dictionary to look up altair.
Paul Klee's art looks very similar to Picasso's when he was experimenting with cubism.Both are colorful and strangely interesting.
The snoopy clue was my favorite, but I loved swim/team,Anais/Nin and Ernie/Els.What a coincidence for wig to show up.
Warren, thanks for info on F-stops, very enLIGHTening. The diagram helped.
Linda, the NRA web site does not have a mission statement, but it does tell us where to send $.I believe that they are defending the 2nd ammendment and promoting fire arms. Since they are non profit, they fall under different laws, and would not show up on the lobby list, but in reality they paid 10 m. to defeat Obama.
Sadly, Farrah Fawcett just passed away this morning. Boy! She was a fighter.
tarrajo: F-stop is a setting on a camera. I believe, if I remember correctly, it is used for exposure time. It's been a looonnng time since I used that type of camera. Everything is digital now.
Reliving History:
1630-The fork was introduced, thus giving us tines
1835- First building constructed in Yerba Buena, now San Francisco
1876- Custer & 7th Cavalry were wiped out at Little Big Horn by the Sioux and Cheyenne
1950- The Korean Conflict began. N. Korea invaded S. Korea
1951- !st TV broadcast in color by Arthur Godfrey, from NY to 4 cities
1956- 51 died in the collision of the Andrea Doria and Stockholm
1969- Longest tennis match in Wimbeldon history, 5hrs.12 min, 112 games!Gonzales beat Pasarell.
Gotta get to the gardening before it's too hot.
Well, Ok...a terrifically fun puzzle with lots of clever clues and I actually knew everyone except IVERS and STIEB which filled in from perps. Loved the theme even though I often have problems with clues cross referencing each other. Thanks to C.C I remembered ERNIE ELS, knew Heinrich KLEE, ANAIS NIN. IVAN was a gimme.
Loved the DJS Clue and got BUTTERFLY EFFECT with no problem...also loved the Snoopy clue...see...I just had fun with this puzzle all the way around.
Gary...I may have been the only person who didn't object to nitery and it did make sense...but that was another fun puzzle. Look forward to an interview and future puzzles.
Also thought it was funny that once again, there was an answer from yesterday's discussion...WIG. And always fun to see your name in a puzzle and even one for WH...BALE...
Tarrajo...have you considered talking with other meighbors to see if they are having trouble with the same kid? Maybe you could all get together to talk with the mom. She is most likely overcompensating for the father being out of the picture and the boy is probably playing both parents off each other...just a thought.
Fun thing for today...tomorrow one of the local papers is coming to interview me and take photos in my studio...the downside is that I am hugely unphotogenic...BLEH :oP
Dennis...that is really sad about Farah...she was such an icon in her Chalie's Angel's days and I am sure that many of us sported her trademark shaggy hair cut... :o(
Oops...Charlie's Angels...
#2
Hi C.C.
If this is right it turns out that there's a very long history associated with IZOD
In the early 1900s, Vin Draddy, an American businessman started a men's apparel business and needed a strong name to associate with his quality merchandise. Vacationing in London, England, he encountered Jack Izod's tailor shop. Jack, a well-respected tailor who made custom shirts for King George V and other royalty, was ready to retire and accepted Vin's offer to purchase the rights to his distinctive name.
Hey, Gang -
The resident nit-picky complainer checks in to say this puzzle is close to being perfect. Really tight, well-handled theme and even a pangram. Plus a 15 letter cross. Wow!
I would GLOAT, but, I had ULNAS for 36A, making 38D ETO. ETO or STO - I don't get it, and G-spotting didn't help. Can somebody explain this?
ANAIS came slowly, which is a shame, since I liked "Little Birds."
I could quibble about some of the clues, but don't have it in me today.
REO are the initials of Ranson Olds. He also founded Oldsmobile. (RIP)
This morning's blue skies are now partly cloudy. Storms are in the forcast. If we get to play tonight, one of the selections is THE SOUTHERN BEAUTY MARCH, which I'm dedicating to Southern Bell, Lois, and any of our other fair solvers who reside So. of the Mason-Dixon line.
Dennis -
Sometimes I'm astonished at how old I am.
Cheers!
Jazzbumpa, it's 'ulnae', giving 'ETO', or European Theater of Operations.
In "honor" of Gen. Custer:
"Listen Mr. Custer, I donwannago..
Please, Mr. Custer,
Please don`t make me go.
I had a dream last night
About an Indian fight.
Somebody yelled `attack`
And there I stood with a arrrah in my back
Please Mr.Custer, please don`t make me go
Listen Mr. Custer, please don`t make me go
There`s a redskin awaitin` out there
Fixin` to take my hair.
A coward I been called
But I don`t wanna wind up daid or bald
Please don`t make me go
look at em all out air...running around like a bunch a wild Indians!"
(Apologies to Larry Verne and Fred Darrian)
I did some more research and found this one: izod-vs-lacoste
This one is more believable
1930's vs the 1900's is 30 years apart.
Hello Everyone-Looked at the puzzle and decided I couldn't possibly do this one, then ended up loving the split clues 9,16, and 51 A, and the split clues, 1A,35D,and 43 A. However, I did have to Google the Butterfly effect, and Klee, Kerr crossing. These were unknowns.
I thought Pasture Arrival for calf was a fun clue.
C.C. A ledge could also refer to a projecting shelf on the face of a cliff. Mountain climbers must negotiate ledges during their climbs and they present a challege at times.
WM: I've seen your picture and I don't think you'll have any trouble with the photogenic part of your interview.
Chickie
11:58 today. I was stumped for a good long while coming up with END IT and DIVVY (not knowing IVERS at all, and DVD BURNER doesn't seem to be correct for 11d: CPU drive. A DVD drive has nothing whatsoever to do with the CPU in a computer.) Is Eileen IVERS a well-known person?
I will say that solving this kind of puzzle online tends to be slow. I hate it when you have to jump all over the puzzle to find stuff like 10d: See 43-Across. I know some people don't mind that kind of cross-referenced cluing, but I'm definitely not one of them. To me it's just annoying.
For those complaining about 29a: Altair, for one, perhaps you're not noticing that an A STAR (alpha star) is a very specific thing. It's the brightest star in a constellation, not just any old star (or even, in this case, any old star whose name starts with the letter A).
@c.c.: Wiki says he was a seven-time All-Star and his autobiography was titled "Tomorrow I'll Be Perfect". How would you title yours?
I Was Pretty Good (If Not Perfect) Yesterday
Nice to see Gary Lowe, our constructor from Tuesday's puzzle, checking in here. He posted to the other LA Times crossword blog the other day. Welcome, Gary!
John Lampkin must be a seer. As C.C. pointed out, we not only have Argentina in a clue but S.C. (South Carolina) as well! By the way, this self-righteous buffon, Sanford, as a congressman voted to impeach Clinton on a "morals issue".
La Brea Tarpits is a horribly awkward name. In Spanish La Brea means "the tar". So, we've got "The Tar Tarpits".
A tip o' the hat to the Sioux and Cheyenne for a job well done!
Jerome, there was a great headline today in our (Philly) daily tabloid regarding Sanford:
"From Appalachian Trail to Argentine Tail"
Linda @12;59 LOL! No need to apologize . Can you believe that this was a hit?
WM, you will do great!
for @embien re:DVD burner for CPU drive?
I'd look at it this way, CPU is the brains of a PC so a PC drive could be any type of interface connected to it?
Just my 2 cents worth
;-)
Dennis- That's hilarious! Yellow Journalism at its finest!
Finally was able to get to the puzzle today. Quite a few unknowns, but was able to solve via perps and a couple good guesses anyway. Seemed like a typical Thursday level puzzle to me.
Did anyone else notice C.C.'s examples from the 17A explantion? For some reason this list really made me laugh:
Ivan the Terrible
Peter the Great
Dennis the Menace
Two extremes and then one not so much, or two leaders and an annoying neighbor kid, or two Russians and a Marine...(no offense meant to the service your holiness...)
What could you add to the list?
Smokey the Bear (just grumpy)
Haggar the Horrible (comic relief)
Google the useless tool. Betcha can't search to get a list of names or titles with "the" in the middle...
Al, Jesse "The Body" Ventura.
Clear Aye's Ethelred the Unready.
Hi @Al,
try this URL:
wiki
found it using Google.
Alexander The Great.
Ivan The Terrible.
Catherine The Great.
Ethelred The Unready.
Charles The Bald.
Henry the 8th
;-)
@Warren, how did you manage that? Google usually removes common words from your searches...
Did finally get to do the puzzle. I liked the theme, but struggled with some parts. I wanted FREE rather than CRAWL, so it took me a while to get that clue. All three of my kids have done or still do swim team, so it all should have been a gimme for me, but still wasn't. Favorite clue was CD players also.
Didn't like June being abbreviated at all, and I agree with Embien that CPU Drive is not a DVD BURNER. You could say a computer drive, but the CPU is the Central Processing Unit, and is too specific to include a DVD burner. I noticed no comments on MITA today. I guess we all learned that one from a month or so ago.
WM, hope the interview went great today. I wish I could see it.
Tarrajo, hubby is going to work there half time. This should make the commute easier for him, and hopefully a spot to travel in the cold winter for all of us.
I am guessing I will be gone till Monday. Have a good weekend everyone.
CNN's reporting Michael Jackson suffered 'cardiac arrest' - nothing further.
Hi C.C and all,
Tough one today. I agree with Embien , I do not like the cross-referenced cluing.
I print out the c/w as It is the easiest way for me.
Dennis re: the tabloid.. LOL
Jerome re: Stanford..what a jerk, one should not toss stones eh!!
Watching CNN
Michale Jackson in hospital, maybe heart attack.
Not good news out of LA today.
Best,
Geri
Good afternoon, everyone!
When entering dates into my genealogy database, I enter date, abbreviated three letter month, year, so today would be 25 JUN 2009. It's a standardization that leaves little room for error, as long as the person using the information knows the English names for the months.
Crockett...seriously awesome photo!
Elissa...yours too.
Linda...loved the Custer poem. I believe that the lone survivor was a horse...needless to say, Custer was a jerk...well-documented historically...too bad he took so many down with him.
KQ...they have an online version of the newspaper...if the story is there, I will post a link next week.
Thanks.
Really hard to type with a kitten stretched out between me and the keyboard...
#3
good afternoon c.c. and all,
this was one of those times i thought thought it would be more difficult than it was.
just heard that michael jackson died ... can anyone confirm that?
confirmed by cnn .. two icons in one day. crazy.
I'm with embien on the CPU drive clue and especially on cross-referenced clues. I do the puzzle on a very small screen portable computer and it is really annoying to have to pop between the clues.
Jerome: Funny about La Brea Tarpits. There is a road that runs through California - El Camino Real. I often hear people refer to it as "the El Camino" (the the street).
Another thing about La Brea Tarpits that makes them noteworthy is that they are located in the middle of a big city - Los Angeles.
Very sad about Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Who will make three? Ed McMahon?
Sanford is quite the hypocrite. Raise your hand if you thought he was hiking the Appalacian Trail and were surprised that it ended up being an assignation.
To add to what Elissa said...we have a bit of trouble with the Spanish word usuage here in Calif becuase we are so used to place names we don't always do the translation...on the Stanford campus there is a small lake that dries out where they used to hold the yearly bonfire called LAKE LAGUNITA(S) which literally translates into Lake Little Lake...
I also think it is sad about Farrah and Michael Jackson, especially as the MJ thing just pushed Farrah off the front page. His death is now more spectacular in its unexpectedness. He had apparently been rehearsing for concerts in the UK, which were all sold out...now THAT has to be a headache for the promoters...
Just a bizarre day...
I think what is going to can Sanford is his hypocrisy...let's hear it for those Family Value guys...don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk.
C.C. your governor is looking better and better for 2012...especially since he isn't running for Gov. again.
tarrajo, I have always used a sewing machine to piece my quilt tops. I know how to hand piece but I simply don't have enough time left to make quilts that way. When I began quilting, I hand quilted everything, and stuck my nose up at those who machine quilted. Now, I'm contemplating the purchase of a long-arm quilting machine for hand guided quilting. I have quilted small quilts on my sewing machine, but the larger ones are just too much material to deal with for that style of quilting. Thanks for your interest.
Clear Ayes, I realize that there is no "one size fits all" response to cheating on your spouse. I also understand that there could be many reasons why a couple might chose to remain together once the infidelity is in the open. But, like you, I doubt I would be able to rebuild the trust that was broken. I'd find it tough to forgive and forget.
JD...I didn't get out before 6:00 this morning, so I had to pass on the weeding today. Pretty soon I'll be weeding in the middle of the night, with flood lights and mosquito netting.
Gary Lowe, we love having our puzzle creators visit. We become better solvers when we have some insight into the process of making a crossword puzzle. I hope you'll return frequently.
(laughing at the reminder of Ethelred the Unready....)
Hi Al,
I guess that you could call me an expert searcher on the web. If you type in the phrase correctly you should see what you're looking for in the first few hits, if not modify your search string until it comes up like you want. I have several years experience doing that but I just wish I could get paid for it!
;-)
Gary Lowe mentioned doing a 'vanity search'. Never heard it called that before. Have you done a vanity search? Did you find anything unexpected? I'm amazed at how many places my name now shows up in a Google search(323 results). My brother is well known in the medical field and brings up 1,430 results. Since we have an unusual last name, all the results are actually us and not just someone with the same name.
Park Concert cancelled due to bad weather. So we went for ice cream with Sammi, et al. She had her appliance installed this morning. Big plastic lumps on her upper molars (she chose bright green and yellow) and a machine under the roof of her mouth with a key to turn that pushed them out. She'll be in it for 9 months. Plus she gets an external device next week. She's in pretty good spirits, but she is unhappy about not being able to eat very well. hardly had any of her ice cream.
I agree about CPU Drive being a poor clue. It actually doesn't refer to anything. then if you try to force-fit meaning onto it, it's too vague.
JUN is ok though. Sometimes all the Mos are reduced to 3 letters.
Gov Sanford's private life doesn't concern me at all. And his crass hypocrisy is no less than what you would expect from a politician - especially in the GOP. But there is something seriously wrong with that man. SC needs to get rid of him, quick.
Well, it has been quite a week, with Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson all leaving us. As sad as their passing may be, I lost my brother Barry last Wednesday on his 62nd birthday, and it has taken me this long to even look at a crossword puzzle, and there was Linda asking about the wedding of my son, Aaron. As I said, what a week, we buried Barry on Thursday and Aaron was married on Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding, they were so beautiful together, and I am a basket case. They are now in Anchorage starting their honeymoon. I have lots of photos on facebook; anyway, I know this is not very puzzle related, but I do feel you all have become part of my life, and we share the good and the bad. Thanks.
Lemonade...what can I say except I am sorry, and somehow happy that your Aaron found the love of his life. Isn't life ironic sometimes? May you find Barry in your peaceful dreams.
Lemonade, I was so sorry to read your latest post. Losing a sibling is such a difficult thing, particularly one as young as your brother. Please know that we are all thinking of you and wishing you and your family well.
Lemonade...so terribly sorry for your loss. Our thoughts are with you.
The photo of you son and new bride is lovely...
Lemonade, my deepest sympathy, and hopefully you'll find some comfort in knowing that you're in the thoughts of all of us.
Lemonade:
So sorry for your loss.
My sister is stage 3 with ovarian cancer.
Much hugs for you,
Geri
Lemonade,
We are thinking of you. Hopefully you have many happy memories in your heart.
Lemonade,
So very sorry about your brother; it leaves a hole in your heart. I lost my sister at the same age a few years ago.If you were close, you will always feel him with you.
Crockett, Elissa and Melissa Bee, great new pictures!!
Did anyone have catfish today? really?
Lemonade I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Lemonade, I am so very sorry for your loss! A sibling is so special and he will be in your heart forever, so you can be warmed by his memory.
Lemonade -
Just want to join all our friends here in offering my sincerest condolences.
Lemonade DCCXIV:
Like the others, I send my condolences on the loss of your brother. I had noticed your absence here but assumed it was wedding related. News such as this makes those of us who are well past a half century of living consider our own mortality. I sometimes hear people scoff at the idea of an Internet family or community; a year ago I might have done so myself. But this group has become in
many respects just that, people who miss and ask about you if you're missing for any length of time, and who obviously and genuinely care about you and your daily fortunes. All our thoughts and good wishes are with you as you deal with your loss. And I don't believe there is any off-topic when it concerns a member of the "family".
Lemonade, that is one thing I noticed about this somewhat eclectic group. You can come here and share your triumphs and griefs and be rest assured they will take it to bed with them, mull it over and probably come up with something to try to make you feel better the next day.
In my opinion only time will do that, as I can't imagine losing my "mirror self." My thoughts are with you.
I, being a single mom have many challenges in my life and it really helps me to air them here even though they aren't crossword related. Thanks to all of you that give advice. BTW on a happy note, tonight was soccer night and the score was 5-2 in our favor. Brady 2 goals with 2 assists; Sierra 1 goal with 2 assists. Sierra's dad had a talk with Josh and his mom. I am staying out of it.
@lemonade As the others have said, I'm sorry for your loss. He will always be in your memories and will pop up at the strangest of times. Cherish those good memories.
Peace to you.
@tarrajo I think you've taken the correct approach with Sierra's dad. He should be able to put a little necessary fear of whatever into the jerk.
Crockett, I am friends with Sierra's parents. Jim is a big, burly guy and is a GREAT role model for Brady. He is really trying not to be too protective of Sierra but yesterday put him over the "edge" so to speak. He had to work late tonight so I haven't heard about the "talk." I am pretty sure between Brady and Jim there won't be too many more problems in the neighborhood. I have decided to keep out of it as I can't get through to the Mom of Josh. Enough....
Lemonade,
I must add my condolences to the many already given. What emotional turmoil for you and the whole family at the time which should have been joyous for all.
Take the time you need to grieve, later you can enjoy the wedding photos and remember the happiness of that day too.
The public losses this week are a reality check for us all, but not as much as a personal loss in one's own family.
LemonDCCXIV,
Wow, I can't imagine what you went through and are going through. My sympathies and grief for your loss of Barry, but congratulations and my happiness for Aaron and the new addition of his bride to your family. (That was a weird sentence to write!) Sincerely, my inadequate words cannot convey the feeling of hopelessness I have to comfort or advise you in this time of such emotional swings.
As you know, I have taken my Loon and gone home, but I had to reach out to you at this time, to let you know that I consider you my friend, that you are not alone, and with Uncle Wind, that I felt you were one of my special buddy's on this silly crossword blog (all things considered!). The honesty and sincerity of the commentator's for all else crosswordese is a special thing, and not to be found in too many other places. Take our words, hold them close, and look for the proverbial 'light'. Tie a knot in the end of the rope and hang in there, pal!
TJ in Osseo
Lemonade,
I would like to add my condolences to you on the loss of your brother. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this sad time.
lemonade, so sorry to hear. prayers on this end.
LemonDCCXIV, hopefully, you and many others will remember this , and know it is a heartfelt sentimentality.
Lemonade714, I am so sorry for your loss. Everything has been said by this wonderful group, so I will just say your family is in my prayers.
Good morning, everyone.
I haven't been able to get the puzzle off the cruciverb.com archives at my accustomed 7pm PDT. Looks like it will now not be available until late, just like on the LAT site. Sigh. I was in such a nice rhythm there. Oh well, everything changes.
That said, I was solving online at the LAT site and inadvertently clicked outside the puzzle and lost everything three times. After that, it was time to bag it and use the cruciverb one this morning. It fills up the screen, so it doesn't disappear on an errant click.
As jerome said, I knew the words, it's the clues that made dredging them up a challenge. I did not know LANAPE, ILONA, NOLA, ISLAS.
*Went to the Canary Islands once and was disappointed to find there were no canaries there. On that same trip went to the Virgin Islands -- there weren't any canaries there either!
I wanted INT for passbook abbr. Do passbooks still exist? I can remember going into the People's Savings and Loan to deposit money and the passbook would be placed in the machine and you'd have a complete detail of your transactions in one place. Before the machine, it was all done by hand, of course. Yep, older than dirt.
@danabw No need to apologize -- different strokes for different folks. How nice that you were able to take in a Yankees game with the familial connection.
Have a great Friday!
*Not really, just an old barbershop joke.
@windhover&argyle So nice to see you guys sharing an interest. Kind of like sitting on the front porch after supper with a glass of iced tea and swapping stories. C.C. has certainly created a forum that has allowed us to build this virtual family. THANK YOU, C.C.!!!
Good to see you back amongst us, Santa. Hope your 'puter problems are safely solved.
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