google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday June 16, 2009 Betty Keller

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Jun 16, 2009

Tuesday June 16, 2009 Betty Keller

Theme: LUNCH (67A: Meal that precede the start of 17-, 29-, 46- or 62-Across)

17A: Wasp-waisted shape: HOURGLASS FIGURE

29A: What a big spender has plenty of: MONEY TO BURN

46A: Boardinghouse sign: ROOM FOR RENT

62A: Godiva gift: BOX OF CHOCOLATES

I don't know how to have a HOURGLASS FIGURE. It's impossible to have boobs/hips that are at least 10 inches bigger than the waist. But Scarlett Johansson does have one.

Besides CHOCOLATES, there are a few other food/drink bonus references in today's grid:

51A: Thé, basically: EAU. Thé is French for "tea". "Lait, basically" works for EAU too.

53A: Snapple product: ICE TEA. Should be ICED TEA.

5D: Quiche base: EGG

9D: Self-serve meal: BUFFET

4D: Poor substitute for 62A: CAROB. I've never had CAROB power. Don't understand why it's a "poor" substitute.

18D: 53-Across flavor: LEMON

Lovely puzzle. I enjoyed it.

Across:

1A: Italian ball game: BOCCE. Somehow I wanted BOCCA. One of the variant spellings is actually BOCCIA.

10A: Sgt. Friday's force: LAPD. Of "Dragnet".

14A: "What __!": "B-o-o-o-ring!": A DRAG

15A: Forbidden perfume brand?: TABU. TABU perfume by Dana. Better clue than taboo variant.

16A: Arced molding: OGEE

20A: Palm phone: TREO. Unknown brand to me.

21A: Tokien's Treebeard, for one: ENT

22A: Accept reality: FACE IT

23A: Emeril catchword: BAM. Emeril Lagasse. "Kick up a notch!" is another of his catchwords. Maybe I should count this answer as a bonus fill as well.

26A: Cleaning item: RAG

35A: Ovid's "I love": AMO. AMO, amas, amat. Te AMO.

36A: How the euphoric walk?: ON AIR. Nice clue. Much better than "Studio sign".

37A: "Look here, old chap!": I SAY. Had trouble getting this answer. British exclamation? Another chap answer is BLOKE (70A: Chap).

38A: Raps with barbs: ZINGS

40A: EPA-banned pesticide: DDT. And DEET (13D: Insect repellent compound).

41A: Harry Potter's Potions teacher: SNAPE. No idea. This guy looks evil. Is he a bad guy?

42A: Dix plus un: ONZE. French for 11. Dix is 10. 10+1=11.

43A: Moray hunter: EELER

45A: "Vamoose!": GIT. We had extensive discussions about GITS last time when it's clued as "Lights out".

58A:"If I Only __Brain": HAD A. The Scarecrow song from "The Wizard of Oz".

65A: The Auld Sod: ERIN. Have never heard of "The Auld (Old) Sod" as a nickname for Ireland.

68A: Head of France?: TETE. French for "head". Not the insecure, arrogant, attention-seeking Nicolas Sarkozy.

Down:

1D: Bangkok currency: BAHT. Loved the street food in Bangkok. 1 Thai BAHT = 0.029 US dollars.

2D: Glade target: ODOR. Can you believe that the brand names were not allowed in Xword before? How boring!

3D: Rock's Mötley ___ : CRUE. The only member I know is Tommy Lee.

10D: Lincoln's birthplace: LOG CABIN. In Hardin Country, Kentucky. I used to think he was born in Illinois.

11D: Flulike symptom: AGUE. Learned from doing Xword.

12D: Gilpin of "Frasier": PERI. Also the Persian fairy.

19D: "Othello" conniver: IAGO. You've got to remember this villain.

24D: "Famous" cookie man: AMOS

25D: South Carolina's __ Beach: MYRTLE. Wonderful golf courses there.

26D: Stubble remover: RAZOR

28D: Bonkers: GONZO. New slang for me.

30D: __ Raiders: consumer advocates: NADER'S. Does this organization still exist?

31D: Down-yielding duck: EIDER

32D: Utilities bill datum: USAGE

34D: Dmitri's dissents: NYETS. Russian for "no". I just found out that Dmitri means "earth-lover" in Russian. The current Russian president's given name is Dimitry. I suppose it's the same as Dmitri?

39D: Emerald or ruby: GEM STONE

41D: Span. miss: SRTA. The French equivalent is MLLE.

44D: Año nuevo month: ENERO

47D: Lord's holding: FIEF. Often clued as "Feudal estate".

48D: Prophet at Delphi: ORACLE. Warren Buffet is often called "ORACLE of Omaha".

52D: Ryder rival: U-HAUL

53D: "Fat chance": I BET

55D: Sign over a door: EXIT

56D: Cartoon explorer: DORA. DORA the Explorer.

59D: 8, for oxygen: AT NO (Atomic Number)

64D: Barrister's deg.: LLB (Legum Baccalaureus, Latin for Bachelor of Laws). I got the answer from Across fills. Why "Barrister" instead of "Attorney"?

Answer grid.

C.C.

76 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - a real speed run this morning, just under 4 minutes. A very simple puzzle with no deception whatsoever. The only perp help (sorry, embien) was on 'carob', since I had no clue what 62A was gonna be, and 'Snape'. I also had no clue as to the theme until I got 'lunch' at the very end. Clever.

How many remember Joe "just the facts, ma'am" Friday from the TV show Dragnet? For years, his badge number (714) was a popular trivia question; now just knowing his name is.

C.C., great picture of Scarlett - thanks for getting the heart started this morning.

Today is Fresh Veggies Day. Not exactly cause for party hats for me.

Today's Words of Wisdom: "My experience has been in a short seventy-seven years...that in the end when you fight for a desperate cause and have good reasons to fight, you usually win." -- Physicist Edward Teller

Fun Facts for the day:

- There is a Starbucks in Myungdong, South Korea, that is five stories tall.

- There has been no mail delivery in Canada on Saturday for over thirty-five years.

lois said...

Good morning CC, Dennis, et al., Zipped thru this one in 'Dennis time'. Nothing 'icky' about that. 'Amo' is a good lead in for this trip b/c some of my favorite things are in this puzzle..
chocolate, chocolate, chocolate... money, and lunch w/ice tea (believe it or not).

I always thought that the hour glass figure was fuller, more like a Mae West type. Scarlett is gorgeous...she's more like a minute glass figure to me.

Dennis: I remember Dragnet very well, and I love the movie Dragnet w/ Dan Akroyd.

One more and a wake up then it's looking forward to one more roundup and 'rodeo' in OK. I'm going to ride 'em hard and put 'em away wet!

Enjoy your day.

windhover said...

CC:
The "Lincoln Birthplace" shrine is in Larue County, Ky., near Hodgenville. He lived there in his youth and moved to Illinois as a young man.

Lemonade714 said...

Man I hate my typing dyslexia. Must run, but it was mercifully a very fast puzzle or I would not have had time.

The clue is barrister because in the US we receive a JD (Juris Doctor) degree, no longer the LLB . My father’s law degree was an LLB, but he did not have a Bachelor’s before he started Law School, which is now required.

A puzzle with DRAGNET and A DRAG needed only Rupaul or Eddie Izzard to be complete.

C.C., I bet it was not his work with Motley Crue that made you aware of Tommy Lee, as I am sure there is a MOREL to that story. My boys from AXE opened for MC on a tour. Amazing to me the luck involved in success.

Have a great day

Martin said...

Nice puzzle. There were a lot of answers I knew from previous puzzles, namely TABU, OGEE, ENT, AMO, EELER, EDS, ERIN, LURK, CRUE, AGUE, DEET, IAGO, AMINO, EIDER, NYETS, ENERO, ORACLE, AT. NO. and ASHE. There were also a lot of French words: ONZE, EAU and TETE. I can finally understand how people who have been doing these for years can do them so quickly.

That being said, CAROB, TREO and BAM were complete unknowns for me. I probably would have guessed CANDY for CAROB if I hadn't already gotten 17A! I also briely had BUDDY for BLOKE: that didn't slow me down at all though because U-HAUL, AT. NO., DECK and ASHE were all gimmes. One thing that did slow me down was OBS: it's OBG or Ob-Gyn (Obstratition-Gynacologist) in the Philippines.

I don't know how to have a HOURGLASS FIGURE. It's impossible to have boobs/hips that are at least 10 inches bigger than the waist. But Scarlett Johansson does have one.

If looking at Scarlett Johnsson depresses you then I'm almost sorry to point out Coco Lee to you. I did enjoy searching for a good picture though.

Martin

KQ said...

Only 5 comments when I write this (I am sure there will be more by the time I post). I think it is a new record for me. Having my boys out the door at 6am each morning gets me going too sometimes.

I thought it was a fine puzzle. Nothing too hard, nor too easy either. I only had trouble with the crossing of ONZE and GONZO. I had to think a bit to get TREO, and wasn't absolutely sure it was right until coming here, having no idea what Bangkok currency was. I too preferred the clueing for TABU and loved that SNAPE made the xword.

I love the term BLOKE. Sean Patrick, an Irishman who writes short stories about growing up in a Catholic school has an old friend whose nickname was Bloke. Very good stories to read.

Has anyone noticed that LURK was in there also?

CC, Snape is a very complicated character in the Harry Potter series. They are amazing books and well worth reading, even for an adult. While he appears to be very evil throughout most of the series, he has another side that lurks within him also. I will not say more should you choose to read the novels.

Off to do a run before I become Taxi Mom.

SandbridgeKaren said...

Nice theme, jumped right out at me. Easy puzzle - my only glitches were spelling error (wanted Bocci but iggs aren't in quiches). Lots of food and pesticides. Like the use of z, x, k. I'm not fond of eeler and it appears a lot.

Lemonade - LMAO at your drag references - might be a good puzzle theme.

CC - I think you've loosened the male demons again with the Scarlett pix; bet we'll seeing more versions of hourglass figures all day.

Dennis - it's summer, best time for fresh veggies. Ripe tomatoes off the vine, local picked corn and beans - yum. Even you he-man meat guys need some veggies from time to time. And I'm okay with the USA giving up Saturday mail delivery if they can use it to balance their budget and run more like a business.

Mainiac said...

Good Morning All,

Very easy run this morning. One erasure when I wrote BUDDY instead of BLOKE. No clues jumped out at me as special but it was a fun little puzzle.

Never heard of Scarlett Johansson until today and spent five minutes surfing some pics. Wow.....thanks CC.

Puppies were up at 3 AM so I came to work early. It feels like lunch time.

Have a great day!

danabw said...

Morning all-
Easy puzzle today although I did have one hangup.

45A I had GET, didn't know SNAPE so I had SNACE at first. That gave me RACED for 33D. When I came here and saw that SNAPE was the answer, I changed the C to a P and that gave me RAPED for 33D Speedy!

Was relieved to see that change when I read the correct spelling of GIT...

kazie said...

No erasures, and only a few pauses to wonder what snapple and godiva were. Never go for brand names in stores or in the puzzle. this one looked like it was paid for product placement for a while, but it all came together, though not so fast as some have said. Didn't know ZINGS, SNAPE or TREO, but they fell in. Did know all the French ones of course and they helped.

Yes, I did notice LURK. And bloke was a gimme--"chap" gave a hint it would be "British", and they don't use the term "buddy".

Elissa,
Glad the chocolate museum was a hit. (Apt for today too!) And the Mediterranean cruise would have to be good--so nice to relax amid all that beauty and atmosphere. Welcome back!

Tarrajo,
Glad the stitch removal went well too! Be glad it's only stitches he saved--I still have three of my baby molars that had to be removed because they wouldn't fall out by themselves!

Vern said...

The comments on JD vs. LLB remind me of how difficult the job market is for recent graduates. One grandson, a grad with a Michigan BA & an Illinois JD (+ passing the bar) can't find anything in Illinois. A second grandson, a film major from Michigan, is also looking. Hard times for lots of young people. Hope it's over soon.

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, No problem with this morning's puzzle, but I didn't get the theme until I checked in here.

Whenever I think of GONZO, I think of Gonzo Journalism and Hunter S. Thompson.

I used to have an HOURGLASS FIGURE. But that was many years, too many BOXES OF CHOCOLATE and a number of pounds ago. Fortunately, GAH wears thick glasses, so I know he means it when he says he thinks I am beautiful.

Lemonade, Don't forget the lovely and iconic Dame Edna.

Martin, Coco Lee is very pretty, but her figure doesn't look "Hourglass".

SandbridgeKaren, From what I hear from old postal pals, it may be more likely for a mid-week delivery day to go away, but Saturday non-delivery isn't out of the question. Universal delivery is another perq that is up for discussion (want to have to go to the post office to pick up your mail?) The Postal Service is in a world of hurt right now. The internet has taken over and postal rate increases can't keep up with expenses.

Jazzbumpa, clever "carpet pummel" joke last night. I'll tell GAH. It better not give him any of Dennis' ideas. Our carpet is low-pile and I don't want to be on the bottom of the pile, or is it, my bottom on the pile.

Anonymous said...

Another enjoyable puzzle today. The ones I wouldn’t have gotten, Peri, Iago, Nyets and Onze fell in with the perps. My favorite clue today was “how the euphoric walk”- on air. Since I have such a sweet tooth and know my chocolates, a Godiva gift – chocolate was a gimmee as well as a poor substitute – carob; which is an understatement as carob doesn’t even come close. Yuck! The explorer Dora was an easy fill, however Littleguyjo is more of a Spongebob fan when I let him watch TV.

@Sanbridgekaren, I agree with you…is “eeler” really a profession?

@Kazie, so far LGJ has lost his two lower teeth and I have saved them. Shoot they cost me or I should say the Toothfairy a buck apiece.

@Dennis, no male delivery on Saturday in Canada? Those poor Canucks.

Elissa said...

I had no trouble with this puzzle. In fact, I was just working through it when I got the completion 'boing' sound and was surprised to realize I had filled everything in. Ah, Godiva Chocolate!

Scarlett looked a lot fuller and more hour glass in her recent film role in "He's Just Not That Into You". I guess I still have an hour glass figure, having just checked to find I am 37-27-37.

CA: I think it is very clever of God to arrange for eye sight to decrease as we age. My husband enjoys using the braille method to see my figure.

Dr.G said...

I turtled through again, but made it to the finish line. If I had used an hour glass as a timer there would still be a lot of sand left. Is a Treo better than a Blackberry?

Al said...

@CA, I think I have posted this before, but at about 1:20 in this vid, you can tell that Coco Lee is definitely hourglass-shaped.

Had to do a look up for the cross at BAHT and TREO today, unusual for a Tuesday for me.

Warren said...

Hi C.C. & ...

A fast Tuesday puzzle, slightly harder than Monday's but still doable without help.

I had forgotten about Snape until my wife helped.

For @Tarrajo: I believe you mistyped male vs. mail? I think that 'male' delivery might mean something else entirely but BTW, have you heard that the USPS is considering dropping mail delivery on Saturday's to save money?

treefrog said...

Easy puzzle. Never heard of 20A TREO. Everything else matched, so I figured it was correct.

Used to watch Dragnet all the time as a kid. Maybe that's why I like all the cop shows now.

I NEVER had the hourglass figure. No matter what the weight, I've never had the waist!

All my grandkids have loved Dora the Explorer. Swiper is a loved character in the show.

I'll have to ask the 9 year old what he thinks of Snape. He's the one who read all the Harry Potter books in less than a month.

Been busy, first time I've checked the site since Saturday.

Think I will write our newspaper and complain about the new xword. I find it way too hard. I usually can't solve the Mon-Wed puzzles. Much less later in the week.

Have a good one.

Anonymous said...

Warren, it's a stupid, intentional mistype. Cheapened C.C.'s blog.

carol said...

Hi C.C. and all, great puzzle, very easy and I actually all but the palm phone (never heard of it either), Bangkok currency, snape (don't know anything about H.Potter) and gonzo made ME bonkers.

As far as an hourglass figure, I'll have to vote for Jayne Mansfield. You all would agree if you have ever watched the movie "The Girl Can't Help It".

Sorry Martin, I agree with CA, Coco does not have an hourglass figure.

Dennis, I do remember 'Dragnet'..loved it then, now, not so much. I got a huge laugh out of the Dan Akroyd re-make though.

KQ said...

Anon @ 10:23, I thought it ironic that LURK and ICKY crossed, but it is bloggers like you that confirm the irony. Get a sense of humor or pass on the comments.

Vern, I will be thinking positive thoughts for your grandkids job prospects. My husband is an attorney and it is a difficult market right now. Lots of lay offs as well as cutbacks on pay. My daughter counts her blessings to be in the 20% of grads this year to find employment. She cannot believe how fortunate she is.

tfrank said...

Greetings, all,

Breezed through the puzzle today; only unknowns were onze and treo which I got through the perps.

Thanks, C.C. et al for the great links to pretty girls. If O'Hara looked like this Scarlett, I can see why Rhett was attracted.

Have a great day!

Crockett1947 said...

Good morning, everyone!

Nothing too special or difficult about this Tuesday puzzle. One quibble, though: For 42A I think the clue should be "Dix et un" -- if the clue is French, let's go all the way with it.

@jeannie So nice to see you again.

@warren That's just tarrajo showing her DF side once more.

@al Thanks for the Coco Lee video. That figure at 1:20 looks hourglass to me.

TREO was a total unknown.

Have a great Tuesday!

Karen said...

Good puzzle today. My only hang-ups were Bangkok currency...had to ask Webster on that one also not familiar w/Treo. Then the "gonzo" "onze" crossing got me. I only know the French numbers 1 - 6 so I didn't know what dix was & never heard of gonzo for bonkers. Everything else was easy. If I didn't know it right off, it came quickly from the perps. :)

Good day to all!!

Danielle said...

I thought this was hard for a Tuesday, but clearly (from the comments so far) I'm the only one who had trouble. I got the theme right away, but struggled to fill in some smaller words. Too much French and too many Harry Potter references, neither of which I have knowledge of. And I never heard of a Treo and don't know Thai currency. Not possible for me to do this puzzle without Google, which is rarely the case on Tuesday.

Just one comment on hour glass figures - sadly, the beauty ideal has gotten so emaciated that no contemporary actress really has one.

IRISH JIM said...

Good afternoon C C and all..

Easy enough today. Unknowns 20a Treo 41a snape. Easy gettable from the fills.Liked Tabu, forbidden perfume brand

"Auld sod" is mostly used by Irish people referring to their homeland.

Today we had where I now live, Myrtle Beach. Last week, Aer Lingus where I worked for 30 Yrs. Also today where I came from Erin, and what I mostly do now Lurk.

Kq never heard of Sean Patrick will have to check him out. Thank you.

CC Can attest to the golf courses.

Jimmy, S.Carolina

g8rmomx2 said...

Hi c.c. and all:

Easy puzzle today. I feel so smart until usually Friday or Saturday, although I did last Fridays in the car on the way to the other coast of Florida to car shop with my daughter.

Dennis: Loved Dragnet, always a favorite show for my and my family.

KQ: Read all of the Harry Potter books, so much fun. My oldest daughter has read each book at least 5 times a piece.

Lemonade714 said...

Anonymous, why come here if it is not to have fun?

Ladies, we all know that 10 inches is not a realistic goal for most of us, and there are no Jayne Mansfields or Mae Wests out there, but we do have Beyonce and Salma Hayak to name two who epitomize hourglass.

I have a lady friend who has a TREO and Blackberry and she loves the Blackberry, and of course the I-phone people have the best aps.

I am spending lunch here, so there.

JD said...

Good morning CC and all,

Bam! Face it, this was a snap(e)!The perps filled in ogee, baht,ague,and LLB.I could not get the z in onze/gonzo or the e in eau/enero, but I did get the theme.Ta Da!

I bet does not sound like fat chance. No way!

Who doesn't love carob covered raisins in their trail mix?

Coco, is a beauty, but she does not have a sexy hourglass figure. She wore ruffles around her oh so slim hips to poof her out. Needless to say, ruffles would make many of us waddle.

JD said...

Here's some eye candy for you guys.

Sophia Loren

SandbridgeKaren said...

Oh JD - what a link. Remind the guys that drool can ruin a pc's keyboard.

Tarrajo - only a buck apiece? Not bad; I've heard $5/per is the local rate. You are probably getting off cheap so we won't tell LGJ.

kazie said...

Crockett,
The French could actually use either "dix et un" or "dix plus un" when doing addition. "Plus" is used in both languages.

When I was a kid, we used the term CBH--child-bearing hips--euphemistically but rather derogatively to describe someone with big hips. But of JD's collection, Sophia is definitely the classiest in my opinion.

Lemonade714 said...

BTW, you go girl Elissa!

I was too young to appreciate Rita Hayworth, but her pictures truly are awesome. I believe Sophia Loren was the winner of our millihelen discussion a few months ago. Thank you for the interesting array of females over time.

Some beef cake for the ladies....

Anonymous said...

Warren, thank you for pointing out my “typo.” If you had just waited another moment I am sure the “icky”
“lurker” would have done that for you. Good one KQ! Crockett, I have no idea what you are talking about :)

Hey, wasn’t it Dragnet that said, “marijuana is the flame, heroin is the fuse and LSD is the bomb?”

@Sandbridgekaren, $5.00? Hopefully this isn’t discussed on the playground. I’m on a budget!

Linda said...

Hello blog friends!

I`m just now beginning to recuperate from 7 days of wonderful mayhem aka grandkids. I learned so many wonderful things. Here are a few: A glass full of popcorn and milk can occupy the same glass at the same time, the pool feels infinitely better with grandkids hanging all over you, that my 7 year old is a fierce "kosher police", that lightning bugs can be as good as a night light, that there`s no sweeter sound than several grand children laughing at the same time while watching a DVD in the car, you really can eat dirt (crushed oreos with gummy worms), that the 12 year old is a pretty fair cosmetologist (but I hid the scissors), that macaroni sprayed gold is still pretty, that Monsters Inc is just as funny the 15th time around, that flour can get into the strangest places when kids cook, that even picking up limbs can be fun if you`re driving an electric cart, that a lawn sprinkler still causes shrieks of delight, that festivals in the hot summer are more than bearable when you have a ten year old to "baptize" you every 10 minutes, and that red clay still makes pretty fair pottery. I also turned two of them on to crossword puzzles!

The last two days have been fairly simple...was able to do the NYT and Lat with one "Google' on NYT.

Weighing :) in on the hour glass figure: Do 73-53-73 measurements still constitute one?

WM said...

Morning all...Easy puzzle with the only total unknown BAHT and TREO...really didn't think it was OREO...LOL

The theme was clever with the LUNCH fill and C.C. I think that lait is milk and would work with café, but even if you made Thé and added lait it would still be mostly eau...Thank you also for the SNAPE link...he is eye candy for me and a terrific actor. He was hysterical in the Kevin Costner Robin Hood...as a crazy prince.

Sophia Loren is eye candy for just about anyone. And...Lemonade,re: beefcake...HAHAHAHA...no fair :oP.

I also liked all the food and pesticide add-ins. Had to think on BLOKE a bit as I didn't really remember LLB although I know I have seen it before. We had French, Spanish, British English and a bit o' the Irish...a very international puzzle today.

IrishJim...so good to "see" you.

Jeannie...hope you are getting some sailboat time for relaxing.

Have a lot to do again today...

Anonymous said...

Hello C.C. and Everyone,
Another easy puzzle today. Only had trouble with 64 Down. Wanted JD,S, but wouldn't fit with L in chocolate. Barrister was the clue here, but I didn't get it until I came to the Blog.

Tarrajo--Inflation has hit the Tooth Fairy as well. My girls--all very grown up--only got a quarter if they were lucky!

Linda--I loved your comment on your Grandkids "DAZE". Sounds wonderful.

Chickie

WM said...

Linda...re: Hour glass figure...the proportions are right so I would say yes. ;o) I love you grandkid descriptions it was really lovely and I think that it keeps us young to see through their eyes...sounded like huge fun.

Oh...and I used to love Dragnet!Don't forget Harry Morgan...the future Col. Potter in M*A*S*H as the side kick.

Jazzbumpa said...

Linda -

I think 73-53-73 is more of an annual glass.

Gonzo is the LW's favorite muppet.

And, oh, tsk, tsk -- you naughty people. I never imagined my lame "carpet pummel" word play could be so easily DF-icated. You pulled the rug out from under me. Otherwise I'd say it was tacky.

Lest I offend the ever-puritanical anon, I will refrain from making any comment about CA's piles.

Still, I have to imagine that a carpet pummel is a splinter or two better than getting floor bored.

Cheers!

Warren said...

Seriously, this is a real possibility with the advent of email replacing snail mail the USPS is in a bind see:
usps-may-end-saturday-delivery
'"Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds." Well, what about a lack of mail, which has led to a budget deficit?'

Dennis said...

SandbridgeKaren, good prediction on the stream of hour-glass figures that would follow C.C.'s reference, and I agree with the others - Sophia's the one. As to the vegetable thing, unfortunately I only like corn and green beans, but I take a multi-vitamin pack every day that's supposed to have all the essential stuff I would otherwise be missing.

Mainiac, I'm glad you were introduced to Scarlett - every guy should be aware of her. How're the puppies doing?

Kazie, I agree with you - I dislike seeing brand names in the puzzles.

treefrog, I'm confused - you said 'easy puzzle', but then you said you said the puzzles were too hard, that you usually can't solve Mon - Wed. ones. Did I misunderstand?

Danielle, amen on the emaciation of many of today's female models. I love 'voluptuous'.

JD, your 'waddle' comment cracked me up.

Lemonade, great 'beefcake'! Cartman's the greatest.

Jazzbumpa et. al., I think you all missed where I was going with 'carpet pummel', which is probably just as well. Am I the only one who knows the DF meaning of 'carpet'?

Jeannie said...

No Dennis you are not. If you had read late last night's comments you would see I declined to comment. You know, showing my demure side and all.

windhover said...

Dennis. Re: carpet.
I think maybe you were referring to a location to which a bird in the hand was superior. Right?

Jeannie:
I do have some rather heavy lifting to do occasionally. Can you bring the Crane to Ky?

ClearAyes:
You are the Queen of DF, Subtle Division. I like, of course.

Anon:
Cheapen? No
Priceless? We think so.

Bubba:
Anyone who can recognize the error of his ways and say so is OK with me. (Not that anybody actually gives a damn what's OK with me.)
Welcome in.

Jeannie said...

Windhover, the Crane is a little tricky to maneuver. I am still learning how to run all the controls. I think I just about have it mastered though, so when I come to KY I’ll be sure to bring the Crane along.

tfrank said...

Dennis and others,

If anyone desires some more puzzle action, the NYT version for today was lots of fun for me. Good theme.

Thanks, guys for the great cheesecake links. Keep them coming.

Uh oh, Lois will have fun with that!

Linda said...

BTW: Since none of you know me...I WAS kidding about the measurements...While they`re more than they used to be by 3 or 4 inches...they aren`t to that, point! Think more along the lines of Hillary Clinton (from the neck down...)

"Annual glass", Jazbumpa...GOOD ONE!

Dennis said...

Windhover, you are, as usual, on the money.

Jeannie, I shoulda known.

tfrank, you're right - an excellent NYT puzzle today.

Off to the Phillies game.

embien said...

7:00 exactly today. No unknowns. I forgot how to spell the French "11" for a bit, but it eventually filled in with GONZO.

When I think of Scarlett Johansson, I recall the opening credits of the movie Lost in Translation. That was a remarkable piece of cinematography, all the more amazing because the director was female (Sofia Coppola). That aside, the movie was so compelling, so deep... Tokyo is an amazing city and the movie showed many aspects of its complex nature, and is Bill Murray's finest acting job, IMHO. You should Netflix it if you haven't already seen it. a tribute music video

From yesterday: Yreka is either an Indian term, or not...
Yreka. Interesting to see the seed of the palindrome for Yreka Bakery!

My carpet is deep pile.

embien said...

Non-puzzle related blog post, then I'll go away, but c.c. has been concerned about my lack of cooking:

CMT Music Awards tonight, from 5 'till 8 (Pacific Time), so I'll be cooking dinner tonight for the first time in months. Steak au poivre for me, vegetarian wife is getting some leftover Chinese vegetables and a baked potato (one of her favorite meals).

What could be better than a great meal and country music on the TV?

I'm thinking a bottle of Merlot will also be involved...

Jazzbumpa said...

Dennis -
Variations on a theme, my friend. I do like the drapes and carpet to match.

Windhover -
Yup.

I just cracked a "2 Buck Chuck" bottle of Shiraz. Surprisingly good.

Cheers!

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

Martin & Al,
I adore Coco Lee. She does have a perfect HOURGLASS FIGURE.

Jimmy in S. Carolina,
You look so nice. Don't lurk. I enjoy your posts.

JD,
Wow! Great link.

Embien,
I also liked "Lost in Translation". Thanks for the interesting Yreka link. Sounds like a wonderful evening. Have fun.

carol said...

Irish Jim, great photo!!!

Linda (12:56) What a nice post about your grandkids, I could almost feel the splash of water from those sprinklers!

Jazz: (1:46) LMAO, great comment!!

Dennis, I was going to ask you to explain 'carpet', then I read the comments that followed and when Jazz mentioned he liked the drapes to match, the light went on! I learn sooo much here! Interior decorators are a welcome addition too.

Warren said...

RE: Carob? I found a wiki link
that describes it best.

Relating to today's puzzle "Carob is sometimes used as a substitute for chocolate"

Crockett1947 said...

@kazie Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember plus in French, but of course pronounced differently.

@linda LMAO

@jazzbumpa You should know that this is a very sharp group.

@windhover Usually the bird in the bush is much more satisfying.

IRISH JIM said...

CC, Carol, WM,

Thank you all.
Cannot believe I actually added a photo.

I will be away for a week in Ohio, just so you know I have not gone lurking.

Jimmy, s Carolina

kazie said...

Dennis,
Did you guys get the hailstorm I saw on the news for Jersey today? It looked unbelievable!

Warren,
Thanks for the carob link. I used to use it in my healthfood/coop food life back when the kids were little, but I could never get used to it as a chocolate substitute. The real thing is much better.

Also, your postal link makes it seem that a day other than Saturday is a strong option.

Embien,
Hard to know if the Yreka story is for real or an attempt to explain something unrelated.

windhover said...

Embien:
No carpet at all here. Bare floors, you might say.Very easy to clean.

Crockett1947:
Right you are, linguistically speaking. All good, right?

Clear Ayes said...

JD, GAH is smiling after seeing your HOUGLASS list starting with his all time favorite, Sophia Loren. MY own favorite, Rita Hayworth was #2.

tarrajo, it was a funny play on words and I think most of us got a chuckle out of it.

WM, Alan Rickman (Snape) is the English actor you love to hate, or hate to love. But he was delicious and sooo romantic in Truly, Madly, Deeply. If you have only seen him as the bad guy, Netflix that one.

Jazzbumpa, WH and Dennis "carpet" or "carpet", either way, it's DF AND funny!

Danielle, Kiera Knightly, Clare Danes and others are lovely young women who are downright scrawny.

2 Buck Chuck is fine by me. Wasn't it their chardonnay that beat out all the big boys a couple of years ago at the California State Fair?

Saturday has always been a big postal delivery day for both 3rd Class ads and 1st Class utilities. Anything can happen, but a Wednesday or Thursday non-delivery would seem to be more likely....or maybe they'll raise the price of a 1st class stamp to $1

lois said...

CA 9AM: hysterical comment on pile! LOL I have to go back and read yesterday's.

Jazz 1:47 hilarious!

Carol 5:19, You are a hoot!

True Story: from a sick cartoon on TV about being poor years ago, my son,Kenny, learned that carpet was not a good thing to eat...
literally. My kids would innocently and jokingly? sometimes compare my cooking to not much better than eating carpet. When I went to buy Kenny a cell phone a few years later, I had to choose a password for him...so I thought of something that the quiet young fellow would remember. When his phone broke, he had to tell the clerk his password out loud in a crowded area..."carpet eater".
They busted out laughing and asked him several times to repeat it. He learned later what that really meant. He changed his password needless to say, but it served him right, IMHO.

Linda: adorable story about gkids. Sounds like a blast!

Dennis: Thank you for the high praise. You know what flattery will get you.

JD: thank you for the hour-glass link. Outstanding!

Embien: Merlot and deep pile go together so well. Your taste is impeccable!

Irish Jim: very handsome. Please don't lurk. We'd much rather "see" you.

Warren said...

I forgot to mention it but today I noticed that the San Jose Mercury news started carrying the LAT daily puzzle once more? I guess that they must have reconsidered or?

WM said...

Warren...the SJMN changed over on Monday. They said they would give it a try again...I am encouraging everyone to send a very positive email to the editor to encourage them to keep it...let's out shout all the sqeaky wheels! So anyone from the Bay Area who is lurking out there...hop on your computers and email David Butler at dbutler@mercurynews.com. A couple of people have already emailed and gotten positive replies. One of my projects for tonight.

CA...have seen Truly, Madly, Deeply and pretty much like everything Alan Rickman does. Also a really big fan of Kevin Kline. If you want to see a great Mystery/Comedy rent January Man. I guess I like the quirky actors.

Lois that phone story is hysterical!

WH...good to see you...thought maybe you got buried in a pile of hay.

IrishJim...another great looking addition to our "collection" of terrific looking BLOKES.

Just got another thing off my "plate" for the show...it is amazingly difficult to write a press release...fortunately I know a retired journalist who tweaked it for me and now it is awesome. Trying for an article in the Merc with photos...keep fingers crossed.

Linda said...

Embien: You`ll have to fill us in tomorrow...after Toby Kieth, I had to "put the old girl to rest."

Lemonade714 said...

How nice to see all the posts today as I slowly go crazy getting the last minute wedding stuff done, while still working. Nice to see no one has lost their sense of humor, and it is always nice to have Lo-li-ta around, though I thought she was banned in Kentucky?

Glad someone else liked Cartman, but to be fair and from yesterday I give you all MALE MODELS .

Loved the wonderful grandchildren talk, thank you Linda.

I am in the minority, who though I like Scarlett J. and Bill Murray, thought the movie was boring, pretentious and overrated.

ALAN RICKMAN is a wonderful actor, who has done some fine comedy as well, like DOGMA and GALAXY QUEST .

Jeannie said...

Windhover, am I banned in KY, even if I bring the Crane and all, to you'all? Lois, what is the count down now to your vaca? Melissabee I am missing your countdown too. I am going to have to google OK and CA News just to make sure nobody is hurt. Okay, not hurt, but incompacitated.

JD said...

Thanks to all who furthered my education today, which seems to be lacking. Actually, I had to check out the Urban Dictionary to learn a clear meaning of carpet eater. Now I am LMAO over your story, Lois!! Good humor today from all.

Linda, your week sounded marvelous. Bet you got lots of hugs!

Irish Jim, good to see you. I like your taste in books.

Warren, did you notice that the c/w is very very tiny? I'll continue to print off a copy as I can print like a 1st grader.

WM,I never thought of Kevin Kline as quirky; he sure is versatile! I can watch Dave anytime, and/or French Kiss

windhover said...

Jeannie:
We don't do any banning here in Kentucky. It's all good is on the state seal, I think. And since Lois is coming to town in late July, we're going to have to repeal a few laws to keep from overcrowding our "correctional facilities".

Speaking of corrections, that's a cool new word you made up. :)

WM:
The only thing I'm covered with is rain, which has returned to stay, it seems. When it finally stops and I get started I will once again be behind the curve. Some second cutting is almost ready, and I haven't finished the first. After 2 years in a row without much rainfall, I can't complain about too much. I've learned that, in Kentucky at least, you can't farm without water. Patience, which has never been my strong suit, is necessary.
4 for me

Jeannie said...

I think I pretty much made up a word or mispelled it. Anon, don't call me out on that. I know the spelling of male and mail. Tarrajo probably had her LGJ in her mind when she made the typo. Anyway, I think that's her story and as far as I can tell she's keeping to it.

Lemonade...we hope to see more of your posts. I am voting for the Calvin Klein ad.

WM said...

JD...thank you for that...French Kiss is still one of my favorites when I am in the mood for France...that and A Year in Provence a 4 video set that takes a couple of evenings. I seem to lean towards British actors although I do like Dustin Hoffman also...and Harrison Ford isn't too hard on the eyes...Love all the Indiana Jones, especially the last of the Trilogy with Sean Connery. Wow...I may have to pull out a movie tonight.

WH...forgot to thank you on the Lincoln info...I think we all think of the Springfield Illinois home that he lived in...we did actually take a tour eons ago and, if I remember correctly, the outhouse was a 2-seater...never really understood that concept. Be grateful for any rain...we are in a bad place in Calif. We have had about 10 days of cool and overcast weather and pretend rain but it isn't solving any problems and the threat of lightening strikes is ever-present. That's what set off the conflagration last summer that kept us under a shifting cloud of ash for over a month...

I think this may be #4

melissa bee said...

good evening c.c. and all,

just caught up with comments, nothing to add about the puzzle. did it very early this a.m. online, with no real troubles. kinda liked seeing snape .. still haven't read the last two hp's, but they're on my 'fixin' to read it' list.

@irish jim: great profile and pic. hope you visit more often.

@lois: carpet eater .. that's priceless. i love pulling one over on the kids .. lord knows they usually deserve it.

@jeannie: 23 and a wakeup til gwo. i'm already salivating.

@jd & wm: kevin kline is divine. silverado is one of my favorites.

Anonymous said...

Late night posting...Littleguyjo got in trouble tonight across the street. He has this little crush on a girl that has as much "balls" as he has. Matter of fact, she is on his soccer team. Anyway, a kid took a potshot at her and pushed her down and LGJ retaliated and somehow the guy kid got a bloody lip. WTF do I do about that?? I can't really punish him for it as he was protecting his friend.

Can you believe this BS...the Mom wanted to call the police. I made LGJ tell him he was sorry for splitting his lip; and he totally refused to do it as he didn't think he was in the wrong. I told the Mom (in confindence) I wasn't sorry as I don't think any boy has the right to push down a girl or a woman. Dennis, good move?

Anonymous said...

If this kid has this much testosterone now, WTF am I to do later. i am trying. At least he is standing up for a girl, BTW that will probably be pissed at him tomorrow for doing that. SIGH....
Sometimes I am at a total loss.

Jazzbumpa said...

Tarrajo -

Welcome to the world of moral ambiguity. IMHO, you did OK. One rule of thumb is you never start a fight, but you never run away from one either.

Maybe teach LGJ that standing up for his friends is noble, but retaliation is almost always going to get him in trouble.

Now that LGJ and the other kid had lip perforation in common, maybe they can become bosom buddies. Doesn't it work out that way in the movies?

Anonymous said...

Jazz, here's the thing...he was standing up for a "girl." Yeah I know she doesn't consider herself one as of yet but she will. I taught Littleguyjo to stick up for girls and treat them with respect. I have a really good relationship with him and trust him when he said he didn't start the fight but just reacted. I believe him when he said he didn't punch the kid in the face. As you know, I wasn't too pleased to hear he was in a conflict either. His goodlooking face is just starting to heal. I hope this if FIVE.

KQ said...

Tarrajo, I agree with Jazzbumpa. I think you should focus on ways that he could protect her without using physical force himself. Welcome to the world of parents who think their kids are never the ones who were the instigators or would do something wrong. The good news is the boys get over stuff really fast. The bad news is, the mom's don't. I hope that kid will think twice before he starts something with LGJ again.

Be assured that you are doing your best, even if it doesn't seem like enough. Get used to the testosterone factor. My older son punched my younger one in the nose while we were visiting friends in NY last year. Blood all over. They are 16 and 14. They don't have kids so they were shocked. We weren't though.

tFrank and Dennis, what was your version of the NYT puzzle. Our paper syndication is usually about 2 weeks delayed from the actual NYT from what I can tell. Was dis the first three of the theme answers?

Dennis said...

Just back from the game, and I'm just skimming the posts, but tarrajo, if he's my kid, I'm busting-buttons proud of him for defending that girl. Probably not the most popular opinion here, but to me it shows he's got his head in the right place. If the fighting becomes a pattern, then you'll need to address that, but for now I'd probably admonish him that he can't always resolve things with his fists, then I'd go in the other room and give myself a high-five.

KQ, the NYT puzzle I did was 'Z'-themed. First answer was Biden.

I'm beat - have a great night.

Anonymous said...

The last I heard the USPS was considering not delivering mail on Tuesdays. According to them, Tuesday is the lightest mail day after Monday which is the heaviest.

The hour glass figures went by the wayside with "Charlie's Angels," but it's good to see they're back again. As for the beefcake, I prefer men with their veins inside their muscles. More blood gets to the head that way. Intelligence turns me on.

One time in my English class, a sweet young child volunteered, "intelligent woman" as an oxymoron. He, obviously, wasn't very intelligent.

Linda: You helped me enjoy my children and grandchildren again. I now have 9 great-grandchildren, but don't get to see them very often. They're scattered all over the country. The ones who live the closest to me are now teenagers who like to hang with their friends instead of great-grandma and who would get embarrassed playing in the lawn sprinkler.

Kazie: Did I spell gread-grandma correctly with the hyphen? I know that between English and French, one has a hyphen and one doesn't, but I'm too tired to look it up right now. Just got home from a long night of rehearsal. If this blog weren't so compelling, I'd be in bed asleep right now.

Good night all.

Doreen