google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Tuesday June 9, 2009 Joan Buell

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Jun 9, 2009

Tuesday June 9, 2009 Joan Buell

Theme: They are Capital-ists

17A: "Fanny" composer and lyricist: HAROLD ROME

26A: "Mallrats" costar: JEREMY LONDON

43A: "God Bless America" writer: IRVING BERLIN

58A: Frequent "Happy Days" director: JERRY PARIS

Of the 4 theme entries, IRVING BERLIN was the only one I knew of. But I cottoned onto the theme pretty quickly. The only trouble I had was obtaining HAROLD ROME's given name. Wikipedia says his music also appeared in "Rear Window".

Clever theme. Tight too. All of them have world capital (all in Europe) as their surname. PARIS HILTON would have ruined everything, as she often does, stealing others' boyfriend. I also loved the four long Down answers.

Both CRAB (16A: Chesapeake Bay catch) and OHIO (25A: River that forms at Pittsburgh) appear in the puzzle second day in a row, but with different clues. I have yet to see Rich Norris uses identical clues consecutively. Remember how we used to see TSE clued as "Half a fly?" day after day?

Across:

1A: Money on the Web: ECASH. Like the money in your PayPal account.

6A: Kind of palm tree: SAGO. Hmm, I want some SAGO pudding.

10A: "__ Angel": Mae West film: I'M NO. Got the movie title with Down fill help. Thought of Marlene Dietrich's "The Blue Angel".

14A: Broadway's Rivera: CHITA. She was in the original "Chicago".

15A: Fed under Ness: T-MAN (Treasury-Man)

19A: Waffle brand: EGGO. From Kellogg's.

20A: Handwriting on the wall: OMEN

21A: Coupling device: YOKE. Somehow this clue brought to mind David Carradine and his strange death. So dark!

22A: Get __ of one's own medicine: A DOSE

23A: Course of study for future docs: PREMED. And LSAT (56D: D.A.-to-be's exam)

34A: Hard to handle: EELY. This Dragon Sushi Roll (eel) looks so tasty. "Easy to handle".

37A: Wood for crafts and rafts: BALSA. Spanish for "boat"/"float".

39A: Fun house feature: MAZE

42A: Second careers for thoroughbreds: SIRES. Poor Calvin Borel. He rode the wrong "Bird" last Saturday.

47A: Slaughter of baseball: ENOS. And "Speaker of baseball" is TRIS.

53A: Texas city, familiarly: BIG D. JFK was assassinated here. That's the image I have of Dallas.

60A: Boo Boo's buddy: YOGI. Had YO?? in place, so I wrote down YOYO, which matches well with Boo Boo.

62A: Youngest of Chekhov's "Three Sisters": IRINA. Unknown to me. Last time OLGA (the oldest) was clued as "One of Chekhov's "Three Sisters". The other one is Masha.

63A: "Ignore the change," to a printer: STET

65A: Experimental bomb blast, briefly: N-TEST

Down:

1D: Parrot: ECHO. Verb?

2D: Titleholder: CHAMP. Wrote down OWNER.

3D: ABC or NBC, e.g.: AIRER. Ugh. I was trying hard to shorten "network".

4D: Moonshine container: STONE JUG

5D: Henry V, as a prince: HAL. Wow, who knows!

6D: Walked with purpose: STRODE

7D: Frantic way to run: AMOK

8D: Clue, e.g.: GAME. Excellent clue.

9D: 1300 hours: ONE. Shouldn't it be ONE PM?

10DL Stranded at O'Hare, perhaps: ICED IN. And SNOW (41D: Winter coat?") & RAINS (50D: Pours or drizzles).

11D: Hershey's product: MR. GOODBAR. Have never had this candy. Boy, peanuts in Milk Chocolate. All high allegic ingredients.

24D: Player at the new Citi Field: MET. My favorite MET. Shea Stadium is now history.

25D: Paella pot: OLLA

30D: Aberdeen turndowns: NAES. Scottish for "no". NYETS are "Moscow turndowns".

31D: Piedmont wine area: ASTI

32D: '30 heavyweight champ Max: BAER. Another crossword Max is the "Dadaist Ernst".

33D: As often as not: ON AVERAGE

38D: Wall St. hedger: ARB (Arbitrageur)

39D: Many a gas station store: MINI-MART

42DL Charlotte, to Anne or Emily: SIS. The Bronte sisters.

44D: A party to the plot: IN ON IT. Often see IN ON.

46D: Tramp's love: LADY. "LADY and the TRAMP". Nice clue.

49D: Beyond unusual: EERIE

51D: Grant and Carter: AMYS. Only know AMY Carter.

54D: Appliance on a board: IRON

58D: Chew the fat: JAW. Wanted YAK first. Strange saying, "chew the fat". "Chew nuts" sounds more sensible.

59D: ATM user's need: PIN

Answer grid.

C.C.

61 comments:

Dennis said...

Good morning, C.C. and gang - just under 5 minutes today, with only 'Irina' as an unknown. Clever theme, but I'm sure those of you who dislike multi-word answers weren't real thrilled with this puzzle. The only one that bothered me was 'in on it', and I'm not even sure why it did. Thought 'Clue, e.g.' was a great clue; even when I had 'game', it took me a minute to realize why.

I was thinking while I was doing this one - there's not been a day gone by since the switch that I haven't been appreciative of the new puzzles - think back to how many days in a row we'd be saying, 'another boring puzzle, same old clues'. I know I was seriously thinking about quitting the blog, simply because there wasn't anything to talk about, and I didn't feel like I had anything decent to contribute. Now, it's been refreshing every day.

C.C., yes, 1300 hours is 1pm.

Today is Donald Duck Day. Not quite sure what one's supposed to do on this day, but Donald debuted 70 years ago today.

Today's Words of Wisdom: "No endeavor that is worthwhile is simple in prospect; if it is right, it will be simple in retrospect." -- Physicist Edward Teller

Fun Facts for today:

- A runner consumes about seven quarts of oxygen while running a 100-yard dash.

- Humans are born with 300 bones but, by the time they reach adulthood, they only have 206.

Dick said...

Good morning C.C. and all,.. a nice puzzle today even though I hate puzzles with movie clues. Today I was able to get all of the unknowns via perps and the puzzle flowed very smoothly. However, the NW corner kicked my butt. At first I had LORO for 1D which fit with OMEN for 20A and then the trouble began. It became impossible for me to solve that section without help.

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

Dennis,
I had trouble with IN ON IT too. More used to IN ON only. Ah, OK, I got your point of 1pm. It's complicated to be simple, that's for sure. I thought I only have 206 bones.

Dick,
Did you write down CHAMP for 2D immediately? Did you consider OWNER as well?

Jerome,
Again, thanks for the rationale on BRS. But 9 abbreviations is too much for a 15*15 grid. No?

Crockett,
It's 9:00pm Pacific Time, not 7:00pm.

lois said...

Good morning CC et al., Cute theme, but I'm w/Dick. The NW corner got me. I had owner for 2D...mason jar/jug.. it's what I'm used to...and never heard of an arbitrageur (thank you, CC)altho' the perps got that. Anyhow, fun puzzle just the same. Loved seeing 'Big D'- will be there in 2 wks - and will stay at the Paris in LV in Aug.

Liked the WoW, Dennis. Thank you for doing those. I'm so glad you never quit the blog. That would be devastating.

In honor of today, my DDuck voice will get used. hard to believe he's 70... Now about those bones...depends on how you define bone, I guess.

Enjoy this gorgeous day.

Jeanne said...

Yo,
Missed yesterday’s discussion on Yo, but having been an inner-city high school teacher, I can tell you Yo, was very common. Even to the point of trying to get your attention. Soon had them trained that I only responded to Mrs. ? .

I, too, thought of owner rather than champ-NW corner was last to fall but overall a good puzzle. Didn’t like airer for ABC or NBC. At one point, Amy Carter was married to a relative of mine; unfortunately the marriage didn’t last but both are happily married to others. Former President Carter made me a delicious gin and tonic. That was weird sitting in his home in Plains and drinking with the president.

Dennis, we just had a wild thunderstorm-so be prepared. What happens to our other 94 bones. Do the merge with others?

Have a good day.

Dick said...

@C.C., yes I immediately put in OWNER which also helped to screw up that section. Oh well there is always tomorrow for a home run.

Go Pens!!

Hahtoolah said...

This puzzle initially gave me some trouble. It wasn't until I got to Irving Berlin that things fell into place for me. I never heard of any of the other "capital"ists, although I had seen the movie "Mallrats."

KQ said...

A thinker this morning, but I completed it without any red letter help. I am with Dennis on the favorite clue being "Clue, e.g." I too wanted OWNER, but knew it was wrong as I knew CHITA and it crossed. IRVING BERLIN was the only name I was familiar with, but got the theme immediately, recognizing that the surnames were PARIS and LONDON from other fills.

CC, your Dragon Sushi Roll does not look at all appetizing to me. I am not a sushi fan as I don't care for the texture. Cannot do oysters either.

I think some of the bones actually dissolve after you are born (I could be completely wrong). My daughter's best friend had a tumor on her spine since birth. They said it was the result of bones that normally dissolve when you are born, but in her case they formed into a tumor instead. Very rare - at the time there were only about 90 worldwide. She had 6 surgeries and a rod in her neck along with radiation. She is fine now, with no movement of her neck, but a lovely girl. So that is my guess for what it is worth.

Chilly this am - only 48 degrees and my kids are already swimming - outside none the less. BRRRRRRRR. Have a great day.

tfrank said...

Good morning, all:

I avoided the owner for champ problem by filling in ecash and chita before looking at the down clues in the NW section. My bete noir was pin. I was stuck on atest or htest and ntest never crossed my mind.

The rest was smooth sailing; the theme was pretty easy to figure out. Agree with Dennis that clue was the best.

I hope that you all have a joyous day.

Andrea said...

Morning all -

I also had owner instead of champ, so NW was tough until CC's help with Harold Rome. I had the other three cities, so was going around Europe in my head. Even with a brief stop in Italy, I missed Rome. Oh well, it was a fun way to start the morning anyway, visiting all those great capitals.

CC - the Dragon Roll looks YUM-MY. Sushi is one of my favorite foods. A friend and I treat each other to a sushi-feast for our birthdays every year. You just about have to roll us out of the restaurant when we're done. No pun intended. :) Despite being deathly afraid of snakes, Unagi (eel) is my favorite, and I always need to end the meal with it. Just try not to picture it in its natural state...

Looks like another cool, cloudy one for us today. Can't wait for some warm sunshine.

Enjoy the day.

Andrea

SandbridgeKaren said...

Fun puzzle but ecash stumped me for a while. Got champ and chita immediately but had to g 'Harold Rome' so that corner also gave me a bit of trouble. Rest was a POC - got the theme immediately so figured out Rome but not Harold. Wanted studs for sires but quickly realized my goof.

I agree with Dennis' reflection on the change of puzzles. Even when it's a puzzle I don't particularly care for it's a far cry from all those puzzles based on quotes no one ever heard of and the 'same old same old'. We continue to see refreshing new words and new cluing to some of the 'traditional words'. Mostly fun stuff and rarely boring - hope others feel the same way.

Yo Jeanne - neat story about President Carter - indeed I bet that was weird.

Dick - is tonite the nite (again)? Repeat of last year????

Argyle said...

A different Doald Duck.(He's the one in the black hat, playing bass guitar.)

Green Onions - Steve Cropper & Donald 'Duck' Dunn

kazie said...

G'morning all!
I did have champ before much else in the NW, at first wanted paypal for ECASH, but it wouldn't fit. When I guessed HAL, ECASH started to appear and the rest fell in up there.
I had no hesitation on IN ON IT, lots of unknowns helped by perps, but no outside help.BERLIN was the only themem one I knew, and ROME was the last to fall. At first I was looking for a front end theme connection when I had Jeremy and Jerry.

Had STUDS for SIRES for a while and misspelled IRENA, until I saw EERIE. Didn't have a clue what ARB meant until I was here. It took me quite a bit longer than yesterday's.

I wonder if a lot of those bones at birth change into sineews. Or if maybe all the bones are softer and sinewy at birth and only some of them harden.

The WOW sounds like the feeling we get after finishing our XWs, doesn't it?

Al said...

I thought it was funny to see Yogi Bear as an answer today after Yogi Berra appeared at the end of the Yao clip from yesterday. Yogi Berra is funny. My favorite quote is: "90% of the putts that are short don't go in."

I don't get the Henry/Hal thing. His name was really Harold, but they called him Henry?

Babies have a lot of cartilege connecting separate skeletal parts that later calcifiy into single bones. For example a lot of the skull is soft at first, but as babies develop, it becomes fused together into a single structure.

Karen said...

Morning all:
I, like most others, put "owner" instead of champ which threw me off on the "ecash" answer. Didn't know Chita or Harold. Had trouble with the answer "airer" as well. Wanted channel or network which, of course, didn't fit. Didn't know Chekhov's sister either but got it from the perps.

KQ & Andrea...I wish I could send you some of our sunshine & heat. It is already 85 here & it is only 10:30........UGH.

Dennis....GEEEZZZ...what happened to the rest of my bones?? Kinda glad they are gone though or I would weigh more that I already do...LOL.

Linda said...

Mornin` ya`ll!

Took a bit longer than Monday...but still a doable semi-challenge.

About the bones: most of the "extra at birth" bones are in the hands ond feet...babies need the extra flexibilty because of all the falls etc. As we mature...we get less agile because the bones aren`t exactly absorbed, they fuse together..."We are fearfully and wonderfully made..."Psalm 139:14.
Lovely daughter says "hello" to all my blog-friends.

Dennis: Lovely daughter`s latest, favorite quote is: "Life is not waiting until the rain stops to dance...it`s learning to dance in the rain!"

Having so much fun with granddaughters!!! They get up saying, "GM, are you finished with the puzzle?" They know not to bother the comic section until "GM is!"

Dick said...

@ SandbridgeKaren, I hope it is not a repeat of last year, but we will need to wait until later tonight to know for sure. I keep hoping for a more favorable outcome.

Anonymous said...

This was not a gimme for me at all. I had to hit the g-spot for all of the theme answers so naturally I felt like a big cheater. My favorite clue today was “winter coat” - snow. I agree with everyone that these puzzles are much more enjoyable than the TMS ones of old. At least come Thursday I don’t have to dread those darned quote puzzles.

The little guy is on the mend and off to his new day care today. It’s 10:30am and I’ve only called there twice :)

@Linda, how long are your grandkids visiting?

@C.C. what is sago pudding?

@Lois, are you through with school now? Do we warn the general public?

@Dennis, I’ve lost 94 bones? What a shame.

Crockett1947 said...

@C.C. I can consistently get the LAT puzzle at 7:00 p.m. (1900 hrs), not 9:00 p.m. (2100 hrs). Check out argyle's 11:01 p.m. post yesterday. That would have been 8:01 PDT (2001). I'll try to re-check it tonight, but I think I'm correct.

@lois I also wanted MASON JAR.

@kq Amen on the sushi!

@tfrank Thank you.

@tarrajo Only twice?

Have a great Tuesday, all.

Jazzbumpa said...

I want to second, or maybe third, Dennis's thoughts on the change.

Jerome - always appreciate your insights. Thanx! I don't mind abbrviations, but, as CC pointed out, less is more.

Like many,I had trouble with the NW corner, even with CHITA and OMEN in place. The STONE in jug was a slow fill, and I don't use E-CASH.

Decades ago The Police Chief in Toledo was named Donald Duck. I went to school with his nephew, Chuck Duck.

Here's a cute kid story my daughter told me.

Three-Yr-Old Emily: Mommy, sing the elephant song with me.
Karen: (puzzled) I don't know an elephant song.
E: (insistent)Yes you do - the elephant song
K: (still puzzled) Emmy, you're going to have sing it for me.
E: A-B-C-D-E-F-G.
K: Emmy, that's ALPHABET, not ELEPHANT.
E: (lightbulb goes on) Ohhhhh!

Go Wings!

Cheers!

Clear Ayes said...

Good Morning All, I didn't get ECASH right away, so I switched to the Downs for the NW corner. I was so sure that 4D was MASON JAR, that it messed me up until I went back to the Acrosses and got CHITA and HAROLD ROME.

I don't usually watch movie credits, but I must have subliminally picked up HAROLD ROME's name after seeing Fanny.

IRVING BERLIN and JERRY PARIS were pretty easy fills. Has anyone been to all four of the theme cities? I missed Berlin, but have spent some time vacationing in the other three.

I haven't seen Mallrats. I'm not a big fan of director Kevin Smith's doper/slacker movies, so I didn't know JEREMY LONDON. I got his name through the perps and "g'd" for information post-puzzle.

ARB was "Huh?" for me, but it fit, so it stayed.

"Belted out" is singing loudly and forcefully. I'm thinking Ethel Merman or Susan Boyle here. Not all singers are belters. I think "Voiced musically" would be a better clue for SANG.

Today's WOW made me think of all the "D'oh!" moments I have had while solving our puzzles. This has occurred more frequently since we switched to LAT. That's a good thing.

treefrog said...

Crap! Wouldn't let me sign in the first time and then lost my post!!
Argyle-thanks for the download info. Have printed today's crossword. Will do it later and then come back and read posts.

WM-I was having the same problems you were. But, now it's fixed.

Going to my sewing group today. It's called Kandy and Kathy's Klubhouse. My daughte thinks it sounds like a whorehouse name. Oh well! Will spend all day working on my shirts.
Later

Crockett1947 said...

@treefrog No, Kandy and Kathy's Kitty Klubhouse sounds like a name for a whorehouse! LOL

carol said...

Hi C.C. and group! I had trouble right away with the NW corner so I read all the other clues until I was sure of an answer and worked out and around from there. I have never heard of Jerry Paris, Jeremy London but they were filled in by the perps. The NW corner stared at me and I did get OMEN but kept thinking of CHICHI for 14A...I finally changed 2D to CHAMP from OWNER..I still needed to come to C.C.'s answer grid for the others.

KQ - I'm with you on the sushi and the oysters, yuk. I am not a seafood fan at all but give me any freshwater fish and I'm in heaven.

CA - Your mention of Ethel Merman made me think of a statement she made once regarding her singing. Paraphrasing: "I'm not that good, I'm just loud"
My folks always got a kick out of her.

Al, I agree on the Henry/Hal thing...also, don't Brits use the nickname 'Harry' for Henry? Kazie, help us out here. I guess we do the same sort of thing with our names/nicknames.

kazie said...

Clear Ayes,
Yes, I've spent time in all four cities: a month in London 1970 and a weekend in 2006, a week in Rome in 1970, 8 times in Berlin and at least a dozen times to Paris between 1970-2008. I would like to go back to each except Rome--a week there was enough, but maybe now I'm old and lumpy I'd be left alone more.

Berlin still has some to the old excitement, but it was an electrifying experience while the Wall was still there. It seemed the populace had a "here today/maybe gone tomorrow" attitude and they were making sure they didn't waste what they had for the moment. But I love the way things have been rebuilt now--really beautiful.

kazie said...

oops! Make that some of the old excitement!

Jerome said...

C.C. and Jazzbumpa- Yes, 9 abbrs in a puzzle is unusual. Today's puzzle has, I think, 3. That's more the norm. I know of editors that detest them, but most are pretty flexible if the overall construction is quality stuff.

There are no written "rules" of construction, so the unusual will appear frequently.

KQ said...

CC - Great interview once again. After reading each and every one of them, it really makes you appreciate what the constructors go through to make a good puzzle. I think you have to be solving them a while to pick up the nuances. You are Argyle are so expert at picking them up. They are so much more fun with this blog to follow.

As for now, I am just going to solve. Constructing sounds like too much work for me.

Barb B said...

Like CC, IRVING BERLIN was the only person I knew in the theme. First names were pretty easy to guess.

The long downs stumped me, for the most part. I figured out ON AVERAGE, but had to work really hard to get the others. Duh.

Also can’t believe I missed BIG D. My image is complex, and overall positive. I was born in Dallas. We often drove by a drive in theater named Big D. On one return trip from a visit to our grandmother, Daddy told us we were going to Big D. He knew we would think of the movies, and we knew he was teasing us, but we couldn’t figure out the joke until he explained. I also remember that Mom and friends ‘dressed’ to go into town; hats, gloves, and Sunday dresses. You wouldn’t want to visit Neiman-Marcus or Marshall Fields in your everyday clothes.

Dennis, you sent me to google with the bones ff. I thought immediately of the bones in the head that fuse, but not the other growth plates. No wonder kids are so flexible! Thanks for that one.

Jeanne, what a thrill to meet the Carters. Anyone who makes a good G and T is good in my book. Seriously, I admire them for their charitable work and their high moral standards. Politics are too confusing for me to cope with, so I don’t try to make a judgment; he’s a good man, and brilliant.

KQ, I’m with you on food texture. Can’t stand boiled okra, but fried is not bad. I love the taste of tuna seared on the outside, raw on the inside, but had to force myself not to push it aside.

WM said...

Morning all...Most everything has been covered and I'm with the Mason Jar group, but I was typing words while waiting for the puzzle to print and so realized that it was "something"-JUG I knew CHITA...stalled for a bit on ECASH but all in all not too tough.

C.C. 1300 wouldn't need pm because on a 24 hr clock the fact that it is 1300 indicates it is PM. One is just one.

Al and others there was only one HAROLD in British lineage: Norman/Saxon going back as far as Egbert(802-839) and he ruled from
1035-1040. All the others were HENRYs...hence the I, II, III, IV, V...etc. Henry V was house of Lancaster and ruled from 1413-1422 and married Catherine, daughter of Charles IV of France and she later married Owen Tudor and founded the house of Tudor. Harry and Hal are both correct nicknames for Henry.

I have a bunch of British geneolgy books because my mom thinks there is some kind of connection between her and the current royal family and we used to pick up these books on our travels to show there was no connection...something about her age and the queen's and birthday/anniversaries...LOL

Crockett and Argyle thanks for last night's assistance.

Jeanne...that is so interesting that you met the Carters...I think he is one of our most underestimated presidents. We didn't appreciate what we had when he was in office and he has since shown the world and us what he is truly all about...an exceedly capable,intelligent and admirable person.

Another lovely day...

Clear Ayes said...

At least HAL is a nickname for Henry that starts with an H. There are also Frank for Frances, Jack for John and Sallie for Sarah. Getting a little further away there is Bill for William, Ted for Edward and Betty for Elizabeth. If anyone can explain Dick for Richard and Peggy for Margaret, I'm sure we'd all be interested in hearing about it.

Kazie, LOL. I feel (have felt) your pain. Young (and sometimes older) Roman men have made the "passing bottom pinch" into quite an art form.

C.C. Mr. Goodbar is one of my favorite candy bars. I love both milk chocolate and peanuts. I tried to find an online poem extolling the virtues of this delicious treat. I must have lived quite a sheltered life. The only poems I found were quite sexually explicit, most of them substituting candy bar names for body parts. (If anybody wants to follow up on that line, just google "Mr. Goodbar poem".)

The sexual "Mr. Goodbar" idea may have started with Judith Rossner's 1975 book and the 1977 movie, Looking For Mr. Goodbar, starring Diane Keaton. The movie also featured a young, sexy Richard Gere as a very dangerous guy.

Jeanne, What an experience to have visited with the Carters at their Plains home. Even though the marriage between Amy and your relative didn't last, you have a real keeper of a memory.

Happy birthday to Johnny Depp!

lois said...

SBKaren: no, school is out in about 6 days, 2 hours, 37 minutes, but who's counting? I think around 10AM EDT next Th 6/18, you should put out an APB b/c it will be a notable episode of Teachers Gone Wild all over this area. It's also my baby girl's 26th bday so it will definately be a party day/night/wkend, then Okla on Mon 6/22, thru Big D w/a planned "lay-over" at my type of Klubhouse...
yeah, you can bet I'll be working on a shirt (at the least!). Good times are almost here!

Al said...

Here's Peggy and Dick.

My guess is "Jacques" (Brother John in French) for Jack and Franc (money, hard C) for Francis. Elizabeth -> Beth -> Betty perhaps.

William, Bill in the same way Rob has Bob, and Polly is from Molly.

kazie said...

I remembered in the far reaches of my memory of the Bayeux tapestry that a certain Harold Godwinson was one of three pretenders to inherit the throne of King Edward who was a cousin of William, Duke of Normandy, (the Conqueror). So I looked it up in my souvenir book.

The whole 1066 thing was something of a family feud over who deserved succession to the British throne. This Harold was asked to travel to Normandy to inform Willy that Eddy had chosen him to accede to his throne, which he did, and swore allegiance to Willy.

But then Harold got other ideas. On Eddy's death, the assembly of nobles gives Harry the crown, and he conveniently forgets his oath to Willy. Thereafter the fun starts with the resulting Battle of Hastings.

Politics hasn't changed much, has it? I really feel Carter has been denigrated too. He's a decent man, a rarity in modern politics. I think Obama is too, but time will tell.

kazie said...

Adding to what Al said about Betty--Elisabeth in German would be pronounced with only a "t" sound at the end, which could further justify the switch from Beth to Bett(s)y.

Dennis said...

Jeanne, I appreciate the heads-up earlier - we had a tremendous thunder and lightning show that lasted for a good half-hour. Had a lightning strike on a tree about 4 blocks over. Just awesome to watch mother nature flex.

I agree with all who said Carter's a very good and honorable man, and extremely intelligent. I don't, however, think he was a very good (read effective) President.

Al, good information on the consolidation of bones; I had no idea what happened to them. Karen, I hope you saw Al's post.

tarrajo, think 'loaners'...

Crockett, where's the puzzle available at 7 the previous night? I didn't know that.

Jerome: ...the unusual will appear frequently -- Sooo....then it's not unusual.

KQ, I'm with you - I'd much rather solve than attempt to construct. I know my limitations.

Lois, I'll alert the media.

Crockett1947 said...

@dennis Cruciverb.com is where you find the puzzle the night before. C.C. and I are having a discussion about when exactly, but hopefully we'll get that resolved later today. You need to download Across Lite. See the last few posts from last night for the exchange between argyle and myself.

Glad you missed the lightening strike, or glad that the lightening strike missed you!

Jeanne said...

Good Afternoon,
Glad you missed damage from the storm, Dennis. It sure was scary here this a.m. Another line of storms is going through now but mostly to the south of us in Chester Co. also with tornado warnings. Mother Nature is beautiful and frightening at the same time.

President Carter and his wife were gracious and welcoming and posed for many pictures with all the family members. Politics were never discussed during the wedding weekend and that was a good thing. Those of us of a certain age will remember “Miss Lillian” and the pond house where she lived. That was where the wedding was held; of course, Miss Lillian wasn’t alive by that time. It was the only time of my life that I had to get clearances and have anything to do with the Secret Service. All very interesting and memorable. This was all before I had a digital camera-so if I can get my scanner working, I’ll try to post a picture.

@Skaren, did you get to Pottstown, PA last weekend? The weather was actually pretty nice which has been a rarity lately. We were at an outdoor wedding on Saturday and thank goodness the rain had ceased.

Clear Ayes said...

Thank you Al for the links to Dick and Peggy. It is interesting to follow the chain of rhyming nicknames to the latest incarnations that don't seem to be related to the original name at all.

I was one of those kids who never had a nickname, other than dropping the last syllable of my name and adding an "ie". I wanted a cool nickname, but it never happened. GAH calls my daughter "Killer", which is better than "Spidey", which he called her when she was a teenager with long thin legs. He's never come up with a cute nickname for me.

Jimmy Carter is someone I admire. His failings as President probably came about because he was too honest and ethical. I remember the huge commotion he caused in his 1975 Playboy interview, when he said he had looked on women, other than his wife, with lust and had therefore committed adultery in his heart. That is almost laughable now that we have heard about the real affairs of so many Presidents and other politicians.

Jeanne, looking forward to that photo.

embien said...

The latest version of Across Lite (2.0) is available for free download at NY Times. This version is better than the one you get from the litsoft.com website.

@Jerome made a good point yesterday about what can go into L??Y?. There are several words, besides LIBYA that fit (LLOYD, LADYS, LUCYS, etc.), but maybe they aren't of Monday-level.

Doesn't mean I like BRS as an abbreviation, though (I only ever see BDRM).

Back later to blog the puzzle. I'm on the run today.

embien said...

10:40 today. Those who have read my previous posts know that my Achilles heel is movies/Broadway shows, etc. I really struggled with this one.

I caught the theme early with IRVING BERLIN, but I didn't know any of the others, and the theme didn't help one whit with the first names of these guys.

4D: Moonshine container: STONE JUG

The only moonshine I've ever had was consumed from a MASON JAR. Living on the West Coast, we had no opportunities to see moonshining (I think of it as an Appalachia sort of thing, but could be wrong).

25D: Paella pot: OLLA

Am I completely crazy? The only paella I've ever seen cooked was in one of those large, flat pans. Paella Pan Never in a pot.

And as for EELY sushi: I love sushi and sashimi, but I have never liked unagi (freshwater eel) or anago (saltwater eel).

Eels are also a favorite food in Britain. I wonder if the British eel is related to the Japanese? Are they the same species? Wikipedia says "no". Anguilla anguilla vs. Anguilla japonica

Dennis said...

embien, I think 'BRs' really is a pretty common abbreviation. Look at any real estate ad and you'll typically see LR, DR, FR, BR, etc.

Anonymous said...

Good Afternoon All-No wonder children need all those calories with the fusing of bones going on.
One good note, my daughter had a crossbite and at age four year had an appliance put into the roof of her mouth. We took a small key and made a turn of the appliance everyday until the crossbite was alligned properly. The bones in the roof of the mouth do not fuse until a child is older, so we were spreading the bones. We kept the appliance in until the time was right and fusion was complete--voila--no more cross bite and no braces, etc. as she got older. Much cheaper and a completely permanent correction. Our orthodondist was one special person.

I have a meeting this evening, so must run. Will check back with the blog later.
Wish I was as speedy as Dennis!

Chickie

WM said...

Embien...re: Paella pan...Thank you...I forgot to mention it earlier but I thought that was a really poor clue. Paella pans are very flat and shallow and come in carbon steel and some newer styles are available in enameled metal and stainless...Paella is traditionally cooked over an open fire and the flat pan allows quick even cooking and the ability to crisp the outer edges of the rice...I thought that an olla was some kind of ceramic clay cassarole. When I saw it in the puzzle I thought...oh no, they can't really mean that, but that was the only thing that fit. I don't have a Spanish American dictionary so I can't really confirm.

Clear Ayes said...

Embien and WM...me too about the paella pan. I have a flat bottom paella pan. I can't imagine using a pot like an olla to make paella. As well as selling paella pans, this site sells ollas (scroll down near the bottom). It states that its main purpose is for steaming mussels and other shellfish.

WM said...

CA/Embien...I also checked out a local store call The Spanish Table and Paella pans are definitely different from what they are calling ollas. I googled a translation and got info that said that Ollas were usually ceramic pots used to carry water...then...for the REALLY bad news...if you google OLLA...and hit images...apparently it can be randomly used for pretty much any type of pan...in which case we have to give in to the puzzle designer or editor...personally I think that is really stretching the meaning. IMHO.

#3

SandbridgeKaren said...

Jeanne - yes we spent the weekend in North Coventry. It was 85 on Friday when we left the beach and dropped 10 degrees for each state we passed thru - by the time we got to P-town, it was in the 50's. Of course all I packed were shorts and flip flops - we were freezing Friday nite (read blanket on the bed) but by Saturday it warmed up and was indeed a lovely weekend (good for an outdoor wedding) - thanks so much for asking. We also had awful t-storms hit here today (not as bad as yours apparently) but made a major traffic mess in the tunnels. Luckily I was home and could watch Mother Nature's 'show' over the ocean and beach - she got pretty wild, as she is prone to do.

Embien - totally forgot about those Mason Jars. Yep, fits with moonshine here in the South. Actually that might be a good xword word.

So Lois what do you do for fun in the summer?

Anonymous said...

Received an answer from the Mail Tribune.
They dropped the LA Times puzzle because of a steady stream of complaints. The new one comes from Universal Press.

I sent a note and told them that after 2 days of the new one I could see they would get a steady stream of complaints about it too. Consider this one of them.

Guess I told them!!

THis dumb thing won't let me sign in.
Treefrog

Crockett1947 said...

@treefrog Welcome to the cadre that now gets their puzzle printed out from the web. As you can see from the discussion the past couple of days, there are two ways to get it: from cruciverb.com or from C.C.'s link. Pick your poison. The cruciverb link requires that you download Across Lite, and embien has a link to the latest version in his 3:43 P.M. post.

WM said...

Embien and all...I downloaded AcrossLite 2.0 and am waiting anxiously for 7 pm PST to arrive...

It looks like I can also print out several other puzzles...Cool!

I really like hard copies because I can walk away if needed and that darn time clock stresses me because I am waaaay too competitive. I'm working on that! ;o)

#4

treefrog said...

Crockett-If it was called Kandy and Kathy's Kitty Klubhouse then maybe some would quit calling it the KKK :}

Downloaded the xword stuff earlier today.

Gotta go, dinnertime!

Crockett1947 said...

OK. 7:00 P.M. PDT, and tomorrow's puzzle is available on cruciverb.com.
Knock yourselves out!!

Dennis said...

Crockett, I'm still gonna do mine from the paper in the morning, but I just tried cruciverb and I got the puzzle for today. Am I doing something wrong?

Argyle said...

Went there, it wasn't. still Tuesday.

Anonymous said...

Little guyjo enjoyed his time today at outdoor camp day care. He wasn't too pleased I didn't allow his roller blades and bike though. He said he felt like a girl. Sigh...I told him the girls would probably like to have him there. It's not hitting home yet and that's okay with me.

@Dennis, why loaners...and I always thought that BR meant "big rack" and that is why I never applied for those apartments.
I must be a novice as I thought LR meant "left right" FR meant "front right" and DR meant "doctor." I haven't had a mammogram yet but not looking forward to it, seeing I don't have a BR.

@SBKaren, I think we all know what Lois' plans are for the summer. I am sure we will read something or another about those in one paper or another :) Go Lois....

Crockett1947 said...

You need to go to the Archives. How they can archive something that isn't even published yet is beyond me, but that's where the following day's puzzle is available.

Argyle said...

Son-of-a-gun!

How'd you happen on that?

carol said...

Tarrajo..do not worry about a mammogram and a 'lack of a rack'.. they are better than they were. I don't have much of a 'rack' either but in the old days, they seemed to be able to squish any size, now, not so much. The new equipment is better..not fun, but better.

Lois, have fun you little devil! Cowboy's are looking forward to this summer and your return, so are their horses. As I said last summer: Yippee aye K-Y !! LOL

WM said...

Crockett and Argyle...Son of a gun...but it appears that C.C. was correct...we need to check back after 9 pm PDT...

That's it for me...I hit #5.

Argyle said...

Midnight here on the East Coast and the puzzle is published. (I won't say anything about the archive in case it is suppose to be mum.)

Anonymous said...

Carol, I am more miffed about the 94 bones I missed out on.