google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Sunday July 19, 2009 Alan Arbesfeld

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Jul 19, 2009

Sunday July 19, 2009 Alan Arbesfeld

Theme: Den of Thieves - CON is added to each phrase.

23A: Builder's political clout?: CONTRACTOR PULL

34A: Patronizing part of the digestive tract?: CONDESCENDING COLON

47A: Lacking partners?: OUT OF CONSORTS

60A: Oppose, while tippling?: CONFRONT LOADED

68D: Lawyer in line for a title shot: LEGAL CONTENDER

86A: "Da" or "ja"?: CONSENT ABROAD

93A: Angel on one's shoulder? MASTER OF CONSCIENCE

113A: Charge of the TV?: CONSOLE CUSTODY

Five of the CON's are prefixed to the first word, three are to the second word. Nice theme title. Reminds me of James Steward's "Den of Thieves" (a book about inside trading).

Descending colon was new to me, but CONDESCENDING part was not tough to get. LOADED is an adjective, how could it describe a verb CONFRONT?

"Da" is Russian for "yes". Russian "no" is NYET. "Ja" is German for "yes", and we have the "no" NEIN (87D: Kurt refusal?) in the grid. Good play on "curt refusal".

I had another struggle. The sheer size of Sunday puzzle just intimidated me. Also, lots of sports references in this puzzle. I can picture how Kazie reacts.

Across:

1A: Apple variety: IMAC. I thought of FUJI apple again.

5A: "Hi and Lois" pooch: DAWG. Unknown to me.

9A: Like a 112-Across game: TIED. And ONE ONE (112A: Score in a pitchers' duel). What a boring game!

13A: Chalk talk, perhaps: LESSON

19A: "Me neither": NOR I. Or the rice ball/sushi wrapping seaweed NORI.

20A: City known for lake-effect snow: ERIE. I like the new clue.

21A: Actress Skye: IONE. Wrote down IONA.

22A: Colts fullback Alan who famously scored the winning touchdown in the 1958 NFL championship game: AMECHE. No idea. Wikipedia says this guy is the cousin of actor Don AMECHE.

26A: Hair dryer brand: CONAIR

27A: Screen names, e.g.: USER IDS

28A: Pointillism marks: DOTS

29A: Race that once began in Wasilla: IDITAROD. Where does it start now? Anchorage? The terminus is Nome.

31A: Dinosaur, so to speak: RELIC

32A: Turn down: VETO

33A: "Right away, boss": I'M ON IT. Still have problem adjusting to multiple words.

41A: U.K's Gordon Brown et al: PMS. I was thinking of Labor Party.

44A: Him, to Henri: LUI. Her is ELLE.

48A: Hockey East college town: ORONO. More used to the "University of Maine town". Had no knowledge that there is even a Hockey East conference.

53A: Where to see Hamilton, informally: TEN SPOT. Did not know it's a slang for a ten-dollar bill. Sawbuck, yes.

55A: Bama rival: OLE MISS

56A: Affectedly dainty, in Dover: TWEE. No idea. It's a baby-talk alteration of sweet.

57A: Key contraction: O'ER. Francis Scott Key. National Anthem.

59A: Macho types: HE-MEN

64A: Mainland Africa's smallest nation: GAMBIA. See the map. It's surrounded by Senegal. A former British colony. I've never heard of it.

67A: Jeer leaders: BOOERS. Ah, "Cheer leader?" would be a great clue for CEE.

74A: Bothered to no end: ATE AT. And NAGS AT (95D: Bothers incessantly).

79A: Tin Woodsman's prop: AXE. "The Wizard of Oz". I only know him as the "Tin man".

81D: Being hunted, perhaps: AT LARGE

83A: Deodorant choices: ROLL-ONS

88A: Birch kin: ALDER

89A: City on the Orne: CAEN. Forgot. Might have seen ORNE clued as "Caen's river" before.

91A: Aution ending?: EER. Auctioneer.

92A: Scrub sites, briefly: ORS (Operation Rooms). Surgical scrub. Hence the TV series name "Scrubs".

100A: Old marketplaces: AGORAE. The Greek marketplace. I wrote down AGORAS.

101A: Near-eternity: AEON. Or EON.

102A: On the nose: EXACT

106A: Exurban resident: VILLAGER

109A: Toasted breakfast brand: EGGO

110A: Honda Ruckus, e.g.: SCOOTER. Not familiar with the Honda Ruckus brand.

116A: Claim holder: LIENOR

117A: Personnel list: ROTA. I forgot this word. It's British for roster.

118A: Stereotypical lab name: IGOR. The lab assistant in"Young Frankenstein".

119A: Model Sastre: INES. Wow, is this an intentional wardrobe malfunction? She is a Spanish model/actress.

120A: Burnout cause: STRESS

121A: Baseball's "Walking Man" Eddie: YOST. Hmmm, I might have this 1959 Topps reprint. Could not recall him or his nickname.

122A: Shopper's aid: TOTE

123A: "__ la vie": C'EST

Down:

1D: Run up: INCUR

2D: Meat favored by Sarah Palin: MOOSE. Brought back last year's MOOSE raves.

3D: Cellulose fiber: ARNEL. New word to me. Strange, a fiber without ON (orlon, nylon).

4D: Like ugli fruit: CITRIC

5D: Pooped out: DEAD

7D: Wilde, notably: WIT. Thought of GAY first.

8D: Crystal-lined rocks: GEODES

9D: Try to avoid detection, in a way: TIPTOE

10D: Chits: IOUS

11D: 8X10, e.g.: Abbr.: ENL

12D: Separate into fields: DELIMIT. New word to me. Sounds like "get rid of limit", doesn't it?

13D: Pre-skating chore: LACING

14D: Face with a hyphen for a nose, say: EMOTICON. :-)

15D: Ottawa NHLers: SENATORS. Twins were once Washington SENATORS.

16D: Easily recalled facial mark: SCAR. Wanted MOLE.

17D: Kent State locale: OHIO

19D: Societal klutz: NERD

25D: Uniformed campus org: ROTC

30D: Aid financially: DONATE TO

32D: Way to a man's heart?: VEIN. Couldn't cram in "through his stomach". Great clue.

35D: 2008 LA-Phila. showdown: NLCS (National League Championship Series). Phillies won of course.

36D: Pairs: DUOS

37D: Gunpowder ingredient: NITER

38D: Bounded along: LOPED

40D: Jotted down: NOTED

41D: Pal of Piglet: POOH. Winnie-the-POOH.

42D: Prospector's beast: MULE. No idea. Why?

43D: Goblet feature: STEM

48D: First watch on the moon: OMEGA. Oh, I did not know this.

49D: Set in stone: FINAL

50D: Ferret cousin: STOAT

51D: Dominate, in sports: OWN. PWN in leetspeaks.

53D: Field zebra: REF

54D: First name in legal fiction: ERLE. ERLE Stanley Gardner.

57D: __ close to schedule: ON OR

60D: Cannes showing: CINE. Cannes Film Festival.

61D: Needing a seat belt extender, say: OBESE. China is super-sizing its economy as well as its children.

63D: Sirius or Vega, e.g.: A STAR. I can never remember the star type: O, B, A, F, G, K & M (Oh, be a fine girl, kiss me).

65D: Thom __ shoes: MCAN

65D: Place to find hit records?: BOX SCORE. Great clue.

68D: Super Bowl XIV player: LA RAM. No idea. LA RAMS moved to St. Louis prior to the 1995 season, according to Wikipedia.

69D: Deadly virus: EBOLA

70D: Neuters: GELDS

71D: Low-budget prefix: ECONO

72D: "The Sound of Music" extra: NUN. Julie Andrews is in Bo Derek's "10" too.

73D: Around-the-horn MLB plays: DPS (Double Plays).

75D: Switch back?: EROO. Switcheroo. Good clue.

76D: Thickening agent: AGAR

77D: Turner and Mack: TEDS. Don't know TED Mack.

81D: Suit to __: A TEE

82D: Glacier-formed lake: TARN. Can never commit this word to my memory.

84D: Not to mention: LET ALONE

85D: Spaghetti sauce herbs: OREGANOS

86D: Winans of gospel: CECE

90D: Quite removed (from): A FAR CRY

94D: "All politics is applesauce" speaker: ROGERS. Will ROGERS is of Cherokee root.

96D: Utah state flower: SEGO. SEGO lily.

97D: "Calm down!": COOL IT

98D: Top suits: CEOS. Suit is a slang for business executive, as they often wear suit. Needs an abbreviation hint.

99D: Type of dancer: EXOTIC

103D: Say an Act of Contrition: ATONE

104D: Hands over: CEDES. Britain handed over Hongkong to China in 1997. And Portugal handed over Macau to China in 1999.

105D: It could be cheating: TRYST. Indeed.

106D: Lady __ Tenn. team: VOLS. University of Tennessee women's athletic teams. I was stumped again.

107D: Embroidered ltr.: INIT (Initial)

109D: Fangom Forest denizens: ENTS. Tolkien's talking tree ("The Lord of Rings") again. It's just clued as "Treebeard's kin" yesterday.

110D: Connery, by birth: SCOT. I liked Sean Connery in "Entrapment".

111D: Medical breakthrough: CURE

114D: Queenside castle, in chess notation: O-O-O. I know nothing about chess.

115D: It may be inflated: EGO. Saw this clue before. Still like it.

Thanks for the answers/comments, everyone.

Answer grid.

C.C.
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59 comments:

  1. ArgyleJuly 19, 2009 at 6:14 AM

    Good Sunday All,

    Just a quick note before I go for coffee: 73D is DPS and you know what that stands for. If a man is still on base or it ended a side, you wouldn't throw it around the horn though.

    What is the word count today? It seems like a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zhouqin (C.C.) BurnikelJuly 19, 2009 at 7:25 AM

    Argyle,
    D'oh! What can I say? I am a dummy. I normally don't pay attention to the Sunday word count. It does seem to have more words than the usual Sunday offerings.

    ReplyDelete
  3. HahtoolahJuly 19, 2009 at 7:38 AM

    I don't usually do the Sunday puzzle, but you all have gotten me hooked!

    Since I have a Mac computer, that is now always the first thing I think of when Apple is any sort of clue (1A). I don't really think of LACING as a chore, but it was the first word that popped into my head when I read the clue (13D).

    I was thinking of the silver screen when I read the SCREEN NAME clue, but the perps helped me realize that the correct answer was USER ID.

    Never heard the word DELIMIT before.

    C.C.: until I read your explanation, I just thought the "A" in "A STAR" was an indefinite article. Also, I must note that the guys in your picture of the SCOOTER - what HE-MEN, NOT!

    Mainiac: If you are out there today ~ our alma mater is an answer in today's puzzle. I used to tutor some of the hockey players in biology when I was an undergraduate there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ArgyleJuly 19, 2009 at 7:48 AM

    I'm back. I counted 138 entries, just 4 less than the maximum, 142.

    LOADED is an adjective, how could it describe a verb CONFRONT? I looked at it as 'confront (while) loaded' and therefore LOADED was describing the subject. A stretch? Maybe.

    The Iditarod's ceremonial start place is downtown Anchorage. They go from there to the Campbell Airstrip, where the mushers load their dogs in their dog trucks and take them to Willow the next day for the restart. Due to the growth of the area between Campbell Airstrip and Willow and the traditionally open water of the Matanuska River, it is impossible to travel this stretch by dog team.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AlJuly 19, 2009 at 8:33 AM

    Delimit is a word very familiar to people that work with database loads, especially in my specific field called data warehousing, where massive amounts (terrabytes) of data are loaded from files. One of the ways to economize is instead of producing the data fields on a given row to be fixed-width, like this
    ----   --    -----    ---
      --  ---      ---  -----
       - ----     ----     --
    You change all the multiple spaces into a single character, like a "pipe" delimiter, like this
    ----|--|-----|---
    --|---|---|-----
    -|----|----|--
    Doing that can very often cut the file size down, sometimes more than half, which then will take less disk space, less time to transfer, and less time to read while loading.

    A more common delimiter is the comma, which you might encounter in spreadsheets that are saved to be in a compatible format between different programs. CSV (comma separated value) files are readable (and editable) as plain text in programs like notepad, but are also directly readable into spreadsheet format by programs like Excel, or other non-Microsoft spreadsheet programs as well.

    I bet that just put everyone back to sleep this morning, right?

    Oh, BTW, if you ever wondered how to have multiple spaces show up in a blog (HTML) post like I did in my first example above, you need to use this string:   for every extra space you want next to another one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DickJuly 19, 2009 at 8:51 AM

    Good morning C.C. and all,...another very interesting puzzle. For the most part I was able to finish without outside help, but the perps were absolutely needed.

    I had a few false starts along the way. For 13A I had "session", for 26A I had "genair", 108A I had "leer" and I looked at 66D and penned in "store" based on the perps. These errors caused me a lot of angst, but were finally resolved. For some reason I remembered 22A "Ameche" as it came racing out of the recesses of my mind.

    I think my favorite clue was 27A "userids".

    Al, thanks for the information on "delimit".

    Hope you all have a great Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. DickJuly 19, 2009 at 8:52 AM

    Oh, BTW I thought 56A was the worst clue/answer in the puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  8. abogato@aol.comJuly 19, 2009 at 9:20 AM

    It seems that the last several puzzels have been extremely difficult. Maybe it is just me, but what do the others think about the last four or five. Also, the only rival for Alabama(Bama) fans is Auburn. While Old Miss, Tenn, Florida are part of the group; it is always the Bama/Auburn game that is the forever rival. In the State of Alabama on that afternoon, there is no one that is not glued toa TV screen. If you take a walk during the game, it is like everyone has just vanished. When, the Bear was at Alabama, we played numerous other teams in different conferences. It made for better football. But now we are stuck in the conference and its playoff. Roll Tide

    Abogato in Alabama

    also this year we will see if Coach Sabin worth four million a year

    ReplyDelete
  9. HahtoolahJuly 19, 2009 at 9:33 AM

    Abogato: Sabin coached at LSU for a number of years before leaving to take his chances in the professional arena. It wasn't long before he was back at the college level again. I must say, LSU took perverse pleasure when Sabin's team played against the LSU tigers and the Tigers won.

    Al: Thanks for the explanation of delimit.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Crockett1947July 19, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    Good morning, everyone!

    C,C., I think we were on the same wavelength today. The size of Sunday's puzzle is always a shock. But, once I get started whittling on it, I can usually slog my way through.

    Like you, I wanted an edible apple for 1A. I knew DAWG, but it took a little bit of help to fill it in. Since BUFFALO wouldn't fit in for 20A, it had to be ERIE. I also had IONA for IONE. Mainiac will like ORONO, I think.

    TWEE is still an unknown to me. I wanted ASPEN for ALDER. I also had an S on the end of AGORA. INES looks a bit over-exposed -- THANKS for the eye candy! Didn't know the Ottawa NHL name. The poor MULE was the pack animal of choice for the old prospectors -- they could carry a lot and were fairly low maintenance, if I remember correctly.

    "PWN in leetspeaks." What does that mean?

    Yes, the BOX SCORE clue was fantastic. Never heard of CECE Winans. OOO was a gimmee, but it's actually hyphenated: O-O-O.

    @al Nice explanation of DELIMIT.

    ReplyDelete
  11. KittyBJuly 19, 2009 at 10:08 AM

    Good morning, all.

    C.C., I don't know about Kazie, but the sports clues were tough for me. I eventually got all of them with help from the crosses, but it took some time to do it.

    The upper NW corner was the last to fall for me. I worked my way down the right side of the grid and then began to tease out the center.

    I wanted 'agate' where GEODE fit. The heck of it is, I knew that was wrong, but had to wait for GEODE to come to mind. My stepson gave me some beautiful geodes for Christmas, so I knew the word. Then, DAWG and ERIE fell. (I wanted Buffalo, too, Crockett.) NORI and IMAC were the last fills. Like many of you, I was looking for an edible apple. The C of CITRIC was what shifted my thinking to IMAC.

    TWEE was another word like GEODE, one that I knew that I needed time to dig out of the recesses of my memory. I don't use the word, but I've seen it in stories set in England.

    I circled clues I had difficulty with, and almost all of them were sports related, with the exception of LUI, our token French.

    All in all, this was a fun puzzle. I wasn't as intimidated as usual by the size. Evidently, the theme answers made it easier than usual.

    I hope you all have a good Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  12. ArgyleJuly 19, 2009 at 10:15 AM

    To add to Crockett's post

    42D: Prospector's beast: MULE. No idea. Why?
    The mule was able to carry large loads over rough terrain, wouldn't spook like a horse might, could get by on minimal rations, and was just as ornery as any prospector.
    One of a kind song - Mule Skinner Blues

    ReplyDelete
  13. Clear AyesJuly 19, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    Good Morning All, It has been so warm here, I had to get up at 2AM to get a glass of water. (WOW, sometimes nothing tastes as good as cool water!) While I was sipping, I decided to work online at today's puzzle for a while. I didn't finish it up until after a few more hours sleep, but I did get a head start.

    I had an error I just couldn't figure out. I had to switch to red letters to get it right. I had NOT I for 19A. That made 3D ATNEL. For all I know about cellulose fiber, it could have been correct.

    I caught on early to the CON in all the theme fills. I thought I was being clever and added it to the beginning of all the "?" fill spaces. 'Clever me' was brought up short very quickly.

    The cross of TWEE and NITER took a long time to sort out. I had NITRO to begin and TWER looked fine to me. I had to finish up CONFRONT LOADED to get it right.

    The perps came to my rescue at least 50% of the time with the puzzle. That's OK with me. Any way I can finish up is a good puzzle day for me.

    Al, I'll admit I didn't understand your DELIMIT explanation, but I was glad to see that it does exist and has a valid use.

    I've never heard of INES Sastre. I don't think the photo nipple exposure was intentional, but I not sure what to think about the doily on her head.

    Argyle, Thanks for Mule Skinner Blues. I always liked that song, but haven't heard it for years.

    There is a statue of a a 49er and his MULE not too far from here. It amazes me how those men could walk 150 miles and more, with mules in tow, from San Francisco to the gold fields in the Sierra foothills. Both the men and their mules must have been VERY ornery.

    ReplyDelete
  14. kazieJuly 19, 2009 at 12:11 PM

    Hi all!
    C.C.,
    Yes, thanks for anticipating my horror at so many sports clues. I groaned at each, but since Sunday is my day to do it online, I just played red-letter-alphabet with them until they fell in.

    Actually, I was surprised at how many of the others I really knew today. I also got the theme early, so that helped a lot. I also thought of GAY for WIT, but saw it wasn't going to work. I have no clue about TWEE, and agree that it's a weird clue/answer. Also was lost on Key contraction, but OER appeared by itself. Likewise LARAM, which I thought must be a player's name.

    LUI can sometimes actually mean "to/for him" or "her".
    There are so many different pronoun types in French:

    1. stress forms used alone or after prepositions: pour lui, pour elle (for him, her)
    2. direct pronoun objects within verb forms: je le vois, je la vois (I see him/her)
    3. indirect pronoun objects within verb forms: je lui donne un livre. (I give him/her a book.)
    4. Subject forms: il donne, elle donne (he gives, she gives)

    Al,
    Your explanation of the delimiting was like a foreign language to me, so I guess this is more of the same to many people.

    ReplyDelete
  15. kazieJuly 19, 2009 at 12:30 PM

    Forgot to mention before, I saw this article today on the uncertain fate of crosswords. Rex Parker has a comment in the section below the article.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Crockett1947July 19, 2009 at 12:39 PM

    @argyle That was a cute link. My, how times have changed, LOL!

    @clearayes I did the same with the CON and was CONfused for some time there. What doily?

    @kazie An apt comparison of the language/delimit explanations. My eyes just glass over when we get into the in-depth language stuff. It's good to know, but sometimes it's just too much for me.

    #2

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 1:04 PM

    Alan Ameche was a great fullback.

    Al, don't 'delimit' yourself.

    C.C., you look so young! very pretty too.

    I see another 'comment deleted' on todays posts. An awful lot of those lately.
    C.C., as the blog 'mistress', can you delete another's comment?

    Dennis is noticably absent lately. Looks like Argyle is filling in.

    ReplyDelete
  18. LuxorJuly 19, 2009 at 1:05 PM

    Alan Ameche was a great fullback.

    Al, don't 'delimit' yourself.

    C.C., you look so young! very pretty too.

    I see another 'comment deleted' on todays posts. An awful lot of those lately.
    C.C., as the blog 'mistress', can you delete another's comment?

    Dennis is noticably absent lately. Looks like Argyle is filling in.

    ReplyDelete
  19. WMJuly 19, 2009 at 1:12 PM

    Cooler morning...ahhh...the fog finally arrived.

    Great puzzle, and I thought easier than last weeks. Got the CON part, but fortunately left it alone until I got to the actual clue. Went back and forth to get fills. Like others, the sports clues were an issue...had everything but the 2 E's in AMECHE and guessed. Most of the rest filled with perps. Proud that I remembered the AE as plural for Agorae...and knew Iditarod from the info I posted back in March with the Palin jokes.

    All in all, not too difficult, just big! I went directly with IMAC but like CA, had NOT I at first. TWEE is often used to describe an overly fussy room...As in...our room at the B&B was just too twee...it is definitely legitimate and I have heard it used, even over here...like describing a very tiny room in an inn as bijou...quaint, and hardly room to turn around in.

    FYI...and just for today...my avatar is a photo from the skating years, pre-hockey...I was one of the managers of a local rink and we participated in these huge shows over in Fresno...this is me at about 37 years old, with our oldest daughter(at about 10, and now the 33 yr old mother of our grandchild)...I apparently threw out all the hockey photos in one of my periodic cleaning fits, but will get a photo from the friend who's daughter's party we were at yesterday...I think she still has everything and I will try for a team photo...I guess I will be the eccentric old lady in our family!

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 1:27 PM

    JDK, there is a garbage can at the end of your post. Click on it, your post will be deleted.

    ReplyDelete
  21. JDJuly 19, 2009 at 1:42 PM

    Good morning CC and all,

    This is the 1st Sunday in awhile that I've actually finished the puzzle. It was slow going, thanks to perps, red letters, G, and Bob who knows the sports. I can get the hockey and tennis clues. I actually groked the con theme early enough to help me with the last 3. Loved condescending colon, and user ID's, Alan.

    Al, you always add interesting information, although I still don't get delimit.

    Kitty B, are you a "rock" fan? Both rocks and shells fascinate me, and yes, I lug them home and put them in the garden.

    Argyle, a blast from the past.. such a happy tune :)

    WM, such a great picture! woo whee! You should keep it up for tomorrow's puzzlers, as many don't do Sunday. Please send some of your fog ( so you say) over to my side of the valley.We're wilting.

    ReplyDelete
  22. JDJuly 19, 2009 at 1:44 PM

    oh, I forgot.. while looking for Birch kin...

    ReplyDelete
  23. DennisJuly 19, 2009 at 1:46 PM

    JDK/Luxor/et al, anyone can delete their own post. The post will say 'comment deleted by author'. If C.C. deletes one, it says 'deleted by blog administrator'.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Clear AyesJuly 19, 2009 at 1:53 PM

    Crockett, LOL, I suppose the doily hat on INES Sastre's head would be the last thing most men would notice.

    WM, great photo...it ought to get all the guys here salivating. Isn't it fun to be the future eccentric old lady in your family? I'm working on the same goal.

    tarrajo, from last night. Sorry, no sons around here. But I take it as a very nice compliment that you think if I had one he would be worth your time and effort.

    JDK (luxor?) C.C. is very judicious in the use of her administrator's power, so we don't see it very often.

    Kazie, I enjoyed the crossword article you linked. What I found interesting were the comments for and against online solving. Some of the solvers are totally inflexible and even reject the notion of printing out the online puzzles...newsprint, quill and inkpot, or nothing!! :o)

    JD, looking forward to seeing a new avatar with both Truman and the new baby...(boy or girl?)

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 2:00 PM

    Hi folks,
    I'm coming out of lurk mode for just one comment.
    I enjoy reading all your posts and usually have nothing to add.
    I've noticed that many of you talk about "needing to use the perps" to get a puzzle done.
    I've always wondered why you mention this -- that's what's supposed to happen in a crossword, isn't it?
    The alternative would be to fill in every clue as you read it. That wouldn't be a fun challenge at all, don't you think?
    We're supposed to work the downs and acrosses together till we can come up with the complete solution.
    So there shouldn't be any suggestion of shame or embarrassment to "use the perps."
    What do you think?
    Thanks for your time.
    Back to lurk mode now!

    --Georgio

    ReplyDelete
  26. DennisJuly 19, 2009 at 2:09 PM

    georgio, you make a good point - but I don't know if it's shame or embarrassment, or rather just mentioning that you needed perps for a particular clue. Either way, hopefully you'll stay out of lurk mode and join the conversation frequently. You'll notice there's a lot of repetition with the posts, so don't let that stop you.

    ReplyDelete
  27. JDJuly 19, 2009 at 2:24 PM

    Reliving History:

    2781 B.C.- presumed start of the Egyptian calendar

    1692- 5 Mass. women were hanged for witchcraft( many others followed)

    1877- 1st Wimbledon tennis championship held

    1880- SF public library started lending books

    1927- Ty Cobb 4000th hit!!

    1961- TWA showed 1st inflight movie

    1985-Christa McAuliffe was chosen for the space shuttle

    1990- Pete Rose was sentenced to 5 mo. for tax evasion

    ReplyDelete
  28. KittyBJuly 19, 2009 at 2:54 PM

    JD, I never thought of myself as a "rock fan,' but I fit your description. I have unusual rocks and logs in the gardens, and thanks to my stepson and husband, rocks in the house. Whenever they find something special it ends up on my mantle.

    tarrajo, I came across these lines from Percy Bysshe Shelley: "Nothing in this world is single, all things by laws divine in one spirit mix and mingle..." I'm confident that you will find the man of your dreams. We're all rooting for you.

    WM, I love your avatar!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Crockett1947July 19, 2009 at 3:03 PM

    @luxor Besides having a posting deleted by an administrator with the notice, a post can also be deleted with no evidence left on the blog.

    @wm That is a great picture. Looking forward to seeing you in full goalie regalia (if a pic can be found).

    @clearayes I see the doily now -- it's right there above the .....

    #3

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 3:18 PM

    @luxor, dennis has the "key" to delete posts too.

    ReplyDelete
  31. LuxorJuly 19, 2009 at 4:18 PM

    C.C.,
    What if Macau and Hong Kong didn't want to be ceded to China. What could they have done?

    Niter in gunpowder is actually potassium nitrate which is saltpeter. I swear that it was put in our food in basic training(Army).

    What's with 'nun'(sound of music extra)?

    Tryst= IN-DEED

    ReplyDelete
  32. LuxorJuly 19, 2009 at 4:28 PM

    I thought so. He let it slip one day and I think on purpose. Oh well, that's what you're up against on the internet. You just don't know.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Clear AyesJuly 19, 2009 at 4:31 PM

    JD, I squinted and blinked (GAH.."Are you OK?") but I had about as much trouble seeing the Michael Jackson image in the tree stump link as Crockett had in seeing the doily.

    luxor, With the exception of the Mother Superior, the convent nuns in the musical The Sound of Music could be considered movie extras.

    ReplyDelete
  34. LuxorJuly 19, 2009 at 4:34 PM

    JDK and Luxor are the same person. One is a google blog and the other is for here. Some times it works but most of the time it doesn't.

    ReplyDelete
  35. DickJuly 19, 2009 at 4:36 PM

    @wm, I am impressed with your skating ability. My bag was always ice skating which I could do well, even if I say so myself. I used to be very good at sit spins, but a few years ago I went skating and tried a sit spin. I got down OK, but when I went to get up the knees would not respond. All I could do is wait for the centrifugal forces to stop and I fell to the ice and then stood up. A somewhat humbling experience.

    ReplyDelete
  36. LuxorJuly 19, 2009 at 4:38 PM

    I would like to go on record that anyone has my ok to delete any of my comments they wish.

    ReplyDelete
  37. DennisJuly 19, 2009 at 4:48 PM

    Rest assured that C.C. would only delete comments that were patently offensive. Outside of that, it's pretty obvious that anything goes on this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Crockett1947July 19, 2009 at 4:53 PM

    @dick I loved roller skating but could never get the hang of ice skating. Re: not having the knees respond like they used to -- getting older can be a pain in the patootie some times, can't it?

    I thoroughly enjoy watching the real ice skaters do their things. I've made it to a few Nationals and one Worlds, and they were all marvelous experiences. Even got Torvill and Dean's autographs once, but I think I mentioned that here ages ago. Bet C.C. remembers that -- she remembers a lot of things!

    Vodka to all.

    #3

    ReplyDelete
  39. HahtoolahJuly 19, 2009 at 4:56 PM

    JD, if I were going to see a face in a tree stump, I'd rather see Walter Cronkite than Michael Jackson. I don't really see anyone's face there, but I guess seeing is in the eye of the beholder. (And I know that you are not advocating that MJ's face is actually in that tree stump.)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Zhouqin (C.C.) BurnikelJuly 19, 2009 at 4:59 PM

    Luxor,
    I don't need anyone's approval. If you are the Anon, stop attacking Tarrajo. If you are not, you have nothing to worry about.

    ReplyDelete
  41. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM

    Gee, where did the day go?
    I hate to admit it, but being a Mac user from the get-go, I missed 1A. I've have 3 iMacs and missed it! Sigh.
    I think First watch on the moon was a brilliant bit of misdirection. And neither DH nor I could figure out zebra on the field even tho he played both football and baseball. That too I consider very clever. I had commuter rather than villager, so I was hopelessly lost in the SW corner.
    Tomorrow is another (easy) day.

    WM, you are not only amazingly talented but gorgeous.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  42. WMJuly 19, 2009 at 5:28 PM

    Sallie...thank you...but that was about 23 years ago...I did have my cute moments...not so much now.

    Crockett...I sent an email to my hockey friend, so, hopefully by next week, I will have some proof...it was a fun time. I still have my hockey skates, sticks and about 6 hockey balls, but threw out the photos...go figure.

    Dick...I much admire you for attempting a sit spin...I never actually ever tried that on ice skates, although I managed an occasional shoot the duck(which mostly landed me on my backside)...Still have my ice skates too, but was never much good...the daughter in the photo was quite good at that age, but it just got too expensive to pursue...the girls ended up roller speed skating(no inlines then) for years and we spent a lot of summers in Lincoln, Nebraska at Nationals...got to know that city REALLY well back then.

    Hahtool...love the new avatar...the colors are gorgeous!

    There was a lot of misdirection today in the puzzle, but for some reason I was pretty much with it...much to my surprise. I did find it a bit off that two of the themes had the CON later in the answer. I guess I like consistentcy, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment...now if all Sunday puzzles were this do-able...still trying to work my way through the week old Sunday NYT that was in our paper today...:oP

    ReplyDelete
  43. Clear AyesJuly 19, 2009 at 5:55 PM

    Dick & Crockett, I'm right with you on the way the body plays evil tricks on us as we get older. I also was a devoted figure skater as a kid and teenager. Other than still being able to skate backwards, the spins and jumps have gone away a long time ago. That's OK, I foolishly still have this 1957 skating show photo. Apparently, I have no shame and am willing to have you all take a gander at that 1957 hairdo, the 1957 show costume and the way-outdated 1957 skates.

    Hathool, ditto on the avatar. Jellyfish? or am I way off base?

    ReplyDelete
  44. DennisJuly 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM

    Clear Ayes, you look like a budding Sonja Henie.

    I always admired ice skaters. I could ski like the wind, even taught for a while, but looked like a stroke victim on skates, roller and ice.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Crockett1947July 19, 2009 at 7:09 PM

    @clearayes That is an attractive photo. I'd say you were at the top of the game in '57. Looks like jellyfish on hathool's avatar to me as well.

    #4

    ReplyDelete
  46. HahtoolahJuly 19, 2009 at 7:25 PM

    Glad you like my avatar. It is, indeed, a jellyfish. It's part of a series I did on aquatic animals.

    ReplyDelete
  47. DickJuly 19, 2009 at 7:25 PM

    @CA, You look gorgeous in the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  48. WMJuly 19, 2009 at 7:41 PM

    CA...Dennis beat me to it...Sonja Henie! That is a fabulous photo! I can imagine how difficult that pose was to hold...great upper thigh strength! I'm so glad you kept that, it is really lovely. It's fun to dig up our past once in a while, just to remember. Hubby and I spent an hour or so yesterday going through old photos just to see if I misremembered about tossing the hockey stuff...what a great trip down memory lane...and also a renewed promise to myself to get it all sorted for the girls.

    BTW.. Al@8:33 Am...all that sort of made sense, but I can't keep stuff like that in my brain for more than a few seconds, then I would have to ask again...

    Is this #3?

    ReplyDelete
  49. LuxorJuly 19, 2009 at 7:54 PM

    WM,
    just noticed your pic. you are a doll.

    CA, thanks.

    C.C., I am not the anon who is attacking tajaro or anyone else. I promise you.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Clear AyesJuly 19, 2009 at 7:57 PM

    Although Sonja was was my first true love, Tenley Albright had won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1956 and my 1957 photo pose was a copy of one I had seen her do in a newspaper photo. I was only a hero worshipping 14 year old in a local skating club revue, but thanks to all my myopic blog friends for your kind words.

    WM, How right you are. All skaters, whether roller or ice, know that it is all about the thighs!

    That's #5 for me. Have a great evening all.

    ReplyDelete
  51. FredJuly 19, 2009 at 8:44 PM

    Georgio
    Of course, you are absolutely right. Perps are meant to be used as aids in figuring out a word.
    It's part of the fun.

    ReplyDelete
  52. WMJuly 19, 2009 at 9:17 PM

    Luxor...thank you, but as I posted earlier, that person no longer exists...that was about 23 years ago and the little girl(our oldest)in the photo is now 33 and the mother of our lovely grandchild...Alas...the only doll I am coming to resemble are those scrunchy faced apple dolls...

    #4...and wine time on the West Coast. Yea!

    ReplyDelete
  53. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 10:42 PM

    Day two and going through LGJ withdrawl. I went through his closet tonight to donate clothes that he doesn't wear anymore or has grown out of. Can one of you parents out there tell me if I am crazy for sniffing his room/clothing?

    TJ time...spent it at the beach with a good book, took a dip and made a steak on the grill with fresh green beans picked this morning. Started some marinara sauce simmering and making meatballs for a friend tomorrow for dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  54. AnonymousJuly 19, 2009 at 10:51 PM

    You are a sick mom Tarrajo if you are sniffing your sons clothing...leave him where he is at. He has a better chance.

    ReplyDelete
  55. JDJuly 19, 2009 at 11:24 PM

    ha,ha,ha, anonymous, you have gotten to be a joke. I think I can actually hear your voice. It's like the Count on Sesame St!!!

    BTW, I put that silly M.J. birch tree picture only because it made me laugh. People are so strange sometimes...eh,eh,eh!

    CA, snazzy picture. My roller skating picture would be of me in my school uniform rolling my way home from school shoving a Van de Kamp glazed donut in my mouth..not pretty! I was a great skater as I lived on those wheels, when I wasn't doing front yard gymnastics or climbing trees.I learned to be a lady when I went to boarding school.

    ReplyDelete
  56. embienJuly 19, 2009 at 11:40 PM

    24:01 today. I saw the theme, but it didn't help me because of the differing CON placements.

    I'm very late today, so won't drag this out any further.

    ReplyDelete
  57. UnknownJuly 19, 2009 at 11:42 PM

    Super Bowl XIV was in 1980. That is why the LA Rams could be in it. As you mentioned, they did not move to St. Louis until 1995.

    ReplyDelete
  58. AnonymousJuly 20, 2009 at 10:54 PM

    To anon -

    Tarrajo can't compete with your immorality.

    You are a whited sepulcher, full of dead men's bones.

    And your breath stinks.

    Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha,Ha.

    ReplyDelete
  59. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2010 at 4:51 PM

    Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now. Keep it up!
    And according to this article, I totally agree with your opinion, but only this time! :)

    ReplyDelete

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