Theme: INNER EAR (38D: Balance organ that's literally found in the answers to starred clues)
20A: *1979 Sister Sledge hit: WE ARE FAMILY
30A: *Look for clues: NOSE AROUND
46A: *"Fatal Attraction" costar: ANNE ARCHER
57A: *Military treatise written by Sun Tzu: THE ART OF WAR
11D: *Decorators' suggestion: AREA RUG
Great theme. All EAR's are split between two words. Normally the unifying entry has no symmetrical partner, so I was surprised by the Down AREA RUGS entry.
I got THE ART OF WAR earlier on. Then read the clue for the tie-in 38D and noticed the organ EAR organ immediately. So I was able to filled in the other EAR's. Otherwise, I would not have got ANN ARCHER. I could only remember Michael Douglas and Glenn Close.
I like the "clue" clues in today's puzzle:
30A: *Look for clues: NOSE AROUND
36A: Clue on a weapon: PRINT
3D: Problms in ths clue: ERRATA. Both "Problems" and "this" are spelled incorrectly.
All in all, a zaftig puzzle, only 32 blocks (sometimes we have 44). Alluringly plump!
Across:
1A: Lieu: STEAD. Nice to have a gimme start.
6A: Start of a 10-Down address: HTTP. And WEB (10D: Blogger's milieu)
10A: Shakes indicating affection, perhaps: WAGS. Dogs. Cute clue.
14A: With 26-Across, city in southern Brazil: PORTO ALEGRE (26A: See 14-Across). Literally "Happy Port". See the red arrow. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says it's the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil.
15A: Operatic number: ARIA. "Number" = "song". Sometimes it's just numb-er: stuff that numbs you. Like "Dentist's number?" for OPIATE.
16A: Diamond stats: ERAS. Baseball diamond. And BAT (53A: Come to the plate)
17A: Robin's weapon: ARROW. Easy guess. Robin Hood. Initially I thought it might refer to Batman's Robin.
18A: Kemo __: SABE. The Lone Ranger.
19A: Longtime pageant host Parks: BERT. First encounter with this guy. His hair is rather thick.
23A: Trailers, e.g.: ADS. Movie trailers. Great clue.
25A: Delay: LAG. I hate internet LAG.
28A: Hormel product: SPAM. Hormel is based in MN. They used to sponsor Twins' bobbleheads.
33A: Indian state bordering Bhutan: ASSAM. The yellow region. Famous for ASSAM tea.
35A: Cheap cigar: STOGIE. Shortened from Conestoga, rural region near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. So-called because it's favored by drivers of the Conestoga style of covered wagons first made there, according to dictionary.
39A: Bellicose Norse god: TYR. Tuesday is named after him. Same pronunciation as "tear". I bet TYR did not tear up easily.
41A: Actress Kudrow et al.: LISAS. Kudrow plays the goofy Phoebe in "Friends".
42A: Justice replaced by Samuel in 2006: SANDRA. Justice O'Connor is an avid golfer.
44A: Melville's first novel: TYPEE. Oh, I did not know it's his first novel.
48A: "Gosh darn it!": RATS. Is this Taco Bell still closed?
52A: Toyota until 2006: CELICA (1970-2006). Wikipedia says CELICA is derived from Latin word coelica, meaning "heavenly" or "celestial".
58A: Pasture: LEA. Have not seen LEI for a long time.
56A:Wall St. purchase: SHR (Share).
60A: React to sad news: WEEP
62A: 1975 Wimbledon winner: ASHE. Timely Wimbledon reference.
64A: Inland Asian sea: ARAL. It's shrinking.
65A: "__ Rock": 1966 hit: I'AM A. Simon and Garfunkel song. I like their "Scarborough Fair" the most.
66A: Jon of "Two and a Half Men": CRYER. Got the answer from Down fills. Have never seen "Two and a Half Men". So the other man is Charlie Sheen.
67A: Thatcher, politically: TORY. The British Conservative party. Gordon Brown, the current Prime Minister, is of Labor Party. Churchill is a TORY too.
68A: Street asset, briefly: CRED. Street CRED.
69A: Wiesbaden's state: HESSE. Wiesbaden is the capital of HESSE. Wikipedia says Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name literally means "meadow baths".
Down:
1D: Gives rise to: SPAWNS. Awesome word, with only one vowel.
2D: Shredded: TORE UP
4D: Origin suffix: ATOR. Originator. I wonder if any constructor has tried to clue ALLY as "Origin suffix". Originally.
5D: Wooden connector: DOWEL. Nailed it today.
6D: Tries: HAS A GO AT. Also nailed this multiple word answer.
7D: Lode carrier: TRAM
8D: Leg bones: TIBIAE. The plural can also be TIBIAS.
9D: Spanish stew: PAELLAS. OK, I suppose you can call them stew.
12D: Fragrant flower: GARDENIA. Just learned that the flower is named after Alexander Garden (1730–91), an American physician. Boy, now I look at flow-er, I see river. That's what Rich Norris does to me.
13D: Retd. Air France fliers: SSTS. I like this new clue. "Retd. British fliers" would be a great clue too, since Concordes flew from London Heathrow (British Air) & Paris (Air France) to JFK.
21D: They may be diehards: FANS
22D: Seuss's king of the pond: YERTLE. I forgot. YERTLE the Turtle.
27D: More like a well-made s'more: GOOIER. Can't stand marshmallow.
29D: "Deal or No Deal" host: MANDEL (Howie). Melissa just mentioned that he has germ phobia too.
31D: Rocker Patty who married John McEnroe: SMYTH. No idea. They don't look like a couple.
32D: __ Moines: DES. And Des Moinesian.
34D: The Bosporus, e.g.: STRAIT. Also known as the Istanbul STRAIT, the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation. Approximately 19 miles long. Unknown to me.
36D: Non-commercial TV ad: PSA (Public Service Announcement). PSA also stands for Professional Sports Authenticator, the world's largest sportscard authentication service. See PSA at the very top?
37D: South American spread owner: RANCHERO. New word to me. A good way to clue ERO then. We seem to see EERO (Architect Saarinen) or EROO (Switch ending) often.
40D: Reuben holder: RYE BREAD
43D: Antiquated: ARCHAIC
45D: Rear end: PRAT. Pratfall. Carol has been using this word a lot in her comments lately.
47D: Roman emperor: CAESAR. "Veni, vidi, vici".
49D: Unfailingly: ALWAYS
50D: Flirts with: TEASES
51D: 1964 Nobel Prize decliner: SARTRE. He was probably jealous and angry that Camus got Nobel earlier (1957).
54D: Spelunker's aid: TORCH. spelunker is a great word.
56D: Hit hard: SWAT. Babe Ruth, Sultan of the SWAT. So tell me, why should Babe RUTH be in the Hall of Fame? He drank a lot during his days when drinking was not allowed. Mark McGwire used steroid when it's legal to do so.
58D: Sighed line: AH ME. Misread the clue as "Signed line".
59D: Warning to the gallery: FORE. Golf. I was once hit hard on my left arm. The guy did not shout "FORE".
61D: Practice: PLY. Wrote down TRY first.
Answer grid.
C.C.
20A: *1979 Sister Sledge hit: WE ARE FAMILY
30A: *Look for clues: NOSE AROUND
46A: *"Fatal Attraction" costar: ANNE ARCHER
57A: *Military treatise written by Sun Tzu: THE ART OF WAR
11D: *Decorators' suggestion: AREA RUG
Great theme. All EAR's are split between two words. Normally the unifying entry has no symmetrical partner, so I was surprised by the Down AREA RUGS entry.
I got THE ART OF WAR earlier on. Then read the clue for the tie-in 38D and noticed the organ EAR organ immediately. So I was able to filled in the other EAR's. Otherwise, I would not have got ANN ARCHER. I could only remember Michael Douglas and Glenn Close.
I like the "clue" clues in today's puzzle:
30A: *Look for clues: NOSE AROUND
36A: Clue on a weapon: PRINT
3D: Problms in ths clue: ERRATA. Both "Problems" and "this" are spelled incorrectly.
All in all, a zaftig puzzle, only 32 blocks (sometimes we have 44). Alluringly plump!
Across:
1A: Lieu: STEAD. Nice to have a gimme start.
6A: Start of a 10-Down address: HTTP. And WEB (10D: Blogger's milieu)
10A: Shakes indicating affection, perhaps: WAGS. Dogs. Cute clue.
14A: With 26-Across, city in southern Brazil: PORTO ALEGRE (26A: See 14-Across). Literally "Happy Port". See the red arrow. Unknown to me. Wikipedia says it's the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil.
15A: Operatic number: ARIA. "Number" = "song". Sometimes it's just numb-er: stuff that numbs you. Like "Dentist's number?" for OPIATE.
16A: Diamond stats: ERAS. Baseball diamond. And BAT (53A: Come to the plate)
17A: Robin's weapon: ARROW. Easy guess. Robin Hood. Initially I thought it might refer to Batman's Robin.
18A: Kemo __: SABE. The Lone Ranger.
19A: Longtime pageant host Parks: BERT. First encounter with this guy. His hair is rather thick.
23A: Trailers, e.g.: ADS. Movie trailers. Great clue.
25A: Delay: LAG. I hate internet LAG.
28A: Hormel product: SPAM. Hormel is based in MN. They used to sponsor Twins' bobbleheads.
33A: Indian state bordering Bhutan: ASSAM. The yellow region. Famous for ASSAM tea.
35A: Cheap cigar: STOGIE. Shortened from Conestoga, rural region near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. So-called because it's favored by drivers of the Conestoga style of covered wagons first made there, according to dictionary.
39A: Bellicose Norse god: TYR. Tuesday is named after him. Same pronunciation as "tear". I bet TYR did not tear up easily.
41A: Actress Kudrow et al.: LISAS. Kudrow plays the goofy Phoebe in "Friends".
42A: Justice replaced by Samuel in 2006: SANDRA. Justice O'Connor is an avid golfer.
44A: Melville's first novel: TYPEE. Oh, I did not know it's his first novel.
48A: "Gosh darn it!": RATS. Is this Taco Bell still closed?
52A: Toyota until 2006: CELICA (1970-2006). Wikipedia says CELICA is derived from Latin word coelica, meaning "heavenly" or "celestial".
58A: Pasture: LEA. Have not seen LEI for a long time.
56A:Wall St. purchase: SHR (Share).
60A: React to sad news: WEEP
62A: 1975 Wimbledon winner: ASHE. Timely Wimbledon reference.
64A: Inland Asian sea: ARAL. It's shrinking.
65A: "__ Rock": 1966 hit: I'AM A. Simon and Garfunkel song. I like their "Scarborough Fair" the most.
66A: Jon of "Two and a Half Men": CRYER. Got the answer from Down fills. Have never seen "Two and a Half Men". So the other man is Charlie Sheen.
67A: Thatcher, politically: TORY. The British Conservative party. Gordon Brown, the current Prime Minister, is of Labor Party. Churchill is a TORY too.
68A: Street asset, briefly: CRED. Street CRED.
69A: Wiesbaden's state: HESSE. Wiesbaden is the capital of HESSE. Wikipedia says Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name literally means "meadow baths".
Down:
1D: Gives rise to: SPAWNS. Awesome word, with only one vowel.
2D: Shredded: TORE UP
4D: Origin suffix: ATOR. Originator. I wonder if any constructor has tried to clue ALLY as "Origin suffix". Originally.
5D: Wooden connector: DOWEL. Nailed it today.
6D: Tries: HAS A GO AT. Also nailed this multiple word answer.
7D: Lode carrier: TRAM
8D: Leg bones: TIBIAE. The plural can also be TIBIAS.
9D: Spanish stew: PAELLAS. OK, I suppose you can call them stew.
12D: Fragrant flower: GARDENIA. Just learned that the flower is named after Alexander Garden (1730–91), an American physician. Boy, now I look at flow-er, I see river. That's what Rich Norris does to me.
13D: Retd. Air France fliers: SSTS. I like this new clue. "Retd. British fliers" would be a great clue too, since Concordes flew from London Heathrow (British Air) & Paris (Air France) to JFK.
21D: They may be diehards: FANS
22D: Seuss's king of the pond: YERTLE. I forgot. YERTLE the Turtle.
27D: More like a well-made s'more: GOOIER. Can't stand marshmallow.
29D: "Deal or No Deal" host: MANDEL (Howie). Melissa just mentioned that he has germ phobia too.
31D: Rocker Patty who married John McEnroe: SMYTH. No idea. They don't look like a couple.
32D: __ Moines: DES. And Des Moinesian.
34D: The Bosporus, e.g.: STRAIT. Also known as the Istanbul STRAIT, the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation. Approximately 19 miles long. Unknown to me.
36D: Non-commercial TV ad: PSA (Public Service Announcement). PSA also stands for Professional Sports Authenticator, the world's largest sportscard authentication service. See PSA at the very top?
37D: South American spread owner: RANCHERO. New word to me. A good way to clue ERO then. We seem to see EERO (Architect Saarinen) or EROO (Switch ending) often.
40D: Reuben holder: RYE BREAD
43D: Antiquated: ARCHAIC
45D: Rear end: PRAT. Pratfall. Carol has been using this word a lot in her comments lately.
47D: Roman emperor: CAESAR. "Veni, vidi, vici".
49D: Unfailingly: ALWAYS
50D: Flirts with: TEASES
51D: 1964 Nobel Prize decliner: SARTRE. He was probably jealous and angry that Camus got Nobel earlier (1957).
54D: Spelunker's aid: TORCH. spelunker is a great word.
56D: Hit hard: SWAT. Babe Ruth, Sultan of the SWAT. So tell me, why should Babe RUTH be in the Hall of Fame? He drank a lot during his days when drinking was not allowed. Mark McGwire used steroid when it's legal to do so.
58D: Sighed line: AH ME. Misread the clue as "Signed line".
59D: Warning to the gallery: FORE. Golf. I was once hit hard on my left arm. The guy did not shout "FORE".
61D: Practice: PLY. Wrote down TRY first.
Answer grid.
C.C.
71 comments:
Good morning, C.C. and gang - well, I breezed through the top part of this one, but got stuck in the SW for a bit. The theme answers all came relatively easy, but didn't see the tie-in until 'inner ear' finally fell.
I thought 'street cred' was a good one. Needed a few letters to get Bosporus 'strait' and 'Yertle' the turtle. Cleverest clues for me was 'shakes indicating affection, perhaps', and 'problms in ths clue'. Enjoyed seeing 'prat' again, as it's become part of our blog lexicon.
We're leaving this afternoon to go to Atlantic City; we got comped a room at the Borgata casino, so we're gonna run down and stay a day or two. I'm hoping to hit one of the poker rooms around midnight and play most of the night, so I may or may not be here tomorrow morning, depending on my luck at the tables. I'll take a laptop anyway. Friday will be spent cruising down the coast to Wildwood/Cape May, then we'll just play it by 'ear' as to what we do. What's everybody doing over the holiday?
Today is I Forgot Day and World UFO Day.
Today's Words of Wisdom: "During my eighty-seven years, I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions; but none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual, or the ability to think." -- Financier Bernard Baruch
Fun Facts for Thursday:
- The sound effect for the light sabers in Star Wars was recorded by moving a microphone next to a television set.
- If you were to count off one billion seconds, it would take you 31.7 years.
Good Morning, C.C. and all other comers,
Re: RANCHERO, someday we might run into this Ranchero.
The Ford Ranchero was a car/truck produced between 1957 and 1979. Chevrolet brought out its El Camino in 1959.
Good morning C.C. and all, a real struggle for me today. I never really got a foot hold anywhere in the puzzle. The entire solve was very splintered with several trips to the G spot. Just not a fun puzzle today. My favorite clue today was "Reuben holder" and "We are Family". "We are Family was the theme song for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 when they won the world series from Baltimore.
Dennis I hope you win the big pots at the casinos this week end.
I will go to our mountain camp as my wife's friend from China and her husband will visit with us for the weekend. It should be interesting as she likes shooting so we will be doing some target practice.
Hope you all have a great week end a very safe and sane fourth of July.
See ya on Tuesday.
Had to google to get PORTO ALLEGRE, ASSAM, SANDRA, ANNE ARCHER, CELICA, SMYTH and STRAIGHT. I wasn't thinking of a body organ but of a musical instrument so I INNER EAR was one of my last fills, after getting all the theme fills and beimng unable to see what they had in common.
Kazie,
I've seen women wear pants here with "JUICY" written across their bottoms. I guess its one way to say "Look guys, I actually have a bottom!" I suppose there are T-shirts with a similar message. I suppose the analogy is with fruit: some men go for grapes, some men want watermelons and I'm happy with oranges and grapefruit. :)
Martin
Good Morning, C.C. and all!
Dennis, I really like today's WOW. Have a great time this weekend.
I finished the puzzle (with red letter help) in 19 minutes, a sign that this was a bit harder, but still do-able.
I wouldn't have gotten PORTO ALEGRE without the perps, and I was thinking of diamond rings, not baseball diamonds. 'Stats' should have directed me. ASSAM was an easy guess, but I didn't know it bordered Bhutan.
C.C., that link to the rats at Taco Bell was chilling to watch! Those rats were really sleek and well-fed! EWWWWWW!
My favorite S & G song is "Bridge Over Troubled Water," with "Cecelia" a close second. *G*
My father's family came from Hesse Castle, Germany, so HESSE was a gimme.
I needed perp help to get started on TIBIAE. I was thinking about the arm bones which show up so frequently (radius).
I have no idea who Patty Smyth is. McEnroe is not one of my favorite people.
In my college years I was a news announcer and classical music host for the college radio station, and I had to read PSAs, so that was a gimme.
I didn't know that SARTRE declined a Nobel Prize. Seems like a rather petty thing to do.
My plans for the weekend are rather fluid, having mostly to do with family. Tomorrow night I'm hosting a pot luck dinner for my quilting bee, so I'm off to do more weeding, trying to get the gardens into shape before they arrive.
Have a good day!
@ IrishJim from Tuesday, we played at Oyster Bay and Mooreland at the Legends. Loved the Moorlands with the deep deep bunkers and I seemed to have visited most of them.
Too bad Mr. Muller didn't get Bob Segar's hit into the mix.
LikE A Rock
@C.C. Your comment on 12D (Fragrant flower) made me think up this tricky clue:
Smelly flower: _ _ _ R
Good morning fellow puzzlers-Had only 1 snag this morning-Had a "u" instead of an "e" in yertle.
Does anyone do the LAT Sunday Calendar and Magazine puzzles? It seems Sylvia Bursztyn has gone awol. Anyone know why?
Scooter
Good morning, C.C. and Gang,
I spent a lot of time at the G.spot today, about the same as Martin. I really don't care for clues about celebs, movie stars, musical hits, etc.
I went awry with Sun Tzu, wanting theory instead of the art. It fit nicely with rye bread and oh me, which I had for 58D.
Like others, I could remember only Glenn Close from "Fatal Attraction".
I got the theme answer right away because I used to have balance problems and knew they originated in the inner ear. I had tibias instead of tibiae, which caused some difficulties. Sandra threw me off because my mind was centered on last names. I wanted starts instead of spawns.
My conclusion is I could have used a lot of red letter help today. That would have saved me some Googling time.
No plans for the weekend other than trying to keep my lawn alive.
Good luck and skill at the tables, Dennis. Do they play a lot of Texas Hold'em there or do they play real poker?
Good morning CC et al., Like Dick, this was a hard one and am short on time, so had to fold. Will be leaving the frontier in a few hrs, if my flight isn't cancelled,like American has been doing lately.
Safe travels, Dennis. Hope you wipe 'em out at the tables.
Dick: what kind of guns? That sounds like so much fun. Be safe.
I'm supposed to spend the 4th on a boat with friends in the Bay watching the fireworks of various locales. Should be fun...if I get there in time. Know the horses are sorry to see me go.
Enjoy this gorgeous day.
Good Morning everyone! First time commenting here. Enjoy working this puzzle and the Wash. Post as well. Never liked McEnroe's behavior but he was a wizard of a shotmaker. Played wonderful matches with Borg in the '80's.
Hi to all!
I had more luck in the bottom half today and went back to the top afterwards. Got inner ear quickly, and that helped on the theme answers. Had to g'spot ANNE ARCHER, PORTO ALEGRE, MANDEL and SMYTH. Lots of the rest were guesses. In 3d, I was looking for a way to say that E was missing (E'S GONE) at first.
Favorite was WAGS. I also had TRY at first for 61D.
HESSE is Wisconsin's sister state, and that is why our school partnership program that I ran for 16 years was with a school there. There are many castles there, one of which was our sister school's main building.
c.c.,
You should watch "Two and a Half Men". It's the funniest show on TV and my only "can't miss" item every week.
Is tyro related to TYR? It begs the question, doesn't it?
Simon and Garfunkel are one of my faves from that era, but one night in an Amsterdam hotel room next to a bar with a very loud jukebox almost turned me off them for life. I still think of it each time I hear Cecilia.
Martin,
Glad you saw a connection to what I said yesterday.
Zebradan, welcome to the group. I also watched some of those McEnroe/Borg matches; they were truly some of the best tennis ever played.
CC: My gardenia bush is in full bloom. Here, they are often called "cake jesmins" (Cape Jasmine). Patio smells heavenly.
Puzzle just isn`t the same on line and printer is "on leave" ( actually AWOL.)
Dennis: If it`s not too personal, are you and the Love of your life DINKS? (Double Income No Kids) Either way, buy Boardwalk and collect $200 every time you pass "go" and always play the "racecar!" In honor of UFO day: Did I ever tell you about my alien abduction...
Jeannie; Thank you. Thats how I felt when you wanted to resign. :)
Welcome, Zebradan!
People coming all weekend starting today...doing kabobs, ribs and the pool..."see" all of you next week.
Well, I finished the puzzle with alot of red letter help and some g-spotting. Some very clever clues today IMHO. Wags, Fore, ERAs, print to name a few. Luckily I got Tyr from the perps as I have mentioned before I lack in knowledge about mythology. My g-spots today were Assam, Sandra, and Typee.
Fun to see Spam in the puzzle. Hormel is located in Austin, MN and there is a really neat museumall about Spam. The first Saturday of every month LGJ and I pick a theme dinner for Saturday night. He picked a luau theme once so I made a roasted pork loin and our appetizer was skewered fresh pineapple and Spam kabobs. Not sure if you knew this or not but Hawaii is the biggest consumer per capita of Spam. He didn't care at all for the coconut milk. I should have sent that your way Clearayes for your pina coladas.
Lois catch your plane so you can catch your boat.
Dennis I am sure you will knock 'em dead. Just put on your best poke'er face.
Is it my imagination, or is this the toughest Thus puzzle ever? Made it through, but it was a slog.
If they were going to ease up to make the puzzle more accessible to the unwashed masses, this is a major strategic error. The entire week has been unusually hard each day.
Good theme. I wanted MiDDLE EAR, but couldn't make it fit. INNER is actually better for the theme, I just realized. Tres clever.
C.A. Thank you for the nice compliment.
If anyone can get to Plymouth, MI the concert is at 8:00 tonight in Kellogg Park - the annual 4th of July Patriotic program, and sure to please. I'm hoping the weather will break. it's getting brighter out. It's been dicey all week here.
Yard work awaits. Gotta run.
Cheers1
Good Morning All, Most of the answers came fairly easily, although I relied on the perps quite a bit. At least there was no g-ing and everything was filled in by the time I came here.
TYPEE is another of those more obscure Melville novels. I think I posted a photo showing my copy of three novels For future reference, the lesser known Polynesian novels are TYPEE, OMOO and MARDI. I don't think Mardi has shown up yet, but it may.
Off to town this morning. I'll check in later.
This puzzle was an utter disaster for me. Literally slapped my head when I figured out "Sandra" as the answer for "Justice replaced by Samuel". I couldn't figure out why O'Connor wouldn't fit in the puzzle.
Kept thinking "Like A" for 65A: ___ Rock. Argyle and I seem to be on the same wavelength on that one.
Enjoyed the "Reuben holder" clue.
C.C., Babe's drinking is overlooked because alcohol is not viewed the same way as steroids. It's socially acceptable, and we view people who drank during Prohibition (violating the Constitution, no less!) as not really breaking the law. Also, drinking doesn't really give one a competitive edge like steroids does.
Jazzbumpa, good luck with the concert tonight! I hope it does clear up because the weather has been fairly uncooperative. The fireworks I saw last night were partially obstructed by the rain and the fact that the smoke just sat there. But that's Michigan for you, hot and sunny one day, cold and dreary the next.
Didn't have time to check in yesterday. Just caught up with it.
Good thing I didn't have coffee in my mouth when I read about Vern' sympathy card:}
I've been printing out the LAT puzzle. But, also doing the new one in our newspaper. Crap, I'm finding it just as hard as the LAT. Guess I need to email them again and complain.
Needed help with Tyre, Smyth. Also had no clue about Sun Tzu.
I usually say more than 'Rats'. Burst out laughing over Prat. Acutally, didn't need that much help. What a shock.
Been up since 5. Hubby had an early meeting. Kids are coming to swim.Oh yeah, gotta buy fireworks. Sooo, I guess I better get off my prat and get dressed.
Hi C.C. & ...
A tough puzzle with real clever clues e.g. I liked the Retd. Air France fliers clue too.
For Dennis: Borgata
ATLANTIC CITY - And the new Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa chef is … Danny Veltri. The self-proclaimed "hick" not only earned celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's praise and title of "Hell's Kitchen" Season 5 winner, but Veltri also earned a chef's job at Borgata.
Linda, yes, we're DINKs. We both realized early on that neither one of us wanted kids badly enough to give up our freedom/spontaneity. Fortunately for us, we've never regretted the decision; I can't imagine our life being any better than it's been for the past 21 years.
tarrajo, I'll be sure to practice the face.
whereswebb, if you're gonna be on the same wavelength with someone, argyle's a good one.
treefrog, good luck with the fireworks -- I wish to hell we could buy them here.
Warren, thanks for the link. We have reservations at Fornelletto tonight (yes, we watched Hell's Kitchen), although I doubt we'll see Danny. I imagine he's a bit busy as sous chef at a new restaurant, but you never know.
Good morning C.C. and all. This was no "gimme" for me. I drew a lot of blank stares until I got down to "We are Family", a song I learned to disco dance to. Due to many bouts of seasickness I knew all about the "Inner Ear", and then fills became a bit easier. I still struggle with the literary clues, even though we've seen these before; I just can't seem to remember them.
So for me, Dennis, EVERY day is I Forgot Day!
Tarrajo: my boys loved Spam. Back in their Dr. Seuss days I used to entertain them by fixing up a batch of "Green Eggs and Spam" by adding some pesto to scrambled eggs (and Spam chunks, of course).
Tarrajo and Dennis,
Am I right in thinking that in distinguishing between the "poker face" and the "poke'er face", one would be quite a bit more expressive than the other ?
windhover, yeah, there'd certainly be more depth of expression in one over the other.
Good morning CC and all,
Clever theme; didn't get it until I came here.Sigh
Doable, but not so much fun today. G'd more than I like.Did not fill in the s for eras/ssts, or Tory or cred.Nothing stood out, no spark.Will some one explain the connection of spleunker/torch?
Loved watching tennis in the days of Ashe, Connors,Borg, Lendle and even McEnroe.I do enjoy the Williams sisters, and hope they are both in the final.THEY ARE!!
Good goin', Venus!
Tarrajo, I love that you have a theme night dinner? I guess we know this Sat.'s theme.
Whatever you do, wherever you go, be safe.All hands on deck...Lois ..
Vern, funniest sympathy card ever!
Wm, I'm sooo excited to see your paintings!!!!
JD, most spelunkers, or cave hunters, use some type of 'torch' to illuminate, whether it be fire or simply a flashlight. I think 'torch' is what the English call a flashlight.
A couple of walks down memory lane for me in the blog today.
My mom used to dip sliced SPAM in a beaten egg and then dredge it through some finely ground cracker crumbs before frying it. She did the same with eggplant. We thought the eggplant was meat with seeds in it. Loved em both.
CC: I have also been hit with a golf ball. I was on the green waiting my turn to putt when some knucklehead teed off thinking he couldn't hit it that far. At least that's what he said. He didn't yell "fore." The ball caught me right on the side of my knee. I had to be carried off the green.
Doreen
Morning all, Late start today. Can't claim this one in the W column. Re PA: no IOUs just no pay after 7/24. See Yahoo News(US). Gov Rendel wants a 16% tax hike. I'll open a gmail account. What is one more? Happy for Loons. Only shoot wildlife with a camera. Drift in and out on sloughs with the tides. Thanks to all for tips and answeres.Out of space again.
Eddy B,
Would it make a difference if you went blue?
Dennis,
You're right about "torch" in British English. It took me quite a while to get used to some of those different words for common things.
Jeannie,
Thanks. She's still battling on, but has found a sympathetic law firm that may get her moving in the right direction.
Doreen (I've been meaning to tell you how much I like your name) and Tarrajo:
Your memories of Spam are much more pleasant than mine. Rather than a theme meal day, every Tuesday was "Spam Casserole Day" when I was living at home. I left home to go to college in 1962 at the age of 16. I have never tasted Spam since that day. If I crawled out of the desert and there was a can of Spam lying at the edge, I would keep crawling. If I was stranded on a desert island, and a can of Spam washed ashore, I would throw it back.
OTOH, I would crawl INTO the desert, or parachute TO the island, for a bowl of that ice cream. No accounting for taste, is there?
#2
Hi all...did the puzzle last night again and I was dead tired from hanging the show and running errands, and thought I might have to finish it this morning. A very careful dance all over the grid as the strangest things popped into my head. Got RYE BREAD right off and the middle and right hand side then started filling in the bottom and working up...thanks to CA TYPEE was a gimme, ANN ARCHER came out of the ether as did SANDRA, THE ART OF WAR, SARTE and HESSE.Thanks to C.C. the other day I said Aha, and promptly filled in TYR, at least no worms today. ASSAM tea is my all time favorite with Green Tea a close second...my Dr. has me drinking at least 2 large cups of Greetn Tea every day for the anti-oxidents.
Once I got ALEGRE I guessed at PORTO and then the top fell in place. Again, I was watching CSI, so wasn't totally focused on the puzzle. I have to agree with others that this has been a rather tough, but doable week and I am concerned that the puzzle may be dropped again due to whiners...C'mon Rich...give us a fighting chance to keep the puzzles. I definitely don't want dumb, but at least Tue and Wed should have gone more quickly.
WH...when we were young, fried Spam sandwiches with melted Kraft cheese...it never got used any other way.
Well...at this point, my lists have sub lists so have to get busy, plus we have mural meeting sandwiched in today...they liked the newest panel and the building is nearing completion, so I may have gotten this art show out of the way just in time.
Mom called from the hospital and they are sending her home today. Surgery was Monday and they are impressed at how well she is doing...so had to get all that scheduled before I go pick up my car.
We are having most of the family over for a huge BBQ Sat and they do a fabulous fireworks show about 2 blks away! It has become a tradition and so, even with the show Friday night, we couldn't really cancel out as it has become a sort of tradition.
To all the locals that are coming tomorrow night, I am excited to meet you all face to face!
Dennis...like the WoW and everyday is also for me I Forgot Day...I seriously have the CRS disease...
Happy 4th to everyone and I might miss tomorrow.
A few random thoughts.
SPAM - yycktchhhhh!
The reason you don't have a G# Major scale is that it would require 8 sharps. This is rather inconvenient, since there are only 7 notes.
Actually, it's not impossible to construct the scale (though the key signature does not exist): G# A# B# C# D# E# F Double #.
It's so much easier to HAVE A GO AT iT with (the enharmonic equivalent) Ab (only 4 flats!)
Dbl #'s and b's actually exist. The double sharp sign is an X-ish looking thingee with flat serifs on all the limbs.
G# minor is real. Only 5 #'s (Whoohoo!)
Anybody still awake?
6D reminded me of a Raymond Carver story, "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please" Combine this with our new best friend ATIT and you get HAS A GO AT iT. In the story, a young lady named Marian confesses to her husband her adulterous liaison with a guy name Mitchell Anderson. The two are parked in his car and he says, "Would you like to have a go at it?"
Probably the only time in history that line ever. succeded. Julianne Moore plays Marian in the movie SHORT CUTS. The confession scene is unbelievably intense.
Cheers!
WR
批發
seo
網路行銷
C.C.- A hidden word in a puzzle MUST be split between words in all theme answers, or contained in one word in all theme answers. You can't have it both ways in a puzzle. Immediate rejection! I committed that mistake...only once!
Kaiser, Tsar and Czar are derived from the word Caesar.
Gooier is not only a fun word, it's also unusual. How often do we see a word with 4 consecutive vowels?
Jazzbumpa- Can I buy YOU an ice cream cone?
13:35 today. Easy, breezy puzzle for a Thursday. Since I solve downs first, I got the theme almost immediately with no crosses (I'm very sensitive to ear-related stuff since I have a minor hearing loss in my right ear).
PORTO ALEGRE and ANNE ARCHER were my only unknowns, but I channeled @scooter in putting in YURTLE first (I've never seen it written out before).
I was surprised to read here that others found the puzzle so difficult--maybe it was just on my wavelength.
@tfrank: Do they play a lot of Texas Hold'em there or do they play real poker?
Actually, Texas Hold'em is far and away the most popular (and richest) poker game in the world. You'd be hard-pressed to find a major tournament playing much else these days (WSOP excepted and the odd Omaha, 7-card stud or deuce-seven triple draw lowball tourney).
CC: Nice story on Joe Mauer in yahoo sports today.
kazie: I sure hope so.
Want to try out my new Nikon D60 at
a NWR. Found a 30 yr old photo in my Gettysburg and Antietam folder.
Thought I had lost that one. Used to devel and print my own BW film.
Should be blue next time.
Hello All--I had to do a lot of Googling today as musical hits, celebs, and movie stars don't come easily. I struggled and pulled out a lot of hair.
I thought Reuben holder and Shakes indicating affection were two of the best clues today.
Would you believe we had Spam Sandwiches for dinner last night?! These are a holdover from my girls' teenage years. Grind up Spam, sharp cheese, dill pickle and onion--bind all together with mayo and a bit of Dijon and put open faced into oven on white bread and bake until the cheese is melting. We haven't had these for eons and was surprised at the Spam clue today.
I know, some will say "YUK" but my husband said he would like to have them for a change--so......
Have a wonderful holiday everyone. Our neighborhood has a great parade--40 years now, with floats, marching bands, and lots of bicycles, tricycles, and red wagons. It is truly an all american tradition. After the parade there are races, games, and a BBQ at our local swim club.
I've decorated our front porch with bunting as have many of my neighbors.
I just couldn't resist - Spam
One of the best from the MP crew!
Good afternoon C.C. and all. Because I have been away I missed your birthday, C.C., and do hope you have a wonderful year ahead.
I was in Chisago City for a reunion with my son & his wife who live there and my other son & his wife who live in Manhattan. We had a wonderful time, and my DH of 11 years, who is obviously not their father, had a great time too. So no LAT puzzles, but my sons and I had fun jointly doing some old NY Times puzzles that were lying around in son's cabin in WI where we spent the weekend.
Having just returned, our plans for the 4th are to chill out here in Naples (if one can be said to chill out in 85 or 90°.)
It was great to get back and see all your comments.
Have a safe and happy fourth, everyone.
Reliving history:
1843- an alligator fell from the sky during a thumderstorm in Charleston,SC.I did not make this up!
1937- Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific
1955- Lawrence Welk premiered on ABC
1961-Hemmingway shot himself to death
1966- Billie Jean won her 1st of 6 Wimbeldon titles.
Today, for anyone in the Chicago area
Dennis, have agreat trip! Thanks for info. I had a sr. moment confusing a spelunker with a dowser.
Hi All:
Hunters have always amazed me. A good friend (hunter) arrived for a golf outing very upset about hitting and killing a bird with his car. He was shook up for hours. Later he related a tale of how he spread apples on the ground, climbed up into a tree blind and proceeded to blow away a deer. Am I missing something?
Hi everyone, Picture will have to wait untill I learn how to upload and link. Is anyone else an IRL fan? Tony George was fired by mother and sisters today. He used to run IMS and IRL. Now have a gmail account as you can tell. No more room to comment though. Wil keep typing to see what happens when I reach the bottom of the block. In the 80s now. It will be nice to sit in the canoe. When I reached the bottom, I was given a few lines.
Jerome -
Mmmmm. Ice cream. Tell you what. Since it's highly unlikely our paths will ever cross, and I - by hook or by crook - WILL has ice cream tonight; (cone, bowl, sundae ??? TBD) when I take the first bite, I will toast you with it.
Weather here is still uncertain. Overcast and cool, but not too threatening - though that can change in a minute. We like to get to the park early. There are usually about 100 people in lawn chairs or on blankets an hour before we start: little kids, big kids, adults and seniors - and, of course, my grandchildren. An all-around great time!
If it don't rain.
#3, I think.
Cheers! (and off, hoping for the best)
WM, your posts are ridiculously long.
Afternoon CC and all..
Found todays c/w relatively easy for a Thurs. Had to G spot Porto Alegre. As embien says we were on the same wavelength..
Favourite clue 10A .. shakes indicating affection perhaps.
Always enjoyed McEnroe as gutsy tennis player but think he is terrific as a commentator. His interview with Federer after French Open was superb.
Have never been hit by someone else's golf ball, did however hit myself from a ricochet off a root right in the temple. No damage Thank goodness, thick headed Irishman.
Dick, Legends is the closest golf course to where I live. Have never played there. Usually play Myrtle Beach National..
Happy 4th to all.
Jimmy, s Carolina.
Jazzbumpa- I'm trying to shake a couple of pounds so I've given up ice cream and replaced it with beer. I'll throw a toast your way in about 2 hours.
I got hit in the prat with a golf ball once. I should have been far enough away, but it came whizzing by.
I despise SPAM.
WM-I really enjoy your long posts:}
Temp probably hit 100 today. At least that's what our thermometer says.
We have several 4th of July parades around here. Ashland, Central Point and Eagle Point. A highlight is when 2 jets from Kingsley Field in K Falls do flyovers. We don't go to the parade, but we run out of the house to see them. From here they go to the coast.
JD believe or not LGJ chose Chinese in honor of C.C. I am not a takeout fan so tomorrow I am attempting to make egg rolls and we'll probably end up with some sort of stir fry...C.C. any help would be appreciated. We try to keep as authentic as possible.
WH...try the Spam kabobs, they were really quite tasty. Good catch on the poke'er face; and yes one must put one on to win the prize.
JB thanks for a new idea to use up my basil...It's running wild and bushinp up. I make pesto, but I never thought of adding it to scrambled eggs.
Anon 4:59...take some time to read WM's posts. You might learn something.
windhover, I had many a spam casserole too; not too anxious to see another one.
Jazzbumpa, just when my headache was going away...
tfrank, yes, a lot of Texas Hold'em down here; I'll play a bit of that, but I do best at straight draw poker.
C.C., I just saw in the hotel gift shop that Joe Mauer's on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
3 of Four, I could watch Monty Python clips all day.
anon@4:59, your posts are ridiculously short.
Kittyb, Yes to favorite Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water and Cecilia. It is almost impossible to hear and not get up and dance to this.
For Paul Simon, on his own, just about anything from his Graceland album is tops with me.
tarrajo, LOL, coconut milk is a taste that is acquired with age. LGJ has plenty of time to like all kinds of weird things.
Doreen, my mom did the same thing with Spam. We all looked forward to "Spam Night". OTOH, I think giving up certain food can be an age acquired taste. A few years ago I bought a can of "low salt" Spam. It was still so salty we couldn't eat it.
3 of 4, You beat to the well-known and either loved or detested Spam sketch. Anything MP is great as far as I'm concerned.
Vern, I'm liking your stories.
To anyone with a limited attention span, the best way to handle longer posts, or posts you don't understand, or posts you think are boring...just arrow past them. Problem solved.
What! No C.C. today?
3of4--Loved the MP clip. John SPAM Cleese is one of my favorites.
Thanks.
Anonymous at 4:59 P.M.: WM always has something interesting to say in her posts.
Dennis: Enjoy your time in Atlantic City. Poker is out of my realm, but knock 'em dead.
Jerome, could you clarify whether or not Like a Rock would have been acceptable for today's puzzle?
Usually post early - kind of nice to do it late and read thru everything you guys have written. Always enlightening, entertaining, educational and lots of just plain funny stuff. Needed some g-ing with the puzzle but not as bad as at first glimpse. Got that 'prat' right away - won't ever forget that one. Started with Glenn Close instead of Anne Archer but quickly realized that mistake. Everything else has already been said.
3ofFour - loved MP and spam. Martin - still laughing at the fruit comment - interesting what kind guys prefer - watermelon size is just more than I can comprehend but it must be okay with some guys.
Lois - where are you 4th-ing - the bay thing? Assume you're back in town?
I live on the water and our local area has a parade - they assemble in the water directly behind my house and then parade up and down the local canals for a couple of hours until dark when we have a massive display of hugely illegal fireworks. Of course plenty of adult beverages are consumed by boaters so it's pretty funny watching them try to anchor and avoid collisions. It's also pretty funny watching the results of all that beverage drinking - I have a bathroom off my pool area that's always VERY popular. Also have company coming so may miss the next few days.
Dennis - best of luck in AC - take'em for all you can. Do you play a lot?
HAPPY 4TH TO ALL and again, Happy B-day on the 5th to Linda.
Argyle- LIKE A ROCK would not work in this puzzle for two reasons.
1- EAR splits 3 words in LIKE A ROCK. In the other theme entries it splits only 2.
2- LIKE A ROCK has 9 letters. The theme letter pattern in today's puzzle is- 11,10,11,10 for the across answers, and 8,8 for the down answers. A nine letter entry screws up the pattern.
However, it occurs to me that the phrase, LIKE ARGYLE would fit perfectly with its 10 letters!
Thank you.
Tough puzzle. Once again got about 2/3 without red letter help. Didn't remember Anne Archer at all, but got her with perps. I should know TYR by now as my kids have their swimsuits. Maybe they should clue it as a brand vs. a Norse god. Then I would figure it out. It was fun to work on when I had time.
Spent hours at the SSA getting a new card for my hubby today. Don't lose that. It is a pain. Had to have it to sign a new cellphone contract as we have a fraud alert on our account. What a pain it all was.
Unfortunately my weekend is going to be spent attending to my 17 year old. He gets his wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow am. Won't be too fun for him I would say.
EddyB congrats getting online. I have a Nikon D60 too - I love it.
My funniest hit by a golf ball story. My friend and I used to play with golf in league with a super crabby lady. Always hated being paired with her (why golf if it isn't fun?). My friend was hitting, and she was standing next to her. We warned her that she could shank it and hit her, but she wouldn't budge. What do you know, the ball went straight sideways and hit her in the crotch. It was so incredibly hard not to laugh.
CC - do you have your tickets to the PGA yet? I have to get on board and get mine.
Finally got a moment to my self...got everyone fed and a place to sleep...
SBKaren, thanks for the BD wishes...
Tarrajo: Tempura is always good with Chinese, and it`s easy to make.
On the spam thingy: Slice it an inch thick...slather it it prepared mustard...dredge in cornflake crumbs...put on a cookie sheet and top with a canned pineapple slice and bake 25 min. in 350 degree, preheated oven...Don`t knock it til you try it!
Busy day tomorrow and Sunday...Have a safe Fourth everyone.
tarrajo, I took an Chinese cooking class a few years back and learned that stir frying thin slices of vegetables and beef, shrimp or chicken in a little light oil is not difficult. If you don't have a wok, a large frying pan will work. The time for slicing the vegetables takes the most prep. Sweet onion, celery, red or green peppers, broccoli and mushrooms are all delicious ingredients. If you slice them on the diagonal, they look authentic and it also brings out more flavor. Cook them in light oil on high heat, stirring (duh!) until they are cooked, but not limp. You want them to have a little crispy feel in your mouth. I cook the meat(s) first in the same wok with a dollop of grated ginger and garlic. I take it out of the pan and add it back at the end. Make a sauce of about 1 cup of water, a tablespoon or so of corn starch, and soy sauce to taste. and maybe a little sesame oil. If you like spicy, add a little chili oil. Make a "well" in the middle of your cooked veggies and cook the sauce until it is clear. If it is too thick add a little water. If you think it needs a little salt, go for it. Add your cooked meat of choice and stir. Serve over rice or asian noodles. There is no wrong way. Whatever tastes good to you is a good ingredient. There are plenty of more exotic ingredients, but Brady might want to start simply. I love to toss in a handful of cashews and sliced water chestnuts for extra crunch. Two pans tops...one for the stir fry and one for the rice.
I have a nice recipe for egg roll, but honestly, Costco has a good frozen variety and unless LGJ is a connoisseur he won't notice the difference.
Perhaps C.C. will throw up her hands in despair, but this works well for those of us who are inexpert in the art of Chinese cooking, but love to try at home.
Tarrajo, I can't speak to C.C.'s expertise on Chinese cuisine, but being a cook myself I will give you my best...Go for the eggrolls and make sure Bradyjoe helps you in the process of rolling the eggrolls. I like to cook with fresh ingredients so I would get some broccoli, carrots, onion, ginger and garlic, and saute it in a wok w/ a little sesame oil with some chicken or shrimp. White rice is a must. C.C. am I too far off?
Clearayes we crossed recipes...and now I am in lust with you. Easy boys....recipe wise.
I think you and I cook a lot alike. Hey come to think about it, we think alot alike too...just saying.
CA...Martin Yan has nothing on you...and I thought the length of your post was more than reasonable for a half hour show! LOL
Tarrajo...this is most excellent info. I have two woks and a plethora(great xword!) of Asian ingredients and CA hit the nail on the head...go for it!
To all of you...thanks...I was taking advantage of the length of my posts because I was only posting once or twice for the day right now.
FYI...the mural meeting was great and we're moving forward...will post photos as we work through it...also on Facebook.
Busy, busy, busy tomorrow so a seriously happy 4th to everyone. Printed out the puzzle and will struggle through it while watching my favorite CSI...the original.
Cheers
Put in a new photo for Jeannie and her fresh ingredients...good cook there...Udon bowls that I made and photographed then painted. Next time...roses for Jeannie.
Wolfmom...I am a complete sucker for daisies....nothing against roses; but please paint me some daisies...they are a simple and a long lasting pretty flower.
Much like myself. That last sentence was hard not to erase.
Jeannie, I knew you were a "whatever tastes good cook". That is always the easiest and most delicious method. Our stir fry and/or egg roll ingredients are right on the same page.
Glad to see you checking in! It's always a pleasure to hear from you.
BTW, tarrajo, a last minute addition of fresh cherry tomatoes are an amazing stir fry ingredient. Oh yes, be sure to use chop sticks. It will be messy, but Brady will have bragging rights to his friends.
WM, You know I always have your back! Long, short, or in between, I read 'em all. Mouthwatering new photo...you've got me craving noodles. Jeannie, you've been honored.
That's it for me this evening. Night all.
WM. had I not been a dope and just looked at your avatar, I would have taken those bowls and ran. And run I will to the closest shop that will sell me one of your amazing paintings.
I am so proud of you. 'Nuff said.
I am looking forward to tomorrow as a Tarrajo day (I took it off) as LGJ is going with a friend over night up north. All hell might break loose. So if you heard it did....It ain't just Lois, I might of helped.
Jeannie...for you I will paint daisies. Give me a week or so.
CA...thanks
Tarrajo...will watch the news...good luck and have fun with the Chinese food.
Hey Muller it's a very nice blog and war i just hate it and war should be avoided at any cost!!!
Carol
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